Evans Above

The fourth iteration of HBO’s True Detective anthology series, True Detective: Night Country, takes place in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. The local police chief, Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster), is investigating the disappearance of researchers at a remote facility. An indigenous Alaskan trooper, Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis), believes that the events in the facility – and a frozen severed tongue – might be related to the murder of an Inupiat women. Though Navarro blames Danvers for that murder remaining a cold case, the two must confront their own prejudices to work together. Warner Brothers has now released the six episode season on Blu-ray and I had a chance to take a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 2.00:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation is very detailed and though many of the scenes take place under low light levels, the detail is still present. The black levels are very deep and there’s only occasional banding. The colour palette is muted and skin tones are natural.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as well as French and German Dolby Digital 5.1 and Czech Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French, German, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish. The soundscape makes great use of the surrounds and immerses you enough in the environment that you may want to put on a parka. The subwoofer also gets a nice workout in some scenes. Dialogue is clear in the mix.

The True Detective: Night Country Blu-ray spreads the six episodes over two discs. There is no digital code. Extras include a Q&A between Foster and Reis, episode recaps, a quick production featurette, an exploration of indigenous themes, a look at the Icelandic setting that ‘hosts” the fictional Alaskan town, and a Max-themed inkblot test.

The True Detective: Night Country Blu-ray features a great cast and solid A/V presentation. Recommended.

As a Torontonian and a huge fan of John Lennon and The Beatles and the artists that inspired them, I had heard of the 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival music festival. Over the years, I had seen footage from the documentary by D.A. Pennebaker, Sweet Toronto, that captured the performances by the Plastic Ono Band, Alice Cooper, The Doors and the rock’n’roll legends Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and Little Richard. However, I didn’t know the story behind the concert. That story is as wild as the performances. Kino Lorber is releasing Revival69: The Concert That Rocked the World on DVD and I had a chance to take an early look.

The doc, directed by Ron Chapman, tells the story of two Toronto-based promoters, John Brower and Ken Walker. Multi-act festivals were the in thing and they decided they could put one together in Toronto that would feature the kings of early rock after Berry had a huge reception at an earlier pop festival they did in the city. So they set about assembling rock’s forefathers. It was suggested by a PR maven that they get John Lennon to emcee, since the Beatle worshipped the ground these greats walked on. Little did Brower and Walker know that Lennon was itching to go out on his own without the Fab Four. Suddenly, Lennon wasn’t emceeing, he was bringing over a whole new band. Then they landed documentarian D.A. Pennebaker and his team to film it. I really don’t want to give out too much more about the events leading up to the Festival as the pure joy of watching Chapman’s doc is discovering all the events that led up to the big day. Interviewees like Alice Cooper, Robby Krieger, Klaus Voormann, Geddy Lee, Danny Seraphine, Shep Gordon, Claudia Barry, Anthony Fawcett, Robert Christgau, Brower, Dan Richter, Edjo Leslie, Hugh Leggat, Danny Taylor, Chris Dalrymple, Lea Harper and Rodney Bingenheimer appear to have as much fun telling the stories as we have learning about them.

This Kino Lorber DVD release looks really good and on the audio side we get an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track with English subtitles.

The DVD does not come with any extras except for two other documentary trailers from Kino Lorber.

Kino Lorber’s DVD release of Revival69: The Concert That Rocked the World is highly recommended for music lovers and great doc fans alike. I had a blast learning the story of the concert that rocked my hometown back in 1969 and I think you will too.

The drama series Manifest premiered on NBC on September 24, 2018. It ran there for three seasons before being cancelled but was saved for a fourth and final season by Netflix. The sixty-two episode series followed the passengers of Montego Air Flight 828 who, after experiencing bad turbulence between Jamaica and New York, land only to be told that their plane has been missing for five years. As they try to accept that their lives and loved ones have changed, they must also deal with visions of the future. The series starred Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J. R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur, Matt Long, Holly Taylor, Daryl Edwards, and Ty Doran. Warner Brothers Home Entertainment has just released Manifest: The Complete Series on DVD and I had a chance to take a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The MPEG-2 encoded video is presented in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Though the series is not presented in HD on a Blu-ray, I thought the video presentation looked really good for the DVD format. The image was as crisp as the format allows, with only a smattering of softness. The colour palette looks natural and not overly saturated and darker scenes looked good despite not having the black level depth of a Blu-ray format. The 62 episodes are spread over 14 discs, so without about 4-5 episodes a disc I didn’t really notice any compression issues.

On the audio side of things, the series has an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. It’s a nice soundscape for a TV show, with effects and ambient noise populating the surrounds and some nice bass floor from the subwoofer. Dialogue is clear, centred and prioritized in the mix.

The Manifest: The Complete Series DVD does not come with a digital code nor are there any extras. Aesthetically, the set looks nice, with a plastic clamshell case fitting into a sturdy cardboard sleeve.

Manifest is currently streaming on Netflix but with a physical media copy you’re not subject to the whims of a streamer. If you’re a fan of the show or genre then the Manifest: The Complete Series DVD set is a nice addition with very good audio and video.

Dexter’s Laboratory was a Cartoon Network series created by Genndy Tartakovsky. Four pilots originally aired between 1995 and 1996, when the show finally got a series order. It originally ran for two seasons and fifty-two episodes beginning on April 27, 1996. Tartakovsky left after the airing of a TV movie, Dexter’s Laboratory: Ego Trip, in December of 1999. In November of 2000, the show was renewed for two seasons and twenty-six episodes with showrunner Chris Scavino. Dexter is a boy-genius who just happens to have a secret laboratory of hidden in his bedroom. He hatches up various plans and schemes but often finds himself at odds with his hyperactive sister Dee Dee or challenged by classmate and fellow boy-genius, Mandark. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just released Dexter’s Laboratory: The Complete Series on DVD and I had a chance to take a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

Though the series ran for four seasons, the included episode listing booklet has the show divided in six seasons. Though the set does include the Dexter’s Laboratory: Ego Trip movie, it does not include the banned episodes Barbequor and Rude Removal.

The 78 episodes are spread out over 12 discs and are presented in the original 4:3 aspect ratio. The animation looks clean, the colour palette pops and with about seven 22-minute episodes on each disk, compression issues do not seem to be a factor either. It’s a really nice video presentation for the DVD format.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English or Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH or Spanish. The sterep soundtrack does a nice job presenting the audio. Music is bright and clear and the audio is well prioritized in the mix.

The Dexter’s Laboratory: The Complete Series DVD does not come with a digital code nor are there any featurettes or behind-the-scenes extras.

With the show currently only available on streaming platforms, the Dexter’s Laboratory: The Complete Series DVD gives fans of the show a chance to own it and not worry about the whims or fortunes of another entity. If you’re a fan of the show or its creator, you might want to add this to your collection.

Studios love going back to the well again and again … and again. So that brings us to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, a sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was a reboot of the original Ghostbusters franchise. Directed by Gil Kenan, it comes from a script written by Kenan and Jason Reitman. In this outing, which takes place three years after the last one, Callie Spengler and Gary Grooberson and the family make the move to the Big Apple, where original Ghostbusters Winston and Ray are trying to restart the business. The movie stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, and Logan Kim alongside Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton. Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lind, and James Acaster also make appearances. The story can be entertaining, but there’s also the feeling that there’s a lot of fan service here, hitting the same notes to trigger that nostalgic feel, even taking us back to the iconic firehouse that was Ghostbusters HQ. The franchise could explore unchartered territory but it’s not doing it here. Sony just released this on 4K and Blu-ray and I had a chance to look at the Blu-ray courtesy of Sony.

NOTE: I received the Blu-ray version of the movie to review. If you have 4K, then you’ll want to get that, so that’s the one I’ve linked to below. These 4K links will allow you to choose the Blu-ray version as well.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The Blu-ray has excellent detail and except for some moments that look a little soft, it’s a very sharp image. The disc has a natural colour palette with pops of colour with some of the supernatural phenomena or proton pack emissions. I’d love to have had a chance to look at the 4K, as the HDR would have made some of the specular highlights look amazing.

On the audio side of things, only the 4K has Dolby Atmos, but on the Blu-ray I reviewed you have the choice of English, French, Spanish and Thai DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks as well as English and French Descriptive Audio. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French and Korean. With ghosts flying around everywhere, it would have been great to hear the Atmos track, but the standard surround track still puts you in the thick of the paranormal activity. Dialogue is clear and centred and there’s some nice oomph from the subwoofers.

The Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 4K comes with a Blu-ray copy and a Digital code, while the Blu-ray that I reviewed came with a DVD copy and a Digital code. Once again, those in Canada (and perhaps other countries reading this) do not get the Digital code with their purchase. The bonus materials include a look an audio commentary by director and co-writer Gil Kenan, a behind-the-scenes piece with a focus on the firehouse, a piece on the ghosts, a look at the past films’ Easter eggs, a dive into our main villain, a look at new tech for the gang, a tour of Ray’s new venture, a piece on the score, an a series of extended and deleted scenes.

On the technical side, the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Blu-ray that I reviewed looks and sounds great, so I can only imagine that the 4K version kicks that up a notch. As for the story, it’s a matter of personal taste whether you’re giddy there’s a new movie or think this dilutes the joy of the very first film. Some people love extended franchises and if you’re a Ghostbusters completist you’ll want to add this to your collection. If you have a 4K TV and player, get that version. If you also love SteelBooks, a 4K SteelBook version is also available.

From the oddball characters and Gabe Kaplan family stories, to the John Sebastian theme song and memorable catchphrases, Welcome Back, Kotter is a familiar TV friend for those of us who grew up in the Seventies. It follows teacher Gabe Kotter (Kaplan), who finds himself teaching not only at his old high school, but also the same remedial “Sweathogs” he was a member of. The show ran for four seasons from September 9, 1975 to May 17, 1979. The four seasons and 95 episodes acted as a launchpad for the film career of John Travolta and his Barbarino character appeared in fewer episodes in season four. Contract disputes with Gabe Kaplan also saw his titular character mostly absent from the final season but, man, those first few seasons left an impression. The cast also included Marcia Strassman as Kotter’s wife Julie, John Sylvester White as the gruff vice principal, Ron Palillo as Horshack, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington, and Robert Hegyes as the proudly Puerto Rican Jew Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein. Warner Brothers has just released Welcome Back, Kotter: The Complete Series and I had a chance to look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The standard definition episodes are presented in their original 4:3 aspect ratio. The 95 episodes are spread over 12 discs. Compression artifacts aren’t really a major issue. This is 1970’s television transferred from tape so don’t expect razor sharp detail or a stunning colour palette, but I thought it looked very good given the source material. On home media it will look much better than compressed versions on streaming services or retro broadcast channels.

On the audio side of things, the set comes with a Dolby Digital mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. I didn’t notice any pops or hisses and the jokes and trademark zingers come out very clear as does the memorable John Sebastian theme song.

Welcome Back, Kotter: The Complete Series has all 95 episodes spread over 12 DVD discs. Unfortunately, the set is missing the extras and booklet that were present in the 2014 Shout Factory release, but as that set is out-of-print it’s great to see Warner Brothers releasing this classic sitcom again.

Welcome Back, Kotter: The Complete Series DVD has very good video and audio presentations for the DVD format. Again, home media will look better than streaming so if this series has a special place in your heart, you’ll love to have this box set in your home library.

Every time one of these anniversary releases comes out I find myself asking, “Has it really been X years?!?” So here we go again: has it really been 25 years since South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut decided to “Blame Canada?” In this South Park feature film release, Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman sneak into an R-rated film by Terrence and Phillip the foul-mouthed Canadians. When they repeat the words they heard in the cinema, shocked parents decide the only solution is for the US to declare war on its northern neighbour. Meanwhile, poor Kenny dies at the beginning and uncovers a plot by Satan and his lover, Saddam Hussein, to take over the world. Ya know, normal South Park stuff. The movie skewers its targets with the aid of songs written by Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman. Paramount has just released the South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut 25th Anniversary Edition on 4K and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The flat animation style South Park is known for looks crisp and clear in this 4K transfer. The colour palette really pops on the primaries while the HDR gives those colours an extra depth. The black levels are deep and I didn’t notice any crushing. The transfer also has a pleasing level of film grain.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The surrounds get some light usage for effects and musical elements as does the subwoofer. It’s not an immersive powerhouse, but it’s still a nice mix with dialogue and vocals clear and centred.

The South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut 25th Anniversary Edition 4K also comes with a Blu-ray disc and a Digital code, though once again there is no code for the Canadian version. Sadly the 25th anniversary didn’t merit any new special features. The Legacy features are all on the Blu-ray disc and include a commentary by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, a music video for “What Would Brian Boitano Do?”, a sing-along version of the film and some trailers.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut 25th Anniversary Edition 4K looks and sounds really good. It’s a shame that we don’t get any new special features, but if this pushes your nostalgia button or you’re a big fan of the series, you may want to add this to your collection.

South Park: Joining the Panderverse is a South Park special that has the denizens of South Park tackling two issues that have society twisted in knots: the rise of AI and the fan wars over diverse recasting in remakes. In typical fashion, Trey Parker and Matt Stone don’t take sides but rather skewer the extremism on both sides of the issues. Paramount has just released a Blu-ray of this 49 minute episode and I had a chance to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation is clean with good edges on the animation. Primary colours really pop. It’s a good looking disc.

On the audio side of things, the disc comes with an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. It’s a very front-heavy track with the surrounds only getting occasional use. Dialogue is clear in the mix.

The South Park: Joining the Panderverse Blu-ray does not come with a digital code nor any special features.

South Park: Joining the Panderverse is a forty-nine minute South Park special episode with a solid AV presentation. Though it may not be for everyone, fans of the show will want to add this Blu-ray their collection.

In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po (Jack Black) is informed by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) that he must accept a new role and choose a new Dragon Warrior. When Po faces an evil sorceress named The Chameleon (Viola Davis), he must join forces with a fox bandit named Zhen (Awkwafina) to defeat her. The voice cast also includes Ian McShane, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng, and Lori Tan Chinn. Universal has just released a 4K set of the movie and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded upscaled 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The CG animation looks beautiful with amazing detail in the furs, feathers and skins of the animals. The backgrounds of the animation are also highly detailed. Primaries pop off the screen, and warmer, darker colours look great as well. Black levels are deep with no sign of crushing.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos that folds back to Dolby TrueHD as well as a French Dolby Digital 5.1 track and a Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 track. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French, and Spanish. The soundscape is highly immersive, with action effects moving throughout the surrounds. The subwoofer gives an extra oomph to the proceedings during the kung fu battles. The score is dynamic and dialogue is clear in the mix.

The Kung Fu Panda 4 4K also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code, though once again there’s no code for the Canadian version. Extras include commentary from director Mike Mitchell, co-director Stephanie Ma Stine, production designer Paul Duncan, head of story Calvin Tsang, and head of character animation Sean Sexton, a “Dueling Dumplings” short with an introduction by Jack Black and Awkwafina, deleted scenes, cast and behind the scenes featurettes, and tutorials on shadow puppets, cooking dumplings, and drawing the characters.

A fun story is combined with a great voice cast and amazing audio/visual presentation. Season it with a nice collection of extras and the Kung Fu Panda 4 4K is a recommended addition.

Alex Proyas’ 1994 film The Crow is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and Paramount has released it on 4K. Based on James O’Barr’s 1989 comic book series, it tells the tale of a rock musician who rises from the dead to avenge the murders of himself and his fiancée. The film achieved a cult status as the film’s star, Bruce Lee’s son Brandon Lee, died from a prop gun accident a week or so before filming was set to conclude. The cast also features Ernie Hudson and Michael Wincott.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Despite being a dark film, the details and sharpness is there on facial features, textiles and environments. The transfer retains a natural film grain. The colour palette is muted, but there are occasional pops of colour. The HDR grading allows the transfer to give us amazingly deep black levels with no loss of detail an darker and shadowy scenes. It’s a very good looking presentation.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as well as German, Spanish, and French Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks and an Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 track. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Norwegian, and Swedish. It’s a powerful soundtrack with plenty of punch from the subwoofers. The surrounds don’t always contain a lot of the action, but the ambient sounds place you nicely into the environment. Graeme Revell’s score and music from Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails and other contemporary artists sounds great. Dialogue is clear and centred, but occasionally is a bit down in the mix.

The Crow 4K also comes with a digital code, though once again a digital code is missing from the Canadian release. The extras add a couple of new items, with the other extras bringing in legacy material from previous releases. There are two commentaries: one from director Alex Proyas and the other from producer Jeff Most and screenwriter John Shirley. There’s a new three-part doc called “Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow” where production designer Alex McDowell looks at how the design, music, cinematography and other elements all came together, a new interview with producer Edward R. Pressman that looks at Sideshow Collectible’s figurines, a profile of the comic series creator James O’Barr, a behind-the-scenes featurette, extended and deleted scenes and a trailer.

The Crow 4K combines an excellent video transfer as well as a powerful soundtrack. Add in new and legacy extras and this is a recommended home video presentation. Avid collectors may also be interested in the SteelBook release.

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