Manifest:
The Complete Series
(2018 - 2023/Warner DVD Set)/Twister
4K
(1996/4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/*both Warner)/We
Go On
(2016/Lightyear Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: B/X/B+ Sound: B Extras:
C-/C/C+ Main Programs: C+/D/C+
Next
up are the supernatural and practically supernatural revisited...
Manifest:
The Complete Series
(2018 - 2023) is a long running NBC TV series that has made its way
onto DVD in a 14-disc box set that encompasses the entire run from
start to finish. Inspired by the disappearance of Malaysian airlines
Flight 370, the series centers on a airplane flight that
supernaturally lasts five years. When the plane lands, the
passengers find a world that has moved on in their absence and they
have to piece together the missing pieces of their lives and figured
out what happened to them in those missing years. What happened? A
time slip? A trick kidnapping? Alien intervention? Who knows.
It
is important that this has been the plot of half-hour episodes of the
original Twilight
Zone
TV series, the plot of spy shows like the British hit Department
S
(solved in an hour, reviewed elsewhere on this site) and even a few
old radio dramas, so the idea of making this into a TV series already
on its second season means they need a different approach. Will it
be mystery, suspense or formulas? Sadly, they just want to follow
the Lost
style and that makes the show drag on and on and on and on.
We
get 16 hour-ish shows that really poor on the melodrama and makes
everyone look too puzzled for our own good, plus the usual and many
scenes of upset and shock that is beyond predictable. The cast is
just doing their job, but the teleplays are as flat and dull as this
is all stretched out and I had not really heard of the show and then
watching it, I can see why.
The
series stars Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R.
Ramirez, Luna Blaise, and Jack Messina to name a few. Robert
Zemeckis is one of the executive producers.
Manifest
is presented in anamorphically enhanced, standard definition on DVD
with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy English 5.1 Dolby
Digital Audio mix. While the image isn't 1080p, it is still
commercial free and easier to digest than watching it on a
commercial-filled network broadcast full of interruptions. The
series is also available on Blu-ray but individually by season with a
superior looking presentation overall, but it's not bad for the aging
DVD format.
Special
Features: Episode guide book.
Jan
de Bont's Twister
4K
(1996) arrives as its strangely, very belated sequel is about to be
released and we were not big fans of the original...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6949/Twister+(1996/Blu-ray
I
cannot believe the film is so old already, that Helen Hunt did not
get more films like this afterwards, that we lost Bill Paxton too
soon and that people still do talk about this film. Not a fan, it is
for fans only, so only the upgrades and extras added are the only
reasons to even reissue this. Of course it was also a huge hit in
its time, so now you can see how well you think it holds up, granted
you thought it was any good to begin with.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra
High Definition image comes from its 35mm film shoot with some early
CGI digital effects and even some 16mm film footage, so this is an
improvement over the old Blu-ray, but only so much can be done about
its aged visuals. Some hold up better than others. The
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems)
upgrades the old 5.1 mix and though it does open up the sound at
times, it is also a little harsher and more forward than it should
be, so the lossless DTS on the old Blu-ray is still a little better
oddly.
We
get extras this
time including Digital Movie Code, while the disc adds...
The
Legacy of Twister: Taken by the Wind (NEW)
Chasing
the Storm: Twister Revisited
Anatomy
of a Twister
The
Making of Twister
Van
Halen Music Video ''Humans
Being''
and
a Feature-Length Audio Commentary track by director Jan de Bont and
visual effects supervisor Stefen Fangmeier.
So
if you are a big fan, you'll like the upgrade in many ways, but the
rest of us can skip it.
From
the creators of YellowBrickRoad
(2010), the award winning supernatural thriller We
Go On (2016)
lands on Blu-ray from Lightyear Entertainment in a digitally
remastered version in 1080p high definition resolution.
Miles
Grissom (Clark Freeman) is a man who lets the fear of death and what
lies beyond consume his life. Working as a video editor in Los
Angeles, he gets some inheritance money and decides to find an expert
in the Afterlife who can give him hard proof that life after death
exists. He ends up finding a scientist, a medium, and a otherworldly
entrepreneur, all of which lead him down different and bizarre paths
in which he does find evidence. This changes his entire life as a
ghostly spirit attaches to him and refuses to leave him, showing up
everywhere he goes and putting his sanity on edge. He must then help
settle the ghost's thread to him and free the restless and angry
spirit from otherworldly entrapment.
We
Go On
stars Annette O'Toole, Clark Freeman, John Glover, Giovanna Zacarias,
and Laura Heisler.
Proof
of the afterlife is always an interesting topic in film and
television as there are so many different interpretations and ways to
play around with the concept. This film certainly is full of
intriguing ideas and shows opposing views, which is a highlight for
sure.
The
narrative gets lost a bit along the way and has some downright silly
moments that detract a bit away from some of its stronger moments.
One nightmare the main character has about losing control of his car
is pretty frightening and well produced. Other moments featuring the
ghost of a man who died of drug overdose are also well executed.
Clark
Freeman plays an interesting lead in a man who is really
uncomfortable with just about everything. His look is certainly
unique, and he gives the film a unique vibe. Annette O'Toole's
character is villainous at times with her complete dismissal of
religion and her disregard for the importance of human life, yet she
still goes along with her son and his wild ideas. Not having any
recognizable faces in a film set in Los Angeles is an interesting
road to go. Some filmmaking elements of the film prove there were
two directors being the camera as some things feel a bit more still
and dramatic while other moments are more flashy and horror-esque.
We
Go On
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4
AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and a lossless,
English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit). This is a new
digital restoration of the film with enhanced visual effects, which
aren't bad considering the production's lower budget. The image and
sound mix are both up to par with the format and there were no
distractions in terms of presentation on the 2K Blu-ray disc.
Special
Features: feature-length audio commentary tracks from...
Stars
Annette O'Toole and Clark Freeman
Director/writer
(story) Jesse Holland
and
Director/writer Andy Mitton.
I
would suggest We
Go On
to ghost movie fans or those who highly ponder what lies after death
and the offering of different perspectives on the subject.
-
Nicholas Sheffo (4K) and James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
