Blink
Twice
(2024/MGM/Warner Blu-ray)/Hounds
Of War
(2024/XYZ/Decal DVD)/Krays:
Code Of Silence
(2021/Trinity/Dark Side/101 Blu-ray)/Las
Vegas: The Complete Series
(2003 - 2008/NBC/Universal Blu-ray)/Zyzzyx
Road 4K
(2006/Dark Arts/MVD 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B Picture: B/C/B-/B/B- Sound: B/C+/C+/B/B
Extras: D/D/C/C+/B- Main Programs: C+/C-/B-/C+/C+
Now
for some of the more down and dirty crime dramas and thriller
releases...
Zoe
Kravitz's Blink
Twice
(2024) is the great actress' major directing debut about a young
woman named Frida (Naomi Ackie) trying to get ahead in business and
connect with people, deciding to take a trip on a whim with some
influential people with money to a private island. Not a smart idea
to go with strangers under any circumstances, bad things result, but
she also starts to lose touch with reality.
The
film can be graphic and brutal, with some interesting moments and a
cast that includes Channing Tatum, Haley Joel
Osment, Christian Slater, Alia Shawkat, Adria Arjona,
Liz Caribel, Levon Hawke, Geena Davis and Kyle MacLachlan. They are
no bad either and some are cast for their 'mysterious' works, but the
screenplay ultimately fails and it just does not add up. Too bad,
because a few rewrites could have helped, but the director should
keep trying.
Unless
you count a Digital Movie Code, there are no
extras
Isaac
Florentine's The
Hounds Of War
(2024) is yet another Frank Grillo actioner that looks, sounds and
plays like all the endless formula product he pumps out, even down
the the fight choreography. This will only go down as 'the one with
Robert Patrick in it' or Rhona Mitra for anyone who knows who she is.
This
time, Grillo is the head of a mercenaries-for-hire group 'The Hounds'
but the film is an absolute dog, badly acted, Patrick just picks up a
paycheck outacting the rest of the cast by default and it lands up
being a forgettable package deal with hardly any ambition to it. How
long can Grillo keep this filler up?
There
are no extras.
Ben
Mole's The
Krays: Code Of Silence
(2021) is the fourth major feature film on the deadly crime brothers
of the title from the U.K. in the 1960s we've covered so far,
following Peter Medak's at least minor classic The
Krays
(1990,) disappointing Rise
Of The Krays
(2015, both reviewed elsewhere on this site) and Legend
(also 2015, which we will catch up with ASAP) with Tom Hardy as both
brothers. This newest entry is better than expected and better than
Rise
with Stephen Moyer (Stewart's Priest,
Kaufmann's Quills,
TV's True
Blood)
as the detective going after the killer brothers (a really good Ronan
Summers as both of them) in what is more of a police procedural.
That
approach gives us a new angle thanks to a decent screenplay by actor
Luke Bailey, avoiding all kinds of gangster genre pitfalls and
cliches, yet also not being a flat, boring procedural, with period
authenticity and a supporting cast that is also very good. It is
also a film that plays like pure British cinema and I liked that very
much, in a league with films like Pulp,
the original Get
Carter,
The
Ipcress File
and The
Long Good Friday.
Surprised it is not getting more attention for how good and smart it
is, I hope this Blu-ray release helps.
Extras
include an Original Theatrical Trailer and 14 minutes of more
trailers for Trinity releases.
Las
Vegas: The Complete Series
(2003 - 2008) was a surprise hit for NBC, going with the cycle of TV
programs trying to ride The
Sopranos
and its surprise wave of success. James Caan lead the cast (for most
of the time) to another notable success for him and a hit NBC could
use. We covered a few of the seasons on DVD years ago as these links
will show:
Season
Two
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2788/Las+Vegas+-+Season+Two
Season
Three
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4309/Las+Vegas:+Uncut+and+Uncensored+%E2%80%93
The
series (apparently inspired by actor Don Johnson with a $5 Million
pilot that was the most expensive in NBC history to that time) did
start to run out of steam midway though its seasonal run, though I
was not a huge fan of the show, I could see why it was a success and
supporting
cast members like Josh Duhamel, James Lesure, Nikki Cox, Molly Sims
and Marsha Thomason, plus key semi-regulars like Cheryl Ladd, Tom
Selleck, Lara Flynn Boyle, Jerry O'Connell, Jon Lovitz, and Pat
Harrington kept the show going, all melding better than expected,
even when the teleplays might be lacking.
Eventually,
the decline and a change in scheduling slowly ended the show and with
a few cliffhangers that have still not been resolved now for 18 years
and counting as we post. With Caan no longer with us, it seems less
likely we will see any continuation. For what is here, if you are
interested, this is a solid upgrade of the show.
Extras
repeat all from the previous DVD sets and include: Rumble
in the Montecito,
"Pilot"
Audio Commentary with Writer Gary Scott Thompson (Verhoeven's Hollow
Man,
The
Fast & Furious
films) and Actors James Lesure, Nikki Cox, Molly Sims and Marsha
Thomason, "Hellraisers
and Hearbreakers"
Audio Commentary with Writer Gary Scott Thompson and James Caan, "The
Night the Lights Went Out in Vegas"
Audio Commentary with Writer Gary Scott Thompson and Vanessa Marcil,
Inside the Montecito, Las
Vegas: The Big Gamble,
Las
Vegas: The TV Show,
City of Las Vegas Promotional Spot, "Always
Faithful"
Audio Commentary with Writer Gary Scott Thompson and Actor Josh
Duhamel, V.I.P. Access Only, Gag Reel, In
With The New,
Backstage with Cast & Crew, Behind
The Scenes - The Making of Las
Vegas
Season 4,
Season 3 Recap, "Father
of the Bride Reduxe"
Commentary by Series Creator Gary Scott Thompson, "Delinda's
Box Parts 1 & 2"
Commentary by Series Creator Gary Scott Thompson, "White
Christmas"
Commentary by Series Creator Gary Scott Thompson, "Heroes"
Commentary by Series Creator Gary Scott Thompson, VFX Featurette, Hot
Stuff
and the NBC.com Webcasts.
John
Penney's Zyzzyx
Road 4K
(2006) also happens to take place in and near Las Vegas with Grant
(Leo Grillo) starting a serious affair with his secretary Marissa
(Katherine Heigl) when things get wackier, he starts second-guessing
himself and then, she has a crazy boyfriend (a well-cast, if obvious
Tom Sizemore) shows up. Will he have to kill the old boyfriend? Is
she worth it? Is he too sick to be able to do anything?
Despite
some interesting moments and weird chemistry with the three
principles, the final result just does not pay off, plays like many
such films we have seen before and it is all the more disappointing
because the casting had more potential. If only the screenplay had
not been worked on and worked out a little more at least, but it
lands up being a disappointing curio which is at least getting its
due in this upgraded special edition. Now you can see for yourself
and if you like any of the cast, you should give it a look.
Extras
on both disc versions include New Introduction by Director John
Penney and Actor Leo Grillo
The
regular Blu-ray disc adds:
"The
Legacy of Zyzzyx
Road"
featurette
11
Archival Behind the Scenes Featurettes
Archival
Interview with Director John Penney
Shooting
Location: Then & Now Featurette
Storyboard
to Scenes Featurette
Storyboard
Slideshow
"The
Mystery of Zyzzyx Road"
Music Video
Optional
English Subtitles
and
an Original Theatrical Trailer.
Now
for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, Dolby
Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition
image on
Zyzzyx
Road 4K
is the oldest production here and an earlier HD shoot, so it has its
visual limits, though it wants to be a little gritty just the same.
The regular 1080p Blu-ray is weaker still and harder to watch, but
both offer the same DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix that
holds up better, is professional and consistent throughout.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on Blink
Twice
is well shot and looks about as good as any presentation on the list,
with consistent colors, clarity and compositions, while the DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is well recorded, has a consistent
soundstage and helps the narrative.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Krays
can be a little soft a little too often, but it also looks good
otherwise, has a consistent look and feel while the disc sadly and
oddly offers only an older codec, a
lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix tends to be on the quiet and
reserved side and a vague soundfield. I know this would sound better
than we get here I we got a lossless mix, but its passable at best
and the only disappointment outside of few extras here.
The
1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfers on the Las
Vegas
episodes looks pretty good, with the first four seasons shot on 35mm
color negative film and by the final/Fifth
Season,
the makers switched to HD, which was considered a cost-cutting
comedown back in the day. I'll give them sone credit that they did
manage to match the style of the filmed seasons decently, but it is
still lacking and did not help the show's staying power. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on each episode has a
very slightly weak soundfield throughout each of the seasons, but
what we get is consistent and the combination renders the DVD
versions obsolete for playback fidelity.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image on Hounds
is softer than it should have been, with some consistent color when
we get color, but it is not the most memorable shoot, while the lossy
Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix is passable and has some up moments at
best. Otherwise, the poorest performer here and not too memorable.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
