41 / 92
1
Rogue One
2
Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them
3
Moana
4
Assassin's Creed
5
Passengers
6
Hacksaw Ridge
7
Planet Earth II
8
Doctor Strange
9
Vikings: Season 4, Part 2
10
Sing
BLU-RAY
BEST-SELLERS
for
APRIL 2017
1
Planet Earth II
2
Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find
3
Assassin's Creed
4
Passengers
5
John Wick
6
Underworld: Blood Wars
7
Fast & Furious 7
8
Sing
9
Harry Potter: Deathly
Hallows, Part 2
10
Harry Potter: Deathly
Hallows, Part 1
4K
BEST-SELLERS
for
APRIL 2017
D
amien Chazelle's ebullient ode to the glitz,
glamour and romance of old Hollywood
musicals is set to dazzle in High Definition. The
Academy Award-winning cinematography and
production design is showcased in the super-
widescreen CinemaScope ratio of 2.55:1, while
Justin Hurwitz's original score and songs come
through loud and clear via Dolby Atmos audio.
The 1080p transfer really pops, as befitting the
film's Technicolor aesthetic, with the freeway and
planetarium sequences a standout. The Blu-ray
edition is loaded with extras, too, including multiple
behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary with
Damien Chazelle
and Justin Hurwitz,
and a handy Song
Selection option
that let's you
quickly access your
favourites. JB Hi-Fi's
Exclusive 2-Disc Set features Alternative Artwork
plus a Bonus Disc with two additional featurettes:
Open Spotlight – Airbnb Q&A
, and the
TCL Chinese
Theatre IMAX Q&A with Damien Chazelle
. If you
really want to please mum this Mother's Day, a
copy of
La La Land
on Blu-ray is the way to go.
M
ore and more cult movies
are making their way on
to Blu-ray these days, targeting
diehard film buffs and a collectors'
market that appreciates a quality
HD presentation (and for whom
'streaming' is a dirty word). It's
a practice that should continue.
There's nothing better
than seeing an obscure
'70s favourite from the
drive-in and VHS era
spruced up with a new
HD transfer that makes
it look better than you
ever remember – and
in some cases better
than the film actually
deserves.
The most significant
release this month is
undoubtedly David Cronenberg's
disturbing debut feature,
Shivers
(1975), which ranks
amongst his most outrageous
and interesting films. Set in a
Canadian high-rise apartment
block, the film chronicles
the grisly consequences of a
scientist's attempt to create a
benign parasite that can replace
human organs and thus eliminate
the need for transplants. The end
result, however, is a combination
of aphrodisiac and venereal
disease which spreads like
wildfire and turns the residents of
Starliner Towers into sex-crazed
zombies. Featuring the trademark
transformations and medical
horrors that would become a
staple of Cronenberg's work,
Shivers
not only pre-empts the
'rage virus' movie cycle that would
become popular
in later decades, it
also features torso-
bursting creatures
four years prior to
Alien
. Previously
released on Blu-
ray as part of the
David Cronenberg
Collection
(alongside
Rabid
and
The
Dead Zone
), this
standalone edition
of
Shivers
(out on May 3) is a
great introduction to cinema's
prime exponent of 'body horror'
and an essential addition to cult
film collections. Extras include a
making-of featurette, an interview
with Cronenberg, and the original
theatrical trailer.
The 1967 horror anthology
Torture Garden
is a film we
never thought would receive a
domestic DVD release, let alone
the High-Def treatment! Directed
by Freddie Francis for Britain's
Amicus Films (a cousin of sorts to
the bigger
Hammer
Studio),
these four
stories are
linked by
Burgess
Meredith's Dr. Diabolo, who
entices five carnival-goers with
a glimpse into their futures. Also
starring Peter Cushing and Jack
Palance,
Torture Garden
is an
ideal companion to other Amicus
anthologies like
Tales from the
Crypt
and
Vault of Horror
. Out
May 3.
Local cult connoisseur and
documentarian Mark Hartley
followed his Ozploitation opus
Not Quite Hollywood
with a
demented descent into Filipino
genre filmmaking in
Machete
Maidens Unleashed
(2010), and
the 'Wild Untold Story of Cannon
Films' (who gave us the likes of
Masters of the Universe
,
Lifeforce
and
Ninja III: The Domination
) in
Electric Boogaloo
. Both
films have
been lovingly
remastered
in HD and
paired for the
ultimate doco
double feature
– out now.
A BD WORTHY OF ALL
THE SONG AND DANCE
41
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGH-DEF