A pair of adventures about the dangers and wonders of space, a Stephen Sondheim musical and an Emmy Award-winning TV show are my tops picks in Blu-ray home entertainment this week.
Interstellar (Paramount Home Entertainment, Rated PG-13, $34.98) — Director Christopher Nolan’s time-bending, science-fiction adventure gave moviegoers late last year a near three-hour thrill ride tied to long-range space travel.
Matthew McConaughey starred as a former NASA pilot leading a research team in search of a hospitable planet to move the starving citizens of Earth. Their journey exposed the worst as well as best of humanity’s instinct for survival, with plenty of heartbreak in tow.
The Blu-ray format will entrance new and repeat viewers through a splendid digital transfer (culled from 35 mm and IMAX film stock) and present the standard Nolan trick for home theater viewers. The slower-paced scenes are shown in a standard 2:39:1 aspect ratio (black bars on top and bottom) while the epic action moments, in a 1:78:1 ratio, fill the entire viewable screen space.
Extras are certainly worth watching, but sorely missing is an optional commentary track with Mr. Nolan.
First, a 50-minute look at the science of “Interstellar” offers interviews with astrophysicist Kip Thorne (an executive producer and consultant on the film) along with other researchers as they try to explain a bit about experimental cosmology, black holes, worm holes and the theory of relativity, Suffice to report, I could have watched hours of this stuff and, for any budding astronomer in the family, it is must viewing.
Also, a 14-part, nearly two-hour documentary on the making of the film covers interviews with cast and crew, the simulating of zero gravity, building cool space suits, details on the digital effects, scouting locations for the various planet terrains, using miniature models and the challenges of working with dust.
Additionally, the package includes an actual IMAX, 70mm film cell contained in a ready-to-display cardboard pouch. It’s kind of an odd perk and unnecessary considering the purchase worthiness of the film on Blu-ray and its extras.
Gravity: Diamond Luxe Edition (Warner Home Video, Rated PG-13, $24.98) — Director Alfonso Cuaron’s dazzling space thriller took home seven Academy Awards in 2014. The tale of a two astronauts — played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney — who are lost in space after a shuttle disaster returns to the Blu-ray format with a few new features and an option to watch the entire movie sans the musical score.
That non-scored version is quite jarring for those used to musical cues in films and actually kept me quite focused on the drama and effects while relayed by one of the astronaut’s frantic point of view.
However, both versions offer the same stomach churning, digital transfer to appreciate with a steady stream of stunning visuals effects and Emmanuel Lubezki’s award-winning cinematography. It’s so good, it may deliver a case of vertigo for those sitting too near their 60-inch plus screens.
Warner Home Video also tempts audiophiles to upgrade their home entertainment center’s sound systems offering the orchestrated version of Gravity with Dolby Atmos audio mix (oddly not offered for the version without the music).
The extras will also certainly help convince fans to purchase the 2-disk package.
First, best of the new stuff, is the 42-minute “Looking to the Stars: The Evolution of Space Films” that offers a too-brief history of the movie genre with help from directors Ron Howard and Joe Dante as well as special effects masters Dennis Muren and John Dykstra. It feature discussions on such classics as “A Trip to the Moon,” “Destination Moon” and, of course, “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Star Wars” to name a few.
The studio also tosses in three hours of extras from a 2014 Blu-ray release comprise mainly of a documentary on the making of “Gravity” and the Ed Harris-narrated look at the manmade clutter in space.
An attractive, magnetized slim case covered in reflective photographs opens into a four-panel spread and houses the disks.
Veep: The Complete Third Season (HBO Home Entertainment, Rated TV-MA, $49.99) — So how does a mediocre politician on the campaign trail, hampered by an annoying daughter and ex-husband, stuck with a back-stabbing staff and having a relationship with her personal trainer, become U.S. president? Faithful fans of HBO’s chronicling of Vice President Selina Meyer’s career learned how in last season’s set of hilarious shows.
Two disks offer the 10, 32-minute episodes of Emmy Award-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfuss portrayal of the slightly unlucky and incompetent Veep who delivers laughs at near every bizarre turn (“Danny Wa!” fellow beer drinkers).
A support cast led by Anna Chlumsky (Chief of Staff Amy Brookheimer), Tony Hale (personal aide Gary Walsh), Matt Walsh (Director of Communications Mike McLintock) and Timothy Simons (as an obnoxious White House liaison Jonah Ryan turned Internet tabloid journalist) are equally potent in comedy arena.
For extras on the 2-disk set, viewers get four spirited, optional commentary tracks with Ms. Louis-Dreyfuss on each as well as a collection of other cast and crew as they all yuck it up like old pals.
Also, enjoy a handful of amusing deleted scenes as well as an intentional infomercial by former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley as he visits the set of Veep and discusses Maryland’s film production tax credit.
For those without access to the episodes via any HBO on-demand service, Armando Iannucci’s satirical and unapologetic political comedy is well worth a Blu-ray binge-watching purchase.
Into the Woods (Walt Disney Home Entertainment, rated PG, $39.99) — A Disney-like version of composer and lyricist Steven Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical made it to movie theaters last year and now arrives for home-entertainment centers.
The twisted, sometimes dark, fairy-tale mash-up touches upon lore from such classics as “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Snow White,” “Cinderella,” “Rapunzel” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” The stories come to cinematic life through a top-notch cast featuring Meryl Streep as a witch, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Christine Baranski as an evil stepmother, Chris Pine as Cinderella’s prince, Tracey Ullman as Jack’s mother and Johnny Depp as the Wolf
The high-definition format beautifully defines the textured fantasy set design (reference the variety of trees, an ornate castle, babbling brooks or wooden farmhouses) while the sound transfer in DTS-HD MA allows the songs and orchestration of such show stoppers as “Agony” and “Into the Midnight” to stand out. It’s a perfect mix to really enjoy a film musical.
Best extras on the disk offer a new song by Mr. Sondheim “She’ll Be Back,” sung by Miss Streep and written just for the movie (summarily cut at the last minute); a sing-a-long presentation of each musical number; and an optional commentary track with director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca.
A relaxed Mr. Marshall carries the vocal load here touching upon turning the stage production into a movie, creative decisions and the rehearsal process while complimenting near every cast and crew member.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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