Clever,savagely witty clever and dark,Fight Club:10th Anniversary Edition has made it's long awaited Blu-ray Dosc debut.Based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk (Choke), Fight Club was directed by acclaimed Filmmaker and Golden Globe-Nominee* David Fincher (Seven, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) and stars Edward Norton (25th Hour, Primal Fear) and Brad Pitt (Mr & Mrs. Smith, Inglorious Basterds) whose characters bond over a mutual disgust for corporate hypocrisy and find release in an eccentric,shocking new form of therapy - Fight Club
***SYNOPSIS*** A lonely,isolated thirty-something young professional in an unidentified, semi-stylized city, seeks an escape from his ordinary life with the help of a devious soap salesman.They find their release from the prison of reality through underground fight clubs, where men can be what the world denies them.
***VIDEO QUALITY***This release comes in full 1080p using the AVC MPEG-4 codec in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio.Fans of Fight Club are in for a real treat.Director David Fincher himself had a hand in a brand new master for this 10th Anniversary Edition of the American classic.First I want to point out that although blacks are inky and solid,some televisions due to your settings might show a slight black crush due to this transfer being dark as the director has intended.If your display exhibits this adjust your Brightness/Black Level on your monitor accordingly and remember what you original setting is to return the levels back to their normal viewing setting.This new transfer is striking and is night and day in DVD vs. Blu-ray comparisons.I noticed natural film grain that is never obtrusive and added to the feel of watching film rather than a video signal.All print anomalies,defects,dirt ,etc. have been cleaned up giving the image razor sharp clarity without any signs of DNR (Digital Noise Reduction).Edge Enhancement as well is non-existent.
Colors have been corrected for this new master and the palette has been slightly changed for a more natural appearance.Fleshtones were perfectly accurate and detail in close up shots are stunning.Once you see this new transfer you will never play your DVD copy again.My reccommendation is to give your old DVD set to a friend or family member who has never seen the film.This is the way Fight Club should look from now on and it is truly a revelation to see it in it's high definition debut.In every sense of the word this is reference material. 10/10.
***AUDIO QUALITY***Presented in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio.As stated in in the video quality section the audio is also "DEMO MATERAIL".Right from the opening credits with "The Dust Brothers" bombastic score through to "The Pixies" closing with "Where Is My Mind?" this soundtrack kicks you in the chest with tight,deep bass and a 360degree soundscape.For all the fans wondering how the flight and car crashes sound,two word's sum it all up "Jaw Dropping".The impact of the crashes make you feel as though you are about to be knocked out of your chair yet everything remains clear and never strains.Individual sounds of glass braking and seats crushing ,bones snapping are all audible.The fights themselves are bone-crunching and I felt like I was right there with Tyler Durden and The Narrator in the grungy basements.Surrounds are engaged throughout the film.It all blends seamlessly with the front channels creating the previously mentioned 360-degree soundscape.
My hats off to FOX and especially sound designer Ren Klyce.I personally have always considered the DVD realease of 'Fight Club' to be demo material and in the top of it's class.This new Blu-ray has exceeded my expectations and this will be a disc I'm sure myself and fans will be revisiting many times over. 10/10.
***SPECIAL FEATURES***
* NEW A Hit In The Ear:Ren Klyce and the Sound Design Of Fight Club - Contains the following four scenes which you can remix with the assistance of Ren Klyce who offers introductions as you remix the scenes.A video Introduction by Ren Klyce which a welcomed addition. Below are the the four scenes that you are able to remix.
*Welcome To Fight Club *Angel Faces Beating *The Crash *Tyler's Goodbye
* NEW Flogging Fight Club- A cool little 10 minute featurette that showcases 'Fight Club's' award in the "Guy's Movie Hall Of Fame" that was aired on "Spike TV".Here we get behind the scenes moments of Fincher,Pitt,and Norton preparing their speech and some of it is absolute gold.Pitt calls the author of one of several negative reviews the film received a "Cock".Exclusive to this 10th Anniversary Edition.
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***ORIGINAL DVD SPECIAL FEATURES PORTS***
*Behind the Scenes Vignettes: Production, Visual Effects, On Location
*Edward Norton Interview
*Commentary by David Fincher
*Commentary by David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter
*Commentary by Chuck Palahniuk and Jim Uhls
*Commentary by Alex McDowell, Jeff Cronenweth, Michael Kaplan and Kevin Haug
*Seven Deleted Scenes and Alternate Scenes - Includes:
“Chloe and Rupert” (0:53) “Marla’s Pillow Talk” (0:35) “Copier Abuse” (3:15) “Tyler Quits Smoking” / “Jack Quits Work” (1:28) “Angel Face’s Beating” (3:14) “Walter” (1:39) “Tyler’s Goodbye” (1:55)
*Trailers- Includes:
“Theatrical Teaser” (0:47) “Theatrical Trailer” (2:26) “The Eight Rules of Fight Club” (0:46)
*12 TV Spots
*Public Service Announcements
*Music Video
*Five Internet Spots
*Promotional Gallery
*Art Gallery
*Edward Norton Interview