Parental Guidance Blu-ray Review

***SYNOPSIS***


Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei prove that laughter is relative in this hilarious comedy that's fun for the whole family! Old-school grandparents Artie (Crystal) and Diane (Midler) get more than they bargained for when they get stuck babysitting their type-A daughter's (Tomei) overprotected kids. But things go from hectic to hysterical when Artie realizes the kids are running the house with their newfangled technology. By playing by his own rules, which include sugary snacks, old fashioned games and tough love, Artie manages to outsmart the kids and achieve the impossible- bring the family closer together!


***VIDEO QUALITY***


Parental Guidance arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The film has the all too familiar modern comedy aesthetic. Colors had good saturation. Black levels were crushed in some instances which led to shadow detail being lost. Fined detail was below average with the image as whole exhibiting softness 7/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***


Audio is provided by a DTS -HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - While no pops , hisses or crackles are audible and the dialogue is always clean and intelligible this is another low key comedy track. Surrounds were used to the bare minimum and LFE comes in to play only with March Shaiman's score. A clear and crisp track overall. 7.5/10


***SPECIAL FEATURES***


* Audio Commentary - Director Andy Fickman and Billy Crystal give insight into the film and have some good fun. I actually enjoyed listening to this more than the movie.
* Deleted Scenes (1080p, 13min) - Director Andy Fickman provides optional commentary with 15 deleted scenes.
* Gag Reel (1080p, 12min45sec) - Some cute moments and you see the cast had a great time but runs a bit too long.
* FXM Productions Presents: In Character
* Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2min10sec)
* Sneak Peeks (1080p, 10min30sec)

June 4th is A Good Day To Die Hard on Blu-ray

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced the Bruce Willis starring franchise sequel A Good Day To Die Hard will arrive as a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack on June 4,2013. The technical presentation is set to include 1080p HD video and a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. Below are official details from the press release:


LOS ANGELES, CA (March 26, 2013) – Yippee Ki Yay, John McClane is back, this time with his son and twice the excitement. Keeping audiences on the edge of their seats for 25 years, the latest chapter of the popular action franchise delivers the thrills and the ultimate father-son action duo as A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD debuts on Digital HD on May 14 and on Blu-ray and DVD June 4 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Featuring a double dose of McClane power, the film will also be available as an “Extended Edition” with over two hours of extreme bonus material just in time for Father’s Day.

Bruce Willis is back in action — mind-blowing, heart-stopping, rip-roaring action — as John McClane, the heroic New York cop with a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time. John’s latest predicament takes him all the way to Russia to track down his estranged son, Jack (Jai Courtney), who has been imprisoned in Moscow. But the mission takes a deadly turn as father and son must join forces to thwart a nuclear weapons heist that could trigger World War III!

Twenty-five years after the classic thriller Die Hard was released, A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD takes the action to a whole new level with the 2-disc Blu-ray Extended Edition featuring over two hours of intense extras. Between the Anatomy of a Car Chase, an hour long behind-the-scenes documentary that looks at the making of the movie, commentary with the Director and deleted scenes, the Blu-ray proves that two McClanes are better than one.


**Special Features**

Disc 1: Blu-ray

* Extended Cut of the Film
* Deleted Scenes
- Jack Scopes Out Courthous
- Collins Gets Approval to Move
- John McClane Original Introduction
- Russian Girls on Plane
- Safe House Intrusion
- Gun Store
- Fight with Anton
* Making it Hard to Die
- Introduction
- Stunts
- Helicopters and Aerial
- Special Effects
- Motion Base
- Armoury
- Russia and Budapest
- The Look of the Movie
- Chernobyl
- Camera Work
- Editorial Los Angeles
- Color Grading
- Visual Effects
- Film Scoring
- Wrap Up
* Anatomy of a Car Chase
* Two of a Kind
* Back in Action
* The New Face of Evil
* Pre-vis
- Cold Opening
- Truck Chase
* VFX Sequences
Stills: Gallery
- Storyboards
- Concept Art
* Theatrical trailers
* Commentary by Director John Moore and First Assistant Director Mark Cotone
* Maximum McClane

* Disc 2: DVD & Digital Copy

The Great Escape breaks out on Blu-ray May 7th

20th Century Fox & MGM Home Entertainment has officially announced the Steven McQueen starring classic The Great Escape will make it's debut on Blu-ray on May 7,2013. He was joined by a superb supporting cast that included James Garner and Richard Attenborough. The WWII film has been given a new life with a 4k restoration. Below are details from the press release:





LOS ANGELES, CA (March 25, 2013) – In celebration of the birthday of iconic Hollywood legend Steve McQueen who would have turned 83-years-old yesterday, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment are proud to announce that THE GREAT ESCAPE will arrive on Blu-ray for the first time on May 7, 2013. Directed by Academy Award® nominee John Sturges,* catch one of AFI’s “100 Most Thrilling American Films” in an all-new masterful 4K transfer.

In honor of its 50th anniversary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will host events around the world to showcase the remastered Blu-ray. THE GREAT ESCAPE restoration will be screened at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Los Angeles April 25-28 and the film will receive a limited theatrical re-release in cities across the globe, with additional initiatives coming throughout the year.

Based on a true story, THE GREAT ESCAPE is “a motion picture that entertains, captivates, thrills and stirs” (Variety). In 1943, the Germans opened a maximum security prison-of-war camp, designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. By doing so, they unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history - brilliantly portrayed by Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn- who worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. The Blu-ray comes fully loaded with over three hours of special features including commentary with Director Sturges and crew, multiple making of featurettes, the original theatrical trailer and more.


**Special Features**

* Audio Commentary by Director John Sturges, Cast & Crew
* The Great Escape: Bringing Fact to Fiction
* The Great Escape: Preparations for Freedom
* The Great Escape: The Flight to Freedom
* The Great Escape: A Standing Ovation
* The Great Escape: The Untold Story
* The Great Escape: The Untold Story – Additional Interviews
* A Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones
* Return to The Great Escape
* Original Theatrical Trailer


THE GREAT ESCAPE BLU-RAY:
Screen Format: (2.35:1)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD-MA
Spanish 2.0 Mono DD
French & Other Language Audio Feature 5.1 DTS
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
U.S. Rating: NR