***SYNOPSIS*** Brad Pitt takes no prisoners in Quentin Tarantino’s high-octane WWII revenge fantasy Inglourious Basterds. As war rages in Europe, a Nazi-scalping squad of American soldiers, known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” is on a daring mission to take down the leaders of the Third Reich.
***VIDEO QUALITY***Presented in the original aspect ratio of 2.39:1 using the AVC MPEG-4 codec 'Inglorious Basterds' looks absolutely stunning.Tarantino pulled out all the stops in making this his most visually beautiful film to date and it comes across perfectly with this transfer.Detail is pure perfection all around with the sumptuous period settings and details such as the gorgeous costume work pulling you ever closer into the world portrayed on screen.Colors are dialed back for a good part of the film but have startling pop to them whenever the color red splashes across the screen, such as any of the Nazi flags or clothing accessories, Shosanna's blush and lipstick, and the violent moments of bloodshed.
Black levels are deep and inky.Skintones are accurate.There were no signs of compression artifacts, DNR, or edge enhancement.A fine grain of layer was appreciated and made me feel like I was watching film instead of the usual plastic sheen that most films exhibit nowadays.This transfer is perfection and earns a 10/10
***AUDIO QUALITY***Just as impressive is the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track presentation.The film having a wealth of memorable dialogue is served well with voices always coming across clear and with the right amount of timber or pitch to the accent.Dialogue was at all times audible and never subdued by the crazy events during the film that could have overpowered the dialogue.Surround usage is utilized to perfection , especially during a chapter like "Operation Kino".There is a great sense of atmosphere and ambiance.Voices are heard form the foreground and background giving you a feeling of being in the middle of the tavern.When things get heated you can hear bullets whiz by, blood splash, and all forms of debris scatter across the room.
The soundtrack that Tarantino has assembled is among his very best and they sound marvelous on this track.My favorite selection was the use of David Bowie's song from the film "Cat People".Overall this is a wonderful presentation and perfectly compliments the stunning video. 10/10
***SPECIAL FEATURES***
**DISC 1**
* Extended and Alternate Scenes (HD,12min)- There are three scenes included, and they really don't differ much from their original theatrical version.
* Nation's Pride (SD,6min)- The full version of the Eli Roth directed movie within a movie, black & white Nazi film that plays during the end of the film in the movie theater full of Nazi's. Great stuff.
* Roundtable Discussion (HD,30min)- This is a wonderful, in depth conversation between Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino.This superb extra is hosted by former New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell.
* Making of 'Nation's Pride' (HD,4min)- This is an amazingly fun 'making of' doc about the made up movie-within-a-movie.Includes interview with the cast and director Eli Roth in character.
* The Original 'Inglorious Bastards' (SD,8min)- A brief look at the Italian B-movie that Tarantino loved so much that he conveniently borrowed the title.
* Conversation with Rod Taylor (HD,7min)- A great conversation with Rod Taylor discussing his role as Winston Churchill in the film.He also discusses his work on Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds'.
* Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter (HD,3min)- Another fabulous Rod Taylor anecdote.This time he revels in Quentin Tarantino bringing him his favorite beer and talking about his love of movies.
* Quentin Tarantino's Camera Angel (SD,3min)- A short but sweet look at Quentin Tarantino's adorably foul-mouthed clapboard girl.Absolutely hilarious.
* Hi Sallys (SD,2min)- A collection of the cast and crew saying hello to the editor of 'Inglourious Basterds,' Sally Menke.
* Poster Gallery Tour (SD,11min)- Elvis Mitchell takes us on a tour of the posters seen in the film.Very interesting and a must watch extra.
* Trailers -
- Original Teaser Trailer (HD,1:45)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:23)
- International trailer (HD, 2:08)
- Japanese trailer (HD, 1:07)
**Blu-ray Exclusive Special Features**
* Killin' Nazi Trivia Challenge - A very boring trivia game.
* Pocket Blu Interactivity- A new technology that will let you control aspects of the Blu-ray disc, as well as receive additional content, on your iPod Touch or iPhone device.
* D-Box - Requires compatible D-Box motion chair.
**DISC 2** - A digtial copy is included for download of the the film to your PC, MAC , or iPod.
