Evans Above

Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1993 comedy Addams Family Values gets the ooky, kooky band back together for an hilarious sequel. It’s hard to go wrong with a cast that features Anjelica Huston, Raul Juliá, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Workman, and Carol Kane. This time around the family is dealing with a new child, sibling worries, and a devious nanny. Paramount has just released the film in a 4K and digital set and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, this transfer looks great. The image has sharp details in the trifecta (facial features, textiles and environments) and there’s is a nice natural filmic quality to the grain. Though there are occasional pops of bolder colours, this is the Addams Family after all, so a lot of the palette tends towards darker hues. The black levels are deep and there’s no loss of detail in the shadows and darker scenes. There’s no noise or compression artifacts to speak of.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, a descriptive audio track, and French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Some might complain that there isn’t an Atmos upgrade, but the 5.1 track treats the material well, with clear and centred dialogue and effects that populate the surrounds.

The 4K set does come with a digital code, though once again not in Canada. There are two new extras, a commentary by Barry Sonnenfeld and screenwriter Paul Rudnick and a look at the story behind the film.

A great cast and great gags coupled with an excellent audio and video presentation with two new extras makes Addams Family Values on 4K an easy recommendation.

David Fincher’s 2007 mystery thriller Zodiac tells the true-life story of the Zodiac Killer, whose string of murders from the late 1960s to early 1970s confounded San Francisco Bay Area detectives as he taunted them with items and ciphers mailed to newspapers. The unsolved case saw the last letter sent in 1974. The movie follows the detectives and journalists who are embroiled in the case and the stellar cast features Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr., alongside Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, John Carroll Lynch, Chloë Sevigny, Philip Baker Hall, and Dermot Mulroney. Paramount Home Entertainment has just released a 4K version of the film and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded upscaled 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Zodiac was originally shot on a 2007-era professional digital camera, with some footage shot on 35mm. Since the digital camera maxed out at 1080p, this 4K transfer is an upscale. The image clarity is excellent with great detail on facial features, textiles and environments, though there are some moments where faces can briefly look a little flat. The HDR makes the colour palette appear more lifelike and the black levels are nice and deep. Given that this an upscale, is it a huge improvement over the previous Blu-ray if you already have it? I’d say no, with the caveat that the HDR and the extra data room on the 4K disc makes this the best it’s looked so far. If you already own Zodiac on Blu-ray that’s a consideration but if you’re owning it for the first time, this would be the release to get.

On the audio side of things, the movie comes with an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack as well as a descriptive audio track. Subtitles are available for English SDH. This is the same soundtrack from the previous Blu-ray release. It’s a front heavy soundtrack with only the occasional use of the surrounds. Dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The Zodiac 4K also comes with two Blu-ray discs and a digital code, though yet again there is no digital code on the Canadian release. All the special features are included on the Blu-rays. The first Blu-ray disc contains the director’s cut of the movie and also features French and Spanish subtitles. It also includes two audio commentaries. The first is from director David Fincher, while the second features Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Jr., producer Brad Fischer, writer James Vanderbilt, and James Ellroy. The second Blu-ray contains a three-part documentary that runs just under an hour, there are some other production pieces and a 42 minute deep dive into the case.

Zodiac is a gripping movie with a stellar cast. The Zodiac 4K offers some visual improvement over the previous Blu-ray release and the extras dive into the production and the case. Recommended.

In a release perfectly timed during the US presidential election, Warner Brothers Discovery Home Entertainment has released Veep: The Complete Series on Blu-ray. The HBO political satire, which earned 17 Emmy wins and 59 nominations over its seven season run, follows politician Selina Meyer as she first becomes Vice President and eventually President. Though there are big issues to deal with, a lot of the time she and her team are bogged down in the day-to-day minutiae of governing and the horse-trading required to get anything done in Washington. That team includes her chief of staff Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky), director of communications Mike McLintock (Matt Walsh), deputy director of communications Dan Egan (Reid Scott), personal aide Gary Walsh (Tony Hale), and personal secretary Sue Wilson (Sufe Bradshaw). As the seasons progress, we also get to know the White House Chief of Staff Ben Cafferty (Kevin Dunn), political strategist Kent Davison (Gary Cole) and White House liaison and later Congressman Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons). Though the individual episodes have previously been released on Blu-ray, this is the first time they have been released as a complete series Blu-ray set. I had a chance to take an early look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation is crisp and detailed but the colour palette is purposefully muted. Some might dream that Washington might be all pomp and bright red, white and blue, but this is an office comedy. Some of the issues might be huge, but it boils down to “can we squeeze another meeting in at 3:15?”, “what food should be at the press conference?”, and “is this memo worded right?” all while trying to corral the votes they need to get things done and cement relationships to get ahead.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as well as French DTS 5.1 and Spanish DTS 2.0 tracks. Subtitles are available in all seasons for English SDH, French and Spanish, while seasons 1-4 also include subtitles for Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish. The soundscape is front-heavy, with the surrounds and subwoofer getting light and occasional work for ambient sounds. Dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The Veep: The Complete Series Blu-ray spreads the series’ 65 episodes over 13 discs. The set does not come with a digital code. Extras are spread across the seasons and include multiple commentaries, a large number of deleted scenes and outtakes, and production featurettes. This is all legacy content from the previous Blu-ray releases and there is no new content for this complete series release.

Veep: The Complete Series Blu-ray combines great acting and writing with a solid audio and video presentation as well as a nice amount of extras. Recommended.

Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters is not so much a sequel to 1996’s Twister as it is a telling of a similar story with updated visual effects. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Kate Carter, a meteorologist who once storm chased until a tragedy cut short her research into tornadoes. When an old friend convinces her to join his team for an investor-backed tornado detection system, she heads off to Oklahoma to study a predicted outbreak. Along the way, she crosses paths with YouTube storm chaser Tyler Owen (Glen Powell) and they all face the deadly storms. The cast also includes Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, and Sasha Lane. Universal is releasing the movie on 4K and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The movie was shot on 35mm film and that natural layer of grain adds to the mood of a storm-ravaged Oklahoma. The 4K transfer has amazing detail in facial features, textiles and environments. The colour palette is steeped in dark browns and greens, with the occasional pop from fires and lights. Black levels are deep.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos track that folds back to Dolby TrueHD 7.1. There are also Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Dolby TrueHD 7.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The soundtrack immerses you in the action and the low frequency effects add to the ominous nature of the storms. Dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix and the score powerfully drives our emotional state.

The Twisters 4K comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code, though once again there is no digital code for the Canadian release. (Was it something we said?) Bonus features include a director’s commentary, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and various cast and production featurettes.

Twisters isn’t exactly a memorable film, but fills the expectations we sometimes have for a piece of diversionary action. The Twisters 4K also fills the bill, giving the viewer an excellent audio and video presentation.

The Gilded Age is an HBO historical drama that premiered back in 2022. Set in New York City during the boom years of the late 1800’s, it looks at the conflicts between old and new money, as well as the beginnings of an African-American upper class in a country just years past the Civil War. The series features a large cast that includes Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Blake Ritson, Thomas Cocquerel, Simon Jones, Jack Gilpin, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski. Warner Brothers has just released The Gilded Age: Season 2 on DVD and I had a chance to take a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The Gilded Age: Season 2 is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Warner Bros. has released this season on DVD, so fans of the show looking for an HD experience will need to watch it on streaming or purchase a digital copy. However, it’s quite good looking for the DVD format. Though lacking the heightened clarity and detail of a Blu-ray, the image is still quite good and has a pleasing colour palette that captures the opulence of the era.

On the audio side of things, the set comes with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. The surround channels are put to good use, with ambient sounds putting you into the scenes. Dialogue is clear and centred.

The eight episode three-disc DVD set doesn’t come with a digital code. There’s about half an hour of extras including some historical context, a preview of the storylines, and some pieces with the cast talking about the characters.

Fans of the show who don’t want to be subject to the whims of streaming execs will probably want to pick The Gilded Age: Season 2 up as it combines a good quality DVD presentation with a nice selection of extras.

Curb Your Enthusiasm ran on HBO from October 17, 1999, to April 7, 2024. During 120 episodes and 12 seasons, Larry David played a fictionalized version of himself, portrayed as a semi-retired TV producer. Cheryl Hines played his wife, Jeff Garlin his friend and manager, Susie Essman as Jeff’s wife and J.B. Smoove as his friend and eventual roommate. The largely improvisational comedy follows David as his lack of social graces or conventions get him into various predicaments. The series earned 55 Emmy nominations during its run, winning two Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series. The series came out on Digital in April and now Warner Brothers Discovery Home Entertainment has released Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series on DVD. I had a chance to take a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

Curb Your Enthusiasm fans who are physical media enthusiasts may ask why there’s no Blu-ray release. As I always answer, it comes down to economics. TV box sets don’t often sell as well as individual movies unless it’s a show with a rabid, loyal fanbase and/or special effects crying out for the highest resolution. Also, DVD still is the highest selling format as a lot of people and their parents may have a DVD player, but only the home theatre enthusiasts have upgraded to Blu-ray or 4K. So we get a DVD of this series. For aspect ratio purists, the seasons 1-6 air in the 1.33:1 (4×3) ratio they were broadcast in and framed for, while seasons 7-12 are in widescreen 1.78:1 (16×9). The video image is generally quite clean and detailed for the standard definition DVD format.

On the audio side of things, seasons 1-6 have an English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack, while it moves up to Dolby Digital 5.1 for seasons 7-12. Seasons 1-5 and 7-9 also have a French soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English (seasons 1-8), English SDH (seasons 9-12), French (seasons 1-9) and Spanish (seasons 1-9). When the soundtrack moves from stereo after season 6, the soundscape is still quite front-heavy, though some audio effects and ambient sounds do make their way into the surrounds. The all-important dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series DVD spreads the 120 episodes over 24 discs. The set does not come with a digital code. Though not every season comes with bonus content, there are some fun featurettes, behind-the-scenes, and interviews spread throughout the set.

Curb Your Enthusiasm features a regular and guest star cast made up of comedy heavy hitters. The audio and video is very good for the DVD format. If you love the show or want to get into the show without worrying if it will still be available on a streaming platform, you might want to add Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series DVD to your collection.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers was an animated series about an environmental superhero who was aided by the magic rings of five young people from around the planet who represented the power of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Heart. Created by Ted Turner and Barbara Pyle, the educational series ran from September 15, 1990, to December 5, 1992. A sequel series, The New Adventures of Captain Planet, ran from September 11, 1993, to May 11, 1996. The shows featured the voice talents of David Coburn, LeVar Burton, Joey Dedio, Kath Soucie, Janice Kawaye, Scott Menville, and Frank Welker. Whoopi Goldberg voiced the spirit of the Earth, Gaia, from seasons 1–3 while Margot Kidder assumed the role for the rest of the series. Warner Brothers has now released Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise on DVD with this set containing all 113 episodes of the two series. The series handles a variety of environmental and sociopolitical issues including pollution, endangered species, drug abuse, overpopulation and the AIDS pandemic. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The series is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, which means you’ll see back bars on the side on modern widescreen TVs. The show’s animation is typical for many lower budget animated children’s shows of the time, so the animation is a little basic with sort of jerky, non-fluid motion. The colour palette pops, the animation lines are sharp, and there’s a good amount of detail for a standard definition DVD presentation.

On the audio side of things, the collection comes with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack with English subtitles. The stereo soundtrack does a good job mixing the dialogue, music and sound effects with clarity.

Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise DVD does not come with a digital copy. There are no bonus materials. The 113 episodes are spread over fifteen discs.

Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise will be a nostalgia hit for kids who grew up in the 1990s. Though it would have been nice to see a handful of retrospective extras, this is a show that could have otherwise been forgotten, so it’s great to see it get a release at all.

The political drama The West Wing premiered on the NBC network on September 22, 1999 and ran for seven seasons. During the time, the show won two Peabody Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and twenty-six Primetime Emmy Awards. Created by Aaron Sorkin, the ensemble cast included Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, Martin Sheen, Janel Moloney, and Stockard Channing. Warner Bros. has just released The West Wing: The Complete Series on Blu-ray and I had a chance to take a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The first two seasons were originally shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio with the show transitioning to 16:9 widescreen in the third season. I’m an aspect ratio idealist, meaning I usually prefer to see the show in the original aspect ratio that it was shot in and framed for. However, I’m not an absolutist, and in this case the 16:9 was achieved by removing the 4:3 masking and not by cropping, which ruined a few visual jokes in the Seinfeld widescreen broadcasts. The Blu-ray presentation is, for the most part, quite good. The pilot episode looks rough compared to other episodes and the presentation does jump up in visual quality starting in season four. Detail and clarity is quite good, though some scenes are a bit soft. The colour palette is full of red, white and blue primaries (naturally), while the greens and other natural colours look very good. Black levels are quite good and there’s no evident crushing, Skin tones are natural.

On the audio side of things, we have an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. I guess a show focused on the in-and-outs of US politics isn’t screaming for too many translations. As a 2.0 presentation, your surrounds and subwoofer can take the night off, visit friends, or even take up knitting. The all-important dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The 28-disc set is housed in two plastic cases contained in a thin cardboard slipcover. There is no digital code. The extras are all legacy extras from the previous DVD releases with nothing new to commemorate this Blu-ray release. There are audio commentaries from production staff and cast on 21 of the episodes, a variety of behind-the-scenes production featurettes in standard definition, some unaired scenes, and a couple of season gag reels.

Though one can quibble that the upgrade to Blu-ray should have earned a little more fanfare in terms of some new retrospective extras, the fact is that this is a show that made its mark and featured excellent acting and writing. The Blu-ray video presentation is an upgrade over the DVDs. If you love the show and want to own it, or you want a piece of TV history that’s not subject to the whims of streamers, The West Wing: The Complete Series Blu-ray is a good add to your collection.

Despicable Me 4 is the latest instalment in an animated franchise that has grossed over $5 billion. This time around, former villain Gru and his family have welcomed a new addition to the family, Gru Jr., while also dealing with Gru’s high school nemesis, and a young neighbour who wants to blackmail into helping her become a villain. As always, Gru is assisted by his loyal Minions, but a twist there sees five of them transformed into superheroes. Directed by Chris Renaud, Despicable Me 4 features the voice talents of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Sofía Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Renaud, Madison Polan, Dana Gaier, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell. Universal has just released the movie on 4K and I had a chance to take an early look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Simply put, it looks great. Sharp, crystal clear animation with amazing detail. A colour palette that explodes off the screen with a variety of hues. Deep black levels with no evidence of crushing.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos soundtrack that folds back to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The soundscape does a good job of immersing the viewer in the action and, though not overpowering, the subwoofer does add a little extra floor when needed. The score is dynamic and dialogue is clear and well-positioned in the mix. A fun soundtrack.

The Despicable Me 4 4K also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code, though once again Universal has not included a digital code for those of us in Canada. The group of extra features are all on the Blu-ray disc. They include two shorts — Game Over and Over and Benny’s Birthday — as well as deleted, extended, and alternate scenes, a look at the dialogue recording sessions, a meet the cast piece, a look at the Mega Minions, a gallery of the franchise’s villains, and a tutorial on drawing the Mega Minions.

The Despicable Me 4 4K combines dazzling visuals, great sound, and antics that will entertain the whole family.

Warner Brothers Discovery Home Entertainment is releasing Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-7 on DVD. The Adult Swim cartoon follows mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith as they embark on misadventures through the planets and even dimensions. Over seven seasons, the Cartoon Network has aired 71 episodes. Season 7 is the first season without co-creator Justin Roiland voicing the two leads. He was dismissed from the franchise in 2023 after allegations of domestic violence and then further allegations of sexual assault. Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden now voice the leads. I had a chance to take a look at the box set. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

Many of the previous seasons and boxed collections were released on Blu-ray, so the decision to release the seasons 1-7 set on Blu-ray is a curious one, but given the financial climate of some of the studios it’s probably a money decision. The standalone season 7 release is available as both a Blu-ray and Blu-ray SteelBook, so perhaps the feeling is that dedicated fans prefer to collect the individual seasons that way, especially with the SteelBook option. The animation style doesn’t suffer too greatly with the lower resolution of a DVD and while the colours would really pop on Blu-ray, the palette still looks quite good here.

On the audio side of things, the set features an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack with a French track available in season 6. Subtitles are available for English SDH, with seasons 5-7 also featuring French subtitles. The soundtrack makes good use of the surrounds with action and atmospheric sound effects moving throughout the soundscape. Dialogue is centred and prioritized in the mix.

The Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-7 DVD set spreads the 71 episodes over 14 discs. There is no digital code. The set includes a sheet that lists episodes and special features and a folded poster. The extras include commentaries, animatics, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Rick and Morty is an Adult Swim show, so if you’re thinking of buying this for a really young family member, do some research first. Hardcore fans may be more interested in the Blu-ray versions or even the Blu-ray SteelBook collectibles, but the Rick and Morty: Season 1-7 DVD set is an economical way to get introduced to the show.

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