And another gallery of captures from Blu-ray discs, strictly for entertainment purposes. Please only look at these caps as a very vague indication of what the actual image quality is, which obviously will look a lot better on your 1080p TV set/monitor. HD screencaps look very different from site to site, monitor to monitor; differences in color, contrast, darkness levels always vary. Nor is this a review site, simply because I'm pretty bad at spotting meddling, or at least the different versions of this (EE, DNR, grain removal - there's a ton of grain removal processes, blocking, halos, mosquio noise, ringing, posterization, banding, etc.) All that being said: enjoy, hopefully this site will offer a look at some titles not found elsewhere. Some of these images will have spoilers and R-rated content. Updates will be weekly - if possible.

Last 20 Titles Added: Che, Hardware, Franklyn, Big Trouble in Little China, The Good the Bad The Weird, Kickboxer, Weeds, The Sky Crawlers, True Blood, The Machinist, Roxanne, The Last Word, The Wrestler, Hellraiser, Tango & Cash, Wrong Turn, Waltz with Bashir, Red Cliff II, The Duchess, Never Say Never Again.

Che
(31.4 GB/29.8 GB - Optimum Home Entertainment UK - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: B)

Part One: The Argentine (2.40):

Part Two: Guerrilla (1.78):

(Shot with the infamous RED ONE camera, Part One with some 16mm and [possibly] 35mm footage, Part Two completely "RED."  The first film IMO being the better, more interestingly lensed and using the RED ONE camera the best, although it all is related to the narrative.*  In typical Soderbergh fashion, the camera is generally moving or subtly shaking -- again, to aide the docu-feel, so capturing proved a bit difficult.)

* SPOILERS: 'The Argentine' and 'Guerilla' are perfect composites, each entirely different in style and tone from the other. 'The Argentine' boasts a narrative (though not your classic one) with an upwards trajectory. Knowing, how we do, that Che and Castro's Cuban Revolution succeeded, Soderbergh accordingly instills the first film with a running current of strong optimism. The lush, richly colorized, hyper-realist textures of his jungle and Cuban town scenes are reminiscent of 'Apocalypse Now' at its best, only here they provide a much-needed warm sentiment that this is a battle the rebels CAN and WILL win -- as in their sacrifices are not all for nothing. On a side note, the cinematography that conveys this in 'The Argentine' is so breathtaking, that it should be one of the film's few indisputed locks for an Oscar nomination. In 'Guerilla', however, we know this time that his Bolivian mission is doomed, and as a result, there is an ongoing sense of impending doom. The Bolivian jungle is bare and desolate compared to Cuba, the color in the shots are drained, and from these surroundings alone, it is clear from the outset that failure is certain. Whereas the first film was warm and inviting, Soderbergh makes sure that the second one is cold and bleak. The differences are like night and day, and Soderbergh's directorial choices in separating the two parts, not only thematically and narratively, but visually, are key in them working as a whole. While 'The Argentine' chronicles a rise, thanks in large part to Che's revolutionary spirit, 'Guerilla' documents a fall, due to those very same traits.

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Semi-Mainstream Cinema

"Shot on HD."

With the increase in films and TV series shot with HD equipment, I figured I might go a bit "Blog-y" and ask you which HD-lensed films or shows you don't mind or even like.

Send along your titles on this site, a "cheat list" is available at http://www.pointzeropictures.com/films-tv-hd-and-s16.htm

And if any HD film/show ever surprised you, as in: "Was that shot in High-Def, really?" -- please make a note of it...

Hardware
(19.6 GB - Optimum Home Entertainment UK - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: B)

("Anyone who'd ever worked with Dario Argento is OK for me!" -- Richard Stanley from the commentary track.)

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Richard Stanley Cinema

Franklyn
(17.3 GB - E1 Entertainment UK - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: B)

(From the cover: "As if THE MATRIX met DONNIE DARKO.")

Comments (1) | Categories: Blu-ray, Semi-Mainstream Cinema

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
(19.8 GB - Scanbox / Paramount Home Entertainment NO - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

(Shot by Janusz Kaminski in a pretty unique way, the majority of the film is blurry and in extreme close-ups, for story reasons.)

More caps soon...

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Non-Mainstream Cinema

Cassandra's Dream
(20.8 GB - Scanbox / Paramount Home Entertainment NO - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

More caps soon...

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Semi-Mainstream Cinema

Big Trouble in Little China
(27.9 GB - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment NO - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

(This is the same transfer that'll be used on the upcoming US disc, à la THE FRENCH CONNECTION 1+2, TAKEN, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and other Fox titles released earlier here.)

Comments (4) | Categories: Blu-ray, 'Cult' Cinema

The Good, the Bad, the Weird
(31.0 GB - Icon Home Entertainment UK - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: B)

(From Kim Jee-woon, director of the excellent A TALE OF TWO SISTERS -- remade into the unwatchable THE UNIVITED, and also A BITTERSWEET LIFE.)

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Asian Cinema

Kickboxer
(13.6 GB - Lionsgate US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

(Not sure why I bought this, must be my inner 14-year old... or the Van Damme drunken dance scene.)

Comments (1) | Categories: Blu-ray, Mainstream Cinema

Weeds: Season Four
(Various GB - Lionsgate US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A)

(Note: Shot with HD Cameras, Sony's "quarter-million dollar" F23 from this season and on.)

Comments (5) | Categories: Blu-ray, Television, Showtime

The Sky Crawlers
(29.1 GB - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

(The latest from Mamoru Oshii -- GHOST IN THE SHELL, AVALON, INNOCENCE.)

More caps soon...

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Anime, Worldwide Cinema

True Blood
(Various GB - HBO Home Entertainment US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

(One of the best shows on TV these days.  Period.)

More caps soon...

Comments (1) | Categories: Blu-ray, Television, HBO, Not safe for work

The Machinist
(29.5 GB - Paramount Home Entertainment US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

(File this under "looks better in motion" and as mentioned by Whiggles, some of the transfer issues were present in the theatrical prints.)

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Non-Mainstream Cinema

Roxanne
(28.2 GB - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

(One of Martin's best films, with gorgeous 2.40 compositions.)

Comments (1) | Categories: Blu-ray, Mainstream Cinema

The Last Word
(14.3 GB - Image Entertainment US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A)

Categories: Blu-ray, Sorta-Mainstream Cinema

The Wrestler
(25.9 GB - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A)

(IFC.com: What led to you shooting in this fast-and-loose documentary style?
ARONOFSKY: My whole filmmaking training started in documentaries, and so I've always had an interest in getting back to it. Right after I did "The Fountain," I wanted to go make a documentary or something that was less constructed -- more natural. I was searching for a project, and sniffing around, "The Wrestler" fit right in. The style of shooting also comes out of Mickey and the type of actor he is.")

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Non-Mainstream Cinema, Not safe for work

Hellraiser
(21.1 GB - Anchor Bay Entertainment US - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A)

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Classic Cinema

Tango & Cash
(20.6 GB - Warner Home Video US - VC-1 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

("Rambo... is a pussy!"  Guilty pleasure flick.)

Comments (0) | Categories: Blu-ray, Mainstream Cinema

Wrong Turn
(17.8 GB - Icon Home Entertainment AU - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

("SCOTT: Well, I need to remind you of a little movie called Deliverance!")

Comments (2) | Categories: Blu-ray, Mainstream Cinema

Waltz with Bashir
(21.8 GB - Artificial Eye UK - AVC/H.264 Video Codec - Region: A/B/C)

("One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari Folman about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs.  Every night, the same number of beasts.  The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties.  Ari is surprised that he can't remember a thing anymore about that period of his life.  Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world.  He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself.  As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images...")

Comments (4) | Categories: Blu-ray, Worldwide Cinema, Animation

Copyright © 1997-Present Bjørn Erik Hundland. All rights reserved.
Film related properties mentioned herein are © to their respective owners.
Best viewed with Firefox and Internet Explorer. Hosted by Yahoo! Web Hosting.

Click here to buy movie posters!