The Last of the Mohicans Blu-ray Review

In finding my voice with my reviews, I quickly discovered that I wanted to be as faithful to my audience as possible. This means that if there's something wrong with a movie, or in this case if there's something wrong with the quality of the film on its respective media format, I intend to let the reader know about it. I'm not going to be overly focused on giving studios what they want, and if I'm reviewing a Blu-ray or DVD, I'm not going to be entirely focused on the film itself either. In my opinion, what matters most in a review of a film on a high definition format like Blu-ray is how it looks. If the film is accurately represented in high definition and looks spectacular, as in the case of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, I'm going to let you know. Conversely, if it looks like total shit I'm going to let you know that, as well.

Sadly, in the case of The Last of the Mohicans, I had to give a somewhat negative review. On one hand Fox did give me a free review copy of the film, but on the other hand it's a pile of donkey shit. I would be pissed at myself if I didn't accurately and intelligently explain exactly what was wrong with the transfer. I see so many Blu-ray reviewers online giving a false impression of a transfer, and that makes me sick. As such, I'm resolved to represent the reality of the situation rather than to make something sound a lot better than it is. If a Blu-ray looks like shit because it's been DNR'd or EE'd to death, I'm going to let you know about it. Good transfer or bad, you'll get nothing but the absolute truth from me.

I know for a fact that Michael Mann knows how to properly use black levels in his films, so the fact that the Blu-ray of The Last of the Mohicans is so dark probably isn't his fault. So what went wrong with this one? No doubt they probably just mailed this one in, spent a few days working on the transfer and called it a day. That is unfortunate because the film really is very good, and it deserves much more respect than it was given with this transfer. Some scenes, particularly from the middle to the end of the film, are absolutely beautiful and use little to no DNR. The final battle in particular is a sight to behold, as it takes place on a cliff face and every minute detail of the rock and the trees far in the background is beautifully visible in high definition. Still, getting one scene right isn't exactly impressive when they should have gotten them all right.

If Paramount, one of the most notorious studios for bad Blu-ray transfers, can properly handle a film like Braveheart and make it look ten times better than it has ever looked before, why can't Fox do the same for The Last of the Mohicans? There is simply no excuse for this kind of trash. If you love the movie, you might want to pick up the Blu-ray just for the scenes that are well done. However, if you're not particularly crazy about paying $15 for a lackluster high def transfer, you might just want to skip it and pick up the DVD. Either way, the film truly is a classic in my opinion, and it is much more faithful to the social realities of the time period that it deals with than similarly themed films. If you've never seen it, give it a chance one way or another. If you want more information, please check out Movie Cynics for my full review of the Blu-ray.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers Blu-ray Review

Hey guys, I recently posted a review for the new Invasion of the Body Snatchers Blu-ray on Movie Cynics. I felt like gushing further about this particular Blu-ray, because it's pretty fucking awesome. MGM has become known for their lazy ass high def transfers, so I can't blame people for being wary of picking up either this or Return of the Living Dead. While Return looks a little less than perfect, Invasion of the Body Snatchers represents a brand new day for MGM. Considering the company is close to calling it quits and liquidating, it's surprising to see something this significant come from their catalog. I'm telling you, if you haven't heard the news yet, this is without a doubt the BEST Blu that MGM has yet put out.

Not only does it look beautiful, but it's freakin' cheap as hell right now. While you don't get a slew of special features, there is enough to keep any fan of the film satiated. At least they made more of an effort than Fox did with Last of the Mohicans, but that is both a rant and a review for another day. Wondering just how cheap it is? TEN BUCKS. $10.49, factory sealed from Amazon.com right this second. You'll find similar prices all over right now, and something tells me it will stay that way until after Halloween. The other horror flick that MGM released on Blu recently was of course Return of the Living Dead, and while it isn't nearly as good a transfer as Invasion, it too is only $10.49 on Amazon.

So why is this such a good deal? I know what you're saying, there are plenty of good Blu-rays for ten bucks, what makes this one so special? Well, it's quite simple: Invasion comes with both the Blu-ray and the DVD. How many Blu's at ten bucks come with the DVD version as well? Exactly. If you haven't quite yet adapted to the high def market yet, this is the perfect kind of Blu-ray to start with. The DVD even features a commentary from director Philip Kaufman that you won't find on the Blu-ray. This means that even if all you want is the Blu-ray, there's good reason to have the DVD lying around as well.

To be honest, at ten bucks this is a fantastic deal. If I had to compare it to a similarly well done transfer from the same era of film, I'd have to say that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest best reflects how this transfer looks. If you haven't seen the transfer for One Flew Over, you simply must. We're talking about picture quality that makes the film look as if it was shot yesterday. The transfer for One Flew Over was so damn good that it was almost disconcerting to see the now famous actors in the film looking so young and vivid. With Invasion we get a transfer that, while not quite as good as One Flew Over's PQ, will still make you stop and look a little closer. I'll post some screens up here so you can see for yourself just what I mean. If you're not convinced, you can check out screenshots at blu-ray.com's review for the film.

Simply put, at this low a price, this quality of Blu-ray and an extra DVD to go with it is the best deal you're going to find. If you're looking to beef up your horror collection before Halloween, or just want to check out how good Invasion looks in high definition for yourself, please check out the link below and pick it up from Amazon!

Reviving Cinemafangeeque

Did I ever tell you where I got the name for Cinemafangeeque? It seems kind of uninspired and stupid, doesn't it? Well, I used to read Fox Trot comics a lot when I was a teenager, and one of Jason's favorite magazines was called "Cinemafangeeque." The name stuck with me over the years because of just how corny it is. Being that I am a huge fan of film and my obsession almost airs of the side of geekdom at times, I felt the name would be prudent. I originally started this blog to try my hand at writing a few news articles related to film, but eventually I just dropped the ball as I had school work and other things on my mind.

Luckily, today I find myself in a much better position to keep this blog going with much more content than before. For the past couple months I have been writing reviews and news for a great website called "Movie Cynics," and as such I have gotten into the habit of posting original content quickly and efficiently. With this kind of work under my belt, I feel it prudent to keep myself in the habit and keep practicing the format of writing for an online audience as much as I possibly can. This is why I have decided to make a return with Cinemafangeeque, as it is a blog which I know I can quickly pick up and run with. So, what can you expect from this blog from now on?

My plans for the future of Cinemafangeeque include a number of different things. First, of course I plan to post links and small descriptions of both reviews and news that I and other reviewers on Movie Cynics have posted. Second, I plan to post a few video reviews that might or might not be directly related to reviews I have written on the site. To get an idea of what those might be like, you can check out the youtube videos at the bottom of the page. While these will be a large focus of the blog, I have to say that at times I have ideas and thoughts which I wish to express, and sadly a professional site such as Movie Cynics is not the place for them. As such, you can expect me to express my true feelings and opinions on films and media formats here on Cinemafangeeque.

While a certain level of my personality seeps through all that I write, I really do try to keep my words and thoughts as professional as possible on the site, so when I have a particular rant or rave to make on a subject I am glad to know that I will now have Cinemafangeeque to turn to. I also plan to post original content such as DVD/Blu-ray deals, Top 5 and Top 10 Lists, and even some film pairings that I plan to call "Movie Night." Movie Night will essentially be a review of two films which have something in common that makes them work together as a Double Feature. The basic idea will be to expose new and different ideas concerning film to my audience by suggesting films that they can sit down and watch as a Double Feature and find similarities which both make the films stand out and add to their significance.

Hopefully my new format will meet with some approval from film fans, but as it stands right now, my only intention is to serve the fans and friends I already have and to serve myself as well. I expect Cinemafangeeque to become both a creative outlet and a source of practice for my writing form. I am first and foremost a writer, so although I enjoy film and the process of making video reviews and the like, my main focus for the future is to improve my writing ability as much as possible while finding my voice and entertaining my readers. If you want to know more about me and get the first scoop on reviews/films/news from me, feel free to follow me on Twitter.