DVD SNAPSHOT

What I'm Watching: Editor's Choice (Blu-ray)

Mad Men/Confessions Of A Shopaholic/Pink Panther 2/The Jonas Brothers

Thank the television gods that there are channels like AMC out there, making shows like Mad Men. It’s a wonderful reminder that television can still be every bit as innovative, creative, and high-quality as movies. I love Mad Men; it’s a brilliant blend of drama, character, and period social commentary. Anchored by terrific performances by Jon Hamm, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery, and Rosemarie Dewitt, this is a show that just keeps raising the bar in terms of television quality.

In Mad Men: Season Two (streeting July 14th from Lionsgate), things get even more complicated. Don Draper’s personal life takes a turn for the worse, and Sterling Cooper has to try and keep up with the world changing around it. I don’t want to give away too many plot details and ruin the fun, but suffice it to say that you will be entertained by the golden age of advertising once again.

Mad Men is a great-looking on Blu-ray, where spectacularly crisp imagery fits right alongside the spectacularly crisp suits. Colors are sharp if a little muted, blacks are rich and shadow delineation is top-notch. There are some occasionally soft looking scenes, but it doesn’t happen often. The DTS 5.1 Master Audio soundtrack is a solid effort as well, if less impressive than the transfer. For the most part, this is a show driven by dialogue and music, and both are represented well here. Surround usage and stereo separation are at a minimum, though, providing just enough ambience to get by. Still, the soundtrack fits the show, so it’s not a bad mix by any means.

Mad Men: Season Two comes with the following extra features:

• Audio commentaries with cast and crew on all 13 episodes
• “Birth of an Independent Woman, Part 1 and Part 2” – From housewives to working women, this featurette examines the rise of female independence in the Mad Men era
• “An Era of Style” - Explores the fashion of the 1960’s and its lasting influence on designers today
• “Time Capsule” - Interactive featurettes paying homage to historical events of the 1960's and the daring generation that lived through them

You’ve heard all the buzz about Mad Men; now why don’t you just try watching it?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Movie: A
Video: A-
Audio: B
Extra Features: B+

Cute.

That’s the best word I can think of to describe Confessions of a Shopaholic: it’s cute. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just a lighthearted, fun, frothy, cute film. It’s utterly predictable in every possible way, but the combination of some funny characters, a charming cast, and Isla Fisher’s impressive comedic talents make the film a breezy watch that’s rather enjoyable. It really is the kind of movie that’s been done a hundred times before, but if you saw the trailer for the film and thought it looked mildly enjoyable, you’re not wrong; it’s worth at least a rental.

The Blu-ray offers up a pretty standard transfer and soundtrack for a rom-com; crisp imagery, good details, and uber-bright colors are highlights of the transfer, while the soundtrack offers up mostly clean dialogue and enhanced music, with some occasional (but minor) surround usage for ambience.

The extra features on the Blu-ray include a behind-the-scenes featurette that you won’t find on the DVD, plus these standard extras:

• Bloopers
• Deleted Scenes
• "Stuck With Each Other" Music Video By Shontelle Featuring Akon
• Digital Copy Of Confessions Of A Shopaholic For Portable Media Players

Utterly predictable but completely charming, Confessions of a Shopaholic is the perfect date night movie.

Movie: B+
Video: A-
Audio: B-
Extra Features: C+

Okay, so when I have to review a movie because none of my reviewers will take it, that’s not a good sign. The Pink Panther 2 is… well, it’s The Pink Panther 2. How could you possibly not know what you were going to get in the world’s most unnecessary sequel? I accept that the first film was a surprise hit a few years ago because family movies can often do well simply based on the lack of competition at the box office. But I can’t fathom what made anyone think this sequel was a good idea. Not surprisingly, it isn’t very good. I mean, it’s just not funny, at least not to me as an adult. I suppose if you have kids that are too old for Barney but too young for PG-13 movies, there are worse options, but this is really kind of a last-resort movie. Sorry, Steve Martin; you were funny once.

As with Shopaholic, The Pink Panther 2 features a pretty standard transfer for this kind of film: all bright and shiny colors and relatively clear picture quality. This DTS-HD Master Audio surround soundtrack is amped up a little bit more; as a physical comedy, the surrounds are much more active in bringing the zany world of Inspector Clouseau to life.

Extra features include:

• Gag Reel
• Drama Is Easy...Comedy Is Dangerous
• A Dream Team Like No Other
• Trivia Game: Master Thief - Global Crime Showdown! (Exclusive to Blu-ray)
• 27 Classic Pink Panther Cartoons
• Digital Copy Of Pink Panther 2 For Portable Media Players

Movie: D
Video: A-
Audio: B+
Extra Features: B-

I realize many people probably stopped reading as soon as they realized I was about to talk about the Jonas Brothers, but I like these guys. What can I say? They’re fun, unabashed pop-rock music that is extremely catchy. No I’m not a 12-year old girl and, no, I don’t have posters of them all over my walls, but I am convinced that most adults would like the band’s music if they’d look past all the teenybopper stuff and just give it a listen.

So obviously, I was pretty excited to get Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience - Deluxe Extended Movie to review on Blu-ray. And sure, there are some screaming teenage girls and some moments with the guys acting like pin-up himbos, but for the most part the Jonas Brothers come off pretty well; as relatively down to earth young rock stars with some great tunes. Admittedly, I don’t think they’re the best live band out there; I prefer their studio music, but this is a fun watch if you do like the band, and I imagine those screaming teenage girls will enjoy playing it over and over and over again.

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience takes full use of the Blu-ray capabilities. I was amazed at how crisp the imagery is in 3-D, but of course, it’s the old-fashioned red-and-blue 3-D, which is generally terrible in my opinion, so colors become kind of moot. I just don’t like that method of 3-D, so aside from a few songs for grading purposes, I watched the film in 2-D. In standard viewing, color saturation is quite impressive, and the transfer holds up well in most other areas as well, with an exceptionally clean print, strong contrasts, and strong black levels. Meanwhile, the DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround is perfect for a concert film. The screams of thousands of teenage girls come at you from all directions, while the music sounds rich, full, and energized. There’s not much in the way of directional effects (the instruments are all a bit front-heavy) so it’s not an entirely immersive experience, but there’s not much to complain about.

This releases is a Blu-ray/DVD combo package, so you get a pretty fair amount of bang for your buck:

• Extended Movie In 3D and 2D Includes Songs Not Seen In Theaters
• 2 Bonus Songs
• Up Close And Personal With The Jonas Brothers
• Standard DVD - Extended Movie In 2D
• Digital Copy Of Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience For Portable Media Players

Movie: B+
Video: A-
Audio: B
Extra Features: B-

- Mike Spring
Editor