Blu-ray Review: The Big Country

I'm a sucker for a good Western and they don't come much bigger or better than William Wyler's 1958 epic The Big Country.

Beautifully photographed in Technirama (a higher-resolution alternative to Cinemascope) and featuring more stars than a clear prairie night, The Big Country tells the story of Jim McKay (Gregory Peck), a former ship captain who heads out west to meet his fiance Pat's (Caroll Baker) rancher father Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford). Pat hopes McKay will get a feel for the land and decide to settle there.

A bowler hat-wearing fish out of water, it doesn't take long before McKay's resolve is tested by the local boys, first by chronic troublemaker Buck Hannassey (Chuck Conners) and then ranch foreman Steve Leech (Charleton Heston). Not one for petty violence or proving his worth before a crowd, McKay takes the high road, much to Pat's dismay.

Looking to find his way on his own terms, McKay becomes smitten with a valuable piece of land owned by Pat's childhood friend Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons) and soon finds himself in the middle of a bitter feud over water rights between Major Terrill and fellow rancher Rufus Hannessey (Burl Ives in a Oscar-winning performance).

Newly released on Blu-ray by 20th Century Fox as a Walmart exclusive, the high-def Big Country is a vast improvement over its faded 2001 DVD release. Presented in its native 2.35:1 aspect ratio and featuring a 2007 Academy Film Archive-restored print, the disc offers rich, detailed colors that once again return the vivid, expansive Technirama photography to its previous glory. The sprawling ranch, the bright blue, cloud-infused skies and the perilous trek through the canyon never looked better, especially on a 47" screen.

There is a fair amount of grain visible throughout, especially during the opening credits, but it never really distracts. Also present is an occasional digital fluttering at the top of frame but you really only notice it if you take your eyes of the action. While not a restoration in the class of the recent Ten Commandments disc, this transfer is a welcome one and should not disappoint.

The Blu-ray features an English Mono DTS Master Audio track. Dialog is clear at minimal levels for the most part. I think I found myself only raising the volume a couple of the times, mainly during interior scenes.

Extras include a vintage five-minute making-of documentary narrated by Jean Simmons, a TV spot and theatrical trailer.

The only complaint, more an observation really, is that the disc has no menu screen. The film starts up immediately and only displays the extras and scenes icon when pressing the pop-up menu button. You also can't toggle between the three extras. You watch one, return to the film and then press the pop-up button again for the next extra. At just $10, I guess you get what you pay for.

The Big Country remains one of my favorite Westerns, a lasting tribute to the genre and the grand widescreen epics of the '50s and '60s. Fox's new Blu-ray is a worthy, inexpensive upgrade over the 2001 DVD and only helps boaster my admiration for this classic film.

The Big Country ( 1958 )
Restored Blu-ray Disc, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Running Time: 165 minutes
50GB Dual Layer; AVC Encoded @ Average 32 MBPS; English Mono DTS Master Audio
SRP: $10 ( Walmart Exclusive )
Picture: A -
Sound: B
Extras: C
Worth Upgrading From DVD: Yes

Film Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Hard to believe it's been nearly 10 years since the original Pirates of the Caribbean film sailed into theaters. That first voyage was a refreshing surprise, a rousing, humor-laced adventure anchored by Johnny Depp's unforgettable, Oscar-nominated portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow. It became a worldwide phenomenon and made sitting through that 48-year-old Disney ride cool again.

Unfortunately what followed were two tired, self-indulgent sequels, each one more vexing and overbloated than the next. (Do we really need a three-hour-long pirate movie?) So it was with great trepidation that I signed on for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I'll be honest: the only draw was seeing a pirate movie in 3D.

On Stranger Tides, loosely suggested by fantasy writer Tim Powers' eponymous 1987 pirate novel, opens with our old friend Captain Jack (still played with a glint in his eye by Depp) attempting to "creatively" secure the release of his old first mate Gibbs ( played by Kevin McNally) before he's hanged by the British. After an elaborate escape is defused, Captain Jack is brought before King George (played by Richard Griffiths) as it's come to His Majesty's attention that Jack knows the path Ponce de Leon followed to the mythic Fountain of Youth. (Remember his magic compass from the previous films?) It seems the Spanish have mounted an expedition of their own and King George wants to beat them to it. All Jack has to do is provide the location to the king's expedition leader, someone Jack is intimately acquainted with, one Captain Barbossa (played by Geoffrey Rush).

Another elaborate escape later, this one successful, Jack begins assembling his own crew to challenge the Spanish only to learn someone else calling themself Jack Sparrow has already gotten a head start. The impostor is soon revealed to be the exotic Anjelica (played by the always-captivating Penelope Cruz), a former flame of Jack's who just so happens to be first mate to the nefarious Blackbeard (played with devilishly fun by Ian McShane). Blackbeard has his own selfish reasons for finding the fountain and soon Jack is drugged and brought aboard the zombie-crewed Queen Anne's Revenge as it makes way to intercept the Spanish and Barbossa.

Free of Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, director Gore Verbinski and the insipid trilogy storyline from the previous two films, On Stranger Tides, at a mere two hours seventeen minutes, is a much-leaner, faster-paced pirate movie. Director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine, Memoirs of a Geisha) is seemingly an odd choice to helm an adventure film but somehow he pulls off an engaging, enjoyable film that not only keeps you vested in the story but the characters as well. And frankly, the 3D effects make it a better film. From swords, snakes, jungle vines and mermaids, you're immersed in the pirate life like never before and it's truly a fun place to be.

While not as fresh as the original, Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides is a welcome return to form for one of cinema's most iconic characters and proves to be a great way to spend a summer afternoon.

Moms Know A Few Things About Movies, Too

Everyone have a good Mother's Day yesterday? My wife and I took the moms out for brunch and then back to the house for a few games of bingo. My wife promptly won all three games and after my mother-in-law left busted, the three of us convened to the living room to relax and watch a little TV.

We came across Smokey and the Bandit just getting started on Encore. Or at least I thought it was Smokey and the Bandit. That's what the on-screen guide said. Who was I to argue? Granted I hadn't seen it in at least five years but all the right elements were there: Burt, Sally, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, the black Trans-Am. Mom wasn't buying it, though. Now she hadn't seen the original in at least 30 years, probably since the two of us saw it in the theater back in 1977, but she was adamant it was the 1980 sequel. "It's the second one, she argued. "They didn't show how Burt and Sally met."

"Their past history is implied," I shot back, the know-it-all pop-culture guru that I am. "It's the first. The second one had the elephant and Dom DeLuise in it."

So we watch for another 10 minutes or so and the elephant shows up. "See," my mom cooed, "it's the second one."

I go to the guide again. Still says Smokey and the Bandit, 1977. No mention of Dom DeLuise. "If it's the second one, where's Dom DeLuise?" I challenge. I think about it a few seconds and say, "Maybe the first one had the elephant."

"Maybe Dom just hasn't shown up yet," my mom innocently offers.

I ignore this comment. Incredulous to the end.

It's getting late and after a few more minutes of watching, my mom says it's time for her to get going. We gather up her goodies, head out to the garage and see her off. My wife and I walk back into the house, sit on the couch and who's on the screen with the elephant - Dom DeLuise.

Always listen to your mother.

Five Films Worth Braving The Cineplex For This Summer

With the release of Marvel and Paramount's Thor, today marks the official start of the summer movie season. While Thor holds as much interest to me as a Tyler Perry film, there are a handful of films arriving over the next four months that do entice me enough to leave the comfy, cellphone-devoid confines of my home theater and brave the local cineplex.

Tree of Life - Terrence Malick, the poet laureate of cinema, returns with just his fifth film in 38 years. This new one starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn appears to be another meditative feast for the eyes. I'd pay to see Malick shoot weddings. (May 27)

Super 8 - I'm a sucker for these period-set, coming-of-age adventures (think Stand by Me ). With master storytellers JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg guiding the way, my sleeping bag is already packed and waiting neatly by the door. (June 8)

Green Lantern - Ever since Spider-man shot his first CG web in 2002, I've been waiting for a Green Lantern movie. He's been one of my favorite super-heroes since the days of the Saturday-morning Super Friends cartoons. C'mon, a ring forged by intergalactic aliens that can enable you to fly and manufacture anything you can think of? Not even Superman can touch that. The story and effects look pretty cool and no, not even Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively can dissuade me. (June 17)

Captain America: The First Avenger - The first comic book I ever bought was a Captain America annual (its' still buried somewhere in my mom's garage). Cap's been kicking evil's ass for 70 years, just as long as Superman and Batman. It's downright embarrassing that it's taken him this long to get his first movie. While not completely sold on Chris Evans as Cap, with Joe Johnston ( The Rocketeer ) directing, this one looks to be an old-fashioned adventure in the spirit of the Saturday matinees of my youth. ( July 22 )

Amigo - Independent maverick John Sayles returns with his first feature in four years. His new one, a drama starring Sayles veteran Chris Cooper and set during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the 20th century, looks to be another richly textured, character-driven gem. I've been a fan of this guy's work since high school. ( August 20 )