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WATCHMEN: Tales Of The Black Freighter & Under The Hood: Digital Copy Special Edition Blu-ray Disc And Standard DVD Edition, Media Blu-ray Disc & DVD (Sold Separately) DVD Region: One, Tales Of The Black Freighter Voice Stars: Gerard Butler and Jared Harris, Under The Hood Stars: Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer, Stephen McHattie, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Tales Of The Black Freighter Directors: Daniel Delpurgatorio and Mike Smith, MPAA Rating: R, Running Time: 26 Minutes, Under The Hood Director: Eric Matthies, MPAA Rating P, Running Time: 38 Minutes
Soundtrack English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround Sound (Blu-ray Disc Only) and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Subtitles: English For The Deaf and Hearing Impaired, Extras In High Definition For Blu-ray Disc Only: Story Within A Story: The Books Of Watchmen (In HD), Watchmen Motion Comics Episode 1 (In HD), First Look At DC Universe’s Animated Green Lantern DVD, BD Live Enabled (Blu-ray Disc Only), Digital Copy Bonus Disc For Windows PC Users Home Video Distributor: Warner Premiere Through Warner Home Video. Availability: Own It On Blu-ray Disc And DVD Today
In trying to translate the graphic novel WATCHMEN to the big screen, the two stories within the story have been produced into shorts and were released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc respectively. WATCHMEN: Tales Of The Black Freighter & Under The Hood: Digital Copy Special Edition Blu-ray Disc and Standard DVD Edition are extensions of the film experience that is not unlike what The Animatrix was for The Matrix Trilogy. Tales Of The Black Freighter is a creepy parable that in the graphic novel serves to underscore the subtext to the main story. It works better in the book than it does on video, but not because the attempt is bad. Some things just don’t translate with the same impact from one form of media to another so I can only recommend this aspect of what could be seen as kind of a double feature to fans of the graphic novel and not to casual viewers of the film. The animation is terrific and Gerard Butler gives the narration great emotion so that you can really find yourself entering the mind of a man going insane. It is this interior dialogue that really is the hook of the story. If I were to give a synopsis, it would not give any justice to watching the short. Tales Of The Black Freighter is presented in a high definition widescreen VC-1 encoded (2.4:1) aspect ratio on Blu-ray and an anamorphic widescreen transfer on the DVD. Both feature an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack with English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired encoded as an option. This holds true for Under The Hood as well. As one expects, the Blu-ray version benefits greatly from a true 1080p native high definition resolution as well as an impressive English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround Soundtrack option not available on the DVD.
Under The Hood is interesting in that we are given a piece of true metafiction with what is a newsmagazine type program done a bit like 60 minutes, but without the dignity for lack of a better expression 60 minutes carries with it. Framed in a (1.33:1) aspect ratio complete with TV spots to add authenticity to the experience, we are back in 1975, but looking at it through a sense of hindsight from the alternate universe 1985 the feature film and graphic novel take place in. Stephen McHattie, Carla Gugino, and Matt Frewer are terrific in this. Between the two programs, I liked this one better. The picture quality is purposely faded to give it a somewhat dingy feel that highlights New York City of the film particularly.
Extra value features on both the Blu-ray Disc and DVD include a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the two shorts and their context in the overall WATCHMEN story (25:01). Those familiar with the book will notice a scene being shot that is neither in the complete USA theatrically distributed version nor is it offered here either. Hopefully we’ll get to see the completed scene on the future home video release. I’d comment more, but for those who are not familiar, it would be spoiler. Next is the first chapter in the WATCHMEN animated motion comic, which is a cool way to get a taste of the series, which is now available on Blu-ray and DVD too from Warner Home Video. There’s also a first look featurette for the upcoming DC Universe Animated Green Lantern home video release and a Windows Media File Digital Copy is included on both releases too. BD Live features that give Blu-ray users access to exclusive online content is available only for the Blu-ray Disc version.
The menus for the DVD version are standard interactive still frames and the seamless menus on the Blu-ray Disc version is in keeping with previous Warner Home Video BD releases and in both cases, the menus are easy to navigate. Personally I think these programs should also be included on an Ultimate DVD and Blu-ray release if one ever comes to fruition. As is, WATCHMEN: Tales Of The Black Freighter & Under The Hood: Digital Copy Special Edition is available on Blu-ray Disc and DVD now, but sold separately at retailers on and offline courtesy of Warner Home Video.
© Copyright 2009 By Mark Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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