When it comes to perfecting the art of the special edition blu-ray, Warner has made a believer out of me with their Maximum Movie Mode. Their ability to get the director’s participation has been unparalleled. Well, Paramount’s latest salvo in the battle for BD supremacy is their Sapphire Series (sapphires are blue, get it?), classic titles released in high definition, complemented with in depth special features to enhance your viewing experience.
With their latest release in the Sapphire Series, Sam Mendes’ suburban masterpiece American Beauty, high definition helps to augment the opulence of the images captured by legendary director of photography Conrad Hall. I suppose there wasn’t much effort required to pique my interest in this release, the rich colours and elegant way the darker sides of suburban life are portrayed can only improve at 1080p resolution.
…when we’re talking about something called the Sapphire Series, I’m looking for a little something extra.
However, when it comes to packaging the rest of the feature, including the packaging itself, the Sapphire Series has left me wanting. Don’t get me wrong, the features are robust, but they’re the same ones that were on the DVD, and there’s actually fewer of them. That’s not a dealbreaker, but when we’re talking about something called the Sapphire Series, I’m looking for a little something extra. And then there’s the matter of the blu-ray’s cover art. What looks like a screen capture looks like it was captured at the wrong time. Yes, the bed of roses is iconic, but so’s the wave from Mena Suvari, or at least the wink. How about some eye contact at least?
In the end, the features are not actually to the detriment of the total package, and the high def treatment definitely accentuate the positive as far as the visuals go. So I’m thinking if you’re waiting for the right time to finally pick this up, the timing’s not gonna get much better.
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I can understand your point. When it comes to the Sapphire series they are bursting at the seams with content. Seriously, for the Gladiator version I need like a day and a half minimum to get through it all. Can’t imagine this would join the ranks of Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump aside from it taking the best picture Oscar.
Still in a huff that this beat out The Sixth Sense for the best picture Oscar, but after time and a few more viewings, I think the Academy made the right choice:P
It certainly isn’t as “sweeping” as it’s brethren, for sure, but the craftsmanship is definitely there. Regardless of the strengths of the other guys, the photography here is freakin’ awesome!
I can’t tell if this is the early signs of the end of “hard media” but the standards of “special editions” of anything have been getting pretty wishy-washy. I’m not even sure what to expect from Warner’s next attempt at Maximum Movie Mode. Have we seen the last of directors standing in front of TV sets describing in detail how their film came together? (Check out Sherlock Holmes & Watchmen to see how a blu-ray should really look.)
Really is an incredible film!