Watcher
15-01-2002, 04:38 AM
<I><B>COLUMBIA TRISTAR HOME ENTERTAINMENT </I></b>
<center><b>
<h2>LEGENDS OF THE FALL:
Collectors Edition </h2>
Release Date:</b> OUT NOW!.
<B>Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment </B>
<b>Rating:</b> M15+
RRP: $36.95</center>
<center><UL><b>SPECIAL FEATURES AND SPECS</b></center>
<LI> Audio Commentary by director Edward Zwick and star Brad Pitt
<LI>Audio Commentary by director of photography John Toll and
Production designer Lilly Kilvert
<LI> 3 Deleted Scenes
<LI>Isolated track of James Horner's music score
<LI>Production Design featurette
<LI>Behind the Scenes featurette
<LI>Theatrical Trailer
<LI>Talent Profiles
<LI>English language in Dolby Digital 5.1
<LI>Languages: German Dolby Digital 5.1
<LI>Subtitles: English/German/Greek/Polish/Czech/Hungarian/Icelandic/Hindi/
Hebrew/Dutch/Bulgarian/Turkish/Danish/Swedish/Finnish/Norwegian/Arabic
<LI>Some of the Extra Features are also subtitled in German and Dutch
<LI>Aspect: 1.85:1 widescreen 16:9 enhanced.
<LI>Dual layer/ Single sided
<LI>Running Time: Approx 107 Mins.</UL>
<center><b>CAST</b></center>
Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Henry Thomas, Aidan Quinn and Julia Ormond.
Directed by Edward Zwick
<center><B>FROM THE BACK COVER</b></center>
<b> Live the Legend!</b>
<i>In this thrilling, epic adventure from the director of GLORY, THE SIEGE and COURAGE UNDER FIRE, BRAD PITT stars as Tristan Ludlow.
From the heart of the wilderness to the ends of the Earth, he fought the battles that made him a hero ... and the madness that made him a legend.
Against breathtaking scenery and a powerful story of brotherhood and betrayal, ANTHONY HOPKINS, HENRY THOMAS, AIDAN QUINN and JULIA ORMOND also star in the unforgettable movie experience that is LEGENDS OF THE FALL.</I>
<center><b>AUDIO/VISUAL</b></center>
From the audio options offered, I listened to the music only
score which does sound very good in DD 5.0, the Audio Commentaries that were in a very satisfactory DD 2.0
surround and of course, the DD 5.1 English track on the movie itself.
The audio does the movie justice and makes good use of all speakers.
The front sound stage is very broad and clear and the sub offers mostly low level bass, but does become a bit more active during the war scenes.
The rears provide plenty of atmosphere with some gentle rear effects and they often combine well with the front sound stage to give a feeling of being immersed in the overall sound track.
Speech is very clear, easy to understand and in sync.
Legends Of the Fall is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced.
Viewers will be very pleased with the video transfer here as they are treated to a very clean and sharp image that is mostly free from any noticeable imperfections. There are no real distracting marks or blemished and grain is non existent.
Colours are spot on and are nice and rich, which really helps to show off the beautiful cinematography of this movie. Blacks and shadow detail are also spot on and flesh tones like much of the colour in this movie is very natural looking.
<center><B>EXTRA FEATURES</b></center>
<LI><U><I>Audio Commentary by director Edward Zwick and star Brad Pitt.</i></U> -
Having both the Director (Zwick) and lead actor (Pitt) presenting this commentary gives you 2 different takes on the movie. One from the production point of view where Zwick talks more
about the technical information regarding casting decisions, filming, locations used, the actors, set and prop construction...the list goes on. Whereas Brad Pitt talks more about the filming and the movie from his side of the camera. The scenes he was a part of, special effects, his horse riding, the training he went through for the part and more.
Having said that though they also both tell stories of things that happened during the filming of the movie, some of which are very funny others are just tidbits of information which are interesting to hear. The commentary is fairly consistent with only the occasional pauses throughout to concentrate more on the scene they have just or are about to discuss. I didn't find this commentary dull in any way and recommend it to anyone who enjoys this movie.
<LI><U><I>Audio Commentary by director of photography John Toll and
Production designer Lilly Kilvert</I></u> -
This commentary is great to listen to as it really gives you an idea of the time, effort and details that went into making this film as realistic and accurate to it's time as possible. They talk about everything from the original research into Montana at the turn of the century and the set design and production to filming and lighting techniques used.
As this commentary is presented by the director of photography and production designer it is very much focused on those aspects of the movie and there tends to be more pauses and silences throughout. While not as consistent as the previous commentary this is still a worthy addition to the DVD and I have no hesitation in recommending you view it atleast once.
<LI><U><I>3 Deleted Scenes </I></u> -
Each of the 3 deleted scenes are available with optional commentary by Edward Zwick. They are also presented in widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.
The three scenes are as follows:
The War - (1.22 minutes) The Commentary by Edward Zwick talks about the scene and the reasons why it was deleted from the final cut of the movie.
The Asylum - (1.20 minutes) The Commentary by Zwick is a little different with this scene as he tells how he was torn about deleting it. He also gives a few tidbits of info regarding the actual filming of the scene.
Grandfather Ludlow - (2.31 minutes) In this slightly longer scene Zwick goes into more detail about the scene itself and the reason it was deleted from the final cut of the movie.
I found the optional commentary by Edward Zwick not only enjoyable to listen to but informative as well. This is a worthy addition to the DVD and definitely deserves at least one viewing.
<LI><U><I> Isolated track of James Horner's music score with "jump to" highlights menu</I></u> -
While not a feature that I normally appreciate as a worthy addition to a DVD I did enjoy this one.
The fact that it has the jump to menu probably has a lot to do with it as you do not have to sit through endless silences in between the music tracks.
You really get the feeling of the film while listening to the isolated music track and it is as if you don't need the dialogue or background noises to know what is going on. If it does nothing else it shows how much of an integral part the music score was to this film.
James Horner has done a fantastic job with the music score and this special feature is an added
bonus to the DVD.
<LI><U><I>Production Design featurette</I></u> -
In this 4.41 minute featurette
Director Edward Zwick and Production Designer Lilly Kilvert talk about how they constructed Helena Montana (in it's period) out of modern day Vancouver.
They talk about many things from the construction of the buildings and the surfacing of the roads, to the time frame they had for the construction and the research they did on olden day Montana.
They also included a few stories regarding problems they had while creating the Montana street.
<LI><U><I> Behind the Scenes featurette</I></u> -
This featurette which runs for just under 6 minutes takes a look behind the scenes of the movie and includes clips of the main cast members talking about their characters and the movie.
<LI><U><I>Talent Profiles</i></u> -
This feature provides you with film & television credits
for the 5 main cast members and 3 crew members. You have a background picture of the cast/crew member and you are able to read two or three screens of text on their career including
list of film credits.
<LI><U><I> Original Movie Trailer</I></u> -
This trailer which runs for just over 2 minutes is presented in Full Screen with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio. It sells the movie very well showing clips of some of the action and drama sequences as well as the beautiful scenery which is the backdrop for most of the movie.
<center><B>OVERALL</b></center>
Set in turn of the century Montana LEGENDS OF THE FALL focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Ludlow family and in particular middle son Tristan.
Brad Pitt puts in a superb performance as Tristan Ludlow and is backed by a fantastic ensemble cast who perform their parts to a tee.
The movie itself easily grabs your attention and will keep you watching til the end. With stunning scenery and an involving storyline this movie is definitely a winner in my book.
The Collectors Edition DVD version of this movie is great to watch when it comes to the audio/visual and Columbia TriStar must be commended for a quality transfer.
The extras are definitely worth looking through and with 2 great audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes and more you really won't be disappointed.
All in all this is a fantastic DVD that contains a very enjoyable movie with some quality extra features.
It is definitely worth renting and should be considered for purchase by anyone who enjoys the movie.<TABLE WIDTH="90%" ALIGN="center" BORDER="1">
<tr><td><B>VIDEO QUALITY</b> </td><td><B>9/10</b> </td></tr>
<tr><td><B>AUDIO QUALITY</b> </td><td><B>9/10</b> </td></tr>
<tr><td><B>EXTRAS</b> </td><td><B>8/10</b> </td></tr>
<tr><td><B>THE MOVIE</b> </td><td><B>9/10 </b></td></tr>
<tr><td><B>OVERALL</B> </td><td><B>9/10 </b></td></tr></table>
Thanks for reading........
<center><b>
<h2>LEGENDS OF THE FALL:
Collectors Edition </h2>
Release Date:</b> OUT NOW!.
<B>Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment </B>
<b>Rating:</b> M15+
RRP: $36.95</center>
<center><UL><b>SPECIAL FEATURES AND SPECS</b></center>
<LI> Audio Commentary by director Edward Zwick and star Brad Pitt
<LI>Audio Commentary by director of photography John Toll and
Production designer Lilly Kilvert
<LI> 3 Deleted Scenes
<LI>Isolated track of James Horner's music score
<LI>Production Design featurette
<LI>Behind the Scenes featurette
<LI>Theatrical Trailer
<LI>Talent Profiles
<LI>English language in Dolby Digital 5.1
<LI>Languages: German Dolby Digital 5.1
<LI>Subtitles: English/German/Greek/Polish/Czech/Hungarian/Icelandic/Hindi/
Hebrew/Dutch/Bulgarian/Turkish/Danish/Swedish/Finnish/Norwegian/Arabic
<LI>Some of the Extra Features are also subtitled in German and Dutch
<LI>Aspect: 1.85:1 widescreen 16:9 enhanced.
<LI>Dual layer/ Single sided
<LI>Running Time: Approx 107 Mins.</UL>
<center><b>CAST</b></center>
Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Henry Thomas, Aidan Quinn and Julia Ormond.
Directed by Edward Zwick
<center><B>FROM THE BACK COVER</b></center>
<b> Live the Legend!</b>
<i>In this thrilling, epic adventure from the director of GLORY, THE SIEGE and COURAGE UNDER FIRE, BRAD PITT stars as Tristan Ludlow.
From the heart of the wilderness to the ends of the Earth, he fought the battles that made him a hero ... and the madness that made him a legend.
Against breathtaking scenery and a powerful story of brotherhood and betrayal, ANTHONY HOPKINS, HENRY THOMAS, AIDAN QUINN and JULIA ORMOND also star in the unforgettable movie experience that is LEGENDS OF THE FALL.</I>
<center><b>AUDIO/VISUAL</b></center>
From the audio options offered, I listened to the music only
score which does sound very good in DD 5.0, the Audio Commentaries that were in a very satisfactory DD 2.0
surround and of course, the DD 5.1 English track on the movie itself.
The audio does the movie justice and makes good use of all speakers.
The front sound stage is very broad and clear and the sub offers mostly low level bass, but does become a bit more active during the war scenes.
The rears provide plenty of atmosphere with some gentle rear effects and they often combine well with the front sound stage to give a feeling of being immersed in the overall sound track.
Speech is very clear, easy to understand and in sync.
Legends Of the Fall is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced.
Viewers will be very pleased with the video transfer here as they are treated to a very clean and sharp image that is mostly free from any noticeable imperfections. There are no real distracting marks or blemished and grain is non existent.
Colours are spot on and are nice and rich, which really helps to show off the beautiful cinematography of this movie. Blacks and shadow detail are also spot on and flesh tones like much of the colour in this movie is very natural looking.
<center><B>EXTRA FEATURES</b></center>
<LI><U><I>Audio Commentary by director Edward Zwick and star Brad Pitt.</i></U> -
Having both the Director (Zwick) and lead actor (Pitt) presenting this commentary gives you 2 different takes on the movie. One from the production point of view where Zwick talks more
about the technical information regarding casting decisions, filming, locations used, the actors, set and prop construction...the list goes on. Whereas Brad Pitt talks more about the filming and the movie from his side of the camera. The scenes he was a part of, special effects, his horse riding, the training he went through for the part and more.
Having said that though they also both tell stories of things that happened during the filming of the movie, some of which are very funny others are just tidbits of information which are interesting to hear. The commentary is fairly consistent with only the occasional pauses throughout to concentrate more on the scene they have just or are about to discuss. I didn't find this commentary dull in any way and recommend it to anyone who enjoys this movie.
<LI><U><I>Audio Commentary by director of photography John Toll and
Production designer Lilly Kilvert</I></u> -
This commentary is great to listen to as it really gives you an idea of the time, effort and details that went into making this film as realistic and accurate to it's time as possible. They talk about everything from the original research into Montana at the turn of the century and the set design and production to filming and lighting techniques used.
As this commentary is presented by the director of photography and production designer it is very much focused on those aspects of the movie and there tends to be more pauses and silences throughout. While not as consistent as the previous commentary this is still a worthy addition to the DVD and I have no hesitation in recommending you view it atleast once.
<LI><U><I>3 Deleted Scenes </I></u> -
Each of the 3 deleted scenes are available with optional commentary by Edward Zwick. They are also presented in widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.
The three scenes are as follows:
The War - (1.22 minutes) The Commentary by Edward Zwick talks about the scene and the reasons why it was deleted from the final cut of the movie.
The Asylum - (1.20 minutes) The Commentary by Zwick is a little different with this scene as he tells how he was torn about deleting it. He also gives a few tidbits of info regarding the actual filming of the scene.
Grandfather Ludlow - (2.31 minutes) In this slightly longer scene Zwick goes into more detail about the scene itself and the reason it was deleted from the final cut of the movie.
I found the optional commentary by Edward Zwick not only enjoyable to listen to but informative as well. This is a worthy addition to the DVD and definitely deserves at least one viewing.
<LI><U><I> Isolated track of James Horner's music score with "jump to" highlights menu</I></u> -
While not a feature that I normally appreciate as a worthy addition to a DVD I did enjoy this one.
The fact that it has the jump to menu probably has a lot to do with it as you do not have to sit through endless silences in between the music tracks.
You really get the feeling of the film while listening to the isolated music track and it is as if you don't need the dialogue or background noises to know what is going on. If it does nothing else it shows how much of an integral part the music score was to this film.
James Horner has done a fantastic job with the music score and this special feature is an added
bonus to the DVD.
<LI><U><I>Production Design featurette</I></u> -
In this 4.41 minute featurette
Director Edward Zwick and Production Designer Lilly Kilvert talk about how they constructed Helena Montana (in it's period) out of modern day Vancouver.
They talk about many things from the construction of the buildings and the surfacing of the roads, to the time frame they had for the construction and the research they did on olden day Montana.
They also included a few stories regarding problems they had while creating the Montana street.
<LI><U><I> Behind the Scenes featurette</I></u> -
This featurette which runs for just under 6 minutes takes a look behind the scenes of the movie and includes clips of the main cast members talking about their characters and the movie.
<LI><U><I>Talent Profiles</i></u> -
This feature provides you with film & television credits
for the 5 main cast members and 3 crew members. You have a background picture of the cast/crew member and you are able to read two or three screens of text on their career including
list of film credits.
<LI><U><I> Original Movie Trailer</I></u> -
This trailer which runs for just over 2 minutes is presented in Full Screen with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio. It sells the movie very well showing clips of some of the action and drama sequences as well as the beautiful scenery which is the backdrop for most of the movie.
<center><B>OVERALL</b></center>
Set in turn of the century Montana LEGENDS OF THE FALL focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Ludlow family and in particular middle son Tristan.
Brad Pitt puts in a superb performance as Tristan Ludlow and is backed by a fantastic ensemble cast who perform their parts to a tee.
The movie itself easily grabs your attention and will keep you watching til the end. With stunning scenery and an involving storyline this movie is definitely a winner in my book.
The Collectors Edition DVD version of this movie is great to watch when it comes to the audio/visual and Columbia TriStar must be commended for a quality transfer.
The extras are definitely worth looking through and with 2 great audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes and more you really won't be disappointed.
All in all this is a fantastic DVD that contains a very enjoyable movie with some quality extra features.
It is definitely worth renting and should be considered for purchase by anyone who enjoys the movie.<TABLE WIDTH="90%" ALIGN="center" BORDER="1">
<tr><td><B>VIDEO QUALITY</b> </td><td><B>9/10</b> </td></tr>
<tr><td><B>AUDIO QUALITY</b> </td><td><B>9/10</b> </td></tr>
<tr><td><B>EXTRAS</b> </td><td><B>8/10</b> </td></tr>
<tr><td><B>THE MOVIE</b> </td><td><B>9/10 </b></td></tr>
<tr><td><B>OVERALL</B> </td><td><B>9/10 </b></td></tr></table>
Thanks for reading........