The Shawshank Redemption (Blu-ray Book Packaging)
by Frank Darabont
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown, Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, William SadlerDirector: Frank Darabont
Brand: Warner Brothers
Blu-ray: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Mandarin Chinese (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 142 minutes
Published: 2008-12-01
Blu-ray Release Date: 2008-12-02
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: Blu-ray
- AC-3; Color; Dolby; Widescreen
Movie Reviews of The Shawshank Redemption (Blu-ray Book Packaging)
Movie Review: Blu-ray 'book' edition - a must have
Summary: 5 Stars
I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered the Shawshank Redemption on Blu. It was my third, having already enjoyed the VHS and the DVD. It's one of my favorite movies, the all-time 'guy movie' (but all genders should love it), a show of friendship, loyalty, love of freedom and, above all, love of life in freedom. And who could tell a story better than Stephen King, the number one story-teller in residence? And who else practically exhales humanity if not Morgan Freedman as Red Redding? Add Tim Robins as the mysterious and never tired of living Andy Dufresne and it's a movie that at least I keep watching over and over again. I've already watched the Blu edition twice after having watched the DVD and the VHS who knows how many more times.
But I won't be reviewing the movie or the script - it's been done thousands of times already by others, much better qualified. I only want to discuss this most impressive Blu-ray rendition. So, here it comes.
THE BINDING
Physically, it comes in what I see it's called a 'book' binding. I have one other edition of 'The Matrix' put together in the same fashion. It is literally a book. Hard-cover style, the disk attached to the inner side of the back cover. If you open the book, carefully, you will find glossy, beautifully illustrated pages dedicated to the many great actors that played in Shawshank, to Stephen King, of course, the director, the writer. Being a book, it doesn't lock. It also doesn't open very well so, like I said, open it carefully.
I am not going to say that "this book binding alone should be reason enough to get yourself the Blu edition" because it would be silly but the pretty package shows that some TLC was invested when putting this together this release, unlike some other do-it-quick-and-cheap DVD-to-Blu translations - and they know who they are.
PICTURE AND SOUND
The quality is dramatically better when compared to the previous DVD edition. And, no, it does not compare with an upscaled DVD. I watched the first few minutes on the DVD and on the Blu on a PS3 that upscales DVDs and there is no comparison. There is some graininess in scenes shot in semi-dark surroundings but I would call the overall quality of the picture as somewhere between 'excellent' and 'spectacular'.
Almost the same to be said about the sound. The TrueHD makes a significant difference on a 7.1 surround system. I know it because the Dolby 5.1 track is also included and even my untrained ears can tell the difference.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Sadly, there's nothing new here. Three LENGTHY features (40-plus minutes each), including a full Charley Rose episode discussing the movie with all the two main actors and the director. The other two extras feature Stephen King, the script writer, the director, the actors, the town where the movie was shot, the 'Shawshank Prison' building (a former real prison in real life), even former 'true' prisoners, talking about how it really was. All three features are worth watching but, sadly, they are in the old 'narrow screen', low-res TV format with 2-channel stereo sound.
An alternative sound track with director's commentary is also available.
RATING THIS EDITION
With all the little shortcomings noted, it HAS to be a 5-star because I'm comparing it with any of the prior editions. There are very few movies I have on DVD that I would buy again on Blu but, this would be the one I'd get even if I could only afford buying one.
If you have a Blu player and you love The Shawshank Redemption you owe yourself getting this.
Summary of The Shawshank Redemption (Blu-ray Book Packaging)
A prominent banker unjustly convicted of murder spends many years in the Shawshank prison. He is befriended by a convict who knows the ropes and helps him to cope with the frightning realities of prison life.When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, some critics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we realize there's reason to believe the banker's crime was justifiable. We also realize that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. --Jeff Shannon
When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, somecritics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, where he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman). Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. --Jeff Shannon
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