New to Blu: January 23-29

Kiwi comedy Two Little Boys is the latest NZ movie to debut simultaneously on Blu-ray and DVD.

Most local productions are DVD-only because Blu-ray’s higher mastering and packaging costs are hard to justify in a market as small as NZ’s.

The handful of exceptions include Billy T: Te Movie, Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business and Love Birds.

Director Rob Sarkies told Onfilm magazine: “We never asked distributor Hopscotch about release formats.

“I just got a pleasant surprise one day when they sent me the Blu-ray sleeve artwork alongside the DVD artwork for comment.

“Hopscotch really backed the release of the film here and it’s great to see that continuing.”

Extras include a deleted scene and interviews with the cast.

Also out this week are Hollywood heavyweights Looper and Hotel Transylvania.

“Looper has been given a slick 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode that’s presented in the film’s original anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

“I can easily see this disc making most Blu-rays from the future very jealous. The picture quality is exceptionally clear.”

“A fine to modest level of film grain is present, which enhances the overall look of the presentation and adds an organic quality.”

“Hotel Transylvania looks good. The AVC/MPEG-4 transfer is impeccable, with brilliant colour saturation, edges that have plenty of pop, and fluid animation, with no evidence of artifacting or other compression issues.

“It’s presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and is also available in a 3D version.”

For those who prefer their horror more conventional, “House at the End of the Street was shot in the 2-perf ‘Techniscope’  35mm format.

“As such it has a bit of a grainy and soft texture. That being said, this AVC/MPEG-4 1080p transfer from Fox is spot on, with a clean image, strong close-up textural information, and extended shadow details.”

Also new are: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days (“bright and cheery and bursting with colour“); The Courier (“a clear and well defined looking Blu-ray, albeit with some peculiarities”); Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (“a stunning and practically flawless high definition transfer”); Dark Tide (“overall presentation appears washed-out“); and Hit & Run (“strikingly clear and highly detailed”).