New to Blu: June 12-18

Four score and seven years ago, no one could have envisaged a history lesson as dazzling as the Blu-ray of the Oscar-winning Lincoln.

“Lincoln boasts a top tier 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer, true to Janusz Kaminski’s intimate cinematography and director Steven Spielberg’s beautifully evocative intentions.”

“With deep black levels, the transfer has a visual depth that is stunning and is the foundation of the moody cinematography of the film.”

“The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound mix is completely involving with excellent but unobtrusive use of its entire soundfield.”

“This is as good as Blu-ray gets.”

“Paramount’s Blu-ray release of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is surprisingly thin on extras.

“However, video and audio qualities are fantastic.”

“Though a disappointment as entertainment, the quality of the 1080p image is anything but, with razor sharp clarity among even the darker moments onscreen that are accompanied by deep blacks and no obvious or noticeable unnecessary tweaking or tinkering.”

The Blu-ray features an extended cut and there’s also a 3D edition: “The good news is that there’s virtually no drop off in general quality between the 2D transfer and this 3D visual.”

If you missed TV One’s SD broadcast of the otherwise excellent Puberty Blues, it will be a better bet on Blu-ray than Movie 43, the direct-to-disc When the Lights Went Out, Vehicle 19 and IP Man: The Final Flight, and the vintage Dressed to Kill (“comes with a dreamy haze and purposefully blurry appearance”).

Dominating the rest of the week’s releases are music (Garbage: One Mile High – Live, OMD Live: Architecture, Morality & More, Dio: Finding the Sacred Heart, Neil Cowley Trio: Live at Montrieux, Andre Reiu: Rieu Royale) and anime (Blood-C: Series Collection, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Heaven’s Lost Property: The Angeloid of Clockwork, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt Collection [Purple Edition], Persona 4: The Animation – Volume 2 [Eps 10-17], Baka and Test Ova Collection).