New to Blu: Movies > November 5-11

Variety said Brendan Gleeson gives a “performance of monumental soul” as a priest marked for death by one of his parishioners in Calvary, which reunited him with the director of The Guard, John Michael McDonagh.

“This Region B-locked disc sports stunning video and impressive audio, as well as a comprehensive selection of interviews with practically the entire cast and crew

“Although not exactly boasting any kind of budget to speak of, the film looks surprisingly beautiful, in no small part thanks to the stunning Irish landscapes showcased across the runtime.

“Detail is largely excellent, with skin observations nailing every last wrinkle and crease on Gleeson’s face, practically differentiating each and every hair on his head and chin.”

The Oscar-nominated Ernest & Celestine also looks fabulous on Blu-ray.

“Don’t let the simple animation fool you, Ernest and Celestine may not pack the visual wallop of the latest Pixar or DreamWorks animated film, but its 1080p presentation is nothing to scoff at.

“The beautiful paint-like visuals are wonderfully rendered here. There’s actually quite a lot of detail to be had amongst this minimalist animation.”

Unfortunately, the NZ release has none of the US Special Edition’s extras, which include a 52-minute making-of account (“a great in-depth piece that looks at everything from the adaptive process to animation”), a full storyboard of the movie and an interview with director Benjamin Renner.

Another French-originated ‘toon, House of Magic, “is a real delight from a purely visual standpoint.

“Characters are extremely well rendered, with elements like Jack’s bristly fur looking crisp and extremely well delineated in high definition. Colours are bright and appealing, and contrast is very strong and stable.”

Also new are:

• The Burbs (“excellent encoding of this colourful, polished production”)
• The Prince (“crisp but gritty image“)
• I Am Ali
• The Mule
• Alien Abduction
• The Badabook.