New to Blu-Ray: March

New to Blu Ray is our monthly look at the latest Blu Ray releases. This month we look at some new action, comedy, horror and cable TV releases. 

The Fourth Kind 

The disparity between Blu Ray hi-def and rough archive footage only enhances the effect the producers of The Fourth Kind were going for. Whether you buy it or not is still up to you, but it looks like they intended it to. 

The filmed footage is clear, glossy detail. Milla Jovovich’s on camera introduction is so clear you can see her peach fuzz, so glossy you can see her hair shine. The produced footage is the same, and then they cut to fuzzy video. There are some pretty vistas, flying over Alaska or driving down the forest roads. 

Interestingly, the crappy video holds up too. You may see digital grain on the fuzzy video but it’s within the film aesthetic, not a bad transfer error. When they start putting the produced film footage and archival footage on the same screen, in splits or 4x4, the distinct frames are immediately juxtaposed. 

There are some minor speckles in the sides of big frames, but hey, it’s only The Fourth Kind. It’s roughest spots look better than many A-list movies with bad transfers. Since the recordings are such a vital part of the gimmick, it’s appropriate that in close-ups of tape recorders, you see detailed scuff patterns on the tables and in the metal of banged up tape decks. 

Stargate: SGU 

TV on Blu Ray has proven to be a really mixed bag. Many seem to suffer from roughly produced materials or perhaps too quick transfers. Some major shows like Heroes and Dexter hold up perfectly. Some unfortunate ones like Battlestar Galactica and Supernatural don’t hold up at all. At least SGU falls in a happy middle. 

There’s plenty of gritty detail on that crusty old ship, the Destiny. Since it’s low light, there’s also a lot of speckles and electronic haze. It’s about 60/40 favoring the technical errors, but that’s still a high percentage of clear shots. Definitely higher than other TV shows on Blu Ray. 

On planets fare much better because it’s usually outdoor on the service. You see golden deserts cluttered with dirt tracks, the occasional CGI ship set against the natural location.

If it were all that, then this would be a demo disc series.