South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
I enjoyed the Blu Ray presentation of South Park’s latest season of episode, but the movie really takes it to the next level on Blu Ray. You really see each nodule of construction paper, all the patterns embedded into the original material out of which they cut characters and backgrounds.
It’s like they put the camera right up to the construction paper, and now they’ve restored it to the inch away that didn’t come across when you were sitting
The colors are bright and solid with some pastels and Kyle’s mom’s bright red hair. You can see the texture of burned Kenny and the hell demons, as well as the depth of the background of Hell.
Trey and Matt are one of the only filmmakers I even listen to their commentaries (the other is Kevin Smith). I find their thoughts and ramblings fascinating, and they don’t disappoint on their magnum opus, even though they struggle to even remember it.
Their perspective on the George Lucas redux is thoughtful, and they recall the atmosphere of their careers when they made the film. It’s a real insight into Hollywood from their perspective, which is honest and scathing, satirical even. They are unpretentious great artists.
There’s a little context for the current South Park, memories of Oscar night, J-Lo and other celebrity bashing. They are self critical, and scene unspecific. They actually refer back to things an hour later because they finally remembered it.
On Blu Ray, Year One provides a window into the pseudo biblical world. It’s brand new film and takes place over different settings and light, certainly a more lavish production than most slacker comedies.
The caveman forest pops green. The desert glows gold. The moonlit canyons at night reflect a crisp blue. You see all the detail in the constructed sets, costumes, even the wigs. There seems to be a constant golden light on everyone’s hair, and the ladies’ eyes really shine.
There are a few dark, fire lit interiors that speckle a little. It’s not annoying, just the reality of shooting conditions and the HD format. These are high class problems when you get to watch a movie on Blu Ray.
You can even compare it to the unretouched footage from the alternate ending and deleted scenes. That’s what the set actually looked like, still in HD detail but not the super bright colors.
Dance Flick
On Blu Ray, Dance Flick looks like all the movies it’s spoofing. There’s the gritty You Got Served template; the bright, soft Save the Last Dance/High School Musical mode, and the hybrid world of Step Up that tries to have it both ways.
Where appropriate in the spoof, you see the glossy, polished schoolrooms and halls. The lighting inside dance clubs holds up. You see detail on the street, in the scuffs on the ballet floor, the basketball court.
There are some bright colors, especially in Suge’s lair but also the basketball jerseys and dance costumes. Some of the visual effects are shiny, but they’re supposed to look silly. I mean, there’s a guy head sliding down the street!
