LATEST ADDITIONS

Anton van Beek  |  May 01, 2014  |  0 comments

The June 2014 issue of Home Cinema Choice went on sale today, packed with the usual mix of exclusive reviews, in-depth features and outspoken opinion. Highlights include...

Anton van Beek  |  May 01, 2014  |  0 comments

The first Percy Jackson film was one of the better Harry Potter knockoffs, but we doubt many people spent the past three years hoping for a sequel. Still, that's what we've got – and what a feeble affair it turns out to be, lacking the sparky dialogue that kept viewers interested between the CG-heavy action scenes. It also struggles to convince as a 3D proposition thanks to how dull much of the movie looks; in 2D it seems rather more attractive. Fittingly, the disc's meagre extras are just as forgettable as the main feature itself.

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 30, 2014  |  0 comments

Those of you who weren't exactly thrilled with the original 2009 Blu-ray release of Luc Besson's acclaimed action film are unlikely to find much to celebrate about this new 20th anniversary release. Like its predecessor it boasts two cuts of the film and seems to be based on exactly the same masters, judging from the AVC 2.35:1 1080p imagery's pushed yellow hues and boosted contrast. Amazingly there are even less extras this time around – just short interviews with Jean Reno and composer Eric Serra. But it does come in a very snazzy steelbook…

John Archer  |  Apr 30, 2014  |  0 comments

Having made many of our favourite projectors in recent years, Epson suffered a dip in form last year – especially in light of the improvements made by some rivals. The gentle criticism it received seems to have galvanised the world’s best-selling projector brand into action, for with the TW9200W it's right back at the top of its game.

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 29, 2014  |  0 comments

Based on the hit Scandinavian crime series The Bridge, this Franco-British co-production relocates the action to the Channel Tunnel. Don't let its status as a remake put you off – this is brilliant TV that even fans of the original should enjoy thanks to the high quality of the writing, acting and production. Unfortunately, this set is compromised by only offering 'lossy' 5.1 mixes alongside its LPCM stereo tracks. At least we have no complaints about the 1080i imagery.

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 28, 2014  |  0 comments

Excellent performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman are the twin driving forces behind the success of this morally murky thriller about two kidnapped children and a father willing to go to any length to find them. The dour nature of the story extends to the film's aesthetics, something that this Blu-ray handles very well with its nuanced AVC 1.78:1 1080p encode and brooding DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. It's just a pity that there are so few extras – all you get are a pair of short promo featurettes. But with the film clocking in at 153 minutes, maybe there just wasn't room for anything else.

Danny Phillips  |  Apr 28, 2014  |  0 comments

When it comes to crafting AVRs, Arcam is very much from the old school. It's more concerned with the purity of performance than the number of logos on the box, an ethos that has earned it audiophile adoration, if not the attention of feature-seeking budget buyers.

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 27, 2014  |  0 comments

Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin star in this high concept thriller about a guilt-ridden 911 phone operator whose shot at redemption comes when a kidnapped teen phones for help from the boot of her attacker's car. Sadly, while the setup is certainly gripping, the longer the film goes on the less convincing it becomes, and by the end the whole thing falls apart. Thankfully, the hi-def platter itself is a more consistent affair with crisp AVC 1.85:1 1080p imagery and moody DTS-HD MA 5.1 sonics. It also includes four brief Making of… featurettes and five deleted scenes (including an extended ending).

Steve May  |  Apr 27, 2014  |  0 comments

In space no one can hear you scream. This kinda makes it difficult to construct an immersive, thrilling yet believable space-locked movie soundtrack – but that's exactly what multi-award-winning sound designer and editor Glenn Freemantle has managed with Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity.

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 26, 2014  |  0 comments

When their space shuttle is destroyed by a massive cloud of orbital debris, astronauts Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) find themselves in a race against time to find another way back down to Earth.

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