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This Month's Featured Equipment Reviews |
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Top Demo DVDs of all Time
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Thursday, 13 December 2007
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title:
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Top Demo DVDs of all Time |
| category: |
Featured Articles |
| reviewed by: |
Jerry Del Colliano
additional contribution by Abbie Bernstein
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Top Demo DVDs of all Time
There
is a fine line between clever and stupid. There is also a fine line
between a great AV demo and a great movie. AudioRevolution.com has
collected 25 of our favorite movies that bring out the best in picture,
sound and/or emotional impact.
We’d like to hear from you about your favorite demo DVDs. We’ll
factor them into version two of this article. Oh, and as an added
value, AudioRevolution.com and Richard Gray’s Power Company are giving
away most of these DVDs (or the top CDs – see article) as part of our
monthly contest.
Top DVD Demos of All Time (in no particular order)
 The Matrix
This past Sunday, ‘The Matrix’ won four Academy Awards (film editing,
visual effects, sound and sound effects editing). AudioRevolution.com
couldn’t agree more with the Academy’s verdict. While the color of the
DVD transfer looks a little green to me, the effects are so
over-the-top stupendous that you can’t help but be absolutely blown
away even on the smallest of home AV playback systems. The
suspended-gravity fight scenes are of note, as is the scene where Keanu
propels himself out of a window – flying through the air – while the
window explodes with a rain of shattered glass. The DVD also comes with
a treasure chest of supplemental materials, including nine
mini-documentaries that accompany the effects sequences when you watch
the "white rabbit" option. Directors/writers Andy & Larry Wachowski
have finally figured out how to make cyberspace exciting visually as
well as conceptually – something that had so far largely eluded
filmmakers – and they deserve massive kudos for opening the portal to a
new storytelling frontier.
 Saving Private Ryan DTS
Director/producer Steven Spielberg first used (and invested in) DTS 5.1
digital surround sound for his mega-hit ‘Jurassic Park,’ with great
audio and box office success. ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ released as a
DTS-encoded DVD, is one of our favorite demos. Spielberg and Co., en
route to five Academy Awards including one for Best Director, use
spectacular sound effects coupled with some of the most resolute video
ever captured on DVD to grab your attention, suck you into the film and
provide a fierce dose of you-are-there verisimilitude. The best example
of this comes in the first few chapters of the film, when our boys are
storming the shores of Normandy. You become immersed in the film as the
sound effects realistically reproduce sound of a battle from the
perspective of a soldier whose head is sometimes above and at other
times below the icy waters. You hear bullets flying above the water as
well as plunging into the ocean’s surface. The effect is nothing short
of amazing.
 Army of Darkness
This B-film, the third in director Sam Raimi’s ‘Evil Dead’ trilogy,
features some of the best video transfers of all time to DVD. After our
hero Ash (Bruce Campbell at his most fearlessly boneheaded) is sucked
into a medieval castle, he squares off with his armored foe with his
"Boom Stick" (his term for a shotgun). The whole movie is a bit like
Ray Harryhausen fantasy, reimagined for hardcore horror fans, with
animated warrior skeletons and vicious corpses popping up at every
turn. However, the transfer to video is absolutely stunning. On a good
system you can see just how the makeup sits on the face of the actors,
with acute detail on each cut and wound. Resolute barely describes this
DVD, which is as jokey as it is bloody.
 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
‘Austin Powers’ films (this one and its sequel, ‘The Spy Who Shagged
Me’) are spoofs of the James Bond films of the 1960s featuring the
comedic genius of Mike Myers (‘Wayne’s World,’ SNL) as both dim hero
Austin Power and the villain, Dr. Evil. He also co-wrote the
deliriously silly script, which has been directed with campy zest by
Jay Roach. The opening dance sequence in ‘Austin Powers’ is perhaps the
best combination of video and audio together in a single DVD chapter.
The bombastic swinging ‘60s tune, coupled with the lunatic
choreography, makes for nothing short of a great time with lots of
laughs. ‘Austin Powers’ was released on DTS laserdisc, for those who
have players and can locate a copy. I prefer the dynamics of the DTS
laserdisc over those of the DVD. However, I accept the death of LD as a
format. The DVD is readily available.
 Terminator II
James Cameron’s future spectacular competes with ‘Austin Powers’ for
the title of best demo scene featuring both music and effects. The
truck chase scene is the go-to demo for most viewers on ‘T2.’ However,
I prefer the "Bad To the Bone" bar scene. The George Thorogood anthem
defines exactly how bad-ass a Terminator is, even buck booty naked.
After inflicting a few bone-shattering compound fractures and stealing
a biker’s leather ensemble, the Terminator leaves the bar. As he is
about to steal a pretty swank cycle, the owner of the bar fires off two
warning shots from a sawed-off shotgun. The effect to listen for is not
just dynamics of the shotgun blasts, but how crisply you can hear the
shotgun shells hit the floor. The chase scene is great, as is the
crushing of the skull in the intro future war opening. ‘T2’ is loaded
with great demo material and is a great movie as well.
 Dangerous Beauty
Directed
by Marshall Herskovitz and based loosely on the true story of a real
Inquisition-era courtesan, ‘Dangerous Beauty’ is set in Venice, Italy.
It tells the story of a young girl who learns the ways of the oldest
profession and proceeds to turn her work to her political and personal
advantage. The draw of ‘Dangerous Beauty’ as a reference DVD demo disc
lies in the beautiful cinematography. The skin tones are so smooth and
warm, that this film will come in handy to set up your TV or projector
for the proper shades of human flesh (albeit European ancestry only).
The costumes in the film are ornate and colorful, adding to the sensual
sumptuousness of the experience.
 Titanic
Criticized for making the most expensive film of all time, James
Cameron showed the world he knew what he was doing when his larger-
than-life motion picture reached the screen. Depicting one of the most
famous instances of hubris leading to tragedy - the sinking of the
ocean liner Titanic in 1912 - the DVD as a demo is a killer for both
the beauty of the production design and costuming, as well as the
special effects. The eerie audio that accompanies Titanic’s hull
breaking apart will resound in your subwoofers and scare the heck out
of you.
 Super Speedway
‘Super Speedway’ is the ‘Endless Summer’ of auto racing. The film,
originally shot for the IMAX format, ranges from laid-back informative
sections on race history and auto restorations to all- out in-car race
action. The film is narrated by Paul Newman and features appearances by
Mario and Michael Andretti, as well as Alex Zanardi and others. The
killer demo on ‘Super Speedway’ is the in-car footage of Michael
Andretti racing in the rain. The sequence is so loud that 800
horsepower sounds as if it’s raging right behind you. If you aren’t
scared to the edge of your seat during this scene, you should have your
pulse checked - you might be dead.
 Tomorrow Never Dies
James Bond, international spy and collector of the finest toys in the
world, takes an ultimate demo DVD title with ‘Tomorrow Never Dies.’
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, the movie features Jonathan Pryce as a
media mogul named Elliot Carver, who is out to make his own news,
including war. While the film is far from the best of the series, it
contains one of the longest and most explosive chase scenes available
on DVD. Pierce Brosnan as Bond has a Chinese martial arts expert,
played by the remarkable Michelle Yeoh, in tow for a romp that
highlights setting of an entire truck full of firecrackers, as well as
sucking a helicopter into a water well. Like an aerial train wreck, the
helicopter crash is a test of the audio system if there ever was one.
If you have the headroom in your amp and speakers that can keep up with
this scene, you know you have a bad-ass theater.
 The Best of Sessions on West 54th Vol. 1
From the PBS special, this Dolby Digital-encoded DVD features live
performances from artists ranging from Wynton Marsalis to Rickie Lee
Jones to Yo-Yo Ma to Sinead O’Connor. Both AudioRevolution.com reviewer
Bryan Southard and my friend Tim Duffy hold Keb’ Mo’s performance as a
must-play in their demo short list. The sound is resolute and
encompassing in 5.1 Dolby Digital and the picture is crispy and clear.
 The Mask
Jim Carrey plays the role of Stanley Ipkiss, a loser bank employee, who
finds a magical mask that gives him superpowers which completely change
his life. Carrey imposes his over-the-top style to the best demo scene
of the film, which features Ipkiss turning into the cartoonlike,
green-faced Mask and bouncing all over his apartment building. The
costuming is colorful and the high-end visual effects are amazing, as
is the indefatigible pacing from director Chuck Russell. The surround
sound effects are all over the 360-degree soundstage, which proves to
be one serious audio trip. Unlike ‘T2’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Dies,’ ‘The
Mask’ has the added value of being suitable for most children.
 Apollo 13
Director Ron Howard’s fact-based of the engrossing story of how America
nearly lost the space race is also a great demo. From a narrative
standpoint, the filmmakers succeed in getting knuckle-whitening
suspense out of a situation where we know the outcome from the
beginning. From a bass standpoint, ‘Apollo 13’s’ rocket launch scenes
are perhaps the deepest found on DVD on any film. From a visual
standpoint, when the spacecraft is taking off, there is a shot of the
navigation controls; on a very resolute video monitor, you can see the
ice crystals forming inside of the instruments. The 1970-era wardrobe
and overall atmosphere are very realistic and add to the value of
‘Apollo 13’ as a demo.
 Strange Days
Bernstein here – for my money, ‘Strange Days’ is one of the most
visually, aurally and emotionally movies of the ‘90s. Director Kathryn
Bigelow has an opening sequence that looks, sounds and feels as if
we’re being dragged along by the collarbone into a robbery that goes
wrong. Underneath the trappings of violence, conspiracy and
out-of-control cops (given that ‘Strange Days’ was made in 1995, credit
the filmmakers with prescience about the LAPD’s current problems), it’s
actually a love story. However, a plot device concerning a contraption
that allows people to experience playback "tape" clips with all five
senses has some of the most intricate audio you’ll ever hear, with
sound traveling directionally through the speaker system, mimicking the
hearing of the film’s characters.
Out of Print
 Caddyshack
‘Caddyshack’ is the greatest sports films of all time and one of my
personal favorite films ever. Featuring Chevy Chase (back when he used
to be really funny), ‘Caddyshack’ is loaded with one-liners and
ridiculous situations. Caddyshack is recorded in two-channel Dolby
Digital, which is less than amazing as far as audio wizardry. The
picture quality looks dull and worn in comparison to more recent
releases, all of which doesn’t matter for one minute. When Al Cervik,
played by Rodney Dangerfield, asks the question "So what? So let’s
dance!" and he cranks up some Journey straight from his on-board golf
bag car stereo, the chapter erupts with an impromptu fairway boogie
scene that is worth the price of admission. There is SO much more to
‘Caddyshack.’ I can watch it over and over again, hundreds of times. Be
forewarned: DVD copies of ‘Caddyshack’ are becoming hard to find -
which could mean there’s a new 5.1 remastered version in the works.
 This is Spinal Tap – Criterion Edition
This DVD is currently out of print. However, you can pick one up for
$100 to $150 on eBay.com which is a worthy investment in the finest
musical film ever. ‘This is Spinal Tap’ is a film parody directed by
Rob Riener about a languishing heavy metal band. The video quality of
unspectacular onstage concert footage for songs like "Sex Farm" make
this an absolute must-have. During "Stonehenge," the band performs a
rock epic based on the grandeur and mystery of the legendary stone
circle and its mystical implications. The effect is hilariously
undercut when our boys must contend with an 18-inch-tall replica,
rather than the 18-foot tall setpiece they thought they’d ordered.
David St. Hubbins, played by co-writer Michael McKean, laments, "We had
a Stonehenge monument endanger of being trampled by Druids." ‘This is
Spinal Tap’ is nonstop musical action, which mixes some of the best
satirical songwriting ever with a screamingly funny, knowing send-up of
the biz.
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