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John Sciacca

Demo Scenes: Baby Driver

Baby Driver

demo scenes | Baby Driver

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The Edgar Wright heist flick provides demo fodder both aggressive and subdued

by John Sciacca
updated November 2, 2023

Chapter 13, 1:08:44–1:12:42

Using R-rated content for demo material is a slippery slope since it can easily be off-putting to many viewers and obviously isn’t suitable for families. And the most demo-worthy scenes from R-rated films usually contain gratuitous violence, profanity-laced dialogue, and nudity that can quickly turn your demo from engaging to a turnoff. But these two scenes from Baby Driver are terrific exceptions you can show to any audience without fear of offending.

“The Bellbottoms Bank Job”

This scene checks off nearly every box for “What makes a great demo?” It’s literally the opening of the film so you not only don’t spoil anything for people who haven’t seen it before, you’ll likely hook them to want to see more. It’s a complete story in itself, with a clear beginning, middle, and finale. And, it’s action-packed, with some of the best driving you’ll see on screen, with a fantastic accompanying audio track.

One of the brilliant and innovative things about Baby Driver is how director Edgar Wright used music to propel and choreograph each scene. This opening plays loud and proud from the overhead speakers, with vocals that swirl around the room, and features a sub-heavy bass line that drives the tempo.

Notice how Jon Hamm’s shotgun blasts fire in time with the music. A potent and well-calibrated sub will have you feeling the Suburu’s engine revs in your chest as Baby pushes the WRX to its limits. As he drifts around the city, you’ll clearly hear tires squealing and protesting the physics-defying maneuvers, with the audio tracking every siren, horn honk, and car that whizzes by. While video isn’t the focus of this demo, notice the stoplight colors, with vibrant yellows and reds that push the color-space boundaries.

Opening Credits/“Harlem Shuffle”

This scene couldn’t be easier to find since it begins right after the previous demo ends. While the first scene is all about excitement and bombast, this one is just Baby walking to grab some coffee before heading to meet his crew. Notice how amazingly the audio tracks the off-camera action. You’ll hear an infant cry far off camera left and then see a mother with a stroller pass by. Throughout, the audio swirls relative to Baby’s perspective and position, with the sounds of traffic, conversations, and jack hammers announcing their arrival long before they appear on screen and long after they’re no longer in view.

Also notice how the audio changes when Baby walks into the coffeeshop. When he pulls out an earbud to hear the barista, the music volume drops and the sounds of the coffeeshop fill the room, with the music taking over as he replaces the earbud. This entire scene displays how a terrific audio mix along with properly placed speakers can transform a media room into an entirely different environment.

Both scenes show off the strengths of Dolby Atmos object placement and tracking capabilities—so make sure you have the HDR or UHD version of the film so you can enjoy the Atmos audio.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

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Review: Jungle Cruise

review | Jungle Cruise

In the tradition of Pirates of the Caribbean, the theme-park ride translates well into a family-friendly action film

by John Sciacca
updated October 6, 2023

Like Pirates of the Caribbean, the thing that makes the Jungle Cruise ride ripe for adopting into a movie is that it offers a perfect jumping-off point for any possible adventure  with the ability to weave in some nods to the ride along the way. Put some people on a boat, set them on a cruise, introduce a quest and some mayhem along the way. The thing practically writes itself! 

I went into viewing Jungle Cruise highly optimistic. Disney has been on a pretty good roll recently, having developed a solid formula for delivering big-action films that hit the right balance of humor and fun that appeals to family watching. Also, I felt Dwayne Johnson was at a point in his career that he wasn’t going to be attached to a stinker, and he’s proven that he can not only carry a big action film but deliver a deft comedic touch—see Jumanji: The Next Level—which was what a Jungle Cruise captain would need to be true to the spirit of the ride.   

The chemistry between Johnson and Emily Blunt works really well. And the opening pre-title card scene with Johnson taking a group of tourists on a jungle cruise lifts many lines and sight gags that are lifted straight from the Disneyland attraction, including the always popular “Back side of water” gag.

I wasn’t able to locate any specifications on the resolution used for filming or for the digital Iintermediate for this transfer, but my guess is that this is sourced from a 2K DI. Images are clean and sharp throughout, revealing lots of detail in closeups but just didn’t give that razor-sharp level of crispness you can get from a 4K DI, especially on long shots. Also, with the extensive amount of CGI used throughout, it would likely be in a 2K workflow.

I watched the film twice, once on my Apple 4KTV on my 4K JVC projector at 115-inch diagonal 2.35.1 aspect ratio and then again on my Xbox One S on a new Sony 65-inch OLED. What I mistook for a bit of softness in the opening scenes in a London University on the projector revealed itself to be more smokiness and haze when viewed on the OLED, but on both the colors and clarity definitely get a nice uptick when the action moves to outside.

As mentioned, closeups can have plenty of sharpness, and clean, ultra-fine detail. You can see the weave in the hats worn by characters or the texture in their clothes or the tiny squares in a screen covering a window. 

With lots of dark and lowlight scenes, Jungle Cruise certainly benefits from HDR. Whether it’s viewing characters in the warm glow of firelight or lanterns, seeing sunlight streaming through windows into dark rooms, we get lots of rich shadow detail and bright highlights. Jungle greens are rich and lush as are the vibrant reds, with several scenes with fire, along with the busses on the streets of London.

Sonically, the Disney+ version includes Dolby Atmos packed in a lossy Dolby Digital+ wrapper. Even still, there’s plenty here to find entertaining, though you’ll likely want to bump the volume 5 to 10 dB over your normal listening levels (as seems to be the case with most of Disney+ streaming). There are near constant jungle sounds when sailing down the Amazon, creating a believable canopy over your listening room, with a variety of birds squawking overhead. When scenes cut from the open outside of the Amazon, you can “feel” the change in the room, just by how it expands in the outdoors, making a really nice effect. There are also a lot of audio effects wrapping overhead and around the room from creaking vines and snakes slithering about, or a swarm of bees that flies around the room, or the splashes of water coming over the sides of the boat during a harrowing rapids ride. James Newton Howard’s score is also given a lot of room to expand throughout the room, making it much fuller sounding.

There are a few moments where the subwoofer comes into play, and these were definitely more dynamic when played through my Xbox versus my AppleTV, which just seems to compress and crush dynamics. There is a deep rumble of massive waterfalls, the explosions of a torpedo, and the low chug of the boat’s engines.

Ultimately, Jungle Cruise delivered exactly what I expected, which was a fun time with some good action, a few laughs, quality acting, some quality visual effects, and nods to one of my favorite amusement-park rides. After the dour seriousness of F9, this struck the right note of how a film can provide a night of fun and entertainment without taking itself too seriously.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | Images are clean and sharp throughout, revealing lots of detail in closeups

SOUND | There’s plenty to find entertaining in the Atmos mix though you’ll want to bump the volume 5 to 10 dB over your normal listening levels

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The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption

review | The Shawshank Redemption

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The Stephen King movie for people who don’t like Stephen King movies shines brightly in this 4K HDR release

by John Sciacca
updated October 6, 2023

The Shawshank Redemption is the ultimate Stephen King movie for people that don’t think they like King, or who only associate him with supernatural tales like IT and The Shining. What writer and director Frank Darabont did right was truly understand and respect King’s source material. He trimmed where needed, tweaked where it worked better for film, but ultimately stayed incredibly true to the original story. Of course, this is easier to do when the source material is 125-pages instead of 800-plus, which is why many of King’s books just don’t adapt well to the big screen.

King has always been known for having an ear for realistic dialogue, and with much of Shawshank being character driven, with all of the important story information relayed through conversations or from Morgan Freeman’s voiceover, you needed actors who could deliver these lines convincingly. It’s impossible to imaging Red being played by anyone other than Freeman or Andy Dufresne by anyone other than Tim Robbins. Even the smaller roles are handled with aplomb, as if everyone knew this film was going to be something special and they needed to bring their A-game. 

For the rest, the 4K HDR transfer will be the definitive way to own and view this movie, with the film looking its very best. Originally shot on 35mm film, this new transfer is taken from a 4K digital intermediate. Of course, even the best film-to-4K transfers never have the ultra-sharpness of modern digitally filmed titles, but even still the image quality is mostly fantastic throughout.

Where you can most appreciate the added resolution is in closeups, where edge sharpness and facial detail is outstanding. You can see the contrast between the smoothness, fine lines, and small pores in Robbins’ face against Freeman’s more weathered skin. You can also appreciate the texture and weight of the stones, concrete, and cement throughout the prison. Clothing also really enjoys the added detail, such as the texture and fabric on the numbered patches all prisoners wear, the fine pinstripes on the prisoners’ shirts, and on Red’s hat.

As is fairly common in film-to-4K transfers, longer-range shots don’t seem to retain the sharpness and detail and look a bit softer, such as the initial scene where we fly over the prison and see the inmates scattered down below. Fortunately, much of Shawshank is filmed in close to medium shots that benefit from the 4K transfer.

There are a lot of shots in dimly lit areas such as inside the prison or even a cell, the laundry, or solitary where the lighting is often harsh, naked bulbs, and the new HDR grading helps these to have more depth and pop. The flourishes of gold on the guards’ uniforms and hats and the Warden’s cross also get a nice bit of sparkle. We can also really appreciate the many varied shades of blue in the prison uniforms.

A couple of scenes that really stood out to me were the shot outside when Andy and crew are tarring the room. Here you see the sleek, gleaming black of the tar, with the emerald green grass, and the red brick of the building with the blue-grey skies. When Hadley and Andy have their “conversation,” notice the razor-sharp edges of them as they stand over the edge of the building. Another scene was when Red and Andy were sitting outside in the yard chatting, and you could really see the sharp lines in the mortar of the walls, with tons of image depth.

This release features a new 5.1-channel DTS HD-Master mix which I would call serviceable of the material. There were certainly some scenes with ambience, such as in the laundry, or in the prison yard, or the chow hall, but for the most part audio is across the front three channels. You get a bit of expansiveness upmixed into the height speakers, expanding the soundstage of the score, as well as some of the prison PA announcements, and also making outdoor scenes sonically feel bigger and more open. There was a scene where they were unlocking inmates from their cells, and you got a nice sense of people moving around and doors opening above you. The finale’s big thunder and lightning storm also gets some nice weight in the sub channel as well as filling the room with the downpour. Ultimately, the most important audio is the dialogue, and that is well and clearly presented in the front channel.

I’m hesitant to call any movie perfect, but Shawshank is timeless and holds up every bit as well today as it when it was released in 1994. The casting, the acting, the dialogue, the pacing, and the story . . if this isn’t perfect, well, it’s damn close. Watching it again, I can’t think of anything I would change or wish they had done differently. This is highly recommended and sure to please for years to come.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The 4K HDR transfer will be the definitive way to own and view this movie, with the film looking its very best

SOUND | The 5.1-channel DTS HD-Master is serviceable of the material

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Review: In the Heights

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review | In the Heights

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rookie musical gets a nice bump, thanks to Hamilton

by John Sciacca
updated October 5, 2023

While the story of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights is in no way connected to Hamilton, you can’t help but feel the catchy beats, tempos, meter, breaks, and rat-a-tat-tat style that made Hamilton so groundbreaking were crafted and forged during his writing of In the Heights.

Miranda—likely recognizing he had aged out of playing the lead, Usnavi, but also realizing that attaching his name would give the film another level of cachet—takes on the small role of the Piragüero, a street snow-cone vendor. He doesn’t throw away his shot, making the most of his screen time.

During the lengthy opening number, “In The Heights,” Usnavi, who runs a small bodega that serves as a hub of the community, introduces us to most of the key players and tells us a bit about their story. A few big moments drive the story forward, such as several characters looking to move out of the Heights, a winning lottery ticket worth $96,000 sold at the bodega, and a blackout that shrouds the neighborhood in darkness—and heat—for a couple of days. While I was never bored—and really enjoyed many of the musical and dance numbers—at 2 hours and 22 minutes, there are slow parts and by the end it does start to feel a bit long. 

Shot at 7K, the home transfer is taken from a 4K digital intermediate, and the movie is really beautiful. Many of the scenes are shot on location in Brooklyn Heights, and the natural lighting gives the film a great look. Skin tones look natural, with loads of color and shadow detail, and a huge depth of focus.

Overall the film just looks clean, focused, and sharp throughout. The huge array of street dancers shown at the end of the opening number as well as in the community swimming pool after “96,000” are shown with great depth and clarity. Long shots showing buildings reveal tight, sharp lines of brick-and-mortar. Closeups also reveal all kinds of detail, such as in the opening number—as the camera moves through Usnavi’s store, we can clearly see every can, box, and label on the shelves. There are not a lot of effects shots, save for one big dance number (“When The Sun Goes Down”) on the side of a building. But two shots at the public swimming pool where Usnavi looks obviously green-screened in were mildly distracting. 

HDR is used to pump up the brightness of neon signs/lights in store windows, and to give the night scenes more punch. In fact, the scene/song “Blackout” would be a great demo scene, with bright flashlights, candles, sparklers, and fireworks punctuating the night. 

Even though it’s mixed and presented in Dolby Atmos, the soundtrack—at least as presented by HBO Max—doesn’t feature a lot of height information, and virtually nothing in the rear/surround back speakers, with just some music going to the side and front heights. The mix does give us some nice width and directionality across the front, letting characters and sounds move far off screen left/right as appropriate. There’s also plenty of detail to let us hear individual voices in the layered singing, letting you pick out a given singer in the sonic space. We also get some nice ambient sounds that gently fill and expand the room.

Sonically, the musical numbers are the big star here, and the instruments and vocals are given a lot of room across the front channels, with some space added in the front height and surround speakers. Many of the songs are upbeat and you can’t help but tap your toes.  

If you liked Hamilton then I daresay you’ll enjoy In the Heights too since its DNA runs thick throughout. Asking it to convert everyone into a musical lover is a big ask, but there’s no disputing that it has loads of heart and looks terrific, and is certainly worth a night in your theater.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The natural lighting gives the film a great look. Skin tones look natural, with loads of color and shadow detail, and a huge depth of focus

SOUND | Even though it’s mixed and presented in Dolby Atmos, the soundtrack doesn’t feature a lot of height information, and virtually nothing in the rear/surround back speakers

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Review: The Rise of Skywalker

The Rise of Skywalker

review | The Rise of Skywalker

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The Star Wars saga wraps up with a J.J. Abrams epic that looks spectacular in 4K HDR

by John Sciacca
update October 1, 2023

Officially carrying the weighty title Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker, this film brings to a conclusion the space opera created by George Lucas back in 1977, and wraps the final trilogy of films that began in 2015 with The Force Awakens and continued in 2017 with The Last Jedi.

So let’s get down to it: How does the 4K HDR release of Rise of Skywalker look and sound? The answer is simple: This presentation is top-notch! Shot on a combination of Kodak film stocks, Skywalkers transfer is taken from a 4K digital intermediate and uses HDR throughout to really pump colors and highlights, with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that surrounds and immerses you in the action.

From the opening scenes, Kylo Rens (Adam Driver) unstable lightsaber sizzles on screen, glowing and seething with bright reds. The final battle on Exegol is like an HDR demo reel, with dark skies dotted with glowing engines of ships, and illuminating the room with frequent bright blue-white bursts of pupil-searing lightning strikes and laser bolts.

While space is never pitch black” in Star Wars films, images remain clean and noise-free, and we get some true blacks in interiors. The scenes aboard Rens Star Destroyer look fantastic, with gleaming, glistening black decks, bright lighting illuminating hallways, and laser blasts and sparks.

The underground sand worms lair on Pasaana is another scene that could be a recipe for producing a video and compression nightmare, with dimly lit passageways illuminated by BB8s glowing lights along with a couple of flashlights and the searing blue of Reys (Daisy Ridley) lightsaber. Blacks remain deep, with lots of shadow detail without any distracting banding or other artifacts.

Closeups reveal a terrific level of detail, showing every pore, strand of hair, stitch, texture, and bit of wear. Part of owning the film—and watching it repeatedly—is the you can revel in the attention to detail in nearly every shot, such as the creature design, and the large interiors. The only scenes that appear soft” are the ones with Leia.

Disney has received flack over the soundtracks on many of its top-level releases but the Atmos audio included here is beyond reproach, with lots of dynamics and activity. Whether it’s the snap and hum of lightsabers, the effects of Force energy, the waves crashing on the moon in the Endor system, the thrum of various engines, or explosions, bass is deep, powerful, and room energizing when appropriate.

Surround and height speakers are used frequently to immerse you in the scenes and action. The speeder chase on Pasaana has laser blasts that shoot around the room and troopers launching and flying overhead. The scenes on Kijimi are filled with expansive street sounds to place you on location, with wind blowing, snow falling, distant shouts and voices. The height speakers are also used to good effect during Rey and Rens Force chats, Emperor Palpatines (Ian McDiarmid) booming voice, and the voices of Jedi past that echo in Reys mind.

Sonically, my favorite scenes are aboard the remnants of the second Death Star. These are among the most interesting from an audio standpoint, with loads of drips, creaks, and groans of wires twisting and metal straining as the giant ship constantly settles while Rey moves about in the cavernous interiors. The exterior shots are filled with the roar of wind and crash of waves and water splattering—all of it an ambient feast for the audio senses!

Beyond dialogue being clear and easily intelligible, the soundtrack also does a wonderful job presenting Williamsscore, what he says will be his final time working with Star Wars.

Even if Rise of Skywalker isnt your favorite film in the Star Wars saga, it’s worth purchasing just for the extras, including the feature-length documentary The Skywalker Legacy, along with five other featurettes. Included with the Kaleidescape release as a digital exclusive is The Maestros Finale,” which has John Williams looking back on his 40-plus-year career working with Star Wars.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The top-notch transfer uses HDR throughout to really pump colors and highlights

SOUND | The Atmos mix is beyond reproach, with lots of dynamics and activity.

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Review: Zenimation

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review | Zenimation

Disney mines its archives yet one more time, this time to provides its take on mindfulness

by John Sciacca

We’re big fans of sound design here at Cineluxe, as a good audio mix reproduced on a well-designed home theater draws you into the fantasy world and helps you appreciate films on a deeper level. But the work that goes into crafting the many layers of a rich, detailed, and organic sound mix—especially the often intricate and minute sounds created by the Foley artists—are often buried beneath the score, dialogue, or other effects in a scene.

The new short series Zenimation is such a master class in audio appreciation that it was worth highlighting. Currently available only on Disney+, the show description says, “Unplug, relax, and refresh your senses for a moment of mindfulness with Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Zenimation—an animated soundscape experience. These iconic scenes become an aural experience like no other with the sounds of ocean waves, an icy forest and soaring flight. Zenimation pays tribute to both the visual and sound artists who have created Walt Disney Animation Studios’ legacy of films.” Zenimation requires an incredibly minimal time commitment, with the entire series taking less than an hour to watch.

Zenimation is presented in HD with a 5.1-channel Dolby Digital audio and is broken into 10 parts: Water, Cityscapes, Discovery, Flight, Explore, Night, Nature, Serenity, Water Realms, and Levity. The shortest episodes last just four minutes and the longest only seven.

All episodes feature beloved Disney characters such as Moana, Ariel, Elsa, Aladdin, and Judy Hopps, focusing on scenes and moments germane to that episode’s subject. My only real complaint is that they chose to show everything with letterbox bars, retaining a 2.35:1 aspect ratio throughout. That would be fine if all the content were native 2.35:1, but a fair bit of it is 16:9 (or less) which means pillar-boxing (black bars on all four sides) the image. Perhaps keeping the constant vertical height is a better way of staying in the mindfulness zone, but I would have preferred the 16:9 content filled the screen. 

Also, since much of this content already exists on Disney+ in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos audio, it would have been nice if they would have just pulled scenes from these titles for a higher overall presentation. Instead, we are limited to the audio and video resolutions of The Rescuers Down Under, Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch, and some of the other older titles.

Those nits aside, these scenes stripped of music, other effects, and dialogue with the Foley effects amplified allow you to focus on the specific sound elements that help bring each scene alive, and the scenes flow nicely from one to the next. Remember, unlike a live-action movie, in animation, no sound is captured “on set,” and every bit of audio is created to bring the scene and the animated world to life.

Clearly hear the rippling sounds paddles make as they pull through in the water, the drips of splashing wave droplets, or bubbles drifting up past characters underwater. Some of my favorite audio moments are from Moana, such as the scene on her boat. Note the sounds of her stitching and pulling the thread through the sail, pulling ropes on the boat, and the wind billowing and creaking all around. 

Outdoor scenes let you appreciate sounds of birds chirping off in the distance well outside your main left/right speakers, the rustle of leaves as you pass through a forest, the sounds of birds flapping overhead, along with the sounds of rain and crashing thunder.

Not all of the sonic moments are about bombast, but many allow you to appreciate the subtleties and nuance of the mix. Notice the echoing of Anna’s footsteps inside Elsa’s immense ice castle, the delicate rustle of grass beneath Rapunzel’s feet, the tonal change of the fire crackling on Moana’s torch as she walks from a cramped cave into a large cavern, or the spark of fire and smoke trailing from an incense stick Mulan lights. Or discern the distinctly different sounds used for shooting stars, all of which convey the same sense of motion but with a  different feeling.

While Zenimation doesn’t employ an immersive object-audio mix, the upmixer in a modern surround processor does a capable job of positioning appropriate sounds overhead. You’ll hear the screams of eagles, fireworks exploding, wind whistling and rushing past, birds chirping, the ringing of bells from Quasimodo’s tower, as well as rain droplets and water splashes. There is also a nice amount of deep bass courtesy of things like the deep cascade of waterfalls, the stampede of animals, or the crackling of stones and boulders.

Zenimation gives movie lovers a fun and creative way to understand the audio elements and sound design work that goes into crafting a film’s sonic world, helping you appreciate the art of filmmaking. And with the whole series taking less than an hour to watch, there’s no excuse not to check it out. 

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

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Review: Super 8

Super 8

Review | Super 8

J.J. Abrams channels his inner Spielberg in his kid-driven director/producer/writer debut

by John Sciacca
updated August 29, 2023

Super 8 isn’t J.J. Abrams’ big-screen directorial debut (he had previously directed Mission: Impossible III in 2006 and the Star Trek reboot in 2009) but it is the first film where he took on the hat-trick of directing, writing, and producing. It also finds him teamed with Steven Spielberg, who served as a co-producer.

This seems the perfect storytelling partnership for this project, with both filmmakers having similar philosophies on maintaining suspense and holding back the big reveal, as well as working with the supernatural. In a way, this felt to me a bit like Spielberg if not maybe passing the torch, at least acknowledging Abrams as the next big up-and-comer.

There are so many elements here that seem to ring similar to Spielberg-associated films like The Goonies (kids on an adventure), Jaws (the mostly unseen monster that terrorizes the small town), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (the government trying to cover up the aliens’ visit), ET (the misunderstood alien visitor), and Jurassic Park (the attacking monsters). It’s also clear how much later shows like Stranger Things borrowed from Super 8, as well as The Loser’s Club and how they interact and relate to each other from It (2017).

The other thing this film does smartly is cast actual kids who were mostly unknowns. It’s far easier to immerse yourself in the story when you aren’t associating someone with another role, and the leads all do a solid job. But the other young actors are all outclassed by a young Elle Fanning, who just outperforms them in every scene. It reminded me of the time I got to watch Jason Kidd play basketball while at Cal Berkeley, where he just looked like a man-among-boys, showcasing talents unmatched on the court.

Not too surprising considering the Abrams-Spielberg connection, Super 8 was filmed on film, including 35-, 16-, and 8mm using a variety of cameras. The press release lists this as being “newly remastered for this 4K Ultra HD release,” but the technical specs show it as being a 2K digital intermediate. While images look clean and mostly sharp throughout, it doesn’t have that reference quality of true 4K film transfers. While I’m sure there are instances where the uptick in resolution makes a difference, for the most part this looked like a really good Blu-ray transfer.

Images have a more film-like softness compared to modern digital productions, though closeups reveal the most detail, allowing you to see the texture of the zombie makeup, or detail in clothing, or the details in the arm patches worn by the sheriff’s deputies. There are some occasionally grainy moments depending on the sky lighting.

The greatest benefit here is the HDR grading, which helps boost a lot of bright highlights and keep really clean, deep, and inky black levels. There are quite a few scenes shot at night where bright lights are also in the scene, or bright red-orange fire/explosions, or the white-hot of sparklers or welding sparks, or just the specular highlights glinting off metal. During one fireworks explosion in a dark underground cave, I felt my eyes clamp down in response to the bright output from my OLED. The additional bitrate also helps eliminate banding, such as one scene where white smoke, haze, and dust is wafting up through various shades of bring lighting, which can be a real video nightmare.

Mildly disappointing is that we don’t get a new Dolby TrueHD Atmos sound mix. Even more of a bummer is that Paramount only delivered a DTS HD-Master 5.1-channel mix to digital retailers like Kaleidescape for the 4K HDR version, instead of the 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD mix featured on the physical version.

Even still, this was a mostly reference audio experience, and the 5.1-channel mix benefits from your processor’s upmixer to provide a more immersive audio experience. The soundtrack has intense dynamics throughout, with glass shattering, doors kicked open, things crashing, explosions, etc. There is also a lot of directionality, with sounds of the creature moving around the room and overhead, glass shattering into the room, and things being slammed or thrown by the alien. You also get smaller audio moments, like the electrical buzzes, hums, and mechanical noises in the creature’s lair, or the air raid sirens and helicopters buzzing about.

The train crash remains an audio tour de force, with powerful output that will put your speaker system to the test, and makes for a fantastic demo scene. There is deep, tactile bass from the subs you’ll feel in your chest, along with explosions that rocket debris and objects up overhead and all around the room, along with the ear-piercing scream of shrieking and twisting metal. The bus escape is another fantastic demo that makes good use of all the speakers to add to the scene’s intensity.

Super 8 is incredibly fun and entertaining, and even though there’s probably an even better version of this film in store (true 4K DI, new Atmos mix) for its 15th or 20th anniversary, it’s a welcome addition to any movie collection, especially if you have a younger viewer in your home who has yet to experience it.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The HDR grading helps boost a lot of bright highlights and keep really clean, deep, and inky black levels

SOUND | The DTS HD-Master 5.1-channel mix is a mostly reference audio experience that benefits from your processor’s upmixer to provide an even more immersive experience

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Review: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Hobbs and Shaw

review | Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

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This frenemy spinoff from the main series features an excess of car chases for showing off your system

by John Sciacca
updated August 28, 2023

After eight films that have amassed nearly $5 billion worldwide since 2001, it isn’t surprising that Hollywood looked for more ways to get some gold from the Fast & Furious goose. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw really isn’t part of the main series, but a new story set in the same universe involving two spinoff characters: Former Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), and former British Special Air Service Major, Deckard Shaw (Jason Stratham). 

Fans of the series will know there has been little love lost between Hobbs and Shaw, and calling them “frenemies” would be generous as the two have a history of animosity and trying to out-macho each other while wanting to beat each other to death. This movie embraces that, with the two frequently trading barbs and insults to comedic effect. The chemistry between the actors works well, as does the juxtaposition between the Rock’s hulking mass and rough-around-the-edges ways, compared to the posh, stylish, and subtle Stratham. Two big stars, Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart, make uncredited cameos, and their scenes are some of the best and most hilarious, showing that the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. 

At 2 hours and 17 minutes, the movie never feels slow, but it does feel a bit long. There are only so many fights and chases one can handle no matter how well they look, how many people are involved, or the weapons and choreography involved. Though even the most jaded car-chase viewers will find it tough to not feel a bit of an adrenaline rush during the terrific London chase with Shaw behind the wheel of a McLaren 720S being chased by Idris Elba on a Triumph Triple Speed motorcycle.

Filmed in ArriRaw in a combination of 2.8 and 3.4K, Hobbs and Shaw is taken from a 2K digital intermediate. Detail in closeups is always sharp and clear. There are plenty of opportunities to see fine details, like the well-groomed stubble on Shaw’s face, individual drops of sweat glistening on The Rock’s significant dome, or the texture and grain in Lore’s black-leather uniform. The image is always totally clean and noise-free, with blacks that are deep and pristine.

What really makes the image look great is the use of HDR throughout. Many of the big scenes are at night, and come to life with the HDR grading. This is apparent from the opening nighttime robbery in London, with bright lights against deep blacks, along with vibrant greens, golds, and reds, and near the end when lightning flashes and huge fireballs had me squinting while the image maintained lifelike, deep-black levels. 

Sonically, Hobbs & Shaw is a big film, with a dynamic soundtrack with some significant bass when called for, which is often, due to the fights and explosions throughout. Unfortunately, NBCUniversal continues to refuse to provide Kaleidescape with the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, so the digital download only contains a DTS HD-Master 5.1-channel mix. While not as impressive as a discrete Atmos or DTS:X mix, the soundtrack is quite exciting and immersive when run through an upmixer like Dolby Surround or DTS:Neural. Drones zip past overhead, cars screech along the sides of the room, glass shatters and debris falls all around, and even the gentle outside wind, ocean, and bird sounds fill the room.

If I had one quibble with the audio. it’s that the dialogue was a bit hard to understand during some scenes. Whether this was due to the music and effects levels, the British accents, or just poor dialogue recording or mixing I can’t say. Fortunately, these moments are infrequent.

If you can look past some moments that defy credibility—like Hobbs lassoing and holding down a Blackhawk helicopter —Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw can make for a fun night at the movies.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The use of HDR throughout makes the images look great 

SOUND | The DTS HD-Master 5.1-channel mix provides a dynamic soundtrack with some significant bass when called for

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Review: The Hunger Games Series

The Hunger Games

review | The Hunger Games Series

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The 4K HDR/Atmos releases of all four films offer a great opportunity to revisit the entire series

by John Sciacca
updated August 26, 2023

All four films in the Hunger Games series—The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay Pt. 1, and Mockingjay, Pt. 2—are now available in both UHD Blu-ray and via Kaleidescape in 4K HDR. The first two were filmed in 35mm and were taken from a 2K digital intermediate for home release, while the final two were shot on ArriRaw at 2.8K and taken from a 4K DI.

The filmmakers frequently push in tight on actors’ faces during closeups, often with a face filling almost the entire screen, and you can appreciate the terrific detail here. Every pore, scar, stray hair, or the pancake makeup worn by Effie (Elizabeth Banks) is clearly on display. You can also see all the texture and detail in clothing, with the jackets worn by Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Rue (Amandla Stenberg) having fine single-line detail on the shoulders that is sharp and clear. The only artifacts I noticed were some jaggies in the shadows of fallen spears at the 42 minute mark in the first movie.

Longer shots, however, are softer, with the leaves and trees in the forest not having razor-sharp edges. Also, there’s a large tree in Catching Fire that is pretty obviously CGI that looks soft in the 4K transfer.

Night plays a key role in the first two films—it’s the best time to move around undetected when you’re being hunted or to hunker down and sleep—and while blacks were deep with nice low-level detail, there’s a bit of noise in parts of the first film I didn’t notice in the second. Also, there’s a tad of grain in some of the shots in the first film but it’s not distracting.

The added contrast adds depth and dimension to the images, and is used to give added punch to things like roaring flames, fireballs, or even Caesar’s (Stanley Tucci) enhanced smile. It also creates a wonderfully natural image in the second film when some characters are talking next to a fire with their faces lit with a warm glow from the flames. You can appreciate the wider color gamut and HDR in Catching Fire, where you see the elaborate costumes at the Capital party, the glowing lights on Caesar’s set, or Katniss’ “girl on fire” dress with colors that burn off the screen.

All four films feature Dolby TrueHD Atmos soundtracks, and while they aren’t overly aggressive, they certainly do a great job of putting you in the action, with tons of immersive atmospheric sounds, hard directional cues, and generous use of the height speakers when appropriate.

During the many outdoor scenes, the room fills with the sounds of insects buzzing, leaves rustling, and birds chirping. The room also fills with the sounds of Caesar’s roaring crowds or the buzz and hum of machinery and lighting inside the Game room. There are also a couple of moments where you’re alerted to someone behind you by the snap of a twig from the rear or the angry bzzzzz of a tracker-jacker nest. PA announcements are mixed into the height speakers to good effect, making it sound like the voice is booming into the arena.

The couple of moments in Catching Fire that feature gunfire are loud, sharp, and dynamic, and when there’s a moment that calls for deep bass—fireballs crashing into trees, trees crackling and splintering, the cannon boom announcing the death of a Tribute—the soundtrack delivers. Dialogue remains well presented and clear no matter the action, making sure you never miss an important exchange between characters.

The Hunger Games has great replay value, and the series is entertaining from start to finish, whether you’re watching it for the first time or the tenth. If you haven’t watched it presented in 4K HDR with the Atmos soundtrack, now is the perfect time to give it another look.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | The added contrast in the 4K transfers and HDR’s wider color gamut add depth and dimension to the images

SOUND | The Dolby TrueHD Atmos soundtracks, while not overly aggressive, do a great job of putting you in the action

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Review: 1917

1917

review | 1917

Sam Mendes’ two-take look at World War I has enough battle action to make for a great home theater demo

by John Sciacca
updated August 25, 2023

If director Sam Mendes’ 1917 is the last film we ever get covering the World War I, the subject will have been well served. This is a personal project for Mendes, who not only directed but co-wrote and produced, being based in part on stories told to him by his grandfather who fought in the war as a 17-year-old. In the hands of a different director, 1917 likely wouldn’t have been such a successful and powerful film, as Mendes does two things that combine to make the film feel so much more real, immediate, and personal.

First, it’s shot in a manner that makes it feel like two continuous takes. You get a sense of the planning needed for this as the cameras follow the two protagonists through what feels like miles of trenches, sliding around other soldiers and navigating twists and turns, or following as they run through battle scenes.

Second, shots are almost always framed tight, rarely more than just a few feet away. You frequently see little in the distance or much off to the periphery. This draws you naturally in to their situation, seeing their emotions and the wear of their uniforms, making you care more about the mission. But it also serves to add to the tension and unease and fog of war of the journey, as you’re given far less information about your surroundings, and end up reacting to events as they happen instead of being prepared for them.

Roger Deakins’ Oscar-winning cinematography looks beautiful. The lighting is also beautifully done—and greatly benefits from HDR. Whether it’s a dark interior of a tent warmly lit in rich red-orange glows from lamps, the dark insides of bunkers illuminated by flashlight, or a French village illuminated at night by overhead flares and a conflagration, blacks are deep, with lots of shadow detail. Skies during the daylight scenes—the first of the two shots—are a bright, overcast grey, free of any noise or banding and still revealing clouds and other details.

Filmed in ArriRaw at 4.5K with this transfer taken from a 4K digital intermediate, you appreciate all the little details on screen. In the opening scenes you can see the layers of texture and materials on the soldiers’ uniforms and kit, with individual stitching, fray, and wear, and the aging on their leathers. Going through the trenches, you can see all the work required to dig in a protected position and the nightmare of having to sleep in a constant state of mud and muck (later juxtaposed by the much more advanced German trenches). 

The only video issue I noticed was a pretty severe bit of judder at around 42:40 (immediately preceding “The Dogfight” scene). The camera shoots through the gaps between some vertical wooden fence slats while slowly tracking to the right. Whether it is the shudder speed used, the speed of the camera panning, or just an inherent issue with the limitations of filming at 24 frames per second, on my two displays, the wooden posts broke down into a ghosted mess. 

While the DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack included with the Kaleidescape download is certainly dynamic, I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out NBC Universal for not providing Kaleidescape with the fully immersive Dolby Atmos track. Even so, the upmixer in my Marantz processor did an admirable job of extracting ambient cues from scenes, adding the swirl of wind through leaves and trees in a forest canopy, the roar of plunging water, or the sounds of a bunker caving in around you, with its wooden supports splintering and dust and debris filling the room. 

This is a war film, so there’s a fair bit of shooting and explosions, and rifle shots have an appropriately loud and sharp crack, with the sounds of ejected and spent brass shell casings tinkling and bouncing on the floor. One explosion was so loud and sudden that it literally had me jump in my seat.

The movie is well served by Thomas Newman’s score, which seems to always add the right level of sweeping scale, tension, and urgency. Dialogue is mostly easy to understand and when it wasn’t, it was more due to the occasionally thick accents of the actors than to any poor quality of the mix.

Recommending 1917 is a no-brainer. It’s not only one of the most unique and engaging films I’ve seen in a while, it looks fantastic in a home theater—the bigger the screen the better. It’s an intense viewing experience, but one that is well worth it.

Probably the most experienced writer on custom installation in the industry, John Sciacca is co-owner of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, & is known for his writing for such publications as Residential Systems and Sound & Vision. Follow him on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets and at johnsciacca.com.

PICTURE | Thanks to HDR, blacks are deep, with lots of shadow detail, and skies during the daylight scenes are a bright, overcast grey, free of any noise or banding and still revealing clouds and other details

SOUND | The DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack is certainly dynamic, with rifle shots having an appropriately loud and sharp crack

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