Here’s a look at two films new to the ultra-high definition disc format and starring a pair of pop culture icons.
Saw X (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, rated R, 118 minutes, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, $42.99) — The origins and motivations of the misunderstood serial killer Jigsaw further came to light in the latest horror thriller to the franchise offering a sequel to the original 2004 film.
The story finds a terminally ill John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), going to Mexico for an experimental cancer treatment only to find it to be an elaborate fraud.
Of course, in the finest of Saw traditions, those who have deceived Mr. Kramer will pay the ultimate, tortuous price for their sins.
Specifically, with help from apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the accused are captured and placed in complex devices and are forced to make split-second moral and health decisions that will determine their survival.
An emaciated Mr. Bell stars as the killer and finally gets the opportunity to act rather than being a vocal cliché in the shadows. He does a fine job in the spotlight singly making the film an emotional journey for audiences and not just about gratuitous violence.
The screen-bursting 4K presentation brings some of the gorier traps to life with eyeballs popping, fingers snapping, heads decapitating, bones crushing, blood squirting and flesh slicing in much too fine of detail for the average, uninitiated viewer to appreciate.
Best extras: Lionsgate delivers an excellent bounty of digital content to celebrate this $100 million hit starting with an optional commentary track with director and editor Kevin Greutert, cinematographer Nick Matthews and production designer Anthony Stabley.
They spoke on July 27, 2023, right before the first trailer was released, and the crew had no idea of the film’s eventual popularity.
Mr. Greutert often leads and directs the dry, kind of techy, nonstop conversation as they discuss the coloring of the film, (an homage to 1970s horror films to be specific), camera movements, the lighting, sound, the crew’s efficiency, filming in Mexico, shooting locations, casting, prosthetics and visual effects to name a few of the areas explored in detail.
Next, a five-part, 95-minute documentary covers all aspects of the production starting with mentioning the film’s postponement to first placate Chris Rock so he would star in “Spiral: From the Book of Saw.”
Topics covered include the script, examining Jigsaw’s moral philosophy as well as Amanda’s motivations, envisioning the traps and set design and embellished with behind-the-scenes footage and key cast and crew interviews.
Also worth a look is 17 minutes on the testing of the diabolical traps used on the potential victims.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 194 minutes, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, $153.99) — Director James Mangold’s bittersweet farewell to a pop culture icon both underwhelmed fans and embarrassed at the box office.
Now looking for a second life in the 4K disc realm, the movie begins as one would hope an Indiana Jones adventure should with the famed archeologist (Harrison Ford) fighting Nazis at the end of World War II and in search of the spear that pierced the side of Christ, the Lance of Longinus.
Instead, he finds part of the Archimedes’ Dial that could allow for time travel, if ever assembled.
Flash forward to 1969, and our 70-year-old hero is a bitter and ruffled old man, retiring from his college professorship and about to be separated from his beloved wife Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).
He meets his ambitious goddaughter Helena Shaw, an obnoxious thief looking to steal the Dial from a museum and sell it to the highest bidder.
The pair travel from Morocco to the Aegean coast to Sicily to find the pieces, and they end up in another battle with a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist (Mads Mikkelsen) looking to use the artifact to go back in time and help Germany win the war.
Or, to put the narrative in more concise terms, Helena drags an exhausted, punch-drunk septuagenarian across the world and physically assaults him the moment he has the chance to find a level of what he thinks could be true happiness.
Despite some spirited action scenes, my disappointment falls squarely on the miscasting of Phoebe Waller-Bridge as an unlikable, uninspiring character, annoying and smug and with a smirk in nearly every scene.
After my vocal tirade (paraphrased above), my female audience companion told me to stick it where the sun don’t shine, and that Helena was a fine, empowered caretaker. I am officially turning into my father Eugene.
Unfortunately, the final Indiana Jones film can’t compete with the original trilogy and Disney and Lucasfilm gave us simply a lost, broken hero who thankfully has finally retired. At least, they did not kill him.
On a positive note, the 4K presentation does shine throughout, especially with the panoramic views of the Segesta Temple and Ear of Dionysius cave as well as some creepy underwater scenes starring eels.
Best extras: Viewers get a nearly hourlong, five-part documentary covering the production with plenty of butt-kissing to go around. The most interesting aspect of the segment covers the computer de-aging of an 81-year-old Ford for the mini-adventure that starts the movie.
