BLOOD WORK R1 DVD

[Holden Pike]

Just a reminder that Eastwood's latest, Blood Work, is released on R1 DVD for sale and VHS for rental on December 27th, 2002.

[Red]

That's the same date we get it in the cinema!

[Holden Pike]

Sucks being British, don't it? Not only are you pale as the underbelly of a dead fish, but you have to wait months sometimes for Hollywood fare.
 

[Red]

"Sucks being British, don't it?"

No. Anyway, I'm English.

"Pale as the underbelly of a dead fish"

Yeah, and we all wear cloth caps and sound like Dick Van Dyke in 'Mary Poppins'.  

 

[Holden Pike]

Just as I suspected, Gov'ner!  

[Red]

 

[Christopher]

Hey, just a few weeks away til it comes out. I've been looking forward to watching it again since I went and saw it its opening weekend.

[AKA23]

Thanks for that reminder Holden!

I'm looking forward to the release too but I find it a bit hard to believe that those of us who were extremely disappointed with Blood Work are going to all the sudden love it upon it's release.  I'm hoping for the best though! Maybe it will just take a few more viewings.

[allycat]

Hey Red, you pipped me to the post! I was going to say that! Yes, we have to wait til the 27th to see it and I haven't read very favourable reviews either. Well, not negative reviews but not brilliant ones either. Typical! Yes Holden, I am nothing like the underbelly of a fish I hope, just as you aren't a redneck hillbilly with an IQ of 5 and you married your cousin and you play a banjo...   I think I ran out of cliches there...

P.S. Red I love your 'Prisoner' image! I'm a big fan of the series. Patrick McGoohan rules, and he worked with Clint!

[Brendan]

Im burning with anti.....cipation.

[1936ireckonso]

 
  Good morning from OHIO-USA:

    Thank you for the news about the changes and the need to re-register.   I am not computer oriented, so if there are mistakes I'll try to correct them as time goes by.

    I have the DVD for TRUE CRIME and each time I watch it I like it more and more.  


     Now I'm glad to learn the DVD for BLOOD WORK will be available soon...

    This is just a note of thanks and trying to get started with the new format.

[AKA23]

Hi guys. Here's the first review of  the Blood Work DVD. Thanks to Lea for finding it and putting it on his site.

I admire Clint Eastwood's embracing his age rather than denying it. In his last film, Space Cowboys, he poked a little good-natured fun at himself as he played a mature ex-astronaut, obsolete and discarded until similarly obsolete hardware became a threat. In his latest film - in which he directed, produced, and starred - he ups the ante. Age has taken its inevitable toll; a heart transplant is needed to keep him alive. Once that heart is implanted, strict medical monitoring is required to detect potentially fatal rejection or infection. Such close monitoring requires extensive Blood Work.

Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) is a retired FBI profiler who had earned quite a public profile. He was the darling of the media, a highly visible and successful presence who was pivotal in bringing to justice some very violent criminals. His last case involved a serial killer - known as the Code Killer - who seemed to delight in taunting him. "Catch me, McCaleb," is smeared on a murder scene's wall in red paint or perhaps in a victim's blood; an odd nine-digit number, three groups of three digits, is also on the wall, hence the moniker of Code Killer. McCaleb and the serial murderer were inextricably linked together by television and newspaper reporters and, most likely, he would have run that killer down if a severe heart condition hadn't forced him to leave the FBI to undergo a heart transplant.

His life is quieter now. McCaleb lives on a boat in the Long Beach Marina, sometimes chats with fellow boat owner Buddy Noone (Jeff Daniels), and spends too much time seeing his cardiologist, Dr. Bonnie Fox (Anjelica Huston), to be prodded and tested to ensure that his body isn't rejecting his new heart. Into this calm comes Graciella Rivers (Wanda De Jesus). She's aware of McCaleb's reputation and seeks his help to find her murdered sister's killer. He explains that he's retired and unavailable, but she believes that a particularly compelling reason might change his mind. She reveals that her dead sister's heart is beating in his chest. McCaleb and her sister shared a very rare blood type, and the woman died on the same day that McCaleb received his heart. It doesn't take a skilled criminologist to deduce that he received her heart.

McCaleb feels a moral imperative to find the dead woman's murderer. So against the advice of his cardiologist, he begins to run down the data and the clues that might lead him to the murderer. He calls in favors from both the Sheriff's Office and the L.A. Police Department, and even though he's not licensed for private investigations, begins his quest. What follows is the meticulous unraveling of subtle and sometimes misleading clues that will lead to an ultimate confrontation with the killer.

Eastwood's McCaleb is distracted by his mortality. He frequently places a hand on the scar that runs nearly the length of his torso. He takes medication often, and monitors his temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. And as he pursues the killer his constitution begins to fail. He's aware of the risks; everyone tells him how bad he looks. Eastwood manages to blend a pervasive vulnerability with a tough determination that borders on compulsiveness. I will parrot a quote found on the snapper case; this is arguably his "best film since Unforgiven." Wanda De Jesus does a fine job conveying Graciella Rivers's anguish and story arc as she develops feelings for a man who may be killing himself because he's pursuing her sister's murderer. Brian Helgeland adapted Michael Connelly's novel for the screen; he's brewed an intriguing entertainment that doesn't telegraph its resolution. And while it is possible to guess the solution, I was not able to deduce the solution based on the clues exposed by McCalab. I admire a film that reveals the facts slowly and with intelligence.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is presented in anamorphic video. This is another very fine transfer from Warner Bros. Edge halos are all but absent, imparting a very film-like appearance. Based on skin tones, color hue is quite accurate. Primary colors are conveyed vividly without any smearing or chroma noise. Shadow detail is not consistent. In the opening scenes, we see Los Angeles streets at night from the air. Little can be perceived but streetlights and that part of the street illuminated by the powerful searchlight on the police helicopter. Yet, late in the film during the climactic nighttime confrontation, shadow detail is quite good. I'm left to conclude that director Eastwood wanted the initial high contrast that submerged the shadow detail. There are no noticeable compression artifacts.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is very good. The surround channels are used to great effect for both directional cues and environmental effects. Even though this is not an official EX mix, enabling EX decoding is highly recommended. During the initial sequence, as McCaleb is besieged by reporters, we hear cameras snapping away. Some are coming from directly behind the viewer, some aren't. Helicopters are heard moving from the front to orbit the crime scene. The surround field never collapses to the center surround. Nicely done. Deep bass, requiring a capable subwoofer, doesn't occur frequently, but when it does, the effect is dramatic. Sound effects are nicely conveyed with little audible compression; gunshots have a pleasing visceral impact. Lennie Niehaus - a frequent Eastwood collaborator - composed the orchestral score. There is very little music in this show; tension is built without an orchestra imposing the intended emotional response. His minimalist score is conveyed with conviction and authority, but the themes are designed to provoke a response. You will not be humming any leitmotifs. The dialog remains crystal clear throughout.

Also included is a French 5.1 surround dub, English, French and Spanish subtitles, and English Closed Captioning are also included.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Warner Bros. has included two featurettes on this disc. The first is Making Blood Work (18:08); the second is A Conversation in Spanish with Clint Eastwood, Wanda De Jesus, and Paul Rodriguez (14:18). The latter has English subtitles. These are a combination of fluff pieces that describe the nature of the characters and the basics of the plot, and an admiration piece for Eastwood, who's grown far beyond his acting roots to become a fine filmmaker. In the first piece, we hear from Daniels, Huston, De Jesus, and Rodriguez. As you might expect, De Jesus and Rodriguez dominate the second short. I'm left with the impression that this was a happy set.

Cast & Crew lists seven of the cast, but offers filmographies for only four. Similarly, on the crew page, only screenwriter Brian Helgeland is highlighted with a filmography, while Eastwood's director/producer role and Michael Connelly's credit as novelist are merely listed. A teaser trailer (0:55) and a theatrical trailer (1:36) are included, each shown in very respectable anamorphic video. The 110-minute feature is organized into thirty-two chapter stops.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts

Clint Eastwood's career has spanned over forty-seven years for a reason. This skilled actor and filmmaker seems totally at home in his skin; perhaps that's what allows him to seek compelling and entertaining roles suitable to his age. The result is an onscreen persona that retains credibility and draws us to his characters. Blood Work is an involving, intelligent film presented in a very good transfer; the DVD is highly recommended.

http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_5/bloodwork.html

[AKA23]

Well, I disagree with the final assessment on the quality of Blood Work but nevertheless, here's a glowing review of the film in addition to a review of the DVD. Personally, from this description, I think the extras are  inadequate and the reviewer even notes that they are basically fluff. There is nobody at the helm who has any passion whatsoever for Eastwood or his films...and that's sad. They should be getting a better treatment than this. Curiously, there is NO mention of Eastwood in the featurette documentary. The reviewer notes commentary from De Jesus, Huston, Rodriguez, and Daniels, but no Eastwood. Could it be they couldn't even get Eastwood to sit down and participate in the documentary? Now THAT would be truly sad. I hope he's at least in there or the "featurette will be a waste of time for me. I want to watch the featurette to hear Eastwood's thoughts on the film, not everyone else's. If this is going to be another one of those OH Clint Eastwood is fabulous to work with. He's the God of filmmaking as we know it than it's going to be a waste of time. I reserve complete and total judgement until I've actually seen the documentary and accompanying "chat," but this description by the reviewer as "fluff" doesn't really give me a whole lot of confidence. It is an 18 minute "making of" so they've got to be putting something in there for all that time. I just hope Eastwood is actually included and features in this "making of." As far as the Spanish section, it sounds at least (and if the preview on the official website is any indication) like it will be a waste of time. It might be mildly amusing in parts, but why would anyone, especially if you are not a Spanish speaker, want to sit through 14 minutes of Spanish with English commentary...what idiot decided that that would be something good to put on the DVD! (I have nothing against spanish. I took years of it in school but I just don't see the point of this being on the DVD.) Where is the audience for that? Instead of this apparent crap, why don't they spend money on putting something actually worthwhile on there!?        

[Brendan]

That "Making of Blood Work" featurette seems interesting. Its about 20 minutes long, which is cool.

I thought Warners was gonna throw on one of those six minute pieces of crap production featuretes they usually do.

[Christopher]

That's a nice review. As far as the "fluff" extras, most of Warner Bros. DVD's do not have a whole bunch of extras, not just the Eastwood ones. No Warner Bros. DVD I own is abundant in extras (though the special editions for "Dirty Harry" and "Unforgiven" would come closest to an abundance).

One of the things that has stuck me as being odd is the date which the DVD is being released. Friday, the 27th. A lot of times, DVDs are released on a Tuesday, which would be Christmas Eve of that week. Why not release the DVD on Christmas Eve? A lot of people will be out doing last minute shopping. That just seems like a good buisness idea to me.

[Xichado]

...As far as the Spanish section, it sounds at least (and if the preview on the official website is any indication) like it will be a waste of time. It might be mildly amusing in parts, but why would anyone, especially if you are not a Spanish speaker, want to sit through 14 minutes of Spanish with English commentary...

I agree with you AKA but looks like WB is targetting Latin-Americans (specially the ones with mexican roots, there are after all a few mexican-americans in the plot).

By the way, does Clint speaks spanish?

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
... the second is A Conversation in Spanish with Clint Eastwood, Wanda De Jesus, and Paul Rodriguez (14:18). The latter has English subtitles.

[Brendan]

Why not release the DVD on Christmas Eve? A lot of people will be out doing last minute shopping. That just seems like a good buisness idea to me.

Seems like it dont it? But this is Warner Brothers were talking about here. The same poeple who let this movie bomb theatrically and who let True Crime bomb.

[AKA23]

Yeah, I don't think Warners really gives a damn, unfortunately. You know what's really bad business? Releasing the film on DVD on the same date that it is released theatrically in the UK. The person who decided that one isn't the brightest light in the box I'll tell ya.

Clint, to my knowledge, doesn't speak Spanish. So, for much of the time we'll probably be hearing Clint try to stumble through spanish words and phrases. It will be mildly amusing, but I don't see why this is on the DVD.

[Brendan]

Or they'll dub his voice with some latin lover type guy.

[gwb]

The spanish session was the one that was posted on the Blood Work website for all to view (without subtitles, however).  It was clear from this session that Eastwood does speak spanish, rather well.