Tag Archives: the hunger games

The Hunger Games 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack

3d_rgb_hungergames4kultraocrd Lionsgate released the epic singularity franchise, The Hunger Games series on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, which includes both Blu-ray and Digital HD. All in all, it is an amazing product for such a gripping story.

As most remember, Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, who took the world by storm with a four-film cumulative worldwide box office of 3 billion cash flow.

Fans can see the movies with four times the resolution of Full HD and High Dynamic Range (HDR) that delivers the brightest, most vivid and realistic color and greatest contrast from 4K Ultra HD.  However, similar to other 4K movies I have reviewed, the whole movie’s vivid, realistic color and contrast are not consistent. I find in the hand-held camera scenes of these 4K movies, the technical potential is limited, if not a bit shaky.

Don’t get me wrong. Checking out Lionsgate’s catalog 4K titles, I am impressed with the products so far. It makes watching movies at home so much better with the Dolby Atmos track sounds, which are incredible because it utilizes every speaker.

Now the quality of the look is a bit unforgiving because the effect is over the top.  Noticeably, in the first half of The Hunger Games. The colors are saturated and nearly grainy.  Watching the scene when the District 12 team is eating before the games is a good example where the colors, black levels, and overall clarity are below standards for the quality hype.

Disappointingly, just about every scene at The Capital looked saturated. When the movie arrives at the Games, I was impressed and in awe over the rich details of the overall setting in the forest and the way everything looked pristine.  It made watching the 4K version worth it.

One thing that didn’t help the 4K, as mentioned earlier, was the shaky-cam style.  In the first mad dash for supplies in the games, the camera was all over the place and the 4K clearness was like a second thought to the scene.  Even though about half the movies technical quality didn’t appear any better, if slightly worse, the other half of the movie is a pristine, vibrant upgrade and fun to watch.

The 4K version special features offer extras, which includes a commentary with Stephen Mirrione, Sheena Duggal, and Lon Bender. Even though they are not the stars or director, their passion for the movie come through, creating a worthwhile commentary.

3d_rgb_hgcatchingfire4kultraocrdDirected by Francis Lawrence, Catching Fire 4K

Ultra HD had the same technical issues I mentioned in The Hunger Games 4K Ultra HD.  The scenes in the training room and outside are clear and pristine like a gemstone. The crystal clear and the 4K upgrade really stands out.  Yet, the scenes in The Capitol, mostly most CGI, are saturated and almost blurry at times.  I noticed there is a bit more of an upgrade compared to The Hunger Games. I am curious as to why that is so.

The audio sounds perfect like the first film. The Dolby Atmos track is a wonderful upgrade and sounds faultless.

The 4K Ultra comes without exclusive features, but the package includes a copy of the Blu-ray.

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“The Quiet Ones” Review

thequietI am not a horror fan but I love movies like The Sixth Sense or The Others. The Quiet Ones comes close to these two movies but is still a horror movie. The film is based on a true story and is entertaining.

Directed by Director John Pogue (The Skulls, Quarantine II), the movie lacked a strong storyline and character development. Don’t get me wrong, the film is worth seeing if you love horror, but it’s not out of this world.

Based on a natural experiment that happened at Oxford in 1974, this film brings to light the profound notion of what the supernatural experience might manifest in the minds of believers who have a few screws loose.

We follow Professor Coupland (Jared Harris), graduate students Krissy (Erin Richards) and Harry (Rory Fleck Byrne and videographer Brian (Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay). The group investigates the psychic phenomena produced by the suicidal young Jane (Olivia Cooke) with the justification of treating her. Like all psychiatric treatment, it’s brutal and inhumane.

Coupland’s techniques are questioned as Jane’s health increasingly becomes at risk, and he turns frenzied in his mania to treat her. The story’s drama becomes intense when Coupland and Brian clearly share bloodthirsty importance that skirts a sexual obsession in saving her. Their actions cause conflicting measures. Jared Harris’ acting is inspiring and committed, while on the other hand, Sam Claflin comprises the entire story with emotional weakness. Olivia Cooke directed her crazed, disturbed, unstable and sensitive angst well.

As I said, the movie is excellent and entertaining, with gripping, shocking, scary and long scenes wound up in a ball about to spring out with a creep factor of 150 plus. The movie had to explain why all this horror was happening, a rather dull point, and there is a twist.