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Dom Robinson reviews
Momentum Pictures
- Cert:
- Cat.no: MP028DBS
- Running time: 108/101/100/85 minutes
- Year: varies
- Pressing: 2001
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 24/24/24/20 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround, Mono
- Languages: Various
- Subtitles: Various
- Widescreen: 1.85:1/2.35:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: 3 * DVD 9, 1 * DVD 5
- Price: £39.99
- Extras: Trailers, Photo Gallery, 2 Making Of Featurettes
Directors:
- Paul Verhoeven
(Total Recall),John Irvin (Raw Deal),Walter Hill (Red Heat),Richard Fleischer (Red Sonja)
Producers:
- Buzz Feitshans and Ronald Shusett; Martha Schumacher; Walter Hill and GordonCarroll; Christian FerryEthan Coen
Screenplay:
- Ronald Shusett and Dan O’Bannon; Gary M. De Vore and Norman Wexler;Harry Kleiner, Waleter Hill and Troy Kennedy Martin; Clive Exton andGeorge MacDonald Fraser
Music:
- Jerry Goldsmith; Cinemascore; James Horner; Ennio Morricone
Cast:
- Arnie, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox;
Arnie, Kathryn Harrold, Darren McGavin, Sam Wanamaker;
Arnie, James Belushi, Peter Boyle;
Arnie, Brigitte Nielsen, Sandahl Bergman, Ronald Lacey
In T2 Arnie wanted your boots, your jacket and your motorcycle, but with the Arnie Box Set,he just wants your forty quid.
First up is Total Recall, set in 2084, in which Arnie plays construction workerDoug Quaid and believes everything is real, but then he has no reason not to.He’s been married to the gorgeous Lori (Sharon Stone, then a sex kitten)for the past eight years but after seeing a Rekall advert on the tubehe gets the urge to move to Mars, or at least take a holiday. What it takes hima while to realise is that he’s already been, his whole life is a lie, hereally is going out with the girl he’s been dreaming about (Rachel Ticotin)and he’s been marked for death by Michael Ironside after eventuallytwigging what’s going on.
Raw Deal finds Arnie as ex-FBI agent Mark Kaminsky who was bootedout for being too violent and brutal. Now they need his help as three other agents,guarding a key witness whose testimony will end the Chicago crime organisation,are all slaughtered in an early morning raid. If Kaminsky can go in and penitratethe organisation, run by Luigi Patrovita (Sam Wanamaker), from inside anddestroy it, he can have his old job back. For more details, check out myreview of the original 1999 release of the atrocious pan-and-scan DVDHERE.
Red Heat is one of those films with mis-matched comedy partners,here combining the ruthless Russian Captain Ivan “Iron Jaw” Danko (Arnie)against slapdash plain-clothes cop Detective Art Ridzik (James Belushi).Danko’s in Chicago to pick up hard-as-nails drug-dealer, but despite gettingoff on the wrong foot with Ridzik you know they’ll need each other to get theend result. Also, since the latter’s in conflict with his superior, CommanderDonnelly (Peter Boyle), you can guess he’ll have something to do with it.
The quartet is rounded off with Red Sonja, the only title exclusive tothis boxset. It’s a tale of revenge as Arnie appears to Sonja (BrigitteNielsen) as a handsome stranger gifted with strength as her parents aremurdered by Queed Gedren, who rules by terror and carries a talisman with whichshe can annihilate the planet. Sonja, with her great powers sets off to ensurejustice is done with the help of her new-found friend.
The four films in this boxset.Momentum have done a great job with sourcing terrific masters for these films.Ok, so there may be a few sparklies and minor defects on the older filmsbut even those look a damn sight better than expected and each one comes inremastered anamorphic widescreen (two in 2.35:1 and two in 1.85:1)The average bitrate for Total Recall is 5.66Mb/s, occasionally closingin on 9Mb/s.
Both Total Recall and Red Heat have been remastered in DolbyDigital 5.1 sound which kicks major ass when special effects come into play.Raw Deal is Dolby Surround only in English and Red Sonja ismono through and through. All films have various alternate languages fordialogue, but they don’t all fare as well in stature as the English option.
Sadly for this boxset extras are scant. A Trailer for each film, making-offeaturettes for both Red Heat (18 mins) and Total Recall (7 mins),plus a 20-strong Photo Gallery for Red Sonja. All are things you’llwatch once and leave alone.
Each film contains 24 chapters apart from Red Sonja, which has 20.Dialogue and subtitles options vary from film to film but they all includeEnglish.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.