Let me know via the contact page if you like this inaugural Blu-grade Report. I like the idea of using this format for a digest-style delivery of thoughts on weekly titles all in one place. Capsule reviews after the cut.
Singin' in the Rain (Release of the Week)
1952, dir. Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly
Warner Home Video
Covered a couple of days ago. It's the best Blu of the week.
Mean Streets
1973, dir. Martin Scorsese
Warner Home Video
In Brief: Looks and sounds great, but no new extras. 40th Anniversary is next year, which may trigger a new edition with more features, but that's entirely idle speculation.
Best Price & Availability: $14.99 (Amazon), hard to find at retail (try Fry's)
Look and Sound: The dark, gritty, and grimy visual palette of Mean Streets is one of its trademarks. The radical increase in data bitrate over DVD found in the Blu-ray transfer finally allows it to not look unintentionally muddy and disgusting. I've never seen the movie on 35mm, so I can't offer a comparison to my memory of the original color timing. Regardless, this looks better than I've ever seen the movie.
The story lives in the shadows, and combined with the intense red tones throughout, it makes you feel like you're passing through hell alongside De Niro, Keitel, and the rest of the cast. The DTS-Master audio track is in glorious 1.0 Mono, and I'm happy to report that it's clean, with nary a bit of hiss I could detect. Presenting classics in their original sound mix is something that is often overlooked. A cheap "upconversion" to 2.0 or 5.1 can make a great film almost impossible to tolerate.
Extras: Nothing new compared the 2004 Special Edition DVD, which included the following: Scorsese commentary, Back on the Block featurette (~6 minutes, 480i)
High Noon
1952, dir. Fred Zinneman
Olive Films
Also already covered. Steeper in cost than Singin', but equally beautiful.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1956, dir. Don Siegel
Olive Films
In Brief: Looks and sounds great, but absolutely no extras on one of the greatest sci-fi classics is a disappointment when the price tag is $20+.
Price & Availability: $19.99 as of this writing at Amazon, difficult to find in retail stores
Look and Sound: Clean and crisp like High Noon, with the same level of care and attention. A definitive HD transfer of a great film classic.
Extras: Nothing, not even a trailer.
Missing in Action: No previous disc edition has had any extras, but it should be noted that director Don Siegel composed the movie for 1.85:1. The studio put it out in 2.0:1 "Superscope" originally, which is how it's presented here (and always has been since 1956).
Down By Law
1986, dir. Jim Jarmusch
The Criterion Collection
In Brief: Looks and sounds great in glorious black and white monaural. Another flawless upgrade from Criterion. A more thorough review is coming soon.
Best Price & Availability: $19.99 at Barnes & Noble as part of their 50% off sale
Look and Sound: More than up to the Criterion standard, it's like having a personal, brand-new digital print of the movie.
Extras: Everything is held over from the previous edition: interviews, the Cannes Film Festival press conference, outtakes, everything.
Blu-grade Report is a digest-style look at recent Blu-ray upgrades at a glance.
Disclosure: All titles reviewed in this installment of Blu-grade Report were purchased by the author.