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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Staten Island

    Featured In Issue 147, March/April 2010

    Picture4
    Sound4.5
    WSR Score4
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    National Entertainment Media
    (Catalog Number):
    NEM-BD-10
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Violent content and some language
    (Retail Price):
    $24.98
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    96
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A, B & C
    (Theatrical Year):
    2009
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    12/22/09
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    James DeMonaco
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Sully (Hawke) is desperate to give his unborn son the chance he never had. Jasper (Cassel) wants to escape the mobsters that have infiltrated his life and business. Parmie Tarzo (D'Onofrio), a local mob boss, dreams of crushing the competition. All three men live in Staten Island...once their lives intersect, nothing will ever be the same. (Tricia Spears)

    Special features include commentary with Director James DeMonaco, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Ethan Hawke; an interview with D'Onofrio (SD 02:19); deleted scenes (SD 02:36); and the trailer.

    The 1080i 2.35:1 AVC picture looks pleasing enough, with a natural color palette with rich and warm hues. Resolution is generally sharp and clear and during close-ups reveals fine facial and object features. At times, though, the imagery appears soft. Contrast is, at times, pushed, with crushed blacks that degrade shadow resolution. An element in this inconsistency is perhaps the stylization, which includes brightness enhancement that further degrades contrast and shadow delineation. Still, the color spectrum is pleasing, and overall the film is visually enjoyable. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is creatively appealing, with a terrific recorded music score that is wide and deep and wraps effectively into the surrounds to create holosonic® envelopment. Dialogue sounds always intelligible and nicely integrated spatially. The sound design includes moments of muffled sound and, at other times, exaggerations and distortions for impact. One scene features a tremendous thunderstorm, with pounding rain that sounds so very real. The sound design effectively communicates the sense that one of the main characters (played by Cassel) is a deaf mute deli attendant, and these scenes are particularly effective, with low-frequency and ringing sounds. Apparently, the character is able to hear the deli saw he uses in his work, which nicely contrasts the muting. This is a nicely produced soundtrack, with an effective surround presence through the music score that is engaging and enhances the mobster storytelling. (Gary Reber)

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