Audio Video News

DVD: Ararat—Buena Vista
Video: 2
Audio: 3
Extras: 4
An overlooked historical tragedy—Turkey's genocide of its Armenian population during World War I—is at the heart of this drama by Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter). The atrocities that occurred take on new resonance for members of a contemporary Armenian-Canadian family involved in the filming of a movie about the holocaust, as each grasps for meaning in the events that lead to the deaths of their ancestors and, indirectly, their own fathers. The film-within-a-film structure, combined with a plot device in which one character explains the genocide to a jaded customs agent sniffing for smuggled heroin, creates a complex but oddly dispassionate canvas for this powerful story. Expect to think, even if you can't fully relate to the second-hand oppression these people feel.

While the film that many newspapers called the best of 2002 merits this two-disc set, Buena Vista's presentation is a mixed bag. For one thing, despite packaging that indicates a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, my review sample had a 1.33:1 picture, with no widescreen option. Worse, that picture was plagued with noticeable edge enhancement and a generally harsh appearance. Audio, meanwhile, was adequate, but the Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS soundtracks required one finger on the volume control, leaping between soft dialogue and cacophonous rifle fire.

The real strength here is the extras, which include a 30-minute making-of, eight deleted scenes, and cast interviews. But Egoyan's commentary track, which goes into terrific detail about the movie's themes and symbols, is the highlight and is a must-listen for anyone trying to decipher this enigmatic story.—Gary Frisch

DVD: Alias: The Complete First Season—Buena Vista
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 3
Much more than just a Jennifer Garner fashion show (although, 17 hours in, I'm starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad thing), Alias is packed with pathos and action as it relays the ongoing tale of a very capable female operative who's deep into a dirty spy game.

This DVD set contains 22 amply chaptered episodes across six dual-layered discs, with a generous smattering of extras. Several installments carry commentary tracks by the cast, producers, and/or directors. You also get deleted scenes from four episodes, bloopers, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a few cross-marketing plugs. The ScriptScanner DVD-ROM feature lets you read along in synch as the 66-minute pilot plays in a little window, or you can click to a particular written passage.

The crisp Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is rather tame in its use of the surrounds and subwoofer, but it exhibits a fairly expansive front soundstage that's well suited to the dialogue, fight scenes, and music. It's fine for TV audio, although the show's ambitious nature might have benefited from bolder tracks. This is indeed a well-produced series, visually brash with a distinct style that the 1.78:1 anamorphic picture preserves and even enhances. The image is routinely accurate and natural, displaying only mild compression artifacting but (surprisingly) no aliasing.—Chris Chiarella