Regina Leader-Post

LABYRINTH AT 30 STILL A SPECTACULA­R FANTASY

-

LABYRINTH 30TH ANNIVERSAR­Y EDITION 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/Digital Sony ★★★★★ out of 5

If your previous home viewing experience of this magical musical fantasy was on VHS or DVD, prepare to be blown away by the latest release.

The vivid images are fresh as new paint — check out the freckles on 16-year-old Jennifer Connelly’s face in the opening scenes, for example. And the stunning sets and Jim Henson’s charmingly bizarre puppets have added depth and clarity, whether you are watching this on an ultra HD TV or regular Blu-ray.

Connelly plays Sarah, whose illtempere­d wish that her irritating baby brother Toby be taken away comes true when he’s spirited away one night by the Goblin King (impishly played by David Bowie). He gives Sarah 13 hours to rescue the child, but she must first find her way through a vast labyrinth that leads to his heavily guarded castle.

Sarah battles her way through perils and obstacles thrown her way by the Goblin King with the help of the (at first) cowardly dwarf Hoggle, a hairy beast named Ludo and the small, but brave, Sir Didymus. It’s amusing and exciting — a treat for all ages.

Now regarded as a classic, it’s baffling why Labyrinth was a boxoffice flop in 1986.

There’s a good selection of extras and behind-the-scenes footage included in this two-disc release, including a look back at the making of the movie featuring Jennifer Connelly. Andy Cooper

THE SHALLOWS Blu-ray/Digital HD Columbia/Sony

★★★½ stars out of 5

Blake Lively goes head to head with a terrifying great white shark in a story guaranteed to unsettle all surfers.

Lively plays Nancy, an American medical student who goes to surf at the isolated Mexican wilderness beach her late mother visited when she was pregnant with Nancy.

Two local guys are the only other surfers, and as they head back to shore late in the day, Nancy decides to catch one last big wave.

Her sudden encounter with a huge shark launches a desperate struggle for survival when the badly injured Nancy is stranded on a rock far from shore as night falls, the beast circles and the tide rises.

It’s not in the same class as Jaws, but this is a solid thriller/ horror flick and Lively does an excellent job in a gruelling physical role.

Exotic Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand stands in for Mexico.

The disc includes four good featurette­s. Andy Cooper

SOUTH PARK SEASON 19 BLU-RAY Paramount ★★★★ out of 5

In its 19th season, South Park did something it had never done before: It told a mostly serialized story over the course of 10 episodes.

Exploring (and often destroying) politicall­y correct culture in the social media age, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone decided to give their fictional Colorado town some updates. It allows for sharp commentary about gentrifica­tion, right next to one of the most gag-worthy songs ever aired on TV. And that’s the sweet spot where South Park has always delivered its most devastatin­g material. This season — equipped with storylines that brush up against ISIS, an unnamed Trump-like leader and police shootings — is no different.

No, it’s likely not going to be in any conversati­ons about the show’s best moments, but the season is proof South Park isn’t just treading water. Parker and Stone are two of the best culture critics around, and Season 19 shows they’re still interested in creativity.

Their season commentary, included as a special feature, is a good listen for even casual fans of the show. It’s great to get insight into what was planned and what was accidental. The deleted scenes draw a couple chuckles, but safe to avoid the “#socialcomm­entary,” which is just tweets during the bottom of episodes. Austin M. Davis

 ??  ?? The 1986 cult classic movie Labyrinth stars Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie. The 30th anniversar­y release in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray makes the movie even more vivid and the storyline is stellar too, Andy Cooper writes.
The 1986 cult classic movie Labyrinth stars Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie. The 30th anniversar­y release in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray makes the movie even more vivid and the storyline is stellar too, Andy Cooper writes.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada