• Login

    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Jane Austen Book Club, The

    Featured In Issue 130, April 2008

    Picture3.5
    SoundNR
    WSR Score3
    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):
    Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    24449
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG-13
    (Rating Reason):
    For mature thematic material, sexual content, brief strong language and some drug use
    (Retail Price):
    $38.96
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    106
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A, B & C
    (Theatrical Year):
    2007
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    02/05/08
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Robin Swicord
    (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 TrueHD 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):

    With six months to read six novels, the six members of The Jane Austen Book Club take reading the classics to new heights. The reading group consists of five women and one man, who decide to get together regularly to discuss the English writer's beloved novels. The group soon discovers that the heartaches of Emma, Mr. Darcy, and the Bennett sisters are not so different from their own. Based on the novel by Karen Joy Fowler. (Stacey Pendry)

    Special features include the following featurettes: Behind The Scenes Of The Jane Austen Book Club (20 minutes), The Life Of Jane Austen (22 minutes), The Book Club: Deconstructed (12 minutes), and Walking The Red Carpet: Los Angeles Premiere (three minutes); seven deleted scenes; a commentary track by cast and crew; and previews. Special features are available with optional subtitles.

    The anamorphically enhanced 1.78:1 DVD exhibits a somewhat soft image, with relatively poor resolution at times that makes faces look waxy and plugged-up. There are times, however, when the images can look nicely detailed. Color fidelity is fairly good and contrast is nicely balanced. Black levels are fairly deep and shadow delineation is adequate. Edge enhancement is noticeable from time to time, but pixel breakup is not much of a problem. The H.264 AVC-encoded Blu-ray Disc doesn't have the same punch as the better high-definition releases, with colors somewhat muted and overall brightness somewhat lacking. The sense of dimensionality is good, though, and black levels are solid. Resolution is generally good, but there are times when the image looks somewhat soft. (Danny Richelieu)

    The Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack can be limited to the front three screen channels, and even when the surround channels are used, the front and rear stages don't mesh completely, with little sidewall imaging. The rear stage also can have little imaging between the two loudspeakers, making the stage sound incongruous and unnatural. Dialogue occasionally can sound too forward with relatively poor spatial integration as well. The lossless Dolby TrueHD encoding on the Blu-ray Disc has good fidelity, but the limitations of the mix are still a problem. Dialogue can still sound slightly too forward, but it is articulate. (Danny Richelieu)

    Reason #129 Why Readers Love Widescreen Review:

    I enjoy the in-depth look at industry trends, informative and intelligent articles on emerging technologies, and of course, the new products in the Coming Soon…section. I like the fact that your magazine is not jammed packed with manufacturer’s marketing and sales ads. I understand having some but not as many as your competitor (HTM). I enjoy the movie reviews, which I found to be much more accurate than others (HTM). And lastly, I am a fellow Hungarian like Gary, heck we even share the same fascination for high-tech gadgets. I stopped by the booth at CES, unfortunately I missed him each time. Keep up the good work.

    Jules Tombor
    26864 Mandelieu Drive, Murrieta, CA 92562 • Phone: 951 676 4914 • Fax: 951 693 2960
    Copyright © Information • All Rights Reserved • www.widescreenreview.com • Web Site Established In 1995 • Privacy Policy • Partners