DVD Reviews and Recommendations Read, Post and Request DVD Reviews.

Pi

Old 04-07-99, 01:29 AM
  #1  
epski
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I'm sure there's lots of people who want to put in their 2 cents worth on this DVD, and imagine most of it will be good.

First off, as much as I enjoyed seeing Pi upon its initial release, I think that it really comes across better on DVD than it did in the theater. The reduction in size and the resolution of DVD really serve the movie well. Doesn't hurt to have a digital soundtrack, either.

Supplemental materials are extensive for a low-budget movie like this, a trend followed by other movies, such as Cube and Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (I wish Swingers had half the extras Pi does). I thought the behind the scenes short was interesting in that you rarely get to see how nuts and bolts these low budget projects are. We're always privy to the big budget sights from Access Hollywood and all that, but these smaller pictures are usually ignored until after their release (assuming they ever get noticed at all).

The commentary is pretty good, too, and I really appreciate hearing star Gilette and first-time director Aronofsky's thoughts on the project. I almost found myself wishing there were two commentary tracks so that Aronofsky could have gone into more detail on the technical aspects of shooting a picture like this. Gilette is a bit more talkative than him, and sometimes I felt that I wasn't getting a chance to hear all Aronofsky could have said.

Minor quibble aside, this is definitely a worthy addition to any collection, especially for those who entertain friends that are curious about DVD. Most of my guests, while perusing my collection, inevitably stop at Pi and say, "I want to see this." I've already screened it three times, turning people on to a lesser-known movie and the DVD format simultaneously (if only I could get casual observers more into the commentary--this still seems to be a feature appreciated more by serious buffs and filmmakers than casual collectors), making Pi well worth the pittance I paid for it at Reel.com.

~epski
My DVD Tracker List

BTW, I don't plan to include movie summaries in my reviews; you can get those just about anywhere. I think we can offer more valuable information about the quality of the DVD's themselves, and whether or not they're worth the money. If you're interested in learning more about this or any other movie in my collection (that I've had the time to see), please feel free to e-mail me.

(edited for rating system)

Scale from 1 to 10:

Movie: 8 (some story aspects of this movie just don't work, but the overall paranoid quality and sensational visual style more than make up for that... kind of like The Matrix, but on a much smaller scale!)
Picture: 8 (Even though this was not shot on reference quality film, this picture is fantastic relative to the original)
Sound: 7.5 (Sound is not a priority here, what with the low budget and all, but the music tracks sound great and help carry the movie sonically)
Extras: 10 (I especially like it when good music videos are included with movies, and commentary always boosts any movie up several notches)

[This message has been edited by epski (edited 04-06-99).]
Old 04-08-99, 04:38 AM
  #2  
Blake
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I also enjoyed this movie even though it was very strange as far as movie goes - read my extended review below:

Pi Review

Blake Kunisch | [email protected]
An Outermost Experience! | DVD Tracker List

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.