4K Digital Review: Nightmare Alley

 

Nightmare Alley is adapted from the novel of the same name by Lindsay Gresham and the basis for the 1947 movie starring Tyrone Power. The 1947 movie is considered to be one of the greatest in film noir. This time is it director Guillermo del Toro's take and it is easily his most beautiful film yet to date.  

The film opens with a mysterious scene and Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) is on the run. He ends up at a traveling carnival, where the carnival's barker (Willem Dafoe) finds him a job. Soon he becomes friends with Zeena "The Seer" (Toni Collette) and her husband Pete (David Strathairn) and becomes part of their act. Stanton learns their secrets and leaves with Molly (Rooney Mara), an innocent young women who also has an act at the carnival. 

Less than a decade later, Stanton and Molly have a mentalist act that lures in the socially elite. At one of the shows, they meet Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) who is out to disprove his abilities. Will this be the end of the scam or just the start? This is now a battle to the finish. 

Audio

The Dolby Atmos track is perfect considering the film's genre of film noir.  So don't expect a lot of attention-grabbing sounds but the use of creating depth using the score as well as atmosphere and other sound effects draw you further into the movie without causing any distractions. 

Video

The streaming 4K video is fantastic with incredible detail and visual depth. With the use of many sequences of the film using close-ups the richness of the details shine. The skintones, costumes and sets are superbly rendered. The use of shadows and lighting look very natural. 

Bonus Features

• Del Toro’s Neo Noir – Writer-director Guillermo del Toro and his standout cast decipher the dark, complicated world of Nightmare Alley. The filmmaker reveals how his take on noir is rooted in classic cinema but offers an accessible, modern narrative.
• Beneath the Tarp – Production designer Tamara Deverell and her talented team skillfully delivered both a decaying traveling carnival world and a gilded Art Deco high society with striking visuals. We explore how this design supported del Toro’s genre-bending filmmaking.
• What Exists in the Fringe – Costume designer Luis Sequeira unravels his collaboration with Guillermo del Toro and reveals the symbolism that’s constantly at play in the film’s carefully crafted wardrobe’s design.

Conclusion

Nightmare Alley is a beautiful journey into film noir. The video quality is wonderful and the audio mix draws you further into the film. There is a fair offering of bonus features. You owe it to yourself to add this to your collection.

Nightmare Alley is now available on Digital and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 22. 

*disclaimer: the digital copy was provided to me by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the purpose of review but the opinions are strictly mine alone*

DISNEY+ DEBUTS TRAILER FOR MARVEL STUDIOS’ “MS. MARVEL”

 

BURBANK, Calif. (March 15, 2022) – Today, Disney+ released the trailer and poster for Marvel Studios’ “Ms. Marvel” along with the news that the series will launch exclusively on the streaming service on June 8. The trailer gives viewers a first look at the MCU’s newest Super Hero as she tries to balance high-school life, her family and her emerging super powers. 

 

Marvel Studios’ “Ms. Marvel” is a new, original series that introduces Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teenager growing up in Jersey City. An avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, Kamala is a Super Hero mega fan with an oversized imagination—particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel. Yet Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even at home—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life gets better with super powers, right? 

 

Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. The cast also includes Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Nakli, Azhar Usman, Travina Springer and Nimra Bucha.

 

Episodes are directed by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.  Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and Bisha K. Ali are the executive producers. Co-executive producers for the series are Sana Amanat and Trevor Waterson, and Bisha K. Ali is the head writer.   

THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH THIS TEASER TRAILER FOR “OBI-WAN KENOBI”

 

Today, Disney+ released the teaser trailer for “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” giving fans an exciting first look at the highly anticipated limited series, which launches exclusively on the streaming service on May 25.

 

The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. 

 

The series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master, and also marks the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader. Joining the cast are Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie. 

 

“Obi-Wan Kenobi” is directed by Deborah Chow and executive-produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, Ewan McGregor and Joby Harold.

"THE MUPPETS MAYHEM" SEES THE ELECTRIC MAYHEM BAND RECORD THEIR FIRST ALBUM IN NEW SERIES FOR DISNEY+

 BURBANK, Calif. (March 7, 2022) – Today, Disney+ announced "The Muppets Mayhem," a comedy series starring the world-famous Muppets, has been greenlit. The series will take audiences on a music-filled journey as, at long last, The Electric Mayhem Band records its first ever album.  Lilly Singh ("A Little Late with Lilly Singh," “Dollface.”) will play the (human) lead role of “Nora” the junior A&R executive tasked with managing and wrangling the mayhem that is The Electric Mayhem Band.

The series was developed by Adam F. Goldberg, Bill Barretta and Jeff Yorkes based on characters created by Jim Henson. It is written by Adam F. Goldberg ("The Goldbergs"), Bill Barretta ("The Muppets," "Muppets Haunted Mansion") and Jeff Yorkes, the executive producers are Goldberg, Barretta, Michael Bostick and Kris Eber.  Yorkes is a co-executive producer. The Muppets Studio's David Lightbody and Leigh Slaughter are also executive producers.

 

The Disney Branded Television series is produced by ABC Signature and The Muppets Studio for Disney+.

 

"The Muppets are renowned for quality, creativity and unrivaled, fun storytelling for the whole family," said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. "We are thrilled to have Adam, Bill and Jeff at the helm to bring all of these iconic and great new characters to life in fresh and dynamic ways."

 

“Adam F. Goldberg is our resident Muppet enthusiast at Signature and getting to play in the sandbox with Bill, a longtime Muppet performer, as well as these beloved characters was a dream come true for him, Bill and Jeff,” commented Jonnie Davis, President, ABC Signature. “Their take is fresh, fun, musical and of course, hilarious. We couldn’t be happier to be the studio that is helping them get the band back together.”

 

After 45 years of rockin’ out, The Electric Mayhem goes on an epic musical journey to finally record their first studio album. With the help of a driven young music executive, Nora, the old-school Muppet band comes face to face with the current day music scene as they try to finally go platinum.

“We are so excited to bring the story of The Electric Mayhem Band to the front and center of this new series. They’ve been entertaining audiences since ‘The Muppet Show,’ which debuted 45 years ago, so it’s wonderful that these characters are finally getting to play lead rather than supporting roles,” said David Lightbody, executive producer and senior vice president of Disney Live Entertainment and The Muppets Studio.

 

Starring are: The Muppets including Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone and Lips on trumpet.

The Muppets are hot off the critically-acclaimed "Muppets Haunted Mansion," the first-ever Muppets Halloween special and the first special from The Muppets Studio for Disney+.  It includes three new original songs.  The Muppets also star in an original short-form series, “Muppets Now" available on Disney+.