Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i Home Cinema Choice

It's been hot lately hasn't it? And with the heat comes sometimes a desire to not spend evenings locked away in a movie room – amplifiers and projectors in particular can run warm! The answer, of course, is ice-cold drinks and picking movies that are short and sweet. Something like the brilliant new Predator prequel Prey (p94) springs to mind. And the summer also has its AV charms. Blockbuster movies from earlier in the year begin to arrive on disc, and the new season hardware roll-outs are in full swing. Panasonic's LZ2000 OLED (p50) has been keenly anticipated since its January announcement, and the wait was worth it. So too was Philips' barnstorming Fidelio FB1 soundbar (p56). As for QD OLED, now here in the shape of Samsung's QE65S95B (p40),…

Connection upgrades for Chord Cable specialist Chord Company is retooling some of its connectors with a new plating technology dubbed ChorAlloy. The UK manufacturer says this 'multi-metal' system brings a 'significant upgrade' over its earlier silver plating, including reduced intermodulation effects at high frequencies, plus a tarnish-free finish. ChorAlloy plugs and connectors are currently available for its ChordOhmic spade and banana speaker wire terminations, USB-A and USB-B cables, and DIN/XLR pins. www.chord.co.uk Sennheiser gathers Momentum A fourth generation of Sennheiser's popular wireless, noise cancelling Momentum headphones hit shops this month, priced £299. Available in white or black, the Momentum 4s feature 42mm drivers, Bluetooth v5.2 (including aptX Adaptive), and 'nextgeneration' active noise cancelling with real-time adjustment. Supporting app covers EQ and creation of 'Sound Profiles'. Battery life is rated at…

Poltergeist➜Warner Bros.➜Ultra HD Blu-ray Spook-tacular 1982 horror classic Poltergeist will be haunting home cinemas in 4K from September 19, when Warner Bros. marks the film’s 40th anniversary with a UHD Blu-ray release. Fans will be excited by the promise of a new 4K restoration, but shouldn't hope for any answers to the whole ‘Who really directed it: Tobe Hooper or Steven Spielberg?’ argument – the only extras will be a vintage The Making of Poltergeist promo featurette, the trailer, and a documentary about ‘real’ ghost hunters.…

Congratulations on 88 Films' 10th anniversary. Can you tell us a little about the label's creation? Sure. I've not really had much of a background in film at all – always been a fan. I got involved with some groups when I was younger, making films in a Media Studies half-A-level sort of way. So I messed about with it, had access to cameras and people who were interested, but I didn't really do much with it, and then ended up working in the motor trade. Then I saw a job advertised at the Odeon Entertainment label, as it was called at the time [now Screenbound Pictures]. I got pushed into applying for that as it sounded film-based, and worked there for seven or eight years. Professionally it was great:…

AV INFO PRODUCT: Samsung’s Quantum Dot OLED TV debut POSITION: Below Samsung’s 8K TVs, next to the flagship 4K Mini LED Q95B models PEERS: Samsung QE65Q95B; LG OLED65G2; Sony XR-65A95K The QE65S95B is a Samsung OLED TV. This is something that bears repeating, because after spending almost a decade telling you not to buy an OLED because they’re not bright enough and can fall prey to screen burn, Samsung has changed its mind. Before anyone starts mumbling anything about hypocrisy or petards, however, Samsung’s new OLED TV is not the same as the models we’re used to. Where ‘traditional’ OLEDs fire organically created white light through red, green and blue filters, Samsung’s ‘QD OLED’ panels use their organic elements to generate a blue light that passes through red and green…

AV INFO PRODUCT: Premium 4K OLED TV with in-built Dolby Atmos audio POSITION: The LZ2000 is top of the Panasonic pile PEERS: LG OLED55G2; Sony XR-65A95K Panasonic has long pushed the picture envelope for OLED, but this year it can claim a significant advance, thanks to an overall boost in image brightness that better positions OLED as a rival to LED LCD when it comes to bright-room viewing. The screen is built around the latest OLED EX panel design from LG Display, augmented with a proprietary heatsink plus custom modifications inside the cell itself. The LZ2000’s heatsink literally drains heat away from the panel, to maximise brightness headroom. Panasonic has been using this style of heat management on its high-end OLED models since 2019. The brand also carries out pixel-by-pixel…

The 3D format is worth preserving! There are probably half a dozen reasons why Epson didn’t make their new laser projector 3D capable (EH-LS12000B review HCC #333) and probably an equal number of reasons why I think they should have. However, last month I found one more reason that tips the balance for me. Some friends brought their granddaughters, aged nine and six, over to mine to watch an afternoon movie and avoid the 30-degree+ heat outside. While discussing possible movies with their mum she mentioned they had loved Toy Story 4. I chirped that we had the original Toy Story and in a 3D version as well. The girls had never seen 3D but were keen to try. We adjusted the glasses to fit their tiny faces and were…

Warner Bros. ➜ All-region BD £25 A fascinating true story about a British plot to fool Nazis into thinking the Allies were planning to invade Greece rather than Sicily becomes a rather mediocre drama in the hands of Shakespeare in Love helmer John Madden. Previously filmed as The Man Who Never Was in 1956, this Colin Firth do-over is let down by a pointless romantic subplot that only distracts attention from the central storyline. Warner Bros. seems equally unenamoured with it, putting it out on a barebones Blu-ray with a clean, if gloomy 2.39:1 Full HD encode and an authentically low-key DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. AvB ★★★☆☆…

Studiocanal➜Ultra HD Blu-ray & Region B BD➜£30 Brigitte Neilsen's first starring role was playing the title character in director Richard Fleischer’s 1985 fantasy epic. Despite being based on a character by Conan creator Robert E Howard and featuring Schwarzenegger in a supporting role, the film doesn’t come close to matching Arnie’s 1982 sword and sorcery smash. This 4K restoration looks as sharp as Sonja’s sword, although the teal tint in the new HDR10/DV colour grade may annoy some. The true highlight of this 4K release is found in the extras: a feature-length Italian documentary about poster artist Renato Casaro. AvB…

88 Films➜Region B BD £25 Lost tribes, blood curses, ghost babies, ancient demons – The Seventh Curse has it all. A crazy mix of martial arts, horror and fantasy, this 1986 Hong Kong adventure doesn’t make a lick of sense, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an absolute hoot for fans of cinematic schlock. 88 Films has crafted a fine Deluxe Edition Blu-ray, partnering uncut 2K restorations of the Hong Kong and International cuts with commentaries, interviews and additional ephemera including an 80-page booklet. AvB…

Nucleus Films➜Region B BD £20 This 1958 slice of British Gothic doesn’t really deliver on one part of its title (the villain is actually a mad scientist, rather than a vampire) but when it comes to blood it hits the brief. Well, now it does. Originally hacked about by censors, this meticulous Blu-ray restoration returns the film to its most complete form – it also looks surprisingly good given the reported condition of the surviving elements. A wealth of extras includes two commentary tracks and a detailed discussion of the film’s history with the British censors. AvB…

➜ Everything Everywhere All at Once Attempting to sum up this movie in a few words is flat-out impossible, but here goes: imagine Marvel’s Multiverse imbued with a thousand times more humour, imagination, emotion, profundity, martial arts and sausage fingers, condensed into under two hours, and you’ll get at least a feeling for the unique fever dream writer/director duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka 'the Daniels') have created. Really, the only way to truly understand Everything Everywhere… is to watch it. And if you’re going to do that, as you definitely should, we strongly recommend that you go to the trouble of importing the film from the US on 4K Blu-ray. Picture: The movie was shot at resolutions of 2.8K and 3.4K – so not quite the full 4K…

‘I DO WHAT I do best, I take scores. You do what you do best, try to stop guys like me.’ That's the wisdom dispensed by professional criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) as he sits down for a coffee with the man determined to bring him to justice, obsessive Los Angeles cop Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). It’s an iconic moment from Michael Mann’s 1995 crime flick Heat, one that saw two of the most celebrated actors of their generation onscreen together for the first time. It’s also based on a true incident. The inspiration for the story that would eventually become Heat came from one of Mann’s friends, former Chicago police detective Charlie Adamson. In the 1960s Adamson was involved in the hunt for the real Neil McCauley, ultimately…

FOUNDED IN 1982 with a focus on photography, the scope of EISA (the Expert Imaging and Sound Association) has grown in the intervening 40 years to include hi-fi, in-car audio, mobile entertainment, home theatre audio and home theatre video. Each year it commends consumer electronics products across a variety of categories. EISA's 59 members are specialist AV magazines and websites from around the world. Represented countries include Australia, the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and – via Home Cinema Choice and our sister magazine Hi-Fi News – the UK. The home theatre audio and home theatre video awards published here aim to cover the full spectrum of the market, meaning budget AV receivers and cost-conscious soundbars rub shoulders with premium OLED flatscreens, multichannel power amps and 4K projectors. Turn the…

At the 'plex… Heading out to see a flick? Catch these this month Beast August 26: Idris Elba stars in this roar-some survival thriller about a recently widowed husband and his two teenage daughters being hunted by a rogue man-eating lion while holidaying at a game reserve in South Africa. Crimes of the Future September 9: Writer-director David Cronenberg makes his long-awaited return to the icky world of body-horror with this twisted sci-fi chiller. Viggo Mortensen, who previously featured in Cronenberg's Eastern Promises and A History of Violence, headlines alongside Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. Don’t Worry Darling September 23: Florence Pugh and Harry Styles star in Olivia Wilde's psychological thriller about a housewife who becomes obsessed with discovering the truth of her husband’s top-secret work, and the seemingly utopian…

Okay, I could discuss how this model is only a ninechannel design, thus leaving those with 7.x.4 speaker setups in need of an additional power amplifier (the receiver has 11-channel processing/pre-outs). Or I could posit that the LCD display could offer more detail. But really, it would seem churlish to not give the RX-A6A the full praise it deserves. Despite the price tag comfortably putting this Yamaha in the upper echelons of AV receivers, it isn't actually the Japanese brand's top model – selling for £2,899 is the RX-A8A. This is the 11-channel option that owners of 'full-fat' Atmos systems will be attracted too, although the price difference is such that there's more to it than just a couple of additional amp channels – upgrades include signal path/construction niceties and…

The Police Story Trilogy: Limited Edition The action-packed trilogy that made Jackie Chan an international star hits Ultra HD BD on September 26, courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. Limited to 4,000 copies, The Police Story Trilogy UHD boxset houses 4K restorations of Police Story, Police Story 2 and Police Story 3: Supercop, a vast array of bonus features, and an exclusive 100-page book. We have one copy of The Police Story Trilogy: Limited Edition 4K boxset to be won! Question: Which female martial arts legend co-stars with Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop? Answer: A) Angela Mao B) Cynthia Rothrock C) Michelle Yeoh The Big Chill A defining film of the 1980s, Lawrence Kasdan’s baby boomer milestone follows a group of thirty-something friends reuniting at a funeral. The Big Chill lands…

Warner Bros. ➜ Region B BD £17 In brightest day, in blackest night, this new Green Lantern ‘toon is merely alright. The John Stewart incarnation of the hero takes centre stage in a DC animated feature that rushes his origin (and any chance at in-depth characterisation) in favour of heading off on a generic intergalactic adventure. The BD marries crisp, colourful 1.78:1 Full HD visuals with an involving DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. Pick of the otherwise meagre extras is an excellent doc about the comic history of Stewart. AvB ★★★☆☆…

Arrow Video➜Ultra HD Blu-ray £30 For some reason we saw Joel Schumacher’s near-death thriller three times at the cinema in 1990. Whatever fascination it held back then is long gone now – not even the stylish visuals (looking great on this UHD release thanks to an attractive restoration and sumptuous Dolby Vision grading) can make up for a painfully shallow, stupid and heavy-handed script. Oh well… On top of the lovely 4K presentation, Arrow’s UHD BD contains several newly created extras, including a commentary, interviews, and a collector’s booklet. AvB…

➜ Dog Soldiers A group of squaddies on a routine training exercise in the remote Scottish wilds come up against a family of werewolves in this 2002 action-horror from writer-director Neil Marshall. As brutally efficient as its lycanthropic monsters, this fast-paced flick is a masterclass in low-budget filmmaking, overcoming its meagre resources with a smart script, solid performances, thrilling action, good gags, nifty monster effects, and oodles of guts and gore. Two decades on and Dog Soldiers is still bloody good fun. Picture: Derived from a new 4K scan of the recently rediscovered 16mm A/B negatives (with interpositives used for a couple of effects shots), it’s hard to imagine Dog Soldiers looking any better than it does on this Ultra HD Blu-ray release. But that's not to say that AV-hedz…

Indicator➜Region B BD £19 An outlier in Hammer’s brief run of prehistoric pics, this dialogue-free 1971 film is notable for not casting its curvaceous cavegirls alongside dinosaurs. While this has often resulted in the movie being labelled boring, this more anthropologically-minded adventure is actually rather enjoyable. Sourced from an HD master provided by Sony, the robust 1.66:1 transfer is rather lush. Good extras include a chat track, profile of actress Julie Ege, and three vintage shorts by director Don Chaffey. AvB…

101 Films➜Region B BD £18 Eventually running to four instalments, the Deathstalker series of low-budget sword 'n' sorcery films proved hugely popular on video thanks to their lashings of violence and nudity. This double-disc set houses the first two movies. Neither of which is what you’d call a classic, although there’s a whiff of a risqué version of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys about the more tongue-in-cheek second. Both titles have been cleaned up nicely for Blu-ray, allowing fans to savour their cheap ’n’ cheesy aesthetic, and are joined by filmmaker commentaries and trailers. AvB…

DALI KORE➜www.dali-speakers.com Claimed to represent 'a design, electroacoustic, engineering, manufacturing and musical rebirth' for Danish audio brand DALI, the KORE floorstander is its most advanced – and, at €80,000 a pair – most costliest speaker to date. Featuring a towering curved cabinet, on cement/resin composite plinth, it uses all-new driver designs, including a hybrid dome/ribbon tweeter and pair of rear-ported 11.5in woofers. Prospective owners will want to plan for each cabinet's 140kg heft...…

SPECIFICATIONS DRIVERS: 2 x40mm 'dynamic full-range bio cellulose' drivers CONNECTIONS: USB-C (with supplied cable to 3.5mm; charging) BLUETOOTH: Yes. v5.2 with aptX Adaptive, aptX HD and AAC ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING: Yes WEIGHT: 307g FEATURES: Adjustable EQ via B&W Music app; 3 xANC settings; wear detection sensor; carry case supplied; 30-hour claimed battery life (including sevenhour/15-minute recharge); 6 xmicrophones (for ANC and telephony) WHEN IT COMES to fixing things that weren’t particularly broken, audio brand Bowers & Wilkins is something of a master. Its Px7 wireless headphones (reviewed HCC #308) were a completely competitive device right up until the moment production ceased. Nevertheless, the Px7 S2s are here to replace them and, despite the name suggesting they're more of the same, a surprising amount has been changed. B&W says the cans…

Welcome to the AV-Holic Hall of Fame – introduce yourself! Hi, I'm Simon Pettersson, age 48, area sales manager. How long have you been into home cinema, and what was the first setup you had? For as long as I can remember. My first set up was a Technics 5.1 satellite speaker system with a little Eltax subwoofer. With my 32in CRT Panasonic TV I thought it looked and sounded amazing! When did you decide to set up your current system? It initially started towards the end of lockdown. I’d dreamed of doing it for a while. Like a lot of people’s garages, it was a dumping ground for mainly empty boxes, old toys and tools that never get used! We couldn’t go away on holiday at the time due…

➜Edge of Tomorrow Pitched as a cross between Groundhog Day and Saving Private Ryan, this 2014 sci-fi war film knocks it out of the park. Directed by Doug Liman, and adapted by Christopher McQuarrie from the Japanese novel All You Need is Kill, it delivers excitement, laughs and enough surprises to keep you guessing all the way to its satisfying conclusion. It’s Tom Cruise’s movie from start to finish, but he’s ably supported by Emily Blunt as a sword-wielding soldier, and Bill Paxton as a gruff sergeant. The production design and VFX are top-notch, while the beach assault scene(s) combine the gritty aesthetics of Spielberg’s combat opus with drop-ships and battle-exoskeletons. Who doesn’t want to see that? Picture: The film was shot on 35mm film stock, but finished using a…

Entertainment in Video➜Region B BD £20 Writer-director Ti West pays tribute to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and other iconic slashers with this grisly ’70s-set tale of a film crew making an adult film at an elderly couple’s remote Texas farm, only to get more attention than they bargained for from their hosts. Clever, provocative and darkly comic, X hits BD with a 1.85:1 encode that's far slicker than its genre ancestors, plus a lively DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. A Making of… featurette, time-lapse makeup video, and extended footage from the fictional adult film are also included. AvB ★★★★☆…

Signal One Entertainment➜Region B BD & R2 DVD ➜ £24 Nicolas Cage is the down-on-his luck drifter mistaken for a hitman in this 1993 hidden gem neo-noir from director John ‘The Last Seduction’ Dahl. A twisty, Coen brothers-esque thriller, Red Rock West makes its UK Blu-ray debut with a nicely delineated and detailed 1.85:1-framed 1080p encode, joined by a moody DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack. A solid array of extras includes a director’s commentary, a trio of interviews, an appreciation of Cage’s performance, a stills gallery, a poster and a booklet. AvB…

Second Sight➜Region B BD £25 The 1959 Hammer classic returns to Blu-ray as a fab new Limited Edition. While the HD restoration appears unchanged from Icon’s original 2013 release (again viewable in both 1.37:1 and 1.66:1 ratios), this is hardly a problem as it still handsomely renders the film’s colourful photography. While some extras from the earlier release are absent here, all of the truly key ones remain, and they’re joined by a second commentary and critical appreciations of the film and its composer. The set also includes a book and five art cards. AvB…

The Criterion Collection➜Region B BD £28 Seven college friends who have drifted apart – and are now in their 30s – reconnect at a funeral in this enjoyable 1983 comic-drama from Empire Strikes Back co-writer Lawrence Kasdan. Sourced from a 4K scan of the negatives, Criterion’s Blu-ray serves up a tidy, and authentically grainy, 1.85:1 image and a choice of the original mono soundtrack and a 5.1 remix (both flavoured DTS-HD MA). Bonus bits include an interview with Kasdan, a 1998 reunion documentary, and a 2013 cast and crew Q&A. MC…