Fox is doing something different with the Digital HD release of Broken City. It is available now, 3 weeks before it gets to DVD and Blu-Ray.
So with a click of a button you can stream or download it to multiple devices from some of the most popular online digital video stores.
Like many film buffs, in the past we’ve ended up waiting for the physical media to get the extra goodies that we like so much. But things have improved with Broken City, you get a fair amount of the bonus material with the iTunes DHD (Digital HD) version that comes with the Blu-ray version without having to wait.
The DHD download via iTunes is $14.99 and gets you all the bonus material of the blu-ray but the deleted scenes and an alternate ending. The list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99, though it is generally street priced around $25.00 for pre-order.
We did a full review of Broken City when it was in theatrical release, but our revisit with the film and the added feature content was not a disappointment. Seeing it for a second time reinforced the fact that Jeffrey Wright, as police chief Carl Fairbanks, steals every scene he is in. The transfer of the file is nice to watch, the black blacks are deep and the colors are crisp. Ben Seresin, the director of photography, has a great eye when shooting the film for the modern way audiences see it. The film scales well at different screen sizes including TV, tablet and phone.
The DTS-HD 5.1 sound mix is well done, with no obvious quiet spots in the dialog and nothing that gets too loud during the action sequences. Fox could give lessons to other studios that don’t do as well with the audio for DHD release.
The special features included as extra with our iTunes download is are two documentaries that tell the story of how the writer Brian Tucker conceived the script, inspired both by his love for film noir and his interest in a real-life New York City real-estate deal that ended up in a scandal filled court case. He also discusses how the screenplay traveled around movie-making circles for several years before being picked up by director Allan Hughes,who had gained notoriety with films like Menace to Society. They include interview footage with stars Mark Wahlberg, Jeffrey Wright, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Alona Tal, discussing their own impressions of the film.
Digital Stores Selling the Digital HD Download
- iTunes Comes with iTunes Extras (2 trailers and Mini Docs of “Anatomy of a Thriller and “Black List Script”)
- Google Play
- CinemaNow
- Nook
- Vudu
- Playstation Store
- Xbox Video
- Amazon Instant Video
