Thanks to Universal Pictures, we had a chance to review the “Oppenheimer” Blu-Ray combo pack with our very own copy!
Below is our description and analysis of the product:
Be sure to pick up your copy starting 11/21/2023!
About Oppenheimer – From celebrated writer and director Christopher Nolan comes the must-see cinematic masterpiece about the man and the moment that changed the world forever. As it continues its dominant global box-office run, OPPENHEIMER will beavailable to own just in time for the holidays on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, & Digital on November 21, 2023, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Delve deeper into the unparalleled filmmaking behind OPPENHEIMER with an extensive collection of special features, including the global debut of “The Story of Our Time: The Making of Oppenheimer.” This 70+ minute immersive piece showcases exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and extensive interviews with Nolan and his creative collaborators, offering unrestricted access inside the process, performances, effects, music and artistry responsible for this extraordinary film. Additional features include the NBC News companion documentary, “To End All War: Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb,” as well as a “Trinity Anniversary Panel Discussion” featuring a panel moderated by Emmy® -winning journalist Chuck Todd, with Christopher Nolan, Nobel® Prize winner Dr. Kip Throne; world-renowned physicist Dr. Carlo Rovelli; Dr. Thom Mason, director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory; and Kai Bird, the Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, on which the film is based.
Watch Nolan’s cinematic vision come alive on 4K Ultra HD with vibrant visuals, four-times-sharper picture than HD, the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR) and multi-channel audio that delivers an enveloping sound. Plus, the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs are uniquely designed to include mixed 2.20 and 1.78 aspect ratios that enables viewers to experience the shift in aspect ratio as viewed in select theatrical locations, for the ultimate in-home viewing.
Written for the screen and directed by Christopher Nolan, OPPENHEIMER, thrusts audiences into the mind of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), whose landmark work as the director of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory created the first atomic bomb. An unprecedented cinematic event, OPPENHEIMER features an all-star cast that includes Emily Blunt, Oscar® winner1 Matt Damon, Oscar® nominee2Robert Downey Jr., Oscar® nominee3 Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, and Oscar® winners Casey Affleck4, Rami Malek5 and Kenneth Branagh6.
The film was produced by Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan. Nolan’s films, including Oppenheimer, Tenet, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy, have earned more than $6 billion at the global box office and have been awarded 11 Oscars® and 36 nominations, including two Best Picture nominations.
Nolan’s creative production team includes Director of Photography Hoyte van Hoytema, Production Designer Ruth De Jong, Editor Jennifer Lame, Costume Designer Ellen Mirojnick, Visual Effects Supervisor Andrew Jackson and Special Effects Supervisor Scott Fisher. The score is composed by Oscar® winner7 Ludwig Göransson.
OVER THREE HOURS OF SPECIAL FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAYTM AND DVD
- THE STORY OF OUR TIME: THE MAKING OF OPPENHEIMER*
- NOW I AM BECOME DEATH – The cast, crew and producers join Christopher Nolan in sharing the personal stories that made them passionate about the project’s ambitious design for bridging multiple genres.
· THE LUMINARIES – OPPENHEIMER’s all-star cast discusses how they synthesize the script’s dramatic narrative with the real lives of historical figures to embody their complex characters.
· THE MANHATTAN PROJECT – To visualize Oppenheimer’s ability to see different dimensions and to recreate the historic Trinity test, filmmakers developed unique techniques to craft stunning effects without using CGI.
· THE DEVIL OF DETAILS – A look at how production designer Ruth De Jong and team recreated the entire town of Los Alamos with period-accurate props, spectacular sets and painstaking attention to authenticity.
· WALKING A MILE – Costume and makeup craftspeople populate OPPENHEIMER’s immersive environments with iconic figures by utilizing thousands of pieces of clothing and cutting-edge prosthetic applications.
· CAN YOU HEAR MUSIC? – Working closely with Christopher Nolan, Ludwig Göransson composes a deeply personal, historically expansive score ranging from the organic to the alien to accompany the visual landscape.
· WE CAN PERFORM THIS MIRACLE – Christopher Nolan’s closest collaborators demonstrate how his artistic vision creates camaraderie that drives his talented crew to continue breaking new ground in filmmaking.
- TRAILERS
- INNOVATIONS IN FILM: 65MM BLACK-AND-WHITE FILM IN OPPENHEIMER – FotoKem opens the door to its film labs, where new technologies are invented for using color and black & white 65mm film to visualize OPPENHEIMER’s dual timelines while pushing the format further forward.
- MEET THE PRESS Q&A PANEL: OPPENHEIMER – Chuck Todd moderates a conversation where Christopher Nolan, author Kai Bird, and physicists Dr. Kip Thorne, Dr. Thom Mason and Dr. Carlo Rovelli reflect on the fascinating science and doomsday concerns OPPENHEIMER illustrates onscreen.
TO END ALL WAR: OPPENHEIMER & THE ATOMIC BOMB – Explore how one man’s relentless drive and invention of the atomic bomb changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and unleashed mass hysteria.
HNS Review: Christopher Nolan’s first outing with Universal lets him flex his creative muscles in this biographical thriller about J Robert Oppenheimer. The film is structured in such a way that bends perspective and allows viewers to experience the troubles Oppenheimer dealt with. His internal and moral struggle are front and center, carrying the burden of being the pioneer of the world’s most deadly weapon. Acting across the board is strong and the story is engaging for its long runtime. Nolan rebounds nicely with this one!
About the Product: The film is available in three formats in this package. Users have the option of using both the blu-ray and DVD discs depending on their device of usage. There is also a digital code that owners can download. This makes the film accessible no matter where the user is! There is a sleek, shiny case that covers the blu-ray, emphasizing the colors surrounding the title character. There are many quotes from critics praising the significance of the film on both sides of the case.
About the Special Features:
Now I Am Become Death – This section features commentary from different factions of the filmmaking crew. Director Christopher Nolan describes how passionate he became for the material when he was introduced to it. Each member also describes bomb threats in their upbringing and how it affected their perception on the subject. The film had an incredibly difficult task of crafting a historically accurate story while staying true to the style of the times. Nolan also emphasizes his preference of practically creating the effects for the film. Nolan also describes why he decided to structure the film as he did which was a nice insight.
The Luminaries – Each cast member describes their experience working on the film here. It’s fascinating to hear how each actor approaches subject material differently. Cillian Murphy reflected on the idea of brilliance and what it does to your perception of the world. His ambiguous and quiet performance was also intense. Every single person working on the project was thrilled to work with Nolan and see his vision come to life. They each felt special being chosen for such an important project due to the talent all around. The actors were pushed even harder with the pressure to do Nolan justice and belong to such a talented ensemble. It seems that Nolan selected each of them due to work he’d seen them in previously.
The Manhattan Project – I really enjoyed this section. Nolan’s creative team was tasked with creating a special effects experience than abandons CGI completely. He describes how many adjustments were necessary to shoot the entire film in the IMAX format. Oppenheimer has many visions throughout the film that delve into different dimensions, which were meant to show his thought process. POV was important with the color being used to signify the different perspectives. It was meant to be intimate but on a grand scale. I was shocked that the creative team was able to do this without computers. I won’t spoil how they did it because that’s a treat worth seeing firsthand! The bomb construction was also a highlight. The team had to prepare safely and efficiently, building an entire Los Alamos set and tower in order to make the sequence more believable. Nolan also wanted to showcase the threat and real world danger of such a weapon.
The Devil of Details – Creating a set of this magnitude seemed like quite a task. It’s impressive to see how the crew planned and executed a recreation of Los Alamos to make sure the experience was as accurate as possible. Nolan had to pivot because the real Los Alamos has too many modern aspects (Starbucks, updated amenities, etc). which he didn’t want present. This was one of the most impressive set designs I’ve seen that was created for a film.
Walking a Mile – Costume design was an important aspect to get right for the film. Oppenheimer’s suit was detailed to perfection. From the signature hat to his suit, the crew didn’t miss a beat here. The rest of the cast had to carry the same level of detail though. Getting the time period right was imperative to maintain believability. Getting this right made sure the costumes were on par with the set, the special effects, etc. The precision and detail in creating this film is reason enough to give it a watch.
Can You Hear Music? – A pretty short section here. I enjoyed hearing how the composer of the score went about creating music that played into Oppenheimer’s feelings throughout the film. At times it felt intense, stressful, intelligent, and overwhelming. I thought this beautifully captured Oppenheimer’s internal conflict throughout the film. I also enjoyed how the score immerses the audience during his visions. It really made us feel like we were inside his head, where his theories were endless and the world was a playground for creativity.
We Can Perform This Miracle – After seeing this section, I’m even more impressed with the set design. Clearly the crew did their job well because I didn’t know the White House sequence was shot on a set that was built specifically for the film. I wouldn’t have noticed it wasn’t shot at the White House if I didn’t watch this section. The crew was tasked with creating a complete set of the White House when scheduling wouldn’t allow them to shoot there. They also had to pivot when Gary Oldman’s schedule only permitted one day of filming. The pressure of getting this done must have been massive. I’m very impressed that the crew was able to create such a realistic set in such a short amount of time.
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