FIFTY SHADES OF GREY – The Blu Review

“You want hearts and flowers? That’s not something I know.”

In Michael Haffner’s 2-of-5-Star review of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY here at We Are Movie Geeks, he wrote “….with all the script and story issues and its misrepresentation of cultural aspects within a sexual community, FIFTY SHADES is still the most sex we’ve seen from a major studio film at the multiplex in quite some time. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a dumb escapist sex fantasy…… Let the fans of the books enjoy their fantasies, and maybe if this GREY phenomenon continues to grow something better or at least more memorable might come along.” (read all of Michael’s review HERE)

I thought Michael was generous. I found FIFTY SHADES to be a bondage movie with little perversion, a love story with little passion, and because of the nature and reception of the book, a bad movie burdened with expectations it could not come close to fulfilling. I’m always up for some cheesy sleaze (like THE BOY NEXT DOOR, which was bad but relatively fun), but FIFTY SHADES was deadly dull. The opening credits were dull. The dialog was dull. The way the actors spoke (especially Jamie Dornan, but Dakota Johnson wasn’t much better) led me to believe they were seriously trying to put the audience to sleep. FIFTY SHADES OF GREY was more like fifty shades of lethargy.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is from Universal Home Entertainment. Available now to own.

Crisp, clean, and vibrant, the eye-filling 1080p AVC MPEG-4 FIFTY SHADES OF GREY transfer nicely showcases the lavish interiors and exotic exterior of Mr. Grey’s world. A warm glow and polished sheen lend the image a lovely richness, while excellent contrast and clarity enhance the sense of depth. Blacks are bold and inky, whites are stable and resist blooming, and fleshtones (and there are a lot of those!) remain natural-looking throughout the lengthy running time. Razor sharp close-ups highlight fine facial details well, and no digital doctoring seems to have been applied. Banding, noise, and pixelation are all absent, too. Fans of the film will be thrilled with this superior effort while everyone else will still be bored.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is a satisfying aural experience and nothing more. Surround activity ebbs and flows as so much of the dialog is basically whispered and the best-selling soundtrack is clean and clear, but this it’s hardly one to test your system.

Universal has been generous with its FIFTY SHADES OF GREY extras:

– Two Versions – included on this release are two versions of Fifty Shades of Grey:

1. Theatrical Version – 02.05.19/1080p/English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.
2. Unrated Version – 02.08.29/1080p/English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.

– Tease of Fifty Shades Darker – a special preview of Fifty Shades Darker. (1 min).

– The World of Fifty Shades Darker – presented here are character profiles and cast and crew interviews with director Sam Taylor-Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Marcia Gay Harden, Dakota Johnson, set decorator Sandy Wasco, production designer David Wasco, executive producer Marcus Viscidi, and costume designer Mark Bridges, amongst others. In English, with optional English, Spanish, and French subtitles.

1. Christian Grey Profile. (3 min).
2. Jamie Dornan Profile. (3 min).
3. Christian’s Apartment (9 min).
4. Christian’s Wardrobe (4 min).
5. A Rich Man’s Toys (3 min).
6. All About Anna (3 min).
7. Dakota Johnson Profile (3 min).
8. Ana’s World (5 min).
9. Ana’s Wardrobe (4 min).
10. Eloise Mumford (3 min).
11. Max Martini (2 min).
12. Marcia Gay Harden (2 min).
13. Luke Grimes (2 min).
14. Jennifer Ehle (2 min).
15. Victor Rasuk (2 min).
16. Rita Ora (2 min).

– Behind the Shades – in this featurette, producer Dana Brunetti, producer/series creator/writer E.L. James, Dakota Johnson, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson, amongst others, discuss some of the unique themes in the book that inspired Fifty Shades of Grey, the script for the film, the shooting of the more explicit sequences, the different shooting locations in Vancouver, the costumes and art decoration seen in the film, etc. In English, with optional English, Spanish, and French subtitles. (20 min).

– E.L. James & Fifty Shades – in this video interview, E.L. James explains how Fifty Shades of Grey came to exist, and discusses some of the key dilemmas Christian and Anastasia are presented with, the success and reception of her novel and the film, etc. In English, with optional English, Spanish, and French subtitles. (6 min).

– Fifty Shades: The Pleasure of Pain – in this featurette, BDSM technical consultant Liam Helmer, director Sam Taylor-Johnson, Rita Ora, and Marcia Gay Harden, amongst others, discuss some of the BDSM themes/elements (“soft” and “hard” limits) in Fifty Shades of Grey. In English, with English, Spanish, and French subtitles. (9 min).

– Christian’s Apartment: 360 Degree Set Tour – a large collection of stills for each of the areas listed below, which can be accessed from a fully interactive menu. (26 min).

1. Living Room
2. Dining Room
3. Piano
4. Kitchen
5. Foyer
6. Christian Bedroom
7. Christian Bathroom
8. Anastasia Bedroom
9. Red Room

– Music Videos –

1. Skylar Grey – “I Know You” (6 min).
2. The Weekend – “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey”). (5 min).

– Fifty Shades: The Pleasure of Pain – raw footage from the shooting of the music video for The Weekend’s “Earned It” in Los Angeles. Also included are comments from Abel Tesfaye and director Sam Taylor-Johnson. In English, with optional English, Spanish, and French subtitles. (5 min).