Out Now: the top 4 discs we’ve been using to test our home cinema kit this month
There have been many events in our AV test rooms so far this year. We’ve reviewed a huge range of home cinema kit, from the five-star Sony Bravia Theater System 6 to the affordable Wanbo Vali 1 projector, which earned a solid four-star rating.
But to challenge these AV systems, we need excellent film and TV content to put them on their feet. Whether it’s their graphics offering or its Dolby Atmos sound, we’ve compiled a list of the top quality discs we reach for time and time again.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Watch it open
Few movies are as iconic as Martin Scorsese’s Taxi driver. Telling the story of a disenfranchised Vietnam veteran in New York named Travis and his mad lineage, it remains an essential piece of cinema today.
Which is quite impressive considering the fact that it turned 50 earlier this month. Eager to celebrate its birthday, I chose to finally visit the film and watch it in 4K, a Dolby Vision tribute available on Blu-ray and many streaming services. And boy am I glad I did.
Expertly shot and with compelling performances from Robert DeNiro and a young Jodie Foster, the film’s bleak narrative and tension, the sense of alienation creates an engaging, yet haunting viewing experience.
And while there’s no denying that some shots are showing their age, the addition of Dolby Vision HDR breathes new life into the film, providing a punchier viewing experience with an added layer of depth to the old DVD copy I have from my student days.
That’s why, whether you’ve seen it before or not, I would strongly suggest any film fan to take a look at the legendary masterpiece this month to celebrate its continued relevance over the past 50 years.
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Broadcast Taxi driver on Apple TV
Buy it Taxi driver on Blu-ray at HMV
Payback (1999)
This gritty thriller is retro through and through – not only is it all old-style phones and guns (rotor dials and revolvers, respectively), it also has a kick-ass soundtrack, including James Brown, BB King, Dean Martin, Vic Damone, Jimi Hendrix and Lou Rawls (a country legend but featuring the great mobswiffer legend Krissg. not surprising, given that based on a novel A hunter by Richard Stark – aka Donald Westlake – who was also adapted into a Lee Marvin classic Point Blank.
That’s some pedigree. But Mel Gibson’s movie goes in a different direction. While Point Blank it had European influences, making it borderline arthouse – is the whole film a dying man’s fever dream? – Payment it’s a huge crowd pleaser. It’s not quite James Bond, but it’s more straightforward (despite the great flashback sequence), and there’s almost a comic book quality to the effortlessly delivered violence and dry one-liners.
Its gray-blue tinge (achieved by painting the film using a bleach bypass process) also gives it a neutral, almost cold feel. On the other hand, this makes it difficult to get attached to the characters. But on the other hand, it makes it easier to enjoy punch-ups.
Director Brian Helgeland’s original cut was more faithful to the source novel, and while the theatrical version has a final twist similar to Elmore Leonard’s. Freaky Deakyit makes for a more satisfying ending. If you’re after a cold-blooded thriller that doesn’t take too much (and that will test your TV’s black levels), check out Payment.
Words by Joe Svetlik
Broadcast Payment on Apple TV
The Running Man (2025)
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Boy, I’m not looking forward to the future. Insane wealth inequality; large technology companies that manage resources and manage information; constant state surveillance; the glamorous celebrity culture that pits vulnerable people against each other; an increasingly blurred line between digital trickery and real reality.
Wait a minute…
A socio-political analysis lurks behind Egar Wright’s logically entertaining translation Running Man – where contestants on America’s hit game show must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional killers – is about as subtle as Babybel on a cheese board, but thankfully, so is the overall beauty of the film.
Glowing neon lights in stark contrast to the backdrop of a grimy city is a perennial theme of dystopian or cyberpunk blockbusters (see Blade Runner, CyberPunk 2077, Dredd, Deus Ex), with Running Man and it gives you an excellent opportunity to see how well your screen can display those different flavors.
It’s also a film that makes the same use of color in an almost invisible way, red hot being the most obvious example. There is the red hoodie of Glen Powell, the red banners of advertising campaigns that consume the entire network, the red lights of the fiery drones that attack, and, of course, the occasional red splash when the competitor fails to escape those old hunters.
I’est la vie.
Words by Harry McKerrell
Pre order Running Man on 4K Blu-ray at HMV
Broadcast Running Man on Amazon Prime Video
Not Broken (2014)
Watch it open
If you’ve read any of our reviews on soundbars or speaker packages, you might know that It is not broken is a regular visitor to our trusted 4K Blu-ray player.
That’s because the best sound design of the Dolby Atmos disc is able to challenge many aspects of a piece of audio kit, from cheap and fun models to high-end installations with hot speakers.
Directed by Angelina Jolie, the film follows a former Olympic runner (played by Jack O’Connell) who becomes a WWII pilot. When his plane crashes in the sea, his fight for survival becomes stronger when he is caught.
There is only one scene you need to watch It is not broken that proves its chops as a smart test disc.
It opens with an ethereal choral score that slowly gives way to the rumble of an approaching group of bombers in the sky, each propeller given a single dimension as the sound of rotor blades passes. An enemy plane swerves around the listener, closely followed by machine gun fire circling behind them.
Despite the roar of the wind and the plane’s bells, sounds like the gunner’s seat, the creaking of an old leather jacket and radio chatter are all detailed and delivered without focus as the dogfight continues.
If you want to give your home cinema system a proper challenge with its Atmos functionality, then It is not broken it belongs to you.
Words by Robyn Quick
Buy it It is not broken on Blu-ray at HMV
Broadcast It is not broken on Apple TV
What’s Showing Now?
To check out the latest TV and AV kit, we watch a lot of movies. There are tried and tested favorites that we return to regularly, but we always try to mix it up with new entries.
We also know that you at home may be hunting for quality discs to test your home theater system. That’s where ‘Now Showing’ comes in, as we give you a monthly report on which TV shows and movies we can’t get out of our heads.
It could be a movie with amazing effects to challenge your TV’s sound system, or a TV show with lots of dark scenes to see how different the projector image can be.
As always, we want to hear from you too! If there are any movies you think would make a good demo disc, put them in the comments below.
