Cool News
Harry's DVD PICKS AND PEEKS for 2nd Week of Feb: Warner Cartoons, Zapped!, Stephen Chow, Lubitsch, Kramer, Affleck? Lots More!
Hey folks, Harry here… sorry it’s been so long since I hit my regular schedule, but here we are… Posting well in advance of this coming Tuesday. There’s some fun stuff here. In fact, I sort of have an argument with myself over which is the most fun title… and there’s a good 5 titles I could argue that award for. As always – if you click on a DVD you’ll be taken to Amazon – where you can learn more on the title and/or purchase the item so that a portion of the price goes to support this column. Thanks a lot and I hope you enjoy this good week of titles…
BECOMING JANE
A Quasi-Fictional account of the life of Jane Austen… yes, that incredibly romantic writer that makes girls swoon with the dream of true love. The film is basically based on her life, but embellished with influences from her own fictional stories… it actually works really well… probably due to the fact that Anne Hathaway is a hottie that can act… It’s a beautifully shot movie that is nowhere near as great as PRIDE & PREJUDICE, but it’s still a very nice work.
GONE BABY GONE
Way to go Ben Affleck! You know, I like Ben Affleck. I like him in front of the camera – and having seen GONE BABY GONE, I love him behind the camera. Ben’s debut film is an incredibly sharp procedural drama about what happened to a missing Child in South Boston. Ben knows this area well – and it shows in the details of the film, which makes this movie seem more authentic, to my eyes, than MYSTIC RIVER which was set in the same world. Directing his brother Casey Affleck – Casey does work that rivals his Robert Ford portrayal in THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES. Also in the cast is the girl I’ve fallen in love with, since KISS KISS BANG BANG… you know, Michelle Monaghan. In addition you have Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. This is one not to miss!
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
I love these sorts of Documentaries. The story of the moon missions – is just the sort of thing that reminds me of what we as a people can do. This documentary is particularly worthy of ownership because of the interviews with so many of the Moon Men. The Astronauts that walked, lept, played, worked and even pee’d on the moon. I love hearing about the perils of being on the moon… mainly that you couldn’t judge scale, because there was nothing to compare the scope of what you were looking at. That’s stunning to me – to think you could possibly walk into something that was essentially the Grand Canyon – but because there’s no reference to the distances involved – you have no perspective. That’s… I don’t know how to not have a frame of referece. To think a boulder is a pebble and vice versa. Stunning – and something that Moon pictures can’t give you a sense of. That’s something that only someone standing on the moon could tell you. And they tell us so much more.
WE OWN THE NIGHT
I like James Gray as a director, but I always find his films lacking somehow. There’s no denying he has a great cast here… But I just never believe that Donnie Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix are brothers…. And not only that, I don’t believe that Robert Duvall is their father – and that they are his sons. I just don’t buy it. I like the story – but the casting doesn’t gel for me. However, as usual James Gray has crafted a very handsome and compelling story. The casting thing, might just be my problem… that – and I still have never like Eva Mendes in a single film. And I can still, unfortunately say that. I’m hoping Frank Miller changes that for us.
the 4th CHARLIE CHAN collection ( CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU / CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO / CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND / CITY IN DARKNESS )
I love Charlie Chan movies. I grew up on them. Warner Oland or Sidney Toler… I’m happy. These are Sidney Toler editions – and I will buy every set of these they put out. Same with MR MOTO and SHERLOCK HOLMES. I really enjoy the three of these I’ve seen, but I’ve yet to see CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO. Fox continues to do a great job on these sets – special features – excellent restoration and it just is a first class job!
Lubitsch Musicals by Criterion ( THE LOVE PARADE / THE SMILING LIEUTENANT / ONE HOUR WITH YOU / MONTE CARLO )
One of the most forgotten great directors of the Golden Age of Hollywood amongst today’s younger set is Ernst Lubitsh. One of the greatest directors of any era. Here we have a great collection of his musicals – 3 of the 4 films were nominated for Best Picture. They star the likes of Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert – and the musicals are those fantastic melodrama musicals. As usual – Criterion kicks ass with the presentation and mastering of these four films. These are incredibly superior films – which is as usual with Lubitsch.
Joan Crawford collection ( A WOMAN’S FACE / FLAMINGO ROAD / SADIE McKEE / STRANGE CARGO / TORCH SONG )
I have to say – I have never seen any of these 5 films. I didn’t get a review copy of this – but I do know the films based on reputation and the work of this brilliant actress, Joan Crawford. With A WOMAN’S FACE you have George Cukor and an excellent cast of Conrad Veidt and Melvin Douglas. FLAMINGO ROAD is directed by my all time favorite director, Michael Curtiz – and has what I’ve heard is one of the great performances by Sydney Greenstreet!! With STRANGE CARGO – you’ve got Clark Gable and Peter Lorre in what sounds like a bizarre prison escape / religious allegory flick… fascinating. Over all – I can’t wait to dig in and discover these films!
Stanley Kramer Film Collection ( GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER / THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING / SHIP OF FOOLS / THE WILD ONE / THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T )
This is just a fantastic collection. I love me some Stanley Kramer films and this set is strong without exception. If you’ve never seen the Dr. Seuss feature – THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T – then this is the reason to pick up the entire set. One of the most insanely bizarre nightmarishly surreal film you’ll ever see. People sometimes make the mistake of thinking of this as a kid’s film… but in reality – it’s high surrealist art. It must be seen to be believed – and it is the singularly most bizarre film of Kramer’s career. The other films are simply brilliant. Brando’s THE WILD ONE performance is legendary… so are the performances of Spencer Tracey, Katherine Hepburn and and Sidney Poitier in GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER. One of the great movies about race relations in America. The nearly completely unknown film THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING features THE HAUNTING’s Julie Harris – about 8 years earlier and smaller as a Tom Boy Beanpole that isn’t accepted by her peers – and is a haunting and sad prose upon just how hard growing up is. You owe it to yourself to discover this classic. And you should just discover SHIP OF FOOLS. It’s something else altogether – and illustrates just how varied Kramer could get.
BLADE the TV Series
This looks like complete crap.
ZAPPED!
Right now – Eli Roth is masturbating at the idea of having a really solid DVD release of ZAPPED! Actually so is director Jeff Mahler. And it’s hard to preach against them. Scott Baio at his best – with Willie Aames as his best friend. This is everything he couldn’t do on HAPPY DAYS – tons of nudity – as a completely realistic story about a college kid with telekinetic powers beyond imagining. The most fun offering of the week! Well, maybe – keep reading…
WARNER BROTHERS HOME ENTERTAINMENT ACADEMY AWARDS ANIMATION COLLECTION
Now this is definitely the most fun item on the menu this week! I just wish this was in Hi-Def. As a fan of animation – it’s utterly bizarre to see MGM and Warner Brothers and Paramount/Fleischer Academy Award nominees all gathered together! So weird. Here’s what is on the discs:
Disc 1:
Academy Award® winning shorts featured on the DVDs:
1) The Milky Way (MGM),
2) Yankee Doodle Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
3) Mouse Trouble (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
4) Quiet Please (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
5) The Cat Concerto (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
6) Tweetie Pie (WB),
7) The Little Orphan (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
8) For Scent-Imental Reasons (WB, Pepe Le Pew),
9) So Much for so Little (a special educational Warner Brothers short),
10) Two Mouseketeers (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
11) Johann Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
12) Speedy Gonzales (WB),
13) Birds Anonymous (WB, Tweety & Sylvester),
14) Knighty-Knight Bugs (WB, Bugs Bunny)
15) The Dot and the Line (Chuck Jones classic MGM cartoon).
Discs 2 & 3:
Academy Award® nominated shorts featured on the DVDs include
1) Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor (Paramount/Fleischer)
2) Superman (Paramount/Fleischer)
3) Walky Talky Hawky (WB, Foghorn Leghorn)
4) One Droopy Knight (MGM, Droopy)
plus 12 more un-announced titles.
Those close to the production of this DVD say we can expect these cartoons to be included on the Nominees discs, but they have not yet been officially announced:
5) A Wild Hare (WB, Bugs Bunny)
6) Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (WB, Bugs Bunny) new to DVD.
7) Rhapsody In Rivits (WB) new to DVD.
8) Greetings Bait (WB) new to DVD.
9) Swooner Crooner (WB, Porky Pig) new to DVD.
10) Life With Feathers (WB, Sylvester) new to DVD.
11) Mouse Wreckers (WB, Hubie & Bertie)
12) From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (WB, Ralph Philips) new to DVD.
13) Sandy Claws (WB, Tweety & Sylvester) new to DVD.
14) Tobasco Road (WB, Speedy Gonzalas)
15) Mexicali Schmoes (WB, Speedy Gonzalas)
16) Mouse And Garden (WB, The Honeymousers)
17) The High Note (WB Chuck Jones classic) new to DVD.
18) Pied Piper Of Guadalupe (WB, Speedy Gonzalas)
19) Beep Prepared (WB, Road Runner) new to DVD.
20) Nelly's Folly (WB) new to DVD.
21) Now Hear This (WB, Chuck Jones classic) new to DVD.
22) Peace On Earth (MGM, Harmon-Ising classic) new to DVD.
23) Night Before Christmas, The (MGM, Tom & Jerry)
24) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry)
25) Hatch Up Your Troubles (MGM, Tom & Jerry)
26) Good Will To Men (MGM, Hanna Barbera Cinemascope remake of the classic Peace On Earth) new to DVD.
BONUSES will include a red carpet-worthy special feature entitled "Drawn for Glory: Animation's Triumph At The Oscars®" which focuses on the history of the Academy Awards® animation short subject category.
Then watch Bugs Bunny try to promote his film Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt to the Acadamy for an award.
THE WIZ
Ok – This may be the most fun. This film is an absolutely psychotically awesome disco re-telling of the WIZARD OF OZ starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and… NIPSEY RUSSELL (who rules) – this film is crazed. Insane.
Stephen Chow’s THE ROYAL TRAMP collection
You know – Stephen Chow is hands down the most fun martial arts star I’ve seen. I love me some vintage Jackie Chan – but for the last 15 years – it’s been Stephen Chow. Here he plays a pimp that saves someone that gets him knee deep in mystical craziness. This epic was divided into two films upon it’s original release and is now getting its first release stateside – the whole thing is presented here… You’ll be amazed.
The Robert Donat Collection ( THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO / THE 39 STEPS / THE GHOST GOES WEST )
One of my favorite all time Hitchcock films is here, THE 39 STEPS. One of my fave swashbucklers, restored to its original length for the first time ever with THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO – and a whimsical film forgotten called THE GHOSTS GOES WEST. The thing these three wonderful films have in common is Robert Donat – sort of a pre-Cary Grant Cary Grant. A handsome fish out of water man that had elements of Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable. Nice to see Donat getting the respect he deserves!
THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG / THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN
This double feature is all about becoming a retarded pre-teen with a goofy grin and a bowl of sugar-laced cereal and giggling at the mayhem and antics of Tim Conway, Don Knotts and then there were the supporting casts like: Bill Bixby and Slim Pickens – as well as Harry Morgan and the brilliant Jack Elam. FUN!
That wraps up this week… We got a bunch of great stuff on the horizon next week, like… AMERICAN GANGSTER, MICHAEL CLAYTON, LUST CAUTION, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, RUN LOLA RUN (BLU RAY), PIERROT LE FOU – Criterion, WALKER – Criterion, SPIRAL, REDACTED, GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM COLLECTION, MOOLAADE and much more…
Disc 1:
Academy Award® winning shorts featured on the DVDs:
1) The Milky Way (MGM),
2) Yankee Doodle Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
3) Mouse Trouble (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
4) Quiet Please (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
5) The Cat Concerto (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
6) Tweetie Pie (WB),
7) The Little Orphan (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
8) For Scent-Imental Reasons (WB, Pepe Le Pew),
9) So Much for so Little (a special educational Warner Brothers short),
10) Two Mouseketeers (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
11) Johann Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
12) Speedy Gonzales (WB),
13) Birds Anonymous (WB, Tweety & Sylvester),
14) Knighty-Knight Bugs (WB, Bugs Bunny)
15) The Dot and the Line (Chuck Jones classic MGM cartoon).
Discs 2 & 3:
Academy Award® nominated shorts featured on the DVDs include
1) Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor (Paramount/Fleischer)
2) Superman (Paramount/Fleischer)
3) Walky Talky Hawky (WB, Foghorn Leghorn)
4) One Droopy Knight (MGM, Droopy)
plus 12 more un-announced titles.
Those close to the production of this DVD say we can expect these cartoons to be included on the Nominees discs, but they have not yet been officially announced:
5) A Wild Hare (WB, Bugs Bunny)
6) Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (WB, Bugs Bunny) new to DVD.
7) Rhapsody In Rivits (WB) new to DVD.
8) Greetings Bait (WB) new to DVD.
9) Swooner Crooner (WB, Porky Pig) new to DVD.
10) Life With Feathers (WB, Sylvester) new to DVD.
11) Mouse Wreckers (WB, Hubie & Bertie)
12) From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (WB, Ralph Philips) new to DVD.
13) Sandy Claws (WB, Tweety & Sylvester) new to DVD.
14) Tobasco Road (WB, Speedy Gonzalas)
15) Mexicali Schmoes (WB, Speedy Gonzalas)
16) Mouse And Garden (WB, The Honeymousers)
17) The High Note (WB Chuck Jones classic) new to DVD.
18) Pied Piper Of Guadalupe (WB, Speedy Gonzalas)
19) Beep Prepared (WB, Road Runner) new to DVD.
20) Nelly's Folly (WB) new to DVD.
21) Now Hear This (WB, Chuck Jones classic) new to DVD.
22) Peace On Earth (MGM, Harmon-Ising classic) new to DVD.
23) Night Before Christmas, The (MGM, Tom & Jerry)
24) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry)
25) Hatch Up Your Troubles (MGM, Tom & Jerry)
26) Good Will To Men (MGM, Hanna Barbera Cinemascope remake of the classic Peace On Earth) new to DVD.
BONUSES will include a red carpet-worthy special feature entitled "Drawn for Glory: Animation's Triumph At The Oscars®" which focuses on the history of the Academy Awards® animation short subject category.
Then watch Bugs Bunny try to promote his film Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt to the Acadamy for an award.
-
+ Expand All
-
I'm goimg to get the moon documentary. It looks awesome.
-
Or if not ruined, definitely contributed to the overall shittiness. Someone needs to tell her that she is incredibly unlikable whenever she speaks.
-
where their faces are on the goddamn poster? "Oh, Ben Affleck has a sister?" Fucking stupid.
-
I always look for this column before the DVD's come out, just to see if anything is on tap that I've missed. And I'm usually disappointed because Harry can't make a freakin' deadline. Needless to say, I'm surprised at how early this column actually made it onto the site. Well done. Now if Harry will just lose the tiresome "love me some" catchphrase we'll really be moving forward.
-
Haha, that cracked me up
-
Harry,
You can't believe Donnie Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix as brothers? I think we'd all have a hard time with that as well, considering it's Mark Wahlberg that's in the film, ya dope. -
Is not total crap. It's got a pretty strong running plotline, the supporting characters are a hell of a lot more interesting than Blade, and it's one of the goriest shows I've seen. Give it a chance.
-
I used to like that movie.
-
When Buzz Aldrin explains why he paused for a bit while climbing down the limb of the Eagle. He was taking a piss. "Neil may have been the first man on the Moon, but I took the first piss on the Moon." Hahaha!
-
Can't wait for Run Lola Run (even though I've seen it a thousand times). Great fucking movie!
-
You'd think Harry would read what Herc writes every now and then on his own site.
-
There's been like one HD-DVD title in the last three lists.
-
Because Peter Griffin doesn't.
-
It's the new Betamax. Deal with it.
-
This section actually turned me onto AICN, but sometimes you are very inconsistent in getting it up.
Please try better -
i thought this was a column to mention upcoming titles they either already saw and loved or are interested in seeing. why put blade just to say it looks like crap? sense make not it does.
-
All that mattered was that hot blonde- and she didn't show her rack...tons of nudity? what are you drinking pal
-
As far as I know, the Eclipse line doesn't go out of their way to remaster the elements before getting them to DVD -- the idea is to get the titles out there for films that aren't quite worthy of the Criterion treatment. I only comment because I read an unfavourable review of the video quality on DVDtalk.
-
Granted the Pilot sucked but once they got settled in and figured out what direction to take the show in, it got good, really good. But sadly they were never able to regain the initial audience that were turned off by the pilot. Vern even wrote an impassioned open Letter to Spike pleading with them to save the show. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30024
-
Along with a package of wire coat-hangers.
-
I just wanted to say that.
As always, I enjoy the DVD column. Thanks, Harry. -
is indeed a kick ass movie. The blade series was ok better than the terminator series so far. http://tinyurl.com/pv8do
-
Its been out all day and not a peep from anyone
-
...sweet Scott Baio goodness.
-
Feb 08, 2008 9:14:40 PM CST
Looks like Popeye is chowin' himself a big ole pile of puke
by psycho man 13
lol, anyway...zapped!
-
One of the characters has a hot blonde on the couch in the dark. A flash goes off because he's set up a camera to document the event and her naked body. I think he shows his buddies the Polaroid of her titties, but if you freeze the frame where the flash goes off her top is on and the actors are smiling at the camera. How did I find this out? I was a horny lil fucker wanting some good freeze frame boobage. That's how.
-
The point of the label being to get the Criterion directors' lesser known works out there with no extras and therefore more affordable as befits marginal titles. That doesn't automatically mean they don't care about the quality. It is Criterion after all. I think it's a good trade to pay more for the Criterion label and I understand that they can't allocate the same resources in terms of cleanup and restoration but appreciate actually having the Eclipse stuff at all which would otherwise never be seen (who else has bothered or would bother?). I'm gonna get the Kurosawa and Ozu stuff for sure.
I'm suspicious these days and always want more in-depth info when I hear about 'bad video quality' as so many times it's the original element not the actual transfer. And more to the point the best available original element.
God knows there are a plethora of morons on the net (both readers and reviewers) who just don't get the difference between original element film grain as opposed to a 'crappy transfer'. And the idea that a director might choose obvious film grain on purpose as an appropriate tonal and aesthetic choice is just beyond them. All those hi-def comments saying "it looks like shit! There's fuckin' grain everywhere" just make me wanna beat their heads against a wall. Grain is not video noise or bad compression. Aarrrgh!
Sorry I went off on a rant DH.
Moondoggy don't forget to scrub those floors. ;) -
Feb 08, 2008 10:06:52 PM CST
My God that sounded like the biggest Criterion plant ever
by half vader
Oh well. Credit where it's due I guess.
-
Is one of the BEST movies ever made. Right up there with Oz. Actually, it's Oz for boys. The very first Dr. Seuss live-action film. He wrote the screenplay and designed the sets. And the one-sheet hangs proudly over my fireplace...http://tinyurl.com/2kg55r
-
Van Sciver and the vampire woman/sidekick should of been destroyed in the season finale,keeping them around cheapened the show and turned it from a good series into a normal TV show.For me,It should've been one season,one house taken out,move on.......
-
Harry makes a judgement call on Blade without seeing it despite postive reviews on his own site for it from Vern (and I belive) Herc, and yet praises Zapped! as having tons of nudity, I don't remember tons and I remember it being pretty crappy actually, fun but not great
-
this is truly the showcase of Conway/Knotts comedic genius. I want a sp. ed. dvd with a running commentary by Conway, a ouija board, and Harvey Korman along for the ride, just so Conway can crack him up. WOOKALARS UNITE!!!
-
Feb 09, 2008 2:19:44 AM CST
I'll take Blade the series over Zapped or The Wiz any day...
by sledge hammer
...or over Blade Trinity for that matter too. It wasn't a great series, but it was a fun one that showed some clear potential before the plug was pulled. Too bad about the bullshit cliffhanger it ended on though.
-
But that's what you'd expect from someone whose Clovertard geekspurt was bought and paid for.
-
Tears...in...eyes. Can't...stop...shit...pissed myself...too...
-
Almost as detailed and informative as his BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Season One review.
-
I'd agree that it's complete crap, but Jill Wagner *must* play Tulip in the Preacher HBO series. I interviewed her a while back and she actually *is* Tulip - her dad was a Marine and she spent a good ten minutes telling me about the gun he bought her for Christmas...
-
Evil Roy Slade! Oh wait, it's like, in the bargain bin at Amazon. Don't know why John Astin always puts me n a good mood, but he does.
-
man im gonna be one broke sumbitch after this week
-
Mostly because AICN gets a hefty chunk from Amazon, I believe. I don't really get it either - it did seem like Harry had at least seen or was well informed on the picks and peeks he posted. Now we get a handful of flicks he has no desire to see? We don't need a rundown of the latest stuff coming out on DVD, especially if you don't like it. Somebody else here already does a more informed, up to date 'release list' on DVDs (usually beating you months ahead of time, for those just interested in the release info). Look, I love ya, but answer - why put something out about the Blade series if you've never seen it or have already made up your mind - or especially if it is just popular culture stuff that is going to be released wall-to-wall anyways? Why post about the MST3K release if it isn't something you like at all? I'd rather see a full fledged in depth review of some really obscure flick you've seen that we may never lay our eyes on, or maybe start a list of 'WISH IT WAS ON DVD' reviews. Also - and again, I love ya big guy - but don't EVER, EVER, EVER confuse Jackie Chan and Stephen Chow as being remotely on the same level, martial arts wise. Stephen Chow is a brilliant physical comedian that has studied some martial arts, and is pretty decent...but is also helped an awful lot by special effects. Jackie Chan may have be helped by special effects these days, but he also fell several stories during a stunt and a piece of his skull pierced his brain. Not the same. See also: last 20 minutes of Drunken Master II (aka Legend of Drunken Master).
-
This may seem stupid, but a lot of those awful DVD covers have actually stopped me from buying certain titles. I don't want shit that ugly in my collection.
-
Ben Affleck should have used the time to go to a gym. Fat fuck.
-
Ben Affleck should have used the time to go to a plastic surgeon and get that big chin scaled down.
-
Ben Affleck should have used the time to go to a Priest and beg for God to restart his pitiful career.
-
Okay, setting aside the fact that the main detective in it is a complete idiot, does no real detective work and only solves the case through guesswork, the real problem is the ending. A black couple steal a white kid who is now all over the news and think they can pass her off as their own? Social services give the kid back to her mother, a drug taker who has a history of abandoning her? The detective's girlfriend leaves him meaning the story ends on a complete low! SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!
-
I saw these in theaters when I was a kid. Conway and Knotts were my heroes. Much of this dvd list is retardedly fun stuff from my childhood.
-
Result of seeing her getting her prom dress ripped off telekinetically in "Zapped!"? Instant boner.
-
That is a fantastic movie and I would love a two disc special edition with commentaries and gag reels. You know there had to be gag reels. Especially the canned peach scene. Don Knotts; "C'mon let's get outta here before I drowned!" By the way Harry, almost everything you listed SUCKED. Nobody except Charlie Chan's family wants a whole collection of his work. Don't even get me started on Zapped!.
-
You're an ass bandana of the worst possible quality. No one gives a shit about your shit, you fuck wind.
-
...he said they had a total blast making that (for obvious reasons). That was the very first film I ever recorded off of HBO with our $1200 VHS deck back in '84 or so, too :D
-
Same here! Apple Dumpling Gang in the theaters was awesome fun back then as kids, wasn't it? Along with Hot Lead & Cold Feet. Gonna have to buy those and have a nostalgia night.
-
Please Reenact the end of "The Mist" on yourself. Thanks buddy!
-
But is sucks. Shitty transfer,horrible sound and I believe its even pan and scan. No extra features as well. The rights may be due to expire soon,so maybe someone decent will pick it up and give it some love.
-
This site is awesome when it comes to rumors or lastest news. Its also good that I am interested in about 90% of what this site offers. But the reviews, oh the reviews suck. Harry is by far the worst. More often than not, if a movie gets a good review, it turns out to be shit. And vice versa. Example. Harry just got done sucking Ben Afflecks dick for "gone baby gone." The movie is OK at best. The 2nd hour of the movie drags horribly. As a 1st time dir. he does an ok job. I could go on and on but I wont. Harry should stick to geek stuff, and he's only right about that about 50%.
-
...Should maintain the quality of the film series then. Not much out, two routine cop shows and some throw togethers. The more I hear about Shadow Of The Moon though, the more I want to see it. James Grays posters for We Own The Night, and the title alone, are fucking awesome. Too bad the film was dull and boring. I didn't get jazzed much about Gone Baby Gone. The casting of Monaghannanany and Affleck was waaaay off. Not that they were bad, they just seemed like some TV show kids who had wondered into a crime flick by accident. Plus, aside from the language, it had a real TV movie feel about it. Right down to the convoluted plot and pat ending. And yet, it was still pretty damn good, and Amy Ryan was amazing.
-
Best DVD I watched in a year... Slater as a f**ed up nutcase and Cuthbert as a blow job giving quad...
-
Duvall deserved for The Apostle he was AWESOME in that movie
-
I have mixed feeing about this movie. I watched it and thought that Ben Affleck did a fine job of directing, and I liked it enough to read the books, which I devoured all 5 in a week. Now, I'm not so sure. I wonder why they chose to make the 4th book in a series of 5 into a movie. The characters have been through hell in the first three books and it's a big part of their characters by the 4th book. I'm bummed that Monaghan's character was barley a shadow of the Angie of the books. It seems like she was only there so that there would be the dramatic ending that was in the book, but there isn't much to her character to make me care about the decision she came to in the end of the movie (see how I deftly avoided spoilers there?) How the case was solved didn't make a whole lot of sense in the movie, and I loved that there were more twists and turns and what-have-yous in the book than in the movie. I still think the movie's quite good, but I wish they had started with the first book and made a franchise out of the characters of Kenzie & Gennaro (and Bubba, who is also drastically different in the movie) instead of this one-off that almost guarantees that the rest of the series won't be made. And to spoiler-man, I say: read the books. Every complaint you made will be answered if you read the series. I promise
-
...is Steven Pressfield's GATES OF FIRE, though it seems less likely it will be adapted into a film since 300 came out. GATES deals with the Battle of Thermopylae from the point of view of a Spartan squire, the only survivor found by the Persians. It's a magnificent novel that left me with a lump in my throat, a much finer telling of that battle than 300, though I liked 300 both as a comic and as a film. I read somewhere that at one time Michael Mann was going to adapt GATES OF FIRE, but I guess 300 made it to the big screen first.
-
I would highly recommend reading the Kenzie/Gennaro books. I think the reason why Affleck chose Gone Baby Gone was that it has themes in it that are far more somber than the rest of the series, and I also think he was going for a Mystic River vibe. While Mystic River is also a Dennis Lehane book, it's not part of the Kenzie/Gennaro series and is not a detective book as the others are. When you see where Angie Gennaro is emotionally at the beginning of the first book and how far her relationship with Kenzie has come by Gone Baby Gone, her decision at the end of that book makes sense. But as it's filmed, it feels incomplete. Kenzie is also a huge wiseass in the books and it gets him in a lot of trouble, But that's where Bubba comes in. Bubba is so scary that even the toughest, meanest gangsters in Boston are deathly afraid of him. I feel that the movie version of Bubba Rogowski was so poorly executed that I would have rather they not used him at all than re-write him as a shadow of his original character.
-
7 Faces of Dr. Lao. Clash of the Titans. Time Bandits. Jason and the Argonots. Disney's Babes in Toyland. Beautiful movies that pushed the production envelope in the pre-digital era.
-
I'm glad I'm not the only one that liked BLADE: THE SERIES. I thought the ending was good, it's just disappointing because they couldn't follow up on it. Come to think of it it's kind of like the ending of EASTERN PROMISES, isn't it?
By the end of the season they definitely had things rolling, they had good villains that you kind of wanted to side with, Sticky was really pulling off Blade. It's too bad they didn't get to build off of what they had and follow up some of the loose threads like the plot they started about junkies snorting vampire ash to get high. Of course, you can understand why Spike would want to cancel it when they could just show ultimate fighting and ax body spray commercials for 24 hours and get the same amount of money.
I actually got the DVD already through nefarious channels. I haven't been able to watch the episodes yet to find out how "UNCUT AND RE-VAMPED!" they really are. But there's no extras other than the ones that were on the separate dvd of the pilot. In fact I think disc 1 is just the same disc because it has old trailers like UNDISPUTED II on it. -
Ha ha ha! Notice how I outlined exactly why SHIT BABY SHIT failed and yet these three losers couldnt put a decent counter argument together between them? If we were in court and I was the prosecutor and these three jokers were the defense, SHIT BABY SHIT would have been sent to the gas chamber!And TomBodet! y? Youre LAAAAME! Now put down your Ben Affleck blow up doll which you fuck whilst watching Pearl Harbor, climb out of that car that you live in and GO MEET SOME WOMEN! You need to get laid! And you need to learn how to defend a movie!Except that SHIT BABY SHIT is undefendable because it doesnt make sense and has a shit ending.Three more aintitcool reputations spoiled by the great Spoiler_Man!
-
Really doubt it unless the book its based on is completely different to the shit movie.
-
But you come off sounding like a real fucking douchebag.
-
But I dont need the opinion of someone who looked at the aicn login page and, when it asked for a name, typed in 'i dunno'. Or perhaps you thought the question was "whats the point of your life?" Loser.
-
This is the adult talkback. Go find one where the kids are discussing pokemon or something. Come back when you have a valid opinion of something.
-
You didn't take it the wrong way.
-
Thanks for offering an actually informed review of the BLADE series dvd. It's too bad this show's been cut short just after finding its legs.
-
Feb 10, 2008 9:52:34 AM CST
I'm not for sure Harry how you can talk about Gone Baby Gone
by mrjonz72
and not mention Amy Ryan?? Unless you think she has gotten enough exposure already.
-
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/08/nielsen-videoscan-high-def-market-share-for-week-ending-february/
In the toilet, sir. Thank God Harry knows how to pick 'em! Score: Reality, 1, Harry's Credibility, 0. -
and my thoughts on Blade The Series...the 2 hours premiere movie, well everything was pretty damn weak...sub average (the Moon Knight reference was cool though)....for some reason I continued to watch it..around the 7th or 8th episode...it got better. The story/plot seem to get better and better each week at that point...Sticky Fingers got better, the action got better (still not better than 1 or 2 or not visiually as better either). But I think by the end, the plot might have possibly been better than any of the 3 movies..def better than the 3rd movie.
Still would have loved to had seen either Wesley or Micheal Jai White in the role. -
I wasn't defending Gone Baby Gone. I was attacking you personally because of your pigeon shit posts. From here on I shall call you FAGGY VON GAYBO. So mote it be.
-
Another magic film from my favorite director: Johnnie To. Good Lord what a movie!!!!! Guarantee this will be stolen , waterdown and pooped on by someone in hollywood and will likely star Nick Cage. i will not see that version. Harry watch Mad Detective !!! Fucking watch it!!!
-
You were either born in the 30's, or in the 80's when they finally came out on VHS. Did they actually play them on TV?
-
Thought I'd seen most of the Apollo mission footage, but they've dug up tons of new (and very cool) material. Also, there's a great bit interviewing the astronauts about the conspiracy theories surrounding the lunar landings. They're response, both in content and bemused tone, absolutely puts that shit to rest, IMO.
-
Great movie that flew way under my radar. William H Macy is great in it as well.
-
What an outright ignorant dismissive review you gave to "Blade" I enjoyed the show, and can't wait to pick it up on dvd. By the way, Hatchet sucked, shithead.
-
Awesome fuckin' movie. I rented the on Friday (mom & pop store puts them out early) and the DVD doesn't have many features, but the commentary from Ben and the other writer is pretty good, although.
Just a well made flick. -
...and some pretty vague problems about the ending are what you call "exact outlines", Spoiler Man? Yeah, you're a king of analysis, with emphasis on the anal part of that word. And Shit Baby Shit? A master stroke of comedic genius, with the emphasis on master and stroke. Someone needs to tell your mom its never too late for an abortion.
-
Harry you simply can't have such an eclectic taste in films! There are only 24 hours in each day! unless you sit and fast forward through all the movies you watch or have a tardis like time machine cinema room in your house!
-
This column and Oleg are why I come to this site.
-
dude, what's wrong with you? Is it because you want to bone Anne Hathaway? That's all I can think of to explain this aberration.
-
word
-
Zapped was awful. Heather Thomas looked hot but didn't really get naked, stunt boobies!
Blade did suck, main character was sooo miscast. Jill Wagner is a babe and all but she was always on the screen when I watched the show. It was called Blade.. -
Harry, what is your home theater/audio setup at home? What are you watching all of your films on?
R.Toes -
Private Eyes. I had completely forgotten about this. I had it taped on a vhs back during the 80s. I have no idea how it would hold up now. Looking forward to next week's releases. Finally get a chance to catch Rhinoceros Eyes. Also, Shadow of the Moon is a terrific documentary. If you are someone interested in the source material, I feel confident enough in it's quality to tell you you might as well just buy it. Great stuff.
-
when I meant subject matter. Unless you consider the moon landing footage "source material."
-
Usually I'm upset after buying tickets for $9.50 b/c I never feel like the movie was worth it - or my 2 hrs. WOT was "okay." It was almost something awesome. I can't put my finger on it but it was definitely lacking something. Phoenix delivered a great performance, I enjoyed the villain of the movie too. Overall...just missing something. It built up and in the end did not deliver what it could have.
P.S. I didn't buy them as brothers for 1 second. Wahlberg is essentially and extension of his character in The Departed (except his WON character could get whipped by his Departed character at the end of any movie) -
So how does the footage stack up in this film? i.e. is it mostly interviews or do they rely more on actual footage? Or is it a pleasant combination of both? One of my favorite docs in this genre is 'For All Mankind' which was re-issed Criterion-style and I believe is still in print. FAM is an absolutely brilliant documentary, but it tells the story with a heavy emphasis on visuals; actual space photography. Just curious how the two compare...
-
Just another nail in the coffin of HD-DVD.
-
The HD-DVD format will NOT go away, here to stay, so say consumers. Watch HD-DVD hardware & software continue to climb in sales. HD-DVD and Blue-ray will continue to co-exist. (Just look at how many game machines are on the market.)
-
HD-DVD movies sales are continuing to fall. The players had a little bump when the firesales started, but that all it was. Come back in a few weeks JDP when mmore recent sales figures have been released.
-
Why or how will it stick around when there are no new movies for the format (come June-Septemberish)? How will it stick around when BestBuy and Amazon (behind closed doors) are complaining to the Powers that be at Toshiba that they have more returned players than new stock available? How will it stick around when there's no chain that rents the format? Low cost is great, but VHS, LaserDisc, DIVX and Cassette Tapes are low cost and most people won't touch that stuff with a 10.5-foot pole. I'll be waiting for an answer.
-
But the lower cost of HD-DVD is bringing in DVD collectors, with the ability to beautifully up-convert their DVD libraries. All that and HD, too. Consumers will continue to elevate HD-DVD in this format war.
-
There is, in my opinion, a very nice combination of both. The interviews are only with a handful of actual astronauts/mission control people and its more or less listening to their experiences, with a few talking head moments but mostly just seeing the footage, which is very beautiful. I adore For All Mankind, but I think this one is just as good, maybe better, but thats because I saw this a few months ago and FAM years ago.
-
"Consumers will continue to elevate HD-DVD in this format". According to what/whose numbers? None I've ever read.
-
Welcome to Harry's partially-redacted "I chose the losing format, here's why" talkback from last year.
-
Best Buy has now stated that they will be changing focus to pushing blu-ray.
-
we both know the title should have been: "I chose HD-DVD because Toshiba gave me one for free"
-
I will come to your defense, to a degree. I recently purchased a Toshiba at Costco for $129, which included two free HD discs (300 and Bourne Identity, not bad) and a free HDMI cable (a six-footer can run around 40 bucks). And, Toshiba is still offering five free discs on their website. And yes , the upconverting on standard DVD's works beautifully. Pixar's Cars looks great. And I seriously doubt standard DVDs will be phased out any time soon. Sooo, if you're looking for a second player it's a good bargain. Although Universal says they are sticking with HD, it looks like all the other major sudios are behind BluRay.
-
I wish Harry would just come clean. Everybody would then just forget about it.
-
Enjoy your 14 movies, but I'd suggest you cap it there. The war is over and now that it's settled I'll buy a player and a HD TV within the year (waiting for the prices to come down a bit more, which they will)
-
If you studio/marketing folk are here, you better listen up. USE THE ORIGINAL POSTER ART for covers. These awful photoshop toss-offs look wretched and guess whar? I won't buy 'em!
-
Thanks for supporting the HD-DVD side WITHOUT slagging everybody off. I'm a Blu-ray person but I just wanted to say it's a breath of fresh air in these TBs that you defended your view in a civil way. Amazing.
-
Netflix goes Blue Ray.
-
Ordered the dvd..... Fucking movie is fantastic...
-
You must admit that it's not too hard for HD-DVD software sales to improve from the 8% to BD's 92% of a few weeks back.
Also, the thing about HD=DVD slashing their player prices is that it effectively cuts off their nose to spite their face. Outside of a couple of combo players, Toshiba (with MS's bottomless backing) are the only ones making them.
Every time they slash the price it discourages other hardware vendors from supporting the platform. Why would they make their own if they have to lose money hand over fist to be competitive with Tosh?
I know the idea was that by pretty much giving them away in cereal boxes they'd sell so much software that other hardware guys would support it too, or that Tosh would have everything to itself. Except that they can't raise the price back up to make it feasible for other vendors. Oops. That's my reasonably objective look at it anyway. I'm not saying the quality's not great or anything. Hope you can see that side. -
That Toshiba are using the PS3's cell processor in their upcoming CP lines! C'est la vie (business life anyway)!
-
They won't be able to give them away.
-
Totally agree. I don't blame the guy for endorsing a product because he's paid to. What bothers me, and apparently a ton of other people, is that there needs to be full disclosure. The site is set up so that writers are portrayed as objective. People who maybe don't visit the site as frequently believe that. It's a joke.
-
My wife and I are mostly picking up HD-DVD movies that we don't already own on regular dvd (which we can watch on our low price HD-DVD player via outstanding up-conversion). And our HD-DVD player is so stunning that we can't help but purchase our favorite titles on HD-DVD, too. We picked up four HD-DVD titles over the weekend. I figure that by the end of this week, we will have at least five more HD-DVD titles. And speaking for me and my wife, if all movie studios abandon our chosen format, it will be their loss. We simply have too many other options for watching movies without "owning", having no need for a Blu-ray machine. I don't know how many DVD titles we own (never counted them) but it's a freakin' lot. And those aren't going anywhere, anytime soon. And also, my wife picked up 4 or 5 more regular dvds this past weekend, too. Why not? DVD is cheap.
-
was Produced by Karamer. Roy Rowland directed it. But it is one whacked-out movie.
-
So buy BOTH machines! Pretty soon the HD players and discs are going to be super-cheap, but it's still hi-def, so who cares? I bought HD first when the A3 came out, and last week I got the Samsung Blu-Ray, but I will continue to buy HD-DVDs since (1) there's lots of good movies Blu doesn't have, and (2) they're getting cheaper every day.
-
Warner Bros. already has the answer to this dumb format war...and it's the "combo disk" that combines BOTH HD-DVD and Blu-ray, on opposite sides of the same disk (just like the HD-DVD/DVD combo format). And for that, my wife and I would likely stop buying dvd and make the permanent jump to "HD" content. And that is probably the ONLY scenario that would lead my wife and I to actually picking up a Blu-ray player, at some point. But various companies don't want that because that would put Blu-ray hardware at an obvious cost disadvantage, for the consumer. I just wish Sony and Toshiba would make a deal, calling a truce on behalf of ALL consumers (that's you and I), making all future disks in the combo format of HD-DVD and Blu-ray. If they could all come together and make an agreement of this kind, why not do it?
-
The problem with the Combo Disc is...well all kinds. There are all kinds of decoding problems with the current HD-DVD/DVD Combo discs because it's a flawed process. There's audio problems, reading errors and problems with other features of the discs being reported by consumers. The reason for this is by both the HD Laser and the SD Laser having trouble reading the disc in some situations. This is due to the differnt layers of information and the players not being able to read these different layers. I'll give the HD-DVD Camp for trying. But it's not working out too well.
-
Combo players and combo disks, same slot in the player, opposite sides of the disks for HD-DVD and Blu-ray. (Either way, the movie plays in HD.) The hardware plays either side, red or blue. May the heavens open up and make that happen (when an "HD" pig flies).
-
with all new surprises. includes special school notebook case and pink panties.
-
LOL ...now THAT is funny, ZoeFan. I'll stay with HD-DVD, thank you very much. And I'll let consumers discover the truth (hopefully before purchase). I just hope they can read past all the bullshit. And these days, on the internet, that can be quite a challenge. (At least it makes a Presidential race all the more interesting, truth be damned!)
-
Good film. It'll be interesting to see what Ben Affleck does next. Casey aswell.
-
That is all.
-
Thanks for the heads up...in that case, I'll definitely be checking this out.
-
Who cares how much a HD DVD player costs if all the mass retailers and video rental companies are dissing the format. Best Buy just officially backed Blu Ray which means they will reduce their inventory of HD DVDs. As stated, Netflix already said they are dropping HD DVD discs. Blockbuster won't be far behind. Warner Brothers went exclusive Blu Ray along with a majority of the major studios.
Betamax was a superior format over VHS. But studios and retailers/video stores didn't support the format so you couldn't get any titles. HD DVD is facing the same fate. It doesn't matter what the hardware costs, people will go Netflix and see they can't rent HD DVDs or go to Best Buy and not find any HD DVDs and will either not buy a High Def DVD player or choose Blu Ray.
Sorry, HD DVD has lost the war and only HD DVD faithful can't see it is true. -
if only to see that there are still HD-DVD believers out there clinging to hope that somehow it will survive. I have to say it staggers me that some people think that HD-DVD has any chance in this thing at this point. Well, anywho...
-
with IBM and Sony. So what's so funny about that? This "Sony develped" bullshit is exactly the type of crap that gets mentioned time and time again over the internet, by gamers whom happen to own a PS3. Swingin' this type of shit, along with the elephant studio of Warner Bros. choosing the other format, despite the friendlier and lower cost technology of HD-DVD and also due to Sony offering big bucks,...this is what sways this format war more than anything else. But what I'm saying...is that there are a large majority of people whom are still satisfied with DVD, especially considering up-conversion. And considering the low cost of an HD-DVD player that does exactly that, while offering a large HD-DVD library, is very inviting. With all that's involved in getting studios on the side of Blu-ray and Sony, along with the continuing technical problems of Blu-ray (right back at'cha!), I figure the cost of Blu-ray will remain high throughout the lifetime of the format, which is unfortunate for consumers. If Warner Bros. had stuck with HD-DVD, even if releasing for both formats, this format war would look a lot different. But whatever. My wife and I will continue to enjoy our expanding HD-DVD collection, along with our huge DVD library. (Tongue is out, eyes crossed, wiggling fingers out from ears.) We prefer to get more for our money.
-
Don't think Warners weren't offered bucks from the other side too, J. That's why that argument is disingenuous at best. Also, it's fine when Paramount does it, but not when Warner does it? At least Warner chose the side that would piss off less people (# of Blu-Ray owners vs. # HD-DVD owners). It was a very practical decision.
-
And I never said (or suggested) that Toshiba did NOT offer anything to Warner Bros. Obviously, is wasn't enough. And it won't be Sony paying the bill. It will be consumers.
-
3 if you count standard dvd.
-
Can be fixed by a firmware update. Can that be said for reading errors on Combo Discs? And Combo Discs are one of HD-DVD's selling points. Ouch.
-
Absolutely ZERO need for defective, over-priced Blu-ray in my house.
-
How about your (cough, cough) Blu-ray?
-
Thanks, to firmware updates. By the way, I take it you're not going to be trying Blu-Ray any time soon :)
-
Good for you.
-
Most don't do their research. As Pro-Blu-Ray as I am (and I've stated this before), NO ONE should buy the Samsung Blu-Ray players (except for the BD-P1400) due to all the flaws they have. Those garbage players will turn consumers off of Blu-Ray. PS3 is the way to go for any movie lover (unless you have stacks of cash, then Pioneer is great). If people are tech savy, they can buy a PS3 without the hard drive for under $200 on eBay. Then they can just add the hard drive themselves for under $50.
-
(I like these words concerning HD-DVD, though not mine.) "... nothing has really changed.. this is the same type of hype and press attack that has happened before. You can still rent movies from Blockbuster Total Access, Hollywood Video and a few other smaller places if you wish so. Though rentals are so small it's completely negligible.
Major retailers are still selling cheap HD DVD players and promoting them. It's marketing budget that will pay for end-caps and similar. Nobody is saying HD DVD is HUGE at the moment. It's overshadowed by media and hype, but the value it offers underneath is what every consumer will eventually see.
As I said, the only way they can really kill HD DVD is make retailers not carry it and that's not really happening. The reason? Well you have over a million people already and more buying HD DVD, so they have to support it and it will only grow. In the shadows? Sure, but the value is there, quality is there, the price is there, features are there. Everything about HD DVD says WINNER for the consumer.
This fight is coming down to corporations against consumers. Corporations using media to directly lie and mislead while consumers are given a cheap opportunity to actually get a player and try it out and see how much superior it is to anything Blu-ray. Then most people will start asking themselves? Wait, why is this $400 on Blu-Ray? Why are movies $30? And you will see that most will understand what has happened. -
Feb 13, 2008 2:00:47 PM CST
Studios should support free lollipops and ponys, continue the fi
by wash
I wonder why they don't.
-
http://formatwarcentral.com/index.php/2008/02/12/hd-dvd-group-responds-to-netflixbest-buy/
-
http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/article/mps/uan/1125
-
I take back what I said originally about you being objective and not hurling insults and all. You showed your true colours. And boy are you behind the times with your 'research'. I'm also sorry I posted the friendly reply about JJ in the other thread.
Yes you've done research but it's all viewed through red-coloured glasses. As for the recorder, about God-damned time! Sorry but they're not doing anything new there, and those aren't even the largest capacity HDDs. But I guess you didn't bother to look at the competition, did you? BD recorders and burners have been out for ages. I'm not saying they're better, I'm just saying fair's fair. Man I'd be annoyed if I owned one of the laptops which came with a hd-dvd player in the last year or two (same if it was a BD player), as you can't have more than one internal in a lappy and what's the fucking point if you can't burn with it? It's just weird to me but then I'm a desktop person so I guess I just don't get that one.
And nice sidestep of the whole "cereal box" thing I put forth. As for the consumers, has it not occurred to you that the vendors have looked at the stats (especially software) for the last year and believe the consumer HAS made their choice? I guess not.
Yes, I'm well aware of the co-development of the cell. You're right though - I didn't put that very well and I don't think my intent came through. Maybe 'ironic' would have been a better choice. The point was just that I think it's all a bit hilarious that Toshiba spew vitriol (or is that just MS/HD-DVD fanboys) at Sony on the one hand, yet are employing the same tech themselves. But yes, it's evil when it comes to playing high-def discs, but not in the tellies you play them on! And yes the (becoming monotonous) chiding disappointed response are hilarious.
Anyway, it'd be great if you went back to your earlier tone, 'cause yep High-def movies are fucking awesome not matter which flavour you choose.
But please stop going on about "My wife and I"! Jesus! She's a person not a trophy/thing! I have a friend who does the same thing even though I've known her name for years. I'm starting to think your "wife" doesn't exist. Let it go. Not everyone here still lives in their mum's basement! -
Haven't been to bed and it's starting to tell.
-
You can't fight that kind of momentum. Blu-Ray should just give up now like Romney or the terrorists will win!
-
Get JDanielP a public access show or something. He has taken this Talkback over with comment after comment! To quote Vince McMahon from WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game, "It's a total debacle!"
-
It's lonely in this damp, dark place...other than the rather affectionate company of my inflatable wife. And Mom & Dad never lets me venture beyond the basement door. Good thing I'm...or rather, "we",...are all stocked up on those reliable ol' VHS & Beta tapes. But one day, I'm gonna BREAK FREE and discover what's on the OTHER side of that door...and get me one of them variety shows. And maybe on the side, Harry will give me my a featured spotlight, right here at AICN. At least I can count on you boys showin' up to tell me the way things REALLY are, right? Right? Hello? Hello? Anybody there?
-
= Greatness and Superiority over all that roam this land!
-
We'll keep you and your realdoll honest!
-
And hey,...if you're interested,...she has sister. And she's inflatable, too. You can take her most anywhere. Just deflate and fold. Darn near fits in your back pocket.
-
She hates it when I forget Valentine's Day. At least it's not too late. I can still request that Mom go buy me some plastic flowers and have her slide them along with the food tray. OOoooh, yeah...I will absolutely get the royal treatment, today!
-
(It's Friday where I am) I'd been working for like 30 hours straight or something and forgot what day it was. Did buy my wife/inflatable doll a nice dinner though. Phew!
That reminds me. Back to work... -
....special treatment the very next opportunity that you have (enough) time together? Non-inflatables do require effort. :-D
-
But every day, my fellow talkbackers, may the force be with. :-)
-
.....when every talkbacker has a STAR WARS x-wing?
-
.....to pay for an authentic, spouse-cutting lghtsabre!
-
For BIG HUGS and KISSES, you won't NEED the force. Happy Valentine's Day! (heh,heh)
-
She understood my having, yes having to buy the Master Replicas Falcon. She doesn't know how much it cost, or more accurately she doesn't WANT to know. But she didn't say a word when even I know I can't justify it financially. Ah, Star Wars widows. God bless 'em!
P.S. And my kids know YOU DON'T TOUCH THE FALCON! -
When I was a kid, I thought I was the biggest Star Wars geek. But in my house, today, I'm not sure who claims the the #1 spot. Considering both my wife and my young son, I'm a distant 3rd. And that is sayin' somethin'.
-
Feb 14, 2008 8:51:44 PM CST
JDanielP I tried to tell you, but instead I'll let Toshiba tell
by zoefan
Toshiba will be dropping the HD-DVD format in favor of their own Blu-Ray players. Now you can accept it or make excuses.
-
The Digital Bits of course has the full story as well, but apparently the Hollywood Reporter is saying that TOshiba is dropping the HD-DVD format. That would be the official end of the war. Also, I hate these AT&T Valentine's commercials. They suck.
-
Now for Toshiba to man up and release Paramount and Universal from their agreements (I mean, payoffs).
-
Seeing as Toshiba are all about saving face, I think the "announcement in a few weeks" (considering this story is NOT yet confirmed) is not that they are dropping HD-DVD players (not yet), but that "they've listened" too and will be producing BD players as well.
I know JDaniel has a hard time with the idea that being the only HD player producer (pretty much) has made them discount to the point where no other manufacters will touch the format with a barge pole. Yes they have had MS's cash in the past but if that's starting to change (it's obvious from their own comments they just don't care anymore), then things like selling diddly squat in Japan may be prompting them to change. In a corporate/hardware sense they cut off their nose to spite their face with the merciless discounts, even if they spin it as caring for the consumer's wallet. Yeah right.
I think they'll put out BD players, continue with the HD-DVD players (all the returns should see 'em right for inventory, heh) until the end of the year, and spin it as "increased quality and choice for the consumer". That's my guess based on the past year anyway.
Just fuckin' hurry up. I want Zodiac on BD Goddammit! -
Feb 15, 2008 1:25:21 AM CST
Michelle Monaghan will be in my alien invasion movie, just wait
by vulcan deathgrip productions
I have a great alien invasion movie that has a lead character that Michelle was born to play. I wrote it for her. MARK MY WORDS POSERS, IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!---Leigh Richert
-
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20080214125009_Warner_Bros_Talks_About_HD_DVD_Releases_After_Mid_2008.html -
Warners have been a shitload better about this than fucking Paramount who even pulled stuff that had already been produced when they switched. You must admit thought that even if every one of the HD-DVD customers buys one of these after-May titles it still amounts to a drop in the ocean compared to DVD where they can sell a million in a matter of hours. Which is why I'd actually believe them when they laugh off payoffs - from either side.
If I was an HD-DVD guy that gesture (how many do you think will actually petition/request? What percentage?) would buy a helluva lot of goodwill though.
Still, why did you post that? As retaliation or proof that the Tosh rumour makes no difference? If so, it's a little like weak sauce my friend. It just shows Warners are good guys for letting you down gently. What was your subject line going to be? Cheers.
P.S. For God's sake man, use tinyurl! -
How about "I'm in denial."
-
...will continue to look for content. And the format war isn't over until Toshiba says it is (There is NO official announcement, only more rumors.) Even Warner Bros. isn't completely giving up on HD-DVD, as long as there is a market for it. C'mon, studios! Throw us more bones!
-
Well, okay. I've been reading rumors and it ain't lookin' good, if those rumors are true. And that's sad if you're an HD-DVD fan/owner. However, it's not all doom and gloom. There is still so much consumer value in HD-DVD. And we will continue to score quite a number of HD-DVD flicks at great prices, while also holding on to our standard DVD libraries 'till we're pushin' up daises. (When you have bookcases full of dvds, that's not something that you can easily part with.) So,...we are with HD-DVD and DVD to the end. Even if the format goes belly up, it will continue to be a great buy. I figure our HD-DVD library will easily quadruple by the end of the year. And we might even score an extra player or two.
-
JDanielP after reading your last post, I've came to the conclusion that you can't be serious and are just trolling. No one with half a brain could believe what you just posted (especially the quadruple comment).
-
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9873029-7.html
While HD DVD is the Jason Vorhees of high-def media formats...that's got to be the deathblow (right?) -
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/15/technology/wal-mart_blu-ray/index.htm?postversion=2008021511
-
We have bookcases full of standard DVD movies, so we are (obviously) purchasers of movies. Just from the time I began this talkback, our count of HD-DVD titles have jumped from 14 to...21, I think. I don't count them. So we are well on our way. Even if the studios leave the format, we won't be leaving HD-DVD anytime soon. And with...like...some 800 titles available, there's no reason to abandon our chosen format. (The only renting we do is when I download HD content on the Xbox 360, via LIVE.) If you think I'm not speaking the truth, what the hell does that matter?
-
Okay, I can hear the fat lady singin', now. (She's wearing a WAL-MART vest.) But she won't be singin' in my house...(gulp)...anytime soon. (Harry, ya got any tissues?)
-
As this will be the only place he will be able to buy HD-DVDs. Or you could just get them for free out of people's trash.
-
http://tinyurl.com/2sog2j
-
How much are your Blu-ray movies gonna cost you? (snort) ...And as soon as those especially deep contrasting LCDs become available (with true BLACK), standard dvd (which can be up-scaled) will look absolutely stunning. And that's not to mention all the low-cost HD-DVDs people can find. Enjoy your over-priced movies. And be extra careful not to scratch those Blu-ray disks, being as fragile as they are. :-D
-
Let's see, on ebay this week I picked up brand new, sealed copies of 3:10 to Yuma for $17 and Harry Potter 4 & 5 for about $16 bucks each (that was after shipping)
-
You use steel wool on a Blu-Ray and it still works. Haven't you ever seen that Youtube video where the guy does everything under the sun to the disc and it still works? He finally has to take a hammer to it to break it and make it unworkable. I KNOW you're trolling now.
-
There is no value left for the consumer in the HD-DVD format. It is dead. DEAD. Why wouldn't the fat lady sing in your house, JDanielP? Soon, you will not be able to get new movies in the HD-DVD format, how can that not affect you, your wife, and your pets? There is no way that Universal and Paramount are not making Blu-ray announcements in the next month or two. They are not going to be the one's holding Toshiba's bag of stale corn chips.
-
Get them now!
-
You look like a f-f-f-FOOL.
-
Seriously. I'd love to hear his thoughts on all that has transpired and the impending Toshiba Blu-Ray player.
-
JDP, Harry gets his free swag/"review copies" of Blu-ray and DVD so why don't you just ask him for all his old HD-DVD discs? You know, all those discs that the HD-DVD "evangelists"/mafia gave him/bribed him with about a year back (he feels fine Polyhedron - he gets freebies). It works out for everyone! Hooray!
Wow. Toshiba has had some serious karma. Even if this went down sooner they could have more than compensated with massive profits from SED. But they fucked that up too. Oh wait. They do have that rapid-charge lithium battery they'll make squillions on. Dammit (they do make great stuff and I've bought Tosh products but fuck they're an arrogant bunch - EVERY bit as bad as Sony)! -
Finally
-
....if HD-DVD would continue in a limited, "specialty-item" kind of way. If only a couple of studios would hang on...and continue to sell their product via places OTHER than your local WAL-MART or BEST BUY (for obvious reasons). Imagine if, for the next several years, you could walk into BARNES AND NOBLE and pick up the latest (though, perhaps rare) release on HD-DVD (Very little space required on a sales floor,...again, for obvious reasons). Maybe it's a summer blockbuster....or an independent flick...or a television series collection....or something (else) you might not find on Blu-ray. How cool it would be...if you could walk into your local MALL or SEARS/JC PENNY or whatever...and find what you're looking for, as an HD-DVD owner. If nothing else, at least there will continue to be quite a number of on-line businesses that offer HD-DVD content, new and used. (Are we over 800 titles, now?!) And I think it would be a mistake for "ALL" studios to drop the HD-DVD format completely. That is, unless "ALL" movie studios get enough bucks from Sony NOT to do that.
-
http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSL1627196120080216
-
Jdaniel, remember that thing called a "format war" that hobbled releases and made studios nervous about getting into high-def? Those independant movies, less-than-blockbuster tv shows and so on have an infinitely BETTER chance of coming to high-def now there's one format. I'm sorry your side didn't win (even if you will not accept the hardware discounting argument), but there's a much better chance HD disc content will succeed (before the online future) with one format. And your specialty store thing doesn't really make sense (I know you said you were dreaming) and that would mena it was even more niche and there would be low yields and the software would be more expensive quickly defeating any previous advantage from cheap players. And now that everyone WILL release on the same format, why wouldn't you find it on Blu-ray?
-
Hey SK. Just wanted to say your argument works the other way too. The few Universal/Paramount pics you couldn't get on Blu-ray, you can upscale too - as you say, they'll look great. Did you not know you could do that with BD players? You make such a big deal of it that's how it comes across. And yes, Lawrence is coming out (Ghostbusters? Really?!).
Also, yeah I know it doesn't matter to you as the consumer, but as I said above, those cheap players (the freebie disc giveaways were pretty even for both sides all in all) were a false economy. Do you really think that without Microsoft Toshiba could have afforded to take such an outrageous loss so early in its lifespan? Tosh don't have bottomless pockets, and basically they spat in the other hardware makers' faces because there was no way they'd make a profit and therefore there was no incentive to others to even start making the things (especially after a year of 1 to 3 HD to BD software sales). Which means (talking of monopolies) Tosh would pretty much be the only one doing it - and only then if they continued to have MS's deep pockets to support them, which was also getting shakey. And when many of the discs released on both formats were exactly the SAME bit for bit encode, I don't get how you can say "you don't like watching your movies on one" re: the PS3. It sits on the same shelf, plays the same quality movie. Are you saying it's the LOOK of a standalone you like? And therefore, it's not really about the movies after all. Maybe I'm misunderstanding that one. Also, it was generally found in the numbers over the last two years that early adopters wanted new releases over classic titles first. Obviously seeing as HD-DVD had less exclusive studios on their side they addressed the imbalance by putting out as many new AND classic releases as possible so people saw all those great movies and not the fact that the greater amount WEREN'T being released for their format. Which was great, if you're an HD-DVD fan. But do you really not think that those same releases won't come out super-quick on BD now, as BD can play that same encode (generally vc-1)? They've got 1080p masters ready and waiting!
And you weren't getting a hard time from me - I've been saying all along the discs don't self destruct if you "lose" the format war and the whole "replace my collection" malarkey is moronic. I still play my Laserdiscs. They're still fine (and no I don't hafta flip 'em).
Um, anyway the main thing was I also wanted to say I posted a long-arse reply to you in the Jesse James DVD talkback about it/Juno, hoping to clear up some misconception. Hope you saw it and we're cool.
Cheers mate. -
Blade the Series was excellent.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 325 total posts 322 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 106 total posts 106 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 63 total posts 60 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 74 total posts 58 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 159 total posts 51 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 47 total posts 41 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 161 total posts 34 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 488 total posts 33 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 121 total posts 23 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 70 total posts 20 posts