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Harry's DVD Picks & Peeks - 2nd week of Sept DVDs: The Fall, Drunken Jackie Chan, Rodan, Egg Eating & West Founding!!!
Hey folks, Harry here with this week’s DVD column. Lots of good stuff, we’ve been on a good run of release weeks as the summer wrapped up – and this one is no different. As always by clicking on the art or titles, you go to Amazon where you can learn more on the title in question – or, if so inclined you may purchase it there, thus contributing a small portion to help continue to support this column, which I hope you enjoy. Here ya go…
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
SMALLVILLE – THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON
I suppose I’ll need to give this a try starting back with Season One, because try as I might, I couldn’t make my way through much of the season without making a baldspot scratching my noggin to figure out exactly what they had done to Superman. As you can tell, I haven’t followed SMALLVILLE and I don’t seem to much like what of it, I have seen – but like so much serialized television, you owe it to yourself to give it a look from the beginning. So at some point I’ll do that, but for now – I can say the Blu-Ray is gorgeous, of course, and is brimming with extras, so if you are a fan of the series – you’re obviously set to pick this sucker up.
THE BIG LEBOWSKI – 10th Anniversary Limited Edition
You get two discs brimming with BIG LEBOWSKI celebrating fun packed into a special Lebowski Bowling Ball! For lovers of this film, you can’t do much better than this! On the disc you’ll get all manners oddball features like the look at LEBOWSKIFEST – and ya know what? They’re fun. Personally, I’m waiting for the Blu-Ray of this gorgeous film – but sadly, I feel that won’t cum in a Bowling ball…. Sniffle.
THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Talk about a fucking surprise! This is a fantastic film. Probably the single most fun Western helmed Martial Arts film starring either Jet Li or Jackie Chan. I’m 100% serious. Rob Minkoff did a dazzling job – and the marketing for the film never really made me feel one iota of the actual joy this movie has. First off, I always wondered what the fuck Michael Angarano was doing in this movie.
However, the reality is, this is very much a Brooklyn Geek In Monkey King Court. Through a fun device he time travels to ancient mythical China where people have the powers of legendary wire-fu badassery. But before I get any further, he’s a martial arts movie geek. And his room is filled with posters for the old Shaw Brothers films and Bruce Lee movies – all of which animate in the glorious opening credits. Not only are Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the film… but Jet Li is playing a questing Monk trying to restore life to the fabled Monkey King… and Jackie Chan is playing one of the alleged 5 immortals – each of which allegedly must drink a specialized elixir to keep them immortal… Jackie’s is simple RICE WINE, which essentially means that for the whole film he’s a super-powered DRUNKEN BOXER!!! I shit you not!
Watching the epic fight scene between Drunken Boxing Jackie Chan and the exquisite martial arts of Jet Li… it’s heaven. Rob Minkoff gets how to shoot martial arts action, he gets that it is dance, showing extended full body exchanges and lengthy and intricate fighting. The movie is gorgeous and enchanting. I can not recommend it highly enough. So much better than I thought and a great film to have Jet and Jackie go at it. Definitely something to check out!
THE FALL
Remember when you saw ads for THE CELL by Tarsem, you went into the theater mesmerized by those images hoping to find a visionary filmmaker of immense visual power – and you came out blown away by some of the images, but left hollow and perhaps angry by the resulting piece of shit you witnessed? WELL FORGET THAT EXPERIENCE because THE FALL is the dream. It is tragic, heart-breaking, beautiful and unlike so much of cinema – it is without reservation a breath-taking work of art.
It’s simple, yet complicated to explain if you haven’t seen it. It is a story about a stunt man that was left paralyzed after a silent film stunt went horribly wrong. He is quite young, quite handsome and now incredibly depressed. At the hospital/recovery center he’s at a little girl befriends him, and he begins to tell her a story, the brilliance of the film is that we don’t see the story through his narration, but through the little girl’s imagination of what he’s describing. The story is a device the man is using to get something he wants from the little girl. What that is, what the end results are… should be discovered watching this brilliant work. Absolutely stunning.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON (Blu-Ray)
I can not praise this one enough. Watching the Smileyvision 2nd Disc – that emulates the entire CINERAMA image with it’s gorgeous curves – it is literally unlike any other film in my library of films. The Transfer is jaw-dropping. Imagine the most epic and beautiful visuals from IMAX – but in an insane aspect ratio that is so stunningly visceral that – man, wait till you see the rapids or the buffalo stampede or the train sequence or the musical numbers or the Indian / Stagecoach sequence. This thing is breathtaking and stars – basically all of great actors you can imagine from the period, directed by great directors like Henry Hathaway, George Marshall and JOHN FORD! And staring the great American West on full display! GREAT BLU-RAY – especially for those with large home projection set ups. Just wow.
RODAN / WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS
RODAN is such a wonderful TOHO film. I always loved watching him soar over buildings and the apparent winds from his wake tearing buildings to pieces. I love it so. Then WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS is really a sequel to FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD – the giant Frankenstein movie from TOHO – and here – there’s of course a good peaceful Frankenstein and an evil corrupt Frankenstein – and you better believe they’re gonna throw down. Fun stuff!
Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol . 2 ( DRAGONWYCK / CHANDU THE MAGICIAN / DR. RENAULT’S SECRET )
Like Fox’s first boxset of so called HORROR CLASSICS – this has some films, that you’d really have to struggle to quantify as HORROR at the very least. Like CHANDU THE MAGICIAN. It isn’t horror – at most it’s a serial with thriller/mystery elements. And DRAGONWYCK is certainly not a horror film, but an excellent pre-Film Noir Mystery Romance starring cousin Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and Vincent Price (not in a horror role, he actually did a lot of “regular” genres too) – and the film was directed by the great Joseph Mankiewicz (director of the brilliant ALL ABOUT EVE, 5 FINGERS and so many others). So both of those films are completely worth buying the set for, but they’re not Horror and this is terribly mislabeled. However, I’ll give Fox DR. RENAULT’S SECRET – it’s old school Science Fiction Horror – starring awesome Genre performers like George Zucco and J. Carrol Naish. I love the killer evil ape thing – and this is EXTREMELY GOOD – but you should be forewarned, it is only a 58 minute feature, though completely satisfying at that length. These 3 films are presented at their best, with extras and gorgeous restoration jobs – just don’t look for the films to be particularly drenched in the confines of the horror genre, two absolutely have none of that genre. And the other is brief.
JERRY MAGUIRE (Blu-Ray)
The film that ruined Cuba Gooding Jr. Oh yeah, I know – he won an Oscar – but by rewarding his brilliant over the top performance, he’s been screaming and regurgitating that role ever since. More importantly, this is the film that truly birthed Renee Zellweger as a star. I love the film, but in many ways it’s the Cameron Crowe film that I have the biggest disconnect with. I think it’s the whole greed aspect – I know there’s the more personal side to the story, and I love that. Everything with Tom, Renee and that adorable mutant munchkin… is Gold. But everything about SPORTS AGENTS – to me, they’ve made atheletes commodities instead of heroes. That kids wish to become athletes not for the game, but the filthy lucre it gives them… saddens me. That’s why I love college sports – because generally, for a short period of time… it feels pure.
COOL HAND LUKE (Blu-Ray)
Worth buying instantly to see Conrad Hall’s photography in 1080p. My god the colors – the lighting… it’s stunning. Movies just do not look like this anymore. The amount of glistening sweat on overworked brows is crazy. The egg gorged belly of Paul Newman is crazy in HD. Nevermind the fact that we’re dealing with one of the greatest films of Paul Newman’s career. And is required frequent viewing by men and women alike. Outstanding disc, lots of extras, but most importantly – the presentation is exquisite.
CHILD’S PLAY
Still the best Chucky HORROR film. I’d say the last two have been primarily comedies – but this first Chucky was downright scary and a nightmare for kids all over the place. Now, I know – you’re saying – Didn’t this just recently come out? Well yeah, but not in widescreen. Not with commentary. Not with tons of extras. Here we have the film in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. You have 3 commentaries by the writer/creator and the producer… and another with the visual fx folks behind Chucky and that kid all grown up – and lastly there’s a third (and most awesomest track) with Don Mancini and CHUCKY in character!!! There’s a making of documentary that is outstanding. This is what the previous releases should have been. And this should have been BLU-RAY!
RUDY (Blu-Ray)
Sean Astin is a God for many reasons. GOONIES, LORD OF THE RINGS and RUDY. Dammit, I’m no Notre Dame lover… I love the Longhorns, but dammit… RUDY gets me teary eyed every single time. Also you can check out crazy Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in their earliest days on camera. This is a classic sports story, legendary at Notre Dame – and the second best film for inspiring you to buy a Gold Football Helmet – behind EASY RIDER, that is. The film looks great on Blu Ray.
NIGHT WATCH (Blu-Ray)
I like WANTED a lot, but I fucking love Timur Bekmambetov’s NIGHT WATCH and it’s sequel. The films are astonishingly detailed – and those details pop in BluRay. This is actually the release I’m most looking forward to picking up today.
DAY WATCH (Blu-Ray)
As much as I love NIGHT WATCH, DAY WATCH makes me not only it more, but also NIGHT WATCH more. It forces you to look and examine that first film from a completely different angle. The scale of disaster is larger, the arcane mythology becomes more complicated, but simplifies as the story continues. The wrap up, I feel is exquisite. The story is a classic. And I know it is supposed to be a trilogy, but I can’t imagine where it would possibly go from here – I’m completely satisfied.
THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES
My favorite American Clint Eastwood Western. I love THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES. I love everything about the film. I love his costume. I LOVE THOSE GUNS – the coolest he’s ever fired. I love Chief Dan George. I hate hate hate the bad guys. This is my favorite performance by Sondra Locke in an Eastwood film. I love the legend of Josey Wales. There’s a part of me that feels UNFORGIVEN is a sequel to this… long after the events of this film. But his character in his prime. A truly Great Film! And needs desperately to be released on BluRay!
PUMPKINHEAD (Collector’s Edition)
I didn’t get sent this – and I won’t be buying it till it hits on Blu Ray. But there is a rumor that it is a widescreen release – which would be the first time we’ve had the film like that, but I haven’t seen a confirmation of that rumor anywhere yet. There is a commentary track by Winston team folks Tom Woodruff Jr and Alec Gillis, one of the screenwriters Gary Gerani and Scott Spiegel. It has lots of behind the scenes stuff – and if they did all that, I can’t imagine they didn’t do the widescreen thing that’s been needing to be done for the longest time!
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, Vol 3
I like this series. Maybe it’s because I have a complete run of ADVENTURE and love those Legion of Superheroes issues – and yes, while different from the comics, it very much has that spirit. The rejects episode is pretty awesome, but the final 3 episodes are truly outstanding. I just want a Bouncing BOUNCING LAD toy. PLEASE!
KILL BILL Volume One (Blu-Ray)
Man – I forgot how beautiful this film looks. My favorite aspect of seeing this on Blu Ray is in the HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES sequence – you can clearly see all the blood-spurting in the background and the various gags in the background of that sequence are just a joy to go through. Then there’s the sound – and pumping the volume up and listening to this film… just bliss. Then there’s just that… well I was on set for a bunch of this film – specifically Volume 1 – and the quality lives up to my memories from the set. Gorgeous.
KILL BILL Volume Two (Blu-Ray)
Now while Volume One definitely has the edge in terms of awesome fucking chop chop – Volume 2 is a significant dial up in pain. Emotional and physical pain. Again, the film is just beautiful – Now I know – you want to wait for the complete version – but I literally have no indication of when that miraculous day will arrive – and as someone that loves the theatrical editions… I’m glad I have them.
ESSENTIAL ART HOUSE, Vol 1 (BELLE ET LA BETE, GRAND ILLUSION, KNIFE IN THE WATER, LORD OF THE FLIES, RASHOMON, WILD STRAWBERRIES ) - Criterion
Now these are not the full on Criterion releases of these individual titles, but they are really beautiful transfers – priced way more affordable than the typical Criterion releases. Basically, this set is just $90, which for high quality editions of these titles… well, it’s the way to go! Until the eventual Blu-Ray releases, which I’m waiting in awe for. To see Cocteau’s BELLE ET LA BETE at HD resolution. Man, I can not wait. Not that these other titles are slouches, they absolutely are not. But Cocteau’s film is one of my absolute favorite films ever. Get this if you haven’t seen the films listed and don’t plan to change over to a Blu Ray Player soon.
BUGSY MALONE (Blu Ray)
HOLY FUCK! Really? Well, after I ordered mine from Amazon they put up a Temporarily out of stock notice, but folks – this is for real and it is an all region release, so getting Alan Marshall’s infamous and brilliant BUGSY MALONE starring Jodie Faster and Scott Baio in this all kid gangster film… in BLU RAY… that’s unbelievably cool! The Paul Williams songs… Just awesome, one of my fave kid flicks ever!
GRINDHOUSE HOTTIES: RENE BOND ROUGHIE TRIPLE FEATURE ( RENDEZVOUS IN HELL / THE PARTNERSHIP / THE HEIST )
What is a Roughie? Well during the 1970’s Porn Film explosion – they experimented with all sorts of fetishry. One of those sub-genres was called the Roughie. And yes, it’s an ugly genre with rape and forced sex (simulated) – but still intense. These tended to involve the underbelly of crime and revenge films… but with sex in them. Of note – the 1971 film THE HEIST on here was basically ZACK & MIRI MAKE A PORNO’s plot – of people needing to make money desperately and deciding the easiest way to make a few grand was to make a fuck flick. Now – I guarantee it isn’t nearly as funny as Kevin’s. But why not see the Porn version before the real movie hits? Hehehe…
That’s all for this week, but I’ll be back next week with a look at the 5th Volume of CHARLIE CHAN films, SPEED RACER, THE MIST (Blu Ray), The new PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN TRILOGY set with double discs on each film, THE HULK (Blu Ray), THE BREAKFAST CLUB, 2nd Busby Berkeley Collection, STAR TREK: ALTERNATE REALITIES set, DEATH NOTE, SIXTEEN CANDLES, 1408 (Blu Ray), EARRINGS OF MADAME DE…, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN THE FABULOUS STAINS, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, GIGI, LOVE GURU, LA RONDE, BLOOD SIMPLE, LE PLAISIR, RISKY BUSINESS (Blu Ray), SNOW ANGELS, BEETLEJUICE, WEIRD SCIENCE, British Cinema Classic B Film Collection, THE MAN ON THE EIFFEL TOWER, SURRENDER – HELL!, BEYOND THE DOOR, THE BABYSITTERS, CEMETERY GIRLS/VAMPIRE HOOKERS, Elmo Lincoln’s silent ADVENTURES OF TARZAN, THE LOST SERIAL COLLECTION and much much more!
However, the reality is, this is very much a Brooklyn Geek In Monkey King Court. Through a fun device he time travels to ancient mythical China where people have the powers of legendary wire-fu badassery. But before I get any further, he’s a martial arts movie geek. And his room is filled with posters for the old Shaw Brothers films and Bruce Lee movies – all of which animate in the glorious opening credits. Not only are Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the film… but Jet Li is playing a questing Monk trying to restore life to the fabled Monkey King… and Jackie Chan is playing one of the alleged 5 immortals – each of which allegedly must drink a specialized elixir to keep them immortal… Jackie’s is simple RICE WINE, which essentially means that for the whole film he’s a super-powered DRUNKEN BOXER!!! I shit you not!
Watching the epic fight scene between Drunken Boxing Jackie Chan and the exquisite martial arts of Jet Li… it’s heaven. Rob Minkoff gets how to shoot martial arts action, he gets that it is dance, showing extended full body exchanges and lengthy and intricate fighting. The movie is gorgeous and enchanting. I can not recommend it highly enough. So much better than I thought and a great film to have Jet and Jackie go at it. Definitely something to check out!
It’s simple, yet complicated to explain if you haven’t seen it. It is a story about a stunt man that was left paralyzed after a silent film stunt went horribly wrong. He is quite young, quite handsome and now incredibly depressed. At the hospital/recovery center he’s at a little girl befriends him, and he begins to tell her a story, the brilliance of the film is that we don’t see the story through his narration, but through the little girl’s imagination of what he’s describing. The story is a device the man is using to get something he wants from the little girl. What that is, what the end results are… should be discovered watching this brilliant work. Absolutely stunning.
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The blu-ray disc doesn't "cum" in a bowling ball...
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So much for a great week...
Tell me when Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Iron Man are released in a couple weeks, ok? Then I'll go out and buy stuff... -
I thought Night Watch was simply ok, but after watching Day Watch the first film is vastly improved. I lvoe these films. Are they making a third one?
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Keep them coming. A day early, or a day late, it doesn't matter.
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They don't make 'em like they used to.
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We get it. You work for the show. Your boss wants you to promote it. Stop.
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WOTG rules!! Finally my favorite Japanese giant monter movie ever is on dvd. Featuring Russ Tamblyn no less. Pure bliss! Rodan rocks too! Also look forward to checking out The Fall. Seems like it might be a good surreal double feature along with Youth Without Youth.
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Interesting you choose this over Elizabethtown as the biggest disconnect with a Crowe film. I guess I can see that, but I think ET is such a piece of shit... Too bad. It had such a great trailer with that Elton John song from Tubleweed Connection...
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You really need to get out more, Harold.
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Does anybody know when Criterion will go Blu Ray? I just can't justify buying DVDs anymore. I don't feel the need to dump my collection due to the great upconvert, but I'd like my new purchases to be HD quality.
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Don't waste your money on that crap. It's nothing but a stop-gap with minimal improvement. Just stick with regular DVD for now. There's no way in fucking hell I'm paying a premium for a blu-ray disc.
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AARRGGHH!!
I haven't even bought a Blu-Ray player yet but I would have bought this because: 1) I eventually will upgrage to Blu 2) This has never been given a proper Region 1 release on DVD! And it's already "Out of Stock"?????
AARRGGHH!! -
Sep 09, 2008 10:37:52 AM CDT
Alan Parker, not Marshall, directed Bugsy Malone. Duh.
by vulcan deathgrip productions
Good one, film god.
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They're going to start releasing them in November with The Man who Fell to Earth, The Third Man, The Last Emperor, Chungking Express and Bottle Rocket. After that, they'll start releasing one or two a month and if they release a title that you already own on DVD, they give you the option of sending in your DVD and $20 for he Blu-Ray.
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...Apparently
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But new Mitch Hedberg CD today, and that's pretty fuckin cool.
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The reason Amazon is out of stock is because they've gone to absolute SHIT lately. I have movies I've pre-ordered a month ago that are *STILL* out of stock on Amazon.
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or is at least a majority of it reality-based?
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When did those movies come out 6 or 7 years ago? I liked'em and if they were together I might of purchased them, but they aren't classic films by any stretch of the imagination and if they ever decide to put them together in one package who is gonna care? I know there are some Quentin nerds who'll pick it up but I just think he missed a great opportunity to really make some coin off these movies by waiting this long (even longer really cause they still aren't one film). Oh well, sucks for him I guess.
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Definitely can't wait to check out The Fall! -
Unofficially anyway... but it's obvious.... Will Munney (money) = Will Penny.
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Eastwood's kids in the movie are named "Will" and "Penny".
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until he actually does what he's been talking about doing for years now, these current Kill Bill DVDs are hardly worth considering.
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size of a vagina. SUPERGINA!
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in "Unforgiven" was a "Lost In Space" reference. That and how Clint keeps calling The Schofield Kid a "blithering boobie."
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...Alan Parker?
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When the fuck can i see this in the UK.
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Great film. Recently on "Food Detectives" on Food Network, they did an experiment to see if it was possible to eat 50 eggs in one sitting. Comparing the volume of the human stomach to the volume of 50 eggs (hard boiled and mashed up as if chewed) they determined that, YES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO EAT 50 EGGS as depicted in the film.
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This looks cool. I agree, Harry, The Cell had some very memorable visuals, and I can't wait to see what Tarsem was able to conjure up this time. His imagination and visual talent are quite impressive and unique.
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Every time a deep catalog title like Bugsy Malone and Cool Hand Luke gets released, it crushes the hearts of the last remaining HD-DVD whiners. You keep protesting but they aren't going away. DEAL.
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Hey, Canibas Holocaust, feel free not to upgrade to Blu-Ray. If you want to watch movies in crappy DVD quality more power to you. But the fact is that Blu-Ray is not an incremental increase in quality, it is a HUGE improvement, both in terms of picture and sound. As for Samsung's opinion that Blu-Ray has five years, what does that mean? Certainly the PS3 won't be gone in five years, and even if they start streaming HiDef at Blu-Ray quality in five years those of us who have invested will still be able to watch our movies in glorious 1080p with master quality sound. Remember that Neil Young has chosen Blu-Ray as THE medium for his long awaited Archives series. If I didn't have a Blu-Ray player I would buy one just for that.
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Stupid Amazon never tells you
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I read an interview with Tarantino awhile back, and he was asked about the DVD for the full movie, he said it was ready to go, but it's up to Harvey when it's released. I guess Harvey wants to wring out every last dime out of releasing them seperately before he does the joining together. Harvey even said at one point that he wants to rerelease it as one movie, so he'll probably do the DVD after that. I guess Harvey knows how to make a buck, but I'm not buying Kill Bill until it's a special edition, one movie...but I'll probably still shell out the money to see it in the theatre again.
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As a HD DVD early adopter, it might be a shock to know that those movies still work. That's right, when HD DVD went bust, you could get them for under ten dollars, and they still work. Just as I did with LaserDisc, I picked up an extra player for under $100.00 so in five or ten years when the one I have breaks, I'll still be able to watch my HD Dvds. I'm not a whiner, but the transfers are in many cases exactly the same codec as the Blu-Ray, and are equally good.
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Sep 09, 2008 11:36:12 AM CDT
If I wasn't already broke I would be after this week
by zikade zarathos
BUGSY MALONE, CHUCKY, HD COOL HAND LUKE, HOW THE WEST WAS WON.... Fuck!
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Not a good movie. And speaking of not good, don't even waste your time with Smallville, Harry. It's a horrible, soulless, plastic show. I like this week's picks. Will definitely be getting Child's Play and The Fall.
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I'm fully prepared for you to spring ANY sub-genre on me at this point. What, you never heard of those Canadian seal porn flicks from the late 60s?
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Even though I own both on DVD, I picked these up this morning from Best Buy, got them for $25 each (when buying both), and there is an offer for 10 more off each if you already own the dvd versions.
I bit. -
Gargantuas is just retarded (as is FCTW)
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My post was directed more at the "Never-Blu-Ray" types who are so shrill and bitter about their format losing that they can't stop bashing the format, even though it keeps growing and the hardware keeps selling and getting cheaper.
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While the transfers and sound are fantastic, one key element was removed from these releases - the unique subtitles. The ones that were integrated into the scenes, would blow away or appear in different colors - all gone, with standard subtitles in place. to ass insult to injury, a featurette ABOUT the use of those subtitles is still on the Night Watch blu. I have been generally pretty happy with Fox blu-rays, but they fucked this up.
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Can the titles previously released on regular DVD that are only *new* to Blu Ray be all lumped together at the bottom of the column? I hate having to scan through all of them. I have no intention of ever getting a Blu Ray machine and I'm sure lots of other people here are fine with regular DVD too.
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Harry, I love your lists and your passion, but really... "cum in a bowling ball"? Or how about the sentence in the "Day Watch" review that is clearly missing one or more words? It just makes me sad when it feels like you don't even proofread once. And did you really like "The Fall" that much? I thought it was visually stunning, and the relationship between the little girl and the stunt man was really quite engaging (esp considering the little actress doesn't even know any English) but didn't the fairy tale leave you a little hollow? I was much more interested in the hospital/reality story than the told/fictional one.
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Blu-Ray haters hate Blu-Ray because they cant afford it OR they can't justify spending the extra money...in other words, they STILL cant afford it. even still, MOST of these "haters" will end up owning one in some form or fashion so it dosen't really matter. ask anyone who actually owns a player and movies and they will tell you that even the worst Blu-Ray transfers are STILL better than DVD and if you can't see it...then the makers of Blu-Ray need to offer "FREE EYE DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS" in each Blu-Ray case. i think its the price that causes most of the negativity.
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was visualy stunning and a very good premise.the thought of actualy beig able to enter someone's mind was pretty intense especialy that of a serial killer.they ultimately made a very rushed simple plot movie.the fall does look amazing and i have to have the bowling ball special edition of the big lebowski
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Was surprisingly boring and not very good to me.
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GO, INTERNET!
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double feature, but Amazon lists them as full frame. Rodan may have been but I know wotg was a widescreen film. Does anyone know if it's widescreen on the dvd?
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Is 1: 1.33 according to amazon. That best be a typo. Or them is fighten words...
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Well duh. Of course price is the overwhelming issue...many of us just don't think the quality bump is a big enough to warrant the price bump. Television offered a huge leap over radio, color tv a huge leap over b&w, dvd a huge leap over video tape... but high-def just isn't a very big leap from regular def. You wind up paying a huge increase in price for a product that's only marginally better. It's called "diminishing returns" and it's why many (if not most us) won't be buying hi-def tvs or blu-ray players until there's absolutely no way to avoid it.
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I don't have a problem with other people spending their money on these Blu Rays, but I'm right with RobotDevil007 where I can't justify making a switch. It's not just the price of owning them, it's also that it's taken over 10 years of regular DVD to get most of the titles I wanted released, plus I can't rent these things. None of the independant video renters in my city rent Blu Ray. The only place that does is Blockbuster, and its regular selection is limited enough, but their Blu Ray section is pointlessly small. And the stuff clearly isn't renting. I also have a buddy who works as a salesman in a big electronics retailer. My buddy is really enthusiastic about Blu Ray, he loves it, he blathers like Harry about how great it is. But even he admits he has a hard time selling these machines and the discs just aren't moving.It's the common man who drives this market and I see nothing to suggest Blu Ray is destined to do anything but remain a specialty niche market.And I'm fine with Harry covering Blu releases, I'd just rather he split the column in two: the first half being stuff that's being released for the first time and the second half stuff that's only new to Blu Ray.
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I'm shocked. Oh wait, no I'm not. Don't they charge like 5 bucks a night? I think most Blu-Ray renters are renting them from NetFlix or BB online.
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Seriously. I like this column, but Harry sounds like such a shill in nearly every one of the releases. If it is a Blu Ray release, he rambles on about how gorgeous it is. If it is regular DVD, he gripes about it needing to be Blu Ray.
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so you cant justify buying Blu-Ray NOW or NEVER??? you probably said the same thing about VHS and DVD...because saying that DVD to Blu-Ray is "not a big difference" is like saying there wasn't a big difference between VHS and DVD...and if you can't understand this, like i said before....get your eyes checked, because the difference is substantial enough i assure you, and unless you own a player and watch these movies in this pristine quality that is 1080p...your opinion is fit for the trash can, im not bashing anyone...thats just the way it is. thats like saying a Ferrari or Porsche drives like shit when ya have never even sat in one much less driven one. a while back Harry mentioned he showed is parents or relatives (old people im sure)a Blu-Ray without mentioning its finer quality and they were taken aback by its sharpness and quality...and coming from old folks whose eye sight aint gettin any better, id say that says something. besides, do you REALLY think i buy those $30 and $35 movies???....FUUUCK THAT, i wait for them to drop in price or for deals at Best Buy...which are often.
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its a little over $4 where im from, and you keep it for 2 days....just like "new releases" on DVD, its not THAT big a deal...besides, who needs to keep a movie for longer than 2 days anyway
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No sir. Fuck You.
And this fucking none editable talkback. -
"you owe it to yourself to give it a look from the beginning." No you don't. Much of serialized television is crap. Smallville is no exception.
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What a fantastic and criminally overlooked film. Those wonderfull visuals will be stunning on Blue-Ray.
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"your opinion is fit for the trash can, im not bashing anyone...thats just the way it is."
You're a fucking idiot. No seriously, you're like borderline retarted. And i'm not bashing you... that's just the way it is. -
I really don’t understand why this film didn’t get more praise and viewers, because it’s a damn fine martial arts flicks that also manages to capture the family vibe without pandering to the lowest common denominator. It’s funny, emotional, and generally just lots of fun and the fight scenes are a nice mix of practical choreography and more sensationalistic wire fu, which fits the theme. The fight between Li and Chan is one of the most incredible things put on screen this year and despite Jackie’s advancing age, the man still moves incredibly fast. I saw this film opening night in a packed house and people were cheering all the way through it and applauded when it ended. Harry’s correct that the marketing for this film was lackluster; Forbidden Kingdom should have been a highly publicized summer release because as a film it can easily hold it’s own with most of what we saw this year. Great flick.
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its "retarded"....not "retarted"....putz
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Flickerbat -- What's up with the Night Watch and Day Watch subtititles? I've been waiting for the Blu-ray releases to check them out. Are the animated subtitles worth seeing the standard DVD versions as well?
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hahahaha you JUST proved my point RobotDevil...with FLYING COLORS. not the Blu-Ray thing....the "fucking idiot" thing, in case your wondering and need a little help...you little retarded retardo
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true enough Robot...if someone hasn't seen a movie, read a book, or heard a song....is it fair for them to have a "valid" opinion about it???....a little "shit opinions" maybe, because some opinion are like assholes on elbows....they stink and dont make any sense.
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LMAO. Wow, what a pathetic little baby you are. You come onto the site all jacked up trying to make your opinion sound like a fact, mass insulting everyone who doesn't agree with you, and then when someone slaps you back you wet your pants and throw a tantrum? Wow.... i think it's time for your diaper change. Yeah, you sure proved your point all right... that's why so many people in this talkback agree with you... oh wait, no one agrees with you. Go home little boy, I'm done with your slutmom now so she's probably ready to breastfeed you and wipe your ass.
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"if someone hasn't seen a movie, read a book, or heard a song....is it fair for them to have a "valid" opinion about it???...."
This why you sound a complete idiot. Someone having an opinion on bluray without owning one has NOTHING in common with someone giving an opinion on a song they've never heard (if you had an IQ over the single digits you'd realize that). We all see blurays in stores, at the houses of friends... all over the place... they're NOT only visible to suckers who bought them. Since your entire point is founded on this idiocy... you are an idiot. -
Won't or can't?
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now....stop talking, or at least burn your current "shit opinion" pile so you can work on your next Mt. Everest-size stack. im not "insulting" anyone...just saying your opinion is based off inexperience (of Blu-Ray)....i mean, im not gonna learn the breast-stroke from a expert swimmer whose never stepped in a pool.
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You are too stupid to live kid. Go look up "false analogy". It is NOT the same principle, not even close. It's not like someone reviewing an album they've never heard... it's someone who's heard the album telling you it sucked so they didn't buy it. It's not someone reviewing a movie they've never seen.... it's someone who's seen the movie telling you it sucked so they didn't buy the dvd. It's someone who's seen bluray telling you they weren't remotely impressed and wouldn't waste their money on it. The more you try and defend your idiotic comparison the dumber you make yourself look.
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it must be taxing to be THAT ignorant, i could break it down for you....but there isn't enough forum space to explain it in a way you'd find..."understandable", so i won't bother. what i say does indeed make sense, and its painfully simple to understand...but your angry, and its hard to make rational, intelligent observations when in that state of mind. stop "trying" to seem intelligent with your comments, reading your comments is like watching "Dumb and Dumber" (borderline "Dumb and Dumber-er") starring Daniel Day Lewis and Daniel Craig as Harry and Lloyd.
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In all 3 finger holes? Is that why my fingers were so sticky after I hit the lanes last night? Christ, I'll never bowl again after that nightmarish image, thanks Harold...
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You've been saying "Fave" quite a bit. What gives?
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I hope he's got one more western in him.
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Would you rather he say "BLISS" more often?
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So wait... you really think that getting a review of a bluray player from someone who has seen it, is like getting a review of a movie from someone who hasn't seen it...? Really? Well then you're a fuckin genius! Keep making those sharp points kiddo. You're definitely not just a stubborn little boy digging in to defend what he knows is obviously stupid because your ego is too insecure to admit you're wrong... not you... not the guy who has an ego so rampant he thinks his subjective opinion is fact... never! You're soooooooooo smart.
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You forgot Season 3 of the funniest show on TV right now Harry. This is damn near unforgivable. You also forgot Baby Mama which was better than I expected it to be mostly due to Navin Johnson & Ellen Ripley's small parts and the fact that Tina Fey and Greg Kinnear actually seem like a believable couple to me. I probably wouldn't pay more than the $16.99 I did at Target, but it's a fun little movie.
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The price goes down to what DVD is going for now. I just don't see a point in buying a new format for incremental improvements.
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The jump from VHS to DVD brought menus, special features, a disc format, no need to rewind, etc. It was a whole new game. The jump from DVD to blu-ray is NOTHING BUT BETTER PICTURE AND SOUND. And that's an INCREMENTAL difference. I'll wait until the next (the REAL next) format to take the plunge. Of course I'll probably pick up blu-ray when it's on the cheap, there's just no way in hell I'm paying a premium for it. Make sense to you? And to be honest I might have been just fine with laser disc instead of DVD had that format ever taken off.
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okay, i take it you dont watch Blu-Ray movies....correct???....okay, if you DONT watch or have NEVER seen a Blu-Ray movie, what makes you think you can say "its only a slight bump over DVD"???....you CAN say that, but if youve never seen one or dont own one...then what the fuck point are you making???...you arent making one becaue you DONT FUCKING KNOW, you are pulling shit out of your ass and claiming it to be a valid point, like you know what your talking about. Price and the so called "worth" or Blu-Ray has nothing to do with what im talking about...im referring to the difference in quality between the two, which is substantially different and for those who truthfully watch and own Blu-Ray movies...they know this (or the dumbasses arent watching them on a 1080p TV...which happens more often than you think, 480p is HARDLY 1080p), you however...DONT KNOW...yet you THINK you do enough to claim otherwise. (shaking bottle of Tyelenol in your face)...need one???...i know that was complicated.
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What the hell happened to the special edition of kill bill where the films are combined?
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YES, price is a problem...but look how fast its dropping...players were $1000 when they first came out....now they are as low as $200 or maybe even lower if you get a good deal, and as i mentioned before...noone HAS to pay $30 or $35 per movie...its called "smart shopping", deals are EVERYWHERE (as in 2 for $30 at some places). its people claiming this "slight difference" shit that i find annoying, either they aren't watching it on a 1080p TV...they cant tune a TV for shit...or they arent watching Blu-Ray movies...PERIOD. ive yet to meet someone personally, that owns a Blu-Ray player tell me the difference is only "slight"...ive heard people on the internet say shit like that, but i could say i own a Jumbo Jet and it dont fucking make it so.
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Seriously that's what some of you babies sound like. WTF did Blu-Ray do to you? It's just a fucking video format. The facts: it's 1080p, not 480 like DVD. So it's not just a "little bit" clearer, it's a lot clearer. I still like and buy DVDs, but I like my explosions on Blu-Ray.
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I have 2 standard televisions that work just fine, and a DVD player that I bought new about 2 years ago that works just fine, previously I was burning through cheap $50 Wal-Mart DVD players almost a week it seemed, so last time I bought one, I bought a nice one. I'm not one of those people that upgrades when it's available but rather when I need to. But that means new TV and new blu-ray player, when the TV goes out I'll buy an HD, when the player goes out I"ll buy a blu-ray, it's that simple
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"okay, i take it you dont watch Blu-Ray movies....correct???" No you dumbass!!! That's what i've been trying to tell you over and over again this whole time. I've SEEN plenty of bluray movies. I'm just not impressed enough by them to actually BUY a bluray player. See? Completely different from your "principle". This confusion is just one of the many reasons you're making a huge ass out of yourself. It really stings catching yourself laboring under a falsehood, doesn't it? Now swallow your pride, admit your opinion is just your own, admit your analogy was completely idiotic and irrelevant, and apologize for ranting like an idiot.
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Because I fucking hated Nightwatch, all 20 shit-drenched minutes of the abomination I saw before I popped it out of my DVD player and back in the Netflix envelope. Come to think of it, I didn't really think much of Kill Bill either. Someone hold me.
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I've always enjoyed the sheer fanboy enthusiasm for cinema that I find on this site, and so I've put up with the gross graphics, the vulgar cartoons, the psychotic Jr. High boys' locker room level of much of the Talk Backs... But, Harry, you're now hawking simulated rape soft-porn movies? Really? The "pornification" of the site will make you lose this reader if you continue it; hope you change course. An apology for pubilically promoting degrading depictions of women wouldn't hurt, either. You are married to one, right?
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Sep 09, 2008 7:07:14 PM CDT
I'm gonna wait for decades if need be for a complete Kill Bill
by tallboy66
I got other shit to occupy me. And it'll be on TV (unedited on CBC) a few times till then. I'm getting the full movie one day and not spending cash on the two. That's it.
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saving a little face buddy??? alrighty, you claim "hi def isnt a big leap over standard def"....are you serious???...you actually said that stupid shit earlier when there is a HUGE difference...your telling me you cant tell the difference SUBSTANTIALLY between 480i or 480p compared to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p???....you are blind or completely ignorant if you cant. you say its "marginally better"???....are you out of your fucking mind???...marginally???...you HAVE NOT been watching Blu-Ray if you think the difference between standard def and 1080p is marginal, fucking liar, and you CLAIM to have seen a bunch of Blu-Ray movies???....gimme a fucking break. my main argument with you hasn't so much been over price NEARLY as much as its been over you thinking this "slight" bullshit...go look up "HIGH DEFINITION" or go to Best Buy and check out the displays, it speaks for itself...and while your there, tell a Best Buy salesman the difference between 1080p and standard def is only "marginal" or "slight", he will either laugh his ass off at you....or take you to the back of the store and put a bullet in your head for being the dumb worthless cunt.
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now dipshit....try to convince me the moon is made of cheese, leprechauns exist, and you are ACTUALLY intelligent....ignorant bastard, hopeless.
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The show is really just that good, though not for everybody. And it's not some highbrow fare, nor is it star studded. Just a nice monster hunting show. Give it a chance for October.
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Sep 09, 2008 8:12:34 PM CDT
Does 1080p actually make "Transformers" a better movie?
by the reluctant austinite
You know, I'm not a techno-geek or an early adopter. I'm not rich either, so I don't have a widescreen HD TV yet, but I will in good time. Somehow, however, I fell in love with hundreds of films back in the day of rabbit ears TV and grainy videotape. I also saw a bunch of crap back then. You know what? I still feel the same way about the same films when I see them in Blu-ray on a giant screen TV over a friend's house. Now I just notice more details in the background. It's about story, character and creative ideas. It was then just as it still is now. Movies from the silent era through the 40s or 50s aren't going to look much better in 1080p than standard def or VHS. After that, you can indeed tell a big difference in picture quality, but it doesn't radically change the movie your watching. Does multichannel surround sound and 1080p blowing you away make "Van Helsing" seem like a beter movie than "Bride of Frankenstien"? Or is any piece shit watchable if it looks great in Blu-ray? Hmmmmm--
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does 1080p make Transformers a better movie???.....NO.....Transformers sucks with or without 1080p (well thats my opinion anyway) but i can assure you it looks a shitload better on Blu-Ray, i can imagine the detail during the transformations is unreal, ill probably rent it some time and pass on the purchase.
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I just love the visual of a Best Buy salesman snuffing a customer out in the back room. I live in constant fear of a Best Buy salesman laughing at me. Don't mock me Best Buy salesman. Oh Best Buy salesman, how your laughter destroys my very soul. Have you no mercy Best Buy salesman?
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Sep 09, 2008 9:16:04 PM CDT
a movie is a movie, but seeing it in 1080p is a BIG perk
by fartedinthefaceofhollywood
1080p isnt a must, thats a given...a movie is a movie with or without it, but seeing a movie in that presentation IS different, and whats pleasing to the eye is ALWAYS important and thats just a simple fact of human behavior. not only that, but seeing movies in 1080p IS a different experience, i notice things i never noticed in standard def, im serious, little but pleasing to notice details you may have missed become so much more apparent on Blu-Ray. ive always liked movies, and of course if i had to watch them in standard def, i WOULD, of course...but if i dont have to, and i can see them in a much better way...then i will, no questions asked...seeing movies at their best is important to me, it compliments the film to see it at its best.
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for the most part... Best Buy salesmen are morons, but even they aren't stupid enough to say that High-Definition is only slightly or marginally better than standard definition...its OBVIOUSLY better there should be no argument if you can see how many fingers im holding up (ill give ya a hint...its the middle one), open your eyes....and im not referring to you Upside Down Johnson.
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Harry I can't help it but you're a total fool for dissing THE CELL (2000). I don't care how good THE FALL is (I haven't seen it yet). In your review you state:
"Remember when you saw ads for THE CELL by Tarsem, you went into the theater mesmerized by those images hoping to find a visionary filmmaker of immense visual power – and you came out blown away by some of the images, but left hollow and perhaps angry by the resulting piece of shit you witnessed? WELL FORGET THAT EXPERIENCE because THE FALL is the dream."
Just how exactly is THE CELL a piece of shit? It has more intelligence and uses the visuals TO TELL the story far better than any dozen serial killer flicks. And it uses the landscape of the mind in ways that most filmmakers dare never tread. THE CELL is one of the best psychological horror films of the decade (and I can't stand J-Lo). When a director can take a star that a audience member loathes and place her front and center in a movie that is so vividly realized and a story that is so well told = now that is GREAT DIRECTION!
I know you're the king of pomposity but show some respect to the well made movies that do get made, regardless of your own sometimes silly opinions. -
So I have a regular DVD player, HD-DVD player, and a Blu-Ray player (PS3). From what I can tell, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD were pretty much identical in their presentations. Also, it pisses me off that discs for both of the players are usually vanilla discs. Especially Blu-Ray, considering everytime you see a Blu-Ray ad they talk about all the extra disc space and its capabilities. I'd like to buy Predator on Blu-Ray, but I can't get myself to throw down $34.99 for purely the movie alone. Anyway...back to the players. They both provide pretty pictures, and both upconvert regular DVD's so I can barely tell the difference in quality if a regular DVD is mastered in high-def. The only noticeable difference is that the blacks are darker in Blu-Ray/HD-DVD. And you can see dudes' stubble better.
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They'll release fucking All Monsters Attack (the worst Godzilla movie of all time), but not the original Mothra?
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While I totally agree with your position you ain't gonna change anyone's mind by insulting them. And those that claim Blu-rays only "marginal" improvement is picture and sound quality are obviously unfamiliar with the interactive capabilities these discs now provide such as BD Live and the like, D-BOX enhancements and PIP extras. So take a chill pill and relax, man. Remember people are morons so don't take it personally. With the economy the way it is now it will be a while before everyone can afford that new 1080p panel you need to appreciate the glory that is Blu-ray. But until then we will have a whole lot of bah-hum buggers not ready to give up their antiquated ways.
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reasons for Godness. "Toy Soldiers" anybody? And also, smallville has only had like 8 good episodes, but when it's good it's amazing.
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Does it finally have the animated subtitles?
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I just got the bowling ball set from Amazon today.
If anyone else gets one, check your copy because mine was a bit scratched. No surprise, ball says made in China! -
Sep 09, 2008 10:23:35 PM CDT
Why should I buy Kill Bill volume 1 and 2?
by spifftacular squirrel girl
Eventually the combined movie will be out on Blu-ray for what I'm guessing is a hell of a lot cheaper than paying atleast 60 dollars for both films.
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...and the transfer is GORGEOUS!
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and this is a guy who is an electronics junkie. he pre orders every new gaming system,has a crazy expensive gaming pc,top of the line lcd tvs. he got tired of paying around $25-$30 a movie when he can usually buy great dvds for $4-$5 he was going broke,and with his upconverting dvd player,he said he really couldnt see a difference. he has a 7.1 surround home theater as well. i'll stick with dvds until i can burn blu rays on my pc and pay 10 cents a disc.
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So, Harry, when are you going to review "The Gamers: Dorkness Rising"?? It's new on DVD from Anthem and is one really funny movie made by geeks for geeks. If you haven't heard of it, I highly recommend it.
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Sep 09, 2008 11:12:40 PM CDT
The Fall, what did I just see? Beautiful, twisted & harsh.
by stereotypical evil archer
I'm going to be watching this like 20 more times. Weird, yet less weird than Lynch. A beautiful journey into the imagination of a child and the raw terror and emotion that can live within.
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Not sure what quality these after hours versions will be, but I highly recommend her work.
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Not buying one because you're waiting for the price to drop or the selection to improve is one thing. But some of you do come across as fanatical or ignorant. If you have the HD cables and an HD set, the picture is way better. And honestly you may not notice it that much when watching the HD movie, but then try to go back to regular TV. You notice the lack of image much more than the gain. Anyone who says they will never buy Blu-ray and calls themselves a film fan is retarded.
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tsk tsk.
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that your friend is a half-blind, non-discerning moron. I bet that's a relief.
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Sep 10, 2008 12:19:21 AM CDT
That new Harry animation is TOTALLY EXCELLENT, DUDE!
by nasty in the pasty
STATION!
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It was operatic to a 1st grader....
This one is cool too:
http://www.spike.com/video/inebriatus-rex/3031801 -
No, the Blu-Ray hasn't got the excellent subtitles, which is a criminal oversight. For the guy who said older films wouldn't benefit from the HD treatment, take a look at the HD of The Searchers, Robin Hood or Casablanca, they look incredidible, the amount of detail they could get on 35mm or Vista Vision in those days is still more than DVDs can handle, even the Earth vs Flying Saucers Blu-Ray is noticeably better than any DVD I've seen of that movie. One day they'll do a restored and remastered King Kong (1933) on Blu-Ray and the world will instantly become a better place.
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You would call such people either "stupid" or "film critics" (well, half of them), because the movie bends over backwards to make sure you do get it, and based on its sky-high IMDB rating, the vast majority of viewers do.
What's to get? That the "fantasy story" has no separate life apart from the apparent frame story; at every moment it's a reflection of the psyche of the teller and the listener. Things that happen in the story (which in fact is often arbitrary and incoherent if regarded alone) only make sense as a reflection of their psyches -- and that sense is consistently brilliant and heartbreaking. If you think this is trying to be The Princess Bride, it probably *is* boring (when it's not jarring you with seemingly unwarranted shifts of tone), but it's attempting infinitely more than that, and succeeding gloriously.
(This correspondence between the inner lives of the storyteller and his listener, and the story they together bring to life, is, by the way, both subtle and *really obvious.* The subtleties give it depth for repeated viewings. But there's also a very overt, foregrounded, in-your-face correspondence that is often wildly entertaining. Which is why I'm flabbergasted that half the critics miss it.)
THE FALL is probably the best combination of artistic ambition and brilliance of execution since Memento, and the best combo of ambition and emotional generosity since Donnie Darko. For a combination of ambition, execution, emotion, and visual glory, I'm not sure if I know of a film that can top it. -
when there's nothing really to 'get'. Don't misunderstand - I love Darko, I love Nolan generally too (except for the fundamental copout of Prestige), but Mememnto... Turn the thing back around and the most obvious guy DID do it! I couldn't quite believe it was that simple when I saw it... there had to be something else, right? It's a gimmick, and Irreversible is infinitely superior in terms of integrating the same conceit. I'm not saying this for cheap geek hater points or something, but yeah I was disappointed, so you comparing it to Memento did nothing for me. The emotional generosity thing was bizarre, too. Don't strain yourself with the thesaurus, dude. Relying on an IMDB rating is bloody dodgy, too.
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Laserdisc introduced "menus, special features, a disc format, no need to rewind, etc. It was a whole new game." Also Dolby Digital & DTS sound, extra language and commentary tracks... The only 'new' thing DVD gave was that eht picture was now digital too and the menus were animated.
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"As much as I love NIGHT WATCH, DAY WATCH makes me not only it more, but also NIGHT WATCH more."
You're missing words. -
I seriously think you should watch that before you watch any Smallville.
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give Blu-Ray its own column. some of us have absolutely no interest in the format and frankly don't care about blu-ray re-issues of readily available titles... Nevermind that you whine about blu-ray in every suggestion that isn't in the format. enough already
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I'll also chip in, that the higher the resolution, the cheaper some movies start to look. I'll say that when I got Wizard of Oz on regualr DVD it suddenly looked so much faker than ever. I grew up on seeing that movie on VHS, but then with the sharpness of DVD all the backdrops looked really paintingey, the actors looked really made up, the effects looked cheaper because I could see them so much better. So all you guys who protest CGI are probably shooting yourselves in the foot by getting into Blu Ray because it looks even CGI-er than before. We'll also probably get treated to more precise knowledge of how blotchy some actors' skin is (Cameron Diaz) and I think Nicolas Cage's various hair in superhigh definition should carry some sort of warning for small children.
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Do movies look cheaper at the cinema? 1080p is basically a few lines less rez than theatrical, where most VFX are done at 2k, which is 128 pixels more, horizontally.
So if we liked the FX/CGI on the big screen, we'll like it on Blu-ray - and vice-versa. You've got the tail wagging the dog there mate - we don't all watch things on DVD first.
As for Wizard of Oz, sure those are some early and obvious matte paintings, but Jesus! You're arguing a sense of realism for WoO? Too funny. You weren't impressed by finally being able to see the detail of the hession sack texture in the scarecrow's makeup? That was fantastic dude!
Noddy, that's a pretty good idea, and I AM a BD fan... -
Josey Wales kicks all kinds of ass! And I do dig '70's chicks, but not the overgrown bushes that most of them were sporting.
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actually yeah, movies do look cheaper at the cinema. Sometimes I've seen movies where the effects looked pretty crappy on the big screen and the shortcomings weren't as noticeable on the small screen, because it wasn't as magnified. I think we can all agree that bad effects, to some degree, take us out of the movie a bit. And the better you can see the effects the more flaws are likely to hit your eye.I guess what I should be advocating is a higher standard of special effects, but that doesn't really go for older movies, which are most of the ones I buy and watch repeatedly.As for Wizard of Oz, I'm not suggesting it's a realistic movie, but I guess I want to buy into the reality of this crazy world. The same way something like Star Wars isn't realistic but I want to feel like I'm there and the clearer the picture becomes the more I feel like I'm looking at a bunch of silly made-up dudes in cheap costumes standing in front of paintings then getting immersed.
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im done talking about it....for now....ive since had Red Stripe and ciggarettes to relax, mmmm Red Stripe....good stuff
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I just don't know anymore.
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most of the jackie and jet fight is wirefu. But it doesnt matter cuz the fight is still awesome.
http://tinyurl.com/pv8do -
I think NIGHTWATCH is a much better film than its sequel. I feel DAYWATCH changes the rules and the original plotline much too much. DAYWATCH also feels like a different altogether film series because the way its shot. Aesthetically, NIGHTWATCH is a much more pleasing film to watch and visually it's much crazier ... aside from the car chase scene. This is not to say DAYWATCH is a bad film, but it doesn't measure up to the first film, at least in my opinion. I found DAYWATCH to be a lot choppier. Again, that might have more to do with the change in visual styles. But I found the characters less likeable and the whole thing overly complicated to mesh with. Contrary to what Harry says. All the same, I'm definitely looking forward to the 3rd film. Hopefully it blows both the first films away.
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then switched (Serenity sucked) to There Will be Blood, on standard DVD, upscaled. It was a MINIMAL difference...as someone mentioned earlier, the HD movie had darker blacks. This was on a Panasonic Projector. Saying it's a dramatic change in picture quality from upscaled dvd to BR is just not true.
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you would rather watch an relatively shitty format in comparison to theatrical because your solution to all that pesky rez and detail is to ostensibly squint your eyes so you can no longer see it?! Ever heard of the tail wagging the dog mate? You're onto something with advocating a higher standard, but that other approach is basically burying your head in the sand. Jesus, it's like you're walking down the street and shouting "It looks fine from here!". Oh and THAN getting immersed. THAN.
"Movies do look cheaper at the cinema". I'm shaking my head... -
Apples to Apples you king-sized moron. Look at upscaled DVD of There Will be Blood. Then put the BD of THERE WILL BE BLOOD in. THEN you can do a real comparison. But a "Panasonic Projector" won't help if you're as blind as a fucking bat, man.
I love that all the myopic (geddit?!) turkeys who insist there's no gaping difference between sd and full hd never actually consider that the fault may lie with them and their lousy fucking eyesight, not the format or player of choice... -
Very convincing experiment there (not flawed in the slightest) (ROLLLLLLS EYYYYYYESSS).
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as i mentioned a while back, Blu-Ray movies should come with free visits to the eye doctor...because if you cant notice a BIG difference between SD (480i to 480p)and 1080p...then consult your eye doctor because your eyesight sucks. now onto this "scaled" BS...okay, DVDs scaled to 1080p IS NOT the same as films in NATIVE 1080p, not even close...scaling a low-res film to 1080p will yield barely noticeable results...it will look a tad bit better maybe a little cleaner, but not nearly as good looking as a film running in 1080p as the native resolution. another thing, i think ALOT of people are completely uneducated when it comes to Blu-Ray, in other words...trying to play a Blu-Ray film on a 720p TV will give you 480p results (which dosent look so hot) because Blu-Ray plays in 1080p, 1080i, 480i, and 480p. im willing to bet there are a bunch of people out there running Blu-Rays on a 720p set expecting Hi-Def and they simply arent getting it because of their ignorance to the product, that isn't Blu-Rays fault...its the customers fault for not researching something new.
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I think the debate has moved past standard dvd players and towards upscaling standard dvds to BluRays, and the MINIMAL difference. Go ahead and spout off about the religious experience of BluRay...maybe that will help you justify the insane amount of money you spent on a player that charges $25-$30 for shitastic films like 10,000 BC. I have a Samsung 52" LCD tv, and my upscaled dvds look about 75% as good as HD films. Holy fuck, you BluRay nerdbags are ridiculous.
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there really isnt...i have a Playstation 3 that plays Blu-Ray movies AND upscales DVDs to 1080p...and im running this on a 50" Samsung 1080p Projection TV with LED color engine (its a new technology for projection TVs, uses no bulbs or color wheels and last just as long as a LCD TV which is around 50 to 60 thousand hours...as opposed to the 3 or 4 thousand you get with a bulb)...and the difference is NOT "minimal" OR "slight"...but rather its VERY apparent in terms of detail, color, and deeper blacks. if you ask me, MOST people that claim this "minimal" crap are either people with bad eyesight....or downplayers of the product.
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You're an obnoxious twat so shut the fuck up already. Go fuck your BluRay player since you seem so in love with it. That way no woman will have to be fend off your clumsy advances and tired boring conversation.
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More refined visual effects and higher production value are a better solution than watching things A (not 'an') relatively lousy format that helps hide the shortcomings of average or poor production.But I've seen several demonstrations of Blu Ray and it just gives a lot of movies this look of being documentaries shot on digital cameras or something.A lot of people complained that Miami Vice looked like it was made by some dude with his home camcorder, and when I saw it on Blu Ray I actually started to agree with them.I know when I watch Star Wars that Yoda is a puppet, but with more and more clarity it's like adding somebody sitting beside me whispering "He's a puppet! Yoda's a puppet! Look, his skin is just rubber! See, his eyes are dead marbles!"P.S. my girlfriend looks like Penelope Cruz when I'm drunk with the lights out.
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Man, there's some angry venom being spit here (or passionate debate, if you will). To those Blu-ray fanatics calling anyone who challenges the ultimate superiority of Blu-ray a "moron" or "blind as a bat": Do you guys actually watch films, or do you just stick in demo reels and sit back saying, "Damn that looks good"? I used to know guys in the laserdisc, DTS/ THX days that would hardly ever watch an entire film, but just liked watching gun battles and explosions so their sub woofer would shake their appartment. These are guys who would fall asleep in 5 minutes if the film was black and white or in mono. I bet all those guys have the X-Box 360 too, declaring anyone who will settle for the Wii a "moron." Let's stop the name calling. Blu-ray looks AWESOME. In some ways it looks BETTER than film, and anything shot either digitally or by George Lucas will look esspecially awesome. Personally, however I'm more excited about watching "War of the Gargantuas" tonight on my standard def player than seeing "Clone Wars" on Blu-ray.
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I thought there was going to be a ultra 3-disk set, but Amazon has a showing of just 1 disk? I guess we'll have to wait like the directors cut of Rambo?
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simmer down fella (OR go fuck yourself), but if you wanna nay-say Blu-Ray then thats fine...but be honest about it, and saying this "minimal" and "slight difference" shit isn't honest if you are using the proper equipment (1080p TV, an ACTUAL Blu-Ray player,HDMI cable etc.) OR you ARE being honest...and your eyes suck....OR you just take pleasure in downplaying things...which in that case, you are just an asshole
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that 52" plasma TV you are referring to....is it 1080p???....because its only been about a year or two since they introduced a plasma TV capable of 1080p...up until then they ALL ran in 720p or 480p (Blu-Ray dosen't work at 720p)and plasma TVs are eeexpensive (as in...if you can afford a 1080p plasma at 52"s...what is REALLY stopping you from buying Blu-Ray???). actually, if you want your eyes to POP out...watch the National Geographic Documentaries on Blu-Ray...its amazing and easily blows away ANY upscaled DVD you can throw at it, hell...you may think everyday life looks like shit after seeing one of those documentaries.
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I'm not nay-saying nothin'. because i don't give a shit about Blu-Ray, what other people watch or how they spend their hard-earned money. You're just shrill and annoying. There's few things in the world more annoying than a tech-head on a soap box.
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well...it all started with some bullshitter bullshitting all over the place, then he and his little lemming bullshitters can in and started agreeing with each other which means the bullshit-pile was reaching up into the atmosphere at this point...so i stepped in, and force-fed their bullshit back where it belongs...and if i come off as "shrill and annoying", then all i have for you is....get-the-fuck-over-it, have a nice day.
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I cant believe how rabidly some people are defending a demonstrably inferior technology. This "debate" will become moot in a short time. Blu-ray players 1080p TVs and discs will all drop in price within the next few years and the catalog will expand to include more than just crap with a few gems. I am personally excited about diving into high def when it is worth it to me, and I can kick back and watch some Apocalypse Now, Elepahant, Royal Tennenbaums on Blue-ray. P.S.To all those people complaining that the cgi in films is going to look worse, perhaps you should stop watching shitty movies.
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damn...i wasn't even being THAT technical when i was talking about HD and i have no idea what the hell that crap is you are talking about Knobules, i was speaking of the most basic of things involving HIGH-DEFINITION...idiot-proof things, but oh well....if it goes *whoosh* over your head, then oh well...just helping people get their colors and shapes right. i NEVER said or implied i was better than anyone for having Blu-Ray...and if it seems like that, get out more or cry me some big alligator size tears...i dont care.
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I'm kind of wondering whether you DID get Memento if you think that it wrapped up simply. There was a tremendous amount of debate about whether Teddy's assertions about Leonard's past were true or lies; you can answer that question pretty confidently and in fact construct a good deal of their back story by assembling all the clues (and adding an understanding of the neurobiology of memory loss). If I spent hours thinking about the movie (while I was a psych grad student, no less) and figured out lots of stuff that's not obvious to a casual viewer, you can't really put quotes around my "getting" the movie. And that you think the structure is a "gimmick" indicates that you missed the entire point of it, which is to give the viewer the same experience of each scene that Leonard has. It's as far from being a gimmick as it could possibly be: the movie allows you to experience life the way someone with anterograde amnesia would.
(In general, the assertion that there is less to a work of art than claimed by its devotees is always enormously dubious. E.g., folks continue to claim that the Lord of the Rings is just some kind of overgrown kid's story without the depth of "real literature," but folks like Tom Shippey have written hundreds of brilliant pages explicating those supposedly nonexistent depths.
I have no idea what you mean by the "fundamental copout" of The Prestige, a movie I've seen eight times and love nearly as much as the others I've mentioned. It's probably his most accomplished film.
Finally, IMDB user ratings are quite often a better indicator of a film's worth than contemporary critical reception, with the voters then being proved right by time (Fight Club being a prime example). If there had been an IMDB when Blade Runner was released, I have no doubt that IMDB voters would have loved it even as critics savaged it. (Remember that the self-selected geeks at the World Science Fiction convention the next year gave it the Hugo Award for Best SF Movie, over E.T. -- this is very much the same phenomenon.) There are certain films that critics miss and geeks get, and the IMDB score is thus an important cross-check. In my own experience, I've found that any movie that was rated highly by either critics or IMDB voters is well worth seeing, even if it got a lukewarm reception from the other. -
While the films look great in blu, I really loved the animated subtitles, so if you can, check out the HD versions first to get that experience, but maybe watch Night Watch again on DVD to see what is missing. You haven't seen it that way, so it may not make much difference to you, but I have been watching these since importing them long before they were out in North America, so it's how I would have preferred them. They are on 50GB discs, for crisakes !
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...where the antagonists of Blu-Ray see their stuff. Because watching a Blu-Ray disc on a standard definition or even 720p-only TV will not really get the impression across. Try watching a regular DVD on a 40 inch LCD 1080p television, using component cables. Then put it in an upconverting player. Then play the Blu-ray copy. I swear, if you don't think that the difference is staggering then I'll buy you a donut. Of course it would be silly to get a Blu-Ray player if you only have a 27 inch standard def TV. But if you think that 'high def' is just a fad that's going to go away... I hope you're sorely mistaken. And no, I don't spend $35+ on Blu-Ray discs. Did you ever pay 29.99 for a DVD back in the day? Me neither. Prices will drop, and they'll drop faster once basic TV goes digital and more people start to realize what absolute shit quality a standard def TV signal is in. Good lord, I can't even watch Comedy Central anymore. No HD channel. The blurriness makes me sick.
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Better buy me a donut. I have a 40 inch LCD 1080p TV, and while I'd say there's a big difference between a standard definition DVD player and Blu-Ray, a movie upconverted on my PS3 looks pretty damn good compared to the Blu-Ray discs. For example, I own The Assassination of Jesse James on both standard DVD and Blu-Ray. Now I'll admit that the dark scenes (the train robbery) look fucking amazing on Blu-Ray, but a lot of the other scenes are fairly comparable. Same goes for There Will Be Blood. If a standard DVD is mastered in high definition, there is not a huge in difference besides in close up shots, dark shots, and shots with very bright colors. I have the money to enjoy having a Blu-Ray player/PS3, but if people are hesitant to support the format due to the price, they have a valid point.
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Just because people don't see an over-riding need to change to Blu-Ray doesn't mean they're blind, or have never seen a proper HD display. They just might not care that much. I don't; and I've seen a nice, properly set-up HDTV, and... the picture is nice. But a higher resolution picture just isn't worth that much... since the picture from a DVD is 'good enough'.
Right now, cable operators are compressing the heck out of HD cable channels, ruining the picture quality, so that they could fit more channels into the available bandwidth. I bet most consumers approve of that; I'd rather have three DVD-quality channels than one HD-quality channel. -
the picture on an upconverted DVD looks pretty good, I'd say about 80-85% as clear as true HD. Personally, I feel it's a bit 'pound foolish' to spend money on an upconverter (PS3 aside) when Blu-ray players have become almost as affordable. To each their own, of course, but if I'm going to buy a movie I don't own on DVD already, I will almost always go for Blu-ray. The 5-10 dollar difference doesn't bother me as much as the idea of spending cold cash on outdated technology. Also, if cable is compressing HD channels then I'm sure glad I have satellite. What can I say, I'm a quality whore. My dad was one of the three people to truly build a Laserdisc collection, so that should say something. And Bob, your donut is in the mail. Please allow 6-8 weeks for shipping. =D
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correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the vast majority of Blu-ray players ALSO upconvert DVD? So how exactly are you 'losing' by investing an extra $50-$100 to keep up with the technology? Obviously it's a choice you have to make yourself, but don't anyone try to tell me I'm 'wasting my money' because I choose to indulge one of my favorite hobbies with the best that technology has to offer. A side note, how many people have a PS3 and have only used it as a gaming machine once or twice? Guess I need to get MGS4.
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Not to take a dump on anyone in specific, but I feel the communal societal attitude of "meh, good enough" is seriously detrimental to our country and our economy. Of course now it seems like I'm saying if you don't buy Blu-ray you're a terrorist. Which I'm not. o_o; Although if you buy a DVD and the store clerk does drugs, you ARE funding terrorism. =D
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And watching Planet Earth in Blu-ray is like a fucking religious experience. It literally is clearer than your eyes could ever see it if you were really there. Part of which has to do with the fact that the cameras used put EVERYTHING in focus at once (the mountains miles away, the trees thousands of feet away, and the birds flying a hundred feet away), but that's beside the point. I have never watched the Planet Earth series on an upconverted DVD though, because I only bought it in BD, but... Seriously. If there is one set to get in true HD, it's Planet Earth.
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and well-made. I'm sorry, like I said I do love Nolan's stuff, but Memento just didn't do it for me, and for all the subtext and meaning, I just can't be wowed by it. I guess finding it obvious is a subjective thing. To me it was like an ordinary detective story - we all know those things are written backwards, but the art is in hiding the fact. Sure we experience it as the character does, but the same is true of everything viewed through the eyes of the main character, afflicted or not. The memory thing is nothing new and just an extended metaphor for the same mechanism. For me, the relentless building dread as you progress through Irreversible was much more affecting and inextricably linked to the 'gimmick', although would say the opposite. I respect your comments, but that's the way I feel. Fair?
Yeah I loved The Prestige too but what ruined an almost-perfect movie for me was that all the build-up and intricacies of explaining magic were thrown out the window when it came to electricity and the monumental jump with the cloning. I know about irony, subjective views of the characters and so-on and those are all reasonable excuses to weigh it that way but it just left me feeling a bit cheated and that the Nolan's not so much didn't 'play fair' but that they were disingenuous with the dissemination of the information or lack thereof. Yes yes we were 'tricked' etc. but it just didn't wash for me. The problem with trying to articulate it is that the movie is well constructed enough that it will all seem like semantics - but I'll still be left with the same feeling.
The strange thing with this is that Memento left me feeling like that sort of "Prestige-a-like", The Illusionist. The whole way through I was excited as I felt the obvious ending was SO obvious it couldn't POSSIBLY be that - and then it was! Does that make any sense? -
Done that straight sd-to HD comparison of TWBB yet? Of course you haven't. Not that you'd be man enough to admit it anyway, judging from that response.
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If you noticed I WAS talking upscaled SD in the first reply.
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it does mean they're blind when they specifically state their eyes tell them there's a negligible difference if any. I wasn't talking about their wallet.
The best post I saw was further up where the poster (can't find it now) said they have a couple of regular tellies that work fine and won't be replaced with HDTVs and HD players until the current ones cark it. I respect that completely. -
because the "Penelopé Cruz" thing overwhelms any argument I made. Sticking my head in the sand right now. Mmmm. Penelopé...
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Jackie Chan and Jet Li make a movie together for the first time ever, right? And the main character is a white American kid. Clearly that means some asshole in Hollywood declared that they couldn't sell the movie if it was only about Jackie Chan and Jet Li, they would have to center it on an American kid so that American audiences would have someone to relate to, a surrogate, someone to ground them in this world, and all that bullshit.
But then the DVD cover shows only Jackie and Jet. It doesn't list the name of whoever the kid is. The back shows various characters... no kid. So apparently someone (I'm guessing the same asshole who thought up the idea in the first place) now says that they CANNOT sell the movie if it stars some white kid, so they have to keep him off the packaging so that somebody might be tricked into watching the movie at some point later on if they have time.
(Also missing from the front cover: "From the visionary director of The Haunted Mansion and Stuart Little")
Great job, marketing assholes. I mean it - excellent work. You know what, you deserve something nice. Why don't you take a long weekend and use it to go fuck yourself.
(I haven't seen the movie, maybe I will end up liking it, but I have to first forget about the kid being in it before I will rent it.) -
...the left hand doesn't know who the right is wanking off. I had NO idea there was some bullshit 'kid becoming a man' flavor to the flick until a day ago when a friend told me horror stories. Consequently I have very, VERY much lowered expectations... almost to the point that I'm dreading the idea of watching it. Then again, I just bit the bullet and finally watched Eragon. Better than I expected.
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My fave movie this year. One of the few movies in which I knew immediately after viewing that I wanted to own it.
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But then again you can count on one hand the number of musicals that havent been completely terrible
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ever, because Eragon is not much better than that.
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of fucking things up for good instead of evil. The American kid thing in the trailers is EXACTLY why I avoided this, Jackie and Jet notwithstanding. Then I was confused because this didn't jive with the reports I heard that it was "actually pretty good" (while making NO mention of Anganarro). I thought maybe there were two very similar films, one without the kid. Because we know how Hollywood loves sabotaging the potential profit of two movies by having them compete with each other. Fucking dog-in-the-manger bullshit.
Surely marketing folks can put being patronising to some GOOD use? -
I was teetering on the edge of making The Fall and Forbidden Kingdom my first Blu-Ray purchases for a couple of months, on you're reccomdedation, they're winging their way to me as we speak.
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it won't be such a fun word when you realise how awful FK is.
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that you didn't watch any of those 'demos' at Best Buy or some dodgy big retailer did you? A lot of the posts that complain about the stuff looking 'cheap' and 'like video' turn out to be because some bozo at the store tried to hype them on the shitty 200hz scanning that only looks good on sports and text, and is NOT meant or appropriate for feature films.
That's what the 24 frames per second mode is for - theatrical presentations originally projected at - 24 frames a second. Anyway, that's my guess as to why it might have looked lousy. Bloody chain stores... -
Hella cool webseries, check t his out
www.47northproductions.com/Adler-Zenith
I Am the WALRUS!!! -
Who Blu-Ray-Romano? I Always Throw That In These TalkBacks. Poster fartedinthefaceofhollywood, how are you able to spend so much time on this TB? How long are those coffee breaks at Best Buy? How are you farting at Hollywood if you are marching-in-step with Hollywood marketing? HARRY KNOWLES we need an ID after our TB names to designate if we are Regular-DVD or Blu-Ray-Romano. HARRY while you're at it add a 5 minute edit feature and number these posts for quick reference. I guess I could just talk to the wall about it.
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no WORKIE at BEST BUYIE. as ive mentioned before, i dont have to work at Best Buy to get the "Blu-Ray looks better" point across...its OBVIOUS regardless of my career choices.
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not quite, Blu-Ray has nothing to do with the way films are made (all the BULLSHIT in Hollywood in the form of studios GUESSING what we want to see in the hopes of making more money and coming WAY OFF THE MARK gives meaning to my moniker). ...oops...got a customer (stamps out ciggarette runs to sales floor at Best Buy).
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I talked about in the post above? You've got nothing to bost about mate.
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...obviously.
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To the person that asked about three feet further up in this talkback about the aspect ratios for the new Toho double dvd set, Rodan is full frame because that's how it was filmed like the original Godzilla movie. If it was presented widescreen, the top and bottom of the movie would have to be severely cropped. Toho didn't start filming their monster flicks in widescreen until the following year or two after Rodan was released.
On the other hand, War of the Gargantuas is in anamorphic widescreen although the print used is a bit harsh and contrasty-looking compared to the Japanese region 2 dvd released several years ago.
Personally, I liked War of the Gargantuas..... It was one of the last Toho flicks with a really original (if weird) story full of action and decent production values. It was soon after this movie Toho really started cutting back on the effects budget and started a steady decline. -
One of those movies I had no idea what to expect and being pretty blwon away by. Watched it tonight as an impulse rental and while I was a bit bored by the sorta slow pace at the beginning, it really came together during the last third with a strong emotional payoff. And the inventive visuals certainly give Del Toro a run for his money. Highly recommended.
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I think your take is a perfectly valid one and amounts to a disappointment that the movie "turns out to be" science fiction. I think a lot of non-sf fans had the same reaction (and by fans I mean hard-core, i.e. sf is your favorite genre of all, as opposed to people who like sf among many other genres). However, the crucial early scene with Cutter and the judge tells you point-blank that it's going to be sf. Cutter tells the judge that the Machine was built not by a magician, but a wizard, someone who can really do the things magicians pretend to, and not only does Cutter have no motivation to lie, Michael Caine plays the scene with honest terror and dread. So for sf lovers, this was a tipoff that the movie would at some point turn sfnal, and when it did it was a thrill rather than a copout. But I admit that the extent it thrills you is very much a function of your love for improbable sf (in this case, a sub-branch you might call super-steampunk). The only unfair criticism is that the movie blindsides the viewer with the sf twist, when it is in fact set up quite precisely and unmistakably by that scene..
BTW, in understanding that these reactions are half subjective and that multiple ones are valid you have a leg up on 90% of film critics and 95% of talkbackers.
BT other W, The Fall Blu-Ray at 1080i via PS3 component video output (all my system can manage; I was a very early HDTV adopter and don't regret it for a minute) looks great, just shy of stunning. But I'm not surprised, having already seen a proper demo. -
i have one of her-um-"films" in my collection from the olden days when i had two VCR's and was able to tape pornos before that annoying 'copyguard' thing was introduced. it was called 'teenage fantasies'-outstanding! (yes, i was). oh, and the poster above is right. i clicked on the renee bond image and sure enough- "out of stock". fortunately i haven't noticed the same thing going on with old used tv-series dvds. i decided to slowly build up an avengers (rigg only of course) collection by buying one split 7 ep disc per month (i can never afford megasets and get all my bills paid) so i have to do the slow thing....
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there may be a reason why there are no comments on there. i typed a somewhat large paragraph on there, hit post talkback and nothing appeared. must be some kind of script-glitch thing going on. the gist of my post was that both political parties are ass-hats and you might as well vote nader, green party or libertarian party. it's the right thing to do, bitches!
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I don't think I articulated myself very well earlier, because the left-hand turn into sf didn't upset me at ALL. I've had recent rants on here about how most people bellyache about predictable films but bellyache even MORE when the films are NOT predictable. I can't even remember the thread, but I was chastising them using the example of how much they moaned about Vanilla Sky changing its tone/genre. I also used the example of how great it was that for such a supposed thief of a filmmaker, Tarantino's 'gimp' scene showed how refreshing it can be to see something you didn't expect (I'll eat my hat if a single geek predicted that was all going to go down when Bruce stepped into that shop).
Anyway getting back to it I wasn't upset at all with the sf 'twist'. For crying out loud, isn't the opening shot a whole bunch of cats and (in?!) hats - trying to remember here but yeah - how could you not know something strange was up? I love the whole thing with the clones vs the twins and all. Where I thought it was completely unfair was that it plays dirty in setting the whole structure of the film to follow the initial demystification/explanation of magic. Then cops out completely by not bothering to explain the electricity and cloning stuff the same way/with any sort of equality. SO yes, I think it's a copout. Not because of the sci-fi, but in being so on-the-nose about explaining how illusions work, both literally and in the very fabric of the film itself. But then having these same characters throw up their hands when it comes to that stuff saying "Well we don't understand it - it's REAL magic!" which I may have gone with (yes I see the irony and know Arthur C. Clarke's quote), but to then jump from not explaining that on any quantifiable level to leapfrogging instantly all the way to CLONING and not explain that either for fuck's sake? Mmm. Slightly unfair. IMO.
Like I say, it wasn't the sci-fi that burned me or not guessing the ruse in time, and I can see that it's an arguably valid stance to take from the view of the characters themselves. And hey, like I say I WANTED to love it, and I'm envious of those who did, including you. I don't begrudge those who adored it. I just didn't think it played fair in that crucial storytelling aspect. -
I'm quite happy with my trusty Walkman, but I'm hearing a lot of buzz about this iPod gizmo. Worth checking out? Or will it be obsolete by November?
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That's a really interesting, and I think 100% valid take. I think it's true that the movie treats the magic with rigor, while Tesla's duplicating machine (the cloning is just a side-effect of the duplication) is presented to us with just a "well, Tesla was a genius and could have built such a machine," which is of course absurd. And it is also true that the rigor of the way the magic is treated is completely different from the hand-waving arbitrariness of the sf. That you find the two to *clash*, and that the sf then feels like a copout, is a subjective response and of course a perfectly valid one ... it didn't and doesn't bother me in the least, and I'll be darned if I can articulate why not. I do know that what I love most about the movie has little to do with any of that, but is rather the emotional payoff involving the reunion of the "level-headed" twin and his (their?) daughter, and the fact that this is only graspable on a second viewing.
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This has got to be a TB first!
And yet, as ludicrous as an AT-AT is even under the internal logic of a universe with anti-gravity vehicles, we ALL still love that one. Even if most of the plebs don't get that it's more about the EMOTIONAL logic and fear of being trampled under the feet of a cold uncaring elephantine beast.
Finally, yeah - Bale's character sure woulda been fucked if he didn't just happen to already be an identical twin, eh? ;) -
Was it in The Prestige or The Illusionist that there was some scene with like a ghost of a kid or something that made no sense? I gotta watch both those things again - and buy a better memory..,.
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no no no....i DONT work at Best Buy, i was joking. sorry, sarcasm is diffacult to express sometimes.
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Phew... yes deadpan too is hard to pull off here without getting flamed...
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