Coming to America - 6/10 - that is using the new ratings system. The quality was better than DVD for sure, but really nothing stood out except in the beginning when they were in Zumunda and the high def quality made it look really bad. Still a funny movie and worth a rent.
I bought 310 to Yuma yesterday on Blu-ray. I'll let you all know what I think after I watch it tomorrow.
I saw Premonition last night. Weird movie. I give it a 6.5. It looked good but it's not a must see by any means. If you really wanna check it out I say rent it. Tonight's feature is Good Night and Good Luck. Expect the review tomorrow as long as I see it tonight.
I took in two Blu-Rays in the last couple of days: Rescue Dawn - true story about pilot Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) who, during the Vietnam War in 1965, was shot down 45 minutes into his first (secret) mission over Laos. Captured and held in a very remote secret prison camp, he plots and executes a clever escape, and soon realizes that the surrounding jungle is the real prison. Well-acted and engaging. The transfer is pretty good--though not quite the 'picture window' quality of the best. There's a lot of extras on the disk as well. One notable feature is a scrollable Vietnam War Memorial, a few dozen of the names on which can be clicked to bring up some biographical data on those particular fallen soldiers. Film: 8, Disk: 7.5. Recommended. Con-Air - former Army Ranger Cameron Poe (Nicholas Cage), imprisoned for accidentally killing a man in a parking lot brawl, is finally flying home to see his wife and daughter. The problem? His flight home is full of the worst of the worst prisoners, led by Cyrus the Virus (John Malkovitch), who are being transferred to a new prison...and they take over the plane. A U.S. marshall (John Cusack) senses an ally in Poe and seeks his help in re-capturing the prisoners. What can Poe do? "I'm gonna save the day," he says. Good fun and some interesting supporting characters make this actioner enjoyable, but don't think about that plot too much (Is Carson City, Nevada really on the way to Lousiana from Alabama? How does Cusack's character get between the various places [Alabama, Vacaville, Fresno, the California desert] so quickly?). Good though not quite great transfer and a few extras make the Blu-Ray worthwhile. Film: 7.5, Disk: 7.
http://www.wordforge.net/showpost.php?p=1446946&postcount=39 I believe there's a separate thread on it somewhere (edit: here it is). Yes, Blade Runner on Blu-Ray is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Not only does the movie look absolutely pristine, but some of the more dodgy effects have been cleaned up...but don't worry: this isn't a George Lucas "look at me! look at me!" edition; the new effects you'll probably never notice...you just won't notice the old crummy effects that used to be there. The Blade Runner set gets my vote as best Blu-Ray of the year.
This morning I picked up the Spiderman trilogy on blu ray. I purchased it for $69.99 for the three pack from Fry's. That seemed to be a relatively reasonable price to especially for receiving three blu ray movies. I just finished watching the first Spiderman movie. I haven't seen it in years! I really enjoyed getting to see it again. The transfer for it into blu ray was done really well. It is kind of interesting, though. The disc doesn't contain any extras on like the original DVD release did.
I'm watching 2.1 as we speak now. Of the three my favorite is actually Spiderman 2. This will be the first time that I've seen the 2.1 version of it. I'm not surprised that 3 is the cleanest transfer.
I watched Eight Below in blu ray today. I saw this movie when it was at the theatres and loved it so when I came across at Sam's Club I decided to buy it. I'm a sucker for dogs so I have to give this movie an 8/10. It has a pretty good transfer rate plus I enjoy the story.
Ocean's 13 - 8.5 for looks, 7.5 for the movie Good Night and Good Luck - 7.5 for both Superbad - 7.5 for both Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - 9/10 for looks, 6.5/10 for the movie
The Game Plan: Very cute movie and definitely a change for The Rock from what he has acted in traditionally. 7/10.
Deja Vu - You guys should definitely see this! But don't read the back of the box, and try to avoid all plot summaries. Looks: Average. Not that many special effects. Movie: I don't want to give ANYTHING away, and it works better going in not knowing anything about it. You do need to suspend disbelief somewhat, but that's movies. (duh) 8/10
I watched Blade Runner the final cut this evening. Boy the memories that this movie brings back. I have to admit that I'm relatively impressed at how well the movie transfered into blu ray. Especially considering the age of the movie.
I finally got Blade Runner the other day and I agree that it cleaned up very well but the movie was not as good as I remember. Paladin, what is your favorite cut of the movie?
It was a very 80's movie in my opinion. I have only watched the final cut. I"m planning on watching one of the other versions tonight.
Different strokes for different folks. But I like it more each time I see it... I'm going to go with the Final Cut (though I haven't watched the 'Work Print' version, yet). I agree with the critics that the theatrical version bites for two reasons: the voiceover is stupid and redundant, and the happy ending seems VERY out-of-place. The director's cut fixes these two problems, but it is still stuck with a few dodgy effects and some on-screen problems: obvious stuntwoman crashing through glass, blood on Deckard's face BEFORE he fights Leon [scenes were shot per the script in one order, the film was ultimately edited with the scenes shown in the opposite order], unsynchronized lips and audio in the snakedealer scene, and the incongruous blue sky when the dove flies off at the end. The final cut fixes all of that, although it does still have the nonsense with the unicorn--I DON'T CARE WHAT RIDLEY SCOTT SAYS, DECKARD IS NOT, NOT, NOT A REPLICANT!!! Blade Runner isn't a perfect film, but it does have some great performances (how many films leave you sad when the villain dies?) and some stunning visuals. I think it is a truly great film, though, because viewing it always leaves me wondering about what it is to be human...
A couple of quick hits: The Brave One - kindof a revamped 'Death Wish' with Jodie Foster as a crime victim turned vigilante, whose friendship with the cop investigating the killings she commits threatens to expose her. Raises some issues of moral ambiguity, but everyone who gets iced in this one really has it coming. Well-acted and avoids expected cliches. The final twist at the end is just marginally believable if you've really paid attention to the dialog; I think it detracts from the film. Transfer is good, though not quite great, and there's not a whole lotta extras. Film: 7/10, Disk: 6.5/10. Crimson Tide - you've probably seen it: set on an American nuclear submarine during a crisis in Russia and out of contact with its chain of command, first officer Denzel Washington disputes captain Gene Hackman's order to launch nuclear missiles, leading to a mutiny. You might just find yourself agreeing with both men's point of view--as it should be in a movie about mutinies. Transfer is decent, though you've seen better, and there's a few standard-def goodies on the disk. Film: 7.5/10, Disk: 6/10.
Another quick one: Gone Baby Gone - the first feature directed by Ben Affleck stars his younger brother Casey as a Boston detective who uses his knowledge of the underside of the neighborhood to help the police find a missing little girl. Just when you think you know what's going on in this story, it pulls the rug out from under you and makes you re-interpret what you've seen--TWICE! You won't know what's really happened until the very end, when the detective learns all and must make the choice between what is good and what is right. With great acting, a compelling story, interesting and colorful characters, and a feeling of really occupying the Boston neighborhoods in which it happens, Gone Baby Gone is a truly excellent film. Terrific supporting cast including Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. The transfer here is very solid though it doesn't quite rank with the best and the extras include a commentary by Ben Affleck (haven't listened to it yet), deleted scenes, and a small 'behind the scenes' featurette. Highly recommended. Film: 8.5/10, Disk: 7.5/10.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - a young wannabe outlaw, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), manages to join the gang of his idol, Jesse James (Brad Pitt). But as the law chases them around the country, Jesse's paranoia leads him to kill his former friends and leaves Ford with an opportunity for immortality. But Ford soon discovers that, even if Jesse was a very bad man, the public doesn't forgive you for killing a legend. This movie is more character study than western actioner, and its a long, slow build leading up to Ford's infamous betrayal...but it's pretty well worth it. Well-acted all around, special praise has to go to Affleck for another great performance to set alongside 'Gone Baby Gone'; here he wonderfully transitions from idealistic wannabe to disillusioned criminal and, finally, to tormented celebrity. Sam Rockwell and Sam Shepard are both effective in supporting roles. The film climaxes with the titular assassination but, since it's Ford's story, it has to go on a little too long afterwards. The Blu-Ray transfer is pretty good but not the best I've seen and there's nothing in the way of extras. Film: 7.5/10, Disk: 5.0/10.
Ultraviolet - I'd heard this movie was awful from about everyone who's ever mentioned it, but I wanted to give it a chance since I enjoyed Equilibrium so much. Unlike that movie, this one was about as bad as has been mentioned. Ultraviolet really only had two things going for it. The credits were pretty nifty, and Milla Jovavich was pretty hot. The movie felt largely like a slightly bigger budget rehash of Equilibrium. Right down to the predictable twist at the end with the villain. (They actually had a scene where they gave it away earlier, so why waste time on the big reveal at the end?) This time around, the hero has some sort of spatial distortion technology that allows for even crazier gun fights. The movie is pretty CGI heavy in parts, but the quality isn't that great. Blu-Ray probably makes this movie look worse since the flaws are more apparent. Like in Equilibrium, there's an evil empire that controls folks. Instead of emotions, they're concerned about a virus that's turned folks into vampires. Milla Jovovich works in a lab and contracts the disease. There's also a kid who 's created in a lab that's key to either wiping out the vampires or curing them. Most of the movie revolves around this plot, but it's largely just a way to string together a bunch of silly action scenes and terrible one liners. 4/10. Milla Jovovich is about the only reason it's worth watching.
You can check the status of your free movies here: https://portal.archway.com/run/Lookup?key=BVISTA or by phone (800) 723-4763. Not sure if that works for folks in Canada, though. I have no idea how long it actually ends up taking. I sent away for them about two months ago now. When I check the website, it says they still don't have any information on my order. Frankly, other than Superman, most of the others to choose from were fairly shitty, so it's not a total loss.
I'll watch Ultraviolet whenever Best Buy mail in rebate division gets off their rears and actually delivers my five remaining blu ray dvd's.
Over America - this disk is a collection of hi-def aerial shots of notable and scenic American landmarks. Good selection and cross section of clips--from Washington D.C. to Mount McKinley--but the footage seems to be from a few years back: the World Trade Center figures prominently in the New York segment. A look at the copyright shows this to be a 1995(!!!) production. The video also isn't the most eye-popping, picture-window clear HD I've seen; I think it's 720p upconverted to 1080p. Tom Skeritt narrates. Not a bad deal for $15, but unless the material really interests you, I'd say pass. 6.0/10. The Justice League: The New Frontier - having seen the previews for this one, I was really excited about it. It's a pre-Justice League Justice League tale, set in the mid-1950s, focussing mainly on two elements: Hal Jordan's journey from reluctant Korean War fighter pilot to member of the Green Lantern corps; and J'onn J'onzz's evolution from Martian immigrant to Martian Manhunter. Some good bits abound (Superman rescuing Hal Jordan, the Flash vs. Captain Cold, Batman's remark about having a $70,000 sliver of meteorite to "take care of the one from Metropolis"), but otherwise, this is a mess. Where to begin? For one, there's too many stories going on here--not just Hal and J'onn, but secondary ones with other characters, and none of them feels fully developed. Second, there seems to be some kind of critique of the 50s U.S. government here, but it's so poorly put together, I'm not really even sure what it's about; is it an attack on foreign policy during the Eisenhower years? a denouncement of MacCarthyism? some veiled reference to the current political situation? Whatever it is, it's never really fleshed out, so it doesn't resonate. Third, the heavy hitters of the Justice League are poorly used: Batman is little more than an add-on to the J'onn story (although their interaction is interesting), Wonder Woman gets critically wounded BEFORE the climactic battle (prompting Superman to yell for a "Medic!" no less), and Superman gets KO'd early in the fighting, only showing up at the end, rescued by Aquaman (whose only purpose in the story is to fetch Supes' unconscious body from the bottom of the ocean, apparently). The villain--the Centre--is ancient, powerful, and intriguing but his powers--the ability to control minds and to launch dinosaur(!!!) attacks--aren't really explained. Some of the art is really cool, though in a certain minimalist style, and the image looks great on Blu-Ray. A whole that is considerably less than its parts. Unless you REALLY love the Justice League, skip it. 5.5/10.
Lost Season 3 I got the set for $39.99 through one of those single day sales on Amazon back in Jan. The picture quality was amazing as promised in many of the online reviews. Now I have seen Lost in HD broadcast before but the Blu-Ray version still blew me away. You can count the number of freckles on Evangeline Lilly's face. You can see all the fine details of textures on variety of objects. They sure made some very convincing cuts and bruises makeup. The island also provides plenty of scenery to show off in the crisp and clean high resolution. My favorite picture in terms of pure artistic value would be the close up still shots of people's eyes especially Emille de Ravin's beautiful blue eyes. On SD you just can't see all the details of the Iris. Without that the eyes look dull and life less but on Blu-Ray it's the complete opposite. As for the content itself well obviously if you are already an avid Lost watcher then you know exactly what is going on so I don't have to tell you much about it. If you are completely new to Lost then you might want to catch up with Season 1 and 2 first because you would be completely lost if you don't. For audio there is the standard Dolby Digital plus track and an uncompressed PCM track for those who has a HDMI-capable receiver. Picture Quality: 9/10 ---> Only some blemishes like excessive grain in certain dark scenes. Audio Quality: 10/10 ---> 100% fidelity with the uncompressed PCM track. Extras: N/A ----> I am too lazy to watch the extras.
