Big update with more to come!

National Treasure - Fun lmovie, with some history thrown in. Kind of modern day Indy Jones, set in the US. I still like Cage, no matter what he's in it seems. Video was good, as was the audio.

Life Aquatic - I didn't finish it, but it was a good movie. Wes Anderson makes great quirky movies. The new type of filmmaker that also takes a first hand approach in writing always has a different feel than the straight director/writer role (see: Guy Richie, Shyamalan, Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers) Wes makes his movies fun, and funny as heck!

Spanglish - James L. Brooks needs to make more movie. Plain and simple. You recognize his name from The Simpsons credits, and you realize that he does have a funny bone, while at the same time creating deep characters and meaning. Great movie!

Team America - Second time around for me. It's even better than the first time, especially that 've got it back on my TV than the 13" thing I watched it on the first time. The transfer is great, and some scenes really look 3D in this one. The sound is great as well, with lots of surrounds and LFE!

I've also bought The Aviator, Sling Blade (Sp. Ed.), Apollo 13, but haven't watched them yet. Some movies are also on MCHD/MC that I want to see, sitting on the pvr.

...sounds like you need to quit your job?

I watched my newly arrived R2/Germany edition of Hitchcock's Topaz last night. This edition, while open-matte, is the shorter theatrical cut, and most importantly features a different, more satisfying ending than all other available DVD editions.

Though Topaz is not one of Hitchcock's more highly regarded efforts, this complicated tale of cold war intrigue is wonderfully shot, with moments of great suspense. Very underrated, IMO.

I liked Topaz. I guess I have a thing for spy / cold war movies. I think Topaz is part of the Masterpiece Collection coming out in the Fall. The version I have includes alternative endings. Which ending is on the R2 version and was the movie dubbed in German?

On another note, watched Sunset Boulevard which I recently picked up on DVD. Great movie.

The German version has the "suicide ending". I've got a Phillips player that's easily hacked for multi-region. I put the German disc in and it started right up with an English menu. No dubbing or subtitle worries. I also ordered the German "Early Years" set.

I saw Topaz on release back in '69 and was always quite partial to it. The theatrical cut that played across Canada featured the "suicide ending", and I can't imagine the movie any other way.

What turns up now on DVD, except in Germany it seems, is the so-called "director's cut"... 20 minutes longer and featuring the "airport ending".

I guess everyone's mileage will vary on which ending they like best. It's one thing to see an alternate ending piecemeal, as part of the special features, but something else again to see it intact as part of the movie.

I was kinda shocked when I first watched the R1 disc with a different ending, and knew if I was ever gonna enjoy this movie again I would have to seek out a different cut. I got clued in to the German edition about a year ago and finally decided it was time to place the order. The fact that it's open-matte doesn't phase me.

edit: link to Amazon.de
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005NPMV/qid=1121088527/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/028-3895753-4495711

We've just started The Dead Zone (Season 1) -- a purchase based only on the positive reviews I had seen, we had never seen an episode. We recently watched the (earlier-released) movie , and really enjoyed it, and after reading the positive reviews re: the tv series, had to go for it. Great stuff, sure happy with the decision!! Sure glad, as I have Seasons 2 and 3 waiting 'in the wings' to be viewed!! :D

Flyerman -- A Canadian documentary about some dude in Toronto who makes his living handing out flyers, trying to entice people to come to his photo studio to get head shots done so they can be cast as extras in movie productions. The summary on the box sounded compelling, but mostly Flyerman turned out to be a vain a**, and the filmmakers never seem to address that he's basically ripping people off, as he has absolutely no connections to the film industry, so none of the people who respond to his flyers have a hope of getting into the background of any movie.

Suspect Zero - Aaron Eckhart plays an FBI agent on the trail of a vigilante (Ben Kingsley) who hunts down serial killers. The premise behind Kingsley's character (a former FBI agent trained in remote viewing) is interesting, but the movie itself is a bit of a dull mess.

Too bad - I was really hoping for something good.

Gunner Palace -- My local Blockbuster seems to have made a conscious effort to bring in some interesting docs lately, and this is one of the better ones. A Seattle filmmaker spends some time with Bravo Battery, who are stationed for a year in one of the palaces Sadam built for one of his wives. Amidst the shattered opulence they compose rap songs, host pool parties and just try to stay alive by keeping an eye out for RPG's, roadside bombs, flying rocks. Some funny moments and some remarkably candid comments by some of the soldiers. A timely look at the chaos and mayhem that is post-war Iraq.

I watched Hide and Seek last night, starring Robert Deniro. Not a great movie. It was ok. I found the progression of scenes sometimes made no sense and the many things were not explained all that clearly. There was very poor character development too, to the point where at times I could care less what to them.

I also watched The Woodsman starring Kevin Bacon. This was a good movie and in stark contrast to the one above had incredible character development to the point where you could identify with them..understand what they were thinking and the pain they were in (...obviously I dont agree with anything that he did). A bit slow at times but a good movie.

Gunner Palace -- My local Blockbuster seems to have made a conscious effort to bring in some interesting docs lately, and this is one of the better ones.

I saw Gunner Palace as well and thought it was a great documentary. It shows the war in Iraq from the soldier’s perspective. This aspect isn't usually focused on in the mainstream media or other political documentaries. The soldiers who are interviewed and followed around give their varying personal opinions and feelings on the war.

The soldiers discuss the ways military combat in Iraq have emotionally, mentally, and physically affected them. Some of the soliders also talk about how the experience has changed or altered views and beliefs that were previously held.

My son loaned me "Fubar". Interesting concept for a film...

"Give 'er."

I watched Blue Velvet over the weekend. Some great scenes in this movie, a few of them worthy of Hitchcock, and incredible performances from Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini.

Saw it at the Film Festival years ago. Dynamite movie. Isabella Rosellini was both beautiful and a stand-out performer.

I'm so behind in movies. Watched Sideways and felt it was okay and then last night watched Harold and Kumar (its on in HD on TMN) which I was amused by.

Isabella Rosellini was both beautiful and a stand-out performer.
Lynch really put her through the wringer in this movie. Difficult to watch at times.

Liked Blue Velvet as well, and the other David Lynch movies seen.

And speaking of Lynch, we're presently into Twin Peaks (the 1990-91 tv series). Missed this, and have always wished to see it. Picked up the set last weekend -- have viewed 4 of the 7 episodes so far and we're sure enjoying it. Lynch sure has a way of making things "complicated, weird, and interesting". Good stuff.

Here's a review: www.tvshowsondvd.com/sitereviews.cfm?ReleaseID=580

Has anyone seen the new series "The 4400" yet? Season 1 is available on DVD to buy or rent at Blockbuster. It's only 5 episodes and season 2 is now airing on USA network and is supposed to be back in Canada this fall. It's about 4400 people that have disappeared over the course of the 20th century and have all been returned back to earth at the same time in the present. Many having special abilities up on their return. Unknown to them at the beginning they are back to change the course of history to prevent mankind's destruction. Definitely different from the usual network dreck on tv these days.

Re: The 4400. Wouldn't classify it as 'ground-breaking' sci-fi stuff, but we watched Season 1 via the dvd set, and quite enjoyed it. Haven't seen any of Season 2.

The 4400 was much discussed when it origianlly aired in the US. I'm sure a thread exists somewhere. I believe it may have received an Emmy nomination the other day.

Season 2 thread is here:

http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25728&highlight=4400

I rented "Pulp Fiction SE" even though I have the original non-anamorphic first release.

The PQ improvement is outstanding and a dts track is nice too.

One of those flicks you can watch over and over again.

The Hulk - No synopsis required.

When I initially saw it, I liked the comic book elements - the Hulk himself, the split-screen work, the bigger-than-life battles, etc. - and I really liked Jennifer Connelly. The pacing, though, especially at the start, was rather slow. (This seems to be a common criticism of the movie.)

Having watched it again on the weekend, I didn't find the pacing to be quite as slow and, more importantly, I thought the plot progression and character development were quite good and steady throughout. The CGI was still very cool, the audio kicked...and I really liked Jennifer Connelly. :D