: What are you watching on DVD these days?



Black Hawk Down
2007-07-23, 05:44 PM
A good action movie.Video and audio are awesome on my Toshiba-A2.I watched the standard dvd and it was very clean.There are some great explosions through out the movie and there is good use of the rear speakers during most of the action scenes.

Nanuuk
2007-07-23, 08:21 PM
Premonition - Sandra Bullock plays a housewife that wakes to a different reality each day during a period of her life. Her happy family life is subjected to marital strains, but is complicated by what is real and what is not.

I found this to be a fascinating film, but hard to follow (my wife figured it out, but I didn't). There were numerous flash backs, each day day a different reality. The movie was a vehicle for Sandra Bullock and I thought she was very good as a confused and distraught mother and wife. All in all, I would give this a thumbs up (even though i had trouble following the time line).

Nels Stewart
2007-07-25, 01:56 AM
Live Free or Die - Not to be confused with the Bruce Willis summer blockbuster, a couple of ex-writers from Seinfeld call in a few favours to make their directorial debut in this low-budget comedy about a hapless small-time hustler in New Hampshire who tries to make himself out as a big-time bad guy, with some tragic consequences. The film has a few darkly comic moments, and it has some of that slightly off-kilter Seinfeld touch, but the nascent filmmakers would do well to invest some more money in lights for those night scenes. Not a hidden gem by any stretch, but not a waste of 89 minutes of my life either.

cyclo
2007-07-25, 08:04 PM
Shinobi - Heart Under Blade I have already seen the "Chinese" version of this Japanese film and liked it so I bought this North American version when I saw it at FS. Story is about how Imperial advisers hatched a plan to destroy 2 great ninja clans (Koga and Iga) by forcing them to fight to the death. For fans of Martial Arts films this is an excellent dvd... The 5.1 sound is pretty good too... I watched the dubbed English version.

The Illusionist Another good movie where a magician and the heir to the throne duke it out because of a woman.

Nels Stewart
2007-07-27, 03:03 AM
Renaissance - A stylish animated film set in Paris in 2054 about a super detective on the trail of a geneticist who's been kidnapped by thugs unknown and for reasons to be revealed over the course of the investigation. The film is in black and white, literally; the animation is all in black and white, no shades of grey. It looks quite striking, but once you get past the style, there's not a whole lot of substance to the plot.

The film is in French, with English subtitles, but there's also an English dub track that matches quite well.

Worth checking out if you're in the mood for something different.

eljay
2007-07-31, 11:52 PM
Black Snake Moan - Lazarus is an ex-bluesman, recently abandoned by his wife and living in isolation. Rae is a nymphomaniac, trying desperately to control her inner demons and lost without her boyfriend. When Lazarus finds her, beaten and left for dead on the road by his house, he takes her in to help her recover from her injuries. Upon learning of her affliction, he decides to help her overcome it and embrace a new life. The process is cathartic for both of them but, in the end, the only real cure is love.

It's an interesting and somewhat gritty film with decent performances from the main players...and a lot of screen time devoted to Christina Ricci in various states of undress. :p Unfortunately, the overall story is a little thin and unsatisfying.

Did I mention Christina Ricci? :D

JesseJ
2007-08-01, 01:03 AM
300 - Sound was great. Video on SD-upcon was very good.
I hope this gets some nods for cinematography come Oscar season.

Nanuuk
2007-08-01, 10:30 AM
Jesse, would it be worth spending a few extra bucks for an BR version?

kgeorge78
2007-08-01, 11:06 AM
300 - Sound was amazing.

Movie was a bit overratted. I'd take Gladiator or Troy or even Kingdom of HEaven over 300.

I just wasnt crazy about it but it gave my Sub a great workout.

JesseJ
2007-08-01, 12:52 PM
Yes, that is a worthy jump to HD.

Black Hawk Down
2007-08-01, 09:43 PM
If you want to give your sub a workout watch this movie.It's a horror/sci-fi movie about a spaceship that reappears seven years after it lost contact.The movie is good but the audio is great.There are several scenes that will rattle the walls.It's worth a rental.

Black Hawk Down
2007-08-01, 09:52 PM
I watched 300 upconverted on my hddvd player and it looked good.I'm going to rent it in hd to see the difference before I purchase the dvd.I was in Rogers tonight and they had it for sale.It was the first time I've seen them for sale at Rogers.They also had some blu-ray copies for sale.There was a selection of movies for sale in both hddvd and blu-ray but no rentals. Jumbo video has both blu-ray and hddvd for rent but they have none for sale.

eljay
2007-08-01, 11:55 PM
Snakes on a Plane - On a red-eye flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles, poisonous snakes - put there by the bad guys to kill an eyewitness under FBI custody - threaten the lives of every stereotype on board.

The movie tries to blend quasi-drama and '70s campy comedy, but it ends up just being ridiculous.

skypilot
2007-08-03, 04:52 PM
Shooter- Very enjoyable movie, especially the mechanics behind the whole sniper set-up.

Deliver Us From Evil- Abosolutely chilling documentary of the many abuses/rapings carried out by The Rev. Oliver O'Grady, RC Priest in CA, over a period of some thirty years! As hard as this was to watch, I feel it's a must-see. As an ordained minister (Anglican), I felt the gut-wrenching betrayal and anger of the wounded and abused by someone whom they trusted entirely; I especially felt anger toward the Catholic institution for its lack of courage and authenticity along to way to properly address this epidemic of suffering. Shame! :mad:

Zodiac- Intelligent movie about the Zodiac killings in CA in the 60's-70's. Although it doesn't deliver a final hurrah moment--and instead leaves you lingering as a viewer--it's worth a view.

300- So much already said about this movie. I am curious about Black Hawk Down's comparison between the upconverted and Blu-ray versions?

MAXAM
2007-08-04, 11:06 AM
PAN'S LABYRINTH:
I'm really not into fantasy but this movie was highly recommended by my son and his wife. I wasn't disappointed. It was beautifully shot and the special effects were excellent!
I just played the the Quick Time trailer at 720p and one might get the idea from it that it might be a good kids' movie if you didn't notice the "R" rating. This is definitely not a Disney-like film! It has many frightening images that are not suitable for children.

YOU, ME AND DUPREE:
A mildly amusing comedy that I didn't finish watching. After an hour, I shut it off as it wasn't getting any better.

eljay
2007-08-04, 10:44 PM
300 - Three hundred Spartans (and 6,700 other uncredited soldiers) fight to defend Greece from a simpering, effeminate Persian ruler and his fabulous army.

I expected slick, stylized imagery, some very cool CGI, a certain amount of jingoism and relatively little substance - and that's essentially what the movie delivered. I bet Dick and Dubya got woodies watching it, though. :)

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Comment regarding PQ: I noticed a surprising (and, occasionally, distracting) amount of "mosquito noise" at various times throughout the movie.

skypilot
2007-08-05, 04:14 PM
Hot Fuzz- An over-the-top, intelligent, and immensely entertaining Brit-comedy. Hilarious, too, with great action.

james99
2007-08-05, 05:30 PM
Watched the HD DVD version of Hot Fuzz last night. A little long, last 30 minutes was a little silly and over the top but a decent flick.

In regards to 300, how does it compare to the original movie?

eljay
2007-08-05, 07:19 PM
Are you referring to 1962's The 300 Spartans? My guess is that the new movie bears almost no resemblance to the earlier version other than the core plot. I haven't seen the '62 version, but I am tempted to rent it.

james99
2007-08-05, 07:54 PM
Yes, the 300 Spartans.

I'm told the new movie was inspired by the original movie. Not sure how close the stories are.

It does get decent reviews and is cheap.