The Thing (2011) - A team of scientists based in the Antarctic stumbles upon a mysterious spaceship buried deep below the frigid surface for thousands of years. Nearby, they discover a perfectly-preserved alien body which - left entombed in a block of ice - they return to the base for subsequent transport back to America for research purposes. Unable to restrain his curiosity, one of the scientists unwisely bores into the ice to retrieve a small sample from the frozen creature, inadvertently reviving it and unleashing a nightmare of carnage and destruction upon the occupants of that base and, if they fail to stop it, possibly onto the rest of the world.

Comments: My wife and I weren't expecting much from this movie, but it turned out to be reasonably thrilling and entertaining. The creature - in its various iterations - was wonderfully creepy and, at times, downright grotesque. Cool. :cool:

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were very good.

12 Monkeys - In the late 20th century, a virus is unleashed - reputedly by an organization known as the 12 Monkeys - that kills 5 billion people, contaminates the surface of the Earth and drives the remainder of the human race underground. Decades later, convict James Cole - in exchange for the promise of a full pardon - agrees to be sent back in time to locate and to return to the future a pure sample of that virus, so that an antidote can be formulated. Cole's initial, and inadvertent, visit to 1990 triggers a series of events which, once he finds himself correctly "re-directed" to 1996, resolve themselves in a most unexpected way.

Comments: Despite an interesting concept, a decent story and some solid acting from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, this quirky Gilliam flick (does he make any other kind?) suffers from story-telling and pacing that are a bit uneven, and from a run time that's about a half hour too long. That being said, it has held up pretty well since I first (and last) saw it in 1995, and it was worth the re-visit.

Blu-ray: PQ was clean but not particularly noteworthy. AQ was a bit hollow/thin sounding at times, but reasonably well-balanced and, overall, acceptable.

The Grey - A small group of Alaskan oil workers survive a crash in the Arctic wilderness, only to find themselves with few supplies, at the mercy of a harsh environment...and hunted by a pack of wolves that is determined to kill them all.

Comments: Good story potential is completely squandered by a series of laughably improbable situations, as well as uninteresting characters and dialogue. What a disappointment!

Blu-ray: PQ was very good, with muted tones and grain that gave it a bleak, rugged look and feel. The immersive and dynamic AQ was excellent.

Paul - While on tour in America to attend a comic-con and to visit some well-known ET sites, Graeme and Clive - a couple of British sci-fi nerds - are surprised and then befriended by Paul, a long-stranded extraterrestrial who is trying to reach the rendezvous point where a ship awaits to take him home. Graeme and Clive are willing to help their new friend, but getting him to his destination won't be easy: Government agents are on his tail, and the head of the secret ET project would prefer to see Paul dead rather than free.

Comments: This was a very silly, but surprisingly enjoyable comedy.

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were very good.

Agreed elijay on your Dragon tatoo review. Far prefer the original. Especially the way it handles the last 30 minutes compared to the remake.

Like Crazy - Jacob and Anna fall in fall, but their blossoming relationship is put in peril by the expiry of Anna's student visa. When she makes the impulsive decision to stay a couple of extra months, there are implications for their lives together that will test their love.
Like Crazy is a heartbreaking little film about the fragility of first love that is fueled by fine performances by Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones.
The PQ is a bit of a mixed bag, likely due to the different filming styles used in various points in the film. But for the most part it looks great.
AQ is nice, with subtle use of the surrounds to create atmosphere in restaurants, clubs and parks.

I watched the whole series on Planet Earth and Life. That was remarkable on a 63" 1080 LCD going through a high-end Yamaha receiver and a PS3.

The sound and video or so realistic you feel like you are right there.

Watched W.E. on my Samsung 50 inch Plasma using my Fat 80 Gig PS3.

Bridesmaids - Thirty-something Annie is financially-strapped after the bakery she owned went bust, she hates her new job, and she hates the unsatisfying sexual relationship she's in but which she can't bring herself to end. She hasn't got much of a social life, either, except with Lillian, her long-time and best friend, who's about to get married. Lillian asks Annie to be her maid of honour and to organize a series of pre-wedding social events. Annie agrees, but immediately finds a rival - as an organizer and as a candidate for Lillian's best-friendship - in Helen, a wealthy socialite and one of the five bridesmaids. As her planned events either misfire or are upstaged by Helen's, Annie finds herself increasingly isolated from Lillian and in even greater financial straits. Broke, living with her estranged mother and having foolishly blown a chance at a meaningful relationship with Nathan - a kind, if somewhat goofy, police officer - Annie hits rock bottom. But thanks to an aggressive, heart-felt pep-talk from Megan - a bridesmaid and Lillian's soon-to-be sister-in-law - Annie realizes that she has to take control of her own life. Back on her feet, she sets out to make amends with Lillian, to restore a dear friendship; and with Nathan, to hopefully find love.

Comments: Although it has been compared to "The Hangover", this chick-flick comedy doesn't come close to being as good. The story felt awkwardly contrived, the humour and pacing were uneven - which caused some scenes to drag - and the run time was a good half hour too long. That being said, it was, overall, modestly entertaining and it featured a terrific off-kilter performance by Melissa McCarthy.

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were very good.

The Adventures of Tintin - A mysterious note hidden in the mast of a model ship launches young investigative reporter Tintin and his faithful dog, Snowy, on an adventure involving a nefarious pirate and a long-lost, treasure-laden ship, the Unicorn. Along the way, Tintin finds a new friend in the dipsomaniacal Captain Haddock - descendant of the Unicorn's captain, Francis Haddock - and a dangerous enemy in Ivan Sakharine - descendant of the pirate, Red Rackham - both of whom are fated to replay the bitter rivalry of their ancestors. Will the Unicorn's secret, and its treasure, remain forever lost, or will Tintin be able to solve the mystery and find the hidden gold?

Comments: If you're at all a (nostalgic) fan of Hergé's comic books (I am), you'll enjoy this animated movie. It does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the books, the characters and the sense of adventure. The pacing is brisk, the visuals are terrific and Serkis' Captain Haddock was PERFECT! (A tip of the hat to Snowy, too.) All in all, it was a lot of fun! :)

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were perfect.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Sherlock Holmes' nemesis - Dr. Moriarty - is up to no good. Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Doctor John Watson, must move quickly to uncover Moriarty's plan and to put an end to it before any more innocent people die.

Comments: Very busy, very boring.

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were very good.

Contraband - After his brother-in-law, Andy, botches the drug-smuggling job mobster Tim Biggs hired him to do, Chris Farraday - a clean-living ex-smuggler - takes on one last job in order to keep Biggs from coming after him and his family to settle Andy's score.

Comments: This thoroughly uninspiring and painfully by-the-book heist flick failed to rise above the low exepctations I had for it. And Giovanni Ribisi makes a pretty poor mobster.

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were very good.

Supertramp: Live in Paris (1979) - Supertramp plays Paris as part of their "Breakfast in America" tour.

Comments: Earlier this evening, my wife and I watched a number of tracks off the recent BD release. While it won't win any awards as far as concert BDs go, the set-list is terrific, the band is tight and in fine form, and the performance of these talented musicians is top-notch. The camera-work is pretty good, too, with lots of lingering shots and close-ups - a nice change from the strobe-like speed of cuts on a lot of concert videos.

Despite some very minor quibbles (Rick Davies' facial tics were a bit distracting, I found it odd that he and Roger Hodgson sang most of their songs with their eyes shut tight, and the band - aside from John Helliwell - wasn't terribly animated) and the PQ and AQ shortcomings (see below), IMO this release is a solid and satisfying buy for any Supertramp fan.

Blu-ray:
- PQ: Lots of grain and the palette of colours was somewhat muted, but it was pretty clean and crisp overall, and about as good as one could expect a 33-year-old print to be.
- AQ: Primarily focused on the front L+R channels, with moderate use of center and surrounds, it was nevertheless big, warm, clean and balanced (although, IMO, a touch light on bass), and it was a pleasure to listen to.

Bridesmaids - Thirty-something Annie is financially-strapped after the bakery she owned went bust,

.....Annie realizes that she has to take control of her own life. Back on her feet, she sets out to make amends with Lillian, to restore a dear friendship; and with Nathan, to hopefully find love.

Comments: Although it has been compared to "The Hangover", this chick-flick comedy doesn't come close to being as good.

..That being said, it was, overall, modestly entertaining and it featured a terrific off-kilter performance by Melissa McCarthy.

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were very good.


I've been re-playing from this movie (among others);

- singing on the plane .." down by the river!" and,
- Annie getting attention of her police friend .. "hey, whose drivin' that car?" ..

fun stuff ..:D

Battleship - In response to a signal beamed into space by NASA, a massively-armed scouting expedition from an incredibly advanced civilization arrives on Earth, creates a forcefield around the Hawaiian Islands and begins setting up a communication link with its home world. A rag-tag group of American sailors aboard the last remaining ship within the forcefield must use all their courage and cunning to destroy the aliens before they can contact their world and initiate a full-scale settlement of Earth.

Comments: As expected, this movie was two hours of thoroughly vapid Hollywood eye-candy.

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were perfect.

Battleship - As expected, this movie was two hours of thoroughly vapid Hollywood eye-candy.

Blu-ray: PQ and AQ were perfect.

It certainly does give the home theatre a good workout.

Rick

The Avengers - Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America are brought together by SHIELD to battle Loki and the Chitauri army with which he plans to subjugate Earth.

Comments: The movie was about as big and busy and, overall, as okay as I expected it to be - in other words, "meh". There were a few good chuckles, though, and Scarlett...well, 'nuff said. :D

Blu-ray: PQ was perfect. AQ was a qualified 5 out of 5: It was well-balanced and dynamic, dialogue was crystal clear, there was good use of surrounds, and plenty of solid bass. In a few spots, however, it seemed to be missing - or perhaps I should say that it would have benefited from - some really deep bass (à la "X-Men: First Class").

Bond 50 - I've watched 3 of the discs until now (Dr. No, The Spy Who Loved Me and A License To Kill) and they're pretty good. Each has a different cropping however, which is kind of annoying and surround effects are quite lacking (true to the original mono track - also included). Colours are quite 'modern'.

Prometheus - All I can say, is that I've found my new demo disc. The picture quality is virtually perfect and the the sound quality is stunning. Still have to check out all of the extra features, but so far I'm really impressed with the latest and greatest Hollywood magic. What an amazing entertainment experience for the senses. Definitely two thumbs up!

Prometheus
I agree - spectacular!!!

The deleted scenes also help to fill in the story line.

7.1 discreet channels in DTS Mstr - yahooooo!!! :D
Transposes to 11.1 matrix perfectly - soundgazmic :cool:

Also loved isert BR dosc & it goes right to the main menu !!!

No ads promos etc