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Post by Termination on Jul 28, 2007 4:04:19 GMT -5
Waiting... (2005) (Blu-Ray)
HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10
Very odd, but the main menu (Thanks again to the PS3) is encoded AVC with a runtime well past 4 hours & an average bitrate around 18mbps in full 1080p!!!!!!! The audio is just 2CH dolby which also runs the entire 4+ hour length. The info I just gave is just for the main menu & it does not loop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! + bonus content is elsewhere on the disc with different codecs & bitrates. Why Lionsgate, why? If anything to blame this transfer on, it is this reason for sure. The only issue I had with this transfer was a very fair amount of "House of Wax" lookin' actors. If ya have an MPEG-2 noise blocker on your tv or DVD player, imagine both turned up MAX. Or just be prepared to see another "Ultraviolet" type flick in terms of PQ. In any case, if ya can get past that, the rest of this transfer is solid. I recall one scene which obviously was added as it stood out with colors & details tweaked from the overall look of the film. This wasn't a problem imo. To be real nit-picky, I did see a 2 or 3 second shot which looked soft & the actors in that brief shot looked blurry, again nothing mega. Only issue with audio I had was the center channel level is about 5db below reference. Dynamic range is consistent. If the film had lots of action & musical #'s I believe that would of hurt the LPCM track because of the center volume level issue. Thankfully, most of the film is dialog driven. There is a distinct difference between the 640kbps Dolby & 6.1Mbps LPCM track even when matching volume levels, vocals are clearer & less distorted, subtle surround use has a bit more presence.
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Post by Pulpmariachi on Jul 28, 2007 11:55:38 GMT -5
Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino) -- probably Tarantino's tightest movie in that everything people say contribute something to the story or the characters, not just talking about pop culture stuff (there's some of that, sure, but not as much as in his later films). However, the ending shot (no pun intended) where, and I'm assuming most people have seen this movie and don't really need the SPOILER warning, where Mr. White learns of Mr. Orange in their blood soaked homoerotic embrace then gets blown away just didn't sell itself that well. I think. B.
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Post by Pulpmariachi on Jul 28, 2007 20:33:55 GMT -5
The Simpsons Movie (David Silverman) -- that's right, I saw it again.
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Jul 29, 2007 0:53:22 GMT -5
The Simpsons Movie (David Silverman) -- that's right, I saw it again. Hopefully seeing it on Sunday. THE GREAT WHITE HOPE (1970) James Earl Jones is great in a pretty good movie about a black heavyweight boxing champion who's fiercest opponent is the white boxing establishment. He's downright gleefully evil in some scenes. 6.5/10 CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER (2006) With all of the family secrets, scheming and backstabbing going on in this movie, it could almost be a soap opera set during 10th century China. The "real" DYNASTY, so to speak. (Fans of 80's tv will get that.) Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li are both great. The sets and costumes are gorgeous and the entire film is visually striking. If you're a fan of movies like HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, also by director Yimou Zhang, then you'll probably enjoy this too. There's very little Wire Fu in this one though as it's based on historical fact and therefore more grounded in reality. The huge end battle is stunning. Oh, and I've got to mention that there was a lot of cleavage in this movie. Not just Gong Li's, but pretty much the cleavage of every actress in this movie is prominently on display. It was almost distracting. Almost. HOORAY FOR BOOBIES - The Bloodhound Gang 7/10 |
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Post by Quorthon on Jul 29, 2007 10:57:00 GMT -5
Running with Scissors.
Very entertaining.
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Post by Pulpmariachi on Jul 29, 2007 15:32:59 GMT -5
Sunshine (Danny Boyle) -- a bit of a slow, conventional, clumisly told first half, an incredibly intense, engrossing second half (not so much the slasher aspect but more of the sun stuff). B+.
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Post by LivingDeadGirl on Jul 29, 2007 17:43:30 GMT -5
One of my faves...and TLJ is outstanding! I loved him. I thought he was the best. (SPOILERS) And the scene where he launches the tomahawks with him doing the three little pigs and the air guitar was just great (END SPOILERS). No wonder the next film he'd do (one of my favorites), The Fugitive, he'd win an Oscar. That's one of my favorite scenes..and The Fugitive, an all-time fave! Final Destination 3 2/4- Not as good as the first two, but pretty entertaining. |
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Jul 29, 2007 20:32:30 GMT -5
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE (2007)
YES!!
8.5/10
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Post by frankenjohn on Jul 29, 2007 21:35:40 GMT -5
Heaven Can Wait- It's actually a pretty funny movie. I've never seen the original "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" but I can surely say this film was better than "Down to Earth." The film got a number of Oscar noms, including 4 for Beatty. But I don't think it was THAT great. Like, it's not a classic, but it's a damn good film. B+.
All the President's Men- Now THIS is a classic. 1976 was a great year for film and this film is one of the three prime testaments to that. I thought "Bound for Glory" and "Rocky" were very good, "Network" is in my top 10, and "Taxi Driver" is another all-time favorite. Well, "All the President's Men" is now a favorite too. I think the way this film was made is excellent, and that this film is the best way to see one of the biggest cover-ups in our nation's history. A+.
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Post by slayrrr666 on Jul 30, 2007 10:41:16 GMT -5
Destination: Infestation-Too much drama and not enough killer ant attacks, but those attacks are pretty good themselves. imdb.com/title/tt0961208/usercomments-5The Believers-Some really interesting scenes and some pretty intense ideas, but too drawn out and could've used some cutting. imdb.com/title/tt0092632/usercomments-26976-Evil-An absolutely cheesy film from the 80s, done with the most groan-inducing cheese possible. imdb.com/title/tt0094597/usercomments-45Dead Silence-Possibly the best horror film of this millennium, with just a ton of good things about it and almost no flaws. imdb.com/title/tt0455760/usercomments-134Body Count-Italian but not a giallo, still manages to do the slasher genre better than most American counterparts. imdb.com/title/tt0090788/usercomments-22The Dorm That Dripped Blood-Highly impressive slasher with a lot of good marks and only slightly offensive flaws to stop it. imdb.com/title/tt0082279/usercomments-26Humoungous-Not hugely impressive, but when it tries to, there's some good moments within. imdb.com/title/tt0082537/usercomments-42Curtains-Takes too long to get going, but it's stalking scenes, which are among the best in the genre, rise this one somewhat. imdb.com/title/tt0085385/usercomments-35Killer Party-Among the most glaring examples of cheesy slashers possible that is a real take-it-or-leave it style. imdb.com/title/tt0091338/usercomments-32Zombies of Mora Tau-A half-way decent attempt with early zombie motives, but too different for modern lovers to accept. imdb.com/title/tt0051226/usercomments-9The Ghost of Frankenstein-Really impressive sequel effort which doesn't match the first two but is still watchable enough. imdb.com/title/tt0034786/usercomments-53Son of Frankenstein-About as close as anything's going to come to the classic first two in the series. imdb.com/title/tt0031951/usercomments-71 |
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Jul 30, 2007 11:15:11 GMT -5
A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959)
Low budget Roger Corman flick, is there any other kind, about a busboy at a beatnick coffeehouse who starts killing people and covering the bodies in plaster, turning them into sculptures, to get in with the cool art crowd that hangs out at the cafe.
It's interesting to see a young Dick Miller, the cult actor famous for small roles in movies like THE HOWLING, THE TERMINATOR, GREMLINS and many, many more, in a lead role, but the movie overall, um, no. Basically a fairly lame HOUSE OF WAX rip-off.
3/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Jul 30, 2007 23:28:33 GMT -5
THE TERROR (1963)
A really young Jack Nicholson and a really old Boris Karloff star in this Roger Corman gothic tale.
Nicholson plays a Lieutenant in Napoleon's army (who apparently doesn't speak French or even have a French accent). He somehow gets separated from his regiment (never really explained), encounters a strange young woman, and ends up at the castle of a baron (A really tired looking Karloff).
And then... (yawn!) ZZZZZZZZZZ...... I kept dozing off.
A real snoozer. The only real "terror" in this, is the 90 minutes I'll never get back.
1/10
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Post by slayrrr666 on Jul 31, 2007 10:18:37 GMT -5
One of my favorite of Corman's work when he was still a director, but at least I can agree on that sentiment, as I even had problems with the languid pacing at times.
Raising Cain-Not a true horror film and one I won't do a review for, but for once one I wouldn't mind keeping in the collection. A lot of fun, some great moments and a completely engaging storyline and some twists that are not all that bad at all. Some things don't make a whole lot of sense, but it's still not all that terrible. About a 7/10.
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Post by Phoenix on Jul 31, 2007 12:22:54 GMT -5
THE TERROR (1963) A really young Jack Nicholson and a really old Boris Karloff star in this Roger Corman gothic tale. Nicholson plays a Lieutenant in Napoleon's army (who apparently doesn't speak French or even have a French accent). He somehow gets separated from his regiment (never really explained), encounters a strange young woman, and ends up at the castle of a baron (A really tired looking Karloff). And then... (yawn!) ZZZZZZZZZZ...... I kept dozing off. A real snoozer. The only real "terror" in this, is the 90 minutes I'll never get back. v 1/10 I second that review! I don't even think I made it through the whole thing. I caught the Mel Brooks film To Be or Not To Be (1983) - great flick about an acting troup during the invasion of Poland by nazis. a little more serious Brooks film that stars his wife Anne Bancroft. 9/10 |
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Post by Termination on Jul 31, 2007 14:10:54 GMT -5
Training Day (2001) (Blu-Ray)
HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
The HD DVD is 2.40:1 & the BD is 2.35:1. I was shocked that there was next to no difference between the MPEG-2 & VC-1 encodes. Good job Warner!
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