Requiem for the Blu-ray Dossier

It’s time to face facts.  Blu-ray discs are great but they have no future.  Yeah, that’s right, I said it – NO FUTURE.  I love to bask in the glow of 1080p as much as the next movie geek but the fact of the matter is the format’s days are numbered.  I use to write a column here on Chicken Scratch about with a two tiered rating system the first score was for the story and the second was for the quality of the Blu-ray itself.  As always, the story is what truly matters; the jaw dropping pop of crystal clear 1080p was simply icing on the cake.  Video may have killed the radio star but it was streaming content that has dealt the fatal blow to Blu-ray.  Just as Blockbuster killed the Ma & Pa video rental stores, video streaming gutted Blockbuster and there are options for streaming, Netflix, Hulu, cable, Amazon, heck – even Redbox, one of the only places left that you can rent a Blu-ray BTW, all have huge stakes in the streaming game.  Then there are all of the plug-ins for you HDTV to stream.  Companies like Apple, Google, Roku, Netgear, and even Tivo are all manufacturing High Def streaming hardware to make your Blu-ray collection obsolete.  

Hey, it happens.  It is part of the circle of life.  The writing is on the wall and not just for all those, “early innovators” out there; obsolescence approaches.  It’s event horizon dawns and change happens – both big and small; everything changes.  Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…”  He was right.  Granted he wasn’t specifically talking about Blu-ray discs but, on the other hand, “everything” does cover, well, everything.  You get the idea – there is an expiration date on all things.  Take for example any old thing.  Now this any old thing works just fine right up to the point that doesn’t anymore and it is replaced by something that does the same job, “better” and/or faster.  The, “new thing”. 

History is chocked full of examples of this axiom.  New cells are generated and old cells fade away.  The MP3 replaced the CD which replaced the cassette tape which replaced the 8-Track which replaced the record which replaced wax cylinders.  People got tired of walking so they started riding horses.  Seeing that this horse-riding thing was a pretty good idea people hooked them up to chariots and then to horse drawn buggies.  The advent of the automobile put the horses out to pasture then came the trains and the planes which will someday be replaced by matter transporters – it’s true!  I’ve seen it on Star Trek.  

 Hey, that’s progress. 

I’ll still do the occasional review but I simply don’t watch that many Blu-rays anymore to keep the column viable so, therefore, it is time to bid it farewell.  On the right side of this particular version of Chicken Scratch I use to have, “The Blu-ray Dossier – At a Glance”.  It’s still up there but it too will be going away.  I’ll repost it here for posterity…

Blu-Ray Dossier at a Glance. Ratings? Story first Blu-Ray quality second.

"Blade Runner - The Final Cut" 5/4

"Blazing Saddles" 4/2

"Bounty Hunter" 1.5 / 2

"Bridesmaids" 4 / 3

"Captain America - The First Avenger" 4/3

"Clash of the Titans (2010)" 2 / 3

"Cowboys and Aliens" 3.5 / 4

"Despicable Me" 3 / 4

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" 3.5 / 2

"Evil Dead 2: 25th Anniversary Edition" 4 / 3.5

"Grown Ups" 3 / 3

"Hangover" 3.5 / 4

"John Carter" 4/3

"Kick Ass" 3 / 3

"Knight & Day" 2.5 / 3

"Resident Evil: Afterlife" 2.5 / 3

"Serenity" 4 / 4

"Sherlock Holmes - Game of Shadows" 3/3

"Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back" 5/4

"Star Wars" 4.5/4

"The A-Team" 3 / 3

"The Frighteners" 4 / 4

"The Good, the Bad and the Weird" 4 / 4

"The Walking Dead: Season One" 5 / 4

"THOR" 3.8 / 4

Robin Hood (2010) 4 / 4

Superman / Batman – Apocalypse 3.5 / 3

The Untouchables – Special Collector’s Edition 3.8 / 4

“9”: 3.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Alice in Wonderland”: 4 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Batman/Superman, Public Enemies” Rating: 4 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Beetlejuice” 4 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“Casino Royale” Rating: 5 Stars / 5 Stars.

“Diary of the Dead” 4 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“District 9” 4.5 Stars / 4.5 Stars.

“Drag Me to Hell” Rating: 4 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“G.I. Joe” 2.5 Stars / 3 Stars.

“Grindhouse – Death Proof”: 4 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Hellboy II – The Golden Army” 4 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” Rating: 4 Stars / 4.5 Stars.

“Inglorious Basterds”: 5 Stars / 4.5 Stars.

“Kill Bill Volume II”: 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Kill Bill Volume I”: 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“King Kong the Extended Edition” 4.5 Stars / 5 Stars.

“Labyrinth”: 3.5 Stars / 3 Stars.

“Land of the Lost” Rating: 3 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“Monsters Vs. Aliens” 3 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Nightmare Before Christmas” Rating 4.5 Stars / 5 Stars.

“Poltergeist” 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Ponyo”: 4 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Pride and Prejudice (A&E): 5 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“Quantum of Solace” Rating: 4 Stars / 4.5 Stars.

“Reign of Fire”: 1 Star / 2 Stars.

“Sherlock Holmes”: 3.5 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“Sleepy Hollow” 4 Stars / 3 Stars.

“Star Trek” 4.5 Stars / 4.5 Stars

“Star Wars the Clone Wars”: 3.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“The Dark Knight” Rating: 5 Stars / 4.5 Stars.

“The Godfather Parts I & II” 5 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“The Hangover”: 4 Stars / 4 Stars.

“The Hurt Locker”: 5 Stars / 4.5 Stars.

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”: 4 Stars / 4 Stars.

“The Prestige” Rating: 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“The Road Warrior”: 4.5 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“The Road”: 4 Stars /3.5 Stars.

“The Shining”: 5 Stars / 4.5 Stars.

“The Wizard of Oz”: 5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“The Wolfman”: 1 Star / 2 Stars.

“Transformers – Rise of the Fallen” Rating: 2 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Twilight New Moon”: 2 Stars / 3 Stars.

“Up” 5 Stars / 5 Stars.

“Where the Wild Things Are”: 3 Stars / 3.5 Stars.

“Yojimbo”: 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

“Zombieland”: 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars.

Looking back at some of these ratings I am wondering where my head was (I’m looking at YOU, 3 stars for story, “Land of the Lost”) and then there were others I probably should have rated higher such as, “Labyrinth” (I dissed the power of the babe and only gave it a 3.5).  Other than those there are only a few more shaky ones and, for the most part, I stand by my ratings.

I may be pulling the plug on the Blu-ray Dossier but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep reviewing film – hey, I’m a movie geek with a fully functioning internet connection; therefore, I am duty bound to throw in my two cents when it comes to the goings on at the local multiplex.

In memory of my friend and longtime column, the Blu-ray Dossier – thank you for the memories.  “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

Now then, what’s on Netflix?

 

Son of the Blu-ray Dossier

There has been a lot of talk about piracy as of late with SOPA & PIPA.  I don’t stream movies or check into the pirated versions of films still in the theater for the simple reason that I absolutely love the clear, crisp picture and sound reproduction that Blu-Ray provides.  When delivered in a proper 1080p format with surround sound a lover of film is in for a treat.  The format, while stunning and wonderful is woefully underutilized in that motion picture companies and film studios could pack some great things into their releases but most of the time they don’t so that they can reap the most return on their dollar from the public which starts with the theatrical release and moves to the DVD / Blu-Ray release, the steaming release (cable & Netflix), the cable television release and the hotel & airplane versions of the film.  Hey, that’s showbiz.  Still it is a pet peeve of mine that some movies hardly get a Blu-Ray release worthy of the format. 

Speaking of pet peeves I’ve got two more things that I find highly annoying.  First, when companies disable the ‘fast forward’ through the trailers.  Look, I love a good trailer as much as the next movie-geek but one of the advantages to seeing a movie at home is to be able to plow through any unwanted commercials.  Many companies these days are opting to take that ability away from the consumer – the person who rented or bought their product.  Annoying?  Yes, very much so.  Secondly, and I sincerely hope this is not a new trend, the disabling special features on Blu-Ray rentals.  I recently rented, “Cowboys and Aliens” (reviewed below) and after watching the movie I scrolled to the ‘Special Features’ section of the menu where I got a message that told me that if I wanted to see the special features then I should go and buy the special edition Blu-ray package and not be a shmuck and just rent this movie.  All right, I made up the part about the “shmuck” thing but still the intent is apparent.  Really?  You want to restrict this content because I rented your movie instead of buying it?  There is precious little that would make me desire to purchase ANY Blu-ray set if the very company who produced it pulls the rug out from under the viewer.  You see you’ve restricted me thus far why on earth would I enable you to continue to do so?  This should be filed in the “Dumb Idea” drawer and the motion picture industry would be wise to steer far and away from such practice in the future.  Just how long do you think you can treat the public like pirates before they take you at your accusing word and start acting like them?

I don’t know.  I’m not a pirate.  I am; however, a lover of the Blu-ray format and of film so, without further ado here is the latest edition of The Blu-ray Dossier!  I rate film on a two tier scale; first for story and secondly for the Jaw-Dropping Blu-ray effect.  5 is good, 1 not so much.  Here’s what I’ve been watching…

THOR – 3.8 / 4.  This past summer THOR and Captain America paved the way for this summer’s Avengers movie.  I am a Marvel Zombie so it was a pretty good summer for yours truly.  THOR delivered.  I don’t exactly remember where I read it but I heard it said that the wonderful thing about THOR is that none of the actors were told that they were in a “comic book movie”.  The performances are wonderful.  Epic Norse god, superhero stuff aplenty.  The Blu-ray is nice with the Destroyer and with the World Tree at the end.  If you are not familiar with the Destroyer or the World Tree then you should probably rent THOR before the Avengers hits. 

Evil Dead 2 – 25^th Anniversary Edition – 4 / 3.5.  I am a HUGE fan of Sam Rami’s Evil Dead series.  Evil Dead 2 is unique in that it is a remake and a sequel all in one movie.  There are some horror staples here but there is also something almost unheard of – the horror movie hero.  Bruce Campbell makes this horror / comedy movie his own.  I just can’t believe it’s been 25 years since I first was introduced to Ash and the rest of the Deadites in a darkened movie theater in Pleasantville, New Jersey.  I’m really looking forward to the special edition Blu-ray release of “Army of Darkness” the sequel to Evil Dead 2.  If you are a fan than you know the simple joys of a good ‘Boomstick’.

Hangover – 3.5 / 4.  Not for those who are easily offended.  This is a ‘men behaving badly’ movie that fires on all cylinders.  You will laugh and when you begin to realize how WRONG this movie is you will laugh harder.  There are some wonderful, crisp, Blu-ray moments surrounding the city that is Las Vegas.  The disc is full of extras; which is a refreshing change of pace.  It made bank at the box office so I suppose it was a good idea for the studio to stack the deck.  You will laugh – you’ll cringe too, but you will laugh.

Bridesmaids – 4 / 3.  Not for those who are easily offended.  This is a ‘women behaving badly’ movie that fires on all cylinders.  Ready for more déjà vu?  You will laugh and when you begin to realize how WRONG this movie is you will laugh harder.  Bridesmaids is a movie that is for both women and men.  Do not be bamboozled into thinking otherwise.  The wonderful surprise about this film is the amount of heart that it brings to the table.  You really feel for the woman that Kristen Wiig portrays.  It is tragic to watch her character do the things she does.  You know what they say about tragedy?  Yeah, ‘they’ are right.

Serenity – 4 / 4.  I came to the whole “Firefly” party late.  Joss Whedon and company had lightning in a bottle and were just getting their running shoes tightened when FOX pulled the curtain on the show.  Enter, “Serenity”, the movie.  Not to give anything away but Whedon took that old writing quote, “Kill your darlings” to heart on this one.  The Verse is a dangerous place and Captain Reynolds and his more than motley crew are wonderful to watch.  I can only hope that the future smiles on this property once again.  Very shiny.

The Frighteners – 4 / 4.  This is a fun movie from the man who would go on to sweep the Oscars a few years later.  “The Frighteners” was the film that Peter Jackson made just before, “The Lord of the Rings – the Fellowship of the Ring”.  The storytelling is taught and Michael J. Fox really delivers as a man who can communicate with the dead.  I do not know why this film didn’t launch as it should have.  Do yourself a favor and check it out.  You’ll have a good time at the movies.  Some of the shots of New Zealand are worth the Blu-ray look-see.

The Walking Dead: Season One – 5 / 4.  Hands down, Frank Darabont’s, “The Walking Dead” is the best thing on television.  It is based on the graphic novel series of the same name.  The story is riveting.  It puts a human face onto the zombie apocalypse.  You will care for these characters.  The storytelling is fierce and the acting is second to none.  There are only six episodes in the first season.  After the first 5 minutes the hook is set and you will have to know what happens next.  Simply amazing.

Cowboys and Aliens – 3.5 / 4.  John Favreau took a lot of grief for this film but I gotta tell ya, I enjoyed it for what it was.  He got James Bond and Indiana Jones to work for him in a western that happens to involve aliens.  Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford chew up the screen together.  It’s a shame that this didn’t perform at the box office because it works.  I like movies to throw me a curve or to mix things up ~ this does so in spades.  Rent it.  You’ll like it.  You won’t be able to see any of the special features that would endure the film to an audience that it has not truly discovered yet but you’ll see the movie.  I hope such decisions don’t alienate potential cult-movie status fans.  That would be a shame.  Oh well, rent it.  It was fun storytelling and I had a good time.  Perhaps you will too.

Keep on, keepin’ on my fellow internet users and Blu-ray fans.  These are interesting times, Gentle Reader.  I’ll see you in line at the Redbox machine. 

The Media Delivery Wars

Good morning, Gentle Reader.  I hope this communiqué finds you well.  If you have poked around here at Chicken Scratch for a few clicks of your mouse then you know that I am a bit of a movie fan – in fact, you could say cinema is one of my favorite varieties of a story delivery vehicle.  I am a BIG fan of Blu-ray but the future of media delivery is going to be streaming in HD.  Different companies have experimented with this to varying degrees of success including Comcast, Verizon, Blockbuster, and Netflix. 

Here is an excellent blog from cnet’s, Media Maverick, Mr. Greg Sandoval that addresses the multiple reasons that Neflix is feeling the sting of an ostracized public who would prefer to use Redbox than pay more for a “skimpy selection” of films.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20106678-261/netflix-feels-wrath-of-consumers-investors/?ttag=fbw.

I found it interesting that STARZ holds the rights to Sony’s and Disney’s content for internet streaming.  I also thought this was worth noting, “Starz is reportedly asking for a $300 million deal, or 10 times the $30 million agreement it penned in 2008 and Netflix doesn't want to pay.”  Is that a crazy amount of money?  Well, I suppose, by my standards but to have Netflix walk away means that content will suffer.  Now that Netflix, in a move of sage-like wisdom, has doubled their price (DVD delivery is $8.00 and streaming is $8.00 as well – 16 Bucks a month) for even less product customers have been revolting and canceling their subscriptions.  I was going to make the jump but have decided against it; choosing instead to wait until all the corporate greed gives way to a decent product in glorious 1080p.  I may have a long wait since most companies stream movies in 720p. 

What’s a boy to do?

See you at the Redbox.

Blockbuster, Ramblings and the Blu-Ray Dossier

This particular Blu-Ray Dossier marks a milestone for this ole article here at Chicken Scratch. You see, Gentle Reader, in order to write about movies on Blu-ray one must either purchase them or rent them. The lion’s share of the movies on Blu-ray here that I’ve reviewed I have rented from Blockbuster; the corporate Juggernaut that rolled over all of the “ma & pa” video rental places during the last decade and made them vanish into the sepia images of memory. The corporation grew and grew and blotted out the sun from the other small businesses that peddled the film industries wares. They’re all extinct now. They fell victim to the future; they could not compete with the idea that one store could have so many copies of the movies that people wanted to see. Our hunger for instant gratification only fueled “ma & pa’s” demise. Why should we wait to see the movie we want to see when we can just go to Blockbuster and they’ll have a copy? Hey, I want to “go home happy”.

Where was I? …Oh yes, this blog marks the end of my / our Blockbuster exclusivity. Tonight we canceled our Blockbuster plan.

During the last three years we have rented 225 movies on DVD & Blu-ray; that’s on average 75 movies a year. We had the deal where you could receive up to three movies in the mail, swap ‘em at the local Blockbuster and get two coupons for ‘free’ movies a month. All this brought our total to $21.19 a month. Now let’s see here… that comes out to a total of $762.84 that we have spent to date – that’s about $3.39 per movie. Not too shabby in the long run and we have been running with them a long while. We stayed with Blockbuster not only because they were the only game in town (‘in town’ not via Netflix or cable) but because of a handful of true & dedicated movie fans who used to work there. These guys were Great – with a capitol G. They were not just ‘managers’ they were Movie Geeks and something that Blockbuster truly needed; a human face that actually gave two shakes of a Raisinets Box about film. They cared about movies and story and they bent over backwards for their customers and for their staff. These gentlemen are no longer there and now that the human factor is gone, so am I.

Not to sound too melodramatic but now it is Blockbuster’s turn on the endangered list. You see our hunger for instant gratification is fueling Blockbuster’s demise; and make no mistake; ‘demise’ is the right word. Why should we waste all that time to go to a brick and mortar Blockbuster when we can ‘rent’ a movie cheaper from Comcast or Netflix (which is MUCH cheaper than Comcast) and not even have to be concerned about returning it in the next day or two? Come to think of it with Netflix you can watch the movies / TV shows you want to watch wherever you wish be it in your living room you’re your laptop or on your smart phone. Some TV’s come with wireless connections just for downloading movies from Netflix these days. Do you have a Nintendo Wii or a Xbox 360? Yeah, you can download Netflix movies from these game systems too. Then there is Red Box. Red Box machines have popped up everywhere. You can rent a DVD for $1.00. “What about Blu-ray?” you may ask. Well, for $1.50 you can rent a Blu-ray from a Red Box. You can also return it to ANY Red Box kiosk. Blockbuster can not compete with that; nor can they compete with the future – downloadable content. Blockbuster has been trying to rearrange the furniture on the first class deck of the Titanic but no matter how neat & orderly the deck looks the ship is still sinking. It is hard to fight an idea whose time has come.

Let’s gaze into my crystal ball… into the future. What will it look like? DLC is the future. Downloadable Content for the distribution of media (movies, music, video games, information) will be the business standard in the coming years. And no matter how much I love my Blu-ray movies they too will give way to DLC in 1080p. No matter how much I may love my Xbox 360, my Sony PSIII, or even my Nintendo Wii video games there will simply be no reason why I will have to own a physical disk anymore. Blockbuster is hemorrhaging now, when the next – next generation game consoles hit Gamestop (a store that specializes in used video games) will fall as well. It’s the way of things and it is hard to fight against the future. I’m sure that there will be some sort of occasional effort from companies to have “Special Editions” of movies and games that are packaged with cool doodads, souvenirs, toys and statues but when you sit down to watch that movie or play that game you’ll enter a code from a card or you’ll simply click a button on a remote. It will be a world without discs. Theoretically, this should drive prices down since you will no longer have a physical Blu-ray or video game to take up space on your shelf but the price of this future is something that is still cloudy from the vision from my crystal ball.

Here’s to the hunger of instant gratification; the engine of society’s progress!

Now that I’ve said that and in that vein… I can move forward to actually reviewing some Blu-rays. At the Blu-Ray Dossier I review Blu-ray movies on a 5 star (5 is the best), two tiered system; the first rating is for the story and the second is for the jaw dropping Blu-ray quality. Here’s what I’ve been watching…

Despicable Me, 3 Stars / 4 Stars. I did not go into this one with high expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. The animation glistens and gleams in 1080p. The story is about a man who happens to be an evil genius who, through a series of misadventures becomes a dad. Good for the family. Go rent if for ‘em.

Knight & Day, 2.5 Stars / 3 Stars. A romantic comedy with explosions. I liked it and it is worth the rental. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are the couple and they are fun to watch. Pop some popcorn; you’ll have a good time and YES this can be considered a “Date Movie”.

The A-Team, 3 Stars / 3 Stars. This is another one I was pleasantly surprised by. I LOVED watching original A-Team back in the day. This oozes nostalgia and seeing these characters in action again just had me grinning the whole picture through. There’s a bit of a breakdown in act III but it still delivers. If memory serves the movie didn’t break bank at the box office; still this is one franchise that I would love to see continue. Rent it, you’ll have a good time.

Resident Evil: Afterlife, 2.5 Stars / 3 Stars. The Resident Evil movies have always been loosely based on Sony’s Resident Evil video game franchise and this one is no different. It was originally released in 3D and shot with real 3D cameras instead of that horrid 2D to 3D process that some companies strain their new releases through. One thing I’ve noticed after 4 movies thus far, Paul W. S. Anderson is having a good time playing in the playground that he has created and I’ve got to give him kudos for that. He has written and directed each of the movies and they have been successful enough for Sony to keep asking him back. What can I say, I was entertained. Lots of ‘splosions and Anderson sets it up for part 5 which I will probably rent as well.

Grown Ups, 3 Stars / 3 Stars. A lot of reviewers have given this film a lot of flack and not all of it is deserved. I’ve heard, “It’s too crude” or “It’s not good for children!” Well that may be the case and it may not be for everyone but I’ll say this, it’s one of the most accurate portrayals of a group of men of a certain age that I’ve seen in a long time. Men are boys whose toys are more expensive; you may deny it but you know deep down that it rings true. Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, Rob Schneider and David Spade play the adult versions of their younger selves and I, for one, enjoyed the heck out of it. Rent it but beware you may see yourself in this film; if you don’t or worse, you can’t; then you have my pity.

So there it is.

I wonder what I should call this article once Blu-ray discs become obsolete? I’ll have to ponder that one.

Until next time, Gentle Reader, I’ll see you at the Red Box.

Blue-Ray Dossier - Volume 3.0

This is a busy time of year for yours truly. November is National Novel Writing Month, the holidays are right around the corner, I’m collaborating with a friend of mine on a screenplay, I’m still blogging, and then there are all of those wonderful Blu-ray movies that keep popping up.

Gentle Reader, all thought there are shenanigans aplenty, I humbly want you to know that I am still fighting the good fight; I’m still watching movies – Blu-ray movies that is. I rate movies on a one – five star, two round system; round one is all about the story and round two is all about the Blu-ray. The more stars the better. Here’s what has been on the menu…

“Beetlejuice” 4 Stars / 3.5 Stars. I love Tim Burton. Say what you will but the man has a unique vision when it comes to creating worlds on film. He has an eye for telling stories. Beetlejuice is no different. What’s not to like about this Tim Burton film about a Bio-Exorcist (a ghost who gets rid of the living for you)? You have a recently deceased, naive couple that is trying to rid themselves of the obnoxious new owners of their home. They can’t do the job themselves and when the regular lines of bureaucracy in the afterlife fail them they call on Beetlejuice adeptly played by Michael Keaton. Brilliant stuff. You will giggle. The Blu-ray aspect is not as good as it could have been but I believe it is only a question of technology. “Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland” is being released in 2010 and I have no doubt that when that hits Blu-ray my jaw will drop. Beetlejuice is retrofitted but worth your time.

“Monsters Vs. Aliens” 3 Stars / 4 Stars. This is a cute movie. Reese Witherspoon voices Susan, a woman whom on her wedding day becomes the 50 Foot Woman. She is captured by the government and then is united with a group of monsters that have been hidden away since the fifties. It’s light, it’s entertaining and the kids loved it. There you go. The Blu-ray factor is better. Watching the Golden Gate Bridge get destroyed was a feast for the eyes. When the President of the United States is attacked by the giant robot the detail was gorgeous. This was worth the rental and you may want to pick up a copy if you have little ones.

“Up” 5 Stars / 5 Stars. I do not think that I have ever seen a better picture about the human grieving process than “Up”. There is a lot of symbolism in this one. Pixar can do no wrong. Be warned, this is a tearjerker that has mortality and adventure at its heart. You will be moved. The wizards at Pixar are able to accomplish more with a well-told, heartfelt story via computer animation than a lot of flesh and blood directors and actors can on film. It is brilliant storytelling and yes, I cried. The joy of this film is that Pixar never once treats you, the viewer, like an idiot by making the characters anything less than flesh and blood. Simply brilliant. The Blu-ray factor will knock your socks off. The balloons and the detail on the Tapui mountain tops… spectacular. This is not in my collection yet but it will be.

“King Kong the Extended Edition” 4.5 Stars / 5 Stars. Peter Jackson is one of my favorite guys to watch in the business. Not only is he a great storyteller but also he is a fan. This is at once an homage and a digital upgrade to one of my all time favorites, 1933’s RKO Pictures, “King Kong”. This film is a love letter to the original and Jackson delivers. He used some of the actors from his Lord of the Rings trilogy so you may see one or two familiar faces along the way including Andy Serkis (Golem from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy) who plays Lumpy the cook and does the motion capture work for King Kong himself. The trouble with doing a remake of a legend is that everyone already knows how it ends. Still this one is worth your time just for the action that takes place on Skull Island alone. The Blu-ray factor is mesmerizing. Your jaw will drop. The detail is startling. If you are a fan of Kong you probably already own this one. If you are not the Extended Edition (emphasis on the ‘Extended’ at over 3 hours and 20 minutes) is most certainly worth your time.

“G.I. Joe” 2.5 Stars / 3 Stars. I went into this one prejudiced. I went in thinking preconceived and assumed bad things about the movie, which is not entirely too fair. I should approach unseen movies / films with an open mind instead of being closed off to the possibility that I may actually like a project and that, perhaps, it can stand on it’s own merit. I should aspire to be a better Evil Chicken. What can I say? I was wrong to be so heavy handed. It was better than I thought it was going to be. They took a toy line and cartoon from the eighties (they ignored the G.I. Joe that I grew up with minus a “Kung Fu Grip” nod) and put it on the big screen with aplomb. This being said, “G.I. Joe” is not Shakespeare or Spielberg – It’s “G.I. Joe”. Don’t go into this movie thinking it’s going to be a film and you’ll have a good time. I liked the

“Star Trek” 4.5 Stars / 4.5 Stars. J.J. Abrams and the new crew of the Enterprise deliver BIG TIME on this resetting of a cultural and science fiction behemoth, Star Trek. I am a fan so it was important to remain as fair and balanced as possible. Mr. Abrams and company know what they are doing. This crew from a universe just next to ours take an over 40 year cannon of stories and flip it on it’s pointy ear. That is no easy feat. What’s old is new once more and sacred cows are the first things to be slaughtered. Anything goes in this new universe. Kirk and Spock hate each other, a major federation planet implodes and Captain Pike does not BEEP! Oh, it is a good time to jump on board the Enterprise. Speaking of the Enterprise; she looks beautiful in Blu-ray. There is a special section on disc two where you can investigate the Enterprise. Do so. I have always loved the design of this vessel and J.J.’s starship is a wonder to behold unto itself. I can’t wait to boldly go where no other Star Trek has gone before… back to the beginning – this is not wrote, it’s new and anything can happen. I own this one and you should too.

So there you have it, Gentle Reader, Volume III of the Blu-Ray Dossier. I’ll see you in line at Blockbuster!

Blu-Ray Dossier Volume 2.0: the Halloween Edition

“The Children of the Night… what (or vhat) music they make.”

Tis the season, the Halloween season that is. I thought that I would round up a few possible options for you Blu-ray pleasure with this edition of the Dossier. I’ve seen 4 movies recently and I’m about to tell you what I thought of ‘em but before I do here are the ground rules. As before (see: asdf) the movies are rated on a two round system; round one is all about the story and round two is all about the Blu-ray. That’s, that. Now open up your bag 'cause here come the goodies.

“Diary of the Dead” 4 Stars / 3.5 Stars. This is George Romero’s latest foray into the genre that he practically invented, the “Zombie Movie”. This is a smaller more personal venture and it is a turn for the better. His last movie, “Land of the Dead”, really didn’t do it for me. It had some great ideas but great ideas do not a great movie make. But enough about that, we’re talking Diary. The plot follows a group of college kids whose film project becomes a documentary of the first few days of the Zombie Outbreak. It made me jump a couple of time but, admittedly, that’s not all that hard to do. If you are a Romero fan this will make it’s way into your collection.

“Sleepy Hollow” 4 Stars / 3 Stars. I would like to go on record and say anything that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp make together is worth seeing, if not on the big screen then, most certainly, on Blu-ray. Burton’s Sleepy Hollow changes up the story but still makes it atmospheric with a suburban Victorian feel. Ichabod is no longer the schoolteacher / choir director, he is now a constable who has been sent to the little settlement to investigate a series of murders and thanks to a certain ghostly headless Hessian solider business is brisk. There is something about this story (Washington Irving’s original and Tim Burton’s interpretation) that strike a chord with me; it always reminds me of the fall season, of my childhood and why I never take covered bridges at night. A masterfully realized story but the jaw dropping Blu-ray factor only ranks an average.

“Poltergeist” 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars. This is a great example of what a horror film could be. Even after all the years since the film’s release and a few dated special effects – this movie works. The story is by some guy named “Steven Spielberg” and the director duties go to some guy named, “Tobe Hooper”. What an amazing marriage. The character development and acting are spot on the money. This one deserves to be among the pantheon of great horror movies for it’s creepy factor alone; which is, by the way, something woefully ignored by the lion’s share of today’s filmmakers. The Blu-ray quality stands out when you see the housing development where the story unfolds. If this is not in your collection then Halloween is, most certainly, a great time to rent it and to remind yourself what a decent horror movie looks like.

“Hellboy II – The Golden Army” 4 Stars / 4 Stars. This is one that is technically not a horror movie. Oh sure there are elements that are impossible to not recognize or ignore but, at it’s core, “Hellboy II” is the story of a heroes journey. Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite filmmakers working today. There is a reason why he is the man at the helm for “The Hobbit”. His attention to detail and story are evident from the first few frames and overtly obvious when the cast is at the Troll Market. It is simply beautiful. If you missed it the first time around check it out. It is part of my collection. It may not be for young eyes due to big monsters fighting each other in Manhattan and Ireland but if you can remember that it’s only a movie you will be entertained. Here’s hoping that Hellboy III gets a green light!

And there you have it; some Blu-Ray Dossier picks for Halloween. Rent some and see for yourself; but beware… “For even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf (or volf) when (or vhen) the wolves (or volves) bane blooms and the moon is full… and bright.”

Blu-Ray Dossier

Welcome, Gentle Reader, to a new feature here at Chicken Scratch – the Blu-Ray Dossier. It is no secret. I love movies. I love the way stories are told. I love to hear how they came to fruition and I like to see them realized correctly – how the storyteller’s (hopefully) intended. Friends, let me just say that, if you enjoy movies, especially blockbuster, tent pole productions, then you need to get an HDTV (LCD, 1080p, with at least a 128 megahertz refresh rate for the video games), a Blu-Ray player and a surround sound system.

“Why?” you may ask. “Why should I spend the money on such equipment?”

I could explain that HD is now the broadcast standard, I could tell you that a 5.1 surround sound experience is a wonderful way to enjoy a movie, broadcast, or videogame and I could say that Blu-Ray justifiably deserves to be at the top of the heap when it comes to watching film and/or movies BUT until you see and hear it for yourself you would be a fool not to ask and, Gentle Reader, you are no fool. What can I tell you? Bite the bullet and make the jump. You will not be disappointed.

That being said, I have been watching a lot of Blu-ray movies recently. They are crisp, clean, 1080p (that is how movies are filmed) transfers of the films from the original footage. The picture is startling. The sound is astonishing. The movies are, now, taking on a life of their own, even more so than before. Please don’t get me wrong nothing can replace the theater experience, nor should it, but the joy (and yes this is the correct word here); the joy is that it removes the human element. There is no one answering their cell phone, talking, texting or getting up to pee or get more popcorn in your living room (unless that is what you want). NO it is a flawless transfer of a story from the filmmaker to you on your terms. It is worth its weight in gold.

“All right, so what’s this Blu-Ray Dossier that you keep talking about?”

I am so glad that you asked, Gentle Reader. The Blu-Ray Dossier will be not only a review of the film/movie (there is a difference), but it will also be a critique of how good the Blu-Ray Disc delivers. I will be looking for cinematography that makes my jaw drop and when I see it I will let you know about it.

So here is how it works; there will be two star ratings on a sliding scale from 1 to 5, the more stars the better. The first star is a rating for the movie and the second is for the sheer, jaw dropping, awesomeness of the quality of the film in question. With the Blu-Ray Dossier it will be possible for a 1 star movie to have a 5 star rating for the jaw dropping, crystal clear cinematography. The reverse is true too. Since I’m a geek I may ruminate a bit about the film/movie in question and I might recommend it for purchase, rental or to bypass it completely. All right, that’s enough of that; here we go with Volume I…

“The Dark Knight” Rating: 5 Stars / 4.5 Stars. What can you say that has not already been said? This is a great film. The sweeping shots of Hong Kong and Gotham will take your breath away. This is one for your library.

“Batman/Superman, Public Enemies” Rating: 4 Stars / 4 Stars. This is the first animated Blu-ray movie that I have seen and it did not disappoint on story (which is based on Jeff Lobe’s graphic novel) and clarity of picture. One of the best things about this Blu-ray is the special features which include a dinner conversation with the producers, writers and Mr. Kevin Conroy – the voice of the Batman. Just great stuff. Comic geeks may consider adding this to your collection and interested muggles will enjoy the rental.

“Casino Royale” Rating: 5 Stars / 5 Stars. Daniel Craig is the best James Bond since Sean Connery and probably the closest thing to the original intent of Ian Fleming’s books as we will ever see. This is a great Blu-ray Disc and, to date, the finest I have seen. The cinematography is unbelievably beautiful and the exotic locations have never looked so detailed and clear. This is a must see.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” Rating: 4 Stars / 4.5 Stars. I love keeping up with the Jones’s. It is great to see Indiana Jones back in action. It’s not “Raiders of the Lost Ark” but, then again, what is? The Blu-ray action is a crisp, clean transference and worth the rental. It is in my library but you may feel different.

“Quantum of Solace” Rating: 4 Stars / 4.5 Stars. This one takes up right where “Casino Royale” ends. It’s a good one – not as good as “Casino Royale” but certainly worth the rental. If you’re a Bond fan you may want to make it part of your collection.

“Drag Me to Hell” Rating: 4 Stars / 3.5 Stars. I love Sam Rami. He has taken the art form of making movies to another level with his camera angles, sweeps and close ups. He is an exciting filmmaker and always worth a look-see.

“Land of the Lost” Rating: 3 Stars / 3.5 Stars. I liked this much more than I thought I would. As a child of the seventies the idea of Sleestacks on the big screen makes my inner geek smile. Worth the rental for nostalgia’s sake but be prepared to explain a couple of sexual themes to little ones if they happen to be watching.

“Nightmare Before Christmas” Rating 4.5 Stars / 5 Stars. This is an animated, stop motion, masterpiece. Tim Burton’s vision is realized through Henry Selick’s stop motion, directorial, art. Amazing film and it has never looked so crisp and clean. This is one that you should have in your collection.

“The Prestige” Rating: 4.5 Stars / 4 Stars. What a wonderful story. This is one that could stand up to repeated viewings. This is a genre-bending tale that is so incredibly well realized that you will have to watch it more than once. The direction and acting are superb. David Bowie as Tesla! Please. You just may want to make this one part of your collection too.

“Transformers – Rise of the Fallen” Rating: 2 Stars / 4 Stars. Story wise there is not too much that meets the eye. Megan Fox eases it up from a 1.5 to a 2 star rating. It’s pretty awful; it is not designed to be, no, this movie was made to highlight the brilliant computerized special effects laced throughout. Note I only give the Blu-ray factor a 4 star rating. That is because the movie, while in jaw dropping, Blu-ray only highlights a jumbled mess of action on the screen that is pretty hard to decipher. It is a beautiful jumbled mess but a mess, nonetheless. Rent it if you have to.

There’s volume one; volume two will not be far behind. See you at the Blockbuster – I’ll be the one with the worn ID care, the coupons and the box of Raisinettes.

See ya next time.

The Game is Afoot!

Gentle Reader, I am sorry. I am sorry that I have not checked in recently. Rest assured, I still love you, it's just that my attentions have been other places recently... I blame the addtion of HDTV and Blu-Ray to my life. For a movie geek like me it is like manna from Heaven. I've been enjoying it so much that I will be starting a feature here on Chicken Scratch in the VERY near future on different Blu-Ray releases.

That being said there is also much afoot. Work, a topic that I do not trouble you with, has been quite... interesting lately. NaNoWriMo is going to be starting in November, I'm still colaborating on a script with a buddy of mine, I'm looking forward to James Cameron's "Avatar" & "A Christmas Carol" (in the theaters real soon), and I am mourning the loss of one of my childhood icons, Captain Lou Albano. Each of these particular items is "blog worthy" but for now please consider this Yours Truly, "checking in".

We will talk in greater depth soon, Gentle Reader, I promise.

Rest in Peace, Capt. Lou!

Blu-Ray Worthy

I am a movie geek a title which has its privileges and its responsibilities. Oh yes, it’s true. A little known fact is that it is no easy burden to be a movie geek there are pitfalls and the calling requires a certain degree of commitment. Some of these pitfalls include; the poor, lost souls who talk, text or send / receive cell phone calls during a movie (Dante envisioned a special ring in Hell for these folk), sold out opening night showings, Blockbuster not sending you “home happy” for one reason or another, and collecting a large amount of DVDs that really are not the Grade A movies that you hoped they would be. Ah, Gentle Reader, the path of the Movie Geek Warrior is beset with many a trap.

“Where are you going with this?” you may ask.

Hear me out (Good question BTW). Blu-Ray won the war between formats when industries chose it over HD-DVD. Disney, Warner and porn went with Blu-Ray and the rest is history… or at least history that is right now being written. So, I got to thinking, now that Blu-Ray is the new gold standard what films are worth purchasing and which are just rentals?

I compiled a short list of movies that I think would be deemed Blu-Ray Worthy…

1. Jaws
2. Hellboy I & II
3. The Forbidden Kingdom
4. Blade Runner
5. Star Trek (2009)
6. Sleepy Hollow
7. Nightmare Before Christmas
8. Iron Man
9. Superman (1978)
10. Godfather I & II
11. John Carpenter's The Thing
12. Big Trouble in little China
13. Shaun of the Dead

And that's only the beginning.

So I ask YOU, Gentle Reader, what movies are worthy of a Blu-Ray Disc purchase?

HD-DVD RIP

Toshiba will announce next week that it will cease production on HD-DVD players. It’s over. Blu-Ray is going to be the new standard. Whenever the prices come down, that is. Here’s a better article with the gory details: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35643.

Eventually we won’t even have players; everything will be menu accessible via your remote control and stored either on a network by the cable company, your wireless carrier or a central processor in your living room. Oh well, Blu-Ray is what they will be selling for the next decade or so.

I’m just hoping that they go on sale soon.

Will Blu-ray Rule Them All?

As the Businessweek (http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2008/gb2008018_681920.htm?c) article says, “Warner announced on Jan. 4 that it would release only high-definition Blu-ray movies starting July, ending its support for the rival HD DVD format.”

That about sinks the battleship. The battle for the future is almost over – there can be only one. Hold on a tick… maybe I can squeak out one more cliché…

…Nope. Sorry, I’ve got nuthin.

“Evil Chicken, what are you talking about?” you may ask; and might I just add, that’s a wonderful question, Gentle Reader. The Businessweek article does a very good job of explaining things. The battle for the future is the battle for how media is going to be sold to us in all of its High Def goodness in the days to come when we all have HDTVs and Blu-ray disc players to replace our DVDs (and DVD players too, I might add). This war has been brewing for the last few years as time and technology march forward High Def is quickly becoming the shape of things to come. So, just how will studios peddle their High Def wares to us? Well there are two choices; the HD DVD format and Blu-ray. Blu-ray is winning. Disney went exclusive Blu-ray early into the fray – that was an important battle. Now with Warner and their voluminous catalog of film going exclusively Blu-ray that just may have been the decisive battle.

I currently own neither. If I were to make the jump Blu-ray would, most likely, be the smarter choice at this point. Buying an HD DVD player would be like buying a Betamax player back in the eighties when VHS is about to become the alpha-video player. One could make an argument that Betamax was better than VHS but the market decided who won that war. This time Blu-ray can actually hold a lot more information on a disc than an HD DVD so, in essence, the better mousetrap may be about to win this go round.

What will the future look like – or rather, what will the next format be? I bet it’ll be something akin to an MP3 or audio file; yup, just a file that you can download. Really – why take up all that space in your living room when you can be jacked into the central nervous system of your home and rent or purchase movies, music, as well as, cable and network programming with the press of a button or monthly subscription? It could all be stored in flash memory since archaic things like hard drives (with moving parts, mind you) are destine to get broken. Hey, while we’re at it, isn’t it time to get that big ole HDTV? You know the one – the 50-inch LCD with that magic number “1080p” attached to it – or better yet, how about that 150-inch plasma from Panasonic.

…Oh yes…

HD DVD cancelled their presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show 2008 after Warner made the announcement on January 4. That doesn’t bode too well either. So hold your stock in Sony and sell your holdings with HD DVD. Let’s see here… that’s five out of seven major studios supporting Blu-ray (according to the above article)?

The fat lady is clearing her throat.