Posted in: Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on February 12th, 2007
First off, thanks and much love to those who filled in while I was gone. And wow, while I was gone, apparently HD-DVD did the same. After a lackluster CES, the only other thing they could do was announce that Spielberg films like E.T. would be “coming soon” to the format. However, Senor Spielburgo put the kaibash on that pretty quick, and those responsible for the gaffe (namely the HD-DVD Promotions Group) issued a quick apology. For what it’s worth, now that Blu-Ray has caught up and passed HD-DVD in the numb...
Posted in: Brain Blasters, News and Opinions by David Annandale on February 9th, 2007
Genre and cult fans have their pantheons of cinematic deities. Some of these immortals are currently active, some are not. Some are celebrated for their incompetence. But there are others who are deified for actually making great films. And it is always heartbreaking when idols totter on their pedestals. Consider the giants of the horror film who emerged in the 1970's, and where they are now. Wes Craven has done quite nicely for himself, thank you very much, but what has Tobe Hooper really and truly done for us since...
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on February 7th, 2007
Super Mario World arrives, Mass Effect delayed and Duke Nukem never? - Welcome to the column that does not know if it’s coming or going known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I'm your host that like many watched the Superbowl. The game was rather boring after the first half but I stuck thru most of it until the Bears had firmly fallen apart. Prince was amazing, I wish I could find a good quality mpg or wmv to watch it again....
Posted in: Brain Blasters, News and Opinions by David Annandale on February 2nd, 2007
I thought this week I’d toss my two cents into the whole HD DVD/Blu-ray debate. Let’s be clear: I have no particular technical expertise, and I have no interest in attempting to judge which is the superior format (though I note with interest that, in the latest issue of Video Watchdog, editor Tim Lucas mentions that Blu-ray players are not compatible with standard DVDs). I’m approaching this from the point of view of a collector, and specifically a collector of cult films.
It may be that the format w...
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on January 31st, 2007
Prizes for XBOX 360 Achievements, Wii drives profits and a Rogue Release - Welcome to the Plinko chip that never quite makes it to the bottom known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. Life is doing okay for me right now, just going through a lot of paperwork at this current point in time. But in a couple of months or possibly less, I should be resuming something of a normal life. It will be worth it to a point, but there should...
Posted in: Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on January 29th, 2007
In a week filled with minimal news, there was one major announcement that is sure to make HD DVD fans happy. Yes, Universal has finally announced some of their exclusive HD DVD title line-up. Although none of the big blockbuster titles we know Universal has sitting around on a shelf were announced, more than a few big name titles were announced that will be sure to put a smile on your face. With upwards of 100 titles to be released throughout 2007 we can expect great things from Universal this year.
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Posted in: Brain Blasters, News and Opinions by David Annandale on January 26th, 2007
Bela Lugosi has certainly had his share of collections and box sets hitting the stands, but now, belatedly, Boris Karloff has some sets of his own, and we’re not talking cheap public domain films from late in his career.
Universal, where Karloff became a star with Frankenstein, has released, as part of their Franchise Collection, The Boris Karloff Collection. There are five films here: Night Key (1937), Tower of London (1939), The Climax (1944), The Strange Door (1951) and...
Posted in: News and Opinions by Archive Authors on January 24th, 2007
This CNET article wishfully prophecies that HD-DVD will surrender mid-year. This prognosis is based on the the fact that there's a 5:1 ratio of Blu-Ray to HD-DVD players in households - driven mainly by the PS3. Of course, the verdict is still out on whether the PS3 will ever get traction in the marketplace, so take that with a grain of salt.
Personally, I'm going to skip the next-gen physical media ratrace entirely and skip right to HD downloads via A...
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on January 24th, 2007
Halo 3 Beta, Wii at a Loss, and a Link to the Past - Welcome to the mortgage that’s been refinanced too much and drowning fast known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I’m your host that is having a rough week, but the looks on the horizon are quite good and I might come out of my current situation alive. Thank goodness I have my job to fall back on and thanks to my friends too for they provide me an outlet to let go my mental ...
Posted in: Brain Blasters, News and Opinions by David Annandale on January 20th, 2007
The next time someone talks about The Sixth Sense having an original twist ending, sit them down and force them to watch Carnival of Souls (1962).
Spoiler warning. If you haven’t seen either of these films, or generally have no idea what I’m talking about, stop reading now. Go away. Come back next week. You don’t want to be hear. God knows, I might spoil the twist in The Crying Game while I’m at it.
Your humble correspondent waits one for one more paragraph in case some unfort...
