Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 4
OK now, I don’t say this very often, but this movie is messed up. It’s actually pretty good—don’t misunderstand—but this well-crafted tale of three impossibly obnoxious tourists on a budget takes many a dark twist, with lots of unapologetically graphic violence. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Video: 2
Audio: 3
Extras: 2
Eminem had his semiautobiographical film debut. Now it’s 50 Cent’s turn. “Loosely based” on the story of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s rise through the rough streets, Get Rich treads on some familiar territory. While there are some decent performances (courtesy of Terrence Howard, among others) and 50 Cent has a modicum of charisma, the movie doesn’t have enough to sustain itself or to make you truly believe that 50 Cent has this burning desire to get his words out in rap. In fact, rapping feels like an afterthought here.
Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 4
Descending from Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger moves into a completely different characterization as the womanizing Casanova. You might believe you know the tale of this most legendary gigolo. Casanova, however, adds a romanticized spin. The film is satirical and whimsical, but you can also take it as a cautionary tale of suffering the consequences of a deviant past. The lovely Sienna Miller, who gives a delightful performance as the astute, exquisite Francesca Bruni, accompanies Ledger.
Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 2
Neil Jordan serves up a taste of Ireland—with quite a bit of style and sass—with his latest film Breakfast on Pluto. It tells the story of Patrick, a very unusual man who enjoys the comfort of a good dress and high heels. He also goes by the name of St. Kitten and is played to peculiar delight by Cillian Murphy, from 28 Days Later. The film follows his exploits around Ireland in the 1970s and ’80s, as he searches for his birth mother who abandoned him on the steps of a parish. It’s filled with eccentric characters (populated with actors like Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, and Brendan Gleeson) and a rocking soundtrack reflective of the times.
The long wait for OLED may be over before the end of the year. Sony says it will begin selling these next-generation flat panel TVs in late 2007 and other manufacturers are readying them for 2009.
February brought bad news for plasma TV makers. Plasmas clocked their first year-over-year drop in sales with a 16 percent drop in dollar volume, according to the NPD Group. Pricing was down more than 35 percent with the average plasma selling for $1672. This is, of course, good news for consumers and we showed our appreciation by driving up unit sales 30 percent. Forty-two inch models are most popular though 50-inchers are gaining.
Bet you didn't even know there's a new feature in the digital rights management for Blu-ray and HD DVD that would let you make backup copies on a controlled basis. It's called managed copy. Unfortunately you may never get to use it.
It is not too surprising that ViewSonic has decided to make a push into the home theater projection market. The company has a healthy lineup of business projectors and has watched other projector manufacturers successfully transition over to the HT side. But is anyone else surprised that a company known primarily for LCD TVs and monitors would go with DLP for their new line of home theater projectors? Maybe it's just me.
As more consumers embrace high-speed home networking and video downloads, one question is gaining prominence: Can't we view this content on something a little more substantial than our computer monitors? Yes, you can, thanks to the digital media receiver, which is a device that lets you stream video, photo, and music files from your computer to your television.
I review stuff. Manufacturers have a right to be wary of people like me. And, when I ask for a surround receiver, the first thing they ask me is, "What speakers will you be using with it?" I tell them, "Paradigm Reference Studio 20s." The sighs of relief at the other end of the phone line are almost audible. More often than not, I get what I ask for.