LATEST ADDITIONS

Remember when the DVD was introduced? Remember how all the hardware companies and Hollywood studios played nice together, bringing out a steady flow of players and movies? Well, you can forget about that when the HD DVD and Blu-ray high-def disc formats debut over the next few months.

Sorry, at the moment I have nothing to report. Friday is the Mitsubishi line show, so check back Monday and I'll post what I saw. Rumor has it they've got a new TV that's got lasers! Now if I can just get my plasma tweeter speakers I'll be all set.

This DVD-Audio has been a long time coming. Many a planned release date came and went before this one finally hit the shelves back in November, but I assure you that it was worth the wait. The high-resolution, multichannel audio soundtrack allows an already great album to realize its full potential.

Video: 3
Audio: 4
Extras: 3
The Yards is a moody little film noir that, while pretty to look at, doesn't become the movie it desperately wants to be. It's cut cleanly from the Mean Streets cloth, as it tells the story of Leo (Mark Wahlberg, barely making eye contact with anyone), a recently paroled thief. Leo's attempts to go straight run afoul by his Uncle Frank (James Caan, sporting a nice mustache) and best friend Willie (Joaquin Phoenix), both shady characters involved in the corrupt world of railroad contractors. There's also some creepy sexual undertones between Leo and his cousin Erica (a pre-Oscar Charlize Theron). The visuals (in anamorphic 2.35:1) seem kind of foggy, which seems to be the director's intention but does not look very good. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is the highlight of the entire package, providing a rich soundscape that achieves what the film as a whole could not.