LATEST ADDITIONS

Find Me Guilty—20th Century Fox
Tony DeCarlo  |  Apr 24, 2007  |  First Published: Oct 24, 2006
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 1
When a slew of his cronies are arrested, already imprisoned and now newly indicted mobster Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel) is given a proposition—testify for the government and get your 30-year sentence reduced. He says no, and, not only that, he will defend himself against these new charges.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Dukes of Hazzard—Warner Brothers (HD DVD)
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Apr 24, 2007  |  First Published: Oct 24, 2006
Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 4
Yes, I know it’s stupid, sophomoric, and about two dumb guys doing some fancy driving in an old muscle car, but that’s what makes it great! OK, maybe “great” is too strong a word. It makes me laugh and has some of the best precision driving since Ronin. I wrote the DVD review for this movie a few months ago, and I really can’t think of anything else to say about it. Bo and Luke have to—I don’t know—save Uncle Jesse’s farm or something.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Enter the Dragon—Warner Brothers (HD DVD)
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Apr 24, 2007  |  First Published: Oct 24, 2006
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 5
There’s something inherently fascinating about watching someone who is unquestionably the best at what they do. Bruce Lee was just incredible to watch, and, regardless of the quality of the films he was in, they are worth watching just to marvel at his greatness. Enter the Dragon, ostensibly about a martial-arts competition put on by one bad dude, is really just a showcase for one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.
Continue Reading »
Annapolis—Buena Vista
Mike Prince  |  Apr 24, 2007  |  First Published: Oct 24, 2006
Video: 2
Audio: 2
Extras: 2
It’s funny; I was just saying to myself the other day how much I wanted to see a remake of An Officer and a Gentleman, only more boring. Lo and behold, Annapolis answered my call. It tells the tale of a tough young Naval Academy recruit (James Franco) who doesn’t obey the rules at first but learns teamwork, respect, and honor through…boxing. Or something. I won’t lie: The film put me to sleep several times. And, while it’s not a terrible film, it certainly is a dull one.
Continue Reading »
V for Vendetta Two-Disc Special Edition—Warner Brothers
Adrienne Maxwell  |  Apr 24, 2007  |  First Published: Oct 24, 2006
Video: 4
Audio: 5
Extras: 3
Is it frightening or reassuring that the themes explored in V for Vendetta are as relevant now as they were when the graphic novel was first penned in the 1980s? Alan Moore and David Lloyd created the story about an antihero’s attempts to bring down a fascist government. In their film adaptation, the Wachowski Brothers didn’t have to veer too far from the original to strike a modern chord. It manages to address all the hot-button topics residing on our cultural and political plates—terrorism, immigration, gay rights, censorship, biological weapons, and how a government should best balance freedom and security—while remaining an engaging piece of fiction.
Continue Reading »
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2-Disc Ultimate Edition—MPI
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 24, 2007  |  First Published: Oct 24, 2006
From the opening credits, to that crazy hitchhiker, to the ceremonial bones and feathers outside the old house, to the tooth (with filling) lying on the front porch, to the sudden, ugly killing of the first victim, we know that something ain’t quite right in Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. You can even feel a knot forming in your stomach during John Larroquette’s restrained narration that sets the stage for this road trip that’s about to take a tragic turn. I can’t even imagine how savagely this smart, brutal masterpiece of modern horror must have rocked moviegoers’ worlds back in a more innocent 1974. Dark Sky Films’ Ultimate Edition now transports us to those backwoods of the Lone Star State where it all began.
Continue Reading »
Syriana—Warner Brothers
Adrienne Maxwell  |  Apr 24, 2007  |  First Published: Oct 24, 2006
Video: 4
Audio: 3
Extras: 2
“Syriana is one of the most relevant stories in the world today,” says the film’s executive producer, Jeff Skoll, in the “Make a Change, Make a Difference” featurette on Warner Brothers’ new DVD release. He’s absolutely right, as even a cursory glance at world and domestic news will confirm. The film paints an unflinching portrait of the world’s dependence on oil and the lengths to which politicians and businessmen will go to maintain the status quo in the global oil fields, even as that status quo contributes to the rise of Islamic extremism in countries where people are afforded few other options.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Broadcasters Rip Cable on DTV Dilution
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 24, 2007
Cable operators may discriminate against broadcasters by reducing both the quality and quantity of DTV channels, the head of the National Association of Broadcasters asserted last week in a keynote at the NAB's annual convention in Las Vegas.
Continue Reading »
Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
HSU Research HB-1 Speaker System
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 23, 2007  |  First Published: Mar 23, 2007
Trappist ale on a beer budget.

I admired the HSU Research HB-1 horn-loaded loudspeaker when I first heard it at the Home Entertainment Show in Los Angeles in June 2006. Nearby demo rooms were stuffed with megabucks two-channel gear, much of which simply didn't approach the directness of this $125 budget wonder. I blogged my first response, and it's a good thing I still feel that way, because now it's printed right on the HB-1's carton: "This speaker may become the underground bestseller of 2006." Make that 2007. Aside from the year, I stand by my original impression.

Continue Reading »
AV Receiver ReviewsOther Source Component ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Snell D7 Speaker System, Marantz SR9600 A/V Receiver, and Marantz DV9600 Disc Player
Steve Guttenberg  |  Apr 23, 2007  |  First Published: Mar 23, 2007
Together again for the first time.

As I unboxed this month's Spotlight System, I flashed on the innovative histories of Marantz and Snell Acoustics. Saul B. Marantz was a bona fide American audio pioneer in the 1950s and 1960s. His company's electronics not only sounded amazing, they were drop-dead gorgeous. Maybe that's why Marantz's early designs regularly sell on eBay for more than their original prices. Peter Snell was one of the brightest speaker designers to emerge in the mid-1970s. Back in the day, I owned a pair of his first speakers, the Type A, and had many conversations with Peter about music. In those simpler times, Saul Marantz and Peter Snell could launch their companies armed with not much more than a driving passion to produce great audio gear—and the inspired engineering to make the dream real. Best of all, both companies still adhere to their founders' perfectionistic traditions.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X