LATEST ADDITIONS

Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Greatest Game Ever Played—Walt Disney Pictures (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jul 05, 2009
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 2.75/5
Shia LaBeouf stars as amateur golfer Francis Ouimet. Armed with nothing but talent, the working-class youth has a seemingly impossible dream: to compete against the world's greatest player, his idol Harry Vardon. Soon, with the help of his spunky, 10-year-old caddy Eddie, Francis boldly breaks down all barriers with a thrilling display of unrivaled drive, skill, and heart...and challenges the golf pro for the U.S. Open Championship!
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Code—First Look (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jul 05, 2009
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.25/5
Extras: 2/5
While pulling a down-and-dirty jewelry heist on a subway train, Jack encounters Ripley, a legendary thief who was casing the same job. In spite of Jack's initial reluctance, Ripley manages to rope him into helping pull off an impossible job: the theft of two previously undiscovered Faberge Imperial Eggs from the heavily guarded vault of a New York diamond wholesaler. The vault, unfortunately, is controlled by former KGB operatives who are secretly looting the Russian National Treasury. To add more stress to the situation, Ripley's beautiful goddaughter Alex has a romantic liaison with Jack, which causes additional strain to their fragile partnership. Staying one step ahead of the NYPD, the FBI, the diamond merchants and a vicious Russian crime boss determined to have the priceless eggs for himself, Jack and Ripley must figure out how to pull the heist and make it out alive without betraying one another, or themselves.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Children of the Corn—Anchor Bay (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jul 05, 2009
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Something unspeakable is alive in the cornfields of rural Gatlin, Nebraska, where a boy preacher has led the village's children in a slaughter of all the adults. But when a traveling couple stumble across this deserted town, they become prisoners of child madman Isaac, his henchman Malachai and their kid cult of unholy believers. Judgment Day has arrived: Will the blood of the "outlanders" flow in sacrifice to their god or is the final fury of "He Who Walks Behind The Rows" coming for them all?
Continue Reading »
A/V Veteran
1776 and All That Stuff
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 04, 2009

We have a gaggle of national holidays, but only a few aren't moved around to fall on a Monday so we can all enjoy a three-day weekend. The fixed dates of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years come to mind. No matter how much some might want to change them, New Years always falls on January 1, Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Black Friday following it, and Christmas is a religious holiday (don't remind the wrong crowd of that) whose date was set in stone centuries before the U.S. of A. was the U.S. of A.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Do the Right Thing
David Vaughn  |  Jul 03, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/dothing.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Spike Lee's 20-year-old masterpiece depicts the racial tensions in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, but the film has aged well. While not as polished as a day-and-date release, this catalog title features outstanding color saturation, excellent detail, clear dialog, and a great surround-sound demo scene in the third act right before all hell breaks loose. Sure, the subject matter is heavy and thought provoking, but it looks and sounds fantastic too!

Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
Lightning, Apartment Sound, CDs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 03, 2009
Lightning Strikes Again
I live in the Southeast where lightning is a serious problem. I was recently advised by an electrical contractor to have a whole-house surge protector installed. I am inclined to do this. However, I first wanted to find out if this would have a negative effect on my audio system.
Continue Reading »
Premiere Design
Curvilicious
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 02, 2009

I know, I know&#151;this isn't exactly a home-theater product. But when I stumbled upon the CDM43 computer monitor from a company called <A href="http://www.ostendo.com">Ostendo Technologies</A>, I was intrigued by its potential to reinvigorate the rear-projection market.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Better Netflix Brings Cool Million
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 02, 2009
If it gets easier to find what you want on Netflix in the near future, you can thank a team of experts who came up with an improved search algorithm. Unless someone else can do better, Netflix is about to thank them too--to the tune of a million bucks.
Continue Reading »
Snakes Alive! The S&V Interview with Alex Lifeson of Rush
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 01, 2009

Photo: Andrew MacNaughtan

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
California declares July 1, 2009 "DTS 7.1 Day"
SV Staff  |  Jul 01, 2009
Happy DTS 7.1 Day! If you're a resident of the Golden State (and more specifically, the SoCal community of Agoura Hills), then today is a day to celebrate DTS 7.1 surround. Agoura Hills mayor Denis Weber and California 41st District assemblywoman...
Continue Reading »

Pages

X