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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
No Country For Old Men
 |  Feb 28, 2008

West Texas local boy Llewelyn Moss (Josh Bolin) stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad while out hunting and discovers a suitcase filled with $2 million in cash. By claiming the money as his own, he becomes the target of Anton Chigur (Javier Bardem), a sociopathic killer with no sense of humor who will kill anyone who gets in the way of reclaiming the money. As Moss flees for his life, local Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) does all he can to interrupt the killing spree that Chigur leaves in his wake.

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Audio Video News
Sony 2008 Line Show
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 28, 2008

A few months after CES each year, many manufacturers hold individual line shows to give their dealers and the press a closer look at their new products. Sony is usually the first one out of the gate, and this year was no different. About 600 dealer representatives and 50 members of the press converged on the Paris hotel in Las Vegas this week (weren't we just there?) to see the latest from Sony.

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Audio Video News
HD DVD Throws Spanner in DreamWorks
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 28, 2008
Don't look for Jerry Seinfeld's forthcoming Bee Movie on Blu-ray--at least, not for awhile. DreamWorks Animation can't release anything on Blu-ray yet, having been, ah, stung by an agreement signed with Toshiba. The 18-month exclusivity pact, which began last summer, obligates the studio to release on HD DVD in exchange for millions of promotional dollars.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Michael Clayton—Warner Bros. (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Feb 27, 2008
Video: 4/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 2/5
I really wanted to see this one during its theatrical run but missed the opportunity. After it was nominated for a bunch of awards this year, my interest peaked even more. I actually sat down to watch it while the Academy Awards was airing. I must say I'm surprised that this one was up for Best Picture. I thought it was a very good film, with really strong performances, but not quite Best Picture material. The film follows Michael Clayton, a big law firm bagman who does crisis management. This time around one of their top lawyers goes crazy during a meeting and jeopardizes a case involving a major agriculture company. The film never lost my interest and I was impressed with the level of suspense a legal thriller could sustain. While I might not agree with the Academy completely about the film, it is definitely worth a look for fans of the genre.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Appleseed Ex Machina—Warner Bros. (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Feb 27, 2008
Video: 3/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 2.5/5
In 2004 Appleseed was released as a groundbreaking CG animation feature. The CG animation style was cutting edge and the action of the film was a lot of fun. While I enjoyed that film I thought the overall story was a bit lacking. This follow up is a step up in almost every department. The new story is a lot better in my opinion, but the film does remind me of a video game at times. The scope is larger, but the way the action progresses and some of the dialogue make me feel like I'm watching cut scenes from a game more than a full length feature every once in awhile. The animation has been supercharged since the first release. The characters and animation in general is far more dimensional and the attention to detail is incredible. Fans of anime in general will definitely want to check this one out.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Shoot Em Up—New Line (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Feb 27, 2008
Video: 5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Check your brain at the door for this non-stop action ride. And I mean that literally. This is one of those films that almost makes spoofs look tame when it comes to unbelievable action. They've employed just about every "you've got to be kidding me" trick in the book and then some. The plot is paper thin and serves only to get you to the next shoot out. The film does have some style to it and I couldn't help but be entertained from time to time despite the udder ridiculousness of it. If you are looking for anything remotely resembling an intelligent action movie though, stay FAR away from this one!
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Audio Video News
Sony's 2008 Line Show
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 27, 2008
This year, as last, Sony held its annual line show at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas. While it is intended primarily for dealers—which explains the introduction of everything from televisions to digital voice recorders, computers, cameras, cell phones, and alarm clocks (in short, everything you'll see featured in Sony movies later this year)—the press was brought in to have the first look.
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Audio Video News
Sony Bows New Blus
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 27, 2008
Two new Blu-ray players were among the highlights of a major Sony product introduction yesterday in Las Vegas.
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Audio Video News
Sony Readies Budget Multi-room Audio System
SV Staff  |  Feb 26, 2008
Sony demoed its latest distributed audio solution at its 2008 Open House this week in Las Vegas. The affordable design brings multi-room capability to those on a budget, incorporating wireless RF transmission operating in the 2.4-GHz band. The...
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Surround Processor Reviews
Anthem AVM 40 Pre/Pro
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 26, 2008
Hide your credit cards now before it's too late.

My son, Nick, recently attended an engineering weekend for high-school seniors at a nearby university. After splitting into teams, the attendees competed in several engineering challenges, one of which was to build a contraption made from a meager assortment of supplied materials (including an Alka-Seltzer tablet) that would move a small toy car across a pan of water.

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