Before the world has fully adopted high-def, NHK is pushing the barriers even further. Not even happy going to 4K, Japanese manufacturer NHK is showing a prototype system with 8K resolution. For those of you doing the math, that's 7,680 x 4,320...
I've heard $1,000,000 speakers. I've heard $10 speakers. But none of them can do a hundredth of what Tiger Electronics' new Automated Music Personality ( A.M.P.) can do. Let's compare, shall we, the $500 A.M.P. with Thiel Audio's universally...
Panasonic is taking on the large venue world with two new three-chip DLP projectors with 12,000 lumen. These aren't designed for home use, though if you can foot the bill, why not? They're perfect for high-definition content for conventions,...
If Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) walks by, be sure to tip your hat and say "thank you!" She's the member of Congress who introduced the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (or CALM) Act in the House of Representatives. The law, if passed, would take aim at blaring TV ads that are noticeably louder than the programming in which they appear.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/spiderwick.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Seeking to escape her failed marriage, Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) moves her three children away from New York City to a country home left to her by an insane aunt. The children soon discover that the old house harbors many mysteries, and Jared (Freddie Highmore) finds his great-great uncle Spiderwick's Field Guide, which reveals the unbelievable truth about the Spiderwick Estate—a secret world of fantastical creatures hidden from normal view.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/foolsgold.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Ben "Finn" Finnegan (Matthew McConaughey) is a fortune hunter whose obsession with discovering the Queen's Dowry, a treasure that mysteriously disappeared in the Caribbean in 1715, has consumed him to the point of ruining his marriage to Tess (Kate Hudson). Discovering a clue that he believes will lead him to the cache, he must charm his way into the pocketbook of billionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland) in order to finance the expedition.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/bucketlist.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and scholarly auto mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) have virtually nothing in common—with the exception of terminal cancer and a shared regret about missed opportunities in their lives. When they end up side by side in a hospital room, the two devise a "bucket list" detailing the experiences they would like to have before they kick the bucket. Together they embark on a journey of self-discovery and friendship as they check off the items on their list.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/blood.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a spellbinding performance as Daniel Plainview, a turn-of-the-century independent oil baron prospecting in California. He is a ruthless man who hates all men, including himself. Plainview manipulates the locals into selling their land to him, and in the process, he makes an enemy of a resident preacher.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/blades.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Rival figure skaters Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) brawl on the medal podium and are banned from singles competition. Three years later, they learn that the ban does not prohibit them from couple's competition, so Jimmy and Chazz team up as the first man/man pairs team in history . Do they have what it takes to go for the gold?
Video: 4/5
Audio: 2.5/5
Extras: 3.25/5 The Sand Pebbles tells the story of a Navy mechanic sent to work on a small gunboat in China in the mid-20's. China wasn't the super power it is now and was going through a civil war. Influences from Communist Russia were coming in and the government was using every excuse it could to separate itself from the American forces in the area. McQueen doesn't play the tough guy as much in this one but instead turns in a more human portrayal of a deck plate level sailor dealing with politics he'd rather stay out of. The story has a nice arc to it and despite the long run time, never bores. Definitely one of the better war classics out there.