Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Video: 5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: N/A
Last year video guru Joe Kane released the first High Definition test disc to the market with Digital Video Essentials. We'd seen this release before on the short lived D-Theater format but this time around the disc offered a more intuitive menu structure and offered two resolutions for test material. Problem was; it was limited to HD DVD only. This new version is available in both HD DVD and Blu-ray and is slightly scaled down. Some of the more advanced test patterns that are good for display evaluation are missing but most of the patterns for display setup are all there. The disc has both 1080p and 720p content making it very adaptable for the two most popular screen resolutions on the market today. This new disc also features more in-depth instructions on the materials and their benefit on display playback. The menu is still a bit cumbersome at times and I wish they would have allowed for storage of some favorites similar to what we see with some HD DVD and Blu-ray releases that have a bookmark function. All of the familiar demonstration material is here from the previous editions as well.

Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 4/5
When three ghosts take penny-pinching Scrooge on an eye-opening journey, he discovers the true meaning of Christmas - but he must act on it before it's too late.

Movie: 5
Picture/Sound: 5/5
Extras: 3.5

Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 3/5
Kevin Smith's religious epic caused a bit of a stir upon its first release. The comedy epic is witty and makes a nice satire out of the holy verses with a touch of Jay and Silent Bob. I'm on the fence about which Kevin Smith film is my favorite but this is definitely one of the front runners. The writing is excellent and the cast does a great job with the material. As long as you don't take it too seriously, this film is a lot of fun.

Video: 4.75/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
"Domino" presents an entertaining mix of gritty action and a sharp visual style. The film is inspired by the life of Domino Harvey, a former model who rejected her privileged Beverly Hills life to become a bounty hunter.

Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.25/5
Extras: 3.5/5
A frantic call for help from a remote research station on Mars sends a team of mercenary Marines into action. Led by 'The Rock' and Karl Urban, they descend into the Olduvai Research Station, where they find a legion of nightmarish creatures, lurking in the darkness, killing at will. Once there, the Marines must use an arsenal of firepower to carry out their mission; nothing gets out alive.