Netflix Review: November 08

Chinatown - I think I would've enjoyed this movie more if I hadn't been unpacking and cleaning up while I was "watching" it. Though Jack Nicholson before he was well known was cool. Can't really say if I'd recommend it or not.

Witness - This is a great movie. Harrison Ford being a good cop trying to get out of a corrupt system while protecting the kid who saw another cop's murder. Y'all probably knew that. It flows well and has some great scenes that remind you why Ford is a great actor.

Jeff Dunham: Arguing With Myself - Not as good as Spark of Insanity or his new Christmas special, but still pretty amusing. This was prior to Achmed the Dead Terrorist, but while he was still using Sweet Daddy D, so it definitely has its moments.

The Untouchables - Any movie with Sean Connery and Andy Garcia as cops has got to be awesome. This is quite good. It follows the story of Elliot Ness (Keven Costner) and his attempt to take down Al Capone (Robert De Niro) in Chicago. It's well down and pulls off the period piece well.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - Man, this movie has so much wrong with it. Now, I was never a reader of either Fantastic Four OR the Silver Surfer, so I don't know how accurate this story is (not that you REALLY have to worry about accuracy with a comic book movie). But it has a bad plot mixed with blah acting and copious amounts of product placement (to the point where their flying car has Dodge logos all over it and claimed to have a Hemi). I'd avoid it unless you're a diehard FF fan or are just trying to see all the Marvel films.

12 Monkeys - Oh, I love movies like this, where they show you the end of the movie at the beginning, but none of it makes sense because you don't know the characters or location yet, and the rest of the movie slowly pieces it all together. Also the distopian view of the future is kinda crazy. What is it with Bruce Willis and sci-fi epics? Also, Brad Pitt in one of his most amusing roles since Tyler Durden. Check it out.

Coming attractions:
A Bridge Too Far
Tron
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Family Guy: Blue Harvest

What can Blu Do for You?

For those out of the loop, Sony’s Blu-ray disc format is the current high definition format of choice. It beat out Microsoft-backed HD-DVD earlier this year and is the format of choice for moviephiles.

Now you’re asking yourself, “Do I REALLY need all my favorite movies on Blu-ray when I’ve already got them on DVD?” The short answer is no. The long answer is a bit more complicated and will take some explaining.

Movies have only been filmed in high definition (that is, film with a screen resolution of at least 1280x720 pixels) for the last decade, give or take a few years. If you have a standard TV (one that is roughly square), then movies or TV shows will show up as letterbox (where you have the black bars along the top and bottom). If you have an HDTV, the image will fill up your screen.

If movies have only been filmed in HD for such a short amount of time, why do you need a “high definition” version of the film on Blu-ray? You don’t. “High definition” cannot add to a movie that wasn’t filmed with HD in mind. The Sound of Music isn’t going to be any more vivid or pretty on Blu-ray than it is on VHS or DVD.

Movies that have been filmed for HD are going to look more crisp and clear than the DVD variant because they are higher quality. Do not misunderstand, Blu-ray is the superior format, but if the movie wasn’t made for HD then it’s irrelevant.

The reason DVDs became so wildly popular over VHS is because they are far more versatile, cheap, and in general are better quality. The switch from VHS to DVD was a natural progression of the market and technology. The switch from DVD to Blu-ray is a step up in technology but isn’t much of a leap in the market.

Bottom line: if you have an HDTV and money to burn, go with Blu-ray. If you don’t stick to the DVDs except for special occasions such as recent movies.

What is this Blog For?

My main goal with this blog is to attempt to give some insight into technology to the people that don't necessarily experience it every day. I'm going to try and avoid most computer jargon, and if I use anything I think needs explaining, I'll give you a definition. If you see something you don't understand, drop a comment and say, "Hey, stop talking all high and mighty." I want this to be helpful but not condescending.

I'm also going to have general things on here, such as movie and game reviews that will be tagged as such. If I get a new gadget that I think you need to know about, you can be sure I'll give you a run down of its capabilities.

If there's anything in particular you'd like to see, let me know. I've got a thin budget and a day job just like everyone else, so I may not be able to get to your request right away or at all if it's too pricey, but I'll do my best to give it a shot.

Enjoy!