Recently, as I was aimlessly surfing the net, moving from movie site to movie site, I stopped at one I infrequently visit and decided to spend some time peruse everything it has to offer. I discovered a "links" page that provides jumping-off points ...
Permit me a day's respite from my usual cynicism to wallow in sentimentality. Oh, and today's column isn't recommended for children under the age of about 10. 35 years ago, I was a believer. That didn't make me unique. I was one among many. The ...
Any other week, I might be rhapsodizing about the pure fun of watching something as deliciously violent and adrenaline-charged as Wanted. While it's true that Wanted is a cauldron of relentless entertainment, it's not the best movie opening this ...
You get asked that question a lot as a kid. When I was little - by that, I mean four or five years old - I wanted to be a construction worker. At the time, the town was doing some major work on the dead-end street where my family lived and I spent ...
"Programming" Notes: Going forward, additional chapters in the series "My Life as a Geek" will be posted on Thursdays. Also, it's unlikely there will be any weekend ReelThoughts in the near future, since I'm using Saturdays and Sundays to populate ...
The big news this week is more about what's happening in the high definition market that what's available on standard DVD. (In answer to the question of when I will start "publishing" new Blu-Ray titles on the VideoViews page in addition to standard...
This is another slow week for new movies on DVD. There are really only four worth mentioning, and none are very good. (I wouldn't even waste a rental on any of these. It's not the loss of money so much as the loss of time.) Good Luck Chuck is ...
First, my thoughts about the Oscar nominations: yawn. Has there ever been a more predictable roster? With only a couple of mild surprises, everything was as expected. My (unpublished) predictions scored 25 out of 30 in the main six categories, ...
When it comes to DVD releases, this is yet another week when high-profile TV series trump high-profile movies, but that's not to say there aren't a lot of new theatrical titles available. In fact, this is the first week of the new year in which ...
There's not much on the format war front this week except for an observation. As I prepared this column, I noted the placement of Blu-Ray titles versus HD-DVD titles relative to each other on Amazon's Top 50 list. Blu Ray discs are consistently ...
Every war, regardless of its nature, is comprised of a series of battles. Yesterday, HD-DVD lost two big ones. Early in the day, Netflix announced that it would no longer support HD-DVD. To salt the wound, Best Buy indicated later in the day that ...
A bit of consumer advice: if you don't have a Blu-Ray player at this time and you live in the United States, don't use your stimulus rebate check to buy one. Wait until November - that's when price cuts and sales will drive down prices into a range ...
Before discussing what arrives on DVD this week, I want to write a few words about the status of the format war. Contrary to what some people are claiming, it is not over. Admittedly, Toshiba's decision to abandon HD-DVD has left the format on life ...
With the format war officially over, it's now time to start thinking about when some of the really desirable titles will start showing up on Blu-Ray. This is where Hollywood faces its biggest challenge - convincing movie buffs to re-buy catalog ...
The studios are getting worried. Profits from DVD sales are way down in 2008. The master plan two years ago was to have high-def revenue "fill in" the standard DVD lag but the format war either killed or delayed that campaign. There are two ...
The demise of HD-DVD has opened up shelf space for Blu Ray discs at many retailers. When I stopped by at Best Buy a couple days ago, their Blu Ray section had all but gobbled up the HD-DVD area. It was possible to get American Gangster and a couple...
Battlestar Galactica fans, your week has arrived! At long last, Season 3 is available on DVD, so those who savor the benefit of watching the DVDs before the new episodes air on TV can get the marathon underway (Season 4 is only two weeks from ...