Planning to buy a Blu-ray player? Hold on. It's already battling public indifference, technical problems, laughable features and downloadable movies. Is it any wonder Blu-ray is doomed to fail? Here are five reasons why it's heading for the grave...
1. HD movie downloads
OK so the picture quality's not quite there yet, but Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and others have already seen the future of movie viewing at home - and it doesn't come on shiny 12cm discs.
Instead services like iTunes, Xbox Live and Vudu already offer HD movies over the internet, enabling you to see the movies you want without having to hack down to the video store in the pouring rain.
With fibre-to-home broadband slowly being rolled out in the UK, who knows what the next few years will bring.
2.BD-Live
Have you seen the demos? BD-Live is a joke. It's a second-rate attempt to offer interactive features that HD DVD did first and much, much better.
It won't work on old Blu-ray players (they don't have the persistent storage) and may not work on new ones: it's not mandatory for Blu-ray player makers to include it in the hardware they sell.
Result? Large doses of confusion and frustration for anyone (un)lucky enough to buy a Blu-ray disc with BD-Live features on it.
3. Samsung thinks Blu-ray is finished
You know, the world's number one consumer electronics maker, Blu-ray stalwart.
Andy Griffiths, director of consumer electronics at Samsung UK, told Pocket Lint that Blu-ray would be dead in five years, and that it certainly wouldn't last 10.
He believes the format will be replaced by either a new kind of physical media - most likely flash memory cards if Toshiba's IFA 2008 keynote is anything to go by - or downloads. Go figure.
4. Sony thinks Blu-ray is finished
Blu-ray is not only finished in terms of spec, but it's also finished as a format. Optical disc technology has gone as far as it can go.
Or so says Take Miyama, Sony product manager for home video marketing in Europe believes. He told Electric Pig that "in the future, if [our emphasis] we have a physical media format, it will change physically. It won't look like an optical disc."
Talk of a 500GB Blu-ray prototype will only prolong the agony.
Sony has already hinted at its future direction with the launch of Bravia TVs in the US that can directly receive movies streamed over the internet. Blu-ray player not required.
5. DVD is good enough
Despite the fact that Blu-ray movies are expected to hit to 12 million sales in Europe this year, they still account for just two per cent of video sales in countries like the UK.
Even by 2012 DVD will still have the edge - and that's according to the Blu-ray Disc Association's own over-enthusiastic predictions [PDF link].
The plain fact is few of us are ever likely to swap extensive DVD collection for their Blu-ray equivalents, especially when prices for Blu-ray movies and players are still so high.
Given that many cheap DVD players now have some kind of upscaling capability, DVD will prove 'good enough' in terms of picture quality for many years to come.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Top 8 Movie Vampires
Why are we so fascinated by vampires? From Dracula to Buffy, it seems we just can’t get enough of the bloodsuckers.
But why? Do we secretly crave the idea of becoming an empty soul, devoid of human emotion, and only interested in satisfying our own wanton bloodlust through the corruption of innocents. A bit like Madonna. Or is it just because we like the idea of good lie-in. Never growing old is pretty good too. Mind you, you’d miss the sunshine. But then again, we live in England, so it’s swings and roundabouts.
Whatever the reason, we just can’t get enough of them. How else do you explain the popularity of Dr Gillian McKeith’s You Are What You Eat? Indeed, it seems anything is acceptable as long you dress it in a long, black cloak, fangs and a ghostly complexion. Maybe Hillary Clinton should try it. Oh, she already has (terrible joke, we know).
Anyway, hecklerspray has decided to pick through the crud to find the best Hollywood vampires - and we don’t mean the studios.
8. David
Film: The Lost Boys (1987)
Jack Bauer is a vampire. Oh yes. Not sure what’s more frightening: the fact he’s a bloodthirsty killer or the fact he has the balls to have that hairstyle.
7. Blade
Films: Blade (1998), Blade 2 (2002), Blade Trinity (2004)
OK, Wesley’s Snipes’s titular hero is in fact half-vampire and half-human, hence the reason he can walk around in daylight. But as we’re never going to do a list for the top 10 movie characters that are half-vampire, half-man, it’ll have to do. The opening nightclub sequence in the first film sets the tone for what is a brilliant series.
6. Count Orlok
Film: Nosferatu (1922)
OK, technically, he and Dracula are one in the same as it’s an unauthorised version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula – with the names changed to protect the not-so-innocent. But, again, give us a break! Why do we like Nosferatu so much? It looks really dated – not surprisingly for a film made in the 1920s – and the dialogue is simply appalling. But, even to this day, there is something about Count Orlok himself which just creeps us out. The silhouette of him and his incredibly long fingernails coming up the stairs really sticks in the memory.
5. Selene
Films: Underworld (2003); Underworld: Evolution (2006)
Forget the ridiculous story and the shitty special effects, Kate Beckinsale’s sexy vampire assassin is worth the admission alone.
4. Santanico Pandemonium
Film: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
If you had never heard of Salma Hayek before, you certainly did after this film. One of the most memorable movie entrances ever.
3. Severin
Film: Near Dark (1987)
If you have never seen this film, you must rent it out immediately. Basically, it’s almost the entire cast of Aliens (minus Sigourney Weaver and, of course, the xenomorphs) as gun-toting, ass-kicking bloodsuckers.
And at the top of the list is Bill Paxton’s wisecracking vamp Severin. Simply brilliant.
2. Mr Barlow
Film: Salem’s Lot (1979)
One of the scariest vampires ever. We did not sleep for a week after watching this. OK, we were five.
1. Dracula
Films: Too many to list here
Whether it’s Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Gary Oldman or, er, Gerard Butler, every generation has their own Dracula. And so will the next generation, and the next, because his story will be told over and over again. Dracula has almost become synonymous with horror, and just like the character, will live on. Although, can we just say, Keanu Reeves’s display as Jonathan Harker in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film is probably the worst ever performance by an actor. He really should not have been paid for that. Glad to get that off our chests.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sci-Cry: 10 Guaranteed SF Weepers
Most people think of science fiction movies as hard and rational. But remember when the poster boy for all that is logical, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), died in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? Come on, admit it: You had "a little something in your eye" at that moment.
Notwithstanding its image of lightsaber fights and starship battles, the science fiction genre of movies reveals a soft, gooey center of emotion and downright sentimentality underneath all that white plastic armor.
In no particular order, here are 10 more of our favorite two-hankie SF movies from the past three decades. (Spoilers ahead!!) Try to keep a dry eye if you can.
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Doe-eyed Henry Thomas plays Elliott, a little boy who finds a lost and terrified alien creature and hides the E.T. in his bedroom closet until he can return to his own planet. The two form a bond so strong that when one falls ill the other suffers as well; when it's time for E.T. to rejoin his brethren, it's a sorrowfully sweet parting. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Children of Men (2006). Just a couple of decades from now, mankind's seed has dried up, and new babies are a distant memory. That is, until a mysterious woman finds herself even more mysteriously pregnant. Both the government and nefarious scientists want to get her in their clutches. But a caring clique of subversives (Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine) step forward to help her, only to find themselves with a foot in their own graves. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
The Fountain (2006). A man's (Hugh Jackman) everlasting love for his terminally ill wife (Rachel Weisz) is so mighty that it sends him on a journey that spans centuries as he searches for a cure. If anguished death scenes are the death of you, you'll be wiping your wet cheeks more than once during this weeper. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.
Bicentennial Man (1999). In this adaptation of an Isaac Asimov novel, Robin Williams plays an android who evolves and begins to develop all kinds of feelings: nostalgia, affection, jealousy, joy and wistfulness, to name a few. Directed by master of the maudlin, Christopher Columbus, the power of the story and Williams' performance yank a slew of tears throughout.
Solaris (2002). We know the remake isn't the popular version, but for the modern American's sensibilities, the tighter script and more romance-focused story successfully pluck more heartstrings than the 1972 Russian classic. In it, George Clooney plays a psychologist orbiting a strange planet, which sends him enticing visions of his dead wife (Natascha McElhone). Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
The Abyss (1989). Years before he'd helm the ultimate waterworks weepie, director James Cameron got his sea legs with this soggy story. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris play an estranged husband and wife, who are trapped in an undersea habitat that falls under siege. They realize they are still in love when each is forced to decide who will make the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of the other.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008). While there's an awful lot of crazy stuff going on in this futuristic rock 'n' roll horror sci-fi opera--not to mention social satire at every turn--at its heart, this film is the solemn story of a father's (Anthony Stewart Head) unbreakable bond with his daughter (Alexa Vega). When grave misfortunes befall both of them, you actually care, thanks to a strong script (based on a stage play written by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich) and unswerving performances by the actors. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.
Artificial Intelligence AI (2001). Something like Bicentennial Man in that its protagonist is an android with feelings (adroitly played by Haley Joel Osment), this movie is the one story Stanley Kubrick always wanted to tell but died before he could finish it. Director Steven Spielberg took over after the master's 1999 death. While the tale would have been more effective if it had ended under the sea, where the little robot boy finally finds the elusive "blue fairy" of his dreams, it's still worthy of a least one grief-counseling appointment after viewing.
Sunshine (2007). This drama about interpersonal relationships, sacrifice and all-encompassing devotion to lovers, family and friends just happens to be set on a spaceship that's racing toward the sun. While the ensemble cast is stellar--each and every one--it is the ethereal and androgynous Cillian Murphy as the emotional anchor who focuses the sorrow like a magnifying glass. Directed by Danny Boyle.
I Am Legend (2007). This latest adaptation of the, er, legendary parable written by Richard Matheson in the mid-1950s isn't the best, but the third time's a charm as the most manipulative. Star Will Smith has the gravitas to make us care about the last man on earth, Dr. Robert Neville, and his ill-fated dog. If old episodes of Lassie make you howl, wait until you meet Sam (played with puppy-eyed, tail-wagging appeal by Abby). Directed by Francis Lawrence.
Notwithstanding its image of lightsaber fights and starship battles, the science fiction genre of movies reveals a soft, gooey center of emotion and downright sentimentality underneath all that white plastic armor.
In no particular order, here are 10 more of our favorite two-hankie SF movies from the past three decades. (Spoilers ahead!!) Try to keep a dry eye if you can.
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Doe-eyed Henry Thomas plays Elliott, a little boy who finds a lost and terrified alien creature and hides the E.T. in his bedroom closet until he can return to his own planet. The two form a bond so strong that when one falls ill the other suffers as well; when it's time for E.T. to rejoin his brethren, it's a sorrowfully sweet parting. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Children of Men (2006). Just a couple of decades from now, mankind's seed has dried up, and new babies are a distant memory. That is, until a mysterious woman finds herself even more mysteriously pregnant. Both the government and nefarious scientists want to get her in their clutches. But a caring clique of subversives (Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine) step forward to help her, only to find themselves with a foot in their own graves. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
The Fountain (2006). A man's (Hugh Jackman) everlasting love for his terminally ill wife (Rachel Weisz) is so mighty that it sends him on a journey that spans centuries as he searches for a cure. If anguished death scenes are the death of you, you'll be wiping your wet cheeks more than once during this weeper. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.
Bicentennial Man (1999). In this adaptation of an Isaac Asimov novel, Robin Williams plays an android who evolves and begins to develop all kinds of feelings: nostalgia, affection, jealousy, joy and wistfulness, to name a few. Directed by master of the maudlin, Christopher Columbus, the power of the story and Williams' performance yank a slew of tears throughout.Solaris (2002). We know the remake isn't the popular version, but for the modern American's sensibilities, the tighter script and more romance-focused story successfully pluck more heartstrings than the 1972 Russian classic. In it, George Clooney plays a psychologist orbiting a strange planet, which sends him enticing visions of his dead wife (Natascha McElhone). Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
The Abyss (1989). Years before he'd helm the ultimate waterworks weepie, director James Cameron got his sea legs with this soggy story. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris play an estranged husband and wife, who are trapped in an undersea habitat that falls under siege. They realize they are still in love when each is forced to decide who will make the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of the other.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008). While there's an awful lot of crazy stuff going on in this futuristic rock 'n' roll horror sci-fi opera--not to mention social satire at every turn--at its heart, this film is the solemn story of a father's (Anthony Stewart Head) unbreakable bond with his daughter (Alexa Vega). When grave misfortunes befall both of them, you actually care, thanks to a strong script (based on a stage play written by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich) and unswerving performances by the actors. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.
Artificial Intelligence AI (2001). Something like Bicentennial Man in that its protagonist is an android with feelings (adroitly played by Haley Joel Osment), this movie is the one story Stanley Kubrick always wanted to tell but died before he could finish it. Director Steven Spielberg took over after the master's 1999 death. While the tale would have been more effective if it had ended under the sea, where the little robot boy finally finds the elusive "blue fairy" of his dreams, it's still worthy of a least one grief-counseling appointment after viewing.Sunshine (2007). This drama about interpersonal relationships, sacrifice and all-encompassing devotion to lovers, family and friends just happens to be set on a spaceship that's racing toward the sun. While the ensemble cast is stellar--each and every one--it is the ethereal and androgynous Cillian Murphy as the emotional anchor who focuses the sorrow like a magnifying glass. Directed by Danny Boyle.
I Am Legend (2007). This latest adaptation of the, er, legendary parable written by Richard Matheson in the mid-1950s isn't the best, but the third time's a charm as the most manipulative. Star Will Smith has the gravitas to make us care about the last man on earth, Dr. Robert Neville, and his ill-fated dog. If old episodes of Lassie make you howl, wait until you meet Sam (played with puppy-eyed, tail-wagging appeal by Abby). Directed by Francis Lawrence.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Soul Men Movie Trailer
Plot: Though it's been some twenty years since they have spoken with one another, two estranged soul-singing legends (Jackson and Mac) agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Moore Pulls a Radiohead; New Movie to Be Distributed Online for Free
Election time is coming in the US, and suddenly your votes are more important than your money. At least that’s how Michael Moore sees it, whose new movie, titled “Slacker Uprising,” will premiere on the net for free on September 23, followed by a DVD which will be released through Amazon.com and Netflix on October 7. Blip.TV will host the download; hopefully, they’ve upgraded their servers, because the demand is going to be huge.
Moore doesn’t hide his intentions. “This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans,” he said. “The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November. I think Slacker Uprising will inspire million (sic) to get off the couch and give voting a chance.”
The movie is basically a document of Moore’s tour through 62 US cities in swing states during the 2004 U.S. presidential election; obviously, it didn’t work out as well as Moore intended it, so now he’s hoping he can recycle it for another go. It’s not a bad idea, though; his earlier movies, while being amongst the highest grossing documentaries ever, also sparked an immense interest on social media sites such as Digg and Reddit. This one will be no exception, as it’s aimed directly at twenty somethings who usually spend their time doing, well, not that much. Check out the trailer below.
Moore doesn’t hide his intentions. “This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans,” he said. “The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November. I think Slacker Uprising will inspire million (sic) to get off the couch and give voting a chance.”The movie is basically a document of Moore’s tour through 62 US cities in swing states during the 2004 U.S. presidential election; obviously, it didn’t work out as well as Moore intended it, so now he’s hoping he can recycle it for another go. It’s not a bad idea, though; his earlier movies, while being amongst the highest grossing documentaries ever, also sparked an immense interest on social media sites such as Digg and Reddit. This one will be no exception, as it’s aimed directly at twenty somethings who usually spend their time doing, well, not that much. Check out the trailer below.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Happy 50th Birthday Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Life
Michael Jackson, the former King of Pop who has fallen from grace over the past decade, will today celebrate 50 years of fame, infamy, reverence and ridicule.
One of the worlds greatest entertainers, Michael Jackson is famous for revolutionising the music and entertainment industry with a series of chart-topping singles and albums, both solo and with his band, The Jackson 5.
The man nicknamed 'Wacko Jacko' by some is equally as infamous for his often bizarre behaviour and allegations of sexually molesting young boys.
Born in Indiana in 1958, Jackson has spent his entire life on stage, pushed by his domineering father who Jackson would later say was physically and emotionally abusive.
Originally, Jackson performed with his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon as the chart-topping Jackson 5. Hailed as a child prodigy, Jackson quickly became the star of the hugely successful group.
Jackson launched his solo career with Off the Wall in 1979. The album sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and spawned hits including Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough and Rock With You.He followed up with Thriller - the higest selling album of all time - selling more than 100 million copies and featuring mega-hits including Billie Jean, Beat It and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'.Thriller was credited with breaking down race barriers as, previously, MTV had not played black artists on the channel. It also helped Jackson score eight Grammy Awards.
The album was re-released this year in a collaboration with current chart-topping artists such as Fergie and Kanye West.
Other albums included Bad, Dangerous and HIStory, all huge successes but never scaling the heights of Thriller.Jackson was hailed for his outrageous dancing as he introduced the world to moves like the Moonwalk.
Today’s big artists including Chris Brown and Mary J Blige have repeatedly cited Jackson as an inspiration.
Aside from his musical success, Jackson's often bizarre private life has been the subject of intense scrutiny, including claims he slept in an oxygen chamber and had bought the bones of the Elephant Man. Jackson faced serious allegations of sexually assaulting two young boys in 1993 and in 2005 but was never convicted. His predilection for plastic surgery is also well documented. Over the years, his face has changed dramatically. He is said to have had several rhinoplasties, a cleft put in his chin, and his skin has been bleached white, reportedly partly due to the medical condition Vitiligo. Jackson has been married twice and fathered three children: sons Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr (also known as "Prince"), and Prince Michael Jackson II; and a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. He was widely criticised for dangling Prince Michael II over a hotel balcony in Germany shortly after he was born.
More recently, his financial situation has come under intense scrutiny. He was sued by former associates an employees who said his spending was out of control.
He owns a 2500-acre ranch called Neverland in California. The ranch once hosted thousands of children and featured a ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and a zoo with elephants, giraffes and orangutans.
He also had a pet Chimpanzee known as Bubbles.
Jackson now lives in exile where he has reportedly been a guest of Bahrain’s crown prince of the desert.
Watch Max Payne Movie Trailer HD
Coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City are a DEA agent (Wahlberg) whose family was slain as part of a conspiracy and an assassin (Kunis) out to avenge her sister's death. The duo will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation.
Max Payne is very good for a film based on a computer game.
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