Andre Dursin's Aisle Seat Blog

Aisle Seat Board Status

2008-02-25T09:46:00.003-05:00

Netfirms, my service provider, had some problems over the weekend that they are still fixing up. Here's their email response to me...hopefully it will not be too long.

We experienced a service interruption affecting the Netfirms corporate websites and some of our customer hosted websites and e-mail services.


During scheduled power maintenance at our Data Centre on Saturday Feb. 23 at approximately 10:30 AM ET, the building's backup generator system unexpectedly failed, impacting network connectivity. This affected several Internet and Hosting Providers, including Netfirms.

We would like to inform you that your web data is intact and that your e-mail messages are currently queued for delivery over the next several hours.

At this time, our Technology Team is also investigating the cause of the unusual failure with the Data Centre facility in order to prevent further incidences of this nature. We sincerely apologize for this service interruption and appreciate your patience while our engineers work diligently to restore services.

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year....

2007-12-23T13:24:00.000-05:00

...to one and all. Hope everyone is well this holiday season, and we'll see you in 2008!

Amazon Black Friday Deals!

2007-11-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

Amazon has several excellent deals on-going for "Black Friday". Click on the links for details:

-Toshiba HD-DVD A3 player $159 shipped with 10 free movies. This is as good a deal basically as the $99 Walmart deal from a few weeks back in many ways.

-Buy 2 HD-DVDs Get 1 Free.

-Buy 2 Blu Ray Discs Get 1 Free.

-ALIEN QUADRILOGY DVD Box Set $20 shipped. One of the great DVD box-sets of all-time at a terrific price.

Will post more later if anything really sticks out!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T16:58:00.000-05:00

Whoa what a crazy couple of weeks. Hope everyone is doing well -- and has a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

I'll be back Friday with hopefully some exciting Black Friday news. Until then, be safe, sane, and enjoy the day!

Sony Admits "Difficult" Fight with HD-DVD

2007-11-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

So after months of PR spin, telling us "Blu Ray has won!" over and over, now we get a candid comment from the Sony CEO about the format war...how it's a "difficult" fight and saying HD-DVD is a formidable opponent?

This going into the holiday season??

Something is going on, as I find the timing very odd. Perhaps he knows one of the major Blu Ray supporters is going to HD-DVD after the 1st of the year, perhaps they have projections about the HD-DVD players sold in the last few weeks...either way something seems to be up. And I give him credit, either way, for finally speaking with some honesty, which is one thing we haven't heard much of from "his side" since the format war began.

Click on the text to read the AP article...

NEW YORK - The head of Sony Corp., Howard Stringer, said Thursday that the Blu-ray disc format the company has developed as the successor to the DVD is in a "stalemate" with the competing HD DVD format, chiefly backed by Toshiba Corp. and Microsoft Corp.

"It's a difficult fight," said Stringer, speaking at the 92nd Street Y cultural center in Manhattan.

20% Off Deepdiscount DVD Sale is ON

2007-11-09T10:41:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts -- the new roof has finally been finished and it created quite a racket for the better part of the last week!

Not a whole lot going on, but the semi-annual Deepdiscountdvd and DVDPlanet sales are now underway -- both I believe end the day before Thanksgiving (which would be 11/21).

DVDPlanet's code is 20offsale and can be used multiple times per account. They're basically the same outfit as DDD but they also offer frequent buyer points ($5 for every $200 spent) and also accept used DVDs as store credit, so if you buy enough discs they may be worth looking into. They also accept Paypal, which Deepdiscount does not, and offer a good array of coupons whenever these sales aren't going on.

Deepdiscount's codes function the same as always -- they can be used only once per-account but there's no limit to how many of these codes you can use. Make sure you enter them before checkout! This year's codes are:

DD1109
USATODAY
NYTIMES
SUPERSALE
DDDCD
DD1110
DVDPRICESEARCH
LATIMES
ESPN
YAHOO
JIM
WGN

Happy hunting everyone!

Toshiba HD-DVD Player $99 @ Walmart, Best Buy

2007-11-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

The deals on both sides of the HD format war are just mind-blowing. First 2-for-1 Blu Ray discs (on average of $9 shipped) at Amazon and now this -- $99 HD-DVD players from Toshiba!

The A2 is a reliable, excellent 2nd generation HD-DVD player (1080i) which is $99 at select Best Buy locations and Walmart, the latter as part of a "Secret Sale" that begins on November 2nd.

For Best Buy try in-store pick-up at a local chain near you. Check here.

For Walmart, try to get there early as only a limited number of machines will be available.

Happy Hunting!

A Return To TWIN PEAKS

2007-10-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

Paramount just sent off a copy of their "Gold Box" Definitive DVD collection of TWIN PEAKS, David Lynch and Mark Frost's groundbreaking series which captivated me in high school -- at least when it first debuted and before it succumbed to questionable plotting and one of the most infuriating endings in television history.

Few series have ever risen and then fallen as quickly as TWIN PEAKS, but this set -- produced by Charlie de Lauzirika -- is unquestionably one of the year's finest DVD releases, preserving one of network TV's most unique series of all-time in a wonderful anthology. David Lynch personally oversaw the digitally remastered transfers and remixed Angelo Badalamenti's supremely memorable, haunting scores for 5.1 Dolby Digital, resulting in a crisp and enormously satisfying visual presentation.

Even better are the extras: de Lauzirika, one of the top producers working today in assembling DVD supplemental content, offers a heaping of cherry pie, coffee and donuts -- and then some! A lengthy documentary examines the show's production and cultural phenomenon. People tend to forget how groundbreaking TWIN PEAKS was for its time -- the cast appeared on a variety of talk shows, graced the covers of magazines, garnered enormous ratings (at least during its first season) and influenced an entire generation of series and films (from LOST to DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) produced in its wake.

The nearly two-hour long production documentary dives into all of this, from what make the show so quirky and thrilling in its beginnings, to Badalamenti's brilliant scoring and then -- candidly at that -- dissects how the series went wrong...very wrong...in its second season. And make no mistake, viewers new to TWIN PEAKS and discovering it on DVD here for the first time may be shocked at how self-indulgent, unfocused and disappointing the series' second season is -- especially coming off its eight-episode first season. It was an unfortunate comedown that resulted in viewers quickly exiting and the series being likewise canceled (and I was so shocked with the series' unsatisfying cliffhanger conclusion I sent off an angry letter to TV Guide, which was printed in June of 1991!).

Co-creator/producer Mark Frost is on-hand along with a number of cast members (including the still-gorgeous Madchen Amick and Sherilyn Fenn, Kyle MacLachlan, Ray Wise, and others) in "Secrets From Another Place," the 105-minute production overview, and their comments about what went wrong during Season 2 results in one of the most honest and satisfying DVD documentaries you'll find. It's understandable that the creators had problems trying to figure out how to extend the original "who killed Laura Palmer?" mystery, but their solution is close to an unmitigated disaster that also offered a more serious and pretentious tone that made it difficult at times to watch (part of the problem is that Lynch and Frost had both gone off to make their own movies, a clear sign of waning interest on the part of both parties).

Lynch fans and die-hard Peaks devotees will still find these second-season episodes to be intriguing if nothing else, though as a major fan of the series' first eight shows, it's still like swallowing a bitter pill when you re-watch misguided avenues the program went down -- all the while losing its weird and wonderful charm from its origins. It's a feeling that seems to be universally shared by everyone involved with the production -- as cast member Kimmy Robertson herself confesses, "the second season sucked! I stopped watching it!"

In addition to the straightforward documentary there's a half-hour, enjoyable segment directed by de Lauzirika, "A Slice of Lynch," which is the only place where you'll find comments from Lynch himself. Set in a Peaks-ian diner, Lynch "finds" Kyle Maclachlan and Madchen Amick, all of whom discuss their recollections about TWIN PEAKS in a satisfying 30-minute segment.

Additional extras include a few surviving deleted scenes, the "Log Lady" introductions Lynch shot for the series' Bravo airings, MacLachlan's hilarious parody from "Saturday Night Live" (from September 29, 1990), a "Return to Twin Peaks" look at a series fan festival and an interactive map of the show's shooting locales, and a "Black Lodge Archive" packed with promotional materials. Among the latter are Julee Cruise's "Falling" music video, on-air ABC promos, Japanese TV commercials (talk about rare!) for "Georgia Coffee," image galleries, ads for the old "Twin Peaks" 900 number ($2 for the first minute!), and "Lucy Bumpers" from the initial ABC broadcasts.

Also on-hand is the series' original European pilot version, which had been left off prior video releases of the series proper since it was owned and distributed outside the parameters of the actual series.

This is unquestionably one of the year's top DVDs and fans won't want to miss a minute when Paramount releases this 10-disc set next Tuesday.

Alan Howarth on HALLOWEEN III, HEADLESS HORSEMAN

2007-10-23T13:59:00.001-05:00

Daniel Schweiger has a superb new interview up with composer Alan Howarth (HALLOWEEN) at iF Magazine.

Howarth has scored the promising-looking new Sci-Fi Channel flick HEADLESS HORSEMAN (directed by long-time Fangoria editor Anthony Ferrante) and talks about the score, as well as Buysoundtrax's new Limited Edition CD of HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH.

The Carpenter-Howarth scores have grown on me in recent years and revisiting them is like going back to your childhood -- especially HALLOWEEN II and III, the latter ranking as the best (at least in my eyes) of all the various Carpenter-Howarth collaborations.

The 1000 copy Limited Edition HALLOWEEN III is available right now only through Buysoundtrax.

New UNIVERSAL HORRORS 2nd Edition Available

2007-10-23T13:51:00.000-05:00

Years ago I read through Tom Weaver, Michael & John Brunas' UNIVERSAL HORRORS -- a definitive chronicle of the Golden Age of the studio's monster chillers (and assorted "creepy" fare). The book was packed with anecdotes but I opted to pass on it at the time, hoping a new and improved edition would follow.

The wait was long but worth it, as McFarland has issued a gorgeous 2nd Edition of the original text, better packaged (with a full-color cover and a generous helping of archival photos) and revised and updated.

If you're a fan of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, or even Universal's Sherlock Holmes films, you can't do any better than to pick up this essential text, which is a steep $55 at Amazon but, ultimately, worth every penny for Universal horror fans...and the overall package is superior to the authors' inaugural 1990 effort.

Don't miss it -- and click here for ordering information!

Rob Cohen on Randy Edelman's MUMMY 3 Score

2007-10-23T13:37:00.001-05:00

Sounds great to me -- and a wonderful chance for Edelman, working with the London Symphony, to really put forth a huge effort! This is one of the few upcoming scores I'm looking forward to...

As to the music: guys, trust me. Randy and I have done two classic scores (DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY and DRAGONHEART) that continue to be used in trailers and commercials a decade and a half later.

This will be an original score with new themes, played by the London Symphony Orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios. There will nothing “synth paddy” about it. It will be massive, thematic, and pulsing. I have great respect for Al Silvestri but this is a new, re-booted “Mummy” and it will have the score to match.

Read more of Rob Cohen's blog here...

More Than Meets The Eye: HD Records Smashed

2007-10-23T00:17:00.000-05:00

As expected Paramount's TRANSFORMERS HD-DVD has set records for both formats to date:

TRANSFORMERS has sold over 190,000 HD DVDs in its first week making it the fastest and best-selling week one release on either high definition format as well as the best selling HD DVD ever. The TRANSFORMERS DVD is also the top-selling October DVD release in the history of the home entertainment industry.

I guess the format isn't dead yet...we're waiting to hear the spin from the Blu Ray folks, who basically had a firesale (2-for-1 deals) at Amazon last week to close the inevitable software sales gap created by Transformers.

Writers Bail out of SUPERMAN Sequel

2007-10-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

This is the best news about a possible SUPERMAN RETURNS sequel I could've heard...even if this movie does get made, at least the writers won't be back.

I have my doubts it'll even happen...

Weekend Update 10/21

2007-10-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

Quick thoughts before Game 7 of the ALCS (Go Red Sox!) --

-Carlton (ITV) has released COMPANY OF WOLVES, EAGLE HAS LANDED and CAPRICORN ONE on Blu Ray in England. No word on specs or whether or not these will play in the U.S., so I'm crossing my fingers.

-I said goodbye to my Philips Blu Ray player. The player worked very well but could not pass any of the advanced audio codecs, nor could it internally decode DTS or Dolby HD the way the Toshiba HD-DVD players do. I found a good price on the Samsung BDP-1400, which is one of the only BD machines to send TrueHD and DTS-MA via bitstream so I'm looking forward to checking it out!

-Why are people surprised they are going ahead with SPIDER-MAN 4? Part three was the weakest of the series, everyone knows that, but it's also the highest grossing film of 2007 as well. Whatever they do, please don't bring back Kirsten Dunst! I'm all for Maguire and Raimi but a new female lead -- even having Bryce Dallas Howard come back as Gwen Stacey -- would be far more preferable than watching Dunst whine her way through another movie. She's always been my least favorite element of the series too; I loved the character in the comics, but not this interpretation and performance.

-Marvel says the new INCREDIBLE HULK sequel (reboot more like it) will go back to the essence of the character and principally Bill Bixby's performance as Banner from the beloved '70s TV series. Everything about this new version (with Edward Norton as Banner, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, William Hurt as her father, and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, the villainous "Abomination") sounds terrific. I liked Ang Lee's movie but it was the last thing I expected from a "Hulk" film and certainly was not appropriate for kids -- who love the Hulk after all.

-Another weekend of box-office disappointments with Ben Affleck's well-reviewed GONE BABY GONE failing to find much of an audience, MICHAEL CLAYTON continuing to do mediocre biz, and the horror opus 30 DAYS OF NIGHT opening at #1. No wonder viewers are staying home...there just isn't much out there (and hasn't been for some time), though I do want to see "Gone Baby Gone"...though probably on DVD.

Mid-Week News Updates

2007-10-17T11:47:00.001-05:00

Just some quick thoughts and news items:

-Sony just canceled the Blu Ray release of MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (along with that terrible Lindsay Lohan summer bomb "I Know Who Killed Me"), saying it will appear in the future...but then again they said the same about MEATBALLS and THE NATURAL. Sigh.

-Still waiting on news from Paramount about the JACK RYAN COLLECTION HD-DVD release, which states it offers all kinds of extras but has none at all. I'm guessing the packaging will be corrected more than the discs will, but who knows. If I hear anything I will post it here.

-Disney's MEET THE ROBINSONS may be one of the most frenetic animated films ever. The movie's story is appealing enough and the animation is spectacular -- and makes for the most flawless Blu Ray disc I've ever seen -- but the movie is so over-loaded with characters and gags and jokes it's like Bugs Bunny for kids with ADD.

-Paramount's new CHINATOWN and THE TWO JAKES discs have just arrived, alongside THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES box-set. Should make it into next week's column now that the Red Sox season is about to end!

Blu Ray Sale at Amazon: Buy 1 Get 1 Free

2007-10-14T23:06:00.000-05:00

For Blu Ray fans Amazon is running a limited-time Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal at Amazon. Basically this means you can get a whole bunch of Disney Blu Ray discs for $12 a piece plus free shipping -- not bad at all!

Click here for the details, promotion applied at checkout.

Discs include:

Annapolis
Apocalypto
Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
King Arthur
Wild Hogs
Eight Below
Deja Vu
Guardian, The
Chicago
Prestige, The
Chicken Little
Pearl Harbor
Reign of Fire
Bridge to Terabithia
Dinosaur
Glory Road
Wild, The
Finding Neverland
Remember The Titan
Enemy of the State
Brothers Grimm
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Invincible
Flightplan
Roving Mars
Gone in 60 Seconds
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Lookout
Sky High
Primevil
GI Jane
Ladder 49
Haunted Mansion
Great Raid
Dark Water
Goal
Casanova

Just When I Thought It Was Safe...

2007-10-12T14:27:00.000-05:00

...to complete this week's Aisle Seat, along came the Friday morning FedEx shipments. Someone please save me! lol.

I took all day flipping through the Sony and Fox Blu Ray discs -- as well as Universal's latest HD-DVD titles -- so I could include them in next week's column, and generally I liked what I saw.

THE SPIDER-MAN HIGH DEFINITION TRILOGY offers top-notch AVC MPEG-4 transfers of all three Spidey flicks, though only Part 3 sports any special features (2 does include that extended "2.1" cut at least).

Fox's discs range from the solid -- THE FLY (which includes all the extras from its terrific 2005 2-disc DVD set) and FROM HELL -- to fairly mediocre MPEG-2 transfers of ROBOCOP and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS that look like they might've been mastered a year ago with the studio's first batch of Blu Ray releases. That might explain the total lack of extras on "Robocop," even though Fox released a 2-disc Special Edition of Paul Verhoeven's film on DVD just a month ago!

Seriously, I continue to be baffled as to how a HD based optical format that makes such a huge deal out of its capacity continues to release discs with no special features whatsoever. You can tell people that it's all about the transfer and sound -- but to most consumers it sure looks like a step backwards when you begin to totally abandon the kinds of value-added features they've grown accustomed to (and get ready for more of the same with RED DAWN and other Fox titles in the coming weeks).

The quality is a little more consistent in Universal's HD-DVD discs coming on 10/23. The best in the batch is Brian DePalma's nifty CARLITO'S WAY, a film that I always liked but I've grown more fond of in recent years. This gangster-thriller adapts terrifically to HD with an excellent high-definition transfer, Dolby TrueHD audio, and all the extras from the prior DVD editions. There's also the original trailer, which effectively utilizes John Williams' underscore from Born on the Fourth of July.

Check out the full roster of new HD titles, plus Criterion's DAYS OF HEAVEN, the 25th Anniversary release of POLTERGEIST and more in the new Aisle Seat column, which is live at my site and will go live Monday at FSM.

Huge weekend here in New England, with the Red Sox about to take on the Indians in the AL Championship series, the Patriots in Dallas to take on the Cowboys, and the Boston College Eagles (#4 in the country) in South Bend to play the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

As a BC grad but a lifelong ND fan (go figure!), I like the Eagles here to win and enhance QB Matt Ryan's credentials for the Heisman race. I still think BC will lose one of these weeks, but it's shaping up to be a special season regardless.

At any rate, you know where I'll be this weekend, so I'll check in at some point. Have a good one everybody!

There IS Crying In Baseball...

2007-10-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

Start listening around the 2:50 mark.

John Sterling's reaction is even more priceless than Suzyn Waldman's crying outside the locker room, following the Yankees' defeat in Game 4 of the ALDS the other night.

Predictably (and understandably) this has been played on Boston radio every 5 minutes over the last 24 hours. It's priceless.

New MGM (HD) Movie Channel Launches

2007-10-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

...and all I can say is, finally, a movie channel for us!

MGM HD offers exactly what you would anticipate -- a high definition film channel offering thousands of movies from the MGM vaults and its corresponding libraries (UA, Orion, etc.).

So far the channel is only available as of today on DirecTV, but just from flicking through the listings I can tell this is the kind of HD movie channel I'd watch regularly: movies scheduled include BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS, THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN and even the Lee Majors 1978 adventure flick THE NORSEMEN!

Kind of like having TCM in HD, MGM HD sports vintage catalog films looking better than you've seen them before, with a good array of old and new-ish titles. So far I've only sampled a bit of programming but BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN looks terrific as part of DirecTV's new MPEG-4 high-definition programming (which is increasing their HD channel line-up at a rapid clip with superior picture quality and sound than their previous, much criticized "MPEG Lite" channels in MPEG-2. These will be eventually shut off in the next year and replaced with MPEG-4 versions courtesy of DirecTV's new satellite).

At any rate, those with DirecTV HD are urged to check this channel out and I look forward to watching more movies in the coming days there!

Tuesday Morning Update 10/9: POLTERGEIST and More

2007-10-09T10:25:00.000-05:00

I've written extensively about POLTERGEIST in the past -- how it has been in need of a remastering and also the controversy over "who directed what?" in terms of the involvement of writer-producer Steven Spielberg, who clearly played a major, major creative role in its production (check Aint It Cool News for a recent interview with Zelda Rubinstein, who implies credited director Tobe Hooper was basically on something and states that Spielberg handled directing chores on all six days of her shooting).

After years of delays Warner's 25th Anniversary remastered DVD hits stores this week, and it's nothing but a crushing disappointment. Sure, the transfer has been remastered but short of an HD version I was expecting more from this disc than just a new visual presentation.

Regrettably the DVD rolls snake eyes on that scale. Shockingly, not even the trailer is included on the DVD -- and nothing at all related to the movie itself. No vintage Making Of featurette (remember the one from the laserdisc that showed Spielberg instructing actors and establishing camera angles while Tobe Hooper sat idly by on the sidelines?), no discussion about its production...the lone supplement is a basically worthless, two-part featurette on real-life ghost hunters.

For those with HD-DVD or Blu Ray players, you're advised to wait until the inevitable HD version, and for POLTERGEIST fans, I would only recommend a rental in lieu of its non-existent supplements.

Considering Warner's outstanding track record with special editions, you'd have to assume that long-standing "controversy" between Spielberg and Hooper is undoubtedly the reason for this disc's lack of meaningful extras. And it's a shame, because POLTERGEIST deserves more.

-Fox has sent off the first round of their new Blu Ray releases and they certainly look good for the most part.

-Trying to make it through THE REAPING -- last spring's box-office bust from Dark Castle and director Stephen Hopkins -- and it's a mess. Hilary Swank wins two Oscars, and movies like this are her new projects?

Sunday AM Update: Box Office & More

2007-10-07T08:19:00.000-05:00

Quick thoughts before we head off to the Cape (and thank goodness a backdoor cold front just passed through southern New England -- the fog and humidity kept this summer going well into the fall!):

-Weekend box-office projections show THE HEARTBREAK KID performed well under expectations, according to Showbizdata.com. Perhaps the trailers (which were spectacularly unfunny) had something to do with it? Experts anticipate that The Rock's Disney comedy THE GAME PLAN will end up #1 after the holiday weekend numbers are counted.

	Heartbreak Kid, The PARAMOUNT Thtrs: 3229 / Gross: $5.13M Total: $5.13M
	Game Plan, The BVI Thtrs: 3105 / Gross: $4.33M Total: $30.86M
	Kingdom, The UNIVERSAL Thtrs: 2802 / Gross: $2.86M Total: $24.88M
	Resident Evil: Extinction SONY Thtrs: 2848 / Gross: $1.26M Total: $40.44M
	Feel the Noise SONY Thtrs: 1015 / Gross: $1.12M Total: $1.12M

-So it is Colorado-Arizona in the NLCS starting later this week. TBS' hopes for high ratings just went right out the window.

-If you were a college football fan yesterday was tremendous. #2 USC loses at home for the first time -- in nearly six years -- to a Stanford team that was a 40 point underdog. Amazing!

-I'll be back tomorrow. Have a great Sunday everyone!

Of Fall TV Thoughts and Weekend Plans: HOLLOW MAN and More

2007-10-05T09:13:00.000-05:00

Few thoughts as we head into the Columbus Day weekend...

-More thoughts on the new TV season: PUSHING DAISIES might be the flavor of the moment for TV critics but I couldn't get past its "Desperate Housewives"-like photography, faux-Danny Elfman score, and "ironic narration" provided here in voice-over by Jim Dale. Like a lot of "quirky" shows it manages to be so removed from reality that there's nobody to identify with, while I found the tone too sickly sweet (even in spite of its subject matter) and far too reminiscent of "Desperate Housewives" to satisfy. Last month Entertainment Weekly said its staffers were as divided on the show as any that has come down the pike -- and it's easy to see why. I doubt viewers are going to hang in there for the long haul. I know I've seen enough.

-Better was NBC's CHUCK, which I recently caught up with on my DVR. McG and Josh Schwartz teamed up for this engaging comedic-spy action show, which manages to be quite likeable and fun without being merely frivolous (see above). The series airs Mondays at 8 and probably runs on USA at times too, so check it out. Its ratings have also been healthy so there's reason for hope.

-Coming back from the dead this week was one-time "Natty Gann" Meredith Salenger. I was flipping around the other night and saw Salenger guest-starring on the NBC crime drama LIFE, which other than starring fine actor Damian Lewis seems to be another DOA NBC crime series (remember "Raines" with Jeff Goldblum? No I didn't think you would). Salenger looked good too -- I've never understood why some actresses' careers take off while others go nowhere...but it's still good to see her working.

-My cousin is getting married on the Cape Sunday afternoon -- which of course means a ceremony right in the middle of Red Sox-Angels Game 3 and the Patriots-Browns game. Good thing I picked up this awesome mini-walkman off Amazon that not only works well but is light as a feather and fits right in the pocket.

-Now that it's getting a firmware revision, it might be a good time to try out the Microsoft Zune -- MS' 30GB MP3/Video player that Woot.com has for an obscene $99 plus shipping. Though it says the unit is refurbished, it's likely brand new since it has a full warranty and the new generation of Zune's are due out soon.

-The Farrelly Brothers' remake of THE HEARTBREAK KID is getting unanimously good reviews. I haven't been out to the theater in a while so it might be worth a look. Maybe not this weekend but perhaps soon. You can just see Ben Stiller making more box-office magic with this release, particularly since nothing has captured the public's attention since "Bourne" opened in August.

-Aint It Cool News is reporting that Brett Ratner is taking over the remake of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK from Len Wiseman. I can't wait........

Thursday Morning Musings

2007-10-04T08:58:00.001-05:00

-They say that Chinese food causes all kinds of issues...I know with me it usually causes headaches. I can add to that nightmares. In the span of seven hours I dreamt of an invasion -- of plastic army men -- that forced my parents into the hood to find a car...an old high school chum having been in a car accident and his disfigured buddy trying to eat meatballs (!) with a broken nose...seriously it was like the craziest Paul Verhoeven movie you've never seen. I think I'll stick with, say, anything else the next time!

-Speaking of Verhoeven, Sony sent me the Director's Cut (on Blu Ray, though it will be on regular DVD too) of HOLLOW MAN, which runs about 5 minutes longer than the theatrical version (and don't hold me to this, but I think all they did was restore the deleted scenes from the first DVD edition). Regrettably they dropped the Jerry Goldsmith isolated score/commentary as well as Verhoeven's commentary too from the original DVD, presumably because they no longer matched. But this is the kind of thing that drives you crazy. Is there some reason they couldn't have figured out a way to include it with gaps of silence? Nisc disc otherwise with a nifty transfer, but the movie still holds as being claustrophobic and poorly written, with lightweight supporting performances (Greg Grunberg? Joey Slotnick?). Good score by Goldsmith at least.

-Those with HD-DVD or Blu Ray players are urged to check out the Onkyo 605. I splurged for mine from Amazon (on sale for $379) last week, and it was worth it. CNET raved about it over the summer -- it has two HDMI connectors, Dolby Digital Plus/TrueHD and DTS-HD/MA audio decoders (for when players can actually pass them), a full range of listening/processing modes from DTS Neo to Dolby Pro Logic II...in short the works for the price. Even better is the "Audyssey" set up, a microphone (included) that you plug in. The thing does wonders -- automatically detects speaker settings, adjusts levels, and in short ended up fine-tuning my speakers in a way that produces a natural, beautiful sound.

The only downside is that if you are strictly using the HDMI output, the Onkyo will add Faroudja video processing to anything except what's coming through the HDMI inputs -- which isn't a help. However, you can easily run component cables out as well (as I'm doing) for my Directv and Xbox 360 components, that will simply pass the signal through without any extra video processing.

Overall the sound quality is phenomenal, I can't recommend this unit highly enough!

-Still waiting on some review copies for next week's releases, i.e. Warner's new POLTERGEIST -- which apparently has no supplements of any kind related to the film -- and Fox's Blu Ray release of FANTASTIC FOUR. I have the regular TRANSFORMERS but not the HD-DVD version, so I'll probably hold the review back until I do.

-Better get back to work!

Tuesday Morning Musings

2007-10-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

-Robert Harris has chimed in on the BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA controversy on the Home Theater Forum. Mr. Harris is as respected as they come, but I have to disagree with his thoughts on the clarity of the transfer -- and I cannot fathom those colors were shown in the original theatrical run either. Interesting...

-TBS did a terrific job last night with their first baseball post-season game. Red Sox announcer (and fellow Rhode Islander) Don Orsillo was superb behind the mike -- Orsillo has a knack for letting a game "breathe" and doesn't feel the need to talk every nanosecond the way most ESPN clones do, and this Colorado-San Diego game was one memorable event.

-Pats looked crisp and efficient against Cinci. I got the feeling the game could've been 60-13 but the Patriots always will do just what it takes to win -- in other words, they could've thrown the ball down field all night...but why bother in this instance? Morris had over 100 yards on the ground, and that was enough to grind the clock and control the game. The score probably wasn't indicative of how non-competitive it actually was.

-I'm putting together a few Halloween playlists for my Dell DJ (MP3 player and one-time iPod competitor) and selected the first three John Carpenter-Alan Howarth soundtracks from the HALLOWEEN series. It's funny how years ago some people used to hate these scores because they were simplistic and electronic...and they still are, yet they're atmospheric and have an identity so many of today's nondescript scores (of both the electronic and the orchestral persuasion) lack.

BRAM STOKER'S Colorization

2007-10-01T13:40:00.000-05:00

The new Bram Stoker's Dracula DVD & Blu Ray disc hit stores tomorrow.

For a full review, check out my analysis from last week's Aisle Seat, but be warned Francis digitally altered some of the colors from the original print for this new release -- either that or his DVD associate Kim Aubrey almost certainly did. The result is an odd-looking, drab transfer (that by itself would not be overly impressive) with some striking "new" colors that look completely unnatural. There were scenes where I felt as if I was watching one of Ted Turner's old colorized efforts from the mid '80s, it's that glaring.

If you're a fan the set is still worth picking up for the extras, no question, but I think fans will be even harsher on this release than they were for the changes Coppola made to THE OUTSIDERS -- adding some excellent new sequences but ruining the soundtrack by trimming his father's score and using obtrusive new Elvis tracks instead.

Various Thoughts on a Thursday Night

2007-09-27T22:49:00.000-05:00

A few short takes:

-BIONIC WOMAN scored a huge ratings coup, becoming the highest rated fall premiere so far and beating the heavily hyped "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off on ABC. Trust me -- it was quite watchable.

-Thrilled to see Henry Mancini's excellent score for WITHOUT A CLUE (the wonderful Michael Caine-Ben Kingsley Sherlock Holmes comedy) coming out from Buysoundtrax. Mancini's theme is one of his breeziest and most infectious, and I can't wait to hear the score at last.

-THE PAUL LYNDE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL is due out next week. I kid you not!

Re-Assessing TEACHERS

2007-09-27T00:06:00.000-05:00

Fox and MGM haven't been sending out review copies of older catalog titles like they used to, which lead me to rent TEACHERS from Blockbuster Online (well worth the $12.99 per month for 2 out at a time) the other night.

I had rented this movie in high school years ago, and was curious to see how the 1984 UA film had held up....and as it turns out, not very well.

A wacky satire without any real kind of connecting tissue, this fragmented "dark comedy" stars Nick Nolte as a burned-out teacher who can still, at least, relate to his students at a rundown, seemingly urban midwestern high school (the movie was shot in Columbus, Ohio). Judd Hirsch plays his old friend, now an administrator who has to plug the dam that incurs when one of the school's students sues it -- for failing to provide him with the proper education (he can't even read!).

The movie is filled with craziness -- Ralph Macchio and Laura Dern as two of Nolte's students, Crispin Glover totally unhinged (as always) as a troubled classmate; Richard Mulligan as a man, recently released from a mental institution, who improbably becomes a substitute; and Jobeth Williams, who I always have liked, as the lawyer crusading against the school, who's also a former pupil of Nolte's.

Despite a few laughs and a good performance from Nolte, "Teachers" fails to provide a passing grade. Arthur Hiller's film wants so hard to say something, anything, about the injustice of our educational system, that it fails to provide a coherent story. At its worst, "Teachers" feels like a group of disconnected sequences without a firm narrative holding it all together -- like an extended, R-rated sitcom.

Indeed, Williams' insane, climacitc plea to Nolte to return to his classroom -- while resulting in a pleasing brief flash of nudity -- just feels totally out of it. And then it ends with a freeze-frame and credits that (of course) first salute the man who produced the film's soundtrack album...this being 1984, there's no original score, just a group of disconnected pop songs by the likes of Bob Seeger and Boss Skaggs.

"Teachers" was, and still is, a misfire, but it's still a watchable one for its cast (which also boasts Royal Dano, Allen Garfield, Morgan Freeman and Lee Grant too!), as well as a crucial point: that between the unions, red tape, school policy and administrators, schools aren't getting the job done in this country.

Point taken, but as a movie, the movie fails on its own terms too. Recommended, only if it's the only way you can get back into a classroom and absolutely have to.

BIONIC WOMAN Relaunches...and it's not awful

2007-09-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

So tonight NBC tapped back into the remake well with a new version of BIONIC WOMAN.

British newcomer (to us in the U.S.) Michelle Ryan is fetching enough in this predictably "glum" remake of the old series, which I remember a little as a kid, though the reviews have been savage, calling it boring, uninteresting, and USA Today giving it all of * star.

To be fair, I'm not sure what most of the critics were anticipating here. The series established its roots as a "Dark" version of the old program, much like "Battlestar: Galactica," which this remake was obviously patterned after, from its downbeat "ethnic" music to the presence of Katee Sackhoff, appearing here as the original, "Bad" Bionic Woman.

Yet the story was certainly watchable, the production values sufficiently high and Ryan's alluring presence kept me tuned in -- that and the kicking confrontation between Ryan and Sackhoff in the final minutes. It's unfortunate the show wasn't a 2-hour premiere, since it's hard to tell what kind of formula subsequent shows will fall under.

Still, Laeta Kalogridis' script served a decent blueprint for a potentially strong series that could follow -- if the ratings are strong enough.

Not a total dud, and likely worth a look for sci-fi fans.

BUFFY Chosen Collection DVD Box $98 at Amazon

2007-04-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

Best deal ever on this terrific set...24 hours (or less) only:

Click here to order, and hurry!

I'm back -- the Blog is NOT dead!

2007-04-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

Sorry everyone it has been a really long last month, with various appointments, the puppy, cleaning things out around home and all that fun stuff.

What's new? First a few thoughts on the Varese CD Club discs, which showed up the other day:

-THE KARATE KID: Love it. Terrific work by Robert Townson on bringing four of Bill Conti's finest scores to CD. Long overdue and enhanced by terrific liner notes by Julie Kirgo (who actually does a superb job with all of the booklet notes). I had no idea a lot of Conti's score for The Next Karate Kid was dumped in favor of cues by William Ross (who as memory serves was credited too), but his original score is here. Expensive...but worth it!

-AUTHOR! AUTHOR!: I have a fascination with rejected scores and this CD enables you to compare Dave Grusin's energetic but more "commercial" replacement score with Johnny Mandel's mellow, introspective original. The movie's shifting tone was a problem and the producers tried to address it by dumping Mandel...it didn't work, but you get two solid scores for the price of one. Highly recommended.

-THE VANISHING: This isn't my favorite Goldsmith score, it has a lot of that cliched "Action" writing that marked (or marred) his '90s scores, and some of it is tedious. But I do love the jazzy end title (which was originally written for his rejected Gladiator score), and it's essential for Goldsmith fans. At 3000 copies this won't be moving any time soon, though.

-GLORIA: Bill Conti's superb score was a title I passed on before, but decided to pick up. I'm glad I did, this is an excellent work that is nearly sold out at Varese.

I also added the Fenton score but haven't listened to it yet...

I've also recently picked up THE HIDENBURG, ZODIAC (sadly disappointing on its own) and two Frederic Talgorn scores (MOLIERE and a film about boyscouts lost in the woods), which confirm he's been sadly neglected by the U.S. studio system (and filmmakers too). Talgorn has more talent than most anyone scoring films in America and it's a shame he continues to work on French films, many of which never reach these shores.

HUNDRA Limited DVD Features Morricone CD!

2007-03-13T19:42:00.000-05:00

Subversive Cinema's upcoming release of the oft-forgotten sword-and-sorcery flick HUNDRA (a female variant of Robert E. Howard released in the wake of "Conan," but prior to "Red Sonja") is not just coming to DVD later this month, but will be offered in a Limited Edition featuring a bonus CD -- of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack!

Amazon's pre-order is listed here.

Looks like fun, and the CD will be limited to the first 5000 units sold.

Varese issues new CD Club Titles

2007-03-12T07:40:00.000-05:00

Varese Sarabande's latest CD Club titles have been announced and there are some gems in this batch:

-THE KARATE KID COLLECTION: 4-CD set compiling all of Bill Conti's scores from the series. A must buy for me at least, though at $45 there will be some folks who'll pass it by at the blink of an eye. 2500 copies, but with the price will likely not move quickly.

-THE VANISHING: One of Jerry Goldsmith's few unreleased scores from the '90s gets the full treatment. The love theme was written for the boxing drama "Gladiator" but after Goldsmith's score went rejected, the theme went on ice until it was re-used here. (Speaking of which I bet we'll see "Gladiator" one day down the line too). 3000 copies so it'll be around a while, though I'd say it'll sell out faster than "Justine."

-AUTHOR AUTHOR: An interesting dual-score title features Dave Grusin's music plus the unused, original score by Johnny Mandel. Truth be told it's been so long since I've seen this film I don't recall the music, but I'm a sucker for any rejected score and I bit on this one. 2000 copies, doesn't include the song Grusin wrote however.

-84 CHARING CROSS ROAD: The traditional LP re-issue is a very lovely George Fenton score. Be sure to order this one as all the 1000 copy releases are gone usually within 12 hours if not 24.

Of the older titles, only Bill Conti's GLORIA is in any danger of selling out, so if you're worried there I'd add it to your cart.

And to think I didn't need to spend any more money this month! lol.

300 Smashes Records

2007-03-11T12:18:00.001-05:00

$70 million opening for a March movie? Wow!

1	N	300	WB	$70,025,000	-	3,103	-	$22,566	$70,025,000
2	1	Wild Hogs	BV	$28,021,000	-29.4%	3,296
3	4	Bridge to Terabithia	BV	$6,865,000	-22.9%	3,210
4	3	Ghost Rider	Sony	$6,800,000	-41.1%	3,347
5	2	Zodiac	Par.	$6,773,000	-49.4%	2,379
6	5	The Number 23	NL	$4,330,000	-33.2%	2,489
7	6	Norbit	P/DW	$4,314,000	-32.6%	2,505
8	7	Music and Lyrics	WB	$3,830,000	-21.7%	2,280
9	10	Breach	Uni.	$2,611,000	-27.8%	1,505
10	11	Amazing Grace	IDP	$2,525,000	-10.7%	1,000

From The Museum of the Hard to Believe...

2007-03-08T00:48:00.000-05:00

Get a load of this, in the latest Lions Gate mailing...and no, this isn't an April Fools Joke a few weeks early, either!

Shanghai Surprise Special Edition
Lionsgate will release to DVD a special edition of the dramatic adventure Shanghai Surprise, starring Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (Mystic River) and Golden Globe® winner Madonna (Evita). This DVD contains all-new special features including a “Fans Unite!” commentary and three featurettes, including an “I LOVE THE 80s” spoof, and is packaged in a collectible foil o-card

Column Sneak Peak

2007-03-07T23:02:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be unavailable this weekend so I'm putting the finishing touches on next week's Aisle Seat as we speak (and enjoying a bit of the Big East Tournament on ESPN-HD as well!).

Top of the list will be a look at THE MANITOU with Tony Curtis -- a 1978 cult horror favorite making its U.S. debut on DVD at last. Trust me, you will not want to miss this one!

Otherwise some odds and ends, plenty of capsule reviews, will be on tap for your liking. We'll see you then!

SEINFELD Seasons 1-7 for $99

2007-03-06T08:28:00.000-05:00

This has to be an excellent deal: Amazon has the first 7 seasons of SEINFELD for $99, free shipping.

Obviously seems to be a limited-time offer, so order here.

CINDERELLA LIBERTY DVD Isolated Score -- No FX

2007-03-05T19:57:00.000-05:00

Michael Matessino wrote in to clarify the isolated/score FX track on CINDERELLA LIBERTY. The good news is that there are no effects on this mono track, contrary to what the packaging states.

I was watching a sequence with the carousel at the time and just assumed the source music was part of the FX package; as it turns out the track is music-only, in mono, and sounds fairly good at that.

Thanks Mike!

Box-Office Weekend Thoughts 3/4

2007-03-04T19:27:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe WILD HOGS shattered some records by making $38 million (is that even possible for a John Travolta movie nowadays?) this weekend. I suppose audiences are just looking for anything remotely "fun" in this horrible rut we're in at the movies.

That's got to be a disappointing opening for ZODIAC. A couple of friends saw the film over the weekend and thought it was very good, but perhaps not as great as the reviews indicated. Too long and not suspenseful enough was one common theme from both parties. I still plan on checking it out, but that $13 million opening has to be a letdown -- perhaps the bloated running time and the non-marquee cast conspired to cut down business.

Thoughts? Anyone like David Shire's score (and how much was there of it?).

Weekend Box Office From Box-Office Mojo

2007-03-04T19:26:00.001-05:00

TW	LW	Title (click to view)	Studio	Weekend Gross	% Change	Theater Count / Change
1	N	Wild Hogs	BV	$38,000,000	-	3,287	+2,467
2	N	Zodiac	Par.	$13,100,000	-	2,362	-
3	1	Ghost Rider	Sony	$11,500,000	-42.7%	3,608	-12
4	3	Bridge to Terabithia	BV	$8,587,000	-40.2%	3,159	+20
5	2	The Number 23	NL	$7,050,000	-51.7%	2,759	-
6	5	Norbit	P/DW	$6,446,000	-34.4%	2,827	-318
7	6	Music and Lyrics	WB	$4,895,000	-36.0%	2,644	-311
8	N	Black Snake Moan	ParV	$4,016,000	-	1,252	-
9	4	Reno 911!: Miami	Fox	$3,750,000	-63.5%	2,702	-
10	7	Breach	Uni.	$3,483,000	-41.9%	1,498	+5

Universal Confirms HD-DVD Slate, Including LEGEND

2007-03-03T12:04:00.000-05:00

The Digital Bits has announced Universal's upcoming slate of HD-DVDs thru September.

LEGEND in HD-DVD may be reason enough for us Ridley Scott fans to invest in a player (read the post below for the latest Toshiba 1080p player's $449 bargain pack).

April - The Good Shepherd, Smokin' Aces, The Game, The Jerk, The Hitcher, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Nutty Professor

May - Alpha Dog, The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Unrated, Smokey and the Bandit, Hurricane, Skeleton Key, The River, Midnight Run, The Frighteners, The Big Lebowski, Dragonheart, Lost in Translation

June - Breach, Bruce Almighty, Liar Liar, Sneakers, Born on the 4th of July, Scent of a Women, Daylight, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Meet Joe Black, Mallrats, Being John Malkovich, Mystery Men, American Me, The Watcher, Bulletproof

July - Billy Madison, The War, The Wedding Date, Dante's Peak, Cat in the Hat, Dead Silence, The Bourne Identity, The Nutty Professor 2, In Good Company, Streets of Fire, Hot Fuzz, Sea of Love, Darkman, Shaun of the Dead, Deliver Us from Eva

August - Heroes: Season One

September - The Last Starfighter, Legend, Battlestar Galactica: Season One, For the Love of the Game, Knocked Up, Evening, The Getaway: Unrated, Patch Adams, Cat People

1080p HD-DVD Player $449 with 7 (Yes, 7!) Free Discs!

2007-03-03T11:53:00.000-05:00

As both of the new high-definition DVD formats competes for your dollar, Toshiba's upcoming A20 will have 1080p capability, excellent upscaling for your standard DVDs, and will be priced reasonably.

In fact, Value Electronics has a special -- the player for $449 shipped (no tax, free ship) with 7 free HD-DVD discs!

Check out the deal here.

Value Electronics has a great reputation on the AVS Forum and an 800 number where you can actually reach real people. :)

Footlight Is Going Out Of Business

2007-03-01T14:12:00.000-05:00

I remember the first time I ever heard about Footlight Records in NYC -- shortly after we met for the first time in 1990 or so, Lukas Kendall called me from some place I'd never heard of, asked if I needed anything from this mecca of soundtracks, the likes of which he had never seen.

It was his first trip to Footlight and he saw titles neither of us had ever glimpsed in a RI or Martha's Vineyard record store before -- INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (the PolyDor cut-out), SUPERGIRL (Jerry Goldsmith Varese), and RUNAWAY (Goldsmith again) to name just a few.

I picked those up in a jiffy, since this was back in the early days of FSM (not even sure if it was called FSM at that time), and had sporadic dealings with Footlight over the years since.

The store went out a few years back but the owners tried to make a go of it by running an online-only business. Now the online business is closing up and Footlight will soon turn out the lights for good. Thus, the store is offering 30% off all soundtracks thru Friday 3/2, and there are some deals sprinkled here and there for interested parties.

RIP Footlight!

Varese New CD Club Titles Offically Announced...

2007-02-28T16:12:00.000-05:00

...for March 12th.

It's about time!

(That said I still haven't taken Dave Grusin's LUCAS or CAREFUL HE MIGHT HEAR YOU out of the shrink wrap yet).

Intrada Releases EAST OF EDEN

2007-02-28T14:48:00.000-05:00

Lee Holdridge's beautiful, sweeping score for the 1981 ABC mini-series is at last coming to CD from Doug Fake and Co. at Intrada.

Holdridge's score has been used by figure skaters in olympic/international competitions more times than I can shake a stick at; this is the first time the actual soundtrack has been released, with Intrada including the original stereo album (a generous 50+ minutes) along with 20 or so minutes of unreleased cues in mono.

This Signature Collection Limited Edition is set at 1000 copies so it probably will not be around forever -- I strongly recommend it!

Orders can be placed here at Intrada.

Video Business: HiDef DVD Battle Far From Over

2007-02-28T14:41:00.000-05:00

I posted this on our Aisle Seat Message Board last week -- it's a Video Business editorial and makes a number of excellent points about the HD-DVD/Blu Ray battle. As I've mentioned before I'm a backer of these formats, but in particular HD-DVD as it provides quality as good as -- if not better than -- the more prohibitively expensive Blu Ray format. A victory for the former, to me, is a win for consumers; a victory for the latter helps out the Sony Corporation. Thus, you see where I'm headed in this "format war," though the sales of both formats have been so tepid that nobody is in a hurry to claim victory.

In the meantime, check out the article here.

HTF Chat Spills Beans on Upcoming Warner Titles

2007-02-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

The Home Theater Forum held one of their annual chats with Warner Home Video earlier this week. As usual a number of interesting nuggets were unveiled, including:

POLTERGEIST Special Edition - Coming for DVD, HD-DVD and Blu Ray later in 2007
BLADE RUNNER Special Edition - Coming later in 2007, with the news that all versions will have the same content...great news for those looking forward to the HD-based editions!
DARK SHADOWS Movies - Remastered, Restored and Coming Later This Year
More Kubrick in High Definition (THE SHINING perhaps?) by year's end
TWILIGHT ZONE-THE MOVIE - Finally out of the Zone and primed for release before Halloween, apparently. I wouldn't hold my breath on supplements for obvious reasons.
GRUMPY OLD MEN, its sequel, and some Chevy Chase comedies (one would hope SPIES LIKE US and even FUNNY FARM, one of my favorites) all remastered in 16:9

Warner did not specifically talk about the future of HD-DVD and Blu Ray, or asked not to, as memory serves. There were also a good deal of titles put off for 2008 including GOODBYE MR. CHIPS.

Click on the link above for the full chat transcript!

Welcome All!

2007-02-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

This week's column set the proper introduction for what we'll be doing here, so without further delay let's start the blog!