Technology, blu rays and mastering the home theatre system

Well the pre christmas buildup has begun. Time to cast aside my blu rays for the real deal. First out of the gate next week will be Enders Game. This will be followed by the Hobbit Desolation of Smaug.  Meanwhile my local entertainment emporium, will be flooded with christmas product all fighting for my attention.

It all seems daunting but last week I bit the bullet and treated myself to Pacific Rim and In 3D no less.  The presentation is jaw dropping, the sound incredible and the sheer detail on display just draw dropping.  For a 3D experience this disc is demo quality,  simply astounding. Colours pop, the spectacle is all there for you to see.

Yesterday I also treated myself to the Hobbit extended edition which again is a stand out presentation with brilliant supplementary material. Of course this is to be expected the precedence having been set by the Lord of the Rings extended editions. With releases this good then Christmas promises to be a real treat this year making up for a less than impressive year of movie going.

Thor the Dark World and my return to cinema going.

Well after three lacklustre months of lousy cinema, and having resorted to hiding away in my man cave devouring blu ray after blu ray and rediscovering the joys of gaming on my negleted PS3.

The last two weeks however have been a tonic to my cinematic hunger. Its almost as if the stars in alignment. Last week I sat through a wonderful ninety minute documentary on Ray Harryhausen which left me with a strong desire to sit through The Golden voyage of Sinbad. Why?, because its been quite a while since I have seen the film that haunted my youth up to the arrival of Star Wars. It was the Kali sequence that I found so exciting, but its one of many that sticks in my mind.

So After three months of watching some fantastic blast from the past finally a movie came along that screamed must see to me. So I took the plunge, braved the elements which this winter and spring in NZ have been particularly windy and extreme to venture out to my local Reading cinema to see Gravity in 3D.  I'm so glad I did, as a bold experiment in story telling and visuals it was a stand out and though I doubt its Oscar worthiness I cannot deny it grip, brilliant effects and masterful use of 3D.

So I am excited again,and today my second trip this time  to catch Thor 2 The Dark World. This is a film of noise, colour otstanding visuals , makeup and costumes all whizzed in a blender of wonderful CGI effects. To brilliant and entertaining effect , a sequel that really delivers and eclipsing the original to truly deliver as a comic book movie.

Its as if the Avengers has really kicked the marvel franchises into high gear at the same time truly embracing their comic book origins.  This film has a truly evil opponent for Thor is the guise of Christopher Eccelstons almost demonic Malekith and the film is perfectly paced with some outstanding action scenes culminating in a fantastic closing battle that is shere eye candy. Go see , enjoy and stick around right through the credits for two surprises.

Is this it, 2013 the year the blockbuster took a dive.

Its been quiet on here, mainly because I came out of quite a few films in the past two months and thought is that it?. Is that your idea of original, is that bad excuse of a script actually got made and this is the result. There were a few stand outs for me, but they were films of moments but that didn't really blow me away.
Man of Steel delivered, it has superhuman beat downs, iconic moments of patriotism, grand operatic imagery. Zack Snyder delivered but it still didn't feel like a total success to me. It was missing something yet I can't say what. It had all the beats.

 Pacific Rim certainly knew its corner and came out punching. Literally.
 Bright eye popping colours big kick ass monsters vs high techs mecha's. I loved it, it delivered for me and then I saw the finale of the Cornetto Trilogy.

The Worlds End, it wasn't my favourite of the trilogy but the boys were back, it entertained, and it was a fitting conclusion. Shaun of the Dead will always be no 1 in my books.  But I got the point, some brave choices were made and the pay-off was worth sitting through.

But disappointments were many, I hated Epic,enough to actually walked out, accompanied by my 5 year old who was in a like mind and has voiced his dislike a little to loundly . I avoided the Lone Ranger purely because the reviews suggested a snore fest with the same faults of over indulgent set peices as the last two of Gore's Pirate trilogy.

Iron Man I made the choice I would wait for on Blu ray.

There are films that I am impatient for. The next Mad Max, the second part of the Hobbit trilogy but I have been revisiting a few classic old films on Blur ray which have left me wishing that summer films stateside were less about following sequal after sequal but actually daring to be new. Where is the next Godfather, Good fellows, Tootsie, Kramer vs Kramer.

Maybe that is why the Great Gatsby reignited my excitement to the point that I had to purchase the book and start reading. It was stylistically dazzling, daring in your face and at the same time loud brash and colourful.

So as I kick up again, so will my personal observations of things that catch my eye. Elysium will be my next film of choice and I will begin commenting on some of my more recent Blu ray purchases. So keep and eye out.

Side by Side Digital and Film

The Last twelve years has seen a transition from film as a principle format for delivery to Digital. The Old guard have either embraced the new technology or have stood their ground defending film with all its limitations with their last breath. Undeterred the revolution gathers pace, as technological advancements keep pushing the capabilities of the digital  form.

     This is to be expected, by its very nature and make-up digital film making is undergoing constant innovation and breakthroughs much like the computer industries has done over the last thirty years. Whatever criticisms one might have about digital as a format, it is now the established norm and its not just projection , cameras , editing that this evolution has effected. 

     Side by Side is not a dry boring history lesson or discussion, it is in fact a fascinating discourse on both where the format has come from and where it is now. But it doesn't really cover the whole story as breakthroughs are still taking place even now as I type after the films completion's, high frame rates being the latest development.

     It is ironic that I caught this moving on itunes, a digital delivery of a film shot digitally. Convenient, quick, and viewable anywhere I choose once downloaded. Keanu Reeves guides us on an interesting and informative journey with simple yet effective examples of the advances currently being made. It is a fascinating documentary that deserves an audience and to be seen. 

     It provides both sides of the digital divide with a voice, without ridiculing its subjects. This leads to some thought provoking idea's, defensive arguments. But in closing George Lucas comments resonate the most. 

     Digital film is advancing it is a constant evolutionary process, as its limitations are reached , advancements are made.  There are no boundaries just a constant striving for superior picture.

     Lastly and bearing in mind the nature of digital technology, high frame rates will improve. Peter Jackson took the first digital step and critics were quick to point out some of its video like moments. But I do not underestimate that this is HFR 1.0 and now the first step has been taken, those critics will be silenced as a more filmic experience is sought. 

Star Trek into Darkness

If Skyfall was the official reboot of the Bond franchise, resetting the format, and letting loose with the revised formula then Star Trek into Darkness serves the same purpose. This film hits all the right marks and as a non trekkie entertains and delivers as a movie in its own right. There is no requirement to see the last movie, this film works on its own terms. By the end of the film the franchise is well and truly rebooted and the torch held out for the next standard bearer with a good set of bones to mess around with.

      The set-pieces are stand out, the 3D not too bad and the film has a wonderful ambiguous villain in the form of Dominic Cumberbatch who is a worthy protagonist for our hero's.

      This film delivers, J J Abraham's delivers on his original set up and by the end of the film were are once more in familiar territory and the closing moments will leave you smiling and once more on familiar turf. Yes the familiar has been tinkered with but you come away feeling that such tinkering with character motivations are deserved and well earned.

      Yes there are twists and turns, the villains name, motivations are unclear. Kirk and colleagues are playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, but Kirk's transition from impulsive and reckless Captain to a leader of men is believable.

     This Trek will go down at this franchises Skyfall, and a masterful transition is achieved that means the next films in the franchise will be in the Five year mission territory inviting new tales not dependant on the tv series.

I highly recommend this film, yes it could be tighter in places, a  little leaner, but it delivers and at the end of the day that is what you want from a film.

Lets get up to speed.

Well this post is going to an evolving post, as I scuttle my thoughts to make some cohesive sense. Blogging has taken a back seat to personal matters, but here I am back again and hopefully just in time for an influx of good movies. Something lacking since Christmas, okay I might be a little unfair with that last comment but to be honest there has been nothing recently released that has excited me enough to want to even express my views.
Die Hard 5 was a major disappointment, a film that has totally lost touch with what a decent Die Hard movie should be. John McClane has been reduced to a simple cardboard cut out superman.  The guy can now understand fluent Russian when reading a crib sheet on his estranged son on a flight to Moscow. I love Die Hard but really bury the franchise or go back to 1,2 and 3 and a make McClane more every-man again.
Oz the Great and Powerful was a light breezy affair that kind worked and delivered on its promise. It wasn't completely satisfying but it hit enough beats to quell my hunger.
Kiddy movies, The Croods , Rise of the Guardians entertained as did Jack the Giant Slayer. But nothing really wowed me. Same old same old.
Roger Ebert died and we mourned his passing a man whose humanity and courage and film intellect enlightened , entertained, and educated. May he rest in peace.
So I'm back, I'm aiming to see Oblivion and I might add a post concerning some great retro movies worth a look on Blu ray. So come back and lets shoot the breeze.
Oh a few months I mentioned that I would post a blog about my views the HFR, well that will appear shortly but in regards to a recent documentary I watched on I tunes regarding celluloid vs Digital cinema photography again watch out for that post which will appear shortly.

2013 and back in action

Well happy belated 2013, apologies for the silence but the year for our household started off with a few hiccups which saw us without wheels and having missed out on my planned trip to Hobbiton. But February has taken on a much more positive sheen and finances are being adjusted to accommodate the high cost of repairs. So normal movie going service will resume.
    Unfortunately for me this has meant missing about three movies I was looking forward to seeing on the big screen, But the beauty of blu ray  is that it no longer feels like I'm making a compromise. In fact on more than one occasion revisiting films on the format has proven to be a superior experience to having viewed the content on the big screen.
    So normal service is about to resume, with a few blu ray reviews of some classic films that were given to me as presents over the Christmas Period.
    So happy new year and catch you soon.