For "Rental Only" DVD's

This is a trend that I’m finding very aggravating!!

Basically, the movie studios and rental companies have come up with what they hope is a way to make the consumer purchase more DVD’s by renting you a disc that has only the feature film on it…They still have the menus for the bonus content and deleted scenes etc…Except, when you try to view it the message “Purchase this DVD from your local retailer to view this content” is displayed.

“What the Hell?!?” I need to go spend $19.99 to see 3 minutes of deleted scenes? Who in the hell do they think they are?

To add insult to injury…these discs usually have all preview “skipping” options, like fast-forward, Next chapter\title, and jump to the menu DISABLED! So, the renter must watch 5 or more minutes of commercials and previews to even get to the limited content.

Not cool movie\rental industry!!

Adventures in Babysitting

This is one of my favorite parts from this movie:

You don't need Blu-ray

really...you don't. The only reason we need DVD is because we, as consumers, have allowed the corporate media makers to convince us that we needed the technology...when we don't.

VHS is a great technology. What?!? you ask??? This is what I mean...I've got VHS tapes dating back 15 or more years that still play. They've been thrown around, stepped on, handled by the kids etc...and yet they still work. Occasionally I've had to splice a broken tape or stuff it back into the casing because of a child's curiosity with that mysterious brown metallic ribbon...but, the tape has kept playing. Give a child a DVD or a CD to play with and within minutes that nice shiny playing surface can be scratched and marred to such a degree that your disc is now a $20 drink coaster. I understand that Blu-ray is supposed to have a "protective layer"...but, I have my doubts about that :)

Also, do you really need all of the menu and info options that Blu-ray is touting and all of the extra hours of feature extras? Are you kidding me? Why would we need this...most people barely have the time to just watch the movie itself?

And another thing...Why do we need higher definition? I'd argue that most people can't even tell the difference between a VHS movie a DVD let alone a DVD from a Blu-ray. I'd even argue that too much definition is bad for the viewing experience. I was watching a store display of a high-def TV playing a Blu-ray movie of Spiderman III...at the part where the sandman guy was swirling around in that grain silo...and I thought that the high definition of every CG grain particle was distracting and uncomfortable to the eye -- I couldn't watch too much of that, yikes! Along those line...there are several TV personalities and movie stars that just shouldn't be portrayed in high-def -- you know what I mean....I'm sure we've all seen one or more of those extreme closeups on some personality and said, "Woa! Back off camera...Too close!"

Send the media companies a message and don't buy into Blu-ray, HD, or whatever is next (you know something else is wating to replace Blu-ray someday).

Be satisfied with what you got -- there's nothing wrong with that.

Life Lessons learned from watching Horror Films

1. Don't split up...that's when everything goes from bad to worse
   
2. When in a creepy place (local haunted\abandoned house etc.), don't have sex...those people always go first
3. Related to #2: it's always good to be a virgin or to bring one along...that person usually has the power to break the current curse
   
4. Be able to run faster than at least one other person...in case you can't break the curse :)
   
5. Go for the head: A head shot or decapitation usually stops the bad guy\zombie\creature
6. Until you've removed the head, don't stand idly by the slain bad guy\zombie\creature...they're most likely going to cure their wounds and attack again
7. If cornered, always lie to the bad guy\zombie\creature...when they ask "join me or die", say "OK" and then wait for an opportunity to betray them later. Don't say, "No way scum! Death to you and your legions!" as this only invites anger and certain death.
8. ??? You got any more ???
   

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Have you seen this documentary yet, http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com?

I'm ashamed of owning a GM car after watching this -- I will not buy another.

Pictured here is an EV1 -- GM started it in 1996...and just 10 years later had successfully killed almost all traces of it. Ooo, they make me so mad!




http://www.pluginamerica.org/

Name the movie...

"Are three prunes too many...and are two not enough?"

Something funny...

When my wife and I were watching the previews before Rambo, there was one horror film, by Clive Barker, that had images of the killer on a subway train and meat lockers, where the killer apparently worked...I'm watching all of these video clips and then one of the lines in the movie is something like, "...we haven't found any bodies, the killer's hiding the meat somewhere..." and I whisper to my wife, "M E A T T R A I N !!"and then to our surprise that was the title of the movie :D

Well, I thought it was funny...Have you ever done that?

RAMBO, Yeah!

One heck-of-a good movie...great action! John Rambo R O C K S! And, a good message...I thought. It's not for the squeamish though :)

A thought...I was reading the credits...all the Thai names of actors, workers, directors etc....and I thought as I read the names like, Tan BooTanTan (something like that) "I've read this persons name; some stranger from some part of the world I'll probably never visit; but, because they were part of this movie, and got on the credits, that I've now read...that maybe we're connected in some way."

You ever had that thought??? That maybe your reading someone's name, and bringing them into your consciousness, has now connected you."

Review of restaurant \ Movie Theater

http://www.cinetopiatheaters.com/index.php

Don't go here...They claim to have the best burger in town and to even have one an award for it -- it's definitely NOT worth $10.95. You can get a better burger for less at Fudruckers, Bugattis, Carl's JR, Jack-In-The-Box...

Service is slow, the food is mediocre, and when we were asked, by the manager, how the food was -- we politely told him it wasn't as good as they claim and that it wasn't worth the price. He had nothing to say, but "Thanks, I've never eaten one" What?!? He serves something he's never even tried?!? He didn't even offer to give a discount on the bill or offer a free desert???

So, we gave a tip comparable to the service and went to checkout the movies...$10+ to see a movie?!? What's that all about?!?

We will never go back...and I offer you this warning so you can avoid the place too.

Name the movie...

"Steve, I wanna be Steve."

Saw three movies today...

The Water-Horse -- pretty good family movie: Fun for the whole family...touching...good fantasy action.






AVPR -- The worst movie ever: Totally inconsistent with previous movies...Pointless killings of babies and pregnant women...bad filming (too dark to even tell who was fighting who in most scenes)...No focus or explanation of the predalien...Complete and total disappointment!



National Treasure: Book of Secrets -- Great sequel to the first movie: The wife and I had to see another movie after AVPR to get it out of our minds. This movie was a great choice. Well done, Well filmed. I'd say the 1st one is the better of the two...but, this is a good film.

Some favorite war movies of mine

633 Squadron and Mosquito Squadron were both done by the same studio...watch them back-to-back and you'll notice several of the flight scenes are the same footage.

























And Flyboys is just awesome...I can watch this one over and over again.