"I don't mind being the smartest man in the world, I just wish it wasn't this one."
Caught two movies over the weekend.
First, The Tale of Despereaux (2008) on BD.
Caught two movies over the weekend.
First, The Tale of Despereaux (2008) on BD. I thought it was actually OK. Not great, but entertaining with some really nice stylized CG animation. I don't know the children's book it was based on so I can't comment on that aspect (some fans of the book really didn't like the film--shocking I know), but it was worth a rent. As expected, the HD image looked flawless.
And in a similar vein, we saw the latest Harry Potter film at the theater the other night. Sure, there were some obvious things missing such as the battle at Hogwart's, but I liked it overall. The book was always a bit of a placeholder by necessity for the big finish, but the climax of this installment didn't disappoint in spite of that. I'm looking forward to seeing the last book spread over two films.
Many of you know that I still buy physical media: CDs, BD/DVDs, etc instead of digital downloads. The revelation that Amazon remotely wiped all copies of 1984 reinforces my belief that if there's a piece of art I value greatly, I will obtain it in physical form as long as I am able. It's worth it to me to put up with storing discs, books, and other stuff not to have to worry about Apple/Amazon et al. remotely deleting my favorite recording of Beethoven's 5th because the record label decided they didn't want it in circulation. Slate's Farhad Manjoo has a piece about it here. Get off my digital lawn!
One more: I recently picked up the BD of An American in Paris (1951) I somehow never got this one on DVD, I still have the old laserdisc. Well, this version really knocked me out. It's a full 4k restoration and it looks amazing. Robert Harris has a few words about it and its technical details here. A really nice presentation that's well worth an HD upgrade.
OK, let's get on with this week.
2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967)
Coraline (2008) Also on BD.
Echelon Conspiracy (2009) Also on BD.
The Great Buck Howard (2008) Also on BD.
The Lucy Show: Season 1 IIRC, this is the first time this has been issued on DVD in its complete form.
Pushing Daisies: Season 2 Also on BD.
Watchmen (2009) Also on BD.
Finally, they've announced a BD for North By Northwest (a personal fave) on 11/3. The cover art amuses me:
