LATEST ADDITIONS

Shane Buettner | Feb 14, 2007

In one sense this film is an unexpected gift. I would never have imagined such intense, mesmerizing human drama could be culled from the story of two rival magicians trying to destroy each other personally and professionally around the turn of the century. Of course, in another sense the success of a film made from such a talented pool of people on both sides of the camera shouldn't seem surprising at all.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Stranger Than Fiction (Blu-ray)

Shane Buettner | Feb 14, 2007

It's a big credit to this film that its subject matter is something that has not only been done, but been done very well many, many times. In fact, the film it reminded me the most of, in many ways, is the excellent if not great <I>Truman Show</I>. Yes, like that movie this one highlights the dramatic skills of a genius-level sketch comedy actor, only this time around it's Ricky Bubb-eee himself Will Ferrell. Instead of the being the unwitting subject of a reality TV show, Ferrell's Harold Crick finds that he's the subject of a novel being written by a self-and death-obsessed writer played wonderfully and obsessively by Emmma Thompson.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Babel (HD DVD)

Shane Buettner | Feb 14, 2007

It would take a much better film writer than I to do justice to this film, so I'll limit the damage by being brief. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's <I>Babel</I> brilliantly intertleaves the lives of four families across three continents, and links them in way that are mostly believeable and emotionally captivating and compelling from beginning to end. Almost like Jim Jarmusch meeting Robert Altman in the Int'l terminal.

Other Source Component Reviews

Xploder HDTV Player for PlayStation 2

Chris Chiarella | Feb 14, 2007

It’s curious timing for a new PS2 accessory, but this one is a dandy. For those of you who just couldn’t wait for the debut of the PS3, or, more to the point, couldn’t afford to buy one of the scarce wonder boxes off of eBay, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy your favorite PlayStation titles in high definition right now, thanks to the Xploder HDTV Player for PlayStation 2 ($40).

Audio Video News

Canton Jazzes Up New Speakers

Darryl Wilkinson | Feb 14, 2007

German speaker manufacturer, Canton, has replaced the company's popularly priced LE series with the new GLE series of full-range speakers. Canton says the new speakers utilize some of the materials and designs from the higher-end Vento, Ergo, and Karot lines. The GLE series includes a total of six models: two floorstanders, two bookshelfs, a horizontal center channel, and an on-wall version.

Ears On

HDTV Expert Parties

Mark Fleischmann | Feb 14, 2007

There are ordinary mortals who throw Super Bowl parties. And then there is Pete Putman, occasional Home Theater contributor and the HDTV expert of hdtvexpert.com. He put the big game on nine different screens scattered throughout the house (and one outside it). So whose display chugged away in sub-freezing weather? Which had pride of place in Pete's workshop theater? How did the portable pocket projector do? And whose screen was featured in the bathroom, "positioned at an angle to viewers at the door, the sink, and on the throne"? Check out the fully illustrated story for yourself.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

DVD REVIEW: The 49th Parallel

Mel Neuhaus | Feb 13, 2007

The Criterion Collection

Movie ••• Picture ••• Sound ••• Extras •••^½

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

DVD REVIEW: Babel

Ken Korman | Feb 13, 2007

Paramount

Movie •••• Picture •••• Sound •••^½ Extras None

Ears On

Amazon, TiVo Form Download Team

Mark Fleischmann | Feb 13, 2007

Hot on the heels of Wal-Mart Video Downloads, Amazon is looking to attract more customers to its Unbox service by teaming up with TiVo. Currently in beta, "Amazon Unbox on TiVo" would allow owners of Series2 or -3 TiVos to download and play Unbox videos. Sorry, Series1 and DirecTV TiVo owners can't participate. Besides the TiVo, you'll also need an Amazon account, and you'll need to link it to your TiVo account. A movie download will take anywhere from an hour (with broadband) to five hours (with dial-up). Your downloads will appear on the TiVo's now-playing list. They will not work with the TiVoToGo or multi-room features, but you can download to other devices using Unbox RemoteLoad. More details from Amazon or TiVo.

Audio Video News

HDTV Homes around the World

Darryl Wilkinson | Feb 13, 2007

Research firm Informa Telecoms & Media forecasts that there will be 151 million HDTV homes worldwide by the end of 2011 - a three-fold increase over the current total of almost 43 million.

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LATEST ADDITIONS

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