David Vaughn

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/newtreck.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Even the most diehard Trekker felt that Roddenberry's universe had lost its mojo, so when J.J. Abrams was picked to reimagine the franchise, I was stoked. With a new young cast, which Tom Norton refers to as <i>Star Trek 90210</i>, he took <i>Trek</i> where no one had gone before&#151;over $257 million at the box office. With a reported budget of $150 million, no corners were cut in the production&#151;the script is a blast, the special effects are top-notch, and the soundtrack is loaded with demo material. As expected, the Blu-ray rocks, and here are three great scenes to show off your home theater.

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/bruno.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Austria's favorite fashionista, Br&#252;no (Sacha Baron Cohen), loses his homeland talk show after causing a ruckus at Milan Fashion Week. He moves to Hollywood with his assistant Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten) in tow to pursue worldwide super-stardom. Every attempt at making it big goes terribly wrong, but the utter ridiculousness of it all is supposed to be funny&#151;<i>not</i>!

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/uglytruth.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Abby Ricter (Katherine Heigl) is the romantically challenged producer of a Sacramento morning television show who squares off against a chauvinistic new correspondent, Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), whose views on dating and relationships clash with her feminine sensibilities. Are guys just looking for one thing, or is her idea of Mr. Right out there somewhere?

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/monstersbd.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Not only does <i>Monsters, Inc.</i> feature fantastic animation, it's one of Pixar's best stories, too. While the film was being made, California was subject to rolling blackouts due to Enron's manipulation of the energy market, so it's only fitting that the wizards at the studio came up with this wonderful story about powering Monstropolis with the screams of children. I love this movie, and its treatment on Blu-ray is exceptional in both the audio and video departments, with meticulous attention to detail and first-class sound design.