Losing That Big Screen Experience

There has been a lot of talk lately about how home entertainment, and in particular Video On Demand or Pay-Per-View, could cause the end of movie theatres. Might even cause the end of over a century of big screen experiences. As someone who has enjoyed going to theatres, and also was planning on going to work at one as a summer job this year, I have to admit I am biased. I am very partial to saving the Big Screen Experience.
Having said that, I can tell you that once a theatre is gone, it's gone forever, and so we have to ask ourselves how important it is to keep it.
There is something special about the movie-going experience that you can't duplicate at home. I have seen a number of films both at the cinema and at home, and I can tell you that even if you have a decent-sized TV and a Blu-ray Disc player, you will miss out if you can never go to the theatre again.
And while it is true you can't see a favorite movie at the Regal or AMC forever, and you will probably end up with a copy of it at home anyway, even seeing it on disc is more of an experience if it brings back happy memories of seeing it in a darkened cinema with your sweetheart. Or from a night out with friends. Or the time you took your kids to see their favorite film that they were just begging to see.
If theatres go away, so will those memories. And while you can make other memories at home, the ones you could have had at the local movie house will be lost forever.

Elisabeth Sladen RIP

Elisabeth Sladen, best known for portraying Sarah Jane Smith on the long-running series DOCTOR WHO, as well as the spin-off THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES, died of cancer on Tuesday. She was 63. She was not only a good actress, but also a good person with a kind heart. She will be missed. Goodnight, Lis.

Secretariat

SECRETARIAT is one of those rare movies that is moving and inspirational without being overly sappy. Diane Lane (My Dog Skip, Unfaithful) trains the titular stallion to become a champion. Lane puts in a solild performance, aided capably by John Malkovich (Con Air), James Cromwell (Spider-Man 3), and Scott Glenn (The Keep). Now available on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack!

Full Eclipse

FULL ECLIPSE is one of those gems that you don't hear a lot about, and turns out to be well worth finding. Starring Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City, Highlander: The Final Dimension), the film features a special team of cops led by Bruce Payne (Passenger 57, Warlock III: The End Of Innocence), who have a strong desire to take a bite out of crime. Payne tries to recruit Van Peebles, but he resists the leader's offer. Enter Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2, Twenty-One), who has her own methods of persuasion. Patsy is beautiful in this movie. Gorgeous. Stunning. Beautiful. Did I say she's beautiful? Anyway, over the years I have watched this movie on VHS tape, Laserdisc, and ultimately on DVD (no Blu-ray Disc yet, darn it anyway!), and I never get tired of it. FE does a fresh take on the werewolf and shoot-'em up genres by mixing them, and the result is very enjoyable. Gary Chang's original music adds a special flavor, and Anthony Hickox's direction is impeccable.

Heavy Metal Blu-ray Disc Edition

One of my all-time favorite animated films is HEAVY METAL, the 1981 movie based on the great magazine of the same name. It captures the feel of the early issues of the magazine and improves upon it, with ground-breaking animation and a hard-rocking soundtrack. I first saw it on a pay-tv service called SelecTV back in 1983. Later I saw it every way imaginable, on various cable channels, VHS tape, Laserdisc, DVD, Superbit DVD, and finally in the theatre last August. Now it has arrived on Blu-ray Disc, which is probably the ultimate format for watching movies at home. With a picture resolution of 1080p, and high-definition digital sound, the new edition of HEAVY METAL is truly stunning. When I saw it in on the big screen, the theatre showed the remastered re-release print from 1996. The Blu-ray is extremely close in quality to that print, showing minute details that even the high quality of the Superbit DVD didn't quite capture. On the supplemental side, the materials are mostly borrowed from the Collector's Edition DVD, including the Rough Cut with optional commentary by Carl Macek, Deleted Scenes, and the Imagining Heavy Metal documentary. Right now it's a Best Buy Exclusive, so if you have a store near you, I highly recommend picking it up!

Resident Evil: Afterlife

RESIDENT EVIL AFTERLIFE is a film that does what no one would expect of a fourth installment: it actually improves the quality of the series. When I saw the original RESIDENT EVIL, I totally fell in love with the film's ability to mix creepy horror with pure shoot-'em-up-style action. While I thoroughly enjoyed the second and third installments' quality as pure action movies, I was frustrated by the loss of the creepiness that I had enjoyed so much in the first one. REA actually manages to bring back the spooky feeling of the first film, while upping the ante on the action. After having seen this movie in normal 2D and also in 3D, I have to admit that while it holds up well as a "normal" movie, it is undeniable that the 3D version adds a whole new dimension to the series (sorry I couldn't resist that one). Using the James Cameron / Vincent Pace Fusion Camera System, REA has a quality of 3D not seen in any other film except AVATAR. I have to admit that I had been slow to adopt 3D before seeing REA, but now I am a believer. Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil, Stone) is excellent as usual as Alice, and continues to build a rich history for the character. Ali Larter (Resident Evil: Extinction, Heroes) does an admirable job as Claire Redfield, as does Wentworth Miller as Claire's brother Chris. Shawn Roberts gives a great performance as Albert Wesker, and Paul W.S. Anderson's (Resident Evil, Death Race) writing and direction are flawless.

The Ghost Writer

When I saw THE GHOST WRITER, it was more of a random choice than anything else. I was in the mood for a movie that night, and it just happened to be one of only two that were showing at or around the time I arrived at my local cinema. The other one was DATE NIGHT, which I wasn't really in the mood for. I like comedies, but that night I felt like something more sobering. I was not disappointed. TGW is a subtle, atmospheric film. It is the kind of picture that draws you in, and gives a feeling of being in another place and time. Ewan McGregor (Black Hawk Down, Moulin Rouge!) plays a ghost writer hired to finish the memoirs of former British prime minister Adam Lang, portrayed by Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye, The Thomas Crown Affair). And in a scene-stealing performance is Olivia Williams (Rushmore, The Sixth Sense) as Ruth, Lang's wife. I found the movie to be intense, suspenseful, and highly entertaining, with an ending that stayed with me long after I left the auditorium. Directed with great care by Roman Polanski, I highly recommend it.