November 2005 Archives (20 posts)
ZipRefill
I’ve just been granted ZipRefill by Zip.ca for being a good customer and reporting when I’ve shipped back my DVDs.
Having ZipRefill on your account means that Zip.ca will send you a replacement DVD within one business day. You don’t have to wait the 1-3 days before Zip.ca receives DVDs you send back to them in the mail.
Anybody else have this “privilege” or any others that Zip.ca offers? If you don’t use your online account to report when your DVDs are returned or if you’ve reported DVDs stolen/missing then you probably won’t get access to this service.
I’m still really pleased with Zip.ca’s service and haven’t had any problems with them to date. They recently added a location in Mississauga which has improved their service (they use to ship/receive from Ottawa). Their selection of DVDs is outstanding and getting bigger every day.
If you want a new release then your best bet is still Blockbuster. Even then you have to ask yourself if it isn’t just better to go to the theatre and pay $9.99 for a ticket. Blockbuster is charging $5.99 per rental ($6.88 with tax). If I want a new release for the weekend then I’ll still head to Blockbuster but 90% of my rentals are coming from Zip.ca or my dad’s extensive collection of discs (and they’re free with no late fees).
Posted in Web at 10:46 AM | Comments (2)
Gunner Palace (2004)
I can’t really call this a review because I only saw the first 31 minutes of Gunner Palace (2004). This documentary film shows what life is like for “The Gunners”—American soldiers whose barracks are the bombed palace of Uday Hussein.
I started nodding off after a half hour. Boring. Poorly edited. Aimless. No story. Almost as painful as watching your best friend’s wedding video. Pass on this one folks unless you have time to waste.
Posted in DVD Reviews at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)
Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot
I don’t know. I watched this video from Cousinos Firearms and it demonstrates how messed up some people are in the US. Is it just me or does anyone find it disturbing to watch Bubba helping a 6-year-old girl fire a machine gun? Link viea MetaFilter.
Posted in Observations at 11:17 AM | Comments (6)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Reissued
I recently watched The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1998) on DVD (the bare bones MGM version) and just read that Warner Home Video is rereleasing the film in a 2-disc special edition with an audio commentary and a documentary. My main interest in the film is editor Walter Murch who contributed to a new commentary with director Philip Kaufman and co-star Lena Olin.
I never purchased the now out-of-print Criterion DVD (wish I had) or the first Warner release (glad I didn’t). So the special edition from is welcome news. Release date: February 7, 2006.
Posted in Movies at 10:58 AM | Comments (1)
Superman Returns Teaser
The Superman Returns teaser trailer has been posted by Warner Brothers. So far it looks pretty good. This is the first movie site where I’ve seen options for the trailer in PSP and iPod formats. Very cool.
Director Bryan Singer has a section on the site called Bryan’s Video Journals which gives you an inside look at the film. These are also the videos that Warner Bros. will probably package on the second release of the Superman Returns DVD in 2007.
The first DVD release will probably be a bare bones edition. The studio will likely have second and third DVD release that is stuffed with featurettes, documentaries and video journals. Oh, and look for another release of the original Superman movies with Christopher Reeve, George Reeves and throw in a box set or two of Smallville for good measure.
And Hollywood wonders why some people are downloading movies illegally.
Posted in Movies at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
The Phantom (1996)
I forgot all about the 1996 film about The Phantom starring Billy Zane until Rob at SUPERHERO TV gave me his DVD copy to borrow. I watched the trailer, saw Billy Zane in purple tights, riding a horse through 1930s Manhattan, and put the DVD aside for a few days.
Unfortunately this movie was poorly marketed. Mistake number 1 — it was released on June 7, 1996 but it isn’t even close to being a blockbuster like Batman Begins. Mistake number 2 — the trailer is terrible and doesn’t convey the campy nature of the film.
Once I realized that The Phantom was a B-movie I started to really enjoy it. It’s actually a great film in my opinion and a lot of fun to watch.
The sets and costumes are excellent. I don’t normally pay a lot of attention this kind of detail in a film but everything from the furniture to motorcycles look very authentic. The production value is quite high but unfortunately some of the special effects were distracting.
When special effects are done well they should be invisible to the viewer. There is a scene where The Phantom is riding through the jungle, dodging bullets from the bad guys. A close-up shot shows a bullet hitting a tree and exploding into colourful fragments as if the tree was a box of Fruit Loops! I had to watch this several times, frame by frame to make sure I was seeing things correctly. Maybe this was intentional? I thought it took away from the scene.
For some reason the directory of photography chose a camera lens that gives off a really bad lens flare that looks like a blue laser. This had me confused in a few of the earlier scenes and just became annoyingly visible throughout the rest of the film.
Billy Zane as a super hero? You bet! He’s perfectly cast and hilarious! He always has a goofy grin and smart ass comment for every situation. I found myself laughing out loud several times. Treat Williams as bad guy Xander Drax is great as well.
If you passed this film over 10 years ago then it’s time to give it a second look. The DVD is anamorphic widescreen but the video quality is average. The audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital and quite good. There’s nothing but a trailer in terms of extras but this wouldn’t prevent me from purchasing the disc. I’ll be adding this disc to my DVD library ASAP and look forward to watching it again.
Posted in DVD Reviews at 12:02 PM | Comments (1)
Digital Fortress
My idea of a perfect Sunday evening is a 10 year old Tawny Port (Taylor Fladgate), Stilton blue cheese and a good book. Last night I finished reading Dan Brown’s Digital Fortress. It’s a trademark, Dan Brown thriller—lots of page turning suspense, short chapters, multiple plots and plenty of surprises.
This novel was published in 1998 and is a little dated which is unavoidable I suppose when you write about technology. Netscape is described as being the “sweetest” web browser. Brown also makes a big deal about the secrecy surrounding the NSA but thanks to Enemy of the State (1998) and a number of other Hollywood movies, the National Security Agency is no longer “No Such Agency”.
I found myself figuring out some of several plot twists and mysteries, then having to read patiently while the characters in the novel figure them out. I don’t remember The Da Vinci Code as being very easy to figure out and can only assume that Brown has become much better at crafting puzzles and plot twists in his writing.
Like The Da Vinci Code, I couldn’t put this book down for very long and enjoyed reading it. Thanks to Paul (who almost became my brother-in-law) for lending me his copy.
Posted in Books at 12:18 PM | Comments (2)
Zip.ca Dashboard Widget
This widget will display the DVDs you currently have out. Flip the widget over and you can view all of the titles in your Ziplist. It’s still in beta but it seems to be working perfectly.
Visit DashboardWidgets.com to download the Zip.ca Dashboard widget. To install it on your system, go to your user directory, open the Library folder and at the bottom you’ll see a folder called Widgets. Place the file ZipMini.wdgt in this folder and launch Dashboard.
Comment here to let me know what you think about the widget. If you’re stuck with using a PC, just purchase a Mac mini to test out the widget.
Posted in Apple at 10:14 AM | Comments (3)
Beer Hunter
If you live in Toronto and want to know where the closest beer store is (or LCBO) then look no further than Beer Hunter—a Google Maps guide to beer in Toronto.
Posted in Web at 1:28 PM | Comments (0)
Jarhead (2005)
On Friday I saw Jarhead (2005), Sam Mendes’ Gulf War film. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this film for some time, mainly because Walter Murch is the editor and I just finished reading two books about him.
Bleak is the best way to describe this film after a first viewing. I wasn’t blown away. I didn’t walk out of the theater feeling excited. I wasn’t ready to line up again and see it for a second time. I wanted to sit back and process everything. Let it settle.
The cast is strong and balanced. We get several views of what it is like to be a marine in the first Gulf War. We aren’t preached to or fed propaganda through a screenplay. You get a real sense of what it might have been like to be a young marine in this little war.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays marine, Anthony Swofford who wrote a best-selling book in 2003 about his Desert Storm experience. You get a sense of just how boring a modern war can be for a marine. Times have changed. Most of the initial fighting is from the air. The marines just train, wait, perform drills, clean their guns, train and wait some more.
The colour palette of the film is muted, de-saturated, emphasizing the boredom that the marines experienced. It must have been a challenge for Roger Deakins to shoot this film because the entire landscape is void of colour. Instead of jungles and lush landscapes we have endless miles of white desert.
There isn’t a lot of action in the film because there wasn’t a lot ground fighting in the war. The marines get worked up into a blood lust while watching films like Apocalypse Now and then they wait for something, anything to happen. They’re dying to fire their weapons on the enemy but most of them never get the chance.
Before long the marines begin to question their role in the war, their purpose, their sacrifice. They become consumed with broken relationships back home—cheating wives and girlfriends. All they can do is sit helplessly in the desert waiting for something to justify their hours of boredom.
Before long you question the whole point of the war. You wonder how these kids could be so naiive. After a while I think that most of the audience will agree with Gyllenhaal’s character when he says, “I’m 20 years old, and I was dumb enough to sign a contract.”
I think Jarhead will become a classic war film like Apocalypse Now or Catch-22. For me it is going to take a few more viewings before I can really appreciate it.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 11:25 AM | Comments (2)
Paris from a Ferrari at 140 MPH
In 1978, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a camera to the front of a Ferrari 275 GTB . He and a professional Formula 1 driver drove through the heart of Paris at insane speeds—Porte Dauphine, through the Louvre, to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur.
In the film, the driver runs several red lights, almost hits a few pedestrians and drives the wrong way on several one-way streets. Crazy stuff.
You can view the film here (Quicktime required). More info on the film can be found here. Link via Metafilter.
Posted in Web at 12:15 PM | Comments (1)
iBelieve
Hmm. If you have an iPod Shuffle around your neck but would prefer a crucifix, then help is on the way. For $12.98 you can convert your Shuffle into a white plastic crucifix. Visit iBelieve for more info.
Posted in Technology at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
10 ways to please us, the customers
David Pogue of the NY Times has an article that caught my eye recently called 10 ways to please us, the customers. It’s a list of 10 things where companies fail miserably in terms of customer service and how they can improve.
My favourtie was number 7.
VII. Thou shalt remember the customer’s phone number. This means you, computer and cellphone companies. We call for help; we’re asked to type in our 10-digit phone numbers or 20-digit customer numbers; then when an agent picks up, we’re asked for that number again.
What - did you think we actually moved and changed our identities since placing the call?
If they can write software that sends a man to the moon, they can surely write call-center software that passes on to the agent the information we’ve already typed in.
It always amazes me when I phone Bell Canada for something and enter their automated phone system hell. You key in your 10-digit phone number, enter a several menus before you get a “live operator” that… asks you what your phone number is.
Did Microsoft write the software that these phone companies are using? Here’s a classic example of how Windows does exactly the same thing when it comes to frustrating the user.
Posted in Observations at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
The BLOCKBUSTER Canada eStore®
Well, this is the moment all of you Canadian, card carrying Blockbuster members have been waiting for. The BLOCKBUSTER Canada eStore® is now open for business! I just received an email alert about this.
Why does Blockbuster have an eStore you ask? So you can pre-order DVDs or games for purchase!
I know what you’re thinking. Why would I want to pre-order a DVD from Blockbuster and pay full price it. Why not go to FutureShop or Walmart and get it for the sale price? Actually, I wondered the same thing.
Here is Blockbuster’s BIG reason for pre-ordering movies:
Just in time for your holiday shopping, here’s the latest innovation from your home entertainment headquarters: the BLOCKBUSTER Canada eStore®. Now you can pre-order upcoming movies and games online. When you pre-order a movie or game, you’re ensuring that you’ll be among the first to enjoy it just as soon as it’s released.
Wow! I’m all excited. Pre-ordering movies online for purchase! Way cool! I bet Amazon FutureShop or Zip.ca haven’t thought of this! Wicked! Blockbuster is the best!
Posted in Movies and Web at 10:29 AM | Comments (3)
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Writer/director Noah Baumbach has a great little film in The Squid and the Whale. Sadly, very few people will get a chance to see it in theatres. It’s playing in limited release right now and despite some great reviews it could disappear faster than Thumbsucker or Everything Is Illuminated.
Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney play a married couple going through a messy divorce while the kids played by Owen Kline and Jesse Eisenberg try to figure which parent to side with. Eisenberg looks and acts a lot like a younger version of Ben Stiller to me.
The acting is excellent and the writing is top-notch. I haven’t seen the other films that Baumbach has directed but he’s won me over and I’ll be renting his other films on DVD. If you’re tired of the usual blockbuster crap playing at the cineplex, and you want to see a solid film then The Squid and the Whale awaits you.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 7:15 PM | Comments (2)
Apocalypse Then: A Second Look at the First Gulf War
Walter Murch is featured in the Pro/Film section of Apple’s website. He edited the film Jarhead in HD using some Power Macs with Final Cut Pro HD. Full story.
Posted in Apple and Movies at 2:10 PM | Comments (0)
Cinema Reel
If you can’t wait for Hot Docs next year then tune into CBC for Cinema Reel — a documentary film festival airing on CBC. CBC Newsworld will air a documentary every night between Dec 1 - Dec 6.
If that doesn’t excite you then you may be interested in the online contest to WIN A CINEMA REAL WEEKEND IN WHISTLER. Thanks to James for this info.
Posted in Television at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
Great photography articles
Ron Bigelow Photography has some great articles on digital photography. He covers sharpening techniques, exposure, composition, light and the camera RAW.
The site won’t win any design awards but the photography information is invaluable. There are plenty of examples and to explain concepts and techniques. If you’re an amateur photographer then this site is for you.
Posted in Photography at 10:57 PM | Comments (2)
STUD 100
Is this your can of STUD 100? If so, it was last spotted at the old court house building in downtown Pittsburgh.
I can’t believe that somebody makes this stuff. I wonder how long it will be before I start getting spam for this stuff.
There is a larger photo on BOMBIPPY PHOTOS.
Posted in Humour at 5:46 PM | Comments (0)
Behind the Seen
Last week I finished reading a book called Behind the Seen: How Walter Murch Edited Cold Mountain Using Apple’s Final Cut Pro and What This Means for Cinema, written by Charles Koppelman.
If you’ve ever done any video editing or have an interest in how films are made then you’ll find this a fascinating read. There are also a few amusing stories along the way about movie producer Harvey Weinstein—how he falls asleep during screenings of Cold Mountain then asks what the film is about.
Most people have never heard of Walter Murch unless they are in the film industry. Many of the films he has worked on as film editor or sound editor have been nominated for Oscars—Cold Mountain, Ghost, The Conversation. He’s won Oscars for The English Patient and Apocalypse Now.
Wired magazine has a small story on Murch and mentions that he used Apple’s Final Cut Pro to edit Jarhead (2005)in HD. Jarhead is the latest film by director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) and comes out this Friday. I’m looking forward to seeing this over the weekend.
Posted in Books and Movies at 4:33 PM | Comments (1)
