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[meppi]

I just finished watching Ghostbusters on bluray for the first time.
Must have seen the movies at least 100 times since it first came out. I used to watch it at least weekly as I was a kid, sometimes back to back during vacation.

Heard lots of bad stuff about the bluray transfer of it being grainy, lacking detail an whatnot.
But since I love the movie so much, I ignored all that and got it the day it came out.
Not sure what they are talking about actually. Perhaps they expect the movie to look like, or compare to the ones filmed today with the latest equipment or something.
There's so much detail in this transfer. From the minute strings of slime when Peter wipes his hand clean on the books in the library basement, to the glitter on Dana's skin when she is just about to transfer into the dog from on top of the skyscraper. The effects when the ghosts escape from the containment system is just beautifully done, you can actually see that the slime Peter gets coated with by Slimer is actually green.

These are all things I have never seen in the versions I've seen. (TV/VHS/DVD)

So if you love the movie, but are holding back to buy the bluray due to those impression, don't worry too much about it.
It looks wonderful.

I'm still enjoying the movie just as much as I did back in the day. Perhaps even a bit more these days.
Looking forward to Ghostbusters 2 being released on bluray as well.
Many people seem to hate that one but I love it as well. Not as brilliant as the original, which is pretty much perfection for me personally, but I loved it as well and actually got to see it on the theater when it came out.

[Nreive]

I love Ghostbusters and thought the sequel was pretty good too (I also got to see the sequel at the local cinema - aka movie theater). It will be interesting to see if they do make a third movie. He he, I used to use a spare DVD copy of GB to test televisions going through our department at work and must have seen it several hundred times. Ah, great days. Definitely one of my all time fave movies and reason enough to produce 9 pages on Ghostbusters games in the recent issue of Retroction. That article took forever to produce, but it was worth it - a great franchise with some good games.

I don't have bluray at the moment (still happy with DVD), but GB will be one of the first titles to get when I do.

What movies have I just seen? Well, in the past week I've managed to catch late night showings of The Blair Witch Project, The Matrix, Event Horizon, Doomsday, The Cottage, Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, and probably a few more that I can't remember.

[meppi]

Last thing I've heard was that Ghostbusters 3 had been green lighted and that only Rick Moranis turned them down. That was several months ago though. Hope it turns out in such a way that it does the original proud.

Been very busy these last couple of days and haven't been around here very much. Hardly at all actually.
So today, after doing quite a bit of work this week I treated myself to a little shopping spree.



Probably gonna watch Spaceballs in an hour or so.

[meppi]

Ended up watching Event Horizon first since I didn't remember much from it back in the day.

Really liked it. One of the better scary US movies I've seen lately.
Not perfect, but very good indeed.

The pal bluray transfer is sadly not a good one though.
Throughout all of the movie I noticed lots and lots of white specks pop up all over the place.
This kinds of thing should be cleaned up in the editing department and is inexcusable really.
Seems like a real rush job to get it out the door.
Still a great movie though and I hope this only is the case with the Benelux version, but it seems highly improbable looking at how you have the option of putting the language in German, Spanish, Italian and French besides the original English, as well as loads of subtitle options.
So I guess the whole pal release got botched.

[nickerous]

Haven't bought anything recently.  Last 3 I bought were from Blockbuster's 3 for $20 sale.  Got Watchmen, Gran Torino, and the newest Fast and the Furious.  Last Blu-ray I bought was Quantom of Solace, I believe....don't have many blu-rays.  I tend to wait and ask for a bunch around my birthday, although this year, I got Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dead Space for the PS3.

[meppi]

Just finished watching Jet Li's Hero after reading a thread about it on GAF.

The movie wasn't what I expected t to be, which happens actually more often then not with asian movies.
Though it would be another martial arts/wu-xia movie but it turned out to be much deeper and thought provoking instead.

Loved it. Got goosebumps during the fight in the yellow leaves.
Something that doesn't happen to me very often and even rarer with a movie that I haven't seen before.

I was actually not surprised to see Christopher Doyle's name on the credits afterwards.
That man is a true genius when it comes to cinematography. Haven't seen a movie of him that I didn't fall in love with.
Such as Dumplings, In the Mood for Love, Fallen Angels, Chungking Express and Days of Being Wild.

[nickerous]

Went to see Zombie Land this past weekend.  Wasn't too bad. 

[meppi]

Re-watched Total Recall after many years, but this time on bluray since I got it cheap.
Great movie. Bit cheesy at times and with limited resources for special effects, but with that in mind it's a great movie.
Want to watch Robocop now.

The transfer to bluray is terrific with this one.
Lots of detail, can't see any grain so to speak of, rich colours. Very happy with it.

What I never knew before today was that Robert Picardo (the doctor from Star Trek Voyager) did the voice of the robotic taxi drivers.
I recognized him immediately now.

[Nreive]

Re-watched Total Recall after many years, but this time on bluray since I got it cheap.
Great movie. Bit cheesy at times and with limited resources for special effects, but with that in mind it's a great movie.

Ah, Total Recall.  A great movie, indeed.  But after all these years, I still don't really know what's going on.

[meppi]

Ah, Total Recall.  A great movie, indeed.  But after all these years, I still don't really know what's going on.

Hehe, I remember having the exact same thought before I watched it again.
I can see why I was so confused all those years ago.  

What it comes down to is that Arnold decides he wants to go to Recall to have the memory of a Mars vacation implanted into his mind since his "wife" doesn't want to go there.
When under sedation memories resurface of him actually having been there and being hunted down.

He has recorded a video which he has someone deliver to himself since his memory was wiped, in which he tells himself that he used to work for the bad guy but he's seen the error of his ways so now he has to go back to Mars, meet up with the resistance and unlock the remaining memories.
Trouble with that is that that's actually part of the double-cross plan all along.

He had in fact volunteered to have his memory wiped and let himself believe he's become a good guy just so he could lead the bad guys to the resistance. This is explained by the second video of himself.
Once he figures that out it's already too late, but he doesn't want to go back to being the bad guy.

Mars blows up (more or less ) creating an atmosphere and thereby making the sale of air worthless and also destroying the mining operations, leaving Mars to the general public.




Reading all that back, I'm not sure of that clears anything up or in fact makes it even more confusing.  

[triverse]

I played the NES game from Acclaim then watched the movie, I kind of spoiled something for me on this one though.  I do like the movie though, it is pretty good (though as usual, the game paled in comparison).

[meppi]

I got this one in on Monday:



The newest Quentin Tarantino film Inglorious Basterds on Bluray. 

Watched it that very same night after work and at first, while I certainly wouldn't say I was disappointed, I didn't get what I was expecting.
I intentionally stayed away from all that could be considered a spoiler so I went in with a clean slate and didn't know that there would be so little action in the movie.
The film is about 2.30 hours long and I think you only would be able to call half an hour of it action.
Shouldn't be broken down like that, but I'm just using it to get my point across.

Really liked it though.

But the most interesting part was that for the next 4 days I couldn't get the film out of my mind.
The characters are so well defined and incredibly memorable. Just love Brad Pitt in here, he absolutely nails it. But so do all the actors.
Quentin Tarantino really has an eye for this and is able to get truly amazing performances out of everyone he puts in front of his lens.

I'm just about to watch it again as I have been looking forward all week to re-watch it.
Even though I must have over 300 movies I haven't seen yet, I just have to see this one again.
If you even remotely like his previous work, be sure to check this one out!

Now I can't wait to see Jacky Brown again on Bluray.
I saw it about 10 years ago but didn't understand what the movie was all about and I only remember it being kinda slow.
I think I just wasn't ready for something like that yet, but I sure am now.

[triverse]

Saw Paranormal Activity recently.  It had it's moments, too Blair Witchy for me though.  I can see how people that are not into horror movies were scared, it did have a few good scares, that bedroom camera was nerve wracking.

[nickerous]

Watched Avatar in 3D Friday night.  3D has come a LONG way since the Nightmare on Elm street that was in 3d (Freddy's Dead, maybe?).  Had a blast.  Movie was better than I expected.

[triverse]

Wearing Avatar 3D glasses at a bar, "Hey ladies, I have a podcast."  Sorry, flashbacks to The Retro League #12 there.

I have heard from various sources that Avatar is better than many expected.  I wonder how it will translate to the home (not a lot of those 3D TV's are in the wild yet, at least I don't think it is that big a number).

[nickerous]

The story is good, so I don't think it'll hurt it not being in 3d. 

[fusoya]

I've been on a streak where I've found 2 hours out of my day EVERY day so far in 2010 to watch a movie:

01/01 Inglourious Basterds *
01/02 The Graduate *
01/03 Up
01/04 Up In The Air *
01/05 The Invention of Lying *
01/06 The Lovely Bones
01/07 The Time Traveller's Wife
01/08 Stranger Than Fiction
01/09 The Man From Earth *
01/10 Sunshine
01/11 Behind the Mask *
01/12 Fantastic Mr. Fox *
01/13 It's Complicated
01/14 Funny People *
01/15 A Serious Man
01/16 Sherlock Holmes
01/17 Batteries Not Included
01/18 The Messenger *
01/19 The Descent *
01/20 Rain Man *
01/21 Adam *
01/22 Law Abiding Citizen ********
01/23 The Informant!
01/24 I Love You Man *
01/25 2012

the one with *'s next to then were ones I especially enjoyed and would recommend.

[triverse]

Fusoya, could you give a spoiler less synopsis of about a paragraph or so on the movies below?  I am interested in watching them but have avoided doing so for whatever reason.  Thanks.

Stranger than Fiction
The Lovely Bones
Up
Sherlock Holmes

[KMFDManic]

I can help here, too, im quite the movie buff.

Stranger Than Fiction=Will Ferrell-Man's like oddly starts playing out like a book.  Dark Comedy.  Unique and good.

Lovely Bones=Peter Jackson's better rendition of a What Dreams May Come style tale...minus Robin Williams, plus a well known character actor!
                   Movie was lambasted for going too easily between almost abherrant violence and sentimentality.  I personally enjoyed it.

Up=Pixar's take on one man's zest for life and memories lost.  It strikes an almost eerie chord to the state of our economy.  Excellent movie!

Sherlock Holmes=Robert Downey Jr, carrying on the trend of his very watchable personality onscreen.  It was directed by Guy Ritchie, and anyone
                      with a remote interest in Sherlock Holmes at all, would most likely enjoy it.  Fusoya watched it on my recommendation and didn't
                      like it.  I drew the conclusion that he wasn't into "period" pieces.  Much of what he enjoys is more technological minded.  His sole
                      exception to that rule seemed to be Unforgiven!  But, who doesn't love that movie.  It is what made me appreciate westerns.

I welcome Fusoya's opinion as well...

I'd be glad to talk about any other movie you have in mind, as well.

Last one I saw was Book Of Eli.  That one needs to be tread very lightly, as it has an ending that harkens back to the days of good endings like
Sixth Sense.  One that also demands a reviewing to confirm the ending.  I found it very fun to watch, albeit pretty heavy on religious influences. 

[fusoya]

Sherlock Holmes was AWFUL. It's the only movie on that list I didn't finish watching - turned it off after an hour.

Up wasn't bad, but it was pretty dull compared to most of Pixar's films, both in animation and storyline. About an old man who flies his house to South America.

Lovely Bones is hard to give a synopsis without spoiling it, but it's a look at what happens after you die and go to 'heaven'.

Stranger than Fiction is Will Ferrell's one movie where he doesn't play a loud bumbling idiot. Probably his best film. Has a similar premise to Last Action Hero, except with a novel rather than a movie.

[KMFDManic]

thing about will ferrell, if hes in a movie the whole time, it usually ends up being so so at best.  But, when he pops up in a movie for a mere few seconds, it ends up being hilarious.  I saw him in the great comedy called The Goods, Live Hard, Sell Hard...and he has a cameo that is so absurd i had no choice but to laugh at its silliness.

[triverse]

I agree with you KMFDManic about Will Ferrell being the lead guy in a movie, he comes off as stupid 99% of the time.  I thought he was pretty funny in Old School, though there were plenty of other people for him to bounce off of, to set up scenes and stuff, it wasn't all up to him for the most part.

I read the back of the book for The Lovely Bones while at Wal-Mart earlier today, definitely a movie I am probably going to skip and read the book instead. lol

[KMFDManic]

Another recent movie I liked was Pandorum...Imagine this scenario...

You wake up in Outer Space, with NO memory of who you are and why you are there, or what you are supposed to do?  Well, that is the setup...Great ain't it.  It draws great parallels to Dead Space.  Definitely recommend it for the sci-fi/horror fan.

[triverse]

I had preview showing tickets to that thanks to another site I am co-owner on, but couldn't find a theater local to me that was showing it and had to pass.  I am sad too now knowing it was a good movie.  lol  Going to have to catch it on DVD.

[KMFDManic]

Yeah, good sci fi movies are few and far between.  Avatar is most likely to spawn a crapload of more sci-fi theatrical releases, however.  One movie that is definitely overrated this year, is Paranormal Activity.  I personally couldn't hold back laughter while watching it.  It took a true minimalist approach, and I found Blair Witch more absorbing.  The best part of Paranormal Activity, when all is said and done, is seeing the 3 different endings!

Sci-Fi wise, I also loved the Star Trek reboot!

[triverse]

I felt gipped with renting Paranormal Activity, even though it was $1.  It was alright, though no where as scary as they tried to make it seem in the commercials (though the special effects on some stuff was cool and on others horribly obvious that stop motion camera work was going on).

I am still waiting on the Star Trek reboot thing.  I was more of an Enterprise and TNG type of fan, Kirk was just too out there for me in most of the situations he got in.

[KMFDManic]

Well, William Shatner was pissed he wasn't allowed to be in the Star Trek reboot (They wouldn't allow him to be in the fledgling Enterprise in its final season either...go figure).  JJ Abrams didn't want the movie to be "corny".  But, after the success it had last year...it was stated that not only might Shatner appear in the sequel in some form or another...But, that the character Khan might too!

I spent many years avoiding Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager...But, within the last few years, watched both series in entirety..And, I must say, they were both very enjoyable.  I'd place the order of the Star Trek series...

TNG
Enterprise (loved seeing how early technology fit into the scheme of things..transporters, phasers, etc, and really loved the time travel scenarios)
Original (Spock as a drugged up hippie cannot be beat!)
Voyager
Deep Space Nine  
Animated Series (no Chekov!  automatically rated the lowest)

Other notable Star Treks to check out...

Comic form...Star Trek Meet the X-Men...and Star Trek Meet Dr.Who!
And, of course,  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYbJz9RgSEQ

 which is the funniest Star Trek parody in existence...besides the Adult ones that is!

[triverse]

I have been able to enjoy Star Trek, the original series, now that I am able to watch it as I want.  Rather than on my brothers schedule of EVERY TIME IT IS ON TV watching (he would even watch the reruns of an episode he saw earlier that week on another channel-really annoying).  I picked TNG and Enterprise as my faves so far as they were really the first ones that I caught early (Enterprise I was there on day one) and could watch whenever I saw fit-if something else was on, I watched whichever I preferred type of thing.

That is funny about Shatner not being allowed in Enterprise or the ST Reboot movie (I am sure they could have worked in Shatner in Enterprise in one of the time travel stories quiet easily).

[fusoya]

I watched Zombieland last night. It's my new pick for best film of 2009, taking the place of 500 Days of Summer. It's also the hardest I've laughed at a movie since Borat.

For example:

a zombie is attacking you in the bathroom. You reach around for something to hit it over the head - a roll of toilet paper, then a bag of cotton balls, and then you try to spray it in the face with shaving cream, which it just proceeds to eat and then grabs the can and sucks down seconds.

[KMFDManic]

Another Shatner thing I found humorous was when he was on Howard Stern against a Star Trek Junkie in a Star Trek Trivia Contest.  Shatner didn't know anything about any of the episodes, and I believe...even stated he was too messed up on drugs at the time to even have a chance of remembering...

And, as far as Borat, be sure to watch Bruno as well...but, keep in mind...It can be quite disturbing.  So, definitely know what you are getting into with that crazy film.