Kickin' it with Thirteen Wide

I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince...

Angry Bald Guy — 2011-04-14T16:46:00Z

Voldemort is back.

The Ministry now has no choice but to admit it.

And this is where we begin our foray into the sixth installment.

Let's try chronologically this time...

In the book the new Minister of Magic speaks with the Prime Minister about the bridge collapse in the past tense. It's here that we realize that the muggles do know about wizards and witches. A little anyway.

No Dursleys. And it's never explained why Harry has to keep going back to the Dursleys' house. And why they keep him. Of course that was in the last book. I forgot.

Bill Weasley is now engaged to Fleur Delacour, who is now living with the Weasleys. And she tends to annoy everyone there. Ginny has taken to calling her "Phlegm" although I'm at a loss as to why.

In the book you don't know that Draco is interested in the cabinet. Not right away, at least.

It isn't Luna that "rescues" Harry from the train or fixes his nose, it's Tonks. She will actually figure a bit more prominantly later in the book. She is noticably missing from most of the movie. Tonks is supposed to be stationed at Hogwart's with a few others guarding Harry.

It was nice to see Quidditch a bit more in this movie. It's always a huge part of the books.

Also missing from the movie is a bit of the history of Tom Riddle's family.

Luna's lion hat wasn't as big in the movie as it was described in the book.

Lavender is as annoying in the book as she is in the movie.

No house elfs. Again.

I guess in an effort to make Slughorn more likeable they had him ask for the venom from Aragog in the movie. In the book he just sneaks some while Hagrid isn't looking.

Did the Burrow get destroyed in the book?

Regardless of what the movie says, you still can not apparate within Hogwart's.

I am enjoying the Maximum Movie Mode. It's always nice to have some more information about the movie. I mean reading the book is nice but I always like the extras on a movie. Pretty sure I've said that before...

Enough of this silliness for now. Deathly Hallows comes out tomorrow on Blu-ray and DVD. I believe I have now brought myself up to speed.

Another contest to share for Mother's Day

Angry Bald Guy — 2011-04-14T16:08:00Z

With Mother's Day fast approaching (where is Easter?) the good and kind folks at Warner have tossed up another contest. That's right: Blu-rays for Mom!!!

The prizes are:

Grand Prize
One (1) The Blind Side Blu-ray Disc™; One (1) The Color Purple Blu-ray Disc™; One (1) Life As We Know It Blu-ray Disc™; One (1) Harry Potter™ and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Blu-ray Disc™; One (1) Yogi Bear Blu-ray Disc™.

2nd Prize
One (1) The Blind Side Blu-ray Disc™

3rd Prize
One (1) The Color Purple Blu-ray Disc™

4th Prize
One (1) Life As We Know It Blu-ray Disc™

5th Prize
One (1) Harry Potter™ and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Blu-ray Disc™

6th Prize
One (1) Yogi Bear Blu-ray Disc™

I gotta be honest...I don't see Harry Potter or Yogi as great additions to Mom's collection. But you never know.
Here's the link:
WarnerBlu Mother's Day Sweepstakes

I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...

Angry Bald Guy — 2011-04-14T03:22:00Z

My oldest son told me this was his least favorite of the Harry Potter flicks. I'm thinking it's because there was more story-telling than action.

If memory serves correctly this movie is pretty close to the book so I may not have a lot to say here. With a few notable exceptions:
1. Cho doesn't give up Dumbledore's Army. With the marked absence of the house elfs from the movies you'd never know it was Dobby that gave him up. (Read the book if you want more details.)
2. After Trelawny is sacked the school hires a centaur to replace her. This is the reason (partially) that the centaurs are so pissed. They consider the hiring of Firenze bad because, well, they just don't like people.
3. There are no brains in a giant tank in the department of mysteries.

Another thing is Quidditch. As important as it is in the Potter Universe it seems to be on the backburner in the movies.

Fred and George's exit is much more enjoyable in the movie.

I'm pretty sure we've all had a teacher like Dolores Umbridge: a know-it-all who doesn't listen to reason, and is just annoying a piss. I'm pretty sure I was that teacher for a couple of years.

I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...

Angry Bald Guy — 2011-04-13T17:09:00Z

Houlse elves. Annoying. Abused. Doomed to servitude.

And apparently all that Hermione lives for: freeing house elves from the chains of bondage. Thus she created S.P.E.W. (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.) Hermione feels that they must be seen as equals, paid for their work and so forth. You see, they're everywhere. Working behind the scenes, doing he stuff that no one else wants to. Where does the food for all the banquets come from? The house elves cook it. Cleaning? That's right: house elves.

The real problem, of course, is that this is what house elves WANT to do. If a house elf can't "work" for someone they get kinda kooky. Hermione doesn't get it.

Know why I know all this and you don't? I read the book. And much like some other things I've mentioned before (like Peeves*) I'm glad it never made it to the movie. The thing is house elves actually have a lot to do with the storyline in the fourth book.

734 page book. 157 minute movie. Incredibly the first 200 (approx.) pages of the book are pared down to the first 20 (approx.) minutes of the film. Gone with those pages are the veela (women whose mere presence is captivating), the Wronski Feint (a difficult quiditch maneuver), Winky the house elf (the root of a couple of now-missing subplots), and the fact that that Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are, just like Hogwart's, co-ed.

I suggest a drinking game based on this movie. I'm sure someone's already done it. Everytime Ron says "bloody hell" take a drink. What else could we put in there?

Lots of little changes: During the first task the dragon doesn't chase Harry; In the book Fleur isn't quite the wimp she is in the movie. No, I'm wrong...she is; Dobby gives the gillyweed to Harry; there is a Sphinx in the maze. Blast-ended skrewts anyone? Moody beats the crap out of Draco while he's a ferret.

And the whole Rita Skeeter angle. In the book no one could figure out where she was getting her information. Turns out she was an unregistered Animagus. Much like Sirius, who could become a dog, she would become a beetle. Of course Hermione caught on and also caught Skeeter in a jar at the end of the book. Skeeter was much more of a pain in the ass in the book.

As always the versions I'm watching are the original Blu-ray releases so that means no commentary. That will be remedied when I finally get my hands on the Ulitimate Editions. Right? The extras are nice but by no means extensive. I look forward to the inclusion of the WB Maximum Movie Mode with Half-Blood Prince.

* I just found out that Peeves was actually filmed for the first movie but never used. Apparently those shots have never seen the light of day. Unless that too is in the Ultimate Edition...

I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Angry Bald Guy — 2011-01-18T19:09:00Z

I do wonder why I even point out that books tend to be different than movies. They always have more information and always offer more insight. And in the case of Azkaban it actually made me like a character more. Another thing not worth mentioning is the Dursley's. Harry's time there is always different if only because it seems shorter in the movie.

The first difference was the Sneakoscope, an item used to tell if someone is being untrustworthy. It simply was not in the movie. Next was the boggart in the wardrobe. When Ron goes up against it in the book its legs disappear. I guess the moviemakers didn't think that would look right. Fear of PETA I suppose. (Fuck PETA!)

It's now at this point that I should mention Quidditch. Quidditch figures very prominently in the books. Quidditch is to wizards and witches what futbol is to Europe. About halfway through the book when Harry's broom is destroyed by the Whomping Willow another, newer model arrives. No one knows who sent it. I needed to mention the broom since when his broom is destroyed in the movie that marks the last of Quidditch.

Sir Cadogen takes over for the Fat Lady. He proves to be a pain in the butt by changing the password all the time. We learn that Sirius gets into the dorm because Neville loses the passwords. This was filmed but fortunately cut from the film. Much like Peeves I'm glad he didn't make it to the film.

That brings me to Professor Trelawny. Emma Thompson is absolutely wasted in this movie. When I saw the movie I was really annoyed by this character. After I read the book I wished the movie version was more like the book version. She was a nut. Completely and utterly a nut. And I think she may have been my favorite character. Sure some other may choose Sirius as their favorite, but not me. Bring on the crazy ones. (Like Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys. Crazy and a scene stealer!)

Why is it when Pettigrew goes from rat to human he's clothed but when he goes from human to rat he leaves his clothes behind?

My biggest complaint about the first two movies was showing the passage of time. The books always did it well. The third movie uses the Whomping Willow in a Monty Python-esque way.

And no Voldemort. Of course he wasn't in the book either. I just thought it was strange. That's all.

And since this is supposed to be about the Blu-Rays let's discuss my favorite part: the bonus features. The interviews are always enlightening. I would have liked more on the dementors. I appeciated how they got the actor's movements to match the hippogryph. SFX people have too much fun. I'm kinda jealous. Why is there no commentary? That's what's been missing!! it took me 'til right now to figure that out.

I am now reading the next book. We'll see how that one goes.

Gotta share this contest...

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-12-10T19:56:00Z

The folks over at WarnerBlu are having a contest on FaceBook. (Yes J.P., that means if you wanna win you gotta join FaceBook.)

Enter the WarnerBlu Holiday Sweepstakes to win the Must-Have Blu-ray Disc Collection, as featured on the Gift Guide tab of the WarnerBlu Facebook page. Prize titles include:
Harry Potter™ Years 1-6 Blu-ray Giftset
The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc
The Hangover Blu-ray Disc
300: The Complete Experience Blu-ray Disc
The Town Blu-ray Disc
Inception Blu-ray Disc

You know you want to.

WarnerBlu Holiday Sweepstakes to win the Must-Have Blu-ray Disc Collection

I finished watching Inception Wednesday night...

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-12-10T04:08:00Z

(Actually it was 2 o'clock Thursday morning but, hey!)

I gotta be honest. When I first saw the trailer for Inception I thought, "Meh." I figured it was like The Matrix vs Dreamscape. (Yes, I said Dreamscape! Is that on Blu yet?)^[2] I was never really in a hurry to see it. Don't go to the movies much these days, anyway. Sometimes I think it's just cheaper to wait for the disc. Even when the reviews started coming in I wasn't all that interested. Then as the Blu-ray release date neared (as well as some hype from the WarnerBlu Crew) I decided it might be in my best interests to check it out. I even went so far as to post on my FB page for friends not to give away the ending for me.

A wise choice on my part. Even if I do say so myself.

From the beginning of the movie I had to keep my thoughts from wandering to other movies. (Opening scene: Leonard DiCaprio on The Beach.) Once the movie got going my suspension of disbelief^[1] was right at home.

I was in a complete media blackout as far as this movie was concerned. I knew almost nothing about it. That was kinda cool. Other than the commercials that I had seen I was unaware. The movie was mostly a surprise. For those of you that are in the same spot I was here's my take on the movie:

There exists, in what I think is the near future, the technology to allow folks to enter the dreams of others. Some use this technology to do bad things (fooling folks into giving up information and such) and some that do good things with this technology (train folks to "fight off" the bad people.) Cobb (DiCaprio) is the former. Having failed on his last job he now finds himself working for the guy he was trying to rip off. The problem is the guy he's working for now wants him, instead of taking something, to leave something. He is to plant an idea. This is called "Inception."

The idea of inception is considered impossible. The example given in the movie: If I tell you not to think about elephants, what are you thinking of? Elephants. That's what makes it so difficult. If the person knows it's not their idea it won't work. So with the promise of seeing his children again Cobb sets about gathering a crew and getting to it.

The special effects were incredibly well done. Super slo-mo looks even better in HD. The hallway fight scene kicked ass. If only the ability to film zero-G like this existed in 1979...ALIEN would've had really cool airlock scene. Another scene I realy like is when Cobb is explaining things to his new recruit Ariadne (Ellen Page) how things work. Visually stunning.

Bonus Features...Extras

I watched Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious and Inception: The Cobol Job. Dreams was cool to watch and had the feel of something you'd see on The Discovery Channel. It had a ton of information about dreams and how they affect us, and how we affect them. The Cobol Job is part of the backstory leading up to the movie. Send in the Snap Tag on the front of the movie and you get the next part of the backstory.

For some reason I can't get my Blu-ray player to go online so I haven't watched the BD Live stuff yet.Since I didn't feel like sitting through the movie again just yet I have decided to watch the Extraction Mode at a later date. It sounds to me a lot like Maximum Movie Mode.

Yeah, there are things I've left out: the wife, the multiple layers of dreams; I don't want to give away too much. I absolutely recommend this movie. It won't necessarily keep you guessing, but it will keep you interested.

¹ The willingness to overlook the unbelievability of something. Kinda like when you're friend tells you the movie you're watching is stupid because trucks can't turn into robots. He's just unwilling to suspend his disbelief and enjoy the movie. He's actually kind of a jerk, isn't he?
² I just found ot it is...the link is below.

I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-12-07T16:51:00Z

The first Harry Potter movie to enter my home was a gift to my oldest son for his 4th or 5th birthday. He liked it quite a bit. So I decided to get them for him every time they came out on DVD. Shortly after that I found the first four books at a fund-raising book sale. I figured if I didn't read them my son would. (Kyler is actually on the fifth book now.)

Shortly after I made the switch to Blu-ray the Harry Potter films were added to my library. Luckily the movies are okay for adults to watch. Great sound and picture. And lots of extras. (You know I like extras.)

One thing I've appreciated about the books and movies so far is the way they paint the characters in an obscure light. Hagrid for instance. Did he open the Chamber of Secrets. Well in the beginning we really don't know. Moaning Myrtle was just as annoying either way. Is Lucius Malfoy a bad guy, or just an asshole? (His character seemed much slimier in the movie.) Even Dobby, the ill-fated house elf, was less annoying than I thought he'd be in the book.

And our new friend Gilderoy Lockhart. Pompous. Arrogant. You almost wish bad stuff on him. Okay, not almost. Funny that you can tell Dumbledore knows he's full of shit.

Lots of little things get left out of the movies. As always, of course. It allows the movie-makers a little more leeway to create more tension, or a shorter movie and stuff. Nick's Deathday Party, for example. The book also punctuates the passage of time a little differently. In the movie you can only tell by the weather. The book is constantly talking about tOne difference I appreciated was the car and spiders in the Dark Forest. In the book they find the car before they are forcibly taken to Aragog by Aragog's children. That being cut made their rescue a little more dramatic.

The extras on this disc were cool because most of them are about the characters from the point of the actors. The deleted scenes, while insightful, did seem like they didn't NEED to be in the movie.

A pretty good adaptation. Anybody out there read Clive Barker? Nightbreed was spot on as an adaptation of his book "Cabal." And a fun movie to boot.

It's all about the extras

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-12-06T06:40:00Z

I like extras on movies. I like to know what went on behind the scenes. I like to know the struggles and stuff that go on during the making of a movie. Commentaries? Bring 'em on. Deleted and alternate scenes? I'll take 'em. Interviews and discussions? Sounds good to me.

So when it came time to upgrade my collection to Blu-ray I tried (still trying, actually) to make sure that my collection can benefit from the upgrades. More extras versus the DVD's are always good. Sometimes I'll get something on Blu without the extras if I think the picture quality and sound are worth it. (More often than not it is.)

Usually the Blu-rays are "first time on Blu" of movies that were put out on DVD years ago. Blah DVD's (not movies) that get much better treatment on Blu.

Sometimes you get the exact same thing on the Blu-ray as you do on the DVD. So upgrading to Blu is easy and painless.

One thing that goes on with new releases is extra extras on the Blu-ray. The same as the DVD but with an extra commentary, or an extra featurette, or something.

Sometimes you get screwed. A great example of this is Armageddon. I have the Criterion collection on DVD, which contains the extended version of the movie. When I heard Armageddon was coming to Blu-ray I was happy. I love that movie. But the Blu-ray only contains the theatrical release. So I am forced to keep the DVD because it has the other, longer version.

Another good example (or bad example, ya know) is Terminator 2. This movie has seen (I believe) three incarnations on DVD, each with different extras. Then when it came out on Blu it was also released in a limited edition "Six-Disc Limited Edition Set + Endoskull Bust." Cool, I know. The problem was instead of putting all the previous extras on Blu, they just packaged the last 2 DVD releases with the Blu-ray. Cheesy.

Every now and then somebody nails it. They get it so right it almost makes me cry with happiness. Disney has figured it out. When they put out Blu-rays of movies that were out on DVD years ago, the Blu-rays contain the same extras plus a few more new to Blu. The absolute greatest example of extras on Blu-ray isn't by Disney, however. It is Fox's ALIEN Anthology.

The ALIEN Anthology not only contains the extras from the last DVD release (ALIEN Quadrilogy) but the release before that, too (ALIEN Legacy.) Oh yeah, I almost forgot...you're also getting all the goodies from the LaserDiscs. Yup, that's right: LaserDisc. (I used to own all the Lasers. Big ALIEN geek, you know.) All those extras, two versions of each film, commentaries, deleted scenes, and MU-TH-UR mode. MU-TH-UR mode is kinda like Warner's Maximum Movie Mode but with different "channels" to choose from.

Of course sometimes I just get movies 'cause I want them regardless. The extras are just, well, extra.

Clicking on the images below will take you to Amazon.com.

I recently finished reading Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone...

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-12-01T07:45:00Z

So while I await the release of The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest in paperback, my oldest son suggested I read the Harry Potter books.

Why not?

I figured I might actually be able to finish the last book by the time the last movie comes out. Plus this gives me a chance not only to get some more insight and backstory from the books, but also a reason to revisit the movies on Warner Blu .

Typically I like to read books before I see movies that way I get a better understanding of the characters and their motivations. I didn't do this with the Harry Potters 'cause, I'll be honest, I figured they were kids' books. (On a tangent: I had a former employer of mine pick up Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for me while they were in England.)

I don't think any book can be translated to film without making changes. It just can't happen. The differences between the book and the movie aren't too bad. The Dursley's are much bigger assholes in the book. There's a character named Peeves whom, thankfully, did not make it to the movie. We learn more about the Weasley's other children.

Some scenes were written differently for the movie. In most cases it makes sense. Some stuff in the book was just cut short. Much better translated to film as longer scenes. (Neville and his broom.) Even the final battle (and tasks leading up to it) was a bit different.

In the end I have to say the first movie was a faithful adaptation of the book.

Next time I write one of these I'll do it earlier than 11:30 pm so it seems a bit more coherent.

Click the picture to learn more (and maybe buy one...)

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore out today on Warner Blu

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-11-17T03:39:00Z

Just gotta pass on this information to all of you out there. (I personally thought the name Kitty Galore was hysterical!)

CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE is available in Blu-ray Combo Packs and 3D Blu-ray Combo Packs in stores today! To celebrate, WarnerBlu is running a giveaway on Twitter. http://twitter.com/warnerblu

WarnerBlu Twitter Post:
Submit your pet photos on Twitter for a chance to win a Cats & Dogs 2 Blu-ray! Tweet @warnerblu or post to our fb page: http://pub.vitrue.com/L3y

I should be on the Warner payroll!

I just finished watching Ocean's 11 on Warner Blu-ray...

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-11-16T07:47:00Z

The first thing I noticed about this movie is how great the transfer looked. The next thing I noticed is that it's a Christmas movie. Well, actually more of a holiday movie.

Basically the movie revolves around Danny Ocean and his desire to gather up some buds of his from the military and, on New Year's Eve, rob five casinos. The plan sounds good and so they set about to make it happen. I won't spoil things by telling you who gets away, who dies and who gets melted by acid but I will say I guessed the ending after about halfway through.

I'm a big lover of extra goodies on discs. I like learning about the making of movies. I'll go so far as to buy books on the making-of and things like that. That being said I was kinda disappointed by the commentary on the Blu-ray. Not that it's bad or uninformative, but it's not new. It's the same commentary from the DVD release. It shouldn't bug me too much I suppose. I think everyone in the movie is dead. (Well, you know what I mean.) And Sinatra Jr.'s commentary seems a bit dry. A bit too technical. Angie Dickinson's commentary is a bit more lively. There's even an easter Egg. (One that I found, anyway.)

It's funny to see how things have changed in the last 50 years. Everybody smoked, everybody dressed up, everybody had incredibly slick hair.

I had the most fun realizing how many people were in this movie that I recognized from elsewhere. Norman Fell is there. Dude, that's Mr. Roper. And Angie Dickinson was Police Woman. Henry Silva (in his first movie, I believe) was always a bad guy from the Buck Rogers TV show. And Cesar Romero. The Joker himself. Duke Santos.

Great name: Duke Santos.

Another surprise was the singing. Dean singing: check. Sammy singing: check. Frank singing: NOPE.

The movie works well for me because of the ensemble feel. Nobody seems to have the ego to be the standout. Screen time is shared equally among the actors. But I really like Cesar Romero.

Having watched this film it makes me want to do 2 things.
1. Read the book. (Yes, the film is based on a book.)
2. Watch Bugsy with Warren Beatty.

I'm not sure if this movie makes its way onto my list of "Watch Anytime" movies, but will be on my "Christmas Movies" list right there with Invasion USA, Lethal Weapon, and the first 2 Die Hards.

Here's what you get:

Commentary by Frank Sinatra Jr. and Angie Dickinson
Interactive Las Vegas Then and Now Map Casino Vignettes
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Excerpt Featuring Guest Host Frank Sinatra and Guest Angie Dickinson
The Movie Itself in Hi-Def, 2.40:1 Widescreen

Finally applying the blog...

Angry Bald Guy — 2010-11-15T05:39:00Z

To the five of you that read this I have news to share. I have finally decided what to do with this blog.
I'm gonna use it to do something with movies. Figured I spent the money on this web stuff, might as well do something I like with it. You know, reviews, differences in books and movies, new release DVD's and Blu-Rays, etc. And when I get a break in the action I'll just "review" movies I already own. It's actually surprising how many movies I own that I haven't watched yet.

I'm gonna put a special emphasis on Warner Blu-Rays. I'm part of the WarnerBlu Crew and I'm supposed to be spreading the word. Blog=perfect idea.