Jun 2012
Evita
24 June 2012 02:24 PM
Evita - 15th Anniversary Edition was released last week on blu-ray. Finally, I can retire the lackluster DVD release from 1998.
Evita is the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical that won multiple Tonys in 1980. It tells the story of Eva Peron (Madonna), who rose from poverty to become the first lady of Argentina, stepping over every obstacle with determination. Appointed the “Spiritual Leader of Argentina” she was equal part sinner and saint. The entire show is seen through the eyes of Che Guevara (Antonio Banderas), who plays a multitude of roles throughout the musical.
While light on the history, it makes an entertaining 135 minutes. The music is good, and the lyrics are intelligent. Madonna’s performance won her a Golden Globe (the movie also won a Golden Globe for Best Picture-Musical/Comedy.) A new song “You Must Love Me” won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
The 2.35x1 picture is wonderful, and puts the old non-anamorphic DVD to shame. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is powerful, and is quite crankable.
Extras include a making-of documentary, a music video, and a teaser trailer. The bulk of the supplements on the Criterion Laserdisc, including a commentary by director Alan Parker, are missing--it looks like I will have to keep the laserdisc.
But when I want to marvel at the picture and sound, I will pull out this blu-ray!
Hondo
22 June 2012 01:20 PM
I was surprised today when FedEx dropped off a review copy of John Wayne’s Hondo blu-ray. The Western genre is one that is not well represented in my library, so I will watch it with interest.
Hondo is a missed opportunity, being the only 3D John Wayne movie released during the Golden Age of 3D. Unfortunately, Paramount chose to release this in 2D, when a digital 3D restoration was already done a few years ago. I had already chosen to boycott the purchase of this title since it was not released in 3D. At least, I did not have to buy it.
Later…
I watched Hondo on the smaller HDTV with the lesser sound system. It’s the story of a half-breed calvary scout, Hondo Lane (John Wayne) who comes into the lives of a rancher, Angie Lowe, played by Geraldine Page, and her son Johnny. It is a time of unrest with the warring Apache tribes, who have ignored treaties and have been killing settlers. They try to make the story something beyond the White Man Good, Indians Bad stereotype by making the Indian leader a blood brother to the young boy, and by his offering male Indian companionship while Hondo and the woman’s husband are away.
I did not care much for the story. I was distracted by my iPad a lot. There was a long battle between the Indians and what was left of the settlers and calvary towards the end. It must have been something to see in 3D.
And it was very apparent that Hondo was supposed to be in 3D, with knives, spears, and guns projecting outwards. With the 3D restoration already having been done on Hondo, I can’t understand why Paramount did not make this the first of the Golden Era 3D movies to be released on blu-ray. Instead, Warner will have that honor with the upcoming 3D release of Dial M for Murder.
Picture quality was variable. Framed at 1.85x1 (or close to it) the picture had numerous shots that were soft and grainy, like duplicate stock was used. Other times, the film was clear as day and night.
Sound quality was fine. I listened to the default soundtrack through my SurroundBar.
Supplements include an introduction by Leonard Maltin, a commentary, a making-of documentary, a tour of the Wayne vault (from an 90’s episode of Entertainment Tonight), a trailer, and more.
The price is right on Amazon if you collect John Wayne movies. But I would personally hold out for the 3D version.
Hondo is a missed opportunity, being the only 3D John Wayne movie released during the Golden Age of 3D. Unfortunately, Paramount chose to release this in 2D, when a digital 3D restoration was already done a few years ago. I had already chosen to boycott the purchase of this title since it was not released in 3D. At least, I did not have to buy it.
Later…
I watched Hondo on the smaller HDTV with the lesser sound system. It’s the story of a half-breed calvary scout, Hondo Lane (John Wayne) who comes into the lives of a rancher, Angie Lowe, played by Geraldine Page, and her son Johnny. It is a time of unrest with the warring Apache tribes, who have ignored treaties and have been killing settlers. They try to make the story something beyond the White Man Good, Indians Bad stereotype by making the Indian leader a blood brother to the young boy, and by his offering male Indian companionship while Hondo and the woman’s husband are away.
I did not care much for the story. I was distracted by my iPad a lot. There was a long battle between the Indians and what was left of the settlers and calvary towards the end. It must have been something to see in 3D.
And it was very apparent that Hondo was supposed to be in 3D, with knives, spears, and guns projecting outwards. With the 3D restoration already having been done on Hondo, I can’t understand why Paramount did not make this the first of the Golden Era 3D movies to be released on blu-ray. Instead, Warner will have that honor with the upcoming 3D release of Dial M for Murder.
Picture quality was variable. Framed at 1.85x1 (or close to it) the picture had numerous shots that were soft and grainy, like duplicate stock was used. Other times, the film was clear as day and night.
Sound quality was fine. I listened to the default soundtrack through my SurroundBar.
Supplements include an introduction by Leonard Maltin, a commentary, a making-of documentary, a tour of the Wayne vault (from an 90’s episode of Entertainment Tonight), a trailer, and more.
The price is right on Amazon if you collect John Wayne movies. But I would personally hold out for the 3D version.
The Nest Learning Thermostat
16 June 2012 12:55 PM
I just installed the Nest Learning Thermostat in my downstairs. I have a unit for the upstairs, too.
This thermostat replaces my 12-year-old semi-programmable thermostat with all sorts of new and innovative features. It remembers my schedule as I set the thermostat, and programs itself. It automatically adjusts when I am away. It detects the humidity and turns off the AC, running only the fan, when conditions merit. It is controllable from my iPhone, iPad, and computer. The Nest.com website has more.
It was a snap to install. First, I watched the video from Lowes.com. Then I snapped off the cover to my old thermostat and checked the wiring to see if it matched what Nest said I could have. It did (there were four wires), and it was even color coded correctly.
Then I went to Lowes, where they had a display on an end-cap, made my purchase, and sped home. I turned off the power to the AC units. The fans ran for a while after that, so I waited until they stopped. I removed the Nest from its box (nicely packed) and read the instructions., a rehash of the installation video I had already seen. Then I removed the old thermostat, stripped and straightened the wires a bit, and installed the Nest back with the optional mounting kit that covered the screw holes in the wall. I snapped the Nest unit onto the back, powered on the AC, and it was done!
The Nest had a guided setup that was very easy to follow. It detected my WiFi network, allowed me to enter the password (by turning the dial, selecting letters/numbers, and pushing), asked for my zip code (so it could receive local weather reports), and allowed me to name the unit. I chose “Downstairs” since the other one will need to be named “Upstairs.” It asked if I was setting up the heater or the AC. Then it asked what the extremes of temperatures I would like it to set while I am away. I said 50 degrees for heat, and 84 degrees for AC. I may set it higher, or turn the AC off. It then set the temperature to 75 degrees, and started cooling. I turned the dial up to 78 degrees, and a green leaf appeared on the dial, indicating that I was saving energy.
All in all, the installation and setup took less than 30 minutes.
I then downloaded the Nest app on my iPhone (it automatically appeared on my iPad) and signed up for an account on the Nest website. I then had to activate that account on the Nest unit. When I went to see it, it was already asking if I wanted to associate my account with it. I clicked, indicating yes.
The Nest promises to save energy costs over the lifetime of use. With that in mind, I think the investment will pay for itself in 3-5 years.
This thermostat replaces my 12-year-old semi-programmable thermostat with all sorts of new and innovative features. It remembers my schedule as I set the thermostat, and programs itself. It automatically adjusts when I am away. It detects the humidity and turns off the AC, running only the fan, when conditions merit. It is controllable from my iPhone, iPad, and computer. The Nest.com website has more.
It was a snap to install. First, I watched the video from Lowes.com. Then I snapped off the cover to my old thermostat and checked the wiring to see if it matched what Nest said I could have. It did (there were four wires), and it was even color coded correctly.
Then I went to Lowes, where they had a display on an end-cap, made my purchase, and sped home. I turned off the power to the AC units. The fans ran for a while after that, so I waited until they stopped. I removed the Nest from its box (nicely packed) and read the instructions., a rehash of the installation video I had already seen. Then I removed the old thermostat, stripped and straightened the wires a bit, and installed the Nest back with the optional mounting kit that covered the screw holes in the wall. I snapped the Nest unit onto the back, powered on the AC, and it was done!
The Nest had a guided setup that was very easy to follow. It detected my WiFi network, allowed me to enter the password (by turning the dial, selecting letters/numbers, and pushing), asked for my zip code (so it could receive local weather reports), and allowed me to name the unit. I chose “Downstairs” since the other one will need to be named “Upstairs.” It asked if I was setting up the heater or the AC. Then it asked what the extremes of temperatures I would like it to set while I am away. I said 50 degrees for heat, and 84 degrees for AC. I may set it higher, or turn the AC off. It then set the temperature to 75 degrees, and started cooling. I turned the dial up to 78 degrees, and a green leaf appeared on the dial, indicating that I was saving energy.
All in all, the installation and setup took less than 30 minutes.
I then downloaded the Nest app on my iPhone (it automatically appeared on my iPad) and signed up for an account on the Nest website. I then had to activate that account on the Nest unit. When I went to see it, it was already asking if I wanted to associate my account with it. I clicked, indicating yes.
The Nest promises to save energy costs over the lifetime of use. With that in mind, I think the investment will pay for itself in 3-5 years.
The Sting
09 June 2012 06:52 PM
The Sting was released Tuesday on blu-ray/DVD/digital copy in a collector’s edition and a standard edition. The standard edition is currently $11.99 and the collector’s edition, with the same content and an additional digibook, is twice that. I got the standard edition, because I liked the cover art (similar to the original theatrical movie poster):
The Sting is the story of a small-time grifter in 1936 whose partner is killed after both unknowingly scam a courier for a numbers runner, a big New York boss. The grifter, Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) flees to Chicago, where he joins with has-been big-con expert Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman). The two work together to scam the New York boss, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw).
The con is on, with twists and turns that no good person can give away. If you have not seen The Sting, you are in for a treat. If you have seen The Sting, seeing it again is like visiting an old friend. The Sting is the first movie I ever saw twice as a child, once with my father, and the second time with both my mother and father. I’ve owned the laserdisc, two different DVD’s, and the HD-DVD.
The new transfer is a mixed bag. It looks fine on my 57-inch DLP set, but reports on Home Theater Forum complain about artificial softness present on large, projected displays. If your set is not too large, you won’t notice it.
Sound is DTS-HD MA 5.1. The original mono track is absent. Marvin Hamlish’s Scott Joplin ragtime music sounds great in 5.1. Dialogue is centered, as it should be.
Supplements were ported over from the 2005 DVD release in 4x3 480p, including a 3-part hour-long documentary called The Art of The Sting, and the post-Oscar theatrical trailer. New supplements in 16x9 1080p include 100 Years Of Universal: Restoring The Classics, 100 Years Of Universal: The ’70’s, and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot.
The DVD includes the movie and the 480p supplements. The digital copy can be redeemed with iTunes or Vudu, but not both.
The Sting is an all-time favorite movie. It’s a shame that Universal did not improve the picture quality, but for $12, I’ll live with it.
The Sting is the story of a small-time grifter in 1936 whose partner is killed after both unknowingly scam a courier for a numbers runner, a big New York boss. The grifter, Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) flees to Chicago, where he joins with has-been big-con expert Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman). The two work together to scam the New York boss, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw).
The con is on, with twists and turns that no good person can give away. If you have not seen The Sting, you are in for a treat. If you have seen The Sting, seeing it again is like visiting an old friend. The Sting is the first movie I ever saw twice as a child, once with my father, and the second time with both my mother and father. I’ve owned the laserdisc, two different DVD’s, and the HD-DVD.
The new transfer is a mixed bag. It looks fine on my 57-inch DLP set, but reports on Home Theater Forum complain about artificial softness present on large, projected displays. If your set is not too large, you won’t notice it.
Sound is DTS-HD MA 5.1. The original mono track is absent. Marvin Hamlish’s Scott Joplin ragtime music sounds great in 5.1. Dialogue is centered, as it should be.
Supplements were ported over from the 2005 DVD release in 4x3 480p, including a 3-part hour-long documentary called The Art of The Sting, and the post-Oscar theatrical trailer. New supplements in 16x9 1080p include 100 Years Of Universal: Restoring The Classics, 100 Years Of Universal: The ’70’s, and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot.
The DVD includes the movie and the 480p supplements. The digital copy can be redeemed with iTunes or Vudu, but not both.
The Sting is an all-time favorite movie. It’s a shame that Universal did not improve the picture quality, but for $12, I’ll live with it.
Peter Gabriel Secret World Live
03 June 2012 08:21 PM
Coming to blu-ray July 24 is the outstanding concert Peter Gabriel Secret World Live. I’ve seen PG twice in concert, once in 2003 during the Growing Up tour, then last year with orchestra during the New Blood tour. Secret World Live is a 1993 concert that had an incarnation on videotape and laserdisc, and an embarrassingly bad quality DVD.
The Amazon blurb says that the blu-ray has been newly restored and remastered from the original film. I hope so. (The Peter Gabriel website has more information about the restoration.)
Meanwhile, I have been watching Peter Gabriel New Blood Live in London in 3Dimensions. It’s a slightly different setlist than the show I saw last year, but it is still quite good and the 3D effects are great.
The Amazon blurb says that the blu-ray has been newly restored and remastered from the original film. I hope so. (The Peter Gabriel website has more information about the restoration.)
Meanwhile, I have been watching Peter Gabriel New Blood Live in London in 3Dimensions. It’s a slightly different setlist than the show I saw last year, but it is still quite good and the 3D effects are great.