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- Review count69
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- First reviewApril 19, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 11, 2014
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- Average rating4.5
- Review comment count4
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- First review commentSeptember 14, 2012
- Last review commentMay 28, 2014
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![Enter the Dragon [40th Anniversary] [Blu-ray] [1973]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1738/1738509_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
3
What you really want to know about this Blu-ray
on May 26, 2014
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
If you have been reading the hype from such sites as blu-ray.com then you are probably ready to buy this Ultimate Collectors Edition just because they have heralded this version as the definitive copy of Bruce Lee's greatest triumph. Let me caution you, never trust a site that pimps for major online distributors (amazon). One thing I really enjoy about Best Buy's review system is they want you to give honest opinions to their customers.
Video - A very soft focus that reveal very little definition. At the price being ask the image quality is almost laughable considering WB is asking triple the money for this Ultimate Edition. Yes colors are excellent and there is a fine layer of grain but as far as HD is concerned this is just an average flat quality image.
Audio - Excellent, robust and definitely the best thing this package has to offer this 5.1 track will please the most discerning cinephiliac the overall mix is geared towards your front speakers but never the less is an excellent upgrade from past releases.
Extra's - Trinkets to justify the exorbitant price cannot change the fact that the image offered fall way below HD standards.
Don't think for a moment I am not a fan of Bruce because I am not giving this release my blessing I just feel obligated to tell you to hold onto your money until this release hits the $9.99 bin without the silly extra's that do not justify an average release at premium prices.
I only wish WB had shown the greatest martial artist some respect and spent a million on a 4 or 8k restoration which I am sure they would have made money on the additional sales generated by such a move unfortunately they did not and what we have is a half arsed attempt at high definition.
I only wish WB had shown the greatest martial artist some respect and spent a million on a 4 or 8k restoration which I am sure they would have made money on the additional sales generated by such a move unfortunately they did not and what we have is a half arsed attempt at high definition.
I cannot recommend this Bluray at this price hold onto your cash and wait for the bargain bin before you buy.
What's great about it: Sound quality is really good
What's not so great: Soft Image
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster [Blu-ray] [1966]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2479/24795583_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Kraken Releasing Schools the Rest!
on May 17, 2014
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
A thing of beauty this film is.. you will be floored by Krakens remastering of this mid-sixties Godzilla film.
Everything about this new release of "Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster" screams "Buy Me!" from the near perfect video restoration to the HD DTS Japanese & English soundtracks, I must admit to being skeptical concerning any Godzilla release since it seemed that the Japanese were holding back on the best Toho prints of these beloved films. The very best Godzilla blu-rays were always Japanese releases with no English subtitles that was until a new sub-company popped up called "Kraken Releasing" it is appearant they have obtained the very best Japanese prints in existence for their new blu-ray presentation of this film.
Everything about this new release of "Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster" screams "Buy Me!" from the near perfect video restoration to the HD DTS Japanese & English soundtracks, I must admit to being skeptical concerning any Godzilla release since it seemed that the Japanese were holding back on the best Toho prints of these beloved films. The very best Godzilla blu-rays were always Japanese releases with no English subtitles that was until a new sub-company popped up called "Kraken Releasing" it is appearant they have obtained the very best Japanese prints in existence for their new blu-ray presentation of this film.
Video - (5 out of 5 stars) Best quality I have ever seen on any Godzilla release that goes back to VHS, Laserdisc & DVD, I am old enough to have seen many Godzilla films on the big screen since most were released in the States years after the Japanese intial releases. I can tell you from experience that it will not get any better than this video quality it is something you have not seen on past DVD releases. Colors are bright and deep. Blacks are crisp and do no bleed out or turn gray due to instability in the encoding since this is a single blu-ray release the bit rate is very high and this film has a rock solid color palette. Clarity is just off the charts yet some of the FX shots will show some cheesiness due to the super HD quality. You will laugh at some of the blue screen FX since at times you can see the edge outlines but this was some ground breaking effects back in the day and you will notice the matte shots stand out and do not blend well with the rest of the scene but I can forgive since the color, clarity & depth is a thing to behold.
Audio (5 out of 5 stars) The first thing you will notice that is if you have a subwoofer will be the deep bass dynamics encoded into this DTS-HD 5.1 mono soundtrack which comes in both Japanese & English flavors. The tonal quality is something you have never experienced from your past 60's Godzilla purchases they have gone all out to squeeze every frequency & tone out of these old mono tracks it is sheer pleasure to hear something this old, this clear!
Extra's (1 out of 5 stars) only a trailer is offered up in the supplemental department. I am not to upset since my personal preference is that they use the Blu-ray disc space for the video & audio quality. I am fine with just a trailer others might not agree with me.
I highly recommend Kraken's " Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster" it is almost a near perfect release of a very cool film.
What's great about it: Video - Audio Options & HD Dual Tracks - Presentation - Price
What's not so great: Movie Trailer the only extra
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Godzilla vs. Gigan [Blu-ray] [1972]
(12)
Godzilla vs. Hedorah [Blu-ray] [1971]
(9)
(click to see the video)
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![Gamera: 4-Movie Collection, Vol. 1 [Blu-ray]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6140/6140296_sa.jpg)
This collection of four movies featuring the monster Gamera includes Gamera: The Giant Monster, Gamera vs. Barugon, Gamera vs. Gyaos, and Gamera vs. Viras.
Customer Rating
4
Mill Creeks Gamera Volume 1
on May 17, 2014
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
This review will compare the new Mill Creek Gamera Blu-ray collection against the 4 year old Shout Factory DVD collection.
EQUIPMENT USED FOR COMPARISON
Samsung BD-E5900 vs. Oppo 981HD up-conversion player.
Samsung BD-E5900 vs. Oppo 981HD up-conversion player.
PQ - Millcreeks Blu-ray is considerably clearer and brighter than the Shout Factory DVD's regardless of the fact that Mill Creek crammed 4 films onto 1 Blu-ray it still comes out on top. Colors are deeper and subtitles are crisp and clear.
I ran DVD vs. Blu-ray side by side and it was very clear to me that Mill Creeks Gamera collection is far superior to that of Shout Factory visually speaking of course.
*** winner Mill Creek ***
I ran DVD vs. Blu-ray side by side and it was very clear to me that Mill Creeks Gamera collection is far superior to that of Shout Factory visually speaking of course.
*** winner Mill Creek ***
AQ - Shout Factory released all the English dubs that were used in the American versions and could be toggled back & forth between dubs while also offering a very clear mono Japanese soundtrack. Mill Creeks decision to only offer the original Japanese soundtrack without the English dubs falls back on their decision to cram 4 films onto 1 disc which is a shame. Japanese with English subtitles are the only option on Mill Creeks Gamera collection yet the mono track is very clear which is no surprise since the stock used in Mill Creeks release are the very same ones used in Shout Factories Gamera collection. Shout factory came out on top due to the english dubs offered.
*** winner Shout Factory ***
*** winner Shout Factory ***
Extra's - very sparse on both releases only offering up film trailers.
*** no winner ***
*** no winner ***
If it were not for the fact that Mill Creeks Gamera collection was priced so cheaply I would recommend those of you that have the Shout Factory set to skip it altogether since I hate the double-dip.... Yet the picture quality is such a large step up on the Mill Creek set that I must recommend this product to those of you that already have a set of Gamera DVD's these Blu-rays trump them in video clarity, color & contrast. I will still keep my Shout Factory set since watching those English dubs bring back warm & fuzzy creature feature memories from my childhood.
Mill Creek Gamera Volume 1 is thereby recommended!
What's great about it: PQ Outstanding - Original Japanese Mono Soundtrack
What's not so great: 4 films 1 Blu-ray disc.. Extra's sparse. No English Dubs..
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
GAMERA: ULTIMATE COLLECTION 2
(2)
GAMERA: TRILOGY (2 DISC)
(3)
(click to see the video)
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Customer Rating
4
Mill Creeks Gamera Volume 2
on May 17, 2014
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
This review will compare the new Mill Creek Gamera Blu-ray collection against the 4 year old Shout Factory DVD collection.
EQUIPMENT USED FOR COMPARISON
Samsung BD-E5900 vs. Oppo 981HD up-conversion player.
Samsung BD-E5900 vs. Oppo 981HD up-conversion player.
PQ - Millcreeks Blu-ray is considerably clearer and brighter than the Shout Factory DVD's regardless of the fact that Mill Creek crammed 4 films onto 1 Blu-ray it still comes out on top. Colors are deeper and subtitles are crisp and clear.
I ran DVD vs. Blu-ray side by side and it was very clear to me that Mill Creeks Gamera collection is far superior to that of Shout Factory visually speaking of course.
*** winner Mill Creek ***
I ran DVD vs. Blu-ray side by side and it was very clear to me that Mill Creeks Gamera collection is far superior to that of Shout Factory visually speaking of course.
*** winner Mill Creek ***
AQ - Shout Factory released all the English dubs that were used in the American versions and could be toggled back & forth between dubs while also offering a very clear mono Japanese soundtrack. Mill Creeks decision to only offer the original Japanese soundtrack without the English dubs falls back on their decision to cram 4 films onto 1 disc which is a shame. Japanese with English subtitles are the only option on Mill Creeks Gamera collection yet the mono track is very clear which is no surprise since the stock used in Mill Creeks release are the very same ones used in Shout Factories Gamera collection. Shout factory came out on top due to the english dubs offered.
*** winner Shout Factory ***
*** winner Shout Factory ***
Extra's - very sparse on both releases only offering up film trailers.
*** no winner ***
*** no winner ***
If it were not for the fact that Mill Creeks Gamera collection was priced so cheaply I would recommend those of you that have the Shout Factory set to skip it altogether since I hate the double-dip.... Yet the picture quality is such a large step up on the Mill Creek set that I must recommend this product to those of you that already have a set of Gamera DVD's these Blu-rays trump them in video clarity, color & contrast. I will still keep my Shout Factory set since watching those English dubs bring back warm & fuzzy creature feature memories from my childhood.
Mill Creek Gamera Volume 2 is thereby recommended!
What's great about it: PQ Outstanding - Original Japanese Mono Soundtrack
What's not so great: 4 films 1 Blu-ray disc.. Extra's sparse. No English Dubs..
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Gamera: 4-Movie Collection, Vol. 1 [Blu-ray]
(25)
GAMERA: TRILOGY (2 DISC)
(3)
(click to see the video)
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![The Hurt Locker [Blu-ray] [2008]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9657/9657803_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
No Glory In War!
on March 18, 2013
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
This not your standard by the numbers war film, Hurt Locker is a very disturbing look into the Iraqi war involving engineers from a demolitions group that face death on a day to day basis. These Unsung hero's of a senseless war expose themselves to IED's in war torn cities of Iraq. Jeremy Renner is just such one of the newly arrived demolitions engineers to his unit in Iraq and immediately alarms his fellow soldiers with his haphazard style of disarming hidden caches of explosives designed to kill American soldiers.
It is obvious that Sergeant First Class William James (Renner) has emotional as well as mental issues causing him to act out in irrational ways in dealing with his fear of death almost like he is tempting fate, purposely exposing himself to danger just to spite the enemy while also getting a rise out of his unit.
This film was nominated for 9 academy awards, taking 6 of those 9 for good reason. To my recollection this really is the first serious film dealing with the Iraq war in a fashion that shows all that this fable called glory in conjunction with war is nothing more than fallacy.
I recommend this film for all the very young due to gore, language & depictions of violence.
It is obvious that Sergeant First Class William James (Renner) has emotional as well as mental issues causing him to act out in irrational ways in dealing with his fear of death almost like he is tempting fate, purposely exposing himself to danger just to spite the enemy while also getting a rise out of his unit.
This film was nominated for 9 academy awards, taking 6 of those 9 for good reason. To my recollection this really is the first serious film dealing with the Iraq war in a fashion that shows all that this fable called glory in conjunction with war is nothing more than fallacy.
I recommend this film for all the very young due to gore, language & depictions of violence.
Video - Excellent 10/10 absolutely demo material. Blacks solid, colors accurate. No filtering.
Audio - Excellent 10/10 panning, discrete sounds, no surging, crystal clear dialog. Bass is deep this is what HD Sound should sound like!
Supplements - Are a bit light but adequate for me.
Audio Commentary with Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal
The Hurt Locker: Behind the Scenes (HD, 12:30)
Image Gallery (HD, 23:30)
Audio Commentary with Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal
The Hurt Locker: Behind the Scenes (HD, 12:30)
Image Gallery (HD, 23:30)
If you haven't seen a great war film since Blackhawk Down then buy this Bluray you will not be disappointed!
What's great about it: Great Action/Acting/HD Video/HD Audio is top notch!
What's not so great: Light on Supplements.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Re-Animator [Blu-ray] [1985]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6875/6875846_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
H.P Lovecrafts Campy Horror Classic!
on February 10, 2013
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
I would call this film a modern take on the Frankenstein films. Re-Animating the dead with less than successful results, namely the resurrection of corpses that come back with very evil intentions. I don't want to give up too much of the storyline but I will say this film, tho sharing the same premise as some older horror film classics it is quite unique in its own way. It's almost borderline a zombie film where re-animation comes at a price as re-animated subjects attempt to consume living humans without the contamination factor that most zombie films present by transfer of fluids. I must warn all that this film is quite graphic by nature, it not only has loads of gore, blood, dismemberment's and viscous attacks by the re-animated but also has graphic nudity intended for adults.
The storyline is engineered intelligently with acting by competent actors raising the bar compared to similar films of the same genre it is quite compelling & will entertain those fans of horror who do not mind an over-the-top gory experience.
The storyline is engineered intelligently with acting by competent actors raising the bar compared to similar films of the same genre it is quite compelling & will entertain those fans of horror who do not mind an over-the-top gory experience.
Video - Codec: VC-1 (29.97 Mbps) I liked what I saw visually here with a beautiful render of a film that has never really been eye popping in past releases. Granted the director used soft focus but one will see improved facial features revealing detail while showing no signs of DNR smearing. The only thing that disappointed me was Image Entertainments choice in ratio's using Aspect ratio 1.78:1
instead of the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 cropping is never a good thing even if it appears 16:9 I would have rather had black bars with all digital information intact. Colors are beautiful, reds, greens & blacks are deep and gorgeous.
instead of the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 cropping is never a good thing even if it appears 16:9 I would have rather had black bars with all digital information intact. Colors are beautiful, reds, greens & blacks are deep and gorgeous.
Audio - DTS-HD MA 5.1 sounded decent but not immersive since its original mono soundtrack can only go so far in the world of HD sound. Even so this HD sound track is healthy you will especially notice the beautiful Richard Band music score in all its Psychotic greatness!
Sups - A good supply of supplements have been included on this 50 GB Blu-Ray disc as follows:
1. "Re-Animator Resurrectus" (68:38): This documentary is all you could ask for from a Re-Animator making-of. All of the key participants are interviewed, and perhaps because the film was independently produced, they are sometimes surprisingly frank about the challenges of the production.
2. Interview with Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna (48:47): An informal and fond conversation between the director and producer of Re-Animator.
3. Interview with Writer Dennis Paoli (10:40): The film's scribe speaks intelligently about Lovecraft and the origins of the movie.
4. Interview with Composer Richard Band (14:42): The first of two pieces with Band, this one focuses more on the film's production and post-production.
5. Music Discussion with Composer Richard Band (16:28): This second piece with Band covers the film's music itself, dissecting some key cues in dramatic and musical terms.
6. Interview with Fangoria Editor Tony Timpone (4:34): Timpone, an early advocate of Re-Animator, recalls seeing it in 1985 and writing about it in Fangoria.
7. Deleted and Extended Scenes (26:06): Some interesting stuff here, including some footage that would indicate the story had once gone in a very different direction.
8. Trailers and TV Spots
1. "Re-Animator Resurrectus" (68:38): This documentary is all you could ask for from a Re-Animator making-of. All of the key participants are interviewed, and perhaps because the film was independently produced, they are sometimes surprisingly frank about the challenges of the production.
2. Interview with Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna (48:47): An informal and fond conversation between the director and producer of Re-Animator.
3. Interview with Writer Dennis Paoli (10:40): The film's scribe speaks intelligently about Lovecraft and the origins of the movie.
4. Interview with Composer Richard Band (14:42): The first of two pieces with Band, this one focuses more on the film's production and post-production.
5. Music Discussion with Composer Richard Band (16:28): This second piece with Band covers the film's music itself, dissecting some key cues in dramatic and musical terms.
6. Interview with Fangoria Editor Tony Timpone (4:34): Timpone, an early advocate of Re-Animator, recalls seeing it in 1985 and writing about it in Fangoria.
7. Deleted and Extended Scenes (26:06): Some interesting stuff here, including some footage that would indicate the story had once gone in a very different direction.
8. Trailers and TV Spots
Again you will not want to sit down with your family and watch this film it is very gross with explicit female nudity. But for the hardcore Adult Horror fan that has never had the pleasure, they will surely watch this slick Lovecraft horror gem, again & again! - Highly Recommended.
What's great about it: Excessive Gore, Humor, Acting
What's not so great: Warning: Not For Children or the Very Squeamish!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
The Return of the Living Dead [Blu-ray] [1985]
(251)
The Evil Dead [Blu-ray] [1981]
(245)
Evil Dead 2 [25th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray] [1987]
(87)
(click to see the video)
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![Monty Python and the Holy Grail [35th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray] [UltraViolet] [1975]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4816/4816189_sa.jpg)
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
What can one say about this film, it is so weird and off the cuff crazy it might be the most difficult review I have ever had to do. Monty Python, a British troupe of Comedians from the 60's into the 70's employed British humor so dry it brought a tear to my eye with this being some of the funniest off the wall Brit wit you will ever see as Python takes you on a Quest for the Holy Grail!
This films greatness is only magnified by the superb acting and comical timing of Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese & Michael Palin. This team went on to create one of the most epic Britcom shows (Monty Python's Flying Circus) ever produced by the BBC. In this film you will witness classic scene's based loosely (and i do mean that) on the life & times of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
If you are a fan of British humor & have never witnessed the spectacle of " Monty Pythons Holy Grail" then you owe it to yourself to buy this Blu-ray and dive into its lunacy with no reservations, you will become a knight that says " Ni ! " or you can boil my bottom!
This films greatness is only magnified by the superb acting and comical timing of Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese & Michael Palin. This team went on to create one of the most epic Britcom shows (Monty Python's Flying Circus) ever produced by the BBC. In this film you will witness classic scene's based loosely (and i do mean that) on the life & times of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
If you are a fan of British humor & have never witnessed the spectacle of " Monty Pythons Holy Grail" then you owe it to yourself to buy this Blu-ray and dive into its lunacy with no reservations, you will become a knight that says " Ni ! " or you can boil my bottom!
Video - Looks superb, never better! Colors burst, clarity is startlingly accurate. Blacks are rich & deep without the use of filtering or enhancements this is a pure film, clean without meddling you will really treasure this copy of this film classic! What really stood out in my mind were the reflections and colors of the metals from King Arthur's crown to the Black Knights dark Armour just looked fantastic.
Oh & the shrubberies looked very shrubbery!
Oh & the shrubberies looked very shrubbery!
Audio - DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack extracts as much dynamic frequencies it possibly could but don't expect it to sound like today's standard HD this is a mono extract so don't expect miracles but it does sound better than I have ever sampled it. What does stand out was the bass tonal qualities from the boot stomping dance in the halls of Camelot to the thundering's of God above you will notice much more bass response this time around.
SUPPLEMENTS -
Scintillating Audio Commentary — Directors Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam host a terrific commentary for anyone interested in the film's production. My favorite anecdote is probably about how they accidentally dyed the living killer bunny permanently red.
Scintillating Audio Commentary — Directors Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam host a terrific commentary for anyone interested in the film's production. My favorite anecdote is probably about how they accidentally dyed the living killer bunny permanently red.
Even More Revealing Audio Commentary — John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin are on this one. It's fascinating to hear Cleese talk about the co-directors' differing styles of direction. Apparently, Gilliam was more focused on the technical aspect rather than the comedy.
Quest of the Holy Grail Locations (SD, 47 mins) — Terry Jones and Michael Palin buy a copy of their own script to tour around Scotland "England 932 AD".
Lego Knights: (SD, 2 mins) — The Knights of the Round Table sequence, recreated in LEGO form. Sweet.
Special Japanese Version (SD, 9 mins) — Two scenes dubbed into Japanese, which re-translated English Subtitles.
How To Use Your Coconuts (An Educational Film) (SD, 3 mins) — A silly instructional piece about how to get the most horse out of your coconuts.
BBC Film Night on Location (SD, 17 mins) — A 1974 episode where the BBC chronicles intercuts interviews with on set footage.
Three Songs to Sing-Along (SD, 5 mins) — Now you'll know all the words to Knights of the Round Table, Sir Robin, and the Monks' Chant.
Cast Directory Photo Gallery (HD) — This is a pretty awesome feature where you can see the small Python troop in the vast number of characters they each play.
US 2001 Re-Release Trailer (HD, 3 mins).
The Knights of Ni Highly Recommend this film so do yourself a favor and " Run Away!" hurry buy this Blu-Ray!
What's great about it: Knights who say Ni! - English pig dogs- Cocunut Horses!
What's not so great: The French stole the Holy Grail! The violence inherent in the system!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Life of Brian [Blu-ray] [1979]
(310)
Monty Python: In the Beginning [With Book] [DVD]
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life [Special Edition] [2 Discs] [DVD] [1983]
(click to see the video)
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![The Bridge on the River Kwai [Blu-ray] [1957]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2769/2769773_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Bridge On The River Kwai Remastered
on January 16, 2013
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
This is a great, great film. Very realistic War film dealing with the building of the railroad between Burma & China. The Japanese Imperial Armies treatment of prisoners was quite brutal with many a allied soldier dying along the way. The Japanese expected the project to take 5 years to complete but that was before they realized they had a free labor source, with the use of POW's the rail line was laid in 16 months.
Starvation, overloading of work, dismal or absent accommodation and sanitation, and the individual viciousness of Japanese and Korean engineers and guards, took their expected toll. Disease (predominantly dysentery, malaria, beriberi and cholera), brutality (69 men were beaten to death by their guards) and 12 to 18 hour daily work shifts made for a high death rate. In fact, the work went on 24 hours a day with the aid of oil pot lamps and bamboo/wood fires that were kept burning all night long. When looking down on the work area at night it looked like working in the “jaws of hell” - thus the workers gave it the name “Hellfire Pass”. While this film focuses on the building of one bridge on their route to China it still shows realism of the brutality in a realistic manner.
This is a film all young people should watch to show them that there is no Glory in war only hardship and death.
Starvation, overloading of work, dismal or absent accommodation and sanitation, and the individual viciousness of Japanese and Korean engineers and guards, took their expected toll. Disease (predominantly dysentery, malaria, beriberi and cholera), brutality (69 men were beaten to death by their guards) and 12 to 18 hour daily work shifts made for a high death rate. In fact, the work went on 24 hours a day with the aid of oil pot lamps and bamboo/wood fires that were kept burning all night long. When looking down on the work area at night it looked like working in the “jaws of hell” - thus the workers gave it the name “Hellfire Pass”. While this film focuses on the building of one bridge on their route to China it still shows realism of the brutality in a realistic manner.
This is a film all young people should watch to show them that there is no Glory in war only hardship and death.
Video - This is a completely remastered image that has not been cropped as in past releases. The edges have been reincorporated giving this Blu-Ray that extra wide ratio. The Colors are neutral as one would expect a jungle to appear. Flesh tones are healthy and look natural. This is the clearest copy I have ever had the pleasure to watch, blowing the DVD out of the water!
Audio - A DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) is very front heavy with little going on in the rear fields, still, this soundtrack is very robust and sounds excellent. I had no problems hearing dialog and could not hear hiss, pops or abnormal inconsistencies in this soundtrack. Not bad considering the source was in mono.
Extra's - This Blu-Ray package does not contain the extra's disc that the " Collectors Edition" did so you get a few extra's but not all the trimmings. Heres a list of what you will find on this single disc set.
1.Making of the Bridge On The River Kwai
2.The Steve Allen Show (with Alec Guinness & William Holden)
3.The Bridge narration featuring William Holden
4.Rise And Fall Of A Jungle Giant
5.USC Short Film featuring William Holden
6.An Appreciation by filmmaker John Milius
7.Photo Gallery
8.Bridge Trailers
9.Previews
10.Crossing The Bridge: Picture-In-Graphics track
11.BD-Live Capable.
1.Making of the Bridge On The River Kwai
2.The Steve Allen Show (with Alec Guinness & William Holden)
3.The Bridge narration featuring William Holden
4.Rise And Fall Of A Jungle Giant
5.USC Short Film featuring William Holden
6.An Appreciation by filmmaker John Milius
7.Photo Gallery
8.Bridge Trailers
9.Previews
10.Crossing The Bridge: Picture-In-Graphics track
11.BD-Live Capable.
With a great starring cast, impeccable image quality, sound with great clarity and a decent amount of extra's I definitely recommend this Blu-Ray package!
What's great about it: Acting - Cinematography - Image - Sound
What's not so great: No Extra's Disc
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
This is the best Evil Dead has ever looked. The image is bright, clean full of detail and has a film like texture. Anchor bay cleaned up the film source without relying on DNR.
The audio is a TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack and it sounds very clean and strong.
This is the version to buy if you do not care about the special features disc found on the special edition Blu-Ray set.
The audio is a TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack and it sounds very clean and strong.
This is the version to buy if you do not care about the special features disc found on the special edition Blu-Ray set.
What's great about it: Best Image Ever, 5.1 HD Soundtrack, 1.37:1 or 1.85:1 versions
What's not so great: No special features bonus DVD
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Jeepers Creepers [Blu-ray] [2001]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6775/6775674_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Old-School Horror Thrills!
on September 30, 2012
Posted by: reconredneck
from Atlanta
Victor Salva must have frequent nightmares to create such an evil character such as " the Creeper," I mean talk about an iconic nemesis that stalks humans once every 23rd spring comes to life and consumes human body parts that it needs or likes. It had been quite a long time since a truly original horror concept came to fruition with production companies churning out sequel after sequel of Friday the 13th & Freddy Krueger movies then out of the darkness comes " Jeeper's Creeper's" an original American horror classic! Talk about a breath of fresh air, this film delivers the thrills & chills in the style of Old-School classics from the 70's & 80's with a competent back-story that makes the viewer have empathy for the lead characters before diving into the action. No spoilers here, this is a film with a heart & it clearly knows where it is going & what it is... from the word go!
VIDEO (MPEG-4 AVC Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1 50GB Blu-ray Disc)
I was disappointing by the Blu-Ray image presented here with my Standard DVD via Oppo Upconversion player almost matching the Jeepers Creepers Blu-ray version. The HD image is soft with blacks looking less than rich, at times looking gray/black, definitely some crushing going on in darker scenes. Colors have little pop, then again this is a Horror film that is supposed to look grungy but I feel poor filming to be more the culprit than the former.
I was disappointing by the Blu-Ray image presented here with my Standard DVD via Oppo Upconversion player almost matching the Jeepers Creepers Blu-ray version. The HD image is soft with blacks looking less than rich, at times looking gray/black, definitely some crushing going on in darker scenes. Colors have little pop, then again this is a Horror film that is supposed to look grungy but I feel poor filming to be more the culprit than the former.
AUDIO (English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
The highpoint of this Blu-ray presentation has to be the audio, with discrete sounds in the rear fields and the creepy musical score thundering the plot along. I found myself jumping a few times due to the cross fading & rear ambient sounds sneaking up from behind. This soundtrack is not perfect but it still scores high with clarity at high volumes with little in the way of hiss. A very competent 5.1 soundtrack that will send shivers down your spine!
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
The highpoint of this Blu-ray presentation has to be the audio, with discrete sounds in the rear fields and the creepy musical score thundering the plot along. I found myself jumping a few times due to the cross fading & rear ambient sounds sneaking up from behind. This soundtrack is not perfect but it still scores high with clarity at high volumes with little in the way of hiss. A very competent 5.1 soundtrack that will send shivers down your spine!
Extra's
Audio commentary by Victor Salva
Behind the Peepers - The making of Jeepers Creepers
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Photo Gallery
Trailer
Audio commentary by Victor Salva
Behind the Peepers - The making of Jeepers Creepers
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Photo Gallery
Trailer
FINAL THOUGHTS
My recommendation is as follows: If you have the DVD with a decent Up-Conversion player hold off, wait for a remastered version. If not go ahead and buy this Blu-ray, its a minor bump up in Video quality but the audio is where this disc shines!
My recommendation is as follows: If you have the DVD with a decent Up-Conversion player hold off, wait for a remastered version. If not go ahead and buy this Blu-ray, its a minor bump up in Video quality but the audio is where this disc shines!
P.S. forget IMDB's 5.9 score that site has become a joke, this film should be rocking a 7.5 minimum but you can't tell that to the Michael Bay, FX mind numbed robots!
What's great about it: Suspenseful Storyline, Iconic Nemesis, Musical Score = Creepy!
What's not so great: Soft Average Blu-Ray Image. No DVD
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
A Nightmare on Elm Street [With Movie Money] [Blu-ray] [1984]
(108)
Friday the 13th Uncut [Blu-ray] [1980]
(6)
HELLRAISER
(click to see the video)
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reconredneck's Review Comments
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Friday The 13th Uncut "?"
By reconredneck
from Atlanta
Movie ****4 Star
No!.. " Friday The 13th " is not where the slasher Genre started, if you want to get technical " Psycho " could be considered the seed that got the slasher genre growing, some older folks can probably come up with an even older slasher film. " Halloween " which preceded FT13th most likely carries the most influence & most fans will tell you this was the one that really shaped the future of slasher films.
No!.. " Friday The 13th " is not where the slasher Genre started, if you want to get technical " Psycho " could be considered the seed that got the slasher genre growing, some older folks can probably come up with an even older slasher film. " Halloween " which preceded FT13th most likely carries the most influence & most fans will tell you this was the one that really shaped the future of slasher films.
Even on Disc 2 Side 2 of this 2 disc set the FT13th crew plainly states that the film was created to capitalize on the momentum that " Halloween " created, in other words, to cash in on the horror slasher film with a clone styled in the manner of "Halloween!" Is that to say " Friday The 13th " is just a cheap rip off...Heck No! It does things very well & in some cases actually set the ground rules for films such as " Scream. "
" Friday The 13th " was a very well made film with a capable crew with a very respected special effects department that had most of their work censored before this film was ever distributed by over-zealous ratings board. But I am here to tell you this film is fun to watch just to see the slasher genre before the genre was realized.
" Friday The 13th " was a very well made film with a capable crew with a very respected special effects department that had most of their work censored before this film was ever distributed by over-zealous ratings board. But I am here to tell you this film is fun to watch just to see the slasher genre before the genre was realized.
UNCUT? *1 Star
They put back in 1 throat slashing scene & decide to deceptively call this edition uncut? haha.. nice one! hence a ****star rating. Maybe some day they will decide to go and find footage that was censored & never seen by the general public, then and only then will it truly be uncut!
They put back in 1 throat slashing scene & decide to deceptively call this edition uncut? haha.. nice one! hence a ****star rating. Maybe some day they will decide to go and find footage that was censored & never seen by the general public, then and only then will it truly be uncut!
VIDEO *****5 Star
Excellent rendering! I mean this will blow die-hard fans out of the water, excellent! Beautiful colors that pop.. Depth in the backgrounds that up until this release were fuzzy backdrops, this new master squeezed every drop of detail now showing viewers depth of field never seen in past offerings. Darker scenes are now viewable. I can remember Vhs & Dvd versions being so dark & over-contrasted it was just about futile trying to watch night time segments.
Excellent rendering! I mean this will blow die-hard fans out of the water, excellent! Beautiful colors that pop.. Depth in the backgrounds that up until this release were fuzzy backdrops, this new master squeezed every drop of detail now showing viewers depth of field never seen in past offerings. Darker scenes are now viewable. I can remember Vhs & Dvd versions being so dark & over-contrasted it was just about futile trying to watch night time segments.
AUDIO ***** 5 Star
This remastered soundtrack is very capable & sounds great.. Now don't think this is going to become a demo disc since the mono origins of the soundtrack are not expansive or deep, but what has been done here is a great example of how much clarity can be obtained from these older mono sound tracks then mixing them together with higher quality music tracks into surround gives it new life without the pops & hiss of older releases. Trust me a lot of care was taken on this Blu-Ray!
This remastered soundtrack is very capable & sounds great.. Now don't think this is going to become a demo disc since the mono origins of the soundtrack are not expansive or deep, but what has been done here is a great example of how much clarity can be obtained from these older mono sound tracks then mixing them together with higher quality music tracks into surround gives it new life without the pops & hiss of older releases. Trust me a lot of care was taken on this Blu-Ray!
EXTRA'S ****4 Star
Audio Commentary - Recorded for a 2004 International DVD release of the film (via Warner Home Video), this spliced-together track features director Sean Cunningham, editor Bill Freida, composer Harry Manfredini and stars Adrienne King and Betsy Palmer, and is hosted by "Crystal Lake Memories" author Peter M. Bracke. Since said author is me, I can't be objective about this commentary other than to say it is the best commentary ever. Though the editing is sometimes choppy (hey, I didn't do it), the track is quite packed with stories and background on the late '70s film scene that spawned 'Friday the 13th,' while the wealth of participants also staves off boredom. Plus, the host has a really sexy, deep voice. Again, greatest commentary ever!
Featurette: "Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th" (HD, 14 minutes) - The first of four new featurettes, this retrospective piece features interviews with screenwriter Victor Miller, composer Harry Manfredini, make-up artist Tom Savini, and cast members Robbi Morgan, and Ari Lehman. This is designed to compliment the "Crystal Lake Chronicles" featurette found on the 2005 DVD (which is also included here as an extra, see below), so there is surprisingly little repetition. Odd-and-end production stories are shared, Manfredini talks at length about the music, and the cast reflects on the surprise success of the film.
Featurette: "The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham" (HD, 9 minutes) - Though absent from the making-of featurette, the man responsible for the entire 'Friday the 13th' legacy participates in this "day in the life of" visit to his production offices. Cunningham continues to play an active role in the franchise (having served as producer on the last four 'Friday' flicks, including the upcoming remake), and with surprising candor, shares his thoughts on the film that shocked everyone with its success. He also gives us a tour of some 'Friday' memorabilia, as well as visits with his son, Noel, who appeared in the original 'Friday' and co-produced the recent 'Jason X.'
Featurette: "Cast Reunion" (HD, 24 minutes) - Filmed at a Friday the 13th reunion convention held last year, this filmed panel features King, Manfredini, Lehman, Miller, and Palmer. This covers a good deal of similar ground as the commentary and featurettes, so though fresh to this Blu-ray, fans may find a bit of deja vu here.
Featurette: "Secrets Galore Behind the Gore" (HD, 10 minutes) - The last of the main featurettes, this is a largely a one-on-one with Savini as he shares with us all the tricks that went into creating the film's now-famous make-up illusions. There's no real behind-the-scenes footage here (as it was not a common practice to film such things back in 1980), but some rare stills and Savini's thorough explanations flesh things out nicely.
Featurette: "Crystal Lake Chronicles" (SD, 20 minutes) - The longest of the pieces is actually carried over from the previous DVD release, and features then-new interviews with Cunningham, King, Palmer, Lehman, and Savini. Again, there is some repetition here with the other featurettes, though it compliments "Fresh Cuts" nicely as it fills in the basics of 'Friday the 13th's creation and details further stories from the production.
"Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1" (HD, 8 minutes) - Not deleted scenes or excised gore, this is a pretty odd, newly-shot "murder scene." Featuring nubile actors playing camp counselors and mouthing silly dialogue, all ending in a creative death, this is an odd one. ("Part 2" of these scenes can be found on the DVD re-issue of 'Friday the 13th Part 2,' though that title is not being released on Blu-ray).
Theatrical Trailer (HD) - Finally, we have the film's original theatrical trailer.
Audio Commentary - Recorded for a 2004 International DVD release of the film (via Warner Home Video), this spliced-together track features director Sean Cunningham, editor Bill Freida, composer Harry Manfredini and stars Adrienne King and Betsy Palmer, and is hosted by "Crystal Lake Memories" author Peter M. Bracke. Since said author is me, I can't be objective about this commentary other than to say it is the best commentary ever. Though the editing is sometimes choppy (hey, I didn't do it), the track is quite packed with stories and background on the late '70s film scene that spawned 'Friday the 13th,' while the wealth of participants also staves off boredom. Plus, the host has a really sexy, deep voice. Again, greatest commentary ever!
Featurette: "Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th" (HD, 14 minutes) - The first of four new featurettes, this retrospective piece features interviews with screenwriter Victor Miller, composer Harry Manfredini, make-up artist Tom Savini, and cast members Robbi Morgan, and Ari Lehman. This is designed to compliment the "Crystal Lake Chronicles" featurette found on the 2005 DVD (which is also included here as an extra, see below), so there is surprisingly little repetition. Odd-and-end production stories are shared, Manfredini talks at length about the music, and the cast reflects on the surprise success of the film.
Featurette: "The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham" (HD, 9 minutes) - Though absent from the making-of featurette, the man responsible for the entire 'Friday the 13th' legacy participates in this "day in the life of" visit to his production offices. Cunningham continues to play an active role in the franchise (having served as producer on the last four 'Friday' flicks, including the upcoming remake), and with surprising candor, shares his thoughts on the film that shocked everyone with its success. He also gives us a tour of some 'Friday' memorabilia, as well as visits with his son, Noel, who appeared in the original 'Friday' and co-produced the recent 'Jason X.'
Featurette: "Cast Reunion" (HD, 24 minutes) - Filmed at a Friday the 13th reunion convention held last year, this filmed panel features King, Manfredini, Lehman, Miller, and Palmer. This covers a good deal of similar ground as the commentary and featurettes, so though fresh to this Blu-ray, fans may find a bit of deja vu here.
Featurette: "Secrets Galore Behind the Gore" (HD, 10 minutes) - The last of the main featurettes, this is a largely a one-on-one with Savini as he shares with us all the tricks that went into creating the film's now-famous make-up illusions. There's no real behind-the-scenes footage here (as it was not a common practice to film such things back in 1980), but some rare stills and Savini's thorough explanations flesh things out nicely.
Featurette: "Crystal Lake Chronicles" (SD, 20 minutes) - The longest of the pieces is actually carried over from the previous DVD release, and features then-new interviews with Cunningham, King, Palmer, Lehman, and Savini. Again, there is some repetition here with the other featurettes, though it compliments "Fresh Cuts" nicely as it fills in the basics of 'Friday the 13th's creation and details further stories from the production.
"Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1" (HD, 8 minutes) - Not deleted scenes or excised gore, this is a pretty odd, newly-shot "murder scene." Featuring nubile actors playing camp counselors and mouthing silly dialogue, all ending in a creative death, this is an odd one. ("Part 2" of these scenes can be found on the DVD re-issue of 'Friday the 13th Part 2,' though that title is not being released on Blu-ray).
Theatrical Trailer (HD) - Finally, we have the film's original theatrical trailer.
Lastly let me tell you all something, there is a lot of prejudiced against "Friday The 13th" from professional movie critics claiming this is not worthy but I know these critics are wrong & millions of film goers proved them wrong just by the amount of ticket sales this & its sequels produced. "Friday The 13th" took what "Halloween" presented & made it into slasher film law ...thus shaping the slasher genre for years to come! I recommend this Blu-ray for fans of the genre but cannot recommend it to be viewed by small children.
reconredneck
Atlanta
Correction!
September 14, 2012
I misstated this package contains 2 discs, I was in error all extras are on the main disc of this 1 disc package... esssh getting old sux!
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![Total Recall [Mind-Bending Edition] [Blu-ray] [1990]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/5690/5690973_sa.jpg)
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5A movie that should never have been remade.
By VOSuperhero
from Dallas, TX
Let's face it. Total Recall should have never been remade. All together now. "Total Recall should have never been remade."
There. Now that's out of our system. Paul Verhoeven made a movie that was much closer to the original Philip K. Dick story, "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," except Verhoeven brought the Mars revolution to the forefront.
This, the original version (and only version if it were left up to me), has been cleaned up and looks pretty good, although not great, when compared to other movies from the early 90s that look much better.
The sound is more lively than previous versions of the movie, and the dialogue is perfectly mixed.
Some cool new extras are added in this "Mind-Bending Edition." Previously omitted featurettes are included, along with a couple new extras, including a conversation with director Paul Verhoeven, an awesome visual effect featurette, and an obligatory comparison featurette that is only 5 mins long.
Bottom line, it's the original. It's Arnie. Sharon Stone. The deliciously evil Ronny Cox (who was the OCP baddie Dick Jones in Verhoeven's classic, RoboCop), and the always entertaining Michael Ironside (see also Top Gun, Starshop Troopers, and video game fans will recognize his voice from the Splinter Cell video games).
Total Recall is considered by most to be a 'thinking man's sci-fi" title, as is Gattica, Dark City, Minority Report, Solaris (the original, non-Clooney version), and the pièce de résistance, Blade Runner. I love it because under the action, there's a soul. Just like in the others of it's kind, no matter the science in the fiction, it is usually the humanity that's the most fascinating part of these stories.
reconredneck
Atlanta
Nice review!
September 16, 2012
Glad to see a considerate review instead of the usual vague 1-liner postings that this board usually entertains... great job!
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
![Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah/Godzilla vs. Mothra [Blu-ray]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/5953/5953028_sa.jpg)
This two pack for fans of kaiju monster Godzilla offers a double feature of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Mothra.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Follow-up to Biollante
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Giant Monster
Length: 101 minutes/ 102 minutes
Length: 101 minutes/ 102 minutes
"When a mysterious U.F.O. is seen flying over Tokyo, tension mounts until the craft's occupants reveal themselves to be friendly aliens form the 23rd century who have come to warn mankind that Godzilla will soon awaken and wreak havoc upon the Earth unless he is destroyed. Meanwhile, a double threat arrives in the form of King Ghidorah, Godzilla's flying three-headed arch rival. The suspense builds to terrifying levels as the alien's sinister mission on Earth is gradually revealed and Godzilla must wage a solo battle against these evil forces who want to destroy mankind."
"After a series of earthquakes unearths a gigantic orb, a trio of Japanese explorers is dipatched to the mysterious Infant Island to investigate. There they discover the island's sole inhabitants, miniature twin women whose duty is to protect the mammoth ball, the egg of Mothra! When the explorers attempt to bring the egg back to the mainland, a furious Godzilla awakens from the depths and attacks the party, causing the egg to hatch and forcing its newborn larvae to fend off the gigantic monster. With such a powerful foe to reckon with, has Godzilla finally met his match?"
More Godzilla films on Blu-ray!!! I can finally start throwing away the old VHS tapes which are probably already degrading! This twin movie pack features Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Mothra which should really be called Godzilla vs. Battra.
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is the direct follow-up to Godzilla vs. Biollante where Godzilla has been in a slumber deep in the Pacific Ocean after his last fight with the monster as well as the bacteria that was eating away at him. While the aliens succeed in getting rid of one Godzilla, they're responsible for the creation for another which is even bigger and stronger than the previous as well as much more violent. King Ghidorah is beheaded which gives rise to the creation of Mecha King Ghidorah!
Godzilla vs. Mothra is the next continuation wherein mankind continues to pollute and destroy the planet which is causing earthquakes, typhoons, and landslides. In the midst of this, Mothra's egg is revealed which also signals the rebirth of the dreaded Battra who destroyed the advanced civilation on Earth over 10,000 years ago! In the midst of their battle, an even more fearsome foe in Godzilla surfaces to continue his rampage and destruction.
Both movies look great on Blu-ray! Love the remastering of both even though they're over 20 years old now. Nice, crisp coloring and detail. Not really a noticeable loss of anything in being fitted to the 16:9 format instead of the old 4:3 aspect ratio. Soundtracks are just as good as ever thanks to Akira Ifukube. The English dubs have always been questionable at best, but I didn't mind listening to them at all.
I ordered all of the double packs and I'll be ordering all of the single releases once I finish up with them! Fantastic movies to watch especially with the release of the new Godzilla movie about to hit theaters this week! Enjoy!
reconredneck
Atlanta
Proper Aspect.
May 16, 2014
These films in the past being presented in 4:3 box were actually cutting the ends off a 2.35:1 Toho widescreen production. I am hoping that these releases do not try to enhance the original toho resolution of 2.35:1 by removing the black borders which in the end snip off the outer edges of the box and remove visual information.
16:9 with the 2.35:1 ratio will give you a more complete video presentation than will 4:3 which was devised because television viewing area's were not wide screen and by doing so cut out the widest viewing area's of the film.
Glad to see these being released with both Japanese & English soundtracks without attempting or forcing mono soundtracks into surround which rarely goes well.
I liked your review, very good.
16:9 with the 2.35:1 ratio will give you a more complete video presentation than will 4:3 which was devised because television viewing area's were not wide screen and by doing so cut out the widest viewing area's of the film.
Glad to see these being released with both Japanese & English soundtracks without attempting or forcing mono soundtracks into surround which rarely goes well.
I liked your review, very good.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
Learn more about the New WindowsWith built-in wireless networking, this Asus M70ADUS003S desktop lets you easily access Web content. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 graphics with 1GB of dedicated video memory enable you to enjoy lush visuals when connected to a display (not included).
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Powerful Processing At A Reasonable Price
By reconredneck
from Atlanta
Asus is a major player in the manufacturing of Motherboards, video cards and peripherals for computers for about 25 years now so it's a no-brainer that a direct intel partner would come up with a winning combination of computer technology to create a very fast desktop with some ingenuity and sure enough Asus came up with a very unique desktop that sets itself apart.
Looking at the specs we see the M70AD looks respectable in the hardware department intel i7 4th generation processor, 16GB of DDR3 1600Mhz Memory (8Gx2 Installed) and it appears this unit uses a micro atx board so 2 slots are all that's available, this might be unacceptable to those of you that work in the video/graphics world and most likely upgrading to it's max memory of 32GB would be quite a costly affair considering what a single 16GB module would cost. Still for most people 16GB is overkill and adequate for their needs.
An Nvidia GTX 760 1GB video card is a very nice mid-range selection for this computer obviously not designed for pro-gamers or power users who edit video on a professional scale but for the average user this video card is more than enough to play today's video games with decent frame rates and detail turned up to take advantage of today's game graphics.
I talked my folks into buying this model since their 10+ year old desktop was slowing them down I stressed to them the importance of buying a computer from the very company that engineers the internal parts and they agreed and now they enjoy the speed of this computer that never slows down for anything it is a juggernaut a brute that can calculate zero's & one's as good as some higher priced big named computers.
Hard Drive space is ample at 1 TB with the added mSATA ssd used for caching it surely speeds things up being that the Sata 1 TB hard drive is about the only bottleneck this computer has so with all caching going to the lightning fast ssd msata we have a quick response time on startups coming out of sleep mode and loading programs it just rips right through everything you use on a daily basis.
Optical drives are becoming like Swiss army knives and this computer offers you a CD/DVD burner that is also Blu-ray compliant which means it will play your Blu-rays no problem just not burn Blu-ray discs.
On the front upper panel you will find a 16 in 1 card reader with two USB 2.0 and two 3.0 slots so everything is covered here and it is easily accessible. In the rear four USB 2.0 slots are provided. Whats really nifty is the front panel door slides down and out of the way which is much nicer than a swinging door to cover your drives and open slots.
One thing you will notice about this computer is how quiet it is sometimes you won't be sure if its even running and almost no heat is sensed these things my folks were very happy about their last unit was loud and put out warmth.
I have always used ASUS motherboards and Video graphics cards for the past 10 years on my custom builds this is what I stressed to my folks and I do the same for you... Trust ASUS they are the producers of the finest computer parts in the world and now they make a fine desktop as well its super fast..super quiet and reasonably priced considering you are getting alot of power for the cost of a laptop.
Thrown in it's own power backup system in case of a power outage..yes it will give you the time to save your work before it shuts down & the fact that this computer has a tray on-top that will charge your smart phone with no power cables attached and with your smart phone you can login and access files which are important to business users that need syncing of important data all the way round this Asus is a top choice in my book and a great value.
Looking at the specs we see the M70AD looks respectable in the hardware department intel i7 4th generation processor, 16GB of DDR3 1600Mhz Memory (8Gx2 Installed) and it appears this unit uses a micro atx board so 2 slots are all that's available, this might be unacceptable to those of you that work in the video/graphics world and most likely upgrading to it's max memory of 32GB would be quite a costly affair considering what a single 16GB module would cost. Still for most people 16GB is overkill and adequate for their needs.
An Nvidia GTX 760 1GB video card is a very nice mid-range selection for this computer obviously not designed for pro-gamers or power users who edit video on a professional scale but for the average user this video card is more than enough to play today's video games with decent frame rates and detail turned up to take advantage of today's game graphics.
I talked my folks into buying this model since their 10+ year old desktop was slowing them down I stressed to them the importance of buying a computer from the very company that engineers the internal parts and they agreed and now they enjoy the speed of this computer that never slows down for anything it is a juggernaut a brute that can calculate zero's & one's as good as some higher priced big named computers.
Hard Drive space is ample at 1 TB with the added mSATA ssd used for caching it surely speeds things up being that the Sata 1 TB hard drive is about the only bottleneck this computer has so with all caching going to the lightning fast ssd msata we have a quick response time on startups coming out of sleep mode and loading programs it just rips right through everything you use on a daily basis.
Optical drives are becoming like Swiss army knives and this computer offers you a CD/DVD burner that is also Blu-ray compliant which means it will play your Blu-rays no problem just not burn Blu-ray discs.
On the front upper panel you will find a 16 in 1 card reader with two USB 2.0 and two 3.0 slots so everything is covered here and it is easily accessible. In the rear four USB 2.0 slots are provided. Whats really nifty is the front panel door slides down and out of the way which is much nicer than a swinging door to cover your drives and open slots.
One thing you will notice about this computer is how quiet it is sometimes you won't be sure if its even running and almost no heat is sensed these things my folks were very happy about their last unit was loud and put out warmth.
I have always used ASUS motherboards and Video graphics cards for the past 10 years on my custom builds this is what I stressed to my folks and I do the same for you... Trust ASUS they are the producers of the finest computer parts in the world and now they make a fine desktop as well its super fast..super quiet and reasonably priced considering you are getting alot of power for the cost of a laptop.
Thrown in it's own power backup system in case of a power outage..yes it will give you the time to save your work before it shuts down & the fact that this computer has a tray on-top that will charge your smart phone with no power cables attached and with your smart phone you can login and access files which are important to business users that need syncing of important data all the way round this Asus is a top choice in my book and a great value.
reconredneck
Atlanta
Correction
May 28, 2014
I found an error in my post I should have said Nvidia GTX 650 video graphics card. A big difference in performance and memory.
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reconredneck's Questions
reconredneck has not submitted any questions.
reconredneck's Answers
I WANT TO REPLACE A DELL DEMISION 5150 MODEL WITH NEW TOWER. CAN IT BE DONE USING MY EXISTING MONITOR AND KEYBOARD. IF SO, WHAT 8GB MEMORY MODEL ?
I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE NEW TOUCH SCREEN IS THE WAY TO GO, BUT I AM COMFORTABLE WITH MY EXISTING SET UP.
If you can afford it, go with an Asus desktop computer they blow Dell out of the water. More powerful, more quiet with more options. My suggestion is the Asus Desktop - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive
Model: M70ADUS003S
SKU: 4485357
Currently $1,109.99
Yes your monitor will plug right into this fine Asus computer and you will never go back to Dell again after experiencing this powerhouse that is whisper quiet & produces little heat from its enclosure.
My parents were hardcore Dell fans and paid $4000 for their last computer over 10 years ago, finally they listened to me since I build my own computers from custom parts & they bought this Asus desktop and love it with this system costing them less than half of what they paid for their Dell 10+ years ago.
Oh yes it comes with an Asus mouse & keyboard.
Model: M70ADUS003S
SKU: 4485357
Currently $1,109.99
Yes your monitor will plug right into this fine Asus computer and you will never go back to Dell again after experiencing this powerhouse that is whisper quiet & produces little heat from its enclosure.
My parents were hardcore Dell fans and paid $4000 for their last computer over 10 years ago, finally they listened to me since I build my own computers from custom parts & they bought this Asus desktop and love it with this system costing them less than half of what they paid for their Dell 10+ years ago.
Oh yes it comes with an Asus mouse & keyboard.
9 years, 9 months ago
by
reconredneck
Atlanta
Learn more about the New WindowsWith built-in wireless networking, this Asus M70ADUS003S desktop lets you easily access Web content. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 graphics with 1GB of dedicated video memory enable you to enjoy lush visuals when connected to a display (not included).
Does this have an 8GB SSD in it?
Yes it does.. This model uses what is called a hybrid system. During Windows 8 installation the hard drive + msata SSD are formated as a raid (dual hard drive) setup. All computer caching is then sent to the msata SSD 8 GB card so that during startup, coming out of sleep mode or starting commonly used software will spring up faster than if they solely used the sata 1 terabyte hard drive alone. This system is not as fast as a standalone SSD hard drive that has Windows 8 installed on it exclusively but is much quicker than a stand-alone sata hard drive.
Be careful to read your warranty info, it states if you open the case and disturb the ASUS sticker you will void your warranty just a heads-up!
Be careful to read your warranty info, it states if you open the case and disturb the ASUS sticker you will void your warranty just a heads-up!
9 years, 10 months ago
by
reconredneck
Atlanta
Xbox 360
Xbox 360
how come my ip address fails everytime when i try to hook up to live even though i have high speed internet
i have everything needed to hook up to live like ethernet cord but when i go to hook up it up my ip adress always fails
Check your firewall and if you have one put your xbox 360 outside the firewall (
DMZ). Most routers have firewalls as part of its hardware. Some modems also have firewalls, this includes dsl & cable modems.
DMZ). Most routers have firewalls as part of its hardware. Some modems also have firewalls, this includes dsl & cable modems.
15 years, 4 months ago
by
reconredneck
Atlanta