VS. Battle: HD-DVD VS. Blu-Ray

VS.

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There have been a number of arguments on both sides regarding the better format for Hi-Definition DVDs. Finally, it appears a winner is emerging.

For the most part, these formats are fairly identical, with little difference that's of much consequence to the consumer. Access seems to be the determining factor in this battle, since most homes are late at acquiring the latest technology. Not only are the players scarce at retail stores, they're also considerably more expensive than typical DVD players, which have become ubiquitous in their newfound cheapness. While you can buy an old-school DVD player for anywhere from $30-$120, the new Hi-Def players tend to cost anywhere from $300-$600+. It could be that most consumers don't fully understand the advantages of either technology, so the war of the formats could very well come down to customer training--the first to show consumers the value, capabilities, and need for the new players will take the prize. It's obvious to project that the Christmas gift of 2007 is going to be the Hi-Def player. By then, prices will have come down enough to warrant entry for average adopters, and the winner of the DVD format wars will hopefully have vanquished the competition. But which of these should all you vidiots buy now?

HD DVD

Things have not been looking good for the HD DVD format. Smaller storage, little support from the movie and video game industries, and inferior playback resolution seemed to mean this format was doomed to failure. But things have lately taken a turn for the better.

Pros:

• HD DVDs are less expensive. The players themselves are much cheaper than Blu-ray players, which often run in the $600+ range. In contrast, Toshiba sells an HD DVD model for a mere $349. Easy access may, in fact, be the determining factor that establishes the HD DVD format.
• HD DVD manufacturing is easier and less expensive than Blu-ray's BD-ROM.
• Sold as add-ons with the Microsoft XBox 360, HD-DVD players are quickly becoming the first format to be adopted by the masses. 1 million people own XBoxes already. The numbers aren't available for how many of these have purchased the HD DVD player, but at $199, it's obviously the easier format to adopt by the majority. Furthermore, the XBox is appearing to be a superior gaming console to the PS3 for several reasons, including value (XBox is drastically cheaper than PS3) , XBox Live, and higher rendering capabilities. Also, having a disconnected HD-DVD player is better than having an integrated disc drive. When your HD-DVD player ceases to function, you can just buy another one, not have to shell out more money for a replacement XBox.
• The knock out punch: Porn distributors are leaning toward the HD DVD format; Sony is repeating the major mistake it made with the Betamax by making things difficult to implement for the porn industry. Indeed, this could be the deal breaker that forces Blu-ray into the ground, once and for all. Never underestimate the power of porn!
  

Cons:

• Smaller capacity. 30 GB of storage on a dual-layer disc, vs. 50 GB for a dual-layer Blu-ray disc. Single layer discs are half of that space for each format.
• HD DVD’s upper resolution limit is currently 1080i. Although an upgrade to 1080p output is expected in the near future, you would need a 1080p-capable television to take advantage of this feature anyway. Also, resolution difference between the 1080i and 1080p output are difficult to notice, unless you're some sort of TV resolution geek.
  

Blu-ray

Blu-ray has quietly been making inroads and gathering a posse that could easily rival both Crips and Bloods in a bloody LA turf war.

Pros:
According to the Sony website, Blu-ray has the following advantages:

• 1080p Progressive Scan - The highest resolution available in a consumer setting.
• Superior sound - Uncompressed, up to 7.1 Surround Sound capability.
• Enhanced Interactivity - Better navigation without interrupting your program.
• Maximum verstility - Apparently, you can use Blu-Ray for more than movies. Movies, games, software, and data can be used with Blu-Ray as well. Though I have no idea why most people would need it.
  
• Unmatched capacity - More than 50GB of information on each dual-layer disc. That equals 9 hours of HD viewing, or 23 hours of standard definition video. This is a distinct advantage over HD-DVD. But most movies don't run 9 hours anyway, so it's really not as important as one might be led to believe.
  

Additional goods:

• Blu-Ray is integrated in the PS3. If you shell out the cash for a PS3, you have instant access to Sony's huge library of Hi-Def DVDs.
• The Blu-Ray seems to be favored by both video game developers and a majority of the movie studios. Of course, higher cost of production means higher profits for them as well, hence their interest in the better format.
  

Cons:

• Blu-Ray is integrated in the PS3. If the drive breaks, good luck finding a replacement for your PS3. Also, sales for the PS3 have been an enormous flop, furthering the difficulty in getting this technology in the hands of the masses. At $499 for the entry console, you might want to consider the less expensive option--namely, to buy a $349 Toshiba brand HD DVD player. The poor sales of the horrendously overpriced PS3 are causing widespread industry panic that will no doubt hurt Sony for a long time to come. If it were plausible to break out the Blu-ray drive and make it an add-on, the way Microsoft had done with the XBox, it would be to their distinct advantage.
  
• Blu-ray discs are more expensive because of their inherently greater capabilities.
• Costly production facilities must be modified or replaced to produce the discs.
• A Blu-ray player usually costs $600+. Sony's own BDP-S1 Blu-ray player costs $999.95!
• The porn industry is not happy with the Blu-ray format.
  

Conclusion
If history is any indicator of who will win the battle between these lumbering giants, we can look at the famous war between VHS and Betamax that took place in the early 80s. VHS eventually won, most notably because the adult industry preferred it (and because consumers like their porn). Sony is committing Seppuku by denying the porn industry. If they don't fix this situation soon, they might as well pack up their bags and leave the stadium with their heads hung low.

Ultimately, maybe neither of these formats are very important? The trend is moving toward digital downloads anyway, which might eliminate the advantages of either format.

For now, citing greater access, support by the porn industry, and inexpensive production, I have to side with an obvious format.

Winner: HD DVD

Movie: The Covenant (2006)

Directed by Renny Harling (of The Long Kiss Goodnight and Die Hard 2 fame - yes, I mean that facetiously). Starring a bunch of relative nobodies, this flick looked promising when I picked it up from VideoRama. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

A group of four teenage boys who go by the nickname "The Sons of Ipswitch," possess a long-held secret. They're the descendants of 5 families of witches dating back to the 17th century. They have special powers that have led them to unparalleled levels of popularity among their circle of nubile nymphets. Little do they know, however, that there's a member of the fifth family (thought to have been eliminated during the Salem witch hunt) among them. Not only does this intruder want to take away their power, but he also threatens to usurp their popularity. So it's on!

It's The Lost Boys meets Laguna Beach, meets Powerball Z, and boy does it suck. The sons of Ipswitch all come from old money, while the villain threatens to upset their status quo. I don't know about you, but I'm rooting for the bad guy this time. Those spoiled rich kids need to learn a lesson. If only....

Special Effects are exemplary, featuring a head-on collision between a Mustang and a semi truck. The Mustang disintegrates into thousands of little pieces, only to be re-assembled moments beyond the crash. This, unfortunately, was the high point (aside from one other sequence involving a motorcycle, which I won't spoil for you, even though I should). There just aren't enough visual moments like these to carry the film. The final battle ends up looking like a mangled blue-screen escapade, where two square off in a dark barn and hurl CGI blobs of energy goo at each other. Crude metaphor? Definitely.

The Soundtrack was entertaining, but not much else about this film would withstand more than a cursory analysis.

I actually fell asleep while watching this. And I never fall asleep while I'm watching movies. That attests to just how boring this actually was. If you have 1 hr. 37 minutes to spare, spend it learning how to crochet, because wasting it on The Covenant will make you wish you'd gauged your eyes out with a knitting needle.

Great quotes from Rotten Tomatoes:

• "I think the men were cast more for their abs than their acting."
• "Cleverly takes the lure of illegal drugs and links it to super powers."
• "WB-style homoerotic teen escapism." (Damn, that's cold, but ever so true).
• "Flying scenes, frat-boy face-offs and pyrotechnic punch-ups are punctuated by excruciating expository dialogue."

Sifted: 3/10

Movie: V for Vendetta (2005)

Maybe P for Pancetta would be a better title?







Perhaps a good Italian dinner would have been much better than a movie that uselessly muses over fascism and political intrigue?

V for Vendetta is a stylistic masterpiece, with decent acting and a strong story line. Yet, it refrains from coming together properly. Much of the problem lies with the convoluted dialog, most of it muffled through the mask of the hero, V. We hate to say it, but Vendetta could have used some considerable dumbing down, especially if it intends to truly speak to the masses in sharing its vision of revolution. The underlying message of the film is that the masses are good and can overthrow a fascist government via explosions and pretty fireworks. Unfortunately, the masses will not understand (or appreciate) most of the dialog in this film.

P for Pancetta. Maybe they shoulda just called it bacon?

Sifted: 6/10

Movie: Nightwatch (2005)

Few foreign films ever handle the subject of vampires without ladling out the cheese; Nightwatch is a pleasant exception. Nightwatch wants desperately to reinvent the vampire myth and succeeds, to a certain degree.

The gyst of this film is the old story of good vs. evil, light vs. dark. On one side you have the dark, evil vampires, and on the other you have the good Nightwatch. These two feuding groups have come to a truce, until now. Perhaps the plot is a bit stunted and predictable, but there’s enough here to entertain the passing cinema-goer.

Though Nightwatch doesn’t manage to push the envelope much, it is a shocking surprise that it emerged from Russia and viewers will enjoy the dystopic, dark backdrop that seems to infect the very celluloid of this film. If you are a vampire junkie or someone with more than passing interest in Foreign cinema, this movie is a must-see.

Sifted: 7/10

Movie: Oldboy (2004)

The Greatest Revenge Movie Ever Made?

Imagine a film containing: a dreary, lame attempt to dig your way out of a cell over several years using nothing but a chopstick; hallucinations of ants that will literally make your skin crawl; blood, and more blood; the ugliest wallpaper you've ever seen; an octopus eaten alive; one of the most insane acts of revenge ever filmed; a character who cuts off his own tongue (there's gotta be a word for that somewhere); and the best fight scene filmed in years, as the main character–armed with only a hammer–takes on an entire gang in the confines of a very narrow hallway in such a way that reminds you of The Last Supper.

Imagine you've been imprisoned for 15 years. You haven't had any contact with another human being in that entire time. Just you in a room, watching tv, seeing yourself framed for your wife's murder.

Finally, you are released back into the world, a fugitive, with only one thing on your mind: finding the people who did this to you and making them pay. Sure, it sounds cliche, but the plot congeals.

Thus begins the best revenge story ever made.

Sifted: 9/10

Note: It would have scored a perfect 10, were it not for a few things lost in translation. Fortunately, it's been dubbed fairly well, so you won't have to squint to read subtitles.

This is a film that begs to be remade stateside. Pay attention Hollywood!

Movie: Cache (2005) 10/10!

Cache (2005) Directed by Michael Haneke Writing credits Michael Haneke (screenplay)

I am not a fan of highbrow cinema, or movies that bombard me with pseudo-intellectual banter and boring interactions between banal characters. That said, Cache was nothing short of brilliant, compelling moviemaking the likes of which I have rarely seen. Yes, it's French. Yes, there are subtitles. Yes, you will be left at the end of the movie with a feeling of disappointment. But this is a very subtle, thought-provoking film.

Don't bother watching this if you feel like watching the typical shoot-em-up American action movie. This is not a Hollywood turd, after all. This is fine French cinema.

The plot has to do with a family being harrassed by an anonymous stalker who sends them numerous videos of themselves living their mundane lives. They begin to feel a sense of dread as they realize they are under surveillance by someone with the ability to remain completely hidden. As the story progresses, the father begins to realize there may be a connection with someone from his past. The end will likely leave most Americans bewildered. When you rent this DVD, make sure to watch the interview with the director after watching the film; it goes a long way to explain the befuddling ending and making you feel at peace with the open-endedness of this fine piece of work.

Don't expect anyone to get shot; it's not that kind of movie. The psychological tautness is what this story is really about. But you can expect to cringe and exclaim "WTF!" during one scene that is sure to make your mouth drop.

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Addendum: Aug, 18th, 1:30 PM:

On second thought, after having time to reflect on this film's utter genius, I have decided to give it a 10/10 rating. Not trying to be pretentious, just sayin': Yeah, it's that good.

But note: you really have to be in the mood for something melancholy, slow-paced, and fixated with somewhat mundane parts of life. Paraphrasing the director in the interview: "This is a story that can be told in any country. Every country has this story to tell."

Sifted: 10/10