Hmm….
June 24th, 2008 at 10:12 am (Comics, Movies)
RE-REVIEW: Rambo
June 9th, 2008 at 9:26 am (Movies)
Even in the age of HDTV, it’s still better to watch Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen as opposed to at home.
Over the past decade, as digital media have grown to become the dominant format for entertainment — MP3s, DVDs, downloads of all kinds — the home-viewing experience has likewise supplanted moviegoing. Films still hit the multiplex, but the overwhelming majority of these releases are simply biding time until they make their far more lucrative home debut. The specific feel of a movie seen on a giant screen in a darkened room with booming sound can be very nearly duplicated with the right audio setup and a big enough HDTV, so it’s rare to find a film that suffers in translation from the multiplex to the living room.
Rambo had its advantages in the theater. Sitting in a seat with no distractions, pounding THX and an image that fills the eye, Rambo had tremendous visceral and emotional impact. Not so much a thrill ride as an experiment in intensity, Rambo would seem to be the kind of picture ill-served by the home experience. And it’s true: the battle sequences in Rambo do lose their overwhelming character at home. Luckily the film has more to offer than sensory overload.
Movies Cost Too Much: Kung Fu Panda
June 6th, 2008 at 7:08 am (Movies)
Movies cost too much. I’ve attended movies less and less over the years because of rising prices at the box office (and because of douchebags), but usually when I see a good movie I generally feel the expense is worth it. Recently, though, my favorite theater’s matinee price hit eight dollars, and I had to start thinking about whether I wanted to go on with the pastime or let it become a relic of my past.
Last week I decided not to see The Strangers, despite the movie’s terrific trailer. I still want to watch the movie, but I’m not willing to pay eight bucks for the privilege. That said, I can almost see why an R-rated movie can and should have a higher admission fee, since the rating excludes more viewers than it includes. Not so with this week’s Kung Fu Panda.
