The Couch Potato Report - December 6th, 2008
This week The Couch Potato Report peels royalty, a regal television series, and a Shawshank redemption.
I have two great new TV on DVD Box Sets to tell you about this week, and so for the first time we have TWO Hot Potatoes!
The 1978-79 season of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE is coming up in a few minutes, and first up is THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON of the great guilty pleasure, THE TUDORS.
THE TUDORS is the Gemini AND Emmy Award winning series that is based upon the early reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.
Based upon...this is not a documentary series, it is a series meant to entertain.
And it does entertain.
The series has a good cast, an interesting script, incredible costumes,...and it is all exceptionally entertaining.
In SEASON TWO of THE TUDORS King Henry continues to find a way to divorce himself from his Queen and banish Katherine of Aragon, so he can marry Anne Boleyn.
But it is Queen Anne's inability to produce male heir that cause King Henry's attention to sway toward Jane Seymour.
SEASON TWO of THE TUDORS is a little bit slower that the first one, and there seems to be a lot of waiting for things to happen, plus, if you are a historian, or study the British Monarchy as a hobby, this probably isn't the series for you.
But, this 10 part second series is full of attractive actors and seasoned professionals and if you think it might entertain you, then it probably will.
It isn't just a stuffy retelling of history, but it is a very entertaining series, and I am looking forward to the THIRD SEASON of THE TUDORS when it begins to air on CBC Television, and then comes out on DVD.
Personally, I am really looking forward to the TENTH SEASON of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE on DVD, the 1984-1985 one with Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Harry Shearer and Martin Short, but that won't be out for a few years yet, so in the meantime I have the THIRTY-FOURTH SEASON, which is currently airing on Saturday Nights...live...and I also now have SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - 1978-1979 - THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON on DVD!!
During this season, Saturday Night Live used grotesque and controversial issues as sketch ideas, such as nuclear meltdowns, and the idea of Superman as a Nazi, but there was still some funny skits, and many of the regular characters that had started to take on lives of their own.
The 7-disc set for THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE also has one episode of the show that many people, myself included may have never seen...the one hosted by Milton Berle.
No matter what instructions the director gave him, he mugged for the camera, did broad spit-takes, and ad-libbed jokes directly to the camera.
This episode only aired once, and was barred from being shown in syndication due to complaints from the show's creator - Canadian Lorne Michaels - and the cast.
This COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON also features Canadian Dan Aykroyd and the late-great John Belushi's final episode as cast members.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - 1978-1979 - THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON is a superb set, and it is one I highly recommend!!
And as they continue to release these sets twice a year, it won't be long until I have that TENTH SEASON that I so desire!!
Up next this week is a very good Quebec made film called THE AMERICAN TRAP.
THE AMERICAN TRAP is a very interesting film that is inspired by the life and crimes of legendary Quebecois drug-dealer Lucien Rivard.
The story moves from late 1950s Havana to early 1960s Montreal and New Orleans, and it is partially a crime film, but it also takes liberties with the truth and also offers some conspiracy theories about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
I am not 100% sure how much of THE AMERICAN TRAP is true...but I did enjoy this visually interesting movie.
I also enjoyed the summer film WANTED, which is very loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar.
It too has some great visuals...including Angelina Jolie!
Remember when Jolie was just a movie star...and not the tabloid mother and person she has become? Well, she is the main star of WANTED, so I found I was able to just see her in a character role again...the role of a mysterious woman named Fox...she attempts to recruit a man named Wesley Gibson into a fraternity of hit men and women, lead by Morgan Freeman.
James McAvoy from THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and ATONEMENT stars alongside Jolie and Freeman in WANTED and while it isn't the greatest action film of the year, it is a really good one.
This is a great, mindless action film that is a very worthy rental.
Up next is another good rental, this is a small Irish film called HOW ABOUT YOU.
HOW ABOUT YOU is about a young woman who is left in charge of the residential home run by her older sister over Christmas.
Most of the residents have left to spend the holidays with their families, but four residents remain.
And they are not the nicest four people in the world.
HOW ABOUT YOU is a quiet, little film that is ultimately very predictable, after all, how could four people stay mean over Christmas?!?
They can't, they don't, and as such this is a pretty good film. It isn't great, but if you see it on a shelf, give it a chance. I liked it!
Finally this week, is the Blu-Ray Beacon
Blu-ray is the next step in DVDs and home viewing as a Blu-ray Disc and all blu-ray players play standard DVDs and CDs as well, so you won't have to buy all of the films you already own again, unless you want them in this new format....one that is vastly superb, and the ultimate in home viewing.
Each week for the next little while, as the format continues to take off, and the number of films available in Blu-ray increases and the price of the players goes down, I will spotlight one new release each week, and share more information about the format, in this forum - The BLU-RAY BEACON.
This week, the spotlight shines on the fantastic film THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION.
SHAWSHANK is the 1994 film that is based on the Stephen King novella, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption."
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman star as two men behind bars at Shawshank State Prison, a fictional penitentiary in Maine, and the film is about their lives, and their growing friendship.
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION was in the same Best Picture category as Forrest Gump, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction and Quiz Show and only grossed $28 million dollars at the box office. It was considered by many to be a flop, but it's critical acclaim and popularity on television, home video, and DVD has allowed it to continually be ranked by film fans as one of the greatest films of all time.
In fact, it currently heads the Internet Movie Database's poll of top 250 films, leading such pictures as The Godfather, The Dark Knight, and Pulp Fiction.
SHAWSHANK is one of my favourite films of all-time, and the Blu-ray version looks spectacular and it sounds superb!! It is now available in a new DigiBook packaging, which includes a full-color 30-page booklet with production notes, cast bios and many rare and never-before-seen publicity stills.
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION gets this week's spotlight from the BLU-RAY BEACON and it is available in stores now, along with the DVDs of the small-Irish film HOW ABOUT YOU, the great, mindless action film WANTED, the very interesting Quebec made film THE AMERICAN TRAP, the great SEASON FOUR OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and SEASON TWO of the guilty pleasure that is THE TUDORS.
And don't forget that, in addition to now being available on DVD, you can see THE TUDORS Tuesday night on CBC Television!
:)
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report:
A NO-HIT NO-RUN SUMMER takes place in the Summer of 1969 as the city of Montreal has a new baseball team and a young man dreams of making the neighbourhood team.
And then there is THE DARK KNIGHT, starring the late Heath Ledger as The Joker.
I will also talk about the great movie MAN ON WIRE about the daredevil who walked from one of the World Trade Center Towers to the other back in 1974; LOST - THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON; and the BLU RAY BEACON next week shines on the ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION of CASABLANCA.
I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.
For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next time on The Couch!
Dixie Chick sued for defamation
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines is the target of a defamation lawsuit by the stepfather of one of three eight-year-old boys slain in 1993.
Maines spoke out for three people convicted of the slayings and alleged the stepfather was instead involved in the killings.
Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Steve Branch, who was killed in 1993 with Christopher Byers and Michael Moore, filed suit in Pulaski County Circuit Court on Nov. 25. The suit names all three members of the Dixie Chicks, but focuses on Maines.
The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages. Hobbs claims he suffered loss of income, injury to his reputation and emotional distress.
Maines attended a Dec. 19 rally in Little Rock, where she claimed Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley - known to sympathizers as the "West Memphis Three" - were innocent and supposed new evidence pointed to Hobbs. Her comments echoed a Nov. 26, 2007, letter that was still on the Dixie Chicks' website Thursday, in which she claimed new DNA testing of hair from the crime scene linked Hobbs to the killings and his behaviour after the slayings indicated his guilt.
The lawsuit says the claim is false.
Hobbs told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper in a Feb. 1 interview his reputation is in tatters and he wants to clear his name.
"I want people to know I haven't done nothing wrong," Hobbs said.
"I want them to hear it from me."
No lawyer for Maines was listed in court filings and a publicist didn't immediately return a call for comment. Hobbs' lawyer, J. Cody Hiland, didn't immediately return a call for comment Thursday.
The lawsuit says Maines' statements were "so extreme in degree as to be beyond the pale of decency and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in civilized society."
Assertions similar to those made by Maines were also made by lawyers seeking new trials for the three convicts.
The boys' bodies were found by police a day after they vanished from their quiet, tree-lined neighbourhood May 5, 1993. Police arrested the three after a confession by Misskelley in which he described how he watched Baldwin and Echols sexually assault and beat two of the boys as he ran down another trying to escape. A jury gave Misskelley a life-plus-40-year sentence for the killings. A later jury gave Baldwin a life sentence without parole. Echols, then 19, the oldest of the three, received the death penalty.
The Arkansas Supreme Court later upheld the convictions but a later documentary sparked interest on the Internet, as well as among celebrities, including Maines, who felt the teens were railroaded by police for their interest in heavy metal music and the occult. Supporters say they raised more than $1 million for a legal defence fund for the three, enough to pay for lawyers, new DNA testing and a second federal appeal on behalf of Echols.
A judge has since denied defence motions for a new trial.
Batman Back In Theaters January 23
With virtually all the major Oscar contenders coming out in December or late November this year, there's just one that's been relying on our fond memories and occasional For Your Consideration ads-- until now. The Dark Knight, the biggest movie of 2008, will start working its magic in 2009 as well, getting a January 23rd re-release nationwide.
As Variety points out, this will guarantee that The Dark Knight crosses the $1 billion mark worldwide, a number it's just $4 million short of reaching. Another question is whether it can muster up the $50 million it needs to pass Titanic's domestic record. The release comes six weeks after the movie's DVD release, after all-- will even the most rabid fanboys be willing to turn off the Blu-Ray and head back to the theater?
Let's put it this way. Inflation rates make Titanic's $600 million milestone easier and easier to beat, and something will beat it in upcoming years. Do you think that movie will be better than Dark Knight? If you don't, then get out there January 23, put down your $10 and re-experience the movie you know you're dying to see it again!
'Jeffersons' Neighbor Paul Benedict Dies at 70
Paul Benedict, the actor who played the eccentric English neighbor Harry Bentley on the sitcom "The Jeffersons," was found dead Monday at his home on Martha's Vineyard, Mass. He was 70.
Authorities were investigating the cause of death, said his brother, Charles.
Benedict's oversized jaw and angular features were partly attributed to acromegaly, a pituitary disorder that was first diagnosed by an endocrinologist who saw Benedict in a theatrical production.
He underwent medical treatment to prevent the disease from spreading while he continued to act -- and used his facial features for comic effect.
As an actor, Benedict built a career portraying loony characters in films such as "The Goodbye Girl" (1977), "The Man with Two Brains" (1983) and "The Addams Family" (1991). He also appeared in the Christopher Guest comedies "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984), "Waiting for Guffman" (1997) and "A Mighty Wind" (2003). On the PBS children's show "Sesame Street," Benedict was the Mad Painter who painted numbers everywhere.
But he was mainly known for his role as Bentley on "The Jeffersons," which ran on CBS from 1975 to 1985. He left in 1981 to pursue other projects but returned in 1983. Benedict later said he hadn't expected the show to last more than a season and only agreed to the part because producer Norman Lear kept asking him to reconsider.
The accented speech that he used even offstage led many to assume that Benedict was British, but in fact he was born Sept. 17, 1938, in Silver City, N.M. He was the youngest of six children; his father a doctor, his mother a journalist.
"When I was 5 years old, from the first time I went to the movies, I knew I wanted to be an actor," Benedict told The Times in 1992.
After growing up in Boston, Benedict attended the city's Suffolk University and began his acting career in the 1960s in the Theatre Company of Boston, performing alongside such future stars as Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino.
On Broadway, he appeared opposite Pacino in Eugene O'Neill's two-character play "Hughie" in 1996 and played the mayor in a 2000 revival of "The Music Man."
As a stage director, he was known for taking a work in progress or a new play and laboring with a playwright to infuse it with "intelligence, sympathy and warmth -- and of course, humor," The Times reported in 1992.
His breakthrough show as a director was "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" in 1987, closely followed by "The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives" in 1989, both two-person sleepers that became off-Broadway hits.
10 questions about Blu-ray you'll want the answers for
This was to be the season Blu-ray won our hearts — and it still may. But the economic downturn has thrown a tough new hurdle at the high-def disc. Blu-ray faces strapped consumers worried about investing in a new format, a new library and still-pricey players. But it's the best video source around, and if you have or plan to get a new HDTV, you may be considering Blu-ray, too. USA TODAY tech writer Mike Snider offers an FAQ.
Demystifying Blu-ray
Q: Why do they call it Blu-ray?
A: Because Blu-ray Disc players and PC drives, as well as Sony's PlayStation 3, use a blue laser beam to read data from discs, rather than the older red lasers used for DVDs. A blue laser can be focused more tightly, so disc makers can pack more data on a disc the same size as a DVD. Blu-ray Discs can hold up to 50 gigabytes, compared to a DVD, which holds less than 10 GB. That added capacity can hold video up to six times the resolution of DVD, plus more bonus features and improved surround soundtracks.
Q: Can you really see the difference between Blu-ray and DVD?
A: Side-by-side, most people can easily see Blu-ray's improvement in picture quality. The video resolution, called "1080p" because it constantly (or progressively, hence the p) redraws 1,080 lines across the screen (each line containing 1,920 pixels), surpasses the best HDTV broadcast or cable signals. "Once you start seeing high-definition (video) on a 1080p monitor, DVD cannot compare," says Peter Bracke, editor of HighDefDigest.com. "Even my mom is impressed with it."
And filmmakers are doing their bit as well to make Blu-ray stand out. "We spent more time on (the Blu-ray image) than on the theatrical release, making sure every single color and shade is there for a reason," says Hellboy II: The Golden Army director Guillermo Del Toro. "The movie has never looked and sounded better."
Q. What do I need to watch Blu-ray?
A: Other than a BD player, you'll probably want an HDTV, to get the full quality and widescreen effect. (When watched on a older, standard-shaped tube set, the image is severely letterboxed with dark bands above and below.) Before buying a Blu-ray player to connect to an older TV, check the player's back panel: Not all have the kinds of outputs needed to connect to older sets. Most players send audio and video to newer TVs and displays via a single cable called HDMI. And don't get caught up in the various flavors of HDTV — 720p, 1080i and 1080p — because Blu-ray players can send an HD signal to any of them. As for screen size, most viewers won't get much benefit, Bracke says, unless it's at least 40 inches (diagonally).
Q: Are all Blu-ray players the same?
A: No. But most important, all Blu-ray players will play standard DVDs — and most "up-convert" those DVDs so they look closer to HD quality. Most players handle music CDs as well. If you are particularly interested in checking out picture-in-picture commentary tracks and online bonus features on discs, look for players that include Profile 1.1 (picture-in-picture capability) and BD-Live or Profile 2.0 (online connections) among the specifications.
Initially, the only player that was fully equipped was Sony's PS3 game system, but many current Blu-ray players in the $250 range have both sets of features. "It's bad for early adopters, but for mainstream consumers it won't matter because by the time they jump in, it will all be settled," Bracke says.
Two recent entries, the LG BD300 ($350) and the Samsung BD-P2550 ($370) also let Netflix subscribers stream movies.
Q: Should I buy now or wait for prices to drop?
A: That depends. Earlier this year, players sold for at least $400, but special holiday deals have resulted in entry-level models "for as low as $149, and $249 for really good, fully featured models," says Bill Hunt, editor of TheDigitalBits.com. "And if you don't already have an HDTV, some manufacturers are going to be offering combo deals, where you'll get a player free or nearly so when you buy an HDTV. With the economy the way it is, major retailers are all offering terrific bargains, too." As newer, more expensive models continue to hit stores, older ones will be reduced in price. "If you love movies, buy now," says TVPredictions.com's Phil Swann. "If you don't, wait. Prices will (continue to) fall."
Players "have gotten to where they are more in the consumers' sweet spot," says NPD Entertainment analyst Russ Crupnick, but price resistance has shifted to the software side as many Blu-ray Discs cost $25, he says. "Consumers have become increasingly price-sensitive, thanks to DVD."
Q: Do I need to replace all my DVDs with Blu-ray Discs?
A: No. Remember, Blu-ray players will play DVDs and most will boost the video resolution (or "up-rez" them), so "there is no reason for the consumer to think that all of their video library is going to be antiquated," says Panasonic's Rich Simone. Adds Swann, "I would recommend getting new releases in Blu-ray, either by rental or purchase, and watch your old ones using the up-converting feature."
Studios will try to entice movie lovers to repurchase films they may have already on DVD (and perhaps videocassette) by remastering the video and adding new extra features. "They can see them in the way the director originally intended them to be seen," says Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Rich Marty. "DVD is a huge market, and those will continue to look great, but now they have a choice. We think once they see them in high-def, it's going to be a no-brainer."
Q: What features do Blu-ray movies have that DVDs don't?
A: Most bonus features such as commentaries, documentaries and deleted scenes are "the same kind of thing DVD has, except that it tends to be more interactive and complex on Blu-ray," says Hunt. Some discs have interactive games, such as the Casino RoyaleCollector's Edition's multiplayer Bond trivia game. A few of the newest releases take advantage of bonus features delivered via the Internet: Last month, Del Toro conducted an online chat with owners of the Hellboy II Blu-ray Disc.
"It is my hope when we are proposing, planning and designing the interactive instruments for The Hobbit (Part 1 is scheduled for 2011), we can take full advantage of it," Del Toro says. "We are trying to make people very aware that there are features locked in the Blu-ray Disc that allow them to go interactive with the Net." And The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan will have a Dec. 18 screening of the Blu-ray Disc (9 p.m. ET/6 PT), during which those who own it can watch and chat online with him during the film. (More details at thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/dvdsite/event.) Another online feature lets viewers post their own feature-length commentary to share with friends.
But overall, while Hollywood may tout next-generation interactive features, Swann says, "the real feature is the picture."
Q: Will my sound system work with Blu-ray?
A: The simple answer is Blu-ray will sound as good as DVDs do on your system. Many HDTVs and displays have built-in speakers, but surround-sound fanatics will want to make sure their receiver has digital audio inputs. And movie fans who want to get the most out of Blu-ray's improved soundtracks will want to look for higher-priced players that either decode or pass along ultra-high-resolution sound formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Discs such as Dark Knight (out Tuesday) can hold one or more soundtracks with up to seven speaker channels (plus a subwoofer) for those fortunate enough to have top sound equipment. The result sounds "as good as the studio masters in some cases," Hunt says.
Q: How large a selection is available on Blu-ray?
A: So far, about 1,000 Blu-ray Discs have been released, compared with more than 93,700 DVDs, according to The DVD Release Report. Releases have ramped up this fall, Hunt says. "There's an amazing lineup of both new and catalog movies coming out now, with an even more amazing slate on the way next year," from The Dark Knight and Iron Man to Sleeping Beauty and Casablanca.
Still, Bracke says, "It's going to be a long time until the volume of Blu-ray titles matches DVD. "
Q: Rather than buying Blu-ray, shouldn't I just wait for HD movie downloads?
A: Current movie downloads can take two hours or more to arrive, and even those labeled high definition do not match the quality of Blu-ray. "Blu-ray is going to give you to the best-looking high-definition video quality you'll see anywhere — better than video-on-demand or downloading, or HD cable, or even HD satellite," Hunt says. "Blu-ray simply offers the best video and audio quality available, with the most advanced bonus features." And discs also are more convenient, whereas, "HD downloads are years away from being a convenient alternative," Swann says.
Unmade Bond Screenplay Sells For Thousands
A script co-written by Sir Sean Connery for a James Bond film that was never made has sold at auction for $68,400 (GBP46,850).
The screenplay for Warhead was penned by former 007 actor Connery, Len Deighton, and Kevin McClory in 1976, and would have seen the spy battling robot sharks to prevent them planting nuclear bombs in sewers underneath New York.
The original script, which was never made into a film due to legal problems, was put up for sale as part of the Christie's Pop Culture: Entertainment Memorabilia auction in London on Friday and was expected to fetch around $2,900 (GBP2,000).
Other items in the sale included a fur-trimmed stole worn by Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe, which sold for $61,400 (GBP42,050).
Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo releases solo disc
NEW YORK (Billboard) – A Jermaine Dupri song about partying excessively seems a far cry from a Brian Wilson song about sweetly loving a girl.
The tie that binds these polar opposites of pop music is the Rivers Cuomo. The eclectic frontman for modern-rock mainstays Weezer has just released a second album of rare and unreleased solo tracks.
"Alone II" (DGC/Interscope) sold a modest 6,000 copies during its first week in U.S. stores, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The first volume, released almost exactly a year ago, started with 14,000 and has gone on to sell 43,000.
"I knew I had a lot more recordings that I wanted to share with the world, but I wanted to wait and see how 'Alone I' was received," Cuomo says.
Satisfied with the results, he delved back into the vaults. "I love the process of listening to all the old recordings and picking my favorites and going through my old journals and seeing what I was thinking when I was writing these songs."
About that Dupri song: The producer/mogul sent Cuomo a demo of "Can't Stop Partying," but the lyrics didn't initially jive with Cuomo's style. He tried to write his own, but "every line I came up with just sounded stupid compared with his, so I went back and changed the music and gave it some very sad chords filled with longing."
The cover of Wilson's "Don't Worry Baby" follows years of study of the Beach Boy's output by Cuomo, which he says has guided his own songwriting.
Cuomo "carefully transcribed" the song's five-part harmonies "in my bedroom on my tape player. But then I added the element of the modern crunchy-guitar sound. And that's what really helped me figure out what I wanted to do as a songwriter and a performer in Weezer."
Weezer will be back on the road next spring, possibly with Oasis, in support of its 2008 self-titled release, dubbed "The Red Album." The group is also putting together its own collection of unreleased material, titled "Odds and Ends."
O.J. Simpson sentenced to at least 15 years
LAS VEGAS – A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to at least 15 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, "It was much more than stupidity."
The 61-year-old football Hall of Famer stood shackled and stone-faced when Judge Jackie Glass quickly rattled off his punishment soon after he made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, choking back tears as he told her: "I didn't want to steal anything from anyone. ... I'm sorry, sorry."
The judge said several times that her sentence in the Las Vegas case had nothing to do with Simpson's 1994 acquittal in the slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
"I'm not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else," Glass said.
Simpson was immediately led away to prison after the judge refused to permit him to go free on bail while he appeals.
Simpson's co-defendant and former golfing buddy, Clarence "C.J. Stewart, also was sentenced to at least 15 years.
Outside court, Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, and sister, Kim, said they were thrilled with the sentence.
"There's never closure. Ron is always gone. What we have is satisfaction that this monster is where he belongs behind bars," Fred Goldman said.