Tag Archives: Movies
Netflix: A Case of the Mondays
Posted by heathaplexvision
on September 19, 2011
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My morning started out like any other morning. Woke up at 5:55 to my iPhone alarm. Sat in bed about four minutes thinking about how my Monday would go. Went back for the iPhone to see the first few emails and noticed an email from Reed Hasting, CEO of Netflix. It started simply, “I messed up. I owe everyone an explanation.” Looks like someone else has a case of the Mondays!
As I road in the car to work, I read this letter over and over again. What I read was a humble attempt to explain a company’s decision and ultimate vision. Having read through numerous blog comments, you’d a thunk he kicked a dog! I don’t know Mr. Hastings at all and I’m not about to insult him as a fellow human being as some took the opportunity to, but you have to admire Mr. Hastings for posting such an explanation and letting it all hang out there in the “Interwebs!” Unfortunately, his attempt to explain had no real chance of coming off good in the fearless world of social media.
Before you judge me, you must know that I’ve been a Netflix customer from the beginning…since 1999 to be exact! I loved the idea from the beginning and it just kept getting better. However, I slowly transitioned to a life of streaming versus queuing up a Blu Ray. In fact, on average, I was requesting a Blu Ray about once every two months. I did like the idea of having “hard media” delivered to me, but it became more of a hassle, despite them paying for shipping to and fro. So when they elected to change their service fees, I wasn’t too tore up about it, but I understand why so many others were. It’s all a matter of perspective and what was working for you at the best price.
Perhaps this letter was a chance for Mr. Hastings to right a few wrongs and I have to take that at face value. I truly believe he put his heart into this letter and still feels bad for adjusting the plans without tending to the needs of the customer. For that, I forgive you! But that’s not enough for some people and that’s where I think many of us are wrong. It’ll take weeks before people understand the moves that were made and the stock price begins to rebound, but I challenge you to read the letter again with less malice in your heart.
So what’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on….they are trying to be the best damn streaming service on the planet and I’m looking forward to how they do this! He clearly states, “We feel we need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolve, without having to maintain compatibility with our DVD by mail service.”
The time is now to make your choice…are you a streaming or a mailer? Only they know the true demographics of these two types of people, but I’m convinced they are trying to be the best a both. So why fault them for that? Sure there will be growing pains and they’ll have no choice but to appease the movie Gods and us, the customers, but it will all work out. I’m just not ready to burn the CEO at the stake as some eluded to on the Netflix Facebook page. I’m just impressed Mr. Hastings tried to answer the masses on Facebook, but again, it was a losing battle. We simply out-number you.
So, for all you cinephiles and especially the long-time Netflix customers, what say ye? Do you want them to just sit idle and let what we think is a good thing run it’s course? Or do you encourage the risk that is being taken to be the best? We’ll measure Netflix over the years to come, so I’m not worried about figuring it all out now. But, are you willing to ditch them over a letter, over a vision to be the best? Post your comments below fellow mailers and streamers! Risk-taker or Risk-averse? You decide! In the meantime, tell me what you’ve been watching on Netflix lately.
So Say We All!!!
Here’s the link to the actual letter on the Netflix Blog: http://blog.netflix.com/2011/09/explanation-and-some-reflections.html
Super 8 Guaranteed to Deliver Childhood Movie Memories
Posted by heathaplexvision
on June 27, 2011
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Hello there everyone! Thought I’d share some quick thoughts with you about the movie, Super 8. Yesterday, I took my beautiful bride out to see, what I believed, would be an instant Spielberg classic with a big dose of J.J. Abrams and boy did this movie deliver. To put it simply, this movie brought back all sorts of childhood movie memories from such films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Goonies, The Explorers and E.T. It was funny, thrilling and meaningful delivered in a late 70s/80s look and feel. There were no superstar actors who overshadowed the cast and story, there were no cheap special effects and certainly no loss of movie magic. The train wreck alone was simply one of the most amazing scenes of the movie.
Now, I can see how some may complain about a far-fetched story and hints at what’s to come throughout, but C’mon….it’s a Sci-Fi thriller, so the story is automatically far-fetched. In my humble opinion, the movie delivered throughout and will certainly continue to do well at the box office. Despite the fact there’s an alien on the lose, you lose yourself in the value of family, friends and a gold ol’ fashioned military cover-up! What else could you ask for?!?! Oh, the soundtrack rocks to the tunes of the decade and the movie’s original score by Michael Giacchino beautifully flows throughout the film in John Williams-esque fashion.
Seriously, this movie is polished and filmed in such detail to mimic those Spielberg/Lucas films of past and definitely worth seeing in a quality local theater. If you have the means, catch this gem in a THX-equipped theater. I would love to hear what you have to say about the movie, so please post a review below. Catch the early Summer movie wave with “Super 8.“
The New Vocabulary of Streaming
Posted by heathaplexvision
on January 20, 2010
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Streaming media…how familiar are you with all of lingo associated with it? Here is a simple test. If you have heard of all these sources of streaming media and know what they do, then you are pretty well-informed. If you only know a couple the you need to copy/paste these words into Google. Lets test your knowledge with some easy ones you might be familiar with right up front:
Everyone should start becoming familiar with these terms because some of these services are already appearing on internet-capable Blu-Ray players and television sets. I have run across so many people who are ditching their cable television for the world of free, streaming, internet content. What could you do with an extra $60 – $100 dollars a month in your pocket, yet still able to get all the television shows and movies you enjoy? All of the services listed above have specific purposes and content. Some provide vast libraries of free, online music. Some give you access to millions of uploaded videos. Additional, some provide access to television and movies online for free. Applications like Boxee, provide beautiful interfaces that bring all of these services together, in one convenient dashboard on your computer or home theater media device. This list is not all encompassing, but I am certainly questioning the need for cable television these days. There are so many channels I never watch, yet I sill pay for them. I do like my live sporting and television events, but I TiVo most of my shows and watch them later on. The funny this is, I can access the very shows I record on TiVo through a variety of ways on the internet for free, when I want to watch them. So, if you have a broadband connection and a DVD/Blu Ray player or television that is internet capable, or have a computer hooked up to your home theater, you may want to explore the landscape of streaming media. YouTube will probably keep you busy until the end of time, but there is alot more out there that may interest you.
Reposted: 60Hz vs. 120Hz vs. 240Hz – LCD Response Rate
Posted by heathaplexvision
on November 30, 2009
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Click this link for information on Response Rate for HDTVs: 60Hz vs. 120Hz vs. 240Hz – LCD Response Rate.
This is a great article I ran across from lcdtvbuyingguide.com. I’ve been talking with a number of people over the past few days about buying televisions and this question always comes up when looking at LCD HDTVs.
Enjoy!
Heathaplex Vision
Have You Noticed All the AVATAR Buzz Lately?
Posted by heathaplexvision
on November 23, 2009
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Have you noticed all the buzz surrounding the new movie AVATAR? Written and directed by James Cameron, this 4-year project just might set the new standard in digital effects, mixing human and digital actors, and the proper application of 3-D effects for theater viewing.
In the past few weeks, I’ve seen High Definition extended trailers shown on Fox, trailers at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium “Jerryland” or as one friend of mine referred to it as the “Death Star.” Last week I received my latest copy of Wired Magazine and there is a 12-page article about the movie and the effects process. Playboy had an exclusive interview about James Cameron and how this movie has been taking up all his time. Tonight, on 60 Minutes there was an interview with James Cameron, similar to the Playboy interview, in which he describes the 4-year journey and what his movie attempts to bring to moviegoers.
For James Cameron, it is extremely hard to top the the success of his last film, “Titatic.” This movie made well over a billion dollars and still remains the most profitable movie of all time. AVATAR, which cost roughly $400 million to make, is gonna take some time to make money above and beyond production costs, but I have a feeling….this movie could start making money in roughly two weeks.
Along with the movie, James Cameron worked exclusively on Avatar, the video game, which should hit stores on December 1st. This Ubisoft produced game (same folks that brought you Halo) takes you on a first-person adventure two-years prior to the time the movie takes place. I’ve seen the game trailers and it looks spectacular! I can’t wait to see it on my HDTV.
If you wondering when the movie will hit….mark your calendars for Dec 18th. I am curious to hear your thoughts and predictions on the success of this movie. I am already predicting Oscars for Best Visual Effects, Sound Mixing & Editing, Cinematography, and Art Direction. We’ll see how I do when March rolls around.
Heathaplex Vision
Crow’s Commentary: AVATAR reviewed…honestly!
SO…as I was exiting the multiplex, fresh off the first North Kansas City showing of Avatar in 3D, I received a text from this blog’s founder asking what I thought. My summary was simple- Deep space Titanic- Predictable. Over-the-top acting. And so visually stunning that everyone with $11 should go and see it. Now. If for no other reason than to say you did.
Oh you, James Cameron. Again you’ve won me over with ridiculously little substance but with enough explosive eye candy that I will keep coming back as long as you are tossing the sweet stuff into theaters. Three things stand out in Avatar- visuals, editing, and (cough) acting.
As previously mentioned, this film is as pleasing to the eye as any I’ve ever seen. Even taking into account the fact that my second grader can tell me scene for scene what will happen next, this film simply cannot be ignored. Pandora is the kind of freakily exotic/dangerous/beautiful land we all wish we had honeymooned in instead of Cabo and it lights up at night. On its own! The Na’vi are equally fantastic in their movement and realism. Long gone are the “dead eyes” of Polar Express era CG and in are the living, breathing, fighting blue tree-dwellers. Excellent stuff. The CG is so good it makes you wonder what methods Cameron used to berate the actors. Is it possible to yell at CG? Apparently it is.
In another nod to Cameron’s ability, Avatar flowed smoothly from Minute 1 to 160. There were no slow spots to bog down the storyline, despite the implicit environmentalist/anti-American imperialist subtext that almost ruined Star Wars Episode III. In typical fashion, Cameron gives the save-the-planet storyline just enough attention to maintain his Hollywood liberal street-cred but not too much to lose the audiences in Montgomery or Missoula. Even in the scene that is arguably the film’s apogee for tree-hugging social consciousness- Dr. Grace’s “Transfer” ritual- Cameron keeps it snappy with more ridiculous visuals and a nude Sigourney Weaver (who is still gettin’ it done, btw). Again Cameron’s perfectionist compulsions pay off for the viewer.
And lastly the acting. This one is difficult because most of the performances are so over the top. Stephen Lang is an excellent bad guy as Colonel Quaritch. He may overdo the redneck fanatical Marine bit but that is to be expected. Weaver is typically remarkable. I think where most of the actors earn high marks is in translation and degree of difficulty. What was it like to act with such an unprecedented level of CG/ human hybrid production? Was it hard to overcome? Whatever the case the end result will almost certainly mean superstardom for Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana.
Most reports from the first weekend show a strong opening for most any movie ever made but not quite the haul Hollywood had expected. Some point to the blizzards that have essentially snowed in America in the past 10 days. With the worst weather and Christmas past, my recommendation is to make Avatar part of your New Year’s celebration plans. Catch an early showing and be out by midnight in time to toast the new decade. In a way, that’s what Avatar is doing for the film industry.
Crow Snoozeability Scale – 0 Zs- wide awake and happy throughout.
Note: The Snoozeability Scale is meant to convey a film’s overall quality in terms of its ability to put this reviewer to sleep. In this case, 0 is the highest possible score with no sleeping whatsoever during the showing. 1 Z equals roughly a quarter of the film asleep, 2 Zs equals half of the film asleep and 3 Zs more than half of the film asleep.