plays better on a TV screen than a movie screen i think, more frantic and immediate. i also liked how the movie pretty much fools the eye with a narrative we don't really perceive. of course, were i at the center of such a nightmare scenario, i would likely drop the dang camera!

one i've seen recently which really disappointed was American Gangster. it played out like a Cliff Notes version of a much more compelling story.

i would likely drop the dang camera!

Me too. The poor Hud (?) guy recording his own demise when the monster chomps him was a bit of a stretch. But it was the only really good look you get at the monster, so I guess they had to go for it.

And that camcorder sure had some amazing batteries!

P.S. Regarding disappointments, I downloaded "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" from Amazon/Unbox expecting to be disappointed and unfortunately it lived up (down?) to my expectations.

Some of the acting was OK, and so was the movie overall, but the story didn't add much to the story, and a lot of it seemed pointless. I thought it was supposed to be a character study of both main characters, and I guess it sort of was but it seemed pretty shallow. Maybe they were both shallow. Or maybe I'm not smart enough to get it. And it was too long by about an hour.

Also, renting DVDs for the first time in a while reminded me how much I miss Dolby Digital sound. Plus, my DVD player uprezzes to almost broadcast HD quality. Can't get either from Amazon/Unbox/Tivo, nor can you rent the latest releases which seem to run about two months behind and there is a stupid 24 hour viewing time limit window once you start watching.

You can "buy" movies for $15, but I fail to see the value in storing them on my Tivo hard drive which would quickly fill up. They don't let you copy your "purchase" to DVD for archiving. Amazon/Unbox/Tivo needs a lot of work. The only thing it has going for it is that it's convenient. And about $1 cheaper than Blockbuster.

For purchasing DVDs, I find it's about best to wait until the new releases are out of heavy rotation and thence to the Hollywood Video where you can get them for about $6.75 apiece if you buy 3 on the "previously viewed" table.

But I had to have the collectors ed. of "There Will Be Blood." That movie is right in your wheelhouse, R.

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"It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?"

was one I also had some problems with - it was very much a Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven, Badlands) homage, that could have been better at a shorter running time. the most interesting part to me was Casey Affleck's performance and the parts dealing with the real-life fame (or infamy) of Jesse and Robert Ford. i did not know Ford had taken his shooting of Jesse to the stage for re-enactment.

also i'm with Andy on just waiting a few months if you're thinking of buying, when the prices usually drop off. it's worth remembering that many folks paid $100 for a VHS copy of "Top Gun" when it was released. yee-ouch!
bide your time - prices usually fall quickly.

I have a copy of Lonesome Dove on LaserDisc. It's on four double-sided discs and only cost me $135.49. The invoice is dated June 01, 1994.

It's for sale if anybody is interested. Amazon is asking $9.99 for the DVD which has much better video quality but my album art has it beat.

I also have an LD copy of Ken Burns' The Civil War but I think it was only $129.

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Now that Netflix has two-day turnaround in Knoxville, it has gone from damn cool to amazingly wonderful. I rent a lot of old movies and TV shows that you just can't find at Blockbuster (or Unbox, for that matter). They have a pretty amazing selection of movies and TV shows in their "Play Now" streaming service, as well.

Last month I rented 16 disks from Netflix for my 18 bucks and maybe watched another couple of streamed movies. Of course, with the writer's strike and my aversion to sitcoms, it's not like there was anything else to watch, basketball season being over. Usually I watch more like 8 or 10. Which is still a deal.