petetherock

The 13th Warrior: It has been more than 20 years since the theatrical release of this movie and every now and then, I will take my DVD out of it's box for another viewing. Each time, I still wonder why it was not a box office hit (it costs thrice or four times what it made).. It's a Micheal Crichton book adaption, done on a challenge as to whether he could make an interesting story out of a folklore tale of the Beowolf. He does spin a marvellous yarn that incorporates the traditional folklore, along with elements of the "Dirty Dozen", and bit of culture mixup and good doses of action with lots of thrills and spills. So a Muslim scholar type gets sent to Scandinavia and ends up fighting man eating bear like creatures, fighting against the odds against evil. Antonio Banderas is wonderful as the scholar turned warrior, whilst Vladimir Kulich plays the charismatic leader of the baker's dozen to good effect. If you haven't not seen it before, go ahead and grab that DVD, yeah, I said DVD, because sadly, there has yet to be a Blu Ray release. The surround effects are decent, real deep bass may be lacking, but the plot and the amount of male testosterone on display makes up for it. Bravado galore! Recommended. What an ending scene!

Suddenly Twenty - movie review I had to take Thai Airways recently and it's pretty good. Decent food and legroom in economy class, especially if you get one of their newer planes. So back to the review.. This is a 2016 movie which stars Davika Hoorne, a Thai-Belgium beauty, who is one of the rising stars in Thailand. She even sings the theme song pretty well. It's classic take on the travel back in time to a younger you kind of movie, and but adds a layer not seen in such movies: emotion and the theme of getting old, family and relationships. The comical parts take a leaf from the typical Korean slapstick comedies with physical humor, action and a tough gal thrown into it. Did I say that the girl is really sweet? They really find the sweetest gals for their movies. She was also in Sudden Attack, another movie with a humor theme but also an underlying theme of overwork. For anyone who is getting on in age, or comes from a culture where the children are supposed to look after their parents, they will be able to relate even more with the sense of abandonment when the kids decide to dump you in an old folks home. The movie also builds on the idea that the parents spend their lives looking after the kids, sacrificing their own happiness, careers, even cheating and fighting in order give the child a better life. Recommended, for the movie and the lovely Davika..

Something I saw in a seafood market in Busan Does it look like anything you know

German review: http://www.areadvd.de/tests/xxl-test-denon-13-2-av-netzwerk-verstaerker-avr-x8500h-superstar-mit-vollausstattung/

Real Player One - movie review In the year, 2045, most people can't afford proper housing and live in containers, they live dreary lives, and use virtual reality to satisfy their fantasies ... Wait, sorry... that was supposed to be my review of "Real Player One"... it also feels a lot like the housing issue we face now.. Anyway back to the review. Steven Spielberg is the go to person if you want a sci-fi blockbuster. His body of work is vast and resplendent with wonderful stories of humans, where the story matters more than merely the science. But you also see plenty of amazing cool tech. Real Player One (RPO) is a masterpiece, filled with nostalgia, exciting moments, romance, thrills and spills. But it's the human element, and those 138 Easter Eggs of old movies and the homage he pays to those movies, including quite a few of his hits, that make it such a wonderful experience. But that cramped world he described can already be seen in a few places. The link between film and reality is oftentimes closer than we can imagine. Remember the facial recognition that he showed in "Minority Report"?, that's probably closer to reality now than ever. As for RPO, the nostalgia factor is a huge draw I suspect for older timers like myself, and as the characters on display span across many decades, even younger viewers will find more than a few dozen recognisable faces. So in the best movies, you find a wonderful mix of adventure, interspersed with humor and a tad of romance. This movie checks all three boxes, and feels a lot like a sci-fi version of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Whilst going from clue to clue, the protagonists find themselves liking one another, and action fans will enjoy the tremendous surround effects and bass that will pound you into submission. If you are able to see this in an IMAX theatre, please do so. The 3D is amazing and the sound is at an even higher level. Beware of sitting too close to the screen during the Kong car chase scene though, as it can be a bit too close for comfort. As I sat there, grinning from ear to ear, identifying all the hundred and one heroes from past movies and game characters, I also enjoyed the good chemistry between the actors, the subtle storylines and of course, the world of the Real Player Game. This movie will withstand many viewings, as geeks and action fans will find many reason for multiple viewings. Recommended. 4/5

What are you comparing it to? I enjoy using it for music and HT.

Perhaps their durability was their downfall...

They made more $$ selling phones than 4k players.. I still have my Nuforce 83

https://www.oppodigital.com/farewell.aspx Buy it while you can.. The decision was made last year, but people in the know had to keep mum..

Can I ask a few things: Will this ever see a HDMI 2.1 upgrade? Any replacement TV in the horizon? How does it compare to an OLED, and if I got for size, will I lose out a lot compared to an OLED. Basically an equivalent size OLED 75-77" is about twice the price.. Thanks

I have used the Toshiba HD DVD player, which has a solid transport, as well as the newer Oppo 101 ci and 203 4k player. These do pretty well as their transport is well made..

Shots from the Basilica Cistern Filmed in the movie Inferno:

I have a brace of the E112. Superb subs. Not cheap mind you. Had the F113 before that. But having two of them work better. They took the best of the Fathom series, removed the auto-cal (which I feel is unnecessary anyway), and left the best. The rubber surround is also more durable.

Just as a benchmark, the SR 8012, a new model can be bought in Singapore for under 3.5k, and the SRP is about 5k.

My initial impressions of the 8500: http://peteswrite.blogspot.sg/2018/02/denon-avc-x8500h-review.html