Blu-ray Review: Lost - The Complete Sixth and Final Season

Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season
Special Features:  The Man in Charge, The End: Crafting A Final Season, A Hero's Journey, See You In *** ********* (edited for spoilers), Brotha, LOST on Location, Lost in 8:15 - A Crash Course; Lost Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentaries, Lost University, SeasonPlay, Seamless Menus, and more.

Well, at last, here it is.  The story that captivated (and confused) millions of viewers has reached its conclusion.  The journey of those on Oceanic flight 815 has reached an ending.  For better or for worse, Lost is over.

It's fan base does remain insatiable as this release has shot straight to the top of the DVD sales charts.  With good reason of course, it is a pretty stellar season, at least to me.  I enjoyed the ride Lost has taken me on since the beginning right on up to the final scene.  So then we've reached the conclusion.  The fates of the characters we've loved are revealed and now we can say goodbye again with this set.

Lost has never looked better.  The picture is gorgeous, the colors rich and deep.

The real draw though are the features, well at least one of them.  The coda to the show, the "epilogue" featuring Ben and Hurley.  I'm of course not going to tell you a thing about it except to say I enjoyed it.  I'm not sure it's entirely necessary but it's an okay addition.

As a whole the set is a must own for fans of the show and for those hoping to see how it all ends before (miraculously by now) nothing is spoiled.

I think it is a bit overpriced though considering it's a truncated season but clearly people are willing to pay since it is selling rather well so far.

If you're a Lost fan you're going to buy this no matter what I say and if you aren't a Lost fan, well, you probably aren't even reading this.

Believe me, for picture and sound alone you should get this.  It really does look great on Blu-ray.

No matter where you stand on its final moments, Lost's impact on television and popular culture cannot be denied.  It was (some might say still is) a hugely important show and it's final episodes deserve a home on anyone's shelf.

Whether you think the producers had it all laid out at the beginning (personally, I don't) or that it was all spur of the moment, the shows final season delivers.  You get answers and in typical Lost fashion more questions but in the end you know the fates of everyone involved and you feel like the journey is over.

I still find myself wishing it wasn't but at least I can relive every moment with the Blu-rays!

Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season is available now.  You can also pick up Lost: The Complete Collection on DVD and Blu-ray.  if you ask me this is the way to go if you don't have any of the other seasons!

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American Remake "Let Me In" Set for Success

Let Me In is the American remake of the Swedish film, Let the Right One In. The original is widely considered one of the best thrillers of recent years.

As the title would suggest, this is a vampire movie.  But make no mistake. Let Me In is unlike Twilight, Bram Stoker's Dracula, From Dusk Till Dawn or any other vampire movie you've ever seen.  We would suggest you walk into this movie not knowing anything more than what you read here.

When news came that it was being remade, it made me sick to my stomach. Hollywood wants their piece of the pie again, and they're dirty hands are going to made me lose my appetite. Then I found out that Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass) was cast as the female lead and I changed my mind. That young lady can act, and I could see her pulling off this role. Her performance could make or break the movie. Add to the equation that Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) is helming, I don't know how this remake could fail at capturing the audience.  We'll have to wait till October 1st to find out for sure.

After seeing this trailer from Comic Con, I felt completely at ease and now want to go see this in theaters.

I'm not a fan of watching clips from movies. But be my guest and watch a scene from the upcoming Let Me In

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Frackin' Awesome Music Friday 9/03/10

Carolina Chocolate Drops is the type of music I never thought I'd ever hear or ever thought I'd listen to in my lifetime, '30s negro stringband (If you call that a genre).  Honestly, the name of the album, "Genuine Negro Jig", is what made me pause and say to myself, "I've gotta hear this."  My jaw dropped at the what I heard.  This album will be my next download.

Below is the band's stylized cover of Blu Cantrell's "Hit 'Em Up", which is on the album.


Michelle Branch went country?  Surprising, maybe. But she pulls off the switch with no problem.  Branch didn't release a full album, it's an extended six-track EP entitled, "Everything Comes and Goes", which released on August 27th and is currently #55 on the top 100 Selling ITunes Albums.  The best song off her EP,  is easily "I Want Tears".

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Directory of Artists on Ping

If you've signed up for Ping, the first thing you might have noticed is the lack of Artist Directory.  I've created this directory for the time being to make it easier for people to find bands they like until Apple implements this function into ITunes 10.  Unfortunately I can't link for to artists' pages, so you'll still have to enter the name of the artist in the ping search for people.

I will update this as often as possible, so check back often.
If you have any to add, please leave a comment.

Death Cab for Cutie 
James ZabielaJosh Ritter
The Jellybricks
Kenny Chesney
Lady Antebellum
Lucy SchwartzMatthew EbelMatthew NathansonMindless BehaviorMuseThe New PornographersNine Inch Nails 
Pearl JamPomplamoose (Jack Conte, half of the band) 
RECOIL RecoilbossSarah Elizabeth FosterShe and HimSlimGirlFatSoundgardenTara CraigWeezerYacht
Yeasayer
Zoe Keating

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Cee-lo Releases Offical Music Video for "F*ck You"

Cee-lo Green released the official music video for "F*ck You" and I think it's a fun music video, but I liked the version I had in my head better.  Still, it's a great song!!

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Combining Zombies and Anime Makes for Thrilling Entertainment

Based on the manga of the same name, the anime takes place at a high school during a zombie outbreak.  Though instead of calling the monsters zombies, the characters refer to the undead beasts as "Them".  We follow the survivors as they find a way to escape the pandemic.  When the end of the world has come, where do you run?

The production is animated very well, though in parts, they obviously saved on budget and time by using still frames.  Normally this is a little off-putting and distracting, but this series pulls it off in a way where it doesn't dis-shovel the continuity of the scene.

I never thought I'd see zombies in anime.  I've been a stranger to anime for a few years because there wasn't anything new out that interested me.  This show has my undivided attention as it should have yours.

At the very least, High School of the Dead will help quench your zombie cravings until The Walking Dead premieres on Halloween.

I couldn't find a HD version, but I found a streaming version running at 480p at The Anime Network.  Check it out and tell me what you think of the show.

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Blu-Ray Review: The Last Song

The Last Song
Written by:  Nicholas Sparks & Jeff Van Wie based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks
Directed by:  Julie Anne Robinson
Starring:  Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Bobby Coleman with Kelly Preston and Greg Kinnear
Special features: Alternate Opening Sequence, Deleted Scenes, Set Tour with Bobby Coleman, Miley Cyrus Music Video "When I Look At You", Making of the Video, Audio Commentary and a DVD copy of the film.

From the box:

Miley Cyrus shines as the star of this heartwarming coming-of-age movie that will strike your emotional chords.  Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks (Dear John, The Notebook), The Last Song follows Ronnie (Cyrus) and her estranged father as he tries to restore the loving relationship they once had  But reconnecting with his rebellious daughter isn't easy, so he chooses the one thing they still have in common - music.  Complete with not-to-be-missed bonus features - the Miley Cyrus music video "When I Look At You," exclusive interviews with the actress and more - this uplifting and touching drama about family, first loves and second chances is a heartfelt story you won't soon forget.

Unfortunately, that is not completely true.  The Last Song is pretty forgettable. 

Miley Cyrus hits the big screen in her first non Hannah Montana role as a supposedly troubled teenager girl, or at least one with a bad attitude, who comes to spend the summer with her dad in his sleepy beach town.  They don't get along for about ten minutes and then it's all good.  She meets some volleyball guy who has charisma like wet cheese and falls in love (on and off screen).  This being a Nicholas Sparks film you can probably guess what happens next.

In all honesty, The Last Song isn't that bad.  It's a perfectly serviceable film that will hit its intended audience exactly where it wants.  It's nothing that will be remembered in a year, in fact I'm sure people will have a hard time remembering it was even released at all, but while you're watching it's enjoyable.

The performances are decent.  The highlights and the real emotional connection come from Greg Kinnear and Bobby Coleman, who at times steals the show.  Miley is okay.  In fact, she gets better as the film goes on. I think she has the potential to be great but needs more practice outside the realm of a Disney sitcom.  Liam Hemsworth falls pretty flat for me.

On the format, the film looks great.  The colors are crystal clear and vibrant and the sound is perfect.  The special features are pretty blah for a Disney release.  It seems like the biggest draw is the music video, which is underwhelming at best.  The song, I'll admit, is pretty great.  I like it a lot.  I just wish the video was a little better.

Overall, The Last Song is a syrupy love story with a completely unnecessary, albeit it expected, plot point.  It's forced to say the least.  The film is good for what it is but once the credits roll, it's out of sight out of mind.


The Last Song is available now on Blu-Ray and DVD. 

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$99 Apple TV, New ITunes Social Network and other Apple News

Today, for the first time, I attended an Apple Press Conference, and I did it at school. Even though I'm a huge fan of Apple and their different products, I don't own one of them. For the sake of curiosity and to report the results to the readers of this article, I went to my college Mac Lab and streamed the conference as it was only available to watch on Safari with certain specs that I didn't have. I tweeted basically the whole event, you should follow me, @leeroyholmes, as I do this sort of thing every chance I get.   Here are the highlights of the conference:

New Apple TV - $99 Pre-Order Available Now

• No Storage (Rentals Only)
• First-Run HD Movies $4.99  (Avilable same day as DVD/Blu-Ray. Older titles will cost less)
• Rent HD TV Shows .99 (ABC, FOX only on board right now, more will follow)
• Streaming Netflix, Youtube HD, Photos from Flickr, Video/Photo MobileME
• Wi-Fi N Protocol
• HD Content (Most likely 720P, but I'll research and update this)
• Airplay - Stream any photo/video/music content from PC, IPOD Touch, IPhone, or IPAD
• Fits in the palm of the your hand (1/4 the size of the old model)

New IPOD Touch (It's the IPhone 4 without the Phone)
Will be released next week.  Pre-Order Available Now
          8GB - $229                      32GB -  $299                          64GB - $399

• Retina Display (960 X 640 ala IPhone4
• Apple A4 Chip
• 3 axis gyro
• Frontcamera
• Facetime via Wi-Fi
• HD Video on Backcamera (720P at 30FPS)
• IMovie Editing capabilities ($4.99 Download) 

New IPod Nano - Pre-Order Available Now
8GB - $149.99    16GB - $179.99

• Touchscreen with Multitouch
• 46% Smaller with clip
• Ability to change the screen orientation and customize the menus
• Six Colors
• 24 hours of audioplay

New IPod Shuffle - Pre-Order Available Now
2GB $49 (Available Next Week)

• Buttons from 2nd generation Shuffle
• VoiceOver from 3rd generation Shuffle
• Genuis Mixes
• Five Colors 

ITunes 10 - Coming Soon

• Logo has been replaced
• A More Streamlined Interface for your library, saving a lot of viewing space
• Ping (Social Network streamlined into ITunes.  I will write an article all about the features and a review after it's released.  From first view it looked a lot like facebook with a focus on music.

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All New Between Two Ferns and You'll NEVER Guess Who The Guest Is!

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Sean Penn from Between Two Ferns

Enjoy the hilarity.

See more at Funny or Die!

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Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 Coming To Blu-Ray!

Disney's Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 arrive on DVD and a 4 Disc Blu-ray Set on November 30, 2010. 

Here are some details!

Fantasia DVD Bonus Features:

    * New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley
    * Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.

Fantasia Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:

    * Disney View – This viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.
    * The Shultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) –An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook.  The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view. Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animators until this notebook was recovered.
    * Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.
    * Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection

o  With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
o Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.


Fantasia 2000 DVD Bonus Features:

    * Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions.  Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter.  Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.


Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:

    * Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time: 82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after its inception in 1946.
    * Destino (running time: approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.
    * Disney’s Virtual Vault -- BD-Live Feature

o  Original DVD Bonus Features from Legacy Collection

    * Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time: 84 minutes)

o  With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst.
o  Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Combo Packs  (Blu-ray + DVD in a single package):   To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney classics, in 2008 WDSHE pioneered the Combo Pack – Blu-ray Disc(s) plus a DVD in a single package. Classic Disney titles released as Combo Packs include Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack is priced at $45.99 SRP and the 2-Disc DVD set is priced at $39.99 SRP.
 
Feature run time: 125 min – Fantasia; 75 min – Fantasia 2000
Rated:G
FastPlayTM:  FastPlay enabled
Technical specifications may only apply to feature.
 
Blu-ray Discs
Aspect ratio: Fantasia - 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 - 1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 DEHT                                
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish
DVDs:
Aspect ratio: Fantasia - 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 -1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), 5.1 DEHT
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

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Conan O'Brien's New Show Is Called...

Conan. 

I think that's all we need.

Conan premiers on TBS Monday, Nov. 8, at 11 p.m. (ET/PT).

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Taylor Swift Debuts "Mine" Music Video

Taylor Swift's new single "Mine" is burning up the radio charts and the official music video debuted this week. If the rest of the upcoming album sounds like this song, it will be another hit.  Her new album, "Speak Now" is due out October 25.  Stay tuned for an album review of this new album coming soon.

Check out Taylor's new music video "Mine" below.

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Zombies Attack in Episode of "Black Box TV"

When you put youtubers Joe Nation and Tony Valenzuela together on a project, you're getting gold, whatever it is. Their new new project called "Blackbox TV" is a "Twilight Zone" sort of show.  

The first episode, "Do Over"   features Youtube superstar Philip DeFranco aka Sxephil.  This episode asks the question, "What if fate gave you the chance to look into your future and see that one of your choices would change your life forever?"

The second episode, "Where Are You?", features another youtube star, Justine Ezarik aka IJustine.  In this episode a young woman wakes up, alone in the desert after having a fight with her boyfriend the night before. After going back to their campsite, she can't find her boyfriend anywhere.

This new episode, "The Last Exit" is my favorite by far.  Because of course, it has my favorite kind of baddies, zombies.  Experience this new episode below.

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