Friday, October 9, 1998
11:35pm PDT -- As we approach the witching hour here on the Southern California coast in San Diego, what better time to present our latest review of Paramount's KISS THE GIRLS. Bob and I both liked this movie and the transfer. It was the first time for either of us to see it, respectively, and we both came away impressed. But hey, with such an outstanding cast with Morgan Freeman leading the helm and an anamorphic transfer, how could it go wrong?

10:55pm PDT -- The same DVD archangel that forwarded the rumor about Dreamworks below sent us another e-mail stating that it's his or her understanding that SMALL SOLDIERS is supposed to be a special edition similar to Universal's SE's and that could account for the higher price. This would seem plausible, given the close relationship that Universal and Dreamworks has. Rumored Columbia titles in the works for December 15th release are BUGSY and BODY DOUBLE. Also on December 15th, what could be the first two titles from the Artisan/Pioneer collective: LIGHT SLEEPER and THE FIELD. We don't know our new pen pal from Adam, but we sure hope he or she is right about this stuff! While we're on the subject of rumors, we heard another one that the STAR WARS series will be sold on DVD in the fourth quarter of '99...

5:45pm PDT -- We've received late-breaking word (which Dreamworks would neither confirm or deny when we called them moments ago) that the Dreamworks titles will be released December 1st with THE PEACEMAKER and MOUSEHUNT at $29.99 retail but SMALL SOLDIERS priced at $34.99. Let's hope the latter is not true -- we'd hate to see Dreamworks get off on the wrong foot with DVD enthusiasts. Dreamworks confirmed that a press release is being readied for distribution next week. If the information we've passed on proves to be true, it would appear that there is a real DVD enthusiast among the rank and file at Dreamworks SKG.

5:39pm PDT -- Just in time for the weekend, TBP delivers another review for your reading pleasure. LOGAN'S RUN. So, how well does this Academy award-winning sci-fi from '76 look and sound with it's new DD 5.1 mix and anamorphic transfer? We tell all!

8:44am PDT -- Yesterday, we received our official, full-color promotional one-sheets from Paramount regarding their next nine titles coming October 20th, November 10th and November 24th -- and fasten your seatbelts -- just one of the 14 titles, Kevin Kline's IN & OUT, will be 16x9 enhanced. Remember, in their the first slate of titles (released this week) all but one were anamorphic. Does this flip-flop mean that Paramount is testing the waters? Or have they already decided that 16x9 enhancement is too expensive and/or time-consuming to bother with? We certainly hope the latter is not the case, but in any event, Paramount is sending mixed signals to their prospective customers and that's not a good thing. Will CLEAR & PRESENT DANGER look more like SOFT & PRESENT DISAPOINTMENT? Time will tell... And you can count on The BIG Picture to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to the technical merits of the DVD's we review. Click to see the actual October 20th, November 10th and November 24th spec sheets from Paramount.

Thursday, October 8, 1998
1:56pm PDT -- "New digital technologies, specifically DVD, DSS and digital camcorders, continue to exceed our expectations", so sayeth Tweeter Home Entertainment Group in reporting significant gains in fourth quarter earnings and end of fiscal year profits. Thanks for keeping us on our toes, Dana!

9:47am PDT - On-line merchant 800.com, The Ultimate Electronics Zone has reinvented itself with a new website design. The view looks good from here!

9:40am PDT -- Musicland's DVD sales figures for September were three times higher than last September's numbers. DVD is here for the long haul.

9:00am PDT - Laserviews has updated their listings. Polygram is ramping up production with a slew of titles in early December. If you missed out on Criterion's collector's edition of THIS IS SPINAL TAP, you'll have your chance to save ten bucks and buy it from Polygram in December. But don't expect the extra features to "go up to eleven". Unhappy about Disney's price gouging, paltry title selection and non-anamorphic transfers? What kills me is that they've come out with so few titles -- are peddling SCREAM again (director's cut this time for $39) and STILL aren't providing an anamorphic transfer. Can I see a show of hands from all the suckers that will buy SCREAM for a second time in less than a year? How about those that will buy it a THIRD time when Buena Vista decides to get with the program and release it 16x9 enhanced? No thanks, Mickey. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.

8:49am PDT - As word of the powerful, yet tiny disc sweeps the land... Atlantic City On-line has a DVD primer for the uninitiated.

We know how anxious you are to hear about the new Paramount titles... We posted our review of STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT late Monday night and today we're pleased to present Bob Banka's review of John Woo's FACE/OFF. Tonight, we screened KISS THE GIRLS and a review will be forthcoming. Rest assured, it's another fine transfer from Paramount. Another E ticket ride, ladies and gents.

Wednesday, October 7, 1998
We've been receiving lots of e-mail with people wondering if open DVD is running counter-ads to the great Divx blitzkrieg. We've heard that Hollywood Video is running a new print ad. The large, nearly full-page ad reads "Don't let anyone feed you a line", showing a hand holding a telephone wire that's got a phone-jack connection at the end. Below that it reads "Only DVD Delivers" ... "No Phone hook up necessary, no extra charge for repeat play, widescreen picture, exclusive behind the scenes footage, filmmaker commentaries, multiple languages, plays on DVD-ROM equipped computers, the lowest rental price...$3.49 for 5 days or rent a DVD Player & 3 DVD movies for 5 days for just $14.99". Gotta love it.

Has anyone else noticed that the new Paramount titles appear just a tad artificially sharp? During recent screenings of STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT and FACE/OFF, we noticed that sometimes the images took on an ever-so- slightly grainy appearance from sharpness enhancement. This can be best viewed in the opening shot of the Paramount logo. Instead of a smooth, consistent image, the logo appears a little rough from over-enhancement. This takes place during the features as well. Now mind you, we're not complaining -- merely making an observation. Of course we'd rather see sharp, clear images as opposed to soft ones here at The BIG Picture -- and the overall appearance of these discs are outstanding -- but it appears to us that perhaps Paramount is going just a fraction too far with their image processing. Instead of looking smooth and consistent like film, the imagery looks more like a broadcast. Try your own experimentation. Take a reference-quality transfer like U.S. MARSHALS from Warner, THE FAN from Columbia Tristar (my personal pick for this experiment) LOST IN SPACE from New Line or TERMINATOR 2 from Live (Artisan) and compare the images to either of the aforementioned Paramount titles. To our eyes, these titles appear more film-like, while maintaining razor sharp video, than Paramount's offerings. Is it just us? Are we going crazy? Or do you see the same thing? Please share your thoughts with us on our forum page. By the way, we like the sexy new copyright warning that Paramount is using on their DVD's. While we'd prefer to see them after the feature, buried after the credits -- they seem to zip by pretty quickly -- and they look so much better than the standard, industrial warnings that we see on so many other discs.

Sure. You know that HBO is releasing FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON in November. But did you know that it marks the first time a company has released a DVD version before VHS? The only news that would have been better would be if the mini-series had been shot in 16:9 but cropped for broadcast and that a widescreen presentation would be featured. Oh, and that $119.98 MSRP sounds a bit steep, while we're at it.

Tuesday, October 6, 1998
2:36pm PDT - As the cost of DVD hardware continues to fall, today's announcement by STMicroelectronics can only mean further price reductions as technology improves. This is good news that we predict will help usher in DVD players competetive with VCR pricing in the very near future.

In case you missed it, Laserviews has updated their page with new title announcements -- primarily from - surprise - Image Entertainment. We're thrilled to see some more great silent classics coming to DVD, including Laurel and Hardy comedies. Bring 'em on, Image. Bring 'em on.

Disney is beginning to look like... uh, a Mickey Mouse operation, with December title announcements that can be characterized only as short-sighted and a tad greedy... A special edition of SCREAM for $39? GOODWILL HUNTING for $39?? Speaking strictly for ourselves, thanks -- but no thanks. It strikes us as a little disingenuous to market another version of SCREAM, considering that Disney has provided so few titles to open DVD, thus far. We've heard the same complaint leveled at MGM for doing the same with a new "special edition" of Goldeneye -- but given MGM's enormous contributions to open DVD with a ton of great titles and more announced regularly, we're not willing to paint them with the same brush. Disney, we're disappointed. Let's see reasonable pricing and 16x9 enhancements. It's time to take your toes out of the water and get serious. Check DVD Review for other titles and details.

The great 3-D debate: After our review of America's Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills 2 in 3-D, we've received some interesting e-mail which we'd like to share here. The first was from Dean McMannis, who explained the process used to create the "3-D" effect:
"I have the first America's roller coaster video on a VHS tape version,and although it didn't have the color problems, the 3D effect worked (weakly) on VHS, but I was intrigued about how they could present a 3D version of a movie without red-green glasses, or special polarized glasses, and have the picture look fine without any glasses. I found out that the method that is used relys on something called the Pilfitch Effect(or some name like that) which uses the fact that human eyes have two sensors (rods and cones) for seeing. The cones are active during daylight and see color, and the rods are active at night, are more sensitive to light, and mostly see black and white. So with one eye uncovered and the other eye dimmed with a shaded lens, the one eye is using the cones, and the other is using the rods. Well, there is also a difference in the speed that the different eye sensors relay the image to the brain, so one is delayed from the other. This is enough of a difference that with images that are moving from side to side rapidly, one eye sees a different video frame than the other and voila! 3D. It is an interesting concept, and you will find that you can see the 3D effect in other movies too using the glasses. As long as you can put up with the darkness mostly obscuring the vision of one eye."

Our next comment comes courtesy of William Farmer, who is not as charitable in his comments:
"Neither part I or part II of America's Greatest Roller Coaster films are in 3D This is an absolute rip off, and I wish you would tell people such on your page. The glasses included, with one clear and one gray lens, were developed about 15 years ago; their initial use was in conjunction with a Rolling Stones special which was televised in 3D The 3D only occurred, however, in scenes where the camera was doing a 360 degree tracking shot around the Stones. This is because the gray lens slows the reaction of one eye, so what it sees lags behind the other eye a fraction of a second. The movement of the camera brings about the illusion of 3D separation, and the effect occurs. The notion that these glasses will bring about 3D on a straight-forward film of a roller coaster is an absolute falsehood, and any 3D effect noticed while watching these DVD's is purely imaginary, I assure you. (An interesting example: try wearing these glasses and watching the 360 tracking shot around the restaurant table in The Untouchables. That'll show you what kind of shot these glasses were created for.) "

While The BIG Picture won't go so far as to agree that the effect is an "absolute rip-off", we do agree that the effect is nominal at best - and that an informed consumer makes the best decisions. Thanks for your letters, Dean and William!

Monday, October 5, 1998
11:34pm PDT -- The BIG Picture's editor, Jeff McNeal takes an in-depth look at one of Paramount's first DVD titles: STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT. Is it worth the money? Has Paramount taken stock of the DVD marketplace and provided the kind of quality and value that we're looking for? Read the review, sponsored by Digital Eyes and draw your own conclusions...

After a lengthy hiatus, our DVD sPy has come in from the cold with a tip to check out this Computer Retail Week article proclaiming that: DVD Reaches Critical Mass.

Here's a novel idea -- an article comparing DVD, Divx and VHS that lets you provide feedback. We like it.

And here's a companian article to the one above which touts DVD and also invites reader feedback.

WEEKEND UPDATE
For thrills, chills and dramamine pills, check our review of AMERICA'S GREATEST ROLLER COASTER THRILLS 2 IN 3-D

The Divx Soundtrack Festival? One of our alert readers, Dan Deganis, found this curious looking page on the Internet. It would appear that Divx is spending a slice of that $60 mil in their ad budget to support the arts, in an effort to ingratiate themselves with the composers of movie soundtracks. Could you imagine if you had to pay Divx a royalty every time you listened to the TITANIC soundtrack? Or THE SOUND OF MUSIC? Let's not forget that Paul Brindze of Divx once stated that the long range plans for Divx included soundtracks and video games. Clearly, Divx has not forgotten.

At this point, it's only a rumor, but one of our friends in the Netherlands tells us that TITANIC has been announced as a region 2 DVD with a street date set for the first week in December...

Bob Banka has turned out another comprehensive review - this time featuring the romantically touching and spiritually moving film CITY OF ANGELS. Warner has turned out an exceptionally feature-laden, high quality disc with this one and continues to lead the pack in value. Other studios could learn a valuable lesson from Warner's DVD model. Regardless of whether you've seen this movie or not, you owe it to yourself to check out Bob's review and either rent or purchase this disc. This review is sponsored by our friends at Digital Eyes.

Just a reminder that if you're searching for a LOST IN SPACE review, The BIG Picture posted the first look at this disc about five weeks ago and the review has been one of the most visited on our site. For the most comprehensive, in-depth look at this special-effects spectacular, click the link.

Acting on news that region one discs were being sold in England, sometimes before theatrical release of the titles in question, British authorities raided several London-based DVD operations last weekend and confiscated the contraband. In a retaliatory move, it has been reported that British retailers had already cancelled $4 million in pre-orders for U.S. product following the raid and that the total amount of cancellations could rise to $150 million by Christmas. Check the full story in Hollywood On-line. A special thanks to Rick Fisher for alerting us to this story.

MGM tells us that KINGPIN has been delayed because "The Farrelly brothers asked us to use the full-frame version on our Kingpin DVD". Someone needs to write to the Farrelly Brothers and find out what THAT'S all about! No mention of anamorphic was mentioned.