Friday, November 27, 1998
11:28am PST - Congratulations to Brian Woods of Hattiesburg, Mississippi who found our contest banner and won a free copy of HOME ALONE 3.
10:51am PST - FREE DVD ALERT: We've done it again. Somewhere within our review pages a special contest banner awaits you with the siren song of a FREE DVD. It could be anywhere! This time, The BIG Picture is giving away HOME ALONE 3. Here's how our contest works: The special contest banner will appear at random - but only once - for the lucky winner. In other words, if you see the banner, take a deep breath and relax. As long as you don't do something silly like refresh the page, you're DVD home free. If you're that special someone that happens upon the banner, simply read it carefully and follow the instructions to claim your prize.
9:42am PST - We're sorry... wrong number... please try your call again later... One of our readers wrote to Divx and asked them for sales information for October - the first full month of the Divx national roll-out. Here was their response:
"We consider information about the revenue mix of Divx products to be proprietary. You may continue to check the Divx website for updated financial information."
As a publicly-held company, we're not so sure that the "revenue mix" of Divx products can remain "proprietary" for very long. Their stockholders are going to start wanting some answers.
9:34am PST - As Warner Appreciation Week winds down, Jeff McNeal has gone into the library and "delivers" a brand new review for another WB title: THE POSTMAN.
8:08am PST - If you've ever witnessed the precision Naval flying team, The Blue Angels in action, you've no doubt wondered what it must be like to pilot one of those puppies. Well, the wait is over, at least as far as your computer is concerned. Multimedia 2000 announced F/A-18E Hornet Attack - the first combat flight simulator for DVD-ROM. As an added bonus, the title features "America's Flying Aces: The Blue Angels 50th Anniversary," a documentary hosted by John Travolta that will run on your standalone DVD Video player.
8:03am PST - Laserviews recently updated their DVD release page with December 1, 1998 street date confirmations, more info on Warner's upcoming MY FAIR LADY disc, plus announcements from Fox, Disney, Columbia Tristar and others.
7:57am PST The gloves are off as CC plays hardball... Brian Sinks of Tulsa, Oklahoma wrote to tell us: "After a visit to a movie theatre the group I was with decided to drop by the near-by Circuit City. I have visited this recently opened store several times and bought several DVD's there. But this time NO DVD's to be seen anywhere. The store had DIVX posters in every corner. They had one or two regular DVD players for sale which was overshadowed by the DIVX display. I guess for Circuit City (Tulsa) the word "selection" doesn't apply anymore."
7:54am PST Back in the saddle. Hope that everyone reading this column (that celebrates Thanksgiving) had a great day.
Wednesday, November 25, 1998
4:43pm PST - Just a reminder that in honor of Thanksgiving, we'll be taking the day off tomorrow with the rest of you (hey, no triple time holiday pay around here, pal!) and enjoying the day with our families. So... what are we thankful for at The BIG Picture? Plenty:
We're thankful that Bob Banka accepted Jeff McNeal's invitation to host Bob's wonderful and insightful reviews on Jeff's new website that no one had ever heard of in late March...
We're thankful for the 500 people who gave us a try when we officially launched The BIG Picture last April 3rd. And we're thankful that they came back, along with about 44,500 of their closest friends, who stop in to read the latest news and reviews nearly every day.
We're thankful that no one has threatened any physical harm for our "find the free DVD buried in our review pages" contests. Especially since we'll be giving away another DVD on Friday.
We're thankful that 98% of DVD owners on the Internet can see Divx for what it really represents and that they are holding fast in their resolve to stop a technology that represents all the worst elements of corporate greed and control.
We're thankful for the Webmaster at Digital Eyes who discovered our site about a month after we started and said "Hey, we like your site and would like to advertise there." In addition to Digital Eyes, who opened the door to sponsorship, we're grateful for our other key sponsors for helping us keep this site going with their financial support. These sponsors include: DVD Empire, BigStar, DiscShop, CD Playright and of course, NetFlix. We fervently hope that you will do business with these fine companies if you aren't already.
We're thankful for the wide promotional support of DVD-producing studios including Warner Brothers, MGM, Columbia Tristar, New Line, Artisan, Image, Trimark, Fox, Universal, Paramount, Sterling, Dreamworks and others that continue to provide us with DVD content to review, even when our reviews aren't always flattering.
We're thankful that the honesty and candor of our reviews are appreciated by our readers, and respected by the aforementioned studios who are continually looking for ways to improve their product for discerning buyers.
We're thankful for readers that take the time to send in their helpful suggestions so we can continue to improve The BIG Picture. We're also grateful to those that point out our errors, so we can correct them.
Bob Banka and Jeff McNeal are thankful for those that take us up on our invitations to send in questions or comments about our respective reviews.
We're thankful to the "regulars" who take a personal interest in The BIG Picture DVD News Daily and contribute links to interesting news stories that we might have missed or hadn't gotten around to finding yet.
We're thankful to a handful of major DVD site webmasters (and you know who you are) who have provided us with encouragement, support and kind words. We'd list names, but we wouldn't want to run the risk of offending anyone that we might inadvertently leave out. But suffice to say, they are all listed on our links page.
We're thankful to the whiz-bang programmers who have provided either at no charge, or very little charge, the wonderful java and CGI programs that make our search engine, forum pages and a host of "behind the scene" functions possible here at TBP.
We're thankful to our Internet Service Provider, Millennianet, for providing a rock-solid base from which to conduct our operations. So far, we've never had a service interruption or threat of one, as so many other DVD-related webmasters have had to endure.
We're thankful for our friends, family -- and especially wives, who endure rattling floors, windows and doors on a near daily basis as we conduct the business of enjoying this marvelous addition to Home Theater that we all know and love. Long live open DVD!!
We'll be back in full swing on Friday..
4:38pm PST - This isn't news, but I wanted to share it with you, anyway... For most of the day, I've been thinking about finding a photo of a real plump, juicy, golden brown turkey and attaching Richard Sharp's head to the butterball with the quotation: "HAPPY THANKSGIVING - NOW CARVE THIS BIRD!" But to tell you the truth, in all the hullabaloo of work, answering e-mail and other stuff... I just never found the time... But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?
4:35pm PST - Special thanks to Anime On DVD Webmaster Chris Beveridge for alerting us that there are some hot new anime titles coming out in the form of the 70's and 80's series CAPTAIN HARLOCK and STARBLAZERS. For the full scoop on these little gems, check out Chris' always excellent Anime On DVD website.
4:27pm PST - Nice to hear that Best Buy is matching the Divx offer of five free discs with the purchase of an open DVD player. Not only is that a greater dollar value from the get-go (by a factor of four times, at least), it's a lasting value that you can continue to enjoy time and time again -- without having to spend an extra dime, let alone 35 of them, each time you want to watch a movie that's been paid for already. Thanks to Tony from Pittburgh, PA for alerting us -- and you -- of the open DVD counter-measure by Best Buy!
7:37am PST - Special thanks to BIG Picture reader Vincent Matis for coming up with the idea for our latest news poll. Be sure and let the studios know how many sales they lost by not providing anamorphic Widescreen transfers! The poll, by the way, is multiple choice...
7:26am PST - As we slowly shake our heads in pity...The DVD sPy made a brief appearance under cover of darkness to share this intelligence report with us: "I went to my local Circus City outlet to check out the DIVX marketing, Darien Illinois to be exact. They had DVD and DIVX titles right next to each other. DVDs were priced from 19.95 to 24.95 with the same DIVX title under the DVD title for.....you guessed it 4.49. Then they had 2 DVDs stacked next to 8 DIVX titles right next to a DIVX player and the saleman told me why only get 2 DVDs when you can get 8 DIVX for the same price? If an uneducated consumer saw this they would be more likely ot be sucked into the DIVX abyss. Just thought you might like a litle misc DIVX marketing info..." Wouldn't you have loved to have told the salesmen the 30+ reasons why the 2 DVD's are the better deal?
We've really dug deep into the vault to provide a new review of one of the original Warner DVD's. Bob Banka takes a look into an apocalyptic world in search of just one thing... "the juice... the precious juice" that turns the Australian outback into a speeding, flamethrowing hell on wheels. "Don't disobey me, puppy". Read Bob's outstanding "humungus" review of ROAD WARRIOR.
Tuesday, November 24, 1998
2:09pm PST - When we mentioned our wish for studios to include trailers of upcoming releases, we neglected to mention that one maverick studio is doing it already -- Trimark! Sorry for the oversight! And... way to go, Trimark!
2:05pm - Today, someone in a position to know gave us the unofficial word that the upcoming Warner release of MISTER ROBERTS is slated to be Widescreen and anamorphic - and that a lot of effort is going into this upcoming title to make it very nice. Good deal.
1:48pm PST - Santa... Dick? A Massachusetts high tech research firm predicts a holly jolly Christmas for DVD with 351,000 DVD players shipping, including a 20% allowance for Divx. I'm not sure where they pull the 20% figure for Divx from, but based on our own straw polls, this is a highly fanciful figure. We wouldn't be surprised if this study was commissioned by Circuit City as a back-door way to bolster credibility for the failing format. Remember, this holiday season, to BOYCOTT THE DIVX-RESTRICTED PLAYERS and from the inner cities to the countrysides, advise your friends and family to do the same.
11:39am PST - BIG Picture reader Todd Leafgreen wrote to tell us that the December/January copy of Movieline magazine features a nice article for DVD on page 86 called called "The Twelve DVD's of Christmas". The titles that the magazine recommends?
1. L.A. Confidential
2. Jumanji
3. Apollo 13
4. Beauty and the Beast (Criterion Collection)
5. Boogie Nights
6. The Devil's Advocate
7. Pulp Fiction
8. Starship Troopers
9. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
10. Scream and Scream 2
11. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
12. Vertigo: the Collector's Edition
The BIG Picture will come up with it's own list of 12 recommended discs, just in time for the Holidays. Stay tuned.
11:34am PST - We've noted the great interest in movie trailers from DVD enthusiasts, punctuated last week with many that went out to see a film specifically to see the trailer for the STAR WARS prequel - THE PHANTOM MENACE. How long will it e before the studios start to include "coming attraction" trailers on their DVD's? Some of even suggested that the studios start issuing "trailer-only" DVD's and use them as promotional giveaways or charge a small amount for them. Interesting concept. Want to know what we'd like to see? An optional classic Warner Brothers Loony Toons cartoon at the beginning of every family-oriented feature.
8:57am PST - As part of Warner Appreciation Week, Jeff McNeal takes a critical look at one of Warner's "budget-gourmet" titles that street for around $11.95 or even less... Check out The BIG Picture's review of the no-frills, stylish action-thriller, Sharky's Machine.
7:19am PST - Your name and everything about you is stored on a DVD somewhere... Prior to this article, I've never heard of Federal Computer Week, but here's an interesting article over the government's embrace of DVD, thanks to it's mega-storage capacities...
Monday, November 23, 1998
4:43pm PST - We've been hearing many requests from those wishing to support Warner Appreciation Week. In particular, do New Line titles count? Yes. And, is there a complete list of Warner-distributed DVD titles available for perusal? There is now. The BIG Picture has just published a list of current Warner titles, along with their catalog numbers and suggested retail prices. See it here...
2:45pm PST - We've heard a nasty (and so far totally unsubstantiated) rumor today that Fox is planning to release the STAR WARS trilogy on Divx -- either right before Christmas or in the Spring, just before THE PHANTOM MENACE is released theatrically. Supposedly, the trilogy is supposed to follow on open DVD in the fourth quarter of '99. I called my rep at Fox to discuss what I'd heard and he claimed no knowledge of a Divx release of the SW trilogy. In fact, it appeared that the poor guy is trying to isolate himself from as much Fox-Divx information as possible, probably so webmasters like yours truly will stop calling to beat him up. Whether or not Fox releases SW or anything else on Divx is a moot point -- we won't be buying it. But the message that I hope Fox Home Video hears loud and clear is that many DVD enthusiasts are quickly becoming disenchanted with Fox's lackluster committment to open DVD, while simultaneously trying to prop up Divx. We'd have far less to complain about if Fox adopted a pricing and feature policy similar to other big gun studios like Warner Brothers, New Line or Columbia Tristar, for starters...
8:53am PST - In the settlement, FNANB and Circuit City have denied any and all wrongdoing: In a $11.7 million dollar settlement last week, Circuit City and its wholly owned subsidiary, Virginia-based First North American National Bank (FNANB, which handles all the Circuit City credit card accounts) was accused of illegally collecting debt from customers who had declared Chapter 7 backruptcy... Not DVD related, per se, but we thought you might want to know, regardless...
7:55am PST BigStar is making it as easy as 1-2-3 to give a DVD gift this holiday season. No matter who is on your shopping list, a DVD might make a perfect stocking stuffer! Don't procrastinate -- no matter where you purchase your DVD's from, make it a Warner title and make it this week!
7:48am PST - So.. you think that by upgrading your Pentium PC to Windows '98, you'll have some sort of a whiz-bang DVD nerve center sitting right there on your desk, eh? Be sure and look before you leap. Techweb has a good story about DVD, Windows '98 - and missing puzzle pieces.
Welcome to day one of WARNER APPRECIATION WEEK. The BIG Picture urges you to go out and pick up TWO Warner titles this week, either as gifts to yourself or to someone on your shopping list. For more detail on Warner Appreciation Week, click the link. To help honor Warner's exemplary committment to open DVD, we're featuring Warner title reviews, both current and archived, all week long! Over the weekend, Jeff reviewed Harrison Ford's FRANTIC, and to kick off the week with a bang, Bob reviews one of Warner's latest titles: A PERFECT MURDER. Considering the review, this may very well be one of the Warner title's you'll want to pick up this week! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
WEEKEND UPDATE:
Way to go, Artisan! It was nice to thumb through this weeks' TV GUIDE and discover a real nice, full-page ad for Artisan DVD's...
CALLING ALL TECH-HEADS... One of the most often-asked for features we receive is for hardware reviews - primarily covering Dolby Digital receivers, DVD players and television monitors/projectors. To address this request without diminishing our focus on writing DVD content reviews, we're looking to hear from some impartial, quality hardware reviewers that would like to see their impressions posted on The BIG Picture in exchange for potential back-end revenue through advertising sales. Please e-mail your qualifications, along with two sample hardware reviews to yours truly for review. Thank you!
Bob Banka, our venerable art-house film critic at large, takes a discerning look at Criterion's ALPHAVILLE on DVD. See what Bob has to say... This might be a flim you'll want to see!
The dark side of the force...Here's a book that the mouse probably wishes you wouldn't read. The authors takes a less-than-flattering look at what Disney has become -- a far cry from the squeeky-clean "family" enterprise it once was. A disturbing expose... We might be willing to disregard all of the charges against Disney if they'd just start issuing animated classic and 16x9 enhanced DVD's!! But until then... A special hello to those responsible for the 1,450 visits from Disney.com that we've received so far this month!
A special thanks to all who have written e-mail to us in support of WARNER APPRECIATION WEEK. The above banner will be displayed on our review pages to remind us all to "Buy two and say thank you" to Warren Lieberfarb and Warner Home Video for their vision, support and committment to the open DVD format. A click on the banner will lead you to the title directory at the Warner web-site. We'll also be putting the spotlight on Warner title reviews all week long. Go Warner Brothers!!!
Believe it or not, I was engaged in a debate on our little chat window (below) this morning, with some fellow that was complaining about all the money Time-Warner and Toshiba are spending to promote DVD this holiday season. What's the mystery? I think the gentleman might have been a Divx shill -- and I must admit -- it was entertaining to joust with him in real time. I'm curious... Would Divx proponents like the opportunity to square off in a moderated debate in our chat window? Send me an e-mail if you're interested. I know that we won't have any shortages of open DVD proponents ready to let the fingers fly -- but the crucial question is if any Divx people are wanting to participate. E-mail me privately
