Enjoyed The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug on my little TV today along with a demonstration of my system to multiple folks within my family.

Feeling dragon fire wash over you in the form of base, and seeing looks of shock on people's faces as they experience the amazing sound quality of that movie for the first time really drove home a lot of skeptics that sound is really the heart of any good movie.

I really got to enjoy the movie in the way I think it was meant to be... when I could hear the crickets and birds of the shire singing in the background of the opening scene with Frodo and Bilbo, I realized I was in for a complete treat, so many things I'd missed in the movie, and I only had time to watch it in fragments, but it was really something special.

Good one Tetrall, I am happy for you!!!!
Yes, you are absolutely right, sound makes a huge difference to enjoying movies!!!!
My report will include 3 movies.
We watched the 3D movie, "Boxtrolls", a childrens' CLAYMATION movie. The 3D was nothing to write home about, IMHO, not worth it. The story was sorta cute. The sound was DTS-HD MA, but not really much to it either. I think it was in 7.1 even, but unless you have children, and need to find a way to entertain them, not recommended.
Next we watched "One Chance" based on a true story of a guy who all his life dreamed of and tried to be an opera singer. Picture quality was quite good, sound was DTS-HD MA 5.1 and really good quality on the opera singing bits. Otherwise surround sound was not utilized in any remarkable way. It is recommended as a feel good story.
The daughter loves Ironman. And she decided she never had seen the 2nd one, though she has watched all the others many times. We finally bought "IronMan 2" on blu-ray and this is the kind of movie that blu-rays were really made for, especially the sound. And because of the sound, it was a really enjoyable movie! Explosions and all the action, boom bang, the room was shakin' from my ForceField 5 and the woofers in the Triton Towers getting a good work out. It was not quite reference IMHO because of a less than interesting use of the surrounds. But BASS, YES!!!!
So, sometimes the new ones are not the best.
God Bless,
Wayne

Watched John Wick this morning:

Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. Her sudden death leaves John in deep mourning. When sadistic mobster losef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John's prize car and kill the puppy that was a last gift from his wife, John leashes the remorseful killing machine within and seeks revenge. Meanwhile, losef's father (Michael Nyqvist) -- John's former colleague -- puts a huge bounty on John's head.

Good picture -- 5.1 sound -- enough action to keep your mind from wondering. A couple of shootout scenes were really good, especially a scene in a nightclub -- music pulsating, bullets flying. Good movie...reminiscent of the Equalizer. John Wick Official Trailer #1 (2014) - Keanu Reeves, Willem Dafoe Movie HD:

Well Boys,
This is for the boys.
I watched "Sin City, A Dame to Kill For" which is the second installment of the Frank Miller graphic novels-turned-into-movies.
Most of you know that these are done in Black and White with some hi-tech coloration going on in some special places.
These movies are graphic! The first one, "Sin City" was AWESOME to me. I loved the style and technique and Jessica Alba!!!!
There was an innocence along with the irreverence. This one was much the same but the violence had caught on to all the folks in there, including Nancy, Jessica Alba. That was beautiful but sad to see. The amazing Eva Green and also amazing Rosario Dawson did not look as great here as they have in other movies. Eva was a little gaunt looking and Rosario had put on a little weight it seemed.
The 3D picture quality was wonderful, the sound quality was DTS-HD MA 5.1 and suited the movie fine, but was nothing to write home about. I could have wished for much better use of the surround speakers.
All in all, the 3D pic, the satisfaction of the bad guys getting it, a few good looks at Eva Green, and Jessica Alba make this a recommendation for the guys.
But the first one is MUCH better than the second IMHO. I miss Brittany Murphy, if she were still alive I reckon she would have showed up in this movie, seemed like almost every important character in the first one made an appearance in this one.
After this I will get back to wholesome, family movies.
God Bless,
Wayne

Just watched "Walk Among the Tombstones" and liked it better than you did Bro Anthem.
It was not great, but I would recommend it as "entertaining".
I always love movies where it is raining and that ambience is reproduced so well in my home theater.
That is about the best I can say for the movie, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 sounded fine up front. Maybe there was some surround sound effects, if so, I was too wrapped up in the movie to catch them.
God Bless,
Wayne

Just a followup comment or 3 on "The Equalizer" already reported on by the always right on Bro Anthem.
I agree all around, Denzel Washington is money in the bank for a good movie. What a great actor, though this was a bit understated part.
And I thought it was slow and the surround sound could have been much better, BUT when there was a big explosion, which did not rock the house at all. I thought, what is wrong here? Then I checked the volume and it was down to like -29 and that was because my darling wife was sound asleep next to me!!! It was Valentines' Day after all.
So today I ran some of it again, turned it right up and there was the excitement, there was the explosion with the walls rattling. And the DTS-HD MA 7.1 had meaningful discrete stuff playing even in the rear surrounds.
Some of it getting towards being reference quality.
Highly recommended.
God Bless,
Wayne