Boys and Girls,
Tonight was Friday night movies, and we watched Disney's new "Cinderella".
This was with actors, not a cartoon. Not a musical.
PQ was fine, really good.
SQ by way of DTS-HD MA 7.1 was fine as well. Not reference sound by any means, but quite good.
Lily James is lovely in this. Cate Blanchett really plays the part well here.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED family entertainment with GREAT values portrayed.
Let the kids have a break and watch a good movie!!!!
God Bless,
Wayne

Surprise, surprise...watched The Savages this morning. This is a hidden gem that got kind of swept under the rug.The last thing the two Savage siblings ever wanted to do was look back on their undeniably dysfunctional family legacy. Wendy (Laura Linney) is a self-medicating struggling East Village playwright, AKA a temp who spends her days applying for grants and stealing office supplies, dating her very married neighbor. Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman ) is an obsessive compulsive college professor writing obscure books on even more obscure subjects in Buffalo who still can't commit to his girlfriend after four years even though her cooking brings him tears of joy. Then, out of the blue, comes the call that changes everything. They're told that the father they have long feared and avoided, Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) has lost his marbles. And, there is no one to help him but his kids. Now, as they put the middle of their already arrested lives on hold, Wendy and Jon must live together under one roof for the first time since childhood, soon rediscovering the eccentricities that drove each other crazy. Faced with complete upheaval and the ultimate sibling rivalry battle over how to handle their father's final days, they are forced to face the past and finally start to realize what adulthood, family and, most surprisingly, each other are really about.

PQ was good...SQ was adequate, surround information was very limited, but when played sounded great.
Check this one out, some of us may have too go through this.

WOW Bro Anthem,
That is NOT the SAVAGES movie that I saw. Mine version was way different than that!!!!
I will look for this one.
God Bless, Wayne

I have gotten behind on my reports, sorry.
Night before last was "Predestination" based on a story by my old childhood favorite science fiction writer, Robert Heinlein.
It was thought-provokingly written, and well acted, just not entirely well written. Or not so well edited.
I found it a little hard to follow the story and I kinda knew what the story was gonna be. And it bogged down in the telling in at least one place.
BUT it puts a twist into time travel that is well worth the thought.
PQ was fine, and SQ by way of DTS-HD MA 5.1 was fine as well. Nothing noteworthy that I caught.
50/50 recommendation, only for the thoughtful SCI-FI fan.
Then last night we watched "Run All Night". Seems Liam Neeson has almost taken over the action movie game. This is perhaps a little bit better script than the recent Taken 2 & especially 3. PQ is quite good, had some REALLY impressive zooming in and out camera effects, long distances too, and SQ was a DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack that served the movie really well. Set in NYC the sounds of the city were there, but the surround tracks did not go reference on us any where, at least that I noticed, I do get involved in the movie.
Recommended for action entertainment.
Then today this guy brings over a DVD he wanted to watch, "Days of Glory". Even my Oppo up-converting player could not make a good pic out of this thing. AND there was no English, only subtitles. It was French but half of it was Arabic. Bout how the North African Muslim fighters had come to France during WWII and helped liberate France but were mistreated as second class citizens and never gained the equality they were promised. The sound was a DTS track that was WAY better than the film. My home theater never had so much of "that" kind of carrying on in it before, and hopefully will not after. Only of historical interest as to why France still is getting turned over, burned out cars demonstrations to this day.
Not recommended.
God Bless,
Wayne

Watched the "Imitation Game" was a sad story, and stuff I don't want to get into. Kiera Knightley was the only bright spot in the movie, and she did not figure in enough. PQ and SQ nothing of interest. Good acting.
Not Recommended as I don't agree with the agenda.
Tonight we watched a stupid movie "Paul Blart, Mall Cop 2" This movie has Daniella Alonso in it.
PQ were great, SQ DTS-HD MA 5.1 nothing special.
Did I mention this movie has Daniella Alonso in it??? Nuff said.
Not recommended, with the exception of DA, NO even she could not pull this movie out of the mud.
God Bless, Wayne

I was finally able to watch Focus and Ex Machina this morning. I've been looking forward to both for a while but have been busy and had my funds tied up in equipment upgrades...

Focus was a classic caper movie that kept you waiting for a deeper plot twist than would materialize. Will Smith's portrayal of a con artist was a little lackluster. His character seemed a bit haggered. PQ was great! Colors were rich and the picture was sharp. SQ was good for what was present. Nothing quite at reference level but everything was very well done and supported the story telling. PQ 4.5/5 and SQ 4/5.

Ex Machina was another sci-fi tale regarding mans' creation of artificial life. I normally hate movies with limited casts and sets but I found the story so involving and the cinematography so good, that I didn't miss the variety of locations and cast. PQ was good but maybe a little soft in places even though the movie was visually striking. Since this was a bit of a psychological drama, sound was pretty low key. PQ was 4/5 and SQ 3.5/5.

Both films were solid and if you like their genres, I'd recommend both.

Cheers,

T Cobe