2009 |
2008 |
2007
5 articles from 2009
This week's DVD and Blu-ray releases
4 December 2009 4:06 PM, PST
| The Guardian - Film News
| See recent The Guardian - Film News news
»
Microcosmos DVD & Blu-ray, Second Sight
Life DVD & Blu-ray, BBC
It's a given that many of the strange and wonderful lifeforms we share this planet with are dying out, many species becoming extinct every year. There's some consolation to be had in that, thanks to the people behind these two nature titles, future generations will at least be able to see many of them, in glorious HD, doing something weird, funny or just plain icky in front of the cameras before they go the way of the dodo. 1996's Microcosmos has almost zero educational value, instead choosing to play up the drama in the insect world. There's a very sparse narration, but this is only there to remind you a) To relax, because you're not really learning anything, and b) That you're not watching outtakes from Starship Troopers. This is the real bug's life: fighting, eating and mating, all the time
»
- Phelim O'Neill
Permalink | Report a problem
This week's DVD and Blu-ray releases
27 November 2009 4:05 PM, PST
| The Guardian - Film News
| See recent The Guardian - Film News news
»
Inglourious Basterds
DVD & Blu-ray, Universal
It's taken a decade for this to arrive (no time wasted on spellcheck, though), and Quentin Tarantino's epic second world war romp is the best thing he's done in ages. It's deceptively Tarantino-esque; just because it's a period piece doesn't mean he skimps on his trademark pop-culture references. It's just that here he geeks out not on Les Big Macs and exploitation movies but on 1920s/30s German cinema, which certainly separates the men from the (fan)boys. You don't need a diploma in German mountain movies to have fun with this, though. The tale, delivered in five generous interlocking chapters, is told masterfully. Just when you think one segment is beginning to outstay its welcome, a stylish twist is performed. Unusually for Tarantino, there's a good spread of performances too. Where his films normally play like a group of actors taking turns to
»
- Phelim O'Neill
Permalink | Report a problem
Checkmate: An Advance Review of PBS' "Endgame" on "Masterpiece Contemporary"
23 October 2009 8:37 AM, PDT
| Televisionary
| See recent Televisionary news
»
Apartheid is an ugly word, conjuring up images of racial segregation and hatred from a time in the not-too-distant past of South Africa.
PBS' new political thriller Endgame, which airs Sunday evening as part of the public broadcaster's Masterpiece Contemporary wheel, dramatizes not the plight of the common South African man and woman under the draconian decree of apartheid but rather the machinery operating behind the scenes to bring an end to apartheid once and for all.
Written by Paula Milne (Second Sight) and directed by Pete Travis (Vantage Point), Endgame revolves around a series of secret talks between the Anc and the South African government brokered by Consolidated Goldfields, a multi-national company with vested financial interests in South Africa. The talks took place at an estate in England, far away from the violent rebellion in South Africa, and despite the risk in bringing together these enemies, the open lines
»
- Jace
Permalink | Report a problem
MIT Advances the Model for Retinal Implants
24 September 2009 10:00 AM, PDT
| Fast Company
| See recent Fast Company news
»
Several institutions have developed models for retinal implants--some companies, such as California-based Second Sight, have even started developing them commercially. But, while cochlear implants, for example, can impart fairly comprehensive hearing to deaf patients, the utility of the retinal implants available today is extremely limited. Plus, the surgical procedure required to implant the retinal devices is much more dangerous than the one for cochlear implants.
Yesterday, a collaborative research team led by engineers at MIT announced that they had developed an improved retinal implant model. So far, the device has only been tested in pigs, but the researchers expect to get Fda approval to test the implants in humans soon. Unlike some of the current models, which are physically attached to patients' eyeballs, MIT's retinal implant sits on the white of the eye, making it less invasive. Similar to Second Sight's implant, the MIT device receives input from glasses that contain built-in cameras,
»
- Erica Westly
Permalink | Report a problem
The Dark Knight Completes The Trifecta with DGA Nomination
8 January 2009 11:22 AM, PST
| Slash Film
| See recent Slash Film news
»
Yesterday, The Dark Knight grabbed Writers Guild and Producers Guild nominations, shocking some Hollywood insiders who don’t believe that the comic book movie has a chance at the Best Picture Academy Award. Today Christopher Nolan and the film have been nominated for the Director’s Guild of America Awards. Here is the list of nominees:
David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight”
Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”
Gus Van Sant, “Milk”
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
I’m shocked that Darren Aronofsky didn’t make the list for The Wrestler, especially over Howard’s Ron Nixon.
Related Stories
The Dark Knight Grabs WGA and PGA Nominations
AFI’s Top 10 Movies of 2008; Boston Critics Name Wall-e and SlumDog Best Picture
Wall-e Awarded Best Picture
A Discussion with The Best Directors of 2008
Telluride: Hunger, Helen and a Slumdog Video Blog
Page 2: Second Sight, Pirates, Wall-e World,
»
- Peter Sciretta
Permalink | Report a problem
2009 |
2008 |
2007
5 articles from 2009
See all NewsDesk partners
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the
above news articles. News articles are published for the entertainment of our
users only. The news items do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we
guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the
site responsible for the article in question to report any concerns you may
have.
