Weekly media wrap-up

Now that prices have become reasonable, I’ve made the leap to HDTV and Blu-ray. I’m quite impressed with the quality; even Jeopardy! looks impressive in high definition. Other recently viewed items include:

The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky’s most recent film, and my personal favorite so far. While π was wonderfully paranoid and Requiem for a Dream was wonderfully depressing, The Fountain is a beautiful meditation on love lost. Hugh Jackman continues to impress, Ellen Burstyn is good as always and Rachel Weisz plays her usual self. The visual effects, apparently free from computer graphics and relatively inexpensive, enhance the artfulness of the film. Highly recommended.

Re-watching Casino Royale on Blu-ray was enjoyable; Daniel Craig is probably my favorite recent Bond, and Martin Campbell does a decent job avoiding cheese (despite the other crap he’s directed).

Although not on Blu-ray, I thoroughly enjoyed Nanny McPhee for the ever-delightful Emma Thompson. Colin Firth stars as a bumbling widower and Angela Lansbury as the crazy aunt. Also interesting is Imelda Staunton pre-Dolores Umbridge.

Most impressive is BBC’s Planet Earth. I have never seen such breathtaking nature cinematography. The shot (presumably filmed at 960 fps to slow it by a factor of 40) of a great white shark leaping out of the water to attack a seal is particularly sensational. If there ever were a use for high definition, this series is it.

On another note, Tim and I saw Against All Authority (sucked), Streetlight Manifesto (fun, frenetic, and musically literate) and Less than Jake (juvenile humor from thirty-year-olds) at the Norva (skeevy clientele, occasionally good music, maybe?). I need to start going to better concerts. Not that last night wasn’t fun, but what I wouldn’t give to see Radiohead or Arcade Fire…

I sprang for the British Adult version of Harry Potter 7, so until it arrives (after a transoceanic journey) please avoid discussing plot details.