hmvblogs - blogs by hmv

snoop on rock band?

where's duncan when you need him? news out that Snoop is releasing his next album on Rock Band - without wanting to sound dumb, how does that work then?

What would you like to see on Blu-Ray?

I've been considering buying a blu-ray player after watching a couple at a friend's house and being totally blown away by how amazing and sharp they look (because i'm a bit of a geek about things like picture and sound quality).

Most new films look great on blu-ray, because they're shot on state-of-the-art modern equipment, and i noticed that there aren't that many older movies available yet. I was excited to hear that Raging Bull is coming out in February. I'm sure you'll be able to get absolutely everything eventually, but i wondered which films readers of the blog would most like to see released on blu-ray? I'm sure our suppliers would be interested to see what customers are waiting for, so you could make a difference. Comment below and let us know...

My favourite releases of the year...

A lot of best of the year charts are starting to appear in magazines and on the net at the moment, so i thought I'd post mine. When thinking this over i realised this has actually been a great year for releases of both CDs and DVDs, and both lists could easily have been twice or three times as long! I've agonised over this in my head for ages, so here goes, starting with my favourite DVD releases this year...

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when the going gets tough...

I was missing my motorbike over the weekend so I decided to watch the Tough One, one of the most extreme dirt bike races, there's some great on-board camera moments on this taking you closer to the action allowing you to see how tough and physical these enduro comps really are. It all made me reminisce about the tv programme Kick Start and Junior Kick Start that I used to love when I was a kid, especially the bit when they used to ride over the VW Beetle, be great if it got released on dvd, gonna start a petition now.  Here's a clip of the Tough One,  I'll hunt one out from Kick Start later, watch this space...

From the guy who gave you The Wire...

Generation Kill is a new mini series based on a book by Evan Wright, a Rolling Stone reporter stationed at the front line during the invasion of Iraq. I've seen a trailer and it looks really exciting and full of the sort of traits that made The Wire so great. This is no coincidence, as the series was written and produced by David Simon, creator of The Wire. HBO have a history of making great television (probably the best America has to offer), and I'm expecting great things from this. Looking forward to watching it on FX in January.

To boldly go...to see Star Trek 11!

Yesterday, i was invited to a very special first screening of some scenes from the new Star Trek movie (Star Trek 11). In attendance (and introducing the scenes) was the one and only J.J.Abrams, who it has to be said is the man of the moment in Hollywood, and for that matter TV, having either produced or directed a long list of hugeley successful shows and movies including Lost, Alias, Fringe, Cloverfield, Mission Impossible 3, and many others. Watching him speak, you can really imagine him pitching a movie to studio bosses. He certainly has the gift of the gab, and was quite funny too. Like me, he's never been the number one Star Trek fan, but has a certain fondness for some elements of the show and movies. Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty in the new movie, was also there and said a few words too.

Star Trek 11 is a fresh take on the Star Trek franchise, and will tell the story of how the crew of the enterprise came together, and of it's maiden voyage. It looks fantastic, and i would say it will not only please long-time fans of the franchise, but will almost certainly attract plenty of new ones as well, in the way that Christopher Nolan's take on Batman has reinvigorated that franchise with Batman Begins and The Dark knight.

LOOK AWAY NOW!!! - SPOILER ALERT - LOOK AWAY NOW!!!

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Bill Bailey's Tinselworm

I watched the new Bill Bailey live DVD, Tinselworm,  yesterday. Having never seen any of his stand up before, I have to say the man is a comic genius. Filmed at Wembley Arena (which is a huge place to put on a comedy gig), Bailey's use of music and video in his routine give him that special something that only true comedy greats have. He's obviously a very intelligent bloke, prone to over-analysing things to the point of them becoming hilarious. For instance, he pulls apart the Killers lyric from All These Things That I've Done (the one that goes "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier"), saying that at first it's a good lyric, then you realise it makes absolutely no sense, it's like saying "I've got ham, but I'm not a hamster!" I've liked Bill Bailey since seeing him on Black Books, which is one of the best sitcoms in recent years in my opinion. I'm actually off to see another former Black Books cast member live soon - Dylan Moran. Looking forward to that one.

crash, bang, wallop!!

I finally got round to watching Iron Man on DVD the other day, and it's awesome. Robert Downey Jr has  never really been one of my favourite actors but he's perfect for the part in this. If you're particarly into watching people banging bits of metal with hammers and then welding them together as i am, then this is the movie for you! See the sparks fly in Iron Man, it's bloomin' Marvel-ous!

Yet another Coen Brothers movie...

Good news for Coen Brothers fans - hot on the heels of Burn After Reading (which itself was pretty hot on the heels of No Country For Old Men), the Coens are already shooting their next film, A Serious Man. There are no big stars lined up for this one (the lead is played by Adam Arkin, son of Alan Arkin - you may remember him from the hospital drama Chicago Hope), and it's supposedly going to be another black comedy (i think you could argue that most of their films are black comedies, so that doesn't really tell you much). From early reports, it seems the film is set in Minnesota in the late 60s, and tells the story of a Jewish Professor (the 'Serious Man'?) whose life is compicated (and presumably made laughable) by his surrounding friends, family and work life. Apparently the film is, in part, based on the Coen Brothers' childhood years, and fans will be pleased to hear that cinematographer Roger Deakins is again working with the brothers on the movie. It's set for release in 2009...i'm looking forward to it already.

Heeeeeeres Jonny!!!

With Halloween fast approaching, I've been getting in the spirit and watching lots of horror films. I'm not sure why i like horror as a genre so much, but there's something deeply satisfying about a really good chiller that excites me. Many people cite The Exorcist as the best horror movie of all time, and i have to agree it's near perfect and manages to creep me out with each viewing. The Shining too has always been not just a favourite horror film of mine, but a favourite film full stop. I used to think it was all in Jack Nicholson's performance, but both the music and atmosphere of the film are equally nightmarish. I also really like the original Halloween as well. Something about the faceless killer, the brilliant main theme tune and the fact that it spawned so many similar (but generally far inferior) slasher franchises makes it a classic in my book.

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Never go to caravan club...

This show is hilarious!  The tag-line says that it's a cross between American Pie and Peep Show, I watched the complete six episodes in one sitting I loved it so much.  Saw the first show on E4 a while ago and managed to keep missing it so I was very pleased when Andy managed  to hook me up with a free one.They're making a second series as we speak and apparently there's gonna be a US version as well. Quite a buzz about it over here at Head Office, there really are loads of laugh out loud moments, especially the episode where the boys go off to Jay's caravan club and the school disco finale.  It's a must see and took me straight back to my teenage years!   

The truth is out there...

I recently watched the new X-Files movie (X-Files: I Want To Believe) and it made me want to go back and watch the TV Series again, so i've started watching it from the beginning. I'd forgotten how great it was, especially when it started. The first couple of series look a little dated now (just look at what they're wearing!!!) but the storylines and ideas in there are genius. I'd rank it alongside some real titans of television, like The Twilight Zone, Hammer House of Horror, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and my favourite show ever - Twin Peaks. I'm sure you can tell from this, but i like a bit of mystery and general oddness in my TV shows, although i'm not some tedious conspiracy theorist...promise.

Much has been made of the relationship between Mulder and Scully, and you may be surprised at where they've taken they've ended up in the recent movie. It's interesting to see the early ones again, which show that the chemistry was there right at the start. If i'm honest, i think it got a little bit silly in the middle and i lost interest a bit. I much prefer those early ones, where most episodes were standalone stories. My favourite episodes are all from the first series - Tooms (with the stretchy slimy bloke who hibernates), Fire (with the man who can make things catch fire), Ice (with the parasites that make people kill each other), Lazarus (with the FBI agent who is possessed by the criminal he shot dead), Eve (with the evil cloned little girls), and GenderBender (with the odd person who can change sexes)...i could go on.