Pete's Write

The Mission (1986) Blu Ray review This movie starts off with a poignant scene where a Jesuit priest plunges to his death, and you can hear the rousing soundtrack from Ennio Morricone in the background. With such a start, it is hard to go wrong and the movie does not disappoint. it is a movie in which you will need to return for repeat viewing and as the first viewing can be quite painful given the ending. However when you appreciate the other scenes, and the awesome soundtrack, it grows more on you and moves you to no end. The music here is distinctive and you will have no trouble recognising the oboe notes. Jeremy Irons gives the performance of his life and Robert De Niro does better here, than even Godfather. The supporting actors including some notable names like Liam Neeson and they all add to a performance which I feel deserved an Academy award. Plot 4.8/5 There isn't too much action, and yet the few scenes are quite gripping. The vintage of the film shows itself here, whilst ...

Silence of the lambs US release This show is all about the plot great acting and a superb mood. It defined the whole Cannibal genre, and these days, people will still shudder when they see Anthony - its his whole facial expression, and in particular, his eyes and the benign look which strikes fear in your heart. PQ is above average for a show which is almost 20 years old but there was no special remastering. AQ is mainly frontal and does not envelop you like modern thrillers. The action comes in spurts, but it relies less on shock tactics, and instead the whole mood is dark and yet it draws you in, in a way that cheap slasher movies cannot. Chick factor: well Jody Foster looks good still but in 1991, she was hot. Plus the fact that she was a wonderful actress, you have the makings of a real diva. At the time, she campaigned actively for this role, even after winning for "The Accused". Seeing an engaging and lovely Jody Foster sparring with the awesome Anthony Hopkins w...

Not often do you see an animation that does not come from Pixar do well and this one is not even American. The French it seems are perfectly capable of some rather good animation with equally good stories. I had a chance to buy this over the weekend and I agree, its easy to dismiss this as a kiddie thing, but its pretty entertaining. Although the main plot is pretty standard, the characters are nicely fleshed out, the humor is good and when you add in the action sequences, plus the sound, its a keeper. An unlikely motley crew of dragon hunters, consisting of a pig-tailed behemoth of a man Lian Chu, his side-kick Gwizdo, and a furry dog-like mutt, plus the intrepid niece of the Lord who sent them forth. The ensuing adventures form the story as they overcome obstacles to face the World Gobbler. Plot: 3/5 Chick factor - nil Action: now this is where things get exciting. Literally....there is very exciting bass, filling in the moments of suspense and of course when the action begins, the ...

Most of us live in relatively small places. a few more have more generous spaces, but the majority live in apartments and space is a premium. So here are some personal views on this which are meant for discussion and not directed at any particular setup. No matter how small our apartments, we still like large speakers and find ways to place them in the smallest of spaces. Thats where the trouble begins. I had helped a member not long ago, who had complained of boomy bass, and he was using a pair of floor-standers which were known for a prominent bass in his 4 room HDB apartment. And no matter what he did, it was still boomy. The issue was simple, there was no space for his speakers and unless he converted his living room to a serious soundroom, possibly with the aid of experts like econav or joamonte, it was going to be bad. And those room treatment don't spell WAF. Its one of the reasons why a simple pair of PC speakers can actually sound better than a much more expensive speaker....

Home Theater -- KURO KRP 500A Denon AVR 2809;Monitor Audio GS10,LCR; Mission 30i; PSB 10s dipoles; SVS PB 12+; Velodyne miniVee Toshiba Xe1; Oppo Nuforce BDP 83; Belkin PF50 PureAV Power Console; QED XT tube 300/micro for rear; GW TD 1000 conditioner; Audio -- Oppo  BDP 95; B&W amp;W 805s; Musical Fidelity A 5.5; Sangean DDR-3 DAB tuner; PS Audio Juicebar, Wiremold power brick, PS Audio Power Cables (amp), Oyaide 750 interconnects and power cable, XinDak Coaxial Cables, Jumper cables; Anticable speaker cables; Pioneer 507 XG; Panasonic DMR - EX85