Pete's Write

  Welcome to the Xtremeplace! A demo disc is a show case of the wow factor, and this awe inspiring bit is what makes our jaws drop or make us stop in our steps when we walk past a demo going on in the shops. This disc aims to compile the best scenes to showcase the best of various aspects of High Definition. A note first: This is NOT a financial venture, everyone does this for fun and this disc should NEVER be sold. I cannot emphasise this more. Introduction: The world of Home Theatre (HT) is an exciting and immersive world, which can draw you in, help you share the emotions, the action, the tension and the humor, and the picture as well as the sound helps to put you right in the middle of it. So before you even begin to watch this, take some time to read ALL the stickies, and vital threads and information in our forums on: -        speaker placement -        bass management -    ...

The Pacific - BR review DTS-MA 5.1 Saving Private Ryan (SPR) was one of the definite movies of the 90s and one of the best war movies of all time, and in 2001 the Band of Brothers followed the success of Saving Private Ryan with a wonderful mini-series about the brave men of East Company as their fought their way through Europe. Tom Hanks did not rest on his laurels, and in 2007, made The Pacific. By then, there were quite a few more war movies, not only in English, but also in other languages. Terms like "gritty", "raw realism" and "faded colors" were often used to describe these shows. So how can this one do when thrown in amongst the rest? First let me tell you what impressed me first. The action was breath-taking and exhilarating, and you felt like you were in with the First Marines as they did battle in unpronounceable islands in the Pacific. The depiction of the dangers, the agony and perils mixed in with the fear felt genuine, and intense. Knowin...

When Tron was first released in the early 80s, it was not really a financial success, but the CGI and the concept proved to be cutting edge and ever since, it has had a cult following and since I had not had a chance to see it, why not begin afresh with the new iteration of it, and for a CGI filled show, why not go all the way and see it in 3D? The show was indeed a 3D fest: D = demolitions, delicious babes and of course Daft Punk! Tron L will not be an Oscar winner, even for creative CGI use or for its 3D reproduction, and it certainly won't win for acting, but you get a nice experience of a sci-fi action movie, with some babes in tight spandex thrown in and its all accompanied by some nice punk-techno music with a nice beat. If all this sounds too low brow or if Gone With the Wind is your cup of tea, then skip this. Much has also been said of the excessive use of 3D and milking the audience for the extra dollars when it adds little to the experience. Well the 3D does work here, s...

Donnie Yen is a great action stuntman, with moves which are breathtaking, and gravity defying, but he is no great actor and or director. His latest movie reeks of the typical Hong Kong mentality of milking a genre to its death, and speaks volume of the dearth of orginal material, a disease which has been plaguing HKG cinema for more than a decade. Here is another - (third?) remake of this story, and apart from a change in attire, the fight scenes are similar to the previous productions, and in fact, there is a lack of really cool fight scenes in this show. Perhaps Donnie wants to showcase more of his acting chops, but he should stick to his forte, as the movie moves along rather slowly when there isn't any fighting. The plot is even more tedious, adding a Eupopean dimension, a spy element, and a less than interesting love story element - Donnie is no Tony Leung I am afriad. Plot: 2/5 Action: what good is an action kung fu flick without kungfu ? 2/5 Chick factor: som...

Stool Pigeon – review If you are a fan of the intense scenes, emotions conveyed in movies like Election, Beast Stalker, then this is the kind of movie for you. There is a certain level of despair and inevitability, a dark side of emotions which is showcased in this show, which attracts a certain audience, but will alienate those looking for processed happy ending sort of shows. It is not a real actioner, nor a cop story, but a show which is almost documentary or matter of fact in the way it follows the lives of a depressed and stressed cop, a desperate wheelman, a robber and his woman, and how it all ends for them. Not your usual plot: 4/5 Chick Factor: Kwai Lun-Mei is a new Taiwanese star and she looks good and acts well 3.5/5 Action: it comes in spurts and is rather violent, and there is none of the romantic gangster type roles popular in the 90s with Chow Yun Fatt or Ekin Cheng. 3/5 It is worth a watch, but like durians, there are sharp edges which will prick yo...

Sand Pebbles - BR review DTS-MA 5.1 Tier 1 For a movie made more than 30 years ago, I did not really have too many expectations, and it was on the merit of the fact that this was Steve McQueen's sole Oscar effort that made me give this a try. Most who are above 30 will know him and perhaps this movie, it is set in the 1920s, during a rather tumultuous time in China. You get romance, action, and a geopolitical historical theme, all put together by a wonderful director in Robert Wise, and sterling performances by Steve and Candice, as well as the other members. A young David Attenborough (the man who in his later years is better known for his narrations of many wonderful BBC series such as Life or Earth) plus a whole host of actors make this a good movie even so many years after its production. But it is the picture quality and even more surprisingly the audio quality which makes this a keeper. The sound engineers worked overtime on this Blu Ray version to make a disc which can almos...