Pete's Write

Once in a while, you get a new movie, directed by a someone who is just venturing out, and his first effort really hits the spot. This is Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, but you never get a sense that he has not been around for a while. On a budget more skimpy than Halle Barry’s Perle, he has manufactured a solid thriller, and that’s coming from someone who is not that fond of shock and horror movies. It’s part Sidney Poiter’s In the Heat of the Night, mixed in with some Saw and Stepford Wives, but it feels very original, as it deals with a young black man going to meet his white girlfriend’s parents and the extended family. Things gradually begin to get creepy and feel strange as his girlfriend’s family are not really what they appear to be. He soon has to use all his wit to get out, and that’s what the plot is basically about. It has some racial apartheid kind of humor mixed in with the strangeness and the levity it lends adds to the flow nicely. The lead is a ...

It was 1995, and Jumanji was a very interesting movie, that had a rather unique plot, that made use of cutting edge computer graphics. I recall a scene where a car is run over by a horde of elephants and was totally amazed by how real it looked. So two decades later, is there a need for a remake/reboot and how did it fare? Well, this second movie serves almost as a sequel, with homage to the original, but the plot does try to differentiate itself, with a much brighter outlook and positive tempo. The original had one of the top comedians around, but Robin Williams did have a darker side and it showed in the show, with a few rather scary scenes which I felt would have disqualified it as a family movie. The premise is similar, but you will not need to watch the original to understand or follow this instalment. Once again, four people, all kids this time get trapped in the game and need to finish it to escape. However they are transformed into different personas, and this is wher...

Sony website link https://www.sony.com/electronics/blu-ray-disc-players/ubp-x800  Test gear: http://peteswrite.blogspot.sg/2016/03/my-setup-march-2016.html Important tech info: Two HDMI outputs: one HDMI 2.0b output, one HDMI 1.4 for audio only Coaxial output Ethernet LAN, USB Audio format support with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS Decoding, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Plays almost all formats, even SACD & DVD-A Wifi built in, DNLA and streaming capability, Bluetooth Frame-and-beam chassis offers a rigid structure to eliminate micro-vibrations, as well as effective electrical shielding Supports many master-quality 24-bit audio formats, from AAC and WAV, to DSD 11.2 MHz and more Internet apps, eg Netflix and Youtube NO Dolby Vision Sony was the last to join the 4k player revolution, and even though they have taken their time, we are grateful for their first few offerings. The X800 is the...

Another series of flights and some quick notes I saw a brace of shows with ideas and concepts not dissimilar to earlier works, here we see a triumph of CGI and technology over a lynchpin or pillar of a good movie - the plot. Baby boss Not bad and it follows the tried and tested mix of humor with some adult sensitivity but this movie about sibling rivalry and a subplot of conspiracy doesn't hit the same highs as the other older big cartoon hits. Valerian You must admire Luc Besson for his imagination and creativity but when you compare this space adventure to his earlier Fifth Element, it doesn't not hit the spot. The plot moves along too quickly makes too many assumptions on what the audience knows or needs to know before stepping into the movie. Dark Tower A story about good versus evil and there's plenty of potential but again the production values are great but a credible storyline is lacking. The good guy has a puny pistol and a young apprentice and he...

These days there are a lot more things in your average car that requires power. Daylight running lights, USB ports, GPS, Car Cameras etc etc Even the start stop function uses up battery and if there's only one battery, that puts a lot of stress on it. x So in order to avoid a dead battery on the road, do consider: Avoid charging a lot of stuff in the car, especially with the engine turned off. Do not to use the aircon/radio/usb after turning off the engine Use a separate battery if you use a Park Mode camera Do try to drive long distances once in a while to charge the battery What do you do to keep your car battery in good shape?