| HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "HIGH-DEF HOLIDAYS" | Receive High-Def Disc News via RSS |  |
High-Def Holidays: April Blools Day!
Tue Apr 03, 2012 at 04:55 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward (all tags)
by Dick Ward
2012 is just flying by, isn't it? We're into the fourth month already, and all the holidays that come with it. If you're reading this, that means we all survived another April Fool's Day – the day when everyone tries to be funny and fails miserably instead of just leaving it to the professionals who can come up with things like "April Blools Day." The first of the month may not be a holiday worth celebrating, but there are plenty of others that give you a good enough reason to pick up and watch a new Blu-ray or two.
It's a scientific fact – any male holding a guitar gets instantly more attractive to women. Any male holding a gun gets instantly cooler to men. Now take Antonio Banderas and give him a guitar case full of guns. 'Desperado' pushes the amount of awesome that can be put on one screen to dangerous levels.
You know how it is. It's been a long day at work so you stop off for a Coke and the price is weird so you take out a bazooka and blow up a construction site. 'Falling Down' is the ultimate in vicarious stress relief.
April 3rd – Find a Rainbow Day
Finding a rainbow is one thing, but it's what you do with it that's important. If you need, I've got a guy – yeah, you probably saw him in 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' – who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh, soak it in the sun and make a strawberry lemon pie. If you ask for it "Sammy style" you can get a groovy lemon pie instead.
April 6th – North Pole Discovered
It's confusing being a kid. When I learned – spoiler alert – the truth about Santa Claus, I just assumed the North Pole wasn't real either. Celebrate all the confusion that comes with the whole Santa Claus thing with the ' Rifftrax: Live! Christmas Short-Stravaganza!' Mike, Kevin and Bill help ease the pain.
April 11th – US Navy Acquires First Submarine
Sure, there are submarine movies that you could watch to celebrate the US's first acquisition of the vessels, but I prefer to go with 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,' which is still one of the finest submarine combat films ever made, even if it did take place in space.
April 15th – Leonardo Da Vinci's Birthday
You may know Leonardo Da Vinci from his works like The Mona Lisa, his study of human anatomy which includes the Vitruvian Man, or his various inventions. He's also famous for 'The Da Vinci Code,' if you don't choose to delve so deep. Not the best tribute to a great man, but you could do worse.
Will Smith seems like he might be a good ambassador to our alien brothers and sisters – if they have traditional genders – but he's a man of mixed messages. Take a look at 'Independence Day.' After knocking out an alien with his fist, he shouts out "Welcome to Earth!" Now Mr. Smith, that doesn't seem as welcoming as I think you might intend.
April 23rd – International Sing Out Day
This lined up so perfectly. 'Harold and Maude,' with its Cat Stevens soundtrack, was supposed to hit shelves on April 17th so you could watch the movie in time to join the chorus of "If You Want to Sing Out" for International Sing Out Day. The movie was pushed back to June, sadly, but that doesn't have to stop you from singing!
April 25th – National Telephone Day
I watch a lot of movies, and I find myself focusing on weird things. For example, I've found that the greatest telephone conversation ever on film is in 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.' Surprise: Peter Sellers is brilliant.
High-Def Holidays - Blu-ware the Ides of March
Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 01:30 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward (all tags)
by Dick Ward
March is a month that tends to be associated with green beer, melting snow, and regular colored beer. It's a beer heavy month, but light on traditional holidays. Luckily, we've got plenty of non-traditional holidays to celebrate and some crazy good Blu-rays to go along with them.
I pride myself on not tackling the obvious holidays each month, and I contend that Irish-American Heritage Month is much different than St. Patrick's Day. To celebrate, the movie that comes right to mind is 'Gangs of New York.' It's not my favorite film, but it captures the struggles the Irish had to deal with when immigrating to the U.S. I also pride myself on being funny, which this last paragraph isn't. So... woozle wuzzle?
When some people think of frozen food, their minds go to TV dinners and bags of vegetables that never actually get eaten. For whatever reason - maybe it's because I've had too much coffee and not enough sleep over the past few years - my mind goes straight to Eddie from ' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. "A rather tender subject. Another slice anyone?"
March 1st - Peanut Butter Lover's Day
'Funny People' is one of my current favorite movies and has been since it came out. Apatow's more serious look at the world of comedy is refreshing, and there's a lot that seems so true to life that I'm left wondering if it's some sort of comedy 'Citizen Kane.' I like to recommend this flick wherever I can, no matter how tenuous the link. So here you go - there's a scene in the movie where a dog licks peanut butter off of Adam Sandler's face.
March 5th - Multiple Personality Day
My mind is blown right now. There are so many movies that I'm waiting to pick up on Blu-ray - many of which were and are popular titles. Little did I know that on May 3rd of last year, one of my favorite little-known comedies made it to Blu-ray. 'Jekyll & Hyde Together Again' is a crazy funny movie starring Mark Blankfield, who you'll at the very least recognize as Blinkin from 'Men in Tights.' Dude's hilarious, and he's quite the singer too.
March 6th - Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simon's Birthday
Look, I really didn't want to go with the easy gag here. I wanted to talk about the 'Arrested Development' episode in which George and George Michael Bluth are set to pose as The Creation of Adam, but for some reason the series hasn't come to Blu-ray. So whatever, I'm linking to 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.' For what it's worth, the birthday of the real-life Casey Jones is March 14th, so you're getting kind of a double-whammy here.
Hey, I'm all for the celebration of these weird holidays, but if ' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' taught me anything, it taught me not to panic. On March 9th, I suggest shirking your Panic Day responsibilities and openly not-panicking. Also watching Sam Rockwell be amazing.
March 13th - Uranus Discovered
The name of the planet Uranus will never stop being funny. It's childish, but there's no getting around it. Of course, we're expected to act like adults and find laughing at such a sophomoric word to be below us. We know it's funny though, so we invent fictional characters like 'Beavis and Butthead' who laugh at it for us and let us enjoy the silliness through them. Heh-heh, I said "below us."
March 22nd - National Sing-Out Day
"If you want to sing out, sing out." If for nothing else, I would love 'Harold and Maude' just for that song. Of course, that's not the only reason to love Hal Ashby's incredibly dark comedy - the movie is nothing short of great. On April 17th, the Criterion Collection Blu-ray will hit shelves.
March 27th - National "Joe" Day
National "Joe" Day is a bit of an odd one. It's not made to celebrate people named Joe, nor does it exist to celebrate the army toys and cartoons from the 80s. "Joe" Day is for people who hate their names. Hate your name? Change it to Joe for the day. It's the sort of day that would help out Michael Bolton in 'Office Space,' though his stubborn personality would certainly mean that he'd expect the other Michael Bolton to change first.
There are doctors and then there's The Doctor. As much as I love folks in the medical profession, they're not time travelling aliens, or at least none that I've met are. 'Doctor Who: The End of Time' is a brilliant two-part episode and easily the best of the 'Doctor Who' reboot. It's The Doctor's day - his final adventure. Not only does Tennant leave the series here, but the amazing writer Russell T Davies does too.
High-Def Holidays: February - It's Blu Love!
Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 03:15 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Dick Ward
So it's February. It's a month full of holidays and Blu-rays to celebrate them with, but there's one day we're not going to worry about in this list. If you're looking for something to cuddle up in front of with your significant other, this one isn't for you. This list is for the rest of the holidays - the strange and underappreciated ones that get overlooked in favor of chocolates and flowers. Nothing against chocolates, mind you.
If you're seeing heart shaped boxes of chocolate and greeting cards and candies, that's probably because February is American Heart Month. It's a month set aside to educate people on heart disease and raise funds for organizations dedicated to that cause. If there's one man who can appreciate the concern over heart problems is Tony Stark, who had to imbed a reactor into his chest to fix his. Yes I'm talking about 'Iron Man'. Who else?
February 4th - Create a Vacuum Day
Before you get all science-y on me, yes, I know that a black hole isn't really a giant vacuum in space. I don't care, I'm still recommending 'Star Trek,' because Spock makes a black hole to suck up a supernova. Also because the movie is great and if you don't own it, you should.
Surely Disaster Day is meant to recognize disasters where people suffer physical harm, but there's such a thing as emotional trauma too. All kidding aside, George Lucas created a trilogy of films that made millions of people angry. Those people then took that anger out somewhere and in a million small ways the world got just a little bit worse. So watch the 'Star Wars' prequels in remembrance of May 19th, 1999, when millions of excited voices cried out in excitement, and were suddenly silenced.
Feb 5-11 - Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
Freelance Writers Appreciation Week is coming up and that means two things. First, you should really be appreciating me. Are you appreciating? Good. Now it's time to watch a movie about one of the most famous freelancers ever. 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' an exciting tale, and if you take out the drugs and the drinking and the adventure, it's pretty much what all of us freelance writers do on a daily basis. Take out Tobey Maguire too. He's creepy.
There are an awful lot of Boy Scouts in movies, but few of them are cool or heroic or even respected. While Russel in 'Up' isn't technically a Boy Scout, he starts out with the stereotypical Boy Scout behavior. He's dorky and dumpy and he doesn't have much going for him. In the end though, he kind of kicks ass.
Who the devil thought it would be a good idea to celebrate toothaches? Sick people. Crazy people. Still, there's at least one man that a toothache worked out for and that's Charles Foster Kane. Thanks to a toothache he got himself a hot new mistress that soon became a hot new wife. If you ignore the end of the relationship, it's actually kind of a sweet story. You really can't blame the character's descent in 'Citizen Kane' on the toothache.
February 13th - Get a Different Name Day
I thought to mention some of my favorite secret agents here, but both James Bond and Sterling Archer don't hide their names. In fact, they seem to go to great lengths to publicize them. So I turn to 'Fight Club,' because it teaches us that in death, a member of Project Mayhem has a name. His name is Robert Paulson.
February 14th - Ferris Wheel Day
Movies with Ferris wheels exist, but none of them come to mind. Why? Because the word Ferris brings up memories of what might be the best movie John Hughes ever penned - 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' That dreadful Honda commercial got me nostalgic, I'll admit.
February 20th - Toothpick Patented
I was recently reading '
Writing Movies for
Fun and Profit
' by Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon and they told a terrific story about Jackie Chan. When the pair was pitching 'The Pacifier,' Jackie Chan suggested a
bit of business where he would flick a toothpick at someone. He did so by flicking a toothpick past one of the writers and it "hit the opposite wall
of the restaurant so hard you could hear it." It's a cool story, but 'The Pacifier' and 'The Spy Next Door' are terrible so get 'The Legend of Drunken Master' instead.
February 24th - Dia de la Bandera
I'm well aware that Dia de la Bandera is Mexico's Flag Day, but I also know that Antonio Banderas is awesome. Pick up the 'El Mariachi/Desperado' two-pack as well as ' Once Upon a Time in Mexico' if you're so inclined. I'm sure there's a flag in there somewhere, so appreciate it if you happen to notice it.
High-Def Holidays: Ringing in the Blu-Year!
Wed Jan 04, 2012 at 02:00 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward (all tags)
by Dick Ward
It's January and all the holiday hubbub is over. Well, the major, well recognized mainstream holidays are over anyway. Me, I'm sort of a holiday hipster. I was into Talk Like a Pirate Day before it was cool and I dug National Catfish Month before the corporations ruined it. So let's talk about these obscure or strange holidays and the Blu-rays you can watch to celebrate them.
If there's an easier gag than linking vampires to Blood Donor Month than I'd like to hear it. I'm certainly hoping that if you give blood it's going to be voluntary, but if not then here's hoping you'll be giving it to some sexy vampires like the ones on ' True Blood.'
When trapped in a car with a serial "I love you man" kinda guy, there's only one escape. Learn from Garth Algar in ' Wayne's World' and just say "thank you." It's so much better than the alternative.
January 2nd - Run it up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes Day
This is a phrase not too many people use these days but it's used when someone has an idea that's not quite conventional, typically in a business setting. It means, basically, to try it out and see what happens. Take, for example, the business of ghost busting undertaken by the aptly named ' Ghostbusters.' They ran it up the flagpole and it worked like a charm. Mostly.
I'm sure this day has something to do with actual rocks, but I'm going to use it to pay tribute to my favorite old rocker, Billy Mack. Mack, played by the consistently awesome Bill Nighy in 'Love Actually,' has that kind of wonderful honest attitude that you only get from someone who's been around long enough to get cynical.
January 8th - Elvis Presley's Birthday
It seems natural to celebrate someone's life by experiencing their work again, but I prefer the idea of celebrating as they did. The King may have had a little bit of an ego, but I find it hard to believe he'd sit and watch one of his own flicks during his party. More likely, he'd be taking in one of his favorites, like 'The Pink Panther,' a comedy classic.
January 13th - Poetry Break Day
You could celebrate the whole poetry thing by going out to an open mic night but those can be painful affairs full of pretentious wannabe artists and folks giving awful readings of awful poems. Instead, sit inside and check out 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' where you'll get your fill of earnest attempts at beat poetry. Jane, get me off this crazy thing... called love.
January 16th - National Nothing Day
Nothingness is a concept that's way too heavy for a light-hearted list like this, so let's turn our focus to nihilism. Since there hasn't been a movie made out of the Rancid song of the same name - hey, it happened to Convoy! - I'm singling out 'The Big Lebowski.' It's a great film and features a few discussions on nihilism. "Say what you want about the tenants of National Socialism, at least it's an ethos!"
January 20th - Penguin Awareness Day
This Penguin Awareness Day, share the hit documentary 'March of the Penguins' with someone else who isn't aware of penguins. Who on earth isn't aware of penguins? I mean, my nephew knows what a penguin is and he's four. You know what? Skip it. If you have a friend who doesn't know what a penguin is, they don't deserve to know. Watch it on your own.
Beer, 'Crocodile Dundee' and Yahoo Serious jokes aside, Australia has contributed some great things to cinema and even more to low budget exploitation flicks. 'Mad Max' is the best known contribution and definitely worth checking out on Blu-ray. If you're a Netflix streamer, give 'Not Quite Hollywood' a watch - it's a great documentary on Ozsploitation movies and features plenty of clips from Quentin Tarantino who, surprise, loves every single one of them.
For Backwards Day I'm going to go ahead and recommend some movies that are just plain bad. ' Avatar' is the easy choice here. It's just plain bad, no matter what anyone says. And no, I'm not complaining about the plot - the plot is fine and it's not a ripoff of anything else. I can name plenty of movies and books with the same basic story structure. If you're one of those people that actually liked 'Avatar,' give 'Catwoman' a try. It's so bad that a room of my friends and I couldn't make fun of it. Few movies are bad enough that I won't watch them on bad movie night, but 'Catwoman' bested me.
High-Def Holidays: Ho-Ho-Hi-Def!
Thu Dec 01, 2011 at 06:45 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward (all tags)
by Dick Ward
Need help picking out a few movies for your Christmas marathon? This isn't the list for you. We'll have that list of course, but this one's all about celebrating those holidays that slip under the radar. The weird ones celebrating things that just don't need celebrating. The holidays that you didn't even knew existed. Okay, Christmas people, I'll throw you a bone. 'Die Hard.'
It's true, people don't really talk to their neighbors like they used to. So they want you to say hi. Fine. I say do it one better and make it High-Def neighbor month. Get your player hooked on Blu-ray with my personal favorite disc to date and one that I think really shows the power of the format - 'Star Trek.' Give 'em a taste of what they're missing out on.
Reading books can take you on wonderful new adventures, teach you lessons about humanity and about yourself, and help you learn the meaning of words like "inconceivable." But why read a book when you could watch 'Princess Bride,' a movie about people reading a book? It's faster than a proper book and has way more Peter Falk. Of course... if you're still dying to read an actual book, why not check out HDD Editor-in-Chief Mike Attebery's latest release: Seattle On Ice available as a $2.99 Kindle edition and $9.50 paperback (Makes a great gift!).
December 5th - Walt Disney's Birthday
Just seconds after you hit play on a Disney movie you'll see an opener that pulls out to reveal Cinderella's Castle to the music of "When You Wish Upon a Star." It's from "Pinocchio" and is one of the sweetest and most beautiful songs put into a Disney film.
December 6th - Ira Gershwin's Birthday
Ira who? No, Ira Gershwin. Ira, along with his brother George, is responsible for some incredibly memorable music that you should really know. ' A Star is Born' is debatably the last great work of Ira Gershwin. It stars Judy Garland and James Mason. Also it's great.
December 12th - Sinatra's Birthday
Boy do I love Sinatra. The man had style, composure, mob ties, excellent comedic timing, and a great voice. All right, the mob ties aren't exactly a plus but the other bits are. As much as I do love the 2001 version, nothing beats Frank, Dean, and Sammy in ' Ocean's Eleven.'
Sean Astin is the king of the underdogs. The absolute king. For starters, he was Rudy in 'Rudy,' a movie about a guy that might just be the ultimate football underdog. But that's not all. He was Mikey in 'The Goonies,' a tale of a group of underdogs who beat out a crime family and saved their home. Not enough? How about his role as the fat, lazy, unwilling Samwise Gamgee from 'Lord of the Rings.' No one thought he'd ever really help out on the adventure but when times got tough he was the one who managed to overcome significant adversity and get Frodo to where he needed to be. See? King of the underdogs.
Games play an important part in a lot of movies, from the drunken festivities of 'Beer Fest' to the Ouija board in 'Paranormal Activity.' No other movie completely revolves around a game in the way 'Jumanji' does though. If nothing else, watch the movie for Van Pelt - best character by far.
December 28th - Card Playing Day
Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Gretchen Mol, Famke Janssen, John Malkovich. That should be all you need to hear about ' Rounders' until you go out and buy it and watch it and love it. Oh, it's about poker.
December 29th - Pepper Pot Day
I have no idea what a Pepper Pot is, but I know who Pepper Potts is and I know that she's played really nicely by Gwyneth Paltrow in both the original and 'Iron Man 2.' December 29th is also my roommate's birthday, and I'm sure he'd love a Pepper Potts of his own. If anyone knows where I can get a brilliant and sexy personal assistant on the cheap, hit me up.
December 31st - New Year's Eve
Before the movies started to get funny and long before they added Chris Rock and turned the films into self-parody there was a wonderful and dark movie called 'Lethal Weapon.' It starts just after Christmas and on through New Year's.
High-Def Holidays: Remember, Remember the Blus of November
Thu Nov 03, 2011 at 02:50 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward (all tags)
by Dick Ward
It's November and that means it's time to celebrate Thanksgiving. Turkeys and pilgrims and Indians and all that jazz. Or if you're one of those people who watched 'V for Vendetta' and pretend they were familiar with the holiday before hand - Guy Fawkes Day. It's also a time that the really exciting holidays get overlooked. Just because no one else is celebrating them doesn't mean you can't, so check out our list and put on a Blu-ray or two to celebrate your favorite oddball holidays.
How can we even talk about putting planes in the air without taking a look at one of the biggest and most eccentric men in the business. ' The Aviator' is a landmark film and a fascinating character study. It's so good I'm not even going to make any bad puns. Go get the Blu-ray before it flies off the shelf - you don't want to have to wing it. Oh, I lied about the puns.
November 4th - National Candy Day
I really love candy. I'm like a five year old with the stuff - I'd eat it all day if I could. Though, if I had to describe every piece of candy I've ever had in two words I wouldn't have to pause long. "Truly Scrumptious" is the perfect description and it comes straight from a book written by 'James Bond' creator Ian Fleming and the movie adaptation written by Roald Dahl. That's right , ' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.'
Politics are so exhausting. These days you're faced with a lot more than just what politician you'll vote for, but what paper you'll read, what channel you'll watch and what soon to be out of date bumper stickers you're going to slap on your car. Take your mind off of all the backstabbing and manipulation with a movie about, well, backstabbing and manipulation. 'Election' stars Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon and is awesome.
November 10th - Marines Established
The anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps should be held in high esteem, so to celebrate, watch something that they hold in high esteem. 'Starship Troopers' is the only science fiction tale to appear on the Marine's list of recommended books. But you can't watch a book on your 65 inch screen, so grab the Blu-ray instead.
November 13th - 'Fantasia' Released
My parents went to see 'Fantasia' back when they were dating. Neither of them had seen the film and they had no idea what to expect, so when a few of the reels were put in backwards, they just assumed it was the way the movie went. The Blu-ray version is far more accurate.
November 14th - National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
So I've been meaning to talk to you about the refrigerator. I mean, I know it's hard to remember to check the dates on the mustard and the cheese but that box of wine has been in there for months. What if I want to have girls over? Worse yet, what if there's a nuclear war and we need to survive it 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' style? So get cleaning.
Week 3- American Education Week
Look, I wanted to highlight 'Stand and Deliver' because the story is inspiring and Edward James Olmos is so good in it. But that's not on Blu-ray so you get the film that put Ian McKellan in the forefront of my mind when thinking of awesome actors. ' Apt Pupil' is technically about education and it takes place in America. So it counts. Also I still think it's a pretty sweet movie despite receiving pretty mediocre reviews.
November 20th - National Children's Day
As children we just want to be adults and as adults we just want to go back to being children. There are a few movies that satisfy both desires at once. In particular, this year's big summer release 'Super 8.' It has all the whimsy of a kids movie but with tremendous adult sensibilities.
November 26th - National Cake Day
You're going to want to be off of the internet for this one or you're just going to see "the cake is a lie" written everywhere by people who may or may not have played the game that inspired the line. Rather than take out your aggression by typing angrily, just watch Daniel Craig take out his aggression in 'Layer Cake.' He's better at it anyway.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
High-Def Holidays: The Hunt for Blu-October
Mon Oct 03, 2011 at 02:20 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward, Fun Stuff (all tags)
by Dick Ward
It's finally here - the month you've been waiting for. The month that culminates in one wonderful day of candy, cider, and costumes and ends with you waking up tied to your bed by a Wonder Woman that looked so much better the night before. At least that's how mine usually go.
There's much more to October than one day at the end to the month where all the goth kids feel out of place because they look like everyone else. And that's what High-Def Holidays is all about - finding some quality Blu-rays to celebrate some less quality holidays.
Granted, National Apple Month is almost certainly taking a pro-apple stance. I do too, especially if they're covered in caramel. But still, my mind wanders to the most anti-apple story since the book of Genesis. That, of course, is the Disney classic ' Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.' Watch it and balk at the propaganda against one of the doctor-away-keepinest fruits there is!
We're going back to Disney to talk about a movie that's ripe with clocks, and of course the desire to not be late. Specifically, the desire not to be late for a very important date. Consider 'Alice in Wonderland' to keep your clocks wound and properly calibrated so you don't have to go running around with your pocket watch out.
Week 1 - National Fire Prevention Week
Fires can start in a lot of ways. You could leave the gas on or drop a lit cigarette in the woods. Sometimes they happen due to faulty wiring or just because everything's too darn dry. And sometimes they happen because you made fun of the weird girl in school and dumped pigs blood on her head. ' Carrie' is the Smoky the Bear of Bullying. "Only you can prevent pyrokinetic fires."
October 1st - World Vegetarian Day
I've probably pimped 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' before. Maybe a few times. Well it's that damn good. And of course, it ties in to World Vegetarian day because of the vegan evil ex boyfriend. If he wasn't kind of a dick about it, his vegan superpowers could really have been cool.
October 2nd - Name Your Car Day
Some people name their cars. Those people are weird. To be fair though, I've always wanted to name my car Desire just to see if anyone gets the joke. If you can't think of any good title to attribute to your beater, you can always crib something from ' Cars,' a movie so good that it made Larry the Cable Guy tolerable. Barely.
October 10th - Indigenous People's Day
Unlike a lot of holidays that I feature here, Indigenous People's Day is actually serious. It's all about celebrating Native American culture and I think 'Dances With Wolves' is a good way to do that. And if the 1990 classic isn't your style, you can always check out the more modern remake 'Avatar.' Zing!
I drive by a lot of farms on my way up to my grandmother's place, and while they're pretty cool and quaint in the daytime, they're creepy at night. Giant areas of land with nothing in them, and of course plenty of potential for some creepy kids to go all ' Children of the Corn' on you.
Ah bosses. They're the people that make sure things are going right at work, keep people on task and encourage them to do their best. Or you've got a real boss and they're more like the folks in 'Office Space.' Celebrate Boss's Day by kicking back and living vicariously through a man who doesn't mind shirking authority.
October 20th - Monster Mash Day
I can't think about the great song 'Monster Mash,' - if you were wondering, is indeed a graveyard smash - without thinking about ' Monster Squad,' which in my youth I remembered as a fairly edgy Halloween comedy. It's less edgy now, but it features the creepy German guy, some really out-of-place serious moments, cuss words that kids don't get to say anymore and of course, the answer to life's ultimate question. "Does Wolfman have nards?"
October 22nd - National Stuttering Awareness Day
Sure, yeah, 'The King's Speech' earned critical acclaim. Whatever, no one died watching it. But according to a Wikipedia "fact" that I may of may not have inserted for the sole purpose of writing this article, the John Cleese starring 'A Fish Called Wanda' did kill a man with humor. Interesting that it's something Monty Python joked about so many years ago.
High-Def Holidays: 30 Blu-rays Hath September
Thu Sep 01, 2011 at 02:30 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward (all tags)
by Dick Ward
Ah, September. The leaves start to change color, the weather gets a bit cooler, and you can bust out your jeans and that cool jacket you bought on clearance over the summer. It's also a great time to crack the windows, let in a nice crisp breeze, and enjoy some great Blu-rays.
And yes, September probably has more than 30 Blu-rays, but it's a play on the old pseudo-poem to remember month lengths so you'll have to forgive me the inaccuracy. The important thing is that I'm clever. Or kind of clever.
Baby Safety Month
You might think that it's important to keep your baby safe every month, but apparently September's the time that everyone's going to be paying
attention. It's a little like going to church on Christmas and Easter - all the regulars know what you're doing but the rest of the folks don't. ' Raising Arizona' teaches what may be the most important child safety lesson of
all. Don't let Nic Cage steal your baby. Seriously, you let that guy near your kid and he'll just run away with it.
National School Success Month
Back to school for all the kiddies, the teenagers and the adults trying to make up for all the college they didn't go to when they were younger. No
matter how much you love your classes, your mates and your teachers, you have to admit it'd be great to pull a ' Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' Just think of all the fun you'll have crashing parades, fancy restaurants, and classic cars.
3rd Week of September - National Farm Animals Awareness Week
The great and powerful Aaron Peck says it in his review of the Blu-ray and I concur - " ' Babe', for some reason, is one of the only talking animal movies that I can stand. " It
has all the hallmarks of a 'Furry Vengeance' but comes off as good instead of dreadful.
September 3rd - Skyscraper Day
When you say the word "skyscraper" some may think immediately of the Empire State Building or the Sears Tower - or whatever it's called now - or even
one of those fancy places in Dubai. When I think about skyscrapers the first thing that comes to mind is Nakatomi Plaza from ' Die Hard.' In all seriousness, can you think of a better way to celebrate a skyscraper
than dropping terrorist Alan Rickman from it? I sure can't.
September 5th - National Cheese Pizza Day
Pizza . Ninja Turtles. Back in the day, the two words were inseparable. It's only fitting that the ' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' collector box - which is even styled
like a pizza box - is the movie series of choice here. Eat your pizza fast though. The first flick holds up, and the fourth is pretty sweet but the
second and third don't hold up at all. Also, Sam Rockwell is in the first Ninja Turtles
movie, so that's gotta count for something.
September 11th - National Grandparents Day
We all have fond memories of our grandparents, and whether they took us fishing, hooked us up with a trip to Disney World, or just let us bum around
their house and eat food that Mom wouldn't let us have, there's a lot of nostalgia there. ' Princess Bride' is a great flick in its own right, but outside of the main story
there's a sweet little subplot about a boy bonding with his grandfather. Sweet stuff.
September 16th - Stepfamily Day
There are two very distinct opinions when it comes to the movie 'Step Brothers.'
There are the people that love it and consider it to be a really fantastic piece of comedy and then there are the people who are wrong. We need more
Ferrell and Reilly badly, but until we get it, 'Step Brothers' remains their finest piece of teamwork.
September 18th - Lance Armstrong's Birthday
Lance Armstrong is pretty good at riding the bicycle if my sources are correct. I mainly know him from his acting work, like his role in 'You Me and
Dupree' and his fine cameo in 'Dodgeball.' Actually, that's pretty much the
whole list. 'Dodgeball' is a funny movie, but Armstrong's cameo is by far the most memorable part.
September 22nd - U.S. Postal Service Founded
To celebrate the first U.S. Post Office hitting the scene, why not enjoy another film about the beginnings of a great post office - that of the city of
Ankh-Morpork. 'Going Postal' is one of Terry Pratchett's best books. The
adaptation leaves a lot to be desired, but it's better than nothing. Slightly.
Safety Pin Invented
When I was in high school the safety pin was the ultimate symbol of punk rock. If you had them in your jacket, your pants, or pierced through some part
of your body, you were as punk as it got. Of course, the rest of the clothing we wore as faux-punk kids of the 90s was lifted straight from The
Ramones, who had a sort of starring role in the 'Rock 'n' Roll High School.'
The movie isn't great, but The Ramones are in it. Weirdly enough, I only discovered this flick through its sequel 'Rock 'N' Roll High School Forever.'
High-Def Holidays: August - Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blus
Mon Aug 01, 2011 at 04:30 PM ETTags: High-Def Holidays, Dick Ward (all tags)
by Dick Ward
August is a great time to hit the beach, go play some sports, go for walks and all of that other outdoorsy stuff, but it's also humid and hot and horrible if you're not in the mood. Looking for an excuse to stay inside and watch some Blu-rays this month? We're glad to help you out.
National Inventors Month
Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison - all of these men dreamed big, exciting dreams and created technologies that would long
outlive them and forever change the world. But none of them thought to put a flux capacitor in a DeLorean. That man would be Dr. Emmett Brown from ' Back to the Future.' Sure, he's a fictional inventor, but that doesn't
mean he isn't worth celebrating!
National Foot Health Month
The health of your feet is very important. I mean, probably, right? You walk on them, so you may as well treat them well. The alternative isn't a
pleasant option, even if it does mean you get to let John Turturro whack on it with a fireplace poker for a while like Adam Sandler did in ' Mr. Deeds.' A dire warning to be sure!
First Week of August - National Clown Week
Irrational or not, there are plenty of people out there who are scared of clowns - men and women whose only crime is that of trying to entertain.
It's tough to find a movie with a clown that isn't a terrifying, sadistic murderer, but ' House of 1,000 Corpses' gives us two out of three in Captain Spaulding.
Sure, he's a sadistic murderer, but he's somehow wonderful and loveable at the same time. Celebrate National Clown Week with some tasty fried chicken!
August 5th - My Sister's Birthday
Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and take advantage of this platform to wish my sister a happy birthday! She's pretty badass as far as sisters go and her
favorite movie in the world is 'De-Lovely' which is, in her words, "a gross musical
love story." I'm going to go ahead and blame the auto-correct on her phone for "gross" and just assume she meant "great. "
Second Week of August - National Smile Week
If you're really going to celebrate National Smile Week, you can't do it without the incurably infectious smirk of Tom Cruise. The dude's magical. He
smiles, you smile. Of course, the same can be said of his 'Knight and Day'
counterpart Cameron Diaz. Combined they put Care Bears to shame.
August 11th - Hulk Hogan's Birthday
Though he was a childhood hero, it's getting really hard to find any respect for The Hulkster these days. From wrestling far past his prime to
starring in a reality show and
sympathizing with O.J. Simpson
, Hulk just isn't the hero he used to be. His movie roles are about the same though. Dude wasn't really in anything good aside from a bit part in ' Rocky III.' So while toasting the fallen hero, it's right to watch the one good movie
he made.
Third Week of August - National Air Conditioning Week
By mid-August, folks start to really learn to appreciate just how great their air conditioning is. Keeping cool at home, at work, and in the car is
essential during these crazy hot summer months, but it's important not to overdo it, especially if ' Dogma' is at all accurate. As Azrael is quick to state, " No pleasure, no rapture, no
exquisite sin greater... than central air."
August 17th - Archeology Day
Boy this is a tough one. What movie could possibly have to do at all with archeology while simultaneously being awesome in every way? How about a
little movie called '
Jurassic Park
,' which you should be preordering now if you haven't already. Go. The rest of the list can wait until you get back. I mean, you could wait until
the 17th to order it if you really wanted to, but it couldn't hurt to jump on it now.
August 18th - Bad Poetry Day
"Oh freddled gruntbuggly, thy micturations are to me as plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee. Groop I implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes. And
hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles. Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurglecruncheon, see if I don't!" - Prostetnic
Vogon Jeltz, third worst poetry in the universe according to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
August 23rd - First Photograph of Earth Taken From the Moon
Look, it's a long list so I'm just going with 'Moon.' I haven't seen it yet, but it was
directed by David Bowie's kid and that's pretty cool. Also it stars Sam Rockwell, and Sam Rockwell is awesome in everything he's in ever. So watch
it, and I will too. Let's make it our August goal.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
» High-Def Digest home page
