Archives For DVD/BR

So more piracy talk~~~

September 15, 2009 — 4 Comments

So now French users can be (can be, under the current law) banned from using the internet for up to a year, if they are caught downloading illegal music, and a fine of 300k Euros. [AFP] Oh, my! And apparently, Sweden is also monitoring user download activity? Any word on that, Julz~?

There was also this article talking about a DRM server the Japanese RIAA wants to use to check on the music their users are playing on their phones… considering we (iTunes users) have already moved away from DRM tracks, I think it’s a very bad idea…

And then comes this very interesting post/article by dear Lily Allen for The Times, in which she expresses some of her thoughts  about the issue, and the opinion of some of her more “legendary” colleagues…

Music piracy is having a dangerous effect on British music, but some rich and successful artists such as Nick Mason, of Pink Floyd, and Ed O’Brien, of Radiohead, don’t think so. Last week, they told The Times that file sharing is fine. It probably is for them. They do sell-out arena tours and have the biggest Ferrari collections in the world. For new talent, though, file sharing is a disaster — it makes it harder and harder for new acts to emerge.

That’s partly true. But so it’s this…

By moving to a microtransaction model (charging <£1 for an album) for recorded music and increasing the emphasis on live concerts musicians can increase their revenue stream and attempt to reduce the abuse of their IP.

I understand what Lily Allen is saying, but the music industry spends too much money on advertising and pushing poor catchy music.

If your product is so good, then it does not need advertising or pushing.

Itunes and other sites are still overpriced in terms of album costs.

Books survived the photocopier, music will survive the internet. Real musicians have realised concerts are more of a money spinner and are have brought live music back to the front of entertainment.

As I’ve mentioned before, I watch as many films, and listen to even more music than I ever did. I still buy CDs, but only the really good ones. The ones that are worth my $14 for album/DVD package. Right now, they just happen to be Asian albums… which actually are worth my +$30. So I am paying $30 or $40 for a CD from Japan because it’s good. Wanna wonder why I haven’t bought much from anything else?

And yes, digital content is way overpriced.

Well, long time no see, eh?

It’s been nearly 4 or 5 months since our last discussion, and I really thought there’d be more people discussing Tekkonkinkreet, but alas~ No one has commented on it. If you have just discovered Yu Aoi (either through Osen, or a random watch of either Hana & Alice, One Million Yen Girl or Lily Chou Chou) and have been hit in the face with like a meteor, I invite you to watch Tekkon as well. Any animation fan won’t really regret it.

Anyway, we’re here to discuss Don’t Laugh at my Romance, or Sex is no Laughing Matter or Hito no SEKKUSU~~~ whatever your pick on names is.

First a little about the film~
Don’t Laugh at my Romance is a 2008 film adaptation of the the novel by Naocola Yamazaki, directed and sort of adapted by Nami Iguchi. It is about a 19-year-old student (Matsuyama) who falls in love/lust with his lithography teacher (Hiromi Nagasaku) at university, though he isn’t aware that his friend and classmate (Yu Aoi) is quite fond of him.

Genre: Dramedy with Romance
Starring: Kenichi Matsuyama, Hiromi Nagasaku, Yu Aoi, Shugo Oshinari, Yoichi Nukumizu
Duration: a little over +2hrs

Beware! Possible film spoilers~~~

Continue Reading…

July + August Films~

September 3, 2009 — Leave a comment

Let’s see how the movie count goes~
shall we?

Continue Reading…

I used to be a really good moviegoer when I was 17… 18 and 19~ Perhaps catch 1 or 2 films a week… if there was something indie, maybe 3 or 4 films at the cinema! That’s a lot of money. I don’t go to the movies too often, and I wonder why.

1. Peru doesn’t cater to my taste in movies when I want to… where I want to. I would watch Inglorious Basterds, but it hasn’t open here yet. So considering… I would watch it only if it’s really good. Hopefully it will make it before it comes out on DVD in America xD

2. It takes ages for some films to be released, so by the time they’re released I already bought them on DVD, have already watched them as downloads or have already lost interest.

3. They never make it here. Hooray for cable! LOL But sometimes they don’t even make it there.

4. Little to no independent films. It’s always the big studios… Can I re-suggest IndieScreenings? You can read some of my thoughts about it in this YAM issue.

5. 98% of American films in the market. 0.01% of Asia. 1%Europe… 0.03% Canadian~~~ What gives? xD The rest can be whatever… co-productions, etc.

6. I know it’s about the money-making, but how about opening a specialized cinema that shows new independent/foreign releases?

7. Not cinema means I get to watch films when I have the time, not when they want me. I can watch any film at 2am even if theaters are closed. No need to queue or complain about the noisy couple behind you.

Anyway… how do they choose the films to be distributed? And who chooses??? Maybe I should work for a distributor company or something. Maybe we should work with Indie Screenings for a test.

I loved Pixar’s UP. The first 15min. of the film is pure magic, so when I saw it on my Amazon recommended page, I was thrilled because I want to get it. But here’s the thing…

**Edit**
Since this post, they have announced a 2-disc DVD.

There’s only the single-disc DVD, and the 4-disc Blu-ray (which comes with the blu-ray, plus digital copy, plus DVD and who knows what else…) – To be honest, the $+30 price tag on the Blu-ray makes me not want to get it. Even worse because I haven’t made the switch to the format yet…

Then… the +$10 price tag on the single disc… which is ONE disc only, hardly any worthy extras. Compared that to the $20-something 3-disc DVD WALL-E version. And I’m not sold on UP. I’m sorry. If the price doesn’t go down below $15 for the single disc, I’m not buying it. I would’ve paid $20 for a two-disc DVD. What gives?

It’s here, it’s here!

Bibi Zhou - Time - Package

Pretty photos courtesy of me (so please, respect hot pink watermarks LOL),
plus a professional/sort-of-fan product review below the break~
enjoy, and link back if you’re sharing! xD

Continue Reading…

Am bored. Also remembered I haven’t done this in a while…

Plus, it’s Twenty 2009 films!! Only 28 more LOL!

Continue Reading…

Yu Aoi Short Takes~

July 18, 2009 — 6 Comments

I know, I know… I’m being lazy.

By the way, by the time of posting this, I’m probably away taking photos at a concert. This is a scheduled post because I wanted Maggie Cheung as the first post for a little longer… xD

I usually post one thing per post, but there’s too much Yu to post –
all via aoinohoho’s Yu-dedicated JP blog.
dozou~~~

First!

Rumors that NHK’s future 2011 (I know, I know… so far ahead) Taiga drama (a la Yoshitsune, Atsuhime) would be centered around three sisters… The Three Asai Sisters (?). They throw in some names like Masami Nagasawa and Aya Ueto, but seem positively (?) more thrilled to throw in Yu’s name xD – though you know, it IS a Google Translate.

Me on the other hand… I loved Atsuhime… a strong female who moved the pieces in this game of life. That may have had to do with the high ratings the show got alongside the writing, and production values. So the prospect of Yu on a Taiga drama thrills me. For one thing, I will be able to watch her once a week on my TV for a year. LOL – but then, that will mean a decrease on films… *eek!*

Second!

Apparently (this is old old news), FRaU Magazine had a list Yu’s 10 Best Films~
Some interesting choices there!

3 films in English made it to her list…

  • White Oleander (2002)
  • 2:37 (2006) [starring fellow Teresa Palmer of December Boys, Daniel Radcliffe fame]
  • Almost Famous (2000)

A very international one… actually, a two-part film project titled Ten Minutes Older, divided into The Trumpet and The Cello. (2002)

And the rest are Asian… though I’ve only heard of Sway (with fellow Joe Odagiri), which I wanna watch.

and third!

aoinohoho uploaded this 9min video of… Yu talking about a book? Book reading?

[iframe src=”https://www.tudou.com/v/GIK0Jvglz5w/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″]

Oh yeah, and did I mention my mom loves Yu? She told me that tonight… again. LOL

I posted this a while ago.

Now I found out that there’s a Hong Kong version – VCD and DVD Region 3 – with subs (sadly no extras), which I’ve decided to purchase. I would’ve chosen the Taiwan Free region edition, but I decided to get the HK version instead because I had found other product reviews for the releasing company, and I couldn’t find anything on the Taiwan company.

DVD reviewers, please review the DVD and not the movie!

In any case, I will be reviewing the product once I get my hands on it.

Also on my order? Bibi’s Time – China version which includes a Bibi Photobook and DVD!!!
ZOMG! I had to get it… short PB with album with dvd! Less than $20!
I couldn’t resist…

I will be reviewing that too.

Daria on DVD?

July 7, 2009 — 1 Comment

What???? – via TVShowsOnDVD
xD

Daria on DVD Soon!!