Machete: 1st images of Alba and Seagal!

The resurrection of Seagal begins...I want Nico:Above the Law II after he's done Machete!

Inappropriate Soundtracks

A very funny series that I've stumbled upon, Inappropriate Soundtracks and first up we have "Philadelphia"!

Steven Seagal: Lawman

I can't wait to see this...Is there something wrong with me?

Porn for the Kids?

Well not really but the UK government for the last 25 years failed to properly enact the 1984 Video Recordings Act so technically 18 rated violent and pornographic could be sold to anyone under 18 without fear of prosecution!

The Times reported:

"The disclosure that for 25 years the Act governing the classification and sale of videos, video games and now DVDs was never brought into force is a big embarrassment to both Conservative and Labour governments.

It also leaves the industry in disarray with the classification system designed to protect the under-18s from violent and explicit material no longer officially in operation."

Click HERE to read the full article.

Super Mario Sex Tape!

The Ballad of GI Joe!

How excellent is this from Funny or Die, how did they get this cast to do the video:

• Alexis Bledel as Lady Jaye
• Billy Crudup as Zartan
• Zach Galifiankais as Snow Job
• Tony Hale as Dr. Mindbender
• Vinnie Jones as Destro
• Joey Kern as Tomax and Xamot
• Chuck Liddell as Gung Ho
• Julianne Moore as Scarlett
• Henry Rollins as Duke
• Alan Tudyk as Shipwreck
• Olivia Wilde as The Baroness

Fantastic stuff! I'm loving the hype GI Joe is getting at the moment, my favourite childhood 80's cartoon ever! Go see the movie as well, best popcorn flick of the summer by miles! I even won the USS F.L.A.G.G playset in a competition when I was 12! Wish I still had all the parts...

Cast of Machete Revealed!

OMG - What a cast for Robert Rodriguez's update from fake Grindhouse trailer to fully fledged movie, "Machete", looks pretty awesome!

• Danny Trejo
• Robert De Niro
• Steven Seagal
• Don Johnson
• Cheech Marin
• Jeff Fahey
• Jessical Alba
• Lindsay Lohan
• Michelle Rodriguez

Seriously Seagal and De Niro, I can't wait!

Blu-Ray Review: The Ipcress File

The Ipcress File

DVD released: November 10th, 2008
Approximate running time: 107 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: 12
Sound: Dolby Digital English 5.1 & Dolby Digital English 2.0
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: ITV DVD
Region Coding: Region FREE Blu-Ray
Retail Price: £19.99

The Film

Around the time of the fledgling and successful Bond series of the 1960’s, co-producer Harry Saltzman was also involved in perhaps one of the best non-007 spy films of the era, and there were plenty of Bond rip-offs trying to cash in.

As a result we are introduced to Agent Harry Palmer, played by Michael Caine in surprisingly only his second starring role. In a way he was to become the working class James Bond, as he is gawky in appearance, wears specs and his spy world seems to amount to dull offices, paperwork and boring assignments, with only a blue Zodiac to drive rather than a gadget laden Aston Martin. To his superiors, Harry is little more than a crook and having been court-martialled from the army, they feel he is more adept to being a spy for them, as he will fit right into that world!

The plot consists of Harry trying to locate the whereabouts of a Western scientist, but upon retrieval of said scientist, it is discovered that his memory has been wiped and Harry is put swiftly on the case to discover why! Based on a novel by Len Deighton, The Ipcress File moves along at a great pace and is well written with convincing performances by Caine and in particular Nigel Green as his superior Major Dalby! While Bond movies embraced the special relationship of Britain and the US, Harry positively puts this relationship to the test with a clear dislike of American consumerism and more importantly his mistaken disposal of an US agent who was tailing him, so no Felix Leiter for this cockney boy!



In addition, both the camera work from director Sydney Furie and the cinematographer himself Otto Heller were at the time both revolutionary and extreme, with shots being tilted, low, high, at an angle...well you get the idea, but it works and adds to the puzzling nature of the film. Add a fantastic John Barry score to the proceedings and you have a crackling yet fascinating spy flick that perfectly captures a 60’s London going through many social changes with the classless Harry Palmer leading the way!

Transfer and Sound

Having previously only seen the washed out and badly framed DVD from Network, this 2:35:1, MPEG-2 1080p Blu-Ray from ITV DVD is a revelation, yet some reports were claiming the transfer was a huge disappointment. Although not stellar and perhaps not near the level of the 4K restored Bond movies, this is a fantastic effort and is probably as good as The Ipcress File will ever look! The colours are strong and vibrant with high levels of detail not previously seen and yes there is still some video noise and some grain but really nothing to worry about in a film from 1965, a fine job by ITV DVD! Also note that this BD is Region Free!



Two flavours on offer here sound-wise, with both DD5.1 and DD2.0 soundtracks available, there are very little differences between the two, with only minimal rear effects coming into play with the DD5.1 track. The dialogue is both clear and crisp with the fine John Barry score done a lot of justice. Removable English subtitles are also available.

Supplemental Material

Unfortunately only a Stills gallery and original trailer are available (both in HD). A little disappointing, given that the Network Special Edition had a 2nd disc full of interviews and documentaries!

NF

Roundtable on Vacation during August!

The Roundtable will return in September after the summer holiday period! Hopefully suntanned and relaxed!