Info and forum posts by 'MattJoyce'

Who is the Hollywood celeb that is up on a perv case???

The Daily Mail on Saturday reported that a very famous Hollywood actor, whilst spending his honeymoon at a hotel in Scotland in 2004, was a tad "indecent" with a hotel masseur.
Thanks to censorship in THIS country alone, no British paper can publish details of the ongoing trial or name the cuplrit, despite the fact that many other countries are freely reporting on it, and its all across the internet.

Well, I couldnt find damn all when I did a `net search, so does anyone know who this
is about? If you cant say, maybe name a film or something.

Help...what Freeview set-top box to get??

Please help....whats a good make Freeview set-top box?

All I`m looking for is good picture and sound, and the
potential to scroll down and see the listings for the
channel. Im not interested in flashy gimmicks.

Talking to the guy in Curry`s yesterday, he said
that it doesnt matter what make you get, as digital
pic and sound will be just as good from a brand name box
to that of a cheapie Goodmans.
So why the large difference in prices bewtween boxes,
and are the cheapies any good?

DVDSoon........reliable? Any good?

I`ve never brought anything from DVDSoon before and
wondered if anyone who has used them can recommend
them? I see they sell 2 movies I want a hell of a lot
cheaper than elsewhere, free shiping and all, but are they
reliable or are there any nightmare stories out there???

RE: Most Shocking Film

Saving Private Ryan

Being a horror fiend, Ive seen lots of gory movies in the past, a few video *nasties*
are in my collection, etc, but nothing came close to the 1st 30 mins of SPR...its
real (or was) and more to the point was more horrific, both mentally and physically
on the stomach than ANYTHING in my horror collection.
That one really shook me and the rest of the cinema in a way I hadnt seen before.

Dawn of the Dead remake ..advert online....

Being a huge fan of the original movies, for the last few months I`ve been dreading
the release of this remake (or any remake as it goes, but remaking DOTD is grotesquely
abhorrant...its a classic for *****s sake and should not be screwed around with by
anyone, least of all the guy responsible for that excremental Scooby Doo.)

However...

...having just seen the online ad for the remake, I must say that I MAY be devouring my words and entrails when this gets released. Never thought I`d say this, but it does look good. Ok, so the advert for Highlander 2 made it look cool..no, you cant go by ads, they mislead like hell.....but Holy **** am I excited about this......Please, dear Satan, dont let the Hollywood commercialisation machine screw this up.....

RE: Bob Monkouse is dead

The guy was an absolute genius...razor sharp mind and wit. I bought my dad one of
his video`s around 5 years ago (a live standup) and was blown away by his story telling and delivery.
I`ll never forget that BBC series he did a couple of years back where he ended each
episode with getting the audience to shout out 4 words at random...he`d then go
on effortlessly to tie all the words up in a cracking joke.
RIP Bob

RE: Sheryl Crow live

saw her last night at Sheps Bush
Very good, but...she seemed somehow bored for the 1st 20 mins or so, but on the
whole a good evening.. She sang all the hits - you wont be disappointed.
Stating the obvious, but "jaysus, billy, that girl`s fit!" - well toned...she physically put to shame the skinny runt standing next to her on guitar...if I was that thin I`d be down my local gym to do something about it, not have the gorgeous Miss C stand next to me
in front of loads of fans making me look like a coat-hanger!!
Call me shallow, but there you go.
And those leather biker trousers she wears amply show off her gorgeous rear!!!!!!!!
Oh, music was good as well...

RE: Sheryl Crow live

PS
If you like SC, check out Lisa Marie Presleys newish album, "To Whom It May Concern"
- got some excellent songs, a couple of good rocky numbers and some good slow
ones. It took a bit for me to get into it, but now I`m hooked......and the single "Lights Out" was fantastic, couldnt get it outa my head for weeks....

pps....on an oh-so-slightly different note, check out Bonnie Raitt also -she`s been around for years and has one truely awesome voice..She`s a mix of country, rock, bluess
etc. Highly essential... if you know any other singers/groups in the Crow mold, let me know as I love this sort of music....its a shame that they dont sell well over here....
all this country seems to listen to is 5 minute-wonder Pop Stars, pretty boy bands
or miserable, dowdy indie bands. To bad....

RE: Sheryl Crow live

Yep
Im seeing her next week, 14th October at Sheps Bush........cant wait.Love
all her albums, especially Cmon Cmon - a bit more commercial, but some
damn catchy tunes on that CD.
Who`s her support? If its Alabama 3, then that would TRUELY be a heavenly night,
but whoever it is, Im counting down the days.....

RE: Deathwatch

Not a bad movie at all, and better than the similar "the Bunker".
However, I did not find it scary or particular good as a horror movie...but its
got to be said, the sets were absolutley 1st rate...all that mud everywhere
and the grim look, I really thought the look of the film was very well done
(seen a few "trench/bunker" movies where you could just picture it all being on
a set..not so here).
Gotta say that Andy Serkis got right on my tits with his overly forced London
accent (why do they do that??). But thats just a personal beef...
Despite the above grumbles, check it out...it beats seeing ANOTHER glossy, overproduced "horror" from America.

By the way, anyone know when "Cabin Fever" hits the UK? cant wait for this one..

RE: Picture grain???????

Thanks for the explanation..I feel better knowing that this is normal and not due
to any defects with my system. Still bugs me, though.
By the way, my player is the Pioneer DV454 and the tv is a Sony Vega widescreen.

Picture grain???????

Basically, virtually EVERY dvd I own has some sort of picture noise on it, either:

- the appearance of what appears as 000`s of tiny pin-pricks moving on-screen. When you pause the picture, these "termites" all stop wriggling.
Noticable on Vanilla Sky, The Matrix. To the casual viewer, the picture is fine
but to me, once I`ve noticed it, it REALLY grates on me. It can be vaguely seen from a distance - get closer to the set and you notice it big time.

OR

- some sort of picture noise that can only be described as if the picture is projected not onto a smooth screen but a 28" widescreen brillo pad - the picture is fine, but certain areas of the screen seem "scratchy" somehow, particularly on large areas of one colour, like a sky background. Even appears on recent movies like Charlies Angels
and Sum of All Fears.

These faults dont ruin the picture totally, in fact they are only vaguely noticeable..but once noticed, it really starts bugging you.
My discs arent scratched - they are clean, the connections from the tv - dvd are firmly in place. I`ve tried expensive gold plated Scart cables by QED - nothing gets rid of this.
Even when played on different friends players and tv`s its still seen. My mates discs all show this as well on their sets....and since I`ve pointed this out to them, they now feel as I do......DVD picture-wise aint as perfect as its cracked up to be.

Any thoughts?????? Is this the much read about "grain"?

This item was edited on Wednesday, 23rd July 2003, 21:12

Exorcist remake...is NOTHING sacred????

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news to all you horror fiends out there,
but hot on the heels of the despicable remakes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Suspiria and (my all time fave) Dawn of the Dead, Hollywood in all its moneygrabbing, f*&**&* up wisdom is now planning a remake of The Exorcist!!!!!!!!
Pass me the sick bucket...no, wait, if if turn my head this way, I think I could puke all over Hollywood execs from little bitty England.
God I`m mad. check out the link below

http://www.creature-corner.com/news3/jun24exorcist.php3

Can anyone recommend Salems Lots R1??

Yes, I know its a dated, creaky tv movie, but God how I love this gem from my childhood...I remember back in `79 being freaked out by Mr Barlow and his gang of eye-glowing vampires, and saw it again on cable
recently...only my video was not working. It seems that the R1 version is the only full 3 hour version ...has anyone got this, and if so what`s the quality like? I dont want to lose £13 on a bad quality dvd, so any comments would be appreciated.

RE: has anyone got "the thing"?

A great film and DVD - its Carpenter at his best (or was that Halloween or Big Trouble in Little China????). Anyhow, when Play.Com are selling for the incredibly stooopid price of £6.99
can you afford not to buy this priceless gem? Lots of extras, as well a film that you can watch many times without getting bored (how many films can say that about?).
BUY IT, Garrddammit, `cos this is classic moviemaking they just dont do anymore.
And, sadly, neither does Carpenter..

Does wooden flooring screw up your Hi-Fi`s accoustics?

I`ve heard that having a hard flooring in your living room can be a detriment to the bass output from your hifi, so that effectively the sound
comes across as echoey and lacking depth, unlike a room with a carpeted floor that can assist your sound (the science behind this was not explained...). So, before I waste mucho bucks in wooden flooring, can anyone comment on this. I have a good sound system that I seriously dont want to see go to waste!

PS. Big Trouble In Little China - got my copy on Saturday...Russell and Carpenter are a team made in Heaven. So, when`s their 2nd Coming??

RE: What Are The Best Horror Films Of All Time

First off, if you love horror movies, you MUST own a multi region player, cause seeing a horror movie on R2 is pointless due to overly fanatical censorship we have to put up with in good ole Blighty. R1 is the only way to go if you want the good stuff uncut and free-flowing in the gore zone.

I`ve been watching Dawn Of The Dead since 1982. I`m now 32 and my love for this priceless gem has not diminished in any way. I cant wait for the Anchor Bay wet-your-pants-with-anticipation deluxe release. There really is a Second Coming....in late 2003!!!!!!!!! Day and Night are also fantastic, but hey, Dawn is The Daddy of them all.

Other movies (region 1, of course) that haunt my collection are Hellraiser (my 2nd fave horror movie), Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, Suspiria, Opera, Tenebre/Deep Red and I`ve just been blessed with Re-Animator...great seeing this film uncut after years of keeping my butchered old vhs copy, and such a great transfer as well.

As a real fan of the genre, it pains me to think that the Golden Age of Horror is virtually a distant dream. Days gone by of classics from Romero, Argento and Carpenter are now replaced by pathetic, plastic, good looking and airbrushed pretty people in overly polished big-budget productions- all posing for the camera, whilst running around to the latest pop songs. Oh, and Godawful humour every 5 minutes.

Dawn of the Dead and Suspria are going to be remade soon. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake just awaits a release date. Sorry, my tears are starting to flow....

RE: Blocky picture..

AT LAST...someone who has the same probs as I do.!!!!!!!!!
I have this prob regularly, so often in fact I`ve returned my tv 3 times
in 6 mths of purchasing it, and had a change of dvd player. Neither was faulty, and I dont use crap gear..the TV is a Sony Vega Widescreen and the dvd player is the Pioneer DV454 which got good reviews from the
Press and public alike.

But hey....more often than not I get the blocks on screen, like a minute but still visible chess board..in certain scenes. Supposedly hi-class discs like Blade 2, T2, and numerous others have this. I`ve tried my problem discs on several different friends setups, and the blocks are still there. I used to think it was the hardware, but its evidently the discs.

The most annoying thing about this problem is getting the looks from the people who have never seen this prob and and proclaim that your system is *******. I even went on a radio station to talk to an "expert" (no names) who had not even seen this problem!

THX Optimisers - need resetting for each movie???

I`ve got a few dvd`s with THX Ops on them....does each disc have its own
dedicated THX settings or is it a case of set it once and the same settings affect other movies with THX???

The Fog (R1), The Evil Dead (R2).....snowy picture???

Honestly, do the reviewers actually look at the same discs i buy?

Hands up anyone out there who has either of the above 2 films. On many scenes, doesnt it look as if there are hundreds of tiny stars in front of the picture? or put it another way, you see a good picture but someone is tipping a light wall of flour in front of the screen.
Yes, I know the films are old, but the reviews in mags and online never mention these glaring irritations, and "The Fog" gets quite decent reviews for its picture quality. Does anyone else get this? Is this what some people call "grain"? I`ve tried the discs on friends` players and the "snow" is still visible, so it must be the disks themselves. I`ve sometimes seen this "snow" on modern movies as well, and its driving me mad.

Cable for best picture quality..scart?

How can I get a really good picture? (sound is no prob as it goes via a
digital optical cable).

I have tried the QED gold plated scart lead (£49.00, Richer Sounds) and saw no difference to my bog standard, no-name black scart lead.
DVD: Pioneer DV 454, TV: Sony Widescreen 28" widescreen

Do I use Scart, S-Video, what?????? Whatever film I watch, I always seem to get a tad of screen noise (most notable in the skyline of the opening to The Thing - anyone else getting this??)