Akira Kurosawa's suicide attempt was almost a decade behind him. He hadn't made a film in almost five years, and Japan's major studios had rejected his latest project, an epic tale of warlords clashing in the 16th century. "I thought another script of mine would vanish into the void," the aging director recalled years later. This time, … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2009
iTunes 9, Blu-ray: talk of the town
"Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt. It's great to watch the movies, but the licensing of the tech is so complex, we're waiting till things settle down and Blu-ray takes off in the marketplace." -- Steve Jobs, Oct. 14, 2008 The Apple chieftain's decision to wait until Blu-ray "takes off" means we should be seeing some movement regarding the high … [Read more...]
‘Sling Blade’ a work of ‘hillbilly zen’
The indie classic "Sling Blade" hasn't aged a day since 1996 -- it remains heartfelt, compelling and wise. Billy Bob Thornton's breakthrough film has just been released in the Blu-ray format by Disney/Miramax. It returns in the original theatrical version. Thornton has acted in about 70 films -- including "Friday Night Lights," "Monster's … [Read more...]