Many actors have tried, but none has surpassed Basil Rathbone's embodiment of Sherlock Holmes. The razor-sharp profile, hawk nose and cocaine eyes seem torn straight from the pages of Arthur Conan Doyle. This is, undeniably, one of the great pairings of actor and character in film history. Odd to think, then, that the first Holmes film with … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2011
Google tunes in TV tags
Time to start tagging TV shows, Google says. The search behemoth now advises owners of broadcast content that appears on a web site to use new metadata fields (via video sitemaps or mRSS feeds) to identify "television or episodic content." That could mean anything from your crazy uncle's weekly rants to "American Idol." Google's video tag … [Read more...]
‘Last Tango in Paris’ dances in HD
"Growing old is a crime," the young and gorgeous Maria Schneider says in "Last Tango in Paris." Alas, the French actress eventually proved guilty of that offense, as must we all. Schneider died just days before the Blu-ray debut of the infamous 1972 film, a woman decimated by cancer and years of hard living. After "Last Tango," Schneider went … [Read more...]
Miramax pics to stream Instantly?
Netflix reportedly is nearing a deal for Miramax films, which would unspool on the Watch Instantly streaming media service. More than 700 films would be covered under the five-year pact, likely the entire Miramax catalog, the Wall Street Journal said. The deal was valued at $100 million. Netflix had no comment, but did not deny the report. … [Read more...]
Universal horror on Blu-ray
When it comes to Blu-ray, Universal Pictures' classic monster movies remain locked in the digital dungeon. How long must we wait before Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein and the gang do their worst in high definition? Black and white films can look sensational in high definition, at least as impressive as well-done color releases from decades … [Read more...]