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Profile of Brandon Robert Vogt

Brandon Robert Vogt

Site Reviewer

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Vital Statistics

Age Group 40s
Video Likes Blu-ray 3D
Video Dislikes Pan & Scan. Non 16x9 enhanced transfers. Aliasing.
Audio Likes Immersive surround audio. dts-HD 6.1 Lossless Master Audio or Linear PCM 5.1 audio.
Audio Dislikes Audio sync problems.
Favourite DVDs Please see my "Top Ten" below.
Least Favourite DVDs The R4 version of "Richard III". The R1 is 16x9 enhanced with 5.1 audio, whereas the R4 (released much after the R1) has neither of these features!
Most Eagerly Awaited DVDs Any of the big blockbusters! New Blu-ray 3D titles.

Opinions About Specific Movies and their DVDs

Titanic I love epic films and I enjoyed this at the cinema far more than I expected to, but I have avoided watching the non-16x9 enhanced DVD.
The Matrix A 'must-have' in anyone’s DVD collection. An excellent multi-layered, plot-driven action/sci-fi movie AND a great demo-disc. What more could you want? Also, if you want to get 'deep' about this movie, ignore the crude Messiah theme, and consider the plot in reference to Karl Marx's "Das Kapital" or Noam Chomski's "Manufacturing Consent". (But then again, I could be reading far too much into it.)
Terminator 2 An enjoyable movie with 'ground-breaking SFX' which now appear a little dated on DVD.
Star Wars One of the very few films that I can remember seeing as a child. Although it provides a powerful mythology for a secular 20th and 21st century, unless it is released on DVD soon, it is in danger of becoming nothing more than a fondly remembered, historical curiosity. Nostalgia is no substitute for great SFX, and this movie will have to compete with the movies and DVDs of tomorrow, in a completely different context. Compare, for example, the duel at the end of Episode 1 to the duel at the end of Episode 4 (which while exciting in the 1970s, now resembles two old men poking their walking sticks at each other).
Godzilla "King Kong" meets "Jurassic Park". A fun, light-weight popcorn movie. This actually works better for me as a home-theatre movie, than it did at the cinema.
Independence Day A very entertaining roller coaster ride. The special edition DVD's seamless branching offers a glimpse of what the DVD format is capable of. Another home-theatre gem!

Equipment

DVD Player Samsung 3D Blu-ray (HDMI 1.4) , using HDMI output
Display Samsung 3D HD (58 inches) . Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio Decoder Built in to amplifier/receiver . Calibrated with Video Essentials.
Amplification Samsung Pure Digital 6.1 AV Receiver (HDMI 1.3)
Speakers Samsung

Top 10 DVDs

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1. Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy (Blu-ray) (2002)
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2. Saving Private Ryan (DTS) (1998)
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3. Passion of the Christ, The: Director's Edition (Blu-ray) (2004)
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4. Amadeus: Director's Cut (1984)
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5. Transformers: Special Edition (Blu-ray) (2007)
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6. Star Wars-Episode IV/V/VI Box Set (1977)
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7. Departed, The (Blu-ray) (2006)
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8. Gladiator: Extended Definitive Edition (Blu-ray) (2000)
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9. Casino Royale (Blu-ray) (2006)
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10. 300 (Blu-ray) (2006)

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