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Tags: award, baftas, berenice bejo, clint eastwood, Film, Jean Dujardin, movies, nomination, oscars, soccer, the artist, uggie, wishbone
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Transformers 4 in the works?

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

Drill baby drill.

We could’ve said “Called it!” but it would’ve been too obvious. There’ll be a Transformers 4. No script’s written, and no cast attached to it, but there’s already a release date for 2014.

The only thing stopping it now is a Mayan prediction.

Now I’ve been harsh on Michael Bay in the past for doing silly things, and as momma always said: “If you’ve got nothing nice to say, blog about it.”

I do however have a great appreciation for the people surrounding Mr. Bay. In particular, the guys and gals at Industrial Light and Magic. They’ve done probably most of your favourite blockbuster movie effects.

If you watched the trailer for the third movie and nothing else (*COUGHmeCOUGH*), you would’ve seen the best part of the film (I’m guessing): The crumbling of a skyscraper with The Driller (the metallic worm thingy).

Apparently there were 70,051 parts that made the drilling robot, towering over Optimus Prime’s 10,701. The amount of detail and work that goes into special effects is mindboggling.

And with that, I’ve found a video that demonstrates just a little of what they do so well.

Now if they could just put a little more ‘parts’ into the script…

Tags: 3d, dark of the moon, ilm, industrial light, magic, michael bay, sfx, transformers 3
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It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…three guys?

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Pfft...showoff...

If you were in New York City recently and double-took something in the air as a flying person, turns out you were half-right.

To promote Chronicle, an upcoming film surrounding three teenagers who get superpowers, three radio-controlled planes that were designed to look like people and flew them around the city.

It brings up those dreams we all had wishing we could just magically fly around in the air, breaking the rules of gravity with mystical propulsion with only the thought of wanting to go up.

Though I’m sure people mistook it as model planes that were oddly shaped, it was still a neat concept to sell a big part of what the movie was about -- being teenagers with superpowers.

In fact, most movies involving superpowers or unexplainable attributes usually occur around the early-to-late teen years.

This is most likely because when we’re going through all those tough times of puberty, we’d much rather be able to run super fast or see through walls than break our voices.

I remember watching the Superman movies when I was little and imagining how awesome it would be to live in the shoes of Clark Kent. That element of secrecy, and being invincible seemed so interesting. That is until I saw the old Spiderman cartoons, but that’s a whole different story.

The film Jumper highlighted the ability to travel to any place on Earth. I would’ve loved to be in Jumper (let me rephrase that, I wouldn’t want to just act in the film, just take the powers).

What film/TV show/book made you dream of having powers?

Tags: chronicle, Film, hero, movie, spiderman, superman, superpower
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Silent, but deadly (cute)

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Adorable, the both of you.

The Golden Globes have handed out their trophies and created the crazy buzz that will eventually be the more glamourous Oscars. Ricky Gervais wasn’t as harsh as people were hoping to be, but at least was present.

But inside I was hoping for just one of those awards to be handed over to Michel Hazanavicius and his film The Artist. As with all golden statue-related ceremonies, most nominations are films with a particular focus that makes them stand out. No one saw Green Lantern as a nomination because it was predictable, like Thor, though I preferred Thor.

The usual picks are those with topical issues, or those that if you said you didn’t like, would label you inferior. This is common with films that ‘break barriers’ or ‘pay homage’ to a particular celebrated aspect of film.

For me it was The Artist. Filmed as a black and white movie set in the times where the ‘talkies’ were just becoming a thing in cinema, it starred a familiar face from OSS 117, the French spy film I talked about last year.

But the real star in that film was different. No, not the gorgeous co-star, nor was it the list of cameos that made you say “Ohh cool! ***** **** is in it!”. It was Uggie the dog.

Don’t know him? Watch this:

There were plenty of clips to see, but I just wanted to show you that the dog does indeed have a sponsor on his skateboard.

He already won the Palm Dog award, the animal equivalent of a Palm D’Or, but his list of films is pretty large. He was in Water for Elephants as well, and more than likely a better actor than Robert Pattison.

Any animal you’ve seen in a movie that has stolen the show?

Tags: Film, french, golden globes, green lantern, Jean Dujardin, Michel Hazanavicius, oss 117, Ricky Gervais, silent, the artist, thor
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Bring in the new with some old

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Ouuuuwwaaaaahhh!

Have you ever been given or bought a toy, or something that’s made you as giddy as a kid getting a toy), only to pull out an old one and enjoy that more?

I was recommended a long time ago to sit down and watch The Wire. You all must’ve seen it by now, because I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who hasn’t.

So when I was craving a bit of television goodness, it was by chance that I stumbled upon the DVD box set I had.

By stumbled, I meant tripped over because my ‘To Watch’ list has again succumbed to gravity. *mumblemumble* Stupid Issac Newton….

This holiday season may have come and gone, but it’s still giving (even from 2010 it seems!).

Not to mention the next best reason to start contemplating a purchase without guilt – Chinese New Year (Jan 23-24).

It’s Year of the Dragon, so I suggest How To Train Your Dragon. If you have a loved one who was born on the Year of the Dragon, you may decide whether you try a double-entendre insult. For relationship stability, maybe not.

But that’s not all, because who could’ve forgotten the least cringe-worthy biopic of Bruce Lee, Dragon? You may have forgotten, but now you’ll be scrambling to think who played Bruce now (it was Liu Kang from the Mortal Kombat films).

Wait, why not just get Enter the Dragon? Duh, Doogs!

Just for a laugh, search ‘Rambo – Enter the Black Dragon’. I never knew that existed until now.

But for something really worth seeing, I recommend The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Sure, it’s the original, and doesn’t have James Bond- I mean Daniel Craig, but if you are too lazy to read the book (don’t worry, still haven’t gotten there yet; you should see my ‘To Read’ pile), this version is worth checking out at least.

It’s also tradition to wear something red and new for Chinese New Year. Instead, I think I’ll opt for watching Red, and just put the Blu-Ray case on my shoulder.

Remember to say “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” (also known as another reason to celebrate New Year) when your loved one sees you buying more entertainment for yourself. Culture rocks.

Tags: 2012, blu-ray, bruce lee, cdwow, chinese new year, dragon, DVD, enter the dragon, mortal kombat, red, the girl with the dragon tattoo, the wire
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Forget Doomsday, it’s New Years Eve!

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

Resolutions in the office, sans the snow.

THE WORLD IS GOING TO E……ahh, we’re kidding. The world isn’t going to end. If it does, from what 2012 has taught us, let’s all fly to Australia. Kangaroos can’t get hurt, right?

After much rejoicing from the new collection of entertainment I’ve accumulated over the holiday season, I’ve come back to breathe a little, and to send out thanks.

But it isn’t to those that have given me Christmas presents (they’ve already been thanked). It’s to thank you. Yeah, you.

Not to say my friends who have somehow bought me certain games and DVDs I’ve been wishing I’d get (quite visually on my social media), and somehow knew what I wanted aren’t to thank. But they are just a minute piece of the worldly support we have at CD WOW!.

Our gratitude for the continued support during the year can’t be expressed enough. There has been some amazing entertainment out there this year, and we’ve loved sharing moments (good and bad) with you all.

Sappy, I know. But it’s worth letting you all know that it’s your amazing support that has kept us music, video and gaming fans hard at work. I know not all our staff falls under the same categories for film genres and music choice, but that’s necessary. Who wants to only listen to what I like? I know one person, but that guy’s stubborn.

And with the kick-off of WOW’D this year, B’s been giving us another way to reach out to you to talk about the newest things coming out. She’s done an amazing job so far, as of course you’ll agree, and we’re looking forward to next year.

I do see a lot of great things ahead of us for 2012. As negative some things may come out of Doogs’ snout, it’s all from love of good entertainment. It’s our business to know what’s best to offer you. That’s why you’ll be able to order in items you’ve never seen on shelves.

No longer do we have to succumb to the woes of retail shop prices, because our store is online. If we feel like renovating, it doesn’t take a team of builders, but our IT team. If walls fall apart in our office, then I feel those builders will come in handy.

And this is where I thank you once again for supporting us through the year. We know our European and UK customers have faced a nervous financial situation, and our Australasian customers have been facing their own daily troubles, but what’s more comforting than sitting down with friends with your newly owned DVD box set, right?

Sorry, I’ve just watched Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray with friends. I don’t personally have a working Blu-ray (my PS3 is going through it’s monthly brain freeze), but a friend does, hence my pre-Christmas order came in quite handy.

From all of us here at CD WOW!, we wish you an amazing new year, and hope that none of your 2012 resolutions start with buying less TV show box sets. I think all that gym time’s getting in the way, in my opinion.

We’ll see you next year (tomorrow).

Tags: 2011, 2012, CD, Christmas, danke, DVD, merci, new year, new years eve, thank you
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Testostallone: The Sequel

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

A pyramid of pew-pew-pew!

Lads, think back to the days where explosions and fast cars were all you obessed about.

…okay, let me rephrase that. Think back to when you were a kid, and explosions and fast cars were all you obsessed about. A movie like Rambo, with an immense array of weaponry and things going ‘KABOOM’, was something of awe, mostly because you were too young to watch it and were getting a rush thinking you’d get caught.

But as you age, you tend not to obsess so much over those things that made your mind giddy with excitement. Oh the poor, innocent security guard, you say, as the T-1000 stabs his liquid sword into the mushy brain of his. What of his family? That’s horrible, you think, when the hero of the film walks away from an explosion, too cool to turn around and have a peek of what he blew up (Saturday Night Live helped explain that phenomenon).

But see when The Expendables came out…that was like travelling back in time. There were all those action heroes we grew up with, together, in the same film, all kicking ass. It didn’t need a storyline. It could’ve been that Jet Li’s character looked at Jason Statham’s girlfriend. The whole place starts being showered with bullets, and then one of the heroes explodes the building.

The trailer for the second Expendables film has come out, and they just had to one-up it. Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger have climbed on board to testosterone the hell out of the sequel.

Girls, you had Sex in the City. Us boys have got this. We’re not proud of it, but damnit, you’ll see that same shimer of child-like love for simple entertainment.

An Idiot Abroad: The Complete Series

Tags: action, bruce willis, chuck norris, expendables, expendables 2, Film, jason statham, jet li, movie, sylvester stallone
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Simply the best (films of 2011)

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Oh yeah. He's awesome.

So here comes the end of another year. Another wave of releases, re-releases, re-makes, and reminders that there were some pretty damn good pieces of entertainment.

But it comes as a mental blank when Christmas approaches as to what to buy your friends, family, or even a self-indulgent piece for yourself.

Over the months I’ve talked about what has been good, but mostly trying to point out the flaws as well. In fact, most of these flaws were more or less my cries of blasphemy when an old favourite was being redone.

But we’ve had some great moments too, and this is where the video below comes in. Watch this, and pick out a few films that were memorable to you this year.

This wonderful mashup of clips from 2011 releases is a great way to look through the big titles, but it also has some less known ones too. What is important is remembering those films you went to see, were amazed by, but then eventually forgot about.

TODAY, my Wowees, we remember the best. I’ve already been making my list, in fact I’ve checked it twice, and here I’ve collected some films and comedy shows I know someone is bound to receive in a couple of weeks time (PSST! It’s all for me!).

Doogs’ Nine New Purchases (and yours too, I hope!)

Bridesmaids

The Hangover 2

Kung Fu Panda 2

Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra

Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection

Jimmy Carr: Being Funny

Come Fly With Me

Beginners

They’re all heading my way. They are all worth it.

Tags: best films of 2011, best movies, blu-ray, bridesmaids, cdwow, DVD, hangover 2, idiot abroad, kung fu panda, mashup
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Ride the Prime

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Giddy up!

Amusement parks around the world base most of their rides around films.

Back from the days where the best place in the world to be was Disneyland, the park was filled with characters recognisable from almost every Disney cartoon and film you could remember.

There was Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Splash Mountain, the Indiana Jones Adventure, Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean (which funnily enough was a ride-to-movie reversal) and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

As time went on, Universal Studios popped up with rides like Jurassic Park, Jaws, King Kong, and Terminator 2.

So what’s next on this list? This weekend at Universal Studios Singapore, known for having the Battlestar Galactica ride (Which is awesome), will now be home to Transformers: The Ride.

It seems a perfect fit, considering amusement park rides are supposed to be loud, energetic, and throw your senses around like jellybeans in a jar.

What movie should be next in line for a ride? I have a few:

Pride and Prejudice -- Intense tea-drinking while shouting things at total strangers.
Forrest Gump -- Sit on a bench and hear 2 1/2 hours of stories.
The Hangover -- You’ll wish it was over before it even began.
Total Recall -- You won’t be the same once you walk out.
The Fly -- You DEFINITELY won’t be the same once you walk out.

Tags: battlestar galactica, Disney, disneyland, jaws, jurassic park, michael bay, optimus prime, singapore, Transformers, universal studios
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Arnie tells it exactly how it is

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Arnie listening to his own voice.

DVD commentaries are the gateway to diving deeper into a director’s mind, giving him or her a feature-length opportunity to explain parts of a film that may have been misinterpreted along the way.

Along with the leading actors, discussions can get quite deep. For some commentaries, the discussions about subtext and what the director’s intentions were give a new reason to go back and watch the film again.

Some are just a fantastic way of getting another hour and a half of comedy (even if the genre of the film is not the same).

But then you have your hit-and-misses. These are the ones that scream out: “I don’t care, but the studio paid me to come in for two hours”.

But THEN you have a whole new echelon of commentary that I can’t quite explain. Please, watch this and tell me what you think:

It’s almost like watching a movie about a guy watching a movie that…INCEPTION!

But no, this in fact does not win any awards for its in-depth analysis into the film, but it does make everyone chuckle at Arnold once again. But hey, he’s been Governator of California before, why can’t he be a tour guide for films too?

Recommended commentary you SHOULD hear:

This is Spinal Tap!

You might recognise something’s afoot the moment you put the DVD in. It sounds like Nigel Tufnel and the gang from Spinal Tap are in a recording studio doing the commentary. And they are. And it’s great. Christopher Guest’s ‘mockumentary’ series (loosely-based term) are fantastic, but the talents of the actors surrounding him as well are improvisational geniuses.

Recommended commentary you SHOULD NOT hear:

The Matrix

I know, it’s one of the greatest films of its time, and still a classic (let’s just forget numbers 2 and 3, shall we?). But the commentary is so…what’s the way to put it…full of itself. Self-appreciating movie people digging into how much they invested in their roles. Blah blah bleh, nothing new about the film. And we still don’t know kung-fu.