• Tag Archives movie
  • Redbox

    Matt B knows of my love for the Redbox… and I am sure I have mentioned it in the past…. (Just did a search, not so much on the mentions)….

    So, its a phone box sized box that you rent movies and computer games from.
    We like it for two reasons, firstly, they get the new release movies before they are on streaming.
    Second, they are super easy to rent from. You can do it standing in front of the machine, something I have done a total of 1 time… or you can log into their website and reserve a movie at one of their locations.
    Thirdly, you can get BlueRay disks.
    Forth. I can’t count. (Just checking that you lot are actually reading this stuff).

    Why does all this matter. Well, we like movies, we like to see some as soon as they are out (on disk). Also, while I have nice high speed internet, streaming is just not as clear and the sound is just not as good as a BlueRay disk.
    Sure, streaming is an option, but I love movies and I want to see and hear it as best as I can, nothing beats a physical disk and nothing beats seeing a new release in my home at the quality that I have invested in my home theater setup.

    Why am I even talking about this?

    https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/14/redbox-expands-dvd-kiosks-despite-internet/

    CEO Galen Smith has revealed that Redbox will add a net total of 1,500 new DVD kiosks across the US, and will add more still in 2018.

    The company was a bit touch and go the past few years, but seems to have stabilized, to the point where they are expanding.
    This makes my little movie heart sing.
    Where I think they are going wrong is their marketing message…. They are saying that no one wants disks in the age of internet. Wrong for the above reason which boils down to one word. Quality.


  • Movie – The Revenant

    Long and depressing.
    The whole thing is just one long story about killing for revenge.
    Not that beautifully shot (some bits are, but it’s so inconsistent that it’s hard to fall in love with the nice bits), but easy to see how ‘horrible’ a shoot it must have been to be part of.

    Not a lot more to add other than I can’t recommend it.

    2.5 / 5


  • Movie – Hateful Eight

    We are pretty big Quentin Tarantino fans. Pretty sure we have seen everything he has done. We own a few of them as well…. Stands to reason than that as soon as Redbox had this one, we grabbed it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnRbXn4-Yis

    What can I say…. It is text book Quentin. Lots of dialog, insanely beautiful shots, loads of blood and brain splatter and more dialog.
    The whole thing is basically shot in one room, it just totally relies on Quentin’s amazing camera work and the actors to carry their characters (which, they all do a very clean job).

    All that said with gushing praise, we won’t be buying it. At three hours long it drags just a little too much for us.
    If you are a fan, you will see it. If you are not a fan, you will know what you are getting yourself into.

    3.75 / 5


  • Movie – The Big Short

    Did not hear much about this movie before we watched it, but it was one of the few movies that we have actually lived through.

    This is movie based pretty closely on actual events. The housing and economic crash of 2007 – 2008.
    We moved to the USA in 2008, so it was very odd time for us. We were trying to get our heads around moving internationally and at the same time, the country was undergoing a massive economic readjustment.
    We were not able to keep up with the news at the time, so watching this movie filled in a massive gap in our history.

    Well acted and some of the most interesting editing I have ever seen.
    Worth seeing, but really depressing and sickening to the core.
    High score, but not an owner.

    4.5 / 5


  • Movie – Salmon fishing in the Yemen

    Every now and then Freddy and I get the TV remote to ourselves and we explore outside of our typical ‘action / syfi’ movie catagory that we mostly stick to when Terry is at home…. And every now and then we stumble on some real gems. This is one of them.

    Quirky and just a lot of fun. Totally unexpected.
    It moves along at a really nice pace, and keeps the interest up. A bit predictable in places, but they are easy to gloss over with the fun characters that are on offer.

    Not an owner, but 4 / 5.

    Never thought I would watch another fly fishing movie… But then… Emily Blunt….