I just saw ____ on HD-DVD and WOW: - Page 2

Not at all. We welcome those that score a good deal with high-def media (whether it's HD-DVD or BD, although BD gets its own side of the street to gloat ) and get to experience HD goodness for just pennies a serving.

And: rockin'! Seriously though, finally got around to opening my $5 "Dazed and Confused" HD-DVD over the weekend. I appreached this flick expecting a 'stoner' comedy (the cover and its reputation strongly suggest it) but instead got a 'day in the life/wall on the fly'-style dramedy that does for the 70's what Lucas' "American Graffitti" did for the 50's. Nothing important happens and there's really nothing remarkable about the 20+ young characters in this movie as they go through their last day/night of school in 1976 Austin (TX). And that's a good thing because, in real-life, important-days-that-change-our-lives-forever are few and rarely on the significant dates (like end of school) that you expect them to be. Surprisingly the then-unknown actors that went on to become stars (Jovovich, Posey, London, J.L. Adams, etc.) are overshadowed by the lesser-known actors except for McConaughey's and Affleck's scene-stealing turns as Woodstone and O'Bannion, respectively. Anthony Rapp and Christin Hinojosa, in particular, make a strong impression as a 'Jim and Pam'-type young couple of shy insecure-but-not-dorky people falling in love. Wiley Wiggins has an Edward Furlong presence about him (that's not a complement) but at least for "Dazed and Confused" he's the perfect Mitch.

The classic 70's soundtrack is nice but, 16 years removed from its release, feels a tad formulaic (probably because it helped set a template for retrospective movie soundtracks). I expect repeat viewings of this movie to yield lots more quotable lines like my favorite, 'I'm here to kick ass and drink beer, and we're all out of beer' plus a wealth of small moments that will add to the experience. I need a few more viewings to fall enough for the movie to want to know more about it's production/behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Disappointing high-def transfer though, barely above the DVD picture on the other side of the combo disc. Is the remastered Criterion transfer in SD DVD so much improved that it could actually look better than the HD-DVD picture?

And: WOW! It helps that I saw the prequel, "Mad Max," on a cable SD recording right before the stunning high-def treat that the HD-DVD transfer provides. Solid picture, great sound and a kick-ass 'post-apocalypse' flick with one hell of an action scene in that road chase at the end that seems to last a good long while. The location shoot, crazy costumes and good atmosphere come together for an awesome adult graphic novel-come-to-life flick in the same vein as "Conan The Barbarian" (the early 80's rocked). Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell stole Mad Mel's look in "The Road Warrior" for "Evil Dead 2" (the final five minutes) and "Army of Darkness" though, which broke my heart for five seconds.

^^^ That's a common problem for HD-DVD bargain hunters: so many titles that a few grow legs and hide in the most inconvenient places.

And: MEH! The visuals are to die for (no pun intended) in high-def but you have to be in a Halloween mood or be a Burton fan to appreciate the macabre little humor touches throughout the flick. I wasn't in either camp so except for a couple of chuckles I sat bored through most of "Corpse Bride's" mercifully short running time. It feels almost like a movie adaption of the old PC graphic adventure "Grim Fandago" but sponsored by Modern Bride magazine. Danny Elfman's songs are lame though, character design is hedious and lead character Victor (Johnny Depp) an unlikable douche of a hero to hang around with. It cost me less than five bucks with shipping so it's not like I didn't get my money's worth, but other than checking the bonus features there's no reason I'd ever want to watch this HD-DVD again.