With the holidays fast approaching, your thoughts have surely turned to gifts -- whether for that special someone or for yourself. Hey, why not? You've been good this year, right? And, as you happen to be reading this at a site whose focus is movies, it stands to reason you may want to watch a few of them once in awhile. I'm sure many of you remember the good old days when you went to a theater to watch a movie in all of its wide-screen, THX enhanced splendor. These days, with ticket prices, parking, waiting in line and those jerks on cell phones, actually going to the theater is something people do less and less.

Instead, people are staying home, curling up on the couch and watching their favorite movie on DVD in the comfort of their homes. I have to admit that its getting harder and harder for me to go to the theater too. Even though I can go to screenings and all that, its still, in many cases, much more of an ordeal than it needs to be -- or that it seems to be worth. Consequently, I spend more and more time watching movies at home. And that, friends, is why we're here today.

If you watch movies at home and want to maximize the "cinematic experience" of those movies, following are some essential tools that will help you get there. As its not possible for me to have owned every different kind of equipment out there, this list will focus primarily on the items that make up my personal home theater setup -- which was put together over the last few months after exhaustive research. Plus, these items make great gifts too. So, on with the show!

It wasn't long ago that DVDs were the new IT item with high-price discs and expensive players. Just like CDs, the movie counterparts caught on like wildfire. It wasn't long before we were arguing over the inevitable decline of the VHS and just how long they would stick around as video stores bought more DVDs and less tapes. Now, we've reported the death of the VHS, and the same video stores that have been decreasing videotape options for years are now cleaning the shelves and selling off the used, video dinosaurs.

Yet technology never stops, and just as we get secure with DVD and HDVD, China's bringing out EVD, or Enhanced Versatile Disc. I can only hope that this latest VD version is backwards compatible, as Chinese electronics manufacturers plan to switch completely to EVD in one year -- by 2008. Their enhancement is said to come in the form of a crisper picture and larger capacity, but even more tempting to studios -- improved piracy features. Although plans are in the works to export EVD players overseas next year as well, US studios haven't jumped on board, yet. Right now, films already have the regular, the high-def and the PSP formats, so will the studios really be interested in another? I think it might come down to just how well the new format fares against piracy. It might never catch on here, but it if they do switch over in one year, I imagine it will be a wrench in the goodie-filled, alternate-version releases that we order from overseas.

Unlike many of the masses, I like Lars von Trier. The Kingdom was the first thing I saw. Walking through an indie video store, I spotted the DVD on the back table, and the clerk somehow convinced me to buy it. That led me to see Dogville, which I loved, and Dear Wendy, which I adore. While his works can be strange and off-putting, I see them each as kind of like a political fable rife with fantastical elements in a more real and modern package. If there's anything that von Trier is, it's unique.

I'm not sure if I'm aboard his latest quirky vision. Instead of raising eyebrows with his content, he's decided to add a game element to his films, because he wants the audience to be a more active participant in the movie-going experience -- maybe the man's been reading a little too much Marshall McLuhan. The interactive element -- called "Lookey" -- is a basic mind game where the screened film is a game board that includes "visual disturbances" that have nothing to do with the film itself. I guess that means if there was a shootout in a saloon, a fairy might pop up somewhere.

The first film to be "Lookeyed" is The Boss of it All. I'm hoping this means that he's only going to use this gaming scope in lighter fare, because it would be terribly awkward if the third Grace story finally gets made and has aliens landing in the background. The first lucky Dane to find all the hidden Lookeys will win over $5 grand and time as an extra on his upcoming horror film, Anti-Christ. What's next, a choose-your-own-adventure film?

As I reported before, Microsoft was going to start providing downloads of select movies and TV programs to users of its XBox 360 gaming console through its XBox Live service. Well, the day finally came and the results, while impressive due to the sheer number of sales, were not without their share of problems. According to Variety, Microsoft went live with the service on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and it wasn't long before message boards, and Microsoft phones and emails, were jammed with complaints of slow download speeds, missing programs, being charged multiple times for the same program and other problems.

Microsoft responded quickly (especially for Microsoft) to the complaints with postings on its public message boards that it was aware of the problems and was working on fixes. But insiders at the software giant report that Microsoft vastly underestimated the amount of sales, especially of High Def programming from the WB, CBS and others, and so was ill-prepared for the incredibly large amount of bandwidth needed to download that much High-Def content. However, by Sunday Microsoft reported at its website that "download speeds for most users should be significantly improved across the board." After that announcement, according to the Variety article, online complaints dropped to almost nothing. In addition to improved download speeds after a few days, Microsoft also announced plans to offer refunds or "make-goods" for users encountering problems -- which is a good move on their part.

So, score one for Microsoft. Even if they have problems in other areas of their business and are often accused of being an evil company bent on world domination, they got it right with the Xbox 360. As a user of the console, I appreciate it's impressive design and how well it works. Also, I happened to download one or two programs on Friday afternoon (The Matrix and Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn if you want to know which ones) and although the download speed was glacially slow, once I finally got the content, it made for a very impressive viewing experience. If Microsoft really can work out the glitches and is able to expand its content to include a great deal more movies and TV programs, companies like Apple who seek to offer competing services might really have a problem on their hands. Who knows, maybe Microsoft really will become king of the living room?

Ok you, put down that X-Men: The Last Stand DVD and back away. From now on, you will absolutely not be able to take movies you get on DVD and rip them for viewing on your iPod. That is, if you bother to listen to the U.S. Copyright office. Which, of course, you should (the Cinematical legal department made me say that). According to a recent piece in The Hollywood Reporter, the copyright office this week rejected an exemption that would have allowed owners of DVDs to legally copy movies for viewing on iPods and other media players. So that means no more taking videos you rent from Netflix, ripping them to you computer and watching them on your iPod. Sorry. Don't blame me, it's the government trying to keep you down. Personally, I think not being able to make a copy of a movie you paid good money for is a little ridiculous. But then again, I'm a Democrat, so what do I know?

However, if you happen to be a film professor (a legitimate film professor at a real school) you do have the right to copy small parts of a DVD for educational use -- which is one of the exemptions to the no-ripping rule announced by the copyright office. Other exemptions approved this week include one for cell phone owners that will allow them to break software locks on phones in order to use them with other providers, one for researchers who test CD copy-protection technologies for security flaws or vulnerabilities, an exemption for the blind allowing them to use read copyright protected books with assistive viewing devices and two others covering computer obsolescence.

As big fans of the Superman franchise know, the Ultimate Collector's Edition of the film will be released this week. The conceptual powers that be who came up with this collection were smart, making it one epic release that might make up for Supe's return not living up to expectations. Warner Brothers has already advertised about the set's impressive list of films and features, getting blood racing for Tuesday when fans descend on their local DVD store.

Unfortunately, they will be surprised to see what the edition really contains. Sure, it contains every movie, including old cartoons.* However, according to DVD Active, Warner Brothers has made a large technical mistake. Not only is the release is missing the Dolby soundtrack for Superman: The Movie, but it also includes the wrong DVD* version of Superman III. Although it has been advertised that the Deluxe Edition of the third film will be included, one that has a commentary, a TV special, and additional scenes, the large set only includes the original, bare-bones release.

Of all the DVDs I have bought over the years, only one has had a big technical issue, and that was the Heathers Special Edition Tin. I find it funny that when DVD issues come up, it seems to happen most often with the special releases -- remember Back to the Future? While flubs happen, I'm surprised things weren't triple-quadruple checked to make sure the release was put together was planned. It's the big fans who are going to buy these huge, expensive editions, and they're the last people to anger with big release mistakes.

[via Cinema Blend]

EDIT: As Scott posted below, Warner Brothers has issued a response. You can call 800-553-6937 to get the appropriate discs. More information is available at davisdvd.com.

* Thanks lp, for the tip about Supergirl. Although it showed up in some sources, it is not a part of the ultimate release.
*"DVD" was added to the post to clear up confusion. While we may wish there was an alternate to III, this only refers to the little shiny disc. - MB

Just when you thought the entire Bond hub-ub had finally ended! The poor film has been through a lot, what with Daniel Craig complaints, speculation, and finally unabashed praise. Perhaps the filmmakers were too distracted by the uproar that Craig's casting created to notice the flubs throughout the film. Starpulse has reported that Casino Royale is already in the Top-20 of mistake-filled films on MovieMistakes.com.

This is notable on its own since flubs are usually caught on DVD. The more you view, the more you catch, and with pausing, zooming and the like, it's hard for someone to not find a flub. However, Royale just hit theatres, and the mistakes are already pouring in. Unfortunately, this isn't just a case of an errant shadow or other hard-to-notice blunders. The Bond film has managed to rack up both small and large slips.

Some people will note that there are errant signs and icons in Czech, as the movie was filmed in the Czech Republic. Many more will probably never even notice. However, there is one that surprises me. During the first poker scene, Bond supposedly checked when it was another man's turn. Now I can understand lapses in continuity, but Bond and the Casino should understand the basics of poker! Were you able to spot any mistakes in the midst of Craig's beefy pecs?

In an effort to provide Cinematical readers with the most cutting-edge, comprehensive, intelligent and thought-provoking coverage of the world of cinema, I wish to present a video clip I found while recently combing the aisles of YouTube very late one night -- a scene from Quentin Tarantino's terrific film Pulp Fiction, re-enacted by two very talented, and as yet undiscovered, robots!

In the scene, hit men Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson) have a geopolitical discussion regarding the merits of various forms of government, laws and systems of measure -- especially in Amsterdam where Vincent has just returned from. It's just amazing what robots can do these days, isn't it? Although, with all the hoopla about motion capture having the potential to completely replace actors (as reported by our very own Jessica) I wonder how far this whole robot thing will go? Well, I guess we can worry about that later. For the moment, I hope you find this clip as entertaining as I did.

Oh, one more thing, the dialog in this piece is straight from the movie, so the clip is most likely NSFW -- unless you work at a strip club, a bar, in film production or some other place where people tend to use four-letter-words frequently. In other words, please enjoy responsibly.

It's a little strange to hear one of the pioneers of independent film long for the old days of the studio system. In a recent New York Times article, Stephen Soderbergh talks about how and why he recreated the golden age of film making with his new pic The Good German.

Soderbergh decided to run his production using techniques of classic Hollywood film making. The attention to detail included dialog recorded with boom mics rather than modern body microphones, using period lenses, less camera movement and fuller frames. It all added up to a film that has gone way beyond homage and has transformed into a full-fledged reproduction. Soderbergh's inspiration for the film was Casablanca director Michael Curtiz, "I often think I would have been so happy to be Michael Curtiz, making a couple of movies a year of all different kinds, working with the best technicians. I would have been in heaven, just going in to work every day."

The classic studio system was a mix of art and mass production -- they didn't call it the Dream Factory for nothing. It did, however, give filmmakers the chance to make all kinds of films. Well, Soderbergh might not have the safety net of the old system, but he seems to be doing all right in finding a variety of projects for himself. Coming up for Soderbergh is Guerrilla, a biography of Che Guevara (2008) and, of course, the next installment in the Ocean's series, Ocean's Thirteen. The Good German opens December 15.

I was just reading this column on Macworld about how it has been two months since Apple debuted movie downloads via iTunes, and how it has been too long and too much a success for other studios besides Disney to not join in. Even though I'm aware of a major reason for the slow migration by Hollywood to iTunes, I decided to do a little search in order to find any other stories on the status. Turns out, I completely missed this news on our own Apple Weblog. Looks like Fox may be the first non-Disney studio to offer its movies through iTunes, though a deal is still only in the negotiation stages. You guys know what that could mean, right? Star Wars available to download. Actually, I have a good feeling that Lucas wouldn't be into that idea.

Anyway, Fox has been in talks with Apple before, so we can't get our hopes up just yet. One thing I wonder is why Paramount and Warner Bros. haven't shown interest. Is it because they are going exclusive with XBox? However, nobody knows what that service will be like or how successful it will be. But, we do know that Disney has so far sold over half a million movies through iTunes (and earned $1 million in the first week alone), so I would think all the studios would be more interested in Apple's service.

What I also want to know is, what happened to Lionsgate in all of this?

Ok, I made up the part about the puppy because hey, who doesn't love puppies? I know I do. Besides, I'm not above pandering to the audience to increase site traffic -- so sue me. (ok, not really -- AOL wouldn't like it). But enough of this, we've got some important Casino Royale business to take care of -- so let's get to it!

If you're one of the teeming masses who simply cannot wait for the movie Casino Royale to open, the producers of the film and Apple have come up with something just for you -- a little taste to whet your appetite for all-things-Bond. Beginning Tuesday, November 14, hardcore James Bond fanboys (and girls) will be able to download the entire score of the film via Apple's iTunes music store.

The complete soundtrack, by composer David Arnold, will be available exclusively at the iTunes store -- along with 13 bonus tracks, a CD booklet and accompanying artwork -- which makes it the most comprehensive release of a James Bond score ever. You hear that people -- ever! So what are you waiting for, get your iPods ready and start downloading! Well, actually you can start on November 14. Until then, you're just going to have to be patient like the rest of us. And remember, there are no puppies -- so don't ask.

[Via IGN]

The Canadian Film Centre is an advanced training institute in Toronto that was created twenty years ago by Norman Jewison, Academy Award winner and Canadian director. It provides three main streams -- film, television and new media. Boasting a 92% success rate, CFC alumni include Paul Fox, director of Everything's Gone Green, as well as one of my favourite Canadian film people, Don McKellar, director of Last Night and Childstar.

Yesterday, the center announced a new brand identity and partnership. First, the logo. The center has swivelled the first "C" to symbolize an open door. Basically, the doors are open for people to learn, as well as for alumni to return and collaborate. I can't help but be a little catty about the thought that an inverted C makes such a difference. What a warm new logo, with its Cs stretching out in both directions, welcoming creators old and new! However, the idea is sound. How better to train newcomers than to have them work with those who've been successful?

Teamed with the new identity is the NBC Universal Multiplatform Program. Aiming to aid 's media culture, the program will offer monetary and creative support for those interested in "multiplatform strategy." While right now, it is shrouded in PR speak, it will be interesting to see what sort of influence this collaboration between NBC and the CFC will have.

All of these morsels come along with a number of other initiatives that range from an actor conservatory to furthering the international promotion of Canadian film. I, for one, hope they are successful. As I see Jackass and Butterfly Effect sequels making it out there, I rue the large number of Canadian gems that are neglected.

One of the most memorable moments of my 2005 TIFF experience was the Q&A after Perpetual Motion (Wu qiong dong). Director Ying Ning talked about her erotic chicken feet scene, which was placed in the center of a movie about four women who come together to ring in the New Year. The scene depicts the women devouring chicken feet in an almost pornographic fashion. Ning explained that Chinese laws are so strict that the scene was the only way she could add an erotic element to the film. The thought had never even occurred to me.

China has a strong hand in its film industry, and I am therefore not surprised to report that Warner Brothers International Cinemas is pulling out of policy changes that have come into effect. In 2002, the media giant began to open cinemas across through a policy that allowed for 75% ownership in select cities. The new change in policy states that control must be given to Chinese partners. Negotiations were futile, so goodbye, WBIC.

This is sure to have an effect on Chinese cinema, as ticket sales increased 30% just in the last year, and WBIC has indeed improved the state of Chinese cinemas. While it is a bit of a blow to Warner Brothers, I have to give props for trying to protect its interests. In Canada, media influence is a continual debate, so I'd like to see China kick some cinema ass on its own. That being said, have they shot themselves in the foot?

If you're one of the estimated 1.5 Million XBox 360 users here in the U.S., then this article from the Los Angeles Times may inspire you to cries of joy and elation. Following in the footsteps of Apple Computer, with its hugely successful iTunes store, and as a preemptive blow to Sony's PS3 console being released in two weeks, Microsoft announced agreements with networks and studios like CBS, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. to bring an initial slate of over 1000 hours of movies and TV shows to its XBox 360 gaming console for download by users.

Beginning on November 22 (its one year anniversary) XBox 360 will be the first console in history to offer downloads of not only standard-def programming, but also hi-def as well. Some of the programming being offered by Microsoft initially with this deal includes the feature films The Matrix, Superman Returns, Batman Forever, Mission Impossible 3, Nacho Libre and Jackass: The Movie. Some of the TV shows initially being offered include Aqua Teen Hunger Force Jerico and CSI -- for those of you who watch TV.

Regarding the announcement, Peter Moore, a VP at Microsoft for interactive development said: "This groundbreaking announcement is a win for everyone. It connects our partners with one of the most coveted audiences in entertainment today, and provides even greater value to our Xbox Live community, allowing them to enjoy the games and entertainment they want, when they want it." Man, that does sound cool, doesn't it? Although, with no mention of pricing, restrictions (or much else) in the announcement, it remains to be seen if this will end up being a good move for Microsoft or not.

When Apple started offering movies and TV shows for download, they already had an established store for music with iTunes and were taking the next logical steps by offering more content to their already impressively large user base. Microsoft, on the other hand, doesn't have this key advantage. They do have something in place with their XBox Live service, but that's hardly the same as what Apple had with the iTunes store. Plus, with the size of hi-def video files, how long are these movies and TV shows going to take to download -- all night? Probably. I don't know if I'm willing to wait that long and I'll bet I'm not the only one.

After seeing the announcement, I feel this is another case where Microsoft is "too little, too late" to a party that's already started without them. Just because you're the biggest kid on the block doesn't mean you're the smartest. Steve Jobs and company at Apple are some of the smartest in the business and with iTunes, I think Microsoft has a fight on its hands that it just won't be able to win in the log run -- even if they technically are first with content that can play directly to your TV from the XBox 360 console.

Although, as an Apple, iTunes and XBox 360 user, I look forward to the advantages that this kind of competition will surely bring. Who knows, maybe Microsoft will get it right. They did do a very good job with the XBox 360 console so anything is possible. And hey, maybe they can distribute the often-delayed Halo movie this way? It could happen.

So, is this a good move for Microsoft,or not?

There are plenty of ways to promote a movie, but Sweet Land by Ali Selim might be the first to try and use the label "Environmentally Friendly" as a selling point. The real question is: Do audiences even care?

The environmental impact of movie making is something most of us have never given any thought to -- after all, it's not exactly the sexiest topic in the industry. Yahoo! News spoke to Sweet Land director Ali Selim about the decision to run a "carbon-neutral" production. What that means is that the production calculated all of the carbon dioxide emitted during the production. The total was measured against the productions investment in renewable energy -- Selim chose to invest in a reforestation project in Germany and a windmill project in Jamaica. The emissions report cost the filmmakers five thousand dollars to perform plus the cost of their investments. Selim extended this eco-friendly way of shooting into all aspects of the production. He encouraged the crew to carpool, maximized location shooting to limit traveling, and even used natural light whenever possible.

Sweet Land is not the first film to use this model, both Syriana and An Inconvenient Truth commissioned similar reports. As admirable as Selim's method might be, is "environmental friendliness" the best marketing strategy? It seems pretty unlikely that an audience would flock to a movie because it got great "emission reviews." Would a film's impact on the environment impact your decision to see it?