Movies and Streaming Video

The Real “Breaking Bad” Ending

The ongoing joke about the finale of “Breaking Bad” was that it would end with Walter White in witness protection as Hal from “Malcolm in the Middle”, as both roles were played by actor Bryan Cranston. A recently leaked video that Forbes thinks is a legitimate special feature from the Breaking Bad DVD set looks at a similarly themed ending to the show! Yes, this video is an homage to the end of Newhart, and whether it’s a legitimately sanctioned video or not, it’s amazing to see Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston become Lois and Hal one more time! via…


Farewell to Blockbuster Video

I haven’t set foot in a Blockbuster Video in at least six years. Yet when news broke this week that the final stores were closing, I felt a little bit sad. The experience of going to the video store was so much more than just clicking a button on a remote, and it made me realize how many great memories I have thanks to Blockbuster. When I think of Blockbuster, my first thought is the store I used to visit in Brighton, MA. I was working for Borders, and my schedule was always way off from my friends, so I…


Link Between Availability and Piracy Grows Stronger at PiracyData.org

While I reject the argument that anyone is FORCED into piracy by … well, anything – I do recognize that some people want to see the latest movie as soon as it comes available for home viewing. The problem is sometimes they cannot rent or buy that movie digitally, and as a result choose to pirate rather than not watch. A new site called PiracyData.org takes the latest Bittorrent data on the most pirated films, and matches that up with the availability information from Canistream.it – which is an awesome site to check movie availability in a single location, by…


“Gravity” Gear in Space!

The recently released film Gravity has become a modern-day classic as well as an informative presentation about space gear. From specially colored manuals to thruster packs that move astronauts from site to site in space, audiences get a real sense of the necessary gear used in space missions.




TremorFX Home Theater Seating by RedSeat Entertainment Brings the Sound to Your Seat

RedSeat Entertainment recently introduced its new TremorFX Home Theater seats, which are perfect for any home theater setup. These seats vibrate and pulsate to correspond to the movie’s soundtrack. TremorFX seats use audio processors and wireless transmitters to bring the sound from your receiver straight to your seat. An available HDMI-Out jack on your receiver is all that’s needed. The TremorFX seats can even be used for gaming as long as the video game is run through your receiver.  I’m a huge movie buff and these chairs look incredibly comfortable and would absolutely enhance my enjoyment of my movies. Now,…


The Wonder Woman Short That Puts Hollywood to Shame

Despite the success of Lynda Carter in the 70s TV show, there has never been a Wonder Woman movie or another TV show. There was a failed attempt a couple of years ago, and the rumored Justice League movie became a ‘Man of Steel’ sequel. Now Rainfall Films gives a short look at Wonder Woman with great costumes and atmosphere.


Amazon Introduces ‘Mayday Button’ Help System, New Kindle Fire ‘Mojito’ OS 3.0, and Offline Streaming

Along with the new Kindle Fire HD and HDX models, Amazon introduced a few other interesting items. These include a new Kindle Fire OS, Offline Streaming of Amazon Prime videos, and an always-ready video help system called ‘Mayday’. With these value-added features Amazon hopes to distinguish itself and move beyond just being an Apple alternative by taking a leadership role. Amazon OS 3.0 ‘Mojito’ Amazon announced ‘Mojito’, Kindle Fire OS 3.0. The new OS brings native Android App compatibility, HTML5 app support, in-app purchase support and more. One of the biggest features is the new ‘Mayday Button’, which I’ll explore…


“My Way”, Remixed via Clips from “Breaking Bad”

I am not sure how I will contain my excitement/fear in the buildup to Sunday’s “Breaking Bad” finale, but I am insanely grateful to the Internet for generating content that eases the wait with humor. I cannot fathom the amount of work that went into this fan video that remixes clips from Breaking Bad into a spoken word version of “My Way”, but it is worth watching and rewatching! Fair warning: While the video does not show specific plot lines, many of the clips may be spoilers for events and scenes through the first half of Season 5.  


Dream Theater Self-Titled Album Available for Pre-Order!

Although jazz is my favored genre, I love great musicians who show a love for their instrument and craft. Dream Theater is a prog-metal band with some of the best musicians in all of rock. Mike Petrucci and Jordan Rudess have won countless awards on their instruments over the years, and the new album sounds extremely promising! I had a friend who was into the early ‘speed metal’ scene in the early 80s, which required stamina as much as skill. Bands like Dream Theater took that to the next level by incorporating epic soundscapes and structures that derived from the…


Check Out the Trailer for Godfire: Rise of Prometheus? from Vivid Games!

Games like Infinity Blade offer gorgeous graphics, but the lack of control over movement limits possibilities and immersion. Godfire: Rise of Prometheus takes gorgeous graphics and advanced gameplay and a story set in Greek Mythology and look to set mobile gaming with an iOS and Android release in early 2014! Today they released a great-looking pre-Alpha video. Check out the trailer and follow the game on Facebook or Twitter!


Short Film from NPR Highlights the Impact of Smartphones on Cultural Norms

When was the last time you were together with a group of adults (or teens) and not a single moment was interrupted by checking a smartphone, taking a picture, uploading to Vine or something else? As you think about that, check out this video and watch it from the perspective of Charlene deGuzman, the creator of the film. What do you think – has this become a problem? Source: NPR


In the Wide World of Music, VMAs Present a Very Small View

My family stayed up late watching the Video Music Awards (VMA) on MTV to unwind after a busy weekend; my wife and sons had people they wanted to see. What struck me was how in a world full of diverse music and musicians, there were only a dozen or so in a narrow brand of accessible pop music on display. If you look at the list of winners below, and you noted who was in the very small ‘stars seating area’, you will notice tremendous overlap. Pink, feat. Nate Ruess 30 Seconds to Mars Selena Gomez Janelle Monae feat. Erykah…


Want a Chance to Be ‘Mr & Mrs Apteka Naturel’? Enter a Video to Win!

Apteka Naturel is a website devoted to all-natural, organic nutritional supplements. They’re running a contest to find the next ‘Mr & Mrs Apteka Naturel’. To enter, make a ~2 minute video explaining why you should be chosen and what Apteka products reflect your needs. Winners get a product pack and chance to be in upcoming ads! So get busy making videos!


I’m Batman? Petition to Remove Ben Affleck from Upcoming Man of Steel Sequel Garners Over 50,000 Supporters

Let’s face it, this whole Ben Affleck as Batman thing has been wayyy overblown, hasn’t it?  Nobody thought that Heath Ledger would provide such a legendary performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight, in fact, most of the population who had an opinion on the matter thought that the casting of the Brokeback Mountain star was a joke! Well, once again, the internet is up in arms and a petition has been posted to Change.org asking Warner Bros. to remove Ben Affleck as Batman from the upcoming Man of Steel sequel.  I, for one, am slightly concerned considering what…


Clear Your Sunday Night for Breaking Bad’s Final Season

Breaking Bad has had an amazing run, winning Emmy awards and a slew of devoted fans. The story of a chemistry teacher turned crystal meth kingpin is riveting, and as we head to the final season there’s still a chance to catch up on the show via Netflix, and then enjoy some quality fan-made videos satirizing and summarizing  the sheer awesomeness. And baldness.  Last fall, Sarah and I were looking for a new show to enjoy together. We sat down and watched the first two episodes of “Breaking Bad” on Netflix, and I was hooked. Sarah, not so much, so…


DBoom Custom Bluetooth Speaker from Musemini Review

In a world of same-same Bluetooth speakers, Musemini’s DBoom speaker is looking to stand out in terms of looks and features. From a looks perspective, the speaker comes in five different colors: it will soon offer the added ability to create custom skins that give a unique look to the front and back of each speaker. From a technology and feature perspective, the DBoom sports both Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC (Near Field Communication) that makes pairing the speaker to any NFC-enabled device quick and simple. Add in the ability to Daisy-chain the speaker, and you have a versatile unit that will…


B&O Play’s BeoPlay A9 Nordic Sky Edition Speaker Looks Great, Sounds Awesome

B&O PLAY by Bang & Olufsen just introduced the Nordic Sky edition of its BeoPlay A9. It is the perfect meeting point between art, furniture, and High Fidelity. Designed to be standalone furniture, or art that is hung on the wall, the BeoPlay A9 is also an amazingly powerful piece of audio equipment. The speaker packs impressive technology into a sleek, one of a kind, design. The BeoPlay A9 has a total of five speakers and has an output of 480 watts thanks to a digital Class D amplifier with separate amps for each of the five speakers. At the center…


BBC Reveals the 12th Doctor Who … What Do You Think?

This past weekend, we took a half hour away from the normal chaos in our house to tune into BBC America at 1700 hours GTM (i.e. 2PM EST). Doctor Who is a show I watched as a kid in the mid-70s, and Tom Baker will always be ‘my Doctor’. My younger son is a much bigger fan than me; he’s grown up loving the David Tennant and Matt Smith incarnations, and more recently working back in time. As you would expect during a 30 minute announcement show, the first 25 were all about retrospective and chatting up Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith….


What Subscription Services Are Worth a Place in Your Budget?

Sarah and I have been loving the new Netflix series “Orange is the New Black”. It’s incredibly well-written, has an amazing cast, and manages to add levity and entertainment to a relatively depressing premise (it’s not exactly happy time watching a protagonist navigate life in prison). I’ve been recommending the show like crazy and was surprised when Dan told me he recently cancelled his Netflix subscription. We use Netflix constantly and it didn’t occur to me that not everyone pays for the service! It sparked a larger discussion among the Gear Diary Editors about what subscription services we pay for…