The Future of Movies at Home

I believe I have seen the future of movies at home and thy name is Netflix streaming.

I have an Xbox 360 at home hooked up to my big television in the family room of the apartment. I also have a Netflix subscription which Amy and I share. A wonderful feature that Netflix offers for free to subscribers, who happen to have an Xbox 360 with an Xbox Live Gold Account, is you can receive free streaming of a pretty good selection of movies.

As long as you have a high speed internet connection you can watch movies for free in quite good resolution right on your TV at no extra cost. Now the picture is not quite as good as regular cable/satellite or DVD but it is pretty darn close. Now I know companies like AT&T and cable companies have been offering on-demand movies for quite a while, but the way Netflix in my opinion has a much better user interface, and a larger selection of movies. What makes me curious is what dictates which movies get to be streamed and which ones don't? Not all of the biggest movies make it to streaming but some do. But a lot of classic old movies do get out there, which is great.

In particular Amy and I were looking for a move to watch Halloween night. We figured a good Hitchcock thriller would nice. I was going to get one from Netflix, only I come to find out that a good majority of the Hitchcock movies are already available for streaming. So we will have quite a nice selection available come Saturday night.

I guess it all comes down to the fact that digital distribution/streaming is the future of the way we will watch movies at home. I would assume that by 2020, DVD/Blu-Ray may have already become a thing of the past. And everything will be either downloaded or streamed direct to us. The key obstacle will be portability. I have paid for this movie once to download and watch it at home. But now I want to take it with me on a trip, with a DVD that is easy, just take the disc. But with digital content it is not so easy. Supposedly Disney is trying to address this with a system of licenses, but I will believe it when I see it. Till then I have to choose between Marnie, The Trouble with Harry and Frenzy.

{Music Review} Lost At Sea by The Squirrel Nut Zippers

A Great Comeback Album for the Zippers!

It has been over nine years since the Squirrel Nut Zippers (SNZ) have released a new album and seven years since they released their greatest hits compilation. Thankfully I can say that after such a long wait this live album has made the wait worth it.

This CD takes you on a 17 track odyssey of a rollicking live performance by the reformed Zippers in Brooklyn, NY last year (2008). The track list comprises a veritable greatest hits list of the SNZ covering all of the favorites, and the occasional hidden gem.

Jimbo Mathus takes the role of lead vocals and Master of Ceremonies in the majority of the songs. His lead guitar also provides a driving energy for the band. Katharine Whalen also returns with providing her Billie Holiday-esque female vocals to the appropriate songs.

The band sounds just as tight and fun as you would remember them, sadly however former Zipper Tom Maxwell continues to be missing from this iteration of the band and I found his absence noticeable. The lyrics that were originally sung by him just don't quite seem the same when performed either by Jimbo or Kathleen. I find this my only fault with the album, and it is the one thing that keeps me from giving five stars.

If you have been a fan of the Zippers in the past, and remember them for their fun music and great energy, I am sure this album will not disappoint you.

{Music Review} "Miss Smith To You!' by Lavay Smith

Lavay Smith is sadly a rarity today. You will be very hard pressed to find another singer of her caliber anywhere. She brings you back to the day of Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald, when clubs and concert halls where filled when a songstress, backed by a big band could take a song and real make it her own and make you feel it, make you want to get up and dance to it, be it slow of fast.

“Miss Smith To You!” is Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet-Lickers third album, and it matches if not surpasses previous the previous efforts with a great selection of songs, superb performances, and quality production. The songs range from slow ballads to medium tempo swings. Through it all Miss Smith is able to show off her voice and personality.

So in conclusion, if this is a style of music you enjoy (Big Band/Vocal Jazz), I do not think this album will disappoint you. It has a great selection of classic songs, the music of a talented group of musicians and the voice of one of the few who can really pull it off. To me this album really is a complete package, and I hope you can enjoy it as much as I have.