Social Friday: What changes do you see in store for 2009? (Story updates today)

Posted Friday, December 5, 2008 at 9:42 AM Central

by John Couture

So, I'm back. Did you miss me? Probably not. Such is the life a lowly web site drone. But, I'm glad to be back and even happier that it's Friday.

And you know what that means.

It's another Social Friday.

I know, I can barely contain my excitement as well. So, Detroit was cold, but decidedly lacking in any snow. In fact, I saw more snow when I got back to Nashville than I saw the entire week I was in Detroit. Oh well, that's all irrelevant. What is relevant is that I got back into work this week and noticed that it was suddenly December.

Not only is December the month of my birth (hint, hint), but it's also the month in which we reflect back upon the year that was and look forward to the limitless potential of the year to come. So, it got me thinking that it's the perfect month to dwell on these issues.

I think it's safe to say that 2008 was an interesting year all around as the economy was front and center, but in the entertainment world, there was (and continues to be) some big changes as well. It seems that not a week goes by here that we don't get a "special release date" on a day other than Tuesday, the traditional release date of movies. So, do you think this is just a fad or will we see more release dates of DVDs and Blu-rays on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays?

On the celebrity front, it seems that retirement is all the rage these days with actors as Clint Eastwood and Joaquin Phoenix have both allegedly hung up their acting chops. Is this just a phase or a publicity stunt, or has Hollywood lost its luster?

The upcoming year looks to be one of intrigue and mystery and we'd like to hear your thoughts on it. It's a Social Friday, so let's get social!

Update #1

I just wanted to say thanks for letting people know about the upcoming DVD release of Traitor. You are 100% correct with your review of this movie.

When people ask me if I have seen any good movies lately, I would tell them about Traitor. Most of the time, people just look at me with this blank stare because they have never heard of this movie before. I would think that a movie with Don Cheadle would have gotten much more attention, but this movie completely flew under the radar.

I'm hoping your article will get people to rent or buy Traitor because it features a great storyline and talented actors who deliver very good performances, which is a rare treat these days.

Keep up the good work and I'm so thankful you guys have good taste in movies.
-- John, via MySpace

If there's one thing that Tim and I do agree on, it's the acting ability of Don Cheadle. This guy always knocks it out of the park. So yeah, the chance to help shed some light on one of his projects is something that we will always support.

Traitor hits DVD and Blu-ray on Friday, December 19 and I'm willing to bet that it stays in the top renter charts for a long time. This is another example of the increasing trend of studios releasing movies on days other than Tuesday to make their movies stand out. It's a risky strategy to be sure since it's pretty ingrained into consumers' minds that new movies always come out on Tuesdays.

If you've never heard of Traitor, check out this news story and you could be entered into a contest to win a prize package from the movie's official web site.

Update #2

i was thinking back to your article about dvd vs blueray

i was watching Wanted last night on dvd. As well as i have watched recently an old movie titled The Dog That Stopped The War.....The second movie, why ever re release that on blue ray....the quality of the picture is not gonna change......but now Wanted.......i dont have a hi-def tv......and i watched it on my tv last night and i will be honest.........the picture still rocks......gee do you go blue-ray and hi def so you can actually see peoples nose hairs....and count them.......maybe i am wrong.....but when is enough enough

i would love to hear back from you on this
-- LakotaWolf, via MySpace

Hey LakotaWolf, I can totally sympathize with you, or well, I could have up until about two years ago. That was the moment where I bought my first HDTV and plugged in the first programming in high-def. Up until that moment, I was an HD naysayer. How much better could it get?

Well let me tell you, it is a lot better and now I hate not watching programs in HD because the difference is that noticeable. I'm a huge sports fan, and my number one passion is hockey. As a lifelong player and fan of the sport, I will watch it on whatever station or format, but seeing it in HD really opened my eyes.

Now as for Blu-ray vs. DVD, Wanted is the perfect example of a movie that would benefit the most from the "Blu-ray treatment." The action sequences are that much more detailed and crisp as opposed to DVD. But honestly, it's a difference that has to be seen and experienced firsthand.

As for older movies, I do agree that in some ways, offering them on Blu-ray is simply a way for studios to make more money. You aren't going to make Clerks look any less crappy just because it's in Blu-ray. There is a point where you can't overcome the source material.

And before I get Kevin Smith's loyal band of followers turning on me, you should know that I'm huge Kevin Smith fan and to paraphrase the man himself, even he agrees that there would probably be little benefit to putting Clerks on Blu-ray.

Update #3

Hello,

As I sometimes do with your articles and trivia questions, I passed this week's question to my wife (Tanya) in e-mail to see if she knew the right answer. She replied with a pairing that didn't match yours, but I quickly realized hers was better! Shame, shame guys!! :)

While it was on about the same level as a crappy direct-to-video release, Disney's "Return to Neverland" (Feb 15 2002) was a THEATRICAL release, making it a true sequel to "Peter Pan" (Feb 5 1953). 49 years!

I'm not signed up on Metafilter but I may add this two-cents' worth there too :) :-P
-- Jared, Lynchburg, VA

Jared, I do believe that you have a very valid argument on this point. I suppose the shame falls upon us for naturally neglecting animated movies by lumping them all in the direct-to-video sequel bin, but you are absolutely right.

It's hard to ignore Return to Never Land's nearly $50 million windfall at the box office. Of course, this is a question that elicits a lot of debate for a reason, because it's hard to quantify and find a definitive answer.

So, does anyone else have a combo that beats 49 years? What about on the live action side of things?

Update #4

Hey guys! Before I forget, happy birthday, John. Now, I have to respectfully disagree with the idea that older films don't benefit much from the blu-ray treatment. If you have any doubts about the difference, throw in the blu-ray, Dr. No. For a movie that is forty-five years old, the detail is amazing! I hate to say it, but some people still probably can't see a difference. If you're one of those people, you probably didn't get why everyone switched from VHS a decade ago. My theory is that the people who don't see the difference are simply resistant to change and the added cost of upgrading. Yes, sometimes high def can be too detailed (If you don't believe me, check out any Dane Cook movie. How did that guy break into Hollywood with skin like that?), but if you are truly a movie lover, and you still haven't made the jump to high def, you are honestly missing out on a beautiful medium to enjoy film and sports. Have a wonderful weekend guys!
-- Eric, Shawnee Mission, KS

Hey Eric, we were starting to worry that Kansas had somehow fallen off the Internet. Thank you for the birthday wishes, but you're actually a week early. Yes, it's true. Next Friday's Social will be an impromptu birthday celebration. I'm sure Tim has something sneaky up his sleeve.

But congratulations are due to you my friend, I do believe that you are still batting 1.000 for Social Fridays and we do commend you on being our most stalker-worthy fan. All kidding aside, it was repeat comments and emails from fans like you that sort of kick started this whole Social Friday idea, so we owe you a debt of gratitude.

Now to the guts of the discussion. I have to admit that I haven't really gone back and watched a bunch of older movies (and by older, I mean before the days of high-def) on Blu-ray, but I do need to get out this week and pick up my copy of Casablanca which just came out on Blu-ray this week. Seriously, Warner Bros. should send me a copy simply for pimping it out like this, but I digress.

So, this will be my first true experience at looking at an older film on Blu-ray, so I'll reserve my judgment fully until I see it and can make a more informed statement. I just feel that at some point, you have to deal with the fact that no matter how amazing the technology is today, you still have the limitations of the technology of the day it was shot.

I use Clerks as the example because it's a movie that looks downright terrible on DVD, but that's not the point of the movie and in fact the graininess and noise in the film adds to the charm of the movie. I agree that high def is the much better than standard definition, but I'm waiting to see what it can do for older movies.

And yes, I have no idea how Dane Cook made it in Hollywood either.

Update #5

I'm heading over to work out, so I'll be out of pocket for the next hour or so, but continue to send your comments and questions our way and I'll get on them as soon as I'm done sweating.

Update #6

Well ladies and gentlemen, no the treadmill didn't hurt my typing fingers but I'm about to pack it in for the day. It was a blast as always and check back again next week for what will be the first of an ongoing series for Social Fridays.

Yep, that's a tease. See you all next Friday.