as vader would say

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

only 4 days until memorabilia is unleashed in birmingham

remember to hit me up!

As requested

in alphabetical order

 for your viewing pleasure

the worlds greatest demo scenes

turn it up to 11

and enjoy

Akira

This is a platter that you simply have to own, if only to see if you can hear any difference between its 'hypersonic' audio mix and every other disc in your collection.

Manga's Blu-ray release of the famed 1980s Japanese animation offers two soundtrack options – English TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese TrueHD 5.1. Stick to the latter, as this was recorded at 192kHz/24-bit, as per the wishes of madcap audio scientist and score composer Tsutomu Ohashi (credited under his pseudonym Shoji Yamashiro). Ohashi's claim is that hypersonic cues in the mix, up to 100Hz and beyond human hearing, still affect your brain – if your playback gear is of sufficient quality, you should apparently feel the sound to be 'more beautiful, pleasurable and impressive,' and notice an improvement in picture quality. Whether or not you buy into that notion, there's no doubting the clarity and dynamism Manga's disc brings to this vintage soundtrack.

Battleship

When you're making a film based upon a high-concept board game and casting pop warbler Rhianna in a lead role you need something special to appeal to discerning home cinema owners. Thankfully, Universal's Battleship packs an awe-inspiring DTS-HD MA mix that will have you forgetting about the ridiculous plot in no time at all.

If forced to sum it up in one word we'd probably plump for 'loud' – this is a brainless movie with explosions and low-frequency slams where the narrative should be, but it's all presented with such relish. The use of the rear channels, in particularly, is astonishing.

The Book of Eli

'Weapons? I'll show you some weapons!'

So begins our favourite sequence from 2010's post-apocalyptic actioner The Book of Eli, where Denzel Washington's stoic traveller finds himself holed up in a battered house on the prairie under attack from Gary Oldman's goon squad.

The audio here is a snapshot of the care and attention that's put into the film's entire DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. The scene is set by a delicious thump of bass as a book is thrown from a window and lands on the ground. Then, when it turns out to be a bomb, all hell breaks loose, with a shootout involving an arsenal of automatic weapons ripping holes in the building's timber framework. 

Gun-fights are often a source of multichannel magnificence, but few are as insanely authentic (we assume) as this one. Bullets criss-cross the soundfield with frantic energy, and the swirling camera causes everything to flip from front to back to front again. And then an RPG is brought into play...

Crank 2: High Voltage

Following the success of Crank, writer/director duo Neveldine/Taylor surprised some viewers by making its 2009 sequel even more visually lo-fi than the original. But this B-movie sensibility doesn't extend to the audio mix.

Knowing that a key part of the Jason Statham franchise is immersing the audience as much as possible in Chev Chelios' hyper-aware, frenetic state of mind, the soundtrack here is a constant barrage 

of audio embellishments, from bizzare electrical effects – our anti-hero is battery-powered! – and rapid-fire bursts of music, all brought forth by a crisp DTS-HD 7.1 mix. That the foul-mouthed dialogue manages to remain intact above the mayhem is all the more remarkable.

Those looking for a standout sequence should head to the power station fight. It builds from its eerie beginnings – the gentle hum of the generators and squawking birds – to an LFE-heavy slo-motion Godzilla-style rumble, replete with swirling synths, sparking cables and what sound like air-raid sirens. 

In fact, we reckon the kitchen sink may be in there too. Deliciously deranged.

The Dark Knight

It's hardly surprising that superhero flicks are a terrific source of phenomenal Blu-ray soundtracks. But it is perhaps a little bit of a shock that one of the very best still belongs to that most human of superheroes: Batman.

Bruce Wayne's vigilante alter-ego covers up his lack of brute strength with an array of fantastic gadgets, and this dics's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix makes the most of them as it sets about creating a soundfield every bit as epic in scale as the film's IMAX vistas. Demo sequences don't come any better than the thunderous roar of bass, crunching metal and brittle shards of glass as the Caped Crusader rides into action on his Batpod and sets about flipping over a truck commandeered by the Joker. It's a scene we've watched over and over again and never tire of.

Also marking this mix out for greatness is the superb balance evident throughout – each element is perfectly weighted and effortlessly combined into a truly superheroic audio experience.

Drive

Great sound design isn't just about the amount of room-rattling audio bombast that can be unleashed. There are also those mixes that dazzle through the lightness of their touch, the depth of their tonal range and their skillful atmospherics. Director Nicolas Winding Refn's acclaimed 2011 thriller Drive is a case in point.

While the setup may promise plenty of high-octane action (a Hollywood stunt driver doubles as a getaway driver), it's actually a much more low-key movie, but one that still makes a remarkable impression with its DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. And, thanks to its taciturn protagonist, Drive regularly relies on the ambience and music in the track to drive the narrative forward. From the pure musicality of the opening electronic beats of Kavinsky's Nightcall over the main titles, to the seemingly ever-present tension-building rumble of bass, this is a perfect cohesive whole.

Fight Club

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing in 2000, Fight Club is a showcase piece of sonic wizardry. Inventive and inspiring, it makes it worth revisiting a film you probably haven't watched in a while.

 A track of remarkable breadth and vigour, it's difficult to elect individual demo sequences – although the brutal beating of Angel Face, with each deliberately over-amplified blow landing like a sledgehammer made of pure LFE, is the kind of scene that actually hurts.

Even the BD's extras get in on the fun with an interactive 5.1 audio remix feature. Geek heaven!

Flight of the Phoenix

A long-standing favourite among home cinema fans, this 2004 remake flies into our list by virtue of one solitary scene – the plane crash towards the end of the first act. Astonishing on DVD and even better in lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1, this lengthy sequence features some of the most precisely-engineered sound design around (and not matched anywhere else in the movie). 

While the crash in The Grey (see below) stays within the confines of the plane, here we see the action from all angles, letting the post-production team create a soundfield of immense scale and movement as the camera pans around. The Gobi desert sandstorm whips through the mix, while every tear of metal and clank and whine of engine is painfully loud. All the while, the plane's propellers are given constant, room-shaking presence in the LFE channel. Is this what an actual plane crash sounds like? We'll be glad if we never find out.

The Grey

Joe Carnahan returned to the form shown in his debut movie Narc with this haunting survival thriller starring Liam Neeson. And what it may lack in genuine man-punching-wolf action (as the trailer may have led you to believe), it makes up for with some expertly crafted sonics.

Carnahan is smart enough to keep his CGI beasts at bay for large chunks of the movie, instead signalling their presence via skin-crawling offscreen howls – when these cut through the otherwise silent forest locations, all around the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundfield, it'll set your pulse racing that little bit faster.

And then there's the film's plane crash sequence – accomplished filmmaking packed with tiny details, backed up by sterling sound design. Carnahan also shows that the complete absence of noise can be just as effective as a storming subwoofer throb to jolt an audience.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Big, stomach-churning bass is the order of the day in Guillermo del Toro's action-packed comic book sequel. What else would you expect from a film where the hero is a beer-swilling demon armed with an oversized revolver and a giant stone hand?

DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtracks don't come much more aggressive and immersive than this. Indeed, Hellboy's final showdown with the titular Golden Army remains one of the most thrilling surround sound experiences you'll ever hear. 

Each speaker in your setup explodes into action as 'Big Red' takes on the clockwork army, creating a convincing 360-degree aural landscape populated by smooth panning effects and massive amounts of LFE. 

Jaws

Forget the big rubber monster – John Williams' iconic score is the real source of the scares in Steven Spielberg's 1975 seminal Summer blockbuster. The deceptively simple shark theme is one of the most recognisable pieces of music in film history, now intrinsically linked to the idea of approaching danger. 

The tune resounded around the heads of most cinephiles when it was announced that Jaws would be getting a DTS-HD MA 7.1-channel remix for the film's belated Blu-ray release, but anyone worried that the new multichannel soundtrack would spoil the movie's impact can rest easy. This is a very smart and subtle piece of re-engineering; one that opts to expand the soundfield and clean up the existing elements rather than reinvent the wheel. Crowd scenes now have an immersive feeling, ambient surround effects feel natural and (best of all) the score positively bursts from your speakers.

Kung Fu Panda 2

Dynamic. Exhilarating. Potent. None of these are words you would traditionally associate with a panda. But when was the last time you met a panda who was also a master of kung fu?

DreamWorks' hit animated sequel benefits immensely from the involvement of supervising sound editor Ethan Van der Ryn. Building on the knowledge gleaned from working on live-action blockbusters like Saving Private Ryan and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Van der Ryan definitely brings his A-game to crafting what he calls 'the film's sonic tapestry'.

Tapping into the musical and rhythmic tempo at the heart of the martial arts genre, Kung Fu Panda 2's mix is a riot of surprising sound effects and cues that continually takes you unawares and puts a smile on your face (a prime example being Boss Wolf's attack on the Artisan Village). And the BD's expansive Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix recreates it absolutely flawlessly in the comfort of your own home. A kids' film with grown-up sound.

The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition)

One boxset to rule them all? Well, that's certainly the  case as far as lossless Blu-ray soundtracks are concerned. This must-own set includes the Extended Editions of Peter Jackson's epic fantasy flicks, each split across two BD50s to ensure optimal AV performance. Which is a good job, because this trio of bewitching DTS-HD MA 6.1 mixes deserves nothing less than the best.

The audio here is so unbelievably powerful and so unrelenting in its use of the full soundfield (that additional channel really helps envelop you) that your neighbours may think they're being invaded by hordes of Uruk-hai or in danger of getting trampled underfoot by an oliphaunt.

Amidst all of the trilogy's action, Tolkein's dialogue is given weight and perfectly picked out in the mix – when Gandalf bellows 'You shall not pass!' at the Balrog, you know he's not joking around. And throughout the movies, Howard Shore's memorable orchestral score is given a rich, rousing presentation. Spellbinding stuff that we hope The Hobbit can match. 

The Pacific

Almost a decade after it unleashed Band of Brothers, HBO took us back to World War II with this equally brilliant 10-part miniseries. And, like its predecessor, The Pacific made use of some of the most talented technicians in the industry – such as supervising sound effects editor Benjamin L. Cook and sound mixer Nerses Gezalyan, who between them had previously worked on the likes of Gladiator, Kill Bill, Hellboy II and The Book of Eli.

Therefore, it won't come as a shock to discover that, despite its TV origins, The Pacific's gung-ho DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack does a remarkable job of bringing war to life in your cinema room. Tightly-controlled gunfire flies around the soundstage, panning effects are delightfully precise (you can follow the movement of planes by the audio alone) and there's no flabby bass to be found – just tight, impactful low-frequency effects accompanying every mortar shell. This is what war is good for!

Prometheus

Ridley Scott's long-awaited Alien prequel is one of the most accomplished stereoscopic films around. But there's no point in having great 3D visuals if your audio mix isn't similarly immersive. Thankfully, the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix accompanying Fox's Blu-ray release is the perfect partner to the film's eye-popping visuals.

From the flyover of a primordial Earth to the final shot of that creature, this is one soundtrack that simply refuses to quit. The surrounds are continually engaged to breath life into Scott's locations – whether it's the sounds of computers on the bridge of the Prometheus or the dripping water and footsteps echoing through the tunnels of the alien compound, the mix never fails to make you feel you're right there in deep space with the rest of the cast. And this is just its atmospheric prowess – just wait 'til the more explosive sequences, such as the silica storm, to hear what this BD is really capable of.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Back in the early 1980s George Lucas' sci-fi spectacular was a mainstay of every AV fan's VHS or Betamax collection. Skip forward to the present day and it's much the same, only there are now six Star Wars films and they can all be enjoyed with DTS-HD MA 6.1 tracks in this impressive boxset.

We all knew what to expect from the prequels, and from The Phantom Menace's Pod Race to Revenge of the Sith's climactic lightsaber duel they don't let fans down with the scale and depth of their sonic delivery. However, it's the original trilogy that provides some of the biggest acoustic thrills. Here, the team at Skywalker Sound went back to the original audio elements and recreated the tracks from the ground up. The results are a revelation – sympathetic to the original material, while simultaneously bringing them into the modern age with dynamic surround effects and phenomenal bass response. The Dark Side has never sounded so good.

Sucker Punch: Extended Cut

Director Zack Snyder had already treated us to a triple-bill of superior flicks (Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Watchmen) when he ushered in this surreal action thriller in 2011, and while it was a relative box office failure, its surround sound mix is reason enough to grab it on Blu-ray.

Warner Home Video's disc packs an intricate DTS-HD MA 5.1 track that dovetails perfectly with the outlandish onscreen action. As Snyder frequently moves his camera around in head-spinning 360-degree turns, or orchestrates his battle sequences in slo-mo, the audio follows suit. Effects are placed in every corner of the soundstage – from scraping samurai swords to whirling helicopter blades – and the LFE channel is in near constatnt use to add ominous heft to everything from footsteps to a rumbling train. Add in the guitar-heavy, pop-influenced soundtrack and you have an outrageous audio experience that's hard to beat. 

Tron: Legacy

Three things stick in the mind when watching this overdue sci-fi sequel: the immersive 3D presentation, Olivia Wilde in her rubber suit, and Daft Punk's electro-tinged soundtrack.

The latter is a treat for AV-hedz. Hollywood often likes to play it safe with its film scores, but the decision to hand the blockbuster reins over to a French dance music duo was utterly the right one – Tron: Legacy's futuristic soundtrack feels so natural against the backdrop of director Joseph Kosinski's stylised CG sets.

Although recorded with the help of an 85-piece orchestra at London's AIR Studios, Daft Punk's score is full of rich, synthesised bass and, through Disney's seven-channel DTS-HD mix (although the movie was released theatrically in Dolby 7.1), fills your room to bursting point.

The rest of sound mix is pretty nifty, too...

Wall-E

We're yet to meet anyone who doesn't have a soft spot for Pixar's comedy sci-fi jaunt, and much of the film's appeal – beyond the lush animation – lies in its scintillating surround sound. Hollywood certainly agrees, nominating Andrew Stanton's 'toon for original score, sound editing and sound mixing at the Oscars.

With entire sections devoid of dialogue, the work of audio engineer Ben Burtt is brought to the fore. On Blu-ray, this equates to a playful DTS-HD MA 5.1 track that raises the bar for atmospherics and pin-point accuracy. The desolate, windswept, future Earth of the opening act seems frighteningly real, while sonic effects, such as a clicking cockroach or Wall-E's robot voice, are startling in their clarity. Burtt famously went to extreme lengths to capture the film's array of audio tricks, utilising everything from a slinky to a 1950s hand-cranked generator. For some reason it still wasn't enough to bag him an Academy Award.

not long now

As i said in my last article cosplay has really hit the big time, here is an excellent video shot at midlands comic-con by KBLNoodles 

the fans have really taken it up a notch! the time and effort (and money!) that is spent on these costumes is phenomenal

we hope to have some interviews with some cosplayers at the forthcoming memorabilia show in birmingham where we will ask more about the technicalities and prop replicas which i know you guys and gals want to hear about :)

Movie Junction were at the Midlands Comic-Con hosted in Telford 

Cosplay has certainly gained popularity over the past few years 

It has gone from the dedicated few regulars to the point where if your not in costume you are the odd one out!

we are hoping to do a report from memorabilia at the NEC this year its well worth a visit and a great day out for all the family check -http://www.memorabilia.co.uk/birmingham/ for more details

COMING SOON!

closeups on local installations
COMIC-CON telford and birmingham style!

all the news from the bristol show

great demo scenes

a custom install diary from day one

Lumio

Max Gunawan is a San Francisco based Architect / Industrial designer who has a cool project over at Kickstarter that will brighten your day.  Entitled Lumio, it is a multi-purpose, eco-friendly, modern lamp that was designed with the vision that it can be used almost anywhere.

What makes Lumio unique?

• ADAPTABLE FORM & FUNCTION: You can transform Lumio into multiple shapes for many different functions. From your living room to the outdoors, Lumio is adaptable to your lighting needs as it changes throughout the day.
• PORTABLE & UNEXPECTED DESIGN: Lumio is cordless and folds into a compact and lightweight book. You can easily take it with you wherever you go.
• SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE IN A SMALL PACKAGE: It provides high output quality lighting equal to many large permanent light fixtures and lasts 8 hours on a full-charge. It folds into a compact book approx. 1″ thick.
• VERSATILE USE: Super strong magnets are built into its cover making it easy to mount Lumio on metal surfaces in many different configurations.

Lumio automatically turns on and off as you open and close the cover.  It has a flexible and durable spine design that allows you to control the brightness by adjusting the angle without a switch or button.  Lumio is the perfect, unique, stylish portable light source.  It weighs in at one  pound and when fully charged remains lit for up to 8 hours.

To make things even better, Lumio is crafted with a blend of environmentally friendly materials and high performing technology. Its cover is made of FSC certified wood (in 3 finishes) and the body of the lamp is made of 100% recyclable, water resistant Tyvek. The “core” of Lumio is comprised of high output LED lights and long lasting Lithium Ion battery.

Max’s Kickstarter project started out with a $60K goal.  Since its launch, it has far surpassed that and currently stands at almost $213K!  Head over to the Kickstarter page and pledge your support for what is sure to enlighten everyone who does so.

Guru Junior Loudspeaker to debut at Bristol Show

www.avforums.co.uk

A new way of doing things

Guru Audio will launch a baby brother to the world acclaimed QM10 monitor loudspeaker in Room 226 at this weekend’s Bristol Show.

The Guru Junior packs in much of the same engineering as the Guru QM10Two into an even smaller footprint and with a more affordable price tag. With the Junior, Guru continues its mission to bring small, easy to place loudspeakers that produce a level of audio quality that defies their size. They employ a very interesting driver technique and 'class leading' phase coherence, that they claim can maintain a neutral sound from 34Hz up to above 30 kHz.

The Guru Junior is designed to work ‘with’ the room and be placed very close to, or on the wall behind it, using floor stands, wall mount brackets or simply positioned on a bookshelf. The Junior cleverly harnesses the room boundaries to enable it to reach its unique combination of high sensitivity and bass extension.

The Guru Junior is available in Piano Black or White and Walnut real wood veneer cabinet finishes and will be on sale in selected UK specialist retailers at a UK SRP of £795 from next month.

You can read what Ed Selley from avforums thought about the Guru Junior in his Exclusive review here

The playstation 4 announcement is today!

http://www.avforums.com/forums/avforums-news-notices/1743292-playstation-4-what-we-hope-what-we-think-we-might-know.html

http://www.whathifi.com/awards/2012/projectors

B&W CM9