Although I'm stuck with the title "newbie", I do know a bit about surround sound and which movies rock to enjoy this. Here is a list of my favorite (and best) surround movies that really show off a good system:
Jurassic Park (DTS)
Indiana Jones DVDs (did any awesome pan job with the surrounds)
Master and Commander (hated the movie, loved the surround)
Lord of the Rings Extended (DTS-ES)
Gladiator (DTS)
Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum Series (coming to US fans this summer, I hear it is awesome!)
The Eagle's Hell Freezes Over (wow...wow)
Saving Private Ryan (DTS)
Finding Nemo
If you have any that you'd like to pass onto others, post'em here!
welcome skillet-
the regulars on this forum have had several discussions about this topic. all the movies you mentioned are good. here are a few more for you to try.
open range
the italian job
the bourne identity
kill bill, vol.1
and if you are into some old school.. watch the remastered version of 'close encounters of the 3rd kind'. all of spielbergs movies have great sound, and this is no exception.
if you want a good scare, try 'the others' and the remastered 'exorcist'.
enjoy.
bigjohn
You could add Matrix Revolutions and Daredevil to that list.
Let us not forget Star Wars Episodes I and II...
It seems to me that there should be a demo DVD that can be used just to get some oohs and aahs from your audience. But I've searched eBay and found nothing like this. Does anyone know where I can find a good DVD demo disk?
TIA, Bill
That would require licensing agreements from tons of different companies. The best bet is to burn one yourself.
I know of a company that made one to demo their products, and you're right, it is cool to be able to watch/listen to 15 minutes or so of just cool effects, and such.
Hehe. Notice none of us are saying the film itself is good. Just that it's fun to watch with a surround system.
Of course being a man who's first film seen in a theater was Star Wars: A New Hope, I might be a tad jaded against the new SW movies (jar jar freaking binks). Still the pod race and saber duels are amazing. I really like the sonic bomb in episode 2 in the asteroid field. Fun!
DTS makes demo discs for stores such as Good Guys to use for demoing. If you can get a hold of one, they are awesome and are recorded in full bit rate 1500 kbps DTS sound.
There is some freeware that I've used to compile movie clips for a presentation I did from my own DVD collection. Worked real well, the only pause the DVD made is when switching between clips. Google search for "DVD Shrink". Good and easy to use. Just be legaL!
In reply to:
the pod race and saber duels are amazing
One of the most amazing sounds I've yet heard is in "Finding Nemo" when the little girl taps on the aquarium glass!
I love the airy ness in Indiana Jones and the last Crusade...check out the scene where Indy and dad are being chased by the Nazi fighter planes. that will make you turn your head around. I've got to hand it to Lucasarts on this. A lot of the "5.1" dvds of old movies suck. They don't do anything with panning or anything like that, but this is a standout of what an old movie can be brought back to life with.
Funny you should mention that MrBill, I just played that scene extra loud and made the baby cry. That's him below my moniker if this effin' thing worked correctly.
It worked, Jack. The picture was too big so I resized it. I'll work on getting it cropped tomorrow. Thanks, dude.
Glad to help. It doesn't need to be cropped. It needs to be resized again. Well........I suppose it could be cropped, but see how the poor little tyke looks a tad squeezed? (Boy am I gonna feel bad, if he/she just has a tall thin head) You don't want to crop a squeezed version, cuz it'll still look squeezed. You want to crop/resize the original, if possible. If you have any problems email me a copy of the original, and I'll crop/resize it for you.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Titan AE yet. Pretty cool animated flick that even the kids can watch and it's a freaking bass fest. The ice field scene is amazing. I also for some reason liked the rundown. A decent action/comedy and the methane explosion about brought the house down. (uncorrected SPL reading 112 db at 14 below reference, YIKES)
The haunting is also another great movie with some good surround usage and unreal bass. The creaking pipe scene has to be felt to be believed. U571 and the depth charges was pretty sweet too. Finally The Last Samarai was a great movie and the ending battle scene was well done. OK I'm done for now.
i am gonna watch the last samurai this weekend. gonna borrow it from a friend of mine.. he said it was good also. i am looking forward to it.
bigjohn
I intend to do the same thing...borrow The Last Samaurai from a friend. Everyone says it's good. I just need to see if for myself first to find that comfort I need to make the purchase
I liked the Last Samurai more than I did Master and Commander. I think you'll enjoy it. Hope you do. Tom Cruise is.........well.........Tom Cruise. But, I thought Ken Watanabe's performance was superb. Enjoy guys!
No worries, Jack - he's got a big fat head like me.
I'll try the resizing all over. I noticed at the time that I had squeezed it a bit, but I didn't care because I didn't think I would actually get it to work.
BTW, am I the only one that hates Tom Cruise? Everytime I see him in a movie I see the horny teen from "Risky Business".
How did that little worm ever bag Nicole Kidman?
Oops! I should have kept reading - it sounds like Jack isn't a Tom Cruise fan either. The first Mission Impossible was good though (IMO).
Tom Cruise is OK, but no academy award, if ya know what I mean. I've enjoyed a lot of the movies he was in. Off the top of my head, I thought his best performance was in "A Few Good Men," and his "Rain Man" performance was pretty good. Just saw that upcoming is a "Mission Impossible 3," and he's gonna be in a remake of "War Of The Worlds." With today's technology, THAT could be interesting.
Unsqueeze that little bugger!
I'm at work, Jack, so no unsqueezing can be done right now.
But... all my students are at an assembly - life is good.
i dont "hate" tom cruise, i just get tired of his roles.. he is basically the same guy in every movie.. the same type personna.. he is the cocky, bold, over-achieving, over-confident, i can do it better than you can person.. it doenst really matter the job of the person he is playing, all his characters have this same personna. lawyer, jet pilot, race car driver, vampire, football player, cop, secret agent, soldier, boxer, bartender, pool player, or doctor.. he is the same guy in every role.. i think the only roles i have ever seen him in that broke from that mold were 'born on the 4th of july', and 'vanilla sky'. in these movies, he plays the role of a victim, and he actually has to act..
this is just my opinion.
bigjohn
Oh yeah! I forgot Vanilla Sky! I liked him in that. Ditto the Tom Cruise-Super Hero stuff. He doesn't pull that off as well as some other guys.
Vanilla Sky was a drug trip...
That news about a remake of War of the Worlds is exciting though, regardless of who plays in it.
here's the normal version of BigWill's kid:
In order to get it to not look squeezed, you need to use a size ratio of 13 wide by 15 tall. (The max size is 65 by 75, so if your picture is bigger than that, it gets scrunched.)
You must be done for the summer soon, eh? (GAD! I've been hanging around these Canadians too long.
LOL! What a great smile. Eats like his Dad too, I'll bet.
HHHHMMMMMM..... FFFFOOOOOOOOODDDD!!!!!
some form of liquidy carrot i presume.
hey will, if you want a funny laugh.. if you are feeding your baby store bought baby food, go check the various ingredients labels.. i swear, on almost 75% of them carrots will be the 1st or second ingredient. its kinda weird.. and i used to wonder how jacob got such an 'orange' glow about him..
bigjohn
Thanks pmbuko. He's beautiful, ain't he? (rhetorical question)
I believe that was sweet potatoes, but I'm not sure.
He's a Jacob also, but we call him "Jake". I know it's the #1 name in the US right now, but not around here.
He's even cuter this way.
Even better.
What about Jerry MaGuire? He played a complete loser in that movie....Notably, this threw me the first time that I saw the flic. In fact, I didn't really get his character the first time because of the contradiction between his character (basically a pitiful, amorphous, fU*$-up) and the typical Tom Cruise character (basically a hot-shot, underdog with natural skill....if only he could learn patience and harness his talent...)
I've mentioned it several times, just not recently. You're right, it is and amazing disc to use as a demo. In fact it's my favorite one for demo. I even like the movie itself.
Cute kid! Yikes...I remember when mine were that age. It only seems like yesterday, but my eldest will turn 18 in less than a week, and my baby is 16. It sounds incredibly trite, but it is true...cherish these moments because they will be over before you know it.
As for Tom Cruise, I am forced to admit that after seeing some of his more recent roles ("Magnolia", "Vanilla Sky") the boy can act. He just chooses not to most of the time, opting for "typical Tom Cruise roles" instead.
Mark
Hmmmm, Magnolia might also be a great DVD to showcase your system. The toad scene comes to mind. Imagine the sound of hundreds of toads falling from the sky and splatting all around you...
It's not what I would call a great movie but Underworld has great DD 5.1 sound. Could be the loudest mix I've ever heard and Kate Beckinsale is pretty easy on the eyes as well.
The Italian Job - intro music was made for Axioms' open highs
The Time Machine - Dream Works version
Kill Bill - plummy tube amped electric guitar is incredible.
T3
Master and Commander - if you have good subs, stand back.
Saving Private Ryan
___________________
Some Favorite Music CDs for Showing Off Axioms
Ed Gerhard's The Live Album Cuts 4, 7 and 9, stand back!
Loreena McKennett's Elemental Cuts 3 and 6, you want airy, open highs? You want a soundstage 2 stories high? Oh, you may need a tube amp to get the best out of this one, but it'll work with sand amps as well.
In reply to:
Oh, you may need a tube amp to get the best out of this one, but it'll work with sand amps as well.
2x6, I think that the Elemental disc isn't nearly as good as the other one I have by Loreena Mckennett. I should have burned it for you during your visit. Next time, eh?
Ah, Big Will, I think you should bring it with you when you come by and audition my systems! I'll get you one of Ed Gerhard's CDs for your demo collection if you do. Hope to see you soon!
I just went and looked up the title of that disc - "Book of Scerets". It really is awesome, though at first I thought it was kind of whacked. Unusual instrumentation - some VERY deep drums, bunch of foreign things, maybe a kazoo or something - and her sweet clear voice. Awesome.
Thanks, I'll pick it up. I play the kazoo!
2x, what's up with your avatar. Looks like it needs some medical attention.
The tube amp avatar was so happy with itself it must have transcended its physical state and converted into pure energy.
My vicious penguin seems to have ascended to the next Bardo. I'll find another. Thanks.
Time to revive this thread.
The opening scene from S.W.A.T. has some awesome surround effects.
I also enjoyed Gladiator. But I couldn't get the dts to work dag nabbit!!