Movie

Are you headed to the movies this weekend to see one of Hollywood's top blockbuster films? When spending up to $15 for a movie ticket, you want to make sure you are getting the best cinematic experience, but are you?

THX, the company behind Star Wars and cinema certification, wants to be sure you're receiving the best entertainment experience. Take a look at their top 10 tips for identifying the best movie theater before heading out to see the next hot flick.

1. Read reviews about your theater before heading out: How many times has your movie experience been ruined by your local cinema having poor presentation, being dirty, too cold, or the staff is just rude? Check that your theater has a good reputation for quality presentation, is clean and the staff is polite and helpful.

2. Be aware of what audience your theater attracts: Is your theater family friendly, a teenager hangout or does it cater to an adult crowd? Some cinemas have designed the movie-going experience for families making them great locations for kid movies. Others cinemas have amenities that are appropriate for a 21 and over crowd. Choose your cinema based the amenities that are tailored to your demographic. Read more

Have you seen the movie "Captain America: The First Avenger"? Released in theaters on July 22nd, it is the second major motion picture to film portions using a DSLR camera ("Iron Man 2" was the first). Jonathan Taylor, second unit director/director of photography on "Captain America: The First Avenger", chose Canon's EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR to capture select point-of-view action shots in the film.

Why the 5D Mark II? The camera is smaller and lighter than a traditional motion picture camera, allowing Taylor to mount it on moving vehicles to capture dramatic action shots. The camera's size also made it "invisible" to the film cameras shooting the same scene from a distance. The action scenes in "Captain America: The First Avenger" in which Taylor used 5D Mark II cameras for POV shots include a car chase and crash, and a high-speed motorcycle pursuit.

"The challenge with a lot of action photography is getting the camera in the right position," Taylor noted. "I'm always looking to get the camera into impossible to reach places because those kinds of shots make action sequences much more exciting. Most 35mm motion-picture cameras and even the leading digital cinematography cameras are just too big to get into interesting positions."Read more

Sony has announced they will offer owners of BRAVIA HDTVs and Blu-ray players the opportunity to rent "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" a month before it is available at retail stores.

Those who purchase a networked BRAVIA HDTV or Blu-ray Disc player and register the device between Nov. 9, 2009 and Jan. 4, 2010, will receive a free 24-hour rental of the movie in HD. The movie will become available on December 8, 2009.

If you already own a networked BRAVIA HDTVs or have earlier BRAVIA models equipped with the BRAVIA Internet Video Link, the movie will be available to rent from Dec. 8, 2009 through Jan. 4, 2010, for $24.95. Read more