Revolutionary Road: Best DVDs of May 2009

 What it is:  Revolutionary Road, based on the Richard Yates novel of the same name, is the story of April and Frank Wheeler, a couple of pseudo-bohemians who stumble, quite unfortunately, into a wholly mismatched marriage and a far from idyllic life in suburban Connecticut in the 1950’s.  Their feelings of being different, of possessing a certain specialness that separates them from their neighbors and their chosen life, drives their decision to leave it all behind and move to Paris.  They aren’t snobs exactly, or foolish, just people who fell into the life they thought they were supposed to want.  It wasn’t.

Why it’s Significant: Do like your love stories with a lot of yelling, woeful moments of dreams crushed to dust and devastatingly realistic decisions made by people with a total inability to understand one another?  This isn’t a happily ever after story and it’s certainly not the satisfyingly blissful reunion of Jack and Rose some may have hoped for.  Revolutionary Road is at times a bleak and dreary film, but it is also a beautiful one, brilliantly realized by director Sam Mendes and featuring performances so stunning from both DiCaprio and Winslet that I’m willing to bet I’ll endure the pain a few more times, just to again experience each of these impressive actors at the absolute top of their game. –Kira




New Flip UltraHD Pocket-sized Camcorders Get Official

Back in 2005, my wife and I went on our three-week honeymoon to Paris with a third wheel–our newly purchased Canon Optura 30 camcorder (as well as a stack of MiniDV tapes). The first few days, we dutifully lugged around the Optura (which was certainly smaller than competing models of that time period) and succumbed to the touristy siren song of videographing our movements through the city. But we soon started leaving the camcorder in the apartment as we headed out for our daily adventures as it was just too bulky, and thus our honeymoon seems very short based on video evidence.

If only we’d had the Flip camcorder then (as we do now)–the small little box that doesn’t look at all like a video recorder with the curious flip-out USB connector–things could have been different… and maybe we would have gotten some video of the Eiffel Tower, which we visited in the waning days of the honeymoon. I purchased the MinoHD, Flip’s first high-def camcorder, before last Christmas and have been loving its 720p resolution as well as its easy pocketability (and thus having it more readily available for impromptu shoots).

And now Flip has added a second HD-capable model to its lineup with the official announcement (after leaks started appearing this last weekend) of the Flip UltraHD Camcorder. It has the same body as the original Ultra, which is bulkier than the more svelte MinoHD largely because of its rechargeable AA battery pack, which can be replaced with standard AA batteries if you’re running low on power while on the go. And it offers similar video specs to its high-def brethren, including a 1280 x 720 respolution, 30 frames per second (fps), an average bit rate of 9.0Mbps and 2x digital zoom.

But the UltraHD adds a larger LCD viewing screen (2 inches compared to the MinoHD’s 1.5-incher) and more storage capacity (doubling to 8 GB for 120 minutes of video capture). However, its biggest new feature is the HDMI port for video output, enabling you to connect it directly to an HDTV for viewing footage without first having to transfer and massage video through the included FlipShare software. Oh, and it’s $30 than the MinoHD (you pay extra for the svelte).

A number of gadgetosphere destinations have some samples already up, including Gizmodo, Engadget and Boing Boing Gadgets, and CNet also just posted its positive 4-star review. Additionally, Camcorderinfo offers some good side-by-side photos contrasting the UltraHD with the MinoHD. The Flip UltraHD comes in black and white and is available for ordering now.

–Agen G.N. Schmitz

New Flip UltraHD Pocket-sized Camcorders Get Official

Back in 2005, my wife and I went on our three-week honeymoon to Paris with a third wheel–our newly purchased Canon Optura 30 camcorder (as well as a stack of MiniDV tapes). The first few days, we dutifully lugged around the Optura (which was certainly smaller than competing models of that time period) and succumbed to the touristy siren song of videographing our movements through the city. But we soon started leaving the camcorder in the apartment as we headed out for our daily adventures as it was just too bulky, and thus our honeymoon seems very short based on video evidence.

If only we’d had the Flip camcorder then (as we do now)–the small little box that doesn’t look at all like a video recorder with the curious flip-out USB connector–things could have been different… and maybe we would have gotten some video of the Eiffel Tower, which we visited in the waning days of the honeymoon. I purchased the MinoHD, Flip’s first high-def camcorder, before last Christmas and have been loving its 720p resolution as well as its easy pocketability (and thus having it more readily available for impromptu shoots).

And now Flip has added a second HD-capable model to its lineup with the official announcement (after leaks started appearing this last weekend) of the Flip UltraHD Camcorder. It has the same body as the original Ultra, which is bulkier than the more svelte MinoHD largely because of its rechargeable AA battery pack, which can be replaced with standard AA batteries if you’re running low on power while on the go. And it offers similar video specs to its high-def brethren, including a 1280 x 720 respolution, 30 frames per second (fps), an average bit rate of 9.0Mbps and 2x digital zoom.

But the UltraHD adds a larger LCD viewing screen (2 inches compared to the MinoHD’s 1.5-incher) and more storage capacity (doubling to 8 GB for 120 minutes of video capture). However, its biggest new feature is the HDMI port for video output, enabling you to connect it directly to an HDTV for viewing footage without first having to transfer and massage video through the included FlipShare software. Oh, and it’s $30 than the MinoHD (you pay extra for the svelte).

A number of gadgetosphere destinations have some samples already up, including Gizmodo, Engadget and Boing Boing Gadgets, and CNet also just posted its positive 4-star review. Additionally, Camcorderinfo offers some good side-by-side photos contrasting the UltraHD with the MinoHD. The Flip UltraHD comes in black and white and is available for ordering now.

–Agen G.N. Schmitz

Playmobil Says, "I Do!" -- Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen

We’re entering wedding season. And while most parents reading this are probably not yet in the mother-of-the-bride mode, we know kids are always in the mood for (pretend) love. After all, brides and grooms are often the stuff their dreams are made of. For me, it was love at first sight when I saw Playmobil’s new Church, a playset with a classic Playmobil bride and groom and all the trappings of a formal wedding: from stained glass windows (look closely and you’ll see the image of a Playmobil figurine!), organ music, church bells, flowers and bows on the pews, and a priest to read the vows.



For those who don’t want a church wedding, there’s the alternative Wedding Pavilion, a trellised balcony setting where the bride wears a long lacey veil, the groom wears a hip gray tux, and rites are non-ecumenical. Champagne, flowers, and seating for invited guests complete the setting. Both wedding sets come with a heart-shaped jewel box containing two rings, adding to the fantasy play.
Ceremony’s over? Stick around for the party!  The smaller-sized Wedding Guests in Party Tent lets the bride and groom celebrate their wedding under a festive white tent. Here’s where they can finally taste the tiered wedding cake (complete with a mini bride and groom on top), admire the table full of presents, click champagne glasses for a toast, and eat their way through the buffet. As with most fun weddings, the hardest part is knowing when the party’s over. — Wendy Smolen