Blast wants to congratulate our twitter follower Zully for their top score at Psych’s Squirrel Assassin game!

Did’t win? Don’t fret, We’re giving away PS3 games and Vita consoles over on Twitter! Follow us @BlastMagazine!

“I truly believe that there are a lot of people who need to go to jail,” said Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles. “But I think that there is way more people that need their ass whopped.”

Nephew Tommy, who is most known for his role on the syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show, closes his stand-up comedy act with Tommy’s Ass Whipping Factory—his first client is Bishop Eddie Long.

Tommy describes his character on the morning show as “fun” and “loveable,” but on stage he will show you a different personality. “The guy you see doing stand-up is a 44-year-old man saying here’s how I feel about life…straight from the hip,” he said.

Tommy’s stand-up comedy special, “Just My Thoughts,” will be available on DVD and digital download July 26. By filming the show in Motor City Casino in Detroit, Tommy is following in the footsteps of great comedians before him such as actor/comedian Robin Williams.

His uncle Steve Harvey has also been instrumental in Tommy’s career. The name Nephew Tommy, which is now recognized by many, was derived from his relation to Harvey.

Tommy has been on the morning show with Harvey for 10 years and he has also toured with him across the country; but now Tommy is taking big strides and venturing out on his own. “I went out with Steve so many times and I was doing 20 minutes in front of him and I just had so much more to offer,” he explained.

Four years ago Tommy began doing stand-up comedy at small improv clubs with capacities between 200 and 350 people. He would do multiple shows on the weekends and come to the radio station on Mondays with a strained voice. Now, he sells out venues that hold thousands of people and only does one show per city.

“I was killing myself,” Tommy reflects. “But that’s what you have to do; you gotta go pay your dues.”

Although Tommy has achieved great success thus far, he has not forgotten his humble beginnings. He received his undergraduate degree in theater arts from Texas A&M University and says that for him, stand-up came second and theater was always first.

His career in stand-up began as the result of a friend encouraging him to enter an amateur comedy competition in his hometown. He won the competition, began performing more frequently and soon thereafter was asked to be the opening act for Luther Vandross. His first performance with Vandross was in Rochester, NY.

“All I can remember is after getting off stage and I have tears running down my face,” he recalls. “[I was] like ‘Wow I just opened up for Luther Vandross.’”

After touring with Vandross for three years in the United States and Europe, Tommy received a phone call from his uncle’s manager asking him to be on the Steve Harvey Morning Show for a week. Vandross’ tour, which was only supposed to be on hiatus for six months, never restarted.

“God gave me a job before I ever knew I needed a job,” said Tommy.

Currently, Tommy is proactive in securing his next move. He is already working on his second stand-up project titled “Life after 40,” which will be shot in October.

“After 40 things start happening,” he explained. “Like you can’t see good anymore, you can’t hear good anymore, you can’t remember shit no more. I’m doing a show on…how I’m going to kick 40s’ butt and make it work for me.”

It seems as if Tommy is already doing just that. Earlier this month he hosted the Essence Music Festival for the second consecutive year. That, along with the popularity of his stand-up shows, is evidence that he is definitely winning in the fight against his age.

“I’m just getting started and I got a long way to go,” he said. “Get on the ride ‘cause I’ma take you somewhere.”

It’s freebie time!

Blast has some “Open Season 3″ prize packs — including the DVD, a book “The Art of Making Open Season” and copies of the Cloudy with a Change of Meatballs PS3 and Wii games PLUS some toys!

In “Open Season 3,” Boog, Elliot and all their forest friends return with an all-new adventure that is their fastest and furriest yet — this time in a big top circus! When Boog’s buddies can’t make their annual guys-only getaway, he decides to take a trip by himself. Stumbling across a visiting circus, Boog switches places with a look-alike circus grizzly and takes over his part in the act. But when the circus decides to go back to Russia, it’s a race against time for Elliot, McSquizzy, Mr. Weenie and the gang to rescue Boog before it’s too late!

As usual, all you have to do is be a registered Blast user and leave a comment on this article and WIN!

Yabba dabba…do her hard? You’ll never look at one of your favorite childhood cartoons the same again. In honor of “The Flintstones’” 50th birthday, adult film studio New Sensations is releasing a porn parody, giving Bam-Bam’s big club a whole new meaning.

Brought to you by the masterminds behind the porn parodies of “The Office,” “Scrubs,” and “Seinfeld,” “The Flintstones: An XXX Parody” will feature the various “talents” of stars Hillary Scott as Wilma, Brooke Lee Adams as Betty, Anthony Rosano as Barney, and Peter O’Tool as Fred (no, not that Peter O’Toole).

Director Will Ryder said of the film, which will be released on DVD Oct. 25, “We have brought everyone’s favorite cartoon cavemen to life and allowed them to indulge in their prehistoric, carnal lust for sex. After 50 years of abstinence, you know Fred and Barney are dying to finally get with their wives, or anyone else wearing a fur skirt.”

You can be sure that the movie will feature a whole lot of prehistoric bed-rocking in an authentic Bedrock—the set of the Flintstones’ living room was recreated so it’ll look just like it does in your innocent childhood memories of the cartoon. Also replicated? Fred’s awesome car.

The plot’s as thick as any other porn flick’s — you know, Fred suspects Wilma’s cheating, but she’s really planning a surprise birthday party for him. Oh, and Pebbles and Bam-Bam aren’t the toddlers you remember, because that would just be creepy (and illegal!). Instead, they’re older and ready to explore their sexuality…and each other.

Discovery Channel’s “The Science of Sex Appeal” wonders where real attraction comes from.

Is it his six-figure salary? The sound of her voice? His smell?

Maybe it’s their values or religious beliefs?

Perhaps it’s something you can’t quite put your finger on.

Of course, it’s totally possible that you’re purely attracted to their hot body, face, hair, arms, legs, ass and anything else physical.

“The Science of Sex Appeal” is a probing documentary that explores these passionate mysteries.

Want a free copy of the DVD?

Register as a free Blast user and post a comment. Tell us what you notice in someone you’re attracted to. The most unique response will win the DVD.

You must be a legal US resident, 18 or older.

As usual, Blast has something free for its readers.

Another day, another free thing.

As usual all you have to do is register as a Blast reader (for free) and leave a comment on this article.

The first 10 people to register and comment will receive a free “Public Enemies” DVD and “Public Enemies” bottle opener. And the first 50 who comment will get a free bottle opener.

We do a few of these, plus some movie screenings, every month. If you’re a registered user, you get all these updates automatically.

Thanks for reading Blast!

Even as one of the few remaining Blockbuster video stores in Boston goes kaput, the company is maneuvering to try and remain a household name.

Blue Blockbuster Express kiosks will be open in more than 100 Tedeschi Food Shops by the end of the month, with kiosks planned in all 188 stores in New England by the end of the year.

It’s amazing that these little kiosks do so well. Redbox kiosks, a common sight at Stop & Shop stores, combined with the mega-popular Netflix service are literally erasing video rental stores from existence. That’s to say nothing for iTunes, illegal downloading, On Demand television and DVR service.

The kiosks will hold a whopping 900 DVDs, ranging from classics to brand new titles. All you do is swipe a credit card. Just like Redbox, it’s a dollar a night.

Michael Jackson fans hoping for a DVD worthy of the career of the King of Pop will be sadly disappointed with Devotion: An Unauthorized Tribute to Michael Jackson. This DVD runs for over an hour completely devoid of any of Jackson’s music, videos or performance clips. “Unauthorized” is certainly an apt way to describe it, as the company that put this film together most likely couldn’t get the rights to the music.

“Devotion” is also the perfect word to have in the title. The film’s stance is that Jackson was a merely a tragic victim of the environment around him, and glosses over a lot of the unpleasant aspects of the late performer’s life.

The story unfolds with the untimely death of the beloved Jackson and then takes us back to Gary, Indiana where it all started. After a very brief history of the Jackson Five and Motown Records, the focus swiftly shifts to Michael as a solo artist. The tension between the family and father Joe Jackson during the Jackson Five days is ignored completely. The only interesting thing the film is able to get out of this segment is an interview with Berry Gordy Jr., the founder of Motown Records.

What “Devotion” fails to capture, is that the iconic essence of Michael Jackson will always be found in his music. Yes he was a philanthropist, had eccentricities, and was slightly vilified by the media but it is his music that upholds his status as a legend. This DVD is basically a narrated list of Jackson’s awards, charitable contributions and wrongs on the media’s part.

The highlight of the film is the “Memorial Service” feature in the bonus features menu. Here, we actually get footage of family and friends remembering Michael and sharing some fond memories.

One resonating clip from an otherwise mundane film is from Jackson’s brief press conference in March when he announced his final shows at London’s O2 Arena. Jackson’s words of “when I say this is it, it really means this is it … the final curtain call” seem particularly haunting to hear from him.

Having conquered‚ Comic-Con ’09, New Video NYC is happy to announce the DVD release of Felicia Day’s hit online sitcom The Guild. With the Season 3 premiere on August 25 on Xbox Live, the DVD will hit stores on September 29. The series, which has over 100, 000 subscribers on YouTube served as an inspiration for Joss Whedon’s blockbuster Internet sensation “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.”

For those of you who haven’t heard about The Guild, the story follows Cyd Serman (Day), a modern girl who has hit rock bottom after being fired and dumped and turned to the world of online gaming and dawning the avatar “Codex”. After a player on her server mistakes their in-game rapport for true love and shows up at her door, Codex brings all the members of her online guild face to face…to extremely awkward results.

The DVD contains a large amount of bonus content along with the 22 episodes from seasons 1 and 2. The bonus content includes:

• Special Insert: Gaming Glossary and Note from Felicia Day
• Cast and Crew Interviews
• Audition Footage
• Gag Reels
• Audio Commentaries
• Table Read
• Script PDF Files
• Play All Feature

So be sure to pick up a copy! Comment below with thoughts and feelings (and compliments for the lovely Felicia Day of course).

Remember when you were afraid to go in the lake at summer camp after the first time you saw “Friday the 13th?” Or couldn’t go to sleep at night because you thought Jason Voorhees was going to be lurking under your bed with a machete, waiting? Or wished your camp counselor looked like Kevin Bacon?

Okay, so maybe you didn’t experience any of those things, but we’re sure you have a story. Tell us at Blast about the first time you saw the original “Friday the 13th” for a chance to win one of 10 DVD copies of the new “Friday the 13th” film, hitting stores Tuesday June 16. Send an e-mail over to schwartz.t@blastmagazine.com for a chance to win one of these copies.

Rumors have been flying for weeks about whether or not Fox would broadcast the final episode of the first season of Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse.” After Fox unexpectedly renewed the series, interest in Episode 13, called “Epitaph One,” surged.

Blast spoke to a source at Fox who told us, “At this point, Fox does not have any plans to broadcast Epitaph One,” but “it is confirmed to appear on the ‘Dollhouse’ Season One DVD collection, which is being released on Tuesday, July 28.”

With “Dollhouse” set to premiere internationally, the question of will-they-or-won’t-they air the episode has dominated discussion among “Dollhouse” fans, though not just for continuation of the story. Part of the agreement to renew the series for another season was a slashed budget after Joss Whedon shot episode 13 on half the budget that he had used for the other twelve episodes. So “Epitaph One” is by far the clearest indication of what season two will look like.

It might be a smart move — the buzz “Dollhouse” has received thanks to its renewal will likely drive up DVD sales, and putting the lost episode on the DVD release might pique the interest of those who otherwise wouldn’t purchase the DVD set.

Congratulations to loyal Blast Magazine reader Jeff Hunt for being the most recent winner of a Blast Magazine prize package.

This month’s package included a full-size official poster from the movie “The Diving Bell And The Butterfly” with the film’s official soundtrack courtesy of Miramax. Jeff is also receiving a copy of outlandish new DVD, “Cougar Club” and a copy of The New Rivals CD courtesy of Universal. Jeff also gets an Art of Blast 2008 desk calendar.

How did Jeff get all this? By reading Blast and mentioning us in his blog. We knew he was a fan of “The Diving Bell And The Butterfly” so we’re shipping off a bunch of swag.

We’ve got more for you guys coming in 2008!

Not only do we have a bunch of copies of “Cougar Club” and The New Rivals but how about this? We have over a dozen Plantronics Audio 350 gaming headsets that we’re just throwing at our readers next month. Enjoy the ultimate gaming headset for free!

We also have copies of Roxio Crunch and Popcap’s hits for PS2 and Xbox 360.

And on top of all that, we have a “The Diving Bell And The Butterfly” mini poster and the novelization of the movie FREE.

What do you have to do to get any of these freebies? Write a review! Review a new movie, music album, video game, software, hardware, gadget, laptop, camera, pretty much whatever Santa gave you this year. Write up a review that’s at least 400 words, and if we use it, you’ll get a freebie!

Email all reviews to newsroom@blastmagazine.com, and include your name, address, website address if you have one, the review, any photos you have of the product and don’t forget the “Quick hits” info like you see here.

It’s free! Happy New Year from Blast!!

Toshiba canceled its CES press conference in the wake of a massive blow to their HD DVD line when Warner Home Video announced they would only support Blu-ray. But they’re definitely not running away scared as it appears Toshiba has pushed all of its chips to the center of the table in the form of four new HD DVD players.

This should have marked the happy, high-energy CES Las Vegas celebration for Toshiba, but instead there is the scent of forced desperation in the air. Toshiba has their backs to the wall with only the lumbering giant, Paramount backing their HD DVD format. The new units range from $299 to $799.

I don’t like it. Nobody is going to buy an $800 HD DVD player right now.

The press release (read it here) looks like it was written either long-before the Warner announcement or thrown together right afterward.

“We are pleased with the consumer acceptance of our HD DVD players in the market,” said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing for Toshiba’s Digital A/V Group. “The combination of HD DVD’s state of the art audio/video performance and unrivaled interactive capabilities along with exciting consumer promotions and affordable pricing in 2007 marked significant accomplishments for the HD DVD format,” Toshiba later said in the release.

Toshiba is also touting what they feel is the natural evolution of the DVD into the HD DVD:

“HD DVD was designed from the outset to be the evolution of the DVD format; every Toshiba HD DVD player is designed to play back DVDs and CDs. Toshiba’s HD DVD players will not only play DVD but will instantly make a movie lover’s existing DVD library look even better than it ever did with upconversion via the HDMI output. With the HD DVD format, consumers can experience true high def 1080p resolution for extraordinary detail that matches the latest state of the art 1080p HDTVs. Select Toshiba HD DVD players display images at 24 frames per second, the same frame rate used by directors when using film to create motion pictures, for a smoother, more film like, viewing experience.”

Look, the players are beautiful. They are impressive. HD DVD is a great format, but any $79 modern DVD player upconverts standard DVD’s. You can hack your old Xbox into an upconverting DVD player. I don’t think people want the natural progression from DVD to HD DVD. DVD certainly wasn’t a natural, painless progression from VHS. DVD was the next big thing. Now they’re slowly starting to look between HD DVD and Blu-ray to see which one is going to be the next big thing. I don’t know the answer to that question, but Blu-ray is winning. We weren’t sure of that a week ago, but Warner — like everyone else — wants to maximize its profits. And they can’t do that by supporting two fledgling high-def formats.

Anyway, the game isn’t over for HD DVD, but they’re definitely drawing to an inside straight.

This is the full text of a Toshiba press release on January 6 detailing the release of their new HD DVD players.

State-of-the-Art Performance, Successful Promotions and Affordable Pricing Result in Strong Consumer Acceptance of Third Generation Players

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ — CES — Demonstrating strong consumer acceptance for the HD DVD format, Toshiba America Consumer Products L.L.C. (“Toshiba”) today announced that the rollout of its third generation HD DVD players has been the most successful to date. With their unrivaled performance including real-world Web-enabled networking capabilities, consumers have chosen Toshiba’s third generation HD DVD players for their ultimate high def entertainment experience, resulting in the strongest quarter of unit sales to date and solidifying Toshiba’s market share leadership position.

“We are pleased with the consumer acceptance of our HD DVD players in the market,” said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Toshiba’s Digital A/V Group. The combination of HD DVD’s state of the art audio/video performance and unrivaled interactive capabilities along with exciting consumer promotions and affordable pricing in 2007 marked significant accomplishments for the HD DVD format.

An HD DVD World

As it has become established in the market, HD DVD has delivered on the promise of next generation entertainment in the home, which has led to the expansion of high definition in all areas of the consumer experience.

“Because HD DVD is a standardized format and meets the spec guidelines mandated and approved by the DVD Forum, it provides a consistent platform for all applications of next generation high definition video such as mobile entertainment and makes it possible to enjoy HD DVD in a multitude of lifestyle settings,” said Yoshi Uchiyama, Group Vice President America Digital A/V Group. “Whether as a standalone player for a home theater as a companion drive to the Xbox 360(TM) gaming machine or as an HD DVD-ROM drive for computers, HD DVD will be in many facets of consumers’ lives. As part of our vision for transitioning movie lovers to high definition, our goal is to extend HD DVD beyond the traditional home entertainment experience.”

Fulfilling the promise of HD DVD

Toshiba also announced its commitment to enhancing the consumer’s HD DVD player purchase with the introduction of the “HD DVD Concierge,” a new 800 number offering dedicated assistance to purchasers of HD DVD players. Consumers can now call 1-888-MY HDDVD (1-888-694-3383) for answers to general questions about HD DVD, for operational assistance or for assistance with various marketing initiatives. Trained service agents will provide the latest information on HD DVD enabling consumers to get the most from their purchase.

Toshiba delivers a richer interactive experience-now

With interactivity built into every HD DVD player as a mandatory spec, and with the reality of Web-enabled network capabilities, Toshiba delivers on the promise of a totally new experience. HD DVD allows studios to flex their creative muscle in ways never before offered or not currently available on any other format. 2007 saw the introduction of online polling, ringtones and online shopping to name a few, all from the HD DVD player itself and from the comfort of one’s own home. The latest of these new experiences is online streaming. Now when consumers connect their HD DVD player to the Internet via the standard Ethernet port on every player, they can stream new content or trailers, as available, directly from a movie studio’s server. “It’s exciting to see the studios bring HD DVD to life through new interactive features and Web-enabled network capabilities,” said Uchiyama. “By consistently delivering unique entertainment experiences, we’re changing the world of movie watching and giving meaning to the HD DVD experience.” Consumers have spoken, and data from Universal Home Video and Paramount and DreamWorks Animation SKG shows that an average of 30 percent of HD DVD owners have accessed Web-enabled network features and continue to do so regularly.

About Toshiba HD DVD Players and Third Generation Line

HD DVD was designed from the outset to be the evolution of the DVD format; every Toshiba HD DVD player is designed to play back DVDs and CDs. Toshiba’s HD DVD players will not only play DVD but will instantly make a movie lover’s existing DVD library look even better than it ever did with upconversion via the HDMI(TM) output. With the HD DVD format, consumers can experience true high def 1080p resolution for extraordinary detail that matches the latest state of the art 1080p HDTVs. Select Toshiba HD DVD players display images at 24 frames per second, the same frame rate used by directors when using film to create motion pictures, for a smoother, more film like, viewing experience.

Toshiba’s third generation family starts with the entry level HD-A3 player featuring 1080i output capability. The other two new models, Toshiba’s HD-A30 and HD-A35, output 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080p), the highest HD signal currently available. Both models are capable of outputting signals at 1080p/24 frames per second so consumers can enjoy movies in their native frame rate. The HD-A30 and HD-A35 models also feature “REGZA(R) Link” (HDMI(TM)-CEC), allowing two-way control between the HD DVD player and a TV through an HDMI connection.

All Toshiba HD DVD players also feature twin video processors and advanced audio to deliver an immersive home theater experience with features such as picture-in-picture video and audio commentary. Thanks to the Ethernet port and flash memory built into every Toshiba HD DVD player, movie lovers also can enjoy the benefits of Web-enabled network connectivity. Plus, Toshiba’s third generation players have a new slim design cabinet that is approximately 1/4- inch slimmer than second generation models.

HD DVD’s Commitment to Green

Toshiba is committed to not only making its products consumer friendly, but friendly to the environment as well. Its products, including the third generation HD DVD players, meet Toshiba’s voluntary environmental standards and ongoing efforts to bring eco-conscious products to market and comply with the company’s strict environmental policies. Environmental management is promoted both from the standpoint of improving products themselves and renewing manufacturing processes, which not only calls for the restriction of the use of hazardous substances in products, but also to avoid using such substances in any manufacturing process.

For example, Toshiba HD DVD players are compliant with the EU RoHS Directive, a European Union environmental directive that restricts the use of six hazardous substances, including lead, mercury and cadmium. Also, for energy conservation, all third generation players meet the Energy Star standard. Toshiba will place the Toshiba Group Earth Protection mark on its third generation players’ catalogs and manuals. The Toshiba Environmental Standard for granting the Toshiba Group Earth Protection mark is on Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.’s official website.

Pricing and Availability:

• HD-A3 ($299.99, Available Now)
• HD-A30 ($399.99, Available Now)
• HD-A35 ($499.99, Available Now)
• HD-XA2 ($799.99, Available Now)

Important Notes:

HD DVD with high-definition content required for HD viewing. Up-conversion of DVD content will result in near HD picture quality. Viewing high-definition content and up-converting DVD content may require an HDCP capable DVI or HDMI input on your display device. 1080p capable display required for viewing content in 1080p. Firmware update may be required for some interactive features depending on content, which may also require an always-on broadband internet connection. Some features may require additional bandwidth. To take advantage of web-enabled network content, installing the latest firmware ( ver.2.4 for HD DVD player models HD-XA1, HD-A1, and HD-D1; ver.2.7 for HD- XA2, HD-A2, HD-A2W, HD-D2, HD-A2C, and HD-A20; and ver.1.3 for HD-A35, HD-A30, and HD-A3) is required. Web-enabled network features require an always on broadband connection along with specific movie titles that include this form of content. For 24p output, content that was created in 1080p/24 frames/sec is required. Viewing 24p output requires an HD display capable of accepting a 1080p/24Hz signal. Use of REGZA Link, which is a feature based on HDMI-CEC, requires an HDMI-CEC compatible display device. Depending on the specifications of your TV, some or all REGZA Link functions may not work even if your TV is HDMI-CEC compatible. Dolby(R) Digital Plus, Dolby(R) TrueHD and DTS(R) support for up to 5.1 channels (DTS HD(R) support for DTS(R) core only). MP3/WMA audio files not supported. HDMI audio output requires connection to a PCM capable device. Because HD DVD is a new format that makes use of new technologies, certain disc, digital connection and other compatibility and/or performance issues are possible. This may, in rare cases, include disc freezing while accessing certain disc features or functions, or certain parts of the disc not playing back or operating as fully intended. If you experience such issues, please refer to the FAQ sections of www.toshibahddvd.com or www.tacp.toshiba.com for information on possible work- around solutions or the availability of firmware updates that may resolve your problem, or contact Toshiba Customer Solutions. Some features subject to delayed availability. While every effort has been made at the time of publication to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product specifications, configurations, system/component/options availability are all subject to change without notice.

About Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.

Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, a world leader in high technology products with subsidiaries worldwide. Toshiba is a pioneer in HD DVD, DVD and DVD Recorder technology and a leading manufacturer of a full line of home entertainment products, including flat panel TV, combination products and portable devices. Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey. For additional information, please visit www.tacp.toshiba.com.

Warner Bros has announced they will drop support for the HD DVD format and produce high-definition titles exclusively for Sony’s Blu-ray.

This will serve as a huge problem for the HD DVD format. Warner Bros sells 18 to 20 percent of all home videos. This now leaves only Universal, The Weinstein Company and Paramount (and their child companies like Dreamworks) supporting the now falling behind HD DVD format.

Paramount switched to HD DVD only when they received a $150 million payoff last summer.

Conversely, the Blu-ray camp now has Sony Pictures, Disney, Fox, Lions Gate and now the Warner exclusivity.

Sony owns MGM and Columbia TriStar. Disney Owns Touchstone, Pixar and Miramax. This gives Blu-ray a much stronger position as far as this generation’s format war is concerned.

Prediction: If Paramount goes back to both formats or somehow decides to make just Blu-ray when their HD DVD contract expires, the war will be over quickly.

Toshiba was quick to respond, and they’re pissed off.

“Toshiba was quite surprised by Warner Bros.’ decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray, despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies concerning
the support of HD DVD,” the company said in a statement Friday. “We will assess the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluate potential next steps.”

The next step appears to be a step back. The HD DVD group canceled its CES press conference.

The reason behind Warner’s move — it looks like they’d rather support one than risk both next-gen HD formats failing.

People seem to like downloadable content from places like the iTunes, and Xbox Live has done well so far at selling videos. If the format wars continue, it looks like consumers could skip both Blu-ray, and HD DVD and go straight to downloadable.

“The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger,” Barry Meyer, Warner Brothers chairman, told Yahoo! Tech. “We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.”

Consumers just don’t want to buy the same movie — often a movie they may have had on VHS — a second, third or fourth time. Warner says that both formats are having an impact that caused consumers to say, “let’s wait a bit to buy anything, even a standard-definition DVD.”

Well, we can’t have that now, can we?

For some reason, I resisted Deadliest Catch for the first two seasons. I was always tuning to the Discovery Channel for Mythbusters or the odd documentary.

Then one night last year, Mythbusters was over and this Bon Jovi song comes on, and I decide to watch an episode of “the fishing show.” Now I’m hooked.

What really strikes me about Deadliest Catch is that the Discovery folks put in cameras and producers, documentary style, and ended up with better characters and dramatic plots than most of the striking writers could put out.

From Sig Hansen, the third generation Norwegian to salty Alaskan Phil Harris on his boat, the Cornelia Marie, Deadliest Catch is no small achievement.

Watching these fishermen haul 700-pound crab pots from the bottom of the Bering Sea over and over again and watching them deal with everything from legal problems to winter storms, it’s often easy to forget that Deadliest Catch is unscripted. Moreover, it’s easy to forget that any of these people can die — fishermen and producers — at any time.

The reminders come from the solemn episodes where the boats break away from fishing to search for survivors from a vessel sunk by a rogue wave or storm. They rarely find many alive in the frigid waters. This came to life in the first season especially, when one of the featured boats, Big Valley, sunk early on, killing all but one aboard.

The third season starts off with the beginning of the Red King Crab season and disaster as the fishing vessel Ocean Challenger sinks, taking three men with it and showing a dramatic Coast Guard helicopter rescue where one of the crew members is saved.

Season three is contained on five DVD’s with nearly nine hours of footage. I was disappointed by the lack of special features — Discovery did a really good special called “After the Catch” where narrator Mike Rowe shared stories and beers with the captains and crew. That was another amazing part of deadliest catch, bringing narrator and subjects together.

Either way, the DVD set is an excellent gift and a great way to relive Deadliest Catch.

Episodes:

A Tragic Beginning
Journey back to Dutch Harbor, Alaska — the largest fishing port in the United States. The 2006 Red King Crab season kicks off as 81 fishing vessels eagerly return to stake their claim in the million dollar jackpot.

The Unforgiving Sea
After the Ocean Challenger fishing boat sinks, a Coast Guard helicopter rescues the only known survivor. Meanwhile, two bodies are pulled from the water and another man remains lost at sea.

Pain and Paybacks
After a deadly start to the season, the Bering Sea claims more victims. Deckhand Lenny Lakanoff of the Wizard suffers a crippling injury, leaving Captain Keith scrambling to shore.

Cheating Death
Halfway through the season the grind is on with crews working throughout the nights. Equipment failures, fatigue and bad weather make fishing even more dangerous.

Bering Sea Salvation
Experience the heart-wrenching tales of the Bering Sea as Captain Johnathan Hillstrand of the Time Bandit recounts a rescue attempt he made nine years ago that ended in tragedy.

The Last Lap
The grinding 2006 Red King Crab fishing marathon comes to a close as holds fill with King gold. With money in their pockets, the fishermen return home for a short rest before returning to the 2007 Opilio Crab Season.

New Beginnings
All aboard as the January Opilio crab season opens. Several greenhorns are about to experience the subfreezing temperatures and icy winter waters of the Bering Sea for the first time.

Caught in the Storm
Only days into the Opilio season, a major storm system hits the fishing grounds causing Captain Andy of the Time Bandit to call his men off deck.

Crossing the Line
A monster storm blows through the Time Bandit and Cornelia Marie grounds, and a double change of guard takes place on the Wizard as Captain Keith Colburn and greenhorn Nick both head south.

Trials of the Greenhorns
The harsh winter weather puts the greenhorns to the test, but the Northwestern and Cornelia Marie greenhorns step up to prove their worth by working through broken bones and icy decks without complaint.

Ice and Open Water
The promise of a great catch outweighs the dangerous risks faced by the Opilio Crab fishing vessels. The Far West Leader attempts to survive the loss of one engine, while the Time Bandit enjoys unseasonable weather and unprecedented catches.

A Frozen Finish
The 2007 Opilio crab tally is in and a winner is declared. After a long and difficult crab fishing season, the Northwestern enjoys a sweet homecoming with friends and family back in Seattle.

The 90′s animated series that let audiences see comedians in a different light has returned with a DVD collection. On November 20, Dr. Katz: The Complete Series DVD arrived in stores nationwide. The 13-disc collection includes 81 episodes from all six seasons.

Bonus features include three "lost" episodes featuring Dave Attell, Louis C.K. and Conan O’Brien; An Evening with Dr. Katz: Live from the Comedy Central Stage; and a 28-page booklet with an introduction from Dr. Katz and memoirs from his favorite patients with watercolor illustrations of each.

"I’m so proud of that work and, I’m a compulsive name dropper, [but] when I did a movie with Ice Cube over the summer I said…I hope my best work is not behind me but if it is, I’m glad its Dr. Katz," said Jonathan Katz, Dr. Katz’s creator, stand-up comedian and image for Dr. Katz’s character.

Although the show has been one of the highlights of his life, Katz has now become a comedian with a cause. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, (MS) in 1997 Katz says on his personal website that he, "thought it was a stage…like puberty without pimples." Soon he realized MS was a life-long disease and for the first time he became a comedian, "with a hook."

The release comes at a time when his comedic appearances are mostly for fundraising or educational events related to his illness. The comedian is also involved in a Jewish comedy show that airs online at WKATZ.com and is produced in his at-home studio. At this point in his career, Katz is taking care of himself and enjoying his wife and daughters, whom he claims are far funnier than him, but he still imagines what would make a good comedic series today.

"When trying to get on air with another show one of the problems is finding an audience. The audience for animation now is very male, very young, very horny…and into violence. We won the first Emmy award for an animated comedy and I’m a little jealous, in a good way, with the success of South Park because they make more money from the sweatshirts, but I don’t think it’s a place adults would look for animation entertainment, at least for me. Sometimes I underestimate the appeal," Katz analyzed.

Dr. Katz shared the life of a therapist who lived with his deadbeat son, Ben, and had interesting day-to-day dealings with his attractively sarcastic secretary, Laura. He made his comedian and artist patients, animated versions of Ray Romano, Rodney Dangerfield and Dave Chappelle, among others, do their stand-up routines or have in depth one-on-one’s to decipher their psychological issues.

The style of the show was one of a kind, with scripts that only included plot ideas and cast members that ad-libbed on these for the rest of the show. The range of topics discussed also varied and were original since, as Katz explains, comedic inspiration can be drawn from everywhere.

"I don’t want anyone laughing that’s not involuntary, I’ve been getting courtesy laughs form my daughters for the past 25 years. I could use the whole world for inspiration," Katz said. "The other day I did a show about the sounds of my house keeping me up at night."

Overall, he says, comedy can be a shield that disguises personal dilemmas. Katz admits that many comedians resort to alcohol or drugs because of past pains that keep on living after laughs from audiences die out. He became a comedian almost accidentally, his mother passed away when he was 16 and the death left him, "somewhat unfinished."

Katz admits that Ben was the character he assimilated to the most. His father, he claims, did not cut is allowance until he was 30 years old. A fact hard to believe but that basically represents a life overindulged. Surprisingly, this past has not affected Katz’s welcoming persona.

"When I was little I wanted to be a cowboy because that was on TV and then as I got older I waned to be a really good cowboy," said the comedian who considers himself lucky. "People will say to me, ‘I haven’t laughed for 12 years’ and it’s a good feeling, helping people who don’t have a lot of laugh in their life, you don’t have to have MS to be miserable."

Besides his comedy show and the DVD release Katz is focusing on script writing for two comedies he would like to see made into full-length movies. Now living in Massachusetts he continues to learn that life is unexpected … and the Red Sox addictive.

"I’m from New York and when I first moved here my father in law said, ‘don’t get involved with the Red Sox, they will break your heart,’ and now were crazy Sox fans," Katz said about the World Series champions.

While with Blast, the funny-man answered some rapid-fire questions; these certainly proved Katz is both, odd and unique.

Blast- What’s your favorite color?
Katz- Yellow an black, because I’m allergic to bees

Blast- What is the most memorable gift you’ve received?
Katz- I remember $2,500 I got in savings bonds for my Bar Mitzvah and I threw them by mistake in the incinerator. Unlike the Israel bonds I still haven’t matured.

Blast-What do you like to eat?
Katz- I love Cuban sandwiches, they’re comfort food for me, and I do like salsa picante too. My sister moved to Puerto Rico, she visited and fell in love with PR…and with Jose Montalvo. When I go there I eat the food.

Blast- What’s up with Britney?
Katz- I think she’s hurting like anybody else and for a guy who needs attention, I can get it with all my clothes on. I’m not sure she has that skill. I remember when I told my daughter, "You know she’s not a bad dancer," she said, "Yeah, for a slut."

Blast-How would you describe Jonathan Katz?
Katz- I guess I’m so removed, I sort of have a separate professional person and then the person. I’m 60 but I wish I was more curious about people and I don’t think I’m a good listener, I wish I was a better husband and father, but at least I now I’m a good dog owner. My dog loves me.

Comic genius Dave Chappelle trained his satirical eye on the vagaries of pop culture and race relations in his brilliant but short-lived Comedy Central series Chapppelle’s Show The edgy funnyman brandished his unique style of street smart comedy to skewer everything from car commercials to the KKK, blending sketches, parodies, standup, and musical guest performances into a hilarious sendup of modern American life. This collection presents the complete series in uncensored and unblurred versions, including the “lost episodes,” a handful of skits Chappelle recorded for a possible third season.

The only thing better than Dirty Jobs is eight hours and 20 minutes of Dirty Jobs on five DVD’s.

Discovery Channel has released the complete first season of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. Join Mike has he takes on everything from sewer inspection to hot tar roofing in this widely popular spin on educational television.

In Dirty Jobs, Mike Row redefines the traditional everyman as he dives headfirst into weird, strange and most of all dirty jobs that regular people do every day.

Episodes:

Bat Cave Scavenger & Worm Dung Farmer
Visit a cave where bat guano (a.k.a. bat poop) is collected for some of the best fertilizer in the world. Then, join Mike as he burrows his way onto a farm that specializes in worm dung.

Roadkill Cleaners & Chinatown Garbage Collector
Mike rides along with some professional road kill collectors — and takes his turn scooping up five-day-old asphalt ornaments. Plus, learn how some of your discarded scraps are turned into fine wine.

Sewer Inspector & Pig Farmer
Mike braves the cockroach- and rat-infested sewers of San Francisco as part of his latest gig. Things get even messier in Iowa as he learns the fine art of pig insemination.

Chick Sexer & Vexcon
Mike takes an “egg-cellent” vacation to the Murray McMurray Hatchery for a little chicken sex ed. Later, he joins forces with the Vexcon Pest Control group for an all-out assault on a home ruled by cockroaches.

Sludge Cleaner & Hot Tar Roofer
Mike wades into a greasy pit of sludge to help an environmental company recycle some gunky grime. In Hot Tar Roofer, Mike lands on a church rooftop and learns how to melt down chunks of black tar for roof repair.

Nelly Furtado is set to release a collection of live performances from her 2007 Get Loose World Tour. A DVD will feature 17 songs from her set list (including a cover of Gnarls Barcley’s “Crazy” previously not released in the U.S.) and a half hour of documentary footage. The music CD version will consist of 11 songs.

The Grammy winner was the top selling female artist for 2006-2007, according to Geffen Records, her label. Her third album, Loose, has been certified gold or platinum in 31 countries with sales reaching seven million.

“For the last eight years I’d never really traveled with a full production of lights, visuals and dancers,” said Furtado who was backed by four dancers and a six-piece band for her “Get Loose,” “but this tour I had all of it, which was a real treat.”

DVD Tracks:

1. Afraid
2. Say It Right
3. Turn Off The Light
4. Powerless
5. Do It / Wait For You
6. Showtime
7. Crazy
8. In God’s Hands
9. Try
10. All Good Things (Come to An End)
11. Give It To Me
12. I’m Like A Bird
13. Glow / Heart Of Glass
14. Forca
15. Promiscuous
16. Party / No Hay Igual
17. Maneater

The DVD and CD will hit stores December 4, Geffen said.

A previously unreleased acoustic performance by legendary alternative rock band Nirvana will hit shelves soon with behind the scenes footage and additional songs not originally seen on the 1993 broadcast.

“The complete, unedited 66-minute concert including ‘Something In The Way’ and ‘Oh Me’ not aired during the original 44-minute broadcast,” MTV said in a statement. “‘Unplugged in New York’ also includes five previously unreleased rehearsal performances and MTV News interviews with the band and audience members.”

“Unplugged” was filmed Nov. 18, 1993 at Sony Music Studios, the show first aired on MTV Dec. 14, 1993, months before Kurt Cobain’s death.

The DVD also features a “Bare Witness” interview with the band.

Features:

COMPLETE SHOW (UNEDITED):

• About A Girl
• Come As You Are
• Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam
• The Man Who Sold The World
• Pennyroyal Tea
• Dumb
• Polly
• On A Plain
• Something In The Way
• Plateau
• Oh, Me
• Lake Of Fire
• All Apologies
• Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

MTV NEWS – BARE WITNESS: Documentary

THE REHEARSALS:

• Come As You Are
• Polly
• Plateau
• Pennyroyal Tea
• The Man Who Sold The World

The DVD is available now.

Comedy Central announced today a South Park compilation DVD featuring seven Christmas-themed episodes of the irreverent, mega-popular cartoon.

“Sing along with the citizens of South Park with everyone’s favorite holiday classics such as ‘Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo’ and ‘Christmas Time in Hell,’” Comedy Central said in a statement. “Check out the boys bringing Christmas to Iraq and learn how hard it is to be a Jew during this holiday season.”

The DVD, called “Christmas Time in South Park” will be in stores November 13

Episodes:

“Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo” (original air date: 12/17/97)

While the kids at South Park Elementary are attempting to stage a non- offensive, non-denominational holiday play, Kyle checks himself into a mental institution.

“Merry Christmas Charlie Manson” (original air date: 12/09/98)

Cartman’s Uncle Howard breaks out of prison to share Christmas with his family. He shows up for dinner with his cellmate Charles Manson.

“Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics” (original air date: 12/01/99)

Hosted by Mr. Hankey himself, holiday songs are performed in unique South Park style.

“A Very Crappy Christmas” (original air date: 12/20/00)

Mr. Hankey’s a no-show for Christmas this year. He’s busy with his new wife and their three little nuggets. Without Mr. Hankey, the boys are doing everything they can to bring the spirit of Christmas to South Park. They are inspired to make a video Christmas card starring Jesus Christ and Santa Claus.

“Red Sleigh Down” (original air date: 12/11/02)

When all the tallies are in, Cartman is overdrawn in the “naughty” column and has to score one big “nice” to be eligible for Christmas presents this year. He enlists Jesus, Santa and Mr. Hankey to help him bring Christmas to the downtrodden citizens of Iraq.

“It’s Christmas in Canada” (original air date: 12/17/03)

The Broflovski family is dealt a devastating blow when Ike’s Canadian birth parents show up unexpectedly and want their baby back. When the townspeople decide to forgo Christmas gifts and take up a collection to get Ike home to South Park, the boys are distraught. Before all the money for their Christmas presents get spent, they hightail it to Canada to bring Ike home themselves.

“Woodland Critter Christmas” (original air date: 12/15/04)

The woodland critters in South Park ask Stan to help them build a manger in anticipation of the birth of their Lord and Savior. Stan complies only to find out that they serve a very different Lord.

Launched in 1997, South Park, now in its 11th season, is the highest-rated show on Comedy Central.

The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Set 2 of the popular television series based on the fiction of bestselling British crime-writer Ruth Rendell was released on DVD Oct. 23.

From Acorn Media: “One of the most honored, prolific, and critically acclaimed modern crime writers, Rendell has been called this era’s "Queen of Crime." In these six tales of suspense, Rendell examines the jealousies, betrayals, and resentments that lead to tragedy. A stellar cast brings each story off the page and onto the screen with all of the author’s delicious irony and intrigue intact. Featured actors in Set 2 include James D’Arcy (Master and Commander), Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle’s War), and Alexis Denisof (TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The mysteries aired in syndication on public television in the 1990s.”

Episodes::

Bribery & Corruption—Young Nicholas Hawthorne (James D’Arcy) has a crush on a married woman with whom his widowed father has begun a secret affair. Then she winds up murdered.

Front Seat—Cecily Branksome (Janet Suzman) opens old wounds by nosing into a long-resolved murder in her childhood hometown—to the growing annoyance of her husband Hugh (Edward Hardwicke).

A Case of Coincidence—When a surgeon’s wife turns up murdered, Inspector Masters (Keith Barron) and Chief Inspector Moore (Ronald Pickup) face increased pressure to bring a serial killer to justice.

A Dark Blue Perfume—Newly widowed Liz (Susannah York) rediscovers life and love with a troubled man who has a mysterious past.

May & June—Since childhood, May Thrace (Phoebe Nicholls) has resented her sister June (Christine Kavanagh)—especially when they compete for the same man’s affections.

The Orchard Walls—Sent to the country to escape war-ravaged London, a young girl (Honeysuckle Weeks) discovers the adult world’s dark secrets. Co-starring Alexis Denisof.

Released: October 23
MSRP: $49.99
DVD 3-Vol. Boxed Set: 6 episodes — Ranging from 50 to 105 minutes each
SPECIAL FEATURES: Ruth Rendell biography and cast filmographies.

Paramount Home Entertainment, which includes Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation SKG, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, has announced its decision to use only High Definition DVD, over competing Blu-ray technology.

The decision was made after company research said HD DVDs had the necessary technology on the market, low manufacturing costs and best value and quality for consumers, they said.

On August 28, Blades of Glory kicked off this new program as the first release. Transformers and Shrek the Third follow.

These three movies represent more than $1.5 billion in worldwide box office sales, and company executives believe the sales will keep increasing.

“The combination of Paramount and DreamWorks Animation brings a critical mass of current box office hits to consumers with a line-up of live action and animated films that are perfect for HD DVD,” said Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, the leading studio in domestic box office revenue. “I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount.”

Regular DVD players are hardware-based, while HD DVD and Blu-ray systems rely on software. That means updates and movie extras can be easily downloaded from the web. Even with this similarity, many movie and technology powerhouses support Blu-ray technology since it offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs while still having great image quality.

The price between HD DVD players and Blu-ray players, however, is what interests consumers the most. The cheapest HD DVD player retails for approximately $300, while the cheapest Blu-ray devices sell for at least $599.

“We decided to release Shrek the Third and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg CEO of DreamWorks Animation. “We believe the combination of this year’s low-priced HD DVD players and the commitment to release a significant number of hit titles in the fall makes HD DVD the best way to view movies at home.”

Paramount Home Entertainment will issue new release dates for upcoming films and will also sell catalog titles in the future. Steven Spielberg films remain uncommitted to either format.