movies

App developers know how to plan ahead. Just in time for "The Amazing Spider-Man," which swings into theaters July 3, Disney Publishing and Gameloft have released two very different, but equally great, movie tie-ins.

The Amazing Spider-Man (Android | iOS, $6.99) delivers an action-packed gaming experience, while the Spider-Man AR Book HD for iOS ($4.99) -- unappealing name notwithstanding -- gives kids an interactive storybook to read, hear, and play with.

Let's start with the game, which plays exactly like a Spider-Man adventure should, giving you an open city around which to crawl, swing, and battle.… Read more

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- It's hard to believe that a bunch of corrugated steel could be so famous. But when that bunch is nine letters that are 45 feet tall, and that combine to stretch 400 feet across, you get what is likely the world's most recognizable sign.

This is, of course, the Hollywood sign, a universal image representing the entertainment industry, and a monument that literally towers over Tinseltown.

But with its 90th anniversary coming up next spring, it may surprise some to learn that the sign has had its global status for only a fraction of its … Read more

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--Deep inside a series of very cold vaults, surrounded by thick concrete and protected from fire and water damage, more than 76,000 movies sit on shelves, preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Welcome to the Academy Film Archive, the storage arm of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. On your right is a stack of cans containing several reels of the 1962 classic "Lawrence of Arabia." On your left are several cans comprising a copy of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Since opening its doors in 1927, the Academy -- the folks … Read more

BURBANK, Calif.--Back in the dark ages of modern 3D filmmaking -- meaning more than a year or two ago -- the process of aligning imagery coming from the two cameras required to shoot in 3D could be slow, methodical, and frustrating work. But one company thinks it has done away with those days forever.

At 3ality, an outfit here that is among the leaders in the nascent new era of 3D filmmaking -- as opposed to the horrible 3D films dating back a few decades -- there's no reason to labor over the optimization of such imagery after … Read more

Another month, another set of new Blu-ray releases -- and another update to our long-running list of must-have Blu-ray movies. This month's entries: "The Sting," and "Chinatown."

Though my face is at the top of the column, the list was compiled with input from editors John Falcone, Matthew Moskovciak, and David Katzmaier, who look at a lot of video content in their day-to-day testing of products. We also keep an eye on AVS Forum's Blu-ray picture-quality and audio-quality threads and have always appreciated the site's tiered rating system.

This list is not set in stone, and we'll be adding and removing discs as new ones come out. As always, feel free to make comments and suggest your own personal favorites. They may get added to the list in the future. … Read more

As people, we understand instinctively what flowing hair looks like. Or the way layers of clothes move on someone's body, or how water would splash when a bear runs through it. If it looks unnatural, our brains know -- and get distracted by it.

These are some of the technical challenges Pixar faced when making the studio's 13th feature, "Brave," which was directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and which opens June 22: If the technology behind its animation doesn't ring true, the audience may lose focus on the most important thing of all: … Read more

The curtain has risen and the shooting has begun on the Hollywood biopic "jOBS" starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs.

Kutcher arrived on set today at Jobs' childhood home, according to Pacific Coast News. He donned a trimmed beard and shaggy hair -- looking actually not too different than when he's not playing Jobs.

The movie will focus on the earlier years of Jobs' life, from 1971 to 2000, producer Mark Hulme said in April. And rather than being about to Walter Isaacson's best-selling biography "Steve Jobs," the movie is supposedly based on widely … Read more

Xbox continues to expand its repertoire of ways to stream movies. Paramount Pictures and Microsoft announced the launch of a joint app today that lets Xbox Live Gold subscribers stream bought or rented movies on their gaming consoles.

"This app offers users instant access to view any Paramount movies on their Xbox 360 console that they purchase from the Paramount Movies Web site," an Xbox Live spokesperson told CNET in an e-mail. "The catalog of premium movies is continuing to grow as new titles are released from the studio."

According to tech news site The Verge, … Read more

Comedian Mark Malkoff must have buns of steel and eyes as tough as diamonds. He set himself to the challenge of watching 250 streaming Netflix movies in a single month, all to see how much value he could squeeze out of the $7.99 service.

In the first week of the challenge, Malkoff made it through 60 films with a total viewing time of 95.55 hours. Those cinematic masterpieces ranged from "Hoosiers" to "The Big Lebowski" to "The Dark Crystal."

To spice things up a bit, Malkoff recruited actor Jason London from "Dazed and Confused" to come to his house and provide live commentary while Malkoff watched that movie.… Read more