Critical test Movies

[colterphoto1]

I'd second the Diana Krall "Live in Paris" DVD, if only because you get to see two Jazz masters - John Clayton on Bass and Jeff Hamilton on Drums - in action.

I'd also recommend the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense." In my view, the best recording of a rock concert ever made. I was tempted to pop it in to pick out individual tracks, but it's the middle of the afternoon and I'm supposed to be working.... Off the top of my head I'd say track 6: "Burning Down the House" and track 15: "Take Me to the River."

James

Thanks James, I have both of those so can take them in for audition.

I'm also going to put my favorite DVD in the list- Roxy Music Live from London. Great band, fantastic performance, exquisite recording of live concert.

Movie-wise, I'm trying to find a track with some with some well-recorded and spatial natural sound effects. Rainstorms, Central Park, walk in the woods types of scenes that really put you in an acoustic space. Whiz-bang sound effects and blowing up buildings are easy but not necessarily the best test of a surround system.

[Groomlakearea51]

"Das Boot" (The Boat)... Opening scene, track #1 "Das Boot". Scene starts with nothing but gray green screen... Imperceptibly at first, then slowly you can make out the bow of the U-boat as it approaches you; and all the while, the acompanying track builds up slowly, but inexorably, and gives the viewer a sense of the complete and utter terror that the U-boats evoked during the war.

Interestingly, it was recorded in 1981 for the German release by Bavaria Atelier. What might make it a good candidate is that it's stereo, not 5.1+, no Dolby, etc. A well set up system can really bring the whole effect to life in a listening room. Also would clearly show what Klipsch can do with older non-digital, non-THX recordings & soundtracks, etc.

Album Source Data: Released: Atlantic; SD19348; Warner Communications; 1982; All tracks: composed, arranged, conducted and produced by Klaus Doldinger (with exception of J'Attendrai (Pathe Marconi-EMI-France) for Bavaria Atelier, GMBH.

[kevinmi]

I agree with Coytee on the David Gilmour Remember that night selection. David Bowie singing "Arnold Lange" is great! One DVD that suprised me is Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris-"Real Live Roadrunning". (BMG D220204). Knopfler makes Country Music listenable!

[Oblio]

I agree with Coytee on the David Gilmour Remember that night selection. David Bowie singing "Arnold Lange" is great! One DVD that suprised me is Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris-"Real Live Roadrunning". (BMG D220204). Knopfler makes Country Music listenable!

Arnold Layne ....

Had a strange hobby,

Collecting clothes ...

[kelA]

+3 on David Gilmour DVD. I like "TIME" from that DVD. Very good bass in intro.

[Islander]

The D-Day landing in Saving Private Ryan is good to it is like the first 20min. It is a little gory but sounds good.

A little gory? It's brutal! Saving Private Ryan is a great movie, but it's kind of tough to watch more than once or twice.


As for a suggestion, the movie House of Flying Daggers, Chapter 3: The Echo Game. The scene involves drums arranged on stands in a big circle and almost seems like it was made to be a surround sound demo.

Later in the same movie, there's a scene in a bamboo forest with spears flying toward the viewer that's very effective. House of Flying Daggers has lots of impressive sound effects throughout the movie, with wind blowing in the bamboo forest, flying spears, flying arrows, and of course flying daggers, plus it's suitable for general viewing.