Who can forget the teeming armies clashing at Helm’s Deep? Or the Millennium Falcon jumping to lightspeed? Or the Dark Knight swooping between skyscrapers? These are great film moments worth paying for, best seen as their makers intended on 30-foot cinema screens, in pin-sharp Blu-ray on a TV that’s as big as you are, or online via official streaming and downloading services.

Since the first black and white film in 1895, cinematic innovation after innovation has been possible thanks to the paying public. Colour, sound, widescreen and 3D… today it feels as if we’re light years ahead. But in all that time, one principle has stayed the same. When we pay for great film moments, we get millions more moments worth paying for. Below, we select our own…

DANNY TAKES A TRICYCLE RIDE (THE SHINING, 1980)
Terror comes on three wheels in Stanley Kubrick’s majestic hotel horror, as psychic tyke Danny Torrance takes a tour of the Overlook Hotel on his trike. Tension mounts as Danny traverses endless corridors, until he finally rounds the wrong corner. “Come and play with us. Forever and ever and ever,” whisper little dead girls in their Sunday best. “I’m scared,” says Danny, hand slammed over his eyes. Us too…

ET GOES HOME (ET: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, 1982)
“Ouch!” ET tells his human buddy Elliott, before wobbling off up the gangplank of his spaceship and breaking a little boy’s heart (and ours) by returning to his home planet. Even on multiple viewing this parting moment lodges a lump in throats, inducing blubs so big and wet they threaten to drown out John Williams’s soaring, spine-tingly score. Ouch indeed.

INDY FLEES THE BOULDER (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, 1981)
Forget Mick, Keef and the rest of them – the greatest rolling stone of them all is the super-sized boulder that chases Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) out of a booby-trapped temple in Raiders’ classic opener. Can the good doctor make it to the exit before he becomes history? Even though you know the answer, Spielberg rolls out the suspense every time.

WRITER’S BLOCK (MANHATTAN, 1979)
Woody Allen’s romanticdrama opens with Woody’s fretful writer, Isaac, trying out openings for a novel. It’s fifth time lucky: “Chapter One: ‘He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved. Behind his black-rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat.’ Oh, I love this…” The voiceover is hilarious while the gleaming New York montage set to Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ is cinematic poetry.

COMPETITION!
What’s the moment from the history of cinema that most rocks your world?
Write us a 50-word summary and we’ll select the best entries for publication. What’s more, our favourite entry will win a year’s subscription to Review! To enter, simply leave us a comment below containing your favourite moment. Closing date: 2 August 2011

Experience the stunning conclusion to the ultimate conflict as the Cylon’s rise to power draws to a close in the highly anticipated prequel to Battlestar Galactica – Caprica: Part 2, available on DVD from 4 July 2011, courtesy of Universal Playback.

The battle continues in the second part of this superb sci-fi drama as the story of how the murderous cylons came into existence continues to unfold. See how Daniel Graystone’s (Eric Stoltz) research into A.I. expands alongside Joseph Adama’s (Esai Morales) journey into the ethics of science, with the tension between the two rival dynasties building towards the dramatic and chilling conclusion. Caprica: Part 2 delves deeper into the events leading up to the beginning of Battlestar Galactica and offers unparalleled insight into the compelling affairs of Caprica.

Produced by Ronald D Moore and David Eick – the team behind Battlestar Galatica – the conclusion to Caprica is a must-have for any sci-fi fan with the DVD containing a host of special features including deleted scenes, video blogs and special features including audio commentaries from cast and crew.

Caprica: Part 2 is released on the 4 July and to celebrate the release we’ve got four copies to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, CLICK THIS LINK and answer a simple question.

DVD & Blu-ray Review has teamed up with Fox Home Entertainment to offer you the chance to supercharge your Blu-ray library with a collection of hi-def hits. From sci-fi (Alien Anthology, Minority Report) to superheroes (Fantastic Four, X-Men Quadrilogy) to high-octane action (Die Hard, Taken, OO7), you could win all the titles pictured.

To be in with a chance of scooping this fantastic collection of Blu-ray movies, CLICK THIS LINK and answer a simple question…

Thanks to swedemason for mashing up our fave foodie show.

Splitscreen has been named the World’s Best Short Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. As with all the entries in the Nokia Shorts 2011 competition, British director JW Griffiths shot the movie using the Nokia N8 smartphone.

His movie on two people falling in love, told through both their perspectives simultaneously, won over the crowd and critics and scooped the $10,000 prize. You can see the film here: Splitscreen: A Love Story.

The four-month global competition to find the world’s best short was run in partnership with online video sharing site Vimeo and the eight finalist included entries from the UKFinland, Australia and North America. The wide variety of themes included homelessness, child fantasy, isolation and perception.

The Nokia Shorts 2011 Jury included Oscar winner and CEO of digital advertising agency R/GA Bob Greenberg, film aficionado Jalmari Helander and director of short film Rare Exports Inc. 

The runner up films for Nokia Shorts 2011 were:
 
1.   ‘Pearls of Wisdom ‘
Jason Van Genderen – Australia
A unique, short documentary featuring ‘pearls of wisdom’ from homeless and displaced people
 
2.   ‘The Adventures of a Cardboard Box’
Temujin Doran – UK
The escapades of one boy and his cardboard box – his own gateway to a million, fantasy adventures
 
3.    ‘Dirt’
Joseph Marcantonio – UK
A post-apocalyptic cowboy film

4.   ‘The Rider’
Josh Brooks – USA
A classic story with a twist set in the hills of Montana

5.   ‘Thunk in Public’
Ryan Maples – USA
A comedy short on unfiltered thoughts, leading to awkward situations

6.   Homecoming
Teemu Nikki – Finland
Humourous film featuring key props including salmon, knife and a pair of gloves
 
7.   Daniel
Aurora Fearnley – UK
A drama fantasy about one person coming to terms with a special, mystery gift

The services combines existing video and text content from BBC News Online and will initially be made available on Samsung’s range of Smart TVs. It will then be made available on a range of connected devices over time.

Phil Fearnley, general manager for news & knowledge at BBC Future Media, said the development reflects the company’s strategy to deliver greater value for money for licence-fee payers by repurposing BBC Online products for a wide range of devices.

The launch aims to tap into the growing internet-connected TV market, with predictions that almost 36 million TVs with built-in internet capability will be installed in UK homes by the end of 2016.

“Internet-connected TV is developing as a medium and presents an exciting and engaging complement to our existing TV services. As we’ve seen with BBC iPlayer in the UK, and our global smartphone applications, audiences enjoy the freedom and flexibility of BBC services at a time and place that suits them – whether on the move or on the living-room TV,” Fearnley added.
 
The BBC News product for connected TV has been designed as a complement to the BBC’s live 24-hour news channel. Editorial teams in the newsrooms will curate clips around the clock to run alongside text-based news from BBC News Online – all started, stopped, and navigated via the remote control.

The BBC News product for connected TV will be available free of charge and is accessible from within the Samsung Apps Store on Samsung Smart TVs from today.

BBC Worldwide will also launch an international version of the product which will be supported by advertising.

You buy a Blu-ray player. You buy a slimline HD TV. And then they go and release a bunch of new fangled 3D systems. Ho hum. So news that British LCD TV manufacturer Cello Electronics is launching what it calls the UK’s most affordable 3D TV range should be greeted with joy…

The company’s 42-inch and 47-inch models are are full 1080p high-definition and have an RRP of £499 and £699. Both come with four sets of “easy-fit, lightweight and comfortable glasses”, allowing a family to “enjoy the full 3D experience from any angle”. Additional sets of glasses can be purchased for £19.99 a set.

Rather than a reactive 3D system, the new Cello TV’s use LG‘s passive 3D LCD panel and have slots for two HDMI connections. A USB socket and the Electronic Programming Guide also allow the user to make recordings.

Director of Cello Brian Palmer said the low price point meant that 3D viewing experience was now more easily accessible to consumers than ever before.

“Initially I was unsure about the future of 3D, but the quality of 3D vision now available and the number of new 3D films coming onto the market this year guarantees success for this new technology,” he said.

Various online retailers including Marks & Spencer, Freemans, Grattans and Ebuyer will stock the new Cello TVs from late June.

This month we bring you an issue of blood curdling scares as we celebrate the rebirth of Wes Craven’s brutal attack on the tropes of the horror franchise, with the arrival of Scream 4. Both a savage send-up and a genuinely frightening slasher in it’s own right, we speak to the veteran horror maestro to find out how someone who has been forging frights since 1972’s The Last House On The Left manages to stay relevant, timely and terrifying.

Lurking in the shadows just behind our Craven exclusive is the ultimate guide to slasher cinema. Starring the genre’s greatest misfits – from Bates to Jigsaw – this is the complete collection of celluloid’s most killer cuts.

Finally, we share with you the rules of the slasher flick to ensure your survival. So that means no booze, no drugs and steer clear of college girls. Which is also good advice for life, really…

Click the orange Next button to see a full breakdown of Issue 156 of DVD & Blu-ray Review. Or CLICK HERE to get it delivered direct to your door by DeLorean. Probably.

The free-to-air 3Dbroadcast will be available to anyone who has access to a 3D television and to HD Channels, regardless of which digital TV provider they use. 

The BBC’s coverage will also be available in a limited number of cinemas across the UK and the BBC is offering a small number of 3D screenings which will be free to members of the public via the BBC website.

“During our 75 years of televising the Wimbledon Championships, the BBC has continually broken new ground in broadcasting techniques,” said Paul Davies, BBC Executive Producer Sport. “This unique 3D transmission is the latest innovation to bring to life all the tension, drama and excitement on one of the most iconic sporting arenas in the world”.

Meanwhile, cable operator Virgin Media said it was “delighted” to be offering its customers their second Grand Slam tennis tournament in 3D following on from its exclusive coverage of the Roland Garros French Open – the first 3D tennis ever to be shown in the UK.

Virgin Media TV customers will find the Wimbledon men’s and women’s finals in 3D on channel 187. However, customers without a 3D TV can still watch the tournament live in regular 2D in either standard or high definition on BBC1 (channel 101) and BBC1 HD (channel 187).

“With the unique ability to deliver 3D both live and On Demand, such as movies and documentaries whenever you want, Virgin Media provides the greatest range of options for Brits to enjoy this exciting new format as we continue to expand the range of 3D content we offer,” a spokeswoman said.