According to iMediaMonkey, Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, could be released in 3D on Blu-Ray in just a few months time, thanks to Panasonic’s recent deal with LucasFilm.

Last year, Panasonic was the only AV manufacturer which sold the Star Wars Blu-Ray with their Blu-Ray players and home cinema setups.

A statement on the Star Wars website said: “The cutting edge conversion will take that immersion to the next thrilling level.”

The Phantom Menace has just been released in 3D at the cinema and Lucas hopes to continue releasing the Star Wars saga in this format.

It is thought that he will release one film a year, starting with this year’s, The Phantom Menace.

However, despite how popular the sci-fi films are, the recent 3D adaptation has received mixed reviews.

One of the positive reviews was from British actor Simon Pegg (Star Trek, Shaun of The Dead ) who tweeted ‘Watching TPM (The Phantom Menace) in 3D would be like the car actually crashing into your face as opposed to just unfolding before your eyes’.

Whereas Philip French from the Guardian wrote, ‘It will take more than 3D to save this lumbering Stars Wars prequel.’

It was thought that Lucas delayed converting the galactic adventure films into 3D because he wanted to wait until there were enough screens available to show them.

It was estimated that 3D movies boosted the UK box office takings by 8% last year, with films including Alice In Wonderland, Toy Story 3 and Shrek Forever After, proving to be big hits at the cinema.

It will be interesting to see how popular the 3D, Blu-Rays will be with Star Wars fans. Tell us what you think about the new 3D Star Wars film via Twitter, or on our new Facebook page.

Streaming films is one of the best things that ever happened to my evening’s cinematic entertainment. Being able to come home, switch on a console and stream any one of hundreds of films, documentaries or television programmes direct to my console is a relaxing, efficient and cheap way to watch films and involve myself in entire genres I wouldn’t normally bother with if I was stuck paying for DVDs and cinema tickets. But is it a service that will compliment cinema and physical media, or replace it?

Before going any further, it’s worth noting that there are currently two companies in the UK fighting for your fiver-odd a month, in terms of a streaming-only package: Netflix, and Lovefilm. Lovefilm’s been around for years, and before Netflix hit our shores in 2012, everyone in the UK with a PS3, a rental habit or a desire to stream films to their PC without breaking the law went to the former. Now the latter has shown up baring its teeth – primarily its impressive range of television episodes (think stacks of series box sets), both will step up their game and lower their prices, which works out well for you, the consumer.

But what are the differences? For one, you’re only getting films. There are no special features, no language options, and subtitles will be a feature on certain films only – which are features most DVDs do have. This causes problems for the hard of hearing, for those who prefer films in a language other than English, and anyone who likes watching a “making of” after seeing the film.

This sounds like a bum deal, and I certainly don’t blame you for thinking so. But it’s important to remember that what it lacks in features, it makes up for in accessibility, affordability and ease of use.

I personally am subscribed to both streaming services, and I also buy Blu-Rays and DVDs, so I have no real bias in terms of format. But streaming is much easier. There’s no need to visit a shop. I don’t need to pay for the film individually. My streaming allowance is unlimited, and I’m paying £10.98 a month for both services combined. I can watch as many films as I like, whenever I like, however often I like, on both services. Compared to buying a ton of DVDs, this is great.

The real problem for traditional physical media will come when streaming services start getting films at the same time the DVD copy hits shop shelves. Why? Because if I can pay around a fiver a month for a service that’ll let me get all the new releases (in HD too), why would I pay out for DVDs?

I’ve seen True Grit Blu-Ray priced at £28 in HMV this month. Twenty-eight pounds. The pricing of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs is utterly ridiculous. I understand that if there was a huge price difference between cinema and DVD, most people would wait, but it seems a tad absurd to charge almost thirty quid for a high-def film I can see on Sky Movies HD. Sure, I lose special features, but I gain Sky HD, with a subscription fee that’s not much more than a single True Grit Blu-Ray disc!

Streaming is definitely an option for the budget-conscious, and while it may not be the most appealing selection for those who want to see all the latest releases, it’s a viable format for film and television, and its increasing popularity is a sign that people are happy to try whatever seemingly offers them the best deal. It’s definitely not a fad, and whether or not it overtakes physical media is largely dependent on home cinema technology, the average internet connection and each film distribution company’s willingness to give streaming services access to films the day they hit the shops in DVD and Blu-Ray form. If there’s one thing that’ll stop film piracy, it’s reasonably priced film streaming with a single global release date. Let’s hope it happens.

Animations from the famous studio are generally worth a look, and Whispers of the Heart is no exception.

A sweet tale grounded in reality, a young girl named Shizuku finds that every book she checks out from the library has already been read by the same boy. She later meets an extremely infuriating young man named Seiji who may or may not be her library friend, and whose grandfather owns a violin shop. She soon discovers he wants to be a violin maker too and their budding relationship is put on hold when he is allowed to go to Italy to learn the craft. Inspired by his drive to succeed, she tries her hand at writing stories, one in particular about a feline figurine in his grandfathers shop; the Barron whose magical tale sets her creativity flowing.

The film’s simple plot is executed with so much care, that you can’t help but smile at the adolescent charm. That is Studio Ghibli’s greatest asset: their storytelling. Everything happens for a reason, every scene has a little magic of its own, built to tease and enchant you. Shizuku is an extremely engaging character with more personality than anticipated, and while I would normally recommend these films be watched in the native language, the English speaking cast, that includes a very early effort from Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical), did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life.

If I was to be honest, Whispers of the Heart isn’t my favourite. The plot is slow moving in places, and takes a while to progress. I think this may have something to do with the amount of time dedicated to grounding the tale in realism. The frequent idle chatter between family members pulls the plot to a halt at times.

The first time the film had my attention fully was about ten minutes in. Shizuku follows a strange cat off a train and gets led to Seiji’s grandfather, where the magical spirituality audiences have come to expect from Japanese tales begins.

If you are looking for an action-packed adventure, then I would look at alternative releases such as Spirited Away or, a personal favourite, Princess Mononoke. This film is at heart a boy-meets-girl for a young audience, and will attract more girls than boys. As an avid fan of Japanese animation though, the film was always going to be of interest for me, and while it took time to see where it was going, I was charmed by the end.

Whisper of the Heart may also be of interest to you if you are curious about the only directorial effort of Ghibli talent Yoshifumi Kondo. The studio’s co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) who has also directed the vast majority of the studio’s most famous releases, originally intended for Kondo to be his successor. Whispers of the Heart proved he was well up to the challenge. However, his untimely death in 1998 prevented a sophomore release and the film is now a bitter-sweet glimpse at the greatness that could have been.

Overall it is a good effort. The disk has some interesting Special Features about the process of making the film if you are curious. All I would say is, as a Blu-Ray release, the animation doesn’t seem in any way enhanced, so perhaps the regular DVD would suffice.

Buy Whisper Of The Heart Blu-Ray on Amazon from the 9th January 2012.

Everyone’s got a favourite, and whether it’s Rocky, Mad Men or Grease, you can use Kinect to place yourself inside the scene, acting alongside A-list film stars, or even replacing them. We’ve all knocked someone’s acting from time to time, so I’d wager this is a chance to put up or shut up (unless, like myself, you admit you can’t act, but for that money, they should be able to).

The game features a considerable list of stuff to star in, and of course comes with a wide variety of achievements, so you can up your gamerscore and improve your acting, simultaneously improving your cred with the gaming and theatrical communities. Multi-tasking, right?

Each film comes in the form of one or more iconic scenes. Ever wanted to enact your favourite internet meme and scream “This! Is! Sparta!” whilst kicking someone backwards into a very, very deep pit? Go for it. Ever thought you could convince film studio execs that you should be starring in the Scarface Blu-Ray release? Be our guest. There’s a full list of films and scenes over on Wikipedia, so check ‘em out.

It’s a nifty tool, fantastic for a night around the telly as a group or to get a bit of fan time in with the stars.

Game Developers and co-founders of Blitz Games Studios, Philip and Andrew Oliver, will be discussing the creation of Yoostar 2, a new ‘movie karaoke’ game for Kinect and PS3 at a BAFTA Q&A on Monday 04 April, at 18.30pm. Tickets are available to purchase via Ticketweb or through the BAFTA website. The event is priced at £5 (which includes a complimentary post-event drink) and is free to BAFTA members.

And… action!

TheFilmReview.com has been given a smashing Sony BDP370 Blu Ray Player worth £179.99, courtesy of the kind people at Argos. We’re giving it away, and to be in with a chance of winning it you just have to answer this question:

This competition is only open to UK residents.

This prize has been supplied courtesy of Argos, who provide a wide range of blu ray players, LED TVs and Plasma TVs.

Competition rules
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3. One entry per person

Prize Draw Rules
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2. Multiple entries will be disqualified.
3. Automated entries, bulk entries or third party entries will be disqualified!
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To celebrate the upcoming release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, thefilmreview.com is giving you the chance to win a Playstation 3 games console along with a copy of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine game.

The PS3 is not only a fantastic games console, but also a state of the art home entertainment system featuring a Blu-ray player.  Blu-ray is the next generation of DVD and now that the HD format war has been won there has never been a better time to start your Blu-ray movie collection.  You will be amazed as your favourite films are reproduced in stunning high definition with studio quality 7.1 Surround Sound.

To enter this competition simply answer the question below, the winner will be contacted by email after the closing date. Your email address will be added to our free weekly Film newsletter, although you can opt-out at any time.