Starz On Demand Double Feature

A few weeks ago, my wife and I settled in on back-to-back evenings to check out offerings on Starz On Demand's Early Premieres section. One was pretty damn good, one made us damn everyone involved in its production.

First, though, I have to ask: Why is it that everything on Starz On Demand is all hazy? The picture on the main Starz channels is nice and sharp, but you go to this Early Premieres section, and it's Do Not Adjust Your Set time. I guess this is the penalty for seeing a movie "early"...on a service for which you're paying.

I like this section, though, because while it's tough to find letterboxed screenings on the regular Starz channels, they run LBX versions of just about all their high-profile premieres in the On Demand section. So that's why my wife and I went there--slightly hazy picture and all--to see "Perfect Stranger" and "Vacancy."

Halle Berry looks gorgeous no matter what the picture sharpness is, but her movie would stinks even on a crystal-clear high-def plasma screen. "Perfect Stranger" is the kind of movie that cheats the audience in order to deliver some "stunning twists." Here are a few non-spoilers: Bruce Willis plays smug, and Giovanni Ribisi plays twitchy. The story is lame, the acting uninspired, and it's generally a waste of your money, even if you see it on TV.

On the other hand, the lean, mean "Vacancy" is a pleasant surprise. It's a relatively low-budget "B" movie that does exactly what it sets out to do: provide moviegoers with an efficient, entertaining thriller. There aren't digressions on the characters' back stories, there aren't "artsy" sequences, and everything isn't explained all neatly.

Instead, some bad things happen to a couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) who check into a motel out in the sticks. That's pretty much it. It's just so well executed that the time just flies by and you have a great time watching all of it.

So one out of two ain't bad. "Vacancy" is a definite recommendation. "Perfect Stranger" is another in a growing line of movies that make Halle Berry's Oscar win seem Stranger and Stranger.