Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
PappaCed4 said 2:51AM on 7-24-2008
While this may not be a masterpiece, i did enjoy watching Resident Evil, and its sequels. I am sure there are some people, like me, whom enjoy lots of action, bad-a$$, kick butt females, and a movie that simply relates to one of our favorite pasttimes (playing Resident Evil).
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nfxneofight said 1:20PM on 7-22-2008
(remember, Jill, the master of unlocking?) No I really don't remember that. I played every game all the way through but stopped with Nemesis. Personally I think the movies could of been made very well. Michelle Rod should of died... and early on at that I can't stand that type cast tough as nail mexican B*tch. If they would get directors that played the games and loved them...... whatever not gonna rant anymore. And whoever wrote the resident evil review didn't play the games either unless she was just a natural lock picker in the games after Nemesis because I remember having to use codes and find objects to open everything in the games.
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Innovator said 7:35AM on 7-23-2008
Ha! How can anyone forget the first game's really bad writing. My favorite of the cheezy dialogue:
Barry Burton: That was too close. You were almost a Jill sandwich!
Barry Burton: Jill, here's a lockpick. It might come in handy if you, "the master of unlocking", take it with you.
Albert Wesker: I'm sorry for my lack of manners, but I'm not used to escorting men.
Ryan said 12:59PM on 7-23-2008
Resident Evil movies have been entertaining.
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Jere said 5:37PM on 7-22-2008
I liked the movie Resident Evil a lot (the sequals, not so much) It made me want to play the game, as opposed to some other movies
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Paul Harris said 6:09AM on 7-23-2008
Generally we need film critics like fish need bicycles. Particularly so called critics who feel compelled to trash everything. I guess the old adage is true, them that can't critique or write.
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evalpenguin said 8:14AM on 7-26-2008
okay. while i agree that the dialoge in the games, especially the first, were incredibly cheesey, the storyline is awesome. (we'll chalk the dialoge up to crappy japanese-to-english translation.) however, i think it's unfair to judge the story based on how it's told. i adore the games, the books are awesome, and the movies were okay as movies. the first one gave me nightmares! @____@
btw, on a side note doom had a story. not a good one, but it was there.
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Steph said 11:14AM on 7-26-2008
People whine about movies too much and they need to get a life. You can't please everyone. If the movie is too much like the game, people piss and moan that it was too expected.
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Andrew Rowe said 1:16PM on 7-26-2008
in no way shape or form is Resident Evil that bad. I have seen video game to big screen. and probably the worst of all is "Mortal Kombat" did everyone forget that whopper it sucked!
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manta said 1:54PM on 7-26-2008
wow the people that write these things are effing retarded
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rick said 3:15PM on 7-26-2008
res evil is one ogf the best game to movie movies this comes from a directer producer not a critic or non industry moran
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Gymo said 5:14PM on 7-26-2008
I have to disagree, I thought the movie was so much better! I love Resident Evil, but I HATE the game!
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morgan said 7:24PM on 7-26-2008
First off.....resident evil was an awesome movie,(not including the sequels)so was the game,the movie DID successfully surprise the audience many times.And the plot made very much sense.I mean the very beginning was confusing,but it unraveled,like a movie should,leaving it with a pleasing cliffhanger, with people wanting to see much more which made the producers millions.So apparently this critic has no taste in ScFi movie genre,which since hes a critic,should.
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Monkey said 10:31PM on 7-26-2008
I think people forget what movies are. What the film industry is. As well, that, these films are made to entertain.
I was entertained... so the movie, in my opinion, was a success. I paid to see all three, and don't regret it.
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DrAsteriods said 11:38PM on 7-26-2008
i loved the second and third movies the first not so much a lil to closed in if u no wat i mean and i felt tht the movies did transfer well for the games i mean yea not everything is 100 percent like the game but it did good in my eyes
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Mary said 1:31PM on 7-27-2008
I don't know who was paid to give out their opinion on this one. My boyfriend is the biggest video game freak ever, and when he dragged me to see Resident Evil (never having, to this day, ever played the games), I assumed I was going to be bored out of my mind. Not so, however, I thought it was awesome. I thought Nemesis was cheesy as all hell, but at least they had good characters to redeem the movie. Extinction was the best by far. It was done so well. So you, sir, in my humble opinion, can suck it. You have no idea what you're talking about.
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BWelkeMMA said 12:22AM on 7-27-2008
Ok... We need better critics, because the movies and the games where pretty close. You had all the main char's, had the whole try and stop umbrella from doing their thing. The movies arent supposed to be just like the games, but close enough so the viewer gets she/he thrill. I got my thrill from playing all the Resident Evil games and watching the movies. If your going to complain about a movie not being like the game then complain about the game not being like the comic books or the novels. I am just saying, their not supposed to be a like but are in a small way...
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Seth said 7:30PM on 8-06-2008
Holy christ. I suppose next you'll say that 'Talladega Nights' lacks an innovative camera man who captured the emotions of the cast in his shots. Come on dude, cut them some slack.
I can only really speak on behalf of Resident Evil, and though I disliked them (simply because they should((could)) have made it more horrifying), it's not half as bad as described here. I wouldn't recommend spending money on them, though.
Now, if you want a GOOD game to movie translation, Silent Hill is the one for you. It stuck with the concept, added more, barely twisted it, and it turned out f*cking radical.
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Bacon said 5:18AM on 7-27-2008
Hey what happened to talkin about silent hill? I'm glad they didn't have an entire hotel with 100 locked doors and a single room with just ammo in a shopping cart. Yet, at the same time you had that same creepy, you are screwed feeling to it. Although, for the end of the movie they through in some extra stuff to make better sense of the movie, but ya i'm glad they finished it with the same type of ending in the games where you are still pretty much left wondering if the characters got out..
In the end though it's about makin money or having a hobby... no?
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bodoku said 7:55AM on 7-27-2008
the first movie was good , the 2nd was ok, the 3rd was ok(but not as good at the 2nd) but towards the end of the movie it was awful
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