Jumpin Jack Flash [Blu-ray]

Jumpin' Jack Crap
Loved this movie when I first saw it in the theater, have had a soft spot for it since. When I saw it was coming to blu, I got excited and immediately pre-ordered it. Received it in the mail today and...wow...am I disappointed. I see no real difference in the video from the DVD (some, but not much)...the sound is a little better...but what is the WORST thing is that this is not just a "bare bones" blu ray...there isn't even a MENU. The movie starts right up...nothing when you hit the "menu" button or anything. There is NOTHING but the movie. This is the 2nd Anchor Bay blu ray that I have purchased with this happening (not even a freaking MENU...the other was "The Entity")...what is going on with this? How much can it cost to provide a menu with chapter stops or something...ANYTHING? This will be the last Anchor Bay blu ray purchase for me.

2 stars because I DO still like the movie, but dang...the blu ray release of "Jumpin Jack Flash" is the crap crap crap.

GREAT FUNNY, ACTION, WHOOPI CLASSIC!
This film is one whoopi's, greatest films when she first started! Its got it all, comedy, action, suspense and if you don't already like them after all these years of them being around, it might even make you a fan of the Rolling Stones! Enjoy.

Jack has nothing to jump about here.....
This movie as far as I am concerned is a classic and captures Whoopi Goldberg at her comedic best. Her timing and responses as a bank teller thrown into the spy world of cloak and dagger is both hysterical and makes for a good adventure. In addition, this film also portrays the first aspects of instant messaging and online communications. Lastly, if I am not mistaken, I believe this is Penny Marshall's directional debut in motion pictures. Therefore why only a three star rating?

This DVD produced by Anchor Bay is rather disappointing. There is absolutely nil in the form of special features, no trailer/preview for this feature (any other films), no documentaries and no commentary, which honestly wouldn't bother me if the DVD itself had a menu screen. When you put the disk in the DVD player a screen pops up and states if subtitles are desired to hit the "subtitle" button on your remote control. When the movie begins it does have a rather clear widescreen presentation,...

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9 Days: Whipped Chained & Tortured By a Psychopath

BAD
Any reviews of this that are good are by someone making money off of it, that's for sure. The best thing I can say about it, is that's it's not the absolute worst I've seen, but pretty close. Don't waste your time.

WORST MOVIE
THIS MOVIE WAS SO GOOD I WATCHED IT IN ABOUT 10 MIN. THE ACTING WAS HORRIBLE WHOEVER WROTE THIS NEEDS TO BE SHOT. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR WHIPS AND CHAINS LOOK ELSEWHERE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR HOT WOMEN IN OR OUT OF CLOTHES LOOK ELSEWHERE. BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PHONY SENES A ROTTEN PSYCOPATH WHO CAN'T EVEN ACT LIKE ONE THIS IS THE MOVIE FOR YOU. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT THE PLOT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AS IT HAD NONE. THIS WAS THE STORY OF O WITHOUT THE O

S.G.
I found this disturbing and original, with a great lead actress and lots of the dark weirdness that I love so much in a movie. It's a little bit "just wrong"...but I found it to be so fascinating at the same time! There are torture scenes which may bother some, but those things don't bother me and I feel like this movie was really well put together

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Father Goose

A romantic comedy in the old style
If you liked the original The Odd Couple - slob and compulsive neatnik thrown together in the same apartment - or Heaven Knows Mr. Allison - tough guy WWII Marine marooned on an enemy-held South Pacific island with a pretty nun, then you should enjoy FATHER GOOSE starring Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trevor Howard. I saw it once again on the telly this past weekend while doing the ironing, and I'm fortunate to be old enough to have an appreciation of all three films.

Grant is Walter Eckland, an antisocial, unkempt escapee from "civilization" that spends his time bumming around the South Seas on an old yacht. At the start of WWII, he's coerced into service as a "coast watcher", an observer stationed on a remote island as a lookout for Japanese planes or ships, by the wily and dry-witted local Royal Australian Navy authority figure,...

Father Goose
Cary Grant is cast as Walter Eckland in this very funny classic comedy. His normal sexy leading man characteristics are downplayed to let his comedic genius shine through. He stars opposite Leslie Caron cast as Catherine Freneau. They are an accident waiting for a place to happen at their first meeting, and it just gets worse from there. Walter is bribed and threatened into service as a watcher in WWII. Catherine is a diplomat's daughter given the responsibility of escorting several school children into a safer area. When they are all stranded together, the hilarity, and battle of the sexes begins.

This is one of my favorite comedies, and one of Cary Grant's last movies. No one does it like he does. A great film that the entire family can enjoy together.

"Is it getting hot in here?"
One of the immortal Cary Grant's last films, this particular one is a romantic, witty little gem. Well-scripted, well-acted, and full of really weird humor, this is one to treasure.

Walter Eckland has no intention of getting himself involved in World War II -- no intention, that is, until he is "drafted" into service to the Allies. Basically he needs to keep an eye open for the Japanese. He reluctantly obeys, but his mission suddenly takes a weird turn when he rescues a slew of civilians: the prim, devious schoolteacher Miss Freneau, and her seven little girl charges. Before Eckland knows what's happening, they've taken over his little house, his clothes, his food -- and his whisky. (It's the last one that really makes him nuts) To his horror, they won't be picked up for at least three weeks.

An extended, very witty battle of the sexes takes place, as Miss Freneau dodges and weaves around Eckland, and Eckland tries to retain some mastery over his domain. But a series of crises...

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In The Land Of Milk And Money

Breaking the taboos
Sometimes a film comes along that is so different it takes you off guard. This is one. Is it a comedy? Is it a satire? A political statement? Or a slapstick? It is all the above. It is refreshing when a film can break the molds of both genre and taboos. "In the Land of Milk and Money" does both.
It is part David Lynch, part "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Mixes Kubrik, and Almadovar, and yet has a fresh irreverance for all things serious.
Incredible acting. Absurdist. Surreal. Well worth the trip.





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Midway [Blu-ray]

Midway - edited and no surround sound??????
I saw the movie play in a theatre and I was greatly impressed.
I still enjoy the movie BUT! at the same time I am disappointed.

When it was released first on VHS and now on DVD I was greatly disappointed to see how much film footage has been cut out from the original theatrical release.
In its original release MIDWAY ran for almost 2 hours 45 minutes.
On VHS and DVD it runs for 2 hours 10 minutes. What happened to all the othe extra scenes???
Where is the Battle of the Coral Sea which was shown in the original movie?

Furthermore they cut out the surround sound and made it Mono.
It is ridiculous that the have a Special Feature on Surround Sound, but the DVD was made in Mono sound.

And they call this DVD a Special Collector's Edition???
Come on Universal give us the full extended theatrical release along with 5.1 Surround Sound.

midway ,midway forgotten
Looks like they forgot to include the other hour and fifty minutes of the COLLECTORS EDITION !The sound is mono...yes mono!They forgot the movie portrays history!They also forgot that this is cinematic history as well.For years,I enjoyed watching this movie with my dad and brothers.It was one of the few subjects my dad and I could talk about for hours.Universal has short changed everyone looking to buy the four hour version.I hope they see the error of their ways by the poor sales of this version and begin to re-store the long sought after four hour version on dvd....they owe it to the veterans(of which,I am one),and history buffs.

Good but missing a lot from original theatrical showing
This film is very close to what did take place in June of 42.The actors did a good job of telling the story.The dvd version left out all of the Coral Sea battle and Charlton Heston's Matt Garth love interest along with the meeting between the young Japanese pilot and admiral Nagomo about the war and how Japan might loose it.Why all of this could not have been included into this version of the movie I do not know.Overall the quality of the dvd was very good.The audio was very clear and the video sharp and clean.It seems as though they even managed to keep the low bass of the Sensearound audio track.I found this dvd video a lot better then my vhs copy in quality.Overall worth the price and worth seeing again.

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Scum: Remastered Edition

Ray Winstone is still the "f***** daddy"!
"Scum" (1979) may now be over 30 years old, but its stunning power, notoriety and shock factor hasn't dwindled! Nor has its wide spread appeal. Films like "Scum" are just simply timeless in their power! This totally harrowing, often stomach-churning drama is a commendably daring (but then again its not really daring when you are merley depicting the truth - no matter how grim or appalling) and unflinching look at life inside a fictious boys juvenile centre (otherwise known as borstal).

Extremely edgy, startlingly powerful and completely shocking, "Scum" depicts brutal violence, racial predujice, homeosexuality and sexual abuse in a way that hits you right between the eyes! Not comfortable, easy viewing by any means - almost like sitting on a barbed wire fence its that painfully real. You could easily forget your watching, what is a superbly made drama, and think you were watching a documentary as it has that in-your-face, astoundingly stark effect! You really will not be...

Classic British prison movie!
This film made in 1979 pulls no punches in its depiction of life in a maximum security British Borstal institution. Set roughly in the 1960s, the main character, Carling, played by Ray Winstone(LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS) is sent to maximum security for punching a warden at his previous institution, and soon has to face up to a taste of his own medicine from both prisoners and wardens alike. But when he stands up to the 'daddies'(watch out for Phil Daniels of QUADROPHENIA and BREAKING GLASS fame as one of them!) that run the wing and becomes a leader himself, this only a small part of the story. Regular beatings and frame-ups from the wardens are an everyday occurrance. Racism is rife, the language used would never be allowed in a santised Hollywood production today! The violent scenes are extremely graphic, most notably when Carling confronts the daddy of another wing in the prison. Finally, during gardening duties, there is a brutal rape scene and a very disturbing...

RAW , HEARTBREAKING AND SCARY
I watched the first version of this film, but had to wait a couple of days before I viewed the latter version of two years later. It was THAT strong -- brutal and vile. "Man's inhumanity to man" fits this film perfectly.

Yes, out-of-control youth must be dealt with, but not by inhuman, depraved authoritarians! The administrators of this borstal (reformatory) were all sick, demented sex perverts, who seem to get pleasure out of watching these young men devour one another.

Both versions are brutal, but the remake went even further, especially the greenhouse rape. In the first version, there were two harmless-looking lads who attacked "James". In the sequel, three toughs were the perpetrators. The attact went on for what seemed, several minutes (screen time). For the victim, it probably felt like hours.

Both films are nearly identical with some of the same actors repeating their roles, especially the lead, Ray Winstone, but the actors were so...

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Doctor Who: Series Seven - Part Two [Blu-ray]

Eight Episodes and no Christmas Special
The 2012 Christmas special, "The Snowmen", and it's Prequels, will not be part of the May release of Series 7 - Part 2. "The Snowmen" MAY be part of the Complete Season 7 DVD/Blu-Ray release, but BBC has not said so yet.
(You can purchase "The Snowmen" on its own for region 1, in DVD or Blu-Ray.)
[Added later: Yes, the Complete Series 7 will have "The Snowmen".]

The 8 episodes are only 45 minutes each. Though I love Doctor Who, I think the shorter time-frame does hobble the story-telling. Lots of detail crammed into a short time.

Wouldn't it be great if some of the new series had a commentary track like the Classic Doctor Who DVD's?
[Added August 2013: The Complete Season 7 does have four new commentary tracks. Hooray!]
Here are the Extras on the DVD issue of series 7 - Part 2:

1. Prequel to "The Bells of St. John" (2 min) The Doctor glumly sits on a swingset in a park. A young girl joins him, noticing that he's sad. He tells her...

Series 7 Part 2
This Blu-ray set features all 8 (BBC announced that "The Snowmen" will not be included in this set on 5/2) episodes of Series 7 Part 2:

*The Bells of Saint John
*The Rings of Akhaten
*Cold War
*Hide
*Journey To The Center of The TARDIS
*The Crimson Horror
*Nightmare in Silver (The Last Cyberman)
*The Name of The Doctor

This set also has the following special features:
*Note* Special Features subject to change, will update with the most accurate info as it becomes available.

*Prequel to The Snowmen
*Prequel to The Bells Of Saint John
*45 minute special: The Companions

*Episode Reviews*

"The Bells Of Saint John" Written by Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock) and directed by Colm McCarthy (MI-5, Ripper Street) was a great episode. I really liked how the episode started with the Doctor as a monk in 1200 AD and Clara Oswald in the present and brought them together via the magic of the...

A Companion Steps Up And A Doctor Bows Out: Eight Episodes Of Change And Transition
One thing is constant in the world of Doctor Who, change is inevitable. Just as you get to know and love a Doctor and/or his companion, the series will pull the rug out and begin things anew. Some of the most dramatic moments of this current BBC incarnation of Doctor Who came in these episodes where we had to say goodbye. In the eight episodes that comprise "Doctor Who: Series Seven, Part Two" (that's a mouthful), we deal with two such cataclysmic shifts. First, the enigmatic Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) takes center stage as a new companion after we bid farewell (very sadly) to Amy and Rory in the preceding DVD release of Series Seven, Part One. As if that were not traumatic enough, this is also the swan song of Matt Smith as the ever-changing Doctor. As such, these shows serve as a transitional period. Just as we acquaint ourselves with this new pairing, it has ended. And with the recent announcement that the brilliant Scottish actor Peter Capaldi (The Thick of It) will...

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Knock On Any Door

NICHOLAS RAY, OPUS 3
****1/2 1949. Based on Willard Motley's Knock on Any Door, produced by Humphrey Bogart's production company and directed by Nicholas Ray. Andrew Morton accepts to take charge of Nick Romanos' defense. Romano is accused of having murdered a policeman. Convinced that his client is innocent, Morton explains to the jurors how he met the young man. Nicholas Ray handles here two of his favorite themes one will often discern in his filmography: firstly the innocence of youth, a theme found in the way Morton defends Nick Romano, the cinematic brother of THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT's hero and of the James Dean of Rebel Without a Cause (Two-Disc Special Edition). When he pleads not guilty, Morton tries to show the frailty of the accusation's evidences and when he finally pleads guilty, he'll point up the responsibility of the society in front of Nick Romano's...

Bogie doesn't look or sound his best, thanks to GOODTIMES
Cover art on this GOODTIMES release of the 1949 crime drama KNOCK ON ANY DOOR proclaims it as "Bogart at his best."

Unfortunately, this product is not VHS at its best, for in their day the GOODTIMES folks issued non-HiFi tapes recorded at the inferior LP speed, which means both sound and picture are of a degraded quality.

As of 10/09, KNOCK ON ANY DOOR was not available on DVD, therefore the VHS to get is THIS OFFICIAL STUDIO RELEASE. It's recorded in SP mode and has a HiFi audio track.

JOHN DEREK - a pre-James Dean
I saw this years ago and was spellbound... Bogart and John Derek(Sinatra badly wanted the role but was thought too old)are at their best.... It really is in the same vein as Rebel without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass, My Own Private Idaho.... films about young people-coming-of-age and the problems the grown ups/the system/society does to individuals that not quite follow the stream.... It is a must-see because of these ingredients and that is was one of first of its kind.

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NFL: Baltimore Ravens: Road to XLVII [Blu-ray]

THE HAY IS IN THE BARN! RAVENS RULE!
This set includes the 4 games that made up the Playoff Run to Super Bowl 47. Each DVD has one game. These are the complete TV broadcasts without the commercials.

This DVD set is a Ravens fans dream! Watch the UNDERDOG Ravens mow down the Colts, then send the top seeded Broncos to "one and done". Then up to Foxboro to exorcise the demons. And finally, cap it all off with one of the most exciting Super Bowl games ever.

I cannot go 5 stars because we get no additional coverage or special features at all. It's the games only. No coins tosses, no player intros, no halftime analysis, no post game, no locker room, and no press conference out takes. Nothing. It's the games, the whole games and nothing but the games. The video quality (non blue ray) is good but not great.

The Colts, Patriots and San Francisco games are announced by Phil Sims and Jim Nance and the Dever game has Dan Dierdorf and Greg Gumbel at the mike.

As a lifelong Baltimore...

Great picture & sound.. abrupt commercial breaks
The dvds are excellent with one complaint. The games start & end abruptly. No pregame conversations, and no post game comments. Ex, especially after the Denver game. Double OT, yet game ends almost immediately after field goal is made. Very long game, and the comments "One of the gritiest games I'be seen in a long time.". Etc.... It just ends....

Husband loved this
I gave this to my husband and he loved this! It was a great gift! Any Baltimore Ravens fan will love this!

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Appleseed XIII: Complete Series [Blu-ray]

Enjoyable For Sci-Fi Anime Fans But The Story Is Not As Riveting As The Movies Or GITS Series
Obviously anyone who has watched Ghost In The Shell movies or series will see the connection between these two series and while the Appleseed movies were pretty good the series seems to lack that little touch that made those movies much more entertaining to watch. The basic story of the series is also one that while expected is also pretty boringly generic with a lot of sci-fi action drama animes we've seen in the last ten years,you have the villain or villainess who feels that the current government or society is wrong or obsolete and so seeks to rectify this problem with their own ideals on what the proper or perfect lifestyle for humanity should be.

Also the animation is definitely sub par to what you see in the two movies,while I wasn't expecting it to keep up with that level of animation it still would have been nice if they upgraded their animation a little more that what we saw with the series.It's not that the animation is atrocious as you get spoiled on the detail...

Beats NOIR for flashbacks
After having see half the episodes, so far, I have to agree that, while enjoyable, it just doesn't hold up.
Previous to this series, NOIR held the record for the use of flashback scenes. This one blew it out of the water.
The animation wasn't disgraceful; just distracting, especially the teeth. Ovarall, it actually reminds me of the rotoscoping that was used for "A Scanner Darkly".
The characers just don't have the same vibe as before nor do they really reflect the characterization from the manga; except, maybe, Lance and Kotus. I can forgive this because the original characters are pretty complex and it's difficult to portray this in a short form like a video or series. Perhaps the best portrayal of Deunan that I remember is the old cell animated ova.
The writing isn't bad. It should be noted that Appleseed came before GitS, so the material is a little dated to begin with, and the writers are putting their own spin on things. While it's not classic Masamune...

Different... but good.
If you liked the previous releases of Appleseed, you'll _probably_ like this one... but it is a different beast.
The art style more reminiscent of Shirow's actual early comic Manga work, and not the more "polished" CG
work of Appleseed EX Machina.

The story is interesting, but they use some static "art shots" too often, which at times seems to disrupt the
flow of the animation experience itself.

I've been a fan of Appleseed since I read the first Manga back in the 1980s, so on that basis alone, I liked it.

However, the art/story direction is not as polished as in AEX, but overall it does stand on its own.

English voice acting was fine as well.

Worth picking up if you're a fan of the characters and setting.

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Classic Comedy Triple Feature

Helped me Pass a Stool
I was laughing so hard at the comedic antics of "Adventureland" that my collective digested 17 beefy crunch burritos finally leaved my butthole. I was listening to David Bowie's Low at the time the stool hit the water and Jonah Hill's antics kept me bawling with bawls, the beverage bawls of course, which I drink 24/7. In short: this is Walt Disney's best film. Buy it now.





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It's A Disaster

Uncomfortable as it is funny
The movie makes you feel very uncomfortable for the David Cross character. This is a dark comedy and a great one. Very many good lines and a great story to boot. Way better that the "This is the End" crap movie. So much better. Shame this wasn't able to take it's place in the theaters. The ending is perfect.

Funny and unique.
A collection of couples get together for their regular couples lunch, and this lunch turns out to be anything but normal. An unexpected calamity has hit, and they are not only dealing with personal issues amongst the group, but dealing with getting information about the disaster, and figuring out how to survive. This quirky black comedy is well-cast and skillfully scripted, enabling it to be quite funny and entertaining. The mostly little known actors are perfectly cast in their roles. The film may be called It's a Disaster, however it is anything but. This is actually a pretty darn good movie.

Great chamber play
Like "12 angry men", "The breakfast club", good screenwriter knows how to make great chamber play. The screenplay is genius and actors/actresses are brilliant! "1982 overture" song play and the movie itself end exactly same way. The best independent movie this year.

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Birdy the Mighty: Decode, The Complete Series S.A.V.E.

Well Written Plot + Progressively Good Character Development + Fluid Animation = It's a Keeper
This is a hidden gem among all the big budget anime titles. I will admit it lacks the flashy CG of all the big budget films, but what it has is solid substance. The plot is well constructed through out the entire series; it did not leave major questions unanswered, nor dropping the balls at the end like so many seemingly great titles did. (Remember Evangelion? 15 years and it still doesn't have a proper ending to the series. I really hope Evangelioin 3.3 does not disappoint.) It has in-depth character development which mainly focuses on the two central protagonists. You will see that the wimpy guy is not so wimpy after all, and the seemingly happy-go-lucky bubble head actually has a very complicated past. In short, everyone got their own side of the story which clearly gives the central characters tangible emotions. The animation is solid in terms of 2D graphic; though it could really benefit from a larger budget on the visual side.

Overall, this is a lesser known great...

Sleeper series
This certainly was not an extremely popular series when it came out. However it was really good. What you are actually getting is two seasons of 13 episodes. The first season was good. The second season was much better.

The initial set-up of Tsutomu and Birdy sharing a body is frankly a bit strange, but once you get past that you have a really excellent series that you will not be disappointed with.

Definitive keeper
The plot may sound like a joke, but it weaves together so well. I found myself watching a entire season in one sitting twice! It sneaks up on you in that way, with the characters growing on you with every episode. I just wish there was more of the series. The only suggestion I have is Blu-ray pretty please.

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Deceitful

Lots of Turns
Good acting especially on the part of the brothers. Could have made it a little longer at the end. The actress that played the maid was very good also. If you like Black Erotica check this movie out.

Loved it!
I loved the movie, would highly recommend it. go out and get buy it now! acting was on point. my friends loved it as well.

wow!
from beginning unto the end i tried to get a head of the writer/director to figure out the plot before the movie ended, they got me on this one because I never saw it coming.

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2 Headed Shark Attack

Cheesy, Fun Goodness
How can anyone purchase a movie titled "2 Headed Shark Attack" that stars Carmen Electra and Brook Hogan and review it negatively? Seriously, what were you expecting????
Things go wrong quickly for a group of students on a Semester At Sea trip, when their boat, the Sea King hits a shark, damaging the boat. The boat begins to take on water and the group heads for safety on a nearby atoll and are terrorized and devoured by the double headed beast.
Is the acting bad? Yep
Is the dialogue wretched? Uh Huh
Is the shark CG and cheesy looking? Sure Is
Is this movie totally fun? Absolutely

Two Heads Are Better Than One
"2-Headed Shark Attack" is the latest ridiculous sea monster flick from The Asylum. Before you can even get to the film there's an intro from The Asylum bragging how they have done over 100 of these cheesy disaster films so far, and the beauty is that if you've seen one you pretty much know what's going to happen in any of the others: just substitute "two-headed shark" for "giant alligator," "enormous squid," or "subterranean volcano under a metropolis" and you've got it. As the credits unwind to obnoxious college students on a speedboat, creature feature fans may feel the hairs on the back of their neck stand up when they see the director is Christopher Douglas-Olen Ray. With B-movie genetics like this you know it's going to be an entertaining movie for all the wrong reasons. Not that I fault Chris Ray, it's not like anyone was going to make a good movie called "2-Headed Shark Attack" or anything. You know what you're buying when you see the title.

The opening starts the...

of course it's bad. BUT AWESOME.
Look, this isn't winning any awards in any universe, parallel or otherwise. It's craptacular and it has what you expect from the new age of b-movie schlock: bad CGI, bad acting, b-actors, some boobs.

Carmen Electra stretching for most of the film? check. Brook Hogan making her acting coach grimace? check. really awful acting from a well known actor's sibling: double check. CGI is suspect and fabulously cheesy. Some boobs for those that need some T&A. Worth a few bucks for what it is.

If you like this kind of stuff in general, you'll have fun; otherwise, don't bother.

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Atlantis: The Lost Empire / Atlantis: Milo's Return: Two-Movie Collection (Three Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo)

Blu-ray Review: "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" / "Atlantis: Milo's Return" 2 Movie Collection 3-Disc Special Edition
Disney makes me a very happy man by releasing "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" and "Atlantis: Milo's Return" on Blu-ray. The 3-Disc Special Edition includes both movies on a single Blu-ray and separately on regular DVDs. Recognized as Walt Disney Feature Animation's first science fiction film, it underperformed at the box office despite good word-of-mouth from audiences. An extended life on video and DVD has garnered it as one of Disney's most overlooked gems of a bygone era.

In "Atlantis: The Lost World," historian Milo Thatch leads a crew of the world's greatest archaeologists and explorers in a search for the lost city of Atlantis. They travel through the depths of the dangerous sea aboard the submarine Ulysses. Only expecting to unearth ruins and artifacts, the team is astonished to find the ancient city still thriving with life.

This is one of my all-time favorite animated Disney features. It's a masterful blend of Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and...

One of Disney's best work yet
The visuals are awesome , and even though the story might need a bit more polish because it is a bit preachy , it gives us nostalgia of when we saw old fashion adventure movies , love it.

Under-valued Disney Movie
Sure, it's not Beauty and the Beast and classic Disney but I still think this movie was well worth the time. They tried something new and it was interesting to watch.,

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Enter the Dragon (40th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Exit the Dragon
So here it is... more than 30 years since the original theatrical release of Enter the Dragon, Warner Brothers releases the definitive 2 DVD Special Edition. It's a fine offering, long overdue, and considering the reasonable price, really offers a lot of nice extras, though most of them have been available elsewhere and have therefore been seen before (at least by rabid fans like me).

To start with, there is of course the movie Enter the Dragon (ETD) - Bruce Lee's magnum opus that was not released until after his unfortunate death in 1973, but sealed his immortality. The plot is simple enough - Bruce is a modern day Shaolin monk who is somehow enlisted by the British/Hong Kong government to infiltrate the island of Dr. Han (Shieh Kien), a crusty old renegade Shaolin gone bad who holds a yearly martial arts tournament to recruit talent for an international opium and prostitution racket. Roper (John Saxon), or "Loper" as Bruce says his name, is the established Hollywood caucasian...

Amazing how good it looks
I recently watched Enter The Dragon on the Voom HD Kung-Fu network, and it looked relatively good, but not great.

The Blu-Ray version obviously got a lot more attention, care, and cleanup. It is by far the best looking and sounding version I've ever seen of the movie. It sounds like the bass was tweaked quite a bit, because whenever Bruce would hit one of his signature punches, my subwoofer put out one heck of a thump. It sounded great, if not a little over the top.

Some of the signature grain of the original is still there, but the images are much more crisp and sharp than any other version.

Definitely worth it for the Bruce Lee fans out there.

Greatest martial arts movie of all time in HD!
I recently purchased a Playstation 3 and an HD LCD TV, and this is the first Blu-Ray disc that i have bought. Ive seen this movie dozens of times on TV, VHS and DVD and i thought i knew every fight scene back to front. Since seeing it today, i discovered how much i was missing in those old video formats. There really is that much more detail and smoothness in the images. Its a great showing for a 30yo movie. There is also a great deal of documentaries and extras if you dig that kind of stuff.

As for the movie itself...its a classic action movie with fantastic fight scenes, a convincing bad guy, funny bits, armies of dumb henchmen, hot chicks and Bruce Lee in his prime! What more could an action film lover want?

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The Magic Flute

Mozart's classic reworked as an anti-war movie
Kenneth Branagh and Stephen Fry have reworked Mozart's strange but beautiful comic opera "The Magic Flute" as an anti-war story set in the first world war. The music and acting are brilliant: aspects of the revised story are very peculiar (though no more so than the original) but in general it is both beautiful and entertaining.

In the original story, the hero Tamino (Joseph Kaiser) is a prince: here he is a junior officer in the army of some unidentified European power, and at the start of the film he and his men are sent "over the top" in an attack on the enemy trenches.

Where the 18th century opera had the hero attacked by a serpent and rescued by three ladies, in this version the ladies (Teuta Koco, Louise Callinan, and Kim-Marie Woodhouse) appear, initially, as nurses and rescue him from a cloud of poison gas. Recovering consciousness, he finds himself in a slightly different World War One trench system, where he meets the "bird man" Papageno (brilliantly...

A Film That Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Would Be Proud Of. Kenneth Branagh Has Triumphed Once Again.
Based on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's final opera, "Die Zauberflote," renowned actor-writer-director Kenneth Branagh's film is a visual wonder and a musical triumph in every sense of the words.Sadly, this beautiful movie is not available in Region 1, but it should be seen everywhere, and appreciated. For me, it off-sets the semi-disappointment I feel of his remake of "Sleuth." The acting, cinematography and everything else was top-notch. I highly recommend this movie, and would rate it PG for mild violence, both war-related and comic. I have a feeling that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would be proud of this film version of one of his most popular operas.

Wonderful reimagining
The art direction and cinematography are great. But what's really exciting is the emotional depth(lacking in the original fairy-tale libretto) that's added by reimagining the setting as the battlefields of World War I. The libretto is translated (perfectly appropriate for Mozart, who authorized both Italian and German versions of Marriage of Figaro), and the new English lyrics revitalize the story without straying too far from the original. I'm not sure this would be a good introduction to the opera, but if you know it already, each new twist is a delight.
The singing is lovely. It's not world-class opera quality, but it's more than adequate for what this is, which is a great movie rather than a visual record of a great performance.

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American Mary BD [Blu-ray]

American Mary Will Modify Your Soul
What happens when life doesn't go as planned? When the simple expectations that we set for ourselves and others fall way below acceptable standards? Many of us end up lost, wandering in a haze of confusion and misdirection that, if left unchecked, can put us on a destructive course that we may never recover from. The real world is cold, harsh, and unforgiving, though we are brought up to believe otherwise. This simple and unwavering fact lies at the core of Jen and Sylvia Soska's new film "American Mary".

Mary Mason is a medical student, a starving medical student more to the point. She is alone in the big city, trying her best to survive her schooling which brings the promise of a well-paying career. She is dedicated and enthusiastic, but also a little bit desperate. The world seems to be closing in on her from all sides, Proctors on one end and bill collectors on the other. With no other alternatives, Mary seeks a job as an exotic dancer, after all, the money's good and...

One of my Favorite films
Quick shipping and easy ordering.

I would say I am a horror movie fanatic, good or bad I watch it. When I first saw previews for this movie I was intrigued by the lead character, Mary. It seemed pretty badass for a woman to be the lead of a movie where at first (in previews) she is introduced as a slasher surgeon, but as the movie proceeds you find that she isnt some scapulae wielding psychopath, she is a victim at the hands of a instructor, and from there, well you know the saying, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". I would say yes, she might get out of hand on a unsuspecting security guard, but the beauty and mystery to her character is so deep.

Twisted Sister Production and Feature!!!! <3 <3 A must see for horror movie buffs.

yay!
it was just gory, bloody, dark fun! just loved it. and i love the main actress, so 5 stars from me!

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Bleach: Uncut Set 17

Bleach
Sadly the aspect ratio is still 1.33:1 ...the anime changed to 16:9 during the Amagai Shusuke arc. (ep 168). Though it remains a great example of anime.

Bleach: Uncut Set 17
This is the conclusion of the Zanpakuto rebellion. Although this is a "filler" and has nothing to do with the Sosuke Eison thing, it is pretty good. In this last half, all hell breaks loose when the head captain is found and Muramasa uses Ichigo to break down the barrier that the head captain set up to keep Muramasa out. Of course the soul reapers were lead to think that the Zanpakuto was keeping the head captain prisoner with their barrier, but that was Muramasas' plan. After the gullible Ichigo breaks the barrier, Muramasa is able to get control of the head captain's Zanpakuto, and the whereabouts and the seal release of Muramasas' Master, Koga, in the world of the living. When Muramasa gets what he wants from the head captain, he tells the Zanpakuto that he just used them to get what he was after.
When Muramasa entered the world of the living, Byakuya Kuchiki's resolve showed itself. He stayed next to Muramasa in order to kill Koga Kuchiki, to fulfill his honor as head of...

Bleach: Uncut Set 17
Bleach: Uncut Set 17 ; I love the series, and my son does too. You are either a fan or you are not. party on

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Ring of Fire

An action-packed GEM of an adventure!
I had expected "Ring of Fire" to be another made-for-TV type of (typical) disaster film, but this is really an incredible delight, filled with action, suspense and great acting from the entire cast! With all the oil and gas drilling, fracking, etc. taking place on our planet, "Ring of Fire" is certainly possible, which lends credence to this (potential) end-of-days miniseries. "Alias" star Michael Vartan leads a great cast.

Disastrous Cinematography Kills Disaster Picture
Who doesn't love a good disaster flick? What with the advent of some really high-brow special effects, disaster pictures have grown into a cottage industry. Whether the world meets its inevitable demise by alien invasion, by some five-mile-wide meteor blasting in from distant stars, or by a plague of flesh-eating insects, Heaven knows it'll all look great up on the silver screen or even on the small screen because it'll be heavy on effects. RING OF FIRE - for all of its fits and starts - really wanted to show us one possible future for our planet. So far as this reviewer is concerned, if someone had held the camera still long enough for us to see what it would look like, then it might've been something.

Doesn't anyone look at dailies any more?

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I'd encourage you to...

Miniseries
saw it on tv and wanted to add it to our collection. Our family enjoys disaster type movies It's great!

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Land of the Pharaohs

At Last!
Well, I thought it would never come out on DVD. Perhaps it's my passion for all things ancient Egyptian, but I have always loved this wonderfully enjoyable epic. Howard Hawks was a director who steadfastly refused to be pigeon-holed, making everything from Bogey's "The Big Sleep" to sci-fi classic "The Thing" (although he credited editor Christian Nyby instead of himself) to stock car racing "Red Line 7000." Here he takes a shot at "historical" epic and does a damned entertaining job of it. Pharaoh Jack Hawkins plays straightman to Joan Collins' campy concubine while James Robertson Justice does a terrific job of keeping a straight face as a tomb architect. Amidst all the stone monuments, the only thing wooden is Dewey Martin as Justice's son. All this may not sound like a **** movie, but it's a guilty pleasure I've watched so many times on VHS that it's embarrassing. That's gotta be worth extra credit.

About the Korean Version
This DVD version is letterbox, but that's about all one can appreciate in this edition. Picture quality doesn't even match the VHS version. Large crowd scenes have characteristic jiggle common to VHS. Focus is not sharp and crisp.

I compared my VHS with the DVD and the VHS actually had better picture quality, albeit pan & scan full-screen. I would wait for the studio edition of this DVD (if it ever happens.)

The Bogdanovich Commentary Stinks
The only thing that mars this beautiful presentation is Bogdavoch's commentary. Not only does he have nothing positive to say about the film, he actually has NOTHING to say at all. His presence on the track can only be explained by his having an old taped interview with Hawks in which he leads the director to discuss DeMille and dump on his movie. A total waste of time when there is so much to behold on screen. But get it anyway! It's a great 'Land'."

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Taste of Money

Keeping It In The Family: A Korean Drama About Greed, Infidelity, And Duplicity
No one is an innocent in the Korean drama "The Taste of Money" and that's a decidedly good thing. While I was a fan of director Im Sang-Soo's "The Housemaid," it had a chilly remoteness that kept me at arm's length throughout. I had no such qualms with "The Taste of Money." Hard edged, cynical, and merciless, this family saga plays out to almost Shakespearean proportions. There are enough bad acts committed within the central clan of this film to fuel several other movies. From suspicious business deals, to underworld crime connections, to scandalous sexual escapades, the lifestyles of the rich and privileged have never looked so cold hearted or depraved. It's eat or be eaten, any sign of weakness may spell your demise. This is exactly the type of adult soap opera that I crave. And set in the opulent surroundings of luxury, the film has a style and a visual splendor to spare. In case you couldn't tell, I quite liked this one even if I felt a little dirty for doing so.

Set...

Another View Into the Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless
I always find it more than a bit ironic when rich, artsy types feel the need to expose just how far money corrupts. On occasions - such as in Im Sang-soo's stellar 2010 remake of THE HOUSEMAID - it's particularly effective, insightful, and downright scathing. In fact, one has to wonder how these rich, artsy types go about finding the money and the financiers to put together such a visual indictment about how money destroys things, but, thankfully, I'm not a part of that world. All I have to do as a viewer is sit back and watch how the world unravels, confident in my assessment that I'll never have the kind of `scratch' to live the lifestyles of the rich and shameless. I guess it's true that money can't buy you happiness, but, boy, if THE TASTE OF MONEY is any indication, it sure can buy you tragedy.

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review...

Keeping It In The Family: A Korean Drama About Greed, Infidelity, And Duplicity
No one is an innocent in the Korean drama "The Taste of Money" and that's a decidedly good thing. While I was a fan of director Im Sang-Soo's "The Housemaid," it had a chilly remoteness that kept me at arm's length throughout. I had no such qualms with "The Taste of Money." Hard edged, cynical, and merciless, this family saga plays out to almost Shakespearean proportions. There are enough bad acts committed within the central clan of this film to fuel several other movies. From suspicious business deals, to underworld crime connections, to scandalous sexual escapades, the lifestyles of the rich and privileged have never looked so cold hearted or depraved. It's eat or be eaten, any sign of weakness may spell your demise. This is exactly the type of adult soap opera that I crave. And set in the opulent surroundings of luxury, the film has a style and a visual splendor to spare. In case you couldn't tell, I quite liked this one even if I felt a little dirty for doing so.

Set...

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Doctor Faustus

A superb production of a classic play
If you are reading this review, most likely your already know that Christopher Marlowe's "DOCTOR FAUSTUS" (1588) is the first great tragedy in Elizabethan. Yet it is seldom performed -- and with good reason.
First of all, scholars are still debating just how much of text we have as actually written by Marlowe. Secondly, the play has an enormous cast of characters. As if these casting difficulties are enough, the two principal characters, Faustus and Mephistophelis have lengthy and demanding speeches and are on-stage for much of the action; so these parts call for actors with both physical stamina and vocal dexterity and power. Third, there is a big gap between the descriptions of the protagonist's magical power and the (rather unimpressive) examples of these powers presented on stage. This poses a real test of the imaginative and technical resources of the director and production crew. And finally, the frequent comic interludes were pretty much rough clowning to start with and...

If you liek Marlowe, your love this presentation of Faustus
If you like Marlowe, you will love this presentation of Faustus. Wonderful acting, and stage settings, almost like sitting in a theatre.



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The Wedding Party

Charming and Delightful
This movie is a real "sleeper" - and I mean that in the sense that not too many people seem to know about it, not that it is a movie that will put you to sleep.
I rented it, not expecting too much, but was delightfully surprised. It is well-written, with solid and believable dialogue. All of the characters are absolutely lovable, which is unusual in a film. You just feel for everyone and all of the things they are going through. And everyone's acting is first-rate. No real screw-ups in that department.
The only downside is that it takes a bit of work during the beginning of the movie to figure out who everyone is, how they are related, and how their lives intersect. However, once you've gotten that figured out, the rest of the movie is just really enjoyable and engaging.
Hats off to everyone who was involved in it. Definitely worth a look!

Good for a no brainer wedding farce
So I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one. I thought...eh, its been done before. But this Australian gem really keep me rolling. The family dynamics are hilarious and a little too close for comfort. Our lead is that character that you can't help rooting for. He tries so hard to do the right thing and just keeps digging his hole deeper and deeper. It's fun and light hearted.

Surpisingly Raw and Honest Comedy
I'm a sucker for wedding films even as cheezy as they can be, but this one was different. There was some raw, honesty and interesting plot twists. Would certainly recommend.

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Gibsonburg

Great story
Based on a true story, this film has more heart than any Hollywood "blockbuster". Tiny Gibsonburg was hit hard by the recession and needed something to believe in. Well, it sure wasn't their pathetic baseball team, which stumbled to a 6-17 regular season record (7 of those games called by the "run rule", which we used to call the "slaughter rule" or "mercy rule"). Then, they began a playoff run, which was simply unbelievable. This is a TRUE independent film with a cast of unknowns (the only people you might recognize in the film are 80's comedian Judy Tenuta and former MLB pitcher Kent Mercker) who do a great job! Even if you don't like baseball, this is a wonderful film about overcoming the odds and growing up. Many people will relate to it

Gibsonburg
Excellent movie!! Did a movie night with my son who also very much enjoyed it. Taught him to never give up and always believe in yourself. Highly recommend!!

Thoroughly Enjoyable!
This film touches the heart! No cursing, no violence, no crazy sex scenes, no out-landish CGI.....just a wonderful, feel good story you can watch with the kids. Based (loosely) on a true story. The acting was far from Academy Award winning but I give it 5 stars anyway. It was produced with very low budget and a lot of heart! I there were more films out there like this.

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Come Out and Play [Blu-ray]

A Creepy Slow Build Tension Compensates Somewhat For Very Thin Plotting
The idea of murdering children on a rampage is certainly not a new one. There have been countless film projects to address the phenomenon in both horror and science fiction categories. But it is such an unsettling narrative device, it never fails to raise my curiosity. As the ultimate corruption of innocence, the sight of a young child ready to perpetuate irredeemable violence creates such a harrowing tableau that it is oftentimes difficult to look away. It has a car crash appeal that I find absolutely fascinating. The minimalist shocker "Come Out and Play" has a slow build tension that makes the most of its subject. For much of its scant 86 minute running time, it alludes to dangers unseen as opposed to showcasing carnage. This approach does create a creepy vibe, but it also calls for the adult cast to make a series of increasingly head-scratching decisions in order to sustain the tension. In a film of this type, I feel the need to get caught up in the escalating nightmare...

Truly Creepy
For me this film was very creepy, it gave me nightmares. Seeing children killing adults on screen for some unexplained reason was terrifying enough; but to see the way they were doing it was horrifying even more so. I was truly scared after seeing this movie, even though I never saw the original I still found it to be a terrifying and good horror movie. I will definitely have to see the original after seeing this one.

See the original instead
Disappointing English language remake of the classic 1976 Spanish horror flick Who Can Kill A Child? about a young couple on vacation who land on an island that seems to be completely deserted except for some children. Stephen King co-opted the basic premise for his famous 1977 short story Children of the Corn so what seemed pretty novel and shocking in 1976 is much less so now. This version follows the old Spanish flick very, very closely but where the original was extremely creepy this version is hamstrung by lousy acting (from the adult leads and the children alike) and never manages to generate any suspense whatsoever. In this film the first victim the protagonist sees killed by the children is stabbed and bludgeoned with rocks. In the original film the first victim was hung up like a human pinata while a smiling little girl slashes at him with a scythe. Which sounds creepier to you? Like the 2004 version of The Manchurian Candidate this ultimately comes across as much more...

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Volpone

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Justin Bieber: Always Believing

Still Suffering From Bieber Fever? This Unauthorized Biography Is An Unenlightening Retread
Filmmaker Thomas Gibson is looking to cash in on the on-going interest in Justin Bieber with the documentary feature "Justin Bieber: Always Believing." But there's a problem. What, if anything, can this film provide that its many predecessors did not? Very little. This 70 minute film is not endorsed by Bieber and features insight from about six industry insiders with dubious titles like Public Relations Specialist, On-Air Personality, Music Industry Executive, and Gossip Columnist. Some have a passing familiarity with Bieber, some have zero connection whatsoever. I'm not exactly sure why I should care about their perceptions when they offer nothing personal to the discussion. If you watch the news or have seen the other Bieber tributes, I don't suspect you'll glean anything new from this offering. Again, with these unauthorized projects, they don't even pay for music rights so it's all talk!

Just some of the recent films/DVDs:

Justin Bieber: Never Say...

GREAT DVD!! LOVE IT
This is a pretty good un-official DVD! its great for any Belieber! It Is a great collectors item for any Bieber lover

Always Believe
This was really good, did not know what to expect
It is a very entertaining and informative
Everyone would enjoy this not just Justin fans :)

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In the Dark

NOT A HORROR film
This is a great thriller! Was made for TV but really stands on its own. This is by no way a HORROR movie whats so ever, so if you want a horror film this is not for you, if your looking for a thriller, this is for you.

Surprisingly Good
Don't let the jacket of this DVD mislead you. This is not a dungeon-torture flick. Most of the action takes place in an artist's lovely loft apartment and involves more realistic relationships.

It's true that this ground has been covered in many other movies, including the similarly named "Wait Until Dark." A blind woman is threatened by someone whose full intentions she cannot see. But this movie does include some uniquely chilling shots. Look at what happens to the family pictures on the artist's wall.

The first 3/4 of the film takes its time unpeeling the extent of the villain's derangement. Then the pace of the film switches to a rather abrupt realization and resolution. It's as if the directors feared they might be running out of film and wanted to cover the essential elements of the plot as quickly as possible.

Despite this final yank on the viewer's leash though, this remains a worthwhile, effective thriller. I watched several high-budget...

Purchased for a friend
I bought this movie for a friend. She is the one who really enjoyed the movie and I was happy to buy it for her.

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Duchess Of Malfi, The

A magnificent production
For most fans of Jacobean drama, John Webster's THE DUCHESS OF MALFI (1613) is the most powerful tragedy of that period not written by a man named Shakespeare. This opinion is so widely held that the play has become a standard selection in all of the drama anthologies of the period.
It is also a ferociously demanding piece of theater, full of complex speeches, strange reversals, and extravagant stage effects. For this reason, it is seldom performed. Your odds of seeing it in the U.S. are only slightly better than those of meeting the author.
Though neither the distributor (Stage On Screen) nor the dramatic company (Greenwich Theatre, London) were known to me, I bought this DVD blind because I knew that, however uneven the production might be, this was likely to be my only chance of ever seeing this great play performed.
I slowly realized that I was watching a marvelously spoken, intelligently staged, and professionally recorded production performed in front of a live...

"Cover her face; mine eyes dazzle..."
One of the great plays of the English theatre, The Duchess of Malfi tells the tale of the young widowed duchess who marries again for love. But her new husband, Antonio, is from a lower class and the marriage must be kept secret from the Duchess's brothers for fear of their revenge. Although written around the same period as Shakespeare the language is much more accessible and often poetic.

This production of Webster's tragedy is boosted by the great performance of Aislin McGuckin in the title role. Her Duchess is playful when courting Antonio, strong in defiance of her brothers and beautifully controlled in the emotional latter stages of the play. The rest of the cast are very good too although I did find that sometimes they spoke very quickly (the director's decision?) and some of the words were lost. The subtitles helped here.

I've always felt that the play should naturally end after Act 4, especially since the fifth and final act is a bit over the top for...

A Boon to Teachers of Elizabethan/Jacobean Drama
One of the major issues facing those who have to teach drama of the Elizabethan/Jacobean period other than Shakespeare is the paucity of dvds as aids to teaching. Recent productions of The Revenger's Tragedy and The Changeling have been encouraging but those productions deviate considerably from the original texts and often they seem to be entirely different plays made into film. This is not to criticize such productions (they have their place)but they are not always helpful to the teacher. The Stage & Screen version of the Duchess of Malfi is much more faithful to the original and given that there is a "live" audience it is the next best things to actually seeing it on stage. That said, I do not totally agree with the downplaying of the incest theme (Ferdinand's feelings for his sister) or the choice of actor for Antonio who comes across as very lively from the outset and not the serious clerk as found in the original text. But that is carping. I do hope Stage & Screen extend...

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Marketa Lazarova (Criterion Collection)

Marketa Lazarova on DVD (Second Run)
This movie from 1967, set in the 12th century, is very hypnotic due to it's vivid images (mixing wide screen landscapes, extreme close ups and moving camera), different modes of narrative (text tableaus, voice, flashbacks, memories) and eerie middle age-like music (it's actually electronic music with voices created specifically for the movie).

In this movie there are no clear cut good vs evil and no typical villains and heroes (maybe for the exception of Marketa Lazarova herself who has some saint-like innocence). The people are more the products of the harsh social and religious environment of the dark ages. The plot is better experienced than talked about in advance. Haunting, complex and spell-binding, this is a very good movie, much better than the historic epics produced by hollywood every year.

The transfer is excellent (I watched it on a projector) with beautiful black/white (it's hard to think of this movie being made in colour).
This is the kind of...

Tarkovsky meets Leone
If you can imagine a cross between Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev and Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West (all made within a year of each other), you might have a notion of what Vlacil's Marketa Lazerova is like. Throw in a dash of Bergman's Virgin Spring, and you're almost there. Named by Czech critics as the best Czech film of all time, Marketa Lazerova is a poetic social critique/examination of human kind, in particular when operating outside the confines of "civilization."

The film is set in the Middle Ages,* when family clans competed to rule the harsh territory seizing everything within their reach that they were able enough to claim and defend (not unlike the "old West" for a time), a time when religious and social order (established by the church, alongside the king and his army) was not fully accepted, and clans were used to operating in accordance with more primitive codes and authorities largely based around shamanic/mythic insights, the most basic offeudal ethics,...

Flawed DVD, Brilliant Film
**********SECOND RUN DVD REVIEW**********

Well, I have to disagree with the reviewers quality. The picture quality is not aweful, but certainly not what it should be. The blacks are muddled and the whites are grey. There is no streaking or debris to speak of, however. The problem probably lies with the scan resolutuin or scan process in general. The elements used seem to be fine, just an underfunded transfer would be my guess...

I give five stars because Second Run should be applauded for even releasing this DVD. The film itself is a ten star caliber effort!

If you like Rublev, or just have a love of Eastern European cinema from the 1960's, then this is for you. Beautiful 2.35:1 Black & White, nothing better in the world.

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Love, Concord

There is so much to "Love" about this movie
After watching the behind the scenes Featurette, it became apparent that this film was made for the love of the film arts. The producer, Gustavo Guardado, put a lot of love into this film, he carefully selected his cast and the town he grew up in. It's a film about one's "first love" and everything that goes with it. I really enjoyed so much about this film and what it represented. There are a lot of messages playing out throughout the film and the idea of knowing that sometimes communication skills among young adults can go wrong at times is evident. The real emotions that they may be feeling for the first time are difficult to understand and as a result poor decisions can happen. Culturally speaking, I feel so fortunate to have grown up in the diverse culture that thrives in all of California. This film reminded me of my high school years and what it was like growing up in "anyplace" California and getting to know other cultures through my classmates and friends. This film is...

It'd be a bargain at twice the price!
The love story is usually an overdone cliche. This movie had none of that aftertaste in my mouth. For the most part, all of the supporting characters were artfully lighting the afterburners for Gerry and Melinda's romance. Gerry's mom was a personal favorite character for me. Her, and her role in the plot. A lot of what I saw was magic. The delightfully subtle undertones left me thinking about the movie for a few days afterwards. I absolutely loved the ending.

Buying now!

Great film!
This film is great! Very funny, very heartwarming, and very authentic to the high school experience. Plus the special features were all very enjoyable as well. This movie is for anyone who's ever been in love!

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Revolution without a drop of blood: `Chile: happiness is coming!'
The close examination of the 1988 referendum campaign called for by Chile's military dictator Augusto Pinochet provides not only a fascinating peak inside politics, but it also is a true story of how the Chilean people successfully staged a bloodless revolution to free themselves from the power of a dictator. Based on fact as depicted in a play written by Antonio Skármeta, molded into a screenplay by Pedro Peirano,and directed with a keen sense of period by Pablo Larraín, the film uses substantial bits of archival film footage that enhances the impact of this moment in history.

NO is the story of the advertising campaign surrounding the 1988 referendum that was supposed to `elect' General Pinochet to another eight years of dictatorship in Chile. The referendum campaign will last 27 days leading up to the October 5, 1988 vote, with each side getting fifteen minutes of uninterrupted television air time each day for their campaign. The "no" coalition decides to...

Jarring and Stirring
"No" in its first minute is a jarring visual experience. It's grainy and shaky, as though it were a youtube video blown onto the screen, and it's only well into the movie when we realize that the visuals are meant to evoke the visuals of late 1980s Chilean television so that actual television footage from that era could match seamlessly with the rest of the film. Once we overcome this psychological hurdle we come to appreciate "No" as a moving and stirring tale.

It's 1988, and Pinochet's military dictatorship of Chile has endured for fifteen years. Facing growing international pressure (namely, US pressure), the dictator decides to hold a referendum whether to extend his rule by another 8 years. It seems to the majority of those most opposed to him (40 percent of Chileans live below the poverty line, and there are tens of thousands of political dissidents either killed, exiled, or disappeared) that the referendum is just a sham, and they are determined to ignore it...

3 1/2 stars (BLU RAY) for a documentary style historic drama
Filmed in a documentary-style and set when the events took place in 1988, "No" is an unusual film. The title comes from a plebiscite called for in Chile to determine if dictator General Augusto Pinochet would continue his ruthless reign of 8 years. A "yes" vote would continue his rule. A "no" would not. Pinochet had accepted the vote at the urging of the world community. He was not worried about the outcome, until it was too late.

The film is about the advertising campaign created to get out the mostly hidden populace who would be expected to vote "no." Pinochet's regime had agreed to telecast 15 minute ads each night. One for the "yes" and one for the "no." Political opposition had never had this opportunity but they were divided into various factions, each with their own agenda. Most wanted to expose the criminal behavior of the dictator.

Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal) is recruited from a top advertising agency to work for the "no" campaign. He...

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Into the White [Blu-ray]

Improbable Friendships: Another side of war
INTO THE WHITE, also known as CROSS OF HONOR, is based on fact and in adapting the facts to the screen director Petter N

Nova: Australia's First 4 Billion Years

Australia as a record of the history of life on Earth
I don't know if Australia's rocks are confirmed as the oldest ever found, but considering they found the first fossil bacteria in its rocks, Australia clearly can be used as a window the whole history of life and geology of the Earth.

Episode one tries to start from the beginnings of our solar system to the first episodes of life on Earth. As it turns out, for the majority of the Earth's existence, life never went beyond single cells. Multicellular life mostly started at the Cambrian explosion around 500 to 600 Million years ago. This was somewhat after the last 'iceball Earth' episode. The idea of the whole Earth covered with ice is one of the most exciting Earth geology ideas of the past few decades(supervolcanoes would be another). As the Narrator says, this period is considered the most boring period for Paleontologists, biologists(except those trying to understand say genetic fossils in cellular dna, the origin of life and so on). I'm kindof disappointed they...

Australia, a Land Mass of Stunning Beauty and Amazing Contrasts
Australia's First 4 Billion Years, a set of two Blue-ray Discs, is simply magnificent. These two Blu-ray Discs fill in a big hole in the knowledge that many viewers have about the geology, fauna, flora, and human inhabitants of Australia over a period of 4 billion years. Superb photography, judicious comments of experts, well-done computer animation, and, last but not least, geologist Dr. Richard Smith bring to light the magnificence of the "big, red, flat, and old" country. In summary, Dr. Richard Smith makes Australia accessible to a wide audience by keeping his coverage both erudite and entertaining.

Mind blowing
My 11 year old is obsessed with this program, and his parents agree whole heatedly. A great learning experience, enjoy.

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A Place at the Table

A Vital Message
I have been waiting for this to premier. I am the director of an emergency food program. The pantry feeds several area families each week and the need continues to grow. We pray for the day that we will go out of business, because no one needs our help. In the meantime, I am grateful that artists put together documentaries like this. Our communities can be so segregated, that the rich can't begin to relate to the poor. When we solicit for donations, we have had people tell us that there are no hungry in our town. This film raises awareness regarding the responsibility that we have toward one another. We are to care for those who can't help themselves. The other day at the pantry, I spoke with a guest who had recently lost her job and was forced to turn to the food pantry for help. The kicker was she was very well-versed on the issue of hunger-insecurity. Before she fell on hard times, she worked with local food banks and pantries. Now she needed to visit one herself. They say we are...

Hunger is an important issue.
This film is important. It shines a light on hunger in America. There just isn't enough support for those who need it. The Government should step up the programs to help people in this nation have healthy and nutritious meals. The film talks about food stamps and school programs. The film failed to illustrate exactly how education could be changed. There was a teacher passing around a melon, but that's not going to be enough. Schools need their own gardens.

This isn't a place for a rant. Watch this film. Start thinking about how you and I can end hunger. Meanwhile, put pressure on Government to make sure kids aren't starving. Mention that sugar isn't food while you have them on the phone.

Thought provoking and a major issue in this country!
A very profound documentary! I thought I was aware of the hunger problem in this country. I certainly was not. This film should be mandatory viewing for each and every citizen. Well done! I only hope changes will be made!

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Mariss Jansons Conducts Mahler [Blu-ray]

defective disk/corrected with new copy
I loved the performance and the recording, but unfortunately the ending is cut off prematurely right after the chorus cuts out. The ending is truncated (missing about 45 seconds) It goes from track 7 right into track 8 that says "mastered by.." Somebody in the editing department did not do their job. Has anyone else had this problem?

Upon reading the second review I ordered a new copy and it plays perfectly. My rating goes from 1 to 5, as this is a sincere and heartfelt performance. The recording is much superior than his previous recording with the Royal Concertgebouw which is marred by excessive audio compression. Would that recording engineers leave the dynamics alone!

Jansons' Bavarian Mahler 2...a triumph!
First off all, my Blu-ray played fine...no glitches. Secondly, this a moving performance that is vivid and alive on Blu-ray, with Jansons in top form. Director Brian Large does a superb job with a variety of perspectives....including shots of the full orchestra, something that is often missing in many splice and dice productions. Those who love the Mahler 2nd will find this Blu-ray well worth the purchase.



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Crashout

Reworking the Familiar
A curiously compelling little movie, Crashout is a throwback to the tough prison-escape movies of the 30's. Fortunately, the producers had the good sense to hire an expert cast of B-movie veterans to enliven an otherwise shopworn plot. Writer-producer Hal Chester and director-writer Lewis Foster provide each convict with a distinct personality that holds viewer interest as tensions mount, while the audience anticipates how each character will be brought to justice. Standouts in the cast are the always subtle Arthur Kennedy, an engagingly ambivalent Marshall Thompson, and William Tallman doing his scary psycho bit, this time as a knife-throwing religious fanatic. And in a poignant bit part, cult favorite Gloria Talbott as the prospect of a normal life for the ill-fated Thompson. Though you've seen it all before, there are many nice touches that lift this otherwise generous slice of thick-ear beyond the merely routine.

Crashout: top notch prison breakout film!
Sure, we've seen the escaped convicts formula before, but this one hits home. Here is a real diversity of the six characters; each one as convincing as the next. William Bendix is his usual great gruff self, playing the heartless, cold-blooded mastermind. My personal favorite, film veteran Arthur Kennedy, excels as the counterpoint to Bendix: he excels as the white collar criminal with a brain, and ultimately, a heart. Fine dialogue, plenty of action, and even a little romance thrown in. A winner!

Actors and Taut Direction Make this one a Stand Out!
CRASHOUT might come as a surprise to crime film fans or noir

enthusiasts who pick it up, expecting a routine mid-50s B movie. For

one thing, it's feature-length (89 minutes), and doesn't skimp much on

plot and character development. Director Lewis R. Foster was probably

pretty adept at action/adventure pictures, judging by titles in his

IMDb filmography. CRASHOUT was probably just another assignment to him,

but the film shows he was no hack. It's a foregone conclusion that a

Hollywood movie won't let criminals get away unpunished, but a superior

example like this makes the fate of its players more meaningful with

good actors and intelligent writing. Foster keeps things moving nicely,

once past the fairly talky first scene in the cave. The film never lags

once after that, because there is plenty of action, and characters are

given enough depth to...

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Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch Extended Cut vs. Theatrical Cut Differences
The extended cut of Sucker Punch adds approximately 17 minutes and 45 seconds of additional footage, and is R-rated. The extended cut is much darker than the theatrical cut; while not necessarily being more visually explicit, previously implied suggestions are now explicitly overt. The violence and action scenes have also been extended as well, with two re-inserted battle sequences, one with the orcs at the castle (arterial spurts of green orc blood), and the other with the German World War I zombies.

I don't think I quite understand Snyder's multi-layered metaphorical comparisons between the brothel, asylum, and Baby Doll's fantasy worlds, but I will say that the movie (especially the action sequences) are visually stunning, and the colors beautifully contrasted. Credit especially to the actresses for their proficient firearms handling (but where exactly did they store all those extra magazines I wonder?). However, it would be superficial to suggest that Sucker Punch...

Took me three watches to finally really get into it, but it's more than worth it.
This has future cult favorite written all over it. Complex, awesome special effects, and a fun cast to boot. If you didn't enjoy it the first time, I definitely recommend watching it again. Zack Snyder really shows off his skills with this film and I can officially call myself a big fan of his work now. So enjoy and make sure to go in with an open mind.

Blu-Ray Review (Updated: July 6th)
Note: I wrote an original review for the film only way back when I saw it, which was actually on opening day. Now that I have acquired the Blu-Ray version of Sucker Punch, I will write a review. My consensus though is to purchase the Blu-Ray package over the DVD, so if you just want to read my thoughts on the movie, skip this section. I will review the Blu-Ray. If you are wanting to know everything about the layout and the general features, Amazon is correct with both product descriptions, so you can trust them.

When I first saw Sucker Punch in theaters, the art direction, CGI, and the colors was absolutely jaw dropping; this was one of the movies that I could see blasting on my TV screen. Well, I am happy to report that Sucker Punch looks and sounds terrific on Blu-Ray. Given the sensory overload Sucker Punch provides, one can only imagine how the potential of the , and the transfer does its justice and brings Sucker Punch to complete life upon your HD TV. The...

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DECEIT (2004)

A Great Marlo Thomas TV Movie!
I'm so glad that Marlo's TV movies are slowly being released on dvd! This movie is a MUST if you're a Marlo Thomas fan, or if you're a LIfetime TV movie fan.

The story starts on the day of Marlo's husband's funeral, where she is consoling her young children. We soon learn (when Marlo tries to cash in an insurance policy) that her husband's body has never been found, and therefore, she cannot collect the money.

As the movie unfolds, shocking secrets are unveiled, concerning incestuous child molestation, and by the end of the movie, a flashback reveals what really happened to Marlo's husband.

The only valid criticism I've seen about this movie, is that Marlo is too old for the part (the movie was filmed in 2004, and she plays the mother of a 7-year-old boy.) But if you like Marlo, you can easily overlook that, and enjoy this great Lifetime movie!





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Venus and Serena [Blu-ray]

Sister sister
"Venus and Serena" follows the tennis stars during 2011, when Serena was coming back from a series of severe injuries and Venus was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. At the time, it was unclear whether either sister would be able to play much longer. This material is presented along with archival interviews dating back to when the sisters were girls in Compton, California, as well as film of other key events in their lives.

The movie presents a nice balance between their tennis careers and personal lives. Obviously, this documentary is going to appeal most to fans of Venus and/or Serena. I like both of them and am a huge Serena fan in particular. I read articles about them routinely, so there wasn't a great deal new here for me, but it was still interesting. The story of two sisters from Compton becoming the best tennis players of their generation is amazing no matter how many times it's told, imo.

I was disappointed that Venus' role in helping get...

like the authenticity
definitely insightful into the way the ladies have lived their lives in public with grace and dignity. I wish we had more examples like these ladies who are not flawless but are living their lives in purposeful and meaningful way.

Serena Raw and Uncut
Great documentary, very insightful into the lives of the Williams Sisters. The bond between them two is unbreakable and just to see Serena unfiltered is hilarious!

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Hands Of The Ripper (Blu-ray + DVD Combo)

Can be fittingly described as a "Classic"
Welcome to Hammer's outstanding "Hands of the Ripper", one of the studio's last movies and one of their best. The story tells of Anna, a young girl who is actually Jack the Ripper's daughter, and who was traumatised as a toddler by witnessing a vicious killing (seen in the prologue). Now an adult, she is prone to murderous seizures which provide the many grisly highlights of the film. It sounds rather lurid, but the film takes the subject seriously, and as a whole, the plot is tremendously engaging. Anna's rages are only triggered by a specific set of circumstances, and the script creates a surprising and clever staging for each one, following on every time with a suitably gory slaughter. The film features great performances from its prestigious cast, particularly Angharad Rees who is luminously beautiful as Anna, and Eric Porter as the doctor who realises her identity but is compelled to try and cure her rather than turn her in (as well as falling for her charms, as she has...

Synapse Films Fulfills Its Promise
Back in 2010, a number of film websites announced that Synapse Films acquired the negatives of the elusive three Hammer Film titles which were much sought after by collectors. 'HANDS OF THE RIPPER', 'TWINS OF EVIL' and 'VAMPIRE CIRCUS' all released in 1970 were the only titles not available on Digital transfers . Available in the 90's on imported Laser Discs or VHS copies, these were the severely edited versions released to US theaters and were not seen since their original theatrical runs in Europe. Well, Synapse kept to their word and released one film each summer restoring the films to their most complete running times culminating in this last title Director Peter Sasdy's 'HANDS OF THE RIPPER', a different type of Ripper film and which emerges as Hammer's most tragic and poignant film in its repertoire. Heavily hyped as one of the company's most gruesome titles, it shows how Hammer was particularly scrutinized by the critics for its use of gory set pieces yet US grind house and...

Way too good a Hammer film to be as obscure as it is today
Hands of the Ripper is a shockingly neglected and obscure little atmospheric masterpiece from Hammer Studios. It's a veritable showcase of classic horror at its best, with several somewhat bloody scenes thrown in for good measure. Beautifully shot and scored, the film simply oozes the aura of Victorian London, and the cinematography of the final shot is, ahem, to die for. The entire cast is wonderful, particularly Eric Porter and Angharad Rees, the latter being a delightful young actress I had never encountered before.

I know you're probably wondering if the film is about Jack the Ripper. Well, yes and no. The story is ostensibly about his daughter. You can imagine how screwed up in the head a daughter of Saucy Jack might be; now imagine that this little girl saw her father murder her mother right in front of her eyes. Freud would have wet himself over such a poor, young thing. Now a young lady, we find Anna working as a fraudulent medium's secret little helper...

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