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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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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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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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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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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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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Volpone

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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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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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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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