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noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 02:11:00 -0800

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Possibly the best pure action film ever made and certainly the inspiration for many that have followed. Inspired by, rather than based on, a poem by Rudyard Kipling (who briefly appears as a character in the uncut version of the film in the guise of a journalist traveling with the British army) this tale of adventure, comedy, and action in 19th-century India under the British Raj has it all. Superb b&w cinematography (nominated for an Academy Award in Hollywood's greatest year). Perfect casting, with Cary "Archie" Grant as the cockney Sgt. Cutter, Victor McLaghlen as gruff Master Sgt. MacChesney, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as the dashing Sgt. Ballantine, Sam Jaffee (in full body makeup) as the humble water carrier Gunga Din, and the scene-stealing Eduardo Cianelli as a ferociously intelligent villain who is far more frightening than any '30's movie monster.

The setting, outside the small town of Lone Pine, in California's eastern Sierras, beautifully mirrors that of northwestern India. Filmed in 100 degree heat, the picture's sets and backgrounds have a look of sere authenticity rarely achieved by location filming in the '30's. The superb score borders on the operatic, with leitmotifs for characters as well as scenes.

I vividly remember thinking as a child, when I first saw a grainy print on our b&w tv, that this was the first time I had seen a non-white person in a film who was obviously smarter than the Caucasian heroes. Yes, Cianelli's guru is a fanatic at the head of a cult of ritual murderers, but his discourse on what makes a good officer ("Great generals, gentlemen, are not made of jeweled swords and mustache wax. They are made of what is here [touches hand to head] and here [touches hand to heart]!") has stayed with me ever since. Not to mention, before throwing himself into the cobra pit so that his soldiers will move against the British, that "India is my country, and I can die for my country as well as you for yours".

Of course, there is also his rousing speech in the temple to his devotees to "Kill for the love of Kali, kill as you yourselves would be killed, kill for the love of killing...kill, kill, kill!" that carries rather chilling relevance to all too many fanatical groups today (though not worshippers of poor slandered Kali, whose temple in Kolkata I have visited). And it's the bravery of a mistreated Hindu, Gunga Din, who saves the day, and British behinds.

This is a film that functions on many levels and inspired far more than the forgettable remake (SOLDIERS THREE). Its lack of availability on DVD in a fully restored version, together with the accompanying George Stevens, Jr. documentary footage on its making (including color film shot on the location), makes it the number one omission in the current DVD catalog.

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This copy has one major fault: Too strongly edited. The opening scene with the character of Rudyard Kipling riding in a railway coach has been entirely omitted. The scene with the British Elephant squads setting up their artillery has been severely edited, and one misses the awesomeness of the pachyderms executing the drill of unloading the pieces as no other artillery unit in the world could do. And for what? So mediocre trailers and other trivia could be included on the DVD? I paid 11 cents at a Saturday matinee to see the original, and those scenes have been with me all these years. Would be pleased to have you offer an edition with the scenes restored.

Best Deals for Gunga Din (1939)

The British Army battles a Thuggee uprising in colonial India.

There are action movies, there are good action movies, and there is George Stevens' 1939 GUNGA DIN, the greatest action movie ever filmed. It has it all, as the director's son George Stevens, Jr. reminds us in the recent `making of' feature bundled with this dvd humor, action and humanity. Not alas romance (poor Joan Fontaine.) A disappointing, albeit beautiful, actress up to that point, Fontaine is nothing much than a plot device used to lure one of the film's soldiers three Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. away from the other two, Victor McLaglen and Cary Grant.

In that same feature are some circa 1985 interview clips of Fairbanks, who tells us that while filming some of the actors wondered if GUNGA DIN was dosed a little too liberally with humor. Indeed, few action movies this side of Indiana Jones are quite so persistently jaunty, few lean so close to slapstick. Grant has the lead comic role, but McLaglen and Fairbanks have their share of gags as well. It's not a comedy, but the humor adds essential air to the proceedings.

The bad guys in GUNGA DIN are malevolent, grim, Kali (the Goddess of Destruction) worshiping Thuggees. The Thuggees are a deadly threat who aren't allowed a slapstick moment. If GUNGA DIN'S humor adds a necessary lightness, the Thuggee menace adds essential weight. These guys are creepy, evil incarnate, and it's in the battles with them especially the breathtaking grand battle at the end that the movie generates its thrills.

We have only to account for that rarest of action movie qualities George Jr. mentioned humanity. Of course, it's embodied in the title character Gunga Din, played by the then relatively unknown Sam Jaffe. Jaffe is pitch-perfect in the role of the beastie, or water-carrier, who dreams of becoming a soldier. Film historian Rudy Behlmer tells us on the commentary track that Jaffe modeled his performance on Sabu, the Indian actor who was the first choice but unavailable for the role. Jaffe, we're told, approached the role as if he were Sabu a derivative approach who's only virtue is that it works. Jaffe's Din IS humanity childlike, questing, capable of deeds that make hardened soldiers (and most of the audience, I wager), weep. Din's simple wish is to be accepted, and it is Din who is the soul of this movie.

GUNGA DIN is the best action movie ever, bar none. Strongest recommendation for this essential movie.

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This is it -THE most memorable of Hollywood's high-water action epics; yeah, I love "Captain Blood" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood"; sure, there is nothing like "The Prisoner of Zenda" (with Ronald Colman) for sheer derring-do and slapdash romantics but . . . "Gunga Din" says and does it all -with a broad touch of screwball, bravado, wit, camaraderie, brashness, exuberance and downright pleased as punch with itself fun; it's the only film I can watch beginning to end, more delighted with each viewing and unbelieving that, after two hours, there isn't more; and does it have anything to do with the Kipling poem? Some . . . but does that matter? Not at all; this is a film about the right stuff in British India during an 1880's resurgence of Thuggee (the murderous Kali-worshipping stranglers that Indiana Jones had to contend with in "The Temple of Doom"); Spielberg and Lucas owe a lot to Stevens and "Gunga Din"; as does any director worth his salt who wants to take a good shot at an action film that people will want to sit through over and over. Yeah, "Gunga Din" is broadly acted, the action scenes are probably sped up, the black and white photography gets a little grainy (someone please restore this movie! ), but who cares -the music, script, direction are sublime; the acting charming; the end is something to get on your feet for. And it's only 61 years old. Let's hope an enlightened studio rereleases ito n video and DVD real soon. Like maybe for the holidays?

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This 1939 favorite is a rousing, rip roaring, action/adventure buddy movie that takes place in India during the British Raj in what looks to be sometime during the latter part of the nineteenth century. There, the British run into a spot of trouble, as the notorious Thuggee cult that worshipped the goddess Kali and was ostensibly wiped out by the British years earlier seems to be enjoying a resurgence.

At one time, this ancient murderous cult of professional thieves numbered as many as ten thousand, and it members, called Thugs. At the height of their power, Thugs would kill approximately thirty thousand unsuspecting people a year, often innocent travelers on the road. Thugs had an interesting modus operandi, as they would kill their victims by garroting them with a weighted scarf, relieve them of their worldly possessions, and then quickly bury them in graves, so that the victims would appear to have vanished off the face of the earth. This killer cult flourished for centuries in India, until the British, with the cooperation of the existing Indian government of the time, decimated their ranks, making them a curious relic of India's colorful past.

So, when it becomes apparent that Thugs are once again on the rise, it is of utmost concern to British officers, especially as these Thugs seem to be destroying communications by cutting down the lines over which telegraph signals are transmitted. Meanwhile, in one British outpost, three military buddies, cut-up Sgt. Archibald Cutter (Cary Grant), blustery Sgt. 'Mac' McChesney (Victor McLaglen ), and dashing Sgt. Thomas Ballantine (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) are involved in a free wheeling brawl with others. This is the viewer's introduction to these three buddies, whose motto seems to be all for one, and one for all. They are the functional equivalent of the three musketeers in the army of the British Raj. They are also the one's selected to investigate the mysterious downing of the lines of communication. What they discover ends up in a rousing skirmish by a small band of Thugs.

When they return to their outpost, down but not out, they are going to be sent back out for further investigation, only this time it initially appears that Ballantine will not be going, as his enlistment is up and, much to the chagrin of his comrades, he is scheduled to marry a young, beautiful woman (Joan Fonataine). Of course, boys will be boys, and peer pressure wins out. So, Ballantine goes off with his buddies, ostensibly for one last time. Accompanying them and their men is the garrison's regimental water bearer or bhisti, Gunga Din (Sam Jaffe), a simple man who harbors a secret desire to be a soldier and bugler in the British army.

When Cutter and Gunga Din accidentally stumble upon the ancient golden temple of Kali and its Thug adherents, they discover that the Thugs are led by a charismatic, highly articulate and intelligent Guru (Eduardo Ciannelli). This Guru, angry at the decimation of the Thuggee cult, has gathered its remaining adherents in order to attack the British and drive them out of India. He is determined to oust the British Empire from India, so that his own may flourish as they did in the old days. In order to allow Gunga Din to go back for help, Cutter then does the unthinkable. This leads to a series of rousing events that are sure to keep the viewer riveted to the screen.

While the film is not an adaptation of Rudyard's Kipling's poem of the same name, the essence of the character Gunga Din, played by Sam Jaffe, is that of the character in Kipling's poem. In fact, Rudyard Kipling appears as a minor character at the end of the film and a few lines of that poem are read.

I loved this film as a child, and I still love it today. This is simply a marvelous film that, by the standards of today, may be a bit politically incorrect in parts, but remains, nonetheless, wholly entertaining.

The role of Cutter, which is essentially a comedic role, was originally to be played by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and the role of the dashing Ballantine was to be played by Cary Grant. When Grant read the script, he insisted on playing Cutter or he would not play anyone at all. Of course, as Grant was then in top form as a box office star, his wish was granted, and he does not disappoint. He is positively marvelous as the cheeky Cutter. The role of Ballantine is well-served by the debonair and handsome Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Victor McLaglen is excellent in the role of the blustery, slightly misogynistic McChesney. This trio of comrades and their adventures will keep the viewer riveted to the screen.

Of course, Sam Jaffe is terrific as Gunga Din. By the time the end of the film rolls around, one can understand the line in Kipling's poem, "Gunga Din" that pretty much sums up the character in the film, "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!" As touching a performance as Sam Jaffe gives, however, there is one performance that stands out above all others in the film. Given the cast in this film, it is high praise, indeed! That singular recognition goes to the Italian born, veteran actor, Eduardo Ciannelli. Known mostly for the gangster roles that he played, Ciannelli outdid himself with his hypnotic and compelling performance as the fanatical Guru. His is the standout performance in a film riddled with excellent ones.

To my surprise, the film was shot on location in Lone Pine, California, although, while watching it, I would have sworn that it had been shot in the Northwest Frontier of India, somewhere along the Khyber Pass. George Stevens did a great job of directing this film and making it a favorite of many film buffs. This is a film worthy of a place in one's personal film collection. Bravo!

Buy It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 11:52:00 -0800

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Rather than review the content of this almost universally beloved film, I'm just going to comment about the quality of the 2006 60th Anniversary Edition DVD itself. I've since written an updated review about a new edition of this title, now available in a "Two-Disc Collector's Set." Please find that review -which was posted on December 13, 2008. (Amazon has posted my 2006 review in both places -even though the "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD is DIFFERENT from the "Two-Disc Collector's Set". Read my write-up for the "Two-Disc Collector's Set" -again, it's DATED 2008 and too early to rank among the "most helpful" reviews -to better decide which product you prefer.)

I've owned nearly every version of this title in almost every format available on home video during the past 25 years. It's true that the CONTENT of this Viacom/Paramount DVD -including its special features -is identical to the Republic Pictures Home Video release more than 10 years ago.

However, this 60th Anniversary edition is spectacular for several different and extremely important reasons. (I'll address the criticisms some people have leveled about the sound on this 2006 DVD in a little bit, so stick with me.)

You don't have to be a technical expert to immediately notice the striking improvement of the picture AND sound in this 2006 edition. The print is crystal-clear and in my view, has more vividness and sharpness than ALL other previous releases of this title on home video.

Proof? I put my "old" THX-version DVD issued by Republic Pictures / Artisan Home Video (the former DVD gold standard for this title) -into my Sony multi-changer DVD player -and watched and listened to every frame of this film AND its special features. I stopped and started this "older" DVD in several spots -and stopped and started the new 2006 Paramount edition repeatedly -so I could compare quality almost "side-by-side."

Hands down -this 2006 version is fabulous. The spots and dirt have been wiped clean, the sharpness and contrast are arguably better than what film audiences saw 60 years ago. There are no ragged spots, no jumped frames and no lint, fiber or hair fragments along the edges or jumping across the screen. I believe the technicians at Paramount (which acquired Republic Pictures Home Video) -digitally cleaned EVERY frame of the last DVD release -so that the film now looks like a million dollars. It's almost too pristine, if there is such a thing. No jump cuts, no "jump ahead" sound breaks, no fogged-out scenes, nothing ragged -with the result being the cleanest and purest version of "It's A Wonderful Life" ever issued in home video history.

It gets better. English subtitles were available on older DVD versions of this title, but the 2006 version has a cleaner typeface, wiping out some of the confusing and unnecessary attributions of "who's saying what" that were disruptive to some hearing-impaired viewers. In this 2006 version, you'll get a mostly straight, line-by-line reading of what's being said -as it's being said.

Meanwhile, the DVD's special features -which include the same pair of documentaries produced in 1990 and 1991 -are identical in that they were shot on video tape hence there isn't much improvement in picture quality. However, subtitles that WERE NOT available for these special features -are NOW available in this 2006 edition. The only "extra" to the previous "gold standard" that remains unchanged -is the original 1946 trailer. Subtitles are not available and it has the same raggedness and dirt commonly seen with vintage trailers stored separately from the films they used to advertise.

I'm highly critical of re-issued DVDs that seem nothing more than an excuse to squeeze more dollars out of buyers for the same material with new packaging. But this 2006 Paramount DVD version of "It's A Wonderful Life" is the best to date. It is NOT in color. (I own a colorized version for younger people who can't stand black-and-white. Despite controversy surrounding colorization, know that the 2007 "Two-Disc Collector's Set" has the same 2006 60th Anniversary black-and-white edition you see here -plus a new "colorized" version. This version uses the same pristine print -but has the added bonus of boasting the best "color" hues ever seen for this film, using the latest image technology available. Despite my preference for black-and-white, the quality of this new colorized version is impressive.)

Meanwhile, let's address the criticisms about the sound on this new DVD. Go back a little bit. Much was made when Republic Pictures Home Video got the THX LucasFilm sound system seal of approval for "It's A Wonderful Life" during the 1990s. But it was still two-channel mono with negligible equalization of sound effects. In this 2006 DVD, you'll get consistent two-channel mono and decent sound equalization to minimize "booming" and over-modulated portions in the film. In the old versions, you had to turn down the volume a notch during the musical portions -and turn it back up when the dialogue came back. It's a nit-pick, but you really notice the difference if you're crazy enough to do a side-by-side comparison like I did.

As for the digital sound "pops" that perfectionists keep bringing up -they're right. They're even in the spots noted by another fine reviewer who listed time codes where you can find them. But in my view, unless you brace yourselves for them to arrive like a booming train -unless you purposely crank up your speakers to carry sound throughout your house -yeah, you "might" be annoyed if you demand the same perfection for a film made in 1946 as you would for a film made in 2006. Honestly, the disproportionate attention given to these digital "pops" is, in my view, giving fence-sitters the impression that they're supersonic cracks of lightning that will make people jump out of their seats. I didn't twitch at all. They almost "blended" into the 60-year-old soundtrack. Yes, I know they're digital defects, but do you remember the zillion "pops" scattered throughout dirty prints of "It's A Wonderful Life" with filthy optical soundtracks? The audio on this 2006 DVD still wins. You have EVERY RIGHT to demand perfection for your dollars. But as a person who's more fastidious than average -I don't believe most buyers will care about a few "pops" in a film that's this old. Combine the overall improvements with the relatively low cost of this DVD -and I still say this is the BEST experience of "It's A Wonderful Life" I've ever SEEN and HEARD on home video.

Finally, another reason to buy this DVD. It's old news to some, but it's not widely known that this version of "It's A Wonderful Life" can only be broadcast by NBC. It used to air a zillion times during the holidays on every TV station on earth. It was a quick way to get tired of even a super film you think you know by heart. But Viacom/Paramount now owns this version of "It's A Wonderful Life" outright and NBC has exclusive licensing rights to air it just once or twice after Thanksgiving. This is a good thing for future generations to appreciate.

So junk the old, buy this version and be happy. It may feel painful, but it's worth it. And no, I DON'T work for Amazon NOR for Paramount Home Video.

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On November 4, 2006, I posted a review noting the side-by-side differences between the "60th Anniversary Edition of It's A Wonderful Life" vs. all other editions of this film released on home video during the past 25 years. I still stand by that review.

The "Two-Disc Collector's Set" is a different product. While it contains the same 60th Anniversary DVD in pristine black-and-white is ALSO includes a second DVD a colorized version of "It's A Wonderful Life" that boasts the best color hues I've seen to date!

If you're like me -and you prefer black-and-white films to stay black-and-white fine. But I bought this 2-disc set because I was curious about how FAR digital image technology has come since the controversial practice of colorizing black-and-white films began more than two decades ago. In short, the colorization here is spectacular.

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DISC ONE -There are NO differences between the first disc in this "Two-Disc Collector's Set" and the superbly restored black-and-white DVD released in 2006. Disc One is EXACTLY THE SAME as the 60th Anniversary Edition of "It's A Wonderful Life." It has the SAME special features, documentaries, trailers and improved subtitles. The three-to-four VERY MINOR digital sound pops that tekkies brought up in 2006 are still present but as I wrote then they WON'T be a big deal for most families watching a film like this made more than 60 years ago.

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DISC TWO -This disc has the same pristine movie in "COLOR." The results are stunning. Disc Two offers optional subtitles and NO extras and NO digital sound pops!

In my 2006 review of the 60th Anniversary Edition, I noted why I kept a "colorized" version of "It's A Wonderful Life" on video tape (Republic Pictures Home Video, 1989). Most youngsters prefer color. As they get older, they come around to appreciating the artistry of black-and-white. But early on, they still find it "boring."

I recommend fans AND critics of colorization to at least "preview" how much has changed since those chalky crayon efforts of the 1980s. A high-tech company founded in 2001 called Legend Films, which specializes in restoring, colorizing and adding digital special effects to NEW and OLD films was commissioned to colorize "It's A Wonderful Life" for this "Two-Disc Collector's Set."

While the results don't match the color of today's live action films, they're still remarkable. Given the titanic advances in digital special effects since 1989, I shouldn't have been surprised. It isn't Technicolor, but the skin tones and background colors are more lifelike, enabling "It's A Wonderful Life" to JUMP off the screen like never before. It looks brighter, cleaner and more beautiful. You can almost smell Donna Reed's hair and see the panic in her brown eyes when James Stewart hovers over her when they're on the phone in the scene just before they get married.

Think of well-preserved color movies made during the 1940s or 1950s that weren't in Technicolor, but shot on different color film stock that's still beautiful today. That's what the new colorized version of "It's A Wonderful Life" looks like. It's "vintage" color, not "contemporary" color. And unless you're a technician who understands things like fading or shifting colors, you might not be able to tell the difference between what's original or colorized. Why? Because most of us are conditioned to expect LESS technical sophistication from films made in 1946 vs. 2006.

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Yes, colorization does alter an artist's "original vision." But the technology behind it has improved tremendously in 20 years. What this means to the future of colorizing black-and-white films, including "untouchable" classics is a subject for another day.

The solution for tekkies? Buy this "Two-Disc Collector's Set," put colorized Disc Two into your player and simply turn down the color on your TV! You'll now have the cleanest SOUND and PICTURE of "It's A Wonderful Life" ever better than it was for audiences in 1946! Moreover, it'll be easier to get your kids to watch the colorized version before "they graduate" to the black-and-white original. I hope this helps.

Best Deals for It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

If you are reading this review you likely already know and love this movie. For me, it is the epitome of holiday movies with great acting along with a terrific script and tight direction. If you have never seen it in some ways I envy you just buy it and enjoy!

As I was growing up this film was shown repeatedly on television as it had lapsed into the public domain. Somehow, it was retrieved from public domain with some legal wrangling and though at first I thought of that as a bad thing the quality of the film has benefited now that there is money to be made on this old classic. The initial DVDs available for this film from the public domain era were very poor quality and only recently were better scans completed. That process has been taken to "the nth degree" for the blu-ray release.

For this review I did watch the first few minutes of the Republic Pictures DVD version which last time I checked into this was the best transfer available. I recall when first seeing it that it was far superior to other versions and light-years ahead of the worn prints that used to be shown on TV. I played it on an upscaling player (actually my Sony Blu-Ray player). I then put in the Blu-Ray version and I was blown away at the improvement. The quality is really striking with facial detail and readable text, for example, on the bottles in Mr. Gower's Pharmacy. The print is totally clean and is as others have pointed out shown in the correct aspect ratio in which it was made. This means there are black bars at the sides on a wide-screen TV and this is normal and how it should be. To fill a wide screen TV would mean either stretching things so that the thin James Stewart starts to look more like Alfred Hitchcock or cutting off the top and bottom of the picture. Either of those options would go a long way toward destroying this classic. Sound quality is also excellent and clean.

As I write this I am watching the colorized version which I feel is less impressive. While colorization has come a long way and looks less like paint-by-numbers than it used to it is still obviously added color and just distracting for us purists that love the original B&W. That said, I wonder if the colorized version will be something that might make this film more accessible to kids (though I am planning on showing the original to my 5 and 7 year old kids!)

All in all, this is a fantastic buy and is a must-have for those that love this film and have a blu-ray player. I highly recommend it.

Honest reviews on It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Buyers beware....This supposedly "new" 60th Anniversary Edition of "It's a Wonderful Life" is THE EXACT SAME DISC AS THE PREVIOUSLY RELEASED VERSION FROM REPUBLIC PICTURES / ARTISAN!!!! The only differencne is that the new version is from the Scrooges at Paramount DVD and they've added new cover art (whoop-de-doo).

In addition, the "new" disc has the same bonus features and the same B&W transfer as the older edition. Paramount desperately needs to GIVE THIS FILM A REAL SPECIAL EDITON and stop suckering consumers into buying a product they already own!!!!!

By the way, there is NO COLORIZED VERSION on the 60th Anniversary DVD or the older release. Amazon has mistakenly listed this title as "color" and misled several reviewers to say that there actually was a colorized print on the disc. THIS IS WRONG!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

A beautifully crafted film that proved to be the apex of triple Oscar-winner (1934, 1936, 1938) Frank Capra's distinguished career, and the epitome of his cycle of works celebrating the "common man". Mr. Deeds found himself suddenly wealthy, Mr. Smith went to Washington as a Senator, and John Doe became the focus of a socio-political movement; but "Life"'s George Bailey never distinguishes himself outside of his small hometown of Bedford Falls --his brother Harry is the one who becomes a war hero, and his friend Sam Wainwright is the one who achieves financial success. George's triumph is simply his personal integrity, his code of ethics, and his strength of character --his goodness, if you will --during the unexciting course of his ordinary, mundane existence. In this respect, George is more an Everyman than any other Capra protagonist, inviting strong audience identification and response.

In one of the most exquisite performances ever given in an American film, James Stewart is superb as George. It's not an easy role to play because so much screen time is spent focusing on George's subtle reactions to the world around him. One incredible moment comes at the train station when George slowly begins to absorb the news of his brother's recent marriage and new career opportunity, and how his brother's fortune will destroy his own hopes of leaving Bedford Falls and the family business. Stewart's face is extraordinary in this scene, as surprised realization fades into quiet disappointment and finally, gentle graciousness and acceptance. Stewart's tour de force is given strong support by a superb cast of Capra stalwarts, including Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, H. B. Warner, and the phenomenal Beulah Bondi (as George's mother). And Donna Reed, in one of her first romantic leading roles after a number of years playing supporting ingenues and bits, is excellent in the warm but unglamorous role of George's loving wife, Mary.

The Republic Home Video DVD is definitely the edition of this classic to own. Like the LaserDisc before it, the DVD offers a crystal clear, beautifully restored film-to-video transfer which will amaze and delight anyone who is familiar only with the horrible multi-generational VHS cassettes, or the awful colorized version, that were commonly screened back in the late 1970's and 1980's. There are some nice bonus features on the DVD, including a "making of" documentary and the theatrical trailer. This is one DVD that you'll never regret adding to your home theatre collection!

Trivia note: If you're a fan of this movie, try finding a copy of film historian David Thomson's 1985 novel "Suspects" which continues George's story and relates the characters from this movie to many others (did you know that Donna Reed's "Mary Bailey" is actually the sister of Gene Tierney's "Laura"?!, etc.) ... great fun!

Buy Apt. 51 Robot Monster in Real 3D!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 08:29:00 -0800

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Some clever puppeteers and fans of MST3K have decided to take a stab at yakking over movies as well and for the most part it's pretty funny but still not original.The film Robot Monster is presented here in 2d although it was shown upon release in partial 3D but the parts with the puppets watching Robot Monster is in 3D. Huh? You'll figure it out.Some of the quips are priceless but you can tell they are still working out some of the bugs with camera placement. A must for 3D fans but Apt. 51 Devil Bat is much better in every way except that it is shorter.

Dukey

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...only the puppets/host segments are in 3D. The movie itself is shortened as well. Even die-hard field-sequential 3D fans should avoid.

Review of Gulliver's Travels (1996)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 04:25:00 -0800

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Contrary to popular belief, Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" was never intended to be simply a children's fantasy / fairy tale. Although the Lilliputans are cute as heck, this story has some serious overtones. As a matter of fact, although more subtle perhaps, there are aspects of this tale which are as dark and bitter as the commentaries on humankind written by the likes of Dostoevsky, Camus and Kafka. Jonathan Swift never was a very happy man.

This rendition of Swift's classic is, in a word, fabulous. It reaches to the heart of the message Swift was trying to convey while at the same time is accessible to all. It is also appropriate for a family to watch. I cannot remark enough on just how well done this film was; it would have been so easy to do a half-baked job and let it be yet another ambitious television movie that somehow went awry. I'm so glad that didn't happen here.

In truth, I have never cared too much for Ted Danson. However, in this film he delivers a surprisingly exceptional performance. So much so, in fact, that looking back I can't imagine anyone else as Gulliver. The rest of the cast did a superb job as well, and the inclusion of Peter O'Toole as the king of the Lilliputans was a great touch. (Then again, when can having Peter O'Toole in the cast of a movie ever HURT?) The direction and the way they chose to tell the story was wonderfully done. The soundtrack (written by Trevor Jones, who co-wrote the soundtrack to "The Last Of The Mohicans" among other things) was right on the $$$ for emotionally gripping scenes.

This is the type of ambitious, fervent film-making that studios can be proud of. If one Jonathan Swift were around today, I have no doubt that he could not and would not have asked for a better adaptation of his prose. A GREAT movie!

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I recall being enormously impressed with this 2-part made-for-TV movie when it was first broadcast in 1996, and the intervening twelve years have not diminished it any. The production is fairly true to Swift's original, and contains many innovative and surprisingly-effective special effects (for the time). All of the cast members give boffo performances, particularly hammy Peter O'Toole in the role of a lifetime. But most impressive of all is the gentle and very sly interweaving of fantasy and insanity, where Lemuel Gulliver's state of mind continuously shifts between frames of reference both in size and veracity.

Swift's vulgar sense of humor is given free expression, and the biting satire of his political wit still rings familiar 270 years later. The film contains the free-wheeling giddiness of Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits" (1981) and the timeand frame-of-reference-shifting vertigo of "Smoke Signals" (1998). Tiny details and thrown-away background elements make it a production for rewarding repeated viewing.

In short this is a film of Brobdingnagian proportions which has received Lilliputian acclaim. This is a gap of Yahooian injustice.

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But this Hallmark TV production was so exceptional, I felt five was the least this sucker deserved.

This was the first of an extended series of high-toned TV movies produced by Robert Halmi Sr. for NBC and ABC that had production values previously unseen on television. In art direction and general feel, this production of the Jonathan Swift classic resembled "Amadeus" more than it resembled "The Winds Of War" or "Mother, Can I Sleep With Danger?".

And considering the choice for the titular lead, comic actor and former model Ted Danson, it could have been a real disaster. It wasn't! The man acquits himself nicely as the somewhat incredulous Lemuel Gulliver, the hero of a satirical tale told by the very cynical Jonathan Swift, Britain's answer to Voltaire. (Actually, Voltaire was a good deal younger than Swift and "Gulliver's Travels" was written 32-33 years before "Candide", allegedly, but they _were_ contemporaries, and had even met!)

The story features very fanciful alllusions to pettiness, classic paranoia of the delusions of grandeur variety, pomposity, a favorite target of Swift's, and superciliousness. There's the tiny Lilliputians, their opposites, the Brondignagians, the equine Houiynihms, (who, I seem to remember, were supposed to resemble giraffes as well,) and many other fantastic characters, all rendered beautifully in this, the first of a distinguished list of first rate classical adaptations shown on NBC in the late 90s.

The cast list is unbelievable...people who had NEVER been on TV before, like Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, James Fox, Isabelle Huppert, Geraldine Chaplin (hello!), Shashi Kapoor and John Gielgud were sprinkled all through it. The sets are incredible and acting superb. If either this or the later "The Odyssey" had been released as feature films, they would have garnered significant praise for production values and acting, as well as fidelity to their sources, (despite some serious key scene omissions,) and probably would have generated respectable box office.

Special effects, cinematography and scene direction made this a good bellwether for a raft of films unlike any TV had ever seen since the fifties, when top quality productions of plays by well known playwrights peppered prime time schedules.

The general take on the story treats the main character, Lemuel Gulliver, as someone just about everybody, including his wife, for a while, thinks is certifiably insane, as he keeps rambling on about the fantastic lands and people he has supposedly seen. Most of the "real world" story, in fact, takes place in either an asylum, where he has been committed, or a courtroom, where his case is being heard.

It's obvious to the viewer, too, that Lemuel has dreamt all of this, because these places couldn't possibly exist. However, a real curve ball is thrown in the end when a truly diminutive sheep is found and provided as evidence that at least proves Lilliput existed.

Mary Steenbergen went on after this, ( a lot of the actors were recycled in future productions of this type by Halmi,) to portray the wife of Noah in a gawd-awful NBC production of "Noah's Ark", a production that mated the story of Lot and Sodom & Gomorah, (sans Abraham,) with the story of the flood. There was a ridiculous dream sequence inserted in this disaster that showed that Halmi's production crew was getting a WEE bit too satisfied with itself as Steenbergen, especially, spoke bubbleheaded lines that seemed WAY out of place for the setting of the story.

She should have stuck with 18th century satires! :-)

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The film is told by way of flash backs. Gulliver (Ted Danson) finds himself ashore in England after a harrowing nine year absence from home. Unfortunately, once back at home in England, he suffers from periodic flashbacks wherein he provides narratives about his adventures in Lilliput, Brobdingnag, on a flying island, and elsewhere. Also unfortunately, even his wife (Mary Steenbergen; wife in real life too) does not believe the contents of his flash-back narratives. For example, towards the end of the movie she is asked if she believes her husband. Instead of saying "no," she avoids the question by replying, "I believe in him."

Everybody will be able to enjoy the brightly colored pomp and fanfares found in the various kingdoms that are encountered during Gulliver's travels. The special effects are almost as good as those found in the early Star Wars movies. Unlike most adventure movies, the movie under review has a high degree of character development. The credentials of the actors, e.g., Peter O'Toole, speak for themselves. Excellent "character actors" are also found, such as the rustic wheat farmer who discovers Gulliver and displays him in a one-man circus. In addition to the special effects, the presence of a boy character (Gulliver's son) and a girl character (wheat farmer's daughter) enhance the attraction of the film for kids.

What the movie is really "about" is not tiny villagers, flying islands, or talking horses. What the movie is really about is certain bizarre aspects of the social order, found at the time of Swift's writing. For example, one goal of the Gulliver story was to protest the practice of selling (as opposed to voting) government positions. Therefore, it might be to the advantage of any viewer, or parent, to become familiar with the social/political customs prevalent at the time. A suitable book (which actually covers France, not England), is The French Revolution and Human Rights by Lynn Hunt (1996). As with the Gulliver movie, this book explains the existance of formalized upper and lower classes, and the practice of selling government positions.

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Despite its many faults, Hallmark's 1995 version of Gulliver's Travels is still the finest adaptation of Jonathan Swift's satirical classic largely because it not only includes ALL of Gulliver's many travels but also includes the satire that's often overlooked. Unfortunately the twin problems of the book's highly episodic structure and a television budget (even a fairly lavish one) remain. The book is a somewhat rambling collection of traveller's tales moving simply from one surreal landscape to another, but Simon Moore's adaptation tries to impose some order on the chaos by providing a parallel plot that sees Gulliver returned to England clearly deeply traumatised and trying to prove his way out of the insane asylum where the rival for his wife's affections has had him committed. The England scenes at once mirror and comment on the travels, elements of which occasionally spill over into the real world. The trouble is that for the first hour or so it acts more as a distraction, constantly pulling you away from the story just as it starts to get interesting. The Lilliput scenes suffer worse here, with the feeling that the home scenes are too often designed to save them from filming the more expensive setpieces this has to be the only version where we don't see Gulliver pulling the Blefescu fleet behind him.

Yet once Gulliver makes his escape, the tone becomes more consistent as he finds his situation reversed and himself the pet of the giants of the Utopians of Brobdingnag, a guest of the wise men of the floating island of Laputa who are so engrossed in science that they have no common sense left, the guest/prisoner of a historian who learns history directly from the source, offered immortality with all it's terrible consequences before finally finding a world he wants to belong if only he can convince the sublime talking horses the Houynhnhms that he's not an uncivilized Yahoo, each new destination convincing him of what an absurd and petty species humanity is. For the most part it's a darker set of Travels than expected, with only Gulliver's curiosity and commonsense and disappointment keeping it from plunging into irretrievable bleakness and even this is offset by the scenes in the asylum where it becomes more obvious that even if he is telling the truth it may well have driven him genuinely insane. It's in these latter scenes that Ted Danson's Gulliver really shines, never more so than in an extraordinary speech where he turns his trial into a disappointed judgment on the whole human race.

Being made for television, the Yahoos are rather less literally scatological here than on the page, but for the most part this is a more adult treatment than you might expect with no real dumbing down. The star cast is certainly impressive, and for the most part well-used (if somewhat briefly in a few cases) Mary Steenburgen, James Fox, Peter O'Toole, Edward Woodward, Omar Sharif, Shashi Kapoor, Edward Fox, Ned Beatty, Alfre Woodard, Kristin Scott Thomas and Isabelle Huppert among them. It's hard to imagine the upcoming Jack Black version even coming close to being a fraction as impressive as this.

Best Treasure Houses of Britain Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 11:09:00 -0800

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This is up close and personal looks at the fine art, décor, and antiquities as they meet Baroque architecture, kingly landscapes, and historical dwellings. It an excellent docent narration by Selina Scott, making the education of some of the most elaborate Britain fine homes a pure bit of bliss. Close-ups are almost like holding the items, and helicopter views of the grounds are something only a DVD like this can give you--well, unless you are as rich as the people who built these mansions.

5 delightful homes, one per episode with

SUBTITLES available & "Behind the Architectural Styles" text bonus, plus a 22 min featurette (also with SDH subtitles). And a viewer's guide if you yet want to learn more.

1 BURGHLEY HOUSE: Cecils of Burghley, treasure collections since 1500s & England's most famous Elizabethan house. Sir William Cecil builder/architect. See Antonio Verrio's "A Vision of Hell" (17th cent) & Heaven room (the artist's masterpiece.) Wedding gift from Cosimo di Medici of a marble cabi9net, marble sculptures back to roman art, A Queen Elizabeth I portrait, & Henry VIII portrait (Eliz father) a portrait well known. Capability Brown, architect, rebuilt the roofline and landscape. Victoria (as princess), 1844 as Queen visited. Too much to list.

2 CHATSWORTH: Cavendish (mid 16th) supported Wm III. Capability Brown's landscape lives on here as well, with visitors welcome since 18th cent. Louis Laguerre's painted ceiling is unchanged. Suites built for a King went royally unused, but still ready. Verrio joined Laguerre in ceilings, Samuel Watson carved Baroque elaborateness. See works of Van Dyke, Thomas Gainsborough, Reynolds, Architect Wyattville, and a 120 yr perfectly preserved private theatre by Wm Helmsley. A gravity fed fountain, WOW.

3 BLENHEIM PALACE: Winston Churchill's birthplace, built for the man who won the 1704 Battle of Blenheim, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeating Louis XIV. English Baroque perfection by Nicholas Hawksmoor and John Vanbrugh. 15 yr and contains Grinling Gibbons carving, Laguerre ceilings, battle tapestries, Capability Brown landscape, and completed with the home's Willis pipe organ, which provides music through the tour.

4 HOLKHAM HALL: Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leichester, took a 6 yr. Grand Tour ending in 1718. Purchases yet hosed at Holkham. A Palladian mansion, Marble Hall of Roman style in alabaster from Derbyshire. Wm Kent orig architect. Saloon filled with Peter Paul Rubens & Anthony Van Dyck. Many secret doors, 25,000 acres, and the Earl's portrait by Gainsborough.

A good companion DVD for this episode is Brian Sewell's Grand Tour of Italy, see where the Earl toured for 6 years since most of his tour was Italy.

5 BOUGHTON HOUSE: English Versailles, Ralph Montague, former Fr. Ambassador, inherited the Northamptonshire house filling it with art & treasures of France. 40, yes I meant to say 40, Anthony Van Dycks. Also Gainsborough and so many more. Wm III would visit in 1694 and nothing has changed sine then. See England's first parquet floor. Large armory too, including an early gatling gun.

History, Fine Arts, Architecture, Travel, Antiques, all reasons for this to be in a home, public, or educational (HS to Univ) library.

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I love my old VHS tapes of a previous series about English Houses, which tied in with an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art back in the 80's. I cherish them because they really are well done. This series is flawed though. There were issues with the sound: sometimes the music was drowning out whomever the hostess of the series was interviewing. There were too many repetitive shots of the properties from the outside and not enough focus on the actual treasures the title promotes, unlike the previous series which was all about the artistic wonders stored in those old places, with loving camerawork for the viewer to enjoy. I was also incredibly frustrated at how often the hostess of the series would comment on some portrait or work of art in front of her or behind her without there being a decent close up view of the work of art or portrait. And sometimes the camera angles were illogical, making it hard to see the art being discussed. Very disappointing. I recommend firing up the old VHS player and getting copies of the older series which I wish they would transfer to DVD!

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First of all, I'm a real Anglophile and can sit still for endless videos about the Royal Family, Stately Houses, pomp and circumstance of any kind BUT this defeated me. The s-l-o-w progress through the houses, with repeated shots of things already seen, the endless long views of the houses from the air, the stifling commentary of Selina Scott all combine for one long snooze.

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This film , spent time in only one or two rooms of the homes, giving long narratives on the details, and misssing other rooms, few if any views of the gardens or outside. 15 minutes on the foyeer was too much

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It is not as comprehensive as the VHS version that came out in the 90's but it is a very excellent overview of the beautiful historical architecture with a lot of great history education blended in.

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noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 06:42:00 -0800

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This review is based on going to see "Epic" in the cinema with my family.

"Epic" is a beautifully created animated family film based on William Joyce's book "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs (Harper Trophy Books). It is rather like a better execution of the same basic idea as "Arthur & The Invisibles" except that in this case the whole film is animated where "Arthur and the invisibles" had the human-size portions played by real actors and the miniature sections animated. Ironically that means that, this film having a star studded voice cast, several of whom are extremely easy on the eye, the film does not show them as they usually appear: but the characters are so beautifully drawn that you don't really mind.

Case in point: the heroine and central character, Mary Katherine (who prefers to be known as MK) is voiced by actress Amanda Seyfried and the queen of the forest, Queen Tara, is voiced by Beyonce Knowles. I imagine one or two dads would much prefer to have seen the ladies concerned rather than animated images for which they provided the voices. But that reaction won't have lasted more than a few seconds after seeing how well their characters were voiced and drawn. Christian Kaplan who did the casting for this film obviously did pick the cast for their voices rather than their appearance, they more than justify the choice.

MK is a teenage girl whose mother has recently died. At the start of the film she arrives at the semi-derelict house, on the edge of a forest, where her father, mad scientist Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis) lives and studies the fauna of the forest. Bomba had wrecked both his career and his marriage through his obsessive attempts to prove that an "advanced civilisation" of tiny people exists in the forest.

It probably won't be a spoiler to anyone thinking of going to see this film certainly not to anyone who has seen the trailer that Bomba's apparently preposterous theory, which no other human takes seriously, is in fact correct. Nor that his daughter finds herself magically shrunk to the same size as the tiny denizens of the forest and caught up in the constant war between two factions of forest creatures.

Although some of the less intelligent promotional material for this film presents that conflict as a battle between good and evil and I have seen it wrongly suggested that the battle in the forest might also affect our world as well the actual presentation in the film is a lot more nuanced than this. One side, led by Queen Tara (Beyonce Knowles) and her "leaf men" soldiers, represents growth, the other led by Mandrake (Christoph Waltz) and his "boggan" troops represent decay. Children or anyone else who wants to take a simple moral from the film will see Queen Tara's side as representing good while Mandrake is evil, but adults will realise that the life of the forest would actually depend on a balance between the two.

Indeed, one of the best things about the film is that the "bad guy," Mandrake, is not cartoonishly and two-dimensionally evil. Like the most dangerous villains in the real world or the best literature Mandrake is all the more formidable as an opponent because he has characteristics which in a "good guy" would be recognised as virtues. Instead of going down the all-too-familiar route of presenting the villain as being pathetic, cowardly, and full of hatred even to those closest to him, the film gives Mandrake a lot of the best lines, shows both him and his son and general Dagda (Blake Anderson) leading from the front at various stages of the film, and doesn't show them constantly plotting to betray each other.

Other strong and well voiced characters which enrich the film include Ronin (Colin Farrell) the general of the Leaf men, Nod (Josh Hutcherson), an independent minded young leafman whose dead father had been Ronin's friend, a pair of sometimes charming and sometimes aggravating molluscs, Mub the slug (Aziz Ansari) and Grub the snail (Chris O'Dowd), and a glow-worm impresario called Nim Galuu (Steven Tyler) who is also the keeper of the magic scrolls which record everything which goes on in the forest. The film also features the rapper Armando Pérez, better known by his stage name Pitbull, voicing a frog mafia boss.

Every time I go to see a new animated film I think the depiction of the characters, scenery and events could not get any more beautifully done, and every time you get to the next one you realise you were wrong, and this film is yet another visual feast. The plotting is also reasonably tight, keeping your attention, there are plenty of simple jokes for the kids and more sophisticated ones for the adults. It had me laughing at the jokes quite a few times.

Not everyone will like this film some people will see it as far too similar to "Arthur and the Invisibles" and others will consider it a bit twee and childish. But I would consider it a very good film for children up to the age of about thirteen my eleven-year-old daughter certainly loved it and which adults can enjoy with their kids.

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Simply put: The animation was beyond beautiful. It was seriously a good, clean, fun and all around awesome family movie. I can't think of anything bad about it.

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With a name like "Epic", it has to be big, or at least it should be. I was only afraid that "Epic" would be the Michael Bay of animated movies. Following "Iron Man 3" and "Star Trek: Into Darkness" in its release date and opening the same week of "The Hangover 3" and "Fast and Furious 6", it is certainly up against big competition. Fortunately, that wasn't what I saw. What I saw was an adventure of thought-provoking depth that did exactly what I love most in movies; it took me to another world and kept me there until the credits rolled.

Mary Katherine or M.K. (Amanda Seyfried) is a character who has a distant relationship with her father and is still feeling the effects of the death of her mother. Her father has been buried in his research and there is a lot of animosity between them. He is convinced that there is a tiny culture of beings inhabiting the forest that surrounds their home. There are some deep subjects in the movie that may go over some children's heads, as well as some non-charismatic moments from Collin Farrell's Character, Ronin, which may bore you and your child to death.

Honestly though, I liked that there was some complexity to it. While the movie incorporated the things that have made other Blue Sky Studios movies ("Ice Age", "Rio" & "Robots") hits with all ages, it also had a depth and imagination to it that reminded me of movies like "The Dark Crystal", "Labyrinth" and "The Never Ending Story".

It is easy to say that "Epic" is possibly one of the most beautifully animated 3D movies I've seen to date. Again, the 3D adds to the, dare I say, epicness of the film. Nestled in the yards and woods is an epic world of Leafmen and Boggans that control the life and death of nature as we know it. The 3-dimensional world comes to life as we explore a world on the backs of hummingbirds and see streams, trees, springs and tunnels up close.

There's a little something missing with "Epic" though. There's almost a dryness that leaves some of the emotions flat and never truly capitalizes on the urgency we should feel as an audience. It wasn't hard connecting with M.K. but she too easily adapts to the task she is given and despite not knowing how she will return to normal life, she seems to go ahead without emotion; fear, joy or anything otherwise. That being said, the slug and snail characters added much needed comic relief.

I do recommend "Epic" because I enjoyed myself. Although if the writers had spent less time hammering home the nuts and bolts of the miniature world culture, which we understood in the first twenty minutes of the film, they could have spent more time making a better ending to the film and fleshing out some true and more widespread emotion. It could have been a better film, but that's not saying it wasn't more entertaining than most of the stuff out there these days.

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This movie was a big hit with my family (husband and 3 kids 8-year old girl, 6-year old boy, 6-year old girl.) Part of the appeal is that it is one of the few animated films that seems equally targeted to girls and boys there are both a main girl and boy character, and just a tad of romance, but not so much for this to be a 'married happily ever after' princess type story. The nature animation is stunning, as is the view of the fairy world, and the human world seen from the fairy perspective. I loved the story (tho have not read the book so can't compare) and felt it was all carried off very well. Recommend!

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Admittedly, they could've come up with a better name for the movie, but "Epic" is by far one of the better animated movies you'll see this decade. It's a shame that it didn't receive as much in the box office, probably due to the other movies that came out around the time. A fresh film in a sea of sequels never gets the exposure it deserves. Even so, I HIGHLY recommend this film to anyone, children and adults alike.

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noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 02:51:00 -0800

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ANIMATION FOR KIDS-The enchanting story of an old tailor who sets to work to make a magnificent coat for the Mayor of Gloucester's wedding on Christmas morning was author Beatrix Potter's own favorite. When the tailor falls ill with a fever, the coat is mysteriously completed by secret helpers who leave only one clue to their identity, a tiny note pinned to one unfinished buttonhole saying" No more twist". Color, 1993 , Collector's Clamshell Case,30 minutes, Good Times Home Video, 1993, Out Of Print Collectible Video. Beatrix Potter is the author of The World Of Peter Rabbit And Friends series.100 year anniversary on cover and sticker.

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Review of The Mummy's Hand (1940)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 10:05:00 -0800

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A monster movie jolt from Universal Studios' fright factory, and the film that introduced Kharis the mummy. This foot-dragging monster wrapped in ace bandages became a standard member of Universal's classic monster family. Stalwart Dick Foran and a party of fortune hunters and archaeologists search for the lost tomb of Princess Ananka. The loyal minions of the ancient Egyptian gods, led by George Zucco, seek to thwart their purpose and protect the sacred tomb. Sometime Western actor Tom Tyler makes a one-time appearance as the mummy. As fans of classic horror films know, the mummy has a terrific thirst for tana leaf tea, a lusty 3,000-year-old love affair with Princess Ananka, and strangles everyone that gets in his way. The plot takes some time to really get going. Younger viewers may squirm a little as they await the mummy's first appearance. After the lost tomb is uncovered, however, the story rapidly shifts gears to an exciting suspense mode, and fans of classic horror films rejoice. As the wild jackals howl in the distance and the full moon illumines the Egyptian night, diabolic death holds dominion over those who defiled Ananka's tomb. Some of the exterior scenes of southern California doubling as Egypt are amusing examples of unintended humor. Checkout the primitive special effects of the mummy's glowing eyes. Again, good triumphs over the evil forces of darkness. Relax and enjoy the old-fashioned chills and thrills. ;-)

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In the 40's Universal was busy makin' monster movies! They made some of their best(The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man) and they made some of their worst(The Mummy and Frankenstein sequels). Don't get me wrong, I love all of these movies, but lets be honest, some of these films are down right silly.

'The Mummy's Hand' is a decent film as long as you look at it the right way, it's a fun picture. This "Horror" film plays up the comedy with a "wanna be" Abbott & Costello duo as the leads of this picture. This is a good thing as it makes the film a lot of fun. The Mummy and sets are good and there is some atmosphere in this first of four film series.

Please don't consider these films sequels to the original classic starring Karloff, I know they use footage from the first film, but the names have changed and the story has been altered. I rate this film 3 1/2 Stars for it's fun factor. This was the only film in this series to not use Lon Chaney Jr. as the Mummy. That honor goes to Tom Tyler. This is available on DVD on the Mummy Legacy collection and on a double bill with The Mummy's Tomb.

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When Universal dusted off the concept of their mummy, they changed the story quite a bit from the original movie with Boris Karloff. Somehow the reincarnated creature was not quite as menacing as Boris was, but these movies are still a great deal of fun to watch.

With egyptian priests, tanna leaves (which by the way, always looked like an ingredient I use when I make soup...bay leaves!) and a moldy ol' mummy, what else could an old monster movie fan want?

By the way, the longer the mummy series went, the more it became apparent to me that the only way Kharis could get you was if he got the drop on you from behind or snuck up on you. With all those bandages and 3,000 year old joints, he hardly moved faster than a snail's pace. I'm not much of a runner, but I know I could out-run him! But that misses the whole point. Anyone faced with a creature such as Kharis would no doubt be petrified with fright and couldn't move!

Recommended, along with the rest of the movies in the series.

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After having rested the saga of the mummy for almost 8 years since the release of the splendid Boris Karloff version Universal launced into a new cycle of Mummy movies to entertain patrons no doubt distracted by the horrors of the fast approaching World War.

On that level "The Mummy's Hand" is a well made and entertaining piece of movie making which never asks you to strain your brain muscles for too long. The saga of the mummy damned to eternal unrest for loving a high priestess and disturbing her burial place provides lots of opportunities for thrills and excitement and this film does not disappoint. While it could never compare with the Karloff classic I still feel it has its merits. Despite being placed in the "B" movie basket "The Mummy's Hand" has some great performers and vivid situations that were used over and over again in later films.

The film can be almost divided into two sections. The first section being almost a comic romp depicting Steve Banning"s (Dick Foran) and Babe's (Wallace Ford) adventures in Cairo and their efforts to set up a team of diggers to find the tomb of the high priestess Anuka. Almost too suddenly it then changes into a chilling drama when the mummy appears and death comes to numerous members of the Banning team. I feel the lead up to this section of the proceedings is too long in coming and really the story does meander too much before the real action around the tomb begins. Nevertheless the second half of the film is a vast improvement and the drama and horror of the proceedings really does involve you totally.

Tom Tyler, a former cowboy star for the first and only time places Kharis (after this film Lon Chaney Jnr took over the role for the remaining 3 films). He is excellent in the role and brings just the right sinister and cruel elements, combined with an almost pathetic longing for the high priestess, to make the character one we can almost feel for in a way. His look as Kharis is also different to Chaney's depiction and I feel he looks the part in a more horrific way. The film certainly benefits from a sterling supporting cast. George Zucco makes his first memorable appearance in this film as the high priest Andoheb. He would return in later films in the mummy series and as always he is most effective playing a sinister character bent on destroying the defilers of Anuka's tomb. His killing of the Dr.Petrie character is in particular very well done with our first sight of Kharis being returned to life with the juice of tanna leaves positively sending chills up one's spine. Peggy Moran makes a suitable heroine for the film and Cecil Kellaway is also on target with his depiction of the great Solvani who gets involved in the expedition to the tomb.

Overraul the look of the film is excellent. Universal had a very unique way of making even their "B" films have an expensive look to them and "The Mummy's Hand" is no exception. It benefits from the reuse of a temple set from an earlier film "Green Hell" which looks effective but unfortunately to the trained eye has Mayan or Aztec decorations rather than ancient Egyptian ones!! Also some of the outdoor locations are obviously Californian and they do have a spoiling effect on the look of the film.

Nevertheless its a good effort and certainly is an entertaining film full of atmosphere and thrills. The next installment in the Kharis/Mummy series "The Mummy's Tomb" which came out in 1942, is in my opinion the best film in the series. Enjoy "The Mummy's Hand" and lap up the old fashioned thrills that it provides.

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Though not on the same level as the romantic original, this semi-sequel is marvelous, kitschy fun, sort of like going to a carnival. The film begins as a cheerful action comedy, but builds to a climax that is as atmospheric and creepy as we have a right to expect. George Zucco is brilliant as the High Priest of Karnak, and the way Universal recycled old sets and music from past horror thrillers is brilliant. It's not Shakespeare(or even Stoker), but it is certianly good clean fun of a kind we just don't see anymore.

Dragon Hill (2010) Reviews

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I like dragons, I like animated movies, and I like the Spanish language, so the made-in-Spain "Dragon Hill" seemed like a natural fit for me. Disappointingly, not only is the North American release by Eagle One Media a pretty substandard treatment, the movie itself leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to storytelling and animation quality.

The storytelling flaws take a while to become apparent, but eventually they're the biggest problem the film has. The overlying plot involves an evil wizard from the dark ages attempting to return to the human world from his prison in Dragon Hill a mystical land populated by intelligent dragons, where humans sometimes end up for unexplained reasons by summoning an ambitious young kitchen boy through time and space to help him secure the key to the interdimensional gateway. Somehow, the movie manages to pad itself to the point that the actual meat of the conflict doesn't occur until the last twenty minutes of the movie. A lesser plot involves an adolescent dragon called Elfy testing out a flying machine built by an inventor from the 21st century; Elfy's more or less a supporting character, but he's shoved to the forefront of the movie (and the DVD cover) even though he doesn't gain genuine storyline importance until the final act of the picture. The movie feels extremely rushed towards the end, and I can't help but think that it's supposed to act as an immediate companion to its sequel, The Magic Cube.

The animation is a mixed bag. Director Angel Izquierdo had a storied career of many international cartoons behind him when he made this movie, and his experience and talent shows in the animation of the dragons: they're not at Don Bluth-level, but at least that of a higher-quality Land Before Time sequel. The human characters look a bit blander and wonkier, but the real disappointment here is the amount of computer animation that was shoved in alongside the 2D stuff. Although the sequel would make an even bigger mess of this, the computerized backgrounds and add-ins make the movie look cheap. In all, "Dragon Hill" would be a TV-quality production if it had been made in America, but I do my best to remember that European studios usually don't have the technological strength of US counterparts.

The DVD treatment doesn't help the movie's look. A relatively low-quality transfer results in a frequently static picture; and at least on my copy, the bottom right edge of the frame was constantly stuttering. Much to my dismay, there is no Spanish language track on this DVD. The English track, while not godawful, features at least a few annoying voices and, oddly, doesn't feature the American voice actors in the credits. On the other hand, the single musical number translated surprisingly well. There are no bonus features here to speak of.

I'm not a huge fan of How to Train Your Dragon, but now that that one has been released, there's really no need to investigate "Dragon Hill" unless you're a particular fan of the art style. Younger kids, naturally, might enjoy it a bit more, but since I couldn't even enjoy any of the characters, I'd say this one's age appeal stops before ten. Watch out.

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Not too many remember when this movie was released... it BOMBED in theatres.

Why?

For starters, no one was ready for a PG rated Disney cartoon... especially one that IS NOT a musical. I think it lasted about two weeks in the theaters, then Disney pulled it.

(Something else people might not realize is that, while a failure in theaters, The Black Cauldron was modified and ported over into TV. It became one of Disney's most successful animated TV series: The Gummy Bears. While Taran, Eilonwy, and Creeper are renamed and not the main characters, they are in there!)

Left in the Disney vaults until 1998, this now restored full-length animated feature is a gem, if not a bit rough around the edges. Without your standard "filler" material of songs and silly dancing, The Black Cauldron uses dialog, stunning animation, and action to keep it moving.

The movie is dark, foreboding, and just plain creepy. It is rated PG, and I DO NOT recommend letting your kids sit in front of this one alone!

But for all its good points, The Black Cauldron strays far from Lloyd Alexander's books, too much is left unexplained, and you never get the chance to really care for any of the characters. Compared to other Disney movies, this is a major change as we're always drawn in and quickly bond with the lead characters.

Oh, and contrary to what other reviewers have said, this was NOT Disney's first PG rated movie. That honor goes to The Black Hole (1979).

While this movie is a must for Disney collectors, the rest of us could pass it up and not miss much.

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In 1985, Walt Disney Pictures released their 25th animated feature in July 1985. The animated film "The Black Cauldron" is based on the first two novels of Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain" books (a total of five novels were created from 1964-1968) and is based on Welsh mythology.

"The Black Cauldron" is the first Disney film to utilize the APT process (a photographic transfer system that can transfer lines or solid blocks of colors onto cels) and as most new animated technology, the film was quite expensive to make.

It was also a Disney film in which it was an interesting risk for the company as the studio wanted to created a PG-rated animated film, especially since the original books that the animated film was adapted from, was quite dark. Because the animated film was not a musical nor was it a happy, uplifting film that many young children would want to see, the film didn't perform quite well in the box office (the film was budgeted at $25 million and made $21 million).

But times have changed since the "The Black Cauldron" was shown in the theater and with films such as "The Lord of the Rings" and television shows such as "The Legend of the Seeker" are more common place for today, there is no doubt that the storyline of "The Black Cauldron" will attract viewers and now "The Black Cauldron" will receive its DVD re-release in Sept. 2010 (the original "The Black Cauldron Gold Collection" DVD was released in 2000) to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary.

VIDEO:

"The Black Cauldron" is presented in widescreen 2:35:1 (enhanced for 16×9 televisions). The first thing that came to my mind while watching this film is how beautiful the artistic backgrounds were. There is a lot of painted with a lot of detail in the background. From the look of the wood homes or buckets, to the lush scenery of grass and water or even the detail of the dark forest, "The Black Cauldron" looks fantastic. Walt Disney had done a fantastic job with the hand-drawn animation and overall look of the film. The last film before "The Black Cauldron" was the 1981 film "The Fox and the Hound", so it is no surprise to me that because the amount of detail we see in this film, this film took years to make.

The film looks great! But because of the film's dark subject matter, it's unfortunate that the film was not appreciated when it was released in 1985 and it makes me wonder, because the film is not a box office earning classic, if it will ever receive Disney's wonderful HD restoration and remastering treatment in the future?

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Black Cauldron" is presented in Dolby Digital (English, French and Spanish 5.1 surround). The dialogue is clear and understandable and if anything, I found myself just laughing at the parts that featured Gurgi talking. Love the sound effects that went into creating his voice. I will say that Elmer Bernstein's music ("Twilight", "Cape Fear", "Bulletproof") in the film is fantastic!

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The Black Cauldron 25th Anniversary" comes with the following special features:

* Deleted Scene--(9:50) The Fairfolk: Viewers join Taran, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy as they travel into the depths of the earth and meet the Fairfolk. A combination of animation and the deleted animated and non-animated sketch of the various scenes.

* Still Frame Gallery--A compilation of behind-the-scenes artwork and photos that you can view via using your remote control (or keyboard).

* The Witches' Challenge Game--In order to defeat the dark powers of the Horned King, players must gain possession the magical sword from the Witches of Morva by solving their riddles.

* Quest For the Black Cauldron--A trivia game in which players compete against the evil Horned King in a race to reach the Black Cauldron first.

* Trick Or Treat-(8:15) A classic Donald Duck Jack Hannah Halloween cartoon from 1952.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"The Black Cauldron" probably didn't make sense to viewers in 1985 but 25-years-later, the story is quite tame and I personally didn't find the overall film to be too dark. In fact, I watched it along with my seven-year-old and he just enjoyed the film and was quite engrossed while watching it.

I found the film to be quite entertaining but by saying this, I know that the film is based on Lloyd Alexander's "The Prydain Chronicles" and the fact there are five-volumes created, If the first two volumes were condensed to an 80-minute film, you can imagine a lot of story being lost, especially storylines that were meant to focus on character development.

So, having not read the original novels, I can imagine those who did enjoy them, may feel a bit disenchanted with the film and with Disney trying to fit everything into one film and also the film missing a lot of characters from the book and I've also read that Disney did change a few things to make it more Disney friendly. But again, this was released in 1985 and that was how things were back then with Disney.

"The Black Cauldron 25th Anniversary" does add a little more content from its original 2000 "Gold Collection" DVD release. You do get the new "The Witches" challenge game and you do get a full nine minute deleted scene as well. And for those who are wondering, the animated short "Trick or Treat" starring Donald Duck and his 3 nephews is still included as well as the previous other special features as well. It's also important to note that Disney did improve it's DVD authoring after 2003, so since the film was released originally on DVD in 2000, there is an improvement in picture quality on this 2010 DVD release.

As for parents, this is a PG film and I would not recommend this film to very young children. The Horned King is an evil nemesis and a villain that can be too frightening for children and although there are no sexual themes in the film, there are parts where you see a buxom witch and seeing the character Fflewddur Fflam getting his head stuck between them. A scene which my wife did comment and was surprised to see (especially since we had our child watching along with us).

Overall, "The Black Cauldron" is a good film but I say this, having not read the original novels (so I don't share the same disappointment as those who have). I do feel that the writers really did have a major challenge of trying to incorporate so much into an 80-minute film and the fact that the film only covers the first two novels, it's a shame that the other three novels will not be made into an animated format. But I suppose if you go with this film's storyline on its own, despite having a dark storyline, in Disney fashion, you do have the happy ending.

I was very impressed by the artistic painted backgrounds and the animation was well-done. But compared to other Disney animated classics, the storyline was good but not great and I refuse to call it an inferior film because it's not inferior at all. It's just that Disney has so many great films and "The Black Cauldron" is not one of them. But I found the film to feature a good amount of fantasy and action and it looks fantastic. It's definitely a Disney animated film worth watching.

If you have not watched this Disney animated film, definitely give "The Black Cauldron 25th Anniversary" a try!

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Being an avid Disney video collector, I of course saw trailers for this release hitched onto other 1998 tapes, and was genuinely amazed with them alone. Needless to say I ran out to the store August 4 of that year to buy my copy of this never-before-released-on-video animated Disney flick and popped it into the VCR as soon as I got home. I honestly do not understand why so many people who have reviewed this movie have called it bad. Sure, it's different, and yes, it did recieve a PG rating, but those are not nessesarily bad things. And, yes, appearently it IS different from the book, but, putting all of that aside, it is a WONDERFUL movie, and, unlike some reviewers, I'm very glad that they let it out of the vaults.

Taran, dreams of being an incridible warrior, but soon finds himself reduced to searching for Hen Wen, a young pig he tends to that has run away. This eventually leads to his embarking on a quest to find the mythical Black Cauldron, which gives the one who bears it ultumate power, before the evil Horned King. Aside from the adventurous, dark mood, the movie carries other strengths, too. First off, the characters are amazing and can be related to. I too have dreams and fears just like Taran (in fact quite simmilar in one perspective), and he is like a welcome friend to me. Gurgi is cute and funny and is this movie's classic Disney sidekick; there's one in every classic, you know. Second, there's the annimation it's amazingly mood-setting and obviously helped the animators learn a great viriaty of skills they would use in later films. Finally, there's the film's tear-jerking (yes, I did say "tear-jerking" in regard to Disney's "The Black Cauldron," folks) ending and the timeless moral that is illustrated within it -I won't say what it is; you have to go rent (or better yet buy) this too-often-ignored Disney gem to find that part out. To top it all off, the original 1998 release has a very cool-looking cover, supposedly "FX packaging" according to some old TV spots; the Gold reissue has a wonderful (different) logo and cover image too.

All in all, I can't find a negative thing to say about it. The DVD supposedly has it in widescreen, which I'd love to see and the Gold Collection issue (in both VHS and DVD formats) has "Trick or Treat," a classic Donald Duck short. I don't know why I don't have this on DVD yet! It's something you and I should both make a point to get. Amazing! ***** 5/5

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To be honest, I didn't know what to expect when I popped The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Edition into my DVD player. Sure, I've heard of it, but all I really knew is that it came from Disney's "Dark Era" (like The Great Mouse Detective), and that it takes place in a Tolkienesque world. And yes, The Black Cauldron is bold and different. This is not your average Disney fare.

The story revolves around a young boy named Taran, an assistant pig keeper who dreams of one day becoming a hero. Of course, his daydreaming usually ends up getting him into trouble, like losing his pig, Hen Wen, to the Horned King (who looks like Skeletor's more competent older brother). Why would your-paint-by the-numbers Evil Overlord want a pig? Well, it turns out this pig is magic, and can tell the future and where things are. And since the Horned King is looking for the Black Cauldron, a magical object that will give him an army of undead walking skeletons, he wants said pig. So Taran goes on an epic quest to save his pig and destroy the Black Cauldron. Along the way, he is joined by a minstrel named Fflewddur Fflam, a princess named Eilonwy (apparently the Disney Princesses line completely forgot about her, just like everyone else), and a thing named Gurgi that looks like an Ewok and talks like Donald Duck. Through the course of their journey they encounter witches, Fair Folk, and other mystical creatures. Eventually, they have to face the Horned King himself.

First off, I was really surprised to discover there was another Disney Princess I had never heard of, especially since this one is much closer in age to the Disney Princess line's target market. The next thing that stood out is how dark, violent and scary this movie is: its seems more like something up Ralph Bakshi's alley than Disney's. This may explain why it was a renowned flop; people have certain expectations for Disney films: It will have action and suspense, an exciting climax, and some patches of darkness, but the overall tone of the film is expected to be light. The Black Cauldron just isn't that kind of movie; it's still a children's movie, but it is definitely more geared for older kids.

Another problem is that darker doesn't automatically equal better. In this case, the movie has a definite lack of enjoyable characters. Taran himself is a boring, bland, selfish, unlikable character who still manages to remind me too much of Arthur/Wart from The Sword in the Stone. Most of the characters are bland; those that aren't are stereotypes; and many are both. The only character with any personality is Gurgi, and he's the comic relief!

Even when a Disney film suffers from bland heroes (I'm looking at you, Herc), a good villain can save the movie. They may be evil, but Gaston, Hades and Jafar are all have some sort of lightness to them, like you know you can't take them too seriously. The Horned King is nothing like that. He is dark, evil, quite, and just plain damn scary. In half of his scenes you can't even see his face. As a result you never feel a connection to him, and it leaves him feeling like just a clichéd, humorless villain. Even Judge Frollo, who was played straight and shown to have his own weaknesses to overcome, was compelling! The Horned King, not so.

Its weak characters aside, The Black Cauldron does still manage to be exciting. I was expecting relatively mediocre animation, as in The Great Mouse Detective, but I was absolutely blown away by the visuals. The animation in this movie is some of the best I've ever seen, most notably a scene where Hen Wen is captured by dragons. The transfer on this particular DVD is brilliant, providing a nice full picture, surprisingly in CinemaScope (2.35:1 widescreen as opposed to most animated films that are 1.85:1 widescreen). The DVD also has both French and Spanish language tracks and subtitles and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Most of the special features are carried over from the previous release: "Trick or Treat" (an entertaining Donald Duck cartoon), "The Quest for the Black Cauldron" trivia game and a still frame gallery. The only new features on this disc are "The Witches' Challenge" game, which is essentially a rather dull Black Cauldron point-and-click riddle game, reminiscent of Dora the Explorer, and a deleted scene. For those hoping for the infamous "man being dissolved by mist" scene that was cut from the film for a better rating, prepare to be disappointed: the deleted scene in question here is an alternate, more boring version of when the gang meets the Fair Folk, and it's understandable why it was cut, as it would've definitely slowed the movie down. It's about ten minutes long and is told through storyboards and pencil tests. The rest of the DVD is filled out with previews for upcoming releases, and promos for DisneyFile Digital Copy and Disney Blu-ray (basically the Sprouse brothers explaining why Blu-ray is "suite". Their word, not mine).

It's really quite a shame. Here we are, given a decent movie with a good transfer and practically no special features. This seems to be the case more and more often, as of late. Considering the troubled production this movie had, we should've at least had a retrospective documentary or a commentary. If you're like me and care about special features, I'd wait until the inevitable Blu-ray release several years down the road, though seeing how poorly Disney treats this film, I wouldn't be surprised if we get no special features there as well.

Overall, The Black Cauldron is a decent fantasy movie, and an interesting experiment on the part of the Disney animation studio. Considering what a rarity it is--a dark Disney fantasy--it certainly deserves at least a rental, especially if you've never seen it before.

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In 1985, Disney attempted to do a PG-rated swords-and-sorcery animated tale based on a good source material--Lloyd Alexander's CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN. The resulting movie had a lot of winning things going for it--for one, the animation was impressive for its time, showcasing an early mixture of CG effects. A massive underscore by Elmer Bernstein (which remains one of the best for a Disney movie) substitutes singing characters here. In addtion, there are at least some well-defined (and created) characters, notably the young, inexperienced "pig-boy" Taran, the terrifying Horned King (voiced superbly by John Hurt) and of course the two "comic" characters, Gurgi (a Gollum-like character with a childlike innocence and more loyalty--and an equally cuddly voice) and Creeper (a great baddie sidekick for a villain).

And yet the movie is considered Disney's greatest failure. It is understandable to see why: for one, the movie flopped at the box office (in fact, it took more than 10 years after its theatrical debut to finally arrive on home video). Second, in trying to compress the five-volume "Chronicles of Prydain" into one movie, the story comes across as a little too overplotted and frustratingly leaves questions one is likely to have about its characters (and magic rules) unanswered. The third reason is that aside from the aforementioned quartet of Taran, the Horned King, Gurgi, and Creeper, the characters aren't as well defined or memorable as they could be. In particular, Princess Eilonwy (whose bitchiness from the novels has been noticeably toned down for the film) comes across as an underdeveloped heroine--her abrupt shift from berating Taran's boasting about who got them out of trouble to a quasi-romantic love interest felt jarring to me. The same, frustratingly, feels true for many of the other characters, even if some of them (Fflewdurr Flamm, an elderly minstrel whose harpstrings happen to snap every time he lies) are actually quite likeable and/or interesting (a trio of batty witches who hold the titular object).

But even with its flaws, THE BLACK CAULDRON is by no means Disney's worst animated feature (that prestigious title belongs to HERCULES and probably HOME ON THE RANGE). True, it is problematic, but I nonetheless enjoyed the movie and applaud the animators for painting a grim, gothic fantasy setting through art. If only the plotting and characters were better developed, it would've been a classic. I would definitely recommend reading the books to get a full experience on the universe Disney was struggling to portray but by all means try out the movie as well. It has a lot of high points and there are some great animation effects (notably when an army of skeleton warriors comes alive), even though it probably isn't one of Disney's best.

A word of caution to parents: this is probably not a good film for children to watch. THE BLACK CAULDRON was clearly rated PG for a reason--not anything in the way of graphic violence or profanity, but there are lots of scenes which do come across as nightmarish, especially those involving the Horned King.

As far as the DVD release goes, it's a bit sparse on the extras, but the slide-show feature on its production origins and spin-offs warrants the purchase alone. The visual transfer is well done (aside from a few film scratches and one period of dirt filter) and it sure beats watching a pan-and-scan version. The real star of the DVD, though is the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix. THE BLACK CAULDRON was originally mixed for six-track Dolby Surround, and the music by Elmer Bernstein comes across as brilliant and the dialogue separation is impeccable.

So there you have it, my impressions of this flawed yet grossly undervalued entry to the Disney animation cannon. True, it's far from perfect, but as long as you don't compare it to the books (and acknowledge that it was created at a time when the studio was in something of a slump), THE BLACK CAULDRON is enjoyable and leaps and bounds above the weakest animated films ever made.

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The title More Than a Game is more than a little cliché, and the most basic summary of this documentary's premise does little to refute that initial impression: the story of five inner city youths who forge something beyond friendship while pursuing their high school hoop dreams. But the journey of the "Fab Five" who made up the core of the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team in Akron, Ohio earlier in the decade is not exactly your average sports saga, filled with extraordinary characters and equally extraordinary circumstances that Hollywood could craft no better in any feature script. Any filmmaker blessed with such serendipitous narrative riches would be content to simply recount the not-so-tall tale, but director Kristopher Belman takes it an added step: bringing the larger-than-life back down to a universally relatable scale.

Figures hardly come more larger-than-life than LeBron James, the Fighting Irish alum who (as the world over has come to know) first caught national sports media attention during his high school stint and has since become one of most celebrated and recognizable stars in all of sports, let alone in basketball. With the knowledge of James's ultimate NBA fairy tale fate, the temptation would be to focus the film solely on his rise, but his story is duly treated as but one of the threads borne out of what was originally the "Fab Four"--James, "Little" Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, and Sian Cotton, whom we see in some rare home video honing their individual skills and team chemistry from way back when they were pre-teens. Playing in the Amateur Athletic Union, the quartet lived up to the "Shooting Stars" team name, building on their local Ohio successes to shock observers in a national tournament down in Florida; however, the four's first taste of national success will turn out to be just shy of complete victory.

And, like most lives, that bittersweet experience reflects the greater journeys followed in More Than a Game. Given the presence of James, one expects this to be a film full of triumphs, but what make those resonate even more strongly in the end are the relatable setbacks, obstacles, and shake-ups that occur along the way. In fact, falling into that last category are two people who will come to complete the "fab" family and help lift the entire unit to new heights, Romeo Travis and "Little Dru"'s father, Dru Joyce II. But long before those heights, each initially enters the basketball picture under less than ideal circumstances: Travis in sophomore year at St. Vincent-St. Mary's, where his surly demeanor quickly clashes with the core quartet, who had just led the school to a championship the previous season; Joyce II in junior year, who takes over the head coaching position from a decorated predecessor despite minimal experience. How the four manage to evolve into a "Fab Five" and, above all else, a family of six headed by Coach Dru proves not so much a result of their hard work on the hardwood than of the growth they each must undergo as people.

The film's structure reinforces that latter point. Instead of going the standard route of going through each person's background at the top, Belman gives the individual histories at appropriate, organic moments within the overall narrative. While this approach does mean that some events early in the film unfold without a complete familiarity with or understanding of all of the players, spreading the stories out pays off in a couple of respects. Instead of blurring into a muddle, it allows each person to have their time to shine and their respective stories breathe and remain clear to the viewer. But even more effectively, the backstories are used beyond mere exposition to illuminate certain key events that affect the group as a whole--further underscoring the greater idea of how various circumstances seemingly centered on one person can cause repercussions for the collective. Chief among these developments, of course, is the hysteria and hype that arises around James after he is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, suddenly catapulting midwestern high school hoops into a nationally televised arena. The film admirably does not downplay any of the well-documented dramas and tensions that then sprung forth from James's literally overnight fame, but instead of wallowing in sensational celebrity scandal, Belman keeps these developments in their proper perspective in regards to the bigger picture: how they affected the entire group and what they all aimed to accomplish.

That is an example of how and why More Than a Game works--showing the grounded, real-life terms and consequences of an increasingly surreal chain of events. Only a select few people can completely relate to being blessed with natural athletic ability and talent at such a young age; even fewer still would relate to being suddenly thrust into the media spotlight and scrutiny. But underneath that gloss and glamour is the classic tale of boys growing into men, of people learning the importance of the greater group glory over the individual shine, with the distinctly drawn personalities of each of the five offering a fairly diverse set of entry points for the viewer to understand and relate. Ironically enough, in balancing his attention between everyone on the team, Belman offers deeper, uncommonly intimate insight into the film's marquee name; one is a witness what is perhaps James's most critical, formative period through the eyes of those who not only knew him best, but had a huge hand in shaping the superstar "King James" so familiar to sports fans today. But if lifting-oneself-from-a-hard-knock-childhood-through-big-dreams is fairly commonplace film fodder, More Than a Game's trump card comes in an arc that is not as commonly told and even more empowering: the story of Coach Dru, as the film is just as much about him coming into his own. If James's story confirms the prevailing contemporary notion that one's opportunity for success comes--and then passes--only while one is young, that of the elder Dru counters that, rather poignantly proving that one does not have to settle for comfort and complacency, for one's true calling and self-actualization may not arrive until later in life.

That statement may make More Than a Game sound pretentious, but such weightier ideas are delivered in a very accessible and entertaining package. The Fab Five make an affable and appealing, funny and fun group, and Belman accordingly has fun, fighting the trap of talking head-and-news-clip documentary monotony and keeping the film visually dynamic. Beyond some snazzy (but not overdone) graphic work that gives the documentary staples of old photos and newspaper headlines some motion and flair, Belman also manages to lend some variety to the basketball footage, with each pivotal game edited and presented in their own subtly distinct way; for instance, some visual repetitiveness is avoided by simply not shooting scoreboards in the same way. Belman even has a little fun with the standard closing "where are they now" text cards without resorting to overwrought editorializing or labored stabs at profundity.

While it certainly helps to be familiar with the game of basketball and a fan of the sport to enjoy More Than a Game, it is far from necessary. Basketball is what brought the Fab Five and Coach Dru together and was and remains a shared passion, but the game is almost incidental to the larger idea: not only that those from not exactly the most privileged of backgrounds can indeed dream and succeed, but that one doesn't necessarily do it by oneself. Not looking out for number one but instead always looking out for each other is what made Coach Dru and the Fab Five what they were as a team, who they have become as people today--and why their story and this film are so richly moving and inspirational.

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Let me start off my review by saying that I have not been an active fan of basketball for several years now. I wound up watching this film because it received excellent reviews and my students are always talking about Lebron James, so I took it as an excellent opportunity to learn more about this young man at the center of all the hype. Having watched the dvd, I am just amazed at not only the skill and athleticism displayed by Mr. James, but the caliber of the character demonstrated by him, his teammates and his coaches. This is more than a basketball documentary , it's a life-lesson documentary that provides the added bonus of amazing footage of someone whose skills as a youngster clearly out-ranked many who play the sport professionally (to say the least, Mr. James is clearly most worthy of the praise heaped upon him). If you have kids, get More than a Game and use it as a sounding board for honest discussions with your kids. If you just love sports, get it because the footage is spectacular.

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I have to admit, I am not a big fan of basketball. BUT because of my son's love of basketball, I brought this and a few other DVD's which showcases his favorite NBA players. (Note: I am still learning the techniques of basketball.)

The highlight and pivotal point of this film, "More Than A Game," was when the team (St. Vincent-St. Mary) coach gave a serious speech to his young men and devout his faith in prayers (along with them) in a call to the Almighty Saviour. Both messages developed a strength of character to the young men whose lives are expectedly in a vacuum filled with wild excitements (promiscuity, alcohol and more). This to me was a turnaround for the young men. Although it was the coach's last and final year to train them (in their last year of high school), Coach Dru Joyce and the team thought they would win the championship. They didn't! BUT, because of their hardwork, faith, character (thanks to Coach Dru Joyce), friendship and love, these young men pulled it off and TODAY we still see the excitement some of them display. What an incredible film. I'm happy to have attain it as a gift; a gift my son will (and has said) will treasure forever. He's inspired by this great documentary. Great work! Bravo to the executors for producing a fabulous history of the St. Vincent-St.Mary's basketball team, "Irish".

Honest reviews on More Than a Game (2008)

Ok let me say this, am I a Miami Heat bandwagon fan? NO

Am I a local resident of Ohio or a fan of the Cavs? HELL NO

Have I followed the career of LBJ since 2001? YES I HAVE

I was not going to pick up this movie, at all, but something told me to see it. Yes, Im glad that I did....it is very well done. I first heard of LBJ back in 2001, and I never thought this guy would live up to the hype, but this movie covers the behind the scenes of the hype.

It is a story not of just Lebron but of all his friends and team-mates over a course of 4 yrs throughout high school. It shows the good the bad, the ups and downs...and the brotherly love that these 6 guys (Including coach Drew) had for each other from the time they hit 8th grade until 12th. What a good story. Its not the best documentary on hoops that I have seen (that would be Hoop Dreams) but it is very well done! I was impressed, and it really doesn't leave a whole lot out.

I do wish this movie would have shown a lot more games, or released a special edition that had some of his full games...but overall it is a great buy. You don't have to like Lebron to enjoy this film, cause this film is about more than just Lebron, its about life, love, team work, hard work, and 5 brothers. Enjoy, I give it 4 stars....the soundtrack is even pretty good as well!

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If you are a Lebron James fan or know one this is the DVD for you. The title states it all.

Gives you an insight into what makes the man you happens to be one great basketball player!

Cheap Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Three-Disc

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 07:25:00 -0800

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Most sequels either fail miserably at trying to "top" the original ("Miss Congeniality 2" springs to mind), or succeed beyond all expectations ("Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan" is a good example).

"Night at the Museum 2, The Battle of the Smithsonian" hits neither of these extremes: it has no pretensions about being a great film. It seems the writers and producers just wanted to make a film that their audience would enjoy, and they succeeded. Certainly, the original film was better and more original in many respects, and there is lots of continuity with the first film, as many of the characters have returned. There are also some notable additions to the cast, such as Amy Adams who is superb as Amelia Earhart (as many of my fellow reviewers here have noted).

Yet, the scene stealer in the film though is not Ms. Adams, but Hank Azaria, who plays the Egyptian Pharaoh Kahmunrah: the evil and inept older brother of Ahkmenrah (the Pharaoh from the original film). Azaria's Karloff-esque character is really well done. One of the best scenes in the film is when Kahmunrah and Ben Stiller's character (Larry Daley) argue over the fate of Jedidiah (played by Owen Wilson). I heard a rising tide of belly laughs all around me as this scene progressed: a salute to the old time vaudeville comedic dialog routines, played to near perfection by two excellent actors. Laurel and Hardy would have been proud!

Kudos to the Smithsonian for the unprecedented access and support they provided to the producers of this film. I've visited the Washington Mall and Smithsonian Museums many times, and it was great to see them on the big screen, and great fun seeing the havoc and mayhem that special effects allowed the film's characters to inflict upon our national treasures.

I like this film because it is honest with itself and its audience, and consistently delivers laughs and smiles. Is it a great film? No. Is it funny? Definitely. Is it a great way to spend a couple of hours with your better half, or the kids? Absolutely. For that reason I'll give it Four Stars: enjoy!

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My wife and I enjoyed the original "Night at the Museum" we expected to the sequel to be typical of seconds... not quite as good. However, "Battle of the Smithsonian" bucks this trend and in our opinion it is significantly better than the original. The plot is a bit silly our favorite night-watchman had made it big as inventor of useless products. His new position as CEO means that he is no longer working at the museum. The museum has also undergone a few changes namely most of the exhibits are being shipped into storage. The storage is below the Smithsonian... and that is where the action begins!

"Battle of the Museum" blends, action, humor and a numerous celebrity cameos into a fun-filled flick. The story introduces us to some Egyptian pharaoh (can't remember which one), Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon, Amelia Earhart , Abe Licoln, and miniature Einstein bobbleheads! The star of the story is the incredibly imaginative action sequences... the jumping in-and-out pictures, the banter of Abe Lincoln.... all of it light-hearted and very entertaining.

As far as the acting Ben Stiller was .... Ben Stiller you either love him or you hate him. We really did enjoy Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart she seems to have nailed the accent, look and walk plus she was very funny!

Final Verdict Recommended for everyone (This is a very kid friendly movie) but it highly recommended for everyone who enjoyed the original.

5 Stars

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Stop putting the previews of movies as free downloads. It's silly, I'm not going to waste my time downloading a movie preview. I thought it was the actual movie, for free.

Honest reviews on Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Three-Disc

Finally, a movie all ages can enjoy. And please take note, Hollywood -yes, it can be done without swearing, sex or violence. Clever dialog, great acting and effects. We're all waiting for it to come out on video. We would even have taken the kids to see it again if the theater experience wasn't so expensive. One of the only criticisms is that we would have liked to have seen more of Robin Williams character. Rest assured, this is one movie that won't leave you jimmy-jacked!

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Not sure why Amazon has decided to list 10 minute previews as movies. It's misleading and frustrating. Can you please stop listing previews? Please?

Buy 3-D Triple Feature: Dinosaurs Alive! / Wild Ocean / Mummies (IMAX)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 04:50:00 -0800

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This set is a must-own for anyone with a 3D TV. While we do own quite a few non-IMAX 3D movies, we've found that the 3D is most effective when captured by the IMAX experts, so we have gravitated to all of these available and are slowly but surely collecting them all. This set is a tremendous value as these movies can be quite expensive individually if you aren't careful. And considering these movies are only about 45 minutes or so each, any extra value is appreciated.

Contrary to what the previous reviewer said, these movies are not packed in on a single disc. The case is of the extra wide variety and there is a swinging disc tray inside to hold the third disc. Yes, there are three each movie gets its own disc and even includes its own special features, including interesting "making of" featurettes that were shot in HD. And yes, you can also watch these in 2D if for some strange reason you prefer that.

As far as the actual quality of the movies go, it's my opinion that Mummies is the best of the lot, with Wild Ocean taking 2nd place and Dinosaurs Alive trailing a ways behind. Which is mostly to be expected IMAX movies are good because they're fun to look at and typically have great narration. Wild Ocean and Mummies has some beautiful footage, but Dinosaurs relies on a lot of CG that mucks up the experience some.

Overall, highly recommended set of movies. This deserves to be in any 3DTV owner's collection.

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I like the 3D IMAX format, and my daughters enjoy watching documentaries in that format. I will be always aware of this type of documentaries on all who come in Spanish language.

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Three disc, three feature movies included in this set. If you like documentals, may be this is for you, but if you expect a little bit more action, just look for another feature. Quality is good, I mean, in terms of 3d. There is also a 2d version included in the same disc. About 3d efects, let me tell you that in certain moments the 3d efect looks just plain or 2d. I watched those discs on a Sony screen with active shutter glasses, sometimes you can see the crosswalk efect, may be is the screen or may be the movie itself, problably if you went to watch them on a 3d Imax screen you would say that look spectacular. In may opinion, let me tell you that I was expecting a little bit more action, because sometimes, it seems that more scientis have to contributed in order to make these films up to the level, in other words, we need more information about everything, a high level of research. In wild ocean feature, there are moments that seems a little bit monotonous (bored), because for a few minutes you can see just the same scene. In the mummies, we need to see more about it, I guess the director has to go a little bit deeper in the story. Finally, I gave three stars, the 3d is still in diapers, I guess we have to wait a little bit in order to watch better shots.

Honest reviews on 3-D Triple Feature: Dinosaurs Alive! / Wild Ocean / Mummies (IMAX)

you can buy the three features in this package for more than a used copy is on this site or get this one and enjoy the three imax shows on one 3d blu ray disc. Each imax show is only 40 minutes anyways so in this case it's not hard for them to do a triple pack. I have all of these shows and they are all good imax presentations. Some people don't like 'wild ocean' because it's about sardines and not the ocean though. Still this is a great package at the used price. The 3d is native , shot that way and that makes a difference too.

Cheap Caddyshack - 19th Anniversary Edition (1980)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:31:00 -0800

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A welcome HD upgrade to the classic comedy. I don't think I need to go into the plot for Caddyshack and as such I'll review the Blu-ray disc itself. The new Blu-ray has a good HD transfer, it's not the cleanest print but I don't think it's going to get any better. The sound has also been remastered to a DTS Master Audio 5.1 lossless track which is nice and expands the sound stage from the previous mono only offerings. Although strangely the original mono track is missing.

The extras are included are the Theatrical Trailer (480i) and "Caddyshack: The 19th Hole" (480i) is ported over from the previous 20th Anniversary DVD. But the real highlight is "Bio Caddyshack: The Inside Story" (HD 1080i), this new documentary is very informative and goes for over 80mins.

Overall an HD excellent upgrade over the older 20th Anniversary DVD.

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Hey, if you're reading this, you probably already know how hilarious Caddyshack is. I've gotta say I was disappointed when I purchased the 20th Anniversary DVD and it was the same thing as the 19th Anniversary VHS! I've never had the pleasure of seeing the TV version of this film, which from what I've read on other posts, has a lot of deleted footage. Why wasn't this footage included in the 20th DVD? In the trailer alone there's a bunch of scenes that aren't included in the film. How about including them? The bottom line is, while the film is great, we're starving for ALL the extra footage! I feel like I'm Spaulding and Warner Brothers is Judge Smails. "I want a hamburger, no...a cheeseburger, I want a hot dog, I want potato chips" -"You'll get nothing and like it!" Give us more!

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Y'know, I get rather disgusted when I read reviews of movies like Caddyshack which describe it as "no-brainer" and "low-brow" (see the Amazon.com review, for example). The fact is that many so-called critics really don't have a clue when it comes to comedy movies of this type. Disrespect and irreverence for the establishment has been a staple of comedy movies for years. Are the only good comedies the light-hearted drivel that the likes of Grant and Hepburn made in the 30's? Of course not!

Caddyshack features fine performances from Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, and of course, the gopher. This motion picture is replete with sight gags and one-liners that to this day are repeated by afficianados of clever satire.

You don't have to be a lowbrow to like this movie, and just because you think it's funny doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. Caddyshack and Animal House withstand the test of time as two of the funniest comedies ever made...and that stands for a lot! The next time you find someone who thinks you're a reprobate for liking this movie, get Carl the Greenskeeper to cut his hamstring...he'll never play golf again!

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This is one of the funniest movies ever, and with a great soundtrack with the dancing gopher! It's too bad that Hollywood doesn't have the courage to make politically incorrect comedies like this and Blazing Saddles anymore. Seems many people are afraid of "the message" this might send to the children. Well, "Caddyshack" didn't make me a boorish and dim witted misogynist, and "Blazing Saddles" didn't make me a racist. Both movies do, however, let me laugh at these people and help me see how stupid the behavior really is. Have a laugh and stop taking yourself so seriously.

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I'm not going to review the movie, as everyone reading should have already seen it considering it's more than 30 years old. I'm simply commenting on the Blu-Ray version and the picture and sound quality. Both picture and sound is excellent. I can't believe that they can make a movie that looks so grainy on DVD look so beautiful on Blu-Ray DVD. The color is very good, without being overdone, and the remastered sound is wonderful on my 7.1 surround sound stereo. Great buy and well worth $15-$20 if you're a fan of the movie.

Discount Sex (Silent) (1920)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 09:12:00 -0800

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There don't seem to be too many silent movies with vampy women in them, but "Sex" certainly fits the bill. Louise Glaum plays a headlining showgirl with a party-hearty lifestyle, and lots of wealthy men at her feet. Eventually she decides to settle down and marry one of them, and (surprise!) she even falls in love with him. You'd expect the story to end there, but actually it's just heating up. The vamp's young protege, back at the theater, now becomes a big star, and the little vixen sets her sights on that husband! I won't give away what happens next, but this movie was a lot of fun. You might start watching it just as a hoot, but before the end you'll be drawn in and sympathizing with the characters. I didn't expect this to be as strong a film as it is. The DVD has a little bonus section which is a slide show of scantily-dressed (and sometimes UNdressed) silent film stars, and this was a treat too. I have to admit I've watched it more than once already. Bottom line, this is a very enjoyable DVD, and I found the picture quality to be just great.

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No doubt most of us will have certain expectations from a film entitled simply "Sex", and seeing the production date, 1920, might stretch our imagination even further. The film's title caused quite a controversy back in 1920, but watching it by modern-day standards will make you wonder what all the fuss was about. The worst you'll see are dancing girls in a club called 'The Frivolity' which attract wayward married men. In fact, putting aside any expectations or images that the title might conjure up, "Sex" turns out to be a very good story with a morale and some points to ponder. Its director, Fred Niblo, has some impressive credentials directing famous stars and films like Valentino in "Blood and Sand", Fairbanks in "The Mark of Zorro" and "The Three Musketeers", Greta Garbo in "The Mysterious Lady" and not in the least, "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ". I was pleased to find that "Sex" measures up to Niblo's standard at least in 1920 before his more famous films with a smooth, flowing style as the story unfolds and the plot takes a few turns. Louise Glaum may have been cast in the vamp role in those years, but her part in "Sex" as the leading dancer and hostess of wild (by 1920 standards) all-night parties appears harmless to the modern-day viewer. She and her girls think that flirting and having fun with married men is just a game, but after some time the tables are turned on her, and this makes "Sex" an interesting and satisfying story. The picture quality could be a bit better, and another musical score other than the standard organ accompaniment would also enhance this film, but it's still quite acceptable as it is presented here by Unknown Video. However, if you're after something sexy after all, the bonus feature on this DVD might hit the mark: a slide show of several dozen surprising photos of many famous silent screen stars like you've never seen them before! Featured are Louise Brooks and Clara Bow, plus many others also some men in various stages of undress, but all of them are very tastefully done and suit the fashion of the time. This fascinating slide show, together with a quality film with a good story makes this DVD worth a look or two.

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Shortly after its premiere, in New Jersey, this film was shown in Pennsylvania, where the State Board of Censors changed the title for screenings around that state to SEX CRUSHED TO EARTH, which is comprehensible for the time, but the work is after being a morality play, with the lead character, Adrienne Renault, (Louise Glaum) realizing what the wages of her superficial existence are to be. Adrienne, star of the Frivolity Theatre in New York, enjoys stealing husbands with her major acquisition being Phillip Overman (William Conklin) whose wife she scorns when Mrs. Overman begs for the return of Phillip; a chorine, Daisy (Peggy Pearce) is impressed by Adrienne's victorious self-absorption, and when the latter disposes of Overman in favor of a millionaire, Dick Wallace (Irving Cummings), the two performers find themselves in competition for him, which buckles the flooring of Adrienne's harsh philosophy. Although baldly a melodrama, SEX has many good moments and effective scenes, is well directed by Fred Niblo, and is a proper showcase for Glaum, who at the time of filming outdistances Theda Bara in the sweepstakes for America's favorite vamp; the titles offer witty art design, editing is smoothly done and Cummings, as a wealthy man about town, gives an outstanding, nuanced performance as the axle of the story.

Honest reviews on Sex (Silent) (1920)

I'm a silent movie fan. I like to think, though, that I am fairly discriminating in what I add to my collection. This one was a big mistake. It is said that at the time Louise Glaum was replacing Theda Bara as top vamp. I can appreciate Theda's crude but pioneering seductiveness even though little remains for us to see. But this movie. The story was shallow and ridiculous. Even if it had been an interesting production, it could never have carried Louise. In looks and behavior, she just isn't believable as a man seducer and stealer. I am not so into movie history that I want to spend time and money on a bad product like this.

Cheap The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 04:24:00 -0800

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If you read my Juan of the Dead review, then you probably not only have an idea of how much I love horror films but also how much I thrive for originality and creativity in the genre. Something unique is so hard to come by anymore. It's as if Hollywood is afraid of taking risks. They'd rather remake something well-known to try and capitalize on a well-known name or franchise than go forward with something completely fresh and new because it might bomb. It makes sense on one hand, but for somebody who sees one hundred films a year or more it becomes kind of tiresome. You begin to make the most with what you have in front of you. If only a horror film could come along and be clever, original, pay homage, and offer something new for horror. That's exactly what you get with The Cabin in the Woods.

Curt (Chris Hemsworth) plans on taking his girlfriend Jules (Anna Hutchison) and his friends to his cousin's cabin. There's the new recruit to the football team Holden (Jesse Williams), the paranoid stoner Marty (Fran Kranz), and Jules friend Dana (Kristen Connolly) who is kind of on the fence of whether or not she'll enjoy herself on the trip. Everything seems to be progressing in typical horror movie fashion even up to the cellar door slamming open in the middle of their festivities. But something more sinister is going on; something that will put the lives of these five friends on the line.

The Cabin in the Woods is a horror film that is incredibly special. If you're a fan of anything by Joss Whedon and/or Drew Goddard, then you should have a small idea of what you're in for. The entire film can be spoiled in as little as one sentence or even a few words, so don't let anyone spoil it for you. The humor is sharp witted much like most of Whedon's work. The Marty character is especially hilarious. The film is so aware of the horror films it borrows from and pays tribute to and it makes fun of that fact whenever it starts to go down a similar path. It's kind of like the concept of Scream only smarter.

It's when the college students make their way down into the cellar is when things get legendary; a bold word to use perhaps but the film earns it on more than one occasion. That's all you're getting out of me as far as the storyline is concerned. This is one instance of mindblowing that deserves every opportunity to surprise and excite you. The score is just as extravagant as the film, as well. When it first begins, it's subtle and creepy. It's slow rising and a lot like what you'd expect a horror movie score to be. As things pick up though, the score becomes more triumphant and blaring. Everything is so loud and screams to be seen and heard on the best sound and video devices you can get your hands on.

The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II are the films you'll hear this compared to the most, but there were shades of Friday the 13th in there as well. The blood and gore deliver in spades, especially in the final act. You practically feel like buckets of blood have been dumped directly into your lap by the time Trent Reznor is screaming at you during the ending credits. But let's talk about that final act for a moment. You have an idea of where the film is going leading up to that point. The Cabin in the Woods is telling this story from two different angles and you think you have everything figured out. But then that one scene happens. If you've seen the film, you know exactly what I'm talking about; where everything hits the fan. My jaw was on the floor and I had goosebumps all over my body. This is why I go to the movies. This is why I love horror; to experience something like this.

The Cabin in the Woods doesn't reinvent the horror genre, but it does completely manipulate it in a way that is just so freaking spectacular that you won't know what to do with yourself. If this was the last horror movie to ever grace the silver screen I would be completely content with that. The full-length horror movie era can begin with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in 1920 and end with The Cabin in the Woods in 2012, as far as I'm concerned. My brain was turned inside out and I was never so happy to have that sensation after viewing a film. Brilliant, terrifying, and fantastically imaginative, The Cabin in the Woods makes you feel like your brain explodes during its duration and you're left piecing it back together like Humpty Dumpty after the credits. Sensational doesn't even begin to describe how superb this film really is.

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With geek god Joss Whedon (creator of TV's Buffy and Firefly among other fan favorites) on board, it's fair to say that the expectations for "The Cabin in the Woods" were quite high for enthusiasts of the horror genre. Here he shares a writing credit with the film's director Drew Goddard and the result is one of the year's more entertaining experiments. I truly think that this is a film that will suffer due to those that are willing to discuss too many of the plot points in advance, so I'll be brief in my actual descriptions. I will say this, though, the less you know about the movie--the more fun you can have. In my opinion, even the advertising campaign and trailers hint at too much. You know from the start that this isn't your typical fright fest. Instead, what is served plays up and skewers every horror movie cliche imaginable. It is both hip and witty, as well as smarter than it has any right to be. It twists movie conventions around in clever new ways and makes something that seems remarkably fresh and different. And if you're a fan of horror movies, this is simply fun, fun, fun.

Of course, we all know the genre of movies that involve a cabin in the woods (or other appropriately desolate place). Let's get a car full of kids, strand them, and then start picking them off in increasingly creative ways. At the start, that's exactly the scenario that "The Cabin in the Woods" sets up. We meet five standard character archetypes for these type of films: the jock (Chris Hemsworth), the stoner (Fran Kranz), the good girl (Kristen Connolly), the vixen (Anna Hutchison) , and the scholar (Jesse Williams). After a brief bit of character introduction, we're off to the woods. As they settle in, each rises to their individual stereotype. First there's drunken revelry, then there's the discovery of a very spooky basement, and then mayhem ensues. What's going on and can anyone survive? If you've seen the trailers, however, (and if not, this is also included as the first scenes in the movie) you know that there is something more complex at work behind the scenes. But that's all you get from me. Let's just say that the film turns into a post-modern game as much as a traditional horror endeavor.

The film really works on several levels. It's funny without being overly precious. It always knowingly involves the audience in its sense of gamesmanship. The fact that we have more information than the characters (but not everything, of course) makes us complicit in an enjoyable voyeuristic experience. And yet, there are plenty of scares and surprises in store. "The Cabin in the Woods" has relatively moderate goals, it just wants to put on a good show. The ending pushes quite far and is deliriously over-the-top. It may not stand up to much intellectual scrutiny, but I didn't care. I was just along for the ride. This may not necessarily be considered among the "best" movies of the year, but it is easily one of the more entertaining ones. And in that way, Whedon and Goddard have honored horror movie fans everywhere. For sheer entertainment, about 4 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 5/12.

Bonus Features Include:

Commentary with writer/director Drew Goddard & writer/producer Joss Whedon

"We Are Not Who We Are: Making The Cabin in the Woods" Documentary

"The Secret Secret Stash" Featurette with "Marty's Stash" & "Hi, My name is Joss and I'll be your guide"

Wonder-Con appearance with Whedon and Goddard

"An Army of Nightmares: Make-Up & Animatronic Effects" featurette

"Primal Terror: Visual Effects" featurette

"It's Not What You Think: The Cabin in the Woods" Bonus View Mode (For Blu-ray Only)

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Honest reviews on The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

I can't believe some people are giving this movie a 1..even 2's. Hello!? This movie was amazing. Probably one of the most original, UNPREDICIBLE movies I've seen in a really long time(And I've seen many). Its funny that people are saying this movie is predictable and boring because there's no way you can guess whats going to happen. Its never been done before. Its funny, gory, and you'll probably jump a few times without this movie being cheesy or stupid. Not too scary, but the unique-ness of this story makes up for it. definately go see it!

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I read some other reviews, and can't believe how so many missed the homage to practically everything that's gone before. Joss Whedon is a master, in my eyes, and I have no end of admiration. Director Drew Goddard took Whedon's script, and with a game cast, presented one of the most original "old" scenarios I've seen in many years. It starts out as a parody of The Evil Dead and The Truman Show, but goes off into the unimaginable mind of Joss Whedon, as only he could dream up. It's not a slasher film, as many reviewers were expecting, but rather a tale of survival and redemption, done with style and loads of humor.

I don't know what else to say without giving things away, but I was highly entertained...and satisfied. All said, it's an homage of all that went before, and a preview of some original material to come (hopefully).

Discount Tom Sawyer (1999)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:01:00 -0800

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If you grew up during the 80s and 90s with movies like All Dogs Go to Heaven, Secret of NIMH, Oliver & Company, The Aristocats, Cats Don't Dance, David Copperfield (Sheena Easton), The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, The Brave Little Toaster, and others, then this movie is most likely for you.

Tom Sawyer brought me the same special feeling as All Dogs Go to Heaven did about 20 years ago! Perhaps the most notable scene is where Tom and Becky get lost in the cave followed by an excellent song. Before entering the cave, Tom says it's "too dangerous for girls," to which Becky replies "you've got a lot to learn about girls."

I first saw this movie on YouTube and just had to buy it. Beautiful animation and great songs makes this movie a sure MGM classic to enjoy!

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This is a terrific movie/cartoon that the whole family can watch. Rhett Akins and LeeAnn Womack are great. It has a wonderful soundtrack for adults and children alike. The music sends a good message as well as the story being a Mark Twain Classic.

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As a huge fan of American animation, I give this Disney-esque version of TOM SAWYER an "A." The backgrounds in the film are so beautiful & the characters are well drawn, too; reminded me "so" much of Disney's older films (Robin Hood, Fox & the Hound, Jungle Book, etc).

The music is awesome; the songs are very well written and a pure joy to listen to!

I still love cartoons & animation. And this version of TOM SAWYER is an awesome film that both children & adults can enjoy together.

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cutest cartoon tom sawyer style great my kids and neighbors also loved it. get yours today.i wish to have all great movie in cartoon form.

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The seller provided quick and timely service in delivering a perfect copy of this DVD which my grandsons love. It is the animated musical version popular with young children and adults lots of good country singers. I felt so lucky to find this hard to locate DVD on Amazon. Everyone was very happy. Thank you!

Buy Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation: Caught In

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 09:25:00 -0800

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Ok, the other reviewer is whining about the lack of 3D. Whatever. This is basically a dvd which contains all the animations from Spike and Mike's Twisted Animation Festival, a traveling short animated film show with usually funny shorts. All of this should be obvious to anyone looking at this item.

The DVD is standard fare and the content is mostly good. The gem of which is, obviously, Dr. Tran. A few of the others are misfires, but on a whole, worth the money for people that want to re-live the live showings. If you're buying this strictly for Dr. Tran, you may be a little disappointed as all of the other shorts are from different people, and none, in my opinion, are up to Dr. Tran's standards. You may want to consider Dr. Tran: Number One American Icon instead, which is a bunch of shorts from lonesausage, the creators of Dr. Tran. In fact, go buy that too, even if you get this, its worth every penny.

Overall entertaining with a few misses. But gee, I would have given it 400 stars if it was 3D...

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Review of WWE: The Rock vs. John Cena - Once in a Lifetime

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 04:55:00 -0800

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Great documentary covering two of the best WWE superstars of their respective generations leading up to their historic matchup at Wrestlemania 28. What I liked most about this blu ray was that it not only included a great documentary, but also featured key moments (Cena's Rap, Rock Concert 3, Cena and Rock vs Awesome Truth at Survivor Series 2011, etc.) prior to their match. And most of all, the actual match itself from Wrestlemania 28. Great buy for any Rock fan...or Cena fan too.

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Gives you the insight about both superstars and how the rose and all the matches they had and the match vs the miz at wm27

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great dvd. great moments from the rock vs cena. a must buy for any rock or a john cena fan

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One of the greatest build ups to wrestlemania in wrestling history. It was one of the greatest matches in wrestle mania history behind undertaker vs triple h earlier the same night.

Buy U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl (2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 09:44:00 -0800

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Long time fan since early 80's. Own it all. Seen them on several tours. I like the band. Seen their concert films. Was particularly moved and impressed with the U23D I saw at imax. This U2360 Blu-ray is very hard to watch. Put simply. How does the biggest band in the world. With the biggest stage and production in one of the biggest venues in the US not consider the home viewer of this DVD? One needs to capture the concert experience. The majesty of the set. The narrative of the songs and flow of the show. They have done this before in their other video releases. Other artists like Peter Gabriel and countless others get this concept. Apparently the director and editor of this production did not. Jump cuts and shaky footage can be useful for effect and to make visual points and are great when they are used sparingly. But when not a single shot lasts more than 3 seconds and there are jarring zooms and pans in them...You get a mess. We have split screens. Super imposed shots. Quick shot of Bono's shoes to a quick shot of the back of Larry's head. Those things work in a 4-5 minute song video..But a live concert has to take you there. I think of New Years day at Red Rocks. I think of Exit in Rattle and Hum. I think of Origin of Species in U23D as amazing moments of u2 on video. This concert film does not have those moments and it is not because of the performance, the sound, or their material which is great...It is because the editor and director approached this like a communication student that just got final cut pro. I will watch it again because I own it. Maybe dig around on the disc menu for alternate shots. Or just treat it like a really expensive live CD.

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I was at that concert, and it was a typical U2 extravaganza. Exceptionally well done, and the energy, look and feel of the Rose Bowl audience and environment and U2's interaction with it was a part of its success. Afterwards, I really really enjoyed the Youtube broadcast of it that was available online for a couple of weeks before they yanked it.

Regarding the DVD, I am disappointed because I felt the editing didn't do justice to the entire concert environment in a way that was accessible. No shot was on the screen for much longer than 7 seconds, and most between 3 and 5 seconds. I have amazingly quick vision (I make my living drawing people and things really fast) yet I felt I never had a chance to focus on any one scene before another was quickly flashed, faded into, etc. There were few views that gave a sense of the hugeness of the concert. It was like blinking my eyes and another view. I'm pretty good at connecting the dots, and even though I was at that concert, the DVD never gave much of a feeling of the whole.

While the camera work and sound, etc., were very well done, I felt there was too much being thrown at the viewer, too fast. Frankly, I thought the Youtube live broadcast provided a better feel of the concert and visual experience of it, which was after all, a "world event".

Best Deals for U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl (2010)

as others have said --the quality is like a regular DVD this is not high definition by any means and cutting from one band member to another gets old REALLY fast. I honestly think Bono told them not to film him in HD so it wouldn't show their age or something. I know it WAS filmed in HD because the YOUTUBE live video was more clear than this "blu-ray" (audio wasn't as good as this tho). My wife even asked me if the DVD was bootleg!!!!!!! It just looks like the put some digital garbage on it to make it look like a standard def DVD...and sometimes WORSE than standard DVD.

and WHY is BREATHE not the first track!?!?!?!?!??! (its a 'bonus' track)

ok, good points -Bono actually sounds damn good throughout the DVD -especially on Unforgettable Fire....and of course The Edge and the others sound good too.

Honest reviews on U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl (2010)

I'm giving this a bad review based solely on the technical aspects of the disc. The video quality is absolutely terrible. For a Blu-ray I expected so much more. The video is grainy, overexposed and all-in-all very sub-par. At first I thought maybe the look was an intentional effect that would pass. I even checked my Blu-ray player settings just to make sure it wasn't my machine. Having seen the other comments on here about the video I have to sadly accept that's the way it is. It's too bad. Having seen the 360 tour and the spectacular stage show it's a real shame this is how they chose to capture it. My standard definition DVD of the 2005 Vertigo tour looks much better than this disc. Someone else said the streaming YouTube video looks better and they're right. It does.

Some have commented about the editing looking more like a music video than a live concert, and I agree it does. It doesn't bother me too much, although I would have preferred just a straight-forward approach as opposed to all the overlays, dissolves, composite images, etc.

The concert itself is good. Bono and the boys sound good (although Bono's voice isn't what it used to be) and the set list is varied, although why they chose to leave the opening song "Breathe" out of the main concert and make it a "bonus feature" is puzzling.

I wish Bono a successful and speedy recovery from his recent injury and I hope to see U2 back out on the 360 tour soon. It would be nice to see them live again since the Blu-ray does a real injustice to the experience I remember.

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ok, this is my first video review on one of the products that I've bought from amazon.I hope you like it, please rate it and enjoy it as I enjoy making the video!!...don't be so rude on the comments... Thanks!!

Cheap The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (The Fellowship

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 06:28:00 -0800

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This is NOT the review of the movies. I am solely reviewing the facts that what EXTRA you get in this set than the previous editions. I will start with very basic facts for those who are baffled by so many editions being out there.

The basic facts-

LOTR series has basically two types of moviesa) Theatrical and b) Extended, each edition are available in both-DVD and Blu ray format.

Extended versions of the movies have humongous amount of extra film footage added to the theatrical editions (approx. 30, 40 and 50 additional minutes for movie 1, 2 and 3 respectively). So, go for the extended editions only if you are a die hard fan of the movies. If you are not, the review ends here. Buy whichever movie you like in your preferred format and enjoy. Thanks.

FOR LOTR FANS-

Let's get straight to-the-point. Now, many of you may as well own the DVD versions of LOTR (Either Theatrical or Extended ot both), and if you are trying to make a decision whether to spend more money on this blu ray extended, here is the comparison-

Extended DVD set-

For each movie they have 4 discs (2 movie discs and 2 extra features); So total 12 discs. Sound is DTS ES 6.1, which is significantly better than regular dolby digital. This set is probably the most gorgeous I have ever seen for any DVD. Colorful and feature packed, it stands out in your entire collection.

Extended Blu ray set-

For each movie they have 5 discs (2 movie blu ray discs, 2 extra feature DVDs and 1 behind the scene DVD). So, total 15 discs. Audio is spine chilling DTS HD 6.1 and it has the all the betterments of blu ray (HD pic, HD sound, BD live). Also, blu ray set includes the Digital copy of the Extended Versions of all three movies (Standard definition, not HD). The set itself is a delight, with a sturdy golden cardboard package that is durable and beautiful. The remastering of these movies have been handled excellently and with respect to both picture and sound, this one is SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THE DVD.

The GOOD (Blu ray set over DVD set):

1. Video and Audio significantly improved. Excellent blu ray transfer. I have not noticed any 'darker' colors as mentioned by some other viewers.

2. Blu ray set has THREE EXTRA DVDs (Behind the Scene for each movie) apart from the 2 extra feature DVDs.

3. Blu ray set has Digital copies of Extended versions of all three movies.

4. They did not waste a DVD for digital copy. You download them straight from the server.

5. Digital copies are great downloads and super easy. Together, it's almost 10 GB download, which was overwhelming for me.

The NOT-SO-GOOD:

1. Extra feature DVDs (2 for each movie) are the SAME as those of DVD editions. In fact, the DVDs are identical when I do head-to-head comparison. These DVDs are pulled straight from the older DVD editions, nothing new added there.

2. The overall appearence of the set is not as beautiful as the DVD sets. This one is excellently packed though, lacks the colours of the DVD set.

3. Extra feature discs are DVDs and not Blu rays.

FINAL VERDICT-

If you own the extended DVD set, then buy this only if you want to have a great improvement in pictutre and sound quality. The only extra features you get is 'behind the scenes' DVDs. All other extra feature DVDs (total 6 of them) will be a duplication of what you already own in Extended DVD set. Actually, I noticed that all the extra feature DVDs here are from the various older DVD editions. The two DVDs are from the Extended DVD set, and the one 'behind the scene' is probably pulled from the limited editions of LOTR (the double sided DVDs that New Line Cinema released sometimes back).

However, if you do not own the DVD versions, then this is a must buy as this includes almost everything that you can think of (HD movies, extra features, behind the scenes, plus digital copies).

UPDATE: Also check the images I uploaded which may help make the comparison.

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Q Is it worth it, especially if I already have the DVD edition?

A To me it is because I like to watch movies at home on the biggest possible screen at the highest possible resolution. I still have the DVD editions which I'm keeping because I like the artwork and the quality gain on the Blu is significant.

Q Could this edition be viewed as 'the gold standard'?

A Yes. It has the extended cuts at the highest resolution with the best sound and the most extensive collection of special features.

Q How many Blu-ray discs are in the box?

A There are SIX Blu-ray discs. The additional 9 'extras' or 'bonus' discs are DVDs.

Q Are the movies delivered on one disc each?

A No. See above. Like the DVD extended edition, the movies are delivered on 2 discs each.

Q Why aren't the movies delivered on one Blu-ray disc each?

A Most Blu-ray players can only read single layer (25GB) and dual layer discs (50GB). Each of the Extended Edition movies require more than 50GB. Compressing them to 'under 50GB' would have degraded the quality of the picture and sound track.

Q Is the audio superior to the DVD editions?

A Yes, the movies sound track is DTS-HD 6.1 MA.

Q Are there alternate soundtracks?

A Yes. Each movie disc includes 4 additional commentary sound tracks: Director & Writers, the Design Team, the Production and Post Production Teams and Cast commentaries.

Q Is BD-Live supported?

A Yes, on the movie discs.

Q Is the BD-Live content specific to LOTR?

A No. It contains WB promotional material.

Q Will the Extended Blu-ray edition allow us to play the Theatrical cut?

A No.

Q Is the Extended Blu-ray cut be in any way different from the Extended DVD cut?

A No.

Q Are the bonus discs in the Extended Blu-ray edition in any way different from the bonus discs found in the Extended DVD edition?

A Yes. There is an additional 'Special Features' disc for each movie holding the Costa Botes documentaries from the Original Theatrical & Extended Limited Editions.

Q Are the commentaries different from the Extended DVD Edition?

A No.

Q Are there subtitles?

A Yes, subtitles are available in: English (for the hearing impaired), Spanish and Portuguese.

Q What spoken languages are available?

A English and Portuguese.

Q Are the Digital Copies on disc?

A No. The Extended Blu-ray Edition has access codes for downloadable Digital Copies.

Q What are the Digital Copies for?

A iTunes or Windows Media.

Q Will the Digital Copies be available to download forever?

A No. The Digital Copy offers expire on June 26, 2012.

Q What is the resolution of the Digital Copy?

A For iTunes, it's 853x352 (less than DVD).

Q Will there be separate Extended Blu-ray editions for each of the three movies?

A Yes.

Q Why get the Extended Edition instead of the Theatrical Edition?

A The Extended Edition adds about 2 hours to the Theatrical cut.

Best Deals for The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (The Fellowship

I already reviewed the regular "Motion Picture Trilogy" containing the non-extended editions of the legendary Lord of The Rings masterpieces on one set. However, this newest edition is a grand improvement on the previous edition. This item is a much, MUCH better investment than the old theatrical counterparts and is perhaps the greatest DVD purchase one will likely ever make.

A lot "Director's Cut" scenes are usually just added footage that doesn't do a whole lot to add onto the theatrical edition of movies with examples like Star Wars, Manhunter, or even most of the "Aliens" movies as well. The extra material is just that, extras, that wouldn't kill me to never see again.

It's a totally different story altogether with the "Lord Of The Rings" movies altogether. While the regular theatrical editions were mind-blowing, the extended cuts of the same films do wonders in fleshing out the story and expanding the characters a lot more. Several characters that were not much more than background people are shown much more screen time, stories are greatly expanded, other scenes are much more meaningful, and the movies overall have a totally different feel altogether thanks to all of the extra footage that was not included on the theatrical editions. Now as I watch them, the old editions of them are rendered almost completely obsolete due to the chopped up nature of them. I sometimes wonder if Peter Jackson grimaced when he had to leave a lot of extra shots out of the movies to fit them onto the theatres when they were released.

"Fellowship" has 30 minutes of extra footage included to a length of 3 and a half hours. "The Two Towers" was extended 43 minutes to a total of 3 hours and 42 minutes and finally "The Return of The King" is extended by a grand 50 minutes and the ultimate result is a whopping 4 hours and 11 minutes long! I don't know about you but I don't know how one can make a longer movie like this but Jackson did it! The grand total of all three extended editions is at least an astronomical 11 hours long! This is just the movies themselves.

As for all of the extras on the "Extended Editions", there are over a days worth of extras for surf through on the latter two discs of each film set. The things on them are too great to explain in detail with this review.

Whether you buy them individually or all at once on this massive gift set, "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy goes down as the greatest trilogy of all time. You could not make a better purchase. I swear it!

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Some confusion among other reviewers that somehow we're obligated to post a five star recommendation for the movie. This is an incorrect understanding of the review process. If I were reviewing the movie itself it would get a five. This review is for the product, as listed--in other words, I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUYING THIS PRODUCT/DVD. This product is being created FOR NO OTHER REASON than to dupe people into buying this movie twice...again. Those of us who were huge fans bought the original DVDs of the theatrical releases. THEN the studio FINALLY released the extended editions, even though they could have released both at the same time. Now that Blu Ray has won the High Def battle, the studios are salivating at screwing us all again the same way!

Please do not let them get away with pretending that Blu Ray can't hold both versions on one disc--it certainly can! A simple menu option would let you watch the Extended Edition when you have time, or Theatrical Edition when you don't.

Their other argument, that "Peter Jackson is busy working on The Hobbit and will work on Extended Editions later" is 100% total BS. He's ALREADY DONE THE WORK--just copy what he did for the regular DVDs onto a new Blu Ray master!

BOTTOM-LINE: The studios will make whatever argument they think will fly to convince us they can't put both versions on one disc, because they want to double their income on this movie. Which has ALREADY MADE THEM A BILLION DOLLARS. Don't play along--let friends know not to buy ANY LOTR Blu Ray that doesn't have BOTH versions on one disc.

Please do not let them get away with holding the extended edition hostage until everyone buys the theatrical versions. If you agree with my review, you can do your part to exert influence on the studio by doing the following:

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For all of you who think owning the theatrical editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy is good enough, think again. These editions are not like any other director's cuts or special editions of films that we've seen in the past. Usually, when a film has a special edition, we don't get a whole lot more added in, and it's stuff that doesn't really add anything significant to the story.

But with these editions, just the opposite is true. The extended editions of the first two Lord of the Rings films proved to enhance the plot and characters so much more than anyone ever anticipated. Characters and their journeys become so much clearer and more interesting. The story makes so much more sense. And the whole thing has been re-edited with new music for new scenes and extended musical scores for extended scenes! It's absolutely seamless! Everything that's added in really makes me wonder how I could've enjoyed the films in their original theatrical release. These extended editions make THAT MUCH of a difference. And I have no doubt that The Return of the King extended edition will prove just the same, based on previews I've seen and what's been proven with the extended editions of the first two films.

The Fellowship of the Ring has 30 minutes added in. The Two Towers has 42 minutes added in. The Return of the King has 50 minues added in. Can it get any better? Well, of course! With each movie, you get two discs of bonus features! And these are not features that are boring to watch. You really get a first hand look at the journey that many, many talented people took when making this trilogy. Everything from adaption of the books, to special effects, to the music, to the editing process, to stories that happened on set, etc. The bonus features make a whole story in and of themselves!

For some of you, you may be thinking that 3 hours was long enough for these films. I guarantee you that it was not. When you watch these extended editions, you'll seriously re-evaluate your standards for how long these films should be. And besides, it's not like your sitting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours on your butt in the theater with no break. This is DVD. It's a different medium that allows you to pause it, take a break, cook dinner, or do whatever else you want to do and then come back later to finish it. They won't seem as long, especially when you actually see how great the footage is that they added back in. Simply breath taking.

Of course I didn't wait for this box set to come out to own "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" extended editions. The theatrical versions of those two films alone WERE plenty good to motivate me to buy their corresponding extended edition DVD sets. But I'll probably buy this set anyway and sell the extended editions of the first two that I bought, just so that I can have the trilogy in this nice collectors box.

Discount The Croods (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy + Toy) (2013)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 02:53:00 -0800

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This movie was some of the most fun i've had with a movie in a long time. It was hilarious, emotionally deep and original on every turn. The moral and underlining tone is as relevant as ever. Going against everything you know in order to survive and actually live your life is something we all must come to terms with and this movie hits the nail on the head. The graphics are incredible, the soundtrack is heart racing and dialogue is fluidly natural.

From the previews I did not expect it to be this good but I was pleasantly surprised. This is an absolutely perfect family film. It's hilarious, touching and relevant. Everyone should see this movie.

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The previews for this movie made me not want to see it at all, but I ended up taking my niece & nephew to it in the theater (both far apart in ages) and they both LOVED it, and I have to admit I did too! Actually everyone in the theater watching it was cracking up, it has a ton of hilarious lines from every character in it. Best part, it was consistently funny throughout, not just in a couple of scenes, with jokes geared for all ages. A very creative story too with the family obviously (The Croods) who are the last surviving cavemen family. Their curious teenage daughter Eep runs into a more humanly "evolved" guy, actually whose name is Guy who lets her know the world is coming to an end. The Croods are afraid of life where animals hunt you at all times, but when their cave is destroyed in an earthquake, they are forced on a journey with their survival guide, Guy to stay alive. A MUST WATCH ANIMATED MOVIE!!!! Best one I've seen in a long time! The writer/director -Chris Sanders, who made Lilo & Stitch & also How To Train Your Dragon did this one! Hopefully Dreamworks holds on to him for future animated movies, Disney definitely missed out by letting that guy go!!!

Best Deals for The Croods (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy + Toy) (2013)

Well, I want to write a review, but I'm afraid you will think I'm a Dreamworks plant, or something.

This movie makes me hate watching movies with my kids...for the first 10 run-throughs. The reason? My kids won't stop repeating the lines and laughing and saying, "Dad, did you hear that part when he said 'blah blah blah'?"

This movies has it all. It is funny. It is inventive. It has cave drawings. It has unrefined, crazy, cave-man behavior. It has touching, heart-warming moments. It has action. It has death-defying feats. It has monsters, but interestingly no real villains...except the subtle Earth-Apocalypse hint. It has weird creatures and never-before-seen extinct species. It has politically-correct free/wild pets. It has family dinners, for the old fashioned, but less-than-perfect manners for the non-prude. It has dreams. It has in-laws (great for laughs). It has little side jokes and stories that make kids laugh, but they aren't stupid or simiple, so adults laugh too. (Kind of like Shrek: intelligent humor for adults wrapped in silly stuff for the kids = cha-ching!) I have watched it 3 times now to catch all the quick one-liners that I missed or forgot. You'll never guess how it ends because it never gives away the plot like most movies do. It is very fast paced. There are enough jokes and funny comments to fill 3 movies. You literally can't catch it all and savor the "funny" in just one viewing.

Just good, relaxing fun for all ages. If you like movies, you'll like this one...

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This movie is hilarious. i love the characters and the story was good. you don't see to many caveman movies and i thought that this was a good one. i just love dreamworks animation films. this is the best one since shrek and kung fu panda. the movie is not boring at all. it was well made. great for the whole family. if you have not seen this movie then i recommend you do

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My 7 yr old daughter took mom & Grandma to see this when it came out. She was so excited and it did not disappoint any of us. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It delivered a wonderful message for everyone! Now if only someone can come up with grown up movies that are original, excellent quality all around, heartfelt, and that stick with you & make you think long after you leave the theater, that's what we'd gladly spend our hard earned money to go and see. Keep these kinds of movies up, please :)

Discount Les Miserables (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:22:00 -0800

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The much anticipated movie adaptation of "Les Misérables " has arrived, and director Tom Hooper deserves praise for infusing Victor Hugo's iconic story of Jean Valjean with drama and profound emotion. Hugh Jackman is superb as the former thief who is pursued relentlessly by his nemesis, Inspector Javert (a ruthless and bitter Russell Crowe), but Valjean focuses on redeeming himself by treating others with kindness. Anne Hathaway is affecting as the desolate Fantine, forced into prostitution in order to support her child. Valjean mercifully adopts Cosette, Fantine's daughter, after her mother's untimely death.

Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen are deliciously over-the-top as the Thénardiers, greedy innkeepers who steal from their customers and extort cash from Fantine for Cosette's upkeep while they keep the lonely girl in rags. Samantha Barks's show-stopping solo, "On My Own," is thrilling. Eddie Redmayne and Amanda Seyfried are appealing as Marius and the adult Cosette. Finally, the wonderful Colm Wilkinson lights up the screen in his brief appearance as the Bishop.

Why see this film if you have already taken in the Broadway show? First, Hooper distills the essence of the plot without getting bogged down in extraneous exposition. He elicits terrific performances from actors whose faces and voices are beautifully expressive. Since much of the dialogue is sung, it is worth pointing out that the sound quality is excellent and the performers take pains to speak and sing distinctly (not a given in today's films). Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's score and Herbert Kretchmer's lyrics are often soaring, at other times tear-filled and poignant, and always unforgettable.

The audience with whom we viewed "Les Miserables" was visibly moved by this tale of self-sacrifice, love, and salvation. For an expensively mounted musical production, it is surprisingly intimate. We grow to care about the characters and are transported from the darkened theater to the turbulence of nineteenth century France. Vive "Les Misérables" and bravo to Tom Hooper and his exceptional cast.

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You know I went to see "Les Miserables" on Christmas Day. You know I convinced family and friends to not get together for dinner on Christmas evening, as was the tradition, because seeing this film was more important. I've been waiting to see "Les Mis" for months, damnit, and I wasn't about to wait any longer. I was ready to see something phenomenal. Something that would be a sucker punch of emotion...and a chance to see some of my favorite actors in a film like I've never seen before.

"Les Miserables" is unlike any film musical I've ever seen. The level of emotion is unmatched. The performances are out of this world. The story is ambitious, and the scope is huge. It's at once a very personal story about its various characters, but at the same time, these people are singing for a generation, that has fascinating parallels to events going on today. It's an incredible feat that I didn't think could be committed to film so well.

Director Tom Hooper certainly had the courage of his convictions. A film adaptation of Cameron Mackintosh and Claude Michel Schonberg's beloved stage musical "Les Miserables" had been in development hell since the mid 1980s. The pieces for a successful film adaptation never quite came together. A non-musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel starring Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman came out in 1998, but that film was sub-par at best.

Hooper assembled a cast that doesn't seem like the best fit for a musical, including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, none of which, to my knowledge, are trained singers. He then decided that these actors, as well as everyone else in the cast, would sing live, instead of lip-synching to studio-prerecorded tracks. I had not known that movie musicals typically did it this way, and that singing live was a new and scary thing. This element would heighten emotion for the audience. This idea is superb and will show to be a game-changer for movie musicals. Each actor's performance is more intimate and personal than they would have been otherwise. Hooper really wants the viewer to connect emotionally with these characters, and for the most part, we connect with these people deeply.

"Les Mis" follows Jean Valjean (Jackman), a man who was jailed for nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family five years for the theft, and thereafter for subsequent attempts to escape. He breaks his parole, and police inspector Javert (Crowe) dedicates his life to imprisoning Valjean again. Valjean comes across Fantine (Hathaway), an unwed mother who, after unjustly losing her job, is degraded to the point of no return, being forced to sell her hair, her teeth, her body and her dignity. Valjean promises Fantine that he will raise her daughter Cosette as his own, in her absence. Valjean then saves Cosette from the Thenardiers(Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, pairing up in their second movie musical), neglectful guardians and scheming inkeepers, and the story picks up years later, where Cosette is a young woman (Amanda Seyfried), living mostly in peace. A young revolutionary Marius (Eddie Redmayne) falls in love with her. The Thenardier's destitute biological daughter Eponine has a hopeless and unrequited love for Marius. These young characters dive headfirst into what would become a very important part of the French Revolution.

The story of the French Revolution, as depicted in the film, is so reminiscent of Occupy Wall Street protests that went on last year a group of young idealists looking for a better tomorrow. They're willing to die in the name of a future. They're extremely passionate and exuberant. There are protests, except, you know, they're all sung.

Yes, it's all sung. Les Miserables is two hours and forty minutes of song. There's no real spoken dialogue the entire way through. Every minute is sung live as well. And if this bothers you, please skip "Les Mis" and enjoy watching something like "Twilight" or "Jack Reacher". Tom Hooper made this film a game-changer for the way a movie-musical is supposed to work. Lip-synching a pre-recorded studio version seems economical, but today, can allow for auto-tuning and editing a singer's voice. It doesn't feel personal. The voices in "Les Mis" sound raw and real. The actors sang live onset with earpieces playing piano accompaniment, with a 70-piece orchestra being added in in post production. The music sounds extraordinary. There sure as hell isn't any auto-tuning going on.

For example, take Anne Hathaway's rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream". At this point in the story, we don't know Fantine very well, but we see the struggle that she's put through. She's at her lowest point. Hathaway half-belts and half-sobs the iconic song, the entire thing being filmed in one take. It's an extremely emotional performance that will bring any person with a heart, to tears.

Criticism that I've been hearing of the film mostly revolves around the performances of Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman, as Javert and Valjean. I think both of these guys did fantastic jobs, quite frankly. Crowe isn't the best singer in the world, but his voice fits the part of Javert very well. As for Jackman, well, it could be argued that he carried the entire film. I think he did a splendid job; the role of Jean Valjean is a giant undertaking, and I think he nailed it.

However, the real excellence of this film lies in the supporting cast. Everybody is perfectly cast, but particularly Samantha Barks in the role of Eponine. She played the same character in the 25th Anniversary performance of Les Miserables, only two years ago. One small criticism; my favorite part of Eponine's solo (and theme song to self-loathing masochists everywhere) "On My Own", the beginning part, is cut entirely. However, once you see what Barks does with this song it's easily forgiven.

Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen, who look like they're in "Sweeney Todd 2", are great comic relief as the Thenardiers. Cohen is the only cast member in this Paris-set film who sings in a French accent, however... I find that strange. Eddie Redmayne and Aaron Tveit are perfect as Marius and his colleague Enjolras. Redmayne's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", near the end of the film, will make you cry. His voice goes to extraordinary places, and in such an emotional number, where he's telling the story of his friends who are no longer with him, this is a place where the live singing truly shines.

The live singing, itself, is a huge undertaking, cinematically. Director Tom Hooper certainly had alot at stake with this project, however, there are still things that he could have done better. There are so many close-ups in the film. While they work for solos like "I Dreamed A Dream" and "Empty Chairs", they don't work for others. I also kind of feel like Hooper used the fish-eye camera lens a little too often, but these are inconsequential criticisms that don't make the film any less powerful.

I hate it when people applaud in a movie theater. I find it trite and kind of pointless, unless you're at the world premiere of the movie, with the director and actors present. However, I'm not ashamed to say that "Les Miserables" brought me to tears no less than five times. I was completely enthralled by each actor's performance, and the applause that the entire theater gave at the end was completely appropriate and well-deserved. I wanted to watch it again the minute it ended, and for a nearly three hour long film, I think that's a pretty high compliment. Don't miss it.

Grade: A+

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I saw this movie a week before it came out because I won advance screening tickets and I have known the song I Dreamed A Dream my whole life but I have never seen the musical on stage or any of the adaptations before. I went into this with no expectations at all. At first I thought the movie started off kind of fragmented and I figured because it had to introduce everybody and I was right. The film ended up as it went on drawing me in more and more and making me fall in love with it and by the end i was mesmerized with how wonderful and amazing the movie is. I believe they picked perfect roles because after i saw the movie i listened to the broadway soundtrack and i believe they did very well on picking out the cast for their vocal ranges and capabilities. I think anyone who loves the musical or is a musical person should definatly see this movie because they will not be disappointed one bit by how amazing it is.

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I'm French and I've just seen the movie (which came out last week here). I wasn't sure I still wanted to see it after reading the terrible reviews it'd been given in France (sorry!) but I'd been so seduced by the trailer and Hathaway's voice that I went anyway and I simply loved it. I haven't read the book (I've just started actually: 60 pages out of 1600... hum) but I understand why people here find the movie rather bad: it's not exactly as "social" as Hugo wrote it. The movie concentrates on the "romantic" side rather than on the criticism of the society and the historical context of the time. Yet I was completely taken. I loved the songs (I didn't know the musical), I'm a big fan of Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman and was completely delighted by their acting. I cried as I hadn't cried in a long time in a theatre and wanted only one thing when the film was over: see it again! The only negative thing in my opinion was the singing and acting of Russell Crowe. I didn't like his voice and really thought that he couldn't act and sing at the same time. There was no emotion on his face. But still: it's a great movie! Only one piece of advice to you all: read the book!!! I know it's a very biiiiiig one but it's a French masterpiece by one of the best French writers! :-)

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I've watched theater productions of Les Mis, watched screen adaptations, and read the book several times over, and this cinematic adaptation ranks highly on my list of adaptations. As a musical film, it is well put-together, utilizing a stellar cast who delivers compelling performances in both acting and singing, excellent set-up of scenes, credible costumes and sets making the period and setting of 19th century France come alive, and spectacular effects.

I read some critical reviews which found the singing of the cast members to be less than impressive. I agree only with regards to three characters Russell Crowe's Inspector Javert, and Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers. Crowe's emoting as Javert was well done with his facial expressions credibly portraying his resolute nature and steadfast obsession in hunting Jean Valjean, but his singing just wasn't up to par although to be fair some of his songs were incredibly difficult. I felt an actor who had more of an established singing

background would have fared much better in this role. The Thenardiers' portrayal did not sit well with me either Cohen's and Helena Bonham Carter's singing performances were just plain awful.

Now that I've got the criticisms out of the way, let me comment on the positives. Hugh Jackman blew me away with his performance I avoided comparing his performance to the Broadway productions because they are two entirely different mediums. These actors had to sing live on set and Jackman's background in singing with his strong, commanding voice as well as his experience as an actor really served him well in the challenging role of lead character Jean Valjean. There were scenes where Valjean displays his inner conflict the beginning when he is railing against the injustice of his imprisonment, the scene where he is praying and reflecting on the priest's kindness to him and how he experiences this epiphany of how to transform his life, later still when he has embraced a new identity and is prospering as the Mayor of a city and his turmoil when he finds Javert has been dispatched to work in his city, so much more, and all done with impeccable finesse. Even when his voice at times breaks during a performance, I found it compelling because this is how one would expect it to be in real life emotions impacting one's voice (not that people go through life singing their emotions out all the time). It was heartbreaking, 'real', and did not feel put on at all. Jackman delivers an Oscar worthy performance and I hope he gets it.

Fantine as portrayed by the beautiful and talented Anne Hathaway (I grew from a non-fan to a fan starting from The Devil Wears Prada to the latest Batman and this) just broke my heart. That one song, "I Dreamed A Dream" was so achingly poignant and full of despair this is a woman brought so low by life's circumstances and filled with despair as I watched Fantine sing, I could only think, "God, this is how I imagined Fantine when I read the book," so really, what more could be said. Hathaway embodies Fantine her hopes, dashed dreams, and her despair with heartbreaking clarity.

Amanda Seyfried as Cossette was lovely but I would not go so far as to say it was a spectacular performance but my, what a revelation Eddie Redmayne was as Marius. I've been a bit of a fan after watching him in My Week With Marilyn, and he is amazing here as the young revolutionary who is besotted with Cossette. His voice is compelling and his yearning and aching love for Cossette is credibly conveyed by his voice in song.

Eponine as played by Samantha Barks was another favorite character who also broke my heart. Her songs, delivered with such sadness and yearning, and those haunting eyes just tugged at the heartstrings. The young actor who plays Gavroche, Daniel Huttlestone, the street urchin and young revolutionary in the making delivered a performance that is memorable for its sincerity and spiritedness.

Though the movie is rather long in length at slightly over two and a half hours, I did not feel like the movie dragged at all. Each scene was carefully set up and orchestrated and the songs and dialogue all came together beautifully. When I heard that famous line, "To love someone is to see the face of God", I wept because that scene to me at least embodied what Hugo's work was all about. This is a beautiful cinematic masterpiece and I feel richer for having watched it.

Cheap All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 07:31:00 -0800

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What would we do without sequels? There are good sequels (3/10) and then there are bad sequels (7/10). So does All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 deserve a growl or a happy bark? Hmm...

The film itself gives the viewer nice looking animation, songs and introduces new characters. Okay so that's fine. The animation however is not as catchy (or dark) as it was in All Dogs Go To Heaven 1 and therefore the characters look a bit different. The first film had songs integrated in it and so does this one. Although in the original film had doggies singing the songs too I find the singing dogs in All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 to be a little corny. The songs are nice however. New characters are fine too and Charlie Sheen's voice fits Charlie okay.

Since I love the first film I also like this one very much. If you liked the first film then go ahead and get this one. All Dogs deserve a second chance you know =)

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I loved the first ADGTH. It was excellent,from my stand-point. Above most average cartoons. But ADGTH2 ? No. I liked it when I first saw it (Come one..I was like...5) but re-watching it now, I see how bad it is. The plot is non-exgsistant and TOTALY doesn't make sense with the first one. Sasha (lead female) is not a bad character, but David is whiny and annoying. Annabelle is totaly changed and her voice is WAY different. Charlie is not the same lovable rascal he was in the first movie. He's lost a sensee of real street-smarts that were so visible in the first one. You don't really conect with the characters in the movie, because you dont see them develop. Charlie doesn't change any, nor do Sasha or Itchy. David changes a little, but not enough to tug the heartstrings of the viewers. Its not a very emotional movie (Okay...1 song is), unlike the original. I just can't really get to like this movie. The three stars are for those who havent seen the original. If you haven't, and can't compare it, than it stands a fair chance. I'm not saying your going to hate it. I'm saying /I/ didn't like it.

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This was not a good movie. For one simple reason: "All Dogs Go To Heaven" was never meant to have a sequel. How could it? (Spoilers for the first movie ahead.) Charlie B. Barkin died in the first movie. He went to Heaven. Itchy stayed with Anne-Marie. That's how the movie ended, how it was meant to end. Charlie was not meant to suddenly decide he felt bored in Heaven (how could anyone be _bored_ in Heaven?) and come back to Earth. He already _had_ a second chance to come back to Earth and redeem himself. In the first movie. That's that. And Charlie in the sequel was not the Charlie we all know and love from the first movie. First of all, Charlie Sheen did a find job and all, but I'm sorry; Burt Reynolds _is_ Charlie B. Barkin. That's all there is to it. But it's more than that. Charlie did not really act like he did in the first movie. Completely different character. But I think the biggest problem I have with this sequel is that it is _such_ a cheap movie in comparison to the original. The original was about love and redemption and honor and loyalty and friendship. About letting some cynicism of the world go and letting hope come back into your life. That effect was lost in the sequel. The sequel was a cartoon; the original was an animated classic _movie_. This was one of my Dad's favorite movies, and when he passed away nearly a year ago, the original was heart-warming to watch. It helped me to believe in hope ("You know, good-byes aren't forever."). In my heart, at least, I know that Charlie is still in Heaven, and Anne-Marie (and Itchy) will see him again one day! Don't waste your time with this sequel . . .see the original classic. _That_ movie will warm your heart.

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A great buy for all who want a fun, warm, good versus evil type of movie. A cute, fun, warm, and exciting children's movie.

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I love this sequel more than the first 'ADGTH' movie, because there are better animation (Including some CGI scenes of course), the songs are more dynamic, like my favorite 'I Will Always B With You, that always make me cry, but it has backdraws:Flo and the singing aligator from last movie was'nt in the sequel, and 'ADGTH 2' is sometime's too intense and dark for kids.

Make Every Second Count Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:16:00 -0800

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I enjoyed this video very much. It's a riding video so I expect a certain level of movement. It's not skiing down a mountain with a helicopter following you, it's riding with the riders or zip lining along with them for a bit of it.

The interviews were good and the content was captured very well. It has a very personal feeling in the interviews.

The popping of the riders over the dirt hills was very good.

Also the free riding / BMX bike spins and tricks was awesome.

The video also contains lots of extras at the end.

Overall the passion of riding was captured very well.

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This fiercely independent film maker obviously has a burning passion for the subject at hand. He captures the essence of this you-are-there experience of downhill mountain biking action with great skill and compelling visuals. My favorite segment is the awesome run of mountain bikers navigating one whoop-de-do jump after another shot from the perspective of the cameraman suspended from a zip-line careening down the mountainside. This sequence is worth the price alone. Enjoy!

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I don't write reviews, im not here to hype a good movie or bash a bad one. This just isn't what i expected. Its not 1920x1080 its 1280x720 and looks like it was recorded with an HTC EVO 3D. Its very grainy, audio is crappy and reminds me of a VHS tape. footage didnt utilize 3D whatsoever. barely any depth, i mean a 2D movie converted to 3D with a basic program would have looked better. Impossible to rip off the disc into Full SBS with dvdfab or anydvdHD.

I own every single 3D bluray ever made, i have a problem... so i had to buy this one and out of all 167 that i have, this one is in the bottom 3

poor video quality

poor audio

overall boring

no 3D depth

made by amateurs

A fair price for this would be $11.99 shipped. don't waste $25 like me. This entire disc would fit on a dual layer dvd. its under 9Gb !!

R-R-RRRIP off !!!