Dark Shadows

Something of a surprise
I had two big surprises when I started watching Dark Shadows. First: the trailer was very misleading. The trailers made this film look as if it was going to be a complete comedy. Much to my delight, the film was actually a lot darker than I thought it would be. While I have no problem with comedies, I felt that making this a completely comedic film would not do justice to the original Dark Shadows TV show, in which the comedic elements were not its main draw.

The second surprise for me was that this felt like an older Tim Burton film. Now when I say that, I mean it feels like a return to his more macabre films than his recent output. Burton has always been at his best in my mind when dealing with horror elements, such as Sleepy Hollow or even Ed Wood. He draws on classic horror films and plays with their tropes. He hasn't been doing this as much recently with the exception of Sweeney Todd. Other than that he's been doing more family friendly films (Charlie and the Chocolate...

Anybody for Shadows that are Funny, Quirky yet DARK??? ****Spoiler Alert****
I really look forward to the Blu-Ray Release of Burton's Dark Shadows as it sounds like there are nine additional segments to the movie that can be watched individually or as part of an expanded feature film...if I understand correctly. For sure there is a fairly fast, fun paced DARK yet FUNNY movie.

To begin with...if you are a traditional vampire purist...you WILL be aggravated that Barnabas never encounters a Crucifix, never disappears on demand or turns into a bat nor is required to sleep in his coffin by day.

The Burton "take" on the Collins family (and employees) yields Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, her brother Roger Collins, her daughter Carolyn, his son David, Dr Julia Hoffman, Willie Loomis, Sarah Johnson and of course Barnabas Collins. "Victoria Winters" and Angelique Bouchard round out the main cast.

The flick is a nice tight jaunt of around 113 minutes and is very well paced. Most of the material seen on the movie trailers are quickly whisked...

Torture
I normally like Tim Burton movies, I get his dark humor and viewpoints. And Johnny Depp has always been a pleasure to watch in action. This movie however was horrid. The storyline was muddled, Johnny is a caricature of his Capt Jack Sparrow character, Chloe Moretz can't stop pushing her huge top lip out the entire time and does little "acting". The only saving grace to the movie is Michelle Pfieffer. She is still as lovely as always, and played a very strong matriarchal figure in a ho-hum script.

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Henry Fool

Comic Epic with Heart, Soul and Bruises
Hartley's Masterpiece: An epic, dark comedy with heart and soul and bruises.

If Hal Hartley were never to make another film, he could easily go down as having created a genuine American Masterpiece with "Henry Fool." Hartley takes this material and stamps it with heart and soul and distance. It's like staring at a palette of beautiful colors - then stepping back to realize it's a bruise. Henry is never less than this astonishing.

As Henry,Thomas Jay Ryan gives what is easily the best film debut I've seen in many years. None of the wimpy whispery-voiced drivel that passes for acting these days (from even some of our best screen actors) his performance practically pops off of the screen like a fart at a funeral. The rest of the cast - James Urbaniak, Parker Posey, Maria Porter, Kevin Corrigan, et al. - are on the same inspired level, but it's obvious why the film is named after Henry. I cannot wait to see this man in more.

Obviously...

Film is Briiliant, Both DVD Versions an Abortion
Warning: neither DVD version of this film -- the original 2003 version from Sony, or the 2012 "Choice Collection" on-demand DVD-R -- is a widescreen presentation of the original film, which was in 1.66:1 aspect ratio. THEY ARE BOTH A MATTED (VERTICALLY TRIMMED) VERSION OF THE PAN-AND-SCAN VHS VERSION, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE 60% OF THE ORIGINAL IMAGE. The image you're seeing was generated by taking the "reformatted for your TV" VHS version, which chopped off the sides of the original theatrical image, and *further chopping* it to fit the widescreen format by eliminating the top and bottom of the VHS image. I froze the image of James Urbaniak sitting during the credits sequence on VHS and the new DVD, and toggled between them: in the VHS he fills exactly 2/3 of the screen, vertically, which is clearly the way Hal Hartley framed it. In the DVD, he fills a claustrophobic 86% of the image.

The Sony version correctly identifies the aspect ratio as 1.78:1, which was a tip-off that...

An Overlooked Masterpiece
It's a shame that "Henry Fool" remains relatively overlooked and underrated. In large part because it's such a departure from his earlier films, Hal Hartley purists couldn't stomach the epic scale and thematic shift of the film, and audiences who would likely appreciate the movie never even saw it. In my opinion though, Henry Fool is a true masterpiece of American cinema and one of the best films of the 1990s. If you look at films like "Trust", "Simple Men" and "Amateur" as early, developmental works in Hal Hartley's maturation as a filmmaker, and then see "Flirt" as his attempt to identify himself more as a "director" than a "writer", then "Henry Fool" is the fruit of that labor - not only is it precisely, minimalistically and efficiently directed, but it's far and away his best writing yet. His favorite themes are expanded and blown up within a mythic frame, and his casting here of stage actors (especially the hefty presence of Thomas Jay Ryan) separates the film from Hartley's...

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Beatles Stories

Nearly 60 (mostly) insightful interviews.! A must for Beatles fans
Seth Swirsky is not a professional filmmaker (and some of the camera work here shows that), but this is heck of a fascinating documentary project. Swirsky is a musician and a songwriter, with songs recorded by Taylor Dayne, Tina Turner, Al Green and Celine Dion, as well as themes for major motion pictures. But, after playing a gig in Hamburg and hearing stories from locals about the Beatles, he decided to contact a slew of well-known folks who interacted with the Fab Four during their career. How is got access to nearly 60 (mostly) celebrities like Sir George Martin, Graham Nash, Ben Kingley (actually a performing musician before turning to acting), Brian Wilson, Smokey Robinson, still amazes me! But I'm glad he did. The 85-minute film contains about 53 of these interviews - most lasting just a minute or two and a few were done by phone - with appropriate archival footage of the period to embelish them. Some of the stories are well know, but many aren't. And the connections with the...

Terrific stories that add to the Beatles' legacy
This documentary contains dozens of interviews with everyone from Ben Kingsley and Jon Voight to people you've never heard of, like one of the original "Apple Scruffs" (girls who used to hang around outside Apple Records offices hoping to talk to a Beatle).

Director Seth Swirsky wanted to capture as many stories about Beatle encounters as possible. Most of the interviews collected in the 85 minute movie last for only a few minutes before moving onto the next story. It results in a lot of variety. Some of the stories have been told before, but most of them will be unfamiliar to even the most devoted Beatlemaniacs. Some of the people he talked to (George Martin, Norman Smith - Beatles engineer, Joey Molland of Badfinger, Denny Laine of Wings) had professional associations with the Beatles or an ex-Beatle. But others - like The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs, who happened to bump into Ringo at a party - tell starstruck stories of chance encounters.

If you watch the whole...

very entertaining
This DVD is really terrific. As you watch it each story is better than the last. The different stories are very interesting from Graham Nash to Henry Winkler to Sir Ben Kingsley to Art Garfunkel.
The worst part of the DVD is that it ends.
I would recommend this to anyone.

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Cinderella (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging) (Spanish Version)

Keep your VHS tapes, folks!
I looked forward to this DVD release for months and snagged a copy the first day it was available. My excitement turned to dismay, however, as I began to watch it. From the moment the birds open the curtains to reveal Cinderella in her bed, it became painfully obvious that Disney truly had "enhanced" the picture to within an inch of its life. Instead of restoring this beloved classic film, the images have been changed; this is NOT Cinderella as she was first seen in 1950. Just to make sure I wasn't mistaken, I did a comparison between my parents VHS tape (the original video release) and the DVD. True, the picture on the DVD was much sharper and the sound was crystal clear, but Cinderella's hair was NEVER that color of yellow, and lines that were part of the original animators drawings, faithfully inked and painted onto the original cells, are no longer visible. For instance, right at the beginning of the film, when Cinderella turns over in her bed to shut out the sun, there were...

Magical
In an effort to revive his sagging animation department, Walt Disney turned once again to a fairy tale. This time around, he chose one of the best known and oldest of them all, Cinderella.

The tale is familiar. A beautiful girl is abused by her stepmother and stepsisters and forced to work as their slave. When a ball is given for all the eligible maidens in the kingdom, Cinderella dreams of going too, only to have her hopes dashed at the last minute. With a gift of magic, she is able to go, but only until the stroke of midnight.

The story is so well known, if fact, that any story about an underdog coming from behind and winning is called a Cinderella story. Disney's job here was to make the story entertaining for 75 minutes. The solution here was creating the animals. Mice Jaq and Gus and their constant struggle against the evil cat Lucifer is funny and tying this sub-plot to the ultimate outcome is brilliant. The other standout character is the...

Cinderella sparkles like never before
Stunning new 2-disc `Platinum Edition' of Disney's 1950 fairytale confection CINDERELLA. The story is as old as the hills: Cinderella is mistreated horribly by her cruel Stepmother and stepsisters Anastasia and Drisella. Her only friends are some pet mice, the birds and her faithful dog and horse. When the Prince invites all the eligible maidens in the land to his grand ball, Cinderella is heartbroken when her Stepmother forbids her to go. Enter the magical Fairy Godmother, who, with a little "Bibiddi Bobiddi Boo" magic, enables Cinderella to live out her happily-ever-after dream.

From a historical perspective, the Disney studio was pinning it's future on the success of CINDERELLA. World War II had virtually wiped out the studio's international market and films like PINOCCHIO, BAMBI and FANTASIA had lost a lot of money on their initial releases.

Disney has performed a complete restoration on the film, including an extensive frame-by-frame cleanup of the...

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Truth Or Die

I DIDN'T DO IT
There is a costume party going on with a bunch of cool kids. Felix (Tom Kane) has a crush on Gemma (Florence Hall) and wants to ask her out. He is a shy dweeb and doesn't have a costume ...unless dweeb is a costume. Luke (Alexander Vlahos) is the party specialist who fixes Felix up with a white line of instant courage. Gemma turns him down as she is dating Chris (Jack Gordon). An altercation happens while playing "Truth or Dare" where Chris slugs Felix.

Later, the gang which includes the over sexed Eleanor (Jennie Jacques) and her boyfriend Paul (Liam Boyle), one of those rare guys who can fall asleep right after doing a line of coke, head out to the country to celebrate Felix's birthday. They are greeted by Justin (David Oakes), Felix's brother and ex-soldier, who has his own ideas on how to play "Truth or Dare."

I enjoyed what the Brits did to this common theme, geek kid humiliated/revenge slasher film. Good sound track. Good action. Jennie Jacques reminded me...

One of my favorite movies.
"Truth or Die" is one of my favorite movies. I won't post any spoilers, but I will say that the movie has a great plot, a great cast, a great pace (not too slow and not too fast), and a great ending. The ending is amazing.

NO ONE WINS IN THIS GAME
I've never fully understood the attraction of the "Truth or Dare" game since choosing either optio is intended to place its participants in embarrasing situations.
TRUTH OR DIE uses this game as a catapult for a story of revenge enacted upon a group of young college students. This retribution comes at the hands of the brother of a shy, diffident student who suffered humiliation from the students at a Christmas party and commits suicide. Under the pretense of a party, brother Justin invites the abusive students to exact his revenge.
There are parts of the film that were involving and intriguing but the film's conclusion is a little muddled and confusing.
David Oakes (THE BORGIAS) leads a cast of young newcomers who fare well on the most part. The movie has some sluggish parts that hamper the suspense, but this is not your typical slasher flick.
Overall, a moderately entertaining diversion worth a rental.

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Barbed Wire

Super!
A great old film just waiting to be discovered on DVD. Movies like this are destined to be lost to the ages if not resurrected and released on DVD. If there is anyone reading this who can accomplish this---DO IT!!!!!





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Hungry for Change [HD]

Better Living Through Healthy Choices: Another Impactful Expose About The Food We Eat
The new documentary "Hungry For Change" covers a familiar topic, but repackages the information in a nice user-friendly way. In all honesty, I have now seen about a dozen different films that challenge the status quo and seek to enlighten the masses about the destructive nature of careless eating. But despite what seems like a patently obvious message, we (as consumers) still choose to look the other way. As a society, we have branded convenience as more important than health and big business has taken advantage of this decision in some pretty nefarious ways. But like many, while I realize my faults, I still perpetuate the problem in my own lifestyle. In truth, "Hungry for Change" really doesn't present anything I haven't seen before--but I guess a caustic reminder is appropriate every once in a while! And if you have never given your food choices much thought, I'd definitely say this is worth a look.

There are a lot of topics covered in this brief ninety minute...

Conflicted about this
I'm conflicted about this a bit. The first half of this documentary seemed fairly solid, but the latter half went off the rails a bit for me. This documentary somehow featured a subplot about some woman who felt chubby (but didn't appear so, to me) and insecure, until she started juicing vegetables. The weirdest point was easily when this woman fired up her iPad to watch the documentary I was already watching. I giggled a little bit, thinking she was going to be pretty pissed when she got to the part where they'd been filming her without her knowledge.

I thought it was interesting that the documentary mentioned the addictive properties of modern, processed food. More focus on that probably could have made this an awesome documentary, but much of this was glossed over. Only later in the film do we find out that the people we've been hearing from aren't experts per se, but have a definite stake in getting people to buy their particular books or buy their particular...

Hate to disagree but...
I loved "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" and saw an add for this movie on the JointheReboot website. I was expecting something more like that. I don't disagree with the ideas discussed here, I just didn't like the format. A lot of the clips were repetitive, there were only minor allusions to some of the speakers' personal stories - which sounded like they would have been some of the most compelling parts. I also didn't find the little vignettes of the diet-soda chugging lady necessary, it was a cheesy and distracting story telling device. I wanted to see more personal stories and more specifics on healthy eating and juicing and whatnot. Disappointed.

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Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 Limited Edition Set - Original UK Version Set [Blu-ray]

Uk vs. US versions
For those of you wondering about the difference between the UK version and US version, apparently the US version has had some scenes cut (hours worth of material). So the UK version is completely original and uncut

A bargain set- a MUST OWN, not rent
This series is undoubtedly going to be as long-lived a hit as Upstairs, Downstairs. It ranks in the British perfection class with Foyle's War. It's a Period Costume Drama series with plenty of mega-stars. The magnificent performance of Maggie Smith in a less-than leading role shines through every time she's on the screen (very often), even when she has no lines. Her facial delivery is comic. A paragraph could be written for almost every cast member, each seem to feed off the other in making this a remarkable period drama that takes the viewer back to the era, like it is real.

Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) is the man behind the estate, but it is Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), the butler, who keeps the house and social lives moving. There are 12 cast members that have a role in EVERY episode. Many more who miss just one or two. You fall in love with each in their own way, each a vital role in the make-up of this large family and servants. Not an issues is untouched, since every...

Nice Limited Edition DVD Set
If you like Downton Abbey, and you don't already have the first release seasons 1 & 2 DVD sets of the series, then you should have this. I waited for this set instead of getting the first releases, but really it's more of a repackaging of the original release with the Christmas episode here as well. So buy this if you love Downton and don't already own it...and hurry because the 3rd season comes out in January!

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I Thank a Fool

I Thank A Fool
After years of waiting for this DVD release I can honestly say the wait was worth every minute of it. The print that was used for this transfer is immaculate in every way, a terrific presentation in it's original widescreen (scope) format of 2.40 to 1, stunning Metrocolor and a crystal clear sound track. Have not seen the film since it's cinema release in 1962, except for a poor 16mm letter box print in the early 70's. Susan Hayward is one of my all time favourite actors and along with Peter Finch, Dianne Cilento and Cyril Cusack with great direction by Robert stevens, the Liverpool and
New Brighton locations are fascinating.This truly is a great movie produced at MGM's British arm at the studio at Boreham Wood. You will even overlook the scene in which the Dianne Cilento character is playing her LP records at speed 78. The Warner Archive collection are to be congratulated on their video on demand system allowing us to add such
gems as this to our collection.

Way To Go Susan
Susan Hayward was a perfect fit for the movie. I have almost all of her films. I wish she could have lived longer.



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Sound of My Voice

Intruiging cult-drama
"Sound of My Voice" (85 min.) brings the story of Peter (played by Christopher Denham) and his girlfriend Lorna, who in true "investigative journalism" mode are infiltrating a small cult of some sort, with a view of making a documentary to expose the cult. The cult is led by a young woman called Maggie (played by Brit Marling), who claims to be from "54", as in... 2054. (Please don't ask yoursel how Peter and Lorna found out about this new small cult or how they were able to infiltrate it, it is never explained in the movie.) The cult seems to be made up of about 10 people who are brought blind-folded to the basement of a non-descript house somewhere in Los Angeles.

In his "other" life, Peter is a substitute teacher of an all-girl class of 8 year olds. At a key point in the movie Maggie asks Peter to bring one specific girl from his class to her. How did Maggie know of this girl? Will Peter give in to this request, which amounts to kidnapping? To say much more about the...

Welcome to the world of secret handshakes.
Having seen and been impressed by Brit Marling's other work Another Earth, it was with some enthusiasm I ventured forth to see this movie. As much as Another Earth has the ability to put on the appearance of being a bigger than Indie movie, The Sound of My Voice is clearly in the Indie tradition, and perhaps the reality tradition, yet manages to convey a sense of the mystical as well.

A documentary filmmaker Peter, and his girlfriend penetrate the mysterious, inner workings of a cult. The members shower, are blindfolded, and driven to a secret meeting place. He is a schoolteacher with dreams of being a director. The mysterious and charismatic cult leader Maggie played by Brit Marling, has returned from the future, to save a select group of people, her followers. She breathes through a tube in the nose, yet occasionally removes the tube and seems to breathe with no bother.

How one can get a camera in without being seen, and film without being noticed is a rather...

Wonderful little known film
Last year when I saw this film I ranked it in one of my favorite films of the year. The film is about a girl and boyfriend seeking a so called interstellar prophet. They get in deep with her and followers, until they find out the real truth. A definite eerie and wonderful film.

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It Came from Outer Space [HD]

An early Sci-Fi Gem from the fifties...
The great thing about 1950's sci-fi movies is the way in which they took the psychological fallout from the Soviet-USA Cold War confrontation that dominated the decade (paranoia, McCarthyism and the "Red Scare", fear of the atomic bomb), and turned it into edgy science fiction that's unlike any present-day moviemaking. Some of these relatively low-budget films were awful, but others have stood the test of time to become classics of the genre. One of the best is 1953's "It Came From Outer Space", which features a great plot, solid acting, and is based on a story created by the great Ray Bradbury, one of the best sci-fi writers of his generation.

Richard Carlson - who also starred in another 50s sci-fi classic, "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" - plays John Putnam, an amateur astronomer and scientist who lives in the desert outside a small town in Arizona. The townsfolk consider John to be a loner and something of an oddball, but he does enjoy the love of Ellen Fields...

3D Or Not 3D, That Is The Question
In the 1970s I had the privledge of seeing IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE on the big screen in its original 3D format, and as such it was a visually fascinating film. But like all 3D films, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE suffers in the translation from big screen 3D format to a standard television screen: the special effects, which seemed so spectacular in 3D, seem only so-so. And that is truly regrettable, for in its original format IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is a classic of 1950s science-fiction.

The story, created by Bradbury, concerns an amateur astronomer who discovers that aliens have crashlanded in the desert--but no one will believe him. Although the basic premise has been done to death, at the time OUTER SPACE was released it was still fresh, and Bradbury gives the tale an unusual spin that lifts it out of the realm of later 1950s and 1960s teenybopper flicks. But shorn of its 3D effects, the film lacks impact, and the creatures that were so impressive on the big screen become literal...

The DVD Falls Just Short of Meteoric
This is a wonderful movie, even in the flat 2-D we are offered on this DVD. I've actually never seen this movie in its original 3-D splendor, but I've been told it was stunning.

The story is, by today's standards, typical for the 1950's science fiction film. Handsome, rugged scientist (Richard Carlson of Creature From The Black Lagoon fame) and beautiful girlfriend (Barbara Rush) witness a meteor crashing to ground in the Arizona desert, only to learn it is a spacecraft from another world. No one believes them until people begin to disappear, and later return as almost robotic zombies. But this story was based on a Ray Bradburry short story, and that story, combined with wonderful script writing, takes this from a bland sci-fi popcorn muncher to a thinking man's (at least on the B-grade movie level) story of paranoia and terror that ultimately shows the weaknesses, and the strenths, in humankind.

What most young people today don't realize is that this film was a first of...

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HEADSHOT

Buddhist Noir
Fon Tok Kuen Fah (Rain Falling Up the Sky)
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

There are dark movies whose darkness is purposeful. Noir films that are moving more than mysterious. Sad endings that are good endings. Suffering that teaches rather then thrills. Humor that is wicked but inevitable. The dark that is beautiful, regardless it's depths of hopelessness. These are the kinds of films that Pen-Ek Ratanaruang specializes in.
Fon Tok Kuen Fah, which translates to Rain Falling Up the Sky, but is named sensationally Headshot for westerners, is the third film of his I have had the pleasure of viewing. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by award winning author Win Lyovarin. Pen-Ek's two earlier works that I have viewed left lasting impressions on me. Ruang Talok 69, or 6ixtynin9 as released in the US, was a dark comedy on level with Pulp Fiction, but more believable. Last Life in the Universe became one of my all time favorite films, one that still haunts me...

Very nice artsy camera work -- story no so.
Very moody, very cool camera work, very moody sound, but the story is disjointed and becomes tedious. It's better than a 2 star but I sure can't give it a three. Good action, when there is any action.

Surprising
Stumbled upon this film and found it very entertaining. I recommend watching. While the plot was a bit predictable about half way through, that doesn't take away from the fact that it is a good movie.

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Buchanan Rides Alone

Underrated Scott-Boetticher masterpiece
BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE is an underrated Scott-Boetticher issue, book ended by the higher regarded RIDE LONESOME and COMANCHE STATION. Yet, on repeated viewing this disarmingly playful creation holds up very well, in fact, grows in appeal, its superb qualities becoming more apparent. Boetticher and Randy Scott have everything right: the playfulness is never forced nor overblown. Scott, not known for his comedy roles, proves that he has a real knack for a delightfully studied, quizzical, humor. There is also a hint of sarcasm at times, but, again, it never becomes dominant. The supporting cast acts truly as an ensemble, playing off each other, leaving Scott, at times, to be an amused bystander. But he's never out of the unfolding action. In all, this is a highly satisfying film that repays repeated viewing. It deserves a higher position in the Boetticher canon.

There ain't no place like West Texas
A dusty border town...Buchanan rides across, from Mexico into Agry Town, California, and into a mess of trouble. The music (can it be coincidence?) echoes the sweeping romantic melody at the heart of "The Tall T", but "Buchanan", like the previous "Decision at Sundown" is anything but romantic or wistful. Right away we know that we're in a corrupt and dangerous place -- the sheriff who sits right by the border seems to be waiting for any excuse to deal harshly with people crossing - and to take anything he deems "contraband" himself. Traveler Buchanan (Randolph Scott) apparently has nothing, and so is allowed to go.

He stops at a hotel to get a room - $10 (a lot of money in the post-Civil War west) from the fat and kind of stupid-looking yokel behind the desk, whose name happens to be Agry - same as the fat sheriff and the as-yet-unmet fat Judge who is running for senator, both his brothers. The Agrys rule the town and extract a high price from strangers - a steak and a...

philips' DVD etc.
The package arrived 4-5 days ahead of schedule. When I make purchase there was a good rating for product. This DVD will remain in my growing collection. Thank you.

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Overland Stage Raiders [Blu-ray]

excellent quality of BR disc.....from an owner
I just received this and the other three new BR discs from the John Wayne Three Mesquiteers era. The Amazon.com review of the story almost takes longer to read than the movie is long. I'm just kidding but its a 56 minute film as they all are and I surmise the reason they are on separate discs and so expensive is because the market is small. On all films the picture quality is sharp and stunning at times and the sound is robust. These are fun films and its a hoot to see young Duke riding a big white horse with his oversized white hat. Some of the horse chase scenes in all the films is really stirring as the camera is just ahead of the horses and to see them charging at full speed in HD is pretty cool. These are sort of silly/stupid scripts and sadly Duke Wayne isn't the main star...he is co starring so he's not on camera as much as I'd like but I am a fan and am glad I picked them up. This will be my review for all four films as they were all made within a couple year period all...

"The Three Mesquiteers Series ... Overland Stage Raiders (1938) ... Republic"
Republic Pictures presents "OVERLAND STAGE RAIDERS" (20 September 1938) (54 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- The series was based on a series of western novels by William Colt MacDonald, which began with "Law of the .45's" in 1933 --- The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a series of 51 western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including 8 films starring John Wayne --- The name was a play on The Three Musketeers, and each film featured a trio of stars --- The series blended the traditional Western period with more modern elements, which was not unknown with other B-Western films and serials --- Towards the end of the series, during World War II, the trio of cowboys were opposing Nazis --- The Three Mesquiteers series was extremely popular at the time of its release --- The series was the only one of its kind to be specifically named and ranked in contemporary polls of the top western film stars --- For example, from 1937 to the end of the...

The Old West Was Never Like This!
Grade B Western starring a very young John Wayne. The Three Mesquiteers take time out from punching cattle and go into the transport business. The bad guys running the local stage-line take issue with their potential loss of business, and try to sabotage our heroes' enterprising efforts. This is one of those old Western movies that confuses the Old West with modern times (circa. 1938). The cowboys wear boots, carry guns, and ride horses, just as usual. But the Oro Grande Stage Company "stagecoach" is really a bus. Besides that, there are radios and telephones around town. Even more shocking, the new express company that the Mesquiteers help establish is really an airline! They only have one airplane, but, by golly, it's an airline! This creates an amusing "other worldly" quality that takes some adjustment time for the unwary viewer. One scene shows John Wayne unloading gas cans from a mule pack train and gassing the grounded airplane while...

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Whittle - The Jet Pioneer

Totally Compelling - even if you know nothing about aviation
I watched the TV version of this on History Channel with my kids. We were all totally absorbed with the epic story of Whittle and his underfunded team's battle to get a jet fighter into the air before the Nazis did during WWII. There's a lot more to it than just that, but it really drove the urgency under which this amazing engineering feat was accomplished. Frank Whittle should be a household name for the way that his invention changed the way we travel around the world. Maybe this film will put that right. Highly Recommended.

Jet fuel for the doc fan...
I had the opportunity to see this film while in the U.K. at a friend's home. He's a military history enthusiast. I enjoy docs so...

"Whittle" is an extremely well told story that captures the attention because it covers a multitude of subjects and is layered in a way to keep the pace moving. At the core of the film is the story of an ingenious man who against the odds invented something that truly changed how we perceive the world. So layer #1 is a tale of man's ingenuity. Atop this is the military history that the story plays out against, and the film does so in a way that is uncommon. Many military docs follow the same production format: archive footage coupled with dry narration. In this case, while there is a plethora of archival film, it's not the material you have seen before, and it is well dispersed within the telling of the bigger story. That said, there is no shortage of military history in Whittle so enthusiasts of the genre will certainly find a full plate to...

The story of a man before his time
Frank Whittle was a great man, before his time. He came up with a brilliant idea years before anyone else was able to appreciate it, He was was consistently frustrated and obstructed by bureaucrats but he kept going and in the end delivered the jet engine for the allies. He did so much of this out of a sense of duty that it is therefore shameful the way that his invention was then stolen from him by those same bureaucratic machinations.

For the aviation enthusiast this DVD provides a very watchable biography of Sir Frank Whittle. I had read the book Jet by John Golley, which is a biography of Sir Frank, before seeing the DVD. There was no contradiction between the two and I found it made the DVD better to have read the book first. There are very intersting interviews with Sir Frank Whottle that are part of the documentary. I would definitely recommend this DVD for the aviation enthusiast.

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Hellraiser V: Inferno [HD]

It's a Wonderful Death.
Jaw-droppingly good in comparison to every film to come since the original HELLRAISER, it was with great trepidation that I dropped this one into the DVD player. Just having suffered through Part 4: BLOODLINE a few weeks back, my expectations for INFERNO were about as low as they could be.

An inspired, twisted take on films like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, HELLRAISER: INFERNO brings quality back to the franchise. It also brings decent acting, impressive direction, great effects, and, believe it or not, genuine chills and scares. Consistently maintaining the sense of dread created in films like JACOB'S LADDER or LOST HIGHWAY, INFERNO abandons previous sequels' use of Pinhead as little more than a soundbite-spouting slasher and focuses on the sins of man, in particular a dirty detective impressively played by Craig Sheffer. Fear not, fans - there are cenobites a'plenty, and they're far scarier than any of the sad, sad jokes found in Parts 3 or 4. Director Scott Derrickson wisely follows...

Good horror thriller
After having watched all four Hellraiser movies, I think Hellraiser Inferno is completely different. Well, I have got the feeling that a lot of true Hellraiser fans won't like this chapter. The protagonist of this movie isn't very sympathic and friendly: he takes drugs, sleeps with hookers(even though he has got a beautiful wife) and denounces his partner at the police station. A lot of people will despise this character and turn off the tv. However I stayed with this broken character and it is quite interesting to see how he unleashes the horrors of the box. His evil character traits are essential for the end of movie. Another flaw is that Pinhead only appears for two or three minutes on the screen. Nonetheless the movie deals with the desperate search of the protagonist for a mysterious person called the Engineer, who is connected with the box. If you accept the fact that this Hellraiser movie is completely different from the other parts, you'll enjoy a great and dark horror...

Hercule Pinhead
If you pay close attention, you'll notice that the opening credits of HELLRAISER: INFERNO are missing the words "Clive Barker." In its place are a couple guys whose last names are Weinstein. That's a clue right there: this movie isn't interested in building on the Hellraiser mythos.

It IS interested in clues, though. Craig Sheffer (of One Tree Hill) narrates the film as Detective Joseph Thorne. Joe is a good cop ("I'm good with puzzles" he growls) but not a good man. He wishes he was good, but can't be bothered to do much more than wish. Not until people he knows start dying.

Along for the ride is Joe's hapless partner, Detective Nenonen (played by John Turturro's youngest brother, Nick). Together the two stumble onto a case involving sadistic deaths, a strange puzzle box, and a criminal mastermind known only as...

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The Golden Hawk

an okay pirate movie
The Golden Hawk is an okay pirate movie, based on a popular novel. I don't think I could sit through it twice.

the golden hawk
another excellent movie from the golden years of hollywood with great actors in it i would recommend this
movie to anyone also fantastic stuff

FAMILY FARE
OH FOR THE DAYS WHEN THEY MADE MOVIES LIKE THIS ! GOOD STORY LINE AND WELL ACTED. DESERVES TO BE RATED A CLASSIC. THE FAMILY CAN CERTAINLY HAVE A POPCORN AND MOVIE NIGHT WITH THIS ONE..

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Young Americans [HD]

Moody, Moralistic, Violent and Loud
Harvey Keitel stars as a FBI agent in this dark and death-filled tale of gangs in London. The premise is a simple one, one that we've seen in many other mob movies. The older, established mobsters have a code of honor and try to do things the proper way. The rash, up and coming punks care nothing for honor and just want quick cash and drugs. In this case, it's an American - Carl Frazer (played by Viggo Mortensen) who is causing the trouble. The FBI has sent John Harris (Keitel) to help the London police force to shut him down.

Carl is a truly psychotic drug / arms dealer who loves to gather up lost but innocent young men, tell them that they are special, and then turn them into cold blooded killers. Carl gets his thrills from corrupting the virtuous. There are many comments throughout the movie - both by the cops and the old time mobsters - about how these young, sweet kids are having their lives destroyed by drugs and the lure of cash. In one scene, an old mob guy is...

Super British Film Noir
I thought that I had seen all of Harvey Keitel's films but, due to the inexplicable failure of this film to attain a theatrical distributor in the U.S., I had never even heard of this one. Then I caught it on Bravo a few weeks ago and it knocked me out! It's a gritty, tough British crime film in the tradition of THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY. The cast is very good - of course, Keitel is excellent as a weary American liaison to the English police, but Craig Kelly (currently in the Brit TV series QUEER AS FOLK) is also impressive as Chris, a young man struggling to survive the mean streets of London. This film is truly a pleasant surprise.

Both Mortensen's and Keitel's fill their roles quite well, but that's all,
THE YOUNG AMERICANS, released 1993, is a picture whose script
appears to have been written by a 14 year old, considering the
social circle of the protagonists, the title of the movie itself,
and the simplicity of the story. Unfortunately, those facts didn't
turn out to be trumps for the picture.

The strong point, is Harvey Keitel, who brings natural charisma and
realism to the filming, playing a police detective on loan to
Interpol (international enforcement) tracking down a weapons
trafficker, played amusingly by the sometimes enigmatic star Viggo
Mortensen.

The lesson of this movie, is difficult to surmise, considering the
confused, fatuous plot. Perhaps it is to bring patience to the
segment of the population who is over 21, with regards to those
younger than that age bracket, with a secondary goal bring to have
the juvenile element reflect on the serious consequences of taking
the message...

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Ride Lonesome

Ride Crowded
Solid entry in the legendary Buddy Boetticher--Randolph Scott Westerns cycle. To get to San Carlos and safety, Scott must first get through back-shooter James Best, then through burly Pernell Roberts, then through Best's evil brother Lee Van Cleef. And if that weren't enough, they all have to get through an angry Apache nation. I don't know why they call it "Ride Lonesome", because Scott's certainly riding with a whole pack of trouble, including his own inner demons.

Scott's character Ben Brigade is typical of the cycle. He's pig-headed, chauvinistic, uncommunicative (just count his lines), but with the usual iron-clad sense of honor. On the other hand, Pernell Roberts is personable, with a ready smile, a criminal past, and looking to reform his errant ways. There's going to be a shootout between the two, since Roberts needs to get Best from bounty-hunter Scott to get the amnesty he needs. But what's so special about these complex Boetticher westerns is-- you don't know who...

A grim Randolph Scott sets out to apply his own brand of justice in this fine Budd Boetticher movie
This Budd Boetticher (director)/Burt Kennedy (writer)/ Randolph Scott movie is a fine example of skilled craftsmanship matched with economy of purpose. Ride Lonesome moves quickly, the plot shifts beneath our feet, the photography is spare, the characters (there are only six billed actors) are distinctively drawn and the economy of writing, the economy of directing, the economy of editing and the economy of acting should make anyone who likes movies pay close attention. In fact, the only non-economical things about this movie are the over-blown music score and Karen Steele's bosom.

It takes only seven minutes to know what we need to know about Ben Brigade (Randolph Scott), the kind of man he is, what he's planning to do with the young murderer he captured, Billy John, and to be impressed as all get out with the hot, dry, boulder-strewn setting. But then the story starts to change. Something else is going on in Ben Brigade's head besides bounty hunting and bringing in Billy...

"Ride Lonesome (1959) ... Randolph Scott ... Columbia Pictures Classic Westerns"
Columbia Pictures / Ranown Pictures Corporation presents "RIDE LONESOME" (1959) (73 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Starring Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, James Best, Lee Van Cleef & James Coburn --- Directed by Budd Boetticher and released in February 15, 1959, our story line and film, A wanted murderer, Billy John, is captured by Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter, who intends to take him to Santa Cruz to be hanged. Brigade stops at a staging post, where he saves the manager's wife from an Indian attack, and enlists the help of two outlaws to continue his journey more safely. However, the Indian attacks persist, the outlaws plan to take Billy for themselves, tempted by the offer of amnesty for his captor, and Billy's brother Frank is in hot pursuit to rescue him. But Brigade has plans of his own --- Last film from the Scott / Boetticher / Kennedy combination although Scott & Boetticher were to join up one further time with a different writer for "Comanche...

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Dora the Explorer: Dora's Royal Rescue

Once again, good value.
This was a gift for a Dora fan. Condition was perfect when received. it is getting lots of use since.

A great way to reinforce a love of reading!
Is your preschooler a fan of Dora the Explorer? If so, Dora the Explorer: Dora's Royal Rescue, is a DVD your going to want to add to your collection. The DVD includes a double-length episode, "Dora's Royal Rescue," which features the voices of Andy Garcia as Don Quixote and Placido Domingo as Malambruno. Also included, is the new-to-DVD episode, "Dora's Knighthood Adventure," which features the voice of Garcia as Don Quixote.

This has fast become one of our car travel favorites! The boys love Dora & Boot's adventures and I love that they are defending their love of books and reading - which reinforces just how important reading is! One of the other things that I like is that because this is a double length adventure, it moves beyond the 'typical' layout a little bit, making it just different enough to be more inviting to my parental ears!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this DVD in exchange for my honest opinion

love it
Great movie! my daughter loves it and so do I. Its well worth the price and a great movie to start a Dora collection of movies.

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Magic City: The Complete First Season

A Sumptuous Starz Series Looks Terrific, Has Enormous Potential, But Still Needs To Find Its Own Unique Voice
On the surface, the Starz original drama "Magic City" would seem to have everything. It's not hard to imagine the pitch when creating this adult oriented mob drama: Let's combine the period detail that works so well in "Mad Men" with the gritty gangster vibe that made "The Sopranos" such a success. I'd like to say that I made up these comparisons, but both were used in the aggressive advertising campaign that Starz used to launch the show (so clearly it's a side-by-side that they are comfortable with). But that's part of the problem. Instead of crafting a unique product to wow the audience, "Magic City" is covering some pretty familiar territory with its central themes. The primary plot points are so similar to dozens of other mob related stories that it's almost impossible not to make comparisons. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great elements within "Magic City" and I think it has the potential (should it return) to develop into something quite grand. As of Season One,...

Love, Love, Love
I'm slightly obsessed with this era anyway, so add great storylines and JDM and I'm sold! One of the things I love most is how they've added in historical figures without actually showing them. It gives the show more mystique. If you tried to show them, the Kennedys for instance, it would be very hard to pull off so it speaks to the show's credit that they involve these characters the way they do. An amazing show and my new favorite!

A Sumptuous Starz Series Looks Terrific, Has Enormous Potential, But Still Needs To Find Its Own Unique Voice
On the surface, the Starz original drama "Magic City" would seem to have everything. It's not hard to imagine the pitch when creating this adult oriented mob drama: Let's combine the period detail that works so well in "Mad Men" with the gritty gangster vibe that made "The Sopranos" such a success. I'd like to say that I made up these comparisons, but both were used in the aggressive advertising campaign that Starz used to launch the show (so clearly it's a side-by-side that they are comfortable with). But that's part of the problem. Instead of crafting a unique product to wow the audience, "Magic City" is covering some pretty familiar territory with its central themes. The primary plot points are so similar to dozens of other mob related stories that it's almost impossible not to make comparisons. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great elements within "Magic City" and I think it has the potential (should it return) to develop into something quite grand. As of Season One, though,...

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Experiment In Terror

TENSE, EXCITING THRILLER.....
Take an early, lean Blake Edwards, a tension filled script, a cast of fine actors, great San Francisco location shooting and a suspenseful score by Henry Mancini and you have "Experiment in Terror"---one of the best suspense thrillers ever made. Adapted by the story's authors, it pits innocent bank clerk Lee Remick against asthmatic madman Ross Martin who terrorizes her in an extortion plot to rob her bank. His threats include harming her kid sister Stefanie Powers. When Remick contacts the FBI, agent Glenn Ford and his associates barrel into action. The result is a bizarre cat & mouse game between Remick, Martin and Ford. Martin is slick and murderous. But he manages to finance expensive hip surgery for a 6 yr.old Asian boy whose mother he's seeing. His heavy breathing is some of the most realistic I've ever heard in a film. Edwards directs "Experiment" in a fast paced style that keeps you glued to the screen all the way to the Giants game finale. Again, his on location shooting is...

"Next Time, Kelly, I'll Kill You For Sure!"
The calendar year of 1962 sure was a fantastic year for movies! Just look at this impressive lineup of cinematic gems released in '62 ---

"Lawrence Of Arabia", "To Kill A Mockingbird", "The Longest Day", "The Music Man", "Mutiny On The Bounty", "The Miracle Worker", "Cape Fear", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "The Manchurian Candidate", "How The West Was Won", "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?", "Advise & Consent", "Birdman Of Alcatraz", "Requiem For A Heavyweight", "Lonely Are The Brave", "Long Day's Journey Into Night", "Knife In The Water", "Dr. No", and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".

Holy smoke! What a great year for moving pictures it was. (The first five films I listed above were the five nominees for "Best Picture" at the Academy Awards, with "Lawrence", starring Peter O'Toole, taking home first prize.)

And -- in addition to that grand laundry list of goodies above -- there is also the 1962 film contained on this exceptional DVD -- "Experiment...

DARING
this one was very daring for it's time. the opening score is one of the most ominous music compositions i've ever heard. it's simple but terrifying. you know from the beginning that "something" is going to happen and it does. a woman is manipulated and extorted and threatened all in the first 10 minutes, inevitably compelled to involve the FBI. to divulge any more of this ominous little film would be unfair. a thriller in the most definitive form of the word. it boasts two of the best actors ever to grace the silver screen: Glenn Ford and Lee Remick. this was director Blake Edwards sole attempt at a dramatic film. this attempt proved to be sufficient. it's a cinematic masterpiece. watch it with the lights out!!!!

as for the DVD, not much in extras but the transfer and audio are very good.

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The Clintons: An American Odyssey

THE CLINTON LEGACY FINALLY REVEALED!!
Despite the negative review on this DVD. I love it. Finally justice was done. On this documentary they emphasize on all his accomplishments. Something PBS failed to do in the deplorable 4 hour documentary CLINTON - IT ALL BEGAN WITH HOPE that had an over the top Republican touch.

The only negative thing about this DVD is that is a bit short. It should've been at least 2 hours, but finally justice was done and there a documentary of the only president that I've seen since my childhood to the 90s leave this country in great shape.

No matter what anyone may say or think about Clinton and the right wingers, he left this country in 240 billion dollars in surplus something that I dont know if we well see now in my lifetime again after Bush Jr took over and left us in shrapnel to say the least.

There are many Clinton speeches on here that I really appreciate as they are part of history and I was in my very early 20s when he was president.

I hope...

Clinton's speeches
No matter what your political leanings or feelings toward the Clintons are, they are a part of American history. So I was hoping this would be an unbiased educational look at their part in that history.
It begins with Clinton shaking hands with President Kennedy during his Boy's Nation visit to Washington in 1963. The narration describes "elements of scandal, but a remarkable journey".

What most of the film shows are portions of the presidential debates and many of Clinton's speeches. We listen to the don't ask, don't tell speech, Black Hawk down and his speech after the impeachment vote in congress and the speech dedicating Kennedy's presidential library.
What is skipped over almost completely is any action or lack thereof against terrorism and bin Laden . Bin Laden is brought up in the bombing of the Cole and the World Trade Center, but then it describes Clinton's speeches and meeting between Israel and Palestine as the answer to this terrorism. The...



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Tales From The Crypt: Bordello of Blood [HD]

Underrated brilliance
I never understood why so many people hate this movie. Even Fangoria called it 'abysmal'. But I consider it a worthy follow-up to the delicious Demon Knight. It has brilliant acting: Dennis Miller is a treat as smartass private eye. Angie Everhart is not only the hottest female vampire in years, no, she even proves that she can actually act. Corey Feldman has one of his very few good roles. But who really chews the scenery is Chris Sarandon (Fright Night), one of the most underrated actors ever: His performance as a TV preacher alone makes this movie worth watching. Only Erika Eleniak is rather miscast. And watch out for Demon Knight veteran William Sadler (another underestimated actor) as mummy. The make-up F/X are not only unbelievably gory for an R-rated movie; they're so excellent they even surprise genre buffs who thought they've seen it all. The characters are wonderfully weird, and although there's loads of black humour in it, I'm glad Bordello of Blood never turns...

Billy Zane and Dennis Miller Together
This disk collects the two Tales From the Crypt movies on one side of a single disk. For some reason the menu has the second movie listed first.

In the first movie, Billy Zane is excellent as a demon looking for a final key so that the demons can retake the universe. This is the story of his battle with the current Demon Knight, the protector of the key. Wonderfully crafted and dark.

The second movie, Bordello of Blood, is a more tongue-in-cheek T&A-fest and lacks the dark seriousness of the first. Lilith, the queen of all vampires, has been awakened. She can be controlled by a key (the one from the first movie). She has set up a bordello to lure victims to her hunger. Dennis Miller is his wise-cracking self as he portrays a down-and-out private investigator looking for a missing person.

It is nice not to have to flip the disk over or insert a new disk but there is no room for real extras (we do get the original trailers). Seeing the two films...

Devilish Double Feature
An entertaining double creature--er, that is, double feature inspired by TV's TALES FROM THE CRYPT (which was itself inspired by the identically titled, delightfully decadent EC Comics of the 1950s).

First on the bill is DEMON KNIGHT (1995). On the surface, this one's a typical tale of good-versus-evil, with a noble agent of Heaven working to protect mankind from an evil Demon who, with the help of his minions, seeks to throw a veil of darkness over the universe and oppress mankind in the process. Trite, yes, but a good script, a talented cast (including Billy Zane as the wonderfully smarmy Demon), and high production values raise this one a notch or two above the average morality play. The weakest element of the film is the Crypt-Keeper wraparound, which has too much of the TV show's cheesy feel (though it does feature an uncredited cameo by John Larroquette, whom hardcore genre fans know to be the opening narrator for 1974's original TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE). The...

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Thirteen Women

"I dread sending you this horoscope...But it is written....."
Warner Archives has just released the elusive DVD transfer of 1932's "13 Women". Ursula Georgi is an East-Indian half-caste, scarred by her taunting white sorority sisters, who all lived together at a private school north of San Francisco. The years have passed, and Georgi has teamed with bogus Swami Yogadachi(her lover, who she soon murders). Georgi sends round-robin letters; astrology forecasts warning all 13 of her class-mates that sudden death is next on their agenda. Georgi threatens them, and their families, and then uses poison, bombs, hypnotism, and auto-suggestion to carry out her plans. A spell-binding performance, Myrna Loy is icy and chilling as Georgi, a dark vamp who uses sex to trap her lovers into completing her strategies. Irene Dunne plays Laura Stanhope, a sorority girl, now married with a young son. Warm family sequences with mother and son are played against Loy's arcane devil-plotting in her secret lair. The cast also has Ricardo Cortez, C, Henry Gordon, and Leon...

Great Film
I truly enjoyed this old fashioned movie with a diabolical cast!
And of course, I love Myrna Loy. I highly recommend it.

A Tragic Tale of Old America
Thirteen Women is at it's very core a tragedy. The villain of the story, Ursula Georgi (Myrna Loy), is only so "cruel and inhuman" because of how she was treated by society, forced to pass for white to get anywhere in life and be accepted and treated as a human being. Ironically, the fact that she passed for white is what led to her inhumanity, scorned by the other young women in her sorority as a "half-caste Hindu" she swore revenge on these twelve other women and years later, along with a certain swami, who doubles as her lover, sends them all horoscopes foretelling death in their future, and slowly but surely death and tragedy of various kinds does seem to befall the women, some of who believe in the horoscopes and others who do not. Ursula, who possesses the power to hypnotize and control others minds to do her bidding, even goes so far as to threaten the life of the child of one of the women. A tense film, it was known as the first psychological thriller. The ending is very...

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On Again-Off Again

Subpar Wheeler & Woolsey
By 1937, Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey had seen better days - their vaudevillian irreverence toned down by the Hays Office. After a bright start, "On Again-Off Again" falls into a downward spiral. Not even a veteran director such as Eddie Cline can enliven the tried-and-tired material. Sadly, the duo's penultimate film and one of their weakest efforts.

OVERALL RATING: *

Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker [HD]

meh
There are much better entries in the Hellraiser series than this lackluster outing. A slightly disjointed storyline coupled with barely any screentime for Pinhead and the Cenobites. If you're a fan, you kind of have to see it, if you're new to HR, start elsewhere

It's ok
Not the best of the Hellraiser series but for any fan of the Hellraiser mythos this, like the others that follow down the line, is required to make the collection complete. I got the DVD version so I cannot attest to the quality of the Blu-ray disc. I would have hoped for some extras even on the DVD release but that hope was in vain.



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Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch [HD]

Best of the Sequels
It can be hard to generate sequels to a movie that was based on a true story. The original movie starred Air Bud, a real golden retriever with 20,000 career baskets. Unfortunately the read Buddy lost a leg shortly after the film was made.

In this sequel, the storyline returns to some real issues and not just silliness. Josh's oldest sister (his only full sibling) must deal with Josh going away to college. Josh promises to return, but it is hard for her, especially when his old room begins being remade for the new baby. Andrea's old life from her parents seems to be being swept away by the new life with step-father and half sibling.

But Andrea has other problems. She has just entered junior high with her best friend and they try to fit in by joining an activity. Unfortunately they are hopeless at most everything until they try baseball. Andrea's friend Tammy has real talent but Andrea just doesn't know what to do. Tammy only agrees to be on the team if Andrea is on it as...

G-rated Language?
For the most part, this is the same formula as the others and is fine for your children to watch on their own. But at one point the character of Andrea, dismayed by her non-athleticism remarks (...). Many say I'm old fashioned for considering this a swear word, but I have no desire to hear my 3 or 5 year old repeat that phrase.

Not Shabby.
This movie is okay but I'm not too interested in it. The first and second Air bud movies were the best to me. This movie couldn't make me laugh so I sticked to the first two Air bud movies.

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Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth [HD]

Hellraiser III on DVD Finally!
First, the DVD, it's not the greatest in the world, No Dolby 5.1 Surround, not letterboxed, but nice to complete the series on DVD at last. This is technically the unrated version of the film, 2 added minutes, which is mostly extended gore...Great stuff! There are NO extras either, oh well. It's available, I guess that's what counts and as originally a Paramount Pictures release I wouldn't look for a Collector's Edition any time soon. As for the movie itself, I loved it. With the introduction of new Cenobites, CD head the coolest of them all, gave us a fresh perspective of Pinhead's abilities to replace his former troup. Unfortunately they didn't give his new cohorts a lot time to explore. Pinhead does get more screen time (unlike Hellraiser Inferno) and finally Doug Bradley (not Doug Stewart as mentioned in another review) gets screen time without makeup, gives us a broader view of his backstory and how he became this monstrosity. ("Bloodline" gives us the Lament...

And now for the let down...
NO extended or deleted scenes. The film IS anamorphic widescreen, but it fails to mention it on the dvd case--it simply says it's "letterboxed". It's Dolby 2.0 sound with some rear speaker ambience. There's a "Clive Barker The Art of Horror" featurette that runs a half-hour and is an old, dated documentary.The picture looks better than on any of the previous bogus releases, but it hasn't been through any kind of restoration, so the print itself has plenty of wear and tear. Oh well. At least we can rejoice that it's an official widescreen release to include with the rest of the series on our shelves.

Decent entry in the Hellraiser saga, which is getting a re-release in August.
Anyone looking to get this movie should know that a real RE-release of it is planned for August OF 2006, by Paramount Pictures. The re-relese will include a new Anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby 5.1 sound, along with a few extras.

This is a decent entry in the Hellraiser saga, and the frist time that this particular chapter is getting a real release. I would suggest anyone wanting this move to wait untill August and by it from Amazon then.

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The Red Danube

Classic!
I came across this movie playing on TCM one day years ago but it was almost over and so I never got to see the beginning of the movie. I never saw it play again on TCM. I searched for it on line only to discover that it had never been released on VHS or DVD. A review said that it wasn't very popular when it first came out because it was heavy on dialogue. But in my opinion, it was the dialogue and actors that I found so interesting. It also tells the story of events that happened after WWII in occupied Europe, whihch is something I found intriguing as well. I was very happy to see that it was recently released on DVD. It's a great, classic movie. Love it!

Very good
It is a very good drama but why Walter Pidgeon appear with his left arm severed, it's
a shame how beautiful Jeanet Leigh end the the film.
The best of the film is the Invitation to the dance Ballet by Carl Maria Von Weaver.



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Wes Craven Presents: Dracula III-Legacy [HD]

okay
Cheesy but better than the second one. Rutger Hauer is always a great bad guy. But even he can't make it great.





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Decoding Deepak

Amazing movie!
This is not the new age documentary you might expect- it's a moving father/son story that follows a year in the life of the global guru Deepak Chopra as told by his filmmaker son Gotham. It's got appearances by everyone from Russell Simmons to Lady Gaga, Lucy Liu, Darren Aronofsky, and Diane Von Furstenberg(!?). Along the way Deepak gets ordained as a Thai Buddhist monk, picks a fight on air with Bill O'Reilly, and develops his own XBox game. At one point Deepak even attempts to take over directing the film. So you could say he's all over the map- literally.

The movie generated a lot of buzz as one of the headlining films at this year's SXSW festival.

worthy endeavor but ran out of steam in the middle
In my opinion the film started out in an honest way but changed it's tone in the middle and lost its pep. It seemed that the film maker who is Deepak's son, lost his courage as his father seemingly became more annoyed having his flaws pointed out to him. Towards the end, Deepak states that he is becoming more detached from his immediate family and connected to his grand children. The son is visibly crushed by this statement of rejection as any son would be and that concludes the film. To me, the kernel of light within the film shows how fame, adoration, power and riches can cause addiction in those entrapped therein. Sometimes only those closest to us can see the truth.

Movie review
I was very anxious to see this movie, hoping I guess for some insight into Deepak's life. I was a bit disappointed. While there were some revelations I really did end with a sense that I knew any more than I did before watching.

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When The Applause Died

R.I.P. Vic Morrow
Wow, still creepy!! I first saw "Death In Hollywood" when it came out in the early 90's with my Dad and all I can say is that the stories and images have stuck with me for a long time. A lot of stars from the old days might not be of interest to the "Power Rangers" generation but this thing is worth the price of admission just for the Vic Morrow footage alone. E's True Hollywood Story about "The Twilight Zone Movie" incident didn't show you the actual footage of the actors demise but this early 90's documentary does, from multiple angles at that. The George Reeves story doesn't run in his favor but this video is old. Splashing into star after star like a Mansion pool party you'll be sucked in wanting more. A mild Faces Of Death have you. I haven't seen "When The Applause Died" but buy it for Death In Hollywood.

Death in Hollywood
The film needed to be more interesting,and improvement was needed in editing and selection of film clips.I expected more from this film.

... And They're Off!
This Daily Double of B (or less) movies/documentaries are stills and movie clips collaged in 1990 by Golden West Films and narrated by some guy (Paul Durris) who, one speculates, is Evelyn Wood's (The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program) ADHD brother. Claiming to "exhume and examine," commentating at a Race Track announcer-like clip, Durris dishes deaths of Hollywood famous and infamous, rarely pausing long enough to smell the roses in the funeral parlor or offer new insights.

There *is* included what turned out to be an ironic public service announcement done by James Dean during a break in the filming of Giant (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Digipack) in which he admonishes teen fans to Drive Safely, and background info to make sense of the death of Thomas Harper Ince aboard Wm Randolph Hearst's (root of...

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Silent Echo

Fantastic Indie Action Title!
The movie is great, especially considering the budget. The acting was nearly flawless, action choreography was intense and frantic, sound was immersive, and the music was AMAZING. The visual effects also were really great, and I found myself wondering if they were actually shooting real guns sometimes. Bottom line, the movie is a must-buy, and these small indie film-makers are going somewhere.





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Hellraiser IV: Bloodline [HD]

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A Christmas Snow [HD]

A Review From Point North Tidings
We had the opportunity to review this excellent film for our magazine Point North Tidings and we have been urged, as long time Amazon.Com buyers to reprint it here.

This October, lovers of family-friendly films will have a real treat with the release of A Christmas Snow on DVD. Having interviewed Tracy Trost, the director, and Catherine Mary Stewart, who has the female lead, we anticipated a real treat when we were permitted to preview the film. Nor were we disappointed as we found this to be one of the most outstanding Christmas films that has come out in years.

The plot is centered around Kathleen (Catherine Mary Stewart), a hard business woman who has been greatly hurt by the past. Right before Christmas her boyfriend Andrew (Anthony Tyler Quinn) asks her to look after his daughter Lucy (Cameron Ten Napal) while he is away on a business trip. The fireworks between the daughter and possible future mother make a story in itself. Then the enigmatic...

A great new Christmas Traditon
I watched A Christmas Snow on the last day of September and the weather where I live (Southern Turkey) was still in the 70's, but by the end of the movie, I was certianly in the Christmas Spirit! A Christmas Snow is a heartwarming story of healing and forgiveness at a time of year that for so many people equals heartache, bitterness, loneliness unmet expectations, and angry fighting with family.

In A Christmas Snow, we see a group of really good actors (especially by Christian movie standards) living out a difficult Christmas and coming out on the other side with changed hearts and changed lives. It is a beautiful film and I believe it will be a new Christmas Tradition.

Might go well with this set: Christmas Child/The Christmas Shoes/The Christmas Blessing 3 DVD pack

Your New Christmas Favorite
This is a GREAT family movie. The cast is perfect. The music is wonderful. The story of family, faith and forgiveness is comforting. I highly recommend the movie. Get ready to laugh and cry and be thoroughly entertained!

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Riot Acts

Well Worth the Cost
This documentary addresses the challenges and joys experienced by transgender musicians. It is very well produced and includes great artists such as Coyote Grace, Kelly Moe and others.





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Chasing Rodriguez

Funny movie, but not a comedy.
I'm watching this movie as I write this review. Where do I start....? I'm not really sure what the plot is. Why do hair colors change on the actress? They look like cheap wigs. What's with the clowns? Why do you need to tell me that the movie is "family friendly" on the packaging, shouldn't that be evident by the tone of the cover art? Was this script found at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box? Some shots are out of focus, and it doesn't appear to be for artistic reasons.

Great Family Film
We also saw this in the theater, twice! My kids liked it so much the first time they insisted on going to see it again. It's a great family film, with action, comedy and drama. There is no violence or bad language. (the most violent is a couple of pointed guns, but no one gets shot or hurt.) Support independent film making and buy this movie!

Mindblowing.
Never before has such a touching, heartwarming film succeeded so well as both a captivating family film and an thrilling adventure. It finds its way into the hearts of people from all walks of life and fills their soul with happiness and joy.

Most masterful of all was the cinematography. Scenic landscapes and a deep focus allow the viewer to take in the breadth and beauty of the Northern California setting and drives us deeper into the film's world.

The bumbling antagonists are a particular delight. Not since the Marx Brothers has such quickfire dialogue and physical comedy been used to such spectacular effect.

This film has it all: Passion, action, stunts, comedy, and grumpy old guys playing chess in a park. It makes me want to have kids just so I could share it with them. In fact, I went 'round the local middle school and asked if any of them wanted to come over and watch it. I just got a lot of funny looks and kids turning and running away screaming...

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Exit

I thoroughly enjoyed the film
I thoroughly enjoyed the masterful use of sound, imagery, and character development in this film. A modern take on Plato's Allegory of
the Cave, this is a classic story of the transforming power of belief. As an old soul on the path to liberation, the main character Alice has renounced everything -- all worldly relationships, possessions, attachments and supports -- to devote her life to following the truth, to ending the cycle of reincarnation, to finding the doorway to a higher dimension and greater consciousness.

Pretty good but slow.
I gave this 4 stars but almost gave it 3. I gave it 4 stars for the creativity but some might find it really boring. I had to watch it a couple times just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I wasn't but somehow it kept me interested enough to watch.

If you like odd sci-fi flicks, you might get some enjoyment out of it but for me, it just didn't have enough umph!



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Gulliver's Travels [HD]

Funny harmless movie!
Wow, it's a good thing we rented this through Redbox before reading the reviews here... I don't generally write reviews, but feel I have to help restore the balance. All of my family (40+ mum & dad, 4 kids ages 4 to 11) thought Gulliver's Travels was a good, funny movie. Yes, the 'peeing on the castle' could be seen as gross, but there was no flesh shown, so to my thinking, no harm done. *shrug* Must be a lot of wowsers out there...

So, to paraphrase the Review guide - "What would I have wanted to know before I watched it?"... That kids from 4 to 11 are likely to love it, and laugh-out-loud several times. That parents will smile and laugh too. That there's the typical 'moral lesson' in the story, but it's not heavy. It may not make your all-time-favourite-movies list, but nothing outrageous here.

And yes, I'm buying it now so we can all watch it again and again...

Lightweight (well, actually kinda heavyweight) "Gulliver" still has its lighthearted appeal
***This review may contain spoilers***

First of all, in response to Swiftian purists who were disappointed that Jack Black's version of "Gulliver's Travels" (hereafter GT) was not strictly faithful to Swift's ageless satire, I say, are you hopelessly naive? In spite of its fantastic locales and characters, GT really doesn't lend itself to cinematic treatment because of its episodic structure and laceratingly pessimistic satire of human nature. As Hallmark proved, GT is more suited to a mini-series approach, and while, I believe, Hallmark's GT (starring Ted Danson as Lemuel Gulliver) is the best (and probably the only) faithful adaptation of Swift's satire we will ever witness, even it had a contrived upbeat ending antithetical to Swift's themes. As movies go, I think a somewhat whimsical (albeit somewhat superficial) fairy-tale approach is the best way to deal with GT. Just about every GT movie version (animated or live action) does so, and I have enjoyed them all...

Kids Laughed. Watch over and over
No it's not a movie for adults. This is for kids. A giant jack black falls down... seat first and smushes down right on a tiny soldier .. Dead on target.

Is that kids fare to you? My kids laughed and laughed. It was innocent humor with a good message about life's twists and turns and overcoming first impressions.

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Children Of The Corn III: Urban Harvest [HD]

Children of the Corn in tha Hood
'Children of the Corn 3' is pretty damn entertaining. Not as good as two, but still superior to the original and well worth watching. It's certainly never effective as a straight horror movie, but it's got plenty of camp appeal and some amusing gore. This one is sorta vaguely related to the original central story, as it's about little creepy Eli and larger, normal Joshua who are adopted brothers. At the films beginning Eli murders his adopted father so they have to move in with a foster family... IN THE CITY!!!!! Eli is some sorta evil corn warlock and he starts killin' people for no particular reason and works on a scheme to feed tainted super-corn to all the world with the unwitting help of their foster father, who is some sort of corn magnate. What's worse, Eli starts preaching at the toughest Catholic school in the hood and starts converting everyone, to create a whole new pack of corn children! That all sounds pretty silly, I'm sure, and it is, but they try to take is...

Good if you like cheese
No other author in recent memory has had as much consistent success selling books as Stephen King. For roughly three decades the Maine writer churned out book after book, each one selling more and more copies. He's a world unto himself, the lucky fellow! He's so successful that he could throw out his pens, put away his typewriters, bury his word processor six feet under, never write another word in his life, and STILL have enough money to wallpaper the Great Wall of China five times over. In many respects, it's Stephen King's world and the rest of us are just living in it. But, and this is a gigantic but, an enormous number of metaphysically bad films based on his novels threaten to put a serious dent in his legacy. We all know the good ones, the ones that not only scared audiences stiff but also helped propel King's career to even greater heights. "Carrie" is probably the best example, followed by "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Dead Zone." These are wonderful, magical films that...

Best of all 6
I saw COTC 6 first, then I saw COTC 4 then I saw COTC 3 with Daniel Cerny and I found it the best cuz he was in it. He was perfect for the part and I was wondering too how old he was. I mean in 1992 Demonic Toys was released and he was in it and he was about 8 or 9. I think he's cute in my opinion and i have pictures of him all over my room. im trying to buy COTC 3 but i cant find it. If u know how old he iz please visit expage.com/danielcerny or please email me thank you. bye now.

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Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide - Night 1 [HD]

Six Stories From Around The Globe That Both Disturb And Inspire
Note: This is being sold in two different parts for instant viewing.

"Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide" made its broadcast premiere as a part of PBS's Independent Lens series and was introduced by George Clooney. Although gender inequality is certainly not a new topic, New York Times reporters (and Pulitzer Prize winners) Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDann explored the globe while writing the acclaimed 2009 bestseller on which this four hour presentation is based. They covered stories both harrowing and heartfelt. Encountering seemingly hopeless situations, they met courageous individuals who worked within the system (or oftentimes against it) to help affect positive change. They attracted enormous media attention upon the book's publication, so the expectations for this documentary series were high. Kristof is a major face in this production and he has enlisted some famous names to participate in the various segments of the film...

Most excellent!
Half the Sky is inspiring, intelligent and informative. I have recommended this two-part series to many people since viewing it, and will probably purchase a copy for review from time-to-time. Excellent project!

Life wouldn't be full without seeing this documentary!
Loved the book, even listened it it on audio & am so glad to have seen the documentary (s)...I've shared with one of my daughters & we have both benefited from the ongoing dialogue it has sparked!

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