Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy

Educational entertainment DVD--a joy to view & hear
GREAT, though I'm no Broadway musicals expert. This DVD made me want to watch musical after musical after musical. This DVD documentary considers a number of significant and much acclaimed shows. My experience with musicals has been enjoyable, but never one presented in NYC. It is not a definitive list but the people behind the productions discussed do tend to be heavily Jewish, the reason for the special emphasis and look at one nationality's impact on the art form. Note the emphasis is more on Jewish artists' (acting, writing, composing, directing) culture, not religion.

With narration by Joel Grey, it begins with early Yiddish theater--quickly the Broadway American Musical began to draw inspiration heavily from the NYC Jewish population. In 1920s 1 in 4 of NYC population was Jewish, partially explaining the heavy participation in musical production. Of course there are exceptions noted on this documentary. A major one being Cole Porter, who actually had 3 shows flops...

Disappointing disks
It's an interesting documentary on the subject and the interviews are insightful but the lack of clips of full musical numbers is very disappointing and lets face it, most composers do not have the voice to sing their music. Disk 2 is supposed to have 3 hours of additional content including performances, however, unless they are hidden in an "easter egg" I have not found them,

I loved it!
This is a great story about telling great stories! And it is beautifully done. It pulled me in and I did not want to leave - even at the end!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Legacy: The Complete Series

Bring it back
I just watched the series and loved each and everyone. I can't remember when I enjoyed a series/movie as much as I have this one. It was incredible. Like the other reviewers, I was saddened by the ending and wished it would have been continued. I hope that someone will see the real value of this series and produce more of them. Wonderful characters that fit perfectly into their roles. We need more movies like this one to inspire and uplift us. All I can say is FANTASTIC!!

So disappointed!
What a wonderful, wholesome family show. Real life lessons in a wonderful family setting. But like so many shows that are worth watching and great for the whole family it was pulled and replaced with a show of violence and mayhem. Seems the world is more interested in violence, nudity and non family values. What a shame,but when you take God out of the equation that is what happens. I hope a network re looks at this series and brings it back to finish it in the right way. We need more good family programming.

Good show...but this set is incomplete
We were really interested in this show but the packaging is misleading...it is 18 episodes, but there is no "closure"...Did they cancel suddenly and fail to alert the writers so that the story could be completed in a satisfactory manner? It "ends" with the entire family at odds with the (usually great) father, and with a couple of scammers about to murder him and fight the children for the horse farm. Looks almost like a season ending "cliff hanger"...but I can't find more DVD's...so would not recommend it at this point.
The music and scenery are beautiful, and the characters are well developed and interesting. It's extremely fictional, but entertaining. We were just disappointed with the ending.
It's set in Kentucky, post Civil War...a widower and his four children plus an "orphan" he took in who is a love interest for the oldest daughter as well as creating some competition with the two sons. The Father is wonderful, loving and wise--some episodes had us laughing...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Home of the Brave [HD]

A Very Powerful Movie
Having had an opportunity to see this movie over a year ago, I have to admit going to see it without any idea of who Viola Liuzzo was or what part she played in the civil rights movement. The movie tells the story of who Viola Liuzzo was through the eyes of her contempararies and of her children, and the effect that her sacrifice had on all of them. In this sense, and with the very apt narration of Stockard Channing, this story is told with both passion and reverance. Also too, the story tells of all too human frailties in both Viola and her children, and as such deserves all the more respect for trying to portray the fact that all of those that we look up to as heros and/or martyrs are just as human as ourselves. For myself, the movie gave me a much greater understanding of what life was like during that period of my childhood that I had only been briefly aware of during the nightly newscasts. Too, the movie portrays what a terrible price can be paid by family when one stands up for...

first rate documentary
Although nowhere near as well known as Martin Luther King Jr. or Medgar Evers, Viola Liuzzo earned her place in American history by also becoming a martyr to the cause of civil rights. A white woman who was an activist long before it became fashionable to be one, Liuzzo could have chosen to live her life in quiet anonymity, safely ensconced with her husband and five children in their middle class home in Detroit. Instead, she headed to the South to lend her services as a nurse for the civil rights march in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965, a day that came to be known as "Black Sunday." For on that day, Liuzzo was gunned down while driving along a deserted road by four members of the Ku Klux Klan. "Home of the Brave" tells us her story.

In form and style, this is a fairly conventional documentary, combining footage from the past with present-day interviews with friends and family members of the victim. Through both memories and documented evidence, the movie paints the...

Remembering Viola Liuzzo, a Real Hero
The title of this documentary is very misleading and the subject of the film is far too important to be overlooked. I remember watching the television news report of the murder of Viola Liuzzo when I was a teenager in the 1960s. This story made a profound impact on me. So much so, that I remember the bullet riddled station wagon and I have always remembered her name--Viola Liuzzo. Being an African-American teenager at the time, I understood just how important the civil rights movement was when they murdered a white woman. Since that time, in my travels and years of teaching English at college and in high school, I always ask people if they know the name Viola Liuzzo and sadly, no one says yes. So I remind them. This documentary is painful to watch when you understand just how she was slandered and maligned, how her family had to live with the pain of losing her and the insult of having her reputation destroyed because she was doing a good thing. I teach my students about heroes,...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Dark Knight [Blu-ray Steelbook]

Great Film - Buy the Single Disc Version!
What has been said about the Dark Knight cannot be elaborated on - so I won't. The film is muscling its way into my #1 favorite comic movie adaptation of all time.

The reason for my review is in hopes of saving you some money. This double disc Special Edition doesn't deliver the price you pay for it. There isn't even deleted scenes!!! I would save your very hard earned dollars and buy the single disc version and wait for the inevitable ULTIMATE re-release that will come later on down the road.

But nonetheless, a great film - you will not be dissapointed; I just wish the studio would have given a better Special Edition release than what we have here. So enjoy!

The Dark Masterpiece Surpasses the Hype
Christopher Nolan has a vision. And whether you agree with it or not, he undeniably completes it in "The Dark Knight"--a vicious, engrossing, overwhelming, intelligent event- film that re-defines 'comic-book-flicks'. In Nolan's grim, dark-depiction of Gotham-City (the crime-ridden hell protected by legendary superhero Batman), the director strives to make everything real (something he began in the well-received "Batman Begins"). He makes it plausible, possible. And yet there's more to it: just as 'Begins' was a dissection of myth, the nature of symbols and heroes, 'Knight' is the escalation of that notion. It's a biblical- confrontation of 'good-and-evil', yet as 'good-and-evil' really exist: a conflict of ideals, something that can't be purely-defined but that is relative to a viewpoint. In Nolan's world, the line of villainy and heroism isn't crossed... it's non-existent. The bad-guys don't see themselves as bad-guys, and as such something so unnervingly-real comes across it might...

A little batpod & case info
Ok, the movie is a 5 star, this is a little info on the case and bat pod if anyone is curious about it size. We have it at work and I have already seen it. It is actually VERY small, the case and the bat pod. The bat pod is maybe 4"-5" long, and the case is just a bit larger then the blu rays. I was expecting a bat pod the size of the one available at in the toys at most stores which is 10"-12" long.
AT $50+ dollars, I would get the Bluray 2 disc and the $20 12" bat pod, which s a much better bat pod and value in my opinion.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Hayride [HD]

I WANT TO BE YOUR SLEDGEHAMMER
This pleasant low budget horror film takes place in LA (Lower Alabama). It has a main plot and a minor subplot. Steven (Jeremy Ivy) brings his girlfriend Amanda (Sherri Eakin) home with him around Halloween. We get to hear and see some of the local flavor as the film builds their character, lines like, "You're not from around here" and "roads that go no where." And of course every proud small town in the south has "the best BBQ in the state." They plan to take Capt. Morgan's Haunted Hayride, a local tradition which features "pitchfork man" based on a local story. Here in Barnwell, we have "rakeman." He doesn't kill people, he just rakes leaves, sort of like Sling-blade, but creepier.

Meanwhile a killer has escaped who might pass for Toj Johnson's son. In the opening scene the killer walks slow dragging an ax. He is able to catch up to a young panicking female at a flat out run...okay she stopped to rest for a second. A pair of odd couple cops are looking for him. Their...

Surprisingly Well-made...
I'm usually not a big fan of horror/slasher movies but this one was surprisingly enjoyable and well-made. I saw a showing of "Hayride" at an actual corn maze in Summerdale, Alabama.
The atmosphere may have added to the spookiness of the film because there were a few moments (I'm not embarrassed to say) I almost jumped out of my seat. The acting was alot better than I expected, especially for a lower budget horror movie. And a pretty awesome twist at the end.
Besides a few moments where the audio is a little bad, it was pretty professionally made. Overall I really enjoyed Hayride! 4 Stars

Local Writer/Director does well with this Movie
As a Movie Lover I'm not a Slasher/Horror Movie Fan. This Movie was good and not to much Blood. Some gory parts but much less than I expected. Had a easy story to follow. Cool it was shot in my hometown of Fairhope, Alabama. For a low budget movie, the Director/Producer Terron R. Parsons (I know his Mom) did a good job. I'd watch it again. I gave it a 5 Star rating because of the talent effort on Terron's behalf, the familiar background areas, the interesting storyline and it kept me glued to my seat. Heard Hayride 2 was now being made, must be because of the twist at the end of Hayride. Watch it for yourself and see what you think. -Signed Movielover supports this local made Film.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Grifters [Blu-ray]

ELEVATOR TO HELL
Produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by Stephen Frears, THE GRIFTERS is a winner. With three top actors, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening and John Cusack, Frears invites us to a non-stop ride to hell.

Caught between his mother and his girl-friend, John Cusack will have a hard time to survive and become a man. You can almost touch the hate those two women feel for each other. Their last encounter is really a scene you will remember : set in Phoenix, in a motel, in a subtle variation of PSYCHO's first murder, it is a moment of great cinema.

Cusack is outstanding as the gentle grifter, Frear's cinematography is first class and Anjelica has never been so devilish. No doubt about it, THE GRIFTERS is a masterpiece of the film noir genre.

A DVD that bleeds.

Nice Special Edition of a great movie
A fantastic movie about con artists. The tone of this movie is perfect: utterly unsentimental, deadpan, cool and calculated. Great score, great performances (not just the three leads, there are tons of bit parts that are very memorable), great dialogue. The pacing is snappy. I'm not going to say the movie is flawless, but honestly I can't think of anything particularly negative to say about it.

The DVD is a modest collector's edition. Some may say the extra features are a bit spare, but what is here is very useful and informative. The commentary track is consistantly listenable. There are four participants: the director, the screenwriter, and stars Cusack and Huston. The four were recorded separately and edited together seamlessly to make an entertaining and insightful track. Also here are two short but well-made featurettes, one covers the making of the film and the other sheds some light on the work of the author who wrote the book upon which the film is based.

Superb
I've never been a John Cusack fan, but he's utterly riveting in the role of a coming-of-age grifter caught between two indelible women. Annette Bening, at least here, is a pure force of nature, a sexy tsunami overwhelming everything in her path. And Anjelica Huston??? Her entire career has been one splendid performance after another, and this is one of her finest. You simply cannot take your eyes off her. The interaction of these three is one of the best examples of ensemble acting outside of an Altman film. And the little subtleties around these three -- from the brilliant set piece of the orange scene to the almost-identical dresses worn by Lily and Myra to Elmer Bernstein's moody score -- make The Grifters a compelling experience. The only disappointment is that the CD has NO extras at all, but you could certainly make the case that this is a movie that can stand completely on its own.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Valentin (English Subtitled) [HD]

Emotional Life of a 9-Year-Old Boy.
"Valentin" is director Alejandro Agresti's semi-autobiographical tribute to the emotional strength of children. Valentin (Rodrigo Noya) is a 9-year-old boy living with his grandmother (Carmen Maura) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1969. His grandmother loves him, but misses her recently deceased husband desperately and complains constantly of her remaining family. Valentin dreams of being an astronaut and longs for his mother, whom he has not been allowed to see since his parents' divorce. When Valentin's ill-tempered father (Alejandro Agresti) introduces his son to Leticia (Julieta Cardinali), the latest in a long string of girlfriends, Valentin takes to her immediately, and feels that his life is looking brighter.

If "Valentin" were a little older, this might be called a coming-of-age story. Instead, it is a story of this boy's ability to adapt, to find hope in the events around him, and to advance his own cause in his own way. Valentin is an opinionated child, sometimes to...

"It will get me to the moon"
The charm that this heartwarming movie possesses is based on two factors, the outstanding screenplay by Agresti and the unbelievable performance of a small kid that makes his debut on the big screen, Rodrigo Noya. The film depicts a series of events in Valentin's life when he was eight years old, with the kid himself narrating these events. This characteristic provides the story with an unusual freshness and candor, with the plain language used by most kids being a salient feature of this production.

Valentin lives with his grandmother (Carmen Maura) in a modest house in a barrio of Buenos Aires. He is obsessed with being an astronaut and is already practicing holding his breath, walking in the absence of gravity and dressing up in the required attire; the scene in which he puts on his home made astronaut suit is enough to make this movie worth watching. The reasons for Valentin living with his grandmother are that his mother abandoned him and his father a while back and...

About a boy looking for a family
I liked "Valentin."

It walks through a few weeks of a boy's life, Valentin, as he navigates his days living with a suspicious, protective grandmother. His dad is caught up in his own life, his mother is apparently found some unnamed trouble, and so Valentin is in the care of his father's mother.

It has the sweetness and romance of "Cinema Paradiso," the charm of "The Wonder Years," the subtle dramatic humor of "Lost in Yonkers," and the uncanny real-time wisdom of "Simon Birch."

His father visits whenever he falls in love, and although Valentin loves his father, he knows the relationship is, at best, casual. The father is somewhat abusive, but the point made isn't that, but how he simply is not around.

When the father meets Leticia, a young woman half his age, he introduces them. Valentin falls for her completely, while Leticia listens carefully. To him, she is mother potential. He trusts her, but she is the wiser of the two, and finds that...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Dear Mom, Love Cher

Inspiring Fabulous Uplifting
It's not often that we are given a chance to thank our mothers for all their love and understanding in raising us. Cher shares wonderful memories with her mom and sister. Listen carefully as Georgia shares her story and inpiring support to her daughter Cher.

A really engaging bio on a fantastic Lady
Kudos to Cher,and of course Georgia in producing a relaxed and fascinating bio on the glamorous,talented Georgia Holt.The mother of the illustrious Cher has a great story to tell.
The bio illustrates her roots to today-from Arkansas to Hollywood,and all the stages of her almost stardom life.
Ironically this documentary releases her new cd,"Honky Tonk Woman". She is a hit at 86!,with an album that finally gets her the vocal acclaim she deserves. The bio is sentimental and sweet,but reveals the long hard climb with humor and fascinating family footage!Some may find fault in the light approach to serious times,but I found it lovely.
Cher and sister provide a living room atmosphere to watch and discuss their glamorous mom on this "mothers day " valentine.

There aren't enough stars!
Loved this!!! I have watched it many times...this family went through hard times, but never gave up and were there for each other against all odds...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Rabbi's Cat (Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack))

Visually Splendid Animation Attached to Philosophy Lessons
I offer a litmus test. If you adored Sylvain Chomet's "Triplets of Belleville" but were bored with "The Illusionist", this film won't work for you. Myself, I thought the colors and drawings were artistically incredible ... something like Arabic or Hindu painted miniatures. Alas, there really is not much of a story. It is instead a tale of a journey by a rabbi, his voluptuous daughter, an Arab sheikh, and a Russian who are searching for a hidden Jerusalem in Ethiopia where Blacks and Jews co-exist in peace. Along for the ride is the rabbi's "talking cat" - a creature which loves arguing and commenting on everything when he's not being pampered by the rabbi's daughter. Since the rabbi is a religious man, they discuss differences in customs and spirituality and beliefs...and why that matters.

The half of the film that take place in Algiers, 1920 is simply stunning. Beautiful blue pools, Persian carpets, exotic buildings, and mosaic tiles. For that alone, I give it 4...

Funny And Entertaining: A Smart And Sophisticated Animated Gem For Adults
Although released under the GKIDS label, I'm going to start out by saying that "The Rabbi's Cat" is not an animated feature for children. It is undeniably geared toward adults or, at least, teens with an awareness of the world around them. The film discusses religion, racism, and violence and is thought-provoking in a surprisingly comedic way. This feature won the César Award in France for Best Animated Film and is based on Joann Sfar's series of graphic novels. Truthfully, without knowing anything about the movie, I really didn't have a strong desire to see it. I imagined the worst when I read about a talking cat offering wit and insight into a myriad of weighty topics. But I'll watch anything, you never know where that next great surprise is going to come from! Well, for me, this was it! I absolutely loved "The Rabbi's Cat!" The movie is smart, silly, sophisticated, and scathing. There is much to admire in this 89 minute movie, and the DVD/Blu-Ray also boasts some...

A Truly Charming Animated Feature Film
The Rabbi's Cat is a truly charming animated film. The story follows an elder Rabbi and his daughter living in the Sephardic Jewish community in pre-World War 2 Algeria. The eponymous cat develops the ability to speak upon devouring the Rabbi's prized Parrot and proceeds to cause no end of mischief for the family and the surrounding community.

For fans of the graphic novel by Sfar, the film stays absolutely loyal to the look, feel, and theme of the original. The film has cut some plot-lines and characters in order to fit within the standard length of a two hour movie, but this hurts the narrative much less than one might think.

The Rabbi's Cat is ultimately about identity, religion, and ethnicity and how the contradictions within those boundaries ultimately define us as people. The fim is targeted at adults with the religious and historical that are too complicated for younger children. Overall, a great film from beginning to end.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Felicity: Season 3

Forget about Felicity and Ben and let's talk Sean and Megan
What was true about the second season of "Felicity" is even truer about the third season, a.k.a. "Junior Year": I watched this show despite the title character and not because of her. For me the idea that the show might have "jumped the shark" did not come when Keri Russell cut her hair, but rather when Felicity chose Ben (Scott Speedman) over Noel (Scott Foley). This is not to say that Ben does not have his moments, but they are almost always BAD moments. Plus there is the vicious cycle of their relationship. One of them does something "wrong," at which point Ben gets mad and Felicity cries, but she wants to talk about it and he does not (and she gets her way). It is actually a good thing that I know what happens at the end of the series, because that way I do not have to have a vested interest in Felicity's love life, which is fine, because the grand irony is that Felicity is not why I watch "Felicity."

I watch "Felicity" primarily for Megan (Amanda Foreman) and Sean...

Greatest Show Ever
I grew up watching Felicity (OK, while it was on) and I cannot imagine a more perfect show. The look of the show was luscious. The actors were extraordinary. The plots were unique and well-paced. I love the theme of each show. They were all serious and very real issues faced by college kids. She made me feel like I wasn't alone. It's too bad there isn't more quality programming like Felicity on nowadays. If there were ever a perfect show - it would be Felicity. My husband bought me all 4 seasons recently and is currently watching them all with me. I love him! I love the show!!! Felicity has helped me get in touch with my own feelings. I grew up doing everything my parents wanted me to do (I did engineering and then auditing/accounting in University). Now, with the support of my loving husband, I'm pursuing my dreams and following my heart by doing Photography. Thank you Felicity!! You've opened my eyes :).

Felicity is like Therapy!!!
Season three is a must buy after watching the first two...in this season we get to see Ben and Felicity's relationship evolve. I know a lot of people didn't get into the major melodramatic plot lines, music etc.... but I have to disagree. Felicity has this great balance of comedy and drama. Scott Speedman is an amazing actor and both he and Kerri have such a magical chemistry on camera. It's truly magical.

College is a major chapter in anyone's life, it's where you learn to be independent, yet at the same time your building strong lasting friendships. When Felicity first came out I was two years from graduating from high-school, when it ended I was two years away from graduating from university and I have to say watching Felicity was like therapy for me. I was sad when it ended because it's after collage where things really get interesting and decisions get harder. Now in my senior year this is very clear to me. Watching the characters discover not just what they want to do with...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Strawberry Summer

Watch Out for those Strawberries
A Hallmark romantic comedy with some tried and true TV star favorites.

This Gaiam release gives us Julie Mond starring as a music teacher promoting the local strawberry festival by bringing in a famous country singer, played by handsome Trevor Donovan, whose star is not so polished as it should be. There's romantic conflict brewing between the leads and lots of folksy humor and characters.

The real stars of the movie are all the TV personalities of past: Shelley Long(Cheers) playing the mom; Dick Van Dyke's son and co-star, the rugged looking, Barry Van Dyke; Cindy Williams(Laverne and Shirley, can you believe it?).

It's all easy going fun and mild comedy. We know where this is going. The editing is somewhat choppy; there are inconsistencies and holes in the story; the music, with the singing near the end, a touch corny, and the whole thing, in general, a bit weak, but... the leads are cute together, and it's harmless and means well. Hallmark...

I liked the movie but loved the singing
This is a nice family movie. The real enjoyment comes at the end of the movie in the form of a duet.

a small-town school teacher tries to tame a country singer with a New York state of mind
In the quaint town of Fairland, somewhere in California, Beth Landon (Julie Mond) has gone out on a limb. An aspiring singer once, and a high school English teacher today and director of her school's glee club, Beth has lobbied for country singer Jason Keith (Trevor Donovan) to perform at her town's annual Strawberry Festival. Beth's already been selected as this year's Strawberry Queen and so has to appear in several festival events. Mr. Keith, besides performing, is also tapped as the Grand Marshal. It's setting out to be a fine Strawberry Festival.

Except that Jason Keith turns out to be a first class tool, unfailingly inconsiderate. He's rude and dismissive and tardy. Beth, who's a big fan and tends to sing along to the guy's crossover hit "Easy Heart," is chagrined. But she's got spunk. She's a real spitfire. From jump she doesn't hesitate to call him out on his difficult behavior. And because this is a Hallmark joint and the network prefers to keep things conventional...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Doc McStuffins: Time for Your Checkup

10 Episodes!
This is a great DVD for any Doc McStuffins fan. It is 2 whole hours of Doc McStuffins and her plush pals fun. If your child has never seen the show, it is adorable! The show features a little girl who has an awesome playhouse in her backyard that she calls "The Clinic." In there she fixes up toys and interacts with all her own plush friends. Her mom is a doctor and it is cute to see her follow in her mom's footsteps. Even though these are episodes are ones my kids have seen on the Disney channel, my kids love that they can watch them anytime, anywhere. There are 10 episodes that are sure to make any kids smile. I honestly don't mind watching it with my kids, I think all the toys are so cute and fun to see interacting with each other!

Gulpy, Gulpy Gators! / One Night Wonder
Tea Party Tantrum / Blast Off!
Arcade Escapade / Starry, Starry Night
Bronto Boo-Boos / Brontosaurus Breathe
Doctoring The Doc / Hot Pursuit

Time for Imagination
My kids fell in love with Doc McStuffins from the time the first episode aired and they have been obsessed ever since. I was so excited to receive Time for Your Checkup and have it on DVD for all the times we go camping on on long car rides where they don't have access to regular TV.

Doc McStuffins is a loving, shining example of what a friend and Doctor should be. She is the only one that can "hear" her animals talk and see them move. They only come alive for her so she has the unique ability to help them cure their ailments.

My kids favorite part of this show is the funny names she comes up with for illnesses like "Stuffedfulliosis." I gave my daughter the Doc McStuffin's Doctor kit for Christmas and the cell phone and big book of boo-boos for Valentines Day. She loves to play Doctor with me and have me lay down on the couch. She gets out her big book of boo-boo's and diagnoses me with her version of illnesses like "owie-itis." I love that this show has spawned...

A Great Series!
The moment that this DVD came into my house it was unwrapped and watched by my youngest who is a BIG Doc McStuffins fan. She loved each of the episodes, but she said her favorite was Gulpy, Gulpy Gators! I have to say that as a father, I am always looking for shows that promote good values that are consistent with my own and this series definitely fits the bill. I love the underlying messages within this series, with the most pronounced regarding helping others (but there are so many more). If you are a fan of this series, I highly encourage you to check out this great new DVD, as you too will be watching the episodes over and over again as I already am too!

*I received a copy of this DVD for review - all opinions are my own*

Click to Editorial Reviews

30 Rock: Season Seven

Funnier and funnier
I have been in awe of the writers and actors of 30 Rock since the beginning. They never take the easy way out. Another great show.

Best thing on TV
With much sadness that the series is now over, I highly recommend the entire series, including Season 7. The writing is so smart and the acting is hilarious. If only there would be more series like this on TV!

Back in the finest of forms, but gone too soon. Blerg!
Tina Fey and crew threw together an incredible final season, planned certainly taking notes from the Mary Tyler Moore show (see the AVClub.com for an excellent breakdown of this concept), in order to wrap up all of our beloved characters and storylines and really show off what makes this show spectacular. Sad to see it go, but with this season they've absolutely gone out on top, which makes the emotional beats that pop up this season all the more effective.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Dungeon Of Harrow + Death By Invitation

Truly one of the worst movies....
I generally like "bad" movies, but I am thinking more along the lines of say, 1950's science fiction films. Attack of the Giant Leeches, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, and similar titles are considered bad movies, but yet these types of movies are entertaining to say the least. The Dungeon of Harrow, well, it is awful. Some commentators seem to have liked this movie, but having seen hundreds and hundreds of movies in my lifetime I can say with all assurance this movie is terribly, terribly bad. If I can't stay interested, or even keep watching a movie, then that is the best indication of how awful it is. I haven't even watched the other half of this double feature and probably won't considering my impressions of Dungeons of Harrow. Oh, and to make things even worse, the video quality matches the movie itself in awfulness. If you've ever seen some of the Alpha Video titles that have been released in the past you will know what I mean; grainy, washed out, appears out of focus,...

Finally
I've been searching for a good print of DUNGEON OF HARROW ever since it scared the crap out of me since viewing it as a kid on TV in the 60's. It has floated around in terrible condition on various PD labels for years, but finally Vinegar Syndrome offers a beautiful print in its original aspect ratio. There are still a few emulsion scratches here and there, but the colors pop on the screen. It's like watching the movie for the first time. Cudos to VS! As for DEATH BY INVITATION: the film is very bad, but VS offers a beautiful widescreen print of it. Here's my hope: That VS discovers the other two films of DOH's director Pat Boyette (especially THE WEIRD ONES) and gives them the same care as they did this film. I wouldn't care how much they cost, I would still buy them. I own all of Vinegar Syndrome's releases so far and am never disappointed with their condition. I may not like the films, but the presentation is flawless.



Click to Editorial Reviews

Dragon Lord [Blu-ray]

Awesome
If you want action and comedy at the same time this is your movie. With a 1/2 tea spoon of comedy, a 1/3 tea spoon of Action, a 2/4 tea spoon of comedy and a hole lot of Jackie Chan makes any movie awesome.

Upscaled?
We need to start knowing if these recent blu-rays of chinese films are just dvd upscales and not really high definition restoring the picture.. These companies keep ripping us off giving us films that are on dvd for less than 5 dollars and giving us the same exact copy upscaled to blu-ray.. SHAME ON YOU FORTUNE STAR and KAM AND RONSON! These companies are stealing your money Jackie Chan!

Chinese film...dubbed in English
I like Jackie Chan, so I keep getting suckered into these cheezy films hoping for something better. Even my teenage son who loves martial arts will not watch it...buyers beware!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Secret Garden, The (1949)

Excellent, remastered version of MGM's 1949 adaptation of the children's classic. Highly Recommended!
I have just received my newly remastered Warner Archive DVD of MGM's 1949 adaptation of "The Secret Garden", the first and, for many, the best sound version of the famous children's classic written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This black and white film with beautiful Technicolor sequences here makes its DVD debut and is very well done all round, with child star legends Dean Stockwell and Margaret O'Brien, acting at full throttle, practically striking sparks off each other in some key scenes. O'Brien plays an embittered English orphan brought from India to live at her uncle's mansion on the bleak Yorkshire moors. There, she befriends a local boy, Dickon (Brian Roper) and discovers her equally embittered, but bedridden, crippled cousin, Colin Craven (Stockwell), who isn't as much of a cripple as his father (Herbert Marshall), for his own nefarious reasons, has led him to believe he is, as well as uncovering the secret of a beautiful and magic garden that will soon change all of their...

Best telling of this children's classic
The two children steal their own movie and are clearly the stars of this lovingly told version. They are so good that the adults seem one dimensional and pedestrian. O'Brian and Stockwell are impressive and carry this film in peak form. Amazing that their performances are so well executed for their young age. Definitely the definitive version on film by far!

At last on DVD the classic Secret Garden!
At last out on DVD the classic Secret Garden from the Golden Age of Hollywood with one of MGM legandary little leading ladies. The best film verson to date of this wonderful classic book. Margaret O'Brine is at her spoiled best as Mary Lenox. Done in the grand old style of movie making with color sequences for dramatic effect this film will please children as well as their parents and delight film buff . Warner Arcives DVD super quality produces another winner! A must for all home movie libries.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Doc Martin Series 1

Brilliant! A must-watch!
I absolutely LOVED this series. I had heard Martin compared with House, and I think that's a bit unfair, albeit understandable. However, I prefer to think of him as a strange cross between House and James Harriot. Although James was just nice, nice, nice (ad nauseum), the situations in which they find themselves are really very similar - close-knit countryside full of bizarre natives with bizarre rituals. In personality he is much more like House, with one huge difference: House is a rude, insensitive jerk simply because he enjoys it, while Martin, not a jerk at all, frequently acts like one because he doesn't seem to know any better. Like House, Martin's dry, deadpan comebacks are hilarious.

Each episode of Season 1 is better than the one before, culminating in an ending so funny I think I had tears in my eyes. He just never learns, does he?

I still can't quite put my finger on what makes Martin so charming, since I'm not sure I would enjoy knowing him in...

"That's Dr. Ellingham, if you please, and what's all this moaning about a little diarrhea?"
Curmudgeons, if blessed with good writers, can be satisfying house guests. They're irascible, oblivious, often insulting (sometimes unintentionally), but usually with a hint of endearing rehabilitation. Dr. Martin Ellingham, formerly a top-rank London surgeon who now practices general medicine in the Cornish town of Portwenn, not only has first-rate writers, he's blessed by having as his impersonator the actor Martin Clunes.

Dr. Ellingham ("Martin or Dr. Ellingham, please. Not `Doc Martin!'"), during one simple operation, found himself overwhelmed and unable to continue. The sight of blood suddenly sickened him, not a good thing for a surgeon. It stopped his career cold. He retrained and accepted the job of Portwenn's GP, far away from London and from the people who'd learned of his phobia.

But Doc Mar...Dr. Ellingham...seems to have a gene missing in his make-up. He is all too frank, oblivious to human courtesies, awkward, means well but has one of the worst...

a sparkling escape
Quirky characters, idealized village life ...city sophisticates escaping the rat race. A welcome series in the tradition of Monarch of the Glen and Northern Exposure...more oddball comedy than soap like the latter.

Click to Editorial Reviews

She Cat

Smart Talk on Skin: SHE CAT Doubles-Down On Story To Reach A Larger Audience
The Pinky/Pinku films kinda/sorta underwent a bit of re-invention in the early-to-mid 1980's due to the emergence of adult home video. These direct release properties were vastly cheaper to produce than a bigger, bolder, sexier theatrical film. In order to compete, production companies beefed up the stories and poured a few more dollars into the budget; so long as these features continued delivered the "goods" (such as a sex act once-a-reel), audiences were unlikely to raise a fuss over such pesky additions of more plot, more action, and more story. The benefit was that the filmmakers might grow their audience by actually bringing in folks more interested in those things; of course, the disadvantage was that they'd alienate their existing audience in the process.

SHE CAT very much fits the mold of this narrative re-invention. It serves up a more complex story than Nikkatsu had provided in so many earlier releases. That also raised the ante by requiring more of these...

Quite a Disappointment
Japanese "porno" is quite tame by most standards because they can't show genitals at all. A typical sex scene in this film features flashes of very small breasts and the occasional butt.

Although the "star" pictured on the cover has large breasts, we only see them for a couple of seconds at the beginning of the film, for a few seconds in the middle, and for a few seconds at the end. All but one of the sex scenes in the movie feature pretty but small-breasted actresses. There is a clear element of bait-and-switch here, since the cover model appears for a total of about one minute in the film. That is disappointing.

Delivers
Not bad at all. Although the action sequences are a tad tame. Overall, a good Japanese action film. She's hot too!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Committed [Blu-ray]

Refreshingly offbeat!
I need somebody to explain to me why uninteresting, predictable, so-called "romantic comedies" like "Runaway Bride" are successful, and a movie like this can't find an audience. Admittedly, Heather Graham's past performances have been nothing to write home about, but she blossoms in this role a young woman who's genuinely trying to figure out her life. Graham is hugely appealing and shows real comic timing. The script is great, the supporting cast (including Casey Affleck, Goran Visjnic, and Patricia Velasquez) is talented and funny, and, perhaps most delightful, the film is unpredictable--unlike a lot of more mainstream movies, you honestly can't tell what's going to happen until it does. I see "Committed" as the more offbeat, intellectual, American version of "Bridget Jones's Diary" (which I also enjoyed), and I recommend it to everyone in the mood for something different and refreshing.

Engaging Film from Lisa Krueger
Some people drift through life, moving from one thing or one person to the next without batting an eye; others latch on to a cause, another person or a principle and remain adamant, committed to whatever it is-- and figuratively or literally they give their word and stand by it. But we�re all different, �Made of different clay,� as one of the characters in this film puts it, which is what makes life so interesting. Some people are just plain crazy, though-- and maybe that�s the way you have to be to live among the masses. Who knows? Who knows what it takes to make things-- life-- work? Writer/director Lisa Krueger takes a shot at it, using a light approach to examine that thin line between being committed-- and how one �gets� committed-- and obsession, in �Committed,� starring Heather Graham as a young woman who is adamant, committed, obsessive and maybe just a little bit crazy, too. Her name is Joline, and this is her...

The first comedy that ever made me re-examine myself
It takes a certain type of person to enjoy this movie for what and who it tries to appreciate. For the extremely introspective, honor-obsessed, and non-conventional folk out there, this IS the comedy to watch. I was left falling in love with the main character - sometimes reminding me of myself, or mostly of people I know - and was also left with one dominate, repetitive thought: I'm not alone.

People usually associate the comedy genre with lightness, and fluffy, not-too-deep mania. (I'm guilty of it myself) It just catches you off-gaurd how deep this movie really is, and how much it reveals about the human mind and emotions. The "let down" the other reviewers speak of, is going in to see this movie, looking for the wrong things. Perhaps we've ALL forgotten that deep thoughts can be funny.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Flashpoint: Seasons 1-5

Buyer Beware
The product was not as it was advertised. You do not get season five at all and there are three other shows not even included in seasons 1-4. It was expensive to buy and not get what you were expecting. Not all of the DVD's are in show order for some reason so it was very disappointing.

seasons are not complete
i thought i got a good deal on this set until i found out i was only getting 62 of the 75 episodes...i guess the last 13 episodes will be released later this year as the final season of Flashpoint...what really makes me mad is when you read the original air dates listed on the DVD set season 2 started two weeks after season 1 ended and season 5 started two months after season 4...so the way i look at it is they split season 1 and 2 - 4 and 5 in half when the put them on DVD just so they could make more money...i still love the show and I'm sure i will but the final season when it comes out since i already have the first 62 episodes BUT if i had known i was only getting 62 episodes i would not have got them

Disappointed
I bought all 5 DVDs but all episodes are missing. The 5th season is the 4th season. The 5th is not there. There is no 5th season to buy so the last season is not available on DVD. This pisses me off what a let down from you amazon.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Watchmen (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray Steelbook]

Additional changes for Director's Cut
The director's cut runs about 25 minutes longer, and incorporates more elements from the comics, adds more violence, as well as more shots of Dr. Manhatten's schlong. Some of the previous scenes are reworked with additional dialogue. Information has been supported by sites such as AICN etc.

Overall, the storyline and conversations are better fleshed out, and this version is truer to the comics. The largest additional addition is that of Hollis Mason's death, which is spectacularly directed to the score of the Intermezzo from the opera Cavalleria Rusticana (think Godfather III).

(1) Rorschach gets additional dialogue, some straight from the comics.

(2) When Rorschach searches the Comedian's apartment shortly after the opening scene, he encounters two cops still stationed there. He fights briefly with them before jumping back out the window.

(3) Conversation between Dan and Rorschach (beans scene) is extended.

(4) All flashbacks...

The End is Nigh.. But at Least it's the Ultimate Cut
Finally, Zac Synder's vision as it was meant to be. I can't believe they milked the DVD release for literally ever last penny they could. Nevertheless, I am incredibly pleased to own 'Watchmen: the Ultimate Cut'.

The Set Includes:

Disc 1
- Watchmen, the Ultimate Cut (1080p/VC-1 Transfer, 215min)
- Commentary from Zac Snyder and Dave Gibbons (Explains everything from prop inspirations to plot alterations)
- BD Live

Disc 2
- The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics (HD 25min)
- Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes (HD 26min)
- Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World (HD 17min)
- Watchmen: Video Journals (HD 36mmin)
- Under the Hood (HD 38min)
- Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen (HD 36min)
- My Chemical Romance, 'Desolation Row' Music Video (HD, 3min)

Disc 3
- Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comics (1080p/VC-1 Transfer, 325).
- Watchmen Video Journal, Dave Gibbons (HD...

Better than theatrical release, but more to come in December
This edition is an improvement over the theatrical release and is closer to the book. My only disappointment related to this edition was that I opened the package to find a coupon for the ULTIMATE edition, which is to be released Decemberish. The next (and I hope final) version will have the Black Freighter story woven into the main story as it is in the book. If you don't want multiple versions of this film, hold off buying until the end of the year.

I agree with the other reviewers who note the film's ending is an improvement over the book's. It just makes more sense in the context of the story. This is not a knock on Mr. Moore, of whom I am a big fan.

I don't understand the folks who are so down on this film, unless it is that they just had the wrong expectations and/or didn't do their homework before watching it. It was never meant to be another Spiderman, Superman or Hulk story.

Kudos to Mr. Moore. Kudos for the team who produced this film.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Escape (English Subtitled) [HD]

A Spare Survival Adventure From Norway: Not Much Plot, But Well Executed
I wasn't really sure what to anticipate from the Norwegian film "Escape." The marketing artwork, packaging and description make it seem like this might be a cheesy kid's adventure film. So I strapped in and hoped for the best. And as is often the case with relatively low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. There isn't a whole lot of plot in this spare 80 minute film, but the action sequences were well executed and the movie held my interest throughout. The title really explains the entire film premise. It's about an escape with not much back story or explanation either before or after the event. By keeping things simple and straightforward, however, the movie succeeds in telling a concise little story. It may not be a great movie, but it is entertaining. The DVD/Blu-ray has the option of an English dubbed soundtrack, but I watched the film with subtitles. I can't, therefore, comment on the quality of the dub which is oftentimes distracting and annoying to my personal...

One of those diamonds in the rough
I usually don't bother writing reviews, but I do like to leave at least some feedback when I come across that rare budget movie that actually turns out to be fairly good. Well, this is one of those diamonds in the rough even though the plot was simple. The acting was good, and the script was well written. I was pleasantly surprised :) Sorry for the simple review, but again I don't usually care to write reviews.

Cheers!

A Hidden Gem
It's not the best cinematography ever, it is a foreign language film with English subtitles. A very good story, actors were good (especially the two young lasses).
I'm surprised to find this gem hidden back on page one hundred something. It should be up front, at least ahead of "I spit on your grave" & "Godzilla vs Megagodzilla"
Hunger Games, Hanna type movie, action, drama. Dagmar is Hawtt! In a Johnny Winter sort of way.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Toriko - Part 4

crazy anime crazy fast shopping
Got it quick ...Packaging Was Sturdy..Dvds In Awesome condition...Can't Wait To Watch The Anime..Is Extremely Random But Very Very Good

dying for more
I love this series it's a wonderful combination of Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z with a touch of Iron Chef that has kept me thoroughly entertained. I can't wait for the next installment.

Continuing to inspire my boys to eat their vegetables
We've been Toriko fans for a long time, and even after so much time has passed the show still inspires my boys to eat from all of the food groups. They are hoping that their muscles will keep growing like Toriko's, hahahahaha! However, I am completely satisfied with my purchase, it arrived the same day that it came out. The series remains appealing to everyone in my household, from the eldest young adult to the preschool kid, and following the show together is a blast. The fight scenes are appropriate for all ages and I don't find anything about the show offensive. I hope everyone, otaku or not, gives Toriko a chance, it's fabulous.

Click to Editorial Reviews

In the Name of the Father - 20th Anniversary [Blu-ray]

Justice by popular demand
This is not a film that I watch very often but "In the Name of the Father" is still one of my favorites. The reason I am not watching it regularly is that it is quite disturbing. It is loosely based on the true story of the Guildford four. A group of young people jailed for the bombing of the Guildford pub in London back in 1974.

"In the Name of the Father" tells the story from the point of view of Gerry Conlon, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. Gerry starts out as a young man in Ireland. He is an unemployed lout who makes a little money on the side by stealing lead lining off neighborhood roofs. He is forced to leave Belfast due to the IRA's disapproval of his thieving activities.

Once in London, Gerry and his friend Paul Hill move into a squat with a group of other flower children. It is not long before Gerry and Paul have to move out of their new home due to friction over one of the young ladies' relationship with Gerry. This leaves...

Emotionally harrowing
This is a powerful story, and watching it absolutely wrings you out. You should see this movie, because the story is so emotional. You should also see it because of the quality of the acting. Daniel Day-Lewis' and Pete Postlethwaite's performances are so raw and perfectly understated that they make the film seem like the reality the story is based on.

Readers can get the gist of the plot from other reviews here, but there are a few remarks that should be made.

In this post-September 11 world, it should be noted that the thing that enabled these injustices was a bill that allowed British officials to hold suspected terrorists for up to 7 days without charging them. This gave these officers all the time they needed to beat and intimidate Conlon into confessing something he didn't do. The kind of power such a bill provides requires more responsibility than this.

While the British government does come out looking very bad in this film, it must be fairly pointed out that you can...

Compelling, True Story
Gerry Conlon (Danie Day Lewis) was not an upstanding youth. He was a petty thief and layabout with little future. He was innocent, however, of the bombing of a London pub which killed four people in 1974. That did not stop an English court, however, from sending him, his father, and several other innocent men to prison.

What makes this story so compelling is that it is true. Conlon really did serve 15 years in a British prison for a crime he did not commit. His conviction was finally overturned in 1989, upon the revelation that evidence which proved his innocence was deliberately withheld by the government.

This film shows several chilling scenes where Conlon is psychologically and physically abused until he finally breaks down and confesses to the crime. He, along with the others, is then sentenced to a long prison term. As the presiding judge tells him, "I only wish I could sentence you to death."

After Gonlon and his father Giuseppe (Pete Postlethwaite)...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Felicity: Season 4

Relxing Show!!
I love to watch this show because it is calm, the characters talk calmly, fight calmly. With so many shows these days about violence and crime, it is always good to go back and watch Felicity, no matter the season!!!

Love this show
Loved this show when I was in college, so I had to buy it. It w's fun to watch it and remember the story line.

ok
As you can understand from my precedent answers it is that i really enjoy this product from the begining of this serie.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Brave New Girl

Made Me Cry
This is a wonderful movie and I love everything about it. I think it was a great movie for family to see and talk about. That is all I have to say.

Loved The Movie
I found the movie rather cute. Of course if any movie has dancing or singing, I'll automatically love it. :) But the lip synching was pretty obvious in most parts. And from that, it makes you wonder who exactly can REALLY sing. Oh well, I still love the movie and I think it's worth the watch.

Dreams can come true with faith, hard work and perseverance
This 2004 tv film is based on the book "A Mother's Gift" written by Britney Spears and her mother. The story involves a single mother (Virginia Madsen) and her talented daughter (Lindsey Haun) who are poor, good-hearted Texans. The daughter's dream is to go to a prestigious music school in Philadelphia. The mother sacrifices everything (literally) to make it happen. There are humiliating obstacles and intense pressures. Can the daughter persevere and succeed. What about the mother?

Some people wrote negative reviews just because the story was written and produced by Britney Spears and her mother. These people obviously hate Britney. Regardless, the truth is she's a talented, likable pop musician/showman, not to mention incredibly famous. I don't listen to her style of music and would likely never buy one of her cds or see her in concert but who can deny this?

What matters is: Is the story any good? Yes it is. Both my wife and I enjoyed it from beginning to end...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Consent [HD]

Very interesting movie
I love Troian Bellisario which is mostly why I ordered this movie. I loved the movie but I thought the ending could have been better. It left too much unsaid but maybe that the goal of the writers. I don't know if it was actually worth $10 but I'm happy I ordered it.

Hauntingly Beautiful
This movie is so amazing; the acting is phenomenal. Troian Bellisario and Peter Vack, as well as the other actors, are great. It is very dramatic and intense, but so interesting. Like the title for this review, it is hauntingly beautiful. The story is so intense, haunting, and sad, but it is beautiful at the same time. The movie is mostly about the relationship between the two siblings and how their sister's suicide affected them. The younger sister turned to sex and drugs for comfort, while the brother turned to drugs and drinking. They also turned to each other for comfort. Just a great movie overall, but definitely not for everyone.

crummy
Save your money on this turkey. There are no redeeming features of this film. I am unable to think of any reason why this film was made.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Heat (SteelBook Packaging) [Blu-ray]

What a total disappointment of a Blu-Ray! :( There should be laws against treating such a *great* movie like this!
This release truly was a gargantuan disappointment. "Heat" is one of my all-time favorites and Michael Mann one of my favorite directors. I actually did not have huge expectations to this first incarnation of Heat on Blu-Ray--knowing the problems that exist on both the original 1999 DVD release (which I might add was pretty ok at the time, but not by today's standards) and the subsequent 2005 "Special Edition" (which had some interesting extras and commentary, but no change to the feature itself.)

But I mean honestly, I am in awe that not only does this disc have basically _the same_ audio track (re-encoded into Dolby TrueHD)--complete with the same muffled audio which for the most part totally lacks any kind of force, and dialogue which in some places is so low it borders on being ridiculous.
I can honestly say that it had no improvement, whatsoever, over the Japanese DTS edition which was released a couple of years back (which also is far from perfect.)...

A masterpiece
10 years after the release of Michael Mann's epic crime tour de force, Heat is still an absolute masterpiece. Originally a screenplay which sat on the shelf for almost twenty years before being greenlit, Heat is the perfect character driven crime drama. Mann pits Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as a dueling cop and crook whose lives bear stunning resemblances to themselves. Vincent (Pacino) becomes obsessed in his case to help escape the reality of his failing marriage, while Neil (De Niro) is a cool, calm, collected and disciplined master thief who, with his skilled team (including Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore) are planning a heist which will change everyone involved forever. This portrait of these people and their failing personal lives sacrificed for their obsessive careers makes Heat the best film to come from Mann, and undoubtadly the best big budget crime drama to come out of the 90's. The face off between Pacino and De Niro is a film buff's dream, and the climactic LA shootout...

A Crime Saga to Remember
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are two of my favorite actors. So when I found out that they would be in a movie together, I was very excited to see it. "Heat" is a crime saga masterpiece that mixes drama and film noir together. Combine all of those elements together and you get one hell of a movie.

Pacino plays a L.A. detective who is obsessed with his job. He has dedicated his life to put away every single criminal in the state. Much so that he has become obsessed with his job. De Niro plays a criminal who loves to go on heists. A professional he is, and he never gets caught. Soon, the two's lives collide with each other and all hell breaks out. Pacino becomes obsessed with catching De Niro. He will not rest until he is locked up.

That is only half of the story. There are many stories in this crime drama that interact with each other. Other great actors in this film include Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Jon Voight, and many more. Every...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Telephone Book (Blu-ray + DVD Combo)

Once I Swallowed A Golf Ball...
Odd non-sequiturs and wild witty digressions delivered with soothing calm..excellent compositions, hilarious animation and a nice soft core thrill-- this is lots of fun!!

I had the good fortune to be able to produce 2 full length CDs with Nelson Lyon and Hal Willner. It's a drag that such a brilliant artist doesn't have a filmography and discography a mile long. However, I would urge anyone who enjoys this film to also check out Nelson's work with Paris Records: Dead City Radio by W.S. Burroughs and Give Me Your Hump! The Unspeakable Terry Southern Record. Like The Telephone Book, these projects are loaded with cameos from Nelson's friends--all of whom are well known stars. He took great care with his productions- in fact, his perfectionism almost drove us nuts! All the same, Nelson's production values were well worth it, and I will value his friendship for the rest of my life.

Nelson Lyon 1939-2012.. We miss you, Nels, and I know you would never want to "rest...

An Obscure Comedy that deserves a larger cult
"The Telephone Book" is about a girl who falls in love with the world's greatest obscene phone caller. Because of horrors in distribution this movie from 1971 has never received it's due as a great comedy. The movie features Barry Morse (Space:1999), Roger C. Carmel (Harry Mudd on Star Trek) and William Hickey (Prizzi's Honor) in supporting roles. But the major star is announcer Norman Rose as the obscene phone caller. At the time of the shooting, Rose was the voice of Ma Bell. Sara Kennedy is perfect as Alice, the girl hunting around Manhattan for the voice of her erotic dreams. Nelson Lyon was the father of Judd Apatow and Todd Phillips.

Buy this now, and enjoy the laughs.
Vinegar Syndrome truly surprised me this time. They're getting well known for releasing Blu-ray / DVD combo packs that are filled to the brim with bonus material for hard to find films. They're becoming the standard for releasing these films in widescreen looking better than any of them should have a right to, but they surprised me by releasing a film that could be considered to have underground cult status, and had me laughing all the way through. "The Telephone Book" is their best release yet, and a film you need to own.

The comedy stars Sarah Kennedy as Alice who looks and sounds like a blonde Betty Boop. Alice has fallen in love with the world's best obscene phone caller "John Smith" (played brilliantly by Norman Rose). John has dared Alice to try and find him by giving her two clues; his name and that his number is in the Manhattan telephone book. You should see how many John Smiths there are in the Manhattan telephone book! Not to be dissuaded, Alice agrees...

Click to Editorial Reviews

WWII From Space

A must-see documentary for every American !
Rather than dwell on the "politics and hardware" of World War II, this excellent British-made documentary tries to uncover the "whys". After watching it, you can almost still hear the echo of what may have been America's finest moment on the world stage as she mustered up the Arsenal of Democracy to help defeat two evil empires. You will know more about WW II than you ever did before, and will leave you with a newfound respect for America's ideals. This documentary should be seen and discussed by every high school and college history class. A very, very powerful piece of work .....

Wow, this is how you do historical documentary!
I saw this on cable first and was extremely impressed. I had to have it when it came out to show to friends and family. This is how you do historical documentaries! I've always had a natural interest in history, but never really developed it in high school or college beyond the classes that I took. If there were presentations like this back then, who knows. This should definitely be pitched to high schools and colleges.

The pacing and weaving together of the soundtrack, narration, commentators, graphical re-enactments and fact presentations, fluid top-down perspectives around the world, I've never seen it flow so impressively and with such high quality as here.

I would love to see this kind of effort put into other historical topics and conflicts, from broad overviews down to in-depth .

A Must Watch for All
I have been watching documentaries and reading books about WW2 for over 15 years. I know a good amount about the War but am always hungry to learn more. This program did an amazing job of providing a high level overview of the entire war in a way I have not seen done. Additionally information and insights new to me became apparent due to how the program was structured. For example, I realized how Germans need for oil drove their invasion of the USSR and the strategic decisions made thereafter. Additionally, this program did an excellent job of showcasing the brutality and futility of fighting the Japanese in the Pacific theater with ground troops and the necessity of nuclear bombs. I am going to buy a copy of this so I can show it to my children when they get older.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Finding Nemo

Walt Would Approve
Recently, I saw Albert Brooks on Late Night with David Letterman, talking about Finding Nemo. Brooks, who stars as the voice of Marlon, the daddy fish, had taken his son (who, I believe was about five years old, the equivalent human age of Nemo), to the premiere. After about five minutes, Brooks said his son leaned over to him, and quietly said, the way a grownup might, "I cannot watch this movie," and walked out. Late in the movie, the son returned, having obviously been crying. Leaning over, Brooks assured his son, "You are not Nemo."

Such is the power of this fish story about father and son clownfish who become separated, and must struggle to find their way back to each other. Marlon is a loving but neurotic and overprotective father; Nemo is a frustrated young fish who wants to be independent and see the world, and resents his father for preventing him from doing so. We see an ocean (read: the world) that is a terrible, heartless, and yet joyous place that we frail fish must...

Pixar's getting in a habit of constantly outdoing themselves
Finding Nemo is the fifth installment for Pixar Studios, the most reliable studio in Hollywood today, and it is my personal favorite. The first obviously outstanding aspect of the movie is the animation. From the breathtaking wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, to the cold, sterile fish tank, the animation is top notch and truly state of the art. The water, which has always been the bane of animation, is picture perfect, and the animators have captured the rolling but constant ocean and the light refractions perfectly. But animation itself doesn't make a film. Finding Nemo's strongest aspect is it's warm, witty, heartfelt, and funny story of a father's quest to reclaim his son. The kids will love the vibrant characters and funny situations, and so will the parents. However, the parents will be able to enjoy the film on a level far more than the kids will. The story is about losing a child, and the desperate quest to be reunited, which will hit the parent right in the gut. This is...

The Coolest Movie I have Ever Seen.
YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE.

There. Now that I've said that, I should tell you that this is NOT solely a childrens' movie, but will be enjoyed as much (if not more) by adults. The cleverness of Pixar will never cease to amaze me. Only they could take a concept like a full-length movie about fish and make it totally believable. This film succeeds n being very, very funny. Heck, I'm 16 and saw it in the theater with only my mother. The two of us were laughing hysterically throughout the entire thing!

There's alot of sadness and emotion in this movie and some absolutely terrific voice acting--the voice cast is top-notch. There are some touching moments and subtle messages to be heard by all, not just kids. I look forward with anticipation to the DVD release of this wonderful movie. The suspense never lets up; encounters with jellyfish, a whale, and a deep-sea lanturn fish make every moment exciting.

As we know, every Disney/Pixar film is associated with its own special "short." Well,...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [Blu-ray Steelbook]

A miraculous accomplishment
Peter Jackson proved me wrong when I said, like many people, that Lord of the Rings would be a bust: Spielberg-adventure at best, Lucas-disaster at worst. Had I known Tolkien's classic was in the hands of the guy who directed Heavenly Creatures, I would have been more optimistic. As it turns out, my expectations were completely overturned. In some ways the films are actually better than the books, especially in terms of emotional power. Competent actors, amazing cinematography, and a brilliant music score combine to offer us Middle-Earth as we'd never imagined it.

Fellowship of the Ring is the most polished film, with its elegant episodic pacing. We start in the idyllic world of the hobbits and flee with Ringwraiths hot on our heels; we rest in Elrond's sanctuary and plunge into Moria; we come out grieving and console ourselves in Galadriel's safe (yet unsettling) dream-wood, and then wind up surrounded by Uruk-hai. This is a quintessential fantasy road-journey containing...

New scenes and unseens
The extended DVD of "Return of the King" is filled with many new and extended scenes that will please fans who love Tolkien's original story. The July 26, 2004 San Diego Comic Convention featured a preview of many scenes, some introduced by Peter Jackson himself. (Some of these scenes were recently featured in the sneak preview trailer at Lord of the Rings.net, although now it seems to have been removed). In reference to a couple of reviews on the board here -- if you're waiting anxiously for the Scouring of the Shire, don't hold your breath. That segment was NEVER filmed by Jackson, therefore it will NOT be included in the extended edition DVD. But there ARE plenty of great scenes to be included:

K-9: The Complete Series

K-9 YOU HAVE TO BE A HARDCORE FAN
If you are looking for more of the classic Who stories for the eighties tongue and check stories do not look here. This was an attempt to create a childrens show based on the much loved K-9 from Doctor Who and give K-9 own set of adventures. Only the voice of K-9 John Leeson, continues from the true Doctor Who universe.K-9 finds himself regenerated into a new form and having lost his memory (i.e. since it was not produced by the BBC there would be no cross overs with the real Doctor Who show or props or anything else) and has to start over with a new set of companions.

The show was definately aimed at a younger audience. I enjoyed the series for what it was an alternate take on a classic character from Doctor Who, but do not expect classic Doctor Who here.

K-9
This is the story of what became of K-9 after he left Leela and Gallifrey behind. Classic K-9 does make an appearance but regenerates into a newer form. It's a fun Australian series.

Technical info and review
K-9 The Complete Series is distributed by Shout! Factory on four DVD discs. It has 26 episodes in widescreen and 5.1 audio as well as stereo. There are no closed captions, subtitles or alternate audio language. The collection contains a brief "making of" documentary for the series and a staged interview of K-9 by character Jorjie Turner (Philippa Coulthard). The series is designed as children's television drama and is loosely derived from the Dr. Who series.

There is a manufacturing audio error on disk 3 episode "The Custodians" in which the audio tracks are reversed. The default for this episode only is stereo instead of 5.1. The default audio drops completely at 21:49 into the episode. The episode is completely watchable by switching to audio track 2.

The stories are interesting but it takes a few runs through to catch the evolving story arc for the aliens and adventures. Professor Alistair Gryffen (Robert Moloney) is working with a Space-Time Manipulator (STM)...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Jack Reacher [HD]

Not what I expected...Cruise nails it.
Wolverine, the most popular of the X-Men and one of the most popular comic book characters in comic book history is also one of the shortest. According to thirty plus years of continuous publication, Logan - AKA wolverine - is 5'2" tall and somewhere around 200 lbs, with metal infused skeleton and claws, and a back as hairy as a Kodiak bear. When X-Men director Bryan Singer cast a slim 6'3" song-and-dance man named Hugh Jackman to play the short stocky Wolverine, comic book geeks everywhere said "What the f***?"

Now anyone familiar with the Jack Reacher novels written by Lee Child knows that main character of the novels is a 6'5" 250 pound blond haired blue eye bruiser with the face of a professional rugby player. And likewise anyone who read the novels must have said "What the f***?" upon learning that the diminutive Tom Cruise was cast to play Jack Reacher. "He's too small. He's too Pretty." My wife, who's a huge fan of Lee Child's novels, was so irritated with the...

Smart, fun, well-paced detective/actioner, but leave expectations at the door.
The main complaint I heard and read before JACK REACHER ever even hit theatres was from fans of Lee Child's series of books about this film's titular character, and it was always the same complaint: "Tom Cruise is too short! Jack Reacher is 6'5" and is built like a brick outhouse!!" And my response to that was always: "Can you think of an actor who's really good, does action well, has a lot of charisma, and IS ACTUALLY built like that?"

Christopher McQuarrie, the Oscar-Winning screenwriter of Bryan Singer's unforgettable THE USUAL SUSPECTS, and the writer/director of the very forgettable THE WAY OF THE GUN, picked up his pen and got back behind the camera for this potential franchise first outing for the cinematic adventures of Jack Reacher (Cruise), former Army military police investigator. He's, as they say in the film, a ghost. He has no fixed address, no credit cards, no phone number. In fact, the only proof of his existence is a bank account, his military record, and...

Surprisingly good action film...
I'm the first to admit that going into this film I had low expectations. Cruise is a decent enough actor and well suited for the genre, but the plot seemed derivative and overly pedantic, just another flick I'd catch because...well...I'm a dude and the preview mentioned something about guns and explosives.

Surprisingly, the plot played out steadily, not needing to be propped up by a few well placed action sequences. While, if you've seen any movie ever in your life, you'll be able to predict what's going to ultimately happen, "Reacher" maintains a consistent level of intrigue and charm through the whole length of the film. I appreciated that the action scenes actually added to the plot. I was expecting some random "Look how awesome I am at fighting" scenes tossed into the mix, and was happy to see that while those scenes are absolutely in there, they also help move the plot forward. Good thinking, action-movie-maker-people (pretty sure that's the correct technical job...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Gladiator [Blu-ray Steelbook]

An Oscar winning delight in a steelbook
This steelbook of Gladiator is as good as you can currently get.

Perhaps the first two reviewers would prefer the old release of Gladiator on blu ray where so many people complained about the Digital Noise Reduction and Edge Enhancement that this remastered blu ray was produced. Perhaps they would prefer the DVD.

Gladiator was shot on 35mm film. Film has grain. I much prefer to see the film grain than to view something that has been excessively processed and treated, but some people would prefer all blu rays to look like they were shot on digital HD cameras. And some people like to find fault with everything.

Just look at the amazon reviews for the 'regular' Gladiator blu ray and you'll see what I mean.

This steelbook rates as 5 stars. You get a two blu ray set of Gladiator, including the Theatrical version, the Extended version and a disc full of special features. All this in a very nice steelbook package, that at the time of writing is...

The Fixed Blu-Ray Version
Look elsewhere for a review of the Gladiator film.

This Steelbook version contains a theatrical and extend version of the film. For those who care, this does contain the "fixed" version of the blu-ray. IE: the one that looks pretty.

The steelbook case is nothing overtly special, but it is fairly cool for those interested. I purchased this version because it was it contained the right version of the film along with being considerably lower in cost. The case was a nice bonus.

Steelbook is good edition
This is not the best bluray transfer of an older movie that I've seen but it is in no way so flawed that its not worth it or enjoyable. Nothing about it was jarring or wrong, it just wasn't as crystal as some (such as Braveheart) The ability to watch either the theatrical or extended additions is great, and I loved all of the special features and that came with it.

Click to Editorial Reviews

James A. Michener's Texas

texas
new resident to this great state and this DVD was really interesting. loved the history that was hidden behind the dramas

James A. Michener's Texas
I was very disappointed with this dvd.........it was grainy and looked like a copy of a copy. The case was cheap and looked like the disc info was copied from a picture of the vhs case when this came out on video tape.

texas
kept my attention from beginning to end. actors were great, scenery lovely and historically accurate. good job. the end over

Click to Editorial Reviews

Beach Boys - Surfin' Success

Again ?
Make that their second visit to London - the first was in late 1964. The footage in this DVD has been packaged and repackaged ad infinitum. Little, if anything, new here.





Click to Editorial Reviews

Bob the Builder: Tool Power

Very cute and entertaining
This is a great video for little Bob fans. They go everywhere from Spud getting in trouble by taking off Travis' trailer on a hill (with him in it), to building a train display. It's really well done and very entertaining. I didn't think making fun of Mrs. Pott's' baking abilities was entirely necessary (they used two of her pies to stop the trailer from running on and on), but other than that, it's just a great video.

Great for pre-schoolers!
My 3 year old has loved Bob the Builder for almost two years now. We started to watch it after it came back to TV when he was two. Now, at almost four, Bob the Builder is still the best! He has other characters he likes to watch but Bob is the best! He's always likes tools and Tool Power has lots of Bob using tools!

If you child likes Bob the Builder, then this DVD will continue that love!

tool power
my son really enjoyed this. he has watched it several times now. he is becoming a bob the builder fan

Click to Editorial Reviews

Mama

Nobody puts Mama in the corner!
Before I purchased this movie, I read a number of critic reviews and found them to be extremely mixed. Many critics liked the film; many disliked it. All called it derivative.

I can't say I agree. I really enjoyed this little creeper of a film! It may not be the best horror film in the whole wild world, but it certainly scared the crap out of me and my girlfriend. That's not bad for a PG-13 movie!

The story goes that a father goes on a murderous rampage, then kills his estranged wife and naps his two daughters. He drives off at crazy speeds and spins off the road. Surviving the accident, he wanders with his daughters through a cold, isolated woods until he discovers a seemingly unused cabin.

Flash forward five years. The kids' uncle has been looking for them all these years, and his investigators find them still living in the cabin; daddy is nowhere to be found. How the heck did those two little feral girls survive all that time on their own...

Good acting, a monster that I don't see too little, good effects and a story I can swallow...we have a winner!
Good acting, a monster that I don't see too little, good effects (even if it is all just CGI) and a story I can swallow...we have a winner! This movie is nothing epic nor did it have the best scares I've seen in a while, but it's a horror movie that "works."

First time feature director Andrés Muschietti (writer/director of the short film Mamá) does a solid job with atmosphere and "creepy." The story gets moving when two orphaned girls are discovered in an abandoned cabin in the woods after five years somehow surviving on their own (now they're about 9 and 7 years old-ish). Their eyes are cold and scared yet somehow predatory, their hair and skin far beyond wildly filthy, and their movement is so unnatural that it reminds me more of a Silent Hill monster than an animal. More disturbing was the degeneration of their oral skills with the exception of whispering "mama."

Much to my surprise, the maternal poltergeist Mama was not a kept mystery...

"Mama, just killed a man"
Mama is a good semi-creepy horror movie about two young children who spend five years alone in the woods and are later found and adopted by their uncle (the Kingslayer actor from Game of Thrones) and his wife (the always great Jessica Chastain in full goth mode, trading in her trademark red hair for black and sporting tattoos). Of course, something the children call "Mama" comes home with them and thus the horror begins. Maybe a little too much CGI used, but most of it looked okay. All in all, this is a well made ghost story that packs a few scares and has good acting throughout.

Click to Editorial Reviews