WWE: WrestleMania XXIV

This years show did indeed have it's good, and it's bad. Although my hopes weren't too high for this years "Showcase of the Immortals" as the build up wasn't very well done in my oppinion, for a Wrestlemania anyway. Was it a good PPV? Answer: Yes, it was a BRILLIANT PPV! A good Wrestlemania? Well, for the most part, yes. A solid 4.5/5 in my oppinion. Now let's have a look at the matches while staying completely spoiler free.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield VS Finlay (w/Hornswoggle) in a Belfast Brawl

-It seemed suitable to open the show with this match as I always had fears the fans interest would wan during it. JBL is quite boring in the ring, and while I love Finlay as a wrestler, he isn't completely "over" yet. So I feared this match would be met with silence. Opening the show prevented that as it meant everything was freash for the fans. Unfortunately the match sucked. After the most build up out of any match (It dated all the way back to last year and the whole "Who is Vince's son?" angle), the most emotional storyline... we got, well we got nothing really. The "brawl" was nothing. Finlay's emotion leading up to WM was wasted. The match completely failed it's purpose.

CM Punk VS Shelton Benjamin VS Chris Jericho VS Carlito VS Montel Vontavious Porter VS Mr. Kennedy VS John Morrison in a Money in the Bank ladder match

-Good bump showcase. Not as good a match as previous years, but some awesome bumps. Seemed a bit unorganized though. Still, the winner truly deserved it, even if he was underused in the match. Shelton takes a bloody killer bump. I shared the same expression Carlito wears when it happened.

Umaga VS Batista

-This match didn't stand out at all. I don't think it was expected to though. Easily could've been done on a usual PPV or RAW/SD. Not WM worthy.

Kane VS Chavo Guerrero to win the ECW Championship

-Really, there was no one else that would've won this. And it's revealed early in the night so I don't consider it a spoiler. Kinda odd they didn't show the hyped on TV battle royal, but then again, WWE doesn't make sense often. Quick match, pretty pointless.

Ric Flair VS HBK in a career threatening match

-What an emotional match. Longtime wrestling fans are sure to be overcome with emotional during this match. A fantastic story is told in the ring, backed up solid ringwork. Besides the Money in the bank, this is the only other match so far that has had that unique WM feel.

Beth Phoenix and Melina VS Maria and Ashley in a Playboy BunnyMania Lumberjill match

Lumberjills: Cherry, Eve Torres, Michelle McCool, Victoria, Mickie James, Jillian Hall, Katie Lea Burchill, Kelly Kelly, Layla and Maryse.

-I took a toilet break at the start of the match as I knew this match would be crap. A boring match made worse by a mishap during the match. Only worth watching for Snoop Dogg's entertainment. He's one cool cat.

HHH VS Randy Orton VS John Cena in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWE Championship

-The match was, alright. Didn't really tickle my fancy but I can see some people really enjoying it. Just fast forward John Cena's entrance... it's some goofy marching band entrance. Ergh! The end is quite unexpected and was well done.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. VS The Big Show in a No Disqualification match

-This match was way better than I expected. Slow, but it had a big feeling to it. Which I found impressive, that they gained that bigtime feeling. A real shocking ending. Pure wrestling fans will despise it, but it's more entertaining than expected.

The Undertaker VS Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-THIS is what Wrestlemania is about! What a main event! It had the big feeling to it and truly gave off the feeling anything can happen. The false finishes, reversals, everything was done beautifully. This match saved the show from being a 3 star Mania, to making it a 4-4.5 star mania!

As for the promo's and backstage segments... they were alright. Some entertaining ones. They all pretty much added to the WM feeling.

...Also, it looked SPECTACULAR in High-Def!!!

If possiable it should be watched in HD!

Every current wrestling fan should watch this, to see what the Mania "feeling" is. Because by the main event, the show is oozing that bigtime feel. Past fans... watch it for the classic Flair/HBK match and Edge/Taker match (Both 44.5 star matches in my oppinion). Plus you get several good 34 star matches. Skip the belfast brawl (which could've been good, considering the 2 wrestlers are excellent brawlers) and the Diva match.

The DVD/Blu-ray should also come with the Hall of Fame ceremony which makes this a worthy buy as we see the end of an era.

44.5/5 Stars.

I'm not going to go into great detail about the card of the night because I'm pretty sure most know what it was by now. I will say besides a few duds, it was a great card. I will go as far as to say that it is the best Wrestle Mania since the days of Stone Cold and The Rock headlining the main event.

I'm mainly here to talk specifically about the Blu-Ray version. This is by far one of the best looking, clearest, most colorful Blu-Rays I have seen yet. I don't have HD cable so I watched WM24 in standard def. After watching it on Blu-Ray, it was almost unbelievable on how much more detail the Blu-Ray version had. I was able to see bruises and cuts on superstars that I was not able to do in SD. Everything just had almost a three dimensional "pop" to it. Something worth noting that it is only in 1080i(in which I it was viewed from a 57" 1080i HDTV in my case)but it is so incredibly crisp, I don't see how you would notice. I've viewed atleast 30-40 Blu-Rays since getting my PS3 and WM24 is easily at the top of the list.

So the video quality(You know, one of the main reasons to get the Blu-Ray version) is easily rated 5 stars IMO.

Other than that, it's an amazing pay per view regardless if it has a few matches that aren't that great. Just having Ric Flairs historic last match on here makes this worth the price of admission alone.

Buy WWE: WrestleMania XXIV Now

UPDATE 2/10/09:

I recently ordered the Blu-Ray version of this card and let me say as great as it looked on regular DVD, it is BEAUTIFUL on Blu-Ray! If you have a Blu-Ray player or a machine that can play Blu-Ray discs, then its worth it plus its more convenient as you have one disc for the card and one for the Hall Of Fame show!

The review below was mainly on the original 3 disc set:

For me, when I bought this set (which also came with the McMahon DVD as well that came out two years ago), I bought it mainly for Michaels Vs. Flair but I've looked at the whole card and here is my opinion:

JBL Vs. Finlay (Belfast Brawl) Kind of a weak opener considering that both men are very good brawling wrestlers! JBL comes out on top in this one.

Chris Jericho Vs. Shelton Benjammin Vs. John Morrison Vs. Carlito Vs. MVP Vs. C.M. Punk Vs. Mr. Kennedy (Money In The Bank Ladder Match) Too many high spots to call but I will say this, a couple of them had me cringing in pain, particularly Shelton's fall on the ladder and Morrison's fall on his b*lls from the near top of the ladder onto the top rope! To Morrison, I have one word for you: ICE and plenty of it!

We also see a surprise appearance from Matt Hardy as he prevents MVP from winning the match with a "Twist Of Fate" from the ladder. Ends when C.M. Punk ties up Chris Jericho's legs on the ladder and claims the briefcase for himself.

Batista Vs. Umaga (Smackdown Vs. RAW) Not a great match BUT I've seen a lot worse too. Worth a look or two. Ends when Batista gets in his "Batista Bomb" on Umaga, which he nearly botches but manages to correct it in mid-drop to keep Umaga from falling on his head or worse!

Chavo Guerrero Vs. Kane (ECW Championsip Match) Two words: 12 seconds!

Shawn Michaels Vs. Ric Flair (Career Threatening Match) The main reason I purchased this set. Even knowing what was going to happen and what did happen afterwards, I found myself nearly in tears again just like the night they held the in-ring tribute on RAW the next night!

As for the match, I wouldn't rate it a 10 BUT it was no lower than an 8. Had this had been Michaels Vs. Ric Flair of the 1980's, then this would've been a 10 without question! As it was, its even more impressive that Flair (at around 60) could still put on a good match. No real words I can write will give this match justice. All I can say is see it and if you are really the sensative type, break out the tissues! It's that emotional!

Maria & Ashley Vs. Melina & Beth Phoenix (Playboy Bunny Lumberjack Match) Not really worth watching except for the end when Snoop Doggy Dog did a surprisingly good clothsline on Santino Marrello as he was taunting Maria after the match! Even more surprising was seeing Snoop make out with Maria! Hope Snoop cleared that with his wife first! LOL!

John Cena Vs. Randy Orton Vs. HHH (WWE Title Match) Got to admit, as a former band geek myself from my high school days, I found myself watching Cena's unique entrance in this match. Nice to see.

As for the match, it was good but not great. It was mainly finishers in this match. The surprise of the bout (for me) was seeing HHH break up Cena's STFU on Orton with....THE FREAKIN' CROSSFACE! The fans actually cheered on this one! I, myself, was thinking "He lost the World title to that hold back in 2004! Wouldn't this be irony if he won the WWE title with the same hold!" Of course, that didn't happen as Triple H hit his Pedigree move on Cena only to have Orton steal the pin after his punt kick to the head of "The Game."

So, as of this WrestleMania, Triple H is still winless since 2004. John Cena has lost his first WM since 2004 and Randy Orton has WON his first WM since 2004! Talk about irony!

The Big Show Vs. Floyd Mayweather More entertaining than expected. I actually enjoyed this match. Even though he lost at the end, I loved seeing TBS beat the hell out of Floyd and his crew! Ends when Mayweather kicks TBS in his "manhood" and uses some brass knuckles to knock him out!

The Undertaker Vs. Edge (World Heavyweight Title Match) This was Edge's first main event and let me say he showed he belonged there. I love The Undertaker BUT I have to give credit where its due....EDGE KICKED HIS A**! Sorry but its true though I am glad to see UT could pull it out at the end! Ends when UT catches Edge in his gogoplata chokehold for the submission after a lengthy bout dominated mostly by "The Rated R Superstar." Great way to end WM.

This set also has the Hall Of Fame ceremony. I haven't watch that yet but I'll come back and update my review once I've looked at it. Great purchase!

Read Best Reviews of WWE: WrestleMania XXIV Here

So, first off. This was my first WrestleMania and PPV I saw as it aired and it was an awesome experience. This event made me realize that professional wrestling is much better when you have no idea of what will happen. Now, as with all reviews, this is just the viewpoint of a wrestling fan, so it's all just my opinion. So, with that said, let's review the event.

Dark Match: Kane won a 24 man battle royal to win the #1 contender spot to the ECW Championship later in the night.

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So, this is a DVD extra and it really is just a basic battle royal. Although, I've personally always been a sucker for battle royals and it was enjoyable. As a big Kane mark, I was really excited when I found out Kane won.

6/10

1. JBL defeated Finlay

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The story behind this match was that Hornswoggle was revealed as Mr. McMahon's illegitimate son. However, Vince abused Hornswoggle, enlisting JBL to attack him in a cage. Finlay then came to Hornswoggle's protection.

This match was a Belfast Brawl, and while people tend to not like it as much. I personally enjoyed it for what it was. I thought it was a solid opener and a fun brawl filled with weapon spots including the frequent use of the trash can. My favorite spot of the match was JBL throwing a trash can at Hornswoggle (God, I can't stand him) outside of the ring. JBL wins a 9 minute Belfast Brawl with a clothesline from hell

8/10

2. CM Punk defeated Mr. Kennedy, Chris Jericho, MVP, Carlito, John Morrison, and Shelton Benjamin in a 7 Man Money in the Bank Ladder Match

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Besides the first Money in the Bank, this is my favorite Money in the Bank match to date. I was sure that Chris Jericho would win this match, but I was delighted by the nice surprise. The match itself features many awesome and unique spots with the ladders, including John Morrison's back flip off with one off the turnbuckle, Matt Hardy interfering and hitting MVP with a twist of fate off the ladder, Shelton Benjamin's superplex and powerbomb combo, and my personal favorite, the ladder V that was created. The ending was incredibly well done as CM Punk had Jericho in a tree of woe on the ladder as he unhooked the briefcase in 14 minutes.

9/10

3. Batista defeated Umaga

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As I watched this, I remember really disliking it. However, as I rewatched it again on DVD, I found out this is a pretty decent match. The back story for this is basically a battle for brand supremacy and that's about it. This is a pretty good big man match. There isn't a whole lot memorable about it, though other than a really crappy looking Batista bomb at the end for the victory at the 7 minute mark.

7/10

4. Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero for to win the ECW Championship

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There is really not a whole lot to say about this other than it was a disappointment. If they were given more than eight seconds, I'm sure they could have gotten a good match out of it, as proven by their Backlash match a month later. It was awesome seeing Kane win a championship, though. Other than that, it's an eight second match that ends with a chokeslam.

DUD

5. Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair in a Career Threatening Match

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The storyline to this was a good six months of buildup. Vince McMahon gave Ric Flair an ultimatum that the next match he would lose, his career is over. This match was one for the ages as Shawn Michaels steals the show like he always does at WrestleMania and Ric Flair puts on one last amazing match before he retires. The match was filled with pure emotion, including Shawn Michaels doing a sick springboard moonsault across the announce table and the final superkick, ending Ric Flair's thirty plus year career at around 20 minutes. The most dramatic match of the night by far, which followed up by an equally emotional farewell for Ric Flair the next night on Raw.

10/10

6. Beth Phoenix and Melina defeated Maria and Ashley in a Lumberjill Match

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Funny how the talented divas are on the heel team as the face team was two divas that received short Playboy pushes. The match was your basic uneventful diva tag team match. The right team won as Beth hit the glam slam on Maria. After the match, Maria got a kiss from Snoop Dogg.

3/10

7. Randy Orton defeated Triple H and John Cena to retain the WWE Championship

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I really enjoyed this match as it felt like a main event of WrestleMania should, although I was really surprised that this wasn't the main event. I much prefer their match at Night of Champions 2009, as this match was too short and ended as I was really getting into it. Some really cool parts of this match were Orton's double DDT on Triple H and Cena, the tower crossbody, and the ending which saw Triple H hit the pedigree on Cena, only for Orton to punt Triple H and pin Cena for what I thought was a surprise ending at 15 minutes.

9/10

8. Floyd Mayweather defeated Big Show in a No DQ match

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Now, this match was probably the very best celebrity involvement I have ever seen in professional wrestling. Mayweather and Big Show put on a very entertaining 12 minute match as Big Show nearly has Mayweather beat numerous times, but Mayweather gets the knockout with the brass knuckle use.

8.5/10

9. The Undertaker defeated Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship

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This match is my favorite WrestleMania main event ever. This match just told an amazing story as it started out slow, but progressively picked the pace up. Edge countered many of Undertaker's signature moves until Undertaker hit a tombstone, but the ref was out. By the way, Charles Robinson running down the ramp was a funny sight. Edge hit a second spear on Undertaker, but Undertaker countered into Hell's Gate, causing Edge to tap out at the 24 minute mark. That moment in time, I really rethought the obvious result. This was one hell of a match and I'm glad to have witnessed it as it progressed.

10/10

The Hall of Fame class of 2008 was also a good one and it was a very good induction ceremony featured as a bonus on the DVD.

-Ric Flair inducted by Triple H

-The Briscos inducted by JBL

-Rocky Johnson inducted by The Rock

-Peter Maivia inducted by The Rock

-Gordon Solie inducted by Jim Ross

-Mae Young inducted by Pat Patterson

-Eddie Graham inducted by Dusty Rhodes

Overall, this was one awesome event that was filled with some incredible moments and amazing matches, including Edge vs. The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair. This event was one week before my 18th birthday, so it was a great feeling to watch it.

Want WWE: WrestleMania XXIV Discount?

Wrestlemania 24 was the second WM I've seen on PPV (WM23 being the first). I enjoyed it, but I felt it wasn't the best WM I've seen to date.

My Mum got me the limited edition tin case edition of WM24 for my 21st birthday on 13/07. I was going to buy it anyway, so that was a bonus.

First off, I have to commend the WWE for the packaging of the DVD. The tin case is superbly made, the DVDs themselves have a full colour photo on them and the whole thing is gorgeously made. They put a lot of effort into the packaging of the DVD and it shows. As a bonus, a card with a filmstrip of a scene from a past Wrestlemania is included Shawn Michaels vs Steve Austin. A cool collectable.

Now, onto WM itself. It was a good event, worth the time and money, but in my personal opinion, it wasn't as good as the past few WMs. Let's rundown the matches:

Belfast Brawl: Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) vs JBL

I was expecting this match to be boring because of JBL, who can't wrestle to save his life, but it was actually really exciting and a good opener to the show (I know the battle royal was the actual opener, but this was the opener on TV). It was great seeing Hornswoggle back and he even got involved. Loads of weapons were involved and there were a few great spots. The only downer was that JBL won. That makes it lose a star. (4/5)

Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Chris Jericho vs Shelton Benjamin vs John Morrison vs Carlito vs CM Punk vs MVP vs Mr. Kennedy

Another exciting MITB match, I think this one was better then last year's. Highlights included Shelton Benjamin's fall onto a ladder (and Carlito's facial expression afterwards), Matt Hardy running in to stop MVP getting the briefcase and CM Punk and Chris Jericho's fight at the top of a ladder to get said briefcase. CM Punk won and I'm glad. A great match. (5/5)

Battle For Brand Supremacy: Batista vs Umaga

This match was kinda boring. It wasn't up to WM standard and could have been featured on Raw or Smackdown. Speaking of which, Batista won, which means Smackdown is the better brand? I don't think so. Raw has been way better then Smackdown since the beginning of 2008. And Batista was wasted in this match, they could have found a way better match for him. But he won, and that's good. A mediocre match and Batista messed up the Batista Bomb, so that ruined it. (3/5)

ECW Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero (champion) vs Kane

This was the first match for a title, and yes it was only 8 seconds long but it was damn brilliant. I can't stand Chavo, so to see him lose that fast was just hilarious. It was great to see a new ECW champion and the whole thing was just funny. I can't give it a high mark though. (2/5 just for the funny)

Career Threatening Match: Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels

Match of the night, without a doubt. This one was worth the money of the PPV alone. I'm a huge Shawn Michaels fan, so to see him in a huge match such as this was just amazing. I think everybody knew that Ric was going to lose and retire, but it didn't ruin the match. Both men had their strong moments, and I winced when Shawn did the moonsault onto the announce table and cracked his ribs. The moving moment when Shawn mouthed "I'm sorry, I love you" made me cry and the standing ovation Ric got after ity was over was a perfect ending. Epic and should have been nearer the end of the card, for sure. This match also lead into a superb feud between Batista, Shawn and Chris Jericho that culiminated in some amazing matches at subsequent PPVs, too. (5/5)

Playboy Bunnymania Lumberjack Match: Maria & Ashley vs Beth Phoenix & Melina (w/ Santino Marella)

w/ Snoop Dogg as the Master Of Ceremonies

Lumberjacks: Mickie James, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Cherry, Jillian Hall, Victoria, Layla, Katie Lea Burchill, Eve Torres & Maryse

I think I'm the only person who didn't think this match was that bad. It was really a match to calm people down after the Shawn vs Ric match right before it. Beth & Melina won, but Maria and even Ashley got in some good offence. Jerry Lawler got involved, taking down Santino and even Snoop attacked him after the match. I would have preferred a Women's Championship match though. (3/5)

Triple Threat Match For The WWE Championship: Randy Orton (champion) vs Triple H vs John Cena

Before I get into the match, how hilarious was John's entrance? He had a whole brass band play his entrance music xD I had no idea who the hell was coming out until his video began to play on the Titantron. The match itself was very entertaining I find most triple threats/fatal 4 ways to be. Loads of attempted pins and breakups of pins, loads of crazy moves and the such. I was laughing all the way through it. I think most people were surprised that Randy retained though, as most people predicted John to win. Good match though. (5/5)

The Biggest vs The Best: Big Show vs Floyd "Money" Mayweather (w/ his HUGE entourage xD)

I was expecting this match to be absolutely horrible, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was rather entertaining. I find Floyd Mayweather incredibly annoying though and I was rooting for Big Show the whole time (so was the crowd I noticed). Show did get offence in on Mayweather that I enjoyed and he even got some of his entourage too. Mayweather won after hitting Show with brass knuckles. It was pretty good for the match containing a celebrity. (4/5)

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Edge vs The Undertaker

I know some people say this match was predictable considering it was Edge's title vs Taker's reign, but there were moments when I thought that Edge might have actually beat Taker. Especially the Spear, I was on the edge (hah bad pun) of my seat, willing for Taker to kick out. Edge got help from the cronies (Hawkins & Ryder) and overall the match was exciting. Of course the best moment was Taker locking on the submission move and Edge tapping out. Brilliant end to the PPV. (5/5)

Overall, the show was good but not outstanding. Shawn vs Ric, the WWE title match, MITB and the WHC title match were the best matches. Everything else was either good (Show vs Mayweather, Belfast Brawl), ok (Divas), mediocre (Batista vs Umaga) or just funny with how ridiculous it was (ECW title).

Also on the DVD is the 24 Man Battle Royal that Kane won to qualify for the short ECW title match. It was on before WM went to air, and was quite entertaining. I was glad Kane won.

The other thing on the DVD is the 2008 Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. I've never watch the HOF in full before but I wanted to see The Rock and Ric Flair's speech so I watched the whole thing. It was uber long but really entertaining. The Rock is very funny I laughed when he made fun of Chris Jericho's hair and The Marine (John's face was so funny) xD Ric's speech was both funny and moving.

The one thing I didn't like is how it was on 2 DVDs, half of the HOF was on the 2nd DVD and the other half on the 3rd. It ruined the flow for me.

Overall, a superbly made DVD, a great Wrestlemania and one of the best matches of 08 in Shawn vs Ric. A great buy.

Ernest Goes to Camp / Ernest Goes to Jail (Double Feature) (2011)

This weekend I was happy to receive from Amazon the 2 for 1 Ernest BluRay of Ernest Goes to Camp and Ernest Goes to Jail. For anyone who has ever been an Ernest fan, this is definitely a MUST OWN.

The people of Mill Creek Entertainment (the company that now owns the rights to the Ernest Franchise with the exception of Ernest Saves Christmas, still owned by Disney) have done a stellar remastering of the films. Ernest Goes to Camp is presented as it was when it came out on DVD in its original scop widescreen presentation of 2.35:1 but on BluRay, the colors and sound have been given a complete overhaul. It truly is like watching a film released in theaters only yesterday. You have the option of viewing the film with either Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround, and newly created Dolby True HD sound. The music is crystal clear (I LOVE the composition Brave Hearts performed by Gary Chapman), the picture is incredibly vibrant (the opening shot of the moon is truly beautiful and shots at the camp are bright enough to make it feel like it really is Summer), and while there may be no extras included, the fact that the company took the time to go through each frame and remaster is for the ultimate home viewing experience is an amazing honor for one of the most recognizable characters of the 80s. Jim Varney (may he Rest in Peace) would be pleased.

Moving on to Ernest Goes To Jail, the newest treat for fans of this one (it's my personal favorite in the Ernest franchise and I was lucky enough to see it in the theater back in 1990 when I was 6 years old!) is that for the first time, it is presented in its WIDESCREEN presentation of 1.85:1. Definitely a big reason for me to smile when I watched it! The picture is also presented in 16:9 format so it fits perfectly to widescreen TVs. Another great picture and sound presentation here right from its innovative opening sequence which relies heavily on a light blue background. It's a flawless presentation, really. The remastering process is at work again as the blue background is bright and alive. While many scenes take place on interior soundstages, there's still a wonderful presentation to enjoy. Many scenes that take place in the actual jail appear a bit darker, but are often illuminated by what looks like blacklights or floodlights using gels. The sound is once again reverberated in the ultimate way. Ernest Goes to Jail is in the basic sense of the word, louder than Ernest Goes to Camp. There are gunshots, doors slamming, electric crackles, and explosions. All more extreme with the Dolby True HD sound. Not that it's a bad thing! I was once again enjoying watching the film as it made me feel like I was right back in that theater when I first saw it in 1990! It really made me smile.

Alas, there are still no other bonuses for this film, and it would have been nice to see the famous deleted scenes integrated into Ernest Goes to Jail when it was shown on NBC in the Summer of 1994. I was fortunate enough to tape that presentation and I still have the VHS back home in a box somewhere!

The bottom line, this is easily one of the most inexpensive BluRay titles available right now that gives you 2 movies all on 1 disc and as I mentioned earlier, if you are an Ernest fan like me (I've seen them all and I even went so far as to purchase Hey Vern, It's Ernest! The Complete Series on DVD, track down the VHS tapes Ernest's Greatest Hits Vols. 1 & 2 on Ebay, the Ernest Book of Knawledge, and am currently working on creating an Unofficial Ernest Soundtrack), then you should definitely consider adding this to your collection. It is a stunning tribute to an amazing talented man and his love for goofiness.

RIP Jim Varney and long live the legacy of Ernest P. Worrell!

These are both classic movies that I really liked when I was growing up. They're still probably the best movies that Jim Varney has done as Ernest P. Worrell. I still really enjoyed watching them again, even if they are some of the silliest movies ever made.

As for the quality of the audio/video; it's pretty good overall. There are some areas in the movies that are really sharp and others that are just plain bad. But overall, it works just fine. I wasn't expecting the highest quality digital transfer or anything. As for the audio, it works well enough, with options for PCM Uncompressed 2.0, DTS HD 2.0, and Dolby Digital 2.0. I had hoped there would be options for 5.1 surround as well, but there is only stereo... at least we have the best option available (PCM Uncompressed).

Both movies are contained on 1 disc, which is kind of nice as it's a little more convenient. It's probably possible to fit both movies onto 1 disc because there are no extras at all. This was a little disappointing, but not a big deal. Considering the low price of the package, it's hard to be upset with any of the missing features I mentioned. If you're an Ernest fan, there's no reason not to get this set.

Buy Ernest Goes to Camp / Ernest Goes to Jail (Double Feature) (2011) Now

I actually like the comedy of the late Jim Varney, and this Mill Creek double feature Ernest blu-ray will surely please Ernest/Jim Varney fans.

The PQ in it's original widescreen presntations looks superb (2.35:1 for Ernest Goes To Camp and 1.85:1 for Goes To Jail, and each film has 3 audio options.

and it's an affordable too.

I'm a big fan of Mill Creek Entertainment, as they release stuff no studio will release these days, a godsend for us who like obscure hard to find movies and TV shows!

Read Best Reviews of Ernest Goes to Camp / Ernest Goes to Jail (Double Feature) (2011) Here

These are hard movies to review, since, if you weren't around when they were new, and Jim Varneys schtick was fresh, these will seem like silly affairs, and will leave you scratching your head as to why anyone would enjoy them. However, that is the bane of any movie that thrives in nostalgia. So here's a heads up: You will need rose colored glasses to enjoy thoroughly.

The overall movies are great, "Ernest Goes to Camp" being the highlight of the two, but what I found most disappointing was the lack of features and extras. These movies have been released and re-released over and over again, and I find it hard to believe that no one has taken an interest to enlighten us with some commentary, behind the scenes footage, pictures or even the original movie posters. Many of the actors and directors from these movies are still around, but it appears that the production company has no interest or desire to make contact with any of them. With these films migrating to bluray, you'd think (by now) they might try to put a little more effort into them, but alas, it isn't going to happen, and if you were hoping for something new here, well, forget it. The very best they could do was give us (drum-roll) wide screen! For the first time in years! Well done...well done. Welcome to 1998.

Want Ernest Goes to Camp / Ernest Goes to Jail (Double Feature) (2011) Discount?

Jim Varneys and Coke Sams death recently makes me treasure this even more.Simple morality plays in low comedy hijinks Wow

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Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Two-Disc Blu-ray/ DVD Combo) (2009)

I'm going to be honest here. If you'd come up to me on the street 5 years ago and told me I'd end up owning a bunch of Tinkerbell movies, there would have been trouble. I've always had a problem with Disney's dual tendencies to 1) exploit -er, "franchise" -seemingly marginal elements of its classic films (resulting in everything from Cinderella II to the Jungle Book 2), and 2) warehouse/archive its wonderful originals such as Snow White for blocks of time to create additional demand and buying frenzies. It all seemed a little too cold and calculating, particularly for a company that I want to love, and that is responsible for greats like Cinderella as well as underappreciated gems like the Sword in the Stone. Plus I'm, you know, a guy.

Then I had a daughter.

See, a funny thing happens when you have kids. You just want them to be happy -and to hold onto that childish wonder as long as they can. What seemed like (and may well be) a cynical approach by Disney to mine the "resources" of its older films dissolves away when you realize how happy they still make your kids. The first Tinker Bell spinoff got bad press for similar reasons, but when kids actually watch it they LOVE it. And you know what? It's actually not that bad of a show for adults either.

The follow up, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, finds Tink back in Pixie Hollow on a brand new adventure and with some new friends to boot. Along the way we'll see some quite impressive animation effects, and even learn a lesson about personal responsibility as well. My young daughter was completely mesmerized by the story (at one point I actually snapped my fingers to get her to blink), and it was even fairly (ahem!) engrossing from my perspective as well. In a world that seems determined to make children grow up as quickly as possible, you have to give Disney credit for putting together some products that simply let them be kids. If you stop me on the street now I'll still deny ever owning these movies, but at home I'll be holding my daughter as she giggles her way back to Pixie Hollow for the umpteenth time.

My five year old granddaughter loved the first Tinker Bell movie (Tinker Bell (BD Live) [Blu-ray]) and has been anticipating this one with regular updates to me on just how many days still remained until it would be "available in stores everywhere on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc". I picked it up early today and we were able to watch it together this afternoon.

Though my enjoyment of the film could not possibly have matched the pleasure I took in watching my granddaughter's face glow with joy, gasp with dismay and dissolve into laughter as SHE watched the film, I'm happy to admit that I darned well liked it, too.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure in a genuine delight. Moms, dads and grandparents should be entertained right along with the little ones. The story of friendship, arguments, placing blame and taking responsibility is a very good one for the target audience (and the rest of us as well, for that matter). But above and beyond the story, what really stands out for me in this film is the incredible amount of creativity that lies behind it. The Imagineers have done a wonderful job "tinkering" with the natural elements of Pixie Hollow to make everything: clothing, tools, everyday items, machines to complete each fairy's work, etc. It's so much fun to see what they come up with. My favorite touch was the cricket clock.

I also enjoyed getting a chance to go beyond Pixie Hollow and see a little more of the world surrounding Neverland. I liked seeing more of Terence, got a big kick out of the wise owl (there are more scenes with the owl in the extras), loved the calla lily trumpets and found the trolls very amusing.

Extras: Though I'm sure she wasn't getting all the jokes, the "bloopers" had both my granddaughter and me laughing out loud. I was also happy to see some of the beautiful drawings from In the Realm of the Never Fairies: Secret World of Pixie Hollow, The (Disney Fairies), which I absolutely loved, used in one of the other bonus features, "The Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow".

I've heard that two or three additional Tinker Bell films are planned, with the next being Tinker Bell & The Great Fairy Rescue. I can only hope my granddaughter anticipates the coming films with the same enthusiasm she anticipated this one and that I'll be with her as she views each of them for the first time so that I can watch her face reflect their magic as well.

Happily recommended.

Note: Even if purchasers don't currently have a Blu-ray player, they might want to consider purchasing the Blu-ray Combo Pack (Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Two Disc + BD Live) [Blu-ray]) rather than this DVD because it includes both the Blu-ray disc AND the DVD. That way, should they get a Blu-ray player sometime down the road, they would have the Blu-ray version already. (I only paid about $5 more for the combo pack, which I thought was a good buy.)

Buy Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Two-Disc Blu-ray/ DVD Combo) (2009) Now

I had extremely low expectations for the first Tinker Bell (BD Live) [Blu-ray] but was very pleasantly surprised. Still, I wasn't quite sure that this particular "franchise" needed a sequel. So, with trepidation I put this Blu-ray into my player. "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" actually blows away its predecessor. Sure, the story is a tad predictable, but with fantastic new characters (including Blaze the firefly, and the two Trolls at the Troll Gate), returning favorites (Garden fairy Rosetta whose bubbly personality is pure Dolly Parton), and top-notch animation, this movie will be a joy to watch for all ages.

The story: Tinker Bell is entrusted with the creation of the scepter for the Autumn Revelry. Her friend Terence offers to help, but his micro-managing of Tink sets her off, and in her anger, she accidentally breaks the precious and rare moonstone, threatening the life of everyone in Pixie Hollow. Lashing out at Terence, the friendship between these two fairies is jeopardized, and Tink must find a way to fix the moonstone...and the friendship. The rest you'll have to watch on your own; this synopsis is greatly simplified, but I do not want to give away any spoilers.

On Tink's journey to repair the moonstone, she is joined by Blaze, a firefly. He is absolutely adorable, and given plenty of spunk and character by the Disney animation team. The animation team deserves a plethora of kudos; on Blu-ray this movie will take your breath away; especially the scene in the Fairy Tale Theater. The lighting effects are amazing; absolutely beautiful. All throughout the movie there are many visual touches that will show that the people behind this movie took special care to elevate this many notches above the usual straight-to-video movie. Hidden Mickeys, Skull Rock, and plenty of other details that bear repeated viewings. The Celtic-style music is back, but I feel it is blended much better into the movie than it was in the original film. I really can't say enough good things about this movie.

SPECS:

Video: 1080p High Def (1.78:1) * Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24-bit), French & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; subtitles: English SDH, French & Spanish. While the audio is crystal clear and pleasing to listen to, there are really no dynamic uses of the surround that seemed memorable to me.

EXTRAS:

Backstage Disney

Tinker Bell Comes to Disney World (8:20): Both Disneyland in Anaheim & Disney World in Orlando have Pixie Hollow areas, but this featurette focues on the Orlando version which has beautiful topiaries and 3-dimensional recreations of objects from this movie. With careful attention to colors and characterization from the movie, garden designer Carla Schuman and team discuss how it all came together.

Deleted Scenes (16:00): Includes intros by Director Klay Hall and Producer Sean Lurie

Alternate Scenes (4:00): These are pretty much manufactured bloopers that are fun to watch, including gaffes, some bodily function jokes, as well as a few other mildly funny/amusing bits.

Bonus Short (4:46): This is a magical guide to the Autumn area of Pixie Hollow, led by Terence & Tinker Bell. Pleasant to watch, it does appear to be more of an advertisement for Disney Books than a true short. Even the animation style is a little static and looks more like a 2-dimensional book illustration with simple movement than an animated film.

"The Gift of a Friend" music video, performed by Disney Channel's Demi Lovato

Previews include Dumbo (70th Anniversary Edition on Bluray in Spring 2010), The Princess & The Frog, Tinker Bell & The Great Fairy Rescue (the next installment!), Blu-ray/High Def Disney movies, Santa Buddies-The Legend of Santa Paws (with Christopher Lloyd), Ponyo, G-Force, Beauty & The Beast (Diamond Edition in High Def), and Disney on Ice-Worlds of Fantasy (including Tinker Bell & Friends)

FINAL WORDS: You'd have to be extremely curmudgeonly not to enjoy this film and appreciate the high quality of animation and characterization!

Read Best Reviews of Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Two-Disc Blu-ray/ DVD Combo) (2009) Here

Of the three Tinkerbell movies, this is the last one my 3 yr old daughter saw. After seeing the other two, she was expecting lots of the 6 main fairies Tink, Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn, Iridessa, and Vidia. This movie is heavily Tink/Terence centric. The other fairies only have cameos, while Vidia (her favorite) doesn't have a single line. There's lots of frustration, crankiness and downright anger from Tink, which she works through and eventually feels remorse for, but my daughter doesn't really get that Tink is under undue pressure to save the ENTIRE Hollow. She just sees that she yells and stomps her feet and throws fits throughout the movie. There are some cute moments and lessons learned, so it's not an overall bad movie. I would just recommend the others over this one.

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I had extremely low expectations for the first Tinker Bell but was very pleasantly surprised. Still, I wasn't quite sure that this particular "franchise" needed a sequel. So, with trepidation I put this disc into my player. "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" actually blows away its predecessor. Sure, the story is a tad predictable, but with fantastic new characters (including Blaze the firefly, and the two Trolls at the Troll Gate), returning favorites (Garden fairy Rosetta whose bubbly personality is pure Dolly Parton), and top-notch animation, this movie will be a joy to watch for all ages.

The story: Tinker Bell is entrusted with the creation of the scepter for the Autumn Revelry. Her friend Terence offers to help, but his micro-managing of Tink sets her off, and in her anger, she accidentally breaks the precious and rare moonstone, threatening the life of everyone in Pixie Hollow. Lashing out at Terence, the friendship between these two fairies is jeopardized, and Tink must find a way to fix the moonstone...and the friendship. The rest you'll have to watch on your own; this synopsis is greatly simplified, but I do not want to give away any spoilers.

On Tink's journey to repair the moonstone, she is joined by Blaze, a firefly. He is absolutely adorable, and given plenty of spunk and character by the Disney animation team. The animation team deserves a plethora of kudos; on Blu-ray (good reason to upgrade from DVD!) this movie will take your breath away; especially the scene in the Fairy Tale Theater. The lighting effects are amazing; absolutely beautiful. All throughout the movie there are many visual touches that will show that the people behind this movie took special care to elevate this many notches above the usual straight-to-video movie. Hidden Mickeys, Skull Rock, and plenty of other details that bear repeated viewings. The Celtic-style music is back, but I feel it is blended much better into the movie than it was in the original film. I really can't say enough good things about this movie.

SPECS:

Video: Widescreen, 1.78:1 * Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, French & Spanish; subtitles: English, French & Spanish. While the audio is crystal clear and pleasing to listen to, there are really no dynamic uses of the surround that seemed memorable to me.

EXTRAS:

Backstage Disney

Tinker Bell Comes to Disney World (8:20): Both Disneyland in Anaheim & Disney World in Orlando have Pixie Hollow areas, but this featurette focues on the Orlando version which has beautiful topiaries and 3-dimensional recreations of objects from this movie. With careful attention to colors and characterization from the movie, garden designer Carla Schuman and team discuss how it all came together.

Deleted Scenes (16:00): Includes intros by Director Klay Hall and Producer Sean Lurie

Alternate Scenes (4:00): These are pretty much manufactured bloopers that are fun to watch, including gaffes, some bodily function jokes, as well as a few other mildly funny/amusing bits.

Bonus Short (4:46): This is a magical guide to the Autumn area of Pixie Hollow, led by Terence & Tinker Bell. Pleasant to watch, it does appear to be more of an advertisement for than a true short. Even the animation style is a little static and looks more like a 2-dimensional book illustration with simple movement than an animated film.

"The Gift of a Friend" music video, performed by Disney Channel's Demi Lovato

Previews include Dumbo (70th Anniversary Edition on Bluray in Spring 2010), The Princess & The Frog, Tinker Bell & The Great Fairy Rescue (the next installment!), Blu-ray/High Def Disney movies, Santa Buddies-The Legend of Santa Paws (with Christopher Lloyd), Ponyo, G-Force, Beauty & The Beast (Diamond Edition in High Def), and Disney on Ice-Worlds of Fantasy (including Tinker Bell & Friends)

FINAL WORDS: You'd have to be extremely curmudgeonly not to enjoy this film and appreciate the high quality of animation and characterization!

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Road to Red Rocks (2012)

If you are thinking about buying this DVD,you will need no introduction to Mumford and Sons who in a relatively short space of time have developed into one of the best and most popular bands in the world.This is their first official live recording, made over two nights at Red Rocks, a large tilted natural ampitheatre at Morrison, Colorado which has been played by many of the greats in rock music history including the Beatles and U2. The good news is that it captures the raw energy and essence of this remarkable band:romanticism tempered by strength and power balanced by wonderful harmonies and beautiful and often spiritual lyrics. A recording that shows that they deserve their place in such illustrious company. The recording lasts 88 minutes and includes twelve songs from across their first two albums. The camera work and editing is excellent giving us an intimate view of the band,almost as if we were on stage with them and occasionally looking out over the vast Red Rocks audience.We can clearly see the fun they are having and how much they enjoy performing and being with each other.

The performance is broken up with reflections by and footage of the band recorded at stopovers on the Gentleman of the Road Tour at places like Monterey, California and Portland, Maine.Some fans will enjoy this, I am sure,although personally I would have preferred a gig of around an hour and twenty minutes to have been continuous and the rest available in extras. During these breaks Marcus comments on how much the band has improved since their first visit to the USA and this is reflected in the performance. They are now a very tight and relaxed unit and the brass and violin augmentation works very well producing an even richer sound.You hear them singing with such passion that you could believe their lives depended on it. The power of their harmonies and the clearly articulated lyrics go straight to the heart and feed the spirit. The audience respond enthusiastically and although many of them clearly know the words you cannot hear them as the audio focus is almost entirely on the band's performance.

This is nevertheless a very good recording and a must for all Mumford fans and for all lovers of great music. I recommend you go out and buy it.You won't be disappointed!

TRACKS:Lovers Eyes,Little Lion Man, Below My Feet,Roll Away Your Stone,Lover Of The Light,Thistle and Weeds,Ghosts That We Knew, Awake My Soul,Whispers In The Dark, Dust Bowl Dance, I will Wait, The Cave.

The American band,Dawes, who many of you will have enjoyed supporting them on tour appear with them on stage for one song.

This dvd doesn't disappoint, and that is an understatement. It is such a privilege to re-experience the Mumford and Sons Red Rocks show, after having attended in person. The dvd is a superb visual and sound experience. The unforgettable vibe of the concert comes through beautifully on the large TV screen. Highly recommend.

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I first saw this concert played on HBO. I was instantly impressed by the musicality, editing, and picture quality. Mumford & Sons is very refreshing to watch and to listen to. I have been watching this video at least twice a week.

Read Best Reviews of Road to Red Rocks (2012) Here

I think I saw a version of this concert recently on Showtime but I watched it again, this time on a beautifully presented Blu ray disc, complete with a stellar DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track. It is amazingly good, both in terms of a natural surround sound coming from the Red Rocks venue as well as the great songs performed by the band. The video as well is excellent. The great colors of the Colorado countryside are well displayed in full 16:9 aspect ratio. There are no extras on the disc. Numerous language sub-titles are available as well as Dolby Surround 5.1 and a PCM stereo track.

One of my biggest complaints of music concert films is the jerky quick-cut editing. While some of that is present here it is less noticeable than most concert videos. The 88 minute film, shot over 2 nights in the summer of 2012, intercuts several short segments of the band appearing in less well known venues such as Portland...Maine. These only last a couple minutes each and are not terribly distracting. Certainly less so than the long winded gibberish some performers exude.

As far as the music, the band is certainly at its joyful, playful best. The 4 primary band members are joined by others during the concert, depending on the song. The band Dawes comes out on "Wake My Soul." The music is great. Always well written songs from this group who is about as popular as any band on the planet right now. Why? The band seems to transcend genres, cultures and generations. I've been listening to a lot of Eagles music lately. I think one of the reason their music remains popular is great song writing and angelic harmonies. The same can be said of Mumford and Sons. I suspect they will be around a long time.

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Coming from someone who has never seen Mumford & Sons live, I love this DVD. It is mostly of their performance, with a little background video and sound clips. And since this is a band that actually has talent, you can't go wrong. I have heard the songs that are played a thousands times each, but watching these guys perform them is a whole new experience. I will not be happy until I see them live, now.

Songs performed:

-Lovers' Eyes

-Little Lion Man

-Below My Feet

-Roll Away Your Stone

-Lover of the Light

-Thistle & Weeds

-Ghosts That We Knew

-Awake My Soul

-Whispers In the Dark

-Dust Bowl Dance

-I Will Wait

-The Cave

"Not With Haste" is played throughout the end credits.

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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2-Disc Deluxe Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (201

I just saw the part 2 of "Breaking Dawn" (in my country it opened on November 14) and I was very impressed. I loved this skillful and very faithful adaptation of the final chapters of "Twilight" saga. WARNING: this review contains limited SPOILERS and also some slightly dirty jokes...

As probably everybody already knows, this film begins with Bella Cullen (former Bella Swan) making her first steps as a newly created vampire, very soon after the extremely difficult birth of her daughter Renesmee. Things that happened at the end of the previous part are discreetly reminded to us by the extraordinary opening scene, in which we can enjoy the beauty of state of Washington, listen to the perfectly adapted music and finally watch how the nature changes when winter comes and all of this is somehow connected to Bella's transformation. I was very impressed by those first scenes it is rare to see the opening credits put to such a good use.

Bella's first days as newborn vampire are a delight to watch. Unlike many Kristen Stewart haters I think she is a pretty talented actress. However until now Bella's character was less active than others and therefore Kristen Stewart did the right thing adopting a discreet, introverted approach to this role in previous parts. But as a vampire Bella is paradoxically more "alive" than ever before and in this film Kristen Stewart acts in a much more assertive way and she does a great job! Also, with the help of some make up and computer improvement of images, she is suddenly more beautiful than ever. Clearly the un-death becomes her... She also can finally let her husband make love to her without fearing that she will end as Bella-jelly on the rocks... (sorry I couldn't resist). And finally, as a newborn, she is also the strongest vampire in the coven, for a time at least something that Emmett will learn in great detail...)))

The joy of other members of Cullen clan who see Edward finally happy with his recently deceased young bride and his newborn half-undead daughter (yes, I know this sounds complicated, but really, this is how the story goes) is a very pleasant thing to see. There is of course one enormous elephant in the room the weird attachment Jacob (your friendly neighborhood werewolf) developed towards Renesmee, to great annoyance of Edward (no father appreciates a potential son-in-law who can lick him) and an even greater fury of Bella, as no mother wants her precious daughter to be an underdog...))) Jacob's "puppy love" was considered as very shocking by many reviewers of books but here it is shown as something perfectly safe and quite respectable...

But soon appears a threat to Edward and Bella's happiness and in fact to the very existence of the whole Cullen coven. As we already know since the part 2, between the vampire royalty, the Volturi and the Cullens there is bad blood (pun very much intentional). In this episode the escalating tension will finally reach the breaking point...

The description of the developing crisis, the mobilization of hostile armies, the confrontation and finally the rather unexpected but clever resolution of the whole problem were well described in the book and are even better shown on the screen. Volturi-Cullens conflict is a great moment of cinema!

Those who read the second part of the last book in the series certainly remember that there are NO action scenes in it and those who saw the trailers had to notice that there is one HUGE battle scene, with the Volturi Guard fighting Cullens, Denalis and their other vampire and werewolf allies. The film however remains a VERY faithful adaptation of the novel... Confused already? Well, I can not reveal details, but believe me, there IS an easy explanation. Also, adding this extremely well shown furious battle helped this film in fact it helped it very much...

The way this huge battle is described reminded me very much of Iliade and the fights between heroes of Troy War. I will not describe here anything from the battle in "Breaking Dawn, part 2" but it is somehow similar to the description of events by Homer. In Iliad, we can read that Sarpedon, a valiant Trojan ally, was killed in fight by Patroclus. Later, Hector avenged Sarpedon by killing Patroclus, but then was himself slain by this latter's best friend, Achilles. After that Paris, Hector's brother, killed Achilles with a poisoned arrow, before being himself shot and killed by Philoctetes. In the great battle scene in this film, fights between successive heroes and champions follow a somehow similar logic. I loved this long scene greatly.

There are many other delights in this film, especially when vampires invited by the Cullens arrive. American and European nomads are very little shown, with the exception of Alistair on another hand the Egyptians and the Irish coven appear a little bit more, and the powers of Benjamin are particularly impressive in the film...

Amazonian amazons are absolute eye-candy especially Zafrina is an impressively hot creature. In the film only two amazons, Zafrina and Senna, are present (the third one, Kachiri, is not even mentioned). The girls from the Denali coven are even hotter, especially Kate and Tanya. All those who liked "Dexter" will be delighted to see Christian Camargo playing Eleazar, the only male of the Denali coven. Garrett, the nomad who will later join the Denali coven, provides tons of humor as a vampire who never fully recovered from the Independence War (he still passionately hates everything British).

And then there are of course Vladimir and Stefan from the Romanian (or rather Transylvanian) coven. Those two are a show in the show! In principle they seem to be very serious and even deadly dangerous but their faces and their speech are simply irresistible! Every time they appear, the whole theater would puff and giggle... Oh, it may come as a surprise to you, but if you really want to FULLY appreciate those two vampires, read "The cat in the hat" before going to cinema no, this is not a joke and I am not crazy believe me, there is a connection...)))

All those characters provide great fun, especially in the scene preceding the great confrontation, when something like twenty vampires and one werewolf sit around a campfire at night and tell scary stories!!

There are however some characters missing in action. When the Volturi appeared I was very surprised that unlike in the book the wives, Sulpicia and Athenodora, were absent. Even worse, Felix, the hulking chief enforcer/executioner of Volturi does NOT appear in this film and this is a great pity! Also, Wendell Pierce, who plays the somehow mysterious Mr Jenks, should have more screen time at the very least a couple of minutes...

I would greatly advise to watch the final credits to the end as they are a farewell for all the series. Many girls in the cinema were very moved by those last moments and that included my wife...

I positively loved this film it is a very, very good conclusion to the extraordinary adventure that was watching "Twilight" series. After surviving James, Victoria, Riley, the army of newborns, the conflict with the werewolves and even the confrontation with the Volturi, at the end of this film the two recently married lovers could finally begin what is the REAL GLORIOUS adventure, both for the mortals and the undead spending life together and raise the children...

"And now forever?" asked Edward. "And now forever" whispered Bella. The Fate didn't say anything this time she was having a busy working lunch with the director of the next "Hunger Games" film...

I won't spoil the movie by telling readers about the new part. You will have to go see the movie for that.

I will say that I cannot imagine a better way to end this story. It was everything I could have hoped for, except the promise of yet another book and movie!

It was so thoughtful to include the full cast of all the movies in the credits at the end of the movie. So great to see all those faces again.

What an amazing four years this has been for all of us fans! After reading the books, I dreamed about having them made into movies. I even pictured Kristen Stewart as Bella! None of it has been anthing but delightful.

Thanks to Stephenie Meyer for writing the only love story I've ever been able to appreciate, to Melissa Rosenberg for turning it into fabulous screenplays and all the other magical movie people for giving us the lovliest fairytale of our time.

Go see Breaking Dawn Part II

Buy The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2-Disc Deluxe Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (201 Now

I think that this may be the best in the Twilight series. I found the movie to be a great end to the series wrapping up all of the loose ends and giving fans a chance to appreciate the entire experience of the series.

Read Best Reviews of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2-Disc Deluxe Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (201 Here

I thought that the story came out excellent, I was glad that the trio was able to get things fixed between them. The fight scenes were excellent as well and very believable, and if you like possible futures this gives off some very good, but heart-wrenching ones. For werewolf fans you get some very good scenes and vampire fans, this is going to really going to get your interest. I am looking forward to getting this on dvd when it comes out. For series lovers see this you're going to love it.

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It is to bad they choose to make so many out takes and do not let them be on one disc.

The Color of Money (1986)

I was looking forward to picking this up on blu ray and couldn't be more disappointed in the picture quality of this disc. Most disappointing blu ray disc purchase I've made to date. At no point do you think you're watching a high def movie.

[Edit] This is exactly the same so called "HD" print that they've shown on HBOHD and CinemaxHD since long before the blu ray was released. I'm watching it on Cinemax right now and there is no difference whatsoever between this version and the blu ray.

This movie deserved a lot better treatment than this. I can't enjoy the blu ray because I'm constantly thinking how bad the picture looks. Disney has told me they will refund the money for this, I suggest anyone who feels like they got shortchanged buying this contact them.

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)This movie appears to be about pool on the surface. But it's less about pool than it is about what motivates us as people.

Fast Eddie Felson of the classic, "The Hustler," returns to reverse roles in this 80s classic. Instead of being the young champ, he wants to train the young champ in Tom Cruise. But eventually, he realizes the hard way he doesn't have the stomach to play stake horse and in his heart he really wants the thrill of competition.

A lot of people will compare this movie to "The Hustler," since it is the sequel. There is no comparison. This movie really can't even be compared in pool terms. The pool shots that they hit in this movie are, for the most part, average to above-average. This is not the mind blowing pool play from "The Hustler" to be sure.

But this movie does have plenty going for it. For non-pool players, this movie has more character development. This movie also features some of the greatest cinematography of any film. And Newman, Cruise, and the supporting cast all put in stellar performances.

In short, this is a great movie that's worth watching just for enjoyment or on a deeper level for those who appreciate fine cinema. It's not half the movie that "The Hustler" is, but it has enough merits to stand on its own.

Buy The Color of Money (1986) Now

Avoid this turkey of a HD transfer at all costs. That was rather poor quality 8 years ago, now it's shameless to sell this. No HD detail, no proper 35mm texture, no proper colour and shadow detail. Someone should tell Marty...

Read Best Reviews of The Color of Money (1986) Here

If you care about this film at all, run away far and fast. Somebody botched this disc so badly it almost has to be a mistake. It's an incredible shame

that a film that earned Paul Newman accolades and an Oscar, is among Scorsese's best, has an excellent performance by Tom Cruise gets this kind of treatment. Hopefully it will end up like Gladiator and Gangs of New York that somebody will acknowledge that this isn't what was approved and the real

intended Bluray will be released. Everybody knows about the John Carter debacle and how much money Disney probably will lose, but butchering a classic Live

Action film isn't the way to recoup either money or reputation. Multiple end-users and professional reviewers have been appalled at this attempt and

hopefully once Scorsese gets a copy he and his people will throw some weight behind getting this abomination fixed.

I only wish I could give this 0 stars or worse.

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In this movie's opening voiceover, director Martin Scorsese explains that nine-ball pool, as you've probably guessed, comes down to one basic rule: You don't win without pocketing the 9. Partially this depends on the balls' spread in the break; i.e. on luck. But, Scorsese concludes with the credo of all high-stakes hustlers from poker to pool and beyond: "For some players, luck itself is an art."

Once, Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) mastered this art; a whiz kid out to beat champion Minnesota Fats, he had to learn some painful lessons instead. But that was 25 years ago in 1961's "Hustler," to which "The Color of Money" is a belated sequel and now it's "dead and buried." Now Eddie is a liquor salesman; even if he's still got the hustle down cold: just listen to him philosophizing about a bourbon's color, age and acidic content and I'll lay you any bet you'll be buying a case from him in no time at all.

Yet, Eddie keeps hanging around pool halls, and one day the inevitable happens: He runs into Vincent (Tom Cruise), almost a reincarnation of his younger self; a guy with a sledgehammer break and an "incredible flake," as Eddie opines less than charitably, cocky beyond belief but apparently unaware of his potential, preferring to perfect his video game reflexes on the theory that this might get him into West Point, instead of focusing on his greatest and, more importantly, only financially viable area of expertise: pool. Now, if Eddie has learned one thing it's that whatever your field, it *all* comes down to money; and the guy who's got the most of it is the best. But to get there, you have to be more than just excellent at what you do: You have to be a student of psychology, learn to take advantage of others, understand when to lose is actually to win; and if you're a "natural character" like Vincent, you have to learn to "flake on and flake off" to be yourself, but on purpose. In short, it takes the right proportion of both brains and b*lls to win big at pool. All this, Eddie is determined to teach Vince, even if it takes some support from his girlfriend Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) to get him going. But eventually they do set out on the road, for a six-week high-intensity training in hustles and cons, with their eyes set on a high-stakes nine-ball tournament in Atlantic City at the end. And Eddie, once exploited by a ruthless promoter himself, dispenses tough love; all to drive home one crucial lesson: "Nice guys finish last;" and mercy towards *any* opponent is downright unprofessional.

Vincent, Carmen and Eddie make an unequal trio; they collide as often and as hard as cue balls, and it's a sheer joy to see these outstanding actors go up against each other: Cruise as the cocky kid who refuses to drop his ego trips, Mastrantonio as his tough-talking girlfriend, and Newman as the seasoned pro who suddenly gets goose-bumpy again when entering a pool room (even if to his shame he finds the place now used for furniture storage), rediscovers that money won is "twice as sweet" as money earned, and at last gets hungry enough to get back into the game himself, albeit at the price of first being hustled by a kid with a dumb-fat-underdog routine (brilliantly played by Forest Whitaker). For Tom Cruise, who left a lasting impression with 1983's "Risky Business" but otherwise only had a few middling movies under his belt at this point, this was a great opportunity to show his chops opposite one of the business's all-time greats, and he was more than up to the task. (Although he shot to superstardom the same year with "Top Gun," even here virtually all of his trademark mannerisms and voice inflections particularly when playing cocky are already fully present.) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio earned Oscarand Golden-Globe-nominations for her portrayal of Carmen, who clues into Eddie's "pool is business" lessons quicker than Vince and, after a first-hand education on the use of "that thing," finds ways through Vincent's cockiness where Eddie doesn't have access. Paul Newman finally netted his long-overdue Academy Award; thus belatedly making up for the undeserved pass for "The Hustler," after the Academy had summarily sugarcoated a total of seven unfulfilled nominations and numerous award-worthy appearances that didn't even earn that kind of nod with a lifetime achievement award the year before. (Newman accepted, but wasn't present at either ceremony.)

What makes this movie stand out, however, is not merely its tremendous cast, from the central trio to Helen Shaver (Eddie's girlfriend Janelle), John Turturro (Julian, the "stake horse" Vincent replaces in Eddie's favor), Scorsese's dog Zoe (credited as "dog walkby"!), Iggy Pop, and several top pool players, e.g. Steve "The Miz" Mizerak, Jimmy "Pretty Boy Floyd" Mataya (together with wife Eva also technical advisor) and Keith McCready (Vincent's nemesis Grady Seasons). Moreover, nobody could have captured the pool halls' dingy allure, a trick shot's swift precision and the balls' movement over the table quite like Michael Ballhaus there's a reason they call him "Hollywood's Eye." And then there's the score, by the "Band's" ringleader Robbie Robertson; featuring contributions from a virtual who-is-who of rock and blues's all time greatest, including Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Don Henley, Warren Zevon, Phil Collins, Robert Palmer and Percy Sledge; pointedly framing all key scenes and doubling the edge of the cue balls' and characters' collisions alike.

The movie's ending may appear anticlimactic, as the story seems to build up to a showdown which we never get to see. But for Eddie, it's ultimately about going up against Vince's best game and the only thing that matters is that he's back, and there to stay for the duration this time. And no question: back he certainly is.

Also recommended:

The Hustler (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

The Sting (Universal Legacy Series)

The Firm

Maverick

Atlantic City

Rounders (Collector's Edition)

Flim Flam Man

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The Collector (1965)

"The Collector" falls within the "Psycho" tradition in focusing on the repressed sexual longings of a quietly alienated loner, but it's closer to "Peeping Tom" in portraying the sympathetic side of the killer. This is highlighted, first, by the performances themselves, which are superficially cold but in reality display a great deal of underlying warmth. But it's also underscored by the fact that William Wyler's madman is only an accidental murderer, his intention being only to harbor his object of desire, not murder her (murder, as it happens, being simply the "collateral" result of his own perversity).

"The Collector," in fact, is probably the most humanized portrait of a sociopath ever put on film, and Terence Stamp makes us realize in every scene just how starved for affection he is. Not even "Peeping Tom" rivals it in this respect, since the analytical approach of Michael Powell toward his deranged protagonist, not to mention the peculiar fetishism involved, prevents us from really identifying with him. By contrast, Stamp's character could easily represent any otherwise "normal" human being, who is merely more estranged and sensitive than most.

The DVD transfer of the film is fine, certainly not the best conversion of a sixties film I've seen, but still doing credit to the film. The sound is also superior, and I personally love Maurice Jarre's theme music, particularly the beautifully orchestrated version played during the closing

credits.

One caution, however: this DVD has been edited slightly, and those used to seeing the brief frontal nudity of Ms. Eggar during the "seduction" sequence in the final quarter of the film will search in vain for it here. This seems to have resulted from some absurd prudery on the part of the company, but it also hurts the film, since the nudity, far from being "pornographic," highlights the intimacy of the scene, and, in addition, serves to emphasize Stamp's reaction to Eggar's slow and delicate offering of herself. Just one more example, in other words, of how the bowdlerizing of a film against the director's wishes is always a perilous exercise.

One STAR is too many, but there was no goose egg!

I really hate to slam this beautiful movie, but after buying it, I felt betrayed and wanted to try to prevent others from having the same problem.

Wyler's work is always fabulous, which makes it especially hurtful to see his film butchered in this fashion yes I said BUTCHERED.

I just purchased "The Collector" on DVD (Columbia 07893 ISBN 0-7678-8288-1) after already owning the same title on LaserDisk.

I have criticisms of both the TRANSFER, and the CONTENT.

Transfer:

IMDB Lists the original film as "Spherical 1.78:1 aspect ratio" If this is true, then the DVD has been way over-masked because the LaserDisk version has a mask that shows about 30% more picture content on the top and bottom of the field. It appears that the studio simply took a 4:3 version of the film and transferred it to DVD by cutting off the top and bottom to make it 16x9, rather than finding an original widescreen print to transfer. Compare it with anything... even video tape to see what I mean. Horrible. They have a lot of nerve advertising "Preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio" on the DVD package.

The print they started with is not in very good condition. It exhibits signs of sprocket wear (side to side picture shifting) as well as specks of dirt on the film and splice jumps.

In short, the film was given the "quick and dirty" transfer, not the "lovingly carefull" one it deserves.

Content:

As others on this forum have noted, the seduction scene is highly mutilated. Gone is the tender moment of frontal nudity, as well as side angles thus stripping the scene of it's innocence and impact almost completely. All have been cunningly "panned and scanned" away. The DVD box claims the film is "not rated" it should really say "Why Bother".

I cannot recommend this version at all, I am sorry to say.

Buy The Collector (1965) Now

This 40-year-old specimen by legendary director William Wyler will enhance any collection of fine film. You may have trouble recognizing a very young Terence Stamp, whose performance as a painfully shy office clerk who hits the lottery will give you chills. Samantha Eggar, lovely as the focus of his attention, gives a compelling performance and is in many ways the film's centerpiece. Based on the novel by truly gifted author John Fowles, The Collector chronicles a subtle, incremental descent into madness and cruelty with such skill that viewers are engaged throughout, indeed, it is the ability of the film to penetrate the viewer's own psychology that gives it its real power.

Stamp's Freddie Clegg, newly rich, is free to indulge his eccentricities fully, without fear of repercussion. While his passion has always been butterfly collecting, Freddie, socially inept and pathologically lonely, slips into another level; he "collects" Eggar's Miranda Grey and keeps her captive in his remote estate. With pathetic innocence he lavishes care on her, imaging that she will be won over and come to love him in her time. She cringes through this process, and we cringe with her. The entire situation is unbearably creepy, made all the creepier because of the nuance and exceptional acting.

Hoping all the while that Miranda will find salvation, we know in our heart of hearts that such situations rarely end well. Miranda's response to imprisonment evolves, we see her trying new tactics, we root for her. Because we're involved, everything that happens has meaning. This film contains virtually no physical violence, (certainly no hideous language, stacks of corpses, or nail gun brain surgery), indeed, it may be the most sympathetic portrayal of a stalker ever made.

By not reducing Freddie to a symbol, but showing him instead as a person, however disturbed, Fowles and Wyler have given us something much more upsetting a picture of our own worst self. The hacks that practice the craft of filmmaking today, gleefully spraying blood onto the first 20 rows of theatres nationwide, would do well to watch The Collector. This movie succeeds the old-fashioned way; it earns the undivided attention of its audience.

Read Best Reviews of The Collector (1965) Here

To flesh out what my title says, this is a good enough movie when taken for its own merits, and perhaps in fairness to consider it for its own merits is all that someone should do, but when it comes to getting the tone of John Fowles' masterful novel, it fails miserably.

I know there are many who will disagree with me but neither Samantha Eggar nor Terence Stamp were right for the roles they played. Eggar comes off as too worldly and seductive (and old) to properly embody Miranda Grey as Fowles wrote her. In the novel Miranda was an innocent and an idealist, though in her ability to draw men she was described by Fowles in terms that reached out to the Jungian concept of the anima, but in this film she is a more aware presence who not only understood her powers of seduction but harnessed them. Likewise Terence Stamp seems all too prepared to be a cold mastermind, whereas Frederick Clegg in the book (the definitive source, let's say) was more or less a misfit who never lost a sense of wonder that his timidly attempted dream plan actually worked in bringing the object of his attraction into his life.

Also in the film the relationship between the pair, Miranda and Freddie (aka Caliban) is far different than the one Fowles clearly described. True Clegg in the movie does promise to show Miranda "every courtesy" a line lifted straight from the text, but he is not the worshipful collector, he is more a cruel overlord whose self-confidence possesses none of the childlike wonder of the real character in the brilliant novel. Clegg in the book comprehends that he is undertaking acts of lawlessness but has no understanding that he is doing acts of egoistic evil; in the film Stamp plays Clegg as someone who understands his own darkness all too well.

Okay, so clearly I love the novel and am not happy with this treatment of it, but I will confess that as far as a films go, this isn't a bad way to invest some time, and it does get the bare bones of Fowles' plot right, so if you are someone who prefers movies over books or if you're likely never going to take a day to let Fowles' masterpiece unwind in your brain, then this film version is a passable surrogate. True, I ripped up on it here, but I do own copies on both DVD and VHS, and have seen it at least five times, so maybe my criticisms are wider than they are deep.

Four stars for the film, about ten stars for the book.

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I've been a big fan of William Wyler's The Collector since I first saw it on television in the late `70's. Even pot-holed with commercials, John Fowles' tale of the lonely and creepy Freddie Clegg and his victim, Miranda was totally absorbing. The end was a complete surprise and the legend of how film got pass UK's rating's people is almost as interesting as the film itself.

Many people over the years have already covered the range of impressions of the film, the acting, the plot, etc. This review will concern itself with the recently released (late 2011) Blu-Ray version of the film.

First off, the transfer from the 35mm print to Blu-Ray is excellent. The image is a full 1080p along with the original aspect radio of 1:85 1. The film's length is the same 119 minutes that's been standard since the original VHS release more than 25 years ago. So fans looking for that elusive Eggar frontal nude shot will not find it on this release either.

What you will find are colors that are in perfect balance and, at the same time, really pop.

Picture details of Clegg's cellar, the grass and bushes outside his home, etc that are amazing. Who knew all these years that Stamp wore different colored BLUE suits? All this new clarity brings to life (art director) John Stoll's and (set director) Frank Tuttle's marvelous work. By the way, don't be discouraged by the close up shots of Eggar and sometimes Stamp that appear slightly out of focus. They were intentionally shot that way (soft focus); an old camera trick that dates back to the `30's.

The voice and soundtrack is mono. Nothing we can do about that. Seems to me the sound's been EQ'd a bit for better fidelity, that's about it. Overall this is, by far, the best version of The Collector you can see. My only wish is that additional extras including interviews with the two leads (or better yet, running commentary) would have made this Blu-Ray absolutely perfect.

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La Promesse (The Criterion Collection) (1996)

This is not a warm fuzzy picture by any means, but it is film for people who love people and appreciate the higher instincts of mankind that transcend nationality, race, gender, and age. Does one follow instinctual bonds to family, or honor and committment to a worthy promise.

I absolutely loved this film...and so did my Parisian friends to whom I recommended it.

Belgium documentary film makers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne deliver an unflinching glimpse into the horrors and exploitation of undocumented workers and the opportunistic people who prey on them in order to improve their own sordid, wretched lives. The directors also have an amazing eye for casting as all the actors are so natural that you think you are watching a documentary, rather than a compassionate piece of fiction.

The heart and soul of the piece is Igor portrayed by a stunning looking fifteen year old Jérémie Rénier (Summer Hours (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]) in an amazing first performance. Every good story needs a great villain and here it supplied by Igor's father Roger in a bravura performance by Olivier Gourmet (Rosetta [Region 2 Import Non USA Format]). The lying, cheating, brutal Roger exploits everyone near him and even though he loves him, poor Igor is no exception.

The motherless boy has been pulled out of school under the pretense of an apprenticeship so his dad can use him to help run the family business of human trafficking. Absent of any moral teachings or decent role model, Igor is no angel himself:an expert forger of fake identities, purse snatcher, and lying to immigration officers. However, he is still a mechanically inclined 12 year old who snatches a few precious minutes to work on a motorized soap box type car with his friends and paints his dingy teeth with white-out to mimic the dazzling smiles of the Africans whose passports he is altering.

Igor is placed in an almost untenable position when he "promises" to care for the wife and child of a dying African man under his supervision. This promise causes an almost spiritual awakening in our young protagonist and forces him to make difficult moral choices for the first time in his own exploited life. Sadly, the film ends on a very ambiguous note but one hopes the protagonist will have a better, more hopeful future due to living up to his word.

Buy La Promesse (The Criterion Collection) (1996) Now

A powerful movie on a difficult subject. I recently showed this to my French class because of the immigration topic, but it is so much more! Along the way the young Igor finds redemption for a life that has been less than honest. It is definitely one that will get the students talking and thinking about our global issues, the human condition! My first class to view it completely erupted in an uproar at the ending, perfect for a discussion on the issues. As a teacher, I highly recommend this movie to all French and sociology/psychology teachers out there! And anyone else wanting to present a more realistic world view!

Read Best Reviews of La Promesse (The Criterion Collection) (1996) Here

Superb coming of age film in which a pause, driven by rising consciousness, leads a young boy to develop conflicts with his father, and to engage in autonomous decision-making of right over wrong. The film is devoid of sentimentalism or saccharine actions. Reminds of Jerzy Grotowski's poor theater in which the set is stripped of ornamentation. The camera is always moving, keeping close contact with the diverse characters. Great film with impeccable acting and directing.

Want La Promesse (The Criterion Collection) (1996) Discount?

The Dardenne brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc, have created a good number of award-winning films.

From the 2002 film "The Son" (winner of the "Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival), 2005 film "The Child" (winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival), 2008 film "Lorna's Silence" (winner of "Best Screenplay" at the Cannes Film Festival) and most recently with their 2011 film "The Kid with a Bike", which won the Grand Prize of the Jury for "Best Film" at the Cannes Film Festival.

With films that are highly anticipated for their quality writing and direction, back in the 1980′s, the Belgian duo were known for their documentaries. And with their 1987 film "Falsch", the Dardenne Brothers had the opportunity to direct a major feature 1992 film, "Je pense a vous".

And the film didn't do well.

Suffice to say, the film would go against everything that the Dardenne Brothers enjoyed. Having to be on a tight schedule preventing key reshoots, budgetary inconveniences and not shooting a scene in order. The experience turned the Dardenne Brothers off and both discussed that if they do a film, they do things by their own terms, even if it means shooting a low-budget film.

So, in 1996, the Dardenne brothers worked on "La Promesse" (The Promise). A film in which they had complete control over. No need for expensive equipment, they will shot with a handheld camera. No need for spending a lot of money on talent, they would work with unknown talent. And no more having to shoot scenes in different order.

And with this film, it earned them a Cesar nomination for "Best Foreign Film" and winning the Brussels International Film Festival for "Best Belgian Film". So, when the Dardenne Brothers discuss their filmmaking, for films, "La Promesse" is their beginning and the way they have been doing their films ever since. They call the shots and do what they feel they need to do, to make a film. In other words, complete control over their films.

And "La Promesse" would be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of the Criterion Collection.

VIDEO:

"La Promesse The Criterion Collection #620″ is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:66:1 aspect ratio). It's important for people to remember that this was a low-budget film and was filmed via handheld, so you are going to get shaky movements. But this is a cleaner version than the previous DVD release.

The Criterion Collection really went all out in cleaning up the video from any imperfections. I didn't notice any scratches or dust. In fact, I was pausing quite a bit because the film looks so clean. Picture quality has a good amount of grain and for the most part, the film does look good but you do see some softness at times. But by no means does that ruin one's viewing of the film. Colors look good and if anything, if you own the earlier DVD release, "La Promesse" on Blu-ray would be a major upgrade. The clarity of this film in HD is impressive!

According to the Criterion Collection, the transfer was supervised by director of photography Alain Marcoen, this new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm blowup interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS and Pixel Farm's PFClean, while Image Systems' Phoenix was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"La Promesse The Criterion Collection #620″ is presented in French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Once again, The Dardenne brothers went back to the basics with this film. Its dialogue is clear and there is a segment where Igor and Roger are singing, which is also crystal clear. But I notice no pops, hiss or any problems during my viewing of this film.

According to the Criterion Collection, the film was released theatrically with a 2.0 surround soundtrack. The disc, however, features a 5.1 surround soundtrack, remastered at 24-bit from the original LCRS magnetic masters used for the theatrical mix. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube's integrated workstation.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"La Promesse The Criterion Collection #620" comes with the following special features:

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (1:00:25) Conversation between film critic Scott Foundas and filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne shot in 2012 in Liege, Belgium.

Jeremie Renier and Olivier Gourmet (18:33) 2012 interviews with Jeremie Renier (Igor) and Olivier Gourmet (Roger).

Trailer (1:16) The original theatrical trailer for "La Promesse".

EXTRAS:

"La Promesse The Criterion Collection #620" comes with a 16-page booklet with the following essay "One Plus One" by author Kent Jones.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"La Promesse" is film by filmmakers that the cineaste can truly appreciate.

Not only is it a film that goes against traditional filmmaking but it's a wise stand for the Dardenne brothers to denounce big film industry practices by creating a film, done their own way, their own style with no regrets. And most importantly, they are filmmakers who stayed true to that practice. And most importantly, there is a semblance of their style that is reminiscent of a hint of Italian Neorealism by capturing the lives of those economically challenged and not forcing one's economic pain through acting but through visual means.

The Dardenne brothers have done documentaries on this before. They know the troubles that people go through and they try to portray that in their films.

"La Promesse" is rather fascinating because it is a film that deals with a father and son who make their living by exploiting illegal immigrants. The son doesn't know too much about how his father is towards the workers, he just learns and does everything his father tells him. And because Igor deals with these people who rely on them quite a bit, because he is younger, he does have compassion for them because they don't have much money and are trying to survive.

But his life changes when he sees a man die in front of him. A man who asks him to watch over his wife and child, which Igor promises the dying man, that he would do. And this is the turning point of where he sees his father differently. His father is more concerned about himself, that he wouldn't rescue anyone. In fact, he would go so far to pay people to make things worse on other tenants that live in the apartment building. His father has no compassion and in some way, similar to the undocumented workers that he uses, in many ways, Roger uses his son Igor as well.

And we know this father and son relationship is quite odd. We see Roger taking out his son to have some fun and be around women, his son smokes and pretty much has not been able to live his young life, as his father tends to use him to do these jobs for these undocumented workers quite frequently.

But it's that conundrum of seeing a teenager, who saw a man die and his father trying to cover his death up by burying him under cement. Igor can't forget, even if he wanted to, because the dead man's wife is always trying to look for him. And while Roger tells her that he disappeared possibly because of debt, we see her using guts from a chicken to tell her where her husband is. And inside, she feels that he is nearby. And for Igor, the pain he sees his wife in, as she tries to find him and raise a baby is too much for boy to handle.

And we then see Igor starting to have compassion, the opposite of his father, who has little. It's money, business for him and it starts to eat away at his son.

"La Promesse" is a moral tale, or of a moral awakening. This is a film that does not try to sugarcoat things, nor is it a film meant to have answers. But it's that documentary style that the Dardenne brothers are known for that leads "La Promesse" to its efficacy. The outstanding performances by Jeremie Renier and Olivier Gourmet seems natural.

As for the Blu-ray release, for those who owned the older DVD release of "La Promesse" will be happy to know that this film looks very good on Blu-ray considering that this is a low-budget film. There are some people who may not like the handheld camerawork but a low-budget and the Dardenne brothers willingness to get away from major costs by eliminating a lot of major equipment during a film shoot was important to them. But still, the film looks and sounds very good on Blu-ray and is worth upgrading to. And there are two special features with interviews plus a trailer and essay booklet included.

Overall, "La Promesse" is a film that showed the world that the Dardenne brothers have true potential but also earned the respect of cinema fans for their stand against what they don't like about big-budget filmmaking and following rules that inhibit their own personal style. So, they went about making their own film with a low budget, non-popular talent but making the film feel real to the audience. It's what they are excellent in doing for their films to this day!

A thought provoking, moralistic drama that introduced the world to the Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and the "Dardenne Style" of filmmaking. "La Promesse" is highly recommended!

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