Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008)

The Resident Evil series has become one of the top selling titles for video game company CAPCOM. Known in Japan as "Biohazard", the series has sold over 34 million games and among the series, one of the most popular titles was the 1996 Sony Playstation game "Resident Evil 2' which introduced us to the characters of Racoon City rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (sister of "Resident Evil 1' hero Chris Redfield).

The two were popular characters that fans enjoyed and in 2005, "Resident Evil 4' featuring Leon Kennedy became a huge hit earning "Game of the Year" by various publications.

With the popularity of the character of Leon Kennedy, how fitting was it when CAPCOM announced the reuniting of both Leon and Claire. As a fan of the video game series, I was definitely excited and couldn't wait to see the film. "resident evil: DEGENERATION" takes place seven years after "Resident Evil 2'.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Picture quality is pretty good. The film is entirely in CG and was created in Maya. The CG was well done but not as fluid as "Final Fantasy: Advent Children" but still looked very impressive. The rendered character models were just great to look at (especially at the beginning when you see the airport or even the WilPharm HQ. Both look very realistic!) and Leon, Claire and Angela Miller model renders were just very well done. If anything, there is slight jerkiness when it comes to a close up of a character and trying to make it do natural and realistic movements during a conversation. But during the action scenes, the movements were very nice and overall, the CG was very well done.

If anything, fans of the video games will more than likely enjoy these CG rendered scenes.

As for audio, the audio is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 and during the action scenes (which there are many), sound does come alive and sounds very good on my system. Dialogue is quite clear. As for the music, the ending theme "Guilty" is by Japanese music artist ANNA TSUCHIYA.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The DVD features quite a few special features which include:

* The Generation of DEGENERATION featurette This featurette interviews Makoto Kamiya and other CAPCOM staff and their goal with the film, why they used the actual English voice actors in terms of the motion capture (including having them learn how to hold a gun) and more behind-the-scenes footage on the creation of the film. Also, fan reaction at San Diego Comic Con.

* Character Profiles Profiles feature a text blurb on each character and you can access a video or photography profile (from parts of the film).

* Voice Bloopers This is more or less bloopers but not sure if it was intentionally created or if it was actual bloopers. One featured Leon Kennedy telling the others about his "fee". Quite funny to watch.

* Faux Leon Interview I'm not quite sure what this feature was about. A man is interviewing one of the motion capture actors and the actor is talking about working with Kamiya-san and others on the film.

* Resident Evil: Degeneration Trailers Trailers for the film

* Resident Evil: Degeneration Tokyo Game Show Trailer Tokyo Game Show trailer

* Resident Evil 5 Special Game Footage Promotional video for the upcoming Playstation "Resident Evil" game.

* Resident Evil 5 Game Trailers Trailers for the upcoming Playstation 3 video game.

Let me first say that I am a big fan of the "Resident Evil" series and I own nearly all the US releases. "Resident Evil 2' really was innovative when it first was released for the Sony Playstation and was my favorite R.E. game until "Resident Evil 4' was released and that video game was just incredible.

So, that being said, watching this film had me smiling because I absolutely adore both the characters of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. How this film furthers the storyline of the two characters but also builds on certain situations that may have major ramifications for future video game releases is quite exciting.

So, with that being said, I enjoyed the film because the creators really wanted to pay homage to "Resident Evil 2' and "Resident Evil 4' video game series and its fans. But I realize that many people who are not familiar with the video game series are wondering how the context of this film is to the live-action film series featuring Mila Jovovich.

There is a relation by name and of course, the virus that turns people to zombies but really, this film was created for the fans of the video game series in mind.

Also, with this being a video game-related film, many who crave a deep storyline with character development of who is Claire and who is Leon may feel disappointed. The reason why video gamers who played the video games is that through those video game moments of playing these characters for hours, there was a vested interest.

I would assume that many viewers not familiar with the video game series won't pick up the importance of Claire or Leon to the actual "Resident Evil" storyline. In fact, some may wonder why they should care about these characters especially at the end with the politics surrounding the viruses.

So, with that being said, "resident evil: DEGENERATION" is an awesome film for those who followed the video game series. The film features plenty of non-stop action, bloody violence courtesy to the zombies and you even get a scene with blood that splatters on to the camera. But the enjoyment comes from those who had the experience of playing "Resident Evil 2' and "Resident Evil 4' and to see Claire and Leon again.

The CG looks great and there are some moments that I was just really in awe but at the same time, there are some movements that were jerky and robotic at times. But overall, the model renders were good and Leon and Claire look very good. So, the bottom line is that this film is just total fan service for "Resident Evil" video game fans. So much that I highly recommend this DVD.

For those who are not familiar with the video game series, you may enjoy it but if you are expecting a continuation of the live action films, then this DVD may not be for you. In fact, some may be disappointed because there is no strong plot for them to truly enjoy these characters especially without playing the video games. So, I can understand if they don't get into it.

Again, if you are fans of the "Resident Evil" video games, you can't help but have a smile on your face because there is now a "Resident Evil" film that was created with the RE video game fan in mind. And for that, I recommend this DVD for you!

I love Resident Evil and really enjoy the video games a lot even though I am not to much on the live action movies. With that said I was surprised that I liked this movie even though I didn't love it.

The video quality is pretty awesome in the blu ray version with pretty thing I noticed wasawesome sound. The one thing I noticed was the close up of faces are greatly detailed but from far away look like they have kind of a plastic coating or something that reminded me of Advent Children. I enjoyed certain scenes of the usually overdone slow motion, like when Leon throws Claire a handgun in the airport or Leon shooting a mutant in the face in the facility are really great. The animation is great but not really an as advanced as I hoped from when Advent Children. I did notice more vibrant colors and the flame effects are very good with fantastic lighting and rich blacks.

I was hoping for more of an open movie instead of being in claustrophobic atmospheres and Leon has too much perfect hair. Even at the end of the movie no one seemed roughed up to bad and their hair and faces remained intact unless you suffer from a case of zombiefacationism of course. Like I said earlier this movie surprised me that I enjoyed it. I wish it felt bigger and on a larger scale but the whole thing just felt small be it the amount of the immediate cast or the location. The only open part being the airport at the beginning and thank goodness they didn't make the whole thing based in the airport. The whole movie could have been a bunch of cut scenes from a video game like a new Resident Evil game and why so serious all the time Leon. I think I enjoyed this better than the current Resident Evil trilogy and wonder why this isn't the route they took instead of live action. The story doesn't feel like a movie but more part of a mini series which is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have by the end.

Fans of Resident Evil should watch since it is a nice inclusion and it didn't hurt the series or make it look bad. The blu ray is fantastic to show off its capabilities since it just looks so pretty even if sometimes character movements aren't always fluid and an occasional plastic texture face. Special features aren't the greatest but still nice to have and I guess they will have a special edition later. Though it is three stars for me I still enjoyed it and its a 5 star just for its picture and audio quality but that's not enough to warrant a purchase. Rent it if you love than give it a buy.

Buy Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008) Now

I watched Degeneration in NY Horror Film Festival. At first I didn't expect a lot from this movie, cause the live action trilogy is very disappointing and I just didn't dare to expect it would be good, but it is. If you're an RE fan, it's a must-see movie. You won't be disappointed. Luckily the movie doesn't focus on fighting zombies too much. It is a drama/thriller. The movie successfully combines T & G-virus storyline fans are familiar with. Although not much character development, you can enjoy the story. CG part in my opinion is not as good as Final Fantasy. Characters' facial expression is a little stiff, and their "stares" are dull. Women look like they had plastic surgery. But these are not serious problems, just the technical parts they need to improve. Degeneration story is much better than FF. After watching its premiere, I can't wait to buy the DVD.

Read Best Reviews of Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008) Here

Going into Resident Evil: Degeneration I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did have slightly low expectations; the first Resident Evil game was classic and I was never hooked on a game like I was with that. I would spend hours and hours playing that game, but never played the rest until Resident Evil 4. Well I played a couple of levels of Resident Evil 2. It's not that I didn't want to it's just something I never really got around to, but I really enjoyed the first and fourth game a lot. As for the film franchise, which this has no connection with Degeneration, I thought they were alright. All 3 movies are watchable, but very forgettable and on multiple viewings they tend to get worse.

If you've never played the games before you can still enjoy Resident Evil: Degeneration, while knowing the games would probably help you enjoy this a little more when all is said and done you really don't have to know the games to enjoy the movie. I've only really played two of the games, none in which had Claire, but Leon is in Resident Evil 4 so I don't really know Claire's character, but yet it didn't take away from the movie for me at all. But knowing the games again will probably help you enjoy this a little more, but it's not a must.

Even though Degeneration has no connection to the live action series I still went in with slightly low expectations and Resident Evil: Degeneration is far better than the live action series and overall far better than I thought it would be it still falls a little flat. The movie gets off to an amazing start with some good suspense and tension. The first act is set in an airport and the scenes were great. As I'm watching it the first thought I had was this is the best zombie movie to come along in ages (not counting the 28 Days/Weeks Later movies since by right they aren't zombies).

But after the opening act Resident Evil: Degeneration does start to decline a little bit, but always stays entertaining it just wasn't able to keep the high level of the first act. As stated before the opening act is very solid. It has a great build up and is filled with suspense and tension. But as we get more into the G-Virus it loses a little steam and the zombies pretty much go MIA for the remainder of the movie except a couple of scenes; while the plot is pretty good it does sort of feel like it drags in some spots.

Writer Shotaro Suga does a pretty good job for the most part; the characters are all solid and entertaining, but not all works. The opening act Senator Davis (Michael Sorich) plays a pretty big part and his character seemed like it would be crucial, but after the airport scenes he barley plays a part. I think there was some potential there, but nothing comes about. The script isn't perfect, but gets the job done and is far better than the three Resident Evil movies written by Paul WS Anderson.

Director Makoto Kamiya early on creates a lot of suspense and tension and the set up is excellent, but Degeneration as I stated before does run out of steam, but Kamiya is able to keep the movie fairly interesting despite the sometimes lack of action. Kamiya manages to get some the suspense and tension back for the final act, but it never reaches the level of the opening act. But overall he gets it done and crafts an enjoyable if not slightly lackluster of a movie.

Fans of the game are probably the best audience for Degeneration, but non-fans can still watch this and enjoy it; if you're disappointed in the live action series this while not great or anything if overall a lot more enjoyable and worth checking out.

The Blu-ray looks and sounds excellent and is jam packed with special features, which are pretty much the same as the DVD except a couple of minor features excusive to the Blu-ray.

Want Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008) Discount?

Having just completed Resident Evil 4 once again I was all revved up for Degeneration hoping for a continuation of the story with Leon Kennedy. All the RE games have followed a set template consisting of a lone armed man or woman fighting a hoard of undead and genetically altered beasts leading to a final confrontation with a powerful, virus infected human. The reason Capcom sticks with this formula is because it works but Degeneration breaks the pattern to its detriment. Zombie's (or virus infected human's) are present but no modified creatures. No embiggoned spiders or snakes or freaky dogs or sharks, just zombies and the inevitable G-Virus monstrosity who takes nearly half the film to destroy.

I was pleased to see that Leon is voiced by the same actor who played him in RE4. Problem is Leon looks a little bit off. Let me step back for a moment and say that the United States is clearly ahead of Japan in terms of computer generated visuals. The big problem in Degeneration is that even the living characters look undead. It appears to me that what the animators did was model the faces add some blinking and mouth movement and call it a day. The problem is it creates a very odd plastic look as if all the characters were wearing masks. The face they modeled for Leon looks like Leon except in a permanent scowl and his eyes are obscured by the shadow of his brow so you can scarcely see them. Clair looks even worse with an unexplainably odd mouth rendering. The still shots look fine but her facial movements just aren't working and character motions often look mechanical.

I really wanted to like this one. Unlike the live action movies it's put out by Capcom so I assume that it will be integrated into the series canon and I would expect to see it referenced in future games. Too bad the plot is so flat and uninspiring that maybe it doesn't even matter. There are no interesting characters like Luis Sera, Krauser, Saddler, Salazar and Chief Mendez. In Degeneration we get the laughably evil Senator Ron Davis, Fredrick Downing, Curtis Miller and Leon's potential love interest, the forgettable Angela Miller.

My only complaint with RE 4 was that it wasn't scary. It was often creepy but never scary. Degeneration takes it even further by being neither scary nor creepy. That's not quite true; the mannequin like appearances of the characters is kinda creepy. Degeneration is pure action which seems to be the unfortunate direction that Capcom is taking the series. The extra features are actually pretty good and if you watch the preview for Resident Evil 5 there is a clear tie to Degeneration. This is a pretty exciting time for Resident Evil fans and I hope they continue to make these movies but this first effort is pretty disappointing with a lot of room for improvement.

Hard Boiled (1992)

IMPORTANT NOTE: This review was written for the Dragon Dynasty DVD VERSION of this film, but thanks to Amazon's bizarre practise of porting reviews from one product platform to another product platform with no regard to differences between them, there's a good chance you're reading this review on the Blu-ray listing for this title. Having seen the Blu-ray version, I can say with absolute certainty that it is only a VERY MODEST improvement over the DVD in terms of picture quality. While I have neither the time nor inclination to review the Blu-ray, I would direct you to the extremely informative review at DVD Beaver (dot com), and concur 100% with the "disappointment" label given this release. What is most puzzling is the loss of the trailer gallery available on the earlier DVD set. Strange that a format that actually holds more is, in this case, used to hold less!

The remainder of this review is for the previous DVD special edition, which the new Blu-ray does little to better:

There should be no doubt that HARD BOILED is a phenomenal action picture, one of the best ever produced in Hong Kong. Much has been written all over the internet about it in the years since it was released direct-to-video in North America in the very early 90's.

Now, some 16 years later, through any number of flawed prints, alternate edits, crummy dubs and subtitles of varying quality, not to mention several PREVIOUS special editions on DVD, each with their own pros and cons, the chance to do right by this film in so many ways is, typically, blown by the Weinstein machine and their cabal of Hong Kong cinema experts.

Oh, sure, this disc is watchable, and considering there is now a generation of teenagers out there who weren't even BORN when this was released, I'm sure there will be new fans made from watching this film. But the film ain't the problem for the rest of us.

Who in their right minds, in 2007, puts DUBTITLES on a "premium" special edition of possibly one of the most important Hong Kong motion pictures of all time. DUBTITLES based on a dub that was made, what, 16 years ago now? That dubbed version was indeed responsible for bringing a great many western fans into the fold, but that doesn't mean we liked it. Or any dubbing for that matter. Just because HARD BOILED is over half action sequences doesn't automatically mean the dialogue sequences are unworthy of even a moderately more accurate translation of WHAT THE CHARACTERS ARE ACTUALLY SAYING IN CANTONESE. Instead, they appear to have paid the receptionist a few bucks to type the original dub script verbatim into the subtitle stream.

Thankfully, far superior subtitles are still available on other, BETTER DVD releases of the film. Some of which even have an image where Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Chow Yun-fat DON'T look like they've put on about 50 pounds!! I'm no expert on aspect ratios and the like, but I know enough, and I've seen enough Chow and Leung movies to know that they don't quite look like this in real life. Gotta wonder who's bright idea it was to CROP the movie, then STRETCH it back to the proper aspect ratio. I can think of a few people who probably figured no one would notice, or if they did, that they'd just be the usual internet pedants.

If that's what I am, so be it, but for god's sake, you think a label that so eagerly wants to be viewed as the top shelf for Hong Kong and Asian movies, would actually start treating those very products with some REAL respect. But then again, look what they did with their "edit" of the Protector. Laughable. And to hear the commentator on that one JUSTIFY the cuts tells me where he really stands when it comes to his paymasters' wishes. This edition of HARD BOILED is another clue.

If I were just reviewing the film, I'd give it 5 stars. But since this is a DVD review, and I managed to find one at a store that broke street date, AND I'm now out about for something I now know I DIDN'T NEED TO UPGRADE, the best I can muster is (a generous) two stars, largely for the interviews on the second disc, which are not bad, and the location tour, which is not without interest.

The commentary on the other hand, while not a total write-off, obviously, offers SOME interesting tidbits that are tangentially related to the film itself, but to save a list of errors and 'best guesses' that would make your eyes glaze, just dig up a copy of the old Fox Lorber DVD from and listen to this film's CREATORS, John Woo and Terence Chang contradict Dragon Dynasty's commentator on several occasions. Or listen to the track on the Criterion edition of this title, where they do the same thing (though in fairness, the Fox Lorber track may have been a longer, uncut version of the Criterion one, only minus Roger Avery and Dave Kehr). John Woo and Terence Chang MADE the film, so who should you trust? A self-anointed expert? Sure, he means well enough, and he knows more than I do (which is why I'm a lowly peon who doesn't do commentaries ;) ), but a lot of the less film-specific stuff on this track feels awfully familiar...

Watch this disc for the movie (in Plump-o-Vision) and the interviews. Then do a little surfing to find one of the superior international versions if you really feel you need an "ultimate edition" in your collection, 'cause this ain't it.

Hard Boiled is one of the best action movies ever and every John Woo film from the 1980s is golden. Hard Boiled has been released twice in the U.S. now, once from Fox Lobrar and once from Criterion, both are now out of print. (Of course there are numerous companies in Asia selling the film currently, thank goodness for Ebay!) I own both versions; the Criterion one has the best features but the picture is noticiably darker. This version of Hard Boiled from Dragon Dynasty/Wienstein Company has an amazing picture, stand out colors, well lit dark scenes, and excellent detail. If I was juding this film on color, brighteness, and overall picture, I would give it 5 stars.

However, there is one major flaw to the film somehow slipped through the cracks. The original film's aspect ratio is 1.85:1; wide screen tvs at home are 16:9, or 1.78:1 (Standard tvs are 4:3 or 1.33:1). Because 1.85 is wider than 1.78:1, you will have small black bars on the top and bottom of a widescreen tv, this is normal. For some reason, they decided to turn this movie into widscreen 16:9, and what this means is images on the sides as well as top and bottom are cut off slightly. Imagine looking at a photograph and then zooming in about 7 percent all around, essentially this is what has happened here. The film is still viewable, but artistic quality is compromised because the image is being cut off all around.

As for this release, the menus are good and the special features looked neat, I haven't had time to watch them yet.

Hopefully by releasing this movie many people will get to see the film for the first time. Just be aware that the movie is not in its original format and that the image is cut off slightly on the top, bottom, and sides.

Buy Hard Boiled (1992) Now

For those of you lucky enough to own the Criterion Collection edition of this movie, you might want to hold onto your copy as none of the extras from that edition are included on this one. That being said, the video and audio on this version easily surpass any previous Region 1 incarnations making this edition a must-have for fans of the movie.

The first disc features an audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. He shows off his impressive knowledge of HK geography by pointing out which locations in the film don't exist anymore and their significance in the country's culture. Logan also dishes out interesting factoids, like the teahouse in the opening sequence was going to be demolished and this happened right after they filmed the last scene in the place! As with other commentary tracks that he has done his encyclopedic knowledge about the film and HK cinema in general is quite impressive, making for an informative track.

Disc two starts off with "A Baptism of Fire: A Featurette with Iconic Director John Woo." He was a big fan of Steve McQueen in Bullitt and Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry and with Hard Boiled; he wanted to create his own Dirty Harry. Woo wanted to make Chow Yun-Fat like Eastwood's iconic character but with the Asian actor's warm charisma.

"Partner in Crime: An Interview with Producer Terence Chang." He talks about how he met Woo in the late 1970s but that they didn't start working together until ten years later. Chang also talks about the genesis of the film which was originally a psycho who kills baby (?!). Fortunately, after they filmed the teahouse shoot-out, Chang convinced Woo to discard this idea.

"Art Imitates Life: An Interview with co-star Philip Chan," the actor who played Tequila's boss in the film. He was real policeman before getting into film and brought that authenticity to his role. He actually ran a team of undercover cops and speaks admiringly of working with Woo.

"Mad Dog Bites Again: An Interview with Leading Villain Kwok Choi." He talks about working with Woo on the film. Originally, he was hired to only design the action sequences but Chow Yun-Fat recommended him to play the villain's right-hand man.

"Hard Boiled Location Guide": takes us on a fun, fascinating tour of many of the locations from the movie. Some places, like the teahouse (which is now a mall), don't exist anymore and a little historical background is given to some of the places.

Also included are two trailers, the U.S. and Hong Kong versions.

Finally, there is "Stranglehold Video Game Mini-Making Of." This is the John Woo-approved sequel to Hard Boiled that allows you to play Tequila. This extra shows how deeply involved he was in the game's production with Chow Yun-Fat returning to provide the voice for his character!

Read Best Reviews of Hard Boiled (1992) Here

HARD-BOILED

[La Shou Shen Tan]

(Hong Kong 1992)

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Theatrical soundtrack: Mono

John Woo's electrifying crime-thriller amounts to a great deal more than the sum of its action set-pieces. As with virtually all of his post-1986 HK films, Woo generates a tangible sense of melancholy by placing honorable, chivalrous even lovable characters into situations where all those precious moral virtues are constantly being challenged and devalued by the greed and cynicism of our modern age. And yet, Woo was eventually persuaded to conclude his picture on an optimistic note, with the villains routed and the good guys allowed to resume their places in the grand scheme of things. It's a daring move, given everything which precedes it, but no less effective than the all-out tragedy which Woo had originally envisaged.

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"Give a man a gun and he is a hero. Give him two and he is God"

Nothing can quite prepare you for the amount of bullets that are used in this film all done to an impeccable action style that has still not been beat. If there was ever a Guinness Book of Records for the "Most bullets shot in a film" John Woo's Hard Boiled would be first place for a very long time. It is a terrible shame that this director has only been toned-down by Hollywood. There is not a hope that he would be allowed to do what he has done here with Hong Kong actors to the Hollywood cream of the crop. It seems that it is okay to have a Hong Kong Asian to shoot the hell out of everything but this same action when applied to Western culture would only shock and shame. The same can be said for the star of Hard Boiled Chow Yun-Fat (Crouch Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who since moving to the West has fired less bullets in all his Hollywood films put together than he does in the first five minutes of this film. Does that really matter? In many ways Yes it does. Unlike THEIR Hollywood films the gun violence here is not gratuitous. It is artistic and warrented. No one can come away from this film to say that have seen unjustified and unnecessary amounts of actions. It is all integral to the style and plot of this movie. Yes, innocent people do get mowed down in a hail of hot lead and yes the violence is bloody, but is that not what gun violence is? Here you see exactly what guns do to people. Forget Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" The true message of gun control is right here! The plot is even about the dangers of gun smuggling!

One thing for sure is that there is more gratuitous gun violence in most Hollywood productions than there is here. Here we have a hard boiled cop who is assigned to tracking down gun smugglers. He is a hard boiled cop because he knows how to use his guns. His superiors are using him to fight fire with fire. The action gets going from the word go as the hard boiled cop busts a gun dealing operation. His buddy cops and innocent people get killed in the process. He then goes to extract some revenge and put the big gun runners out of business only problem is there are literally thousands of them he must cut down. Cue unrelenting battle sequences from start to finish all done in excellent style and slow-mo. You have not seen anything like Hard Boiled before, nor will you again. The ending in the hospital is like DIE HARD with ten thousand times more suspense.

Hard Boiled is also a wonderfully acted movie with excellent first rate action direction. The story is also coherent and good, especially for an Asian production. This is every action fans wet dream. Believe me if you have not seen Hard Boiled then it is about time that you did.

Majestic Filmmaking, not to mention John Woo's greatest film. This is the stuff of Legend with an action hero to root for.

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¡Alambrista! (The Criterion Collection) (1977)

When it comes to take on films about a certain ethnicity or country, Award-winning filmmaker Robert M. Young is no stranger when it comes to taking on those challenges.

From his award-winning documentary "The Eskimo: Fight For Life" (1970), to covering a civil war in Angola to his long collaboration with actor Edward James Olmos in many of his films, including the acclaimed TV series "American Me". If there was one film that stands out in Young's oeuvre is his 1977 film "¡Alambrista!", a film which won four awards including the Camera d'Or award for "Best Feature" at the Cannes Film Festival.

Before there were films about immigrants risking their life to find jobs and trying to survive in America such as Gregory Nava's 1983 film "El Norte" or Chris Weitz' 2011 film "A Better Life", in 1977, Robert M. Young would write and direct his groundbreaking film "¡Alambrista!". And now this film will received its Blu-ray and DVD release courtesy of the Criterion Collection in April 2012.

VIDEO:

"¡Alambrista!" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:66:1 aspect ratio). For a 1977 film that was shot in 16 mm, one thing that you can expect is a lot of grain and ""¡Alambrista!" features it throughout the film, most notable on outdoor scenes, the film looks good for its age. I didn't see any signs of DNR or artifacts, so overall, picture quality is good.

According to the Criterion Collection, the transfer was approved by director Robert M. Young, this new high-definition digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a Spirit 2K Datacine from a 35 blow-up interpositive made from the original 16 mm A/B negatives. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system, while Image Systems' Phoenix was used for small dirt and grain reduction.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"¡Alambrista! " is presented in LPCM 2.0 Spanish with English subtitles. Dialogue is clear and I heard no signs of audio problems whatsoever.

According to the Criterion Collection, the original stereo soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the original magnetic track print. Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using Audio Cube's integrated workstation.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"¡Alambrista!" on Blu-ray comes with the following special features:

Audio commentary A 2010 audio commentary featuring director Robert M. Young and co-producer Michael Hausman as they discuss the making of "¡Alambrista!" and more.

Edward J. Olmos (11:53) Edward J. Olmos talks about his working relationship with filmmaker Robert M. Young and his scene in "¡Alambrista!".

Children of the Fields (26:36) A 1973 documentary about children of farm laborers who work in the fields by Robert M. Young which inspired the filmmaker to make "¡Alambrista!".

Theatrical trailer (3:31) Theatrical trailer for "¡Alambrista!".

EXTRAS:

"¡Alambrista! The Criterion Collection #609' comes with a 5-page (dual sided) fold-out leaflet, featuring the essay "Inside the Undocumented Experience" by Charles Ramirez Berg.

JUDGMENT CALL:

Robert M. Young's film "¡Alambrista!" was one of the first films in America to show how life was for illegal immigrants.

Having grown up in an agricultural area, seeing farm laborers working in high heat sometimes reaching 115 degrees Fahrenheit, as a young child, I could never really understand why they would do that. And as I grew older, you start to hear about children working in the fields, the bad conditions that these people live in, especially the dangers as I can easily recall a number of fatalities that you would read in the newspaper of farm laborers who died due to heat exhaustion or involved in accidents as many were packed into vans with no seat belts.

These were common stories that one would read in the local newspaper but the reality is that a lot of these people were willing to take on these difficult jobs that normal Americans, even in areas with high unemployment, would not want to do. These individuals worked in harsh conditions, for the sake of trying to make money for their families and to survive.

There are two films that have made an impact on me when it comes to the life of the illegal immigrant, "¡Alambrista!" and "El Norte", both available on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of the Criterion Collection. While the latter focused more on the dangers of survival of trying to achieve the American Dream, "¡Alambrista!" is a more honest and true portrayal as filmmaker Robert M. Young would get to learn the life of these individuals through his documentary work (the "Children of the Fields" documentary is included on this Blu-ray release).

But what contributes to the efficacy of "¡Alambrista!" is that it is believable. Domingo Ambriz does a good job of portraying Roberto and we can see through his facial expressions of his view on America, the people he comes in contact with and just trying to figure out if someone like him can be part of that American dream.

In fact, probably one of the most interesting things to find out from this film is the special feature with Edward James Olmos. The scene is short, but it is pivotal as Olmos' character along with another, in a drunken stupor, yells at the illegal immigrants that what they are doing is not the American way. The life of picking is not going to get them anywhere in America. And the most fascinating thing is that the scene was shot in front of real farm laborers who had no idea that Olmos was an actor. What Young gets on camera is the real facial expressions of non-actors, but real farm laborers.

But the film manages to capture the hard life of Roberto as there continues to be hundreds of people like Roberto every year who are working in the worst conditions, living in the worst conditions in order to survive. Sure, things have changed a lot since 1977 and the issue of illegal immigration continues to be a touchy subject in American politics.

But those stories I mentioned about these farm laborers, stories that I read about when I was younger and in my teen years, are still printed today and goes to show that a film such as "¡Alambrista!", which still has its relevance in today's society, goes to show that the American dream of a better life that many people hope to attain, is probably only a dream and nothing else.

Robert M. Young's "¡Alambrista!" is recommended!

Although this is a fictional tale, it plays out like a documentary in brilliant fashion. Using many real mexican immigrant workers in real work settings, the film sets a very realistic tone to their plight. You really feel for these people and the better life they are striving to create for themselves and their families. The director really takes you on a journey, and every step the lead character takes, you are taking with him. A very moving story and film. Storytelling at it's best. And a very nice performance from Edward James Olmos in his first role, albeit very brief, but still powerful. Watching this film has truly broadened my perspective of mexican immigrant workers and reminds me how blessed we are and how grateful we should be for all that we have. A life changing experience indeed.

Buy ¡Alambrista! (The Criterion Collection) (1977) Now

Kudos to criterion for unearthing this cinematic gem. The underrated director Robert m. Young documentary film background serves him well with the straightforward story telling without the sentimentality associated with this subject matter in other films.

Read Best Reviews of ¡Alambrista! (The Criterion Collection) (1977) Here

Blood (2009)

A police detective finds himself running with creatures of the night while investigating a gruesome murder. Detective Hoshino questions the former employer of a slain maid's unsolved murder, an ethereal seductress named Miyako Rozmberk (Aya Sugimoto), in hopes of landing a solid lead before the statute of limitations runs out. Miyako takes an interest in the detective, this due to a unique quality present in his blood which only a few possess, so she feeds him clues as to who the murderer is. When Miyako's tip leads Detective Hoshino to Ukyo Kuronuma, a ruthless yakuza overlord, the fact that Ukyo is found attempting to feast on a terrified, bound, naked young girl would indicate that he was indeed the killer. But shortly after learning that Ukyo is in fact the famed shogunate-era swordsman Okita, who has been transformed into a vampire by the powerful and ageless Miyako, Detective Hoshino, too becomes born-again (and not in a Christian sense) as a deathless bloodsucker, again thanks to Miyako. As history would have it, she and Ukyo are former lovers,but his propensity for violence and cruelty were too much for her refined elegance. Later, when Miyako's loyal female servant wages a vicious fight to remain her one and only companion, Detective Hoshino realizes that even in death, the struggle for survival never ceases. And sometimes, depending on the individual, isn't even worth the effort...

A cross between 'Versus', 'Shinobi' and 'Countess Dracula', this little flick has much going for it action, blood, vamps, yakuzas, swordplay, nudity, a seductive yet visceral style, and the gorgeous Aya Sugimoto ('Flower and Snake', 'Flower and Snake 2') who gets more beautiful as she ages, much like her character here. Though nothing complex, it's an enjoyable ride and worth investigating if you're into any of the items mentioned above. Hell, its head and shoulders better than any of that 'Twilight' tripe, I assure you. It's in Japanese with English subtitles, which will avert a segment of potential viewers like a crucifix would a vampire, but it's not too wordy so those challenged by a basic requisite like reading shouldn't be put off, it's worth the effort. (I'm not railing against anybody here when I say this, but all too often, people ask me if a movie's dubbed or not, and won't consider watching if it's subtitled. You tend to cut yourself off from things you'd otherwise enjoy by doing this, IMHO.). Sink your teeth into this one and you just might draw some 'Blood'.

Most people are familiar with the Anne Rice version of what a vampire is, or more recently, "Underworld." This is not that kind of vampire movie. While it does rely heavily on very seductive qualities, the story itself keeps you into the movie for the duration. That being said, this is a very adult movie...at times, seeming like a Japanese Vampire Softcore. The lead actress, Aya Sugimoto, is (pardon the phrase) drop-dead gorgeous! And she plays her role extremely convincingly. The male leads are shared by two equally handsome men that look as if they could have been plucked straight from an anime series.

The story and pace of "Blood" is very even throughout. But there were times when I was hoping for some more history and details that link the Edo period to present day, and regarding where Miyako (Sugimoto) came from, or how she came to be the vampire/temptress that consumes her existence (as far as the film is concerned, she just "is"). Treating this as a comparison to any other vampire film would be a mistake. This movie takes on a fairly emotional love story more than horror or thriller. I say that kind of tongue-in-cheek the way that "House of Flying Daggers" is a love story. You do FEEL for all the characters, but when the action scenes take place, the emotions feel slightly jarred and put on pause. All things considered though, it is an exceptional love triangle that one can assume will only end in despair. I would have given this movie 4.5 stars but the blood used in the movie looked more like water with red food coloring in it. Half-star deduction on a technicality :-/.

Overall, this is a good movie that puts a different spin on an old folklore. There are plenty of tales regarding the supernatural side of Japanese culture, but few make it to film. The sheer beauty and passion alone would make it a love story worth watching. But the action and vampire element make it that much more appealing.

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I remember watching Ten Shimoyama's "Otogiriso" a few years back during the height of America's fascination with the long black hair of Japanese horror. It was a decent effort for the genre but not as memorable as "Kairo," "Dark Water," or even the many sequels and squeakquels of "Ringu." After that, Shimoyama pushed out "Shinobi," a tale of two love struck ninjas from warring clans. "Shinobi" was a stylized step away from horror and a film that would make me wonder why the hell he chose to take a literal step back for "Blood," a flat entry into a sputtering sub-genre whose current fans are scarier than the digital footage they're engrossed by.

During the investigation of a maid that disappeared more than a decade ago, Cold Case Detective Hoshino encounters Miyako, the maid's former employer and local centuries old vampire. Through a game of seduction and bloodletting, Hoshino is lead to Ukyo, who reveals himself as the jilted corner of the sanguinary love triangle.

For a vampire film that promises a dramatic love story, nothing new was brought to the table. "Blood" delivers a tired tale that resembles nothing more than that of the straight-to-video, popular American affection to vampires. Have you ever watched a werewolf flick where a guy walks into a forest on a sunny day and just turns into a wolf? "Yeah, doesn't Jacob do that in `Twilight?'" *If you're a true horror fan and you did see that, did you still think that you were watching a werewolf even though he didn't transform with the aid of a full moon? That's one of the problems with "Blood." With a film like "Near Dark" you have an exception to the rule because it wasn't common practice to strip away the monster's mythology until you basically had: guy/girl that lives forever but has to drink blood and avoid sunlight. With "Blood," the vampires may not sparkle but they do walk around in the sunlight. To me, a vampire that walks around in the sunlight is a big no-no. These vamps have become: guy/girl that drinks blood and lives forever. I find it a little less interesting and not too original to peel away all of the layers of the vampire mythos until you just have a blood drinking human that has a long lifespan and a constant boner. I don't expect these jerks to not be able to cross running water, turn into bats, or shriek at the sight of garlic, but vampires can be very interesting and there's a lot to work with from the get-go. If you aren't going to have a vampire in your vampire film, pick some other creature and don't call it a vampire film.

Like "Shinobi," Shimoyama bumps up his blues when color correcting the nighttime or certain indoor shots of "Blood," giving it a particular cool feeling. The outdoor shots of the film are probably the best scenes in the movie because the location and the acting seems natural. All of the indoor scenery, with the exception of Hoshino's office, seems artificial and are given a bad DIY cheapness. Speaking of cheapness, there are a number of soft-core sex scenes that happen at random intervals that really detract from the film-they just happen whenever. With the exception of Hoshino's superior, played by Guts Ishimatsu, the acting is nothing to speak of. Actually, after seeing Aya Sugimoto (who plays Miyako) constantly follow her lines with a dramatic slow-turn, watching Ishimatsu as a hard-ass jaded detective was one of the most uplifting aspects of "Blood."

There are no special features whatsoever on the regular DVD of "Blood." The film is presented in a 16:9 full screen aspect ratio with a 5.1 Dolby Surround soundtrack. Dialogue and audio are clear and the picture quality is nice for being viewed on a system set up for Blu-ray. There is minor artifacting throughout the film (most obviously the title sequence) but it seems like that`s from the source material rather than a bad disc.

Even if you are a heavy Asian cinema fan, I would say that "Blood" isn't a film you'd want in your arsenal of DVDs. If you just have to watch "Blood," go back and start by watching Shimoyama's "Shinobi" or "St. John's Wort" so you can be witness to full potential not being realized. There are plenty of badass Asian films hitting the streets every week-go find `em.

Read Best Reviews of Blood (2009) Here

I like vampire movies. Great to Awful, I endure them all. 'Blood' doesn't make the 'Great' category, or even the 'Good' category, however it's not to bad to sneak downstairs and purloin the disc and pop it in to watch in darkness of the den/family room/wherever . . . what is that? A shadow in the corner of the room . . . yep . . . 'Blood' just might make you a bit jittery. BOO!

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wonderful for movie and it's additive to watch!!! thank you for having this wonderful movie on line and thank you sooooo much!!!!

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Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection (Reservoir Dogs / True Romance / Pulp Fiction / Jackie Brown / Kill

To start, I own each of these already on dvd previously before picking up the Blu-Ray. I felt obligated to do so because of some of the additional special features, as well as, seeing each of them look gorgeous on Blu-Ray together. Was I right by picking this up. Absolutely love it all.

I've read quite a few reviewers trying to understand why True Romance is included when Mr. Tarantino only wrote this. Then why not include From Dusk Till Dawn or Natural Born Killers because he wrote those as well. If you read up on a lot of his movies are within the same universe. "John Travolta's Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction is the brother of Michael Madsen's Vic Vega in Reservoir Dogs, Harvey Keitel's Mr. White worked with Alabama from True Romance, the plot basis for Kill Bill is described as the synopsis for a TV series (basically Fox Force Five, right on down to Mia Wallace playing the title role) in Pulp Fiction, etc. Now the epiphany that Eli Roth's character of Donny Donowitz aka "The Bear Jew" in Inglourious Basterds is the father of the movie producer Lee Donowitz in True Romance has inspired a truly mind-blowing theory that the rest of the films (chronologically speaking) in Tarantino's filmography..." The other movies he has written do not truly fit within the "universe" Mr. Tarantino has created.

All in all, this is an amazing, must have collection to pick up.

I'm a big fan of QT, so this was a no brainer purchase. Comes with a look back at all of Tarantino's classic films and a good amount of special features. Not sure why True Romance was included as he was only the writer, but it's a must have for a QT fan. I already own most of the movies on DVD, but the upgrade to Blu-Ray was a necessity. Would buy again.

Buy Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection (Reservoir Dogs / True Romance / Pulp Fiction / Jackie Brown / Kill Now

This is an amazing set of movies from an amazing filmmaker, and on Blu Ray non the less! I was, however, VERY unimpressed with the quality and design of the packaging. The box that holds all of the disks is quite flimsy. It is easy to bend, and could also rip without too much effort. The disk insert itself is also quite flimsy, and comes out from the BOTTOM of the box, not the side like most other collections. This may be an issue if you plan on keeping this on a shelf. Someone may take this off the shelf and the entire collections of disks will come out from the bottom if you aren't ready to catch them. The inner sleeve comes out with no effort at all. The artwork and graphic design included on the packaging is very awesome which is a plus. Perhaps they had to use such cheap materials to keep the cost low on a 10 disk Blu Ray set? I don't see an excuse for the opening to be on the bottom, though. That is just poor design. I have made a strap to go around the outside of the box to keep the inner sleeve from coming right out any time this collection is picked up. If you can get past the materials used and poor design of the packaging, this is a MUST HAVE collection for any Tarantino fan!

Read Best Reviews of Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection (Reservoir Dogs / True Romance / Pulp Fiction / Jackie Brown / Kill Here

I bought this box set as a fathers day gift. He absolutely loved it. He is a big tarantino fan. It had all of his favorite movies and also additional footage

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I was so happy to buy this item.

All my Tarantino's favorites movies (exept Four Rooms) in one pack !!!!

But I'm a f... french Guy, and in contrary that is wrote, there is no french subtitles, just english and spanish ones.

If you can read and spoke spanish or english clearly, it's a Big deal for you.

If you not, ruuuuun !!

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NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers - Road to XLIII (2009)

The first disc the NFL produced for this season teased us a little, but now we can watch the whole post-season + a great Baltimore-Pittsburgh late-season battle in high-definition. Hopefully the NFL will be putting out their "America's Game" for Superbowl XLIII and that will be when the players tell more of the story of the whole season, these discs only have the games, but what FANTASTIC games they are!

The first disc has Game 15 of the regular season-a hard-fought Steelers-Ravens game for the AFC North title in Baltimore as well as the Divisional Playoff game where the Steelers face off against the Chargers. The second disc has the absolutely brutal defensive fight for the AFC Championship-a grudge match of the Steelers vs. Ravens, followed by arguably the best superbowl, the Steelers vs. the Cardinals in Superbowl XLIII. The under-respected and unexpectedly great Cardinals fight tooth & claw against the Steelers from start to stop. The Steelers show why they are the #1 defense watching Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown NEVER gets old. The Pittsburgh offense puts together the most memorable finish (maybe the Giants from the year before could lay claim to an equally-impressive run) as they move from deep in their own territory to make a huge last minute drive ending with a Roethlisburger-Holmes reception in the corner of the endzone.

There aren't too many extras (in fact there's only two) but I was really excited to to see that they have an alternate audio track for the Superbowl featuring the WDVE broadcast. So if you've ever enjoyed listening to the Pittsburgh guys calling the games, it might just warm your heart a little to hear the game called by the unashamedly partisan WDVE crew. The only other special feature is a trivia track that pops up during the superbowl. Watching these games in high-def is definitely an improvement and the Steelers look better and better each time I see these games.

I am a diehard Steelers fan through and through. For any Steeler fan this is a must have to your collection of Steeler DVDs. I went to the Steelers Sideline Stores which have it priced the same as Amazon for it. The DVD consists of....

Week 15 vs. Baltimore Steelers clinch division

AFC Divisional Playoff vs. San Diego

AFC Championship Playoff vs. Baltimore

Super Bowl XLIII vs. Arizona

This collection is a near perfect collection...what I don't like is

*You have 2/3 of the classic matchups with Baltimore this past season. EACH game was a classic. Why did they omit the Monday Night thriller against Baltimore? This series has done this before. For the Giants Road to XLII DVD which I have they added the Week 17 loss to the Patriots and the 4 playoff games so the 5th disc has happened and I would have added that game

*You have minor hesistations in the presentation of the Super Bowl and some minor skips in the other games but they are not big enough to complain about but you will notice them (esp. SB XLIII) but it should not disappoint

*There are no special features...which is terrible...what I loved about the Road to XL DVD was the featurettes about the Steelers, the Giants Road to XLII DVD for the Super Bowl had an option of Michael Strahan doing his commentary on the game..there are no Special Features on this DVD

What I like about this....

*Those Steeler fans that bought Road to XL remember the Steelers Radio Team of Bill Hillgrove, Tunch Ilkin, and Craig Wofley do the play by play well its not the case, you get the TV annoucers so you get John Madden's last game as an analyst, historic there. NFL Films started this with the Colts Road to XLI dvd

*These are the actual games...not NFL Films cutting material or NFL Films tapes like the "Road to XXXIX Patriots"

Overall If you love the Steelers, if you love football, if you love John Madden this is an absolute must and for $25 $30 you get to relive in my eyes 2 great games with the Week 15 Baltimore and Super Bowl, and two ok games in the AFC Championship (which you can relive the Troy Polamalu touchdown return) and San Diego game.

Buy NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers - Road to XLIII (2009) Now

I'm disappointed with this "Super Bowl XLIII" DVD set. Sure, it contains four football games as advertised, but that's about all the good I can say about it. In almost every way this set is inferior to the "Pittsburgh Steelers Road to Super Bowl XL (Post-Season Collector's Edition)" DVD box set.

The video quality is quite similar and almost exact. However, the video presentation seems quite rushed on the XLIII set, as if the on-field action was cut even shorter than the XL set. (The DVD menus are "flashier" this time around, although you look at them for about three seconds.)

The XLIII audio track features the inferior television commentary as opposed to the superior radio commentary used for the XL set. The XLIII set also uses an audio track that seems to have been mixed in a studio with a four-year-old child constantly pushing buttons. The audio track is very uneven and distractingly so. (The crowd noise keeps rising and falling although nothing is happening on-screen and it occurs too often to be replays on the "Jumbotron".) BOTH sets, XL and XLIII, feature English-only subtitles. (But considering the target audience, I'm not surprised.)

The XLIII set is without any extras. NO extras. None. Zilch. Zip. Nada. This is a major disappointment. The XL set had one documentary per disc.

The packaging is different and less eco-friendly. However, I personally prefer the hard plastic XLIII packaging to the cardboard XL packaging for long-lasting presentation.

Here's the short version:

Super Bowl XL (40) set

VIDEO DVD

AUDIO Radio commentary

EXTRA One documentary per disc

PACKG Cardboard

Super Bowl XLIII (43) set

VIDEO DVD

AUDIO TV commentary

EXTRA None

PACKG Plastic

While I believe that the video quality of the XLIII set "MAY" be better due to the fact that a Blu-Ray version was produced, it's imperceptible on DVD. I also believe the extras were cut to make room on the discs for this imaginary "improved video quality". The audio commentary difference is one purely of preference and is obviously inferior to me. The omitted extras are a disappointment.

Aside from having four more football games on DVD, this set is almost a WASTE OF MONEY. (A DVR-version would be better, at least then I'd have the commercials.) The XL set is far superior. Buy that. (Pittsburgh Steelers Road to Super Bowl XL (Post-Season Collector's Edition))

Read Best Reviews of NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers - Road to XLIII (2009) Here

As a long time Steeler fan, and an owner of the Road to XL dvd set, I was looking forward to getting this set. The quality of the dvd's is great. The video and sound is fantastic. If all you want is the same old, tired commentary of Al Micheals and John Madden, then by all means, buy this set. However, if you have a dvd recorder, you could have done just as well, except for editing of commercials, of course, but I kinda like them

If, however, you are like me, and were looking forward to hearing the Steelers radio announcers, as in the Road to XL set, you will be VERY DISAPPOINTED, as I am. While the quality, as I said earlier, is great, the decision to include NO BONUS MATERIAL...NONE!!!, is a MAJOR disappointment. If you didn't record the games, these are worth having, if you did record them, save your money.

I hope the NFL corrects this mistake soon and releases another set of discs soon. I am sending them a request, and my opinion of this set, tonight.

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this is exactly what i was looking for. four entire games, including the super bowl win. no commercials, just every minute of the games. the win against baltimore to win the division, the two playoff games and the super bowl. every steelers fan will love this.

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Rockin at the Ryman (2010)

Mine just arrived today from Amazon.co.uk....its an ALL REGION Blu ray and easily played in my Sony player...

the concert filmed in HD is 1hour 45 minutes and the tracks are

Double Vision

Head Games

Cold As Ice

In Pieces

Blue Morning, Blue Day

Waiting For A Girl Like You

When It Comes To love

Dirty White Boy

Starrider

Feels Like The First Time

Urgent

Solos

Juke Box Hero

Long, Long way From Home

I want To Know What Love Is

Hot Blooded

then bonus tracks from Sound Stage (also HD)

Night Life

Say You Will

Too Late

Urgent

Then three recent music videos

When It Comes To Love

Can't Slow Down

Too Late

and a couple of long interviews with Mick Jones and Kelly

so...this is a very good value, much better than the hard to find Sound Stage BLu Ray which only has part of that show.

The energy level of the show is very good, the filming great...I have no complaints and highly recommend to any Foreigner fans...

Do I miss Lou Gramm? Of Course...but rather than complain about that I enjoy what Kelly brings...

This blu-ray is an import from the United Kingdom. I purchased it from Amazon, here in the U.S. Some people mentioned problems playing the blu-ray on their players, but the blu-ray disc plays on my two U.S. Panasonic blu-ray players.

I listened and watched a few of the hits, including the megahit "I Want To Know What Love Is," and I have to point out that Kelly Hansen, the vocalist, is amazing. His voice sounds great and is very clear. He is quite animated and interacts with the audience.

This concert was filmed live at the Ryman Auditorium, located in Nashville, Tennessee.

The two audio choices are DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.

Buy Rockin at the Ryman (2010) Now

Do yourself a favor and order this CD/DVD set. Mick Jones and company continue to raise the bar of classic rock excellence.

Read Best Reviews of Rockin at the Ryman (2010) Here

This is a great Blu-Ray of the latest incantaion of Foreigner. While it only has one original band member, the vocals are remarkably close to Lou Gramm. The video is great (some concert video is DVD only, no bluray) and the audio mix is the best that I have heard. The audience is the most uninvolved that I have seen at a rock concert, but that doesn't reflect on the band or its sounds, which is fantastic. If you want a modern BluRay of Foreigner playing their hits and sounding as great as they are going to sound with Gramm, this is the disc to buy.

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I have been a fan of foreigner for many years. This disc was absolutely awesome! This band is better than ever!

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Jerusalem Countdown

Jerusalem Countdown is one of the most intense, realistic, suspenseful, believable end times thrillers that I've ever seen -I might even put it at the top of the list. I could feel my own heartbeat growing stronger by the end of this film. Be aware -you're not going to see this one on the Hallmark Channel. I recommend this movie for mature teens on up.

This is a story about end times, based on the book by the same name. Things get off to a very slow start, but there are some parts of the story that were so intense that I almost wanted to leave the room. I can't really compare it to other end-time movies, because I usually don't watch them, but this one appears to be pretty much the way the Bible describes it.

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Great Movie! I feel everyone needs to see this one ASAP. I've never heard so many people in my life time within the last six months say, "He's Coming Soon" so much! The signs are everywhere. After watching this great movie I went to shut down my computer and before shuting down, all I seen was what this movie was telling us. It's everywhere! Our #1 goal in life should be making sure everyone around us knows our Father and is ready for this great event coming sooner than we think. We should live each day like we're going Home any second because that's what will happen. Please watch the movie and share this one.

Read Best Reviews of Jerusalem Countdown Here

An all around great movie. I've seen a lot of reviews bashing every aspect of this film just because of its Christian overtones. Honestly, the fact that it brings to the screen a story that reminds me why I praise and give glory to OUR Lord is the main reason I've enjoyed this film so much.

Great acting, a well written story and the excellent production value in this film as well as in the other films PureFlix offers gives me great hope of getting more decent movies that can compete with the big screen blockbusters.

And the rapture scene is amazing, I found myself watching that part over again several times.

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I rented this one from Red Box. The story could have easily been a great movie. As it turned out, it was an okay movie. The production was low level and made a negative difference. The actors probably would have looked a lot better if the director and producer had done a better job. The cutting and splicing was a little sloppy and the cuts that made it into the movie sometimes looked like they shouldn't have made it. No matter how low your budget, a good director can make a masterpiece. Here we have a movie that easily could have been a masterpiece but ended up being overshadowed by poor production decisions. The Rapture seen towards the end was the best Rapture seen ever. Too bad the rest of the movie didn't mimic that level of quality. Still, it is worth seeing.

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Tinker Bell (BD Live) (2008)

"Tinker Bell" has gotten a lot of online commentary, most of it negative, so I wasn't really excited to watch my preview copy of this movie. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by what I saw. "Tinker Bell" is an enjoyable movie, perfect for children and even entertaining for adults. Based upon what I'd read previously, I would not have gone to a theater to see this; however, after watching it, I believe this movie is worthy of both big screen AND home entertainment viewing. Unfortunately, most of the banter has focused on the fact that Tinker Bell speaks. Personally, this is a minor point, as the animators have done a tremendous job of having Tinker Bell retain her spunky nature and movements that we all know from "Peter Pan (2-Disc Platinum Edition)."

The story is fairly simple; Tinker Bell arrives in Pixie Hollow, where all the Fairies have talents. It is discovered that (no surprise) Tinker Bell's talent is "tinkering" or fixing things. However, in Tink's opinion, this is not very exciting. She'd rather be one of the Fairies who gets to take Spring to "the mainland" (aka London). As you can imagine, Tink's early time at Pixie Hollow is filled with figuring out who she really is and that she is just as important as the other fairies who have more glamorous talents. There is plenty of humor, emotion, and visual beauty that helps elevate what seems like an oft-told tale.

The animation is fantastic; although it is obviously computer generated, it is apparent that the level of the animators doing it is such that they focus on camera movements, lighting, color, and emotional nuances rather than just the basics. Still, the characters do still have somewhat of a doll-like/mechanical quality. The movement and facial emoting is a vast improvement over some of the early computer animation, but it does still have a little way to go.

There is also a first-rate cast behind the scenes, giving the voices to these animated characters: Anjelica Huston (Queen Clarion), Lucy Liu (Silvermist), America Ferrera (Fawn), Kristin Chenoweth (Rosetta), Kathy Najimy (Minister of Summer), and my favorite, Jane Horrocks as the sassy Fairy Mary. The Celtic-inspired score by Joel McNeely is also enjoyable and the perfect accompaniment to the film.

The extras include:

* Tinker Trainer: Hone your skills as a Tinker Fairy in this activity

* Magical guide to Pixie Hollow: Discover the Ancient Realm of Fairies with Tinker Bell

* Ever Wonder: Discover how Fairies put the "wonder" in natural wonders. Combining special effects with live action, you are "shown" how grass grows between the cracks in the sidewalk, etc. A cute little featurette.

* Creating Pixie Hollow: See how the filmmakers created this magical realm.

* All-new music video, "Fly To Your Heart," by Disney Channel's Selena Gomez.

* Deleted scenes include optional introductions by Bradley Raymond (director) and Jeannine Roussel (producer): "Queen Clarion's Pixie Dust," "Fairies Venture to the Mainland," "Becoming a Garden Fairy," "Tinker Bell's Tinkering Talents," "Vidia Tricks Tinker Bell," "Fairies Express Tinker Bell's Importance"

While enjoyable, they are not really missed from the film.

* Sneak previews, most notably the Blu-ray version of 1940's "Pinocchio." It looks fantastic! Being released March 2009.

Blu-ray exclusive content:

* Disney BD Live: Connect with Family & friends through this innovative movie-watching experience

Movie specs: on Blu-ray, 1080 HD/1:78:1 video, with English 5.1 Uncompress & English 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

Saw this a week ago in Los Angeles at the El Capitan Theater. If you're expecting a Pixar caliber story look elsewhere. If you're looking for Pixar artistry, this doesn't quite reach those dizzying heights. But if you're after quality Disney entertainment for the little ones in your family (especially the female ones) you can't really do much better. I have a four year old girl, and this was the first movie (of three that we've seen together on the big screen) that she absolutely loved. She enjoyed Wall-E, but much of it went over her head. Horton Hears a Who, was also enjoyable and slightly too manic but again, a lot of the wry humor and topical stuff she missed completely.

This movie had her enthralled from beginning to end and I have to say was far less than painful for me to watch as well. Now this isn't a ringing endorsement that could be afforded a Toy Story 1 or 2 or Cars (which are great films for BOTH parent and child to enjoy) but I have to say this film completely outclasses the Disney straight to DVD sequels that I've seen (dreck like Cinderella 3 and Alladin 2 YUCK) and simply blows away the Barbie movies (which though excruciating to watch at times, do captivate my little girl and are surprisingly pro-female).

Tinkerbelle, ultimately, is not a film for the young and young at heart as the great Disney movies are; but it is leaps and bounds above the usual straight to DVD product that they have been shilling for the past decade.

The visuals are also light years beyond anything previously released in a straight to video format, and hold up to and even exceed the previous Disney CG features such as Chicken Little or Meet the Robinsons.

If you've got a 3 to 8 year old little girl this is a must get. Young boys will enjoy it too, there's more than enough to sustain interest.

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We are Disney passholders and were lucky enough to be invited to watch the movie this afternoon in it's entirety at Disney World! Let me just say it was wonderful!! Both myself and my almost 4 year old daughter were mesmerized by the graphics, the color and the story. It is very well done and I hope everyone has the opportunity to see it on the big screen like we did today because it is just beautiful. FYI, there are 3 more movies to follow this one, hopefully on the big screen. The message of the movie is also great for kids, that we can't all be good at everything but that's ok! Tink is such a cute character as are the other fairies, I sometimes forgot they weren't real! LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!

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"Tinker Bell" has gotten a lot of online commentary, most of it negative, so I wasn't really excited to watch my preview copy of this movie. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by what I saw. "Tinker Bell" is an enjoyable movie, perfect for children and even entertaining for adults. Based upon what I'd read previously, I would not have gone to a theater to see this; however, after watching it, I believe this movie is worthy of both big screen AND home entertainment viewing. Unfortunately, most of the banter has focused on the fact that Tinker Bell speaks. Personally, this is a minor point, as the animators have done a tremendous job of having Tinker Bell retain her spunky nature and movements that we all know from "Peter Pan (2-Disc Platinum Edition)."

The story is fairly simple; Tinker Bell arrives in Pixie Hollow, where all the Fairies have talents. It is discovered that (no surprise) Tinker Bell's talent is "tinkering" or fixing things. However, in Tink's opinion, this is not very exciting. She'd rather be one of the Fairies who gets to take Spring to "the mainland" (aka London). As you can imagine, Tink's early time at Pixie Hollow is filled with figuring out who she really is and that she is just as important as the other fairies who have more glamorous talents. There is plenty of humor, emotion, and visual beauty that helps elevate what seems like an oft-told tale.

The animation is fantastic; although it is obviously computer generated, it is apparent that the level of the animators doing it is such that they focus on camera movements, lighting, color, and emotional nuances rather than just the basics. Still, the characters do still have somewhat of a doll-like/mechanical quality. The movement and facial emoting is a vast improvement over some of the early computer animation, but it does still have a little way to go.

There is also a first-rate cast behind the scenes, giving the voices to these animated characters: Anjelica Huston (Queen Clarion), Lucy Liu (Silvermist), America Ferrera (Fawn), Kristin Chenoweth (Rosetta), Kathy Najimy (Minister of Summer), and my favorite, Jane Horrocks as the sassy Fairy Mary. The Celtic-inspired music is also enjoyable and the perfect accompaniment to the film.

The extras include:

* Tinker Trainer: Hone your skills as a Tinker Fairy in this activity

* Magical guide to Pixie Hollow: Discover the Ancient Realm of Fairies with Tinker Bell

* Ever Wonder: Discover how Fairies put the "wonder" in natural wonders. Combining special effects with live action, you are "shown" how grass grows between the cracks in the sidewalk, etc. A cute little featurette.

* Creating Pixie Hollow: See how the filmmakers created this magical realm.

* All-new music video by Disney Channel's Selena Gomez.

* Deleted scenes: enjoyable, but not really missed.

* Sneak previews, most notably the Blu-ray version of 1940's "Pinocchio." It looks fantastic! Being released March 2009.

Blu-ray exclusive:

* Disney BD Live: Connect with Family & friends through this innovative movie-watching experience

Movie specs: on Blu-ray, 1080 HD/1:78:1 video, with English 5.1 Uncompress & English 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

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TINKER BELL is a computer animated film that explains the origins of the famous fairy and sidekick to Peter Pan. It is the first in a series of new Direct-to-DVD films being planned, promoting the newest Disney produced franchise, the Disney Fairies. The movie begins with a baby laughing that sends a part of a plant from our world through the sky and into Neverland where at Pixie Hollow it rests beneath the fairy dust stream and is turned into a new fairy. Taking a cue from Harry Potter, the fairy goes around from object to object looking for the object that will cue her of her talent and give her clan. It is the Tinker's hammer that chooses the new fairy and the Queen bestows her name, Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell is very excited about being a tinker. Tinkering doesn't seem as interesting or as important as helping baby birds to fly or pollinating plants. However, Tink does like to Tinker and is eager to use her talent until she discovers that Tinker Fairies aren't allowed to go to the Mainland to bring Spring. This distresses Tinker Bell, but she is determined to visit the Mainland. Along the way she undergoes some misadventures that eventually leads to a major accident that forces Tink to accept who she is.

The animation in TINKER BELL is stunning. The colors are brilliant and the movement of some of the characters is lifelike. At the same time, things are too realistic. Vibrant and vivid as Pixie Hollow is no one will mistake anything in this video for being anything other than animation.

The film is voiced by a very talented cast that includes America Ferrera, Kristin Chenoweth, Anjelica Huston, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symone, and Mae Whitman. The score was written by Joel McNeely and many of the songs are performed Mairead Nesbitt of Celtic Woman.

The movie is entertaining enough to watch and the target audience of this film, young girls, will probably enjoy TINKER BELL the most. I found the film to be relatively entertaining with just the right mix of humor and drama, though I found the central message of the movie (accept yourself for who you are) too syrupy to be of any substance. Still, TINKER BELL is better than much children's direct to DVD dreck that is produced, including some previous Disney releases, e.g. CINDERELLA II.

The DVD includes a few extras including a DVD-ROM activity entitled Tinker Trainer; Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow, an exploration into the realms of the fairies with Tinker Bell; a short entitled "Ever Wonder" that uses live action and a little animation to illustrate all the things fairies do in our world; the music video "Fly To Your Heart" sung by Selena Gomez (from THE WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE on the Disney Channel); a few deleted scenes; and previews for upcoming DVD releases.

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The Last Song (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

The Last Song is a great movie. It is a coming of age movie but not just a chick flick. All family members will enjoy this movie. Miley Cyrus plays a somewhat troubled teen and blames her troubles on her parents divorce. Her attitude quickly takes a turn when she falls in love and even more of a turn when she finds out that her father is dying with lung cancer. Take a box of tissues to the theatre. Miley plays this dramatic role very well.

In this movie you will be introduced to turtle eggs and you will see them crawl back to the ocean when they hatch. I think this is interesting for children of all ages to watch.

Go watch this movie and go as a family. We don't get many of these type movies so make it a family day and go. You won't be sorry.

Although some young children are upset that the series Hannah Montana has ended, I have to say I am glad. Miley Cyrus has so much more to offer to the entertainment business than her role as Hannah Montana. I think we will see her in many, many, more movies.

Not only was the novel amazing, the movie was too. Every one who judges the movie simply becuase of Miley's past career are wrongly doing so. Try the movie out and you won't be dissapointed. Obviously not everything is for everyone, but for all those looking to enjoy a sappy love movie, this is for you! It's great for the family and a very down to earth drama. Get over her Hannah alter-ego and move on as she is trying to.

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In watching `The Last Song' over the weekend (to be honest, I actually wanted to do this), I decided that it was probably best to present this review in three sections; the pros, the cons and my verdict.

It just makes more sense this way.

THE PROS:

The beachfront setting of the film, not unlike a previous Sparks film adaptation `Nights in Rodanthe', is stunning and certainly creates a mood, the same mood that follows a lot of Sparks' stories. You can feel the love in the air from the moment the sandy shores are revealed. The acting here is also quite decent, with the exception of Kelly Preston who is just really bad at whatever it is she is trying to do. Greg Kinnear is always a welcome presence, and he layers the stereotypical `dad' role with enough personality to make him endearing. Liam Hemsworth is like a talented Paul Walker (they look very similar) and that is becoming. I see a career in front of him that may (and I'm not really joking here) lead him to some award recognition in ten years or so. That said, the star of the show has a decent three-quarter turn here. Once here character gets out of the `I'm trying to be distant and rebellious' stage she actually shines. So, I'd say that a good 75% of Miley Cyrus's performance is pretty darn good. I'll tell you this, the main performances (and the nonchalant way the film is edited in parts) goes a long way to making this film entertaining, since there are a lot more cons than pros here. But, before I switch gears, I want to mention the biggest pro here and that is the theme song to the film. `When I Look At You' is beautifully sung (yes, I'm talking about you Miss Cyrus) and effortlessly captivating. It actually yanks at your heartstrings more than this movie does!

Ok, we must move on.

THE CONS:

Nicholas Sparks has absolutely NO imagination. Really, it's like he wrote this one book many, many years ago and decided that it was so successful and so well written that, instead of challenging himself to try anything new, he was just going to `rinse and repeat' for the rest of his life. Like you may have guessed it, Ronnie meets Will and falls in love. Will is from a different social standing than Ronnie. They don't initially get along but they fall in love quick. There are problems within the family dynamic. Oh yeah, someone dies. Typical Sparks' material. That said, Sparks usually shines in this genre, but this film feels forced for me. I think the biggest issue is that Sparks doesn't understand modern romance. He totally gets that dated love that shines in films like `The Notebook', and he even understood the aged romantic dynamic in `Nights in Rodanthe' and even `Message in a Bottle', but the way he crafts modern teenage romance is stilted and phony to the taste. It just doesn't seem real, and then when he tries to pepper in modern issues (like the abusive boyfriend with the homeless girlfriend) it looks very skeletal in form and unbelievable. Another issue here is the first 25% of Miley's performance. It is so forced, and that comic relief she tries to deliver with the whole sea turtle bit (that whole subplot was poorly executed) was atrocious. I wish I could wipe that whole section from the film. The films rapid deterioration as the film draws to a close is also a tad underworked. When a certain character winds up sick, the sickness comes on so ridiculously rapidly that one is stunned as to why NO ONE NOTICED IT BEFORE. It just doesn't make much sense at all.

I also want to say this; Miley Cyrus is not the most attractive girl in the world. In fact, the way she holds her face can be comically off-putting at times (and it is also what made the first part of her performance so out of place), but her funny looks could play into her favor once she hones her acting skills. She obviously has some talent (her emotional breakdown upon hearing some tragic news is remarkably in tact and believable) and I can see her developing into a nice actress one day. The fact that she isn't afraid to look ugly (I know that sounds harsh, but if you are a cinephile like me you'll understand that that isn't really meant as an insult) will help her create more reality within her characters. We all know that NO ONE is pretty all of the time. Notice the way that Miley holds her face even towards the films end, when she is looking off or standing in a crowd. She looks lazy and frumpy and at times like she smells something gross. In other words, she looks natural. It works for her in parts, and honestly, if she keeps that up and begins to understand a little better HOW to emote completely I could very well see her getting on the track she claimed she desired (not too long ago she mentioned that she wanted to be like Kate Winslet great aspirations young lady and do a dramatic film like `Revolutionary Road'). I don't see her as the next Kate-the-Great (that would be a stretch), but the next Natalie Portman?

Give her five years and ask me that again.

And still, the film is worth seeing at least once.

MY VERDICT:

It could have been a lot better. Even `A Walk to Remember', which is saddled with some clichés that surround everything Sparks' writes, manages to be a lot more realistically sound than this film, and a lot more endearing (this movie didn't even bring me close to tears, and it really needed to). Still, it is a decent summer romance movie and it certainly has everything the tweens are looking for. My brother loves this movie (for reasons I am sure we don't share) and I'm sure you're twelve year old will too. If the day is rainy and the mood is light, I'd have no problem watching this film again, as long as it's on cable TV and I'm not paying for it.

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The Last Song:

The first time ever I sat in a movie theater that was packed by teenage girls out numbering others by at least twenty to one. Having been around teens from divorced parents, I am in good position to spot the weak links in the movie's narrative. Miley Cyrus fitted perfectly in the role of a troubled and defiant teenage girl who was confrontational, insecure, and very pragmatic. She succeeded in invoking a sense of anger in her dad, brother, friend, as well as the viewer. Her growing up troubles must be attributed to her parent's divorce. Her parents are easy targets by virtue of their distance from her.

Spending the Summer in Georgia, her trivial altercation in New York added to her Father's being falsely accused by the locals for burning the church. Getting to know the local teens, she struggled to sort out the honest ones from not so honest. Like her father, she was set up by an encounter and accused for shoplifting she did not do. Now, both the daughter and father were stigmatized by the locals for being arsonists and shoplifters. As if divorce was not enough of strain on their internal affairs that they needed additional pain from outside.

The cold and rebellious daughter would make a full turn by a casual hint from a nurse that her father planned his quick death that summer in order to pass away with his children being around him. With her father's imminent death from lung cancer, the rebellious teen got a jolting effect that will bring her closer to the man she blamed for her misery. The tragic news about her father's terminal illness dwarfed her relentless blaming of the whole world for her growing up struggle.

Her caring for turtle eggs being eaten by predator brought her new and expected love that will change her life, but will require fewer challenges before she could learn how not to push people away from her. In contrast to the newborn turtles who were equipped to run to the sea from the moment they hatch, the teen girl must rely on many cues from parents, peers, and otherwise casual encounters in order to get equipped to mature as an adult.

Half way through the movie, you quickly find out why teenage girls must love The Last Song. It is a true and great story about misperception and immature reactions to cues that were deceptive in their outlook and would have been judged differently had the person looked further into the bigger context of affairs. The movie narrative deviated from the provocative and sleazy commercial tricks of sex and violence and presented real people doing real business.

An ugly and abusive relation between a bad boy and a girl was presented in a context that justifies its dismal outcome. The classy and casual encounter future boyfriend behaved and thought like what real decent people would do. Everywhere else, you sense that the moviemaker kept their heads leveled and were appreciated by such massive approval by the teenaged audience.

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At first I didn't won't to see Miley Cyrus in some teenage romance story. But it happen to be good. And I enjoyed it. What is sad is she is going down Lindsay Lohan path which is very disturbing. But all in all the movie was really good and it was sad that her dad dies in the movie. Buy it or rent or check it out at your local library. I just hope she remember what it is like to be a good star and don't had down the path of corruption.(that's another story.) But a must see film.

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Wyoming Outlaw (1939)

For the true dieheart JOHN WAYNE fan..like me.Keep in mind this was a "B"western...which means low budget..but a lot of action.And it had a very good story line.People seem to have forgotten the great actor..Donald"Red"Barry..he was so good as the Outlaw.He was a leading man during those days in a serial classic..."RED RYDER".His acting I felt really stood out.Ray Corrigan..always great to watch.Raymond Hatton...a great character actor.And of course...the great JOHN WAYNE.The music in these "Mesquiteers"have always played a very bug part.It's where music & action work side by side.Like in the serials of the day.This is a very good "B"top notch western to collect.

FUN MESQUITEER'S FILM LOVE THE MUSIC. TAKES ME BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD, NO BLOOD, WILD FIGHTS, GREAT CHASES ON BEAUTIFUL HORSES. FUN.

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I love The Three Mesquiteers, they are one of the best trigger trios of the b-westerns only licked by the Hopalong Cassidy trios. The Three Mesquiteers are here played by John Wayne, Ray Crash Corrigan and Raymond Hatton. We have good Mesquiteers action, fights, shooting and riding but midway the plot brings the Mesquiteers in the background and Don Barry takes over in the role as the Young criminal who can't get out of the mud because of society and the real bad guys. To have his revenge he goes to his own destruction. In this way the film foresees western noirs with Joel McCrea and films like Lonely are the Brave with Kirk Douglas and Willy Boy with Robert Blake. It is a very interesting twist but I guess the B-Western Police will say that the plot goes too far. The print is super!

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was goodit helped to compleat my set of john wayne movies that i am colecting still have some of the early ones to get

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