The Edge of the World (1937)

Stunning 1937 film set in the Shetland Islands, and filmed on the North Sea isle of Foula. Director Michael Powell has been called "the British John Ford", and you'll see why when you watch this film.

Based on a newspaper article the director once read, "The Edge of the World" is a heartbreaking documentary-style look at a phenomenon that really faced island-dwellers off the coast of Scotland in the 1930's and 40s.

On Hirta, the ficticious isolated coastal island, the fishing is becoming impossible thanks to the mainland trawlers and their huge nets. The peat the islanders harvest and sell for fuel is almost exhausted. The youth of the island are leaving in droves.

As a result, the islanders face a harsh choice; try to go on with their way of life, or give up everything and ask the government to relocate them on the mainland. There is bitter debate among the inhabitants, with part in favor of leaving, others wanting to fight on, and still more who are uncertain what to do.

While the acting may occasionally seem a bit overdone today, the real winner here is the outstanding photography done on location. Hills sweep up and end abruptly with sheer cliffs. The pounding sea sprays the rocks, and clouds sweep over the expanse of the island, leaving telling shadows on all below. There is also a truly heartstopping race as two men climb the sheer cliffs to decide questions between them.

This is an amazing and moving film that focuses on characters, with their odd beliefs, their customs, their culture threatened, and their whole way of life hanging in the balance.

After one viewing, you will never be able to leave this film behind. Truly an overlooked work, it is indespensible to the serious film buff and student.

Cheers to Milestone, who copied the film's recently restored 35mm print for this tape (and in SP mode, no less!). Until a Criterion DVD edition comes out, this is the best version you're likely to find of this wonderful film, and well worth the price.

The tape includes the twenty minute documentary "Return to the Edge of the World" in its entirety, as well as the Powell WW2 short subject, "An Airman's Letter to His Mother".

The Edge of the World has outstanding cinematography and the acting is also very good. The plot moves along a bit too slow for my taste although as others have noted the scenery more than makes up for the way the film winds its way through the story line. The choreography was very well done and the quality of the print is pretty good except in a few places where it could use a little restoration.

The film begins on a Shetland island not too far from Scotland. We see a trio of explorers who come upon a tombstone at the edge of a very sharp cliff; and one of them tells the other two the story about the tombstone--and so much more. Thus the story is essentially a flashback; and this device works very well.

We first meet several principle characters: there are two family patriarchs, Peter Manson (John Laurie) and James Grey (Finlay Currie). They have a lot on their hands as the fishing and farming on the island of Hirta is slowly but surely dying. The larger fishing boats have been catching their fish; and the younger generation of the islanders is leaving to find a more prosperous way of life in Scotland or even elsewhere. There's quite a crisis when the islanders meet; and two of their sons, Robbie Manson (Eric Berry) and Andrew Grey (Niall MacGinnis) decide to settle the matter by running a race up a sharp cliff--without a safety rope. While Ruth Manson (Belle Chrystall) loves Andrew, she is also Robbie's twin sister; and she hates the idea of them running this race--she could lose both of them. However, Robbie and Andrew think that the race to the top of the cliff is the only way to settle the matter and reach a decision for all.

Unfortunately, Robbie dies when he falls off the cliff; but this doesn't settle the matter. Many islanders still want to stay although the outlook worsens when the peat begins to run out and their latest crop won't be good, either. Complications abound when Peter Manson finds out that his daughter Ruth is pregnant with an illegitimate child by Andrew. Andrew doesn't know Ruth is even pregnant; he himself has left Hirta to find work.

Will Andrew come back when he finds out that Ruth is pregnant with their child? What about Peter Manson--will he be embittered toward the Grey family after the tragic death of his son Robbie? How does Ruth feel about marrying Andrew after Robbie is killed in that race to the top of the cliff? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch and find out!

The DVD comes with a few nice features. We get a documentary entitled "Return to the Edge of the World" that runs roughly twenty-one minutes; and there's another excellent but unrelated featurette entitled "An Airman's Letter to His Mother" from the World War Two era.

The Edge of the World may not be the very best movie I ever watched; it moves too slowly for me although the cinematography is outstanding. Nevertheless, it's still quite a moving story about what life was really like for people in that part of the world at the time; and that's a big plus. I recommend this film for people interested in these themes and issues.

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It has been 10 years since The Shadow of Death fell on the outer isles of Scotland. This is the tale of Peter Manson, his family and the last days of inhabitance on the island called "Ultima Thule" The Edge of the World. You will come to identify with the inhabitance and their plight. But with all the triumphs and tragedies the worst for me was when they let the cats fend for themselves and the dogs (due to economics) drowned.

The filming was spectacular and there is a social statement. Many facets go into making this a first class movie. The film was shot by Michael Powell on the island of Foula in the North Sea. Michael Powell is the visiting yachtsman that hears the story.

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Considered by many to be British director Michael Powell's first true major motion picture, "The Edge of the World" is a 1937 film set on the small Shetland island of Foula, north of Scotland. The island's few inhabitants (six main families) descend back to ancient times and Nordic roots before the new world had been "discovered", and standing atop its towering sheer cliffs and looking west was felt by many to be standing on the edge of the world. Powell's fascination with heights (and falls) may have started here, as his longtime fans will instantly see some parallels to the scenery and situations from his later Black Narcissus (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray], and even sporadic touches in "The Red Shoes".

"Edge" is a fictitious story rooted in historical fact about the plight small island communities faced as their populations shrank and their young people were seduced away by greener pastures. It was inspired by the real life story of the island of St. Kilda, when its last 36 citizens were "evacuated", leaving their historical home and the fruits of their blood, sweat, and tears behind.

In "Edge", another community is facing the same problem. The weather is inclement, the work is hard, the routine is dull. But even for those who are stubborn enough to want to stay out of respect for ancestoral duty and tradition, or who don't want to make things worse for those left behind, another reality is hitting home. Few babies are being born, the crops are poor, and the peat is running low. The price they get for their wool is decreasing, while at the same time modern trawlers from the mainland come out and fish their waters, forcing them to go farther out.

The decision whether to stay or go is played out between two young men, each taking opposite sides and arguing for the hearts and souls of their neighbors. In an interesting take, each of their fathers respectively disagree with them, creating tension not just between the boyhood friends but also their families.

The father who is the leader of the island, and who has the strongest desire to maintain the status quo, is faced not just by a traiterous deserter of a son but also a twin sister, who is torn between the differing worldviews of her dad, her brother, and a lover. As one of the younger women on the island (and capable of having a child), who she ultimately could lend her voice to would have power. Whether she ever finds her voice is another matter.

It would not be a spoiler to say that the movie starts from the very beginning with a man standing in a windswept ghost town of rock and stone. The entire rest of the film is flashback, so while you know from the getgo what decision gets made, how they ultimately reach it, and its consequences, are the focus of the film and is fairly compelling. The battle lines are drawn, with the fate of everything at stake except for the island itself. Despite the chaos that sometimes goes on around it, the island stands tall and defiant, beautifully shot but entirely indifferent to the waves continually crashing upon it or the people scrambling on its cliffs.

I have only seen this bluray edition, so I can't comment on how much of an improvement it is over previous versions. I can say this, it is highly watchable and in my opinion true HD, with some nice shots that are fairly remarkable considering the age from when they were taken and the harsh environment the film faced. Conditions on set were dangerous, collar bones were broken, and camera men were fired for not keeping up. So in the end you can see that, there are times when you can tell the real grandeur just could not be captured, but it was not for lack of effort. It is also probably the reason that the next time Powell wanted to do a high altitude movie, the aforementioned Black Narcissus, that he did it on a studio lot employing optical illusions rather than filming on location.

The performances are sufficient but not great, most likely the result of 1937 acting standards. Probably the best performance is turned in by the lead father, played by John Laurie. While some is clumsy and heavy handed, it is evened out by a cast that is eclectic and interesting, including some of the real life populance of the island. Ultimately you end up caring for the characters, who seem believable, so everything works.

I was hesitant to get the DVD as it is listed as an "all region" import. In the end it played fine on my region 1 Panasonic barebones Blu-Ray Panasonic DMP-BD75 Ultra-Fast Booting Blu-ray Disc Player. The extra features were nice, including a 25 minute documentary of sorts that highlighted Powell and some crewmembers going back many years after the fact. Many of the original people had passed away at the time, but it was nice to see the island both in color and with the benefit of some sweeping aerial shots that were not possible when the movie was first filmed. Audio commentary by Powell's widow, with Daniel Day-Lewis reading excerpts from the book "200,000 Feet on Foula". Also includes a very informative 25 page booklet.

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Based on the real-life exodus from St. Kilda, near Scotland, Powell's gripping melodrama was his first breakthrough before embarking on a fruitful life-long partnership with producer Emeric Pressburger. Combining documentary-like footage of ragged shorelines, craggy cliffs, and the rugged beauty of Foula (the film's actual location) with a simple story of economic hardship and romantic conflict, Powell concocted one of the most deeply personal and moving British films of the `30s. Sparse yet potent, "Edge" stands out for excellent performances--including John Laurie and Finlay Currie as the young lovers' squabbling patriarchs--and one thrilling sequence involving a treacherous foot race up Foula's forbiddingly steep cliffs.

Aliens in the Attic (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009)

I absolutely loved this movie! I loved the comedy, the storyline, the action, the effects, everything! This may be my 4th favorite movie of 2009 behind Friday the 13th, Land of the Lost, and Halloween II! I've seen a lot of negative reviews toward this movie, but some people take things a little too seriously. This movie is for the kid in all of us. While on summer vacation, the Pearson family go to three-story holiday house in the middle of nowhere. The kids; Hannah, Tom, and Bethany don't wanna go, but they are forced to. They meet more family members like Jake, Art, and Lee. When Bethany's boyfriend forces Tom to the roof, they see the aliens who want to take over the world. Throughout the day, the kids try to stop them, without their parents finding out. One alien, Sparks is not a threat to the humans and decides to become friends with Hannah. Sparks is a cute little alien, unlike Skip, Tazer, and Razor. Will the Pearson children stop the evil aliens from taking over the world? I highly recommend ALIENS IN THE ATTIC!!!

My almost 9 year-old son and I saw this together. It was VERY, VERY funny. We both thought so. (There were way too many male crotch gags, in my opinion, and of course, the law enforcement representative was an idiot. However, we didn't see his underwear; so, this movie was superior to other kid flicks.) Robert Hoffman is outrageously funny as Ricky the lying-loser boyfriend turned robot alien minion. Ashley Tisdale carries off another major role with credibility, humor, and grace. The DVD is already on my son's wish list for Christmas, and I will be recommending Aliens to my friends to watch with their kids. I will also recommend it to parents of teenage daughters who need a laugh, a break, or a reminder that Eddie Haskell didn't die with the Cleavers.

Aliens in the AtticAliens in the Attic[Blu-ray] [Blu-ray]

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Before I saw this movie the previews gave me the impression that this was just another computer animated and effects driven films trying to exploit a kid's inherent interest in this stuff. It turns out this movie has more thought put into it and a good deal more heart than I assumed (that's what I get for assuming). Aliens in the Attic isn't an instant classic by any means. However it delivers on what you want in a family sci-fi film. Cute enough in some places, witty enough in others.

So yeah, the plot isn't Shakespeare. You have a family on vacation that gets visited by some diminutive (and not too bright) aliens bent on taking over the world. This plot is very close to the same vein as the 80's movie Spaced Invaders. The difference, and it is substantial enough to keep the two movies from being similar, is where the focus is. Where Spaced Invaders put all of its attention on the wacky Martians, Aliens in the Attic puts its focus on the kids and how they deal with the invaders. For this movie it makes all the difference.

You see, the chemistry between the kids is tight. The main boy and his crazy cousins, lovelorn big sisters and a cute little sister all mesh their respective personalities into a coherent plot progression rather well. There isn't a whole lot of character development once the individual players have been established, but you don't need that much since the script capitalizes on the interactions. I'm not talking about two dimensional character clashes sort of capitalization. This movie shows a good example on how differing personalities can work together.

The acting is surprisingly good for these kids. All of them play their parts solid with nary a bad scene in the bunch. Ashley Tisdale is not the main focus of the movie, but her star quality wasn't wasted on. Although she is swimming in familiar waters with her character good acting is good acting. SNL alumnus Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows both hit high marks in their comedic timing, even though Kevin mainly plays the straight man in his role. The big kudos, however, go to Robert Hoffman. He plays the jerk boyfriend to Ashley's character, and while the jerk scenes make you love to hate him the real joy in his performance come after the aliens take over his mind and Robert goes off on some of the craziest pratfalls and other physical humor with a hilariously crazy grin on his face. It's comedic gold!

The aliens are funny in a kids will get giggly kind of way. Sometimes they say something funny enough for the adults to snicker (include a funny observation on kissing). But mostly the aliens are for the kid's entertainment and are mostly two dimensional characters with very little to no depth. The CG animations for the aliens aren't bad, but they aren't going to really impress anybody on the technology either. Basically it's serviceable special effects for a production company that likely couldn't pull this off with puppets.

The Bu-Ray for the movie looks really great. Details pop out with a lot of clarity on both the CG aliens as well as the gorgeous backdrop of the vacation spot. Sound is also top notch with the DTS-HD 5.1 audio, but it's not exactly an audiophile reference kind of movie so don't expect to be blown away. Here's a quick rundown of the extras:

Introduction to Film with Ashley Tisdale Just a quick hello from the move famous actress in the film. No big deal.

The Ashley Encounters A short promo of the movie from actresses Ashley Tisdale and Ashley Boettcher. I wouldn't be surprised with this aired on the Disney Channel before the movie came out.

Alternate Ending It's an unfinished product with the CG kind of in the middle phase of production. Not exactly a complete change from the actual ending, but it is different enough. Prefer the real ending anyway.

Behind the Zirkonians It's a pretty long comic short story about the origins of the aliens. It's not exactly adult fare, but your kids will enjoy it.

Meet the Zirkonians A little biography of the four aliens in the movie that you can browse through.

Lights, Camera, Aliens! A short "making of" featurette that's pretty light on details. Feels like another promo for the movie more than an informative documentary.

Kung Fu Grandma This is funny and weird at the same time. It's like a video game commercial using footage of the movie. The title of this featurette is kind of a spoiler for the movie and I'm glad I didn't know about it before I saw the flick.

Brian Anthony "Electricity" Music Video It's a music video with clips of the movie. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Fox Movie Channel Presents Life After Film School with Barry Josephson This is the REAL "Making Of" documentary. It has more details on the film's production than the other fluff featurette, but it's not an all-inclusive thing.

Deleted Scenes and Gag Reel Didn't get a chance to see these yet. They run about four minutes each and are self explanatory.

If you have kids ranging from grade school to the tweens I believe this film will keep them entertained provided they enjoy watching light science fiction to begin with. Others may enjoy it too for the other fun stuff, but maybe rent first to test the waters. For the adults it really depends on your threshold for this kind of entertainment. The aliens will annoy most of you, but the kids and grown ups in the movie will entertain. If you have a Blu-Ray player it's definitely worth getting if on BD if for nothing else so you can see the beautiful landscapes in high definition.

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This was a good movie. My 6 year old son really enjoyed it. There is not any crude language or bad messages included in the movie. The humor is very clean and funny. Would recommend you watch this movie.

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This is not a film most adults would enjoy as it is designed for kids. Two families go away to the country for the Fourth of July. The kids need to get out and do something away from all their electronic gadgets.

While they are there,small green unfriendly aliens take over the attic and plan on taking over the world. The aliens have devices that can control adults, but not kids. So now it is up to the kids to save the planet using the skills they learned from video games along with modified toys. Ashley Tisdale (Miley Cyrus light) does give the young male viewers a glimpse of her in a bikini.

Acting is bad, script is bad, plot is bad, humor is bad, unless you are under age 13. 5 STARS on the tween scale.

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The Collection (2012)

This is a horror sequel where you don't have to see the first to follow along, but it does bring back the main hero and villain from the previous movie. The cult following of the original made this film possible, so give it a look. A thief breaks in a house and ends up trying to save the family being tortured by another unwanted vistor that beat him to scene. But wait, this killer has set up believable traps all over the house. The sequel expands the scope to an old hotel and has 10 times the body count. The first is dark and isolated, much like Alien. And like Aliens, the sequel is more in your face and action oriented. There are still a few really good scares and plenty of gore, with a villain that is truly chilling in appearance and the way he kills. Think Jigsaw and his traps, but he also does some of his killings himself with his arsenal of knives. My theater was actually half full (I thought I'd be alone) and people clapped when it was over.

I liked the first movie but this gave me more bang for my buck...With poor box office sales I guess there will be no Collection/or 3. I really wish horror fans would have supported this film. Its a lot better the a lot on the market. Paranormal Activity makes money and this one doesn't makes no sense to me.

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I loved the original, but this sequel is even better. Impressive special effects, solid performances, and a slick pace. Highly recommended for fans of The Collector!

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Very well done, nice plot well written. All in all a good horror movie better than most of the stuff coming out of hollywood lately.

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The collection is full of suspenseful and action packed sequences that left me on the edge of my seat, a definite must see movie.

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Bleak House (BBC)[Region Free]

For once, I am happy to find a remake of a fine old Masterpiece Theatre offering that is as good as the original. "Bleak House" is currently available on an DVD with Diana Rigg as the most familiar name; and except for some incomprehensible line readings by a young character named Joe, it is a very good account of the Dickens novel. Having already appeared on Public Television, the remake has Gillian Anderson (yes, the one from "X-Files") as Lady Dedlock, and a cast of 80 speaking roles, many of which are played by actors that will send you searching the cast listings that go by too quickly at the end of each episode.

The eight parts will be shown so that the first and last will run two hours and the four in between an hour each. I found the complex plot actually easier to follow in this version than I did in the earlier one. And while I prefer Rigg to Anderson, I think I can easily recommend this new adaptation over the other.

The story--lawyers will hate it--involves the infamous Court of Chancery in which disputes over estates can be buried for years until the lawyers' fees make further legalizing unnecessary. Against this background, the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce being a major part of it, we have the story of John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson), his ward Ada (Carey Mulligan), her companion Esther (Anna Maxwell Martin), and Ada's beloved Richard (Patrick Kennedy).

The latter becomes obsessed with the case, while Esther becomes involved in the mysterious past of Lady Dedlock, who happens to recognize the handwriting on some legal documents delivered by the utterly immoral family solicitor Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance). I will not reveal any more of the plot, lest it spoil your enjoyment. You will wind up guessing much of it, but it is a lot of fun--unless you are a lawyer.

Peripheral to the plot are the usual cast of Dickens "characters": Krook the junkman (Johnny Vegas) who finds some incriminating letters (and dies the strangest death in all fiction), Smallweed the moneylender (Phil Davis) who cannot walk by himself and must be "shaken up" by his weird niece every few minutes and who gets the letters, and Miss Flite ( Pauline Collins) who looks forward to "judgment day" when her case will finally be settled and she can set her birds free.

Most interesting of all is the policeman Bucket (Alun Armstong), the first real detective in English fiction. Although he looks like a toady for the rich, he does his job and does it well, solving a murder case and being considerate to a certain lady who would suffer if her connection with the case should come out.

Of course, the arm of coincidence in Dickens is a long one; and while a good deal of the plot does strain credulity, the acting and period ambience are of the highest level. The only thing that annoyed me was the director segmenting his "establishing shots" (exterior views of buildings to let us know where we are) into two or three rapid cuts with some electronic "whoosh" for each one. Pretentious and irritating after the first dozen or so.

I caught the first two hours of this adaptation of Dickens Bleak House on Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday night and I was immediately hooked. If you love dark Victorian mysteries this is a must see. I remember hearing promos for the show stating its starring Gillian Anderson but I thought it was some English actress with the same name as Scully from the X-files. What a shock when I realized I watched Scully for I did not realize it at the time it was her. Ms. Anderson becomes Lady Dedlock replacing her FBI professional pant suits outfits for a Victorian frock. Although common elements to both characters are repressed emotions and icy personalities. I have not read the novel but the show is emphasizing the mystery aspects of the story with Lady Dedlock trying to hide a secret from her past, how everybody's fate is somehow bound into the Jarndyce case over disputed wills and what role if any Esther plays in all of this. Also, the series focuses a sharp eye on the byzantine legal world of Victorian England that makes the US legal system seem the epitome of efficiency. Charles Dance is great as the ruthless barrister Tulkinghorn who sets his sights on uncovering Lady Dedlock's secret. Anne Maxwell Martin is great as the innocent and virtuous Esther Summerson. Besides Ms. Anderson some might recognize Mr. Dance who has seen roles in various movies and TV series including the villain in the Eddie Murphy Buddhist action-adventure movie The Golden Child, and Denis Lawson, who plays the benevolent John Jarndyce, was Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars movies. Like any Dickens novel this TV series is filled with interesting often eccentric secondary characters from the young law clerk Mr. Guppy to Miss Flite.

The atmosphere is dark with lots of mist, fog and rain as one would expect in a Victorian novel. You have the contrast of the romantic elegant world of Lady Dedlock's estate and the cozy feeling of Bleak House estate with the grim, mud and muck that the lower classes lived in. The period costumes and sets are top notch. The series for me captures the essence of the Victorian period. Can't wait for the series to play itself out.

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A simply magnificent production of Dickens. Read the Amazon editorial review above, I agree with all of it.

Dickens can be difficult to translate to film. His cartoonish drawings of his characters, both literal and literary, are the stuff of political lampoon. And he IS interested in politics; the politics of class, culture, the legal system, and how his characters are trapped in them, by situation, and by their own human choices. His characters and story lines are so intricate that they must have been manna for the readers of his (no tv, no film) time period, but they can sometimes be dry and dull for a modern audience.

Enter the skillfull writing of THE MASTER ADAPTOR Andrew Davies, and a production that careens and slams prison doors from one story to another, and we are briskly carried along... in this story of secrets, blackmail, and the endless wait for the legal system to do... something... anything.

As with most BBC casting, it is excellent... every single character not only LOOKS as they should, but can really act. Nice to see Gillian Anderson break through and prove that yes, american actresses really CAN run with the best of them, if they get the chance to. Anna Maxwell Martin as our lead protagonist is simply wonderful. She has the kind of looks that we do not get to see in the hollywood casting system. Her character does not rely on her appearance, because she knows she can not, but she becomes so dear to us, we care deeply about her, and her complexity and calm in the midst of chaos reveal her true inner beauty. Through her we see the souls of others as they respond to her.

Dickens is VERY interested in the devastation of the Brittish class system, and the costumes and sets bring this all darkly to life, from the filth and disease of the street urchins, the tattered foppishness of a dance instructor, the soldiers barracks and stark sleeping compartments, to the cluttered new money oppulence of Bleak House and the old dusty money feel of the house of the local aristocracy.

The beginning is slow... neccessary to introduce the whole population of characters, and just when you think the train will never take off, it speeds into overdrive, and you scream with dizzy joy like a roller coaster ride. We get all the benefits of todays cinematic language and style in telling, while losing none of the story and atmosphere. A really masterful, very modern production of an old Dicken's tale.

10 stars!

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The time is the 1840's in Victorian England. The film opens with a court case being heard in what was then known as Chancery. A row of justices are hearing the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, where an inheritance from several generations ago has the trouble of having several claimants, all of whom may be the correct ones. The case has dragged on for so long that people have committed suicide over the outcome, and others have grown withered and old waiting for a decision. As for the lawyers, they're estastic -each one will be getting paid off first, and the longer they drag it all out, the more they'll get.

The story centers around two young people, Richard Carstone (Partrick Kennedy) and Ada Clare (Carey Mulligan), who are cousins and fellow claimnants to the Jarndyce inheritance. The courts have deemed that they are too young to be on their own, so another relation, John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) has offered them his guardianship and a home at his estate, Bleak House. As it would not be seemly for Ada to be alone, he has invited another young woman, Esther Somerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) to be her companion, and as we discover, to help him run his house. Bleak House, we discover, is actually quite pleasant, and Mr. Jarndyce is one of those people we like to meet in the real world -he warns both Richard and Ada that to pin their hopes on the endless case is foolishness, and instead do as he did and make their own way in the world. But young Richard, as we see, is feckless and more than a little stupid -he can't turn away his hopes of the money, and so plays at picking a profession whether it is law, or medicine, or anything else that would turn a living. We are also introduced to a friend of Jarndyce's -Mr. Skimpole (Nathaniel Parker) who claims to be 'innocent as a child in all things' and who happily battens off of others, in the most odious fashion.

On a neighboring estate, that of Sir Lester Dedlock (Timothy West) and his wife, Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson), there is also interest in the case. They are visited by their lawyer, Mr. Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance), who begins his own hunt when Lady Dedlock faints at the signt of the handwrighting on one of the legal briefs. Immediately, we're curious as to the why and who.

The who is Mr. Nemo (John Lynch), a law writer who makes a scanty living by copying out documents for the lawyers. He's also a sad, beaten man who finds solace only in opium. His neighbor, Miss Flite (Pauline Collins), a distressed gentlewoman, has her caged birds for company as her own claim goes on forever in the chancery courts, with little hope for the future as well. And Mr. Nemo's only friend it seems, is Joe, a young streetsweeper who has a very fateful encounter with Lady Dedlock herself at the end of the first two hour segment.

As we discover, not everyone in this tale will end happily or rich. Money, in some form or another, is the constant worry of this tale, along with a general condemnation of the law profession -one result of Dickens' novel was that it created such an outpouring of anger at the Chancery Courts that the system was finally reformed.

This one is a cold, chilling portrayal of the two extremes of early Victorian England. At one end you have the ease of the Dedlocks, John Jarndyce and Mr. Tulkinghorn. At the other is the grinding poverty of Mr. Nemo, Miss Flyte, and Joe. In between there are the uncertain futures of Ada, Richard and Esther, and indeed most of the characters in the novel. Money, and the lack of it, is one of the major themes of the story, along with family secrets, greed and outright lies.

Some critics state that this was probably Dickens' finest novel. I'm inclined to agree, all of the characters are complex, with their own stories and desires giving them voice and depth. Too, Dickens' own wit and scathing humor is pretty evident in the dialog, and the names of the various characters throughout.

This version comes in at 510 minutes, in a DVD transfer that is quite nearly perfect. The lighting at times is haunting with the use of polarized filters, the sound is crisp, and the acting top notch. Whoever did the casting in this was dead-on in their approach -the most intriguing of the characters, Lady Dedlock and Esther, are perfect. Costuming and set design are perfect for the period. Too, the art directors were careful in not wallowing in the poverty-stricken parts of the story, nor in moralizing, they just show things as they were, and let the audience make up their own mind in what can be right or just.

Another version of this was adapted for PBS/Masterpiece Theatre back in 1985, with Diana Rigg as the cold Lady Dedlock.

DVD extras include: subtitles in English,

This miniseries is one of the reasons why PBS?s Masterpiece Theatre and the BBC remain the gold standard as far as I am concerned. If you are curious about more about this novel or the miniseries, be certain to check out their links on . Highly recommended.

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The one Dickens novel I never read turns up in a brilliant realization from Andrew Davies, with mesmerizing characters and first-rate actors in another BBC success. Gillian Anderson refocuses her considerable acting chops to bring the luckless Lady Dedlock to perfect fruition. The relative scarceness of her scenes, and their critical importance to the story, makes her appearances even more tantalizing. The entire cast once again proves the English theatre tradition thriving, and is directed with consummate skill, and pride of detail. I love the redoubtable Pauline Collins as the quintessential Miss Flite, and Charles Dance is incendiary as the heartless Tulkinghorn. Anna Maxwell Martin (Esther Summerson) is a marvel to watch; she corners a self-assurance most actors only dream of, with ownership of every nuance of face and inflection it's a huge performance of requisite Dickensian depth, perfectly tuned and delivered with the most gifted ease imaginable. It's worth every minute just to watch her copiously in her many scenes. Dickens' many minor characters never fail to justify their presence in his novels, however extravagant, and Bleak House has its profuse share. It's amazing how beguilingly the BBC has forged its remarkable history of mini-series of English literature; I can think of few, if any, failures. Bleak House is, bar none, one of its masterpieces. Nothing prevents an unqualified recommendation for an exquisite film experience more than worthy of the great Dickens.

Overboard (1987)

This movie is reminiscent of classic comedies of the 60's. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have amazing chemistry, but so many funny moments you will laugh out loud. Goldie learning how to be a homemaker is priceless, and she does the physical comedy so well. This movie flows continuously from beginning to end. It does not lag in any part. It is a keeper, and a good addition to any collection.

No matter how many times I watch this movie (and believe me, I've watched it many, many, many times) it's always enjoyable. Goldie Hawn stars as Joanna Stayton, an incrediblly rich, incredibly bored and incredibly bitchy woman with nothing left to do while her yacht is docked at a small coastal Oregon town called Elk's Cove but to hire a carpenter named Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell, gotta love him) to remodel her closet. But when the job isn't done to her satisfaction, he winds up overboard along with all his tools. He vows to get revenge on her and the opportunity presents itself when Joanne falls overboard in the middle of the night and is later discovered by a crew of Portuguese men on a garbage barge. But Joanna has amnesia and can't remember who she is. And her husband Grant is all to happy to pretend he doesn't know her and leave her in the hospital. But when Dean sees the "amnesia lady" on the news, he recognizes Joanna and hatches a plan to get revenge and get the money she owes him. But neither one expects to fall in love with the other. Overboard is a fun and funny movie that also teaches us the lesson that money doesn't buy us complete happiness. It can for you though if you buy Overboard because it's worth watching hundreds of times over. I love it! Enjoy!

Buy Overboard (1987) Now

Probably my favorite comedy movie of all time (starring Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell), Overboard has it all!

A five star cast, hilarious dialogue, great comedic timing, and marvelous chemistry between Hawn & Russell easily adds up to more than five stars worth of fun. Supporting cast members like Roddy McDowell, Katherine Helmond, and Edward Herrmann make more than the most from their roles, and really shine. The actors who portray Mrs. Berberich, the school principal, and Dr. Korman, the psychiatrist, really do their part to add comedic punch as well.

The movie opens with Goldie Hawn as JoAnna Stayton, a bored, pampered, demanding and imperious heiress--husband Grant is an equally shallow and pompous aristocrat. They openly despise each other, treat the help like servants, are enamored with possessions over people, and are proof positive that money does not buy happiness.

Enter Kurt Russell as carpenter Dean Profitt, hired to build a new closet on the Stayton yacht. When petualnt Hawn refuses to pay him for his work and knocks him overboard, Russell vows he will make her pay. He soon gets his chance when JoAnna falls overboard herself and husband Grant is too preoccupied watching Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous (ostensibly to see if he made it onto a list of the top ten yacht owners!) to hear her cries for help and save her.

Once rescued and suffering from amnesia, JoAnna is taken to the mental ward of a local hospital where she terrorizes staff members with her fits and vicious snits. Only too glad to be rid of her, they fall for Dean Profitt's story that this is his missing wife, Annie, and he is permitted to take her "home."

The Profitt "residence" turns out to be a down-and-out homestead reminiscent of the farm from Green Acres, complete with car parts and debris all over the yard, a limping dog in a cast, and four unruly boys demolishing everything in sight. Watching Hawn acclimate to this nightmare is totally hilarious. At one point she sighs..."So, this is my life....I didn't marry very well, did I?" Too, too funny!

By movie's end, Hawn has transformed the unruly household into a happy family home, fallen in love with Russell and his children, and morphed into a real human being. A funny, funny movie with a feel good ending, Overboard is highly underrated. I urge you to watch it and share the humor!

Read Best Reviews of Overboard (1987) Here

Among the films I can easily remember growing up as a teen and seeing it played over and over on HBO, it was the 1987 film "Overboard" starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. And with a lot of talk about the upcoming remake starring Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith, it doesn't surprise me that the film is now being released on Blu-ray.

"Overboard" is one of Director Gary Marshall's ("Pretty Woman", "Beaches", "Runaway Bride") earlier films, written by Leslie Dixon ("Mrs. Doubtfire", "Hairspray", Limitless") that was a flop in the box office but pretty much became a cult film because of its popularity on cable and even 25-years-later, I still see this film while channel surfing late at night and I have no doubt in my mind that people of today's generation are enjoying this late '80s film.

VIDEO:

"Overboard" is presented in 1080p High Definition (widescreen 1:85:1). First, its important for me to mention that a lot of late '80s and also early '90s films were not shot with great film stock. In fact, more than likely you will noticed certain catalog titles looking its age in HD. For "Overboard", you will notice that there is a good amount of grain but also a lot of noise and also a look that is not exactly the most pristine and shows its age.

With that being possibly the bad news, the good news is that the film looks much better than what one would see on television, on VHS and on DVD. The other good news is that there are many scenes that actually do look good and brings out the detail of the film. While the opening title sequence may look its age, as the film progresses, it actually looks much better. Granted, you will see white speckles from time-to-time but one thing where this film is fortunate is that most of it is shot outdoors and thus the sunlight really makes certain scenes come out vibrant.

So, if you really love this film, Blu-ray is the way to go!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Overboard" is presented in English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish Mono and French Dolby Surround. The soundtrack is front-channel driven. Dialogue and even the '80s synth music comes out quite clear. Overall, it's a good lossless soundtrack but I chose to watch this film with stereo on all channels (set on my receiver) for a more immersive soundscape.

Subtitles are in English, Spanish and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Overboard" comes with the original theatrical trailer.

JUDGMENT CALL:

One thing that I remember about this film is when I was a teenager was that I felt that Goldie Hawn was a hot actress and with her and Kurt Russell being a real-life couple, that the two had amazing chemistry.

Watching it in 2011, Goldie Hawn looks beautiful in the film and interesting to see how Goldie back then and her daughter Kate Hudson (today) look so much alike and yes, she and Kurt Russell have amazing chemistry and for the most part, despite the film is a popcorn romantic comedy and as many critics have called it an updated "screwball comedy" with a redneck attitude.

Some love it, some hate it but at the time, when one of the younger children spoke like Pee-Wee Herman, maybe today it seems a bit overplayed but heck, even back then...everyone tried to speak and laugh like Pee-Wee Herman. Granted, parents probably may have not liked the stereotypical portrayal of the redneck family, especially with the young kids talking about a woman's bodyparts and looking at nudie magazines but the sex jokes and overall comedy was not for the refined movie-goer.

And probably that is why this film had so much success on cable. At the time, Americans were more in-tune of what was coming out from the more younger crowd ala the Brat Pack talents during the late '80s and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were not an exciting box office pairing (their previous film "Swing Shift" back in 1984 also didn't do that well). But like many Americans, once this film started showing up on cable TV, it was watched many times.

And the intriguing thing about this film is that if you bypass the critic reviews for this film, you will see so many people who actually gave the film high ratings within the last 25-years. And personally, I don't think this film can be remade it today's society, especially with the kids talk about T&A so freely. It's not going to happen. So, I can only imagine the remake being tailored for modern sensibilities and it'll be interesting to see how far the remake will go.

But most importantly, what made this film work is because both Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have great chemistry and the fact that they were a real life couple, the characters seemed real and convincing. Because these two talents are in love, you can tell on film that the characters that they play are really in love. It's all in the details and the emotions and it made this film quite enjoyable.

For parents who watched the trailer, bare in mind, this is definitely not a family film. Granted, the banality of naughty or misbehaved children has been overdone in movies but in the case of this film alone, these kids like to talk about women's boobs and their butt and read nudie magazines and speak profanity. It was rated PG back in 1987 but wouldn't be surprised if a film like this would receive a rated-R in today's movie rating system (as one or two words of profanity easily gets a film an "R" rating).

As for the Blu-ray release, this is a barebones release and the PQ is not the greatest but its probably the better of any video version that has been released thus far. If you are passionate about the film and still have that old VHS copy, then definitely upgrade to Blu-ray!

Overall, "Overboard" is a romantic comedy with likeable characters, a fun story and a typical happy ending. By no means is it the best when it comes to romantic comedies but it is a cheerful romantic comedy with that '80s style and if you loved the film back then, no doubt you will love the film today!

Want Overboard (1987) Discount?

Maybe this movie seems better than it actually is because so many other comedies haven't worked and weren't funny. In any case, this one works, and manages to be funny all the way through, when it almost doesn't seem like it should be funny at all. It's light-hearted and low-brow. A poverty-stricken carpenter is determined to get his just payment from a rich and very snobby woman, who is amnesiac after an accident, and installs her in his shabby house as his supposed wife and mother to his large brood of brats. As nasty as she was, we can't help but feel sorry for her, and perhaps we find the story uplifting because although she really does land in an awful situation, she muddles through, right on to a happy ending. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn appear to be having a great time as the mismatched couple, and the story and humour feel fresh.

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The Original Christmas Classics Gift Set (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus is Comin' to

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is my favorite Christmas classic, as it likely it is for many people. Getting it in HD without having to watching it with commercials, is a treat for sure!

In the latest set (2011 release, this review is for the Blu Ray set, NOT DVD set), you only get 2 discs instead of 3. You get Santa Claus is Coming to Town on one discs and Rudolph and Frosty on another disc.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town looks OK, but for a film in HD, I guess I expected something better. My understanding is this is due to the original masters and not a lack of trying. I would say this looks better than it likely ever did when it aired.

For the audio portion, you get English 5.1/2.0 and Spanish 2.0. For those of you thinking that you'd like to hear the film in 5.1, I can say... don't even bother. To me it sounds like all they've done is done some matrixing of the audio, with the majority of it coming from the center channel, and ALL of the same audio kind of sounds like an echo in the other speakers. A complete and utter waste. Watch it in the original stereo audio for a more genuine aural experience.

Frosty the Snowman This one looks pretty good. They did a really good job on the restoration of this one (might have been easier being a cartoon, I don't know). Of the three (4 if you count the Frosty Returns extra), this probably was served the best during remastering.

Audio is presented in stereo 2.0 and sounds good. No pops, hiss or crackle.

Rudolph Every year I see this coming out on home video (DVD, BD... VHS) format, I get excited that this might be the year Rudolph gets the royal treatment. Every year I am disappointed.

Video quality on Rudolph is really good. If you've seen the HD broadcast of Rudolph, you know what this looks like on Blu Ray. They did a decent enough job when they remastered it.

In terms of audio, it's presented in stereo 2.0. No pops, crackle, hisses or any other blemishes.

So if it's so good in terms of audio and video, why am I disappointed? Well, when I grew up I watch Rudolph (during the 80s) with Fame and Fortune as the song Hermey and Rudolph sing. In 1998 they returned to the original film elements for cleaning the show up and at this time they restored the original Christmas classic to it's original presentation, without Fame and Fortune and this is how it has been broadcast since.

However, this alone doesn't get me to drop the star ranking. I actually really enjoy the original as it was first aired in the early 60s.

What bothers me is that year after year, after the 2004 release, they've dropped Fame and Fortune as an extra. At least on the 2004 DVD I could watch and hear the song, even if it wasn't embedded in the video.

As I know how DVD/BD creation works, to some small extent, while it would be some work, it wouldn't be terribly difficult to create a DVD/BD that would allow you to watch with either Fame and Fortune OR We're a Couple of Misfits embedded in playback. This is a gripe, and if Fame and Fortune was at least included as a bonus, I'd have been much happier.

The other thing I hope for is a complete release. As above, give me Fame and Fortune in some fashion, but how about also restoring the Rankin intro from the 2004 DVD? How about giving us the GE commercials, the commercials that aired in the early 60s with the show, that used the Rudolph puppets to advertise for different GE products? I actually have these on DVD in a raw, non-restored format, and even if they included them without cleaning them up, I'd be so happy! How about an interview with the official Rankin/Bass historian, Rick Goldschmidt on the show?

And as a bonus, we get "Frosty Returns." I have no idea what Classic Media was thinking, but they put this on the Blu Ray in SD format. It plays back in 480p. This wouldn't be so bad, but the video is wretchedly horrible. Audio is OK, but the video issues are glaring.

Over all, I'm not sure the set is worth $30. It's essentially the same release as last year, without the third disc, so if you already have last year's (2010) release, you don't need this one. The audio and video is good given the original source material, but there's so much more that could be done with these classics, yet Classic Media seems to be satisfied by putting out "good enough" releases instead of taking the year between each release to really pull together something magical and worth rebuying.

On a final note. Keep in mind that Mr Magoo and the others, are NOT on the Blu Ray. You ONLY get Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty and Frosty Returns. The DVD does indeed have more shows. Not sure why Classic Media did this, but they did.

As there are number of collections called "The Original Christmas Classics", and another called "The Original Television Christmas Classics" there can be some confusion about that is included in each set. Particularly as they are all collections of features by Rankin/Bass (except as noted) primarily from the 1960's, and traditionally shown during the holiday season.

"The Original Christmas Classics" DVD set includes the seven features listed below, while the Bluray set with the same name, the subject of this review, only includes the first four titles.

1. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964 47 minutes)

2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970 51 minutes)

3. Frosty The Snowman (1969 25 minutes)

4. Frosty Returns (1992 23 minutes

5. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962 53 minutes)

6. Little Drummer Boy (1968 25 minutes)

7. Cricket On The Hearth (1967 49 Minutes)

The Bluray set has two video discs. Disc One contains Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, while Disc Two features Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman, and Frosty Returns. Apparently all of the features have been remastered and restored to full length. Presentation is full screen, with no subtitles. Some Bluray sets apparently have an audio CD with songs taken from the specials, and some do not.

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (1970): Rating 4.5 stars

While the legend of Santa Claus may be well-known, this delightful stop action feature delves into his early years, and also explains some of the common myths regarding Santa. The story is told partially through narration by a letter carrier (voiced by Fred Astaire) who delivers mail to Santa at the North Pole. An orphan baby boy is taken in and raised by the Kringle's, a family of toymaking elves. He is named Kris, and when he grows up, the red-haired young man (voiced by Mickey Rooney) leaves home with a big bag of toys. Through the gift of giving, Kris melts the ice cold heart of the Winter Warlock (voiced by Keenan Wynn), and makes a special friend in a schoolteacher named Jessica (voiced by Robie Lester). Kris faces numerous obstacles, but overcomes them with the help of his friends and family. He marries Jessica, and builds a home at the North Pole. As Santa Claus, he distributes toys to the children of the world.

The improvements made in the stop action technique, make for a smoother looking and more lifelike presentation, and the feature looks terrific on Bluray. With a creative uplifting story and some fun songs, this wonderful take on the origin of Santa Claus, is great family entertainment.

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964): Rating 3.5 stars

A true holiday classic, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer features Burl Ives, a warm, teddy bear of a man, lending his unforgettable voice to Sam the Snowman, the narrator of this tale. Rudolph (voiced by Billie Richards) the son of Donner, runs away from home in shame, when his glowing red nose is discovered. In the woods, he meets Hermey (voiced by Paul Soles), an elf who dreams of becoming a dentist. The pair team up with prospector Yukon Cornelius (voiced by Larry D. Mann), and after escaping the clutches of the Abominable Snow Monster, they all make their way to the Island of Misfit Toys.

After growing into a young buck, Rudolph returns home, and tracks down his missing parents and friend Clarice, who are being held prisoner by the Snow Monster. With the help of Yukon Cornelius and Hermy, the Snow Monster is defeated, and the prisoners are set free. A raging storm threatens to ruin Christmas, but with Rudolph leading the sleigh team, Santa is able to deliver presents after all.

Memorable characters, an underlying message of acceptance, and quality songs, particularly those sung by Burl Ives, pretty much insures that this will continue to be a beloved holiday classic. The Bluray image is reasonably sharp and blemish free.

Frosty The Snowman (1969): Rating 3 stars

This animated feature narrated by Jimmy Durante, tells the story of Frosty, who comes to life when the magical hat of Professor Hinkle (voiced by Billy De Wolf) lands on his head. Together with his new friend Karen and Hinkle's rabbit Hocus Pocus, Frosty sneaks aboard a train headed north. The trio ends up in the woods, with Hinkle trailing trying to retrieve his hat. Fortunately Santa arrives to save the day, returning Karen home, and taking Frosty with him to the North Pole. Based on the traditional song, Frosty The Snowman is a light and fun tale, probably best suited for young ones. The Bluray looks fine, but probably won't blow you away.

Frosty Returns (1992): Rating 2.5 stars

This animated special was produced by CBS rather than Rankin/Bass, and features narration by Jonathan Winters. Frosty arrives in the town of Beansboro, and becomes friends with children Holly and Charles. A new invention called Summer Wheeze, a canned spray that instantly melts snow, threatens to ruin the town's traditional winter carnival. John Goodman provides the voice of Frosty. Image quality is just average.

Whether this Bluray collection with just four features is a better buy than Rankin/Bass' The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town / Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns / Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol / Little Drummer Boy / Cricket on the Hearth), or The Original Television Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town / Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns / The Little Drummer Boy), both which have more content, just depends. The remastered stop action features look very good in high definition, however the animated ones seems just average. Unless you are totally in love with Rudolph, and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, one of the DVD collections might work out better.

If you do have a warm spot in your heart for holiday programming, you will want to at least take a look at all the options. With so many similar products, some with the same name, it is easy to get confused, and Rankin/Bass probably needs to do a better job of making it clear to consumers just what they are buying.

Buy The Original Christmas Classics Gift Set (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus is Comin' to Now

Alright, so I got this collection in the mail today and popped all 3 movies in to see how the transfers look.

Overall, I'm fairly disappointed. I think Rudolph looks the least remastered. It might just be because the setting is so white but there's very little detail and often the lighting was inconsistant (though that's probably stuck in the original film). Santa Claus is Comin' to Town looks the best. There's lots of nice, vibrant colors in it. Frosty is somewhere in the middle. The audio is incredibly soft on all 3 and not really worth noting. I'd be very interested in a more professional review from someone who knows more about the original negatives and whatnot, but as for my eye-based review I'd give it an overall C-grade.

There are, of course, some improvements. I've yet to see a 1080p transfer that doesn't do any good, but, to be honest, I wish I had been able to resist and saved $30. At $15 I'd be satisfied, but not $30.

As for bonus features there aren't any except the not-so-classic "Frosty Returns" and a CD featuring a collection of favorite Christmas songs.

Here's the tracklist of the bonus audio CD:

01. Burl Ives Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

02. Brenda Lee Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

03. Jackson 5 Santa Claus is Coming to Town

04. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Jingle Bells

05. Jimmy Durante Frosty the Snowman

06. Burl Ives A Holly Jolly Christmas

07. Bobby Helms Jingle Bell Rock

Read Best Reviews of The Original Christmas Classics Gift Set (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus is Comin' to Here

The product description & the reviews attached here are for a different product (the one that actually says on its cover that it is 7 Christmas specials). This product is only 4 Christmas specials. Hope someone gets this listing fixed!

Want The Original Christmas Classics Gift Set (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus is Comin' to Discount?

Those considering purchase of the BD or DVD version of this set should realize that the contents of the BD version ARE NOT THE SAME as the DVD version.

The DVD set actually contains SEVEN holiday movies: Frosty The Snowman; Frosty Returns; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town; The Little Drummer Boy; Cricket On The Hearth; and Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol.

The BluRay contains ONLY FOUR of these movies. It is missing The Little Drummer Boy, Cricket on the Hearth and Mr Magoo's Xmas Carol. I have no idea why those three movies weren't included in the BD version, especially as the BD format allows one to fit much more information on a single disc than does a DVD. The fact is that all seven films could have easily been contained on TWO BDs. It's doubly confusing as Classic Media's cover art for both the DVD and BD versions is identical. Consumers can't be faulted for making the assumption that both sets contain the same material when the packaging is the same.

And, it appears that Classic Media has put these 4 films on TWO BDs for 2012, rather than the 3 BDs from 2011. What they haven't done is lower the price to a level that won't make the parents cry. A MSRP of $55 for two BDs? Really?

When it comes to the films themselves, my family tends to watch Rudolf, Frosty and Mr Magoo more than the others (Mr Magoo's Xmas Carol is graced by a terrific score by Jule Styne. It is also available separately on BD). Cricket on the Hearth and The Little Drummer Boy haven't made it to BD yet, but you can find the two films coupled on a two-DVD set for under $10.

There is a noticeable uptick in the picture and sound quality of the BD versions, but if push comes to shove and you really want all 7 films, then you won't be disappointed with the DVD version.

Both sets also include the same CD of "The Original Christmas Classics," a 7-track music-only CD that includes Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer; Rockin' Around The Xmas Tree; Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town; Jingle Bells; Frosty the Snowman; A Holly Jolly Xmas; and Jingle Bell Rock. The CD is stuck between the DVD/BD cases in one of those paper CD-R sleeves. Not exactly gala packaging, but then, it is a "bonus," right?

Hulk Vs. (2009)

First, let me say that the Blu-Ray version of this is crisp and clean. Gave me some minor issues loading at first but after I got those cleared up, it was smooth sailing.

The features themselves are not very long. I'll talk about them individually:

Hulk Vs. Wolverine This was before his X-Men days as Wolverine was working for Department H. The Hulk invades Canada and Wolverine is sent to hunt him down to stop him or put him down for good. The fight between them is short but pretty violent. Wolvie even makes the Hulk bleed in this one!

Not a lot of plot to this adventure but we do get appearances from Wolverine's rogue gallery in the forms of Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Omega Red and (most entertaining of all) Deadpool. Also, these guys explored Wolverine's time with the Weapon X project in a way that none of the animated series' could go (not even the classic '90's series) nor has the movies gone yet. Ending is unresolved but hey, this feature gave us what it should and that's a smash mouth donnybrook!

The Hulk Vs. The Mighty Thor In this one, Loki (the step-brother of Thor) brings The Hulk to Asgard, seperates him from Banner and takes control of him in order to wreak havoc in the Kingdom of Asgard. But his plan backfires and now Thor (as well as Loki and all of Asgard) faces the full fury of a Banner-less, mindless Hulk! While not bloody as Hulk Vs. Wolverine, its no less violent as The Hulk does put a brutal beating at one point on Thor, nearly killing him! This one also has a bit more story to it than the previous feature.

There are also several features to this release. The most entertaining, to me, is the behind the scenes of both features as well as a tribute to Jack Kirby as it relates to Thor. There is also footage of Hulk Vs. Wolverine at one of the big Comic conventions.

Overall, I was happy with this release. I would not, however, recommend this to small children. This is definitely a feature that should only be viewed by teens and adults. It might be too intense for younger kids. Plus, there is brief language in Hulk Vs. Wolverine during their fight so if you are the kind of person that gets offended easily or is a Bible thumper, this isn't for you.

Its a great release overall.

Hulk Vs. is so far the best animated film created by Marvel. Both short films are full of graphic violence, great animation, and the characters are played as they should be. Even the storylines are great in this DVD!

Hulk Vs. Wolverine: Logan is assigned to take down the monstrous Hulk as he tears apart the Canadian countryside. Or is it really the Hulk alone who is causing all the damage? Wolverine soon finds out that Sabretooth, Omega Red, Lady DeathStrike, and Deadpool have been hunting the Hulk for the Weapon X program and attempt to use the most powerful monster on the planet as a weapon. But Lady DeathStrike and the others have other plans.

Hulk Vs. Thor: Odin is asleep and it seems that all of Asgard's enemies have been defeated. But Loki has captured Bruce Banner and plans to unleash the Hulk and destroy Thor. But can Loki truelly control such a savage and powerful monster? For not even Thor nor any God has the strength or the power to stop the Hulk!

My addvice, buy this DVD set. If you are true fan of the core material of the comics, then this DVD is for you. However, beware it is extremely graphic and should not be seen by those under the age of 13. The bonous features are a great treat and plus we get a look at Thor: Tales Of Asgard. So, what are you waiting for? Buy now and enjoy!

Buy Hulk Vs. (2009) Now

"HULK VS." is a 2-disc special edition featuring "Hulk vs. Wolverine" and "Hulk vs. Thor" animated movies. Released from Lionsgate there are numerous previews, various audio commentaries, and of course the actual movies.

Disc 1 contains "Hulk vs. Wolverine" (PG-13) and is 37 minutes long. Hulk is tearing up the Canadian country side and Wolverine is sent to stop him. The movie opens with Hulk and Wolverine battling. After the title and credit sequence the movie goes back to four hour earlier when Wolverine was brought in by helicopter to the small town of Elkford that was destroyed by Hulk. The Canadian military wants Wolverine to stop Hulk. If he can't be stopped then Wolverine is to kill him before he harms another town or city. The chase is on with Wolverine finding a lot more than expected including other foes in the Canadian wildness.

Disc 1 also contains audio commentaries with Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Frank Paur, Kevin Altieri and Butch Lukic. There is also a first look at "Wolverine And The X-Men" coming in April along with a making of "Hulk vs. Wolverine" feature. There is also a feature about the "Hulk vs. Wolverine" world premiere at the San Diego Comic Con last year and a question and answer deal there at the convention.

The 45 minute Disc 2 features "Hulk vs. Thor" (PG-13) and is the story of Loki trying to destroy his stepbrother, Thor. The movie opens with another colorful credit sequence before taking us to the realm of the eternal: Asgard. Long ruled and protected by Odin all is well and the cycle continues. Every winter Odin must sleep and leaves things unprotected for seven days and that is when the wicked come. Thor leads the defense against the siege of darkness. Dr. Banner is spirited in by Loki so that he can be forced to become the Hulk and used to finally destroy, Thor. But, Hulk is not a weapon that can be controlled for long and the repercussions for all will be epic.

This disc also features audio commentary with Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Frank Paur, Sam Liu and James Peters. Like the much bloodier and brutal "Hulk vs. Wolverine" disc, this disc also has a making of the feature and a first look feature at the next movie in the series. This one is on "Thor: Tales of Asgard" coming out on DVD this fall. There is also a feature on Jack Kirby and his artwork with Thor.

The result is two very different movies that continue the legendary Marvel characters while providing plenty of back story. The animation is detailed as are the complicated story lines creating a viewing experience sure to please old and young alike.

Kevin R. Tipple (COPYRIGHT)2009

"By The Light Of The Moon"

The Carpathian Shadows Volume 2

Read Best Reviews of Hulk Vs. (2009) Here

As a superhero fan, I was going to watch this regardless, but after the lackluster animated releases Marvel has put out so far, I didn't have my expectations set too high.

However, Hulk Vs. is by far the best animated Marvel film yet. I think the fact that they split them up into 2 approx. half hour shorts helped tremendously, keeping the plot moving and the action tight. Both episodes felt like they could've easily been a stand-alone issue of a comic book, with all the heroes keeping in character.

Hulk Vs. Wolverine is the standout, and sets a new standard in brutal cartoon violence (for a PG-13 rating of course). We are treated to some great Wolverine back-story, right out of the Weapon X storyline, some hardcore Wolverine vs. Hulk fighting (which seemed like a combo of Wolverine's first appearance in the Hulk comic and the more recent Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine mini-series) and some great appearances by fan-favorite villains like Sabretooth, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, and Deadpool.

Hulk Vs. Thor was surprisingly entertaining, but being as I'm not that much of a Thor fan, I enjoyed the Wolverine story more. That's not to say this wasn't a good episode, and I ultimately enjoyed it more than I expected. Both films had excellent animation and fantastic voice-work. Good writing, all by people who were obvious fans of the core material.

I highly recommend Hulk Vs. It's two great stand-alone episodes that seem like they could be part of a larger universe. Hopefully Marvel realizes this and begins adapting popular comic book arcs like Secret Invasion, Secret War, or Spider-Man Reign...

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I had seen lots of trailers for this DVD on-line from Marvel and it looked great, so I was anxious to see it. On viewing, I had mixed feelings. The animation is good quality and looks fabulous on Blu-Ray, especially Asgard. On the other hand, the two stories are so predictable that you could write them before you open the box. I wasn't expecting it to be an Oscar winner, but I did expect it to be a DVD I would want to watch more than once.

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PURE COUNTRY / PURE COUNTRY: THE GIFT

I love George Strait, he is the reason I bought these movies. I liked Pure Country the best, because George plays a bigger part in that movie than in #2. I love most of the songs from Pure Country. #2 has a good storyline and the main character has a wonderful voice, I just think that George should have sung one or two songs!!

Pure Country is an outstanding movie. Great soundtrack and story line. George is not a gifted actor, but plays the part well. I get misty at the ending each viewing which is not suppose to be cool for a guy. PC 2 is a nice storyline with good music, but the angel angle makes the story a little hokey.

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Movie is great so much talent we have but always forget where we got it from GOTTA SEE to believe..

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Pure Country is a great movie for those that love country music. Movie is a little cheesy but... Have not watched Pure Country 2 yet.

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I LOVE GEORGE STRAIT, COUNTRY MUSIC, AND COWBOYS. I LOVE HORSES AND I LOVE RODEOS. I AM ONE OF GEORGE STRAIT'S BIGGEST COUNTRY MUSIC FANS. I HAVE ATTENDED MANY 0F GEORGE STRAIT'S CONCERTS IN MINNEAPOLIS AND IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. I HAVE COLLECTED GEORGE STRAIT MEMORABILIA FOR MANY YEARS. I HAVE ENJOYED EVERYTHING GEORGE STRAIT. I HAVE FILLED MY HOME WITH LOTS OF GEORGE STRAIT SOUVENIRS. GEORGE STRAIT IS THE KING OF COUNTRY MUSIC. I SHALL LISTEN TO GEORGE STRAIT'S COUNTRY MUSIC SONGS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE ON GOD'S BEAUTIFUL EARTH. GOD BLESS GEORGE STRAIT AND FAMILY.

Raising Arizona (2011)

This movie is much more than an outrageous and unique comedy. One reason for its cult following has been consistently missed by the critics: repeated viewings reveal surprising layers of meaning and an intricate web of symbolism.

At the heart of this film is the timeless debate known as "nature vs. nurture": are we more a product of our genes, or of our environment? How much of an effect does our upbringing have on our likelihood to turn out as either a law-abiding member of society (a society which in this movie is of dubious merit, as represented by Hi's job and his unctuous boss) or as a criminal deviant from its norms?

The symbolism in this film is rich and evocative--while always contributing to the comedy. Note how often the adult characters cry and carry on like infants. Note the way the escaped convicts are "born" into the outside world. Note the marriage of a convict and a police officer, and the difference in their families visible in the brief wedding shot. Note the juxtaposition of milk poured over cereal with the infant's feeding bottle, as Evelle observes, "Ya don't breast feed him, he'll hate you for it later. That's why we wound up in prison." And note the frequent use of phrases such as "that's natural," as opposed to "you're not being true to your nature" or "mother didn't love me." As Hi observes, "maybe it's my upbringing, maybe it's just that my genes got screwed up, I don't know."

The quasi-biblical, poetical and aphorism-laden language the characters use in the-state-adjacent-to-Utah is both touching and funny. Every word of the film is a finely polished gem. Ed's little plan is "the solution to all our problems, and the answer to all our prayers." Her infertile womb is a "rocky place where my seed can find no purchase." And as Hi later writes in a touching letter to his dearest Edwina, "I feel the thunder gathering even now...I cannot tarry...better I should go, send you money, and let you curse my name." On the other hand, the crotchety Arizona characters also have a remarkable literalness of expression. A packet of balloons does not blow up into funny shapes, not "unless round is funny." And as the old codger in the bank robbery points out, "If I freeze, I can't rightly drop, and if I drop, I'm gonna be in motion!"

Even the music in this film is perfectly executed, from the hilarious yodeling and whistling of the main theme to the way the chilling accompaniment of a nightmare is later revealed to be a haunting children's nursery song, and then mutates into an ethereal melody in the film's final scenes. The characters, despite their flaws, are all surprisingly sympathetic. And the film is tightly constructed, without a single unnecessary scene or moment. It ends with a bang, not a whimper, its final words resonating with significance and yet leaving one wanting more, like a swift exit after a great punch line.

At the deepest core of this film lies a mystery wrapped in an enigma: who is the once-orphaned "motorcycle demon from hell," and what is his relation to Herbert I. McDonnough? The answer to this puzzle relates intimately to the "nature vs. nurture" theme. While I think I know the answer, I'll leave it for you to figure out, based on the clues ("show the tattoo!") liberally scattered throughout the film. "Okay then!"

If you've come to be a fan of the Coen brothers by watching Fargo or O Brother Where Art Thou, be sure not to overlook their second movie, Raising Arizona. It's by far their funniest.

H.I. (Nic Cage) is a reformed convenience-store robber who marries Edwina (Holly Hunter), a policewoman. They try to conceive a child, but with no luck. They become bitter and despondent. H.I.'s reformation ends when he and Edwina decide to kidnap one of the many infants of Nathan and Florence Arizona, a couple recently blessed with quintuplets.

Hi's relationship with Edwina takes a turn for the worse when Gayle (John Goodman) and Evell (William Forsythe), freshly escaped from prison, invite him in on one of their schemes, a bank robbery.

The baby's father, Nathan Arizona, then hires a bounty hunter to get the boy back. It's a madcap comedy from start to finish, but the pace just gets wilder and wilder as the movie progresses.

This movie is chock full of hilarious dialogue and crazy action scenes. Absolutely none of it is believable; it's just an hour and a half of magnificent entertainment. All the actors get big laughs from me... possibly Frances McDormand most of all, as Dot, the jabbering lunatic wife of H.I.'s boss.

If you're a fan of Coen Brothers movies at all, and you haven't seen this one, please do watch it.

If you haven't seen any of their movies, Raising Arizona is probably the best place to start.

ken32

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"Raising Arizona" tells the story of an ex-con with a penchant for robbing convenience stores, H.I. McDonnough, played by Nicholas Cage and his new wife Ed, short for Edwina, played by and expressly written for Holly Hunter by the Brothers Coen.

Ed and Hi find themselves together after Ed takes Hi's mugshots and while Hi serves three months in prison then paroled , they marry. The film has some great scenes and one liners galore like the prison scene where a group is receiving counselling:

Prison Counsellor: Why do you say you feel "trapped" in a man's body.

"Trapped" Convict: Well, sometimes I get the menstrual cramps real hard.

After a couple months of wedded bliss the McDonnough's need to concieve a child but with no luck, their failed attempt at adoption and their subsequent kidnapping of Nathan Jr. nathan Jr. is one of the famous Arizona Quintuplets who belong to furniture mogul and owner of all Upainted Arizona stores, Nathan Arizona, Sr.(Trey Wilson) & his wife Florence. The kidnapping highlights the plot.

Enter Hi's prison buddy brothers, Gale and Evelle Snoats, freshly escaped out of the pokey and "the finest pair that ever broke air," according to Hi. The brothers Snoats are played to the hilt by John Goodman and William Forsythe. They have a plan to get Hi back in the business with a bank heist of the local hayseed Farmers and Merchants Bank down the way.

Also in the McDonnough's social circle is Hi's work buddy and swinger, Glen (Sam McMurray) his swinger wife, Dot (an excellent, albeit small part for Frances McDormand)and their bratty passel of kids.

The hunt for the baby Arizona is on with Randall 'Tex' Cobb playing Leonard Smalls, a bounty hunter who is hired by Nathan Sr. to find Nathan Jr and bring him back home to his mamma.

Many hilarious and touching scenes occur in this fine movie from the Coen brothers with some top-notch acting and fleshed out characatures.

Highly Recommended For Multiple Viewings!

Happy Watching!

Read Best Reviews of Raising Arizona (2011) Here

I realize that a title like the one above can seem like hyperbole, but this is not overstatement. I have watched hundreds, maybe thousands of movies in my life and this one always stands out.

An offbeat comedy about a childless couple who kidnap one of a set of quintuplets so they can have a complete family, this movie is close to perfect from beginning to end. Much as I enjoy all the Coen brothers works, this one always stands out as their best. It is an early gem of theirs, and stars people who were really at the beginning of their careers: Nicholas Cage, Holly Hunter and John Goodman.

From the courtship of Hi and Ed to the kidnaping of the Arizona baby to a botched convenience store robbery to a confrontation with a bounty hunter from Hell, this movie is filled with great moments. This movie is a modern classic and is one of the all-time best comedies.

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Overall, this movie is great.

But look closely at the first 5-7 minutes, the introduction up to the yodeling and the title credits when the plan is hatched. This intro is perfect filmmaking, ingeniously paced, hilariously written, and oddly very touching. The whistled, bluegrass Beethoven's 9th gets me every time ...

"Raising Arizona" also launched a decade of creativity by the Coen brothers unmatched by any modern directors I can think of. See this, and then see all the others. Great stuff.

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Atlas Shrugged: Part One (Steelbook Special Edition) (2011)

Being a big fan of Ayn Rand's great novel Atlas Shrugged, I expect a less-than-stellar movie version of the book. Happily, I was very pleased with the first installment of the film.

With the length and scope of the story, it requires either an incredibly long movie or a division into different parts, which they decided to do here. While I've heard plenty about the overall low budget of the film, it is still very well done and they spent some good money on CGI effects for the John Galt Line. Taylor Schilling is actually very good as Dagny Taggart she projects the high-end efficiency and passion of the character, and she is appropriately sexy as well. Grant Bowler as Hank Reardon turns out to be a decent choice as well.

Bottom line, though: I brought along my 16-year-old daughter to see the film, and I expected her to find it "boring" or otherwise uninteresting. Big surprise, though: she loved it! She likes the story and was very drawn to the character of Dagny Taggart. Dagny is such an inspirational role model for women, and I'm glad to see my daughter was inspired as well.

I've never read Atlas Shrugged, and probably never will, so I wasn't familiar with the story at all. When the movie was originally released at the theaters, I read one bad review after another, so I opted not to see it at that time. The move recently went on sale with Amazon, so I bought it and watched it. I came away from the movie surprised; surprised at why it got bad reviews and surprised it didn't do better at the box office despite the bad reviews.

For certain, if you're looking for a movie with explosions, action, comedy, gratuitous sex or horror, you're not going to find Atlas Shrugged worth watching, but if you're looking for an erudite, smart and philosophical movie, Atlas Shrugged hits the mark. The complaints about poor production are so wrong it logical to assume it ideologically driven. The acting it convincing and realistic; anyone who's worked for a successful, self-made business person will quickly recognize the character of "Hank Reardon". And the musical score; some reviews described it as over wrought, but the score for Inglorious Bastards is significantly more "over wrought" than Atlas Shrugged.

In short, if movies about business and/or philosophy appeal to you, then this movie is worth your time.

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This movie is Part 1 of three parts; and it covers the first part of the book.

The movie is well made the quality is actually quite good. Acting was generally good to excellent. Camera work was good; although the low budget resulted in a missing camera angle here and there. Special effects were consistently well done.

The story, of course, is exceptional; and it is well-told in this movie.

Numbers I've seen indicate 80% of the audience (more than 12,000 people were polled) give this movie a thumbs up. And yet, only about 13% of professional movie critics gave this a thumbs up. By voting it down, the professional movie critics really got it wrong. Why? I don't know . . . I am truly surprised that so many movie critics would allow their own political bias to influence their review but I can find no objective reason for the critics' poor grades.

Some people would say that those of the liberal persuasion would not enjoy this; as the message is counter to the socialist perspective. But regardless of the message, we are today living in the world of Atlas Shrugged; and thus, I urge you to watch this movie. If you are to open your mind to new and different ideas, then this is certainly a movie that will challenge you.

Edited on February 4, 2012: Atlas Shrugged Part 2 has now been confirmed to begin the main part of production in April 2012. Yes!!!

Read Best Reviews of Atlas Shrugged: Part One (Steelbook Special Edition) (2011) Here

as the negativists! So many of the one-star maniacs' 'reviews' don't read at all like they actually SAW this movie.

Between that, and movie reviews, I was prepared this just wasn't going to be very good. Just goes to show you should realize that so much of the world is so politicized, it's becoming impossible to get an objective (no pun intended, a la Rand's philosophy) opinion of what the movie is about.

Having said that, I really liked this movie. I liked it so much, I'm going to reread 'Atlas Shrugged,' which I read years ago in college. And while I'll probably still skip over some of the long winded parts of Ayn Rand's commentary (the woman could write, but my God, did she EVER need an editor!!), this movie is so spot-on to what is wrong with this country, and the world, that the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Now to the technical details. I loved the casting. No one has made much of a mention of this, but I think Grant Bowler is perfect as Hank Reardon. His looks are perfect; he's also subtle. Taylor Schilling is fine as Dagney.

The casting of the minor characters is really good as well. I particularly liked Patrick Fischler as Paul (very good cold blooded betrayal there), but I must admit, I adore Graham Beckel. He is absolutely perfect in his role.

The cinematography in this movie is fantastic (a sure sign a reviewer didn't see this movie is when they criticize this!) The score is also perfect.

In fact, the only criticism I have of 'Atlas Shrugged,' and it's a big one, is that the movie is WAY too short. All it did for me was whet my appetite to see MORE of it.

Get some funding already and churn out the rest of this series!

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Capturing the book with a movie is essentially impossible. But this movie did as good a job as could be done to get the point of the book across. If you don't like her philosophy, you wouldn't like the movie, no matter how good it was. If you like her philosophy, you will love the movie. The graphics on a few scenes are kind of lame but considering how little money was spent making this movie, it is mostly surprisingly good!

Star Trek VIII: First Contact (Remastered) (2010)

This two Disk DVD Set is extraordinary. The Picture and Sound quality are so very good that you feel as though you are watching it in a theater. Because it's a widescreen picture the closed captioning doesn't interfere with the picture. It's jam packed with all sorts of extra bonus special features. Everything you ever wanted to know about First Contact and weren't afraid to be told. Let's not forget what a wonderful job Jonathan Frakes did directing. He truly proved himself a more than qualified director for feature films. We all know what a great job he did behind the cameras on the T.V. show. My boyfriend and I watched it together and he was really impressed. He asked me how much it cost. When I told him how inexpensive it was he bought two copies. One for a gift to another Treky fan. I highly recommend this two disk set and suggest you buy it right away before they run out. If you're not satisfied with it, I'll pay you for it. That's how much confidence I have that you'll absolutely LOVE it. Believe me when I tell you this is one purchase that you will never regret. ORDER NOW!!! In response to your comment first of all thank you for reading my review and please feel free to check them all out. You are correct I didn't leave enough information on my personal feelings. I thought the film was terrific. It lived up to the quality that we are used to getting when we see anything that starts out with the heading Star Trek. The storyline was very entertaining, it was as usual well acted, written, directed, great effects. I agree I could have done a better job on the body of the review itself. I'm busy writing another review as we speak. Thank you for taking the time to read my comments and I will strive to do better in the future!

I'm not going to review the movie itself as it's clearly been out long enough I'm just going to give a quick review for those curious as to the bluray transfer. I picked up the disc yesterday and watched it last night. The quality of this bluray disc is stunning! The clarity is top quality and the color vibrance is amazing, without looking fake or hyped. I didn't notice any unusual artifacts like edge enhancement nor any noise reduction I watched it on my 52" Samsung LCD but didn't get right up at the screen to examine for these things. But from where I was sitting it looked flawless. The sound is also fanstic and what I noticed the most is that the movie doesn't suffer from the irritating dramatic volume changes. Yes, during action scenes things get louder as they normally should but it wasn't so much that I had to ride the volume control, which is hugely irritating and becoming more common in today's new releases. If you still don't get what I mean I'm referring to the dialog being much lower in volume to the tremendously loud action scenes. Anyhow, this disc doesn't suffer from that, yet there is still a good amount of bass to put you into the feel of the action scenes.

I highly recommend this disc!

*EDIT forgot to mention there are several extras listed on the back of the box and all of them are listed as being in HD as well. Being that I don't have the case in front of me though I can't list the extra's titles.

Buy Star Trek VIII: First Contact (Remastered) (2010) Now

Even though Star Trek: Generations was a good first entry in The Next Generation era of feature films, it wasn't until Rick Berman, Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga wrote Star Trek: First Contact's story and screenplay that Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew proved that they could carry a Trek film without help from The Original Series' cast.

It also helped that the film was more action-oriented than Star Trek VII. Sure, the last battle of the NCC-1701 D was impressive and the brief meeting of Captains James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Picard did provide Trek fans with some exciting and moving moments, but what fans really wanted was a muscular...action movie with a mission (and antagonists) worthy of the Next Generation crew and the new, top-of-the line Enterprise E.

Star Trek: First Contact brings back the Borg, a race of half-organic, half cybernetic beings whose goal is to destroy other races by assimilating their technology and transforming the survivors by injecting microscopic nanoprobes that turn humans, Vulcans, El-Aurians -anyone, really -into unfeeling, relentless drones. As fans of the 1987-1994 syndicated series know, Capt. Picard was once captured by the Borg and transformed into Locutus, a Borg strategist/spokesdrone whose intimate knowledge of Starfleet technology,its tactics and its officers nearly spelled certain defeat for the Federation at the Battle of Wolf 359.

Now, several years later, the Borg are back and meaner than ever. Having been thwarted more than once in the 24th Century by Picard and his crew, the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) leads a single-cubeship invasion force into Federation space, hoping to defeat the Federation by either conquering Earth in a battle against Starfleet...or tinkering with the timeline and going back to the 21st Century to prevent humanity's first contact with another spacefaring race.

Actor Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Will Riker) makes his feature film directing debut in this eighth installment of the Star Trek movie series, and although he would only direct the weaker Star Trek: Insurrection, he does a great job at helming a very high-octane action flick that involves time travel, space battles, a strong Picard/Data storyline and elements from The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and the then-still new Voyager.

Guest stars James Cromwell (The Sum of All Fears, Babe) and Alfre Woodward join the cast of TNG as warp-drive inventor Zefram Cochrane and his friend and assistant Lily, who add a certain mixture of edginess and wit to the film. Cromwell fares particularly well as Cochrane, a character first seen in The Original Series episode Metamorphosis. While Cromwell doesn't remotely look like the then-30 or 40-something Glen Corbett, he portrays the legendary "father of warp drive" as a very human and flawed genius -he is cranky, cynical and drinks way too much -who is bemused by the hero-worship he receives from the Enterprise crew. He also gets some of the best lines. (My favorite: "You're astronauts...on some kind of star trek?")

Also contributing to the excitement is Jerry Goldsmith's score, a mixture of a lovely new main theme and such familiar touchstones as Alexander Courage's fanfare for the Original Series theme and Goldsmith's own "Main Theme" for Star Trek's first feature film (and later adapted as The Next Generation's main title).

Although First Contact does require some familiarity with the Star Trek universe and its history, it's clearly among the best of the 10 in the series.

Read Best Reviews of Star Trek VIII: First Contact (Remastered) (2010) Here

While "Star Trek: First Contact" rewrites too much of the original TV series' history--a debilitating addiction the current production people can't seem to shake--it delivers a rollicking adventure that is more in keeping with Captain Kirk's episodes than any other "TNG" film. That's really good because on TV, talky Captain Picard and crew often seemed better suited for Monday morning board meetings than the intergalactic perils of space opera. In this one, a race of cybernauts called the Borg decide to revise Earth history by stopping the first human excursion with warp drive. Picard and crew follow the aliens back in time, meeting with a cynical, drunken inventor (a laconic James Cromwell) who revises their assessment of his place in history. Unlike the other TNG films, this one's plotted more like a film than a TV show, meaning that the pace is less likely to put you to sleep, even if Star Trek still can't quite escape cornball humor or pure cheese. (How many times does Data have to discover his humanity or Worf be told he's a warrior worthy of respect? Why do characters rely so often on a pregnant pause and one last line before exiting? Just how much technobabble can we really take?) The regular cast is as good as it's always been--which is to say, adequate--but Alice Krige stands out as the creepily sexy Borg queen and though she's frequently bug-eyed with excitement, Alfre Woodard deserves more screen time as Picard's potential love interest. The real stars here, though, are Jonathan Frakes as director, who seems to actually understand and respect the material he's working with, and Jerry Goldsmith, whose score is among the better in the series. When the humans meet up with a surprise alien race at the end, the moment might actually give you goosebumps.

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The only reason why I'm giving the DVD 4 stars is because Paramount did not go the extra mile for die-hard fans by putting in some of the interactive content and added bonuses that DVDs were made for... "The Matrix" is a prime example of how a DVD should be presented. The DVD widescreen format is sweet and the DVD does include 2 theatrical trailers, but that's it. :-)

Now that I'm off my soap box, I must say that this is the best Star Trek movie made to date. Sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat movie watching experience.

The Borg are back and now they're out to destroy Earth. Former assimilated Borg himself, Jean-Luc Picard is off to the rescue in this extremely entertaining sci-fi adventure. What could be more romantic that the captain of the best ship in the fleet off to rescue mother earth from the most evil force in the Galaxy!

Alfre Woodard really adds a lot to this film and to the development of Picard's character. You don't have to be a Star Trek fanatic or even a regular watcher of the film to enjoy it... a lot is explained to the ST neophyte in the opening sequences... but this movie will be most enjoyed by fans of the tv series.

The best ST captain yet vs. the worst enemy the Federation has ever met... an enemy with no soul like a virus, they just spread and consume and do it without mercy. I had this movie on VHS but I watched it so many times, the tape broke, so I got it on DVD. Just a great flick emotionally thrilling and lots of eye candy and SFX thrills.

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