Bride of Frankenstein (Import)

I am one of the legion of admirers who believe that this film represents the apex of both James Whale's directorial career and Universal Studios' first cycle of monster movies. Cleverly scripted, flawlessly acted, wittily directed, and hauntingly scored, it's a marvel of a movie on many levels; it works as a horror film, a satire, a black comedy, a social commentary -even as a romantic melodrama -depending on your individual interpretation.

It's a real pity, then, that this rich cinematic treasure has received such a disappointing transfer to the DVD format. After experiencing the sharply focused, pristine prints presented on Universal's DVD releases of "Frankenstein" and "The Mummy", my expectations for "Bride" were enthusiastically high. What a letdown! The film is grainy, with distractingly poor contrast -the actors appear to have microcrobes running across their faces, like amoeba that you might observe under a microscope. And there were a couple of pops and jumps inherent in the source material that I don't recall having seen on the VHS tape release of this film.

The extras are the only features that keep this disc from being a complete fiasco. The poster and still archive is remarkable, and the "making of" featurette is informative and enjoyable. The theatrical trailer is the one used for the film's Realart re-release and not the Universal original. I strongly suspect (and hope) there will some day be a "restored" edition of this movie available. Unless you just can't wait to add this title to your DVD collection, I have to regretfully advise that until such an improved version comes along, you spend your hard-earned pennies on an alternate selection.

As mentioned by many others, the film, commentary, documentary etc are all excellent. No need to repeat. But a major flaw in the film transfer itself is the amount of information removed at the top. The tops of heads are chopped and the glowing crudifix at the climax of the blind hermit scene is cropped so much you cannot tell it is a cross. I have compared the laser and vhs copies of this film to the dvd. The laser and vhs crop information from the bottom, a FAR better choice. I consider the cropping on the dvd so bad as to make the film almost unwatchable. I'll be keeping my laserdisc and videotape.

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I was waiting with great anticipation the release of The Bride of Frankenstein DVD. I ,like many others, consider this movie to be the greatest horror film of all time. I already own the movie on VHS but I couldn't wait to see the sparkling, crystal clear picture that I know the DVD format can deliver. Unfortunately, Universal decided to dig up the worst print they could find to put on DVD.

The worst thing about it is the horrible grainy look of the film. There are so many tiny little black dots on the picture that it is almost impossible to concentrate on the actors. It is a terrible looking picture. And somehow or other they have managed to mess up the framing of the picture even though it is a 1.33:1 image. You only get to see about 85% of the picture compared to the VHS. Universal....how could you?

The extras on the DVD are quite good but it's the movie that counts! Other titles in the series of classic Universal horror movies are better but none of them so far are what true DVD enthusiasts and real movie fans want to see. I really hope that Universal quickly decides to remaster The Bride of Frankenstein DVD and then allows us poor souls to exchange our current copies for a new one.

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Rarely is a sequel, particularly a horror sequel, better than its predecessor, but Bride of Frankenstein (1935) easily replaced the 1931 original classic as the definitive Universal Frankenstein movie. Director James Whale did not want to do another Frankenstein movie for the most admirable of reasons, and largely because of his feelings on the matter he brought to a life a sequel that sought perfection in every discernible way and provided a much deeper and more poignant look at the monster of Frankenstein's creation the comedic exploitation of the monster did not begin on his watch. The addition of a full-scale musical score added depth and its own emotional layers to the drama, Karloff brought amazing pathos and humanity to the creature, and Elsa Lanchester, in a few short minutes, gave the world one of the truly eternal horror images and icons in the form of the Bride of Frankenstein's Monster (which is what the film should have been called).

Most of the principal cast members of the original Frankenstein movie reprise their roles here, including Colin Clive as Frankenstein and the inimitable Boris Karloff as the monster. Mae Clarke, however, was unavailable for health reasons, and a seventeen-year-old Valerie Hobson took on the role of Elizabeth, Frankenstein's fiancée. This is a noticeable change, as Hobson played Elizabeth in a strikingly different manner. As you may have guessed, Frankenstein's monster did not actually die in the big fire that ended the first motion picture. The windmill was built over a cistern (more like a great big underground pond, if you ask me), and the monster escapes the conflagration, not before killing a couple of people and scaring Minnie, this film's version of interminable comic relief, half to death. Dr. Frankenstein, for his part, also survives (although we already knew this thanks to the last-minute concluding scene of the first movie). He regrets his foolish attempts to play God, even though he still speaks with a mad zeal about the dreams he pursued so dangerously. Enter Dr. Praetorius (Ernest Thesiger), a former professor of Frankenstein's and the kind of evil genius our reformed young doctor should have become. Praetorius has been doing his own God-like experiments and now seeks to join his knowledge with that of Frankenstein to make not a man, but a woman. In the film's only borderline ridiculous moments, we see the products of Praetorius' work the film work and special effects are brilliantly done, but the whole idea is just laughably silly. Still, you can't help liking old Praetorius because he is everything a mad scientist should be. Frankenstein has now become well, (...) a cowardly man who seems incapable of acting on his own accord. Luckily, Dr. Praetorius knows how to deal with a man such as Frankenstein, and he eventually succeeds in getting the good doctor back in the lab for one final experiment.

As for Frankenstein's monster, we finally get to see the humanity of the character emerge. Seeking friendship, he is met only with fear, screams, and malice. He does manage to find a friend in the countryside, however the sound of violin music takes him to the home of a blind hermit. In one of the most touching scenes in cinema history, the blind man takes the monster in, thanks God for finally sending him a friend to assuage his loneliness, and shines the full light of humanity, all too briefly, on the lonely creature. Naturally, this time of happiness does not last long, but the monster does develop the ability to speak before he is separated forever from his friend. He ends up crossing paths with Dr. Praetorius, who quickly sells him on the idea of a mate, setting the stage for another pyrotechnic creation scene that gives us the unforgettable Bride of Frankenstein.

The cinematography, musical score, and basically everything else are well-nigh perfect in this film; despite the ridiculous editing demands of the censors, Bride of Frankenstein achieves the pinnacle of monster movie success. Still, it bothers me that these films have defined Frankenstein's monster as a creature much different than the literary monster of Mary Shelley's creation. The first film completely stood Shelley's story on its head, missing the point entirely. How ironic it is for Bride of Frankenstein to feature a prologue featuring the character of Mary Shelley herself, in company with her companion Percy Bysse Shelley and the flamboyant Lord Byron, explaining the meaning of her work and then introducing yet another bastardization of the real Mary Shelley's literary masterpiece. The original monster, as envisioned by Shelley, was not the creature at all; it was Dr. Frankenstein, not so much because he played God but because he abandoned his monstrous creation and left him alone to fend for himself. Bride of Frankenstein rights some of this wrong by showing the depth of humanity in the monster, but it cannot undo the wrongs already done the character. In the context of the cinema, he will forever be a "monster," a shadow of his true literary self, forced to suffer at the hands of man while the true villain of the story fails to even attempt to redeem himself or to suffer the harsh yet noble fate that he so rightfully earned in Shelley's original story.

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"Bride of Frankenstein" is not only the greatest film of its genre, it is also one of the finest films ever produced in Hollywood. The acting, lighting, sets and direction are all in a class of their own. The mix of horror and humor has never been so well accomplished as it is in this film. Director James Whale's sardonic sense of humor is in full view here, so much so that audiences of 1935 were unsure as to the intent of the film, especially after the all out horror that was on

display in the original "Frankenstein". Karloff gives the performance of his career as the misshapen but strangely loveable monster, and Ernest Thesiger is astounding as the effete Dr. Pretorious. Elsa Lanchester is stunning as the Bride, and Colin Clive is at his nerve frayed best as Baron Henry Frankenstein. Franz Waxman's score, an inspiration for Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific(believe it or not, is perhaps the finest in the history of motion picture scoring. The DVD is a mixed blessing. The washed out quality of the previous video incarnations gives way here to a much darker film, ccloser in intent to Whale's vision. But the film stock used is slightly grainy, and the sound has ssome deficiencies. Also, the darker print makes it more difficult to see details in the many low lit situations. No doubt a major restoration of this film is in order, similiar to what was done to "Vertigo" and "My Fair LAdy". The extras-the documentary and audio commentary are superb, as is a rarely seen trailer and a great archive of rare stills. The minor visual and aural shortcomings are forgivable; you must own this DVD.

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Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection (Apocalypse Now/Apocalypse Now Redux/One From the Heart/Tet

This four-disc Blu-Ray set offers the previously released Blu-Rays of "Apocalypse Now"/"Apocalypse Now Redux," "The Conversation" and "Tetro" along with the BD debut of Coppola's 1982 famed misfire "One From the Heart." The latter boasts a HD remastered (1.33 fullscreen) transfer with 5.1 DTS MA audio and fine supplements reprieved from the older DVD release, though there is some odd filtering in the transfer throughout (almost looks like you're watching the film through a net, especially if you look closely enough). Still recommended for Coppola enthusiasts, though the fact that the set only includes one new-to-Blu title and isn't comprehensive may restrict its appeal to most buffs (note that "Apocalypse Now" doesn't contain the special features from its three-disc Blu-Ray release either; just the single, "movie only" disc with both cuts of the movie).

What's there to say that hasn't already been said? Here's one of film's great directors, and I am proud to have these films in my collection.

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Mission Impossible (1996)

I am a big fan of this movie but there's nothing special about this, so-called "Collector's Edition" which only seems to have been issued in order to have something tied up for the release of MI3.

There are a few short clips on how the incredible set pieces were made but no new interviews, deleted scenes, commentaries, etc. The featurettes included are as shallow as they can get. This is too bad given the many years we had been waiting for a special edition of this movie. Compare this to the incredible SEs Fox has been issuing of movies such as the Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno, Nine to Five, Planet of the Apes, etc. and it feels like somebody at Paramount ought to be fired.

Mission Impossible: I is the first movie of the three mission impossibles and it is by far the only one worth watching. True, the second one has crazy explosives and flying karate kicks but that's not what true espionage is all about.

Then there's the third one, the most recent, and it's more espionage than the 2nd but it too relys too heavily on explosions and big names to give you any real value as a movie. This movie is the bread and butter of "didn't see it coming" espionage spy movies!

That said, I'd like for you as a viewer of reviews to check out the DVD reviews of this Movie and get more of a feel for what it has to offer, Here in the "Blu Ray" Review I just want to tell you whats improved or not improved, for that matter, on the blu ray version. I currently have the Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver which decodes True HD and DTS Master HD audio formats NEITHER OF WHICH ARE SUPPORTED ON THIS BLU RAY DISC.

The best audio that is offered on this Disc is regular Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 which sounds great, but does not live up to the standards that are trying to be set in this next generation of home entertainment.

So I was disappointed in not getting the HD audio I would expect it does look fantastic in HD, there's a lot of contrast in black levels and the details in face shots are phenomenal but I wouldn't replace my Old Mission Impossible DVD with a Blu Ray Version (I rented it from blockbuster online to see the difference)

Hope this helps you as a consumer Cheers.

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I don't quite get the bad reviews for this film. Its one of my All-Time favorites, and sure, it takes brains to follow the storyline. Yeah? So? I think that you have become to accustomed to action movies with no stories, just people getting blown up. This movie centers around Ethan Hunt (Cruise) an IMF agent sent on a mission in Keiv. The mission goes wrong and its up to Ethan to figure out what happened. He soon finds himself trying to keep a IMF NOC list from getting into the wrong hands. But whose hands are those? This movie does involve some thinking, and you may have to view it a few times to truly appreciate, but isn't that what a great movie does? You pick up new things every time you view. The movie stars Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jon Voigt in a great role and other well known actors and actresses.

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a reviewer below me called the storyline to this movie "a jumbled mess". oh my, how wrong he is. although, i will admit... i did not fully understand the storyline to this movie for TEN years. that doesn't mean it was a jumbled mess, though. it only means that my feeble mind wasn't able to comprehend the depth, detail and layers to it at first. so, TEN years later (2006) i watched it for what was probably the 20th odd time, and i FINALLY understood all of the twists and turns in the storyline and it all came together so beautifully. it was like poetry. it was one of those moments where you sit back and say to yourself "how in the hell can someone write something so ingenious?". so anyways, my point is: this movie has depth. it has layers upon layers upon layers. this is nothing like MI2 or MI3. this is a thinking-mans movie, and it is aesthetically beautiful in a very artistic way. each time you watch it, a new part of the story will reveal itself for you. and that's why i think this is the best M:I movie in the series BY FAR. compared to this one, the other two subsuquent sequals are loud, unintelligent and highly forgettable. like another reviewer said before me... this is one of the best action films i have ever seen. get it.

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The first 15 minutes of the film nod to the original series and promise a slick new version for the 90s. Then suddenly the film becomes dull, predictable and cliched, featuring all the ideas that had previously been rejected as potential storylines for an MI film ideas suggested by people who knew little about the series but thought the title sounded catchy. When the mission goes wrong and Ethan is speaking to Phelps...its so obvious what is happening and the film vanishes under a cloud of predictability.

After the excellent first quarter hour the film plods along between its two dull stunt set-pieces. Even these are just the usualy "by-the-book" standard fare from the Hollywood production line. If you've seen one explosive/roller-coaster ride/hero triumphs over bad guy sequemce you've seem them all. When Ethan breaks into the CIA to steal the CNOC list there's nothnig new there at all. Its a scene that has been used in other films and a great many commercials. The Channel Tunnel scene is utterly laughable not once did it have me on the end my seat it just had me at the end of my tether that the film deteriorated so progressively.

I have heard some people say that this is a complicated film I can only say that its complicated if you come in durnig the end titles. This is simplistic drivel, not only easy to follow but easy to predict. If you can't see what's happening next then you are too young to be watching this film.

Overall, a lame, boring film which again demonstrates that Brian dePalma is an overrrated director. Even the one outstanding scene I remember from one of his films was ripped-off from another (Battleship Potemkin).

If you liked the TV series AVOID the film. If you like production line films with a couple of stupid stunt scenes in them then this will suit you right down to the ground.

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People Like Us (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2012)

When you grow up in a family that society doesn't consider to be "normal" you may wonder if there is anyone else like you. It often comes as a surprise that there are indeed People Like Us.

Initially I looked forward to seeing Chris Pine (he's a cutie and I liked him in Star Trek) and Elizabeth Banks (she's pretty and funny in Zack and Miri and a few other comedy roles) but didn't expect such phenomenal acting. I figured it'd be "okay" but not moving. I was pleasantly surprised!

At the start of the film, we meet Sam (Pine) who's a young hot shot driven by money but kind of a jerk. He gets into a jam when a business deal goes wrong (and violates a few laws) and is in desperate need of money to make things right. As he struggles to save his job, he finds out his father has died. His girlfriend expects him to be upset and fly across the country to be with his mother for the funeral.

However, Sam doesn't think much of his father. When they arrive, the tension between him and his mother paints a broader picture. Sam hasn't been home in years. Then a bombshell is dropped on him... His dad wants him to deliver a large sum of cash to a half-sister he never knew existed.

I expected Sam to take the money and run even though I knew there wouldn't be much of a movie of that happened!

As he gets to know his sister and her son, Sam grows into a more mature man and eventually realizes his father wasn't the man he thought he was. As for his sister Frankie (Banks), it was amazing to watch how she tried her hardest as a working single mother despite all the crap life dealt her.

My favorite scene is how she deals with the principal after Josh blew up the school's swimming pool...

I really related to this movie. My own family is a bit different and there have been times I disliked family members and there's been drama. Over the years things have changed we've all changed and most barriers are overcome. The end scene with Sam and Frankie (I won't give it away!) brought tears to my eyes...tears of happiness and hope. It was such a touching moment and gave them (and me) a new perspective on their father.

Most importantly, it reinforced the importance I have for my family. I won't call this a "feel good" movie exactly, but it shows a real, plausible, modern family situation. It gives hope that people can make the best of their situation and choose to embrace it rather than fight it. I wish I could better describe why I love this movie so much, but it's really hard for me to put into words. It's a movie that made me feel something in my heart.

*This review originally appeared on my blog darcyandbrian.com after screening it on a media trip

I've seen lots of movies in my short 25 years. I just gotta have the 60s,70,80 and the 90s movies and music because most of everything they make today is...well lets just say,''Not For Me.'' ''People Like Us'' is the kind of movie that really wakes you up inside, and makes you remember that you actually have a pulse. I was overpowered by the story and was hypnotized by how full of life this movie is. I promise that if you buy it, you will not regret it. If you crave movies, music, or anything that can make you feel the emotions of the heart like I do, you've gotta have this movie. ''people Like Us'' is the best movie of the year, if not the best movie you've seen since the ''Notebook.'' Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks gives the very best of themsevles, I don't care what anyone says. I won't tell you to much about the movie because I want you to see for yourself. Trust me!! Its a must have!!

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Heartwarming film about finding yourself and connecting through 70s pop music. Bluray has lots more bonuses.

Writers Alex Kurtzman and Jody Lambert are best know for their work on Star Trek and Transformers films than "human personal dramas" but, when Kurtzman learned that he had a cousin he never knew existed it sparked an idea which became this film which the package promotes as "from the studio that brought you THE HELP". Like that film, this one will will generate a lot of "referrals from friends" and by word of mouth. While not as the package also states "one of the Year's Very Best" (hey there's a lot of competition out there), it is engrossing and takes some interesting twists and turns, even when the ending seems almost certain.

I see someone prior to me has already posted a "spoiler" which not stating that as their title. But, trust me, there's still another "turn of events" after that which I didn't see coming. I will say no more about that.

Though it's not apparent from either the advertising or the packaging, records (you know those flat discs before CDs), especially 70s rock bands, play an important pop culture part of the film. Like the famous record scene in "Diner" or much of "High Fidelity", the music discussions in this film will ring true with anyone who was collecting during those days.

The DVD version comes with ONE audio commentary with Kurtzman (who directed the film, as well as co-wrote it) and actors Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine, plus selected scene commentary with Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays Pine's mother. The Bluray combo-pack includes the above plus some really useful bonus features like the 14-minute featurette on the story behind the film (where I learned the info in the first part of my review), a 5 minute "extended scene in the taco shop" (you'll understand when you see the film), the now-requisite "blooper reel" (4-minutes) and 18 minutes of deleted scenes (with helpful introductions by Kurtzman) which are well worth seeing. There's also ANOTHER full-length audio commentary with Kurtzman and Lambert. I did not listen to any of the three audio commentaries so I can't comment on them, but for those with the time they are there.

Hidden in the script are what Pine's character calls " The Six Rules". You need to get nearly through the film to learn what they are but they really are useful. In fact, I wrote them down and have re-read them over the past day or two. I think many of you might as well. Give this film a chance. It's worth your time. And the soundtrack behind the action is definitely cool too!

I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) A studio picture with a premise this contrived shouldn't work, but this 2012 family drama works in ways that are quite unexpected and emotionally resonant because a palpable level of truthfulness emerges with the characters even as the plot teeters precariously on credibility issues. First-time filmmaker Alex Kurtzman, a go-to screenwriter of uber-action fare like Star Trek and Mission: Impossible III, based his personal movie on events in his own life when he met his own half-sister for the first time as he turned thirty. The plot focuses on Sam, a slick, 31-year-old huckster of a salesman in the bartering business. Just as he gets snagged by a bad deal that costs him the huge bonus he just secured to pay off long-standing debts, Sam finds out his father, Jerry Harper, a legendary Laurel Canyon record producer, has died, which means he needs to come home to LA for the funeral against his will. Reuniting with his estranged mother Lillian becomes challenging enough, but Sam also discovers that his father left him $150,000 in his shaving kit.

The catch is that it comes with instructions to deliver the cash to an 11-year-old named Josh, who happens to be the son of Frankie, a half-sister he didn't know he had. Tempted to keep the cash himself, Sam finds Frankie and follows her to an AA meeting where she shares the sudden news of her father's death and the hurtful anger she feels for not being publicly acknowledged as his daughter. Her pain is what becomes the common bond that she and Sam share and the beginning of a web of lies he tells her in order to build upon his newly discovered family ties. It's this thread of deception that propels Kurtzman's storyline, and the moment you start to feel the movie get phony, he manages to get it back on track through the burgeoning relationship that forms between Sam, Frankie and Josh. Of course, the further Sam delays in telling the truth, the more catastrophic the results. Perceptive performances are critical in pulling off this kind of drama, and Kurtzman coaxes strong work from his cast.

Chris Pine captures Sam's manic energy and evasive nature to a T, and he manages to reveal the vulnerability underneath that shows he never quite gave up on his quest for his father's approval and love. Still etched in my memory as the hot-to-trot bookstore clerk in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Elizabeth Banks has matured as an actress and delivers a genuinely empathetic performance as Frankie, a single mother struggling with a hardscrabble life and a smart, troublemaking son. She and Pine manage a nice rapport that skirts the incest minefield that could have occurred in lesser hands. Too long off the screen and still looking like People Magazine's most beautiful woman, Michelle Pfeiffer makes her few scenes count as the newly widowed Lillian, who met Jerry back in the seventies when she was a former hatcheck girl at the Troubadour and dreamed of becoming the next Joni Mitchell. She succinctly shares her anger toward Sam for his indifference toward Jerry while slowly revealing her own secrets and fears. As the precocious Josh, Michael Hall D'Addario is given lines only an 11-year-old in a mainstream movie would speak, but he is such a likeable young actor that he manages to come across as authentic.

Olivia Wilde has a thankless role as Sam's put-upon girlfriend Hannah, but she provides more depth than the plot device she represents, while indie mainstay Mark Duplass (Humpday) seems to be showing up everywhere these days, this time as Frankie's conveniently available downstairs neighbor. There are cameos from familiar character actor Philip Baker Hall (50/50) as Jerry's attorney friend and Jon Favreau as Sam's belligerent boss. A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) provides the original music, while cinematographer Salvatore Totino (The Da Vinci Code) really captures the vibrancy of LA life beyond the stereotypical images. Kurtzman sometimes abuses quick cuts to emphasize Sam's restlessness, but when the truth is revealed in the story, it reinforces the message he sincerely conveys in appreciating the value of family and the importance of forgiveness. His clever use of home movies to bring this message home results in the heartbreaking impact that was obviously intended. I definitely recommend this surprising movie.

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Went to see this movie and I would go to see it again. Will buy it. Full of great acting, raw feelings, how our decisions effect our lives and the lives of other, and "what if". You never truly know how deep a persons love will go. Gives you a lot to think about. I would highly recommend it.

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Trailer Park Boys: Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys

While not the best storyline, I still loved this special. If you have never seen TPB before I would not recomend this as the first one to see, start with season one. If you are a TPB fan and love some drunk Lahey then you'll love this special.

I'm a huge fan of the TPB's and I purchased this video to complete my collection which would be my suggestion to anyone considering purchasing it. It's 47 minutes that feel twice as long and really drawn out. It just seems like the story never comes together on this video and everything is overshadowed by 45 minutes of drunk, loud and incomprehensible Jim Lahey. It's not a horrible video, just not one of their best.

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Very funny show. Ending was not what I thought it would be, but still enjoyed it. Bring back the Trailer Park Boys!! We need more comedy shows like them !!!

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I'm hearing a bit of negetivity here about Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys. I found it to simply be a continuation of a great series of TV shows and movies. It WAS just "more of the same".....but I think that's exactlly what TPB fans want. That's what I want. I'll keep watching whatever they come out with as long as they stick to the proven formula. Yeah, it would have been nice if it were twice as long. But I'll take anything I can get from Treblay and Wells. Leheay's last few lines in this movie definitly indicate that there will be more to come in the future.....damn, I hope so. And for *&%$ sake.....find a way to get Corey and Trevor back into the mix. Losing them was the ONLY mistake they made in this series.

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The first 5, maybe 6 seasons of TPB are hilarious. The movies are also really good. Season 6 and 7 started to go down a little I thought. This show takes place after season 7 and is even a little less funny than season 7 was. It's still pretty good, but just not as real-feeling as the first few seasons were. If you're a hardcore TPB fan like me, though, you will still need to get it.

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13 Going on 30 (2004)

Despite the unoriginal premise (the movie Big recast with a woman), 13 Going on 30 is a very entertaining movie and this is due in large part to its star, Jennifer Garner, who brings to her role loads of charm. This movie is the perfect vehicle for the actress because it allows her to break away from the action hero persona that she cultivated with the T.V. show Alias and Daredevil and prove that she can do a romantic comedy.

Garner, with her warm, disarming smile has a wholesome, girl-next-door quality that is quite endearing. She's beautiful but not in an unattainable way. She also has natural comedic ability, for example, in one scene, Jenna livens up her magazine's boring party with an impromptu dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," inspiring others to get up and dance as well. Garner also has a very expressive face that is perfect for the broad comedy of this movie. She is willing to take risks and make fun of herself. She is also willing to put herself out there and is not afraid to appear goofy and this only makes her that much more appealing.

13 Going On 30 is the victim of the dreaded double dip. If you already own the Special Edition version of the movie, the two new extras hardly warrant a re-purchase. Also, if you already own the previous edition you might want to hold onto it as the audio commentary by director Gary Winick and the commentary by producers Gina Matthews, Donna Arkoff-Roth, and Susan Arnold is not on this edition.

New to this edition is "Fashion Flashback: Into the 1980s" that features teen models gushing about how much they love the "retro" look of the `80s. It tells you what to look for and where to track down "authentic" clothes of that era.

"Making of a Teen Dream" takes us through the making of the movie in a fun, breezy way that is customary of most press kit type featurettes. The cast speak admiringly about each other in this self-congratulatory extra.

There is a "Bloopers" reel, a collection of blown lines and other assorted goofs that are quite cute.

Also included are two music videos, one for Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield" and another for "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield that allows you to immerse yourself in pure `80s cheese.

The most enjoyable extra is "I Was A Teenage Geek." The cast talk about what they were like in the `80s. Everyone tells amusing stories of what they were doing in high school with photos of what they looked like at the time.

There is also an "Alternate Beginning and Ending" that features different actors playing Jenna and Matt when they were kids. The scene is about the same length as what is in the movie but is edited differently. We get more detail on Jenna's desire to be one of the popular girls. Thankfully, these were not used.

Finally, there are 15 deleted scenes with more footage of Jenna and Matt at the magazine party and so on. These scenes flesh out the relationships between the characters.

Although this movie is often inaccurately referred to as a girly version of Tom Hanks BIG the movie is actually so much more and so much better. Whewreas in the previous movie Hanks character stays in the 1980s when he receives instant adulthood, in this movie an element of time travel is involved when 13 year-old Jenna goes to sleep in 1987 and wakes up all grown up in 2004.

The movie is all the better for this plot device, we get to see where most of the characters from 1987 are now, and the implications of the decision Jenna makes at the beginning of the movie. Its both piognant, romantic and funny in its execution and you would be pressed to find a truly more involving comedy drama in recent years.

Carrying the movie is star of television show ALIAS, the impossibly beautiful and talented Jennifer Garner. She proves that her entertaining turn as Sydney Bristow was no fluke by ably showing of her comic timing and delivery. Not a slam-bang comedy of the Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler vein this movie is more subtle and less in your-face.

As a 32-year old who remembers 1987 well the pop culture references to that era in the initial scenes were drenched in nostalgia and as someone who has chosen a similar career path as Garner's character it is even more involving and interesting. Without giving too much of the well crafted story away, this movie makes you reflect on the decisions you make and the impilcations each decision makes. In this sense it is like the recent Kutcher movie THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT although far more entertaining and light hearted.

This movie is well recommended.

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I was rather pleasantly surprised by this film. Obviously, the storyline is by no means unique, and I've seen too many films featuring kids and adults miraculously switching places to feel all that confident about going once more into a similar breach, but 13 Going on 30 is actually, well, delightful. I'm a big Jennifer Garner fan going all the way back to her role in the short-lived Time of Your Life; by and large, I think she did a wonderful job in this role. It is certainly a different Jennifer Garner than we see on Alias, and it certainly appears as if she relished a role in which she got to be silly and whimsical. I would have to credit Mark Ruffalo with an even more impressive performance, though, as his was the subtle glue that held the fantastical elements of the plot together.

Young Jenna has just turned 13; already unhappy with the way she looks and anxious to be popular, she suffers an embarrassing indignation which has her fervently wishing to be 30. Thanks to some wishing dust on the model dream home her obviously infatuated by "not cool" friend Matt built for her, she gets her wish. I thought the early scenes featuring 13-year-old Jenna reacting to the instant passing of 17 years and adjusting to her new, uh, accessories was a little awkward, and a certain lack of continuity in regard to her reactions to new stimuli popped up sporadically as the film progressed. One minute she's acting like a young teenager, and then she will suddenly seem to have grown up into her new age to a significant degree. Anyway, she discovers that all of her dreams have come true: she was popular, and she has become mighty successful in life actually sitting atop the fashion magazine she was addicted to as a kid. Before long, though, she begins to see that having it all isn't all it is cracked up to be. This grown-up body she inhabits is actually a rather empty shell of a not so nice person. She learns that she has done some rather nasty things over the course of the missing 17 years. The only person she can turn to is her friend Matt (Mark Ruffalo), but the two have gone in very different directions over the years. In the process of trying to save her magazine, Jenna learns that the dreams of childhood don't turn out the way you thought they would and other obvious life lessons, etc., etc. You can probably guess what happens at the end.

The film does succeed rather well as a comedy; the Thriller dance scene, while uncomfortable to watch, is indeed quite silly, and some of adult Jenna's interactions with young teens also play well. I also loved the fact that the movie helped take me back to the 1980s, to some degree. There are some classic 80s tunes on the soundtrack, and beginning the film with the sound of the Go-Go's definitely qualifies for a star in my book. That being said, I have to say that I don't remember some of the awful hair-dos of the film actually existing in the late 80s certainly not among the girls my eyes gravitated toward in those halcyon days of youth.

In the end, this is basically your silly, entertaining, feel-good comedy, and it stars one of Hollywood's most attractive, talented actresses. It doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, and that is a big reason why it works as well as it does. It is by no means a must-see, but I do believe it is a film you cannot help but enjoy.

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Jennifer Garner is wonderful in 13 Going on 30 ! She is so believable as a young girl who wakes up to find she's turned 30 over night.

The storyline and script are really funny and enjoyable, with a very heart-warming ending. This is a great movie for a Mom and young daughter to go see together both will be able to relate to it.

Even the guy I dragged along, said he was amazed at how good the movie was.

Also, if you are into 80's music this is the movie for you ! The soundtack is Excellent !

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This is an absolutely charming and delightful comedy with an excellent cast. Do not, however, see this film unless you are ready to suspend disbelief. After all, the premise of this film is that a distressed thirteen year old girl suddenly finds herself propelled into the future and into the body of her thirty year old self.

Jenna Rink is a typical teenager, a little gawky, a little insecure. She pals around with her uncool best friend, Matt Flamhaff, but, at the same time, is trying to make it into the cool six chicks clique at her school, a nasty little group of teenage hotties who use Jenna for what they can get from her. They agree to come to her thirteenth birthday party, if she will do a class report for their leader. She agrees.

Matt is the first guest to arrive, and he gives her a little, doll sized dream house that he has made for her, replete with magic dust. When the other guests arrive, they soon depart with the needed report in hand, after playing a very mean trick on Jenna and leaving her desolate. A set of circumstances causes the magic dust to fall upon Jenna, just as she makes a wish that finds hers transported into the future and into the body of her thirty year old self.

Jenna discovers that she now has every thing for which she had dreamed when she was thirteen. She also discovers how she has changed, and it is not a change for the better. She turns to Matt, whose friendship, she is shocked to find, has been lost somewhere along the way. Jenna then sets about putting to right what went wrong. Of course, there are any number of humorous incidents that arise out Jenna's current situation.

Jennifer Garner is sensational as a thirteen year old girl trapped in the body of a thirty year old woman. She infuses the role with just the right amount of innocence and joyous abandonment that teenagers often exude. Kittenish and coltish all at once, her charm is infectious. Mark Ruffalo is perfectly cast as the grown-up Matt. He exudes sensitivity and niceness, all rolled into one very compelling package. One cannot help but like both characters tremendously.

This is an entertaining film for those who enjoy light-hearted fantasy films. This film has been compared to the film, "Big", and while there are some similarities between the two, this film stands on its own two feet and deserves its own accolades. Deft direction by Gary Winnick and excellent performances by the entire cast make this film a comedic gem to be enjoyed by those who like a charmingly realized film.

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House On Straw Hill (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1976)

Udo Kier kicks butt (literally) in the parking lot near the start of the film. For crying out loud, I believe this is the best film of Udo's career and there's still, not, a single DVD release of this film! His descent to madness is brilliant as he is exposed for what he is. I understand there might be ownership rights in dispute because of the number of name changes this film went through from House on Straw Hill to Trauma to Expose. One would think Code Red or Scorpion Releasing would be able to resolve these issues, just like with Human Experiments and give us a collector's DVD and slap on the missing scenes as extras to speed up a possible release.

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Medium Cool (Criterion Collection) (1969)

Released in 1969 by overshadowed by Easy Rider (which despite being a bit more flashy in technique is actually a far more conventional film), Medium Cool is one of the few "counterculture" films of the '60s to actually remain relavent. The first film to be directed by famed cameraman Haskell Wexler, Medium Cool is the story of 1968, a panoramic view of a near revolution. Cleverly, Wexler tells his story through two outsiders -a detached newsman (Robert Forster) and the country widow that he romances (well played by Verna Bloom who should have become a star as a result of her sweetly realistic and appealing performance). Though the film is clearly on the side of the counterculture, the use of these two outsiders allows Medium Cool to retain an objectivity that seems to be missing from most other films of the period. Instead of simply worshipping the trends of the time, Wexler was actually at the apocalyptic events seen in the film. When Forster and Bloom find themselves lost in the chaotic rioting of that year's Democratic convention, the scenes are riveting because they were actually filmed during the actual riots. This is the rare protest film where, instead of seeing wealthy Hollywoodites playing their idealized versions of the times, you are actually seeing the events as they unfold. For someone like myself who was born on the tail end of the Viet Nam War, seeing that footage and realizing how close to collapse society actually was in 1968 is truly an eye opening experience.

Much of the film, of course, is improvised. Improv is often a frightening word when it comes to film making. It seems to be a talent that a lot more people believe they have than actually do. However, Medium Cool is one of the few films I've ever seen where the improvised sequences come off not as self-indulgent but actually very revealing. It helps that Wexler found some of the best improvisational actors working at that time and put them in his film. Hence, the wonderful Peter Bonerz shows up as Forster's jittery partner and the contrast between his nervousness and Forster's coldness provides for a good deal of humor (something missing from far too many protest films). A particurlar highlight is when Forster and Bonerz interview a group of Black militants. Bonerz's desperate attempts to both find an escape and come across as a good, white liberal at the same time are priceless. Other than his later role as the oily dentist on the Bob Newhart Show, Bonerz was never given another oppurtunity to show off just how truly talented he is and that's a shame.

Also giving a strong improvisational performance is Peter Boyle, making one of his first film appearances and playing one of the first of his signature "right-wing nut" roles with a blue collar accent that never condascends or gives into easy elitism (another quality that sets Medium Cool apart from other protest films).

However, the film truly belongs to the two leads and they bring a true humanity to what otherwise could have been an overly cold and clinical film. As stated before, Bloom plays a simple character without ever giving a simple performance. Her political innocence is never ridiculed or attacked and her horror at the growing violence around her is wonderfully conveyed and felt by the audience. Forster, an always underrated actor, gives one of his typically low-key performances and bravely gives an honest performance as a character that many in the audience probably won't find extremely likeable. As he would later in "Jackie Brown," Forster manages to convey his character's detachment while stll suggesting an actual, human being. As he romances Bloom and becomes attached to her young son (well-played by Harold Blankenship), Forster slowly starts to surrender his cool exterior and Forster's subtle emotional development is wonderfully conveyed. By the time of the film's apocalyptic ending, we've come to truly care about these two characters and, as a result, Medium Cool becomes more than just a film about the 1960s. It becomes a film for the ages.

Hollywood just didn't get it in the Sixties and the best they could do was turn out stuff like "Wild in the Streets." But there were two films that did capture what was going on in those days and 'Medium Cool' was one of them. The other was 'Easy Rider,' and both of them were made in spite of Hollywood and not with the help of Hollywood. One picture dealt with the political upheaval in the streets and the other dealt with the cultural revolution.

I saw 'Medium Cool' the week it opened and I probably wasn't the only one who considered it a revolution in film making and figured it would be the first of many such films that tied documentary and narrative film together, but sadly there were no more 'Medium Cool's' to follow, or no more 'Easy Rider's' either.

The Amazon review is totally uninformed in describing what happened in Chicago. The only 'riot' that happened were the police riots that repeatedly attacked the protesters and anyone else who happened to be in their way. And very few of us considered ourselves to be hippies by that time. I know because I was there and that's me on the cover of the DVD carrying a red flag. Interestingly Haskell -who I became friends with many years later -is still at it. I was marching down Hollywood Boulevard in an antiwar protest at the beginning of the Iraq war and looked up just in time to see Haskell in the crowd pointing his DVD camera at me. There was no tear gas this time, no rioting cops, and no machine guns set up on the streets. I wasn't carrying a red flag and my hair has long since turned to gray, but some some basic things never change.

This picture tells it like it was as only the world's greatest cinematographer could have done it. Amazon calls it a 'curiosity' and maybe it is, but it's also an authentic historical document executed with artistry and passion and is every bit as watchable as it was back then. I recommend it especially for this wonderful and brave new generation who are carrying on the great American tradition of dissent in these troubled times.

Buy Medium Cool (Criterion Collection) (1969) Now

"Medium Cool" is one of those magnificent wonders that creeps up on the film world, either in passing conversation or in revivals. But it still has yet to receive it's pure due, in spite of it being made over 30 years ago.

It's an accidental masterpiece. Director Haskell Wexler's original intentions were to (via filmic terms) view the various sides of the media as relating to Marshall McLuhan's famous "hot medium/cool medium" essay. In this case, he corraled a bunch of actors (some of whom were associated with the Chicago improvisational scene), gave a loose story line and filmed it around the unfolding events at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention (with a few accidental stops in Los Angeles & Washington). Wexler attempted to put the actors into the roles of television men & everyday people and, basically, leave them with their own improvisational devices. Tus, this is where "Medium Cool" develops.

Maybe upon first viewing it in 1969, the performances didn't hold up, but more than thrity years later, everyone involved (even right down to the smallest part) has to be commended. This film is more than an experiment, or even a time capsule, but a true countercultural event. This is a film that not only teaches a thing or two about the times (1968), but also serves as a great study on media and it's truths & manipulations. It's also a great acting lesson of what improvisational acting truly should be...risk-taking with a high degree of failure (and NOT the cutesy-poo clever laugh inducing theatre that it's been reduced to...more later). You want a true example of play actors facing a REAL reality situation? Well, look no further...

Robert Forster's role may seem a little wooden at first, but as the movie (and years) pass on, he did an extraordinary effort of a man who's caught between compassion for his job, the manipulation that seems so tempting and the overall wear & tear that comes with the territory. Peter Bonerz puts an an excellent improvisational performance, years before "Bob Newhart" and fresh out of Chicago improv. One scene, with the two reporters in Washington after Robert Kennedy's assassination (in a taxi) speaks pages.

But two performances really stand out: Verna Bloom & Harold Blankenship.

Verna Bloom has the least obvious role as a lower-class single mother who, with very open and impressionable eyes, takes in everything around her via Forster's world. In what seems like an innocent (and touching) supporting role turns into one of the most ballsy & daring improvisational performances ever attempted, with the mother (looking for her son) stumbles upon a growing riot in a park. Only, the riot is very much real life. Masterful performance.

Harold Blakneship as the son provides what is the most pure performance by a child actor. He doesn't mug nor try to act cute, but there's something in his soul that looks like it lived many lifetimes. It's a soulful & haunting performance that doesn't seem to be self-conscious of the camera.

Despite Paramount allowing him to film it with a very strict budget, this is truly an independent film. Risks were taken. Lives were most definitely at stake. Comments had to be made. But it's one of the finest cinematic risks ever taken and a true multi-purpose film.

This DVD not only carries a fine widescreen transfer, but contains great commentary from Wexler, Paul Golding & Marianna Hill, plus a cool theatrical trailer (with the original 'X' certificate at the end for historical purposes). Fan of this film will not be disappointed.

In late 1999, I was in a class with a Chicago-based improvisational company (which shal remain nameless). When I mentioned this film in conversation, the teacher (who was also the manager of the L.A. branch) asked what we were talking about, I told him "Medium Cool". When he had never heard of it, I was shocked and told him that any improvisational actor, from Chicago or otherwise, should make this a mandatory film for studying any kind of on-the-spot acting. I lent it to him, but when I asked for his impressions, he just found it "interesting".

I guess he wanted to make people laugh.

Read Best Reviews of Medium Cool (Criterion Collection) (1969) Here

Medium Cool is an icon and artifact of the political furnace that was the 1960's in America. The title derived from the then-popular analysis of mass media by Marshall McLuhan, it mixes the important events of the time with the lives of characters trying to live their lives and do their jobs in the midst of upheaval with an insight into electronic media.

Originally this film was supposed to be another film entirely. Instead, two-time Oscar winner Haskell Wexler and his crew, after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, waded into the turmoil of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago.

There is some resulting confusion apparent in the film. Is it about the mass media, particularly television, in 20th century America and the insensitivity to human suffering it weaves? Is it about racial politics and cultural exploitation of black people? Is it about a poor Appalachian mother and child in Chicago? Is it about political intrigue, assassination and FBI spying and disruption of legitimate protest?

At times some of the acting may seem stiff or ad hoc, and sometimes the sound has a raw documentary quality about it. But some of the music apparently enhanced on DVD, particularly that provided by Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, provides a sarcastic critique of the popular culture promoted by the mainstream hype of the time. The conventional belief system was being severely challenged by assassination, the shocking realities of Chicago '68 and countercultural events like "Medium Cool".

Patience of the viewer is rewarded with Wexler's outstanding photography in an amazing cinema verité of the characters playing out their roles in the actual "police riot" in the streets of Chicago."This is REAL, Haskell," we hear one of his crew warn offcamera as tear gas is discharged in front of them. There is also some footage of the poor people's march and encampment in Washington D.C., with the TV crew squishing around in the mud in rubber boots as if on some expedition.

The DVD is excellent. The technical perfection and poetic composition of Wexler's cinematography comes through from a flawless print. The commentary available with Wexler, actress Mariana Hill and Paul Golding interviewed in 2001 greatly enriches the viewer's understanding of the making of the film and its subtle touches.

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I saw "Medium Cool" shortly after I had been drafted in 1969 in San Antonio where I was going through basic training for conscientious objectors. I was so blown away by this film I sat through it a second time (you could do that in those days) to try to take it all in. The mixture of documentary style direction with actors playing characters was a new idea, but to put them into an explosive (& eventually exploding) situation was a stroke of cinematic genius by Wexler. The movie also received an "X" rating for a scene you could probably show during family viewing hours on TV these days.

The thing that still stands out in my mind after all these years is Robert Forster's characterization of the news cameraman. Working in this "cool" medium, he stays detached from the people he films almost to the point of inhumanity. In the opening scene, Forster and sound man Peter Bonerz come upon a crash on an expressway, the car against a wall with its horn blowing continuously and a bleeding woman lying on the ground next to the open passenger's door. They procede to start filming the scene, but Bonerz compains that the horn is wiping out all other sound he might get. Forster goes to the open (from the crash) hood of the car & yanks out the horn wires. They then continue filming the scene without ever considering calling for help for the injured woman on the ground until they're finished. You begin to wonder who are these guys who callously put getting the story, which they would have gotten anyway, ahead of helping someone who's been injured.

Two other scenes come to mind which give insight into Forster's character. In one scene with girlfriend Marianna Hill, she challenges him by asking him about a scene from the movie "Mondo Cane". This scene involved tortoises on a Pacific island whose sense of direction had been affected by atomic bomb tests to the point where they no longer knew how to find the ocean. She asks Forster if, after they were done filming, the cameramen might have turned the tortoises around and pointed them toward the ocean. She really wants to know what he would have done. Forster replies, "How do I know? Those were French cameramen."

The second scene occurs when Forster is watching the mourning for the death of Martin Luther King on TV at Verna Bloom's house. His reaction to the outpouring of grief & emotion on the screen is to say, "Jesus, I love to shoot film."

Forster (& the others I've mentioned) are great in this film. And among the other points he makes with this film, Wexler reminds us that to the TV camera, our lives, joys, accomplishments and especially our sufferings are reduced to being just frames of film which may occasionally be newsworthy.

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The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (Two Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2004)

Relentlessly optimistic, drunk and defeated, man-child, sponge-man -this movie has it all. Most of the parents in the audience didn't get it. But I've been an outspoken SpongeBob fan for years. Hell, I'll bet I like the television show even more than my children do -and they like it a lot.

It's hard to describe this film, at least in a way that will do it justice. Is it great? In it's own twisted, surreal way, sure. It's littered with double entendres, to be sure, and a few nautical butt cheeks, too. I suppose the studio insisted on the latter. The bottom line is that we need SpongeBob, maybe more than we ever did. His good cheer in the face of disaster is downright inspirational. Plus, he can blow bubbles with the best of them.

The evil villain, Plankton, speaks for all of us when he says, "His chops are too righteous!"

The controversy over SpongeBob's sexual orientation has been quite absorbing but nowhere near as involving as this very funny movie based on the popular TV series on Nickelodeon. Just in case you've been living under a rock for the last five years, SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs and all the residents of Bikini Bottom have become the most hip (and funny) half hour this side of "The Simpsons". More importantly, it's a program that almost all family members can watch without becoming offended (well, except for those folks wondering about SpongeBob's sexuality). It's a fun way to spend an hour and a half with the kids. After losing a treasured promotion to manage the Krusty Krab 2 restaurant because he's just a kid, SpongeBob is the only person who can stop Plankton from taking over Bikini Bottom. Plankton resorts to Plan Z (having used every other plan in the alphabet) to frame Mr. Krabs for the theft of King Neptune's crown. The diminutive Plankton hopes to discover the secret to the Krabby Patty and ultimately rule the undersea world! Meanwhile, Spongebob and his dim witted friend Patrick must travel to the dreaded Shell City to recover the King's crown and stop Plankton before it's too late.

Featuring a marvelous cast of guest voices including Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development"), Scarlet Johansson ("Lost in Translation"), Clancy Brown ("The Shawshank Redemption"), Alec Baldwin and, of all people, David Hasselhoff, the film may lack the sparkle of the best episodes of the series but it more than makes up for this shortcoming with a number of witty gags. Kids will enjoy the antics of SpongeBob and Patrick while adult males will empathize King Neptune's attempts to hide his bald spot with his crown (he's desperate enough to resort to Hair in a Can at one point although that doesn't quite work out as planned) and envy David Hasselhoff as he uses his pecs to launch the duo back into the sea. There's also a serious message as Mindy the King's daughter encourages SpongeBob and Patrick to be kids and be OK with it.

Featuring a great transfer with bright and vivid colors, Bikini Bottom has never looked so, well, animated. A very sharp transfer with few digital artifacts to distract viewers from the absurd images, "Spongebob" looks better than any sponge has a right to. The 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround mix is used to good and sometimes very comic effect.

The 20 minute animatic segment gives viewers a peak into all the preparation work that went into producing the movie. Director Hillenburg's comments provide interesting and sometimes funny insights into the challenge of producing a movie much less a TV series as funny as this. The behind-the-scenes featurette is both charming and quite funny with a glimpse into everything from creating the absurd story at the heart of this film to the hilarious recording sessions featuring the voice cast. There's also a featurette The "THQ" game demo is actually quite fun but doesn't really provide that much of a taste as to what the game could do. The Case of Sponge "Bob" features Jean-Michel Cousteau in a tongue-in-cheek short documentary. We see an informative and fun discussion of real sponges with undersea footage narrated by Cousteau with writer/director Hillenburg. "Saving the Surf" features Chad Nelsen, Matt McClain and Steve Pezman founders of the Surfrider Foundation discussing the importance of keeping our environment clean and the impact of our pollution on the ocean and our beaches. The teaser trailer for "Submarine" features footage of "Das Boot", "U571" and "The Hunt for Red October" intercut with footage created for the cartoon trailer for "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie". There's also previews for other Paramount family friendly titles as well.

A funny visit with the denizens of the deep, "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" will keep you and the kids entertained. The film doesn't pander to kids and has just the right level of slapstick humor to keep adults entertained as well. Although it does have a serious message at its core, the film is a lot of fun.

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The plot (no spoilers (well, sort of, but not really)): Plankton (once again) formulates a plan to steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula. He realizes that he has gone through plans A through Y. Karen, his computer wife (going mobile this time around) asks about Plan 'Z'. Plankton finds the plan, and he starts to scheme. His plan: Steal King Neptune's crown, and make Mr. Krabs take the blame. It all goes along well, and Mr. Krabs becomes frozen in ice, and SpongeBob and Patrick must venture to Shell City to get the crown before Mr. Krabs is executed in 6 days. While they are away, Plankton sneaks into The Krusty Krab, and gets the formula, hatching his diabolical scheme to enslave all of Bikini Bottom! It's all up to SpongeBob and Patrick to "Get The Crown, Save The Town, And Mr. Krabs"!

I really hoped to enjoy this film when I heard that it was coming out. I have been a big fan of the show nearly since it started, and there was no doubt I was going to see this.

November 19th came, and it was time for the movie. My friend and I went with his little brother and sister. We watched the film with high expectations (not always a good thing, I know), and we all loved it! The characters were great, the humor from the show is more present than most of the new episodes, and it is a flat-out great movie for the fans.

Many people have complained that the humor is a little too grown-up for the kids, and is considerably crude at times. Obviously they must not watch the show, considering the humor is as blatantly obvious in the show as it is in the movie. Some of the jokes in the film, I highly doubt little kids would understand, anyways.

This film was definitely an enjoyment for me, from start to finish. It had great moments of humor, both crude and clean, and even had some bit parts that were sad (wait until the 'Shell City' scene). Definitely a pleasure for the fans of the show, and maybe even people who are just discovering it.

Read Best Reviews of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (Two Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2004) Here

Having watched this with my child & company at the theater (and then at least 10 times at home), I can't escape putting a review here. All of the familiar slapstick absurdities of Spongebob are here. The joys of Bikini Bottom (yes, that's the name of the town!) are present as well. Mr. Krab's Krusty Krab fast-food joint (where Spongebob works as fry cook), Spongebob's bosom best buddy Patrick Star (as in starfish, 'though I've yet to see a pink one in nature), the square, schadenfreude-laden Squidward (cashier at the Krusty Krab).

Others have mentioned it and I can't deny--it's difficult to take a 30 minute show broken down into two segments and weave a cohesive plot over an hour. This film manages to make fair go of it, keeping the laughs flowing with new material, situations and an actual (*gasp*) plot. There are new characters, especially the pride-filled King Neptune and his thoughtful daughter Mindy...but then again, Spongebob afficianados will remember the phrase uttered by Spongebob on many an occasion, "By Neptune's Crown!". This movie gives some life to that phrase, as the plot revolves around a dastardly plot by Plankton to steal Neptune's crown and Rule The Undersea! He's apparently moved on from coveting merely the Krabby Patty secret sauce by now.

Positive messages about teamwork, friendship, not giving up, setting goals and then achieving them. Not too scary for the wee-wee ones--even scary put-ons end with a chuckle. Two thumbs up for me, this is a funny family film grown-ups with a quirky sense of humor will enjoy watching with their little ones. At least the first 11 times!

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Okay, maybe my hopes were a bit high, but I thought Spongebob was going to be one of those rare feature-length NickToons that I'd actually love. While it beats "Jimmy Neutron" or something like "RugRats" or "Wild Thornberrys", it's still hard to banich the idea that plagues all of those movies that they didn't exactly develop a movie-length plot to go with the script. I liked "SpongeBob", but the movie gets more mileage out of his charm than the fact that it's a movie, and even my kids were visibly disappointed (my 7 year old insisting she saw the funniest parts on internet trailers).

The story Spongebob gets a nasty surprise when he's NOT picked to manage the new Krusty Krab opened up by his boss, the money-hungry Mr. Krab. In the hopping sea-scape of "Bikini Bottom", where life is care-free, Spongebob wants nothing more than to prove he's man enough to run Krab's new restaurant (located conveniently next door to the old one). Unfortunately, Plankton Krab's nemesis has a plan to steal the formula to the "Krabby Patty", Krab's secret recipe, as part of his larger plan of world domination. Though embittered at Krab for not getting the top job, will Spongebob put it aside and save Krab's restaurant? Worse, as part of his evil plan, Plankton frames Krab for stealing the crown of King Neptune. The King is sensitive about his crown, both because it is a symbol of his power and because it covers a nasty bald spot. Persuaded by his spunky daughter Mindy (Scarlet Johanson), the enraged Kind gives Spongebob and his trusty if dim friend Patrick 10 days to find the crown (Patrick bargains it down to 6). Along the way, Patrick and Spongebob share many adventures, and learn to find their inner strength as they battle biker-fish, hatchet fish (bearing ice-cream sundaes), an assasin fish sent by Plankton and the compulsion to dance like a baby whenever somebody plays the "Goofy Goober" song.

Like I said, it was fun, but no laugh riot not even for my 7 and 5 year old. Neither knew who David Hasselhoff was (though I appreciated the joke); My normally brave 5 year old had to be taken out at one scene (the ice-cream bearing hatchet fish scared him to tears). he was okay for the rest of the flick, but everybody came out feeling as if they missed something.

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Damnation Alley (1977)

This is one of those movies in my VHS collection that I manage to watch once every year or so...just to escape the realities of the real world. I don't rank this as a great movie in the same way that you'd rank an Academy Award winner, but it's just a fun movie to watch as long as you can suspend belief for a while. I have to think that the actors/actress had fun making it, as the main characters seem to tread the fine line between "camp" and "classic". If you want something that won't make you think too hard and will reward you with a little escapism in a post-apocalyptic sort of way, then this is one for your library.

I don't understand why it still hasn't been released on DVD, but when it is, I'll be one of the first to buy it for my collection. The 1970s LIVE on and into the 21st Century!!!

Perhaps not many of you have noticed that this movie is a "land-based" version of a previous film, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, called "On the Beach" (1959).

There too we have a post-nuclear theme, in which all life on Earth has been wiped off the face of the planet, only to leave a few "desperados" alive, both on board of a U.S. submarine and on the shores, somewhere near Australia (the last bastion of life... but for how long?).

There too, we have a signal emitted from somewhere, in the northern hemisphere...

Yet, despite all similarities, this movie is a kind of updated version, with fine actors at the helm (although not of the caliber of said actors above) and a very interesting story development.

The difference is that this is less a drama-oriented movie and more an action-adventure-thriller oriented working of the subject.

If one remembers the period in which this movie was made (late seventies), baring in mind that this was a time of overblown "super-spectacular" apocalyptic, "end-of-the-world"-like flics, such as "Earthquake", "The Towering Inferno" and "The Swarm" (probably the last and worst of such movies), one can say that this one differs considerably in both quality and story-development.

I personally like this little "what if" effort. No big special effects, except for some stock footage of nuclear explosions, some pyrotechnics and varied color flavors in the sky (supposed to represent the variations in the Earth's atmosphere).

Sometimes, for a movie to be good, you simply don't need millions, just simply a solid story and fine acting. This is certainly a film that makes you think and entertains at the same time.

My only regret is that no one has yet thought of tranferring it on DVD and offer it to us in a more decent and widescreen version. The Pan and Scan one loses out on many "strange" environments recreated for this movie. Actually, I wouldn't even call it Pan and Scan, since in many scenes, one just watches nose to nose conversations.

My only hope is that someone at 20th Century-Fox, or at Anchor Bay reads this and may come to the decision to restore it in its original format and deliver a more accurate and complete vision of apocalyptic terror on screen...

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Add-on as per April 21, 2011

Now that it is out in the news that this movie will be released in July of this year, I am glad to say: Finally!

But I wouldn't hold my breath, until I actually get to see this tiny Sci-Fi gem actually released, either on DVD or on Blu-Ray.

Considering the price it is tentatively offered at, I only hope they will both be provided with decent extras, such as a Making-Of and

some commentaries, interviews and the like.

I also hope that the sound will be treated as it should be.

Considering that this movie was filmed with a "Sensurround" process of the time, called "Sound 360°" (as specified on IMDb Pro), I only

hope they have transferred it at least to a decent 5.1 surround stereo for the DVD or a TrueHD 7.1 Master Sound for the Blu-Ray.

Also to be considered is the short, but poignant music score by master composer Jerry Goldsmith, who was rather busy in those years

(the following year, he would compose the score for "The Swarm" which closely resembles this one, at least in the brass section).

In fact, if for nothing else, this movie should be bought for Goldsmith's score, completing thus "the brass years" (notice that brass

musical effects were also contained in "MacArthur", the biopic movie starring Gregory Peck as General Douglas MacArthur).

George Peppard appears in "Damnation Alley" in a rather unusual role in his career. Quite different than Hannibal of "The A-Team" series

that followed later on. Until then, Peppard used to play "tough", unlikeable characters (see "The Blue Max" or "The Carpetbaggers").

He is not as "ugly" in this one, but represents a military "martinet" who tries to "follow the rules by the book", in a world in which

rules don't apply anymore.

Jan-Michael Vincent is the easy going counterpart, trying to get some fun out of everything he encounters, although it is just all an illusion.

This is probably where he got is future role in "Airwolf", together with Ernest Borgnine ("Escape from New York", "The Dirty Dozen", "Marty").

The unforgettable Paul Winfield ("Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", "Roots: The Next Generations"), playing one of his first major starring roles, as a former security officer in a nuclear silo, who turns to become an indispensable member of this odd team of explorers in their attempt to seek other life signs on the devastated Planet.

And finally French actress Dominique Sanda, as the dame in distress here. She is the weak link of the entire movie. In all honesty, I must say that

she is as flat as can be. Except for some overdone screams, and looking somewhat sad on screen, the lady can simply not act at all.

She's just another pretty face to be "saved" by Jan-Michael Vincent.

A far cry, from say, Melanie Griffith in "Cherry 2000", who could nuance her looks with her skills as an actress.

In fairness, I must add that being Sanda French, she might have had trouble with the language and therefore might have experienced a sort of "culture

shock" when offered the part.

Yet, despite all this, the movie is packed with action scenes, some silly, some others dramatic in nature. As I stated in my previous review the special effects are somewhat primitive by today's standards, but being this more a story oriented movie, rather than just a purely effects saturated

one, one tends to forget such faults after awhile and comes actually to enjoy it.

The best though, as others stated here and elsewhere, is the vehicle depicted in the movie, the Landmaster (revolutionary for its times). It is an actual vehicle, not just a model, built in California by Dean Jeffries at Jeffries Automotives just for this particual movie.

The origins are even more curious. It appears that the initial idea came from a very early project for a Mars Rover (for more information refer to Wikipedia).

There is plenty included in this movie, to make it stand out from all the rest produced at that time.

In my humble opinion, of all the so-called B-movies out there, this is probably one of the most original and "active" of them all and sets the pace for other similar movies that would follow (see "The Mad Max" series, the mentioned "Cherry 2000" and even "Terminator").

If the DVD and/or Blu-Ray Disc will manage to see the light of day, and if they will sport some decent extras to accompany the thrills contained in this tiny movie, then I could only highly recommend it as a must buy.

On my part, I have already put it in my basket as a pre-order item (who knows, it might disappear as it came, so better be on the safe side).

Ultimately, it is up to you, the reader of these reviews, to decide whether or not to invest in this product or not. But if you are a true Science Fiction aficionado, you simply cannot afford to miss out on this one.

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TEOTWAWKI has come, and Jan-Michael Vincent and crew go looking for other survivors, salvaging what's left. This is a case of the movie being MUCH better than the book, although Roger Zelazny's novel is still a classic. The killer cockroach scene is still a gross-out even with dated special effects. Enjoy!

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Good news for fans of this movie, Anchor Bay are working their magic for a future release. I'm looking forward to seeing this uncut and best of all in WIDESCREEN, as I've only ever seen the shocking pan and scan that gets shown on television once in a blue moon. Hooray for Anchor Bay !

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Decisions, decision. Damnation Alley has finally made it to DVD and even Blu Ray. No, the story won't be any stronger on dvd. The scorpions in the desert will still look like they came out of a 50's movie. Hissing cockroaches are still hissing cockroaches, but in Damnation Alley they are really tough little bugs and they eat rubber, human flesh, and so on. George Peppard is as cheesy in this movie as in the A-Team which probably followed this movie. Jan Micheal Vincent was one of Hollywood's reigning pretty boys. Ah, the seventies, what with Gregg Allman and the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Charles Bronson and Death Wish, PLAYBOY Magazine, Penthouse, Richard Nixon, the United States Bicentennial in 1976, etc. It was a time for disaster movies like Soylent Green, The Omega Man, Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, The Planet of the Apes sequels, and on and on. In such a backdrop Damnation Alley fit right in. It was the beginning of disco, the Saturday Night Fever movie and soundtrack, the coming of age of the Bee Gees and the brothers Gibb.

If I didn't grab you with the first paragraph then you surely didn't live those years. Me, I was still a kid about junior high age. I thought Damnation Alley was pretty cool and also pretty limited. I always liked the landrover. Jan Michael Vincent was cool as heck, and so was that co-star from the Bad News Bears' movie. I'm not sure of his name. Anyway, I bought this movie on VHS about ten years ago. I remember that I thought it was a pretty bad movie. I judged it for plot and other reality based issues, like where did they get FUEL for this vehicle, drinking water, FOOD and of course, what about the NUCLEAR FALLOUT or RADIATION. Surely after just a couple of years the world was still MASSIVELY radiated an CONTAMINATED. And surely this vehicle was not WATER TIGHT. And how were the slot machines still working in Las Vegas, Nevada? What was the power source? And then there was the happy ending. So much CHEESE and CHILDISH NAIVETE. IF only humans could nuke the world they way they did in this movie and then have the world fairly habitable again after just a couple of years. Yes, the movie is a lot of NONSENSE. But like I said, I grew up in the 70's and this silly flick is a part of my youth and it was a part of my music experience. I missed out on a lot of stuff growing up but I did catch this flick. Is it a bad movie, well yes it is, on many levels. It is also a GOOD MOVIE on many levels. If you are looking for a reality based post nuclear holocaust movie well look to something like The Day After or Threads. Those movies are pretty much on the money. Damnation Alley is PURE ESCAPISM and FANTASY. This is a post nuclear holocaust movie that your children could watch and not have nightmares about. In this movie young girls and women can fall in love with Jan Micheal Vincent who is now about 67 years old, and who nearly died in the late 90's in a drinking and driving accident. Vincent has also been a drunk. The man is down and out. And George Peppard has now left us. We are left with Damnation Alley and The A-Team to remember Mr. Peppard. Yes, he was also in some decent movies as well. But revisit Damnation Alley and consider the context from which it came. Remember this was a low budget movie without convincing special effects. This was certainly not Star Wars. It was not even Logan's Run, both of which came out of the 70's. Take this movie for what it is and it's kinda fun. True, the ending basically SUCKS and it isn't very believable and the movie kinda came to an abrupt ending. But this movie is STILL so much BETTER than so many OTHER movies that came out of the seventies. And remember, Billy Jack and Walking Tall also came out of the seventies. I'm feeling a sense of pride in my 70's heritage just remembering all the great stuff that happened in the 70's. : )

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Big Business (1988)

I am SOOO HAPPY this is finally being released on DVD (my VHS copy has been watched so many times, it's not that good anymore!).

This is a great story about TWO sets of twins that are born in this rinky dink hospital in Jupiter Hollow, only to have one twin from each set mixed with the other. It's a hilarious romp and definitely a feel good movie. I think far too many critics these days miss that point. If a movie makes you feel good and makes you want to watch it over and over again, that's a 5 star movie.

Big Business will keep you coming back for a great does of monkey business!! Viva Tomlin and Midler!!

So there's nothing on TV except reruns? Your husband wants to watch football and you hate football, so you go to the video rental to pick out a movie to watch on the spare TV in the bedroom? Hey, I've been there, done that. Now it's time, if you haven't already, to rent a blockbuster funny movie: Big Business with Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin.

When a rich couple have to have their twin girls in a small town, all kinds of madcap comedy starts to happen. First, the kids get mixed up. The rich couple is supposed to have two Bette Midlers, if you can believe it. And the poor folks are suppose to have two Lily Tomlins. But each couple gets one of each. And to make matters even funnier, both Lily's are named Rose and both Bette's are named Sadie. Each Sadie has a different personality. Each Rose has a different personality. Where do I begin?

The poor folks Sadie is a cow milkin', sweet singin' kind of gal who yodels and has lots of fun.

The rich folks Sadie is head of the family business now that her mom and dad are dead, and she thinks she's hot stuff. She's all stuck up and full of herself.

But, when poor Sadie visits New York, she has a lot in common with rich Sadie. They both like the same kinds of clothes, and like to eat the same things.

Poor Rose is Lily Tomlin at her best as a brash, life ain't gonna stop her kind of gal. Rich Rose is Lily Tomlin as an accident getting ready to happen. Poor Rose lets all her attitude hang out, and says just what she's thinking. Rich Rose cowers behind rich sister Sadie.

But when they all get together, the fun really begins, as ex-spouses and boyfriends find out they are attracted to Sadie, but it's the other Sadie they're really interested in. Same way with Rose. Country hick Fred Ward finds out he's really crazy about rich Rose.

This is a really cool movie, and I'm sure it's better than that old footbal game your husband is watching. So get hop, hop, hoppin' to your nearest video store and rent it. I'd say to buy it, but it's currently not available.

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My best friend and I owe about half of our vocabulary to this great film. I can't believe it's not even made on VHS any longer, let alone DVD. ROSE IS ME! I know how you love to mix & match your syrups. This film is a classic, and the laughs won't end when the movie ends.

Read Best Reviews of Big Business (1988) Here

This blu-ray looks much better than the dvd for the exception of the first few minutes in the scene where the mothers are delivering their children. After that you clearly see the rich video and the difference between this blu-ray and the regular dvd.

This movie is so happy, uplifting and entertaining from begining to end that I've bought it yet again; first vhs many years ago, then dvd, now blu-ray. Buying blu-ray will make you feel that you're watching the movie for the 1st time again and a very big difference from dvd. The title menu is also cool with the black and white screen split in 4 and background music.

I gave it 5 stars because I don't consider that 2 or 3 minutes in the begining of the movie of some graininess is enough to take a star away from this great movie and wonderful video quality after those few minutes. Also other reviewers have removed more than one star just because of those 2 or 3 minutes. Maybe they didn't keep watching after that?

There are many wonderful old movies that I would love to see come out in blu-ray even if the quality is not perfect but is at least widescreen and better than dvd.

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This movie is one of my favorites from growing up. I probably watched it at least 100 times as a child. I'm so glad to see it on DVD. Bette Midler(who plays Sadie and Sadie) and Lily Tomlin (who plays Rose and Rose)are so funny!

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House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Soon following the success of 'Hero,' director Yimou Zhang made another film featuring beautiful Zhang Ziyi. One of the good news for Zhang Ziyi fans (including me) is that 'House of Flying Daggers' features her almost all through the film. And this time director's stress is clearly given to the romantic side of the story -and as if to match his intention, 'House' looks more beautiful, colorful, and gorgeous, than 'Hero.' And there are actions, and some of them are quite unique.

The film is set in 859 AD, last days of the now corrupt Tang Dynasty in China. One underground sect called House of Flying Daggers are openly challenging the authority of the government, and to crush these rebels, two officers Jin -also known 'The Wind' (Takeshi Kaneshiro, 'Chunking Express') and Leo (Andy Lau, 'Infernal Affairs') think of a good plan.

Jin goes to meet a blind courtesan Mei (Zhang Ziyi), who is suspected to be connected with the secret clan, and he gains the confidence of this beautiful dancer by some tricks -tricks meaning 'love.' Make her love you, and you get her secret. Hopefully she will lead Jin to the hiding place of the 'House of Flying Daggers,' but before the plan starts, Leo warns Jin: 'Don't fall in love for real.' But who can resist Mei's beauty? Or Zhang Ziyi's for that matter?

The rest of the story is very melodramatic, and the film sometimes needs a good amount of suspension of disbelief (especially for Western audiences, I'm afraid). But, though melodramatic, it is aptly so, as this is basically about a romance, or a love story. Those who love the romantic mood in films would understand what I say. It's all about the tension and mood, and 'House' has lots of them.

Actions are done by Tony Ching Siu-Tung, whose CV includes the action director of 'A Chinese Ghost Story.' He gives superb martial arts actions here again, without using too much of now-too-trendy wire actions. As the film title shows, there are some effectively shot scenes of 'flying daggers' which, with a good use of CGIs, gives a few of thrilling moments. And like I said before, the battles in the midst of a deep bamboo forest are not to be missed, if you are a real Hong-Kong film fan.

Costumes are provided by Emi Wada (as in 'Hero'), whose colorful dresses are just wonderful. Particlularly those long-sleeved dancing costumes for Zhang Ziyi not merely enhance the exotic beauty of the dancer, but things to be treasured on their own merit. And Kathleen Battle sings the theme song at the end of the film.

But first and foremost, to me, the film is made for Zhang Ziyi. Did I say she is beautiful? She is, and breathtakingly so, when her character betrays her hidden emotions before the camera. And sometimes the film reveals the character's very sensual side -I say, for a Chinese film, of course, but it was a little surprising.

Of course, top-credited Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro are the stars, and they are very good. The film is always beautiful to see, from the first to the end (the snow field was shot in Ukraine). And if you're a fan of Zhang Ziyi, this one is not to be missed for it's not too much to say that it belongs to her.

Since none of the other reviews for this movie seem to focus on the Blu-Ray disc, I decided I'll throw my $.02 in.

The movie is a very good, well told story. The other reviews tell you that. What they don't tell you is that the Blu-Ray version is a waste of money.

The first issue I had when playing the movie was the menu. Something told me that when the menu come on and it looked no better than DVD that something was amiss. I had hoped it was just the menu. I was wrong.

I then started the movie up with subtitles and when the actual movie started I raised my hand to my head and began to scratch it. The video looked HORRIBLE. Pixelated and blurry and lacking detail.

I paused the movie just before the drum scene. I then put the DVD into my Oppo 971 DVD player, switched the input on my TV to the DVD player and skipped to the same scene on the DVD. I was amazed. The DVD upconverted to 720p using the Oppo 971 looked BETTER than the 1080p image coming from the PS3 through HDMI! The only difference is that the PS3's image is a bit brighter. This may be because I haven't calibrated the color for the HDMI input and not a true representation of the transfer.

The sound is really good, but not a whole lot better than the DVD. It certainly isn't worth the price to upgrade to Blu-Ray when the sound nearly imperceptibly changes and the video looks this bad.

Looking at reviews on-line for the disc and given they were giving the movie decent video ratings, I thought it may be a problem with my setup, so I called Sony's PS3 support line and basically was told that as long as my other movies looked good (Corpse Bride looks simply stunning in Blu-Ray) that it was likely the way the movie was authored. Pretty sad that Sony, who are the biggest backers of the format, can't even author a movie properly. I have since learned from sources other than people trying to justify the expense of their $1000 players that HoFD is widely regarded as Sony's most poorly authored Blu-Ray title. Part of the issue may also be that Sony has an aversion to VC-1 (which is supported by Microsoft) and instead focuses on using MPEG-2 to encode the video. Talledega Nights also uses MPEG-2 but looks light years beyond HoFD.

Do yourself a favor if you want to purchase this on Blu-Ray; save yourself some money and buy the DVD version instead. The content doesn't change and it honestly looks better than the Blu-Ray disc. If you want something to show off the clarity of Blu-Ray, pick up Corpse Bride.

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If you have not seen Hero, HOFD stands on its own for its gorgeous art direction alone. If you have seen Hero, you must see HOFD, because HOFD is a perfect contrast to Hero; "Hero" cannot be complete without HOFD. Both films are about sacrifice. So what set them apart?

While the message in "Hero" can be interpreted as "the greater goods outweigh the individual needs", the message in HOFD can be deciphered as "the individual needs outweigh the greater goods".

In "Hero", Nameless and Broken Sword gave up their plan to assassinate the emperor (thus giving up not only their desire to avenge personal hatred but also their individual happiness) because they realized that the power of the emperor might be the best solution to end the dreadful pains and suffers resulting from the a tangle of warring states.

In HOFD, Mei and Jin eventually chose to give up their mission to serve their respective political entity and instead, pursue their individual happiness and freedom.

In both movies, the outcomes are the same. No matter choosing the greater goods or individual needs ahead of everything, the individual cannot escape from suffering. In "hero", sacrifice of the individual dreams leads to the broken hearts. In HOFD, sacrifice of the greater goods leads to amplify the conflict of individual emotions (e.g., rejection and jealousy). At the end, the individuals still suffer and death becomes the best way to free it all.

While Yimou Zhang was criticized for the communism dogma in Hero (the importance of the greater good over the individual freedom), HOFD is his brilliant effort to silence the critics. HOFD manifests the unspoken (or relatively hidden) messages of Hero: the individuals' emotional baggage could outweigh everything after all. Humans are just humans. They suffer and search for ways to alleviate their suffering. And Zhang sympathizes with both forms of sufferings.

Read Best Reviews of House of Flying Daggers (2004) Here

Some people call this movie a 'bad kung-fu flick', one person in particular who posted their review on this movie earlier. I say their wrong. Way wrong. This movie wasn't created to be a world class kung fu flick, but rather to satisfy the desires of the followers of the newest type of motion picture: visual poetry.

This movie relates to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, and I'm sure you can figure out why without even watching it. The visuals are ASTOUNDING and the acting is far from weak. It even features cast members who were in Hero and CTHD.

The music intertwines with the fight scenes to create a breathtaking experience that you couldn't even imagine reading this review. This is one of those movies where 'words can't describe the beauty'. Do yourself a favor and buy this movie (or rent it, if you are one of THOSE people).

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With visuals adorned by nature's beauty and a story as passionate as the human spirit, time will give House of Flying Daggers the great appreciation it deserves.

I just saw the movie last night after purchasing the soundtrack, out of curiosity, the week before. (I, finally, went to get the one for Hero and saw the one for this nearby.) I became familiar with the music first, and then I surfed the Web for movie reviews and viewer commentary. Unfortunately, I encountered many negative interpretations of the film's story, action, acting, direction etc. After seeing the movie, I realized that the same elements which were criticized in this film were celebrated when presented within more "conventional" productions.

As wisely pointed out by a reviewer on another website, the tale is from the tragic tradition of storytelling. Similarly, the exquisitely choreographed action sequences and the breathtaking cinematography are based in artistry not reality. Although the plot which wasn't that logic-defying (especially, when compared to those of Star Wars and The Matrix) revolved around issues that may feel foreign to some, the drama's emotional core resonated with the most fundamental of human longings: The need for a life of freedom and the yearning for love without fear.

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