Clerks II (2-Disc Special Edition) (2006)

I bought this set at Best Buy on New Year's Eve for only $30, and I wasn't dissapointed.

It comes in a Happy Meal-esque box, complete with a plastic cup with straw, a Mooby's visor, a Mooby's nametag, and a little worksheet with puzzles and stuff on it. The visor is actually pretty cool, and the cup is a quality thick plastic cup. I wouldn't pay over $50 for this at any time, but if you can get it for a decent price, it's easily worth it.

The film itself is also very good. It ranks near the top, if not my favorite of all Kevin Smith films.

The final chapter of the "New Jersey Chronicles" is am almost satisfying ending to a series of films extending about 15 years.

its more than 10 years after the events of clerks. Dante and Randall's situation hasnt improved much. they're still working basically the same jobs. in the opening scene the quick stop pretty much burns down. the rest of the movie after that takes place at Mooby's fast food place, Dante and Randall's other job.

ive always found Dante to be a kind of bland character, just like TC in Mallrats, but they both have that outrageous sidekick (randall) so it balances out well.

Clerks 2 carries the torch of the original perfectly, with classic characters and always entertaining strings of dialogue. the movie has a satisfying ending which properly brings closure to the chronicles. i wish Kevin would keep it up though. even after all these years, these characters havent played themselves out at all, even if their own creator thinks thats the case. Kevin Smith is arguably my favorite writer/director, so im kind of biased, but all of his work that ive seen couldnt be any better in my opinion.

like most DVD's Kevin Smith puts out, this has the special features to keep anybody busy for a while, including an hour and a half long documentary on the making of Clerks 2.

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The original Clerks is a landmark movie; made on a budget of $28,000, it became a huge cult hit and began the "Askewniverse", the film and comic book world populated by characters like Jay (Jason Mewes), Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), and the Hicks family (all played by Brian O'Halloran). While Clerks II is the first direct sequel to any Askewniverse film, it, like all the others, has certain elements that have writer/director Kevin Smith's fingerprints all over it.

The story starts 10 years after the end of Clerks. Dante Hicks (O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) still work at the Quick Stop and RST Video stores, respectively, despite the fact that they are now in their 30's. As the movie opens, Dante opens the shutters to see that the building is on fire due to Randal's negligence. For the next year, the two of them work at Mooby's, a fast food restaurant. Though their setting has changed, they are still clerks. They still have to put up with annoying customers, but now they have to make food as well. They also have coworkers to put up with, notably Elias (Trevor Fehrman) a 19-year-old who still kisses his mother goodbye everyday when she drops him off. He and Randal are usally arguing about who grew up with better pop culture, with Randal backing Star Wars and Elias championing Lord of the Rings and Transformers. We also meet their boss in this movie (in the original Clerks, we never met their superior and only knew him as "The Boss"). Becky (Rosario Dawson) is a cool and very tolerant (in Randal's case) manager who likes hanging out with Dante while Randal and Elias work. Jay and Silent Bob are also still in the lives of Dante and Randal. Since the Quick Stop burned down, they had to find a new place to hang out in front of, and they chose Mooby's. They are still drug dealers, but now they themselves are clean.

The majority of the film takes place on Dante's last day of work. He is leaving New Jersey forever with his fiancee Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Kevin Smith's real-life wife) the following day, much to Randal's disappointment. Randal doesn't like Emma very much, and the feeling is mutual, and Dante himself seems to prefer Becky. He seems a lot more relaxed and happy around her than with Emma, who was a jerk to him in high school (though more on this subject later).

Clerks II has many callbacks to the first and has all of Smith's trademarks, but it is definitely its own movie. In both this and the original, we see Dante's morning routine for opening the store, he paints a girl's toenails in each film, Dante does something on the roof, Dante is caught between two girls, and there are some others that I don't want to spoil. Jason Lee and Ben Affleck both make appearances, who have appeared in every Smith film since Mallrats (the movie after Clerks). This film, according to Kevin Smith, is the last film of the Askewniverse (though that's what he said about Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), and it serves to tie up most of the loose ends (as Smith calls it, it is an epilogue of the Askewniverse).

This is definitely a film that merits repeat viewings. On top of being laugh-out-loud hilarious, it is so good that you will most likely miss parts of the dialogue due to the audience laughing so hard. I would see it now, then wait a few weeks when the crowds have thinned out, then go see it again.

This film was made for only $5,000,000, which is small by Hollywood standards, but is 185 times greater than the budget for the first film. It is my opinion that Smith tried to do a lot of things that he could not have done in the first movie. Dante and Randal leave the restaurant to go somewhere, but this time, we actually see where they go (in Clerks, they went to a funeral, but we didn't see what went on because it would have been too expensive to hire extras and rent another location). There is also a hilarious dance sequence where Dante and Becky are dancing on the roof while other people in the film start dancing in their various places (and Randal "wrangles" across the counter), and the shots of Dante and Randal in their car are not shot from the back seat.

The one problem I had with this film is the love story. I don't think it was terrible, but it seemed a little trite for a Kevin Smith movie. It was very straightforward; the minute that Becky even hinted at her feelings for Dante, we knew that these two were meant for each other. In the first Clerks, thing were more ambigous about which girl Dante should go for. Still, when it wasn't being cheesy, it provided for some laughs.

This part isn't so much a problem as an observation. Clerks II definitely does not feel like an indie film. I guess that's natural, because if you have $5,000,000 to make a film that will be inexpensive, you might as well go the whole nine yards. Also, and this is a very convoluted analysis (and is probably over-analysis), but one of the things Kevin Smith said is that this is a film about being in your 30's while the first was about being in one's 20's. Maybe the indie film has a closer connection with one's 20's (you are young, just starting off in your life as an adult, can't afford much), but once you get to your 30's, things are more mainstream and you can achieve just a little more if you try.

In summation, Clerks II is a great movie, definitely one of the funniest I've seen since The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Be warned that it is extremely vulgar (Smith was afraid of getting an NC-17 rating despite no violence or nudity), so don't bring the kids or easily upset friends. But with Kevin Smith, you really can't expect anything else.

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Well, I know Clerks II doesn't come to mind when wanting to show off HiDef Picture and Sound quality, Clerks II still looks damn fine in HD, and will impress any fan.

Video Quality:

Clerks II is presented in the MPEG-4 AVC codec, and holds up nicely against VC-1. Many reviewers have complained about the hot overblown contrast of the cinematography, but to tell you the truth, it never bothers me as I think it feels more real. Considering most of the film is set inside a fast food resturant in the middle of the day, you'd expect that.

Film Grain is evident but never really distracts, as it just adds to the low-budget nature of the film. Clarity and sharpness are top-notch and is never an issue, and detail always manages to hit it's mark. There is some slight digital grain on BG walls and floors, but overall not a bad transfer.

Score: 3.5/5

Audio Quality:

Sound wise, Clerks II HD-DVD fairs up as you could imagine for a dialogue driven film. Dialogue is always clear from the front speakers, yet the surrounds and LFE are rarely used. It does it's job, and the HD-DVD comes with a bonus Dolby Digital TrueHD track (which is not displayed on the back cover).

Score: 3/5

Extras:

Like it's DVD cousin, this HD-DVD gets all the bells and whistles of special features, but THIS TIME round, they're displayed in 1080i HD glory. Ok, it's not everything, but it's nice to see the behind the scenes in all their glory. The docos are very funny and entertaining (as you'd expect from Kevin Smith), and the 3 audio commentaries will not dissapoint any fan.

Score: 5/5

Overall:

I am a HUGE fan of Kevin Smith, and in my opinion Clerks II is his strongest film to date. It's hilarious, laugh-out-loud gross yet heart felt at times.

Call me insane, but Clerks II was one of the main reasons I chose HD-DVD over Blu-ray. It's a gem of a movie that any fan should be without in there HD-DVD collection.

Overall Score: 5/5

-zallapo

Want Clerks II (2-Disc Special Edition) (2006) Discount?

SPOILERS alert here. Also, I have to say this upfront: I actually liked JERSEY GIRL, so take this review for whatever you think it's worth.

No worries, fans of CLERKS. Kevin Smith didn't eff it up. With CLERKS 2, our trousers-challenged maverick writer/director crafts an admirable and wickedly funny sequel to his 1994 indie, black and white cult hit. Once again, Smith creates a rallying film for the disenfranchised and the disinclined. And he brings his usual bag of tricks: the bawdy humor, the character-driven interplays, the pop culture indulgences, and the beloved characters.

Here's the plot: It's been a decade since we last met up with Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson), who had been whiling their dead end lives away in a convenience store and a video shop. Well, CLERKS 2 finds the Quick Stop burnt down due to a coffee machine mishap and the hapless duo now toiling at the haphazardly frequented fast food joint Mooby's. At first glance, not much has really changed. With the lack of steady customers, the duo still finds plenty of time to goof around and mouth off. Now in their thirties, Randal is still as abrasive as ever, but Dante seems to have finally decided to get his life into gear. This is his last day working at Moody's. Tomorrow, he's driving out of Jersey with his cute fiancee Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, the director's wife) and moving to Florida, where he's promised a job by her pops and even a house by her moms. He's pretty much made up his mind, though certain doubts linger. His best buddy Randal thinks he's taking the easy way out, a sentiment echoed by Becky (the easy-on-the-eyes Rosario Dawson), their sexy and cool supervisor at Moody's, who herself doesn't buy into romantic love. But Dante is determined to go. What he doesn't know is that this day has some life altering surprises in store for him. There, so much for the plot.

First of all, Kevin Smith's great strength is his ear for dialogue. Folks have already made mention of Smith's directing skills, or, rather, how little they've progressed ever since the first CLERKS. I happen to think he's a pretty decent filmmaker, but, I really believe the field in which he truly excels is writing. And I'm not talking about flowery diction and high-faluting prose. I'm talking about words from the gut, the real-life crap that people say or want to say as they go thru their day to day existence. CLERKS 2 revels in its playful but obscene riffs as much as it does in its theme of slackerhood and its tendencies for pop culture references. Whether the topic is sexual etiquette, the superiority of one cinematic trilogy over another, or the sensitive issue of standing still as life passes one by, Smith's words, as spoken by the film characters, are honest, sometimes vulgarly honest.

The humor in this film made me howl. It's not drawing board wit, no. The comedy is vintage CLERKS, ranging from scatological, to sexual, to racial, to just plain juvenile. Off the top of my head, the scenes where I laughed the longest and loudest are the LORD OF THE RINGS versus the STAR WARS trilogy debate, the "porch monkey" bit, and the donkey scene (or to quote the Sexy Stud: "interspecies erotica").

I have to say that Rosario Dawson helps greatly to elevate this movie from being merely an exercise in incessant hanging out and talking trash. She is sunny, winning, beautiful, and is a natural actress. You might wonder initially what draws her to a frumpy looking guy like Dante, but it's her attraction to such a normal guy and even kind of a loser that makes the movie work even better for me. Her Becky exudes such a level-headed yet whimsical personality that I thought, yes, she could actually fall for this numbnut, bless her heart. Their relationship nicely depicts how a good friendship could, in time, transform into something more. From the special features, I found out that Bryce Howard, Sarah Silverman, and Liv Tyler were wooed for the part of Becky. Frankly, I now find it hard to picture anyone but Dawson in that role, though I'm sure Liv wouldn't have been too shabby.

Brian O'Halloran as the quietly harried Dante is again effective here, but it is Jeff Anderson who shines brighter as the rude, crude, and irresponsible Randal. His moments with Dante while they were incarcerated near the movie's end are searingly real, raw, and heartfelt. And to think that Anderson, at first, had to be talked into doing this sequel. Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, in the thankless role of Emma, Dante's fiancee, manages to pull off a nice performance in her few scenes. Trevor Fehrman as the 19 year old, Lord of the Rings and Transformers fanatic, Elias, is a bit over the top, but funny enough (his Pillowpants bit is giggly funny). Meanwhile, Jason Mewes as Jay and the director himself as Silent Bob are back after spending six months in rehab (the characters, not the actors, though Mewes did have his drug problems) and remain amusing, as ever. It's nice to know that, though they continue to ply their drug dealing trade, they've at least found Our Savior, Jesus Christ. Cameos are also made by Smith regulars Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, and even Wanda Sykes pops in for a while, but not long enough to hurt the film.

The bonus features (of over six hours, as boasted on the dvd cover): disc one includes three film commentaries (the best one is the second commentary selection, which offers Smith and most of the cast), plenty of deleted scenes, and "A Closer Look at Interspecies Erotica"; disc two has the engrossing hour and a half long behind-the scenes-look "Back to the Well: Clerks 2," an extended blooper reel (which is mostly bland, excepting those takes with Rosario yep, she got to me), and "Trains Wrecks: Video Production Diaries" (including Jason Lee's "The Tongue Song"). Most of the special features come with the option of an intro by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier.

This flick is low brow, vulgar to the extreme and, certainly, gasp inducing. But CLERKS 2 also has plenty of heart and, surprisingly, several sweet moments, which surface when you least expect it. Kevin Smith made this film as a fond salute to the slacker generation who adored the first CLERKS and also as an homage to his younger, more unsure self who was just starting out and who believed back then that more things seemed possible to achieve. CLERKS 2 is a movie about a day in the life of several ordinary folks, whose copious downtime, on the surface, is filled with nonsensical junk. But, when you get right down to it, these seemingly throwaway moments depict and define their lives, and, as such, they prove to be very real. I'm personally giving this one 5 stars, but, remember, I also liked JERSEY GIRL.

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Big Nothing

This is one of the more enjoyable "bumbling amateur criminals" movies that I've seen.

It's a UK/Canadian production but it's set in the U.S. and it stars David Schwimmer in my favorite movie role of his to date. His lugubrious manner is perfectly complimented by bouncy, James-Cagney-like Simon Pegg, a British comedian donning a perfect American accent. Their screen chemistry is wonderful.

Joining them is another Brit with another perfect American accent plus tremendous sex appeal, Alice Eve, playing a third kooky wheel in this unlikely team of extortionists. I gotta say: the acting by everyone (Brit, American, and Canadian) is top-notch.

The script by Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Andrea and American Billy Asher tries to avoid cliches -or at least improve on them -and Andrea's direction gives the film a slightly surreal touch altho the film retains a down-to-earth quality.

That surreal touch plus its dark quality may limit this film's appeal, but those who like terrific acting and fast-paced fun may revel in that appeal.

(To people who have already seen the film: there's a difference of opinion here and at the Amazon UK site about Simon Pegg's accent. I think that those who are familiar with Simon Pegg will be influenced by that familiarity and find his accent strange -while those of us who aren't familiar with him will find his accent perfect, albeit energetic, Midwestern. Can you click on the "comments" link below my review and reveal (1) if you were familiar with Pegg before this movie and (2) how succcessful you thought his accent was? Thanks.)

I loved this film. The first "gothic comedy", I would say! It's very funny, yet surprisingly dark. So you'll go from laughing your head off to jumping in your seat thinking "WTF"? A very original movie based on a classic premise. Pegg rocks, as usual, I'm a huge Spaced fan and wasn't disappointed! Definitely a geeky yet intelligent movie, worth watching a few times. Laughs and shocks guaranteed in equal measure. Awesome soundtrack too, are they going to release it?

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Just a joy for me to watch! I haven't ever been let down yet by Simon Pegg (the guy from Shawn of the Dead) and his wit plays off of Schwimmer's drollitivity(?) perfectly. The chick is dynamite and she mentally kicks the crap out of the two men who are smart enough to acknowledge it with just the right amount of self deprecation. The plot constantly twists and turns and the comedy is all black. That's key for me. Give me laughs couched in morally questionable (or directly sinful) situations and I'm happy as a clam.

Read Best Reviews of Big Nothing Here

Big Nothing is actually a pleasant surprise to me personally.

I thought it was going to be a really average movie considering who was starring in it. Turns out, not only is the movie interesting, I might even go out on a limb and say it's a classic in some kind of weird way!

The MANY plot twists, the comedy and drama segments combined *perfectly* to keep your attention, and just *every single line* that's delivered by the characters... wow what a film! I'm seriously quite shocked just how good it was. I never would have expected a quality film of this level.

Anyway, the story is about two guys and a woman who come up with this complex plan to take someones money over a pay phone... but many MANY things go wrong along the way, including some murders and trying to cover their tracks and explain themselves to the police, and it's just incredible how exciting the storyline is. I'm by no means a fan of that guy from the hit TV show Friends, but something about his performance here... he totally nails it.

This is the kind of movie I'd like to watch again to catch all the little jokes I may have missed, along with trying to figure out exactly what was going on the entire time (because let's be honest, with so many things happening at once, it's real easy for your mind to get a little bit confused at times!)

And WOW is Alice Eve a hot actress! Watching her in this movie in that "bad girl" role, she was incredibly attractive to me, and fit the part perfectly. Great movie.

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This movie is by far on of my favorite movies! I recomend this movie to anyone! buy this movie!!!

The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars / For a Few Dollars More / The Good, The Bad, an

Sergio Leone's classic trilogy of films with Clint Eastwood arrives on Blu-ray (and also in a separate DVD release ) under "The Man with No Name" with varying results. All three films "Fistful of Dollars", "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (the last film previously released on Blu-ray before this set)have their individual issues but, on the whole, all three films have more positives than negatives when it comes to their debut on HD.

I'm going to skip the plot summaries since others have already done a good job with that.

"Fistful of Dollars" clearly isn't the same transfer as the European edition; skin tones tend to be a bit red and the framing is a bit different than the European restored edition. I'm not sure if the original negative was accessed for this edition (I doubt it)but it could use a bit of restoration work.

Still, it looks pretty good with good detail. Overall the transfer looks quite good and digital noise reduction doesn't mar this one quite as badly as it does "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (which still looks good even with that issue). Audio sounds quite nice as well.I'd also note that fans should be prepared--it looks quite grainy but this is the way the film was shot and originally shown in theaters.

We get all the extras from the previous edition on DVD that was released in "The Man with No Name Trilogy" and "The Sergio Leone Collection" (the only difference between those two DVD releases was that "Duck You Sucker" was included starring James Coburn was part of that package).

"For a Few Dollars More" looks exceptionally good with nice detail, colors that mirror the overseas edition of the film and, again, the extras from the DVD edition. This is probably the best looking of the bunch here. Again, the film is grainy but thats the intended look of the film.

"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" looks extremely good even with occasional heavy handed DNR applied to the film (more to do with eliminating grain since all three films were shot on film stock that tended to be extremely grainy to begin with). The detail is still surprisingly strong this doesn't look as bad as, say, the latest edition of "Predator" where everyone has waxy skin completion but it isn't quite as strong looking as "For A Few Dollars More" either.

Part of this could be due to the fact that "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" underwent a restoration some years back and this could an older HD print for the film whereas the other two films received more recent transfers. The overuse of digital noise reduction (which tends to reduce detail, cause skin textures to look smooth like wax but smoothes out grain often eliminating it if overused)was pretty common as recent as three to five years ago. That's no excuse just the facts. I doubt given MGM's current financial crisis and Fox's recent trend towards overusing DNR ("Predator" again as an example for a recent catalog title or "Patton")that we were going to get a new HD transfer. It's not something that should prevent you from buying this set although you will notice it on TV sets 50 inches and above.

The video bit rate for all three movies is quite good with an average of 30Mbps ("Fistful" has the highest at 36 while "Good" which is the longest film of the three has the lowest at 26Mbps) which translates as a good, consistent picture.

Audio is strong for all three films. As previoulsy mentioned the extras from all three previously released DVDs are included as part of the set usually in standard definition though and on the same disc as the movie. We get multiple langauge tracks including English, Spanish, Hungarian, Italian and Turkish. Subtitles are available in English only.

All three films are packaged in a slimline 3 Blu-ray case with film credits printed on the inside of the outer sleeve. I would have liked to see Fox (which is handling MGM releases in the U.S.) include replicas of the lobby cards like they did with the previous single DVD sets and/or a booklet similar to the one that came with "The Sergio Leone Collection".

So is the transfer for "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and the framing issue for "Fistful" a deal breaker? No. You'll enjoy these films and they really have never looked this good on home video before. Be aware however that there is a region free European edition that doesn't have the framing issue for "Fistful" and the skin tones are a bit more muted for that restored edition. It all comes down to if you have a fistful of dollars to spend.

Most fans won't notice these issues and for those that do there is an alternative should you want to pick up the European edition of the film.

So a total of 4 stars because of some minor issues with two films in the set. A note on the cover--for some reason Fox has chosen to reuse the cover from "The Sergio Leone Collection for the Blu-ray (and DVD) of "The Man with No Name Trilogy".Recommended.

1. In a nutshell:

Picture quality:

"Fistful": 4/5

"Few More": 4.5/5

"Good, Bad, Ugly": 3,5/5

Region Free!

Widescreen 2.35:1

Audio: English, Spanish, French (German/Italian also on "Good, Bad, Ugly")

Extras: seem to be the same as on 2-disc DVD sets.

NB: extraordinary audio commentary by Leone expert Christopher Frayling!

In my view this box set is a bargain (I ordered my copies for $29).

If you like these Leone films, then this 3-piece set should be a no-brainer.

2. For sprocket hole addicts (myself included):

All films of this "trilogy" (of course it wasn't intended as such) were shot in "Techniscope" (i.e. 2 perforation holes instead of 4, as in "Cinemascope" ) hence cutting stock costs in half unfortunately same goes for picture resolution. Therefore a slightly lesser picture quality than in usual Cinemascope Blu-ray transfers is the result. But this only adds to the intentional grittiness of Carlo Simi's production design. Much better prints are not likely in the future.

Still these Blu-ray prints of the three movies differ in their picture quality with "Few More" being the best (except some minor visible stain at TC 00:04:09-56, Chpt. 2) followed by "Fistful" and "Good, Bad, Ugly" (due to excessive DNR processing).

Alternatives for the 3-disc box set?

"Fistful" you can also look for the Italian BD release from RHV (Ripleys Home Video; Region Free) available from bol.it.

"Few More" this BD is available seperately (for the price of this entire set!)

"Good, Bad, Ugly" you could wait for an enhanced BD version, but who knows when this will be around? "Good, Bad, Ugly" of course could use some improvement...

Fox have put out a 4-disc BD set also including "Hang 'em High" available from amazon.co.uk (RC? / picture quality? / audio?)

Overall these BDs look great a definite improvement over DVDs and are great fun to watch!! Audio commentary by Christopher Frayling (author of: "Spaghetti Westerns: Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone", 1981) impressively marks the difference between informative vs. talkative (yes, Sir!) and provides you with everything you always wanted to know about these Leone films but didn't know whom to ask... brilliant!!

Buy The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars / For a Few Dollars More / The Good, The Bad, an Now

The trilogy of westerns made by Sergio Leone during the early to mid-60's are among the best of the so-called spaghetti westerns produced. Leone's unique cinematic vision and his unusual use of the camera (a bit of trivia Leone never storyboarded his films. Unlike Hitchcock and other major directors he had it all in his head)make these films unique and powerful. Leone was the first foreign film director to make self reflective movies; i.e., his westerns were really about the classic western films he grew up loving with a post-ironic twist.

You can read about the plots elsewhere as I want to concentrate on the major drawback (and the benefits)of these DVDs; Both Fistful and more are presented in their widescreen aspect radio. Since Leone's films benefited from the widescreen format and vistas, seeing them in a pan and scan version doesn't do the films justice; it's like listening to a great piece of music through a portable radio with poor reception. You get the gist of the music and feel that's powerful but it lacks the full impact and range.

The films exhibit a high amount of analog artifacts. Portions of More also look quite faded. Both films deserve and require a restoration similar to that performed for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (although the version included here is not the restored version). Both discs also include both pan and scan and widescreen versions of the films. There's also theatrical trailers and booklets with background on the making of both films. The soundtrack sounds flat and thin--given the way the original soundtracks were mixed and released that's not a surprise. Still, if the original elements still exist it would be worthwhile to revisit these films, restore and then remaster them with a commentary track (similar to that for Once Upon A Time in The West). They don't look horrible but it's clear that the negative is either in poor condition or the prints used were not pristine.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly looks and sounds better than the other two films in the series. It also benefited from a much larger budget and shooting time which is to the benefit of the film. The acting is stronger (Eastwood returns as does Van Cleef joined by the scene chewing Eli Wallach in a marvelous turn as "the ugly"). THis version features a number of scenes cut for both the International and US version. While the scenes aren't restored (and my copy didn't even had the advertised "Italian" dialogue track but was silent), they provide an interesting background as to the motivations of the characters.

TGTBATU looks still has a fair amount of analog artifacts but not quite as bad as the first two. The sound is slightly better although still thin (again, it was recorded and shown in mono. Remember, this was the early 60's). Leone's direction and visual flair are more in evidence on the third film of the series. Here's hoping that MGM will get around to re-releasing the restored version that showed earlier in the year. Reportedly, Eastwood and Wallach re-recorded their dialogue (which might explain why the tracks are silent--it's clear that the dialogue tracks must be missing or incomplete)and they had a sound alike for the late Van Cleef.

While all three films are essential western classics, all three are marred by a variety of analog flaws. Their still worth having but I'm hoping with the advent of reissues like Once Upon a Time in The West, that all three will get a face-lift and second chance on DVD. It also wouldn't hurt to provide some interesting background on the making of all three films. Eastwood and Wallach are still around as are various crew members/actors from the original productions. Let's hope it gets done!

Oh, and by the way, the Man with No Name did have a name in at least two of the three films here. That Man With No Name aspect was a marketing ploy dreamed up by the original studio (United Artists) to sell the films later on down the line.

Read Best Reviews of The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars / For a Few Dollars More / The Good, The Bad, an Here

My low rating does not apply to the movies themselves. In a period when most Hollywood westerns were becoming predictable and formulaic, Italian director Sergio Leone broke the mold! This trilogy, along with his last western, "Once Upon A Time In The West" (not included in this set), are the four greatest westerns ever made, and yet were not produced by Hollywood. The greatest of the Hollywood westerns, such as "The Magnificent Seven", "The Big Country", "The Alamo", "The Three Godfathers"; and south-of-the-border westerns like "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and "Guns For San Sabastian" (to name but a few of the greats) all fall in behind the Leone westerns. If you are a fan of westerns and have not seen the movies in this trilogy, watch them as soon as possible, but be prepared for something different than you are used to. They are not slick, but instead portray an accurate grittiness of the old west. They are not gimmicky like the Hollywood westerns of more recent vintage (say from about the mid 1970's to present). The greatest western ever made has to be "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly". This is the mother of all westerns! The acting in all three movies is superb, but the performance of Eli Wallach as Tuco in "The Good..." is extraordinary, and ranks as one of the greatest performances by any actor on film. Clint Eastwood also gives the greatest performance of his career in "The Good...". It is interesting that Clint tried to recapture the magic of the Leone films in his own productions such as "Pale Rider", Hang 'Em Hign", etc., but never even came close.

Now on to the problems with these discs. The transfers are not particularly hign quality, and appear not to be remastered. The first two trilogy movies are merely letterboxed rather than enhanced widescreen. But the biggest bummer of all is the sound quality. The sound quality on "The Good..." is about as good as any of the versions I have heard. The sound quality of "Fistful..." is rather poor. But it is the obnoxious sound of "for A Few Dollars More" that is really a crime. The dialog is too far in the background, and the overall sound on this disc is so harsh that if you turn the volume up to a level where you can hear the dialog clearly, the hard, treble-heavy, distorted sound will bore a hole in your head! I'm not kidding. I love these movies so much that I will have to find an alternative version of "For a Few Dollars More" to replace the one that came with this trilogy. If I had it to do over again, I would purchase the best individual versions I could find, rather than waste money of this set. It's too bad that MGM didn't put just a little bit more TLC into these masterpieces!

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A good series to own, if you like westerns or Eastwood. I'll just comment on the DVD features. The video reproductions of "A Fistfull of Dollars" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." are excellent. The reproduction of "For a Few Dollars More" left a lot to be desired. This one must have been reproduced from an imperfect source because a lot of dust floaters are present which is only really distracting during nighttime scenes. Not a lot of extras included, a few trailers and for the "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" some extra minutes from deleted scenes.

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Spartacus: Blood and Sand / Gods of the Arena (2011)

After receiving this "box" set and opening the first season package I noticed that the disks were put in between two solid folds of paper(cardboard idk) instead of the plastic holds that disks usually clip into. This made me wonder if I would scratch the disks just taking them out. Soon as I saw this I knew I wouldn't be using this to hold my disks after viewing. Sure enough after putting the first disk in, after a while I found that the each episode would pause and skip at certain spots. I pull the disk out and notice some odd circular scratch around the center (light scratch) and kinda an odd pattern round it as well. Pull out all other disks and see the same issue. So since then returned this to Amazon hassle free (Amazon always does a great job with all forms of shipping). The show itself from the first disk I sat through (trying to ignore the skips until I found it happening to frequently) seemed pretty great. Plenty of action and seemed less predictable then I thought it would be, from the four episodes I viewed anyway. The packaging and disk damage is why this gets 3 stars over 5.

some of the discs skip at certain points of the movie. I have not finnished all of them,for now though it gets a 2 star

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I'm on my second set of these Bluray discs and the 2nd episode of both have scenes that have stuttered, pixelated, froze, and fast forwarded. These have come with the yellow stripe on the plastic sleeve.

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Good show for a great price. I hope to see more prices like this in the future. I do not mind buying used blue rays just as long as they play.

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I would have spent over $60 in the store for both sets of movies but paid wwwaayyyy less, and Im very happy with this product. A truly great value!!

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Nacho Libre (2013)

Much better than most comedies; you do have to have a sense of humor to enjoy it, so if you rarely laugh, don't go to this movie. Kind hearted and humorous portrayal of Mexican culture; if you have lived in Mexico as I have, you should enjoy this. Also it's refresing to see a movie that can be humorous without resorting to overt sexual conversations.

It's good to know that farce is alive and well in the world. Since the mid 90's it feels like film makers have lost their grip on truly great weird comedy. Movies that speak to the few and turn off the rest. It seems that even as the tools to unlock our imaginations get flashier and flashier, and special effect budgets grow and grown, American film grow static and stale. Then when it seems like all hope is lost, a film like NACHO LIBRE comes along.

Somewhere in Mexico, a young priest named Nacho (Jack Black) longs to be recognized. He's tired of serving the same bland food to the young boys in his charge. He's tired of being disrespected by the other priests. He longs to be a luchadore (a Mexican wrestler), and to gain the affections of the stunning Sister Encarnacion (Ana del la Regura). Then when all hope is lost he teams up with a new friend named Esquelta, and takes the Mexican wrestling world by storm. Will the orphan boys get better food? Will Nacho win the heart of Sister Encarnacion? Will he lose everything he has, on a quest to become a great warrior? Giving this movie its due will provide those answers and more. The movie not perfect. It's a little overly long and some of the jokes fall flat on their face. But there is an earnestness and a sweet gentility in the film that will win you over. You cannot enter this movie with the wrong attitude and if you don't like weird movies its not for you. But if you let it entertain you and if you give into the fact that it really bizarre, it will work. You have to take every scene with grain of salt and logic must be thrown out the window. But if you turn off that part of your brain that strives for everything to be plausible, than this film will entertain.

Then for no apparent reason the movie does something I didn't quite expect, it begins to tackle a serious subject. Behind all the silliness is a story about how legalism traps us in a place of boredom and predictability. Whether it be religious legalism or secular legalism, NACHO LIBRE is about a misfit who succeeds because he goes out on a limb. He doesn't give up his religious fervor when the chips are down, when his atheist friend tells him to give into science and logic, and he doesn't give up on God because men of cloth treat him badly. He stays true to his faith and not his religion. This message is not beaten over the audiences head. This is not a religious picture. But it gives the film a dimension that I didn't expect.

Director Jared Hess doesn't stray to far from his Napoleon Dynamite roots. But that's okay. It works here and he hits the right comic tones. I can't wait to get the DVD because I'm convinced that the film really needs to be viewed a second time. (I'm reviewing this based off the movie, not the actual DVD; I have yet to get that.) Knowing what to expect allows the audience to settle into Hess' skewed comedy. The film is very dry and if you don't know what to expect its easy to dismiss the comedy and think the film is horrible. You have to work at it a little bit and let it sink in. But when you get it you'll love it.

If you're looking for an hour and half of silliness you can't go wrong with NACHO LIBRE. It's cute, sweet, and you get to stare at Jack Black's upper torso for far too long. Trust meif you like weirdly sweet Mexican wrestling comedies, this is the film for you.

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A great Movie. FYI. Nacho does exist in real life, his name is Fray Tormenta(Friar Storm) and is/was a Wrestler now a Teacher/Master and the story is the same a Friar/Priest who wrestles to help ophan kids !!!

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Like Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre is going to have people on both sides of the fence, leaving few sitting on it. Count me on the "for" side in fact, this is the funniest, and one of the most heart warming movies of 2006. After a number of disappointments, it was an absolute pleasure to sit through a movie with a script that sings, characters that one wants to root for from the beginning and a soundtrack that can't help but keep a smile on your face.

Jack Black is in Shallow Hal mode here, alternating between disgusting and endearing, and cracking the audience up at every turn. A lot of reviews have mentioned this is not much more than Black running around half naked and sporting a faux Mexican personnage. It is so much more than that. Black's "Nacho" is a classic tortured spirit, caught up in the ordinariness of his mundane life as a Friar at an orphanage but dreams of stardom as a luchadore . . . and, of course, love.

The love interest here is a little complicated as it's a nun Nacho's in love with; Sister Sister Encarnación, portrayed by the stunning Ana de la Reguera (who strongly resembles a younger Penelope Cruz).

Nacho's sidekick features an amazingly hilarious physical actor, the rubbery faced, thin-as-a-noodle, Hector Jimenez as Esqueleto. His screams alone are worth the price of admission.

There are sight gags throughout of the highest and lowest order, touches of the bizarre that echo Mr. Hess's first major effort; combined with an at times almost childlike sense of wonderment and look at life.

This is a major American filmmaker's sophmore effort and it is a glorious, wonderful, big smelly valentine of a movie. You couldn't ask for more from a summer flick than Nacho has to offer. See it!

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This is the kind of movie you need in your collection...it can always make us laugh! Too crazy for words.

Was sent to me in a timely manner that was great!

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Circus World

The copy of Circus World I had taped off the air more than 15 years ago was really starting to wear out and I was really glad to find this DVD. When I got it, I noticed the Chineese text underneath all of the English on the cover. I found the DVD had sub-titles you couldn't turn off, only an OK picture and sound that was out of phase. At times the audio sounded like it was at the bottom of a barrel. Since I can't find anything better out there, I'll keep it, but "let the buyer beware" on this one. It's really only better than no copy at all of what is otherwise a really good John Wayne movie.

Circus WorldThis dvd isn't even worth the small amount of money I paid for it. I would have paid a better price but this was all that was available to me. The quality of the sound, plus the speaking was out of alignment with the mouths moving. Over all I was displeased with this product. What is so terrible that we here in USA have far more ablity to re-product such great classics but don't. It makes no sense to me that we can't buy GOOD quality producted dvd's of great movie classics. How about doing much more about this! We are going to loose such fine entertaining movies such as this one! K. M. Kemp

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From all of the complaints about the quality of THIS Korean import release, may I suggest you check Amazon for availability of the alternate Korean version. I just purchased it, and it has an excellent fully synchronized clean sound track, presented in its original wide-screen cinamascope, and transferred from a fairly clean original print. I only saw some minor dust during the opening credits. Maybe some day Hollywood will do a much deserved full restoration on this circus classic, throw in some bonus features, and even English sub-titles for the hearing impaired and those who have a problem with Claudia Cardinale's Itallian dialect. But until then, the alternate Korean version is probably your best way to view this classic! Region "0" NTSC is playable in US and Canada.

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The DVD of Circus World sold by KNS MEDIA was the best quality I have seen for this movie. The shipping was really fast, and the DVD was accurately described. The DVD is 16 x 9 Enhanced for Widescreen TV's which is a plus and the audio was Dolby Digital 4.0 surround sound and it sounded great. There are Korean subtitles came on at first, but they were easy to turn off. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this DVD.

Circus World (1964) John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale[All Region, Import, NTSC]

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This DVD was everything it was described as. I normally don't write any reviews, but felt compelled to do so here. This is a real good John Wayne vehicle and is unreleased in America. This is a mint print of a seldom seen movie in his catalog, and I highly recommend buying this particular copy if you're interested.

Billy Elliot

Beginning with an exuberant title sequence, this charming, offbeat, coming-of-age story revolves around Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell), the younger of two sons of a widower coal miner (Gary Lewis) near Newcastle in Northern England. It's 1984, and the National Union of Mine Workers is engaged in a long, bitter strike, marked by street battles with riot police and protests against the busloads of scabs crossing the picket lines.

Following the family tradition, Billy is expected to learn boxing at the Everington Boys Club where, instead, the 11 year-old becomes enthralled by the girls' dancing class, led by a chain-smoking teacher (Julie Walters) who soon recognizes his raw talent. He loves watching Fred Astaire in old movies and is instantly drawn towards the ballet class, but when his macho father and rabble-rousing brother (Jamie Draven) discover he's taking ballet classes, they ridicule Billy "Lads do boxing and football and wrestling, not friggin' ballet!" forcing him to hide his slippers under the mattress and sneak off to class. Then come the auditions for the Royal Ballet School and Billy's defiantly joyful, foot-stompin' "I Want to Boogie" sequence.

What makes this heartfelt English import such a gem is the collaboration of screenwriter Lee Hall, cinematographer Brian Tufano ("Trainspotting") and former stage director Stephen Daldry ("An Inspector Calls"), who despite the simplistic predictability of the plot create eccentric, lovable characters and evocative imagery. One haunting sequences focuses on a little neighborhood girl dragging a stick along a brick wall, which dissolves into a phalanx of plastic police shields. Another involves the father grimly chopping up Billy's mother's beloved piano for needed firewood. While some of the authentic, heavily accented dialogue may be indecipherable to some, the musical soundtrack, combining classical and pop, is terrific.

In the title role, newcomer Jamie Bell embodies awkward determination, juggling grim reality with a surreal fantasy world, explaining, "Just because I like ballet doesn't mean I'm a pouf!" As Billy's father, Gary Lewis ("My Name is Joe") is tough-yet-tender, and Julie Walters ("Educating Rita") scores as Billy's crusty yet compassionate teacher. ("I feel like a sissy," Billy tells her. "Well, don't act like one," she retorts.) Jamie Draven and Stuart Wells lend strong support. Jean Heywood is touching as Billy's senile grandmother, whom he tenderly cares for and who repeatedly recalls, "I could have been a professional dancer."

While the bleak setting, in the 1984 miners' strike in northeastern England, is reminiscent of "The Full Monty," the energetic mood evokes "Flashdance" and it was a bit hit at both the Toronto and Cannes Film Festivals. On the `Lund Movie Scale' of 1 to 10, "Billy Elliot" is an exhilarating 9. Combining comedy and poignancy, it's all about being able to express yourself.

Jamie Bell is pure magic in this wonderful coming-0f-age film that tells the story of a working class English lad who takes up ballet as a way to hone his boxing skills. In the process, he discovers himself, learnes some valuable life lessons, and fills a deep void left by the death of his beloved mum. Despite his family's strong objections (and financial straits) Billy ends up studying dance from a local teacher (the effervescent Julie Walters, who won an Oscar nomination for her work here). Her lessons both technical and moral serve as the basis for a devastatingly real connection between Billy and his disgusted macho father. What ensues is a dramatic comedy that inspires us at every turn without condescension or pity. The heartening interaction that develops between father and son is truly evocative, especially so for anyone who ever followed (or didn't) their dreams despite their family's objections. Not only does Billy "Dance!!" for his supper...he befriends the local outcast gay teenager and copes with questions about his own sexual orientation heady topics for a movie about a dancing teen. All of this is handled in a mature, thoughtful manner, which makes the film a visceral, haunting experience. You can take or leave it's many messages, but theere is no denying its emotional core.

It's rare for a movie to challenge social mores and values by focusing on the dominant male principals. But "Billy Elliot" succeeds on more levels than other underdog-come-from-behind flicks. First, its based on a true story and resonates with truth, integrity and spirit. And, Bell's brash, authentic portrayal is pure magic. His feet literally take over his soul...he dances in the street, mimmicking Gene Kelly, and in the process taps his way into your heart. The performance is so accomplished it's a wonder Bell didn't receive an Oscar nomination. Even Russell Crowe who won the 2000 BAFTA and Oscar for "Gladiator" admitted Bell deserved the BAFTA Prize instead. Having resisted "Billy Elliot" at the movies, I finally caught it recently on HBO and was taken in immediately. This is a film your entire family can and should enjoy...if they don't, perhaps a little side trip to an English coal-mining town will help them appreciate this wonderful heartwarming film. Seriously, in this day and age, every one of us could use more Billy Elliots and fewer Scorpion Kings. A keeper!

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If you love intimate, moving character films like Cinema Paradiso, you will love love love Billy Elliot. A small, rousing British film with cleverly written characters, this movie is both sentimental and expertly crafted. The performances, particularly from Julie Walters as the dance instructor, and that winsome, melancholy but excpetionally gifted boy as Billy, will truly steal your heart. The simple premise is instantly grabbing -an artistic boy, only 11, is unfortunately the most forgotten element in a fractured, sad little family, which includes a pre-Alzheimer's grandmother, an angry older brother and a defeated, sad and tense father. While Dad and bro are on strike, money is tight the year is 1984 at the height of British strike/tensions. Billy is sent to boxing lessons, where, by happenstance, he discovers a true vent for his budding creativity -and especially his joy in dancing. Filled with infectiously appealing pop and light-classical music, this film is part Rocky, part Hollywood musical, part Flashdance and part Cinema Paradiso. The chance that these disparate, unlikely approaches might actually add up to something compelling are unlikely, but you must experience this movie to understand how exciting, moving and intensely gratifying it can be. Painted in bold, creative colors and shot with a springy exuberance, Billy Elliot is terrific.

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My son dressed up like Beauty(Belle from Beauty and The Beast...not the concept of beauty) for halloween. He dressed like the Mother Superior when we took him to the sing-along Sound Of Music. The other day he got a superman toy and was putting a Barbie Shoe on it. I am living in the world of the unique child.And I know there will be a day where someone will try to change my son........ This is why I cried in Billy Elliot......This is a beautiful film about being different in an uncompromising world. It is a film about economics and society, and how art is developed through frustration and need...but with all that aside it is a truly entertaining and fabulous film. Stephen Daldry, the reknowned theatre director, makes his debut here. The direction is the thing that gives this it's guts. This is a much better film than it needed to be. And the performances....Julie Walters, Jaime Bell and Gary Lewis(such an amazing performance as the dAd)...Just check this out. The movie goes places that you don't expect, and thankfully, places you do. I have just been thinking about the end of the film, and how it is an ugly duckling story...the coolest thing about it is that more than Billy turn into a swan. It seems like the entire community turns swanish. Art and individuality can do that. I was the quasimodo of ducks before my som came along.

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Billy Elliot is an 11-year-old boy played by Jamie Bell. On his way to a boxing lesson, he happened upon a ballet dancing class. Soon he discovered that he was very good at ballet, and he then wanted to become a dancer despite his family's wishes. This is a really touching and inspirational film about achieving dreams that will leave you cheering!

This is easily one of the best movies I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few considering that I'm only 14. "Billy Elliot" is very similar to "October Sky", which is another great movie. (Even the kid's dad is a coal miner!) But it is also very different in the way that it is much more complex and subtle. I have noticed that because this is a British movie, it seems to be a lot more daring than most American movies, with a lot of things that Americans might consider extraneous. But that's what I like about it; Every character is so well developed even if they have a very small role (e.g. Billy's supposedly gay friend). These little aspects of these minor characters add a really nice touch to the already powerful story.

Also, DON'T let the R-rating fool you. THIS IS A FAMILY MOVIE. This movie is NOT pornographic, or violent, or chock-full of coke-sniffing. It just contains some language that little kids shouldn't use. Even so, the profanity is used very maturely. It is never gratuitous or unnecessary, it's just how these British people speak. And the film never seems to glorify the use of such language.

This film was WAY overlooked at the Oscars. It's definitely better than "Gladiator". "Gladiator" may have cool combat actoin, but it's got a very straightforward plot which doesn't make you think. I have NO IDEA why Jamie Bell wasn't nominated for his act. He has a very auspicious start in his filom career with this movie!

If there's one thing to criticize about this movie, it's the fact that the dialogue is spoken with heavy British accents, making it hard to understand at times. But that's not enough to keep me from saying that this is one of the best movies I have ever seen! Watch "October Sky" first, to give you an idea of how an American movie tells a dream, then watch "Billy Elliot" for a more sophisticated British idea.

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Sleepy Hollow (2013)

This was a very enjoyable telling of the classic tale that is very heavy on atmosphere. The DVD has several extra features that really add to its value beyond the straight movie too.

The look and feel of the film are great. We are taken back to the late 1790s to a very convincing Sleepy Hollow that has lots of fog and smoke, distant lightning, scary jack-o-lanterns, and twisted trees. The movie has a great deal of suspense built into it, and we are treated to lots of tense moments when the horsemen is near, along with some fairly short, but sometimes very intense scenes of decapitation. The film is much more of a drama than a horror film -the plot is quite complex and usually laid out well.

For me, one of the best parts of the film was the Danny Elfman score -it was very rich, with lots of interesting effects built into -brooding strings, eerie children's chorus, and tinkling bells. It added both suspense and humor to the film.

The acting was good. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton work well together -Depp shows a nice range of emotions as the somewhat nervous Ichabod Crane who was investigating the horseman's murders. Christina Ricci played a very pretty but very mysterious young lady with links to the horsemen. The whole cast was very good and tended to play a bit over the top (this is Tim Burton after all).

A particular favorite for me was Christopher Lee in a small but powerful role as a judge who sends constable Crane off to Sleepy Hollow.

The DVD has several very good features, including commentary by Tim Burton, a nice set of interviews with cast and crew, and a good "Making of the Movie" feature that shows how a lot of the special effects (including decapitation) were done.

A good movie on a DVD with lots of features!

Loosely based on both the original Washington Irving story as well as the Disney version, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow takes a revisionist approach and ends up with a genuine horror classic. Johnny Depp stars as "Constable" Ichabod Crane, an 18th century detective keen on using scientific methods (unheard of in this period) to solve crimes. Annoyed by his unconventional methods, Magistrate Christopher Lee sends Depp upstate to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a string of grisly murders-by-beheading. Depp/Crane becomes involved in a supernatural situation that tests his lack of faith (a sub-plot resulting from a childhood trauma involving his mother [Lisa Marie] and sinister father) and makes him a full witness to the goulish decapitations. Christopher Walken is absolutely frightening as the horseman, and Christina Ricci and a cast of classic British actors flesh (pardon the pun) out the story with hints of shady business among the town's statesmen. The commentary by Burton is fairly optional, but the "making of" and other features enhance the movie superbly. Burton uses a foggy, bleached style to enhance the appearance and tone of the movie, creating a genuinely unique vision. Be warned, though there's lots of loppings in this flick, so it's definitely not for the squeamish. With homage to Hammer horror films but otherwise unique in the genre, Sleepy Hollow should easily take its place among other groundbreaking horror movies like The Shining or An American Werewolf in London. Need a movie to shake you out of your Friday-the-13th complacency? Get this DVD!

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I love this film. Tim Burton really did a wonderful job creating that kind of atmosphere no other director can create... and the cast is superb!

Johnny Depp delivers one of his most offbeat performances... and Christopher Walken as the headless horseman... and Michael Gambon... all are great.

Now about the things you want to know... the image here is top notch. Crystal clear, high definition picture as you've never seen which is interesting: since the film has a dark cinematography you'll be amazed how well the High Def takes advantage of all it can do to give you a kind of image you'll think you only get in a movie theatre.

In fact, to see the forest with all the fog and those trees in gorgeous high definition is a trully cinematic experience. And I do believe this is one of those movies who beg for high definition And this HD-DVD edition delivers it just as you'd expect: flawlessly.

And when it comes to sound... boy, this is incredible... an umbelievable bass runs through my living room as the horse gallops through the woods. All I can say is thast I've rarelly seen a sound design job as well done as this!

Get this HD-DVD for a true cinematic experience!

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In the middle of the mist we hear a horse ride, accelerated rhythm, until the fog dissipates and we see an impressive figure, his presence irradiates pure evil, his arm is ready to take another head.

Tim Burton's back to the macabre.

Gothic, colorful and vampire-ish, Sleepy Hollow shows us the vision of this extravagant director about Washington Irving's tale. It's a melodramatic story about the quarrel between intellect and emotion, pragmatism and mysticism, science and superstition.

The sleek Constable Ichabod Crane puts science above everything. His controversial brainstorms take him to investigate a series of murders committed in the local community of Sleepy Hollow. Four people have been beheaded and everyone thinks the murderer is a headless horseman, a fierce war mercenary that came from the dead to take his vengeance.

Ichabod will try to rationalize the facts, while he struggles to resist the charms of Katrina Van Tassel, only to reach the inevitable conclusion: that there is not a logical explanation for the murders.

Visually stunning, Sleepy Hollow has some elements from the horror genre. A demonic villain that terrorizes a town. But it's also a gothic adventure with a pale hero running through skeletal trees to rescue his damsel in distress. That the hero is in more danger that the damsel is one of the great twists in this film.

As Ichabod Crane, Johnny Depp is an exquisite mix of neurosis, extravagances, manias and quirkiness. He's the antithesis of the classical hero, a coward with a brilliant mind but no experience in how to defeat an evil ghost. He's funny without being clowny.

Alongside him, there's a cast of excellent actors that help recreate Burton's story.

Sleepy Hollow is a little over the top in his drama management and his approximation to comedy. But still, is a movie that achieves to recreate a world of fantasy with great realism, thanks to the skills of those who imagined an 18 century village that it could well be hell's portal.

Sleepy Hollow also confirms that Burton continues to ride on the dark side of creativity, hearing his own voices. In the movies, that's an enough excuse to feel forever grateful.

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Filmmaker Tim Burton was the perfect choice to bring this adaptation of Washington Irving's creepy classic to the big screen. No one can match his ability to create an atmosphere that is both creepy and whimsical, and you can see it in full force here. The sets and designs in Sleepy Hollow are just as much stars in the movie as are the actors.

Of course, the stars are hardly overshadowed because Burton also has a talent for getting actors best suited for his projects. Johnny Depp is a great actor who enjoys taking unconventional roles, and he manages the fine line between Ichobod's timidity and his nobility extremely well. Christina Ricci and Miranda Richardson are great, too. Plus, any fan of Burton's movies will find a lot of familiar faces here as well (most notably Jeffrey Jones, Michael Gough and Martin Landau).

There were just two minor problems I had with the movie. First, the beheadings turn out to be more deliberate than I would have hoped (random killings are always scarier), and Casper Van Dien's role should have been banished to the cutting room floor. Still, these are minor quibbles compared to the quick-moving plot, haunting visuals and really good casting that make Sleepy Hollow an unforgettable movie.

On the other hand, Paramount's tradition of weak DVD extras continues unbroken with this offering. The "Making-Of" documentary is little more than a 20 minute commercial, and Tim Burton's commentary is boring and not the least bit insightful. It's enough to knock my rating down a notch, but the DVD is worth owning based on the movie alone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Frosty The Snowman (1969 25 minutes)

4. Frosty Returns (1992 23 minutes

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

6. Little Drummer Boy (1968 25 minutes)

7. Cricket On The Hearth (1967 49 Minutes)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frosty The Snowman (1969): Rating 3 stars

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

Frosty Returns (1992): Rating 2.5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's the tracklist of the bonus audio CD:

01. Burl Ives Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

02. Brenda Lee Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

03. Jackson 5 Santa Claus is Coming to Town

04. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Jingle Bells

05. Jimmy Durante Frosty the Snowman

06. Burl Ives A Holly Jolly Christmas

07. Bobby Helms Jingle Bell Rock

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Godfather (Coppola Restoration) (1972)

This review is based on the "Part 1" disc from the box set. I literally can't believe that people are saying that there's no difference between this and the DVD version. I had to do a side-by-side comparison to make sure, but there's no question that this new blu-ray is noticeably more detailed on a 40" LCD set.

It's also got a noticeably different color balance, in accordance with cinematographer Gordon Willis's original instructions, which makes it that much more baffling that people can't see any difference. In addition to the color difference, there is noticeably more detail, especially in darker scenes.

Yes, it's dark; yes it's grainy. That's the way it was shot. But if you are any kind of a fan of this movie, you owe it to yourself to see this beautiful new restoration.

Rarely does a film manage to express the power of a novel from which it was based -but "The Godfather" does manage to do quite well. Realizing that the entire second section of the novel could not be fit into the movie (but was cleverly woven into "The Godfather, part 2") Puzo and Coppola produced a film which was remarkably consistent with the remainder of the book (although there are a few 'jumps' in the plot which make more sense to someone also familiar with the book). The cast for this picture could not possibly be better -both in the first-rate Hollywood actors AND in the on-location Sicilian actors selected for those portions of the movie filmed on that island. Brando is perfect as the aging Don, Pacino portrays the inherently moral but tormented Michael extremely well, Caan is ideal as the hotheaded Sonny, and Robert Duvall, in the best role of his career, is splendid as Tom Hagen. (And I loved Simonetta Stefanelli as Apollonia)! In addition to the writing and the casting, the filming and cinematography was also excellent. Who could ever forget Sonny's murder at the toll booth? And the baptism scene? Classic filmmaking at its best. I can't recommend this picture highly enough -although I would strongly encourage the reading and re-reading of the novel as well.

Buy The Godfather (Coppola Restoration) (1972) Now

This is a great movie and the restoration is fantastic. The picture is clear with no noticeable scratches or dust, and the color that was added to make it resemble with looked like in at it's theatrical release gives it a sunny glow that in my opinion, gives it more life. My only problem is that upon buying this dvd, I found that the "2" disks amazon has in it's description, is really just 1. There are no bonus features except for the commentary that was included in previous releases. If you must have special features, buy The Godfather Trilogy The Coppola Restoration it has a boat load of special features, and you can get it on blu-ray or dvd for around $65 online. Besides there not being special features or a 2nd disk, this is a great restoration that should not be passed up by fans or anyone looking to see it for the first time.

Read Best Reviews of The Godfather (Coppola Restoration) (1972) Here

So many reviews rate the film itself which we already know is a classic, but few give any comments on the quality of the DVD. The Paramount Widescreen Collection of this film is indeed a very bad transfer which becomes quite evident in the first scene which is almost incomprehensible because it is so dark as to render the subtle performance of Brando unviewable. On my DVD I couldn't even access the bonus track with the commentary. Fortunately I only spent $15 for it, but it really fueled my desire to see the collection which everyone raves about, eventhough I could care less for GF III.

Want The Godfather (Coppola Restoration) (1972) Discount?

Director Francis Ford Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis oversaw the stunning 2008 digital restoration of their celluloid masterpiece. Trumping all previous video releases, "The Godfather" (1972) never looked or sounded better further augmented by Coppola's indispensable commentary track. This essential DVD stands on its own. However, if you want supplementary material, by all means purchase "The Coppola Restoration Giftset."

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Day of the Falcon (2011)

Imagine my surprise when this past weekend, out of the blue, this movie appeared (on a single screen) in the theatre here in Cincinnati, almost a year and a half after it was first released in Europe. I figured this would not be playing very long, and went ahead and saw it.

"Day of the Falcon" (2011 release from France/Qatar; 130 min.) is also known as "Black Gold" in certain markets. The epic desert-and-oil story is set in the 1930s in a fictional Middle East area where two tribes are dealing differently with the unexpected windfalls of crude oil discoveries. As the movie opens, we see how, in order to preserve peace, the Amar tribe leader sends off his two young sons to live with the rival Nesib tribe leader, with an additional agreed "no-man's land" area called the Yellow Belt between the two tribes. Skip 15 years forward and we now see the sons are grown men, and a Texas oil company strikes it big in the Yellow Belt and approaches the two rivaling tribes. The Nesib tribe decides to work with Big Oil while the Amar tribe rejects it out of ideological/religious considerations. Will the two tribes fight it out? Will the two sons eventually return to their original tribe? To tell you much more of this plot-heavy movie would ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Several comments: first and foremost, the main reason I was interested in seeing the movie is because of its director Jean-Jacques Annaud, veteran of a number of great movies (none more so than "Quest of Fire" from the 1980s). Second, this movie is a French-Qatar co-production, with most of the financing from the Doha Film Institute. Why is this releveant? A number of elements in the movie feel more "Arabian" than French (such as: complete modesty in showing women and when filming love scenes). Third, the feel of this movie is one of 'big production' all the way, with elaborate staging throughout, including a number of the desert fighting scenes which are quite impressive. The producers also enlisted a big name, James Horner, for the soundtrack (which is quite lovely). Last but, alas, not least: while the movie oozes ambition from start to finish, it falls short in character development and I rarely felt emotionally invested while watching this. Given Annaud's footprint, this came as a surprise and disappointment to me. Incidentaly, the screening where I saw this movie here in Cincinnati this past weekend was very poorly attended (only one other person besides myself) so I am quite sure this will not stick around long. Bottom line: while this is not a bad movie per se, ultimately the movie's grand ambitions are not realized and the end result is simply uneven.

While most of us are quite aware of the fact that the main source of oil these days comes from the Middle East most of us have no idea how it came to be discovered there or what brought about a change that allowed the oil to flow to the rest of the world. Many of the answers to these questions can be found in the new DVD release DAY OF THE FALCON.

The film opens with two warring leaders coming to terms with their boundaries. Sultan Amar (Mark Strong) is the more traditional of the two, following the guidelines of his religion as much as possible. Emir Nesib (Antonio Banderas) is a more forward thinking ruler wishing more for his people. The two agree to keep the Yellow Belt, the land between their two countries, as neutral territories. To seal the deal Amar's sons will go with Nesib and be raised as his own to insure the peace.

Fifteen years pass and the peace holds until the day a Texas oil company official approaches Nesib. He tells him there is oil in the Yellow Belt. Nesib has always thought of himself as a ruler who has nothing and no way to provide for his people in a desert covered land. He sees this as an opportunity to grow incredible wealth and in return advance his people by building schools, hospitals and more. The only problem is that in mining these oil fields he has broken the peace agreement and the possibility of war opens once again.

When one of the two princes held as hostage for the peace is killed, his brother Prince Auda (Tahar Rahim) sets out to set things straight. What follows is his adventure in both worlds as he tries to find a compromise that will settle old scores, revenge the deaths in his family and create a world that will have both peace and prosperity.

The beginning of the film sets the stage for what follows so if you find it a bit tedious give it some time. Once Auda heads out to fulfill his destiny things begin to pick up and the action flows with the story rather than the story around it. The role of Nesib seems like a beneficent father figure for his people but of course too much power seems to lead to corruption and poor decision making. The clash of cultures attempts to explain how things have turned out and in some ways does so, in others not so much.

The end result is an entertaining and informative film. In looking deeper you may find that the story has been tweaked a bit here and there to make it more film worth, but the gist of the story remains. While not quite LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, the film is worth watching.

Buy Day of the Falcon (2011) Now

This review does contain spoilers!

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this film to review. Day of the Falcon is a "well-oiled machine" that moves along fairly fast given the 130 minute run time. Within this movie, you can expect to see some romance, action, betrayal, and violence. This movie pretty much gives you all the drama you crave and can handle.

Day of the Falcon takes place in the early 20th Century in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, which are divided by feuding tribes and where there is basically no loyalty. It starts out with a meeting between two tribe leaders, Emir Nesib (Antonio Banderas) and Sultan Amar (Mark Strong) making peace after a battle between the two, which Nesib won. Nesib has Sultan hand over his two sons, Auda and Saleh, to make sure he will not battle against him again and they both promised the area of that land would not be claimed by either tribe.

The film then progresses in time and an American named, Thurkettle, shows up on an airplane. Thurkettle works for Texan Oil and he meets with Nesib to tell him there could be a lot of oil on the unclaimed land and this could make him rich. Nesib thinks about it and let's them drill and, sure enough, they find oil on the land. After finding oil, they make an oil field in that area and Nesib gets rich. Sultan objects to this because Nesib is basically breaking the truce they made at the beginning of the film. As Nesib is getting rich, he starts to improve his tribe, or kingdom, by making schools, a library, and even bringing electricity to the area. Prince Auda, who was raised by Nesib and not his real father, was forced to marry Nesib's daughter, Princess Leyla (Freida Pinto).

Within the battle scenes, or when the action begins to pick up over an hour into the film, you will see many dead camels and dead people as well. These battle scenes are pretty well done and keep you at the edge of your seat the whole time. There is, however, a bit of a disappointment with the final battle scene because it wasn't as "grand" as one would expect. I was expecting a longer battle scene, but this one seemed to be a little too short and quick. In my opinion, it could have been better as this was, for me, the climax of the whole movie.

Overall, Day of the Falcon was an enjoyable movie. Like I stated before, it seemed to move along pretty fast given the runtime, in fact, that last battle scene may have been a bit too fast, but given the battle scenes throughout, it is one small aspect one can look over. There was even a bit of comedy in this movie as well where Nesib makes improvements to his kingdom, although I don't believe this movie was intended to be a comedy. If you appreciate a movie with drama, romance, and violence, then this movie is for you and must be watched. I would recommend this movie for anybody's movie collection. Overall, this movie isn't perfect, but I still give it a 4/5 star rating.

Day of the Falcon will be available to purchase in stores on DVD and Blu-ray March 26th, 2013!

Overall rating: 4/5 stars

Read Best Reviews of Day of the Falcon (2011) Here

DAY OF THE FALCON is an old-fashioned action/adventure epic that evokes memories of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the film is set in the Middle East during the early part of the twentieth century when oil is discovered in a "no man's land" that divides two warring tribes. The forward-thinking ruler of one tribe (Antonio Banderas) embraces the finding, realizing that the accompanying wealth can help his people, while the other sultan (Mark Strong) despises any influence from the outside, modern world, claiming that such amenities are against the Koran. War is re-ignited, and the principal player in the conflict turns out to be the studious son of Strong (Tahar Rahim), who is now also the son-in-law of Banderas, having married his daughter, played by Freida Pinto.

DAY OF THE FALCON is a handsome, well-directed picture, filled with exciting action sequences and beautifully photographed desert vistas. The story is certainly involving, and the actors are more than equal to their roles. It is a movie well worth seeing.

Question: If this picture is so good, why did it not get any sort of meaningful release in the United States where it virtually went direct-to-video?

Possibly for two reasons:

First, the producers, in an effort not to offend anybody, took a middle-of-the-road approach to the material. Are we, as an audience, supposed to be cheering for Bandaras, who wants to bring his people into the modern world, or should our sympathies lie with the more traditional Strong? Even when Rahim starts leading his father's military, we are not sure as to where his true loyalties lie.

Secondly, although I understand the producer's reasons for wanting to cast Arab actors, I think that, in order to attract a worldwide audience, this is a movie that required internationally known stars.

Don't misunderstand. The actors in the picture are all very good, but with the exception of Bandaras, none of them are really that well-known, and none of them generate an on-screen excitement that a high budget film like this requires in order to pull in audiences.

True, when they made LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif were also unknown quantities, but the producers of that classic surrounded them with a sensational cast of supporting players that included Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Claude Rains, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle, Jose Ferrer and Arthur Kennedy.

DAY OF THE FALCON could have used some of that star quality.

The DVD from Image Entertainment includes three excellent "making of" featurettes, one of which describes how the cast and crew fared shooting in Tunisia while a government coup was in progress.

© Michael B. Druxman

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This is the story of how the Arab tribes became united by war, to become Saudi Arabia. Antonio Banderas stars as Emir Nesib who bartered a deal with the United States for the oil. He was able to buy off most of the other tribes except for one, who believed the infidels of the west should leave their land.

While the movie is fictional, it reflects the conflict that goes on within the world of Islam today. Antonio Banderas, with his Spanish accent was as convincing as an Arab as Sean Connery with his Scottish accent was as convincing as a Russian submarine captain. In other words, he pulls it off.

The characters are western stereotypes of Arab culture. They are played well, if you are into the stereotype.

What was with the harem outfit on Frieda Pinto?

Parental Guide: No f-bombs, sex, nudity. I saw this film under the title "Black Gold."

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