Moulin Rouge / Romeo & Juliet (2012)

Great movies that are even better on blu-ray especially given the director's visually stunning work. Even though I already own both these films I had to invest in the blu-ray editions.

If you love romantic movies you will love these movies. Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet were movies that I had to have in my movie collection. I never get tired of watching them.

Buy Moulin Rouge / Romeo & Juliet (2012) Now

Blu ray copes of Moulin Rouge / Romeo & Juliet , the description is wrong title though I was worried when ordered the disc set but it arrived just like the picture. Good HD quality

Read Best Reviews of Moulin Rouge / Romeo & Juliet (2012) Here

The Cowboys (2007)

This is absolutely one of the best of the best. John Wayne plays Wil Anderson, a rancher forced to use young boys to get his herd to market when his men desert him in search of gold. There are many wonderful messages in this film about duty, honor, and responsibility. They are messages our nation and our young people are in great need of right now. This movie contains many memorable and haunting scenes, but none more so then when Wayne is forced into a confrontation with Bruce Dern to protect the young boys he has on the cattle drive. He gives his life, and teaches them the meaning of strength, honor, and courage. I could not disagree more with Leonard Maltin's review the message is not to seek violent revenge; the boys simply "finish the job" they were hired to do and take the money from the sale of the herd back to Wil Anderson's wife. This film captures the greatness of Wayne's legacy, and why he is so adored by millions of Americans who hold duty and courage dear. If I had to recommend only one John Wayne film to someone who had never seen one, this would be it. Truly unforgettable!

This review refers to the WB DVD edition of THE COWBOYS.

From 1971,THE COWBOYS finds our guy,The Duke, as an aging rancher who must hire 11 young boys to help him on a 400 mile cattle drive. He's tough and gruff, but really has a way with the kids,(only The Duke can cure a boy's stuttering in less than 2 minutes!), and soon finds himself acting as both trail boss and father to the group. The drive is rough for all and has the added suspense of some bad hombres led by Bruce Dern who are out to rustle The Duke's cattle.

Wayne, who by this time, just awed us with his on screen presence, turns in a touching performance and if it was up to me, would have recieved an Oscar for this role. Dern is the baddest of the bad as he goes after our hero. The film is not short on talent, Directed by Mark Rydell, it includes Roscoe Lee Brown, a young A. Martinez, and a small but meaty part for the wonderful Colleen Dewhurst. A nice widescreen presentation, the picture and color were good but seemed just a little dated to me.The sound remastered in DD 5.1 is fabulous. There's a great documentary included. The Breaking of Boys and The Making Of Men, talks about how the boys were selected, and how they trained for their parts. There are 13 (count em ..13) trailers of Wayne films from the 30's through the 70's, informative production notes, and has languages and subtitles in English and French.

Collector's of Wayne may find it more economical to purchase the John Wayne Collection set. Included with this fabulous film are two greats directed by John Ford, THE SEARCHERS, and STAGECOACH. Spanning 30 years of his career, it's a wonderful selection.

Saddle up and enjoy the ride...

Happy Trails.....Laurie

Oldies but Goodies with The Duke:

Shadow of the Eagle

His Private Secretary

John Wayne

Buy The Cowboys (2007) Now

An aging Wil Andersen (John Wayne) takes a bunch of near-adolescent boys on a last summer cattle drive and along the way they become his boys and he becomes their "father" (or perhaps grandfather). It is vintage John Wayne, as he plys the young boys into young men of courage and responsibility. Wayne had lost both of his natural sons to reasons never fully explained, and he muses whether "they went bad on him or if he went bad on them". The cattle drive is his chance to redeem himself as a father figure.

The group of cowboys is a humorous gathering of personalities. One chuckles seeing them learn the ropes of breaking horses and roping steers. The boys see this as a chance to earn some much needed money, and of course to "come of age", turning from boys into young men.

Wayne's cattle group is confronted by cattle theives led by the the evil intentioned Asa Watts (played brilliantly by Bruce Dern). The climax of the movie is when Wayne confronts Dern in a mano-a-mano fist fight. Dern's character is a slimy long-haired flea-infested sleeze, and when they face off for their battle, Wayne says as only Wayne can say: "I've broke my back once, and my hip twice. And on my worst day I could still beat the hell out of you." It is a spirited battle and it appears as though Wayne will best the much younger Dern, but Dern, sensing defeat, pulls a gun and shoots Wayne, emptying his gun one slow shot at a time, shooting Wayne as he has his back turned. It is a tortuous moment for Wayne fans, as the hero dies a slow horrible death, and it appears as though evil will triumph. But quite unexpectedly, the boys turn the tables on the outlaws and wrest back the heard, finally killing the hated Dern.

The musical score is magnificent, and I recommend it as purchase in and of itself. The main score is music that defines the western music motif.

This is one of Wayne's better movies. People of all ages will enjoy it, but the killing scene of Wayne is quite graphic and may scare younger viewers. I'd recommend that parents keep their littlest ones from viewing the violent scene between Wayne and Dern. Many a boy became a John Wayne fan in watching this movie.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig, Lifelong John Wayne fan.

Read Best Reviews of The Cowboys (2007) Here

These comments will appear under my wife's name, but it's just because I don't know how to correct it, so my name appears. I had to comment on one reviewer who doubted the reality of the fact that boys function in this Western like they did. I grew up on a very large farm/ranch in the West. My father taught me how to shoot a .22 pistol when I was in the to protect the family from snakes that slithered and those who wandered in from the Interstate looking for trouble. I never had to use it. Part of the lesson was never touching it unless there was a life-threatening emergency. My dad also taught me now to ride a horse when I was very young, and by the time I was in the herding cattle was not a problem. I replaced a hired hand on the ranch when I was in the And my father assumed those roles at an earlier age. His father, as an eighth grader, went to Denver alone on a train with a load of the family's sheep. My grandfather sold them and returned home without a problem. He did what my great grandfather expected of him. So what do I think of one reviewer's doubts about boys functioning like they do in the film? The answer to that question is obvious. This film is fantastic. And according to my own experience and family stories about myself, my father, my grandfather and his brothers, the film's message that cowboys began their work at an early age makes sense. During this time, boys learned responsibility at an early time in their lives. For those who know anything about history, think about the young soldiers who fought and unfortunately died in the Civil War. Just because our present mind set views things differently, doesn't mean that the past held the same stereotypes to be true. This film is a classic, because it shows boys becoming men as they faced a difficult taskmaster, hard work, large responsibilities and adult decisions.

Want The Cowboys (2007) Discount?

No, this movie does not contain the distilled wisdom of the ages, but those who compare the movie against the accepted child-rearing practices of the present day are letting their post-modern self-righteousness flare to the point where they may need to take a "time out." It is unlikely that 12-year-olds would participate in a cattle drive, granted, but it was entirely acceptable for 16or 17-year-olds to "do a man's work and make a man's wage" in those days. It was also a time when John Wayne's widow could not have filed an insurance claim for the stolen herd, or applied for Federal disaster relief, and the movie makes it clear that this herd represented the difference between a reasonable retirement and "working out her days as someone's fry cook." Justice was often swift and harsh in the Old West because real people suffered real consequences from the effects of crime. Therefore it was NOT a sense of vengence, as one reviewer asserts, that drove the later scenes, it was a sense of justice. And while the ages of the "cowboys" in the film are a little too young, the film accurately reflects what used to be "coming of age" in frontier America: A boy became a man when he accepted a man's responsibilities and did a man's work.

Save 47% Off

Intruder (Director's Cut) (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1989)

I ordered mine from the Synapse Films website,for the work-print exclusive. Got it a whole month early. YAY!! This was a good blind buy for me, as I just discovered it when it was announced a month or two back. And when I saw it was made by Sam Raimi's old crew from Evil Dead, and Sam Raimi in a starring role, with a cameo by the Great Bruce Campbell, it was immediately an instant blind-buy.

A group of employees in a grocery store/supermarket works their final shift overnight,as the store is closing permanently. The main protagonist has a borderline ex-boyfriend obsessed with her. In a little while, people start dying in violent and graphic ways. The kills in this film are top-notch. Not all of them are creative, but the best ones, CAUTION:POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!,like an employee getting crushed by a trash compactor,and another getting his head sawed in half,are the stuff of a horror and gorehound fanatic's wildest dreams,or uhh,nightmares. The movie moves along at an adequate pace, the kills start shortly after the half-hour mark, and does not let up soon after. Both Sam and Ted Raimi of EVIL DEAD fame have roles, and Bruce Campbell makes a cameo at the end.

By the time this movie was made, the MPAA was already on their crusade against horror, esp. slasher movies, and were very strict, demanding severe cuts for so much as a few drops of red blood, at the risk of the old dreaded X-rating(now NC-17,same thing). And this movie was no exception. About 4-5 minutes were sliced out of this movie, rendering it neutered. It wasn't until many years later, that Wizard Video/Full Moon released this uncut in the U.S. on DVD, some more recent years back. I've never owned that, so I can't speak for the quality of that release.

Anyway, as always, Synapse Films has pulled out all the stops on this baby. The DTS-HD 2.0 Mono is clear, and about as sharp as any of the knives and gadgets in the flick. High volume is not needed to hear this well. The 1.78:1 Anamorphic picture is sprinkled with natural film grain throughout, but nothing that would deter enjoyment. In fact, it looks better than it probably ever has. Detail is accurate and on the mark, revealing a little more than seen before. Colors are vivid without being too bright or dark, just right. In other words, this may not be the best-looking blu-ray, but for a low-budget movie made in the 1980s, this is impressive. Very well done.

The extras are equally astounding. First, we got a fun audio commentary with writer/director Scott Spiegel and producer Lawrence Bender. It's not overly informative, but it's a good listen, as they recall their memories and enjoy and laugh with each other and the movie. They comment on little details in the movie, such as POV shots, how times have changed(price of cigarettes etc),filming etc. A good fun listen. Next, is a half-hour retrospective featurette, interviews with Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Scott Spiegel, Lawrence Bender, Elizabeth Cox, Danny Hicks and some others. Sam Raimi,is sadly,MIA. Some cool behind the scenes photos in between. The Outtakes from the lost short-film, Night Crew are def. worth a look. Then there's a brief interview with filmmaker and fan Vincent Pereira, it's brief but informative chat about how he discovered the movie through GOREZINE mag, and was let down by the censorship. And cast audition footage, worth a look.

Now the work-print footage comes from the bonus work-print DVD-R that I got with this set. Some slightly extended kills, that is very interesting and some other scenes and dialogue not in the final director's cut. The work-print version as a whole is very much worth a watch, as some other scenes and dialogue bits cannot be discovered in any other version. But for those who didn't get the bonus disc, the extended work-print kills are on on the BD and DVD as an extra.

Another slam-dunk release from Synapse. They are on a roll, and I hope they keep up the great work. Recommended to all horror/slasher/gorehound and Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell fans. Cheers!

Since this is a slasher movie, I'll keep this short. Suffice to say, this film is utterly generic in all ways except that which I'm about to mention: Odd camerawork, and particularly gruesome violence. This isn't a great film, or even a great slasher film, but it's worth seeing.

This was directed by Scott Spiegel, famed for his connection to Evil Dead II. Clearly, some of Raimi's directorial tendencies have rubbed off on Spiegel, as he inserts lots of senseless, unusual camera-angles. He's not as kinetic, or as big on moving it around, but he actually tops Raimi in terms of sheer gratuity, as exemplified by the stangest shot of the film, which is within a telephone, looking up at someone through the holes in the mechanism.

This movie is most famed for it's gore, and not with out good reason. Though it's got a fairly low-body count, it's makes almost all of them matter, including a horrific eye-skewering, head crushing by trash compactor, a gruesome hook the the face, and a truly brutal scene of one character having their head sawed in half. The gore isn't up to modern, mainstream standards of realism, but it's really quite impressive for a very low-budget film from the 80's. Sadly, the kills are clustered together too closely, as they often are in slasher movies. Still, they deliver, even if they could be spread out a bit more.

This DVD is in fact available now, though I won't say where as this would doubtless be against Amazon.com policy. (It ain't at all tough to find, however. You don't need my help.) It looks more or less like crap, but it is uncut, so it's a vast improvement over any other legitimate American VHS releases.

Definitely a reasonable way to pass 85 or so minutes.

Grade: C+

Buy Intruder (Director's Cut) (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1989) Now

Although starts off slowly this above average b-movie really packs a gory punch in the last 35 minutes or so.. The acting is what you might expect from an 80's horror flick but, who is watching these movies for the performances? However, I think the girl that was killed should have taken the leading role. Now.. here is a little something that bugs me about alot of companies that produce films to dvd. Bruce Campbell is in this movie for two minutes and for some strange marketing reason he is listed as the star of the film. Why? I really hate that. I love Campbell but, i dont like when I am led to believe that he plays a significant role in a movie and he is in it for a two minute "cop" role at the end of the movie. Anyway.. if you havent seen "Intruder" it takes place in a supermarket while the 3rd shift crew stocks, changes prices and, cleans. They all get more than they "bargain" for when they are told that the store will be closing in a month and their jobs will be lost. On top of the bad news a psychotic killer is picking them off one by one. The deaths are gruesome. Especially two in particular. One involves a butchers electric meat cutter, the other involves a box recycling bin. Over all I give this movie 3 stars and a half.. definitely elevated by it's gory deaths!! Fun Stuff!

Read Best Reviews of Intruder (Director's Cut) (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1989) Here

Intruder is a "love story" about one cashier at a po-dunk supermarket and her ex-boyfriend/ex-con that still loves her. Sadly, she doesn't love him anymore. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she broke up with him a year ago and he just can't say goodbye? Its possible. That doesn't matter to him though. He goes to such lengths to prove he still loves her that he calls her repeatedly and gets in a brutal fight with her boss and co-workers while she is working...but not before socking her across the face. Ahh, young love.

On top of all of this she and her fellow employees find out their much loved place of employment is being sold to another company and the store will be shut down indefinitely within a month. While nowadays this would be met with as much concern by a supermarket employee as finding out your much hated enemy has contracted syphilis apparently jobs were so scare in 1988 that the girl's boss offers to give her a "recommendation for a job at another supermarket". As if this idea wasn't scary enough...somebody is stalking around the inside of the store killing each one of them off. Is it the ex-boyfriend???

Intruder is far from a masterpiece but is a good enough slasher flick to elicit shocks and laughs in abundance. While the "plot" isn't all that original there is a lot in Intruder that is. It is obvious that the director (Scott Spiegel, good friend of Sam Raimi and co-writer of Evil Dead II) was heavily influenced by Raimi. Some of the shots that he uses are totally bizarre (including the first ever shot up through the dial of a rotary phone!) and absolutely does not skimp with the gore. At least in this uncut version that is.

In many ways though this film is also a spoof of the slasher subgenre itself. 90% of the victims in this movie are male and I challenge anybody not to laugh as the "Mystery Killer" slowly drags off the screaming, writhing men to their ghastly fates. It also illustrates how nobody in slasher movies ever seems to attempt to defend themselves (except of course, for the heroine) even though their life is quite obviously about to be snuffed out in the grisliest way possible (a trash compactor and infamously, a band saw to name a few). If the movie played in total seriousness it would be funny enough as it is and just plain sad...but due to the over-the-top quality of the movie it all comes out as just plain funny. It is obvious the filmmakers just want to have a bloody good time and you can't help but be infected by it about halfway through the film.

The stand-out performance in this film belongs to Dan Hicks (and on a smaller scale The Brothers Raimi). Many of you will probably remember him for his role as Jake the redneck tow-truck driver in Evil Dead 2 ("BOBBY JOEEEEEEEE!!!"). After watching his totally goofy/fun performance it is an honest to god crime that he hasn't had bigger parts in more movies.

If you like absolutely ridiculous slasher films (and you can make it through some initial bloodless corniness) then Intruder shouldn't disappoint.

(NOTE: The back of the DVD refers to an "Ex-cop trying to figure out why these killings are going on" or something along those lines. This is totally false and I have no clue why this is there. The whole movie takes place in its entirety within the confines and surrounding areas of the supermarket and there is no ex-cop subplot. Also, on the back of the DVD there is a "still" of Bruce Campbell in one scene that is an obvious facsimile to make you think he is in the movie for more than 60 seconds. If you buy this movie because of any of the previous two misnomers you will be a tad ticked off. Other than that however...watch it.)

Want Intruder (Director's Cut) (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1989) Discount?

Intruder should have been called Halloween In A Supermarket. It's a scary slasher movie from a time when slashers were fun and gory. The first half hour is kind of slow, not boring just slow. However, after that it's non-stop horror as a killer stalks the employees at a grocery store that is going out of business. The twist ending is clever and sets up a sequel. I don't understand why there hasn't been a sequel to this, considering that it's better than about half of the Friday the 13th series. If the flick had some nudity, it would a perfect slasher movie. As it is, it's an almost perfect slasher movie.

Save 33% Off

Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) (1999)

When I'm looking at the Top Ten list's of America's critics and the nominations of the DGA,WGA and all the other guilds and press associations, I terribly miss David Fincher's outstanding film "Fight Club", which is possibly the best film of 1999.

Not only is the film visualy stunning, it is also very thought-provoking, wickedly funny and, above all, extremely entertaining. Only few films managed to be so many things at once. David Fincher, in my opinion one of the most exciting directors of the decade, fills his movie with so many ideas that it would be sufficient for three more movies, and they are not just gimmicks for their own sake, they all mean something. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are brilliant in the leads and the soundtrack by the Dust Brothers fits perfectly to the images.

Many reviewers thought the film was fascist. I think you can only call this ridiculous, since that assumes Fincher sympathizes with Tyler Durden's project mayhem. In fact, he invites us to form our own opinion, like Stanley Kubrick did in "A Clockwork Orange". "Fight Club" hands over the resposibility to the viewer. This may be uncomfortable to some, others (like myself) will embrace this.

FIGHT CLUB arrived in the US with a blaze of publicity stressing its violence and nihilism; some critics (and those close to the production) countered this with the suggestion that it was an anti-materialist jeremiad. On a second viewing, it seems like neither -it's easier to see it as a smart, committed and complex piece of filmmaking. David Fincher once again dazzles with his direction, which is as intelligently energetic as the acting of Brad Pitt and, especially, Edward Norton. What's really impressive, however, is the way that the film manages to flirt with an anti-materialist, hyper-masculine primitivism even as it suggests that we're all a little too sophisticated to buy it (as it were).

FIGHT CLUB may hold that we're not the clothes we wear, or the credit cards in our wallet, but it's savvy enough to realise that our paths of thought and modes of organisation are almost entirely contaminated by the world we've created. Is the solution to destroy that world? Well, that's an option - but watch closely in the movie's second half and see how subtly and hilariously Fincher undermines this: the anarchists begin to chant management-speak, to dissolve into a collective identity, and to form franchises as if they were selling frappucino rather than revolution. Norton is especially horrified at all this, and his wonderful reactions to the disintegration of 'Project Mayhem' are the calm (and moral) centre of the film. Rather like ANIMAL FARM, Fincher tells us that we can have our revolution, but it's going to cost us dear; perhaps even the individuality and reason which we'd hoped to gain from our actions.

Buy Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) (1999) Now

I didn't see this movie in the theaters because it had gotten very mixed reviews from the so-called professional movie reviewers. But, when it hit the local vidoe store, I thought I would give it a try. WOW, what a kick in the teeth, interesting, and fast moving journey into one man's mind. The path this movie takes is fantastic.

Norton and Pitt are perfectly cast, and supported by a crew of fight club members that make for a well-acted show. Meatloaf, Ed Gil, Jared Leto, et. al. are great in support as the members/followers of the leads. Helena Bonham Carter has the only real female role in this film and is perfectly cast. But as much as the acting, this movie is made by the story. Unconventional, with a great twist at the end, the whole movie kept me on the edge of my seat. As with many great movies, it is hard to classify the genre (action, comedy, drama), as there is a sampling of all in this film. In the end, I would just classify this as a great film.

Much was made of the violence of this movie when it first hit the theaters. Those critics overstated the case. There is blood and violence in the movie, but it is not excessive and it serves the plot well.

If you missed this in the theater, see it now. If you saw it once, see it again. I will.

Read Best Reviews of Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) (1999) Here

It's a number. A star. A rating. Tyler knows that. He doesn't care. He's just pleased to know that in a world where even God doesn't know most people's name, there's another man who knows who Tyler Durden is.

Tyler Durden lets Big Lou punch him repeatedly in the jaw, while laughing maniacally, mocking him and infuriating him. At the end of the scene, Tyler seems to make the point: Real men don't always beat the crap out of other men, Real Men laugh silly at other men who try their best to make them feel pain, but only fail repeatedly. How would you feel if you sucked in all the power you had, landed a blow on a dude, and he laughed in your face as if to say, "That's your best shot?" Not very good, I think.

Tyler Durden [Brad Pitt] is the manifestation of every man's fantasy. Good-looking, brash, arrogant, fights like a tank, takes a beating like a tank, ****s like a machine and doesn't do any REAL work.

The Narrator [Ed Norton] is the manifestation of most modern men's reality. Plain-looking, dead-end job, no stable relationship, a decent collection of lifestyle accessories and sheer boredom.

When the two meet, you might expect the movie takes the usual route where the two men get to learn from each other, and find that each person's life has as many highs as pitfalls, and that your life is what you make of it. Err...no. Tyler is an enigma. A revolutionary of sorts. Hell, he isn't here to "learn" about the Narrator. He's here to "Jack" his life!!! Tyler Durden is a bigger, larger-than-life figure than James Bond, the Terminator or even Neo. He could easily steal any one of Bond's potential bed-mates from right under his nose. He could easily program the Terminator to believe its existence was useless and that it should self-terminate. He might even make Neo give-up and dump the whole "Because I choose to.." talk.

This movie may not "change" your life, but it will affect it. You will develop a liking for red leather. You will start working on a new walk. You will start sizing people up everywhere you go. You will stop caring about the fact that you're a 6-foot 120-lbs weakling with 13" biceps. You will start to think, "I'm sure I could throw ONE good dislocating punch at a 220lbs biker even after I take 4 punches to my face". You will want to be in better shape. You will cringe at the idea of a woman having any kind of control over your life. You will want to learn the art of dead-pan sarcasm that scares your boss out of his/her wits. Watch this movie, and you will wish that someday, people will ask, "Say, Who is (insert your name)?"

One of the better "mainstream" movies to have come out of Hollywood in recent years. Unless you exclusively like movies with a "Made for Oscars" plot [Disabled dude learns to appreciate life, WWII/Vietnam Veteran learn the value of human life,Gay Dude stands up against the system, etc.], you will have a hard time wondering why this movie didn't win a few dozen awards. In Tyler, You Can Trust.

Want Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) (1999) Discount?

Many of the people I know who didn't enjoy this movie simply didn't get it. Some were threatened by the attitude towards consumerism. Others found the violence too much, or even worse, over done. But no one came out of that theatre with something they'd expected or something they could forget about. Those who went in for an action flick were forced to watch a literate, existential, art film with violence that they couldn't get excited about because it had meaning. Those who wanted to see Brad Pitt saw Brad Pitt and paid little mind to the brilliant story brought to us by one of the finest new American authors, Chuck Palaniuk. And the rest were offended by the negative attitude toward their favorite coffee chains, clothing stores, and/or furniture outlet. I say good.

Some wonderful things about this movie, not giving anything away, are that the characters that are fighting the above mentioned institutions are also willing participants in making them as successful as they are, and the body count is as low as a big budget Hollywood film has been in years. Don't believe me? Check it out.

As a film, it stands out as one of the most creative and beautifully shot movies this year. David Fincher, not being bound by convention, made one of the best adaptations from novel to screen ever with Fight Club.

This film will speak to everyone. To some it will say horrible things they do not want to hear. To others it will touch a place you never knew you had in you. Read the book if you want to really know the philosophy. See the movie for a demonstration.

Save 60% Off

Mother and Child (2010)

"Mother and Child" was written and directed by Rodrigo García. It came out in 2009 but is now just opening in Indianapolis. The story alludes to many different mother and child relationships but mainly focuses on three women: a 50 year old woman played by Annette Benning, the 37 year old daughter she gave up for adoption played by Naomi Watts, and another woman looking to adopt a child of her own played by Kerry Washington.

Even though there are cases of a man and a woman together discussing a child, the focus is always on the woman's reaction and emotions to events going on around her. It may sound chick-flicky, but this was a powerful drama that transcends that. This was a very effective piece of work carried off brilliantly mostly due to these three women and a few more besides.

Annette Bening hasn't lost her touch. Her character, Karen had to give up her baby for adoption at age 14 and it has plagued her life nonstop ever since. She never moved out and still takes care of her ill and aged mother, Nora played by Eileen Ryan who made this decision for her. To say she is a very "difficult" person to get close to would be an understatement, she is practically a hedgehog! The only coping mechanism she appears to get by with is writing letters in a journal to the daughter she never met wondering how she is and if she was raised well. Bening successfully froze herself at the social development state of a 14 year old in interacting with others and is very guarded even when attempting to ask a new man at her workplace out for coffee.

Her unknown daughter, Naomi Watts' Elizabeth has raised herself well after never being very close with her adopted parents and being self sufficient since age 17. She is a very successful lawyer who has been paving a very smooth path for herself though it has been full of detours since she moves around often. Elizabeth too is a very guarded person, but she does it with extreme confidence and very willful sexual pursuits. Watts plays Elizabeth as an individual so strong that it is also her weakness as she refuses to accept help from others as part of her rigid independence.

Kerry Washington's character, Lucy and her husband, Joseph (David Ramsey) have been unable to conceive for four years so they are now pursuing adoption and are undergo the rigorous interviewing process of a 20 year old pregnant college student (Shareeka Epps). Once again, it just goes to show how much more difficult it is to get through the adoption process than successfully having your own child and that always makes me wish natural parenting should have to take a test or something. Kerry Washington gives an outstanding performance of a woman so frustrated by her limitations and desperate to be approved to be a mother. Washington in one scene was THIS close to bringing me to tears and I personally have no interest in having a child but her intense fighting desire to have a baby just got to me. Her mother is played by one of my favorite "Law & Order" actors, S. Epatha Merkerson whose no nonsense approach always sets Washington's character, Lucy on edge but at the same time Lucy needs to be snapped out of it sometimes to grow up.

One of my other favorite characters in this film was Sister Joanne played by Cherry Jones who was the Madam President on "24" for the last two seasons. I absolutely adore her and she got to play into her caring sensibilities and kind nature in a very difficult occupation trying to help people connect when they are the most emotionally vulnerable.

Sure, there were plenty of guy characters in this story but the story was written for and to appeal to women primarily and it succeeds by leaps and bounds in telling an emotional story that appeals to that ingrained maternal instinct in all of us by moreover reminds us once again how short life is and that you have to act quickly if you do not want to suffer thirty plus years of regret. Nice drama.

Rodrigo Garcia's "Mother and Child" is an incredible and emotionally epic film. We didn't need any more proof that Annette Bening and Naomi Watts were two of the best actresses in their age groups, but this film cements the deal. Bening (with her searing turn in this film as well as The Kids Are All Right) and Watts (completing her 2010 hat trick with You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Fair Game) are so compelling and affecting. Kerry Washington also delivers fine work here, completing the trio of women whose lives have been affected for generations by adoption. Garcia's writing is poignant and far reaching. He has an amazing command over this three leads, the story, it's progressionboth narratively and fated, and his many supporting players (most notably Samuel L. Jackson and Jimmy Smits). "Mother and Child" is a film that reminds us how affecting a symbolic, well told and meaningful story can be. How well written characters experiencing real emotion are the truest of special effects. "Mother and Child" is an outstanding motion picture.

It's almost kind of shocking how "Mother and Child" was and is ignored, this is what so many movies should be like.

Buy Mother and Child (2010) Now

i'm not usually drawn to tear-driven movies...but this one is quite an exception. Annette Bening, as usual, plays exceptional well...and the story is so awesome and realistic, it is in fact a lot of people's story.

Can't wait to see again on the upcoming DVD. MUST-SEE, especially if you're sensitive enough:)))

Read Best Reviews of Mother and Child (2010) Here

Imagine a film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu but with a linear narrative. Imagine now a superb extended metaphor on adoption, hence on filiation, interpreted by actors skillfully directed. You get it ? Now, you have before your very eyes one of the best American movies of 2009. Unfairly ignored. Masterpiece.

Want Mother and Child (2010) Discount?

Annette Bening won raves for THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT but I like her even better in this film which unfortunately was not seen by that many people. Bening portrays a woman who gave birth at 14 and was forced to put the child up for adoption. That girl, now grown, is played by Naomi Watts and the film also deals with her life and

how she has hardened herself not to be hurt. The third story involves a childness

African-American couple who wish to adopt a child. The three stories come together by the end of the film. There are very fine performances from Cherry Jones and

Epatha Merkerson. This is why I love home video. A movie that might have disappeared after a couple of weeks in the theaters gets an extended life. I strongly recommend this film.

Save 62% Off

Primal Fear (Hard Evidence Edition) (1996)

The archbishop of Chicago has just been brutally murdered and 19-year old altar boy Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is found running from the scene, covered in the man's blood. It looks like an open and shut case against the simple, stuttering boy, until dashing Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a self-proclaimed "big-deal lawyer," offers to defend him pro bono. The prosecutor he'll be facing in the courtroom is none other than his ex-girlfriend (Laura Linney), who is still bitter about their past. With the help of a psychologist (Frances McDormand), Vail discovers a shocking secret about young Aaron that may save his life.

This is a great movie; I've seen it many times and it never gets old. Gere is perfectly cast as the handsome and confident charmer, and Edward Norton surely had one of his best roles ever as Aaron and this was his first movie role. He is so charismatic that you will not be able to take your eyes off him. The search for the killer's motive is intense and surprising, with lots of opportunities for Gere to showcase his tremendous appeal. Highly recommended for those who like character-driven mysteries.

When I had first laid eyes on Primal Fear on pay-per-view years ago I had first dismissed at as another Hollywood who-done-it courtroom drama with no originality. And was I ever wrong. Primal Fear may seem like something you've seen before, but the clever, highly intelligent, and twisting script makes the film soar to unexpected heights, and Edward Norton's breakout performace as murder suspect Aaron has to be seen to be believed (Norton would receive a Golden Globe and his first Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor which Cuba Gooding Jr. ended up winning for Jerry Maguire). Richard Gere has the starring role playing Norton's lawyer who seems to be the only one who believes Norton's innocence. With a super twist ending and a superb all star cast which includes Laura Linney, Frances McDormand, Steve Bauer, John Mahoney, Maura Tierney, and Andre Braugher, Primal Fear is a near superb little gem that I strongly suggest seeing.

Buy Primal Fear (Hard Evidence Edition) (1996) Now

"I don't have to believe you. I don't care if you are innocent. I'm your mother, your father, your priest." This is what defense attorney Martin Vale (Richard Gere) tells his client, Aaron Stampler (Ed Norton), as they are preparing to defend him against charges of killing the Archbishop of Chicago.

Of course, later, Marty says: "I believe in the notion that people are innocent until proven guilty. I believe in that notion because I choose to believe in the basic goodness of people. I choose to believe that not all crimes are committed by bad people. And I try to understand that some very, very good people do some very bad things."

So--which one is true? Nobody is quite what they seem in this legal procedural that will keep you in your seat and your finger away from the 'Pause' button for its entire 2 plus hours' duration.

First, you see the kindly Archbishop attended by a heavenly choir at a charity function. The city loves him. But, is his public face the same one he wears when he's all by himself with the altar boys?

Did bumbling, stuttering Aaron kill the Archbishop. Nobody really wants to believe it.

Does Janet (Laura Linney) truly tow the company line as the assistant prosecutor? Well, and is she truly no longer interested in Marty?

The plot's got more twists than a pretzel factory. I no sooner thought I knew what was going on or what someone was going to to when they changed it on me.

"Primal Fear" is one of the best written and acted courtroom dramas I've seen. My only question to myself is why the heck did I wait this long?

Read Best Reviews of Primal Fear (Hard Evidence Edition) (1996) Here

Usually, I stay away from courtroom dramas because they're the same thing over and over, but this one truly is different. The story may seem a little familiar if you've seen films of this nature before, but I can guarantee that as you continue to watch it, you'll see how well this movie rises above the rest.

Making his first major debut, Edward Norton is nothing short if terrific in the role of Aaron. He was robbed of the Oscar for doing the great job that he did throughout. Richard Gere has never given a truly bad performance, but he does go a step above his usually sleepy-looking acting style by showing some good raw emotion. Andre Braugher has always been a great actor and will continue to be a great actor, and Laura Linney shows that she's always been a fine actress (nevermind the miserable CONGO). The direction by Gregory Hoblit is great and fast-paced and I recommend that you take a look at Hoblit's FALLEN if you liked this film.

I cannot rave enough about the acting here, so I'll just stop now, but first I have to end by saying that throughout this slick film, it never gets bogged down in pretentiousness, as many courtroom thrillers do. You'll love this film all the way up until the true shocker of an ending.

Want Primal Fear (Hard Evidence Edition) (1996) Discount?

"Fui bailar no meu batel alem do mar cruel," sings modern fadista Dulce Pontes in this movie's dynamic title song: "I went dancing in my boat, there on the cruel sea." And it must be just like a nutshell-sized boat dancing on a stormy ocean's waves that nineteen-year-old Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) feels after his arrest for the savage murder of Chicago's saintly Archbishop Rushman. Or does it?

Certainly it doesn't help that Aaron was caught running from the crime scene, covered in blood, and with the archbishop's ring in his pocket. Besides, who is going to believe him anyway a stuttering, uneducated boy from rural Kentucky who was found begging by the powerful clergyman, taken in as an altar boy and made to sing in his choir that he was present when the murder was committed but can't remember a single thing because he blacked out? Nobody; surely not the police and ADA Janet Venable (Laura Linney), assigned by D.A./Rushman friend Shaughnessy (John Mahoney) personally to try the case, with the express mandate to obtain a death penalty conviction. Nobody, that is, except Aaron's defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere). Vail, of all people: the flamboyant ADA-turned-private-practitioner, the star attorney not shying away from even the shadiest client, to whom TV and magazine cover interviews are as second nature as his courtroom appearances, and who cynically quotes as his mottos a professor's maxims on his first day in law school: "From this day forward, if your mother says she loves you, get a second opinion." And: "If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you want to get f**ked, go to court."

"Primal Fear" was adapted from William Diehl's like-named bestselling novel and, like in many literary adaptations, its screenplay is a hit-and-miss affair. Not successful, in my view, are those alterations that unnecessarily make Vail an even more ethically questionable lawyer as already conceived by Diehl; such as the way he becomes Stampler's attorney in the first place (which in the movie amounts to blatant client solicitation; not to mention that no sane lawyer would introduce himself to a potential client with the words "I'm what you call a 'big shot' attorney"), and the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a tape revealing the archbishop's not-so-nice private side (which in the novel isn't found by Vail but by his investigator Tommy Goodman [Andre Braugher]: of course that doesn't eliminate Vail's ultimate ethical responsibility, but contrarily to the movie, at least he doesn't "borrow" the tape from the crime scene himself, and he doesn't know in advance what Tommy is up to). Further, in the book the tape is not shown in open court and immediately introduced into evidence but viewed in the presence of only the judge and the attorneys, which given its contents seems more realistic (even if it were later introduced into evidence after all). On the other hand, particularly regarding the main characters the movie's alterations work well: Unethical or not, Richard Gere's Martin Vail is even more interesting than the character devised by Diehl; moreover, an unnecessarily cliched, ultraconservative judge nicknamed "Hangin'" Harry Shoat becomes an although still tough overall more multidimensional Judge Miriam Shoat (Alfre Woodard); similarly, Vail's mafia-affiliated client Joey Pinero (Steven Bauer) gains considerably in stature; and although it actually reinforces cliche to shift the love/sex relationship from the book's present one between Vail and psychiatrist Dr. Arrington (Frances McDormand) to the screenplay's past one between Vail and Venable (which the ADA now derogatorily calls "a one-night-stand [that] lasted six months"), thanks to Gere's and Linney's considerable on-screen chemistry their characters' personal relationship adds sparks and tension to their professional rivalry that also lend greater credibility to the final courtroom scene's powder-keg explosion.

Outstanding as all of its actors are, however, "Primal Fear" rises and falls with the performance of Edward Norton, and it is his breathtaking achievement that validates the movie more than anything. Then-newcomer Norton not only had to portray a boy almost a decade younger than himself (which he manages flawlessly) but also an incredibly complex character, sometimes shifting behavioral patterns, accents and manners of speech from one sentence to the next; and he delivers supremely, deservedly garnering an Oscar nomination (which in a year of extremely tight competition he lost to Cuba Gooding Jr. for "Jerry Maguire"), as well as a Golden Globe and several other awards, and together with his roles in "People vs. Larry Flynt" and Woody Allen's "Everybody Says I Love You" playing himself into public awareness once and, hopefully, for all.

Although "Primal Fear" is often cited for its final plot twist, anybody who has seen more than that occasional thriller can see its end coming somewhere halfway through the narrative (and I think that's true for both book and film although I admit I hadn't read the novel when I first saw the movie). Moreover, the final twist depends on a feat on the part of Norton's character that lawyers and psychiatrists alike will find hard to take at face value. Thus, at first viewing this movie's end may appear a bit of a let-down. But trust me: The story grows on you the more often you watch it, and in my view it actually helps to know the end, because not only does this enable you to see the many nuances you necessarily missed the first time around; it also frees you to think about the moral issues addressed. For those reasons, and for the entire cast's first and foremost Edward Norton's fine performances, this has long become one of my favorite courtroom thrillers.

"[I believe that] things are not always as they appear, that sometimes facts can be manipulated the way a magician manipulates an audience. He distracts you with this hand, while the other hand does the tricks. It's called misdirection." "Primal Fear," preface: from Martin Vail's summation in a case entitled "The State vs. Nicholas Luma."

Also recommended:

Primal Fear

Presumed Innocent

The Burden of Proof

The King of Torts

Sleepers

Mystic River (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)

Lagrimas

Save 29% Off

Frenzy (1972)

Frenzy was a homecoming of sorts as it was Hitch's first film shot in the UK since he left during the 40's. I would disagree with those who claim that Frenzy can't stand with Hitch's best work; Hitch's droll and dark sense of humor change what could have been a run of the mill thriller into a minor masterpiece. The best bits in Frenzy are every bit as startling and powerful as those in Rear Window, Vertigo and North by Northwest. Although his wife Alma's heart attack couldn't have informed the pre-production stages of the script and film, it certainly had an impact on the atomsphere captured in the film. There is an underlying darkness here only hinted at before (most explicitly in The Birds, Vertigo and Marnie).

The performances are uniformly excellent. The fact that Hitch chose stage actors and lesser known British film actors for this film gives it a bit more grit and reality than his earlier films. Anthony Schaffer's script plays with the routine cliches of suspense films. A number of sequences (including the scene where the murderer is trying to retrieve a bit of incriminating evidence from one of his victims) flirt with sardonic humor. The dialog like most of Hitch's films is outstanding. Here Schaffer, again, turns many of the cliches (some from Hitch's own films) from film dialog into a droll commentary on both the action and the film audience as observers.

The extras included on this DVD are particularly outstanding given the standing this film has with most film buffs. The new interviews with Anna Massey, Jon Finch and others sheds considerable light on Hitch's methods during the making of the film and discounts a number of myths about him (including the idea that he didn't really work much with the actors. While he trusted the actor's instincts he also recognized that a well rehearsed film is akin to a storyboarded film; it's clear that preparation for both aspects were equally important).

Why is this film a "lesser" Hitchcock for most critics? It probably has to do with the more contemporary edge in some of the scenes. Frenzy has more in common with the brutality evident in early Hitchcock classics like Murder than with Rear Window or Shadow of a Doubt (a film that shares a lot of the same themes although Frenzy is a darker, more contemporary take on the same type of story). Frenzy clearly is Hitch's last great film and although it occasionally slips, its best moments are every bit the equal of his best films. On the whole the strengths of Frenzy outweight the weaknesses and make this terrific film a must for Hitch fans. One interesting observation in closing about Frenzy. Everybody points to Hitch's classic films as influencing Brian DePalma. It's clear that DePalma (who had already begun making films prior to 1972)borrowed more from Frenzy than other Hitchcock classics. Even a film like DePalma's Sisters (released the year after Frenzy) owes a great debt to this film.

For the first time in twenty-plus years, Alfred Hitchcock returned to his native England to make what turned out to be his final psychological thriller FRENZY. Despite a series of only modestly successful films since his 1963 triumph with THE BIRDS, Hitchcock had not lost his touch when he was handed Anthony Shaffer's fine screenplay (based on the Arthur LaBern book "Goodbye Picadilly, Farewell Leicester Square"). And although his approach to sex and violence is more explicit here (thanks to the ease in censorship restrictions that happened only a few years before), Hitchcock still delivers a film quite typical of his work--suspenseful, chilling, and often quite funny in a blackly humorous way.

The film revolves around a series of grisly strangulations of women occurring around London that have the police totally baffled. The killer's choice is a necktie, which pretty much leaves the door wide-open, since almost every man there wears a necktie. We are then introduced to Richard Blaney (Jon Finch) an ex-RAF officer and divorcee who has this tendency to drink too often and get a little bit too rough with people, including his ex-wife (Barbara Leigh-Hunt). The only real solace he gets is from his friend Robert Rusk (Barry Foster), a fruits-and-vegetables salesman in Covent Garden. What Finch doesn't realize, however, is that Foster is, in fact, the necktie strangler. And when Leigh-Hunt is found strangled in her office, the police, having interviewed her secretary, who had heard Finch arguing with her violently only half an hour before she was killed, immediately suspect and later arrest Finch, while Foster gets away. But an alert detective (Alec McCowen) suspects that there is something to Finch's story that could prove him innocent of the crimes.

Although it was only a moderate hit here in America, owing to an all-British cast (all of whom are extremely good), and also quite controversial because of the grisly nature of Foster's strangulation of Leigh-Hunt, FRENZY is nevertheless a brilliant movie, far more concise and better plotted than many of today's serial-killer films of this day. Foster's performance is extremely complex; instead of the typical mad-dog killer, he is a suave businessman with a thing for women--for seducing and then strangling them. Finch's performance is, by necessity, less sympathetic so as to keep the audience off-balance, thinking that he is indeed the killer.

And unlike too many pseudo-Hitchcock films of our time, FRENZY has moments of dry British wit and morbid dark comedy. One involves two policemen chatting in a bar about the killings, where one remarks, "We haven't had a good murder since (Agatha) Christie", and that such a spree "is always good for tourism." Another involves Foster having to get an incriminating piece of evidence off of the corpse of one of his female victims in a potato truck--and he has to actually break off her fingers to do it. Hitchcock later said, "The remarkable thing about that scene is how it improved the taste of the potatoes." Still another is McCowen enduring the "gourmet cooking" of his dotty wife (Vivien Merchant).

A superior piece from one of the all-time great directors, a man who was an influence on everyone from DePalma to Spielberg and beyond, FRENZY is a disturbing but always intriguing horror opus well worth re-discovering.

Buy Frenzy (1972) Now

Hitchcock's second last film is a tightly-written, well-acted suspense thriller featuring a luckless and underachieving hero being framed for murder, a cunning and psychotic villain whose murderous itinerary is detailed, a gritty and realistic directorial style from Hitch, a story set in a working-class milieu that is far apart from the glamorous and exotic settings of his earlier films, and one horrific murder scene in which the depiction of brutality and evil reached a new height for the director. This film is quite a world apart from the elegant, smooth, urbane suspense pictures he made in the 40s and 50s. But with the increasingly jaded audiences in the 70s, the change was probably inevitable. Still, Hitchcock's craftsmanship made FRENZY as exciting and memorable as his more traditional thrillers.

This DVD from MGM/UA presents the film in a new, widescreen video transfer and a Dolby Digital monophonic sound track. The picture looks a bit dark for my liking; unfortunately there is no "color bars" on the disc for me to test the display. Colors are bright and realistic, however. The audio is bright and sharp.

There is an original 45-minute 'Making-Of' documentary that features new interviews of actors Jon Finch, Barry Foster, and Anna Massey, a theatrical trailer (showing Hitchcock floating on the Thames), 100 or so B&W production photos, and the usual "production notes" and "cast biographies".

Read Best Reviews of Frenzy (1972) Here

Think about this.The man was 70 when he directed it---6000 miles away from home.For someone who had enjoyed the comfort and routine of shuttling each day from Universal to Bellagio Road for the last twenty years,this was pretty radical---and it couldn't have been any picnic sitting all day on those wet,chilly London streets either. I never appreciated all of this at the age of 21 when I was running "Frenzy" as a 16mm college rental.At that time,I enjoyed a good,tense---maybe not top drawer,but certainly up to standard---Hitchcock thriller.Having seen it many times in the intervening years, I have modified my opinion---"Frenzy" is a GREAT Hitchcock thriller.I won't say "one of his best",because how much room do we have in a pantheon that includes "Shadow Of A Doubt","Notorious","Strangers On A Train" and so many others?Let's just say that "Frenzy" is utterly different from the rest----another bold stroke from a director who was always ahead of the cutting edge. It's also one of the wittiest pictures ever made---funnier than any one of a hundred celebrated comedies I can think of.Anthony Shaeffer had a lot to do with that---he was the writer---and it's a masterful job he turned in---if only these two could have done a whole series of thrillers together!Besides the well-known set-pieces(the potato truck,the back-tracking shot from Barry Foster's doorway,etc.),there are so many wonderful little throwaway moments to treasure---Jon Finch stepping on the grapes,Foster picking his teeth with the tie pin---so many priceless details.Hitchcock obviously loved being in that Covent Garden---it's teeming with moving crates of fruits and vegetables---people hiding out among the deliveries,casually picking samples and eating---it's all so relaxed and evocative---you feel as though you're right there in the bustle of a typical London day. It's great that Hitchcock was able to share such a vivid and colorful homecoming with us---the fact that it's such a marvellously grisly and twisted ride is like the icing on the cake.Yes,the first rape/murder scene is truly disturbing,and I wish he'd toned it down,but Hitchcock was clearly pushing the limits here---releasing a few of those demons that had been pent-up through so many of the code-compliant pictures he'd made for so many years.It's a lapse in taste,but I've forgiven it.There's so much to love in "Frenzy",it's hard not to---besides,you've all got fast-forward buttons.MCA should release this on DVD---truly a buried treasure among Hitchcock classics.

Want Frenzy (1972) Discount?

Everyone who's seen a lot of Hitchcock and read up on him has their favorite Hitch film, and then they have the one which isn't quite their favorite, but which they feel has been criminally neglected in the general consensus. For me, Frenzy is that second film. For some reason, this late-life thriller has never been accorded much respect (most people haven't even heard of it), but it's one of his most well-crafted and cohesive films, without the demure hesitancy which makes Shadow of a Doubt and Strangers on a Train less effective now, and with a great sense of purpose that keeps the audience focused. Even classics like Vertigo have a tendency to drift and lose the audience, I think; in Frenzy, everything is succint and to the point. Hitchcock also finally found the nerve to show murder onscreen, and its occurence is as brilliant as anyone would expect. A cast of relative unknowns deliver excellent performances, particularly the rough-around-the-edges 'hero.' This is beside the point, of course, but I love the way he rolls his R's 'Rrrrrrrrusk!' Another thing I appreciate is that Hitchcock seems to have lost some of his obsession with unreal beauty. There are no polished Cary Grants or dreamlike Grace Kellys in the lower-middle-class world of Frenzy, giving it a terrific gritty reality; here are ugly men and women doing (and suffering) ugly deeds. Some people, discussing this film with me, have pointed out that it may have been the time frame which made the movie seem so realistic after all, that was more the style in the seventies, when it was made. I don't think so, however, when you consider that he followed Frenzy with the funny but airheaded Family Plot, which is as unlike Frenzy as apples and potatoes. Finally, the role that food plays as a motif and symbol is wonderful, totally relevant to the film. This is Hitchcock's underrated masterpiece, period.

Save 43% Off

Invincible (2006)

Vince Popale is an out-of-work substitute teacher, and part-time bartender who arrives home to find his wife has left him taking everything. The only thing left behind is a note reminding him that he is a failure, a man who will never amount to anything.

The Philadelphia Eagles are as successful as this 30 year old, Italian-American from South Philadelphia whose sports career is nothing more than "tough touch" football with the boys in a vacant lot, and season tickets to watch the hometown team get their feathers plucked Sunday after Sunday. But his luck is about to change. The new head coach calls for try-outs for any fan that wants to make the team. Only one of the hundreds is selected. That one is Vince Popale.

His next challenge is overcoming the physical and verbal abuse of teammates who see him only as a publicity stunt. His support are a few friends, a father, and new girlfriend (who is a NY Giant fan). He has nothing but his heart, and an all-out desire to make the team.

As a die-hard Giant fan, I found it hard not to cheer for the Eagles in this movie, because it wasn't about them. It was about a man's personal triumph, and his desire to overcome everything that so many said he could never accomplish. This is the kind of story anyone would love.

Mark Wahlenberg turns in a fine performance of Popale. The cast is excellent. The story is uncomplicated, and it resembles the tale of Rocky Balboa, which was released as Popale's real-life star was on the rise. It shows how a team that resented him deeply came to admire and respect their special teams captain.

In addition to a special feature of making the movie with the real deal (VP), the viewer can see the movie in three versions with narrations in two of them.

Don't miss. This is a super bowl of football movies.

It's 1976, and the men in Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg)'s neighborhood are having a tough time. They're either laid off like him or on strike. They do still have each other, though. They love their backlot football games, meeting at the tavern, and cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles, who have also had a lot of bad luck. A new coach (Greg Kinnear) comes to the Eagles and holds an open try-out. Anyone can come down and try for a place on the team. His pals urge 30-year old Vince to go, and the rest, as they say, is history.

You don't have to be a big football fan to enjoy this movie. Yes, there is plenty of hard-hitting action, but it's also about trying your best, sticking together, and having a good heart. The cast is excellent and the script really held my interest. We get to know and care about Vince and his friends, and their gritty neighborhood seemed real. A very muddy football game filmed in slow-motion is an especially good scene. Not only is this a good story, it's a true story, with a winning combination of action and emotion.

Buy Invincible (2006) Now

A few days ago, I heard the real life Vince Papale being interviewed on a sports radio talk show (710AM) and he was personable and sincere enough that I decided right then and there to go see his movie when it releases. In the interview, he spoke quite eloquently of the tough times he'd undergone, his time spent with the Eagles (3 years) and the abuse he took from his scoffing teammates, as well as his relationship with Coach Vermeil. Vince matter-of-factly stated that he was the fastest guy on the Eagles team of '76. He also mentioned Mark Wahlberg in glowing terms, of how he and Mark bonded, and how Mark spent quality time playing with Vince's kid. Like Papale, Mark grew up in a rough neighborhood, so Mark, in his portrayal of Vince, pretty much was acting from close to his roots.

It's 1976 in Philly: the spectre of the Vietnam War still hovers, the energy crisis still looms, blue collar Joes are getting laid off en masse, and everyone's hair is just horrible. And, oh yeah, the Eagles suck. Invincible is the true life story of underdog Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), who in 1976 lost his wife and found his school-teaching jobs dwindling, and was then toiling away as a 30-year old bartender. Meanwhile, to shake things up with the going-nowhere Philly football team, new head coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) decides to hold open try-outs. Being a passionate, hard core Philadelphia Eagles fanatic and having played as a wide receiver in a minor league football team, Vince jumps at this chance and impresses the head coach with his speed and his hard-contact hitting and, most of all, his heart. Vince somehow makes it on the Eagles roster as the oldest rookie ever (not counting kickers; but kickers don't count, anyway) without the benefit of a college football experience.

Invincible also parallels Vince Papale's struggles with Dick Vermeil's first baby steps as the coach of the Eagles. With the recent crappy history of the team, Vermeil immediately realized that something fresh was needed to lift up the spirits of the Philly fans, who absolutely expected nothing from the team that season. But, predominantly, this movie covers Papale's arduous trek starting from the against-all-odds open camp try out, thru the brutal training camp, to the regular season's opening game, where the Eagles get whacked by the powerhouse Dallas Cowboys, and, finally, to the Eagles' home opener versus the hated New York Giants, wherein Vince becomes instrumental in the Eagles winning Dick Vermeil his first game as the head coach.

This obviously is a star vehicle for Mark Wahlberg, and he brings to the table his compelling street-savvy, average guy grit and charm. He is genuine and heartfelt in this role. Gotta admit, it's been a while now since I thought of him as Marky Mark. He's proven to me, with 3 Kings, The Perfect Storm, The Italian Job, and 4 Brothers, that he's a steadily maturing actor who has some measure of talent and sensitivity. And his physicality comes in very handy in playing the rugged Papale.

Greg Kinnear, also another guy I'm starting to take serious as an actor (very good job in The Matador), capably captures Head Coach Vermeil's touchy-feely personality. Elizabeth Banks (Spider-Man 1 & 2, Seabiscuit) is nicely enthusiastic and spirited, very beautiful, and is a natural as Vince's love interest Janet. I had a blast with the sequence showing Janet clad in New York Giants wardrobe (she's a big Giants fanatic) entering the Eagles' home stadium amidst clamorous boos. Janet, who is not only sexy but is quite knowledgeable about football, is a guy's dream girl.

Invincible makes a point of never letting you forget about Vince's ordinariness and his fish out of water situation by throwing him in several scenes with his regular beer swilling buds as the film progresses. These mugs are rooting for him, yeah, but, at the same time, they want to make sure that he doesn't forget about them should he reach the big time. Meanwhile, Vince's dad is a blend of safe pessimism and hidden hope ("A man can only take so much failure"), leaving his buddy Tommy (Kirk Acevedo), his kindly bar boss Max (Michael Rispoli), and the lovely Janet to be the really steadying rocks in his life.

Ericson Core, first time director here and former cinematographer, does a great job catching the inner city "feel" of blue collar Philly with camera shots of the city's gritty, grimy streets, alleys, and dives. I bought into the realism of the movie's 1970's setting fairly easily. To watch Vince Papale jog thru the streets of Philly is to instantly think of another sports movie set in the same time, in the same city. Think boxing. The football scenes are fairly intense, with plenty of hard contact, with flesh getting pounded and bones being crunched. Just maybe there's too much slo-mo action.

In that interview, Vince Papale pretty much admitted that this movie didn't totally stay true to the facts, that some scenes were prettied up for greater audience consumption. What mattered, he said, was that Invincible did stay true to the spirit of his journey. I'm a sucker for underdog stories (coincidentally, Vince's nickname on the Eagles was Rocky), and knowing that Invincible is based on a true underdog story just whetted my appetite even more. Anyway, I just saw this film and liked it quite a bit. Still, I expect some criticisms to make the rounds centering on the film's too conventional plot and script, that maybe they're too trite and cliched. Me, I don't care. I love football, this is a football movie, and it's acted out with unaffected sincerity and great energy by the leads. Football season's just around the corner, but I figure I just got my fix in earlier.

Read Best Reviews of Invincible (2006) Here

If you've seen Rocky then you know the basic story here but the brilliance with Invincible is that it's all true. Ironically, when the real life Vince Papale was just going through his transformation in the gritty streets of Philadelphia, Rocky had just come out and some of his teammates and opponents would tease him by calling him "Rocky".

The brilliance of getting this on DVD is that you can hear the commentary track with the real Vince Papale giving his insight into what was happening throughout this time. The strikes were pulling the heart out of the locals. Vince's wife walked out on him. The Eagles kept losing. The people of Philly struggled on with a mixture of gut determination and faith.

Yes, it's a story of Vince 30 years old, out of work, out of a relationship, making ends meet by tending bar, getting his one shot at a dream. But it's also the story of the whole area he lives in, how they are being beaten down and they still hang in there. Vince's neighbor invites him in and feeds him pasta. His dad and gang root for him every chance they can. Little kids make up jerseys with Vince's numbers on them.

It's funny how, for a sports movie, it actually is much more about the characters. My boyfriend loves football, but I'm not nearly as enthusiastic about the sport. We both really enjoyed watching this together. The soundtrack is gorgeous. The characters are gritty and real. They're not perfect they're human with character and heart. As much as some Disney movies can feel very sappy, this one is encouraging without going overboard. These are real heartbreaks that happened real obstacles that were overcome.

It's fascinating looking back to what football was like in the 70s. Vince explains that the team rooms really were that tiny that the streets in Philly are narrow, the homes restrictive. The emotions and experiences were real. Mark Whalberg does most of his own football work here and takes some massive hits. The movie ends with clips of the real Papale and his teammates, turning their team from a losing one to a group that reached the Superbowl.

Highly recommended.

Want Invincible (2006) Discount?

Movies in high definition are the future. This one was brilliantly made anyways (without the high-definition) and you add in the HD with Blu-Ray and the extra features (documentary on the real Vince Papale) and it just enhances the experience. I saw this at the movies and had to own it. It's inspirational and teaches that you are never too old to achieve your dreams. Definite buy on Blu-Ray or regular DVD.

Save 60% Off

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)

The Yemen is a river in the country of Yemen, which occupies the south-western corner of the Arabian Peninsula. As we know, that entire middle-eastern area is hot, dry, and arid. In this Lasse Halstrom-directed dramedy, an oil-billionaire sheik from Yemen owns several estates in Scotland and has developed a fondness for fly fishing. He dreams of a way to bring the sport to his homeland and at the same time encourage his fellow countrymen to upgrade their way of life with an improved water supply.

We loved this cast (mostly) from the UK:

* Emily Blunt ("The Devil Wears Prada") is the first person contacted by the sheik. Her job is to research the practicality of the idea and make a recommendation. To complicate matters, her fiancé is soon reported missing in (military) action in Afghanistan.

* Ewan McGregor ("Beginners") is a mid-level bureaucrat with a touch of Asperger's who loves fly fishing on weekends. When approached about the feasibility of this experiment, he makes outlandish demands, assuming that their cost will deter these foolish people. He is struck dumb when his demands are met, e.g., the engineers who designed the Three Gorges Dam in China.

* Kristen Scott Thomas ("Nowhere Boy") is a blunt, plain-spoken government official who can see the public relations advantages for news from the Mid-east that doesn't include the escalating price of petroleum or body bags. She is hilarious in this (initially) preposterous plot and provides many laugh-out-loud moments. You will LOVE her e-mails!

* Amr Waked ("The Father and the Foreigner") is the fabulously wealthy sheik with the dream. It's obvious that he is intelligent and has already studied the situation. When our troubled heroine denies she is anxious, he says, "I have too many wives not to know when a woman is upset!" We can see why this actor is a heartthrob in his native Egypt.

* Tom Mison ("One Day") is our heroine's fiancé, loving, considerate AND handsome!

I haven't read Paul Torday's novel on which this film is based, but knowing salmon are anadromous, I suspect the migration to salt water would be too hot and arduous, so I personally had reservations about feasibility. On the other hand, this film had far more comedy than we expected and was far more touching as well, so eventually it didn't matter. I even got goosebumps when that fish turned around and started upstream. Nice surprise!

I've signed up to be notified when this becomes available on DVD from Amazon.com

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a hard film to categorize. Directed by Lasse Hallström, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy adapted from the novel of the same name by Paul Torday, you could nominally call it a romantic comedy, but it's actually far more than that. A character-driven human comedy about faith, passion and fishing comes closer. Add in an absolutely scene-stealing performance by Kristin Scott Thomas as the Prime Minister's take-no-prisoners get-it-done-yesterday! press secretary and you've got Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

The film begins with Dr. Fred Jones (Ewan McGregor), the British government's leading expert on fisheries, receiving an inquiry about the feasibility of introducing salmon fishing to the Yemen. Jones quickly dismisses the possibility, responding that it is simply impossible for salmon a fish that thrives in cold fresh-water streams found in northern latitudes to survive in a hot and arid environment like the Yemen. The inquiry, it turns out, came from Harriet Chetwood-Talbot (Emily Blunt), a consultant for a company that manages properties for a very wealthy client, Sheikh Muhammad (Amr Waked) from the Yemen. The Sheikh has a vision of salmon fishing, which he became familiar with due to his having an estate in Scotland, as not only a way to create much needed jobs for his people, but also as a way of bringing people together. Undeterred by Jones' initial rejection and buoyed by the persuasive Sheikh's belief in his vision, Harriet persists in pushing for a feasibility study, which Jones continues to dismiss. Until, that is, the project comes to the attention of the Prime Minister's press secretary, the highly formidable and relentless Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas).

A series of recent news items about bombings and other setbacks in the war in Afghanistan, already highly unpopular, has left the government desperately in need of "Anglo-Arabian news that isn't about something exploding." After tasking her staff with "We need a good news story from the Middle East, a big one, and we need it now. You've got an hour. Get on with it!" Maxwell seizes on the salmon fishing project as ideal for the government's needs and pushes it forward, riding rough-shod over any and all objections as to the project's chances of actually working. Which in turn sets everything in motion and brings all of the main characters face to face.

Ewan McGregor's Fred Jones is a man who muses "I was wondering if I was genetically programed to dull pedestrian life." He's comfortable in his government job where his biggest challenge is picking out pictures of fish to spice up his annual report; he's married but it's a passionless marriage, as becomes poignantly clear when his wife (Rachel Stirling) takes a several-months assignment in Switzerland, only bothering to tell him as she's packing for the trip. Emily Blunt's Harriet Chetwood-Talbot, on the other hand, is Fred's exact opposite, passionate in her job and in her private life where she's had a whirlwind romance with a hunk of an army officer (Tom Mison) who's just been deployed to Afghanistan. And Amr Waked's Sheikh rounds out the trio, a philosophical, quietly charismatic man who has a vision that he pursues all the more passionately because it is so impossible. A chemistry develops among the three as Fred finds himself much to his surprise responding to Harriet's optimistic vivacity and to the Sheikh's belief that the more impossible a thing is, the more it is worth pursuing, even when or rather especially when all you have to go on is faith. In addition to becoming not only engaged by but increasingly optimistic about the salmon project, Fred also finds himself coming to believe that other things are also possible as his working relationship with Harriet blossoms into something else. Between the two, Fred ends up making his own leaps of faith, with regard to the Sheikh's fantastical project and to the prospect of finding real love with Harriet.

But it is Kristin Scott Thomas' over-the-top press secretary Patricia Maxwell with her take-no-prisoners approach to everything who supplies the comedy. A powerhouse on high heels, Maxwell dominates everyone else around her, up to and including the Prime Minister himself, and she has far and away the best lines in the film which she delivers with acerbic glee "Is that the best you cocked-up, Oxford-educated, moronic buffoons can come up with?" She also has the best scenes, like ones showing her at home where she's kicking her kids' butts at computer games or ordering them off to school, and you realize that she treats the government ministers above and around her exactly the same way as she handles her kids. And the scenes showing the IM exchanges between her icon and that of the rather hapless Prime Minister are absolutely priceless.

In addition to an engaging script and fine performances by the actors, the cinematography is also quite well done, taking you from highly diverse settings of urban London, rural Scotland and the desert wadis of the Yemen (actually shot in Morocco), all beautifully shot. The scene where the Sheikh discusses his dream project with Jones while the two are fly-fishing is imbued with a grace and tranquility gives added feeling to the Sheikh's vision and you begin to see exactly what he is talking about.

My only quibbles about the film are fairly minor. The way in which Harriet's boyfriend's ill-timed reappearance is handled is dealt with a bit too neatly and ends up feeling out of place. And the reactions on the part of the Sheikh and Jones when some disgruntled Yemenis attempt to sabotage the project seems more "message" oriented than how real people would actually react. But those aside, the rest of the film flows quite smoothly, leaving you both entertained and with more than a bit of its quietly infectious optimism.

Recommended as a quirky but highly enjoyable film and for Kristin Scott Thomas' riotously over-the-top performance.

Buy Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) Now

If you're going to see this delightful movie, the first thing you need to do is to shut down your critical faculties. Don't ask questions about the state of Ewan McGregor's marriage, or the logic of moving thousands of salmon, or the likelihood of a woman hugging an Arab sheikh in a Muslim country, or the ease with which people travel long distances, and so forth. It doesn't matter because the gentle tone of the movie even with the satirical edge of Kristin Scott Thomas' extremely obnoxious but funny Assistant to the Prime Minister just carries you away. It's sweet, it's charming, it's not cloying and it definitely draws you in to the story. This is the first movie I've been in a long time where the character of a Scot is a key plot element. [What was the name of the wonderful one years ago with Peter Resier (?) and Burt Lancaster as Texans looking for oil off the cost of Scotland?] Ewan McGregor gets to use his own Scots accent and is just wonderful and appealing in his role. Emily Blunt is also good, as she rolls with the plot.

If you're in the mood for a lovely, gently comic, romantic movie, this is the one.

Read Best Reviews of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) Here

"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is directed by Lasse Hallstrom ("Chocolat," "The Cider House Rules"). A visionary sheik (Amy Waked) believes his passion for the peaceful pastime of salmon fly fishing can enrich the lives of his people, and he dreams of bringing the sport to the not so fish-friendly desert. Willing to spare no expense, he instructs his representative, Harriet (Emily Blunt), to turn his dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britain's leading fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), who thinks the project is both absurd and unachievable. When British government publicist Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas) champions it as a good-will story, however, the unlikely team puts everything on the line to prove the impossible is possible.

Metaphorically, the movie contains the message that we can find our oases no matter the desert. Also resonating is that, with unlimited resources, the wildest, craziest dream can be pursued, if not fully realized. McGregor and Blunt are the film's best ingredients. Both have charm, and it's fun to watch the scientifically oriented Dr. Jones become immersed in politics as a romance with Harriet blossoms. However, the film drags for long stretches until a satisfactory final act. There are two bonus featurettes.

Want Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) Discount?

This is one of the best movies I've seen this year. It's fun, funny, thoughtful, well cast, great screen play.

A genuine good movie for grown ups. Not animated, not full of computer graphic cleverness, no gross gore.

Will probably purchase for personal library. Highly recommend!

Save 26% Off

Road House (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1989)

Forget "Dirty Dancing": Patrick Swayze's career peaked in this and the similarly underrated "Point Break." It doesn't quite reach the stratospheric heights (or is it depths?) of Arnold Schwarzenegger's deservedly legendary "Commando," but "Road House" is still the stuff of which B-movie legend is made. Starring Swayze as the head bouncer at a rowdy Southern bar called the Double Deuce, "Road House" derives its appeal largely from the ingenious idea of having a bunch of rednecks for villains. You get to see Swayze's Dalton, perhaps the only Mercedes-driving, philosophy-majoring bouncer in history, take on a seemingly endless succession of slack-jawed inbred troglodytes as he tames the Double Deuce and ensures victory for truth, justice, and the American way.

The Double Deuce is one of the those bars where it seems half the patrons are on parole, but that doesn't stop them from throwing fists at the proverbial drop of a hat. I've always believed that bar fights held vast, untapped potential for the action genre, and this movie more than delivers the goods in that department. There are about five solid bar brawls in "Road House," with glass flying around, Dalton employing his martial-arts expertise against dimwitted thugs in tight jeans, and blind guitar whiz Jeff Healey providing some rock-solid background music. Suffice to say, if you're looking for a fair and dignified look at life in the South, you won't find it here. A trip to the Double Deuce promises to be as nasty and brutish as Hobbes's state of nature, and a lot more fun to watch.

And even for those who can think of nothing that beats Patrick Swayze as an action hero, it gets better: they got Sam Elliott, one of America's most underrated actors ever, to play Dalton's long-haired, hard-living friend Wade! With an unkempt white mane and that unmistakable Southern drawl, Wade dispenses plenty of rapier wit along with some ...-whippings before outliving his usefulness. You also get to see Ben Gazzara, slumming it as the snake-like villain Brad Wesley, somehow manage to maintain a semblance of dignity in a movie that seems committed to insulting your intelligence every chance it gets. And as Dalton's love interest, Kelly Lynch adds little in the way of plot advancement or dialogue, but she does provide some nice scenery... buying it.

To avoid any confusion, by rating this movie 5 stars I am NOT suggesting that it is in the same league as GLADIATOR, THE LORD OF THE RINGS (trilogy), GONE WITH THE WIND or any other top-calibre flick. However, this film doesn't try to compete with the likes of top-rated movies, and that's the beauty of it.

The story is based on a top-notch bar bouncer (Patrick Swayze) who is compelled to call in his old mentor (Sam Elliot) for an especially tough project. Instead of just busting heads and throwing hoodlums out of the bar, these guys end up having to save the whole town!

This is a B-movie all the way. In my opinion, it COULD be the greatest B-movie of all time. In short, despite being stupid it is also immensely entertaining. The plot is contrived. There are aspects of it that are way, way beyond being remotely believable. It seems the whole movie was inspired by pushing the envelope on the concept of the bar brawl.

Despite its limited plot, the DVD is surprisingly watchable. I've seen it at least 4 times and it's always fun to re-watch. Patrick Swazye's considerable acting talents are wasted in this farce, but that's OK. The film contains a nice sampling of gratuitous nudity, and Kelly Lynch is not exactly hard on the eyes.

So, if you want to watch a movie with minimum seriousness and maximum action, hang a left into the Roadhouse tonight. You won't be disappointed.

Buy Road House (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1989) Now

Road House mania has finally hit in 2006! Not only has this movie, which has been to late night TBS what Whoopi Goldberg is to Hollywood Squares, finally been reissued in a special edition, but now Mike Nelson from MST3K has released a RiffTrax for it! Road House was long acknowledged as a target that Nelson and the 'bots wished they could skewer on MST3K and he finally got his wish.

Listen, Road House is great. Tinker, Sam Elliot (voice of the beef council) and the oh so creepy owner of the Double Deuce are some of the best characters to ever populate small town Missouri. But watching it with Nelson's RiffTrax playing in the background took the unintentional (i think?) comedy of Road House to an entirely new level. Nelson is both knowledgable and funny, the kind of guy you wish your friends were as clever as. If we are ever blessed with a 20th anniversary edition of Road House, I would hope that Nelson's riffing can be included, because I can't imagine watching this movie again without it.

Check it out:

Read Best Reviews of Road House (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1989) Here

At this point, I'm sure pretty much everyone has seen the movie so I won't go into the details about why this movie is so fun and rewatchable. Overall, this is a good blu-ray release as far as content. The blu-ray is bare bones, however this release includes the DVD that has all of the extras from the last DVD release(yes, it has Kevin Smith's and Scott Mosier's commentary track).

Now for the bad. The packaging is awful. The case looks like a normal blu-ray blue plastic case until you remove one of the discs and reveal the spaces or holes in the plastic. And the best part? The holes are right where the disc is resting in the case, which means if any blunt or sharp object hits the case, it will go through the thin plasic sleeve cover and the paper cover and damage the disc. I imagine amazon will have a lot of damage returns with this one since they are sending it in a bubble lined envelope (it really needs to be shipped in a box). My blu-ray cover was punctured in the front and the DVD was slightly damaged by a very visible scratch. Fortunately the disc still played just fine, but now the Road House front cover has a small hole right on Patrick Swayze's neck line. Lovely. I won't be returning it since the same thing will probably happen again (possibly worse) and both of the discs play anyway.

The eco-friendly packaging was a HORRIBLE idea. Since I like my discs to have some kind of protection, I'll be putting the discs in a different case and tossing this eco-friendly junk. They might as well send these in a thin paper sleeve. It's ridiculous.

Want Road House (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1989) Discount?

I love the movie. It's bad, but a good kind of bad. Especially if you watch the movie with the Rifftrax commentary. But they made some odd choices with this release. First is the packaging that is designed with holes. Tolerable if you're careful, but I can see some mishaps. The other is the way they decided to do the extras. See, it comes with the Blu-Ray version and the DVD version. Not sure why. Perhaps they want you to lend it to a friend who doesn't have Blu-Ray. I dunno. Or perhaps they were just too lazy to put the extras onto the Blu-Ray disc and had a whole bunch of DVDs left over from last release. That's right. There are no extras on the Blu-Ray disc but the DVD has all the extras from the DVD release. Hmmmmmmmmmmm....

Let's see...

Blu-Ray Disc:

-Full-Length Film in 1080P

-Lossless Audio

-Smart Menus

-Theatrical Trailer

-Other Trailers

DVD "Bonus" Disc:

-Full-Length Film in SD

-Director Commentary

-Commentary with Kevin Smith and Scott Masier

-Documentary

-Featurette

-Trivia

-Multiple Language Tracks

Yep, that's right. If you want commentary (commentary aside), you have to watch the movie in standard definition because for some reason, they could not be bothered to move such features to the Blu-Ray disc itself.