Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (1967)

Why was Playtime a failure, sending Jacques Tati into bankruptcy and costing him control over his life's work of films? His previous film, My Uncle, had been a commercial and artistic success. M. Hulot's Holiday and Jour de Fete had gained Tati world-wide recognition and respect. He had become recognized as one of the few authentic geniuses of film.

Watch Playtime and I think you'll find the answer. Tati in his earlier films placed Hulot in situations where we could empathize with him. Hulot was an innocent. As we came to like him, we also came to like the people he encountered. Even with their pretensions and idiosyncrasies, we could see something of ourselves in them. Tati might be holding up a mirror for us to look in, but M. Hulot was such a gentle companion that we smiled as we recognized ourselves.

With Playtime, there is little Hulot. Instead, we have Tati's view on all sorts of social and cultural issues, from the sterility he saw in much of modern life to modern architecture, group behavior, impersonal offices, loneliness, boorishness and American tourists. We're observers, and our job is to share Tati's viewpoint. Hulot, now middle-aged, has become a minor player in the film. In his earlier movies, Tati was careful to give us small numbers of people with whom, along with Hulot, we could come to know. In My Uncle, for instance, it was essentially one family and one modern home, along with Hulot's own apartment and his neighbors. In M. Hulot's Holiday, it was a small seaside hotel and its guests. With Playtime, we have a large, impersonal office building, all glass and right angles, filled with people -employees, visitors, exposition guests, customers. Then we have an apartment building with huge curtain-less windows allowing the pedestrians to look right in, and we're among the pedestrians. Then we have a nightclub filled with customers, waiters and managers. There is little opportunity to get to know any of these people, much less develop affection for them.

However, as with all his movies, Tati fills Playtime with streams of intricate and carefully developed comic situations (although comic is too broad a term), often that build from small happenings we've barely noticed. There is only sporadic and incidental dialogue, but sound effects are vital to the movie, as subtle and amusing as what we see.

As sterile and unattractive as Tati makes the airport, the office building, a convenience store and the apartment, there are such odd and subtle sights as the bobbing wimple wings on two nuns, a floor sweeper staring at a booted officer, Hulot suddenly sliding down a floor, glass windows and doors impossible to tell if they're there or not, a table lamp that dispenses cigarettes, strange-looking and wobbling food at a self-service counter...and the list simply goes on. And it's not just one thing at a time. Tati can fill a screen with all sorts of amusing occurrences, some happening in the foreground, some in back, some at the sides.

The last hour of the movie takes place in a modern nightclub, the Royal Garden, which has just opened and is barely ready for its customers. A dance floor tile sticks to a maitre d's shoe, a fish is ostentatiously finished table-side by a waiter...then finished again and again by mistake while the two customers ooh and ah. A bow tie falls in the sauce. A bus-load of tourists suddenly appear. When Hulot manages to accidently shatter one of the glass doors to the restaurant, it is a culmination to all those glass walls we've been looking through and walking into. The follow-up gag with the round door opener is almost worth the price of the DVD. As the modern restaurant gradually disintegrates around us, Tati finally begins to ease up on personal viewpoints and let's us simply enjoy the sight of people becoming more like people. And that, I suspect, is the point Tati wanted to make. In an odd sort of way, the last ten minutes evoke the humor and warmth of previous Tati movies...a packed traffic circle with all the cars moving slowly together; a father taking a toy horn from his little boy and blowing it, too; the bittersweet last look at Hulot walking past a bus where a young woman he met at the nightclub is being taken to the airport with her tourist group.

If you like Tati's viewpoint on the impersonalization of modern society, you'll probably like Playtime. Some critics call it his masterpiece. If you like Tati, I think Playtime is essential, if only to understand what happened to him. The movie is an idiosyncratic and gallant failure, in my view, and much too long. Still, I'd rather watch Playtime than most of what passes as genius in films today.

The new Criterion release looks very good. This edition has several extra features including supplements about Tati and an audio interview with him. The case also contains an insert with an essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum, identified as a film critic.

French director Jacques Tati is considered as one of the best directors of all time. Known for his comedic work in France, his character Monsieur Hulot has appeared in several successful comedic films such as "Juor de Fete", M. Hulot's Holday", "Mon Oncle", "Traffic" but there is one film that will be his accolade. That film is "Playtime".

Considered a masterpiece by critics, the film was also a commercial failure and was the most expensive film ever created in France as Tati created a set featuring a whole city block with high rise buildings that looked incredibly real. But the film was ahead of its time.

"Playtime" is a visual film with no significant plot, nor does it have much dialogue. It's a film that is driven by its many characters onscreen and the elaborate setup as characters, buildings and vehicles are treated with so much detail on the film, that it just a feast for ones easy as Tati absolutely created a film that was sheer brilliance.

But part of the problem was his risky gamble on 70 mm widescreen and stereophonic sound. Many theaters were not equipped to handle that and to make things worse (but understandable) is the lack of dialogue which can easily turn off audiences. So, needless to say, the film didn't do well in France and also in America.

It's after Tati died in 1982, is when people found admiration in his work and seeing how his films were truly amazing.

"Playtime" is like a smorgasbord of life being changed by modern technology and as Tati was known to do, lambast modern society as he was a man that was definitely "old school" to the time of his death.

The film revolves around Tati's famous character Monsieur Hulot and an American tourist named Barbara.

For Monsieur Hulot, he easily gets lost in the city and leads him to adventures to various areas such as an office building (which he had a problem with today's modern architecture) as he gets lost trying to get to his meeting and ends up being pulled away to a high-tech trade expedition, a high-tech apartment and then leads him to nightclub known as the Royal Guarden.

As for Barbara, she just wants to experience the beauty of Paris. She accompanies her (loud) American friends but she rather enjoy France her own way. Obviously Barbara had different ideas in mind of Paris but instead she receives a modernize setting.

The film culminates with the carousel of cars as Barbara must leave the city and sees almost a carousel/parade of all these vehicles all around her and how all the people react. What we see is a city that has been transformed to a festive, enormous metropolitan playground.

"Playtime" focuses on these two characters (and other characters who shows up more than once), Tati showcases modernization (which looks beautiful) but it's that demolishing of the France that he loves and now getting used to this new France is what makes "Playtime" quite entertaining.

Viewers can watch "Playtime" with its original French audio but also an International version which features the film in English.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Playtime" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 Aspect Ratio). Accord to Criterion, the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen are normal for this format. The HD digital transfer was created on Spirit Datacine from the 35mm reduction internegative made from the 65 mm interpositive. Thousands of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system and Pixl Farm's PFClean system, while Digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain and noise reduction.

"Playtime" is featured in its original French language but also a alternate International soundtrack which features a few scenes with English dub.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in lossless stereo. Criterion mentions that the soundtrack for "Playtime" was remastered at 24-bit from the orignal stereo audio stems. Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using Audio Cube's integrated audio workstation.

Subtitles are provided in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Playtime" comes with the following special features:

* Video introduction by writer, director, and performer Terry Jones (6:13) Terry Jones talks about "Playtime" and what he remembered when he watched in on the theater for the first time, what he thought about the film and also a little information about Jacques Tati.

* Selected scene commentary by film historian Philip Kemp (46:44) A well done commentary by Philip Kemp as he talks about certain scenes from the film. Kemp definitely giving an intelligent and yet smooth delivery for commentary for the film. Very informative!

* Au-delà de "Playtime," a short documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the production (6:30) Featuring a behind-the-scenes look of how the set was created for "Playtime" and video footage of Jacques Tati with the cast and crew.

* Tati Story, a short biographical film (20:38) A featurette celebrating the work of director Jacques Tati. Featuring photos and video of Jacques Tati from when he was a child to when worked on his final film. Very good insight to Tati's personal life and his career.

* "Jacques Tati in Monsieur Hulot's Work," a 1976 BBC Omnibus program featuring Tati (49:28) Featuring an interview conduced by Gavin Millar who interviews Tati at the Hotel de la Plage about M. Hulot and films that the character has appeared in.

* Rare audio interview with Tati from the U.S. debut of Playtime at the 1972 San Francisco International Film Festival (Courtesy of Pacifica Radio Archives) Featuring Jacques Tati at the 1972 SF International Film Festival (discussion moderated by Albert Johnson) and insight of Tati's feelings of the film being showing in the US and his appreciation for the American fans who enjoyed the film. A great audio recording that gives us insight of Jacques Tati.

* Video interview with script supervisor Sylvette Baudrot (12:09) Sylvette Baudrot talks about working on the film and reveals some secrets of how Tati made this film work.

* Cours du soir, a 1967 short film written by and starring Tati (27:41) A short film in which features Tati teaching a mime class.

Also, included is an essay (in the insert) by Jonathan Rosenbaum (a film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987-2000) titled "The Dance of Playtime".

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Playtime" happened to be the first Jacques Tati film that I have ever watched. I was familiar with his character of M. Hulot but for years, I have wanted to watch and experience the film.

The first thing that I found surprising is the attention to detail as the unbelievable set Tati's company had created was just fantastic. The buildings look modern, the set looks like a major section of Paris with all the people, buildings and vehicles. And sure enough, "Playtime" is a film that utilizes everything on screen to show how modern technology has literally chanted the landscape. Some who embrace the changes and convenience of modernization and some who feel they are left behind and are literally lost.

What makes this film work outside of its incredible set is that Tati is a perfectionist. He literally directs each person in the film. Everyone has an import part to play. May it be how characters have this choreographed walk as they go off in several directions to characters at a restaurant as we see people dancing on the dance floor, each person dancing differently. While servants are trying to get the food out and you see visual gags as one servant clearly has their eyes on something inside the club, while another is attentive to the female patrons and those who are desperately trying to get their food out. It may seem chaotic, but Tati knows what he wanted to get onscreen and succeeds.

"Playtime" features absolutely beautiful cinematography as we see bungalows on the work floor which work almost like a maze. We see buildings that appear to be metallic and the lighting automatically synchronizing when they turn on. We see vehicles move almost in synch with other vehicles.

We see people throughout the city in similar routines at work, we see people promoting the latest in modern technology ala the late 60's and what is most amazing is that there is hardly any dialogue. It's like you are given an upfront look at how life is in the city and seeing how various people react to each other.

The film plays out quite interesting as the first half is dedicated to various characters such as M. Hulot who has a business meeting but ends up getting lost in all the modern settings. Barbara is a tourist who has accompanied several American women to Paris and finds the city to be quite breathtaking. We see Monsieur Hulot getting lost in offices from buildings that look alike.

But then the second half of the film focuses on a nightclub known as The Royal Garden that is opening and yet not ready. We see how the builders and the restaurant staff prepare for their major night despite the nightclub not yet ready. Where the first half was quite visual, the second half focuses more intimately on the people of the nightclub and the film becomes more gag-driven but yet with so many people in the film, Tati did a wonderful job in making sure each character had some part in the film and contributed in some fun or hilarious way.

A visual film without dialogue may seem boring and monotonous but fortunately Jacques Tati included a good number of gags to make the whole 124 minutes a bit lively. I did feel the film went a little long and that scenes could have been cut but with Jacques Tati putting all his energy into this film, I understand how difficult it was for him to even cut any scene out. But I do feel that the film could have been much shorter but then again, I would have been curious to see Tati's original, longer cut.

If anything, I really enjoyed what Tati did to create such a beautiful film. Three years of his life and also the crew and talent who made this film a reality is very much appreciated as I was entertained visually and I just felt so much respect for Tati after the film was completed. I did find it a bit disheartening to learn how this film which cost over $15 million (which was incredible for 1967 and was the most expensive French film at the time) caused problems for Tati as he was left bankrupt and unfortunately damaged his career. As much as it was critically well-received, it was a failure in the box office but partly that was because Tati chose 70 mm instead of 35 mm and Stereophonic sound which many theaters were not equipped to play during that time.

The Criterion Collection really did a great job in presenting "Playtime" on Blu-ray. The film looked absolutely beautiful for a film that is over 40 years old and because this film and what takes place onscreen is so immense that each time you watch this film, you will see things that you just didn't catch the first time. You can't help be amazed of how Tati and crew were able to create a modernized city. Tati made sure to really utilize his large cast in this film and what you see maybe different from what others are seeing because there are many things going on in the background. So, definitely a film that I have no doubt will require multiple rewinds because too much is happening in one sitting.

Also, The Criterion Collection edition of "Playtime" on Blu-ray features many special features that Jacques Tati fans will enjoy.

I've heard that the film is a statement by Tati of how much society has changed along with the city he has loved. The modernization with the use of electronics in buildings and restaurants and just making sure he has enough gags to make the audience laugh. If only Tati can see how much has changed today, that would definitely be an entertaining script.

A film that showcases beauty in various ways. This is absolute a film that was the highlight of Jacques Tati's career and despite how this film may have done in the box office, anyone watching now and seeing what the director was able to accomplish with no discernible plot and very little dialogue is fantastic. And again, the visuals are just fantastic. I was really blown away with how beautiful and intricate of a film "Playtime" truly is.

"Playtime" is highly recommended!

Buy Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (1967) Now

This is a singular masterpiece in film making but totally unlike anything, even for it's day. By today's attention deficit disorder standards, this film is really really odd. But no doubt it is a masterpiece if the viewer is willing to put the effort in to catch all the nuances because this is a film of nothing but nuances. Tati himself is just one of many participants.

There is a plot of sorts dealing with a group of female American tourists and the one women who is the odd duck among them. She meets Tati and they spend the night together dancing at a night club and see in the dawn at a coffee shop. Various bits of business are constantly swirling around them and you could view this picture 10 times before seeing everything. There are many jokes but they are gentle visual puns. Don't expect belly laughs, just a wry but amazing view on modern life.

As is standard practice for Criterian these days the extras on disc two are spectacular. The documentaries on Tati's life and this film are brilliant and helped me understand his art and this film much better.

A gentle film with brilliant use of wide screen (this film would make no sense pan and scan) you need to fall into the picture to enjoy it. But there is an endless wealth of material to enjoy.

Read Best Reviews of Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (1967) Here

To say too much or to say too little? I see greatness here, and the more I learn about this film and Jacques Tati, the brilliant, wonderful Jacques Tati, the more I admire this great piece of film treasure. Tati is one of these pure joys that came out of nowhere in my life, and has now fueled me beyond belief. I am in love. This is a film fan's greatest wish to find unexpected little gems like this one and to have it consume them until it becomes an obsession, and then familiar, like an old comfy hat. This is a masterpiece, and it gives me faith in the human race when I see someone go all-out like this. This may have been folly but we are so very, very lucky to have this precious classic!! I grew up with Gilliam's folly, Brazil, and it is so nice to see another person putting themselves so far out over the edge for the sake of TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING IN THE GUISE OF COMEDY. This is a remarkable film and the commentaries on these discs, the Terry Jones intro, the making of features it's all tremendous, and I cannot recommend it enough. We have movie clowns today who waste their time farting and looking at booties and hating so indirectly -you see something like this, and it's like...we need more. That's all I can really say: we need more like these. This is visionary, and a gift for the ages. Remarkable, brave, timeless. This is what film is about.

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My review will be hated by many, but the Truth must out: I just saw this in the Criterion blu-ray on my ten (10) foot screen at home. It was magnificent. I am a comedy afficionado and this may be the greatest of them all, although definitely not the most laughs-out-loud. Anyway, the awful truth: if you don't see it in blu-ray on a large screen (at least 60", I imagine), I think you'll be missing a lot. Tati fills the frame with all kinds of mishegas in the background and on the far reaches of the image. Further, the simpler shots draw power from the large scale of the sets. Now please don't be ticked off....I'm doing you a solid!

Love Exposure (2008)

First off, I feel I must give this warning for potential watchers of this film. Some of the main themes such as religion, cult and sexuality are brought in to the forefront. If you are uncomfortable with these controversial themes at all, this probably isn't the movie for you. Were a rating to be released in the US for this movie, it would probably be an R or higher. That being said, these themes are acknowledged tastefully and with a purpose.

The characterization is beautiful and the acting is so breathtaking. It's no surprise that Love Exposure won 14 awards and was nominated for 2 others.

The storyline follows three characters, teenagers who have been abused by their parents. The main male character, Yu, is a devout Catholic whose father entered priesthood after the death of their wife and mother. However, his father becomes involved with a woman who eventually runs off. His father changes and forces Yu to come to confessionals every day and force him to confess sins that he didn't commit. Yu is forced to lie to his father but when he is discovered, he feels he must actually commit sins so he won't lie be lying to his father. These sins become more and more heinous until finally he starts taking sneak pictures up girl's dresses. He doesn't take these pictures to be turned on, but instead to merely have sins he can confess.

One day, his friends dare him to dress as a woman and go kiss a girl he likes. He helps to save a girl, Yoko, from thugs and kisses her before he runs away. His life takes a turn when his father's lover returns with Yoko in two and the two become adopted siblings. However, there is someone on the outside, the third character, who is craftily maneuvering their lives so as to induct them into the cult religion, the Zero Church. It's up to Yu to maintain his own faith as he travels through the underworld in order to find the third girl out and save his family from being converted into the cult.

This story is twisted from start to finish and the cinematography is well-thought out and gorgeous. The movie is four hours long, but flies by. Every second is filled with a fantastic romance meets comedy meets thriller storyline. I rate the story five stars out of five. This movie has easily become one of my favorite films of all time.

It's pretty rare to find a four hour movie as compelling as Love Exposure. The director has a kinky sense of humor that manages to be sincere and innocent at the same time as the Yu Honda embraces his inner pervert like a form of sacred art. I haven't seen a movie that mixes the sacred and the profane so much in lighthearted way without losing too much to cynicism. The mains are wonderfully acted, I loved Yu Honda, Yoko, and even the disturbingly evil Ai. The story weaves and bobs around themes that would be verboten in popular movies, but in this context, it has an ease of boundaries and fluidity. The genre-flux from rom-com to kung-fu movie to melodrama is done effortlessly and as the captive audience, I had no choice but to let the movie take me along for the emotional trip.

Buy Love Exposure (2008) Now

Standard movie runtime has been universally accepted at 90 to 120 minutes. Expand beyond that and you better give up the goods -robots, or war, or time travel, or stories of unrequited transdimensional love triangles. But a 237 minute movie about the art of upskirt photography? Now that's bold. Such is the case with Love Exposure, a 2008 film by Sion Sono that has charming topics like lust, religion, and coming of age in a world where being a panty shot photographer is a normal thing. The film has had a long run of success at festivals, but its odd topic and story have kept it from reaching any audience in America -until now. It is now on dvd and I would urge everybody to rent this film.

Read Best Reviews of Love Exposure (2008) Here

This 4 hour romantic shock epic is a must see for the fans of Sono's earlier work or anyone with an adventurous taste in film. I have never seen anything remotely like it and is worth getting a region free dvd player so I can share it with my friends.

Want Love Exposure (2008) Discount?

A brilliant farce, metaphorical oddysey that is as ambitious as it is bizarre. Do not be swayed by the running time. Those four hours dissapear instantly. Highly recommended!

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The Miracle of the Bells (1948)

Undoubtedly one the finest performances by Fred MacMurry and Frank Sinatra, not to mention the superior supporting cast, Lee J. Cobb for starters. But because Sinatra isn't singing the "experts"; Maltin, Siskel, Ebert and Shalate overlook his REAL acting abiltiy. Sinatra is as pure a thespian as Olivier in this role as a priest (not even a church hymn from Frank's lips is hummed). Maltin's above review includes "ludicrous" plot-I'm sure the movie GHOST is on Leonard's his TOP 100 list. Trust no critic: see the this inspirational movie at once.

Based on Russell Janey's novel, the Ben Hecht/Quentin Reynolds script for this film is sometimes sappy and often uneven, but it's also a nice sentimental story, told in flashback, by William Dunnigan (played in a somber manner by Fred McMurray), a press agent who was never a very happy guy, and is burying the woman he loved (but was never able to tell her so).

The real reason to watch this film is to see Alida Valli play Joan of Arc, in a "film within a film" segment. She is luminous and incredibly beautiful, and would have made a terrific Joan. Coincidentally, the lavish "Joan of Arc" production starring Ingrid Bergman was released the same year as this film.

Another reason to view "The Miracle of the Bells" is to see Frank Sinatra, skinny as a rail, in the unlikely part of a soft spoken priest; this was five years before his success in "From Here to Eternity", and he is surprisingly good, but far from great. He sings "Ever Homeward", a cappella, as he sits among the grave stones; there's a lot of gloomy aspects to the film, one of them being that the setting is a poor coal mining town...though it all has a nice pay-off.

Lee J. Cobb is Marcus Harris, the film producer making "Joan of Arc", and he has the humorous moment in the film with his "I won't stand for any press agent miracles !" rant, which was funny enough to make me laugh out loud, a rarity for me.

Some might say it's improbable that headlines of "Nation Mourns For Movie Star" could ever happen, especially when the "movie star" is unknown, but seeing how today's media obsesses about inconsequential stories, and runs with them for days (nay, weeks !) on end, on a slow news cycle, anything could happen.

Total running time is 120 minutes.

Buy The Miracle of the Bells (1948) Now

Orginally, I saw this movie about ten years ago and it really left an impression on me. It brilliantly grabs the viewer's heart...You would have to be dead not to be touched by this film. I loved it and I'm getting ready to purchase a copy for my 15-year-old daughter to watch. I've shared with her many other classics I've valued in my lifetime, i.e. Jane Eyre (Orson Wells), Wuthering Heights, and Alice Adams. I hope she will treasure the classics as much as I do.

Read Best Reviews of The Miracle of the Bells (1948) Here

I read the first review and had to add my vote to get this great film transferred to DVD. It is a wonderful film that has a great message and is a Christmas Favorite of mine. I watched it every year at the holiday's as a child. Very well acted and worth the time spent to sit and enjoy a film that can rest on the plot and the talent of the actors. No needless sex or violence just a great story!!! Hurry with the DVD PLEASE!!!

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I was able to purchase this movie on a DVD from sales distribution Blackhorse Entertainment

I could not play it on Blue Ray but was able to play it on my old DVD player.

The movie was marvelous. I do not care what the critics say. Alida Valli does an outstanding job. Fred Mac Murray has a magical delivery in this role and the perfect voice sound to make it powerful. Frank Sinatra as a priest shows a good depth of character, plays it just as it should be. No fluff. Lee J. Cobb always a top rated professional does not let you down in this one either. He defends America with eloquent poise. I might add defending America in films today seems to be missing.

Please get the film, pass it on to your children, it is a classic.

Enjoy,

Vicki Youngelman

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Speed Racer (2008)

I can understand why some people might dislike this movie (just look at its box-office) but the one undeniable fact is that it perfectly captures the spirit of the TV show which was never really associated with profound human feelings. It's amazing how everyone involved in it simply decided to give it their all. Just look at the conviction with which Susan Sarandon and John Goodman recited lines that clearly feel out of a cartoon. Usually I hate movies with quick cuts and gratuitous CG effects and SPEED RACER is 135 minutes of quick cuts and CG so I guess nostalgia goes a long way. I was so glad they included the sound effect of the Mach 5 jumping over and over again. My only real complaint about the movie is that there was a little bit too much of the chimp for my taste.

I can't blame anyone for complaining on leaving the theater with a headache. The world outside the theater I saw SPEED RACER in looked so slow once the movie ended, this is one exhausting film but certainly worth it.

Recently it seems like cartoon and comic books are about the only thing that gets made into blockbuster movies. While Transformers made the robots look like real living hulks of metal in the real world, and there's just no telling what the proposed Robotech movie will look like if it ever actually comes out, Speed Racer takes what is becoming the rather unpopular method of visual style. If you've seen Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow, you're familiar with it. Everything has a computer-adjusted color look to it, a super-crisp, super-sharp look reminiscent of the stop-motion films of yesteryear. And like those films that made the 80's so much fun for fantasy and sci-fi fans, Speed Racer features fantastic landscapes like nothing else on Earth (only now they are computer-generated instead of hand-painted).

The story of Speed Racer the movie actually exactly the same as the old cartoon show of the 1960's. Speed Racer (yeah, that's actually his name) is an aspiring race car driver looking to become the best and win races, with Pop's company supplying the car and mechanic, and his mom, little brother Spritle, girlfriend Trixie and family pet chimp for support. Corporate thugs notice and try to either destroy, bankrupt, or otherwise make trouble for Racer Motors, and Speed teams up with Racer X (who may or may not be his presumed dead brother Rex), Inspector Detector, and a few friends he meets along the way, to bring down the bad guys and save the day. Yeah, nothing too complex story-wise, but hey, that's why you loved the cartoon show, right?

Everything a Cartoon Should Be

When I first heard there was going to be a Speed Racer movie by the makers of the Matrix, I was worried. Animated features and video games don't really have a good history as feature films. But after seeing Speed Racer in the theater five times, I have to admit, they got it pretty much perfect. The trick with making a cartoon movie live action, and intentionally making it look cartoony, is that you have to push everything into a consistent cartoon universe and have it make sense in it's context. In other words, you have to make things exaggerated, but not the point of total impossibility in the world you have created. You see in the Speed Racer world, cars have insane power, traction, control, and speed. So when you see the Mach 5 speeding around corners in insane power-slides, yeah it looks like a cartoon, but you accept it as actually happening in that cartoon. It never looks out of place. When the engine roars and cars explode into flames it isn't silly, it's movie magic of the best kind, like when Luke's X-Wing lands that shot into the Death Star in Star Wars.

It's hard to describe without actually seeing it for yourself, but the cartoon universe of Speed Racer really is created wonderfully in this film. Everything from the sky to the furniture has an over-exposed super-vivid quality to it, like a technicolor gone mad. There is CGI backgrounds galore, but they jive perfectly with that universe as well, because everyone is wearing super-bright colors as well, and everything is always in razor sharp focus. Actually, this may be the movie to make me upgrade to a Blue Ray player, because it has to be the ultimate benchmark for color, contrast, and sharpness for a long time to come.

The world of Speed Racer is amazing enough, but the way that the film is acted, shot, directed, and scored musically is what combines to make it a 10 out of 10. For starters, everyone is just so INTO their roles. Susan Sarandon as Mom and John Goodman as Pop Racer are both absolutely perfect, managing to become those stereotypical cartoon caricatures and at the same never come across as cheesy, over-the-top or unrealistic. Again, in the context of the film, they are part of the Universe. Pop talks to Speed like he really is his son, mom gives a heart-warming speech about how proud she is of Speed that really gets to you if you know what it's like to love your family. Never does anyone betray even slightly that they think their names are ridiculous or that they are saying silly lines. EVERYONE gives their lines like they are absolutely real. And if you're making a Star Wars or a Speed Racer, that makes the movie in the end. Everyone was great. From the mechanic and the little brother (a lot less annoying than the Spritle of the cartoon) to the absolutely gorgeous and incredibly cute-looking Trixie played to perfection by Christina Ricci (where the heck has she been and why now of all times did she decide to play a sweet, loveable babe instead of all those crazy weird Gothic-horror type roles?), you gotta love them all. I especially was overjoyed by how well Racer X was portrayed with icy stoicism. Just wonderful.

The near constant use of deep focus photography and other camera techniques, combined with tons of digital screen wipes and other minor tricks, results in an incredibly slick presentation that cascades past the screen like panels of a comic book in glorious living color. The comedy and dramatic buttons are always pushed to great effect, all while keeping things from getting too far from the light-hearted entertainment that Speed Racer should be. And when the orchestral remix of the Speed Racer theme kicks in, it's just magic.

You really can't expect much more from this movie than it already is. It's true to the spirit of Speed Racer, the characters are all acted perfectly, the story is classic, there are tons of great moments and Speed Racer tributes (like Speed's wearing his trademark blue shirt and red handkerchief and his classic pose when he jumps from the Mach 5, or the sound effect made every time the Mach 5's jump jacks are used). Speed Racer may not be perfect. The villains feel more Hanna Barbara than Speed Racer, the sprinkling of swear-words (and Spritle giving someone the finger?) really don't jive in the kid-friendly Speed Racer universe, and the visual style of this film is definitely not for everyone. But...

If you're like me and love comic books, video games, and anime, if you like to watch old shows just as much as new ones, if crazy CGI and a movie shot entirely with blue-screens makes you smile, and the Speed Racer theme kicking in full-blast just as Speed makes a triumphant comeback makes you cheer... this is the movie for you!

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"When I watch you do some of the things you do," says Susan Sarandon in the Wachowski Brothers' "Speed Racer," "you take my breath away." This line pretty much sums up how I felt about the movie. "Speed Racer" is an absolute visual masterpiece, retooling the look of anime into an exciting, hyper-realized world of vibrant creativity. Every shot is like a cartoon brought to life, the neutral shades of the real world replaced with bold shades of red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and orange. It doesn't present us with a vision of the future so much as it presents an alternate reality, where racing tracks and cars defy gravity. Here's a film you have to see more than once for the imagery alone, because chances are you'll miss more than a few details along the way--every square inch of the screen is packed with visual delights almost all throughout. It isn't often you come across a movie this stunning, this lively, and this fun.

Based on the 1960s cartoon series created by Tatsuo Yoshida, "Speed Racer" puts it foot on the gas as soon as the Warner Bros. logo appears, interweaving the title character's back story with a heart-pounding race. Even as a young boy, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) has known nothing other than automobile racing; now as a professional racer himself, Speed is haunted by the death of his big brother, Rex (Scott Porter), a racing superstar who crashed eight years ago on a cross-country rally. The public believed that corporate sponsorship changed Rex into a money-grubbing backstabber, forcing him to turn his back on racing altogether. Naturally, Speed and his family are now completely against sponsorships of any kind, especially his father, appropriately named Pops (John Goodman). For this family, it's about racing, not money.

Here enters Royalton (Roger Allam), a slick corporate mogul who tempts Speed with the fame and fortune associated with being sponsored. In essence, Royalton wants Speed to sell his soul, much like Rex sold his. Despite an impressive city suite and the top-of-the-line cars manufactured in a highly efficient factory, Speed refuses to make a deal. Royalton angrily lets him in on a little secret: Car races are always fixed because, contrary to what Speed was raised to believe, making money is what racing is all about. With the help of his girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), and a mysterious masked man known only as Racer X (Matthew Fox), Speed infiltrates a number of races in an attempt to destroy Royalton's reputation as well as the need for corporate sponsorship. This won't be so easy, though; numerous factions are in cahoots with one another, all of which connect with Royalton to some degree.

If this sounds absolutely ridiculous, keep in mind that plot is not what "Speed Racer" depends on. This movie thrives on imaginative digital effects and spectacular racing sequences, all of which rely on lightening-quick edits and creative camera tricks for maximum entertainment. In this completely fantasy world, racecourses look like oversized Hot Wheels tracks, with sharp inclined curves, completely vertical drops, gaps to jump, and a variety of loops. Speed and his beloved car--the Mach 5--navigate these roller coaster-like twists and turns with ease and accuracy, as one would expect from a cartoon adaptation. Cityscapes are colossal, brightly colored, and sterile, looking much like the Worlds of Tomorrow depicted in science fiction pulp magazines. The sunny sky is a deep, rich shade of light blue, and it's accented with puffball clouds that are pure white. On DVD, one could easily pause a frame of this film and stare at it for hours while absorbing every single detail.

Just as impressive are the side characters, all of which add a little something to the story. Speed's youngest brother, Spritle (Paulie Litt), is a loveable scamp who often stows away in the trunk of the Mach 5. Always at his side is Chim Chim, his beloved pet chimp; together, they act as the film's comedy relief. Speed's mother (Susan Sarandon) is a caring woman who can weld car parts after making a mean stack of pancakes. The family mechanic, Sparky (Kick Gurry), absolutely shines during a wonderfully cartoonish martial arts sequence, one that makes you laugh just as much as it makes you cheer.

In a nutshell, "Speed Racer" has set a new standard for digital filmmaking, a standard previously set by brilliant films such as "Sin City" and "300." It's sure to snag Oscar nominations for visual effects, costumes, and cinematography, as well it should; watching this movie is an exhilarating experience, a perfect mixture of hard-driving action, childish whimsy, and visual creativity. The abundant imagery acts as a counterpart to Michael Giacchino's score, a cheerful opus that adapts the original theme song "Go Speed Racer Go." But all this wouldn't have worked without the actors, all of which were perfectly cast. Hirsch makes the title character both determined and vulnerable. Ricci gives Trixie a wide-eyed innocence that I absolutely loved. Allam is deliciously evil as Royalton, a sniveling, conniving villain you just love to hate. Sarandon and Goodman are convincingly down-to-earth as the parents of a racecar driver. And I have to give a lot of credit to young Paulie Litt, who not only delivered some of the film's best lines, but also played his part in the spirit of good fun. "Speed Racer" was all in good fun, definitely one of the year's most entertaining films.

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Note to reader: Strange vote totals, yes? It's just the work of a cyber stalker--

Wow, what a start to our summer adventures!!

"Speed Racer" the movie and "Go Speed Racer Go," the single title song by Ali Dee and the Deekompressors, had us hip hopping out the theater door, down the sidewalk, and into the car, then jumping and spinning along, singing "Go Speed Racer Go." They (the Pretend Children) were singing to me, the great aunt, because I was whirling and jolting in my Pretend Mach 8 Ford Escape down the freeway home. Hey, I was down for that movie.

Watching the spinning images, neon lighted, anime-inspired, digitally produced, toons-like panels with insertion of real people in the mix was a visual feast and imminent barf all in one. Dizzying. Spiraling. Flipping. Neon lights (more). Crashing. Just to suggest the mental images of the race scenes. During a couple of close-up montages of the cars before digitizing began, I glimpsed real-time, real-life tiny model cars (my great-nephew has a huge collection). And in some of the martial arts fight-stop-go scenes, especially one with John Goodman, I was slooshed with a moment of a set-up of Goodman just standing there ready to squash the ninja before digitized action thrust him into zoom speed action.

(Actually, if I had never digitally filmed my own video, I might not have recognized those scenes, but I have and I did. Did it take away from the movie? No way. Actually, I felt privy to a second of movie making magic.)

As for acting, I was awed by everyone, especially the coolly suave Emile Hirsch (looking like a young Charlie Sheen) as Speed Racer; Christina Ricci, who I was sure was really Susan Sarandon's daughter with those big eyes and similar facial expressions; Roger Allam, as the big corporate villain, who played a Michael Caine-like villain almost as well as Caine does himself; John Goodman, who played, well, Goodman as Pops, Speed's father. Stealer of every scene in which he appeared was young Paulie Litt, Speed's little brother, who I was definitely sure was Goodman's real life son because the resemblance was so uncanny.

The story line was so complicated and told in such a complicated, back and forth manner, both narratively and visually (you'll have to see the movie to understand as this is a new kind of movie making and story telling, sort of magic realism on screen), that I was certain the Pretend Children would not understand. I quizzed them as I was hip hopping down the street to the car, while the boy was laughing and beseeching me not to embarrass him. I stopped. Their answers indicated complete understanding. Either I have little geniuses or the movie told its story in a less complicated manner than I first believed.

Is "Speed Racer" a good movie from a 9-year-old's standpoint? "I've had two good things happen two days in a row," he said. "I went to Chuck E. Cheese's yesterday and today I saw "Speed Racer."

You decide.

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I wish American movie viewers would have given speedracer a chance. With a dismal 44 million dollar domestic gross, there is much little hope for a second film which needs to be told. To be honest, speed racer took race car films to the ground breaking next level, just as The Matrix did for Science Fiction. Both the Matrix, and Speedracer had me the viewer emotionally envolved, and dazed by the visual effects. We are lucky to have the unique young tallent of Emile Hirsch portraying the role of Speed. And if Suzan Surandon is willing to play the role of Speeds mother, obviously the screenplay had much depth which most action films lack. Last note to all Bluray owners, don't bother renting Speedracer, just buy it. It is a good quality film, and it is going to look amaizing on your HD t.v.

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Cabaret (2013)

This is a very good movie, although deeply disturbing. Set in the great city of Berlin in 1931, a time of economic depression and political crisis, this movie constructs an image of the decadence and delusion of the late Weimar period as German society is plunging through a kind of moral and social decay into the nightmare of Nazism.

The film is based on "The Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood (written between 1935 and 1939), who lived in the city in the early 1930s. He had seen both the decadence and the dangerous hunger for a kind of national "purification" among many "respectable" and "moral" middle class Germans, who already had been traumatized by military defeat, hyperinflation, and mass unemployment. The film, following Isherwood, weaves together the stories of the marginal characters who live in this troubled city at the very edge of the great moral catastrophe of the 20th century.

Liza Minnelli is brilliant as "Sally Bowles", an Americanized version of the British Sally who appears in Isherwood's book, and her energy (and visible angst)drive the film as other characters wander aimlessly through a narrative heading all the time towards disaster. Michael York is effective as "Brian", the fictional stand-in for Isherwood himself, and the other characters present believable and even moving representations of people wandering through the impending nightmare as through a fog.

The nightmare itself is suggested by the increasing visibility of the Brownshirts and the sinister swastika, the authentic posters and grafitti from the period, and the passing visual allusion to the street fights and storm troopers. These allusions effectively evoke the sense of uneasiness and danger in the air, an effect reinforced by Sally's deep desire to scream her heart out. The smug and complacent self-assurance of the conservative aristocrat Maximilien, played by Helmut Griem, provides a clue to the almost wilfull blindness of even (perhaps especially) educated Germans to the moral danger posed by the Nazi movement. The anti-Semitism of the movement is also effectively displayed from several angles, most movingly through the love story between Fritz and Natalia.

But the strangest character is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub, played brilliantly by Joel Grey. His character has a sinister ambiguity; is he mocking the Nazis by his farcical musical satires, or rather is he reinforcing the anti-Semitic prejudices of his audience through such pieces as, "If you could see her as I do . . ."? Is his decadence ignoring the danger and plunging his head like an ostrich into the sand, or is it a critical commentary on the pseudo-morality that worries about cabarets while ignoring Nazis? By the way, the entertainment at the movie Kit Kat Klub is first-rate (far, far better than the actual entertainment at the real Kit Kat cabaret, according to the later testimony of Isherwood, commenting on Liza Minnelli's performance). But this Bob Fosse-choreographed spectacle underlines both the brilliance and the moral danger of the cabaret.

In historical fact, most Berliners were not Nazis; it was a largely working class town with strong Socialist and even Communist neighborhoods and a powerful left-wing tradition (which is why Hitler hated Berlin). But it was not immune to the Nazis. The Nazis themselves liked to contrast the supposed "healthy" vitality of a romanticized rural and small-town Germany against the decadence of urban Berlin, a point that is made in the film when young Nazi youth leaders at a beer garden lead an increasingly Nazified crowd to join in song celebrating nature and the volk. The film effectively plays out the irony of this contrast between a "moral" rural Germany increasingly drawn to the appeal of a profoundly immoral and murderous movement, and the "immoral" decadence of urban Berlin, many of whose cabaret performers would probably wind up in concentration camps within a few years. Hitler, after all, was big on public "morality." It's just that this kind of "morality" didn't stop him from screaming hatred, fanning murderous resentments, murdering millions of Jews, and plunging Europe into the most catastrophic war in history. Cabaret performers, however otherwise decadent, could not be blamed for that. And decadent Brian even manages to get into a fist fight with some Nazi Brownshirts.

This is a great film. It doesn't tell you what to think about the Emcee, or poor yearning but lively Sally, or even Brian himself. But whatever their tales, we know where the story is going. We know what those brownshirts and swastikas mean when we see them reflected in the glass at the end of the film. "Life is a Cabaret," as Sally tells us in her climactic song, but even the best shows sometimes have the darkest endings.

It's often been said about old musical movies that they went too far in the conceit of people "bursting out in song" during a scene. Well, in his film version of Kander & Ebb's masterful Cabaret, Bob Fosse completely got around that problem by presenting the songs on stage. It was handled brilliantly, the choreography was incredible, and the movie just plain works.

Cabaret the movie doesn't share many songs in common with the original stage version it still has "Willkommen," "Two Ladies," "Tomorrow Belongs To Me," a German version of "Married," "If You Could See Her," and "Cabaret" but that's it. A few new songs were added "Mein Herr," "Maybe This Time," "Money, Money," but for the most part it's a lot less sung than the staged version. A lot of musical numbers dealing with the world outside the Kit Kat Klub were used as underscoring, preserving John Kander's great tunes. But this doesn't detract from it being one of the best filmed musicals out there.

Fosse's direction is a big help; it has a great eye for early 1930s Berlin, and presents the decadence and foreshadows the Nazis brilliantly. Fosse created great, sensual choreography for the film, and it is completely entrancing to watch the musical numbers. And the rest is worth it, too.

Flipflops aside, the couples are presented well; Liza Minelli's portrayal of Sally Bowles is definitely the acting part of a lifetime. She was just completely *convincing* as Sally, from end to end. Michael York as Brian is very reserved, very British, and very studied. Helmut Griem is entirely convincing as Max, who creates tension between the couple after befriending them. The secondary couple is played to perfection by Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson, as opportunistic Fritz Wendel who falls in love with the rich young Jewess Natalia Landauer, respectively. And, of course, Joel Grey is spectacular as the haunting, Puckish Emcee.

In general, this movie presents itself as a stunning revelation to viewers of a story that will stick around for a very long time. It's a virtuoso interpretation of one of the greatest American musicals, and deserves to be seen.

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The 2003 DVD re-release of Cabaret is just a re-packaging of the original DVD. Though the new package details state that it is "enhanced for 16 x 9," this DVD is a non-anamorphic, matted widescreen presentation. So if you were thinking of trading up to this new edition of Cabaret for your new widescreen TV, hold on to your money. I was not so fortunate. I now have two copies of Cabaret with lousy transfers. Whats up with Warner? They screwed up the release of Giant also. This film is a classic and deserves better treatment.

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One of the most politically and socially significant films ever produced, Cabaret is as unsettling as it is exhilarating. This 8-time Academy Award-winning film based on the controversial Broadway musical, tells the disturbing story of a fourth-rate American cabaret chanteuse trying to survive in Berlin during the final days of the Weimar Republic. The overriding concept of the film actually serves as a biting and painful metaphor for a morally bankrupt and self-indulgent society so intoxicated by its own rotting decadence and corruption that it fails-or more appropriately, refuses-to realize that it is about to dive head-first into the fires of an apocalyptic nightmare that will ultimately cost the lives of over 11 million people. Liza Minnelli is astounding in her star-making role as the deluded and self-absorbed nightclub singer Sally Bowles, based on the infamous character of Christopher Isherwood's novel, "Goodbye to Berlin." Bob Fosse deserved his Best Director Oscar for creating a hyper-stylized visualization of Berlin as it was rotting to the core in the early 30s just as the Nazis were gathering in the wings. But the real show-stopper here is Joel Grey, the horrifyingly demonic and sneering Master of Ceremonies, shrugging his shoulders and smirking at us through the camera with a disturbingly hypnotic twinkle in his eye acknowledging that we all know exactly what history has in store.

Cabaret can be thought of more than just a musical. Unlike the unrealistic musicals of the 40s and 50s in which the characters burst into song out of the middle of nowhere, the musical numbers here are strictly prohibited to stage numbers at the Kit Kat Klub, an alteration from the Broadway version that significantly adds to the reality of this spectacle. Furthermore, if you want to get the entire message of the film in a minute and a half, pay particular attention to the scene when Sally, Brian and Max are driving through downtown Berlin. Listen closely to their conversation juxtaposed against what they are observing on the street outside the car. If taken into social and historical context, the scene is so unnerving, you'll be left speechless.

Overall, if you want to watch a film that is not only an important lesson on the fragility of humanity, but could also be a mirror for contemporary society, then don't miss Cabaret. The movie's ending will leave you (as it did me the first time I saw it) in stunned silence, thinking twice about social apathy in the context of the potentially devastating nightmare we are now experiencing at the dawn of the 21st century.

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I too had great expectation of this reissue and the main reason I purchased it was for the stated anamorphic enhancement which it definitely is not. With all the interest in Kander & Ebb at the moment, this was a perfect opportunity to revamp a truely classic movie and address the poor transfer of the original issue. Warner are clearly just jumping on the promotional bandwagon with little concern for the value of the movie itself. This is Liza's finest moment and a critic's dream of cinematic metaphor and constructionit deserves better than this. It saddens me to think that it is unlikely to be issued againthe best Warner can do is recall this rerelease and do the job properly. I now own three versions on DVDthe region 2 uk release is even more washed out than the USA issue!

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Withnail and I (1987)

Somewhere in the tenebrous recesses of our souls is the saving ability to laugh in recognition at our most forlorn circumstances. The funniest films mine this trove of despairing exigencies in an urgent, played-for-real mode. And none do it better than WITHNAIL & I, now available in a superb uncut version on DVD.

Bruce Robinson, the sometime actor and screenwriter ("The Killing Fields"), made his 1986 directorial debut with his semi-autobiographical screenplay that is widely considered the greatest neglected comedy of all time. The slender plot is simple. Flatmates Richard E. Grant (Withnail) and Paul McGann (& I) are two stoned, hungry, broke, and out-of-work actors wallowing in self-made squalor. When they get an opportunity to spend a weekend in the country cottage of Withnail's three hundred pound Uncle Montague, they go, hoping to "rejuvenate." What ensues is an extraordinarily deranged weekend of drunken delusion and distraught discovery that you will never forget. To reveal any more story details would be a gross disservice to those who have not yet found this wonderfully twisted, honest and perfect film.

Richard Griffiths is unsettling as the campy, dissolute predator cousin Montague and Ralph Brown is spot-on as Danny, the slow-talking, menacing but philosophical dope dealer. Hard to believe this was Richard E. Grant's first film. Even harder to believe is that he is a non-drinker who doesn't smoke.

Perfectly cast, nearly every spoken line is unfiltered emotional truth and most are quotable -especially the caustic diatribes of drunken, acerbic Grant. And the scenes themselves are brilliant set-pieces that unfold like diamonds in the rough being cut to gem-stone perfection.

After experiencing this unblinking look back at the end of the 60s in a London suburb where a tenuous friendship, high expectations and unfulfilled dreams collide during a disastrous weekend getaway, you too will laugh when you next hear the opening riffs of Jimmy Hendrix's "Voodoo Child." And you will understand when someone blurts out in a restaurant, "We want the finest wines available to humanity. We want them here and we want them NOW!. And cake."

This new Criterion widescreen version is clean and sharp and there's a too-short bonus interview with Robinson, Brown, Grant and McGann.

You must trust me on this one, so right now, get on line and order this extraordinary movie. It's one to own and watch at least once a month. It will put everything in the proper perspective and cure what ails you. Highest recommendation.

Criterion has done a wonderful job with this DVD release of WITHNAIL & I. The picture looks sharp, the sound is clear, and the extras are a lot of fun. The biggest difference for me was that the only video version of this film I owned was the full-screen version that contains numerous edits. Watching this film uncut for the first time in years really pointed out how much I had been missing with the video version. Getting this DVD is definitely worth the money.

The film itself is a joy to experience. While the plot cannot be accused of being overcomplicated, this simplicity is more than made up for in the wonderful characters and brilliant dialogue (virtually none of which can be quoted in an all-ages forum such as this). Loosely narrated by Paul McGann's "I" character, this film depicts a brief period in the life of two struggling actors as they attempt to find booze, drugs and jobs in the dying days of the 1960s. The movie covers a wide spectrum from some scenes featuring the funniest lines that you'll ever hear to small touching moments that are surprisingly moving. This is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys good moviemaking.

Every character in the picture is superbly acted and written for. It's a testament to Bruce Robinson's directing skills that the characters compliment each other so well instead of clashing and overbearing the others as could so easily have happened. The secondary characters work as well as the leads and each one adds their unique flavour to the mixture. Robinson doesn't make the mistake of giving the smaller parts too much on-screen time and having them overstay their welcome. Each character says and does no more than they need to and leaves everyone wanting more.

Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann are perfectly cast in their roles. Each bile-covered insult roles off of Grant's tongue as if he'd been swearing at McGann all his life. It's amazing that Grant is a teetotaler in real life and was relying on pure skill for most of his inspiration. Excellent acting.

The documentary that is included on the DVD is 30 minutes long and quite excellent. There are interviews with Richard E. Grant (Withnail), Paul McGann (...& I), Bruce Robinson (writer/director), Ralph Brown (Danny) and a host of other people related to the production. It's a funny and enthralling look at the people and ideas behind the film. Just fast-forward through the trainspotters.

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This is not, as others have mentioned merely a vapid view of the 1960s or a drunken homoerotic frolic in an English countryside. It represents all those men and women who have battled long and hard to achieve some sort of authenticity. Withnal wants to act in something worth while, 'I' wants to do the same but has much more class and is not locked into a decaying and fluid so called post modern world, represented by collapsing buildings they both visit and live in, decayed old pubs inhabited by violent drunken louts who want to hurt and maim in their pain of loss. Then there is their old Jaguar one eye one window wiper and two very drunk survivors. This is a meditation on the qualities of past values and modern chaos. The end leaves one sad and uncomfortable as Withnal speaks from Shakespeare 'what a piece of work is man', the irony is almost too hard to bear as Withnal speaks to a wolf behind the zoo bars and as rain upon rain washes away the old world. This a film everyone should watch and is for anyone who wonders about the old, the nostalgia for the past and the new modern and careless world of today. The wolf pacing in front of the zoo bars mirrors the human pacing outside the fence, both are locked into their worlds. Withnal is beautiful in his aloneness and 'I' works to represent those that can make transitions from old values to new worlds, but does he lose something in the process? The musis is also fantastic and I wish I could buy and album of the music, the initial saxaphone rendition of a whiter shade of pale is beyond beautiful. Watch it at least 10 times.

Read Best Reviews of Withnail and I (1987) Here

Withnail & I is one of the greatest films ever made funny, poignant and superbly written, acted and directed.

So, it is such an appalling shame that this NTSC VHS version is so poor. It is hideously cut in places leaving out parts of scenes and some of the funniest dialogue. This leaves you confused when the narrative shifts suddenly when you were expecting the uncut version. For me, this rendered this version unwatchable.

Buy a PAL compatible VHS player and buy the uncut European version from amazon.co.uk, wait for the DVD or wait for the full version to be shown on the Independent Film Channel and record it, but stay away from this turkey!

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Another cult movie has just entered the Criterion collection : british writer-director Bruce Robinson's 1986 WITHNAIL AND I starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann, both excellent. Richard Griffith as the cousin Montague and Ralph Brown as " The Hippie Philosopher " are hilarious. This film is a valuable addition to your library if you like english comedies, the sixties or simply a smart movie.

WITHNAIL AND I is greatly autobiographical. Bruce Robinson's 25 minutes interview featuring home movies and photographies shot in London in the mid-sixties is very instructive ; one understands soon that Withnail and ("I") Peter's life pictured in the movie has been the normal life of a large number of the english teenagers of the sixties. The character of "Withnail" played by an hallucinated Richard E. Grant, who in the real life doesn't drink alcoholic beverages, will certainly stay in the annals of Movie History.

If WITHNAIL AND I moves us so much, it's because this nostalgic movie is about lost hopes, about the green pastures of our youth when the world was ready to be conquered and waiting for us. Withnail is a pathetic character who could have been a genius in any artistic domain but who didn't create anything because, after all, it wasn't so important.

Apart of the Bruce Robinson interview ( look carefully at the level of the red wine in his glass... ), one will also find in this Criterion presentation a limited-edition of a poster, a theatrical trailer, liner notes by Robinson, various pre-production photos and english subtitles.

A DVD zone nostalgy.

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Alien Anthology Blu-ray Import Set (4 Discs) (2010)

My main concern with this set was that it would have issues with my US Region 1 Blu Ray Player. I saw mixed reviews and was concerned but for the lower cost decided to take a risk. I'm glad I did. It works perfectly on my Sony BDP-S570. This Blu Ray is definitely superior quality to the DVD version. I will definitely look for region free Blu Rays for my future movie purchases.

I recently had to upgrade my Alien collection from standard DVDs to Blue Ray format. The Alien saga is a must have. I grew up with the original Alien in the 80s. It's the original sci-fi Horror movie and nothing today has ever come close to topping it. And never will, as Alien is truly the Godfather of all sci-fi movies today. This collection is nice to have…what else is there to say, accept buy it now!

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The set doesn't come with a bunch of extras, but these classic movies look great on Blu Ray! A great set for an Aliens fan.

Read Best Reviews of Alien Anthology Blu-ray Import Set (4 Discs) (2010) Here

really does change them in profound ways. It's funny, but all that detail shows how much artifice goes into film making. You can tell where lighting instruments are when Ripley is on deck; and the steam coming out of the eggs looks like steam makers. It's an odd combination of sensations. It simultaneously hinders willfull suspension of disbelief and makes you feel as though you are really on that set. High-Def has changed film making in all sorts of ways, but how you light a set has got to be one of the biggest. Really breathtaking stuff!

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These Blu-rays came quickly and the movies really clean up better than I would have imagined considering how old the first two are. If you like the Series I highly recommend this Box Set.

The Terminator (Remastered) (1984)

Video:

The new transfer looks great. It's sharp and grain is intact. However, it should be noted that the color-timing is not what you'd be used to for this film. It takes a tealish look, especially in certain scenes. The look works for the film, but it's certainly not what we have seen over the years on TV, VHS, DVD, screenshots, etc. It's a whole-new look for the film. Whether or not it was the intended look from the start, or whether James Cameron had a hand in making it look this way has yet to be seen. But over-all it is a superior transfer, and it makes owning this disc worth it.

Sound:

Fairly active and robust surround sound here, but sadly it is the remix sound. The original mono with the original sound effects is missing once again, so expect a few moments of "Wow, the sound effects there were horrid."

Extras:

A couple of featurettes, nothing terribly formidable. Also, the deleted scenes in SD. All of the extras here can be found on the Special Edition DVD, and missing is the hour-long 'Other Voices' documentary and extensive Easter eggs also found on that release. This would have been the perfect time to deliver a feature-packed Blu-ray with all-new features, but alas...MGM/Fox has decided to cheap out this time. Maybe we'll get a 30th Anniversary Edition in 2014.

I'm quite content with the newly remastered The Terminator (Remastered) [Blu-ray]. Right away I noticed the superior quality in regards to the picture & audio. Fine detail in closeups is very apparent, yet, the film grain is intact. I definitely recommend this new edition compared to the sub-par original T1 blu-ray release from a few years ago.

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I knew that "The Terminator" would be re-issued, and with a better remastering effort. I knew this because the last known re-issue of "The Terminator" on DVD had many extras. Like additional documentaries and the making of the film, etc.. The first issued Blu-Ray of the film actually looked no better than the DVD (it appears to be the same unimproved source copy) but however, it also excluded all that extra material that the last known DVD version had so you will be more anxious to buy the film again, later, that will include all those already existing extras.

I believe this was their plan to double dip the consumer to resell this movie again, on Blu-Ray.

You gotta ask yourself. "How many times have I bought this same movie over the years, with the promise of it being somewhat more improved?" (your purchases of the past included VHS in several re-issues, Beta, Laserdisc, DVD again in several re-issues, BD, etc.) The Blu-Ray has been issued twice already, and now, here comes the third re-issue on Blu-Ray.

It's ridiculous how they do this to us. They give as little as they can on the first release, and then they improve on it just a little more, with a hope to re-sell it again. And then again.

You watch, three to five years from now, you will probably be buying "The Terminator" yet again, because they will again do something more for it to make your current copy inferior to it. They will always add a little something more to a re-issue to make you want to buy it again. Even things that they already have on film, that they will just wait to add to a future re-issue.

Read Best Reviews of The Terminator (Remastered) (1984) Here

First of all, casual viewers are going to just have to ignore the negs here. That is about all you can do. This is the highest video quality you are going to see on bluray. A 36Mbps transfer of an older grainy film and damn does it look wonderful. The AWFUL red push of the old releases is gone and THANK THE HEAVENS. This film looks unbelievable and I am NOT easy to please when it comes to details and bitrates. Most blurays these days cannot seem to get past 25Mbps, many are much less, and it shows with fluctuating quality throughout the film. Not this one.

They slightly changed the color timing to reflect a modern and SLIGHTLY cooler tone. Some people cannot seem to deal with the fact we are no longer in the 80s and no director worth their salt wants that pinkish/reddish look, that was quite common in that time, to their films now that they have a choice. Blade Runner did the same and The Final Cut looks better than it ever did, though, that release has less than HALF the bitrate of this release. Anyway, the timing does wonders for this film IMO. I have never seen this so detailed in all my life. I really think the new timing gives it a more timeless look and will be appreciated by most people. In no way will it hardly even be noticed for the vast majority. Skintones remain natural and whites are still nice and bright.

As for the sound, it is also the most balanced and proper it has sounded in a long time. There are these few diehard weirdos who cannot seem to deal with the fact that most people don't like mono and don't want to listen to mono in film when there are effects taking place all over the soundstage that take advantage of more than one speaker. Cameron never meant for there to be a Mono track it is just that the producers would not let him have his 4 track stereo because they were cheap bastards. He even came in under budget ffs. Mono also has many other deficiencies compared to stereo with depth of the various instruments and sounds and the overall balance of the mix. You can read about that somewhere else.

I do agree they should have at least included it but quite honestly I would not be using it anyway. They seem to have improved the stereo and multi-channel tracks. To my ears the gun sounds are fine and sound pretty damn good for an 80s film. They redid some of the effects with T2 ones to my knowledge a while back. This presentation seems more balanced than any other releases to my ears.

For the people that are boycotting this release let them. This isn't some travesty like the original Patton release or the Predator: Ultimate Edition release which were DNR'd to within an inch of their life and looked like wax on screen. To the contrary, this is one of the best looking blurays on the market. The old Terminator release is a joke compared to this.

Nothing to be afraid of with this one. They did just about everything right except include the old mono track. And no one but a few really care because it ain't that great to begin with. 5 stars for a great remaster and at 10 bucks at Walmart, and around that on Amazon, you really cannot go wrong. Extras are the same as the past versions to my knowledge. Peace.

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I own the movie in 3 formats, vhs, dvd and now the remaster. Best i have seen. I really felt like it was the first time i saw it.

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Space Buddies (BD Live) (2009)

An unlikely story of 5 dogs who stow aboard a space shuttle, take a trip to a space station to pick up a Russian dog, land on the moon, then pilot the ship safely back to earth and their loving masters. It's what you would expect in a movie like this: action enough for older kids, comedy and cheese enough for younger ones. Clean fun.

The highest praise I can give it is that my children loved it and I wasn't bored (the first time.) Recommended for children of all ages.

These "Buddie" films are just so cute and enjoyable, family fun films with cute puppies that you can't get enough of.

Since the 1997 debut of the film "Air Bud", from that film of a talking canine has launched several "Buddie" films featuring the golden retriever puppies in "Air Buddies" and "Snow Buddies" and this time with "Space Buddies".

What happens when the puppies become stowaways in an experimental spacecraft? Expect a lot of fun and giggles for the family.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The film is presented in 1080p high definition (1:78:1). The film looks great on Blu-ray and the majority of the film is done using green screen and CGI and wirework. The CG work was done quite well for this family film.. From the space station to the aircraft and its digital screens, the film looks pretty good. Also, there is quite a bit of wirework done to emulate the puppies floating due to gravity and you don't see the wires, again, it looks pretty good.

Audio is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and I did notice the rear channels being used quite a bit for several action-based sequences and sound effects rather effectively. I was very impressed to hear the all channels being utilized during the film because for a children's film, I really wasn't expecting it. So, needless to say I was pleased by it. Although "SPACE BUDDIES" is primarily a dialogue-based film, the film does take advantage of your system's surround sound, so that was definitely cool!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There are a few special features on this Blu-ray edition of "Space Buddies". The video quality ranges from 1080p, 1080i and 480i and are featured in Dolby Digital 2.0. The special features are:

* Buddy Facts: You can watch the film with pop up tidbits about the making of "Space Buddies" and about space.

* Buddy Bloopers: Outtakes and blunders (granted these were purposely done)

* "Dancing in the Moonlight" Music Video with Disney Channel's Alyson Stoner

* Disneypedia: The Buddies Guide to Space Travel: This was a 10+ minute featurette about the behind-the-scenes making of the film. Also, a insight on comparisons of how real astronauts train for space and what the pippies had to do to look like they were in space. A fun featurette that the kids will definitely enjoy!

* Buddy Finder: Exclusive to Blu-ray is a scavenger hunt game using your remote control and while watching the film, you need to find 100 items.

* Disney BD-Live Network: A US only feature which people with BD-Live equipped players can access special features from Disney's BD-Live Network.

I watched this film with the family and each of us enjoyed the film. I suppose it's really hard not to dislike a film about puppies and fortunately the technology of how they make the puppies talk on film definitely works well when they mouth the words and overall, the talking portion doesn't look cheesy at all.

This is a safe family film. For my 6-year-old, there was only one sequence in which he was a little scared but that was the Cosmonaut Yuri (because he has lived in the space station and is a bit unkept, so his hair is a bit wacky) but all in all, from his perspective, he had a lot of fun and of course, when you have a puppy who likes to eat a lot and when his paw is pulled, he lets out gas. So, I guess you can say that the "fart jokes" really goes well with the kids.

As for the puppies safety, I know that there are a few dog lovers who cringe when they see animals in a film because they worry about their well-being and if they are going to be put into any dangerous situations . The puppies were more or less kept indoors most of the time and in small and what looks like safe areas in the films, so I believe that the puppies were quite safe during filming.

As for adults who are watching this film, may you be a dog lover or a parent, the film of course is a bit farfetched especially how the puppies were always so successful into sneaking into a building or vehicle with human's nearby but with these type of films, you can't get too serious, after all it's a film made for children. But these are the types of film that are wonderful to watch with the whole family especially if your child enjoys reading about the planets, the moon and outer space, the film and the special features will definitely be entertaining. Heck, even if you are captivated by the charm of these puppies, you'll definitely find this film fun and entertaining.

The Blu-ray version of "Space Buddies" looks very good in high-definition and the audio is pretty good as well! This is the best looking "Buddies" release yet!

Overall a solid, family film for the children and worthy of purchasing on Blu-ray!

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I love the "buddy" movies but this would have to be my least favorite. Although they all stretch reality, this one really does. I know its all in good kid fun but this one just isn't as fun for the adults to watch and my 2 year old and 4 year old must know its not realistic either because its their least favorite too. They constantly ask for Snow Buddies or Santa Buddies but never this one. I maybe should have returned it. Again, the buddies are great but I wouldn't recommend this particular movie.

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I love the buddies movies

Then again it all started with the original "Air Bud" and still get teary eyed thinking "bud" isn't with us

The movies are cute, sweet and this aunt of 2 is not ashamed to enjoy some of the stuff her nieces do

The costumes, the trainers do such a good job with these dogs

I love the franchise

Thanks disney

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the big explosion and the fire almost burning up the Russian man kept my son up till midnight. Good for an older child, though. Nothing really crude, that I can remember, and they didn't speak as fast as in many of the Disney movies. My son hated it and I hated the nightmares he had because of it.

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Subspecies (20th Anniversary Edition) (1991)

Subspecies is the first in a four part movie series involving Radu, the baddest vampire in town. True, this is a Full Moon production, which equals cheesy horror, but it is definately cheesy horror in its very best form.

Radu is a vampire of the old school, he doesn't want to fit in with the living or find true love or apologize for what he is; he is a vampire and seems to be pretty taken with himself on that level. Our first introduction to Radu is when he kills his father in order to take possession of the Bloodstone, a vampire family heirloom that allows them to survive a long time without a fresh "meal", and gives them power by drinking from it.

Here also we meet the "subspecies", little creatures (make from claymation, not FX) that Radu creates by breaking off his own fingers. They become his tiny minions and assist him in taking the Bloodstone.

Meanwhile, three college girls arrive in Transylvania, and stay together at an old monastery nearby the broken remains of Radu's castle home. Also staying at the monastery is Radu's long estranged brother, Stefan. Radu and Stefan have no love for each other, though both seem to be attracted to the lovely Michele.

Girls get bit and girls scream, and there is a silly "Festival of the Dead" where everybody puts on paper-mache masks, a little bit of nudity, and in the end it all boils down to human vs vampire as do all good vampire flicks.

What makes Subspecies special is Radu himself. He is pasty white, has great fangs, long clawed hands, sleeps in a coffin, and drools...a LOT. He's also a very messy eater, and moves through the film with that bloody, slimy grin we have all grown to love.

In the end, Michele is the only one of the three girls left, and after Radu mixed his blood with hers, his brother Stefan "saves" her by biting her and turning her into a vampire also.

Lovely ending...but remember that there are three more movies...

So far, the first three Subspecies movies are only available as used VHS tapes, often costing a great deal of money. The fourth movie is already out on DVD, so hopefully the rest will be soon. Even on VHS, there is a nice "behind the scenes" feature at the end of the tape, along with previews of other Full Moon productions.

If you are a vampire purist, you should love this film. Enjoy!

I first saw this movie in 1998 when I was 11 years old. This was probably the smartest thing I have done my entire life. Since then I have seen the movie well over 30 times and I just wish that I owned it. As the movie starts out we see none other than horror icon himself-Angus Scrimm! It is at this point that we get our first glimpse of Radu. Radu is a Nine Hundred year old vampire who just can't seem to kill enough people and drink enough blood to satisfy his urges. This sets up the primary conflict for the film and its sequels. Radu is out to gain possession of the Blood Stone, an ancient relic that drips the blood of the saints. He kills his father to gain the Blood Stone and thus begins the film. Radu's half brother Stefan returns home to regain the throne of his father but realizes Radu has already done so. Stefan trys to gain control of the Blood Stone and also attempts to sheild 3 young beauties from Radu and his evil. Stefan falls in love with one of the young girls named Michelle, played by Laura Tate. Although Ms. Tate did an excellent job with the character of Michelle she just can't seem to measure up to he standard set by Denice Duff in the sequels. To say that this is one of my favorite movies would be an understatement. I simply cannot say enough good things about this film. Please for the love of god SEE THIS MOVIE! The sequels are just as good as the original unlike most horror movie series. Please re-release this Full Moon it is a million times better than the [stuff] you put out now.

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You can purchase the DVD for 1 and 2 in Spanish versions for 20 bucks each. There is an option to turn off the spanish subtitles, so you get the english language version on DVD and don't have to pay a fortune for a sucky (pun intended) VHS copy that some creep is charging $150.00 for.

Now go get your SUBSPECIES! You bloodsuckers!

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Now you can own the cool modern vampire film from Director Ted Nicholau on DVD!I have the whole series on VHS but I must have this ultimate DVD video.

This 1990 Full Moon Classic is about 3 young girls in Romania who fall victims to the Vampire Kingdom.The evil vampire Radu wants the girls to be his undead vampire slaves but the good vampire Stefan wants to kill his evil brother and save the girls from thier unholy fate.Who will regin supreme?YOU TELL ME!

Buy this DVD or VHS and be scared and on the edge of your seat adventure.

RATED R for nudity,violence and gore.

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This is the beginning of a series that you have to watch even though its full of every worn out story line and ridiculous dialog. There is nonetheless an appeal that compels you to go back and pick up every addition in the series. The premise is the good vampire Stefan battles his evil half brother Radu over the fate of the woman they both fell in love with. I think one of the biggest mistakes this series made was bumping off Stefan. He was a good contrast to Radu, whose character is fond of spouting worn out phrases like "my fledgling" to the point of being almost cartoon-like. Subspecies is a fun series in a comic-book vampire kind of way. I'd recommend it to diehard fans only.

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Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

You really cannot go wrong with any movie that stars Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach and Edward Fox and this movie although blasted by the critics upon its release really is a great action adventure war movie. In fact the Jimmy Carter White House picked the movie only weeks before its December 1978 opening to be the Thanksgiving movie to be screened at Camp David.

The movie was previously released on DVD in 2000 in what was a simply horrible transfer with scratches and print dirt all over the place. Even so I would watch it over and over again, reveling in a 1978-era nostalgia when, as a seven-year-old, I would sit in the local town hall (which once a month was converted into a movie theater) wowed by the action unfolding on the screen.

The problems with that release have been mostly rectified for this Blu-ray release which is simply pristine in comparison. It's not the best Blu-ray release I have ever seen, with a large degree of softness and some grain but it does a good job recreating the film stock of the time and is certainly the best the movie has ever looked since its 1978 theatrical release. The Yugoslavian scenery in particular is breathtaking. I did not notice any of the problems that plagued the DVD release and, hey, who can argue with a Blu-ray that features the impossibly beautiful Bach in high definition :)

Many saw this as a disappointment due to its attachment to the Guns of Navarone, but if it is taken up on its own merits then one can see that this is really nothing more than a fun movie for funs sake, no serious character studies here and the movie is all the better for it.

The movie gets its title from the Alistair MacLean book of the same name, but bears little resemblance to the actual narrative of the novel. In fact the differences are so apparent that MacLean would go on to loosely adapt part of the screenplay into his 1982 book "Partisans". Indeed there had been plans to film this movie shortly after the 1961 original with Peck and Niven reprising their roles. Following the success of the original movie producer Carl Foreman asked MacLean to write a hardcover sequel novel on which a follow-up film would be based, but the author was reluctant to write an entire novel and instead delivered a screen treatment. The film was announced for 1967 but after the script got bogged down in studio development hell MacLean decided to develop the screen treatment as a book and "Force 10 From Navarone" was published in 1968.

Throughout the 1970s Foreman tried to get enough financial backing for the movie and eventually patched together enough money to finance the production from no fewer than five different international sources but by the time the movie finally went before the cameras (some 17 years after the original) it was thought that Peck and Niven were too old and the decision was made to recast. In an interesting footnote to this theory Peck and Niven would team up two years later in the excellent World War II action adventure "The Sea Wolves" in which they played retired veterans seeking one last hurrah.

Bond fans will notice a number of actors in this movie that had already occupied roles in the Bond franchise or would go on to appear in the series. In addition to Shaw (from "From Russia With Love") and Bach (who was fresh off playing the Russian spy Anya Amasova in "The Spy Who Loved Me") and Edward Fox (who would go on to play M in the rogue 007 movie "Never Say Never Again") there is also Bach's co-star from "The Spy Who Loved Me" Richard Kiel, who was riding high as somewhat of a cultural icon (hey, he appeared in a Shredded Wheat TV commercial) after playing perhaps the most famous 007 henchman Jaws.

I suppose the Bond connection is most apparent in the choice of director with "Goldfinger"'s director Guy Hamilton handling the honors. His sure direction shows his usual flair and expertise handling action that he so ably previously demonstrated in (perhaps the best of the early James Bond movies) the aforementioned "Goldfinger" and the World War II drama "Battle of Britain." Hamilton does succumb to some espionage cliches at times, such as when one of the characters stumbles across the traitor sending a message, but all of these instances are handled capably and add to the familiar nature of the plot.

As already mentioned the plot of the movie is also very different from the MacLean book, but some good Boy's Own adventure that actually flows slightly better than its literary namesake. Shaw (in his last movie role) plays Mallory (yes the same character that Gregory Peck played in the original) and he and Fox's character (who was played by David Niven in the original) are sent into Yugoslavia to identify and kill a traitor from the first movie. So, they hop a ride along with Force 10 (headed by Ford's character) who are headed to the same location with the mission of destroying a key, strategic bridge. Of course things do not go entirely to plan, and soon the action begins to come thick and fast.

Filmed on location in Yugoslavia (with members of Tito's Yugoslav army playing both partisans and German soldiers), England and Malta the crew had to endure freezing temperatures and even a rash of kidnapping that led producers to limit the actors movements. Shepperton Studios in England (where the original had also been filmed) provided four soundstages for interiors and the largest studio tank in Europe (at the Mediterranean Film Studios in Malta) was used to film the movie climax with a $1 million miniature dam.

As previously noted the critics almost universally hated the movie and the moviegoing audience did not warm to it either with the $10 million production only bringing in $7.2 million during its U.S. theatrical run. Matters were probably not helped when the U.S. distributor American International Pictures trimmed the picture down from 126 minutes to 118 minutes and redubbed some of the scenes prior to the movies release, with an impersonator performing the duties for the late Robert Shaw. However in the 30-plus years since its release the movie has developed a cult following among World War II movie buffs.

In an interesting footnote, Columbia Pictures was the defendent in a 2008 lawsuit brought by the estates of the late producers of the film Carl Foreman, Sidney Cohn and Oliver Unger and surviving producer Peter Gettinger over unpaid money from distribution rights. The New York Supreme Court found in favor of the producers, saying they were entitled to funds that had been witheld for over 30 years by Columbia Pictures.

The one negative towards this Blu-ray release is the lack of special features. All we get is a trailer for the movie whereas the original DVD release featured a sketch (hidden as an "easter egg"), a collectible booklet with trivia notes and two different cuts of the movie.

This movie would get a lot more respect if it didn't have the name "Navarone" attached to it. It's rather strange that a movie which received such a hostile critical reception and low takings at the box office should be one of the early catalog titles in the lives of both the DVD and Blu-ray formats (three years for DVD and just over two years for Blu-ray) and before the original "Guns of Navarone," but as a fan of the movie I am happy to be able to watch "Force 10 From Navarone" in all its high definition goodness. Incidentally here's hoping that 1961's "Guns of Navarone" gets a Blu-ray release soon :)

Taken for what it is, "Force 10 From Navarone"(1978) is a decent wartime action adventure. It is based on Alistair MacLean's sequel to his highly successful novel, "The Guns of Navarone" which was released a major film in 1961. The movie version though is a "sequel" in name only, and is connected to the original film by just a few plot threads. Recurrent characters bear no resemblance to their previous incarnations. This is understandable, as this movie plays to almost a whole new audience.

None of the principal actors associated with the original film, Gregory Peck (Major Mallory), David Niven (Corporal Miller) and Anthony Quinn, were capable of reprising their roles, some 17 years later. Robert Shaw, replaces Peck as "Mallory", and Edward Fox assumes the role of "Miller", the explosives expert. Their new mission is to locate a traitor named "Lescovar" (Franco Nero), who is operating in Yugoslavia as a member of the Partisans. The pair are attached to a special operations group code named "Force 10", commanded by Lt. Colonel Barnsby (Harrison Ford). The group has their own top secret mission, which begins in Italy by stealing a plane. Sgt. Weaver (Carl Weathers), unexpectedly joins the mission after forcing his way into the plane, and parachutes with Force 10 into Yugoslavia.

Upon landing, circumstances quickly reduce the group to just five men. Wandering the countryside, the group meet up with what they believe are Partisans. When they turn out to be Chetniks collaborating with the Germans, Mallory and the rest find themselves prisoners. Spinning a yarn about hijacked penicillin buys Mallory and Barnsby an opportunity for freedom, and with a little help, the two men are soon free, and able to make contact with the real Partisan group.

Capt. Lescovar occupies a position of trust among the Partisans, and can't be touched for the moment. Force 10's mission is revealed, as they were to have attempted to destroy a vital bridge, and thereby prevent a Nazi advance. Believing that with Miller's expertise the mission might still be accomplished, Barnsby and Mallory head back to the Chetnik camp to free him. After a bloody shootout, the group make a surprisingly easy escape, and Miller and Weaver rejoin their mates.

Realizing that destroying a nearby dam would release tons of water that would undermine the bridge's foundation and take it down, the group is in desperate need of some high explosives. Treachery abounds as the group attempts to get the supplies. An attempt to airdrop them has disastrous results, so the team decides to get what they need by raiding a German ammo dump. After another close call, they succeed in securing the explosives. Leaving the depot by train, they take time to clean up a loose end, before heading for the dam and their final mission. For this task, it does seem odd that the "expert" Miller, is not called on to place the explosive charges. The job instead is left for Barnsby and Mallory (bad leg and all). The slightly built Fox, who plays Miller as a cartoon character, is just not hero material.

Much is made in this film of the fact that Weaver is a black man. He is the brunt of jokes, and suffers racial slurs and other harassment from his own side as well as the enemy. The leader of the Chetniks, played by Richard Kiel (Jaws from the Bond films), makes a special point of harassing the Sergeant, and calling him "blackie". Was all this really necessary? Carl Weathers gives a dignified performance under the circumstances. He brings a much needed rugged physical presence, to a cast primarily consisting of older actors.

Director Guy Hamilton, a veteran of several Bond films, is a man accustomed to executing a script with loaded dialog. The story for the most part entertains (minus the racial aspects), and moves along at a steady pace. At first glance, the assembled cast may not appear to be the most cohesive group, but their overall performance is actually not bad. The scenes of Yugoslavia may have added interest in light of recent events there. Ron Goodwin's soundtrack is good, with a rousing main title theme, but the music is ever so reminiscent of the work he did on "Where Eagles Dare", another MacLean creation. The special effects scenes related to the dam and floodwaters bring to mind scenes from Earthquake, minus the motorcycle.

The DVD transfer is good but the poor quality of the original material shows through at times. You have a choice between the widescreen and full screen versions of the film. The sole extra, is a tattered example of the original trailer. The booklet provided with the disk is very informative, discussing the background surrounding the sequel and the efforts of producer Carl Foreman to get the story to the screen. While too much time had passed for it to be a true sequel, "Force 10" stands on its own merits as a solid wartime adventure worth at least one viewing.

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I actually wanted to see this movie because I read that Barbara Bach was in it. When I saw the movie, I was blown away.

Not only by the great performance by Barbara Bach, but also by the entire movie.

It has great actors, great action and great music!

You see many familliar faces like Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach, Richard Kiel and Carl Weathers, who all act very good.

The action is tence and is great to watch.

If you like World War movies, but also if you just like a good action movie, then this is a must see.

A movie I will remember.

Read Best Reviews of Force 10 from Navarone (1978) Here

I can't believe this received such bad reviews from the critics! Of course, usually when the critics hate a movie, I love it. I must admit I love old movies, although this isn't an "old" movie to me having been a 70's child. But I've also seen "The Guns of Navarone" and it's a wonderful movie in its own right. I love Gregory Peck but I think the work that Harrison Ford, Carl Weathers, and Robert Shaw put into this film is first rate. Please don't deny yourself the chance to see this movie.

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I've always liked this film. When compared to its predecessor, Guns of Navarone, it falters a bit. However, it is a good action/war adventure that gets a bum rap because of its lineage.

Might have been better off had they not worked in the Navarone connection.

Good performances all around, and a fun, enjoyable 2 hours.

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