NEW Pan's Labyrinth - Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (steelb (Blu-ray)

This is the way fairy tales used to be -before they got bleached, pressed, and de-linted by half-wits trying to protect tender ears. Before they got Disney-fied. Sure, there's violence here, some of it shocking, but none of it gratuitous. Could it give a kid nightmares? Maybe. But given today's pablum stories, maybe it's about time.

Pan's Labyrinth takes us directly into the subconscious, and into the storyforms that infuse all of the great myths, fairy tales, and religions. It's a rich and satisfying stew of symbolism, mystery, and redemption. Multilayered and inspiring, it's a film you'll want to see again. It's hard not to gush, but it's been so long since a movie this good has made it into the quasi-mainstream.

What makes Pan's Labyrinth most effective is it's juxtaposition of harsh "reality" and the mysterious world that lives side by side with it. The heroine, a young girl who may carry a magical seed of immortality (the soul of god's only child who once ventured into the world of men, suffered, and died long ago), is contacted by shapeshifting fairies who lead her to a faun (much like the mythological Pan) who says she may reclaim her throne and escape the mortal world by performing three tasks. The faun in Pan's Labyrinth is every bit as complex as the mythological Pan, a creature perhaps older than the gods themselves. There's something sly, and perhaps even sexual about this elegant and almost alien faun, as he represents the forces at play inside this sensitive young girl. In fact, like every good fairy tale, all of the strange, wondrous, and chilling creatures represent facets of the subconscious, including baby-eating ghouls, flitting fairies, and gluttonous toads.

Pan's Labyrinth is a commentary on the resiliency and power of the human imagination, and takes us to the place where dreams are spun and the great heroic tale of overcoming (of the self and the world) takes root. That spark of the divine in all of us -or at least the hope of it -powers the great story of our lives, and we need tales like this to remind of us of the magic and transformative power of story telling. In the flickering light of the theater, like some great hearth around which we've gathered, Pan's Labyrinth took me back to my childhood, and made me think of so many of the great stories I'd read over the years -of demonic dogs with saucer-sized eyes, of child-stealing trolls, and evil stepmothers. And, finally, of the champions who venture down into those great cracks in the Earth, where the roots of mythic trees twist and wind and the greatest treasure of all can be found: the noble, heroic, and undying spirit that lies within us.

First of all, this film is not suitable for children. It is intended to be an adult fairytale with a young girl as its protagonist. Everyone I know who have viewed this film has loved it, including my 75 year old father, who is not really into foreign films or art films.

The is not suitable for children for a few scenes of torture and violence. While difficult to watch, it serves to create a sense of real peril, ugliness, cruelty and evil that propels our protagonist to seek comfort in another world of grotesque beauty. She is a young girl in the midst of a brutal civil war where both sides reside under her roof, and the only reason she is safe is because her mother is pregnant by a fascist general. There is a sense that this safety is precarious and could evaporate quickly due to circumstances beyond her control.

The protagonists other world is sparked by a discovery of an old labyrinth by the old house where the general holds his position and has a doctor see to the pregnant mother's ailing health.

This other world that is created is amazingly done and is beautiful in its grotesquely Gothic way. The original score is perfect for the film with its haunting humming lullaby. The young girl is perfect young heroine that is flawed but lovable. You want her to fulfill her destiny and escape to her throne in a magical place. The rest of the cast are amazing showing the full range of humanity in a time of war from immense cruelty to amazing courage and compassion. The film itself has a great sense of pacing, almost poetic writing, and is able to keep up the feeling of suspense.

The movie is sad, beautiful, cruel, agonizing, and has kept haunting me. The film made me cry and at times took my breath away. It made me feel great to see such a well-made movie in the era of over hyped corporate films. This had the craftsmanship of an expert watchmaker.

The lullaby still lingers in my mind.

Buy NEW Pan's Labyrinth - Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (steelb (Blu-ray) Now

If anyone wants to know where the dark, creepy fairy tales of old went, here's a hint: Guillermo del Toro is doing a pretty good job with the fairy tales for adults.

"Pan's Labyrinth" ("El Laberinto del Fauno") is a sequel of sorts to "The Devil's Backbone," a magical realism film about the Spanish Civil War. But this movie takes us deeper into a world that is half real, half ominous fairy tale, with a unique and imaginative story and some really excellent acting -in short, a triumph.

Time and place: 1944, Spain. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her very pregnant mother travel to meet her new stepfather, the brutal and murderous Captain Vidal (Sergi López). Ofelia loathes her new stepfather, but is transfixed by the eerie forests around them -and one night she is visited by a fairy, and encounters a giant faun who tells her that she is Princess Moanna of the netherworld, and must return there.

To do so, he tells her that she must do three things, and gives her a strange book. Ofelia menages first task, but is frightened out of her wits by the second task, which involves a hideous monster with eyes in its hands. Even worse, her mother's pregnancy is getting more dangerous. As the guerillas and the fascists clash, Ofelia faces being trapped outside the netherworld forever... and being offered a terrible choice if she wants to get in.

Fairy tales have become cleaned-up and cutesy over time, so that children can read them without nightmares. But del Toro knows that the best fairy tales are the eerie, bizarre ones for adults, that are connected somehow to the real world. That is what makes "Pan's Labyrinth" so brilliantly dark and heartfelt.

Del Toro obviously crafted this with care, directing it in a dreamlike style and brilliant visuals. The eerie atmosphere of Ofelia's wanderings -the delicate yet menacing faun, the chalk doors, the monuments, and the pasty nightmare with eyes in its palms -is both a contrast and a parallel with the everyday world, which Ofelia hopes to escape.

At first, it seems like the post-Civil War and fairy tale stories don't mesh, until you see that the "real world" story is Ofelia's motivation to escape from all the fear, pain and sorrow. But Del Toro's biggest triumph is an ending that is beautifully bittersweet, and which turns out to hinge on Ofelia's newborn brother.

But del Toro's biggest triumph is in the instant connection we feel to Ofelia, with her love of the fantastical and her desire to go somewhere "safe." Baquero is absolutely wonderful in this, as a girl who isn't entirely of this world -in her heart, she belongs somewhere beyond. And López is the ideal villain -you spend the whole movie wanting to see him gruesomely killed.

Half "Mirrormask" and half gritty war story, "Pan's Labyrinth" is one of the best fantasy stories in years -dark, passionate and beautifully made. Definitely a great movie.

Read Best Reviews of NEW Pan's Labyrinth - Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (steelb (Blu-ray) Here

As I write this review, I am listening to the Pan's Labyrinth OST for the sixth time on the film's official website. Without question in my mind, Pan's Labyrinth definitely has the best soundtrack of 2006, perhaps even 2007, though as of this review the year is not yet ended.

Like most movies, I read many reviews of Pan's Labyrinth before deciding to see it. As a long-time admirer of Roger Ebert's reviews, I took his praise of the film seriously and decided to dole out seven bucks. I missed the opening shot. Perhaps it was best that way, since it would have probably influenced my perception of the rest of the movie.

Pan's Labyrinth was advertised as a fairy tale for adults and the trailers were predominantly concerned with the handful of fanciful creatures and little Ofelia. Coincidentally, a few months later, another movie used the same advertising ploy to draw in viewers. Many complained that the trailers for Bridge To Terabithia made it out to be another Narnia and thus misleading, even though they could have saved themselves the trouble by simply reading a synopsis of the novel the movie was based on. The parallels between Pan's Labyrinth and Terabithia struck me as sign that American cinema was veering towards a precipice over which it would plummet into the abyss of Roald Dahlian theatrics. Not surprisingly, criticisms for Pan's Labyrinth and Terabithia were very similar -the ads were misleading, there was not enough fantasy and too much reality. Again, they should have simply done some reading before going to the movie. The old addage isn't always true, ignorance isn't always bliss.

Much of the criticism surrounding Pan's Labyrinth is directed towards the violence and adverse ratio of fantasy to war, as well as use of subtitles (Americans hate reading, it seems). Both complaints show a widespread lack of understanding about some of the film's fine points and overall ignorance. With regard to the violence, Pan's Labyrinth is indeed a violent, gory movie. Seeing as how it's set during wartime, specifically WWII, it is really no different than other wartime films such as Glory or the History Channel mini-series Band Of Brothers. War is grisly and Guillermo del Toro doesn't pussyfoot away from that fact. He includes scenes of gore which, aside from that of Captain Vidal stitching his mouth back together a sign of Vidal's stout resilience and possibly even an allusion to the Joker's smile could hardly be considered excessive. Nobody loses a head or limb; guts don't spill out all over the ground; nails don't protrude out of eye sockets -the level of gore in Pan's Labyrinth is hardly worth criticizing.

Captain Vidal, the main antagonist, is what many would consider truly evil. Some argue his character is unrealistically evil, that he's too sadistic. It seems people are wont to forget Newton's rule of thumb -for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Throughout the film, action and reaction drive the military and rebels. Action, reaction. Push, pull. One thing leads to another. Captain Vidal commands a military outpost resisting Republican rebels. His father died in Morocco and the death greatly affected Vidal. He takes his frustration out on the rebels. As a military man, he knows there is a possibility he might be killed, so he yearns for an heir. Enter his wife Carmen, pregnant with Vidal's son, or so he likes to believe. The camp's physician warns against presuming the child's gender, compounding Vidal's stress. Action, reaction. Push, pull. Carmen brings her daughter Ofelia. Had she been a boy instead, perhaps Vidal would have accepted her. Or perhaps not. Action, reaction. Enter the faeries.

The beauty of this film is del Toro's weaving of reality and fantasy. As I said, I missed the first minute of the movie and as such may not have put it in the correct perspective. The first faerie appears separate from Ofelia as a mantis which follows her to the camp. One night it visits her in bed where she asks, "Did you follow me here? Are you a fairy?" at which point she shows the mantis a picture of a fairy and it turns into one, albeit with an insectoid head. Del Toro claims this was intended to distinguish his faeries from the classic beautified representations. Indeed, nothing in the fantasy realm is beautiful to the viewer, but rather grotesque and at times fearsome. Everything in the supernatural realm mirrors the world in which Ofelia lives. There is nothing wholly beautiful. Even the beauty of child-bearing is marred by pain and blood, as Carmen suffers numerous maladies as she struggles to carry Vidal's heir to term.

The supernatural never appear in the same scene as any other character except Ofelia, excluding the faerie's nocturnal visit while Carmen was fast asleep. Aware of this, it's easy for the viewer to perceive everything as being in Ofelia's head, but the two worlds collide when Ofelia puts a mandrake root under her ailing mother's bed and Carmen gradually recovers, much to everyone's amazement. But Vidal, ever distrustful of Ofelia, mistakes her actions as an attempt on the unborn heir's life. Carmen defends her daughter and after Vidal leaves the room admonishes her for believing in such superstitions. She then tosses the mandrake root into the fireplace, at which point she immediately goes into labor and soon after dies during childbirth. Without Carmen to protect Ofelia, Vidal links the young girl with a treacherous maid and has Ofelia imprisoned in her room. At wit's end, Ofelia cries out for help and is visited once more by the ambiguous faun.

It is at this point which the recurring assumption that Pan's Labyrinth is about escapism becomes fundamentally incorrect. In review after review, the fantasy realm is just that -fantasy. It's all in Ofelia's head as a means for her to escape the harsh realities of the embattled world around her. In actuality, Ofelia not only brings the real world into the "fantasy realm," but she brings fantasy into the real. The labyrinth itself is real. The faeries are insectoid. The toad was inspired by Vidal's umbrella. The terrifying Pale Man was an amalgram of metaphors. And her home kingdom... To mention anything about that would be a spoiler. But after she has been locked in her room, the faun visits Ofelia and gives her a quest: "Fetch your brother and bring him to the labyrinth as quickly as possible." At this point fantasy and reality collide head-on. Ofelia escapes from her prison through supernatural means and kidnaps her brother, thus involving Captain Vidal in the mythical quest.

Escapism -the desire to retreat into imaginative entertainment to escape the harshness of reality. Escapism is sitting in front of a television eight hours a day instead of going out partying. Escapism is chatting or writing lengthy reviews on Amazon instead of hanging out with friends. Escapism is definitely not what Pan's Labyrinth is about. For Ofelia, reality and fantasy are one and the same.

And when all is said and done and the credits roll, you may find yourself questioning your own beliefs. What is real? What is fantasy? And just who really had the most fanciful thoughts? Ofelia with her fairy kingdom? The rebels with their fight for freedom from national oppression? Or Captain Vidal with his unwaivering desire for a son to follow in his footsteps?

Want NEW Pan's Labyrinth - Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (steelb (Blu-ray) Discount?

One of the most beautiful, haunting, heart-breaking and, ultimately, exhilarating films I've ever seen (4 times in a theater, alone). This is great film-making that will creep back into your thoughts long after you've seen it and it will make you embarrassed about that last piece of Hollywood bilge you saw. At it's core is an uncanny performance by a young lady named Ivana Baquero as Ofelia that is so honest and brave that it will break your heart AND lift you up. The director Guillermo Del Toro deftly balances the ugliness of fascist, war-torn Spain and the fantasy world that may be Ophelia's refuge without undermining either.

If you treasure great film, you will want to hold on to this one. It's a gem.

Fired Up (Unrated Edition) (2009)

I think the best way to see this film is to know they had fun making it, producing it and to get something out of it like the commentary says: "...they will be studying this for years to come at USC film school..."

Let's get all of the hate mail out of the way. Yes the leads are all over 30, yes it is another dang cheer film, yes it has nothing new to add to the comedy plate this year, and so on. But I still got some good laughs out of it and plenty of fit people to look at. The main thing that struck me was the chemistry between the two main actors, they were actually believable and funny. The supporting cast had some great moments, especially John Michael Higgins as Coach Keith and Philip Baker Hall as Coach Byrnes they both showed awesome chops in doing their corny roles.

The film quality was excellent, the sound was a fun 5.1 and the impressive long-takes actually looked good. Whether you love or hate this film, that one take when the crew arrives at camp showcasing the 178 ladies on the steps was impressive. The unrated is only a few seconds longer and contains some nice (and natural) upper body nudity in the night swimming sequence.

The special features give this 2.5 star film the last 1.5. There is a 15 minute making-of, a 7 minute clip on the "stunting" involved, and 8 minutes of unrated outtakes which if anything are hilarious because of those damn peacocks. The quick press junket shows Eric Olsen in meltdown mode and the commentary with the director and two leads is worth it. Even if to hear little tidbits on how the main cast got each other sick from the kissing scenes or how everything was actually filmed in LA and not in Hinsdale.

Plenty of people hate this film, but I fell into the category of liking it and laughing. I suppose it will be mandatory for the cheer fans out there, but this will actually keep the guys interested also.

This one is a good one! I watched it on a plane and had to buy it so I could watch it properly. If you like 'Bring it on', this is a must-see.

Buy Fired Up (Unrated Edition) (2009) Now

Few films rival Goodfellas, On the Water Front, or Raging Bull...

Only one movie blows them out of the water. That movie is Fired Up!

Never before has a director captured the spirit of American film like writer and director Will Gluck does in this underrated tale of teenage angst, the dark side of American cheerleading, the consequences of dating pre-med students, and the hidden code of American cheer.

An instant classic that transcends time and space, Fired Up! is an emotionally charged whipsaw exploring the chaotic lives of high school sports stars Shawn Colfax and Nick Brady. Eric Christian Olson, who plays Brady, mesmerizes audiences with his thespian range, magically evolving into a hormone-charged teenager who questions not only his lot in life, but also the depths of his sexuality when he meets Downey.

The best supporting actor role of 2009 should have definitely been given to David Watson for his epic portrayal of Dr. Rick. This performance was so translucent that the manuerisms and monologues will most definitely be studied by students at Tisch School at NYU for generations.

I wish the universe were larger so that I could give this film infinite stars. Just thinking of the performances by Phillip Baker Hall and John Michael Higgins moves my soul in a way that no touch of another human being ever could. If you don't buy this film for yourself, then you are cheating yourself out of an experience that only sex on a chocolate waterfall with Zues himself could rival.

Read Best Reviews of Fired Up (Unrated Edition) (2009) Here

People over analyze everything. Its a movie about two football guys who go to cheer camp to get girls. One Boy falls for a girl but both guys learn a valuable lesson. It is funny, simple and perfect. A great movie to watch with extremely funny parts especially when they watch Bring It On. Its a fun movie, thats it.

Want Fired Up (Unrated Edition) (2009) Discount?

Believe me when I saw the commercials for this film I was like "pass", but when it came out on dvd i saw it on netflix and was surprise how good and funny it was and it didn't look like one of those stupid low budget movies,fired up is simple two guys in high school go to cheerleading camp to hook up with as many girls as possible in what results to lots of jokes and crazy cheerleading and thats about it believe this is still a good movie to watch,you'll have fun with it till the very end.

Save 25% Off

Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933)

**EDIT 12-6-11** Overall, I'll say that Criterion did a great job on the restoration and transfer of this 1933 classic. I would describe the picture quality as very good, not perfect, but very good. Signs of aging are still evident throughout the film (mainly vertically running scratches), but not to the extent of distracting or taking away from the viewing experience. Quality-wise, this is the clearest, most crisp version of this film that I have viewed.

Based on the Broadway hit by legendary playwright Noël Coward, Design for Living is an excellent Pre-Code comedy from the always daring Paramount Pictures. Directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch, the film provides us with a refreshing look at the way American films were made before being heavily censored by the enforcement of the Hays Code in 1934. With the help of a risqué script from Hollywood veteran Ben Hecht, the director adds his famous "Lubitsch touch" to give us a very witty and fluid movie starring three of the biggest stars of the period. Gary Cooper, Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins have great chemistry together and really help to convey the message of the filmmakers you only live once so do what makes you happy, regardless of how others view you.

In its day, Design for Living was very controversial for two reasons. The first and most obvious reason being the very risqué plot involving a ménage-à-trois relationship between three young Americans living in Paris. This film really took a jab at the morals and virtues that certain groups, namely the Legion of Decency, were trying to infuse back into American cinema. The second reason is that many people, including Noël Coward, were upset that screenwriter Ben Hecht retained only one line from the original play. Whether true or false, it's believed he did this in part to remove the homosexual context present in Coward's play, fearing that this even more controversial subject of the day would inevitably lead to the film being heavily censored, if it was ever played at all.

As always, I will provide only a brief description of the plot itself, as I don't want to ruin the movie for someone who hasn't seen it. The film opens as two friends, playwright Tom (March) and artist George (Cooper), are traveling by train to Paris. While sleeping, they are joined in their compartment by a beautiful young stranger, Gilda (Hopkins). Gilda, who is an artist herself, commences to draw a humorously accurate caricature of the sleeping pair, both of whom are snoring with their mouths wide open and feet propped up. The drawing ends up being the icebreaker for the trio, and after some initial criticisms, they quickly become friends. From here two major problems arise. First, Gilda has a wealthy suitor named Max (played by the wonderful Edward Everett Horton) who has been courting her for five years. Secondly, both Tom and George fall in love with Gilda while being totally unaware of each other's feelings for her. One fateful day, immediately after the friends find out they're in love with the same woman, Gilda phones to say she's coming over. After her arrival, Gilda confesses that she loves both men equally, therefore she can't decide between them. Being the crafty woman she is, Gilda proposes an arrangement to the two unsuspecting men a "gentleman's" agreement allowing her to be with both of them. After a discussion, the newly formed group decides on one major clause in the agreement, no sex. Obviously this arrangement has the potential for causing some major problems, and well... it does. Everything I just revealed to you happens very early in the movie so there are many things left unspoiled. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

As I stated earlier, Design for Living did not sit very well with many people upon its initial release. On this note, I feel like I should clarify something. Just because something was controversial 80 years ago does not mean it will shock audiences today. This movie is fairly tame by today's standards, but in 1933 Hollywood its subject matter was eye-opening, very much so to film censorship advocates. Design for Living, along with Barbara Stanwyck's Baby Face, were two of the final straws that led to the Hays Code being actively enforced in 1934, severely limiting the content of American films until the late 1960's. After the code was enforced, Design for Living was banned by the Legion of Decency and denied a Production Code Administration certification, leading to the film being shelved and almost forgotten for several decades.

**Special Features and Technical Aspects As Listed by Criterion**

-New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

-"The Clerk," starring Charles Laughton, director Ernst Lubitsch's segment of the 1932 omnibus film If I Had a Million

-Selected-scene commentary by film scholar William Paul

-British television production of the play Design for Living from 1964, introduced on camera by playwright Noël Coward

-New interview with film scholar and screenwriter Joseph McBride on Lubitsch and screenwriter Ben Hecht's adaptation of the Coward play

-PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kim Morgan

United States

1933

91 minutes

Black and White

1.33:1

English

A disgruntled screenwriter stormed into director Ernst Lubitsch's office, threw 120 blank pieces of paper down onto his desk and said "Here! Give this the Lubitsch touch!"

Obviously, that's a writer's story...but the truth is that when Lubitsch did have a good script...or even a fair one, he was, indeed, able to bring that extra special "touch" to the material, thereby creating a series of risque' sophisticated comedies in the 1930s and 40s that have yet to be equaled. He was never vulgar in his "touches," but employed often hilarious visual suggestions, thus making it quite clear as to what was really going on behind those closed bedroom doors.

DESIGN FOR LIVING (1933) was adapted to the screen by Ben Hecht from Noel Coward's play. Miriam Hopkins stars as a commercial artist, who becomes smitten with both Gary Cooper, a struggling painter, and starving playwright Fredric March. The trio decides to live together...platonically...but you can imagine how long that aspect of the relationship lasts...and the problems that it causes. Edward Everett Horton co-stars in this witty, well-played comedy.

The Criterion Collection has released a marvelous 2-disc edition of DESIGN FOR LIVING that, aside from a new high-definition digital restoration with uncompressed monaural sound, also includes selected scene commentary by film professor William Paul, an interview with Joseph McBride on Lubitsch, plus a 1964 British television version of the play introduced by Coward and, best of all, the short sequence that Lubitsch directed for IF I HAD A MILLION (1932) featuring Charles Laughton. It was the funniest bit in that picture.

Finally, there is a booklet containing an essay by film critic Kim Morgan.

© Michael B. Druxman

Buy Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933) Now

Amazing Pre-Code film that I'm ecstatic to see has been selected by Criterion for this DVD release. I've been a fan of this particular genre for over a decade and when asked by friends to pick a movie that would help introduce them to the best of the Pre-Code releases in existence and release, I almost always pick "Design for Living".

Everything is just spot on excellent performances, witty banter and a most unusual (yet completely plausible) exploration of the very nature of love and commitment. While missing some of the more naughty innuendo of the original Coward production, it still contained enough sex, sophistication and above all and at the heart of the film, a loving trio, to become one of the pinnacle films to sound the death knell on the pre-Hays freedom days and put into action the Production Code.

The bare bones of the story goes like this girl (Gilda) meets boys (Tom & George) on a train. The three start off as friends and I'll leave it at that. Any more would completely ruin the plot and though you can probably guess what happens next, this is a movie that should be seen, savored and enjoyed piece by piece and scene by scene. I must say though, if put in Gilda's situation and forced to choose between Frederic March and Gary Cooper at the height of their talents, handsomeness and charm, why not establish 'a gentleman's agreement', particularly when one of the trio is most notably not a gentleman?

Directed masterfully by Ernst Lubitsch from Ben Hecht's adaptation of Noel Coward's play, this is definitely more than a light, screwball comedy. It's one of the best, most sophisticated and unconventional romances you'll ever see on screen. Even for a modern audience, the theme is not outdated, which just goes to show how ahead of the curve many Pre-Code films were even when seen through our 21st century eyes. One has to wonder just how many more gems such as this we might have gotten, had the Code not crashed the party.

Read Best Reviews of Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933) Here

Noel Coward, at least in the New York theater scene, is having something of another revival which prompted me to take a second, or maybe third look, at his work. No question he had a serious sense of plot and language when it came to writing "manner" plays addressing "high society (or what passed for high society in his day)," a look at that society from one who came to appreciate its frills and follies from a personal past of barely rubbing two nickels together. That is the case here with the film adaptation of the somewhat autobiographical sketch play, Design for Living (along some material help from his coming up from obscurity friends, the actors Lunt and Fontaine).

As with many adaptations from books or plays the relationship to the original source can be, well, attenuated as it is here, at least according to Mr. Coward, on the use of dialogue. But the general plot outline is similartwo guys, two artsy guys (one Gary Cooper who passes for the Midwestern All-American boy complete with ah shuck) and a world-weary gal get all balled up in a threesome, a love triangle, comedic or not, and for a while nobody could win. It all gets sorted out by the end but not before what passed for 1930s humor, including deadpan and slapstick humor, got a workout. This one is probably too tame for today's audiences having seen every kind of social possibility on the screen by now but in the 1930s this was, and rightly so I think, regarded as sophisticated comedy, and certainly the subject matter raised eyebrows. Not the best Coward (or Cooper and March) but interesting.

Want Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933) Discount?

There's no doubt about what's going on in Design for Living, a delightful high comedy about a ménage a trois, written by Noel Coward as rewritten by Ben Hecht and directed by Ernst Lubitsch...and it's not hanky panky. No, it's just joyous, straightforward sex.

Please note, before any fastidious persons who fancy themselves "reviewers" nail me to a tree. I have watched this movie more than once when it was released as part of The Gary Cooper Collection. It looked good then, and I plead guilty to not having watched it yet in the newly released Criterion edition I expect Criterion has done it proud. I plan to buy it. I have no idea what the extras may be like, but then I seldom watch the extras or listen to any film's commentary.

When two artists, the painter George Curtis (Gary Cooper) and the playwright Tom Chambers (Fredric March), encounter Gilda Farrell (Miriam Hopkins) on the train to Paris, their 11-year friendship is going to be intriguingly tested. Gilda (with a soft "g") captures them both, and she reciprocates but can't choose. And why should she? She moves in with them. There's only one solution, however, to the inevitable problem. "Boys," she tells them "it's the only thing we can do. Let's forget sex." And with that, of course, neither they nor we can. Says Gilda to George and Tom later, "It's true we had a gentleman's agreement, but unfortunately, I am no gentleman." And says Tom to Gilda later, "George betrayed me for you. Without wishing to flatter you, I understood that. I can still understand it. But you betrayed me for George. An incredible choice!"

Ben Hecht often bragged that only one line of Coward's survived in his screenplay. All I know is that Hecht's words are some of the finest and funniest, as well as the most amusingly realistic, you're likely to find in a high-gloss Hollywood comedy. The movie just barely got in under the wire before the Production Code began to enforce the prude's code of morality on America. Lubitsch and Hecht create a sophisticated world in which going to bed with someone you like is as natural as...well, going to bed with someone you like. There's no leering or innuendo in the movie, just a reliance on the sophistication of the audience. For instance, Gilda explains to Tom and George the differences between how men and women sort things out. "You see," she tells them, "a man can meet two, three or four women and fall in love with all of them, and then, by a process of interesting elimination, he is able to decide which he prefers. But a woman must decide purely on instinct, guesswork, if she wants to be considered nice." The point we're aware of with a smile is that Gilda not only is nice, but smart, and that she's already tested the waters with each of them.

We start the movie with an ménage a trois, but one that turns into a duet with George and then a duet with Tom. After some encounters with business versus art, we all come to our senses and enjoy the sight of Gilda, George and Tom reunited in New York with a plan in mind. "Now we'll have some fun," Gilda says happily. "Back to Paris!" I have a feeling that forgetting sex won't be part of the plan for long.

The frisson of a bi-sexual ménage a trois is substantially toned down by Lubitsch and Hecht. While it wasn't explicit in Coward's stage play, one would have to be deaf and blind not to get the subtext, especially with Coward and Alfred Lunt as the two male leads when the play opened. In the movie, however, this just becomes inconsequential speculation, especially with Gary Cooper and Fredric March in the roles. Cooper manages not to embarrass himself in this highly polished comedy of sex and style, but it's clear that what works in Cooper's favor are his looks, not his line delivery or body language. March and Hopkins, however, are completely at ease and are a joy to watch.

Hollywood wouldn't make movies this adult and amusing until the Fifties, and even then the level of sophistication and respect for the audience, in my opinion, never fully recovered. Every now and then it's possible to come across in pre-Code Hollywood films of such mature pleasure you hope others will like them, too. Says one character in Design for Living, "Immorality may be fun, but it isn't fun enough to take the place of 100 per cent virtue and three square meals a day." How wrong he was...and is.

Save 50% Off

Night at the Museum Collection (2010)

I still gave it 5 stars. I wish you could do half stars. I would have docked it half a star for the fact that it's 2 full cases that come in a very nice cardboard box. EXCEPT, the cardboard box is not an open ended kind on the side so you can just slide the regular plastic cases out the side. Instead, check my photos. You will see you have to open the flaps from the top and pull the cases out. Which is sad because it's a nice box with pull tab that changes the characters in the windows. Instead the box is a pain to keep moving the cases in and out of. I got this box set for about the same cost as just the 2nd movie. And you get the Blu-Ray only version of the first film (I happen to already have the first film on DVD). And you get the 3 disc Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital Copy set of the 2nd movie!

And since it's just the 2 normal cases in a box. It's like buying both separately but cheaper in my case. It just would have been nice to see this nice cardboard box with an open side so I could keep it on the shelf and still get the movie cases in and out easy. Such a simple thing that would have made this box set top notch.

Read the reviews of the Blu-Ray versions below. The first film has some quality issues. But is still a huge step up from the DVD version. And the 2nd film has a good video transfer. Link was removed to the review, google for the blu-ray review. (not the movie review)

Love Ben Stiller's movies. In Blu-ray they are even better. We laughed again even though we've seen NATM several times before

Buy Night at the Museum Collection (2010) Now

I had the original in DVD & I loan it to someone & I never received it back. So, it was nice to find these movies in Blu-Ray. I would buy from this seller again.

Read Best Reviews of Night at the Museum Collection (2010) Here

We bought this after watching the first movie. My 6 year old loves Night at the Museum so much we pretend to be characters from the movie and run around the house playing.

Want Night at the Museum Collection (2010) Discount?

So you should buy this to have the full collection, but I have to say: unlike most movie franchises, the sequel here is far better than the original. There are some truly hysterical moments in the sequel, and Frank Azaria should have received an Oscar for his performance. And here's one thing worthy to note: a lot of kids movies try to work in jokes that only adults will get to keep the adults entertained -but the jokes are usually sexual in nature, a lot of double entendres. And I'm no prude, but still: it's not very original. In Night 2: Battle for the Smithsonian, the adult jokes are laugh out loud funny -and none of them have to do with sex. They parody co-workers we might all relate to, or songs that we know, or -most of the time -historical figures. If you know even the tiniest part about history, you'll be laughing out loud at Custer in this movie. I feel like these sorts of "adult" jokes required far more creativity than making yet another pun on the phrase "come out" or showing adults coming to the door in dissheveled clothes...and you'll laugh more because of it. This is one of the very few movies that when my 5 year old son asks me to put it on, I eagerly watch with him (and he's watched both of these at least 20 times since we purchased it, so they get a lot of miles...)

Save 60% Off

March of the Wooden Soldiers (3D Blu-Ray)

There are two versions offered for sale at Amazon. The Koch Vision Entertainment version, despite the description in the technical details, is NOT COLORIZED. The Goodtimes Home Video version version IS colorized. Which you prefer is entirely up to you, but don't order the Koch Vision version if you want the movie in color. The Koch Vision version has an extended silent film extra of the first time Laurel and Hardy appeared together (NOT as a team, however). The extra is interesting, but (by today's standards anyhow) a little slow. The Goodtimes Entertainment (Colorized) version, although a few cents cheaper than the other version, is, in my opinion, a much "cleaner" print. Even with the color level turned down so it appears as the original B&W, the Goodtimes version is sharper and more distinct. March of the Wooden Soldiers, holds up pretty well.

The Laurel and Hardy classic, March of the Wooden Soldiers (originally released as Babes in Toyland), was the fantastic result of combining two tremendous talents with a childlike, fantasy world and adult situations (Laurel and Hardy, Toyland and an evil landlord's mortgage conspiracy, respectively). Such rich source material makes for a film of unsurpassed quality: featuring rich and imaginative environments, costumes, sights and sounds. Every fairytale has its day, from Little Bo Peep to the Three Little Pigs to Mother Goose, and even Santa. We all know that the winter months are a time to remember to greatest holiday classics from years past, and March of the Wooden Soldiers is unsurpassed in its genre.

The holidays are associated with bright and festive colors--bright reds, greens, blues and golds--that set a warm and cheery mood, and the movies that we choose to enjoy during this season are no different. Fortunately, this edition of March of the Wooden Soldiers has been colorized, bringing newfound vibrancy to the events on screen and helping to integrate this classic tale with the traditional warmth of the holiday season. Rather than a visually dull grayscale that reminds one of the dour winter weather, toy soldiers shimmer in brilliant red onscreen, and our two comedian leads are further humanized by their newfound flesh tones and colorful Christmas garb.

As colorization efforts go, March of the Wooden Soldiers is a superlative effort, looking as though it was originally produced in the first generation of Technicolor, rather than decades earlier. The producers in charge of this re-mastering effort clearly thought that we would find an "aged color" appearance more acceptable than attempting to make it look completely modern, and this approach works very well. I'm sure you'll agree if you see a preview.

It's worth noting that this disc also includes the black and white version of the movie, perhaps as a peace offering to those of you who might object to the alteration of a classic film. I would go so far, then, as to call this the definitive purchase of March of the Wooden Soldiers, not just because you'll have a choice between color and black and white, but because the first step in colorizing any movie is to "clean up" the pre-existing black and white material as much as possible, and it certainly shows in comparison with other versions available.

In addition to both versions of the movie, this disc's special features really push it over the top. As a media buff, the included classic trailers are a wonderful prelude to the main feature--I like to imagine that I'm getting the same experience as the audiences who first viewed Laurel and Hardy some seventy years ago. And, in keeping with this package's holiday theme, the animated Rudolph the Reindeer movie is thoughtfully included, ensuring that you and your family get the most value out of a single disc.

For any family or fan of holiday cinema, this package is definitely a must-buy.

Buy March of the Wooden Soldiers (3D Blu-Ray) Now

Wow is all I can say! Laurel and Hardy's March of the Wooden Soldiers (aka Babes in Toyland) has never looked better. Legend Films and Genius Products found rare 35mm film elements and did a high definition digital restoration to create the finest looking black-and-white version of this L&H holiday classic ever seen. And to beat that, they created a stunning new COLOR version on the same DVD with a new Colorization technology. It really looks like it was shot in color. This disc is then jammed full of great bonus features to take any nostalgic viewer down Christmas memory lane. This DVD is FAR superior to the Goodtimes version (I viewed them side by side) and well worth the extra couple of dollars. I highly recommend this new definitive version of March of the Wooden Soldiers (with the Red box) both for yourself or for a gift.

Read Best Reviews of March of the Wooden Soldiers (3D Blu-Ray) Here

The "review" from Robert Badgley of March Of The Wooden Soldiers is certainly not the truth and clearly appears to be written by someone with a strange agenda. I suggest he get his facts straight before writing such a misleading, false and defamatory review. Amazon reviews are intended to inform, not mislead and misinform.

I was personally responsible for producing the prior color release from Goldwyn and I am also responsible for producing the current color and black and white release from Legend Films.

This was truly a lost Laurel and Hardy film. Film prints of this movie have gone from distributor to distributor and are well worn. However, both Goldwyn and a renowned distributor and collector provided 35mm material to produce a complete print that is widely recognized to be the highest quality. In my previous colorization company, American Film Technologies, I transferred that 35mm print to analog one-inch video tape. While extremely inferior by today's standards, one-inch video tape was the industry standard in video resolution at the time.

Now, for the FIRST TIME the Goldwyn film of March Of The Wooden Soldiers has been transferred Digitally in High Definition. The black and white High Definition tape, was completely restored using the Legend Films proprietary restoration technology. Then with the latest colorization process the film was colorized in High Definition resolution. This is the same Legend Films process used by Martin Scorsese to produce color special effects for The Aviator. The resulting color frames were then used to create a new High Definition colorized version. So you have on the Legend Films DVD, both the fully restored black and white version and a separate, fully restored color version.

By every measure, I believe the Legend Films DVD release is the highest quality black and white and color version of March Of The Wooden Soldiers that exists anywhere today.

Barry B. Sandrew, Ph.D.

Founder/COO, CTO

Legend Films, Inc.

Want March of the Wooden Soldiers (3D Blu-Ray) Discount?

This Laurel and Hardy treasure remains the definitive holiday movie. "March of the Wooden Soldiers" (the original "Babes in Toyland") is a timeless musical-comedy with Stan and Ollie in top form abetted by stylish sets and visual effects. Most "colorized" films are an artistic desecration; however, this particular video is rendered in low-key pastels that resemble early Technicolor. The results are better than expected. Laurel and Hardy fans should be doubly pleased because this uncut version contains a delightful "storybook" sequence which hasn't been shown since the film's initial release in 1934. There have been several remakes of "Babes in Toyland," but none can match the original's effortless charm.

Save 25% Off

Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2

A good bit of this film is a superhero-origins story, in which we follow Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a plain-featured young man of about 20 years old who is a classic "90-pound weakling," as he tries five times to enlist in the Army during the early part of World War II. He is consistently rated as "4F" because of his size and various health issues, including asthma. Inside that small, frail body, however, resides outsized courage, honor, loyalty and persistence. During Steve's fifth trip to the Army recruiters, those virtues in Steve draw the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who escaped the Nazis and is working on a top-secret program to develop super soldiers. Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), who is in charge of the program, wants to use a soldier who is bigger, stronger and has more training for the first human experiment with the Dr. Erskine's super-soldier formula, but the doctor strongly disagrees. He says the other soldier is a bully, but Steve is a good man. It is crucial that anyone receiving the formula be of good character, because the formula enhances the existing personality traits of whoever receives it. Steve would become even more of a good person, but a bully could become a villain.

The experiment is a success, but immediately after Steve is transformed into a handsome, ripped, perfect specimen of manhood, a Nazi spy assassinates Dr. Erskine and steals the formula. Though Steve manages to stop the assassin from escaping, in his first act of heroism as a newly minted superhero, the flask breaks in the process. Without a sample of the formula, it cannot be replicated because the doctor never wrote down the whole formula. Steve is now one of a kind. Unfortunately, the military can't think of anything to do with him other than turn him into a US-flag-wrapped peddler of war bonds appearing in USO shows with chorus girls, until Steve is sent abroad. He finds himself entertaining the recently decimated troops of Col. Phillips and is horrified to discover that his best friend James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has been captured with 400 other Allied soldiers and is being held prisoner in a massively defended fortress deep in enemy lines. Col. Phillips insists he would lose far more men than he could save going after his captured men, and refuses to do anything. But the colonel's assistant, a female military officer, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), encourages Steve to fulfill his destiny as the super-soldier Dr. Erskine created him to be by staging a one-man rescue raid.

On every level this film is outstanding. It is directed by the talented Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji ). The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (the writing team best known for the three Chronicles of Narnia films) is an excellent adaptation, staying true in every important way to the world of a comic-book icon with a 70-year history of stories in Marvel Comics since the Captain's first appearance in 1941.

All of the actors are terrific, but the star, Chris Evans (who played the comic-book superhero, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in the two Fantastic Four films), is superb. Evans gives a depth and breadth to his performance that is remarkable for any genre, but especially for a superhero film. In his capable hands, Steve is endearingly humble, yet enduringly determined to have a chance to contribute to the worldwide struggle against the Nazis in the beginning, origins part of the film. And after the transformation, he compellingly presents Steve as a fascinating contradiction of a relentless, manly warrior who is still emotionally innocent and naïve.

Steve's relationship with Peggy, as his romantic interest in the film, has significant barriers to their connection that makes it both amusing and exciting to watch. She is his superior officer and, for a young man who has barely even had a conversation with a woman before her, it takes more bravery than going to war for him to aspire to a relationship with a woman like Peggy. She is not only gorgeous, but a formidable warrior in her own right. What I found as intriguing as the romantic potential between these two, however, is the fact that they bring out the best in each other. Peggy gives Steve the inspiration to seize his destiny as a super-warrior when the colonel and other leaders have ordered him to sit out the war, and Steve's innate sensitivity and goodness soften the shell of cynicism Peggy has developed around her heart in the harsh, man's world of the Army.

The incredibly versatile Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones) is terrific as Dr. Erskine. Hugo Weaving (who played V in V for Vendetta and Agent Smith in The Matrix movies) is his usual brilliant self as the villain Red Skull. Anytime he appears in anything it is a gift, but he is particularly skilled as a comic-book super villain. As for Tommy Lee Jones, he was simply made for the part of Colonel Chester Phillips. Sebastian Stan (Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl) is a convincing choice as Bucky. He and Chris Evans have excellent buddy chemistry as best friends since childhood. All of the other supporting actors are great, too, including Neal McDonough (Traitor) as Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) as Gabe Jones, Kenneth Choi (Street Kings) as Jim Morita, and JJ Feild (Northanger Abbey) as James Montgomery Falsworth.

Finally, the special effects in the action scenes, aided by computer-generated imagery (CGI), are absolutely breathtaking, making this movie a must-see on the big screen. There is also one other CGI effect that I found awe-inspiring. The real, buffed Chris Evans is trimmed down via CGI to the pre-formula Steve. "It's pretty amazing," Evans told Reuters. "They took shape out of my jaw line, they shrunk my skeleton, and they made my shoulders less broad." They certainly did. The skinny Steve has the body of a prepubescent boy. As for the actual physique of Chris Evans--he went through a specialized training program to put on 15 pounds of muscle on a physique that was already quite ripped.

Among the multiple feature films already done on the Captain, this should delight fans as a standout contribution.

When I was a kid in the 60's, Batman, Spiderman, and Captain America were my 3 favorite superheroes, and remain so to this day.

No need to rehash the other great reviews, but IMO, what they got SO RIGHT here was the CHARACTER of Steve Rogers BEFORE he becomes Captain America.

Just as Batman Begins had us totally invested in Bruce Wayne BEFORE he ever donned the cape and cowl, Marvel works the same type of magic with Steve Rogers & THAT (along with stellar performances by ALL the supporting cast) is what makes this a truly great film.

After suffering through the badly done CA movies of the past, it is a dream fulfilled to see the character brought to life so fantastically By Chris Evans & Joe Johnston.

And the Red Skull--OMG--Incredible makeup & Hugo Weaving shines as always to make the character come across as one of the premiere villains of the Marvel Universe.

Finally--watch the deleted ending scene to see how they really SHOULD have ended the movie--THAT was my only gripe--the truncated ending in the theatrical version.

So, to sum up--FINALLY a GREAT, FUN & FAITHFUL rendition of Captain America.

Bring on the AVENGERS!

It's time to ASSEMBLE!

Buy Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2 Now

I did not know what to expect from this one at all. I vaguely knew Captain America's origins, but he's never been a superhero that caught my interest. I fell in love with the character over the course of the film. Steve Rogers is simply a good person who goes out and does the right thing, even if it means great risk to himself. It's hard not to rally around a character like that.Plus, it's a fun film. The bad guy (Red Skull) is over the top. Captain America's team, the Howling Commandos, are a diverse group of competent soldiers and wisecrackers.Great patriotic stuff!

Read Best Reviews of Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2 Here

For a long time now, Captain America has been my favorite Marvel comics character. He's just awesome. He's been a little on the dark side, particularly during the 80's, when it was required that EVERY superhero comic went through a dark phase, and with some of the recent Brubaker era work, Steve Rogers has seen some serious stuff go down. What Joe Johnston did with this film, and how it not only differentiates itself from all of the other Marvel films (not just the Marvel Studios films, but all films based on Marvel characters), but also how well it works, is how unapologetically sincere and earnest it is.

Without exception, all of the other Marvel-based films have had their fill of post-modern cynicism and self-referential humor, and I'm not really knocking it. For the most part, it's suited the films well, particularly X2 and SPIDER-MAN 2. But this is a film set in the 1940's, and it's about a young man who believes so much in the ideals of his country and who so badly wants to make a difference, he's willing to put his own life on the line to potentially change it.

Most of the heroes in the comic book world are accidents, or some tragedy drives them, or they were born different and were ostracized for their oddities, but Steve Rogers is a hero long before he ever became Captain America, and the exceptional performance of Chris Evans sells that. If there had been a moment of this film that broke from the era to include a line of dialogue that was post-modern humor, it would have utterly broken the back of this film, but thankfully screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus (with a little help from Joss "God" Whedon in a few scenes) never retreat to modern dialogue tropes in order to keep the audience interested. They never make the film totally wooden or sullen either. There is great fun to be had with this film, and you gotta love the little RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK references in it. Also the cast in and of itself is quite good, particularly Stanley Tucci as Abraham Erskine. I honestly get choked up in the scene Erskine and Rogers share in the barracks the night before the experiment. It's my favorite scene of the film, because it gives you time to connect with the characters on an emotional level without any flash or gimmicks. This is pretty easily my favorite of the Marvel Studios films thus far...

Want Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2 Discount?

POST-PRODUCTION 3D (converted from 2D to 3D)

My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

OOS EFFECTS:

There are about 60 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer. Many of them are quick but easily noticeable. An additional 5 effects made it to 20% or more.

IN SCREEN / OBSERVATIONS:

The cardboard cutout syndrome is glaringly noticeable early in the movie and in A FEW other scenes throughout the film with only 1, 2 or 3 depths and a flat background. The balance of the scenes converted well and only appeared slightly shallower in depth than normal and the syndrome was negligible.

If you like action type films, it is easy to overlook the shortcomings of a (fake 3D) conversion and enjoy this movie for what it is. The 3D definitely adds to the viewing experience of this film.

ACTIVE GLASSES USERS:

In addition to the menu; Crosstalk was evident 6 times but only 1 of them was a major eyesore.

(crosstalk varies from system to system)

3 ½ star

MY 3D RATING = GOOD to VERY GOOD (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

Save 37% Off

Meatloaf: Guilty Pleasure Tour, Live From Sydney

64-year-old Meat Loaf hits the stage in Sydney (shortly after a disastrous live performance at the AFL final) accompanied by an army of HD cameras filming what he announced to fans would be one of his final trips to perform in Australia/New Zealand. He makes restitution in full for the AFL nightmare.

The Set-list:

Hot Patootie Bless My Soul/Time Warp

If It Ain't Broke, Break It

Bat Out of Hell

Peace on Earth

Living on the Outside

Los Angeloser

You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)

Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through

Stand in the Storm

I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Paradise by the Dashboard Light

Boneyard/Freebird/All Revved Up medley

Mercury Blues

+a 30-minute documentary offering a backstage look at Meat in preparation for taking the stage

The Good:

The video is outstanding; I'd even go so far as to say flawless. It's simultaneously grand and intimate, basked in vivid colours, and tack-sharp HD. The audio mix on the Blu-ray is equally without fault offering dynamics, impact, clarity, and openness. The addition of a violinist and a sax-player to the band adds a great twist to some of the sound. In particular, the sax-player (Dave Luther) is musically astounding; I've always felt that live rock is aided by the presence of a sax and this is absolute proof. Meat's band has for for 30 years been the single best in the entire business and they are note-perfect here for every second of the performance. Some pieces have been changed out from the long-term lineup, most notably Justin Avery is in and Mark Alexander is out. While I loved Alexander, Avery's take on the songs is fresh and captivating he takes the old and familiar and makes them new and intriguing; he's a jaw-dropping talent. Meat's voice isn't what it once was owing to decades of destructive abuse; however, it gets stronger as the show goes along. Meat himself is a showman without equal in the music industry and he turns in an honest, genuine, heart-felt evening of fun. It was also wonderfully refreshing to have some new songs inserted into a setlist that had remained largely unchanged for several tours. The documentary is a great add-on.

The Bad:

Nothing big really. As mentioned, if you're watching a concert only to hear flawless, prerecorded, Mariah-runs then you're unlikely to be wowed. If, however, you came for a big show by one of the best showman ever, then this shouldn't be a concern. I thought a couple of the tracks were unusual choices and I always wish that Meat would draw in some of his great Bad Attitude tracks as that album has been largely forgotten despite representing one of the best recording outings of his career.

The Verdict:

Essential for any Meat Loaf fan. The best video/audio offering of any Meat concert. The vocals have been better on past concerts, but they in no way leave you feeling let down. The best band that Meat's ever toured with. 5 stars out of 5 without reservations of any sort.

Save 16% Off

Altered States (2012)

A sci-fi favorite of mine, this Academy Award winning film had fallen into obscurity on the video shelves, but is now back with all its original impact in a sharp, well-colored remaster with a brilliant digital 5.1 rendering of the Oscar-winning soundtrack. Ken Russell directs one of his more accessible films (compared to, say, THE DEVILS) based on the novel by Paddy Chayefsky, who, in a move remeniscent of Stephen King on THE SHINING, had his name taken off this movie because he didn't like the director's interpretation of his subject matter.

The film boasts a high-quality cast of young actors from William Hurt in his major film debut to John LaRocquette in the small role of an X-ray technician. Whoever cast this knew whom to select from the period's roster of young talent. Charles Haid, frankly, has never been more impressive as the fast-talking and brilliant skeptic and Bob Balaban is outstanding and self-assured in the role of the supportive friend who forgives Hurt his eccentricities but worries that he may be going crazy. Blair Brown is sexy and appealing and frequently nude as Hurt's just-as-brainy wife anthropologist, and one of the most interesting aspects of this movie is the dialog between these two intellects from the moment they first begin their sizzling sexual liason through their matter-of-fact decision to marry, then divorce, then finally redeem their relationship -while nearly losing Hurt's character to his high-risk experiments.

Among other interesting subplots is Hurt's spiritual ambiguity since his father's fearful death, Hurt's notion that schizophrenia and related conditions may be "altered states" rather than diseases, Blair Brown's pragmatic decision to love Hurt's character, and marry him, despite the fact that he appears not to be wired to love her in return.

For the sci-fi fan there is the once-removed-from-reality premise that man may be able to physically alter his reality through changes in consciousness, whether via the isolation tanks Hurt utlizes in his experiments, or through complex hallucinogenic drugs he researches after an experience with an obscure indian tribe in Mexico. The special effects and the special make-up for Hurt's "throwback" missing link are first rate for their time and still look fairly stunning today. One of the things that impresses me about this movie is that the hallucinatory sequences, while wowing us in a post-psychedelic kind of way, also make sense in terms of the protagonist's life and experience; far more than just kaleidoscopes, the content of the montages are grounded in the story, rather than detouring us from it with eye candy. Ken Russell's religious viewpoint plays a part in the choice of imagery here, but the symbols of crucifixion, the beast and the Bible do not seem intrusive or sensational because they fit seamlessly with the Hurt character's internal struggle.

For the student of sociology, this movie offers a peek into the "turned on" 60s idea that drug experiences actually led somewhere -a notion we now know to be tragically false. But at one time there was speculation that some drugs "expanded the mind" and deepened the life experience, either in terms of increasing one's understanding of the meaning of life or in some fashion maturing one's personality. The only reason this movie still works today is because the movie makes clear that in some tribes, there are substances that are traditionally and successfully used in spiritual rituals, and it is one of these that Hurt uses, in combination with sensory deprivation techniques, to try to get in touch with his own "genetic memory", for lack of a better term.

Again, this movie has much to recommend it, and the DVD release makes possible an experience in the home viewing much like we enjoyed in the theater on first run. Popularly priced, I snapped it up without hesitation for my collection and was rewarded with a very nice presentation of an old favorite. Not much in the way of extras here, just trailers and some text screens for cast, crew and background, but it's still a value, and you get to see the whole 1:1.85 image.

If there is such a thing as genetic memory, than all the phases of human evolution must lie somewhere in our genetic code. What if there was a way we could tap into that stream of information through consciousness? What would we see? What would we learn? Professor Eddie Jessup (William Hurt in his debut role) is intrigued by the data being produced by the use of isolation tanks to induce altered states of consciousness, and decides to undergo the experience himself. What he discovers at first is the ability to relive with total clarity experiences of his childhood. As he continues these experiments, his visions become more acute and filled with religious illusions. Years go by and Jessup has become sedated with the trappings of academia, leaving him unfulfilled and longing for the good old days of experimentation and wonder. He visits a tribe of Mexican Indians that use a hallucinatory drug to evokes a common experience in all users and has the trip of his life! What might he learn inside an isolation tank while being under the influence of this drug? Would he be able to peel away the layers of evolutionary time back to early man and beyond? Perhaps even back to the first thought? His scientific curiosity will not let him resist this challenge. With Ken Russell's visuals and the incredible musical effects of John Corigliano, this film can be absolutely exhilarating.

Buy Altered States (2012) Now

this review is for the "new" 2010 release. well, actually that's a lie. there is absolutely nothing "new" about this release, except the cover art. this is the exact same print as the release from 2004, which in fact was made in 1998. the VOB files on both disks are "exactly" the same. they even have the same creation dates 11/9/1998. the only difference is that this "new" release doesn't have the pan and scan version on the other side of the disk. nice of warner brothers to completely mislead it's customers by using "new" artwork to re-sell the same 12 year old print of a movie that has yet to go OOP. the only explanation i can come up with is that this is a deliberate and "intentional scam" by WB to rip off it's customers. classy move WB, enjoy the money i wasted on this print. movie: four out of five stars, as it is really quite good. disk: less than zero. same for WB execs.

Read Best Reviews of Altered States (2012) Here

"Altered States" written by the gifted Paddy Chayevsky and utilizing the unique directorial talents of Ken Russell is a staggering piece of film making. Russell's use of incredible psychedelic graphic imagery is unparalleled in cinematic history.

William Hurt is his inaugural starring role portrays Eddie Jessup a brilliant Harvard research physiologist who is conducting unprecedented experiments using himself as a guinea pig. Hurt had been introduced to mushroom based hallucinogenic drugs by a tribe of primitive Indians in Mexico courtesy of an expedition with a university colleague. Using these drugs in combination with sensory deprivation in an isolation tank he records astonishing findings much to the disbelief of his colleagues including his wife Emily, a physical anthropologist played by Blair Brown.

Hurt apparently undergoes a genetic reconfiguration and morphs into an altered state of primitive consciousness to become a simian ape man. In one segment of the film, he startlingly emerges from his isolation tank as this ape-man and goes running wild through the bowels of a Boston hospital, out onto the street and winds up in the zoo. He climbs into an enclosure kills a sheep and then devours it. He is subsequently discovered by the police, having transformed back to his human form, in the cage lying next to a bloody carcass.

Wife Brown, endocrinologist friend Dr. Mason Parrish played by Charles Haid and partner in the experiment Arthur Rosenberg played by Bob Balaban are stunned but allow him to redo his experiment under their supervision. The ensuing segment of the film depicting the creation of life, while preposterous, rivals only the graphic effects of Kubrick's phenomenal "2001".

Not having seen this one of a kind film for 25 years, it still had the same stupefying effect as it did when I experienced it the first time.

Want Altered States (2012) Discount?

Sometimes in any moment of your life maybe have decided to cross the line and explore the dark side of your brain . A group of scientists are involved in this potentially dangerous journey of the deepest places of the mind .

The film is visually stunning and terrifying . A good point to Ken Russell who was living his most creative decade .

This movie marks the debut on screen of this gifted actor : William Hurt .

Save 30% Off

The Descendants (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2011)

It seems hard to believe that it's been seven years since Alexander Payne's "Sideways" became the critical darling of 2004. Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and winning Payne an Adapted Screenplay Oscar--that picture (along with Election and About Schmidt) signaled a talented filmmaker with an unorthodox worldview. Blending elements of comedy and drama, Payne has crafted complex characters simultaneously frustrating and sympathetic--but altogether real. In adapting Kaui Hart Hemmings' intimate novel "The Descendants" to the big screen, Payne demonstrates (once again) a deft balance of emotions to create a picture both funny and heartbreaking. I so admired how Payne made vineyards and fine wines a major component, an extra character really, in the sublime "Sideways." In much the same way, Hawaii is a principle character (and I would contend one of the most pivotal) to "The Descendents." It would be easy to imagine someone jettisoning much of this rich texture, but Payne has crafted a loving tribute to the state's heritage in addition to one of the year's most surprising family dramas.

George Clooney plays one of the titular descendants, someone whose family has great historical significance to the Hawaiian Islands. In fact, he and his many cousins own a great tract of undeveloped land that plays a major role in the film's fascinating side story. Front and center, however, is a more personal tale of family dysfunction and pulling together in crisis. When Clooney's somewhat estranged wife is incapacitated in an accident, Clooney must take charge of his troublesome teenage daughter (an astute Shailene Woodley) and his rebellious younger girl (an appealingly unexpected Amara Miller). With mom in a coma, Clooney is left to do his best to reconnect with the girls that he hasn't made enough time for. While this seems to be leading to some routine comic hijinks, the film takes a decidedly more serious turn as Clooney learns about his wife's true feelings. The rest of the movie walks the tightrope about how he and his daughters can channel these revelations and emerge stronger for it. And the film runs the gamut of emotions with anger, betrayal, love, and regret sharing equal time as the family embarks on a tumultuous journey together.

While I know this makes the film sound like a bit of a downer, there is much humor to be enjoyed as well. While I'm confident that many will reveal far more about the plot than I am willing to, I think that it is best to let the story unravel without expectation. This is very much an in-depth character study. As such, Clooney has one of his most rewarding roles. He goes through a lot, but he maintains a subtlety that always keeps the picture grounded (even in its more extreme elements). Woodley is a revelation and this is as far a departure from TV's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" as she's likely to experience. I'm confident we'll be seeing more of her. Miller has a real ease and provides many well placed laughs and a few tears as well. Perhaps the film's biggest secret weapon is Nick Krause playing Woodley's friend. As a laconic and laid back surfer dude, Krause's scenes with Clooney have real impact. As an odd source of wisdom and support, he is a unique character in this piece.

"The Descendants," at the end of the day, is a quiet and thoughtful film. The film never plays up the huge emotional moments or strains for melodrama. It simply lets the characters exist as complex creations, with all their foibles and flaws in evidence. Its understated power, therefore, is all the more successful as it feels patently real. A treat for adult movie goers, 4 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 12/11.

I had missed this highly rated (by the critics) movie in theaters, so I finally got around to renting the Blu-ray over the weekend.

It's mostly a sad drama about a man slowly losing his wife after a boating accident, but there are a few comedic moments along the way that are realistic, rather than forced. The writing and the entire cast are great. I'm not the biggest George Clooney fan, but his work in Up in the Air and The Descendants has totally made me a believer in his acting talents when given the right material. The girl who plays his oldest daughter is very good as well. One of the better movies I've seen in 2012 and worth checking out.

Buy The Descendants (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2011) Now

Directed by the creator of the Oscar-winning SIDEWAYS, The Descendants starts when Matt King, a "back-up" father (his words) must slow down his career to take care of his two daughters (17 and 11) while his wife is in the hospital in a comma caused by a boat accident. Soon we learn, his wife, spurned by Matt's long absences and indifference, was having an affair. Matt and his older daughter decide to search for this man they never met dragging along the younger girl and the oldest girl's boyfriend, and, of course, the viewer.

The Descendants has many things going for it. George Clooney, for one, beautiful views of two of the islands of Hawaii, a strong story that does not shy away from reality and avoids the sugarcoating so prevalent in Hollywood movies, and great acting from all the actors including the aforementioned Mr. Clooney.

Yet, I cannot say I loved it.

Why? Because it is a realistic take on fatherhood and marriage and, after watching the trailer, I expected something lighter.

This is not the movie's fault. The Descendants is a serious movie and that's perfectly all right. I like serious movies. But not when I am expecting something else.

So, now that you know, please go and enjoy. It's worth seeing. Just don't go for the laughs.

Read Best Reviews of The Descendants (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2011) Here

The Descendants, a movie starring George Clooney, is the best film I've seen all year. It is adult-themed, realistic and poignant. The dialogue seems real, the acting is superb and the photography of Hawaii is spellbindingly beautiful. The story is about Matt King, descended from King Kamehameha many generations back. He and his family have inherited quite a bit of land for which Matt is the executor and they are in the process of selling it. The proceeds will go to Matt and his cousins. Despite having wealth, Matt has lived frugally, to the point where one might question his motives. His wife, Elizabeth, has just been severely injured in a boating accident and is comatose. It is unlikely that she ever will wake up and her living will is very explicit that she wants her life support pulled.

Matt has two daughters, Scottie and Alex. Alex is 17 and a handful. As the film opens, she is in a private school that may also be a rehab facility. Scottie, about 10, is acting out at school and at home since her mother's injury. Matt is clueless about how to raise his two daughters alone and has been very distant from his family spending most of his time working at his law practice. The crisis with Elizabeth is forcing him to be a primary parent and the film is excellent in showing Matt's development as a father.

Matt goes to the big island to pull Alex from school and bring her home. She is furious at her mother, having found out recently that she was having an affair. She tells her father and the two become co-conspirators in finding Joanie's lover and confronting him. Matt is flabbergasted about the affair. The marriage has not been going well but he had no suspicions that his wife loved another man.

George Clooney is excellent in his part as are the two girls. The movie poignantly shows how the family starts pulling together into a semblance of a loving unit. The dialogue is fresh and real, not for the faint of heart or for those who mind cursing. I have not read the book so I can't compare the two but on its own merits, this film is a real winner.

Want The Descendants (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2011) Discount?

This movie not only has great cast, but includes extra features we enjoyed seeing after the movie. The movie is based on a family with hardships and situations anyone could experience. Funny times and tear dripper times. A movie all should see when age appropriate. Glad we purchased it to see more than once and even again after we have had it a year.

Save 44% Off

2 Fast 2 Furious (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (2003)

While this movie is not super plausible and definitely not an Oscar winner, it is very entertaining between fast cars and racing and watching the actors strut their stuff. It is not one that you watch to enrich your life, you watch it because it's just a lot of fun and a great escape!

Bought this as a gift for my fiance. She loves the series and now has all the movies. You can't beat a Blu-ray!

Buy 2 Fast 2 Furious (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (2003) Now

This sequel to "The Fast And The Furious" is better even without Vin Diesel in it. Paul Walker is back and better as ex-cop Brian O' Conner, who is now in a street racing gang. He is then arrested and is told about a druglord named Carter Verone, played with excellence by Cole Hauser. He takes the job, but, with help of his own, a old childhood friend Roman Pearce, played with nice commitment by Tyrese Gibson. I don't want to tell anymore because that will be giving away too much information. John Singleton, the director, is brilliant at directing this movie and this will surely be one of my favorites of his for all time. David Arnold's score is brilliant as much as the movie is.

Read Best Reviews of 2 Fast 2 Furious (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (2003) Here

I love these movies and when this came up as a Black Friday week deal I had to pick it up. While not one of favorites of the series the blu ray is solid audio and video wise. If you're a fan...you're probably going to wind up getting it, so just do it :)

Want 2 Fast 2 Furious (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (2003) Discount?

My brother is a huge fan of the Fast and Furious series, and for $1.99 this was a great deal!

Save 25% Off

When a Stranger Calls / Happy Birthday to Me (Double Feature) (1981)

First off, this title is actually available now at Wal-mart. Anyway, on to the review.

I watched both films today and I must say the transfer is really good for 2 movies that are over 30 years old. They are both on 1 disc btw. I have never seen either movie.

Now I've seen the remake of When A Stranger Calls and it is a much better paced film imo. They chose to keep the killer more of a mystery and kept the story around the single night of babysitting. The original covers that night in the first 30 minutes of the movie, then we are carried 7 years in the future for a lot of unneeded exposition. The last 10 minutes truly save the picture imo.

I actually enjoyed Happy Birthday To Me quite well. The acting is really bad, I must say, but the multiple twists (yes, multiple) really keep you on your toes. The Scream franchise really owes a debt to this film. I was reading up on the history of the home video release, and fans will be happy to know that the ORIGINAL SCORE IS IN TACT FOR THIS BD RELEASE.

Definitely a worthy buy for any slasher horror fan.

Both of these movies were released by columbia in 1979 and 1980 respectively. And they look fantastic! Columbia kept great prints of these two because they are not filled with lines and specks! That's saying alot for two vintage films this old! both films played at theatres accross the country and were not drive in superlow budget flicks at all. These were offerings from a major studio during that era. Many much bigger hit movies from this era don't look as good as these two do on this blu ray. Both movies did pretty well at the boxoffice and they both influenced movies that came after them, including scream and other slasher flicks. There are fine actors in these movies too , because like I said these were big studio affairs and not made by some small company. Glenn ford , charles durning and carol kane are among the a listers in these efforts. Horror fans should be grateful that we get these two movies in such fine shape here. It could have easily been a disaster with scratched up prints. Instead we get two good horror movies from columbia studios and they just shine here.

Buy When a Stranger Calls / Happy Birthday to Me (Double Feature) (1981) Now

I picked up this set from wal-mart for $5.00. I mainly got this to replace my "Happy Birthday To Me" 2009 DVD release with original score. Almost didn't get this set, because it has the artwork from the 2004 disc set with cheezy disco score replacing the original score. I thought it would not have the original theatrical score, but it absolutely does. The blu-ray transfer is much nicer than even the 2009 DVD edition, and having When A Stranger Calls is a nice bonus as well. These do have captions which is a must for me as well. Great set all around. Just wish it had the original artwork for Happy Birthday To Me.

Read Best Reviews of When a Stranger Calls / Happy Birthday to Me (Double Feature) (1981) Here

For those of you who enjoy early 80s horror/thriller and/or collect these types of films, this one is for you! Two films for a very low price! Happy Birthday to Me 80s slasher film, and When a Stranger Calls Suspense/Thriller/Horror. The Video quality for 20+ year films is outstanding! Both these films were not considered big budget films, so to have a movie this old with spectacular video quality is a plus. While both films story-line's have been copied over and over again, its really a great deal for the price! The only reason and is a very big reason I did not give it 5 stars is because its a great price there are NO EXTRAS. Not even a trailer! Common now, you can find one on Youtube, its not like the distributors would have to find it or anything! All in all, for barely $10 dollars you get two "decent" films.

Want When a Stranger Calls / Happy Birthday to Me (Double Feature) (1981) Discount?

I originally saw When a Stranger Calls in a movie theater when it first came out. I had forgotten what a classy suspense movie this is. I am not an expert in Blu-ray transfers but from what I observe this is very good for a vintage movie. The colors are rich and detail is sharp. It looks excellent, take my word for it. This also has a really superb music score by Dana Kaproff that has inspired me to seek out a copy of the soundtrack. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes horror/suspense type movies.

I had not seen Happy Birthday to Me, but again it looks to be a fine transfer. This one has a bit more blood in it than When a Stranger Calls, but still is another worthy addition to the horror thriller genre. And again, a very good music score which I don't believe has been released in any form. I understand that earlier video releases of this movie used a different but unpopular music score. There is also a nice rendition of the song "Happy Birthday to Me" sung at the end of the movie (during the credits) by Syreeta.

I recommend both of these movies and especially at the very reasonable price at which they are available.

Save 30% Off

The Magician (The Criterion Collection) (1958)

An underrated film by the master Ingmar Bergman. Part horror, part comedy, part erotic, part

symbolic...it is a movie that should generate a lot of thinking when it is over.

Ostensibly it is a movie about the continuing conflict between faith and science...or reason and art but there are no quick answers. The character of Dr. Vogler may have been influenced by the myth and fact of Rasputin. Even the look is similar; Max Von Sydow is the "perfect choice of actor" in portraying this hypnotist, con-artist, or real magician.

I never had the sense that the "magic" was real, but persons behave as if the illusions were true. After a cynical medical officer humiliates Dr. Vogler, attempts to prove Vogler is nothing but a charlatan, the magician challenges him for a private performance. And in that performance Dr. Vogler dies and comes back to life again...the metaphor of Christ.

The nature of God requires us to keep on questioning. This was a theme in "The Seventh Seal' and it reappears in this film. Recommended...not as a masterpiece but as an important work of the director.

The correct title of this film is The Face. Since it partly deals with the way that artistic truth has to be packaged and promoted by hucksters it is not surprising that whoever distributed it in the US monkeyed around with Bergman's original title. More surprising is that an exceptionally stimulating, well-directed, well-written and finely acted work like this has only collected 3 Amazon reviews in the last 5 years. The actor's trade is here presented as closely akin to religion. Does the miraculous actually happen? Has it ever happened, even if only just once? Pleasure in art requires a suspension of disbelief: anyone, therefore, who has enjoyed a story, a picture, a film, has replaced reason with faith --if only for an hour or so. There are certainly some people, entire sects of the puritanically minded (including groups of scientists, rationalists, and so on) who hate art, presumably seeing it as inherently fraudulent. At the same time, as Holly Hunter has remarked, actors are only beggars and gypsies; beyond the bounds of respectable society. When this theatrical tale ends the god appears from the machine, nevertheless, and the suggestion is that miracles do occasionally happen. Anyone at all interested in this subject owes it to him/herself to see this subtle film, by an acknowledged master of the medium, and one of the greatest of the C20th.

Buy The Magician (The Criterion Collection) (1958) Now

Ingmar Bergman's best films give the viewer the feeling of participating in a rite. Its rhythms are less those of conventional narrative, than of theatre or a religious procession, say. As with rites, the appeal is not to the viewer's intellect; their effect is both sensual and spiritual, troubling precisely because we can't put our finger on that appeal.

Of course, this requires a kind of faith, and is open to charges of manipulation, precisely the theme of 'The Magician', a splendid slice of unnerving Grand Guignol horror, where a rather academic argument between the Enlightenment values of sceince, reason and empiricism confront those of superstition, magic and the inexplicable. These latter values might be called medieval, pre-Renaissance, and we are reminded that the modern theatre developed in this period from the Church, from rites and passion plays. this is the kind of effect 'The Magician' has, visually and tonally.

The argument is not between the doctor and the mesmerist, but between the film's surface narrative (which, as an argument, promotes the predominance of reason) and the film's form (which destroys every attempt at argument). Everything within the film that seems to derive from supernatural forces can all be ascribed, more or less, to rational causes, for example psychological weakness; even if it is this very weakness, that border between what we know and what we can't know, in which the mesmerist exists. Although we might say 'Ah, it's only a delusion', the very fact that these self-generated delusions can convincingly take the place of safe, everyday reality, can become that reality, suggests the limits of rationality, without any recourse to the supernatural.

The shams of actors, con-men, misanthropes pretending to be mute, women pretending to be men might all be illusions which, once exposed, can restore the status quo; but once the idea has been suggested that a boundary can be crossed, that an illusion can be real, than a system based on those boundaries is undermined.

In a film where actors pretend to be what they're not, whose narrative proceeds like theatre and climaxes with a theatrical spectacle, Bergman's technique can be called a charade e.g. the haunting trip through an eerie forest, the fog streaming in the sunlight like a magical gateway; the terrifying attack on the doctor in a surrealist attic, are all an illusion to give us a sensation, but they also undeniably reveal a world for us that lives with us and which we never acknowledge. As ever with Bergman, it is only with acting, deception and illusion, not ational argument and empirical evidence, that we can even begin to approach the truth.

Read Best Reviews of The Magician (The Criterion Collection) (1958) Here

With the exception for the abrupt and somehow rushed and unsatisfying ending, "Magician" is a typical (in a good sense of the word) Bergman's film that I liked a lot. I would call it "The Tortured Soul of an Artist or Smiles of a Summer Night meets Hour of the Wolf." I did not know what to expect from the film and was pleasantly surprised by an interesting story; impressive (especially in the earlier scenes in the woods) black and white cinematography; perfect blend of humor, intense drama, and mystery. Acting was perfect not a big surprise with the cast like that: Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bibi Andersson, and Erland Josephson. I'd like to mention Naima Wifstrand as Granny Vogler what a great actress and what a character she stepped out from the pages of the fairy tales, the old witch, wise and powerful; she also provides many comical scenes.

Want The Magician (The Criterion Collection) (1958) Discount?

The three films that Ingmar Bergman produced at the close of the 1950s -DET SJUNDE INSEGLET, SMULTRONSTAELLET and JUNGFRUKAELLAN -tower so high in his output that one might forget that these were not his only productions of the era. ANSIKTET ("The Face", released in English-speaking markets as THE MAGICIAN) from 1958 is one of his lesser-known films.

In mid-19th century Sweden the magician Albert Emanuel Vogler (Max van Sydow) goes from town to town promising people cures for their ailments and performing magic tricks, including what was the sensation of the time, hypnosis. He is joined by his tout (Aake Fridell), his "ward" Mr. Aman (Ingrid Thulin) and his "grandmother" and the troupe's maker of patent medicine (Naima Wifstrand). After fleeing the law after a performance in one town, they pass through the forest and enter another community. Here they are detained by the authorities, so that the physician Vergerus (Gunnar Bjornstrand), the consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) can decide a wager on whether Vogler's tricks are real spiritual powers or scientifically explainable illusions.

While ANSIKTET should not be overlooked for fans of Bergman, I think it's fair that the film is not ranked among Bergman's greatest achievements. Characterization is pretty slim -we get no idea of why Vogler and his companion chose this life, and Vergerus is so shallow that Gunnar Bjornstrand seems wasted. And had the film ended three minutes earlier it would have been one of Bergman's more powerful conclusions, but instead we get a completely unexpected happy ending that just seems lame. Much of the middle part of the film depends on sex jokes that are funny at times, but I suspect anyone who knows Bergman's great output will continuously be thinking that he's capable of so much more than this.

Still, ANSIKTET does have a generally thought-provoking dramatic arc, and some moments will prove memorable. I especially admired the battle between Vergerus and Vogler and the magician's breakdown (funny how his temperment appropriately changes with his clothes in this scene). It's a pity that Criterion hasn't released the film for the US market as Bergman's major films, but if you can view the UK import, it's worthwhile.

Save 50% Off