Rent (2005)

I saw the movie in a beautiful theater in downtown San Francisco on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and was surprised to find so few people in the movie theater--maybe 75 of us, and the theater could have fit 500. I wonder if some of the lukewarm reviews haven't influenced people's decisions to go to RENT. Hope not, for I'm here to tell you, this movie is dynamite and IMHO much, much better than the play. For one thing, in the movie you can hear every word, even with the increased rock instrumentation, for hundreds of sound experts have worked their magic and made sure that even people underwater could hear every single syllable; whereas on stage, it depended from night to night what percentage of the lyrics were going to be coming across the temperamental sound system of the Nederlander (NYC).

I did miss Daphne Rubin-Vega who was incomparably sexy and chilling as Mimi, but I never believed her being in love, and Rosario Dawson looked like she was just 'playing' at being bad and underneath she was ready to fall in love as soon as she saw Roger through the window. Her scenes of addiction are captured in the movie effectively, in a rpaid montage that might disconcert some rentheads but will, I think, be easily understood by those new to the show.

Yes, some of the actors looked older than 20 somethings. But we forget that most of those who died of AIDS in the 1989-90 period were actually in their 30s. What's the big deal? To me, Angel's fate is all the more sad because he seemed to be healthy for so long and then, all of a sudden, well, any more would bring me into spoiler territory.

Idina Menzel is not as over the top as she is on stage, but there's still plenty of fire power there, and she's bigger than anything in the movies since the heyday of Betty Hutton! She looks remarkably beautiful and she doesn't miss a trick; and just when you think she'll overshadow Tracie Thoms as her attorney girlfriend, Joanne, the latter pulls off some memorable comic business and signals her disappointment and regret with her expressive brown eyes. Anthony Rapp is charming as Mark Cohen, he comes off as a tiny terror, I wonder how tall he is, the constant scenes of him snarking down the streets with his fists clenched in anger at his sides, but no one else around to reveal his true proportions--the old Alan Ladd trick. And Adam Pascal is suave and tormented in equal measures as Roger. His eyelashes are so long I expected them to have a special spotlights in the credits, but no.

I have to disagree with the posters who claim that Larson wrote all the best numbers for the men in the cast. Maybe that's personal pleading, but I find the best songs pretty much divided right down the middle. Mimi's "Out Tonight" isn't as exciting as on stage, but it is much more compellingly staged, as Rosario Dawson steps out of the Cat Scratch Club after her shift only to launch into the second verse, and seems to scale the wall of the loft to get to Roger like Catwoman in the third. ("I'll let you make me . . .") "Light My Candle" suffers a little without Daphne Rubin-Vega in it, and Adam Pascal acts as though he knows he's cheating on her with Rosario Dawson. Afterwards he gets his balls back. The ensemble singing of "Will I?" and "Another Day" are perfectly staged and rehearsed, and it's there that I started to lose it. I guess I must have spent the last seventy minutes of the movie in a continual rain of tears. By the end I had to sit through all the credits in a vain attempt to gather composure. The faces of those whom I lost to AIDS flashed before my eyes. Not all of them, but some of them. I did resolve to go out and try to practice love on a grand scale. They got me this time. "No other path, no other way, give in to love or live in fear."

These sentiments are vapid and, in the daylight, seem a little silly, but the beauty and power of the movie is to convince you of their truth. Good work all around. I hope the movie's an enormous success.

I was born to love "Rent." Having grown up listening to my mother's record of "La Boheme" playing as she did her housework, I anxiously anticipated seeing the Broadway production when I was in New York in 1999. Although, it was superb, the movie version was so much more enjoyable to me, mainly because the words to the beautiful songs were clear and much more understandable. I realize Broadway is a one-shot deal and a movie can have countless takes on a scene, so I'm not putting down the play I loved in any way, just saying the movie was an easier and more enjoyable viewing experience.

From the spectacular opening scene where the full cast sings the beautiful "Seasons of Love," the stage is set for a glorious celebration of life, living it to the fullest, and enjoying every moment. Yes, there is heartbreak on the screen and many moist eyes in the theater, but this is mainly a joyful story of friendship, love, and reaching out to your fellow man.

The acting is superb, lovingly done by actors who obviously relate to their roles in a profound way. Wilson Jermaine excels as Angel, especially in the show-stopping "Today 4 U." Adam Pascal and Rosario Dawson are believable as the romantic leads and Jesse L. Martin will astound his "Law and Order" fans with his rich singing voice and dancing ability. All the cast is marvelous, the show is electric with its high-energy singing and dancing, and overall, the best movie I have seen in a long, long time. I will definitely get the DVD the day it is available.

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I have seen both the movie and the stage version of Rent. I love both of them. But, we're here to talk about the movie. I love the fact that most of the original cast is back for this. Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp are perfect as Roger and Mark. Adam shows the tortured soul that is Roger. Finding out he has HIV and dealing with his girlfriend's death puts him in a place he never thought he would be. Mark, Collins, Angel, and Mimi help him realize that he isn't dead yet. Adam takes you through that journey with all the emotions that entails. Anthony shows Mark's emotions throughout the piece. The look on his face when he sees that Roger has come out of the house, and come to the Life Support meeting shows you just how much he cares for his best friend, and how worried he was, and still is for him. Having them in two sepereate locations for "What You Own" also helps the characters and gives the actors a new way of playing the scene. When they come together on the roof and you see the emotion as they say "I'm not alone," that is when they both come to the realization that they aren't alone and they don't have to be. And I have both the OBC and Movie soundtracks, and I've got to say their preformances on the movie soundtrack have improved. How can you not love Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel? He is Angel. Jesse L. Martin blew me away as Collins. And if you have seen him in Law and Order, you will love him in this. Wilson and Jesse together are a terrific pair and to see them portray Angel and Collin's relationship is magic. I do think Taye Diggs was a little underused, but with having to condense the play to a movie time frame, Benny was the one who would have to suffer. Idina Menzel rules as Maureen, but neither she nor the actress who I just saw play the part will make me like Over the Moon. That is not my favorite moment in either the movie or the play. Now, to the new additions. In my humble opinion, Rosario Dawson blew Daphne Rubin-Vega out of the water. I thought Daphne sounded whiny as Mimi, Rosario brought life, depth, and fun to her. Tracie Thoms as Joanne was a wonderful addition. I did miss Fredi Walker's voice, but Tracie held her own and made the part hers. Another reviewer seems to think that Adam Pascal and Idina Menzel are suffering from detoriating voices. That is not the case. Adam's preformance, as I said before, exceeded the OBC version. If you don't like hearing his voice in Rent, then I recommend a change of pace, there is the OBC of Aida and his two solo albums, Model Prisoner and Civilian, that will give you a different prespective. Idina hasn't suffered from her preformance in Wicked, she has improved. I look forward to watching the DVD and the deleted scenes, which from what I understand will include the rest of "Goodbye Love" and "Halloween." Unfortunatly, "Contact" wouldn't have worked in the movie. Seeing Collins holding Angel in his arms at the hospital brought you to the same place emotionally as the end of Contact. I hope that the people who didn't see this in the theater will give it a chance on DVD. The story line is still relevant. There are still people living with, and dying from, AIDS. Jonathan Larson's vision still rings true. "There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way. No day but today."

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I was sooo dissapointed by the movie version of RENT and I am not a "renthead". I saw the Broadway show for the first time on the 10 year anniversary because I had to see it onstage before the movie came out. I am so glad I did. I didn't know the plotline before I saw it and I literally cried for twenty minutes in the middle of Times Square after leaving the theatre. I couldn't even listen to disc two of the cast recording, for weeks, without crying. The scenes that they left out of the movie should have been left in. It would have added a whole ten minutes to the running time but they were so important to telling the whole story. I don't think I can sit through another viewing of this movie. If you want to know what the Broadway musical was like, buy the original broadway cast recording. It is exactly how the show runs, with little talk and so much more singing. It also gives you the whole story with all the emotion that should be in the movie. If you haven't seen RENT in the theater, the whole show is done with only one set. It's great!!

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This movie is incredible, no doubt about it. From Taye Diggs to Rosario Dawson to Anthony Rapp to Idina Menzel, phenominal talent! I think though there is ONE performance that is worthy of at LEAST an Academy Award NOMINATION and that's Jesse L. Martin. Martin offers most of the laughs from the movie as well as makes the audience cry unlike any other performance this year. Martin's performance is exceptional and adds to the excellence of this incredible movie musical.

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Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

This movie is an excellent time-capsule for the end of the late '50's/early'60's rock n' roll era. (It came out in 1963, just a few months before the Beatles hit our shores & changed everything forever.)

It's got everything:

An Elvis-like rock n' roll sex-machine on a motorcycle, check!

Cold War political satire, check!

A spoof of middle-class American values, check!

Young, gorgeous Ann-Marget, check & check again!

I was born too late to experience this time period & I haven't actually seen the Broadway original from 1960 with Chita Rivera in the Janet Leigh role. But this movie is a fast-paced, witty musical-comedy. I know the 1995 version sticks closer to the original story, but I think that version plays too much into the whole "nostalgia"-thing....an element that was NOT a part of any show actually made back then. That version was also slow & not very funny.

This version is great! A lot has been said about the music, but the comedy hasn't got much attention. The humor manages to be suggestive without being vulgar. It's kind of like reading an old issue of MAD Magazine, but this is acted out!

If you want laughs every second, great songs & great dancing, as well as a humorous glimpse as to what American attitudes were like back then, then this 1963 version is for you!

It's "Honestly Sincere!"

I actually played "Kim" in my middle schools rendition of Bye Bye birdie, and since then, this has been my absolute favorite musical of all time I'm sure this is partly due to my great memories of being in this play, but regardless of that, the songs are great and I love the story line.

Bye Bye Birdie is about an Elvis-type guy who has just got word that he's being drafted into the army. Because of his popularity as a singer, they decide to run a contest where 1 lucky girl will be chosen to have "one last kiss" with him. Kim wins the contest, and will be given her kiss live on the Ed Sulliven Show (a show that was really popular in the 1950's).

Much of the story surrounds the excitement about Kim winning the contest & the fact that her father and boyfriend don't want the kiss to happen. Will they be able to stop it?

Then there's "Albert" played by Dick Van Dyke an on & off again songwriter, and his girlfriend "Rosie" who wants nothing more than for Albert to propose to her. Unfortunately, Albert is such a "mommas boy" that he can't seem to make any decisions for himself, and his mother is not about to suggest that he get married and leave her all alone! Will he ever step up and pop the question?

Overall, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys musicals. It will remind you of a much simpler time with the music and outfits in classic 1950's style. A great movie for "family night"!

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I am japanese and can understand English a little.But I can enjoyed this movie very much.

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"Bye Bye Birdie" is a classic and refreshing fun movie for all ages. I am only a 14 year old male, but I have amazing respect and love for this movie. Most of you knocking the movie are probally teens also, and probally have just seen the movie recently. I was in LOVE with this movie when i was about 5 years old all the way untill now! The movie was my absolute favorite when I was very young, I can't remember how was introduced to the movie, but I was crazy over it, and my parent's bought me the laserdisk, and just this Christmas they got me the DVD! The movie is such a fabolous fun movie. I remember how much I loved the intro to this movie, with Ann-Margret singing the amazing title track "Bye Bye Birdie". I was always amazed with her Intro and Outro of this movie. I understand the movie is different from the play, and I know thats why most of you don't like the movie. I am also very big into drama and theather, but I have yet to be in a production or seen a production of "Bye Bye Birdie". A local High School around here is doing "Bye Bye Birdie" this spring, which I will love to see. My High school is putting on "The King And I" this spring, which is going to be fabolous, I will be in it. But back to "Bye Bye Birdie"....I feel this movie is just so refreshing, when I am in a bad mood, this movie can definetly make me feel better, the songs are fun and happy, the acting is also great. Ann-Margret's performance was just absolutely outstanding, and Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, and Maureen Stapleton were also fabolous. If I ever have a chance to be in a production of "Bye Bye Birdie", my dream role would be Albert, Dick Van Dyke's part, I would love to play that part.

So, I just wanted to say, I am sick of seeing so many people knock this wonderful movie, and I know some of you are probally around my age, and just recently saw it. Like I said before, I have so much respect for this movie, because I've loved it since i was so young, And I know some of you might be shocked, because I am so young, and was not even alive in 1963, and I love this movie so much.

The DVD is great, and has some great features, So I suggest you check it out!

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George Sidney was a great MGM director who, in the 1960s, had the great fortune of stumbling across a new star, Ann-Margret, and managed to make her an international star right at the beginning of the "Youth Era" that dominated Hollywood in the 1960s. Of all the young stars, maybe Ann-Margret had the most winning combination of vitality and innocence. Her lush figure and dancers' sway, and that wild mane of red hair, made her almost too hot for the movie screen, but George Sidney knew hot to focus her charms so that she became not a threat to the viewing public, but an actress of enormous appeal. He made three films with her, this one, VIVA LAS VEGAS and the later, lesser, THE SWINGER, notable for its scenes in which a group of young hipsters swing Ann-Margret through a mass of body paint to make her into a living paintbrush.

In BYE BYE BIRDIE her dancing with an ensemble to the upbeat number A LOT OF LIVING TO DO is the highlight of the film. It is one of those rare screen sequences in which every shot, every beat is perfect. George Sidney had earlier made some great showcases for Kim Novak, but his treatment of Ann-Margret shows why he is the most gallant of all Hollywood directors. Okay, so he didn't do so good by Janet Leigh, who looks awful in her black wig and can't impersonate a Puerto Rican songwriter any more than I can. She's ludicrous and almost ruins the movie.

The Jerk (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (1979)

This is one of my favorite comedies. It's not for everyone, as you must understand Martin's unique style of humor. That having been said, the DVD is awful.

The transfer is decent, although could have been cleaned up more. Luckily, it's at least anamorphic widescreen. The sound, while hardly sounding like 5.1, still sounds decent, as i doubt surround sound was on the mind of film makers in 1979. Seriously, it's not Star Wars.

Extras? Fugetaboudit! NO commentary. NO making-of. NO interviews. Just one delected scene, trailer, and a dumb ukelele lesson.

The WORST part! There are scenes missing! Perhaps this version of the film is exactly as it was released in the theaters, but i'm too young to know. However, every time i've seen it on television, there were scenes not present in this release...such as the several different people requesting donations from the rich Navin Johnson. In this, you only get the Mexican priest. Where's the guy who needs new seat covers on his plane? That scene was classic!

You know, this is the SECOND release of this film on DVD, and they call it an "Anniversary Edition." If they're going to give it a name like that, they could at least include the cut of the movie with extra scenes added back in. Maybe the commentary and a simple 15-minute making-of is asking too much, but at least give us the material that's already in the can.

Surreal to the point of silliness, "The Jerk" captured the atmosphere of comedy perfectly in the 70's. Before Robin Williams broke through to a larger audience on the big and little screen, Steve Martin was THE JERK. As dense as a brick, Martin doesn't so much as act like a jerk as become one. Opening like a variation on all those Hollywood tales where the hero of our story is down on his luck but soon to be redeemed (of course, this IS a comedy so it's unlikely he'll get the redemption we expect because, well, that wouldn't be funny), Navin Johnson (Martin) mentions at the beginning that he was "born a poor black child". Adopted by a poor African-American family living in poverty, Navin is horrified to discover that not only is he adopted but he's always going to be Caucasian and have absolutely no rhythm. Navin discovers he does have rhythm after all ("praise the Lord!") when he listens to a radio playing dance music from the time. Navin eats his Twinkies, learns the difference between sh-t and Shinola and hits the road hoping to be rich. Armed with the advice his family gives him ("God bless the working man...and remember never trust whitey!"). He hitchhikes getting his first ride which takes him to the end of a fence getting about twenty feet away from home. Needless to say, life is more than an adventure for Nathan and his dog Shithead; it's a vocation.

Receiving a very nice transfer, "The Jerk" looks typical of a film from the late 70's with noticeable film grain and while the colors aren't quite as vivid as I would have thought, they're acceptable. This is the first widescreen presentation for the film so that's something to be thankful for. There's quite a bit of analog debris in the form of dirt (in fact it looks as if this is exactly the same transfer as the previous edition). The 5.1 remastered Dolby Digital Surround Sound mix has nice presence but (not surprisingly) it doesn't use the format particularly well.

In addition to the original production notes from the previous edition and theatrical trailer we also get 1 extra and 1 featuring footage cut from the film. "The Lost Filmstrips of Father Carlos Las Vegas De Cordova" is a "continuation" of the film within a film where we see Martin play various characters doing things like verbally abusing a plant, dressing a bulldog in a clown suit as the audience cheers and takes pets in a bizarre parody of cock fighting. It's really footage that was cut from that sequence. "Learn to Play `Tonight You Belong to Me'" includes sections where you can learn to tune a ukulele (something I've been dying to learn), play it, play along with the Ukulele Gal and, finally, play along with the jerk himself. It's bizarre to say the least. The last bit is just a scene from "The Jerk" where Navin serenades his sweetheart at the beach.

No commentary track from Martin or Reiner. Honestly, you'd think they were embarrassed by this film! Or, maybe they weren't asked to do it or wanted too much money. While an improvement on the original edition of the film, that improved is slight at best. The featurettes are pleasant diversions but the real reason to get "The Jerk" is that this is the first time it's been presented in widescreen. The image quality could have been cleaned up quite a bitas there's quite a bit of analog debris that appears early on in the film. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this unless you're dying to have the widescreen version of this classic comedy.

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NOTE: review below was in regards to the Full Screen or Pan & Scan version of The Jerk that was the initial DVD release. A later edition was released which does respect the movie and offer it in widescreen format. If you are purchasing, be sure to get the anniversary version of the movie so you'll see the ENTIRE movie and not lose the images on the edges of the screen. Remainder of original review left as is. Thanks!

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First off, I love this movie. It's silly, it's funny, it's touching in some places, but mostly, it's just entertaining.

My biggest complaint with this DVD is that it's one that offers little to no bonus value, and, to me, commits the cardinal sin of not putting the movie in it's original format instead offering only a Pan and Scan Full Screen presentation.

I've hoped for several years that this movie would get a 'special anniversary' or other 'collectors edition' that would offer the original wide screen format and some decent special features, but finally had to break down and purchase this 'original' release of the DVD because my wishes seem to be going unanswered.

Please note that I rate the movie itself here a full 5 stars (* * * * *), but the DVD gets only 2 stars, for it's lack of respect to the buying public.

The movie was a classic when it was released.

Steve Martin, the ultimate 'white guy' finds himself 'born a poor black child', without rhythm and unable to figure out why he doesn't fit in with his Black brothers and sisters.

He gets motivated to go off and discover himself, and his adventures along the way are a total riot.

In many ways a model that could have been used for the original "Rain Man" character, Navin R. Johnson (Martin's character) had a simple charm and naive streak that was almost unbelievable, but too funny not to laugh at.

This movie is a comedy classic, and it deserves a Special Edition and better treatment on DVD. Hopefully someday it will get just that.

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This is a fantastic movie... even though I love many of Steve Martin's movies this is the one that I can quote from beginning to end and still laugh constantly!

My main complaint, like others, is that it is NOT WIDESCREEN! The sad thing is, if you look at the packaging for "The Steve Martin Collection" 3-pack it shows "The Jerk" as originally being slated to be shown in the widescreen format, however for some reason they decided to keep in Pan and Scan anyway.... Ugh!

Another sad thing is that this movie HAS DELETED SCENES but they are NOT INCLUDED in the DVD! Anyone who has seen the movie syndicated knows that there are additional scenes which are shown on TV but for some reason are left out of the DVD!

Hopefully Universal will soon release a version of this movie comparable to their great DVD releases of AMERICAN GRAFFITTI and ANIMAL HOUSE... until then, this version will have to do I suppose.

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I have really come to the end of my rope concerning Universal DVD releases. Why hasnt this film been cleaned up and at least out out on a widescreen format? Their is no excuse for this. They are by far the biggest and the worse dvd distributor in the market. They continually release dvd after dvd with framing errors-no digital transfers-no extra features---grainy dirty negatives without any concern about preserving these films. Its pathetic.To add to all of this they will release these films then pull them over and over again how many more re-releases of one film can you produce?Why? your not adding anything but new crappy artwork for the cover.Whens the last time the original cut of the Blues Brothers has seen the day of light??Now The Jerk is also among your lame releases. GREAT film HORRIBLE release done by the worst in the biz. Simply put UNIVERSAL SUCKS.

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Body of Lies (Two-Disc Edition + BD Live) (2008)

I have been awaiting the release of this dramatic action thriller directed by Ridley Scott and Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crow for a long time and I was not disappointed.

DiCaprio plays a C.I.A. agent in the middle east who is trying to collect intelligence and is running into twists and turns around every corner. DiCaprio's performance is outstanding. You completely forget who he is and become immersed as him as a C.I.A. agent who is undercover. This is quite an acting job considering that he is the furthest thing from that. He has the grizzled appearance of someone undercover and his scenes are so strong and commanding that he doesn't have that baby boy aspect to him that I've seen in other of his pictures. His was an Oscar worthy performance.

There is the eye in the sky tracking DiCaprio by camera from above as he goes about his seemingly rouge missions for the C.I.A. Russell Crowe plays the older C.I.A. family man who is in contact with Ferris (DiCaprio) as he walks the minefield that is intelligence gathering in the middle east. Crowe is absorbed in his daily life in America and seemingly is oblivious to the hardships and deadly consequences that Ferris is facing. This is an understated role for Crowe who also very good performance. He does not look at all like that same man who played The Gladiator. And I think this is the most relaxed character I've seen him play yet.

This film was expertly directed by Ridley Scott to the point that at times I felt as if I were there. You can almost feel the sand in your lungs and the stink of death and open air markets as you feast your eyes on this gem.

Although I'm not typically an action movie man this one reeled me in because you really didn't know what was next around the corner. The action scenes are great, by the way, even though that's not why I pick movies to watch.

This is a great movie and if you like the actors, director, and genre of this film then it is a definite for you to watch.

I give it all five stars and will watch it again.

Kevin W. Mattingly

Harrisburg Times.

You really have to admire Ridley Scott's moxie.

Even though the 70-year-old director has long established himself as one of Hollywood's best and most durable directors; having helmed some of the most entertaining films of all time, in virtually every genre (including sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner); and having been nominated no less than three times for the Best Director Oscar (Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down), to decide to take on theme that has produced exactly zero blockbusters thus far the Middle East and terrorism takes an incredible amount of chutzpah.

But it does help if you have the help of two of the biggest actors in Hollywood at the moment, those being Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe (who has worked with Scott on two previous films, Gladiator and A Good Year). It's ironic to think that the last time these two actors shared the screen was back in 1995, with the clichéd-but-entertaining oater The Quick and the Dead. Of course, at the time, Crowe was a complete unknown and DiCaprio was a 21-year-old newcomer with only a couple of notable titles under his belt. But oh, how that's all changed now.

It's not easy to describe the plot of Body of Lies without giving too much away. DiCaprio plays CIA operative Roger Ferris, who is trying to flush out a terrorist leader named Al-Saleem in Jordan. He gets his orders from Ed Hoffman (Crowe), a man for whom results are the only satisfactory outcome, delivered with a fair amount of arrogance and a cocky Southern drawl. Ed plays the situation like a kid playing a video game, and has the resources to change the rules anytime he feels like it, dispensing his orders from his office, from his backyard, from his daughter's soccer game, for Pete's sake! This, of course, infuriates Ferris to no end, because he is the one who is in the trenches, chasing the bad guys, dodging bullets, ducking explosions, and procuring the badly-needed intelligence that Hoffman needs. Ferris is also trying to build a productive working relationship with the head of Jordanian Intelligence, Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), a relationship that is made even more tenuous by Hoffman's double-dealings and hidden agendas.

There are so many ways that Scott could have screwed this up. A lesser director might have chosen to ramp up the action, sacrificing intelligence for entertainment. A lesser director could have taken this story of espionage and twisted it into a convoluted and indecipherable Gordian knot. A lesser director would have gotten less convincing performances from his lead actors.

But Ridley Scott is not a lesser director. Though the plot is indeed complex, with many layers and sub-layers, deceit and treachery, Scott never lets you lose sight of the overall picture. He tells a solid, wonderfully entertaining story, without the need to drive home its message with sledgehammer subtlety (after all, very few things are black and white). And most of all, he gets electric performances from Crowe and DiCaprio, whose symbiotic relationship with a thinly-veiled veneer of mutual contempt is a pleasure to watch.

I don't know if Body of Lies will end up breaking through the barrier that every movie in this genre couldn't; but for what it's worth, I hope it does. One thing's for sure... if anybody can, Ridley Scott can.

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Ridley Scott delivers again in a long line of excellent films. Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray], Alien (The Director's Cut), Thelma & Louise (Special Edition), and Black Hawk Down to name some of the more influential films he has directed.

The common theme, repeated again in Body of Lies, people's struggle to do the right thing, to fight for good. Scott also has a particular film style that he uses to great advantage in this film. This story in other hands would not be nearly as powerful. The pacing in Body of Lies is very similar to Blade Runner.

This is essentially a series of three short stories, or a play in three acts. Each act starts out calmly, building to a huge climax, and then there is the resolution. The common thread through each act is Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. It would appear at first that this is going to be a very complicated film, mideastern conflict films or news articles are usually incredibly complex and mind numbing. However, Scott has managed to use the appropriate names and complicated cultures, but keeps the film focused on the critical story line Roger Ferris (DiCaprio). In fact, the film is very simple and easy to follow.

In the first two acts, DiCaprio was believeable with his beard, dirty clothes, and speaking arabic languages. His character was a bit less believeable in the third act and as he started the relationship with Aisha. There were a few moments where the film wandered a bit. It was especially when Roger drove himself in a vehicle. That may sound strange, but it was emphasized several times, "do want to ride in the front or back?", that he was not driving. There was a loss of focus with him at the wheel.

Russell Crowe plays an overweight, southern boy, CIA director, named Ed Hoffman. He is simply perfect through the whole film. Never a misstep. Crowe has an amazing range in his acting ability.

The story is somewhat like 24, terriorist chases, a relationship with the pretty woman, trust me I know whay I'm doing, etc. But Body of Lies moves much farther ahead, and makes a stronger more believeable message than 24.

From a production standpoint, Ridley Scott is a master. This reviewer noted only a few missteps. One sadly obvious one was a pan to follow Roger walking across a hallway late in the film. Roger walks way out of focus and then back in the camera movement was too radical and quick to keep focus. It sadly was not on purpose. Otherwise, everything else was spot on perfect considering the film genre.

This is definately an R rated film. There is a fairly brutal scene at the end, and some punishing (this was the term used in the film) earlier on. There's enough language and violence to land appropriately in this category. Probably not a film for younger viewers at all. There is no nudity.

The DVD contains no bonus features at all. Simply the movie, sound choices, and chapters. But that's the way it should be, the focus was on the quality of the transfer and DVD. Ridley Scott is actually a bigger fan of releasing different versions later on, instead of bonus features.

This was an exciting, easy to follow and understand film from start to finish. The ending was well near perfect.

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"Body of Lies" is a taut, riveting thriller that weaves a tale of terrorism, espionage, and betrayal amid the current landscape of violence and retribution in the Middle East. The film is based on the novel by David Ignatius.

Leonardo DiCaprio continues to prove that he's got the acting chops and is believable in action films. Here he plays Roger Ferris, a CIA operative working to track down a bin Ladenesque terrorist named Al-Saleem. Al-Saleem's trail leads Ferris to Jordan, where he must balance working with and between his CIA handler (played with relish by an overweight, aged Russell Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence (brilliantly played by Mark Strong), who are working at crosspurposes with each other. Ferris further complicates his mission by falling for an Iranian nurse (played by Golshifteh Farahani).

The movie uses wild technology, lies and counterlies, torture, and Ferris' growing disdain with the intelligence community. Some of the movie seems quite fanciful, and maybe it is, but except for a couple of places, it holds up as a brutually honest thriller.

"Body of Lies" isn't perfect, but it doesn't have to be. It's fiction. Some may find it unbelievable, but it's a movie, and that means it doesn't have to get everything right. It just has to entertain, and it certainly does.

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This movie is based on the novel of the same name by David Ignatius, Editorial Colmnist for The Washington Post.

Mr. Ignatius recently posted a column about the passing of the real-life spy, Gen. Saad Kheir, on whom he based the character 'Hani Pasha,' played by British actor Mark Strong in the movie.

Mr. Ignatius wrote:

Jordan's ace of spies

By David Ignatius

Sunday, December 13, 2009

When the spy movie ends, the suave intelligence chief -having outsmarted his enemies -dusts off the lapels of his perfectly tailored suit and disappears into his world of illusion and control.

That's not how it ended in real life, alas, for Gen. Saad Kheir, the brilliant but emotionally wounded spymaster who headed Jordan's General Intelligence Department (GID) from 2000 to 2005. He died in a hotel room in Vienna on Wednesday of a heart attack, the official Jordanian news agency reported. He was just 56.

Kheir at his best was among the greatest Arab intelligence officers of his generation. He ran a series of masterful penetration operations against Palestinian extremist groups and, later, al-Qaeda. "He set the standard for how we do it," said one former CIA officer who worked closely with him.

I got to know Kheir five years ago when I was researching a novel about the Middle East called "Body of Lies," which was later made into a movie that starred Leonardo DiCaprio. Kheir was the model for my fictional Jordanian intelligence chief, "Hani Salaam." Like all GID chiefs, Kheir was addressed by the Ottoman honorific of "pasha," so I gave the sobriquet of "Hani Pasha" to my fictional version.

Hani Pasha (played in the movie by British actor Mark Strong) stole the show, and for a simple reason -he was based on a true master of the game. My character's tradecraft, manners, even his wardrobe were all modeled on those of the real pasha.

It was George Tenet, then director of the CIA, who first described to me Kheir's brilliance as an operator. I asked Tenet in 2003 if any foreign intelligence services had been especially helpful against al-Qaeda, and he answered instantly, "The Jordanians," and continued with Tenetian enthusiasm, "Their guy Saad Kheir is a superstar!"

So the next time I was in Amman, I asked the royal palace if I could meet the legendary intelligence chief, and it was duly arranged. I was driven to the GID's fearsome headquarters, past its black flag bearing the ominous warning in Arabic "Justice Has Come" and escorted upstairs to the pasha's office.

Kheir had a rough, boozy charm -somewhere between Humphrey Bogart and Omar Sharif. He was dressed elegantly, as always -in this case, a cashmere blazer, a knit tie and a pair of what looked to be handmade English shoes.

The pasha told me a few stories, and others filled in the details: He made his name penetrating Palestinian extremist groups, such as the Abu Nidal organization. Once he had burrowed into the terrorists' lair, he was able to plant rumors and disinformation that set the group's members fighting among themselves. Before long, Abu Nidal's fraternity of killers had imploded in a frenzy of suspicion and self-destruction. I stole that idea for "Body of Lies."

Kheir researched his targets so thoroughly that he got inside their lives. A former CIA officer told me about one sublime pitch: Kheir tracked a jihadist to an apartment in Eastern Europe and handed him a cellphone, saying: "Talk to your mother." The man's mom was actually on the line, telling him he was a wonderful son for buying her a new TV and a couch and sending her money. "The spoken message was, 'We can do good things for you.' The unspoken message was, 'We can hurt you,' " explained the CIA officer. I took that scene, too, verbatim.

Like many Arab intelligence services, the GID has a reputation for using brutal interrogation methods, and I'm sure that it didn't get the nickname "the fingernail factory" for nothing. But Kheir's successes in interrogation often came from a different kind of intimidation. Colleagues recall him standing behind a suspect, his voice deep with menace, as he talked of the suspect's family, friends and contacts. That was much scarier than physical violence would have been. He waited for them to break themselves, and it usually worked.

Kheir ran afoul of his boss, King Abdullah, when he began pushing into politics and business. It was the classic overreach of intelligence chiefs in the Middle East, and he was sacked in 2005. His dismissal took a cruel toll: Kheir could be seen carousing late at night at his favorite restaurant in Amman, no longer a master of the universe or even, fully, master of himself. But in his prime, he was a genius, and it's hard to think of a foreigner who helped save more American lives than Saad Pasha.

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Dear Mr. Gacy (2010)

I honestly can't even remember the amount of movies made about various serial killers over the years and there has many numerous about John Wayne Gacy himself as well so going into this I wasn't expecting any new or different here but boy was I wrong. Based on a true story, the film tells the tale of college student, Jason Moss who decided to contact Mr. Gacy during his final year alive and try to find out things about no one else including the F.B.I. could get plus his was the subject John was using as his final term paper for school so he does have a motive. Early on I have to say I found Jason's fascination with Gacy a bit creepy and never having the read the book I was interested in finding out what was inside the head of the young man as well. The first letter he writes to John is one that paints a picture of a tough home life, of someone looking to reach out as a friend. After seeing an interview on Television where John states he is bi-sexual Jason takes the next step by posing and taking seductive pictures to send along in the next letter to John. Based on the book "The Last Victim" written by Jason Moss it paints a picture of someone looking to get into the head of Mr. Gacy but as the relationship moves along you quickly find out that John is a master and Jason is really no match. Jason slowly begins to journey now a dark path of destruction that effects his relationship with both his family and his girlfriend as John gets deeper and deeper in his subconscious. To go on and on about the story here would only ruin the experience for those waiting to see the film but I can say this is a dark, disturbing and and almost hypnotic look into the mind of a crazed killer, like Mr. Gacy himself the film gets in your head and stays with you long after it is over. William Forsythe gives one of if not his best performances as Gacy, he must of done a lot of research to be able to play him with such realism. Also Jesse Moss did a fantastic job playing Jason, the young man that gets more than he bargained for when taking on such a twisted mind. As the film was coming to an end I thought to myself that those 7 months with Gacy had to take its toll on Jason and had to effected the rest of his life and sure enough in the notes during the credits you find out just how much a toll it did take.

"Dear Mr. Gacy" is one of the best serial killer films I have seen in a very long time, it has fantastic production values, an amazing cast and a gritty,dark and realistic feel that sends chills down your spine. If you like the genre this is a must own film that really delivers on telling a story that will haunt you for days.

Patrick Ricketts-videoviews.org

A young psychology student begins corresponding with John Wayne Gacy, the famed serial killer, posing as a potential victim in order to write a groundbreaking thesis paper on the case. After exchanging letters and speaking on the phone, Jason thinks he has the upper hand in the situation, but Gacy quickly proves that he is more cunning than he appears as he infiltrates every aspect of Jason's life and infects his mind. Intense, nauseating, terrifying. DEAR MR. GACY details the true-life experiences shared between Jason Moss and his subject of study, John Wayne Gacy, as adapted from his memoirs The Last Victim. The film is a refreshing new approach to the tired serial killer theme, and one that is made that much more frightening in the fact that it was Moss' reality for seven months. William Forsythe is both captivating and repulsive at the same time as the incarcerated "Killer Clown." His powers of persuasion and seemingly innocent charm lure the audience in just as the real Gacy had done with his victims. The one fatal flaw that makes the story so difficult to believe is that the resourceful Gacy had the ability to track down so many details about Moss' life, and yet he was unable to figure out that Jason was a college student that was playing him from the start. With the suspension of disbelief held high, DEAR MR. GACY proves to be an intimate and unsettling examination into the inner workings of one of America's most notorious murders.

-Carl Manes

I Like Horror Movies

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Wow ... I was blown away. I remember watching the news coverage shown in this film as it actually happened when Gacy was arrested and the gruesome discoveries that followed. The nation was appalled, terrified and morbidly fascinated by the undeniable proof that there is a dark side to some seemingly everyday people that is successfully hidden away by their ability to fit in with society.

I've also seen several crime documentaries about Jason Moss' experience studying Gacy. It's disturbing and unsettling to know that there are people who seem to have mastered the ability to manipulate and terrorize someone to the point of controlling them psychologically. Getting inside the mind of someone like that would be a life-changing and horrible thing to deal with. I hate to imagine what it's like as a detective, profiler, psychologist or worst of all a victim to realize that you are dealing with a person that is consumed by violence, narcissism and a lust for total control with no regard for human life including yours.

William Forsythe was every bit as formidable and convincing as Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs ... two characters that are mesmerizing and terrifying because of the destructive use of their intelligence and the ability to gain people's trust in order to dominate them. But in this film I find it to be especially disturbing because from what I've seen and read it's (for the most part) what I consider to be an accurate portrayal of an actual, horrible event in history.

Be sure to read "the rest of the story" right before the credits. For me it really drove home the point that the impact a sick mind can achieve if they gain control is a powerful thing that can result in a multitude of damaging, violent and deadly consequences way beyond what is obvious.

Read Best Reviews of Dear Mr. Gacy (2010) Here

True stories make for interesting movies. Some tend to go overboard on the melodrama, usually ending up on Lifetime network. Others are depicted as documentaries. And then there is the real life story that is turned into drama, sometimes bad and others good. DEAR MR. GACY lands in between.

The story revolves around Jason Moss (Jesse Moss), a young law student not performing up to his potential in college who is searching for a centerpiece for his thesis. He finds it while watching the news as he becomes fascinated with serial killer John Wayne Gacy (William Forsythe). Gacy is soon to be executed, coming down to his last attempt at a stay of execution and Jason's chance to speak to him is slipping by fast.

Jason realizes that he has to find an in, a way to get Gacy's attention, realizing that chances are he receives tons of letters on a daily basis. To do so, he attempts to get into the psyche of Gacy, playing off of the information that Gacy tended to pick up on young boys. He sends Gacy a letter that is in ways flirtatious. To seal the deal he ends up sending Gacy photos of himself shirtless and describing how he's considering hustling himself on the streets.

Its all done in an attempt to gain Gacy's trust so that he'll open up to him, speak to him and perhaps give him the chance to discover why Gacy did the things he did. But as their correspondence continues, Jason finds himself drawn into the dark world of Gacy's mind, falling prey to the things Gacy encourages him to do, including a trip to the world of street hustlers where he is drugged and almost raped.

Jason is perhaps Gacy's last victim. His life changes and those around him see it happening though they don't know why. He spends time bodybuilding, argues with his parents and brother and goes so far as to dump his girlfriend. The letters lead to phone calls that Gacy places to Jason which he accepts. The lies he tells to paint the portrait of himself that he knows Gacy expects build one on top of the other until he finally gets the chance to meet Gacy in prison. It is here that Jason is witness to the true monster that was John Wayne Gacy.

The movie is terribly depressing, but not so much in a bad way. The slow decent into a form of madness that overtakes Jason is well played by Moss as we see the changes develop over time. Forsythe, a totally underappreciated actor who has starred in everything from OUT FOR JUSTICE, THE ROCK and THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, does a truly menacing portrayal of Gacy, showing the manipulative side of him that convinces Jason to do the things he does while at the same time show the animalistic frenzy that fills Gacy when he confronts the obsessive fan alone in a prison cell.

Gacy was an unusual killer. Well respected in the community, known for his dressing as a clown for children's parties and celebrated for his paintings of clowns while in prison, he was not what most people expected when thinking of a serial killer. But the acts he committed, not just to the boys he killed but to Jason Moss as well, were some of the most brutal imagined. This movie is on the low budget scale but it tells the story well and holds your interest. While there are moments you want to look away, there are others that keep you watching from beginning to end. Here's hoping that the number of potential serial killers like Gacy dwindle rather than grow.

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Direct-to-DVD movies about serial killers are so common that it's almost revolutionary when one is given the slightest bit of positive notice. I caught the trailer for Dear Mr. Gacy in a store, was slightly intrigued, and became very interested when I found mostly positive reviews. The film is based on a book I'd never heard of by Jason Moss, who developed a correspondence with serial killer John Wayne Gacy in the months leading up to his execution. Gacy died in 1994, Moss' book was published in 1999, and Moss took his own life in 2006. The book was called The Last Victim and with the knowledge of his suicide and lack of explanation for it, a whole new dimension is added to the film.

I don't know how closely this film follows the book, so the following review is based solely on the film's own merit.

In the film, Jason Moss (coincidentally played by an actor named Jesse Moss) decides to write his college thesis on serial killers. Posing as a troubled admirer, he sends a letter to convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy (William Forsythe). To his surprise, Gacy responds to it. Doing whatever he can to gain Gacy's trust and get access to the darkest parts of his mind, Moss develops a frighteningly close bond with Gacy that begins taking a toll on his real life.

It's troubling that Dear Mr. Gacy debuted on Canadian television and was followed with a direct-to-DVD release. Films released this way are rarely of high-quality and many people see a direct-to-DVD release as a badge of mediocrity. This is not the case with Dear Mr. Gacy. What we have here is a film that is not a horror film, but gets under your skin more effectively than any theatrically-released horror film that I can recall being released in 2010. It's also a low-budget film that never looks or feels cheap with a convincing lead performance by newcomer Jesse Moss, and one of the best portrayals of a real-life serial killer I've ever witnessed by William Forsythe.

Glancing at Forsythe's filmography, I've seen several of his films but he's only stood out in Rob Zombie's Halloween and The Devil's Rejects. I am not exaggerating when I say that Forsythe could have earned an Oscar nomination if The Last Victim had a higher budget, an actual theatrical release, and maybe some well-known people behind the camera. It's one of the most convincing performances I've seen this year. The first time we see Forsythe as Gacy is in a still photograph based on Gacy's mugshot. There's not much of a resemblance, but I accepted that he would be Gacy for the duration of the film. When Forsythe is finally seen on-screen portraying Gacy, it's a revelatory moment. He's gained weight for the role and the hairstyle is right, but once he begins speaking and the film begins progressively revealing the full extent of Gacy's character it becomes apparent how much he captured the essence of Gacy. Forsythe plays Gacy as a normal, intelligent, and friendly human being revealing Gacy as the sociopath he was in perfect synchronicity with Gacy revealing himself to Jason. Where some well-known, well-respected actors would have gone over-the-top or showy with their performance resulting in a typical one-dimensional serial killer, Forsythe slowly shows Gacy's normality wearing thin with an eerie, collected realism that's both fascinating and disturbing. A real-life serial killer is a psychologically complex character that's very difficult for any actor to tackle, especially when it's a well-written, real-life serial killer. Forsythe's performance is not this revelation because he's in a direct-to-DVD release or because he's not an actor known for embodying complicated characters...It's because it's a completely convincing performance. As far as direct-to-DVD releases about serial killers go, the only other performance to come close to the realism of Forsythe is Steve Railsback's portrayal of Ed Gein in the film of the same name.

Obviously, Forsythe blew my mind in this film. If only the film was as perfect as his performance is. All of the performances are just fine and the film maintains a dreary, grayish atmosphere that lends to the effect of Jason's correspondence with Gacy on his life. Obviously, the filmmakers didn't have much money to work with but the film never feels cheap. Except for a few "direct-to-DVD vibes," I would have thought this was just an independent theatrical release that flew under the radar. There have been a dizzying amount of direct-to-DVD films about serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, Richard Speck, and even John Wayne Gacy over the years and it's rather tragic that this film will be grouped together with that dreck.

Dear Mr. Gacy is not perfect due mostly to an uneven script that occasionally loses focus and stretches our suspension of disbelief a bit too far. As stated earlier, I have not read Jason's book but I found some scenes (the face-to-face meeting, Jason's assault on a high school student, and Gacy's ability to find anything from his cell...except that Jason is a college student) just a bit too unbelievable in an otherwise very realistically told movie. If this was a part of Jason's book, the filmmakers should have handled it better for those who have not read the book and would immediately think 'that wouldn't happen.' Imperfections aside and despite falling into the "true crime" genre, Dear Mr. Gacy is more disturbing and effective than most horror films. It's also a terrific character study of the psychological workings of a serial killer and how Gacy was able to manipulate Jason while Jason was simultaneously manipulating him. The film feels genuinely like a tragedy when we realize that Jason, in his own way, may have been Gacy's last victim.

I highly recommend Dear Mr. Gacy for those looking for a good film about a real-life serial killer. There's very few of them out there and Dear Mr. Gacy is a real delight. As a direct-to-DVD release, it's great. It's a true study of a psychopath, that doesn't just exploit it's subject to tell a cheap horror story. In fact, there is no gore and only brief scenes of violence shown in flashbacks. It's lack of a theatrical release is a tragedy, as Dear Mr. Gacy ranks up there with true-life serial killer films like The Boston Strangler and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Forsythe's performance is one of a kind in the way it gets under the skin of a real serial killer and it's unfortunate that this performance won't garner him much critical notice.

Dear Mr. Gacy succeeds at what dozens of cheap films released each year fail at doing. It's an effective, haunting, rare, and introspective look at a serial killer without the blood and gore...If Dear Mr. Gacy isn't quite one of the best films of the year, it's possibly the best horror film of 2010. What other direct-to-DVD film could receive such praise?

GRADE: B

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Forbidden Zone (Arrow Video) (1982)

This movie is weird, period. It's got an Eraserhead vibe (probably from the black/white), and I pick up Un Chien Andalou, probably from having no idea what's coming next. The dark frame corners of the B/W stock also evoke the early parts of The Wizard of Oz, conjuring dread and foreboding. Other than that, leave your film references behind, and set your mind for new experience.

You've got to watch this film at least twice, ideally a couple weeks apart, before you decide that it's the worst film you've ever seen (a typical first reaction). Now, the weirdest movie you've ever seen--yeah, that's a spot-on description-but it's not the worst, by far. Save that crucial tag for Madonna's desecration of Swept Away, John Wayne in The Conqueror, Caddyshack 2.

I saw this B/W classic for the first time in a 1984 university film class. The prof warned us that it was racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, violent, vulgar and scatological (her words). And she was and remains exactly right. I sat through the 73-odd minutes of this thing (shown on film, no less), and when it was over I wasn't quite sure what I'd seen. I remember a strange and heavy feeling of dread and confusion that hung with me for a few days, like I'd seen something deeply disturbing but couldn't yet make sense of it. But I'd also laughed, hard, at a number of the scenes in the film.

It wasn't until a good ten years later I got my hands on a bootleg VHS copy, and I bought my own copy (signed!) from the Richard Elfman web site two years ago. It was only on second and subsequent viewings that I figured out exactly what the story was, and then really started to see the subtlety of the film, to appreciate and enjoy it more.

It opens in the kitchen at breakfast, with the family in intentionally awful stage makeup, sitting in mismatched chairs on a set with ultra low-budge hand-painted elementary school play backdrops. The psychotic mom gets knocked cold by dad when she talks too much. Then they have to tie up Grandpa before the kids go to school. And that's in the first couple of minutes.

Then school, where the scenes are pure nightmare, just chaos, with the grotesque images of the teacher and students, hideous caricatures of kids that I knew, and you'll recognize as well. Then in the middle of this highly disorienting scene comes the "Alphabet Song/Swinging the Alphabet," with the "F" and "G" verses corrupted thoroughly and hilariously.

Then we descend to the underworld and by way of introduction to the Sixth Dimension, watch two guys in jock straps sing a goofy song in a boxing ring, followed by a frog-headed guy doing some soft-shoe, and a seriously creepy version of "Bim Bam Boom."

The crass racial and ethnic stereotypes flit in and out, amateurish, really, in their insertion, and having little relation to the movie itself. Right at the beginning there's a black-face guy, described as local pimp Huckleberry P. Jones, with his bad suit and boxing gloves, no less. The Hercules patriarch has a horribly dubbed Yiddish accent, and we even run across Jewish money lenders down in the Sixth Dimension. I don't really get their placement or function in the film, other than visual distraction, or misfiring attempts at comedy.

And some violence. A guy gets shot at school, although it's pantomime-corny. There is some serious fisticuffs, but it's also hammy. A knife goes right through a thigh, but it's a cheezy effect. But when Grandpa Hercules fights the gorilla he ends up literally bashing its head into ground meat, and that's a pretty disturbing close-up, even in B/W. The queen gets shot, somewhat graphically, with a little bit of blood. The two queens end up at the bottom of the pit, their bodies run through with steel blades. And Squeezit loses his head, although he doesn't really die, and the head even sprouts wings to flit around as a cheezy Sixth Dimension mascot.

And some nudity. The excruciatingly nubile Princess wears nothing but tight high-rise briefs, pumps, and gloves for the entire film. There's a wacky kind of topless cattle drive of young ladies, comical and erotic in its own strange way. There's a lot of comically strange/strangely comical frottage going on, mostly Flash and Gramps grabbing various Sixth Dimension denizens. Nothing graphic at all, but the MPAA would call it sexual content.

And fun with trivia: 1) Uber-nerds will recognize the Forbidden Zone theme as that from the short-lived Dilbert TV show from a few years back; 2) Music nerds also will recognize an original recording of "Pico and Sepulveda," which was for many decades the backing/theme song of the Doctor Demento radio show (The Very Best of Dr. Demento).

Lastly, get that soundtrack (Forbidden Zone). If you like a good mix of music, you'll love the CD. If you're expecting raw Oingo Boingo, you'll be disappointed. Sure, they're there, but not in the kind of depth and orchestration you're probably looking for. There's a couple old-timey tunes ("Bim Bam Boom," "Some of These Days"), lots of Danny Elfman's original score, and the sorrowfully too-short "Squeezit The Moocher." For whatever sad reason, "Pico and Sepulveda" is not included in this release.

Bottom line: This is just one of those cult films you have to be able to say you've seen. If you're looking for slick production and deep, deep artistic symbolism and staging, you'll be hugely disappointed. You may not like it at first, it being more confusing than anything, but if you've got an open mind and tend toward black humor, and if you watch it more than once, you'll enjoy it. If you're looking for something seriously off the wall, a film like none other you've ever seen, then this is the one you've been waiting for.

It's a good day when "Forbidden Zone" gets a DVD release! Better yet, this is a valuable addition to the Fantoma disc, and not really a substitution.

I don't normally purchase or even watch colorized versions of black and white films, but Richard Elfman seemed to make a compelling case that he intended "Forbidden Zone" to be released in color. I certainly do not begrudge the man for making a living, and he honors our pocketbooks by making the new release different enough to warrant a look.

In the color version, one notices details that aren't as readily apparent as in the original black and white version. The sets seem to be made of cardboard and butcher block paper that is clear in the original version, but is blazingly obvious in the colorized version.

Colorization aside, how is this version different? This DVD is lacking the commentary of the original release, the documentary and the isolated score (this is bad.) On the plus side, the new DVD has a DTS 5.1 track, and a promo for a Japanese audience. However, the deal-maker is the pop-up trivia that is truly interesting although somewhat redundant of the previous DVD director's commentary.

The colorization is quite good (who knew French's bathrobe was yellow), and adds to the surreal quality of the picture instead of being a distraction.

I don't normally like double DVD releases, but in this case I will make a strong exception. Recommended!

Buy Forbidden Zone (Arrow Video) (1982) Now

Once upon a time, way back in the 1970?s, there was a magical land called Southern California. It was in this place that two brothers, Richard and Danny Elfman, devised an avant-garde musical comedy troupe, called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. In 1980, they decided to form a loose story based around some of their performance pieces and make a movie. That movie is the legendary Forbidden Zone. Since my fourteen-year old vhs tape of this movie is rotting on the shelf as I write this, I couldn?t be happier to see its release on dvd.

Okay, the film is a certified nut case of a movie, filmed over the course of maybe a week in and around the LA area. It?s in black and white, not because of any artistic vision ? it was just cheaper that way. But it works ? the film is a (tribute, send up?) of 1930?s era musicals, with standout music by Josephine Baker and Cab Calloway and centers around the Hercules family and the strange portal to the 6th Dimension that exists in their basement. The world this takes place in is filled with strange imagery, amazing music, and more oddities than a sane person could hope to count. We have a human-size dancing frog, jockstrap-clad Kipper Kids, Herv? Villechaize as the king of the 6th Dimension, a chicken-boy who is able to communicate telepathically with his transvestite brother, Joe Spinell as a drunker sailor, classroom violence, a Jewish wrestler fighting a guy in an ape suit, and Danny Elfman playing Satan while singing ?Minnie the Moocher.? You get the idea; this is not a normal film. Although it borrows from the works of Olsen & Johnson (Hellzapoppin? & Crazy House), this is still a truly unique cinema experience.

The advance word from Richard Elfman is that this dvd will have a re-mastered print of the film, deleted scenes, interviews, and archival footage! For any fan of Danny Elfman, Oingo Boingo, or just incredibly strange films made by talented people, you simply can?t miss this one.

Read Best Reviews of Forbidden Zone (Arrow Video) (1982) Here

Forbidden Zone could be the most eye-openingly bizarre film ever made, surpassing even Eraserhead. The fact that it is cheaply made and often inept is most definitely an asset in a world this surreal conventional filmmaking techniques would seem out of place. In any case, there is no question that anyone interested in underground movies needs to purchase this. Its dismissal by critics and its unpopularity have both been unfair hamperings on its reputation. In actuality, its artistic vision is as singular and imaginative as Eraserhead's, or any cult classic for that matter. Rarely has cardboard been the vehicle for such a visionary production design.

There is so much to take note of but I would single out the 'Bim bam boom' musical number with the mumbling boxers, the inexplicable antics in the classroom, and Danny Elfman's totally suave appearance as Satan towards the end as truly classic moments in the world of cult movies. They manage to be disturbingly surreal and amusingly silly and cartoonish at the same time. I want to extend my recommendation beyond the intellectuals and outsiders; even more conventionally-minded people may be taken in by Forbidden Zone's utter loopiness and triumphant imagination.

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This is an awesome find and collector's dream. The film, about a porthole to the Sixth Dimension and a most unusual family's discovery of it, is a bizarre low budget delight in b&w featuring original music by Oingo Boingo and vintage music by Cab Calloway and Miguelito Valdez. Another reviewer pretty much summed things up but I'd like to mention that if you're a fan of the late, great Susan Tyrrell, she's on fine display here. She plays the wicked Queen of the Sixth Dimension and sings a great song "Witch's Egg" which she also helped compose. Herve Villechaize is the King ("He's a little man but he carries a big stick"), Marie-Pascale Elfman, Viva, Toshiro Baloney and the Kipper Kids also star. This little gem is obviously not for everyone, but if you've never seen it it's worth a look. For fans of "Forbidden Zone" it's debut on DVD is a celebration. I've had the soundtrack on a Varese Sarabande CD for some time and my VHS tape is long gone. I'm truly looking forward to this release. Enjoy.

Bleak House (BBC)[Region Free]

For once, I am happy to find a remake of a fine old Masterpiece Theatre offering that is as good as the original. "Bleak House" is currently available on an DVD with Diana Rigg as the most familiar name; and except for some incomprehensible line readings by a young character named Joe, it is a very good account of the Dickens novel. Having already appeared on Public Television, the remake has Gillian Anderson (yes, the one from "X-Files") as Lady Dedlock, and a cast of 80 speaking roles, many of which are played by actors that will send you searching the cast listings that go by too quickly at the end of each episode.

The eight parts will be shown so that the first and last will run two hours and the four in between an hour each. I found the complex plot actually easier to follow in this version than I did in the earlier one. And while I prefer Rigg to Anderson, I think I can easily recommend this new adaptation over the other.

The story--lawyers will hate it--involves the infamous Court of Chancery in which disputes over estates can be buried for years until the lawyers' fees make further legalizing unnecessary. Against this background, the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce being a major part of it, we have the story of John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson), his ward Ada (Carey Mulligan), her companion Esther (Anna Maxwell Martin), and Ada's beloved Richard (Patrick Kennedy).

The latter becomes obsessed with the case, while Esther becomes involved in the mysterious past of Lady Dedlock, who happens to recognize the handwriting on some legal documents delivered by the utterly immoral family solicitor Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance). I will not reveal any more of the plot, lest it spoil your enjoyment. You will wind up guessing much of it, but it is a lot of fun--unless you are a lawyer.

Peripheral to the plot are the usual cast of Dickens "characters": Krook the junkman (Johnny Vegas) who finds some incriminating letters (and dies the strangest death in all fiction), Smallweed the moneylender (Phil Davis) who cannot walk by himself and must be "shaken up" by his weird niece every few minutes and who gets the letters, and Miss Flite ( Pauline Collins) who looks forward to "judgment day" when her case will finally be settled and she can set her birds free.

Most interesting of all is the policeman Bucket (Alun Armstong), the first real detective in English fiction. Although he looks like a toady for the rich, he does his job and does it well, solving a murder case and being considerate to a certain lady who would suffer if her connection with the case should come out.

Of course, the arm of coincidence in Dickens is a long one; and while a good deal of the plot does strain credulity, the acting and period ambience are of the highest level. The only thing that annoyed me was the director segmenting his "establishing shots" (exterior views of buildings to let us know where we are) into two or three rapid cuts with some electronic "whoosh" for each one. Pretentious and irritating after the first dozen or so.

I caught the first two hours of this adaptation of Dickens Bleak House on Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday night and I was immediately hooked. If you love dark Victorian mysteries this is a must see. I remember hearing promos for the show stating its starring Gillian Anderson but I thought it was some English actress with the same name as Scully from the X-files. What a shock when I realized I watched Scully for I did not realize it at the time it was her. Ms. Anderson becomes Lady Dedlock replacing her FBI professional pant suits outfits for a Victorian frock. Although common elements to both characters are repressed emotions and icy personalities. I have not read the novel but the show is emphasizing the mystery aspects of the story with Lady Dedlock trying to hide a secret from her past, how everybody's fate is somehow bound into the Jarndyce case over disputed wills and what role if any Esther plays in all of this. Also, the series focuses a sharp eye on the byzantine legal world of Victorian England that makes the US legal system seem the epitome of efficiency. Charles Dance is great as the ruthless barrister Tulkinghorn who sets his sights on uncovering Lady Dedlock's secret. Anne Maxwell Martin is great as the innocent and virtuous Esther Summerson. Besides Ms. Anderson some might recognize Mr. Dance who has seen roles in various movies and TV series including the villain in the Eddie Murphy Buddhist action-adventure movie The Golden Child, and Denis Lawson, who plays the benevolent John Jarndyce, was Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars movies. Like any Dickens novel this TV series is filled with interesting often eccentric secondary characters from the young law clerk Mr. Guppy to Miss Flite.

The atmosphere is dark with lots of mist, fog and rain as one would expect in a Victorian novel. You have the contrast of the romantic elegant world of Lady Dedlock's estate and the cozy feeling of Bleak House estate with the grim, mud and muck that the lower classes lived in. The period costumes and sets are top notch. The series for me captures the essence of the Victorian period. Can't wait for the series to play itself out.

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A simply magnificent production of Dickens. Read the Amazon editorial review above, I agree with all of it.

Dickens can be difficult to translate to film. His cartoonish drawings of his characters, both literal and literary, are the stuff of political lampoon. And he IS interested in politics; the politics of class, culture, the legal system, and how his characters are trapped in them, by situation, and by their own human choices. His characters and story lines are so intricate that they must have been manna for the readers of his (no tv, no film) time period, but they can sometimes be dry and dull for a modern audience.

Enter the skillfull writing of THE MASTER ADAPTOR Andrew Davies, and a production that careens and slams prison doors from one story to another, and we are briskly carried along... in this story of secrets, blackmail, and the endless wait for the legal system to do... something... anything.

As with most BBC casting, it is excellent... every single character not only LOOKS as they should, but can really act. Nice to see Gillian Anderson break through and prove that yes, american actresses really CAN run with the best of them, if they get the chance to. Anna Maxwell Martin as our lead protagonist is simply wonderful. She has the kind of looks that we do not get to see in the hollywood casting system. Her character does not rely on her appearance, because she knows she can not, but she becomes so dear to us, we care deeply about her, and her complexity and calm in the midst of chaos reveal her true inner beauty. Through her we see the souls of others as they respond to her.

Dickens is VERY interested in the devastation of the Brittish class system, and the costumes and sets bring this all darkly to life, from the filth and disease of the street urchins, the tattered foppishness of a dance instructor, the soldiers barracks and stark sleeping compartments, to the cluttered new money oppulence of Bleak House and the old dusty money feel of the house of the local aristocracy.

The beginning is slow... neccessary to introduce the whole population of characters, and just when you think the train will never take off, it speeds into overdrive, and you scream with dizzy joy like a roller coaster ride. We get all the benefits of todays cinematic language and style in telling, while losing none of the story and atmosphere. A really masterful, very modern production of an old Dicken's tale.

10 stars!

Read Best Reviews of Bleak House (BBC)[Region Free] Here

The time is the 1840's in Victorian England. The film opens with a court case being heard in what was then known as Chancery. A row of justices are hearing the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, where an inheritance from several generations ago has the trouble of having several claimants, all of whom may be the correct ones. The case has dragged on for so long that people have committed suicide over the outcome, and others have grown withered and old waiting for a decision. As for the lawyers, they're estastic -each one will be getting paid off first, and the longer they drag it all out, the more they'll get.

The story centers around two young people, Richard Carstone (Partrick Kennedy) and Ada Clare (Carey Mulligan), who are cousins and fellow claimnants to the Jarndyce inheritance. The courts have deemed that they are too young to be on their own, so another relation, John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) has offered them his guardianship and a home at his estate, Bleak House. As it would not be seemly for Ada to be alone, he has invited another young woman, Esther Somerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) to be her companion, and as we discover, to help him run his house. Bleak House, we discover, is actually quite pleasant, and Mr. Jarndyce is one of those people we like to meet in the real world -he warns both Richard and Ada that to pin their hopes on the endless case is foolishness, and instead do as he did and make their own way in the world. But young Richard, as we see, is feckless and more than a little stupid -he can't turn away his hopes of the money, and so plays at picking a profession whether it is law, or medicine, or anything else that would turn a living. We are also introduced to a friend of Jarndyce's -Mr. Skimpole (Nathaniel Parker) who claims to be 'innocent as a child in all things' and who happily battens off of others, in the most odious fashion.

On a neighboring estate, that of Sir Lester Dedlock (Timothy West) and his wife, Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson), there is also interest in the case. They are visited by their lawyer, Mr. Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance), who begins his own hunt when Lady Dedlock faints at the signt of the handwrighting on one of the legal briefs. Immediately, we're curious as to the why and who.

The who is Mr. Nemo (John Lynch), a law writer who makes a scanty living by copying out documents for the lawyers. He's also a sad, beaten man who finds solace only in opium. His neighbor, Miss Flite (Pauline Collins), a distressed gentlewoman, has her caged birds for company as her own claim goes on forever in the chancery courts, with little hope for the future as well. And Mr. Nemo's only friend it seems, is Joe, a young streetsweeper who has a very fateful encounter with Lady Dedlock herself at the end of the first two hour segment.

As we discover, not everyone in this tale will end happily or rich. Money, in some form or another, is the constant worry of this tale, along with a general condemnation of the law profession -one result of Dickens' novel was that it created such an outpouring of anger at the Chancery Courts that the system was finally reformed.

This one is a cold, chilling portrayal of the two extremes of early Victorian England. At one end you have the ease of the Dedlocks, John Jarndyce and Mr. Tulkinghorn. At the other is the grinding poverty of Mr. Nemo, Miss Flyte, and Joe. In between there are the uncertain futures of Ada, Richard and Esther, and indeed most of the characters in the novel. Money, and the lack of it, is one of the major themes of the story, along with family secrets, greed and outright lies.

Some critics state that this was probably Dickens' finest novel. I'm inclined to agree, all of the characters are complex, with their own stories and desires giving them voice and depth. Too, Dickens' own wit and scathing humor is pretty evident in the dialog, and the names of the various characters throughout.

This version comes in at 510 minutes, in a DVD transfer that is quite nearly perfect. The lighting at times is haunting with the use of polarized filters, the sound is crisp, and the acting top notch. Whoever did the casting in this was dead-on in their approach -the most intriguing of the characters, Lady Dedlock and Esther, are perfect. Costuming and set design are perfect for the period. Too, the art directors were careful in not wallowing in the poverty-stricken parts of the story, nor in moralizing, they just show things as they were, and let the audience make up their own mind in what can be right or just.

Another version of this was adapted for PBS/Masterpiece Theatre back in 1985, with Diana Rigg as the cold Lady Dedlock.

DVD extras include: subtitles in English,

This miniseries is one of the reasons why PBS?s Masterpiece Theatre and the BBC remain the gold standard as far as I am concerned. If you are curious about more about this novel or the miniseries, be certain to check out their links on . Highly recommended.

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The one Dickens novel I never read turns up in a brilliant realization from Andrew Davies, with mesmerizing characters and first-rate actors in another BBC success. Gillian Anderson refocuses her considerable acting chops to bring the luckless Lady Dedlock to perfect fruition. The relative scarceness of her scenes, and their critical importance to the story, makes her appearances even more tantalizing. The entire cast once again proves the English theatre tradition thriving, and is directed with consummate skill, and pride of detail. I love the redoubtable Pauline Collins as the quintessential Miss Flite, and Charles Dance is incendiary as the heartless Tulkinghorn. Anna Maxwell Martin (Esther Summerson) is a marvel to watch; she corners a self-assurance most actors only dream of, with ownership of every nuance of face and inflection it's a huge performance of requisite Dickensian depth, perfectly tuned and delivered with the most gifted ease imaginable. It's worth every minute just to watch her copiously in her many scenes. Dickens' many minor characters never fail to justify their presence in his novels, however extravagant, and Bleak House has its profuse share. It's amazing how beguilingly the BBC has forged its remarkable history of mini-series of English literature; I can think of few, if any, failures. Bleak House is, bar none, one of its masterpieces. Nothing prevents an unqualified recommendation for an exquisite film experience more than worthy of the great Dickens.

It's a Wonderful Life Giftset (Blu-ray + Bell Ornament) (1946)

Rather than review the content of this almost universally beloved film, I'm just going to comment about the quality of the 2006 60th Anniversary Edition DVD itself. I've since written an updated review about a new edition of this title, now available in a "Two-Disc Collector's Set." Please find that review -which was posted on December 13, 2008. (Amazon has posted my 2006 review in both places -even though the "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD is DIFFERENT from the "Two-Disc Collector's Set". Read my write-up for the "Two-Disc Collector's Set" -again, it's DATED 2008 and too early to rank among the "most helpful" reviews -to better decide which product you prefer.)

I've owned nearly every version of this title in almost every format available on home video during the past 25 years. It's true that the CONTENT of this Viacom/Paramount DVD -including its special features -is identical to the Republic Pictures Home Video release more than 10 years ago.

However, this 60th Anniversary edition is spectacular for several different and extremely important reasons. (I'll address the criticisms some people have leveled about the sound on this 2006 DVD in a little bit, so stick with me.)

You don't have to be a technical expert to immediately notice the striking improvement of the picture AND sound in this 2006 edition. The print is crystal-clear and in my view, has more vividness and sharpness than ALL other previous releases of this title on home video.

Proof? I put my "old" THX-version DVD issued by Republic Pictures / Artisan Home Video (the former DVD gold standard for this title) -into my Sony multi-changer DVD player -and watched and listened to every frame of this film AND its special features. I stopped and started this "older" DVD in several spots -and stopped and started the new 2006 Paramount edition repeatedly -so I could compare quality almost "side-by-side."

Hands down -this 2006 version is fabulous. The spots and dirt have been wiped clean, the sharpness and contrast are arguably better than what film audiences saw 60 years ago. There are no ragged spots, no jumped frames and no lint, fiber or hair fragments along the edges or jumping across the screen. I believe the technicians at Paramount (which acquired Republic Pictures Home Video) -digitally cleaned EVERY frame of the last DVD release -so that the film now looks like a million dollars. It's almost too pristine, if there is such a thing. No jump cuts, no "jump ahead" sound breaks, no fogged-out scenes, nothing ragged -with the result being the cleanest and purest version of "It's A Wonderful Life" ever issued in home video history.

It gets better. English subtitles were available on older DVD versions of this title, but the 2006 version has a cleaner typeface, wiping out some of the confusing and unnecessary attributions of "who's saying what" that were disruptive to some hearing-impaired viewers. In this 2006 version, you'll get a mostly straight, line-by-line reading of what's being said -as it's being said.

Meanwhile, the DVD's special features -which include the same pair of documentaries produced in 1990 and 1991 -are identical in that they were shot on video tape hence there isn't much improvement in picture quality. However, subtitles that WERE NOT available for these special features -are NOW available in this 2006 edition. The only "extra" to the previous "gold standard" that remains unchanged -is the original 1946 trailer. Subtitles are not available and it has the same raggedness and dirt commonly seen with vintage trailers stored separately from the films they used to advertise.

I'm highly critical of re-issued DVDs that seem nothing more than an excuse to squeeze more dollars out of buyers for the same material with new packaging. But this 2006 Paramount DVD version of "It's A Wonderful Life" is the best to date. It is NOT in color. (I own a colorized version for younger people who can't stand black-and-white. Despite controversy surrounding colorization, know that the 2007 "Two-Disc Collector's Set" has the same 2006 60th Anniversary black-and-white edition you see here -plus a new "colorized" version. This version uses the same pristine print -but has the added bonus of boasting the best "color" hues ever seen for this film, using the latest image technology available. Despite my preference for black-and-white, the quality of this new colorized version is impressive.)

Meanwhile, let's address the criticisms about the sound on this new DVD. Go back a little bit. Much was made when Republic Pictures Home Video got the THX LucasFilm sound system seal of approval for "It's A Wonderful Life" during the 1990s. But it was still two-channel mono with negligible equalization of sound effects. In this 2006 DVD, you'll get consistent two-channel mono and decent sound equalization to minimize "booming" and over-modulated portions in the film. In the old versions, you had to turn down the volume a notch during the musical portions -and turn it back up when the dialogue came back. It's a nit-pick, but you really notice the difference if you're crazy enough to do a side-by-side comparison like I did.

As for the digital sound "pops" that perfectionists keep bringing up -they're right. They're even in the spots noted by another fine reviewer who listed time codes where you can find them. But in my view, unless you brace yourselves for them to arrive like a booming train -unless you purposely crank up your speakers to carry sound throughout your house -yeah, you "might" be annoyed if you demand the same perfection for a film made in 1946 as you would for a film made in 2006. Honestly, the disproportionate attention given to these digital "pops" is, in my view, giving fence-sitters the impression that they're supersonic cracks of lightning that will make people jump out of their seats. I didn't twitch at all. They almost "blended" into the 60-year-old soundtrack. Yes, I know they're digital defects, but do you remember the zillion "pops" scattered throughout dirty prints of "It's A Wonderful Life" with filthy optical soundtracks? The audio on this 2006 DVD still wins. You have EVERY RIGHT to demand perfection for your dollars. But as a person who's more fastidious than average -I don't believe most buyers will care about a few "pops" in a film that's this old. Combine the overall improvements with the relatively low cost of this DVD -and I still say this is the BEST experience of "It's A Wonderful Life" I've ever SEEN and HEARD on home video.

Finally, another reason to buy this DVD. It's old news to some, but it's not widely known that this version of "It's A Wonderful Life" can only be broadcast by NBC. It used to air a zillion times during the holidays on every TV station on earth. It was a quick way to get tired of even a super film you think you know by heart. But Viacom/Paramount now owns this version of "It's A Wonderful Life" outright and NBC has exclusive licensing rights to air it just once or twice after Thanksgiving. This is a good thing for future generations to appreciate.

So junk the old, buy this version and be happy. It may feel painful, but it's worth it. And no, I DON'T work for Amazon NOR for Paramount Home Video.

On November 4, 2006, I posted a review noting the side-by-side differences between the "60th Anniversary Edition of It's A Wonderful Life" vs. all other editions of this film released on home video during the past 25 years. I still stand by that review.

The "Two-Disc Collector's Set" is a different product. While it contains the same 60th Anniversary DVD in pristine black-and-white is ALSO includes a second DVD a colorized version of "It's A Wonderful Life" that boasts the best color hues I've seen to date!

If you're like me -and you prefer black-and-white films to stay black-and-white fine. But I bought this 2-disc set because I was curious about how FAR digital image technology has come since the controversial practice of colorizing black-and-white films began more than two decades ago. In short, the colorization here is spectacular.

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DISC ONE -There are NO differences between the first disc in this "Two-Disc Collector's Set" and the superbly restored black-and-white DVD released in 2006. Disc One is EXACTLY THE SAME as the 60th Anniversary Edition of "It's A Wonderful Life." It has the SAME special features, documentaries, trailers and improved subtitles. The three-to-four VERY MINOR digital sound pops that tekkies brought up in 2006 are still present but as I wrote then they WON'T be a big deal for most families watching a film like this made more than 60 years ago.

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DISC TWO -This disc has the same pristine movie in "COLOR." The results are stunning. Disc Two offers optional subtitles and NO extras and NO digital sound pops!

In my 2006 review of the 60th Anniversary Edition, I noted why I kept a "colorized" version of "It's A Wonderful Life" on video tape (Republic Pictures Home Video, 1989). Most youngsters prefer color. As they get older, they come around to appreciating the artistry of black-and-white. But early on, they still find it "boring."

I recommend fans AND critics of colorization to at least "preview" how much has changed since those chalky crayon efforts of the 1980s. A high-tech company founded in 2001 called Legend Films, which specializes in restoring, colorizing and adding digital special effects to NEW and OLD films was commissioned to colorize "It's A Wonderful Life" for this "Two-Disc Collector's Set."

While the results don't match the color of today's live action films, they're still remarkable. Given the titanic advances in digital special effects since 1989, I shouldn't have been surprised. It isn't Technicolor, but the skin tones and background colors are more lifelike, enabling "It's A Wonderful Life" to JUMP off the screen like never before. It looks brighter, cleaner and more beautiful. You can almost smell Donna Reed's hair and see the panic in her brown eyes when James Stewart hovers over her when they're on the phone in the scene just before they get married.

Think of well-preserved color movies made during the 1940s or 1950s that weren't in Technicolor, but shot on different color film stock that's still beautiful today. That's what the new colorized version of "It's A Wonderful Life" looks like. It's "vintage" color, not "contemporary" color. And unless you're a technician who understands things like fading or shifting colors, you might not be able to tell the difference between what's original or colorized. Why? Because most of us are conditioned to expect LESS technical sophistication from films made in 1946 vs. 2006.

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Yes, colorization does alter an artist's "original vision." But the technology behind it has improved tremendously in 20 years. What this means to the future of colorizing black-and-white films, including "untouchable" classics is a subject for another day.

The solution for tekkies? Buy this "Two-Disc Collector's Set," put colorized Disc Two into your player and simply turn down the color on your TV! You'll now have the cleanest SOUND and PICTURE of "It's A Wonderful Life" ever better than it was for audiences in 1946! Moreover, it'll be easier to get your kids to watch the colorized version before "they graduate" to the black-and-white original. I hope this helps.

Buy It's a Wonderful Life Giftset (Blu-ray + Bell Ornament) (1946) Now

If you are reading this review you likely already know and love this movie. For me, it is the epitome of holiday movies with great acting along with a terrific script and tight direction. If you have never seen it in some ways I envy you just buy it and enjoy!

As I was growing up this film was shown repeatedly on television as it had lapsed into the public domain. Somehow, it was retrieved from public domain with some legal wrangling and though at first I thought of that as a bad thing the quality of the film has benefited now that there is money to be made on this old classic. The initial DVDs available for this film from the public domain era were very poor quality and only recently were better scans completed. That process has been taken to "the nth degree" for the blu-ray release.

For this review I did watch the first few minutes of the Republic Pictures DVD version which last time I checked into this was the best transfer available. I recall when first seeing it that it was far superior to other versions and light-years ahead of the worn prints that used to be shown on TV. I played it on an upscaling player (actually my Sony Blu-Ray player). I then put in the Blu-Ray version and I was blown away at the improvement. The quality is really striking with facial detail and readable text, for example, on the bottles in Mr. Gower's Pharmacy. The print is totally clean and is as others have pointed out shown in the correct aspect ratio in which it was made. This means there are black bars at the sides on a wide-screen TV and this is normal and how it should be. To fill a wide screen TV would mean either stretching things so that the thin James Stewart starts to look more like Alfred Hitchcock or cutting off the top and bottom of the picture. Either of those options would go a long way toward destroying this classic. Sound quality is also excellent and clean.

As I write this I am watching the colorized version which I feel is less impressive. While colorization has come a long way and looks less like paint-by-numbers than it used to it is still obviously added color and just distracting for us purists that love the original B&W. That said, I wonder if the colorized version will be something that might make this film more accessible to kids (though I am planning on showing the original to my 5 and 7 year old kids!)

All in all, this is a fantastic buy and is a must-have for those that love this film and have a blu-ray player. I highly recommend it.

Read Best Reviews of It's a Wonderful Life Giftset (Blu-ray + Bell Ornament) (1946) Here

Buyers beware....This supposedly "new" 60th Anniversary Edition of "It's a Wonderful Life" is THE EXACT SAME DISC AS THE PREVIOUSLY RELEASED VERSION FROM REPUBLIC PICTURES / ARTISAN!!!! The only differencne is that the new version is from the Scrooges at Paramount DVD and they've added new cover art (whoop-de-doo).

In addition, the "new" disc has the same bonus features and the same B&W transfer as the older edition. Paramount desperately needs to GIVE THIS FILM A REAL SPECIAL EDITON and stop suckering consumers into buying a product they already own!!!!!

By the way, there is NO COLORIZED VERSION on the 60th Anniversary DVD or the older release. Amazon has mistakenly listed this title as "color" and misled several reviewers to say that there actually was a colorized print on the disc. THIS IS WRONG!

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A beautifully crafted film that proved to be the apex of triple Oscar-winner (1934, 1936, 1938) Frank Capra's distinguished career, and the epitome of his cycle of works celebrating the "common man". Mr. Deeds found himself suddenly wealthy, Mr. Smith went to Washington as a Senator, and John Doe became the focus of a socio-political movement; but "Life"'s George Bailey never distinguishes himself outside of his small hometown of Bedford Falls --his brother Harry is the one who becomes a war hero, and his friend Sam Wainwright is the one who achieves financial success. George's triumph is simply his personal integrity, his code of ethics, and his strength of character --his goodness, if you will --during the unexciting course of his ordinary, mundane existence. In this respect, George is more an Everyman than any other Capra protagonist, inviting strong audience identification and response.

In one of the most exquisite performances ever given in an American film, James Stewart is superb as George. It's not an easy role to play because so much screen time is spent focusing on George's subtle reactions to the world around him. One incredible moment comes at the train station when George slowly begins to absorb the news of his brother's recent marriage and new career opportunity, and how his brother's fortune will destroy his own hopes of leaving Bedford Falls and the family business. Stewart's face is extraordinary in this scene, as surprised realization fades into quiet disappointment and finally, gentle graciousness and acceptance. Stewart's tour de force is given strong support by a superb cast of Capra stalwarts, including Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, H. B. Warner, and the phenomenal Beulah Bondi (as George's mother). And Donna Reed, in one of her first romantic leading roles after a number of years playing supporting ingenues and bits, is excellent in the warm but unglamorous role of George's loving wife, Mary.

The Republic Home Video DVD is definitely the edition of this classic to own. Like the LaserDisc before it, the DVD offers a crystal clear, beautifully restored film-to-video transfer which will amaze and delight anyone who is familiar only with the horrible multi-generational VHS cassettes, or the awful colorized version, that were commonly screened back in the late 1970's and 1980's. There are some nice bonus features on the DVD, including a "making of" documentary and the theatrical trailer. This is one DVD that you'll never regret adding to your home theatre collection!

Trivia note: If you're a fan of this movie, try finding a copy of film historian David Thomson's 1985 novel "Suspects" which continues George's story and relates the characters from this movie to many others (did you know that Donna Reed's "Mary Bailey" is actually the sister of Gene Tierney's "Laura"?!, etc.) ... great fun!

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