Blue Crush (2002)

I walked into the theatre expecting a fun summer flick to bring me out of a very depressing, stress filled, health concerning summer. What I got was far beyond that! Having lived 22 of my 38 years in sunny beach towns, I was brought back to Life!!!

Yesit was a little mindless storyline, but hey how many surfers could handle something deeper?!? Isn't that who this was made for? I fell deep into the movie. Every scene had something I could relate to. I could smell the ocean, taste and feel the salty water dried on my skin. Feel the rush of a wipe out that is so intense you don't know up from down when you're being thrown spinning in the water; and coming up for air only to take another hit and get that water blown up your nose again! Then, when you finally get out, find major road rash on your face that is burning from the salt water. Surfers are you relating to this? Anyone who has been there should. Surf Divas your sex doesn't matter! Surfing is surfing! I have seen this movie four times and am now anxiously awaiting the release of the DVD. I am planning a huge Luau on it's release date. The acting was good (not great) and the storyline was cute but not what 'The Academy' looks for. But, don't tell me you didn't laugh at the "Pro Bowl" athletes more than once! Overall, everyone fell into their characters very well. However, if this movie doesn't at least get mentioned for cinematography ... there all crazy!! This is a definate 'feel good' movie. You can't help but sing along (great soundtrack) and yell "oh, wo, holy..." when it comes right down to it. Bottom Line A Must See! Only you can decide for yourself.

I had planned to see this film simply because I have a deep interest in surfing. I think that it is a cool sport riding those fierce waves on nothing but a board. Must take tremendous athletic prowess, bravery and skill.

However I did not expect to like the movie itself. Given Hollywoods lousy track record lately (especially with stuff like this) I expected it to be another rubbishy teenage film.

Boy was I wrong!

Apart from the visuals (surfing and cinamatography). I was tremendously impressed that they decided to go so deep into the characters themselves. I especially like Anne Marie the main character. I thought that she was fine young woman. She was strong yet still flawed and vulnerable. I got the impression that she was a former wild child who was trying to do good. Trying to fill in the mother duties and see that her little sister went to college. Wanting to win the contest so that she could "pay her bills" on time every month. I found it really touching.

I also liked the female bonding between Anne Marie, Lena and Eden. They were like a family and looked out for each other. I found it far more real and noble than the promiscuous antics of the girls in "Sex and the City". They really loved and cared for one another. There was no cattiness or jealousy. Sure they fought but it was the kind of fighting you see among siblings who have disagreements. As opposed to see who would be #1 princess.

I found it really neat the way that at the end of the film all those young girls were gathering around Anne Marie in order to get her autograph. I think that she was a great role model. Sure she had problems, but the difference is between her and heroins in other in such movies is that she works through her problems and doesn't fluff them off. How refreshing!

The audience I saw it with were absolutely captivated. It was not one of those films where you can sense the restlessness of the audience, everyone was absolutely riveted.

Blue Crush is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. It will inspire you.

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The first time I watched this movie, I was like, "Eh, it was ok." Then I watched it again. I began to notice little things that I had not paid attention to the first time. I really liked the feeling I got from the film. I felt like I could be apart of their world. It was just three young girls (4 counting the little sister) that were trying to live their lives. I thought the shots of the ocean were beautiful. This movie really makes me want to go there to see the beauty myself.

The film is about Anne Marie (Bosworth) and her struggle to succeed in the world as a surfer and a parental figure to her little sister Penny. She is training for the Pipemasters, a huge surfing contest. Her two best friends Lena (Lake) and Eden (Rodrigues) are her roomates and surfing buddies. Lena is a free spirited, "lets go surfing" girl. Eden is a tough, encouraging friend. They all work at a crappy job at a very nice hotel and resort. Penny is a young girl trying to grow up without a mom or dad... just an older sister and her two friends. While working in the hotel, Anne Marie notices Matt, an NFL quarterback, who she begins to date while trying to train for the competition.

All in all, this movie is one of my all time favorites because of its beauty and it's realistic story line. I loved it!

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Just think: yesterday my "list" (of the people my wife will theoretically allow me to go out with...) only had one name on it. (Liv Tyler, of course. Duh. ) But today I had to add another candidate, uber-hottie, surfer-model Sanoe Lake, who has one of the supporting roles in this sporty-teen surf flick. Sure, Sanoe doesn't actually do that much wave riding in this film, but as a cool-looking beach bum who stands around smiling that twinkly smile and being supportive of her pal the uber-surfer (played by Kate Bosworth) she definitely rocks my world. Seriously, though, this was a pretty fun film -a sports saga that takes place on Oahu's treacherous North Shore (apparently the world's gnarliest surf beach). The plot involves a local gal who wants to help put female surfing on the map, despite the taunts of her macho male colleagues, and yet finds herself distracted from her destinly by a cute, sensitive, equally athletic studmuffin. Michelle Rodriguez -who had a similar role in the less-fluffy boxing movie, "Girl Fight" -is also on hand to cheer Bosworth on, as is the clean-cut himbo who plays her newfound, earnest young beau. I gotta say, the plots and directing on these new teen-triumph movies -"Bring It On," "Save The Last Dance," etc. -have gotten so much better in recent years... they're actually worth watching! And this film is a fine example of that trend. It's a thoroughly entertaining look at the booming surf subculture, with some awesome marine cinematography and a decent, well-paced story. Plus, all them gals are hella cute, in a pleasantly non-bimboed-out kinda way. A lot better than I expected it to be, and certainly worth checking out, especially if you're in the mood for something light.

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Okay, the other reviews in this section make me extremely angry. It appears that no one has actually seen this film but me. I mean this literally. All the reviews here are for the 2002 Hollywood movie "Blue Crush", which was a FICTIONAL movie staring Kate Bosworth. The actual movie that is for sale here is the ORIGINAL Blue Crush, with pro surfers Megan Abubo and Rochelle Ballard. Kate Bosworth is NOT in this movie, contrary to the product description. THIS MOVIE, is a documentary about a group of professional female surfers, and takes place in the South Pacific (NOT HAWAII). It was a fantastic surf documentary, and a glimpse into the lives of these REAL professional surfers. So please, for the sake of surfers everywhere, DO NOT CONFUSE THIS MOVIE WITH THE HOLLYWOOD COPY OF THE SAME NAME!!!!!

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Leap Year (2010)

I love romantic comedies and got really excited when I recently saw the preview for Leap Year. I love Amy Adams and remembered Matthew Goode from a few other movies(Chasing Liberty, Watchmen, Match Point). Lately, there have been a lot of romcoms that don't do it for me, they're just lacking the heart, that certain something. Thankfully, Leap Year had heart, laughs and was just all around a well done movie. 24 hours after seeing it, my boyfriend and I were still talking about how much we liked it.

The premise is that Anna(Amy Adams) has been dating her doctor boyfriend for 4 years, they're buying an apartment together in Boston, and she wants to get engaged, but he hasn't asked. So she plans to surprise him in Dublin while he's away on business on the one day in Irish tradition that says the woman can propose to the man, Feb 29th of a leap year. Of course, her trip doesn't go as planned, and she ends up needing help getting to Dublin from Declan(Matthew Goode).

While predictable as far as romantic comedies go, it was fast paced, funny and romantic. We both really liked Matthew Goode's character and his sense of humor. He was excellent as a multi-faceted leading man. I love Amy Adams because she seems like a regular girl(funny, sweet, not a twig)and she was perfect for the role of Anna. The scenery of Ireland was gorgeous, and makes you want to take a trip there. Definitely a great date movie, worth paying to see.

Unfortunately, no good special features on the DVD, only some deleted scenes. I'm a sucker for "making of" featurettes and thought they might at least have done a little something about filming in Ireland. You'll only find a bare bones DVD here.

This is one of the cleanest funny movies I've seen in a long time. Even with its predictable ending, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Tell me....why can't Hollywood make more of these movies instead of the garbage they usually make. Can't wait till it's released on DVD.

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LEAP YEAR

STARRING: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow and Noel O'Donovan

WRITTEN BY: Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont

DIRECTED BY: Anand Tucker

Rated: PG

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: 08 January 2010

Review Date: 26 May 2010

When Leap Year slid past me in the theaters from doing so horribly at the box office and being plagued by rumors that it was horrible; I wasn't all that let down that I missed it on the big screen. Having recently seen it on video, I was shocked at how amazing it was and wished I had gotten the opportunity to catch it in theaters.

The sensational Amy Adams stars as Ann; a woman so many women can relate to: she's dating a guy who may never commit. Her boyfriend of quite some time, Jeremy (Adam Scott) is far too consumed with bettering his career to even stop and consider marriage let alone actually pop the question.

When Jeremy rushes off to Ireland for a career opportunity, Ana is left alone wishing there was something she could do. Upon hearing about an Irish tradition, she realizes there is something she can do. She can fly to Ireland and propose to Jeremy herself, as each leap year allots for this to be customary there.

If you are at all like me, you are already skeptical by the premise and if you've seen the trailer, it only adds to such skepticism. However, film works magic with its weak supposition and the trailer fails to provide it with any solitude.

Ana had no idea just how difficult it would be to track Jeremy down. Between being caught in nasty storms, missing trains and being barricaded by a heard of wild animals, it seems she may never reach her love. All is not lost though, as she is accompanied on these miss-adventures by her unbeknownst to her true, true love, Declan, played by Matthew Goode.

The two can't stand each other for the majority of the film, but we can see their underlying chemistry behind all their bickering. Soon enough, having shared a few moments, and after they let their guard down to one another, they will see it too.

Leap Year was written by the team who crafted such hits as Made of Honor and Can't Hardly Wait. And it has some of the best cinematography of the year, displaying magnificent shots of the Irish countryside that will have you booking a flight there during the movie.

This is the kind of film that evokes thoughts of fate and as a huge advocate for fate, I find this refreshing in films. If you've ever been touched by destiny in your life, then you know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes we kick and scream at the sight of the path we find ourselves on, only to realize later, and sometimes much, much later, that it is in fact the path we prefer.

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Leap Year is charming for several reasons. One. It is primarily set in Ireland and the lush scenery makes it visually delicious.

Secondly, the classic storyline is freshly retold. A girl who is on the cusp of living her perfect-for-her fairy tale life, lacks one thing, an engagement ring. Her charming, but irresponsible father, reminds her of an Irish tradition. Every leap year, a woman is able to propose to the man she loves and then her dreams will come true. It had worked for a member of Anna's (Amy Adams) family.

When Anna's cardiologist boyfriend fails to propose (oh, he delivers diamonds, but of the earring variety) the night before he leaves for a medical conference in Dublin, Anna decides enough time has passed and she'd grab hold of her dreams and use the Leap Year legend to make it happen. After all, Jeremy is already in Ireland, so there must be a wee bit of fate involved.

Finally, there is serious heart in this movie. Declan (Matthew Goode) plays the angry, wounded bartender who agrees, after a series of travel mishaps, to haul Anna to Dublin. Anna, determined to create the secure life she never had as a child, begins to break down Declan's walls. As the two interact, they soften towards each other and begin to understand one another. There are a couple of satisfying scenes when realization dawns and both actors silently emote feelings that can't be put into words. Leap Year is an old-fashioned romantic story that didn't involve sex first, love later or require a lot of four letter words to make a point. Comfortably PG.

Of course, this is romantic comedy/chick flick territory so there are predictable and yeah right moments. But when the movie is this sweet, does it matter where Declan got clean clothes that fit, or that the intelligent, savvy, extremely methodical Anna didn't think about electricity issues in Europe? Not at all. When this movie releases on DVD I will purchase it.

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I was so happy to find a romantic comedy that I could enjoy with my 11 year old daughter. We both loved it! Beautiful shots, great acting and fun story...nice, clean, romantic fun!

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It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Stanley Kramer's IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963, UA) is my favorite comedy of the sound era and the most fondly remembered movie of my 1960's childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has a sunny and airy mood, the comedy cast of a lifetime, sharp and hilarious dialogue, an irrestible greed plot, a melodic music score by Ernest Gold, and furious pacing for almost, or just over, three hours (depending on what version you are watching). The more I watch it on DVD at 161 minutes or at 182 minutes on Turner Classic Movies, the more I love it and want to see the long-lost 192 minute Cinerama world premiere version.

MAD WORLD does something right that every other movie of its type gets wrong--it starts a chase plot in reel one, then develops character outward as we go along. It does not spend 45 minutes setting up the story, as similar movies do. In the opening scene, a dying millionaire (Jimmy Durante) tells a group of people in the Southern California desert that a large sum of money is buried "under a big W" in a park south of San Diego. Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett are gag writers headed for Las Vegas. Milton Berle is headed for a vacation with wife Dorothy Provine and Ethel Herman as the mother-in-law to beat all mothers-in-law. Sid Caesar and Edie Adams are a dentist and his wife. And Jonathan Winters is driving a van of furniture. Monitoring all of them, as they race after the money, is Spencer Tracy as the coastal city (a compilation of Long Beach and Santa Monica) police captain with a wall map.

So we have a slapstick chase movie to end all slapstick chase movies. (WARNING: PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!) Heading a golden age of television cast are Caesar and Adams, who get to fly in a makeshift plane, then get locked in a hardware store basement. In a career performance, Winters hilariously gets to completely demolish a desert gas station. Berle has a running battle with the mother-in-law from Hell, Merman, who in turn has been given some gloriously acidic dialogue by superb sreenwriters William and Tania Rose. The Roses have never been given enough credit here. All of the sublime dialogue is on the printed page. Along the way, Winters meets up with Phil Silvers, who in turn mixes up with miner Mike Mazurki. Silvers is staggeringly funny with a car at the bottom of a canyon, then later drowning in a river. Rooney and Hackett are in another plane that flies through a Coke billboard after pilot Jim Backus knocks himself unconscious. There is also Dick Shawn as Merman's lifeguard son at Silver Strand Beach. And a phone running battle in his inner police office with Tracy and his wife and daughter that escalates over a simple vacation. And this is only part one, before the film's intermission! Part two has some of the funniest dialogue and greatest car chases in all of movie history for me. And the grand climax has never been topped for me--not even by silent era clowns.

MAD WORLD got mixed reviews when it opened city by city in late 1963, right before President Kennedy's tragic death in Dallas. The positive ones praised a wonderful cast and hilarious chase plot. The negative reviews said it was too long and repetitious at 193 minutes. So producer/director Kramer and his editors carefully cut the Cinerama world premiere version, two months into its run, to 162 minutes. It played in 70mm Cinerama engaggements at 162 minutes until 35mm engagements in Spring 1965. It was further cut then to 154 minutes with roadshow music and intermission removed. All 35mm prints today--and since 1965--run 154 minutes. The DVD, which may or may not still be for sale, restores roadshow music and runs 161 minutes. At an aspect ratio of 2.55, it also blessedly comes close to restoring the ultra-wide widescreen images of the original film. Maddeningly, though, this 161 minute DVD print is curiously missing the Oscar-nominated title song overture.

But there is also a 182 minute print of MAD WORLD (!), restored by my dear filmmaker friend Paul Scrabo, MGM executives, and a dying Kramer in 1991. That is the version that hit VHS and laserdisc in 1991 with a splendid hour-long documentary that I wish could be seen nowadays. It briefly surfaced on one DVD edition, then removed from another that has no bonus material. (So we have two different 161 minute DVD prints that may both be on moratorium! One with a lot of bonuses and one with none. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world!) Anyway, the 1991 documentary combines behind-the-scenes filmmaking with cast/crew reminiscences. Almost everyone recalls a lot of hard work in desert heat, but also a heck of a lot of slapstick fun. One other thing I love about the movie is that the Southern California desert landscapes are deserted for miles--no other cars and no homes, just an occasional truck and gas station.

For 22 years, Paul and I and others have been on a futile quest to restore IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD back to its original 192 minute Cinerama world premiere length. The closest we have come is the 182 minute reconstruction on home video and cable TV, and it includes preview material. So we are still missing at least ten minutes of crucial visual material and as much as fifteen minutes. Included in the still lost material (I have the complete script--I think) are Shawn stealing his married girlfriend's (!) convertible, more of Buster Keaton's cameo as a crook, getting Jim Backus INTO a shower he subsequently is removed from, the identity of a strange man in the police station (he is a police reporter told to sit on the story for now), Tracy learning who Silvers is (an unemployed piano player and gambler), and the beginning of almost all the police office scenes. Current prints, including the 182, join them in progress.

There are easy-to-find Internet articles on Stanley Kramer's immortal masterpiece that claim the great Robert Harris and James Katz, who restored VERTIGO and MY FAIR LADY among others, want to reconstruct MAD WORLD. My Internet sources claim Harris has in his possession "188 minutes of bona fide world premiere footage." Only four minutes missing off the original 192 minute print--close enough for me! The Internet claims further that Harris just is waiting for a $2 million purchase order--lunch money in today's Hollywood--to do the work that needs to be done to restore this wonderful movie back to the length it ran when it opened in Los Angeles on November 7, 1963; the version that early in 1964 got six Oscar nominations.

We owe it to the memory of a great filmmaker and a magnificent cast, many still very much alive, to reconstruct and restore IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD from 154 or 161 minutes to 192 minutes for theatrical re-release (it has always been an audience favorite) and letterboxed 2.76 ratio home video sales. It is a precious part of our cinematic and cultural heritage. THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON THE 161 MINUTE DVD and 182 MINUTE CABLE TV PRINTS.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a classic comedy. Combining big name talent, it tells the story of what happen when a group of strangers finds out where $50,000 is buried. Soon, these normally law-abiding citizens are speeding, stealing, and destroying property. What they don't know is the police are observing them the entire time. As the situations get more out of hand, the movie gets funnier.

I wasn't that impressed the first time I saw this movie. But on repeated viewings with friends, I've come to enjoy it more. The actors are phenomenal and the material has a timelessly funny quality to it. I'm young enough that I don't recognize all the stars, but that doesn't diminish my enjoyment at all.

I was excited when I found out that the movie was coming to DVD, but I've got to say the final product disappointed me. I have only seen the "restored" VHS version that's been out for years. This DVD goes back to the original theatrical release and cuts out some of my favorite scenes. They are included in the deleted scenes section, but it's a very poorly thought out section that makes it hard to find what you want to see. The DVD does include good picture and sound, and I have always enjoyed the documentary included from the videos.

This is a classic movie that everyone should see. However, if you're a fan of the recent videos, be forewarned that this is not the entire movie you are used to seeing. Hopefully, this movie will be reissued on DVD with this footage added back.

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I really wanted to like this DVD. I have the movie on VHS and enjoy it a lot. My reason for rating it so low was that it had almost 23 minutes missing from what was on the restored DVD version, including several memorable Phil Sivers moments. I see no reason why a DVD should offer less than the VHS. Shame on the producers of the DVD. What could they possibly have been thinking?

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As the first film I ever paid to see as a child (I was 11, and so proud of saving up the money!) I loved "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". It was slapstick on a grand scale, with a clever commentary on greed thrown in. And the cast! Tracy, Berle, Caesar, Silvers, Winters, Rooney, Hackett, Shawn, Terry-Thomas, Falk, Rochester...and the 3 Stooges had a bit part, along with Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, Buster Keaton, so many more! For one of the first generation of 'TV Kids', I was in Heaven!

With adulthood, and changing tastes, I can see some of the film's flaws...It's too long, Spencer Tracy is obviously in poor health and straining to keep his energy level up, some of the scenes (especially the early ones) lack pacing, and the Cinerama format almost guarantees you'll miss part of the action, even in a wide-screen format.

But the film's sense of joy is undimmed, and the new digitally-remastered edition Amazon.com is offering gives them full attention. Enjoy again Rooney and Hackett's mishandling of an airplane, Jonathan Winter's gas station destruction scene (a classic!), and, of course the bodies-flying finale.

And hang in there...After the film is a 'Making of...' documentary, with FABULOUS ancedotes by the surviving cast members...It alone is worth the cost of the film!

After 36 years, I STILL love this movie!

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I'm not going to go into a review of the 1963 film "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.'' This is one of those films that's almost beyond reviewing--you either love it or you hate it. I love it, and have loved it for more than 30 years, ever since my Mom took me to see it in its 1970 theatrical re-release. It's a classic.

What I want to talk about here is the new DVD version of the movie. Is it good? "Yes emphatically" and "yes kinda" at the same time. The main drawback for the dvd is the aspect ratio-strange for a widescreen 16x9 enhanced dvd, yes? Let me explain.

For decades since I saw it on the big screen, the only version I was able to see of "Mad4World" was the pan-and-scan version-which meant for years I was seeing only about half the picture. I thought myself lucky when I recently caught a "widescreen" version of the movie on cable TV (either Turner Classic or American Movie Classics, I forget which-probably TCM since my tape has no damn commercials stuck in the middle of it). Unfortunately, this version was only a small bit "wider" than the pan and scan; but it was better than what I'd seen on TV previously. You see, "M4World" started its life as a ultra widescreen Cinerama movie. That means its picture was not only super-wide, having been shot in 70mm SuperPanavision, but that it was also projected onto a curved screen that wrapped around the audience, taking up almost all your peripheral vision if you sat in the front part of the auditorium. An anamorphic lens was used in the projector which distorted the picture at the edges in order for them to look normal when projected on the huge curved screen. The original aspect ratio was 2.55:1.

So the point I'm trying to make is that this was a VERY widescreen movie. And now we have a very widescreen transfer on DVD. Now we can see more of the film than we have been able to in years, right? Good, right?

Well, yes and no. You see, for some reason, MGM has put "Mad4World" out not at a 2:55 aspect ratio, but at a slightly narrower 2:35 aspect ratio. This might not seem like such a bad thing, but the surprising result is that there are many things I can see on my old vhs tape of the pan-and scan version that I cannot see on this widescreen DVD!

The reason is this: as I said, this widescreen version is slightly less wide than the original, and often characters on either the far left or far right sides of the screen are cut off a bit. In my old P&S version, the person who had done the panning and scanning simply panned all the way to the right or left side of the picture if the action was on that side, showing that character fully (but of course showing the characters on the other side not at all). In this new dvd (not-quite) wide (enough) screen version there is, of course, no panning and scanning; the 2:35 picture is simply shown. Unfortunately it is a slightly smaller picture than what was originally there, and often the result is characters cut off at the shoulder.

Of course, this is MUCH better than anything we've had on home video before. And MGM should be praised for releasing the DVD at such a reasonable price, and with some decent extras. I just wonder why they didn't go ahead and transfer the film at its original aspect ratio.

If I have to look at Phil Silvers, I wanna see BOTH his shoulders, dammnit!

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Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995)

OK, I'm an Indian and like many other indians I too love this movie and so you might think this is an biased review. But far from it,as even though its been 10 years since this movie was released ,no hindi movie has since come close to matching this ones greatness. I'm sure Indian readers wont be needing this review, so I will write this review for the Western readers.

For starters all hindi movies are musicals, i.e they involve song and dance numbers. I do not know why, but it has always been this way. So if you like musicals you will fall in love with this movie as the music is top notch and excellently choreographed and blends in well very well with the situation.

This is a love story to begin with and a very good one, that too. Though the storyline is familiar, boy falls in love with a girl, girl's dad is the pain in the butt,boy tries hard to win the girl and finally wins over the girl :), what sets this movie apart is the sizzling chemistry between SRK and Kajol and honest performances from the entire star cast. And I guess what appealed to the masses is that unlike in other movies, the hero does NOT run away with the girl nor does he use violence as means to justify his love for the girl. So then how does he win the girl ? Well for that you will have to watch the entire movie. So come and fall in love with the movie.

Note: Hindi with English subtitles.

`Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (translation: "The brave heart will take the bride") was released in `95 and is unquestionably one of the most beloved Indian films ever to come out of Bollywood. This Yash Raj comedy, romance, drama stars the incomparable Shah Rukh Khan and the beautiful Kajol as two young British Hindustani's, Raj and Simran, who meet during a one month European vacation. Things do not start out well for the two, but slowly the ongoing banter of dislike and ridicule between them transforms into friendship and finally so much more. Unfortunately Simran is leaving for India soon after their return to England where she will fulfill her Father's wishes and be wed to a stranger in a pre-arranged marriage. Will Raj follow her to the Motherland in hopes of stopping the wedding and claiming Simran for himself? If he does who will win out in the end, Love or Tradition?

I guess 1.1 billion Indians can't be wrong. Shah Rukh and Kajol are perfectly matched as foils and lovers, they are absolutely marvelous together. Watch and see two of the biggest stars in the world in top form, you'll love it too!

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This is such a great film! My husband and I caught it when it was shown on TCM's Bollywood night last year. If you love musicals and are curious about seeing a Bollywood movie, you should make this the first one you watch. The acting is cheesey at times but when there are heartfelt emotional scenes, the acting is top notch. Its easy to see that this was (and still is) a hit. The movie is a little on the long side but when you get into the movie, the time flies and is worth the time you spent watching it.

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I'm not Hindustani. But this movie and most of the Bollywood movies make me so jealous that I'm not! I LOVE HINDI FILMS...(or BOLLYWOOD movies!) If you haven't seen any..you are in for a treat. The dancing, the singing, the costumes, the actors...marvelous!

Sometimes the style may be a bit hard for Americans to take....because they are often not "realistic". But I LOVE the way they highlight love and family. So many of the joys of life and the virtues that make life worth living...these are in these movies! Bollywood people really know how to make movies. Hollywood movies could only dream of coming EVEN close!

The actors are handsome and absolutely entrancing...and the actresses are the most beautiful in the world! The costumes are gorgeous...makes one wish we could dress that way!

The whole family will LOVE this movie...clean and fun! Worth the work of reading the subtitles! But...be careful..these movies are addictive!

This movie has two of the most amazing of their stars...when they were just starting out...they get even better as they mature! Dil is heart...Braveheart Carries Away the Bride.

Don't miss one of the best of Bollywood!

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On the dvd, in the special features section, one of the promo spots shows several of the movie's stars telling which song is their favorite. None of them mentioned my favorite song which shows how many excellent songs there are in the movie.

Raj is a carefree young man that enjoys a good time and seems to excel at everything. He's also good at manipulating others as we first see him manipulate his father and then others.

The first half of the movie is a slapstick comedy while he and Simran travel Europe and fall for each other. In the second half, there is more drama but with comic moments. Raj follows Simran & her family to Punjab and tries surreptitiously to win over her family in the 16 days before the wedding while imposing on the groom's family's hospitality. His plan is working until the wedding is moved forward a few days, and it isn't pretty when his plans are found out.

I adore this movie and have played it over and over. Unfortunately, you can't purchase the ringtone in the U.S.

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Seven Days in Utopia (2011)

I love all kinds of movies and watch everything from dramas to horror movies. But sometimes the overload of the Hollywood language and gore machine just gets old. That's why it's so pleasant and refreashing to happen upon just a really good, feel good, poinant movie like Utopia. I literally stumbled across this movie as I was searching the theater's local listings. I don't think they advertised a lot, and that's a shame because I think a lot of people are going to miss this hidden gem.

Utopia does have a Christian themed message, but it's not the "beat you over the head" kind. It's really just a good life-lesson that would apply to anyone anywhere, regardless of religion.

Add Utopia to the list of movies (Remember the Titans, Secritariat, The Blind Side) that prove you can have a well done, enjoyable movie without all the typical Hollywood violence and language.

Best family movie to come along in a Long time.

The advice given in the movie is the best.

Saw this movie twice and cannot wait to buy it.

The critics gave it a bad rap because there was no wild violance, cursing, sex content, ect.

Uplifting life lessons.Seven Days in Utopia

Buy Seven Days in Utopia (2011) Now

Every person I saw this movie with, and I saw it in the theater more than once with several different people, said the same thing, they loved it and wanted to own it on video. Recently, I talked to a woman whose son worked as a crew member. He said the crew didn't have high hopes for this modest-budgeted film at the time, and they were all surprised at just how good it turned out to be when it was released.

It's a feel-good movie about accomplishing dreams that makes a person want to see it again and again. They even make golf interesting. The faith aspect of it is sweet and comforting and never mushy. The scenery is beautiful; the characters are great; Duvall is the best! He rides his horse on the golf course! Have the Kleenex handy, it will touch your heart.

Read Best Reviews of Seven Days in Utopia (2011) Here

"How can a game have such an affect on a man's soul? The way I see it, how can it not?" When Luke Chisolm's (Black) big chance at a golf tournament ends in a disaster he drives away wanting to give up golf. When an accident lands him in the town of Utopia he meets a rancher named Johnny Crawford (Duvall) who can teach him about golf, and much more. I have to admit that many of the "faith-based" movies that I have seen start off good then end up being very cheesy where everything works out perfect without any consequences or obstacles to avoid. This one was heading down that path but veered of sharply and ended up having one of the best endings I have seen in a movie. All that aside, this is a fantastic family movie that everyone will love and is a rare G rated movie that is good. While this is a golf movie, this is also so much more and Duvall plays a type of Mr. Myagi character in the way that only he can. I can go on and on about this movie but I will simply say...this is a must watch. Overall, one of the best sports movies to come out lately as well as one of the top ten of the year so far. I highly recommend. I give it an A.

*Also try Greatest Game Ever Played & The Perfect Game

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What a great movie! My husband and I were glued to the screen the entire movie. This movie doesn't have any big car or fight scenes, because it didn't need any. I am waiting for the blue ray version to come out. This is definitely one for the DVD library!

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Hidden Blade (2004)

I thought that director Yôji Yamada could not possibly top Twilight Samurai, but I was wrong. This is a great film for even those that are not martial arts fans. The acting is great, the screenplay is excellent and believable. Director Yamada also had great cinematographers and music.

Since the story for both Twilight Samurai and Hidden Blade were written by the same author and took place in the same part of Japan, one reviewer unfairly indicated the story was a rehash of the first. Definitely, I disagree with this assessment.

I don't want to give anything away. For those that are like me, be sure to have a box of tissues handy when you see this memorable film. I rented it and was so taken by the film (even watching it twice during the same weekend), that I purchased the DVD immediately from Amazon.

Yoji Yamada's "Twilight Samurai" was an extraordinary treat. Following in similar footsteps, "The Hidden Blade" is again a samurai tale where a lower samurai must weigh matters of principle against what is politically and financially advantageous. Shown at film festivals in Berlin & Newport Beach, the main character is Munezo Katagiri whose sister marries out of the household. Masatoshi Magase who played so romantically as the second love interest in "The Sea Is Watching" does the title role. He's very sensitive and honest, but a bit out of touch with his own emotional needs. Takako Matsu who has only made 3 films including 2006's "Suite Dreams" plays the housekeeper Kie. She works hard and lovingly takes care of Katagiri's house. Matsu's beautiful good looks and expressive face make her a charmer. Caste issues divide her from the samurai. When Kie marries, her new family abuses and fails to appreciate her. This results in her illness and rescue by Katagiri who barges into the household and rescues Kie from her own husband! Kie is nursed back to health. Meanwhile Yaichiro Hazama is from the same samurai clan and has gone to the big city of Edo where he gets caught in a plot to overthrow the Emperor. He's brought back home in a basket and imprisoned, rather than being given the dignity of hari kiri. The authorities come to Katagiri and give him the charge of dueling with Hazama, who breaks out of prison and holes up in a rural hut. The lovely Reiko Takashima plays Hazama's wife and comes to barter with the only commodity she has, her body, to try and save her husband's life. She goes to the Chief in charge (forgot his title) and makes a similar deal when Katagiri refuses her. Unfortunately, the unscrupulous Chief has no intention of freeing Hazama and fails to inform Katagiri as he has promised Mrs. Hazama he would do. Min Tanaka who played in "Twilight Samurai" is the retired martial arts instructor Toda who gave Katagiri knowledge of a special move called the Devil's Claw. Now living in a pastoral setting, he gives Katagiri a few last tips. The duel takes place with Katagiri surviving. The Chief suffers justice at Katagiri's hands with the lightning fast Devil's Claw dispatching him to the next world. Deciding to follow Toda's example, Katagiri renounces his pledge as samurai and sweetly approaches Kie who has not remarried and no longer has a caste restriction separating her from the man she obviously loves. There is a real sweetness and innocence in the story of "Hidden Blade" that shows a moral compass. The performances, direction and cinematography are first-rate. Bravo!

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Wow! What a delight. I picked "Hidden Blade"up from the local video store on the way home from work. It was just on a whim, based mainly upon superficialities (the cover art, the interesting title, the intriguing plot summary on the back), but am I ever glad I did.

This movie is an absolute gem, packed with engaging storylines and intricate character development. There isn't a tremendous amount of action, per se, but the few scenes demonstrate excellent technique. I was glued to the set the entire movie and was saddened when the movie came to a close at the end.

Pick this up for a wonderful human story satisfy your nostalgic longing for days of love and honor.

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Having been thrilled by the director's movie "Twilight Samurai",

I ordered this film. By itself, it is good period drama of the

19th century Samurai period...basically the story of an honorable samurai in a dishonorable world. However, I felt that

the plot and motifs were quite similar to Twilight Samurai. Given the choice of the two films, I would recommend Twilight over this one. I didn't quite get the point of seeing two

very similar movies.

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this is a very good movie, quite different from the other samurai movies. it's quite romantic too. a real gem. a samurai with conscience and principles, a country girl with pure heart, loyalty and love. grab this one and enjoy.

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The Great Escape (2013)

I received my Blu Ray copy of this classic film today, May 6, one day before the actual release day of May 7. Thank you, amazon!

I'd also mention that I pre-ordered this BD with Amazon's price guarantee. I noticed that the BD was put on sale yesterday morning at amazon for only $9.99, which was less than the $14.99 I had paid on pre-order. I assumed I would get the lower price, but when my BD shipped last night, it was at the higher price. I dashed off an e-mail to amazon's customer service last night, and by this morning, I had a response AND a credit of $6.71 toward my Visa card to give me the lower price of $9.99! Thank you AGAIN, amazon! Now, THAT'S customer service!

Props to amazon duly noted, on to the review:

I've now watched the BD of the film twice, and I find myself largely in agreement with the review that is up at Bluray.com. The soundtrack sounds very good, especially for a 50-year-old film. The music comes through powerfully, especially the bass end, which is smooth, not boomy. Dialogue is crisp and clear, which makes for a nice listening experience.

That's the good.

The bad unfortunately has to do with the picture quality. The opening credit shot is really excellent, and it got my hopes up that Fox had done a good job of cleaning up the film and sharpening the picture. Things continue in fine fettle as we reach the prison camp, with the opening scenes at the camp looking sharp. The initial scene of Hilts and Ives (The Mole) in the cooler looks good as well I had forgotten about their extended dialogue in this opening scene in the cooler (is this scene sometimes cut when shown on TV?).

As the film progresses, the picture quality varies, most often being not much better than that which was on the DVD. The worst scene picture-quality-wise has to be the exterior footage in the 4th of July scene, where the prisoners imbibe in some moonshine and the "Tom" tunnel is discovered by the German guard, Werner. The interior shots in this scene are much crisper than the exterior shots, no doubt because they were shot on the sound stage while the exteriors obviously were not. The exterior shots are almost blurry at some points, at least to the extent that a Blu Ray image can be blurry. Perhaps this is an accurate representation of what was shot by John Sturges, but I'm not convinced. I had really hoped for something a bit better.

I'm no expert, but it looks to me like DNR has been used in the BD mastering of this film. I say that because the faces just don't have the kind of detail and rawness that one sees in the best 4K and 6K restorations. The faces aren't as washed out and waxy as I've seen on some BDs, but the detail just isn't there.

The above noted, the picture throughout the movie is still steadier, crisper and clearer than it was in the VHS and DVD versions, at least the ones I've owned (I never owned the 2-DVD CE). Maybe this is the best we can hope for in this age of BDs being shoved out the door ASAP before the hardcopy industry collapses and online/streaming video takes over. I just expected higher and more consistent picture quality for this 50th-Anniversary, initial BD release of this very popular film.

And so, the questions arise: why wasn't a major restoration done on this film? Why was DNR employed when I thought we'd gotten beyond that? Will the Steelbook version due out in June be any better visually than this just-released Blu Ray? The answers to those three questions are, sadly, 1. major restorations are very expensive; 2. if you're not going to do a real restoration, DNR is a cheap substitute that won't bother most people, and; 3. the Steelbook version will probably include this same BD.

As far as the extras on this BD, they're the same extras that were on the DVD, all 8 of them. One wishes that Fox had put the extras on a separate DVD and used the entire 50GBs of the dual-layer BD to allow more information for the movie itself. But I guess they didn't have to do that as they used DNR in the mastering process and didn't really have extra data to eat up the storage space on the BD.

One final note about the menus: the BD boots up and immediately goes right into playing the film. I prefer that over the endless previews that are loaded onto many BDs and DVDs who is going to watch those previews once a BD is a few years old? The menus for the "extras" are all accessed while the film is starting to play, which feels sorta cheap. If one wants to back out of an extra, you're sent back to the film to access any other extras. It gives me more appreciation for the sophisticated menus one gets on, say, Disney product. But then, there aren't many Disney products around that get discounted to under $10.

I can muster only three stars for the BluRay of this classic movie: 4.5 stars for the big improvement in the soundtrack, mitigated by the visual issues noted above.

I watched some of the Blu Ray and compared it to the 2 disk DVD set. All I can say is wow. The colors looked great on the Blu Ray.

The buildings are wood color on the Blu Ray, on the 2 disk DVD, they almost looked yellow.

The sound, DTS-HD Master 5.1, much better than the 2 disk DVD set, which is Mono.

I have not looked at the special features, but it looks all of the special features from the 2 disk DVD set is on the Blu-Ray.

I hope this helps you out.

**Update**

On the Blu Ray, there were some scenes that were filmed with a filter, those were not as clear as the rest of the film. The Blu Ray was so much better than the DVD.

This film I have owned from VHS, DVD, to the 2 disk DVD and now the Blu-Ray.

When I posted my review, Amazon did not have very much informtion about the Blu-Ray.

I feel that this is a worthy upgrade.

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This was and still is an amazing classic film. The Blu-ray version of this though simply explodes off the screen and brings the film out even more than in previous versions that have been released in the past in different formats. The movie itself is full of action, suspense and drama and the acting is tremendous. I was always amazed at the array of great actors that were pulled together to make this film and what they did with the help of a great director, to develop a movie that has become a great within the cinema. One of the things that I found interesting was that McQueen played two characters in the movie and within one scene he two characters were chasing each other strange but true! If you have never seen this movie, you have to pick it up today, and what better time than to pick it up on Blu-ray, as the quality is superb and you will definitely not be disappointed in the overall movie itself!

*I received a copy for review all opinions are my own*

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The blu-ray of The Great Escape is not bad to my eyes. From what I have read, the film uses opticals in the fade outs that are generations removed from the original camera negative. Scenes were shot through diffusion filters, which make the picture--even when properly mastered for blu-ray--look soft. Colors are accurate. There is no DNR applied, there is grain intact. This is a far cry better than the previous DVD releases.

For $10-$15, you can't go wrong with a purchase.

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This 1963 film is an all-star classic headlined by the 'King of Cool' Steve McQueen with his trademark scene stealing. Garner, Bronson, Coburn, Attenborough et al all do a great job. Has the look and feel of the 'Magnificent Seven' since it has the same director, John Sturges, and some of the same actors. The 2:52 running time goes more like 20 minutes; never a dull moment.

The blu-ray quality was great and this is another example of an older film brought in at high quality. I was having a disagreement with some on here about how we were getting shorted on quality in some films like 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'Bridge on the River Kwai' and told not to expect high quality in older films. This film along with other oldies such as 'Ben-Hur', Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, etc. disproves that older films don't do as well on blu-ray while clearly proving that some older films are sold without having gone through the technical tradecraft (and investment) necessary to bring them up to blu-ray standards. Sadly, I think it's about 50-50 and we can't get much of a warning on the stinkers.

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Firefox / Heartbreak Ridge (Two-Movie Collection) (2011)

Please describe the audio and video quality of any Blu-Ray you review. Thanks to those who do this.

Both movies have DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks, which are very good.

Video quality varied throughout the movies. Firefox started out very good, and had a lot of very good parts, but some parts were grainy. The flying scenes at the end were, unfortunately, grainy. Heartbreak Ridge also had some very good parts, and some grainy parts. Video quality in these two movies wasn't great, but mostly good.

Overall, these are pretty good movies, and I'm not terribly disappointed with the video quality. I'm satisfied with this purchase.

I have always been a huge fan of Firefox, lumping it in with Hunt for Red October for my "superior Russian tech we must steal" flicks. I was surprised at out crisp the blu-ray transfer is and really enjoyed watching it for the first time in a few years.

The sound design/mix is of particular interest to me the soundscape they engineered for this film is exceptional. At no time during the plane visual effects sequences do you feel like you are listening to a post-produced "mix" it registers as very real for me, which is great because the model effects don't always hold up as I would like them to.

Great price point and two movies to boot (still have to check out Heartbreak Ridge). Enjoy!

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I'm happy to report that the somewhat misleading use of the term "2 movie set", while true, is less informative than '2 Disc Set'. Yes indeed this is a 2 disc set, not '1' as widely speculated prior to release (also shown as '1 disc' on Amazon's product page).

Read Best Reviews of Firefox / Heartbreak Ridge (Two-Movie Collection) (2011) Here

As for the Firefox movie it's a great movie and so is Heartbreak Ridge. It's better quality over the old copy I have and as for the sound well let's just say it's not really 5.1DDS. It's better than the original 2chnl dvd with better picture quality. So yes it is better..! If your that much of a stickler for sound and picture quality then don't buy this. But if you want better than vhs or old dvd then buy it and I bet you'll like it over the old original old stuff.

I love these movies and Firefox was a great movie and still is..

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Two spectacular films of one of my favorite actors Clint Eastwood, who has become an icon of film in the genre of spaghetti wester and action as Dirty Harry.

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The Door in the Floor

John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany" is my favorite contemporary novel, and it was clear when I read the book that it would never be made into a movie because the title character could never survive the transition. Indeed, all writer-director Mark Steven Johnson could do was be inspired to turn the first chapter of the novel into the film "Simon Birch." Irving himself did the screenplay for "The Cider Holes Rules" and had to condense and restructure the story to come up with a movie version. Even "The World According to Garp," which captures the high points of the comic novel, leaves out so much of the depth and detail. Of course, this is true of any adaptation of a novel. Things are always added and subtracted, changed and replaced, with any novel, but it seems that with Irving's novels filmmakers are painfully aware of the difficulties.

Such was the case with "A Widow for One Year," and writer-director Tod Williams gives himself a fighting chance by restricting himself to the first third of the novel in "The Door in the Floor." In doing so he at least creates a new market for the novel, since there is most of the story of these four people to be told. The situation is that Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges), who writes and illustrates stories for children, decides to hire an assistant for the summer, and hires a 16-year-old Exeter student, Eddie O'Hare (Jon Foster), who wants to be a writer when he grows up. The Cole family consists of wife Marion (Kim Basinger), their four-year-old daughter, Ruth (Elle Fanning), and the dozens of photographs on the wall of Tom and Tim, the two sons who died when they were teenagers.

Eddie does not know that he has walked into on going tragedy until it is way too late. Marion takes Eddie to bed, not just because Ted no longer touches her and the boy becoming a man has a crush on her, but because Ted wants to build a swimming pool. Ted and Marion have decided that the pain they feel needs to be inflicted on the other, but the tacit agreement is that they will not do it directly. If you pay attention, there are only a few scenes in which Marion and Ted appear together: Eddie becomes their go between, even when there are not any explicit messages. Eddie is the final nail in the coffin of this marriage, although only one of the three realizes this first and uses it to their advantage.

Although hired to help Ted, who needs to be driven around because he has lost his license, Eddie realizes he is there more for Marion and Ruth. For the little girl the most important thing in the world are the pictures of Tom and Tim on the walls. Each one has a story, and pity the poor nanny who does not know the story behind a particular photography. Ruth knows the stories by heart, but she likes to hear them being told to her again (and again). Ted thinks that Marion's indiscretions mean he can win guardianship of Ruth when the inevitable divorce happens, but never realizes he is playing the wrong game here.

When you see Basinger and Foster together their sexual relationship seems too hard to accept, but this would not be a problem if Williams did not choose to show us some of their more intimate moments. This is a mistake, not just because you are suddenly doing the math on the age difference between the actress and actor, but more importantly because the importance of the relationship is best seen from Ted's perspective. He never sees it (although Ruth does), but he knows about it and is bent on using that fact to his advantage. Both Basinger and Bridges bring an economy to their characters that brings a sharpness to their pain; for her it is the dead look in her eyes, for him it is the sound of what is missing in his voice.

"The Door in the Floor" is more forgiving of both Ted and Marion than the novel is by the end of that first section. Ted does not simply have affairs, but engages in calculated seductions using his talent and reputation. His current conquest, Evelyn Vaughn (Mimi Rogers), is in the final stages of the sordid relationship, where degradation becomes the name of the game. But Williams uses the sequence where Evelyn tries to take her revenge as the most comic moment in the film, and reduces his despicable treatment of the woman to a joke on a windshield. The film's sympathies are clearly with Marion, who is reduced to catatonia by thoughts of her dead sons. When she comes to her decision as to what is to be done, we believe it is the right one, even though the consequences are going to be devastating. But then Williams mutes the impact considerably.

As someone who read "A Widow for One Year," watching "The Door in the Floor" certainly hit the high points and brought back vivid memories of the best parts of the novel. But I now the movie will not resonate the same way for those who have not read the novel, but seeing this 2004 drama should certainly inspire them to do so. What happens in this film wrecks these four lives in persistent and insidious ways. This film is only the beginning of their story.

The Door in the Floor is a fantastic film; an engaging, engrossing, and touching change of pace from the utter garbage that has been released this summer. This is a true adult film if there ever was one, full of wonderful, complicated, and real characters going through true everyday emotions that anyone can relate to.

Alternately tragic and comic, the film is an exploration of the complexities of love in both its brightest and darkest moments. Adapted from the first half of John Irving's best-selling novel 'A Widow for One Year,' the film is set in the privileged beach community of East Hampton, New York and chronicles one pivotal summer in the lives of famous children's book author Ted Cole (an Oscar-worthy performance by Jeff Bridges) and his beautiful wife Marion (Kim Basinger reminding us once again why she IS an Oscar-nominated actress). The couple's once-wonderful marriage has been strained by a family tragedy and neither one is or will ever be the same again.

Marion's resulting depression and Ted's subsequent infidelities have prevented the couple from facing a much-needed change in their relationship. They aren't divorced but they don't like together anymore either, taking turns staying in the house to care for their daughter (played by the adorable Elle Fanning, Dakota's sister). Then, Ted hires Eddie O'Hare, a 16 year old who wants to be a writer, to work as his summer assistant, changing the couple's lives forever. The boy becomes the couple's unwitting yet willing pawn and, ultimately, becomes the catalyst in the transformation of their lives.

The Door in the Floor is a film of deep, devastating power a film where you, as an audience member, actually share space with its two main characters. We inhabit their crumbled world, from the inside, not just as observers. By the end, we feel as if we have gone through their tragedy with them, and when I left the theatre, I felt as if my life had been changed by sharing with them what I just shared as if time itself had stopped and left me suspended in there, with them.

The entire cast is very convincing and the film sparkles with dynamic performances. At first I felt Mimi Rogers was wasted in her almost silent role, but she has one of the most memorable scenes in the film, which came toward the end, and truly delivers a wonderful comedic portrayal. Elle Fanning amazed me. She is a gifted young talent and I look forward to seeing more of her. Like her sister Dakota, she did everything right. Jon Foster as Eddie is terrific, bringing out his character's innocence and confusion, and Bijou Phillips was great in her very small role.

The film is very explicit, but for anyone with an open mind and an open heart, it is THE film to see this summer. Hands down, one of the year's best. It definitely deserves and needs a wide release.

Grade: A

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THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR is a reimagining of part of John Irving's book, A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR. Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges), a monumentally self-absorbed children's book author, hires a teen age boy named Eddie (Jon Foster) as an assistant for a summer on Long Island. Quite a bit of the book is a coming-of-age story of Eddie's affair with Ted's wife Marion (the excellent Kim Basinger), who is racked with grief over the death of the couple's twin boys. The young daughter Ruth (Elle Fanning) was conceived to "replace" the boys, but Marion cannot emotionally attach to her daughter.

Jeff Bridges, in a monumental performance, takes center stage in the film. Ted orchestrates the summer in order to try to assuage Marion's grief while indulging his appetites in an affair with Mrs Vaughn (Mimi Rogers), a lonely neighbor. Things don't go as planned, and while it while i could describe the turns of the plot at length, suffice it to say that this is a film for adults, about love, loss, parenthood, the male ego, and so much more. Bridges and Basinger both do Oscar caliber work and the final image is indelibly haunting. One of the year's best.....

Also with Bijou Phillips and Donna Murphy....

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The Door In the Floor reminds us that children's stories are really pretty frightening. (Have you read the brothers Grimm recently?) Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges) writes such stories, among them one called The Door In the Floor, in which very bad things live beneath the titular door. Ted and his estranged wife, Marion (Kim Basinger), also live in a very bad place: a world bereft of their two sons, Thomas and Timothy, now dead for some years. How they cope, or fail to cope, with their loss is the subject of the film.

As Ted, Bridges gives as masterful a performance as I've seen in some years. He manages to make a manipulative philanderer into a sympathetic character. Without his magic, the tragedy of Ted's situation would be impossible to believe. If this isn't an award-worthy performance, I haven't seen one: its breadth is amazing, and it is apparantly effortless. Basinger invests Marion with a benumbed grief that is painful to witness. This performance makes her Oscar winning turn in LA Confidential seem almost facile by comparison. As Eddie O'Hare, the young pawn whom Ted brings into the game against his wife, Jon Foster is the weakest link in the trio. He has the requisite innocence, but not the much-needed sensitivity. He is simply too wooden. Elle Fanning is wonderful as the child the Coles had, hoping to replace their dead boys; Mimi Rogers is dead-on as one of Ted's conquests--one who turns on him in a welcome bit of comic relief.

If you are sensitive to such things, the movie deserves its R rating. There is male nudity, from the rear, and full frontal female nudity. The language is about what one would expect from an R rated movie.

The Door In the Floor is truly memorable for for two big reasons. 1)Jeff Bridges is spectacularly fine, without appearing to be spectacular at all. 2)When you reach the very last scene, you will realize the full import of Ted Cole's world-view, and you'll see the treatment of his character in the movie in a completely new light. This kind of ironic legerdemain, transforming the meaning of the entire film, lifts the whole thing onto a higher level.

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I was very moved by this movie, dispite the fact that it had not tried to be depressing, and it was the right tone of sadness without overwhelming me. Just as Kim Basinger's would go:" Eddie, you are so serious for your age." She said that because she's numb and overly tramatized by the death of her teenage sons. This is about letting go of what has been taken away or lost and close that door forever.

Both Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges sort of gave the tramatic event a silent treatment and it had build a wall between them. It's unavoidable that an ignorant youngster like Jon Foster would provoke those old feelings when he asked Basinger about the deceased boys. She instantly turned to stone just like the day they died in the accident. Even Jeff Bridges had been avoiding "the door in the floor" for years. They just haven't dealt with it and memories will always come back and haunt them.

Jeff Bridges is great, and he deserves extra credit for doing several scenes fully naked. His character's state of mind is the opposite of Basinger. He uses casual sex as a form of pleasure to escape from his depressing life. He feels obligated to stay with his wife when they no longer have any passion towards each other. Although he had constantly avoided opening the door to the floor, he ultimately does so, because he had to accept what he can't changed.

Kim Basinger finally landed a great part again since her stunning role in L.A. Confidential. I enjoyed her a great deal in this film, because she had gone from so sad to letting herself go and sexually connects herself with Jon Foster. It was so mesmerizing to see her breaking down into tears when she was making love with Foster. Without a single line to deliver, her face expressed all her pain and sadness. She thought it was a mistake to have a baby(Elle Fanning) again after the teenage boys died. It didn't help them save the marriage, and she had stayed too long, even when she had lost all her feelings. She ultimately abandoned everyone including her daughther, because she didn't want to be a bad mother. I trully hope she will get her best actress award with this performance. Her final scene in the movie when she touches the face of Bridges before driving away was also a memorable part of this film. The two lead had almost no dialogues together. This shows how distant they have became, and they were no longer happy together.

Miami Rhapsody (2011)

Miami Rhapsody stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Gwynn Marcus, one of several sibs of a prominent, wealthy, Jewish and dysfunctional family in Miami. Though things seem okay on the outside, tangled relationship problems threaten every quarter of the family. Her brother Jordan (Kevin Pollack) cheats on his pregnant wife with a high-strung model (Naomi Campbell); Her sister's (Carla Gugino) new husband is a pro-football player plagued by career insecurities and terminal cheapness; both of her parents (Mia Farrow and Paul Mazursky) cheat on each other; and she remains unhappy if only because she's the sort of person who's so concerned about happiness that she must strangle the happiness out of wherever it pops up in her life. Though she's engaged, Gwynn soon finds herself attracted to the male nurse (Antonio Banderas) who cares for the family's stroke-ridden grandmother.

"Rhapsody" is a lot like an overlong episode of "Sex and the City" without the neat closure of that show's half-hour snippets or the materialism or communal honesty of that show's leads. Gwynn obsesses over Miami and sex, noting that both are extremely popular despite the inherent messiness of either. I had never seen "SatC" when catching this flick back in '95. Instead I recognized the flick as more of a parody of Woody Allen movies the sort of rambling flick centered around a city (not NYC this time) and the hang-ups of those who endure it. The cinematography, Gwynn's neuroses (the film opens with Gwynn lamenting to a therapist), casting of Mia Farrow and even the opening credits hint at one of those small Woody Allen flicks that breezes through town without warning. "Rhapsody" works mostly on its stars' ernestness but also depends on some familiarity with that sort of Woody-ish kind of film. I doubt anybody who's never seen an Allen film will find this film more than amusing. Despite its dark take on marriage and relationships, I eventually married the girl I took to see it.

I had no idea that a lady NOT from Texas (and I LOVE my lady friends from Texas) could speak forever without actually taking a breath! :D This had me laughing so hard because SJJ's character was soooooooooo serious and apprehensive, AT's character was so disarmingly romantic and sincerely likeable, and her parents actually honestly shared their experiences candidly. Mia Farrow is light as a feather, as usual, with depths I've only seen in women who truly love their family, seemingly, effortlessly being there for whatever is needed. WONDERFUL film! This became a favorite the first time I saw it and watched SJJ spinning over the dance crowd! :D:D:D

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WATCHING THIS FILM MAKES YOU REFLECT ON YOUR OWN LIFE!! There is nothing make belief about it. It realy shakes you up about what people go through and what they feel about life and how they percieve it! Its probably true that most of the time we follow our parents life style...maybe not all the way...but they definately affect our way of thinking! And some people are able to change and make it thru the obstacles and some people are just not meant to be!! You should also check out the film PLAYING BY HEART with angelina jolie, shawn conneri and alot of other famous actors.! That too was a wake up call to how certain people find it easy to adapt and others are afraid of change while others fight for what the truley feel in their heart!

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This is one of those movies you either hate or love at first sight; certainly it has an Allenesque feel to it (It may not be a mere coincidence that Mia Farrow is one of it stars, doing a marvelous send-up of the kind of characters she used to play for Woody, from Hannah to [more closely] Alice Tate), but there's so much more to it than that!

Sarah Jessica Parker is the link in the story, but not necessarily the main knot. Take Antonio Banderas's turn parodying himself and the "suave latino lover" typecasts, or Carla Gugino's bubbly charm. Of course, good things always may come hand-in-hand with lackluster spots... one of the biggest here? Naomi Campbell sitting pretty and saying her lines with as much enthusiasm as a laptop computer with a british accent. She is typecast alrigtht, but instead of playing with the possibilities like Banderas did, she just walks by, remarkably far from fantastic.

Now that brings another contrast, for Gil Bellows' performance as Matt, the understated and understanding fiance is nothing short of great. His smile can lit up a room (common knowledge) and yet when he has to unburden his anger and pain he does it in a way that is quiet and convincing. No high drama, no storming through doors. His character is a man in love but pushed too hard by his beloved (Parker) so his empathy is believable to a fault. His is one of the most delightful moments of the film, including the possibility of salvage at the closing. Definitely not a masterpiece, but a good, entertaining and also aching film that is in no way forgettable after all.

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This is one of those movies that is funny, cute, with good acting and just overall good. Before Sarah Jessica's Sex and the City Days and Antonio Banderas "hotness" days, and of course Mia Farrow is also a great comedian and actress. Even Jeremy Piven (before Entourage) is in the picture and is just a funny movie. Highly recommend it.

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Who's Minding the Store (1963)

This is one of Jerry's best and funniest. So many of his other

classics are now out on DVD, why not this one??!!?? To the

"powers that be," PLEASE release this movie on DVD-A.S.A.P!!

My DVD library of Jerry Lewis masterpieces is in need of it!

THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF JERRY'S GREATEST, GREAT SUPPORTING CAST & A GREAT GAG DIRECTOR, FRANK TASHLIN...NO COMEDY OF TODAY EVEN COMES CLOSE TO THIS ONE...ONE OF THE KING OF COMEDY'S GREATEST!

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A million laughs. Jerry Lewis sucks up a dog, a wig, dishes, and half of the displays into a vacuum cleaner that he just repaired. When the bag is popped by a pin, there is a hilarious explosion. A perfect cure for depression or those rainy day blues. Get this movie!

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No need to review the film which is a comedy gem...just the format:

The film starts in widescreen, unusual for a video tape. And just when you're getting used to it, the opening credits end and it reverts back to fullscreen(!)

To add insult to injury, the end credits are not even included, the movie simply ends! So much for finding out who the actors were.......

C'mon Paramount...how about the full version on DVD?

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Have been waiting for this Jerry Lewis goodie ever since the dawn of DVD. This is probably one of the best Jerry Lewis movies ever. Fast, funny and completely insane.

But what a horrible Blu-ray it is! Some few scenes (or rather shots) look just as good as the recently released Blu-rays of The Geisha Boy, Rock-a-Bye Baby and Boeing Boeing, but 95% of the time the image here is super-soft, fuzzy and far, far away from fresh Technicolor. Incredibly sad. Olive Films should not have accepted this HD master from Paramount, and if it really represents the best that could be found in the vaults (which I doubt), then a DVD release only had been a better decision. This ugly-looking crap of an image does not deserve a transfer to Blu-ray. It will only give this superior format a bad name among those who do not know better. Olive Films should be more careful about their products and reputation.

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Snatch (2000)

Some people write in their reviews the movie is braindead, stupid and not funny at all. Well, it depends on what kind of humor you prefer. If you like Tarantino, Coen brothers, Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", films like "Thursday", "Get Shorty" and "Way of the Gun", then this opus is just for you. If you can't stand all of the listed above just skip this one.

To my opinion "Snatch" is much better then previous Ritchie's work, more than that it's one of the best criminal comedies. It's more criminal than others, it's more funny than others. Guy Ritchie actually did his best here and created an atmosphere of absurd, chaotic fun. The acting is perfect, Brad Pitt is totally different from what we used to see, Dennis Farina is just soooo hilarious! Now I can't normally see him in other movies I recall "Snatch" and begin to laugh hysterically.

The characters' lines are funny and the way they deliver them is even funnier. By the way it's one of the few films I had to watch with captions I couldn't understand much of being said because of their cockney (if I'm not mistaken) accent.

Anyway if you like crazy criminal comedies watch it without any question. If you don't watch something else instead.

"Snatch" is a movie that takes a little patience to get into. The first 15-20 minutes are a bit confusing. There are a lot of characters to introduce, and Ritchie's fitful editing style reminiscent of music video-style flash is something the viewer will have to get used to. But once it settles down and we get into the flow of it, it is a very entertaining, even hilarious, movie.

Brad Pitt does a superb job and shows once more why he is not only a big star but a fine actor. All the actors in this are excellent. It's a film about confusion, dumb plots, and drastic mistakes made by people who think they're smart when really they are all dumb as lamposts.

This movie is made with real flair and an ear for "talk." I would suggest watching it with ENGLISH SUBTITLES ON. This is the great innovation of DVD and it makes the picture a bit more coherent. There is a section when Pitt delivers one of his prodigious mumbles that the subtitles simply give up. It is actually totally invented by Pitt. Don't worry if you aren't getting it all the first time you see it. It's really a small tour de force by Ritchie and needs to be seen at least twice to get the full effect..

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I purchased this item and found that disk one was the old superbit edition without the commentary track. I emailed Sony and they quickly responded saying that this was a mistake with the first production run. If you mail in disk 1 along with the proof of purchase and copy of the email from Sony, they will send you the proper disk 1. So, if you have this dvd with the wrong disk one, just email Sony and they will tell you what to do.

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"Snatch" is a wild ride with a complicated plot that centers on a stolen diamond and 3 different gangs who try to steal it. This was Guy Ritchie's second film after "Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels." I'm looking forward to Ritchie's "Revolver" with Jason Statham & Ray Liotta. Obviously, "Swept Away" with wife Madonna starring was a misstep.

The cast is excellent. Jason Statham is now a star after the two "Transporter" films. As Turkish, he has a droll sense of humor, his own code of ethics and loyalty to his friend Tommy played by Stephen Graham from "Gangs of New York." Turkish serves as the film's narrator.

The obvious scene-stealer is Brad Pitt as the nutty Irish boxer Mickey O'Neil. Since Pitt's breakthrough role in "Thelma & Louise" back in 1991 and through his Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for "12 Monkeys" (1995), he's developed into one of Hollywood's brightest stars. The frustrating and amazingly hilarious schtick here is that you can barely understand a word of the inarticulate Mickey's dialogue, yet all his friends nod and agree profusely. It really is funny once you get into the swing of noncomprehension. The fight scenes are also excellent.

Somewhat overlooked, but equally impressive is the short cameo of Benicio Del Toro as the Jewish gangster Franky Four Fingers who loves crime but has a weakness for gambling. Del Toro is obviously a highly regarded actor with his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Traffic" (2000) and his nomination for "21 Grams" (2003). His ability to go from Jewish Orthodox to the volatile Frankie demonstrates great range.

Vinnie Jones plays Bullet Tooth Tony who is hired to find Frankie. He does a great job. Jones was excellent in "Swordfish" (2001) and is set to appear in next year's "X-Men 3." Lennie James who was in "Sahara" this year plays Sol who owns the pawnshop and has two bumbling cohorts to help get him in trouble. Alan Ford who was in "American Werewolf in London" back in 1981 and in "Exorcist: The Beginning" last year plays the wild gang leader Brick Top who likes to feed his enemies to the pigs. Rade Sherbedgia who was in a film "Fever" (2003) with Vanessa Redgrave & Angelia Jolie (--makes you wonder, eh?--), plays the delightfully sinister Russian gangster Boris the Blade. Dennis Farina who had a great cameo in the HBO mini-series "Empire Falls" romps around as Avi. And of course, the dog that swallows the diamond is also tremendously funny!

"Snatch" is excellent because it combines the MTV-style editing with a complex plot whose unifying element is the stolen diamond. It's so fast-paced that it demands the viewer to be engaged or get lost in the action. Ritchie and this excellent cast make this a memorable DVD. Enjoy!

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Hey, have you heard about that guy who just married Madonna? Who knew that he also made movies! Guy Ritchie has done it again. Where "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" knocked on our hip-dialouge-driven-action-movie starved door (due in part to the 3 year absence of Mr. Tarantino), "Snatch" kicks open the door and comes at us with guns blazing. Snatch revolves around a stolen "diamond the size of a fist" that changes hands between quite a few of London's most unsavory characters. Characters such as underground boxing promoter Turkish (Jason Stratham) and thief extrodanaire/gambling junkie Frankie Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) Others include an impossible to kill russian hitman, a ganster that feeds people to pigs, a 400 pound getaway driver, and a squeaking dog. The story line is masterfully balanced, giving ample screen time to each and every facet of this amazing, gritty world of Ritchie. There are more than a few memorable performances, but none seem to shine like Brad Pitt as Mickey O'Niell and Vinnie Jones as Bullet Tooth Tony. Brad Pitt is hardly recognizable as a scruffy, tatooed gypsy boxer who can knock any man out with one punch. You can tell Brad leapt entirely into Mickey's skin and started running. His barely intelligible gypsy drawl is far and away the funniest running gag in th ewhole film. Pitt has given us the antithesis of what Holloywood has deemed him, no more is he to be called the sexiest man alive. He has now earned the title of the "best damn actor we've got!" If you haven't heard of British bad boy Vinnie Jones yet, you will now. His performance as the enforcer Bullet Tooth Tony is the breakout of the millenium. His quiet fierce intelligence burns through his gruff appearance and into each member of the audience, leaving them felling enlightened and warned all at once. I only have 1000 words to use here, that hardly seems enough, but I can think of one word that describes this movie perfectly, "neccessary". It's refreshing to have a film that entertains without insulting it's audience's intelligence. Mr. Ritchie, thank you for giving movie viewers hope of a brave and ballsy new world. In a time when the genre has faltered, it's nice to know that the hip and frantic world of bad boys who know how to use both brains and guns is alive and well and married to Madonna.

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Step Up 2: The Streets (Dance-Off Edition) (2008)

The fellow below me is, in all aspects, correct. If what you look for in a dance movie is to be highly distracted by a shabby plot. Me, I loved Step Up 2 for this very reason...

Most dance movies aim too high: they want killer dance scenes -withan excellent plot. What do most wind up with? Trite, familiar plots they still try to execute even though we've seen them before (so we know well enough to follow along) while still delivering a sliver or two of dance sequences... but nowhere near the amount the usual viewer wants to see.

Now, Step Up 2 says a big "yeah right" to that entire idea.

There is next to NO plot. Yeah, it's there, barely. Enough to pretend that it's not one long music video. But, it really IS like one long music video--and that's wicked awesome. The dance scenes are long and intricate, the music is great, and it delivers on everything I want to see in a dance movie: less talking and more dancing.

So if you're into these sorts of movies for the chick flick value, it might be a skip or a rent. But if you're into it for, well, the dancing--I give it 5 stars.

Everything about this film FAR exceeds the first in the series. First of all, the actors are way more talented, in both their dancing and acting skills. Where Channig Tatum was practically robotic in the original, Rob Hoffman is charming and funny. Brianna also adds a good element, because where Nora was the goody two shoes, Brianna's more tough, and fights for what she wants. And the dance sequences will absolutely blow you away. Rather than looking overly rehearsed, the moves come across as smooth and amazing. The plot as a whole seems to be less cliche-y as well.

I think that this is a movie that anyone can enjoy, but it seems that people are split on which is better. Some think the first is better, while others prefer this newer, more hip version. Either way, this movie is DEFINITELY worth checking out!

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This movie was definitely better than the first one. The dancing, acting, and plot line were all much more interesting and convincing. I liked how they tied it into the first film while introducing a completely new cast. I saw this movie three times in the theater and cannot wait for it to come out on DVD!

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Okay, so these new wave dance flicks are a dime a dozen, and half of them are just mediocre offerings with one impossible dance move after the next. When `Step Up' came out I really expected nothing from it, but I got a sensational and really, really great movie that had enough heart and chemistry to make it stand out amongst the onslaught of trashy teen dance movies. Really, you need to see it! So, I was excited about the prospects of `Step Up 2: The Streets', but after seeing the trailer I was afraid it was going to be nothing more than a rehash of the same story with different actors.

So I waited.

I am happy (so happy) to say that `Step Up 2: The Streets' does not have the same story, even though it is slightly similar. It does lack the chemistry that made the original so charming, but the lead actress, Briana Evigan, carries enough saucy charm to make up for Robert Hoffman's lack of everything (the guy is kind of gross creepy here).

Andie is a teen with no real purpose. Her mother dies when she was young and she's been living with her mother's best friend. She finds herself at a crossroads when her ties with the infamous 410 (a dance crew) leave her with two options; a prestigious dance school or Texas. Now, I live in Texas, so I understand why she opted for the school. She doesn't fit in (of course) but she finds herself flirting with even more danger when the school legend Chase Collins takes a liking to Andie, and her dance style, and convinces her to join forces with him, and a slew of talented yet overlooked students, in order to take on a street dancing competition. Love develops, feelings are trampled, rivalries are started...and dancing HAPPENS!

Like I said, Evigan is great. She is sensual with a kick of edge that keeps her interesting; and that smoker's voice is just, UGH, so Scarlett Johansson...me loves it! Robert Hoffman is the opposite. He is supposed to be all charming and sweet and lovable but he comes across creepy. The rest of the cast is really just a collection of moving bodies, and they all work well in that respect. Miss Ventura is stunning to look at whether she's moving or standing still, I'll give her that. Black Thomas (yes, that is his name) is respectable as the token gangster (very cliché, but whatever) and Danielle Polanco is quite engaging as the street-smart and genuinely sweet Missy.

But this is not about acting, believe me.

The dancing is insane here, and the final dance scene, in the rain, is just UGH, WOW...that was hot! Yes, I said hot, and I meant that in like every possible way. I did want to mention Adam G. Sevani (who looks like `Year One' version Michael Cera) who is your typical `nerdy kid who befriends outcast' here. The reason I mention him is because his Michael Jackson inspired dace sequence at the end is phenomenal and easily the most memorable part of the entire movie.

So, if you want a fun and entertaining film with lots of dancing then this is the one for you. It doesn't have the `everything' factor that the original had, but it makes up for it in other areas.

See them both.

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It seems many people were disappointed in this movie due to the lack of plot or, at best, a very simple one, and the sub-par acting. In fact, I was so convinced after reading all the reviews that I would not like it as much as I thought I originally would. Regardless, I saw it used and decided to give it a shot and, I have to say, I am keeping this one.

Yes, the acting is not the best and the plot was the way to keep it together, so they could call it a "movie" and not a "music video," but I have absolutely no complaints or problems with that at all. If you search for any of the main "actors" their first occupation is not acting, it is dancing or choreography and, Sarah, the guardian, used to be a slam poet and Cassie (the source of conflict) is a professional singer and dancer by trade. Needless to say, they are not actors and it shows, but I wouldn't call their acting horrible, it was decent. Yet, the thing is, I don't think this movie would be half as good if they cast actors and tried to teach them how to dance, (they have reality shows for that) what really made this movie great was the dancing and you can tell that these guys are professionals in that respect, because I have never seen such phenomenal dancing in my life. Between the catchy and upbeat music and the amazing "popping," "Krumping" and raw street dancing this movie is definitely one I will watch again and again. In fact, I cannot stop watching the final dances in the street, especially Adam Sevani (Moose) with that awesome routine to Timbaland's "Bounce."

Anyway, despite what people are saying, if you like watching people dance to upbeat, high-energy music then definitely do yourself a favor and check this movie out.

Lastly, to comment briefly on the Blu Ray version. The picture quality is amazing, so much so, you can read what is on the shirts of those in the crowd and the sound is phenomenal. I can't tell you the exact specs, but what I can tell you is the picture is clear and vibrant and when they kick up the water during the dance scene in the rain, you truly feel as though you are going to get hit by the splash :) And, the sound is very clear, I have a 7.1 system set up but this DVD only does 5.1, but it makes up for it by giving me TrueHD.

All in all, if you are not concerned about a weak plot and poor acting, but really like watching phenomenal dancing, this is the movie for you. It definitely is for me.

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