Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) (2009)

When Ross Bagdasarian Sr. created the Alvin and the Chipmunks, I often wonder if he knew at the time of how popular those characters, their music and the animated series would be for American pop culture.

Popular for the music, it was in 1961 when the three went from being puppets to an animated show. Bagdasarian using his stage name Dave Seville, the music composer and father/caretaker of three talented chipmunks who tend to get into a little mischief. The animated series "Alvin and the Chipmunks" is one of those animated series that has been part of the childhood of several generations. An even more animated series continued throughout the '80s and '90s.

And as "Alvin and the Chipmunks has been a part of the childhood of children for five decades, for this generation of children, they are now getting acquainted by Alvin, Simon and Theodore through their animated CG films. And what a remarkable success the first film had been for Twentieth Century Fox as "Alvin and the Chipmunks" made over $361 million worldwide (the budget of the film was $60 million).

Needless to say, "Alvin and the Chipmunks" earned their right for a sequel and before Christmas 2009, the $75 million dollar sequel "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" made even more money than the first earning over $442 million worldwide and now, this popular film which introduces us to the female chipmunks ala "The Chipettes": Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette and featuring more star-power providing the voices for the characters.

VIDEO:

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" is presented in 1080p High Definition (Widescreen 1:85:1). Immediately, the first thing that catches your attention is the wonderful CG animation of the chipmunks and how they flawlessly work with the real life backgrounds and props.

Many scenes are shot outdoors and with very good lighting indoors that a lot of the detail can be seen in the trees, the plants, outdoor areas to the pores in the skin of the humans and of course, seeing the fur of the chipmunks with such detail. The film looks absolutely vibrant and detail is very good for this film. Skintones are natural, blacks are nice and deep and I saw no problems with artifacts, DNR or blurring.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Descriptiive Audio and Spanish/French 5.1 Dolby Digital. The film is dialogue and music driven through the center and front channel speakers. But there are special effects such as Alvin tossing a Wiimote into the TV, a wheelchair falling off Toby's car and various sound effects like that. Surround channels tend to utilize the crowd ambiance much more in the film.

But since the film is primarily dialogue and music driven, dialogue is clear and understandable while the music definitely comes alive with the lossless audio soundtrack.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" features the following special features:

* Munking History: 50 Years of Chipmunk Mischief, Mayhem & Music (09:20) A special feature on the creation of "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and various clips of the chipmunks in animated format.

* Munk Music Machine Allows viewers to select only the music-based portions from the film.

* Meet the Chipettes (8:35) The Chipette voice talent Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate talk about their characters and how and why Janice Karman created the Chipette's.

* Rockin' Rising Stars (6:20) A featurette about the inclusion of the band Honor Society and singer Charice Pempengco into the film and their experience of working on a film.

* Music Mania (9:02) The making of the music competition segment in the film.

* Meet the Stuffies (3:08) The cast and crew talk about their experience working with the "stuffies".

* Shake Your Groove Thing! with Rosero (8:59) Choreographer Rosero and crew show off choreography for the song "Shake Your Groove Thing!".

* Music Videos & Sing-Alongs Featuring sing-alongs for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "We Are Family",

and "Shake Your Groove Thing".

* Music Videos "You Really Got Me" featuring Honor Society & "The Song" featuring Queensberry.

* A-l-v-i-n-n-n-n!!! Album Maker A feature that allows one to create an Alvin and the Chipmunks (or Chippetes) album maker. Your creations can be saved.

* Music In A Nutshell: Song Trivia While watching the film, viewers can watch the film with song trivia.

* The Chipmunks: Behind the Squeaking (9:40) A documentary like featurette about life outside of the movie. Talent and crew talk about their experience of working with Alvin, Simon and Theodore.

* A-NUT-omy of a Scene (2:39) How the stuffed animals are used for the choreography portions on the film to help guide the animators and the talent.

EXTRAS:

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" comes with a DVD and a digital copy of the film. The DVD is presented in widescreen 1:85:1, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French Dolby Surround. Subtitles are in English SDH, Spanish.

The digital copy works with portable Media Players and works with iTunes.

JUDGMENT CALL:

I grew up with "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and can easily remember watching the television series during my younger years and have watched a fair share of the anime series on DVD as well, introducing it to my seven-year-old son who absolutely loves the first film.

Sure enough, we watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" and he was laughing and enjoying the film. As for me, I enjoyed the humor of the film and granted, I may not be the intended demographic for this film, but as a parent, watching my son and seeing him enjoy characters that I grew up with as a child was definitely a fun, family moment. In fact, he enjoyed the film so much that we watched it for a second time (along with the wife) and continued to laugh at the jokes and hijinks... "the dutch oven" joke was just hilarious!

I definitely enjoyed the picture quality of this Blu-ray release and how alive the lossless audio soundtrack (especially from the music) coming through my speakers. Needless to say, there are plenty of music featured in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" and again, watching my son bop to the songs, I have no doubt that this film will do the same for the children watching this film. Also, for parents, there are plenty of special features and fun sing-a-longs and if you are commuting, you also get a DVD and digital copy of the film as well.

Overall, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" was an entertaining film which I enjoyed much more over the first film. The addition of the Chipettes was pretty cool and definitely enjoyed the animation and overall storyline for this sequel. As mentioned earlier in my review, there is a good number of star power in this film and a lot of of music covers. Definitely interesting to see "Chuck" actor Zachary Levi in a more comedic role and also to see Filipino singer Charice Pempengco jamming on the film as well! But of course, the star power behind the voices of Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes did a wonderful job. For Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate, the three did a wonderful job.

If you are a parent looking for a fun, family film...you can't go wrong with "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" and if you are an adult who grew up with Alvin and the Chipmunks, you'll definitely enjoy this film as well! Definitely recommended!

With all the kid films that are unbearable for adults, it's nice to find films that you can watch with your children and actually enjoy! Both the original and this sequel are just such films. The stories are cute, but not so dumb-ed down that you can't stay interested in them. The chipmunks are adorable and they are funny with fantastic CGI work. This one isn't quite as good as the first film(what sequels are?), but it is certainly a very fun movie for the whole family. Too bad Jason Lee phoned this one in, it was certainly worth his time. I give this one 3 stars for adults and 4 stars for the kids!

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Alvin, Simon and Theodore end up in the care of Dave Seville's twenty-something nephew Toby. The boys must put aside music super stardom to return to school, and are tasked with saving the school's music program by winning the $25,000 prize in a battle of the bands. But the Chipmunks unexpectedly meet their match in three singing chipmunks known as The Chipettes. Though the Chipmunks are confident they have the songwriting skills to steamroll the competition, a newly formed singing trio dubbed the Chippettes promises to give them some stiff competition on-stage. Brittany, Eleanor, and Jeanette are indeed the real deal, and the closer the competition gets, the more Alvin, Simon, and Theodore realize that in order to win, they'll have to give it everything they've got. This is a great movie. If you liked the first one you will like this one. Your kids will love it and thats what the movie is for.

Read Best Reviews of Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) (2009) Here

It's a kids movie. My first grader liked it. That's worth 4 stars. Very high "cuteness factor." Lots of energy and silly antics, of course (isn't that expected from Chipmunks?). Appealed to her and she was happy w/ the experience. I thought it was a little long (7 yo got wiggly) and the story was choppy, but I'm an adult, so who cares? :) We saw it at a dollar movie theater, so I couldn't feel bad about the value. Might be worth adding to a kids video library, but it won't be a top ten favorite, in my opinion.

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I've seen the first chipmunk movie. It was okay, kinda cute. But I slowly began to hate it because it seemed like everywhere I went, the movie was playing! It got annoying, there are only so many times you can here the Chipmunk Christmas song.

Now when I saw the teaser for the second movie with my family, we all laughed at it, and I automatically knew I wanted to see it. The first one may have been annoying at times, but this one was going to have the chipettes in it, so it should be a little bit better (I've always been a chipettes fan), and.... I was right.

This movie was way better than the first one. It had humor, action, and some good lessons about family and friends. And the chipmunk romance made me smile. I liked the songs too, especially the songs the chipettes sang. The song at the end, "We Are Family" was so catchy, I uploaded it to my iPod a week later!

I loved it, and if you need another reason to see it, my 7 year old cousin enjoyed it too. So, kids love it, and I (a teen) love it. If you need a good family film, watch this movie (I'm not sure about the original, although you should probably watch it before this movie so you aren't confused).

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Up in the Air (2013)

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) As someone who has both laid off staff and a year later, became the victim of a layoff after twelve years with the same company, I had a personal interest in seeing how director/co-screenwriter Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno) was going to adapt Walter Kirn's smart, unsettling 2001 novel. Even though eight years have elapsed since the book's publication, the filmmaker along with co-writer Sheldon Turner manages to deepen Kirn's themes in this wry, emotionally resonant 2009 dramedy and make them even more relevant with the pervasive downsizing of corporate America. The movie also manages to surprise even when certain plot turns seem evident before they occur. Initially, there is a veneer of cynicism that makes you think the story will be an abject lesson in the impermanence of life, but instead, it evolves into one man's journey into the heart of the emotional turbulence he had been careful to avoid. Toward that end, Reitman seems to be inspired by Alexander Payne's equally perceptive road movies, About Schmidt and Sideways, films that reflect a similar storytelling style.

The plot focuses on laser-sharp corporate layoff consultant Ryan Bingham, a man who regales in the impermanence of life by traveling 322 days on the road, informing targeted employees that they are about to lose their jobs. There is a necessary callousness in his approach, but he knows it's necessary to be present and honest when it comes to conveying the unpleasant news. Bingham is also a motivational speaker who espouses unburdening one's life of possessions and fitting everything essential within the confines of a backpack. Proving his case, he lives in hotels, airplanes, and airport terminals with his one life goal being the seventh person to collect ten million frequent-flier miles. If you can get past the Spartan one-bedroom apartment he keeps in Omaha for the 43 days he is forced to be at home, the hatchet man appears to lead a charmed if rather solitary life. Complications, however, ensue on both personal and professional fronts.

Bingham meets a fellow transient traveler named Alex Goran in an airport lounge and assesses that he may have found his soul-mate, so much so that he invites her to come to his estranged sister's wedding in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Bingham's boss wants to introduce a new strategy proposed by a fresh-faced, post-grad school upstart. New hire Natalie Keener suggests using remote teleconferencing to perform the layoff notifications. Since the new technology is the antithesis of Bingham's one-on-one method, he brings Natalie along on the road to show her how it can't possibly work. In a role that feels custom-tailored to all his strengths, George Clooney plays Bingham with an emotional precision that complements his charismatic persona which pivots between swaggering and self-effacing. On one hand, it's his most definitive movie-star role, and yet Clooney has never revealed as much about himself onscreen.

The always watchable Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Down to the Bone) is sexy and confident as the woman who seems perfect for Bingham, even though their adroit compatibility could not possibly sustain an actual commitment. Their interplay is fun to watch because there is a Cary Grant-Rosalind Russell-level rapport that keeps both on their toes. Anna Kendrick (Twilight) is winning as Natalie even if her character's naiveté feels a bit manufactured at times. Jason Bateman has a field day playing Bingham's smarmy boss, while Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, and Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) plays their accustomed types with aplomb as members of Bingham's immediate family. In cameos, J.K. Simmons (Juno) and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) sharply play two of the victimized employees, but for the rest, Reitman uses non-actors replaying their recent experiences of getting laid off. As usual with Reitman's films, it boasts an eclectic soundtrack that works really well with the storyline.

Hard to understand how a movie that manages to make you feel down in the dumps in many instances can have you laughing out loud the rest of the way. Perhaps because UP IN THE AIR is a movie so very full of surprises and complete knowledge of its main subject (I swear the next time I go through security in an airport I'll be looking for the oriental businessmen and avoid babies at all costs).

All throughout the movie I was expecting the obvious conclusion (the firer being fired) and was surprised to get something completely different in return, but even UP IN THE AIR's schocker scene, managed to make so much sense it's hard for me to understand how I didn't see it coming.

There's no question in my mind UP IN THE AIR will be the movie future generations will look back in trying to understand this particular era we live in. It is quiet simply a classic.

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This hybrid comedy-drama-romance is a rare treat that honestly addresses job loss, love and relationships without resorting to common cliches or contrived situations. George Clooney and co-star Vera Farmiga are reminiscent of Cary Grant and Deobrah Kerr in An Affair To Remember.

Vera Farmiga is the strong, female co-star Clooney has long needed. She is beautiful, sophisticated and restrained, similar in many aspects to Brigit Bardot and Sophia Loren. She is Ukrainian but was raised in America. However, she did not speak English as a child which probably explains her elegant restraint when speaking English. Men will truly enjoy the brief but wonderful scene of Farmiga naked in Clooney's motel room. Wow, what a hot body.

Clooney is superb as a confident, insensitive but charming employee terminator during the economic collapse of 2008. Clooney works for a corporate consulting company based in Omaha, Nebraska that performs the dirty work for spineless business owners. It is a thriving business during the 2007-2009 recession. This movie was released during late 2009.

Clooney as Ryan Bingham boasts that during the previous year he spent 322 days on the road, flying from city to city in pursuit of victims. But, one day while sitting a hotel bar, he initiates a conversation with Vera Farmiga playing Alex Goran, a fellow road-warrior and corporate shark, equally consumed by frequent flyer perks and privileges. They end up in bed but the traditional, cliche love story never evolves.

The script is superb as is Farmiga who previously appeared in The Departed by Martin Scorsese and the 2004 remake of the Manchurian Candidate. Obviously, she is not an obscure actress but this role was meant for her. She plays her character with incredible charm, grace and sexual vitality telling Clooney "Just think of me as yourself with a vagina." Although captivated by Clooney's charm and appearance, Alex always remains his alter-ego much to his dismay.

In the end, Clooney is consumed by a life free from personal responsiblity and the daily toil of earth-bound inhabitants as he pursues his goal of becoming the seventh person in the world to achieve 10-million frequent flyer miles. I don't know if American Airlines paid a fee to partially sponsor this film but it is a long-form commercial for American Airlines elite frequent flyer awards program which bestows unique privileges to a select group of travellers.

The screenplay by Sheldon Turner and director Jason Reitman was adapted from the 2001 novel by Walter Kirn. It should be studied by screenwriting students at cinema schools because it is a rare example of honestly addressing difficult issues such as job loss and life without love. And, Jason Reitman should be applauded for honestly presenting the devestating effects of economic collapse while simultaneously entertaining us. It is both rare and rewarding to see documentary film seamlessly interwoven in a fictional story. Instead of resorting to token cliches, Reitman gives us real victims expressing their rage and anguish after losing long-time jobs.

This film is a tribute to great writing, acting, directing and producing. It successfully embraces comedy and tragedy and is truly enjoyable to watch.

Read Best Reviews of Up in the Air (2013) Here

After a while, it gets pretty tiring to have nearly every Hollywood movie either overtly or subtly suggest that real happiness lies in marriage and family. I love this movie because it asks us to consider that happiness is personal, not cookie-cutter. The protagonist loves his life of traveling and the lack of ties that go along with it. Some might see this as melancholy, and at times it is portrayed that way in the movie, but overall, it's clear that what most people want is not what the protagonist wants. I love the realistic, insightful way that this different outlook on life is presented in this movie.

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Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) has carved out a life of weightlessness (almost). He's an executive for an out-placement firm that is engaged when a company needs to get rid of large swatches of their employees. He's pared down his existence to a single carry-on; so much so that he's beginning to carve out a side career teaching others how to shed their possessions, their obligations, even their relationships and loved ones.

He lacks one of the key elements of what it is to be human. He's almost estranged from his family, he has no wife, no kids, no pets, not even a houseplant. He does have a good business relationship with his boss, his assistant, and that's pretty much it. He is so detached that he doesn't even notice anything is missing. But, things will soon happen that shake up his world.

On first viewing, I admired the acting (especially Clooney), the set design, the lighting, the cinematography, and the sound. The story itself was clever, but the movie watcher really knew what was going to happen. Bingham was going to experience something (or someone) that would make him realize that his goal of being the seventh person to achieve the coveted 10 million mile status (the youngest to get there) paled in comparison to his startling lack of human involvement. The movie was extremely well directed (by Jason Reitman) and well achieved, but curiously non-involving. It's good, but it's not a film that will be taken down from the DVD shelf very often.

It's only after watching the commentary with director Reitman that I really appreciated the craft of the movie. This commentary is why DVD special features were invented. Playing the movie with the commentary on added a whole other dimension to the film. Reitman grew up on Hollywood, his dad produced the film (Ivan Reitman), and he has many, many stories to tell about the making of the film. So many, in fact, that he hardly ever stops talking. There are two other members of the crew on the commentary, but you seldom hear from them. Reitman just won't let them get a word in. He's good and very entertaining to listen to, but why even have the other guys there? And yet, he is entertaining as hell. What a great dinner companion he would be. Once he got going, you'd just sit back and listen.

I do have to also comment on the film's 'fired folks'. Some of them are actors, but most of them are non-actors who were asked by Reitman to appear on camera and sort of relive their own firings. These non-actors were very, very good, and certainly lent an air of authenticity to the film. A stroke of brilliance to include these people.

Three and a half stars for 'Up in the Air'. Four-and-a-half for the DVD extras (there's also an interesting interview with the company that did the opening shot, and other aerials in the film).

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The Duellists (1977)

Based on Joseph Conrad's book "The Duel", the true story of a 30-year feud between two Napoleonic cavalry officers, "The Duellists" was Ridley Scott's first major film. Starring Keith Carradine as the pompous D'Hubert and a particularly menacing Harvey Keitel as Feraud, the film climbs inside the minds of two men for whom honor is more important than life itself.

The two antagonists begin their series of bloody encounters when D'Hubert is ordered by his commanding general to arrest Feraud for wounding the local mayor's nephew in a duel. Feraud, in a hopelessly irrational state, challenges D'Hubert to a duel, which is carried out more or less on the spot. D'Hubert comes off slightly better in the initial encounter, which only serves to fuel Feraud's rage, and the course of the film is set.

The cinematography of this film, shot by Frank Tidy, is almost beyond comparison. The previous versions on VHS simply looked muddy and rather washed out. The colors lacked any real saturation, rendering Feraud's bottle-green dolman black and it almost looked like a poor quality black and white in some scenes, especially those set in Napoleon's abortive Russian campaign.

The DVD transfer, by contrast, is staggeringly beautiful and releases colors, which I did not realize existed in the original. I am, by coincidence, a professional cameraman and I rate this as the best shot film I have ever seen. The only criticism I have is a somewhat inconsistent use of graduated filters, which, whilst they were probably quite innovative for their day, don't always work well. Grads are always a problem and any film made since will tend to suffer the same way. A very minor point.

The costumes and settings; mostly in The Dordogne, make the film not only totally authentic but defy the viewer to believe that it was made on a shoestring budget. The visual splendour challenges any modern filmaker to create the same effect without spending a vault full of money to achieve it. That is only part of the appeal of the film.

The acting performances, particularly by Keitel, want for nothing. The scene with Feraud standing on a cliff overlooking the river valley, taken in context, makes you realise that his life and pretensions to honor have been for nothing. His mania for revenge has cost him everything. Melded to the other performances with superlative skill by Ridley Scott, this film is a masterpiece and has now gone from a film I liked a lot to one which is now firmly wedged in my top ten. Like as not, it will stay there for a long time.

Director Ridley Scott (Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Alien) made his directorial debut with this overlooked gem THE DUELLISTS, based on a story by Joseph Conrad. Released in 1977, the movie didn't make much of an impact in the US, although it was nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes and won Scott the coveted Best First Work at that festival.

The movie chronicles the long-lasting feud between two French officers, the hot-headed Feraud (played by Harvey Keitel) and the more even-keeled D'Hubbert (played by Keith Carradine), during the Napoleonic wars. The feud has murky beginnings, but it lasts for decades due to the lead characters' desires to avoid losing their "honor." As they cross paths during various parts of their lives, they duel.

The duel scenes are well-filmed and add a great deal of excitement to the plot. The main story is also interesting, as the men's duels forge an unlikely relationship between them. The lead actors do a passable job in their roles, although they seem out of place amongst the largely British supporting players; Keitel actually seems more at place in the film, despite his eastern accent. Finally, the cinematography is stunning, and it's one of the most beautiful looking films of its period; the look of the film is a bit like "Barry Lyndon," although the tone is warmer. Overall, this film is an intriguing part of the Ridley Scott canon; it stands among his best works and one of the most overlooked films of the 70s.

DVD extras: director's commentary with Ridley Scott, and director Keith Reynolds also interviews Scott.

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This stunning film is incredibly beautiful to watch; the scenary, script, and actors are wonderful. This is a highly intelligent piece of work, so many films are sheer pap, driven by special effects, and soundtrack franchises; in contrast the Duellists is a work of art which has a great integrity.

Apart from a great personal interest in history, I am an experienced fencer with foil, epee and sabre and this film contains the most brutally accurate swordplay I have ever seen. As other reviewers pointed out, this is no Errol Flynn picture. It confronts romantic notions with some stark truths. I find it hard to watch the sabre duel in the cellar which lays bare the result of carving human meat with edged steel.

The historical realism of The Duellists is spot on down to the smallest details of Napoleonic campaigning. The horrible scenes set in the Russian snows vividly bring home something of the agony in 1812.

I find this a very subtle film, posing questions for each viewer to answer in their own way. The actors do not parade convenient 20th Century attitudes; the pain of D'Hubert's mistress is deeply poignant.

If anyone enjoyed this film I strongly suggest reading Joseph Conrad's short story The Duel. Ridley Scott remains virtually 90% faithful to Joseph Conrad, but the ending of the original story has one subtle embellishment the film does not develop.

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"The Duellists" is, in my opinion, Ridley Scott's best film. I liked "Blade Runner" a lot when I was younger, but now it seems the only thing that really knocks me out about it is Rutger Hauer's towering performance. The fabulously romantic love scene between Sean Young and Harrison Ford excluded, the level of 'purity' or cinematic poetry in "Blade Runner" doesn't really take off until Hauer makes his dynamic appearance. I loved "1492: Conquest of Paradise" when I caught it in its full glory in the theatres, and thought Depardieu's 'miscasting' was paradoxically GENIUS CASTING because it provided a certain humorous element to the film, thus adding a highly enjoyable level of camp to an already fantastic film. But NO FILM I've ever seen loses as much from not being shown on the big-screen; the ONLY PLACE to see 1492 is on a HUGE screen, not on your TV. "The Duellists" is much less handicapped in this respect, it doesn't really deal with huge panoramic vistas like sailing ships on a sea, just a couple of guys in beautifully authentic and pristine French locations clanging their swords viciously.

"The Duellists" follows the lives of two officers in Napoleon's army, played by Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine, through a period of some 20 years. Early on, Keitel is insulted by the way Carradine addresses him in a famous Lady's drawing room and demands satisfaction in a duel. Carradine agrees and proceeds to whip him. Not only does Keitel not give up and let it end there, but he continues to hold a grudge for years, forcing Carradine into more duels every time they meet, sometimes winning, sometimes losing, until things come to a final head in a climactic duel on Carradine's estate, after he's retired as a General! That's basically it, as far as a conventional "plot" is concerned. But the WAY IT IS HANDLED is PURE POETRY and speaks volumes that no conventional plot could ever speak. Scott allows room for the viewer's imagination to actively participate in his 'period' film and that's what those who don't like the film REFUSE TO DO (because they've been conditioned to judge a film by its more superficial 'plot' elements and dismiss it).

The acting is first rate, the attention to period detail ABSOLUTELY AWE-INSPIRING (on a Barry Lyndon level), the locations gorgeously photographed--you literally feel like you've entered the early 19th century and can smell its odors. As for the DUELS themselves, they're some of the greatest sequences I've ever seen in any film, and certainly the best and most authentic 'swordfighting' ever put on film (Keitel and Carradine must've spent months with fencing instructors). Last but not passed, the highly poignant themes Ridley weaves into this gothic-sword masterpiece (without any trace of heavy-handedness) about 'the absurdity of conceit' and the lengths men will go to to protect their 'honor,' are anything but trivial, they're timeless and universal (and always ripe for some reversal).

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Ridley Scott has a fine eye. Many of his films are not my favorites because of their high-concept stories, but visually, few directors can touch Scott's sense of space, time, and composition. This little-seen gem is comparable only to Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "Barry Lyndon" in its attempt to create the ambient light and sense of place of the late 1700's -early 1800's.

Based on a story by Joseph Conrad, chosen because the rights had lapsed, the film concerns two French hussar officers, one of whom, played with republican fervor by Harvey Keitel, is quick to anger and to duel. His nemesis is the aristocratic officer played by Robert Carradine, who doesn't understand why Keitel hates him so much. The film follows their careers in the Napoleonic wars over the course of fifteen years, from the early triumphs of l'Emporer in Lubeck, to the disaster of Russia, and the return of the Bourbon's. Despite their long-standing animosity, Carradine even saves Keitel from the guillotine, for which he his repayed with disdain and aggression.

This story is episodic, and there are many loose ends, but who cares? This is one of the most astonishing films ever made in its meticulousness, it's bravery (not cow-towing to hi-key filmic conventions), it's invention (a budget of only $900,000 dollars?!) and in the totally successful vision the filmmakers put up on the screen. Films costing 10 times as much or more are not so riviting as this film.

Scott did have to compromise; he wished for Michael York and Oliver Reed, but the financiers wanted American actors. Even though Carradine is occasionally weak, Keitel is intense throughout.

The Duellist is one of my favorite films. The DVD transfer is immaculate and the special features give us interviews with Ridley Scott, and the film's composers notes on his musical choices.

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The Gangster Collection (American Gangster/Casino/Eastern Promises) (1995)

I strongly recommend all of these films, Casino of course being one of the greatest films ever, and the other two definitely worth owning. The transfer on Eastern Promises is fantastic!

The 3 stars are for THIS PRODUCT AS IT IS PACKAGED and is NOT a rating of the movies themselves or a rating on the quality of the video and audio of the disks. While all 3 of these films are fantastic (I was completely blown away by American Gangster and Eastern Promises), do yourself a favor, save 16 bucks and buy the Blu-Ray versions of these separately.

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Awakenings (1990)

Based on the real life story of Dr. Oliver Sacks, 'Awakenings' ranks as one of the best movies I've seen. If features a terrific screenplay that was adapted from the book and a memorable directing job by Penny Marshall. But the most suprising thing to me was the choice of actors to play the two main roles in the movie. Robin Williams was pretty much known as the slightly insane comic genius from the 1980's, and Robert DeNiro was playing such hard-hitting, aggressive characters in films like 'Raging Bull', 'The Untouchables', 'Taxi Driver', and 'The Deer Hunter'. Both actors turn in career performances, and play parts that totally will smash any preconceived notions you had of them up to that point.

The film is based on Dr. Leo Sayer(Williams) and his work with people who have come down with a mysterious sleeping-sickness in 1918, which has left them in a catatonic state. Dr. Sayer is a shy person who is not comfortable conversing with others, but is also a very dedicated neurologist. He starts to work with these "sleeping" people and thinks that he senses something in them that is alive deep inside. He begins to work with a man called Leonard Lowe(DeNiro), and takes a special interest in him. He reads up on the drug L-Dopa, which had helped people in similiar states as his patients, and tries to convince the hospital and Leonard's mother to try the drug on her son. They allow the test to happen, and Leonard wakes up from his "sleep". The drug is then tried on his other patients with similar results. You would think that it was a happy story from thereafter, but life is not full of Hollywood endings, and the story does not take the easy way out. It won't leave you depressed or exhilarated but somewhere in between, like life is most of the time.

Definitely one of the best films to come out in the past 12 years, and should be in any serious movie buff's collection. There are no extra's on the DVD, but the quality of the picture is pretty good. But in the end, isn't it about the movie, not the extra's(by the way, I love the extra's just as much as everyone else). Marshall, Williams, and DeNiro have made a special film that they should be proud of and will be watched by generations to come.

I am an enormous fan of Robert DeNiro's. He is one of the greatest actors of all time, in my opinion. However, sometimes both that reputation and the showiness of a particular part overwhelms all the other performers in a particular film, robbing those performers of notoriety that is well deserved.

This is especially true in Awakenings. DeNiro plays Leonard Lowe, a man who awakens from a 30 year coma, experiences life in 1969 New York, then tragically slips back into that coma by the end of the film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences loves to nominate performances like DeNiro's -namely those where the actor has to simulate mental retardation, physical disabilities, fatal diseases or other handicaps. Some of these nominated performances are truly deserving of recognition, such as Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot, Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Tom Hanks in Forest Gump. However, many of these performances are not, such as Jodie Foster in Nell (Janeane Garofalo did a devastating parody of her performance on Saturday Night Live) and Ali MacGraw in Love Story. DeNiro's performance in Awakenings is much more of the former than the latter -he is always good and his performance in this film is no exception. However, to me, the truly great performance in Awakenings is by Robin Williams.

Williams plays DeNiro's physician, Malcom Sayer, a dedicated caring doctor who nonetheless is a shy, introverted loner who admits to Leonard at one point that he is "not good with people." In real life, Williams is so extroverted and so manic that in many of his performances that personality leaks out and intrudes on the characters he plays on film. In Awakenings, however, he completely submerges that persona and is 100% believable as the almost hermit-like Sayer. The central theme of the film is that Leonard Lowe, who has lost so much because of his affliction, is nevertheless living his life with ten times the gusto that Malcom Sayer, who has no afflictions other than his shyness, is living his life. If Williams is not absolutely believable as Sayer, the film falls apart, no matter how believable DeNiro is at portraying his character's illness. Williams is a wonderful actor who uses his comic gifts and manic personality to great advantage in his best work -e.g. The World According to Garp, Good Morning Vietnam, Good Will Hunting and Insomnia. However, this is Williams' first peformance where he is forced to completely submerge his own character and he succeeds brilliantly.

However, when the Oscar nominations were announced for 1990, DeNiro was nominated and Williams was snubbed. Indeed, when the film was released, all the friends I spoke with marveled at DeNiro's performance but didn't say anything about Williams. It's too bad. To be sure, DeNiro is excellent in Awakenings, but Williams' performance is a revelation.

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I don't know how this wonderful movie ever got made. It's not a feel good movie. It's got Robert DeNiro but he's not playing a tough guy. It's got Robin Williams but he's not being funny. But I'm glad that whoever pushed for it did so. And I'm glad Hollywood relented. AWAKENINGS is a quietly powerful movie of enormous depth and passion. Anyone who has seen the movie has been affected by it.

Based on Oliver Sack's book, AWAKENINGS recounts the story of a miracle that occurred in a New York hospital during the mid-1960s. Bucking the system and believing in his theory, Williams' character brings back a dozen patients who appear catatonic--DeNiro being one of them. Through massive applications of the drug L-Dopa, the patients revive and take sheer joy out of just simple tasks. Although the sad ending has been given away by others, I feel the film remains a positive story. It is about human endurance and also about the joys we some times take for granted.

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After viewing this film over fifty times since its release I would say this film is my absolute favorite. It belongs at the top of my list. From the first moment of the movie, you understand that you are in for the emotional roller-coaster ride of your life! Robert de Niro and Robin williams, are so passionate and give their absolute greatest performances. By some standards this film would be considered slow if you solely like all the other films I have reviewed (Click my name). But to say that is a slander to the film, the writer Oliver Sacks (The book) , Penny Marshall the Director, and all others involved. It will give you a more wholesome outlook on life and appreciate what you have. Some things are down-right halarious, while other moments make you think (And believe me the moving Film-Score will make you think!) Don't get me wrong, some of you will not like this movie, because it takes a certain taste to like it...But for the chosen-few who will give this film a shot and go with it, you will be blessed beyond measure. "Its just the simple things...You have to be reminded...The meaning of Life...The Wonder of life...The Freedom of life...!"

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I still remember this film, so many years later. AWAKENINGS made me realize that Robert De Niro had the talent and the ability to portray a deeply human and profound character, Leonard, a man who has lived in his own world for many years, in a very sensitive way. He wasn't just a hit man or a thug! This role solidifies his depth as a performer and was worthy of much praise. Dr. Malcom Sayer (Robin Williams) a shy man, decides to test the effects of the drug L-Dopa on catatonic patients in his hospital--Leonard being one of them. It is a miraculous feat that he seemingly brings those under his care "back from the dead." The transformation is astonishing. It's also amazing that this was based on a true story that occured in the life of Dr. Oliver Sachs. The film also stars Julie Kavner (best known as the voice of Marge Simpson on THE SIMPSONS), as Dr. Sayer's devoted nurse. The film has moments of tremendous joy and heartwrenching setbacks. It doesn't have the 'typical' Hollywood ending, but that doesn't take away from the feeling that awakens in you upon watching AWAKENINGS. Powerful and very memorable.

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Godfather / Godfather: Part II (Two-Pack) (2001)

This is for people considering the Godfather/Godfather II Two pack in Blu-ray format.

What you get for $20 is the first two movies only, with no special features other than the original director commentary.

These are same "Coppola Restoration(s)" as the pricier set that includes Godfather Part III and an additonal disc of bonus features.

Are they as sharp and sound intensive as contemporary films on Blu-ray? No.

Are they better than the earlier DVD versions? Yes. There is still film grain and high contrast here, but this is the nature of the source material. What you won't see are the artifacts that cropped up on lower capacity DVDs.

As other reviewers have said, if you want the best transfers of these particular, seminal films, this is it. If you watch them in a darkened room you will get as close to the original circa 1970's theater experience of these films as you ever will get, and this is a good thing.

I would have liked the additional features in the more expensive set, but you have to buy all three movies to get the extras. Like many people, I am not a fan of Godfather III, so for $30 less, I got these two classics.

This 2 Pack is an amazing deal .. You get 2 Classics for the Price of just the First film .. no need to pay $30 more just for the 3rd film in the collectors set ... buy id because it is not as good as the first 2 anyway

This is a great Combo Set

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GF and GFII are must haves in your collection. The third one will not be missed, especially for the price difference to get the entire trilogy with "extra" content, which I could care less about. The blu-ray does look better. Crisper, brighter pictures. Great buy

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6 hours & 20 minutes of movie making at it's BEST!

"Anthony's friends are your button men"

"Tattaglia's a pimp; he never could of out fought Santino"

"Michael, we're bigger than U.S. Steel"

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One of the all time great mafia movies. Blu-ray quality movie. Got both movies for under $20, great deal, better than paying over $60 for the Godfather trilogy, especially since Godfather part 3 wasn't too good. The movies are pretty long though.

The Secret of Moonacre (2008)

Really enjoyed this film. I'm always eager to see a new fantasy/childrens themed movie. But I must admit that I am critical and occasionally disappointed by todays offerings. But this film did not let me down. Visually I enjoyed the movie immensely and felt that the sets, wardrobe and effects were amazing at times (especially wardrobe). The acting and casting was above board and complimented the film/story well (with the exception of Tim Curry's small role ironically). The story was traditional fairytale fantasy and adapted from the book more than satisfactorally. All in all this was one of the better childrens fantasy movies I've seen out of the crop of offerings in last 5-10 years. Worth seeing...maybe more than once even. Enjoy.

A unicorn, an ancient curse, magical pearls, a blood feud, a forest haunted by bandits, and a bit of "Romeo and Juliet" romance (without the suicide). "The Secret of Moonacre" is something of a modern fairy tale, and Gabor Csupo films it in the style is deserves -a lush, exquisitely magical little tale full of magic.

When her father dies, Maria Merrywether (Dakota Blue Richards) discovers that his debts have left her penniless -all she inherits is a storybook about the Moon Princess and her magical pearls.

She and her governess are sent to live with Sir Benjamin Merryweather (Ioan Gruffudd), her grumpy uncle who lives in a vast decaying mansion. But soon Maria begins to realize that something strange is afoot -it turns out the story of the Moon Pearls is true, and a strange young woman named Loveday (Natascha McElhone) warns her of what will happen in just a few days.

And along the way, she discovers that the Merryweathers and the bandit clan called the De Noirs have been at war over the pearls for centuries. However, the only way that Maria can find the pearls is by enlisting the help of Robin De Noir (Augustus Prew) -and if she doesn't succeed, the entire valley of Moonacre will be destroyed.

"The Secret of Moonacre" is loosely based on Elizabeth Goudge's classic fantasy novel "The Little White Horse," although they take some hefty liberties in the name of drama. However, it's still a lovely little movie with a distinctly British flavor, as well as a mixture of wide-eyed optimism and the usual stuff about pride, getting along, love overcoming all, and so on.

The script is a mixed bag -the dialogue has moments of banality ("It is not the pearls but the greed in our hearts which brings us this misery"), but also some enchanting humour ("How can I possibly go to live in the country? It's full of... the countryside!"). And a small warning: the De Noirs look like refugees from "A Clockwork Orange."

But the movie is worth getting if nothing else for the sets and scenery. Director Gabor Csupo paints the entire movie with lush magical forests, a bandit citadel with a dungeon, a bedroom with murals and a sea-bed, dusty old libraries and an overgrown kitchen where an elfin cook bounces around like a Lewis Carroll character. Nearly every scene looks like a pre-Raphaelite painting, and Csupo milks it of every ounce of fairy-tale beauty and magic.

And though this is only her second movie, Dakota Blue Richards easily takes center stage and gives a gutsy flair to her ladylike character. Gruffudd and McElhone are quite good as the grumpy aristocrat and the pretty hermit, and Tim Curry is sneeringly nasty as Coeur De Noir (although he seems totally lost in the last scene).

"The Secret of Moonacre" has some flaws, but it's still a charming little fairytale that enchants the senses and makes you feel warm'n'fuzzy. A lovely little treat.

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The Secret of Moonacre played at our local theater last evening and I caught it with my daughter (age 10) who had seen the trailer for it recently and had been talking about it ever since. What a beautiful film, both physically (what you see) as well as story-wise (what you get).

A filmed fairy tale based on the acclaimed novel "The Little White Horse", the story of a young girl recently orphaned is filled with joy, fright, heartbreak, laughter, love, hate and hope. Sent to live with her eccentric uncle at his very mysterious home of Moonacre Manor, a young Maria finds herself in a world of magic and myth. Discovering that an ancient family feud has kept Moonacre in danger for many a year, Maria also learns that she is the next moon princess and that she alone may be able to succeed where others before her have failed. From there, the story takes you on a journey that is captivating throughout as Maria attempts to save Moonacre from slipping into eternal darkness, something that must be accomplished before the 5000th moon rises, something she cannot quite accomplish alone. As I do not want to put any spoilers within this commentary, I will only tell you that the final scene of this film is simply upliftingly fantastic.

The Secret of Moonacre is perfectly suited for children. I would say for ages 8-15, more for girls than boys, but there are elements to the film that boys, too, will enjoy. The special effects are superb starting with Maria's bedroom which is located atop Moonacre Manor with a clear ceiling that lets her view the starry / dreamy nights while laying in her bed. For girls there is a beautiful Unicorn and a very rare Moonacre rabbit; for boys there are outlaws in the forest (led by Tim Curry btw), an evil-looking but protective dog and an extroadinarily unique black lion. Moonacre is a love story and Moonacre is a joyous fairytale. It is a film with a female lead herione who challenges a world she faces that is filled with obstacles. Moonacre comes complete with lessons taught (i.e. how jealously and hate are destructive and yet they can be overcome). It is a film definitely worth repeating as its filled with small details that only repeat viewing will expose. The Secret of Moonacre is destined for greatness.

My daughter already wants to own it and for sure, she will. I've already placed an order for the blu ray version which I can only imagine will be stunning to watch.

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It's so hard when a favorite book is turned into a movie. You want to love it.....and sometimes end up wanting to sing comic songs on the graves of the butchers. (I'm not saying how they got into their graves).

I also want to sing comic songs on the graves of reviewers who think the imagery is taken from other movies. No, Elizabeth Goudge did it first.

I can understand changing the story a bit but think things could have been tightened up to include some of the other storylines.

Why on earth make Rowlf black? Why does Robin have to be on the wrong side? Why do the villagers seem so mean greeting Maria with "She's a witch!" instead of "Be you the one, dearie?" Why oh why didn't they manage to include Old Parson? I would have been a lot happier with Old Parson and the children of Silvery Dew along for the ride.

BUT.... visually, it's beautiful. I adore the costumes, impractical as they are for roaming in the forest! I enjoyed the whole 'look' of the movie. Elizabeth Goudge's descriptions of people are so detailed it seems a shame they didn't stick to that, but Maria and Miss Heliotrope are wonderful exceptions.

The interviews and 'extras' were enjoyable also.

Maria's bedroom was just as it should be and I can forgive a lot for that.

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I really enjoyed this delightful film, mostly because of the wonderful performances. There isn't a false note. The leading girl is really special, with great support especially from Juliet Stevenson, who stands out. Suspense mixes surprisingly well with unexpected humor. And the film has Tim Curry, always a plus.

Also the scenery and whimsical sets just seem perfect, and even the imaginative costumes contribute to the magical atmosphere.

Excellent family film.

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Night of the Devils (1972)

When I had read throughout various Euro Cult Cinema websites that Raro Video USA was releasing Director Giorgio Ferroni's 'THE NIGHT OF THE DEVILS' aka 'LA NOTTE DEI DIAVOLI"-1972 on BluRay , I shivered with anticipation. Available for over a decade in inferior VHS and DVD bootlegs, the film can now be fully appreciated in its wonderful 2.35 glory with updated English subtitles and gorgeous DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio. Director Ferroni touched many genres including sword and sandal and a quartet of Spaghetti Westerns with actor Giuliano Gemma but only made two entries in the Horror/Thriller genre, this one and the wonderfully atmospheric 'MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN' aka 'IL MULINO DELLE DONNE DI PIETRA'1960 available in a beautiful transfer from the Mondo Macabro label. The short story by Tolstoy 'THE WURDALAK' was unforgettably lensed as part of a horror trilogy by Horror maestro Mario Bava in 'BLACK SABBATH' aka 'I TRE VOLTI DELLA PAURA'-1963 starring Boris Karloff but now Ferroni reboots the tragic family tale into a modern setting somewhere in the Hungarian countryside. By having our protagonist confined to an insane asylum, we are allowed to experience the nightmare in flashback culminating in an exciting climax at the fade out. The cast is excellent: Gianni Garko who is known to Euro fans as the classic Western character Sartana : the stunning Agostina Belli who made many genre titles including Director Edward Dymitryk's infamous version of 'BLUEBEARD'-1972 (wait till you see her beautiful blue eyes in Blu-Ray) and other familiar faces including a wonderful cameo by actress Maria Monti who plays the eerie witch of the town. Monti also acted in Bava's 'DROP OF WATER' episode in 'BLACK SABBATH' .as the spiritualist's housekeeper. The true scene stealer is child actress Cinzia De Carolis who plays Irena predating the child vampires from such films as Neil Jordan's 'INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE' -1994 and Director Tomas Alfredson's 'LET THE RIGHT ONE IN'-2008 among others. De Carolis who also played in Director Dario Argento's 'THE CAT OF NINE TAILS' aka 'IL GATTO A NOVE CODE'-1971 as blind Karl Malden's sidekick plays her vampire role with animalistic gusto and is hard to shake after the film fades to black. I purchased this through a company called Fictions because it seems Raro Video keeps postponing the release through Amazon so scoff it up while you can, it arrives in good condition and it is a US release not an import. The release has a few extras including an unnecessarily loud introduction to the film by Fangoria magazines Chris Alexander and an interview with composer Giorgio Gaslini who seems annoyed with his interviewer throughout the Q's & A's. There is a booklet included with the same Q & A interview with Gaslini and liner notes by Alexander. Highly recommended for Euro Horror and vampire film fans, Raro Video should be commended for bringing this rarity into the digital age showing how Britain's Hammer Films were not the only memorable studios releasing excellent product in the late sixties/early seventies.

I was truly entertained by this lost masterpiece. Takes me back to Saturday night movie marathons (which no longer exists thanks to dumbed down American Idol TV wanting audiences). Raro Entertainment's restoration of this film is right on par with a Criterion quality release, be proud, very proud. What I got out of this film is that this is not a zombie move. It's not a werewolf, it's something in between.

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Giorgio Ferroni (1908-1981) was an Italian director that helmed almost every kind of genre of films, including war, ancient Rome, Mythology, and more. He also made incursions into the then popular culture of Italian horror movies during the early seventies, a great result being the penetrating and electrifying "The Night of the Devils."

Gianni Garko, who we meet at the beginning of the movie after being found in the wild and taken to the hospital, is Nicola, the unlucky fellow who crashes his car in the woods, trying to avoid a lady that crossed his way. He looks for help at the closest town that he is able to find. Only that this town is almost deserted and there is a good reason for it. The only family left is the one led by Gorca (Bill Vanders), who has told his family that if he doesn't show up at a certain time to the house, to not let him back in, because he will kill them all. Many that have done so in town have had that experience, and met a horrible dead. It is the curse of Vourdalak, that is, incorporeal material creatures, which has taken over the community and created a never-ending chain of death. Nicola, of course, is incredulous, but he will learn the hard way. In addition, things get complicated when he falls for Sdenka (Agostina Belli), Gorca's beautiful daughter.

The film is dark and the atmosphere is eerie, like a good horror flick should be. It also has some nudity, as it was required during those years in Italian Cinema, and it has survived the test of time as a Euro-Horror classic. The Blu-ray edition features interviews with Chris Alexander (Fangoria Magazine) and composer Giorgio Gaslini, and a great booklet with the story of the film and its director. (Italy / Spain, 1972, color, 93 min plus additional materials). Reviewed on December 3, 2012 by Eric Gonzales for RaroVideo Blu-ray

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I'm not sure what the deal is here but every time I click on this title Amazon does not have it in stock so I feel an urge to speak up. As of this writing the THE NIGHT OF THE DEVILS Blu-ray is still in print and can be purchased directly from Raro (that's how I got mine). Look them up. It's a fantastic disc. Show them your support. It's also worth liking them on Facebook. You not only get product updates but they sometimes offer a free bonus DVD with purchase. And no I don't work for the company I just dig what they are doing. Hopefully Amazon will clear this issue up (more sales for Raro) but it's been going on for months.

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I liked the A/V presentation.

It's definately a imptovement over the DVD counterpart.

Also It's great.

That all of the supplemental material is carryed over.

Thanks Walt Disney pictures for a great Blu-Ray release.!!

Boat That Rocked (1990)

This is the British version of "Pirate Radio" and is formatted for Europe. I play it on my computer and it works fine. There are some big differences, making this purchase rewarding if you are a fan of "Pirate Radio". The characters are developed better in this version. Sometimes different music is used. The scene of Mariannne's second visit is staged for the night they become illegal which is highly improbable. The American cut is much better for this scene. The assistant of the Labor Party bad guy, Kenneth Brannaugh, actually boards the ship and the inference of sabotage is established. I remember in real life the suspicion that the Royal Navy planted a remote detonated mine on a radio ship. At any rate this version is very entertaining and a must for "Pirate Radio" fans. The music is great.

The Boat That Rocked AKA Pirate Radio is set in 1966. When Great Britain was only playing rock and roll 45 minutes a day. There was a group of DJ's on a ship in the North Sea that's playing rock and roll 24 hours a day. Of course their are those who want this to end at any cost. This is also a coming of age movie for early rock and roll and young love.

I have no idea why this movie has been out since 2007 and no one has seen it. It is a quite long movie, but keeps your interest to the end. This is not a no name movie. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Kennith Branagh, Talulah Riley and many more.

Pirate Radio aka The Boat that Rocked must have one of the best soundtracks since A Hard Day's Night (1964). This is one movie you should not MISS.

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Released in the US recently as Pirate Radio, the DVD and BD discs have already been released in other regions as The Boat That Rocked (UK, Oz), Good Morning England (Fr), and Radio Rock Revolution (De). When you see the number of outtakes on the DVD (45 min worth), and the love the director has for each one (by way of his introductions), you can understand why the film is long. Decisions, decisions. Some of the best stuff ended up on the cutting room floor, but its inclusion would not have moved the plot forward, he claims. (A long scene in which Rhys Ifans describes to young Carl why he returned to Radio Rock, set in a Mexican cantina, is particularly poignant.) All the disc jockeys in the film are very "real". Ralph Brown as Bob sort of reprises his role as Danny in Withnail and I. Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Count, the token American, is as irreverent as the rest. Tom Sturridge is perfect as the lost boy, a fatherless, virgin, 18-year old sent to the ship as punishment. Kenneth Branagh, as the civil servant wanting to sink the ship, is an old-school villain born many, many drinks short. But music is king here, and the tracks are sometimes chosen to reflect the names of characters in the film. Too long? Maybe, but I bet you watch each one of the outtakes once you start. Perhaps it should have been a miniseries!

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There was a period of my life during which for more than 12 years I played in rock bands, worked as a DJ in rock stations, wrote for 3 different rock magazines and a newspaper, and lost a lot of money organizing rock concerts, but man, what a gas! Were? Doesn't matter and that's another story. So this movie was more than sweet memories and like living all over again for me. Never worked in a pirate radio station though, but those days are long gone. With Internet Radio Stations, the mp3 players and music downloading, with musical magazines going virtual, with the prostitution of the music industry and the general media, it's no longer fun. I've interviewed well known bands and people in the real rock world, but now days there's nothing worth covering and few things worth playing, mostly metal. Basically, radio, as we know it, is dead and so is printed matter. Ask any radio station manager, newspaper editor and any book editor. Not everybody is thrilled with things like the iPad.

Anyway, let's get to the movie `cause if you liked this one, then you're gonna love "Almost Famous" (also with Philip Seymour Hoffman) and hell, why not, "FM", "Good Morning Nam" and even "American Graffity", the way I did. "The Boat That Rocked" (a.k.a. Pirate Radio) is a fiction movie based on real facts. That is: by 1967 there were about 20 pirate radio stations in the UK which played a Top 40 format, forgotten and probably forbidden in the Victorian norrow minded BBC. In the early 60' there were two well known pirate radio stations broadcasting from offshore ships: Radio Caroline and Radio London. The movie takes from them. There was also a government act in 1967, the "Marine Broadcasting Offences Act" ("Marine Offences Act" in the movie). It was something ridiculous then and even now, but concerning the arts and technology all governments tend to be quite illiterate. The bottom line is that even today there are over 100 pirate radio stations in the UK alone. Why? The same old story. Official radio stations live on commercials and on payola. Yes, I worked in several and I knows how it works. So, there's music that they'll never play and only the pirate radio stations will be able to cover all the rainbow of music that people want to listen to. That's why I love Internet Radio, specially those commercial free stations. I don't know of any offical radio station playing, for example, psychedelic rock now days. Thus the success of the Internet Radio.

The plot in the movie is great. Simple, straight, honest, comic, with some hints of drama, but the essence is there, the music is there. The life DJs lived, and beleive me, those DJs in the movie are too clean and decent. Well the movie is too clean in that matter. There are some insinuations about drugs but you won't see anybody smoking pot or dropping acid or getting really plastered. The stag party was too decent for guys that are supposed to be rock DJs in the mid and late sixties of the 20th century. Anyway, one gets a lot of laughs and a Hollywood end.

The OST is great but there are a few mistakes that can be explained only by the fact that the person in charge of it, chose a specific song because of the moment in the movie. For instance, Hendrix' "The Wind Cries Mary" is from the album "Are You Experienced?" released in August of 1967 long after the period which is established in the movie, but there's a very nice touch of homage towards Jimi in the scene were Quentin (excellently portrayed by Bill Nighy don't miss him in "Wild Target") enters the lower deck of the ship just to find DJ Mark surrounded by naked girls exactly as in the cover of the 1968 "Electric Ladyland" album. Hilarious. Another song is Jeff Beck's "Hi Ho Silver Lining", a single from 1967. So is Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". You can hear The Who with "Won't Get Fooled Again" from 1971, but it wasn't included in the OST CD. I don't understand why David Bowie's 1982 "Let's Dance" was chosen for the closing credits of the movie. It's even included in the OST CD. Bottom line, again, it doesn't matter, the music is far out.

Although there are a couple of Stone's tracks, they are not included in the OST. Copyrights I suppose, Mick and Keith think they're still poor. Arthur Brown's "Fire" was also left out. So was "Little Saint Nick" by The Beach Boys. And so was Ennio Morricone's theme "For a Few Dollars" and several other.

Some mistakes I won't excuse: the Capitol and A&M labels on the records shown in the movie were designed in the 70's; there's a modern Panasonic headphones in one scene, you don't play a 45 singles at 33 RPM, slim straight arms for turntables and tape reels were introduced in radio stations many years later (specially the arms), there's a drum head that I'm sure wasn't there around those days and man, anyone who's worked in a radio station knows what'll happen if you climb the antenna during transmissions. And finally, we didn't call them condoms, but Johnnies.

The cast in perfect. I already mentioned Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy, but not far behind are Rhys Ifans (unforgetable in "Notting Hill") as rock star DJ Gavin, Kenneth Branagh as the Hitlerian looking and dictatorial Sir Alistair Dormandy and Jack Davenport as the sleasy assistant Twatt (yes, with two ts at the end). Definitely a movie for all ages. For those who like to remember through music and for those who weren't born and have the interest and curiosity to find out how it was.

(P.S. From personal experience I know that record players are supposed to be flat horizontal in order to play and at the end of the movie there's no way they were leveled)

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...this movie is made in the spirit of the time. You can pick it apart with facts but pirate radio changed the music world in England (the boats were mostly in the Southern North Sea) and the guys who did it were larger than life! The music is the joy of the film held together by some funny jokes and a threadbare plot. Enjoy it for what it is an homage to an integral part of the music scene in the 60s in the UK.

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The Enforcer / Sudden Impact (Double Feature) (2010)

The rating is for the value along with the excellent picture and sound quality. You like these films or you don't, that is up to you. But if you love them like I do, these editions are the best way to get them. They save shelf space and if you shop around you will find even better deals then seen here. The best buy(hint) I found was these two films along with the other double pack with "Dirty Harry" and "Magnum Force" for $20. That's only $5 per blu ray. They aren't stripped of their special features either. So you miss nothing. Collecting doesn't come any cheaper.

What a great improvement over what was released within this ' 35 years, 35 films ' offering. Without going into unnecessary plot summaries, the video transfers for both films was massively improved over the standard definition releases on that collection. The colors were true and bright and the darks and shadow areas were considerably cleaner. I won't say that you get the incredible contrast of new films but Warner Brothers did a pretty good job here for these pretty old films. The films hold up very well and do not seem dated other than hairstyles and cars. The audio for both films spreads the score of the soundtrack nicely across the front sides but there is little use of the rear surrounds; some but not much.

Both movies are on their own separate DVDs in the case which makes assessing them easy. The extras on both focus on Eastwoods origins in film and his development as both an actor and director. There is some patronizing in the many interviews but the extras remain interesting never the less.

For the price, if you are a Dirty Harry fan, these, the 3rd and 4th of the Dirty Harry series, are a great buy on Blu Ray

All my movie reviews are of this nature and focus only on the quality of the transfer to BluRay so check them and see if they are of help as well.Hopefully, this review has been of some help to you in determining your purchase, hope I am on the correct path with a review of the transfer quality as opposed to providing plot summaries.

Thanks

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I find it funny when people say the picture looks great just because it's a blu-ray. I have both the dvd and blu-ray for sudden impact . I noticed the blu-ray has purple halos around peoples faces in certain scenes. When i checked the dvd , the same problem did not exist. I find the dvd to be more realistic to the intended look, even with the lower resolution. I threw away the blu-ray and kept the dvd.

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I love Clint Eastwood's movies, these two movies were very good, we watched at least three times. the product was good and arrived on time as promised.

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Both films are great. Both transfers are excellent and have crystal clear resolution. The Double-Feature means you will get 2 films for the price of only one. Buy it.

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A Man Betrayed (1941)

Ordered a bad copy of this movie. Paid more but worth it for the difference in quality. Very very satisfied.

There is no star like Wayne. Anything he is in is good. Only John Ford could have made this better.

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Like it when John Wayne does movies other than westerns. If you like John Wayne you will like this movie.

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DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)

"D.O.A.: Dead or Alive" as everyone knows is based on the Video game franchise of the same name. This film was released in mid-2006 in Asia before in the U.S. possibly because of the larger market for video game inspired movies. For this reason, I managed to own the region-3 Asian release (image by S. L. Bledsoe in Amazon) even before the movie hit U.S. theaters. Directed by Corey Yuen (Transporter, So Close) an acclaimed Martial arts choreographer, (although Corey's not as renowned as the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping) D.O.A. looks promising. After all, Jet Li quoted Corey Yuen In Black Belt magazine as "..if I need something fresh, I go to Corey Yuen."

A tournament called D.O.A. is being held in a remote Island by a man named Donovan (Eric Roberts). Three beautiful but lethal women are invited to compete. Tina (Jaime Pressley), Kasumi (Devon Aoki), and Christie (Holly Valance). Each of the three female leads have their own motivation and has their own baggage to carry. Once there, they must battle their way up the fighter rankings through a bunch of other seasoned fighters to reach the finals. Once in the final phase, the women uncover a hidden "sinister" secret that is the true reason for the competition. Aided by Helena (hottie Sarah Carter) and Hayabusa (Kane Kosuji), they must either join forces or perish...

Since the movie is based on the video game, expect something with a simple plot with scantily-clad women engaging in fisticuffs and, ahem, volleyball (which is a nice touch, there is a game called "D.O.A. Beach Volleyball"). What can we expect? The game itself is renowned for its hard-hitting fights and titillation factor ("bouncing b--bs" and skimpy outfits) so the film just exploits those factors.

It is fairly obvious that Corey Yuen has a limited budget to work with. Still, he manages to pull off an accelerated fast-paced action film that is both hard-hitting and visually stylish. While the plot is lacking and with almost no decent character development, Corey goes for the throat with a lot of mano-o-mano fights and as much "PG-13" brutality(no blood) he can spare to compensate for the lackluster plot. The extensive fight choreography is the true "lure" of the film. The film is based on a video game so reality is out the door.

D.O.A. remains true to its roots (gimmicks), as there is enough tease (but not explicit) to make a male(like me) excited, shots of a few tanned skin and sexy curves to satisfy the raw sex appeal of the games. While it does have its goofy moments, (the nerdy guy is so annoying), there is enough action to divert our attention that it does avoid the screenplay from becoming "cheesy" nor "campy". Eric Roberts is definitely miscast as the bad guy, he didn't have the "raw appeal" for a baddie. Wrestler Kevin Nash even makes an appearance as Tina's wrestler Dad. The film is short, and the ending gives you a little tease of the possibility of a sequel.

Since I am 90% certain that the U.S. release will have the same transfer, I will give you my take on the dvd quality...

VIDEO/AUDIO: Anamorphic widescreen. The PQ is excellent. Colors are vibrant, clean and extremely sharp. Black levels are solid and strong when needed. 5.1 Dolby digital/DTS-ES English track. The DTS track is the way to go if your equipped since it is very powerful and crisp. The 5.1 Dolby isn't too shabby either.

OVERALL:

Corey Yuen made every effort to bring the video game to life. "D.O.A." is a hyper-accelerated-kinetic stylish action film that gets the fight sequences (for a Hollywood film) just right and that's the best anyone can hope for given its source material. Its' a video game with hot chicks, what can we expect?

RECOMMENDED! For fans of the game and the action genre, a good rental for everybody else. (3 ½ stars)

After reading all the 1 star reviews on Netflix, I still watched the trailer. Then I found out the director of the Transporter did this movie too. So....I just had to check it out.

It was fun.

I'm not going to own it, but it was fun and much better than Ultraviolet.

Fast action.

Acrobatic martial arts.

Gorgeous girls all around (so much better looking than the Charlie's Angels trio and they had Sarah Carter who I just loved when I first saw her in the tv show Smallville)

Eric Roberts as a bad guy on the tv show Heroes and a bad guy here. He's perfect for those types of roles.

Great sets that get smashed to pieces

Lots and lots of fighting that is so unrealistic you laugh at the silliness of it, but love it at the same time

If it wasn't for all the scantly clad bodies and sexual themes, this no-blood fight movie would have been rated PG.

Yes, everyone who gets slashed by a sword just falls down with no blood. No effort went into any type of makeup work on the main characters after taking several punches in the face. Oh, well, we like our female leads looking pretty throughout I guess.

It was a movie where you turn your brain off, laugh out loud a couple of times and enjoy the scenery and action. Pure fun, but not an oscar winner by any stretch of the imagination.

You want a quality, thinking person's movie watch The Fountain or Children of Men.

You want a zone out for a bit with the type of movie that isn't another bad effects B-horror film, then get this.

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I might be in the minority here, but great martial arts choreography + hot babes + campy storyline = good times to me. This was a must have if you enjoy martial arts flicks, and can find a sense of humor. A lot of people also didn't like Kung Fu Hustle, which I thought was brilliant.

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I've read a lot of reviews both good and bad about this movie, but none ever seem to give it the credit it deserves. Yes, it has a single-laced plotline, but being based off a video game of the same nature, that's to be expected. But the fighting sequences were excellent, the one-liner's and side-arm comments were hilarious, and even if you didn't enjoy anything else of the movie, the five main girls who are out-of-this-world gorgeous should have been enough for most [male] viewers to sit back and enjoy. I give this movie five stars because I took it for what it was and knew somewhat of what I was getting into after watching other video game-based movies like "Super Mario Bros.", both "Resident Evil"s, "BloodRayne", and both "Laura Croft: Tomb Raider"s movies. I actually got more than I expected, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Video game to film adaptations rarely work as you no doubt already know. Chances are if you've seen any previews of the Dead or Alive movie, you most likely laughed at how ridiculous it looked. Well, guess what? Here it is on DVD, and it's surprisingly not the terrible waste of film that many (including me) thought it would be. Sure, it's nothing remotely great in the least, and even laughable in some spots, but as a whole, Dead or Alive is a fun and entertaining guilty pleasure that does it's job well. A martial arts tournament is being held on a remote island, with many of the competitors being in the form of some incredibly hot babes (Holly Valance, Jamie Pressly, Devon Aoki, Sarah Carter, Natassia Malthe), who soon learn that there is more going on than it seems. The action is good (courtesy of Transporter director Corey Yuen) and the movie delivers plenty of eye candy, no matter how inane or non-sensical the events that unfold turn out to be. That aside, the film manages to pay some delightful homage to it's source material (volleyball anyone?), and while it's not always faithful to it, it's still a fun ride regardless. Also featuring Eric Roberts, former wrestling star Kevin Nash, Matthew Marsden, Brian J. White (who looks exactly like Zack from the game) and look for Mortal Kombat star Robin Shou as the Pirate Leader.

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Yes Man (2008)

Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is a lonely guy. Carl is a loan officer who is real low on life and down in the dumps because of a break up. One day Carl heeds the advice of an old friend and goes to a self-help seminar. The motto "Yes is the new no!" If the movie's title is any indicator, you know what happens for the rest of the film. He says yes to anything and everything, even an extremely generous granny.

Not very often a comedy comes out with a message worth listening to. "Yes Man" provides just that and exposes the audience to the powers of positive thinking. The movie itself is a montage of Carl saying yes to everything; Carl says yes to learning to speak Korean, Carl says yes to costume party invites from his boss, Carl says yes to flying lessons, and yes to a bar fight, which was one of the funniest scenes of Carl's acceptance journey. Eventually, Carl's yes-ery leads to a new love interest named Allison (Zooey Deschanel) and a promotion at work. And despite all the positive outcomes, Carl learns that saying yes doesn't always necessarily take you in the right direction.

"Yes Man" is a lot of fun to watch. Carrey is on top of his game and is still as funny as always. To answer any questions: Yes the movie is funny. Yes it's worth going to see. And yes you'll enjoy it.

This review is simply about the product purchased directly from Amazon and not about the movie itself.

The product title that I am reviewing is: "Yes Man (Two-Disc Special Edition)" and the current image of the DVD cover states that this is a "Two-Disc Digital Copy Special Edition". This however, is incorrect. This product only contains one disc and no longer features the second disc, containing a digital copy. According to the back cover image, the second disc was only available through "April 06, 2010". Personally, I don't really care about having the digital copy, but I thought future Amazon customers should be aware.

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This movie is based on the real life experience of a British comic named Danny Wallace who spent a year saying "yes" to everything for better or for worse...or for stranger. In the film, Jim Carrey plays an emotionally closed down man who has fallen into the habit of saying no to everything, until he's convinced by a cheesy self-help guru to make a "covenant" with life to say yes to everything.

One might expect the movie to be something really zany given Jim Carrey's typical brand of humor (which I felt smothered the humor in a similar film he was in years back called "Liar, Liar), but for the most part I thought it was a little more serious than that...to the point where when it did veer into craziness, that seemed a bit out of place and contrived. I finished watching this thinking that it might have been interesting if the story had played it completely straight and shown both the good and the bad resulting from living one's life as a "yes man." That's because I discovered about five years ago when I watched Carrey give the best performance of his career in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" he can do "serious" leavened with a touch of humor as well as if not better than his manic shtick.

The best scenes in the movie are those with Carrey and his co-star, Zooey Deschanel. She plays a much more likable character here than the enigmatic Summer Finn in the more recent "500 Days of Summer." Despite the fact that Jim Carrey is about 15 years older than her, I could believe them as a couple and more to the point I liked them as a couple.

So my verdict on "Yes Man" is a guarded "maybe."

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So you've read the other reviews know about the plot yes? No pun intended! To give you my take I felt this movie was brilliant and totally unexpected no overacting on Jim Carrey's part no crazy antics (well other than the Ducati scene!) just a good hearted movie with great music. Zooey Deschanel how can you not fall in love with this girl? Get the soundtrack with her singing Yes Man the title track to the movie very cool. Zooey is going to be a major Hollywood star and what's cool about that is she is so grounded can't wait to see her next film!

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Wonderful movie, my boyfriend and I laughed all the way through it. Its got a lot for everyone (save maybe not the kiddies till they are older) but I loved it. Normally, Jim Carey's over the top humor is a bit too much for me, but it fit this movie really well. You need to go over the top when you've been stifling yourself your whole life. and Zooey Dechanel was spot on when she said "We know it as kids, but we forget" Zooey and Jim have great chemistry in this movie =) I would rank this as one of my favorites, along with Stranger Than Fiction. A must see for anyone whos tired of life slipping by them.

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Horror Two Pack (Clive Barker's Book Of Blood / Midnight Meat Train) (2011)

Ok, I'll level with you. These are not great movies. What they are is very enjoyable twisted tales from the mind of Clive Barker. MMT (Midnight Meat Train) is the better of the two, with surprisingly good acting and a very interesting plot. It gets stuck in its own confusion of what it is, though. It spends an awful lot of time on the inner-workings of the main character, which provides some good payoff in the end. It does slow the action down quite bit.

Book of Blood is almost the inverse. It jumps from spooky action to spooky action, without much thought to character development.

The Blu-Rays are sharp, the special features leave something to be desired. The brightest side is that you are getting 2 high quality horror flicks for $10 on Blu. They are enjoyable and re-watchable. Take that chance and pick them up!

I bought this for Midnight Meat Train. Its a great sick little flick. they transfer is great and the fact that these movies come on 2 separate Blu ray disks is a plus ( I didnt know that when I bought it ) I watched Book of Blood as well it was good but I liked the Meat Train better (that sounds bad)

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