Jet Li's Fearless / Unleashed Double Feature (2005)

I love a good Jet Li movie now and then, and this blu-ray set happens to be 2 really great Jet Li movies! Fearless is probably the better of the two for its epic scale and wonderful set pieces, but Unleashed (AKA Danny the Dog) is also a very good movie that has easily one of the best acting performances of Jet's career in it.

You really can't go wrong with this set. A worthy addition to any martial arts movie fans collection.

this review is on the blu ray disc of the movie -

movie5 / 5

video4.5 / 5

audio5 / 5

this is a great buy for two great movies.

blu in both cases were top notched in both video and audio.

you just can't go wrong with this purchase.

Buy Jet Li's Fearless / Unleashed Double Feature (2005) Now

Jet Li's greatest achievement in making a hero a real down to earth person. Fight scenes unbelievable!!! A must see!!!!

Read Best Reviews of Jet Li's Fearless / Unleashed Double Feature (2005) Here

Subtitles for me make this double feature great for me. Getting both movies for a good price is an added bonus.

Want Jet Li's Fearless / Unleashed Double Feature (2005) Discount?

These two movies are some of my favorites. This is a great bundle pack. I recommend it to everyone. Jet Li and fighting just go hand in hand.

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Heavyweights (1995)

This is by far Ben Stiller's best performance ever, and if you can't appreciate it you obviously haven't seen it enough times. These people who give the movie one star, spouting non-sense about it putting skinny people in a false light, are simply incompetent. I'm skinny and when I sleep I make a very disturbing sound don't be alawmed I'm fine, and my feelings aren't hurt by this movie. These critics are spreaders of negativity and I won't have them corrupting my cult movie. How would their fathers like to know that their children are destroyers. Here is a suggestion for watching the movie...watch it in a large group of people who truly appreciate it and can quote it, fast-forward till Ben Stiller arrives, watch the movie fast-forwarding through the sappy fat kid moments like the go-cart and dock ("keep your washboard stomachs and oily muscles") scenes and press stop when Ben Stiller leaves. You will learn valuable lessons like regardless of whether or not it will "smush" always have crazy guys locked up in cages through over hershey's kisses making your queen proud, and that lunch can be cancelled due to lack of hustle. In closing I have one final thing to say "Come on you devil log."

This movie is hilarious!! Someone reviewed this movie on cd now and said that the messege to the movie is that fat kids are better then everyone else and all the healthy kids are stupid, and that it's full of stereotypical stuff. Well, if you happen to pay attention to the movie a little then you'd see that the messege to the movie was that over weight kids can do just as much as skinny kids and it also says that you shouldn't make fun of someone just because they are bigger and more heavy. It also says to be happy for who you are, even if you are a big kid. Anyway, I love this movie, I watch it whenever it is on and I end up telling my self, "I gotta buy this movie". So I'll have to buy it sometime. Ben Stiller is hilarious in "Heavyweights". Ben Stiller Plays the new owner of Camp Hope, and he puts all the kids on really unsafe diets. Like 20 mile hikes, food deprevation, and more. All the kids at the camp decide to rebel against him! I'd give this movie more stars if I could. Really great movie!!

Buy Heavyweights (1995) Now

Pulsating under multiple layers of make-up, Ben Stiller's portrayel of camp owner Tony Perkis is one of the finest performences in cinematic history. While critics will say this film hits you over the head with mindless fat jokes and a mediocre message, the underlying reality is that somehow Stiller overcame what, at one point, must have been an inane Disney script. This movie is a triumph mixing pre teen psychological angst, satirical anarexic paranoia, sentimental summer hijinks, and subtle detailed infomercial insanity. From the "blob" to the black kid, the underlying themes of society's acceptance and approval bubble through the seemingly unilayered comedic glory. "I rise, I rise, I rise" sings the movie's spirit between the wonderfully chosen songs on its soundtrack. (Keep an eye out for who's REALLY playing "Papa" at the end--wink wink). This movie could not be improved. Now that Kubrick is gone we have one name to look to. Bravo, Mr. Stiller (either one) Bravo!

Read Best Reviews of Heavyweights (1995) Here

Disney strikes again, ruining another

classic with a DVD sanswidescreen format,

remastered video, or special features.

I'm not arguing against the fact that

Heavyweights is a masterpiece but...

If you can put 5.1 on a movie that lends

itself to 2 actual surround sound moments,

then consider adding the following on the

10 yr Anniversary Edition:

commentary by stiller and cast

original marketing stills

"Oh, WowGoKarts" an original feature documentary

Papa Perkis' Recipies for Dieters

Leah Lail on finding the infirmary

"Cody Wants to Have Fun" a featurette by Cody Burger

"Tranformational Facilitators and Me" promo

until then Disney Classic DVD's,

You stink, you stink, you stink, you stink!

Want Heavyweights (1995) Discount?

This is one of my kids favorite movies. They have watched it more than 5 times. Therefore, it is a BUY and good value. This is not one of those dvd's they play once and then it gathers dust forever....

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection (First Contact / Generations / Insurrecti

I just received my TNG Blu-Ray set from Amazon. After the TOS set, which had a decidedly mixed quality, I was ready to give this set some tough scrutiny. Happily, I can report that A/V quality is superior to the previous set, and the extras and packaging share the same quality with that set.

The films:

Generations I find this movie to be underrated. The intro sequence aboard the Enterprise B is just a terrific bit of continuity expanding coolness. The emotional weight of the movie is great, and although it falls into the "big villain" syndrome, the big villain is 1. played by Malcolm McDowell, 2. is realistic in his motivations and his abilities. The only failings in my book are some torpid pacing in the "Nexus" scenes, and some painful Data scenes. Still, this is a movie that I appreciate more each time I watch it.

First Contact this is everyone's pick for "2nd best of all time" (after "Khan" of course). I'm not going to disagree. It's got a whiz bang action story, the Borg, time travel, good continuity, and great effects. I do think the story sullies the Borg somewhat by introducing the "Queen." But, then again, she is played very well by Alice Krige. As far as time travel, while this wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back, it did probably contribute to the trend of too much time travel in Trek.

Insurrection More like an extended episode than a movie, this film has the germ of a good sci-fi story: how much of its scruples will the Federation trade for a technology that could render humanity immortal? Unfortunately, this movie more than most falls prey to the "big villain" syndrome, with an extremely irritating antagonist, the Sona. There is some good fan service, however, with Troi and Riker finally getting together for good. I'd rate this along with some of the so-so two parters in TNG's TV run.

Nemesis Ah, Nemesis. The film that "killed the franchise." The one which necessitated a "Reboot." The one which pooped on several characters and even a few races. This movie is riddled with problems from concept through to execution. It ret-cons the Romulans and adds the "Remans." It brings back Wesley as a Starfleet lieutenant, even though he dropped out of the academy to cross dimensions with the Traveler. It introduces Data's mentally challenged brother "B-4," even though his existence is specifically contradicted by several TNG episodes. It shamelessly rips off a TNG episode in which Troi is mentally assaulted. It posits an outlandish clone plot with Captain Picard, as if the Romulans could both obtain his DNA several decades ago as well as anticipate its usefulness in the future. It kills a main character for no apparent reason. About the only thing worthwhile in this film is the wedding of Troi and Riker. The more I see this film, the angrier I get at the complete lack of care that went into its making.

The Blu-Rays:

Unlike the TOS set, the video quality of these 4 films is in general extremely good, and at times spectacular. Though there is a tiny bit of edge enhancement visible at times (Especially on the sailboat in Generations), Digital Noise Reduction is not obtrusive at any point. Detail is extremely strong for the most part, and colors are absolutely vibrant. Black levels are deep and strong, but detail in shadows is still evident. You will want to be sure to check the calibration of your brightness, contrast, and gamma, to get the most from these films (for those without a disc like AVE, try the THX calibrator on "Star Wars" DVDs for some good brightness/contrast patterns).

I would say First Contact is the best transfer of the bunch, but truthfully, all of the final three films are competitive with the upper tier of Blu-Rays on the market today. Only Generations shows its age a bit, but it still looks very good better than all but ST2 in the TOS set. Insurrection and Nemesis betray a bit of color banding in clouds and space scenes, but it is not oppressive. Some standout scenes from all the films in terms of visual quality: Data and Geordi discussing the emotion chip (Generations). The opening pull-back in First Contact. The establishing shot of the Baku homeworld in Insurrection (known as a torture test for 3:2 pulldown on DVD).

Audio is presented in a set of aggressive 5.1 channel Dolby TrueHD mixes. All of them work well, with lots of surround action, deep bass, and clear dialogue.

Packaging is identical to the previous set, with a slipcase and 5 slim BD cases. Art and inserts are all tasteful and good-looking.

Extras include a plethora of commentaries. The most interesting of these are Ron D. Moore and Brannon Braga on Generations and First Contact, and Jonathan (Riker) Frakes and Marina (Troi) Sirtis on Insurrection. Most of the films have multiple commentaries, some have three! The same amount of detail goes into the extras on each film as did the previous set, with most discs recapitulating all of the DVD extras and adding some new ones (such as the execrable "Starfleet Briefings" from the TOS set). Like the previous set, trailers include the 2009 Trek film and a promo for all the recent Trek Blu-Rays. Thankfully, these are skippable.

As far as deleted scenes go, it seems that the DVD extras have been replicated for Blu-Ray. The most interesting are for Nemesis, the deleted scenes being excised "character bits" including "Wesley's New Mission" and "Crusher At Starfleet Medical" that would have made this film feel a lot less generic. Why Paramount has not authorized an extended edition with this material edited into the film is beyond me. It would certainly take some of the bad taste out of true Trekkies' mouths that their favorite characters got short shrift. Unfortunately, all are presented in non-anamorphic 480p, so they look terrible, for the most part.

The main extra is the bonus Blu-Ray, with 77 minutes of new HD documentary footage split into 7 programs. These include investigations into the evolution of the Enterprise, a spotlight on villains, a piece on the movies' influence on fans and Trek creators, an interactive map of the Trek Galaxy, and three (?!) pieces on the Star Trek Experience from Las Vegas. The Enterprise and Villains segments are the best (though still not very good), and I wish they had been expanded and improved. The other pieces are a bit more frivolous. All told, it's definitely not as impressive as the interview disc from the TOS set, but it still should entertain fans at least marginally.

Summary:

For this price, a Trek fan really can't go wrong with this set. You're getting 4 feature films (two great movies, one good one, and one stinker) with loads of special features and a full disc of (so-so) HD extras. The A/V quality is almost uniformly spectacular, especially in comparison with the TOS set. As far as I'm concerned, this is a must buy for a Trekkie/Trekker with an HD setup. Worth every penny.

**Individual Movies**

This review is for people familiar with the TNG movies in the first place and so I will not touch on them individually, but moreso on the package as a whole. As for the individual movies, in short: "Generations" was cool as it was the first TNG movie and had Picard and Kirk on-screen together, but was overall just OK, "First Contact" is the best Star Trek movie of all time, "Insurrection" is like a long, dull episode, "Nemesis" is OK for action, although lacking overall.

**The Total Package**

The Good:

All 4 Star Trek: The Next Generation movies in one, very nicely priced, collection. "Generations" and "First Contact" both look excellent, with amazing quality, nearly none noticeable film grain, vibrant colors, sound, etc. All 4 movies are just as good as ever, but the higher quality sound/video truly adds to the experience. Most of the extras are nicely done, and include everything from sfx and sound featurettes to top-down maps of the Alpha Quadrant, and although I haven't gone through any of the commentaries, I hear they're all a lot of fun.

The Bad:

"Insurrection" and "Nemesis" don't seem to have received the same treatment as the first two in terms of re-mastering for blu-ray. There is noticeable film grain in nearly all darker scenes (and even moreso in "Nemesis" during the desert scene) -not terrible, but noticeable. It's still higher quality than the DVD's, of course, but you can tell they spent more time re-mastering the first two. Some of the extras are lacking. While there are some really nice ones, for a lot of the deleted scenes and featurretes they've used the exact same featurettes from some of the other Star Trek movies/compilation box sets. This might be nice for people who don't have any of that already, but since it's all still DVD quality or lower (including the deleted scenes), it leaves a bit to be desired.

Bottom Line:

If you like Star Trek TNG and/or are a nerd in general, you'll like this package. It's a ton of fun watching the first scenes of "First Contact" with great picture and sound quality ("We are the Borg..." hell yes!) and Generations has become more enjoyable with the higher quality as well. There are some stunt scenes at the end where you can't help but laugh, knowing when they originally shot the scenes they didn't expect anyone to be watching a higher quality version in the future where you can clearly see stuntmen rather than Shatner, so awesome. Anyways, I hightly recommend it if you're a fan and despite some of the shortcuts, it's a great price for what you get. Heck, I paid more for the DVD's three years ago with an employee discount.

Buy Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection (First Contact / Generations / Insurrecti Now

The final bloc of old school Trek films hits Blu-Ray with surprisingly few differences from the standard DVDs. There are no "directors cuts" or variations to make this set a must buy. At the same time, there's little here to make one annoyed at the possibility of a later, better release. Unless Paramount decided to include finished deleted scenes via branching next time around, this is pretty much it. Unless you are bugged by the DNR. Some people are. I'm not since these are the nicest I've seen the films since their first run. However, since they are all recent films, there's little to get excited about in that area. Sounds quality is excellent, I didn't notice anything negative there either.

One really nice thing: they FINALLY provided the trailers to Generations. For some reason, Paramount pulled them at the last minute from the SE DVDs, siting music rights issues (does this make any sense?). Also, the final Nemesis trailer is included on that disc, rather than just the teaser trailer.

Speaking of trailers, the final Star Trek (2009) trailer is on every disc. It is the best of the three trailers, but did we need it on EVERY disc? You can skip right to the menu if you like, and it IS a very nice piece of film. But there you go.

Insurrection was of interest to me as I was excited to finally have a director's commentary by Jonathan Frakes. The SD DVD was lacking one, and since I really enjoyed the First Contact commentary by Frakes, which was informative as well as hysterical, the lack of one on the DVD was a bummer. Becareful what you wish for. Frakes is here, this time partnered with Marina Sirtis. Sadly, it is utterly worthless. She remembers NOTHING about the film and continually asks inane questions about the plot, like a kid seeing it for the first time. Frakes is no better, dropping comments which tell us nothing about the making of the film. Some of it is amusing, particularly when he rags on Sirtis for not remembering a single plot point about the film, but there's a lot of dead air waiting for them to watch more movie before speaking. It's less than two hours; couldn't they watch it once before doing the commentary to refresh the old memory? It's not like Sirtis has a full acting schedule these days. The rest of the time Frakes reads cast and crew credits ("Marty Hornstein...nice guy. Bill Teddmann rest his soul.") or makes jokes about how great his work is (he's a really funny guy, but this was not worth having on the disc).

However, there are one or two moments of refreshing honesty, particularly when Frakes comments on the "British Tar" bit ("this is a long way to go for a gag") and how the ending bugs him, when Data and Artim are in the haystacks ("this is too cute by half"). Otherwise, mostly pointless. There isn't even an alternate commentary like with the other films.

There is relatively little of interest in the new for Blu-Ray features. I found the round table discussions between fans (Larry Nemecek, Jeff Bond, etc.) to be less interesting than I expected. The closing of the Star Trek Experience was both touching and wacko. Do NOT show that to anyone who thinks Trekkies need to get a life and you are trying to convince otherwise. I mean, I hated to see it close too, but I got over it once I left the airport...

Much as I enjoy every Trek film, I didn't get the same excitement with this set as I did the originals. Probably because I wasn't getting versions unavailable since the theatrical run and also because nothing overy exciting was added to the mix. I would love to have seen all of the deleted scenes for Generations and Nemesis finished, rather than work prints (especially since they WERE finished in many cases). The Generations deleted scenes aren't even in anamorphic w/s.

Anyway, I didn't mind the triple dip. I paid only $50 at Best Buy for the 4 movies on BD, which comes to a mere $12.50 per film (less if you count the bonus disc, but I consider it a freebie since I'd never buy it separately). The clarity and sound are much better than standard DVD and since they are pretty recent films, the change isn't that crazy.

Honestly, if you DON'T have a Blu-Ray player, don't worry about it over this set. Aside from the trailers for Generations and Nemesis, you're not missing much. And you can see the trailers on YouTube anytime you like. :-) And if you don't want all of the films, some of them are being released separately. They'll all come out individually, I'm sure. The box set comes with slim cases with sleeves much like the TOS films. The individual BDs are the standard cases with nicer covers. I really an not fond of that, but there you have it.

Read Best Reviews of Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection (First Contact / Generations / Insurrecti Here

Got this on the cheap on Amazon. Movies look great, looks like most (if not all) of the content from the DVD releases in included. There are a couple of minor new extras, the best being some new interviews with Brent Spiner, but nothing to really get too excited about. The outer package is good with a holographic Enterprise in a nice box, but I HATE the individual blu-ray case designs. Like the original crew film blu-ray collection, instead of the original poster art you get an extreme close-up of one of the crew members. Didn't like it on the original crew film cases, don't like it here!

The films themselves are a mixed bag. Generations is very mediocre, with your standard mad scientist villian and a downright silly plot device to shoehorn Kirk into the film. Plus the way the legendary Captain Kirk is killed is just insultingly bad (a dummy strapped to a bridge, really?!) First Contact is much better, with the great Borg as the villians. There's a bit of retcon going on with the Borg Queen, but it doesn't hurt the film. Great movie. Then you get to Insurrection... Wow, what a crappy movie. Nothing in this film works. Nothing. Plus didn't we already see this movie in the TNG episode "Who Watches The Watchers"?? Plus I kind of agree with the Admiral, isn't moving 400 non-indigenous people worth saving millions? I mean, didn't those people move there to exploit the planet too?? Bad story, bad villian, bad humor. Bad bad bad. Finally we get Nemesis. Frankly the crew just looks tired here. A decent villian (and future Bane) in Tom Hardy, but the cloning story is hackneyed. The introduction of B4 is just totally unnecessary and actually takes away from the emotional impact of the beginning. However, the final space battle is truly impressive. The Enterprise actually uses battle tactics! Lots of fun.

If you don't have the films this is a good purchase. If you are thinking of upgrading then I'm on the fence. Get it on sale.

Want Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection (First Contact / Generations / Insurrecti Discount?

This collection pack is great for any enthusiast who is obsessed with Star Trek: The Next Generation and wants a Hi-Def remastered set. However, when you deal with remastered editions, you sometimes run into movies who have had their works of art remastered by lazy companies that cut corners. As some of the other reviews have mentioned, the corners and shadows do have some flaws. The largest flaws I mainly saw, which literally annoyed me, was the remastered work on the CGI shots. Some of the CGI shots, compared to the non-remastered editions, seem like they were drawn by a Japanese cartoon artist for the local newspaper. Other than that, the general shots of the characters and the motions between the characters is great. If you are not too concerned with the issue of the CGI, I encourage you to purchase this item.

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Chocolate

Chocolate is the perfect "acid test" to determine who are fans of action movies and who are not. How so? Let me explain. A true fan of action movies has the ability to overlook some flaws in film-making (e.g., script, acting, character development, etc.) if the action sequences are exceptional enough to make up for them. This is no different from fans of art-house dramas who can overlook minimal content if the film can portray everyday life in interesting ways. With that said, Chocolate is one of the best examples of an action movie that has such extraordinary fight sequences that they easily overpower any deficiencies in the script.

An autistic girl with martial arts skill attempts to collect on the debts of her sick mother. This movie is not well written, and requires some patience from the viewer to slug through the early moments. Once the 30 minute mark arrives, however, the viewer is treated to one of the most amazing displays of asskicking by a female protagonist in the history of action cinema. Virtually all of the remaining 50 minutes is devoted to high quality choreography and bone-crunching maneuvers. The settings and scenarios change frequently, thereby avoiding any feel of repetition or monotony. This is brainless action at its very finest. JeeJa Yanin an amazing specimen with her fluid moves and hard strikes catapults herself into the upper echelon of female action stars with this single movie. Her punches and kicks start off rather basic, but get increasingly more complex until they peak during the jaw-dropping finale that lasts a whopping 20 minutes. Lots of fun to be had here.

Now, a snobby moviegoer will cry about the negatives without even considering the positives. Anyone who does not enjoy the action in this movie seriously needs to get their pulse checked, or at least schedule for a re-alignment of their action movie tastes. There's nothing more scintillating than watching a cute girl kick the living hell out of hundreds (quite literally) of stuntmen in a variety of environments. Basically, if you're not entertained by this, you're not a fan of action movies. (You probably didn't like So Close or Azumi either, right?) Stop fooling yourself and go watch another Tsai Ming-liang film.

Some critics have claimed that this movie "ripped off" other movies. It didn't. There are a few homages that last a few minutes at most (a few Bruce Lee references, a locker scene reminiscent of Jackie Chan, and some footage from Tony Jaa's movies). These few scenes are only a drop in the bucket, because 95% of the action is independent of any references to other movies. The sign-post battle on the apartment complex balconies is one glaring example of a completely novel (and breathtaking) sequence that pays homage to no one but itself.

This is definitely worth a blind buy. True fans of martial arts mayhem will end up re-watching the action scenes about a thousand times.

My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Premise

*An autistic girl learns martial arts through imitation, and uses her skills to collect money from some unsavory people who owe her mother, who is is need of medication (and was formerly associated with the Yakuza). Then the Yakuza retaliates, and all heck breaks loose.

The Good Things

*Video quality is almost perfect; it's very clean, sharp, and colorful, with only a couple of grainy scenes. The sound quality is pretty good.

*Includes a short 8-minute making-of featurette and a few trailers for other movies.

*Includes both English dubbing and the original Thai language track with optional subtitles.

*The movie has a lot of phenomenal fight scenes. They are extremely well-choreographed and distinctive. Judging from the outtakes, it also looks like they were made to be completely authentic, and the actors sustained some serious injuries in the process. Even though the fighting is fantastic, it's also very real.

*The movie is also very well-filmed, with lots of good camera angles and unique colors.

*Production design is good. Sets are interesting, costumes are good, props are good. Look out for one or two unique motifs.

*It looks like there were one or two homages to earlier films by Prachya Pinkaew ("Ong Bak" and "The Protector").

*The storyline is good and easy to follow. Aside from the action, it has some drama and emotional parts, but it's nothing too sappy. It's actually quite invoking, and seems to carry a strong message about love (believe it or not).

*The characters are excellent. The main character, aside from performing so many amazing stunts, shows some good compassion and emotion and makes the character believable. Other characters are great too.

*Music is good.

The Bad Things

*Not very many special features; it's especially dissapointing since the region-free British import seems to have deleted scenes and featurettes and other stuff. Oh well...

*Not for the squeamish; contains brutal violence, some blood, and some brief sensuality.

Thailand seems to be pumping out some of the coolest martial arts films these days, and "Chocolate" is probably my favorite of them all so far. Aside from boasting some incredible fight scenes and stuntwork, it is a surprisingly emotional story with strong characters. This Blu-Ray has exceptional video quality, and would highly reccomend it to any martial arts fan.

Buy Chocolate Now

This film by the makers of Ong Bak, was both heartmelting, and spectacular in its choreography, featuring as centerpiece the new action star of Asia, Nicharee Yanin (Jeeja) Vistmantananda, who is nothing short of a wonder of the world. The plot of course is simple, focusing on the efforts of young Zen, (Jeeja) to recover funds owed to her cancer stricken mother from her days as a moneylender for a criminal gang, a mission which brings her into several violent confrontations with gangsters. The plot twist, which makes the whole film, is that Zen is an autistic savant, who has assimilated the techniques of the greatest martial artists whom she has watched on TV, from Bruce Lee, to Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and of course, Tony Jaa. (who helped train Jeeja for this part, a program which took her 4 years.) There are many things to criticize in this film, but these fall away quickly and are overcome with the escalating storm of adrenaline which kicks in, as Jeeja demolishes wave after wave of attackers using techniques which are right up there with the best in their execution and form. The one thing which explodes from the screen, is the ferocity and fighting ability which flows from the 5'3" 93 LB little Jeeja, who uses her lithe frame like a whip with a hammer on the end, bringing more power to bear with each kick and elbow strike than you can believe from someone so small, and so cute. She is also very authentic in her sensitive portrayal of an autistic girl, which she prepared for by spending time at a home for autistic kids to observe. For her acting debut, she is superb, and has a fantastic future ahead if she can broaden her audience to the West, and get some Michelle Yeoh type parts.

Read Best Reviews of Chocolate Here

Chocolate [Blu-ray]

I went into this movie expecting a so-so movie with a girl that can do decent fight scenes. Well, the girl can do some awesome fight scenes. Using no stunt doubles and no wires, the only fake stuff in this move are the baseballs she catches (you can tell that it's 3D effects there). If she makes another movie, she could become as big of an icon as Tony Jaa.

As for the fight scenes, there are mainly around 4 really good leangthy ones, with the last one being really long and nonstop, taking place in multiple areas of a building, one inside with guns and samurai swords, another on the roof against a transvestite, a couple of women (the only women who actually fight the main character), and one other sequence that has to be seen to be believed, on the side of a building where Chocolate and the never-ending bad guys (seriously, there were too many, but that can be forgiven since it's a martial arts flick) duke it out on narrow ledges, big street signs sticking out of the walls of the building, and the side of a subway line only a couple yards away from the structure, easily connected by the street signs. 3 stories of 2D fighting goodness, and the people who fall take hits that will make you cring, including, but not limited to, a guy falling 3 stories straight down, while others hit a few obstacles on the way down (ouch).

It's also funny to see scenes from Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong (also great movies) on a television Chocolate watches, as well as hearing sound effects from Bruce Lee movies (supposedly). It's great in the first fight scene hearing her immitate Bruce Lee's hoowaaah-ooo! voice. That'll put a smile on your face.

Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda is good in her role, playing an autistic girl who learns from watching, fast. She was already a taekwondo practitioner before production, but then trained extensively for 2 years before the film shooting began, and another 2 years during the shoot. She is somewhere between the age of 21-24 during the filming of the movie.

For anyone who loves martial arts, they'll enjoy this. Anyone who wants to see a woman who can hold her own in these types of movies, definitely watch it. And one more thing, be ready for some bloopers at the end credits to show the real hits that the cast (including Chocolate herself) took during the shooting.

Want Chocolate Discount?

CHOCOLATE, named for its protagonist's favorite snack, is about an autistic young Thai girl who is a martial arts savant--parallel to the compensatory abilities of Dustin Hoffman's character in RAINMAN. Early in the film she takes on and defeats a gang of nasty kids. Next, she demolishes an array of deadbeats, who owe her sick mother money. Finally, as we can easily foresee, the evil gangsters who have split up her parents are going to be no match for her. (Telling you this is not "spoiling" the story--anyone who can count to three can see it coming.)

The excellently choreographed fight scenes have a sweet and fairly touching story around them. If you enjoy watching women "kick butt," Yanin Vismitananda (Jeeja Yanin), the star of this film, is sort of a tiny female Jackie Chan. Another big plus in my view is that this film is not pretentiously artsy and "meaningful" the way the excellent CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON was.

As a bonus feature, the DVD includes a rather short "making of" piece that shows just how dangerous its stunts really were and how amazingly athletic these people are!

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The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

I just got back from watching this exact performance at my local theatre, and I must admit, I am most impressed.

I was frightened that this might not be a staging at all, but more along the lines of a "concert in costume" much like the dissapointment I felt when I saw the Les Miserable's concert on Public TV.

Fear not. This production is pretty dead on to the staging that appears in the shows that I have watched live, and considering this was filmed "live" and simulcast, it is truly a sight to behold.

While this performance can't even compare to "being there" it is far removed than the sterile affair put on the screen by Joel Schumaker. Don't get me wrong. There is plenty of things I like about the movie, (like the spine tingling opening sequence, or the red hot sexuality of Point of No Return). But this by far is the most accurate "filming" I have seen of any ALW production.

Unlike Joseph, JC Superstar and CATS, which were "staged" recordings specifically for video, with all the "cuts" that go with it, This is a live filming that was simulcast live around the world on Oct 2, 2011 and ran on limited encore performances in movie theatres for the next few days. There are no "best performances" or "second chances". We get what was actually presented to the audience on Oct 2, and that alone is worth the price of admission.

Due to the height of the roof of the Royal Albert Hall and either logistics or safety concerns revolving around hurling a Chandalier from such a dizzying height, suffice it to say, the chandalier does not crash to the stage at the end of Act 1, nor does it "float" from the stage in it's glory during the overture. Instead, the tarp is removed during the overture, and fireworks accompany the chandeliers destruction at the end of Act 1. This is sure to be a bit of a disappointment to most Phantom fans, and if you need to experience a crashing chandalier, you will have to go to one of the live performances currently touring around the world. On the plus side there are quite a few shots of the show taken "throguh" the chandelier onto the stage below, which gives you the feeling that you are the phantom, spying at the action below from top of the chandelier. It's not as dramatic, but they did what they could and it's hard to fault them for something that was probably completely out of their control.

The production also makes extensive use of LED screens as backdrops much like was done in Love Never Dies. This can is be both effective and a bit disconcerting. One example is the backdrop of Andre and Fermin's office, which is setup to look like a wall with opera posters posted on it. From a distance, these work fine. However, some of the cameras are really close to the stage and causes this effect to pixelate greatly which takes away some of the suspension of disbelief.

The use of LED screens is also used to mimic Christines Mirror during her Angel of Music number in which Christine approaches the mirror with the Phantoms face singing in the upper right corner of the mirror. Towards the end, the screen simply slides away to review the Phantom walking towards her with the fog rolling at his feet.

Another different use of the screens is during "Notes" when the phantom is reading how Christine is to star in 'Il Muto, we see handwriting appearing as well as the phantom singing his instructions on how Christine is to be granted the role of the dutchess while Carlotta plays the pageboy. One cool effect that the LED screens provided was during the end of Think of Me, Christine faces the rear of the stage, and the actual applause from the live audience is projected on the rear screens giving the audience the feeling that they are behind Christine and their own reaction is the reaction of the "audience" who just watched her aria from Hannibal. It's hard to describe but a cool efect.

It's also fair to note that these "screens" were necessary given the sheer size of the arena, and in the vastness of the RAH, some consideration had to be made to those in the nosebleed seats, so we see some scenes where the Phantom is projected on the real wall so that the paying customer in the back can better see the action.

It's just that they lose much of their effectiveness when filmed.

Speaking of filming, the camera work is stunning. Thanks to HD and the extreme closeup we fully see the emotional range the Phantom shows at his love/hate relationship with Christine. Some might say we see too much as I was distracted by wrinkles in the Phantoms facial prostesis where it was peeling from his neckline. Proof positive that this was shot live.

The performances from the cast were spot on, and it's amazing how I find different parts of the musical which resonate with me depending on the production.

In the live stage productions I have seen, the "Phantom of The Opera/Music of the Night" sequence always sent shivers down my spine. The motion picture's rendition of "Past the Point of No Return" has a sexual tension and animal magnetism not experienced on any stage performance I have seen. The stand out number for me in this version clearly was "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again." This has never been a favorite number of mine until now. Sierra Boggess really sells that performance and my mouth was on the floor when it was over.

The Phantom in this production is also more believable. Ramin Karimloo brings out an anquished performance of a "monster" with the heart of an "artist". His makeup is not over the top but grotesque enough to give someone pause. My biggest beef about the motion picture is that no woman in her right mind would have rejected Gerard Butler's Phantom. Even with his "hideous" makeup he was way too pretty. A slight rash, a droopy eye and a swollen lip? Really? I've seen uglier people at Wal-Mart. But Karimloo's Phantom is sufficiently hideous. You sense the bravery it took Christine to kiss him in the final scene and that courage is not lost on the Phantom, which leads to his change of heart.

One suprising highlight was the role of Carlotta. In all the past performances, Carlotta was portrayed in Caricature. Nowehre is this more apparant than in Minnie Drivers over the top performance in the film. Here, Carlotta is almost a sympathetic character. She clearly fears not only the Phantom, but also the rise of this "precious little Ingenue". She clearly see's Christine as a threat to her dominance at the Opera and we see a true human side to her as portrayed by her fear when the piano starts playing by itself during the rehersal for Don Juan Triumphant. In the past Carlotta had always been a throwaway part, but in this performance it is done with an authenticity that I have never before seen.

Overall, the show is brilliant and I am ecstatic that it will be coming to DVD/Blu-Ray. Unfortunately Phantom is no longer touring in North America, so my chances to see it live require a trip to New York, or Las Vegas to see the "truncated" version. And if my children never have the opportunity to see it live, at least they can appreciate this version. While it is nowhere close to experiencing Phantom for yourself, it is definitely more authentic than the movie, and slight staging differences aside, is as accurate a staging of the original show as could be done in the venue that it was pressented.

One final bonus is the appearance on stage of the surviving Orignal London Cast including Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Unfortunately Michael does no singing, but we do get two numbers with Sarah and four previous phantoms. The Phantoms are outstanding, but clearly Sarah's voice lacks the punch it had 25 years ago. This is not a criticism but just a fact of growing older. It was still nice to see the original production team on stage.

While it seems I have levied quite a few criticisms in this review, it is simply there to let you know what you are getting before you buy. The performance was outstanding and much more accurate to the original show than the movie. If you are a fan of the original show, you will find plenty to like here. If you are a fan of the movie, you will see different nuances than was presented by the film.

Anyway, however you look at it. At it's core, it is still Phantom, and a mighty fine one at that. A must buy for anyone who loves this show, and anyone who has yet to see it performed on stage.

For the 25th anniversary of Phantom Andrew and Cameron did a fully staged concert version of pretty much the whole show at London's Royal Albert Hall complete with minor set piece and fully costumed with a cast and orchestra of over 200. (More complete then the movie just a like cut here or there NOTHING to really get excited over.) This version is nothing short of incredible. Now fans of Sarah and Michael DON'T KILL ME, please. I saw this in the theater for the live broadcast and was amazed by the performances in this. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, who co-starred in the "Phantom" sequel "Love Never Dies" in London, reunited for the special production and with amazing chemistry. Having grown up on the OLC recording and owning about a half a dozen others I've never grown to really like the piece outside of the original cast. Maybe it's nostalgia for it or just the way others have sung it but this time I was blown away. Never in my life have I cried at this show until now. Ramin's Music of the Night was like hearing the song for the first time all over again and Sierra's high notes are flawless and clearer then ever Sarah did back in her early days. The odd standout performance for me was of all things Kiera Duffy as 'Carlotta'. She brought a fullness and venerability to the role I never ever thought about and her look go absolute terror during the rehearsals for The Phantom's opera still sticks out in my mind as genius. The performances in this alone make this for me THE version of phantom. Visually one should know off the bat that the chandler does not crash down... it is after all just a concert. The staging is mostly done with LED screens which, while not MY preferred thing, are alright. Small set piece are brought on and off and the costumes are all here in their glory. While I hope the LES screens don't make their way into the regular staging they did help to set the mood for the night, but it was hands down the cast and orchestra that makes this astounding. At the end there is the usual speeches and bringing out of the old cast and Michael and Sarah are there and while Michel doesn't sing Sarah does. She sounded eh.. ok... I wish she would get over her whole singing-with-my-arms-in-front-of-me thing but it was nice as she was backed by four past phantoms. That all is just sprinkles and dusting on what I hope will be looked back as one of the finest performances of this show ever done.

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The DVD will contained the live streaming held on October 2, 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall. I had the privilege of seeing it in the theater in the U.S. on 10/2/11 and once again on 10/5/11 as a rebroadcasted Encore performance. I'm so excited that I'll be able to watch it again and again. The taping of the show and cinematography were spectacular. You by no means feel like you are in a seat in the audience watching it from may rows in front of the stage. No, you are up close, on stage, beholding closeups of the various performers play their iconic roles to perfection. You see the costumes like you've never seen them before, the rage and hurt in the Phantom's eyes, the conflict and yearning of Christine for two men. The performances of Ramin Karimloo (Phantom), Sierra Boggess (Christine), and Hadley Fraser (Raoul) are nothing less than brilliant, as well as the rest of the cast. If you love Phantom on stage, you'll love this DVD. The after performance reprisals of the Phantom of the Opera and the Music of the Night with legends such as Sarah Brightman, Anthony Warlow, John Owen Jones, and Colm Wilkinson will move you to tears, plus the appearance of Michael Crawford, Andrew Lloyd Webber (of course), Cameron Mackintosh, and Charles Hart. This DVD is a Phantom keepsake indeed.

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I was lucky enough to see this live in the US on October 2nd and like my fellow reviewers, it was "PHANTASTIC"! I have seen the show twice before and loved it and have always loved the beautiful music. Andrew Lloyd Webber did a great job with this (along with Cameron Mackintosh) production. Ramin and Sierra shone as the Phantom and Christine. I'm not going to lie -I wan't sure about Sierra at first since I had never heard her sing before, but she's amazing. And Ramin...my goodness! I saw him as Enjorlas in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables as well and he was so powerful there. I knew he'd make the perfect Phantom.

What I really loved about this was you truly felt like you were not only there at the Royal Albert Hall, but that you had a front row seat (better than a front row seat even). The close-ups are amazing. And this was not in a concert style format like Les Mis was last year. It was the entire show (nothing left out!!) with the actors actually acting, not just standing at a microphone singing.

The end of the show was just...I still, after two weeks of seeing it cannot even begin to explain the ending/encore. Of course ALW came out and gave a speech and then introduced the original London cast minus Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. I was a little bummed but of course, he announced them after the cast had come out. So great to see both of them and I must say Michael looks as good now as he did in 1986!!! And Sarah...wow. She sings 'Phantom of the Opera' as four past Phantoms (including Colm Wilkinson, John Owen Jones and Anthony Warlow...there was one more but I forgot his name) came out and sang with her. It was great! But that wasn't it. The four Phantoms (plus Ramin) sang the most beautiful version of Music of the Night. I got goosebumps. It was just gorgeous! I wish that Michael Crawford had sung as well, but I'm guessing he had a good reason.

This is definitely a DVD worth buying and watching over and over again. I know I will!

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I saw this live on Oct 2 and it was stunning. The set design was brilliant and the acting was supurb. I adore Sierra and Ramin as Christine and the Phantom. They're the best since Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. I was disappointed that Michael Crawford didn't sing with Sarah Brightman. It would've made it that much more special. This is a spectacular musical and a timeless story that will live on long after we're all gone.

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City Island (2009)

It sounds glib to call Raymond De Felitta's "City Island" this year's "Little Miss Sunshine," yet the comparison is apt. Both films depict dysfunctional families nearing collapse, and both are blessed with razor-sharp screenplays and ensemble casts that are wonderfully, hilariously perfect. Each member of the cast (especially top-billed Andy Garcia) gives an Oscar-worthy performance, and all will be robbed if they don't win the Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble Cast Award next year.

The eponymous "City Island" is a small community just off the shoreline of the Bronx, officially part of that borough but with a small-town charm all its own. As Molly Charlesworth (Emily Mortimer), one of the film's characters, declares, "It's a cross between New England and Washington Heights!" Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) is a "clamdigger" (a lifelong resident of City Island), as opposed to a "mussel-sucker" (someone who moves to City Island, or one of those very rare natives who moves away). Vince works as a prison guard (though he prefers the term "corrections officer"), but that job doesn't seem to satisfy him these days. His wife Joyce (Julianna Margulies), daughter Vivian (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) and son Vince Jr. (Ezra Miller) wonder why Vince has a "poker game" almost every night, and also why he's brought paroled convict Tony Nardella (Steven Strait) home to live with them. The other Rizzos, meanwhile, are harboring secrets of their own...

To reveal any more of the plot would be sabotage. Let's just say the bickering of the Rizzo family reaches critical mass, with catharsis to follow. In any case, you fall in love with all the characters, and although you might be a little leery of some of the things they do, you'd still be happy to have them all over for your Sunday barbeque. "City Island" is a funny, charming, touching must-see.

I think that it's become my mantra--"quirk is the curse of independent cinema." In an effort to be cutesy and/or clever, films have been systematically stripping away genuine warmth and humor by presenting character types and sitcom contrivances instead of mining what is really funny in our everyday foibles. It becomes a fine balancing act, then, because a good quirky film can be both hysterical and touch your heartstrings. However, one that goes over the top can be painfully unreal and hard to sit through. And, in my opinion, there is very little middle ground. So it is with some trepidation that I picked up "City Island," a family comedy that promised to explore the eccentricities (code word for quirk) and secrets in the working class Rizzo clan. And, in a pleasant surprise, here the quirk works!

Headlined by Andy Garcia and Julianna Margulies, "City Island" follows the boisterous Rizzo family as it navigates its way through enough secrets and deceptions to fuel several movies. Everyone is lying to everyone else! Garcia has a "secret" love child who is a convict, Margulies suspect him of cheating when he's "secretly" taking acting classes, their son has a "secret" fetish, their daughter has a "secret" job, and everyone "secretly" smokes--heck even Garcia's acting partner (Emily Mortimer) has a big "secret." That's a lot of secrets and leads to a lot of confrontation for one movie. But inexplicably, "City Island" and its immensely likable cast juggle these story lines like pros. The set-up is genuinely funny and the big revelations strike just the right note between hilarity and warmth.

Garcia is a hoot through-out, but credit must be given to the entire cast. Mortimer, in a role that might have been a disaster, provides genuine intelligence and pathos. Ezra Miller, as the son, is spot on hilarious--especially in the film's first half. And Steven Strait, as the love child con, is a revelation as the voice of reason within the madness! Writer/Director Raymond De Felitta has taken my worst nightmare and turned in one of the more effortlessly enjoyable films I've seen in a while. Slight, but very funny, "City Island" is a definite recommendation. KGHarris 9/10.

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Reading and the movies offer the opportunity to explore new and unusual places, some of them not far from home. Thus, the movie "City Island" introduced me to a small fishing village of that name in, the Bronx, New York, of all places. City Island is a quaint close-knit fishing village of about 4000 people on the west end of Long Island Sound. This movie, which won the audience award at the Tribecca Film Festival in 2009, is set and was filmed in City Island. It is a town of old homes, beaches, bridges, fishing vessels, and the water. Residents of City Island distinguish between "Mussel Suckers" the larger part of the community born outside the community and "Clam Diggers" those residents who grew up in City Island. This distinction is carried over into the movie.

The story itself might have happened anywhere, but it gains strength by the setting in a small urban area where people seemingly know their neighbors. The movie tells of the secrets that people hold from those closest to them and of the difficulties of opening up. The main character is the Rizzo family. Vincent Rizzo, played by Andy Garcia who also produced the movie is a middle-aged corrections office (he resents the term "prison guard") who harbors dreams of being an actor. He attends acting school one evening a week and, to avoid embarrassment, tells his disbelieving wife that he is out for a poker night. A woman student at the acting school with secrets of her own encourages Vince who begins as an imitator of Marlon Brando and learns to act in his own person and character. Against odds, newcomer Vince auditions for a tough-guy part in a movie by Scorsese.

Vince's hard-bitten wife, Joyce, (Juliana Margulies) feels lonely and frustrated as she feels the passion between Vincent and herself has died. She thinks Vince is having an affair during his "poker night" and of course thinks the worst when she meets Vince's acting companion. The couple have two children, Vivian (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) who unknown to her family has dropped out of college and is working as a stripper in the hope of returning to school and high school student Vince, Jr. (Ezra Miller). Ezra is strongly attracted to big beautiful women (BBWs), including his neighbor who has a BBW cam site and a young girl in his high school class who at the outset spurns him. It was endearing and refreshing to see a story of men who are attracted to large women. Vince Rizzo also has a secret in that before his marriage to Joyce he fathered a child and then left the mother. The son he had never met, Tony, (Steven Sttrait) winds up in prison. Without revealing his identity, Vince brings Tony into his home. The movie features a long denouement in which the family, and other associated characters level with each other and learn who they themselves, and the other people, each are.

City Island is an entertaining well-acted movie about the difficulty of knowing self and others. In an unpretentious way, it gets inside the feelings and dreams of its characters. But the movie also taught me about a place I hadn't seen or heard of before and made it come to life. I loved seeing it, and I found getting to know City Island the place the main attraction of this movie.

Robin Friedman

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I was at first skeptical about this movie, as to whether or not I would enjoy it, but after the first five minutes into it, I was hooked. The script, the acting, the development of the characters, and the film overall was outstanding! I don't say this too often about movies and I have never written a review about one before... Needless to say, I had to share with everyone out there my sincere enjoyment of this film. If I was to recommend a film this one would be it! It's a classic!

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I have to say that "City Island" is one interesting little piece of cinema. This 2009 movie features Andy Garcia and Julianna Margulies in the leads. I found it kind of refreshing to see Andy Garcia in a lead role again. In the late 1980s and early 1990s good old Andy was a head liner. However, in the past few years he has taken supporting roles, which hasn't influenced any of his performances but has taken him out of the "spot light". In "City Island" I am happy to report that Andy Garcia is in the "spot light" again. This isn't to say that the rest of the cast is sub par. Julianna Margulies, who I was only familiar with from "ER", is amazing. As well as a strong supporting cast featuring Steven Strait, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Ezra Miller, Emily Mortimer and Alan Arkin (in a small role).

The movie takes place in City Island which is a section of the Bronx. Andy Garcia plays a corrections officer named Vince who has desire to be an actor. This desire has manifested in him going to weekly acting classes. However, he is ashamed that his family won't understand his "true calling" so he just tells his family he is playing poker. Julianna Margulies plays Joyce and she believes that her husband isn't playing poker, but drifting away from her emotionally by having an affair. Dominik Garcia-Lorido and Ezra Miller play Vivian and Vince Jr., respectively, the daughter and son of the family. Vivian has her own skeletons, she is a college student who lost her scholarship and is now a stripper to pay her way through school. Vince Jr. is also a bit alienated; he is a caustic teenager with a fetish towards overweight woman and his yearning to feed them.

Now this dysfunctional family hides all of their idiosyncrasies from one and other, which leads to a great deal of circumstantial comedy. Yet, things become even more complex when Vince notices that a new inmate (Steven Strait) is his long lost son. Twenty-four years ago, Vince left a "girlfriend" of his who was pregnant. After some deductive reasoning he figures out this inmate is his son. So Vince tells Tony, the long lost son now inmate, that he is willing to bail him out if he would stay with him for a month. This sabbatical for Tony is a hidden agenda for Vince to tell his "son" the truth, but Vince masks this by saying he wants Tony to help him build a bathroom for his guest house.

There is much more to this movie, in fact this film has many layers. There are myriad elements in this movie that makes it a notch above your average comedy-drama/dark comedy. This movie reminds me of "American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)" and "Life as a House (New Line Platinum Series)", not because it has the same story of either film. In contrast, it has same depth of both films, the ability to promote a smile and a tear. I am really shocked this movie didn't get a wide release; I think it would have done very well. It appears nowadays real films are classified as "art films" or "independent films", meanwhile the mainstream is filled with lousy remakes, CGI mind numbing drivel and the occasional good flick. I think this is an amazing movie and one to not be missed. The story, directing, writing, cinematography and acting are marvelous! So go ahead and take a trip to "City Island".

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Bell, Book and Candle (1958)

Adapted from the stage comedy of the same name, Bell Book and Candle stars Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, fresh from their successful teaming in Hitchcock's Vertigo. Novak plays Gillian Holroyd, a genuine, bonafide witch who runs a south seas antiquities shop. Falling in love with her neighbor, publisher Sheperd Henderson (Stewart), Gillian casts a spell on him. With help from her aunt (Elsa Lanchester), she obliges him to dump his fiancee, and ex college rival, and rush to her side. All of this goes against the grain of Gillian's Endora-like mentor Mrs. DePass (Hermione Gingold), who does her best to counterract the love spell. Meanwhile, Gillian's wacky warlock brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon) courts disaster by coauthoring a book on black magic with Sidney Redlitch (Ernie Kovacs). Legend has it that a witch can neither cry or fall in love. If she falls in love, she will lose her powers....can you guess what happens?

Rumor has it that this is the inspiration for the televisions series Bewitched. There are several striking, undeniable similarities. This film was released in 1958, and I find it just as enjoyable today as I'm sure it was then. Memorable performances by Novak as the icy-cool Gillian and Stewart in his last "romantic leading man" role drive the film. Jack Lemmon and Elsa Lanchester add a lot of quirky flavor as Gillian's spell casting family. Fast pacing, clever writing, great costumes and fabulous eye-popping technicolor make this a film worth watching over and over. It's sure to cast a spell on you too.

If watching unpredictable films are your cup of tea, Bell, Book and Candle is the one to watch. The teaming of James Stewart and Kim Novak is excellent. The supporting roles from Elsie Manchester and Jack Lemmon bring a touch of comedy to the movie. And the sloppiness of Ernie Kovacs as the snooping author brings dimension to the story.

A scene at the Zodiac Club where Lemmon bangs on the bongos with his combo brought the atmosphere of the counterculture of the late 1950s in Greenwich Village. It was hilarious when the band blared their tune of "Stormy Weather" and speeded it up in front of James Stewart's character's fiance. You could feel the tension between Kim Novak and the woman since Novak's character was a witch, and was falling for Shep(Stewart) she got Nickie(Lemmon) to get the band to annoy Novak's rival. I thought this scene stood out.

Though some make think the movie is outdated, it is not at all. I loved the wintery street scenes of New York during Christmas time and the swurling colors of purple, pink,and green throughtout the film. The soundtrack was good too.

An excellent romance film, but also a film of relationships of characters from different worlds.

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Shepherd "Shep" Henderson (Jimmy Stewart) is a nice, normal, everyday kind of guy. He is a publisher with everyday problems and works in an everyday kind of office. His fiancé, on the other hand, is much less than everyday, being the beautiful, and slightly obnoxious, Merle Kittridge (Janice Rule). When Shep's neighbor Gilliam "Gil" Holroyd (the always stunning Kim Novak) becomes irked with Merle, she decides to cast a spell on Shep to make him fall in love with her. Be careful what you ask for, sometimes you get it.

At the beginning of this movie Merle acts in a way that makes the audience generally dislike her. While we have yet to like Gil, we know that Merle is a manipulator. Thus, we find it easy to accept what Gil does to Shep and indirectly to Merle. Unfortunately for Gil, the more she is around Shep, the more she grows to like, and then love him. Of course, there is the inevitable heart breaking scene when Shep discovers, and believes, that she is a witch. There are moments near the end of the movie where you want the two to get together, but you wonder whether it can possibly happen. Kim Novak's Gil is perfectly played in the closing moments, where all of us want to smack Shep and tell him to wake up to the fact that Gil truly loves him and that love has changed her forever.

This movie features an excellent cast of supporting characters. Jack Lemmon is Gil's brother Nicky Holroyd. Nicky is the kind of warlock who enjoys doing little things, such as turning lights off and on, and tricking people. However, Nicky is humorously harmless. Hermione Gingold is Bianca de Passe, a rival witch to Gil, who has a more traditional approach to witch craft that appears relatively old-fashioned compared to Gil's modern sophistication. Shep turns to Bianca to help remove the spell Gil has cast on him. Elsa Lanchester is Queenie, a slightly bumbling witch who admires, assists and may be slightly afraid of Gil. Ernie Kovacs is writer Sidney Ridlitch who has been working with Nicky on a book about witches. Gil will never allow the book to be published, so the scenes with Sidney are an exercise in humor and futility.

Then there is Pyewacket the cat, Gil's familiar. The name comes from an interrogation by witch finder Matthew Hopkins in England during the 17th century. The name seemed to fit witches' cats, and other such cats have been name Pyewacket since, though Hopkins did not record what kind of animal Pyewacket was to have been.

The words "Bell, Book and Candle" refer to an exorcism. The movie opens with striking the bell, opening the book, and lighting the candle. The movie ends with striking the bell, closing the book, and blowing out the candle, which is supposed to be how to remove a witch's powers.

This movie was Jimmy Stewart's last appearance as a romantic lead. His costars were getting younger, with some half his age, and Jimmy felt the pairing was inappropriate. For the final third of his career he played father figures or average Joes.

"Bell, Book and Candle" is a charming romantic comedy that is interesting from several viewpoints. It is an interesting artifact of sophisticated New York, and the highly idealized way New York society appeared to be in the 1950's. The treatment of witches is somewhat different from other portrayals, where witches are often old hags bent over a cauldron in a smelly cave or broken-down hovel. The hip Zodiac Club had avant-garde music with a strong beatnik flavor. Few movies captured the essence of the beatnik style, with this movie being one of them. Jack Kerouac could easily have been in the audience.

This movie is a winner that showcases Kim Novak's talents even more than Jimmy Stewart's. Most of the movie is lightly humorous, but the end of the movie is emotionally powerful as Kim Novak's emotional performance pushes the light comedy aside. This movie is a wonderful treat from an era when sophistication still meant high style, and we could still be amazed by happy endings even when we expected them.

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This is a delightful film with Jimmy Steward and Kim Novak that tells story of a family of witches in modern day (1950s) America. Kim Novak is the aloof young witch who makes it her task to take Stewart away from his snooty girlfriend who just happens to be an ex-college friend of Novak's. Casting a spell over Stewart is initially easy but Novak soon falls foul of her own powers when her act of revenge becomes an act of real love for her hapless victim. Unfortunately witches who fall in love, loose their powers, and Novak soon finds she can no longer control her cat familiar Pyewacket who is the source of her powers. This causes her real heartaches as she strives to gain Stewart's love by mortal means and there are many rib ticklingly funny moments as the young witch learns that human love can be painful as it is wonderful. Jack Lemmon in one of his earlier roles plays her nutty but likable Warlock brother who spends most of his time in a nightclub banging out funky rhythms on his bongo drums and Ernie Kovics is great as an eccentric author drawn into the plot by his interest in the supernatural. This is a gentle fun film that sparkles even forty years on, with its wry wit, superb photography and cracklingly good music score that has your feet tapping long after the film has ended. Well worth watching if you like a romantic, supernatural comedy.

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A few months after they made 'Vertigo' together, Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart made 'Bell, Book and Candle.' Two movies could hardly be more dissimilar, but this one shines as brightly as the Hitchcock film, in a very different way.

Kim's a witch, and Jimmy's a publisher with whom she falls in love. Complications set in when it becomes obvious that Kim is becoming humanised by the experience, and is beginning to lose her witchly powers. Will she give them up? Of course she will, but not without a fightand it's the battle that's such comic fun to watch.

'Vertigo'in a class by itselfaside, this is Novak's most complete and engaging performance. She's gorgeous, she's funny, and she's a woman you'll remember for a long time. It probably helped that she'd learned to adore and respect Jimmy Stewart when they worked for Hitchcock; her comfort level with him is highly evident. It probably also helped that she was doing her first Columbia film after the death of her boss and nemesis, Harry Cohn. Kim was calling a lot of shots on this one, and you can see her blossoming. Her touch is perhaps most evident in her spectacular Jean Louis wardrobe; her most beautiful dress is severely high-necked in front, but completely backless. It's a WOMAN's idea of sexy, not Harry Cohn's, whose tastes ran more to the frontless.

Stewart's impeccable touch with comedy is every bit as awe-inspiring as his dramatic work for Hitchcock. How did one actor get so much talent? He's backed up with a terrific supporting cast, too. Hermione Gingold and Elsa Lanchester are two witches, Jack Lemmon is Kim's warlock brother, and Ernie Kovacs is a tippling writer trying to sell Jimmy an idea. Lemmon is especially good here; this movie was one of the performances that made him a star.

The George Duning score is one of the chief delights of 1950's film; it's what we think Kerouac-era beatnik jazz wasand probably wasn't. Jazz fans will recognise the playing of Pete and Conte Candoli, hired specially for this movie, in the combo playing in the Zodiac nightclub Kim uses for a hangout. For those who appreciate truly esoteric performances, there's also French singer Philippe Clay performing his famous "Assassine", with Hermione Gingold providing a hilariousand accuratetranslation. One of the few disappointments around 'Bell, Book and Candle' is the fact that its soundtrack is not currently available, despite the enormous popularity of the old LP version-used copies sell for a fortune. Rhino owns the rights, I believe, and they could do a lot worse than to do a CD release (hint, hint).

From its witty openingfull of a king's ransom worth of African and Oceanic art used to symbolise the cast members in the title sequenceto its end, this one is sheer elegant delight. At the film's close, Kim gives up her powers in favour of her romance with Stewart, and I've heard a few people say that maybe that was a 1950's cop-out. I see it differentlyall her friends want her to be a witch, and Kim chooses what she wants instead of meeting anyone else's expectations. The power of choice trumps mere black magic, and that, to me, is as it should be.

What you should choose is to see this charming artifact of a time when Hollywood still knew what it was doing. "Bell, Book and Candle" has gorgeous people, places and things, it's got wit and heart, and it effortlessly merges art both high and low. See it as soon as you canyou'll be very glad you did.

Ocean Heaven (2010)

This has been touted as Jet Li's first starring non-action drama. While that is interesting it is probably the wrong approach to think of Li's past roles before watching this movie. This is a simple bittersweet realist drama that is a moving cinematic experience because of the earnest performances. Jet Li's minimalist characterization is the right approach for his character Wang Xuechang and quite different than his action persona. The director describes Li's character as "like a man who has become a mother." He is described by others in the film as a good man, which he is. He is doing the best he can with this situation with dogged determination, not with brilliance or luck, but perseverance. Wang is a maintenance work for an aquarium and had lost his wife fourteen years ago. He also has complete responsibility of his son Dafu (Wen Zhang: also acts with Jet Li in the later The Sorcerer and the White Snake) who suffers from severe autism. Wang is also dying from liver cancer and is given around three months to live.

The film stars off inauspiciously. Wang takes his son out to the ocean to drown him and himself. This does not work because the son had secretly untied the rope and the son has one special gift in his mostly closed world -he is an excellent swimmer. So Wang goes back to his home and work determined to leave his son prepared for his passing while his pains get worse by the day. At first he tries to find a place where he can leave his son. But either the institutions are for kids or seniors which the 22-year old does not qualify. While this proves difficult he also spends time going over simple behaviors like riding the bus, cooking eggs, and spending money so he can have some semblance of a normal life.

While Dafu spends his days swimming in the aquarium tanks he befriends a travelling circus clown and juggler Ling Ling (Kwai Lun-mei: also acts with Jet Li in the later Flying Swords of Dragon Gate; she also sings a song for the film) who also gives Dafu someone else to trust. But given that her life is nomadic and that Wang's life is slowly ebbing away you are left to wonder what is going to happen to Dafu.

This is Xue Xiao-lu's first directed film. Her only other screen credit is for the writing on Chen Kaige's Together. Xue has stated she has worked on this project fourteen years, referring to her volunteer work with autistic children, and by the time the screenplay got to be read by Jet Li it was in its seventh draft. What is impressive is the crew that was put together for this film. For the cinematography you have Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Hero), for the music you have Joe Hisaishi (Kikujiro, Spirited Away) and production design by Yee Chung-man (Tokyo Raiders, Shaolin). Having this triumvirate is quite unbelievable considering the modest budget. Their collaboration helps the film immensely in sound and image.

This is a beautiful looking film. The cinematography and production design is dominated by blue hues throughout as a constant allegory to the water in their lives. The acting from Li and especially Wen is quite good. There relationship is quite touching as is the relationship between Dafu and Ling Ling. That one is underplayed, but I think that is the right decision for this film. So much of the success of this film depends on how Wen portrays his character's interactions with these two. There are no magical solutions to the familial issues, just a lot of hard work from caring people. There are no real antagonists in this story. Some might consider this a negative, but the movie does not need it. I am glad, because Dafu's life is difficult enough and the movie is emotional enough. I had to watch it in two sittings because the first half depressed me quite a bit. I do recommend this movie and hope those who are on the fence about watching this to give it a watch. I think it is quite a good film.

There are certainly some parallels between this film and Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung's Heart of Dragon. Both films were dramatic roles dealing with a caretaker having no choice in dealing with a mentally challenged relative and both were popular action stars getting a chance to expand their acting repertoire. This film also reminds me of Zhang Yang's underrated Shower in which the relationship between Er Ming and Liu parallels that of the two main characters here. There is also a water motif present in both films though I think the allegory is stronger in Shower and more matter-of-fact here. I mention these films because both are interesting and different approaches to similar matter. Shower is also one of my favorite films.

I saw this on the R1 Well Go DVD release. But there is also a R1 BD/DVD combo available from Well Go which should have the same extras. For the extras there is an 11 minute "Making of" extra which has interviews from Jet Li, Kwai Lun-mei, Wen Zhang and Xue Xiao-lu and inserted footage from the movie. It has some good information, but is ultimately too short. There is a trailer and a teaser for the movie as well. The start-up trailers (not accessible by menu) are 1911, The Stool Pigeon and The Man From Nowhere. I found a mistake in the description on the back cover which uses names for the two characters (Sam and David) that appear nowhere in the film and there is no English dub so I am not sure where they came from. The two dubs for this are a Mandarin 5.1 Dolby and a Mandarin Dolby Stereo. There is also an R3 Edko release of this film that came out in 2010.

In the past several years, there's been a tremendous increase of awareness surrounding the nature of autism. To be correct, autism is medically known as, either, Autism or Autism Spectral Disorder (ASD); both terms define a group of disorders associated to the development of the human brain. Typically, persons suffering autism display difficulty in interacting socially; in fact, they may experience difficulty with any form of communication. They may engage in repetitive behaviors repeating sounds or phrases, arranging and re-arranging objects and furniture, flapping or waving of the hands and/or fingers, etc. Of course, there are other vastly more serious and complicated medical symptoms and realities; but the end result is that when dealing with the traditional parent-child relationship it becomes increasingly difficult to responsibly raise a sufferer who neither completely grasps the direction or advice offered nor possesses the skills to adequately define any cause for alarm to the parent. Still, the parent continues on out of love and that's the central theme behind writer/director Xue Xiaolu's latest film, OCEAN HEAVEN.

To his surprise, widowed handyman Sam Wong (played by Jet Li) discovers that he's entering the final stages of an advanced terminal illness. In normal circumstances, Wong would simply go about spending some quality time of shoring up his own personal affairs; however, he must put the desire to square up his relationships aside in order to place all of his effort into securing some reasonable future for his 22-year-old son, David (Lunmei Kwai), a victim of autism so severe that he lacks anything resembling a normal existence and quite possibly won't survive independently. With no other family or institution available to assist with this highly personal challenge, Wong fights an uphill struggle to connect once-and-for-all with the boy in a way that can give him half-a-chance to live in a world he's always at odds with.

The film opens with a sequence I won't go into any specifics here so that I don't spoil it for any viewers that I found a bit off-putting. It isn't the sequence itself that I found a bit problematic it's a fact that, in the scope of time, I was at a loss to understand what had legitimately `happened' at the opening until a bit later in the film. (Trust me: once you see the film, I have no doubt you'll probably understand what I'm referencing.) It's a small quibble, but I think it should've been either handled a bit differently or given a better explanation earlier than it does; there are hints, but it's never fully explained until later than I believed was helpful to the narrative. What it did (for me) was throw me for a loop: I am watching these events in their proper chronology or is the picture `as a flashback'? To my delight, it worked out the way I hoped no harm, no foul but, as I stated, I believe it could've been handled better. Who knows? It may even have been something lost in the film's translation (subtitles).

That small quibble aside, OCEAN HEAVEN is nothing short of pure cinematic brilliance.

In his hands as David, Kwai embodies so much of the picture with an infectiously youthful innocence. Director Xiaolu clearly goes to great lengths to capture how David's perspective on the larger world outside flavors so much of the young man's perceptions. To be precise, Xiaolu even tries to great effect to display "how" David sees the world, positioning the camera to record what the young man's exact visual impressions would be. In the hands of a lesser director, it could have all ended up more than a bit maudlin an aggressive film-school narrative trick unintentionally demeaning the `affliction du jour' but it works here, winningly, and that's because of respectful attention given to the material. As David's counterpoint presenting the point-of-view which most movie watchers will identify with Li gives an exceptionally convincing performance as the troubled father. Clearly, this aquarium worker has lived a humble life one entirely dedicated to raising his boy after the death of the mother. This grounding in reality in the hands of man who accomplishes `fixing' things but yet can't even begin to understand how to `fix' his child gives OCEAN HEAVEN the chance to not so much be an advocacy picture in support of treating autism so much as it sticks to a central theme no one can find controversy in: at all times, be a good parent. So much of the father/son relationship works here because the two characters remain `committed' to one another in this crippled reality both are shown struggling to find their respective voices instead of securing a grand solution suitable for a motion picture audience. It's always poignant. It's always relevant. It's always reverential to that central struggle, not the players, and that's why it excels on so many levels.

The production is impressive. The director put a tremendous amount of work in securing not only a certain look but, as well, a certain environment for the story, and it's photography beautifully. Colors are rich and vibrant when needed, and they're necessarily muted when the story calls for it. Sound presentation is equally important, and no expense has been shared. It's a top notch production given a top notch pressing here. There's a brief `making of' featurette essentially a series of intercut interviews and trailers, but nothing else.

HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION. I went into this one with, seriously, very little expectations. I mean ... Jet Li? In a dramatic role ... as a single father suffering a terminal illness? It's nothing short of wonderful if not heart-wrenchingly so at times a brilliant story of one man's acceptance of the fact that connecting with his autistic son may not only mean bringing the son into his world but also having the courage and conviction to live forever in the boy's world.

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA provided me with a DVD screener copy of OCEAN HEAVEN for the expressed purposes of writing this review.

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As the dad of an autistic boy, I was very moved by this film. I'm not well versed in foreign films nor Jet Li's work, so I was drawn to it simply by the subject matter. Even though I just happened to stumble upon this DVD, I'm glad I watched it. It is a beautiful story with authentic acting and very visually appealing.

The most impressive thing about this film is the accurate portrayal of the challenges between a father and autistic child. The very real fear of who will care for your child after you're gone, the frustrations over your inability to connect with your child and the one way nature of expressed love are all dead on in this film. Xiao Lu Xue's (Director & Screenwriter) many years of service with autistic children and their families create a true to life account of a Dad and son.

Kudos to Xiao Lu Xue, Jet Li, Lunmei Kwai and all involved in this special movie.

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If you want a movie you can cry along with-then this is for you. Fantastic performances all across the board. No English dialog but that does NOT take away from the movie. Highly recommended.

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I just loved this movie, although I must admit up front that there are few Jet Li movies I don't like! A definite departure from the martial arts genre for Jet Li in this touching, sad, moving and emotional drama of a father trying to help his autistic son gain some independence before the father dies. It was hard not to invest yourself in Jet Li's character. Jet Li's performance is understated but amazing and I really hope he adds more dramas like this to his repertoire of movies as well as his more usual martial arts films. The guy who played the autistic boy also did a very, very good job in his part. I like Jet Li in dramas and he also did an outstanding job in The Warlords with Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro. I recommend Oceans Heaven.

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NFL New York Giants: Road to Xlvi

"New York Giants: Road to XLVI" is another 'must have' for all Giants Fans. It contains the 3 Giants' Playoff Game wins, and of course Super Bowl XLVI. The games are the complete network broadcasts. If you have an HDTV and Blu-ray player, make sure you get the Blu-ray version. The transfer is superb, and it looks better than my HD DVR recordings I saved from the games. I agree with everyone that believes "Road to XLVI" could have been better if had the Dallas and/or Jet games included. With that being said though, I still consider "Road to XLVI" a 5 star Blu-ray collection, and a 'must have' for all Giants' fans.

I don't know what version some of you bought, but my Blu-ray copy has a bonus disc with the Cowboys game! I highly doubt that they would release two different versions (One with the Cowboys game, one without it), so it seems to me that many of you are complaining about a product that you don't even have! This release is just like the road to Super Bowl 42, it has the last game of the season, and the 4 playoff games. What more could you ask for?, and this time around it's in HD!

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Let me first of all say I'm sick and tried of people criticzing the way the NFL produce their DVD I was happy the way this DVD Came out Okay they didn't include The Jets Game and Cowboys Game for the East Diivision But who cares though out the Playoffs The Giants Play like true Champions Eli Manning is now an Elite Quarterback!!!!!

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I guess there aren't any REAL Giants fans excited about this release, so I'm proud to be the first one to give a review. They just won their 2nd Super Bowl in 5 years, and this set will allow you to relive the excitement all over again. It may or may not be pristine video quality that at least some are demanding, or it may not have mind blowing audio that an audiophile demands in everything, but what it DOES have is 4 games that had me on the edge of my seat and repeatedly screaming at top volume, much to the dismay of my neighbors. You will not get the last 2 regular season games against Dallas and the NYJ, but really...who cares? You'll get to relive the shutout of Atlanta, the toppling of the great 15-1 Packers AT LAMBEAU, the savage beating that Eli Manning took at SF, and yet he kept getting up and fighting. Finally, the epic rematch against the Patriots, which saw Big Blue reign victorious once again! C'mon...if that isn't enough to get your blood boiling, then I question your true fanhood. I guess there will always be people who HAVE to complain about something, or they simply wouldn't be able to function normally. Don't pay any attention to them, as they aren't real Giants fans. GO BLUE!

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First of all the quality of the disk itself is great and I encountered no problems watching it. This is my first Blu-ray disk which made it even more enjoyable for me. Now as for the games themselves it is so great to be able to watch them with no commercial interruptions. I watched the first two games on one weekend then the next two the following weekend and just loved watching my team win another championship. If you're a GIANTS fan you have to buy this item and relive what turned out to be a remarkable season.

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Live Worlds on Fire (2011)

For the last year or so I've had The Prodigy's set from Radio 1's Big Weekend (2009, you can find it on the Internets) in heavy rotation. Great energy, Radio 1 did a stellar job with the audio quality (awesome bass) and in general the only thing I could have asked for was either a longer recording or to be there.

Enter Worlds on Fire I'm still several thousand miles away, but after watching the DVD for the first time (very, very loudly) I feel like I just walked out of the last venue I saw the band in. The video does have the MTV-style edits, but the camera angles, framing and really superb editing just comes together so very well. It's one thing to hear Weather Experience...it's quite another to see Milton Keynes pulsing with lasers while the synths play that melody. Man I just want to sit watching the DVD all night! Yeah, there's a standard-def camera on the drum set, but can ya expect them to be putting a pricey camera there when the guitarist is bent on destroying the drum kit towards the end of the night??

One warning you're not buying this for the CD. You're buying this for the DVD or Bluray. The CD is good, but just good. I think they could have done a better job with the downmix from 5.1 to stereo...they've lost some of the presence, vocals sit on top of the music, sounding like they were just slapped on top of a studio recording of the music.

Liam, Maxim, Keith and Paul Dugdale thanks for an awesome release!

Some electronic-type artists do a fantastic job translating the studio music to live shows. Great examples of live CD's where artists have tweaked the album experience for the better have been Daft Punk and Justice. While Prodigy thinks they're doing it here, the actual live components of the entire act only slightly improve the album experiences.

I expected a masterpiece as I always do when Liam is involved. I expected him to come out with some crazy revisions and new basslines to some of the tracks. With the exceptions of "Thunder" and adding a beat to parts of "Firestarter" it's pretty void of tweaks. I do like that they added the live percussion and guitar for the live shows. As previous reviews have said, the show contained no tracks from "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned". Most of the focus is on "Invaders Must Die", as it should be.

Maxim pretty much carries the show and works to maintain a good energy on stage and with the crowd. I realize it's a concert, but I'm not sure what 200 "F-Bombs" add to the show. It made Maxim look silly after awhile, not "hardcore" or whatever he was trying to do. Keith didn't add much but shaking his hips. I don't know what's going on there.

As much as I want to give the CD/DVD five stars, I can think of better live performances by groups of similar styles and genres. The DVD 5.1 is the best experience. The audio of it is excellent!

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The music is great. The film-production is horrible. This is a missed opportunity for what could have been a great Blu-ray. I was really looking forward to watching this, but once I saw the film-editing technique used during the first song,I thought 'Oh my God! I hope they don't do this during the entire video!'

Alas, they did. The entire video is constant camera shake and bounce from camera to camera, so fast, it makes it unwatchable. What possessed them to do this? Did they not realize how much better their video would be without the camera bounce? I wish there was an option to watch this without the constant camera bounce. It's as if they change camera angles to match the tempo of the music, i.e. fast and frequent. It's absurd. There are long periods of time in the video, where they do not hold the same camera angle for more than half a second. The Prodigy are too good of a band to be taken in by such a ridiculous method of film production. That's why I consider this a missed opportunity, because the material is there to make a great video, perhaps one of the best Blu-ray concert videos available. instead, they chose to go with the camera bounce, which makes it virtually unwatchable. A Big Disappointment!

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Having seen Prodigy in concert at the Ultra Festival in Miami I had an idea of what to expect on this DVD. This DVD far surpasses my expectations. For starters I am not a fan of Music Video DVD's that have quick cuts to different camera views ever 3 seconds or less. It gets annoying and detracts from the performance. On this DVD the editors have not only used this style, but put it on steroids with shaky camera effects, and rapid fire camera cuts. Somehow, in this case it just works. I can honestly say the producers wanted to do their best to try and translate the energy of the live performance to video and they have done so. Try to watch this without dancing or at least bobbing your head. Try to watch this without cranking the volume, go ahead I dare you! I actually enjoyed this more than the concert since I had a better view and did not have to deal with moshing and not being able to see, etc. I purchased the DVD version (not Blu-ray) but the quality is excellent. This is a very nice package containing the full concert on both CD and DVD plus additional bonus videos taken from various shows on the tour.

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OK people, this review is for the Blu-Ray version of Worlds On Fire LIVE. The first thing I will say is that this package comes both with the Audio CD of Warriors Dance Festival live performance on 7.24.2010 and it is awesome!!! The Blu-Ray contains Warriors Dance Festival as well as Invaders Alive. If you are a Prodigy fan and love the Invaders, Omen, Voodoo, Smack my..., Colours, Firestarter, etc. like I do, you will love this live album. You will immediately love the additions and changes they made to the beat. Some of the songs have added electronics beat sounds to the album versions of the songs and the live drums and guitar is awesome. Listen to a sample of the songs, you'll see what I mean. The Invaders Alive is a compilation of performances they have done around the world, England, Brazil, Ireland, Scotland, France, etc. and you'll get an idea on how funny these guys are! Sort of like outtakes with music.. Hope this helps. BUY IT!!

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