Disclosure / Fatal Attraction (2013)

Back in the late 1980's and early 1990's, Michael Douglas' name was synonymous with sexual catastrophe; no other American male actor has ever suffered the kinds of erotic trauma onscreen as he did during the period from 1987 to 1994. During those years, his entire existence was threatened by an obsessive one night stand ("Fatal Attraction"), he became involved with a narcissistic bisexual murder suspect ("Basic Instinct"), and he was sexually harassed by a former lover who became his boss ("Disclosure"). No wonder Douglas' name on a marquee made a lot of men squirm uncomfortably during that period!

Now two of those films have been packaged together in a two disc blu-ray double feature. The best of the pair is undoubtedly "Fatal Attraction", which struck a major nerve in American culture at the time of its release. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Glenn Close plays a sexually aggressive woman who actively pursues married man Douglas. She's in control of the seduction, dominating him completely; but when their casual fling is over, she becomes a rejected predator obsessed with possessing him at any cost. She manipulates his conscience, invades his home, damages his property, and threatens to destroy his family. Two very different endings were filmed, both of which are presented on this blue ray disc, along with a series of featurettes, a commentary by director Adrian Lyne, and the original theatrical trailer. In addition to the honor accorded Glenn Close, the film received five other Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Anne Archer), Original Screenplay, and Film Editing. The blu-ray presentation of this "must-see" movie is flawless. Very highly recommended.

The second feature, "Disclosure", hasn't aged very well. The core of the story, in which a man (Douglas, who else?) is sexually harassed on the job by a former lover (Demi Moore) who is now his boss, is still fairly intriguing. However, it's tied to a subplot involving a new computer technology that is dated and uninteresting. Imagine a movie that makes a big deal of receiving an email! The cast, which also includes such powerful actors as Donald Sutherland, Dennis Miller, Rosemary Forsyth, and Dylan Baker is generally outstanding. The exception is Ms. Moore, who occasionally overplays her scenes; director Barry Levinson should have reminded her that a little subtlety can add nuance and shading to a character, particularly when that character is already the center of the audience's attention. Despite these weaknesses, the film is still work a look-see, and it looks very good on blu-ray. The only extra is the film's original theatrical trailer. Recommended.

Overall, this is a great double feature offering, especially for fans of Michael Douglas and those who are curious about American sexual mores during the end of the 20th century. Worth the price for "Fatal Attraction" alone; consider "Disclosure" a nice little bonus feature.

I have liked Michael Douglas as an actor since The Streets of San Francisco, so if he is in a movie that has a

good plot I'll buy it. Romancing the Stone, Wall Street, The Star Chamber to name a few.

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Received item quickly and at a reasonable cost. These are both good movies and I was lucky enough to get them. I have them on singles also; but it's just as good to have a duplicate (sometimes).

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I haven't seen these movies in a while. Both of them kept you on the edge of your seat. I would recommend them to anyone.

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Soylent Green (1973)

Soylent Green (Richard Fleischer, 1973)



So what's the difference between schlock and one of the 100 best films ever made? Sometimes, I'll admit, it's a pretty blurry line. That's the case with this gem from the Richard Fleischer stable, a tale of a New York City with a population of forty million and a food supply that comes in little squares of red, yellow, and green.



Thorn (Heston) chews scenery. Roth (Edward G. Robinson) spends his life moaning about how things were better in the seventies. (If only they knew.) The two of them try to get through their lives scavenging from the rich, like everyone else in New York. They have an edge, with Thorn being a cop who treats corruption like a confortable pair of undershorts. A high society murder tips Thorn off that all may not be well with Soylent, the company that makes the majority of the world's food supply, and Thorn and Roth start digging deeper deapite warnings from the victim's old bodyguard (Stephen Young) and Thorn's lieutanant (Brock Peters). The production values are strictly seventies, and it's great to poke fun at various things in the film ("my god, it's 2022 and they're still listening to bad lounge music?"). And yet there's something undefinable about this film that propels it from the realm of bad seventies science-fiction exploitation into the realm of true genius. What that thing is, I don't know; when I figure it out, I'll tell you. But something clicked. Heston's patented god-guns-and-guts character is perfect for the role. Robinson actually looks convincing salivating over a stick of celery. And somehow the movie's last lines are delivered convincingly. It's incredible. Whatever magic they managed to make with this one, Hollywood needs to make more of it. **** 1/2

In the year 2022, the greenhouse effect has poisoned the Earth. The world is grossly overpopulated and there are practically no natural food sources left. Vendors in the street markets sell Soylent Red and Soylent yellow (made from soybeans), but the Government controls and hands out rations of Soylent Green on Tuesdays. Supposedly made from high-energy plankton, Soylent Green is often in short supply for the high demand. People stand in food lines all day waiting for water and processed foodstuffs. Real food is unheard of.

Detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) lives in a tiny, seedy apartment with his "book", Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson). A "book" is like an assistant, picking and assigning cases and performing research. To reach the streets, he must step over the dozens of homeless bodies camped out on the stairs of the apartment. Sol assigns Thorn the homicide case of William R. Simonson (Joseph Cotton). Simonson lives in a posh apartment complex complete with "furniture", which includes a woman. His "furniture's" name is Shirl. Shirl and Simonson's bodyguard Tab Fielding (Chuck Conners) were out shopping when the murder occurred inside the apartment. (Check out Shirl's "new" video game)

The murder is a puzzle to Thorn, who believes Simonson wasn't just murdered but assassinated. He steals two books from Simonson and has Sol research them. (He also steals real food, booze, soap, a towel, paper, and pencils items not available to the general public) When Thorn finds out Simonson was the director of Soylent and friend to Governor Santini, his chief attempts to pull him off the case and close it. But there's too much mystery surrounding the murder, and Thorn refuses to give up until he solves the puzzle of Simonson and the secrets of Soylent.

I loved this movie in the 70's and still love it today. Even though 'Soylent Green' was made in 1973, it's a rare movie that has aged well, and holds up it's integrity even today in 2008. It's sort of a 70's version of cyberpunk. There's pathetic poverty, dry empty landscapes, unbearable heat, long food lines, processing plants of heavy machine complexes, the loss of personal identity, and hollow, garbage-strewn city streets and alleys. Even the soundtrack aged well, and was quite futuristic in 1973. 'Soylent Green' has always been a favorite of mine, and if you've managed to go this long without seeing it, then it's time to pick up your copy and treat yourself. Those fans like me will want to pick up the DVD to add to your collection. Definitely worth a purchase! Enjoy!

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Soylent Green is one of those films that, as soon as I saw it, I wondered where had it been all my life? I though it was great, and made a point of telling all my friends about it.

It's based on Harry Harrison's book "Make Room, Make Room!", which is itself half story/half documentary about over-population and environmental damage. The film uses the environmental disaster the world has become, and the resultant starvation, as a kind of backdrop, while the main story, it seems, is simply about a murder being investigated by Charlton Heston.

The film very cleverly shows you all the realities of living in that bleak world by the way Heston brilliantly takes all sorts of terrible situations totally in his stride. As he leaves his apartment, he has to step over people sleeping on the steps; the air outside is murky and has a faint green glow; even though he's a detective, he sometimes has to get involved in food riot control and only has a helmet for protection; he has to recharge his apartment's batteries using a bicycle; his watch keeps breaking, but no-one is making new ones anymore. Similar small touches abound throughout the film, and taken together have a deep impact on you as you think about them after the film.

Edward G. Robinson, in his last performance, plays Heston's partner, whose speciality is information and where to get it. He's an old man, and, finally, despair at the state of the world gets to him. His ultimate fate, the murder that Heston is investigating, and the environmental hell all around them, are all brought together right at the end, in a gripping finale. As the horrible truth dawns upon Heston, he cries out the answer: a four word phrase that encapsulates the horror of the world all about them. A fabulous ending that really sends a chill up your spine.

This film features fine performances from two great actors, has good action, a fast pace, and really makes you think about the important issues at the core of the film. This truly is an excellent film.

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I recently caught this film on television, and though I already knew the surprise behind the film's surprise ending (I won't spoil it for possible first-time viewers) the film's high-concept science-fiction caught me. This movie takes place in a latter-day twenty-first century not far-removed from our own: the environemnt is dying, the world is heating up and the oceans are falling apart. The world is devastatingly poor, overpopulated and food is running out. Heston, as a policeman named Thorn, is called in to investigate a high-profile murder and ends up uncovering more than he had bargained for. If you're looking for some excellent drama mixed with message-based sci-fi (along the lines of The Omega Man), then Soylent Green is for you! (Note: Watch for a great performance by veteran actor Edward G. Robinson as Solomon Roth, Thorn's mentor). Check it our and enjoy!

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The DVD release of this great Charlton Heston classic is a marvel to behold. It's in widescreen format and all the TV/VHS fog is gone, gone, gone; the images and sounds are as clear and crisp as the dawning day.

This film deserves such treatment. Along with _Planet of the Apes_ and _The Omega Man_, it's part of Heston's series of three 'last man' films, and it's much better than _The Omega Man_. (As movie buffs know, it's also the touching final film appearance of the late Edward G. Robinson.)

A classic in its genre, this film is based on Harry Harrison's 'Make Room! Make Room!' and is a somewhat heavy-handed morality play on the subject of Malthusian population dynamics. It's amazing that it works as well as it does. But it really does work; this is one of the all-time greats of SF filmdom, right up to and including its famous closing moments.

Put this on your shelf next to Heston's _Planet of the Apes_.

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The Wizard of Gore / The Gore Gore Girls (Blood-Drenched Double Feature) (1972)

I've been a fan of both these films for years and owened them on multiple formats and can honestly say both films have never looked better, as a matter of fact these films shouldn't look this good considering the time period and budget they were filmed for. both still have minimal print damage and cigaret burns, but does not detract from the enjoyment of the films, just gives it that grindhouse feel. both have great commentarys and a H.G. Lewis trailer gallery and poster gallery. getting both these films for under $10 is a steal, highestpossible recomendation. you can throw away your dvd's now.

I love these movies and the blu ray transfer is awesome The Wizard of Gore is my favorite of the two.

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For what it's worth, this is probably the absolute best these films will ever look. If you're searching for reference quality images, you probably don't know anything about Hershell Gordon Lewis or his films and you're better off looking elsewhere

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Fans of the classic drive in genre can rejoice knowing that Image has made the effort to release the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis on blu-ray. That's not to say the movies are spectacular in any way, but fans of H.G. and the films he made will be dancing in the street knowing they're now available in high format quality. Which seems odd since the movies were released on about as low a quality budget as was possible. In any event, the movies are a part of movie history, though at the bottom end.

The first film, WIZARD OF GORE, is the lesser of the two if that's possible. Montag it Magnificent is a magician who performs the standard tricks until the finale of his show. At that time he pulls out all stops and taunts the audience to decide if what they are about to see is real or merely an illusion. His first finale is to saw a woman in half. But this isn't the usual fare. Instead, he does so without placing her in a box but has her entire body in view. Pulling out a chainsaw, he proceeds to saw her open, guts and blood spewing forth in great profusion. Moments later the stunned audience watches on as the girl rises from the table, unharmed. The only problem is that later that night she goes to a restaurant and before she can order she's found on the floor saw in half.

A local talk show host having seen the show the night before with her boyfriend sportswriter sees the body being carted off and it accidentally touches her hand. The next day when she tries to get Montag on her show he declines until the bloodstain appears on her hand, a stain that only he can see. He invites her back that night and she goes this time to witness another grizzly scene, a woman with a spike driven into her skull. She too walks away unharmed only to be found later dead of the same injury seen onstage.

Just who Montag really is and how he's completing these gruesome murders would be the normal movie one would expect to see. Instead we get all sorts of goofy speeches from Montag about illusion and reality and a twist ending that would have seemed half smart had the rest of the film not been so bad. Worst of all is Montag himself, played by . When the term ham actor comes to mind from here on out this is the actor I'll see in my mind's eye. Couple that with some tremendously bad make up that has his hair changing color from white to brown and eyebrows that look like they've had shoe polish brushed over them and you have one really bad movie.

THE GORE GORE GIRLS is the better of the two films. Had this story been done with a bigger budget, better actors and a better script it could have been an A picture. The idea is quite good, it's just the execution that's lacking.

The dancers at the local strip club are being killed off in gory fashion. Heads opened, eyes gouged and more should be a reason to chase people off from visiting the joint but they continue to come to watch the go go girls dance away. The local newspaper hires top private eye to investigate paying him top dollar to do so if he'll give them the scoop. He takes the job and the money and begins tracking down the killer.

Following a trail of clues and suspects he frequents the club where the girls work. This gives viewers plenty of time to see the main reason folks went to see this movie, semi-clad women shaking everything they had with the limited restrictions of the time. For those who don't understand that means pasties and panties are the wardrobe of choice.

Between sleuthing and dancing we witness the killer strike again and again in even more blood and guts scenes than Lewis has done in the past. It was the thing that brought people to see his movies and he delivers the goods.

As I said, this movie at least has a plot that you can follow and that makes sense. It was done, as were most of Lewis' films, on a budget set just below shoestring but the heart and soul that he put into his films is seen on display on screen.

H. G. Lewis may not be a familiar name to the majority of people. He probable will never be honored with an Oscar. But he was a pioneer of the times and did create a genre, the gore film, which has been copied and replicated over and over again. The biggest difference between his films and those being made today (other than budget) was that he was at least attempting to make something different, to offer a story that the gore became a part of rather than the center of.

Movie lovers who remember the days of the drive in will want to pick this one up. It may not be the best that was offered in that locale, but it is something memorable.

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Tiger & Bunny, Set 2 (2013)

"may contain spoilers"

the mysterious Lunatic rears his head again, we learn more of his past and what made him the way he is. tiger has developments with his life and powers, Barnaby has run into new leads with regards to his parents, their work and deaths. blue rose begins to have confliction within her heart.

in this set of the hit anime "tiger & bunny" we will see new nexts, and many plot twists that we thought solved in the set 1. In my opinion its just has good as the set 1, and i hope for set 3 soon. the overall happenings of this set are a series of plot twists revolving around our heros, that seem to slap the view in the face, who thought they had figured out and solved the plot. all i can say is pay attention to detail, many of the people save in set 1 appear in the background and dont show up in the plot(just thought you should know), be watchful and aware and dont disappear, stay tuned for the next in the series set 3

info on set

Hailed as the heroes who saved Stern Bild, Kotetsu and Barnaby face a volley of media attention that includes their learning how to dance! Then, Kotetsu deals with his conflicted feelings about continuing as Wild Tiger and visits his hometown to spend time with his family. He tries to discuss his feelings with Barnaby, but when a possible new lead comes up, Kotetsu gives his full attention to helping Barnaby find the murderer of his parents.

Special Features: Additional Scenes, Production Sketches, Storyboards.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

Age Rating 13+ (More Information)

Genre Action/Adventure

300 Minutes

Media bluray

Publisher VIZ

number of disks 2

Great animation and thrilling action as the mystery behind Bunny's parents finally gets wrapped up. The conspiracy around Tiger also was thrilling, even if his attempts to escape it were lame but funny.

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may fav.cartoon in a long time!I just love anime and this ranks up there with naruto and bleach,and it has adult comedy and situations like you could only find in some station anime!

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Tiger and bunny is awesome! I brought the first set and fell in love with this show viz did a great job on the English dub cast it gets really good when the show talks about barnaby past cant wait to get this set !

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Life, Above All (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

I saw this at a film festival and highly recommend it It is a beautiful film and wonderful depiction of the stigma of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa esp in small communities and the effect of the epidemic on children.

From South American director Oliver Schmitz and screenwriter Dennis Foon comes a film adaptation of Allan Stratton's 2004 novel "Chanda's Secrets".

The film highlights the ongoing problem of AIDS in South Africa and how neighbors condemn neighbors who have it, how far families go to hide the truth of a family member who has it but also the problem of how many children are left to run a household and take care of younger siblings as their parent is sick or dying of the disease.

"Life, Above All" was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and was selected as the South African entry for "Best Foreign Language Film" for the 83rd Academy Awards. And now "Life, Above All" will be released on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack from Sony Pictures Classics.

VIDEO:

"Life, Above All" is presented in 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:35:1). Picture quality is fantastic as there is a lot of detail in this film. First, the colors are warm and vibrant! Close-up shots of the character reveals the pores on the skin of the characters to seeing the detail in the homes from old paint to the dirty shack where Esther was living. There is plenty of detail and the colors of the film really stood out!

Colors are vibrant, black levels are nice and deep and for the most part, clarity and detail are very impressive with "Life, Above All". Also, the cinematography (especially when Chanda goes to look for her mother) by Bernhard Jasper ("Open Water 2: Adrift", "Kiss Me Kismet") is beautiful!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Life, Above All" is presented in Northern Sotho 5.1 DTS-HD MA. The dialogue is primarily center and front channel driven. I noticed that the music by Alli N. Askin and Ian Osrin occasionally makes it out to the surround channels but for the most part, the film is center and front channel and only when you see crowds or hear a vehicle pass nearby is when you hear those ambient sounds through the surround channels. But the lossless soundtrack is crystal clear, not very immersive but for a film of this caliber, you don't expect to hear immersive sound. If anything, the soundtrack is appropriate.

Subtitles are in English SDH and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"Life, Above All" comes with the following special features:

The Making of Life, Above All (14:09) Featuring interviews with the crew and cast of "Life, Above All" and filming in the small village in South Africa and using talent who are locals that have never had any acting experience. Also, the challenges of shooting with the different weather conditions.

Theatrical Trailer Featuring the original theatrical trailer to "Life, Above All".

EXTRAS:

"Life, Above All" comes with a DVD version of the film.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Life, Above All" is a film that is about the human drama and a film that captures a realistic situation that people are living with in South Africa.

According to AVERT, the AIDS epidemic has increased South Africa's mortality rates. But the AIDS epidemic has had an impact on children and families as the children shoulder the impact financially and emotionally of the death of a parent(s) due to AIDS and HIV.

And unfortunately, due to the AIDS policy of the former president Thabo Mbeki's government, the government were directly responsible for a third of a million people who died in South Africa of HIV/AIDS, according to research done by Harvard University. Mbeki believed that AIDS was caused by a virus brought on by poverty and the solution was not medicine but the alleviation of poverty in Africa. Because he believed in this, South Africa would not benefit from free drugs or grants to help those who were sick with HIV/AIDS. A pharmaceutical company offered to donate a drug to South Africa to prevent the transmission of HIV from a mother to their child during labor but the government restricted the use of the drug until December 2002.

With "Life, Above All", the film gives us a glimpse into how the epidemic has affected people in South Africa. From neighbors condemning and not wanting anyone with AIDS to be in their hometown and also how children end up having to take care of the household and as the character of Esther is an example of the many young women who must become a prostitute in order to make income.

But also in the case of Lillian and the death of their baby Sarah, the death of the baby was because the child was HIV-infected. While the film doesn't get polemic on the decisions that were made by South Africa's government, because people were not educated on AIDS as seen in the film, Lillian's husband believed that his wife poisoned the child through her milk. And with traditional beliefs held by some people in South Africa, the troubles she caused has brought evil to her family and because of that, her child has died.

So, this film is indeed a sad portrait of possibly a time back then when people were less educated but also a time when these unnecessary deaths could have been prevented.

But looking back at "Life, Above All", what is most amazing about this drama is how the the main talent of this film were able to do a fantastic job without having any acting experience. The young Khomotso Manyaka who plays Chanda does a fantastic job and each time she is onscreen, she manages to play her role as if she was Chanda. The fear in her eyes, the concern towards her mother and everything is captured onscreen quite wonderfully.

Also the women of the film, Lerato Mvelase as Lillian and Harriet Lenabe as Mrs. Tafa also pull-in a commanding performance as we see through these characters a grasping of straws of trying to survive while facing financial burden, Mrs. Tafa silently doing what she can do have her good friend gone from the neighborhood (as rumors continue to grow about Lillian's illness).

If anything, the efficacy of this film is due to the patience of director Oliver Schmitz who made sure he got what he wanted from the new talent. And it helps when you get the right people to play their respective part. The casting of Khomotso Manyaka as Chanda and casting the two women, along with the young Keaobaka Makanyane (Esther)...it was a grand slam for casting in my opinion!

While we know that South Africa (and many other countries) have problems with the AIDS epidemic, "Life, Above All" is a film not about death but about hope. Possibly hope that this film will contribute to educating many about knowing the facts of AIDS instead of ignorance and wanting to hurt the families who are dealing with this deadly disease. Instead of throwing stones, if you are a God loving society, why not just pray for those who are sick.

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The characters were very real and quickly drew you into their lives and their struggles. The relationship between the two girls was the most amazing part of the movie. This movie shows what is really happening in the world. It shows how deep friendships and love are the key to their great strength in enduring the everyday hardships. I was very sorry not to see this movie be nominated for an Academy Award. In fact, I think it should have even won, it was that good. If you want a light, witty movie, then this movie is not for you. But if you want a deeply moving movie where you quickly come to love the main characters, then you will enjoy it. This movie left me with knowing who the true heroes of the world are. Outstanding casting, especially for the two young girls.

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Pleasantville (2011)

Pleasantville may be one of the best, most underrated movies of all time. I admit, when it was first released, the premise seemed a bit goofy: two teenagers (played by then-unknown actors) are suddenly cast into a Leave It To Beaver-like classic TV town called Pleasantville by none other than Don Knotts (reminds you a little of the forgettable "Stay Tuned," doesn't it?). Upon their arrival, however, they discover that Pleasantville isn't everything it's cracked up to be and that being "pleasant" means missing out on some basic, vital parts of life (such as toilets, and of course, sex). What follows is an amazing transformation: of the main characters, the town, and even the movie itself, whose stunning cinematography slowly adds bursts of color to Pleasantville's black and white world while simultaneously providing a metaphor for the race conflicts of the 1950s and 60s. The two unknown actors turn out to be the now-famous Tobey Maguire and Reese Whitherspoon, both of whom shine like the stars they are in one of their first movies. Added to this are excellent supporting performances by some of the best in the business, including William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, and the late great character actor J.T. Walsh. An absolutely incredible, must-see film.

Pleasantville is a fantastic film experience, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A true, striking, and original masterpiece; Pleasantville is a must for any movie fan. What makes the film such a joy is how it exists on so many levels; almost anyone can find something to like here. It's at times a simple fantasy, others a biting satire, and even others an account of our history and change as people. Pleasantville is purely original and very well-structured. It deals with mature themes and if you're someone who likes to analyze films, then this is a great choice. The DVD warrants a purchase, even if you already own the VHS version (as I do), one of the few DVD's that does. Do yourself a favor and listen to writer-director Gary Ross's commentary-it's dynamite, even if you generally do not like commentaries. It's incredibly enlightening and adds much to the film's depth. Ross cleary illustates all of the overlapping themes and symbolism, and adds a personal touch to the movie's meaning. (The unintended rip-offs of The Shawshank Redemption and Citizen Kane are particularly interesting). The film has a bright, crisp transfer and excellent sound. The only way to enjoy Pleasantville (other than the theater) is on DVD. Newman's music is magical, also. There's a neat (oh, I'm talking like a 50's person now) behind the scenes documentary on the film's jaw-dropping special effects. The included Fiona Apple music video is pretty neat and directed by P.T. Anderson. (Anderson fans take note: watch for Anderson regular John C. Reilly at the video's end.) Overall, a DVD to buy: one of '98's best films with tons of extras to boot. Swell.

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Pleasantville is like a colorized movie version of Twilight Zone. A modern day boy (Toby McGuire) dreams of going back to the innocent days of the 1950s. When he gets his wish via a magical stranger played by Don Knotts, he and his sister Reese Witherspoon steps into a black and white world of Pleasantville, a town stucked in the 1950s. As the town's innocence is wiped away with the introduction of books and knowledge, color replaces the black and white starkness of the town and its people. Beautifully acted and filmed, this movie has heart and a brain.

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O.K. I'll to try to help people get the most out of this movie.

First, I recommend you wait to see this movie until you're atleast 18 years old. And, no, I'm not saying that this movie should be rated 'R'. I just think you have to have a certain amount of education under your belt, and be contemplating life in general, to fully embrace this film.

Now, regarding what the movie is about...

It's about two siblings who have different views of what the perfect world should be--neither of which is totally correct. Despite the title, I don't think the movie is about the town of Pleasantville. Sure, almost everything we see happens there, and there are plenty of scenes that don't show either David or Jennifer (the two kids); but, I think that the town is there more as a learning device for the kids, and as a reminder to us, the audience, of our real-world history. You have to keep in mind that this movie is partly a comedy. If you get bogged down trying to figure out what everything is a metaphor for, you may miss a laugh, because most of the time there are only partial metaphors. Pleasantville doesn't represent 1950's America. (They actually did have toilets and "real rain" back then.) It's a fake world that David thought would be a great place to live in. Unfortunately, a world where nothing bad ever happens just doesn't exist (when real people are involved). David, himself, helped mess up his perfect world just by being late for work once. Jennifer, on the other hand, is upset that she's been unwillingly thrown into this world that is far from her ideal one; so, she does her best to try to change Pleasantville into what she wants.

The following are my comments on what other reviewers have said:

--Unlike what some reviewers have said, it seems like both liberal and conservative views are expressed here; and in the end, neither one is found to be always better than the other. Sometimes, change is forced on us even when nobody wants it (e.g., natural disasters). Either you find a way to deal with the change, possibly learn from it, and move forward; or, you can spend the rest of your life wishing for the olden days, feeling miserable, because you know they will never return.

--Whoever brought up Nazis in relation to this movie must have been watching something quite different from what I was. Religious freedom and sexual orientation are two subjects that this movie never even tried to touch on. And, the most physical harm that I can remember seeing in this film, was one guy with a bloody lip. Or, if you're referring to the book burning, it's not like the Nazis are the only ones who have tried to remove certain literature from society.

--Anyone who said this movie promotes sexual promiscuity wasn't watching closely enough. In fact, they must have completely ignored everything that went on with Jennifer in the second half of the movie. David and Jennifer even talked about how becoming colored couldn't just be about sex. However, I do wish that sex hadn't been used as frequently as it was, and probably shouldn't have been, if they really wanted this to be a family-friendly film.

--This story was also NOT an allegory for the Garden of Eden. The garden was made reference to a couple of times, but it certainly is not what the movie is all about. Especially with the Don Knotts part, I can't understand why anyone would seriously think that the TV repairman was supposed to represent God in anything but the loosest sense. That character was there almost solely for humor. The citizens of Pleasantville never make any mention of any religion at all. So, how anyone can say that this movie is an attack on their religion is mind-boggling to me.

If Gary Ross is guilty of anything, it might be too much ambition. But this story worked for me on all levels. I enjoyed the serious parts and the silly parts. And I hope I can continue to live in color.

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Sling Blade / Monsters Ball (2013)

I purchased this DVD blue ray because these are two of my favorite movies and to be able to get both of these movies on one DVD was what I thought a great bargain. The price was very affordable also!

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Midway (1976)

I saw the movie play in a theatre and I was greatly impressed.

I still enjoy the movie BUT! at the same time I am disappointed.

When it was released first on VHS and now on DVD I was greatly disappointed to see how much film footage has been cut out from the original theatrical release.

In its original release MIDWAY ran for almost 2 hours 45 minutes.

On VHS and DVD it runs for 2 hours 10 minutes. What happened to all the othe extra scenes???

Where is the Battle of the Coral Sea which was shown in the original movie?

Furthermore they cut out the surround sound and made it Mono.

It is ridiculous that the have a Special Feature on Surround Sound, but the DVD was made in Mono sound.

And they call this DVD a Special Collector's Edition???

Come on Universal give us the full extended theatrical release along with 5.1 Surround Sound.

Looks like they forgot to include the other hour and fifty minutes of the COLLECTORS EDITION !The sound is mono...yes mono!They forgot the movie portrays history!They also forgot that this is cinematic history as well.For years,I enjoyed watching this movie with my dad and brothers.It was one of the few subjects my dad and I could talk about for hours.Universal has short changed everyone looking to buy the four hour version.I hope they see the error of their ways by the poor sales of this version and begin to re-store the long sought after four hour version on dvd....they owe it to the veterans(of which,I am one),and history buffs.

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Why won't someone put out a complete version of this movie on DVD or even VHS. It is a much better movie when complete and you almost never see it that way. TNT seems to be the only one who shows it that way and they almost never do so, TBS and TCM also show it but in various cut down versions. If the people who put these DVDs and VHSs out are so fond of the cut down version, why not release a two DVD set with the cut and complete versions on it so us werdos who like to watch complete movies can get our fix.

Read Best Reviews of Midway (1976) Here

I have seen "Midway" countless times, and find it impressive for many reasons: The many scenes that contain original war footage, the fabulous cast, and the degree of historical accuracy, which is exceptional for a Hollywood epic.

Some of the WWII footage is riveting, and is edited to blend in well with the 1976 cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr., which is also marvelous; a good score by John Williams also adds to the atmosphere, though mostly we hear the sounds that would have been heard at the time...the roar of the sea, the wind, and the exploding bombs.

Many of the fascinating figures of history are represented well, and a few brilliantly, like Hal Holbrook as Commander Joseph Rochefort, the man who intercepted and broke the codes. Holbrook's portrayal is much like the real man, who working many times 20 hour shifts in a bunker, was a little scruffy, and had crucial information that was an essential part of the battle plans.

Henry Fonda is great as Admiral Chester Nimitz, and other big stars include Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum, Toshiro Mifune, James Coburn, Cliff Robertson and Robert Wagner. I love the way the battle is planed like a chess game by both American and Japanese leaders, moving little "boats" around on a big map, each side trying to outwit the other. It also lays out the basics of the battle and makes it fairly understandable for the non-military person.

Charlton Heston is terrific as Captain Matthew Garth, the fictional character in the script, who has to deal with his son (Edward Albert), in love with a Japanese-American girl (Christina Kokubo), who has been interned with her parents. This little bit of "romance" I imagine was included in the film to round out the "human interest", and though I could have lived without this non-historical addition, it is peripheral to the action.

Admiral Nimitz said that the Battle of Midway was "The battle that made everything else possible", and this film is an excellent way to get a feel for the momentous events of that time, with its heroism, tragedy, extraordinary battle tactics, and men who changed the course of history.

Total running time is 132 minutes.

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Having read that the "Collectors' Edition" DVD would include footage omitted from the theatrical release, I assumed that Universal Studios had finally awoken, smelled the coffee, and included the 30 minutes or so of footage of the Battle of the Coral Sea that one can see when one watches the television version of this film. No such luck. Instead, the studio compounds the mistake it made when it included the goofy and anachronistic "son's fiance" sub-plot by adding not the Coral Sea footage, but two utterly goofy and superfluous domestic scenes with C. Heston and his wife before he leaves for work. Who does Universal thinks watches this type of movie, anyway? If Universal wants to tap into the latent market for DVDs of this film (and in its full version, sans fiance, this IS a good film), they should do the obvious: 1) include in its entirety all the missing footage of the Battle of the Coral Sea (an important context for what follows), and 2) relegate to the status of out-takes all the scenes involving the son's fiance -they don't ring true in the context of the film, and most people who like the rest of the movie delete them out of hand. There IS a market for a true "collectors' edition" of this film -but this isn't it! Bring on the Coral Sea footage, drop the silly "son's fiance" subplot, and give us the DVD that many of us can't wait to buy but can only find at present on TV! Until the studio gets the message, I'd hold off on buying this release and stick to watching the complete film whenever it comes on TV.

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Rio Lobo (1970)

Rio Lobo is a good John Wayne western that borrows from several of his previous movies. The story is about a Union colonel trying to find out who the traitor was in his unit that sold information about gold shipments to Confederate guerillas. Along the way he helps a town escape the wrath of a rich landowner and a corrupt sheriff. The story may seem similar, but this still is a very entertaining movie. What John Wayne movie isn't? The story blends action and story together in this exciting western.

The Duke is great once again as Cord McNally, the Union colonel in pursuit of traitors. Jorge Rivero is awkward as Pierre "Frenchy" Cordona, the Confederate guerilla who helps Wayne. I don't know whether it is actually Rivero talking or someone dubbing his lines in, but it just sounds funny. Joining them are Jennifer O'Neill, Christopher Mitchum, Jack Elam, and Victor French. Elam is great as usual in his role as the eccentric old man in the town. The DVD has a good widescreen presentation that looks cleaned up compared to the one shown on TBS. Otherwise, there isn't any extras added on. This was Howard Hawks last western, and he made a good one. Good story and exciting action. Deserves a watch if nothing else for those who haven't seen this late Duke western!

This movie is hardcore John Wayne at his finest, and terribly authentic. The movie begins with Union Colonel Wayne nervous (with good reason) about a gold shipment during the latter stages of the civil war. He is only nervous about sending it through territory where he knows the famous 1st Louisiana Cavalry is lurking. What follows is absolutely the greatest train robbery in movie history in my opinion. You are left breathless when the hornet nest is sent flying into the boxcar holding the gold. Then John Wayne picks up the chase. Great photography, and it posesses all the ear marks of a Wayne-Hawks western. The plot later in the movie follows along the same lines as previous Wayne-Hawks classics "Rio Bravo" and "Eldorado". Do yourself a favor and add this one to your western collection.

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By 1970, John Wayne had his Oscar in his pocket and Rio Lobo on some inspection looks like just a lot of good, clean fun he and the cast decided to have, with no particular regard for making cinematic history. The plot rambles and has some implausabilities-like why does the Duke, who plays a Yankee, go home to Blackthorne, Texas? And Jorge Rivero as a Confederate officer takes some getting used to. Same thing, different reason, with Jennifer O'Neill. She seems too contemporary for a historic setting and her acting is questionable. However, by dogies, she is just so beautiful (and one of the hottest actresses in demand in the early 70's) that she can be forgiven for any dramatic failings.

One of the strengths of the film is the Duke's self-deprecating humor is in fine display, and so is John Wayne himself. Chisum, which was made about this time, is a better film in my estimation, but Mr. Wayne is practically relegated to a supporting player in it. In Rio Lobo he is in almost every scene and that alone makes it a pleasure to watch. Jack Elam hams it up and David Huddleston adds a nice touch of comedy. Trivia buffs will enjoy Sherri Lansing (future studio head) in the near buff and George Plimpton, fresh off his Paper Tiger days, getting a bit role as a short-lived bad guy.

As for improving the movie, it suffers because the death of the lieutenant, which is the main motivating force for Wayne's character to go after the bad guys, is little seen by the audience. We need to connect with this guy so we feel strongly that justice must be done. This character should have been played by a well-known actor in a cameo role. An obvious choice would have been Patrick Wayne. Then the audience would know the character even though their presence onscreen is brief and make a stronger emotional connection with them. Another thing is the sheriff of Rio Lobo is supposed to be a really mean hombre, but we don't have enough scenes with him to establish this. At the very least, a scene should be added where he brutally questions the Sherri Lansing character and scars her. It wouldn't have to be graphic-just enough to once again emotionally connect with the audience.

Mr. Wayne's DVDs are not getting the attention that his fans deserve! George Plimpton had a television special on making Rio Lobo-this should be an extra included. And, my gosh, The Alamo had 500,000 feet of film shot-some by John Ford. What do we get in bonus material? ZIP! NADA! JACKSQUAT! C'mon Hollywood, this is THE most important film actor of the 20th Century! Get off yer duffs and find this stuff. This is HISTORY!

Read Best Reviews of Rio Lobo (1970) Here

Not that it's bad, of course. Fans of the Duke will want to add "Rio Lobo" to their collection because it's classic John Wayne stuff. This time, the Duke is a Yankee Colonel who attempts to track down a pair of Union traitors responsible for the theft of Union gold shipments during the Civil Was and ultimately, the death of a Yankee Lieutenant who was like a son to Wayne's character in the movie. Along the way, he is aided by a pair of Rebs (Jorge Rivero and Chris Mitchum) and beautiful Jennifer O'Neill. The quartet find themselves facing overwhelming odds (don't they always?) as they attempt to get the bad guy, while at the same time helping the oppressed citizens of Rio Lobo.

Director Howard Hawks sticks to his tried-and-true (and successful) formula and puts together a fast-moving, action-filled film. OK, so the acting (especially poor Jennifer O'Neill) is stilted, but viewers of this film didn't go to it (or get the DVD) because they were looking for Oscar calibre' performances.

It's pure Duke with copious amounts of gunfire, self-depreciating humor and great Western scenery. The film score ranks with some of the best work done by Jerry Goldsmith. Hawks uses his patented clipped dialogue to keep the plot moving. The supporting cast, including Victor French, Mike Henry, David Huddleston and Western veterans Jim Davis and Jack Elam, are great components to the film.

If you enjoyed any of the aforementioned Duke classics, then you'll enjoy "Rio Lobo"

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The first part of this western is relatively unique; the second part is commonplace in John Wayne movies. The latter contains such themes as shootouts between posses of good and bad guys, a trade of kidnapped men (the bad guys' boss for Frenchie), and heavy drinking. In fact, McNally (Wayne) has this comment about a drink: "Boy, this stuff ain't for the young!"

The train robbery is creatively portrayed. A group of Confederate guerillas, evidently tipped off about a transport of gold, tap-in into a telegraph wire, and thereby correctly infer which train is going to carry the gold. Then they set up a trap: They grease a section of railway so that the targeted train will stall for lack of traction. Once this happens, they come out of hiding and ambush the train. They throw a bag of bees into a train compartment in order to put the men inside out of action and to force them to jump out of the train. Finally, they detach the gold-bearing wagon from the rest of the train, and steer it to a prearranged place where it can be ground to a halt and stripped of its gold-bearing chest.

Those who feel that westerns ignore women or always place them in passive roles will like this film. There are two women who are good with guns, and who put them to use when the men won't do their jobs to secure justice for them. One of the men gives a form of respect to one of these women: "She's got legs and she can shoot!"

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Rambo: The Complete Collector's Set (2010)

I won't waste time with critiques of all 4 Rambo films. Chances are that anyone visiting this page likes these movies enough to want to own them on DVD, so my opinion is inconsequential. But, since there have been two Rambo collection DVD sets over the years, whether or not to purchase this set can be somewhat of a dilemma for fans. Artisan originally released all 3 movies in a Rambo Trilogy Special Edition DVD Collection back in 2002. This was an incredible set put together as nothing short of a labor of love. Not only were the movies digitally re-mastered, but the set came with a plethora of special features including commentaries, documentaries, and trailers, most of which were included in a bonus 4th disc. Another great addition was the last on-screen interview with the late, great Richard Crenna discussing his years as Colonel Trautman for the documentaries.

In 2004, Artisan released the Rambo Trilogy Ultimate Edition DVD Collection after the Special Edition DVD set went out of print. The Ultimate set was mainly a waste of money for many Rambo fans, as most of the great Special Edition DVD features did not carry over. Instead, the 'Special Operations' interactive features were offered up as a poor substitute. The only notable inclusion to this set was found on the 'First Blood' DVD, which featured the alternate ending and a commentary track by Stallone. Then, there is the Lionsgate 2008 Complete Rambo Collection DVD set featuring all 4 movies. This set carries over most of the bonus features from both of the previous collections, although the advertised 'First Blood' commentary with author David Morrell from the Special Edition is erroneously missing. The individual movies are identical to the Ultimate Edition set but the bonus disc from the Special Edition set is also included, along with a few featurettes found only on the individual Special Edition movies. Here are the specs:

First Blood: Ultimate Edition

Audio commentary with Sylvester Stallone

Alternate Ending

Interactive Military Special Operations FeaturesSurvival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap

Rambo First Blood Part II: Ultimate Edition

Audio commentary with director George P. Cosmatos

Interactive Military Special Operations FeaturesSurvival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap

Rambo III: Ultimate Edition

Audio commentary with director Peter MacDonald

Deleted Scenes

Interactive Military Special Operations FeaturesSurvival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap

Rambo: 2-Disc Special Edition

Audio commentary by Sylvester Stallone

Deleted Scenes

"Legacy of Despair: The Struggle in Burma" featurette

"It's a Long Road: Resurrection of an Icon" featurette

"A Score to Settle: The Music of Rambo" featurette

"The Art of War: Completing Rambo" featurette

"The Weaponry of Rambo" featurette

"A Hero's Welcome: Release & Reaction" featurette

Digital Copy of the feature film

Bonus Disc

"The Real Nam: Voices from Within" featurette

"Guts and Glory" featurette

"The Forging of Heroes: America's Green Berets" featurette

"Rambo-nomics" featurette

"Selling a Hero" featurette

"Suiting Up" featurette

"An American Hero's Journey: The Rambo Trilogy" featurette

"Drawing First Blood" featurette

"We Get to Win This Time" featurette

"Afghanistan: Land in Crisis" featurette

Theatrical Trailers for all 4 Films

To recap, this DVD set is probably best suited for those fans who don't own either of the previous DVD collections. Those who have the Special Edition DVD set are probably better off buying the individual release of the last Rambo film. Those who own the Ultimate Edition DVD set might want to consider upgrading if the features on the bonus disc sound appealing. Further compounding matters is the 2010 Rambo: The Complete Collector's Set (Blu-Ray) edition, which reinstates the David Morrell 'First Blood' commentary but has many of the featurettes found on the DVD set's bonus disc inexplicably omitted. Whatever set one decides to purchase, the constant re-release of the Rambo movies, although frustrating to many, can also be seen as a testament to the enduring legacy of a pop cultural icon that refuses to die.

I love the Rambo movies but I have to address something about this new so called "Complete" set coming out on July 27. This new Rambo The Complete Collector's Set on Blu-ray Disc appears to just be the 4 movies that are out now on blu-ray put into one package. You can actually go ahead and buy the four movies on blu-ray and get everything that is included in this set only in single cases instead of waiting for this green box or 4 disc case or whatever it is exactly. I really doubt it will be a metal tin case like the Complete Collector's Set that came out on DVD a few years back.

Also to be labeled as "Complete" there are a few very obvious things missing.

First off, the biggest and most obvious omission is the new Rambo Extended Cut that is being released on Blu-ray on its own the exact same day as this set. That's right, a whole new version of the fourth movie with 90 minutes of new extra features and it's being left out. Why it was not included in this "Complete" set makes absolutely no sense to me at all.

The second big omission is a bonus disc including all of the extra features and documentaries that were available on a bonus disc first in the Special Edition Trilogy set and then the DVD version of the Complete Collector's Set a couple of years ago. There are nearly 2 hours of documentaries and featurettes about the original 3 movies that are not on the blu-ray discs out now. Wouldn't this have been a perfect opportunity to press a new bonus blu-ray disc with all these features and include it with this set?

The third thing missing from this set and, although not nearly as important as the first two, should still have been included is the deleted scenes from Rambo III. For some reason Lionsgate left them off of the Rambo III blu-ray. Since the July 27 Complete Collector's set appears to just have the same blu-ray of Rambo III out now don't look for it to have those deleted scenes.

Now back to that bonus disc I was talking about above; That's why a new bonus disc needs to be made so it can include them. The one made for the DVD set a few years back won't work as those scenes are not on it either so you can't just throw it in with this set. Not to mention the Teaser Trailers for the original 3 movies from the Special Editions and two featurettes "First Blood: A Look Back" and "Rambo III: Full Circle" found on the Special Edition Trilogy bonus disc but not on the DVD version of the Complete Collector's Set bonus disc. They may just be a montage of clips from the movies set to music but since Lionsgate owns them how hard would it be to include them as well?

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The Rambo series will forever be classics in film. Simply put, this boxed set is not only a must have for the Rambo fan, rather anyone who enjoys great flicks! This set includes all 4 installments in the Rambo series and packs quite the punch on each disk.

The Good: Includes First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, and Rambo. All updated in HD and looking amazing. Sound is awesome in surround sound and seems cleaned up over the dvd boxed set. Plenty of bonus features to dive into as well. Awesome packaging keeps the case thin and compact unlike some other sets that feel the need to take up "book-sized" space on your shelf.

The Bad: Only thing I don't like is that the version of Rambo(2008) included is simply disc one of the collectors edition. If like me, you like your bonus features you may want to grab the Rambo Trilogy [Blu Ray] instead and opt for the 2 disc version of Rambo.

Other than that, this has been one of my favorite acquisitions of late and I more than recommend it to anyone!!

Read Best Reviews of Rambo: The Complete Collector's Set (2010) Here

Just bought this collection! It's awesome. Very clean looking design.

This collection is for any Rambo fan!

The new movie "Rambo" is awesome. Like other reviewers mention, it is very realistic. The movie takes place in Burma, where events depicted in the movie are happening daily.

The collection includes Rambo 1,2, 3 and 4. Plus a digital copy of the new Rambo and a special features disc.

This is the ultimate Rambo collection for your DVD library!

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I really like this collectors set, the dvds come in a metal box that has some really nice graphics. The extra features are also quite good and the quality of the movies is also very good. The reason I give it 3 stars is that the first 3 movies have no subtitle options I live with someone that has hearing problems and well with no subtitles we have to crank up the volume a bit so we can both enjoy the movies.

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X-Men: The Complete Collection (X-Men / X2: X-Men United / X-Men: The Last Stand / X-Men Origins: W

This is a bundle of five X-Men movies. Please note that this is not a box set, it is just the five movies sold together each movie comes in its own separate blu-ray case. Video/audio quality varies by disc, but is generally excellent; these discs also include a variety of special features that take you behind the scenes of the making of the movies.

The X-Men movies hold and important place in film history; the first film in the series is often credited as the film that launched the golden age of comic book superheroes on film. Both the original X-Men and it's sequel, X2: X-Men United, are well regarded among audiences. The final film in the trilogy, X-Men: The Last Stand, is not nearly as good as its predecessors but it's still a fun movie with great action sequences.

Also included in the bundle is the spin-off titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which looks at the early days of Logan (perhaps the most popular character in the franchise). And finally, X-Men: First Class is a prequel which examines the history between Professor Charles Xavier and his friend (turned adversary) Magneto.

My own opinion is that the X-Men films are not quite on the level of Nolan's Batman trilogy or Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. However, these movies are very entertaining, and there are interesting themes related to society's acceptance/rejection of the mutants that parallel our own problems. In terms of technical achievement, I would single out the costume design and the makeup work as top-notch.

If you've never seen the X-Men films, or if you're a fan but have yet to buy them, then this Complete Collection on blu-ray is the perfect set for you and comes highly recommended.

Here are the links to the individual releases:

X-Men [Blu-ray]

X2: X-Men United [Blu-ray]

X-Men The Last Stand [Blu-ray]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

X-Men: First Class (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

(Amazon's prices constantly change, and in some cases it may actually be cheaper to buy the titles individually)

Note: I have two Blue-ray/ DVD players. One is "Region A or 1" (the norm in the US) and the other is "Region Free" so that I can play anything I want in it (including Region A's or 1's). My Panasonic "Region Free" is only about a year old.

These Blue-ray disks has great a picture & sound. How good the movie is I leave up to each person. However, I do have a WARNING for everyone.

I just discovered that some of the "Region A or 1" Blue-ray disks that I bought on "Amazon" will not play in my "Region Free" player. But they play just fine in "Region A or 1" player.

Most of the disks that will not play in my "Region Free" player will display a "Fox" back ground with a message that reads [This disc has been coded for Region A only and will not play in this machine. Please eject this disc and play on a Region A player.] on the screen after you insert the disk. The others that will not play in "Region Free" player have different backgrounds with a similar massage.

*****Four of these five Blue-ray disks happen to have this problem!

Only "X-Men Origins: Wolverine would play in both players.

Since I have one of each this is not a problem for me, but I thought it would be useful to know for those who might only have a "Region Free" player.

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I just bought the X-Men Trilogy boxed set, X-Men First Class, and X-Men Origins Wolverine on Blu Ray individually and it only cost $55.47. You're paying $12 extra for this set, and it doesn't even come with a nice box for the main trilogy.

Read Best Reviews of X-Men: The Complete Collection (X-Men / X2: X-Men United / X-Men: The Last Stand / X-Men Origins: W Here

These movies are very very good. I got them a very good price. So much better in HD. I have watched them several times. I highly recommend buying this on Blu-ray you can't go wrong.

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Love the Blueray disks for HD quality and clarity. Could there be any more X-Men/Women in the near future? Hope so.......

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The Getaway (1972) (2007)

This film has it all, and I cannot understand those who say it hasn't aged well. It's a great bank robbery film. It's a great prison film. It's a great chase film. It's a great love story. It fires on all cylinders. The depth and complexity of the story and the performances are peerless. It's a sprawling tale over several days, with many important and complex characters, all of whom you feel you know with some depth. Even the small roles are standouts, including Ben Johnson as the crooked sherriff, and Dub Taylor in what should have been a throwaway piece playing a hotel clerk. The only weak spot for me over the years is Ali McGraw who, although beautiful and believable, seems to be playing it so minimalist that she becomes nearly transparent. But that's a small nit to pick her by-play with McQueen is spot on. When I saw it for the first time the first thought that came into my mind was "these kids really look and act MARRIED..." which is a tough bit of business to play. Their violent love for one another is the undercurrent here, their desire to simply be left alone, to make it in life, to get away from their problems.

The artistry is in the details, in the small brush strokes the way McQueen holds and uses his .45 automatic are perfect. He is definitely more than just another actor handed a pistol and said "Here, hold this..." Slim Pickens has a tiny gem of a role at the end and in a few brief sentences we learn volumes about his sweet, sad life, and cheer his good fortune for running into our heroes. The Sherriff's flunky sidekicks provide some honest humor, all big cowboy hats and beer guts crammed into a Cadillac convertible.

McQueen was such an artist, and this is a real masterpiece of his almost haiku way of acting. He's the master of the small gesture, the subtle glance, the deadpan line that just turns you cold inside. What a shame he left us so soon. The Getaway stands as a real testament to his genius.

Unpredictable, volatile, abrasive, and the only man Charlton Heston ever threaten on a set of a movie (Major Dundee)...I'm talking about `Bloody' Sam Peckinpah...love him or hate him, the man knew how to tell a story, one that could entertain not only the average film patron with loads of action and violence, but also the haughty, oft-times snobby film critics with his thoughtful and insightful characterizations...actually, I think these same, snobby critics actually got off secretly on being able to enjoy the more visceral elements of his films while still being able to tout them on a cerebral level...like a guilty pleasure without the guilt. But that's not to say Peckinpah's films were always critically accepted...I know his film Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) took a beating, but I enjoyed the hell out of it, in all its glorious dirty, sweaty, dust-caked, fly-ridden seediness...based on a novel by Jim Thompson (The Grifters) and adapted for the screen by Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs.), The Getaway (1972) stars Steve McQueen (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape), the man many believe to be the penultimate in machismo and cool, on and off the screen. Co-starring with McQueen is the very beautiful Ali MacGraw (Love Story, Convoy), who became so enamored with her co-star she actually left her husband at the time, movie producer Robert Evans, to be with McQueen, and thus gave up the opportunity to star in several high profile films like Chinatown (1974) and The Great Gatsby (1974)...yes, the lure of the McQueen is a strong one...also appearing is Peckinpah favorite Ben Johnson (Major Dundee, The Wild Bunch, Junior Bonner), quintessential heavy Al Lettieri (The Godfather, Mr Majestyk), Sally Struthers (Five Easy Pieces), whose most recent work include the tearful pleas to feed the starving children (which would probably be a lot more effective if she wasn't so heavyset...there I said it), Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles), Richard Bright (The Godfather), `Rub a Dub' Dub Taylor (The Wild Bunch), Jack `Howard Sprague' Dodson ("The Andy Griffith Show"), and Bo 'Knows' Hopkins (The Wild Bunch, White Lightning).

The film begins with scenes of a Texas prison, focusing on one inmate in particular, that of Carter 'Doc' McCoy (McQueen), who's in his fourth year a ten-year stretch for bank robbery. After being denied parole, Doc agrees to cut a deal with a politically powerful and corrupt individual named Jack Beynon (Johnson), who just happens to also be a member of the parole board (that's convenient). The deal involves, on being released from prison, that McCoy pull a bank job for Beynon, which he does, and while McCoy's meticulous planning nets the robbers a large amount of cash, things quickly fall apart as there's a couple of jokers in the deck (one of them being one of the men McCoy got saddled with by Beynon), and the double cross is in, but McCoy isn't going down without a struggle, and he's certainly not going back to the joint. Now McCoy and his wife Carol (MacGraw) must make their way to El Paso with the money, avoiding capture by the authorities (by this time McCoy's face is plastered all over the news), Beynon's trigger-happy goons, and one of the aforementioned jokers, all in a effort to make it safely across the border into Mexico.

While not my favorite Peckinpah film (I've always been partial to The Wild Bunch), The Getaway is still an excellent film with strong themes and just an all around entertaining story, assisted by superior cast. One thing I've noticed about Peckinpah is his ability to relate important aspects of story through visual means, carefully crafted shots and sequences, and make it look easy. A perfect example in this movie is the opening sequences with McQueen's character in prison. We learn much about him, and feel a sense of the frustration and oppressive nature of his incarceration on his mental well-being to where desperation finally pushes him to the point of doing something he would normally wouldn't in that of working for Beynon. Of course, this wouldn't have worked as well with out McQueen playing the role, as his presence is the strong point throughout the film. I've heard some comment of MacGraw's acting abilities (or lack of), but I think this was just a case of having to share the screen with McQueen, and who could complete with that? Not many...I think she did really well, avoiding some over dramatic pitfalls others would have succumbed to in the role...and then there's supporting cast and the sense they were truly hand picked for their roles, providing, complex, distinctive, and believable characters. I've also heard complaints about how the story drags at certain points, and the action sequences uneven and too short, but I'd disagree. I thought the strength was in the quiet moments before the storm, the pacing intentional, to allow for the audience to develop an understanding of the characters and see them not as two-dimensional constructs but living, breathing individuals willing to do what they have in order to get what they want...to me, the action sequences, while certainly a draw for me to this film, were a part of a much larger piece. There were a couple of really interesting aspects about this movie for me, one being that while Peckinpah's trademark usage of slow motions shots during the violent sequences is present, it seemed a little toned down from some of his other films, but that wasn't a bad thing. The 2nd aspect was the sort of upbeat ending, which was a real departure given that many of Peckinpah's films are permeated with fatalistic characters draw down inevitable paths of self-destruction. Some scenes to watch for...Steve McQueen going to town with a shotgun...oh yeah, kiss that squad car good-bye (quite a few cars were killed in the making of this film)...Steve McQueen slugging Sally Struthers in the mouth...hey, you can't have a Peckinpah film without a little misogyny, and while I would never advocate the use of violence against a woman, I doubt there'd be few who wouldn't agree that her highly annoying (and fairly sleazy) character was somewhat deserving...all in all this is a great film (much better than the 1994 Kim Bassinger/Alec Baldwin remake, in my opinion), with an exceptional script, acting, and direction, one that entertained me throughout, and reaffirms my belief of the possibilities of the cinema when in the hands of people who know (or knew) what they're doing...

The picture, presented in widescreen anamorphic (2.40:1), enhanced for 16 X 9 televisions, looks sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital 1.0 audio comes through very well. The `Deluxe Edition', which is the one I have, has a few extra features in that of a commentary track with producer Nick Redman, and Peckinpah biographers/historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, and David Weddle. Also included is an original theatrical trailer, along with a `virtual' audio commentary track with Sam Peckinpah, Steve McQueen, and Ali MacGraw that consists of 1972 audio interview material from the three, spliced together and played over the film.

Cookieman108

Buy The Getaway (1972) (2007) Now

Sorry, I couldn't resist the title.

Most people think Bullett is Steve McQueen's best. I think The Getaway is much better. Well, no accounting for tastes, is there?

The Getaway is a gritty, realistic view of 'Doc' McCoy (Steve McQueen) as a professional bank robber. Released early from prison by virtue (or lack thereof) his wife, Carol (Ali McGraw), Doc immediately plans another hold up as part of the conditions of his release. During the course of events he meets several unsavory charactors who seem intent on his destruction. The highlight of the film is a shoot out in a southwestern hotel with machinegun toting gangsters and a vengeful Rudy (former bank job partner and all around not-nice guy). Steve is trying to make his getaway using a 12 guage as the door. The movie is directed by Sam Peckinpah -need I say more?

The movie is low key, as Steve tends to be, but packs a punch in its realism. This could actually happen, one thinks. Several small plots underlie the main one of a getaway into Mexico w/ the stolen money. Steve turns in a outstanding performance as the anti-hero and has you cheering each time he eludes his pursuers once again.

Certainly a good evenings entertainment and well worth the investment if you collect movies (if you don't, just rent it from the local Blockbuster). This might be a bit violent for younger kids, but teens should take to it just fine.

--Highly Recommended--

~P~

Read Best Reviews of The Getaway (1972) (2007) Here

Written by Walter Hill, Directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Steve McQueen! A winning combination if ever there was one! With a supporting cast, including Ally MacGraw, Sally Struthers, Dub Taylor , Slim Pickens (in a great role) and Ben Johnson, this is one class A piece of classic entertainment !

What else do you need to know to decide whether or not you want to purchase this movie on Blu Ray?

How about some info on the transfer itself to help you out?

A very large step up from previous home video releases , The Getaway (1972) comes to Blu Ray in style. Easily one of the best 1970's Blu Ray transfers I have seen. For the most part it is a solid 4 out of five stars all the way on image quality. A few scenes are a bit soft looking, a couple of stock footage shots, notable a train going by, are grainy and lousy looking (a couple of seconds is all they last) and maybe 3 times there is a slightly fuzzy looking shot that lasts all of a few moments. Otherwise this transfer is sharp, clear and with vibrant Technicolor images and "Normal" color timing that lets everything look just as it should instead of today's "Make everything look Teal tinted" or worse. The colors look "right" to me and that is a huge plus. Presented on a BD50 disc with a decent average bit rate and a VC-1 encode, The Getaway is shown in it's original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1 which helps complete the theatrical viewing experience. (bars on top and bottom of your screen)

Unfortunately the sound is presented in only Dolby Digital and not DTS HD Master Audio or Dolby Tru HD , but the MONO track remains faithful to the original and I never had a problem with it. Most films were NOT mixed in stereo back then and I can only guess the original separate "stems" of this movie , the dialogue, effects, foley and music were just not available to remix into even a stereo track, let alone a 5.1 remix. You won't miss what you have never heard to begin with and for a mono mix it is just fine. It never once detracted from my enjoyment of the film and with today's modern surround amps and center channels I am quite sure it pretty much sounds just as good if not better than it did in the theater if your system is a mid priced or better set-up.

A nice selection of Bonus Features (for those who are interested) round out this package. They include two sets of commentary tracks , an isolated score track featuring music from the original composer Jerry Fielding (Quincy Jones did the score you hear in the released version) plus the bank robbery scene with the alternate score intact and a 30 minute documentary. Not bad at all.

This film is a gold mine of entertainment for all Steve McQueen fans and action movie fans alike. There is a very good reason Steve McQueen is still to this day referred to as "The King of Cool" and The Getaway goes a long way towards showing us why. Highly Recommended with no hesitation!

Want The Getaway (1972) (2007) Discount?

The Getaway is a good action movie that pairs Steve McQueen and director Sam Peckinpah for the first time. Bank robber Doc McCoy is released from prison with the help of a crooked politician with one catch. He must rob a bank and split what he takes with him. The bank heist goes wrong when one of McCoy's partners shoots a bank guard. Soon after, McCoy learns that his wife slept with the politician to get him out early from prison. From here on in it is a mad dash for Mexico with all the stolen money while the politician's henchmen and the police are in hot pursuit as well as another one of McCoy's partners. This is a very realistic movie that shows it like it is. The short introduction in prison, the bank heist, the chase through Texas, and the final shootout in a seedy hotel all have a very gritty feel to them that adds the sense of realism in the film. Also, the showdown in the hotel is very well put together. What a surprise, Sam Peckinpah doing a good action scene.

Steve McQueen stars as bank robber Doc McCoy and is very good. Like many of his movies, he doesn't have to act much, he just has to be cool, and he doesn't disappoint here. Ali McGraw plays Doc's wife Carol. Many people think she is a bad actress, but I don't think she is that bad in this role. Ben Johnson stars as the crooked politician with alterior motives, and is his usual good self. The Getaway also stars Al Lettieri as McCoy's partner in hot pursuit, Bo Hopkins, Sally Struthers, Peckinpah regular Dub Taylor, and in a small but very good role as a down on his luck cowboy, Slim Pickens. The DVD offers widescreen and fullscreen presentation, a theatrical trailer, behind the scenes info, and Reel Recommendations. The Getaway is a very good movie with an excellent cast and good storyline. It is too bad McQueen and Peckinpah did not work together more often since The Getaway and Junior Bonner were such good films. Fans of McQueen will enjoy this gritty action movie. Go check out The Getaway!

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Planet of the Apes: 5-Film Collection (Standard, Non-Oversized Blu-ray Packaging w/Slipcover Case)

I have loved this series ever since I was a young boy who saw the original movie on TV. When the TV series came out, I was glued to the set for every episode, and then the cartoon series became a part of my regular Saturday morning viewing. This is one of the few movie franchises that I loved growing up that has not lost any of its charm with me now as an adult. I first bought the Limited Edition Evolution collection on DVD a few years ago, and followed up with my purchase of the Ultimate Collection that came enclosed in a bust of Caesar. When I first heard of the arrival of this series on Blu-ray, I thought they would simply transport the DVD versions I already owned onto a Blu-ray platter. BOY was I wrong!!!!!

I will not go into the details of the story line for this series, since so many have already done a great job at that. What I will focus on is the Blu-ray 40th Anniversary Collection.

I had seen pictures of the collection, and was very excited to get my own copy, but I had never actually seen a copy of it in the stores. Because of that, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with regarding the quality of the set. I had just recently been MAJORLY disappointed with Fox's horrible Blu-ray box set of the Omen series (another favorite of mine). The packaging for that set was one of the worst I have ever seen on any format. But I digress....this is not a review of the Omen set. Let's start with the outer box. It is of very sturdy construction with the spaceship on the cover in textured relief. The box serves what appears to be a hard bound book. You slide that out of the cover, and it opens to reveal a detailed timeline of the entire Ape film series. Each gatefold of the timeline then opens to reveal the discs which are attached to the backboard with these clear rubber hubs. I will admit that the hubs proved to be frustrating at first, because I could not get the discs back onto the hubs to secure them before closing the package. While this is my only complaint about the entire set, I found that instead of trying to force the discs straight down onto the hubs, it works MUCH better to place the disc on the hub and then give it a gentle twist which easily secures it. While I have some reservations about the choice to use these rubber hubs to hold the discs, I have to admit that it really does look great when the package is all together. The only other thing included in the package is a book that chronicles the entire film series. But wait....this is no typical listing of special features with a brief synopsis of each film. This book is a substantial 200 page overview of this timeless series. The production value of this book is top notch!!! It is the best I have ever seen in a movie set. What makes this book truly special, is that it was produced exclusively for this Blu-ray collection. You may browse the book with it still attached to the package, or you can easily slide it out to look at it on its own. All of the packaging for this set is constructed from very sturdy cardboard and it all works together to serve as an excellent means of presenting the true star of the set, the 5 Blu-ray discs that comprise the film series.

If you have ever had doubts about jumping into the Blu-ray high def pool, this set serves as an example for what this format is capable of. The wealth of information on the first disc alone is truly staggering!!! Not only does it include all of the special features that were included on the 2-disc DVD, it also adds some fantastic special features that are unique to the Blu-ray format. One of those features is the ability to watch the feature long documentary as it was originally presented or you may choose to watch it in Interactive Mode where you are presented with extra text and video features. You also get the Science of the Apes Bonusview which is a picture-in-picture feature that can be viewed while watching the first film. One of the other cool features was the ability to actually read newspapers which served as props in the original movie. You first get to see the paper as seen in the movie, then you use your remote to choose which article you would like to read. Finally the entire text of the article is presented in an easy to read text format. This may not be for everyone, but as a longtime fan, I enjoyed it. I could go on and on with all the special features of the 1st disc, but you can get that information elsewhere. While the first film does deservedly get the royal treatment with special features, Fox did not simply slap the previous DVD version of the other 4 films on a new format, and throw them together. It is amazing that Fox took the time to present these other 4 Ape films in what I consider the best video and audio I've ever experienced them in. Each film also gets its own documentary, while not as extensive as the original, each one is more than just a puff piece of each film. As a longtime fan, I have been dying to see some nice extra features for the other films in the franchise. In addition to some nice extra features, you also get the opportunity to watch "Conquest" and "Battle" in either the original theatrical version, or an expanded version. While there was an extended version of "Conquest" in the Ultimate Collection DVD set, this is the first time we have been given the opportunity to see the extended version of "Battle". It has been mentioned in previous releases, but it was thrilling for me to finally get to see it.

BOTTOM LINE: I will concede that the sound on these discs cannot compare to those of such blockbusters as Transformers or Iron Man, but if you are an Ape fan and have been looking for a definitive collection of the franchise, then I wholeheartedly recommend that you get this collection on Blu-ray. These films have never looked and sounded better, and I am thrilled with all of the extra features that are available for each film. This is hands down the greatest Blu-ray collection yet created, and I think it will stand the test of time as other studios follow suit. Even with the little complaint about the rubber hubs holding the discs, I have no reservations in recommending this to any Ape fan who has recently jumped into the Blu-ray pool of high definition movie viewing.

This set is wonderful! All 5 films plus a bonus documentary hosted by the late great Roddy McDowall, Behind The Planet Of The Apes is a 126 minute making of which shows the origins and the ideas that lead to the filming of the saga which began in 1967, thru the rest of the films 'til 1973 as well as the two television series (live action and animated) and the rereleasing of the films and marketing. But you have to buy this set soon because after the first 100,000 are sold, the next sets will not, I repeat, will not include the Behind The Planet Of The Apes documentary, which, to me, is the best special feature you get with these movies. The lowdown on the films is this: Planet Of The Apes is a classic. Trust me, if you don't like this one you won't like the rest. The ending is historic. Beneath The Planet Of The Apes is a good second effort. I just wish Charlton Heston would've starred in the entire picture instead of the beginning and ending. (note: the trailer for this film is different from the one given on the VHS version (you can still see parts of that one on the documentary)). Escape From The Planet Of The Apes is a very original installment which takes place in the past circa 1973. This one is lighter and more fun up until the end. Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes is the most underated of all the Apes films. This is the only ape film that recieved a PG rating for violence and deservedly so, but what makes this one unique is Roddy McDowell's understated performance as Ceaser, the ape who would lead his brothers and sisters to victory over the humans who have enslaved them. This is the darkest of the set and, to me, deserves better recognition. Battle For The Planet Of The Apes is a decent 5th installment. This film was made primarily for the kiddies, so, bearing that in mind you should know what to expect and even so, this film is still quite entertaining. None of these films were a boxoffice failure. They all made money. So go ape and grab this set, which includes the trailers for all 5 films, a photo gallery for the first 2 films and of course, the documentary, Behind The Planet Of The Apes. Don't dawdle, grab this set soon. You don't want to give up the documentary. It's a perfect companion to the rest of the films that gives you some great insight and will be highly collectable in the near future.

Buy Planet of the Apes: 5-Film Collection (Standard, Non-Oversized Blu-ray Packaging w/Slipcover Case) Now

This upgrade of the August 21, 2000, Fox "Evolution" APES boxed set is a significant improvement over that release. All of the films are now available in 16x9 anamorphic transfers, but more importantly each film has been remastered with improved picture and sound quality.

The first, and best, film PLANET OF THE APES (1968) is here actually a reissue of Disc 1 of the 2-Disc "35th Anniversary Edition" Fox released on February 3, 2004 (the extras-loaded 2nd disc has not been included in this set), with the same menu screens and sparse commentary tracks (thankfully one from the late, great Jerry Goldsmith), but it's a fine picture transfer of this important film, with the original 4-channel stereo soundtrack elements remixed in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, and sound is very good for recordings that are over thirty-five years old. (The DVD picture upgrade from Fox's original non-anamorphic one isn't perfect though, with some flicker and scratches visible. Hopefully Fox will do another improvement from archival restored elements before this title comes to High Definition DVD.)

The picture quality of the four sequels to the original SF classic have been vastly improved with these THX-mastered anamorphic transfers. The images on all are much brighter and sharper, with truer color fidelity, and just as importantly, their new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks feature much better stereo separation and directionality than the previous DVD release. (All the sequels were originally released theatrically in mono sound only.)

Still disappointing is the lack of extras for the sequels. No commentary tracks, little if any still and poster galleries. (There are Easter Eggs of behind-the-scenes footage on the discs for ESCAPE and CONQUEST, though, that have been lifted from the 2nd Disc of the Anniversary edition for the original.) The trailers for all of the films are still non-anamorphic, though, and that doesn't seem right. Could it be that Fox is holding off on such things until the inevitable High Definition DVD release, possibly in time for the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 original in 2008? Let's hope so.

Also disappointing here is the egregious cover art for each film, which I think is an effort to try and link these films to the ill-conceived 2001 "reimagining" of the franchise. Fox should have stuck with something based on the original theatrical ad and poster campaigns. This is usually what fans desire, but for some reason the people working for these home video companies don't seem to know it.

Finally, the disc of "Behind the Planet of the Apes," the 1998 documentary on the making of the APES franchise, has been included once again here. It's the exact same thing as found in the original DVD release with no enhancements. Clips from the films are still non-anamorphic. While this documentary was fine for its day, it's now nearly a decade old and should be retired. Hopefully it won't reappear in any future High Definition release (new making-of featurettes should be produced).

So, if you're an APES fan and care about seeing these films in the best possible quality -but don't care about paying over $100 for a "Collector's Head" -this "Legacy" boxed set is an excellent buy... that is, until HD and Blu-ray DVDs.

Read Best Reviews of Planet of the Apes: 5-Film Collection (Standard, Non-Oversized Blu-ray Packaging w/Slipcover Case) Here

A brilliant series that is captured perfectly on DVD.

However, there is one flaw: there are two scenes that appeared in the original 'director's cut' of Battle for the Planet of the Apes that were left off the DVD:

1. before the mutants leave to attack ape city, Governor Kolp shows Mendez and Alma the doomsday bomb, and instructs them to launch it at Ape City if he should not return.

2. at the end of the film, Mendez and Alma decide to not launch the bomb. instead, they worship it with Mendez as the leader.

These two scenes nicely round out the entire series, but were only shown in the TV version. Why Fox didn't include them in the film, or at least as special features, is beyond me.

It's unforgivable. That's why the series is only getting 3 stars.

Want Planet of the Apes: 5-Film Collection (Standard, Non-Oversized Blu-ray Packaging w/Slipcover Case) Discount?

A brilliant commentary on society, racism and even the Theory of Relativity. While none of the films are as fast-paced and fascinating as the original, all provide pleasure. Who would have thought Maurice Evans, Samantha's father on "Bewitched" would make such a perfect Dr. Zaius. And take note of Charleton Heston, a magnificent actor-turned shill for the NRA, showing his bare butt in the court scene. :)

Part 2, Beneath, seems like the end, but it's really the beginning. Get it? You will. Overall, it's a bit schlocky, but fun.

Part 3, Escape, comes close to the best story. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter are fun to watch as they return to the early 70s in Heston's original ship.

Part 4, Conquest , is a gritty and brutal episode mirroring the race and anti-war protests of the 1960s. Don Murray overacts to the gills. There was a much different ending that was cut from the film before it was released.

Only part 5, Battle, is somewhat of a turkey with poor production values and cheesy acting. Director John Huston plays "The Lawgiver." Roddy is good. So is veteran Lew Ayres.

The winner in the box set is the AMC documentary on the making of these films. Otherwise, the lack of exras would be a problem. The transfers are sadly not anamorphic, but they still rate about a 3 out of 5.

Tim Burton will make a terrific-looking version of Planet, but no way will it have the multiple layers of the original. Most of his films don't seem too coherent.

Like Dune and Lord of the Rings, this series is nearly a pop culture masterpiece.