The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010)

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the first in the trilogy of crime novels written by Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson. Larsson wrote them during his spare time, as a form of amusement. However, the novels were not published until after Larsson's untimely death in Nov 2004. The author never had the opportunity to enjoy the critical and the commercial success his books eventually earned. In 2008 Larssen became the second best selling author on the planet.

Now, on to the story:

Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist, convicted, unjustly he believes, of libel against a powerful industrialist. As Blomkvist awaits the commencement of his sentence, he is hired by a scion of a wealthy family to investigate the disappearance of the man's bellowed niece 40 years earlier. Everyone, initially including Blomkvist, believes the case is hopeless. Unexpectedly though, help comes in form of "the girl with the dragon tattoo", Lisbeth Salander. The mysterious woman clearly has a severe past: despite being 24 years old, her person and finances are being managed by a court appointed guardian. She does however, have a brilliant mind and, as we are about to learn, a powerful will... She quickly becomes the driving force of the investigation. We watch transfixed, as the past reaches into the presence, and touches the lives of Blomkvist, Salander, her guardian, the industrialist and the wealthy scion.

The story, as written by Larsson, is extremely brutal (consider that the original, and the very apt, Swedish title is "Men Who Hate Women"). However, I am inclined to believe the violence serves as another character in the story and as such is necessary. I am therefore glad that the filmmakers did not seek to tamper it, thus neutering the punch the story delivers. Though this Swedish adaptation is scripted and directed to the highest standard, the focus must be on the performance of the actress Noomi Rapace. Her portrayal of Lisbeth is shockingly faithful to the text and the actress manages to take over the film with her very appearance.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is one of the best adaptations I have seen, ever. I encourage you not to miss it; though do see it with friends, as you will afterwards feel strongly compelled to discuss the various explosive plot twists. I hope Hollywood never touches this gem. I am anxiously waiting for the next two installments to hit US screens.

PS: Keep in mind, this film is NOT for the underaged.

I'm a fervent and early fan of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. I would have flown to another city to watch this film if I had to. Luckily, I live in one of the country's best cities for art house cinema: Dallas. Yes, contrary to the expected stereotypes I always have to bat down when I tell out-of-town friends this fact: Dallas has a tremendous art house cinema culture. And, as testament to that, we got "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" very early. What a thrill for us.

I am not going to claim that the movie is better than the book. What makes the books so compelling are the monster-deep dives Larsson takes into varied areas like investigative journalism, corruption, hacking, mafia, governmental affairs, mafia-government connections, intelligence agencies, detectives..and a host of others. What makes the first book spin is its dual axes of investigative journalism and hacking, personified respectively by Larsson's two protagonists, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. In the movie, something's gotta give: there's just no earthly way director Niels Arden Oplev is going to be able to fit all of Larsson's work into a film of slightly less than three hours.

So what Oplev does is strip the story down to its core: the hunt for Harriet Vanger. It's this case that serendipitously brings Blomkvist and Salander together. In the process of the focus, we lose some of the flavor that is the hallmark of the book, most notably much of the investigative journalism as practiced inside the walls of Millennium magazine. Millennium's editor, Erika Berger, is but a footnote in the movie but a big part of the book. Likewise, little attention is given to the so-called "Wennerström Affair," the personal and professional downfall that befalls Mikael at the book's outset. Indeed, the first third of the book focuses mainly on these two elements of the tale.

Similarly, we lose out on some other aspects of Mikael's character. Mainly, his babe-magnetism. In the movie, he and Salander develop a sexual relationship. [Indeed, it's undertones of the memories of this relationship that drives much of books two and three.] But the movie has removed the sexual aspects from two of the other relationships Mikael has with female characters.

Despite all that, this movie lives and dies on one turn: it's ability to 'get it right' with its casting of Lisbeth. Over and over I would to my wife "Lisbeth better be good." And she'd tell me the same thing repeatedly. And others I know have the same mantra: don't mess with my ideal vision of Lisbeth. In that light, Noomi Rapace represents deliverance. She scored the essence of the character: we want Lisbeth to have that mix of smarts, hardened exterior, quirky beauty, ferocity and manic energy that drives the book. Ms. Rapace delivers all that in spades. She's maybe a little less elfin than the character described by Larsson, but other than that, she's the Lisbeth from my head.

I urge all fans of the book to see this enjoyable adaptation. [Oplev made all three movies at once, so the other two are headed this way.] Embrace the subtitles. This is a Swedish story through and through. It deserves to be seen in Swedish. It's distressing to see US box office totals stalling at less than $10M. All that is going to do is fuel the drive to complete an insipid US version with some disheartening casting like Brad Pitt as Mikael and god knows who as Lisbeth. Whoever steps into that role, Noomi Rapace has already left her well behind at the starting line.

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Over 2.5 million people in Scandinavia have seen this film, making it the first film in Scandinavian history ever to break the $100 million mark for European ticket sales, and US fans of Stieg Larsson's bestseller of the same name may propel the film to similar records here. The R-rated film tells the story of Mikael Blomqvist, a disgraced journalist for Sweden's Millenium magazine who accepts an invitation from an elderly businessman to investigate the disappearance of his niece Harriet, thirty-seven years ago. No trace of her has ever turned up, and the old man fears that a member of his family may have murdered her. While Blomquist is gathering information and storing it on his computer, he realizes that someone is hacking into his files. That person is Lizbeth Salander, a disturbed young woman living under the guardianship of the state, having spent time in a mental institution. Working together, they discover information about the Vanger family's Nazi connections and their association with extreme religious groups.

Danish director Niels Arden Oplev's dark and atmospheric cinematography establishes an ice-cold mood from the outset, with the action taking place in winter on an isolated island where the sun never seems to shine. Outdoor scenes are mostly black, white, and gray; interior scenes are full of clutter and of dark wood of almost claustrophobic heaviness. Michael Nyqvist (as Mikael Blomqvist) conveys the sense of loss, even betrayal, that his character feels after losing a libel case in a miscarriage of justice, and his vulnerability makes him the perfect foil for Noomi Rapace (as Lizbeth Salander). Rapace conveys not only the toughness and emotional dissociation resulting from abuse Lizbeth has faced, but also, in two memorable scenes, the feeling that behind the seemingly ironclad façade, there beats a real heart. Her role in the film is bigger than it is in the novel, and when she is on screen, it is impossible to look at anyone else. Nyqvist seems to recognize this, conveying Blomqvist's support for her through body language, gesture, and facial expressions, and remaining more in the background. The supporting actors, though their parts are far less developed, are equally committed to the film as a whole.

Brilliant pacing keeps the action and its shocks continuing throughout the film, and not a single "dead spot" appears, an extraordinary feat for a film that is more than two-and-a-half hours long and depends upon subtitles for dialogue. Even people familiar with the book will be jolted by the sudden visual shocks as they hit. Horrifying scenes of physical and sexual violence often make the film very difficult to watch, the sounds of the violence making the visual effects even stronger. There are some scenes of nudity.

Every aspect of this film is integrated into the whole, however, and it is difficult to imagine any adult fan of the book being disappointed in this production. The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the remaining two books in the trilogy, have already been filmed and released to huge audiences in Europe, and both of these films are projected for release in the US (with subtitles) in the fall of 2010. Mary Whipple

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage)

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This movie has brutally graphic scenes of forcible rape and solomy that are not in the trailer or discription that can cause severe reactions in survivors of such who are not prepared for it and should not be unknown to those who do not want to be subjected to them. NOT going to be "enjoyable" for those who are sensitive to such, during or after.

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To the point, DO NOT MISS THIS "EXTENDED EDITION" if you are interested in the Swedish film/TV production of Steig Larson's novel of the same name (or either of the other two productions in the series). WHETHER OR NOT you have already seen the seriously truncated (shortened, mangled) version which was earlier released on DVD, BD, and streaming, THIS IS NOT TO BE MISSED. Unlike the previously released version, this "extended edition" provides a coherent presentation. Being one of the inexplicably over the top fans of anything connected with the three Larsen novels (or associated biographies, etc), I read all three novels early this year and then waited with bated breath for the "movie" versions. I was seriously disappointed with all three earlier, shortened movie releases, and particularly the last two of the three in the series. This was because new characters suddenly showed up on the screen without either sufficient introduction, or even identification. Or there were very significant holes in the story line (in addition to those already extant in the novels!).

As many of you will know, the three novels were filmed for Swedish television, with one film for each of the three novels. This disc presents one of the three films as originally formed and appearing on Swedish television each film, including this one, was broken into two segments of approximately 90 minutes in length, for a movie lasting a total of 180 minutes. When the Swedish TV version was presented in American theaters (and DVDs and BDs, the latter which I own), it was re-edited, and seriously shortened. As far as I am concerned, this ruined all three original "movie" presentations.

Despite the fact that the productions were evidently produced for first showing on Swedish TV, the production values (both sight and sound) are certainly comparable to those of first rate American movies. This reviewer does not know but strongly suspects that the producers had ultimate theater showing in mind when the films were made.

And finally, the Amazon's streamed version of the Extended Edition is free of notable artifacts on this reviewer's 109 inch Stewart Screen in the streamed version the color balance and brightness are good the black levels, interfered with by encoding and transmission noise, do not equal that of the BluRay disc, but are certainly acceptable. Needless to say, I was grateful and quite thrilled that the original version finally made it to market in Amazon's streamed version with Amazon's typical quality!

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American Psycho (Uncut Version) (2000)

Based on Bret Easton Ellis' controversial novel American Psycho, this film tells the story of an 80's yuppie named Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) who works on Wall Street by day and kills people by night. Like the often misunderstood novel, the film is more of a dark social comedy than a real horror story. Bateman dresses and talks like all the other wealthy, young Wall Street crowd, and thus mistaken identity plays a big part in his getting away with gruesome murders again and again. Bateman's own grip on reality begins to blur over time and at various times throughout the movie it's quite obvious that Patrick's view of reality is a sick, homicidal dream of endless torture and killing. Even when Bateman confesses at one point, no one listens or seems to care. Everyone has their own agenda and the main concern of Bateman's friends is which extravagant restaurant to dine at next, or getting the latest and greatest business card to impress one another.

Casting Christian Bale was a brilliant choice by director Mary Harron, who almost got fired from the project because of not choosing Leonardo DiCaprio for the starring role. I honestly don't think anyone could've captured Patrick Bateman's personality more flawlessly than Bale, who gave an extraordinary, chilling performance. And casting Reese Witherspoon as the prissy, bubble-brained Evelyn, who's engaged to Bateman but knows nothing of his psychotic, homicidal behavior, was a perfect choice. Much of the dialogue in the film is taken directly from Ellis' book, and the horrific violence of the book was toned down considerably, with much of it taking place off camera. Many viewers don't seem to appreciate the frequent humor in American Psycho, such as the various times Bateman says crazy things like, "I'm into murders and executions" that no one seems to hear. And his philosophical ramblings about the music of Huey Lewis & the News, Phil Collins, and Whitney Huston are hysterical!

The new "Killer Collector's Edition" is a mixed bag as far as worthwhile special features go. The documentary "From Book to Screen" is in depth but instead of having new interviews with the stars there are mostly boring interviews with film critics. Plus, it seemed like there was way too much coverage of the novel and very little on the actual shooting of the film. There's a lame video essay read by some singer and a documentary on the `80s. Thankfully, there are several deleted scenes (with optional director's commentary) as well as several humorous trailers. My favorite special feature (and probably the main reason why you should by this edition) is the director's commentary which tells lots of entertaining behind the scenes info. And, the picture and sound quality are better than ever! American Psycho IS NOT a film for everyone, but for those who enjoy intelligent satires with a little horror mixed in, this modern classic is a definite must for your DVD collection! And before you judge or even watch this movie, you should read Ellis' novel to appreciate the whole, uncensored story.

"I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane?" -P. Bateman

No doubt about it, Mary Harrion's "American Psycho" is definitely not for every taste and audience demographic. The good news is, perhaps, that the film is nowhere near as gruesome and gory as both its subject matter and its controversial nature would lead one to believe. In fact, its tone of ironic comic detachment helps to de-emphasize the more sordid aspects of the material and to instead highlight the film's bitingly satiric message.

Set in the mid-1980's, "American Psycho" casts a scathing eye on the then-brand new, up-and-coming group of 20-something executives known as "yuppies." Patrick Bateman, the psycho of the title, is a man who literally seems to have everything stunning good looks, a fantastic physique, a beautiful fiancé, a diploma from Harvard and a successful career as a Wall Street executive. Yet, alone of the young men with whom he consorts, Patrick flatly admits to us in voice-over narration that he is literally an empty-suit that his perfectly maintained outer appearance, seemingly well-ordered social routine and empty, superficial personal relationships merely mask the moral emptiness that lurks at the core of his soul. Much of the complexity of Patrick's character comes from the fact that he seems, paradoxically, to be both obsessed with the idea of conforming to the values of the world he lives in, and, at the same time, being strangely conscious of their unreality and meaninglessness. Thus, we see him becoming almost emotionally unglued because he fears he will not be able to reserve the proper table at a posh upscale restaurant or because he feels that one of his corporate buddies has a more impressive looking business card than he does. Much of Patrick's madness has its roots in the kind of obsessive-compulsive paranoia that arises from the modern insistence that life should and, indeed, can be converted into a perfect, problem-free existence if one just has enough money and a sufficient amount of the right "stuff" to make it that way. Frankly admitting that he feels no emotional attachment to any other human beings, Patrick is thereby free to channel his madness into its ultimate anti-social, taboo-shattering shape and form: serial killing. Thus, as days turn to nights, Patrick begins to rack up his victims and potential victims a homeless man, assorted prostitutes, an ex-girlfriend, an unctuous business associate, even some policemen who get wise to his activities later in the film.

Luckily for the squeamish among us, far more of the film's running time is devoted to a comic rather than thriller mode. The brittle, dryly humorous Mary Harrion/Guinevere Turner screenplay mines the corporate world milieu and the twisted rantings of a values-free mind for all their black comedy potential. Christian Bale brings a remarkable subtlety to a touchy role, managing to seem coolly alluring, chillingly detached, touchingly pathetic and wryly amusing all at the same time. Special credit should go to the stark, almost antiseptic look the filmmakers achieve through the art direction and set design, a look that matches in visual terms the moral and emotional emptiness of the characters and their world.

Much was made of the anti-woman tone of the novel at the time of its initial release. Perhaps because the writers and the director are themselves women, the movie seems to have toned down that aspect quite a bit. Indeed, as in a movie like "In the Company of Men," we find ourselves not so much appalled as sadly bemused by the vehemently anti-women comments uttered by Patrick and his cronies because we see what shallow losers these men really are. Harrion and Turner obviously know whereof they speak.

To reiterate, "American Psycho" may not be everyone's cup of cinematic tea, but those looking for a sharp little satire of modern American life will find some definite rewards.

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Whether we know it or not, many of us have co-workers who are just like Patrick Bateman. On the outside they exude confidence, style, and success, and they know exactly what to say and when to say it. But on the inside lurks a fragmented soul ready to snap at any given moment. Welsh actor Christian Bale, in one of the best performances you will ever see, brings to life Patrick Bateman, the Wall Street yuppie who works at Pierce & Pierce by day and is a serial killer by night. In adapting the controversial and unpleasant book by Bret Easton Ellis, director Mary Harron purges much of the violence and misogyny that made the novel one of the most despised and misunderstood pieces of literature in the last 20 years. What remains is the book's twisted sense of humor. This isn't a slasher film but rather a clever satire on the yuppie lifestyle of the late 1980s. Speaking in a pitch-perfect American accent that recalls a game-show host, Bale perfectly embodies his character physically and emotionally. His performance makes you simultaneously laugh at, pity, and fear Bateman. Jared Leto is also good in his brief role as Paul Allen (in the book it's Paul Owen; why his name is changed in the film, I don't know); Chloë Sevigny also stands out as Patrick's timid assistant, and Reese Witherspoon shines as his clueless and self-absorbed fiancee. This is the unedited version, which has a few additional flashes of nudity in one of the sex scenes. The difference is so minimal, you'd hardly notice it, showing how uptight the MPAA can get when it comes to editing films. Nonetheless, "American Psycho" is a disturbing but clever film that was one of the best of 2000. It comes highly recommended.

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Unfortunately for "American Psycho," the book has already garnered such a notoriously controversial stature that the film itself has a difficult task in trying to win over viewers. Like "Natural Born Killers," many people may have already made up their minds about this movie long before they even consider watching it.

Like "The Fight Club, "American Psycho" is a movie that could not be more misunderstood. Sure, this is about a psychopath on the most childishly obvious of all levels, but most of all this is satire on the yuppies of the mid to late 80's. It is an exploration in the hollow, meaningless existence of a rich Wall Street stock broker. A man who's life is so consumed by greed and power lunches that he can only find salvation whilst murdering someone. All the best scenes of "American Psycho" occur in the first three quarters of an hour. Christian Bale meticulously describes his morning routine with hilarious results and constantly tries to explain the significance of 1980's pop music. "The Greatest Love of All's transcendant beauty makes it by far Whitney Houston's most accomplished record" he claims, before butchering two girls. There is also a perfect scene in which Bale and his peers spend ten minutes arguing over who's business card font is better.

The violence (and sex) may be unsettling to some but is often times hilarious if you are willing to take it with a grain of salt. How can you not laugh when a bank machine asks Bale to "feed me a stray cat?"

This is a very clever and sophisticated film that could be perceived incorrectly. It is one of 2000's finer movies and deserves something better than to be overlooked because of the book's notoriety.

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After watching this film twice, I am of the opinion that it really is a satire rather than a horror film. I say this because the majority of the film is really about Patrick Bateman's pitiful attempt to define himself through his obsession with his model-like appearance, his outlandish purchases (such as two Robert Longo drawings in his living room), music selections, and his choices in nightclubs and restaurants. The man is adrift with no real meaning in his life, and thus this is why he is "psycho".

He demeans women, seeing them as little more than sex objects or status symbols. He is engaged to a woman (played by Reese Witherspoon) who sees men in the same way he sees women, which is convenient for a while but eventually results in a rupture of the relationship.

He is hyper competitive and overly sensitive to the trappings of success. He becomes especially competitive with a colleague Paul Allen (played by Jared Leto) who has gained recognition that Patrick lacks and seeks.

Early in the film Patrick lapses into psychotic halucinatory behavior, thinking that he is killing the women he picks up and the collegues who out shine him at work. We are given considerable hints throughout the film that his murders are figments of his imagination. I realize that some viewers will not interpret the film in this manner at all, but I suggest they carefully watch the film and seek the clues that Patrick is hallucinating and thus imaging that his desire to kill is in fact overt behaviors rather than impulsive thoughts.

So why is he an American Psycho? Because he is a terrible empty shell of a person, driven to self definition by the American marketplace. The poor fellow had no original opinions. He actually memorizes CD covers as substitutes for developing an original opinion of the pop music that is integrated throughout the film.

And yet, in some ways this really is a horror film, for what could be more horrible that a meaningless existance? The author of the book, Bret Easton Ellis, would let us know that many people experience this horror every day.

The film is actually very good and unfortunately misunderstood and underestimated by most viewers.

The Omen (1976)

This is a first class, gothic chiller with an outstanding cast, a riveting story line, and a musical score that will make the viewer want to sleep with the lights on! A first rate film, it had audiences riveted to the screen when it was first released in the mid nineteen seventies. I know. I was one of that audience. This film has withstood the test of time, as it is as gripping today, as when it was first released.

Katherine (Lee Remick) and Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) are a wealthy, older American couple. Katherine is pregnant and, while in Italy, gives birth to an ostensibly stillborn boy, a fact that is kept from her. Knowing how much his wife wanted the baby and the difficulty that she had in conceiving, Robert agrees to have the dead baby supplanted by a living newborn whose mother died in child birth, keeping this information from Katherine. They name this baby Damien.

All goes well for the prosperous Thorn family, until Damien turns five. A series of dramatic, unusual events begin to occur around the Thorns, all seemingly stemming from Damien. Well guarded by a self sufficient, somewhat creepy nanny (Billie Whitelaw), there are those who would believe him to be the Antichrist. By the time that Katherine and Robert begin to realize who Damien may truly be, their lives are out of control. With the aid of an inquisitive photographer, a repentant priest, and an archaeologist who holds the key to the destruction of the Antichrist, Robert Thorn becomes a man with a mission. Will Damien let him complete that mission? Watch this movie and find out. You will not be disappointed. I guarantee that you will be sleeping with the lights on and the covers over your head.

David Seltzer wrote a terrific screenplay. This first class production, which is deftly directed by Richard Donner, is played with straightforward sincerity by its outstanding cast. The casting of Gregory Peck and Lee Remick was pure genius, as their distinguished reputations infused the movie with a believability not thought possible, given the theme of the script. Playing it straight, as a couple caught in a vortex of events over which they have little control, they sweep the viewer along with them. Supported by a fine cast, there are notable performances given by Billie Whitelaw, as the nanny with a mission, David Warner, as the photographer who begins to notice that something odd seems to be going on, and Harvey Stephens, as Damien, whose angelic countenance belies his satanic nature.

This is a riveting, subtle film that, with a few well planned, shocking moments, and an effectively creepy musical score that builds suspense to a crescendo, manages to thoroughly engage the viewer. If one is looking for a blood and gore fest, there is really none of that here. Instead, look to be scared out of the seat of your pants by a superb script, wonderful acting, deft direction, and a musical score that will long linger in one's memory. It is little wonder that Jerry Goldsmith, the composer of the original score for The Omen, won an Academy Award for his efforts.

The DVD is a loaded DVD with a lot of interesting features. It provides a forty six minute documetary on the making of the film, which is quite interesting., as well as a director's commentary. There is a also an intriguing, six minute short on some of the pitfalls that beset the cast and crew during the filming of the movie. The composer also has a small segment of his own. There are the other standard features, such as theatrical trailers, interactive menus, and scene selections, as well as crystal clear visuals and audio. This is a first rate DVD of a film well worth having in one's collection. Bravo!

When The Exorcist was released in 1973 the world stood in awe at the horror and gore than was presented before their very eyes. Rip-offs came thick and fast and then came the masterpiece The Omen. This 1976 horror film scored a hit with both critics and cinema-goers alike who had embraced a deep interest in gothic horror and its history. It has a first-rate cast, superb acting, brilliant shock tactics and a soundtrack to send shivers down your spine whatever your state of mind! It's no wonder Jerry Goldsmith won an Academy Award as the composer of the theme! I first saw this film last night when it was shown on UK TV. My mum recommended it to me, as it was a favourite of hers as a teenager and I absolutely loved it.

In The Omen, Katherine (Lee Remick) and Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) are a rich married couple who move to England from America. Katherine is pregnant and gives birth to an ostensibly baby boy while in Italy. This news is kept from her. Her husband knows how much his wife has wanted a baby and the problems she had conceiving, so he agrees to have the dead new-born supplanted by another new-born, whose mother died at child birth. Katherine thinks that the child is her own, but Robert knows it's not and keeps this a secret from her. They name the baby Damien (Harvey Stephens).

Five years pass and we see the family growing up joyfully in their big mansion. They're happy and content with their lives and love their son more than anything. Everything is going well for the Thorn family until Damien turns five. A series of very creepy and unexplainable events happen around the time of his fifth birthday, which all seem to stem from Damien. The family employ a creepy and weird nanny (Billie Whitelaw) and things begin to spiral out of control. Robert and Katherine really start to think that there is something seriously wrong with their child so, with the help of a funny photographer (David Warner), Robert sets out to try and discover the truth about the mysterious events. A stubborn priest tries to warn him when these events happen, but Robert doesn't listen. It soon becomes too late when the man is murdered rather spectacularly.

The horror of this film is based more on the shock tactics more so than the suspense factor, which doesn't make it a very scary film in terms of blood and guts, but more so in the way that it disturbs you deep down and shocks your body. The first big shock of the film comes on Damien's fifth birthday party when his nanny jumps from the top of the mansion roof screaming, "It's all for you Damien!" before hanging herself. Another shock comes when Damien goes hysterical as he nears a church in a car with is mother and father. He later drives his tricycle into his mother's stool as she is doing housework on a balcony. She falls and loses her second baby. Her long stint in hospital tears Robert apart, and her death after she is pushed out of a hospital window tips him over the edge. The death of the priest by a Church-spear is not only shocking, but rather humorous. The scenes in Italy with dogs and spikes and broken arms are spectacular, but the most famous scene comes when the photographer is decapitated by a sheet of glass that slides off the back of a truck which rolls down the hill towards him. A scene that has gone down in history!

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

The Omen can be a tad boring in between the shocking scenes and good parts of the storyline, but the ending is ten minutes of pure cinema brilliance. The scenes of Robert trying to cope with the world crumbling around him are also pure cinema gold, and shows a wonderfully emotional side to Peck's acting. Caught in a tornado of events of which he cannot control, he sweeps the audience along with him. David Seltzer wrote an awesome script, while Richard Donner works finely and precisely on directing this masterpiece. Essential viewing for all those who love gothic horror and truly great thrillers.

Buy The Omen (1976) Now

The Omen (horror, mystery)

Directed by Richard Donner

Starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick and Billie Whitelaw

20th Century Fox | 1976 | 111 min | Rated R | Released Oct 07, 2008

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: Dolby Digital Mono

Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono

Subtitles:

English SDH, English, Spanish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film: 4/5

Modern horror movies are very different from films such as The Omen. Released 35 years ago, the movie wasn't gory and certainly wasn't a slasher movie. It relied on creating suspense and tension and was in the tradition of Hitchcock. The characters have proper motivations for their actions and we are shown what those motivations are. It justifies some of the difficult choices made by Robert Thorn (Peck) as he learns the truth about his son.

Director Richard Donner's next movie was Superman, but The Omen, was easily the biggest project of his career at that point. Peck's involvement proved to be a huge draw and the remainder of the cast was happy to join the project.

The story opens in Rome. Thorn is the American ambassador and his wife, Katherine (Remick), is giving birth in hospital. The doctors tell him that his baby has died, but offer him another baby who lost its mother during the birth. Thorn reluctantly accepts, but hides the fact from his wife. Thorn is made ambassador to Britain and the family relocates to London. Things seem normal until Damien is five years old, when his nanny commits suicide at his birthday party.

Father Brennan, a priest from Rome, pays Thorn a visit. He claims that Thorn must take communion and accept Christ if he is to fight the son of the devil. Thorn dismisses him as a lunatic.

A new nanny, Mrs. Baylock (Whitelaw), shows up at the house to take care of Damien, but the Thorn's realize that neither of them arranged it. She is allowed to keep the job and tells Damien in private that she's there to protect him. He smiles. The Thorn's take him to church against the wishes of Baylock, but he throws a fit and they abandon the trip. He's visibly shaking at the thought of entering the church.

Thorn realizes that Damien has never been ill for a single day in his life and considers it odd. Baylock starts to take over the running of the house and allows in a black dog which seems to be another guardian for Damien. Thorn tells her to get rid of it, but she never does.

Nothing has really happened up to this point. Donner gives us clues that there's something weird about Damien, but it's all speculation. We don't actually see him do anything, but things happen to others around him. This is developed when Damien and his mother visit Windsor Safari Park and the animals act scared and run away from the boy. Now both parents are suspicious of Damien.

Father Brennan sees Thorn again and insists that Thorn's wife will die if he refuses to hear what Brennan has to say. He only wants five minutes. Thorn reluctantly agrees to listen, but Brennan sounds crazy once more, insisting that Damien isn't human and must die. Thorn still isn't convinced, but reads about Brennan's mysterious death in the newspaper the following day. Katherine is convinced that Damien is evil and that he's not her child.

Brennan claimed before he died that Katherine was pregnant again, and that she would lose the baby and then her own life. When Thorn learns that she is in fact pregnant, he begins to think about everything that Brennan has said. He teams up with a local photographer who has more information about Brennan and the two begin to look into Damien's origins.

It's incredible how little action there is throughout the movie. Donner relies on the audience's imagination and keeps building suspense. There's very little blood in the story and Damien hardly does anything to suggest that he's evil. Any problems he causes could be genuine accidents. Baylock is a more sinister character and does take direct action when she thinks that Damien is threatened.

The one thing that doesn't quite ring true is how quickly Damien's parents come to consider him evil. The bond between parent and child is usually strong enough for parents to love and forgive their children. Imagine telling any parents that their child is evil or the son of Satan. The likely reaction would be anger and the parents would defend their child against such a crazy accusation. In this instance, both parents come to the same conclusion. Why are they able to see that Damian is evil? Robert does eventually question the logic when he's ultimately tasked with killing the child, but it seems too late to be authentic.

The journey to uncover the truth sees Thorn visit two other countries as he tries to piece together Damien's past. We meet some unusual characters along the way and there's a little more action when he searches for the identity of the child's real mother.

The story has a resolution of sorts, but The Omen eventually became the first part of a trilogy. The other two movies never matched the suspense of the first and didn't attract any actors on Peck's level. Peck was excellent as Thorn and the most interesting part of the story was seeing how he approached the problem.

Picture Quality: 3.5/5

The opening shots are weak and lacking in definition. Some shots are intentionally soft, but the movie is grainy and the colors subdued for the most part. Things pick up in the second half when we see more outdoor scenes. It's hard to pin down the quality because it varies so much. Some shots seem barely above DVD standard, while others border on impressive considering the age of the film. It's obviously as good as it has ever looked, so worth picking up if you are a fan.

Sound Quality: 3.5/5

Jerry Goldsmith won an Oscar for best original score and the demonic singing adds a lot of atmosphere to the story. It sounds impressive on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, as do some of the more subtle sounds such as gravel crunching underfoot. The track is front-heavy and a little quiet, but it does the job. I did watch it at a slightly higher volume level than most movies, but clarity was good once I had the level sorted out.

Features: 5/5

With over three hours of special features and three commentary tracks, you can satisfy your curiosity about the movie. It's a comprehensive package.

Commentary Three different tracks.

Isolated Score Track (5.1 Dolby Digital)

Richard Donner on The Omen (14:36)

The Omen Revelations: Bonus View with Trivia Track

Introduction by Director Richard Donner from 2006 (1:55)

Deleted Scene: "Dog Attack" (1:26)

666: The Omen Revealed (46:34)

Screenwriter's Notebook (14:51)

An Appreciation: Wes Craven on The Omen (20:17)

The Omen Legacy (1:41:37)

Curse or Coincidence? (6:19)

Jerry Goldsmith on The Omen Score (17:41)

Theatrical Trailer (2:19)

Still Gallery

The original part of the trilogy remains one of the best horror movies ever made, but it won't appeal to everyone. The pacing will seem slow by today's standards and the story relies on suspense, characterization and acting ability, rather than gore and special effects. Well worth seeing if you want to see how the genre has developed over the past four decades.

Overall score 4/5

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I have a weird obsession with the first 2 Omen films, and own the DVD boxed set, so I've seen the DVD quite a few times. This special edition includes everything from the first release: Richard Donner's commentary, a deleted scene, the featurette on all the weird coincidences & tragedies that happened around the filming, and the just over 40 minute documentary on the making of the film.

The new features addednot including the spiffy new slip case cover and spooky white coverare as follows. We get a short introduction from director Donner, a 20 minute featurette that is basically Wes Craven talking about why he likes the film so much. Kind of random stuff, but the thing that made me upgrade is the new, just under 2 hour documentary. It's narrated by Jack Palancethat's worth the money right thereand goes into detail of how it started as an idea as "The Anti-Christ", then "The Birthmark" and finally the completed "The Omen."

This re-release was obviously done to promote the new remake, but they actually make it worth your while. The packaging really is nice, and for fans of the Omen or those interested in the odd happenings that surround itthis is a worthy addition to your collection. For those of you who haven't seen this film beforedon't base your judgement on the remake. This is a classy but fast-paced intelligent thriller/horror film, with amazing acting (especially from Gregory Peck) wonderful music and cinematography. The 6/6/06 date has passed, but until the world really does end you should enjoy this cool release and enjoy a time before obvious and tacky CGI jumps were considered "horror".

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There are few viewing experiences like "The Omen". This movie is one of the most astounding motion pictures of all time. It has all the usual good things associated with a great movie (talented cast, good music, good story line) but has also become a classic in the horror genre! The baby-faced incarnation of the anti-christ has become one of the most paradoxically-appealing characters of all time! (Harvey Stevens, the little boy that plays "Damien Thorne" does a superb job acting!)

If you consider yourself to be a horror fan, please, see this movie! While it is definately NOT a blood bath, it is a pyschological terror that will leave you thinking about what you've just seen... months after you've seen it! With confidence, I recommend "THE OMEN"...you won't regret it!

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Champion (1949)

Interesting that right around the same time--the late 40s--three different films were all released with basically the same theme and plot: The Set-Up (w. Robert Ryan); Champion (w. Kirk Douglas); and Body and Soul (w. John Garfield). Ryan's film is a very good piece of work while the Garfield film is, by today's standards, heavy-handed, thus dated. But the Kirk Douglas film is, in fact, the Champion.

The boxing scenes are realistic--in spite of Douglas' recent nose job, made during filming, preventing any of his sparring partners to hit anywhere near his schnozz. But more than anything else, it's Douglas' tremendous charisma and energy that raise this film above the norm. Douglas, as did Garfield in the earlier Body and Soul, plays a guy mired in poverty who sees boxing as a quick way out of the hole and, once initially successful, wants nothing but more: both money and success. And nothing standing in his way will prevent him from getting what he wants. But while Garfield's portrayal of selfishness is forced and, as well, entrenched in cliched dialogue, both Douglas' acting and the far more intelligent script make Midge Kelly's (Douglas) relentless quest for power tremendously believable.

Arthur Kennedy is Connie, Midge's brother whose leg was busted when he was a kid and now walks with a cane. The three--yep, count 'em, three--women in Midge's life add a lot of juice to the film and a nice touch is the casting of a brunette who's Midge's girl when he's poor and two blondes when he's rich and successful. Back in them days, blondes were IT. (Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield carried on the tradition).

Champion gives you a great view of life in the late 40s as well. It's also interesting that the director, Mark Robson, was part of the Val Lewton school of horror directors (which also included Robert Wise), so makes excellent use with his cinematographer of light and shadow. This is not exactly a film noir, but does have several noirish traits--camera lighting, and thematic corruption and desperation.

This is more a precursor to Raging Bull than Rocky; the latter character is always good, while DeNiro's character is akin to Midge Kelly--rising quickly from a life in the streets to attain fame and fortune, even if toes get stepped on and hearts gets smashed to pieces (Rocky would never do stuff like that).

A strong piece of cinema; recommended.

Kirk Douglas as the classic greek tragic figure: a hero with a fatal flaw.

Arthur Kennedy and Kirk Douglas play down-on-their-luck brothers (Connie and Midge Kelly, respectively) travelling west to take possession of their part ownership of a restaurant. When they arrive they discover that they had been scammed. Along the way out to the restaurant, Midge made a little money at a boxing exhibition where he caught the eye of a promotor. Midge and Connie work for a while at the restaurant, but Midge's single-minded pursuit of a better life and the respect he feels he deserves causes him to abandon his newly minted wife and head out to seek his fortune in the boxing ring. Midge is a single-minded character like none you've ever seen. This single-mindedness drags him down, extinguishing his humanity as he climbs his way upward. As with most tragic heroes, he finally sacrifices himself when he allows his misdeeds to finally engulf him.

Kirk is fabulous. The fight scenes are convincing and well filmed. The story hops along. This movie represents Arthur Kennedy's most accessible performance as the humane, crippled brother representing the greek chorus reminding the main character of his morality. This is an excellent movie.

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Kirk Douglas plays an emotionally bankrupt man driven by poverty and anger to become a champion prizefighter. His energy and confidence attract love and loyalty from people who contribute to his success but become hurt and disillusioned by his ingratitude and betrayal. The plot is fairly simple, but the film holds interest through its portrayal of a man devoid of self-understanding, whose ambition can never truly be satisfied despite his apparent success. The most intense scenes are in the boxing ring, where no amount of punishment can stop him.

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4.5 stars. I heard so much about this film for so long, so I finally sat down and watched it. At first I didn't think I was going to like it, because the lighting bothered me. But as the film progressed, the lighting fit. Douglas plays an ambitious boxer in the 1940s who like most celebrities get caught up and those around him are the first to get burned. I agree with the assessment that this film is like a Greek tragedy. i kept wanting for Kelly to snap out of it, but alas...

This movie a classic for a reason and if you haven't seen it, you need to do yourself a favor and check it out.

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Kirk Douglas was marvelous in creating a signature role in his portrayal of boxer and eventual champion Midge Kelly in the hard hitting, gritty 1949 flick "Champion". Based on a story by the revered author Ring Lardner, the movie chronicles the rise and inevitable fall of Kelly.

Hitchhiking to the west coast with his crippled brother Connie played poignantly by Arthur Kennedy, Douglas gets briefly introduced to the world of boxing but rejects it. The brothers are headed to California to take over a diner in which they purchased a share. Realizing they'd been swindled by the rightful owner Lew Bryce played by Harry Shannon when they arrive there, they take a job in the place.

Douglas and Shannon's daughter Emma played by Ruth Roman fall in love, but a hastily arranged shotgun wedding spoils things and Douglas runs out. He seeks out boxing trainer Tommy Haley played by Paul Stewart who he'd met previously. Stewart takes Douglas under his wing and under his tutelage and supported by his brother Douglas becomes a seasoned and tough boxing contender.

Unable to get a deserved title shot he dumps his trainer and signs on with a high rolling and connected trainer Jerry Harris after being seduced by bad girl Grace Diamond played by platinum tressed Marilyn Maxwell.

Douglas commences to foresake all those who care for him as he climbs his way to the top eschewing his brother, manager, mother and estranged but still caring wife. His whole personna becomes altered to mimic the beast he becomes inside the ring. He begins to see the error of his ways on the eve of an important title fight, bringing his closest allies back into his life. The seeds of tragedy have already been planted however and Douglas faces an ignoble future.

Mark Robson crafts this flick like a Shakespearean tragedy and Douglas demonstrates great skill playing the doomed and destructive pugilist. This fine flick won an Oscar for film editing and well deserved nominations for both Douglas and Kennedy.

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Ichi the Killer

After watching Takashi Miike's powerful "Audition," I thought following up with "Ichi the Killer" an excellent idea. I don't see much of a comparison between the two films unless you wish to look at the disturbing scenes of gory violence and the fact that "Audition" has more of a social message than this gore extravaganza. I have come away with the impression that Miike is a brilliant filmmaker capable of forcing extreme reactions from his viewers. Hollywood should take note of this guy and bring him over here for a project or two. But doing so probably wouldn't work out; Miike's warped visions would send American censors scrambling for a sedative, and most mainstream viewers would recoil from the graphic nature of this director's films. A word of warning for those thinking of indulging in "Ichi the Killer": the movie is loaded with sadism, gore, black comedy, and all around unpleasantness. It's as though this movie turns upside down everything we associate with cleanness and decency. It's a tough watch, even for a gore fan like me, so prepare thoroughly--how, I cannot really tell you because I do not know--before diving in. Good luck.

"Ichi the Killer" is based on a "manga," a Japanese comic strip of a type often embodying grotesque images and disturbing themes. The film follows several Yakuza gangs as they do what they do best: murder, torture, plot, and generally cause lots of unpleasantness. I am unfamiliar with the structure of the Yakuza, but I gathered from the film that there are numerous gangs (or families, as the mafia would say) each headed up by a boss. These bosses then report to a committee composed of other gang leaders and a sort of "boss of bosses"--played here by a wheezy little runt who pops up to mediate disputes every now and again--designed to keep everything from getting out of hand. When an anonymous killer named Ichi takes down a yakuza leader, the boss's underlings, including a bleach blond thug by the name of Kakihara, seek revenge. At first, Kakihara thinks rival groups had something to do with the disappearance, so he kidnaps some thugs and tortures them in an effort to get information. These gruesome antics go so far beyond the pale that the yakuza overlords send Kakihara and his fellow gang members into exile. Instead of putting an end to the out of control violence, this judgment only encourages Kakihara to even more extreme acts of nastiness. It turns out that this blond goon worshipped his boss because the leader possessed the ability to fulfill Kakihara's S&M cravings. This is sick stuff, to be sure, but it only gets worse as the movie progresses.

Kakihara seeks out Ichi to avenge the boss but also to challenge the enigmatic assassin to a showdown. We soon learn Ichi is far from the icy killer we have come to expect. He's actually a meek sort who witnessed a brutal incident as a child and has since become a victim to his own guilt. A guy named Jiji expertly manipulates Ichi's psychological problems in order to carry out assassinations. All Jiji needs to do is tell his friend that certain people were involved in Ichi's childhood trauma and mayhem rapidly ensues. Clad in a black suit bristling with razor sharp blades, Ichi can turn a room full of people into sushi in about thirty seconds. After the murders take place, he often sinks into a weeping, cringing depression over what he has wrought. Jiji, completely indifferent to his friend's remorse, always has a few more targets lined up for the slaughter. Women, children, and men: all are fair game when Ichi goes on a rampage. As the movie progresses, and as Kakihara comes closer to his final showdown with the hyper violent Ichi, Miike throws in enough plot twists and turns to keep the viewer constantly guessing as to character motivations and the very nature of the reality these people move in.

I am guessing I missed out on a ton of inside jokes and cultural references, probably because I do not speak the language, am not Japanese, and do not live in that country. I have never even seen, let alone read, a manga comic strip. Fortunately, Miike's film boasts plenty of black humor and gory violence to the point that being non-Japanese makes little difference in understanding the picture. You don't have to be an expert on Japanese cinema to laugh at Jiji's "muscular" transformation or the scenes where Kakihara expresses his disappointment at Ichi's subservience when the two finally meet (Kakihara actually attempts to pick his foe up in order to get him to fight! Funny!). And you definitely don't need any inside knowledge to gape at the violence. This is an insanely sick film packed to the rafters with bloodshed and carnage. My mouth dropped open, and stayed that way, when Kakihara administered a hot oil "bath" to a particularly close-mouthed gangster.

Gorehounds the world over will flock to "Ichi the Killer." While you will need an iron stomach to get through this one, the film goes to great lengths to prove this is all cartoonish fantasy. I quit taking the whole thing seriously after the tongue scene, when Kakihara said, "It will get better if I keep talking," and then spoke normally in the following scene. I took this as a wink-wink, nudge-nudge from Miike, a message to the viewer that one should not take the film to heart. As far as the DVD goes, I think it should go without saying that watching the unrated edition is the way to go. If you really want to watch a movie like this one, why waste time and money fiddling around with a cut version?

Live Action Anime...yes it is an oxymoron, but it's one way to describe what Director Takashi Miike has done with Ichi the Killer. It's like a live action version of Akira or Ninja Scroll.

The film's plot is secondary so I won't dwell on it here, but if you have never seen Miike's films, get ready for a ride through the imagination of a complete mad man. The best part about the film is that Miike and his team are actually outstanding technically, and his sense of humor is both original and in my opinion hilarious.

Ichi the Killer is as glossed over and stylized as it is sadistic and violent, and believe me when I say that this film is violent. It's sexually violent content is out of whack as well and alone might earn Ichi an NC-17 stamp but it's violence is so fantastic it almost seems cartoon-like. If you didn't find humor in films like Dead Alive, Robocop, Evil Dead 2 or Kill Bill pass on Ichi, but if you like those films like I do, give Miike a chance, you won't regret it.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)"Ichi the Killer" ("Koroshiya 1") is a stylistic, well-made film representing a Japanese idea that seems strange to most non-Japanese, the idea that violence, even extreme violence, can be beautiful. As seen in films such as Kenka Ereji's "Elegy to Fighting," violence is an art form and a genre of Japanese movies.

This film is about killing for the sake of killing, by those who love doing it with a sexual passion. Kakihara, the masochistic Yakuza killer featured on the box cover, complains while receiving a beating that "There's no love in your violence." To commit violence without love is like having sex without emotion, and empty physical act. Director Miike Takashi has put love in his violence, and style and art.

Kakihara is the star of the film, being both brash and beautiful, but it is Ichi the Killer who is the true protagonist. Mentally unstable and boyish to the extreme, Ichi is a deranged assassin who wears a superhero costume with a bold Number 1 ("Ichi" means "Number 1" in Japanese) emblazoned on the back. Ichi is an almost-controllable tool of Jijii, who plays the gangs against each other for a mysterious motive. Jijii aims Ichi like a gun, then pulls the trigger. Kakihara deepest fantasy is to be slain by Ichi, the ultimate killer, but not before the time is right.

As you can see from this description, "Ichi the Killer" is a trip into a dark underworld of sado-masochism, lustful violence and other avenues of human nature that most people would not willfully venture into. It is without a doubt the finest film in the genre.

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The actual film gets 4 out of 4 from me (amazon and most sites only let you rate 5 out of 5), but after close to a year of waiting after this disc got pushed back and back, the end result is a completely unacceptable Bluray disc. The image quality, I'm sorry to say, is no different than the DVD and looks to be derived from the DVD with marginally increased sharpness. The sound quality is what made me return the disc. The Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 track sounds AWFUL! Worse than the DVD, which had a great 5.1 mix. Also, it looks as if the only Dolby True-HD tracks on the disc are both English and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0! Why would you include an HD 2.0 mix on an HD disc that most definitely has 5.1 audio. I've seen 'Ichi the Killer' theatrically and know all too well that it looks and sounds better than this. Sorry I had to burst the bubbles of many eager 'Ichi' fans (myself included), but I sent this back almost immediately after buying it. A shame.

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This movie is the true definition of a car wreck. From the opening credits to the ambiguous ending, you cannot turn away from the shock and horror director Takashi Miike serves up.

Sadism is the true star of this flick as we travel a road filled with unrepentant pain and suffering. Unless you have seen the movie, then you have no idea how confrontational a film can be to your very senses. Rape, torture, murder, gore and general brutality are relentless traits of this movie. Sometimes cartoonish (its Manga roots showing), sometimes jet black in its humor, the savage pace of Ichi never slows even with a 2+ hour run time.

This is not a film for the squeamish. It makes no apologies for what it is and dares you to eject it from your DVD player. But, you simply can't. This movie can only be described as beautiful revulsion.

Just a quick comment about the packaging (which is the only downside to this release). The "Blood Pack Edition" contains 2 discs of excellent material including a commentary with Takashi Miike and Ichi's Manga artist/writer Hideo Yamamoto and an intensive "making of" documentary. However, the plastic blood bag housing the discs is a sadistic joke. The suction cup like plastic sleeve makes it incredibly difficult to actually get the damn discs out of the bag to watch them! Great gimmick, poor execution.

If you are a true horror and gore enthusiast, your collection is incomplete with this brutal slice of Japanese genius.

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Quantum of Solace / Casino Royale (2013)

This set is fantastic if you don't already own the blu ray editions or have the Bond 50 set. I like the fact you can buy the Daniel Craig movies seperate from buying the whole package at this value price. The quality of the transfers is great. They basically put the Bond 50 editions in this package of two disc. This would have been nicer if it had Skyfall with it like the Overseas versions I have seen. I would also like to see them issue a set for each Bond individually like this instead there is only standard DVD sets available here in the US.

This is an outstanding set of Danile Craig's two best outings as James Bond. CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE are fantastic Bond films. Since QUANTUM OF SOLACE is a direct squeal to CASINO ROYAL this makes this set all the more advantageous and attractive. The transfers are quite good, especially QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The colors on QUANTUM OF SOLACE are just gorgeous and incredibly sharp and quite pristine.

I was also amazed at the extras that are included with the CASINO ROYALE disc. Basically, most of the extras from the CASINO ROYALE collectors edition (on DVD) from the 3rd disc are included here and they do look excellent. I was very pleased.

I highly recommend this Quantum of Solace / Casino Royale [Blu-ray] edition.

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Daniel Craig is great as Bond; rather like Fleming intended (I bet): part rogue, thug, and patriot. Thoroughly entertaining films. the price for this set is great. I recommend without reservation.

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There is something alluring about the new 007 approach, that I can't stop watching. The set allows me to catch the drift of the new 007.

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I have truly enjoyed Daniel Craig's Bond character. He is handsome, athletic and witty. Casino Royale is my favorite Bond movie. This bluray set also includes Quantum of Solace, the sequel to Casino Royale. Both movies are action packed with gorgeous scenery. My husband and I just love watching them with full surround sound, a martini at hand (shaken not stirred) and some popcorn. Love it.

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Con Air (1997)

MOVIE: Con Air, an incredibly loud and in your face action movie that does what it sets out to do. Recently Disney has released a bunch of Jerry Bruckheimer produced "unrated" DVD's. Con Air was re-released with Crimson Tide and Enemy Of The State. This so called "unrated" edition is nothing but a marketing ploy, but we did need new editions of these Bruckheimer action extravaganzas. Con Air, directed by Simon West, is a flick about a man who is sent to prison after accidentally killing a man during a bar brawl. The opening scene and credits are set to a montage of Cage writing letters to his daughter that was born while he was in prison, and she writes back. So basically it's a narrated reading of the letters back and forth. Okay, we got the character development out of the way in about five minutes, now time for the action. Cameron Poe (Cage) is put on a plane to be sent back home, but he is transported with other hardened criminals. Cyrus The Virus (John Malkovich) has other plans though, and he stages a takeover of the plane. Let the mindless but fun action ensue. Nicolas Cage sports a bad southern accent, long hair, and pumped up biceps and is our protagonist. The movie has some bad dialogue and some cliched scenes, but it never takes itself seriously. We also get Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin's full blown action score. Mancina and Rabin are members of Hans Zimmer's studio at Media Ventures, and Bruckheimer almost exclusively uses Zimmer or one of the composers that collaborate with him. The score is all electronic based, but it suits the movie well. As for the "unrated" material, there is basically nothing. The original running time was 115 minutes, so that makes 7 minutes of added footage. There really isn't anything more in terms of violence and action, just some awkward dialogue scenes that didn't really fit. So, yes, in a way the added footage hinders the movie if that's possible.

ACTING: The movie also has a topnotch cast. Nicolas Cage, who is a favorite when it comes to Jerry Bruckheimer, is great as Cameron Poe the simple southern boy. John Malkovich steals the show as the movie's antagonist. He plays a serial killer yet adds class to the character. John Cusack plays the good cop who is back on the ground trying to handle the situation and believes that Poe is a good guy. So, you see the characters are pretty much cardboard cutouts, but they work. We have some great support from Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, and good ol' Dave Chappelle.

VIDEO: The original release came with a non-anamorphic transfer, which is why this release is appreciated. This release comes with an anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer. The picture is sharp, no signs of any major flaws.

AUDIO:The sound mix isn't the best, it's pretty much the same thing from the old disc, a basic 5.1 Dolby Digital track. It's not as spread out as I'd like it to be, but it's okay.

SPECIAL FEATURES: None. When you have no special features, that's a sign that this DVD's only purpose is to sucker in losers like myself into buying them. Oh well, I enjoyed it and don't mind double dipping for a better transfer.

BOTTOM LINE: They should have just thrown in a featurette or something to at least show some effort was put into it. I feel a little cheated that there is absolutely nothing on this set, especially since the added footage is pretty much crud. For those who don't own it, get this edition. However, if you do own it then don't double dip unless you really liked the movie or if you have a widescreen set that would benefit from the anamorphic transfer. Con Air is your typical mid 90's Bruckheimer actionfest. Nothing here to intrigue your mind, just entertain it.

Pound for pound, for pure fun, this is one of the greatest movies ever. Please note that I said for pure fun. I'm not comparing this movie to "Ben Hur," "I, Cladius," "Shakespeare In Love," or any other movie that has a great deal of scope & breadth. Again, I'm only talking about movies that are for unfettered entertainment's sake.

"Con Air" is a movie that doesn't take itself seriously, and you shouldn't, either. This is a Bruckenheimer movie that is heavy on action and comedy, and light on plot & character development. Yes, most of the movie is absurd, but it is also absurd in a fun way.

The cast is absolutely impeccable, featuring Nicholas Cage, John Malchovich, Steve Buscemi and John Cusack. We even get Colm Meaney as an irate Irish DEA agent a wonderful touch! The direction is superb, and Trevor Rabin delivers yet another riveting score.

This is a can't miss for anyone who wants to sit back & watch an hour & a half of hilarious mayhem. This is what I would call a guy movie squared!

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Con Air is a good action film and several things keep it alive. One is acting. John Malkovich is good as Cyrus "the Virus" Grissom, who claims he's killed more people than cancer. John Cusack is in good form as U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin, who owns the plane the criminals take over, named "the Jailbird". Nicolas Cage delivers one of his best performances as Cameron Poe, a decorated military hero who is catching a ride home after being in prison for 8 years for defending his wife in a bar fight. Other good performances were by Steve Buscemi as serial killer Garland Greene and Ving Rhames (Mission:Impossible) as Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones. The musical score was very good. There are a few plotholes but hey, there aren't too many movies that don't have a few plotholes here and there. Another good thing is action. Most of the action on board the plane is hand-to-hand combat. Probably the best action scene in the movie is where the criminals stop to get a new plane. U.S. troops attack them in a long and great gunfight. The other action sequence is when Cusack and Cage chase Cyrus on motorcycles through a tunnel in Las Vegas. It is very humorous when the plane is crashing and Garland Greene is singing "He's got the whole world in His hands". At the Academy Awards Con Air was nominated for two things:Best Sound and Best Original Song. It did not win either. Though Con Air may be a level below Crimson Tide, The Rock, and Air Force One, it's still a great action film

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This review refers to "Con Air: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack".....

"Con Air" was a terrific action-packed film,filled with top notch actors, edge of your seat moments, and even a little romance. The music though, is really something special. Composed by Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin, it really captures the tense, blood pumping,moments of the story. Even on it's own,it's an album you can listen to and feel exhilareted by any time. I enjoy putting it on in the car, it will defintely keep you awake on those long and boring drives.

All the tracks are instrumental, and if you have seen the movie, the music will have you recalling "The Con Air Theme","Lear Crash","The Takeover", "The Battle in The Boneyard" and the wonderful "Overture".(see buying info for complete track listings). The only thing that is missing from the soundtrack is the beautiful ballad,"How Can I Live". This song was a very big part of the romantic aspect of the film and should have been included.And afterall it was nominated at Oscar time for Best Song. For this reason alone I am going with 4 stars instead of 5.

The music fills the room(or the car) and is joy to listen to.The drums (Lou Molino III) are a standout. There are 17 tracks in all. They range from an all to short "The Fight" at 0.22 to a breathtaking 7.41 min of "Battle in the BoneYard", most somewhere in betweeen.

More thrilling than the film itself!(but missing the romance!)

enjoy....Laurie

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Most people don't consider this movie to be an action-comedy, but is. This is definetly John Malkovich's funniest movie. It is about a plane transporting deadly convicts across the country, until it is taken over by the convicts. The convicts include, Cyrus "the virus" Grissom (Malkovich), a deadly killing machine who's violated every law in the book. A black-supremeist leader "Diamond Dog" (Ving Rhames), and a quiet, psychotic killer, Garland Greene (Buschimi) who's creepy in his own little way. Cyrus's plans are fouled by a parolee, Cameron Poe (Nicholas Cage), an ex-army ranger charged with manslaughter returing home to see his family. This movie is packed with action, plenty of laughs, and great actors give this movie two thumbs up.

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Alexander Revisited / Troy / 300 (Triple-Feature) (2012)

Just a heads up, Alexander is split on two discs. Disc one has the first two hours of the film, and disc two has the last hour of the film plus extras (see this thread for more info: . You'll have to swap out discs to watch the entire final cut. All three films share one thick case with a slipcover. Each movie has its special features. Picture and audio quality are great for all three films. For under $17, its a great deal, even though Alexander is average at best.

Great Value, Great Picture. Nice Price for 3 great movies! Troy is one of my favorites, it is hard to beat the action and story.

Buy Alexander Revisited / Troy / 300 (Triple-Feature) (2012) Now

3 of my favorite war epics all for one low price in high-def. Movies look phenomenal on bluray and the package only cost 14$ with shipping. 300 is an instant, violent classic while Troy keeps you on the edge of your seat. Alexander is a tad slow, but if you pay attention you'll learn to appreciate it. GREAT DEAL

Read Best Reviews of Alexander Revisited / Troy / 300 (Triple-Feature) (2012) Here

Bought it for 15$. Worth the money spent. Though i dont like the movie Alexander.. other two movies are my favorite.

Want Alexander Revisited / Troy / 300 (Triple-Feature) (2012) Discount?

As for me, I thought three blu-rays for this cheap was a steal. I recommend this to any fan of these types of movies.

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3D Bikini Beach Babes Issue #5 (2012)

I bought this because I wanted to check out the series. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is in fact a factory-pressed disc and not a BD-R. The 3D is impressive, with a lot of 3D pop and depth/dimensionality to the image. The sunny beach locale no doubt helps in this regard, but the shots are composed fairly well. Scenes such as 1) the girls arranged in a circle building and destroying sand castles as the camera moves around them 2) the girls standing together in a straight line practicing some belly dancing moves while the camera moves down the row behind them or 3) the girls doing the limbo as the camera stands in front of them are especially memorable in terms of the 3D effect. One missed 3D opportunity though is when the girl Amanda is juggling the balls on the beach. I immediately thought of the juggling scene in Friday the 13th Part 3 and would love to see that shot updated for Blu-ray 3D (the camera placed above the juggler with the balls coming at the camera/viewer as they are sent upwards). I did notice some artifacting and banding during 2 segments near the end of the disc, but for the most part the video is solid and stable with very few issues.

There are 12 girls in all plus a host, who is a bit on the bland side and pretty forgettable. They are your standard California girls with a dream, who all seem to have projects in the works ranging from modeling to parts in movies to a reality TV show. The selection in this volume certainly favors brunettes over blondes. My favorites in this edition were Keoni, one of the 2 African-American girls (you can see her on the rear of the case artwork) and Chenay, a blonde who makes me think of Kate Upton for some reason. All the girls are interviewed and have voiceovers during their segments but you can just turn the volume off and focus on the visuals if you so choose. The girls who were more memorable with regards to what they actually had to say were Amanda, a waif-thin "parts" model, and Erline, who kept talking about how she likes to help people channel their "sexual energy".

While the audio is only Dolby Digital 2.0, I don't think this type of product is hurt that much by the lack of an HD audio stream. I certainly didn't find myself wishing that the stock music soundtrack had been upgraded to DTS-HD Master Audio or something (I must admit it's a thankless job writing original music for any type of release such as this. You're required to write short instrumental pieces in a variety of styles and it's really hard to make any of those segments memorable, except in a repetitive kind of way). A few of the girls' interview segments were a little muffled and hard to understand but that is due to how they were recorded and not a fault of the disc itself.

The main program runs for 63 minutes, and there is also a 3D slideshow, a picture slideshow, a trailer reel of other titles in the Bikini Babes series, and a 3D glasses setup tool. Personally I did not find the tool to be necessary, since my 3D glasses and this disc worked together without any issues. It's important to note that this disc will also play in 2D with a non-3D setup. Overall, this title offers a solid 3D bang for your buck.

Or she may just shake her head at you and give you the "Your so Lame look". Beaches are beautiful in 3D. GIRLS Well being married "NO COMMENT" but worth the inexpensive price especially for 3D.

Buy 3D Bikini Beach Babes Issue #5 (2012) Now

This is the 5th episode of Bikini Beach Babes, Which is a great addition to the series, sexy ladies on beach in HD AND 3D! Can't ask for much more then that! Simply put..this was a fun watch with a lot of things to see :)

Read Best Reviews of 3D Bikini Beach Babes Issue #5 (2012) Here

Simply put, if you were a fan of issues 1-4...then you are going to be equally as satisfied as you were with those other ones. Although not my personal favorite of the five issued released, still a GREAT Blu-Ray. Sexy Girls, Blu Ray,and IN 3D? How could you go wrong with this? Answer? You can't. Now buy the blu-ray!

Want 3D Bikini Beach Babes Issue #5 (2012) Discount?

Orphan (2009)

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought "Oh God, another one of those movies." But I was surprised that after I'd gone and seen it, I'd actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

Isabelle Fuhrman is the "orphan"; that is, 9-year-old Esther who seems a little strange and morbid despite the adopted parents instance attraction to her. When violent events began taking place that are connected to Esther, the parents began to suspect that there is more to the little girl than appears.

Fuhrman definitely was the right choice for the role of Esther; she has an attractive face and her youth doesn't strain her acting abilities which were very convincing. I won't lie though; the movie was very grisly, and even I had to turn away from the screen a few times. Even the twist ending really shocked me, and I'm not easily shocked. I really think that despite how it looks, give it a shot, because it wasn't a bad little movie. It was well acted, well thought out, and seriously creepy.

I saw this film when it opened on July 24, 2009. Mixed reviews from fans and critics were the usual flair upon its release, but something struck me about this movie. The film went on to gross $37 million at the box-office despite the thrashing it took from critics, but everyone couldn't help but notice the Oscar-nomination worthy performance of its 12-year-old star Isabelle Fuhrman. I just viewed the film on DVD for the first time since its theaterical run and I'm still seeing just how riveting and engaging this movie really is.

"Orphan" is NOT a horror film. It's more along the lines of a SUSPENSE THRILLER. When I think of horror films, I think of sex-crazed teenagers being sliced up one-by-one by a machete-wielding maniac (Jason Voorhies, Freddy Krueger, Micheal Myers, etc.). The only real weapons wielded here is just a hammer, a knife, and a .38-caliber pistol. You think scary when it comes to horror films and "Orphan" isn't scary. Has some frightful moments, yes, but scary? Wishful thinking!

Set in the winter-bound parts of Conneticut & Canada, the story centers on the Coleman family: Kate (Vera Farmiga), a Yale University music teacher recovering from alcoholism and bouts of depression after having a stillborn from her third pregnancy; John (Peter Sarsgaard), an architech whose nice guy persona overshadows his increasing issues with Kate that led to past affairs; Max (Aryana Engineer), their deaf 5-year-old daughter who communicates through sign language and their oldest son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), who feels bitterly neglected & increasingly isolated from his parents. As a way of coping with the loss of their would-be 2nd daughter, Jessica, and to amend their existence as a family, Kate & John make a fateful decision to adopt a young girl at the local orphanage.

It is here where they meet Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a sweet-looking 9-year-old Russian girl harboring some deep-seeded issues of her own despite her angelic smile and sympathetic mannerisms. Upon arriving home with new stepdaughter in tow, a series of events unravel to make everyone question the background and sincerity of this little girl. Daniel dislikes her immediately, Max forms an unhealthy bond with her new stepsister, Kate begins to seek out further information about Esther's background, & John just plays Devil's Advocate with all that occurs involving Esther. What's wrong with Esther? Is it true that behind the smile of this little angel beats the heart of a psycho killer?

The answer, and the big secret about who she really is, lies within the confines of this 123-minute thriller. I agree with everyone here that it moves at a near-torturous snail's pace, that being the film's major fatal flaw. But the story itself is so entralling and engaging, you can't help but to excuse that misfire. Fuhrman's performance alone keeps you involved in the twists and turns entrenched here. Only a young, superbly talented actress like Fuhrman was able to pull off a psychological undertaking of switching from sympathetic manipulator to disturbed sadist and it's why I feel she should've gotten an Oscar nod. But due to the overall dislike of the film itself from most critics and for her young age, she didn't get anywhere near sniffing distance of the balloting.

Nonetheless, I was so inspired by this film and became such a fan that I created my own 20-song, hard-rock CD Mix (liner notes & all) of songs inspired by the movie (my own psuedo-soundtrack, if you will, but John Ottman's score was cool). Seemingly destined to go down as a cult favorite, if not a classic, "Orphan" was a solid & enjoyable thrill ride that's essentially "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle", "The Good Son", "The Crush", and a more mean-spirited version of "Problem Child" all rolled into one. That's why this movie isn't a horror despite being classified as one. This film has a depth, substance, and intuitiveness to it that Jason, Micheal, & Freddy couldn't touch with a bloddy axe. Just take sweet, little Esther home and let her hold you, thrill you, kiss you, .... kill you!!! Can someone out there please say "CULT CLASSIC"? DEM -

Buy Orphan (2009) Now

"There's something wrong with Esther," say the ads for "Orphan," and indeed, there is. I could just end the review with that, as it does pretty much tell you everything you need to know about the main character, an adopted girl who promises heaven and delivers hell. But then I'd miss out on the opportunity to tell you about all the other great things it has to offer. This is a truly great horror movie, ambitious enough to be frightening and absorbing, confident enough to toy with the conventions we know all too well, mature enough to rely on the talents of actors instead of the sex appeal of teenagers. Its greatest achievement is transcending the cliché that is the precocious yet evil child, and while I'd like to elaborate on that, I'm afraid the nature of the plot doesn't allow for such details. Regardless, what happens is most likely not what you think will happen, which is to say that you'll actually be surprised.

Esther is played by Isabelle Furhman, a twelve-year-old playing a nine-year-old, although age doesn't count much here. She speaks with a flawless Russian accent and masterfully runs the emotional gamut between sweet and sadistic. Esther is a consummate manipulator, able to advertise herself as the nicest girl you'd ever want to raise as your own before switching gears and making those who stand in her way suffer. We first see her sitting all alone in the classroom of an orphanage, painting a colorful and happy picture that tells a story. Her dress is nice, if a little old fashioned, and the ribbons she has tied around her neck and wrists make her look like a princess. When she smiles, it's not the toothy perfection of a mouthwash commercial but a real girl's smile--so cute and innocent and loveable. Her words are eloquent, and she definitely possesses a wisdom beyond her years. Maybe the trauma of losing her parents back in Russia has forced her to grow up a little too fast.

For these very reasons, she immediately attracts the attention of a couple looking to adopt after a miscarriage claims the life of their third baby. Here enters Kate and John Coleman (Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard), who both carry a lot of baggage. Kate, once a successful piano teacher, is a recovering alcoholic who feels nothing but guilt. John, an architect, is a nice enough guy but takes everything at face value, a character flaw that ultimately proves disastrous.

Esther is adopted. Now things start to get tense. At school, she's made fun of for her clothing and her old, dilapidated Bible, and she screams bloody murder when someone goes to touch the ribbon on her neck. At home, she's hated by the Coleman's son, Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), who rightfully feels ignored by his parents. She soon forms an unhealthy bond with the Coleman's deaf young daughter, Max (Aryana Engineer), who eventually sees things that no little girl should ever have to see. As for the relationship between Esther and Kate, it gets progressively worse while the relationship with John gets progressively better. But Kate knows that there's something wrong with Esther, and it has nothing to do with the little things like dropping an F-bomb; it has to do with serious things, like Esther being present when her mean schoolmate falls from the top of a playground set and breaks her ankle.

One of the nuns from the orphanage, Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder), seems to think Kate is on to something: "Trouble has a way of finding her," she says of Esther, believing that a mistake might have been made in the adoption process. But what if they were nothing more than accidents? What if Kate is wrong? Is it possible that she's venting her resentments on a girl who has been through a lot? Is it possible that she should be back in rehab? Kate's therapist, Dr. Browning (Margo Martindale), seems to think so, and apparently, so does John. But what about their children? Let's just say they know more than care to admit. Think of it in terms of one of Esther's paintings; when you look it in a different light, you'll find that a completely different story is being told.

"Can you keep a secret?" the ads ask us ominously, if not altogether unexpectedly. Indeed, you should keep the film's big revelation to yourself, even if you found it unconvincing. Suspension of disbelief is required of you, yes, but fortunately, this is one of the few recent horror films that earns it. Why? Because the story doesn't resort to cheap gimmicks--it's a thriller that actually thrills. There are moments that seem to be leading up to a tired horror cliché, only to throw us off guard with ... nothing. When a door or a medicine cabinet is opened, blocking the camera's view, what do you expect to see in the shot when the door closes? In this movie, you're never sure whether or not someone will suddenly appear out of nowhere. If it does happen, chances are it's for reasons other than a quick scare.

The more lasting scares involve Esther, who at one point or another makes use of a hammer, a gun, a vice, a knife, a pillow, a retractable blade, and a match with a bottle of lighter fluid. Even a car rolling backwards down a hill in neutral finds its way into the story. As has been repeatedly said, there's something wrong with Esther, a girl who makes little Rhoda from "The Bad Seed" seem like an amateur. "Orphan" is a first class shocker that begins with a nervous whisper before building to a cry and ending with a scream. Director Jaume Collet-Serra and writers Alex Mace and David Leslie Johnson actually made an effort; yes, their film is scary, and yes, their film is disturbing, but more to the point, their film is engaging.

Read Best Reviews of Orphan (2009) Here

Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, and CCH Pounder give excellent performances, but it's the kiddies who steal the show in "Orphan."

Farmiga and Sarsgaard star as Kate and John Coleman, a successful and loving (or so it seems at first) couple with two children and the desire to adopt another when Kate's third child is stillborn. They believe that they've found the perfect child in Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a nine-year-old Russian orphan who is sugary sweet, highly intelligent, and very artistic.

Once Esther arrives at the Coleman home, she is immediately met with resistance by the Coleman's son, Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), and takes their deaf daughter, Max (Aryana Engineer) under her protective wing. She is also teased at school for her dresses and the Bible she carries with her.

Slowly the viewer sees sweet Esther turn into a very dark and sinister little girl. Not only does she seek out revenge on those who pick at her, but she begins to manipulate Max and force her to help out with her dirty work.

Esther also opens old wounds from Kate and John's past and drives a wedge between them. Kate becomes suspicious of Esther and seeks out more information on her newly adopted daughter. The head mistress of the orphanage, Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder), tries to help Kate and becomes a target for Esther as well.

As Esther's dark past is revealed, her actions become more wicked and, in some cases, fatal. It is at this point that the film begins to rely on well-worn cliches that have been trod out in a number of other films about evil children, particularly "The Good Son" and "The Omen."

Naturally there is a twist thrown in near the film's climax in order to give a motive to Esther's madness, and while it is rather sickening, it's not that big of a surprise.

Overall, the film isn't that bad. However, clocking in at a very slow moving 120-plus minutes makes for a somewhat boring experience. I'm assuming that director Jaume Collet-Serra was trying to build suspense by drawing out the film, but it makes for a lackluster thriller in the end. Even the climactic battle near the end of the film is drawn out and rather unbelievable. It's almost as if the film is attempting to be a psychological thriller and a slasher flick at the same time.

Again, the film really isn't that bad, just too long and a bit boring at times. The children all shine in their roles, particularly little Aryana Engineer, whom I believe does an excellent job as Max. Her performance is overshadowed somewhat by Fuhrman's turn as Esther, but she still shines on her own.

So is this film worthy of purchase? If you enjoy psychological thrillers involving young children then, yes, I say go out and buy it. However, I do recommend to everyone else that you rent this film first. It's good, but I have no plans to add it to my permanent collection any time soon.

Want Orphan (2009) Discount?

I love the pro-adoption commentary before this movie. It's a PSA of sorts telling you that all orphans are not bad kids and the following movie is not based in fact. I don't see why that was necessary, but it is humorous to think that anyone would believe this film is non-fiction.

The children in this movie are believable and they carry much of the films weight. Isabelle Fuhrman is spectacular in her performance. She is nothing like a young, wooden MacCauley Calkin who often seemed to be reading directly from a cue card (see Home Alone). Dad thinks she is innocent and sweet, but she secretly trys to destroy the dynamics of the family. As her character evolves and we learn more and more about her, she loses that sweet exterior and we see her for the murderous little heathen that she really is. Her language is very graphic at times, but not without purpose.

The entire cast were fine in their roles. The parents, and their need of another child seemed very convincing. The flow of the film from beginning to end makes for a great thriller that I highly recommend to all. It's not the same old typical slasher film with the same typical ending... and the acting is superb!

Thank you for reading....

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