How the West Was Won (2011)

A massive, sprawling epic shot in the three camera Cinerama Process popular during the early 60's, "How the West Was Won" spans from 1830 to 1880 covering the history of the westward expansion. Directed by three directors (John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall with a fourth Richard Thorpe providing uncredited linking pieces)"How the West Was Won" was produced during the twilight of the western as the most popular type genre.

Warner has done a painstaking job of restoring this classic film and although it isn't perfect, it's an exceptional job that deserves kudos. The film has never looked this good with colors that pop and accurate fleshtones. More important the seams that one could see for the separate cameras aren't quite as glaring as before. The image quality is exceptionally crisp with terrific detail. Audio sounds extremely good with a nice 5.1 mix.

The film is spread over two discs with the original Overture and Alfred Newman's marvelous score included as part of the package. We get a terrific feature length commentary track from "West" stuntman Loren James who provides plenty of background details about the physical shooting of the film, filmmaker David Strohmaier, film scholar Rudy Behlmer, Cierama's John Sittig and music historian Jon Burlingame. My only complaint is that Burlingame will make a comment about listening to Newman's marvelous score and then whomever edited his comments continues to play them right over the music cue we should be listening to without interruption.

The only other complaint that I have is that while the dirt and grit has been removed making the film look marvelous, there's one sequence that has always bugged me--there is a bit of dirt right in the middle of the frame of the opening fly over sequence that I wish they could have figured out how to remove. Other than that, it's pretty smooth looking throughout the presentation despite an occasiona bit of image unsteadiness as characters move across the screen and span of the three cameras lenses.

We also get a terrific hour and a half documentary on the Cinerama process on the third disc.

There are three different versions of the film in re-release: the first is a three disc DVD edition with just the film; the second is the three disc set postcards, a reproduction of the original press book, souvenir book and photos as part of the package;there is no equivalent for this SCE in the Blu-ray edition although it does have a booklet as part of that package.

The image and sound quality in this restored edition improves on the original single disc edition of the film with a terrific commentary track and documentary to round out the set. With a stunning casts (James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Carolyn Jones, Debbie Reynolds, Carol Baker, Lee J. Cobb, George Peppard, John Wayne, Lee Van Cleef, Karl Malden, Agnes Moorehead and others)this was truly one of the last epic, lyrical westerns to be produced in Hollywood. Highly recommended.

If you've never seen the original Cinerama big screen release, or only know the previous video versions of HTWWW, you are in for a big treat. The fully restored classic American film, the top box office hit of 1962, is stunning.

And the Blu-ray hi-def transfer is truly breathtaking. I literally gasped when I saw it. And so have special preview audiences of the hi-def DVD.

Warner -which owns the pre 1986 MGM library -has spent a ton of dough getting this right. Six years, hundreds of people, thousands of hours and millions of dollars have been invested in creating and applying new technology that has virtually erased the "join lines" that marred the earlier -rather hideous -video transfers. Not only that, but every frame has been restored. That's the equivalent of restoring three 35 MM films -the original was exposed using three alligned cameras. The final aspect ratio is 2.89:1 (that's nearly three times as wide as it is high). And it is a wondrous sight to behold.

Seeing this new version is like experiencing the film for the first time. The familiar story -based on a series in Life magazine -follows three generations of a typical pioneer Ohio Valley family from 1839 to 1889. A myriad of stars shine in this great American adventure -John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb and Carrol Baker are among the many recognizable faces.

Three accomplished directors (including John Ford) helmed this rousing epic that does not degrade the Native American experience even as it allows for the conflicts the westward movement created.

The absolutely stunning Blu-ray version inlcudes a "smilebox" transfer that mimics the original Cinerama experience of a giant curved screen. On a large video display -especially if projected on a big pull down screen -this version is jaw-dropping.

The extras include Rudy Strohmaier's much acclaimed documentary "Cinerama Adventure." And there's a wonderful commentary by filmmaker Strohmaier, John Sittig (director of Cinerama, Inc.), film historian Rudy Behlmer, music historian Jon Burlingame and stuntman Loren James. But why no Debbie Reynolds?

The only other narrative three camera Cinerama film is "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" and the stored negative has suffered water damage so there are no plans for a full restoration at this time.

As a kid I saw this film at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. The impact of the big sound and images swept me away and I remember the experience vividly. The rousing music, the involving heartland American story still works. And thanks to cutting edge technology, it's better than ever.

This is one for the digital library.

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This is the first (and only) CINERAMA film I ever saw, without doubt the most thrilling aspect of the movie is the grand scale of the Cinerama process and the multichannel soundtrack. The transfer to DVD is an insult. In this era of digital technology it is easily possible to correct the color balance errors evident in the "seams" of this otherwise remarkable motion picture. I agree with other reviewers, lose the Turner promo. The color balance, saturation, and picture

resolution are very average, and fall well below of what the DVD process is capable. One redeeming feature is the soundtrack. Finally, after viewing the VHS tape, and Laserdisc of this movie, the DVD release incorporates the correct rear channel information of the original release. Finally, and most regrettably, this DVD release has been cropped. Don't we buy widescreen movies to see how they were originally shot? HELLO HOLLYWOOD!

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I keep running into negative reviews for a DVD film or set that hasn't been released yet. I am not sure why Amazon feels in necessay to move reviews over to a DVD that has yet to be released but it's a bit like shooting yourself in the foot. Everyone waiting for a decent release of this film without the lines on film should be aware they need to wait for reviews of the set AFTER it has been released and ignore the negative reviews of previous versions.

Everyone knows this film, it is the reviews of the DVD and not the film that is important to most of us. Wake up, Jeff. This is very frustrating. Quit posting reviews of DVDs that have yet to be released.

Richard

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[I wrote this DVD review of "How the West Was Won" a while ago, but I have added this paragraph to account for a third DVD, released 22 May 2007, as part of a set called "The John Wayne Collection." This third DVD by Warner is the same as MGM's 1998 release. There has been no DVD re-mastering effort. All three DVDs have precisely the same content, and so all the information within my following review about the 2000 Warner release can be applied to "The John Wayne Collection" DVD of Warner in 2007. Of special importance is how it wrongly states the disc is an anamorphic DVD. It is not anamorphic.]

There are two [three] DVDs of "How the West Was Won" (1962) available in the U.S.

MGM Video's earlier disc (released on 28 July 1998) and Warner Video's second disc (released 12 Sept. 2000) [and Warner's third disc of 22 May 2007] have EXACTLY THE SAME DISC CONTENT! Even the menus are the same! They both contain the film's theatrical trailer and contain the same "Making Of" documentary with a run time of 15:30. The only difference is the earlier MGM release also includes an 8-page booklet with large essays filling all but the cover pages, including a section about the "800 pounds" of Cinerama camera equipment used for this spectacle; that plus a plastic DVD box. The later Warner release uses the cardboard case, but even its cover art does not match the disc menu screens as does the earlier MGM release.

This movie with its Cinerama glory deserves a place on the shelf of video collectors involved with American cinema culture. If one wants to buy this movie on DVD, opt for the earlier edition with the booklet. I noticed the DVDs (having the same exact imagery) have four negatives: the extremely wide screen image is only letterboxed and not anamorphic DVD, the theatrical 7-track audio has been degraded to 4-channel matrix-encoded Dolby audio, the DVD picture image suffers from film scratches and dirt, and Ted Turner's logo appears BETWEEN the prologue overture and the beginning of the film. Nevertheless, the great music is worth the price, alone. I was never a fan of the movie, but it was one of the single most ambitious film projects ever and cost a fortune! This film is a crucial landmark of a cultural evolution in American cinema and any collector serious about American film culture needs this DVD. Of course, the great John Ford directed one segment, but also the famous Henry Hathaway and George Marshall directed their segments of this film.

An interesting part of the documentary focuses on the ideas and investments behind the three-camera Cinerama format and three-screen Super Cinerama theater used for this film. Despite the success, only two fictional films used the three-, angled-screen Cinerama format: this movie and "the Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" (1962), the George Pal stop-motion extravaganza. Cinerama was next re-formulated into a single camera process for a curved screen using a 65mm image on Ultra Panavision 70 film, and these newer camera processes weighed a lot less than the original Cinerama cameras. The first film made in the latter process was a comedy, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963) and, according to that DVD, the carpet had been laid in the first of the new single curved-screen Super Cinerama theaters only three days before this comedy's release. The re-formulated Cinerama/Ultra Panavision 70 cameras were so light, Director John Frankenheimer had them mounted onto Formula Three racecars (dressed as Formula One cars) for his 1966 film, "Grand Prix."

The most critically acclaimed and remembered film made for Cinerama three-screen OR curved-screen theaters was "2001: a Space Odyssey" (1968). Read Roger Ebert's website reviews of this movie. Both, Ebert's original review from 1968 and the review from its re-release of 1997 appear on his website.

Movies made before 1952 were predominantly black and white. Because studios blamed theater ticket sale diminishment on television, film studios either invented new technologies or reinvented existing ones such as Cinerama, which at least appears very similar to Abel Gance's use of three camera images during the battle scenes of his 1927 silent epic, "Napoleon." Some of the fads blossoming during the `50s and `60s and remaining today are the use of Cinemascope anamorphic lenses, wide-screen panoramic films, color photography, epic plots, large-budget movies, multi-track stereophonic audio, and other artistic special effects. Some of the fads not quite permanent were stop motion animation like the works of Ray Harryhausen, loud musicals, "3-D" movies, and Cinerama.

However, some ideological remnants of the Super Cinerama remain with another distant format: IMAX. Both processes use curved screens about 110-feet wide although an IMAX screen is dome-shaped because it is twice as high, they both use at least 6 discrete tracks of audio, and they both use theaters specifically designed for exhibitions using their processes.

One of Cinerama and IMAX's fundamental differences is that IMAX's fictional movies are usually transferred from pre-existing wide-screen movies into the IMAX format whereas, unlike IMAX, the fictional movies in Cinerama were made FOR their Super Cinerama theaters. For instance, the IMAX production of "Apollo 13" cropped the original Super 35 film images having a length-to-width ratio of 2.39:1 down into a ratio of 1.66:1 enlarged, according to Ebert's website. Although "How the West Was Won" was mostly shot in its system of three images, some of it was actually shot in Ultra Panavision 70, the second Cinerama format, and optically converted into three-image Cinerama, according to Widescreen Review's website. This means that, even when Cinerama originally meant three screens, it still utilized Ultra Panavision 70 photography for part of "How the West Was Won," the first of the two fictional films using three-screen Super Cinerama Theaters.

The studio had researched volumes for "How the West Was Won" and the Cinerama process, which was one of the many efforts to re-invent the cinema during the 1950s and '60s. In 1963, when "How the West Was Won" released into Cinerama theaters, it was a huge hit and played for nearly two years.

Today, no three-screen Super Cinerama theater remains, and almost all (if not yet all) single-, curved-screen Super Cinerama theaters have vanished. For the sake of American culture, the government should do something to protect at least one of these theaters. America needs some history of culture to protect and a Super Cinerama theater seems worth saving since the cinema provides the largest venue of American entertainment today. The Super Cinerama theater is a landmark of American culture.

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Apocalypse: Second World War

I have at least twenty historical dvds of WWII, and Countless Hollywood movies about WWII. What I believe makes This series and Blu-ray unique is seeing more of a perspective of the civilians during WWII. Many of the historical dvds give the viewer details of the battles, and film and pictures of the battles, but more from a soldiers perspective. I am glad to add this to my collection because I believe it added that civilian perspective. Many people forget that the civilian causaulty rate dwarfed that of the soldiers lost during WWII. The civilians were just as courageous as the soldiers in many instances. Hopefully we will never have to repeat the lessons that so many learned.

I have what is apparently the original version of this series which I ordered through Time-Life. It is in English with a rather bland narrator whose voice I don't recognize. While not obviously inaccurate the narration doesn't go into a lot of detail and repeats many well-worn cliches (i.e. Polish cavalry DID NOT deliberately charge German tanks in September 1939; they simply got surprised in the open by a German armored column). Disc 2, which details the first 6 months of the Pacific War, contains very little new info and I quickly became bored watching it.

Time-Life promotes this series as being spectacular and new. A lot of the footage is indeed new, but I also had seen much of it before on history websites. There are also some curious parts in which the script feels like it was solely written to incorporate available footage.

That said, there is some very interesting footage that I had never seen before. Colorized footage of U.S. battleships burning at Pearl Harbor and Japanese planes apparently ditching in the ocean after their carriers had been sunk at the Battle of Midway was nice. Footage showing executions of Jews and alleged collaborators can also be quite graphic, as can be the scenes of dead bodies.

I would recommend buying this series only for the footage, much of which is definitely worth the price of admission. But if you've been studying World War 2 in detail for any length of time don't expect to learn anything particularly new. If you're new to this subject, know that this is a well-produced series that looks and sounds nice, but just be careful about repeating what you learn from it.

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I bought the 4 dvd set from Time Life and watched it today. While some of the footage was new, much of it was stuff I had seen on the history channel and the victory at sea series. Some of the information was informative like the French invasion of Germany after the declaration of war and the fact that Hitler did not pursue the English troops evacuating at Dunkirk although Stukas did sink some of the evacuation craft. Some of the footage fell short of telling the whole story, like the part about the bombing of Monte Cassino in Italy. Much of the new footage focused on the eastern front. While the development of the Soviet air force played a large part in the battle, it was overlooked in this dvd. The pacific war footage showed the battle for Saipan and said that it was the place where B-29s took off to attack Japan, and they covered the atomic bomb drops on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although those attacks were launched from Tinian and not Saipan. This package wasn't worth it.

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The DVD available is not like the series shown on T.V. The audio has been altered with the original narrater being replaced with a someone who is very monotone. It really changes the presentation of the show in a negative way.

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First thing I must point out about this series, is don't expect this to be the most comprehensive in terms of technical details, this is more of a broader overview of the conflict. The aspect that makes this series fantastic is the footage..it is some of the best, if not THE best I've ever seen. Especially German military footage, I don't think I've ever seen another documentary on the second world war with better footage of the Wehrmacht. A lot of the footage in Apocalypse you won't find in any other series, or if you do it will most likely be in black and white and not remastered in HD. This is a more cinematic presentation of the war, with no interviews to break up the continuity. The sound is also a great selling point for Apocalypse, because it's in 5.1 surround. If you have even the slightest interest in WW2, pick up this one. If you want a more detailed synapsis on the conflict I would suggest picking up the classic 'The World at War'.

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Betty Blue: Original Theatrical Release (1986)

Betty Blue is touted as an "erotic drama" by the distributor, a tag which sells the film grossly short. It certainly has frank depictions of sexuality and much nudity -after all, this is a film that opens on a real-time extended sequence shot of two people having sex -but to call this erotica is to miss the complete picture.

Betty Blue is an organic look at a troubled relationship in all its glory and ugliness, tenderness and violence, joys and sorrows, made possible by the director's sympathetic and unembarrassed eye, and the sheer dedication of lead actors Jean-Hugues Anglade and Beatrice Dalle. Seldom has a cinematic couple been better paired, and seldom with so much chemistry. Dalle conveys a world of psychological complexity in her face, her eyes seeming to shift with her inner beats. Dalle received the bulk of the attention for this, her breakthrough role, so it might be easy to overlook Jean-Hugues Anglade, a fantastic actor who's every bit as good as Gerard Depardieu, perhaps even half a notch above Jean Reno. In reality, he is the anchor for the film's wrenching emotional journey. When Zorg plays the piano theme for Betty, easily the loveliest scene in the film, Anglade's eyes seem to dance, and the actors say more with their looks during their moments together than all the sex scenes in the world. Thanks to the deft direction, all those nude scenes don't seem like titillation -merely an illuminating fly-on-the-wall view into the relationship. This couple certainly seems like the type who would be comfortable being naked around each other, and those scenes create a sense of genuine intimacy, rather than intent to arouse.

If there's one thing this film does well, it is the mixture of comedic and tragic scenes which makes it seem such a complete picture. Betty is not always wild and uncontrolled; Zorg is not always patient and loving. They are two flawed characters, made all the more likeable because of their flaws, and their interactions make us laugh, smile in understanding, frown, and cry.

This extended edition makes the film far better. It's been about 10 years since I last saw it so I can't make very specific comparisons. But the restored scenes are substantial, not cosmetic addition of shots, but an explosion of the story, and while I can't name too many specifics, as a whole this version just feels more right, more natural, and more emotional.

Look beyond the film's "erotic" reputation and find a character study, and a portrayal of a relationship, which is as moving as any I've seen.

'Betty Blue', the movie that, as one reviewer put it,' sent shock waves rippling through arthouse cinemas everywhere' and introduced unforgettable 'Beatrice Dalle', a sort of modern day (though far wilder) 'Bardot', with an even more generous mouth. Who else but the French could pull off a film like this with such depth and style. An exploration of L'amour in all its beautiful and tragic complexities. Certainly to the faint hearted it may have seemed a little shocking. There is plenty of of full frontal nudity, both male and female (unlike the double standard in American cinema), and a very realistic sex scene to confront audiences in the very opening scene. But the erotica in this movie is really very natural with nothing perverse or kinky about it. It has an uninhibited earthiness about it that we have come to expect from French Movies. To others what may have seemed more shocking was the rather dark and depressing nature of the story, (if you haven't seen this movie don't go looking for a happy ending).

Director 'Jean-Jacques Beineix', in an article I read, said something like: that he dedicated this film to a generation of French Cinema watchers, who still believed in perfect love but knew it couldn't last. This indeed seems to be the underlying theme of the film, that young love and passion can't last, something has to kill it, you want to preserve it in time like a beautiful photograph or picture, before it withers or tarnishes. The sense of impending doom that hangs over Betty and Zorg's passionate and beautiful love affair, is present from the beginning.

The early part of the film is light and hopeful. When we initially meet 'Betty and Zorg'(who have recently began their love affair); she arrives, suitcase in hand, on his doorstep unexpectedly, where he lives in a sort of dreamlike,rundown, seaside shanty town, ready to move in. The scenes shot here are bathed in sunlight, clear blue skies and vibrant colours, to match the more hopeful mood. World weary 'Zorg', who seems content with his very basic existence, has his life quickly turned upside down by the younger free spirited and emotionally volatile, Betty. A beautiful raven haired, typically pouting and provocative French sex kittenish type. Betty soon discovers a secret collection of Zorg's writings, and becomes convinced he has the makings of a great author. The modest and more cynically realistic 'Zorg' is not so convinced. After being led by Betty to abandon their simple digs( in suitable reckless 'Betty' style) with the hope of finding publishing success and a better life in the city, Zorg and Betty embark on a rollercoaster journey that soon descends into much darker,gloomier territory. With each set back Betty becomes ever more disenchanted and emotionally unstable, and we discover, though the film never attempts to explain why, that she is infact a very disturbed young woman.

The film 'Betty Blue' has a very artistic,lyrical and poetic quality about it. Visually beautiful with one of the most hauntingly exquisite musical scores I have ever heard. It is one of those foreign arthouse movies that inevitably has now received cult status. There are many aspects of this film which you could easlily find fault in. The story(and characters)seem completely irrational and unbelievable at times. But the artistic cinematography,the unforgettable music of 'Gabriel Yared' and moving performances of JeanHughes Anglade (as the tenderly patient and understanding, though often bewildered,'Zorg')and Dalle as (as the audacious,strikingly sexy but unstable 'Betty'),all make this film standout. It's a love story as moving in its tragedy as it is in its passion and beauty, you feel so completely the very true and deep love Zorg has for Betty especially, she drives him to the brink with her behaviour, yet in a way re-ignites a spark in him and passion that was buried, through her love and belief in him. I must admit it touches the hopeless romantic in me, a cinema enthusiast, who also wants to believe in true and 'perfect love', forever preserved in time and memory.

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This is a heartbreakingly tragic film centred around Betty, (Beatrice Dalle) a beautiful but unstable young woman, whose instability or madness becomes progressively worse throughout the film. In the beginning we think she is just an admirablely rebellious and fiery person who is over-sensitive to slight and imagined insult. Later she is engulfed by these irrational and self-destructive bouts of hysteria for no perceptible reason. But this happens only occasionally; between times she behaves like a perfectly normal and happy person, as she has every reason to be. It is easy to become impatient with her. She keeps saying she has nothing to live for, that nothing she has ever done has worked out right, but how can this be when she is so much better off than so many millions of others, with beauty, two good friends and a good man who loves her to distraction despite everything? And she loves him in return.

Zorg (Jean-Hughes Anglalde) is an aspiring novelist with a novel in manuscript he has given up all hope of ever seeing published. But she believes in him and, using only two fingers, types out the manuscript with painful slowness, and, with an heroic persistence, continues sending it out to the publishers despite receiving a steady stream of rejection slips. And here-in lies the tragedy ; at the end of the film, when she is dead to the world and past caring, her efforts bear fruit and the manuscript is accepted. How happy knowing this would have made her. But too late.

We leave him alone in his kitchen about to start a new novel, a novel that she will never see, leading to a success and prosperity she will have no share in. My God isn't that sad? "What might have been." the saddest words in the English language.

The pain lies in imagining the long and happy life they might have had together, but for this thing that mad people have, whatever it is, gnawing away inside her mind. No explanation is attempted of why she was the way she was, no revelation of some childhood trauma or of some past bitter experience. We are left to assume that she had some brain or genetic defect. Nor are we given any psychiatric diagnoses. It is mentioned at one point that she is neurotic, but then aren't we all? She mentions hearing voices in her head which is the classic symptom of Schizophrenia, but her other behaviour doesn't fit the pattern. Nor does her behaviour fit the pattern of the Manic-depressive. who, surely, is subject only to mood-swings not to sudden and violently wild outburst of behaviour. So we are left to ponder the nature of madness. It makes you think and it's all interesting stuff.

This is a long film, but with a wealth of interest and by no means depressing; there are many happy sequences and funny moments, and the acting is uniformly excellent.

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This film is one of my all time favorites. Most looking at this listing already know the unconventional tragic love story is really well done. Imperfectly paced, yes, but so beautifully shot that the film is just stunning -visually and emotionally. The soundtrack also is absolutely wonderful and so well integrated.

Unfortunately, in a really stunning blunder, this Blu-Ray is only the shorter theatrical release.

I contacted Cinema Libre Studio and I understand they plan either the directors cut alone or a combined directors and this short version combined on a BD "in a few months." Frankly that leaves me cold to buying knowing they intend to milk this for second release.

Take a look at the blu-ray dot com review. The way they did the transfer is not much better than the SD DVD, which is available in the longer version, and even the audio is only a lossy Dolby 2.0. Really? With Gabriel Yared's legendary soundtrack that is the best they can do?

My advice is to rent this and wait to purchase the full cut on BD when it comes out.

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The Korean Import which claims to be the Director's cut, blurs out all male and female pubic nudity. It is absurd that the director's cut is so highly censored. Don't waste your money on this misleadingly labeled DVD

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Viva Las Vegas (2007)

On the 25th anniversay of Elvis' passing, I thought I'd watch one of his films...this is perhaps his best, and in pairing him with Ann-Margret, he met his match. She sizzles in the musical numbers, and sometimes outshines the King when they're on-screen together.

Don't expect a plot or much in the way of dialogue, as everything revolves around the songs. The standouts are the title song, "Come On, Everybody", "What'd I Say", and "Appreciation"...but all of them are good, and the other numbers are: "The Lady Loves Me", "I Need Someone to Lean On", "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever", "My Rival", and "If You Think I Don't Need You".

The choreography by David Winters (who played A-Rab in the "West Side Story" film) is quite difficult, and almost awkward, with many direction changes, in Ann-Margret's "Appreciation" number (if you watch closely, you'll notice there's a switch to ballet slippers instead of high heels for a short time), but she manages all the dance numbers well, with sparkle and pizazz, and her singing is excellent.

The costume department did a good job, putting Elvis into a lot of very becoming red and black togs, and Ann-Margret's 101 outfits cling to every curve.

The car race footage in the finale is outstanding, and car aficionados will find a lot to like in this film as well as the music.

This was a much appreciated gift, and one I watch when I need some brain candy. Though it's got its flaws, I'm giving it 5 stars for being pure, undiluted entertainment, served up by the Kitten and the King, both in top form, with the glitter and glitz of Las Vegas as their backdrop.

I can't say that I'm a fan of either Elvis Presley or musicals and bought this video only as an experiment in watching something 180 degrees from my norm. Having said that-and standard Hollywood boy gets girl/loses/gets again simplicity aside-this film rocks! A technicolor kitsch fest with so-bad-it's-good Vegas cheese costumes and sets, this is a truly compelling time capsule...and it has THAT song. "What'd I Say?" is one of the most entertaining, hi-energy, goofy/silly, exuberant, infectious, fun dance numbers ever filmed (you have to play it again and again to get all the detail). A lot of what shows on MTV and VH1 is such a bore by comparison. The "Viva Las Vegas" number and the car race are great too.

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After years of second-generation VHS releases, "Viva Las Vegas" (1964) finally can be seen in a widescreen format. This Elvis Presley-Ann Margret musical looks and sounds great on DVD and you also get the original trailer. With director George Sidney at the helm, it's easy to see why "Viva Las Vegas" is considered one of Presley's best films.

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I'm all about Elvis. I'm 24 and my room is covered in his pictures. I LOVE this movie. I think personally that it's one of his best. I could sit here and watch him sing and move and never get tired of him. My favorite scenes are 1. when he's singing "The Lady Loves Me". And 2. when he's on her dance stage singing "My Baby Loves Me". Of course also when he performs the title song. I hope all avid Elvis fans have this movie in their collection.

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This is essentially a movie about two of the screen's most famous duos who never made another film due to Col. Parker's dislike of Ann-Margret and of the director having a very badly concealed crush on the actress. That said, this is one of Elvis' best films with production values more deserving of his talents. The songs are great and Ann-Margret practically steals the film. Whatta body! She just sizzles and burns her way into your memory!

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Without a Paddle (2013)

OK for kids over 10

This was fun. Not deep, kinda silly, but I laughed out loud several times, and that is good enough for me.

3 best friends go on a treasure hunt out in the beautiful North West, meeting up with a bear, a couple motley pot growers(Abe Benrubi from ER, and Ethan Suplee, from The Butterfly Effect) and a real mountain man, Burt Reynolds.

The money is what they're after, but they find more. Friendship, life, and true values, amongst other things.

My sweetheart, Norman and I snuggled on the sofa and watched this while eating leftover salmon. Was nice to relax, no swearing or nudity so it's OK for the kidlets. Probably not wee kids, but, over 10 or 12.

Good fun. Not terribly serious, but, isn't that nice once in a while? I think so!!

I saw this movie at a sneak preview with the local radio station. I was expecting it to be funny, just based on the trailers that I'd seen, and I wasn't disappointed. This movie struck me as being a grown up version of the goonies, with 3 childhood friends going on a treasure hunt that they never did while they were kids. There were a few slow moments, but through most of it, I laughed out loud!

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Look, I walked into this movie expecting a complete bomb, and I was being more than generous at the time. Having never heard of it before, this "action-comedy starring that guy from Scooby-Doo and Dr. Evil's son" seemed less than appealing to me. But once the film started rolling, I was amazed at how hilarious it was. It is a story about four childhood friends who are now in their late 20's. One of them dies and the other three set out on a childhood journey to find the treasure of DB, a man who was lost during a parachute-jump and never returned. On their journey they encounter many obstacles, including a bear, two pot-farmers, tree-hugging hippies and many other hilarities. Although the acting is not top-notch, the comedy is worth the ticket, it is so saturated with jokes that I'm sure that I missed a good third of them.

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Okay. You probably won't take my advice, but I'll give it to you anyway; BUY THIS MOVIE. It is absolutely, 100 % mindless entertainment, but it's worth it! I saw it a couple of days after it came out, and fell in love. I went back to see it three more times, and bought it as soon as it came out on DVD. I even bought the poster, which I've never done for any other movie or television series. That's all there is to it!

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I went to see this movie thinking it was going to be funny. I was right! This movie had me laughing all the way through, from the bear attack to the weed farm to the Earth-child tree house, this movie lived up to my expectations and then some.

When their friend Billy dies on one of his many adventures, Jerry, Tom, and Dan go back to Oregon and encounter their old tree house with all their childhood memorabilia. They find a box with relics they put in that was not supposed to be removed until they found DB Cooper's treasure. Supposedly he parachuted into the woods with a bunch of stolen cash but was never seen since. Billy had even marked out the trip on a map and had wanted to go with the guys on a camping trip the previous summer, but none of them could make it. Tom was detained in Mexico. So, to honor their friend, and despite Dan's "I'm Dr. Mott now!" objection, the three decide to follow Billy's map and finally search for DB's treasure.

The trip starts out with a pit stop in a very run-down town. Using Dan's satellite cell phone, Jerry runs into some trouble with his girlfriend, who is tired of waiting for him to settle down. Once they barely escape from a shariff with no teeth, it's off into the woods to christen a red canoe, much to a Native American's dismay. "Thanks for breaking glass where my kids play." Smoothe, Jerry, whose response was, "...oh."

When they finally land for the night, things go fine until Tom decides he wants to fish by "flashing them". Dan bets $1000 and his left, well, anyway, he bets he can't do it. The first fish Jerry and Dan forget to catch out of stupidity, but the second was out of fear of the bear that Tom doesn't notice until Jerry starts taking off his shoes.

"You can't outrun that bear."

"I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you." Dan trips while running and Tom suggests the fetile position. The bear then takes him for a cub and carries him off. "ABORT THE FETILE POSITION!" Hey, how many chances do you have to try freshly caught...what was it? A raccoon? Well, that night was spent in a tree and Dan's brand new cell phone becomes a tasty snack.

The next day the bear is scared off by explosion sounds and the trio sees a boat with two ugly rednecks in it throwing grenades into the water. Dan wants to cut through the woods and start out on the other side. When they do, they miss the fork and end up on the wrong side of it. Although Tom made himself out to be a Class-45 river rafter, they don't have much luck and end up sailing over a 100-foot waterfall. Now they don't have a canoe or a map, which the bear had clawed through anyway.

They set off into the woods and come across civilization and Creed wafting through the air. However, when they get close enough, they find the same two rednecks they were trying to avoid earlier talking to beheaded fish. They hide in their shed which is stuffed with packages of grade-A marijuana. One wrong move and dogs Lynyrd and Skynyrd are on their tail. So after setting off the flares that light up the entire marijuana field, which ultimately sets the field on FIRE, Tom, Jerry, and Dano take off. Half-way through, everyone is completely stoned. They manage to escape, though. So...onward into the woods.

Earth-child. No, not just any old hippie. A tree. The soaked guys, after swearing they aren't from the logging company, "If you're from the logging company you'll have to speak to our lawyers!", are allowed to come up and meet Flower and Butterfly. Slug (Jerry) and Condor (Dano) are immediately embraced (what was Tom called again?) and they discover just how "natural" the two girls really are. They try to radio for help, but the signal is intercepted by the rednecks who are after them. When they try to cut down Earth-child, Tom, Dano, and Jerry make a run for it in nothing but their underwear. (Butterfly and Flower were drying their clothes off, in case you were wondering.) Even though flying bags of, well, (what would you use the "little tree's room" for?) are thrown on their heads, the rednecks don't give up on Earth-child until Tom rides off with one of their wheelies and ends up driving it off a cliff. Surviving the drop, Tom, Jerry, and Dano escape into the woods again, and this time, Dano finally gets a kiss farewell. (Flower is the hairy woman of his dreams!)

Now it's dark and cold. Dano is tired and they're in front of a cave. Once you hear the lyrics, "My mind's telling me no, but my body...my body's tellin me yes", you know it's going to go a little crazy. Hey, it's cold! And as Tom said, "This never leaves the cave." After Jabba leaves his hut because Jerry can't keep his exotic thoughts in his head (poor Dano, it's not his fault), the scary mountain man Del Knox shows up and leads them back to his cabin.

He doesn't kill them, but he does tell them that he was DB Cooper's best friend. He spent 30 years up in those mountains. He couldn't leave. The next morning comes along. Dano wakes up.

Dano: Mmm...bacon.

Del: Squirrel.

Dano: Mmm...squirrel.

The rednecks can't read for anything, but they can track, and sure enough, after Jerry finds the eaten cell phone (does a bear -poopin the woods?), they catch up to them. Del takes care of them temporarily so Tom, Jerry, and Dano can escape.

The compass isn't working. The iron in the mines is throwing it off. Revelation! If it's throwing their compass off, it must've thrown DB Cooper's compass off! Next thing they know, they've fallen through a mine shaft. And...da da da DA...there they come face-to-face with none other than DB Cooper himself...well, what's left of him. After burning his treasure to stay alive for a few more hours, he froze to death. Their mission complete, they get their relics back (a C3PO collectible, a rookie card, and a rubber -good going Tom-) and decide to place it with DB Cooper and his treasure. Then the rednecks show up...again. Dano slipped through a hole in the shaft to freedom with the help of singing a "Culture Club" song. He then knocks the two trouble-makers into the hole with Jerry and Tom. A fight ensues. Dano picks up a grenade that was dropped. The same sheriff from town shows up. Problem solved, right? WRONG!

The rednecks work for the sheriff and all guns are pointed at Jerry, Tom, and Dano. Once Jerry is given possession of the grenade, he gives the three thugs a choice:

Jerry: I've decided my life's worth living. And if you decide that your lives are worth living (actual dialogue may vary), you'll put your guns down.

Sheriff: And if we don't?

Jerry: (pulls grenade) Bye-bye, boys.

The grenade hits a tree and the three thugs are caught under it. Back in town (not the run-down town but Jerry, Tom, and Dano's hometown) the thugs are arrested and Del gives the guys a little surprise: DB's parachute. He has DB's bones in his backpack and plans to see the world.

Del: Maybe even Washington.

Jerry:...wow...one state.

Inside the parachute is Del's share of the treasure: $100,000 I think it was. Jerry doesn't want it. Dano doesn't want it. (Hell, he's "Dr. Mott" now!) so Tom, who isn't the Harley salesman he claimed to be, uses it to pay off his debts.

In the end:

Jerry asks his girlfriend to marry him and she says yes.

Dano and Flower share an intimate moment in Earth-child.

Tom confuses a bunch of boyscouts at a camp fire.

The movie ends leaving you with only one burning question:

"What's a 'downstairs'?"

Enough said.

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The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2006)

Lucas Black (the kid from the "American Gothic" TV series and the "X-Files" movie) has matured into a charismatic young actor with a brooding screen presence. He does a terrific job picking up the franchise torch from Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in this killer sequel, a well crafted guilty pleasure that delivers the Fast and Furious goods.

Sexy, colorful, edgy, expertly paced, with a great opening sequence and a knockout ending, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" is formula genre filmmaking at its absolute finest. The movie has a beautiful female lead (Nathalie Kelley), cool sidekicks, wonderfully over the top villains, and a great setting (the filmmakers do a great job utilizing the Tokyo locations).

This movie is a real rush of adrenaline. A wicked guilty pleasure that lives up to its title.

Loud, Brash, Noisy, Sexy, Morally Murky, Bursting with Energy and Guts, Justin Lin's (the terrific "Better Luck Tomorrow") take on episode 3 of the "Fast and Furious" franchise is a great way to spend a hot Summer afternoon along with a gallon size soft drink and a tub of Popcorn.

Here Lin is in Tokyo with the stoic, deadpan line reading Lucas Black (as the booted out of the US to avoid Juvenile detention, Shane Boswell...a car nut addicted to driving fast and grinning like a Cheshire cat) who, of course finds the local car culture and its inhabitants by way of a school pal, Twinkie played by the appealing Bow-Wow. And he just as quickly falls in with the "wrong crowd" consisting of Han, a sort of Sensei to Shane (the enigmatic and excellent Sung Kang from "Face" and "Better Luck Tomorrow"), and the villain of the piece, Yamata played with his face crunched and a constant sneer by Sonny Chiba. Then there is the lovely Neela (Nathalie Kelley...a dead ringer for FFI's Jordana Brewster): like Shane and Twinkie a High School (!)student with very, very permissive parents.

Lin directs this piece to within an inch of its life: your eyes and ears are never bored, never without something to feast your eyes upon or pop your fingers to.

Lin never judges his characters, we never feel that he is slumming...he always respects the material he is given to direct and he always puts his personal stamp on everything that he does.

I wish he were given something as meaningful and heartfelt as "Better Luck Tomorrow" to direct but he's young and he has many many movies to make before he is through.

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The cast in this movie was extremely well chosen, and they all acted very well. Sean is a reckless, charming, somewhat troubled teenager, but he doesn't come across as stupid and careless--despite his angst and frequent bungles, he is immediately likable. When a car race with a peer at his school results in two wrecked cars and extensive damage to a local construction site, the only alternative he has to jail is to move to Tokyo and live with a relative (his father, I thought, but maybe his uncle...).

In Tokyo, Sean quickly discovers the racing scene. After trashing a race car, he has no choice but to work for Han, the car's owner, as compensation. Han is by far the best character in this movie, to the point that he seems out of place--you just don't expect a character THAT good in this sort of action flick. Han is a whimsical, philosophical and intense character. He completely upstages Sean and almost from the first moment you see him, calmly eating his chips while he watches Sean destroy his expensive race car, you want to see more of him.

Much of the movie's impetus comes from D.K. and Neela. D.K., short for "Drift King," is the top racer in the area and the nephew of a local yakuza boss. He's partners with Han and is obsessed with Neela, a peer of Sean's at school. D.K. dislikes Sean immediately, noting Sean's interest in Neela and tensions between the two of them escalate throughout the movie, leading to the "climax" which is a night race down an extremely windy road out in the middle of nowhere. The races in general are pretty entertaining and are a good length, time-wise.

This was a good flick with a few really excellent qualities. The plot was a little hazy but there was one, and the characters were very well developed. Just the Han character made it worth seeing, for me. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys action movies. It was at last as good as the previous two movies in the series.

Read Best Reviews of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2006) Here

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift isn't a deep, thought provoking movie, but it doesn't purport to be either. It's just what it was marketed in trailers to be: an action packed fun bit of mind candy filled with fast cars, dozens upon dozens of hot Japanese girls, thumping music, and body flinching car crashes. The basic plot is that a high school driving nut gets in trouble (yet again) after racing with a rich boy. To keep him out of jail, he is sent to his estranged father in Japan. Alas, there he discovers the world of drifting, an even more dangerous style of racing. Unfortunately, he also soon finds himself in trouble with the relative of a high ranking Yakuza.

For me, the only really noticeable mistake in this movie is that way too many people walked away with only a few scratches from what should have been fatal crashes. For example, there is one crash where a car rams into a concrete tube while going at least 80 mph. Yet the two occupants didn't even require a hospital bed! A more minor mistake might have been putting in a little too much plot, especially when some things weren't followed up as well as they could have. In the end, though, the plot is mostly there to serve as some spacer between all the hot cars and awesome races. I should mention one other minor mistake. Vin Diesel's cameo was so completely pointless. The movie already had a good ending, it was just kinda senseless.

The cars in this movie are the real stars. So many hot little numbers, including American muscle cars, hot foreign vehicles, and one pimped out van that you just have to see to believe. The acting is good, for what it is, though Luca Black's twang-filled voice might annoy some folks. Twinkie, another army brat played by Bow Wow, is such a hoot! I know I said the plot was mostly spacer, but I did find the interaction between Sean, Han, and Twinkie to be awesome.

So I suggest you don't think about the logistics of things. Just sit back and enjoy the cars, the some times over-the-top characters, and, for the men (or lesbians) the multitude of Japanese girls who barely wear any clothes. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie. I was pleasantly surprised that they attempted to include at least some true elements of Japanese culture, such as the changing shoes thing in schools.

I do recommend this one been seen in the theater. The music and pulse of the movie are made for big screen, surround sound viewing! I might get this one DVD just to have something fun and rocking to watch when I want some mindless action.

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After buying the original "The Fast and The Furious" I found most of my enjoyment came from making fun of the movie and shaming it. However, I can now say I am a fan of the trilogy (all 3 films are good).

Lucas Black is simply The Man and gives another great performance here. Bow Wow does a surprisingly good job as well. Car buffs and street racers will especially like this movie (which I am neither). This is a fast paced and exciting action packed movie that many will enjoy.

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Wolf / Dracula / Frankenstein Trilogy (2010)

If only the The Wolfman can be part of this collection but I am glad to own these movies on blu ray for the upcoming halloween season. Movie looks great and the condition is great. Thank you very much

Classic movies remastered and waiting to be collected , any fan of these movie's must have this collection .

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I like all these films but why are you putting wolf in the set instead of the wolf man with Anthony Hopkins.

Read Best Reviews of Wolf / Dracula / Frankenstein Trilogy (2010) Here

The World's Fastest Indian (2010)

Never, that's what Burt Munro has to say to us.Wow! This is a great flick and Anthony Hopkins is at his subtle best!Way more than 5 stars.The synopsis:Burt Munro, a Kiwi from far south New Zealand has been building and rebuilding his motorcycle for the last 40 years, dreaming of the day when he and the bike can go to Bonneville Salt Flats,USA and see what they can really do. When Burt's heart goes bad on him, his dreaming is threatened to come to an end. Burt is not ready to stop dreaming. He decides to mortgage his house and bring his dream to life. He and the motorcycle head for American and the Bonneville Salt Flats,Utah to participate in 'Speed Week'. When they land in in the US the fun begins. His journey from Long Beach to Utah brings him through a cross section of American 'characters'. Each recognizes in Burt, that burning desire to achieve a dream and each helps him in the way that they can to make that dream happen. There are so many funny and beautiful moments but one that come to mind is when Burt meets Tina, the transvestite motel clerk...that whole interaction is so beautiful. Or when Burt finally stands on Bonneville Salt Flats, by himself thinking of all the greatness that has transpired here and now he, Burt Munro, can at last test himself on this 'sacred ground'. Man! it brings shivers to see Anthony Hopkins do that moment.While the film is about motorcycles and fast cars, it is not a movie about motorheads. It is a story we can all get something out ofeven your Grandma will love it. Don't hold back-go see it now. A Cultural Sidebar:I happen to have been in New Zealand when this film started it's world release in it's home country..Oct. 2005. The Kiwis, normally a reserved and sober lot, were crazy on this movie. For a week that is all the entertainment news there was, end to end on both islands. Munro's actually Indian Scout motorcycle made the rounds of movie houses, sort of a hero's artifact for theater goers inspection. In general, the Kiwis felt that Hopkins and Donaldson had really nailed the Kiwi national 'character', straight talking but not offensive, a master of '#8 wire' ingenuity, reserved but determined. All this allowed Munro to build his bike to it's peak,get it to America, and rise above the better financed competition. Hopkins was given accolades for nailing a South Island,New Zealand accent.People that had known Munro claimed Hopkins had portrayed Munro as they knew him. As an American I like they way Donaldson portrayed Americans.I found the movie to be a classic American dream tale. Go see the movie, you won't be sorry.

Burt Munro was a man who had many loves: women, speed, things mechanical, tinkering, life itself and perhaps most passionately and enduringly his ancient Indian motorcycle. This film lovingly chronicles Burt's pursuit of the seemingly impossible dream inspired by his Indian, and the amazing quest which took him from the village of Invercargill, New Zealand to the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah.

Director Donaldson tells Burt's feel good story in a straightforward and unemotional manner, with many of the scenes being filmed on location in Invercargill and at Bonneville. Anthony Hopkins is so perfectly cast that he seems to become Burt. His interviews while promoting the film made it clear how much he enjoyed the role and respected Burt's achievements; the Kiwis who knew Burt were very pleased with his faithful portrayal in his film. The supporting cast also does an excellent job, although in all probability the only other individuals recognizable to most moviegoers will be Diane Ladd as Ada and Bruce Greenwood as Jerry, who helps Burt overcome the resistance he encounters when he arrives at Bonneville with a vehicle which breaks all the safety rules. In addition, deserving special mention in a brief appearance as Tina is Chris Williams.

The director very intelligently decided to provide several humorous moments and a lot of casual humor to keep the approximately two hour long movie moving at a reasonable pace. The natural tension inherent in several obstacles Burt had to overcome (e.g. his lack of financial resources, the aforementioned mentioned problems before being allowed to race his vehicle, a heart condition which landed him in the hospital) are wisely handled in a summary way; after all, everyone in the audience already knows the reason why the film was made is because despite his limited resources and working entirely on his own Burt was successful in converting his motorcycle which was originally not built to exceed 54 MPH into THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN.

My five star rating for this film is not based on the fact that I think it is a great movie; in fact, it left several unanswered questions to which I hope that further research will provide some answers. And I certainly wish it had managed to incorporate more of the wonderfully scenic New Zealand countryside where Burt lived. Rather, my rating is based on the engaging manner in which this film tells Burt's tale; he captivated me just as he eventually managed to captivate almost everyone with whom he came in contact, even those individuals who didn't share his belief in himself or perhaps considered him a little crazy. In summary, I highly recommend this story of perseverance and achievement for everyone willing to spend a few hours with Burt as he pursues his dream to its satisfying and highly emotional conclusion. (The director's genius was in recognizing that the story itself would provoke most moviegoers into cheering wildly or crying tears of joy with Burt before his time in Bonneville is finished, no cinematic tricks or artificial plot devices were necessary.) It is truly awe inspiring to realize that many of the records which Burt set still survive today, and thus his machine is not only still THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN but remains unbeaten by all engines in its category.

Tucker Andersen

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"If you don't take any risks in life, Thomas, you might as well be a vegetable."

"A vegetable? What kind of vegetable?"

"I don't know. Let's say a cabbage. You'd be a cabbage. Yes, that's it. A cabbage."

The Boston Globe review from Feb. 3 called "The Fastest Indian" a fish-out-of-water story, but I would never call it that. Based on a true life story, Anthony Hopkins does a convincing job capturing Burt Munro, an 60-something New Zealand tinkerer so incredibly devoted to making his Indian Scout run faster that he sleeps, eats, works and lives in a cement bunker of a workshop tool shed he calls home. The opening scene makes you love the movie instantly. ... A dolly shot that follows shelves upon shelves full of cast-off pistons. Handwritten in white chalk on these dark alters are the words "Offerings to the God of Speed".

This is a road trip movie combined with high speed thrills and characters that leap off the screen. You find yourself rooting for an old man's ambition to realize a dream and to fight the authority figures that always seem to thorn his side. That's the thing about authorities. They are kill joys.

Burt Munro was as frugal as the late Fred Tausch. A guy who'd use a cork from a bottle of brandy to plug his tank. Unlike the Globe review, I won't spoil the movie for you by telling you too much. The paper gave this movie only 2½ stars, but I'd give it top rankings because the movie breaches the full arc of human emotions: there's plenty of humor, anger, love, surprise, suspense, fright, defeat and triumph. There's also some adrenalin. Never a dull moment, any non-biker can relate and will love this movie too.

Burt's lifelong dream is to get to America for Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah -"holy ground" -as Burt calls it. For Burt, this place is Mecca. He just wants "to see how fast she'll run flat out."

The time is in the late `50s. Enough entertaining events take place before the movie starts picking up speed when Burt arrives in Los Angeles, where he gets more than his fair share of culture shock. The high contrast between Burt's down-home New Zealand nature and the harsh and seedy qualities of "Hollyweird" clash head-on, with colorful characters leaving no room for doubt.

From the first step Burt makes into the U.S. on his road trip, all the way to the movie's feel-good resolution, Burt is hampered and hooked and hung up with a chain of authoritarian impediments. You feel his grave disappointments and you feel his resolve to not let anyone stop him from seeing "how fast she'll run". His machine is ancient. It cannot pass inspection. The laughing officials doubt that Burt's bike will reach 70 mph. "Your suspension was old 20 years ago." He's got no `chute', no brakes, no fire-retardant suit, no high-speed tires.

Finally, it's Burt's kind Down Under charm, his mechanic's smarts, and sky-wide determination that thaws the officials and wins the day. Maybe every 25 years a movie this meaningful to motorcyclists comes along. A movie so good, it's worth seeing over and over again.

As Burt says about riding fast, "You live more in five minutes going flat out in one of these things than most live in a lifetime."

Victor Cruz

Read Best Reviews of The World's Fastest Indian (2010) Here

If this movie had been released by a major studio, Anthony Hopkins would have received an Academy Award nomination. It's like he crawled inside Burt Munro's skin and made the character his own. Rather than a simpleton, as some reviewers have characterized Munro, you have to see the man in the context of the 60s. He came from a relatively unsophisticated country where there are more sheep than people and where people are supposed to care about their fellow man. And it was that willingness to accept his fellow man (or transvestite as the case may be) and the expectation that his fellow man would extend the same courtesy to him that makes this movie work.

I found it completely plausible that the motorcyle gang that would want to test their mettle against Burt in one moment, would be the first in line to donate 'beer money' when they learned he was off to Bonneville to race his bike.

Similarly I could see that the well-financed commercial team members would look upon Burt as a pitiful figure, but also see in him a reminder of why they got involved in time trial racing at places like Bonneville in the first place. There is a difference between innocence & naivete and being a simpleton, and IMO Hopkin's character never crosses that line.

The movie is as much a characer study than an action movie, so while it takes a bit to get moving, it's worth the wait. And certainly I'll never be inclined to tell a neighbor to mow the lawn again.

This is a damned good movie, that even non-bikers will appreciate.

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Unfortunately this movie had a small distributor in the Dallas Fort Worth area, it was only on 4 screens. I saw it the day it came out and the theater was packed. Mostly with biker types. 2 months later I went to see it again with a friend, same story!

This is a very inspirational story, my real love is building homebuilt airplanes, but I completely sympathized with Burt Munro. I loved his intuition that he displays all through out the movie. I would also recommend the book "One Good Run" by Tim Hanna, I must say that the movie is very true to the episodes in Burt's life, but due to cinematic restrictions the story was told over 1 year vs. the 14 years it actually took.

Great film, good family movie. Funny and interesting.

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Little Shop of Horrors: Director's Cut (1986)

At the time of this post in June 2012, no information from Amazon exists on this product page. This is the press release stuff I was able to cull from the internet.

Tech specs will include a 1080p digitally remastered high definition transfer for the Blu-ray. Audio will be mixed in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD for the BD.

This release will not only include the theatrical cut (on BD), but also a completely restored, never-before-seen Director's Cut of the film, featuring a drastically different, and much darker, 20-minute alternate ending.

Here's a note about the restoration direct from Warner, "The footage of the original ending was previously available only in black & white in the extra content of a limited number of copies of a DVD edition released in 1998. Now, with the help of production notes from Frank Oz and others on the film's creative team, WHV has meticulously restored and digitally remastered the ending, in full color, with the elaborate special effects in tact. Sound has also been rebuilt and mixed in Dolby 5.1. The theatrical version has also been re-mastered."

Extras will include the following (no word yet on which of these extras are exclusive to Blu-ray):

*Theatrical version of the film with optional commentary

*The Director's Cut featuring the newly restored 20-minute alternate ending

*Digitally re-mastered picture and 5.1 sound on both versions

*"Frank Oz and Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut," an introduction by Frank Oz with Richard Conway

*"A Story of Little Shop of Horrors" (behind-the-scenes documentary)

*Outtakes and deleted scenes with optional commentary

*Two theatrical trailers

The Blu-ray will also include a 40-page Digibook with production notes, stills and rare insights.

[UPDATE] When I met Frank Oz at The Saturn Awards, he confirmed the original ending was finally seeing a release in this issue. He personally called the miniatures model maker to tell him that his fine miniature model work was finally going to be seen as the plant rips through cities in a Godzilla style rampage. Paul Dooley will also have his scene restored. He was replaced in reshoots but still got residuals payments on the film despite being cut out.

This is a brilliant, funny movie adapted in 1986 from the 1982 Off Broadway musical of the same name. That musical was, in turn, adapted from the 1960 Roger Corman film, "The Little Shop of Horrors" (non-musical, dark comedy). The 1986 film's musical numbers are wonderful, and Levi Stubbs delivers a fantastic performance as the plant, Audrey II. In truth, the entire cast is spectacular! If you are unfortunate enough to have missed this gem, pick it up now! This version is the one to get.

I was a little confused when I saw "Director's Cut" but the same runtime (94 min.) listed as that on my 1998 DVD. So, I did a little research and discovered that this new release has both the original theatrical release (94 min.) *and* a version with the original, darker ending! Better yet, the original ending is now in color! From Warner Home Video's announcement of the new release: "The footage of the original ending was previously available only in black & white in the extra content of a limited number of copies of a DVD edition released in 1998. Now, with the help of production notes from Frank Oz and others on the film's creative team, WHV has meticulously restored and digitally remastered the ending, in full color, with the elaborate special effects intact. Sound has also been rebuilt and mixed in Dolby 5.1. The theatrical version has also been re-mastered."

From IGN's website:

"Extras will include the following (no word yet on which of these extras are exclusive to Blu-ray):

Theatrical version of the film with optional commentary

The Director's Cut featuring the newly restored 20-minute alternate ending

Digitally re-mastered picture and 5.1 sound on both versions

"Frank Oz and Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut," an introduction by Frank Oz with Richard Conway

"A Story of Little Shop of Horrors" (behind-the-scenes documentary)

Outtakes and deleted scenes with optional commentary

Two theatrical trailers

The Blu-ray will also include a 40-page Digibook with production notes, stills and rare insights."

So this is the version to buy! The 1998 DVD was also in 5.1 Dolby Digital, and many of the extras are repeated from the earlier DVD (the commentary, outtakes and gags, production notes, and trailers) but the remastering should make this movie pop on HD TVs!

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The transfer is great the colors are much more vibrant than on the DVD, and the picture is sharper.

The sound is incredible -the best mix of this movie, I've ever heard in any medium.

It's worth the price just to finally see the cut original ending.

... and the little note from Frank Oz about the cut ending is pretty great.

if you're a fan of this movie -YOU NEED THIS.

SPOILERS ALERT:

... more of a point of discussion (the cut ending in great to finally see -FIVE stars for this blu-ray)

... Technically, the cut ending of the movie is the ending of the off-broadway show, it's the same song, etc -but i can see why audiences didn't spark to the movie's end. For one thing it's played much sadder in the movie than the show. The slow death of Audrey, the close-ups of her tears, Seymour being devoured sooooo slowly... it's sad. in the musical, it all happens pretty quick, and it's pretty campy.

AND -more importantly -the musical ends on an UPBEAT note:

Sure, seymour and Audrey die -but they come right back on stage, to sing the final song. They're dead for thirty seconds, then they come out again, singing. And they're still together.

In Frank Oz's ending they die, and are gone forever, the monsters take over the world.

In the SHOW's ending -the last lines are:

"if we fight it, we still got a chance!"

then Seymour and Audrey sing to each other (albeit, as flowers) "We've got tomorrow!!!"

"Don't fee the plants"

Yes they die -but they come back, sing a really fun song, and say that they have tomorrow...

the movie ends with their death, and the end of the world...

I loved seeing it -and i can kinda see now, after all these years, why test audiences responded the way they did. I was confused why they though the ending was a bummer... the end of the musical is fun, not sad. The movie didn't quite achieve that.

that said -it's AWESOME, and cool to finally see -buy it, and see what you think.

Read Best Reviews of Little Shop of Horrors: Director's Cut (1986) Here

This dvd was released around March of 1998. (Which makes it rare to begin with, since dvd's really didn't even catch on until 2000.) Warner Bros. released this dvd, and about 1 or 2 days later, all the copies were recalled. Apparently, The alternate ending (which has the audrey II spawning, and creating more plants, and then using this plant army to dominate the entire world!!) was left on the cutting room floor, because, according to the commentary, when they screened this ending with a test audience, they were horrified... so it was relpaced with the happy ending. (The plant dies, everyone lives, yay!!!) However, when they released the dvd, they added this alternate ending in the special features, apparently without the permission of Frank Oz, the director. So he filed a lawsuit against warner bros., forcing them to recall all the unsold copies of the film. (The dvd was later re-released, without the alternate ending......)

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What can I say, I think that this is a wonderful movie and musical. The setting takes place in a plant shop that is on the verge of bankruptcy. Mr. Mushnik is the boss and Audrey and Seymour work for him. Seymour buys a human eating plant for Audrey and names it Audrey 2. Seymour is hopelessly in love with Audrey, but unfortunately Audrey already has a boyfriend, Orin. Orin is a dentist and treats Audrey like dirt. Deep down, Audrey would rather be with Seymour than wit Orin. Finally Seymour kills Orin and feeds him to Audrey 2.

OK, here is why I did not give this movie five stars. As I imagine you all know, the play and the movie are different. In the play at the End Audrey 2 eats Audrey and Seymour feels so lonely without her that he commits suicide by feeding himself to the plant. In the movie on the other hand the shop caught fire and the plant didn't survive, but Audrey and Seymour got married. Another problem with the movie was that the poignant love song, "Suddenly, Seymour," was well overdone. Missing also is the catchy song "Closed For Renovation."

Other than that, this is a wonderful movie, and I would chose to watch it time and again. So go ahead, buy it. You will not be sorry.

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Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

You really cannot go wrong with any movie that stars Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach and Edward Fox and this movie although blasted by the critics upon its release really is a great action adventure war movie. In fact the Jimmy Carter White House picked the movie only weeks before its December 1978 opening to be the Thanksgiving movie to be screened at Camp David.

The movie was previously released on DVD in 2000 in what was a simply horrible transfer with scratches and print dirt all over the place. Even so I would watch it over and over again, reveling in a 1978-era nostalgia when, as a seven-year-old, I would sit in the local town hall (which once a month was converted into a movie theater) wowed by the action unfolding on the screen.

The problems with that release have been mostly rectified for this Blu-ray release which is simply pristine in comparison. It's not the best Blu-ray release I have ever seen, with a large degree of softness and some grain but it does a good job recreating the film stock of the time and is certainly the best the movie has ever looked since its 1978 theatrical release. The Yugoslavian scenery in particular is breathtaking. I did not notice any of the problems that plagued the DVD release and, hey, who can argue with a Blu-ray that features the impossibly beautiful Bach in high definition :)

Many saw this as a disappointment due to its attachment to the Guns of Navarone, but if it is taken up on its own merits then one can see that this is really nothing more than a fun movie for funs sake, no serious character studies here and the movie is all the better for it.

The movie gets its title from the Alistair MacLean book of the same name, but bears little resemblance to the actual narrative of the novel. In fact the differences are so apparent that MacLean would go on to loosely adapt part of the screenplay into his 1982 book "Partisans". Indeed there had been plans to film this movie shortly after the 1961 original with Peck and Niven reprising their roles. Following the success of the original movie producer Carl Foreman asked MacLean to write a hardcover sequel novel on which a follow-up film would be based, but the author was reluctant to write an entire novel and instead delivered a screen treatment. The film was announced for 1967 but after the script got bogged down in studio development hell MacLean decided to develop the screen treatment as a book and "Force 10 From Navarone" was published in 1968.

Throughout the 1970s Foreman tried to get enough financial backing for the movie and eventually patched together enough money to finance the production from no fewer than five different international sources but by the time the movie finally went before the cameras (some 17 years after the original) it was thought that Peck and Niven were too old and the decision was made to recast. In an interesting footnote to this theory Peck and Niven would team up two years later in the excellent World War II action adventure "The Sea Wolves" in which they played retired veterans seeking one last hurrah.

Bond fans will notice a number of actors in this movie that had already occupied roles in the Bond franchise or would go on to appear in the series. In addition to Shaw (from "From Russia With Love") and Bach (who was fresh off playing the Russian spy Anya Amasova in "The Spy Who Loved Me") and Edward Fox (who would go on to play M in the rogue 007 movie "Never Say Never Again") there is also Bach's co-star from "The Spy Who Loved Me" Richard Kiel, who was riding high as somewhat of a cultural icon (hey, he appeared in a Shredded Wheat TV commercial) after playing perhaps the most famous 007 henchman Jaws.

I suppose the Bond connection is most apparent in the choice of director with "Goldfinger"'s director Guy Hamilton handling the honors. His sure direction shows his usual flair and expertise handling action that he so ably previously demonstrated in (perhaps the best of the early James Bond movies) the aforementioned "Goldfinger" and the World War II drama "Battle of Britain." Hamilton does succumb to some espionage cliches at times, such as when one of the characters stumbles across the traitor sending a message, but all of these instances are handled capably and add to the familiar nature of the plot.

As already mentioned the plot of the movie is also very different from the MacLean book, but some good Boy's Own adventure that actually flows slightly better than its literary namesake. Shaw (in his last movie role) plays Mallory (yes the same character that Gregory Peck played in the original) and he and Fox's character (who was played by David Niven in the original) are sent into Yugoslavia to identify and kill a traitor from the first movie. So, they hop a ride along with Force 10 (headed by Ford's character) who are headed to the same location with the mission of destroying a key, strategic bridge. Of course things do not go entirely to plan, and soon the action begins to come thick and fast.

Filmed on location in Yugoslavia (with members of Tito's Yugoslav army playing both partisans and German soldiers), England and Malta the crew had to endure freezing temperatures and even a rash of kidnapping that led producers to limit the actors movements. Shepperton Studios in England (where the original had also been filmed) provided four soundstages for interiors and the largest studio tank in Europe (at the Mediterranean Film Studios in Malta) was used to film the movie climax with a $1 million miniature dam.

As previously noted the critics almost universally hated the movie and the moviegoing audience did not warm to it either with the $10 million production only bringing in $7.2 million during its U.S. theatrical run. Matters were probably not helped when the U.S. distributor American International Pictures trimmed the picture down from 126 minutes to 118 minutes and redubbed some of the scenes prior to the movies release, with an impersonator performing the duties for the late Robert Shaw. However in the 30-plus years since its release the movie has developed a cult following among World War II movie buffs.

In an interesting footnote, Columbia Pictures was the defendent in a 2008 lawsuit brought by the estates of the late producers of the film Carl Foreman, Sidney Cohn and Oliver Unger and surviving producer Peter Gettinger over unpaid money from distribution rights. The New York Supreme Court found in favor of the producers, saying they were entitled to funds that had been witheld for over 30 years by Columbia Pictures.

The one negative towards this Blu-ray release is the lack of special features. All we get is a trailer for the movie whereas the original DVD release featured a sketch (hidden as an "easter egg"), a collectible booklet with trivia notes and two different cuts of the movie.

This movie would get a lot more respect if it didn't have the name "Navarone" attached to it. It's rather strange that a movie which received such a hostile critical reception and low takings at the box office should be one of the early catalog titles in the lives of both the DVD and Blu-ray formats (three years for DVD and just over two years for Blu-ray) and before the original "Guns of Navarone," but as a fan of the movie I am happy to be able to watch "Force 10 From Navarone" in all its high definition goodness. Incidentally here's hoping that 1961's "Guns of Navarone" gets a Blu-ray release soon :)

Taken for what it is, "Force 10 From Navarone"(1978) is a decent wartime action adventure. It is based on Alistair MacLean's sequel to his highly successful novel, "The Guns of Navarone" which was released a major film in 1961. The movie version though is a "sequel" in name only, and is connected to the original film by just a few plot threads. Recurrent characters bear no resemblance to their previous incarnations. This is understandable, as this movie plays to almost a whole new audience.

None of the principal actors associated with the original film, Gregory Peck (Major Mallory), David Niven (Corporal Miller) and Anthony Quinn, were capable of reprising their roles, some 17 years later. Robert Shaw, replaces Peck as "Mallory", and Edward Fox assumes the role of "Miller", the explosives expert. Their new mission is to locate a traitor named "Lescovar" (Franco Nero), who is operating in Yugoslavia as a member of the Partisans. The pair are attached to a special operations group code named "Force 10", commanded by Lt. Colonel Barnsby (Harrison Ford). The group has their own top secret mission, which begins in Italy by stealing a plane. Sgt. Weaver (Carl Weathers), unexpectedly joins the mission after forcing his way into the plane, and parachutes with Force 10 into Yugoslavia.

Upon landing, circumstances quickly reduce the group to just five men. Wandering the countryside, the group meet up with what they believe are Partisans. When they turn out to be Chetniks collaborating with the Germans, Mallory and the rest find themselves prisoners. Spinning a yarn about hijacked penicillin buys Mallory and Barnsby an opportunity for freedom, and with a little help, the two men are soon free, and able to make contact with the real Partisan group.

Capt. Lescovar occupies a position of trust among the Partisans, and can't be touched for the moment. Force 10's mission is revealed, as they were to have attempted to destroy a vital bridge, and thereby prevent a Nazi advance. Believing that with Miller's expertise the mission might still be accomplished, Barnsby and Mallory head back to the Chetnik camp to free him. After a bloody shootout, the group make a surprisingly easy escape, and Miller and Weaver rejoin their mates.

Realizing that destroying a nearby dam would release tons of water that would undermine the bridge's foundation and take it down, the group is in desperate need of some high explosives. Treachery abounds as the group attempts to get the supplies. An attempt to airdrop them has disastrous results, so the team decides to get what they need by raiding a German ammo dump. After another close call, they succeed in securing the explosives. Leaving the depot by train, they take time to clean up a loose end, before heading for the dam and their final mission. For this task, it does seem odd that the "expert" Miller, is not called on to place the explosive charges. The job instead is left for Barnsby and Mallory (bad leg and all). The slightly built Fox, who plays Miller as a cartoon character, is just not hero material.

Much is made in this film of the fact that Weaver is a black man. He is the brunt of jokes, and suffers racial slurs and other harassment from his own side as well as the enemy. The leader of the Chetniks, played by Richard Kiel (Jaws from the Bond films), makes a special point of harassing the Sergeant, and calling him "blackie". Was all this really necessary? Carl Weathers gives a dignified performance under the circumstances. He brings a much needed rugged physical presence, to a cast primarily consisting of older actors.

Director Guy Hamilton, a veteran of several Bond films, is a man accustomed to executing a script with loaded dialog. The story for the most part entertains (minus the racial aspects), and moves along at a steady pace. At first glance, the assembled cast may not appear to be the most cohesive group, but their overall performance is actually not bad. The scenes of Yugoslavia may have added interest in light of recent events there. Ron Goodwin's soundtrack is good, with a rousing main title theme, but the music is ever so reminiscent of the work he did on "Where Eagles Dare", another MacLean creation. The special effects scenes related to the dam and floodwaters bring to mind scenes from Earthquake, minus the motorcycle.

The DVD transfer is good but the poor quality of the original material shows through at times. You have a choice between the widescreen and full screen versions of the film. The sole extra, is a tattered example of the original trailer. The booklet provided with the disk is very informative, discussing the background surrounding the sequel and the efforts of producer Carl Foreman to get the story to the screen. While too much time had passed for it to be a true sequel, "Force 10" stands on its own merits as a solid wartime adventure worth at least one viewing.

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I actually wanted to see this movie because I read that Barbara Bach was in it. When I saw the movie, I was blown away.

Not only by the great performance by Barbara Bach, but also by the entire movie.

It has great actors, great action and great music!

You see many familliar faces like Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach, Richard Kiel and Carl Weathers, who all act very good.

The action is tence and is great to watch.

If you like World War movies, but also if you just like a good action movie, then this is a must see.

A movie I will remember.

Read Best Reviews of Force 10 from Navarone (1978) Here

I can't believe this received such bad reviews from the critics! Of course, usually when the critics hate a movie, I love it. I must admit I love old movies, although this isn't an "old" movie to me having been a 70's child. But I've also seen "The Guns of Navarone" and it's a wonderful movie in its own right. I love Gregory Peck but I think the work that Harrison Ford, Carl Weathers, and Robert Shaw put into this film is first rate. Please don't deny yourself the chance to see this movie.

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I've always liked this film. When compared to its predecessor, Guns of Navarone, it falters a bit. However, it is a good action/war adventure that gets a bum rap because of its lineage.

Might have been better off had they not worked in the Navarone connection.

Good performances all around, and a fun, enjoyable 2 hours.

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Poetry (2011)

I started watching this movie expecting it to be a fairly uninteresting (if aesthetically pleasing) story about a woman preparing to die. Lots of calm scenery and quiet struggles, a dash of social consciousness. Done.

Instead, I found myself sobbing through a good third of the movie. When I wasn't crying because of the heart-wrenching tragedy of the thing, I was overwhelmed by its honest beauty and realistic portrayal of human goodness. So much of the best and worst of human nature is captured in this movie, and balanced so perfectly from one scene to the next -without mood music or melodrama or unpleasant plot contrivances -that I'm tempted to offer up Poetry as the best film portrait of humanity I have ever seen. This is one of those rare works of realist cinema that gives viewers not just a startling insight into the difficulties of human nature (e.g. Cries and Whispers), or a heart-wrenching invitation to social consciousness (Umberto D), but also a vision of human joy and natural beauty that, because of its modest particularity and ordinariness, is sufficient to counterbalance the other darker truths and give us a reprieve from our grief. If ever a film attested to the grace present in creation which allows goodness to survive through evil, this was it. Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

I sadly can't speak about the blu-ray disc itself, but I do know it's been reviewed at blu-ray.com and they spoke highly of the image quality and sound. Lee Chang-dong is my favorite Korean director along with Park Chan-Wook. They make very different movies however Park has these epic, overblown tragedies with beautiful cinematography, and Lee makes very subtle, ultra-realistic, natural stories about human drama. Quite the opposite of the typical Korean melodrama.

Poetry is probably his best yet, but also check out Oasis, Secret Sunshine and Peppermint Candy (if you can find or afford it).

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POETRY tells a simple tale of an elderly woman who is diagnosed with early Alzheimer and encouraged to keep an active mind. She enrolls in a poetry class to learn that poetry is our ability to see what is truly before our eyes and our emotional impressions expressed in words. She works part-time assisting a man recovering from a stroke and looks after her grandson who treats her like a hired hand. At the start of the film, a female teenager is seen floating face down. An apparent suicide, she had been the victim of repeated gang rapes. The grandmother becomes aware of the crime, investigates the scene, attends the service but flees. Will she report this or share with other fathers of the boys involved with monetary payoffs to the poor mother? I will not reveal more of this absolutely mesmerizing film. It is long but totally engrossing. We want justice for this horrific abuse. We, as viewers, have witnessed what immoral behavior people will resort to with hope of burying the truth. Not since Li Shaohong's film, A STOLEN LIFE, has an ending been so painfully moving. This film will become a classic. People will always die but not poetry. It is the inescapable impression of our very existence.

Read Best Reviews of Poetry (2011) Here

Poetry is a 2010 South Korean film directed by Lee Chang-dong. It stars Yoon Jeong-hee as Mija, a woman in her 60's raising a derelict grandson while dealing with the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.

I picked the movie based on its case synopsis but knew to expect more because of where it was filmed. My introduction to South Korean cinema was Taegukgi and I was blown away. Since then, I've kept the country on my radar and have not once been disappointed in their efforts. Now I'm at the point where I prefer South Korean movies and when I found Poetry, it was an easy decision. Once again, I was rewarded for my favoritism.

Poetry is a beautiful and disturbing film. At the risk of exposing the plot, I'll refrain from specifics, but it makes this review difficult to write. There aren't any major twists to give away but there are turns to take and I don't want to ruin them. There is a suicide that involves Mija directly and the effect on her is profound. What I most love about Korean films is the realism. Even while their plots rotate around a ravaging sea monster, they still bring a brilliant believability out of their characters. Poetry delivers this legitimacy also and it was a treat to be involved. It felt real.

I think the only problem I had with the film was its length. This particular poem weighs in at just under 140 minutes dropping it in the, "epic" world where haikus have to attack in packs. But this isn't a huge problem as it seemed to go by fairly quickly. It's my opinion that the film could have taken a bit more editing to keep it around two hours, but that's just me and I'm no filmmaker. So what do I know? It's something to keep in mind, though, especially if you're a quick-fix type moviegoer. If anything, you should still grab this and make it a two-nighter.

I strongly recommend adding this to your library. If foreign films make the world go round, this one is pushing hard.

Thank you for your time.

t

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Poetry is probably one of the most thoughtful, thought-provoking, and touching films I have ever seen. The story centers around a 60-something grandmother who is showing early signs of Alzheimer's and her desire to learn to write poetry. Intertwined with this is a suicide of a middle-school girl, a horrific discovery that involves the grandmother's ungrateful (but realistically portrayed) grandson with whom she lives, and subsequent attempts by other men involved to cover up the truth. As she tries to protect her undeserving grandson, she also happens to be the only person who feels the burden of the crime committed. The ending is just so wistful and perfectly executed, with the recital of the one poem that she writes.

I have watched and read a few Korean films and books whose central character is an older female (notably, "Mother," a film directed by Joon-ho Bong, and the book "Please Look After Mom" by Kyung-sook Shin). There seems to be a reverence and a respect for older women in the Korean culture that is reflected in its art. By contrast, there is a shortage of Hollywood films that feature an older woman as the central lead. (Could this be because of a lack of appreciation for older women in the Western culture? Yes, I believe so.) If there were adventurous Hollywood producers, they can attempt to remake this into an English language film. Of course, the quietness of this film and the emotions behind it may not translate well into a Hollywood feature.

But this is truly one of the best films ever made.

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