Rifftrax: LIVE! Reefer Madness

I saw this show in the theater last year and couldn't wait to get it on DVD. The shorts alone make it worth buying, but then the jokes during the movie were certainly worthwhile as well. The jokes are not simply a repeat of the studio version of Rifftrax Reefer Madness and while I enjoy that DVD quite a bit the live version is just as good or better with lots of new jokes added. As others have pointed out, there are a few flubbed lines, but they are few and far between and it is LIVE comedy, so that is to be expected. If anything, it adds to the humor. The energy of the live performance and connection with the theater audience more than makes up for a few verbal stumbles. I highly recommend this DVD, it is one of my favorites of the Rifftrax Live series so far.

Shorts include:

More Dangerous Than Dynamite: A 1930's short about the hazards of washing your laundry at home in gasoline. D'uh!

At Your Fingertips: Grasses: A bizarre arts and crafts short for children from the 1970's. You'll wonder what the makers of this one were thinking when they dreamed it up.

Frozen Frolics: An odd 1930 cartoon that is not so classic, but it is a bit bizarre. Let's just say it's no Steamboat Willy.

There's also a new introduction on the DVD featuring Mike, Kevin and Bill.

The shorts are so amusingly odd that they kind of make fun of themselves, but Rifftrax certainly does add jokes worth hearing. If you're a MSTie and or a Rifftrax fan you won't want to miss this one. Recommended.

As the post-MST3K world goes, Rifftrax has just been too hit-or-miss for me. I've picked up a few titles (Carnival of Souls is one of my favorite B movies so I HAD to have that one). But seeing they put their live shows out on Blu-ray perked my interest enough to order this. Good thing too, because this has ended up being my favorite of the Rifftrax outings. The best part of the show isn't the feature film...it's the short about grass (as in lawn), which is funny enough without the riffing.

I found the visual presentation to be a bit annoying. The image keeps alternating between the movie itself centered on the screen and the movie off to the left to fit images of the three riffers to the right in Brady windows. I found that to be distracting and unnecessary.

Still, the subject matter is ripe for riffing, and the laughs are frequent.

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A 1930s movie about (sic) the "Dangers Of Marijuana?" Be a little real, marijuana is about as "dangerous" as Shirley Temple or Tiny Tim. The ONLY "true" way to achieve any sort of "edification" ref "Reefer Madness" is to allow the Riff Trax guys, Mike, Kevin, and Bill, to explain the..."subtile nuances" of this FINE film to you. And the song they've composed which is available between the Riff Trax-enhanced version of (giggle) "Reefer Madness" and the original (yes, they both occupy the same DVD!) film is worth the price of admission, just by itself. MST3K may have gone to that great resting place in the sky where "Fridays," "Alf," "the Monkees," and "Car 54 Where Are You" now abide, but the Riff Trax guys do very well, keeping its spirit alive and quite well.

Read Best Reviews of Rifftrax: LIVE! Reefer Madness Here

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is something new to me. But it is fun. It is a movie, a bad one with a couple of guys riffing it. If you do not know what that is, well you know how when you watch a bad movie with your friends and you make fun of it through out the movie... well there you go. That is what a riff is. They say funny things about the mistakes in the movie, and bad acting and whatever else they find that is funny.

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I love the Rifftrax Live dvds because they have all of the extra shorts too! Reefer Madness is hilarious with the riffs.

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Rope (1948)

Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, the first film that the Master of Suspense filmed in Technicolor, has languished in largely undeserved mediocrty since its release in 1948. The film didn't do well theatrically in the US, and subsequent versions (VHS) were made from terrible-quality originals. Finally, Universal has seen fit to release on DVD a marvelously restored version of a truly fine film.

Rope, based on a play of the same name, which was in turn based on a real murder case in 1924, opens with two friends played by John Dall and Farley Granger strangling a classmate with a length of rope. The body is then stuffed in a trunk that the two use as a buffet table during an upcoming dinner party a party partially in their murdered friend's honor.

As the movie progresses, the friends' professor played exceedingly well by James Stewart in one of his best-acted roles eventually begins to suspect the crime. As the two students engage him in a discussion about Nietzschian philosophy, and specifically philosophy of the ubermensch (overman or superman), Stewart's character puts two and two together. The tension is so tight you hold your breath for the last half-hour, wondering if Stewart knows, and if he does, what he's going to do about it and, more importantly, if he's in danger, too.

Much has been made of the technical side of the film Hitch wanted it as close to a stage play as possible, and the entire movie has only nine (well-hidden) breaks as well as the homosexual overtones, but the real genius in Rope comes from the acting and direction. As opposed to today's "roller-coaster ride" action movies, Rope builds slowly, layering tension upon tension until the viewer just can't wait anymore to find out what happens. Anyone can toy with an audience, using special effects, explosions, and fast cars to create action, but true suspense that hourglass feeling of grains of sand building a mountain takes talent, and Rope readily uses that effect, thanks largely to the preformances of the three main characters.

In addition, Stewart's ultimate conclusions on Nietzschian philosophy offer a refreshing step away from those who would indict it solely on the basis of notions (and books) like the Will to Power people who can see no further than the two murderers. Like Hitler and Dall and Granger's characters, some people cannot see past these passages, often taken out of context from the rest of Nietzsche's thought. Thankfully, Arthur Laurentis' screenplay ultimately deals with these ideas in a mature manner and shows the horrifying effects of the hubris so many undergraduate-level students get when they don't bother to read and conside Nietzsche in context.

Universal's DVD is excellent the picture and sound quality are top-notch, especially considering it's been more than 50 years since Rope was filmed. The full-frame presentation isn't a problem, since widescreen movies didn't exist at the time. The half-hour long featurette offers some interesting insights and interviews with a couple members of the cast and crew, and isn't your usual "so-and-so was great" pieces. Hume Cronyn offers some genuine and well-founded criticisms of both Hitch and the finished product. Also included is Rope's unique theatrical trailer, a kind of "mini-short" featuring the soon-to-be-murdered lad discussing a marriage proposal with his girlfriend in Central Park, in surprisingly decent quality considering the film's age.

If you are a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, or just like great acting and pianowire-tight tension, then you can't go wrong with Rope.

Based on an actual murder case and directed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, Rope tells the story of two very close, well to do roommates Phillip and Brandon who strangle David, an old school chum, just for kicks. To further increase the exhilaration of their dastardly deed, the duo deem it delicious to desecrate the dead by placing his body into a chest and serving their dinner party guests a banquet on its decorated top. The guests of honor at this most perverse soirée include their former prep school professor Rupert Cadell (James Stewart), the murder victim's parents, his fiancé, and her former boyfriend. This tapestry provides tension for Phillip as he is nervous about being caught and questions abound as to David's whereabouts. Interestingly, Brandon feels smug even justified as he views the act of murder to be relegated to a select superior few.

Rope explores Nietzsche's concept of the "übermensch" or "superman" in which society's people are divided into two groups. Those who believe in the concepts of right and wrong and behave accordingly are deemed inferior beings and therefore unnecessary. While those who are enlightened enough to realize that one is free to act according to their own volition because there are no such primitive or external constraints on behavior are deemed superior. In this worldview, homicide is justifiable because the intellectually superior are actually bettering society by eliminating the inferior and their drain on its resources. The story comes to a head when Professor Cadell who taught Phillip and Brandon these nihilistic concepts begins to suspect that they practiced what he preached by killing David.

Rope was shot with eight; 10-minute reels to give the illusion of one seamless, continuous take. This forces the viewer to pay attention to every word and provides an eerie feeling that he/she is a witness to the murder and is a guest at the dinner party. What also drives the film is its witty if not macabre dialogue that is punctuated with puns, innuendoes and double entendre. It is also interesting to watch the professor engage Phillip and Brandon in the proverbial game of cat and mouse. Likewise, the characters are richly developed and deep.

Rope is Hitchcock's most underrated and unappreciated film. Which is a shame because I believe Rope poses some very provocative questions. Is there sanctity to human life? Are all human beings equal? Is murder ever justifiable? Is there right and wrong? Is moral absolutism an outmoded idea in which only the weak and dumb subscribe? Is a teacher responsible for his/her students' actions? Ultimately, the viewer must decide.

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ROPE is a very experimental-and highly underrated-Hitchcock film. The film (based on the play ROPE'S END and, although loosely, the Leopold-Loeb murder) begins when two young men (John Dall and Farley Granger) murder a college student for fun and because he is a "lesser" man. As a celebration they throw a party inviting the victim's parents, his girlfriend, her ex-boyfriend who Dall would like to put her with, and their old college teacher (James Stewart). ROPE is a highly entertaining and suspenseful film. The experimental angle comes as the film was shot entirely in eight ten-minute takes, (or was that ten eight-minute takes?) giving the impression that it was all one shot. The casting is great, with Dall perfect as the psychotic murderer, Sir Cedric Hardwicke memorable as the victim's father, and Stewart...well, you can't say too many good things about him, though it takes him a while to appear. While not as good as some of Hitchcock's earlier (THE 39 STEPS, REBECCA) or later (VERTIGO, NORTH BY NORTHWEST) masterpieces, ROPE is very well made film, perfect for fans of Hitchcock, Stewart, or suspense films in general.

ROPE's final rating: 9 out of 10

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The first film that Hitchcock released through his Transatlantic Pictures company, Rope is an underappreciate minor classic. It's flawed to be sure but this unusual experiment was shot in long takes an unusual approach for Hitchcock. The story was inspired by the Leopold and Loeb murder case and their obsession with the superman theories of Nietzsche.

Philip (Farley Granger)and Brandon (John Dall)have committed the murder of an old classmate for the thrill of it. They invite over mutual friends, the father and mother of the victim and their old prep school master Rupert (Jimmy Stewart)who first introduced them to Nietzche's theories. They drape a table cloth over the trunk where the dead body rests.

Written by Arthur Laurents and Hume Cronyn from the play Rope's End by Patrick Hamilton, Rope allows Hitchcock to indulge in a number of unusual cinematic experiments. It was Hitchcock's first movie to be shot in color and the entire 80 minute film is shot on one set with the skyline gradually changing. If Hitchcock had gotten his ideal cast the film might have been quite different; originally Hitchcock wanted Carey Grant for the role Stewart player and Montgomery Clift as Brandon.

The transfer is good although there is some edge enhancement and some analog and compression artifacts (although they aren't a huge problem). The vivid 3 strip Technicolor process comes to life on this DVD. The colors are pretty close to the version I saw screened. I should note, though, that I originally saw Rope at the UCLA Theater Arts Archive in black and white (a color copy wasn't available) on a Movieola and it was a nitrate print so I'm comparing it to versions that were released much later than the original.

While Rope isn't a perfect Hitchcock excursion, it's an enjoyable and admirable one that features a number of interesting visuals, strong performances and an interesting thought provoking story. The extras on this edition are quite nice as well including a feaurette entitled Rope Unleased, production photos and notes. Sadly, no extensive outtakes exist for Rope and everything that was written was, for the most part, shot.

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"Rope" debuted in theaters in August of 1948, and represented the first movie shot in COLOR by Director Alfred Hitchcock.

James Stewart, Farley Granger, and John Dall are the stars here, with Stewart (as always) giving a flawless, effortless-looking performance. I really liked all the character portrayals in this film. Murderers Granger and Dall exhibit just the right mix of "Will we get caught?" angst and the cockiness and sheer gall of those that murder simply for the sport of it.

Although not one of the "higher profile" Alfred Hitchcock entries, I think "Rope" is, in fact, one of his better films. It's certainly unique, style-wise, being filmed in ten-minute, continuous takes, giving it a "seamless" uninterrupted look.

There has been much talk about the supposed "homosexual overtones" between the two murderers in "Rope". Now while I know this to be the director's intention, if I hadn't read about it after seeing the movie, I would never have thought those two male characters were supposed to be homosexual. In my view, *nothing* that is said or done in the film particularly points to this conclusion. I suppose it's designed to be there, but "just beneath the surface". But, I looked at the two killers as merely being close friends. I don't really know why the sexual orientation subject even has to enter into it. And, really, it *doesn't*.

"Rope" is unique in another fashion as well -Hitchcock's "cameo". Unique because we get not one, but TWO, "Hitch" cameos in this picture. Right after the opening credits, we see Alfred walking on the sidewalk below. With cameo appearance #2 (which was originally intended to be his lone cameo) coming 55 minutes into the fairly-short 80-minute film. This second cameo is not of Hitchcock "in the flesh". Instead, the director inserted the image of a flashing neon sign outside one of the windows of the apartment. This sign depicts the famous Hitchcock "profile". A very inventive cameo indeed (rivaling his "newspaper" appearance in "Lifeboat" for the most creative, IMO).

As with a much-later Hitchcock picture, "The Birds", "Rope" has no music score to aid the story and move it along (save the opening theme music and the piano-playing of Farley Granger's character). An entire movie void of music is something that I don't imagine too many directors could pull off. But Hitchcock, in "Rope" and "The Birds" (which was fifteen years later), did it quite successfully.

This Universal single-disc DVD offers up a fine-looking and very clear Full Frame picture (1.33:1 aspect ratio). Colors do look a tad dated, though. But, overall, "Rope" looks excellent here! The soundtrack on the disc is in Mono (Dolby Digital 2.0).

The disc's Menu system is simplistic and easy to use (which is OK by me). When the Main Menu is on screen, the theme from Hitch's TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", plays. This is nice, but I wonder why they didn't use the "Rope" opening theme music for the Menu?

Although not officially labelled as one of Universal's "Collector's Editions", this "Rope" DVD could very well have been so designated. This disc has very nearly as many Special Features as the other Hitchcock "Collector's" packages. Here's a gander at the "Rope" bonus supplements .................

>> A 32-minute documentary, "Rope Unleashed", covering the making of this motion picture. Included here is an interview with actor/writer Hume Cronyn, who collaborated on the "Rope" screenplay. Sadly, not too very long after filming the interview for this DVD, Mr. Cronyn passed away, in June 2003. Many backstage pictures are mixed in with the interview segments, including some eye-opening pics of the color camera equipment of the era. Color cameras during those days were more than "bulky" -those babies were humongous! And via some still photos we can see just how cumbersome those cameras were, circa 1948.

>> The Original Theatrical Trailer for "Rope". -I absolutely love this unique trailer. It really (in a way) serves as a "deleted scene" from the movie. And shows us the film's murder victim ("David Kentley") before he falls prey to his killers' rope. The trailer has David (played by Dick Hogan) and his fiancee, Janet (Joan Chandler), sitting on a park bench, talking about their upcoming engagement. It's just a short scene, but sets up some of the plot points very nicely in just a few seconds. After David kisses his betrothed and leaves the park, this becomes more of a "conventional" trailer, with star Jimmy Stewart appearing on camera to narrate. Video quality for this color trailer is a bit splotchy and blurry in places, but still certainly in watchable condition. I think the introduction of the murder victim in this "added" scene was a very clever idea by the filmmakers. Trailer length = 2:25.

>> A very nice Photo Gallery (which has many behind-the-camera images).

>> Some text screens with film notes and cast bios. (There's a kind of funny little mistake in the DVD's bio of John Dall. Dall's character is referred to as "Shaw Brandon" on the text screen, instead of the correct name, "Brandon Shaw".)

Alfred Hitchcock directed more than 50 films -with "Rope", his first venture into the world of "Technicolor", resting among my personal "Top 10 Hitch Flicks". This Universal Home Video DVD comes recommended by this Hitchcock enthusiast.

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Ed Wood (1994)

Ed Wood (1924-1978) is generally regarded as the single worst film maker to emerge from Hollywood. This is not really true, for there were and are aplenty worse. But one thing has always set Wood above the pack, and that was his own unshakable faith in his talent. Unfortunately, the faith was misplaced and the talent was nonexistent--and although this Tim Burton film takes a slew of liberties with the facts of Wood's life and career, it does a remarkable job of capturing them as Wood likely saw them through the filter of his own outrageous ego.

The film has two tremendous assets: the performers and its visual style. Johnny Depp leads the cast in the title role, and it is a virtuoso performance, for he entices us to like a man whose self-blindness would normally lead an audience to reject him out of hand; the performance is incredibly witty, wildly over the top, and yet it contains just enough pathos to allow us to relate to Wood on a human level. But the real stunner in the cast is Martin Landau, who picked up a Best Supporting Academy Award for his performance as Bela Lugosi, a legendary actor who was very much a forgotten star (not to mention morphine addict) by the time Wood befriended him in the early 1950s.

As with Wood himself, the film plays fast and loose with the facts of Lugosi's life, but it nonetheless captures something very essential about both Lugosi and the Hollywood that destroyed him, something very elemental that transcends the weird comedy of the piece. And Landau gives the performance of his career; you truly believe that this is Lugosi before you, a strange but appealing mixture of faltering humanity and arrogance desperate for an audience now lost to him. Other memorable performances include Bill Murray as the inept and very la-dee-dah actor Bunny Breckinridge; Jeffrey Jones as The Amazing Criswell, popular "psychic" and occasional Wood actor; Lisa Marie as television's "Vampira;" and Sarah Jessica Parker as Wood's fast wife and occasional actress Dolores Fuller. Indeed, there isn't a false note in the entire cast right down to the bit players and extras.

In terms of visual style, Tim Burton nails the very look of an Ed Wood film in glittering black and white--but working with a budget that Wood never dreamed of he merges it with a series of classic Hollywood idioms that lift the style out of Wood's unfortunately flat style and into the realm of high art. In both look and direction, I strongly feel that this is Burton's single finest film to date.

If the film has a flaw, it is that at times it recreates the flatness of an Ed Wood film a bit too precisely over too long a period--and the result can feel slightly dragged. And it is also a film that will register most clearly with those who have actually seen the films on which the movie focuses, so it may not appeal to the uninitiated. But for those who have the right eye, it is a remarkable film--and a film that desperately needs the DVD release that has been so repeatedly postponed. Wickedly funny, unexpectedly touching, extremely memorable... and strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Why make a movie about the man universally regarded as the worst filmmaker of all time?

Well, simply because the word "worst" does not even adequately describe Ed Wood. He was the absolute, undisputable worst, unrivalled in his mindless disregard for decent production values, coherent storytelling, credible scriptwriting, and competent acting. If he were just "the worst," he would be no more than a mere footnote in cinematic history. But by single-handedly redefining the standards of ineptitude, Wood achieved that rare status of lovable loser. I mean, really, you have to admire someone who approaches his craft with so much grit and determination and so little talent.

It takes an A-grade cast to bring to life this story of Z-grade moviemaking. And we have one. Johnny Depp delivers a performance of fire in the title role, giving us a lot of insight into the character that Ed Wood was. Martin Landau (in an Oscar-winning performance) doesn't just portray Bela Lugosi. By golly, he becomes Lugosi, almost convincing us that the horror movie legend was resurrected for this project. Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeffrey Jones, Bill Murray, George "The Animal" Steele, and Lisa Marie comprise the ensemble cast that portrays a motley crew of rank amateurs. Think about it, these people had to re-enact the shooting of Wood's movies, looking serious but coming out funny, and doing all that with a straight face.Try that, folks.

Appreciate too, the film's most memorable line. At the premiere night of Plan 9 From Outer Space, Wood declares with unqualified conviction: "This is it. This is the one I'll be remembered for."

Whether you're a fan of bad movies or not, you simply have to see Ed Wood. It's not often that a film comes along that makes you like a man who so admirably succeeded at being a failure.

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At last, the whole (shocking!) story of Edward D. Wood, Jr. I enjoyed everything, from the acting down to the musical score (fans of "Dracula" will notice that movie's opening theme plays in several scenes). Johnny Depp is a hoot as Ed Wood, and Martin Landau absolutely shines as Bela Lugosi---he certainly deserved the Ocsar he won for the role.

The film is by turns hilarious and sad. There are loads of great one-liners ("Yes, but if you take that ... and put a star in it, then you've got something!") and other endearingly funny moments. Landau's portrayal of Lugosi provides most of the pathos, showing us the tragic decline of a man who tried his best to work until the very end.

"Filmmaking is not about the little details. It's all about the big picture!" Tim Burton has done a wonderul job with both in this movie.

Read Best Reviews of Ed Wood (1994) Here

Well folks, I thought long and hard on what film to mark my 200th review. I thought of this one. One of my all time favorite movies. Hopefully, it will be yours as well. Director Tim Burton really outdoes himself with this brilliant film about the worst filmmaker ever. Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood, a man so in love with Hollywood and filmmaking, that he doesn't see that he has no talent for it. But, in his own mind, he thought he was really making great cinematic art. He was a cross dresser who was not gay. He had a history of wearing pink angora sweaters. He would even sometimes wear them to work!. Ed Wood's films have become famous because of their horribly incompetent filmmaking. Bad actors, cheap sets and effects, and so on. But Good old Ed, god bless his heart, thought he was making 'Gone With The Wind' every time. Martin Landau is on hand delivering a jaw droppingly brilliant performance of old horror star Bela Lugosi. His performance is incredible. One of the best performances I've ever seen. He deserved ten Oscars instead of one. Bill Murray gives one of his best performances ever as Bunny Breckinridge, an actor of Ed's looking to having a sex change. Patricia Arquette and Sarah Jessica Parker play the women in Ed's life. Landau's own daughter, Juliet Landau, has a part. Burton's girlfriend Lisa Marie plays Vampira. The film was shot in glorious black and white, and it was a brilliant move on Burton's part. It really adds to the feel of the time and the movies Ed made. Depp is great. He is definitley one of the best actors of our generation. His interpretation of Wood is upbeat and hilarious. Even in the bad times, he still shows Ed having a sunny outlook. This is one great film that did not get great box office returns. What a travesty. Some people just don't understand things. I'm telling you right now : this is a great movie to be treasured. A genuine film classic.

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Touchstone has released the technical details on the director's cut for one of my favorite movies ever (that's right, "Director's Cut")! Here they are:

Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation

English Dolby Digital 5.1 Track

Audio Commentary with Tim Burton, Martin Landau and Technical Crew

Let's Shoot This! (Making Of) Documentary

The Theremin (Film Score) Featurette

Making Bela (Make-Up) Featurette

When Carol Met Larry (Cross Dressing) Featurette

Pie Plates Over Hollywood (Visual World of Ed Wood) Featurette

Original Music Video Co-Directed By Tim Burton

Original Theatrical Trailer

As I've already stated, this is probably one of my favorite films ever made and after a long wait, it's reassuring to see they're finally going to release Tim Burton's masterpiece on DVD. Why us folks in the states have had to wait so long is beyond me.

This movie is hilarious and inspiring and in fact inspired me to want to become a film-maker. The black and white is perfect for this film, Martin Landua and Johnny Depp give great performances, some scenes are just flat-out hilarious.

I encourage everybody to go out and grab this movie when it comes out (or do like me, and pre-order it). I've yet to meet a person who has watched this film and not like it!

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Why Stop Now (2012)

I love all three of these actors but didn't know what to expect from the three of them together. I was pleasantly surprised with the result. Tracy Morgan is hilarious as always, but he also gives a surprisingly heartfelt performance that goes great with Eisenberg and Leo.

Just stumbled on "Why Stop Now" and thought it was great. Totally quirky comedy which never gets pedantic and seldom loses its sense of humor. Eisenberg is perfect for the part of Eli, and even brings a new sort of boldness to the table in this role that I don't recall seeing in his previous characters. The drug dealers (Tracy Morgan and Isiah Whitlock Jr.) were hilarious. For me the comedy really came through in the banter between these two who took over many of the scenes they were in. I didn't know what to expect of this one, but really enjoyed it!

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Social outcast and bad drinker Eli( Jesse Eisenberg) works as a stock boy but aspires to go to a prestigious arts college. His former teacher Dave (Neal Huff) has managed to arrange an audition for him. On the morning of the audition, Eli attempts to quickly straighten out a home life that has always teetered on disaster. His sister Nicole (Emma Rayne Lyle) talks to people through a foul mouthed sock puppet that needs to be laundered. His waitress mother (Melissa Leo) needs to go to rehab. However things don't go as planned.

Rehab won't accept Eli's mother Penny because her urine is currently clean and she doesn't have insurance. They suggest she do drugs to dirty up her urine. Eli aids and abets his mother on her quest. He runs into the likes of drug dealer "Sprinkles" (Tracy Morgan). At this point the comedy kicks into gear. Eli ends up as a translator between Sprinkles and his Spanish speaking connection.

The film has some comedy scenes, most notable when Tracy Morgan is involved, but for the most part it is a drama that involves people with some type of problem which can be argued that they center around Penny's addiction. It is not a dark comedy per se, the comedy is not about dark material.

Eli's attraction for Chloe (Sarah Ramos) didn't seem to be well developed. Tracy Morgan as a drug dealer and his sidekick Black (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) lacked credibility in those roles as they were comically written while the other characters were more serious. It is a feel good movie, but not one that will make you hold your side with laughter.

Parental Guide: F-bombs, no sex, no nudity.

Read Best Reviews of Why Stop Now (2012) Here

Hey guys, if you are looking for a very funny film that deals with interesting issues and has a great cast, this is it! Highly suggested...

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Tracy Morgan gives an incredible performance. It was a nice surprise to see that the funny man can actually act and not just do his crazy Tracy Jordan routine. Jessie Eisenberg and Melissa Leo also give strong performances as usual.

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The Game Plan (2007)

Having grown rather tired of this fall's onslaught of violent R-rated films, this movie is a welcome change and it's better than you might think.

Of course, there is nothing original about this film. We have another action actor who wants to prove he is something more than that. We've experienced this when Arnold went from The Terminator to being a Kindergarten Cop, when Clint Eastwood quit being Dirty Harry to become Every Which Way but Loose, and Vin Diesel gave up being The Fast and the Furious to being The Pacifier. Now Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wants us to forget his action hero status for a more family friendly guy in "The Game Plan" by Disney.

This film has all the traditional "fish out of water" cliches you can imagine and silly humor that is a staple in all Disney live action films; however, most are forgivable here. The "fish out of water" element is handled well-enough although very predictable. As the characters grow, it is also quite touching. I thought the humor was of the "hit and miss" variety. Miss: child lost in bubble bath. Hit: allergy to cinnamon. I have to say though in all fairness that the hits are hysterical and overshadow the misses (as annoying as they are).

The plot is relatively simple in that a self-obsessed football hero is suddenly saddled with a child he never knew he had; however, and I won't spoil it, there are some very interesting twists to this set up that are not as predictable as most of the other elements in this film. Most character in this film are stereotypes that don't development and, quite frankly, don't need to. It's The Rock's character that needs to grow and he does and does so in a surprisingly believable manner.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been a better actor than he's been given credit for being. I feel much the same way about Vin Diesel. Both of these current action stars have proven themselves in a number of films and with both now having ventured into family comedy, they are growing as actors. The Rock in this film is really quite a surprise in that we learn that not only can he hold a tune nicely, he does a pleasing take on Elvis's "Are You Lonesome Tonight", but he is also an accomplished enough actor to cry on cue. Yup, you read that right! It is not a digital effect; he actually cries on cue without a break or cutaway in the take to add fake tears. I was rather impressed with that.

I was also impressed with the surprising comic performance turned in by Kyra Sedgwick (TV's "The Closer, and A.K.A. Mrs. Kevin Bacon). She isn't over-the-top evil like Glenn Close in 101 Dalmatians & 102 Dalmatians, but she is malicious and has a gift for delivering quick one-liners. She is completely enjoyable in her evil little role here.

This light fare is a surprisingly better film than I expected and it's #1 opening at the box-office suggests that I'm not alone in that evaluation. Take a break from the sex and violence currently splattering in our multiplex and go enjoy a film with your whole family that might move you more than you might expect it to.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has had his fair share of battles in the wrestling ring. He was also a part of the Miami Hurricanes football team. He combines the giant ego of "The Rock" in WWE and his football skills to create Joe Kingman, a pro football player who's got everything but a championship ring. He even has something that he doesn't know he has--a daughter. On top of his game, his ego crashes hard when young Peyton (Madison Pettis) shows up at his front door. Never having any sort of responsibilities before, Kingman tries to juggle his football career, his high profile lifestyle and his new daughter. All the while his agent, a devilishly funny Kyra Sedgwick, tries to figure out if little Peyton is the real deal, or just another opportunist trying to get her hands on a piece of the Kingman pie. Will Kingman get his priorities straight, or will he succumb to the fast and easy lifestyle his lived for so long?

Rosalyn Sanchez heads up a solid supporting cast of actors and actresses who you may not be familiar with (excepting Morris Chesnut, playing a solid father-figure teammate). The story is generic and highly unoriginal, but the solid performances of the entire cast and the wholesome, family-geared direction make this story more than worthy of four stars. Everybody, even the quasi-villain Sedgwick, is likeable. Johnson shows his singing chops that wrestling fans will already be familiar with. He also has that million-dollar smile that lights up the screen. Young Pettis steals most of her scenes, even though she could be accused of boosting the sugar content a bit too much at times. Johnson's teammates are also enjoyable to watch on the screen. Their chemistry with Johnson, each other and with young Pettis is great.

If you long for the days of sugary Disney live-action family features such as the original "Herbie" films and "The Apple Dumpling Gang," "The Game Plan" is a welcome treat. It's a rare family comedy that the entire family will enjoy. Highly recommended.

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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson extends his considerable talents to this family-friendly film. Though the premise is a familiar one (a self-centered playboy discovers the joys of fatherhood), Johnson's charm and sincerity make it worth the watch. Likewise, Roselyn Sanchez does a tremendous job in her role as ballet-instructor Monique Vasquez. Her real-life dance-training is showcased in a poignant performance with Johnson and the children (this is one of the more enchanting scenes in the film ... it is guaranteed maintain your attention).

Disney does a spectacular service to dancers and athletes alike. Quick-cuts between the football field and the ballet studio illustrate the rigors and grace of both. It shows how the two are not entirely dissimilar. This moment is well-crafted! And, yes, I know this has become a somewhat hackneyed trope, but a child will not view it as such.

Now, the character of Peyton Kelly (played by nine-year-old Madison Pettis) may prove a little jarring. While Pettis' acting is respectable, the writing for her character feels a little "off." While her "sassiness" can occasionally translate as amusing, it can too often seem acrid (such as when she launches into the "tone-deaf" bit after the potentially "tear-jerking" "Are You Lonesome Tonight" serenade). This becomes softer as the film progresses (or the audience simply becomes acclimated to her impudence) and it is certainly not jolting enough to prohibit viewing.

Most of the critical reviewers have panned this work (and I really do mean "most"). Yes, it is painfully formulaic (you can predict the entire film in the first fifteen minutes ... but what do you expect from a Disney film). Yes, the writing for Pettis' character is insulting (not all children are jaded and rude). Yes, portraying football players as "dumb" (especially in the case of Hayes MacArthur's character, Kyle Cooper) is both trite and unfair. Yes, it is another film with an Elvis soundtrack (we all saw "Lilo and Stitch"). And, yes, that Disney cannot manage to create a film without references to "bodily functions" is disappointing. BUT, "The Game Plan" does have moments of great tenderness: this is especially evident in Morris Chestnut's character of Travis Sanders. Sanders is both an athlete and a family-man. Throughout the film, he remains a strong example of a man who is both a gifted player and a devoted dad. (And, yes, maybe that's trite too, but it is also a much needed reminder).

While critics may not recommend this work, I believe that both parents and children will find it worthy of their time. One is hesitant to use such a word, but here it is ... the film is ... cute. So there.

Read Best Reviews of The Game Plan (2007) Here

The Rock is not a particularly good actor and The Gameplan is a hokey movie. But if you have children like I do, then this movie will pull on all the right heartstrings. There's a bunch of these movies where a child that someone didn't know about comes into their life at just the wrong moment. Things are hard at first, then they get things going smoothly, just to have a final big bump in the road that must be overcome. We all know the plot, but it never hurts to see a movie that reminds you that your kids are the most important thing. Not to mention, my son thought the bulldog in the tutu was hilarious.

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The '07 Disney film `The Game Plan' is a predictable but satisfying family film starring the irrepressible Dwayne "Rock" Johnson and adorable little Madison Pettis as newly re-united Father and daughter. Joe Kingman ("Rock") is a superstar professional quarterback just three wins away from an appearance in the Super Bowl when his game plan is suddenly turned upside down when little eight year old Paige (Madison Pettis) appears on his doorstep and claims to be his daughter. Can Joe keep focused on the big prize and cope with instant fatherhood at the same time. If he has any chance to succeed he'll definitely need the right game plan.

No surprises here, just Disney doing what Disney does best, so get the family together and enjoy!

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Defiance & Enemy at the Gates

I received my Blu Rays each in seperate cases and both cellophaned together (no slipcase). These are both great movies and being offered on value for price. These 2 are also great examples of blu ray quality.....especially Defiance! it couldnt have been better. Defiance actually is the first blu ray I have seen with a wow factor for resolution and color.

I love Enemy at the Gates, however I am put off but the blatant English accents by many of its British actors, if theyre actors why couldnt they sound like Russians, to me this is a great flaw in its making otherwise a great movie. At least in Defiance they dont sound like they come from Putney Green and Brixton but eastern europe. So 'Enemy' gets deducted a star ie 4 stars for Enemy and 5 well earned top stars for defiance.

Oh, and you must watch the extras of Defiance after the movie, very informative and revealing as told by their children.

If you found any of my words helpful to you at all, please vote on it. Thanks.

This is an excellent value. Two good WW2 films on blu ray for $20 bucks! The packaging contains the original art work and they include the special features from the original dvds. The movies are in seperate cases, not a cheesy single case housing both films. Both movies benefit greatly from the blu ray treatment. If you have these movies already and thought of upgradingthis is your chance.

Enemy at the gatesI like this film for many reasons. First of all its a rare look at the eastern front. It would be great if the Russians would start making some good films about their WW2 heroics. But until that day, we will have to watch films like this and Stalingrad. I also like the battle of Stalingrad. Although this is a small part of the overall scope of the battlethese dueling snipers were a factor for moral and are a fascinating subject to learn about. The acting is very good in this film too. Ed Harris is always excellent and I think Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz were great as well. The amount of work and detail with regards to the set and the city of Stalingrad was very well done. Even the fountain with the children and the aliigators is recreated for this movie. Great detail.

DefianceAnother subject that is rarley coveredpartisans against the Nazis. These mini armies of freedom fighters were a major problem for the Germans as they advanced through newly conquered territories. That makes this subject an excellent choice for film. Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber star as the famous Bielski brothers. There are some good action sequences here, but the film also centers on how these people made their lives work while being on the go so much. Living in the woods with a group of people adds tension and doubt. But everyone is resolute about defeating the nazis. This film also has some interesting special features.

I would rate Enemy At The Gates a 5 and Defiance a 4but having both of these films on blu ray for $20 bucks is a 5 star deal.

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These two films are great. The fact that they are cheap and in a Blu ray double pack is even more awesome.

Defiance is a very different type of war movie. It is like a cross between Band of Brothers during the siege of Bastogne and Shindler's List. It presents a much different view of the war than the typical war dramas.

Enemy at the gates is the only major (American released) film I know of to focus on the Russians in WW 2. Specifically it focuses on the battle of Stalingrad. Much of the story is embellished to create a better movie and to ad in Romance, etc but this is one of the greatest war films made in the past quarter century.

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From the packaging I thought that the movies would be in a double cheap case, but they come in their own cases which is nice. These are great movies with plenty of action and great stories. Highly recommended.

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Great deal for 2 awesome movies on bluray! They come in 2 separate bluray boxes wrapped together.

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Thirteen Ghosts / House of Wax (2010)

Like all movies, rent before you buy so you know you'll like the movie first. I bought it just for the movie Thirteen Ghosts, House of Wax was just a bonus. Not bad for the price though.

Thirteen Ghosts / House of Wax These are both great movies if you don't have these movies on Blu-ray you must upgrade asap.

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Neither of these are known for being quality movies but if you're just looking for some bloody fun with cool special effects/make-up then look no further. The picture seemed fine on my ps3 blu ray and samsung dlp as well.

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I love it I bought it to play on my ps3 and the quality us beautiful. P.S. I only got it for the 13 ghosts and I figured y not get house of wax too. But overall I give if a 5* rating

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I personally like !3 ghosts kind of tacky but still fun. the video quality is pretty good totally worth the 12 bucks i paid for come on under a dollar per ghost cant beat that lol and house of wax lets just say that it was a package deal

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For Colored Girls (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011)

I absolutely loved this movie. I titled my review "Multifaceted" because Black women are multifaceted like diamonds. They are beautiful and come in all colors, are strong and endure. Some may be a little rough around the edges at first but if or when that precious gem finally shines through they are awesome.

I also loved this movie because it didn't focus on one part of the Black female culture. It showed Black women who are successful, talented, trusting, naive, hopeful, bitter, religious, fanatic, loving, intelligent, insightful, wise, troubled and above all strong.

I truly hope that critics don't take the title literally and label it as just a movie about Black women. The issues that the characters faced concerned all women. Any woman, Black, White, Hispanic, etc. can see a little bit of themselves in at least one of the characters. I saw a little of myself in at least three.

Thank you Tyler Perry for bringing this wonderful story to the big screen.

I watched this one with my wife...and to say we "enjoyed it" doesn't quite seem sufficient or even apt here.

While black women are indeed the focal point characters..there are indeed so many colors on display that all girls and boys can learn a lot or at least ask themselves some serious questions regardless of origin...

Some couldnt watch the scenes in this one in the movie theatre...it was too powerful they said, too strong,too much...but they went back after pulling themselves together.

Tyler take a bow....I don't need Hollywood to justify your place among the very best for me....but it would be nice ...around awards time.

God Bless you Sir.

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I was a little worried about how they were going to write a script from a poem into a movie, but they pulled it off. This movie was telling the story of black women, but it could have been any women in these stories. We all have choices and not all of the choices are wise but we do have the ability to change our course in life and this movie showed this. From domestic violence and rape to abortion, nothing was left unturned.

I would recommend this to be part of a women's study curriculum or at the least apart of sex/health education. I am a married woman in her 40's with children and any one of those could have been me. I highly recommend this movie for every woman, especially young women.

Read Best Reviews of For Colored Girls (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011) Here

It's amazing how so many people liked the book but disliked the movie, yet they are conveying the same message. That women in general, go through so many terrible things because they give so much of themselves and they overlook so many dangers for the sake of love. It's not any particular race of women who experience situations like this, but all races: asian, white, latino, black, etc. It's just that this book/film was given from a black woman's perspective. So lets look at the film and perhaps we can reach out to someone who might be going through the kind of hell that these women portray whether they are black, white, asian, latin...

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If you love the original play you will love this movies. Tyler interacts the characters without destroying the original impact of the poetry. Each actress shines in her own right. This movie reminds us of the power within each of us is ready to be put to good use. Do not lose yourself in love. If you respect yourself you will love yourself. Don't be a victim. Be a victor.

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Enemy of the State

MOVIE: Enemy of The State is another one of Jerry Bruckheimer's mid 90's action extravaganzas. He reunites with Tony Scott to bring us this action flick about government coverups and how technology is used to basically track every aspect of your life. The movie is about a lawyer who is unwillingly thrown into a wild cat and mouse chase. A congressman is murdered near a reservoir where research is done on migratory geese. So, unknowingly, the whole thing is caught on tape and ends up in the hands of a nerdy and young Jason Lee. He realizes what he has in his possession and during a foot chase he bumps into his old friend played by Will Smith and secretly drops the tape in his bag. Now Will Smith's character is thrown into a world of espionage without knowing why he is being hunted. He meets up with Brill, played by Gene Hackman, an ex NSA agent who ends up helping him. Hackman basically plays a reincarnation of his character in Coppola's The Conversation. The movie is directed at a fast pace by Tony Scott, and it's an overall entertaining action flick. I felt the movie tried to be smarter than it actually was and that the characters were very plain and boring.

ACTING: I didn't like Hackman in this role, but Will Smith brought some life into the movie. For people who haven't seen the movie in awhile you should check it out to recognize some young faces including Jack Black, Jake Busey, Jaimie Kennedy, Seth Green, and the of course the previously mentioned Jason Lee.

VIDEO: The great thing about the recent releases of Con Air, Crimson Tide, and Enemy Of The State are the new anamorphic transfers of the films. They are greatly appreciated and are so much better than the old ones. The quality of the transfer has not improved greatly in terms of picture quality, but there is a noticeable difference.

AUDIO: As for sound we get a very dull Dolby 5.1 mix. All the dialogue is usually center heavy, and rarely does action actually envelope you from the surround speakers. The track is the same from the old release, so it's not the best. There are some scenes with helicopters and some big explosions that utilize the surround speakers well, but overall it's a very dull mix.

SPECIAL FEATURES: The "making of" featurette was actually more extensive than I was expecting. They talk more about the gadgets used in the film versus the actual movie, but overall I found it to be interesting. All the interviews were done back during the making of the movie and it was a pretty extensive behind the scenes for what the movie is. One thing I found extremely interesting was that they talked about a scene where Will Smith is chased by cars in an underground tunnel in his bathrobe. In reality, the cars didn't fit into the tunnel so they had do take the cars apart and weld them back together in the tunnel. The entire scene was maybe a minute long! I just found it interesting that all that work was done for maybe a blip of action. Anyway, the next featurette is basically some on set footage. Overall the two featurettes do justice for what this movie is.

BOTTOM LINE: I got confused whether this was indeed an "extended" cut of the film or not. The cover you see on places like Amazon is not the cover that you actually get. The cover of the film is actually labeled "Special Edition", but the menu does indeed say "Unrated Extended Edition". So, I am thoroughly confused. I didn't notice anything noticeably new, and the running times listed are identical between the old disc and the new one. Still, the upgrade is worth it.

Despite the fact that we both like Gene Hackman and Will Smith, my wife and I put off seeing this movie for along time, thinking that it was probably going to be just another run-of-the mill Jerry Bruckheimer action flick, all of which get to be a bit overblown and "samey" after awhile (IMO Crimson Tide, and the spoof, ConAir, are his best films)...but what would otherwise just have been another pretty good action/suspense film, took on an eerie resonance in the post 9/11 era--the legislation that the Jon Voigt character was willing to kill to get passed had more than a faint aroma of "The Patriot Act"-and I'm surprised that more reviewers haven't mentioned that.

As far as the "lack of substance" that some reviewers mention, that is entirely subjective, and I do not agree with it. As far as reviewers who talk about this not being as good as 1974's The Conversation, get a clue that elements of this movie are conscious homages to that earlier (and IMO, badly dated, and overrated) movie--one of the things that's fun about Bruckheimer's movies is that they are full of homages to earlier suspense/action flicks, esp. those that influenced him. Also, folks, get a clue to the fact that the Will Smith character's "dumbness" and naivety, is part of the point of this movie: his ignorance of technology, and his over-reliance on other people for information, put him at the mercy of the "heavies" in this movie, and left him wide open to the crisis in which he found himself embroiled. As an aside, along the lines of the eerie resonance of this movie in the wake of 9/11, it gave my wife and I a bit of a chill down our spines when Gene Hackman's character revealed by "hacking" into the NSA computer that the Jon Voigt character's birthday was "9/11"--an eerie coincidence three years before 9/11/01.

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I'll be brief. Enemy of the State is a good action flick with a lousy transfer to DVD. If you have a standard television stop reading this review now: you won't notice what I'm talking about. If you are running a 16:9 TV then read on.

Like many before, this supposedly "wide screen" version is nothing of the sort. The DVD is encoded in a standard 4:3 image, with black bars matting the top and bottom. In other words, this is a non-anamorphic transfer. What that means is that the image you are seeing is lower resolution than a standard NTSC TV signal because of the fewer vertical lines present. On a 16:9 TV the image looks "squished" shorter and "stretched" longer. Most 16:9 TV's have a mode that can re-stretch the image to achieve the proper aspect ratio. The problem there is now the horizontal lines are clearly visible throughout the film.

I wish studios would stop the absurd practice of releasing "matted" widescreen transfers, and only call a DVD "Widescreen" if the transfer is anamorphic. But as long as they're doing it, hopefully enough people will protest to get the studio's attention.

Read Best Reviews of Enemy of the State Here

This is an excellent thriller/drama movie with a very relevant plot for todays society. It may have been far fetched when it was made but it is more of a blue print for todays reality.

The audio and video transfers are excellent and definitely rate a tier 1 presence for Blu-Ray.

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I am not a great Will Smith fan, but he does a very outstanding job in this HIGH TECHNO, EDGE OF YOUR SEAT, INTELLIGENT, DON'T GO TO THE BATHROOM WITHOUT PAUSING THE VIDEO video! You absolutely won't go wrong with this one.... promise!

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Liar Liar

What happens when little Max Reede (Justin Cooper) blows out the candles on his birthday cake and wishes his Dad couldn't lie anymore? Fletcher (Jim Carrey) an unscrupulous lawyer (is there any other kind?) happens to be Max's father. When the birthday wish becomes reality things quickly begin to fall apart for poor Fletcher. After all, what good is a lawyer who can't lie? One thing is certain, Fletcher is about to discover how much the truth can both hurt and heal.

First let me say that I'm not generally a Jim Carrey fan. I find his films inane, vapid and predictable. That along with his excessively loud, over-the-town acting style absolutely drives me crazy. With that said, I must now confess that I've found one exception to that rule. That exception is the unrelentingly hilarious 'Liar Liar.'

All the things that drive me insane about Jim Carrey somehow work wonderfully in this film. It also contains a cast of some of my favorites; Maura Tierney as Fletcher's ex-wife Audrey and Cary Elwes as her new love interest Jerry. I also have to mention the very sexy Krista Allen makes a brief but memorable appearance as the 'girl in the elevator.'

This is a stunning comedy starring Jim Carrey who plays a lawyer, who is incapable of telling the truth or keeping his promises (is this really a surprise!!!). Things make a dramatic turn, when he fails to keep a promise to turn up at his son's birthday party: the neglected son (brilliantly played by Justin Cooper as Max Reede) makes a wish for his father not to lie for just one day. The boy's wish is granted and his dad loses his ability to lie, a tragic affliction for any lawyer. He cannot lie in court as well as to all those around him, like his secretary and mother.

This now honest man displays his comic talents that is bound to set you laughing your lungs out. Carrey is ably supported by his ex-wife Audrey (Maura Tierney) who is now dating Cary Elwes, a simpleton of a man.

This is one of Jim Carrey's best films. His facial contortions, voice and crazy humour stands him out as an outstanding comedian. This is as good as it gets. The director, Tom Shadyac should be applauded for this high quality production.

This movie should not be missed by anyone with a sense of humour and all those fathers who neglect their children for the sake of making money.

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Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Jim Carrey. I think he's a very talented actor, and he always gets me rolling with laughter. I think he's holywood's funniest actor since the late Walter Matthau.

Unfourtunately though, some of Carrey's movies have been disappointments (most notably: Cable Guy and Ace Ventura 2). Whether due to lack of a good running storyline, or due to just over-the-top silliness.

'Liar, Liar', however, does not disappoint. It reveals Carrey in all his hillarious glory. It's got a great cohesive plot about a pathological liar who is suddenly stripped of that ability due to a wish his little kid made. Carrey is very funny, partly because he reminds us so much of ourselves, and how much lies we tell to cover over different parts of our lives.

Watch this movie. It is more than just funny. It is thoroughly entertaining and leaves us with some great life-lessons as well.

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Jim Carrey puts so much energy and pure comedic brilliance into this movie that we hardly noticed how corny and hackneyed was the plot or how wearily didactic was the moral lesson for all fathers who neglect their children for the goddess of success. And really we didn't care. What we loved almost as much as Carrey's rubber mouth and oral blockage (like an overheated boiler fighting not to explode) was the premise: a lawyer that can't lie. Now there's an oxymoron! As Carrey tries to explain to his son Max, lawyers need to lie. Actually he says grownups need to lie, which is a truth that we really do not need to exam too closely here. To laugh at something deeply troubling in our nature is a way of dealing with it.

So the genius of this movie is first the talent of Jim Carrey, but second, for kids who come to the realization of adult mendacity for the first time, it is the discovery of comedy as a way to cope. Why do adults need to lie? is a question that a kid can never figure out, and then by the time he is an adult himself (or actually a teenager), he can no longer comprehend how important the question once was. Call it innocence lost, or the socialization process.

My favorite part of the movie is the courtroom scene with Jennifer Tilly dressed oh so sluttily and her adulterous beaux looking like a model for the cover of a romance novel and Carrey in tatters in his [expensive] suit. Second would be the bathroom scene in which Carrey tries to tear himself apart (and seems to almost succeed). His flapping mouth between the toilet seat and the bowl was inspired. Give some credit to director Tom Shadyac, who managed to steer the vehicle with Carrey at the controls, and to writers, Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, who wrote some funny lines.

The great comedians totally let themselves go. They are totally on. They go to extremes and beyond. It's like transcending not just the ordinary, but even the imagined. See this obviously for Jim Carrey, one of the great comedic talents of our time, an original who would have delighted Charlie Chaplin with his extraordinary muggings, his blatant audacity and his superb timing.

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I loved liar liar! I never get tired of watching it! I dont believe his performance was over the top as some might. I think that this is his best movie if not one of the best. It has a GREAT feel good story line and if you couple it with the fantastic actors and hilariouse content youve got a classic entertaining movie you will love for years!

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North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition in Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2009)

One of the best of Hitchcock (although as far as his films go, Hitch probably has the best track record of any director living or dead). This film is basically the original "Fugitive" and follows pretty closely the plot to his "The 39 Steps" from 1935 a man is mistaken for a CIA agent and is caught in a "deadly game of cat and mouse," as it were. I LOVE the music and the visuals that start out the film it makes me wish I had been alive to see it in a movie theater in the 50's. And although this film is over 2 hours long, there's no way you can be bored the suspense is so intense you'll be chewing your nails the whole time (I did the first time I saw it). Cary Grant is excellent as always, James Mason plays one of the most sinister of Hitchcock's villains (I would LOVE to have this guy's voice) and Eva Marie Saint looks gorgeous and plays her part well. I also enjoyed seeing Martin Landau in an early role as one of James Mason's henchmen and Jessie Royce Landis (the mother from "To Catch a Thief") as Grant's mother (although both were very near the same age at the time). And I love any film score by Bernard Herrmann this guy should have had a mantle covered with awards, but as luck would have it, most of his scores went not only un-awarded but un-nominated (as this one did). By all means, if you don't own it, pick it up today and by the way, good job for FINALLY releasing it on DVD, MGM.

With this film, Alfred Hitchcock set out to top himself and get back on top after the failure of VERTIGO; he did just that. NORTH BY NORTHWEST is automatically a classic with the acting by Cary Grant (his fourth and final film with Hitchcock), Eva Maria Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll (another one of Hithcock's favorites), and young Martin Landau (in his film debut), the amazing set pieces (the UN murder, the cropduster sequence, and the climax atop Mt. Rushmore), Bernard Hermann's music score, and the classic work of the camera by the Master of Suspense. But this DVD's extras really add to the film. It includes a documentary hosted by Saint ("Destination Hitchcock," not "The Man in Lincoln's Nose" as listed on this site), an audio commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, two theatrical trailers (a standard trailer and one featuring Hitchcock), a TV Spot, an isolated music audio track and the film itself remastered in Dolby 5.1 Audio and 1.66:1 widescreen anamorphic format. The only problem is it comes in a snap case like all Warners DVDs, not allowing a booklet with production notes. But this DVD is a must buy, especially if you're a fan of Hitch. It's also a note of interest for 007 fans (like myself). This film brought about spy thrillers and you should compare the cropduster sequence in this film to the helicopter sequence in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.

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Definitive Hitch! Everything about this film says Hitch. The musical score(Bernard Hermann) spells trouble even in the opening credits,the camera angles are signature, his favorite actors(Cary Grant Eva Marie Saint, Leo G. Carroll),and the edge of your seat story. All the things we love.

It gets better though, if it weren't for the style of clothes and cars, you would think this film was made yesterday. Warner Bros. has made a beautiful transfer of this 1959 classic, "North by Northwest", onto DVD.

A little of the story though for those who have not seen it(not too much though,don't want to spoil anything for you). It's a case of mistaken identity. Grant's. He is taken for a goverment agent by some counterspies, abducted, framed for murder and nobody believes his story. He goes on the run from the police as well as the thugs.While on the run he meets the beautiful Eva Marie Saint and sparks fly between them. (Anytime there is romance in a Hitch film you do not need an R rating to feel the passion!)So what's her part in all this? Why isn't the goverment helping him? Is he being crossed?Doublecrossed? Maybe even triple crossed? Find out as the thrilling chase goes from New York to South Dakota. And check out all the great scenery and landmarks along the way, as Cary travels by train,is chased by a plane(very scary stuff)and ends up atop of Mount Rushmore.

It's one of Director Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers.Grant,Saint, and Carroll, well, they shine as usual.And along for the ride also thrilling us are James Mason and a young Martin Landau. There's also Jessie Royce Landis as Grant's mother who's wit matches his quip for quip. She's great.

Now back to the DVD. It should be the poster child for why we love DVDs now. I have never seen this film look so good. Picture sharp, widescreen(matted) gives us great views, and the soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 is amazing for a film of this age.It's a film to be watched over and over(and now that it's on DVD you don't have to worry about it wearing out!)If you can't get enough there's several features, the making of,audio commentary,still gallery,audio only if you want to hear just the score,trailers, and subtitles.Hitch fans..you'll love it.

Oh by the way...do you know where Hitch makes his cameo appearance in this one? Of course you do, but just in case...don't miss the first 5 minutes.

Goot Eeeevening...and have fun......Laurie

Read Best Reviews of North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition in Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2009) Here

Warner Bros. has outdone itself with this new, pull-out-the-stops, first-class presentation of one of Hitch's best films.

When I first read that Warners had rights to the film and would subsequently be releasing the DVD, I was nervous. Though the studio has championed the format from its very inception, I remained concerned that they would simply rehash the laserdisc transfer from a few years back and issue the title in their "bargain" DVD line due to the age of the film, and thus consign Hitchcock fans to suffer the ignominy of seeing "North by Northwest" denied the top flight treatment lavished by Universal Studios on the Hitchcock titles they control. (Universal's stubborn refusal to re-issue the impressively restored "Vertigo" in anamorphic should be a crime, however.)

But what a surprise this disc turned out to be!! Warner Bros. was paying attention, and one-upped Universal with this terrific effort. Simply stated, the picture quality on this disc is ASTONISHING. This is without question the best this film has ever looked and that has only partly to do with the resolution and stability of digital video. A completely new print has been struck, and cleaned up indeed, it is doubtful the film looked this good on its opening night premiere. There's hardly a nick or scratch to be seen, and grain is totally absent. It's as if they took a giant sponge and wiped years of age-induced desaturation away.

Anamorphically enhanced, the DVD's compression is excellent blacks are velvety and rich, color is deep and vibrant, and edge enhancement (which results in unnatural "shimmer") is seemingly non-existant. For a film of this vintage, the image is nothing short of eye-popping, especially if the DVD player's component video outputs are used. Hopefully, this should raise the bar for Universal, whose releases (save for "Vertigo") of Hitch's films have tended to be grainy and a bit nicked-up in areas, though certainly still bettering any previous video incarnations. All the special features in the world don't make a difference if the print of the movie itself isn't presented in the best way possible. Make no mistake, the Universal releases look good very good but not as good as this one does.

If you're a Hitchcock fan like me, owning this film is a no-brainer. If you're a film fan at all, this classic deserves no, demands a place in your collection. That Warner Brothers has paid it proper respect with a DVD of this quality (not only is the transfer sparkling, but the extras are rich in content and well done, too) is something that, like the film, is truly wonderful.

Want North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition in Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2009) Discount?

Forget about the numerous improbabilities (e.g. that death by cropduster is an effective way to get rid of one's enemies; that a good place for foreign agents to have a hide-out is right on top of Mt. Rushmore; that Jessie Royce Landis is old enough to be Cary Grant's mother, etc.)--and just enjoy this ride. I've seen this movie several times and tend to forget the details between viewings--which allows me to be surprised all over again. And surprise is what North by Northwest is all about.

Casting James Mason and a young but very creepy Martin Landau as the villains was sheer genius. Eva Marie Saint is the icy blonde in this one and suggests a fair amount of fire beneath that ice. Grant, already in his mid-50s, was obviously meant to be younger (mid-40s at the most), but you'll find yourself suspending disbelief about that and everything else and just allowing yourself to get caught up in this extremely entertaining film. There is no better example of Hitchcock's cinematic mastery. Aside from the aforementioned crop duster pursuit (scarier than any low-flying plane scene in any WWII movie), there's the classic Rushmore sequence, and, of course, the tunnel bit at the end which delighted would-be Freudian critics with its (daring for the time?) symbolism. It's as witty as it is adventurous, with a wonderful Ernest Lehman script, excellent cinematography by Robert Burks and a great score by Bernard Herrmann. A classic...but then, you probably don't need me to tell you that.

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The Mummy (1932) (1932)

With these words, the viewer is once again seduced by Boris Karloff's amazing ability to bring to life, so to speak, characters that have been long dead. By 1932, when "The Mummy" was released, Universal was the leading Hollywood horror studio. "The Mummy" was ... ahem ... one more nail in a very successful sarcophagus, providing Universal with more acclaim and Karloff with another notch in his already-outstanding cinematic resume.

Now released on DVD as part of the Universal Classic Monster Collection series, "The Mummy" reflects the rampant interest in America at the time in all things Egyptian, brought about mainly by the discovery of King Tut's tomb by Howard Carter some 10 years prior. The supposed curse that was to have been visited upon anyone who disturbed the boy king was even worked into the script of "The Mummy" which was, originally, not an Egyptian movie at all but which was based on an historical Italian alchemist/hypnotist who claimed to have lived for centuries.

In the film, the mummy, Im-Ho-Tep (pronounced "M-Ho-Tep") is accidentally revived after 3,700 years by a team of British archaeologists. He was once a priest, buried alive for attempting to revive the vestial virgin whom he loved following her sacrifice. Alive once more, and now calling himself Ardath Bey, he is looking for his lost love ... and of course, he'll need a living stand-in ...

The "making-of" documentary included in "The Mummy", entitled "Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed", is, like all the other documentaries in this series, a delight. One special feature of this particular documentary details the process used by make-up king Jack Pierce to turn Karloff who in life was quite a handsome man into a dried-out corpse. When one considers both in the Frankenstein films and "The Mummy" the physical rigors which Karloff endured to bring his gallery of monsters to life, this dedication to craft alone is truly amazing. From enduring layers of make-up often combined with foul-smelling chemicals, to wearing padded clothing weighing 30 pounds or more, to being wrapped in bandages and accidentally not given a fly through which the actor could relieve himself throughout the day, "Karloff The Uncanny" endured all and, as a result, gave us performances unmatched by any actor living today.

The double performance of Zita Johann as both the Egyptian princess and her modern-day character is nuanced and blends perfectly with Karloff's measured emotion, which evokes a romantic aura in his character that makes him seem more sympathetic than evil.

Feature Commentary by film historian Paul Jensen provides a treasure chest of trivia for horror film buffs and Karloff devotees, as do the original trailers and cast and filmmaker's biographies included in the DVD's extra goodies.

Get lost in the world of "The Mummy" and you'll never want to leave.

If you prefer your horror the old-fashioned way with atmosphere, implication, and imagination versus explicit special effects, this is your kind of movie. Everyone already knows the tale, and everyone has already seen the movie. It is worth ownng though. It was made in the precode era when horror movies could still have a dash of the shocking. Plus movies were still learning to talk, so much experimentation could go on. The director of "The Mummy", Karl Freund, had worked with Fritz Lang and so hints of German expressionism can be seen in this film as well. The year before, "Frankenstein" had made Boris Karloff a star at age 44. It is here Karloff gets to use the power of speech to add to his presence in horror films.

DISC 1:

Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed

Feature Commentary by Film Historian Paul M. Jenson

Feature Commentary by Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman, Bob Burns, and Brent Armstrong**

Posters & Stills**

Trailer Gallery

DISC 2

He Who Made Monsters: Life and Legacy of Jack Pierce**

Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy**

Universal Horror Documentary**

**New Bonus Features not on previous releases.

Note that "Production Notes" and "Cast and Filmmakers" were bonus Features in the 2007 single disc release. "The Mummy Archives" was in the 2004 release "The Mummy: The Legacy Collection". These may or may not be encompassed in the new release. Thus is the chaos that is the Universal Classic DVD department.

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Although frequently reinterpreted, the original 1932 THE MUMMY remains the most intriguing film version of a story inspired by both 1920s archeological finds and the 1931 Bela Lugosi DRACULA: when an over-eager archeologist reads an incantation from an ancient scroll, he unexpectedly reanimates a mysterious mummy--who then seeks reunion with the princess for whom he died thousands of years earlier and ultimately finds his ancient love reincarnated in modern-day Egypt.

Less a typical horror film than a gothic romance with an Egyptian setting, THE MUMMY has few special effects of any kind and relies primarily upon atmosphere for impact--and this it has in abundance: although leisurely told, the film possesses a darkly romantic, dreamlike quality that lingers in mind long after the film is over. With one or two exceptions, the cast plays with remarkable restraint, with Boris Karloff as the resurrected mummy and Zita Johann (a uniquely beautifully actress) standouts in the film. The sets are quite remarkable, and the scenes in which Karloff permits his reincarnated lover to relive the ancient past are particularly effective.

Kids raised on wham-bam action and special effects films will probably find the original THE MUMMY slow and uninteresting, but the film's high quality and disquieting atmosphere will command the respect of both fans of 1930s horror film and the more discerning viewer. Of all the 1930s Universal Studio horror films, THE MUMMY is the most subtle--and the one to which I personally return most often.

Read Best Reviews of The Mummy (1932) (1932) Here

When Universal released 75th Annivesary editions of Dracula and Frankenstein in 2006, I assumed they would release a similiar set the following year for the Mummy, to mark its anniversary. But 2007 came and went, with no new Mummy DVD. Now, a year later, we finally get this deluxe edition.

Before I get into the specifics of the discs, I want to share a few thoughts about the film itself. I've always felt that The Mummy was treated with a bit less respect than Universal's premiere big-screen sound horror movies, Dracula and Frankenstein. And there's a reason for that: The film offers a more subtle approach to its thrills than those other landmarks of the genre. As the film's title creature's moves and slow and deliberate, so is the pace of the film. You probably already know that the iconic bandage-wrapped mummy is only onscreen for a few seconds. For the bulk of the film, Boris Karloff appears as Ardeth Bey, the 3700 year old (unwrapped) priest who was buried alive for committing blasphemy. While the film in some ways confounds expectations--especially if you've seen a "proper" mummy film, with the living dead skulking around killing folks who've disturbed his/her rest--Karloff's commanding yet understated performance elevates the film to classic status.

Now, if you've bought either of the two previously-released DVD versions of The Mummy, you might wonder whether you should bother with this edition. And I think it comes down to how much you like the film itself, and whether you have a strong desire to learn a little more about its creation. As for the film itself, I've compared it to both the original single-disc release and the 2004 Legacy Collection version. . .and haven't found enough differences in the audio or video quality to recommend an upgrade solely based on expected improvments in the transfer. There's still some graininess to be found in the outdoor scenes, but the overall result probably represents the best the film will ever look. Audio? It's a mono film; it doesn't matter if you have the latest Dolby Pro-Geek 13.1 Surround Sound or whatever, it won't sound any better.

There are several bonus features which were held over from the Legacy Collection. These include audio commentaries, the well-done "Mummy Dearest" documentary (actually produced for the single-disc release), a trailer gallery, and the excellent feature-length documentary covering all the classic Universal monsters.

A new documentary on makeup artist Jack Pierce is a welcome addition, though at 23 minutes, feels a bit rushed. Less impressive is the even shorter featurette on the evolution of the Mummy character, which jumps from the 1940's sequels to the 1999 remake with Brendan Fraser, ignoring many other good and bad interpretations along the way. The set also includes a free ticket to see the latest modern-day installment, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. I haven't seen it, but I'm assuming it's just as full of empty-headed thrills as its predecessors. Anybody want a free ticket?

I'd recommend this set to all die-hard Universal Monsters fans. But if you already have the film on DVD, you might want to consider whether the handful of new material is worth your money.

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Just wanted to mention that I recently compared the transfers on the Mummy Special Edition (Universal Legacy Series) 2-disc DVD released in July 2008 and the original 1999 Universal single-disc DVD release. The quality of the transfers in terms of contrast, brightness, detail, scratches and blemishes, etc., seems to be virtually identical. However, for some unknown reason the framing of the Legacy Series release is cropped tighter than the 1999 edition, with a small but significant loss of picture information along the right, left, and bottom borders. I watched the Legacy Series version yesterday and the missing information was not enough to seriously impact my enjoyment of the movie, but it's kind of irritating that the older, supposedly obsolete edition actually reveals more of the frame than the newer, supposedly definitive edition. Unfortunately, this seems to be typical of Universal's doubleand triple-dip DVD editions: two steps forward and one back. I'm still debating whether to hang on to the 1999 edition, which I was hoping to ditch after buying the newest release. So if you're thinking of upgrading in hopes of getting a superior transfer and don't really care about the extras, my advice is stick with the original 1999 release. The only new extras you get with the Legacy Series release are the second commentary track, 1940s Mummy series trailers, and the Jack Pierce featurette, which is interesting but does not contain much new information unless you are completely ignorant of Pierce's career. The Unraveling the Legacy of the Mummy featurette is really just a promo for the two Brendan Fraser Mummy movies, it doesn't even address the 1940s mummy series, or any other mummy movies for that matter. The TCM Universal Horror documentary is nice but it is available on the Dracula and Frankenstein 75th Anniversary Edition DVDs and hardly worth the purchase price of the new Mummy DVD by itself, especially if you already have the Dracula or Frankenstein anniversary sets. If the limited new extras sound worth it to you, go for it, but realize that you are losing some picture information in the feature attraction, not to mention the Production Notes, Cast and Filmmakers' Bios, and Mummy Archives (poster and stills gallery) extras from the 1999 release. I never bought the Mummy Legacy Collection box set so I can't comment on that release.

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K-11 (2012)

Raymond Saxx (Goran Visnjic) finds himself in jail and needing a fix. He is charged with murder, which he is unaware (bad plot point) and through the dealings of a sadistic drug loving gay guard (D.B. Sweeney) he finds himself locked up in K-11 section of the grocery aisle with fruits and nuts. He manages to get along fairly well. There are personality differences and corruption abounds which makes for the plot, consisting mostly of interesting character interaction, but moves slow linearly.

I enjoyed watching a prison film with the diverse characters. Mousey (Kate del Castillo) was not the tough transsexual cardboard character, but was rather realistic, showing weakness as well. Butterfly (Portia Doubleday) was an interesting hermaphrodite who sometimes spoke poetically. They should have named her Swan and had her speak in rhyme all the time. The could have done so and might of added some humor to the tale.

The DVD cover makes it look like Raymond spends his whole time in a dungeon like cell. That was not the case. This is a film for those who enjoy the interactions of unique indie characters. The gay couplings, what few there were, are not graphic. No one shows off their junk.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, rape, T&A nudity.

I loved the movie. It was violent at times but the evil ones got their punishment before the movie was over. All of the cast done a superb acting job. Kate Castillo made you believe she was a transvestite.Goran Visnic was great in the movie, I have loved him since he was on ER. Markus Redmond,Ralph Cole Jr and Luis Moncada were all great in the movie! Jules Stewart keep up the good work. I do wish the movie had a wider release in the theaters but I would have bought the dvd anyway.

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This film is different and its no surprise that the mediocre press don't get it. To make judgements they need something to compare it to and only thing they have are camp or exploitation films , so they do , only K-11 is neither of those. The cast includes 3 transgender's in the main cast and lots of gay men. Forgive any reviewer who doesn't know that, lots of people are going to see this film for whatever they want to see. The attacks on the director , Jules Stewart , simply because she is Kristens mom are unending as gay Hollywood loves a target. This is an amazing first film. James Camerons first film ,Piranha Part Two: The Spawning, earned a hefty 3.5 out of ten . Fascinating because Cameron wrote the screenplay under an alias :)

It's a good little film, entertaining and fast paced. Goran Visnjic, Kate del Castillo and Portia Doubleday are all superb. There are wonderful cinematic shots and filmic poetry throughout. Ignore the pedestrian musings of people hooked on formula Hollywood films. You will have fun . Kristen Stewart appears only as a voice in this film but she was to play the role of Butterfly. The producer and director decided not to cast her as the character because of the negative press they knew they would receive for it. The role was completely rewritten for Portia. There is absolutely nothing for the producer and director to feel ashamed of because for a first feature ,it's pretty amazing.

Read Best Reviews of K-11 (2012) Here

Someone likely had a good idea in planning this film: place a straight man in a prison cell area reserved for homosexuals and all variations of gender role playing. That concept could prove interesting as an exploration of `community' among the `unwanted' of detainees. But as written by Jared Kurt and Jules Stewart and especially as directed by Jules Stewart the film loses all semblance of originality, for one reason because it casts women in the roles of transsexuals and transvestites so as not to offend the actors or the audience with same sex variations.

But that is only one reason this film sinks. The script is tepid to poor, a story is practically nonexistent, and the characters are tropes played by actors who seem embarrassed by what they are asked to do. What little story there is can be summarized as follows: a wealthy but drug addicted and alcoholic record produced named Raymond Saxx (Goran Visnjic, one of our stronger actors usually) passes out, is arrested for homicide, and thrown into LA County Jail in a unit reserved for Homosexuals and sexual deviants K-11. From there it is a power struggle run by transvestite Mousey (the first female Kate del Castillo cast as a male and it doesn't work). Cocaine and other drugs are readily available through the corruption of Ben (Jason Mewes) who works in the office of the deputy Sgt. Johnson (DB Sweeney) who is likewise drug addled and preys on the inmates for sexual favors. Bad things happen, such as the murder of child molester Detroit (Tommy 'Tiny' Lister) by transsexual Butterfly (Portia Doubleday) and Raymond finally comes out of his cloudy drug abused head and figures a way out of this very odd confinement, but not without a series of meaningless circumstances that serve only to point out the depravity of the inmates.

Yes, it is that bad. Try as you may to find a saving grace to this film is without success. Perhaps if the writers and director had had the courage to use an all male cast instead of putting female actors in the roles of men who are range from simply nelly to butch to surgically transformed (in various stages) into transsexuals the film may have had a reason for being made. As it is, it is an embarrassment for Goran Visnjic, and DB Sweeney and the rest of the actors who for some reason signed on to this poorly conceived and made project. Grady Harp, April 13

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Wonderful, i love Kate, she is an amazing actriz, i believe that you all should buy it, it was very intense, actually the reality

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