Hello Dolly! (1969)

The debates over this film have been raging for years, and now that HELLO, DOLLY! has been released on DVD, they're likely to continue for years to come. Opinions are certain to vary, but let's clear up a few misconceptions right from the start -

After 20th Century-Fox purchased the screen rights to HELLO, DOLLY!, producer/screenwriter Ernest Lehman was fairly certain he'd be asking Carol Channing to recreate her stage performance for the film that is, until he saw her in the 1967 movie THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE; to put it as delicately as possible, her features didn't translate well to the big screen. Fox executives were equally doubtful about Channing, so the search began for a new Dolly. After flirting with (and subsequently dropping) the idea of Elizabeth Taylor, the leading candidate became Barbra Streisand. The powers-that-be suspected (correctly) she was headed for major film stardom, and they hoped a fresh, younger Dolly would give the multi-million dollar project greater appeal. Lehman immediately revised his script, eliminating all references to Dolly losing her husband fourteen years earlier, and after concluding that audiences wouldn't accept Streisand as an Irishwoman changing the character's name from Dolly Gallagher Levi to simply Dolly Levi. The studio made the offer, Streisand signed on the dotted line, and Lehman surrounded her with the creme de la creme of the MGM/Arthur Freed movie musical unit Gene Kelly (director), Roger Edens (associate producer), Michael Kidd (choreographer), Lennie Hayton (musical scoring), and Irene Sharaff (costumes).

Skeptics, however, dug in their heels, and a period of bad press followed; there was outrage a film novice like Streisand had taken a role they considered her ill-suited for. A wave of sympathy engulfed Channing, who received a consolation Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (even though Beatrice Lillie received the film's best reviews when it was released).

The bad press began to wane when Streisand's first film, FUNNY GIRL, was released to critical acclaim, box office success, and a Best Actress Oscar; suddenly there was great anticipation for HELLO, DOLLY! And when the film finally opened in December of 1969, it played to packed (and enthusiastic) houses from New York City to Hollywood. Even critics who questioned Streisand's appropriateness for the role agreed she put on a hell of a show.

After a solid start, however, the film's success was mixed; HELLO, DOLLY! received seven Oscar nominations (including one for Best Picture), but Streisand was overlooked. And though it ranked as one of the top ten box office attractions of the year, it hadn't recouped its production costs by the end of 1970; it was neither the runaway success the studio was hoping for, nor the disastrous flop its critics made it out to be. But to the dismay of naysayers who wanted the film to die an ignoble death, DOLLY kept attracting new fans first on television, then on video, and later on laser disc. Obviously, somebody had done something right.

Watching the movie now on DVD, it's hard to believe such a good-natured, visually spectacular film could have provoked the feelings of animosity it did (and apparently still does). As for Streisand, I think Lehman was absolutely right to cast her; there may be times when she seems too hip for this wholesome slice of Americana, but her funky irreverence is what makes HELLO, DOLLY! so much fun. Not only is she in excellent voice throughout if anything, she sounds better here than she did in FUNNY GIRL but it's hard to imagine anyone else bringing the poignance she does to Dolly's monologue in the park ("Ephraim, let me go"), or being as raucously funny in the dinner sequence at Harmonia Gardens ("You salt your beets, and I'll salt mine"). In fact, her energy and charisma are so dynamic that the film's pace falters whenever she's not around no disrespect to either Michael Crawford or Marianne McAndrew, but the subplots involving Cornelius Hackl and Irene Molloy, while pleasant enough, are hardly enthralling. Walter Matthau, however, makes a surprisingly effective Horace Vandergelder, and his scenes with Streisand have some genuine comic vitality. If there were offscreen tensions between the two, they weren't apparent when the cameras were rolling.

But more than anything else, DOLLY on DVD offers great opportunities for those of us who just want to concentrate on musical numbers (we know who we are). There are moments worth savoring again and again in "Just Leave Everything To Me," "Put On Your Sunday Clothes," "Dancing" (Danny Lockin and E.J. Peaker are particularly impressive here), "Before The Parade Passes By," "The Waiter's Gallop," and, of course, the title number with Louis Armstrong, but Streisand's best number is probably her simplest "So Long, Dearie." It isn't hard to understand why her character gets a marriage proposal after that one.

As for the age issue yeah, it's a little strange to see a woman in her late twenties being referred to as an "old girl." So why didn't Ernest Lehman ask Jerry Herman to alter the lyrics? Hard to say maybe he didn't think anyone interested in realism would be watching HELLO, DOLLY! in the first place. And ultimately, that's what this movie is all about pure escapism on a grand scale. The quality is apparent in every frame, so just kick back and enjoy the show.

HELLO DOLLY has received a bum rap over the years. Its oversized budget and colossal New York-circa-1890 back lot set is said to have sunk 20th Century Fox. This is far from the truth.

Now, almost 35 years later, DOLLY can be seen in proper perspective: it's a well-done, old-fashioned movie musical. Its only sin is that is dresses up a flimsy Broadway musical in the form of a big-time movie musical. Let's face it, HELLO DOLLY's book features situation-comedy type scenes of hiding in closets and mistaken identities. It doesn't have the weight of the Nazis (i.e. SOUND OF MUSIC) or the Americana of OKLAHOMA. It is, nevertheless, frothy fun -with a great, hummable score!

Barbra Streisand is also blamed for accepting the role of Dolly Levi, too. Dolly should be middle-aged; Streisand was 27. Also, Carol Channing was famous for the part (she won a Tony for it) and Streisand is considered to have "stolen" the movie from Channing. (I personally could not fathom watching Carol Channing for 2-1/2 hours.) Streisand was too young. But does it really matter? She's absolutely hilarious in DOLLY, and sings the score wonderfully. It was Streisand's second film, and one of her too few musical films.

The DVD features a wonderful featurette from 1969. The featurette contains great behind-the-scenes footage of filming the "Before the Parade Passes By" scene, as well as the "Sunday Clothes" scene. Gene Kelly, Michael Kidd, and Irene Sharaff are all included.

Fox has restored HELLO DOLLY and this DVD features the restored print. DOLLY has never looked better! From the multi-colored feathers on the back of her hat in the opening scene, to the canary-yellow "Hello Dolly" dress in the Harmonia Gardens, Streisand looks fabulous and colorful and bold. Throughout the film you will notice various shades of purples pop out. The paint-speckled trees in the "Parade"park scene are an interesting detail! The only scene that misses is the dimly lit "Love is Only Love" song. The colors look faded and the picture quality drops a notch or two.

I must also sing the praises of this WIDESCREEN release! I've watched DOLLY for years on a pan-and-scan VHS tape. The movie looks excellent in widescreen the way it was originally filmed and it's great to see some of the action in the extremes of the frame. For instance, this is probably the first time I've ever seen what Streisand was doing in the right part of the frame while dueting with Louis Armstrong!

So enjoy HELLO DOLLY. Dolly'll never go away again.

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I got my advance review copy for the region 1 release of Hello Dolly and had to write a review here. This is one of my favorite films, and I will concentrate on the tech specs for the disc. It is enhanced for widescreen 16:9 and says Dolby Surround on the packaging but is actually Dolby Digital 4.0. This is one of the best sound transfers I have yet seen for a classic film. There's no doubt that original master tapes were used for the sound transfer. The seperation is so good, the voices of the singers move from left to right with extreme clarity, and when the entire cast is singing, it reminds me of the best of the RCA VICTOR recordings, the ensemble comes at you from all around including the surround. I give the sound a 5 out of 5.

The video quality is another story and a good one. This is flawless, it is like watching a new movie. It is so clear it almost seems like 3d on my Sony front projector. The colors have been restored and I believe the transfer was from 70mm negatives because this is one of the clearest conversions of a classic Fox has done. Extras are several trailers, a featurette, which isn't alot (I was hoping to see the 20 minutes that were cut and maybe a commentary and extras like the SOUND OF MUSIC disc had).

For the price,... this is a steal, to be enjoyed over and over as it is like going to the cinema again.

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"Hello Dolly!" is the elphantine musical film based on the long running stage play that in 1969 failed miserably to find its audience at the the box office. Directed by legendary song and dance man, Gene Kelly and featuring the meticulous choreography of Gower Champion, this is a big, brassy, spectacular production, the likes of which we aren't likely to ever see again. Barbra Streisand plays Dolly Levi, a matchmaker whose heart is set on landing stuffy hay and feed owner, Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau). The off camera bickering between the two co-stars may have been legendary, but none of it shows up on the screen. Streisand and Matthau are ably assisted by Marianne McAndrews, Michael Crawford, Tommy Tune and the incomparable, Louis Armstrong. Removed from all the angst, hype and negative publicity that branded musicals box office poison from about 1959 onward, "Hello Dolly!" emerges as one of the best of the genre, an outstanding, tune filled epic production that never fails to entertain!

FOX VIDEO has given us a handsome looking DVD. Colors are rich, bold, vibrant and extremely well balanced. Black and contrast levels are only slightly on the weak side but adjusting one's television contrast and brightness fixes this right up. There is NO EDGE ENHANCEMENT, ALIASING or PIXELIZATION or FILM GRAIN or AGE RELATED ARTIFACTS for a visual presentation that is as smooth as the plot. The soundtrack has been remixed to 5.1 surround but suffers slightly from a muffled characteristic, perhaps because of noise reduction equipment used in the remastering effort. Still, most of the film has a crisp, clean and not overly bright sound to it that, while dated, nevertheless is easy on the ears.

EXTRAS: A Theatrical Trailer. That's it.

BOTTOM LINE: I should fault Fox for given us no extras but with the film looking as though it were shot last week I have to stop myself and just proclaim, "Well done!" An absolute must for your DVD library!

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Hello Dolly is truly one of the last great musicals from the golden age of Hollywood. It seems like no expense was spared--it took one month just to film the "Hello, Dolly!" sequence in which Dolly returns to the Harmonia Gardens. This scene lasts about ten minutes in the film--but still, one month to get ten minutes footage is a lot of time to get so little footage! Barbra Streisand works well, actually, as Dolly Levi--her husband could have died early in life and that's all it would take to explain a younger woman in the role of Dolly Levi. Moreover, the other cast members turn in fine performances, too.

When the action begins, Dolly Levi from Manhattan takes a trip to Yonkers ostensibly to arrange a marriage for Horace Vandergelder's (Walter Matthau) niece Ermengarde Vandergelder (Joyce Ames). However, Ermengarde doesn't want any part of it--she's in love with a young artist named Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune); and Ambrose feels the same way about Ermengarde. What's more, Dolly eventually has plans for helping Horace's two clerks, Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford) and Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin).

A few days later, they all wind up in Manhattan and fate--with Dolly's help--begins to weave its magic spell. Cornelius and Barnaby become smitten with Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew) and her hat shop assistant Minnie Fay (E. J. Peaker). They all spend time together having fun; but Dolly has her hands full trying to manipulate Horace into marrying her instead of Irene Molloy--or the not terribly appealing Ernestina Simple (Judy Knaiz).

Of course, from here the plot can go in so many different directions. You may know the plot but there are no plot spoilers in my reviews! Will Dolly manage to get these two young couple together--along with Ambrose and Ermengarde--so that they can find a happy life romantically? What about Dolly's feelings for her late husband--to what extent will they get in the way of Dolly pursuing Horace? Will Horace, who is a very cranky and somewhat negative man, ever come around to marrying Dolly? Watch the movie and find out!

The song and dance numbers are fantastic. The "Hello Dolly" number alone was fantastic. Look for a wonderful cameo by the great Louis Armstrong who just happens to work in the Harmonia Gardens restaurant! It's great to see Armstrong on film with Streisand. The cinematography and choreography impressed me greatly during the scenes from the parade down 14th Street in Manhattan as well as in the Harmonia Gardens restaurant.

The DVD has an optional commentary and there's a 1969 featurette that shows how they organized and coordinated the parade down 14th Street in Manhattan. It's excellent! You can also choose languages but there's not much more. Oh, well. The film is very good and it still can stand mostly on its own.

Overall, Hello Dolly is a fine classic musical from the very tail end of the golden era of Hollywood musicals. The actors give extremely good performances; their acting is very convincing. I recommend this film for fans of Hollywood musicals as well as fans of Barbra Streisand.

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House (The Criterion Collection)

Criterion is a great company -arguably, the best DVD releasing company in the world. They are known for standards of excellence that aren't traditionally seen in most other companies' releases; not only in their DVD transfers and special features, but for the consistent high quality of the films they release. Most of the films Criterion release are already well-established, traditional, "classic" films. So, it's always nice to see a somewhat more "obscure" film get the Criterion treatment -this film definitely deserves it.

While not completely "obscure" -it's quite well-known in Japan, as well as amongst underground horror and experimental film lovers around the world -it certainly doesn't seem as, dare I say, "important" as many other Criterion releases. But being the underdog works here, since the film only costs $26 brand new (well below most "big" Criterion film's releases) so it will hopefully motivate more people to check out this work of art.

...YES, a work of art. While touted as a "horror" film, this most resembles an art film, one of the more experimental variety, and it is masterfully-shot and -directed. Utilizing all sorts of outrageous effects and downright bizarre editing, this often brings to mind directors like Shuji Terayama (Emperor Tomato Ketchup) and Toshio Matsumoto (Funeral Procession of Roses). While there are some more straightforward "horror" elements -skeletons, an evil kitty -most of them are downright silly, and remind me somewhat of American "classic" b-movie cheesefest Spookies than any serious work of horror. It is NEVER scary, and gets by mainly on absurdity and cheese.

So, why is this film getting 5 stars? Why is it "worthy" of a Criterion release? Well, opinions will differ, but I found this movie absolutely brilliant, one of the most entertaining I have EVER seen, with brilliant scene after brilliant scene of surreal absurdity. This film is downright INSANE, but it's charming. It's one of those films that you'll watch and say, "Okay, I HAVE TO show this to every single one of my friends now!" Infinitely rewatchable (I've probably watched my Japanese copy 20 times in the past 5 years), hilariously madcap, and endlessly inspiring. There is violence here, but it's all so silly... this is about as much a "horror" film as Riki-Oh is a "kung-fu" movie; it has all the "cool" elements of a genre film, but it's really just an excuse to cram as many insane scenes into a film as possible.

Oh, did I mention a piano eats a girl? ... The effects are what really make this film a sight to behold. They're actually surprisingly well-done, and even though I already own this film, I'm going to buy the Criterion edition just to see how they pulled off some of this stuff! Yes, as usual, the Criterion DVD is loaded with great special features, the best of which has to be the 1966 short film "Emotion" -without a doubt one of the greatest short films ever, and definitely my favorite of the "experimental Japanese New Wave" school (along with the aforementioned Matsumoto and Terayama). Honestly, "Emotion" is even better than the main feature -how insane is that? This is just one unbelievably value packed release, one that everyone needs!

So, yes, it is a very unlikely Criterion release, but kudos to them for taking a chance with this one. It is a film that needs to be seen -I can't imagine anyone NOT having a good time with it. And I really hope it sells well, because there just flat-out aren't many DVD companies releasing these kinds of crazy Japanese films anymore, since Tartan folded. Maybe, just maybe, if we're lucky, we'll all be able to see a Pastoral: To Die in the Country (aka "the greatest film ever made") release from Criterion sometime in our lifetimes....? Well, I can dream. But until that day comes, I'll be watching this one about once a month. Order it today!

Every once in a while you read about a film that it's indescribable and like nothing you've ever seen before. Usually that's hyperbole; it's just a bit offbeat. Not in this case. House (made in 1977) is genuinely like no other film I'd ever seen before, and I loved every minute. The closest in vibe to this film that I've seen is Funky Forest: The First Contact but that one's all over the place, and lacks the continuity of a single strange story like House. It's surreal horror, a hallucinatory and often hilarious supernatural thriller about Japanese schoolgirls who spend their school vacation visiting the aging aunt of their classmate. This is the kind of film you want to see in theaters if you have a chance but barring that see it at home, after it's out on dvd, with an open-minded crowd of friends who dig foreign, cult or arthouse films.

Gorgeous, as she's known, is irate that her father has decided to remarry, and so she invites her friends to stay in the aging and empty country house of her aunt rather than go with her father and his fiancee on vacation. We are introduced to each of her friends, all of whom have nicknames that describe their temperament and character: there is the beautiful Gorgeous, there's the apparently dreamy and gullible Fantasy, the brainy Professor, the always hungry Mac, the musical Melody, and so on. Along the way, on a magical train ride in which the animated fantasy background that shines through the windows of the train seems to resemble a film strip, she tells them how her aunt had once loved a man who promised to come for her after the war, but never returned. When they arrive, their aunt seems a bit too eager to see them, and odd remarks lead to inexplicable occurrences, and pretty soon it's over-the-top scary silly supernatural surreal mayhem. The director seems to delight in retro-styled effects and sight gags, using stop motion and many other inventive techniques to create a fantastic realm of visual jokes and horror. Combining live action and animation, the film transcends kitch and schlockiness into a realm of cinematic magic, that draws upon Japanese magical traditions of Yokai and witches and vengeful ghosts, but also evokes the era in which it was made, and appears to be making fun of a certain kind of depiction of youth in cinema. Fun stuff, and exciting to see that Criterion is releasing it (not surprising given that Janus films is supervising the current critically acclaimed theatrical rerelease).

Here's what to expect on the 1-disc Criterion set:

-a new, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

-a video piece featuring interviews with director Nobuhiko Obayashi, story scenarist and daughter of the director Chigumi Obayashi, and screenwriter Chiho Katsura

-Emotion, a 1966 experimental film by Obayashi

-a new video appreciation by director Ti West (House of the Devil)

-the theatrical trailer

-new and improved English subtitle translation

-and an essay by film critic Chuck Stephens

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The people who are giving this movie bad reviews need to loosen up. This movie is great. The most amazing 70's visual effects I have seen besides Star Wars... If you are in to the "vintage 70's film look", Michel Gondry, Japanese pop art, 70's horror movies, Phsycedelic art, ect.., you will love this! And NO you do not have to be high to love this, you just have to have good taste.

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Video review by future world famous serial killer Christopher Mackshere.

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House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)

When a movie has me asking "what the hell is THIS?" less than five minutes after I start watching it, I would have to call that movie, on at least some level, a success. In the case of House, the infamous 1977 horror comedy from Nobuhiko Obayashi (who's still making movies well into his seventies, including the recent The Last Snow and Song of Goodbye), it only gets weirder from there. I'm not entirely sure I can call the movie a success as a movie, but it's certainly something.

Plot: Angel (Kimiko Ikegami, currently the star of the long-running TV-movie series Furin Chosain Katayama Yumi) is excited about summer break; she's going to get to spend a lot of time with her father, which she can't do during the school year. They're even planning a trip. But dad springs a surprise on her just before break begins: he's getting married to Ryoko (Haruko Wanibuchi, recently of One Missed Call 2), an ethereally beautiful jewelry designer. It's been years since Angel's mom died, but she still takes the news badly enough that she writes to an aunt (the late Yoko Minamida, who would once again team up with Obayashi for one of her final films, 2004's The Reason) she hasn't seen in a decade and asks if she can spend the summer there instead. The letter she receives back states Auntie would be delighted, and asks Angel to bring all her friends. So, under the sponsorship of one of their teachers (After the Rain's Fumi Dan), Angel and six of her closest friends plan a trip to the countryside. A freak accident with a bucket sidelines the teacher, however, and the girls are on their own in Auntie's house... where they begin disappearing one by one.

It's obvious a great deal of thought went into the girls' nicknames (Melody is a pianist, Kunfuu is a martial artist, Prof is the brain of the bunch, etc.), which kind of makes the question of whether Angel will survive a moot one, even though she's the obvious final girl. But as I intimated in the opening paragraph, House is not a movie that you watch if you're actually looking to watch a movie--you know, a piece of film with plot, characterization, that sort of thing. It's the same kind of weird "how many drugs did these people ingest?" experience you get from, say, Spider Baby or Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome. And for what it is, House is a stunning example of the genre; you're likely to sit there with your jaw on the floor the entire movie. One wag, reviewing the movie at IMDB, says "I kinda want to watch it on drugs, but I value my life too much." Indeed. Still, it's the kind of thing you should definitely see once, simply because it puts such American attempts at psychedelic horror (think Death Bed or the movies of Herschell Gordon Lewis here) into perspective. ***

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Maniac Cop (1987)

First of all, let me clarify that the four star rating only qualifies in the genre of slightly-schlocky gore. For those of you that don't appreciate this type of movie, it's more like one star. But if you're looking to buy the DVD and reading this review, I have a feeling you're into this.

That being said, this is top quality when it comes to off-kilter horror action. A monstrous killer dressed like a cop is on the loose in New York, killing innocent people instead of criminals. One cop lets the paper know that they think it's a cop gone bad, which turns the public against the police force.

As the terror level escalates Bruce Campbell is framed for the murder of his wife, and becomes the lead suspect in the brutal killings. Now, only Bruce and two other cops know the chilling secret of the maniac cop, and will stop at nothing to try to stop him.

Although there are numerous amounts of "what the...?" sections in this film, it's still mindlessly enjoyable and Tom Atkins' performance as a hardnose cop keeps the film tenuously grounded in reality.

If you're into Bruce Campbell and silly horror movies, then you can't go wrong with Maniac Cop. If you're at all averse to either of those, then don't even bother thinking about it because you won't appreciate the hidden quality of such a classic as Maniac Cop.

This Larry Cohen flick (produced and scripted by Cohen but directed by William Lustig) is a clever hybrid of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA story, 1970s and 1980s cop films, and the slasher sub-genre of horror cinema. But instead of an opera house, the venue has expanded to include the entire city of New York, and the wronged antagonist is not a forgotten composer but is, instead, a once-good police officer (hulking actor Robert Z'Dar) who was used as a scapegoat by higher-ups and was subsequently murdered in prison at the hands of thugs. Slasher-film elements come into play when the resurrected cop leaves a trail of corpses in his wake as he heads to city hall to even the score with his former bosses.

As is usually the case, Cohen's script is replete with dark tongue-in-cheek humor and palatable helpings of terror and blood. The gags (both the laughing and choking kind) are bolstered by the presence of horror-genre fave Bruce Campbell, he of EVIL DEAD (1981) fame; Tom Atkins, a ubiquitous face in police departments on TV and in the cinema; sexpot Laurene Landon, a Cohen favorite; and the original SHAFT (1971) himself, Richard Roundtree. There are also some delightful cameos from genre regulars like the late George "Buck" Flower, Victoria Catlin (known to genre fans from her role in David Lynch's TV series TWIN PEAKS), Judy Levitt (wife of STAR TREK's Walter Koenig), director William Lustig, and SPIDERMAN (2002) director Sam Raimi.

The Special-Edition DVD of MANIAC COP from Synapse is well worth the price of admission. It offers a crisp, rich digital transfer of the film in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) with the original Stereo SurroundSound soundtrack (as well as the option of using new Dolby 5.1 or DTS 6.1 soundtracks). Extras include a delightful feature commentary with Larry Cohen, Bruce Campbell, and William Lustig; a new interview with the Maniac Cop himself, Robert Z'Dar; theatrical trailers, including one from France; and much more.

MANIAC COP is a must-see for fans of Larry Cohen and slasher-flick fans, and the Synapse DVD will make a nice addition to the film collection of any horror fan.

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one of my best early 80's horror, tom atkins,bruce campell,richard roundtree. How in the world you can go wrong with this gem blu-underground has done a bang up job on the presentation of this blu-ray a must have 4 horror genre fans.

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MANIAC COP is a wonderful revenge film. Robert Z'Dar is the title character, a shadowy, towering killer who was once an NYPD hero. Is he alive? Dead? Something in between? Tom Atkins (The Fog, Night Of The Creeps) is the officer attempting to find and stop the maniacal man in blue. Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead 1 and 2, Bubba Ho Tep) is a likely suspect. Legendary Richard Roundtree (Shaft) is the police commisioner and William Smith (Invasion Of The Beegirls, Memorial Valley Massacre) is a captain! Larry Cohen's writing shines through this gloomy tale, w/ familar faces from his past work. Not very scary, but fun to watch...

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Evil Dead's Bruce Campbell is framed and arrested for a series of gruesome murders against innocent law abiding New York citizens. Witnesses claim the killer was a large white male wearing a NYPD uniform.

Detective Tom Atkins (star of "The Fog" and "Halloween III" ) is not convinced that Campbell's the man. And he's not.

Robert Z'dar(a very big man) plays the killer, a former NYPD officer sent to an Alcatraz-style jail for getting too carried away in dispensing tough justice. Attacked and left for dead in prison, he survives and is somehow smuggled out by the coroner(of all people) and now Z'dar is mad and want's revenge.

Not bad, no terror or suspense though, just several nasty and quite hilarious murders.

Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree co-stars.

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Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011)

Ever seen a horror movie with hillbillies in it? They're usually psychotic chainsaw-swinging inbred cannibal psychos who like to murder anyone who happens to drive by.

But don't expect any of THAT to actually appear in "Tucker & Dale Vs Evil," a clever black comedy that asks, "What if the HILLBILLIES were the innocent victims of the doomed college kids?" Tropes are inverted (or lampshaded), there's gore aplenty, and Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine make endearingly rough-hewn heroes.

West Virginia hillbillies Dale (Labine) and Tucker (Tudyk) have just bought a dilapidated little house out by a remote lake, and plan to spend some time fishing and drinking beer. They also end up rescuing Allison (Katrina Bowden), a college student who hit her head while swimming, and she soon finds that these seemingly terrifying hillbillies are actually kind, gentle and sometimes quite smart.

Unfortunately, Allison's friends get the wrong idea, and think that she's being held captive by a pair of chainsaw-swinging psychos. As they try to attack Dale and Tucker, they end up accidentally dying in bizarre and gory ways. As Dale, Tucker and Allison try to defuse the situation, they also have to deal with the increasingly bloodthirsty Chad (Jesse Moss).

I have no idea why it's taken so long for "Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil" to make it onto DVD, because this movie is absolutely hilarious -a gory, satirical little comedy that acknowledges every hillbilly-slasher cliche right before turning it on its ear. And yes, writer/director Eli Craig homages many a horror movie, from "Evil Dead" to "Friday the 13th."

And even though it's obviously a spoof, "Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil" is actually very well-written -clever foreshadowing, a shocking climactic twist, and all sorts of hilarious situations that make Dale and Tucker look... well, like psycho hillbillies. For instance: Tucker accidentally destroys a beehive, and ends up racing through the woods, screaming and waving his chainsaw spastically.

And yes, there are lots of OTHER hilarious moments, such as lampshading hillbilly stereotypes ("Oh, I love Earl Grey") and the college kids' gory deaths (impaling themselves on sticks or jumping into woodchippers).

And the acting is absolutely brilliant. Labine and Tudyk are amazing as the protagonists, respectively playing a sweet timid teddy bear and an outgoing good ol' boy. Yeah, don't judge these guys from their appearances, because you will be ALL WRONG. And the rest of the small cast also does an excellent job, especially given that most of them are shrieking horror movie cliches.

"Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil" is pretty clearly destined to be a cult classic, right alongside other fun spoofs like "Shaun of the Dead." Hilarious, bloody and clever.

The set up is a lot like the recent installments of the Texas Chainsaw and Hills Have Eyes franchises or Wrong Turn. A group of college kids go camping in the woods. They're unnerved by the backwoods, hillbilly-chic locals. And, naturally, they suspect the worst of them. Perhaps for the first time in horror movie history, these kids assumptions were wrong.

Tucker (Alan Tudyk; A Knight's Tale, 28 Days) and Dale (Tyler Labine; Rise of the Planet of the Apes, TV's Mad Love) are two loveable, kind-intentioned idiots on a bro-mantic fishing trip. Their interactions with the campers are misconstrued such that they appear to have performed malevolent deeds. After nearly drowning, Tucker and Dale save Ally (Katrina Bowden; Piranha 3D, 30 Rock) of the girls. But when they pull her into their boat and yell "we have your friend" to the others, it is perceived that they "took" her and then cruelly goaded them. Naturally, when Ally regains consciousness, she thinks she's been abducted.

Just from the trailer I think everyone knew that this would just "work" on film. This was Eli Craig's first job as director (he wrote this, too) and I'm itching to see what he does next. He took a smart comic premise and peppered in some solid doses of Sam Raimi-esque gore. As the kids try to "rescue" Ally from her "captors" they get accidently killed under silly circumstances delivered with perfect timing. A true horror hound, I tend to laugh at many of the kills in serious horror flicks. But this movie invites all to join in the laughter as mulched entrails shower over the face of a mortified friend.

American Psycho and the Scream franchise may have mastered the slasher movie satire. But this stands out as more of a paramount slasher movie farce, much as Shaun of the Dead was for zombie fare.

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Very infrequently do you see a movie that blends its satired source with comedy as well as Tucker & Dale vs. Evil has. When you find yourself laughing out loud as teenagers hurl themselves into wood chippers, impale themselves on tree branches or set one another ablaze you realize that the horror element is vastly outweighed by the ironic humor that the entire piece is littered with.

If you're comfortable with a little blood and a little cursing then this movie will be a surefire winner.

Read Best Reviews of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011) Here

I don't write reviews but felt the need on this one. I also don't watch gory movies what's the point? We got this on a whim and it is actually REALLY funny and the gore is minimal which is awesome. So if you are a gore wimp like me you will like it. I was completely surpised by this one and enjoyed it. If you are looking for something insanely funny and off the wall this is the movie!

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Just writing a review to get the word out that this is worth a lot of watches so it is worth owning! This movie is a hoot from beginning to end! Although they should of called the film Tucker & Dale vs. College Kids...that is my only complaint! My wife and I sat and watched this with our 18 year old college student and we laughed our butts off because we know how teenagers act and we could relate! Although this is a low budget movie it is pretty well done for the special gore effects. The one-liners from the two hillbillies is what makes this movie though! For a horror movie...this one is quite original! Think Evil Dead movies...if you enjoyed that series....you'll enjoy this one!

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Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992)

From the looks of it, I MAY be the only male reviewer posting positive for this movie, but of course I only read the first several reviews, not all 300 plus. I saw Newsies when it first came out in the movies. I believe it was a double feature, with Aladdin or something, can't remember which. I guess I was around 17. I've always been a loyal Disney fan, and I do love many musicals. This was an instant classic for me, sort of a male version of Annie, which came out a decade or so before, and is also excellent. And I seem to recall that Annie and Popeye, two faves of mine, sort of marked the end of live-action musicals. A real shame. Newsies proves that great musicals can still be made, but it also proves that it can take some time for most modern people to admit they like it. The story is about the 1899 strike of the New York paperboys. The central characters are Jack Kelly, a streetwise orphan played by Christian Bale(the main reason most females love this movie), and David Jacobs, a kid from a more stable, family lifestyle. Through the course of the strike they put on, the two boys become unlikely best friends, and with the other Newsies, learn about loyalty, friendship, and believing that they can work together to fight for a better life. The songs and music are beautiful. I'm particular about that stuff too. Don't trust professional reviewers like Leonard Maltin, whose reviews are inconsistent at best. Just when you think he's got good taste from reading one review, you lose all faith in him by reading another. Judge this movie for yourself. If you don't like musicals, don't bother. You have to love musicals to enjoy this even a little bit. And I don't mean just stuff like Oklahoma or Dr. Dolittle. If you loved Annie, this might be a good one for you. A little more adult than that, but not much. Don't expect to see many female characters though. Ann Margaret has a small part as one of the kids' few adult friends, and there's the character of David's sister, purely there to present a love interest for Christian Bale, just so someone would have a love interest. She's not spectacular, but she IS cute. Bill Pullman does a great job as a reporter trying to help the Newsies get some publicity. This was the first time I ever saw Bill since Space Balls, though I wasn't really keeping track of his career. I'm so glad to hear this will be on DVD soon. And I hope they release more of Disney's late 80's, early 90's stuff on DVD. Like Dick Tracy! A visual masterpiece! And my favorite movie of all time, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, is badly in need of a Special Edition DVD! Such a spectacular film and we didn't even get the movie trailer promised on the box! Anyway, as for Newsies, get the soundtrack too! Great music! I bought the soundtrack back when the movie came out! Unfortunately it was on tape. Gotta replace that with a CD too!

The world was not ready for a return to the days of the movie-musical when "Newsies" was released in 1992. A box-office flop, it has quickly risen to cult classic status with fans everywhere. Newsies is based on the true story of the New York newsboys' strike of 1899. Granted, Disney is guilty of "improving the truth a little", but doesn't any musical, where people break out in spontaneous song and dance, require one to put reality aside for a while? This film tells the tale of the newsies, led by tough, street-smart Jack Kelly (Christian Bale) and intelligent, reasonable David Jacobs (David Moscow), who form a union when Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall) ups the price of newspapers from fifty to sixty cents a hundred. The street children with names like Racetrack (Max Casella), a compulsive gambler who steals many scenes with his wisecracks are aided by a newspaper reporter named Brian Denton (Bill Pullman). Together the unlikely company endures many troubles, including run-ins with the police and their leader's betrayal, throughout the strike. The actors are believable as poor orphans and runaways during the turn of the century, and one look at any of them shows that they've poured their heart and soul into this movie. The lack of depth in some characters especially Sarah (Ele Keats) and Medda Larkson (Ann-Margret), roles that serve no discernable purpose other than sex appeal is my only qualm with the film. Looking past that and the many continuity errors (some of which are actually quite amusing), this is a highly enjoyable movie for the entire family to share. Not a masterpiece, but plenty of entertainment!

Buy Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992) Now

I am offended by the professional critics slamming this movie. My two teenage daughters and all their friends absolutely love it! It has incredible dancing, cute guys, and the above-mentioned females are constantly quoting the songs and lines out of this movie. It has a solid plot and actually holds the characters up to noble ideals...honesty, integrity, loyalty, love of family and criticizes things that I want my kids to hate: greed, breaking promises, etc. There is a touch of romance, but no sex! Yeah!

The fact that it is based (I believe somewhat loosely) in historical fact also pleases me as it has given my kids a taste of that portion of US history and a desire to learn more. We have managed to purchase a piano/flute book of the songs so my kids have also been challenged to improve in another area.

This is a great movie for girls from 11 years and up. (I say this only because my 10 year old is not ready to obsess over this movie yet.)

Newsies has inspired both of my older girls to write stories based on the characters.

The reference to "kiddie humor" is particularly annoying. I, for one, am tired of watching movies geared towards kids that feature "potty humor" such as farting and boys getting hit in the crotch. I can't think of anything in Newsies that is that ignorant.

As you can see, I think this is a great movie. Why do the professionals always dislike the decent movies?

Read Best Reviews of Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992) Here

Newsies is one of those movies that grows on you, like some of the songs in it. The first time it seemd too corny (a bunch of boys singing, dancing, and behaving like the East Side Kids), but I liked it more with each viewing.

In early 20th century New York, Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Empire of the Sun) leads underpaid paperboys in a musical strike against publishers Pulitzer and Hearst. Bill Pullman (Sleepless in Seattle, Casper) plays a Sun reporter who takes up their cause.

Robert Duvall (To Kill A Mockingbird, Second Hand Lions) gives an interesting interpretation of Pulitzer, and Ann-Margaret (Bye Bye Birdie, Pocketful of Miracles) has a few scenes as a dancing girl. But the best performance, in my opinion, is Kevin Tighe (Emergency, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) as a sinister reformatory warden. He's mastered a patiently mean, calmly austere look that could send chills up your spine.

There are at least a couple very memorable songs: King of New York and Seize The Day. The dancing and choreography attempts to rise to the level of classic movie musicals like Singin' In The Rain, doesn't quite reach that quality, but they've made a noble effort that's entertaining in most of the numbers.

On the whole the movie can be quite effective if you can get past the corniness and get into it.

Want Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992) Discount?

This is a fun musical! Why it was pulled from the theaters so soon after its original release and why Disney back-burnered this visually exciting live-action film is a mystery to me. But they've made their amends. This DVD has TWO featurettes about the making of Newsies and ANOTHER about the real turn-of-the-century newsboy's strike that the movie is based on. Also, it has director's commentary and sing-along lyrics. Some of the plot turns are predictable and Robert Duval's performance as publisher Joseph Pulitzer is a tad embarrassing. Ann-Margaret's as the dancehall performer, Medda, "the Swedish meadowlark" is not (though she inexplicably evaporates from the movie half way through). But the young cast is diverse and energetic. Dance sequences are tightly edited, but not in the annoying and disorienting way MTV videos are. You can appreciate the flow of the movements...and the dances and music in general support the story line and help define the different characters. If for no other reason, Newsies is worth the purchase price just for the opportunity to see Welsh actor Christian Bale (An American Psycho) sing, dance, and speak in a Bowery boy accent.

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Pale Rider (1985)

The Gold Rush in nineteenth-century California attracted all types of people seeking their fortunes. Some would settle in small mining encampments where each had their claims to search for the precious ore, but greed could encourage some to try and drive people away from their claims. Such was the setting for the 1985 film "Pale Rider", which was directed by Clint Eastwood. Located a few miles from a small town, a mining encampment includes the hard-working Hull Barrett (Michael Moriarty), a woman that he's been living with named Sarah Wheeler (Carrie Snodgrass) and her teenaged daughter Megan Wheeler (Sydney Penny). Frustrated with rising bills at the nearby country store and a greedy & wealthy man named Coy LaHood (Richard A. Dysart) who is trying to drive away the miners, Hull and Sarah's relationship is somewhat strained. After Megan prays for assistance and is reading a verse in the Book of Revelation that states "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death" (Rev. 6:8), she sees a man riding a pale horse approaching. The rider comes to be known only as "The Preacher" (Clint Eastwood) and after helping Hull out of a skirmish with some of LaHood's men, Hull invites the Preacher to stay with him, Sarah and Megan. It isn't before long that the Preacher begins to give the miners at Hull's encampment courage to stand up to LaHood and to work together. LaHood, of course, is furious that a preacher is helping them because he wants their land so that he can use his very destructive hydraulic mining technology to strip the land of whatever gold may be there. When LaHood can't buy the Preacher out of the encampment, he resorts to hiring a "marshal" of sorts named Stockburn (John Russell, 1921-1991) and his "deputies" to get rid of the Preacher. LaHood, however, doesn't know what the Preacher is capable of doing.

With excellent cinematography, interesting characters, an engaging story and good acting, "Pale Rider" is an excellent film. Other memorable characters include LaHood's son Josh (Chris Penn), Club (Richard Kiel, who is better known for his portrayal of the character "Jaws" from the James Bond films "The Spy Who Loved Me" & "Moonraker" in 1977 & 1979 respectively), McGill (Charles Hallahan), Ma Blankenship (Fran Ryan, 1916-2000) and Jed Blankenship (Richard Hamilton, 1920-2004). Memorable scenes include the Preacher's arrival, the boulder, visiting LaHood's hydraulic mine, the arrival of Stockburn and the final scenes. Overall, I rate "Pale Rider" with 5 stars.

In "Pale Rider", Clint Eastwood has taken the classic 1953 Alan Ladd movie "Shane" and turned it into a "modern" sexualized version. There is no mistaking the sexual tension in this film. Clint plays the mysterious "Preacher" (a character the antithesis of sex,), who comes to a mining settlement to rescue persecuted settlers who are a target for a larger mining interest. Eastwood's "Preacher" creates sexual tension with both female leads, the widow Carrie Snodgrass and her duaghter Megan, played by the beautiful Sydney Penny (the memorable "Meggie" in "The Thorn Birds"). Due to previous trauma, the widow has a dead love life and her interest in a new love is reborn with the arrival of Eastwood. Megan, a precocious child of 14 is ready to give her young love to the answer to her prayers, the Preacher.

"Pale Rider" is Eastwood's first western since "The Outlaw Josie Wales", 9 years earlier. In the mid-1980's, the western genre was considered "dead" in Hollywood with little public interest, but the success of this movie resurrected the western, and led to several more movies and made-for TV movies with old west themes (Silverado). Eastwood would make one more western, "Unforgiven" (1993), which Hollywood critics would heap praise on and award with several Academy Awards.

Eastwood resurrects another character in this movie, that of the mysterious stranger in "High Plains Drifter", who comes out of the past to exact revenge on a town that abandoned him when he was sherrif. His "Preacher" in "High Plains Drifter", has a clouded past as well, and throughout the film, there are hints given that the Preacher is perhaps a man back from the dead to repay past atrocities.

The showdown in town between Eastwood and the evil gang of killers is renimicient of the final scene in "Shane", where Alan Ladd goes to town to face down the evil Mr. Wilson and his gang of gunmen. Eastwood's Preacher faces down his former tormenters one by one until he finally faces the man who he once met in his dark past, the man who once put 6 shots in tight pattern in his back. As th film ends, Megan also appears much like "Little Joe" did in "Shane", but not to beg him to come back, but to tell him thank you and say her last loving goodbye. The Preacher, his past atoned, rides off into the cold snowy mountains, his job finished.

It is a very entertaining movie, but one that is not fit for the entire family. Younger children should not be allowed to view the close up shooting scenes where good and bad alike are shot through the forehead and other places. The gruesome violence is not toned down, typical Eastwood film technique. I'd recommend that children under 12 not be allowed to see the film due to the violence. Adults and western film fans will find the movie entertaining.

"Pale Rider" does not match "Shane" in terms of its classic movie status. "Shane" is a much better movie, but "Pale Rider" is still one of Eastwood's better received films, receiving warm praise from critics and fans alike.

For the Eastwood film fan, you will want to have this one for your collection.

Buy Pale Rider (1985) Now

Very, very poor HD transfer save your money and make warner Brothers do this one right. The new BluRay release has poor picture quality. Buying this one for $10 does not justify a poor transfer. The 20 25% of this film that takes place in a brighter sky does look very nice. But a dominant amount of the film reveals poor black levels, look at the far right side of your screen throughout the film. Even visible to some degree in the brighter scenes. The story is a classic, but hang on to your DVD for a while longer. Shame on you Warner Brothers!

Read Best Reviews of Pale Rider (1985) Here

A mysterious, unarmed stranger known only as "Preacher" (Clint Eastwood) rides into town on a pale horse and immediately rekindles the hopes and dreams of a group of poor, struggling panhandlers that have been fighting a losing battle against a wealthy strip mining family and their hired guns. While the odds suggest the stranger should give up and get out while he still can he decides otherwise. Once he removes his collar and straps on his sixshooter there's no turning back. A classic western, good guys versus bad guys all the way!

Let me begin by saying I'm not a Clint Eastwood fan. However with that said, I also have to say that this particular movie is the rare exception to the rule. Here Eastwood is at his best; tall, silent, deadly and remote. He plays the part of the anti-hero to perfection.

Also fine performances by Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Richard Dysart, Chris Penn and my personal favorite, the lovely Sydney Penny (Thorn Birds).

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Pale Rider foreshadows the genius of Unforgiven, following a more compact and focused story than Eastwood's multi-Oscar winner. This one gets behind the myth of the Western hero by overlaying that archetype onto a preacher--the viewer has to rethink either his stereotypes about the clergy or his equation of violence with heroic action, if not both. Pale Rider doesn't take on the scope of Western folklore the way Unforgiven does, instead concentrating on a good vs. evil allegory in which a robber-baron raping the earth for mineral riches is equated with a rich boy raping a poor girl. Chris Penn is surprisingly effective as the "heir to the throne" for whom sex is just another expression of power. Pale Rider features some impressive visual passages, especially an Eastwood staple, an interior dimly lighted and all but blacked-out in contrast to daylight outside. Here, that effect supports a scene in which Eastwood's Preacher keeps the town baron "in the dark" about his intentions and loyalties. The shootout at the end of the film is exciting even while it is winking at and parodying some of Sergio Leone's more operatic moments of violent excess. This film doesn't have the broad ambition of Unforgiven, instead providing a closely focused, intensely sustained narrative world both realistic and fabulous in equal doses. In this widescreen version with digital sound, Pale Rider proves a real treat to recover from its undeserved obscurity.

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Agneepath (Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles) (2012)

A fascinating tale of moral redemption.

Images so powerful they linger in the mind hours after they've left the screen.

And the eyes, always the eyes ... the eyes of Evil, the eyes of Truth.

A young man (Hrithik Roshan) must tread the dark and difficult 'path through fire' -lit., 'agneepath' -of challenge and personal sacrifice to avenge his family against the crimelord (Sanjay Dutt) who brutally murdered his father, dishonoured his family, and corrupted their whole community.

If the classic 1990 "Agneepath" pioneered one of the strongest stories ever in film (and was way ahead of its time, for Hindi cinema), this 2012 "Agneepath" preserves the most effective elements of that brilliant original story and revamps what needed help. Our villain is even more evil, and the road of challenges our hero must overcome to defeat him is correspondingly an even darker, more treacherous journey.

Raw. Powerful. Primeval.

Sanjay Dutt's Kancha is a villain for the ages. Visually, he scared me just on the poster! A big, bad, very bad man. The bald head, the tattoos, the smile, the laugh, the spreading shapeless pale blobbiness of his huge bulk, and above all those hauntingly sick eyes, combine to render Mr Dutt's Kancha one of the most naturally frightening villains ever conceived. Where the original 1990 Kancha Cheena played by Danny Denzongpa was sleek and smooth and sophisticated, his evil was very modern and straightforward in open pursuit of power and wealth and thus more familiar. Mr Dutt's Kancha, however, is pure psychopath: he destroys and kills because he LIKES it. And even though the audience understand how he became so twisted, that sickness makes him very scary indeed ... the visual embodiment of human evil.

What I could *not* anticipate from the trailers, though, is how Hrithik Roshan's Vijay Dinanath Chauhan would prove equally intimidating and visually frightening as Mr Dutt's Kancha: with those keen clear eyes knifing through his face awash in blood, Mr Roshan's Vijay looks purely the Avenger-from-Hell. Director Karan Malhotra effectively channels Mr Roshan's natural intensity into a human sword of vengeance a quiet character who 'says' a lot from the shadows, projects mountains of lurking threat and menace, even where he has no dialogue. Again the eyes, always the eyes in this film! Never before had any director so effectively used the sheer glow-in-the-dark luminosity of Mr Roshan's eyes. The iconic 1990 Vijay created by the great Amitabh Bachchan (one of his most memorable roles) was significantly older and more verbally aggressive, the character more seduced by the trappings of power and wealth, only refocussing on his essential task toward the very end. By contrast, Mr Roshan's Vijay leads a haunted, almost monk-like existence, never losing focus down the years toward destroying his enemy. Obsessed, relentless, deadly and a perfect showcase for Mr Roshan to demonstrate, yet again, his great dramatic range as an actor.

Mr Roshan and Mr Dutt are so riveting in this film that any scenes they are not in, separately or together, honestly feel like a distraction.

Despite 12 intervening years these two great actors have lost none of the chemistry that powered 2000's excellent "Mission Kashmir". Mr Roshan is slightly the taller actor, Mr Dutt significantly the heavier, but the two are so perfectly matched and the build-up so well laid that by the climax of this "Agneepath" audience anticipation could not be higher ... or more well-rewarded.

An unforgettable, 'must-see' film!

Special credit is due the highest standards of craft professionalism that distinguish this 2012 "Agneepath", notably these departments: Cinematography (exceptional lighting and shot selection, especially with the principal actors); Sound and Sound Editing (variety and scope, silent private moments to mass public festivals, all perfectly managed); and Stunts/Fight Choreography (so many action scenes, but each distinct and cumulatively building to the truly epic climax).

Disfunctionality never looked so stupendously beautiful. I loved this movie. The juxtaposition of Hritik Roshan as an actor

in JOdha Akbar and now in Agneepath is so fascinating. So glad to see him take Bollywood acting to another level. Cannot waite to see him in future projects. Congratulation to Karan Malhotra as a new director. You must possess an incredible inner life. Looking forward to more great movies from you.

Buy Agneepath (Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles) (2012) Now

This movie was released in January 2012 and I am glad a I had the chance to witness another masterpiece of Indian cinematography. Hrithik Roshan proves again what a excellent actor he is! A movie worth seeing!

Read Best Reviews of Agneepath (Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles) (2012) Here

There is no other way to describe this new version of the classic Agneepath. I'm a HUGE Hrithik Roshan fan and he does not disappoint in this role. Mr. Roshan has the amazing ability to show all his emotions thru his eyes, he can make you cry or cringe just by looking into the camera; that is true talent. Hrithik Roshan's Vijay is both brutal and beautiful; his pain is bone deep and at no time does the character let you forget his suffering. By contrast, Priyanka Chopra's Kaali brings lightness and joy to the movie that adds another layer that is missing in the original. Her beauty both inside and out and her deep love for Vijay are both a breath a fresh air in the film and a reminder that Vijay is more than the vengeance driven man he has become.

The drive of this movie rests on the broad shoulders of Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor. Rishi Kapoor's Lala ranks right up there with some of the best Mafia Don's in motion pictures. From the first shot of his scarred face and crooked smile you know what you are dealing with. I believe this was Mr. Kapoors first role as a "bad guy" and for that all I can say is BRAVO. And then there is Sanjay Dutt's Kancha; this man is textbook EVIL. The head, the sneer, the voice, the eyes all of it is PERFECT. This Kancha was forged in the fires of Hell and you never forget it for a second, you can practically smell the evil he oozes in every scene.

This Agneepath is not for the weak hearted; it is Bloody and it is Brutal, definitely the most violent Bollywood movie I have ever watched. My only complaint is that the song/scene O Saiyyan was cut from the movie. If you watch this movie on DVD, do yourself a favor and watch the music video when the movie is done. I understand why it was cut, but I so would have loved to see it as part of the movie. The song and the scene are heartbreakingly beautiful, and by the end of this movie you will want a reminder of love and joy.

Want Agneepath (Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles) (2012) Discount?

A fascinating tale of moral redemption.

Images so powerful they linger in the mind hours after they've left the screen.

And the eyes, always the eyes ... the eyes of Evil, the eyes of Truth.

A young man (Hrithik Roshan) must tread the dark and difficult 'path through fire' -lit., 'agneepath' -of challenge and personal sacrifice to avenge his family against the crimelord (Sanjay Dutt) who brutally murdered his father, dishonoured his family, and corrupted their whole community.

If the classic 1990 "Agneepath" pioneered one of the strongest stories ever in film (and was way ahead of its time, for Hindi cinema), this 2012 "Agneepath" preserves the most effective elements of that brilliant original story and revamps what needed help. Our villain is even more evil, and the road of challenges our hero must overcome to defeat him is correspondingly an even darker, more treacherous journey.

Raw. Powerful. Primeval.

Sanjay Dutt's Kancha is a villain for the ages. Visually, he scared me just on the poster! A big, bad, very bad man. The bald head, the tattoos, the smile, the laugh, the spreading shapeless pale blobbiness of his huge bulk, and above all those hauntingly sick eyes, combine to render Mr Dutt's Kancha one of the most naturally frightening villains ever conceived. Where the original 1990 Kancha Cheena played by Danny Denzongpa was sleek and smooth and sophisticated, his evil was very modern and straightforward in open pursuit of power and wealth and thus more familiar. Mr Dutt's Kancha, however, is pure psychopath: he destroys and kills because he LIKES it. And even though the audience understand how he became so twisted, that sickness makes him very scary indeed ... the visual embodiment of human evil.

What I could *not* anticipate from the trailers, though, is how Hrithik Roshan's Vijay Dinanath Chauhan would prove equally intimidating and visually frightening as Mr Dutt's Kancha: with those keen clear eyes knifing through his face awash in blood, Mr Roshan's Vijay looks purely the Avenger-from-Hell. Director Karan Malhotra effectively channels Mr Roshan's natural intensity into a human sword of vengeance a quiet character who 'says' a lot from the shadows, projects mountains of lurking threat and menace, even where he has no dialogue. Again the eyes, always the eyes in this film! Never before had any director so effectively used the sheer glow-in-the-dark luminosity of Mr Roshan's eyes. The iconic 1990 Vijay created by the great Amitabh Bachchan (one of his most memorable roles) was significantly older and more verbally aggressive, the character more seduced by the trappings of power and wealth, only refocussing on his essential task toward the very end. By contrast, Mr Roshan's Vijay leads a haunted, almost monk-like existence, never losing focus down the years toward destroying his enemy. Obsessed, relentless, deadly and a perfect showcase for Mr Roshan to demonstrate, yet again, his great dramatic range as an actor.

Mr Roshan and Mr Dutt are so riveting in this film that any scenes they are not in, separately or together, honestly feel like a distraction.

Despite 12 intervening years these two great actors have lost none of the chemistry that powered 2000's excellent "Mission Kashmir". Mr Roshan is slightly the taller actor, Mr Dutt significantly the heavier, but the two are so perfectly matched and the build-up so well laid that by the climax of this "Agneepath" audience anticipation could not be higher ... or more well-rewarded.

An unforgettable, 'must-see' film!

Special credit is due the highest standards of craft professionalism that distinguish this 2012 "Agneepath", notably these departments: Cinematography (exceptional lighting and shot selection, especially with the principal actors); Sound and Sound Editing (variety and scope, silent private moments to mass public festivals, all perfectly managed); and Stunts/Fight Choreography (so many action scenes, but each distinct and cumulatively building to the truly epic climax).

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The Package (2012)

Steve Austin plays Tommy Wick, an ex-combat veteran, who's a nightclub bouncer & enforcer for Seattle mob boss Big Doug (Eric Keenleside) who's stuck in this type of life with his wife Darla (Kirstien Kerr) because of the limited employment & financial stability with his military background. Big Doug gives Tommy & his partner Julio (Mike Dopud) an assignment to deliver a package to a man who he's had a past with called "The German" (Dolph Lundgren), a violent crime lord himself, with the payoff being that Tommy clear the debt owed to Doug by his jailed brother Eddie (Lochlyn Munro) but runs into problems along with way with a group of mercenaries, lead by Devon (Darren Shahlavi) along with Monique (Monique Ganderton) & Ralph (Peter Bryant), come after him after being hired by Anthony (Michael Daingerfield) to get the package while also sending his men after his rival crime boss "The German."

This was probably the most unique movie story wise that Austin has done to date as despite the fact that both men were linked together throughout the whole movie, it was telling two individual stories of Wick & "The German" dealing with the hits put out on each guy by the same boss as they didn't cross paths with each other throughout most of the movie. The action was what you expect as you had some fist fighting but mostly based on gun play while Austin did his usual "dry humor" with one liners from time to time that did make you laugh.

In the end, this was one of Austin's better movies so I recommend for fans of him or Lundgren at this stage in his career.

The Package is a strong entry in the pantheon of Stone Cold films, which already includes several classics. I can safely say to those of you who follow the code of the Stone Cold that the Package is vying with the Condemned, Damage and Expendables for the position of best Stone Cold performance.

On the surface, the Package is a quick and dirty exercise aimed at jumping on the already overpopulated B-movie action cash-in band wagon. However, in a refreshing change, the Package is the same film at its core. This is a film where what you see is what you get. No moralising. No running out of budget. No excuses. Just Stone Cold carnage and a respectable body count.

The plot is very simple: Stone Cold is a debt collector. Stone Cold fights people. Stone Cold is sent to deliver a package. Stone Cold gets tangled up with some really bad people. People get killed, some of them by Stone Cold. As you probably read on the package, Dolph is in this film too. Dolph has a plot that runs largely parallel to Stone Cold's: Dolph gets antagonised by some guys. Dolph kills the antagonists. Dolph talks a bunch of stuff about the importance of good nutrition to a few corpses.

Both Stone Cold and Dolph are in fine form, dispensing wrath and punishment to all comers. Stone Cold breaks some guys nose with a bowling ball in the first five minutes, which was awesome. I've always liked bowling.

What I really liked about this film is that innocent people didn't get a pass like in most namby-pamby Hollywood action. If you were an innocent bystander in this film, chances are you got shot in the face. Hell yeah, give the producers of this film $50 million and let's see what they can really do!

So why a four star review the reveal towards the end of the film is pretty lame and almost derails the whole thing. However, this is a minor setback in what is an otherwise fairly awesome action flick.

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It is a GREAT product and of course I love Stone Cold Steve Austin so, Hands down it was a great movie.

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One should never go into a movie starring Steve Austin (aka Stone Cold Steve Austin) expecting Shakespeare. If you do you'll be disappointed. If instead you're looking for some high intensity action where fisticuffs and martial arts reign supreme you'll be appeased. This isn't to say Austin is a terrible actor but dialogue is not his claim to fame.

THE PACKAGE has Austin portraying a collector/bouncer for a big time criminal making good money while keeping the bad guy off his brother who's in prison. It seems his brother stole money from this same guy who makes Austin a deal: deliver a personal package and the debt is cleared. It seems easy enough so Austin takes on the job.

But as we movie fans know nothing is ever quite as easy as it looks. While driving through the backwoods of Washington state, Austin and his partner are ambushed and his partner killed. These are mercenaries hired by Tony, another bad guy, trying to intercept the package. Gunplay and hand to hand combat follow with Austin barely escaping and leaving behind to dead henchmen, one of whom was engaged to another evil operative. And yes, she holds a grudge.

Tony is trying to find not just the package but its intended recipient, The German (Dolph Lundgren). While waiting for the delivery of the package The German is taking on Tony's men trying to find out who is behind this hijack. From the scenes involving his handling of the men sent to kill him it's easily deciphered that The German is not a very nice guy, a bit more of a sociopath than anything else.

Between time on the road and fighting bad guys you know that Austin will eventually get the package to The German. But just what is in the package that makes it so valuable? The reveal is actually a nice surprise and one you wouldn't expect in a direct to DVD feature. Will there be a showdown between the two superstars of direct to DVD? Of course there is!

The movie is well made and offers some nice scenery along the way. Lundgren plays a truly great villain here and the rest of the cast is up to par as well. The story may be simple but again, it's not high art we're talking here. It's kick butt and take name time, head smashing and fist popping, an adrenaline rush of non-stop action with a few slow moments tossed in for recovery. If you're an Austin or Lundgren fan you'll know what to expect. Nothing complicated, just action. Fans will love this one.

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"The Package" was one of a handful of movies I readily anticipated the release of. While it ended up not being at all what I expected or hoped for, I found it to be a pretty enjoyable and fairly unique DTV action-drama. Director Jesse Johnson (The Fifth Commandment) isn't Isaac Florentine, but after he's finally developed his own solid style with movies like this, he doesn't need to be: if he keeps up this standard, he'll definitely remain a name to watch, especially if keeps associating with this caliber of action heroes.

The story: a mafia enforcer (Steve Austin, Damage) agrees to deliver a mysterious pocketbook to a rival mob boss (Dolph Lundgren, Rocky IV) in exchange for a family member's freedom, but is ambushed en-route by outside forces looking to take possession of the package.

The DVD cover hints that the movie may feature Austin and Lundgren's characters teaming up, but this isn't the case. As a matter of fact, they don't even share a scene until the film's last twenty minutes. The story mostly follows Austin as he's pursued by the goons of Paul Daingerfield (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) most notably martial artists Darren Shahlavi (Ip Man 2) and Jerry Trimble (The Master) while Lundgren stays in the background and builds the suspense about what's in the package. This particular martial cast is what attracted me to the movie in the first place, with high hopes for plenty of hand-to-hand fight scenes. The actual adrenaline product is mixed: there's some presentable gunplay and a car crash, and while the six fistfights tend to act as the centerpieces, I'd be lying if I said they're everything I had hoped for. Steve Austin's brawls are fun to watch and are shot generally better than a lot of fights these days, but his style cramps that of Shahlavi and Trimble a bit. The showdown with the former remains worth watching for some practical choreography, but I was let down by Jerry's first real fight scene in over a decade.

Were there nothing else to the movie, I'd end up giving it three stars, but it has other strengths to fall back on, the most notable of which is the script by Dererk Kolstad. For the most part, it's a straight-forward action yarn, but it's spiced up by a memorable character for Lundgren, some decent suspense en-route to the climax, and a twist I didn't see coming. And while Lundgren's persona may stand out, the amassed acting content of the flick is decisively above-average for this type of movie: off the top of my head, I can think of at least four really strong dramatic scenes, including some for which longtime character performer Eric Keenleyside (The Interpreter) adds his refined talent to. Additionally, there's a few simply cool little scenes and character moments stuck in here and there that you just wouldn't expect, (SPOILER) like when Austin's character cuts an interrogation speech by Paul Daingerfield short by killing him with a single headbutt while tied to a chair. Damn, Steve!

I won't predict that this will be one of the best DTV action titles of the year, but it definitely won't be among the worst. Fans of Steve Austin as an action hero definitely have a worthy addition to add to their library, and action fans in general should be appeased by this well put together adventure. Strict martial arts fans can definitely find better, but that's not to say they won't get into the story and characters, too.

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Talento de Barrio (2008)

What a thrilling roller coaster of a film. A tale of lust, passion and the quest for musical glory! One follows the path of a young Edgar Dinero and his rag tag crew of mates who spend the better part of their day dealing crack, racing cars and oogling at the backsides of young ladies in their San Juan ghetto.

Edgar Dinero ascends to reggaeton stardom through the help of one masterful mentor Julio Voltio.

And there was much rejoicing (and oogling at womens' backsides)

I have to say this movie was great from beginning to end. Daddy Yankee did an impeccable job in this movie. The character Edgar Dinero in which Daddy Yankee portrays is about a young man who has this incredible talent being a reggaeton rapper but at the same time does not know how to leave the streets, for he feel is his only survival. Entangled in a violent underworld, Dinero falls in love with a girl who brings him positivity. He knows he has to make a choice before losing the one person that is important to him. Anyway, this is a movie that everyone should go see. I just hope there is a second part to this movie.

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The movie came very quickly and was exactly what I expected! :) I am very pleased with this purchase! I would recommend this to anyone :)

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The acting is pretty good and I doubt it was a low budget movie im sure it cost enough back to the movie it has some twists to it that will keep u interest overall a good movie

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GREAT MOVIE DEBUT FOR THE TALENTED , DADDY YANKEE ! SHOW"S THE REAL HARSH REALITIES OF LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING CASERIOS , IN PUERTO RICO ! ALOT OF ACTION ,GREAT MUSIC, AND SOME FUNNY MOMENTS !

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Cinderella Trilogy with Limited Edition Collectible Jewelry Box Packaging (Six-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/

This review is for the Trilogy packaging onlynot a review of the movies themselves.

I'm a big Disney collectors, and typically pre-order every upcoming title. I was very excited to see the Cinderella Trilogy being release in a collectable box just as the Lion King was recently. For anyone who can remember, many years back Disney release Aladdin, Cinderella, and The Lion King (all linked below for reference) in collectable boxed platinum editions with a story book, lithographs, and nice keepsake package. I thought that these trilogies were going to be released again in a similar fashion, all the boxes would be similar, similar materials related to the films, etc. Instead, the Lion King set with a drum shaped box inner box which was essentially useless beyond a collectors point of view, but also included the 3D copy of the original feature, and lacked blu-ray copies of the sequels. For this Cinderella release, there is no 3D release, period, but the blu-ray copies of both sequels are included.

The jewelry box is very nicely constructed, heavy cardboard. It has a nice little functional mirror up top, not just a foil decoration (although, it does not feel like glass). The "storybook" is just a heavy cardboard book of sleeves for the DVDs with illustrations. I am not really a fan of this, especially since it's a poor way to store movies and will likely scratch the DVDs (the blu-rays will probably be fine.) At this time, it's the only way to purchase the trilogy on blu-ray. I imagine they did this intentionally to sell more of these, but that's just my speculation. November 20, Cinderella 2 & 3 will be released as a combo back.

One thing that really bothers me, is this set is only worth 300 Disney Movie Rewards points. I mean, 3 blu-ray movie gift set only worth 300? Since the Cinderella 2 & 3 movies will be released as a combo back instead of stand alone movies, you can get both for a lower price but miss out on additional points. With the Lion King 1.5 & 2 they were released separately, and each was 150 (for a total of 300). I wish this giftset would have been worth 450 points, just as the Lion King giftset was, the MSRP is only $10 difference. That, and the poor choice for storage of the DVDs takes away 1 star from my review.

In short-

If you're a collector or have a little girl who will appreciate the jewelry box, scoop this up. If you just want to have the movies, purchase the blu-ray Cinderella, and wait for November 20 when the Cinderella 2 & 3 are released (you'll save a few dollars doing this, and have standard blu-ray cases to store the movies)

10/3/12 While adding this to my collection shelf, I noticed that the box is the exact same size as the The Lion King Trilogy (Eight-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) released last year. In the past, the The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set), Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set), and Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set) box sets were released in identical packaginglet's hope this is indicative of a similar collectors set when Aladdin is released from the vault in 2013, and possibly The Little Mermaid in the same year (this one was not released as a gift box set with the other trio, but it was later released as a The Little Mermaid Trilogy (The Little Mermaid/The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea/The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning) in 2008)

Cinderella is a classic movie I have yet to watch the other two, but Being Disney animation, Im sure they're great... I bought this set for the 3 movies 3 Disney movies in DVD and Bluray for $65 is a pretty good price, but I got my hopes up with the rest of the set... I was expecting a small story book, not a DVD case with 6 pictures. And for the Jewelry box, I was expecting a cheaply made wood/fiber board box, what I got was a paperboard bow with drawers defiantly not something I would give a kid to play with. Overall I got what I wanted, but was very disappointed with the extra stuff

What really upset me was that this set was released on the 5 October... I preordered it in May, but it took over a week to even ship and then 5 days shipping when I pay for Amazon Prime... in the end, this was the first Amazon order that I was really disappointed with

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I am very disappointed with the Amazon title for this purchase. It let me to believe that I was buying the bluray, DVD and Digital Copy for all 3 Cinderella movies. What you get is Cinderella 1 as digital, the rest are disk format. As a grandmother, I prefer the digital copy. We play the digital versions on our Apple TV, but more importantly, we use them in the car on our IPOD connected to the car DVD player. We can control the iPod up front and change out movies for our grandchildren without having to stop the car. I already owned Cinerella 2&3 on DVD, so this needlessly duplicated my inventory and the cardboard jewelry box was throwaway junk. Very disappointed in Amazon.

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I loved this edition! I am so thankful I bought it! The jewelry box is adorable, made out of durable material. The art is beautiful on the box and in the book. The movies are amazing I just watched the 1st and 2nd one and I loved them both! Cannot wait to watch the 3rd one!

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The collection is excellent! To purchase these as DVDs and Blu-Rays would cost a fortune and take up space on your book shelf. The story booklet/dvd case is just the right size to keep on the shelf with the other movies while the kid plays with the box. The set also includes a digital copy of the original Cinderella *Not the sequels*!!! I knew this when I purchased it because I READ THE ITEM DESCRIPTION BEFORE PLACING MY ORDER. To get the digital copy onto your device you need the password that comes in the box so don't throw away any of the inserts! If you want digital copies of the other movies, I'm sure you can buy them from Disney's movie website.

(Sorry, I got tired of reading about how people felt cheated because they didn't read the part about the digital copy correctly. I'm also tired of hearing about people's complaints that digital copies need a disc to download onto the device. Seriously, spend $20 bucks and get a disc reader! It's an invaluable tool incase your device ever needs an install. *stepping off the soap box*)

In conclusion. The Presentation is great for a child. You really aren't paying more for the cardboard jewelry box compared to the prices of the videos individually. You can use the case to store your $20 external disc reader (Sorry, that's the last jab!).

Sorry if I came off harsh but really this is a great set for only $60. I really think it's worth the price.

1) Jewelry box is reinforced cardboard with paper hinges

2) Only the first movie has a digital format

3) All movies are in DVD and Blu-ray format

4) The story book is really a glorified DVD case, not a real book.

5) The booklet is sturdy and fits on the shelf in a space only a bit larger than a blu-ray case.

Hope this helps and wasn't too cynical.

Best of luck!

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Dracula (Import)

This DVD is the "Jewel in the Crown" of the classic Universal horror films released in that format. It includes a quality print of the Bella Lugosi DRACULA, with options to play the film with Philip Glass' recent soundtrack; the so-called "Spanish" DRACULA starring Carlos Villarias; and a fascinating documentary hosted by Carla Laemmle, who has a bit role in the Lugosi DRACULA and who was niece to Universal studio head Carl Laemmle. There is also an audio track by David J. Skal, production notes, and the like.

The Lugosi DRACULA is somewhat problematic. DRACULA had been previously (and illegally) filmed as the silent NOSFERATU, and a later stage adaptation proved a staple of the British theatre. When the stage play at last arrived in New York, the title role fell to Bela Lugosi. Although Universal optioned the material, studio head Carl Laemmle was not enthusiastic about it; although European films were comfortable with the supernatural, American films were not, and Laemmle did not believe the public would accept such an irrational story. Nor was Laemmle interested in Lugosi; if DRACULA was to be filmed, it would be filmed with Lon Chaney.

When Chaney died the screen role went to Lugosi by default, but there were further issues. Originally planned as a big-budget production, the deeping Great Depression made the film's box office possibilities seem even slighter than before and its budget was cut to the bone. And Todd Browning, who had been such a successful director of the macabre in the silent era, proved clumsy with sound. The resulting film was more than a little clunky--but it had two things going for it: a superior first thirty minutes and Lugosi. Although Lugosi's performance may seem excessively mannered by today's standards, audiences of the 1930s found it terrifying--and even today, when the character of Dracula comes to mind, we are more likely to think of Lugosi than other actor that later played the role.

For a brief time after the advent of sound, several studios made foreign language versions of their productions. The "Spanish" DRACULA was one such film, and when the English language company wrapped for the day the Spanish speaking cast arrived and filmed through the night using the same sets. This gave the Spanish company the benefit of hindsight: they were perfectly aware of what the English language company was doing, and they deliberately set out to best it. The result is a somewhat longer, more cohesive film with some of the most arresting visuals and camera work of the early sound era. But unfortunately, star Carlos Villarias was no Bella Lugosi: although much of his performance was more subtle than Lugosi's, it was also less intimidating, and where today Lugosi seems mannered, Villarias seems unfortunately comic. In a perfect world, we would be able to insert the Lugosi performance into the "Spanish" Dracula. As it is, we are left with two deeply flawed but nonetheless fascinating films.

In their own ways, both films proved incredibly influential, and it is difficult to imagine the evolution of the classic-style horror film without reference to both the Lugosi and the "Spanish" DRACULA. The Lugosi film is not perfectly restored, but the print is very, very good, easily the best I have seen. The "Spanish" DRACULA has more problematic elements, partly due the fact that the film borrowed some scenic footage from the Lugosi version and snips of footage from earlier films (there even appears to be a brief clip of the ballet from the silent PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in the film); the film is sometimes dark, sometimes very spotted, but short of a cgi restoration this is probably as good as it gets.

The Philip Glass soundtrack, which is optional, tends to divide viewers. The Lugosi DRACULA had virtually nothing in the way of soundtrack; the "Spanish" DRACULA used music to a greater degree, but even so that degree is comparative. The Glass score is often quite interesting, but it is also as often intrusive as it is effective. Some feel it adds quite a bit to the film; others find it distracts. Whatever one's reaction to the film, either English or Spanish language, or with or without the Glass score, this is a remarkable DVD package, and fans of classic horror will find it an almost inexhaustible pleasure. I cannot recommend it too strongly.

Gary Taylor (gft)

Soooo fellow geek classic monster collectors, tell me, does this sound familiar? You are perusing various sites and store DVD racks and you stumble across these 75th Anniversary editions of DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN and your geek heart starts palpitating at the thought of digitally restored version of these films and you get all excited and you start deciding which comic books you'll give up this month to buy these instead.......but then you remember you've bought the last TWO previously released DVD versions of these films and now you wonder if these are worth it? OK....well...maybe this is kind of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. I bowed to temptation because, well....Universal has me with their monster releases from way back....period.

Soooo.....as it is obligatory when one has bought three releases of the same d@mn film, I sat down with them all and ran them through to decide which was the best of them. It is without question IMO, that the DRACULA 75th DVD is the best transfer when compared to the 90's (poster art), and the first LEGACY (green box art) releases. Picture-wise, the amount of speckles, noise and whatnot has been reduce quite a bit. This is most apparent in the darker scenes. So on a good note, seeing less snowy junk pop up is nice. Some of the scenes also look less jittery. For example, in the previous releases, the scene when Frye first comes into Drac's home and Lugosi is descending the staircase behind him, the film image is really jumpy...like watching a bad bootleg. In this 75th release it looks stable and doesn't have that funky aliasing look. The overall picture quality just feels cleaner in this release. But there is still a good amount of junk throughout the film that this cannot possibly be considered the definitive restoration. Only some making the leap from VHS to DVD will get their socks knocked of with this release. If you bought the other two, then you might be happy, but probably underwhelmed despite the good points. Like the FRANKENSTEIN release, this still feels like a money making thing than an anniversary homage to this film especially after the promise of something new from a third dip. Some people may say that we can't expect much because the film is so old. But sorry, after THREE RELEASES, and most especially since this one is clearly the supposed icing-on-the-cake release so far, well, I think Universal could have done even better than this, MUCH BETTER. Technology as it stands nowadays is very forgiving when cleaning up old films.....but companies need to be willing to put the money into using said technololgy. I would think that even if the buying public of an older film such as this is limited and Universal wasn't going to pour a ton of cash into it, well, being the third time releasing the same d@mn movie, would it be outrageous to assume they'd have enough saved in the piggy bank to do a definitve restoration instead of this continued fleecing, but hey, guess that's business. I think if they DID do much better and THEY knew it, we would have gotten NEW SPECIAL FEATURES and none of the stuff that was already on the other two releases save for the one Lugos bit that is new here.

Sound-wise, I have to agree with other reviews that I have read that mention that the 90's release had better sound. It did seem a bit crisper. But like the FRANKENSTEIN releases, picking the better sound with DRACULA is like picking the lesser o two evils.......do you want Niagra Falls somewhere in the background or do you want gentle rapids? To me, all of the background hissing and popping and rustling sounds funky on all of the releases, but they eventually just become part of the film. I don't really have much of a preference as none have ever been so clean that I could make myself care THAT much.

VALUE: Hmmmmmm........if you have the money, this is the best DRACULA to get in terms of picture and such. But one has to ask themselves how much they care about this film to fork over the cash for just one film. If you are only marginally interested in this DRACULA, but still want a copy, I'd go for the LEGACY set as that comes with other films and is the better value overall. This release is truly for the purists and gluttons for finacial punishment such as myself. Even though I have now three copies of this film, I have still only managed to watch it less than ten times since the first 90's release since, even though a classic, I find DRACULA mostly a boring affair when watched repeatedly so I hafta take it in like wine....slow...and over time. So my point is, one has to ask themselves, how much do you care to drop the cash for yet another copy of this if you already have it?

PACKAGING: For the most part, identical to the green LEGACY sets. That is, the faux hardback book case that opens up to reveal two DVD's. Only here, there is NO open window slipcover to protect the case. This seems kinda cheap since the case is a cool, leather-ish 'grained' cover printed in matte sepia, which is nice. But it will succumb to scuffs and such much faster than the better protected LEGACY set.

OVERALL: Like the FRANKENSTEIN 75th....this is cool if you got the money to upgrade. But for what it's touted as, this still is gets 50/50 from me. Just keep in mind that the 'definitve' HD/BLUE RAY versions will come at some point ........or at least the first versions of -thosedefinitve versions...so we ain't outta the woods yet.

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I love all of the old Universal Monster Movies and I love all the DVD versions that Universal has issued. They have done it right, giving us deluxe editions of The Wolf Man and The Mummy with all the bells and whistles. Of all of these, my favorite is Todd Browning's Dracula. Dracula may not be considered the best of the Universal films (that title usually goes to Bride of Frankenstein) but it certainly is the best DVD.

EVERYTHING is on this DVD. There is a wonderful DOCUMENTARY, The Road to Dracula. Amazingly, this is hosted by Carla Laemmle the niece of the producer who actually ACTED in the movie. (She is the girl in the stagecoach who had the first line of dialogue in the film indeed, in any sound horror film.) Clive Barker also adds valuable commentary. Although Barker is at the cutting edge (pun not intended) of hard-core horror, he still has great appreciation and insight about the classics.

FEATURE COMMENTARY: This is provided by David J. Skal, the noted Dracula/Vampire expert. Along with the documentary, this should tell you everything you ever wanted to learn about Dracula.

SPANISH LANGUAGE VERSION: It is now a famous story that, after Browning and his crew finished work for the day, a Spanish cast and crew would come in at night to film the same movie for the Spanish-speaking markets. The Spanish crew was very competitive and many critics say that the Spanish version is actually better. I do not agree with this. True, there are more interesting camera moves, but most of what we come to Dracula for is the Bela Lugosi performance not to mention Dwight Frye as Renfeild with his inimitable laugh. The Spanish version is also great because it is a more accurate realization of the shooting script.

NEW SCORE: The old Universal movies did not yet have scored music. A few years ago, Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet were commissioned to write a full score. It is excellent and it is also included on the disc. You can watch it with or without. I usually prefer without I'll always think of the opening set to Swan Lake.

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This is the third time that Universal has released the original Dracula on DVD. The first and second releases had problems. Both prior releases had unsatisfactory, murky and dark picture quality. There was no fine detail and objects got lost in the murkiness of the image. Also the shots of the newspaper clippings following the landing of the Vesta were off-center and cut off. The first release had a clean sounding, almost hissless soundtrack but was missing music at the end of the scene in the opera house following the line, "There are far worse things awaiting man...than death." The second release restored that music but cut out the screams of Renfield and the dying groans of Dracula at the end of the film. The second release also had hiss issues with the sound quality.

This third release, the 75th Anniversary release (which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Bela Lugosi's death on August 16, 1956), has vastly improved picture quality. The image is now bright and full of detail. It looks like a new movie! The murkiness is gone. There are numerous shades of grey instead of the prior high contrast image. The image is almost as clean and clear as that of the Spanish language version which is also included on disc 2. Also, the shots of the newspaper clippings are now perfectly centered and fully legible for the first time on DVD! My one complaint with the picture is that if you compare this release to the prior releases it appears that the edges of the image are now slightly cropped on all four sides of the frame. This is almost unnoticeable except for the initial shot of Dracula's coffin. In the prior 2 releases, when the camera dollies into the coffin and you first see Dracula's hand emerge from the coffin, you see the pillar or base of the arch to the left of the coffin for most of the shot. In this third release, for some unknown reason, the left side of this shot has been severely cropped; the pillar is almost entirely missing from the shot leaving the composition totally off balance. This is the only time where the cropping is excessive and disruptive to the image. In all the other shots in the film, the cropping of the edges of the image is minor and actually appears to center the image better than the prior 2 releases. Unless you have seen this movie numerous times, you will not even notice it.

The third release completely restores all of the missing sound elements music, screams and groans, but the hiss has returned and the sound is not as clean as the first version.

If you already own the first 2 releases, it is worth buying this version for the improved picture quality alone! I highly recommend this version as the one to buy!

Bela Lugosi lives!

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This disc is both a wonder (primarily) and a disappointment (secondarily).

Since the disappointments are minor, I'll get them over with. These all have to do with the original English-language version of the film (there are several versions on this disc).

First, the video's fine, with the tolerable allowances one must make for a film of this vintage, putting up with the speckles, particles, and other artifacts. But the audio bothered me. It's not terrible, but the problem is that computer "noise reduction" was employed on this film to eliminate most of the extraneous sounds. This works fine when no one is speaking, and since the film has almost no music, it isn't a problem for most of the non-dialogue portions. HOWEVER, there's also a lot of speech in the film, and because noise-reduction could not be used on the dialogue without compromising the sound, the result is that when anyone talks the background noise rises, falling away sharply after the speech ends. Perhaps this won't bother many people, but it bothered me, and I'd really have preferred it if they'd let the sound alone (as Universal did, for the most part, on the DVD of "Frankenstein").

Another problem with the noise-reduction is that, intentionally or not, the process actually deleted a couple audio elements of the film. Again, these are somewhat minor, but they miffed me (in a way, even more than the former phenomenon).

The first deletion occurs during the London theatrical sequence, where four of the characters are on a balcony enjoying a show. No need to bore with details, but there's music during this sequence, and toward the end of it, just after Bela Lugosi intones "There are worse things awaiting man ... than ... death," you're supposed to hear a saturnine snippet of Schubert's "8th Symphony." But you don't, and it's very obvious that the noise-reduction eliminated it as if it were a "defect." That's carrying technology too far, and it's especially irksome here because the music has a message: it's supposed to serve as a "coda" to Lugosi's ominous words, as well as a lead-in to the sinister events that follow.

The second erasure occurs later in the film, where Van Helsing is trying to diagnose Mina Harker's weird dream. She's sitting on a couch, with Edward Van Sloan (Van Helsing) leaning toward her from a chair. At one point Jonathan Harker steps up to intervene, and Van Helsing chides him, saying "Please, please, Mr. Harker." At least, that's what he's supposed to say. But only the first syllable of the name comes through, so it becomes "Mr. Hark." Again, not a large glitch, but enough to bug anyone who's seen this film many times.

Apart from the above faults, I have nothing but praise for this disk, and that's Praise with a capital P. David J. Skal, who wrote and directed the 35-minute documentary, "The Road to Dracula," offers us many tidbits on the original Stoker novel, the various stage and screen adaptations preceding the Lugosi version, and even some comments on the producer (Carl Laemmle, Jr.), director (Tod Browning), and cinematographer (German émigré, Karl Freund). Skal is not only a first-rate scholar in the horror genre (which anyone who's read his book "Hollywood Gothic" already knows), but has an excellent speaking delivery and manages to capture our attention in a scholarly, but never dry, manner. This comes through on his play-by-play commentary on the film, as well as on "Road."

Then there's the newly-scored version of "Dracula," the new music from none other than Philip Glass (whose scoring credits include the cult documentary "Koyaanisquatsi," among others). I had misgivings about this before I heard it, and still have reservations, but I nevertheless believe Glass did a fine job, using an all-string accompaniment with many minor-key elements. The score has the good sense to be "emotional" in a rather atavistic way, but rarely calls much attention to itself. Admittedly, if you've grown up watching a film for years with almost no music, it's a bit jarring to hear a version like this, but I strongly suspect that the more I listen to it, the more I'll like it. I especially admired a couple sequences (such as the storm scene on the ship "Demeter"), where Glass uses pizzicato strings in a manner almost reminiscent of Marius Constant's "Twilight Zone" theme --it's great stuff, but you have to experience it firsthand for the full essence.

Finally, there's the almost-pristine Spanish version of "Dracula," filmed at the same time, and on the same sets, as the Browning/Lugosi version. A special treat here is the introduction by Lupita Tovar, who played Mina more than a half-century before this version was made, and who gives us some firsthand info on the making of the film. To me, it's always fascinating to see a "survivor" from cinema's early period, who can give us an inside scoop on what film-making was like in those days. And the film itself is fascinating. Virtually scene-by-scene, it replicates the Browning version, but what's interesting are the ways in which it is both superior and inferior to the "original." As Skal notes, Carlos Villarias is no equal for Lugosi in the title role, but by contrast, the cinematography is far more fluid and lends the film a poetic pace that the Browning version lacks. One might be tempted to say that Karl Freund was to blame for the pedestrian quality of the original, except that Freund was one of the greatest cinematographers who ever lived, and was a mainstay of German Expressionism before moving to America. No, the problem was with Browning, who was simply "uncomfortable" directing talkies after handling numerous films in the silent era.

Finally, a few words about Lugosi himself may be in order (to return once more to the Englishlanguage version). Whatever one could say about the hamminess of much of his acting, it still meshes well with the overall Victorianism of Stoker's tableau. Besides, the more you study his performance, the more appropriate the studied gestures and "calculated" movements seem to be (we are, after all, supposed to be viewing a walking corpse). What a shame that Lugosi, like his contemporary, Peter Lorre, rarely had much chance to expand beyond his "horror" persona.

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