Mission Impossible (1996)

I am a big fan of this movie but there's nothing special about this, so-called "Collector's Edition" which only seems to have been issued in order to have something tied up for the release of MI3.

There are a few short clips on how the incredible set pieces were made but no new interviews, deleted scenes, commentaries, etc. The featurettes included are as shallow as they can get. This is too bad given the many years we had been waiting for a special edition of this movie. Compare this to the incredible SEs Fox has been issuing of movies such as the Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno, Nine to Five, Planet of the Apes, etc. and it feels like somebody at Paramount ought to be fired.

Mission Impossible: I is the first movie of the three mission impossibles and it is by far the only one worth watching. True, the second one has crazy explosives and flying karate kicks but that's not what true espionage is all about.

Then there's the third one, the most recent, and it's more espionage than the 2nd but it too relys too heavily on explosions and big names to give you any real value as a movie. This movie is the bread and butter of "didn't see it coming" espionage spy movies!

That said, I'd like for you as a viewer of reviews to check out the DVD reviews of this Movie and get more of a feel for what it has to offer, Here in the "Blu Ray" Review I just want to tell you whats improved or not improved, for that matter, on the blu ray version. I currently have the Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver which decodes True HD and DTS Master HD audio formats NEITHER OF WHICH ARE SUPPORTED ON THIS BLU RAY DISC.

The best audio that is offered on this Disc is regular Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 which sounds great, but does not live up to the standards that are trying to be set in this next generation of home entertainment.

So I was disappointed in not getting the HD audio I would expect it does look fantastic in HD, there's a lot of contrast in black levels and the details in face shots are phenomenal but I wouldn't replace my Old Mission Impossible DVD with a Blu Ray Version (I rented it from blockbuster online to see the difference)

Hope this helps you as a consumer Cheers.

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I don't quite get the bad reviews for this film. Its one of my All-Time favorites, and sure, it takes brains to follow the storyline. Yeah? So? I think that you have become to accustomed to action movies with no stories, just people getting blown up. This movie centers around Ethan Hunt (Cruise) an IMF agent sent on a mission in Keiv. The mission goes wrong and its up to Ethan to figure out what happened. He soon finds himself trying to keep a IMF NOC list from getting into the wrong hands. But whose hands are those? This movie does involve some thinking, and you may have to view it a few times to truly appreciate, but isn't that what a great movie does? You pick up new things every time you view. The movie stars Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jon Voigt in a great role and other well known actors and actresses.

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a reviewer below me called the storyline to this movie "a jumbled mess". oh my, how wrong he is. although, i will admit... i did not fully understand the storyline to this movie for TEN years. that doesn't mean it was a jumbled mess, though. it only means that my feeble mind wasn't able to comprehend the depth, detail and layers to it at first. so, TEN years later (2006) i watched it for what was probably the 20th odd time, and i FINALLY understood all of the twists and turns in the storyline and it all came together so beautifully. it was like poetry. it was one of those moments where you sit back and say to yourself "how in the hell can someone write something so ingenious?". so anyways, my point is: this movie has depth. it has layers upon layers upon layers. this is nothing like MI2 or MI3. this is a thinking-mans movie, and it is aesthetically beautiful in a very artistic way. each time you watch it, a new part of the story will reveal itself for you. and that's why i think this is the best M:I movie in the series BY FAR. compared to this one, the other two subsuquent sequals are loud, unintelligent and highly forgettable. like another reviewer said before me... this is one of the best action films i have ever seen. get it.

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The first 15 minutes of the film nod to the original series and promise a slick new version for the 90s. Then suddenly the film becomes dull, predictable and cliched, featuring all the ideas that had previously been rejected as potential storylines for an MI film ideas suggested by people who knew little about the series but thought the title sounded catchy. When the mission goes wrong and Ethan is speaking to Phelps...its so obvious what is happening and the film vanishes under a cloud of predictability.

After the excellent first quarter hour the film plods along between its two dull stunt set-pieces. Even these are just the usualy "by-the-book" standard fare from the Hollywood production line. If you've seen one explosive/roller-coaster ride/hero triumphs over bad guy sequemce you've seem them all. When Ethan breaks into the CIA to steal the CNOC list there's nothnig new there at all. Its a scene that has been used in other films and a great many commercials. The Channel Tunnel scene is utterly laughable not once did it have me on the end my seat it just had me at the end of my tether that the film deteriorated so progressively.

I have heard some people say that this is a complicated film I can only say that its complicated if you come in durnig the end titles. This is simplistic drivel, not only easy to follow but easy to predict. If you can't see what's happening next then you are too young to be watching this film.

Overall, a lame, boring film which again demonstrates that Brian dePalma is an overrrated director. Even the one outstanding scene I remember from one of his films was ripped-off from another (Battleship Potemkin).

If you liked the TV series AVOID the film. If you like production line films with a couple of stupid stunt scenes in them then this will suit you right down to the ground.

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Division III: Football's Finest (2011)

Hilarious! If you love Andy Dick, which most don't...you will love this movie. He is amped up the entire time. It's like watching the best parts of his MTV show, for an hour and a half. Gr8 stuff!

This movie is a total gem, entertaining and perfectly cast and edited. There were moments I had to replay right away because they were so funny. Like when the assistant coach, Paul Henderson's character, leads the prayer for the football team. Brilliant comedy. Andy Dick is a madman and yet he has pathos. My family has been quoting one liners from the movie ever since we watched.

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Andy Dick is genuinely funny in this movie. He's a funny comic actor, but most of the reason it works is that he's playing a very funny character. Rick Vice, a psychotic coach with a checkered past, is the perfect vehicle for Andy to channel all of his crazy, scary talent into, and it works.

Other actors have their moments but I never felt they were as developed as Andy. Will Sasso and Adam Carolla have a funny running gag as sports reporters, and I wish there had been more of Mo Collins as the loopy president or dean of the small liberal arts college.

The problem with the film is that the main character, played by co-writer and director Marshall Cook, is that he's simply the Lead Character In A Sports Film. And an under-developed one at that. He at first comes across as lazy and cynical...and then he just walks through the rest of the film, ending up with a winning game and The Girl...and we're not sure why. I guess because he's the Lead Character In A Sports Film.

The film clings too tightly to a well-worn sports movie formula and several main characters are merely formula commitments, not hilarious comic creations.

But Andy is really funny in this.

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This movie is really funny! I was laughing non-stop. Andy Dick gives an outstanding performance and there were great jokes throughout. The actors were talented and the director did a great job of breaking the comedy mold. This movie was wild compared to all of the big budget, watered-down comedy movies normally released. I saw it in a theater but I can't wait to see it on blu-ray.

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I'm a huge Andy Dick fan and own the vast majority of his albums, TV shows and movies he's been in. I know he's not everyone's favorite, but I enjoy his funny, weird sense of humor.

That said, I didn't really like the movie he was placed into. Division III has quite possibly the worst male lead casting choice I've seen in ages (Marshall Cook). I mean, he literally gives Chris Klein a run for the money in terms of being unlikeable. He's got a bad attitude, a lazy work ethic and has zero charisma. I'm talking about both the character he portays AND him. He literally comes across like he was halfway awake in every scene. That wouldn't be so bad if the female lead (Alison Haislip) wasn't equally annoying on screen. I mean, are we supposed to want this girl to be the one everyone falls for in the film? She's snotty, talks down to everyone she meets and constantly complains about not being able to afford tuition at a college so poor it can't even afford football jerseys. It makes no sense. Like Marshall, I doubt she even wanted to be in this film (and it shows).

I could also complain about the weenie and weird Kevin Covais, a weakling and even nerdier version of McLovin. I mean, WTF! He was giving the male lead pep talks, sleeping with a girl way out of his league and scoring a game winning touch down even though he had never set foot on the field once (during an actual football game). Really? Really....?

As I said, the film around Andy is just mediocre at best. It's not particularly funny, touching or...well, anything. It's just there. I almost get the impression the Director was hesitant to make the whole film about Andy and instead tried to give the younger actors more screen time to balance him out. I think that was actually a poor choice because people will watch and remember Andy Dick in this film and no one else.

I should also say the film is surprisingly well told storytelling-wise and Dick's character is unpredictable enough that the film isn't too formulaic. I also like how non-PC the humor is. There are some gross out bits in the film I didn't expect, but luckily for Andy, they didn't seem beyond the scope of what he is known for (making the audience cringe).

Overall, for Andy Dick fans, it is definitely worth watching, despite the ho-hum story and actors surrounding him. I would recommend Danny Roane: First Time Director over this any day, mainly because that is a film all about Andy Dick and has much, much better actors in general.

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Fever Pitch (2005)

I'm a Red Sox fan and a sucker for romantic comedies, so I waited for the "Special Red Sox Collectors Edition" before even seeing the flick for the first time -I knew I wanted to buy it. This review contrasts the two editions, with some minor comments about the movie at the end.

Now I see I paid an extra $4 for the "Collector's Edition" over the regular DVD release for what amounts to about a minute of extra Red Sox highlights interpolated at the end. That's it. That's the only difference. That, my friends, is a rip-off from the marketing people, and a pretty crummy one.

Not to say that as a DVD this isn't a very nice package. The gag reel is pretty funny. The directors' commentary and a couple of the featurettes are interesting enough. And the deleted scenes, frankly, make it into a better movie; I only wish they'd done a Director's cut and re-inserted the deleted scenes, because it makes the occasionally thin plot a lot fleshier. In particular, the deleted scene of Uncle Carl taking young Ben to his first game at Fenway is actually pretty wonderful, and great back story for why Ben is so addicted as an adult. It's a major weakness of Farrelly Brothers movies that they seem to cut for time what are often the best parts of the movies, resorting to the truly wretched device of voice-over narration to substitute for what would've been better done as actual story. "Me Myself and Irene" serves as the ultimate monument to this awful problem of trying to use voice-over narration to solve story problems, where script and editing problems could've been overcome with some attention before production was ever started. "Fever Pitch", fortunately, manages to stand up well enough even with the narration. It's just that it's more obvoiusly in watching the deleted scenes that this could've been raised from an enjoyable but somewhat fluffy movie to one with more of an edge -both sweet and sour -had they put them in the "original" movie.

And, as I note, I did enjoy the movie -the romantic comedy is relatively adult, and despite some glossing over of Ben and Lindsey's respective addictions to the Red Sox and the workplace, one does get a sense of adult motivations and a real relationship between the two. Jimmy Fallon, quite suprisingly, does an excellent job at walking a fine line here between not trying to be a film dreamboat (which he couldn't pull off) and avoiding being a complete moron in the loveable-moron school (which would've been unbelievable, given the Drew Barrymore character's sophistication.) In particular, he does a nice shift of gears from the sweet "winter Ben" to some over the top moments in the height of his Red Sox passion.

One quibble, another thing that could've been fixed with the deleted scenes restored: you never quite get that verisimilitude of exactly what kind of dumb things us Red Sox fans get cranked up by -arguing on the phone with, say, talk radio about managerial moves at 11 PM while your girlfriend lies naked and beckoning in bed, for instance. Still, good job on getting the essential passions on the table.

But all that said, why on earth did I get charged an extra $4 for a few baseball highlights that do nothing to make the movie better? No good reason. If you like the movie or the idea of the movie, just buy the regular non-collectors' DVD edition. Even if you're a Red Sox diehard like me, no reason to shell out the extra money for the collectors' edition, because there's nothing to collect you won't also be able to get in the deluxe 2004 playoff DVD set of the games.

Selfless love exists in many forms. "Fever Pitch" artfully weaves two of them.

One of Ben Wrightman's (Jimmy Fallon) 9th grade muses asks him, "When have the RedSox ever loved you back?" But for all of us who have loved and lost and loved some more, the answer isn't so clear.

Especially during these past few years (thank you John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and Theo Epstein), that love has been requited. But the years of Jimmy Williams and Dan Duquette weren't so bad after all either. And we'll always have Ted Williams (and Harry Hooper, and even Babe Ruth for a few years . . .)

Drew Barrymore plays her second romantic movie ending on a baseball field (Never Been Kissed) extremely well. She's a vulnerable cutie with lots of female power and a straight shooter. In my opinion, she shares her secret shame of "seeing patterns of numbers and rearranging them into new patterns" quite well. Her buddies are convincing women characters that test and question her.

Jimmy Fallon plays a wonderful sweet school teacher, err man, with "something not quite right". His buddies exist on the RedSox plane only -maybe because there's nothing else. Some of his little bits are perfect moving the movie forward by adding dimension to his personality.

For me, "Fever Pitch" works on practically all levels. I have seen it thrice and cried every time. My wife (from Boston) liked it as well.

For my NY Yankee friends, probably not.

Go Sox!

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forget Jimmy and Drew. This is really not about them. It is the actual story of how the city of Boston has developed a love/hate relationship with the baseball team that has broken their hearts for too many years. Every spring, the fans of Red Sox nation begin their courtship of a championship season and every autumn they are once again left at the alter. Except the year this movie was made. Somehow, someway, the Sox did it and it was captured in this movie. Buy it just to keep your Red Sox highlight disk company.

Is God a movie fan..He must be!

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I am a true Yankee fan and although the Red Sox are now our biggest rivals I still enjoyed this movie. I had to close my eyes at the end for a few seconds when they showed the Red Sox comeback in the AL Championship series.

Because the Red Sox our biggest American League rival people think it was always that way. But it wasn't. When I grew up in the 1950s the Red Sox had great hitters like Ted Williams and Pete Runnels. But they were never a contender. The Yankees rivals were the Indians and White Sox, the only two teams to beat them out for the American League pennant. But those rivalries were nothing compared to the Brooklyn Dodger vs New York Yankee rivarly that develop when they meet in the World Series 4 times in the decade.

In this movie Jimmy Fallon meets Drew Barrymore and falls in love with her. But this happens in the winter and the true Red Sox fanaticism doesn't really come until baseball season. She gets a hint when she see how his apartment looks like Fenway Park. But the true understanding doesn't hit until she see him with friends on ESPN while they were down in Florida watching for the new prospects.

The theme of the story is all about her finding time for a man in her life and we see how this very succesful woman is embarrassed when she is caught sleeping on the job. For Fallon it is about finding time for her with his busy schedule attendiing Red Sox games. He inherited two season tickets and before the season starts he and his friends get to decide who gets to go with him for these games. With Drew in his life he picks her to go with him to the most important games. One day he had to miss a game for a dinner appointment with her parents.

The last straw seems to be when he hesitates about taking a trip with her to Paris because the Sox would be in town. In the end he is depressed and decides to sell his tickets and show her that he would give up the Red Sox for her. If you go see it watch how it plays out. It is very funny and romantic.

For me the most interesting part was that it was filmed during the 2004 season and so as they filmed the outcome was in doubt because it hinged on how the Red Sox would do. The soap opera story of the Red Sox being humiliated in game 3 of the AL Championship Series, then being down with no wins and three losses even their die hard fans were throwing in the towel. After all no team in the history of the playoffs and World series had ever comeback down 3-0 to win a 7 game series. But in Hollywood fashion they did. That gave them the impetus to reverse thecurse and sweeo the Cardinals in the World Series. Fallon and Barrymore actually attended some of the games and were filmed there.

This film is good for men and women. Men love it for the baseball and an undersanding of how serious fans can be about their team. Women love it for the romance, a real chick flick.

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This movie was fun!

One of the reviewers stated : "The Red Sox theme got blown out of all proportions" but I couldn't agree less. Through the entire movie my family kept pointing at Jimmy Fallon saying, "oh my God! That's you!"

After a life-time of having my heart and emotions shoved through a shredder by the Red Sox, a little romance set against the impossible dream of MY Team winning, actually winning, a World Series is great fun. And none of us misses the irony that this movie was supposed to showcase true love against inevitable despair; that irony makes the laughter all the sweeter.

This is a fun little movie; and as a friend of mine once said, "not every movie has to be a FILM." Fever Pitch may not be "high cinema," but it is a lot of fun; and again, after a lifetime of "high cinema" and rousing despair from the Boston Red Sox, a fun little movie on the tails of a World Series Championship is just the ticket.

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A Christmas Carol (1984)

Christmas just isn't Christmas unless you watch at least one version of A Christmas Carol, and this is by far my favorite. George C. Scott gives one of the greatest performances I have ever seen an actor give; he truly becomes Ebenezer Scrooge to the fullest degree possible. Scott can say more with just the slightest hint of a facial movement than many actors can say during the course of an entire movie. All of the performers here are excellent, bringing to life adored characters such as Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge's nephew Fred. All four spirits are remarkable, none more so than Scrooge's old partner Jacob Marley; having Marley's jaw drop after untying the burial cloth holding his mouth closed is an important aspect of the story and certainly does make an impression on the viewer. This is just one example of the moviemakers' faithfulness to Charles Dickens' original story; another would be the inclusion of the two miserable children, Ignorance and Want, beneath the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present.

This timeless tale works extremely well on its own, but the unsurpassed acting skills of Scott make it almost more than real. The change wrought in him during the course of the night, as he changes from a man of crass materialism and unkindness to a repentant soul pleading for a chance to change his ways, is powerfully presented and really touches the viewer emotionally. The simple happiness revealed in the lives of Bob Cratchit and others are as heart-warming as the forgotten mistakes and pains of a younger Scrooge are agonizing. If there is any heart out there that is not touched by the goodness and courage of Tiny Tim, I don't even want to know about it. No matter how many times you watch this movie, it proves itself capable of bringing a tear to your eye, a lump in your throat, and ultimately the very spirit of true holiday cheer and Christian charity that Dickens intended it to convey.

I cannot say I have seen every adaptation of A Christmas Carol, but I really cannot believe any other version could exceed the quality and emotional impact of this one. No matter how many times I read the story or watch the movie, it remains a source of eternal joy to me. This is more than a movie for me; it is an important and necessary part of each and every Christmas holiday season.

The celebrated version of "A Christmas Carol" is the one starring Alastair Sim, who gives the definitive version of the traditional, crabbed miser performance of Scrooge. It indeed is very fine, but this version is better. It is probably the most faithful of all the screen "Christmas Carols" to the original Dickens story. It pulses with color and life, and the ancient Midlands town of Shrewsbury makes a delightful stand-in for 19th-century London. But what really makes this version unforgettable is the superb, surprising casting, beginning with George C. Scott as Scrooge. Scott plays Scrooge not as a crabbed old coot, but as a man whose imposing, smug facade masks enormous sorrow and insecurity--a man who suffered greatly, lost his way because of it, and needs to find that way again. It is a brilliant performance, and the supporting players shine like rubies: Frank Finlay as a truly terrifying Marley's Ghost; "Tom Jones" co-stars David Warner and Susannah York as Bob and Mrs. Cratchit; Edward Woodward, taking time out from "The Equalizer" to make a delightful Ghost of Christmas Present. This version of "A Christmas Carol" remembers that the story is, first and foremost, a ghost story; when the Ghost of Christmas Present reveals Ignorance and Want to Scrooge, every viewer will be thoroughly unnerved, and thoroughly moved. The terror, of course, is all the better to appreciate the abundant joy with which the story ends. Once you see this version of "A Christmas Carol," you will settle for no other.

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George C. Scott makes an outstanding Scrooge in this 1984 TV production of the Christmas classic. The story is once again told of a miser, miserable and alone. He shuns Christmas and helping others, only doing things that will increase his personal wealth. But then one fateful Christmas Eve, he's visited by four spirits who try to show him another way. Will it be enough to redeem him?

I love this story, usually enjoying it in a couple forms over the course of December. This particular film version is my favorite. Probably helps that I've watched it almost every year since it came out. The acting is superb, especially from Scott. The costumes, scenery, and effects are wonderful as well, and they stick very close to the original story. Just watching a few minutes, I get... in and want to watch the whole thing all over again.

This DVD is the perfect way to watch the film. The picture and sound are remarkably clear for an almost 20 year old made for TV film. Definitely better then my old recorded from TV tape. The film is presented in its original ratio full frame. While it would have been nice to have an extra or two, the quality of the movie makes up for this absence in my opinion.

If you're looking for a film version of this classic story for the holidays, look no further. This movie is sure to become a tradition in your family.

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Every winter, I enjoy watching A Christmas Carol on TV whenever I can, and the 1984 version is my favorite. The production and performances add up to a moody, realistic and touching adaptation of the Charles Dickens' classic.

Director Clive Donner (editor of the much celebrated 1951 Alastair Sim version of Scrooge) presents a stunningly authentic recreation of Dickens' London. From effectively foggy streets to Ebenezer's own cobwebbed-infested manor, Donner provides a gritty, appropriately dark atmosphere, enhanced by the wonderful score.

The film's pacing is exquisite. In showing Ebenezer the error of his ways, the filmmakers give equal time to his past, present and future, never once lingering to the point of boredom. Thus the story seems to fly by compared to the other adaptations.

George C. Scott is excellent as Scrooge. Like all of those who've portrayed the character, his old miser starts out mean and bitter and ends up joyous and thankful! But throughout his performance, true sadness runs deep. Scott makes his emotional transformation subtle, painting a realistic portrait of a man haunted by the mistakes of his past, taking his pain out on the world.

But what separates the 1984 production of Christmas Carol from all others is the terrific supporting cast. David Warner may give the warmest performance of his career as Bob Cratchet (all the more poignant considering the many villains he's played over the years). Frank Finlay is the most compelling Jacob Marley I've ever seen. You can almost feel this man's torture just by gazing upon his unblinking expression. Edward Woodward brings great depth to the Ghost of Christmas Present, communicating tremendous power, yet just the right touch of humor. Finally, this adaptation of the Dickens' tale features the scariest, most intimidating Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come you'll find anywhere!

Most of us look forward to a healthy dose of A Christmas Carol at the end of each year and we all have our favorite version. Thanks to the handsome production values, expert pacing and perfect cast, led by the magnificent George C. Scott, I believe they truly got it right in 1984!

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It would be an understatement to say that there have been many filmed versions of "A Christmas Carol." They run the gamut from somewhat scary to lighthearted, from straight drama to musical, and everything in between.

Myself, I tend to dislike the musical versions and prefer the story to be straight drama, with a touch of scariness. As such, this version is my favorite. While it is not a completely faithful adaptation of the book, it is true to the spirit of the book and to Dickens's firm sense of social justice.

George C. Scott as Scrooge is one of those rare examples of absolutely perfect casting. With his jowly, scowly face and gravelly voice, he is completely believable as the miserly, miserable Scrooge, yet at the same time, he shows the humanity that is buried beneath, especially when the Ghost of Christmas Past is showing him the path he took that led to his lonely, bitter existence.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is a harsher, more judgemental spirit. As played by Edward Woodward, he laughs a lot, but at the same time is oddly humorless. There are times when he is actually rather frightening, which of course sets the stage for the terrifying Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

The supporting cast is extremely good (save for maybe Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit), and the production values are much higher than one would expect from a TV movie. In fact, one could easily mistake it for a theatrical release; I was surprised to learn that it wasn't.

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)

I find all three movie a hilarious and realist looked at being a child. Granted, few children grow up under similar circumstances to any other child, but still this is a fun way of looking at it. Good comedy hard to find, but i am glad this is part of my collection.

My son is a huge fan of he Diary of A Wimpy Kid series. He enjoys the books and the movies.

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I try very hard to spend time with my son who is currentty nine years old, and often that is in the form of just being together while watching movies. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of movies, and especially this one, is very well done. Its silly and funny but offers some real life lessons. It is a fresh breath of air when compared to so much of the garbage kid shows on cable TV. Unlike so many movies targeted at my son's agegroup, this one is of high quality, including story line, production quality, acting and comedic value. Our whole family couldn't help but laugh out loud together, which in my opinion is a healthy tning for a family to do. Highly recommended movie, and series.

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Great movie, funny and entertained. The whole family enjoyed it. Excellent for the summer to keep the family busy and together.

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My child loves this movie. It's funny without being gross or crass. And it's very entertaining. Production quality is better than average but not great.

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High Road to China

I read all 61 reviews to learn as much as I could about this fine film MISSING from my DVD collection. Then I went to my collection and read the back of the "Quigley..." jacket. I then Googled MGM Home Video, and went to their site. I scrolled to the bottom of the first page and clicked on "Help/Contact/FAQ." This took me to a screen with a pull-down menu from which I selected "MGM DVD," entered my email address, and politely asked them to explain themselves, check these 60 plus reviews as evidence that they should release HRTC in DVD.

I suggest you vote yes on this "review" (I did say it was a "fine film")in the hopes that 100% "Yes" votes will get this to the top of the review heap where it can be seen. Then I suggest that you use the instructions above to contact MGM. Finally, I suggest that everyone buy this film from Amazon when it comes out as thanks for their strong support of end-viewer reviews. God Bless.

Tom Selleck stars as a former World War I flying ace, reduced to reliving his past glories in a bottle and giving flying lessons in two broken down Camels. Sparks fly between Selleck and Bess Armstrong when she hires him to help find her father (a young looking Wilford Brimley), last seen in Tibet, before her inheritence is lost to a scheming business partner (Robert Morley at his humorously evil best). Adventure abounds as the pair wend their way between Egypt and Tibet, with sidekick mechanic Jack Weston holding the dilapidated planes together. An outstanding musical score helps this entertaining film immeasureably. This is the kind of movie that Hollywood should be making ... but isn't!

I find myself wearing out the recording I made from an on-the-air source and fervently wish that "High Road to China" would be re-released on video and DVD so that I could buy a decent copy for my library.

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UPDATE: This movie has just been announced for Blu-rsy and DVD releases in the United States for April 17, 2012.

After passing over the role of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" three years later Tom Selleck appeared on movie screens, cashing in on his Magnum PI popularity as an adventure hero who owes more than just a tip of the hat to the character made famous by the teaming of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Of course the movie industry was heavily populated with Indy clones in the early 1980s, but this one in which Selleck plays a pilot helping an heiress locate her missing father was a cut above the above the rest.

I never saw this movie in the theater but on television and subsequently the now defunct VHS format. I think I wore that tape out watching the movie again and again.

With a great script and some truly clever dialogue this movie zips along so fast that you overlook the holes in the plot and just sit back and enjoy a good time. It helps that the supporting cast includes Bess Armstrong (so much better here than she was in Jaws 3), Brian Blessed (always fun to watch) and the perenniel villainous Robert Morley.

Very highly recommended, here's hoping it arrives on DVD soon.

There is a DVD of this movie available in Europe (Region 2) for those of us with region-free players. Copies of this Swedish DVD regularly appear on e-bay.

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This is such a fun and feel good film. Not one of the critical "greats" of cinema history but still very much loved. I've lost count how many times I've watched this excellent little movie. There is such a chemistry between the two lead characters that the film is a real joy. I don't think Bess Armstrong played such a likeable funny magnetic character again. (Then again I don't suppose I've seen all her work. Suffice to say , she is wonderful in this).And Tom Selleck demonstrates most clearly how underrated he has been since the days of "Magnum". High Road to China was a bit lost at it's time of release. It was dismissed as a Raiders of the Lost Arc wanna-be. Looking at it again now makes one realise that this was a silly and shallow comparison to make. The only similarity is the time period the film takes place in.

Now to the negative. A DVD release of this film is LONG overdue. Why oh why is it being flopped into the market place with poor mono sound and dodgy unrestored picture that looks like it has been pirated from a VHS tape?

I bought this DVD from another source in Australia and was just so glad to finally have it on DVD in any condition. However I do fear that the uncreative twits who make the decisions as to which movies are to be released on DVD, are simply testing the waters with this unrestored release. If this sells well then maybe High Road to China will eventually be given the treatment it deserves and fully restored and re-released on DVD.

These decision makers aren't fans of movies. They don't understand why or how a film is a success. (just look at the number of sequels that are made, when the first in any series always has to struggle to be approved).

This DVD release is well worth getting in my opinion because the characters and story hold one's attention so well that the dodgy quality of the DVD itself is not too distracting an issue. I just know I'll be sucked in to updating to a fully restored edition one day. Ah well...... that's private enterprise for you.

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Love this movie! I remember going to see this with my mother, I loved the movie so much that I took the bus across town, by myself, the next day to see it again. There I was sitting alone, waiting for the movie to start and my father walks in and sits next to me. He's said to me, "Must be a good movie if you are willing to see again..." Indeed it was.

Glad to see it finally on disc... and Blu-Ray at that.

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Movie Only Edition + UltraViolet) (2012)

This movie has some really great 3D effects! Sure some of the kid pranks are in here but it also has expansive scenes where the water and landscape become part of the living room. I think the home 3D was better than the theaters. My kids have already watched it multiple times and enjoyed the special features on the bluray. I would list it as a buy if you like 3D and hate that most movies it seems to be an after thought rather than a focus. My only complaint is this insistence to make the digital copy ultraviolet...it sucks! They even now have multiple warnings on the cover saying it is not an iTunes digital copy...wake up...we want itunes/windows digital copy that we can carry no matter our connection speed.

Juvenile action films should always have Dwayne Johnson (formerly The Rock) in the cast. He has an unmistakable charm that spoofs his image and seems enormously likable. This time he treats us to his dancing pecs (yes, you read that right!) and a ukulele-accompanied version of "What a Wonderful World," but his focus is still kid-friendly family fare. No argument here! And Amazon.com has family fare!

To make an island this mysterious, Director Brad Peyton ("Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore") is once again using a LOT of Computer Generated Imaging. How else can we have puppy-sized elephants and honeybees big enough to ride?

We see:

* Josh Hutcherson ("The Kids are All Right") as our hero, off in quest of an island that seems to exist only in books: Jules Verne's Mysterious Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island. He decodes a message from his long-missing grandfather and thinks he might be stranded on an island doomed to soon disappear.

* Dwayne Johnson ("Fast Five") is our young hero's stepfather but his awkward attempt at a father-son talk is pretty pathetic. He agrees to take the boy on a trip to the South Pacific, but has no idea what the kid really has in mind.

* Luis Guzmán ("The Caller") owns a rickety old helicopter which they hire (chickens roosting in it are his "security system"). He knows the danger, but really needs the money to send his daughter to college.

* Michael Caine ("The Dark Knight") is our hero's grandfather, isolated on that mysterious island for many years and more than a bit daft.

* Vanessa Hudgens ("Beastly") is here for set decoration and to provide a flimsy love interest for our hero.

Lame dialogue like "Who's up for adventure?" and calling three guys "ladies" is offered, along with 3-D images of centipedes skittering off rocks into our laps, cherries ricocheting off the pecs of Rock into our midst, and pieces of that helicopter as it disintegrates in a hurricane. The children in the audience weren't bored and I am, once again, impressed by Dwayne Johnson's career path. He is the most unlikely of PG-rated actors, yet he consistently entertains in these goofy things. Good for him.

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The writers and producers of this film were smart enough not to have Dwayne Johnson play the role of Brendan Fraiser. Sean, the son, is back and lives with his mom and step-dad in teen prison, known as Dayton, Ohio. Dwayne is intelligent and understanding. When Sean gets a cryptic message, Brainiac Dwayne Johnson helps him decode it. Sean wants to go to the Island and find his grandfather, who he thinks sent the message. Dwayne, who is trying to connect with Sean, decides to humor him and very quickly into the film, we are at Mysterious Island.

Luis Guzmán plays a local helicopter pilot who along with his pretty daughter Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez of High School Musical) are capable of getting the foursome stranded on the Island. Once they meet up with Michael Caine, there is some ridiculous rivalry dialouge that doesn't fit well into the film. The special effects were good. The humor and story was aimed at the kids who enjoyed the picture far more than their parents with some scenes being downright juvenile. Sean, of course, has a thing for the island girl, who plays hard to get. All this is going on while the volcano blows smokes and oozes lava.

Some cheesy fun. 3D effects...unfortunately bounce right at you.

No F-bombs, sex, or nudity, Pure PG goodness. Good one for the kids (pre-teen and younger). WARNING: Dwayne Johnson sings. 5 STARS for kids, 3 stars for the adults who sit through it.

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My 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son absolutely loved this movie. In fact, they couldn't wait for it to come out on DVD. I liked it too. It was exactly what I expected and ..... It was a lot of fun. No academy awards on this one, but I knew that going in. Listen to us 5 star raters.....it is worth the purchase. What were the people that rated this one as poor expecting? I mean..... Really?

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SURPRISE this a terrific, entertaining movie! Pop some popcorn and get ready for some good old fashioned family entertainment.

The characters are engaging, the storyline filled with adventure, fun and excitement (with a little teenage surliness and romance thrown in for effect).

The high definition is crystal clear and the 3D is beautiful.

I recommend this highly. Surely there's not an Academy Award nomination in its future... but it IS a great little family film... with a happy ending! (and a setup for a sequel!!!)

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Klitschko (2012)

An excellent film, not only regarding the world of boxing but family honor, self respect, awareness and integrity. Definitely worthy of sharing with young people trying to get a grasp on the world (and the spoiled ones who need direction). Good to know there ARE some good people still moving forward with kindness and a sense of family which Americans are getting confused with. Just buy it!

Wow, I stopped watching boxing when Tyson started biting peoples ears off. Never even heard of these guys. My exchange student told me about them so I got the movie for us to watch. If you are a boxing fan or a fgan of good people doing the right thing this is a great movie!

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Good movie. Wish we got more of their present day life (at the time) included. The credits were hilarious!!!

The still or slow motion shots of punches make me cringe. Not for the person being bit, but for the Klitschkos and the faces they make putting so much effort into those hits.

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This documentary was filmed with the HIGHEST definition I have ever had the pleasure of focusing my eyeballs on in a theater, which justified my purchase of it on Blu-ray (rather than DVD) even though I don't have a BR player of my own. The quality of the picture makes every scene fun to look at, whether it's a sweeping shot of the Ukrainian desert or a close-up, slow-motion sequence of an ear-rippling left jab to the face.

To go along with the excellent visual quality of Klitschko is a superbly-told story that defines a good documentary: one that makes you passionate about a subject that you cared little about beforehand. Yes, it's boxing. No, I'm not a boxing fan. However, Sebastian Dehnhardt's intimate treatment of his two subjects Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko in and out of the boxing ring lends an emotional impact with every punch the brothers throw and receive, and leaves you searching your cable provider's pay-per-view selection for "Klitschko" to see when the next fight is... (May 4th in Mannheim, fyi).

Bottom line: Great story, exciting slow-motion boxing action, and the most stunning visuals of any documentary feature I've seen yet... If you are looking for a great film on Blu-ray to showcase your new Ultra-HD screen, this is it!

sB

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I love Klitschko brothers my heroes, this is very good movie, lots of private life showing, if you hate them bq you think two, dumb, big boxers with lots of $$$$$$$$ this movie is for you, you will meet very intelligent, well educate and extremely hard working guys, you will see all carrier from beginning, lots of love and respect for each other and parents, interviews with them, with friends and family and fights ofcourse. I was waiting for this movie so long and I'm very happy to purchase this dvd, for all Klittscho fans! I love it, thank you

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Flipper (1996)

I gave a shot at streaming this to keep the kids (8 and 3) occupied one recent afternoon. They're hooked. We've streamed it at least a dozen times since then.

It's a bit formulaic and ham-handed at times, has some scary bits, but otherwise it's entertaining for the kids and sends a decent message.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW STUFF FOR PARENTS

Parental heads up: Mild profanity; Elijah Wood looks at a Playboy.

Scary bits: A dolphin gets killed; a hammerhead shark goes after Elijah Wood ala Jaws; an ambiguous moment where it appears the bad guy might try to kill Elijah Wood.

I was alive when I saw the original movie released that lead to the TV series starring Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden. I bought this film simply because I have loved Paul Hogan's work and adore Elijah Wood. So I took a chance.

In merit to this film and its premise, this film's take off of "Flipper" shows a more disfunctional family approach to the Ricks family we see in the old 1960's TV series. Elijah Wood, who plays Sandy in this film, is sent to stay with Ranger Ricks for one summer. You presume Sandy's mother can not take care of him for the summer, while she pays Porter Ricks, played by Paul Hogan; $100 a week to take care of the boy. I don't know who can get by on $100 a week these days let alone in 2003 when this film was made. Porter Ricks living conditions are quite a far cry from the clean environment and ethics taught in the old 1965 tv series. Since this film is drawing from the original characters created from the 1965 series, it makes sense to make a rough comparison. This film in other words can not just be judged for its own merits alone, since it draws from the old 60's Tv series in premise.

There is no sign of Bud in this film or hint to a sequel that might introduce him and frankly, it was the relationship between Flipper and Bud that made the old 1960's tv series work so well. Tommy Norden was not only a cute kid to watch, but had a fabulous personality as a young actor.

The character development in this film needed allot of work, not to mention somekind of decent story line. In the opening, Sandy and Porter Ricks seem distant from each other and don't really seem that much closer by the time it all reaches the end of the film.

Flipper appears into this half hazardly via Sandy witnessing some fishermen killing Flipper's mother and, for some reason, Flipper is drawn to Sandy after roaming the oceans with no pod or family. How he finds Sandy isn't clear either when there is no earthly way a dolphin, as intelligent as Flipper, could have known where Sandy lived.

I liked that Flipper tracked Sandy down in his lonliness, but it would have made more sense if Sandy had tried to rescue Flipper from the gunman, who shot Flipper's mother, which caused this bonding to take place, while leaving a clue for the dolphin to find Sandy. You really have no idea why flipper is drawn to Sandy, other than the fact that Flipper gets lonily, in need of a family, and magically tracks him down.

The dolphin in this movie is cute; that goes without saying. Makes me think of the mechanical dolphin, named Darwin, they used in SeaQuest.

I think this film would have had allot more going for it, if they had simply worked to create somekind of story that brings Ricks, Sandy and Flipper together via stuggle and need for each other. It seems the story was trying to do that along the way, but kept missing.

Frankly, this story really does not go anywhere and that's ashame. You can read other reviews to get some idea of what the story is about. Otherwise I think the chemistry between Paul Hogan, as an actor, and Elijah Wood, as an actor, could have really worked in this film. They both are excellent actors when it comes down to it. It just seems the whole thing was slapped together with the idea in mind; "This will sell, everyone loves Flipper", but we also like a good story or it doesn't work.

Also, as long as the character "Sandy" was going to be used in this remake, it makes no sense to take away Bud from the family profile; given this film is drawing from the original work of the original film and tv series of the 1960's.

Cinematography wise; this film is done well, but I can see why it would have been hard to even make a sequel with this, simply because the story really goes no where or at least in a direction that might even suggest a sequel.

I felt very lost at the end when Sandy goes home at summer's end to be with his mom: At least you think it is his mom, even though that isn't made clear in the script. He's allowed to come back next summer to visit Porter Ricks, but the whole thing just comes apart with this type of ending when you consider the original premise of the Ricks family of the 1960's and that they were a family. You don't see that happening here, even though the writer is drawing from the old 1960's series. Too bad.

I hate to give anything a number 2 rating. Can't imagine how anyone could have blown it with something as delightful as Flipper, but this one really isn't worth your money. It's more a rental film or something to pass your time when nothing else is on tv to watch.

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I really enjoyed this movie! It's very cute and quite funny in places, has decent acting and of course the dolphin is simply delightful!

Sandy (played by a tender Elijah Wood) is a rebellious teenager from Chicago who is sent to stay with his Uncle (aussie Paul Hogan) over the summer. Thinking there will be NOTHING to do accept fish on a crummy boat for 8 weeks, Sandy finds pleasure out of being difficult and objective. However things take a turn when he saves the life of a friendly and intelligent dolphin, who later on becomes known as Flipper and the two soon develop a strong friendship.

Being an Australian, it was great to see an old classic in this movie to bring a little something extra. Elijah Wood did a wonderful job i thought! Best known for his portrayal as Frodo in the "lord of the rings" Wood shows real profession at such a young age.

And i wont finish without mentioning the beautiful dolphin! Those animals are such a joy to watch because you can really sense that they are smiling! He was simply beautiful! Children are going to love the several sequences in which Flipper dives and plays in the water. Beautiful cinematography!

So in conclusion, "Flipper" is just wonderfully light and fun escape from heavier films and the other destractions of life. It'll make you wanna jump in the pool and you will laugh in several places. Good acting and gorgeous animal interaction work together to make this sweet tale of friendship a pleasure to watch over again!

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My four year old daughter is in love with this film. We rented it from the library and she asked to "own" it so I ordered her one for a Christmas present. Yes a dolphin does get shot in the beginning but you don't actually see the animal get hit, (an older child would be able to put it together)but a hammerhead shark does eat a seagull and there is blood involved. But otherwise this is a fun, lighthearted movie.

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I believe this one was overlooked when it came out. The only thing is Uncle Porter (Paul Hogan)has gotta get some other food besides all those cans of Spagetti-O's. If you are a Paul Hogan fan then you will enjoy this film. I am ready to visit Uncle Porter just so i can enjoy the beach and ocean. LOL Good Movie!

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Woody Allen: A Documentary

Premiering as a part of the PBS American Masters series "Woody Allen: A Documentary" is an impressively scaled and professionally comprehensive project on the enigmatic filmmaker. Allen is a true Hollywood renegade--a man who has followed his passions and interests and made a career out of making the films he wanted without regard for commercial compromise. Such examples of contemporary auteurs are pretty rarified in this business of show, and Allen has become and remained an unlikely and inspirational trailblazer for over forty years. Allen, however, remains an intensely private and aloof persona, so this massive (over 3 hours) compilation of interviews and film clips is a rare treat. While the 2002 Richard Schickel special (he is also on hand as an interviewee for this piece) "Woody Allen: A Life in Film" offered a glimpse of what Allen thought of his film legacy, it lacked the sheer scope of this new documentary. "Woody Allen: A Documentary" definitively showcases the highlights of Allen's career as well as any other piece of film that I've seen. And that makes it pretty special indeed.

Director Robert Weide follows a course that is largely chronological. While Allen (and his sister) do offer some insight about his childhood and family, this really just serves as an introduction. Seeing Allen revisit his old childhood haunts is unexpectedly intimate. And while there are some other personal moments interspersed throughout including his music and the dissolution of his relationship with Mia Farrow, the topic here is focused primarily on Woody Allen, the professional. Allen, it seems, almost fell into show business and had early stints as a writer, comedian, and performer before breaking into filmmaking. His first foray into studio movies was the wildly successful "What's New Pussycat?" which, despite its popularity, convinced Allen he wanted to do his own thing. From his earlier comedies, to his breakthrough "Annie Hall," to the doldrums of the late nineties and early two thousands, to his recent resurgence--this film does an excellent job hitting all the career highlights. Appropriately, it even includes this year's "Midnight in Paris" which is his biggest money-maker of all time.

The documentary is loaded with great film clips and lots of celebrity interviews. From friends, co-workers, business partners, to a veritable who's who of Hollywood stars--there is no shortage of people willing to chime in on this American institution. Through it all, Allen comes across as incredibly spry, self deprecating, and very very funny. If you have any interest in Woody Allen films, this is absolutely unmissable. I doubt that a better, more comprehensive documentary will ever be made about his resume of works. That said, it is somewhat less than all-access when it comes to the man behind the camera. It offers more of Allen than I've seen before, but this is NOT an intimately personal look at the man. But it is an essential and incredibly entertaining piece from the aspect of film studies. Even with a running time of over three hours, "Woody Allen: A Documentary" flies by. And most importantly, it made me want to go back and revisit so many films that I haven't seen in years! KGHarris, 11/11.

DVD Bonus Features: 12 Questions with Woody Allen, Deleted Scenes/Interviews, and Interview with Weide.

After watching this outstanding documentary of Woody Allen's unparalleled career, unprecedented in its access, candor and insight, I was left with an even greater recognition that Mr. Allen is a writer who makes films, not a film-maker who writes. From his earliest one-liners up to the present day, Woody has continued to grow and change, but never at the cost of either his professional integrity or his vision. Perhaps it has served us well that Woody Allen seems to view the majority of his work as either mediocre or as abject failures, for rather than stifling his spirit, such dubious self-analysis seems only to have fueled his ambition and illuminated his vision. And while even I, one of his most ardent fans, would admit that he lost his way occasionally with films such as Curse of the Jade Scorpion or Small-Time Crooks, somehow I always knew that he'd be back. I've come to feel that some of those comparative underachievements were nothing more than the "vacations" of a man who has never really taken one. But at his best, there's simply no one better. From Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Sleeper and Love and Death, to the richer Annie Hall, Mahattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Purple Rose, Danny Rose, Zelig, Crimes and Misdemeanors and Midnight in Paris (and many others!), Woody Allen has proven that cummulative greatness will ultimately supercede what C&M's Judah Rosenthal called, "The superficial pay-off of the moment." To recognize the stature of this incomparable artist, one need only review the list of outstanding actresses, actors and cinematograpers who either have been, or who are waiting to be called for Mr. Allen's next project, sight-unseen.

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This is an excellent documentary about Allen's entire career. There are many, many film clips and they are all choice highlights from his films. Interspersed with these clips are interview segments with Allen present day and during earlier days. There are also clips of mini interviews with the people with whom he has worked, including Tony Roberts, Diane Keaton, Scarlett Johannsen, John Cusack, Owen Wilson, Mariel Hemingway, Gordon Willis, Marshall Brickmann, Martin Scorsese, his sister Letty Aronson, now his producer, Dick Cavett and so forth. Although Mia Farrow is covered, she does not participate in any way since they have never resumed contact in any way. She was, of course, Allen's other major leading lady but he ended up having an affair and marrying her adopted daughter years ago.

Even though I have seen every single one of his movies, I really liked the choice of film clips presented here. It was very enjoyable to see them and to learn some of the tidbits about what else was going on while making them. Everyone contributed some major insight about the film clip which was unknown to us before.

I also enjoyed the way he present day took us to his old school or walked down the street with his sister and they talked to present New Yorkers. There was even old footage shown of his parents who finally died near the century mark.

Although the focus was on the work, there was enough of a human dimension presented here to make this a very important summing up of a creative life while the creator is still around to share it. If you love his work, you need this film in your collection.

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I admire Woody Allen as a man of many talents, a writer, comedian, musician and filmmaker. His best films have everything I look for in a comedy (or dramedy, he is especially good in making them) brilliance, wit, clever writing, hilarious and sinister twist in the plot, amazing performances, authentic feel of the era and great musical score. I admire his respect for the audience: "I never write down to them. I always assume that they're all as smart as I am... if not smarter."

For someone who has been a fan of Allen's works for many years and seen every movie he was a part of, whether as a writer/ director, star or all of the above, Woody Allen: A Documentary is the next best thing to watching Allen's films. I was entertained, learned something new about my favorite film-maker, and once again was fascinated with his productive and unique career that has spanned over six decades. The DVDs with Allen's films don't usually include a lot of bonus materials, such as making of behind the scenes; so, watching the documentary filled with the clips from many Allen's films and listening to the interviews with the stars have added to better understanding of the man behind 40 + films many of which belong to the best ever made.

Allen is known as a multi-talented artist the stand-up comedian, musician, actor and, of course, a film director. But the documentary confirmed what I've assumed already that he considers himself primarily a writer who has been writing for a living since he was 15 and started composing the jokes and one-liners for a local paper making $75 a week not bad for a teenager back in the 1950s. At the age of 19, he started writing scripts for the most popular television shows of the time. Allen has authored the Broadway plays, the books of prose and non-fiction, and the scripts to every movie he ever made for which he has been awarded 14 Oscar nominations in the category Best Original Screenplay, more than any film-maker ever. I was genially moved when Woody confessed that all these years he's been using the old typewriter Olympia and he is not going to change it for one of latest and fastest computers with the useful word processing programs. He proudly announced that he is a very fast typist.

For two evenings, in two parts of the documentary, each 1,5 hours long, Allen himself, his younger sister-producer Letty Aronson, his friends, business associates, and the famous, respectable and talented members of the prestigious "I've acted in Allen's film(s)" actors, gave the grateful audiences the insight into the phenomenon called Woody Allen, his persona, his works, his unique place in the cultural life of America, his origins, influences, his Muses, and his work ethics. Allen came out in the interviews which are more valuable because they are rare as a moving, deprecated, very clever, funny and charming person. I know many would not share my opinion but I am a loyal fan, and the documentary was made for people like me. If you have problems with the certain facts from Allen's biography you should spend three hours with something else.

Watching the documentary, I was happy to learn that Allen has good genes :) his father lived to be 100 and his mother died when she was 96 big chance that Woody would keep writing/directing for many years to come and never lose his wit, sense of humor and incredible talent and lust for life. What is 76 for him? Just a small number. He makes me a happy viewer, always has and I wish him long years of happy and productive life.

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This was the perfect time in Woody's career to do a documentary on him he still looks wonderful, the picture of health, and he's sharp and has a lot to say. Maybe at a little slower pace than in the old days, but what he lacks in exuberance, he makes up for in in-the-trenches, sage wisdom.

I love his hand-off approach to actors, something I had heard a little about, but it became more clear in this documentary. He's the opposite of a "control freak" which I think is neat for someone is his position. I love the way he doesn't really care if people like his movies, and then, when it is least expected, he makes a "Midnight in Paris" which is now quietly gaining attention in a way that was not expected yay! The only thing I REALLY REALLY miss is Woody starring in his movies. I don't like it when he casts others in "his" part because only HE can be HIM. The only actor that works in "his spot" would be Larry David that I can buy. But I hope he will consider starring in his movies again I really miss him, so for now, I will have to be content watching Annie Hall, Play It Again Sam, Manhattan and Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex (my favorites) over and over again. I see Annie Hall and Manhattan will be released on Blu-Ray end of Jan 2012 can't wait, and wish this documentary and other movies of his would come out on blu-ray. He's the best a legend and a genius!!

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The Men (1950)

Fred Zinnemann finally came up with a script that Marlon Brando liked enough to leave the stage and head for Hollywood. And the rest is history. That script turned out to be The Men. Brando is Bud, a parapoliegic shot in WWII and recovering in a veterans hospital. Unfortunatly there is no hope for Bud ever walking again, a fact he refuses to except. This movie is an interesting character study. Brando shows here why he would become the most influential actor of the last half century. He briliantly depicts a man at tremendous odds with himself. The supporting cast of characters, Teresa Wright(Bud's love interest), the doctors, and the men in the hospital, are well cast. Fans of character driven dramas and Brando fans should get a kick out of this film.

This is where it all started...Marlon Brando's one-of-a-kind film legacy...

Marlon's performance in "The Men" demonstrates his natural talent a talent that is now the legacy of the greatest actor of all time. His remarkable performance in "The Men" drew me in immediately. I could not take my eyes off of him. His demeanor, his facial expressions, and the way he spoke reminded me somewhat of his screen test for "Rebel Without A Cause." He is sweet, tender, ambivalent, unassuming, and somewhat emotionally injured much as I believe he was in his life off of the screen as well. There is nobody I have seen on stage or screen who can achieve such a delicate and perfect balance of emotion or elicit the kinds of emotions he does in others through his performances as Marlon did in the roles he has played on stage and screen.

I have 36 Marlon Brando films in my collection, many of which I have watched several times. But, I have never been able to bring myself to watch "The Men" until very recently. I am a nurse and I have seen first hand that which Marlon's character, "Bud," faced after becoming a paraplegic as the result of an injury. In my work, it has weighed on me at times that, although I possess some medical expertise and although I can contribute to helping a person back to optimal health following a tragedy, I am still not able to wave a magic wand and turn his reality into a dream from which he will awaken.

I knew what "The Men" was about and with having become very familiar with Marlon Brando's realistic and poignant portrayals of people on film such as his portrayal in this film, I expected that my insides would be torn asunder. And, they were. Marlon portrayed it as it truly was and is. In the beginning, "Bud" is afraid to live while also being afraid to die. Later in the film, this sentiment is echoed by Jack Webb's character when he recites a piece of Hamlet's soliloquy from "To Be Or Not To Be"..."To die, to sleep...to sleep, perchance to dream...aye, there's the rub...for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause" the contemplation of suicide, but, at the same time, the fear of what one may face in death should one choose to take his own life due to his circumstances. Which is the most fearful prospect?

"The Men" is about a man who, following a war injury, finds that he has become a paraplegic and that life will never be the same for him again. Throughout the film, he travels through every stage of grief and grieving and, ultimately, comes to terms with his circumstance. I won't give the details of the film away, but I will say that it is definitely a "must see" movie and that, among the many touching scenes throughout, a very moving scene with Bud and his wife takes place at the end and one is left feeling so many emotions.

This is an excellent film, the first film for Marlon Brando, and one whose heart-rending insight into the personal struggles of a man faced with a life-altering situation is exhibited with absolute perfection by Marlon Brando.

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I was impressed with this movie when I fist saw it in the 50's I have been a Brando admirer ever since . Over the past 50 years I have seen all of his movies more than once. The Men has a great message , I recommend it to all my friends .

jack

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Great classic to watch in your home theater.marlon brando was a great actor in his time. Many more great movies to choose from.

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Marlon shines in his first feature film and this is one of my all time favorite Brando movies. An amazing job as a recovering paraplegic.

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Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus & 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea (2010)

I got this because I saw Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus on tv a while ago and had a great time with my friend watching it. It's one of those movies that is so bad you can't hate it. We were laughing the whole time and really this is one of our favorite movies now. This was cheaper with the 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea than the movie itself, so I bought this to save a few dollars. I honestly have not watched the other movie yet so I cannot say how great or how bad that one is. But the price was hard to beat.

People who read books should not watch movies. There will never be any similarity between them. Does that make them bad? Verne's book "Journey to the Center of the Earth" is boring compared to any film made about it...except maybe ones with Doug McClure. 30,000 Leagues is clearly deeper than 20,000 Leagues but that doesn't make for a deeper film. This movie made me feel like I was in the first grade playing, "What's wrong with this picture?" It was fun and the only way to watch this film and enjoy it.

The first question I had to raise (having served on a nuclear sub) was when did they start allowing women to serve on subs? The answer I got from Wiki was December 2011...meaning it hasn't happened yet and certainly didn't happen in 2007 when this film was made. Okay, but it made for a more interesting film. Now the enlisted people had dark black background petty officer patches sewn to their left arm on their light blue shirt. The background on the patch is supposed to be the same color as the uniform. The woman appears to have a steel workers insignia, i.e. a construction rating and not an engineering or electrical type rating as one might expect. The male petty officer appears to have a discontinued (as of 2006) photographer's mate insignia. This is a special sub and would be considered a re-enlistment bonus for top first class petty officers in the engineering field, not a second class photographer's mate. Natalie Stone as Lieutenant Commander Lucille Conciel has her oak insignia on the right lapel only. The captain had his birds on both lapels and Lorenzo Lamas as Lieutenant Michael Arronax had his Lt. bars on one lapel and a chief petty officers anchor on the other. You got to ask yourself what did they do? Go to an army-navy store and buy a handful of stuff and tried to make it work? Of course they are going to try to rescue a sub that is stuck on the bottom (in tact?) at 20,000 feet that was taken down by a giant squid. In the following scene Lamas "corrects" his lapel insignias by eliminating the chief's anchor and replacing his double Lt. bars with a single silver Lt. junior grade bars. Did he get busted in those 2 minutes?

As their small sub descends they can look out into the ocean fairly clearly and see all kinds of things growing from the ocean floor. This is wrong on so many levels. 1) They don't have viewing window or screen doors on subs. 2)If they did it would be too dark to see much of anything 3) They are diving near the Marianas Trench. They wouldn't see the ocean flora even if they had a window with visibility.

As the small Aquanaut descends it shakes as if it is falling apart. The reason given is because they are going through thermal layers which rocks the boat. Hmmm. Actually submarines operate in those thermal layers because it makes it harder to be detected. And was that flames underwater?

The movie is fun as Asylum films demonstrate they know nothing about the Navy. Why do they insist on making ocean films? The only fun in watching this film is finding the errors. Captain Nemo was played bad. Natalie Stone look as if she was playing Casey Anthony on trial with the way she had her hair.

No f-bombs, sex, or nudity. Frequent "Asylum actress", Kim Little looks cute in a pony tail and that is about as sexy as it gets.

This review is for: "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus"

The title should say, "Don't expect much." I expected a bad script, bad acting, bad science, and bad special effects. In that regard I wasn't disappointed. If you decide to turn it off after a giant shark jumps out of the water and takes a jet out of the sky, wait. We later find out they can travel 500 knots, but have trouble catching a nuclear sub doing less than say, 40 knots. No wait. These nuclear subs have something called "emergency turbos" so maybe they can go faster. Sailors on nuclear subs don't carry handguns. Really. Who would they shoot underwater? At one point they flash the locations of the recent attacks. Nearly all were in the Pacific ocean as expected. There were 3 in the Atlantic. As Sarah Palin might tweet, "WTF?" These creatures for some unexplained reason are impervious to conventional weapons so the military led by our secret government kidnaps three scientists to employ them for information on how to kill them. They get right on the task by mixing water tainted with various vegetable dies. We discover red water added to blue water makes purple water and that blonds love Japanese men who try to act like Sulu as much as Orientals love blonds. After a romp in a closet, they figure out they can lure the creatures into certain ports (San Francisco and Tokoyo) which have a natural shelf and then trap them. The idea being they can get in, but somehow they can't get out, unless they catch a ride with a plane flying overhead. They then manufacture a phermone of an extinct animal for which they would normally have no idea where to start. We know they are successful because when they mix two liquids together it turns florescent green and Debbie Gibson smiles.

At one point Japanese and American subs are in the same area. All the American subs are destroyed but one. The Japanese civilian scientist asks, which one is it, as Debbie or now Deborah Gibson is on one of them. The captain says, "No way of telling." After making subs (this film and Moby Dick) do all kinds of things beyond any smidgeon of realism, they claim they "can't tell." Really they can tell. Each sub has its own unique underwater signature.

Movie drops f-bomb once, no nudity, no sex scenes.

The creatures look very artificial. But what did you expect? If you enjoy getting stoned and watching "Lost in Space" episode , give this one 5 stars. Great two-fer Asylum price.

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Most things I Review I say yep or nope. So I'm short about 19 0r so words for your review.

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A Very cheap and Perfect way to waste 3 hours. Double Lorenzo Lamas (Snakeater Series), enough said. Check out Raptor Island as well, if your into nonsense.

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Okay, the internet hype of MSVGO was palpable and I'm glad the movie lived up to the hype. It was great b-grade fun, and I even felt had the film been made in the 80s, children of the nineties would have gotten an animated version of the show (of course, without the sex) to educate children about the ocean and the lifeforms in it that would be a great spin-off for The Asylum should they ever decide to do something like that.

The film reuses shots so many times it's practically made with a drinking game in the script. It's so much fun because it's so ridiculous.

30,000 leagues reuses ship shots from MSVGO (or is it the other way round?) and is quite boring. It's actually not terrible; the pacing is the only thing that really lets it down. Other than that it's pretty damn fun.

I recommend to b-movie fans for sure!

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Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is by no means "a very bad film" as the first reviewer here put it. It's actually a very well thought out film that does reflect some of the social upheaval in the United States during the late 60's and early 70's. Planet of the Apes films have always been a comment on the social climate during the period they were made.

Conquest is the darkest film of the Apes series, and the two different versions on the Blu-ray disc have varying levels of violence. The uncut version is very in your face and bloody and ends on a very violent note, which if you discount the fifth movie in the series Battle for the Planet of the Apes, makes a perfect transition to the first Apes film which is set after Conquest chronologically. In the first Apes film men are hunted for sport by apes, used for medical experiments and treated like animals. It was a pretty violent film for it's day as well.

The PG rated version of Conquest ends on a much more upbeat note that the timeline may have changed and that things might not end up so badly. There is still violence but not as much blood as the uncut version. It's really great to be able to see both versions of the film so that you can see where the film makers originally intended it to go and what the test audiences did not like about the movie before it was re-edited.

The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson who also directed The Guns of Navarone. And the look of the film is very deliberate. I suppose one could complain as the previous reviewer did that the artistic use of colors in the film is distracting, but I feel it shows that the creators of this film actually put some thought into how they wanted the audience to react to the characters and environments on the screen. One also has to remember that this movie was made several years before Star Wars came on the scene and changed the way we look at special effects in science fiction films. But for the period it was made in the costumes and effects are very well done. Personally I love the look of the city in the film but then I'm a bit of a apes fan to begin with.

Anyway in my opinion this is my favorite of the Apes sequels. If your an apes fan or you've seen the first three but never checked out the fourth, the Blu-ray version is the one to get. You get to see both versions of the film in very good video quality with great sound as well.

I just watched this last night after having not seen it for at least twenty years. Compared to all of the other "Apes" sequels, this one holds up the best for me.

"Beneath" feels like "Apes" lite: I kept thinking, "When are we getting back to Charlton Heston?"

"Escape" is probably the silliest to me (although it has one of my favorite soundtracks in the series.)

And "Battle" just comes off as cheap and shoddy. Most of the run time is spent in a grove of trees with treehouses.

In "Conquest", I like the colors of the apes' jumpsuits. I also like the sets, and the use of Century City was a great choice as the nameless "futuristic" city of 1991. The actors did a good job. Don Murray made a wonderful villain and Ricardo Montalban and Roddy McDowall were both excellent.

If you're hyper-critical and are going to be bothered by a reality check, you probably shouldn't watch movies like this one (or maybe ANY movies, because they're an escape from reality.) If you enjoy sci-fi with a fascist Orwellian setting (kind of like the present time we live in) this is fun.

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This fourth entry in the Planet of The Apes is by far the most straightforward and violent in the series. The scenes of revolt by the apes are tame by todays standards but are still effective. especially considering the small budget director J.Lee Thompson had to work with. He makes the film look much bigger in scope than it really was.

The story begins with Caesar,the son of Zira and Cornelius from The 3 earlier films and it was a great touch allowing Roddy McDowall to portray both father and son. He goes into a city with mentor Armando. The circus owner from the third film Escape From The Planet of The Apes and again portrayed by Ricardo Montalban and sees what has become of his fellow apes. They were at first being treated as pets to replace the dogs and cats that were wiped out by a plague only to become slave labor for humans. He cries out when a fellow ape is beaten and runs away. Armando goes to the police to explain and is interrogated. In the process he kills himself rather than betray Caesar to the authorities. Who were never sure that the baby of the talking apes was really killed as shown in the previous film and believe Armando was lying to protect Caesar.

Caesar hides among his fellow apes and ends up being sold to Governor Breck. Breck is the regional governor and not at all sympathetic to apes and is Ceasars nemesis in the film. Caesar after learning of Armandos death and also sickened by his fellow apes treatment gradually leads his fellow apes to a full blown revolt. The social commentary in this film deals with the treatment of others and gets the point across nicely without being too heavy handed. As I stated earlier it is the acting that really carries this installment and director Thompson delivers in that department. Roddy McDowall gives what I feel is his finest performance in the series his speech in the end is amazing and shows what an underrated actor he was and Don Murray more than holds his own as Breck. He is cold harsh man and The scene where he reveals why he is afraid of apes is a great reversal of Dr. Zaius' fear of humans in the original film and his entire performance is a nice compliment to McDowalls. The supporting cast including the above mentioned Ricardo Montalban,Hari Rhodes as McDonald the human who helps Caesar and series vet Natalie Trundy all deliver in their roles and help make this arguably the best of apes sequels.

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This is the forth installment in the POTA's series and I'm aware that this film was severely cut before releasing it in theaters. Fortunately they have restored the edited scenes in an extended version available only on Blu Ray. This was done to "Battle for" on standard DVD a few years ago. The theatrical release of the film is pretty good, but a bigger budget would have helped it a great deal. The problem with most of the POTA sequels is that they were pushing for a G rating so kids could go see them. This is the studios idea, not the directors of the films. The sequels are too middle ground. Too violent for the kids, but too tame for adults! I don't mean to be harsh on these films as I am a big fan! I saw them all at the theaters growing up and have seen them many times now. This is a good film that could have been much better....hopefully the Blu Ray extended version retores the original vision of the story. The DVD transfer is very good and I will add more once I've watched the Blu Ray.

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Interesting that each film seems to have been written with the idea that it would be the last one, but this one is referred to as "an action-packed finale", although we know there is one more. Perhaps they mean climax.

At one point in the "Escape from" movie, an explanation for how things got so terribly turned around between humans and apes was offered. A plague killed off the dogs and cats, and humans needed pets. So they made pets of monkeys. But when they found how smart they were, and how easy to train, they soon turned them into servants and then slaves, bought and sold just like in the antebellum south. And just like in those days, abused due to their similarity to humans.

Remember Milo, the baby Zira and Cornelius left in the care of the circus owner played by Ricardo Montalban? Through an unfortunate set of circumstances, he was sold to the governor who allowed him to choose his own name out of a book in a tradition he says started with his wife. Milo put his finger on the name Caesar.

So this is the story of the revolution led by Caesar, still the only ape that can speak and read and write, but by no means the only one that can understand. In fact, Ape Control has disturbing reports of (1) higher intelligence tests in apes all the time, and (2) deliberate acts of disobedience. Once the apes have won, and vengeance seems inevitable, Caesar persuades the mob that they will rule by kindness and understanding, and show themselves to be better than their former masters.

Of course, it's not hard to be better than brutes who are so obviously over-drawn characters that they were SS-like black uniforms and jack-boots. I was expecting them to do a stiff-armed salute any minute.

It is an interesting link in the chain that circles round to the original movie, but I'm looking forward to the last one the most: that's the only one I have not seen before. Up next.

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