Bambi II (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in DVD Packaging) (2006)

Like many people who were weaned on the classic animated films made by Walt Disney, I have been less than thrilled by the onslaught of direct-to-video sequels the company has been producing the last dozen years. Starting with "The Return of Jafar" in 1994, we have not only seen sequels to many recent animated films, such as "Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas" and "Lion King II: Simba's Pride," but direct-to-video follow ups to some of those classic Disney films, as is the case with "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" and "Cinderella II: Dreams Come True." Consequently, when I sat down to watch "Bambi II" I was fully expecting to be bitterly disappointed. Instead I was pleasantly surprised (actually, I was floored).

"Bambi II" begins with the well-remembered moment from the original when Bambi (voiced by Alexander Gould) is looking for his mother and The Great Prince of the Forest (Patrick Stewart) informs his son that she will not be coming back, and ends with Bambi still a fawn. The beloved characters Thumper (Brendon Baerg) and Flower (Nicky Jones) return, as does Feline (Andrea Bowen), but having more of an impact is a character who only appears briefly in the original, Ronno (Anthony Ghannam), another fawn whose antlers have already come in. Ronno not only keeps calling Bambi a baby and a coward, but is also making moves on Feline. Meanwhile, The Great Prince is having trouble with his new responsibility for raising his young son and teaching him the ways of the forest, and Bambi is trying to impress his father. Neither one of them is succeeding all that well.

Directed by Brian Pimental (who also voices both the Groundhog and the Porcupine), this 2006 direct-to-video release has several things going for it, starting with having Patrick Stewart voice Bambi's father. But the greatest strength is the

story by Pimental and Jeanne Rosenberg with a screenplay by Alicia Kirk inspired by the original story of "Bambi" by Felix Salten. Bambi is trying to learn how to confront his fear and stand up to Ronno and other dangers in the forest. The film never uses the phrase "deer caught in a headlight," but that is what Bambi looks like at times and it is something he needs to overcome. What I liked the best is that there are several moments when father and son start to connect, but it does not quite work out, so that there is actually some character development and not just a sudden happy ending. Overall, there is actually more of a plot here than simply Bambi growing up.

The animation is done in the same style of the original classic, and if it is not as rich in detail the differences are far less than you would expect from a direct-to-video feature. I have always considered "Bambi" to have the most beautiful artwork of any of the Disney films, and this one does not suffer that much in comparison (the animators do seem to like bright yellows more this time around). There is one cutesy animal sung song, "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song," based on Frank Churchill's score for the original film, but most of the songs serve as backdrops for various sequences and are done by some familiar country singers: Alison Krauss' "There is Life," Michelle Lewis' "First Sign of Spring," and Martina McBride's "Through Your Eyes." Anthony Callea performs "The Healing of a Heart" during the closing credits.

The film is shown in "Family-Friendly Widescreen" (1.78:1), which is enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions, and also has a French language track. The bonus features on this DVD consist of a Making-Of featurette, "The Legacy Continues," and a "Bambi's Trivia Track" that can provide a constant stream of pop ups with fun facts as you watch the film. Kids will enjoy "Thumper's Hurry & Scurry Game" and there is also a "Disney Sketch Pad" piece in which Disney animator Andreas Deja teaches us how to draw Thumper.

The end result is a half-step down in quality from the original classic, which is amazing enough to justify rounding up on this one. Granted, no animated film will ever take the place that "Bambi" has in the collective psyche of the millions of youngsters who were devastated when Bambi's mother was killed. Still, "Bambi II" sets the bar pretty high for a sequel (it is certainly good enough that they could have released this to theaters) and we can only hope future direct-to-video offerings will follow suit.

While some will undoubtedly find it hard to embrace a follow-up to Disney's 1942 classic Bambi, I found Bambi II to be quite enchanting, funny, and very touching. I must admit I bring a somewhat unusual perspective to this film, as I am one of the few living souls who hasn't seen the original. For whatever reason, I never saw Bambi as a child, and now that I'm an adult I've resisted watching it because I have heard how sad it is when Bambi's mother dies. I can watch films with humans doing unspeakable things to one another and never bat an eye, but it just tears me up to see animals (whether real or cartoon) sad and hurting. I can't get through Benji without sobbing, so I've just never felt up to the task of experiencing Bambi. A grown man shouldn't admit this, but just in case you're wondering Bambi II did end up bringing a few tears to my eyes, as well. That's okay, though. Movies like this aren't just for children; in many ways, their message plays more powerfully to adult viewers, reminding us of the important things in life (especially in terms of the parent-child relationship).

This isn't a sequel to Bambi, I should note, as the story actually fits in to the middle of the original film. Bambi has just lost his mother, and now it is up to his father, the Great Prince, to take care of him. The Great Prince does not take to parenting naturally or easily; he feels that a doe should raise the child, and he asks Friend Owl to help him find a new mother for Bambi once spring arrives. Bambi desperately wants to please his father, but he is just too young to meet his father's high standards. The Great Prince wants Bambi to behave as a prince, not as a young deer. Fortunately, Bambi does have friends to play with, including Thumper and Flower. Thumper even tries to teach him how to be brave. All Bambi really wants, though, is for his father to be proud of him and to actually show him some affection. Gradually, the Great Prince begins to come down off his pedestal to be an actual, caring father to the youngster. The last half of the film is really more about the Great Prince than it is about Bambi, if you ask me; it's basically the story of a father's love. The climactic scenes really work beautifully, taking you from tear-inducing sadness to exhilaration and suspense, eventually bringing every emotional aspect of the whole story to a deeply satisfying conclusion.

The two young kids supplying the voices for Bambi and Thumper are really just superb, and Patrick Stewart brings incredible presence to the film as the voice of the Great Prince. I also think the animation is wonderful. The animation crew may have used some digital tools, but they clearly tried to follow in the footsteps of Bambi's illustrators in terms of their approach to the whole project, taking pains to remain faithful to the look and feel of the original. Since I haven't seen the first Bambi, I can't compare the two films at all but I do think the artwork of Bambi II really hits the mark.

Along with the movie, you also get a good assortment of extra features on the DVD, including an interesting look at the making of Bambi II this is where you really get a sense of the reverence Bambi II's makers have for the original film. You also have the option of watching the movie with various Bambi trivia and fun facts popping up at relevant times. A Disney animator shows budding young artists how to draw Thumper, and there's also a little "find Thumper" game for one or two players. Naturally, you also get previews of some coming Disney attractions.

All in all, Bambi II is an impressive package. The film itself is what truly matters, of course, and I think it is really good. Certainly, it's aimed at a young audience, but I can't agree with anyone saying there is nothing for adults in this film. Bambi II's portrayal of the Great Prince's love for Bambi and his struggle to find the best way to raise the lad properly certainly touch upon issues that most parents will find close to their heart. Bambi II certainly managed to touch my heart and on more than one occasion.

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Bambi is one of our family's favorite movies and we all enjoyed this new version with all of its extras. It teaches the children about the importance of family and how the father can take over if the mother is not available. There are songs by some of our favorite singers, which is an extra. The DVD has many pluses in addition to the beautiful movie, including games, cute mobiles, and more. I'm sure we will enjoy watching it many times in the future. I understand it is to be available for only a limited time. Worth adding to your DVD library.

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I love Bambi. I wasn't too crazy about the movie when I was very little (I thought it was too cheerful and too musical), but now that I'm older and I've had a chance to see it again and really take a good look at it, it's become one of my all-time favorite movies. The song "Love is a Song" and the scene where Bambi's mother dies both make me tingle almost every time.

And Bambi 2 is a wonderful sequel to such a wonderful movie. It takes place shortly after Bambi's mother is killed by the hunters. (Those darn hunters!) Don't worry, you don't actually relive the death scene in this movie.

Bambi is running around in the woods, calling his mother's name, just like in the first movie, and is receiving no response. Then he runs smack into his father, the Great Prince of the Forest, or the Great Prince, for short. The Great Prince informs Bambi that his mother can't be with him anymore, and then he leads him to his own den, which is located in another part of the forest. Bambi, as you can well imagine, is devastated by the loss of his mother. The Great Prince then speaks to Friend Owl (who somehow knows of Bambi's mother's death and is feeling very sorry for the little fawn), asking him to help find a suitable doe to raise Bambi, as Bambi is still quite young and isn't ready to manage on his own yet.

Due to harsh conditions (such as the shortage of food and the intense wintry weather), Bambi is temporarily placed in the care of the Great Prince himself. The Great Prince is very reluctant at first (in his opinion, a prince's sole responsibility is to look after the herd; does care for the young), but he agrees. So Bambi spends the rest of the winter with his father.

Eventually spring arrives, and Bambi meets up with his old pals, Thumper the rabbit and Flower the skunk. He even meets up with Faline, his crush, and Ronno, the big brute that he battles with in the first movie.

Ronno is sort of the antagonist of this movie, but the real antagonist is man. I won't give away any details, but there is one scene in the movie where a pack of vicious dogs attack Bambi. Luckily the Great Prince arrives just in time and fights the dogs off. Then he and Bambi race into the trees together just as man is firing at them with a gun.

Bambi feels like he's a big disappointment to his father. He makes it his goal to prove that he can be every bit as brave and stalwart as the Great Prince. Thumper gives Bambi a hand (er, I mean, a paw) and Flower sort of helps out as well.

Eventually the time comes when Bambi's courage--and the Great Prince's love for his son--is put to the ultimate test. The same pack of dogs that attacked Bambi earlier in the movie start to advance on a helpless doe, and Bambi is torn between running far away and saving the doe's life. Finally he makes up his mind that the doe will not die in the same way his mother did, and he bravely lures the dogs away from her.

The Great Prince goes after his son, and soon Bambi is able to thwart every last one of the dogs. But just when it seems like everything's going to be okay, Bambi takes an unexpected fall from the edge of a cliff. When the Great Prince finds him, it looks as if Bambi has died. The Great Prince, who has all but ignored Bambi for nearly half the movie, is heartbroken. He actually gets down on the ground beside Bambi and nuzzles him gently as a single tear rolls down his cheek. (This is by far the most touching and poignant scene in the entire film. Anyone who is not affected by this scene would have to have a heart of stone.) Fortunately, Bambi comes to his senses and opens his eyes, and the Great Prince is greatly relieved. They spend the next few minutes or so rubbing their faces together, and their relationship with one another improves greatly after that.

This movie is every bit as magical as the original. The animation is just as rich, and the music is just as inspiring. And the morals this film teaches are priceless. It's not as long as the first Bambi, but it's a real keeper.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, then I strongly recommend that you do so. You will not be disappointed.

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Young Bambi has just lost his mother to a hunter's will, and he is left alone in the forest to fend for himself. Bambi's father, the Great Prince of the Forest, is urged by Friend Owl to take responsibility for the boy, and the Great Prince agrees, but only till Spring. During the time they spend together, the serious and preoccupied Great Prince learns what it means to be a father, while Bambi learns what it means to gain a father and lose a mother at the same time. Bambi also goes through the more expected trials of growing up. Along with his friends, Thumper and Flower, Bambi deals with the difficulties and dangers of girls, bullies, hunters, and proving himself to others. The real story here, of course, is about the developing relationship between a father and a son, which culminates in a very touching and perfect moment of pure Disney magic.

"Bambi II" is a masterfully done piece of filmmaking that is the ultimate proof that Disney animated classics CAN have worthy and wonderful sequels. Set amidst events from the original film, "Bambi II" picks up right from the moment Bambi calls for his mother after her death in the classic and carries on to the first sprouting of his antlers and disappearance of his spots. Subtle and not so subtle touches link this sequel beautifully with the original masterpiece, including some intense encounters with Man's dogs and Bambi's struggles with Ronno, another male fawn whose attempts to gain friends make him more of a bully than anything else. Including Ronno was a stroke of genius, and those who want to see where these confrontations lead to need only view the original "Bambi." Ronno is the buck that Bambi clashes with over Faline when they are all adults. What makes "Bambi II" such a success while so many other Disney animated sequels have been considered failures? Three main reasons: One, "Bambi II" uses real kids' voices for the kid characters, while many direct-to-video animated films, and animated films in general, use adults. Trust me, it makes a BIG difference in the believability of an animated film. Two, "Bambi II" does not simply rehash the plot of the first film or make up a very contrived plot just for the sake of making a sequel. "Bambi II" shares an important and natural part of Bambi's story that was simply left unknown before. Three, "Bambi II" was made by Disney's current master animators; the guys who worked on stuff like "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast." These legendary artists should not be relegated to direct-to-video sequels, but they certainly prove that they can make such subjects every bit as big-screen-worthy as their previous triumphs. Hopefully, someday "The Man" will realize that 2D-animation for the big-screen is not dead, and then maybe I'll be re-inspired to become a Disney animator, as was my childhood dream. After all, I'm only 30, and "Bambi II" certainly stirred up some of those feelings within me once again.

There's hardly an unkind word that can be said about "Bambi II," and it would fit seamlessly into the context of the original 1942 film were it not for one thing: the songs. Much of the background music incorporates the score from the original "Bambi," but there are a few new songs, and I still am not a big fan of including modern-sounding songs in sequels to Disney animated classics. Even when the songs aren't bad, they take away from the illusion that you're watching something continuing or in the context of a MUCH older film. Here, we have original songs performed by female country music stars that we know weren't around during the making of the original film, and they just seem out of place in a story that is set during the events of the original "Bambi." Luckily, the songs aren't that frequent and aren't TOO much of a distraction. Had the film been set after the original, perhaps they wouldn't have seemed so out of place. I had the same problem with "Return to Never Land," though. That was a good film compared to other Disney sequels, but I really didn't care for the pop music in a story set during World War II. However, it had other flaws that "Bambi II" manages to avoid.

An outstanding film that receives my highest recommendation, "Bambi II" is only available for a VERY short time! Being only a single-disc version with very few extras, however, we may see a 2-disc release in the future, but who knows how long that will take?! I wouldn't wait around if I were you! If you found the first film's heavily artistic mood a bit dull, this film is still deserving of a test viewing. It's much more lively than the first in terms of action and adventure. Remember, it's the story of a boy living with his father this time around. Extras include a "find Thumper" type game for the kiddies called "Thumper's Hurry and Scurry Game," a fun "Disney Sketch Pad" clip where we get to see legendary animator Andreas Deja sketch Thumper with inspiring skill (bringing to mind those old Disney Channel moments that made so many kids dream of working for Disney when they grew up), a Trivia Track that can be run while viewing the movie, and "The Legacy Continues," a behind the scenes featurette that includes interviews with the voice talent, including Patrick Stewart of Star Trek TNG fame who voiced the Great Prince! In addition, you get several previews for upcoming Disney releases, like a Movie Surfers look at Tim Allen's version of "The Shaggy Dog" and trailers for the soon to be released "Fox and the Hound 2," "Brother Bear 2," and "Leroy and Stitch," all three coming directly to DVD. "Brother Bear 2" looks rather promising, and Lilo and Stitch are always good. "Fox and the Hound 2" looks entertaining but contrived, and it does not look like the next "Bambi II." Highly doubtful that it's being done by the same animation team, and I don't think we can expect big-screen quality direct-to-video Disney sequels from anyone else. "Bambi II" is a rare treasure of a DVD release! Pick it up before it's gone!

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Sterile Cuckoo (1969)

This lovely, heartwrenching film is the sort of story that just doesn't get told today -perhaps the innocence & honesty required just isn't there any longer. More's the pity, because this is a beautifully tender story of first love & its inevitable ending, which deserves to be seen. Liza Minnelli is unafraid to play the eccentric, lonely Pookie as needy & infuriating when required. Yet we never lose our sympathy for her, especially as we realize that Wendell Burton's shy, introverted Jerry is gradually outgrowing her. She's exactly what he needed to break out of his shell, and he clearly understands this ... but he sees that they're destined to go different ways before she does (or before she'll admit it to herself). Minnelli & Burton are superb together, utterly convincing in their wistful, somewhat lost, always searching way. And Tim McIntire's supporting performance as Jerry's boastful roommate, who surprises us with a heartfelt confession on a night drive home, is a small gem in its own right. "Come Saturday Morning" is the perfect song for this small but deeply affecting story of first love, lingering in the memory along with the characters. Highly recommended!

(Now, when is it going to be released on DVD?)

In my review of 'Cabaret', I rather rashly claimed that Liza's turn as self-destructive Ingenue Sally Bowles was her 'once-in-a-lifetime' performance. That, however, was before I caught this 1969 Gem, 'The Sterile Cuckoo', on Sky Classics.

Beautifully-directed by Alan Pakula in that strange, isolated, stereotypical 1960's-flick style, 'The Sterile Cuckoo' tells the bittersweet, emotionally macabre tale of anally-retentive college freshman Jerry Payne (Wendell Burton), and his intense relationship with the scatterbrained, maniacal Pookie Adams (Liza Minnelli), an enigmatic and energetic girl with a sad past.

Liza's first Oscar nomination was very thoroughly deserved. Even as late as 1969 the Oscars were not yet the meaningless PR-Fest that we now know them to be, and it's nominations for odd, thought-provoking performances like Minnelli's, here, that restores our faith in that system. She's absorbing and heart-wrenching, infuriating and devastating, all at the same time. Her perfect foil comes in the guise of the extremely skillfull performance turned in by Wendell Burton, in the role of her hapless boyfriend Jerry. He's the ideal contrast to Minnelli's mania, and though we are oftentimes infuriated by his apathy, we can't help but simultaneously sympathise with him.

Pakula's direction is excellent. The vistas are beautiful; simple and isolated, with so much 'New England' jumping from the screen as to make you all but feel the leaves crunching beneath your feet. The sparse countryside, punctuated by violent outbursts of colour, is the perfect metaphor for the central relationship, and Pakula makes extremely clever use of this in the scenes of Pookie and Jerry's early relationship.

A classic slice of 60's ideal surrealism, this is a beautifully-crafted, emotionally absorbing movie that REALLY should be on DVD by now. Highly recommended.

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The first time I saw this movie it bothered me. Watching the love story develop between Pookie and Roger was like watching a horror movie, I kept wanting to yell at the guy for getting into a relationship with this obviously unstable, needy, life-sucking parasite of a human being. But the film haunted me (maybe because I couldn't get "Come Saturday Morning" out of my mind), so much so I bought the video. It's really a different film that couldn't be made today. The pace is different, the plot depends on the characters, Liza Minelli's performance breaks your heart. I suggest this film to anyone who doesn't like the typical romance film of the "Pretty Woman" persuasion. Watch it after you've broken up with somebody if you want a good cry.

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This is one of Liza Minnelli's earliest films, and her first Academy Award nomination. She is outstanding as Pookie Adams, a lonely girl from a family with a sad history. She is highly intelligent and extremely winning, especially in the first scene, on a bus, where she manipulates some nuns into letting her sit next to the object of her desire, Jerry Payne. They are going to near-by colleges, and Pookie pursues Jerry, cleverly winning him over, until he finally falls in love with her. In my opinion this is the all-time best coming of age movie! A *must* see for everyone!!! You'll watch it over and over!

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I fell in love with this movie while still in high school (1972) and it is one of my favorites. There are so many good scenes that it would take forever to list them. But two stand out and are the best in the film. The scene where Pookie and Jerry are going to have sex for the first time is sweet and honest and absolutely hysterical. Liza's telephone scene ranks up there with Louise Rainer's in "The Great Ziegfeld" and Barbra Streisand's in "The Way We Were". It will tug at your heart strings like no other scene in any movie in recent years. Liza should have beat out Maggie Smith for the OSCAR for this one for which she was nominated. A wonderful movie with laughs, tears, good music and incredible performances. Please bring this to DVD PLEASE!!!

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Run for Cover (1955)

Jimmy Cagney starred in three Westerns during his long acting career---OKLAHOMA KID, TRIBUTE TO A BAD MAN, and RUN FOR COVER. Of these RUN FOR COVER is his best outing as a cowboy. This handsomely-produced, Nicholas Ray-directed film also stars John Derek, with a solid cast of recognizable Western "regulars." The film is shot in spectacular Technicolor, with a solid and tight plot, fine acting, and great production values.

Olive Films has been releasing quality issues of a number of classic 1950s Westerns licensed from Paramount Pictures. In this series are DENVER & RIO GRANDE, SILVER CITY, THE JAYHAWKERS, PONY EXPRESS, THE HANGMAN, and THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY, all of which repay re-viewing. Let's hope Olive will continue this series with such fine films as WARPATH (also with O'Brien, and directed by Bryon Haskin) and FLAMING FEATHER (with Sterling Hayden), and other other films with Charlton Heston, Alan Ladd and John Payne.

In the meantime, this film is highly recommended--it's first class Western entertainment. Thanks Olive!

Olive films Blue Ray of the 1955 Paramount film in Technicolor and Vistavision is an eye popper. Tightly written with contributions by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank who have had a hand in some of the best adapted screenplays ever written. I'm talking about THE LONG HOT SUMMER, THE SOUND AND THE FURY, HUD, HOMBRE THE REIVERS,NORMA RAE, MURPHY'S ROMANCE and THE COWBOYS. The director is something of a legend himself. Nicholas Ray who made this gem between JOHNNY GUITAR & REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Cagney gets more than able support from Viveca Lindfors, John Derek & Ernest Borgnine. The tale of an ex-con (cagney) who almost get lynched and ends up sheriff over his former tormentors is riveting. Along with the Tashlin-Lewis Olive releases I purchased recently I now feel secure that there is an alternative for classic film lovers who don't want to be reduced to MOD-R.

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This is just a simple story western!! It is most enjoyable and Mr.Cagney is fabulous as always!! He is a bit more

restrained in this one but its always a joy to watch this Guy!! He was truely one of Our Nations Great Artists!! If U

enjoy Westerns..U will enjoy this as well!! Good Back Up cast of excellent Actors make this work!! ENJOY!!!

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After a long hiatus from doing western films, James Cagney made this film in New Mexico. The film is gorgeous especially on blu-ray. The story is about a mature gunfighter that comes to small ranch and is looking to settle down after having a troubled past. He is confronted by a boneheaded youngman who is played by a young John Derek. He spends the rest of the film trying to save the kid from himself. This is good saddle drama.

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Interesting to see Cagney play a good guy, and the relationship with Lindfors is nicely developed. The same is not as true with Derek's character; it's all too obvious that he and Cagney have to wind up as the antagonists, and the redemption at the end is a little abrupt. TRIBUTE TO A BAD MAN is the better Cagney Western.

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Champion (1949)

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

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

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

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

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

A strong piece of cinema; recommended.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Red Planet / 2010 / Contact (Triple-Feature) (2012)

Warner has done a number of these "Triple-Feature" releases on Blu-ray and it's a good bargain for a trio of films that range from exceptional to good.

"The Red Planet" features Val Kilmer and Carrie Moss as part of a team sent to Mars to find out what happened to a previous expedition that vanished without any final message. Complicating things their robot assistant has gone rogue when it's damaged reverting to its original combat mode. While "Red Planet" certainly has its flaws, it's an entertaining, diverting science fiction adventure. Tom Sizemore, Terence Stamp and Benjamin Bratt fill out the other spacesuits in this adventure.

"2010" based on Arthur C. Clarke's first sequel novel of the same name to "2001" has a somewhat similair plot to "The Red Planet". Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider in the sequel) who sent the Discovery on its voyage to Jupiter hooks a ride to Jupiter on a Russian ship commanded by Tanya Kirbuk (an anagram for Kubrick and played by Helen Mirren)when the Discovery is spotted. HAL's creator Dr. R. Chandra (Bob Balaban)comes along for the ride in hopes that they can boot up HAL and when they suspect that he caused the demise of the crew. Featuring John Lithgow and a host of terrific character actors, it can't quite measure up to the original film but it's still a worthwhile adventure from director Peter Hyams ("Outland", "Capricorn One", "The Presido", "Narrow Margin").

"Contact" based on Carl Sagan's novel of the same name takes the most risks tackling questions of faith and has a truly stunning opening sequence. Directed by Robert Zemeckis ("Who's Afraid of Roger Rabbit?", "Back to the Future", "Forest Gump")and starring Jodie Foster the film tackles the first contact story form a very different perspective--what if the aliens return a message to us with instructions on how to build a device so we can meet? How will that change the balance of power, impact our sense of our place in the universe and our faith? It's a well made science fiction film although the casting is a bit wonky at times (I felt that Matthew McConaughey was miscast). Featuring some stunning visual effects and great casting (James Woods, Tom Skerritt, William Fichnter, David Morse, Angela Bassett), the film is only dated by the use of footage of President Clinton and Larry King (which gave the film a sense of reality at the time)but holds up remarkably well. The film is a bit talky at times but still manages to be engrossing.

All three films look quite good--there were some complaints that "Contact" had a bit too much digital noise reduction when it was released but it looks quite good regardless. "2010" also looks quite nice although a restoration wasn't done on the film (which was produced in 1984). "Red Planet" looks pretty good with nice strong detail throughout the presentation. There are some occasional compression artifacts but, on the whole, the film looks quite nice with bold colors and, while not reference quality blacks, they are still fairly strong.

Audio is quite strong for all three films.

The special features vary a bit ranging from weak (deleted scenes for "Red Planet" along with the theatrical trailer)to decent (the original production promotional featurette which is presented in standard definition, the theatrical trailer)to very good (commentary tracks by one from actor Jodie Foster, one from director Robert Zemekis and producer Steve Starkey, and one from senior visual effects supervisor Ken Ralston and visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum; we get three animated shot/set design that were done in CGI; "The Making of the Opening Shot" a very good featurette about the shot of the Eagle Nebula; the destruction of the NASA machine, as well as, "The Making of the Harriett Landing" and a composite reel. As I recall all three were carried over from the original DVD release) for the three films.

This is a nice, good set of three enjoyable science fiction films all on their own discs and just repackaged.

Three sci-fi movies that were nicely packed at a great price. The video and audio quality are superb, the best transfer I've seen since I saw them at the movies. The colors are vibrant and the sound is rich. If you enjoyed these films, this triple feature blu-ray is for you.

Buy Red Planet / 2010 / Contact (Triple-Feature) (2012) Now

Three great movies that go well together. Only thing I don't like about the 3-fer DVD's is missing special features, but the price is truly right for 3 movies as good as these.

Read Best Reviews of Red Planet / 2010 / Contact (Triple-Feature) (2012) Here

If you love sci-fi like my Wife and I do then this is a worthwhile purchase! We've already seen Contact which is a great story and dvd, but to have these in bluray makes it even more whorthwhile for less than 7 bucks a bluray!? Wow! Again, we've seen Contact on DVD, but can't wait to see it on bluray. After purchasing and arriving, we both watched Red Planet already and all i can say is, whoa! The sound in 5.1 is A+, picture another A+, and all around great story! The space scenes are awesome on a hifi hd bigscreen 60"! Can't wait to see 2010 and Contact! If you don't have these in your collection what are you waiting for? Very Affordable!

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Pretty Woman (1990)

This review refers to the Special 10th Anniversary DVD Edition(Touchstone) of "Pretty Woman"...

There are a couple of reasons why you may want to go with this "Special" edition of this charming and very modern update of the classic "Cinderella" story. The first is that at this time, the original edition seems to be unavailable, except from the outside sellers with prices higher then this one. The second reason is the fabulous music video with Natalie Cole doing one of the best songs from the film, "Wild Women Do". Other then that, I did not find anything really "special" about this "special" edition.

Here's what you get...A "Behind the Scenes" featurette, which runs a couple of minutes and is just some footage of Geer, Roberts and Marshall, getting ready to shoot a scene at the Polo game with the "Pretty Woman" music playing in the background. There is a very short production featurette, and except for Garry Marshall telling us what the film is about, appeared to be nothing much more than a long trailer. There is also the option of Director commentary, which may be viewed during the film, and the film is in widescreen, but both of these features are also available on the original release.

There is also some extra footage. An added scene where Vivian takes Edward back to her stomping grounds so she can check on Kit, and the two are confronted by drug dealers hardly seemed necessary. As a matter of fact it seemed to detract from the story, as it too soon takes the audience back out Vivian's fairy tale world we have entered briefly.

As far as the film itself, I still love it 15 years after it's original release. Wonderfully directed by Garry Marshall, it's a feel good film, and a wonderful love story that makes you feel you can fulfill your dreams. A great soundtrack, and the superb cast including Laura San Giacomo(she was a great Kit), Jason Alexander, Hector Elizondo, Elinor Donahue, and legend Ralph Bellamy, all make this a very special film all on it's own.

The DVD presents a very nice picture in widescreen, and good sound in Dolby surround. There are nice captions in English for those needing them, but no other subtitles. The price is actually pretty decent for a "special" edition, just don't buy it expecting a ton of extra goodies.

"What's Your Dream?"....enjoy...Laurie

For anyone who simply wants to know if this is the original theatrical version, like myself--it's not. It's the same as the 10th Anniversary Edition, with the stuff from the cutting room floor thrown back into the movie, instead of in Bonus Features where it belongs. I'm so thankful I still have the oringinal release that I love on video.

Buy Pretty Woman (1990) Now

First of all, I compared the 10th and 15th anniversary versions side-by-side and here's what I observed on my 65" widescreen HDTV:

1) while the 15th anniversary version claims to be "anamorphic widescreeen", there is absolutely no difference in the size of the picture onscreen (the 10th anniversary version was also presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, making it "anamorphic");

2) that said, however, the picture quality of the 15th anniversary version is far superior to the 10th anniversary version, which is marred by dark shadowing and lots of grain the 15th anniversary version is cleaned-up, with a much brighter picture and virtually devoid of grain or flecks;

3) while the 10th anniversary version was "edited for content", the 15th anniversary version is the full-length, unedited theatrical version;

4) the 15th anniversary version includes a few bonus extras and bloopers.

The bottom line is, if you're a fan of "Pretty Woman", a full-length, improved-picture version of the movie makes it a must-have. Get it if for nothing else, your significant live-in lady will love you for it.

Read Best Reviews of Pretty Woman (1990) Here

The delightful and charming romantic comedy "PRETTY WOMAN" which would win hearts courtesy of the wonderful performances by Richard Gere and Julia Roberts and its fantastic music now makes its Blu-ray debut nearly 20 years after the film's debut.

When I first watched this film, I absolutely fell in love with it. I purchased it on VHS, the CD soundtrack, the director's cut LaserDisc, the 10th Anniversary and then the 15th Anniversary DVD special edition, multiple release which I didn't mind. The film has become so much of a favorite that I have traveled to Beverly Hills to check out the Beverly Wilshire, to looking for similar suits and ties around that time period that Edward Lewis would sport, discovering the opera "La Traviata" and eventually listening to opera music. Needless to say, this film at the time, really touched my life and it's hard to believe that nearly 20 years have passed by.

There are so many memorable moments in the film that are just classic, it's a film that has become a classic. Just to let everyone know, this version is the theatrical version and does not include the director's cut with the extra five minutes of footage. But how does the Blu-ray edition fare? Read on.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The film is presented in 1080p high definition (1:85:1). The picture quality is not eye-popping beautiful if compared to a film created in the past few years but for a film nearly 20 years old, it looks pretty good on Blu-ray. There are a variety of scenes that I really looked closely, one being Vivian's first trip to Rodeo Drive and seeing how the outdoor shots would be, the second would be at the polo match and another would be during the restaurant scene. The picture quality was very good but it had a bit of grain, which is no surprise since grain is part of film. But again, it wasn't vibrant compared to a recent film but for a film of its time, it looks very good on Blu-ray.

In fact, the film on Blu-ray is the definitive version to own ala picture quality.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in English 5.1 uncompressed (48khz/24-bit) and having a lossless English 5.1 48khz, 24-bit track is pretty damn good. If anything dialogue is clear, music is very clear and it's what I expected from a dialogue-based film.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The special features included on this Blu-ray are special features that people have seen on DVD. Included are:

* Blooper Reel A blooper reel that is quite dated ala picture quality-wise but otherwise fun to watch.

* "Live from the Wrap Party" Richard Gere, Garry Marshall and band along with Julia Roberts jamming. Richard Gere was great on the piano and Marshall, playing the drums and Roberts singing. A fun featurette but was probably taken via a personal video camera because it looks dated.

* LA: The Pretty Woman Tour This section allows people to select on a map, various locations featured in "Pretty Woman". For example, click "Beverly Hills Wilshire" and video plays with Garry Marshall giving you his memories of the location and information about it.

* 1990 Production Featurette A featurette on the making of the film, interviews and more!

* "Wild Women Do" music video performed by Natalie Cole I was really hoping that we would see other music video hits included such as Go West's "King of Wishful Thinking", Roxette's "It's Over Now" and more but only a single video which was on the original DVD release.

* Theatrical Trailer

* Feature Audio Commentary with Director Gary Marshall This is the same commentary from the 15th Anniversary Edition which was released back in 2005. The 10th Anniversary Edition utilized the director's cut from the LD version and I'm often asked which commentary did I enjoy the most. The 15th Anniversary/Blu-ray commentary has newer commentary and you hear details that Marshall remembers of the film and how everyone has done since the release of the film "PRETTY WOMAN". But commentary-wise, I felt Marshall's director's cut commentary was very good because it was not long after the release of the film, so a lot of details were mentioned in his first commentary. Granted, for redoing a commentary for a film over 15 years later, was well done.

Now, surprising is that the deleted scenes (which were included on the film for the director's cut on LaserDisc and the special edition DVD's) are not included as a special feature. So, for those who prefer the extended version of the film, then the 15th Anniversary Edition DVD is the version to own.

I personally love this film and when the LaserDisc version first came out, it was technologically big because it included the director's cut and featured an audio commentary. With the Blu-ray edition, I wasn't sure if I would be blown away by the picture quality and the audio quality. The Blu-ray experience of "PRETTY WOMAN" was in the most part good but not great.

There are no extra special features that makes this better in content versus the 15th Anniversary DVD but its strength is that it's featured in 1080p High Definition and an uncompressed 5.1 track (48khz and 24-bit). Picture quality and audio-wise, if you have a television and receiver that can take advantage of the high definition treatment of this film, then it's even much more enjoyable because of the better quality. But anything more than that and unfortunately, there is nothing new special-feature wise compared to the 15th Anniversary Special Edition DVD. I would have loved to hear a commentary or a retrospective featurette with Garry Marshall and some of the talent but with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts doing quite well with their careers, not sure if we would ever see that. Hopefully in the 25th Anniversary release?

Also, there are some who prefer the theatrical version and some who will prefer the extended cut version. The Blu-ray version of the film is the theatrical version and the deleted scenes (extra five minutes of footage) added for the director's cut on LaserDisc and on the 15th Anniversary Special Edition DVD are not included on this Blu-ray edition.

But overall, this romantic comedy is still enjoyable and charming now as it was then. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts did a fantastic job, Garry Marshall did a spectacular job as well as with everyone cast in this film from Jason Alexander to Hector Elizondo, everyone did a great job. It's a fantastic film period and of all the previous versions that have been released, having owned so many previous releases, the Blu-ray edition is the definitive version to own.

Want Pretty Woman (1990) Discount?

The film "pretty woman" is a modern classic. It became a huge box office hit in the early 90s and made a superstar out of Julia Roberts. The film's release on DVD has been a muddled affair as a special edition version of the film that added all sorts of deleted scenes was the only version available. These scenes in my opinion took away from the original film which was perfect in it's original form. Sadly, the original theatrical version had been unavailable unless you owned a VHS copy.

The Blu-Ray version here thankfully IS THE ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION. The picture quality is clear and you can enjoy Pretty Woman without having to suffer through those awful scenes that the director frankly didn't feel worked either. The blu ray menu is gorgeous with a multipanel layout showing Vivienne's scene from the movie and the corresponding preliminary costume design artwork in another panel. James Newton Howard's amazing (and sadly still unreleased) orchestral scores plays in the background. There are loads of extras that have been offered on previous edition. On this version the main draw is the original film.

I'm very happy to have this version back in my collection.

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Parked (2010)

I watched this film because of Colin Morgan.

Parked is difficult to sum up in a sentence or a paragraph, because like every good film, it isn't about one thing or a few things. Threads run over and under each other, themes weave in and out. At the end, I find myself wondering what, really, it *was* about.

Fred Daly has recently returned to Ireland, having spent some years in England. Without a job, without a fixed address, his life is in his car. The day Cathal pulls into the same carpark, things in Fred's life begin to roll and shift. Cathal has a good heart, and the young man and the older man form an unlikely friendship that will change them both. And yet it isn't unlikely at all. Both Cathal and Fred are at a point in their lives where they are lost and drifting; part of their effect on each other is that they give each other direction, a sense of anchorage and a place to moor at the end of the day. 'Parked' turns out to be a metaphor for both Fred and Cathal's life, and the film is the story of changing, finding direction and the momentum to keep moving. The scene at the very close is a beautiful example of that circularity and momentum.

Despite the wonderful performances of the cast, especially the fantastic Colm Meaney, there was a key part towards the end where the storytelling fell down a bit. I don't want to add more for fear of spoiling it, but I felt there wasn't a proper transition from one scene to the other, explaining how we got there. It was just, 'bang, let's move onto what happened next'.

I recommend anyone watching or thinking of watching Parked to go on over to YouTube and watch some interviews with Colin Morgan (i.e. at the Mannheim Film Festival) talking about how he prepared for the role of Cathal how in portraying him, "that drugs isn't the main thing it's the person. I don't say 'I'm playing a drug addict', because that's not how anyone would describe themselves. When I went in and met those people, I did say, 'hello my name's Colin', and they didn't go, 'hello, I'm a drug addict'."

There's something about Colin Morgan he looks into the soul of his character, the story he is a part of, and gives you a piece of artistry that makes you think THIS. THIS is what acting is all about. He has an instinct for seeing what a person is made of, and the curiosity and knack for asking the right questions and in addition to all that, the wisdom to know not every question has an easily-told answer. These are some of the things that make him different I'd say that those qualities are what make him the actor that he is, rather than the reverse.

A lot of people, I'm sure, will watch or hear about this film because of Colin Morgan (best known for his role in the BBC's Merlin); he is that rare person who can sell the idea that acting is art. He's not a performer he is an *artist*, and that is a very different thing. He brings a depth and nuance to his work that few young actors do, because he is looking inward, revealing and discovering layers within layers, wheels inside wheels. It's not something done for people, for an audience we just get to witness this extraordinary interaction between person and idea that creates a kind of third space, the acting that is really being. And that is our privilege.

As a final note, I don't mean to dismiss the other actors in this film, by talking so much about Colin Morgan. Honestly speaking, I don't know too much about them, while I have been following Morgan's work. I keep saying it, but I think Colin Morgan is special even among his own kind. Watch him.

This film is not hilariously funny & I think it is a misnomer that the DVD cover describes like it. If you think homelessness & drug taking is funny then this is the film for you.

There are some funny scenes in the film don't get me wrong, but it should not be taken as a light-hearted comedy. The last half an hour or so is more hard hitting than the first hour & is very thought provoking, as Fred & Cathal's friendship starts to break down due to Cathal's drug taking. I agree that both Colm Meaney & Colin Morgan are both superbly cast, especially Colin Morgan as Cathal who is on a downward spiral to becoming a full blown junkie, which is obviously the total opposite to the loveable Merlin. This film shows that he is a very talented actor & can play various characters without being typecast.

To get the most enjoyment out of the film I suggest you put the subtitles on, because of the strong Irish accents.

Buy Parked (2010) Now

Parked took me totally by surprise. I watched it for Colm Meaney but came away a new fan of Colin Morgan. The movie itself is elegant, simple and heartbreaking with an ending filled with hope and love. The cinematography was breathtaking, the music score haunting, the dialogue real and the story couldn't be more topical. But it was the acting by the two leads that set this movie head and shoulders above anything I've seen, literally, in years. I've never seen Colm Meaney give a better performance. As Fred Daley, homeless and parked in his car with nowhere else to live, he survives in a life of quiet desperation. He finds comfort in routine, but no real joy. Colm's craggy visage gives a stolid look to our hero and his face shows all his woes. It's not until Colin Morgan's Cathal parks his own car nearby and the two become neighbors that Fred's life takes a turn for the better. Cathal is a druggie with a heart of gold, able to help others but not himself. Cathal brings the missing joy and verve back into Fred's life, and even steers him into a little romance. Colin Morgan plays Cathal in turns as jittery, intense, young, old, wise and, ultimately, heartbreaking. As Colm Meaney himself said about Colin's performance, it was simply brilliant. This movie is worth watching, more than once. And the performances are truly award worthy. Well worth seeking out.

Read Best Reviews of Parked (2010) Here

This movie was so well acted, written and so bittersweet. I completely agree with Ramses review, Colin Morgan performance was a complete 180 from his character in Merlin, he truly had my boyfriend in tears with his performance in Parked. And Colm Meaney is superb in everything he does, this movie just touched us deeply.

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First, a warning. The region 1 dvd apparently does not have subtitles. The region 2 dvd has subtitles in English, French, and German, but to play the region 2 dvd's you will need a region 2 or all region dvd player. Some of the dialogue is heavily accented and may be difficult to understand. The dialogue is, of course, important to the story.

That said, this is an unforgettable film. I watched it on a Saturday morning two weeks ago and merely thinking about it, certain images return. They are difficult and haunting and have to do with Cathal's deterioration. Having followed Colin Morgan I know that he puts a lot of study into his portrayals because he says it is important to him to be genuine and authentic. And that is what you will see. Keep that in mind. I would not suggest a family viewing where younger children are involved.

For the adults, this is a film well worth watching. It is uplifting and sad, and beautiful in a poignant way. The entire film is excellent, but most especially the performances. They will stay with you.

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The Santa Clause (1994)

If you are looking for a great, feel-good holiday movie that everyone can enjoy, this is your movie. It is not just another typical cartoon, though. There is a nice mix of comedy, drama, and great holiday fun to turn this into the next holiday classic.

We begin with Scott Calvin, a divorced businessman with a child. His wife has got another man in her life that Charlie, their son, looks up to, while Scott is still alone. It is Scott's turn to take Charlie for Christmas that year, but Charlie is less than enthusiastic about staying with his work-involved, unattentive father. Nothing goes well for them that night with dinner (it is actually quite a humorous affair), and you can sense the distance between the father and son.

Later on that night is when things change. Scott scares Santa Claus into falling off of the roof. Charlie nags Scott into putting on the Santa suit and getting into the sleigh. From that point, there is non-stop action until morning as Scott finishes up Santa's job. At the North Pole later that night, Scott finds out that he is now subject to the Santa Clause and that he has become the new Santa whether he wants to be or not.

The next morning, Scott wakes up and assumes that it was all a great big dream. He is in for a rude awakening, though, when Charlie remembers the whole thing and insists that it happened. Scott spends the year denying that tey took a trip to the North Pole. All the while, his body undergoes some pretty hilarious changes in preparation for the upcoming Christmas.

Along with Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus and Eric Lloyd as a very cute little Charlie, there is a great supporting cast to add to the movie. Judge Reinhold plays as Charlie's role model and his mother's (played by Wendy Crewson) new boyfriend. He is a dull psychiatrist that manages to add his own humor to the story with his disbelief of Christmas and his loud sweaters. There is also the unforgettable David Krumholtz as the elf Bernard. Bernard has been around for quite a long time (just ask him) and has dealt with more than one Santa. Charlie takes a liking to him and he becomes a very integral part of the movie.

This is a great holiday movie for anyone and everyone. The blend of comedy, fantasy, and touching real-life issues (like family and divorce) will make it an instant classic.

If the summer weather is getting to you and you start to long for snow and Christmas cookies with hot apple cider, this is just the movie to awaken that inner child who is still fascinated with life and believes in magic.

The scene is set for a rather bleak Christmas. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) plays the part of a divorced toy company executive who wants to spend Christmas with his son. Charlie is not exactly thrilled with the prospects of his father's culinary talents and they opt out for dinner at Denny's. Later that evening after Scott has read The Night Before Christmas to Charlie, Charlie awakens to the "clattering" on the roof. Scott runs outside to find reindeer on his roof and Santa who then suddenly falls off the roof. Ooopps.

So, what will happen to all the presents and who will deliver them? Scott puts on the red suit and by doing so enters into the" Santa Clause" and must be the next Santa. In order to prepare for his duties, he physically changes into the jolly Santa everyone loves. Scott mentions a few "versions" of Santa Claus who are loved by millions of children all over the world. This legendary figure is portrayed in this movie as a jolly, stout man with a twinkle in his eye, rosy-red cheeks and a cheerful laugh. This is the American adaptation of the European legend of Saint Nicholas.

Though he may look a bit different in each country and be called many names, to children of all countries his message is the same. They peek out the windows and hope to catch a glimpse of this special man as he flies through the sky, delivering gifts for boys and girls they will get to open on Christmas Day.

There are many enjoyable witty lines executed so well by Tim Allen. The script is superb and memorable. The classic "Tim" with fire extinguisher in hand to save the flaming family turkey is a must see. Charlie himself says some pretty funny one liners and is quite the actor in this movie. The elves are also adorable and they come to the rescue at a moments notice.

A very enjoyable family comedy you can laugh along with, year after year. While this movie doesn't really explain the true meaning of Christmas, it does give some insight into the true spirit of the Holiday Season.

~The Rebecca Review

Buy The Santa Clause (1994) Now

With the possible exception of White Christmas, The Santa Clause is the best Christmas movie since films went to color. As you can see from other's reviews, this is an absolutely terrific film. If you are wondering whether or not to get it, get it and, if you have even the tiniest good feelings about Christmas, you won't be disappointed.

That said, someone at Disney aught to be taken out and slapped for the dismal way this movie's "Special Edition" was treated. Admittedly, if you want to finally upgrade to the Widescreen version of this film (as everyone should), this is your chance. Beyond that, however, this DVD is an unworthy homage to a terrific film. There are no commentaries, no production notes, not even the usual fare of trailers from the film. What is there is an absurd featurette where the actor playing Bernard comes out and gives a pep talk to a group of elves plus some holiday recipes.

Maybe I'm over-reacting, but I figure that, with this release in advance of The Santa Clause 2, they would have really loaded this up. Director commentaries are a must and, with Disney practically owning Tim Allen, a commentary with him and some of the other stars would have been great added value. The movie is great, as my rating references, but this is NOT a Special Edition, no matter what it says on the case.

Anyone buying this should enjoy the movie and write Disney and complain about its treatment.

Read Best Reviews of The Santa Clause (1994) Here

I think the movie the santa clause is great it shows a

more realistic side of the santa saga.I like how the elves are younger it gives the younger generation a better feel for the movie opposed to if they were older actors as elves i've had this movie for two years now and am still enjoying it no mater what time of the year it is.I would recommend this movie for all ages,its certainly a must see!

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People say this isn't a classic, but I, however, think so. Don't think this movie is too childish. It's not. I'm 14 and I enjoyu every moment of it. It's so wonderful, magical, cute, and very warm in some parts. Tim Allen is hysterically funny, and with some of his lines. "Freezing my nubs off out here, and you want me to get into a Santa costume.", he says after furiously and reluctantly takes off his jacket and is in his underwear putting on Santa's suit, when the other Santa falls off of Scott Calvin's (Allen) roof. When he's inside the first house he takes out a plastic dump truck and it lightly thuds on the floor as he puts under the tree. In comes this Rottweiler growling at him. Scott puts on his most winning smile and says "Nice teeth." The dog barks at him. He tries to escape out of the window, but an alarm goes off. Someone upstairs yells "Who's down there?!" He inches his way towards the fireplace, with the dog growling at him, saying "It's the holidays. Come on. Whoo-hoo-hoo." All of a sudden there's a gunshot. Scott eventually gets back up the chimney and on his way to the next house. This is funny and will become a favorite in your holiday movie collection. (...).

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Garfield Double Feature (2011)

If you like the cartoons of Garfield you will be pleased with this bluray disc. Nothing more to say. It keeps the kids happy.

I have Garfield the Movie and Garfield a Tale of Two Kitties on DVD. I wanted to replace them with blu ray. I would recommend watching these movies.

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Creepshow (2009)

Being a fan of both Stephen King and George Romero, "Creepshow" has always been among my favorite horror flicks. Campy at times perhaps, but that's the whole point to bring a comic book feel to film. And it offers a perfect balance of silly comic horror and genuine horror, making for a very enjoyable viewing experience if one remembers not to take it too seriously.

What you get is 5 mini stories, some of them better than others but all offering plenty of shocks and chills. It opens with "Father's Day," where a deceased victim of murder rises from the grave for a nice little Father's Day surprise. One of the better ones. "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" follows, where Stephen King takes on the lead role as a hillbilly who finds a meteor with a nasty habit of making green hair grow on, well, everything. This one is more funny than scary but still good. King does a great job as the clumsy and unintelligent-but-likeable Jordy Verrill. Next up is "Something to Tide You Over," where a vengeful man (Leslie Nielsen) gets even on his cheating wife and her lover (Ted Danson) by burying them both in the sand and letting the tide take care of the rest. This is my second favorite of the bunch. It's cool to see Nielsen take on the role of the "bad guy" for a change. Goes to show his versatility as an actor. Ted Danson is great too. What follows is "The Crate," in my opinion the best one. It's also the longest one. Hal Holbrook plays a loser whose nasty wife gets what she deserves when he finds a mysterious blood-thirsty creature locked away in an old crate. This is the darkest and creepiest of the stories. Pure fun, with top-notch acting from everyone. The final story, "They're Creeping Up On You," is the only one I've never liked. An eccentric millionare with a roach phobia just can't seem to get rid of his little crawling friends no matter what he does. Anyone who doesn't like roaches is advised to skip this one. The final scene will take away your appetite for at least a few days.

Now that I've talked about the movie itself (easily 5 stars), I have to comment on this sorry excuse for a DVD (0 stars). This has to be THE worst transfer ever put on DVD. I used to think it couldn't get any worse than the first edition single-disc transfer of "Scarface," but I was wrong. "Creepshow" was put on DVD just for the sake of putting it on DVD. NO CARE whatsoever was put into presentation. As another reviewer has mentioned, the movie literally "jumps" throughout the entire time. Grain and those annoying "hairs" appear on the screen almost every second. The VHS offers better picture quality; that says a lot. The only bonus feature of this DVD is the trailer, which I suppose is cool, but let's get real. Another slap in the face is the scene selections. The inside of the DVD case advertises 41 scene selections in the "Scene Index" card, but that's misleading, as the movie only has 21 actual scene selections. So if you want to watch one specific scene, 9 times out of 10 you will need to select the *closest* scene to the one you want and end up scanning forwards or backwards to get to the one you really want. Yet another example of a poorly thought-out DVD.

Bottom line: "Creepshow" is a great cult flick that deserves a MUCH better DVD. If you have the VHS stick with that. Only get this DVD if you no longer own a VCR or absolutely must own all of your movies on the DVD format. "Creepshow 2" recently got a new DVD edition that does it justice, so maybe there's some hope that "Creepshow" will eventually get the same treatment someday. Until then, we must settle for this lackluster DVD.

How can i ever express my glee toward this 1982 film? From the first viewing i fell in love with the timeless horror classic. This particular entry into the genre is notable for its uncannyand faithful tribute to the 1950's horror comics (as distributed by EC Publishing), its comical charm, its fantastic effects, and its cult creators (Stephen King and George Romero, and effects by fan fave Tom Savini). Packed with five stories of the macabre this film is bound to please fans of horror as well as kids, adults, and most other moviegoers with its immortal style. The first tale provides us with a story regarding a cranky old man that was murdered by his daughter on Father's Day because she grew weary of his actions against her. Knowing that you are watching a Romero/King flick only can assure you of the fun to come from said situation. The second tale of terror stars none other than Stephen King in what is perhaps horror film's most enjoyable guest star role. King plays a simple hick who comes across a meteor which spreads its reign of terror around his home. King provides us with a truly memorable and quirky performance that is sure to remain in most people's minds. The third tale involves a cheating wife and the vengeance of her spiteful husband on both she and her "other" man...naturally taking up on the EC tradition we can only expect the worse lesson for the wrath-ridden husband via supernatural means. The fourth tale is about a strange crate that is discovered beneath the steps of a college stairwell. Within lie the mysterious contents of an Artic expedtion...that we all know will only wreak their havoc. The final creepout is slowly presented to us in the form of an evil tycoon with nothing on his mind but money...and getting rid of filthy cockaroaches (or vice versa?). Each story is fantastically told and to top it all off we are provided with a wraparound tale that introduces the whole chi-bang. This is what fun is all about. No need to take this serious just watch it for the enjoyability factor and you won't be disappointed. Fans will also find, much to their pleasure, a wide array of bedazzling special effects, oddball lighting, unique characters, and overall good direction and storytelling. A definite addition to any sane person's video library. The dvd version is creepshow at its best. Presented in the best color, picture, and sound ever, don't fret video buyers because the dvd sports nothing extra that you might be missing. Regardless of the lack of extra features this dvd is a no miss. Buy it

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I grew up watching this movie whenever and wherever. I like to think that the writers of Creepshow educated me in how to handle life's many problems and keep a smile on my face while doing so. I was amazed at how the remains of Nathan Grantham, the murdered patriarch of the Grantham family, exacted revenge on his ungrateful family, and he even managed to get his Father's Day cake in the end! And for all of you people on the old ball and chain, look at the way in which Henry dealt with his horrifying wife Wilma. This just goes to show us that sometimes, seeminlgy awful situations can work in our favor. Oh, and if you like cockroaches, then this movie is definately for you.

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Creepshow is a well made horror/comedy from writer Stephen King and director George Romero. The movie is five tales about a man rising from dead wanting revenge,a dumb farmer(King) that had a meteorite landing on his farm and then turning him into a plant and his whole farmland turns the color green,a millionare buries a man on the beach and him and his dead girlfriend come back and take their revenge,a monster in a crate,and a professor and his loathe of cockroaches. Each tale is well made and well directed though the third one is the weakest the last one is the best. The movie is directed like a comic book with red and blue lighting in the scenes looking like a comic and there is cartoon segments. Anchor Bay needs to release a special edition just like they did with Creepshow 2(Decent sequel). The VHS version is the best way to watch while the DVD is bare-bones and fans complain the picture and transfer is terrible. The cast is good and includes E.G. Marshall,Adrienne Barbeau,Ted Danson,Leslie Nielsen,Hal Holbrook,Ed Harris,and Stephen King. Every horror/comedy fan should have Creepshow in their collection.

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This is my top ten favorite horror movies along with carrie, the company of wolves, and the shining. i have seen this movie so many times and it never gets old.

A boy's father catches him reading a horror magazine and it gets thrown in the trash. from the magazine comes 5 stories Fathers day(my favorite) about a rich old man who died and is now coming form his grave to get his fathers day cake, and he wont take no for an answer. the second one is funny not scary in the lonesome death of jordy verrill. played by stephen king. a meteor explodes in his frontyard and before you can say meteor**** he i sa walking weed. the third is something to tide you over about a jealous husband who gets revenge on his wife and her lover. but they come back to get their revenge also. the fourth called the crate is about a man who hates his drunken wife(hilariously played by adrienne barbeau) adn when he finds a crate with a surprise inside what a surprise is in store for his wife. the last is they're creeeping up on you about a horrible selfish man who hates cockroaches. but in the end the cockroaches gets the last word. this movie is both scary and hilarious. one of my favorites. its twenty years old and it still holds up! the acting direction and the soundtrack is excellant!

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2011)

2008 was a very big year for films adapted from books, with several reaching the high acclaim of Academy Award nominations. One adapted film that didn't get much recognition, however, is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, based on the novel by John Boyne.

The film opens with the following quote emblazoned on the screen: "Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows." As the quote suggests, this is a sort of coming of age film, and over the course of 94 minutes,those in the audience slowly watch the innocence of children unravel before their eyes as the reality of what is taking place becomes more and more illuminated.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is the story of a family living in Berlin during World War II. The main character, an eight-year-old boy named Bruno (Asa Butterfield), spends his time in Berlin playing with his friends and reading adventure novels. His father, brilliantly played by David Thewlis (most will recognize him as Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter franchise), soon gets a promotion, however, and Bruno, his parents, and his sister move to the German countryside where his father will take up his new position. Unlike their time in Berlin, Bruno's parents are careful to keep their son close to home, and Bruno, an explorer and adventurer at heart, is confined to the small fenced area surrounding their house.

From his bedroom window, Bruno can see what he thinks is a strange farm off in the distance. He notices that the "farmers" act strangely and wear strange "pajamas" while they work. Later, he notices that the smokestacks on the farm give off an absolutely wretched stench when they are burning. By now, of course, the audience knows that what Bruno has seen is not a farm at all, and that his father's new position is Commandant of the nearby concentration camp.

The naive Bruno manages to escape from the grounds of his home and is finally free to explore the woods behind the house. Not paying much attention to where he is going, he happens upon a remote part of the camp where he meets another eight-year-old boy, Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), confined by a different kind of fence. The two become friends, and Bruno sneaks away every chance he gets to go and visit the only playmate he has found since moving away from Berlin.

This is an interesting film on many accounts, the most fascinating being the changes that each member of Bruno's family undergoes. His father, a seemingly reluctant, "political only" Nazi at the beginning, devolves into a hardened, harsh man. Bruno's sister Gretel (Amber Beattie), encouraged by a handsome lieutenant working with her father, falls victim to the Aryan propaganda so much that her room is soon filled with posters of the Fuhrer, much like young girls today would adorn their walls with images of the Jonas Brothers. Finally, there's Bruno's mother (Vera Farmiga), who is the antithesis to the growing Nazism in her family. At first she is happy for her husband and the success he has as a soldier in the German army. However, as she learns more about her husband's new charge, and the truth is revealed about the camp, she becomes bitter and angry.

And then there's Bruno. All the signs are there. Bruno comes across every hint he possibly could as to the truth behind the "farm" where his friend Shmuel lives and works. Yet he remains utterly oblivious. Caught between the two stages of "sounds and smells and sights" and "the dark hour of reason," the filmmakers show the great price of failing to deal with the world around us.

Much of the criticism that I've read regarding this film deals with the supposed overextension of innocence to both child characters. Many critics cannot grasp the idea of an eight-year-old child not understanding that the "farm" is really a horrible work camp, that the "pajamas" are prison clothes, that the mysterious disappearances that Shmuel tells of and the smoke from the chimneys are the results of the systematic slaughter of the camp's inhabitants. That may be a fair criticism, but I think it misses the greater point that the filmmakers seem to be making.

Bigger than a child's loss of innocence, Bruno seems to be a representation of Germany, perhaps even humanity, itself, and the failure to deal with the evil right before one's very eyes. So many Germans claimed the innocence that we see in Bruno, saying they had no knowledge of the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem that Hitler and his SS were carrying out across the European continent. Even today, despite all the existing evidence, there are still those that deny the Holocaust happened, not wanting to acknowledge the great evil of which humanity, perhaps even their neighbors and family members, is capable. More than anything else, this film shows the great price humanity pays for such utter naivete.

All in all, this is a very well done film. The story, though slow in the beginning, is engaging, thought-provoking, and, in the end, heart-wrenching. It is well-acted, especially in the performances of the young boys, and the bright colors and airy score provide a sort of bizarre juxtaposition to what is happening on screen.

The DVD includes the typical bonus features of deleted scenes and a feature-length commentary, as well as a featurette entitled "Friendship Beyond the Fence."

After I read the novel by John Boyne and heard the news that a movie adaption was currently in theatres, I was slightly scared that the film would be too extreme and dramatic for me, because I don't do well at all with films that scare me or make me sadand thinking about the plot of the book, I knew watching a movie version would tear me to pieces.

But, as it happened, my school went on a field trip to see the movie a few weeks after I finished the book, and I ended up having to watch the whole movie through and write a report comparing and contrasting it from the novel. And guess what?I sobbed like a baby in front of all my friends.

Although the last parts of the movie are very sad and deeply patronizing, it is overall a very good adaption of the book that caused so much controversy among young readers like me(I'm 15 by the way).

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I know that many movie critics bombed this movie, but you really need to decide for yourself.

I thought this movie was very well made, the acting was excellent, and the story was very intriguing. I have read the book the movie is based from, and the movie follows the book very closely.

I have to say my favorite part of the movie is the music the soundtrack is amazing! It was made by the same composer that did the soundtrack for Titanic and Braveheart, to name a few.

Be prepared for a shocking ending some don't like it, but I did. I think it's a realistic approach to the Holocaust not every story has a happy ending.

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I'm teaching The Boy in the Striped Pajamas to my lower level students this year. I absolutely loved the fable and thought it would be a great way to teach the students the literary term theme. I purchased this film to cover my state's media standards. I'm so glad that a classroom edition was available. It has bonus material that will be great to show the kids to discuss propaganda (also a state standard). I'm usually a die-hard believer in "the book is better," however, this film adaptation is incredible. I know it will spark a great discussion on the differences between print versus non-print. I'm excited to begin this unit with my students. I highly recommend using the film in your classroom. Plus, there are great teaching sources on the film available on the Internet (like a discussion guide).

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The movie's subject matter, first and foremost is very HEAVY.

The story follows a boy in a particular German military family. He is your average adventurous and innocent/ naïve eight-year-old boy. His family is a very ordinary German family, for that time, except his father had just been promoted to a high position within the military, causing the family, much to the children's chagrin, to move out to the country (discovered in the first five minutes of the film).

In this movie, you will see a wide range of acceptance and emotion for the German political agenda. You'll see the happenings of this family from the boy's perspective, including his introduction to the Jewish people.

In my opinion, this movie is very well made, intelligent, and powerful. The messages that are being conveyed are wonderful conversation pieces. It's time to expand horizons and stimulate the brain with this very strong film. Grab some family or friends, or someone from the office and see what this movie is all about.

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Danton (1982) (1983)

Danton deeply affected me. I have seen it many times now, and each time is as powerful as the first. It is one of those rarest of creatures: a film that succeeds simultaneously as a work of art and a political essay. There is nothing ponderous or pedantic about it, as with many political films (the recently released Cradle Will Rock comes to mind), nor is it shallow as with most artistic works that try to make political statements. It poses very immediate questions about freedom and democracy, while painting very vivid portraits of Danton and Robespierre, both of whom are brilliantly acted and perfectly cast. Not that Danton is an historical documentary. Far from it, it is not really trying to portray history at all. It is not so much about the Revolution as it is about revolution, or about Danton and Robespierre as it is about how leaders, no matter how brilliant or well-meaning, are eminently human, flawed, and powerless against the hard limitations of human society. Robespierre is portrayed as the elevated idealist, trapped in a hopeless dilemma, and ultimately becoming the very thing he most despised. Danton is the down-to-earth realist, the man of the people, yet he grossly overestimates his influence and the power of the people and ends up paying for it with his life. One reviewer complained that Danton is ahistorical, that it reflects more of the director's own experience in Poland than historical research. This is quite so, and quite intentionally so. There is no doubt that we are meant to draw immediate parallels between France and modern day Easter Europe (the Communists have studied the French Revolution avidly for years), which is precisely why it was banned there. It is art, not a documentary the director is speaking to the soul as well as the intellect.

This is the best drama of the French Revolution currently available. (it is on par with the 5 hour epic on the French Revolution which is still in copyright dispute in France...the one with Jane Seymour as Marie Antoinette and Peter Ustinov as Mirabeau...if you ever see this grab it because the dont even show it on French TV anymore)

This is an account of the last week of life of Danton. The filming, the costumes and the small parphenalia of everyday life that can be seen in the movie are all rich in authentic detail.

The dialogue were it is historically known is virtual quotation. Where it is not known it is in character. Knowing a fair amount about this time period I could find nothing really to quibble with as far as the accuracy of anything portrayed...in fact I was constantly surprized at the attention to every little detail (and I mean down to the accuracy of the price of bread posted on a placard visible behind the crowd scene.)

This movie is a must have for anyone interested in the politics of the time period...I also recommend La Nuit de Varrene which does not seem to be available with Harvey Keitel as Thomas Paine...it is fictional and the premise is a public coach on the sam route and behind Louis XVI as he is fleeing Paris. The coach has a cross section of people. Retif de La Bretonne, a Lady in Waiting, a rich Industrialist, young Jocobin, etc...who debate the revolution in the carriage. It is excellent for understanding the revolution as seen from a variety of points of view...I dont undertstand why these excellent movies are not put on DVD and made more widely available.

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It is a really fantastic movie. One of Wajda's best and one of Depardieu's best. The movie is set in post-Revolution France, in which two groups, one headed by Danton (Depardieu) and one by Robespierre (Wodjciech Pszoniak) who also give a great performance.

The movie is a metaphor for how the persuit of power can make a once idealistic movement into the same dictatorship it has overthrown. It is something that has been repeated all throughout history.

Robespierre, one of the leaders of the revolution has become the leader of France once the Revolution has ended. Danton, another of the Revolution's leaders, still, is a very popular figure and has a lot of power.

Robespierre has started to round up and execute any opposition. Danton decides to return to the public spectrum to challenge Robespierre's tyrannical rule and bring rights to the people.

Danton makes a moving argument, but in the end he, himself, is captured and executed. The movie ends with Robespierre being named dictator for life.

The acting in superb, especially from Depardieu who gives a powerhouse performance as the extremely charismatic Danton, courageous until the end.

The movie is a story of a great tragedy. It is one of the greatest historical movies of all time, in my opinion.

It is a crime that it hasn't been released on DVD.

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Wajda's Danton is based on Stanislawa Przybyszewska's The Danton Case though the poor woman would be rolling over in her very cold and miserable grave to see what Wajda has done to her brilliant Robespierrist drama. Dantonist though it is, and sometimes glaringly anachronistic in its parallels between Walesa's Poland and Danton's France, Wajda's film is edgy, vibrant and memorable. It captures the surreal and nightmarish quality of Paris in the spring of 1794. The tragedy of radical social change is poignantly portrayed. The acting, especially that of Depardieu--who doesn't precisely suit the role, and Pszoniak, who does marvellously,--is altogether very good. Try saying to yourself, Robespierre is *not* Stalin or Jaruzelski.

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A dark somber film about a dark somber period in the world's history. The complexity and uncertainty of Danton is elucidated within this magnificent Polish-French production. The tone of the movie is ominous and the acting is dramatic in the tradition of the English stage. The music is superb and elevates the drama in practically every scene.

This performance is one of Depardieu's finest. Interestingly, however, it is the character of Robespierre who receives the most favorable treatment. How do we normally see him? As a monster and a villan, but here he is humanized. Robespierre the man is rightly depicted as being out-of-touch with the masses and remaining unshakeably fixated upon utopian ideals that no man is capable of meeting. Had he comprehended this, France would have been spared much blood and misery. Had Danton been less absorbed and more decisive, perhaps there would have been some mitagation of the great terror. To me, this film would warrant ten stars on a ten point scale.

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