Santa Claus: The Movie (25th Anniversary Edition) (1985)

Anyone buying a copy of this film should really get the wide screen DVD version. The flying sequences are so much better in widescreen as are the scenes in the North Pole toy factory. The "full frame" pan and scan version just can't hold a candle to the widescreen (I have both so have carefully compared them.)

There is an excellent director's comment track with questions being asked by the Special Projects Consultant for Anchor Bay (the company distributing the DVD) and answered and expanded upon by the director, Jeannot Szwarc. It is worth the price of the package alone. However there is also a great "making of" feature that was produced as a TV documentary at the time of the theatrical release of the film.

This is a really great Christmas film for the whole family. The first hour telling the story of how a simple wood cutter and toy maker become Santa Claus is completely charming. David Huddleston is a wonderful Claus. Dudly Moore is excellent as the elf, Patch, who is into everything and constantly inventing new gadgets. He shows his tender side as he grooms and takes care of the reindeer. It is really tragic that Mr. Moore now has the disease that make it impossible for him to perform any longer. That makes this film that much more of a treasure as it shows him at the top of his form as an actor. (Too bad the producers couldn't have used his musical talents in some way.)

John Lithgow is a delightfully hammy villain in the second portion of the film showing the early stages of the character he later does in "Third Rock From The Sun". The two children are also great, very real and not the cloying poor child actors that could easily have been used.

Trim the tree, light a fire in the fireplace, pour an egg nog and enjoy the very special Holiday treat!.

The man who plays Santa in this movie is the cutest, sweetest, most magical Santa Claus ever captured on film. I swear to this day...this man IS the real Santa. They could not have done a better job in casting this film. I get goosebumps every time they show Santa take off in the sleigh for the first time. Outstanding movie!!

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This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It brings the legend of Santa Claus to life in a grandiose way (i.e. great Hollywood special effects and wonderful musical score!) This movie was produced by the Salkinds (which probably explains why some of the flying sequences are similar to the Superman movies.) I just recently found it is available now on DVD. The DVD gives you four movie trailers and a very interesting hour-long behind the scenes making of "Santa Claus: The Movie." It also has director's commentary, if you like that. Buy the widescreen version. Ever since owning a DVD player, I have enjoyed watching movies presented widescreen. I hate to see them "fit to screen," because it cuts so much out of the picture. The score is by Henry Mancini and is just magical, especially "Sleigh Ride Over Manhattan"! This is a wonderful Christmas movie that you and your family will enjoy for years to come!!

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When this film came out 20 years ago it was really hailed for it's special effects and technical achievments. Remember this was before CGI and the use of computer generated special effects was in its infancy. The achievement of getting Santa Claus and his reindeer and sleigh to fly was truly masterful. Not coincidently the film was produced by Ilya Salkind who produced the Superman Films and brought along some of the men who did the effects on the Superman films. Besides the flying sequences, the creation of the North Pole was the most elaborate ever seen on film up to that point, and possibly ever.

The movie begins in the past showing how The David Huddleston character eventually becomes Santa Claus. Huddleston makes for a truly striking Santa Claus, certainly one of the very best ever seen on screen. The film then jumps forward to modern day and loses a bit of steam. As Patch the Elf, Dudley Moore leaves the North Pole to head to the big city where the naive elf falls under the influence of ruthless corporate toy manafacturer B.Z. played by John Lithgow. This was one in a long line of villain roles the he would play in the late 80's and early 90's. Some people thinks he steals the show as a modern day Scrooge but to me he just chews up a bit too much scenery and takes some of the heart out of the film. That aside it's really a well done film, perhaps a bit dated but still good enough to be an annual holiday treat.

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Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, and David Huddleston star in the 1985 masterpiece (that's right, I said masterpiece), "Santa Clause the Movie". The film starts off by depicting the origin of one of the world's most favorite people, Santa Claus (David Huddleston), showing how he and his wife were brought to a workshop at the North Pole by elves in fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. There, they were granted immortality with the mission of delivering the elf-made toys to the children of the world on one night each year. The film charmingly takes us through the centuries and eventually lands in modern day, when a wealthy little girl named Cornelia befriends a homeless orphan boy named Joe in New York City. The pair also manage to befriend Santa on his nightly ride, but when he returns home and finds his heavy workload is becoming too much for him, Santa decides to take on an assistant. A competition is held, but when the result brings on disaster the following Christmas, an ambitious elf named Patch (Dudley Moore) decides to go out into the world and prove his worth to Santa. It's soon after that he meets B.Z (Lithgow), an unscrupulous, greedy maker of dangerously defective toys. Patch naively teams up with B.Z. to bring the world "something special" for Christmas, but in the end only Santa Claus himself, with the help of Cornelia and Joe of course, will be able to save Patch and everyone else from the hazardous gifts they create!

The Salkinds, the same people who brought you Christopher Reeve as "Superman," spared no expense in this epic tale of another high-flying force for good, Santa Claus, appropriately dubbed "Santa Claus the Movie." "Supergirl" director Jeannot Szwarc skillfully handles the reins on this one, and though he follows the same basic formula of the first Reeve Superman film, it's all the detail and charm that makes this holiday classic a masterpiece in its own right. With its magical first half and clever, modern-fairytale second half, "Santa Claus the Movie" adds up to the best movie about the big man in red made to date. Forget the others if you don't have this one yet! The cast is fantastic, by the way. David Huddleston simply IS Santa, Dudley is delightful as the unworldy, bright-eyed Patch, Lithgow is detestably hilarious as wicked toy pusher B.Z. (reminiscent of Dan Aykroyd's old SNL character), and the kids (Carrie Kei Heim and Christian Fitzpatrick) and Judy Cornwell as Mrs. Claus are perfectly cast as well. The chemistry throughout the cast is amazing, and so are the pre-CGI effects and classic '80's fantasy music from Henry Mancini with one song performed by Sheena Easton!

The DVD from Anchor Bay is a must own (mine is the older cover, but I hear it is exactly the same). It's presented in glorious enhanced widescreen and has fantastic extras. You get two U.S. theatrical trailers, plus the International and German trailers, an excellent audio commentary with the director accompanied by Special Projects Consultant for Anchor Bay Scott Michael Bosco, talent bios on the late Dudley Moore and director Jeannot Szwarc, and a fascinating, lengthy, revealing, and in-depth making-of featurette made during the making of the film. Try to ignore the director humiliating one of the elf actors during the "making-of" featurette, and the fact that it repeatedly drops the ball in keeping up the illusion it initially presents. If you really want to see some pre-CGI movie magic, you have to check out this excellent featurette, and this beautiful film! Get this one on DVD along with "The Nativity Story," and you'll have the two most significant origin stories of the Christmas season!

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An Innocent Man (1989)

I always like Tom Selleck movies. Some are actually very entertaining. This is by far his best dramatic role. I was very impressed how well he played the part of a framed Airline crew chief Jimmie Rainwood. F. Murray Abraham gives a great performance as one of the prison inmates, Virgil Cane, that befriends him. It has all the elements for some good drama, bad cops, drugs, decent and really bad convicts, attractive loving wife, and motive for revenge.



David Rasche and Richard Young do a fine job as the crooked detectives that frame him. I have recommended this to many people since many Selleck fans are not even aware of it. Whether you like Selleck or not you will enjoy this film if you like movies like "The Fugitive","US Marshals", and "Shawshank Redemption". It is being released on DVD soon and you can bet I pre-ordered a copy.

An Innocent Man Blu-ray Review

Distributor: Mill Creek Entertainment (US)

Tom Selleck will always be known as Magnum P.I. to anyone who grew up watching classic TV shows throughout the 1980's, however this little known film actually showcased a real talent for playing a very different kind of leading role.

The film takes a basic prison drama as the stories middle and adds a character driven beginning and an ending which at times almost borders on an action movie. Tom Selleck plays Jimmie Rainwood, an average ordinary every day guy, wrongly sent to prison by two cops that you will just love to hate and the film follows his characters story as he progresses through his time spent in a harsh prison trying to adjust to a very less than average life style. Usually, the release of the main character from his incarceration would mark the films natural conclusion, however being released from prison is only the start of Rainwood's troubles and the film continues at steady pace until the final climatic showdown which will leave you totally rooting for main character.

A very welcome, although somewhat surprising release for Blu-ray treatment, the film is presented in a 1080i 1.78:1 wide-screen transfer which actually looks pretty good. Ultimately, there is nothing here of stand out quality, however the picture looks quite sharp with some nice detail on display as well as showing reasonable colour representation and black levels also appearing natural. With minimal print damage on display apart from the odd slight flicker or speck, this new HD release really marks a vast improvement over previous DVD releases. Thankfully, Mill Creek Entertainment have produced this Blu-ray as a region free disc, so people who need to consider region coding issues need not be concerned.

Audio is presented as a DTS 2.0 master and although entirely unremarkable, dialogue is clear without any distortion and the now memorable score obviously sounding better than ever. Admittedly certain action scenes do come across as a little flat, however this is only in comparison to more modern day releases and the soundtrack overall provides a reasonably good listening experience.

Sadly there are no extras present on this release, however the main selling point here is the film itself and this being a budget release, you actually get an awful lot of film for your money.

If you are looking for an emotion filled yet realistic character driven story, complete with excellent acting from the lead role and supporting cast, then this film is a great way to be thoroughly entertained while also probably left wondering how you would ultimately cope should the same situation occur.

Almost a mini classic, for certain it is nice to see these less remembered titles finding their way to Blu-ray and hopefully other lesser known movies will now follow suit.

"Two cops on the take just made the biggest mistake of their lives, they framed an innocent man."

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Even though you know what's going to happen to Tom Selleck's character, and you know that the ending will be happy, watching the process is enjoyably discomfiting. This is a plot film -stuff keeps happening to the main character, things he appears utterly incapable of controlling, and everything spirals right into disaster. Great Friday night fare. Make a lot of popcorn and savor it.

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Jimmie Rainwood (Selleck) is a hard-working crew chief for a major airline. Two crooked cops are ready to line their pockets from a drug bust. It goes badly and Jimmie's new home awaits: a maximum security prison.

Life ain't easy on the inside. Luckily, he becomes friends with Virgil (F. Murray Abraham) who shows him the ropes and takes a liking to him. So does Jingles (Young). For all the wrong reasons.

The tension behind the prison walls is equal to what's happening to Rainwood's wife (Robins)outside them, courtesy of our vigilant 'protect and serve' friends. If you like your revenge sweet, and the bad guys getting theirs, then "An Innocent Man" will be your cup of poison.

I was never a huge fan of Selleck's but this film changed my mind. You'll want this movie in your personal collection.

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Innocent? Yes, aren't we all? But in AN INNOCENT MAN, Jimmie Rainwood (Tom Selleck) really is, albeit a presumably highly paid one as a senior mechanic on the aircraft maintenance line of American Airlines in Southern California. Married to Kate (Laila Robins) and living in a hillside house with a view of Los Angeles-San Pedro Harbor, Jimmie has the good life. That is, until he runs afoul of two corrupt drug squad detectives from the local constabulary, Parnell (David Rasche) and Scalise (Richard Young), who supplement their income partnering with a major narcotics supplier, stealing from competing dealers, and selling the goods to their patron. Mistakenly led to believe that a deal is going down at Rainwood's home, they bust in while Jimmie is home alone finishing up a shower. Parnell and Scalise shoot Rainwood thinking the hair dryer he's holding is a weapon. Realizing their mistake, they cover their tracks by planting drugs in the home and a gun in Jimmie's hand, with which he ostensibly took a shot at the officers. Ultimately, Rainwood angrily refuses to plead guilty to lesser charges to get a reduced sentence, and a jury trial results in six years in the state pen.

While incarcerated, Jimmie must thrust aside inhibitions and learn how to literally kill to survive. He does this under the tutelage of fellow con and self-admitted criminal, Virgil Cane (F. Murray Abraham), also put away by Parnell and Scalise, though they beat up Cane's girlfriend during the process of the arrest. Eventually, Rainwood is let out on parole after three years. Returning home, he and Kate continue to be oppressed by the two crooked cops, and Jimmie falls back on his hard-won survival skills to break himself and his wife free.

My Mom recommended AN INNOCENT MAN since, in her former capacity as a staff psychiatrist for the Nevada Department of Corrections, she worked out of the men's prison in Carson City, where the exterior shots of Jimmie's lock-up were shot. If you've ever been to Nevada's state capitol, you'll recognize the adjacent Sierra Nevada range in the film. (The interior shots were apparently filmed at a disused prison in Cincinnati, OH no mountains there.)

Now, the corrupt cop Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) in the 2001 film Training Day was one bad dude. Here, the Parnell and Scalise characters, while dangerous, are played as obnoxious wise guys almost to the point of caricature; Rasche and Young rendered them positively annoying by overacting, which is probably why Washington is an "A List" performer while the latter two aren't and never will be. At the other end of the spectrum is Detective Fitzgerald (Badja Djola) of Internal Affairs, who sympathizes with Kate's and Jimmie's dilemma and knows Parnell and Scalise are dirty, but can't prove it. Djola's performance is about as animated as a wooden hitching post.

Kate Rainwood, played competently by Robins, is believable and sympathetic as Jimmie's loyal wife, but her character is essentially tangential. The best supporting performance is undoubtedly by Abraham as the wily, prison-savvy Cane, whose motive for helping Rainwood is mostly inscrutable until the film's end when the payback Virgil is now enabled to deliver is delicious in the audience's contemplation.

Tom Selleck reminds me of John Wayne. The Duke never really acted; any role he played was essentially John Wayne dressed in a different costume. Wayne was, in my opinion a superlative entertainer, but not a great actor. Selleck, I think, falls into this same category. The majority of his movies are class B flicks more suitable for television, but his on-screen characters are so consistently engaging and attractive perhaps accurately reflecting Tom himself that I'd rather watch any one of his efforts than a substandard outing by a Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. For Selleck's presence alone, I'm awarding AN INNOCENT MAN four stars.

There's one aspect of the film that continues to niggle at my mind. At the conclusion, Jimmie packs a pistol that evolves in the plot as the one placed in his unconscious hand by Parnell and Scalise during the original frame-up three years previous. How did Rainwood come into its possession? Wouldn't it have been confiscated as evidence, and then destroyed by the police after his conviction?

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Disorganized Crime (1989)

There is no way you cannot enjoy this movie, the actors are all absolutely hillarious. (Ruban Blades is by far the best) What, at first, looks like just another run-of-the-mill crime caper, turns into a complicated action-comedy that doesn't have one unlikeable character. (Ed o'neil is also one of the best Characters)

DISORGANIZED CRIME is a movie equivalent to a tv crime comedy. It's all ensemble acting with no one person stealing all of the scenes. All of the actors are very good as different criminal talents put together to execute a perfect crime in a small town. There is just one small problem; the mastermind for all of the other criminals is arrested and cannot put all of the various pieces togrther. The rest of the movie is about the mastermind escaping two funny but incompetent lawman while the leaderless henchmen try to do the job by themselves. Both parts of the movie work well and the ending is funny, ironic, and surprising.

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It cost only 10$. But it's worth 3 times that. I saw this ages ago (just after it came out) and always loved it, so I had to have it for my collection. I dig movies about bumbling thieves too, but these guys aren't the bumbling kind. And besides, the Bank Vault with all that money may motivate the characters in the film, but ultimately it's not about that. Rubén Blades is just so superb in this. His behaviour always provokes fits of laughter. All the actors play off each other so well, whether it's the late Fred Gwynne, Young Guns' Lou Diamond Phillips, or Ed O'Neill from TV's Married With Children. I really can't recommend this more. It doesn't play like the usual caper, because the humour isn't necessarily in great jokes or great physical stunts or the like. The laughs come from the dynamics between the characters their interaction and communication with one another; it's in how they say things, their facial expressions. Subtleties. And all this from actors who don't earn 20 million per picture. Plus, you know, it cost only 10$!

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This movie is an obscure, totally forgotten comedy from 1989 but its one of the funniest movies Ive ever seen.

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This is one of my favorite movies when I'm in the mood for comedy. Lots of recognizable faces. Witty. Many memorable lines and moments. The character personalities and character interaction is priceless. I guarantee you'll laugh out loud.

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Hoffa (Filmmaker Signature Series) (2012)

Here is the closest thing there is in cimena to a real life story of a blood and guts union leader. Jimmy Hoffa was boss of the Teamsters (truckers) union for many years until he met his demise in 1975 at the hands of the same thugs that helped him secure his place as the union boss.

All the memorable moments of Hoffa's life are in this movie including his duels with then Attorney General Robert Kennedy, his accommodation to gangland members for union gain, and the circumstances that led to his final undoing.

I sure like this movie and watch it every chance I get. There are two fine films about the life of the late Jimmy Hoffa (who may or may not be buried in the Meadowlands) -this one and Sylvester Stallone's 1978 effort "FIST", which covered much of the same ground as this one.

Any movie with Jack Nicholson in the lead must be taken seriously, and he does fine work in this film. I enjoyed every scene but have to take issue with some of the historical accuracy, particularly that final scene at the "Road House".

Jimmy Hoffa was, in fact, last seen as a swanky restaurant in a swanky suburub of Detroit right down the street from one of the Detroit's biggest PR firms, not at some nickle and dime diner out in the middle of nowhere.

No matter, I suppose, since I enjoy the flick so much. You will too if you rent, purchase, borrow or steal a copy of this DVD.

A woefully underrated biography of the controversial Teamsters union president that deserved better than it got in 1992. Director Danny Devito and writer David Mamet clearly admire their subject, depicting Hoffa as a hero, a leader who has earned the loyalty of the working men he represents, rather than a self-centered puppet whose strings were pulled by organized crime. Whether or not Hoffa was deserving of such admiration is debatable, but the film offers a convincing argument that he was. As an actor, Devito has little to do but push people around and gape at Hoffa in awe, but behind the camera he performs admirably even if he seems a little too pretentious at times. As for Nicholson, this is one of his most challenging roles, one requiring more than an arch of those famous eyebrows and a flash of that killer smile. With the aid of a hairpiece and a few other modifications to his appearance, he gives one of his best performances in years. This is a fine, memorable film that seemed to have disappeared upon its release as thoroughly as Hoffa himself did in 1975. I don't know the whereabouts of Hoffa the man (and believe it's in my best interests not to know), but the film is on the video shelf. Check it out or buy it, but see it.

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Hoffa is a surprising film which from time to time arises to keep alive the memory of the late Teamster president. Told in flash back form, the film ably describes the dramatic rise and fall of the popular labor leader. Indeed, with Nickleson's portrayal the viewer is convinced of the confrontational life of the man who became synonymous with the International union. Re-enacting the turbulent rise of Hoffa, viewers are treated to the fabulous talents of some of the giants of the silver screen. Few could argue that Jack Nicholson as James R. 'Jimmy' Hoffa is nothing short of magical. In addition there is Danny DeVito who as Bobby Ciaro, in my opinion steals the show. Further enriching the cast is Armand Assante as Carol D'Allesandro, the mob boss who assured Jimmy's rise to power and then later is suspect in the teamster's mysterious disappearance. J.T. Walsh is excellent as Frank Fitzsimmons. The dramatic film superbly encapsulates the early violent trials, successful triumphs and eventual tragedy of the great, but troubled teamster president. ****

Read Best Reviews of Hoffa (Filmmaker Signature Series) (2012) Here

Jack Nicholson's Hoffa is a Nicholson/Hoffa hybrid that plays very well on screen, though I don't know how much like the real man he really is. I've only seen brief news clips (including the extras in the special features section of the DVD). But Nicholson gives a moving and memorable performance as Jimmy Hoffa. The rest of the cast (a young John C. Reilly included) also give great performances.

I knew nothing about Jimmy Hoffa before this movie, so the nature of the film played well to me, giving an arc of events portraying Jimmy Hoffa's rise to President of the Teamsters from a young man concerned with union rights. It also dramatically covers his involvement with gangsters, the law, and Robert Kennedy.

Although Hoffa plays out like a sweeping epic (it IS 2 hours and 20 minutes long after all), there's something missing in its grandeur, and I really think it's as simple as an experienced director. Not that Danny DeVito does a bad job with the film and the actors, it's just every now and then something seems to miss the mark. A lot of the scenes look like they take place in obvious studios, which draws the audience away, and some of the scenes with bigger crowds lack that extra touch of humanity that needs to be given to remind the viewer of the individuals involved in the crowd.

Overall, though, the acting carries the movie through to the end, though, from what I've read, the ending is entirely fictionalized, which is a bit strange considering that it's somewhat of a biopic and not just a fictionalized account of a real man's life.

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Amazon's requirement of 20 words minimum for a review is BS. All I want to do is give a "star" rating. I don't have time to write something about everything I buy, plus my "headline" sums it up just fine. Anyone who likes the movie likely already owns it and they're just trying to decide whether or not to get it on Blu-ray.

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Innocent Bystanders (1972)

DOES NOT APEAR TO BE STATED ON THE PRODUCT ITSELF, BUT AMAZON IS CORRECT FOR THIS BLU-RAY'S REGION CODING. SADLY, IT WILL NOT PLAY ON REGION B PLAYERS, AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION WHEN THERE HAS BEEN NO SEPARATE RELEASE FOR REGION B.

I was pleased to discover that Amazon carried the DVD of this 1972 British spy film.

I had only seen (in part) one other version and that was a version shown on network television years ago. For some reason, the TV version in the USA included additional scenes, apparently filmed in New York. I know that it has been a trend lately to release DVD versions (and even theatrical versions) of films called the extended cut, the director's cut, or a version with an alternate ending.

The early version of INNOCENT BYSTANDERS was, I believe, one of those theatrical films with new scenes added to the televised version to pad it out to fit into a network time slot that could include commercials. The most shameless example of this is the Hammer film KISS OF EVIL or KISS OF THE VAMPIRE which has newly (and insipid) scenes filmed for the televised showing. In some cases, scenes in the original theatrical films are often expurgated because they include footage (usually violent) that is considered by heavy-handed censors to be inappropriate for the sensibilities of mainstream America who are not yet accustomed to cable programs. The version of INNOCENT BYSTANDERS that I saw on network TV includes a scene where John Craig (Stanley Baker) breaks the arm of a watchman and causes him to faint. Also included is a scene where a young girl touches his arm in affection and Craig responds: "What are you doing?" He tells his companion that feelings were cut out of him when he was tortured in the past.

These two scenes were not included in the DVD released by Amazon, which is, apparently, the theatrical version. A reader may point out that I, perhaps, confused two separate films that both starred Stanley Baker. This is not the case because I clearly remember Baker (as agent Craig) telling his companion -an Israeli agent portrayed by Geraldine Chaplin -about his physical and mental problems. It seems a bit questionable that such an innocent bystander as Ms.Chaplin would want to seduce an impotent "old" agent as Craig, but this is, in fact, what happens.

At breakfast the next morning -after his apparent renaissance -she tells Craig that he should be grateful for her restoring his ability. He thanks her, but a bit cynically. She adds that perhaps she wasn't "that good," and he responds to her compliment-fishing by confirming that she was. Later, when she is tortured by a sadistic British agent sent along to undercut Craig's efforts (Derrin Nesbitt from THE NAKED RUNNER and WHERE EAGLES DARE), Craig is quite sympathetic and reveals important information to spare her further pain and humiliation (what Nesbitt does to Ms. Chaplin is not clear because his torturing takes place off-screen).

Nesbitt is effective as one of the agents sent on the same mission as Craig (supposedly without the latter's knowledge). The other agent is an image of compassion and gentility when compared to Nesbitt; she is played by Sue Lloyd (the female love interest in THE IPCRESS FILE -one of the greatest spy films ever), who is as accurate with a gun as Craig but a bit quicker. Stanley Baker, however, is superb as the no-nonsense, non-romantic aging agent who is betrayed by his non-trusting and not-trustworthy superior Loomis, stiff-upper-lipped Donald Pleasence. Also on hand is the CIA in the person of Dana Andrews. As a hero from 1940s and 1950s films, Andrews seems out of place here -but perhaps it is only his non-matching fright wig that he perhaps sports to take our attention away from Stanley Baker's own hairstyle that seems that it does not belong.

I have been a fan of Stanley Baker since he portrayed Achilles in the 1955 international epic HELEN OF TROY. Despite his dark hair (Homer's Achilles was supposed to be blond as he is played by Gordon Mitchell and Brad Pitt), Baker is the best on-screen Achilles ever -capturing the fury of that semi-god from Greece mythology. I also like Baker in HELL DRIVERS (which features a minor role by Sean Connery), ZULU, IN THE FRENCH STYLE, and SANDS OF THE KALAHARI, which I will soon order from Amazon. I have nothing against long hair (I often wear my own blond hair long), but somehow the style as worn in INNOCENT BYSTANDERS doesn't somehow seem suited to Mr. Baker as an "older", black-haired agent. Perhaps he sports this style to make clear that he is an anti-Bond. He (like Michael Caine in the five Harry Palmer films) doesn't use ridiculous gadgets supplied by Q branch but relies instead on his wits and marksmanship. The sequence where he shoots fellow agent Nesbitt in the foot is not to be missed (Kudos to Nesbitt or his stunt double for his flipping forward after being hit by Craig's bullet).

The ending seems to come rather quickly, but we, at least, know that he outsmarts his double-crossing superior Pleasence (an incredibly unlikeable superior in the mode of Stewart Granger who double crosses RIchard Burton and the other mercenaries in THE WILD GEESE) by flying to Beirut where he may (the romantics among us hope) meet up again with Ms. Chaplin. Don't be fooled by the glitzy, flashy, pop-culture artwork on the cover of the DVD of INNOCENT BYSTANDERS. This is not a Dean Martin humor-fest (like we see in the Matt Helm romps) but a fairly gritty spy tale not unlike the Harry Palmer films. It has plenty of action, but the action is believable and plot-enhancing.

Check it out. In the meantime, let us hope that the fad of releasing many versions of a film in order to milk dry every possible penny from DVD sales will eventually end. Let's make one version of a film and stick with it. After all, how many versions of the "Mona Lisa" do we find?

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John Craig, a British operative regarded as expendable, is sent on what is intended to be his last assignment, in Innocent Bystanders, a tough, gritty, and at times brutal espionage thriller, that is enjoyable for its realism, and very cynical British sensibilities. Capably directed by Peter Collinson (The Italian Job, The Long Day's Dying), the film features an outstanding cast, headed by Stanley Baker (Zulu, The Guns of Navarone).

John Craig is a spy who has sacrificed much for Queen and Country. After being tortured by electrical shock, he suffers from post traumatic stress, and has also become impotent. Loomis (Donald Pleasance), Craig's boss at Department K, believes that while still competent at killing, Craig is damaged goods, and decides to use him as a decoy, on a mission to recover a missing agronomist named Aaron Kaplan (Vladek Shebal), who supposedly can make the desert bloom. Having escaped from a Russian prison camp, the highly valued Kaplan is also being sought by the Russians, and the Americans.

Loomis' "first team" are Joanna Benson (Sue Lloyd), and Andrew Royce (Derren Nesbitt), two younger agents who are assigned to backup Craig, and move in when he fails. Royce openly disrespects Craig, calling him an "old man", while Benson is more circumspect than her impetuous partner, as Craig is dispatched to New York to question Kaplan's brother.

While Loomis appears to be cooperating with an American agent named Blake (Dana Andrews), both the British and Americans are determined to get Kaplan for themselves. Once a finely honed instrument, Craig is now regarded as broken down, and no longer capable of excellence. He surprises his detractors however, jumping ahead in the game, kidnapping Miriam Loman (Geraldine Chaplin), a woman who may have some clue to where Kaplan is hiding. The trail eventually leads to the Middle East, and then Cyprus, where the intrigue, danger, and violence increases, as the various parties scramble to recover Kaplan. The body count begins to rise, on what will surely be Craig's final assignment.

For what this movie was intended to be, the acting performances are spot on. The lanky Baker isn't debonair, but he fits the bill as an intelligent and brutally efficient survivor. Craig starts out as a broken man who screams from imaginary pain, but he regains his manhood, and proves that he isn't quite "past it" yet. Derren Nesbit (Where Eagles Dare) is terrific as the arrogant pretty boy, who in the end does what he was trained to do. And Sue Lloyd (The Baron), does a nice job as his inscrutable partner.

Although he would later become an icon in the Halloween films, coincidentally playing a character named "Loomis", Donald Pleasance is also excellent here, as a cold, calculating, and confident bureaucrat, accustomed to playing God. As Miriam Loman, Geraldine Chaplan (Dr. Zhivago, Nashville) provides most of what little humanity there is, although as the "innocent bystander", Loman is deeper than she appears. Quirky Warren Mitchell, is entertaining as Omar, an enterprising guide, and Vladek Shebal (From Russia With Love), is solid in an understated role.

John Craig first appeared in four novels published between 1964 and 1969. James Mitchell wrote the books, under the penname "James Munro", and The Innocent Bystanders, published in 1969, was the last in the series. Mitchell also wrote the screenplay, and nicely captures the novel's serious tone, with characters that are mostly hardened professionals. With some cinematic action elements, and touches of dark humor, Innocent Bystanders is an interesting and enjoyable watch, for the discriminating espionage aficionado.

Ending on an abruptly defiant note, this stark and cynical adventure, has virtually nothing in common with the glamour and affluence of the Roger Moore era Bond films. If that's your type of espionage, give this movie a chance. Unfortunately, Stanley Baker would never reprise the role of Craig, as he passed away in 1976 at only 48 years of age.

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Evangelion New Movie Edition - Q Evangelion:3.33 You Can (Not) Redo. (BD+CD) (2012)

What's to be said about the "Evangelion" franchise that hasn't been already? It's a classic, it redefined what we expect from anime, and it set a standard that arguably no mecha anime has even come close to touching. But what a precarious position this puts the reboots in, then. Should we treat them as a separate entity, unrelated to the original franchise, and thus something new and fresh? If so, then Hideaki Anno's original 1996 classic and its brilliant follow-up, "End of Evangelion", have already been surpassed. With "Evangelion: 3.0", Gainax has bested itself and turned out one of the most groundbreaking, brilliant films ever created. Shocking, jarring, and powerful, it's a tour-de-force that simply cannot be ignored.

Picking up fourteen years after "2.0", the penultimate entry in the "Rebuild" series starts off with protagonist Shinji waking up from a mysterious coma. The world has essentially ended, the Third Impact NERV tried so desperately to prevent come and gone. However, all is not lost. Most of Shinji's old "friends" have reformed into an organization dedicated to destroying NERV, and preventing a Fourth Impact, which would harvest the souls of every living being on the planet. Torn between old alliances and his commitment to NERV, the young man holds the fate of the world in his hands, then fumbles it in a dramatic fashion. Will he come out triumphant, or will he return to cracking under the pressure like he historically has?

While there's a lot left out of the above summary (no spoilers here), I can assert that as a long-time franchise fan, this entry did not disappoint. It is the first complete divergence from the source material in the "Rebuild" series, and as such, it was the more decidedly risky project. After all, Gainax is tampering with characters we've known and loved for almost two decades. Thankfully, it pays off dramatically. These interpretations of the established cast are positively brilliant, and I daresay a vast improvement on their past depictions. Seeing hotheaded teenager Asuka as a somewhat haggard 28 year-old is fascinating, as is becoming acquainted with the conflicted and emotionally-scarred Misato, now the captain of a large flying battlecruiser.

The biggest improvement upon the original story, however, is the character of Kaworu. Originally around for an episode or two, and made a bigger deal by the yaoi community than he really was, the young man has officially become a fleshed-out character. He is no longer a one-dimensional deceptive pretty-boy; he is complicated, his intentions ambiguous, and his care for Shinji's wellbeing truly genuine. Unlike his original version, I seriously cared for him in "3.0", and what he goes through was seriously traumatizing to watch. Hats off to Gainax for this bold narrative decision. There are other characters who become more important, as well as the introduction of characters only mentioned in the first series, but I'll leave those as surprises for viewers.

Animation-wise, the film is dazzling, with artistry on-par with giants such as Studio Ghibli, and excellent usage of CGI that blend seamlessly with the 2D characters. The EVA units themselves look great, with more attention paid to their inner workings and mechanics than in previous entries. Special note should be paid to the climax, in which viewers are introduced to a new "EVA Unit 13", which is one of the most creative mechanical designs to ever grace the franchise. From action to simple scenes such as Shinji and Kaworu playing the piano, the operative word to describe the work put into this film is "big." Everything about the production values is larger-than-life, and it is truly one of the best usages of money ever sunk into a film.

Wrapping it all up is the exceptional soundtrack. Instead of playing it safe with established songs from the franchise like the past two entries, "3.0" decides to play with viewer's expectations. Aside from brilliant new compositions, the score sometimes starts off with the familiar strains of a famous piece of background music from the series, then blends it into an entirely different piece altogether. It really helps to establish this as its own individual thing, and it's nice to see even the composers embracing the fact that this is a new, experimental piece.

Everyone involved, really, should be commended. When compared the original series, this new interpretation and its predecessors improve upon it almost every aspect. When compared to most anime coming out these days, it is head-and-shoulders above the "competition." No matter which way you slice it, Gainax has crafted a new masterpiece. "Evangelion 3.0" is a powerful, thrilling and occasionally traumatizing thrill ride, and something every anime fan should experience. It has forever changed my standards for anime, and I know that it will be hard going back to other things being released in this day in age.

Ironic, really, that "Evangelion" has, in fact, become the new "Evangelion" for this generation...

Overall: A+ (Masterpiece)

This is probably the most polarizing Evangelion output since the last two episodes that forced director Hideaki Anno to create The End of Evangelion. 14 years after 2.22 and the changes are jarring. The audience almost feels like Shinji, confused and troubled about basically destroying the world. And with 3.33, the bodies only stack up even more. It's dark and strange and alot of people were disappointed. Personally, it's my favorite Evangelion feature yet, and that's saying alot considering how much I love EoE and 2.22. A lot of people seemed to be confused: The Rebuild movies are NOT remakes. With 1.11, things start off pretty much exactly how they do in the original NGE series but by the time we get to 2.22, we began to see the diversions. It's almost like a different world but with a constant twinge of dreadful nostalgia. Some have even theorized that after Shinji rejects Human Instrumentality in EoE, he gives the world another chance to emerge from the LCL, the primoridial soup, and start over. And that's where 1.11 begins. This theory opens up even more questions but it also would explain why there are similarities as well as vast differences. It would also explain the subtitles of each Rebuild movie. You Are (Not) Alone, You Can (Not) Advance, You Can (Not) Redo. The "(Not)"'s represent options for differences but also indicate the inevitability of some events. I hope I haven't caused more confusion. Anyway, 3.33 is a truly brave dive into the future and, whether people like it or not, it's pushed the envelope as far as anime goes. It casts a huge shadow and I hope 4.44 is just as amazing.

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This latest chapter in the Reboot:EVANGELION series is the most frustrating yet. Shinji wakes up 14 years in the future, and everything you know about EVA is turned on it's head. Friends turned enemies, NERV shattered, and the arrival of new EVA and their pilots. The animation is top-notch (as always), and the EVA are incredible. But the soundtrack really grated on me after repeated viewings, it's a bit "off" for the movie, especially in the EVA/Angel battles. All in all, a great package, wonderful artbook, and clean menus make the "Special Edition" disc worth the extra money this time.

REMEMBER: THERE ARE NO SUBS!!! If you cannot read Japanese, you will be lost-ish. Honestly, I followed it pretty well myself. But seriously, do yourself a favor and pickup a fan-sub version and watch that too ;) It will help a LOT

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If you enjoyed 1.0 and 2.0's fresh retelling of the Eva series with better characters and a somewhat more fleshed-out storyline, you should brace yourself for disappointment.

It feels like this movie was rushed, and while the animation was spectacular in some scenes, the plot breaks apart into completely unexplained scene after scene, with cryptic dialog and mysterious new terminology appearing mid-sentence, likely to never be touched on again.

A lot of things happened and I'm not sure of what most of it was supposed to mean. It feels like they let Anno get his hands too firmly on the reins again for this one.

The most frustrating part of this movie is that with a one minute exposition scene here and there, they could remove all confusion for the viewers and Shinji. Instead...you get the movie here. Its an OVA! These exist to make the fans happy revisiting familiar characters, themes and situations, and to clear up murky plot points for a feel-good experience.

Unfortunately, they chose to delve back into the indecipherable garbage and pseudo-significance that muddled up the end of the first series.

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I think this story was a little slow and not true to the first movies and it seams rushed and very short .for what I see it going for at 79.99 please wait for the price to come down , I truly love the moves but this one was just a taste of what should come .

The Devil's Backbone (Criterion Collection) (2001)

Guillermo del Toro is currently known as the guy who made the Oscar-winning "Pan's Labyrinth," the "Hellboy" movies, and came close to directing "The Hobbit."

But way back in in 2001, del Toro made a movie that serves as a sport of ghost-story prequel to "Pan's Labyrinth." With its mysterious specter, innocent hero and a story set during a bloody civil war, "The Devil's Backbone" is a unique kind of horror movie -it deftly sidesteps the cheap tricks and scares that most ghost stories employ.

Unaware that his father has been killed, Carlos (Fernando Tielve) thinks that he's being left at a remote orphanage only temporarily. Kindly Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) sympathizes with the lonely new boy, but Carlos soon is distracted from his troubles. He keeps seeing shadows, footprints and falling pitchers -and when he wanders down into the vaulted cellar, he catches a glimpse of a silent ghost with a bleeding head wound. Even worse, the ghost -which was a boy named Santi -informs him that many people there will die.

But the most dangerous one at the orphanage is the brutal former-orphan Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), who is searching for a cache of hidden gold. As Carlos tries to figure out how Santi died -and what angry, miserable Jaime (Íñigo Garcés) has to do with it -the orphanage is suddenly turned into an explosive war zone. As Dr. Casares tries to protect the remaining boys, Carlos discovers the reason Santi died -and what he wants now.

"The Devil's Backbone" is a movie filled with death: the orphanage is a dying institution in a time of war, filled with orphans and surrounded by sun-burnt grass. It even has a defused torpedo stuck right in the middle of the courtyard. By the time the ghost shows up, it seems like almost a natural part of such a ruined, quietly sorrowful place.

Fortunately Guillermo del Toro avoids cheap scares -the ghost doesn't make weird noises or leap out at Carlos for no reason. Instead he evokes the fear of a child in a dark, creaky old house who is ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that there's something out there. Also some beautifully creepy visuals, such as blood floating in the air as if it were in water.

But the whole creepy-ghostly-factor is eclipsed about halfway through the movie. After a slow buildup of tension, everything suddenly erupts when Jacinto suddenly reveals his true self. Suddenly we've got explosions, blood, shattered glass, mangled bodies and an all-too human enemy who is slowly closing in. It makes the ghostly Santi seem suddenly very... nonthreatening.

And though the plot seems simple, del Toro spins a spiderweb of interconnected hints and plot threads -comic books, slug collections, a wooden leg and blood-tinged water all come into play. There's loads of symbolism, and the beautiful scenes (Dr. Casares' final poetry recital to Carmen) are handled just as powerfully as the more gory, ghastly ones (the orphans' final assault).

It's kind of amazing that this was Tielve's movie debut, because he's simply incredible -his character slides through fear, courage, sorrow and confusion, all with a kind of unshakable innocence. Garcés is equally good; at first he seems like a mere bully, but we gradually see how troubled and guilty he feels over what happened to Santi. Noriega is thoroughly nasty as a greedy, sociopathic thug who cares about nobody except himself (even his fiancee), while Luppi is a kindly, cultured old man who obviously loves the boys as if they were his own.

I can't think of a better movie to receive a Criterion release, and there's a decent showing of material in this new release -new subtitle translations and film restoration; a booklet by Mark Kermode; audio commentary, video introduction and new interviews with del Toro himself; older interviews; a making-of documentary; storyboards and concept sketches compared to the final film; deleted scenes with commentary; del Toro's notes, and so on.

"The Devil's Backbone" is a haunting kind of ghost story, where the ghost is not the scariest thing you'll see. A powerful, striking movie.

Guillermo del Toro's 'El Espinazo del Diablo' "The Devil's Backbone" tells a story set during the Spanish civil war in the 30's where a new orphan Carlos arrives at an orphanage that holds dark secrets. A few years before a young boy named Santi was murdered and recently the other boys who call him "He Who Whispers" tell Carlos about him and when Carlos first sees Santi the ghost boy tells him that many others will die. Carlos makes fast friends with some of the other boys and they're all wary about a large unexploded bomb that has landed in their courtyard. Plus, there's also the mystery of some gold that is kept in a secret hiding place by Dr Caspares.

When del Toro makes films in his native language they're just brilliant and this one is a precursor to his even bigger hit the Oscar winning 'El Labarinto del Fauno" "Pan's Labyrinth". As you can tell, this reviewer prefers to name the films by their foreign titles. So for genuine chills in a frightening ghost story when 'El Espinazo del Diablo' comes to Criterion Blu Ray at the end of July, snag it it's worth any price. A great film with a top-notch cast the boys are naturals in this "Oliver Twist" ghost story from one of our most imaginative directors.

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Not only is this the best Guillermo del Toro movie ever made, it is one of the best ghost stories of all time. Practically everything he has made since then has fallen in the shadow of this film.

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Not as eerie or creepy or as interesting as I had hoped for. I had heard so much hype about how scary and spooky this film was, but unfortunately it was just hype. This film has beautiful cinematography and the ghost kid is very creepy, but it wasn't enough to hold my interest.

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French Connection 1 & 2

Gene Hackman's portrayal of Popeye Doyle is Phenomenal. The film has fantastic Cinematography. The 2nd film was a great conclusion to what was done in the first film. Not alot of people cared for the French Connection II, but it is a companion piece to the Academy Award winning original.

The Eagle Has Landed

At long last, one of my favourite "fictional" World War II films is finally out on DVD and the transfer is excellent all round. And even better, there is now a "Special Edition" Region 2 release available on the Amazon UK website with an additional 17 minutes of footage, interviews with Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland & Donald Pleasance, theatrical trailers, biographies on cast & crew plus interviews from British news programs !

The 1970's was a decade when war movies were filled with mercenaries, commando's and full guns blazing action....and "The Eagle has Landed" is no exception, but a better told tale than many others !

Director John Sturges ( "The Great Escape", "The Magnificent Seven", "Ice Station Zebra" ) in his final directorial role shows once again why he was one sharpest action / suspense film directors of the 1960/70's with this exciting filming of the best selling Jack Higgins novel. What makes this film so enjoyable, and able to withstand repeated viewings is the talented cast at the centre of this twisting tale of spies and espionage. German officer Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine) is the disgraced leader of a group of crack German paratroopers that have been exiled to operate an MTB boat in the English Channel. Opportuntity comes their way in the form of Colonel Radl (Robert Duvall), with an incredible plot to secretly parachute into England and kidnap Winston Churchill from a country retreat. Donald Pleasance turns in a chilling performance as SS leader, Heinrich Himmler...Donald Sutherland in fine form as the IRA ally, Liam Devlin...Larry Hagman is the pompous and foolhardy Colonel Pitts and Treat Willians (in his first movie role) as the wiser and more wary American Ranger, Captain Clark. Attractive Jenny Agutter contributes the love interest as Molly Prior, and icy Jean Marsh puts in a cold blooded display as the Nazi sympathasier, Joanna Grey.

"The Eagle has Landed" has some great twists and turns and never lets the viewer relax as the story holds a keen balance between action, suspense, romance and tragedy. Highly recommended for those who like intrigue and adventure in their WWII movies !!

A highly entertaining and different WWII film that stands out from the rest.

The Eagle Has Landed a film based on the Jack Higgins novel of the same name is a great film. This is story telling at its best. I read the book when it was published back in the 1970's and enjoyed it immensly. It was a real page turner. And, that is what is great about the film version of this story. The Film holds true to the novel, which in my opinion, is the exception and not the rule in film making.

Director, John Sturges, lays the story out visually, bit by bit, building to a great conclusion. In this age of over the top special effects, and especially the extreme portrayal of the violence of war, we see in many films Sturges gets his point across by painting a picture with a good screen play and great acting. Sturges grabs the viewers attention and does not let go.

The story involves a once hero of the Nazi regime, exiled to suicidal duty for refusing to round up Jews for the SS. I am not giving away too much when I tell you that it involves a German plot to assasinate Winston Churchill, which may have some basis in fact. Michael Caine plays the professional German soldier, but now disgraced in the eyes of the Hitler regime, part of Col. Steiner. What I appreciated about Caine's performance is that he plays this doomed character as the professional soldier he is and avoids the pit falls of a fanatical over the top killing machine. Larry Hagman as the incompetent, politically connected American Colonel, is hilareous. Finally, Donald Sutherland as the Irish Patriot come Nazi spy is chilling. Simply, there is not a bad performance in this film.

The Eagle Has Landed is a great film to watch if you need a break from the over the top realism of more recent films and series about World War II. It is a good action packed story that can be enjoyed by the whole family. This one is a recommended buy for your DVD collection.

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What if you're German, the march to victory has been stalled, D-Day looms, and you're facing a decidedly unfavorable endgame in World War Two? You learn that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is going to holiday in a secluded village in the north of England. Are times desperate enough to attempt a kidnapping of Churchill and, perhaps, hold him hostage to a negotiated peace?

If you're novelist Jack Higgins, or later director John Sturges, the answer is yes. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED takes that `what if' and, more or less, delivers solid entertainment. The all-star cast is headed by Michael Caine, who plays Col. Kurt Steiner, a maverick leader of a group of seasoned German paratroopers. Robert Duvall is the brains behind the project, eye-patch wearing Col. Max Radl. Donald Sutherland, sporting a shock of red hair and a rolling brogue is Liam Devlin, an Irish Nationalist with a deep and abiding hatred of the British Empire.

There are a lot of things to like about THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. The premise is certainly plausible enough. Action movies on this scale don't reward in-depth character studies, and the all-star cast is able to deliver on those terms. The actors have to indicate rather than explore their character's personality, a shorthand approach that builds sympathy by indication rather than examination. Stars with a capital S seem uniquely able to deliver on these terms, and the three stars don't disappoint. Director John Sturges is even able to accomplish that most difficult of tasks incorporating a love story, of sorts, into the picture between the young and romantically foolish Jenny Agutter and the duplicitous Sutherland character without interfering with or derailing the action.

There are things to dislike about the movie, though. Larry Hagman, as a shrill American colonel, is introduced late in the movie and adds a sour note to things. The Caine character, who the movie goes out of its way in the early goings to establish sympathy for, ends his career in the film on a jarring note as well. I won't give anything away but I didn't buy, at all, his last action.

Still, the acting is good (ignore, if you can, the Cockney accent that Caine seems incapable of burying completely,) the English village is convincing I believed I was in a real English village circa 1943 and the `what if' quality was intriguing enough to keep me involved. A good enough movie for us fans of war stories, endorsed with reservations.

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A war film with heart, that shows fleshed-out characters on both sides of the conflict, instead of one-dimensional, heroes-vs-Colonel Klink stereotypes, this is everything "Where Eagles Dare" was not. It's a drama with a lot of action, or an action film with a lot of drama, depending on how you look at it. Jack Higgins wrote the book, which is supposedly based on a real-life 1943 operation by German intelligence to kidnap Winston Churchill. Robert Duvall (Radl) and Michael Caine (Steiner) are the Germans but not the bad guys in a film that is all the more sad because there are no real bad guys as such -just professionals doing their jobs on each other for their respective countries. Donald Pleasance is cooly briliant as Himmler and Donald Sutherland is alternately clownish, charming, and ruthless as the IRA triggerman Devlin. Treat Williams gives a moving turn as the American ranger who has more respect for his German opponent Steiner than his commanding officer, played with delightful cartoon villainy by Larry Hagman. The battle scenes are long in coming, but worth the wait, and both Caine and Duvall

are first-rate as two equally likable but very different professional soldiers taking on a task both knows is not only ulikely to succeed, but almost certain to get both of them killed. Action movies are almost never antiwar in theme, but "The Eagle Has Landed" makes as good a case as "Saving Private Ryan" of the stupidity and waste inherent in war.

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This is one of the best war movies ever made. The film is based on the Jack Higgins novel were a crack team of German paratroops try to kidnap Winston Churchill why he is staying at a country house in Norfolk. The plot is perhaps a little thin but the action moves along at a fast and furious pace! It also has a great cast which includes Donald Sutherland, Michael Caine and Robert Duvall. If you are a fan of Jack Higgins buy this movie now!

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The Jayhawkers (1959)

Remember the "good old westerns" we watched as kids that had beautiful color and bigger than life heros! Well, this is one I highly recommend! Get out the popcorn and enjoy!

Chandler's superb in the Quantrill-based role. (Then again, when was he not?) Parker underplays his part as the man sent to catch him, knowing Chandler's the man indirectly responsible for his wife's demise. Henry Silva is wonderfully sleazy as the gunhand. And Jerome Moross' score is brilliant, as good as his work in THE BIG COUNTRY. There's a good amount of action, so Western fans won't be disappointed. A fun way to spend some time.Head `Em Off At the Pass!: 94 Westerns You Should Watch

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Another fine Vistavision western with a great score and a decent story as Fess Parker tries to figure out which path to take as he joins forces with Jeff Chandler and his Jayhawkers who are trying to take over Kansas in the mid 19th century.... The video is pretty good with numerous minute scratches traveling sideways across the screen....these do not take away from the film, however.... Definitely worth it for Western fans and those of us who love Vistavision.... The Run for Cover blu-ray looks better, but a great western nonetheless....

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Olive Films did a great job on the transfer of this good Western. This movie is presented in Widescreen and runs for about 100mins (1hr 40mins). This movie stars: Jeff Chandler, Fess Parker, Nicole Maurey, Henry Silva, Herbert Rudley, Frank DeKova and directed by Melvin Frank.

The video quality of the movie is real good and provides clear, sharp video; although, some scenes weren't as sharp towards the middle. The sound of the audio is excellent without any crackles or distorts throughout the film. There isn't any extras and I wished they would've provided the original trailer.

Overall this is a great Blu-ray release and I would recommend this, especially to Western fans.

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The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009)

I had heard a lot of people recommend this to me before I finally saw it, so my expectations were high. After the opening five minutes my expectations were met and the stakes even raised. I really don't want to give anything away here as the less you know about the movie going in the better, but don't go into it thinking it's on par with a "Reservoir Dogs" or a "Saw." It's very, very good and the directing makes it claustrophobic and scary, but by the end of the film it has slipped into more than a few genre cliches that let out a little steam but not TOO much.

All you need to know about the plot is that there are these two men who go through an elaborate series of preparations before kidnapping a young woman, Alice Creed, off the street. One of the most fun things about the movie is how the power shifts from one character to another to another and you're never certain who has the upperhand, who is lying or who will "win" the day. In this way, it is very similar to "Shallow Grave." Eddie Marsan plays the older of the two kidnappers and you've seen him in movies before but never this good. He is very impressive here.

A good one to check out but make sure you have enough time to watch it straight through as the pacing is relentless and you won't be able to turn it off once it begins.

There really isn't a whole lot I can tell you about THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED. I happened on to it, started watching it...expected to lose interest...and then kept thinking, "Oh, wow, that's different."

What got me to start watching was Gemma Arterton, a "Bond girl" from the last 007 entry, QUANTUM OF SOLACE. She's gorgeous and very watchable. At the beginning of this film, she's snatched off a street, cuffed, gagged, hooded and dragged into a sound-proof apartment. She's also stripped and redressed.

And just when you think you're going to lose interest..."Wow, that's different."

So I'm not going to discuss anymore about this interesting, twisting little film of only three characters.

Just check it out.

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Sometimes the less you know about a movie, the more pleasantly surprising it can be. I, for one, had no fore knowledge of "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" and, consequently, rather limited expectations. So when I sat down with friends and plugged "Disappearance" into the DVD player, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. And for once, my pessimism about the movie's prospects were completely unfounded. After an almost wordless set-up, I was already drawn into this tight little chamber piece. Several major twists later and I was delighted to have uncovered a little known gem! With just three characters and a confined and claustrophobic set, "Disappearance" is theatrical (play-like, if you will) in its intimacy. But writer/director J. Blakeson uses this inherent staginess well to create a seamless thriller of lies, deceit, and plans gone wrong.

I will say very little about what transpires in "The Disappearance of Alice Creed." Knowing the film's twists in advance may not ruin the movie's effectiveness--but, trust me, it's best just to let this one unfold. All you get from me is this--two armed and masked men take a young, wealthy woman hostage. Keeping her strapped down and helpless, they await a ransom. But all does not go according to plan, needless to say--but you probably guessed that. That's it--I'll go no further.

Gemma Arterton plays the unwitting victim in this equation while Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston portray the kidnappers. Marsan is intense and Arterton is appealing, but Compston essays the most difficult role as a sort of a go-between. He is terrific, and all three actors pull their weight in this deadly triangle. But perhaps the biggest star of "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" is Blakeson's screenplay. Using standard thriller conventions, but tweaking them with unexpected revelations, this thriller might have lost all credibility. But Blakeson never pushes too far, maintains the suspense, and the casts brings home the show with much gusto. I really had a good time with this film and it is a definite recommendation. BUT DON'T READ THE SPOILERS! KGHarris, 12/10.

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I took a chance in buying this via video on demand and enjoyed it. From the opening scene as the kidnappers prepare their place for the captive, there really aren't any dull moments and even though all of the actors are no-name, they did a good job with the script. There were several points where you could feel the tension and you weren't sure whether the girl or the kidnappers would come out on top. Like one reviewer said already, there are a few twists (though one you will probably see coming) that keep you guessing how the movie will end. It won't win any Oscars, but it was definitely entertaining.

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This movie is a hostage plan gone wrong in spite of meticulous planning. From the beginning to the end it is exciting and completely unpredictable.

The two ex convicts Vic (Eddie Marsan's character) and Danny (Martin Compston's character) put into action a plan to take hostage a rich family's only daughter Alice (Gemma Arterton's character) for ransom. I can't give anything else because it will ruin the experience, but trust me on this, this is a good thriller. You would think that with just a few actors it will be a boring movie, but this movie is anything but boring.

There may be objectionable material for some viewers (explicit sex scenes).

Thumbs up, highly recommended.

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Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990)

Misery is an exceedingly good adaptation of the original novel by Stephen King. The novel features one of King's most tightly-wound, increasingly suspenseful tales, and this movie faithfully brings the novel to life on the big screen. Paul Sheldon, America's best selling writer, creator of Misery Chastain and chronicler of her romantic and human struggles and successes, has just finished writing a "serious" novel he hopes will give him the stature he desires. On his trip home with the manuscript, a fierce blizzard causes him to lose control of his car. Annie Wilkes, his number one fan, finds his car at the bottom of a hill, pulls Sheldon out of it, and takes him home to nurse back to health. As Sheldon begins to adjust to his new surroundings, he is increasingly bothered by his caregiver's erratic mood swings. He soon finds himself a virtual prisoner in her house, essentially unable to move with his two mangled legs. When Annie reads his brand new book, she is exceedingly unhappy with it. When she gets the newly published Misery Chastain novel and finds out that her beloved Misty is dead, she begins unleashing her fury on Sheldon and insisting he resurrect Misty in a new novel written especially for her. All this time, the small mountain town's husband-and-wife police force search for any sign of the missing author (albeit halfheartedly). Eventually, Sheldon realizes escape is something only he can achieve for himself.

James Caan is quite good as Paul Sheldon, but Kathy Bates simply is Annie Wilkes. Her performance as this complicated, mentally disturbed super-fan broods over this entire movie, making it the riveting thriller it is. Lauren Bacall, in what is an overlooked but rather amazing casting coup, lends her talents to the movie in the role of Sheldon's literary agent, while Richard Farnsworth and perennial King favorite Frances Sternhagen round out a truly excellent cast. King actually held out on this project until such time as it could be placed in the more than capable hands of director Rob Reiner. King had a special affection for this particular story, and he was not going to allow a second-rate adaptation of it to come to the big screen.

The suspense of this story is basically psychological in nature, but there are two scenes of far more physical suffering. The hobbling scene is memorable to say the least, and another incident toward the end introduces a little blood to the film, but overall this is a movie that all lovers of suspense and human drama can appreciate. There are a lot of bad movies based on terrific Stephen King stories and novels, but this movie captures the powerful magic of the original novel as effectively as any King movie ever has.

Finally a special edition of Misery! This has been previously released on Region 2 DVD but this is the first official Region 1 release of the special edition. Kathy Bates won a much deserved Best Actress Oscar for her performance. This is one of Stephen King's best and while there are a few humorous moments most notably through Kathy's dialogue, the horror and suspense never fizzle in any way. This is one of the best horror/suspense pictures out there and should be in any fans collection for multiple viewings. Here are the special features:

DVD Features:

Region 1

Keep Case

Widescreen 1.85

Audio:

Dolby Digital Surround Spanish

Dolby Digital 5.1 English, French

Subtitles English, Spanish Optional

Additional Release Material:

Audio Commentaries 1. Rob Reiner Director

2. William Goldman Screenwriter

Featurettes 1. "Misery Loves Company"

2. "Marc Shaiman's Musical Misery Tour"

3. "Diagnosing Annie Wilkes"

4. "Advice for the Stalked"

5. "Profile of a Stalker"

6. "Celebrity Stalkers"

7. "Anti-Stalking Laws"

Trailers 1. Original Theatrical Trailer

2. Original Theatrical Teaser

Buy Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990) Now

This 2-disc bundle is an interesting edition in the sense that you get the movie twice, on Blu AND on DVD.

DISC ONE

The Blu-ray disc has the movie only in beautiful 1080p Blu resolution, of course, and featuring DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound plus French and Spanish audio tracks and English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

Disc one is why I bought THIS Misery I already have a DVD edition and, at this price, I'm glad I did it. Misery's Blu treatment is nothing short of spectacular. Since I was able to compare the 2 versions, with the DVD and the Blu playing simultaneously, it was easy to see the difference. It's not only Blu's higher resolution that reveals more detail James Caan's 5 o'clock shade anyone? but the colors are brighter and the picture overall is crisper. Same for the sound. The lossless (uncompressed) audio is a big plus even on a movie like this where most of the sound is dialog and creepy music.

DISC TWO

Is the 'curious' one, featuring the entire movie as a DVD and a relative large number of featurettes. I call it 'curious' because there is no mention on the back of the box of the movie's duplicate on the second disc a mistake?

Anyways, besides the movie there's the obligatory 'this is how we made this and we had so much fun making it' featurette, named 'Misery Loves Company'. We get to hear from James Caan, the always lovely and talented Kathy Bates, director Rob Reiner and so on.

In addition, there is a SERIES of featurettes discussing 'stalking' which I will list because they are fun to watch:

Advice for the Stalked

Profile of a Stalker

Celebrity Stalkers

Anti-Stalking Laws

This is interesting because Annie (Kathy Bates) is not really a stalker. She is sick and she is Sheldon's (Caan) biggest fan but she's not stalking him, she only takes advantage of an opportunity.

Also good is the "Diagnosing Annie Wilkes" featurette where a psychiatrist explains that Annie was:

psychotic

bi-polar

delusional

paranoid

abused as a child

and a few more other defects that I can't remember now.

THE MOVIE

I love Stephen King, I've read a lot of his work and watched nearly all King-inspired movies but I'm not his biggest fan. While a fan, I am objective enough to admit that not all of the King movies are great and some are quite terrible. It's not the case with Misery. Thanks to Kathy Bates (Oscar for best actress) incredible performance, Caan's showing that he can act and inspired work from director Reiner and photography wizard Sonnenfeld, Misery is one of those few movies that you can watch again and again and never get tired of it. I do watch it every couple of years and, thanks to the Blu edition now, I will enjoy watching the movie even more.

RATING THIS EDITION

This Misery earns high grades for the Blu version. While inside a cheap plastic case the kind that has holes cut in it to save a few pennies the 2 discs feature enough quality and content to qualify this as the best Misery so far:

superior Blu rendering of the movie

unexpected second copy as a DVD

interesting, informative, actually watchable featurettes

reasonable price

The 5 stars are well earned.

Read Best Reviews of Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990) Here

Misery is one of the best in the horror/suspense genre. I have to say I don't think I've seen a better movie that was based off of a book. Usually the book is so good and the movie is sub par, but this one is the exception.

The story begins as writer Paul Sheldon(James Cann)crashes in car while driving in a blizzard. He awakes from being unconscious to find himself in the home and care of a very obsessed fan(Kathy Bates). As he gets better he begins to realize his caretaker has no intention on letting him go anywhere.

Exceptional thriller which anyone would enjoy. I completely recommend Misery especially if you are a Steven King fan.

Want Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990) Discount?

In my opinion The Shining is the greatest of all Stephen King adaptations and then Misery. There are actually a lot of similarities between Misery and The Shining. There both about writers, in secluded locations, who are deserted at some point due to a snow storm. They both have characters that aren't all there mentally and we are witness to their descent into madness and loss of reality. Both Bates and Nicholson have a way with tools, whether it be an axe or a sledge hammer, and with these tools they have cut and hobbled their way into our memories and into film history.

Kathy Bates is the star of this film and deserves her Oscar win as the at times lovable Annie Wilkes, the obsessed fan of author Paul Sheldon played by James Caan. Annie goes from saving Paul to keeping him hostage for her own agenda. The "shining" beacon of this film is without a doubt Kathy Bates who for me is one of the most memorable and witty villains of modern horror film up there with Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. With that said Caan is there like a dance partner for Bates every step of the way, he is like John Stockton to her Karl Malone always ready to assist her in enhancing the dark comedy throughout with his reactions by facial expression or perfect delivery of his lines. Caan's non verbal reactions to Annie's tirades are priceless and only enhance her dialouge. Pay attention to Caan's facial expressions during the scene when Annie explains about "chapter plays" and don't call them cliffhangers.

So getting back to the king and queen of horror, I had an idea, what if Bate's character Annie Wilkes had rescued/kidnapped Jack Nicholson's character Jack Torrance and what would that dialouge be like. I think it would go something like this:

JACK: "Annie, let me explain something to you. Whenever you come in here and interrupt me, you're breaking my concentration. You're distracting me. And it will then take me time to get back to where I was. You understand?"

ANNIE: "Understand? UNDERSTAND? I will tell you "what I understand!" I go out of my way for you! I do everything to try and make you happy. I feed you, I clean you, I dress you, and what thanks do I get? "Oh, you bought the wrong paper, Annie, I can't write on this paper, Annie!" Well, I'll get your stupid paper but you just better start showing me a little appreciation around here, Mr. MAN!"

JACK: "Now, we're going to make a new rule. When you come in here and you hear me typing

[types]

or whether you DON'T hear me typing, or whatever the F you hear me doing; when I'm in here, it means that I am working, THAT means don't come in. Now, do you think you can handle that?"

ANNIE: "I thought you were good Jack... but you're not good. You're just another lying ol' dirty birdy."

Just a thought, forgive me for prattling away and making everything all oogy, here's the dvd features.

COLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD FEATURES:

(A reviewer listed them above but in case they got lost in the review shuffle here they are again)

First if your like me and like a nice pristine transfer and good sound the dvd is a definite and worthwhile upgrade. The picture quality far surpassed the older version on dvd and I own both. Also on the sound there was no Dolby Digital 5.1 on the old version and on the Collector's edition there is.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio Commnt by Rob Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman

Misery loves company featurette, Marc Shaiman's musical Misery tour featurette

Diagnosing Annie Wilkes featurette, Advice for stalked feature, profile of a stalker feature, celebrity stalker feature and anti stalking laws feature.

This is a must for any horror fan to add to their collection. It is already a classic and is the type of horror that gives you that warm, glad to be inside, tucked into bed feeling if you can avoid getting hobbled.

A great watch for Halloween. Enjoy!

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Chesty Morgan's Bosom Buddies (1975)

Doris Wishman's Deadly Weapons (1973) and Double Agent 73 (1974), both starring 73FF(!)-32-36 Chesty Morgan, makes for a bizarre double feature, and a bizarre Something Weird Blu-ray release. This set (entitled "Chesty Morgan's Bosom Buddies") also includes a third feature The Immoral Three (1975), which does not include Morgan (who had, remarkably, taken the star bit between her teeth and was promptly sacked by Wishman). We focus on the first two features starring Chesty.

John Waters had the incomparable Divine. Wishman had the incomparable Chesty Morgan. The big difference is that Divine could actually act. Morgan, an exploitation freak of nature, was the energizer bunny rabbit to Wishman's directorial enthusiasm.

Wishman's influence on John Waters cannot be underestimated. Her films are a visual smorgasbord of bad taste with attentive detail. Wishman's nonsensical lens focus is so mercurial it brings to mind Harry Langdon`s frozen camera in Three's A Crowd (1927). Repeated, dumbfounded concentration on queer inanimate objects disrupts the narrative flow and coats Wishman's films in loving disjointedness. Cut-away shots of hedges, a repellently hued yellow-ochre telephone, the most beautifully ghastly wallpaper ever captured on celluloid, and nonsensical extreme close-ups of Morgan's 73 fleshbags creates a visually surreal train wreck of a movie.

Morgan's voice is dubbed in both films. Apparently, her polish accent was so thick as to be indecipherable. Unfortunately, her acting range is nowhere near as mammoth as her breasts. Morgan begins with leathery boredom and ends with celluloid sleep walking. Now, dress this big breasted zombie up in bad wigs and garish clothing to enact a zany plot!

Well, yes, there is a plot of sorts to Deadly Weapons. It has something to do with Morgan as an office manager (!) wearing 8-inch platform heels and a blouse at least two sizes too small. She has a mobster boyfriend with sideburns that probably smell like mildew. Perhaps this is why Morgan acts like all of her co-stars have poison ivy. Regardless, she gets mauled by pornstar Harry Reems.

Morgan turns into a revenge-seeking 007 type; only, Morgan's weapon is her killer cleavage, rather than a loaded pistol. Yes, you guessed it: she suffocates her victims with her "DEADLY WEAPONS." Morgan also has some issues with Daddy, but that's veering too close to spoiler territory, and God knows that we all watch these wacky Doris Wishman/Chesty Morgan movies for the well-constructed, sophisticated plotting.

Double Agent 73 is, possibly, even more of a live action, softcore looney-tune than the previous film! Wishman's love of the medium is, again, on display, and again her talents do not make for a film as orthodox storytelling medium. But then, film does not have to be a repeater of well-worn narrative formats.

Endless shots of a cookie-cutter house and pimp shoes walking across cheaply tiled floors collide with stock footage of flowers, a jet plane, and nudist volleyball. The nasty ochre telephone from the previous film has been replaced with a tasty peach-colored one. And there's even a lovely shot of a dixie cup, and of a door that looks like it might have been stolen out of a Target warehouse.

Morgan is so comatose that she often looks like she is literally on the verge of falling asleep. Her platform shoes have, amazingly, grown about six inches and now are screaming red. It is no wonder Morgan removes them more than once, because she clearly has trouble in walking them (later, she trades them in for some cant-colored yellow pumps which shave about two inches off her height). Oh, and Chesty is a secret agent with a hidden camera surgically implanted in her mammaries. In addition to being assigned to bust up a heroin ring, Morgan is instructed to take pictures of everyone she kills (!?!), which gives her plenty of reason to remove her top. There's even nearly full-blown full-frontal nudity (whether we want to see it or not).

Morgan, with her license to kill, surprisingly, uses a variety of weapons, although choking someone to death with an ice cube may not qualify as a conventional murder scene. There is less plot in Double Agent 73 and, depending on one's perspective, this may be all for the better. If Wishman was naively channeling the dreaminess of Buñuel and Kafka in Bad Girls Go To Hell, here she lives up to her deserved reputation as the godmother of grindhouse, and parallels John Waters' early body of work. For that reason, I probably have more pronounced affection for her later films.

Deadly Weapons and Double Agent 73 are stuck in a 1970s dream style at its best/worst, and are tailor made for the Something Weird catalog.

* my review originally appeared at 366 weird movies.

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Becoming Jane (2007)

The only portrait I ever saw of Jane Austen appears on countless spines of the Modern Library edition of "Pride and Prejudice." Drawn by her sister Cassandra, Jane looks, well, like one would expect the witty Miss Austen to look: poised, civilized, reflective and intelligent. With some imagination and forgiveness with regard to the talent of the artist, she could even be conceived as pretty with her large dark eyes and ringlet fringe peeking out from the typical gentlewoman's cap of that time period. How ingenious for Hollywood to cast the sumptuous Anne Hathaway with her silky brown hair, curvaceous figure, deer-in-the-headlights eyes and perfect lips as the young burgeoning author? Let's face it---no one wants to be a plain Jane and plain she is not--she's pretty much got it all: not only is she innocently stunning, she's independent, wants to work, exhibits impeccable manners, loves her family, acts upon noble ideals all of which along with her cricket skills results in attracting and snaring the deliciously boyish James McAvoy ( Last King of Scotland) as supposed ill-fated lover, Tom Lefroy.

As a film, all of this romanticism works wonderfully. The verdant countryside shimmers in the sunshine. The period clothing---all empire waists, beribboned hair, top hats and velvet frockcoats----sway and rustle delightfully as the couples dance and speak in clever well-mannered innuendo as expectant matchmaking parents play chaperone and contemplate lucrative alliances that will set their children up for life. The dialogue sufficiently reflects that Austenian repartee which the educated audience delights in as it makes them feel they are on an even keel with one of the greatest satirists in the English language. The notion of Austin's relationship with Lefroy as presented first in Jon Spence's biography from which the film gets its name, suggests that many of Austin's dream partnerships as presented in her novels were based on actual, personal and emotional incidents that although painful, gave her characters so much flesh and blood poignancy, we still discuss them today.

Whether or not any of this is actually true matters naught. The film seduces with the same charming intensity of McAvoy's blue-eyed stare as he quite openly undresses Hathaway in his mind. Is Lefroy the basis for Mr. Darcy? This is difficult to say, but I wouldn't mind bumping into this film's Tom Lefroy while I was taking my daily constitutional. Of course, I'd have to go back in time to become a few years younger---or perhaps not as flirty cousin Eliza de Feuillide certainly does have her way with Jane's rakish brother, Henry Austen (Joe Anderson)---oh, what money can buy!

With that in mind, leave the historical authenticity to the Austen scholars and enjoy the film for its performances and its visual delights. Secondary players congregate to form a veritable Austen menagerie of characters that for the most part plays a bit too conveniently to reflect reality. But take it all in fun ---the film leads one to believe that Austen needed little imagination to conceptualize her personalities; rather they were all there under her nose, just waiting to be captured on paper. Nevertheless, Maggie Smith as the formidable Lady Gresham never fails to elicit a chuckle as does her fictional counterpart Lady Catherine de Bourgh from "Pride and Prejudice." Julie Walters and James Cromwell as Jane's parents seem the perfect Mr. and Mrs Bennett clones while Laurence Fox, as Mr. Wisley (Mr. Collins again from "Pride and Prejudice") interjects just the right 21st century computer geek persona to the mix to act the perfect foil for the more glamorous but definitely shallower Tom Lefroy character.

Bottom line: After countless Masterpiece Theatre adaptations of all six of Jane Austen's novels as well as a herd of popular films set to popular music (Bride and Prejudice was one Bollywood version) it is not surprising that the author herself has come into scrutiny in this charming albeit fictionalized biopic. If you are not tired of yet another Darcy/Bennett rendition, you will most likely find "Becoming Jane" two hours worth of Jane Austen's world lovingly preserved. Recommended.

Diana Faillace Von Behren

"reneofc"

The DVD for this movie will be coming out Feb 12, 2008 and will feature deleted scenes, commentary with director Julian Jarrold, writer Kevin Hood and producer Robert Bernstein, becoming Jane Pop-Up Facts & Footnotes(ok, this is enough to make me want to buy it)and a Discovering the Real Jane Austen featurette

The actors were wonderful in this movie and it was well staged. The movie is supposed to be based on a few months of Jane's life when she was 20. H Some scenes were added to make her life more dramatic. There isn't very many facts known about Jane so any biographical movie about her will contain fiction, but I think what most people criticized about this film is it borrows too much from Pride & Prejudice.

The facts about Jane are she was a witty and lively person. We know this from her letters and her writings. She was sort of a tomboy when she was young and played baseball and cricket. She had a handsome and adventurous brother named Henry who helped publish two of her novels after her death. He did marry their cousin. Tom Lefroy was a person she knew and she did flirt with him when she was 20. Many years later he said he did love Jane but it was a "boyish love". His first daughter was named Jane. When she was 27 she was proposed to by a weathly but awkward man named Harry Bigg-Whithers, who she at first accepted but changed her mind the next day.

For people with children, there is some brief nudity (male backsides), some women that appear to be prostitutes, fist fighting and some suggestive language.

Other people have criticized this movie because they see it as another way to cash in on Jane Austen's popularity. I feel that the film does try to shed a little light on her real personality.

Buy Becoming Jane (2007) Now

My new all-time favorite movie. Some people may not like it because "it's not 100% true to Jane Austen's life"... Can you say that with 100% certainty though? No. Even if you can, just enjoy the movie for what it is, a beautiful love story! James McAvoy is so convincing as Mr. LeFroy, you can't help but fall in love with him! I already have the Region 2 UK DVD (because I simply couldn't wait forever for the movie to come out on DVD in the US), but it only plays on my laptop, so I intend on buying this DVD when it's released. :) It's worth it!

Read Best Reviews of Becoming Jane (2007) Here

Becoming Jane is the fictionalized account of Jane Austen's (a luminous Anne Hathaway) early years and supposed romance with Thomas Langlois Lefroy (James McAvoy, The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition), Rory O'Shea Was Here). The screenplay was based on real events from the book Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence, who also served as historical consultant to the film.

Jane is the younger daughter of Reverend Austen, and the family is in dire financial straits. Jane's older sister Cassandra has just been engaged, and Jane's family desperately wants to find a husband for her due to the family's financial circumstances. However, Jane is headstrong and turns down numerous offers, including Mr. Wisely, the nephew of the demanding Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith). When young Irish lawyer-in-training Thomas Lefroy is sent to Hampshire from London due to his "unseeming" conduct, Thomas and Jane begin a flirtatious battle of wit even as Jane struggles to escape the attentions of Wisely. Her first impression is one of Lefroy's arrogance. Throughout this period, Jane continues to work on novels, including Pride and Prejudice (Lefroy was the inspiration for Mr. Darcy).

Jane's sister Cassandra suffers a terrible blow, and Jane herself must reassess her chances at future happiness due to the fact that a woman being able to support herself based on writing was virtually unheard-of at the time. Her mother gives her a heartbreaking lecture on marriage that displays how fragile the relationship between marrying for affection (desirable) and marrying for financial solvency (indispensable). Her brother Henry is actively courting a widowed cousin who was married to a French count executed during the French Revolution. Another brother, George, is a deaf-mute (historical records show that Jane mentioned that the two talked using sign language), although he plays a very small role in the story, and I had to research him online since there is no explanation of who he is.

My impression of the film was one of disjointedness. One fact that bothered me was the inclusion of a none-too-necessary nude scene featuring Lefroy and Henry stripping down after a cricket game and jumping into the river. Also, several of the subplots could have benefitted from trimming (like the blink-and-you'll-miss-it inclusion of George). The casting was generally quite strong, but I found that McAvoy's Irish accent (which was convincing in Inside I'm Dancing) was fairly eclipsed by a nondescript British one. Many Austenites found fault with the casting of Hathaway, and more specifically, her now you hear it, now you don't English accent. However, her luminous beauty was set off wonderfully by the period costumes, and she lives and breathes the constricting customs of Jane's era with a poised, confident grace. Yes, the accent does falter from time to time, but not enough to be a constant distraction. Maggie Smith is wonderful as the frigid interfering aunt who feels that Jane's family is below her, James Cromwell brought a weathered dignity to his role as Jane's father, and Ian Richardson (who recently passed away) is utterly captivating as the sour uncle on whom Thomas's large family depends.

Special mention goes to the cinematography, filmed on location in Ireland, the period costumes by Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, and the lush period soundtrack (Becoming Jane) by Adrian Johnston. The DVD contains several deleted scenes, a featurette on Discovering the Real Jane Austen, and pop-up facts and footnotes. Final verdict: although the film is wonderful to look at, it is ultimately a depressing look at Jane's first romantic attraction and of her subsequent fate in life. If you're looking for a feel-good Jane Austen movie, you're better off renting Ang Lee's Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition).

Want Becoming Jane (2007) Discount?

"Becoming Jane" is an unexpected cinematic treasure, and one which deserves attention not only from Jane Austen fans, but from a wider audience as well. Much to my amazement, this film is remarkably true to Jane Austen's spirit, portraying her as a thoughtful, willful, almost modern, woman. I wasn't expecting a tour de force performance from Anne Hathaway, but she's absolutely perfect as Jane Austen, having successfully immersed herself in this role; perhaps her finest bit of film acting to date. James McAvoy has garnered some well-earned critical acclaim for his fine performances in "The Last King of Scotland" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe". His portrayal of the young Irish barrister Tom Lefroy, who befriends Jane, is also right on the mark, that's a very compelling portrayal of someone who could have been Jane's intellectual and romantic soul mate for a brief time in the late 1790s. While Hathaway's and McAvoy's performances are the best reasons to see "Becoming Jane", there's also excellent acting from the rest of the cast, most notably James Cromwell's Reverend Austen, Jane's father. If you're at all curious wondering why Jane Austen's fiction has endured, then "Becoming Jane" might offer some tantalizing cinematic answers.

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