The Vow (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012)

"The Vow" 2012 is a romantic drama with some comedic moments thrown in. Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum play a young married couple whose lives take a tragic fate when they suffer a car accident.

McAdams's character, Paige, isn't horribly disfigured or anything like that, but she suffers brain trauma which has blocked all memory of Tatum's character Leo.

Leo tries to get regain her memory by trying to have her fall in love with him again.

That's the movie. These romantic dramas get manufactured every year, and I have seen hundreds of them. However, I really liked the movie.

It's true that these types of movies aren't original, but that doesn't bother me too much as long as the product is good. Like I said, I liked it primarily because Rachel and Channing were very good in the leads.

It's true that perhaps the "brain trauma" aspect of the plot could have been worked a bit more, I mean Paige remembers a lot of things that you wouldn't expect someone whose had brain trauma to remember, so this part of the movie could come out as implausible to some people.

However, most people who have enjoyed the film don't care about that. This is a love story first and foremost, so it's more about seeing the characters going through the motions and trying to get those magic feelings for each other again

The performances are excellent. Channing and Rachel have great chemistry. The acting is never forced and the characters are believable.

Once we learn about Paige's past, we kind of understand why it's hard for her to remember Leo or at least not embrace it: Part of her life has been burdened by her overbearing father (played by Sam Neil) who doesn't quite respect her decisions, an ex-boyfriend Jeremy (Scott Speedman) who can't quite let her go, and other personal issues.

Rachel McAdams plays her character well. She is pretty, nice personality, but a little unsure of herself.

Tatum is good as the guy next door whose willing to put up with a lot all in the name of love. In fact, small parts of the movie are actually narrated by Leo as he tries to tell the audience what love really is. It's a nice addition to make the movie stand out a bit more from just being another movie. I liked his discussion of "moments of impact" in the film

All in all it's just a nice romantic movie. Some might find some issues with the science part of the movie or say it's predictable, but it's a movie that you see to make you laugh and feel good at the end.

After reading the book i expected a reasonable movie version. Instead I got Paige the brat. Paige the entitled. Paige the bully. It was all about Paige and very little about her husband. He was going through ton of stress and agony that never got expressed on the screen just a nice guy gentleness and one punch. He was truly the perfect gentleman. He even learned to love the cat. Great for a superficial story but not a great movie. I would have liked him to have had more voice to express anger even at her for lets face it ruining his life and not trusting him. Instead its all about Paige and her rotten family that were trying to rewrite history. How many more secrets did they keep? So not a great movie. If you like date movies its good but don't expect any realism in the story.

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You probably won't ever see Channing Tatum ferociously chewing the scenery, but you must give him props for earnestness. In THE VOW he handles the voiceover narration, and you could feel him trying. But when he launches into his clunky theory on "moments of impact," it's hard for me to buy it as credible insight. Maybe I'm biased. Probably I've pigeonholed Channing Tatum. Perhaps I was expecting him to bust an ill dance move or join a fight club. Me, I liked this film okay. And for the film's starry-eyed target audience, no amount of dis will sway them. Still, somewhere, even the staff writers at Hallmark are rolling their eyes.

In wintry Chicago, Leo (Tatum) and Paige (Rachel McAdams) are a young married couple still very much in love with each other. After all, they wrote their wedding vows on the menus of their favorite restaurant, and that right there probably qualifies what they have as some sort of legendary love affair. But then a runaway truck smashes into their car, and there's Paige catapulting thru the windshield. Leo, who had his seatbelt on, is relatively fine. When Paige awakens from her coma, she discovers that she's suffering from selective amnesia. She can't remember the last five years of her life. She can't imagine being this in demand sculptor and living in the city and married to Leo, this sudden stranger.

I'm sure them womenfolk are swooning all over Channing Tatum (who also bares his behind in one scene, so, uh, yay). Tatum is rendered ridiculously sympathetic by his romantic gestures and by virtue of what he's put thru by the amnesiac Paige. Leo remains the sweet devoted spouse, desperately striving to win his estranged wife all over again. But it's tough, really tough. Once a free-spirited creature, Paige now seems like an entirely different person. One of Leo and Paige's mutual friends voices our concern: "I'm just worried if she doesn't remember you, how's she supposed to remember she's in love with you?" Somewhere, Nicholas Sparks is kicking himself for not thinking up this plot.

Not that Paige is purposely mean or thoughtless. She's experiencing her own bits of turmoil. And, me, what I found really interesting are those moments which focus on Paige and the scary stuff she's going thru. Rachel McAdams is quite good at conveying that sense of desolation and confusion and helplessness one must feel when stricken with deep memory loss.

From Paige's perspective, it's like this: She's never had a falling out with her rich, conservative parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange). She's still in law school and engaged to her old sweetheart Jeremy (Scott Speedman). Today, Paige can't comprehend what would compel her to move to the city or give up law study or not be on speaking terms with her parents. What made her break up with Jeremy? I remember getting mad at myself in the theater for getting suckered in by these concerns. But I found myself wanting to know what made Paige turn her back on her old life five years ago.

Watching the love of your life just slip away from you, no matter how hard you try to hold on what's a more irresistible premise, especially on Valentine's Day? Channing Tatum's got a long road to go before he achieves real actor status. He still tends to be stiff and awkward. Except that, for this film, his awkwardness works in his favor. It makes him even more of an underdog, especially when pitted against the urbane Speedman and those old acting hands Sam Neill and Jesicca Lange. It's a shame, by the way, that Jessica Lange only gets that one scene in which to strut her stuff.

There are romantic beats in THE VOW that, for all their predictability and heavyhandedness, are still worth waiting for. And that's because McAdams and Tatum do create some sparks in their scenes together. Despite her newfound attraction to Jeremy, Paige gradually, cautiously becomes open to Leo's advances. She remarks: "I married him. It must've been for some reason." This then leads to probably my favorite sequence, which is their "first date." Since I'm a manly man, I won't swoon or have vapors. But I liked that sequence.

THE VOW is based on the real-life story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. Apparently, Krickitt never did recover from her amnesia, and yet they're happily married with two kids. Not that I'm saying that's what happens in this movie. In fact, surprisingly, THE VOW veers away from giving us a grand romantic gesture in the finale. I like that the resolution unfolds unexpectedly and messily and almost in anticlimactic fashion. But the way the last 20 or so minutes unfold feels more believable. I was glad there wasn't a mad dash thru the airport or a dramatic "Stop the Wedding!" moment at the twelfth hour. The cliché police are overtaxed as it is.

Read Best Reviews of The Vow (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012) Here

I wanted to like this movie, I really did. The acting was decent, although there was no chemistry between the lead characters. I think it was the writing.

*SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS*

The thing that bothered me the most is the letdown as to why she:

Completely cut off communication with her entire family.

Broke off her engagement.

Became a vegetarian.

Moved "to the city"

Dropped out of law school to become an artist.

Because her father had an affair with her friend? Really? I mean, cut him off if you want but it seems like a tad bit of an overreaction to me. Her mom and sister were probably like WTF did we do? She was a total brat throughout the whole movie. Her character was unlikable and he was a wuss. I hated it. I'm glad I Netflixed it rather than paying to see it.

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To the script writers of the movie "The Vow":

Way to take an epic, real-life story of heroic Christ-like love and strip the heart and soul out of it.

I know you Hollywood types are chronically incapable of comprehending anything remotely resembling true, unconditional commitment that never gives up for any reason, but just because you can't understand it doesn't give you license to pull it down to your level. This movie proves that Hollywood really can't tell true love when it's staring them right in the face in the form of the real-life couple that this movie is (barely) based on.

In summary: Deeply disappointed.

If you want to know the REAL story, Amazon.com sells the book authored by the real couple that actually went through these events AND chose to stay true to their vows, regardless of how difficult it was. Kim and Krickitt Carpenter had a very rough beginning to their marriage, but Kim (the husband) never divorced Krickitt, there was no pressure from her father to do so, and there was no schism between her and her family. This movie takes the real-life drama of a painful and difficult situation and replaces it with artificial made-for-Hollywood drama that was far less interesting. And worst of all, they stripped out the very faith in God that is the core of their love for one another and which made it possible for them to work through their tragedy.

The Vow: The True Events that Inspired the Movie

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Shaft (2012)

'Shaft' , the classic detective film from 1971, is just as good as 'The French Connection' or 'Bullitt' but with a style all it's own. A good story, convincing action and a gritty realistic look plus Issac Hayes and his driving score and you really have a time machine slice of the early 70's. I really hate this film being called the first "Blackploitation" film. Whether or not the main character is played by a black man, 'Shaft' is a cool and hip urban detective thriller with loads of action, a bit of humor, plot twists and even romance here and there. (ok, how about just some casual sex but hey, I'm talkin' about Shaft!) This is a really cool movie and has stood the test of time!

With that said, this review is going to focus on the picture and sound quality and if this Blu Ray is a solid upgrade from your DVD or VHS copy.

Shaft is presented on a BD-25 in full 1080p with a good solid transfer. Strong primary colors abound and while there is an abundance of film grain, for the most part it is just not obtrusive. There are 2 or 3 short scenes where the film elements have badly degraded and they are easy to spot. For an example, look at the master shot where Shaft is ready to leave after drinking his espresso. Another is in Bumpy's office when his wall hangings seem to come alive with dancing mosquito noise. But all in all, this is a good solid transfer. A bit of edge enhancement exists but it helps support the overall rendering in this case. DNR is just not an issue with 'Shaft' on Blu. You get all the grain, the good and the bad. Compared to the Blu Ray of '48 Hours' this is demo material, so don't think it is really bad. It isn't.

The motion is smooth and artifact free and while grain sometimes darkens the contrast levels just a bit too much, overall 'Shaft' looks really fantastic on Blu Ray, especially given the fact it was a low budget production. I was really happy watching it and felt I was watching a film and not some digital piece of garbage. A good solid 3 and 3/4 stars out of 5 and sometimes it strays into a solid 4 and beyond.

So how is the audio? What you get here is a Mono DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack. Before you get up in arms over the soundtrack being in Mono, the original audio elements used to create this films soundtrack were not available and as such the mixed elements from the original Mono track had to be used. They have been cleaned up and are presented in Lossless Audio and they sound as good or better than they ever did in the theater where 'Shaft' had always been presented in nothing but Mono. Because things are so clear sounding, you can pretty much spot every time the dialogue had to be looped (dubbed later due to problems with the original production sound) but they don't stand out too badly. The music has plenty of dynamics and while stereo would have been SO MUCH better, this rendering is just fine. A few lines here and there seemed a bit buried in the mix, but this IS the original mix and you can rest assured you are hearing things much better than people did back in '71.

You get a few cool extras with 'Shaft" as well but they are unfortunately all in SD. You get a full length 1973 Shaft TV episode and a short documentary called'Soul In Cinema' plus trailers for all 4 'Shaft' films.

'Shaft" comes to Blu Ray in a very respectable package, with a better than average transfer for a catalog title and solid sound as well. This is not demo material, but it presents this film as good or better than it ever looked at the movies, unless you saw a brand new print on the first run. Now if they would get busy and release the other 3 that would be quite the collection.

Recommended for fans of 'Shaft' and fans of older films in general!

This is a great blu-ray release from WB.

The original flipper dvd also had a vintage featurette, that is also on this BD, but there is a an extra that really makes this release special, the inclusion of a rare 1973 Shaft TV movie called "The Killing" it's in rough shape, but it's awseome that Warner Bros included it as an extra, so in a sense you get two films for the price of one!

The PQ and AQ on the feature film is good for this 70's classic.

Forget the Samuel L Jackson remake, THIS IS THE REAL SHAFT, as portrayed by underrated Richard Roundtree.

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This has been one of my favorite movies since it first came out. I've admired Gordon Parks eye for detail since his days as a still photographer and he and his cinemagrapher Urs Furrer made this a gorgeous film to look at. The one thing that always bothered me about this film was the muddy, murky sound. That is no longer a problem. The sound is now crystal clear. So if you're a fan of this 70's hit, Isaac Hayes soundtrack and all, get it!

Read Best Reviews of Shaft (2012) Here

Man, I bought the original Shaft, dual-sided DVD back around 1999 or 2000 and kept it all the way until today it even survived a house fire! Since then, I must have watched it at least 500 times, that's how much I love this film. Since Blu-Ray came out (I bought in a year later), I always imagined this film on BD and how it would look. I EXPECTED surround sound given the classic soundtrack as well as superb picture, even though the film grain I knew would be a problem.

I have gone through different DVD and Blu-Ray players up until now. I have had HD upconverting players and various BD players that upconvert to varying degrees. I now have a Sony BDP-S1000ES which as far as I am concerned, is as good as it get's without having Farrari money! So I have seen Shaft on different Players and I know this film and every detail like I know myself. Of course I could not wiat to see if this was an improvement or not. "Professional" reviews gave the picture quality 4.5 stars out of five, which looked strange since their screen shots looked murky. I still had to have it regardless.

The Good: It is on BD so this is a plus, but of course the heavy grain follows it as well. I expect the grain since much of the film's scenes are dark. When scenes are filmed in darker areas you get more grain, when in lighter areas there is less grain and much more detail. The colors did not really get a BD boost and they still look similar to the DVD, but with a little bit more pop but not much! I can say that I can now make out the finer detail in the clothing (but not like other BD's) and I can now appreciate the suits as fine wears. You know 70's gear is always laughable, but Bumpy's suit and coat looked really fine in the scene where he asked Shaft to find his daughter while in Shaft's office. I could make out that he had a green hat, tan outer coat of which I can now see vertical lines, fine tailoring and nice buttons. It changed my perception of some 70's clothing.

The sound was clearer of course, but still kind of muddy, but you can hear each sound clearer than before. The music sounds way better than the DVD, but it would have been nice to get at least stereo like I had written Warner Brothers for years asking for! I am still hoping for at least stereo for the Superfly BD!

The Bad: It had no surround sound or at least stereo! I expect that these days, this is not a 1930's film and it had an Academy Award winning soundtrack! This is not acceptable, but I do not expect them to d anything about it. They could have also put this in a box set with all three films as I expected them to do.

They could have at least designed a new cover or used elements of the original theater poster art of promos those were hot! I know that the idea is to not make and old film look old for this day and age or get lost on the shelf with too much detail, but after having stared at the DVD cover for the last 12 years, it would have been nice to seen something different! The actual disc art is not here at all! The disc is just a black disc with the word Shaft on it! Talk about cheap! I guess that is how they are doing these BD's these days. It is the studio's fault for cheapening them up and now people expect $10 BD's!

Final: Is this a major jump from DVD to BD? Not really except for the last third of the film where it is filmed in a better lit area like the hotel where Marcy was being held. There, you can see finer details that you expect on a BD disc. Again, the dark scenes will have too much grain no matter what so that cannot be helped. It is likely that this will be as good as it can possibly get unless that take the best print of the film and do a restoration of some sort, but when 4K becomes common, I will not make the upgrade if this is offered.

I love technology, so I had to have this film on BD. If you are one of those who just turns things on, likes that it is clear and does not care how it works, then this is for you. If you were looking for a BD upgrade of the DVD similar to a Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon or The Green Mile, then this may not be for you as you do not see such a jump throughout the film, but it is a step up. If you have the DVD and you are not the upgrading type and you have an upconverting DVD or BD player (that does it well), then you can keep your disc, unless you really want to get rid of that dual-sided disc like I wanted to! If you do not have the DVD, then of course get the BD and forget about the DVD! If you love Shaft (and Shaft's: Big Score!) like I do, then you will get this regardless.

Lastly, they included one of the TV films on this disc, which they could have made clearer. It is not as bad quality as some make it sound, but it is not even DVD quality. They could have at least made it DVD quality along with making the trailers true HD and all bonus materials on ALL BD's that were not shot on film HD. It is supposed to be HD, so that is all that I expect to see. Since this is on a single layer, 25GB disc, it goes to show that all they did was put the DVD transfer onto BD as opposed to going all out and doing a new file for BD. You can tell they did this because of the size of the disc and because of the same cover art which they used for the menu! Also, maybe they did it because of the amount of film grain and figured it would not matter to most, but 50GB is the standard. When they talking about 100GB discs being the future (I have not see on yet, of the Deep Color!), there was really no exucse for not giving us a 50GB disc.

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Product is great. Video transfer is superb. Sorta wished tho it was available to purchase in stores as opposed to burn on demand. "The black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks' deserves better, but the chance to have vintage stuff like this is a blessing so I can't complain.

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It's Only Money (1962)

It's Only Money has and will always be my favorite Lewis film. The cast put on some very humorous performances. Jack Weston is absolutely perfect as Leopold, the butler for the Charles P. Albright house and sinister partner to Gregory DeWitt (played by Zachary Scott), who's the lawyer of and confidant for the former master of the house, Charles P. Albright Sr.

The dizzy plot keeps pulling silliness out of it's hat for the whole length of the movie. There's no need to even consider Jerry Lewis' role here because it's so continually ridiculous that it fits perfectly! Jesse White is another perfect pick as the Private Eye pal of Jerry's character, who is trying to solve the case of the missing heir not knowing.....well, watch and see.

It's one of those movies that just makes you laugh. I've seen this one many a time and it was no small joy when I saw it was going to be finally put out on DVD. I've been waiting for this for a long time cause they almost never show this movie on TV anymore.

I'll never forget the scene when the butler, Leopold, is talking to Gregory DeWitt and is told there's a need for a little....accident. Some of the funniest movies ever were the group that Frank Tashlin and Jerry Lewis made in the late 50's and early 60's. This one is no exception. Even if you're not a Jerry Lewis fan, if you want to watch some ridiculously funny gags performed about as well as could be done, I can't recommend It's Only Money enough.

For anyone who enjoys the Jerry Lewis films that were directed by Frank Tashlin, this is a lesser known black and white gem. Before Frank Tashlin directed films, he worked for Warner Brothers directing Looney Tunes cartoons. The first time he directed the solo Jerry Lewis was in 1958 in Rock A Bye Baby followed later in 1958 with The Geisha Boy. In 1960 Tashlin directed Lewis in Cinderfella. Two years later in 1962, Tashlin directed Jerry in this lesser known film It's Only Money. The next year in 1963, Tashlin directed Lewis in Who's Minding The Storemy absolutely favorite Jerry Lewis film of all time. The next year in 1964, Tashlin directed Lewis in their 6th and final film togetherThe Disorderly Orderly. For a Jerry Lewis fan, these are all must have films and four of these Tashlin/Lewis films are finally on dvd after decades of waitingRock A Bye Baby and The Geisha Boy are available this month of February 2012. Then at the end of next month March of 2012, this movie It's Only Money and my favorite of all timeWho's Minding The Store will be available on dvd.

It's Only Money stars Jerry Lewis as an electronics TV Repairman Lester March, who dreams of becoming a detective someday. Lester's best friend Pete Flint (played by Jesse White) is a detective that gets Jerry to help him solve a case for a huge $100,000.00 reward in finding a wealthy woman's long lost nephew. Jerry is a 25 year old orphan, who is recognized in the mansion by the family's attorney as the missing nephew Charles Albright Jr.. The only problem is the attorney bumped off Charles Albright Sr. so he can marry the wealthy womanCharles Sr.'s sisterCecilia Albright, then bump her off and get the family fortune. Of course Jerry must be bumped off as well, since his real identity is an heir to the fortune. Luckily, the family nurse Wanda (played by Joan O'Brien) also recognizes Jerry's true identity and helps him from the murderous attorney and butler. This film may not be as hilarious as Who's Minding The Store with it's non stop sight gags and humor, but there are moments where your sides will kill you from laughter. There is a scene where Jerry runs into a female fisherman at a pier that will leave you laughing.

Having these 4 Tashlin/Lewis movie gems finally released after so many decades of waiting by us Jerry Lewis fans is wonderful beyond words. Huge Thank You's to Olive Films for releasing these on dvd this 2012! And for all of you Jerry Lewis fans, don't forget to add this lesser known solid 4 1/2 Star gem to your Lewis library in March when you order the solid 5 Star Who's Minding The Storebetween these 2 films, you will be in for some major side-splitting laughs!

Buy It's Only Money (1962) Now

Jerry Lewis' lone comedy of 1962 has to be one of his best. Again, Lewis plays a hapless schnook named Lester March, a radio-TV repairman who's befriended a detective (much to the private eye's annoyance) who, in turn, is seeking the missing heir to a wealthy TV genius/pioneer who's passed on. Naturally, as the movie plays out, it's really March who's the missing link, set against a backdrop of menace as greedy relatives conspire to bump him off & collect the money.

Director Frank Tashlin was the perfect guy to handle Lewis; here was a former animation director (of Looney Toons fame, no less) directing a "living cartoon". Tashlin relished in dreaming up the wildest gags for Lewis to play out, particularly evident in this film.

The supporting cast is great, particularly Mae Questel (of Betty Boop fame) as a clueless bride-to-be; Jesse White as the private eye; and Jack Weston as a bloodthirsty chauffeur bent on killing Lewis (who always manages to live).

And of course, there's some priceless bits: Lewis narrowly escaping a limo run-down, an exploding boat & a wild climax involving remote-controlled lawnmowers.

Sharp eyes will even notice some self-promotion in one scene: On a wall behind Lewis is a movie poster for "The Errand Boy"!

Definitely one for Lewis fans to add to their collection!

Read Best Reviews of It's Only Money (1962) Here

I have been collecting all of the Jerry Lewis movies, when you feel like the world is to heavy on your shoulders some days, just pop in a Jerry Lewis movie, you are sure to laugh at anything he does, a great actor.....

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I was pleased to see that It's Only Money would be released on DVD. When I found this out I had no hesitation to order it. After watching this years ago I knew that this would be a great purchase. This DVD does not disappoint. It's just as funny as I remember it. The Standard DVD picture is okay though. Having a few flaws in some places but not bad enough to stop anyone from buying it. If you grew up watching Jerry's movies like I did you'll be happy with this DVD purchase. And even if you didn't grow up with him it's still a good funny movie that the whole family can enjoy.

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The Santa Clause 2 (10th Anniversary)

The first Santa Clause was a wonderful take on the big guy in red. It made me a believer in Santa Claus. It showed how human Santa is.

The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs Clause was just as awesome. This time, Santa must find a Mrs. before Christmas Eve otherwise Santa will become Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) for good.

The movie was geared towards children; or children at heart. This time there are more elves, 2 Santas and a reindeer in training named "Chet". The opening sequence is precious. It shows a militaristic view of how Santa and the elves keep their "North Pole" home a secret. Then there was the scene with the "symbols" of make believe. There was Mother Nature, Father Time, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy (or as he wanted to be known as THE MOLINATOR.

Charlie (Eric Lloyd), Scott Calvin's son, is all grown up and getting into plenty of trouble. He is rebelling against Christmas because he cannot tell anyone what his dad does for a living.

Scott's ex-wife Laura Miller (Wendy Crewson), now married to Neil (Judge Reinhold), is the legal guardian of Charlie. Her part was small.

The movie centered on Carol Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell), the principal of Charlie's school. She is constantly giving Charlie a hard time because of his behavior. Scott, or Santa, comes in to talk to her and save his son from being suspended. In the process, he (Scott) starts to pursue Carol because the "Mrs Clause" runs out Christmas Eve. Santa, now Scott because he has "desantaficated" himself, has a little Santa magic to use. If he runs out before finding a wife, he cannot return to the North Pole.

Our lovable head elf, Bernard (David Krumholtz) is back. He has the task of keeping the North Pole afloat while a duplicate (& military style) plastic Santa runs things.

The music was beautiful. The sets were superiorly designed and detailed.

The whole movie is enchanting. In this day and age with war all around us and nothing but "R" and "PG-13" rated films, it is nice to have a "G" rated movie for everyone. It was a thrill to see the typical Disney opening sequence.

You do not have to be a kid to see this. I believe in Santa Claus. Tim Allen is brilliant. I truely believe in Santa. When I turn 90 years young, I will still believe in Santa.

Go see this movie. You will believe.

If you are looking for an excellent holiday family comedy that the entire family can enjoy, than buy the SANTA CLAUSE 2 on DVD or video! In the sequel to the first hit comedy, Scott Calvin (played by Tim Allen) is in grave trouble. First his son Charlie (played by Eric Lloyd) is destroying the school with graffiti and infuriating the evil principal Ms Newman (played by Elizabeth Mitchell) and then the elves up at the North Pole reveal that if Santa isn't married by Christmas, he'll stop being Santa forever! So Scott creates a new robotic clone of himself and goes off to find the Mrs. Clause, while at the same time the robot is taking over the North Pole!! Will Santa save the day in time....and still get married to Mrs. Clause?? This movie is great for all ages and has an excellent returning cast and characters, including some new elves and reindeer!! Two thumbs up for THE SANTA CLAUSE 2!!!

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Our parents' generation had such wonderful classics as "Holiday Inn," "White Christmas," "It's a Wonderful Life," etc. I think it's taken Hollywood a VERY long time to come up with something remotely as wonderful as those old movies and finally, albeit this one is not a musical, but they've finally achieved it in "The Santa Clause" series. If you don't have these, you definitely need to get them both. Honestly, Tim Allen is just wonderful in them and really makes the story quite frankly. Writers or not, he just takes it and goes and I would think that the majority of what he says is "ad lib" on his part.

This sequel to the first is really great. You never really buy sequels as a rule, but this one is definitely different. When Allen finds out he has to get married to stay Santa, it's pretty amusing to see what the elves go through to get him married off. Everything from making a "fake Santa" gone bad, to destroying the fake Santa's army of bad tin soldiers, keeps the kids entertained throughout. It's a very sweet story, one that explains a lot about the Santa legend to those children with questions. It definitely has the Disney touch, with I think is great and not a marketing thing at all as indicated in the review at the top of this item description. Anyway, be sure to grab this set I still feel really sad when Allen is refusing to be Santa in the first movie and the sad face of the child that they show afterwards. It's just heartbreaking. Buy these and have wonderful memories with your children, so that they can enjoy them with their children. There's no "White Christmas" song by Irving Berlin on this one, but if you really miss it, then just play it in the background and pass that video on down too!

Read Best Reviews of The Santa Clause 2 (10th Anniversary) Here

A nice holiday film. Pretty good sequel. Not quite as warm as the first, but touching at times and certainly enjoyable family entertainment. The plot is ok; the writing is good.

About seven years after the events in the first "Clause", the North Pole is bustling with activity about a month before Christmas. The opening sequence gives a nice, fanciful view of Santa's village and workshops. You see Santa as a good manager/leader happily encouraging the elves in their efforts.

But trouble is on the horizon literally in the opening sequence and figuratively in the form of two problems: Charlie, Santa's son, has grown into a teenager and is getting in trouble for rebelling against a repressive school principal with no holiday cheer; and Santa finds another "clause" that says he must find a Mrs. Claus or he will be "de-Santafied", reverting back to Scott Calvin. And he has only 28 days before this marriage must occur, coinciding of course with Christmas Eve.

A cute scene occurs at the North Pole as it is Santa's turn to host a Board Meeting of Legendary Characters: The Easter Bunny, Cupid, The Tooth Fairy, Mother Nature, Father Time (Peter Boyle) and The Sandman (Michael Dorn of Star Trek:TNG fame).

Charlie now has a six year old stepsister and this young actress does a very nice job with her role. She is charming.

While Santa is away looking for a wife and tending to Charlie's troubles, bad tidings occur at the North Pole beware of soul-less technology and a rigid enforcement of "the rules"!

I don't like giving anything away for people who plan to see the movie. I would suggest that this movie will work much better if you have seen the first movie. So if you haven't seen "The Santa Clause", rent and watch that before this.

I also wonder how effective this movie would be for children under six. This sequel's content, while rated G, feels a bit older than the first.

The acting is well-done and comes across as genuine, though the Bernard character seems a bit overplayed with more broad physicality than seems needed.

Happy Holidays!

Want The Santa Clause 2 (10th Anniversary) Discount?

I thought this was a great movie. I liked the first one, but I think this one is even better, especially since they have the people in this movie as was in the first one. As soon as it comes out on DVD I am going to buy it. It seems good to have a movie that anyone can go to. We need more of these. I might be old fashioned but I like family movies as well as the older ones.

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Snow White (2012) ( Blancanieves ) ( Blancaneu )

The professional reviews for this were so ecstatic that I may have been

a bit over-hyped, and felt a twinge of disappointment in seeing it,

which is not to say I didn't quite enjoy it

Entertaining and beautifully made, this is another modern black & while

silent film, this one an adult re-telling of the Snow White myth.

There's no denying the technical virtuosity on display, and the ways

that film-maker Berger finds to update the tale to Spain in the 1920s,

center the story around bullfighting, and still stay true to the

original story are clever and sometimes very amusing.

What was missing for me was a deeper layer of emotion. I appreciated

and respected the film, but it was too much a fairy tale for me to

believe in it, yet too real for me to be carried away into a fantasy.

That said, it's good enough that I will gladly re-visit it.

The Island

I hate Michael Bay. I have hated everything he has ever done. I can't stand his explosions and car chases over plot mentality. Even though "The Island" had many of these same qualitites, and it was just a redo of "Logan's Run," I still loved it!

(Minor spoilers ahead)

The story centers around two clones: Lincoln 6 Echo (McGregor) and Jordan 2 Delta (Johansson) aren't those the coolest names ever?!! who dwell in a futuristic utopian society. It's much like Orwell's "1984," in which everything is controlled, programmed and run by an unseen force. In this case it's a sinister doctor masterfully played by Sean Bean who is the "God" over the clones. Now, the clones go about their daily life, oblivious to the fact that they live underground and that their entire existent is a lie. You see, in the future, clones are grown and harvested and kept in this underground habitat. The clones only purpose is to provide vital organs to the real people that they were cloned from. For example, if you needed a liver transplant, they would grow a clone (which takes 12 months) and then take the healthy liver from the clone. Of course, the clone would have to be disposed of, which brings up an interesting moral dilemma of a side plot would you take an organ from a clone of yourself to help you live? Don't be so quick to say no! Unfortunately, these clones have no idea that they are not real, as they have been brought up to believe that they are the survivors of a post-apocalyptic Earth. Their only chance to leave is if they win the lottery, and they are selected to travel to 'the island' a mythical realm which happens to be the only non-contaminated place left on Earth.

The obvious question is asked, well why didn't anyone ever figure out that their life is a lie? The film answers this by stating that the clones are only schooled to a 9th grade education no higher level thinking skills are ever developed. It's a rather interesting solution to the problem.

Much to the chagrin of the cloning industry, L6E discovers that the lottery isn't real, and neither is the island paradise. This is simply just a way of taking the clone that is needed to provide their vital organs to their host. L6E and J2D decide to escape from their environment to venture into the unknown, and thus our movie is off and running. Sounds pretty complex for a Michael Bay film doesn't it?

Well, after the two clones are on the run the movie basically turns into one extended action scene after the next keep an eye out for the fantastic sequence in which train wheels are dumped off a back of a truck by the clones to thwart a persuit by the agents persuing them. Eventually the clones decide to seek out their hosts, in the hopes of alerting the public to the injustice of the cloning industry.

(End minor spoilers)

I love the fact that this film makes an almost seemless transition from sci-fi film to action film back and forth. The film slowed down when it needed to and got loud and noisy in the appropriate places. All in all, I felt that the film was the most exciting and entertaining sci-fi film since the original "Matrix." I would highly recommend this to fans of sci-fi films and action pics. In a summer of completely disappointing films aside from the glorious return of Batman this film is truly a refreshing surprise. Big explosions, car chases, attractive leading stars and some distant semblance of a plot help to make this film more than the average Michael Bay film.

This movie, because it's a "Summer, Sci-Fi/Action" flick, will probably do extremely well at the box office, if for no other reason than the fact that Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson are in the cast. Regrettably, however, even after it's been out for awhile it will probably never reach as wide and diverse an audience as it deserves until it's release on DVD, when-hopefully-positive word of mouth recommendations will lead those who usually avoid this particular genre to it. Because "The Island," directed by Michael Bay, is a cautionary, thought-provoking tale set in the not-so-distant future that holds a mirror up to our current society and poses some serious questions about moral judgement and how unmitigated secrecy on the part of institutions and those we "should" be able to trust affects us all on a daily basis that is especially relevant in today's world.

The story concerns the survivors of a "contamination" who must dwell within a seemingly sterile, self-contained city where their happiness is paramount to those in charge, while at the same time their only hope for the future is to be the next lottery winner, which would afford them a one-way ticket to the last uncontaminated place on earth, The Island. And to tell it, director Bay, no stranger to action films with such offerings as "The Rock," "Armageddon" and "Bad Boys I&II" under his belt, has drawn upon myriad other classics of the genre and used the collective threads to successfully weave his own story and imprint it with the kind of metaphor that elevates it beyond the next action sequence or explosion. A comparison to "Logan's Run" goes without question, along with an obvious nod to "Blade Runner," a smattering of "The Matrix" and even a pinch of "Star Wars." Which is not to say this is a "copy" of any of those; it definitely is not. Bay has merely-and wisely-drawn upon some of the more successful elements of those films, and in most instances expanded upon them, to deliver a memorable film that far surpasses the genre's usual board of fare.

Arguably, this is Michael Bay's best overall film to date. Though he has demonstrated in the past that he knows how to do action, he has outdone even himself with this one. There is one heart-stopping scene, for example, involving a number of vehicles and helicopters that eclipses even the highly touted freeway sequence of the second "Matrix" film. The F/X are top notch, and once the action begins in earnest, he sets a pace that builds the excitement without allowing it to lay or lapse even for a second, right up to the very end. Add to that the fact that this film really has something to say, and it will make you appreciate what Bay and his company of actors and technicians have accomplished here even more.

Ewan McGregor is perfectly cast as Lincoln Six Echo, using his boyish charm, good looks and manner to lend the necessary credibility of innocence to his character. The charismatic Scarlett Johansson finds just the right note, as well, to bring her character, Jordan Two Delta, to life. Bay gives each of his actors, in turn, a moment in which to define their respective characters and underscore the plausibility of the film, and when that time comes they each succeed in a way that sustains the interest in the story beyond the action and the F/X. Excellent performances by both McGregor and Johansson.

In a supporting role, Steve Buscemi adds color to the proceedings as McCord, the man with the answers to a number of questions Lincoln Six has been asking about their environment and way of life; questions to which others in positions of authority respond with guarded circumspection, among them Merrick, one of the apparent caretakers of the city. Played by Sean Bean, Merrick is one of the pivotal characters of the film, and while Bean's performance is decent, it lacks the nuance that could have taken it to a much higher level. As it is, while effective to an extent, it is a fairly lackluster and generic portrayal.

The excellent supporting cast includes Michael Clarke Duncan (Starkweather); Ethan Phillips (Jones Three Echo); Brian Stepanek (Gandu Three Echo); Noa Tishby (Community Announcer); and Siobhan Flynn (Lima One Alpha). For most, "The Island" will be an exciting summertime diversion; but for those who pay attention to the underlying social and political significance of the story, the rewards will most likely exceed any and all expectations. And that's the magic of the movies.

Buy The Island Now

I really liked this movie and have hoped it would come to blu ray in the US. After some research I found that I could get it from amazon.uk for less than $25US, and that includes shipping. Got mine in less than a week! It plays fine on my PS3 and believe it is region free. Hope this review helps anyone else interested in this awesome sci-fi flick.

Read Best Reviews of The Island Here

The big thing about "The Island" is...there is no island. It's just a ploy to lure unsuspecting clones to their deaths. The year is 2014 and a corporation has developed a method to produce human clones. The clones have been led to believe that the Earth has been contaminated, which is why they're all being quarantined indoors. Every so often the facility has a lottery drawing, and one lucky winner is offered the chance to go to "the island," which is supposedly the one place on the planet that hasn't been destroyed.

One of the clones, Lincoln Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor) finally discovers the truth when his friend Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) is chosen as a lucky lottery winner...in order to protect her from being killed, he convinces her to break out of the facility and find out the truth behind their existence. A man who Lincoln befriended at the facility (Steve Buschemi) informs the clones that they are only several years old and have been implanted with the memories of their "owners"...filthy rich people who paid a fee of $5 million apiece to have clones provided as "insurance policies."

Unfamiliar with their new surroundings, Lincoln and Jordan set off to find their owners and enlist their help in bringing down the cloning facility. They manage to avoid being captured killed by the facility cronies, the FBI, and the LAPD, and Lincoln finally comes face to face with his owner, Tom Lincoln (also played by Ewan McGregor). Unfortunately for Lincoln, his owner isn't thrilled about the fact that his insurance policy just wandered into his living room, and Lincoln and Jordan have to take it upon themselves to try and stop the mastermind of the cloning facility (Sean Bean) from killing more innocent "copies."

"The Island" is both a great action/sci-fi movie and a very emotional story about two people who are forced to examine the purpose and validity of their own existence. McGregor and Johannson deliver superb performances and have great onscreen chemistry. I also enjoyed the chemistry that McGregor has with...himself! The scenes between Lincoln and Tom were very enjoyable. (It would have been nice to see Jordan's character encounter her owner in person, but the movie is over 2.5 hours long, so there really wasn't any room for extra footage.) The cinematography is also very impressive: in typical Michael Bay style, many of the scenes flash by in extremely fast sequences, which is unique and really sets the film apart from other action movies.

In an age where cloning is a very hot topic, "The Island" definitely raises some interesting questions. There are a few cheesy moments in the film (such as when Sean Bean borrows a line from Cliff Huxtable in "The Cosby Show"...that was so lame!), and the first 40 minutes of the movie drag a bit. Things pick up quickly when Lincoln and Jordan finally manage to escape the cloning facility: from then on it's nothing but non-stop action and adventure.

Overall, "The Island" is a very interesting sci-fi thriller, and those are pretty hard to come by these days. Fans of McGregor and Johansson will be treated to great performances by two very fine actors, and the plot will give you plenty to talk about when you go out for drinks after the film. :)

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Set in the year 2019, "The Island" provides yet another dystopian view of the future, one in which mankind must grapple with ethical questions specifically related to how he will use the technology he's created. In this case, it has to do with human cloning and how far we are willing to go to prolong our own hitherto limited life spans and at whose expense.

Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson are two young people living in a hermetically sealed world after some sort of global "contamination" has ostensibly rendered the majority of the outside world uninhabitable (all except an island paradise that the people living here can travel to if they are lucky enough to win it as a prize in a lottery). Recently, however, McGregor has come to question many of the "truths" he sees in the world around him, wondering if there isn't some other, more sinister and diabolical explanation than the one he has been given by the powers-that-be, who monitor and run virtually every aspect of not only his life but the lives of those living and working alongside him.

Watching "The Island" is a bit like riding on a train that runs along smoothly for the most part, yet keeps jumping off the tracks at frequent and inconvenient intervals. You eventually arrive at where you're going, but there's an awful lot of frustration and delay in getting there. When the screenplay concentrates on the moral and ethical implications raised by its brave-new-world premise, the film is often incisive, thoughtful and compelling. Yet, as this is a Michael Bay film, the audience can't be allowed to become TOO thoughtful, so the filmmaker loads on one lame action scene after another to the point where the issues become buried under all the pyrotechnics. Every so often those issues manage to rise again to the surface only to be pushed back down by seemingly endless high speed car chases, earsplitting explosions and shattering glass that cascades in slow motion streams onto hero, villain and innocent bystander alike.

McGregor and Johansson aren't given much to do in the way of acting in the film, but Steve Buscemi manages to create something of a genuine character in the few scenes he is given. The art direction and set design are highly impressive and the over-the-top action scenes are admittedly well mounted and executed, even though they wind up weakening the movie. Yet, just when you're about to give up on it, "The Island" manages to climb back onto the rails and get you interested in it again. That's actually something of a step forward for Mr. Bay.

Catch Me If You Can (2012)

"Catch Me If You Can" is the story of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. who, in the late 1960's and early 1970's, when he was between the ages of 16 and 21, wrote $2.5 million dollars in bad checks and became one of the most notorious con men in American history. The film follows Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) from his early high school pranks to his check-printing operation and eventual capture in France five years later. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) doggedly pursues Frank as he successfully impersonates an air line pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, living the life of a playboy and cashing ingeniously forged checks all along the way.

"Catch Me If You Can" was directed by Stephen Spielberg and, along with Minority Report, signifies a revival of Spielberg's directing talent after fifteen years of mediocre-at-best filmmaking. This film is fairly light fare, but it is immensely entertaining, funny, touching, and impeccably cast. Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a perfect fit for Leonardo DiCaprio, and is probably his best role since "What's Eating Gilbert Grape". Tom Hanks seems to have abandoned his typically saccharine roles this year -much to his creditand puts in a wonderful performance as sympathetic geeky G-man Carl Hanratty (along with a terrific showing in "Road to Perdition"). Christopher Walken was the only actor to receive an Oscar nomination for "Catch Me If You Can". His performance as Frank Abagnale, Sr., our protagonist's down-and-out father, deserved the honor. Frank Jr.'s awkward combination of admiration and pity for his father seems to have been a key motivator in his illustrious life of crime, and Christopher Walken really helps us understand that.

The real Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a successful security consultant these days, protecting businesses from white collar crime. He cooperated with and bascially likes the film, but is quick to point out that "Catch Me If You Can" is based on his biography of the same name that was written about 25 years ago. Mr. Abagnale says that some aspects of his experiences were exaggerated in that book and some have been altered for the movie as well. Whatever the inaccuracies, Frank Abagnale, Jr.'s immense intelligence, ambition, and guts are the most striking elements of the film. It's the rarity of finding all of these qualities in such abundance in one person that make Frank's character so fascinating, and make him one of cinema's most lovable antiheroes.

I highly recommend "Catch Me If You Can" for its great performances and its extremely entertaining story of an ingenious con man and his noble pursuer...made all the more interesting because the story is largely true.

and the message is, "Sometimes, I'm gonna do a film where I just try to entertain you". And entertain it did!

Reviewers of the movie are at odds, either giving it high praise, when they recognize that it is just there to entertain the filmgoer, or calling it dreadful, when they expect every Spielberg movie to be a momentous event of special effects and storytelling. "Catch Me If You Can" is based on the life of a con man, who pulled his crimes as a teenager, and then reformed for the rest of a long life. The story engrosses the watcher, and Spielberg gives the film a light touch, a terrific cast, and fits it all into the eerily real culture of the 60's everyday life with costumes (wardrobe is outstanding), period sets, and a general feeling of wonder (Remember "The Wonder Years"?) that was the true 60's feel, devoid of momentous political events and the inevitable strife caused by war.

DiCaprio is featured as an odd duck, an obsessive compulsive trapped in escalating acts designed to make his father feel that his life is successful. He shows some great naivete, especially in the scene criticized by many with Jennifer Garner, and displays the genial and engaging manner that the real Frank must have had to get away with what he did.

Hanks is another believable work obsessive compulsive who chases him down and forms the nucleus of the nonviolent criminal teams that solve financial crimes in this country every day. Bringing Frank to the FBI feels a little unbelievable, but it DID happen, and it was based on Hanratty's understanding and faith in not only the genius, but also the need of Abagnale to outsmart the world. I'm sure it was a huge

financial success for law enforcement in the real world.

Many seem surprised at the fine flair that Christopher Walken displays as Frank's father, but Walken's career is full of moments like these, where he has flashes of a true craftsman, then does an over the top performance in his next role...kind of a roller coaster ride with this fine performer, you never know what to expect.

The audience clapped in the film I saw, enjoyed the music, had a great time...now that's entertainment! Catch Me If You Can blends light comedy with a background edge of why things turn out the way they do when families dissolve. It may be the most entertaining movie (short of My Big Fat Greek Wedding) of 2002; and although it doesn't deserve to win any awards....



sometimes Spielberg should just entertain us! He's earned it.

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Steven Spielburg's second 2002 film is a dinosaur. It's an anachronism. It belongs to the time period in which it's set, a more innocent America where Charles Manson had not brought violence to the wealthy and Vietnam was still a winnable (and profitable) war. It's Catch Me If You Can, the story of con man Frank Abagnale, Jr., who may very well be the world's foremost expert on forgery and fraud. If that doesn't sound like a complimentary introduction, fear not; Catch Me a film's film and a throwback to the cinema of yore, when audio and video combined to make an experience rather than an assault on the senses.

Imagine a mixture of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and To Catch a Thief. Catch Me has the slow pacing and careful cinematography of Hitchcock at his finest, and Spielburg has forsaken his recent effects-laden shots for straightforward storytelling. Every individual shot is deliberately framed, with a care for detail not usually seen outside of a Lynch film. There are no explosions to distract the eye from character interaction, and the overall effect is that of an effortless and immersive film.

Leonardo DiCaprio, in one of his best (and best-developed) roles since Gilbert Grape, plays Frank Abagnale, a teenager growing up outside of New York. His father (played by Christopher Walken) is being investigated by the IRS, and Frank Jr.'s idyllic American life full of apple pie, WWII vets marrying their sweethearts, and large-finned cars is about to come crashing down. When he finds that what he's left with isn't to his liking, Frank embarks on a career of impersonation and fraud. He passes himself off as an airline pilot, a Harvard-educated doctor, an assistant prosecutor, and a recruiter for an airline stewardess program all before his 19th birthday. When he starts passing bad checks to the tune of four million dollars he attracts the attention of straightlaced FBI Agent Tom Hanks, who manages to avoid his Hanks persona in favor of actual acting.

Catch Me is a character story, told through a series of events in Abagnale's life. It's funny at times, but the portrait that develops is of a sad, lonely, and almost pathetic child who runs and hides because he doesn't know what else to do. Hanks is like an automaton, relentless in his pursuit, and his grip on Abagnale only grows tighter with each narrow escape. It's not a deep meditation on a philosophical subject, or an artistic look at some overused postmodern cliché. Catch Me aims to entertain, nothing more, and succeeds admirably.

Without effects, a blazing soundtrack, and fast-paced action to drive the story, Spielburg ekes the most from Hanks and DiCaprio without resorting to hammy overacting. This, combined with the easygoing plot and fantastic camerawork, lend Catch Me an unusual amount of verisimilitude for a modern film: it's something to lose yourself in, where you no longer think "I'm watching a movie." That is an accomplishment worthy of note.

Final Grade: A-

Read Best Reviews of Catch Me If You Can (2012) Here

There is something truly exhilerating about convincing people you're something you're not, about the freedom that comes with giving yourself any identity you chose. I know the feeling: When I was kid I managed to pass myself off as twins for my whole seventh grade year and once invented a religion I had several people actually interested in. People believed me, because I believed me. Stern parental lectures eventually cured me of this tendency, but poor real-life con-artist Frank Abagnale had no such luck. "Catch Me If You Can" is based on his life from the age of 15 to the age of 19, during which he flew Pan Am as a co-pilot, was the Supervising Doctor in a Georgia ER, and Assistant Prosecuter in the State of Louisiana. The fact that he did not actually attend school for any of the above occupations had no effect on his activities whatsoever. He also forged checks to the tune of almost three million dollars; his forging so flawless even old time master forgers were in awe. And when it all finally came to an end, as of course it had to, he even managed to turn the end into a kind of triumph.

The film is based on Frank's autobiography, with Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale. He is absolutely terrific, radiating a kind of giddy joy he hasn't shown us in a long time. His Frank is good-hearted, good-natured, charming, but most importantly, fearless . People believe him, because he believes him. My favorite scene with him comes early: Starting a new school, Frank walks into his first class and on a complete whim pretends to be the substitute teacher. He is cheerfully holding parent-teacher conferences and planning field trips when he is finally found out.

Co-star Tom Hanks does a solid job in the role of the determined FBI agent who chased Frank obsessively for years. Tracking him down evolves into a kind of thrilling chessgame for the two of them, and there is a great running gag about their always talking on Christmas Eve. (The agent is at work because he has no outside life, and Frank calls him because he has no one else to call.) Dicaprio also has a strong chemistry with Walken, who plays Frank's father and subtle enabler.

The direction of Speilberg is typically superb, and the snazzy art direction and playful score contribute to the overall excellence. Chalk up another for the master.

In conclusion, all I can say is that this is one of the best movies I've seen this year, and certaining the funnest. I walked out of the theater feeling satisfied and happy, and, I admit, a little envious. Frank Abagnale led quite a life. He paid for it in the end, but still. My hat's off to you Abagnale, wherever you are.

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Having seen Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes in The Aviator(a role which I think will win him an Oscar), I checked out the DVD of Catch Me If You Can. Leo plays con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., who in the '60s successfully passed himself off as several other people, among them airline pilot Frank Taylor, Secret Service man Barry Allen, and doctor-turned-lawyer Frank Connors, and wrote fraudulent checks totaling millions of dollars while he was using his various identities. As Frank Connors, Frank Abagnale Jr. was a doctor, a prosecutor, and an Attorney General candidate for the state of Louisiana. As the movie(which is based on Frank's memoirs) shows, Frank pulled off his act so successfully that it was four years before the FBI caught him. He was finally apprehended in France, where the bogus checks were printed. After getting out of prison, as seen in the movie, Frank went to work for the FBI's Check Fraud Unit, where his supervisor was Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent who pursued him. Tom Hanks plays Carl, the FBI man, and Christopher Walken has a fine performance as Frank's father, Frank Sr. Martin Sheen also is solid, playing Frank's future father-in-law, Roger Strong. Frank proposes to Roger's daughter, Brenda(Amy Adams), whom he meets while working as a doctor, but Frank abruptly runs out of his engagement party when he realizes that Carl and his fellow FBI agents are after him and that he couldn't get rid of his Frank Connors identity if he stayed married. Soon after, when he's conducting another ruse, this time training stewardesses, Frank flies off to France, where Carl catches him. In the movie, Frank escapes briefly after Carl brings him back to New York, but he is again caught, this time outside his mother's home. The movie doesn't give us just one reason why Frank turned to crime, but we get a few clues: his dad's problems with the IRS, the breakup of his parents' marriage(which resulted in his running away from home), and his need to make money really fast in order to survive. Also, Frank's mom, Paula(Nathalie Baye), as depicted in the film, did a little manipulating herself--for instance, she told Carl that she'd help pay the checks Frank had bounced. The movie also is a redemption story. Carl, who is wrestling with his own personal problems(his own divorce, not having seen his daughter), becomes a sort of father figure to Frank--and, as stated earlier, he ends up being Frank's supervisor at the FBI. While Carl uses a ruse to get Frank to open up to him(giving Frank permission to call his father while, unknown to both of them, Frank Sr. had died), he eventually earns Frank's trust. As the ending shows, in real life Frank helped the FBI crack numerous check fraud cases and formed a lasting friendship with Carl. To the impatient movie watcher, Catch Me If You Can seems overly long(two hours and 21 minutes, not including the extras), which I think drags it down to "only" a four-star rating. However, I think producer-director Steven Spielberg wanted the movie to be a character study of Frank and not just another Star Wars-type action flick--and in this regard, he does well. Leo's portrayal of Frank--the charming con artist who at the same time is very human--is believable, and Tom Hanks gives a commanding yet sympathetic performance as Carl. The bonus material on the second disc is excellent. In addition to interviews with cast and crew members and the story of how the movie was made, the material includes Frank Abagnale Jr.'s own discussion of how he became a con artist, his various occupations, how he was apprehended, and how his work with the FBI influenced banking practices. Frank himself served as a consultant on this movie, and his input helped give the film its early '60s authenticity. This movie has a great story with some interesting characters. You have to "catch" it.

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The Reef (2010)

"The Reef" is only loosely based on the overturning of a fishing trawler in rough seas off the North Queensland coast in 1983. The three survivors were attacked by one or more Tiger sharks, and only the captain was able to swim to a reef where he was rescued by searchers.

"The Reef" tells the story of four friends who are forced to abandon their overturned small yacht off the coast of North Queensland when the boat's keel is torn off by impact with rock or coral. There is little time for character development in the short time that elapses before tragedy strikes the travellers.

Fearing that the boat will be carried further out to sea by the current or sink, the four decide to swim to Turtle Island which is believed to be about ten miles away. On their long swim they are constantly stalked by one of the most fearsome predators in the sea a Great White shark. The impact of the story is greatly enhanced by the refusal of the film makers to fall back on unrealistic CGI sharks. As they are repeatedly attacked by the Great White, the actors appear to be actually in the sea with a real shark. The cinematography, both above and below water, deserves the highest marks. Without giving the story away, it can be said that the film has some truly frightening moments, and the sense of unrelenting menace creates almost unbearable tension and raises this film well above "Open Water" on a scare factor rating.

The product of 15 million years of evolution, the Great White is probably the most intelligent shark in the sea, and noted for its ability to lift its head out of the water to appraise its prey or those who are hunting it, as was seen in "Jaws". Attack images of the outthrust jaws of Great White sharks are truly nightmarish and the film makers have not erred in placing this monster close to Turtle Island which is located at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great White has been known to range much further north along the Great Barrier Reef.

It's hard to compare this movie to others. It was loosely based on a true story with some obvious liberties for plot. It fell beneath the radar as it was an Austrailian made film. Just in its release there were places banning the movie due to the expected effect that it would have on Austrailian tourism. Perhaps this is because it is a very realisticly made movie taking place in an area of Austrailia which is reknown for seals as well as the Apex predators that feed on them. The reefs are a beauty unlike any other but harbor many dangers. There is much realism in the production value here. By this I mean that they used only real sharks in the filming of the movie. No CGI effects to "muddy the water" here. The actors were in the water at times with a true Great White shark.

I think that these facts add to the tension. And tension is what this movie gives you over and over.

I will not spoil the fun but the basic plot takes 4 aussies out on a chartered boat together in search of a deserted island. They find it without any problem but within about 20 minutes of the film the subject matter takes a turn. The boat they are on hits a Reef in the middle of the night turning a nice trip into a fight for survival. Being in a remote area with no planes flying over is a recipe for disaster. Some 12 miles away from the island they just visited (perhaps the size of a gymnasium) they find themselves in the water with no supplies (all washed into the ocean). They climb on top of the far too damaged bottom of the boat and plan their next step. The captain of the boat (a commercial fisherman and sea salt) makes the most prophetic and educated statement of the movie which is chilling to those with a fear of the ocean and it's elements, "I've fished these waters for years and I know what is in these waters. You will never get me into this water. I will stay on the boat no matter what!"

Herein lies the tension of the film. Forced with either staying on the boat until they are found (and possibly moving deeper into sea and more into trouble on the current that is pulling them to ?) OR making a life or death swim 12 miles through shark infested water to get back to the island they were forced to leave after a very brief visit. I will not go into the whos and what's but some stay and some leave and what happens from here is over 1 hour of a life or death struggle with the fears that many of us dream about while safely out of said water.

The biggest reason to watch this movie is because of the way it plays with you psychologically. Early in the film one of the main characters has just gotten into the water for the first time and after several minutes of magnificent underwater life it all of a sudden gets extremely calm all around her. Like the sound has been completely taken away. She looks around her, to the right, the left, behind her... And then she sees a shark swimming deep below the surface in the craggy reef. She doesn't know what to do. Swim away? Sit still? This is the mood that the directors are going for and it is achieved. A haunting sense of the unknown, of being in a situation you can't possible control. This movie is well acted, well paced and enjoyable if you like a good scare or the uncomfortable feeling like that scare is slowly circling you and sizing you up.. At that point it is just too late...

On the negatives a certain reef scene near the end is just a little too scripted to fit and I will give no more away. Other than that particular scene near the end of the film it felt genuine and scary!

In short, I highly reccomend this film. It is not likely at your local rental store as it was not domestically touted but it is a truly well made and tense shark attack movie based on a true story. Enjoy!

Buy The Reef (2010) Now

THIS IS THE BEST SHARK MOVIE SINCE JAWS THE WAY THE DIRECTOR USES FOOTAGE OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK IS FANTASTIC VERY REALISTIC NOT LIKE ALOT OF THE CGI THAT IS USED IN MOVIES THESE DAYS THIS IS A MUST BUY FOR ANYONE INTO THESE KIND OF MOVIES YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED ALSO DONT COMPARE THIS TO OPEN WATER AS THIS IS WAY BETTER AND IS ALOT MORE EXCITING ..... ENJOY!!!

Read Best Reviews of The Reef (2010) Here

Judge Patrick Naugle, DVD Verdict-To look at the cover of The Reef you would assume one of two things. The first would be that this is a chintzy, fourth rate B-movie from a studio cashing in on every other killer shark movie made in the past decade, especially the upcoming big budget thriller Shark Night 3D (which, by the way, looks flippin' awesome...but I digress). The second would be that this is one of those Roger Corman produced Syfy station clunkers about various slimy, horrible monsters/reptiles/mutations/hybrids that battle each other under a San Francisco bridge. The good news is you'd be wrong on both counts: The Reef is a small but tightly tuned thriller that gets the job done when it comes to killer sharks and fleshy bodies floating around in the water.

The Reef is one of those movies that is scary not because it's well constructed (although it's put together well) and not because it uses music to maximum effect (although that's not bad, either). No, The Reef is scary because it drops you into a situation that, even in the hands of Ed Wood or Uwe Boll, would make you crap your pants on a Sunday in the middle of a rainstorm. It's pretty hard to screw up throwing sane, competent adults into the middle of the ocean with mindless eating machines.

The Reef is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen in 1080p resolution. This is a very good looking image that has sharp colors and a very crisp picture. Much of the film takes place outdoors on the open sea and the bright blues of both the open ocean and the clear skies make for a vibrant, often brightly lit picture. No noticeable defects can be seen during the film's runtime. Overall Image Entertainment has done a very fine job with this transfer.

The soundtrack is presented in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and, while adequate to the film, doesn't leave a lot to be desired in the way of giving your sound system a hearty workout. There are some sporadic moments when the rear and front speakers kick in to give the viewer a nice surround sound feel--mainly during the shark attacks--but this is a mostly front heavy sound mix filled with moments of ambient sound (and some scary music). Also included on this disc are English SDH and Spanish subtitles.

There is little in the way of extra features on The Reef. All viewers get is a fairly short making-of featurette titled "Shooting with Sharks" which has some talking head interviews with the cast and the crew, behind-the-scenes footage and other EPK materials you'd find on typical promo pieces.

-Full review at dvdverdict.com

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This is a well-done and entertaining shark movie that caught me by surprise. While I wasn't expecting a lot more than the normal "B-movie" shark fare, this was both a pretty a good story and had sharks as vivid and mesmorizing as watching the real thing. Those who liked "Open Water" should like it; similar type of plot but "The Reef" is even better.

The main plot is four shipwrecked survivors must basically swim/float their through 10 miles of great white shark infested waters in Australia. Unlike "Open Water," the viewer sees actual sharks above and below the surface but the sharks don't come across as either large fake contraptions, or obvious CGI (perhaps as others allude to because they're neither). The movie also quite nicely adds subtle bits of tension leading up to the main meat of the plot. Besides "Open Water" in a way one could consider this the "Blair Witch" of shark movies...but without the "herky-jerk" camera-work. After watching it, I watched it a second time within a couple days.

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Girl / Chocolate Pretty Sweet Skateboard DVD and BLU RAY (NEW & SEALED) (2012)

This video is still very good compared to the standard skate video, but doesn't meet the exceptionally high standard set by their previous videos (Girl/Chocolate). Also I was sad to see Mike Carroll retired, but that's how it goes. Thanks for all your hard work, Mike. Best of luck!

defiantly is one of the best skate video's i have seen in awhile, i almost would say best skate video of 2012 in my opinion

Buy Girl / Chocolate Pretty Sweet Skateboard DVD and BLU RAY (NEW & SEALED) (2012) Now

newest ,modern cuttin edge s*** out there right now,definitely will become a legendary dvd ,it does back up all the hype,buy it!!!

Read Best Reviews of Girl / Chocolate Pretty Sweet Skateboard DVD and BLU RAY (NEW & SEALED) (2012) Here

Great footage and some amazing skaters. The Marc Johnson part is ridiculous. The guy can do it all barely needs to lift his hands above his waist...SMOOTH.

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The special effects and video production in this film are phenominal and entertaining especially on Blu Ray. Although this edition says DVD I believe it comes with both a DVD and a Blu Ray disc of the film (at least mine did). The soundtrack is pretty good with varied genres including classic rock, contemporary rock, old school hip hop, and punk. The actual tricks and locations in the video get pretty monotonous after about 30 minutes, but it's still pretty good. It could have used more pool skating and maybe some ramp skating along with all the street skating since there are only so many variations of kickflips and heelflips that you handle watching for 1 1/2 hours.

I started skating back in 1984 and still skate when I can, so I've seen enough skate videos to understand that foul language is kind of "to be expected." I was not surprised that the "f" bomb was dropped a number of times throughout the film, but the first spoken word in the video is the big "f" and it is said a few times within the first few minutes of the film. The soundtrack has some songs with explicit lyrics as well. Then there is the scene where Jack Black takes off all his clothes and runs around. Yes, he has his hands covering his genitals, but it still leaves NOTHING ELSE to the imagination. Finally, when we were watching the bonus content a scene pops on where a young woman is holding a very large "self pleasure device" in the shape of male genitals (yes, I know what it is called but I'm trying to keep this review family friendly). I had the video muted at that point so I did not hear what she said about the device, but it may have been sexually explicit.

So, although this video is one of the hottest skate videos of the year, parents be warned you may not want your child viewing some of the content and hearing some of the language in the film. I would have given it a 4 1/2 to 5 star rating if it did not include some of this content.

Alien (1979)

Amazon's reviewer calls this movie overrated and drawn out, while the Leonard Maltin movie guide review seems a bit baffled that some people like this kind of entertainment. Don't listen to either of them. Alien is, quite simply, one of the best movies ever made in both the sci-fi and horror genres. Those who complain that the film takes too long to get going suffer from some kind of cinematic attention span disorder; Ridley Scott draws his scenes out because he wants to build tension and establish a sense of realism before introducing H.R. Giger's terrifying creation. Unfortunately we can all see that the monster is just a guy in a suit during the closing sequences when Scott finally lets us see what the big slimy nemesis really looks like, but otherwise the film hasn't aged a bit since it came out two decades ago. The DVD is great too, with excellent picture quality and a really great commentary track, despite some disastrously inappropriate menu screens (the interfaces are all CG-rendered glitz, which really doesn't go with a movie known for its slow, elegant, quiet suspense). Anyone with any interest in horror or science fiction films in general should pick up this classic immediately.

"Alien" is one of the most intense Sci-Fi thrillers to have ever graced the silver screen or the home theater in any format! It is the film's intensity that provides such an incredible draw to this extraordinary film. If you're looking for a lot of action, this film is not really what you're looking for; "Aliens" is where the intensity and action comes into play in the line of Alien movies; the whole theme behind "Alien" is to scare to pants off of you with extremely intense scenes and if you've never seen this movie before, it may very well do just that! Never before in the history of this genre had there been a film of this magnitude and few have matched it in it's intensity since.

Now, with this latest release, fans of "Alien" are treated to the best release of this film yet. The very first thing you'll notice when you put this DVD into your player is that you have the option of playing either the 1979 Theatrical Release or a 2003 Director's Cut. The 2003 Director's Cut is preceded by an interesting introduction by Ridley Scott himself. This cut is put together seamlessly and the additions to the film add just that much more flavor to the film, making it that much better. The only downside to this edition and I believe this just stems from the time in which this film was made, was the audio. Despite having the options of THX and 5.1 Dolby Surround or 5.1 DTS, the audio playback just isn't what it should be.

Copious amounts of credit and accolades go to the incredible cast for this outstanding cinematic treasure! Although I wouldn't go so far as to say that "Alien" is "the" movie that made Sigourney Weaver a star, I would say that it was the one that made her a superstar! And since the release of this film and the following three in the Alien legacy, she will forever be known for these roles and probably very few others, except maybe her role in "Ghostbusters."

Director Ridley Scott, who has directed some of the most influential films in just over the past quarter century, deserves high praise and acclaim for "Alien" and the direction he took this film in. There are several directors out there that may have made as many or more films than he has but few have enjoyed the success he has had and a lot of that success can be directly attributed to the work he did on this film!

The Premise:

Although never clearly defined as to when, it is the future and America has expanded Earth's atmosphere and is sending mining ships out there... The Nostromo, a civilian mining vessel is making the return trip home from an expedition and the crew is in cryo-freeze for the trip home but "Mother" the ships computer wakes them up to investigate what appears to be an alien SOS message.

As the crew goes through the necessary steps to investigate the signal on a small planetoid, the tension builds right to the moment that Kane (John Hurt) is deep within the bowels of the alien ship and is leaning over what appears to be an egg...

What follows from there is most certainly one of the most intense Sci-Fi thrillers ever to have been brought to the silver screen. I highly recommend this exceptional film to any and all who're fans of movies in this genre. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

For those that have been waiting for a special edition DVD of "Alien" with all of the bells and whistles, this edition is most assuredly it!

-1979 Theatrical Version (Deleted/Extended Scene Index) (Alien Vs. Predator Teaser Trailer)

-2003 Director's Cut (Ridley Scott Introduction) (Deleted Footage Marker)

-Full Length Audio Commentary with Director Ridley Scot, Writer Dan O'Bannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings, Actors; Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt (Both Versions) +

-Behind the Scenes Featurettes:

*"Star Beast: Developing the Story"

*"The Visualists: Direction and Design"

*"Truckers in Space: Casting"

*"Future Tense: Music and Editing"

*"Outward Bound: Visual Effects"

*"A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film"

*"Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978"

*"The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet"

*"The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design"

*"The Chestburster" Multi-Angle Sequence with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott

-Sigourney Weaver Screen Test with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott

-Still Photo Galleries

-Deleted & Extended Scenes

Buy Alien (1979) Now

ALIEN received mixed reviews when it debuted in 1979--largely from science fiction critics, who accused it of being little more than a sort of "Friday the 13th in Outer Space," a blood-and-gore horror flick given a futuristic twist via some problematic special effects. But while these accusations have more than a little truth, it has been an incredibly influential film--and even today, in the wake of CGI effects, it still holds up extremely, extremely well.

The story is well known: the crew of an interstellar craft responds to what seems a distress signal, only to encounter a remarkably lethal alien life form that boards their ship and sets about picking them off one by one. Some of the special effects are weak (the alien spacecraft and the android "revival" are fairly notorious). There is little in the way of character development, the film has a fairly slow pace, and the story itself is predictable; you can usually guess who is going to die next.

BUT. The art designs are incredible: the entire look of the film, from the commercial nature of the spacecraft to the iconographic alien itself (brilliantly envisioned by Giger) is right on the money. Director Ridley Scott encouraged his cast to ad lib from the script, and the result is a shocking sense of realism--and the somewhat slow pace of the film and the predictablity of the story gives it a sense of relentless and ever-mounting paranoia that is greatly enhanced by the tight sets and camera set-ups. With its odd mixture of womb-like organics and cold mechanics, ALIEN is a film calculated to send even the most slightly claustrophobic viewer into a fit of hysteria.

The entire cast, led by Tom Skerrit and Sigorney Weaver, is very, very good--and the film abounds with memorable images and scenes ranging from John Hurt's encounter with the alien egg to Skerrit's search of the ship air ducts to Weaver's terrifying race against time as the ship counts down to self-destruct. Seldom has any film been so consistent in design, cast, direction, and out-and-out fear factor, and although certain aspects of ALIEN are open to legitimate criticism the end result is powerful enough to bring it in at a full five stars. A word of warning, however: you'll need to send the kids to bed for this one. And you'll probably be up half the night afterward yourself! Recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Alien (1979) Here

Many have tried and failed to repeat its success, but nothing can beat the masterpiece that is Alien. Unleashed at cinemas in 1979, the film is a flat-out classic sci-fi horror flick, using extreme moments of suspense to build up the scary scenes. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is a ground-breaking classic that still holds up amazingly well today, and made an international superstar if Sigourney Weaver.

In Alien, the terror begins when the crew of the spaceship Nostromo are instructed to investigate a transmission from a desolate planet, as they are on their way back home to Earth. Upon their arrival, they make a horrifying discovery a life form that attaches itself to the victims face, using it as a host before breeding inside the body. The life form then removes itself, waiting for the young it has planted inside the human victim to be born and explode through the stomach. A gruesome description indeed, which is why the film is so brilliant. The alien is now on board the spaceship after it exploded through the stomach of one of the spaceship's crew, all because the remaining crew foolishly let him back on board. It's now up to the crew to stop this alien menace, and fight not only for their own survival, but the survival of all mankind.

Sigourney Weaver stars as Ellen Ripley in her film debut role. Weaver is absolutely perfect for the role, and was practically the first girl-power type female heroine who single-handedly carries this international blockbuster right through until the final minutes. John Hurt also plays Kane to excellent effect, especially in his death scene as he frantically wriggles on the table with the alien inside him. Harry Dean Stanton is brilliant as Brett, as is Tom Skerritt as Dallas. Yaphet Kotto is also perfectly cast as Parker, who provides many on-screen laughs. Veronica Kartwright (who later went on to star in The X-Files some 20 years later) stars as the loveable Lambert, the only other female member of the crew along with Ripley. Ian Holm as Ash is absolutely brilliant in his role as the android secretly sent on board to bring back the alien life-form, while in his eyes, and "Mother's" all other crew members are expendable. The acting in this film is really first-rate, which is another big factor in why the film works so well.

Many scenes from Alien are classics, and are all equally scary. The first really scary scene we witness is when Kane investigates the egg in which the life-form is waiting to spring out onto his face. The noise it makes is enough to give anyone nightmares, and the deathly silence that proceeds after the event is truly eerie. The first extremely shocking scene we get is when the alien explodes from Kane's stomach. The noises it makes, and the screams of pain and terror from the crew members is most disturbing, rivalling anything previously set in horror films such as the scenes from The Exorcist. Ripley's confrontation with the robot Ash is truly terrifying. After she discovers exactly why he is on board and what the truth behind their the mission, he tries to kill her, by blocking all the exits in the spaceship. It's only when the remaining crew (those who haven't been killed off by the alien) come to her rescue that Ash reveals his true self, spinning around the room with white liquid exploding from every orifice. Before long, Ripley is the only surviving member of the crew. On her own, she proves herself to be a true action hero as she finally defeats the alien on board.

All in all, Alien is a terrific sci-fi horror movie that plays with your senses incredibly well. Nothing happens for the first 30 minutes, and that is exactly the director's intent. By doing so, a feeling of extreme suspense is instantly formed, leaving you on the edge of your seat until the very end. When you think of the film when not watching it, you'll think of the long corridors and the eerie silence that stalks them, as these are the scenes that you remember most vividly because of the suspense created.

I urge anyone who hasn't seen Alien to pick up a copy and watch it today, because you really are missing out on a landmark film that redefined the way people think of space, and the horror movie genre in general. As they say, "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream."

Want Alien (1979) Discount?

That was the fitting tagline to this 1979 classic. Alien is certainly a masterpiece of the Sci-Fi/Horror genre. Ridley Scott's richly atmospheric and lavishily detailed direction immediately makes this a film that stands high above all of its rivals.

The story itself is simple and harkens back to those 1950's space creature pictures. The production design is simply marvelous. The design of the Nostromo is filled with realistic details, and creates a claustiphobic atmosphere. H.R Giger's contribution is simply breathtaking. His design of the derilict spaceship and the Alien itself has been much imitated since. The seven foot creature is truly a work of art. Only Aliens came close to really recaptuing the striking horror and beauty of the creature.

The cast which featured Sigourney Weaver in her debut, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm. Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright and Harry Dean Stanton is diverse and each adds something to the film. The music score by Jerry Goldsmith is filled with all sorts of eerie & strange sounds and creates a stomach churning atmosphere.

The pace of the film is slow by todays standards, but it's what creates the build up for the several shocking encounters with the Alien. The 20th anniversary DVD is fiiled with extras, looks and sounds terrific and is a must have for fans of this film.

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