Strike: Remastered Edition (1925)

(THE) STRIKE was the first film made by Sergei Eisenstein. The film is a tragedy, ending in annihilation, and it does not seem to have a final resolution other than the ending title card "Remember!" That the crowned heads of Europe imposed a regime of repression upon their people for a whole century from the fall of Napoleon to the end of the First World War is a well documented fact, and so this film does not actually go over the top in portraying it. In fact, there is a lot of humor along the way, which is found off-putting by some reviewers. This humor probably belongs to a tentative strand of thinking that was going on in the Soviet film industry at the time. While STRIKE was in production, Protazanov's blend of whimsy and realism, the science fiction classic AELITA opened in Moscow, and the theater facade was decked with gigantic figures of the King and Queen of Mars. The crush of patrons was so great that the director himself was unable to get into the theater, and had to miss the premiere. This popular success seems to have frightened the Soviet authorities, and Protazanov was put on a leash, and Eisenstein himself never indulged in such antics as these again. Then there would be only the straight propagandistic melodrama of OCTOBER and MOTHER and so forth.

Of course, STRIKE is propaganda, too. Notably, we do not know the names of any single character until after he or she is dead. The worker who hangs himself leaves behind a suicide note, and only then do we find out his name. That is the trigger that launches the strike. At the end, after the massacre, a single title card appears with a bunch of first names. These two title cards cannot disguise the fact that we do not really have characters in this film, but archetypes--the manager, the stock holder, the strike leader, the spies (of a number of different kinds), etc.

The blu-ray is a magnificent presentation of the film. I cannot compare it with any of the several DVD releases, but I have a twenty-year old laserdisc from the boxed set on Soviet cinema, and the blu-ray transfer is much superior in every way (but one). The blu-ray shows more perimeter to the picture, and especially on the top side of the screen. That gives the film more headroom, and it really makes a difference in the full portrayal of the art of Eisenstein. Cut-off heads is one of my biggest gripes about silent film on home video. There is one magnificent take early in the film, projected in reverse, going from feet standing in a puddle, moving away, the puddle clears to show the reflections of smokestacks, then conspirators walk backwards into the reflection. When I was watching the cropped picture on the laserdisc I couldn't see clearly the technique that Eisenstein was using. It all became crystal clear while watching the blu-ray. Both picture and sound are excellent--the sound on the loud side, so I had to turn down my amp.

The laserdisc and blu-ray are produced from different prints, and they have damage in different places, mostly in the opening reel. These things might have been repaired, but do not detract greatly from the presentation.

I mentioned that there was one way I preferred the laserdisc, and that was in preserving the original Russian intertitles. While I do not read Russian, I find that having the original titles there helps remind me that we are, after all, watching a film from Russia. Also, in the case of this film, the titles interact with the film in a unique way. About two minutes into the film there is one title that playfully morphs into the following footage. That one original title was retained on the blu-ray, but all the others were replaced with oversized English titles. The original titles were medium sized, appropriate for the size of the screen. Use of the large type makes the film seem even more didactic and doctrinaire than it is. It certainly would have been possible to give us an option of Russian or English intertitles, as was done with the blu-ray release of Battleship Potemkin. Again, I say that something is lost when the original titles are entirely replaced, even when the new ones have high definition as in this case.

So, to document the film in its original release format, I am keeping the laserdisc. But I will be watching the blu-ray for the film itself. I think it is flat-footed at the end, but there are so many brilliant moments along the way that make the film rewarding to see again and again. The blu-ray maximizes those moments.

If the quick and easy label is to call Sergei Eisenstein the Orson Welles of Soviet cinema, chronology notwithstanding, then "Strike" ("Stachka") is the great director's "Citizen Kane." This comparison would be dictated not by the greatness of this 1924 silent film, but rather by the fact "Strike" was Eisenstein's debut film. What the young Eisenstein clearly has in common with the young Welles is the reckless creativity of a kid with a brand new toy. The story is about the strike of factory workers in Czarist Russia in 1912, which ends with the rebellious comrades being brutally beaten down.

Eisenstein might be consumed with exploring the boundaries of cinematic technique, but he does evince some basic storytelling skills here. The climatic tragedy is set up initial comic element, which gain our sympathy for the workers on a human rather than an ideological level. Certainly a management that brings in spies and agents to infiltrate the oppressed workers cannot be supported. The strike begins after a factory worker, falsely accused of being a thief, hangs himself. The initial excitement over the prospects of success faded as the strike goes on and on. When the provocateurs hired by management finally bring things to a head, the tired and hungry workers are no match for the military troops that come to crush them. "Strike" features Grigori Aleksandrov as the Factory Foreman, Aleksandr Antonov as a Member of Strike Committee, Yudif Glizer as the Queen of Thieves, and I. Ivanov as the Chief of Police.

The more you know about Eisenstein's later works, the more you will recognize the raw cinematic techniques he displays in his first film as being refined in his later masterpieces. I know the obvious comparison is to look at "Battleship Potemkin" after screening "Strike," but I think the most profitable analog is with Alexander Dovzhenko's 1929 "Arsenal," which deals with a similar subject, namely a 1918 strike by Bolshevik works in Kiev. "Strike" runs 75 minutes and this Kino on Video edition has been digitally mastered from a mint 35mm print taken from the original negative. The presentation of this silent film is enhanced by a new score by the Alloy Orchestra.

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An epic feature film debut by filmmaker and film theorist Sergei Eisenstein. A precursor to the violence and large scale fights shown in his later films, "Strike" will continue to resonate strongly with cinema fans, especially for its famous final sequence.

The great Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, known for films such as the 1938 "Alexander Nevsky" and the 1944-1946 films "Ivan the Terrible" and a filmmaker who will be remembered for is his 1925 masterpiece "The Battleship Potemkin".

But a year before "Battleship Potemkin", "Stachka" aka "Strike" was created in 1925 and in Eisenstein's polemic cinematic style featured a theme of collectivism versus individualism and also featured the talent of the Proletcult Theatre.

"Strike" is a film that takes place during the Czarist rule and showcases workers of a Russian factory. The morale of the workers are low and while these workers work very long hours for little pay, the owners and higher up of the factory are shown as porkly characters that could care less about the employees but are more concerned of making money, eating and drinking well and getting rich.

Featured in six parts, the film begins with the following quote by Vladimir Lenin:

The strength of the working class is organization. Without organization of the masses, the proletarian is nothing. Organized it is everything. Being organized means unity of action, unity of practical activity.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Strike" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:33:1) and is presented in Linear PCM 2.0 Stereo (music performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra). The edition featured on Blu-ray of "Strike" is a version mastered in HD from a 35 mm film element restored by the Cinematheque de Toulouse.

While it is is expected to see white specks and a little film damage, the picture quality is magnificent. If you have seen this film before and have seen versions that get to the point where the visuals keep fading to black, no problem whatsoever in the picture quality of this film on Blu-ray.

The clarity is well-done, especially the closeups of the various individuals. Tonal gradation, black levels and contrast is also magnificent and this is the best looking version of the film to date. I detected no softness, no artifacts, no excessive degradation of the original film elements (There are a few scenes which show this slight whiteness but it's for a second or two and doesn't disturb your viewing of the film.

The overall look of the film compliments Eisenstein's direction and the cinematography by Vasili Khvatov, Vladimir Popov and Eduard Tisse.

Also, the music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra was well-done and complimented the film extremely well!

SPECIAL FEATURES

"Strike" comes with the following special features:

GLUMOV'S DIARY (4:43) For years considered lost, Eisenstein's first film "Glumov's Diary" (1924) is a playful experimental short made for his stage production of Alexander Ostrovsky's Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man.

EISENSTEIN AND THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT (37:10) Film historian Natacha Laurent places Eisenstein's work in the context of the Communist revolution and contemporary Soviet filmmaking.

Battleship Potemkin Trailer (1:32) Theatrical trailer for Kino's "Battleship Potemkin".

EXTRAS:

"Strike" comes with a slipcase cover.

JUDGMENT CALL:

A magnificent, groundbreaking film that still has relevance today!

Sergei Eisenstein's "Strike" is a straightforward film. Workers are mistreated, higher-ups are the ones who receive the benefits and when workers want to be treated well, their employers turn on them and the results are tragic.

Of course, in the United States, although strikes do happen and mediation between companies work hard to solve the issues, what we see in "Strike" still happens today in other countries (especially in China where several employee strikes in 2001 have turned violent due to worker's working very long hours and receiving unfair wages).

And in cinema, America has had its share of strike films with "The Grapes of Wrath", "Bound for Glory", "Norma Rae" to name a few. But what makes Eisenstein's "Strike" so amazing is what was accomplished back in 1925 visually. For one, Eisenstein is a filmmaker who knows how to incorporate large masses of people and capture the realism of that era. In this case, workers on strike in 1903 (note: There was a South Russian strike of 1903 in Odessa but violence was minimal and led to an independent labor movement but I have read that the film is actually was intended to be part of a series that led to the 1917 Revolution which ended Tsarist Autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union).

It's Eisenstein's focus on collectivism that comes forefront as American cinema tends to focus on the individual who may have led the strike or had a big part in it. No one actor becomes the protagonist. Strikers are a collective, the management and shareholders work as a collective.

And that is where Eisenstein shows his strength as a filmmaker, the utilization of composition and structure that achieves the film's efficacy.

Once again, the collective is the keyword to this film. Where many films would show a hero either being incarcerated, killed or simply being held on the pedestal for their achievement, its a banality that is often seen to well in cinema today and Eisenstein knew at the time that it's the collective that that should be featured and not one person goes down, all will suffer together.

Although I do not like to talk about the ending sequences of a film, "Strike" is one of those films where the majority of discussion of this film is primarily of its final scene. It's the most violent scene but also cinematography-wise, it's the most beautiful part of the film is seeing how Eisenstein used the visual aspects of the film to make it artistic but at the same time, no doubt, stirring up emotions of the Soviet people in the 1920's who watched the film.

If you do not want to be spoiled by my comments on the ending, please stop here and revisit after you watched the film.

"Strike" is well-known for its violent final scenes towards the collective mass interwoven with realistic scenery of a live cow being slaughtered are images that stick in your head. Without having to show hundreds of people marching to their demise, it was a well-executed plan to use the cow during that time, to be a symbol of the slaughter of humans. To show how people of the same blood but not of the same social status are looked down upon.

A mother tries to rescue her daughter who runs towards the military soldiers in their horses. These soldiers could care less and start beating on the mother and possibly the most disturbing scene, aside from the cow scene, was a soldier grabbing a baby and literally dropping the baby many levels below to its crashing death. While we see the workers tormented and running for their lives, it's a sickening juxtaposition of the exaggerated capitalist, laughing, fat and non-caring of their workers.

The bourgeoisie, the management, higher ups, shareholders, governor, police chiefs...they are the antagonist, the workers, the proletariat are the protagonists, the heroes of the film.

These scenes are quite haunting and although Eisenstein had created even more significant films after his filmmaking debut with "Strike", It is amazing to see the filmmaker create this aural effect through visual means.

Interesting enough, Eisenstein actually had a conceived a more violent film according to a record made of the completed final sequence which involved the decapitation of the cows heads, skinning of the cows and ending with a closeup of the cow's eyeball in order to correlate with the massacre of the workers.

As for the Blu-ray release, having owned the DVD, this film features the restoration courtesy of the Cinematheque de Toulouse and a newly-recorded score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra who did a magnificent job. It's also great to have the "lost" short film "Glumov's Diary" included in this Blu-ray release but for fans of Eisenstein, the included "Eisenstein and the Revolutionary Spirit" was a wonderful addition to this release.

There are not many filmmakers who have had the freedom to create films with a large mass of people and also to use his films to have this polemic and propagandist tone. It's a groundbreaking film for its time that a cinemaeaste must experience as it is quite different than "Battleship Potemkin" and Eisenstein's other well-known works.

Overall, "Strike" on Blu-ray is highly recommended!

Read Best Reviews of Strike: Remastered Edition (1925) Here

The most noticeable thing about this film is the extremely fast editing. This is fast compared with modern films, but by its contemporaries, it's lightning fast. Eisenstein advocated what he called 'montage', meaning more the juxtaposition of two different or similar images by intercutting or fading between the two to allow the viewer to draw comparisons between the two images. This is sometimes subtle, and at other times blunt (such as the scene with the crowd being slaughtered being intercut with cattle being slaughtered). Nevertheless it allows Eisenstein to make a point that we are treating humans as cattle and also avoids visceral depiction of the killing of the humans, whilst giving us a shocking image that tells us what we need to know. The film is somewhat difficult to follow, even with subtitles, and I felt there were no real points of identification. The humour in the depiction of the Bourgeoisie lightened the tone in places, but the film still seems more like a political manifesto for the Bolsheviks than representation of reality. Years ahead of its time technically, but dated in content.

Want Strike: Remastered Edition (1925) Discount?

This early work by Sergei Eisenstein in its Blu-Ray restoration is a fine example of storytelling in chapters. The restoration is excellent, the added music sound track is appropriate and the crisp black and white images take one back to those industrial times and predatory capitalism. There is lots of "human nature" and character studies plainly laid out for the viewer.

Eisenstein, like Carl Theodore Dryer after him, never made a bad film is his like. I am hoping that Kino restore and reissue every film that Eisenstein, the Master Film maker ever made. I will buy all of them.

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Fanboys (2008)

Admitting my bias, I am a big Star Wars fan and had been anxiously waiting the movie release since seeing a preview at ComicCon. The movie did not disappoint and had the family (boys at least) laughing harder than anything else I can remember. Some of the jokes are mature and maybe too vulgar for some. The number of inside references and "for fans only" jokes makes it fun. The guest appearances by Star Wars legends also adds to the experience. The best part is the humor is in support of a story beyond a throw away comedy with a compelling conclusion.

First and foremost, this film features and outstanding young cast: Sam Huntingon (Not Another Teen Movie), Chris Marquette (hilarious in The Girl Next Door), Jay Baruchel (funny and awkward as ever), Kristen Bell (gorgeous and talented as always), and Seth Rogan (whose mannerisms always seem to be funny). Who stole the show, however, was relatively obscure Dan Fogler. Part Booger from Revenge of the Nerds, part Jack Black without the tendency to irritate, Fogler absolutely stole every scene into which his hairy, obese body waddled (Do a Google picture search for "awesome none left" and you get a good idea of what he looks like).

Beyond the superbly blended cast is a heart-warming yet laugh out loud story of a group of twenty-something friends who have wanted one thing for years: to break into George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch and steal a copy of Phantom Menace before its release. Anyone in the sci-fi community can tell you that this release was HIGHLY anticipated, and executing this plan would have been akin to an Arthurian knight finding the Holy Grail. Watching the crew band together and embark on this perilous mission reminds me of, oh, I don't know, the crew from Star Wars minus the midget they should have had for Yoda perhaps? Although, it's a bit of a stretch to paint Kristen Bell as an obsessive Star Wars, sci-fi fan who dresses up as Leia and waits in line for the premiere of Phantom Menace; there can only be a handful of girls like that in the world.

For Star Wars and Star Trek fans (i.e. Trekkies or Trekkers, choose one), this movie is saturated with references, superb cameos, trivia, and enough "insider" moments to impress the true fanboys. If you waited in line to see the Phantom Menace and you haven't seen this, you're doing yourself a big disservice (they debate the inherently incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia). If you're just a random sci-fi fan and you haven't seen this, I highly recommend it. Even average movie fans should laugh enough to make this enjoyable.

Jason Elin

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Synopsis: Who in their right minds would concoct an insane plan like to drive across country to the estate of the great George Lucas, sneak in and spirit away with a copy of his soon to be released film Star Wars: Episode 1? It sounds like an idea that maybe a group of eight year olds would come doesn't it. That is if they could drive. Unfortunately this hair-brained plan is devised by 5 lifelong sci-fi, comic book fans who happened to be old enough to drive and stupid enough to attempt to do it. As the road unfolds before them, along with an endless series of insane encounters and unpredictable mishaps they experience along the way, their road trip begins to evolve into an epic quest for redemption and an unforgettable rite of passage that none will ever forget.

Critique: I didn't expect much from this film. I wasn't looking forward to wasting my time watching another dime a dozen crazy teenage road trip, low brow humor film. Well..., I was wrong. `Fanboy' is a well thought out, clever, immensely funny film is not only enjoyable on the initial viewing but will stand up well to the repeatability factor. I loved the cast, specially Kristen Bell (yes that's right, Kristen Bell) and Dan Fogler. Plenty of great cameos too! It certainly isn't Shakespeare but it sure is good for a lot of laughs.

Read Best Reviews of Fanboys (2008) Here

Four twenty-something childhood friends with a shared obsession for the greatest movie trilogy of all-time (Star Wars, for the clueless), reunite for the ultimate mission: To travel cross-country to George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch and steal a rough cut of "Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace" to view months before its official release. There's an honorable cause driving their madness though, as the group's most heartfelt member, Linus, is terminal with cancer and may not live to see the film otherwise. Together with rambunctious scoundrel Hutch (who drives a Star Wars fan's dream-van) and uber-nerd Windows, Linus and his "straying from the Force" best-friend, Eric, set out on the trip of a lifetime in search of their own, personal Death Star.

As the motley crew of rebels makes its way on the open road, naturally, they have a series of mishaps and misadventures. (*Mild Spoilers*) Their distaste for Trekkies leads them to a confrontation at a Captain Kirk statue dedication in Iowa. Soon after, they accidentally stumble into the wrong biker bar, have a strange experience with some marijuana-laced guacamole, Windows finally meets his internet dreamgirl, and an encounter with Harry Knowles of "Ain't It Cool News" sends them to Vegas for a secret meeting with a Skywalker Ranch insider, but not before they land themselves in jail and have to get bailed out by the comic shop hottie with a crush on one of the guys. Of course, it all leads up to one crazy infiltration attempt on Skywalker Ranch and a very touching finale.

So, that's the story of "Fanboys", quite simply, a film made for lovers of all-things Star Wars. Trekkies, beware; while this film may have some moments you'd enjoy, it definitely mocks the Trek. If you don't have a good sense of humor or acknowledge the fact that Star Wars is superior, you may just want to pick up a copy of "Free Enterprise" instead. Great film, but it's the Trek version of "Fanboys". "Free Enterprise" is more original and intellectual, and I love it because it goes beyond just Trek, but I gotta say, as a diehard, lifelong Star Wars fanatic, it made me anxious for something like "Fanboys" to come along.

Of course, "Fanboys" isn't perfect. The road-trip mission plot is anything but new, and the weak spots are some of those aforementioned misadventures. Two in particular come to mind. The gay biker bar bit seemed uninspired, though I liked the parallel with the Mos Eisley Cantina, and all the stuff right after that involving "The Chief" seemed rushed and awkward (don't get me wrong, who doesn't love Danny Trejo?). In general, there were times of missed opportunities to make things just a bit funnier. On the upside though, the film is still wholly enjoyable thanks to all the clever things that are included, mostly being Star Wars references, terrific cameos, and the humor of having a pop-culture obsession, thankfully treated here with total respect; something else that makes this a great film. "Fanboys" also has a great cast of rising stars, with Chris Marquette of "Just Friends" and "Race to Witch Mountain" as Linus, Sam Huntington of "Not Another Teen Movie" and "Superman Returns" as Eric, Dan Fogler from "Balls of Fury" as Hutch, Jay Baruchel of "Tropic Thunder" as Windows, Seth Rogan in multiple and hilarious roles, and the gorgeously stunning as always Kristen Bell as Zoe, the feisty comic shop princess. And, yes, girls like that do exist. There isn't one at my local comic shop, but I've seen them working the shop booths at Wizard World Texas(R.I.P.). I'll always remember a particularly cute one I saw the past two years from a comic shop in Plano. Though, I don't buy the filmmakers' implication that girls like that go unnoticed by the geeks around them because their interests make them "one of the guys". Nah, those girls are usually dating one of the comic shop employees, that's the problem, but I digress...

Yes, as I mentioned, one of the things that makes "Fanboys" great is that it treats the fans with respect (of course, that's what some critics seem to have had a problem with). It even cleverly handles the whole controversy of Episode 1 being... not good. Which is not my own opinion, just a seemingly popular one. In addition, the plot point of Linus's terminal condition adds a great depth to the whole thing that was nearly lost. Apparently, executive producer Harvey Weinstein wanted that left on the cutting room floor. Thank the Force that didn't happen. Fascinating that Director Kyle Newman seems to have gotten a taste of the very Dark Side George Lucas himself grew disgusted of having to deal with in Hollywood. And, before I forget to mention it, another very clever aspect of the film are the parallels with the Star Wars saga and its characters. It's not simple or overly in your face, thank goodness, as the characters even trade roles sometimes in terms of the parallels. Though, there's no question who Princess Leia is, and it's a shame she wears the gold bikini so briefly...

The DVD of "Fanboys" (currently, unfortunately, frustratingly, inexplicably not available on Blu in the U.S. at the time of this review) presents the film in widescreen with a PG-13 rating. It's nice to see a modern, 20-something roadtrip movie with a PG-13 rating, and I'm especially glad since Star Wars appeals to a wide age-range. Though, in all honesty, the PG-13 rating is misused these days. The crude humor (at least some of which I hear was producer-demanded in this case, though it's thankfully not excessive) is not something I'd call appropriate for 13 year-olds, ha. If memory serves, the PG-13 rating was created to deal more with violence than sexual and drug references, but now it seems to allow a very inappropriate amount of said material under its mantle. For such content, PG-15 or 16 would make more sense. But, hey, I don't really care that much, as I'm not a teen nor a parent. I just find it an interestingly disturbing thing what is officially considered acceptable for 13 year-olds these days. I prefer to avoid the whole issue and get "unrated" versions myself when available, ha. That way, it doesn't matter what your age is. Anyway, the DVD serves up a nice little collection of extras. We get deleted scenes (including the cut William Katt cameo; I wonder why they reshot that), a very entertaining and enlightening cast and crew commentary, a handful of behind the scenes featurettes and some behind-the-scenes webisodes as well. It's a shame they didn't try to get Lucas to let them put the Star Wars Holiday Special on there too.

So, I guess that's about it. "Fanboys" is not perfect, but it's still definitely great overall and thoroughly appreciated by myself and I suspect legions of others. However, if you're not a Star Wars fan, it might not do anything for you at all. It's probably not totally crucial to enjoyment of the film, but it certainly must help greatly. If you ARE a Star Wars fan though, definitely get this film. It's a MUST OWN!

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This movie sums up what it is to be a Star Wars fan. Get off my land, Trekkies!

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Kick-Ass Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack w/ Digital Copy (Bilingual) (2010)

What a wacky movie this is. When I first saw the previews, I thought this Kick-Ass was going to be aimed at kids and teens. Boy was I way off, because it earns it's R rating many times over. I really had no intention of seeing this film until I saw the very positive reviews flowing in from the critics. Not that I always agree with them, but in this case I would like to thank them for getting my butt down to the local theater today.

Parts of the movie reminded me of Watchmen. You have everyday people who are sick of bad things happening to good people, decide to put on costumes, have funny hero names, and then beat and cut apart the bad guys in a not so nice way. I actually thought it was rather tame in the gore department, compared to what I read about beforehand, but the violence and language is way too strong for kids.

The acting is good from everyone. I liked newcomer Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass himself. Nicolas Cage turns in one of his better performaces in a long time, though I think he was great in an over-the-top kind of way in The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is still doing his McLovin thing in every movie since Superbad, but it worked again. Mark Strong is kind of one note as the villain, like in Sherlock Holmes, but I think he's a little better in this role. The real star of the show is little 11-year-old, Chloe Moretz, as Hit-Girl. She is clearly the most memorable thing in a movie with a bunch of stuff worth remembering. As the daughter of Cage's Big Daddy hero, she spews out bad language, slices and shoots baddies by the dozens, and loves her daddy. I want one of my own.

Kick-Ass is serious in tone most of the time, but there are some killer comedy bits and lines that had the whole theater erupting with laughter. The music is well placed in key scenes and the director/writer, Matthew Vaughn, did a fine job in creating a comic book film that should please both fans and non-fans of the genre alike.

Even though it looks like Kick-Ass will come in #1 this weekend, it still feels more like a cult film to me. I can easily see this movie being talked about decades from now, much like Army of Darkness, but without the campiness factor. What a breath of fresh air in a genre that has just as many misses as it does hits.

Just like the rest of you, I went into the theater knowing not a whole lot about this movie. I thought it would be lame, cheesy, corny, *insert adjective here*. But, I was DEAD wrong to say the least. Kick-Ass combines action, comedy, and emotion, all at the right times. The movie flows well mainly because the cast jives so well together. I have yet to come out of a movie theater so pumped and wanting more than after I came out of Kick-ass

Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass)I didn't realize he was a British actor until I heard a voice clip from an interview. You sure can't tell from the movie. He plays a great nerdy type kid. But what separates him from actors like Michael Cera is that he actually grew some balls and decided to stand up to crime. He does a great job as the lead actor in the first half of the movie, but quickly gets overshadowed by young dynamo, Chloe Moretz

Nicholas Cage (Big Daddy)In my eyes, he redeemed himself for movies like Ghost Rider and Knowing. He was amazing. His character was totally believable and I sure enjoyed his Adam West mannerisms. He also did his fair share of ass kicking. His relationship with his daughter, Hit-Girl, brought hilarity and the emotion that I mentioned earlier to this movie.

Lyndsey Fonseca (Katie Deauxma)Hadn't seen her in a movie before. She is very beautiful and will be looking forward to seeing her in the sequel.

Chris Mintz-Plasse (Red Mist)As much as I don't want to say it, Chris is out growing his McLovin' character. He, like Kick-Ass, plays a slightly awkward superhero with no powers. He fills his part well and has plenty of laugh out loud lines.

And, the best for last:

Chloe Moretz (Hit-Girl)I honestly don't even know where to start with this girl. I would say she gives the performance of her life, but she was only 11 at the time of filming. She underwent 6 months of combat, acrobatic, and weapons training for her role as Hit-Girl in this movie. It paid off big time. Chloe does all her own stunts (minus 2) in the movie, which is insane. She is foul mouthed and bloodthirsty, but also has her kid moments. I don't understand the controversy with her character. She is very mature and thus should be able to do more mature roles. If you're not planning on seeing this movie, rethink, mainly because of this girl right here. She is incredible and will no doubt be the new Angelina Jolie when her time comes.

Overall, great movie. Great cast, great fight choreography, great soundtrack, and a great setup for a sequel! (Which has been announced)

See this movie, and then tell all your friends! It's totally worth the 2 hours of your time.

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The film is based on a comic book by the same name. The rights to the story were sold before the book was even published (it debuted only eight weeks before the film):

A teenage boy decides to take a stand for justice. He dons a green scuba costume and names himself Kick-Ass. However, not having any actual superpowers, this hero's good intentions quickly land him in an ICU. Eventually though, Kick-Ass crosses paths with a couple of far more effective (a.k.a. deadly) heroes: Big Daddy, a former cop falsely convicted of drug trafficking, and Hit-Girl, his eleven year old daughter. Big Daddy has spent the past six years training his little girl in all forms of mortal combat, hoping she would help him revenge her mother's death and her father's fall from grace, orchestrated by a local Mafia Boss. Enter blood, gore, and plenty of belly laughs...

Let me get straight to the point: yes, the film was funny and highly entertaining. However, initially I felt uneasy laughing at an eleven year old girl determinedly slaughtering a roomful of men, even if they were rotten to the core and disserving of every bullet and of every knife wound. But then, I remembered what I was like at that age: it was the early 80's. My favourite toys were a silver colt revolver and a sword. Depending on my mood, I would pretend to be a cowboy taking on a bunch of wild Indians, or a Jedi disarming (literally) Darth Vader and his evil cohorts. So, if any of you want to believe that little girls' minds are all about sugar and spice, well... good luck with that (by the way, I managed to grow into adulthood WITHOUT slipping into drugs and/or alcohol, and no, I was not a teenage mother). And so, that quick recollection gave me the permission to look at the film as an absurd exercise in fantasy and allowed me to enjoy every minute of it. Yes, the film was well written, directed and edited, but the special mention must go to the actress who portrayed Hit-Girl. Chloe Moretz was indeed eleven at the time of filming, but had the presence of a seasoned performer. I am looking forward to watching her future projects. There is already talk of a sequel. I'd pay to see it!

Laugh and enjoy!

Read Best Reviews of Kick-Ass Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack w/ Digital Copy (Bilingual) (2010) Here

To anyone who hasn't seen the movie but is considering it, you should realize up front that this movie is NOT for the kiddies, as evidenced by the "R" rating. That said, most of the bad reviews here seem to be from either people who had problems with the disc itself (i.e. people who don't understand the concept of a review), or people who let their kids watch the movie. These people made a stupid decision involving the mental well-being of their children based on the fact that they've seen "R-Rated" movies in the past that they don't mind their kids watching. This is not one of those movies!

Ranting aside, this was a pretty awesome movie. If you like action movies, check it out. It's a little darker, a little more violent, and a lot more vulgar than you might expect, but that's part of the movie's brilliance. Hit Girl is one of the coolest characters to grace the big screen in years, the MistMobile is the hottest Mustang manufactured post-70's, and the narrative draws you right into a feeling of camaraderie with the characters almost immediately.

Check it out, this movie rocks!

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First, let me say this movie isn't for the weak hearted. If you don't like violence, this movie isn't for you. I never read the comics or knew anything about it, so when I first watched the movie I was a bit surprised by the violence and blood in it. However, this movie is great from start to finish. Tons of actions mixed in with some laugh out loud moments makes this one of the best movies of 2010.

As many other reviewers discussed, Hit Girl is the obvious star of the movie as she steals every scene she is in. Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl) gives one of the best "child" performances you will ever see. All other actors/actresses hold their own in this movie, especially Nic Cage. I'm not a Nic Cage hater, but I never thought I would say he was absolutely brilliant in any movie. He plays the role of Big Daddy perfectly and shows emotions that you usually don't see from him in other movies.

Possible spoiler...

One scene that I have to talk about is the "unmasking" scene with Kick Ass. The direction, action and emotion of this scene is unreal. The Director nailed this moment in the movie with impressive visual camera work and non-stop action. Really impressive, and is something that you have to see.

Definitely recommend this and you don't have to be a comic book fan to enjoy it.

The Unbelievable Truth (1989)

If you like Trust and Simple Men then you'll love this film. Personally I love all of Hartley's works, but to me these three films just go so well together. They're all earlier works and in these films you witness an incredibley inspired director do more with a low budget film than most high paid directors could ever dream of doing. I'd also like to say that if you've never seen a Hal Hartley film then this is probably the best point to start out at.

I was saddened to hear of the tragic and senseless passing of the beautiful actress Adrienne Shelly. Nobody can watch Hal Hartley's "The Unbelievable Truth" and not be struck by how talented and engaging Shelly comes across onscreen. At the time of the film's release it seemed as if she was a star in the making. However, she seemed more content to stick with modest indie films and sporadic appearances in acclaimed TV shows rather than become a fixture in vapid Hollywood product that would have increased her exposure. Eventually she moved behind the lens for what was shaping up to be a very interesting directorial career. Sadly, we will no longer be able to witness her growth as an artist, but as a small consolation we still have films like "The Unbelievable Truth" and "Trust" to remind us of her once luminous presence.

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As in The Book of Life, Hartley exaggerates the limitations he's given so that they seem like a style. And, they are. Burke isn't the block of wood he seemed to be the first time I saw this, and Adrian Shelley crawls under your skin and lays eggs that hatch days, weeks, and even months later. And the script? Hard to do it justice, but I will say that this is one for repeated viewings. Don't rent it, buy it! You won't be sorry.

Also available on VHS again. Finally.

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As in The Book of Life, Hartley exaggerates the limitations he's given so that they seem like a style. And, they are. Burke isn't the block of wood he seemed to be the first time I saw this, and Adrian Shelley crawls under your skin and lays eggs that hatch days, weeks, and even months later. And the script? Hard to do it justice, but I will say that this is one for repeated viewings. Don't rent it, buy it! You won't be sorry.

Also on DVD. At last.

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Fraught with over obvious symbolism, Hartley's early feature is nonetheless a joy to watch. Hal here shows us his uncanny ability to cast his characters perfectly came early in his career.

Adrienne Shelley is a near perfect foil to herself, equal parts annoying teen burgeoning in her sexuality (though using sex for several years); obsessed with doom and inspired by idealism gone wrong she is deceptively and simultaneously complex and simple. Her Audrey inspires so many levels of symbolism it is almost embarrassingly rich (e.g., her modeling career beginning with photos of her foot culminating her doing nude (but unseen) work; Manhattan move; Europe trip; her stealing, then sleeping with the mechanics wrench, etc.)

As Josh, Robert Burke gives an absolutely masterful performance. A reformed prisoner/penitent he returns to his home town to face down past demons, accept his lot and begin a new life. Dressed in black, and repeatedly mistaken for a priest, he corrects everyone ("I'm a mechanic"), yet the symbolism is rich: he abstains from alcohol, he practices celibacy (is, in fact a virgin), and seemingly has taken on vows of poverty, and humility as well. The humility seems hardest to swallow seeming, at times, almost false, a pretense. Yet, as we learn more of Josh we see genuineness in his modesty, that his humility is indeed earnest and believable. What seems ironic is the character is fairly forthright in his simplicity, yet so richly drawn it becomes the viewer who wants to make him out as more than what he actually is. A fascinatingly written character, perfectly played.

The scene between Josh and Jane (a wonderful, young Edie Falco . . . "You need a woman not a girl") is hilarious . . . real. But Hartley can't leave it as such and his trick, having the actors repeat the dialogue over-and-over becomes frustratingly "arty" and annoying . . . until again it becomes hilarious. What a terrific sense of bizarre reality this lends the film (like kids in a perpetual "am not"/"are too" argument).

Hartley's weaves all of a small neighborhood's idiosyncrasies into a tapestry of seeming stereotypes but which delves far beneath the surface, the catalyst being that everyone believes they know what the "unbelievable truth" of the title is, yet no two people can agree (including our hero) on what exactly that truth is. A wonderful little movie with some big ideas.

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Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

First there was Kevin Smith, with his patented brand of hugely over-the-top raunch in CLERKS. As he "matured," he added a level of true feeling behind this work in CHASING AMY. And then he sort of lost his way with a few pretty awful films. Meanwhile, Judd Apatow established himself as the King of Sweet Raunch with 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, SUPERBAD, etc. In these films, the characters spoke about sex with a level of filthy detail never before heard. They indulged in reckless behavior. They were the kinds of people films had for decades told us were "bad." Yet we recognized people we knew in them, or even ourselves. They were also infused with an innocence and an acknowledgement that behind all the strutting bluster, we all just want to be loved. They acknowledged the weakness in men, and the strength in women who can make these men pull themselves up by their bootstraps and start to take life seriously. This was the Apatow "brand."

Now Kevin Smith has come storming back to reclaim his part of that little mountain. While his ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO doesn't re-establish him as King, it reminds us that Apatow and others owe him a debt...and that he's still capable of out-raunching the raunchiest stuff we've seen. And, as will be no surprise to anyone who has seen the trailers for the film, he mixes in the "sweet" stuff pretty well too.

The presence of Apatow disciple Seth Rogan makes the film seem more like an Apatow film than perhaps it really is. For example, in movies like SUPERBAD, there is actually relatively little sex being had. Characters talk about it, and they sure would like to be indulging in it...but not much happens. In ZACK & MIRI, a great deal of sex is had and shown. It is a far more visually explicit movie than Apatow's (the full frontal male nudity in WALK HARD being a notable exception). I wouldn't want to compare the level of explicit imagery in the dialogue side by side with a SUPERBAD, but I suspect that ZACK & MIRI is also verbally just a smidge more explicit as well.

Zack (Rogan) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since first grade, and now, on the eve of their 10th High School Reunion, they are roommates sharing a rundown rental and one very run down car. They both have dead-end jobs and apparently no ambition. They also have not paid bills in quite awhile. While neither seems exactly HAPPY with life, both are content in the little routines they have to get through the day.

Miri forces Zack to go with her to the reunion, because she's hoping to shamelessly throw herself at the "boy" she crushed on in school (Brandon Routh). Zack, meanwhile, has an interesting conversation with this guys boyfriend (a hilarious Justin Long, as we've never seen him), who apparently is a well-known gay porn actor. Naturally, Miri is crushed to find this guy she intended to sleep with is gay, but the two are more upset to find their hot water and electricity has been turned off. But Zack comes up with the "great" idea to make a pornographic movie in order to pay their bills.

I won't dwell on the specifics anymore, but you can imagine how things might develop. The two hapless friends have no money and no video camera, so they have to turn to friends to underwrite their crazy venture, and an unlikely troupe of filmmakers develops. There are obligatory scenes of auditions and the struggle to come up with the right title for the film. (If this weren't a "family" site, I'd share a few...the one involving a twist on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA just about made me spew soda through my nose)

It's all quite, quite raunchy. While not literally as explicit as a real porn film, not all that much is held back. I can sure see why Smith had to fight to avoid an NC-17 rating. Under absolutely no circumstances to you want to see this film with your kids...no matter how old your kids are!

Will Zack & Miri find out they are right for each other? Will doing porn ruin their discovery? The film holds few plot related surprises, frankly. It is the verbal dazzle that keeps you entertained.

And the performances. Seth Rogan pretty much gives us the same character again...but he does have an ease about his acting that makes him enjoyable. His characters may be insecure, but Rogan is not. But it is Elizabeth Banks who surprises the most. I've seen her in a lot of smaller roles (on "Scrubs", for example) and to be honest, she's struck me as vaguely perky but lightweight. Here, it is frankly a bit startling to see her right in this raunchy mix, her mouth as dirty as anyone else. Smith has empowered her, that's for sure (don't know if that's a good thing for "society" or not). She also finds some true depths in Miri, particularly as the film winds down, that elevate her performance to a special level. It's not Oscar winning stuff, exactly, but it will make people sit up and take notice of her. This, and her praised performance in W., have made it quite a good year for her.

The movie is hilarious. That's what you want to know, isn't it? My wife and I both laughed uproariously many time. It will offend you, too. Smith loses control a few times, with some random scenes that grind the story to a halt. Most revolved around the character played by Jason Mewes (better known as "Jay" in a myrid of Smith's earlier films) a young man who makes it into the film due to some "special talent." He's funny, but his stuff seems out of place...as though Smith stopped his movie to let his old buddy riff on some dirty stuff. There's also some stuff about a constipated actress that devolves into the nastiest couple of seconds you've ever seen, that even so are unbelievable, unlikely, unfunny AND distract from a key moment for the story.

(By the way, I apologize if I've offended anyone with the review...tough to talk much about this film without stretching the boundaries a little. If you find my review offensive...please skip the film.)

Overall, Smith has made a funny and sometimes tender film. If Judd Apatow had never existed, this film would be groundbreaking. Now it is a familiar formula, with the raunchy dial turned to 11. But, if that's something you've enjoyed before, you'll get many big laughs from ZACK & MIRI!

I won't beat around the bush: "Zack and Miri" is easily one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It's a laugh riot from beginning to end, and even after the credits role (hint hint).

There is no disguise or misdirection; it's exactly what is expected. It's foul-mouthed concoction of obscenities, smut, juvenile humor, tons of pop-culture references, and a good deal of smart dialogue. It's parody at the pinnacle of the genre, making fun of the 70's and 80's porn industry, when it was in a developmental and transitional phase before today's high-end adult films or so I've heard anyway. Make no mistake; however, there is also a very serious approach taken (which gets a bit sappy), and true devotion and respect is paid to not only porn (which is odd), but also the hilariously crass Smith (Apatow-esque) comedy (which is expected). Smith nails it.

There are countless highlights and laughs throughout. The best scenes, however, are those leading up to filming of the cheesy porn. Selecting the name for the movie, coming up with "Star Whores" (and hilarious names for the rest of the series), while ripping through raunchy variations of several other movies, almost made me convulse from laughter. Some may have a problem believing Seth Rogen as a porn star, thinking the concept as real as the silicone on a typical adult set, but Ron Jeremy pretty much negates that argument. There is no doubt, however, that Elizabeth Banks could easily be a megastar if she were to turn to the dark side. Their onset chemistry is definitely what makes the movie work.

It's definitely not for the easily offended. I'd go so far as to say that it's a fairly smart comedy if one can get around perpetual F-Bombs. It's a witty movie about raunchy intercourse that pushes the socially inhibition and sexually awkward buttons.

The way I see it, there are two groups of people who will watch this movie. One group knows what they are getting into; they're going to see a Kevin Smith flick that is sure to be crude and contain poop humor. The other group will be people who will frown at the profanities and cover their eyes at the vulgarity. To the former I say: You'll absolutely bust a gut watching this movie. I know I did. To the latter I say: What the heck were you expecting? Are you really so dumb as to not know what you were about to watch? It's called "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" for goodness sakes! Go watch a nice chick-flick or a documentary instead.

In closing, this was the best comedy of 2008, and it's not even close. They are so devoted to concept of this movie that there is even a guy on the crew named Buster Pile! I kid you not. Hilarious.

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I had the luxury of seeing this film on the big screen with a friend. Having seen reviews we knew to expect it to be funny, but also that it would be crude. It was that and more.

Be aware that like many of Judd Apatow's films Zack and Miri includes 'bonus' full frontal footage (male, full frontal footage that is) to add to the humor and/or shock value. Expect at least a couple of those type scenes and don't say you weren't forewarned before watching the film.

Once past that issue, viewers should also be aware that there's one scene that isn't for those with a weak stomach. It's quite funny, but also incredibly crude and honestly surprised me that it made it past the MPAA on the way to the R rating that the film carried when it was aired in theatres. You'll likely find it nearly impossible not to laugh, but it's also going to be something you'll want to turn away from. Note that I don't want to spoil the film or the scene, but you'll be able to see what's coming and can probably figure out in advance what I'm referring to so you should also be able to be prepared.

The film itself is not just funny and crude (and lewd as well), it's also, as promised on the quote from Time magazine critic Richard Corliss on the cover art for the Blu-ray disc "Sweet, Funny and Sexy." While writer/director Kevin Smith was obviously going for cheap humor, he opted to wrap it up nicely in a sweet tale of two down on their luck friends. Thanks to a very funny supporting cast, everything works pretty well and makes the end result a film that should crack you up.

What isn't included on the Blu-ray, unfortunately, is a commentary from the director. Smith decided not to do a commentary track for the current release of the film. Whether one will be done in the future likely depends on sales of the film on disc as well as whether or not Smith ever finds time to go back and record it. Even without a commentary track the film includes a substantial load of special features including a making of featurette, a large number of deleted scenes, outtakes and other fun stuff.

The video quality is very good. Not necessarily what technophiles would label as reference quality, but still very good. Kevin Smith's films don't necessarily live or die by their cinematography, but it also couldn't be said that he doesn't care about such things either. Knowing that Smith's films are more about the dialoge and character interactions, you might expect the video to be apparently less important, but that really isn't the case here.

Sound quality on the Blu-ray has raised some concerns for some viewers. I've seen complaints that the audio levels are low requiring some viewers to crank the volume a bit so as not to miss the dialogue. That's very much a your mileage may vary type thing as the results on different sound setups vary. Just be aware you may find yourself cranking the volume a bit more for this disc than you might normally do.

One final complaint that may come up depending upon where you buy your copy of this disc you may find that you get different cover art than you see at other outlets. Some retailers are using different cover art that somewhat censors the packaging. Something about the use of the P word makes some retailers nervous. :-p

Kevin Smith fans probably long ago considered this must buy material. Non-fans may be reading the reviews (like this one) to help make up their mind. Again, I'd caution that you should know going in that it is crude and lewd, but as long as you aren't easily offended you might find it quite funny. For me it's definitely worth the purchase.

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I can't wait for everyone to find out and realize that Seth Rogan actually sucks...........okay, so he can say the 'f' word several times as he improves...........big deal.........he's really not that funny, and he looks/talks like he has chew in his lip.

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I had heard great things about this movie and was excited to watch it. Unfortunately, only the first thirty minutes or so were worth watching. The beginning was hilarious and Justin Long was brilliant! After that, a romance sprang from nowhere and it really made the rest of the movie hard to watch. I felt like I had to sit through the out-of-place romance in order to get to the likeable parts of the movie. On a side note, I also find it hard to believe that the characters of Zack and Miri would be best friends for 20 years and still so awkward around each other. It just made the movie less enjoyable for me. I say watch the first half hour and move on.

Three stars only for Justin Long's excellent performance.

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Warren Miller: Children of Winter (2009)

The latest episode from warren miller is good, but not outstanding. Missing the narration of warren, who always had a good scense of humour. Also has a section which features Jason Biggs (american pie fame) and a band (cant think of the name) which goes on a bit long.

My husband and I are huge fans of the Warren Miller films. When Johnny Mosley started to narrate in previous films we were like this sucks. He gets better and better every film. Although we do miss Warren so so much. Great film as always. I am from NH and ski at Okemo a lot as my season pass is good there, I really hate how they make it look like the Wobbly Barn (where the band does their gig) is at Okemo, it is really at Killington. The skit with Jason Biggs was drawn out and cheesy. I love the ski joring part, so awesome! Can't wait to see what next years film will be. Enjoy!

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It is sad that this title was sold by his kid to a company that doesn't really get it. They probably didn't like the production costs and they certainly don't have the sense of humor. I'm sorry that this is one of the few of this series in Blu-Ray, because it does not live up to expectations. The key year is 2004, before that Warren Miller was the man in charge, now it is "Time, Inc" and you might just as well buy any other skiing movie.

I was disappointed in the film, it lacks the life of the Miller films, that made me go and search the net to see why it has all gone wrong. Save your money and hope they re-issue the old movies.

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Good movie, just not the same as the old Warren Miller Movies. But if you can appreciate spectacular outdoor adventure filming and you're okay with change, then you'll enjoy this one!

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The joy of all earlier Warren Miller movies was the crusty commentary by Miller. He doesn't do it any more and in its place is a banal, high volume thumping music and stupid commentary. I would advise missing this movie.

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Youth Without Youth (2007)

YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH is for this viewer one of the most creative and genuinely intelligent and beautiful films to be released in some time. Francis Ford Coppola has utilized the finest points of his gifts as a movie creator and the result is a mesmerizing, quasi-hallucinatory exploration of the fine book by the Romanian writer Mircea Eliade. Not only is Coppola's screenplay challenging and complex, it is also a well-developed guide to making visual the concept of Eliade's at times perplexing story. The cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. is moody and captures the surrealism of the tale, and the musical score is by the great contemporary composer Osvaldo Golijov who has taken every element of Romania mysticism and culture and translated them into a miraculous musical brocade.

Dominic Matei (Tim Roth in a brilliant performance) is a 70-year-old professor whose sheltered life has been spent in his thwarted exploration of the origin of language. The old man is struck by lightning and survives under the care of puzzled physicians and as he shows signs of life, Professor Stanciulescu (Bruno Ganz) is at his side, helping Matei to learn to communicate and eventually accompany him through his complete recovery. Matei grows young in appearance and is able to time travel through the decimation WW II brought to his native Bucharest, altering his identity as he is given a second chance at a life he never experienced, a life that includes a love affair with a woman who closely resembles his early love Laura and now falls in love with him as Veronica (Alexandra Maria Lara). In a Dorian Gray mode Matei lives for years as an ageless man, able to communicate with his 'double' who is visible only to Matei. His condition intrigues the interest and suspicions of both the Nazis and journalists and academic colleagues until certain tidal events change Matei's course and he regresses into old age, retuning to the moment of time when he was first struck by lightening. It is a story of the quest of eternal youth and the Faustian consequences that accompany that journey.

The tone of the film is operatic and with the majority of the cast drawn from some of Romania's finest actors, the quality of performances is uniformly outstanding. Tim Roth is remarkably superb in this challenging role, a performance that deserves acclaim from a very wide audience. YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH is Coppola at his finest. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 08

Finally a relief to the drivel the studios push out. Youth Without Youth stimulates one's intellect in a philosophical way. You have to give it a chance so a few viewings without the distractions is recommended. Select subtitles for better absorption of what is being said. It is rather deep and calls for an open mind. If you can be gripped by the story that is driven by early languages, a story that explores Eastern philosophy, the various dimensions of ones consciousness, then you'll like this movie.

It is a personal film for Coppola, not one he did to make money to fund other films he wanted to make. Coppola captures the time periods well with costumes and visual cues. He's a director that believes you, as a member of the audience, are intelligent and use your instincts to interpret the specific symbols he gives you. Saying it is over your head means you just perceive the story in your own way. There is no right or wrong on your interpretation of meanings. It can mean what you feel it means. Pay attention to detail, to the words, examine the camera angles. Embrace the challenge of the film. This is one of those movies that you can never assume you will know what will happen next.

Coppola says the book by Mircea Eliade doesn't describe visually the character, but believes his interpretation of the story's ending is what the author meant for it to be. He wrote, produced, and directed this one for $17 million. Tim Roth and Alexandra Maria Lara worked in Romania often in extremely cold temperatures. Several dozen hours of make-up prosthetics applications for Roth as well as rehearsing with several languages and a new language created by author Eliade.

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****1/2 2007. Based on Mircea Eliade's Youth Without Youth, this film was written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Struck by a lightning, a 70 years old Romanian teacher survives and is rewarded by the ability to live a second life that will allow him to assimilate the whole human Knowledge. This is a haunting movie dealing with important themes such as time, love, oldness or Man's origin, it kept me awake late last night long after its ending. I wouldn't qualify this film as arty because its form and its story aren't incomprehensible for the lambda viewer. The themes handled by the director are intellectually demanding but their exposition is very simple; that's the mark of a great director. Highly recommended.

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I don't know if you're into metaphysics, mythology, psychology, and Eastern philosophy. If these things interest you, you will probably love this movie.

Based on the book by Mircea Eliade, who has explored many cultures, and religious paths, who has written books on alchemy and about shamanism, and spirituality, Youth without Youth trips through the wires of your higher consciousness.

As you watch, the captivating images that unfold onscreen, immediately make you aware that you are not dealing with an ordinary filmmaker. If you press the subtitles button, what you see is not subtitles but a readable commentary by Francis Ford Coppola, which I found added to my understanding. He explains how the lightning is awakening. He mentions Prometheus, and Frankenstein's monster being created by lightning. I thought about Saul being converted by a lightning strike.

Dominic Matei, old and bitter, is struck by lightning. He regresses in age to become a young man. Nurses notice his virility with pleasure. His intelligence grows. Sinister people want to tap his potentiality. He sees another version of himself in the mirror, a duality, but is it conflicting, or does it open doors. He meets a woman, who looks like the love of his life, but is a totally different woman. They engage. They travel.

Along the way the mind, (I loved the four probabilites) reincarnation, linguistics, bridging the gap between dream and reality, and consciousness are explored through Dominic reexperiencing youth without youth.

I had a great dream after seeing this, that paralelled the movie. I was not struck by lightning, but I did get an electric shock. It seemed significant. I don't know if you will have a dream after seeing this movie. Only one way to find out I suppose.

I bought The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structure of Alchemy after watching this.

I liked this movie a lot, but it's not for everyone. It's not your typical commercial movie. Carl Jung or Joseph Campbell would probably hail this as a masterpiece.

I wonder if you find this helpful, and I think you will love it.

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This breathtakingly sensitive and humanistic story is beautifully filmed with loving care by FFC. The foil for the touching exploration and esoteric examination of the human condition is the backdrop of Nazi aggression and genocide during WW2. Normally I share basic opinions of the most published film critics regarding films they review. I could not disagree more with the prevailing opinions of published reviews I have read regarding this film. FFC has set a very high standard for script writers and directors who want to create worthwhile innovative cinematic art.

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Road House (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1989)

Forget "Dirty Dancing": Patrick Swayze's career peaked in this and the similarly underrated "Point Break." It doesn't quite reach the stratospheric heights (or is it depths?) of Arnold Schwarzenegger's deservedly legendary "Commando," but "Road House" is still the stuff of which B-movie legend is made. Starring Swayze as the head bouncer at a rowdy Southern bar called the Double Deuce, "Road House" derives its appeal largely from the ingenious idea of having a bunch of rednecks for villains. You get to see Swayze's Dalton, perhaps the only Mercedes-driving, philosophy-majoring bouncer in history, take on a seemingly endless succession of slack-jawed inbred troglodytes as he tames the Double Deuce and ensures victory for truth, justice, and the American way.

The Double Deuce is one of the those bars where it seems half the patrons are on parole, but that doesn't stop them from throwing fists at the proverbial drop of a hat. I've always believed that bar fights held vast, untapped potential for the action genre, and this movie more than delivers the goods in that department. There are about five solid bar brawls in "Road House," with glass flying around, Dalton employing his martial-arts expertise against dimwitted thugs in tight jeans, and blind guitar whiz Jeff Healey providing some rock-solid background music. Suffice to say, if you're looking for a fair and dignified look at life in the South, you won't find it here. A trip to the Double Deuce promises to be as nasty and brutish as Hobbes's state of nature, and a lot more fun to watch.

And even for those who can think of nothing that beats Patrick Swayze as an action hero, it gets better: they got Sam Elliott, one of America's most underrated actors ever, to play Dalton's long-haired, hard-living friend Wade! With an unkempt white mane and that unmistakable Southern drawl, Wade dispenses plenty of rapier wit along with some ...-whippings before outliving his usefulness. You also get to see Ben Gazzara, slumming it as the snake-like villain Brad Wesley, somehow manage to maintain a semblance of dignity in a movie that seems committed to insulting your intelligence every chance it gets. And as Dalton's love interest, Kelly Lynch adds little in the way of plot advancement or dialogue, but she does provide some nice scenery... buying it.

To avoid any confusion, by rating this movie 5 stars I am NOT suggesting that it is in the same league as GLADIATOR, THE LORD OF THE RINGS (trilogy), GONE WITH THE WIND or any other top-calibre flick. However, this film doesn't try to compete with the likes of top-rated movies, and that's the beauty of it.

The story is based on a top-notch bar bouncer (Patrick Swayze) who is compelled to call in his old mentor (Sam Elliot) for an especially tough project. Instead of just busting heads and throwing hoodlums out of the bar, these guys end up having to save the whole town!

This is a B-movie all the way. In my opinion, it COULD be the greatest B-movie of all time. In short, despite being stupid it is also immensely entertaining. The plot is contrived. There are aspects of it that are way, way beyond being remotely believable. It seems the whole movie was inspired by pushing the envelope on the concept of the bar brawl.

Despite its limited plot, the DVD is surprisingly watchable. I've seen it at least 4 times and it's always fun to re-watch. Patrick Swazye's considerable acting talents are wasted in this farce, but that's OK. The film contains a nice sampling of gratuitous nudity, and Kelly Lynch is not exactly hard on the eyes.

So, if you want to watch a movie with minimum seriousness and maximum action, hang a left into the Roadhouse tonight. You won't be disappointed.

Buy Road House (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1989) Now

Road House mania has finally hit in 2006! Not only has this movie, which has been to late night TBS what Whoopi Goldberg is to Hollywood Squares, finally been reissued in a special edition, but now Mike Nelson from MST3K has released a RiffTrax for it! Road House was long acknowledged as a target that Nelson and the 'bots wished they could skewer on MST3K and he finally got his wish.

Listen, Road House is great. Tinker, Sam Elliot (voice of the beef council) and the oh so creepy owner of the Double Deuce are some of the best characters to ever populate small town Missouri. But watching it with Nelson's RiffTrax playing in the background took the unintentional (i think?) comedy of Road House to an entirely new level. Nelson is both knowledgable and funny, the kind of guy you wish your friends were as clever as. If we are ever blessed with a 20th anniversary edition of Road House, I would hope that Nelson's riffing can be included, because I can't imagine watching this movie again without it.

Check it out:

Read Best Reviews of Road House (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1989) Here

At this point, I'm sure pretty much everyone has seen the movie so I won't go into the details about why this movie is so fun and rewatchable. Overall, this is a good blu-ray release as far as content. The blu-ray is bare bones, however this release includes the DVD that has all of the extras from the last DVD release(yes, it has Kevin Smith's and Scott Mosier's commentary track).

Now for the bad. The packaging is awful. The case looks like a normal blu-ray blue plastic case until you remove one of the discs and reveal the spaces or holes in the plastic. And the best part? The holes are right where the disc is resting in the case, which means if any blunt or sharp object hits the case, it will go through the thin plasic sleeve cover and the paper cover and damage the disc. I imagine amazon will have a lot of damage returns with this one since they are sending it in a bubble lined envelope (it really needs to be shipped in a box). My blu-ray cover was punctured in the front and the DVD was slightly damaged by a very visible scratch. Fortunately the disc still played just fine, but now the Road House front cover has a small hole right on Patrick Swayze's neck line. Lovely. I won't be returning it since the same thing will probably happen again (possibly worse) and both of the discs play anyway.

The eco-friendly packaging was a HORRIBLE idea. Since I like my discs to have some kind of protection, I'll be putting the discs in a different case and tossing this eco-friendly junk. They might as well send these in a thin paper sleeve. It's ridiculous.

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I love the movie. It's bad, but a good kind of bad. Especially if you watch the movie with the Rifftrax commentary. But they made some odd choices with this release. First is the packaging that is designed with holes. Tolerable if you're careful, but I can see some mishaps. The other is the way they decided to do the extras. See, it comes with the Blu-Ray version and the DVD version. Not sure why. Perhaps they want you to lend it to a friend who doesn't have Blu-Ray. I dunno. Or perhaps they were just too lazy to put the extras onto the Blu-Ray disc and had a whole bunch of DVDs left over from last release. That's right. There are no extras on the Blu-Ray disc but the DVD has all the extras from the DVD release. Hmmmmmmmmmmm....

Let's see...

Blu-Ray Disc:

-Full-Length Film in 1080P

-Lossless Audio

-Smart Menus

-Theatrical Trailer

-Other Trailers

DVD "Bonus" Disc:

-Full-Length Film in SD

-Director Commentary

-Commentary with Kevin Smith and Scott Masier

-Documentary

-Featurette

-Trivia

-Multiple Language Tracks

Yep, that's right. If you want commentary (commentary aside), you have to watch the movie in standard definition because for some reason, they could not be bothered to move such features to the Blu-Ray disc itself.

Deeper BD (2010)

I hope that Deeper starts a new trend in shred videos. What makes Deeper unique is that it offers the viewer a chance to see some amazing big mountain riding without having to sit through the usual embarrassing, self-indulgent, 10 minute long slow-mo montages of helicopters filming snowmobiles, helicopters filming other helicopters, etc. that you usually see in the big mountain videos. None of that stuff here. The riders in Deeper earn their turns, hiking and camping deep into the wilderness to get some of the most amazing lines ever captured on video. This video will really appeal to people that have a love for the mountains and enjoy things like mountaineering and backpacking in addition to snowboarding. But it also opens up a whole new world to all snowboarders, and sends an awesome new message to your average shred: you can find and crush epic lines, even right here in the lower 48, without the international flights, chartered helis and sleds that only pro-bros can swing...if you're willing to take on the hard work and research that it takes to get out there.

I don't want to dis anyone that loves to get out on the snow in any fashion. But there are a lot of different kinds of riders out there, and it is nice to see some much needed variety in shred videos to reflect that. It is great to see a big mountain snowboard video that isn't just a Warren Miller rip off, or (worse) a self indulgent fantasy of technology ogling and European alpine luxury to live vicariously through. Those videos are satisfying in their own way, but snowboarding is a diverse culture and we all benefit from there being more options out there. I hope Jeremy Jones is making Deeper 2 as I type, and I hope others will make more "earn your turns in uncharted territory" videos...and many other new styles too.

Classic Jeremy Jones, always bigger and better. This is well worth the money. If you like back country, powder, and EXTREME you will like this.

Buy Deeper BD (2010) Now

If your a fan of skiing, or snowboarding alike, you'll love this movie. Jeremy Jones takes snowboarding to a whole new level in this film. With segments in Utah, Chamonix, and Alaska, this 2 year TGR project is exciting and awe inspiring. The movie has spectacular mountain views and places that have never been seen in a ski film before. You'll be on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. This is not your typical ski movie with Terrain park jumps and Helicopters. Jeremy Jones, Travis Rice, et al. hike every single one of lines, many times with technical mixed climbing gear like ice axes, crampons, and rope. So if your looking for crazy ski lines with un-tracked powder and good music. Definitely buy this DVD/Blue-ray.

Read Best Reviews of Deeper BD (2010) Here

This movie is done in the documentary style of "First Decent ", but does a much better job of holding your attention and respect for the players. The cinematography is quite good as well; though there isn't much difference between BD and standard DVD on this one. Overall, this is definitely worth watching and gives you an appreciation for what Jeremy Jones is trying to accomplish.

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I got this for my boyfriend who is a HUGE snowboarding fanatic. Says this is " the best video ever"! great soundtrack as well

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District B13/District 13: Ultimatum 2-Pack (2009)

These are two movies where I actually loved part 1 and part 2. Usually the second movie sucks, but not this one.

I can't say that I have seen too many French films before, spare the ever so awesome Brotherhood of the Wolf, but after that and the District 13 films, France has definitely made it's mark in American culture with such bad@$$ films. Yes, the film quality isn't necessarily quite up to pace with American movies, but it makes up for it with some pretty decent acting and some awesome stunts. Cyril Raffaelli (Live Free or Die Hard, Kiss of the Dragon, Hitman), busts out some outstanding martial arts, and David Belle pulls some spectacular stunts using the art of Parkour...awesome athletic ability. The duo does a great job together in these films. If you're an action/martial arts fan, I highly recommend checking these movies out. My only main criticism on these movies is that the dubbing kinda sucks on it, but then again, such is the case with a lot of dubbed movies. I would recommend watching these in the native tongue and reading subtitles, but however way you prefer to do it, just watch these movies! They are worthwhile action films!

Buy District B13/District 13: Ultimatum 2-Pack (2009) Now

full of action!

full of fights!

full of everything!

the best I've seen in action

Read Best Reviews of District B13/District 13: Ultimatum 2-Pack (2009) Here

District B13 (Banlieue 13) is your standard low budget action flick, lots of action sequences and fight scene with a weak plot about a ghetto district in Paris where the gangs are so bad, that the French gov't built a wall around it. Now in 2010, with no hope of bringing peace to the district, the French gov't is going to blow up the district with a bomb. Our two heroes fight their way to the bomb only to fight over whether the bomb is going to blow up or deactivate when the time reaches zero. The 2 heroes bring the bomb to the presidents office and use it to persuade him to open up district 13 and tear down the wall.

District 13: Ulimatum (Banlieue 13: Ultimatum) is the sequel, with a slightly higher budget, better camera work and a deeper plot. Surprise, nothing has changed, the wall is still up and gangs still control district 13. Now in 2013, big surprize 2012 didn't happen, the French gov't has become corrupted and is sparking a war between the gangs and police to convince the president to blow up district 13. The Department of Internal State Security is taking care of anyone that will get in the way of their plot including our 2 heroes. Leito breaks Damien out of jail and the two snoop around in police headquarters and find out what's what. Paris is about to erupt in riots, and the president is about to blow up district 13. So our 2 heroes and the 5 gang lords unite to break into the control room where the president is about blow up district 13 and expose DISS' plot to the president. After stopping the president from blowing up the district *spoiler* the 5 gang leaders and leito agree it's best just to rebuild and the president blows up the district anyway. *spoilers*

As you can see from my plot summaries the sequel has more plot, which does mean less action but makes it a more well rounded movie. I perfer the French audio as the English audio is just a word for word translation without much thought toward lip syncing and can get annoying.

Bottom line: If you just want a flick like Mortal Kombat just go with District B13. If you like plot more than action get District 13: Ultimatum. If both sound good, get this.

Want District B13/District 13: Ultimatum 2-Pack (2009) Discount?

The bundle is a great deal, comes with dual audio and subtitles, and as expected of blu-ray, the highest quality available. Great product. Recommended for all viewers who can watch a PG-13 movie.

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The Mask (2008)

Did you know that this excellent comedy was planed to be a horror?! Based on popular comic, THE MASK would be a storu about green killer who tells sarcastic remarks, while he's tearing a part his victims with an axe. But, when director Chuck Russell got Jim Carrey for this role he decided to do a comedy. And lucky for him and us he did a great job. I remember when I saw THE MASK for the first time. Fantastic story, interesting characters, and of course, Jim Carrey in role which made him famous. Story is about unsuccessful, shy banker who comes in possesion of an ancient wooden mask which turnes him into a wild, green, party creature who now has everything: powers, money and love. It influented on me so much that I find the same dog like Milo (that is one damn smart dog!). Carry gave the best of himself: he danced, sang and made jokes all the time. Cameron Diaz left me breathless, and two caps..., well, see it for yourself. This film guaranties fun whole 90 minutes it lasts and trust me, you will love it.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was really the movie that put Jim Carrey on the map. The Mask is the movie that solidified his position as the funniest guy in Hollywood.

In The Mask Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss the nice guy who always finishes last. He gets a hold of a mask that once he wears it his innermost desires come to life. Will Stanley let the mask rule his life or will he realize he's great just the way he is. You'll just have to watch the movie to find out.

Jim Carrey gave an awesome performance in this movie. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a musical or comedy. He didn't win it, but his performance was definetly good enough to have one it. Ipkiss is in no way Ace Ventura. He isn't the confident wild man that Ace is. He's the nice guy that finishes last that everyone likes. Carrey plays it to perfection. Once the Mask is put on Carrey becomes that wild man that we love so much and thats where the movie really excels. The animation they used for Ipkiss with the mask on is great and Carrey plays the wild man better than anyone ever. He sings, dances, and throws out some of the best one liners ever. Stanley Ipkiss is a great character and thanks to Jim Carrey for making him that.

Cameron Diaz is great in the film. This was the movie that introduced us to the formere model. She holds her own real well in the movie. Carrey was so hot when he did this movie riding the success of Pet Detective and she shines in this role. She is absolutely gorgeous throughout the whole film. She's not a bad actress and I really wish she'd do more roles like this.

The extras on the DVD are decent. There are some deleted scenes that are alright and the directors commentary is decent as well. The movie can be viewed in full or widescreen format and it features dolby digital sound. I wish they'd done some more with the special features though. They could have done something cool with the music or special effects, but they didn't.

The music is great in this film. I have the soundtrack as well and the music helps make this film great. Jim Carrey is great when he dances and sings in "Cuban Pete." There are some great swing songs like Royal Crown Revues "Hey Pachuco played in the movie. This really could be considered a musical in many ways.

This is a fantastic film. It's fun the whole familiy can relate to and is a must own. The DVD is pretty easy to find cheap, so don't miss out on this fun film.

Buy The Mask (2008) Now

Reviewing the movie: I'm not a Jim Carrey fan, i'm really far from them (i think his acting in other movies is... well, dumb), besides, this movie is one of my favorites, and nobody could portray a better Mask character than Carrey.

This movie is not only a feast of special effects (by the ILM guys, inspired in the cartoon antics of Tex Avery), musical numbers, and laughs; this movie also has a message in it -"From Zero to Hero".

Yeah! i know that this is part of the main title of the DVD (in theatres, it hasn't this title), somebody could think that Zero is refering to Stanley Ipkiss, and Hero is the Mask, but this title is NOT refering to the Stanley Ipkiss' Mask character, it's refering to Stanley Ipkiss himself! The Mask character is far from being a Hero, it's really a headache to Ipkiss and the society in general, but when Ipkiss realizes that he doesn't need the mask and began to confront his inner fears (and "the bad guys") without the mask help, that's when Ipkiss become a Hero... in the real life, somehow that's something that we can achieve when we stop "wearing our masks" and begin to act like ourselves, showing to the other who really are we.

Reviewing the DVD: The audio and video quality are good (the sound is Dolby Surround 5.1 and the video is remastered); this is a double sided disc, in one side you get the Full Screen version of the film, in the other the Widescreen version (something common in "old" dvd's), in the extras side, you can see 2 deleted scenes (but without commentary..), an audio commentary by Chuck Russell (here you can learn why those 2 scenes where eliminated... unfortunatelly the audio comentary doesn't have any subtitles, so, if you're not an English speaker, probably you'll have a problem); audio in english and french, subtitles in spanish, french and english; the theatrical trailer.... the box says that the dvd has Production notes, but i can't find none.

This is a good movie, and it doesn't matter if you're not a Carrey fan (like myself)

Read Best Reviews of The Mask (2008) Here

For fun and visual humor, this film just can't be beat.

Jim Carry is superbly cast as Stanley Ipkiss -"Mr. Nice Guy" and one of life's loosers. That is, until he happens upon an old carved Norse mask (supposedly having belonged to the god of mischief, Loki). Once having donned the mask, Stanley is transformed from a meek introvert into a hip "man about the town" who turns every situation to his advantage -and this occurs in the most comical fashion imaginable.

Heavily based on cartoon-like animation (which the character, Stanley, has a passion for), the mask performs astonishing feats that will have you grinning from ear to ear. It's a cartoon show come to real life.

The special effects in the movie are very well done. The Mask's first experience on the town (as he leaves the rooming house) with an animated clock and his unsuspecting land-lady, Mrs Peenman; his encounter with a rude motorist ("I think he wants to communicate"); and the scene with a couple of overcharging mechanics ("Hold onto your lugnuts, it's time for an overhaul!") are very well done -and only the prelude to even better sequences later. One of the most priceless parts is where the Mask is cornered by every police officer (including SWAT) in the neighborhood, then turns the situation into a song and dance fest with a Cuban flavor. It's hilarious. (great music too!)

Jim Carry is a natural straight comic rivaling Robin Williams. His talents come across full-force in this film. And don't forget, sexy star Cameron Diaz also plays a prominate part opposite Mr. Carry.

This one's a treat for everyone. If you haven't seen it yet, rent a copy today. Only the most dour will fail to find something to like about the film.

As the tagline says, it's fantastic fun.

~P~

Want The Mask (2008) Discount?

Watching this movie with the director's comments you learn that the operating budget for the film was 18 million dollars. Also the studio almost cut the 'Cuban Pete' scene until early screenings revealed it to be the most popular scene in the movie. Jim Carrey is actually singing however Cameron Diaz, who performs earlier is not. Charlie Russel does not say Cameron Diaz isn't singing but his silence during her performance spoke volumes to me. 18 million is an incredible figure because that amount of money would currently be required to get Carrey or Diaz in any movie that wasn't pure voice over work. The Mask is entirely Charles Russel's vision minus 2 deleted scenes. The scene where Peggy is brutally slain was rightfully deleted. The scene where Leif Erickson discovers America by accident as a byproduct of the cursed masks' disposal could have stayed in but would have begged a revisitation of sorts so was cut for brevity and cohesion. Carrey is sympathetic as Ipcus and hilarious as the Mask. The talented supporting cast misses no notes. Cameron Diaz has never been more alluring on camera. Many successful movies have employed surreal period themes. The Mask uses a circa 1940's theme to good effect. This movie was under rated in it's day but has stood the test of time and still represents Carrey's most cohesive and compelling comedy performance. The movie is also a lesson to studios that over meddle in decisions that are creative. As a result 'The Mask' is a much better movie than 'Bruce Almighty' even tho the budgets for the two films were 40 million dollars apart.

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