Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (Deluxe Edition) (1951)

This is one of a handful of films from this period of saturated color and the gorgeous cinematography of Jack Cardiff. Many of these films incorporate within their story and script elements of literature, art, mystery and timeless love that transcends death. This one delivers all.

Ava Gardner's character is beautiful and untouchable in this film, her heart is as cold as the statues she caresses, her attention as bloodthirsty as the bullfights of her ex-lover... one of many we discover. Her requirements of a lover are that she be given all, and of course, no one can deliver. The story begins in one of these trite vacation atmospheres playground of the very rich dilletantes. We are told she was a singer not a very good one by her own admission. We are treated to Gardner's real singing voice, which is not cultured, but unique and husky (too bad they didn't let her sing all her own stuff in SHOWBOAT it's the right voice for that character). She seems to get by on her beauty, which is immense, and her capriciousness. She is not particularly likable, but she doesn't pretend to be better than she is, and that is interesting. Then a mysterious boat appears, with a sad handsome man who is working on a painting of Pandora... which bears a resemblance to her.

At this point the movie moves from the mundane into the magical, with tormented love at its most operetic. This movie was an artistic enterprise, with high emotions, high risk. If F.Scott Fitzgerald's characters interbred with Greek mythology, this is the child they would create. It has some faint awkward moments of voiceover and explanation, but it is magical in it's look, and moreover, it is, like many other Jack Cardiff films, simply one-of-a-kind. The perfect rainy day movie. Very watchable.

than the first time I saw it. The new remastered DVD is awesomely clear, color crisp and Ava G as always beautiful.

And Leonard Maltin, you said: "Sorry to say, a big Technicolor bore, one of writer-director Lewin's misfires, about a woman who destroys the lives of all the men around her; then mystical, otherworldly Mason materializes." ... aside from that did you like it? LOL.

Not boring, yes about a selfish lady who finds a reason to not be selfish. geeeeee what a concept.

Seriously, if you like mystical possibilities, beautiful women, and scenery... buy this, you'll like it.

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Ava Gardner is absolute ravishing as the character of Pandora, the object of men's desires and a woman who is searching for the meaning of her own life, until she meets a man named Hendrik, a man who may be the answer that she has been looking for.

To describe the 1951 film "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" may be a little difficult. It's definitely a dramatic film, a love story but with a twist of fantasy mixed into it. The film was definitely uncharacteristic for a film released during its time. But by saying that, I don't want to dismiss this film as fantasy kitsch, nor do I want to portray Ava Gardner as the ultimate sex kitten and that is why this film should be watched. "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is much more than that. It's a magical film in which characters encounter fate, destiny, tragedy and focuses on a unique love shared by two individuals.

"Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is written and directed by Albert Lewin ("The Picture of Dorian Gray", "Saadia", "The Living Idol") and stars James Mason ("Heaven Can Wait", "Lolita", "A Star is Born", "Georgy Girl", "The Verdict"), Ava Gardner ("Mogambo", "The Night of the Iguana", "On the Beach"), Nigel Patrick ("The League of Gentleman", "Raintree Country", "Breaking the Sound Barrier") and Harold Warrender ("Ivanhoe", "Conspirator", "Time Bomb").

VIDEO:

"Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is presented in 1080p (1920 x 1080p). It's important to note that this film is 60-years-old and prior to watching this Blu-ray release, I have had the movie on DVD from KINO courtesy of their "Glamour Girls" DVD box set.

The original picture quality of this film was very dark and even murky, showing its age. The Blu-ray release is a major step forward in the restoration of this film. The 2009 Technicolor restoration not only shows us how the film was meant to be seen, but no longer are the scenes that were too dark an issue. You can actually see the detail indoors. May it be the detail of the wood or the tiles, the skin uplclose to even seeing outdoor details, especially during a scene with Stephen and Pandora riding in the race car. Before, the scene was so dark that you couldn't see much detail but now on Blu-ray, you can see the detail on the road, where the car is driving to and for the indoor scenes, you can see everything quite nicely.

May it be detail of the home, the vehicles or the clothing, the detail can be seen in HD quite nicely.

With that being said, the film is not perfect. You will see color fluctuations at times and slight flicker. You can see normal skin tones star to turn greenish and back (for a very short while). Also, where many niche companies tend to want to remove and limit any dust or scratches that can be seen on the Blu-ray, you can see them clearly in HD.

But by no means do I expect a smaller company like KINO to spend over a million dollars or more for restoration like the major film companies have done with their timeless classics. If anything, what KINO managed to do in bringing this classic to Blu-ray and showing us how much better it looks from its DVD counterpart is quite amazing and if you loved the film, you're going to love it on Blu-ray. This is probably the best this film will ever look in a video release.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is presented in an uncompressed Linear PCM 2.0. Dialogue is clear and understandable and through the restoration feature on the special features, you can see how the restoration of the film really brought out the audio for the film. From the dialogue to the music of Alan Rawsthorne, audio-wise, the film sounds good for a 60-year-old film.

There is one caveat and that is there is no subtitles. There is some dialogue spoken in a foreign language and I wish those were subtitled but I guess it was non-essential as the subtitles were not part of the original part of the film but for those who are not able to hear, the lack of subtitles is actually disappointing as English subtitles are typically a standard in any release.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" comes with the following special features:

* Alternate Opening Titles(2:28) Prints for the UK market varied slightly from the American release. Instead of the prologue about the Flying Dutchman, the UK version featured a quote by Omar Khayyam.

* "El Torero de Cordoba" (17:28) A 1947 documentary about the career of Manuel Rodriguez Manolege, the Spanish bullfighter who was the inspiration for the character Montalvo. Presented with burned-in English subtitles.

* Comparison of Restoration (5:49) A featurette that shows how much the 2009 Kino restoration looks versus its original 35mm (unrestored) Technicolor print.

* Theatrical Trailers Featuring the US Release trailer, US Release (abridged and B&W) trailer and the UK 2010 re-release trailer.

EXTRAS:

"Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" comes with a slipcase.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" was a film that I never expected to be released on Blu-ray from KINO. As there are so many other films in the company's catalog that can easily be considered for release on HD. But I'm happy we did get a release because this film is quite magical and definitely unique when compared to many films released at its time.

Ava Gardner is just beautiful and ravishing in her her role as Pandora Reynolds and even in reality, the actress was the object of desire for many of Hollywood's top actors as she was married and had relationships with Mickey Rooney, Howard Hughes, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra.

While Gardner brought the beauty and believability to the character of Pandora, James Mason was very convincing as the Flying Dutchman, Hendrick van der Zee. A professional performance that you would expect from a well-revered thespian, even a Shakespearean actor, Mason does a fantastic job in his role.

But the biggest surprise was the story. I was expected some type of vampish movie of men just going crazy over a woman that they can't have which was quite cliche during that time and in cinema decades earlier. But what I didn't expect is the twist of Hendrick as being the actual Flying Dutchman and is an accursed man who wants to finally die in peace but needs a woman willing to die for him. As macabre as it may sound, the way the film was written and how Pandora is always searching a meaning to her life and finds a connection with Hendrick made this love story about fate and destiny and overall, a story that I truly enjoyed.

So, I'm grateful to see such a film being released on Blu-ray as it truly is a film that stands out compared to other early '50s films. And I hope KINO continues with releasing more classics on Blu-ray!

Overall, "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is a film worth watching and for those who owned it on DVD previously, this Blu-ray version is a significant improvement in picture quality and audio quality that you will definitely want this release. No more darkness, no more murkiness, not to say that this Blu-ray release is perfect but it is the definitive version to own of the film at this time. Definitely recommended!

Read Best Reviews of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (Deluxe Edition) (1951) Here

The fantasy / romance premise for this film is an interesting one, but the execution of the plot leaves quite a lot to be desired and much of the dialogue is quite lame and stilted. The plot has been covered well by others, no need to add more about that. James Mason's central character is the best thing about the film. He is extraordinary (as usual). Ava Gardner is very lovely to look upon (although her gowns are far closer to 1951 than to the 1930 time frame), but her acting is rather lackluster (as usual). However, far worse performances are given by Mario Cabre' and Sheila Sim (extreme under-playing and over-playing respectively). The Spanish location photography is great, as to be expected from the legendary cinematographer, Jack Cardiff. The direction is adequate, but no better. The telecine transfer on this DVD is poor in places, with color timing way off at times (sometimes with a purplish cast) and falls seriously short of what a Technicolor print can deliver. The print this was transferred from has considerable damage at the start and end of reels (can't be missed with scratches, dirt, and multiple cue marks). There are several splices, most producing a loud pop in the audio. Some simple re-making of the splices or blooping them would have helped a lot. Some scenes are way too dark to easily watch, and generally the picture is very grainy.

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I highly recommend this movie. It's a great story, really romantic. Beautiful actress Ava Gardner, is just wonderful in it, and so is actor James Mason. They make a great on screen couple. It's a film definitly worth seeing. It definitly deserves all the stars it can get.

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Scream 4 (2011)

Now a popular author of a self-help book, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to her hometown Woodsboro for a book tour.Sydney is quickly reunited with her good friends Sheriff Dewey Riley (DavidArquette), and Gail Weather (Courtney Cox) who have now married.When a new Ghost-face killer is on the loose , Gale, who once was a reporter, is given the chance to become a reporter again, but Sheriff Dewey and his loyal Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) are sharing as little with her about the case as they possibly can. Since she wants to solve the case with him and find the killer as a team like they used to, but he doesn't want her to get hurt. Desperate for information, Gale teams up with Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin), a film geek that seems to know a lot about scary movies and remakes.

Sydney who is now under police protection due to that the killings started when she returned and since she's always the target of the Ghost-face killer; is basically protecting herself, while protecting her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her friends from the new killer. Since Jill and her friends have been getting threatening calls from the killer and are a target as well.

With Scream 4, Director, Wes Craven, and screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, have a great time entertaining as well as scaring their audience. From the start the director and writer duo offer many clever twists and turns that are impossible to see coming. But sometimes the film is too goofy for it's own good as far as the laughs go. For instance, in a surreal and hilarious murder scene where someone takes forever to die, you'll laugh while also thinking "that's pretty stupid." Then in other scenes the movie can be so violent that it's disturbing with innocent teens brutally killed. So the comedy and violence isn't as well balanced as it is in the earlier films.

Still, Scream 4 is one of the best in the series since it will make you jump and a lot of the laughs are pretty clever, especially the ones about horror remakes.

I am a big fan of the Scream trilogy!!! Scream 4 brings back Courtney Cox, Neve Campbell and David Arquette as well as some well known young actors that balance very well throughout the entire movie. If you are a fan of this trilogy, you will definitely love the fourth installment. It gives you what you come to love about the other films of this great trilogy. I could even see them making another installment, Hopefully!!! I really enjoy these films and I know other fans will as well. Can't wait for the dvd!!!

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I am a huge fan of the Scream franchise, so I have to be honest that when they announced this movie, and even as I walked into the theater to see it last night, I had my doubts that it would be any good. I was wrong! At first it seemed cheesy, but there was a reason and it turned out to be awesome! The kills were much more violent and to me that made it more intense than the previous three. The plot was the same as the the others, but they seemed to tackle it with enough action and violence to make it okay, and besides, why do we watch slasher movies? It seems to be that its our way of indulging in violence and mindless murder without actually either being in danger or going to prison. I thought this movie had the PERFECT mix of comedy and intensity that makes a movie like this great. I laughed as much as I was afraid and lets face it, that is how horror movies are today, a mix of comedy and horror and only a few movies ever balance that correctly. This one definitely did! I was surprised to find who the killers were and I think a part of that was due to the lack of character development on the new characters in the film. In the first Scream we had Billy and Stu constantly interacting with each other and in tiny places throughout the movie there were winks toward them as the killers, this film had nothing of the sort and I thought it had that going for it. Character development is important, but not necessarily in a slasher movie, and aside from that we already know who Sid, Gale, and Dewey are. The best things this movie had going for it were its comedic edge, action scenes, the killer was tougher, faster, and more psychotic, and it takes a tongue in cheek approach to today's horror blunders just as the first Scream did with the originals. In my opinion, this is one of the best in the series. I was not that impressed with Scream 2 or 3, but this one brought me back and I'm loving it. It did what Scream set out to do in 1996, make an awesome slasher movie that didn't rely on sex to push its story line along, and Scream and Scream 4 does it perfectly!!

Read Best Reviews of Scream 4 (2011) Here

...and loving it.

I'm sure like many of you when I heard they were doing a fourth movie my first thought was...why?

Let the franchise rest will ya?

I was wrong and I'm REALLY glad I was wrong as this installment is the best one since the first.

Better than two or three easily.

I don't know what it was really.

It felt like an old friend had come back.

It was great to see Campbell and the whole crew back again.

The magic in most franchises simply cannot be recaptured but in this case, it feels like the magic never left.

All the horror, the jumps, the music, the snide humor is all there in all its glory.

I loved it.

I'm so sad to see this isn't doing that well in theaters. I hope positive word of mouth helps keep this movie going for a while.

Everything you wanted another Scream movie to be, this is it.

Highly recommended.

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Upon hearing that Scre4m got the greenlight, I was ecstatic. Scream has been my favorite movie franchise for the past 7 years or so, and needless to say my expectations for Scre4m were incredibly high. I will spare you the simple plot description has so many others have already provided. There will be some light spoilers in this review, but nothing that will ruin the movie for you. Let's start with the opening scene. Brilliant. There are three "acts" to the beginning of the movie and they do not disappoint. At least, the first two "acts" do not. That's not to say the third "act" is necessarily bad, but it's not nearly on par with the first two. I will not spoil the scene but I will say this. There is no way you can ever top the original opening scene to "Scream". The sequel did a good job at putting an interesting twist on it, while the opening scene in the third film failed to impress. The opening scene in this film is most similar to the second film, but with an interesting twist. The commentary that the now famous "opening scene girls" have about the current state of horror movies is not only absolutely hilarious, but incredibly accurate. And I will say that the scene with Kristen Bell and Anna Paquin is one of my favorite in the entire series.

On to the meat of the movie. There is an incredible balance of screen time and importance between the original cast members and the new cast. Courteney Cox is back to her Scream roots, with some excellent "one-liners." David Arquette has never been my favorite part of the series, but he brings back his Dewey charm that the series could not live without. However the real star here is Neve Campbell. Up until the fourth film, I was much more a "Gale supporter" than a "Sidney supporter." That is not to say I had anything against Sidney, but Gale was always the character that I loved to hate. Coming into this film, I was not sure where they could go with Sidney's story, as I thought it was completed nearly perfectly at the end of the original trilogy. However, seeing Sidney as a new strong character who has to deal with these attacks on her life, for the fourth time now is what made this movie. Neve's acting in this film is as perfect as can be, and as viewers, we feel her emotions when sees Ghostface back in action. The look on her face when she sees the masked killer for the first time in 10 years is incredibly heartbreaking. What I love about Sidney in this film is that this time around she is the one chasing after Ghostface. She is sick of the bulls***. I will not spoil any more of Sidney's character arc in this film, but it exceeded my expectations by far.

On to the new cast. Emma Roberts(playing Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts) does a very good job here. I will not say she was perfect, but she did a solid job, better than most thought we would get from Emma. Hayden Panittiere however is clearly the new "fan-favorite." She's funny, she's witty, she's sassy, she's hot. Say what you want about her short hair-cut, but it fits the character perfectly. I will not spoil the scene featured heavily in the previews in which she rattles off a seemingly endless list of nearly every horror remake of the past 10 years, but know this. EPIC. Hands down my favorite scene of the series. The rest of the cast does a fine job as well. My only problem being the character of Judy Hicks, the flirtatious deputy played by Marley Shelton. It has nothing to do with the acting, but everything to do with the writing of this character. Clearly this is a character that Ehren Kruger came up with in re-writes as opposed to Kevin Williamson. However as the film goes on, her dialogue and actions become less exaggerated and annoying. Many people complained about the acting of Kate Roberts(Sidney's Aunt) played by Mary McDonnell, however I thought her to be exceptional, despite the fact that many of her scenes were clearly left on the cutting room floor.

The final 30 minutes of the film are out of control. My jaw was on the floor the entire time. It is comprised of great acting, great dialogue, and an incredibly relevance to today's society. But enough of that.

My ONLY serious qualm with this film is how much was cut out. This is made clear by the fact that half of what we were shown in previews was not in the film. I do think some of the characters could have been a bit more developed with a few more scenes(the infamous cut scene of the new cast around the same fountain as the cast of the original Scream.) Hopefully, on the blu-ray there will be an option to view an "extended" cut of the movie. Overall, I rank this movie as equal to the first film, which both have a slight edge over Scream 2. As for how it compares to Scream 3, well let's just say I try to forget how horrible that movie was.

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Our Hospitality: ULTIMATE EDITION (1923)

For some reason this film is less well-known than a lot of Buster Keaton's others...yet I find it a lot more satisfying than something like Steamboat Bill, Jr. or even Sherlock Jr.! It's got his fixation with trains in the first act, a very fun depiction of old narrow-gauge trains that, like most historical depictions in Keaton films, is based on actual accurate history (exaggerated for comic effect). It's got great comedy and suspense in the main plot, which involves Buster inadvertently stumbling into the home of a family, after falling for the girl who lives there, who are the Hatfields to his family's McCoys (or is that the other way around?), and relying on the family's strict Southern Hospitality rules to keep himself from being shot. Of course, if you know much about Keaton you probably already know this film, but if you've just seen a little, this is one of his best.

As for the Blu-Ray: the main musical option is the Thames Silents score by Carl Davis. This alone is reason to get this edition...his scores for this, Keaton's The General, and other silent era films are among the best...fun, tuneful, entirely appropriate yet exciting and never falling into hackneyed contrivances. The transfer is decent...a little more money might have allowed cleaning up the title cards, where the tiny and dense scratches of this print (not as pristine as the one used for Kino's The General Blu-Ray) are very obvious and kind of distracting over the black title card backgrounds. But luckily they don't really show up much in the actual scenes. The transfer is at 1080i from reading around online that seems to be because this HD transfer was done a few years back before they'd decided 1080p was the way to go for releases, not for any reasons relating to frame rate or anything like that. But again, I'm sure money wouldn't allow a new HD transfer, and I doubt anyone could tell by watching it that it wasn't 1080p...it looks fine to me.

The extras are interesting and worth watching. One extra that needs a slight disclaimer is the unreleased earlier test version, "Hospitality," which seems to be a test cut with mostly just the dramatic scenes, speculation being that Keaton wanted to see if they played before adding in the funny business. It's a nice historical artifact to have, but the print is a very poor reduction print of an original which had suffered major nitrate damage. So, it's historically of interest and I'm glad it's on here, but it would take a fairly obsessed Keaton fan to actually watch more than a few minutes of it.

So: if you are at all a fan of Keaton, or of silent comedy in general, or you think you might be, make sure to snap this up and help assure that the rest of Keaton's library is financially worth putting out in HD! I keep mentioning finances, but silents aren't exactly big sellers, so you take what you can get, and overall this is a great release! If only some Spielberg-type would spend a couple bucks and pay for a fancy restoration/clean-up of one of these historic and still-entertaining films. Oh well.

PS: Yes, silent films can look great in HD! Film's resolution, even back then, was/is much higher than 1080p. This print isn't as wonderful as the one used for The General, but it's still quite an improvement over previous versions and is worth seeing in HD. Plus, Keaton (and other silent era filmmakers) worked in a purely visual medium seeing a detailed, quality image is definitely worth it!

The picture quality of this film is superb, even better for that it is in HD. The Carl Davis score creates such a beautiful and climatic mood which this film requires. The extras are fantastic and the the film itself I have always enjoyed, but now with the Carl Davis score and the beautiful way it has been presented now shoots up amongst my favourite Keaton movies.

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OUR HOSPITALITY (writ./dir. Buster Keaton, 1923, 73 minutes) is another favorite of mine given to us by the immortal Buster Keaton. I rank this with his The General (The Ultimate Two-Disc Edition) and Our Hospitality/Sherlock, Jr. (I recommend this awesome two-fer DVD set). HOSPITALITY is BK's first great feature-length film, though he had already done a couple of them.

Set in the Antebellum South (1830, Keaton was impossibly ahead of his time making this period authentic-looking) Buster plays Willie McKay, a New York-bred unwilling member of the old Canfield-McKay feud. (Yes, loosely based on the Hatfield-McCoy feud that really lasted only a few years.)

Returning to Kentucky to claim his inheritance (an "estate" that will make you howl with laughter when you see it), Willie soon falls right into the arms of the waiting Canfields. They are, of course, waiting to kill him. Luckily for him he is already sweet on the young Canfield girl (played by his 1st wife Natalie Talmage Keaton) and this will save him later. Uniquely, Buster's son Buster, Jr., plays him at age 1.

There is a waterfall scene in this, and all I'll tell you is Keaton designed and had built the entire thing on one of his lots. Goes to show you, alongside works like THE GENERAL, what Keaton was capable of achieving. You will marvel at Keaton's partly rebuilt, partly restored Stephenson's Rocket locomotive ... and yes, they really did ride those once upon a time.

Another bittersweet detail: Joe Roberts (Old Man Canfield), a dear friend and traditional heavy in Keaton's films, suffered a heart attack while filming. He insisted on returning to finish the film and died very shortly after they wrapped. Keaton's films are filled with disasters, hair-raising, realistic and funny as hell. Just as often they are filled with tragedies: in this film, along with Roberts' heart attack, Keaton was brutally carried off by water and almost drowned. The scene remains in the film.

While this does not have the accolades of THE GENERAL (then again, how could it), no one can miss watching it. Here for the first time, Keaton experiments fully with his signature lighting, model sets and daring camera shots. The acting is refreshing and surprising: everyone seems extremely realistic except for good old Roberts, bless him. Once in a while Keaton had to have the Old Schoolers in there too. Although it certainly does not quite reach the heights of THE GENERAL, this is Buster Keaton at his prime!

How can anyone remotely interested in film miss this?!

Read Best Reviews of Our Hospitality: ULTIMATE EDITION (1923) Here

Our Hospitality (1923) was Buster Keaton`s first true feature film. Keaton's previous "feature," Three Ages (1923) was actually three short films assembled together. There was both an artistic and a commercial reason for this: Three Ages was a parody of the similarly structured D.W. Griffith feature Intolerance (1916). Additionally, Keaton had proved his audience appeal in shorts. Metro Pictures realized the inherent risk of a Keaton feature, and the structure of Three Ages created the option of breaking it down into three shorts. Fortunately for all concerned, Three Ages was a commercial and critical success.

Our Hospitality may be seen, in retrospect, as a model for Keaton's features and a precursor to The General (1926). What separates Keaton from his peers (Chaplin, Lloyd, Langdon) is the way his character integrates into a larger narrative. That is not to say that Keaton's films are not character driven, but the character serves the narrative, not vice versa.

Our Hospitality opens with a prologue of the ongoing feud between the Canfields and the McKays. A young Canfield and the McKay patriarch are killed in a rainy shoot out at night. To avoid the curse of the feud and further bloodshed, the McKay widow takes her infant son, Willie, and sends him north to New York. Meanwhile, the Canfields swear revenge.

Twenty years later, Willie (Keaton) is the personification of a 19th century New York Yankee, adorned in a dandified suit. His mother has since passed away when Willie learns he has inherited his father's estate. Imagining a southern mansion waiting in the wings, Willie hops onto the next train like a salmon returning to its birthplace. Before departing, he is warned by his guardian to stay clear of the Canfields.

The trip south foreshadows the archaic world Willie is about to enter. The train itself is primitive and, naturally, encounters numerous mishaps along the way. Luckily for Willie, the ordeal is made bearable because his fellow passenger is a pretty girl (Natalie Talmadge, the first Mrs. Keaton). Unfortunately, Willie's spawning choice here, unknown to him, is a Canfield daughter.

There are numerous aquatic metaphors. Willie stands apart from his fellows, like a fish out of water, with city clicker suit and queer umbrella. While fishing, he catches a minnow, throws it back, and then gets pulled into the water by a bigger fish. Willie's mansion turns out to be a dilapidated shack and he unwittingly finds himself in the home of his sworn enemies. True to Southern hospitality, the Canfields vow not kill Willie while he is a guest in their home. When Willie learns of this, he naturally tries to remain a permanent houseguest. Almost forced out, Willie is saved from leaving by the sudden appearance of a heavy downpour. A dam blows up, nearly drowning Willie, but it also safely conceals Willie from his predators, the Canfield boys. In a reversal of the fishing line, Willie is tied, by rope, to a Canfield son. Both get hauled into the water. A descent into the rapids brings further peril, as does a waterfall. Willie dangles over the waterfall like that salmon on a line. Yet, it is the waterfall which unites Willie with his girl, allowing him to spawn.

Our Hospitality is replete with inventive sight gags (a tunnel is cut to fit the train, a horse's rear-end is disguised as Willie in drag), but it's really a sophisticated, yet simple retelling of the Romeo and Juliet narrative.

* My review was originally published at 366 weird movies.

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This is great film! Clever and imaginative, featuring wonderful sight gags and stunts that astonish and confound the imagination. Be careful not to pre-judge this edition from the version now available on Netflix streaming that used to have the same music. That music may be more contemporaneous with 1923, but is barely adequate compared with the music here. Written by Carl Davis, the score fulfils the potential of Our Hospitality to be a wondrous experience to treasure and to share!

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The Blues Brothers (1980)

Let's get this straight -this blu-ray contains both the theatrical AND the extended cuts, for the misguided soul here (obviously NOT on a mission from God) who says stick with the 25th Anniversary edition.

And let's get this clear as well -the quality of the picture is superb, much MUCH better than the DVD. Older films have issues when you transfer them to blu-ray, no question about it, but this image is as good as it can possibly get (don't believe me? Check out Blu-ray.com for a review of it).

On the extended version the extended scenes aren't as good a quality -the source material there wasn't available and they probably transferred it from the DVD master. But it's not WORSE than the DVD, only not improved.

And on that note, IMHO the theatrical version is the one you want anyway. This is a film that does not get better when the timing gets slower -and at nearly 2 1/2 hours the extended version just drags. Watch the theatrical version first and if you are still jonesing for some more Brothers you can pop on the extended version (my guess is you will have gotten full -satiated and satisfied. And if times were different you'd kick back, light one up, pull down your shades down over your eyes and watch the cool, blue smoke drift hazily towards the ceiling and dream about getting the band back together).

Just buy it. If you say no, Elwood and Jake will come to your house for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.

I've read the reviews on Amazon but wanted the blu-ray upgrade. Amazon's details may not be complete. The blu-ray I purchased has theatrical and extended versions on a single disc. There is a banner at the top front on my cover with says "Includes Theatrical and Extended Versions" and it is also mentioned again on the back cover. The DTS sound is outstanding on my Polk 360 home system and I don't think I am missing anything by not having lossless DTS sound. This movie looks and sounds great on blu-ray and the price is affordable. I found myself enjoying the movie and singing along with the sub-titled songs. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and here it is over 30 years later looking and sounding just as good if not better.

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What a let down! The promise of "never before seen footage" turns out to be the same "never before seen footage" from the last DVD. The bonus materials on this disc are a joke (and not in a funny "ha ha" way). The special "Introduction to the film by Dan Aykroyd" is 23 seconds long. The "Day on the Blues Brothers Tour" is nothing more than a lame performance by the current Blues Brothers at the House of Blues. But the real insult is the featurette called "Remembering John: An ultimate portrait of John Belushi." It clocks in at 9 minutes long (including credits). Ultimate?? This is John Belushi, not Garrett Morris!

You might be reading this wondering, "So what was this guy expecting?" Well, how about an audio commentary? Perhaps some outtakes? Bloopers? Maybe concert footage of the REAL Blues Brothers on tour with Steve Martin? Why not include Blues Brothers performance footage from SNL? How about revisiting the locations made famous in the movie (the abandoned mall is still standing and still abandoned)? Instead, they chose to include John performing as the Killer Bee on SNL. Instead of a track listing booklet inside the case, they'd rather you have an ad for other "great" DVD titles available from Universal. Instead of never before seen footage, you get the same documentary, the same production notes/pictures, and the same interviews that were included in the previous release.

It's obvious that this was thrown together with little thought or effort. The Chicago Sun Times did a better tribute piece to the anniversary of the Blues Brothers than Aykroyd did for his own film.

Oh well...only five more years until the 30th Anniversary Edition comes out.

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I love The Blues Brothers. This is one of the all-time great comedies; a truly epic comedy. In it's original form, it is flawless from beginning to end. Five Stars easily.

Unfortunately, this "Special Edition" dvd includes 15+ minutes of scenes. Not under a "deleted scenes" section, which would have been appropriate and very welcome, but inserted into the movie itself. To be fair, the extra footage doesn't really hurt the music scenes. But did we really need to see Elwood at his place of employment? Did we really need to see where the Blues-mobile is stored when not being driven? None of the extra footage adds anything to the movie. In fact, it really ruins the perfect pacing of the regular cut.

I truly hope Universal sees the error of their ways and reissues this film on DVD with the original cut. They could even make the added footage viewable within the movie, through seamless branching, but for the love of Pete, give us the option!!!

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The Blues Brothers is a true classic movie, one of the few SNL movies that is actually a good story. Joliet Jake is recently released from prison and picked up by his brother Elwood. The two discover that the orphanage they grew up in is going to be sold to the Board of Education unless they can raise $5,000 to give to the State Assesors office. The Blues Brothers try to get the money by putting their band back together and doing a few gigs. Along the way, they anger the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Nazi Party, the owner of Bob's Country Bunker, and a band from Nashville, the Good Ole Boys. This movie is great from beginning to end. The musical numbers are all great including Jake's revelation in the church, Ray Charles singing Shake Your Tail Feather, Aretha Franklin singing in her soul food diner, the peformance in Bob's Country Bunker, and finally the concert at the end including two of their best songs. As well, there is action galore from Elwood jumping a bridge with their 1974 Dodge Sedan to their chaotic ride through a crowded mall to the police chase at the end through the streets of Chicago( especially Lower Wacker Drive) and the chase up the staircase to the Assessor's office. The Blues Brothers has something for everybody and should not be missed.

The Blues Brothers are played to perfection by John Belushi as Jake and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood. The two actors are hysterical together throughout as they anger just about everybody in the city of Chicago. There are far too many lines to mention, but it is obvious that they had fun making this movie. There are plenty of musical cameos also including Cab Calloway, James Brown as a preacher, Aretha Franklin as the owner of a Soul Food diner, Ray Charles as the owner of music store, and John Lee Hooker as a street peformer on Maxwell Street. The film also stars Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, and many more. Also look out for a very funny cameo by Frank Oz and a short appearance by Steven Spielberg. Also worth mentioning is the Blues Brothers band including Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Murphy Dunne, "Blue Lou" Marini, Tom "Bones" Malone, Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Alan Rubin, and Willy "Two Bits" Hall. The Collector's Edition DVD offers widescreen presentation, the original theatrical trailer, a making of documentary with interviews with the cast and crew, and footage not seen since the original release in 1980. This is a great movie that all viewers will find something to like in it. Do not miss this classic!

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Heavy Traffic (1973)

I remember very well the effect this film had on me right after leaving the theater; everywhere I looked on the drive home, people looked like cartoons. In Heavy Traffic, animation artist Ralph Bakshi presents us with a look at life in the early 70s (late 60s?), city style .... and this city is gritty, not entirely pretty ....

Michael Corleone (not the only reference to other popular films of the times) scribbles away at his drawing board while his Catholic father and Jewish mother wage Armageddon outside his door. He finds comfort and release seeing the world as an absurd, psychotic cartoon. Pretty much a loner, his main connection to the outside world is a black bargirl named Carol who works right downstairs from him and slips him drinks for his entertaining sketches. An unfortunate incident with a drag queen associate costs Carol her job, and she and Michael end up out on the streets together, since he can't seem to make ANY sort of job situation come together. They form a sort of hustling alliance, with him as her pimp, and they nosedive into dark urban realms of the quick buck and the inevitable personal compromises involved.

All this is interposed with images of live city backdrops and numerous references to a pinball game. Ralph Bakshi's animated vision is a moving work of underground pop art which, despite limitations, was a groundbreaking achievement that pushed the frontiers of American animation thousands of miles. I can see the influence of this film (and Bakshi's work in general) on the likes of Matt Groening, Don Bluth, and yes, even parts of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Heavy Traffic is dark, rude and dangerous. At times it has an almost experimental feel, moving at a stream of consciousness pace more than any conventional narrative. Its portayal of characters is raw and extreme, has an exaggerated sort of believability to it. It also has the feel of a semi-autobiography, with its portayal of a creative misfit struggling against the odds for survival, if not personal validation.

This very personal work goes places other animations of the time wouldn't even consider, was rated X at the time of its original release, and was re-released very shortly afterward in a lightly watered-down R-version. The recent DVD release appears to be a restoration of the original artwork, is a nice clean print, despite the full-frame format and mono soundtrack. It would be nice to see this touched up with a slightly refurbished soundtrack (it IS animation, after all); at the same time the compressed sound lends to the quaint sort of 70s feel to it, creating an air of nostalgia rivaling that of The Iron Giant. And these guys weren't even trying!

My appreciation for this special film has not diminished over the years; indeed, I understand it a bit more as an adult. It captures the dark, skewed out, surrealistic beauty of the urban underbelly, delivers some nasty bellylaughs, shows us the world as an oversized cartoon arcade game, and reminds us that all we can do sometimes is just keep playing that game. Even if we do end up getting our head blown off by a paraplegic midget on a skateboard. This stuff happens .......

Heavy Traffic will likely never receive the attention or respect it deserves as a piece of honest to goodness Americana. Like most of Ralph Bakshi's most personal work, it is rough hewn, obscene (though never pornogaphic) outrageous and damn honest. Along with Coonskin and Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic is about life in the 60's (in fact, taken together these three films form a kind of animated triptych). All three films are about revolution of one kind or another, personal or social, contain plenty of poetry, both visual and narrative and are more about life as we know it then the fantasy of life as we might wish it to be, which seems to be the standard for most animation today. Let's hope that eventually Ralph will get his due as a pioneer of animation.

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"Heavy Traffic" is a masterpiece of animation, despite the flaws it has. It dares to tackle with more complex human emotions and issues, far more than had ever been done since the Golden Age of Animation. The story deals with the trials and tribulations of young Michael Corleone (yes, that's his name), a 22 year-old Half-jewish, Half-Italian aspiring cartoonist. He lives with his parents, Angelo and Ida Corleone, whose relationship make Al and Peg Bundy look like Ozzie and Harriet. The film also talks about life in 1973 New York (tough place to be).

First off, there is a lot of great animation in here, although it lacks precision and professionalism , although I chalk that up to lack of funds for pencil testing and Bakshi's relative inexperience with feature animation. However, the animators do manage to get the personality of the characters across quite well. The characters in this film feel real, although they have caricatured appearances, but in some ways, the cartoony drawing style of the movie enhances the emotional realism of the characters. They're both lovable and deplorable at the same time, which makes them feel like real people. You'll never see Mickey Mouse or even Bugs Bunny do any of the stuff they do in this movie. One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is that it prides itself on being a animated movie. A lot of animated films have followed the Disney pattern of trying to disguise the animated factor by following a live-action pattern (trying to emulate live-action). This film tries to do what can only be done in animation. As such, there is a lot of surreal moments loaded with symbolism, although you will have to watch it a few times to get them. A key strength to any Bakshi film, but particularly his early ones, is collage of different styles. The characters are sometimes traced over live backgrounds (actual photographs), or the animation takes a whole new turn and transforms into something like the brilliant Maybellene sequence (set to the classic Chuck Berry song). Bakshi in those days was all about forging ahead and trying to create something new.

However, despite its brilliance, this film has a few rough patches. There are many good parts to this movie, but it's only after multiple viewings that the film connects as a whole. This shows a lack of clarity in storytelling, which isn't surprising since Bakshi tended to improvise as he went along. Although it adds a sense of adventure for production, it doesn't help create a coherent film. Also, did we really need to see Ida's breasts or have the gag about Angelo crapping his pants. I could have done with out those.

Aside from these minor complaints, "Heavy Traffic" is a great movie that is lightyears beyond Bakshi's previous film, "Fritz the Cat". This DVD does no justice to the films. We need a DVD commentary from the man himself, along with the animators who worked on this. Thank you for reading.

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It is about time that studios started looking into their back catalogues and releasing some old gems especially animated ones. This is a surreal reality cartoon from the genius Ralph Bakshi, a blighted but brightly lit urban landscape filled with far out characters. NOT FOR KIDS Now if we could get them to release all of Bakshi's work

Wizards Fritz the Cat Fritz the Cat 2 Streetfight Lord of the Rings I would especially love to see the short lived but spectacular Mighty Mouse series he did put on dvd! Even todays animated laugh fests on tv don't compare to this mans work.

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What is to be highlighted: The highest quality of this truly classic surrealistic piece. I take it as a qualifying American answer to such European surrealistic classics as Luis Bunuel's "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie." Each absurd of our life, pictured there, is blown-up to a quite visible and sensible proportion. It is my opinion, that "Heavy Traffic" even surpasses "Fritz the Cat," regarding such qualities as range and depth of depicted ugliness of the "dark side" of human nature.

Also important is than not everybody appreciates surrealism. Therefore, this item is not for everyone, and especially is unsuitable for not mature audience (because of quite credible quality of certain graphic scenes).

I find as no surprise that some of the most notorious faces from "Heavy Traffic" can be spotted in recent times in many places, take "The Simpsons" as example.

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The Crying Game

"When I was a child I thought as a child, when I became a man I gave up childish things." The words of the captive(Stephen Rea) to his prisoner(Forrest Wittikar) the night before he has to shoot him. He has (unwisely) formed a human bond with his prisoner, and its easy to see way, because Jodi as played by Whittikar is a lovable, open hearted and kind man. Even though he is only in the movie for 20 about minutes, Whittikars performance haunts the rest of the film, we come to understand more of his character once we meet the love of his life he left behind, Dill(Jaye Davidson). Caught between the two is Stephen Rea's Fergues, who with those soulful heart broken eyes of his, discovers the gift and troubles Jodi has left him by telling him about his girlfriend. When Dill sings the crying game in the pub, we can feel real pain in "I know all there is to know about the crying game" because she like Fergues (who's lost his faith in the cause he's fighting for)and Jodi are very lonely people. This is a truly beautiful and original film, its tone is rather sad because Fergues's past will defintely come back to claim him and we know this, but it deserves to be owned not just watched because like the best of movies its impact is not lessened on repeated viewings. Jodi's character gains that much more poignance once we know about Dill, therefore when you watch the movie again, the opening scenes are that much more powerful. Finally I have to mention the great muusical score and an unforgettable story told by Jodi and then by Fergues about the frog and the scorpion that bookends the film. The Crying Game is a great film.

International customers, please note: this is the version for Puritans, with Jaye Davidson's naughty bits blacked out. As a result, one pivotal scene loses 90% of its punch. Also, on the technical side, there are compression and NTSC artefacts galore, especially in the opening shot. (The film itself rates 5 stars.)

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Still an amazing film over a decade later, The Crying Game continues to resonate with power due to its themes of obsession and redemption. Jordan's film plays tricks with its twisting plot structure and change in tone similar to its inspiration Vertigo. Stephen Rea plays Fergus a gunman for the IRA who helps take a soldier named Jody (Forest Whittaker) hostage. They plan on trading him for a senior member of the IRA being taken by the British. Fergus later becomes obsessed with Jody's girlfriend Dil (Jay Davidson) a hairdresser by day who performs in a bar in the evenings lip synching her favorite songs. Fergus begins to fall in love with Dil. Is it guilt that drives him into her arms? He's not sure. Suddenly, Fergus and Jude are thrust into the middle of the conflict between the IRA and the British. Fergus gets sucked into Jody's life and becomes obssessed with helping Dil and seeing more about the life of the man he kidnapped.

The plot is far more complex than the synopsis I've given. If you haven't seen the film (or heard about it), do yourself a favor to read as little about the plot as possible. While the surprises in the plot don't define the film's quality, they do involve the viewer in the story. So keep it simple and just rent the movie (or buy it if you've seen it before). With strong performances from Rea as the world weary Fergus, Richardson as the aggressive and hateful Jude, Whitaker as Jody and Davidson as Dil, The Crying Game demonstrates Jordan's uncanny skills as a storyteller and film director. The fact that it wasn't recognized with only an Oscar for writing is a crime considering what was released the same year.

With a crisp, clear image The Crying Game looks particularly good in this DVD transfer. The bright colors and grainy textures of the original film are well reproduced. Although the darker sequences of the film occasionally look a bit murky, the transfer looks exceptionally good overall. The 5.1 surround sound mix and 2.0 mix both have great presence.

We get the originally shot ending of the film which differs substantially from the final version. The BBC's Channel 4 originally agreed to back the film but only if Jordan would write and shoot a different ending from the final version (the one that's seen in the film is the original version as written). This version is included from a VHS rough assembly of the film so doesn't have the best picture quality but does provide an idea of what the film might have looked like. Northern Troubles is a documentary looking at Ireland from two different view points; an Irish Catholic and Protestant Loyalist who drove the filmmakers around to interview people about the making of the film. Interestingly, it provides considerable insight into the current and past political troubles of this beautiful country. Images of violence and conflict appear everywhere throughout the landscape. The Making of The Crying Game bundles together a number of featurettes to produce a documentary that provides a comprehensive look at the film's production. Featuring Stephen Rea, Neil Jordan and many of the principle production members, it can be viewed in one sitting or watched as individual featurettes. Stephen Wooley the producer of the film discusses the nasty reception that the film received at Cannes by American distributors.

There's also a discussion of Miramax's part in effectively marketing a very difficult film to an audience used to popcorn thrillers. Wooley discusses the press reception and how Miramax used this for a brilliant marketing campaign that captured the attention of audiences but also focusing encouraging viewers to not discuss the "secret" of the film. We also get the original trailer and a featurette on Madame Jojo's today.

Neil Jordan provides a comprehensive commentary track focusing on the visual images that inspired the story including the places from his childhood that showed up in the film. Jordan also discusses the twists in the plot so, by all means, watch the film prior to listening to it with the commentary track.

Lion's Gate has done a great job of updating and upgrading this terrific film for DVD. The previous version looked very good as well but the image quality in this anamorphic transfer gives it the edge. The inclusion of a commentary track, documentary and featurettes gives viewers an idea of the world that The Crying Game occurs in. The crisp, sharp image quality and overall transfer looks exceptionally good as well making this essential for fans of the movie.

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This is an outstanding and unusual film with a melange of issues. Forest Whitaker, Stephen Rea, and Jaye Davidson all give compelling and moving performances. Miranda Richardson also gives an absorbing performance as a hard nosed IRA terrorist.

The movie begins with IRA terrorists capturing a British soldier named Jodi, affectingly played by Forest Whitaker. One of the erstwhile terrorists, Fergus, sensitively played by Stephen Rea, is on the fringes of the terrorist group and assigned to guard the hapless Jodi. As they spend time together, a curious bond begins to form. Jodi, knowing that he will ultimately be executed, shows Fergus a photograph of his girlfriend, Dil, and extracts a promise from Fergus that he would let Dil know that Jodi was thinking of her at the last. Fergus reluctantly agrees.

When Fergus is finally ordered by his hard nosed IRA associates to shoot Jodi, he hesitates, and Jodi takes off running. Not wanting to shoot him in the back, Jodi manages to make it to a main roadway, where he is run over by a truck and killed. Fergus then deserts his terrorist buddies and goes to make good on his promise to Jodi.

When Fergus finds Dil, poignantly played by Jaye Davidson, she is working in a club and singing "The Crying Game". Fergus gives her a false name and insinuates himself into her graces, as there is a palpable attraction. They begin meeting, going out, and falling in love. Then, the moment of truth ultimately arrives, and Jodi is surely having the last laugh from the great beyond

Just when the viewer thiks that things cannot get any stranger, Miranda Richardson turns up, demanding that Fergus perform another act of terrorism in order to redeem himself for having failed so badly during his last foray into terrorism. To ensure his compliance, Richardson implies that Dil may be a target, should he not cooperate with the new scheme.

Fergus reluctantly agrees to participate in the IRA plot and commits himself to what is, in essence, a suicide mission. Dil, however, interferes with his plan at the eleventh hour, putting both herself and Fergus in danger of a retaliatory attack from Fergus' IRA buddies.

After his plan goes awry, all hell breaks loose. Suffice to say, true love does seem to conquer all. This is one terrific and unusual movie.

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This DVD is EXACTLY the same as The Crying Game DVD (Collector's Edition) released in 2005. They only changed the slip cover. The only BIG difference is the price. The Collector's Edition 2005 release DVD sells for around $20, while the 2012 release only sells for around $5, BUT, I repeat: They are the same exact DVD, no difference at all except for the slip cover.

Save yourself the heartache by saving yourself some money Buy the recently 2012 release for a much lower price.

Here are the DVD contents (aside from the feature film):

Special Features -

The Making of The Crying Game: Irish Luck, English Love, The Marketing of an American Independent & Discussing The Crying Game

Alternate Ending

Trailers

Modern Day at Madame JoJo's

Northern Troubles featurette

Run, Fatboy, Run (2008)

I too think, that the title "Run Fat Boy Run" is quite amusing and very apropriate for the film. Let me, in response to another reviewers question "who would pay money to see a fat boy run?" ask: who wouldn't?

The story is neither original nor complicated. At their wedding, Simon Pegg's character gets cold feet and takes off without explanation, leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind. 5 years down the line he, now a fat, pathtic looser without the mone to pay the rent, realises that he actually left the love of his life behind that day. She has found a rich, handsome, athletic American played very well by Hank Azaria, and has no need for her former fiance. So to win her back, Pegg must compete against his American competitor in a marathon race. Chaos and hilarity ensues.

Simon Pegg, who is nothing short of a comic genius, plays the gormless loser so joyously well, and adds to it his incredible sense of physical comedy. His American rival is in turn played expertly by Mr. Azaria, who somehow manages to portray a character that at the same time is absolutely charming, wonderful, and thoroughly unlikeable. The always funny Dylan Moran adds his own interesting personae to the character Gordon, the best friend of Peggs character. Also a guest visit from Little Britains David Walliams, makes for a nice little surprise.

I'm not the biggest fan of director David Schwimmer, but I must admit that he's done a decent job with this one. The score, scenery, production, and all the rest of it is also done quite well.

So in conclusion I'll say, that while "Run Fat Boy Run" is not in any way original or spellbinding, it does provide some solid laughs and is never boring. Definitely recommendable.

First, a warning to fans of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, the more popular of the Simon Pegg starred films: this isn't a film that would seemed to have come from the same team of film makers, that is despite the fact that Simon Pegg did help develop the story for this film. There are lines of humor and jokes in this film that hint at the playful spirit shown in those earlier films, but as a whole this movie is much more in the "charming" category where those films were done in a different manner entirely. Perhaps the difference is David Schwimmer's direction, perhaps it's the screen play, or perhaps Pegg was intentionally aiming for charming in an effort to widen his range and appeal, either way the result here is a film that fans of the earlier movies may be disappointed in.

If you can get past the idea that this film is going to be charming, rather than more satirical and crude, well, you find that the result isn't that bad. 5 star material, not so much for me, and really probably more in the 3.5 range overall, but I'm rounding up a bit as I happen to think charming isn't such a bad thing to be.

Simon Pegg plays Dennis, a man that ditched his pregnant girlfriend (Libby, played by Thande Newton) at the altar. Years later he finds himself working as a security guard that can't run more than a few blocks to try to catch the shoplifter that ripped off the shop we works at. Ah, the difference a few years, many cigarettes and not so healthy eating makes for.

Dennis is a not so dependable father to the son that Libby has been raising by herself, and meanwhile Libby has found another potential love interest (played by Hank Azaria) who seems to make Dennis all the more sad over the love he lost.

Eventually (not so far along really), Dennis decides that he'll run in the big marathon to impress Libby, not just because he wants to impress her, but because his competitor for Libby's interest is going to run in the event. Can a guy whose life is such a mess, not to mention the lack of being physically fit, actually run a marathon? That's what you'll be watching to find out. :-)

There are several crude jokes mixed into the film along the way, and several minutes of the same mixed into the outtakes that are included on the Blu-ray disc. Nothing that is that harsh, but those that are easily offended should consider themselves warned. A few instances of rough language also help get the film that rating it sports, so again if you are easily offended perhaps you're better off looking elsewhere.

Picture quality on the Blu-ray is nice. The soundtrack is enjoyable and the musical selections that are included fit nicely where they are placed. Give this romantic comedy a chance to charm you and you may find it more of a winner than you expected. Certainly worth a rental, not far from the buy it rating.

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I have really enjoyed Simon Pegg's films and 'Run Fatboy Run is no exception. With a winning cast this romantic comedy is much better than most films of this nature. If you liked 'Shawn Of The Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz', you should like this film.

David Schwimmer who directs this smart and funny love story is to be commended for giving us an inspiring feel good romantic comedy without over loading it with artificial sweeteners.

Read Best Reviews of Run, Fatboy, Run (2008) Here

I'd recommend watching this with some friends while training for your first marathon.

It's comical, but with a touch of inspiration.

It's about a man who sets out to prove his love to a woman, only to find himself in the process.

Some bad language, which I'd prefer was left out of every movie, but fairly clean film for teenagers and above.

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Excellent video and audio quality. Predictable, yet engrossing and funny storyline. Thandie Newton and Simon Pegg are their usual quality selves, while Hank Azaria really deserves kudos for his portrayal of a shallow, self-absorbed and cowardly character. Recommended.

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Men of Honor (2000)

Military training films are becoming so common that they are becoming a genre unto themselves. Among the more prominent we have, "Officer and a Gentleman", "Top Gun", "GI Jane", and now "Men of Honor". The fact that this one happened to be true doesn't change the fact that the formula is the same. This film is probably most like "GI Jane" since it focuses on the desegregation angle.

The story is actually quite inspirational and is probably the best human-interest story among those mentioned above. Carl Brashear (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is unquestionably a man of great courage and principle, and his strength of character shines through brightly in this film. Unfortunately, director George Tillman, Jr. has tunnel vision in presenting the characters and eschews character development of various characters other than Brashear in favor of showing Brashear in a constant state of adversity. Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro) is a central figure, and except for the initial scene, the fistfight and a couple of scenes with his wife, we don't know much about him. For instance, Brashear sees the scars on Sunday's palms and we are to assume that he worked a plow, but there is no follow-up on that point. Mr. Pappy (Hal Holbrook) gets only one short scene by which we can judge him. The rest of his screen time shows him pacing around and ranting. If a director is going to make a human-interest story, he needs to humanize the characters.

Cuba Gooding Jr. gives an outstanding performance as Brashear. This is probably the best I've seen him. This is a role and a character that is far more complete than any part he has played before, and he rises to the occasion. In "Jerry Maguire", Rod Tidwell was a fascinating, but one-dimensional character with the depth of a rain puddle. Brashear is much more complex and grounded, and the issues he faces are life crises, making the part far more challenging. This is an excellent recovery from Gooding's last role in "Chill Factor", a film so dreadful that it was almost an act of professional suicide to take the part.

After a stint trying his hand as a comedian ("Analyze This", "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle", "Meet The Parents"), Robert DeNiro is back to his dramatic roots with an outstanding performance. DeNiro isn't a bad comedian, he is just such a great dramatic actor that it seems like he shouldn't waste his time doing comedy. DeNiro endows Billy Sunday with a rock hard personality belying a tortured soul. It is a pleasure watching him work.

It seems every film I watch lately has Charlize Theron in it. I saw "The Legend of Bagger Vance", "Men of Honor" and "The Yards" right in a row and I was beginning to wonder if she had a part in every film in 2000 (actually, she only did five). This was a minor role for Theron, but she carried it off well and managed to stay with DeNiro step for step. David Keith, who co-starred with Richard Gere in "Officer and a Gentleman", has a cameo here

The DVD has some interesting special features, including reflections by the real Carl Brashear and some deleted scenes.

I enjoyed this film despite the hackneyed plot and the one-dimensional presentation. I rated it a 7/10. I'm a sucker for underdog stories and I have a fondness for stories where strength of character is the central theme. This film is particularly strong in both areas and brings us two memorable acting performances that compensate for some of the director's shortcomings.

This is a wonderful, heartwarming film, as well as an indictment of the US Navy at a certain time in history. The story is a cinematic, biographical sketch of Carl Brashear, the first African-American to become a diver for the US Navy. Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Robert De Niro both give Oscar calibre performances in this gripping film.

The movie tells the story of Carl Brashear, whose parents instilled in him a determination that would cause him never to give up his dream of becoming a diver in the US Navy. He stuck to his guns, despite the overt racism that he encountered when he joined the Navy. The racism that he encountered would make it harder for him to achieve his life long dream.

Once he became a diver, Mr. Brashear upped the ante and strove to become a master diver. He struggled to do this against all odds, and just when he was on the cusp of achieving his goal, a tragic accident befell him, derailing him temporarily from the path to his ultimate goal. What he then does to fulfill his dream is radical, yet inpirational.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. gives a perfomance so moving and heroic, that the viewer feels like giving him a twenty one gun salute at the end of the film. Robert De Niro plays a racist master diver who is ultimately converted to the side of the angels, when he realizes that Carl Brashear is truly the best of the best. His performance is stellar.

The only problem with the movie is that most of the supporting roles pale in comparison to the two central ones played by Gooding and De Niro. Charlize Theron's role, that of De Niro's wife, is really superfluous to the story. Aunjanue Ellis, who affectingly plays Gooding's wife, has a more crucial, pivotal role than Ms. Theron, but remains a shadowy figure in the backround. Hal Holbrook's portrayal of a loony, racist Navy commander is rather one dimensional, more of a caricature than a character. Notwithstanding these small shortcomings, this is a riveting film that should not be missed.

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"Men of Honor" was another excellent film but it left me wanting to know more. It was the fact-based story of the Navy's Master Diver Carl Brashear. He was the first black man to attend and graduate from Diving School. Cuba Gooding Jr portrayed Brashear who at a young age decided he wanted to be a diver for the Navy. BUT when he entered the Navy blacks were only allowed in the kitchens.

After coming to the attention of his CO, Brashear was given an opportunity to attend the school he really wanted to. He came face to face with Billy Sunday played by Robert DeNiro. In many ways Sunday wanted to see Brashear complete the course but his commander portrayed by Hal Holbrook tied his hands. Eventually Brashear was successful.

As Brashear's career progressed, Sunday's fell apart. Then there was a terrible accident, which resulted in Brashear losing a leg. The Navy wanted to retire him but he fought to stay in. Sunday came to his aid and helped him recover from the amputation. He was by his side when Brashear had to go to court to fight for the right to stay in the Navy. The court scene was very moving.

Yes there was a little romance in the movie and yes there was vulgarity but this film was very good. However it left me wanting more so I will have to go find of copy of the book the movie was based on to learn more about this amazing man's life. I wanted to see more of his training, more of what he went through, and more of the treacherous dives he went on that made him what he became.

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I have heard some bad things about this film..."overdramatized fluff", "typical cliched writing" and so forth...

This film is so much better than the sum of its reviews.

First, the story--face it, it deserves to be told. This is about a real man who goes through the tenth level of hell and back to achieve his dream of becoming a Master diver. He has to face bigotry from his classmates and his superiors--the latter of whom are determined to fail him based on his skin color alone--and push himself past his limits to succeed. Yes, the plot was hokey in some areas, but a few hokey spots does not a bad film make.

Second, the acting. Only Cuba Gooding, Jr. could have pulled off the role of Carl Brashear, the diver in question. His performance was very well executed and brought me to tears in spots. Robert De Niro was wonderful as always, and I really don't care that Billy Sunday was a composite of Brashear's superiors throughout his career instead of a real person, because he pulled it off without a hitch. At times he reminded me of R. Lee Ermey, but the role would not have had the same depth if the latter had been cast--it was written for De Niro. The supporting cast was excellent as well--especially Charlize Theron and Aunjanue Ellis, whose roles, although small, were nonetheless pivotal.

The DVD version, both wide and full screen, includes a feature about--and narrated by--Carl Brashear himself, who was the head military advisor to the film, and it is definitely worth watching. I myself was amazed at the accuracy of the movie and was deeply inspired by this man who had had so much to overcome. George Tillman, Jr. did a wonderful job with his story.

Overall, I give it five stars out of five. If you thought this film was complete crap, then maybe you should go rent "Gigli." Criticism aside, though, "Men of Honor" isn't so much a biographical feature as it is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, and Carl Brashear is living proof.

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A dramatization of the life of Carl Brashear, the first African-American diver in the history of the U.S. Navy, "Men Of Honor," directed by George Tillman, Jr., is an uncompromising examination of personal courage, integrity and honor. Cuba Gooding, Jr. portrays Brashear, a man of unabashed determination who simply would not be deterred from achieving his goal, even in the face of apparently insurmountable obstacles, the most prevalent of which was blatant racial discrimination. As brutal and incomprehensible as it seems, there were those, including at least one high-ranking officer, who would rather have seen him die than pass diving school. That he stayed with it, passed and went on, not only to an illustrious career with the Navy, but one in which his achievements were nothing less than remarkable, is a demonstration of heroics tantamount to those for which medals are awarded. It's men like Brashear that should make veterans everywhere proud of their heritage as members of the Armed Forces. Such a story is, of course, a natural for the movies; and, if done properly, has the makings of a great one. And this one is. Tillman tells the story of Brashear, the son of a Kentucky share cropper, in a decidedly straightforward manner, without pulling any punches as he illustrates the inane bigotry faced by the young seaman. The heroics of the man speak for themselves, and Tillman wisely avoids any attempts at superfluous dramatic embellishments, the siren's song to which a lesser director may have succumbed, and which could so quickly have derailed this project. Tillman's work more than passes muster, and his attention to detail, along with impeccable pace and timing, are a major factor in the success of this film. It should land him an Oscar nomination. Another factor is the incredible talent with which Tillman had to work. Gooding embodies the qualities that made Brashear a hero, and it is through his outstandingly credible performance that we get to know this man. There's a subtle pride in his demeanor, a personification of his determination, that brings him so vividly to life on the screen; it's an Oscar worthy piece of work that should be acknowledged by the Academy. And Gooding had, not only a terrific role, but the best co-star with which an actor could hope to work. Robert De Niro stars as Master Diver Billy Sunday, the adversary turned ally who ultimately helped Brashear realize his goals. On the surface, Sunday is tough and pridefully simplistic; but underneath lies a complex individual that De Niro mines to full advantage. Any time De Niro appears in a film, expectations are high, as well they should be; he is an actor of immeasurable talents. And here, with his portrayal of Sunday, he scores another triumph. It's a brilliant performance, for which he must be recognized with an Oscar nomination. The outstanding supporting cast includes Charlize Theron (Gwen), Aunjanue Ellis (Jo), Hal Holbrook (Mr. Pappy), Michael Rapaport (Snowhill), Powers Boothe (Capt. Pullman), David Keith (Capt. Hartigan), Holt McCallany (Rourke), Joshua Leonard (Isert), Carl Lumbly (Mac, Carl's Father) and Lonette McKee (Ella, Carl's Mother). "Men Of Honor" is a superb, memorable film that recognizes the kind of heroics that go largely unsung and too often unheralded. That Tillman and this fine assemblage of actors have been able to illuminate the life of a man like Carl Brashear so fervently is a tribute to them as well as the Motion Picture Industry. But more than that, it is a well deserved tribute to a true hero, Carl Brashear. This is a movie that must not be missed.

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Baby Mama (2008)

This is another flick my 15 year old granddaughter drug me to, kicking and screaming (practically). It sounded DUMB, but she kept whining and I caved in. Well, guess what? I LOVED it! I was laughing so hard she kept banging me all through the movie to shut me up (saw it in the theater).

I see it got some less-than-wonderful reviews, and, as we know, everybody has different opinions.It begins with a single 37-year old career woman who is suddenly bitten by the baby bug and she knows her biological clock is ticking. She tries finding a "donor," but that seems to scare away her dates. She tries a sperm bank, looking for a suitable specimine who looks like he might produce a handsome child. Then she considers invetro but the doc tells her she probably can't get pregnant anyway because her uterus is T shaped. This leads her to seek out a surrogate mother to carry her child for her.

Now I agree, this doesn't really sound funny but it is. Tina Fey is great as the wanna-be momma. A yoga version of Steve Martin with a long ponytail is her boss as she becomes Vice President of Development of a large organic health food store chain. Sigorney Weaver runs the surrogate agency and for a cool $100K, will fix you up with a "thoroughly screened" surrogate :-). I don't know everyone's name but the surrogate is a hoot, and her and Tina clash constantly, even to the point where they have to both attend a conflict support group. The surrogate has a greedy boyfriend, too. Greg Kinnear turns up in the movie, too and I just love him in the movies. The friendly doorman at Tina's hotel has a cool part, too. It's really a great movie and has a lot of fine actors in it. Kathy W gives this a big thumbs up!

Baby Mama is a cute film with a few good laughs and some essentially entertaining comedy. It's by no means going to be "movie of the year;" but it isn't a flop, either. Baby Mama gets its strength from some excellent acting and the plot moves along at a good pace. My basic regret is that it could have been so much funnier than it was. It is an ambitious film, too, in that it tackles a serious issue through comedy. Sadly, it doesn't completely accomplish either goal. Sigh.

When the action begins, career woman Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) realizes that her biological clock is ticking fast and she doesn't have the one thing to make her feel truly happy and complete--a baby. Everywhere Kate goes, she sees babies and she adores them. Eventually, Kate finds out that she can't have a baby even through artificial means; and then she goes to a fancy agency run by Chaffee Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver) to find a surrogate mother.

Naturally, Chaffee Bicknell reassures Kate that the $100,000 fee for getting a top "quality" woman to carry her baby for nine months is well worth it--and then Chaffee steers Kate right toward a somewhat sleazy woman named Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler) who is posing as a model woman to carry another woman's baby. Angie's common-law husband/boyfriend Carl (Dax Shepard) isn't any more sophisticated or much better than Angie.

Time goes by and Kate and Angie live together when Angie has a break up with Carl. This provides mild comic relief with the predictable conflicts two people face when one (Kate) is a highly educated, straight laced and uptight career woman while the other (Angie) lives for singing along with her "American Idol" video game while munching constantly on potato chips, eating all types of junk food and even drinking! And yes, there's a bit more comic relief one night when Angie and Kate go out dancing--but it's just not as funny as it could have been. Sigh.

Of course, the plot can go anywhere from here. Will Kate's baby arrangement work out? Will Angie and Carl ever divulge their huge secret to Kate? What about Angie's pregnancy--how does Kate help out with that? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch the movie and find out!

Look for a great performance by Tina Fey as Kate; and Greg Kinnear gives a terrific performance as Rob, a guy Kate becomes romantically involved with. Steve Martin also fits in well as Barry, Kate's boss at the health-food company.

Overall, Baby Mama gets a pat on the back from me for some good aspects--I liked the acting and the plot moves along well. However, as a comedy it falls short of my expectations although the subplots involving Carl and Angie's "secret" and Kate's romance with Rob are fairly well done. Take in this movie on a rainy afternoon if you've already seen some better films first. Baby Mama is one flick you should see--but only if you get a completely free opening in your schedule. Walk, but don't run to see this film.

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The theater i saw it in was completely full, a huge surprise because I wasn't expecting a big interest in the film and there were severe storms outside. But the movie was a huge surprise, I laughed the whole time at the mixture of silly gags and very smart humor. The whole audience loved it.

And as much as I've loved all the raunchy comedies out lately, this movie was the PERFECT Anti-Apatow.

Tina and Amy had great chemistry and the supporting cast was great, including a decent performance from Steve Martin and a hilarious character performance from Sigourney Weaver.

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It's already been said that the script was weak for this film. I concur. I believe Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, if not the best female comedians ever produced by SNL, they are most certainly among the top 4 or 5. That's why it's such a shame they didn't have a great script to help make this a great comedy. Sometimes mediocre acting can be elevated by a good script, but seldom can a poor script be saved by the actors, however good they may be.

Tina Fey should never agree to take on another comedic role without serious control of the script she's too good a writer to risk her career to a bummer like this one. And she and Poehler have such wonderful chemistry & splendid timing together, it's just a shame this movie wasn't what it might have been.

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To its credit, "Baby Mama" is not your typical one-joke movie starring "Saturday Night Live" alums. It's more of a one-and-a-half joke movie. In "Mama", Tina Fey's OCD career woman, unable to conceive and unwilling to wait for an adoption, hires Amy Poehler's ADD surrogate mother to carry her baby. How will this odd couple survive nine months together? With hilarious results, of course. Well, moderately hilarious, at least, thanks in large part to its two seriously talented comedic leads. This contemporary comedy draws our attention to the business of babies. It does so however in such a hackneyed fashion that if it weren't for the talented mama's at the forefront of it all, it would be little more than a painful delivery.

Personally I feel that "Mama" is written, with one contrivance too many, by Michael McCullers who co-wrote the last two "Austin Powers" movies. Mr. McCullers makes his directorial debut here but, even at 96 minutes, "Mama" eventually runs awfully thin. There are certainly some good moments, particularly when the two leads are given time to riff off each other. Ms. Poehler, in particular, is given a wide berth (pun intended). Ms. Fey however, so winning on the small screen, is put to the test here. As the consummate straight-woman, her range (and the script) is too limited to inject any real depth into the material. "Mama" treats the sensitivity of its topic with kid gloves it's missing Ms. Fey's deft comic hand (the one that has made "30 Rock", against all odds, one of the best comedy on television). Even 1987's similarly-themed Diane Keaton vehicle "Baby Boom" held more weight. Even without a gestation specialist.

Like I said before Michael McCullers made the comedy here far too broad and predictable, robbing the talented actors of anything with which to play. I don't know if someone at Saturday Night Live had a surrogate, but that idea certainly was kicking around the set. I would recommended this film only if you have a few lazy days put aside.

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Hop (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2011)

With films like Yogi Bear, Alvin & The Chipmunks, Scooby Doo, Marmaduke and worst of all Garfield littering the cinescape with dreadful dreck involving live action people and computer animated cartoon animals, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy when I saw the trailers for Hop. In place of a nonsensical farce filled with more rubbish than a fleet of garbage trucks, in Hop we are treated to a whimsical tale with positive messages and loads of good old fashioned fantasy style fun. Anyone who grew up watching Rankin Bass holiday specials on TV will appreciate the classic themes beautifully updated for the modern day in Hop. Usually it works to advantage, occasionally it falls short.

The visual landscape and the animation of the characters is startlingly realitic and very quickly has you feeling you're just watching a regular movie where animals really do talk and there really is a secret lair of the easter bunny.

Like some other reviewers noted, there is a definite Willy Wonka meets christmas with Santa theme going here, and that's what really works. Visiting the people of the world only once a year and mastermminding the secrecy of the operation, many times the characters seem bogged down with non-information about the world inhabited by people, and thats just classic comedy perfection.

There are some weak points scattered about, but somehow, overall in the scheme of the movie, they are momentary and forgotten immediately as EB, our main character, immediately after a shortcoming does something else heartwarming to endear you to him and his situation.

When I emerged from the theater, I felt as though I saw a very substantial film, quite a task in an animated holiday kids movie, and one that involves Easter, a holiday not usually covered by cinema in terms of kids fare. What holiday can they take on next? I really don't care as long as the result is of the high quality that Hop exhits throughout. If you want a live action animated movie with real substance, hop on over and see Hop.

Fun movie. Certainly for kids. It's not in the category of "Despicle me" or "Toy Story-3" (or 1, or 2) but still lots of fun. In the beginning it has a bit of Willy Wonka feel to it, while more to the end, it leans more to Santa. But it's all Easter-bunny power (sorry for the chicks). I liked it better at the beginning, and the middle. Quite some surprise-jokes there. But somewhere before the end, I get the feeling, the makers suddenly realize they need to bring to movie to an end. From that point on everything gets very rushed and quick-paced and to me the movie looses some of it's magic at that point. But still we had lots of fun. Definitely a movie to watch with the (young) kids.

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This movie was a lot better than I was expecting. It was heart-warming, and had the right amount of comedy suitable for any age. E.B. was adorable and hilarious. Russell Brand was the perfect choice. E.B.'s dad is retiring and wants his son to continue on and become the new Easter Bunny, but E.B. doesn't want that life. He runs away to Hollywood to start a new life, but is almost run over by a slacker named Fred O'Hare. Fred is having trouble with his family as well. While Fred is house sitting, E.B. decides to crash with him. Back at Easter Island, a chick named Carlos plots to take over the Easter holiday, unless Fred and E.B. can stop him. I highly recommend HOP!!!

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Hop is a really good animated movie for kids. It is not as good as Despicable Me (Illumination Entertainment's first film) but still awesome. I love this animation. It's not just yoyr typical animation design, it has really cool details to everything. Especially the main character and the whole Easter egg and candy factory. One scene that shows an awesome animation and live action hybrid is where the human Fred is a kid and see's the easter bunny. That was my favorite scene too. Out of 10, Hop to me gets a 8.5!

P.S. Why hasn't this movie come out on bluray yet?? It has been exactley 8 MONTHS since it was released in theaters. What the hell universal. I'm dying to see this movie again. Thank you for reading!

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This is a really cute movie. I hope they release it in the US. It has been released in the United Kingdom.

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