Late Spring (The Criterion Collection) (1949)

This is one of a handful of films I consider one of the most moving ever made. Director Yasujiro Ozu has created a symphony of the emotions regarding the relationship between a father (played by Chishu Ryu) and his daughter (the great Setsuko Hara).

There is a Zen-like quality to this and Ozu's other great films -including TOKYO STORY (1953). At salient points in the action, the camera leaves the characters and focuses upon the middle distance, with sad orchestral music welling up. I am told that this technique is an example of "mono no aware," or sympathetic sadness. Ozu does not hammer at the viewer: He knows when to pull back and let the feelings take root and start to spiral up your spine. It is an instinctive talent that few filmmakers have.

Ozu almost NEVER moves his camera, which he sets up on a short tripod about 3 feet high -just about the height of your head if you were sitting on a tatami mat and interacting with the characters.

I saw a recent documentary about Ozu in which almost everyone who ever worked with this quiet genius broke into tears. The last shot was simply of his funeral monument, with the same sad music welling up.

Ozu was one of a kind. We shall not look upon his like again.

In my review of 'I Was Born But...' I brought attention to one of Ozu's subject matter motifs estranged relationships between children and parents. Usually when the children are not kids as in 'Late Spring' then Ozu develops this motif with the topic of marriage. In this case, the widowed father in realising his selfishness to 'keep' his daughter urges her to marry before its too late. This sudden parental wish is not without resistance from his daughter.

The fact that this film is 'post-war Ozu' provides an important contextual backdrop that is, Japan's fascination for things American. Moreover, it is the idea of marrying for love than for traditional duty. With much parallel action at work, the narrative is consumed with trying to match Noriko with suitors. At the same time, marriage becomes conceptually compared with other characters in terms of divorce and tradition.

Again, spatial violation and mimimalistic camera shots are prevalent. Furthermore, Ozu's sense of graphic composition is superb here as each shot be it an object or room looks strikingly articulated. I don't want to spoil the final scene however I will say that it is one of the finest moments in the history of cinema.

See this film and you will love the father, as you will the daughter, and even the interfering Aunt. Its not just Ozu's excellent sense of humanism but his ability to share the emotional resonance of his characters with the viewer. Wait for that final scene and be spellbound! Ironically, if it hadn't been for Ozu's estranged relationship with his father he might never had so much tenderness to convey in his films.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)**The original review is for the all-region DVD version previously available in Asia only. Updated comments for the two-disc Criterion Collection DVD set released on May 9, 2006 are included below.**

Through an eBay auction, I was so lucky to find a DVD of Yasujiro Ozu's "Banshun (Late Spring)" since it's not available yet in the US, where I imagine it will be released some day through the Criterion Collection. This is how new viewers like myself have discovered the other two classic films of his Noriko trilogy, 1951's "Bakushu (Early Summer)" and 1953's "Tokyo Monogatari (Tokyo Story)". This 1949 film is perhaps the most Japanese of the three as it concerns the rather unearthly devotion a daughter named Noriko has for her widowed professor father, Shukichi. While an American film would have touched upon the incest angle, under Ozu's immaculate direction, there is nothing unseemly about the relationship. She thoroughly enjoys taking care of him, but her father knows she must get married.

A meddlesome aunt named Masa aggressively sets up an arranged marriage with a supposed Gary Cooper-look-alike (though we never see him). Noriko resists all efforts until Shukichi and Masa convince her that he is getting married to a woman she eyes with remorse at a Noh play. Noriko reluctantly agrees to marry but never really accepts the reasoning that she needs a husband. In a beautifully economic scene only Ozu could convey, Shukichi peels an apple after the wedding and sadly bows his head to cry. Even though the later "Tokyo Story" deals with death, this is the most emotionally naked of the trilogy, as it is palpable how Noriko cannot truly succumb to the supposed joy of marriage.

It's no wonder Setsuko Hara became a huge star in Japan with this film. She plays Noriko with a wellspring of emotion from scene to scene headstrong, petulant, flirtatious (the sliced pickle comment is pretty saucy), blindly devoted, masochistic, and guardedly happy. Ozu gives her the full glamour treatment as well, having the camera linger in a medium shot on her beautiful, often smiling face, for instance, during the fanciful bike ride on the beach and the lengthy Noh play scene. Even though Hara plays three different characters in the trilogy, all named Noriko, it's fascinating to see how she seamlessly manages the evolution from high-spirited daughter here to emancipated working woman choosing to marry on her terms in "Early Summer" to resigned widow lost in her solitude in "Tokyo Story". She is memorable.

Familiar Ozu regular Chishu Ryu gives his most sympathetic and accessible performance as Shukichi with a touch of appropriate absent-mindedness. The rapport between the two feels genuine, and it amazes me how they can be so convincing as father-daughter in one film and brother-sister in the next. Another Ozu mainstay, Haruko Sugimura, excels at willful, often irritating characters, and her unrelenting portrayal of Masa exemplifies her unique talent. It's intriguing that Hara and Sugimura have an almost duplicate scene in both "Late Spring" and "Early Summer" where the older woman cajoles Noriko to marry the actors play the scene with sweetness and surprise in the latter film, whereas turmoil and regret fill a similar turning point in this one.

There is some wonderful acting on the sidelines the comically cherubic Masao Mishima as the "unclean" Mr. Onodera (I love the scene where he keeps pointing in the wrong direction to get his bearings in Kamakura); Jun Usami as Shukichi's assistant Hattori, a seemingly perfect suitor for Noriko who turns out to be unavailable but not overly so; and Yumeji Tsukioka as Noriko's worldly divorced best friend Aya. Note Aya's completely Western home (ironically filmed at Ozu's typical tatami-sitting eye level), one of many interesting American touches in the film, including the anachronistic use of "Here Comes the Bride" to introduce the wedding scene. The Kyoto sequence is particularly affecting with a fine use of real locations (Kiyomizu Temple, Imperial Palace) and the moving scene when Noriko and Shukichi come to their mutual understanding of the future.

This is said to be Ozu's personal favorite, and I can understand why as the director tells a simple story with relatable truths and honest intensity, even though the relationship is rather unusual by Western traditions. A holistic view of the Noriko trilogy shows "Early Summer" to be more comical and "Tokyo Story" more universally poignant, but "Late Spring" is a gem all on its own. This DVD gratefully has English subtitles, though the translation can be a bit sketchy at times. The print transfer is not pristine (some scenes are overly dark) but not as bad as I feared. There are no extras, as I expect there will be once Criterion does decide to release this classic.

**ADDENDUM FOR THE CRITERION COLLECTION DVD RELEASED ON MAY 9, 2006 (updated on 5/16/2006)**

As I had been anticipating, the Criterion Collection has finally completed Ozu's Noriko trilogy with the release of this wondrous masterpiece on a two-disc DVD set. The print is marginally improved over the Asia-originated, all-region DVD in circulation for several years, but the subtitles make far more sense in this edition, which now includes the meaningful lyrics to the Noh play at the center of the movie.

However, the major asset is the informative commentary from Richard Pena, program director of New York's Film Society at Lincoln Center. He speaks in depth about the themes of the film and Ozu's broader career, though sometimes his comments inappropriately precede the action on the screen. Most importantly, Pena provides the much-needed historical context to the story, in particular, the implied impact of WWII labor camps, which led to the nearly intractable relationship between father and daughter. The second disc has Wim Wenders' excellent 1985 documentary, "Tokyo-Ga", which shows the director retracing Ozu's steps in a modern-day and almost completely unrecognizable Japan. A great buy.

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The extras on this disc are fabulous. TOKYO-GA, in particular, is fantastic. It's fascinating to see what Chishu Ryu looked like in his old age, and a real eye-opener to learn that he was almost the same age as Tetsuko Hara when they were making pictures together, considering he was most often playing her father. Criterion has done a wonderful job with the bonus features and package design, as per usual. I would have given it a 5 star rating, but for one issue. My biggest complaint (and unfortunately, it IS a complaint), is with the print source quality. One of the reels has a white vertical emulsion scratch running through its entirety; the one with the famous shot of Setsuko Hara riding a bicycle with a male friend, passing a Coca-Cola sign at the side of the road. Only four years after the end of WWII, the Coke sign served as a reminder to the viewer that Japan was still occupied by the Americans, but was also feeling the encroaching influence from capitalistic western culture. Perhaps it was an insurmountable feat for Criterion to have digitally restored this sequence, but I must admit having to endure watching the vertical scratch throughout that entire sequence was quite disappointing and even infuriating, considering it's one of my favourite moments in all of Ozu's films. Having said that, it's an absolute essential for any serious film enthusiast to have this in his or her dvd collection, so I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it. I'm one of those dummies who buys his favourites again and again, like Star Wars fans, so if they improve upon the transfer, I'll probably buy it again. ;-)

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I discovered this film after reading Paul Schrader's book, Transcendental Style in Film. I located an old VHS copy and got totally sucked in by it. I found I loved the father and daughter by the end in a way that was more real than in nearly any other film I'd ever seen. I felt as though I'd been invited into their home and then been treated like an honored guest as a subtle and profound crisis in this family was dealt with.

I bought a Code 3 DVD version from Shochiku Home Video and continued watching it while reading Donald Richie's book on Ozu. But the subtitles seemed to be translated poorly and I could tell that a lot of the subtleties were lost. So I was very pleased when Criterion came out with this version in which much greater care was given to the translations.

In the Shochiku version there are no subtitles at all in the famous scene at the Noh play. But Criterion provides a marvelous translation that adds another layer of depth to the experience. As Noriko looks at her father beside her and then at Mrs. Miwa, whom she thinks is going to marry him, her jealousy and hurt are underscored by the performance of the play. In it a chorus of monks recites in verse a woman's feelings for her lost love. The emotions of the woman in the play, hidden behind the monk's ritualistic performance, parallel the storm of feeling raging just beneath Noriko's subdued expressions.

This is a masterful work and Criterion's translators should be applauded. Also, Richard Peña's commentary points out even more subtleties than I'd read in Richie's book. This DVD is a treasure.

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Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950)

Well tailored Ladd adventure film. No big name costars, no fancy production values, just Ladd doing what his fans wanted him to do dominate the screen. He does plenty of that in this one. It has the sharp, tough dialogue and physicality that was expected in his films. Glad to see it coming out on DVD. Now if the powers to be would just release his other late 40's early 50's films. Beyond Glory, Chicago Deadline, and especially The Great Gatsby deserve to be seen and enjoyed.

Alan Ladd has been neglected for far too long! Please release Calcutta, Siagon, O.S.S., Blue Dahlia, The Glass Key,...Ahhh, Jeez! Give Us A Box Set!

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"I'm going to stick around and bother people."

Best remembered, if at all, for introducing the song Mona Lisa, 1950's Captain Carey, U.S.A. aka After Midnight is a very decent little thriller that sees Alan Ladd's former O.S.S. agent returning to the small Italian village where he was betrayed, his lover (Wanda Hendrix) killed and 27 villagers massacred by the Germans to find out who was really responsible. It's not a popular return: the villagers blame him for bringing death to their town (so much so they gang up to stone him in the street) and there are more emotionally painful reunions in store before he uncovers the truth. It's not particularly challenging, although surprisingly the most obvious suspects turn out to be innocent, but it's at times surprisingly bitter, with Ladd much better than usual as the disenchanted hero who's been letting his wounds poison him for years.

Although you'll never believe for a moment that you're in Italy rather than Hollywood, it's a solidly produced old-school studio system picture with decent direction by Mitchell Leisen and a half-decent supporting cast including Joseph Calleia, one-time Dracula Francis Lederer, six-times Charlie Chan Roland Winters and a young Russ Tamblyn when he was still billed as Rusty Tamblyn. The use of the Oscar winning Mona Lisa which doesn't even get a mention in the film's credits is particularly interesting: rather than the familiar vocal version, we only get a brief rendition in Italian, not as a serenade but as a warning sign of oncoming danger, an idea that's neatly replayed in purely instrumental terms long after the Germans have left.

Sadly Olive Film's region-free US Blu-ray is a disappointment due to the poor master material Paramount provided them with: while it's not disastrous, the film's clearly had no restoration and has a lot of minor contrast issues and is one it's probably best to save a few bucks on by opting for the DVD instead since the higher definition just seems to draw attention to the flaws. No extras either.

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I enjoy OLIVE label DVD. These are old movies and are mostly seen by old people, as me. So why don't put the english subtitles ?

It would help sales. Same problem with Assault on a Queen and Come blow your horn.

Giuliano Fournier

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Excellent story and acting; a little action and a little mystery. The quality of the picture and sound is very good.

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Trans-Siberian (2008)

Don't worry: No spoilers. Transsiberian is an excellent thriller. A reviewer here aptly called it a neo-Hitchcockian film. A train ride in snowy Russia full of menace and suspense. As someone who has taken long train journeys in Russia, I can attest that the movie is quite good in transmitting their feel: from the vodka-lubricated friendly warmth of new acquaintances to the all too common hostile rudeness of train employees. And have no doubts about the suspense itself: the sense of dread and danger builds up gradually from almost nonexistent to just about unbearable. Emily Mortimer is superb as the central character. She has to exhibit a very wide range of emotions and she's absolutely convincing at all stages. Woody Harrelson is cast as Mortimer's husband. He is very credible as a friendly and rather naive Iowan who hasn't done much travel outside the US. He's also a train enthusiast--one of the reasons he's so thrilled about the Transsiberian. His wife is a woman with a wild past who turned her life around after meeting her husband, a committed Christian. They have to share their cabin with a young couple: Kate Mara, a young American, and Eduardo Noriega, a handsome Spaniard. Mortimer and Harrelson soon discover that their younger cabin mates are much better traveled than they are. Although they are friendly, Mortimer senses some mystery in the story of their companions. The last among the main characters is another train passenger, an English-speaking Russian narcotics detective played by Ben Kingsley. As it is often the case, Kingsley's character is both intelligent and intense. If you like suspense films, don't miss this one.

I saw this movie in Los Angeles and was plesently surprised. This movie had me glued to my seat until the credits rolled. Anderson clearly has created a mystery masterpiece telling the story of a clueless couple, Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer, stuck on a cross country train ride through the grim backdrop of a post-soviet Russia. The two are caught in a whirlwind of drug-smuggling, torture and crooked cops. I haven't been this impressed with a movie for a long time and can't wait to buy this sucker on DVD disc!

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** Spoilers ahead

For the most part, Transsiberian works as a suspense/thriller and captures the uncomfortable feeling of being a foreigner in another land. The director Brad Anderson does a commendable job setting up the relationship between the couple, their struggles, and their vastly different personalities. He also sets the stage for quite a finish, but the viewer will have to decide how well this is pulled off. I loved the scenery and much of the dialogue was satisfactory throughout. A slow, definitive build up to the main conflict is sorely lacking in contemporary films, but Transsiberian captures this. The basic premise is that an American couple, Roy and Jessie are (Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer) taking a trip home from China on the Trans-Siberian Express become involved in a plot involving an investigation of drug possession and an accidental murder. When Roy and Jessie happen to meet and share a cabin with another couple (Carlos, Abby) from the West, events begin to pick up, and the intrigue begins. The seemingly well-meaning couple has other plans and, after a mix-up where Roy and Jessie become separated, it sheds a bit of light on what is going on. Later, a Russian police officer (Sir Ben Kingsley) takes over the investigation, but his true intentions are a bit shady.

While most of the film was solid, there were some aspects of the film that irked me. For one, being that Jessie (Mortimer) was the strongest character, I found it appalling and puzzling how she could not and would not tell the truth at ANY costs (which included possibly having her husband shot to death and one of the characters who she befriended, Abby, tortured). Not only that, but she has no qualms about going "out in the middle of nowhere" with a mysterious man at the same time her husband is missing. Was this just a major character flaw for her, or what was the deal? It seemed a little inconsistent with who she is. You would think that she might finally see the light, but no, it never happens. Another point that seemed a little inconsistent or baffling was when Roy and Jessie basically flee their captors but leave Abby, after being tortured and beaten and pleading for help, to the wolves. Were these the same good people who were doing missionary work in China? The last part of the film, the unraveling of events, kind of fell flat, and seemed to "sell out" a little, going Hollywood, and having the typical good guy/ bad guy struggle scenario play out. It didn't really live up to the carefully crafted suspense in the first part. Also, there were questions that were not fully explored. (i. e. Why did Roy miss his train? ). It didn't compare to the first part of the film that took time to build up suspense, and give some intrigue to the tale.

Still, Transsiberian works on many levels. The tension when Kingsley's character is questioning Jessie about the missing man really adds to the mood and confusion of the naïve American couple. In short, this is an above-average suspense with mostly solid performances and an intriguing plot. This film does have a "feel" of Hitchcock to it at times, but it's best to leave the comparisons at the door.

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This one grabbed my attention when I read about it in the New York Times last month. The article made it sound like it might rival Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train or Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Well it doesn't. Not even close. Granted it does feature exotic Transsiberian locales from Beijing to Moscow, a train ride full of mystery and suspense, and the work of a set of top-notch actors. Unfortunately, everything that is attractive about this film is derailed by a script that takes one too many unlikely plot turns. So, instead of getting a suspense filled Strangers on a Train or an elegantly paced Murder on the Orient Express, we get just another Hostel or Turistas.

In the beginning there is the thrill that one is about to embark on an exotic journey into an area for the most part uncharted by Hollywood (Siberia), and the film does deliver a few glimpses of China and Russia that entice the eye. And, at first anyway, the characters and their relationships are intriguing enough to grab and hold our attention. Woody Harrelson is always good and here he delivers a fairly convincing performance as "Roy", a christian volunteer doing work with needy children in China. Roy is the typical bleary-eyed American optimist blissfully unaware of his own naivete. The fact that he wears Woodrow Wilson styled bifocals nicely underscores his limited vision of the world. This isn't Oscar stuff by any stretch but naivete is Woody's forte and since this character truly is caring and compassionate and sees only the best in other people he's actually quite likable. Since everyone else in this film is slightly jaded and gaurded and hiding a sketchy past, Roy's optimism and openness and childlike enthusiasm for trains is actually quite refreshing. His openness is at times an asset (he is a people magnet), at other times a liability (his naivete and over-the-top Americanness make him an easy target at home and abroad).

Accompanying Roy on this volunteer trip to China is his wife Jessie (played by the immensely talented and infinitely watchable Emily Mortimer whose previous film appearances include: Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl & Lovely and Amazing). Jessie is an odd match for Roy. She has experienced more of the world than he has and her adventurous, and perhaps dark, past is something that she keeps to herself. That is until Roy and Jessie board the Transsiberian Express and meet fellow travelers Carlos (Eduardo Noriega, best known for his work in the Spanish film Open Your Eyes) and Abby (Kate Mara). Carlos and Abby are seasoned travelers who look like they have seen a lot of the world, and not just the stuff that's in the Lonely Planet travel guide. Though well traveled, they are younger than Roy and Jessie and still full of wanderlust for the world and each other. Being around them reawakens Jessie's own still simmering wanderlust. Reckless and impulsive Carlos awakens her sense of danger and her sensuality (which have remained for the most part dormant during her time with Roy); and unrooted and uncertain Abby reminds her of her own younger and riskier, and as yet unmapped, self. Abby represents that side of herself that Jessie misses but also fears so she feels threatened by but also protective of Abby who is traveling down a lot of the same paths and traveling down them for many of the same reasons that Jessie formerly did. Abby's attraction to Carlos reminds Jessie of her own attractions to such men when she was that age and therefore she has conflicting feelings for Carlos: her younger self wants him, her older self wants him out of the picture. The fact that Jessie has a past and an understanding of many different types of existence makes her an excellent observer of human nature and as a result she takes wonderful pictures. But this avocation, like her relationship with Roy, is also a safe one. It allows her to indulge her interest in the disordered variety of life that she is attracted to but also to maintain a responsible and respectable distance from that world. However, her pictures also provide clues to an undeniable truth about Jessie. In the most memorable scene of the film a detective handles her camera and begins to scan through her photos while she nervously watches knowing the difference between culpability and liberty is only one delete button away. Mortimer does an exceptional job with the role. This character is full of surprises, including self-surprise, every step of the way.

The film could have worked well had it confined itself to developing the personal histories and tracing the evolving relationship dynamics and life trajectories of these four characters as they travel together in close quarters on an exotic train passing through one snowy Siberian locale after another. Instead, the film decides to take a different route and heads off into the usual Hollywood thriller terrain: drug smuggling, torture, murder, trainjacking & smashing etc... In other words, at about the halfway point, the film foregoes character study (and subtlety), and becomes your usual lurid, predictable, and forgettable summer flick.

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A moody dark tale of the perils of getting mixed with the wrong people, TRANSSIBERIAN is the type of film that sucks you in immediately. It is an examination of the nature of fidelity, truth and gullibility...with a healthy dose of dont talk to strangers thrown in. Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) have been in the Far East, where Jessie's prowess with a camera has won her honors in helping the plight of children in China. The couple decides to take the long Transsiberian train back to Moscow, eager to see more of the culture of the area. Roy, who back home is an important member of his church and a hardware store owner, as well as a train buff, comes off as highly likeable, sweet, and a little too innocent for his own good. Woody Harrelson plays this type of role well, and is good here. His wife Jessie is a rescued 'bad girl', struggling even now to settle down and not pine for her days of less-than-innocent. They board the train and find themselves co-cabined with a mysterious young couple who even at the outset Jessie is not sure are all they seem.

Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and Abby (Kate Mara) are hinky from the start, jumpy, a little creepy; and Carlos shows immediate interest in Jessie, which Roy doesn't get and which makes Jessie nervous. Everything comes to a head when, at a station stop, Roy gets left behind. There is so much suggestion in this movie, you are not sure exactly what to think about the fact that he isn't on the train when it starts up again; and you are kept guessing about this, and practically everything else in the movie. Jessie opts to stay at the next stop and wait for Roy to rejoin the train, and Carlos and Abby decide to stay with her, which doesn't exactly make her feel more secure.

The action grows darker and more grim from here, becoming a tangled web of deception, danger, and that impotent desperate feeling of being a foreigner in a place where the rules aren't clear. Everyone in the cast is spot-on; you really believe the fear and dread in Jessie when things transpire that she sees no way out of; you know Inspector Grinko (the always superb Sir Ben Kingsley, doing a great Russian accent here as a corrupt police official) is sizing things up with a glance. Roy slowly comes out of his cloud of sunny complacency to realize that there are things going on that perhaps a smile cannot fix, and that his wife is up to her neck in big problems.

I chanced upon this film, and was riveted from the first moment. You can feel the cold of the Siberian winter, and the helplessness of being a total stranger on a train full of native speakers who aren't always that interested in being polite or helpful. There was not a dull moment in the film, and the action was enhanced by a nuanced score that sends chills down your back at all the right times. Although I felt the ending a bit contrived and improbable, I would recommend this movie completely. Fast paced, intelligent, it will keep you guessing to the end.

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The Trap (1959)

Excellent little known film from '59 with Richard Widmark and the great Lee J Cobb.... This one can be viewed either 1:33 or 1:78....the picture is decent, but it looks like a much older film for some reason....it's definitely not the clearest print--but it is very watchable, and the story is pretty good too.... Basically, Widmark is forced to help a mob boss make a safe getaway, but things just don't work out as planned.... This film seems much like a western and could have easily been made as one, as it has a Bad Day at Black Rock kind of feel to it....great stuff here....also, Tina Louise looks much better here than she did on Gilligan's Island....great little twist near the end as well....highly recommended....

I'm writing this review to warn those film buffs like myself who may be tempted to pay the high price for this tantalizing disc. With a stellar cast and widescreen blu ray to boot I jumped and boy am I disappointed! This OLIVE release BR is full of grain, color shifts, spots, and is just terrible ...it looks like a poorly colored in black and white film.

To confirm... I'm not reviewing the movie...just letting folks know that to spend 20+ Bucks for this feels terrible as its not up to BR standards.

I have been pleased with Olive so far but today also picked up Ramrod and it IS a black and white movie which is marginally better than this BR in quality... but with Joel McRea and Veronica Lake.. it was worth the gamble.

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this is another excellent movie from the golden years of hollywood greatold time actors were in it

and it was packed securely and arrived before the due date thanks again for that great service

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This REAL CLASSIC movie is worth the money.It takes place in modern time...however it takes place in a modern western town.Take a look at the mountain in town.It's the VERY SAME TOWN they film Bonanza.And to top it off it has Lornne Greene in a bad guy role. And the studio that made this classic is the same studio that later made the series.."BONANZA!" Paramount studios.That same mountain in the bakground of buildings was also used in Paramount's Classic western.."GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K.Corral." Back to the movie...It's plot is great.The actors are better then we have today.Today they fly around a blue screen or blow people up. Here we had actors with may I say..TRUE GRIT!!!! WIDMARK...Super...LOUISE...BEAUITFUL AS EVER. Earl Holliman a very under rated actor.He is very powerful as Widmark's kid brother. Lee J.COBB...always at his best.Lornne Greene growing into a great future t.v.star. It's must see thriller.Waited a long time to get it. And it's in the great WIDESCREEN/COLOR of greatness.

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Wow! I have seen this movie back in the 60's what a surprise! Clear picture and one of Richard Widmark's best performances in his earlier years.

If you love suspense/Action The Trap is just for you!

Highly recommended

Henry

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Mardock Scramble: Second Combustion

Just finished watching this film. Abdolutely loved it as with the first installment. The second installment is focused in two halves, the first runes recovery within a place known as "paradise" with the brief ebcounter of another nut-nut assassin with a penchant for limb cutting. The second half all takes place on a casino. Whe I saw the trailer I had no idea why a casino would play such a large role in the story, (having not read the mang) but, no spoilers, now I see and it was a great way to finish off the film. Coming to that, it ends very VERY abruptly with a simple sentence leaving you wondering just what's going to happen next. Thoroughly enjoyable mature watching and I really can't way for last installment.

I just finished watching The Second Combustion and I was soo happy when i could see the continuation to one of my fave mangas turned anime. It picks up exactly where the 1st film left off and it does for the most part follow the manga almost 100% A few things were left out, like the gambling lessons and how to play the games, but to me that was a good thing. I found that to be very dull in the manga and also they added nudity in this anime as well, as they did in the First Combustion. The manga has no nudity at all, and Balot looks a little different but anyways, back to this work. The story seems to run rather short and kinda ends abruptly, like the first film.

I know this series has maybe 1 maybe 2 more films to finish the story and I wish they wouldn't take so damn long to make it but I did think that both films are good, so its worth the wait. I'm just not very patient so I would like to see the next film soon and also wish the next volume of the manga would drop already. It is odd that they mention a lot of egg jokes in this series. (Dr. Easter, Boiled, Shell...etc.) I guess its an inside joke somewhere but i don't understand it. Overall, if you enjoy the manga i recommend you watch this, and if you enjoy this anime, watch the First Compression if you haven't and I highly recommend the manga to you as well.. ENJOY!

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I just finished reading the book(translated by Viz), which is over 700 pages long and I can tell you that the primary Amazon Editorial Review has totally missed the mark on this one. I have also seen both of the Mardock Scramble disks sold by Amazon. I feel it behooves me to review some of the material that is in the book which either did not make it into the videos, or were so glossed over that people do not know what they are looking at. As such, the rest of this going to be in the vein of spoilers, but they are important so you know what you are looking at. I will avoid telling about anything that will be in the third video.

Spoilers Start Here:

There was a really big war where the army engaged scientists to do human experimentation to make better soldiers. The center of this experimentation was a place called Paradise. There were three main scientist leaders for Paradise. After the war, the countries repudiated Paradise and the leaders would have been executed, but each chose a different path to make themselves acceptable to society. One started the Scramble 09 protocol to solve criminal cases to show their usefulness. One started the October Corporation, to provide amusement & pleasure to the populace. The third isolated himself in Paradise (the head in the birdcage). The October Corporation killed the head of the Scramble 09 group, leaving Dr. Easter.

In the first Mardock Scramble, we meet two creations of this mess, Shell & Boiled. Rune is killed? and brought back by Dr. Easter. The stories in this series are a journey of how a severely damaged young girl is empowered to strike back and how she is repaired psychologically. There are multiple sets of bad guys that need to be brought down, including striking at the October Corp.

The primary reviewer states that the plot in Second Combustion doesn't go much of anywhere -or make much sense, when in actuality what is happening is that it is giving you the back story of the three Paradise scientists. The casino is important since the heroes need to get their hands on the Million Dollar Poker chips that store Shell's memories. Can they do it? Will Shell marry into the October Corp and become a member of their ruling elite?

If the video producers handle it right the end of series (video 3) should have fight scenes in it that are epic. The name of the third section in the book is "The Third Exhaust". Keep an eye out for it. I am looking forward to it.

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Just watching the being sequence you feel that it is a little different. Would not recommend for kids since there is nudity. But love how they mix tech into the lives of the character. Sometimes leaves you guessing a little of where this is heading.

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part two of the series, I liked part one enough to purchase part two an watch it. Very serious subject matter, not for kids.

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House (The Criterion Collection)

Criterion is a great company -arguably, the best DVD releasing company in the world. They are known for standards of excellence that aren't traditionally seen in most other companies' releases; not only in their DVD transfers and special features, but for the consistent high quality of the films they release. Most of the films Criterion release are already well-established, traditional, "classic" films. So, it's always nice to see a somewhat more "obscure" film get the Criterion treatment -this film definitely deserves it.

While not completely "obscure" -it's quite well-known in Japan, as well as amongst underground horror and experimental film lovers around the world -it certainly doesn't seem as, dare I say, "important" as many other Criterion releases. But being the underdog works here, since the film only costs $26 brand new (well below most "big" Criterion film's releases) so it will hopefully motivate more people to check out this work of art.

...YES, a work of art. While touted as a "horror" film, this most resembles an art film, one of the more experimental variety, and it is masterfully-shot and -directed. Utilizing all sorts of outrageous effects and downright bizarre editing, this often brings to mind directors like Shuji Terayama (Emperor Tomato Ketchup) and Toshio Matsumoto (Funeral Procession of Roses). While there are some more straightforward "horror" elements -skeletons, an evil kitty -most of them are downright silly, and remind me somewhat of American "classic" b-movie cheesefest Spookies than any serious work of horror. It is NEVER scary, and gets by mainly on absurdity and cheese.

So, why is this film getting 5 stars? Why is it "worthy" of a Criterion release? Well, opinions will differ, but I found this movie absolutely brilliant, one of the most entertaining I have EVER seen, with brilliant scene after brilliant scene of surreal absurdity. This film is downright INSANE, but it's charming. It's one of those films that you'll watch and say, "Okay, I HAVE TO show this to every single one of my friends now!" Infinitely rewatchable (I've probably watched my Japanese copy 20 times in the past 5 years), hilariously madcap, and endlessly inspiring. There is violence here, but it's all so silly... this is about as much a "horror" film as Riki-Oh is a "kung-fu" movie; it has all the "cool" elements of a genre film, but it's really just an excuse to cram as many insane scenes into a film as possible.

Oh, did I mention a piano eats a girl? ... The effects are what really make this film a sight to behold. They're actually surprisingly well-done, and even though I already own this film, I'm going to buy the Criterion edition just to see how they pulled off some of this stuff! Yes, as usual, the Criterion DVD is loaded with great special features, the best of which has to be the 1966 short film "Emotion" -without a doubt one of the greatest short films ever, and definitely my favorite of the "experimental Japanese New Wave" school (along with the aforementioned Matsumoto and Terayama). Honestly, "Emotion" is even better than the main feature -how insane is that? This is just one unbelievably value packed release, one that everyone needs!

So, yes, it is a very unlikely Criterion release, but kudos to them for taking a chance with this one. It is a film that needs to be seen -I can't imagine anyone NOT having a good time with it. And I really hope it sells well, because there just flat-out aren't many DVD companies releasing these kinds of crazy Japanese films anymore, since Tartan folded. Maybe, just maybe, if we're lucky, we'll all be able to see a Pastoral: To Die in the Country (aka "the greatest film ever made") release from Criterion sometime in our lifetimes....? Well, I can dream. But until that day comes, I'll be watching this one about once a month. Order it today!

Every once in a while you read about a film that it's indescribable and like nothing you've ever seen before. Usually that's hyperbole; it's just a bit offbeat. Not in this case. House (made in 1977) is genuinely like no other film I'd ever seen before, and I loved every minute. The closest in vibe to this film that I've seen is Funky Forest: The First Contact but that one's all over the place, and lacks the continuity of a single strange story like House. It's surreal horror, a hallucinatory and often hilarious supernatural thriller about Japanese schoolgirls who spend their school vacation visiting the aging aunt of their classmate. This is the kind of film you want to see in theaters if you have a chance but barring that see it at home, after it's out on dvd, with an open-minded crowd of friends who dig foreign, cult or arthouse films.

Gorgeous, as she's known, is irate that her father has decided to remarry, and so she invites her friends to stay in the aging and empty country house of her aunt rather than go with her father and his fiancee on vacation. We are introduced to each of her friends, all of whom have nicknames that describe their temperament and character: there is the beautiful Gorgeous, there's the apparently dreamy and gullible Fantasy, the brainy Professor, the always hungry Mac, the musical Melody, and so on. Along the way, on a magical train ride in which the animated fantasy background that shines through the windows of the train seems to resemble a film strip, she tells them how her aunt had once loved a man who promised to come for her after the war, but never returned. When they arrive, their aunt seems a bit too eager to see them, and odd remarks lead to inexplicable occurrences, and pretty soon it's over-the-top scary silly supernatural surreal mayhem. The director seems to delight in retro-styled effects and sight gags, using stop motion and many other inventive techniques to create a fantastic realm of visual jokes and horror. Combining live action and animation, the film transcends kitch and schlockiness into a realm of cinematic magic, that draws upon Japanese magical traditions of Yokai and witches and vengeful ghosts, but also evokes the era in which it was made, and appears to be making fun of a certain kind of depiction of youth in cinema. Fun stuff, and exciting to see that Criterion is releasing it (not surprising given that Janus films is supervising the current critically acclaimed theatrical rerelease).

Here's what to expect on the 1-disc Criterion set:

-a new, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

-a video piece featuring interviews with director Nobuhiko Obayashi, story scenarist and daughter of the director Chigumi Obayashi, and screenwriter Chiho Katsura

-Emotion, a 1966 experimental film by Obayashi

-a new video appreciation by director Ti West (House of the Devil)

-the theatrical trailer

-new and improved English subtitle translation

-and an essay by film critic Chuck Stephens

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The people who are giving this movie bad reviews need to loosen up. This movie is great. The most amazing 70's visual effects I have seen besides Star Wars... If you are in to the "vintage 70's film look", Michel Gondry, Japanese pop art, 70's horror movies, Phsycedelic art, ect.., you will love this! And NO you do not have to be high to love this, you just have to have good taste.

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Video review by future world famous serial killer Christopher Mackshere.

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House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)

When a movie has me asking "what the hell is THIS?" less than five minutes after I start watching it, I would have to call that movie, on at least some level, a success. In the case of House, the infamous 1977 horror comedy from Nobuhiko Obayashi (who's still making movies well into his seventies, including the recent The Last Snow and Song of Goodbye), it only gets weirder from there. I'm not entirely sure I can call the movie a success as a movie, but it's certainly something.

Plot: Angel (Kimiko Ikegami, currently the star of the long-running TV-movie series Furin Chosain Katayama Yumi) is excited about summer break; she's going to get to spend a lot of time with her father, which she can't do during the school year. They're even planning a trip. But dad springs a surprise on her just before break begins: he's getting married to Ryoko (Haruko Wanibuchi, recently of One Missed Call 2), an ethereally beautiful jewelry designer. It's been years since Angel's mom died, but she still takes the news badly enough that she writes to an aunt (the late Yoko Minamida, who would once again team up with Obayashi for one of her final films, 2004's The Reason) she hasn't seen in a decade and asks if she can spend the summer there instead. The letter she receives back states Auntie would be delighted, and asks Angel to bring all her friends. So, under the sponsorship of one of their teachers (After the Rain's Fumi Dan), Angel and six of her closest friends plan a trip to the countryside. A freak accident with a bucket sidelines the teacher, however, and the girls are on their own in Auntie's house... where they begin disappearing one by one.

It's obvious a great deal of thought went into the girls' nicknames (Melody is a pianist, Kunfuu is a martial artist, Prof is the brain of the bunch, etc.), which kind of makes the question of whether Angel will survive a moot one, even though she's the obvious final girl. But as I intimated in the opening paragraph, House is not a movie that you watch if you're actually looking to watch a movie--you know, a piece of film with plot, characterization, that sort of thing. It's the same kind of weird "how many drugs did these people ingest?" experience you get from, say, Spider Baby or Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome. And for what it is, House is a stunning example of the genre; you're likely to sit there with your jaw on the floor the entire movie. One wag, reviewing the movie at IMDB, says "I kinda want to watch it on drugs, but I value my life too much." Indeed. Still, it's the kind of thing you should definitely see once, simply because it puts such American attempts at psychedelic horror (think Death Bed or the movies of Herschell Gordon Lewis here) into perspective. ***

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Blazing Saddles / Caddyshack / National Lampoon's European Vacation (Triple Feature) (2012)

great movies in one compact case makes more room for more movies on my shelve that makes it easier to get more movies.

A great comdey 3 pack and excellant value for the money. I love all the movies! Blue Ray quality is amazing.

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What can I say? Caddyshack is the greatest golf movie of all time. Don't take my word for it, it has been said by many of the world's greatest golfers. If you don't laugh, you are dead or need a heart transplant. Blazing Saddles has one of the greatest catch phrases of all time. "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges". Ok, it was originally used in "Treasure of Sierra Madre" but it wasn't funny then, it is funny in this film. Finally, European Vacation is just OK. Considering the price of this bundle, I considered Vacation a freebee. Watch these films a dozen times and pee your pants laughing.

Read Best Reviews of Blazing Saddles / Caddyshack / National Lampoon's European Vacation (Triple Feature) (2012) Here

Bought as a gift for my husband.. 3 of his Favorites! Made for a Great Gift! All are very Funny!

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The Little Shop Of Horrors (1960)

Unfortunately, Little Shop of Horrors and every other Roger Corman Filmgroup production lapsed into public domain years ago and have generally been available on VHS and DVD only in poor-quality editions ranging from merely bad to atrocious. (The only Filmgroup features to get a decent official or semi-official release so far are Bucket of Blood, Beast from Haunted Cave, and Night Tide.) After researching every DVD version of Little Shop of Horrors available (there are at least eight!) I played a hunch and went with GoodTimes to replace my VHS copy, and I'm very pleasantly surprised at the overall excellent quality of the source print. When I saw the "preserved using the best available elements" line at the beginning of this disc I thought 'yeah, right,' but I have to admit that this is the brightest, cleanest, sharpest (if not exactly razor-sharp) print of this film I've ever seen. The black level, contrast, gray values, and shadow/highlight detail are fine, and physical damage is limited only to some very light speckling and blemishing (!!). On the downside, the transfer itself seems to be somehow deficient (low bit rate?), causing areas of flat white or smoothly gradated grays in the image to exhibit some very faint but noticeable pixelation or banding, especially during the opening credit sequence (areas of flat color seem to be DVD's Achilles Heel). The casual viewer probably won't notice this phenomenon unless it's pointed out, but it's there. That said, the superior quality of the source print more than makes up for this one barely noticeable flaw; this is still most likely the best edition yet available of this classic 'sick humor' gem and well worth the bargain price. It definitely blows away every TV print and cheapjack PD video version I've ever eyeballed. Grab this before it goes out of print.

The movie itself still entertains tremendously today, a funny, goofy (dare I say charming?) horror-comedy that basically plays like a stage farce (most of the action takes place on one or two sets). The story is essentially a remake of Bucket of Blood with a change in locale and a few fresh twists. This time Jonathan Haze portrays everyschlep Seymour Krelboine, who lives with his alcoholic hypochondriac mother (she listens to KSIK radio) and works at Mushnick's skid row flower shop. Seymour (temporarily) finds fame, fortune, and romance by nurturing (and eventually murdering for) an exotic talking cannibalistic plant. Mel Welles, in his finest hour (literally), steals nearly every scene with his droll portrayal of perpetually exasperated Gravis Mushnick, and Jackie Joseph (Andy Griffith Show, Who's Minding the Mint) seems born to play pretty, ditzy Audrey. Corman regulars adding to the fun include Dick Miller (Walter Paisley in Bucket of Blood) as Fouch, a flower-eating client, John Shaner as a sadistic dentist, and 14th-billed Jack Nicholson (featured prominently on most tape and disc box art) as his masochistic patient. Shot on a shoestring in just three days (at least all the interiors), Little Shop holds up better than many big-budget comedies of the day (anyone watched Story of Mankind lately?). Much credit must be given to Charles B. Griffith, unsung hero/architect of the AIP/Allied Artists/Corman style. His list of credits reads like Corman's greatest hits: It Conquered the World, Attack of the Crab Monsters, The Undead, Not of This Earth, Teenage Doll, Bucket of Blood, Beast from Haunted Cave, Wild Angels, Death Race 2000, etc. Griffith's clever, witty screenplay is a model of late-50s sick humor, working in a dead-on Dragnet parody, some wonderful malapropisms and bits of wordplay, lotsa Yiddish humor, and a handful of his patented icky-creepy moments. (Griffith also voiced the plant, Audrey Jr., played a few walk-ons, and directed some second unit scenes, all uncredited.) Fred Katz's memorable score is alternately goofy and spy-jazzy, and, unlike some of Roger Corman's other attempts at comedy (e.g. Creature from the Haunted Sea), I find his touch just right here, ably supporting Griffith's verbal bits with complementary editing patterns (check Sgt. Joe Fink and Det. Frank Stoolie's hilarious introductory scene). Lighter in tone and a bit broader and more farcical than Bucket of Blood (which I personally prefer), Little Shop, judged on its own terms, is still fresh and engaging, though the low budget is obvious at times. I'm not sure how fans of the Broadway show or movie musical will react to the original (I admit to being a purist myself), but if they share a taste for low budget horror or 50s-style sick humor they'll probably find it an offbeat treat.

Roger Corman's Original 1960 version of "The Little Shop Of Horrors" is considered by many as a true cult classic comedy of B-Movies,even the most respected of film critics.Unfortunately depending on the tastes and opinions of film fans that were used to seeing this legendary film comedy through the public domain since there was a lack of copyright in the titles,(same thing had happen to "Night Of The Living Dead") and for many years since the dawn of the videocassette and late late movie shows,those versions were vastly inferior and often poor-looking in terms of presentation and contrast.Now the great folks at Legend Films have finally put out a brand-new definitive and excellent restored presentation of this cult hit on DVD in both the original black & white version as well as the disc's main presentation of showcasing a brand-new restored digitally colorized version too.As with previous selected Legend releases of classic horror/B-movies in their DVD series,the disc features a well-done and at times hilarious commentary by MST3K's Mike Nelson and the great thing is that you can listen to the track on both versions of the film,giving the b&w version sort of a MST3K-flavor to it (I love how he refers to the opening Filmgroup logo as little Reese Cups !).Despite packaging claims that is the first time the film has been colorized,it's actually the second colorized incarnation of the film.First colorized on videocassette in the very late '80's with lousy and at times amateur results,this Legend version completely blows away the first attempt and looks like it was actually filmed in color,but of course this films' legendary budgetary constraints prevented from actually filming it in color.Of course lets not forget that the film features a very very young Jack Nicholson,in his fourth film role,in a memorable role as a crazy dentist patient.I must say,this Legend version of "Little Shop" is probably the most superior and sharpest looking out of all the previous versions of the film that you're possibly going to see and no wonder it was transferred from an excellent 35mm print of the film ! Other extras,besides the Nelson commentary,round out the package including both restored color/unrestored b&w trailers to "Little Shop",and the following colorized trailers for "Plan 9 From Outer Space","House On Haunted Hill","Carnival Of Souls",and "Reefer Madness".Plus a gallery of nine man-eating plants,if any kids are planning to do a school project on man-eating plants,this could actually be a fun reference guide,and also a very short clip called "Man Eating Plants" which is actually the president of Legend Films Barry Sandrew vigorously eating vegetable plants such as celery (always eat your vegetables folks !).Well-done packaging,excellent eye-catching menus and a sparkling transfer of both versions will definitely please any film buff,both Hollywood and B-Movie fans alike ! This is by far one of the first best DVD releases of 2006 and is highly recommended for old and new fans alike instead of those who only prefer the 1986 spectacular Frank Oz musical remake with Rick Moranis and Steve Martin.Highly recommended !

UPDATE 11/24/06:

Just Recently,Buena Vista Home Entertainment in association with Roger Corman have finally released an "authorized" DVD release of "Little Shop Of Horrors" as well as a nicely restored original black & white version of Nicholson's debut film "The Cry Baby Killer".Unfortunately,the recent disc's presentation of "Little Shop" is in fact the ORIGINAL colorized version,slightly mentioned above,that was first produced and eventually released to video in 1987 by Color Systems Technology.The source print used for the color version (other than the fact that the quality was directly copied off a video master for the DVD) is surprisingly in quite good condition,but it really truly is one of the worst examples of 1980's colorization technology I've ever seen and will probably be the last.The colors are often the same as certain objects (ie: the outside of Mushnick's Shop and the greens for the flowers,etc.),tons of continuity errors (ie: clothing,signs,etc.) and does anybody wish to care seeing Audrey Jr. looking like a talking watermelon plant? Reportedly,that color version was authorized by none other than Corman himself and it's easy to see why many directors above his stature hate and disregard colorization.Nicholson/Corman fans alike aren't going to be impressed with that bust of a release and it's very easy to see why the '87 colorized version was out of circulation for many years.Easier said than done,the newly restored Legend Films release is by far,hands down,the real winner due to the technology,version options,and bonus materials !

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I had origanlly seen this movie on a late night horror movie host and loved it having already seen the musical version. I bought the DVD expecting DVD quality. The transfer to DVD is bad. It's proably one of the worse ones I own. It's a little choppy, very grainy and somewhat blurry. There's also a spotlight effect once in awhile that I don't remember being there before (where the egdes of the movie are a little darker then the center). If you look carefully you can see waves going though the picture during the first part of chapter 2. The sound is a little muffled. I rate the transfer at 2 (I'm sure there's a worse one) and only gave it a 3 becasue of the movie it's self.

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This is the original that started it all, in 1960 which the film was shot for only two days. It's an good film, with a lot of grainy feel to it in black and white.

This version is about the bumbling Seymour who was almost out the door by his boss, Mr. Mushnick, for his incompetence. Seymour finds an unusual plant and Mushnick told Seymour if the plant turns out to be ok and fed, Seymour gets to stay at his job. Seymour names this plant, Audrey Jr., after his coworker, Audrey, who he loves. Before long, Seymour finds out that this plants wants nothing other than blood and human flesh...and ends up bringing dead people to the plant that were accidently killed. The cops were trying to find out what happened to the missing people (they were already eaten by the plant), and Mr. Mushnick stumbled on Seymour's secret. Mr. Mushnick offered a robber in the shop to the plant to save his life. The cops find out that Seymour is the one who killed the people when the pods of the plant opened up, showing the faces of those that were eaten, and there was a junkyard chase after Seymour. When Seymour goes back to the shop, he was mad at the plant, and intending to cut the weeds to kill it, he jumped in and the plant ate him. When the others came back to the shop, they found Seymour's face in one of the pods, then the movie ends.

There are some funny parts, and some silliness in other scenes (like the tramp that Seymour ran into, and their conversation is humorous!), plus you can find a young Jack Nicholson as the pain-loving dental patient.

This movie reminds me a little bit of the 1920s or 1930s films by the way some of the acting and the grainy image has portrayed in this 1960 movie, but overall, it is a good movie to watch.

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I recently watched the musical remake of Little Shop of Horrors and enjoyed it immensely, and my curiosity about the genesis of that film lead me to its progenitor. I hadn't realised that Roger Corman's original was intended as a comedy--I'd thought that it was a cheapie horror film with camp humor arising from its unintended absurdity. This is absolutely not the case, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The absurdity of Little Shop, and there is plenty, is all fully intended. At times it is almost as if the Monty Python troupe is doing a black-and-white horror spoof, it is so good. I find it impossible to say whether the musical remake or the original is "better"--they are simply different, and each amusing in its own way. I prefered Rick Moranis's Seymour to that of Jonathan Haze, but Jackie Joseph's Audrey had funnier lines and was less pathetic than Ellen Greene's. But what really surprised me was that the comic touches I had thought were signatures of the Saturday Night Live/Second City crowd were all in the original: the sadistic dentist and his masochistic patient; "Pain" magazine, "Feed me!", and more. Futhermore, the original had some more absurd characters that didn't make it into the remake, including a parody of the detectives from Dragnet and Seymour's mother, a hypochondriac whose home cooking is all flavoured with medicine! Although the sound and picture quality of the version I watched was poor, it was worth sitting through if you enjoyed the more recent version. Also worthy of note was the spiky, xylophone-timpani-and-baritone-saxophone-laden score by Fred Katz.

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Mark 2: Redemption (2013)

"The Mark 2: Redemption" will be familiar to anyone who's seen other Christian end times movies like "Left Behind", "Apocalypse" or "Moment After". The rapture has just taken place and we get to follow those left behind as the world unites under a charismatic new leader (Antichrist). The bad guys still want the microchip that's implanted in Craig Sheffer's arm. "The Mark: Redemption" is less preachy compared to some other films in this genre and can be enjoyed by non-Christian fans of apocalyptic action movies if they can overlook the occasional religious references. But be prepared for another open ending that lets a lot of loose ends untied to make room for one or more sequels.

I was anxiously awaiting this sequel and was not disappointed. Not a lot of faith based action movies out there so needless to say the men in my family enjoyed it as well.

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If you did not see Mark 1 then its likely you will be confused for the first hour. Acting I found to be very wooden and I just could not get into this film. In fact I give up after an hour. Its heavily Christian based .

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This movie has you on the edge of your seat and the quality of the video is wonderful. I enjoyed the low cost and how fast the seller shipped them out. I highly recommend if you are into end time movies and the seller.

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College Road Trip (2008)

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)College Road Trip [Theatrical Release]

College Road Trip is a slap-stick comedy that is a great movie to take your kids to, as long as they are young. The main criticism I have of this movie is about the marketing, since most kids that are college bound are probably too old for this. The jokes are very predictable humor. If your kids are older than 14, they will probably find this style of humor too childish for their tastes. In that way this movie is a missed opportunity for Disney to expand their market to all the older Martin Lawrence and Raven fans.

If you've seen the trailers, you pretty much know the entire story. Dad (Martin Lawrence) takes daughter (Raven) on a road trip to check out colleges. Antics ensue.

Martin's character is a very over-protective police chief who is a bit of a control freak. His daughter has long outgrown being daddy's little girl. He wants her to stay local for college, but she wants to go away.

There's a genius younger brother and a pet pig to add the cute factor. There must be a lot of young geniuses out there because little brothers never have normal intelligence in movies or TV anymore, but I digress. Raven's friends are cliched teenaged valley girls who aren't even from the valley.

Most people who initially may be interested in seeing the movie are either Raven fans or Martin Lawrence fans. Yet this movie was made for an audience of much younger kids.

I am a huge Martin Lawrence fan and I think Raven is very talented and funny. But both of them were under used in this movie. Martin Lawrence is frequenty upstaged by his co-stars, and Raven does a good job but doesn't have the best lines. In fact, Will Sasso, Donny Osmand, his daughter, and the pig are the highlights of this movie. And they don't have enough scenes to make this movie really funny for adults.

Young kids from 5 to 12 or 13 will love the jokes. College bound kids will find themselves wondering why they called this "College Road Trip" when it's clearly designed for kids that aren't even out of grade school.

Overall, this movie is somewhat disappointing. It could have been so much more with the cast that they collected here. If you've got a group of young kids and want to take them to a fun and wholesome Disney movie, this is it. If you're kids are college bound, or even high school sophomores, they probably would rather see something else.

Enjoy!

I enjoyed this movie so much when it was in theaters and I can't wait to see this again.... I laughed so much! It made me feel better after a hard days work. I would even so my parents this because in a way .... THIS TELLS EXTACT how I feel about college and the NEED to GET AWAY from HOME! Donny Osmond was the Best PART, even tough, I like Raven and Martin. I truly think you should consider purchasing this movie... I truly can't wait for a second one with these two families.

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This movie stars Raven-Symone and Martin Lawrence, in probably one of the best Family events of the year. Martin's humor, Donny's humor, Raven's great acting, and the pig, make this movie a must-see. It is really a great film, and close to the end, it becomes one of those movies that are cry worthy...

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I just loved this movie its the best clean movie in a long time im a big Donny Osmond and Raven Fan so his movie was just what i needed for my collection of dvds .

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I definitely love COLLEGE ROAD TRIP.

Despite, it is sort of a Children movie, even though it deals with College, the movie is a great movie for all ages, and families!

Plus Raven-Symoné makes this movie all better!!!!

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Bullitt (2007)

Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. Based on the gritty novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike, this was the first, and only, time McQueen portrayed a police officer (albeit a maverick one) in his movie career. In 1968 Steve was then riding high on the success of his previous heist film, "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "Bullitt" just propelled his star even higher into the cinematic heavens !

The plot is tight, economical and well crafted....taciturn, moody Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is charged with the protection of a key witness vital to an upcoming trial involving Mafia connections. Whilst hidden away in a supposed secure location, the witness and his police guard are brutally gunned down by unknown assailants. The heat is turned up on Bullitt by his tough Captain (Simon Oakland) and the manipulative, opportunistic politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to come up with the right answers fast ! Between the draining investigation, Bullitt struggles to maintain his relationship with his cultured, sensitive girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset)

Primarily coming from a TV series background, Englishman Peter Yates (directing his fourth movie) did a commendable job as director on "Bullitt"...producing a complex, intense crime thriller with a unique style that would ultimately influence many other films. Yates would later to go onto direct tough guy Robert Mitchum in the excellent 1973 "sleeper" crime film "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" !

And of course "Bullitt" is reknowned for it's now legendary car chase between Frank Bullitt's 390 GT Mustang and the two hitmen in their black, Dodge Charger 440 Magnum barrelling through the city streets and highways of San Francisco....just don't pay too much attention to how many times they pass that slow-moving, green VW Beetle !!

The DVD transfer is excellent in both sound and picture quality, and the Limited Edition Collectors Set with the additional goodies (Single sheet poster, shooting draft, lobby cards etc.) is a real bonus for keen film fans !!

One of my favourite cop thrillers....McQueen sizzles on screen !!

I have read GQ and other men's fashion magazines for the last 20 years. No single person is mentioned as a men's style icon more often than Steve McQueen, and this movie defines his style most clearly. What I think that is not often understood, is why his style is so beloved. It is minimalist, yes, but also, this is someone not playing the middle class America game.

1) He lives in a small apartment. The furniture is ordinary, with a few hip 60's touches. (Watch for the picture over his bed, his paisley bathrobe, the cool paper hanging lampshade, and a couple of hippie style items on the walls). You get the impression he owns about six pairs of clothes at most. He eats cheap frozen dinners (except for the occasional date at the cool San Fran Restaurant). He is not wasting this time and life keeping up with the Jones's.

2.) He is not climbing the career ladder. On this case, he doesn't give a thought to politics. He is not chasing the American ideal of success.

3.) Look closely and you will see his car, the most famous in any movie ever, is a olive drab color. Not candy apple bright red. It is a Mustang, a symbol of blue collar America. It is dusty, and he parks it in the street, not a garage. He does not inspect it for door dings every time he goes out to it. It has dents in it. You get the impression he doesn't spend his free time polishing and waxing it.

4.) He doesn't spend his time chasing money. He spends it on his job, trying to do what he thinks is right, not what is good for office politics and promotion.

5.) His clothes are 60's pre-hippie fashion perfection (look for the extremely tapered legs, the suede loafers, and of course the famous tweed blazer and blue turtleneck).

In summary, I think it is funny that people idolize McQueen's personal style in this movie and yet they don't realize why. It is not just the stoicism, or minimalism. It is the old fashion American values (think Old West). Just something to think about as you watch one of my favorite movies of all time.

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Few people who see this movie for the first time understand the profound impact it had when it came out. While modern day crime dramas are filled with gratuitous, numbing violence, the reality of this movie was a real breakthrough. The famous car chase may be the thiing that brings people back to "Bullitt" but the gritty realism is what makes this a classic. The only movie of that time which matched it for realism may have been "The Detectives". This movie really changed filmmaking. When I saw this movie in 1968, five people fainted in the theatre during the scene where the killers broke into the hotel room to murder the potential witness. There is also the fine performance of Robert Vaughn as a politician whose murdered star witness was his mealticket. Vaughn is noted as the consummate Hollywood liberal, and his portrayal of this self-serving scumbag is perfect.

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Better view than the DVD. But only worth renting, or if it can be purchased used or on mark down at $5 or less.

A great film with very problematic picture and sound quality on Blu-Ray. The source transfer for "Bullit" has obviously not been re-done for Blu-Ray, and appears to be the same source transfer used for the older DVD edition of this film. Although the superior medium and capabilities of a 1080p Blu-Ray disc make this an upgraded way to view this material, the limitations of an aging source transfer abound and call attention to themselves. Detail is OK in well lit scenes, much less so on indirectly lit surfaces and shadows. Blacks are unstable and milky, and there is motion judder and blur of in motion detail in shadows. Skin tone and texture show the waxy effect of DNR (digital noise reduction). Surface detail is mediocre at best. Sharpening is obvious and annoying. All in all a better view than the DVD version. But only worth renting, or if it can be purchased used or on mark down at $5 or less.

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The car chase in Bullitt may seem a bit less impressive than it once did because filmmakers have been trying to top it for the best part of four decades. More of a cat-and-mouse game than a demolition derby, its overshadowed by the film's other action setpieces a murder in a safe house, a tense chase in a hospital and a great airport finale that Michael Mann ripped off wholesale in Heat. A beautifully constructed star vehicle for Steve McQueen at his best, it's pretty much the prototype for every Hollywood cop movie that followed, but benefits from good casting (Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Simon Oakland, Robert Duvall), better characterisation than the norm and a low key approach from director Peter Yates that makes the highs seem a lot more effective than they should. The plot's not bad either, with Lalo Schifrin contributing a cool score and Pablo Ferra a terrific main title sequence.

The 2-disc set certainly boasts an improved transfer over the original single-disc release, but aside from Yates audio commentary, a vintage making of featurette and the trailer, the extras aren't that film specific a good feature-length documentary on film editing and another on McQueen.

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The Natural (1984)

"There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was to play this game." For admirers of the original theatrical and, later, DVD version, of "The Natural" this is obviously A MUST. The story of Roy Hobbs, a great young talent in the Ted Williams mode (they even share the same number 9), struck down in his prime, and then, like a phoenix, reborn into athletic glory, is one of the classic American stories of all time, based on the fine novel by Bernard Malamud. This new "Director's Cut" version is like revisiting a great fairy tale from childhood and being given more and often longer scenes with some of your favorite characters. Director Barry Levinson explains, in a video introduction to the film, the reasons for this new edition: how the original film was somewhat rushed into theatres and how he and his editor (and others) wanted a much different first act to the film. And here it is: the new footage deepens and darkens and gradually brightens the film into a much more satisfying experience and still does not diminish the impact of the original at all. In a word, PERFECT. The musical score, by the great Randy Newman, perhaps a little too insistent in the original film, cueing us to how we should feel, sneaks up on you more in this version and makes all the wonderful moments in the film that come later that much more moving. Also, Robert Redford's performance as Roy Hobbs is immeasurably helped here: the new footage (often original scenes with more footage added), even certain quick cuts, make for a more layered, textured performance that gives us greater insights into this troubled, but noble character and show how a once, great, guileless young ballplayer still exists inside the older, careworn, but still talented, man he has become. There are beautiful moments restored here often wordless and some original scenes have been edited, so that even though there is additional footage, the new version only runs about six minutes longer than the original. Personally, I felt all the performances benefited from the new version Robert Duvall, Kim Basinger, Darren McGavin, Glenn Close, Wilford Brimley, Richard Farnsworth, all doing splendid work here. And though my only quibble with the film was and still is the somewhat stilted staging of some of the scenes (I would have liked to have seen more reactions from the ballplayers and coaches during games sometimes they just look blank even when watching something exciting going on), this is clearly a TRUE classic and the new version will only add to its glory. The additional special features include a wealth of information about the making of the film, and a splendid featurette on "The Mythology of The Natural." Clearly this is why this film endures and will for the next 100 years. It has a timeless feel, from the perfect performances, the superb direction, the obvious care that was taken in the music, costumes, sets (the fantastic scenes in the various ballparks), and, finally, to the story itself, so beautifully articulated by Glenn Close's character later in the story: "I believe we have two lives: the one we learn with, and the one we live with after that." This new DVD "Director's Cut" version drives this theme home with the precision of one of Roy Hobbs's mammoth home runs. It is a darker, more textured, but ultimately more illuminating experience (and perhaps even more moving than the original version) and one of Barry Levinson's finest achievements. I wish they had re-released it on the big screen first. But here it is in a beautifully packaged DVD (with a great, old-fashioned cover), worth every penny, and then some. A grand slam!

I loved the Natural when it came out in 1984. The mythical quality of the story, terrific acting by a perfect cast, great editing, and great direction made this film one of my all time favorite sports movies.

So this year a new dvd version is being released that is being called the Director's cut. Apparently there are 20 minutes of new footage added in, but the editing results in a film that is only 6 minutes longer than the original. The chief difference between the two versions is that the backstory is relayed primarily through flashback from the "present", as Roy Hobbs returns to his childhood home after 16 years away. He retrieves "Wonder Boy", then goes to New York to start his career with the NY Knights.

The new version works okay, but I frankly preferred the original. I preferred its slightly more deliberate pacing, and I don't think the new scenes (primarily extended versions of already existing scenes) added any real value or perspective. Indeed, one scene in which Memo travels to meet Roy on the road actually detracted from the cohesion of the story.

Bottom line: if you loved the original, you'll like this one. It's still basically the same film. I just don't think it needed any tinkering.

Buy The Natural (1984) Now

When I was first made aware of this new "Director's Cut" of The Natural, I wanted to rent it before deciding whether to buy it or not. Unable to find it for rent, I bought it. Having watched it twice (alternately with the original theatrical version DVD), I will probably toss it.

Director's Cut? Even the director, Barry Levinson, concedes in the introduction to this new version that it is not meant to replace or be better than the original theatrical version. It's merely an intriguing chance to see the movie edited to match his original vision more closely (made impossible in 1984 by post production time constraints). He makes no judgment that his original vision was better. For me, this cut is quite inferior.

Not only were 15 minutes of footage added, but 9 minutes were deleted. In the original version, the opening act (before Roy returns to the game after 16 years) ran 20 minutes. In the new version, despite a lot of added material, it runs 17 minutes. The relaxed, natural pace of the original sequence is now full of somewhat abrupt, quick edits. Gone also are some beautiful shots, such as the young Roy and Iris running towards each other at night across the horizon of a field. Gone are moments of character development, such as The Whammer's wisecrack on the train, "Oh, first Pete and now Repeat?"

And much later in the film, one added scene derails a major theme. Iris is a positive influence, and Roy excels in the game under that influence. Memo is a negative influence, and under her spell Roy fails. Yet in this new verson of the film, Roy returns to New York after several highly successful games (under Iris' influence) on the road, and then a scene has been added where Memo welcomes him home in a hotel lobby and gets cozy with him in a phone booth. In the following scenes, Roy continues his successful run! It makes no sense. In the original version, his success ended as soon as he reunited with Memo at the welcome home party. In fact, the addition of the phone booth scene results in her welcoming him home twice, which is somewhat odd.

On the positive side, the new 5.1 sound is very nice most of the time, but sound effects that were subtle in the original film have been amped up at times to the point of being distracting. Originally, the two gunshots sounded appropriate to the rooms in which they happened. They now sound like recordings of shots in an echo chamber, edited into the film. Still, I have to say I loved the enhanced sounds of thunder throughout the movie.

The second disc of Special Features has some interesting stuff on it. So I'll keep the Special Features disc, put it with my DVD of the original theatrical version, and toss the so-called Director's Cut disc. But I will miss those great thunder sounds.

Read Best Reviews of The Natural (1984) Here

The Natural is a film I could watch over and over, which is why I bought this DVD. My Tape was worn out. This is a story for the whole family. If you've never seen it and you dont like baseball, dont let that stop you. This is a magical story.

Roy Hobbs is a farm boy with a gift for pitching. But as his Dad tells him "It's not enough". He gets a chance to try out with the Chicago Cubs, so He leaves his best girl with a promise of marriage and heads off for the big city. He meets a beautiful temptress on the train and being young and naive lets temptation lead him astray.

Because of the incident with the woman his baseball career was put on hold for 16 years, until at 36 he gets a chance to play for the Majors. The manager of this loosing"dead from the neck up" team is reculant to put this old rookie in, but his assistant goes to bat for Roy (excuse the pun) and he finally gets his shot.

We watch as Roy has a great season, goes into a slump, gets mixed up with the wrong woman again and tries to save the team for the manager from the corrupt owner and his partners.

His past comes back in 2 forms, first his girl is now living in Chicago, and has brought him good luck, it is a magical moment in the movie when he is in a slump and she stands in the bleachers looking like an Angel, and his energy is renewed, and second he is being blackmailed about the unfortunate incident 16 years earlier.

After all these years though Roy has never lost his honor, his values, or his love for the game. He also learns that wanting to be "the best there ever was" is not as important as doing the best you can.

The Cast is fabulous in their rolls, you have Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Wilfred Brimley, Kim Basinger, Robert Duvall, Barabra Hershey, Joe Don Baker, Robert Prosky and the late great Richard Farnsworth. No more needs to be said there!

The DVD itself is a must have. I was reluctant to buy it at first because it was only 4.0 and 2 channel sound but this is not a film where you need to have dinosaur steps shaking your water glasses. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the musical score is all great. It is in Widescreen and the cinematography is wonderful. Usually the "Extras" is not what impresses me when I buy a DVD but this one has a not to be missed 45 commentary from Cal Ripken Jr. that's as poignant as the story itself. There is also included in the documentary Director Barry Levinson"s views

By the way you will also love the ending of the story!

Enjoy---Laurie

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I can easily remember watching "The Natural" for the first time and for any kid who enjoyed baseball, the character of Roy Hobbs was truly inspirational! Many people thought Roy Hobbs was a real fictional character and in some ways, he is.

"The Natural" is a film that is an adaptation of a 1952 baseball novel "The Natural" written by Bernard Malamud and was inspired by the real life shooting of Philadelphia Phillies baseball player Eddie Waitkus who was a promising young star until an obsessed teenager gunned down the baseball player and nearly killing him. The novel is also inspired by Shoeless Joe Jackson (who was one of the eight Chicago White Sox players accused of throwing their games against the Cincinnati Reds during the 1919 World Series) but the film adaptation while loyal to Hobbs as a player is completely different from the novel, as Roy Hobb in the film version is a hero and a character that continues to inspire many kids wanting to play baseball today.

"The Natural" is directed by Barry Levinson ("Sleepers", "Wag the Dog", "Bugsy", "Rain Man") and a screenplay written by Roger Towne ("Hawaii Five-O") and Phil Dusenberry. The film features cinematography by Caleb Deschanel ("National Treasure", "The Spiderwick Chronicles", "The Passion of Christ", "The Patriot") and music by world renown musician Randy Newman ("Toy Story" films, ""Cars", "Monsters, Inc.", "Meet the Parents" films). The film has been released previously as a single disc DVD, a Director's Cut DVD and a gift set. Now, "The Natural" makes its debut on HD via Blu-ray in April 2010. This version is the theatrical 136-minute cut not the 144-minute director's cut.

VIDEO:

"The Natural" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1). The film definitely looks very good on Blu-ray considering it's 26-years-old. The film goes through various moments where you see present time and also some scenes making the film look a bit aged (intentional). But overall, the film looks very good. Colors are actually very good because previous Sony Pictures Home Entertainment films from the early '80s on Blu-rays in the past looked a bit DNR'd (digital noise reduction) and had this cloudy and waxy look to it. But this time, the film includes the grain and probably very close to the original source. The film looks fantastic as skin tones are natural, blacks are nice and deep.

"The Natural" looks better than any of its previous DVD counterparts!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"The Natural" is presented in English, French and Portuguese DTS-HD MA and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Although the film is primarily dialogue and music driven through the center and front channels, there are scenes that utilize the surround channels such as an oncoming train, lightning rumbles, the crack of a baseball when the bat connects to crowd ambiance. So, there is a good use of the surround channels throughout the film.

But if anything will stay in your mind from this film, it's Randy Newman's musical score (which is a recognizable score) and the final moments of the film (yes, the ultimate scene from the film ala sparks and all) which sounds fantastic via lossless.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The Natural" comes with the following special features in standard definition, English stereo and subtitles in Portuguese and Spanish:

* movieIQ+sync (logo) and BD-Live connect you to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie! While watching the film, if one has a BD-Live enabled player and is hooked up on the Internet, they can grab real-time information of the cast, music and trivia for the film.

* When Lightning Strikes: Creating the Natural Pt 1, Pre-Game: A Novelist Steps Up to the Plate (9:48) A featurette about the book "The Natural" and the differences between the novel and the film. Also, a featurette about novelist Bernard Malamud by his daughter Janna Malamud Smith giving us insight of his painful upbringing and working on the novel.

* When Lightning Strikes: Creating the Natural Pt 2, The Line-Up: Assembling the Moviemaking Team (16:27) A featurette about the creation of "The Natural" and bringing the novel to film. Roger Towne and Phil Dusenberry talk about how they came upon writing the film. Also, how the director, cinematographer and cast were hired and the challenges of production for the first Tri Star film.

* When Lightning Strikes: Creating the Natural Pt 3, Let's Play Ball: Filming the Show (23:38) Cast and crew talk about the filming of the movie and the memories they have on the set and creating the final scene.

* Extra Innings (7:12) More featurettes that goes into parts of the film which include slow motion (how the film utilized a lot of slow motion), uniform color (inspirations of the colors of the uniforms), The Sandberg Game (a featurette about Ryan Sandberg's memorable homerun and Bob Costas calling Ryan Sandberg "Natural" and Sandberg talking about how he was called "Kid Natural") and The President's Question (Screenwriter Phil Dusenberry asked by President Ronald Reagan of why Hobbs was shot).

* Clubhouse Conversations (15:25) Talk about the history of baseball and how baseball was a great conversation piece. Robert Redford, pro baseball players and journalists talk about how they became passionate about the game of baseball.

* A Natural Gunned Down: The Stalking of Eddie Waitkus (17:08) A documentary on the baseball player Eddie Waitkus, the real life baseball player known as "The Natural" who was shot by an obsessed fan.

* Knights in Shining Armor: The Mythology of "The Natural" (9:18) The mythic place of baseball and why the film is beloved. The story about Roy Hobbs who has this special gift and in this story, the challenges the hero must go through (of course, novel and film are quite different).

* The Heart Of The Natural (44:06) Cal Ripken Jr. talks about the film and how the film relates to his real life from him playing baseball with his father, challenges on field and more.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"The Natural" is the greatest baseball film made so far!

I've watched many baseball films from the silents to modern baseball films and yes, as many are fun to watch and inspirational in showing team dynamics and the underdogs rising to the top. "The Natural" is just the best baseball film out there. Sure, it has elements from other baseball films, but the fact that you have a character of Roy Hobbs, who was a promising baseball player and loses it all after he is shot by a crazy woman and then 16-years later, tries to make a comeback in his mid 30's when most players have retired. How inspirational is that?

I know that there are some who may be a bit upset that the film doesn't follow Bernard Malamud's original novel but personally, when you have a sports film that can literally show the worst that can happen in baseball or a film that can truly inspire, I am so glad that author Malamud gave Roger Towne and Phil Dusenberry the thumbs up to do what they want (Malamud was well aware that novel to film adaptations were different) and in this case, making Roy Hobbs a hero and for some people, despite being a fictional character, the bond that Hobbs had with his father to the love for the game rings true for anyone who has played or loves baseball. (Note: For those who want to know facts and fiction of baseball in relation to the "The Natural" can find some interesting tidbits here).

But at the same time, there is something very cool about seeing people that many consider are past their prime but yet showing us that they can still be awesome and be the best out there. From Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Lance Armstrong, Cal Ripken Jr. and many others who many felt were old and should retire, they continued to play their A game better than most athletes in their 20's. "The Natural" is a film that no matter how man years have passed since the film was released in theaters, it will be a classic baseball film and the character of Roy Hobb, may he be a fictional character, but it's a character that many athletes can relate to. Very inspirational!

As for the Blu-ray release of "The Natural", as mentioned earlier in my review, this is the original theatrical release and not the director's cut. It would have nice if those eight minutes of extra footage was included as deleted scenes on the Blu-ray but we are getting the special features that were included from the 2007 two-disc DVD release. But the picture quality on Blu-ray and the lossless audio along with the numerous special features makes this version the definitive version to own for now.

Overall, "The Natural" is a wonderful and inspiring film for so many people who love the game of baseball. It is truly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, baseball film out there. Highly recommended!

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