Berserk: Golden Age Arc II - Battle for Doldrey (2013)

Well it's been quite a wait, but at last, The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey is here. The movie series, it seems, has taken after the manga in releasing updates at a snails pace. Why we had to wait 14 months for this film to make it from theaters in Japan, to a DVD/BR in America, I do not know (for those keeping track, that's twice as long as the first movie took), but I suppose the wait just makes getting the final product that much sweeter. Anyway, on to the movie itself:

A lot of people's biggest complaint about the first Golden Age movie was the cheesy CGI that would crop up now and again. I am very pleased to be able to say that this movie definitely cleaned this up a lot. This installment is a big visual improvement over the first. Not that the first had much room for improvement, it was beautiful movie, but here they were able to clean up some of the previously mentioned problems with the animation.

While the first movie was about the beginnings of the Band of the Hawk and the relationship between Guts and Griffth, this movie is about the rise and fall of Griffith and the Hawks, as well as the burgeoning feelings between Guts and Casca. The conclusion of the war with Chuder brings Griffith to his greatest heights yet, setting him up for his ultimate fall. Here we see Guts truly push himself to his limits as a warrior, as well as the beginnings of an understanding in the previously volatile relationship between him and Casca. All of this cumulates in the inevitable confrontation between Guts and Griffith, the conflict that, like a falling domino, sets all the future events in motion.

As I already stated, the visuals in this movie were stunning, but I feel the need to make special mention of the hilltop fight with Guts and Griffith. The scenery here is absolutely spectacular. The mountains and snow and sun rising over Midlands castle town make you feel like the entire world is setting the stage for this one all consuming duel between two Titans.

The music is great as well, I simply cannot say enough good things about the soundtrack for these movies. In addition to the songs used in the first movie, they introduce some new tracks. The Griffith/Charlotte love music, and the track that plays during the hundred man kill in particular are well composed and well executed in contrast with the scenes. Speaking of the Griffith/Charlotte scene, it is surprisingly graphic, especially when compared with the original 90s anime. This will probably give you a clue as to how "that scene" in the eclipse is going to be handled.

This takes me to the one problem with the film. Fans of the original anime, and especially the manga, will notice that some of the original scenes are left out. Some of these detract from the story, and some do not. I'll go through these now and detail how I think they affect the story:

The biggest change comes during the celebration feast after the battle. In the original story there is a plot to kill Griffith, which he turns around by faking his own death, then turning it around by killing the nobles who schemed against him, including the Queen, by setting the building they are in on fire. While this story isn't that significant to the overall plot, besides in that it shows Griffiths intelligence, and how stone cold he can be to those who make a move against him, I was still a bit disappointed that we didn't see the final back and forth that Griffith has with the Queen while she's burning. That being said there is a lot of back-story involved, for a plot that isn't really integral to the overall story, so I do see why they cut it, there are time constraints after all.

The change that people seem the most upset about takes place during the titular battle itself. In the original story Guts' sword breaks while fighting General Boscon, and he falls off his horse. Right as Boscon is about to kill him, somebody throws Guts a new sword, which he uses to decapitate both Boscon and his horse. After the battle the camera pans up to the mysterious figure on the cliff, to reveal that it was Zodd that threw Guts the new sword. This event has been part of massive fan speculation throughout the rest of the manga, as to the motives that Zodd had for throwing Guts the sword. Personally I think that Zodd was just doing this because he knew that Guts had to be kept alive for the eclipse to happen, and was doing it at the behest of the Godhand. While this scene being cut didn't change the plot of this movie all that much, I just don't see the need for the change. Unlike the cutting of Griffiths killing the queen, this really didn't save much time in the movie, since the scene they replaced it with (Guts throwing a flag at Boscon to distract him, then killing him with his own sword) took up about the same amount of time as if they had kept it the original way.

Finally the change that I was the most displeased with. Two of the Guts/Casca scenes were cut. The first was when the two of them are in the woods together, and Casca tells Guts about her past, how she was sexually assaulted and how she came to join the Band of the Hawk. The second was after the hundred man kill, when Guts and Casca are sitting on top of the hill looking over the Hawks camp, while she is treating his wounds, where he tells her about how the camp looked like a bonfire of dreams. These were two of my favorite scenes from the Golden Age arc, with the bonfire of dreams being one of the most significant in the entire manga. They also cut out a bit during the hundred man fight when Casca begins to realize that Guts is wounding himself to protect her.

I would also be remiss not to mention the two cameos by major manga characters that will be introduced later in the story. The first is during the victory we feast, as Guts is looking around he see's some members of the Holy See, accompanied by Farnese and Serpico. The second is after Guts departs from the Hawks, he walks by a caravan, and inside you see Puck hovering in a cage, who opens his eyes and looks up when he senses Guts walking past.

In conclusion I'll put my thoughts into a pro and con list.

Pros:

Great visuals.

Lots of character development between the main three.

Casca is useful.

Awesome story.

Compelling soundtrack.

Solid voice acting (in both the Japanese and English dubs).

Hits a lot of emotions.

Sets the stage perfectly for the Eclipse.

Cons:

Some major scenes were cut.

Not a lot of character development for the rest of Hawks besides Guts, Griffith, and Casca.

I'll be editing my review of the actual DVD itself once it's released.

Vast improvement over the first film. The CGI is cleaned up, and visually the movie is just much better. The voice acting for both the English and Japanese dubs are strong, as well as the soundtrack. My one pet peeve is that there is a lot left out from the original manga. The story of Griffith killing the queen is entirely passed over. All in all it's a great addition to the franchise and sets things up nicely for the eclipse.

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I watched this with English subs as soon as it hit the internet and now I'm looking forward to the blueray with Eng dub. Berserk is and probably always will be my favorite Anime. I don't care for the CGI in these movies but they are still very well made films. Showing my support and set up the pre-order.

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They kind of hardcore blow through nearly half the series with limited character development. I can imagine this would seem too fast paced for people who are watching this for the first time.

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Continuing on from the events of the first movie Berserk wastes no time in continuing the battles of the band of the hawk. It's clear this second part was intended to be watched straight after the events of the first film.

The second film is a huge improvement from the rushed first attempt. It manages to successfully implement CGI scenes more smoothly and adds important characterisation for Casca, which is more than welcome. The main important scenes are present and correct, albeit some are cut or edited slightly. If you are unfamiliar with the manga or the series then this film will still be an absorbing and epic watch that you will certainly enjoy. If you aren't the latter and a former series or manga reader then you may be a bit bugged by the omission of what I'm sure the director viewed as unimportant scenes. However, it is understandable considering the movies have strict time restraints.

The film itself is still a mixture of CGI and 2d animation styles. The 2d scenes are absolutely gorgeous and the backgrounds stunning. Berserk was always a artistic manga and seeing Miura's characters in high definition is a real treat. The soundtrack should also get a mention as it provides a suitabley epic feel to the battles. The opening theme is haunting and does a great job in hyping the viewer up for the events to come. It's difficult to criticize this films production values, aside from the occasionaly distracting CGI. However, if I have one complaint it is that Gut's character is not as well developed so far in these films. Unfortunately, the same can be said for Griffith. This does disappoint me as one of Berserks greatest strengths is its fantasic character development. Guts is more than just a brute protector of the band of the hawks; he is a loyal friend and is someone who would give his all for Casca or Griffith if they were in danger. As for Griffith, there is evidence throughout the two films that he is power hungry and will go to any lengths to get control of what he wants, but this is much clearer in the manga and series. For example, in the manga Griffith is poisoned by the nobles and after surviving their assassination attempt shows exactly what he is capable of against those who hurt him: he burns the queen and a group of nobles alive. This scene shouldn't have been omitted, in my opinion, but the omission does not prevent the audience from understanding Griffith and that is Studio 4 C' main goal during this film. On the flip side, this film is far more true to the mangas graphic material and there is no censoring in regards to violence or sexual content. The film ends on a major cliffhanger that will have viewers on the edge of their seat waiting for the third movie but believe me, the wait will be worth it.

In short, this film is much superior to the first one and things are looking extremely positive for the third part: the descent. It has a great soundtrack, epic battles and more emphasis on Casca and Guts character development. For long time fans this will be an enjoyable adaption and for newcomers it represents a great introduction into one of the greatest mangas ever made, and one of the best arcs ever: The Golden Egg arc. Highly recommended.

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Patriot Games (1992)

This is one of my all-time favorite political thrillers. This film successfully, and even brilliantly brings Tom Clancy's novel "Patriot Games" to the screen in an effective manner that is a delight to watch. The direction and acting are excellent. The musical score is superb, and this is one of those movies in which the soundtrack almost comes to dominate one's impression of the movie. This is not to take away from a bravo performance by Harrison Ford, who effectively pulls off his Jack Ryan character. I originally had my doubts about Ford as Jack Ryan, but Ford succeeds excellently.

The direction of this film is particularly good. The artistic direction, effectively combined with the haunting, wistful, musical score make this film unforgettable, and several cuts above the usual political thriller. This is a thoughtful, intelligent film but nevertheless contains plenty of fast-paced action. The plot moves smartly, but never features action just for the sake of action.

This is a film that most viewers will enjoy many times.

For sheer excitement on the edge of your not-so-easy chair, there's nothing like a good Jack Ryan story, and I think this is the best of them. The plot involves one of the most obsessed bad guys you'll ever see, a fanatically militant member of an IRA splinter group whose attack on the British royal family is thwarted almost unconsciously by Ryan, who is visiting England as a tourist/lecturer. Now ex-CIA, Ryan's family is nearby, and family is central in this tale of the cold-blooded world of international espionage and terrorism. The family angle is one that keeps the story so chilling throughout, as the terrorist's brother is shot to death by Ryan as he ruins their try on the royals, and our star villain then sets out to stalk Ryan and his wife and daughter.

The film moves at an almost perfect pace, and unveils to us some modern aspects of this shadowy world. For instance, even Ryan, played with understated perfection by Harrison Ford, is creeped out by his participation in a nighttime strike on a desert camp believed to be IRA training ground. In this scene he and several other jacket-and-tie types watch soldiers take out this nest of vipers a half-world away, thanks to infrared and satellite technology, all while detached voices calmly note "Target neutralized" and spies dressed like businessmen smile and nod while whispering to one another in thorough detachment from the blood and guts of the operation. All this technology and we are not removed from the days of the rich people perching on hills near the battles of Civil War days, sipping tea while viewing the entertainment.

I cannot give less than five stars to a film that draws me in so completely as this one, making me feel the tension with such clarity and indeed making it so easy to actually hate the villain. Yet the film strikes sour notes with the drunken Richard Harris's half-hearted performance as an IRA bigwig, and with the cliched ending moment of an otherwise superb boat chase at the film's climax. Two distracting moments would mean a score of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, or, in Amazon terms, 4-1/2 stars. These being minor, a full five stars is quite reasonable. Nearly a perfect action film; even the understated music score is just so right that it can't be imagined being done any other way.

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I agree that this Blu-ray could have been done a lot better but it is a definite improvement from the SD version. If you are a fan of this movie and HD this is the best you are going to get for at least a while so you have to take it or leave it. I don't regret buying it. I don't know what some of these other reviews are talking about with flashes of light, etc. I have two different players and a 60" and 40" screen and I didn't see any of that on either of them.

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In typical studio fashion, Paramount has transfered this exact same master that was temporarily released on HD DVD early this year which was a mixed bag and not what these films, the fans of the films, or high def owners deserve.

I really enjoy the first 3 Jack Ryan films, the 4th not so much because of Ben Affleck and because it's just too out of sync with the previous trilogy. The first 3 are classic political thrillers that do a great job of bringing Tom Clancy's books to the big screen. His vision and Jack Ryan character are for the most part, executed very well on these films. Many have their preferences as the stronger and better of the bunch but I like Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger individually for their own qualities and suspenseful action.

I've seen all of the Jack Ryan's on HD DVD, and sure enough, the Blu Ray's are exactly the same. Which is too bad because Paramount didn't do a very good job remastering them and they just don't look nearly as good as they should in hi def. I suspect that many Blu Ray owners will be pretty disappointed with the lack of visual pop that they're hoping for. Each of the Jack Ryan's looks better than the one before it which is typical as newer films upgrade easier to high def. And at least they all look better than their standard def counterparts. The problem is, is that most hi def owners have seen older films than these look better than these. Which brings us to wonder, what went wrong here? Granted, these films are a difficult upgrade as most of the scenes take place inside a submarine, house, office, or outside on overcast days, making it more difficult to provide that 3D pop we're looking for. But there are specks and dirt in the transfers and while I didn't find them in abundance or distracting, I do feel it's inexcusable at this point in the Hi Def's life cycle, especially for these movies. There's no reason for them not to be squeaky clean by now, even if they're going to look a little flat. But they are the best transfers available and the best we'll see until they provide us a proper remastering. But one is due.

The audio, well this is finally where these discs pop. And I mean POP!!! We're given some truly thunderous transfers here in Dolby TrueHD. These films sounded good to begin with on standard dvd (especially October) but these new transfers are just incredible. They easily trounce the old ones. The scores, sound effects, gun shots and explosions are absolutely thrilling. This is all moot if you don't have a proper surround system to decode and dish out the TrueHD tracks though. If thats the case, then you may want to consider keeping your standard discs if you have them because the audio is the clear selling point for the upgrade.

Despite my dissatisfaction with the flimsy visual upgrades, I'm still satisfied with these discs. I'd recommend them for any Blu Ray (and home theater) owner looking for a worthy upgrade for their favorite Tom Clancy films. Again, I stress you'll be much more impressed by the HD audio here rather than the passable but not demo worthy HD video. I give this set a 4 out of five because even though difficult, I believe if they really wanted to, Paramount could've and should've given these films a better makeover than they got. The powerful audio will help ease the disappointment with the video. Overall, I still recommend them.

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Though I really like the movie, this might be the worst looking blu-ray movie I've seen, and I own about 50. There is all kinds of light colored pixelization in the darker parts of the film that pulsates and distracts. I tried to find a feedback system on Paramount's web page, but no such thing seems to exist.

Very disappointing.

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Not Fade Away (Blu-ray +Digital Copy +UltraViolet) (2012)

"Not Fade Away" (2012 release; 112 min.) is the debut feature film from writer-director David "The Sopranos" Chase. The story is very loosely based on Chase's days of growing up in New Jersey in the early 1960s, with Douglas (played by John Magaro) standing in for Chase. The movie starts with a retelling of the infamous meeting between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on a train in the early 60s, and not long thereafter we see the Stones appear on TV and Douglas and his friends want to start a band "like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles". The voice over is from Douglas' sister, informing us she is going to tell "the story of this band nobody has ever heard off". There are many side stories and characters in the movie, none more so than Douglas' dad, played by James "Tony Soprano" Gandolfini, which in my opinion was very risky: how can you see this man play yet another Italian patriach with an anger problem and not think Tony Soprano?

But in the end the story line is secondary to the music and the time capsule of the 60s that you find in every frame of this movie. The movie soundtrack was supervised by Steven Van Zandt, yes, that Steven Van Zandt, and he does an incredible job not only compiling a ton of great 60s music (and thankfully not always the same ol' same ol' standards), but the band Douglas and his friends are putting together do some nice tunes as well. This movie is eye-candy from start to finish, I couldn't stop marveling at the incredible amount of details that went into framing this movie visually. Chase's writing is pretty crisp throughout the movie. At one point the band is close to signing and their would-be manager tells them that for the next 6 months they should play 7 days a week, 2 sets a night, at every and any possible bar in New York. One of the guys in the band protests and says "we can't do that, our music is art, it would demystify our music for our fans". To which the would-be manager answers: "Music is a business. The Beatles played for 2 years in Hamburg, Germany in strip joints." End of discussion, ha!

It is clear that this movie is a labor of love for David Chase, and at that it succeeds entirely. While the story line is lacking a major dramatic undercurrent, there is plenty enough other things that kept my interest in the movie from start to finish. In the end, it is all about the music in this movie, so if you are not really into music (or 60s music to be precize), save yourself the trouble. But if you are, like me, a huge music fan, this movie will pretty much delight from start to finish. For those interested, the movie's soundtrack is available separately and brings a great collection of 26 songs from that era.

I saw this film on the big screen last year at the Philadelphia Film Festival and was looking forward to seeing it on home video and to see what bonus features would be added. There's so much music both played by the actors as characters in the film, and as snippets of licensed music from the 1962-68 time period, that I sometimes lost track of the story while concentrating on the great music selected, by the way, by Executive Producer Steven Van Zandt (of the E Street Band). (When I saw in the theater I kept asking myself what the licensing fees must have been to release this film.)

As you will learn from the Bonus features on the Blu-ray (no bonuses on the standard DVD) this film was germinating in the mind of writer/director David Chase from the moment his HBO series "The Sopranos" ended. It took a while for him to say what he wanted. Not to give any "spoilers" (but I think you will find it helpful), Chase chose ACTORS , not musicians, to play the roles of members of the band (rather than choosing musicians and teaching them to act), and gave them four weeks of full-day music lessons before even starting the shoot.

The cast is basically unknowns except for James Gandolfini . I found I could relate to the actors who I had no previous image of, then I could Gandolfini, who still looks and sounds like Tony Soprano.

Chase chose to set the film in the years between 1962 and 1968, a time frame that had more changes in pop music styles (and fashion too!) than at any other time in music history. Anyone who was at least eight years old in 1962 will easily relate to this film.

As I noted above there are bonuses on the BD version. First comes a three-part "Making of" doc titled "The Basement Tapes". The running time is 33 minutes and gives a good feeling for why Chase chose to make it. The next bonus is called "Building The Band" but it really adds nothing in its three-minute length that wasn't covered in the Basement Tapes featurette (and some of the interviews are repeated). Lastly there are four "deleted scenes" (actually only part of the scenes shown were deleted) which has a total time of about five minutes.

If you saw this in the theaters and liked it, it's worth re-watching on disc. If you collect rock records of the 1960s and you haven't seen the film I think you'll enjoy it. I did!

I hope that you found this review both informative and helpful.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

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I really enjoyed this film. Loved how the events of the time didn't overshadow the main character's focus on his dream: becoming a rock star. Fantastic performances from the lead (I felt like I knew Douglas in high school -he was that guy who was suddenly cool because he was on stage) and surely all the supporting characters. Another amazing performance by James Gandolfini, who is perfect in this role. His wife, played by Molly Price, is so spot-on bitter and harsh, it's hard to believe she was acting.

Loved it.

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Some movies I just watch for the entertainment. This movie is one I decided to buy after I saw it. If you did not grow up in the sixties (ages 13-19)you may not capture the essense of the movie. Not only in New Jersey but all over America there was a boom of bands forming in garages, basements, and so on. I don't critique the acting or the actors, I see the movie for what it is. Telling the history of an outcoming of a generation of hopefuls. Remember the Sir Douglas Quintet? Well they formed in the southside of San Antonio, Texas where Doug Sahm was from (yes he spoke spanish). My older brother played sax on a band (the Rocking Dukes) never made it big, but they practiced and played in neighborhood bars, small clubs. The American music fiber spread from this era, and it still exists to this day.

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I had high, very high, expectations for this movie, depicting the rise and fall of a Rolling Stones-influenced garage band from New Jersey. David Chase are I are both Jersey kids; are more-or-less the same age (he is 67; I am 63) and had some of the same experiences. I sat down to watch this flick, expecting to be pulled through an earlier part of my life.

The beginning of the film set the stage in a fabulous manner, with the imagined meeting of Mick and Keith on a train heading to school. (As a side note: when in the world will someone film a similar event of Lennon and McCartney?) A voice-over by the sister of the stories protagonist informs us that while almost everyone knows how that story goes; a similar one involving her brother Doug is known to virtually no one. The very obvious implication here is that her brother's band was not a success.

With that thought in mind we are allowed to observe the life of the band for the rest of its existence. Through this part of the film, we have the archetypical age band story. We watch the members fumble with their instruments, aping what they see and hear of their heroes. Gradually, competency occurs, amidst personal changes. Finally, the band stabilizes with five members who are capable of performing live and being appreciated by others. Conflict remains in the form of a battle for the lead singer role, and while a truce holds for a while, the loser is eventually forced from the band. Unfortunately, this isn't the end of the band's problems. Two members separately sow the seeds that eventually lead to the demise of the band. One member won't do shows outside the local area, citing loyalty to friends. The other a marvelous example of gutless backstabbing paints everything as a plot to parry his cowardice and continuously poisons his bandmates with accusation and innuendo. This reaches a climax when the band cannot agree to move to New York City as part of "paying its dues."

With the band in disarray, our hero elects to decamp to California with his girlfriend. When last we see of his bandmates, they are standing outside the same pizza place where they have stood all their lives and likely always will.

California is, of course, a disaster as the only reason to go lies in an attempt to escape reality (a dying father in a modestly dysfunctional family and the collapse of his dream with the band) and to follow his girlfriend. Sun and surf do not provide the solution either artistically or emotionally. Mistrust real and imagined leads to his wandering the streets of LA, seeking a ride to who knows where. The trek halts briefly outside a music store, where our hero, after viewing the instruments, has a smile come to his face. In the background, music can now be heard. The song is `Roadrunner,' though not the song of that name by Junior Walker & the All Stars, not an earlier sone by Bo Diddley. Instead it is the paean to the open road and the redemptive quality of rock `n' roll written by Jonathan Richman in 1972. But, to skew time and space even more, it's the Sex Pistols version from 1977. So, with music of the future behind him, Doug starts walking again, though this time it seems to be with a purpose. We are left alone in the middle of the street briefly, until his sister appears in the frame. She tells a story about a term paper she wrote about the United States providing two things: nuclear war and rock `n' roll; with the question being, which one will win. She begins to walk away, stops to look over her shoulder at us, smiles and then begins to dance.

Clearly, this isn't `That Thing You Do.' Neither is it `Almost Famous;' nor `Light of Day,' to name three films while not having necessarily happy endings, at least had resolutions of sorts. When it first ended, I thought as I had several times during the film that it was another of those pointless films that seem jump into a story and out of it with no apparent conclusion. But, as time passed my view of the film has changed and probably will continue to do so.

Still, let me start with a weakness in the film about which I don't think my views will change. There's a lot going on in this film as relates to the characters. I believe that Mr. Chase a creature of television, where multiple episodes and seasons allow for leisurely character development presented us with complex characters but no roadmap to understanding them. I think having to decide what you thought were characters' motivations became so burdensome, it made thinking about the moving as a whole harder to do.

At the same time, I feel this film is an incredibly accurate portrayal of the 1960s culture and the cataclysmic effects music had on that generation of kids. It also exposed the overwhelming truth that most of what one thinks and says and does takes place in a swirl of incomplete and distracting information. It's not like `That Thing You Do,' where the families are happy or non-existent. People get sick, people lose jobs; your friends let you and/or you let them down. In short s*** happens and life goes on. In the end, I guess, we all have to learn that to paraphrase John Lennon life is what happens while you're planning other things. In the end, it is a movie more about life than it is about music. However, for many of us Mr. Chase included the two are intertwined.

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Grand Prix (2011)

I saw this movie when it was first released in Honolulu at the Cinerama theatre in the true Cinerama format. I remember nearly falling out of my seat as the astounding race sequences played out before me. This is a truly organic race film, there are real drivers of the F1 era mixed in with the mostly European cast, though James Garner and Eva Marie Saint break the cross Atlantic barrier. This film is a wonderful technical masterpiece. It even has some fine dramatic moments in between the melodrama. Some might say this is the film's greatest short coming. That is true, but also where it really mirrors the emotional high that F1 has always worn on it's sleeve. F1 is a soap opera that is played out across the world, where the wealthiest mingle, though not too closely, with the proletariat for a few hours of high rev mania. Many of the courses in the film are still in existance, but they have been smoothed out and plundered of passion. Often the races held these days resemble a parade, but once in a while things go terribly wrong and a race ensues. And it is in capturing those glorious moments that the film really soars. You will feel the ripping of the air as a car tears through the streets of Monaco, and be stunned by the speed and savagery of a huge racetrack like The Spa in Belgium or the amazing high banked corners at the old track in Monza, Italy. The camera work is a virtuoso masterpiece of technical achievement. Many of the shots that we take for granted today on our live TV races were the brain children of the camera men who worked on the film. This film is the one all of that work we see on modern TV broadcast racing strives to emulate. You are in the race, in the cockpit, in the mind and the heart of the greatest racers in the world. And for those who know the history of the sport, the real greats of the sport in that era are on hand. Jack Brabaham. Graham Hill. Jim Hill. Bruce McLaren. Richi Ginther. Many of the great names that are featured in this film did not survive the harshness of the sport and succumbed to death because of failure of both man and machine. This film is a treasure. It may be out dated. It may be melodramatic. It may also be the greatest racing film ever, but some debate that the much more restrained, almost catatonic Steve McQueen film, Le Mans is the superior. I see them as equals, representative of the two types of mind sets in racing. The passionate, fiery visrtuoso who crashes as much as he wins, and the technician, the cool headed pro, who always finishes, and manages to win more than a few in the process. Which is better? You see these movies and figure it out for yourselves. I have.

"Grand Prix" is the finest racing movie ever produced. The story involves the pursuit of the Formula 1 World Championship by four men: Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand), an aging former champion who grows weary from the acute physical demands of the sport and team politics; Nino Barlini (Antonio Sabato), a brash, fearless young lion; Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford), a man broken in body yet driven to match the legacy of his deceased brother; and Pete Aron (James Garner), a stoic, pragmatic American fighting to restore a faltering career. The Ferrari Team Manager comments during the film, "Everyone wants to win...there is no distinction in that." What distinguishes these four men from others is the sheer force of will each exhibits to overcome his personal demons and to achieve his final destiny.

The drama unfolds amidst many of the great racing circuits of Europe...the narrow, twisting streets of Monte Carlo; the rain-slickened expanse of Spa; and the tortuous, high, concrete banks of Monza. John Frankenheimer's inventive split-screen imaging and on-board cameras put you inside the cockpit where you sense the raw power and road-pounding vibrations from these sleek racing machines. You are at once deafened by the high-pitched whine of superbly tuned engines as they roar off the starting grid...and then mesmerized by Maurice Jarre's soft, eloquent musical score set to compelling visual images of cars rising, falling, and turning through the racing circuit in a ballet of speed, grace, and beauty. I agree with an earlier review that DVD would materially enhance the appeal of this production and I sincerely hope DVD will be forthcoming. Regardless, "Grand Prix" will forever serve as the quintessential racing movie.

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Although racing films in general have never enjoyed overwhelming commercial success Grand Prix stands alone as the best racing film of all time!

The storyline isn't brilliant by any means and there are a few `unexplained' bloopers such as Jean Pierre Sarte's mysterious helmet change from one race to the next which was due to John Surtees leaving the Ferrari team at mid-season and signing with Cooper for a bit before eventually signing with Honda but if you're a diehard Formula 1 fan this film is a true blessing.

I already own the Laser disc and still own one of the original programs that were sold at the movie theaters and I have been waiting for this film to come out on DVD for ages, simply in the hopes of viewing the treasure-trove of behind-the-scenes footage.

Although the film did not receive the critical success many felt it deserved the historic importance of this film should not be underestimated because it's the only clear color film footage available anywhere in the world where you can see; Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Jimmy Clark, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Richie Ginther, Jochen Rindt, Bruce McLaren, Maurice Trintignant, Mike Parkes, Joakim Bonnier, Lorenzon Bandini, Chris Amon, Guy Ligier and even the great Juan Manuel Fangio together on the big screen and in their crowning glory. Be sure to watch closely during the Spa Francorchamps drivers meeting when Jochen Rindt playfully reaches out and trips Graham Hill (aka `Bob Turner') as he's trying to step past Rindt.

For fans and students of cinematography the camera angles and the technology invented to achieve many of those angles are a testament to the ground-breaking achievements that underscore the unique and visionary genius of John Frankenheimer. And of course there's a wonderful cast of outstanding actors including the great Toshiro Mifune, Brian Bedford, Yves Montand, Antonio Sabato, and of course, James Garner who was inspired by his role in the film and went on to enjoy moderate success as an amateur racer.

Grand Prix is a must have for every motorsports fan and required study for any cinematography student who someday dreams of shooting a film with cars of any type, let alone racing!

Read Best Reviews of Grand Prix (2011) Here

John Frankenheimer broke new ground when he filmed "Grand Prix", putting cameras on single-seater cars and thus creating some of the most amazing footage ever shot of cars from that era. The movie is on the light side as far as the story development goes, and while James Garner is very convincing as an American grand prix ace, one has a harder time buying this sort of act from Yves Montand who plays the aging Ferrari driver. Eva Marie Saint is cast as a magazine journalist following the grand prix circus around Europe, trying to get a story a storyline that was recently successfully resurrected in "Driven". Her lovestory with Montand is not exactly hot, but the highly dramatic race action in Monte Carlo, Spa, and Monza (they still used the famous banking of the autodromo in those days!)more than makes up for that. The film features cameo appearances of some of the era's greatest drivers like Graham Hill. Letter-boxed on a larger screen is the only decent way to completely enjoy the breath-taking cinematography of this classic.

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I have high hopes for the quality of this new release, and greatly look forward to seeing Grand Prix again. It was a reserved-seat movie back in 1966, and in those days epic movies took their spectacle seriously. (Grand Prix is spectacular in a different way than Spartacus, which in turn is different from Lawrence, etc.)

Back in 1966, or '56 or '46, when actors drove cars in movies, even race cars, they were invariably back-projected. Seemed fakey then, though now it doesn't bother me. But Grand Prix was maybe the first movie to eschew back projection for actor-driving-car scenes. In GP, the 70mm camera that pans and tilts, is literally bolted on the cars. The scenery flying by is real. The actual actor, e.g., Garner or Ives Montand, is out in the weather driving his race car and driving pretty fast, and you're out there with him, two feet away. What a movie.

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Ray (Blu-ray + DVD) (2004)

This is a very good movie that houses an exceptionally great performance by Jamie Fox as music legend Ray Charles. I must confess that as a genre, the biopic is not my favorite, especially of figures as well known as Ray Charles. We usually receive in such films distorted portraits of them, or undeserved adulation. RAY is one of the more balanced biopics I have seen. Ray Charles is presented as a musical genius who had managed to overcome physical disabilities that would have stopped most others, but it doesn't attempt to mute the serious and unflattering personal moral problems he had with drugs and his exploitative treatment of women. Nor is he revealed as a moral saint or loving person. Though pleasant with others for the most part, Ray is shown as a proud, independent, and slightly self-absorbed, a bit selfish in his treatment of women. As a result, Ray Charles emerges in the film as a believable human being, capable of unfortunate decisions, but also extraordinary music and the occasional powerful moral stand, such as when he refuses to perform in a racially segregated crowd in a venue in Georgia. In fact, the film is built around three foci: his early childhood when he witnessed the death of his younger brother and gradually lost his sight; his musical career from 1948 until the mid-1960s; and his heroin addiction. The film ends with his overcoming his heroin addiction, which also-as numerous music critics have noted--corresponds to the end of the peak of his career as a creative musical performer. Charles continued to make albums after getting off heroin, but all of the great songs that we associate with him were written and recorded while on heroin. For the last forty years of his career, his sets consisted almost entirely of songs he made famous in the fifties and early sixties, with covers of songs by other musicians. There has been a long debate as to whether his addiction somehow aided his musical creativity, but even if so, no one would have wished him to continue to endanger his health and life.

Jamie Fox will without any possible doubt receive an Oscar nomination for this performance. This is considerably more than a good impersonation of Charles: it is almost as if Fox channels him. As much as I loved other biopics of music legends like THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY or WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, throughout each I was conscious that Gary Busey was playing Buddy Holly and Angela Bassett playing Tina Turner. I completely forgot that Jamie Fox was playing Ray Charles, and despite being quite familiar with him, imagined that I was actually watching Charles onscreen. Yes, he does a killer impersonation of Charles, but he manages that first on top of that provides an amazing dramatic performance. This is great acting, not merely a great impersonation. The only performance of recent years of an actor portraying a prominent entertainer as superb as this is Robert Downey in CHAPLIN.

I also really loved the look of the film. Since it ended in the mid-1960s, the entire film was essentially a period film. There was a sense of visual veracity from beginning to end. I loved the cars, the clothes (especially the ties! am I alone in thinking that the 1950s was the great decade for neckties?), the interior decors, the furniture. The scenes in the shanty town where Charles was a child were very effective.

The cast aside from Fox was quite strong, made up mainly of relatively unknown performers. There were many other things to enjoy about the film. Of course, the music is absolutely sensational, consisting either of remasters of original Ray Charles's recordings, or new recordings for which Charles provided the vocals. I also loved the relationship in the film between Charles and Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records. There is nothing of the stereotypical relationship between artist and executives that invests so many of the stories of musicians in the 1950s and 1960s. Ertegun is rightfully remembered as one of the truly great figures in the recording industry, someone who was in it more for the music than for the money, and who treated his artists with a degree of respect that was too frequently absent. The film does a good job of presenting Charles's dilemma: ABC-Monument made him an offer that he simply couldn't refuse, yet at the same time we are all aware that Charles was, in a way, screwing Atlantic over by leaving them for ABC-Monument. All in all, I loved this warts and all approach to the subject matter. There is absolutely no question that Ray Charles was one of the most astonishing performers of the fifties and sixties, and doing all he did despite his blindness is an amazing saga. He truly was a genius, even if he was a somewhat flawed person. But you have to love the way that he managed to overcome his personal shortcomings to become not merely one of the most successful but one of the most beloved musical performers of his age.

I went to see Ray in the theaters last night because my sister suggested it and because I was in a mood to see something "critically acclaimed". For the record, I knew very little about the man and so had very few preconceptions. What I saw made a deep impression in my mind and heart.

Ray Robinson, aka Ray Charles the singer, songwriter and musician, was blind since the age of 7. He had to deal not only with bigotry for his disability but for being black in Georgia before the civil rights movement. Throughout his life many people (both black and white) would try to take advantage of the blind man, ripping him off financially or hoarding his talent for their own gain. Ray had both the blessing and the curse of being a ladies' man, resulting in serial affairs while his wife stayed home and raised their family. It surprised me to learn that he fought an addiction to heroin for well over a decade before finally beating it in the `60s. Nevertheless, Ray carried all this baggage and more through the 40s and 50s as he made a name for himself playing piano in the Country, Jazz, etc. pop music circuits. Eventually of course he rose to become one of the most recognized and beloved musical artists worldwide.

The man that this film showed me was an incredible example of determination, charm and simple human spirit. I have heard others say that Jamie Foxx's acting was so good that they were half-convinced he was channeling Ray Charles' ghost. I'll take their word for it that it was an accurate performance, but regardless, it was also a great performance! Down the line each of the supporting actors was perfectly convincing and real, but none more so than Foxx. I will denounce the Academy if he isn't at least nominated for an Oscar.

The least of Ray's imperfections was his physical blindness --yet he had a powerful gift and the ability to reach into the collective soul of a nation. Over his long career as a musician and songwriter, Ray Charles Robinson created and performed some of the most memorable music to audiences across the country. Your color, age and creed doesn't matter; chances are, you've heard and loved at least one Ray Charles song in your lifetime. We'll never have another like him.

-Andrea, aka Merribelle.

Buy Ray (Blu-ray + DVD) (2004) Now

Does anyone suspect that Helen Keller edited this film?

Shame on the director for allowing the ruination of this great masterpiece in the extended form!

GREAT FILM RUINEDBY BY BAD EDITING.

Here is what others are saying: "The big disappointment for me was buying the Limited Edition version with the extended edition of the movie. 25 minutes of additional footage has been added back in for the extended version. Like someone posted earlier, When viewing the "extended" version my player had to pause every time it went to a "deleted scene." It had to pause again when it went back to the theatrical version. I have other disks in my collection which have extended versions with deleted scenes cut into the film that were done seamlessly.

Not only was there a pause when switching between versions, but many times there was a shift in color cast and certain chapters (18 & 19 for me)of the movie became unwatchable and just froze up. For 30 Bucks I found this to be disgraceful and I will ask Best Buy for either another copy or just get the standard edition..

You have the option to watch either the original version or this extended version. The image quality, color and clarity vary a bit as it cuts between the theatrical version and the deleted scenes. Clearly, this wasn't recut and retimed for this "extended" version. The difference between the finished film and the added scenes are quite noticeable and jarring. A flawed masterpiece, Ray would have been a better film if the 25 minutes of additional footage had been integrated into this DVD in a better fashion than it is. No justice for the consumer, and none for the artists of the film and artist portrayed in the film."

(NOTE TO UNIVERSAL:If you can't do it right,then don't do it at all.)

I know a lot of people had problems with the extended version of the DVD, but it warns you that it might not play well on certain DVD players.

Might not?

How'bout ANY player? And the two second delay seems HUGE, . . . stop action . . . wait then it jumps sometimes forward and sometimes backward UNTIMED!

This is not a review, but more of a rant on my part as a DVD Collector of 1,260+ DVD's. Please view this as an individual opinion on Universal, not on the content of the Film, Ray.

Read Best Reviews of Ray (Blu-ray + DVD) (2004) Here

I like "Ray." The music is strong, using Ray Charles' own tracks for both background and performance shots. The storyline is complex, flashing back to Charles' youth as he reflected on the loss of his eyesight and the death of his brother.

From his days as a child in a poor rural community, through his early days as an unknown musician struggling to get a fair deal, to his mid-career with management problems, affairs, hits, and drugs, and then, finally, as a one of our national heroes, we see Ray Charles in full color.

We learn how he manipulated women, cheated on his wife, became addicted to heroin, found his sound, got his name, and learned to work aggressively as his own musician. He deals with racism at first by avoiding it, and then quickly, takes a harsh stand, shaming the bigots and segregationists. Now, in a state where he was once banned from playing, his work, "Georgia on My Mind" is now the state song.

Biopics of celebrities are difficult to describe because of the chronology required to produce the movies. People don't live out plots written by screenwriters, but lives that have events that do not always make sense. Ray Charles' life didn't always make sense, but he lived it.

We have two views of Ray Charles. One is as a fighter, working hard against adversity to become the musician we now know. The other is as a womanizing addict who used his charm, position and trust of his wife to diminish all that was good about him. He eventually beats the drugs, holds onto his marriage, but these failures brought down my respect of him.

Jamie Foxx never impressed me before this. I found his comedy more off-color than I prefer, and expected that his version of Ray Charles would be mediocre. I heard the hype that his performance was Oscar-worthy, and watched the movie with the eyes of a skeptic. Now, I am impressed.

Jamie Foxx has a new fan. I hope he gets roles that allow him to shine like he does in "Ray."

The DVD for "Ray" adds to the movie. Normally, a DVD brings little extra that is interesting, but watching Jamie Foxx and Ray Charles interact was touching, as was hearing Foxx describe his experience in learning the role. We learn Foxx not only can play piano, but is trained at a high level. Those are his hands on the keys, and not movie magic. He respected Charles and the difficulty of playing an icon, and earned Charles' respect in the process.

Anthony Trendl

editor, HungarianBookstore.com

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I somehow missed this at the movies but I was determined with all the Oscar buzz and hype Jamie Foxx was receiving, that I'd buy it and form my own opinion. I have to give it up for Jamie Foxx, he just didn't play Ray Charles, he practically was Ray Charles. His acting was just absolutely flawless. The supporting cast of Clifton Powell, Regina King, Kelly Washington, Larenz Tate, Bokeem Woodbine, and the newcomer who played his mother (I forgot her name that quick) who's never been in anything outside of a local theatre when discovered, all did a marvelous job as well. I was never a really big Ray Charles fan but I loved the music in the film. However, the big disappointment for me was buying the Limited Edition version with the extended edition of the movie. Like someone posted earlier, When viewing the "extended" version my player had to pause every time it went to a "deleted scene." It had to pause again when it went back to the theatrical version. I have other disks in my collection which have extended versions with deleted scenes cut into the film that were done seamlessly.

Not only was there a pause when switching between versions, but many times there was a shift in color cast and certain chapters (18 & 19 for me)of the movie became unwatchable and just froze up. For 30 Bucks I found this to be disgraceful and I will ask Best Buy for either another copy or just get the standard edition. The special features on Disc 2 were excellent including the uncut performances that were cut short in the original film and the meeting of Foxx and Charles in a studio in 2002 to see if Foxx met Ray's approval (which it obviously did). Foxx is not only a talented actor, but an extremely gifted pianist come to find out. The sky's the limit for this brother and I hope he comes away with the Oscar cuz his performance again was flawless. I'd suggest buying the standard edition just to avoid all the nonsense I had to go through with extended edition. If not for the sorry DVD transfer this would easily been a five star classic. Who knows maybe they'll do like everyone else and come out with another edition with better film transfer. Great Biopic though.

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Big Jake (1971)

This film is one of the better later-day John Wayne films, though strangely violent for a Wayne film. The Duke stars Jacob MacCandles (maybe a reflection of his real life family situation) as a tough man, estranged from his wife and grown sons. Bobby Vinton gives a quickie performance as Wayne's eldest son, shot when (the great) Richard Boone and his band of cutthroats nearly slaughter all on Jacob's ranch in the kidnapping of his grandson (played by Wayne youngest son Ethan). Patrick Wayne, his real son, plays second eldest son and youngest son, Michael, is played by Christopher Mitchum (Robert Mitchum's son!).

In tow are Wayne regulars, Harry Carey (disgusting tobacco chewing baddie), Bruce Cabot as the Indian tracker showing age with Jacob, Glen Corbett as breed the fast gun that faces off against Patrick Wayne in a gun fight, the most natural actor to ever grace the screen, the late Richard Boone, and a lovely appearance by the eternally beautiful Maureen O'Hara, once again playing John's long suffering wife whot loves him, but cannot live with him.

It is super to watch Wayne with Cabot, Carey, Boone and O'Hara, and Jim Davis (later rose to fame once more as Jock Ewing of Dallas) and though the film is intensely violent, I don't see it was gratuitous. The violence came from the end of a very violent era, times were changing, but not fast enough. The violence of the kidnappers had to be there to show Wayne's to-the-wall rescue of his small grandson was called for. Wayne's character was a violent man when the times called for it, but it was just as willing to let things go if ONLY the other person walked away.

He worked well with his sons and Mitchum, and the interaction between Jacob and his two sons provides the Wayne brand humour in the film.

The times were changing for the code of the old west, and in the same way, times were changing for John Wayne....

I give Wayne credit for not pulling punches in a film that does him credit.

"Big Jake" is one of my favorite John Wayne movies, which is not to claim that it is a classic film. This film is directed by George Sherman, who first began doing Westerns back in the late 1930s, although Wayne is known to have directed some scenes as well. In retrospect I would argue that this 1971 film is the first of a trio of film that Wayne made at the end of his career reflecting the passing of the Western. The other two would be Wayne's next film, "The Cowboys," and obviously his final film, "The Shootist." Of that trio "Big Jake" is clearly the most fun and my biggest complaint about this film is that when it is shown on television they almost always have the first commercial break at the absolute worst moment.

The film begins with a raid on the McCandles Ranch where Little Jake McCandles (Ethan Wayne, the Duke's youngest son, named for the character he played in "The Searchers") is kidnapped by a gang of cutthroats led by John Fain (Richard Boone). Fain demands a ransom to be delivered across the border in Mexico. The Texas Rangers are willing to do it, but Martha McCandles (Maureen O'Hara), the boy's grandmother, announces that this is a disagreeable task and needs to be done by a disagreeable man. At this point we cut to an extreme close up of John Wayne peering down the barrel of a rifle. It is a great introduction to Wayne's character in the film and a fitting counterpart to the moment in "Stagecoach" when we first see the Ringo Kid and his Winchester. But television stations keep putting commercials before the cut because the film's opening sequence, in which narrator George Fenneman, who went from being Groucho Marx's announcer and straight man on "You Bet Your Life" to doing the narration for Jack Webb's "Dragnet," introduces us to all of the members of the Fain gang runs on a bit before we have the raid and the decision of what to do next. So Act I runs out for a bit and if there is a good reason to have this movie on DVD or VHS it is because that way you miss this horrendous commercial placement.

"Big Jake" is basically a chase story as the title character goes after his grandson, heading out with the ransom with only his trusted Native American friend Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot) and a dog named "Dog." But there are several others things going on to make the proceedings more interesting. Big Jake did not even know that he had a grandson, and while the boy's father Jeff (Bobby Vinton, the singer) is wounded, his two brothers James (Patrick Wayne, another of the Duke's son) and Michael (Christopher Mitchum, son of Robert Mitchum who co-starred with the Duke in "El Dorado"). Clearly Big Jake has been separated from his family for a while and there are issues, particularly with James, who makes the mistake of calling his father "Daddy."

There is also a whole sub-text about relying on modern technology. While Big Jake heads off with horses the Texas Rangers take off in new fangled motorcars. Of course this is a mistake, but there is a recurring theme of the old ways being best. Michael has a motorcycle and James has a new fangled pistol, but they are able to overcome their reliance on modern technology. If the Old West is disappearing it is not disappearing until the Duke has his last fight.

Then there is the running gag that everybody seems to think Big Jake is dead. When we are treated to that great close up our hero is watching a group of cattlemen get ready to string up a sheep farmer. Big Jake does not want to get involved, not wanting to make a mistake of his youth that almost cost him his life. But then the leader of the lynch mob (Jim Davis) makes the mistake of kicking a boy ("Aw," says Big Jake, "why'd he want to go and do that for?"). There could be trouble but then it is discovered that the big man on the horse is Jacob McCandles, who apparently is not dead. This happens so often that Big Jake swears he will kill the next man who says that and, of course, he does.

Finally, this film has some great dialogue by Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink. This was their first film together (he did "Major Dundee" and "Ice Station Zebra") and after this they created "Dirty Harry" for Clint Eastwood (no wonder the choice lines in this movie are so choice). When James calls Big Jake "Daddy," the Duke knocks his son on his can and announces: "You can call Dad, you can call me Father, you can call me Jacob and you can call me Jake. You can call me a dirty old son-of-a-b***h, but if you EVER call me Daddy again, I'll finish this fight." But my favorite is when Fain first encounters Big Jake (not knowing who he is, of course) and gives a very serious warning. At the climax of the film Big Jake repeats the warning word for word with a grim earnestness that is quite impressive. That is why this is not a great film, but a great movie.

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John Wayne rides high in the saddle once again in "Big Jake", which proves to be one of his better films from the 1970's.

Wayne plays Jacob McCandles, an aging rancher who goes after the group of men who attacked his ranch, killed some of his workers, and kidnapped his grandson. However, "Big Jake" doesn't plan on letting these no-goods get away lightly. He teams up with his sons James and Michael (played by Patrick Wayne and Chris Mitchum, respectively) and an old Indian friend named Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot) to distribute some rugged Western justice. It has been many years since Jake has even seen his family; he doesn't even know about his grandson until his estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara) sends for him. A man also out of his time, Jake is surprised with inventions such as the motor-car that has made horse-riding obsolete, and the automatic pistol Michael carries for protection. Although it is 1909, he still prefers to use a horse and six-shooter, just like the old days. Whether they use "advanced" technology or not, Jake and his pals have a lot of trouble on their hands as they try to catch up with the men who have his grandson while fighting off local robbers who know about the alleged 1,000,000 dollars Jake possesses for his grandson's ransom.

The action scenes are surprising violent (compared to some of Wayne's older films), but they're not extreme to the point of earning "Big Jake" an R-rating. The dialogue, especially between Jake and his sons, is enjoyable and simple. A cast of familiar Western actors only adds to the fun, as familiar faces appear throughout the film. Some of the actors include Harry Carey Jr., John Agar, Jim Davis, and plenty more.

"Big Jake" is a film that John Wayne fans and action fans alike won't want to miss. Unfortunately, there are no special features on the DVD edition.

Read Best Reviews of Big Jake (1971) Here

This is one of the last traditional John Wayne Westerns. He's a little older but he's still tall in the saddle and commands the screen. Estranged legendary patriarch, Big Jake (John Wayne) reunites with his family to recover his grandson, Little Jake. Richard Boone, the leader of the kidnappers turns in a good performance as the personable but menacing villain. Boone and Wayne exchange some of the best cliched dialogue ever put on film. It's pure good old-fashioned Saturday matinee stuff. The film is also highlighted by Elmer Bernstein's best score for a Wayne Western since his "The Comancheros" and "The Sons of Katie Elder." This film also features Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne, Chris Mitchum, Bruce Cabot and Bobby Vinton. This was director George Sherman's last film. There are some great scenes in this film. This is one of my favorite John Wayne Westerns.

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One of John Wayne's better late-career vehicles, "Big Jake" (1971) is an enjoyable turn-of-the-century Western that mixes humor and gunplay in equal measure. The cinematic icon remains tall in the saddle as Texas rancher Jacob McCandles taking on villainous Richard Boone and anyone else responsible for the kidnapping of his grandson. Veteran director George Sherman keeps the action moving at a relaxed pace. However, the climactic shootout is bloodier than expected for a Wayne Western. In a disappointingly small role, Maureen O'Hara appears with the Duke for the last time as McCandles' estranged wife.

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Crazy on the Outside (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2010)

i wasn't sure if this film would be any good hadn't heard of it before but it was REALLY great fun! very enjoyable. many funny moments. very cute!

I'll call this 'The Little Movie That Could', as in make my family laugh uncontrollably. I think the funniest part of this film is Tim Allen's relationship with his 'off the wall' and hilarious sister, Sigourney Weaver. The two of them had us in stitches from the minute she picks him up from prison and takes him back to her house to put him on a sort of familial display.

The 'tall tales' she's spun compulsively while her brother was away in "France" trip them both up constantly (she actually cannot control herself!). This is what she starts out lying to their family members with and these hilarious lies never cease, they just get more and more absurd. She has his life all fashioned out everywhere and in every possible situation to 'save face' for him, accounting for the years being in prison. He has no idea ahead of time what excuse or reason she has concocted as he walks into these impossible scenarios right and left. It's all ludicrous and wildly funny.

Allen underplays all the overtly comical moments in this film. He seems to let all the rest of the cast shine and they do as the cheap shots are abounding. I hadn't even heard of this movie being released to theaters, let alone for a new rental on Amazon. I just wonder where this one was hiding out. You get what you pay for with this one and that's one funny time with a movie. We all loved it in our family.

There is an ensemble cast in this movie also. It was unexpected but extremely fun to view along with a witty script backing all these actors. Each and everyone shows up in their roles for good measure. A new go to movie that you will not regret if you appreciate the comedy of Tim Allen or are just beginning to.

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i love this movie it real funny i think every one should watch it trust me you wont go wrong

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This movie captured my attention. Very good plot and I wasn't offended by political correctness and unnecessary sexual content. Tim Allen showed he is still very funny. The cast was exceptional. The movie starts out sort of slow but builds up and I was absorbed toward the end.

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I expected more from Tim Allen. At least from the movies I've seen, he has put out some classic comedy. In this case, the movie has all the right stuff, but just doesn't come off that well.

The cast was great with Sigorney Weaver and Jeanne Tripplehorn, but every step was predictable. I was not surprised once. I don't mind that at all, but at least there should have been funnier gags to go along with it. In this case, it was at best mildly amusing. It didn't really have an "at worst," which in this case isn't really a compliment.

I can say I've wasted time on far worse movies.

If you are into very mild rom-coms, I'd recommend it. If you are expecting more, I'd look elsewhere.

The Young Victoria (2009)

I thoroughly enjoyed this film! Emily Blunt gave a stunning performance as Victoria, but Rupert Friend totally steals the show as Albert, in many ways a much more challenging role, I think. Albert was a complex, private person and his relationship with Victoria is all the more interesting, because while he dutifully pursued marriage with Victoria as his destined "career", he did not expect to fall in love or to be loved in their marriage. Friend does a marvelous job of portraying a very reserved, rational man suprised by his own powerful feelings, and of showing Albert's very dry but keen sense of humor. Many biographers/historians have suggested that Albert did not love Victoria as she did him, but I think this has much more to do with Albert's reserved, Germanic public persona than any historical reality, as is amply demonstrated in his letters and Victoria's journals. Friend does a marvelous job of revealing an Albert who loved Victoria deeply and was willing to make great sacrifices for her, but who also had the strength to stand up to her strong will and fiery temper, and not be pushed around. Both actors obviously did their homework on Victoria and Albert and I think very much captured the essence of their personalities. I also very much enjoyed Jim Broadbent and Harriet Walter's marvelous, feisty performances as King William and Queen Adelaide.

One aspect of the film I found a bit jarring was the portrayal of Victoria's relationship with King Leopold and Baron Stockmar as being rather distant and hostile. While Victoria was quite determined to live her own life and not be a pawn in their (or anyone else's) political schemes, she actually had a very affectionate relationship with her uncle Leopold both before and after her marriage, and Stockmar was a lifelong friend and confidant of both Victoria and Albert and helped them through many of their early marital difficulties. Their manipulative attitude toward Albert and their obsessive focus on grooming him for marriage to Victoria was historically accurate, and Rupert Friend's portrayal of the young Albert's attitude toward their "training" is one of the funniest parts of the film.

I highly recommend Stanley Weintraub's biographies of both Victoria and Albert for those wanting the real historical background for the film. Sarah Ferguson's book Victoria and Albert: Life at Osborne House is also a well-researched and beautifully illustrated book about their marriage and family life.

There is a bit of minor chronological rearrangement to cram about 5 years of historical material into less than 2 hours, for which I think Julian Fellowes can be easily forgiven, and some slight embellishment of real events for dramatic effect (eg Prince Albert did attempt to shield Victoria in the assassination attempt but was not actually shot, Albert was not present at Victoria's coronation) but I didn't find it detracted from the story. Much of the script is actually verbatim historical record (King William's drunken outburst at the banquet, Conroy's attempt to force Victoria to sign an order making him Regent) and Fellowes included these bits unaltered, to his credit--they are fabulously dramatic, just as they are.

Costuming is gorgeous and well-researched, the film is a visual treat. A real must-see!

Movie critics seem to brush over the section of movie goers that can't get enough of well done period dramas. The week before I saw YV I watched Avatar. Now, the critics love Avatar--new visual feats, jump scenes, apparent sex and vilification of the political right. What the critics hate is a beautiful well made film with monogamous relationships, real violence and a hero that actual existed. I suppose critics love the imaginative and spur the real, an interesting commentary on our society and its relationship to the beautiful.

This is the best period drama since the 6 hour Pride and Prejudice.

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The delightfully dallying Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, treats us to a beautifully costumed glimpse of the political and power machinations that go on no matter the era behind the palace door in her production of "Young Victoria" directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes.

Flamboyant Ferguson, once married to Prince Andrew of the UK, knows firsthand just how much of an outsider someone married to a royal can be even in his/her own household. Obviously intrigued by her subject matter as illustrated with the elaborate attention to detail, Ferguson uses the outsider theme in her recounting of the story of Victoria Regina (1819-1901) and VR's ascent to the throne of England at eighteen years old in 1837 but also explores `what could have been' for herself and her modern day prince if they had not allowed the politics and manner plays of the realm interfere with their life together.

Living as a virtual prisoner in the home of her mother, the Duchess of Kent and the Duchess's lover/adviser Sir John Conroy, Victoria endures a restrictive childhood with no companionship of her own age; her dog, Dash, albeit an adorable King Charles spaniel does little to promote her experience of the outside world or prepare her for her coming role as queen. Thought of as a pawn to be controlled by either an appointed regent, a husband, or trusted adviser, Victoria must remain focused; understand her weaknesses and work towards a strong independence that will aid her in taking her place as one of Great Britain's greatest monarchs. The film transports the young princess from captivity to competence and sees her growth from unsure and stubborn ingénue to more-in-control young queen, wife and mother.

Ferguson's concept succeeds admirably; "The Young Victoria" is a first rate film in the genre of Masterpiece Theatre, replete with the lush backdrops of the royal British lifestyle (exquisite gardens, Buckingham Palace, and castles, Arundel and Belvoir ) and beautifully recreated 19th century costumes. However, most compelling for this reviewer and her fellow very vocal older audience members was the film's ability to convey the advance and balance of the developing romance between this queen and her consort from the viewpoint of Victoria as unsure insider and Albert as the German prince who most certainly was at first a guest within his own home. What Ferguson did not get right in her own life, she more than adequately conveys here.

Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada (Full Screen Edition), Warrior Queen) plays the young repressed princess with a believable uncertain precision--her role as Victoria contrasts remarkably with the acerbic over anxious assistant to Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wore Prada." Wonderful to look at, Rupert Friend (Cheri, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont) gives Albert, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, male model sexiness that had many of the audience's older women cooing at his earnest smiles and endearing dimples. However, he is not just a pretty face; his ability to personify a steel core within a pleasant persona admirably depicts the dilemma his character faced throughout his twenty years as Victoria's husband.

Secondary players Miranda Richardson as Victoria's mother and Mark Strong as the Snidely Whiplash villain, Conroy, smolder with insecurity and the wrath that ensues when one's orders are not followed to the letter. Almost unrecognizable--a tribute to his chameleonic ability to become any character--is Paul Bettany (Wimbledon, A Beautiful Mind) as Lord Melbourne, the ambitious and politically minded PM.

The combination of worthy players and intriguing plotline keeps the hour and 45 minute playing time a moving feast of period drama, political power and sweet romance that will wow any lover of the Masterpiece Theatre genre. Despite some historical inaccuracies (Albert never took a bullet for Victoria although there were multiple assassination attempts on her life), the interplay between the two leads cannot fail to charm.

Bottom Line? Sarah Ferguson along with Martin Scorsese produces and arrestingly lovely film depicting the first years of Queen Victoria's long reign as monarch of Great Britain. Telling the parallel stories of her romance with her first cousin, the German Prince Albert and her maturation with regard to court politics and her role as the empire's figurehead, "The Young Victoria" provides an intriguing entertainment for the Masterpiece Theatre set who cannot get enough of costumes, elaborate sets and the mannered sensibilities that act as decoy for machinations that do not change with any age. The audience that I viewed the film with commented enthusiastically about the production afterward, repeatedly exclaiming that it was one of the `best films' they had seen in years. Recommended.

Diana Faillace Von Behren

"reneofc"

Read Best Reviews of The Young Victoria (2009) Here

As others have mentioned, the costumes and scenery alone are worth watching the movie for. The acting is wonderful, Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are passionate and emotive.

The problem stems from messy, unresolved plot holes. A lot of relationships are left undeveloped, and as a result I found it hard to emotionally connect to any minor characters enough to care about their plot threads. When you have such an amazing ensemble cast (Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, etc.) not making the most of them seems almost shocking. Their parts came and went without much ado.

I would have liked to see a bit more development in the romance between Victoria and Albert; the film did a great job showing their correspondence and how excited each was when receiving a letter from the other, but failed to include more than one or two little moments together before expecting the audience to believe in their grounded love for one another.

The driving conflict seems to be Victoria finding her footing despite ill advice, youth, and inexperience; her and Albert's common desire to help the disenfranchised is a great strength, but is never mentioned again after Victoria and Albert are married. They are never seen to do the work that seemingly brought them together.

With just a few little moments added, a few strings tied, a few characters given proper send-offs, it COULD have been utterly moving...but I suspect many of the scenes that would have made this film great rather than good are hiding on the cutting room floor. I can only hope for a Director's Cut at some point!

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From the exceptional costuming to the beautiful cinematography, `Young Victoria' is a triumph...a gem of a film that shines thru all the surrounding noise: when I put this DVD in to watch (released earlier in the UK), I was very impressed with the quality of the entire program! Emily Blunt is stellar as Victoria and Rupert Friend as Albert, as well as great performances from the whole supporting cast: one of my only `issues' with this film is that it was just too short: I was hoping for 3 hours & got about half that: other than that, I was so very well pleased with this film!

Content: Young Victoria had very little that was objectionable in content: there was a sensual bedroom scene (not graphic) between a husband & wife, there was a little violence (a man shoots someone), a little language, and some adult themes, but overall, this was a clean film. I would say it is reasonably family-friendly, but that parents should view it before-hand, to decide if it is acceptable for younger children.

I really enjoyed Young Victoria: from the costumes, to the scenery, to the acting, to the locations, it was just a beautiful film all round: a neat, concise telling of Queen Victoria's ascension & early years of rule, with a huge focus on her relationship & marriage to Albert...a true delight of a film!

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Run for Cover (1955)

Jimmy Cagney starred in three Westerns during his long acting career---OKLAHOMA KID, TRIBUTE TO A BAD MAN, and RUN FOR COVER. Of these RUN FOR COVER is his best outing as a cowboy. This handsomely-produced, Nicholas Ray-directed film also stars John Derek, with a solid cast of recognizable Western "regulars." The film is shot in spectacular Technicolor, with a solid and tight plot, fine acting, and great production values.

Olive Films has been releasing quality issues of a number of classic 1950s Westerns licensed from Paramount Pictures. In this series are DENVER & RIO GRANDE, SILVER CITY, THE JAYHAWKERS, PONY EXPRESS, THE HANGMAN, and THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY, all of which repay re-viewing. Let's hope Olive will continue this series with such fine films as WARPATH (also with O'Brien, and directed by Bryon Haskin) and FLAMING FEATHER (with Sterling Hayden), and other other films with Charlton Heston, Alan Ladd and John Payne.

In the meantime, this film is highly recommended--it's first class Western entertainment. Thanks Olive!

Olive films Blue Ray of the 1955 Paramount film in Technicolor and Vistavision is an eye popper. Tightly written with contributions by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank who have had a hand in some of the best adapted screenplays ever written. I'm talking about THE LONG HOT SUMMER, THE SOUND AND THE FURY, HUD, HOMBRE THE REIVERS,NORMA RAE, MURPHY'S ROMANCE and THE COWBOYS. The director is something of a legend himself. Nicholas Ray who made this gem between JOHNNY GUITAR & REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Cagney gets more than able support from Viveca Lindfors, John Derek & Ernest Borgnine. The tale of an ex-con (cagney) who almost get lynched and ends up sheriff over his former tormentors is riveting. Along with the Tashlin-Lewis Olive releases I purchased recently I now feel secure that there is an alternative for classic film lovers who don't want to be reduced to MOD-R.

Buy Run for Cover (1955) Now

This is just a simple story western!! It is most enjoyable and Mr.Cagney is fabulous as always!! He is a bit more

restrained in this one but its always a joy to watch this Guy!! He was truely one of Our Nations Great Artists!! If U

enjoy Westerns..U will enjoy this as well!! Good Back Up cast of excellent Actors make this work!! ENJOY!!!

Read Best Reviews of Run for Cover (1955) Here

After a long hiatus from doing western films, James Cagney made this film in New Mexico. The film is gorgeous especially on blu-ray. The story is about a mature gunfighter that comes to small ranch and is looking to settle down after having a troubled past. He is confronted by a boneheaded youngman who is played by a young John Derek. He spends the rest of the film trying to save the kid from himself. This is good saddle drama.

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Interesting to see Cagney play a good guy, and the relationship with Lindfors is nicely developed. The same is not as true with Derek's character; it's all too obvious that he and Cagney have to wind up as the antagonists, and the redemption at the end is a little abrupt. TRIBUTE TO A BAD MAN is the better Cagney Western.

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Jansons Conducts Beethoven & Strauss (2013)

This concert, very well recorded by the ever-reliable Brian Large team in 2011, can be considered a considerable success. The actual recording offers high quality visuals with crisp imaging, true colours and sympathetic camera work that provides detailed close-ups as appropriate combined with more distant views. The sound is also of high quality and is offered in DTS 5.0 and stereo options. The lack of a separate sub-woofer channel seems strange given the sonic nature of the Strauss but in reality there is no lack of bass definition or range.

Mitsuko Uchida has an enviable reputation as a Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert pianist so it is no surprise to find that her performance of Beethoven's third piano concerto is deeply rewarding. The largo is delivered with a concentration that leaves the first two concertos far behind and clearly leads forward to the last two concertos. The outer movements are crisply articulated at a comfortable speed that allows all detail to register properly. This is a very good performance and will come as no surprise to those who know her recordings of the Mozart concertos on CD.

Ein Heldenleben is a large work in every sense and one which makes considerable demands on both the conductor and the orchestra. There have been many notable performances on CD from many conductors and orchestras of repute, not least that by Reiner and the Chicago orchestra in the early days of stereo and now available in SACD form. Karajan's recordings were also of considerable stature. However, Jansons too has become associated with fine performances of this work of late and this performances as delivered by the Bavarian orchestra does not disappoint. Sonically it leaves the competition miles behind and the orchestra, with extra brass and woodwind to lessen the load on individual players, rise splendidly to the task. The extended solo violin part as played by the leader of the orchestra, Anton Barachovsky, deserves a very special mention as being of a particularly sensitive and elevated quality. Not surprisingly. he is singled out for particular applause by the conductor and the packed and enthusiastic audience at the end.

Jansons' interpretation follows fairly traditional lines with tempi chosen and detail brought out in line with any of the most satisfying performances on CD. It is quite clear that this is an interpretation that is well-known by the orchestra who have no difficulty in understanding and delivering his interpretive vision. Once again, this is a deeply satisfying performance made especially enjoyable by the excellence of the recording.

I would therefore suggest that this disc is likely to be a front runner among audio-video choices for a considerable amount of time to come. It is of a quality that may even encourage some long-term collectors to replace their treasured CDs with this new one which can also be enjoyed purely as sound of course. New collectors may wish to consider this as a potential 'only' version and, as such, they will not be disappointed.

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Big Trouble in Little China (2009)

...People back in 1986 did not understand Big Trouble In Little China. It's the kind of film you either "get" or you "don't get"...They were ahead of their time. Big Trouble In Little China is no different. Basically a Hong Kong action picture with stabs at humor, magic, mysticism and a touch of romance, "Big Trouble" clashed with the heroic heroes of the time... and instead gave us a lead character who's big on talk but usually not good at much else. Kurt Russell's Jack Burton is the type of character with an over-evolved sense of ego that never seems to match his less than perfect grasp of how to deal with real situations. The other difference here is that Jack is not the real hero, it's really Wang Chi(Dennis Dun), who shows us all the great Kung Fu moves and sword fighting styles... Jack Burton is more of the sidekick who thinks he's the head honcho but never seems to do anything right and when he does do something right it's usually because of blind luck. But that's the kind of character Carpenter wanted and he knew Russell would be the best person for the job because he's not afraid to let his hair down and look foolish. Looking tough with smeared lipstick on his face, rolling backwards in a wheelchair screaming or shooting his gun straight up causing small rocks to fall down, knocking him unconscious. No ego is involved with Kurt Russell...

The DVD transfer looks wonderful (widescreen 2.35:1) and even comes with DTS sound which you've got to listen to to believe. As for the special features, the biggest gem on this 2DVD Set is the Audio Commentary by John Carpenter & Kurt Russell. These two have done commentaries before and hinted at doing one for "Big Trouble" during the commentary they did for The Thing (1982). I love listening to these guys! It's just so much fun, it's like being in the room with them and you're just being quiet and listening. Their comments tend to take off from "Big Trouble" and aim more towards where their careers have been, where they're going and how their children are doing in regards to sports and music. Carpenter laments that his son, Cody, can play the keyboard better than he can now and Russell talks about his son, Wyatt winning a hockey championship and how he'd rather see a twenty-something do action films instead of people like himself who are in their fifties (this is him saying this, not me). There's a lot of respect between the two and some hinting that they might work together again soon...I wrote a review about Escape From New York and how I felt it was Carpenter's and Russell's best collaboration out of the five films they've done together. Well on this commentary, Kurt Russell said that working on Escape From New York was the best experience of his career. It would seem we're in agreement. There's also talk about how the styles of directing has changed over the years and how it seems to be going downhill. You need a director who believes in his vision and sticks by it, otherwise you're in for trouble, Big Trouble. Sadly, no mention whether or not they'll do commentaries for Elvis and Escape From L.A.(the only films they haven't made commentaries for), but I'm sure they'd jump at the chance. These guys are such good friends, you can feel it...Carpenter even said he thought "Captain Ron" was Kurt's best performance! I wish the film was twice as long just so I could hear more from them!

The rest of the features are basic: trailers, TV spots, featurette, music video by the Coup De Villes(love Carpenter's low voice!), interviews, still gallery, magazine articles, production notes, cast & director film lists and some interesting deleted scenes, including an extended version of Jack in the Chinese bordello with an added line about the green-eyed girl that's hysterical...The actual ending, however, is still the same. There are even some trailers to Aliens & The Fly hidden on page 2 of the special features section (just click to the left once you're positioned on the Richard Edlund Interview and press "Enter").

This Special Edition rocks and is second only to the collector's edition DVD of The Thing by Universal Pictures. That DVD included a retrospective documentary with most of the original cast & crew returning for a look back. Ennio Morricone's Score is given it's own isolated track during this documentary as well, so those are the main reasons why The Thing is still the best John Carpenter Special Edition DVD out there, but Big Trouble In Little China is very impressive as well. Some of you may be wondering why they couldn't fit all the special features on Disc 1? Well, normally you could, but DTS Sound takes up a lot of room and this is why they had to split it all into a two disc set. So add this Carpenter masterpiece to your collection. It is truly one of his all time bests!

ADDITIONAL BLU-RAY INFO:

I recently bought this film again on Blu-Ray and just had to comment on how nice an upgrade it is. First, I was really impressed with the new transfer. There's so much more detail now in the picture quality, which, while still not perfect, is a vast improvement over the DVD. Second, all of the special features from the out of print 2 disc Special Edition DVD set are all included on the Blu-Ray, along with a wonderful new feature: an Isolated Score audio track for the complete film in 5.1 DTS. This was the first thing I checked out when first popping in the Blu-Ray and I was just blown away by it. It's exactly like having the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack in your possession, with every complete music cue and sequence included and intact (no edits or cuts at all). There are a couple of dead-air spots, where no music was used, but they are brief and don't detract very much at all from the overall listening experience. So if you're thinking about upgrading this fantastic movie to Blu-Ray, my advice is "Go for it." The price for the Blu-Ray is usually very cheap too. Plus, again, if you don't already have the 2 disc special edition DVD, you'll get all of the special features from it on the Blu-Ray, with the added Isolated Score option as well. Check it out!

Big Trouble In Little China A Cult Classic!

"It's all in the reflexes" Kurt Russell as Jack Burton

Other recommended Kurt Russell/John Carpenter collaborations:

"Elvis: The Movie" DVD (1979)

"Escape From New York" DVD & Blu-Ray (1981)

"The Thing" DVD & Blu-Ray (1982)

"Escape From L.A." DVD & Blu-Ray (1996)

Director John Carpenter teams with Kurt Russell in this wonderfully unique spoof of the martial arts movie genre, and they hit on all cylinders in a film that is incredibly funny, surprisingly well-crafted, and just plain fun.

Russell takes advantage of Gary Goldman and David Weinstein's script to deliver the best comic performance of his career as his swaggering trucker Jack Burton blunders through Chinatown in an attempt to recover his stolen truck and his friend's kidnapped fiancee.

Masterminding the badguys is demon/ghost David Lo Pan, played wryly by James Hong. Hong parodies practically his whole career in this role, and has some priceless lines in so doing. His motive in the kidnapping is to marry a girl with green eyes, which will appease his demon-god and restore his lost vitality.

The plot grows more absurd and hilarious as the movie progresses and Burton and his companion, Wang (Dennis Dun) enlist the aid of local magician Egg Shen (Victor Wong) to thwart Lo Pan. Russell and Dun are perfectly over-the-top in their deliveries, and they provide constant laughs to propel the movie rapidly along to its conclusion.

It is very hard to find someone who doesn't like this movie, and with good reason. The film is so novel and so funny that it can be enjoyed over and over again--a real treasure.

Buy Big Trouble in Little China (2009) Now

The Critics shredded and diced this movie so I really went to the theatre expecting to see one sick puppy. Instead, I was delighted and I continue to be delighted every time I watch this marvelous movies. John Carpenter created an original howl of a time, with tongue firm planted through the cheek and simply went wild with fun and throw away lines, that will keep you coming back again and again. The Critics just did not get the JOKE!! Sigh...fortunately, the public did not agree.

A great cast Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, Kate Burton (Richard's Daughter), Victor Wong and James Hong take several wrong turns and end up in a war kung fu style kidnappings and all sorts "some very unreasonable things". Originally the manuscript for the second Buckaroo Banzai movie, Big Trouble hits bulls eye where BB just missed. It's over kill to the max, but such a great way to go as Jack Burton Russell doing a BAD John Wayne Imitation runs headlong into the magick underbelly of Chinatown. One critic put down Russell's performance as "was so poor, it was like he was doing a poor John Wayne imitation" WELL, DUH???? Earth to LM!!

Russell is taking Dennis Dun to pick up his bride to be, but she is mistakenly snatched. It's up to Russell, Dun, Wong and crew to try and get her back. Instead, they lose Kim Cattral to Hong as well as Burton's Peterbuilt "the Porkchop Express", so old Jack has to get mean.

If you don't want to laugh so hard your ribs hurt, you don't enjoy parodies, you don't enjoy bad John Wayne imitations...fine give it a pass. But everyone else wanting a great time, this is one you should not miss!

Read Best Reviews of Big Trouble in Little China (2009) Here

For non-stop action and entertainment, you can't beat this movie. There is no way any of it could happen in this world, and probably not in the next one, but it's so much fun that we just suspend belief and go along for the ride. And what a ride it is. Our hero, Jack Burton, superbly played by Kurt Russell, and his sidekick, Wang Chi (Dennis Dun), are in a race against time to rescue Wang's girl, a beautiful, green-eyed (huh? ) Chinese immigrant fresh off the plane, who has been kidnapped by the henchmen of a villain named David Lo-Pan, a 2000 year old ghost who must marry a girl with green eyes to restore him to flesh and blood. Along the way, Jack and Wang have to do battle with the Three Storms (thunder, rain and lightning) and a host of nasty bad guys in Lo-Pan's service. By the time Wang's girl is saved from the evil machinations of Lo-Pan, we've been through an incredible roller-coaster ride spiced up with gun-shooting, knife-slinging, things exploding in a ball of green fire, karate chops galore, mid-air swordfighting (yes, these guys actually fly through the air), and a hefty dose of good old black magic. It all adds up to a wild, crazy, hilarious, slambang knockout of a movie experience.

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Another title we've all known about for a while has now been tapped as official: Big Trouble In Little China will hit DVD as a 2-disc Special Edition on May 22nd! Disc 1 will feature the film with a brand-new digitally remastered anamorphic transfer and both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS soundtracks! Also included on Disc 1 will be an Audio Commentary track with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. Disc 2 will be loaded with treats, including: Deleted Scenes, an Alternate Ending, a new Making-of Documentary from DVD producer David Prior(Fight Club), an extensive Stills and Promo Art Gallery, DVD-ROM interactive material, and much MORE. MSRP will be a VERY fair $26.99, and this amazing 2-disc set is already available for pre-order! When we visited Fox last November, we were treated to a sneak of this set and the DVD menus. Trust me, it's going to be nice... and the wait for those of us who are fans of the film will be more than rewarded. Fox is taking charge of DVD... that's for sure. And it's also worth mentioning that on that same day (5/22) they will also be releasing the cool Point Break disc we told you about. It's not a "Special Edition", but will receive nice treatment including a new anamorphic transfer and both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks! A fun film that is sure to be a worthy DVD!

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