The Last Unicorn (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

Just a note to fans of this film that are on the fence about this new edition.

According to Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits:

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The new Blu-ray will offer the film completely uncensored, but it will also include the edited "family friendly" audio track for those who prefer it. Both the censored and uncensored audio tracks will be DTS-MA 5.1. That comes directly from studio sources (and thank you to those sources!), so fans can rest easy.

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Hope this helps.

Although anime is beginning to change people's minds, far too many Westerners still think of animation as a genre only fit for children. The Last Unicorn ought to be high on the viewing list of anyone who believes animation is just for kids--yes, it's a "cartoon," but it's also beautifully animated, with unique and unforgettable characters, and the storyline is as true to the original source material (book by Peter S. Beagle) as any movie adaptation I've ever seen.

In her unchanging, always-spring forest lives a unicorn (voice of Mia Farrow), ageless, wise and innocent, and without regret--unicorns can feel sorrow, but it's not the same thing. One day, when men come into her forest to hunt, she discovers that she is the last of the unicorns. With snatches of help and hints from a dizzy butterfly, she sets out to find the others. On her way she picks up an incompetent magician named Schmendrick (voice of Alan Arkin), a withered woman named Molly Grue (voice of Tammy Grimes), and eventually finds the kingdom of King Haggard (voice of Christopher Lee) and his son Lir (voice of Jeff Bridges). But in the changing, aging world of humans, can the unicorn even keep track of who she is and how the story should end?

The movie version isn't perfect. There are some awkward scenes, including a terrible duet by Mia Farrow and Jeff Bridges which never should have been included, and some scenes contain material such as mild profanity, bare breasts and depictions of death which might not be suitable for children. But there is an earnestness to this film, a magic in the way ideas are expressed, that's all too rare in modern filmmaking. This quality helps many viewers overlook the film's flaws.

So if The Last Unicorn is that good of a movie, why does it only rate two stars? Because the U.S. DVD release is terrible. This is a full-frame release, ***not widescreen***. The DVD has poor cover art and offers zero special features. The actual transfer is grainy and blurry in spots, with no evidence of any kind of restoration work. The soundtrack has a distinctly tinny quality. In fact, the only reason one would purchase this DVD was if one had only a single copy of the film taped off television some 15 years ago and watched over and over until the VHS tape nearly wore out... rather like me, in fact.

Don't purchase this DVD. I wouldn't have done so if I had known what I know now. Instead, look for the 25th Anniversary edition released in 2006 by Lionsgate Entertainment.

Buy The Last Unicorn (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011) Now

Let me start by saying that The Last Unicorn is my favorite movie of all time. I have loved it since I was very, very young. However, I truly wish I had never bought this DVD.

First off, the movie is full screen and not widescreen--this could easily be forgiven if the DVD didn't have numerous other problems. The picture quality is awful and looks as though they ripped the movie from the old VHS master. There are also some scenes where the contrast seems to be up too high. I know that these are not simply issues with the original movie because I have the German release and its picture is flawless (not to mention widescreen) and beautiful. This release also has one of the worst menus I have ever seen. The DVD says it has special features, but I can't find them!

If you're a hardcore Last Unicorn fan, don't buy this DVD. Your old VHS version is just as good.

Read Best Reviews of The Last Unicorn (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011) Here

For those of you not in the know The Last Unicorn is a really nice fantasy movie based on the popular book by Peter Beagle. As the name implies it's about unicorn who found out she is the last of her kind and sets out to uncover the truth behind that. She soon finds out all of the other unicorns have been captured by a mythical creature, and with the help of an inept magician and a surly maiden they seek out to bring the unicorns back from captivity.

The story is among the best in fairy tale fiction. You have a fair number of mystical creatures and learn interesting tidbits about them throughout the film. You also have a romantic aspect between a prince and maiden (which is required for many who love fairy tales), sword slinging action, wondrous magic, singing (we'll get to that later), and comedy all done up by the voice talents of A-list actors like Allen Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine, Edward Scissorhands), Mia Farrow (Rosemary's Baby, Hannah and her Sisters), Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars prequels), Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, Tron movies), Angela Landsbury (Beauty and the Beast, Murder She Wrote), and a slew of other notable talents.

The action scenes are exciting and directing does well with the movement and colors in these scenes. The scenes that involve the romance feel real with characters hitting home the type of emotions a young love can feel. The fun scenes are really fun, but it's more dialog kind of funny. Lots of good one liners come from the script. Not so much in the realm of visual comedy unless you count the scene with the laughing skeleton and maybe one scene with a talking cat. The villain (done by Lee) is pitch perfect in execution as both a bad man and a flawed human being. The voice acting feels just as perfect with maybe an exception to Arkin's Schmendrick, whose lines sometimes feel a little wooden.

The animation is done by the Rankin/Bass team. They are more known for their stop motion holiday specials. However they also have a respectable cartoon portfolio with tv shows like the Thundercats and movies like The Flight of Dragons, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and The Wind and the Willows. The animation is much like their other feature films with the same distinctive look and feel. It actually fits well with this movie. The frame rate isn't on the same rotoscoped level as some Disney classics, but it's not anywhere near as distracting as some Saturday morning cartoons made back then.

Now this being a fairy tale, and much like what Disney made the standard for these types of films, there is a singing interlude in the film. Now this is a duet from actors Jeff Bridges and Mia Farrow, and well... they aren't singers. You can hear the strain from the voices. Originally the plan was to have Katie Irving sing Mia's part, but apparently that never happened in the final theatrical release. If you're a big fan of musical numbers this won't impress you. Now as to the rest of the music like the title theme and about all of the montages have songs from the band America, and they are really good, original songs. I recommend getting the soundtrack if you are a fan of this band.

Now previous video releases of this film had various levels of criticism tied to them for various reasons. The original DVD release was a poor transfer with no special features. The 25th Anniversary Edition had a much better transfer and had extra features, but was an edited version; taking out the occasional PG swear words the film had and even speeding up the film slightly (which made everybody talk in a bit higher pitch). Another bad thing about the 25th Anniversary edition was Beagle didn't get any royalties on the release. Now the Blu-Ray edition coming out should address a number of issues:

1 Peter Beagle himself has been expressing a lot of enthusiasm for this release, but unfortunately he's still not in the loop for royalties. If you want Peter to get a fair share please get your copy at the Conlan Press website. They are also selling Blu-Rays signed by Beagle himself.

2 Beagle announced that both the censored 25th Anniversary version and the original uncensored theatrical version will be on the Blu-Ray. Unfortunately the DVD is really just the 25th Anniversary edition so no it's going to have the same issues.

3 When Beagle saw the Blu-Ray he was blown away with what he saw. Does that mean a true high definition treatment? Sounds like it.

Not a whole lot of definite answers to some pressing questions, but since it's all coming from the man himself I find it encouraging. The Last Unicorn will be presenting in full high definition 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 for both the censored and uncensored English audio. This combo pack will have the following bonus features, some of which are exclusive to this release:

Audio commentary by Peter Beagle and publisher Connor Cochran YES!!! Finally a commentary from Beagle.

The Tail of the Last Unicorn Basically a short retrospective from Beagle.

Making-of The Last Unicorn A brand new documentary on the making of the movie.

Escape the Red Bull Pretty much a kid's game made for DVD.

Schmendrick's Magical Gallery Production stills of the movie. This is a bid expansion from the previous DVD version with more stills than ever before.

Art Contest Gallery Brand new extra. I think this will be entries from the 2010 Last Unicorn art contest. Beagle selected the winners himself.

Original Theatrical Trailer

So far from what I am hearing this is the release to get excited about. It fixes much of the problems the previous releases had and gives us the extras we deserved to get from the get go. If you love fairy tale fantasy you owe it to yourself to see this film. Any current fan of the film should go ahead and consider taking that double or triple dip for this edition.

Want The Last Unicorn (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011) Discount?

It's a shame that Amazon is just mixing in all the VHS, DVD, and blu-ray reviews into one huge pile. There are over 500 reviews now for this title, and the blu-ray has only been out a couple of days. If I was reviewing the film, THE LAST UNICORN, then I would give it a 5/5. But I'm not, there is the entire blu-ray release experience to consider:

PACKAGING: In a word, poor. This is one of the "Security Device Enclosed" blu-rays. Once you get shrink wrap off, you get the adhesive sticker that closes the case on both the top and bottom. After it's opened, you have the magnetic strip across the inside and you also have the flat RFID circuit sticker. Try to remove them and you are in for a huge mess. I even had the help of adhesive remover and it still damaged the case removing them. You're better off just buying a new case if you want ugly security tags removed. A couple of advertising inserts, one pretty cool, the other junk. Nothing else inside except the two disc, one DVD and one Blu-Ray. Both are stamped with beautiful color artwork.

BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: When you put the disc in, you are exposed to several trailer advertisements before you can get to the movie menu. The title menu is locked out if you try to select it with the remote. You can however click 'next' to skip past each trailer. You must hit 'next' on the remote 5 times, each time waiting for the disc to load the new trailer. This should have been a category in the special features section, not force-fed when the disc is inserted.

The disc will also phone-home as soon as you put it in claiming to "Check for Updates".

As the final credits draw to a close you once anticipated a curtain drawing over the theatre screen. On this blu-ray, however, you are unceremoniously dumped onto an FBI WARNING page using bold red text that threatens to lock you in a cage for 5 years and bankrupt your estate if you even think about copying the movie. It's out of place, changes the mood, and shouldn't be at the end of the credits.

The special features are nice. There is a short "making of" documentary that was shot in 1080p. Some of the people interviewed are recorded over the telephone, but this doesn't distract very much. There is another section that resembles more of a "CD-ROM" type experience where you use the remote next buttons to click through the pages. This section reveals the history of the author in quite a bit of depth. I found this section equally interesting. Another section features artwork from a recent contest that is a nice bonus.

THE MOVIE (no spoilers): 5/5 stars. Everything comes together to create a melancholic and nostalgic quest through some truly spectacular artwork. Each frame of this movie was hand drawn on film and then shot with a camera. There are ZERO digital effects in this film. EVERYTHING is done by hand. And it makes a considerable difference. In fact, I don't think you will ever see this type of film made again. This technique is too expensive and time consuming for contemporary film-making and the temptation of digital shortcuts is certainly irresistible to those funding the project. Couple this in with an emotional musical score by "America" and you have something that is truly unique and it will not, cannot, be reproduced again.

The film is often grainy, but I'm ok with this. I prefer as pure a transfer as possible and I sense that purity was a goal in this blu-ray transfer. It looks crisp and sharp. There are imperfections and sudden color shifts occasionally in certain frames, but it is not distracting. The artwork in this film is so powerful that any small blemishes or imperfections are easily overlooked.

SUMMARY: Marketing greed and anti-theft zealously scuff up an otherwise competent blu-ray experience. The bonus features are solid but the real reason you're buying this blu-ray is the movie itself. And it's worth it.

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Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)

Ok before I start, let me clarify something: Unlike the reviewers before me, I have actually SEEN this movie, so my review is not based on the graphic novel of which the movie is based, nor what the movie might be like based on who's behind the making of it. I HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE. Now that thats out the way, onto the good stuff.

I know a lot of Batman, Superman, and Batman/Superman fans were holding their breath on this one. With all classic the DC Comic character movies coming out lately (some of them not as good as others) it was reasonable to assume that "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" the movie could have gone either way. Well good thing for the loyal fan base, this was definitely a hit. I can say I am more then pleased with how this came out, and I have every intention of buying this DVD and watching it again the day it comes home with me.

One thing is abundantly clear when watching this movie: WB Entertainment, and more importantly, DC Comics actually LISTENS to their fans. One of my (and others) biggest fears in this was that we were going to be hearing some sub-par voice acting for the main characters involved, i.e. Superman, Batman, and Lex Luthor. As with past offerings from WB Entertainment ("Superman: Doomsday" for example) we got some weak casting for the voices of Lex and Sups. That alone detracts greatly from the overall enjoyment of the movie. With Public Enemies however, we have the best voices ever cast for the starring 3 roles: Tim Daily as Superman, Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor. For those who could give two flips about these guys, they are the same voices from the popular shows Justice League Unlimited, Batman The Animated Series, and Superman the Animated Series.

On top of superb voice acting, the animation is crisp, sharp and just plain beautiful. Again, faithful to fan feedback, the artists from Justice League Unlimited seem to have had their hands in this project, because the art is pretty much the same (which is by no means a bad thing), and it looks great. Almost straight from the comic.

Speaking of which, as far as the story goes, keep in mind while watching this that its an adaptation to the comic. That being said however, the movie stays remarkably faithful to the story told in the comic. Minus a few altered frames, scenes and situations, its like reading the comic all over again, except with no imagination needed to enjoy it. The story in general is a very good one, highlighting Batman and Superman's friendship and giving you a glimpse into how deep it really goes. Granted, you get more of that in the comic then you do in the movie, but the movie compensates for the lack of inner dialogue with good script writing, full of the humorous exchanges between Sups and Bats and emotional moments and outburst we know and love from our favorite caped heroes.

This is a great movie, and you don't have to have read the comic first in order to enjoy it. Even the review value is moderately high, I can and WILL be watching this again as soon as I can, and some more times after that. This is worth price, grab it and enjoy a motion picture work of art.

Peace

So I watched Superman/Batman:Public Enemies twice in one day after I got it. And I will keep this review short as most of the main points have been hit by the people who reveiewed this already (at least the ones that waited till it came out). So here's my break down and the end will be final comments.

STORY:

It was adpated from Jeph Loeb's first arc on the ongoing comic. Love it or hate it, but it was a very faithful adaptation, streamlining something that was basically a set up for the subsequent arcs as well as Infinite Crisis. It was silly, and balls to the wall, and the only gripe I had was not explaining why the Robot was a better choice than Luthor's missles (Answer, robot was made of Metallo, not the guy, the alloy.) But hey all and all I liked what they did.

Characters (voice and portrayal):

WHOA! Okay I read the comics and almost forgot the laundry list of vilains who come out the cracks for the bounty. Batman and Superman were pitch perfect and their banter was great after seeing them so serious with each other all the time in Justice League and JLU. Tim Daly returning for Superman was great to have, though I'm one of the few that feel George Newburn's performance as the character is just as good. Kevin Conroy and Clancy Brown however are the quintessential Batman and Lex Luthor respectively. Props to getting CCH Pounder to return as Amanda Waller even if the charatcer model looked horrendous. Lastly the supporting charatcers were great. However I wonder why so much fuss was made about LeVar "Reading Geordi LeForge's Rainbow" Burton as Black Lightning when he had one line. Killer Frost was a throwaway villain that had more to say. *Sigh* Wasted talent.

ART AND ANIMATION:

Again based on the source material, the art style took a muscular turn and was fully mimicing Ed McGuiness' style where every male looks like a "Masters of the Uninverse" figure. I personally love his style and always though it would translate well to the screen. I was mostly right. They made Superman look too young, and I think it's because of the eyes. McGuiness does the squinty look better than most, and we see this in Captain Marvel's design, and in the comics Superman has the same look sometimes. That plus the cheekbone line makes him look a bit older. Well probably out of fear of backlash (last time they put lines on his face people said he looked too old, and in "Doomsday" he looked even older)they elft those lines out and he looks too young. Everyone else in my opinion looked fine. Okay Powergirl's eyes bugged me too but I was distracted by something else.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I liked it. It was a great action flick, and didn't need too much character development. It's Superman and Batman, if you don;t know who they are why are you even picking up te movie. It's a buddy flick with wall to wall action. My biggest issue is it felt rushed. At 67 minutes it's like 15 minutes shorter than previous releases and could have really benefitted from them. That said if you like the characters and you like action this is worth it.

AFTERTHOUGHT:

The preview for the next upcoming animated feature, Jusitce League: Crisis on Two Earths was great. Yes I know after Public Enemies going back to new voices will suck but they got some good ones. Mark Harmon makes a pretty good Superman, I'm on the fence for Billy Baldwin as Batman (needs to be grittier), James Woods does an amazingly devious and twisted Owlman, and Gena Torres was great as SuperWoman. Hope you enjoy!

Buy Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) Now

The first DC animated movie to make an impact with me since New Frontier (I love team-ups and big action sequences), Public Enemies features the World's Greatest Heroes joining forces to stop President Lex Luthor.

First off, other than the first Superman serial, Superman and the Mole Men and Superman III, who has been the featured villain in every movie? Luthor of course and while he can be an interesting character, when he's reused as a villain over and over, I grow bored with the character. It's not like Superman doesn't have other villains that can be used in a movie. It's also a shame that they never use any Batman villains when he's teamed with Superman. Yes Joker, Harley Quinn and Ra's al Ghul were villains in team-up episodes of the animated series, but in the team-up episodes (except the one with Ra's) there's always a Superman villain involved and my favoritism of Batman and his Rogue's Gallery aside, the Bat-Villains have always proved more interesting due to their psychology. Granted, I never read the Public Enemies graphic novel or the comics that featured Luthor as the President, its just one of the problems I have with the Superman movies; the overuse of one villain over others and the fact that when Batman`s teamed with the Man of Steel, the impression I'm given is that his villains aren't a big enough threat (sort of why the only villains we ever saw in JL were Superman villains). And why does everyone but Batman and Superman go to Luthor's side? They've battled each other for years and then just because he's the President, they think he's turned over a new leaf. And they automatically attack the two heroes that they've known and worked with for years just because Luthor says so? I find that pretty hard to believe, let alone a man who's had no political background, wins everybody over with pretty speeches of promised change and then gets the presidency (that sounds so familiar doesn't it, if only this movie had been released around late 2007-early 2008). On the other hand, the thrill I get when I see heroes team up was satisfied. Even seeing the other heroes and all the villains was enough to satisfy my tastes. But at 67 minutes (the second shortest movie I own next to Dumbo at 64 minutes), it feels rushed and with all of the action sequences, there's barely enough time to catch my breath.

I'm a little divided on my feelings on the animation. On one hand, everyone looks different than what we've seen in previously, which I like since most of these movies are adaptations of comics with different art styles. We also get many heroes and villains making their animated debut like Power Girl, Major Force, Lady Shiva, Icicle, etc. Though I have two problems with the animation; first off, why is Amanda Waller so fat? I know in JLU she wasn't that skinny but in this she looks as big as a whale. I've never read any of her appearances in the comics so JLU is the only reference I have to go by, but was she a bigger woman in her original appearances? Also why do all the males have six pack abs? I know they work out (Batman especially) but not in any comic I've read have the males been bulging out of their costumes.

A DCAU voice reunion as we get Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Clancy Brown AND CCH Pounder reprising their roles. Heck even Jennifer Hale has a small speaking role as Killer Frost! All still make their characters believable and its always to hear them voicing their iconic characters again. My only problem with the voicing is that, while I know not every character gets to speak, why they go through the trouble of promoting LeVar Burton as Black Lightning (going so far as to feature him in the preview feature on First Flight and getting an interview at The World's Finest) and the guy has one line of dialog! He's featured more than Hawkman and Captain Marvel and those two get much more to say than him (Hawkman's actor doesn't even get credited)!

Read Best Reviews of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) Here

The way I measure a movie's success is by how much I want to watch it again. I watched Watchmen five times in the first month of owning it, on the other hand, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies I've watch twice in the entire time I've owned it.

Lex Luthor is president, and a giant meteor made out of Kryptonite is headed for Earth. While "trying to work with Superman," and I use that very loosely, Lex frames Superman for murder, and declares him and his ally, Batman, public enemies. The reward money Luthor offers has wave after wave of supervillains coming after them, and a few well intentioned superheroes searching for the Dark Knight and Man of Steel. While it all leads to a fairly entertaining climax, it's basically one big slugfest.

Part of what hurt the film from my point of view was the hype made about the voice cast. Sure Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, and Clancy Brown all bring their normal brand of excellence to the voices they played in Superman and Batman the Animated series. But, for instance, I remember they made such a big deal about LeVar Burton playing Black Lightning, and he has ONE LINE in the entire film. Plus a handful of stars playing other bit parts. So, in the end, you have all these heroes and villains, and they have nothing to work with, because it's only a 72 minute film.

I must admit I haven't read the source material, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness, but from the few glimpses I've had, they do make a good attempt to replicate McGuiness' "rippling muscles" art style. And more than likely, the book was a slightly more complex slugfest. But whatever they cut, and I have heard stuff was cut, has left the plot pretty thin.

Extras on the two disk include, "Behind the Scenes of Blackest Night" DC's major summer event focusing on Green Lantern. A short Documentary "A Test of Minds: Superman and Batman," it's fairly informative, especially for those viewers who don't understand the dynamic between the two heroes. And "Dinner with DCU, with Special Guest Kevin Conroy" where most of the team behind the film, and the other DC Animated series, converse over dinner about +10 years in animation. If you're the type of fan that likes to know the behind the scenes stuff, this is one conversation worth overhearing.

Finally, a look at Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, and two episodes from Superman the Animated Series. The Demon Reborn, where Rah's Al Ghul tries to kill Superman, and Knight Time, where Superman impersonates Batman.

It's an okay film, but I say rent it first.

Want Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) Discount?

Superman and Batman are two of my favorites. I watched their animated series, their straight to dvd movies, the comics, and pretty much anything I can get my hands on. So when I watch this movie, I was very entertained, hearing the classic voices from the animated series return, and feeling like a story that could fit into the shows continuity if you let your mind go. The trouble was that I can't help feel that I loved the nostalgia and the memories watching this brought more than the actual movie itself. Sure, it was fun, but a bit uneven, with a little less character development than I had hoped for. While I ordinarly would ding the movie, it didn't really bother me. I'm not sure if it was because the animation and story was entertaining enough to get past the flaws, or because I felt like a kid again watching my cartoon. Either way I liked the movie and will watch it again. I'd only recomend caution when watching this movie, as you may not get the same level of entertainment as I did.

Deep Rising / The Puppet Masters (Double Feature)

Deep Rising (1998)

Watched the Deep Rising Blu-ray recently and it is a LARGE improvement on the previous non-anamorphic DVD. The picture quality I'd rate 7/10, the close-ups had a lot of detail. The movie is filled with dated CGI but I'm always willing to put that aside given the year of production. However, you will be hard pressed to find a more aggressive 5.1 soundtrack mix filled with gunfire, monster sounds, ship and hardware sounds real ear candy and delivered in DTS-MA HD. Recommended.

The Puppet Masters (1994)

The Puppet Masters which for some reason I've never seen before, loosely based on a Robert Heinlein story. Decent 'B' movie starring Donald Sutherland. Many of the outdoor shots seemed flat and dull while the interior shots were solid with more clarity, it had the look of a made-for-TV movie. Special effects were convincing enough to make for an entertaining popcorn flick. The DTS-HD MA 2.0 sound was pretty good although I had Denon set up to use the surround channels and matrixed to 5.1.

Both movies are on a single disc with the correct aspect ratios 2.35:1. If you're a fan it's worth the upgrade and a bargain.

One of my favorite guilty pleasures,Deep Rising, finally comes to Blu-ray. Can't wait. It's a full tilt action ride. Purportedly about a Monstrous Squid rising from the deep, as usual, it's really about the characters populating the film. And what a cast we get in this one. As the captain of a small PT type ship, with a motto of, if the cash is there, we don't care, Treat Williams is fine in the hero (good guy?) role. The mercenary crew who have chartered the ship are led by Wes Studi, and a lovely crew they are. Painted in broad strokes as ultra-violent, ridiculously unredeemable bad boys. I particularly enjoyed Djimon Hounsou, he is always good, but if you haven't seen his performance in Blood Diamond, treat yourself. Their plan is to hijack and rob a luxury liner. But they find it dead in the water, without power, and seemingly empty. They do meet up with a few survivors. Among them the not so pure ship owner, Anthony Heald, and the lovely Famke Janssen, who's back and forth banter with Treat Williams is a workable chemistry. now let the blood and gore fly as Squidy takes the stage. Course the gore is done in the over the top style that renders it non-retch-able. Having to work together to get off the ship, they are of course going down one at a time. Some even get a poetic come-up-tance, Wes Studi's was fun. But with movies of this ilk, what can raise it beyond it's parts is a great side-kick, The Great Kevin J. O'Connor is at his scene stealing best in this one. I think he is given some of the best lines in the movie, and his delivery is always spot on. So if your looking for hi-brow entertainment, with a sensible plot, you didn't read this far, so no worries, But if your into all-out, non-stop mayhem, cartoonish characters, bullets, blood & gore, with dialog consisting mainly of one liners, this is for you. The Blu-ray of Deep Rising at $6.99 is worth it alone. Getting another movie (Puppet Masters) is like an extra prize in your Cracker Jacks.

Buy Deep Rising / The Puppet Masters (Double Feature) Now

If you have never seen these two relatively obscure movies, you have missed quite a treat. Both are outstanding. And now they are together on Blu-ray for a song. As science fiction goes, both are at the top of their game. Actors are great, acting is great, story is great, and the monsters are great. Don't bother looking at reviews and critiques. If you enjoy sci-fi movies, buy the disk and see for yourself. You will be glad you did.

Read Best Reviews of Deep Rising / The Puppet Masters (Double Feature) Here

Both these movies were murdered by the critics of the time but they offer up tight plots, great actors, action and horror all the ingredients for great 'B' horror flicks that hover most of the time around the 'A' level. Treat Williams and Donald Sutherland (Keifer's dad) headline Deep Rising And The Puppet Masters respectively and do a bang up job in both cases. The transfers are great in blu-ray and there's enough action here for a double-feature evening that will curtail your bathroom visits to the intermission between films. Two pros with great supporting casts adding their personal touch to the genres. You'll have a blast!!

Want Deep Rising / The Puppet Masters (Double Feature) Discount?

Both the movies are good. I hadn't seen "Robert A. Henlein's The Puppet Masters" before I bought this DVD, but I was already a big fan of "Deep Rising" because of the action/horror story and excepetionally good cast. The Puppet Masters has a decent cast with Donald Sutherland the most notable. The Puppet Masters plot is of an alien crash and people being taken over is a familiar one, but this one doesn't let you down. The Deep Rising plot is about a group of Mercs that have been hired by an unknown person to rob a Cruise ship out at sea. They hire a captain, played by Treat Williams, with a small fast torpedo style boat to get them out to the ship. Treat's crew includes a mechanic (Benny in The Mummy) and a co-pilot. Once they arrive they find that the chalenge isn't getting the money from any security force, it's staying out of the jaws of a creature. Of the two I enjoyed Deep Rising the most. I felt a better story, directing, and cast.

To me the directing by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy Trilogy [Blu-ray], Van Helsing [Blu-ray], Gi Joe: The Rise of Cobra [Blu-ray], et cetera) on Deep Rising is great and the well known cast alone in Deep Rising gave it a plus. The comedy thrown in on this action/horror is definitely icing on the cake. This Blu-ray version is pretty good. Only two slight complatints I have are technical to the DVD disc itself. On mine the disc icon shows up with the cover and title of the movie Van Gogh. But it does actually have the two advertised movies Deep Rising/ The Puppet Masters on the disc. My only other minor complaint is I had to open the player to get to the other movie after watching either one. It wouldn't let me just go back to the menu where you see both titles in the beginning unless I ejected the disc and reloaded it. Now considering the price, I'm not really complaining to much because the quality of the movies themselves is excellent and they both played without any problem. I highly recommend purchasing this DVD.

CA Luster

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La Grande Illusion (StudioCanal Collection) (1937)

Grand Illusion is sometimes considered as one of the greatest movies ever shot. It was Orson Welles' favorite. Even though many consider that "Rules of the Game" is more important and brillant. The two movies are very different, both incredible. Grand Illusion is easier to catch immediatly while Rules let you think endlessly. In regard of the DVD : BUY IT EYES CLOSED ! The picture is incredible, looks like it was shot yesterday because coming from the original re-found negative film. It has not even one small spot or crack. It is PURE. And it is the original 114 minutes version, not the well-known 105 minutes. The DVD is full of bonus, the best being the filmed introduction by Jean Renoir, and also the audio archive of Von Stroheim. I cannot express how much I love Renoir and this movie and I hope that Rules of the Game will come up in DVD soon in Zone 1 (it exists in France in Zone 2 with a beautiful master, but has no english subtitles). Then the world can contemplate this masterpiece again and again. Buy Grand Illusion and you'll never think of war and humanity the same way again.

The Criterion Collection has been batting 1.000 lately by bringing out splendid DVD versions of such classic films as "The Wages of Fear","The Passion of Joan of Arc" and "The Third Man". Now, with "Grand Illusion", they may have even surpassed themselves.

The transfer is from an original camera negative thought to be lost for decades and it can't be rivalled for image clarity or sound quality (given that this is a 62-year old film). The DVD version of "Grand Illusion" looks as close as we can hope to its original state.

The film itself is a poignant examination of the conflict between class and national identity during World War I. Three French officers an aristocrat (Pierre Fresnay), a rich Jewish banker (Marcel Dalio), and a working-class capitian (Jean Gabin) are captured and imprisoned by a refined, arrogant German officer (von Stroheim). The French and German aristocrats share a deeper cultural and affetionate bond than they do with the men of their respective countries. When the French captives plan an escape, the aristocratic officer risks himself for a nationalism he doesn't believe in. The scenes between Fresnay and von Stroheim, arguably some of the tenderest scenes in the movie, display a ritual of noblesse oblige that seems absurd today (the people in the cinema where I saw it laughed at these men's tender missives to each other). And, indeed, these aristocratic manners are patently absurd in the theater of modern warfare. Pauline Kael has said that this film is "an elegy for a dying class" and that's partially true it's also an examination of how tenuous the bonds of nationalism can be both within countries (as relations between the working-class Gabin and Dalio later prove) and between them (when a German guard hands Gabin a harmonica). And yet, the acting and writing are grounded so much character and detail that you can be very moved by this film without noticing these underlying theme (the audience that laughed at the aforementioned scenes, gave the film a standing ovation at the end).

"Grand Illusion" has been enormously influental you can see traces of it in "Casablanca" (with Dalio, interestingly enough) and "Paths of Glory", for example. Renoir's direction is wonderfully fluid even his minor characters have unique features. Along with "Passion" and "The Third Man", the Criterion version of "Grand Illusion" is one of the finest DVD releases of the year. Let's hope that they now do the same for "The Rules of the Game"

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One of the greatest achievement in film history, this Jean Renoir's masterpiece could be seen only in prints and video made from an inferior duplicate neagtive for over 40 years, as the original film elements was thought to be lost during the German occupation (Goebbels and Hitler hated the film, and banned it in Germany at its original release). If you have seen only these versions, you haven't really seen it yet! The new transfer, made from the newly-discovered original camera negative (i.e., the best film element available) is just stunning. For the viewers familliar with the film, there is an added surprise at the begining, for the credit title sequence is different. The crisp trasnfer allow viewers to appreciate the depth of Renoir's masterful direction, for you can see a lot of details that might be lost in inferior prints: for Renoir, it is not just the protagonists that are important, but the whole atmosphere that surrounds them, including the delicious performance from the supporting cast (the Jean Renoir Stock Company, such as Julien Carrette, Gaston Modot and Jean Daste) which makes this film more than just an anti-war film. The DVD also includes the trailer from the 1958 re-release, featuring Jean Renoir himself passionately telling what this movie is all about: "it is a story of people like you and me, caught in the tragedy called war". Grand Illusion is a story of survival, of people who want to live in their best way possible, within their humain limitation. Limitation, for the people can act only within their social class behaviour and their social role. But Renoir never condems or criticize them; the film embraces even the flaws in their perosnalities. It's a great film, and a must-have DVD.

Read Best Reviews of La Grande Illusion (StudioCanal Collection) (1937) Here

Orson Welles, who was not known for his modesty, said that if a cabinet containing every film ever made caught fire and he only had time to run in and rescue one film, it would be the Grand Illusion (not Citizen Kane, etc). Most people watching this film today might wonder why it warrants such high praise. I say this because many of the themes in this film have been dealt with memorably in other films (the first time I saw the Grand Illusion, for example, I couldn't help thinking that I preferred Stalag 17). As a result, the film appears to be less original than it actually was. Modern audiences are also not used to the movie's themes being dealt with so subtly (no bodies are graphically blown up to show the horrors of war, no lower class characters are unjustly executed, etc). Thus it will not attract as much widespread popular praise as such overblown garbage as Saving Private Ryan (which is a complete and utter failure as an anti-war movie after its opening 10 minute gorefest ends). In contrast, this film has a subtle depth which elevates its effectiveness and will keep the viewer thinking long after it ends.

There are many illusions dealt with in the film. The interaction between the upper class prisoners and the prison camp's commandant (excellently performed by Erich Von Stronheim) illustrates the illusion of civility that exists (or should I say existed) during war (people pretending to be civilized while trying to wipe each other out). It illustrates the illusion of nationalism (except for the war, the officers are kindred spirits). The illusion of class is also well portrayed with the commandant arbitrarily showing less favour to some prisoners because of their last name and for no other reason. Viewers with knowledge of history will also note the irony in its theme of the decline of nobility and the ascendency of democracy given that this film occurs during a war in which lowly soldiers were ruthlessly sacrificed by their "noble" leaders in greater numbers than in any other war.

One thing which makes this film different from most others about war or class is that it portrays the noble officers as worthwhile and positive people, but it treats all of its characters with equal respect. This, of course, further illustrates the illusory nature of class.

For a thought-provoking movie, it is also quite entertaining, filled with humour, suspense and great performances. While I would not go as far as Welles in his praise of The Grand Illusion, it is still very highly recommended.

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Just have to say that this Renoir classic should have been released by Criterion on blu ray. They did a marvelous transfer of the film onto DVD several years ago and I had to get one of my favorite films on blu ray. I have never really liked how Studio Canal treats these classics onto blu ray. I shouldn't be comparing their work to the likes of Criterion, but when Criterion does such a wonderful job with the DVDs, why not allow them to release stellar blu rays of these classics? The Third Man, Ran, and now Grand Illusion get taken out of Criterion's creative hands and placed into lesser hands. The Third Man was originally released by Criterion on one beautiful blu ray but Studio Canal took the rights back and released a so so blu ray that was not as crisp and detailed as the first. So for me it is VERY hard not to think "What if?".

Studio Canal's blu ray of La Grande Illusion is really good looking, but I feel it could look better. I had the awesome pleasure of recently seeing this great masterpiece on the big screen at Dallas' Angelika Theater with a gorgeous print that I had trouble believing this film was made in 1937! Fantastic presentation all around. I feel that print was not used for this blu ray. If you like films looking like video, then this is for you. I want these older films to look like movies with the grain still intact. Looks as if Studio Canal might have used some noise reduction (can't say for sure, just looks it) to remove the fine grain that was intact with the film element. Is it possible to clean these prints too much? I still prefer Criterion's print on DVD over this blu ray.

The picture is not the only problem. The very small subtitles were now a problem. I watched this movie on a 55 inch TV and find myself distracted by taking my eyes off the main picture to read the small subtitles. If an older person watches this on a smaller screen, they will have trouble reading the subs. It is an annoyance to say the least.

The special features are nothing to write home about. I found them rather boring compared to the magnificent movie itself.

I got to hand it to Studio Canal for "trying" to release this film onto blu ray, but it doesn't shine like it should. I just hope Criterion can keep hold of Renoir's classic Rules of the Game. That is one marvelous blu ray in of itself. Studio Canal cannot compete with Criterion when it comes to restorations of the classics. Criterion just have many more years of experience under their belt. And the proof is in their great looking blu rays.

If you have The Grand Illusion on DVD from Criterion, keep it. This great movie deserves better than what is offered here on this blu ray.

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The Edge (2010)

This is a wonderful film that will keep the viewer totally absorbed. Written by the tremendously talented David Mamet (The House of Games, Oleanna), it is beautifully directed by the noted director Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors, Along Came a Spider). The film is a complex, fully fleshed story covering many themes, fully realized by a stellar cast. It also provides the viewer with breathtaking cinematography, as well as a compelling score written by Academy Award winner Jerry Goldsmith (The Omen).

The film focuses an a mild mannered, self-effacing, slightly paranoid billionaire, Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins). A brilliant and well-read man with a penchant for esoteric knowledge, Morse is married to Mickey (Elle MacPherson), a young and beautiful, successful model. On location with her in a remote area of Alaska, she is surrounded by her young, fun loving camera crew, while he is seemingly the odd man out. He is astute enough, however, to sense that there are romantic undercurrents between his wife and her photographer, Robert Green (Alec Baldwin).

When Morse accompanies Robert on what was to be a short excursion into the Alaskan wilderness, looking for a local hunter to pose in the photo shoot, disaster looms ahead, and the test for the survival of the fittest begins. It is here that the superior mind and knowledge of Morse is put to the test, as they find themselves pitted against nature. Morse rises to the occasion, emerging as a natural leader, while his younger, fitter rival, Robert, is often at a loss as to how to cope in their peculiar situation. It is also through the emerging and changing conditions that they face, that their respective characters emerge. It is in the wilderness that they are both unmasked and emerge as their true selves.

This is a film that will keep the viewer enthralled. Anthony Hopkins has never been better as the quietly heroic Morse, and Alec Baldwin is excellent as the craven and duplicitous photographer who has cuckolded him. Elle MacPherson is luminous as the beautiful, young, trophy wife. The rest of the supporting cast, including the giant Kodiac bear, are also terrific. This is a superlative survival story that has something for everyone. Bravo!

The score, photography, direction, screenplay and the marvelous interaction between Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins all deserve high praise. It says much for the power of Baldwin and Hopkin's performances that the magnificent bear, Big Bart, did not steal every scene in which he appeared.

Billionaire intellectual, mildly paranoid Hopkins accompanies his trophy wife played by super model Elle MacPherson to a photo shoot in the Alaskan wilderness. The always faintly menacing Alec Baldwin is a trendy, sophisticated fashion photographer who has more than a passing interest in Ms. MacPherson. Hopkins reluctantly agrees to accompany Baldwin on a search for an elusive native trapper who Baldwin thinks will be an ideal photo subject. The plane goes down (in a jarringly effective scene). Three survive, but on their first night the weakest of their party is horrifyingly mauled and taken away by a giant Kodiak bear. Baldwin and Hopkins must make their way out of the wilderness with the terrifying knowledge that the bear is stalking them. Hopkins is a wonderfully effective survivor and Baldwin shows a toughness and perseverance that belies his sophisticated image. Will the bear triumph? Will they get out alive? Are Baldwin and Hopkins ultimately partners or deadly adversaries?

Thanks to David Mamet, the screenplay has depth and is probably full of deeper meanings that whizzed right by me. Lee Tamahori's fine direction lifted the film from a merely grand adventure saga to an absorbing study of two men and their inner beings. The script or the interactions never bored me. There is one fine scene setup that alone was worth the price of admission to me. Hopkins and Baldwin are peering over a fallen log desperately trying to ascertain the location of the bear. Only their upper faces are showing. Hopkins china blue eyes display enormous depth and intelligence while Baldwin's icy blues convey complete kill or be killed intensity. I think reviewers have been unjust to Ms. MacPherson's contribution. I believe she delivered just what she was supposed to: a beauty who was graceful, charming and perhaps a little shallow.

This film is about as perfect as it can be. The only flaw is a very disappointing DVD with no extras. Hopefully, another edition will come out. Anthony Hopkins is always marvelously articulate about his roles; it would be a treat to hear a few words from him. Outtakes on Big Bart's scenes would be priceless. I advise waiting for new edition before purchasing the DVD, but by all means, rent this one! In spite of its totally unimaginative title, it is one of the great films of the decade.

-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

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The Edge is a very much underrated film that sadly did not get the proper recognition it deserves, for it is an above average multi-layered movie that works very well on many levels, all equally well written and directed.

New Zealander Lee Tamahori, with the excellent Once We Were Warriors to his name,and writer David Mamet manage to make a movie that offers much more than its genre might suggests, both on the drama and thriller levels.

First there is the breathtaking Alaskan wilderness, spaces so vast they are equally inviting and menacing.A Napoleon general, lamenting the disaster that befell the French army once said: 'The vasteness of Russia devours us'. In the Edge you will too get the impression that the beauty of this untamed nature can also devour: break the bodies and souls of our heroes, Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, both offering their most underrated acting best.

Three men are lost in the middle of a wilderness after their plane crash.The hope for an early return/rescue is dashed by the misleading spaces and a huge and determined Kodiak bear.One man, played by Harry Perrineau gets to know first hand about this determination,leaving Hopkins and Baldwin, bewildered, and weary,to try and escape with their lives.

This is when the film really starts. It becomes a journey of incredible hardship that will strip both men of their 'social' selves and replace it with the need to survive that will take them to the 'Edge' of endurance on one hand, and the depths of their own souls on the other. The animosities, tension and grudges that laid hidden between the two men emerge as a powerful and consistent force that mark their relationship from then on.

David Mamet has managed to write the 'Edge' that any human being can face whether lost in an unforgiving wilderness or anywhere else for that matter.It is simply how human beings change,and how social niceties is slowly eroded when the need to survive becomes the single driving force. This is a fine piece of writing!

Of course there is the thriller angle in the film..the bear, the master and primary predator of its environment,chasing two men that have been stripped from all the power and control they once possessed and taken for granted.

The direction and cinematography of these scenes are of top quality.

So if you want to watch gorgeous scenery, be scared of this huge and beautiful animal,or witness the changes incredible circumstances that trigger in men, then the Edge is the film for you eyes and mind, a journey that can easily be revisited in the safety of your own home.

Read Best Reviews of The Edge (2010) Here

As character portraits go, this movie is a tour de force. The plot may be predictable, but the character drawn by Anthony Hopkins is masterful. A likeable, if self-effacing, intellectual in the beginning of the movie, Hopkins finds himself and learns that his true riches reside within himself. We see his bravado grow into genuine confidence as he comes to recognize that his resourcefulness really is unique. Shedding unnecessary layers of his life along the way, Hopkins walks out of the wilderness of Alaska and the wilderness of his self. He emerges as a transformed version of himself, having added wisdom to knowledge and courage to assurance while retaining the basic decency that characterized him from the beginning.

Alex Baldwin's portrait of Robert, the photographer, is equally competent. It is not possible to admire his character, but one must applaud his portrayal.

The supporting roles are at least adequate, and in some cases, more than adequate, but the real standouts are Hopkins, Baldwin, and the wonderful wilderness scenery.

This review would not be complete without naming a favorite scene in the film: near the end, Hopkins disembarks from the rescue helicopter and receives recognition and acknowledgement from two backwoodmen in the form of a subtle nod. Very nice!

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When famed writer David Mamet turns his attention to the fascinating subject of man's nature and his struggle to survive in the wilderness, the likelihood is that a fascinating movie will result. And with this depiction of a small group of men, including a reclusive and introspective fifty-something tycoon (Sir Anthony Hopkins), a shifty and conniving fashion photographer (Alec Baldwin), Mamet sets the stage for a mammoth struggle for the survival of the fittest as he pits the men against both a wily Kodiak bear as well as against each other. The other members of the stranded party is killed by the bear in quick fashion, leaving only Hopkins and Baldwin try to improvise some way to figure out how to get back to civilization and outrun this bear with an appetite for humans.

There are a number of subplots running through the action sequences, and a number of plot twists that serve to illustrate that it isn't necessarily the strongest that survive so much as it is the smartest and most adaptable of the antagonists. Yet this is not merely a testosterone-enriched script, for there are a number of elements in the story that lend themselves to viewing the characters (including the bear) with compassion and understanding of the complex ways in which the way we behave both actively and indirectly influences our chances at surviving.

In the midst of all this action and plot activity remains the singular beauty of the landscape, and in all their travails the characters are consistently outshadowed by the sheer scope of the topography, climate and setting of the great Alaskan wilderness. It is almost as if the director is suggesting we get ourselves sand our petty personal concerns in context and perspective, and seen against the shadow of the great outdoors, their troubles seem much smaller and more manageable indeed. This is a great movie, a film with a great story, interesting dialogue, and a terrific ensemble of actors supporting the thrust of the tale. Enjoy!

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NFL New Orleans Saints: Road to Super Bowl XLIV (Collector's Edition) (2010)

Based on an examination of the back of the box, through the convenient zoom feature, this is what Saints fans have been waiting for: The original Network rebroadcasts of four Saints' games, starting on Disc 1 with the week 13 game victory squeaker against the Washington Redskins.

Ah, but then it really gets good for the Who Dat Nation!

Disc 2: the divisional playoff blowout victory against the Arizona Cardinals. We brought the wood!

Disc 3: the overtime thriller against the tough Minnesota Vikings in the first NFC championship game played at the Superdome. "Pigs have flown! Hell has frozen over!" On to Miami!

Last, and of course not least:

Disc 4: Saints vs. Colts in Superbowl XLIV!!

Coming in at 479 minutes, just under 8 hours of ultimate ecstasy for any member of the Who Dat Nation, this is an essential purchase for any member of the most long-suffering and loyal fan base in the NFL. Better than pinching yourself to see if it's still a dream, we get to watch the Saints snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against the Redskins, steamroll the Cardinals (and Kurt Warner into retirement), watch the Saints gut it out against a gutty, yet error-filled, Vikings team led by Brett Farve, who took a heckuva lot of hits in his annual retirement game du jour. And the piece de resistance: Taking on one of New Orleans' favorite sons, Peyton Manning, in a Super Bowl classic, a game filled with daredevil playcalling and one mistake being one too many for Manning, as the Saints upset the applecart on the way to Peyton being enthroned as the greatest QB of all time, thanks in large part to SB MVP, Saints QB Drew Brees, and the often maligned Saints defense.

Well, don't just sit there watching this screen: order it now!

Every play of the games are on the discs. Every once in a while the time between the plays are edited, not too often though. I thought it could have looked a little better on bluray, but still looks great. Typical money hungry NFL. You need to buy NFL Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans Saints Champions Highlight Video if you want the trophy presentation. Pathetic that they didn't include it on this disc as well. No NFC Champion Ceremony as well.

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If you are a Saints fan then this is for you. It's a chance to relive the unbelievable march to the Superbowl. I highly recommend it to any fan who has waited the long 43 years it has taken to get to where they are now, #1.

Read Best Reviews of NFL New Orleans Saints: Road to Super Bowl XLIV (Collector's Edition) (2010) Here

Being from Europe, we dont know much about the american sports, especially American Football, I just love this Vid. Great Quality in the picture, great footage, and much more detail in HD. I strongly recomend this product. That Saints Defense is great.

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I gave this a four star because I wish more of the fan's celebration would have been shown. I would have gladly paid more if the DVD would have been longer after the Minnesota win and the Super Bowl win to show more of the Who DAT Nation celebration. An extra DVD showing the presentation of the trophy would have been worth the extra money, at least to every Who DAT out there!

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Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

This is one of those simple movies that is so deceptively good, you don't realize how good it is. I have probably unintentionally seen this movie 30 times. Every single time it is on TV, I end up stopping whatever it is I was doing and end up watching it to the end, even though I know who the bad guys are and how it ends.

Murphy is Axel Foley, a Detroit police detective. His boss, Inspector Todd, is portrayed by real life Gilbert Hill, a semi-famous police detective in his own right. "Mad About You" creator and star Paul Riser has a small role as Foley's fellow detective. Todd is always threatening Foley with termination due to his costly methods of crime busting.

When his friend Mikey Tandino (James Russo) arrives from Beverly Hills to Detroit to visit with his childhood friend, Foley, Mikey gets murdered. Foley is hit on the head during the hit on his friend, but is otherwise unscathed.

Because of his relationship with Mikey, a guy with a lengthy record of minor petty thefts, Todd assigns another detective to the murder and orders Foley to stay away. Lacking confidence in the skills of the assigned detective, and determined to get justice for his friend, Foley takes a "vacation" and goes to Beverly Hills to see if there is a connection.

The plot is more than just some laughs and gun fire you truly feel like you are part of Team Foley, investigating the case. Does the murder involve the German Bearer Bonds that Tandino had on him when he was murdered? Is it about U.S. Customs? Is it about cocaine? Is it about expensive art? There are so many different aspects interwoven, a first time viewer is really taken for a ride.

From the get-go, you know who the bad guys are but will they be caught, and why did they kill Mikey? This film, released in 1984, seemed to recognize the unique nature of the 80s and rather than some dated film with neon socks and big hair, it seems to make itself into a time capsule. Foley's hair and clothing are timeless for any decade from the 70s to today, so it's almost like he's a time traveller, laughing at some of the styles, cars, & habits of the rich & famous in the 1980s in California.

The music is also excellent and fits the mood for each scene. The main theme, "Axel F," a techno-type of instrumental, was on Billboard's top 10 for weeks on end and is often heard as a polyphonic ring tone on today's phones. One of Murphy's all-time best second only to his role as "Donkey" in the "Shrek" franchise.

Although his present career may be waning Eddie Murphy will always be remembered for his role as Axel Foley, narcotics detective. Sadly it may also be due to films such as this that the paying public will never see him as a serious actor. Despite these negative aspects Murphys performance in this rip roaring satire on the Beverley Hills lifestyle never fails to raise a smirk and possibly a little envy. To remind those readers who may have forgotten the plot Murphy plays an out of state detective, Alex Foley, who travels to Los Angeles in his leave time, and against his superiors direct orders, to suss out the suspicious death of a close friend. Inevitably he meets up with his dead mates former associates and along the way uncovers a drug smuggling ring. Enough said.

Although Eddie is the star of the show and does a good turn he is unforgettably upstaged in two memorable scenes. The first is with "the banana man" at the hotel, Damon Wayans in a brief but comedic cameo. Thank God he went on to better things. The second is with Bronson Pinchots character Serge, the gallery assistant. For the life of me I couldnt fathom his accent or his gender, but it will never be forgotten. He had so much potential. Oh well. It is also where Judge Rheinhold makes his big supporting actor debut. I always found it amazing how two straight actors like Stephen Elliot & John Ashton managed to keep such straight faces working with such characters as Murphy & Rheinhold. Lisa Eilbacher also gives us a solid performance as does Steven Berkoff as the arch villain. A role he seems to have been typecast in to. The upbeat pumping soundtrack also deserves honourable mention. I never bothered to view the sequels because I knew they would be disappointing, and they were if one believes the reviews. Eddie Murphy may never top the success of BHC but even if he does I will still always remember him for this film. Not a bad first time effort for a 23 year old black comedian.

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Detroit cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is in Beverly Hills for a few days to investigate the murder of an old acquaintance. Axel assumes the suspect is a local tycoon, but no one seems to believe him including the police force, being semi-run by Ronny Cox (in one of his rare good-guy roles).

Axel comes into trouble with the law his first day on the job after getting thrown through a glass window by some thugs. He is arrested, and when released finds himself hounded by a pair of inept police officers around the town for a few days. After outsmarting them (in one of cinema's most delightful moments ever) Axel gets hooked up with an old friend and manages to roam the streets looking for clues which, of course, he finds very easily.

Before this film Eddie Murphy had starred in one film that had launched his name into Hollywood: "48 HRS." But by all reasonable comparisons this is a much, much better film, and it's also much, much funnier, too. What's most refreshing is that it doesn't fall back upon the stereotypes of African-Americans inherent in so many mainstream motion pictures the role of Axel Foley was originally written for Sylvester Stallone (who was actually attached to star early on in pre-production before dropping out of the project) and it's quite clear that Foley was intended as a white character. Although massive rewrites were employed only two weeks before shooting, script flaws can still be spotted the heroine of the story is a white businesswoman, for example, and we expect some sort of sexual tension between them but there is none. We begin to question the very presence of the female lead because in essence it leads nowhere. We can imagine how it might have developed into a love story, but Murphy works against the flow, awkwardly treating her as nothing more than a friend.

These sorts of things sometimes bring out the occasional odd touches in the film ironically they unintentionally set the film apart from other such movies of the genre because it's not typical in any sense. Sure, it has the routine shoot-outs but there is no romance subplot, no pointless racial comparisons (more of which would be seen in the two sequels), etc. The movie greatly benefits from this because it seems so fresh, and far more believable after all, rarely are romances developed in two days. The action genre always seems to end with the hero sending off the crooks to jail, and finally getting a long-awaited kiss from the leading lady. "Beverly Hills Cop," to its credit, manages to avoid this and the result is a far more enjoyable film, even if most of its sequences are far from being 100% realistic.

The film's director, Martin Brest, has a clear handle on the buddy genre and would go on to direct the immensely successful Robert De Niro / Charles Grodin road-buddies-comedy "Midnight Run," one of the most popular (and best) of the genre. Beverly Hills Cop works just as well it's funny when it needs to be, thrilling when it wants to be, and features a stellar lead performance by Murphy in his most unusual role.

Murphy is the driving force behind the film, presenting us with a truly likable character the most likable character he's ever played, as a matter of fact. Axel is unorthodox but a generally good guy Murphy is sometimes typecast into playing roles similar to that of which he played in "48 HRS." (being the loud, obnoxious racist who's got it all together), but here he plays someone we actually want to root for. At one point in the film he manages to get a couple of police officers in trouble with their superior but he takes all the blame, and actually fabricates a lie wherein they were heroes doing their job, despite the fact that they were all actually hanging out at a strip club. Axel is tough, cool, quick-witted, nice, sarcastic, and likable one of cinema's most enduring characters, and proof that African-American cinema heroes don't always have to be loudmouths in order to succeed as characters (pay attention, Chris Rock and Chris Tucker).

The now-famous soundtrack (including 'Axel F' by Harold Faltermeyer) is a great blend of techno-pop and electronic rock the movie's theme is bouncy, rambunctious and fun: a good parallel to Axel himself.

Overall "Beverly Hills Cop" exceeds exceptionally well, even if a great deal of the film's success itself derives from pure accident and chance. I don't think anyone can say that those involved in the production knew exactly what they were doing at the time (DVD supplements include anecdotes about hectic filming and the project almost falling through at one point) -but as luck would have it everything turned out fine. "Beverly Hills Cop" is an immensely enjoyable film, and one of the best examples of the cop-comedy genre executed properly.

Read Best Reviews of Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Here

Starring in arguably his most memorable role, Eddie Murphy lights up the big screen with his 1980's blockbuster hit Beverly Hills Cop. Showcasing the unique comic talents of a young career on the rise, the former Saturday Night Live cast member's smiling humor and charismatic onscreen presence take an adequate screenplay and turn it into a smash film. Appearances by Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot (as the trendy 'Serge') combine with Murphy's antics to make Beverly Hills Cop a hilarious and highly entertaining movie...

Eddie Murphy plays the role of Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit police officer who witnesses the murder of a close friend on the force during a botched drug bust. Linking the murders back to Beverly Hills, Foley takes an extended vacation from his job in Detroit. But rather than relax, he makes his way to Beverly Hills where he plans on conducting his own investigation.

In pursuit of the murderers, Foley uncovers a massive drug smuggling operation run by one of the elite socialites of Beverly Hills. Digging for the truth, the Detroit cop is forced to butt heads with the Beverly Hills police department and confront the drug ring's various henchmen. Despite direct orders from their superior, Beverly Hills cops Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) eventually change from adversaries of Foley (attempting to halt his illegal investigations) to willing participants in his uncovering of the illegal drug ring. In the end, Foley finds the murderer, but will he get his revenge? Will the Beverly Hills police arrest him before he does? You'll have lots of fun finding out...

Complimented by a hit soundtrack which features four smash hits (Glenn Frey's "The Heat Is On," The Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance," Patti LaBelle's "New Attitude," and Harold Faltermeyer's breakthrough hit "Axel F"), the film's action and suspense sequences play out to the backdrop of adrenaline pumping beats and synthetic keyboard sounds. The music itself provides a small glimpse in the musical experimentation of an age that witnessed the convergence of high technology and sound. In a way, Beverly Hills Cop typifies the decade of the 1980s, but it does so without being so overly engrossed in the cultural fads of the day as to be outdated and ridiculous in the eyes of a modern audience. This is one of the core strengths of the film and one of the reasons millions of fans enjoy watching reruns of the movie on cable.

One of the more unique films of the 1980s, Beverly Hills Cop created a new sub-genre of film by splicing the serious action/suspense genre with the comedic personality/comedy genre. As a rare talent, Eddie Murphy is uniquely positioned to pull off the coup, carrying the film on the back of his personal likeability and hilarious brand of comedy. Performances by Judge Reinhold and John Ashton serve to compliment Murphy, and together, the three form a relatable, "average guy" click that audiences feel inclined to root for. As a result, the viewer is never bored, whether being entertained by mere suspense or hilarious comedy. Without a doubt, Beverly Hills Cop is one of the top ten comedies of its decade, and that's why it's a definite must-see movie...

The DVD Report

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"That the film turned out to be coherent is a miracle. That it is successful proves there is a God." -Martin Brest on his own movie.

It's easy to understand his feelings when you consider the endless changes made to Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr's script. They got an Academy Award nomination, but the final product is a million miles away from what they originally conceived.

Axel Foley was originally written for Mickey Rourke, then it was geared around Sylvester Stallone, who significantly rewrote the script further before abandoning the project a couple of weeks before shooting was scheduled to begin. Eddie Murphy was brought on board at the last minute, and the script was re-written yet again to form the movie we know today. Bizarrely, all of the work Stallone did on the script was recycled into his reprehensible 1986 action movie Cobra, which, on top of being nothing at all like Beverly Hills Cop, called itself an adaptation of a novel called Fair Game by Paula Gosling (which it also bore little-to-no resemblance to). Nine years later, that novel was once again made into a movie of the same name starring William Baldwin and Cindy Crawford, which bore no resemblance to Cobra. When I say that Beverly Hills Cop had the biggest hodgepodge of a shooting script ever, you better believe it.

The story could not get any simpler. Young renegade Detroit cop Axel Foley, forever tormenting his no-nonsense boss with his reckless antics, meets up with a childhood pal only for him to be murdered that very night. Axel follows the trail and travels to Beverly Hills in his crappy, banged-up sky-blue Chevy Nova. It's a world away from the streets of Detroit. Even the patrol cops look like soap opera actors. Axel's fast and loose work ethic, barely on the good side of the law, doesn't sit well with the Beverly Hills police department. Detectives Taggart and Rosewood (John Ashton and Judge Reinhold doing a Laurel and Hardy routine) are assigned to keep an eye on Axel as he very quickly discovers the bad guy.

No twists, no surprises, and barely a couple layers deep, it's amazing that a story so superficial is able get 105 minutes of mileage. The film works thanks to Murphy's cheerful, upbeat performance and Martin Brest's ability to keep it light. Beverly Hills Cop would not have worked as a dark thriller. Harold Faltermeyer's iconic score and world-famous Axel F theme tune certainly help the happy-go-lucky nature.

There are certainly shortcomings. Steven Berkoff, as Victor Maitland, is completely unconvincing as the villain. In fact, with the exception of Bennett from Commando, he's probably the least threatening/most campiest villain I've ever seen in a movie. And, as I have mentioned, the story is very straightforward. Taggart and Rosewood do virtually no police work and are just bystanders watching and reacting to Axel's hustles. Apart from one cruise along Rodeo Drive, we never really see or feel the glamor of Beverly Hills to juxtapose it next to the grime of Detroit. There are just too many interior scenes.

But it never fails to entertain and is truly the highlight of Murphy's career. Once, long before he sold out to family audiences, his R-rated movies were huge business, and Beverly Hills Cop showcases his leading man ability at its very best.

The Blu Ray sports a fine 1.78:1 1080p picture with DTS HD-MA sound and a slight amount of old, recycled extras. Unfortunately, it also comes in a cheap, flimsy, easily broken eco-case.

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Safe (2012)

You're a man with no friends left in the world thinking about doing yourself and your enemies a favor and ending your life. Moments before you can carry out your plan, however, you see a young girl in need of your help. Do you go to her aid? If your answer is no, you just shortened this movie by about 98%.

When we first meet Luke Wright (played by Jason Statham), he's won a mixed martial arts bout that the Russian mob "encouraged" him to lose. An easy enough task given the fact that he already had a losing record. After they assault him, he believes the worst is behind him. That proves to be false when he returns home to find members of the same Russian mob have killed his girlfriend (or wife, I'm not entirely sure and the information sources I've checked are silent on the matter). Rather than kill him, he's left as the prime suspect in the homicide and told to leave the mob's territory. On the other side of the world, a ten year-old Chinese student named Mei (played by Catherine Chan in her first feature film) demonstrates an exceptional gift for remembering numbers regardless of length or complexity. When the nature of her gift becomes common knowledge in her hometown, she becomes the ward of a local businessman with consent of her father whose hands are full thanks to her mother's serious illness. The businessman is a member of the Triads, Chinese organized crime for those who are unfamiliar, and intends to use her gift in America in lieu of written or computer files, as both can be seized by law enforcement. In time, they trust her unflinchingly and ask her to remember a very long number and relay it to the Russians who will give her another number to bring back. But when her escorts are shot en route to the Russians, she runs and they chase her. She makes it to the subway where a despondent Luke (Statham) subdues her pursuers and makes himself the one man in New York who the Triads, the Russians, and the NYPD officers on their payroll all want dead.

Now, I like Jason Statham. While I don't own copies of any film in either the Transporter series or the Crank series, I do own DVDs of The Mechanic and Death Race despite the fact that both films received generally negative reviews from the majority of critics. However that might reflect on my credibility, I thought that this was a very entertaining action film.

The film opens with Luke Wright (Jason Statham) as a Jersey ring fighter. While fighting an Internet sensation, Statham was supposed to take a dive. He hit the guy once and put him into a coma to the dismay of the Russian mafia who then kills his family and anyone who talks to Statham. While contemplating suicide, Jason espies a Chinese girl attempting to avoid the same Russian mafia. With nothing to lose, Jason springs into action.

The girl (Catherine Chan) has memorized a safe combination for the Chinese mafia, which the Russians want. In order to save the girl, Statham must battle the Russian mafia, Chinese mafia, and the crooked NYPD who are on the take. Jason has a past that makes him more than qualified to take them on.

The movie has numerous chase scenes, shoot outs, fights, and general tough guy stuff. We get a glimpse of Statham doing some compassionate acting (he actually sheds a tear) and let me say... "It ain't pretty." The heartless cold calculating tough guy is his best role. Jason and the girl have good chemistry, there just wasn't enough of it. Good intensity. Good pace, i.e. decent editing.

PARENTAL GUIDE: F-bombs, no sex or nudity.

Buy Safe (2012) Now

This is a very good film. Very entertaining. And if you are a fan of Jason Statham this movie will not disappoint.

This is an action film. Pure action. So if you're looking for a drama piece, go somewhere else.

It starts with Statham's character witnessing his wife get killed and then being allowed to live by the Russian mob only so they can torment him. He runs into a little girl that has been forced to work for the Chinese mob. He saves her and all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, the cops, the Chinese, and the Russians are all after him and the combination to a safe that the girl holds in her head.

The movie is fast paced and never slows down. Action packed and explosive. Yeah there are a lot of unreal moments in it, but this is a movie after all. However, it is not meant for children. The plot is solid an dI love how he sticks it to everyone that is chasing him in the end.

Watch it. You'll be glad you did.

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As the other reviewers have already noted, its Jason Statham movie time and this time we have one of his most well rounded roles as an ex-cop who gets involved in an incredible story line involving the Russian and Chinese Mafias mixed with infiltrated bad guys in the NY Police department leading all the way to the Mayor played by Chris Sarandon. The performances throughout are outstanding and we even have a memorable cameo by Anson Mount who is brilliant on the AMC series 'HELL ON WHEELS' who has a history with Statham's character. It also marks the film debut of Catherine Chan as Mia, the uber child with the fantastic memory who carries the story along with Statham on her little shoulders. She is so good , she makes it look like she's been doing it since child birth. .The usual chases and shoot outs ensue but Director Boaz Yakin gives each sequence a fresh tone making you think you are seeing them for the first time(if that makes sense). The action never displaces the characters motivations and makes you feel for both sides of the coin. My favorite line is when Sarandon tells Statham that he has balls coming to his office to which Statham retorts ,'Yeah, they're so heavy, I can't walk'. The Blu-Ray has an excellent 7.1 DTS-HD Audio Master track and is presented in a 2.35 aspect ratio. It also contains audio commentary by the director and 3 featurettes on the stunt work and the actors on the production. I anticipate every movie featuring Jason Statham who seems to have evolved into the Steve McQueen of our generation and like him , he never disappoints. His performance is lethal but emotional in this one and show his ability to stretch making his living nightmare all the more tragic in his isolation. The climax also leaves the option of a sequel so lets hope Director Yakin delivers it. It's going to be hard to top this one.

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Well it has to be said, that the action genre has not been up to standards lately, and it seems like the action era has ended by the end of the 90s, until Statham showed up !!

this movie is one of the better entertaining action movies in recent years, I really enjoyed every part of it and it took me back to the Die Hard and 90s years when action films were on top.

Don't get me wrong, its not a perfect film or an Oscar nominated movie, but it truly does deliver pure entertainment and an enjoyable movie experience.

the movie is somewhat similar to 1998 Mercury Rising starring the one and only Bruce Willis, only Safe was more brutal and much more action packed !! sorry Bruce

it revolves around a broken and fallen ex-cop Luke Wright " Statham " who lost almost everything in his life and who hit rock bottom, but once his path is crossed by the young and helpless Chinese girl Mei who is being hunted by every scum bag and corrupt cop in NYC because of her possession of a safe code, the inner fighter in Luke wakes up and now he has a new goal in life, protect Mei and bring down the bad guys !! the plot sounds like something that Jackie Chan would usually do, thankfully, the role fell to Statham who really made the difference here !!

I like Jackie Chan, but come on, he is not brutal enough !

A very well written script for a simple plot, very fast paced and not to mention action packed, Statham really stretches his muscles here, lots of well choreographed fighting sequences, some fantastic shoot out scenes one of which takes place in a night club that was adrenaline pumping, the action was brutal.

I also liked how they gathered around some good actors playing the villains or bad guys, characters ranging from Russian mobsters to Chinese gangsters and even corrupt Cops.

I strongly believe that Jason Statham has emerged as the new action star of the new millennium, he is what Van Damme, Scwharezzenger and Stallone were in the 90s, he has all what it takes to be the ultimate action star and his acting is pretty good too. I can't deny the efforts of Stallone to bring the action genre back with his newest movies like the Expendables 2 , but for now, Statham is on top.

so in short, out of all those B grade action films out there, its nice to see a very well crafted action packed movie that is pure entertainment, thank you Statham !!

highly recommended !!

4.5 out of 5

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Kurokami 6

Brief facts on the show before review

Native HD Anime (It means its not an upscale)

Region: A(USA, Canada, Japan, and other Region A areas only)

Languages: English dub only

Number of Blu Rays: 1

(Non spoilerific review)

Taking place in the promised land, this volume is the climax of the series and sets the stage of battle between Tera Guardians and Masagami.

Throughout the series Kuros brother has been shown to be a bad guy, an anti hero of sorts but by now you should be realising he isn't as bad as what you may think.

I would best describe this volume as a major battle, then the last few episodes are like a long sweet goodbye to the show, with everyones stories resolved, and just a few lose ends left to tie up, Kurokami waves goodbye to the viewers in such a bittersweet way.

I really enjoyed this series, the battles, the fun, adventure and the drama.

Release method aside(Bandai should of added the Japanese audio, seriously, but they didn't)

Well worth watching, and investing in this series.

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A Love Song for Bobby Long

For those who have read Ronald Everett Capps' novel 'Off Magazine Street' and savor the slow, lugubrious, decadent pattern of life in the poor section of New Orleans, then Screenwriter/Director Shainee Gabel's transformation of those ideas into A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG will certainly satisfy. Though Gabel has manipulated characters names and identification to fit her sensitive interpretation of Capps' story into a visual manifestation, the changes are sound and serve to make this remarkably fine low budget film a humid, alcoholically lethargic slice of New Orleans as viable as, say, Tennessee Williams. There is a captured ambience of the South complete with decay, shanties, intermittent rain, and aimless broken lives that sets a fine stage for a rather minimal story.

Purslane Hominy Will (Scarlett Johansson) is a young high school dropout living in trailer park trash in Florida with a low class boyfriend Lee (Clayne Crawford) when she learns of her mother Lorraine's death in New Orleans. Though she hasn't seen or heard from her obese, druggie, songwriter mother in years, she wants to attend her funeral and strikes out for New Orleans.

Arriving on the doorstep of her mother's rundown, rotting house, she discovers Bobby Long (John Travolta), an unkempt drunk who once was an English professor in a college in Alabama but fell into oblivion and alcohol when he lost his wife and family. He is living in filth with Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht) who, as Bobby's teaching assistant whom Bobby has deemed gifted, has followed Bobby to write Bobby's biography a work in progress that has stalemated in favor of alcoholism and disillusionment. Pursey hears that Bobby and Lawson were Lorraine's closest friends (she had invited them to flop in her shabby house, entertained by their low key scholasticism and literature quoting), and that Lorraine had willed her home to the three of them.

Pursey moves in reluctantly she has nowhere else to go and immediately is at odds with her 'roommates'. Likewise Bobby and Lawson resist Pursey's presence and insist she 'get a life' by returning to highschool, making use of her obvious intellect. The verbal sparing that eventually leads the three to find a sense of family lays the foundation for the predictable conclusion.

That is the simplicity of the tale if it is storyline that is important to you. Gabel's distillation of Capps' novel is in the atmosphere she creates with these gifted actors. Bobby may be a drunk but he is the spokesman for a neighborhood of sad broken lives. The world is confined to the street that contains the local bar, churches, and graveyards each of varying importance but all drenched in humidity and frequent rains and alcohol and aimless living. The local bar is tended by Georgiana (Deborah Kara Unger) with whom Lawson is having a strained affair. The folk who gather at Bobby's literature-spouting soirees include gardener Cecil (Dane Rhodes), Junior (David Jensen), to mention only a few well-defined characters. That anyone could alter the ennui in the way Pursey changes things is a minor miracle.

The minimal music score by Grayson Capps is atmospheric as are the off-screen comments and quotations of great literature of TS Eliot, Robert Frost, WH Auden et al. The cinematography by Eliot Davis is properly claustrophobic and decadent in atmosphere. And while some feel the movie is too long for the minimal story, the length and pacing are in keeping with the traditions and the literature of the South and for this viewer it works exceedingly well.

Travolta, Johansson, Macht, and Unger give multifaceted, highly sensitive performances. As for Shainee Gabel (whose only other film is the controversial 'Anthem') here is a writer and director to watch. The DVD contains some excellent deleted scenes and one of the more informative 'making of' segments with Gabel, Travolta, Johansson, Macht, and Rhodes speaking with quiet eloquence. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 05

Weeds and undesirable elements seem to be extremely resilient to whatever tries to remove them. These undesirables might even try to get rid of themselves in the process, but only grow stronger as time passes. In a remote and undisturbed place these undesirables can find a spot where they can find support, like-mindedness, or respectful privacy. Some undesirables have a stunning appearance, but nonetheless they are rejects. A Love Song for Bobby Long is a story about a small group of undesirable's in the outskirts of New Orleans where the magic of the city still can touch them.

The camera opens shooting a man who the audience later discovers as Bobby Long (John Travolta) who lights a cigarette amidst the haze of alcohol while stumbling towards the door with a paper bag covering a bottle of booze. When Bobby opens the door blinding light enter the room, as if the daylight would be something foreign and new to him. Stumbling Bobby moves in an intended direction, as if he has a purpose. He limps due to a discolored toe that probably gives him difficulty in wearing proper shoes, as he wears a slipper on the aching foot. Limping and stumbling Bobby arrives to a graveyard to pay his respects to Lorraine, someone near and dear who recently has passed away.

Some distance away from New Orleans in Florida lives Pursy Will (Scarlett Johansson) Lorraine's only daughter who finds out from her deadbeat boyfriend that her mother has died. Angry Pursy packs her belonging and leaves for New Orleans to attend the funeral, as she discovers that she has arrived too late and two men live in her mother's decaying house, Bobby and Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht). Quickly, Pursy learns that these men are not leaving, and these two alcoholic losers, especially Bobby, do not desire her presence. Nonetheless, she stays, as she has nowhere else to go.

A Love Song for Bobby Long brings the audience on a venture into the part of human society where most do not want to go, as people link it with losers, deadbeats, and misfits the undesirables. Despite the bleakness of the situation there are also moments of sunshine and pleasantness, which brighten the existence for all of those who try to forget and avoid society. The moment of brightness begins to intensify as Pursy arrived, as her name also refers to a yellow flowering weed, yet she keeps on verbally beating down herself and alike. Something is missing in Pursy's dropout existence, something that Bobby and Lawson recognize, as Bobby used to be an English professor and Lawson his teaching assistant.

Eventually, Pursy pursues her General Educational Development (GED) test with a possibility to reach college. However, Pursy struggles with her societal existence, as she perceives herself as a misfit, an undesirable. Her negative self-perspective makes it hard for her to academically bloom, which both Lawson and Bobby recognize as they keep on encouraging her to study. This leaves the audience with the notion of human dualism, as she does not want to be where she is; yet she does not want to leave.

Director Shainee Gabel provides an interesting and thoughtful cinematic experience, which the audience can experience through lucid and cryptic reasoning concealed in literature, existential philosophy and psychology. The mise-en-scene and the framing of scenes enhance the situational atmosphere, which seems to grasp one part of New Orleans with delicate touch and tact. This combined with a well-performing cast and a script with empathetic and genuine feel ultimately offers a seriously intriguing story of second chances, hope, and love.

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I won't go through a scene by scene description of the film since others have already done that. I will say that this is an excellent film with real characters and complex personalities. There is no sex, nobody is blown up, not an once of blood and still it's vastly entertaining! Who would have thought it? Bobby and Percy and Lawson are all very real and earthy people with real and earthy problems that aren't washed away in an instant by miracles. I've read that this movie went on too long.......In my opinion it wasnt long enough. Great Work!!

Read Best Reviews of A Love Song for Bobby Long Here

I'm not picky about movies, but a lot of times I find myself trying to avoid the drawn-out character studies. They really get to me usually, firing straight down into my core, making me really feel. And that makes my somewhat ansy. The truth is that the best movies are often the ones we tend to overlook, and I'm ashamed to say that I didn't want to watch this. I'm so glad I did. It was the best couple hours I've spent watching a movie in a long time.

Bobby Long is John Travolta, an ex-English professor who once had a big house and a nice family, but now lives in a dilapidated home in New Orleans where he drinks like a fish and eloquently rants about how wonderfully misunderstood he is. He lives with a younger man named Lawson, a former student of Long's, and an aspiring writer. Most of his work ends up in the fireplace. The home these two guys share belonged to a woman named Lorraine, who has just passed away, everyone being able to tell stories about what a great woman she was. Lorraine had an estranged daughter named Pursy (Scarlett Johansson), and upon learning about her mother's death, leaves Florida and her trailer-park life to discover the memory of her mother, as well as discover herself with the help of a couple very intelligent drunks. Just when Bobby thinks he has learned all he could ever know, life throws him a curve ball.

Truly, a wonderful film. It moves along at a decent pace, slow enough for you to feel sucked into the Alabama lifestyle they lead, but fast enough to keep you interested in their engrossing lives. Don't skip out on this one. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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I loved this film! Some critics knock the movie for using some clichés and there are some aspects of New Orleans in particular that are romanticized. Romanticism aside, the cinematography is beautiful and the film features many of New Orleans great attractions such as the Café du Monde, the old mansions of the garden district, and the dreamy Audubon Park. Of course, what is New Orleans without music? The soundtrack is a wonderful mix of jazz and twangy southern blues that is nicely incorporated into the plot. If that doesn't do it the acting alone makes the film worth seeing. The script is well-written, and the actors do a good job of making it seem spontaneous and real. I never felt like they were reading from a script. John Travolta's performance as the washed-up Bobby Long, an alcoholic former English professor who reminisces about his glory days is magnificent and one of his better performances. Gabriel Macht, plays Lawson Pines, the brilliant, guilt-ridden writer who can't seem to write anything good. Macht, best known for independent films, is one of the better kept secrets of the film world. His allegiance to Bobby is touching and also leaves you wondering, "Why?" His performance is very well done. Scarlett Johansson who plays Pursy Will completes the package and is the powerhouse of the film, but does so without overshadowing the other cast members. Her portrayal of a lonely, strong-willed young woman who reminds her two has-been roommates that they are still alive and capable of much more than drunken lechery is superb and believable. Overall, I think the film is very well done and entertaining. It is a story that highlights many human frailties and struggles and it demonstrates that redemption can be found through friendship and family in the most unlikely places.