Manhattan (1979)

In 1979, Woody had the burden of trying to capture the "originality" of "Annie Hall," the Oscar-winning Best Picture of 1977.

So when "Manhattan" was released, Woody's first "true" widescreen picture (so much so that Woody insisted this film NEVER be released on video or shown on television without the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen), I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I discovered that "Manhattan" had a completely different tone than "Annie Hall." It was more serious, but still hilarious. I became so enraptured by its themes, its music and its atmosphere that I felt, until I saw "Schindler's List" in late 1993, that I had witnessed something that comes along only once or twice a generation...and that's true greatness on film. I paid to see "Manhattan" at least four times during its initial run in 1979. I had never done this before, even when I include those popcorn pictures I had seen several times put out by Spielberg and Lucas during the 1970s. I found "Manhattan" simply incredible, so "on the mark," so revelatory about the weaknesses of people, especially so-called "intelligent" people.

Rather than go over the plot, I believe "Manhattan's" themes include the following:

1. intellectualism is overrated.

2. romance is illogical and unscientific.

3. words don't always match our actions.

4. moral structure is a man-made invention.

5. fidelity is an optimistic ideal.

6. skeletons in the closet are better left unsaid.

7. uncorrupted optimism is mostly found in young people.

8. cynicism increases as you grow old.

9. advancing years = more unnecessary baggage.

10. The more you know, the more it can hurt you.

That all of the above is delivered with humor is something only Woody Allen could accomplish.

There was a time when Woody's life imitated his art so closely that I had to avoid this SPECIFIC film for awhile. But now the past is past and it doesn't matter. Woody's art remains and the messages in "Manhattan" haven't been diminished after so many years. It still holds up even though it was made during the late 1970s.

Yes, Woody Allen's films are an acquired taste. People won't admit it, but when you pin down WHY they don't like "Manhattan" or anything he does, you find the reasons are rooted in conventional moral judgments, religious intolerance or even genetic issues such as his "whiny" voice and the fact he is one of the most un-photogenic actor-director-writers of our time (e.g., no one likes watching Woody "kiss" any woman on screen.)

And when art becomes too closely reflective of an artist's life, it can make people uncomfortable. My response is if you are unable to separate an artist's personal life or lifestyle from his work, sometimes the world can be made the lesser for it.

"Manhattan" and "Annie Hall" remain the benchmarks of all urban-based, non-screwball comedies made in America. That Woody was able to "re-invent," or more to the point -to "invent" a new genre of comedy -is more evident today by looking at everything that has come since 1979 that is clearly derivative from these two landmark urban films.

Only elitist thinkers will call people who don't "get" this film "fools." They're not. Again, Woody's films are an acquired taste. Fans who have followed him forever, quite candidly, like the way he is on screen, even if it's the same nebbish, over-analytical character every time. We're comfortable with him in the same and opposite way that we didn't mind Cary Grant playing Cary Grant all of the time. Nobody delivers a punch line or joke better than Woody and when he's not in his own films, they don't seem as funny.

"Manhattan," in my opinion, is the finest of Woody's "quartet" of masterpieces (the others are "Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors"). There is so much hilarity and truth woven into this picture, complimented by a glorious Gershwin score and wonderful black and white cinematography, that I'm 100 percent sure -that Woody will never be able to top this film -even if he lives to 100.

The end "smirk" on his face speaks volumes about what's going on in this story, and why, unlike most of Hollywood's "mainstream" comedies, he won't give you the standard cornball ending.

Yet what he leaves behind as the credits roll, still leaves you satisfied. There isn't anything left hanging, in my mind, since you already know that Woody's character KNOWS how everything is going to end. That's the reason for the "smirk."

How many filmmakers can get away with this and stay original?

This is Woody's greatest film and it remains undated after more than 30 years...

When Woody Allen won the Oscar (in abstentia) for writing and directing "Annie Hall," which also won the Oscar for Best Picture, it was assumed the stand-up comic turned auteur had reached the pinnacle of his career. Then Allen proceeded to go out and make an even better film with his next effort, "Manhattan." Filmed in glorious black & white (and widescreen) by the great cinematographer Gordon Willis, the opening sequence combining indelible images of New York City with Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is a paean to city Allen loves and the most rhapsodical sequence in any of his films.

Rather than talking about the plot per se, "Manhattan" is best explained as a convoluted series of wrecked and ruined relationships centering around Allen's character, Isaac Davis. Isaac is divorced from Jill (Meryl Streep), who is now living with Connie (Karen Ludwig), and planning to write an expose on her marriage. Isaac is having an affair with 17-year-old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), but then he meets Mary (Diane Keaton), the mistress of his best friend Yale (Michael Murphy), who is married to Emily (Anne Byrne). Ultimately, however, this is not a film about love, but rather a film about loss, because you just know that forced to make choices, Isaac is going to make the wrong ones. Tracy and Mary are characters constructed as such polar opposites and it never dawns on Isaac to focus more on what each has than on what they lack.

Of course, today this film is obviously open to reinterpretation given Allen's very public personal life and it is now assumed that the Isaac-Tracy relationship was a sign of things to come rather than a dramatic construction. If you can get away from the film's Freudian implications then you can appreciate Hemingway's Oscar nominated performance, which is not only at the heart of the film but provides its heart as well. In contrast, Keaton's Mary is rather soulless (the anti-Annie Hall if you will). When the choice is so clear the fault is clearly not in the women, but rather in the character of Isaac (or lack of character, as the case might be). The ending is certainly the most bitter sweet of any Allen film to date.

Most Romantic Lines (remember, this is a Woody Allen film): (1) "I think people should mate for life, like pigeons or Catholics"; (2) "Yeah! I can tell, a lot. That's, well, a lot is my favorite number", and, of course, (3) "Why is life worth living? It's a very good question. Um...Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile. uh...Like what... okay...um...For me, uh... ooh... I would say ... what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing... uh...um... and Willie Mays... and um ... the 2nd movement of the Jupiter Symphony ... and um... Louis Armstrong, recording of Potato Head Blues ... um ... Swedish movies, naturally ... Sentimental Education by Flaubert ... uh... Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra ... um ... those incredible Apples and Pears by Cezanne... uh...the crabs at Sam Wo's... uh... Tracy's face ..."

If you enjoyed "Manhattan" then check out these other films on the AFI's list of 100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time: #11 "Annie Hall," #25 "When Harry Met Sally," and #35 "Gigi." Why? The first because it is also Woody Allen, the second because it also takes place in NYC and involves making the wrong choice and then running to the woman to do something about it, and the third because it also thanks heaven for little girls...

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"Annie Hall" may be generally regarded as the funniest of Woody Allen's adult comedies, but there's much to be said for the richly textured "Manhattan." Mariel Hemingway is perfectly cast as the doe-eyed (and teen-aged) Tracy, the initial love interest of Allen's Isaac Davis. Setting aside any parallels to Mr. Allen's current real-life situation, suffice it to say that the relationship between Isaac and Tracy is sweet and passionate, and ultimately the heart of the life lesson Isaac learns. Dianne Keaton (Mary Wilke) is the hyper, neurotic adult involved with Isaac's married friend Yale (Michael Murphy). Together, Hemingway and Keaton give excellent performances: perhaps even Mariel's best, while Keaton's is at times cloying but at heart quite sympathetic in a search for love in Manhattan. Which brings us to the real star of the film: the city itself. The opening montage alone--set to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"--paints a delightfully romantic, pulsing portrait of Allen's New York. Cinematographer Gordon Willis's sumptuous black-and-white was shamefully overlooked by the Academy. Visually, the film is stunning, with a palette of tones that reflect the story's inherent warmth as well as its moments of stark confrontation. Allen has worked in black-and-white several times, but this is the most successful effort. And, as much as he seems to decry it, Woody once again creates a sentimental--but never mawkish--ode to love, human frailties, and the Big Apple. Yes, that's Meryl Streep as the other woman. If a classic film is one that stands the test of time, then "Manhattan" is holding up exceptionally well. Even bettern than "Annie Hall."

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It makes me sad (not to mention angry) that some people make the statement that this movie is about "a child molestor." The same people who say this are the ones that praise "There's Something About Mary" and "American Pie" for it's "comic innovativeness." This is NOT a documentary, it is simply a situation, and Tracy (the girl) was not forced into her position as girlfriend--it is a choice. Let's not forget this was the 70s, and while that's not an excuse, shame on those who imply that this beautiful movie is simply about a man and an underage girl.

That said, this is one of the most gorgeous movies ever made. Although "Hannah and Her Sisters" is probably my favorite Woody Allen movies, this is Allen's cinematic masterpiece. Words can't describe how beautiful the lights of Manhattan look as they sparkle through the trees in Central Park. But the acting shines as well. Diane Keaton is both hilarious and sad as a neurotic woman who is so full of herself and yet so unlucky in love; Woody Allen plays a divorced, neurotic man (shocker. . .); and while Mariel Hemingway isn't terrible, the tone of her voice and her manner did grate on my nerves a little. . .but that didn't ruin the movie at all. She is the voice of reason not only to Issac (Allen's character) but for the entire film.

It's a true testament to the genius of Allen that his movies, which usually end so sad, can still fill you with hope. It's as if he's telling the audience that it's the journey, not the destination, that's important. Everything about "Manhattan" shines, even after more than 20 years. I highly suggest this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it.

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There's poetry in Manhattan, the poetry of opposites. As Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue plays over lusciously composed black and white images of an idyllic Manhattan, we see picture postcards shots of Broadway, 42nd Street, Central Park, the Skyline and fireworks. Fireworks we almost wish would burst the film into color. It won't. This is a film about opposites, black and white or at least inconsistencies.

It's a film about 42 year old Isaac, (Woody Allen)and his small circle of friends. He's a successful television writer, who's been divorced twice. Isaac is having a fling with 17 year old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway). Isaac continually reminds her their relationship is temporary. When she talks about being in love with him, he tells her to not get hung up, she's too young, there's too much life for her experience, she has to go to school in London without him in the near future.

Isaac hates his job. Hates writing the junk he is writing just to earn a paycheck and support his comfortable lifestyle. He quits to get serious about the novel he's always wanted to write. He's having a bit of trouble finding his writing voice, just as he's having trouble finding balance in his life. Quitting his job however means he'll have to cut-back his lifestyle and even move into an apartment with noisy neighbors and brown water. Isaac's ex-wife (Meryl Streep) is about to publish a sure to be devastatingly personal book about their marriage. It ended when his wife left him for another woman and Isaac tried to run over her girlfriend with his car. They have a son and on visiting days old wounds are re-opened. His best friend Yale, (Michael Murphy) who is happily married, is nevertheless having an affair with Mary (Dianne Keaton). When Isaac first meets Mary, he hates her. She represents the type of Radcliff pseudointellectual who can't properly pronounce Van Gogh that he detests. But opposites do attract. They become friends but Isaac does not make a pass at his best friend's mistress.

Yale decides to stop cheating on his wife, and suggests to Isaac that he should date Mary.

These people operate in a world of shadows and illusions. They are all false fronts. Their self confidences, their cleverness and wit are all a facade hiding how scared, alone and vulnerable they really are. And this is not a film where suddenly they open up and reveal themselves or transform into better people. These are characters who have become a part of the city, of Manhattan, and a part of each others lives.

Gordon Willis photography is part of this charade. In one of the later montages, a romantic montage of shots is given an edge, partially by the greyness of the images (not merely black and white) and partially because cliche's are used and turned inside out. During the cliched Central Park boat row boat ride (an homage to Horsefeathers perhaps), Isaac reaches into the water and removes his hand which is now covered with sludge. At the Hayden planetarium it's so dark we see Isaac and Mary in silhouette. A shot in Mary's apartment is lit seemingly by a small table lamp.

Allen's cynicism and skepticism have never been as sharply realized than in this film. There are no slapstick sequences, and no dream sequences in this -Allen's most assured, mature and personal of films.

There are plenty of laugh out loud lines of dialogue (courtesy of Allen and Marshall Brickman), but they seem natural, and never forced. This is a confident, relaxed Allen. He's not trying to please the audience as he did with Annie Hall. He's not making compromises with his material so he can sell a few more tickets at the box-office.

All of the actors are perfectly cast and at their peak. Even small supporting roles, like Wallace Shawn and Michael O'Donoghue are wonderful. Look fast at the t.v. show for David Rasche and Karen Allen (in a blonde wig). The Gershwin music is sometimes used as exclamation points (much as rock music is used in film). Rhapsody in Blue, Someone to Watch Over Me, and S'Marvelous in particular are worked wonderfully into the film.

This is Woody's masterpiece and a film that will be even more appreciated in years to come. Thank You

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The Grass is Greener (1960)

What a wonderful movie. Who could ask for more, with a cast including Cary Grant and Robert Mitchum? Not to mention a duel, a missing mink coat, mushrooms, British manors and fishing?

A wonderful romance, that shows how fate and middle age can come together and create havoc on the seemingly happy, if not a bit dull, life of a settled English couple, whose large country estate doubles as a tourist atrraction to support itself. (with lots of American tourists who leave apple cores and sticky bits of paper all over the grounds!)

To make ends meet, the wife also happens to run a thriving mushroom growing business in the cellar! (phew that was a long sentence!)

Robert Mitchum is one of these camera toting tourist who "mistakenly" wanders into the private portion of the house, finding Lady Rile and the sparks fly!

It's a charming old-fashioned adult romantic farce, that's not too far fetched.

I don't even know what Dundee cake is, but I like this movie. Cary Grant as the befuddled, cool, supercilious, angry, calm, loving, clever, wronged, vengeful, forgiving Lord Rhyall does indeed excel. Deborah Kerr as the lady of the house who falls for Robert Mitchum, quite good. Mitchum's not bad at playing the cad. Jean Simmons as the bibulous, gossipy friend Hattie -priceless.

But the dialogue, the verbal joustings, the rapid-fire wit: a marvel. As it turns out, there's jousting of a non-verbal variety, too. There's a weekend spent fishing. There are mysteries solved. There are lies covered and uncovered. There are knowing glances. There are panicky schemes and "friendly" phone calls. And most of the time, for the happy viewer, there is laughter. And admiration of this very elegant, very witty, funny and serious film.

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The movie is delightful, the DVD copy is very satisfactory. Its letterbox format is perfect for this movie, much better than an ananorphic format would have been.

My only complaint is that although the DVD is advertised as "Closed-Captioned" it has the "CC" logo on the case the DVD has NO captioning. This is quite disappointing for those who need captions.

Still, this DVD is the best way to see "The Grass Is Greener" outside of a movie theater.

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The perfect marriage of Kerr and Grant hits a snag when dapper, and loaded, American tourist Mitchum shows up at their grand English country home. While these three hold their own in their respective roles, it is Jean Simmons as the not to subtle and nosy best friend of the couple who steals the show. Her complete enjoyment of everyone else's discomfort is a delight and the writing is witty yet dead on caustic too. Just the scene where she shows up at the house to "comfort" Grant is enough to make any viewer love this film. Definitely a must-see.

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This has always been a favorite film of mine. The story is old-fashioned yet fun and the cast is divine. Despite having the VHS, I wanted more and ordered the DVD.

Beware! This DVD claims on its packaging to have Closed Captioning, but it does NOT!! No subtitles in any language, no line 21 captioning.

Nor does it have anything else. "Interactive Menus" means scene selections. This plain vanilla release doesn't even have a trailer. This film and cast deserves better and I see no reason Lion's Gate reissued this DVD with nothing added.

Since I bought it online, I can't return it and neither Lion's Gate nor Artisan will take it back despite the error in labeling and false advertising which is not the fault of the people I bought it from.

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Fortress (1992)

i was browsing through the Blu-ray's under $10 section and came across this movie which i'd completely forgotten about until now...

the Blu-ray release of this film was put together by a company called: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, which i've never heard of so wasn't expecting much in the way of video quality. i guess i stand corrected however. let me just say that this is a much better HD transfer than Lionsgate did with the original "Total Recall." a lil a grainy side?, yes. but overall definitely not the worst i've ever seen. in fact i've fallen in love with the movie all over again :)

Blu-ray specs are

video: 1920x1080p 1.85:1 Widescreen

Audio: the back of the box just says English 2.0 Stereo, but it's actually

English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Surround).

subtitles are not available

there are also no special features, but overall still definitely worth buying. hope this review helps anyone reading it

A guilty pleasure. I love Christopher Lambert, have all his movie. Been waiting for the Blu-ray to come out for release.

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I believe this is the Blu-ray version of this movie, I sincerely hope the picture quality has been improved but with the low price tag I am doubtful.

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The story of Fortress takes place in drastically overpopulated America of the year 2017, where each woman is allowed only one pregnancy. John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) flee to Mexico when she becomes pregnant after the death of their first child. They are captured by border police and sent to the Fortress, a subterranean high-security prison owned by the Men-Tel corporation and operated by "Zed-10," an omnipotent computer system, and a sadistic, genetically "enhanced" warden (Kurtwood Smith) who has nefarious plans involving Brennick's wife and unborn child. Along with his cellmates (including Jeffrey Combs, a favorite of director Stuart Gordon), Brennick plots a breakout, and Fortress shifts into auto-pilot action mode.

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Paper Man (2009)

I saw this movie at its premiere at the LA Film Festival and I loved it! It is quirky-funny, poignant and melancholy by turns -exactly what I want in a film for grownups. The performances are stellar and the story highly original.

Paper Man is quite simply a fantastic movie. I haven't been this emotionally affected by a film since Gran Torino. Emma Stone and Jeff Daniels' characters compliment each other perfectly. One has seemingly never grown up, while the other has been deprived of their childhood. The way that they form such a truly unique friendship and help each other to find out what's missing inside of them, keeping them from moving on with their respective lives, is amazing to watch unfold. These two characters seem very different at first, but you eventually come to find that they rely on the same type of crutch to help them function, albeit not all that well, in normal society. The movie also certainly doesn't take it self too seriously, with just enough moments of levity to keep the story grounded. The movie is a winner from beginning to end and I can attest to the fact that Paper Man stays great through multiple viewings; with it's top-notch acting and unbelievably gripping ending. The ending is one of the most poignant and moving cinematic experiences I've ever had.

Bottom Line: This is the epitome of a 5/5 movie. Buy the DVD/Blu-Ray, watch it, love it, and spread the word to friends and family about this awesome indie film!

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What an inventive feature debut for this killer directing duo. Paper Man successfully manages to mix big concept with the feel of an intimate character driven film. A fun, inventive, drama told through a comic frame. Great performances from the whole star-studded cast. A wellobserved, tightly knit spiral into a troubled man's psyche, the film takes off fast and doesn't stop until its surprising and tense conclusion. It's refreshing to see indie-style filmmaking coming from such an accomplished cast and crew. Thumbs up for an original and moving soundtrack. Thumbs up for unique concept. Thumbs up for a great, creative partnership from its creators. Netflix it. Amazon it. Enjoy it.

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This movie made me think on many different levels. The first time I saw it I wasn't sure I liked it, but it got in my head and I started to relate many of the scenes in the movie to life. So, I watched it again and determined it was much better then I originally thought. Richard (Jeff Daniels) makes his first real friend at almost age 50. And Emma Stone (an actress I wasn't terribly crazy about until I saw this film) makes her first real friend when she's 16. Up until then they've both been doing the best they could not knowing really how to cope with the ravages of life except through slightly delusional and weak self affirmative behaviors. After they meet, they are stronger individuals recognizing they don't need to be what the rest of the world is claiming they need to be or even necessarily and more importantly what they thought they needed to be and they'll be OK.

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A writer (Daniels) trying to start his second book and find himself meets a local high schooler (Stone) and a friendship is born. Richard (Daniels) has always been different, for one he's in his 40's and has an imaginary friend (Ryan Reynolds). His wife (Lisa Kudrow) drops him off at a house alone in hopes he will finally start his book. Not feeling inspired Richard rides to town and meets Abby (Stone). The mis-matched pair become fast friends and discover more about themselves in the process. I can not say enough good things about this movie. Emma Stone stole this movie, her acting was great and I expect to see awards in her future if she keeps this up. This movie has it all, great humor, writing, acting and is also very moving. Almost instantly you feel sorry for Richard and you really root for him the rest of the movie. Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds really make you feel for them and you are right there with them trying to give Richard the push he needs. The ending is unexpectedly touching and I actually got a little choked up. I honestly could go on all day about how much I liked this movie, it's just a shame movies like this one (where the plot and acting take center stage) don't get the audience they deserve while "Yogi Bear" gets all the attention it can get. Do yourself a favor and watch this, you won't regret it. First time ever...I give it an A+

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Airplane! (1980)

A clever, funny parody of disaster movies (bad melodramas such as "Zero Hour" and "The High and The Mighty" along with "Airport" were the prime targets here), "Airplane! The `Don't Call Me Shirley' Edition" manages to combine silliness, puns and with topical humor in a style that recalls something out of an alternate off-kilter universe. Filled with melodramatic, over-the-top music, deliberately bad acting and every cliché about plane disasters you can imagine, "Airplane!" aims wildly and accurately most of the time taking the wind out of the sails of bad (and some good ones, too such as "Jaws")movies everywhere. Evidently the writing/directing team of Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams (who wrote "Kentucky Friend Movie" for director John Landis and later went on to crate "The Naked Gun" films) caught "Zero Hour" on TV and realized that this overripe melodrama was just right to be plucked and served up as comedy (something it verged on anyway).

Robert Hays plays Ted Striker(the name of Dana Andrews' character in "Zero Hour!") a former fighter pilot who is now afraid to pilot planes since a disastrous mission years before. Striker books a seat on the flight of his girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty) in hopes of working out their relationship. When the crew and passengers are brought down by food poisoning Ted has to overcome his fears to pilot the plane to safety.

While the film looks very good (and better than its previous edition), I was a bit disappointed by the amount of dirt and debris. I thought that a deluxe edition like this would have a nearly pristine print and that Paramount would have the film digitally cleaned up. Overall the film looks good but could have been tweaked more for this special edition. The soundtrack sounds pretty good overall and is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 with dialogue clear and little distortion.

The extras are where this edition truly shines. "Airplane! The `Don't Call Me Shirley Edition" doesn't have any of the conventional special features you'd expect. There's no "making-of" documentary or featurettes on the film per se. The "Long Haul Version" allow you to watch the film with frequent detours into comments by the actors (Hays is present but Julie Hagerty curiously isn't), writers/directors and other production crew. We also get deleted scenes in the "Long Haul" section that are quite amusing in many instances as well. Included in the "Long Haul" version are clips from the movie that inspired the Zuckers/Abrahams "Zero Hour". We also get the theatrical trailer and a clever menu that presents some of the classic scenes from the film as if you're watching an animated version of those horrible safety/disaster cards they place on airplanes drawn in the same style. This is like watching the movie, deleted scenes and a documentary at the same time. It's a great conceit and works pretty well here. There is also a subtitle track that features trivia about the movie and points out visual mistakes, etc. throughout the movie.

There's a good commentary track featuring the directors sharing stories about the production of the movie. This sounds like the commentary track from the previous edition. The commentary track provides a lot of amusing stories, trivia and background about the movie. Many of the comments are also echoed in the extended branching edition of the movie so listening to the commentary track really can't compare to watching the seamlessly branching edition.

A classic comedy that still works amazingly well, this special edition of "Airplane!" is well worth it for the fans of the movie. Although the image quality could have been cleaned up a little bit more for this presentation, it's a pretty minor issue really as the "special features" make this edition worthwhile for fans of this classic bit of madness.

Anyone who has ever seen one of a host of abysmal 1970's disaster flicks could have predicted that they were ripe for a satire, but I doubt anyone could have predicted that "Airplane" would have set the gold standard for the spoof. In addition, since it appears on TV so often, seeing it on DVD is almost a new experience because all of the scenes that were cut for content seem like new jokes.

I can't imagine anyone is unfamiliar with the plot (such as it is), but by way of a brief summary, a passenger jet is in trouble when the entire flight crew, and many of the passengers, fall ill from the in flight meal. It's up to Ted Striker to bring down the plane safely; but there's just one problem, he hasn't been able to fly since his last abortive raid during "the war". Oh, and his estranged girlfriend is one of the stewardesses. However, where a disaster film would turn this into an overwrought melodrama, absolutely nothing, and I do mean nothing, is taken seriously in "Airplane".

In fact, it is almost remarkable how much is packed into this film. Literally every scene contains a joke or a sight gag or a double entendre. There's so much going on that in spite of dozens of viewings, I still find something new more often than not. Eve the sound effects are a gag, as all of the exterior shots of the plane (which is a model that is so fake it's hilarious) feature the sound of a prop plane even though it is obviously a jet.

The DVD doesn't have much to recommend it other than the film, but that's to be expected from an older, relatively low budget movie; and those who have seen it would agree, there can't have been much left on the cutting room floor to make up extra features. The image and sound are fine, if not spectacular, but then neither needs to be. However, having the film in widescreen is nice because some of the wide angle shots now contain people that weren't visible in the fullscreen version familiar to TV viewers.

In the end, "Airplane" may very well be the king of movie satires. From start to finish it is a non-stop joke reel, and the amazing thing is that they are all still funny years after the first viewing. Fans of the movie will find this DVD to be adequate, as the transfer and sound are fine, but don't count on any new material or amazing extras. However, as I said before, I don't think this is a movie that needs a lot of extras, and the film alone is well worth the very reasonable price.

Jake Mohlman.

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Like many fans of this movie, I'd waited for this bells & whistles edition then quickly snapped it up on the first day of rerelease. Well....though it's nice to see this film again, it did come with it's lil' bit o' surprises.

The Print: Most rereleases that I've seen tend to have a newer transfer...at least one that outshines the previous and doesn't make us feel we're watching an 'OK' print. This one here has a liveable, but still noticeable amount of scratches and mystery objects that appear in the frame. I was expecting a bit better considering this is the day and age of restoration. Here, they didn't seem to do much of, if anything to the print, so we're left with one that is slightly better than a good TV quality picture. Hardly a 'special edition' copy of this film.

Features: I noticed immediately when I played the film alone, that it stopped or sputtered in the framerate at times. I'd stopped counting at about five, but still managed to finish the movie fine despite these annoyances. Well, I come to find out, as others have pointed out, the ballyhoo'd special features are chopped up and mixed into the movie (you enact this in the setup menu). Well, after looking at where these special features popped up when enacted, then going back to watching the same scene with them off....bingo....the sputtering I was seeing was exactly where these parts would normally come in. My point being....BEWARE......on some players this will cause a jittery film experiance at times if your just trying to watch it straight thru. My Apex & Koss Players refuse to play the film without these jittery spots, but my Playstation 2's both play the film normally. So just be informed, and keep this in yer back pocket. I'd took my first copy back for an exchange thinking it was defective, then got the replacement and it did the same. This is my first film of hundreds that I can only play on the PS2...lol....and the film.... what can I say that hasn't been said....unfortunately packed into a good intentioned, but rather lamely executed DVD Release. Was this an intern's project? Where's the menu for the special features to see them seperately instead of thru that grating pause so the disc can switch layers or dresses or whatever it does. Gaaaah!

But yea....AIRPLANE: 5 stars.....SHIRLEY PRESENTATION: 3

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Airplane! was recently called "One of the top ten funniest movies of all time." This is very well deserved. Airplane is a film that keeps throwing gags at us and we all keep laughing so hard that by the time we've finished the movie we have to catch our breath. A absoloutley hilarious joke comes, we laugh, we start to stop laughing, and another one comes that's even funnier than the one before it and we laugh before we can catch our breath! It takes strong comic talent for a movie to keep us laughing like that! Let's explore this classic spoof film.

Flight 209 is heading to Chicago. It's March 5th and Elaine Dickenson (Julie Hagerty) has just run away from her ex-boyfriend Ted Striker (Robert Hays). However, Ted comes home early, finds her note, and speeds to the airport to stop her before she gets on the flight and intends to change her life in Chicago. His attempts to get her back fail, so he follows her on the plane, haunted by flashbacks of his expierience in the war, where he lost most of his squadron while on a foolish attack. Bad luck takes the day when all the pilots become very ill courtesy of food-poisoning in the fish. Even more bad luck comes when passengers start getting sick for the same reason and now it's up to Ted to land the plane with the help of his ex-girlfriend, a doctor (Leslie Nielson), stewardess Randy (Lorna Patterson), a loony air-port controller by the name of McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges), and and old friend (?) from the war, Rex Cramer (Robert Stack).

It may sound serious, but not one thing is meant to be taken seriously in this unbelievably hilarious film. Every shot (yes) has something funny in it, whether it is subtle (the air-plane makes a propellor blade noise) or some very out-in-the-open ones I will not give away. Let's just say, watching this movie may be the most hilarious expierience of your life.

All the actors are right on. Delighfully acting serious amidst all the slap-stick things going on, it's pitch perfect. Robert Hays is swell as paranoid Striker, and Hagerty is good as his ex, but those who deserve special recognition are surely Leslie Nielson (Don't call me Shirley!), Lloyd bridges (Look's like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking), Robert Stack (No, that's just what they'll be expecting us to do!) and Steven Stucker as the clueless Johnny (Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes and curtains in the windows and wheels, and it looks like a big tylenol). But this an excellent cast.

The directing is handled by the now famous Zucker brothers and Abraham, whose only previous film was The Kentucky Fried Movie. The directing is very Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker, which means HILARIOUS. Knowing what they're doing, they're the ones who wrote this beautiful script!

The DVD for the film is a cut above most Paramount features, but still seriously lacking, especially for such a classic film. There's a commentary by the director's that runs out of steam after about half an hour (it's one of those commentaries where they say they're gonna talk about a certain thing and never do). The commentary was a big dissipointment for me, because I expected info on how a lot of gags got thought up. Nothing like that here. A trailer is also included, but it's very long and ruins a lot of the funniest moments by putting them along with stupid music and making the movie look very unfunny.

The presentation quality of the film is actually very good, though. The picture is not bad at all, much brighter than the mushy presentations of previous video and TV incarnations of the film. The grain has been very reduced to a minimum and the quality is very good for a 22 year old movie. The sound is a new remastered 5.1 surround that gets the job done admirably. After videos that would go from LOUD LOUD LOUD to quiet quiet quiet, this new sound is great. Well-balanced and with the music well-placed and the voices clear, you'll love the new sound (why Paramount's Friday The 13th movies are getting treated with Mono soundtracks is beyond me).

However, a complaint I hold against this DVD the most iswhere are those TV scenes? When the movie plays on TV, it includes some cool extra scenes that extend the running time and add some more laughs. They include more scenes with the little kids acting like adults and more scenes with Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Robert Hays and Julie Hagery, as well as Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges. They are nowhere on this DVD. BIG dissipointment. I don't think Paramount quite get the point of DVD. They re supposed to be movies on disks with superior picture and sound quality as well as interesting behind the scenes features and DELETED SCENES. Anyway, that's the big thing missing on this DVD.

Airplane was followed by a sequel, Airplane 2 The Sequel which failed to keep the laughs the original had going and usually recycled stuff from the first film with new actors. Also, it missed a lot of great characters from th original. Leslie Nielson, Robert Stack, Lorna Patterson, a lot of people missing from the sequel. That movie is good fun, there are some good laughs, but the original will always be the best. Period.

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i once owned this film airplane on vhs many years before the "don't call me shirley

edition" was officially released on dvd. with seven to eight minutes of footage

omitted from it(all the DISASTER humor is GONE!). the true original IS 95 minutes

in length! and made in 1980 not 1997 not 2002 not 2004 and not 2007, thats four times in a ten year copyright span. when this film is FINALLY released probably

as a directors cut print and/or as the "true original" i will finally buy a copy.

but let it be known I AM NOT FOOLED Mr. Jerry and David Zucker and Mr. Jim Abrahams

NOT FOR ONE SPLIT SECOND!

Baby Mama (2008)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Best Reviews of Baby Mama (2008) Here

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

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

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

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

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

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Escape (2012)

Received a free copy of Escape with C Thomas Howell and John Rhys-Davies.

first here is what the distributers had to say:

Doctors Paul and Kim Jordan are struggling to find peace in their lives after the tragic loss of their baby's life. Paul (C. Thomas Howell from The Amazing Spider Man, ET) persuades Kim to escape reality and flee to the exquisite islands of Southeast Asia. Paradise becomes a nightmare when he is kidnapped by human traffickers in need of a skilled doctor.

Faced with a fight for survival, Paul finds himself captive alongside the wealthy Malcolm Andrews (John Rhys-Davies from Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings). He quickly realizes there is no hope for his captors dying leader and is forced to examine his eternal fate. With life and death in the balance, Malcolm challenges Paul to stop running from God. Will Paul realize that trust in God is his only hope for escape and reunion with his wife?

Pure Flix has had many films over the past few years from Brother White to Encounter to Jerusalem Countdown and many more.

this film was another step up in every area.

First thing that caught my eye was the great photography. This movies production value took a giant leap in quality.

Second was the actors. From a LOTR actor in John Rhys-Davies to Pony Boy Curtis from the outsiders tthe films actors did a great job.

Finally the script was very solidly written as well.

Our main characters find themselves after a tragic loss leaving everything they have to do doctor work in the villages of Thailand.

One day a young boy comes to the clinic and Howell follows him to a so called emergency. He soon finds himself kidnapped to help some local pirates.

The story carreans from there into a suspensefil drama that is not the norm in Christian cinema.

Be sure to pick up a copy and help support GOOD christian Films!

Even before I watched the movie for the first time knew it was going to be a good one.. Just did not know just how great it would be. One of the best movie I have seen in a long while. The film is great visually with it's shots, and locations of the film including the water shots. Both C Thomas Howell and John Rhys Davies were amazing in the movie. Escape is the best film that I have seen Davies in.

It's a Christian film, with Christian stuff at the same time in script. But yet it didn't feel like a Christian film/ a Pure Flix film. At least what I think. Blown away with the film def a must see

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I love the Pure Flix moviesthey are all amazing and powerful. Excellent for every member of the family. A safe movie for all ages

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I agree with the previous reviewer, this movie wasn't bad, but just OK. I thought it started off well and the premise was pretty good, there just wasn't enough done with it. The ending was disappointing also. It was only nominally Christian and the story itself wasn't that great. 2 1/2 stars.

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This is not what you'd consider to be a "landmark" film. The acting was pretty good. This would be just above a B film and would make for a a pretty good church movie night. The photography and scenery was believable. It makes for a good family film. My older teens didn't complain after it was over and their comment was "not bad".' I'd loan it out but pick a better Christian film for a gift. We own it but probably wouldn't watch it again.

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Rags and Riches: The Mary Pickford Collection (The Poor Little Rich Girl / The Hoodlum / Sparrows /

Gladys Marie Smith, better known as Mary Pickford (1892-1979), was one Hollywood's first female megastars, a Canadian actress which would be known as "America's Sweetheart." Throughout her life, she starred in 52 films, ending her acting career in 1933, after the arrival of sound, to which she could not adapt. She was also called "The Girl with the Curls," which allowed her to play children, even in her twenties. Her power and popularity in the industry was also a key in her being one of the founders of United Artists, together with actor/comedian Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks (her popular actor and husband), and director D.W. Griffith. She was also one of the original founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "Mary Pickford Rags and Riches Collection" is an awesome collection that comprises three of Pickford's best films, and one of her movie shorts. In them, you will witness the greatness of her acting and extreme charisma in the high quality images of the Blu-ray. This is one remarkable and historically important collection that brings America's Sweetheart back to life, thanks to the gigantic effort from the folks at Milestone Film and Video.

"Mary Pickford Rags and Riches Collection" includes three Blu-ray discs. The first one presents "The Poor Little Rich Girl" (1917), which opens with "In the house of everything, except the love she longed for, dwelt Gwendolyn, the poor little rich girl." These words perfectly describe, in the shortest way, what the film is about, in which Pickford plays Gwendolyn, daughter of a wealthy businessman and a mother that is too busy socializing to pay attention to her. She desperately wants to experience the world outside their big house, and finds ways to do just that, only to be punished for being a free little poor girl, telling her dad, "I had lots and lots to tell you, daddy. I'm so lonely, I..." This is a heartbreaking story with lots of funny moments. Disc Two includes "The Hoodlum" (1919), featuring Pickford as Amy Burke, a spoiled, rich girl who inherited her grandfather's "tyrannical temper as well as his money." Her father, on the other hand, is an intellectual, described as a "sociological writer," who lives in a poor immigrant neighborhood, doing research and writing a book. Her grandfather goes for a vacation to Europe and invites her to come along, but she chooses to stay with her father. Little did she know about the big change in lifestyle that she was going to experience. Here, Pickford shines with her natural ability for slapstick comedy my favorite of the three films. This disc also features "Ramona," a 17 min short done in 1917, starring Pickford. In Disc three, on the other hand, we have "Sparrows" (1926), perhaps the most serious and dramatic film of the collection, which opens with, "The Devil's share in the world's creation was a certain southern swampland a masterpiece of horror." In this film, Pickford stars as Molly, the oldest of a group of children which have been stolen from their parents and/or been allowed to be cared of by a man named Grimes. Sadly, the children parents' don't know that Grimes is a mean-spirited, abusive old man who treats the kids as slaves and starve them to death, if possible, stealing the money that the parents send for their children's welfare. Grimes, his wife, and his wife's son have the perfect criminal operation running, at times "shoving" the kids that they didn't like in the swamp. So, as you can imagine, is up to Molly to find a way out from their misery. This movie has a dose of Christianity and hilarious moments created by Pickford, who, once again, proves why he was so talented.

Each film in this collection has an introduction for kids, in which Pickford, as well as B&W silent movies are introduced to them in a very smart way. In addition, there are commentaries by film historians; home movies on Pickfair, Pickford and Fairbanks' home, featuring Charlie Chaplin and others; outtakes; trailers; and much more. This is one truly wonderful collection that makes a great Christmas present for all family, in which all will enjoy and perhaps discover the talents of one of the best actresses of cinema's silent era. Great job, Milestone, for your hard work in releasing this collection! (USA, The Poor Little Rich Girl, 1917, 75 min, B&W or tinted; The Hoodlum, 1919, 92 min, B&W or tinted; Sparrows, 1926, 90 min, B&W or tinted) Reviewed on December 10, 2012 by Eric Gonzales for Milestone Film and Video Blu-ray

This is a wonderful collection of Mary Pickford films, and it's a shame that the rating has been spoiled by two rather querulous reviews. All three films are classics of the silent era and among Pickford's greatest. In fact, this set serves as a splendid introduction to Pickford's work as all three films represent different aspects of Pickford's cinema persona.

"The Poor Little Rich Girl" is the first film in which Mary Pickford plays a little girl over the course of an entire film, and it remains one of her best. It also marks the first time she works with screenwriter Frances Marion, who would become Pickford's closest collaborator over the next several years. "The Poor Little Rich Girl" is a remarkable evocation of childhood, capturing the wonder, the terror, and the ludic abandon of being a child more successfully than any film of its era.

In "The Hoodlum," Pickford plays a girl several years older than Gwendolyn and decidedly more tomboyish. Amy Burke is similar to many of Pickford's other high-spirited characters like Tess of the Storm Country, and, "The Hoodlum," like many of her other films, presents the disparities between the lives of the rich and those of the poor. I had never seen this film before viewing this DVD, but I was definitely pleased to see it at last as it is one of Pickford's finer efforts.

"Sparrows" is commonly cited as Pickford's masterwork, and in terms of the overall aesthetic quality of the production it very well may be. It definitely is a must-see for any fan of Pickford or silent film in general. In this film, Pickford plays a mother of sorts; in fact, her character is called "Mama Molly" by the children of the baby farm. (Indeed, the three films of this collection neatly represent three different ages in the life of a woman: girlhood, adolescence, and finally motherhood.) The supporting cast is wonderful as well, and all of the children deliver very realistic performances. "Sparrows" is a beautifully acted and directed film and represents silent film at its peak.

There are some bonus features to the set, including two very informative audio commentaries for "The Poor Little Rich Girl" and "Sparrows," the D.W. Griffith-directed short "Ramona," some home videos of Pickford and Pickfair, and three "kid-friendly" introductions to the films (with the sort of embarrassingly bad acting you would expect). While I appreciate the wish to impart Pickford's legacy to the next generation, it's hard to see how these intros wouldn't turn off any young viewers.

Another reviewer states that the films display in "pseudo-widescreen," and while I really am no expert, I think that what Hugh Munro Neely says in the comments to that review is actually correct. As he states there, the films appear slightly wider than the traditional 4x3 aspect ratio because more of the original negative is included. I don't see why cropping the negative to adhere to rigid 4x3 would be better. I have played the DVDs on a 4x3 and 16x9 TV screen, and while there is windowboxing on the 4x3 TV, it is not as severe as others make it seem. The films all display correctly on my 16x9 TV, slightly wider than traditional 4x3 as more image is included. I for one applaud Mr. Neely's decision to include all of the image on the negative.

I am so glad that Milestone Films is continuing to release Mary Pickford's films on DVD, as they do a wonderful job. I doubt Criterion could present the films any better, and all three films look beautiful in this set. I can't wait for future releases! (Maybe "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall"?)

Buy Rags and Riches: The Mary Pickford Collection (The Poor Little Rich Girl / The Hoodlum / Sparrows / Now

This collection is beautifully restored and the optional introductions are extremely valuable if you wish to introduce a young person to this era of film making.

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I was extremely disappointed upon receiving this collection. These movies, all obviously from the pre-widescreen era, have been either formatted or encoded to display in a pseudo-widescreen format (meaning that they aren't 4:3, and display on my widescreen television not quite to either outer edge of the screen). I can only assume, based on this format, that some information has been lost top and bottom, as these movies were released in a 4:3 format.

I wrote to Milestone and they responded by telling me that the authoring was done to accomodate the needless "kid friendly" introductions. This makes little sense, as every other classic movie release is formatted such that the display quickly changes from widescreen for the FBI warning and/or menu, to a correctly formatted movie. There is no reason they couldn't have done that here.

Given that Milestone simultaneously released their Charley Chase collection formatted correctly, I can't understand why they put this Mary Pickford collection onto the market with this major error.

This is no reflection on the films themselves.....just on Milestone's release of the films. Also, this comment applies to the DVD ONLY! I do not have, and cannot comment on the Blu-Ray release of this collection.

As much as I hated to have to do so, I sent this one back for a refund. Maybe someday some studio will release these films correctly. I'll try again then.

Want Rags and Riches: The Mary Pickford Collection (The Poor Little Rich Girl / The Hoodlum / Sparrows / Discount?

While I am always happy to see any collection of silent films, I'm a little disappointed here. Flicker Alley put together a great collection of films by Douglas Fairbanks. Kino did the same with his features. Where are all the Pickford films? This collection is only a starting point. Buy if you are curious, these are great films. All others will agree we need more attention to this great lady of the silent film.

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Bell, Book and Candle (1958)

Adapted from the stage comedy of the same name, Bell Book and Candle stars Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, fresh from their successful teaming in Hitchcock's Vertigo. Novak plays Gillian Holroyd, a genuine, bonafide witch who runs a south seas antiquities shop. Falling in love with her neighbor, publisher Sheperd Henderson (Stewart), Gillian casts a spell on him. With help from her aunt (Elsa Lanchester), she obliges him to dump his fiancee, and ex college rival, and rush to her side. All of this goes against the grain of Gillian's Endora-like mentor Mrs. DePass (Hermione Gingold), who does her best to counterract the love spell. Meanwhile, Gillian's wacky warlock brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon) courts disaster by coauthoring a book on black magic with Sidney Redlitch (Ernie Kovacs). Legend has it that a witch can neither cry or fall in love. If she falls in love, she will lose her powers....can you guess what happens?

Rumor has it that this is the inspiration for the televisions series Bewitched. There are several striking, undeniable similarities. This film was released in 1958, and I find it just as enjoyable today as I'm sure it was then. Memorable performances by Novak as the icy-cool Gillian and Stewart in his last "romantic leading man" role drive the film. Jack Lemmon and Elsa Lanchester add a lot of quirky flavor as Gillian's spell casting family. Fast pacing, clever writing, great costumes and fabulous eye-popping technicolor make this a film worth watching over and over. It's sure to cast a spell on you too.

If watching unpredictable films are your cup of tea, Bell, Book and Candle is the one to watch. The teaming of James Stewart and Kim Novak is excellent. The supporting roles from Elsie Manchester and Jack Lemmon bring a touch of comedy to the movie. And the sloppiness of Ernie Kovacs as the snooping author brings dimension to the story.

A scene at the Zodiac Club where Lemmon bangs on the bongos with his combo brought the atmosphere of the counterculture of the late 1950s in Greenwich Village. It was hilarious when the band blared their tune of "Stormy Weather" and speeded it up in front of James Stewart's character's fiance. You could feel the tension between Kim Novak and the woman since Novak's character was a witch, and was falling for Shep(Stewart) she got Nickie(Lemmon) to get the band to annoy Novak's rival. I thought this scene stood out.

Though some make think the movie is outdated, it is not at all. I loved the wintery street scenes of New York during Christmas time and the swurling colors of purple, pink,and green throughtout the film. The soundtrack was good too.

An excellent romance film, but also a film of relationships of characters from different worlds.

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Shepherd "Shep" Henderson (Jimmy Stewart) is a nice, normal, everyday kind of guy. He is a publisher with everyday problems and works in an everyday kind of office. His fiancé, on the other hand, is much less than everyday, being the beautiful, and slightly obnoxious, Merle Kittridge (Janice Rule). When Shep's neighbor Gilliam "Gil" Holroyd (the always stunning Kim Novak) becomes irked with Merle, she decides to cast a spell on Shep to make him fall in love with her. Be careful what you ask for, sometimes you get it.

At the beginning of this movie Merle acts in a way that makes the audience generally dislike her. While we have yet to like Gil, we know that Merle is a manipulator. Thus, we find it easy to accept what Gil does to Shep and indirectly to Merle. Unfortunately for Gil, the more she is around Shep, the more she grows to like, and then love him. Of course, there is the inevitable heart breaking scene when Shep discovers, and believes, that she is a witch. There are moments near the end of the movie where you want the two to get together, but you wonder whether it can possibly happen. Kim Novak's Gil is perfectly played in the closing moments, where all of us want to smack Shep and tell him to wake up to the fact that Gil truly loves him and that love has changed her forever.

This movie features an excellent cast of supporting characters. Jack Lemmon is Gil's brother Nicky Holroyd. Nicky is the kind of warlock who enjoys doing little things, such as turning lights off and on, and tricking people. However, Nicky is humorously harmless. Hermione Gingold is Bianca de Passe, a rival witch to Gil, who has a more traditional approach to witch craft that appears relatively old-fashioned compared to Gil's modern sophistication. Shep turns to Bianca to help remove the spell Gil has cast on him. Elsa Lanchester is Queenie, a slightly bumbling witch who admires, assists and may be slightly afraid of Gil. Ernie Kovacs is writer Sidney Ridlitch who has been working with Nicky on a book about witches. Gil will never allow the book to be published, so the scenes with Sidney are an exercise in humor and futility.

Then there is Pyewacket the cat, Gil's familiar. The name comes from an interrogation by witch finder Matthew Hopkins in England during the 17th century. The name seemed to fit witches' cats, and other such cats have been name Pyewacket since, though Hopkins did not record what kind of animal Pyewacket was to have been.

The words "Bell, Book and Candle" refer to an exorcism. The movie opens with striking the bell, opening the book, and lighting the candle. The movie ends with striking the bell, closing the book, and blowing out the candle, which is supposed to be how to remove a witch's powers.

This movie was Jimmy Stewart's last appearance as a romantic lead. His costars were getting younger, with some half his age, and Jimmy felt the pairing was inappropriate. For the final third of his career he played father figures or average Joes.

"Bell, Book and Candle" is a charming romantic comedy that is interesting from several viewpoints. It is an interesting artifact of sophisticated New York, and the highly idealized way New York society appeared to be in the 1950's. The treatment of witches is somewhat different from other portrayals, where witches are often old hags bent over a cauldron in a smelly cave or broken-down hovel. The hip Zodiac Club had avant-garde music with a strong beatnik flavor. Few movies captured the essence of the beatnik style, with this movie being one of them. Jack Kerouac could easily have been in the audience.

This movie is a winner that showcases Kim Novak's talents even more than Jimmy Stewart's. Most of the movie is lightly humorous, but the end of the movie is emotionally powerful as Kim Novak's emotional performance pushes the light comedy aside. This movie is a wonderful treat from an era when sophistication still meant high style, and we could still be amazed by happy endings even when we expected them.

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This is a delightful film with Jimmy Steward and Kim Novak that tells story of a family of witches in modern day (1950s) America. Kim Novak is the aloof young witch who makes it her task to take Stewart away from his snooty girlfriend who just happens to be an ex-college friend of Novak's. Casting a spell over Stewart is initially easy but Novak soon falls foul of her own powers when her act of revenge becomes an act of real love for her hapless victim. Unfortunately witches who fall in love, loose their powers, and Novak soon finds she can no longer control her cat familiar Pyewacket who is the source of her powers. This causes her real heartaches as she strives to gain Stewart's love by mortal means and there are many rib ticklingly funny moments as the young witch learns that human love can be painful as it is wonderful. Jack Lemmon in one of his earlier roles plays her nutty but likable Warlock brother who spends most of his time in a nightclub banging out funky rhythms on his bongo drums and Ernie Kovics is great as an eccentric author drawn into the plot by his interest in the supernatural. This is a gentle fun film that sparkles even forty years on, with its wry wit, superb photography and cracklingly good music score that has your feet tapping long after the film has ended. Well worth watching if you like a romantic, supernatural comedy.

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A few months after they made 'Vertigo' together, Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart made 'Bell, Book and Candle.' Two movies could hardly be more dissimilar, but this one shines as brightly as the Hitchcock film, in a very different way.

Kim's a witch, and Jimmy's a publisher with whom she falls in love. Complications set in when it becomes obvious that Kim is becoming humanised by the experience, and is beginning to lose her witchly powers. Will she give them up? Of course she will, but not without a fightand it's the battle that's such comic fun to watch.

'Vertigo'in a class by itselfaside, this is Novak's most complete and engaging performance. She's gorgeous, she's funny, and she's a woman you'll remember for a long time. It probably helped that she'd learned to adore and respect Jimmy Stewart when they worked for Hitchcock; her comfort level with him is highly evident. It probably also helped that she was doing her first Columbia film after the death of her boss and nemesis, Harry Cohn. Kim was calling a lot of shots on this one, and you can see her blossoming. Her touch is perhaps most evident in her spectacular Jean Louis wardrobe; her most beautiful dress is severely high-necked in front, but completely backless. It's a WOMAN's idea of sexy, not Harry Cohn's, whose tastes ran more to the frontless.

Stewart's impeccable touch with comedy is every bit as awe-inspiring as his dramatic work for Hitchcock. How did one actor get so much talent? He's backed up with a terrific supporting cast, too. Hermione Gingold and Elsa Lanchester are two witches, Jack Lemmon is Kim's warlock brother, and Ernie Kovacs is a tippling writer trying to sell Jimmy an idea. Lemmon is especially good here; this movie was one of the performances that made him a star.

The George Duning score is one of the chief delights of 1950's film; it's what we think Kerouac-era beatnik jazz wasand probably wasn't. Jazz fans will recognise the playing of Pete and Conte Candoli, hired specially for this movie, in the combo playing in the Zodiac nightclub Kim uses for a hangout. For those who appreciate truly esoteric performances, there's also French singer Philippe Clay performing his famous "Assassine", with Hermione Gingold providing a hilariousand accuratetranslation. One of the few disappointments around 'Bell, Book and Candle' is the fact that its soundtrack is not currently available, despite the enormous popularity of the old LP version-used copies sell for a fortune. Rhino owns the rights, I believe, and they could do a lot worse than to do a CD release (hint, hint).

From its witty openingfull of a king's ransom worth of African and Oceanic art used to symbolise the cast members in the title sequenceto its end, this one is sheer elegant delight. At the film's close, Kim gives up her powers in favour of her romance with Stewart, and I've heard a few people say that maybe that was a 1950's cop-out. I see it differentlyall her friends want her to be a witch, and Kim chooses what she wants instead of meeting anyone else's expectations. The power of choice trumps mere black magic, and that, to me, is as it should be.

What you should choose is to see this charming artifact of a time when Hollywood still knew what it was doing. "Bell, Book and Candle" has gorgeous people, places and things, it's got wit and heart, and it effortlessly merges art both high and low. See it as soon as you canyou'll be very glad you did.

Essentials-Champions Blu-ray Presented By Drum Corps International

If you're looking for a primer on what drum corps was in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and now, this is a great collection to track the evolution of the activity. Sound and video-quality wise, it's pretty close to the DVDs, but this particular collection is only available on Blu-Ray.

Live Worlds on Fire (2011)

For the last year or so I've had The Prodigy's set from Radio 1's Big Weekend (2009, you can find it on the Internets) in heavy rotation. Great energy, Radio 1 did a stellar job with the audio quality (awesome bass) and in general the only thing I could have asked for was either a longer recording or to be there.

Enter Worlds on Fire I'm still several thousand miles away, but after watching the DVD for the first time (very, very loudly) I feel like I just walked out of the last venue I saw the band in. The video does have the MTV-style edits, but the camera angles, framing and really superb editing just comes together so very well. It's one thing to hear Weather Experience...it's quite another to see Milton Keynes pulsing with lasers while the synths play that melody. Man I just want to sit watching the DVD all night! Yeah, there's a standard-def camera on the drum set, but can ya expect them to be putting a pricey camera there when the guitarist is bent on destroying the drum kit towards the end of the night??

One warning you're not buying this for the CD. You're buying this for the DVD or Bluray. The CD is good, but just good. I think they could have done a better job with the downmix from 5.1 to stereo...they've lost some of the presence, vocals sit on top of the music, sounding like they were just slapped on top of a studio recording of the music.

Liam, Maxim, Keith and Paul Dugdale thanks for an awesome release!

Some electronic-type artists do a fantastic job translating the studio music to live shows. Great examples of live CD's where artists have tweaked the album experience for the better have been Daft Punk and Justice. While Prodigy thinks they're doing it here, the actual live components of the entire act only slightly improve the album experiences.

I expected a masterpiece as I always do when Liam is involved. I expected him to come out with some crazy revisions and new basslines to some of the tracks. With the exceptions of "Thunder" and adding a beat to parts of "Firestarter" it's pretty void of tweaks. I do like that they added the live percussion and guitar for the live shows. As previous reviews have said, the show contained no tracks from "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned". Most of the focus is on "Invaders Must Die", as it should be.

Maxim pretty much carries the show and works to maintain a good energy on stage and with the crowd. I realize it's a concert, but I'm not sure what 200 "F-Bombs" add to the show. It made Maxim look silly after awhile, not "hardcore" or whatever he was trying to do. Keith didn't add much but shaking his hips. I don't know what's going on there.

As much as I want to give the CD/DVD five stars, I can think of better live performances by groups of similar styles and genres. The DVD 5.1 is the best experience. The audio of it is excellent!

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The music is great. The film-production is horrible. This is a missed opportunity for what could have been a great Blu-ray. I was really looking forward to watching this, but once I saw the film-editing technique used during the first song,I thought 'Oh my God! I hope they don't do this during the entire video!'

Alas, they did. The entire video is constant camera shake and bounce from camera to camera, so fast, it makes it unwatchable. What possessed them to do this? Did they not realize how much better their video would be without the camera bounce? I wish there was an option to watch this without the constant camera bounce. It's as if they change camera angles to match the tempo of the music, i.e. fast and frequent. It's absurd. There are long periods of time in the video, where they do not hold the same camera angle for more than half a second. The Prodigy are too good of a band to be taken in by such a ridiculous method of film production. That's why I consider this a missed opportunity, because the material is there to make a great video, perhaps one of the best Blu-ray concert videos available. instead, they chose to go with the camera bounce, which makes it virtually unwatchable. A Big Disappointment!

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Having seen Prodigy in concert at the Ultra Festival in Miami I had an idea of what to expect on this DVD. This DVD far surpasses my expectations. For starters I am not a fan of Music Video DVD's that have quick cuts to different camera views ever 3 seconds or less. It gets annoying and detracts from the performance. On this DVD the editors have not only used this style, but put it on steroids with shaky camera effects, and rapid fire camera cuts. Somehow, in this case it just works. I can honestly say the producers wanted to do their best to try and translate the energy of the live performance to video and they have done so. Try to watch this without dancing or at least bobbing your head. Try to watch this without cranking the volume, go ahead I dare you! I actually enjoyed this more than the concert since I had a better view and did not have to deal with moshing and not being able to see, etc. I purchased the DVD version (not Blu-ray) but the quality is excellent. This is a very nice package containing the full concert on both CD and DVD plus additional bonus videos taken from various shows on the tour.

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OK people, this review is for the Blu-Ray version of Worlds On Fire LIVE. The first thing I will say is that this package comes both with the Audio CD of Warriors Dance Festival live performance on 7.24.2010 and it is awesome!!! The Blu-Ray contains Warriors Dance Festival as well as Invaders Alive. If you are a Prodigy fan and love the Invaders, Omen, Voodoo, Smack my..., Colours, Firestarter, etc. like I do, you will love this live album. You will immediately love the additions and changes they made to the beat. Some of the songs have added electronics beat sounds to the album versions of the songs and the live drums and guitar is awesome. Listen to a sample of the songs, you'll see what I mean. The Invaders Alive is a compilation of performances they have done around the world, England, Brazil, Ireland, Scotland, France, etc. and you'll get an idea on how funny these guys are! Sort of like outtakes with music.. Hope this helps. BUY IT!!

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TT Isle of Man 2011 Official Review Blu-Ray (2011)

If you dont own an Isle of Man TT blu-ray set, it is definitely worth the money. Especially if you ride ;) I watched this on our 55" LED and you really get a feel for how nuts these guys are and how dangerous this really is. The sound is great, commentary is great, and makes me want to attend one of these events.

I used to own an R1 and I did some crazy things on that bike, but these guys are the studs. Great extra features too.

A more polished review than the 2010 Blu ray. Covers all the important stuff once again the crahes arent covered though.

Recommended

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awesome viewing if you're a moto race fan. the shots consist of a lot of on-board dash cam and helicopter camera. only gripe would be that it does not have enough actually race scenes and too much non action scenes.

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I LOVE the Isle of Man TT races & hope to be able to attend one someday but until then these DVD's are a great substitute! You get to see hours & hours of great footage from the race! Plan on buying the 2012 one ASAP!

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It's in human nature to be a collector; we start from marbels, stamps, toys etc. If you are a devoted motorcyclist this is not the exeption.. This oustanding DVD has it all; full coverage of the 37.4 miles of Isle of Man, in board, aerial, infrared. It will put you on the rider sit at 200 mi/hr laps. Different winners in different classes. Remember if it's in you, you can never get enough.. you'll be coming back for more!!

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Think Like a Man (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012)

It's always fun when the tables are turned on connivers! Advertised like a Chick Flick, I was delighted to hear the most uproarious laughter was coming from the many men in the audience. This predictable, crowd-pleasing comedy is based on thrice-married Steve Harvey's best-selling book "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy and Commitment."

After scenes which establish five male stereotypes: Dreamer, Player, Commitment Phobe, Mama's Boy, and Divorcé, we then meet their female counterparts: Career Woman, Twice-burned Single, Wanna-be Wife, Single Mom, and Divorcée. These women discover Mr. Harvey's best seller which gives them insight into how men think. They quickly modify their behavior, which enables them to ensnare their guys. This works fine until the men tumble to the scheme and decide to fight fire with fire.

You should recognize many of these names:

* Steve Harvey ("Madea Goes to Jail") plays himself, a successful self-help author.

* Michael Ealy ("For Colored Girls") is an oft-employed dreamer. He's between jobs right now...

* Taraji P. Henson ("Larry Crowne") is the career woman. She wants a résumé along with long-term goals from any prospective date.

* Romany Malco ("A Little Bit of Heaven") is a smooth operator. It's fun to watch this guy in action.

* Meagan Good ("Jumping the Broom") is ready to try the ninetyday trial period...IF she can last that long!

* Jerry Ferrera ("Entourage") is an overgrown boy. Why give up that old couch and those video games when he has such a nice woman to support him?

* Gabrielle Union ("Good Deeds") has lived with her guy for years; she really wants to get married.

* Terrence Jenkins ("Burlesque") knows his mother will look out for him. She makes sure he doesn't date anyone who might not measure up to HER standards.

* Regina Hall ("Death at a Funeral") already has ONE boy to raise, she doesn't need a second one.

* Kevin Hart ("Exit Strategy") is the divorcé. He knows three rings: An engagement ring, a wedding ring, and suffer ring.

* Wendy Williams (lots of TV) has all three of those rings (see above).

Attractive stars, an intriguing premise and a funny script make for a rollicking PG-13 skirmish in the battle of the sexes. Amazon.com will notify me when it's available on DVD.

A group of men who are all friends are at varying degrees of relationship status with women. They soon find that their ladies are manipulating the men in their lives using a book that was written for women who are having relationship problems. The men then turn the tables on them by using the information in the book to their own advantage. This all may sound devious, but it is in fact quite funny. An attractive cast of actors and actresses make this romantic-comedy well worth seeing, providing a lot of laughs and relationship situations that many of us may be familiar with. The results may be predictable, but the route that takes us there is funny and entertaining.

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The beginning of the film started off a little rocky to me mainly because the trailers showed so many good joking scenes so when they appeared in the film, I didn't really get to enjoy the laugh. Women complained about men. Men complained about women. I LOVE Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy, and I've just gotten more hip to Romany Malco after hearing him on "The Breakfast Club" (saw "40-Year-Old Virgin" but I couldn't have told you his name by heart up until that interview). And as much as I enjoy watching Taraji Henson act (her hair looked GREAT in the film), respect La La Anthony and Gabrielle Union, Regina Hall was who I wanted to see most on the women's side mainly because she was absolutely hilarious in the Style Magazine interview. Her comedic face and timing are way underrated and not taken advantage of in this film. But with that said, this turned out to be a great film for reasons I didn't expect.

1) I had no idea Morris Chestnut was even in the film. (Spoiler alert: I have been on that Morris-Chestnut-date. It is the WORST so I buried my head reliving it while watching this movie.)

2) Michael Ealy and Taraji Henson had some seriously juicy makeout scenes. They weren't as memorable as the one with Halle Berry in "Their Eyes Were Watching God," but there was definitely tongue action involved. Two hot people in a hot scene made for great "Oooh, look at them!" moments.

3) Kevin Hart (If I need to explain anything past his name, you need to do some comedic research. Everything about Kevin Hart in this movie was great.) And my gawd, his wife...I was NOT expecting her to be in the film either, but those two are almost equally nuts.

4) Jerry Ferrara is someone I didn't know before this film and I probably wouldn't have put him and Gabrielle Union together, but those two were too cute on film. I got the impression he was shorter than her, but those two were the second most fun couple to watch.

5) I was really impressed with Terrence J.'s acting. I saw "Stomp the Yard 2" and thought it was terrible, but in this movie, he did a great job. Jenifer Lewis is going to bring out anybody's personality when she's next to him, but Terrence J. held his own all by himself.

6) The guest appearances from some major stars like Kelly Rowland, Chris Brown and Arielle Kebbel were fun to see. Kelly impressed me with her acting. I already knew Chris Brown was a very good actor. And I'm a HUGE "The Vampire Diaries" fan so anything with Arielle Kebbel in it is going to make me happy to see her. You'll also see some pop-up appearances from other popular comedians like Tony Rock, Bruce Bruce and Luenell.

Steve Harvey wasn't kidding when he said some of everybody was in this film. There are cameos everywhere, but they all make sense. People are really playing parts, not just thrown in to say "look, I'm a celeb and I'm in this movie, too." Fellas will go for the comedy and the beautiful women (love Meagan Good's hair, too). Ladies will go to crack up laughing at Kevin Hart and point out which one of the women they are FROM Steve Harvey's book. Or, they'll applaud the guys for making fun of the book (there are two extreme sets of readers for this book). Either way it goes, it's a great film and I like the way it ended, including that Morris Chestnut date that was too close to home (for me).

Read Best Reviews of Think Like a Man (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012) Here

"There is no such thing as a perfect man." Four male friends think they have it made. The all have great girlfriends who make them happy. Four female friends all think that they have the worst relationship. When Steve Harvey writes a book for women about how they should act the tables in the relationship turn. The men think they find an answer, but like most everything we do that backfires. I have to admit that I am not usually a fan of these types of movies. Without sounding racist I am not a fan of the Tyler Perry movies (even though this isn't one) and this just looked way to girly for me. I can't believe how wrong I was. While the movie is formulaic and predictable it is still very funny and really entertaining. There were a few parts in this that I laughed really hard at and when it was over I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. While this is, and should be, considered a chick-flick this is one of the "girl movies" that I liked and I think most men will like it too. Don't base you seeing this or not off of past movies like this. This is much better then I expected. Overall, very funny and much better then I expected. I surprisingly give this an A-...I know.

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I thought the movie was great! I read the book and thought that the acting really brought the book to life. The actors were great and I loved the chemistry between Michael Ealy and Taraji P. Henson. This is a romantic comedy and like all movies in that genre its cheesy and predictable. If you are looking for anything more you will be disappointed. But none the less, I thought it was great. The only thing I disliked about the film is Kevin Hart's character's use of "GD" multiple times. Amazon will notify me when the movie is available and I will be buying it on its release date!! :)

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