NFL Super Bowl XLVII Champions: 2012 Baltimore Ravens

The 1080 on this is visually stunning. It looks as though the football players are right there with you. I love the special features section. I just wish they would of made it a bit longer in the segments. But overall, if you are a Ravens fan it is a must for your collection. Nice to put this one next to the 2000 Superbowl set which is only available on DVD. It does show segments for mic'd up as well as best shots (hits between players) during the 12 season.

This game was about to be a blowout until the power went out, then SF made it a close game that came down to the wire. Bizarre to lose power during the biggest sporting event of the year, but in the end the Ravens prevailed. In the aftermath, San Francisco fans have proven themselves to be the biggest group of bitter crybabies that I've ever seen from an NFL fanbase. Every fanbase cries "refs" at some point, but I've never seen it to this degree.

The non-call on Jimmy Smith nearly committing a holding penalty against Crabtree on San Francisco's final drive on 4th & 5 is their sticking point, however 49ers fans conveniently forget that in the NFC Championship game 2 weeks before the Super Bowl, NaVarro Bowman committed the same exact penalty (more blatant, actually) on Roddy White during the Falcons final drive to try to win that game, and that also did not get called and ultimately resulted in the 49ers winning and advancing to the Super Bowl (see link below). So if any Niners fans actually think that the Ravens "didn't really win" the Super Bowl based on that non-call, then they must also believe that the 49ers shouldn't have even been playing in it because the refs should have also called Bowman's penalty in the NFC Championship game, in which case the Ravens would likely have played the Falcons in the Super Bowl. Basically, most 49ers fans are either crybabies or hypocrites. It's a shame too because I used to respect the 49ers and assumed their fanbase was also respectable, but that's gone out the window in the past week.

Here's Bowman's hold on Roddy, for reference once you've watched this DVD:

Anyway, this was a great game that was fun to watch right down to the final minute.

Ryan

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I'm a pretty solid Ravens fan. I'm sure everyone who purchases this is as well. I just have to let people know what this is before they buy it.

If you are a casual fan you may enjoy this. It summarizes the season pretty well and gives the main events of the season. Almost like a 'cliff notes' of last season by someone who isn't particularly passionate about the Ravens.

If you are a pretty solid fan, you may want to purchase this just for memory's sake, but the film itself is nothing new. If you've followed the season, watched all the post/pre-game interviews, followed all the story lines, read all the articles on the ravens website, you won't see anything exclusive in this film.

In fact, I'm not sure but I feel that this was produced by the "NFL" not the Ravens organization and it really shows. It doesn't bleed purple and black like I thought it would. It failed to capture the high emotions of the playoffs, even the Broncos game which in my opinion was one of the best/emotionally back and forth games I've seen in a long time. They didn't even show the Ray Lewis dance after the Indy game which was a huge disappointment.

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Quality looks awesome on blu-ray. This was a great season for the Ravens and they deserved to win this Super Bowl.

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Nobody thought they could do it, but the Ravens won their second superbowl on Feb. 3rd 2013. This blu ray is a film documenting their run in the postseason. Great film. Congrats Ray Lewis!

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Porky's (1982)

Porkys'

Distributor: 20th Century Fox (US)

Somewhat unbelievably it's been 30 years since Bob Clark's riotous comedy hit Porky's ruled the teen comedy movie circuit. Set in the 1950's, the film charts the usual round of high school jerks who's sole purpose in life is fun, basketball and of course getting laid.

Giving rise to countless scenes of hilarity, the boys from Angel Beach High move from one sticky situation to the next providing some genuinely funny moments which still stand up all these years later.

Fans of the movie have always had their favourite stand out moments and there is certainly no shortage to choose from with the stand out scene being the girls school shower room antics where one of the gang actually gets a lot more than he bargained for. Although the film does contains the occasional semi serious moment there are plenty of laughs to be had and enough unique ideas along the way to keep the pace fresh thanks to some decent scripting and a cast that work seamlessly well together, which is ultimately what has helped to keep this film alive and standing above all its competitors over the years.

Released as a region A locked Walmart exclusive, the film is presented with a 1080p 1.85:1 transfer which considering the low budget origins of the movie actually looks fairly strong. Detail is sharp especially during close up and outdoor scenes, colours and black levels look natural and it's safe to say Porky's has never looked better. Admittedly the transfer will never compete with modern day releases but if you are a fan of the film and used to the previous DVD transfers you are certain to notice the increase in quality with this Blu-ray release.

Audio is presented with a DTS mono track which basically delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Dialogue is clear without any distortion and the few sound effects scattered throughout the film also come across as well defined. The soundtrack overall provides all you really need for a movie of this type and should not command any complaints from collectors, especially given the new sense of clarity provided.

Extras for this release comprise of a recycled audio commentary with the films director Bob Clark, some extended non cast interview segments and the original trailer and TV spots. It is however a real missed opportunity that none of the films original cast were approached and interviewed for this release as any recollections all these years later would have been most interesting to observe. In an ideal world, a full cast commentary with the surviving actors would have provided a unique feature and reason in itself to justify a purchase. Sadly however this wasn't to be and for its 30th anniversary Porky's really should have commanded a lot more effort as far as extras are concerned.

All things considered then, Porky's is one teen comedy hit that simply never gets old. The film was followed by two sequels both featuring most of the original cast and although neither one being up to the standard of the original were both once again great fun filled movies that at least had decent stories to tell. It is slightly surprising then that the entire trilogy was not released together on Blu-ray as per the prior DVD releases, however if the sales for the first movie are good, hopefully the sequels will follow. Until then we will simply have to make do with the first installment of the trilogy however as far as teen comedies goes what better place to start?

So as the saying goes kick back, relax and return once again to Angel Beach High School, to a time when life was simple, pranks were plentiful, and if you looked hard enough, trouble was always waiting to find you at every given opportunity.

Blu Review Obscura for reviews of the less mainstream Blu-ray releases find us at blureviewobscura.yolasite.com and have your say at our discussion group on Facebook

Porky's is the funniest movie I've ever seen. I've seen it dozens of times and it never fails to crack me up. It's a coming of age movie like no other. Highly recommended.

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Having watched Porky's as a teenager in the 80's, this movie was considered outrageous at the time. Critics thought it was the worst movie since the invention of film, but I and many other fans loved it. Dirty sexual humor with hard up teens in the 50's trying to get into the raunchy bar called Porky's. To this day, I still remember the cast of characters that made this movie so funny, Peewee, Lassie, Miss Ballbricker aka Ballbreaker, and Tommy Turner. Maybe a little dated and low budget as compared to movies these days, but this movie still makes me laugh. This movie is not for the easily embarrassed or offended as this crosses the line in multiple ways, definitely a classic from the 80's.

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Funny to see this old movie . Mrs Ballbreaker in the principals office is probably one of the funniest parts

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love the movie love the price love hot guys in shower room ohh la la OH and the transfer to blu ray? just ok

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A Passage to India (1984)

This is a magnificent and exquisitely wrought film, well nuanced and faithful in its adaptation of E.M. Forster's classic novel of the same name. Director David Lean, who had previously directed such cinematic triumphs as "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia", outdid himself with this film, which was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and for which Peggy Ashcroft won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as did Maurice Jarre for Best Score.

Set in 1928 colonial India, it is a story about racism and love. A headstrong and adventurous Englishwoman, Adela Quested (Judy Davis) travels to India to meet her fiance. She is accompanied on her journey by her fiance's elderly mother, Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft), a lovely and kindly woman who, upon reaching India, is appalled at the treatment of the native Indian populace by her own countrymen. She eventually makes the acquaintance of a very nice Indian man, Dr. Aziz (Victor Banerjee), who is surprised at being treated as a sentient human being by this Englishwoman. During a social ocassion, in which the usual class boundaries were set aside, he again meets the delightful Mrs. Moore and is introduced to Adela Quested. Enthused by being treated as an equal, he gets carried away and invites them to be his guests on an excursion he can ill afford to a well known, but remote tourist spot, the Marabar caves.

It is a hot day and a long journey to these mysterious caves, and Dr. Aziz and Ms. Quested are thrown together more than they ordinarily would have been, setting the stage for a fateful and strange turn of events, one that would have great personal, as well as political, impact on the parties concerned. It is a collision of East and West and makes for a definitive statement about the nature of the relationship between the native Indian population and the British colonialists. It is a relationship that makes itself most manifest during the telling courtroom scenes, making it a film to be remembered.

This is a very well acted and compelling film, a sterling tribute to David Lean's directorial talents. In this, his last cinematic triumph, Lean leaves a legacy to be remembered, having exacted wonderful performances from the star studded cast, including James Fox, Alec Guinness, and Nigel Havers. Victor Banerjee is especially compelling as the put upon, well meaning Dr. Aziz, while Peggy Ashcroft gives a sensitive and well nuanced performance as the humane and soft hearted Mrs. Moore. Judy Davis is excellent as the conflicted Ms. Quested.

The DVD itself is first rate, offering crystal clear visuals that do justice to the breathtaking cinematography. Coupled with crisp sound, this DVD ensures one's viewing pleasure. It is one well worth having in one's collection.

When David Lean's "A Passage to India" opened in 1984, some saw it as a showdown between the glory days of literate epic filmmaking and the "feel-good" ethos of the Lucas/Spielberg popcorn juggernauts. Who better than the director of "Lawrence of Arabia," "Doctor Zhivago" and "Bridge on the River Kwai" to show the film school grads how to make a movie? As always, anything burdened by such mythic expectations is bound to fail ("Phantom Menace" anyone?) Sadly, I joined the chorus of detractors lamenting "Passage" as a poor shadow of the "Leanscapes" that catapulted "Lawrence" and "Zhivago" into film history.

Amazing how age softens perspective. A fresh viewing of "Passage," courtesy of Columbia TriStar Home Video's new DVD, reveals an eloquent adaptation of E.M. Forster's complex novel about British colonialism in 1928 India and the cultural and sensual abysses that separate men and women, English and Indian, sensualist and ascetic.



"Passage" tells the story of Adela Quested (Judy Davis) en route to India to visit her fiancé, Ronny Heslop (Nigel Havers). Traveling with Heslop's mother, Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft, in an Oscar-winning performance), Adela arrives in the city of Chandrapore to find an alien environment, yet evocative in a way she cannot fathom. Mrs. Moore is similarly captivated by India, but is less than admiring of the treatment of the Indians by their colonial masters, i.e. her peers. One night, Mrs. Moore visits an abandoned mosque. There, she encounters local physician Dr. Aziz (Victor Banerjee). At first he charges her with blasphemy, entering a holy place improperly. When she assures him that she showed due respect by removing her shoes before entering, the two strike a friendship that might signal some understanding between the two cultures.

At a lunch party given by British teacher Richard Fielding (James Fox), who does not share his countrymen's disrespect for India, Adela meets Aziz for the first time while Mrs. Moore and Fielding converse about metaphysics with Professor Godbole (Alec Guinness, donning yet another disguise for Lean), a Brahmin mystic. Adela is fascinated by Aziz's juggling of their two societies. In an effort to impress Adela and fit in as more of an Englishman, Aziz impulsively calls for an expedition to the mysterious Marabar caves outside town.



What at first seems (to both sides) a breach of etiquette turns sinister when Aziz is accused by Adela of attempting to rape her during a visit to one of the caves. Now seen as a political tool by both sides, Aziz's trial threatens to escalate resentment into outright bloodshed. As everyone tries to solve the riddle of what really happened, Aziz and Adela must find some way to break away from the societal and cultural maelstroms threatening their freedom.

Adhering closely to the Forster novel, Lean's screenplay adaptation finds greater interest (and rightly so) in the circumstances that led to the incident as well as the aftermath. Davis' Adela is repressed and cloistered comfortably within British society. Both Aziz and India arouses her, awakening sensual feelings capable of enlightenment...or destruction. Lean visualizes this conflict with a scene not in the book. When Adela goes bicycling outside the city (Chapter 8), she comes across the ruins of an ancient temple. Almost voyeur-like, she spies the numerous statues of couples having sex. Adela herself almost reaches a fever pitch when wild monkeys literally expel her from their feral sanctuary. The lack of respect that Adela showed in her judgment is a direct contrast to Mrs. Moore's deference when she enters the mosque and meets Aziz. Yet Lean gave us the conflict in purely visual terms, no less grand than the match-to-sunrise jump cut in "Lawrence" or the endless icy tundras of "Zhivago. "Passage" proved a worthy valediction to Lean's career. Between directing, scripting and editing the film, we see Lean in complete command in his storytelling faculties. Even the final scene, straight out of the book, works better in the film than on the page.



The transfer also succeeds on every level. The 1.85 anamorphic image is rock solid and sharp throughout the presentation. (Politics at the time forced Lean to shoot the film in the more TV-friendly 1.85 aspect ratio instead of the wider 2.35 Cinemascope format. Back in 1984, this compromise seemed outrageous. Again, after watching the film, I found Lean's "flat" framing just as carefully composed as anything on his ultra-wide canvas.) The source materials are in terrific shape, as there are no blemishes and defects visible. Colors are rich and vivid but natural. Deep blacks and careful contrast control provide excellent detail delineation. Digital and compression artifacts are completely absent.

The Dolby Surround audio plays adequately; to be expected as the sound mix is not particularly flashy to begin with. Maurice Jarre's score, which weaves Hindu music with Cole Porter-esque rhythm, never overpowers the dialogue or sound effects. Surround channel activity is relegated primarily to music fill. French and Spanish mono tracks are also available on the disc.

The main perk of the special features is a section entitled "Reflections on David Lean." While the title implies a testimonial to David by his peers, it's actually an eight-minute collection of soundbites, shot on video, from David about the making of "Passage" and some thoughts about such collaborators as William Holden and Alec Guinness. There's no identification of the source or circumstances of the observations, but he's never less than fascinating when talking about the difficulties of shooting in India or how Forster wouldn't let grant the movie rights because he "distrusted filmmaking."



Trailers from "Lawrence of Arabia," "Bridge on the River Kwai," and "Guns of Navarone" appear on the disc, mirroring the same trailers available on the "Lawrence" DVD. Again, no "Passage" trailer (Did Columbia not create one back in '84?) The trailers are letterboxed with decent audio and video.

Check out "A Passage to India." A thoughtful, quiet gem awaits you.

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Very interesting examination of English and Indian attitudes about themselves and each other in 1920's India. The English that reside in India may start off as decent folk with the feeling that they are in the business of improving India and some are. Most however merely see the India venture as an employment opportunity and once there merely carry on being English and force their English ways and rules on Indians whom they demean in the process. Lean presents the stereotypical English administrators and their wives as a rather unappealing bunch of snobs who only become more prejudice the longer they stay on. India is seen by them to be a muddle in need of their administrative and civilizing skills. The Indians of course see things quite differently. British snobbery and decorum prevents any social mixing with the Indians they rule so its no surprise they don't understand the people whose country they are in.

Judy Davis and her fiances mother arrive in India and find the stringent social norms to be revolting. They immediately want to meet Indians and learn about the place they are in from the Indians whom they treat like polite hosts. When they do begin socializing with the Indians however trouble follows. The incident in the Marabar caves is brought on by the uneasy combination of English repression and Indian sensuality which is everywhere on display in the temples and statuary. The "incident" is the central mystery to the movie and I won't spoil it for you but during the trial that follows the true nature of the relationship between the ruling English and the subject race is made painstakingly clear to all. Excellent and competent and compressed presentation of the Forster novel which also relies on a stage version of the book. Many ripe lines throughout that stay in your mind and crystallise each characters personality as well as the overall situation quite succinctly. And as always with Lean great views from every window. Judy Davis is especially impressive as she can go from pale and mousy to red lipped seductress with just a slight change of expression and posture. Alec Guinnes plays "the inscrutable Brahmin" but the only thing inscrutable about him is that he is English and cast as a holy Indian, a misstep that wouldn't fly in todays politicized world. Other than that great cast. James Fox especially likable as the good teacher Fielding.

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Sometimes, what you don't see can be of equal importance to what you do see in a film. David Lean's film is no exception ... but more on that later.

A film of epic quality, it follows two travelers on their journey from England to India during the Raj colonial period of the 1920s. For Adela Quested, it's her first time out of England to anywhere. For Mrs. Moore, it's a chance to visit her son, Ronny, who is expected to marry Adela during the visit. But, their visit is not without incident.

What both Adela and Mrs. Moore discover is an India ruled by British bureaucrats (Ronny being one of them, a city magistrate) who exude personal and cultural superiority over Indians. This was a shock to them since they both expected to find Indians and Britons meeting socially and on friendly terms. The only exception to that rule appears to be Fielding, principal of a college.

Through Fielding, Adela is introduced to Professor Godbole (a Hindu holy man) and Dr. Aziz (a Muslim physician) socially. Mrs. Moore met Aziz in a previous scene but had not yet met Godbole until that moment. One note on that (a film flaw). During that mosque scene where Mrs. Moore meets Dr. Aziz, Aziz never once mentions his name to her ... yet later, Adela knows his name as mentioned to her by Mrs. Moore. Perhaps his name was mentioned in a brief scene that ended up on the cutting-room floor. But, that omission is trivial and in no way detracts from the enjoyment of the film.

During this social introduction, Aziz invites Mrs. Moore and Adela on a journey to the Marabar caves, a tourist destination. On the trip, and tired from all the activity, Mrs. Moore stays at the encampment near the lower caves and encourages Aziz and Adela to explore the higher caves alone.

Then, something happened ... and I won't tell you what (grin). Suffice it to say that Aziz finds himself in police custody. A court trial ensues that pits culture against culture, race against race, and clearly demonstrates the differences in attitudes between resident British citizens and Indians. But the trial's climax isn't the most moving part of the film. Lean has risen the film's denouement to a higher level ... one that leaves you smiling and crying at the same time. But what Lean does NOT mention in the film is equally interesting.

In today's world, India is beset by inter-sect angst between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and persons of other faiths. In theory, this inter-sect rivalry has been around since before India became a British colony. But, this rivalry was not mentioned once in the film. It is perhaps a testament to the novelist (E.M. Forster) and Lean to realize a potent underlying force in the story ... that British colonial rule held these rivalries in abeyance ... uniting Indians of all faiths into a common bond that eventually forced colonialism to end in India.

The film is a masterpiece on every level and remains one of my favorites of all time.

P.S. Closing comment to those (like me) who own region-free DVD players that render both PAL and NTSC DVDs. For some reason unknown to me, it's over $10 cheaper to buy the DVD from Amazon.co.uk than it is from Amazon.com ... even after overseas shipping is added in. That's where I ordered mine (from the UK).

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"Passage to India" was one of the greatest films produced in the Reagan era. It also happens to be the final film of one of cinema's most honered craftsmen, Sir David Lean, who is considered by many to be the greatest British director of all-time. This film may not be on the level of his other 70mm epics such as "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia" in terms of sweeping scope, but it more than holds its own. Produced in an era where apartheid in South Africa was the hot political issue, this film deals realistically with the occupation of the english in India. Not so much the political occupation, but how the two culture relate to each other through the eyes of the films two lead characters beautifully played by Judy Davis and Victor Banerjee. A film which does not give you the answers, but encourages you to draw your own conclusion in regards to the charcters (espeically Davis' Adela Quested) motivations. Now how does the DVD look? The transfer is beautiful, the best I've ever seen this film presented since it opened back in Dec, 1984. There are no distracting compression artifacts or nasty layer switches. The dolby stereo surround track is clear and ambient with no drop-outs, so a 5.1 upgrade would've been unnecessary for this film. If you enjoy striking visuals and English literature brought to vivid life through film, Passage is a must-have. My highest recommendation.

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The Searchers (2006)

Even if you've never seen John Ford's THE SEARCHERS, you will have, undoubtedly, seen a film that owes it's 'style' to the film. DANCES WITH WOLVES, THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES, UNFORGIVEN, JEREMIAH JOHNSON, and OPEN RANGE are just a few westerns that have 'borrowed' from it, but THE SEARCHERS' impact transcends the genre, itself; STAR WARS, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, THE LAST SAMURAI, even THE LORD OF THE RINGS have elements that can be traced back to Ford's 1956 'intimate' epic. When you add the fact that THE SEARCHERS also contains John Wayne's greatest performance to the film's merits, it becomes easy to see why it is on the short list of the greatest motion pictures ever made.

The plot is deceptively simple; after a Comanche raiding party massacres a family, taking the youngest daughter prisoner, her uncle, Ethan Edwards (Wayne), and adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), begin a long quest to try and rescue her. Over the course of years, a rich tapestry of characters and events unfold, as the nature of the pair's motives are revealed, and bigoted, bitter Edwards emerges as a twisted man bent on killing the 'tainted' white girl. Only Pawley's love of his 'sister' and determination to protect her stands in his way, making the film's climax, and Wayne's portrayal of Edwards, an unforgettable experience.

With all of Ford's unique 'touches' clearly in evidence (the doorways 'framing' the film's opening and conclusion, with a cave opening serving the same function at the film's climax; the extensive use of Monument Valley; and the nearly lurid palette of color highlighting key moments) and his reliance on his 'stock' company of players (Wayne, Ward Bond, John Qualen, Olive Carey, Harry Carey, Jr, Hank Worden, and Ken Curtis), the film marks the emergence of the 'mature' Ford, no longer deifying the innocence of the era, but dealing with it in human terms, where 'white men' were as capable of savagery as Indians, frequently with less justification.

Featuring 18-year old Natalie Wood in one of her first 'adult' roles, the sparkling Vera Miles as Pawley's love interest, Wayne's son Patrick in comic relief, and the harmonies of the Sons of the Pioneers accenting Max Steiner's rich score, THE SEARCHERS is a timeless movie experience that becomes richer with each viewing.

It is truly a masterpiece!

This is a review of the "Ultimate Collector's Edition," NOT a review of the film itself. If you're considering the purchase of a two-disc special edition, you probably already know that the film is great; you just want to know if this slick package is worth the pricetag.

In short, it's not. And let me be absolutely clear about one thing: I have known and loved this film for years. A few sequences look properly spectacular, but after watching this DVD on two separate (and high-quality) televisions, I'm amazed that all of the low-light scenes have been rendered almost completely dark. Like, too dark to tell what's even *happening*. For instance, the scene where Brad (Harry Carey, Jr.) runs off to his death, the scene where Marty's (Jeffrey Hunter's) "bride" is serving coffee along the river, and even the pre-dawn scenes leading up to the final storming of the Comanche camp, are utterly lost in the dark. By contrast, the bare-bones 1997 DVD release features noticeably richer colors in the daytime scenes and total clarity in the low-light scenes I've just mentioned. Don't waste your money on this special edition; you'll be much happier if you just shell out the $10.99 for the 1997 release.

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On this site there are over 100 fan-reviews of this movie, and many tell the plot in great detail, therefore, my reivew will be short and sweet. With the great John Ford directing, John Wayne starring, and a superb story line all this adds up to a 5-star movie if there ever was one! You cannot go wrong buying this DVD it delivers!

Now considered possibly the greatest weatern movie of all-time, "The Searchers" was panned by the critics of its day for being just another "ho-hum" John Wayne western. It took years, but modern critics and viewers now recognize it as an epic of western filmmaking that perhaps will never be topped. If I had to choose one movie that represented the best of the west, it is undoubtedly "The Searchers".

John Wayne gives his most intense acting performance as the dark and vengeful Ethan Edwards, who vows to kill the Commanche raiders that murdered his beloved sister-in-law, brother, and took captive two of their daughters. Wayne easily carries the film on his broad brooding shoulders, pursuing the Indians for over 5 years through summer and winter, ever relentless to see their chief, "Scar", dead, and his captive nieces rescued.

Director John Ford is at the height of his creative powers in directing this western masterpiece. He weaves so many different themes and levels of interpretation into the film, that one discovers something new with each viewing. It would take a small treatise to bring out all the subtle details.

Succinctly and to the point, "The Searchers" is a film that you will watch again and again, and love it each time a bit more. It is that absolute best in western filmmaking!

Jim Konedog Koenig

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"The Searchers" (1956) Anamorphic Widescreen DVD version is one of the best classic westerns ever made! Ranked in the American Film Institute's (AFI) top 100 movies of the last 100 years (1998). Having the best Western Director, John Ford partnering up with his favorite cowboy star, John Wayne can only be the beginning of a grand movie. Adding Widescreen Technicolor, the colorful Panoramic Monument Valley Utah (Ford's favorite western area to film), a fantastic musical score and top supporting cast leads us on one of the best filmed westerns ever!

Summary Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) is returning home to his only Brother & his family. After he and a posse of Texas Rangers (Lead by Ward Bond) were decoyed away by distant marauding Indians. The actual Indian raid was on remaining defenseless families left behind. Ethan's returned to find his Brothers family massacured all but his youngest niece, Debbie (played by Lana (younger)& Natalie Wood (older). His vengence takes him on a 5 year journey to recover her. Wayne is brilliant and proves he is a great actor.

"The Searchers" is a powerful 2 hour emotional rollercoaster ride. This movie will leave you with more respect of John Wayne's ability to act, Director John Ford's genius to tell a very complex story. Leaving us forever with a Great Western Classic! Enjoy.

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This HD-DVD version of The Searchers is stunning. Film quality. This transfer is so good that I am watching the movie over again beautiful frame by beautiful frame. Stunning. Stunning. Stunning. If you fancy yourself a movie buff, it's time to get your Toshiba HD-A1 and 1080p TV so you can watch this amazing movie in all its 1080p24 VistaVision glory. Stunning, I tell you!

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Metropolitan (The Criterion Collection) (1990)

This 1990 film by writer-director Whit Stillman is wonderfully refreshing and intelligent. It is sure to please audiences with a taste for the avant-garde or those just looking for something a little different.

The story follows a group of upper-crust New York preppies during the Christmas debutante season. These are kids for whom black-tie balls at the Plaza Hotel and charming little soirees in Park Avenue apartments are serious matters. They are the UHB-"urban haute bourgeoisie"-a social circle carrying out traditions so anachronistic as to seem alien; traditions, in fact, which were outdated before these characters were even born.

A middle class outsider and budding socialist named Tom Townsend (Edward Clements) happens into this elite group and briefly livens things up. He shocks them with his leftist rhetoric (he is a devotee of Fourier) and anti-deb outlook, but they nonetheless find themselves drawn to him. Tom finds a kindred spirit in the cynically fatalistic Nick (Christopher Eigeman). Nick is the most self-aware member of the inner circle and he provides comic relief with his devastating ongoing critique of their lives and behavior.

Stillman's characters seem to have everything going for them. They are bright and educated and come from very wealthy families. We learn, though, that privilege is both their blessing and their curse. These children of status are destined to always remain in the shadow of their very successful parents. As one of them puts it, "We're doomed to failure." We come to realize that even though they are well-off in many ways, they still must struggle with the same insecurities and fears as the rest of us.

The characters in "Metropolitan" are the kind of people that F. Scott Fitzgerald knew so well. Indeed, if Fitzgerald had been a director rather than a writer, this is the type of film he might have made. It is intelligent and literate with dialogue that almost crackles with its liveliness and wit. "Metropolitan" gives us a rare glimpse into a world that scarcely exists anymore, if it ever really did. It is a real treasure.

This movie glistens like a piece of old Belleek. Whether in the subtle gold of an off the shoulder evening gown, or in the vast expanse of a deep, plush, ivory colored carpet, nearly every frame shimmers with champagne like iridescence.

And gold is an apt visual metaphor, particularly when juxtaposed against the black satin of a tuxedo lapel or the wintry Manhattan night scape, for a world seemingly vanishing right before our eyes--a world too sleek, too soigné, too genteel to survive the steam roller of galloping blue-jeaned egalitarianism.

That the denizens of this vanishing breed, as depicted in the film, are themselves, insecure late adolescents, make its departure all the more poignant.

"This is probably the last Deb season..." one of them observes resignedly, "...because of the stock market, the economy, Everything..." Yes, everything...the huge smothering subject that hovers all around the plot itself and from which its characters are only temporarily insulated.

In particular, the focus here is on a group of privileged Eastern Seaboard collegians enjoying the Christmas holidays in a series of Park Avenue, "after dance parties," in which they loll about and ruefully anticipate the disappearance of their youth, their success, and their kind.

That they are one at the same time cerebral, immature, literate, prankish, frightened, polished, well educated but vulnerable and inexperienced, puts them well outside the troglodyte teens that inhabit the deconstructionist zoo in most post 1970 films, (with the exception of a unfortunate and mis-placed "strip poker" sequence which violates the picture's otherwise overall mood.)

Indeed, they seem to exist outside their own time, belonging rather to that group Cecil Beaton dubbed "the smart young things" from the 1920's, in his "The Glass of Fashion." Certainly, one imagines them far more comfortable with Ivor Novello than Mick Jagger. And like many "smart sets" they seem rather a closed corporation.

Until that is, into their number unexpectedly arrives a young man of reduced circumstances, Tom Townsend, (Edward Clements) who by virtue of his sincerity and intelligence, is invited to "sup at their table--on a borrowed pass" so to speak. His romantic misadventures with the beguiling Audrey Rouget(Carolyn Farina)forms the cynosure of the charmingly fragile plot.

Audrey and Tom stand out from the pack, in their earnestess and integrity, though it is assuredly Nick, (Christopher Eigeman) their figurehead and chief quip master who is the groups' un-elected leader. As interpreted by Mr. Eigeman, Nick is the embodiment of the cocktail fueled, cigarette wielding bon vivant--trenchant, self absorbed, far from virtuous, and with a ready verbal arrow that never misses its target. He is George Sander's heir presumptive.

Nick's observations are worth the whole price of admission as they say, whether it be bemoaning the Protestant Reformation, the social climbing Surrealists, or the scarcity of detachable collars.

Since the film's short, bouffant,cocktail dresses and automobiles unmistakably place the film in very late modernity--the Reagan era in fact, and long after the Ray Anthony's Orchestra, top hatted milieu it depicts, we cannot fail to miss the film's core observation--the parallel evanescence of the groups' own social connections, as placed against the simultaneous collapse of civilized life as we once knew it.

As the Christmas season ends, so do the nightly gatherings, and each character is forced to come to terms with impermanence--their own and everything else's. In a melancholy bar scene, an older man warns the youngsters of disappointment ahead, "I'm not destitute but...it's all so mediocre."

That Producer/Director Whit Stillman manages to fuse the personal with the sociological in such and intriguing and entrancing way is a testament to the penetration of his vision.

And, lest we miss the point, he includes a cunning shot of a significant book left on bedside table--none other than Spengler's "Decline of the West."

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One editorial review remarks "as the innocent, easily manipulated Audrey..". I seriously doubt it. You really must watch this picture several times before the parts fall into place. Take the opening scene when Tom 'accidentally' runs into Audrey's crowd. As the film later reveals Tom was given the ticket and has been sitting behind Audrey's table all night. He even went to the trouble to rent a tux for the occasion! He went to all this trouble in search of a woman by the name of Serena. The film also makes clear that he has never met anybody in the group. It's Audrey who's been looking him over. When Tom finally meets the woman, Serena, he learns that everybody writes to her and she never keeps any of them. She usually reads the very bad or the very good to her girl friends at the dorm but quickly assures him that his letters were always quite good. In fact her roommate liked them so much that she fell in love with him and kept them. Tom is horrified at this lack of privacy then stunned when he learns that Audrey was the roommate! Audrey wasn't an easily manipulated woman. One can only suspect that she manipulated Tom through the movie with the assistance of friends from time to time. Isn't it interesting that she's reading The Rector of Justin in the tanning scene? Or how she's dressed? Audrey deserves far more study in this film. Tom is far more related to Holly Martins of The Third Man. They are both struggling to learn what's happening around them. This film isn't for the one and done club. It needs more than one viewing to fully appreciate it. It was truly well done.

Read Best Reviews of Metropolitan (The Criterion Collection) (1990) Here

Back in 1984, Whit Stillman began work on his screenplay for "Metropolitan", a screenplay that would be completed in 1988. At the time, Stillman ran his own illustration agency but in order to get his screenplay created for the big screen, Stillman sold his apartment in New York for $50,000 and whatever money friends and family could contribute to his project.

"Metropolitan" is loosely based on Stillman's experience while attending his first year at Harvard and while living with his divorced mother during the week of Christmas break. The film focuses on a small group of preps who live in Upper East Side Manhattan and attending the debutante balls during their first year of college. The term "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie" was coined from this film and while many people would consider the film about WASP-students, ironically Stillman's grandfather E. Digby Baltzell was responsible for coining the term WASP.

The film featured intellectual dialogue reminiscent of French New Wave director Eric Rohmer and the film would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination back in 1991 for "Best Original Screenplay", a nomination for Grand Jury Prize (Drama) at the 1990 Sundance Film Festival and winning "Best New Director" at the New York Film Critics Circle Award in 1990.

"Metropolitan" is a film that revolves around a group of Upper East Side Manhattanites who are preparing for a party at Sally Fowler's. Princeton student Tom Townsend (played by Edward Clements) is trying to catch a cab in which the group (known as the Sally Fowler Rat Pack) is also trying to catch. Because Tom allows them to take the cab, Nick Smith (played by Chris Eigeman) invites Tom to join them for their party.

We are introduced to a group of individuals who love to discuss socio-economics, literary discussions, politics and the life of young adults. Tom who is an intellectual himself meets the rat pack leader Nick (who becomes a good friend of Tom and allows him to be part of their circle); the blonde singer Sally Fowler (played by Dylan Hundley); the often-drunk and always sleeping Fred Neff (played by Bryan Leder); the very opinionated Jane Clark (played by Allison Rutledge); the sexy Cynthia McLean (played by Isabel Gillies); the bespectacled and often-opinionated Charlie Black (played by Taylor Nichols) and the sensitive, literary loving Audrey Rouget (played by Carolyn Farina).

After the party is over, it is revealed that unlike his new friends, Tom doesn't live in the Upper East Side. He and his mother try to live with whatever money they have and despite going to a nice college, he tries to conceal his lack of finances by renting tuxedo's and thus he is seen as a man who is skeptical about upper-class values, but even though his new friend Nick figures him out, Nick doesn't mind because of a "severe escort shortage" and that Tom is good in conversations with him and his friends.

Meanwhile, Audrey has fallen for Tom but Tom has always been in love with Serena Slocum (played by Elizabeth Thompson) who is dating a baron named Rick Von Sloneker (played by Will Kempe) who Nick despises.

The film spotlights on the friendship and relationships of Tom and his group of upper-class friends which Charlie has crafted the new name of "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie".

VIDEO:

"Metropolitan THE CRITERION COLLECTION #382' is presented in 1:66:1 color. It's probably one of the few Criterion Collection films that looks its age but considering this was a low budget indie film, I'm not going to be too picky on picture quality. There is a fine layer of grain and I'm guessing noise that can be seen on the print.

According to THE CRITERION COLLECTION, the DVD release is presented in its original Super 16mm. Director Whit Stillman and director of photography John Thomas supervised the new HD transfer, which was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm blow-up interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System.

AUDIO:

According to THE CRITERION COLLECTION, the soundtrack for "Metropolitan" was mastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic stems and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle. The film is Dolby Digital 1.0 and thus is center channel-driven. I chose to set my receiver to stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Metropolitan THE CRITERION COLLECTION #326" comes with the following special features:

* Audio Commentary Audio commentary by writer/director Whit Stillman, actors Christopher Eigeman and Taylor Nichols and editor Christopher Tellefsen. Informative commentary on how certain scenes were filmed, filmmaking with a budget to reasons why some of the cast was stereotyped and unable to find work after "Metropolitan". A pretty entertaining commentary!

* Outtakes (9:23) Outtakes from "Metropolitan".

* Memorial (1:00) Behind-the-scenes footage of line producer Brian Greenbaum who died in 1992.

* Alternate Casting Featuring two alternate castings that were not used in the film. One titled "Record Producer Allen" starring Lloyd Kaufman (2:27) and the other "Nick Smith" (1:52) featuring Will Kempe (who plays Van Sloneker in the film) playing the character of Nick. An optional commentary is included with Whit Stillman discussing why he changed the cast for those roles.

* Original Theatrical Trailer (2:06) The original theatrical trailer.

EXTRAS:

"Metropolitan THE CRITERION COLLECTION #326" comes with a quad-fold insert featuring an essay by Luc Sante titled "After the Ball".

"Metropolitan" is a fantastic, entertaining and highly enjoyable film that many people have probably not heard of.

And after they see the trailer or read a little about it, I wouldn't be surprised if people tend to pass on the film because of its unknown actors and that it is a film that focuses on upper-class WASP students. Correction... as the Charlie would say, "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie" (or "UHB") students which are neither a preppie or a WASP but a member of a group that because of its specific status, has nowhere to go but down.

It's a film that showcases intellectual conversation, engrossing dialogue and for those who are able to follow it and understand the humor within the film and its witty dialogue, you will easily find "Metropolitan" quite entertaining.

It's pretty interesting because I tend to bring up a film such as Eric Rohmer's "My Night at Maud's" or his earlier films in which the conversations were intellectual and engrossing but its what made Rohmer's films so intellectually stimulating. They weren't meant for humor, "Metropolitan" is well-crafted for one to follow it and just laugh of the exchanges between the characters.

I absolutely enjoyed how the screenplay is written and the conversations that Stillman includes in this film. For example, here is a conversation between the literary loving Audrey and the intellectual, Fourier admiring character, Tom.

AUDREY: I read that Lionel Trilling essay that you mentioned. You really like Trilling?

TOM: Yes.

AUDREY: I think he's very strange. He says that nobody can like the heroine of "Mansfield Park". I like her. And then he goes on, and on, about how we modern people of today with our modern attitudes bitterly resentments for the park because its heroine is virtuous. What's wrong with a novel having a virtuous heroine?

TOM: His point is that the novels premise there is something immoral in a group of young people putting on a play is pretty absurd.

AUDREY: You found Fanny Price unlikeable?

TOM: She sounds pretty unbearable but I haven't read the book?

AUDREY: What?

TOM: You don't have to read a book to have an opinion on it. I haven't read the bible either.

AUDREY: What Jane Austen novels have you read?

TOM: None. I don't read novels. I prefer good literary criticism. That way you get both the novelist's ideas as well as the critics thinking. With fiction, I can never forget that none of it ever really happened, that its all just made up by the author.

This is just but one of the few conversations featured in the film.

"Metropolitan" is probably one of those romantic comedies that definitely does its best in showcasing the life of young Manhattan debutantes. And I have read that because Stillman's father was an attorney for President Kennedy (and his parents was divorced), he had the opportunity to see life in both worlds of rich and not rich at all and definitely provided some insight to the (disappearing?) lifestyle of young upperclass students.

I loved the characters of this film. Personally, with the way the film is ostentatiously written, especially how characters (especially Charlie) who has this opprobrium feel to his fellow upperclass friends, he senses doom. In no different of how a conservative views a liberal. I loved the character of Audrey who is the most reminiscent of early Rohmer films with her discussions of literary likes. And as a person who took part in high school book clubs to have these literary discussions, I have found Tom the most interesting of them all. Not just in regards to his comment of not reading novels and following criticism (because even those of us who review films are guilty of reading reviews and essays from Sarris, Kael, Rosenbaum, Agee, etc. of films we may have not seen yet) but it's his take towards the upperclass and not being a fan of the debutante balls but yet hangs out with the UHB's and thus, there is a hypocrisy that begins to be unraveled as he starts to sort out his emotions and the way people around him have started to have an affect on him.

By no means is "Metropolitan" a film that is pedantic nor does it asks its viewer to be an erudite on literary and socio-economic topics. But it does make for an engrossing film for those who know what the characters are talking about and for the most part, this is an independent film that it so well written and for a low budget film that deals with the upperclass, Whit Stillman has done a fantastic job with this film and definitely helped set things up for the writer/director for his next two films "Barcelona" and "The Last Days of Disco". If anything, it has been over a decade since we have seen anything else from Stillman which is a shame because he is fine director and I hope we continue to see more films from the director.

As for the DVD, it may not be a release that has the typical CRITERION COLLECTION style of being loaded with bells and whistles, nor may it be one of their better looking films in the collection but for those who are fans of Stillman's work or a person who is craving for humorous but smart, engrossing dialogue will find "Metropolitan" to be to their liking.

Overall, "Metropolitan" is a film that I very much love but by saying that, I know this film is not for everyone. But still "Metropolitan" is definitely a DVD release still worth recommending!

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Whit Stillman's "METROPOLITAN" is the brilliant and clever study of late 80s-early 90s youths in Manhattan, living would-be intelligent and affluent lifestyles as they wax philosphical on every topic which lies at their fingertips (ultimately, they just want sex)...

Chris Eigeman is way more charming and funny than he has any right to be as the smarmy and downright obnoxious fraud who one night, by chance ?, befriends a Conan O'Brien look-alike in a baje-colored overcoat.

It's through this meeting that our hero (the carrot top) meets Audrey, a charming and sadly insecure young lady who finds him intriguing, if he would only reciprocate those feelings. Yes, the heartstrings and nerves of these bright young things are very tangled, indeed.

Stillman, who made his fearsome, forceful writing-directorial debut here, has crafted a bittersweet and wonderfully eloquent take on the yuppie lifestyle and the love lives of a particular circle of friends within that strata of society.

The great news: The Criterion Collection, known for their brilliant and astonishing treatments of great films, have wisely decided to release this film for the first time ever on DVD! On 2/14/06, "Metropolitan" will be available to own with, I'm sure, some great extra features! If we could just get another Stillman commentary (like on the "Barcelona" DVD available from Warner Home Video), then we'd be in business. Anything else is just gravy.

This is a masterpiece of ultra-independent cinema, with a young first time writer-director strutting his stuff and leaving an indelible impression of his viewers. This is where Stillman gets a loyal audience. And it won't just be available in the Netherlands anymore!!!

See also: "Barcelona" (1993) and "The Last Days of Disco" (1998), at least while waiting for Stillman to get off his bum and do another film!!!

PLEASE!

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Puella Magi Madoka Magica DVD/Blu-Ray 2 Limited Edition

I'm so happy they made these limited edition box sets! This review is about the packaging and so forth and not the show, which would get a 11/10 review from me.

PROS:

-BluRay looks amazing compared to just DVD

-Artwork on box looks fantastic.

-Artwork on BluRay/DVD looks fantastic.

-Soundtrack is great! over 10 songs.

-Interviews with the creators and voice actors was fun to read and think about while watching.

CONS:

The posters are all folded up and have deadly creases in them.

The boxes aren't very sturdy, it is very thin and white, which looks great, but I think they could get stained very easily since there is no protective plastic film or anything.

OVERALL:

I loved getting this, one of the best anime I have seen. The artwork inside is very cute, and the soundtrack sealed the deal for me. I love the music.

Zodiac (2013)

As the beginning of any new year rolls around, after awards season, there tends to be a significant drop off in quality or what you might call serious drama. Usually we're left with crowd pleasing, if not critically acclaimed comedy, or low budget horror until the kickoff of the summer season. There are a few gems that sneak in once in a while (perhaps the most notorious was "Silence of the Lambs" with its oddly timed Valentine's opening), but as a generalization--this is true more often than not. So David Fincher's "Zodiac," which make no mistake is a drama and not a thriller, is a welcome respite from traditional fare released at this time of the year. Fincher, who made an artistic splash with "Se7en," "The Game," and "Fight Club," had been noticeably absent since hitting it big with the more routine "Panic Room" in 2002. Eschewing the sensationalistic approaches a film of this type might employ, Fincher has crafted a sprawling and ambitious investigative drama about the men whose lives were changed in the obsessive hunt for a serial killer known only as Zodiac.

For those unfamiliar with the story, I will borrow an excerpt from my review on "The Zodiac" (a lesser film that covers some of the same ground, but concentrating more on Zodiac's earlier murders in Vallejo). "Over a period of years during the sixties and seventies, the San Francisco area was plagued by a series of seemingly random murders perpetuated by a man known only as the Zodiac killer. Using the press and taunting the police, Zodiac became one of the more prominent "celebrity" serial killers with his need to be in the spotlight." Fincher's film focuses primarily on three major characters, although a huge cast contributes to this complex tale. There is David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) who is the lead police investigator when the Zodiac moved to San Francisco, Paul Avery (Robert Downey, Jr.) who is the star reporter covering the case for the San Francisco Chronicle, and Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is a cartoonist at the Chronicle who becomes obsessed with the case. In fact, Graysmith's obsession turned into the book which serves as source material for this film.

Clearly, the strongpoint of the film is in the performances. Downey is impeccable in self destructive mode, recapturing some of the energy and unpredictability that made him a star in the first place. Ruffalo is great, persistence turning into frustration. But it is Gyllenhaal who makes the greatest transformation from an awkward youth to someone willing to sacrifice everything to pursue an obsession. The immense cast of supporting characters are, also, well written and beautifully performed. It is in the details of the script that characters, even with limited screen time, leave a lasting and believable impression. The film, which spans decades, recreates the time frame accurately. The art direction, in particular, is spectacular when viewing this city of the recent past.

The story, itself, is a procedural recounting years of work trying to locate Zodiac. Again, the script is so detailed that you really feel as if you are following the action in the same step by step fashion that the real participants must have. "Zodiac," ultimately, is a smart film. It trusts that you will follow its logic, and perhaps even draw some conclusions of your own. It paints a picture of who Toschi and Graysmith believed to be Zodiac (despite evidence to the contrary), but the film is open-ended enough for you to accept this position or discount it entirely. There is plenty of intrigue as the investigation leads to unlikely places, some chilling recreations of Zodiac's killings, but most of all--real drama about real people. A great adult picture. At over 2 1/2 hours, it's a commitment--but one well worth it. KGHarris, 03/07.

loved every bit of this the time flew by, and the quality of the BD is awesome looks and sounds beautiful

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very informative wonderful actors, kept intrest, some was scary but it was for real hope he is dead now for sure

Read Best Reviews of Zodiac (2013) Here

"Zodiac" is brilliant! One of the best films of the year, thus far. The performances led by Jake Gyllenhaal (as Robert Graysmith, who also wrote the book that inspired the movie), Mark Ruffalo (as Inspector David Toschi, who also served as an inspiration behind the film "Bullitt" (1968) with Steve McQueen) and an impressive Robert Downey Jr. (as Paul Avery) are excellent. The directing by David Fincher (who has also directed "Seven" (1995) & "Panic Room" (2002) is excellent. The screenplay by James Vanderbilt (based on Graysmith's book) is excellent. The music by David Shire (who did the score to "All The President's Men" (1976) is excellent and the use of 70's songs are excellent. The cinematography by Harris Savides (who also did the cinematography to Fincher's "The Game" (1997) is excellent. The film editing by Angus Wall (who also film edited Fincher's "Panic Room" & Fincher's upcoming "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" (2008) is excellent. The casting by Laray Mayfield (who also film edited Fincher's "Fight Club" (1999), "Panic Room", & the upcoming "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" is excellent. The production design by Donald Graham Burt (who also did the upcoming "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button") is excellent. The art direction by Keith P. Cunningham is excellent. The set decoration by Victor J. Zolfo (who also did the upcoming "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button") is excellent. The costume design by Casey Storm is excellent. This is Fincher's best film since "Seven", and yes, it is overlong, but it is interesting and it makes you think and keeps you intrigued.

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This movie is well made, and I think this film was definitely oscar worthy, but was mistakenly passed over when Awards considerations were being done. David Fincher did a great job telling this true story based on the book by Robert Graysmith. Although the Graysmith book has some holes and question marks, and focuses in on his suspect, the movie is divided up equally between the crimes, the investigation, and various suspects. If you are planning to watch a 'slasher flick', this is NOT the movie for you, in fact, the first 30 minutes or so of the movie shows the murders, and the remaining two hours focuses on the hunt for the killer, and the obsession that overtakes those involved in trying to identify the Zodiac Killer. It may be a bit slow for some, but if you are heavily interested in the case, then it moves along quickly from one storyline to the next.

The bonus footage is fantastic,and features interviews with those who were directly involved in the case, as well as a complete breakdown of the crimes and a segment devoted to Graysmith's suspect.

The Blu ray quality is pretty good as well, and I was happy to finally buy it at a reasonable price considering it has been out of print for quite a while.

All in all, this is one of my Favorite movies, and although I do not agree with some of the conclusions reached at the end of the movie (as far as a suspect),I am happy to refer anybody to this movie!

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Soul Surfer (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

I just went this afternoon to the matinee, and wow what a good movie!! A main theme of the movie is that good can come out of bad. Also, it shows how we can help others through our personal tragedies and that life is not over when bad things happen to us. There is a plan for everything. I was very impressed with all the acting, special effects and the family friendly tone. There are zilcho swears. Even in the characters' darkest moments, there are no typical overused omg's or anything that would indicate they were angry at God or anyone else. They don't shy away from Christian references but present it accurately, the way the family and Bethany responded in the situation. I was impressed that the faith message that was natural, but not preachy. Also, the Bible verse quoted was from Jeremiah 29:11 and really if you were of another faith you wouldn't be offended by it I don't think. In the credits they show interviews with the real Bethany and she mentions Jesus there. However, that's who she is! Some of the critics have said oh she was too calm or sweet...but I didn't see it this way at all. In fact, in real life, it was her calmness that helped save her life!! She wasn't screaming but was in shock as well I think. I think she is just a very calm person. Later it showed how hard it was for her to deal with the loss of her limb from a functional standpoint and emotionally such as when she worried about not being attractive to boys. All the relationships and reactions were very typical of real people...nothing forced at all. It is clear how good the relationships are between the parents and among the siblings but they interact and argue like NORMAL people. Bethany has said in real life interviews that she and her competitors weren't that catty with each other, like with the antagonist they created for the movie. However, her response to the girl is very good which shows young people that being nice to someone gets you a whole lot further and can change the person. It also showed how she dealt with her celebrity status and how that was a real challenge. The other part critics say isn't realistic is about her artificial arm...but it's very common for amputees to reject a prosthesis when it's for their upper limb. Tony Melendez (singer and plays 12-string guitar with his feet) did the same thing and he found he could function more easily without the prosthesis. There are some beautiful shots of Hawaii and the underwater/wave effects were just breathtaking. I definitely recommend this movie and am looking forward to having the blu-ray/dvd!

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen.. Period. It is a movie you can take your whole family to and not be afraid of them being exposed to any kind of crude jokes or bad refrences. There is not one curse word in the movie and it's hard to get that these days, even in cartoons.! It is a wonderful movie of faith, family, and never giving up.! So inspirational and just a great all around movie.! They also did a good job staying true to Bethany's story.! Loved it and would see it again in a heartbeat! Can't wait until it comes out so I can buy it.! =)

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This movie was wonderful! The cinematography was beautiful. I especially loved the shots filmed through the pipeline as she surfed and the scenes shot looking up through the surface of the water. I scuba dive and love to look up through the water. It adds dimension and energy to the scenes. The special effects were just awesome. The actress really looks like her arm is missing. Just incredible. The acting was top-notch. It is everything I am looking for in a good movie. Drama, warmth, realism, up-lifting. This young girl is a real inspiration. There are those who might not want to watch because the message is overtly Christian, but I would ask the question, "Have you seen the movie, Ghandi? Or Seven Years in Tibet?" Did you avoid them because they were overtly about their religious beliefs? Watch with an open mind and be inspired by this young girl and the God who gave Bethany such courage and perseverance.

Read Best Reviews of Soul Surfer (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011) Here

I admit that I am not normally one who likes to have faith mixed in with my movie. I normally find myself more interested in the fantastical worlds such as Mirrormask, the amazing adventures of Doctor Who, the mindless bloodshed of Resident Evil, or the quirky humor of Shawn of the Dead than an inspirational film such as this. But every once in awhile I find a little gem that is just too good to not watch, and this movie most definitely fits the bill.

Some people have issue with the faith based overtones. I've though about it for awhile and decided that this is my answer to those issues: It doesn't matter if a film has a Christian overtone, Buddhist overtone, no overtone, somewhat of a maybe overtone or whatever. A good movie is a good movie, and this film is definitely a good movie. From what I've seen in interviews and the like, Bethany and her family are deeply religious people whose faith helped them deal with this. I would say that if there WASN'T an overtone it would do the story a disservice.

So why the 4 stars? This is a slight bit of overacting at parts in my opinion, plus, while I find this an excellent film I do not put it with my favorite all time films ever. I would give it a 4.5 but that is not an option.

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This movie was Triumphant!

What a story of Courage, Strength, Heart, Will, and Accomplishment!

This Girl shows all of us what is possible on this earth!!!

The movie went at a good pace... I took my 7 year old daughter with me, and neither of us were bored or un-content during the film.

The theater was full, but you could hear a pin drop, as every single person was intently staring in AWWW at the big screen...

I found myself shedding a few tears at various times!

I compare this movie with the likes of Cinderella Man, The Hurricane, Remember the Titans & Secretariat.

Helen Hunt & Dennis Quaid did fantastic in their respective roles...

I loved at the end of the movie, while the credits played, they played video clips of the real girl behind the amazing story! The clips also updated what she did in her life after the accident!

I would love to meet this girl someday!!!

I give this movie an A+, and reccomend you go and see it on the big screen!

Thanks for reading my review...

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Lady for a Day (1933)

Frank Capra directed this film twice. The second version was called Pocketful of Miracles, starred the fearless Bette Davis, and was made in glorious technicolor. Both were actually very good films.

I've always been a huge Bette Davis fan so it's interesting that I have a soft spot for the combination of the audacious May Robson and the suave and debonair Warren William, but I think they work off one another really well and Warren William comes off as a more Runyonesque hood with a heart of gold than his counterpart in the later version Glenn Ford. These films were adapted from the Damon Runyon short story Madame Le Gimp.

The plot is fairly simple. Apple Annie (May Robson)is a down on her luck apple vendor during the depression. William's character Dave the Dude is a gambling hood who views Annie's apples as a talisman that brings him good luck. Dave tips Annie well, but she lives in a tenement but uses a swank NYC hotel as her mailing address and that's where the story lies. She is letting her convent educated daughter who is living in Europe subsidized by Dave's generous tips think she is a high society diva.

Annie's lie apparently goes on without complications until she receives a letter from her daughter saying she is coming to NYC with her fiancée who is a nobleman. Of course, this comes with little notice and goes to worse when it looks like her lie is going to be exposed. The rest of the movie involves a collective conspiracy to transform Annie and make her dreams come true.

What makes this story really compeling in both films is that while a lot of the mayhem is played for laughs, there is an underlying sadness in the Annie character that is heartbreaking. Robson was probably well beyond seventy when she made this film. It was completely implausible that she could have been the mother of a young woman, but there is an element of suspension of reason at work here. Her Annie is so sad and sweet that the viewer can totally ignore the age factor and get into the moment of what is going on.

Warren William is admittedly a ham, but he balances irritation with a peculiar affability that makes him come across as a softie when it comes to his good luck charm, Annie. The supporting cast does a good job fleshing out the story, imbuing it with an odd assortment of characters that makes this movie interesting. The hoods in Dave'the Dude's employ include Nat Pendelton, Guy Kibbee, Irving Bacon, and the wonderful deadpan actor Ned Sparks. Perennial wise girl Glenda Farrell play's Dave's girlfriend with charm and a seriously semi-tough edge.

The bonuses on this Blu-ray copy, include Frank Capra Jr.'s commentary and a film essay by Scott Eyeman. It was copied from Frank Capra's personal copy. The quality is o.k., which means better than previously available sources.

This is one of my all time favorite movies! My great-grandmother babysat me whenever school was out. She was a huge movie fan and would tell me stories about where she was in her life when these movies came out. Her favorite director was Frank Capra so when one of his movies came on TV, we stopped everything and watched. This movie was one of her two favorites and has so much to offer. It is a bit of a Cinderella story for a poor apple peddler, it is a comedy, it will pull at your heartstrings it is simply wonderful. If you want a light-hearted, feel-good movie, then this is it. I like this one better than the later version Pocketful of Miracles but both are great.

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Ok. This is my first review. I had virtually no idea what this movie was about,

basically never heard of it. But was familar with Capra's work. This movie

is a hell of little gem. Will actually buy some for friends. Talk about strong endings ! Please put out more classic black and whites on Blu-ray. Many thanks. It was beautiful. Dr. Michael Hauth

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I have seen some awesome reviews. Even Leonard Maltin loves this new restoration of the film! The Before/After segment is very cool, and really shows how much work goes into something like this. It's gorgeous. Oh, and four minutes are in this version that were missing from the original release. So that's great too. Definitely worth the money!!

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Lady for a Day was an original which established a long-running Hollywood genre, and its theme seems so familiar to us today because its storytelling style was widely imitated for many years. It offers a look into a pivotal time in American film history, only six years into the sound era. It also foretells the successful career of one of Hollywood's most charismatic directors, Frank Capra, whose own life story had the same fairy tale quality as the films he made.

In 1933 Capra was a rising star in Hollywood, directing pictures for the upstart Columbia Pictures studio, whose home neighborhood was derided by other studios as "Poverty Row". A Sicilian immigrant, Capra was self-driven to achieve the American Dream, and to do so he created it on film in picture after picture. Lady for a Day was crafted specifically to earn an Academy Award, which neither Capra nor Columbia Pictures had ever won. Utilizing a story by Damon Runyon, Capra and his frequent collaborator, screenwriter Robert Riskin, wove a tale of an impoverished Depression-era apple seller working the streets of the Broadway district in New York City. Apple Annie was also weaving her own tales in letters to her daughter in Europe, chatting about Annie's fanciful life of wealth and success. Typical of Damon Runyon, the story is replete with soft-hearted gangsters, flummoxed cops, and politicians capable of grand and magnanimous gestures.

The impending visit of Apple Annie's daughter from Europe, with not only her suitor in tow, but his aristocratic Spanish father as well, pitches Annie (Broadway actress May Robson) into despair, and the gangsters into action to make Apple Annie into a lady for a day. "Dave the Dude" (Warren William) orders his henchmen to pretend to be the high-society types with whom a grand lady would associate, just long enough to convince the Count that Annie's daughter is worthy of marriage into his family. Comic relief is provided by pool-shark "Judge" Blake (Guy Kibbee) who is to portray Annie's wealthy and influential husband, and Dude's wise-cracking sidekick Happy (Ned Sparks).

Lady for a Day was Capra's breakthrough picture, and he filled it with the teary-eyed pathos and whimsical comedy that became his trademarks. It was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Screenwriting. At the awards ceremony it lost all four, and in the most humiliating way imaginable. Host Will Rogers opened the envelope for Best Director, and in his typical folksy way, drawled that he had "known this boy for many years". Not mentioning either the full name of the director or the title of the winner's film, Rogers said "come on up and get your award, Frank". Unfortunately there were two "Franks" nominated for 1933, and both started toward the stage. But it was Frank Lloyd who had won for his film Cavalcade. Capra had to slink back to his table, calling it the worst experience of his life. But it set the stage for the 1934 Academy Awards, when Capra's It Happened One Night swept all five major awards, including Best Director.

The beautiful Blu-ray restoration was made from a print owned personally by Frank Capra, and provides a luminous and nearly perfect look at the film techniques of the 1930s. It is certain to be enjoyed by any fan of Capra, or of the films of a bygone era.

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Witchfinder General

Every lover of film has had a pivotal film experience, the movie that made such an impact on them that they have never forgotten it. For me WITCHFINDER GENERAL is that film. I first saw it in 1969 as THE CONQUERER WORM (AIP's American release title designed to cash in on the Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe series although the movie has nothing to do with Poe). I was 17 years old, just about to complete my junior year of high school in Greenville SC, and was a big fan of the Roger Corman/Vincent Price Poe series. I had seen very few films that would not qualify as G rated. The ratings system had just been introduced the year before and this film was rated M (for mature audiences, later GP then PG). It was a complete shock to the system in every way. It was the first time I had seen nudity/lovemaking before and the violence was painful and ugly. Vincent Price was cold and hard without a trace of his usual mannerisms and therefore not sympathetic in the least. To top it all off there was no happy ending and people were worse off than they were before. Of course these things had been in films since the silent era but it was the first time I had seen them and we always remember our firsts.

I have seen just about everything in the movies since then but seeing WITCHFINDER nearly 40 years later I'm amazed at how well it holds up. I am happy to report that after years of substandard VHS and Region 2 DVD editions this version features the original director's cut and restores the original soundtrack which was not available in America. An added bonus is the commentary which features star Ian Ogilvy that fills in the background of the making of the film. For those who don't know, the film is set during the English Civil War and pits two young lovers against a sadistic Puritan witchfinder. The director, Michael Reeves, died shortly afterwards of an accidental prescription drug overdose at the age of 25. The 5 star rating is purely subjective because of the important part it played in my overall movie development but it's a solid 4 star film anyway.

The Conqueror Worm is a textbook example of a movie's potential prospects as an acknowledged classic being wrecked by the stupidity of critics and the cynical manipulations of a distributor underestimating the intelligence of American viewers. Distributed by AIP in America as "The Conqueror Worm" and purportedly "based on the writing of Edgar Allan Poe", the film got buried by disinterested US critics who incorrectly passed it off as simply another addition to the increasingly tiresome Poe fare being churned out by AIP, Roger Corman and others. The casting of Vincent Price, of course, only strengthened this unfortunate and lazy critical impulse. For this, the distributor is as much to blame as the critics, by consciously pursuing a marketing strategy which implied precisely what critics chose to believe. And by tampering with the film itself to contrive to provide a Poe connection (by adding prologue and epilogue commentary by Vincent Price quoting from Poe's poem) AIP hung its sinking critical reputation around the neck of this great movie. In fact, The Conqueror Worm has nothing to do with Edgar Allan Poe and was not even made by the AIP studio either. And when US critics began hearing European buzz about a great little horror movie called The Witchfinder General by an innovative young Brit director, Michael Reeves, how were they then to know it was the same movie they had so flippantly disregarded? By the time The Witchfinder General was rereviewed as the stand alone original it is, it was too late. The movie's moment had passed amongst the moviegoing mainstream. It is only through its devoted cult following that memory of it and its tragic young director (who died in mysterious circumstances at the age of 25) has deservedly been kept alive. Considered in the context of its time, The Conqueror Worm is a powerful, violent tale of hypocrisy and vengeance. It tells the story of the villainous opportunist Matthew Hopkins and his sidekick, the brutish moron John Stearne, who went from village to village in Cromwellian England torturing, hanging and burning "witches". The movie pulls no punches in its portrayal of the methods used by Hopkins and Stearne to extract confessions and exact punishment, but is also satisfyingly contemptuous in its portrayal of these two psychopaths. In this regard, Reeves manages something even Roger Corman couldn't do: extract a layered, complex and credible performance from the normally corny Vincent Price. This simply has to be one of his best performances ever the one that could've given him consolidated mainstream respectability, but the one that probably the least people actually saw. Ian Ogilvy (TV's The Saint after Roger Moore's stint)is also very good as the tender then vengeful soldier, Richard Marshall. I am of the view that the original reason this film got trumpeted as a horror movie related to the casting of Vincent Price and AIP's cynical business calculations. However, it is indeed a horror movie, just not the kind of horror movie AIP wanted the public to believe. It falls rather despite its gorgeous costume dress and sets into the same category of horror sub genre which deals with studies of pure evil a la Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. (In fact, the knowing, murderous collusion and tension between Hopkins and Stearne resembles somewhat the relationship between the calculating Henry and moronic Otis in the later movie.) The Conqueror Worm is also, however, a revenge movie a kind of proto-Death Wish in that the story is driven by Richard Marshall's obsessive quest to avenge the violation and rape of his fiance by both Hopkins and Stearne. The movie looks fantastic, probably the best sense of that period ever captured on film. The shots of Marshall racing his horse through the English countryside under a foreboding evening sky are simply breathtaking. The images are strong and dark as well, contributing to a grave atmosphere of oppression in the air. The opening scenes incorporating a lone townsman preparing a hilltop gallows against a dark sky and an old woman being dragged to her execution are as powerful as anything you'll ever see. The wonderful thing is, the movie never lets up on this opening power. It runs its violent course without dragging and delivers a stunning visual feast of violence and evil. This movie absolutely has to find its way to DVD and soon. And, for once, the audience frustration that builds up in the face of hypocrisy and cruelty, is satifactorily resolved. So, for those of you who are still wound up from having experienced Nicholas Hytner's brilliant version of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, watch this movie to get the closure you need! Highly recommended to serious moviegoers and collectors but also as a great midnight with popcorn movie for couples! At under $12, buy, buy, buy. Or wait for the DVD which will be stunning.

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There's more good news regarding MGM's long awaited September 11 DVD release of WITCHFINDER GENERAL (aka THE CONQUEROR WORM). Producer Philip Waddilove has confirmed to DVD Drive-In that the movie will not only be presented as Michael Reeves' director cut, but will also contain the original music score by Paul Ferris which was removed from all previous home video versions in the U.S. For this DVD, Waddilove has also just recorded an audio commentary along with star Ian Ogilvy, and an additional supplement will be a collection of Waddilove's personal stills, taken on the set. Looks like it's going to be one hell of a release!

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"The Conqueror Worm" is the American title of "Witchfinder General," which was sold -deceitfully -by American International as part of the Edgar Allan Poe cycle (a dubbed-in recitation of Poe's poem "The Conqueror Worm" by Vincent Price is its only connection). While "Conqueror Worm" contains all of the picture elements of the available British version (though the version released to theatres in 1968 was even more graphic in the torture scenes), the superlative music score by Paul Ferris did not make the transition and was replaced by an initially pleasing, but quickly repetitive and inadequate synthesizer theme (in some scenes the music simply runs out, then starts over again like its on a loop). Even so, this grim historical thriller features one of Vincent Price's all time best performances as Matthew Hopkins, a powerful man with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Price was not so much directed by Michael Reeves as goaded by him (Reeves really wanted Donald Pleasence for the role and was bitter over having Price forced on him by AIP). But Price acquiesced and managed to keep the twinkle out of his eye and his tongue out of his cheek, and the result is ferociously evil. In addition, the settings and costumes are so authentic that you will believe you are really watching the 17th century play out before you.

If only they could have retained the music...

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... or maybe the best horror western ever. What you make of this will depend on two things. How much you like old British horror and how much you know about the production of this particular film. When you realize that this is the last production of a young talented Director, Michael Reeves, who died (25 accidental overdose) on the path to being one of the all time greatest film directors, and that this is his third, last and best film, you will under its value (as an example of his talent watch the shot in this film of young children cooking potatoes in the ashes of a `witch' that has just been burned). It is a notch above your average late 1960s early 1970s horror films. In fact it is a notch above nearly every British film making it one of the British modern classics.

The story is based on the real life times and crimes of the lawyer and Witchfinder General Mathew Hopkins, who set about destroying alleged witches across England with the full power of the law. This film depicts the various acts of torture and trials conducted on witches making it an extremely important historical document (as a note the Western influence comes from the gallant long countryside horseback riding shots, mobs in the villages and things like gallows being erected in the same vein as the cowboy movies in the USA of that era. It WORKS extremely well!) It is also certainly the best rendition of such grim persecutions to date on the screen (US viewers should think Salem Witch Trials x 100).

There is an interesting plot involving a young soldier whose fiancée's father a priest, is put on trial for witchcraft while the soldier is away. When the soldier returns he vows to track down Hopkins for the crimes he has committed against his wife and father and so the movie is essentially a story of revenge as this soldier chases Hopkins across the countryside passing through villages where Hopkins has been.

Some find this film hard to watch because of this subplot but stick with it because after the first twenty minutes or so the film really takes off. This is also Vincent Price in his best role ever and some would say his best work although the production values are somewhat low (a very restrictive budget with a young director practically making it by himself). Many of the scenes are underexposed, dirty, bad cuts, lots of zooms (a no-no in cinematography these days), daft credits that almost underexpose Hopkins face in the background and other elements of film making associated with tight finances. However ALL of the fight sequences and torture sequences are very well done. In fact some of those scenes had to be cut!

The real gem in this movie though is to know how much it has been through. The director set out to make one of the most violent films ever conceived in the UK. The UK censors immediately cut it to ribbons saying that it would shock the viewers too much. Also the US censors agreed that the violence should be toned down considerably but agreed that the US version could contain different takes with nude women. This led to several versions of the film over the years.

This review refers to the superb DVD version of the film. You can only currently get it on PAL but it contains 2 versions of the films, excellent bonus materials including documentaries, Empire Magazine's Kim Newman provides excellent production notes (best seen on any DVD to date), trailers and biographies. It is dirt cheap. Get it!

Anyway the DVD has 2 versions The Directors Cut (featuring NO nude women and all the restored cuts) and the Export Version (featuring nude women and all the restored cuts). The VHS version is CUT. However this decade one scene was restored that was originally omitted from the screen version of the infamous boot in the eye sequence. So all new VHS versions of the film have this restored... but the DVD has also restored (1) A priest being tortured, (2) A women being slapped, (3)An extended version of the river dunking, (4)A witch missing her eye being tied up and burnt alive, (5)A woman being tortured and (6) the notorious axing sequence. Unfortunately these cut scenes had to be restored from a poor quality tape recording in the Director's own personal collection, so these cut scenes look very different from the quality of the actual film however this is only a minor point given that the film is over 30 years old and was made on a shoe-string budget. The fact that we get to see these cuts at all on a DVD in SUBLIME for fans!

So for the first time ever The Fully Restored Witchfinder General as it was meant to be seen is now available!

CLASSIC!