2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining (2012)

There is much discussion elsewhere on each of these films in terms of plot summary, meaning, and value so I won't get into that. My reviews are strictly regarding the transfer from Standard Definition to Blu Ray for all 3 films. Surprising to me is that the transfers are pretty much even across the board from film to film. You will find that my reviews for all 3 become pretty much redundant.

The Shining displays a beautiful video transfer with natural colorizations showing off Kubrick's wonderful lens craft and cinematography. There was no unnatural grain, artifacts or aliasing to be found. The video transfer was exceptionally done. The film begins to play as soon as you put the disc in and the audio defaults to a lossy DD 5.1 . You will need to go to the menu to switch the audio to PCM 5.1 lossless audio. It does make a big difference. However, the audio transfer really only uses the front stage and there is very little use of any discreet audio to either the rear channels or from the LFE channel. The front stereo separation is good but, except for the film's music score, this is still a dialogue driven film so don't expect much from your surround system. The video transfer remains the star. The movie is getting on in years but it holds up and has legs, wish they had put as much effort into remastering the audio as they did with the fine video transfer.

2001: Space Odyssey.....Again, this disc shows off an excellent video transfer as well. No grain that I could detect and no problems with any of the video transfer. It is clear to me that they put some time in remastering the video before the reformat to Blu Ray. Once again, the audio ( PCM lossless 5.1) is left in the corner with almost no use whatsoever of the surround channels or LFE channel. The wonderfully classic soundtrack is evenly spread across your front channels with good separation but the LFE and discreet channels are left by the wayside. Remember to go to the menu as it defaults to DD 5.1 lossy. While this film was groundbreaking in its time and many went to see it stoned out of their gourd in '69, I don't feel as if the film holds up. It did feel dated to me. No hate mail please.

A Clockwork Orange....I warned that there would be some redundancy. The video transfer is excellent all around. No issues on the video transfer at all. Very well done. The audio transfer defaults, like the others, to DD5.1 so going right away to the menu to change it to PCM 5.1 is necessary. The audio levels are all well balanced, as they were with the other two movies, but, once again, the front stage is used primarily for the soundtrack which provided a clear separation of instrumentations. However, there is no use of the rear channels for any discreet foley FX and almost nothing from the LFE channel. This film is still as powerful as when it was first release and will probably remain so for many decades to come.

All 3 Blu Ray discs come with plenty of supplementary extras and all come with a large variety of language choices. The extras, I found to be worthwhile and interesting..most dated at 2007. None of the discs, all packaged separately (2 of them on back to back plastic holders) contained any deleted scenes but, thankfully, there were no advertisement trailers for other movies either.

For me personally, I am glad to have this set, especially so because of The Shining and Clockwork Orange.

All my movie reviews are of this nature and focus only on the quality of the transfer to BluRay so check them and see if they are of help as well.

Hopefully, this review has been of some help to you in determining your purchase, hope I am on the correct path with a review of the transfer quality as opposed to providing plot summaries.

Thanks

Stanley Kubrick can be a tough director to love -he had a cold and clinical approach to filmmaking, and his long shots often put people off. He was a true auteur though, and his influence can be seen in modern filmmaking today (Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson are some high-profile examples). This Blu-Ray collection is a nice sampler of Kubrick's work: it contains some of his best work, and it's an ideal purchase for anyone interested in understanding why Stanley Kubrick is such a heralded name in cinema.

This Blu-Ray collection include three of Stanley Kubrick's most influential films: 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining. The Blu-Ray editions of these movies are a greatly marked improvement of many of the DVD transfers that were published in the 90's and 00's. From what I can tell, these transfers seem to be the exact same ones that you would see if you bought these Blu-Rays standalone. Great news, right? Buying this collection means you can save some money without sacrificing the high-definition quality that seems to come with a lot of these multi-pack movie collections. These movies contain the same special features as their standalone counterparts as well.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a gorgeous and groundbreaking film that documents the loneliness, terror, and emptiness of space. 2001 follows a group of astronauts that venture into space once a mysterious obelisk appears on a distant moon. It turns out that potential alien contact might be the least of the astronauts' worries: someone (or something) else onboard the ship represents an even greater threat. This might be the least accessible of the three movies: it's pretty long, and many of the shots used don't contain dialog (or action) for several minutes at a time. It's a great movie to get lost in, but it's not exactly Saturday-night-popcorn material. Still, it's a must-watch for film-buffs.

A Clockwork Orange follows Alex DeLarge, a sociopath in a near-future Britain. DeLarge is a hedonistic and selfish creature that spends time torturing others for his own amusement. Once he's caught, he's forced into rehabilitation -based on Anthony Burgess's novel, the movie deals with themes like morality, free will, and intention. A Clockwork Orange was much more shocking when it first debuted decades ago in theaters; today, some of the violence that is put on display might appear tame by today's standards.

The Shining is an adaptation of Stephen King's novel: Jack Torrance is looking for a burst of creative inspiration so he takes a job as a groundskeeper at a remote inn in Colorado. Torrance is in charge of watching over the hotel in its offseason -he brings his family along to the hotel, and it isn't long until strange and mysterious things start happening to the abandoned, deserted inn. The Shining is easily my favorite horror movie of all time, and quite possibly my favorite movie of all time. Like 2001 and A Clockwork Orange, it's beautifully shot and staged, and Jack Nicholson's lead performance is worth the price of admission alone.

So who is this triple feature for? I would recommend this Blu-Ray pack to anyone looking to learn more about Stanley Kubrick, and budding film-buffs in particular. All three of these movies are classics and are worth seeing by anyone willing to get lost in a film for a few hours.

Buy 2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining (2012) Now

Got this set for the cheap price of $10. !

The quality of the BD is fantastic. 2001 looks like it was made in the last couple of years. Every scene is crystal clear. Same for Clockwork and Shining. You get 3 separate discs and they have nice special features. If you love Kubrick, get this set!

Read Best Reviews of 2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining (2012) Here

This is worth the price, i am a big fan of the shining and clockwork orange so i bought just for those 2 movies

Want 2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining (2012) Discount?

I saw 2001 when first released at the Cinema a Well Done 1968 Science fiction film directed by S. kubrick and co written by Kubrick & Arthur C. Clarke short story the Sentinel , The story deals with a serious of encounters between humans and a black monoliths sending a high pitch radio signal into space that is affecting human evolution , The Film Consist of four mayor sections : The Dawn of Man ( Than jumps into the future ) TMA-1 The Jupiter Mission : Eighteen Months Later Jupiter and Beyond The Infinite , according to interviews the movie companies almost stopped showing 2001 at the beginning because it wasn't attracting enough people a G rated film approx 148 minutes long .

Clock Work Orange is 1971 Science Fiction Film written directed and produce by Stanley Kubrick from a short novel by Anthony Burgess starring Malcom Mcdowell , Patrick Magee , Adrienne Corri , Miriam Carlin , Godfrey Quiqley , Anthony Sharp , Warren Clarke , This Film features disturbing violent images even funny in some scenes about a gang on a violent spree of crime fighting and raping in future England and the main character Alex , M.Mcdowell's friends are called Droogs an Anglo Russian Slang Nadsat according to movie profile , R rated approx 137 minutes long .

The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film Starring Jack Nicholson , Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers and Danny Loyd produce and directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on Stephen King's Novel The Shining about a writer who takes a job as an of season care taker in an isolated hotel and an supernatural power ghost gradually takes over the mind of the care taker into madness and wants to kill his wife and son during a snow storm , R rated approx 144 minutes long .

I have all 3 movies on DVD but are way better on Blu Ray and for a Great Price .

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Alfred Hitchcock: The Classic Collection (2013)

Many of the reviews are for a different Hitchcock package. This set has only 3 films: Rebecca, Notorious, Spellbound. And these 3 blu-rays are already just out individually at Sams Club. They are identical, have the same extras, and are only $9.98 each: why is Amazon charging so much when you can get them for about #30 at Sams Club, and get them NOW?

I flipped out when I saw this recently in a store, and knew immediately that it would be going home with me. NINE old and hard to find Hitchcock movies for TEN bucks?? HELL YEAH!

I just got it so I can't say anything yet about the quality of the discs except that my first peek at "The Lady Vanishes" proved that the sound and overall picture quality could have been a lot better. But come on, for ten bucks, you get what you pay for, am I right? And as someone in no position to pay for the lovely but very pricey Hitchcock collections in all the fancy packaging, I was more than pleased to shell out ten dollars for this hidden jewel.

Did I mention that it costs ten dollars???

There are three discs total, each with three movies on it and a special feature. I will come back and edit this review with details as I take my time enjoying the product!

DISC ONE:

"Blackmail" (1929) -Hitch's first sound film, but still "silent" as in there are title cards in place of spoken dialogue. The "sound" is music and effects. It's about a young engaged woman who is blackmailed by an artist.

"The Lady Vanishes" (1938) -One of Hitch's best, hands down. Far superior to Jodie Foster's recent pretender "Flightplan". It's about a young woman who befriends an older woman on a European train, only to fall asleep and wake up to find the woman replaced by someone else, and everyone around her insisting that nothing has changed. She must prove that her friend is missing and hidden somewhere on the train. The film starts a bit slow but winds up becoming a fast-paced, very suspenseful ride that still retains a clever dash of comedy.

"Rich and Strange" (1932) -I've actually never seen or even heard of this one! I can't wait to see it. Here's the description from the back of the packaging: "Fredy and Emily, a young married couple, decide to take a cruise around the world after they come into a sizeable inheritance. While on the cruise both Emily and Fredy become romantically involved with the wrong people, and end up broke. Forced to journey home on a cargo boat, the couple sadly realizes that the worst is yet to come."

EXTRAS: Three original trailers for Hitchcock classics "Dial M for Murder", "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief". Whoever compiled these obviously has a thing for Grace Kelly. These are nice, but I just wish they had included trailers for movies that actually appear in this set. Oh well. Did I mention that it costs ten dollars?

DISC TWO:

"Sabotage" (1936) -"Karl Verlok leads a secret life as a paid terrorist, which has lead [SIC] undercover agent Ted Spencer to move in next door to Verlok and his wife Sylvia. Feeling that something's up, Verlok sends Sylvia's younger brother to deliver something for him, only the young man doesn't know he's delivering a time-bomb. Based on Joseph Conrad's novel 'The Secret Agent.'" I've never seen this one either, but it sure sounds good!

"Secret Agent" (1936) -"An ever-windeing tale of deception: Secret Agent revolves around British novelist Edgar Brodie and secret agent Elsa Carrington. Their search for a ruthless murderer takes them to Switzerland, through the Alps and a train to Greece. Will a surprise air attack bring an end to their search and their lives? Based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham."

"The 39 Steps" (1938) -Classic Hitchcock. One of many films he did that center around an unwitting person being drawn into a web of terror and suspense, and being the only one who can save the day. This is also based upon a novel, and it was one of Hitchcock's biggest early hits.

LATER EDIT: **The audio and picture quality on this movie are HORRIBLE. You will not be able to understand the dialogue in several sections, no matter how much you rewind, and the print is full of scratches. If this movie is one of the main reasons you buy the collection, just know that you WILL want to invest in a remastered copy, eventually.**

BONUS FEATURE: Rare radio appearance by Alfred Hitchcock! This feature is a radio broadcast that plays over a wonderful poster gallery of Hitchcock's film releases -including some international posters in German and French. If you're like me, you'll have to experience this extra at least twice! I spent the first time so enthralled by the posters that I forgot to listen to the broadcast! :-)

DISC THREE:

"Number 17" (1932) -I have another copy of this that my mom picked up in a dollar store, but I still haven't seen it! It's basically about a gang of jewel thieves pursued by Detective Gilbert, and involves a train sequence that preludes his future as a quinessential director of movies with pivotal scenes in trains. ;-)

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934) -Hitch later remade this in the 50s with Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart. I didn't think the remake was one of his better films. But this is the original, and I can't wait to see it! One of the couple's friends is murdered, and before he dies, he whispers a vital clue to them that they must then solve, before it's too late!

"The Lodger" (1926) -"Quiet and secretive Jonathan Drew has just rented a room in a London boarding house. Coincidentally, his arrival overlaps with the brutal murders orchestrated by Jack the Ripper. The Lodger is the first movie to be designated as a true 'Hitchcock picture'. A gem for collectors."

**This was recently remade with Alfred Molina, Simon Baker and Hope Davis. Judging by the trailer, it's going to BLOW!**

BONUS FEATURE: "About Hitchcock"

One *major* drawback is that NONE of these discs have subtitles of any kind, not even English for the hearing impaired. So don't buy this present for a deaf friend, and if you have a deaf friend who is upset that they can't enjoy the movies with you, just write them a note explaining that it only cost you ten dollars.

Overall, however, this ENTIRE PACKAGE is "A gem for collectors"!! The big expensive Hitchcock collections have his better known and later films, which are all available individually as well. This one has early stuff only, most of which I personally have never seen anywhere else. If you're as die-hard a fan as I am, you'll want this in your collection even if you CAN afford the higher-end stuff. The only thing that would make it better would have been more trailers, more extras, and a booklet of some kind. Instead, all you get is the discs themselves. But the crazy thing is that I would have gladly paid $30 for this set, as is. And instead I got it for ten.

TEN!!!

Don't let this bargain pass you by!!

Buy Alfred Hitchcock: The Classic Collection (2013) Now

For VHS nostalgists, and those intimidated by the pricey Criterion boxed set that has replaced this (adding "The Lady Vanishes" and "The Thirty-Nine Steps" and subtracting "The Paradine Case"), this set is a prize to be sought out. Anchor Bay put out a good number of clamshell-cased classics in the suspense and horror genres (including letterboxed Argento titles and "Halloween") and they also did right by these Forties Hitchcock thrillers. Of course, these are the films Hitchcock made under the prying eyes of Selznick, and the relationship was sufficiently difficult that Hitch occasionally drifted away from the post-production, allowing Selznick to lave on extra dollops of music and occasionally even reshoot a smidgeon here and there. "Notorious" is the only one here free of Selznick's taint, but that is in large part because it is the only one of these projects to so completely fire Hithcock's imagination that he considered it absolutely vital to maintain his full vision. Regarded as a highwater mark by everyone from Truffaut to Ebert (and Hitchcock himself), its greatness is so pure and consuming as to reduce even these other terrific films almost to the status of filler. But let us not write them off. Though they are not the same Minerva-born products of Hitchcock's genius as "Notorious" and the Fifties-era masterworks, Selznick was not without his visionary qualities and the Gothic richness of their confections (Hitchcock's ingredients certainly preponderant) make for superb, intoxicating entertainment. Truffaut rightly hailed the 'very modern' qualities of "Rebecca" (the intercutting feels completely contemporary, the forward momentum of the camera through the enormous interiors clearly influenced Kubrick's "The Shining", and the opening sequence is as luminously fluid as any feverish dream of Cuaron). Joan Fontaine is far sexier here than in "Suspicion" (the original "New York Times" review memorably noted "Miss Fontaine has the most expressive spine--and shoulders!--we've bothered to notice this season"), and George Barnes' camerawork is similarly sinuous and expressive. The film's obsessional perversities, like those in "The Paradine Case", come through quite nicely. Alida Valli is the subject of some prime iconic shots in "The Paradine Case" (though the screenplay from Selznick's own hand is a bit disjointed, the camera-choreography clearly kept Hitchcock awake). "Spellbound", the one Hitchcock considered least successful of this bunch, was an enormous hit, and though Miklos Rozsa's sensational score may have been too much for what Hitch regarded as the requirements of the piece, it remains a landmark movie score and will certainly seduce the viewer. Bergman's Dr. Constance Peterson is one-dimensional compared to Alicia in "Notorious" but beguiling nonetheless, and watching the somewhat wan Gregory Peck fume at her mothering attentions provides comic counterpoint to its delirious bouts of pop-Freudian obsession and nightmare. This boxed set comprises a glorious waking dream in luminous black & white, a gorgeous riot of eroticism, fixation, ambiguity, terror, menace and romance rich and seductive enough to keep your nights filled through a long holiday week, and as soon as I have enough nights free I'll be "renting" my brother's set off him and subjecting my girlfriend to the whole lot. Grab it up if you can.

Read Best Reviews of Alfred Hitchcock: The Classic Collection (2013) Here

Surfing through Amazon, repetively and quite tediously, I see the awe-inspiring Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection. Now as a cheap college student who loves movies, I don't exactly have the cash for that kind of dedication. Perhaps later.

However, I came across this treasure. A nice collection of various early Hitchcock movies, along with some radio appearances.

I received the DVD collection for about $6. Wow! I've never gotten 3 discs for $6. In any caes, when I played some of the movies just to check, the quality isn't exactly top-knotch. But what do you expect from 6 bucks? At least it feels like I'm in the 1940s again, right? Overall, a great buy.

Want Alfred Hitchcock: The Classic Collection (2013) Discount?

This collection was a major disappointment. These three wonderful movies are the old digital images created for DVD. If you already have the DVDs, there is no point in buying this collection. The Blu-Ray transfer was not done new. The images are grainy and the contrast is flat.

My expectation for a Blu-Ray transfer of a classic film is that it will be state of the art, with clear, clean images and contrast that pops. None of these three films meet that criteria. Save your money. Perhaps Criterion will offer them in Blu-Ray later.

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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Special Edition) (2011)

I just saw "Breaking Dawn" part 1, and I was VERY impressed, even if as a man I am probably not the most typical fan of "Twilight" series. I rather liked all the "Twilight" movies until now and this one is, to my personnal taste, as good as the previous ones and even in one aspect a little bit better, as Edward and Bella finally become lovers. Below, you will find a short description of what I believe are the best elements of this film, with very limited SPOILERS:

1. Actors. All actors evolved as the serie continued and I believe they all got better with time. Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are both excellent, but in my humble opinion it is Kristen Stewart who in this movie shines the most. Quite a lot of people frequently criticized her actorship claiming that she simply can not play at all and has a very limited assortment of expressions in her tool box. But for me, after reading "Twilight" books, this is how the character of Bella should be. I can hardly picture her wide smiling with all her teeth bared or doing any other highly extraverted things like that. In fact I believe that either by design or by accident Kristen Stewart got the things right about this character her minimalistic approach to facial expressions actually makes (for me) Bella very believable and also quite likeable. In this part of the story, Bella takes a more dynamic approach to life by taking her destiny firmly under control. She makes important decisions and takes extreme risks, stubbornly resisting the opposite advice of all her family and friends all of that in a deceptively unassuming way... And Kristen Stewart acted in the movie exactly as I pictured Bella did it, when I read the books. A very good job!

Other actors are also great, with Ashley Greene and Billy Burke being as usual the pillars but amongst the supporting roles it is Nikki Reed who really gets the most praise from me. She has a much bigger role in this film and she is perfect in it! The one (little) disappointment is Jackson Rathbone, who changed comletely his haircut for this film and as a result his character, Jasper, seems much less impressive, which is a pity. He also seems to appear very little in the "first line", almost as if the director preferred to hide him a little...

2. Visual aspects. As usual, the images of state of Washington are great, but the tropical island where Bella and Edward spend their honey moon is also very pleasantly showed. Dark forests filled with (were)wolves are very much present here and they are a great background for the story.

3. Music. As usual in those series, music and songs have been selected very carefully and with a great taste.

4. The (were)wolf pack. The Quileute wolves are shown here even more and better than in the previous part. The scene of their war council, when they are all in the werewolf form, is absolutely great! The scene when Sam (the alpha male) asserts and confirms his power over the pack is excellent as good as the description of Jacob's defiance and its consequences.

5. The wedding. A very nice and moving scene with some humour elements, especially when the guests make speeches offering toasts. Emmett, Jessica and Bella's father give here a great show. In the same time Mike Newton obsesses on vampire bridesmaids from the Denali clan, to the point of drooling (and I TOTALLY understand him!). Bella's mum and, suprprise surprise, Rosalie (!) are also real treasures in wedding scenes.

6. Quileute wolves vs. Cullen coven confrontation. This heartbreaking, tense and at moments violent conflict in which both sides are trapped against their will is a great moment in the Twilight saga and its final resolution is even better! Finally it is true what the Beatles were singing all you need is love! Babies help too...

7. The fight for Bella's life, Renesmee's bloody birth and Bella's fate excellent! Those were moments very difficult to film but the challenge was met succesfully! Nothing more about it to avoid more spoilers, but I was very impressed!

Conclusion: it is an excellent movie which I watched with great pleasure. My wife, who usually is a much harder person to please, loved it too and she is going to see it again with some girlfriends. And we will certainly both wait with great expectations for the "Breaking dawn" part 2. If it was done as well as that one, it will be certainly worth waiting one year to see it...

Being a huge fan of the books and a pretty big fan of the movies, I was blown away at what a great job they did with this movie installment. I loved the visual and audio parallels they drew between the original movie, Twilight, and this movie. For instance (Spoiler Alerts throughout): I loved how they played Flightless Bird during the wedding ceremony and the way the camera circled them kissing in the same manner the camera circled E & B kissing at Prom at the very end of Twilight. It was a subtle, yet stunning way to visually tie the two movies together and really made more of an emotional impact than if they had just shot them straight on and plugged in a different song. That was genius. And that dress...gorgeous. Just as it was described in the book.

I also loved that rather than having one continuous honeymoon "consummation" scene, they broke it up with Bella thinking about certain moments the next morning after looking in the mirror for the first time, where she's no longer a virgin. It was all done so tastefully. The way one's first time should be at that age. Not at some house party or in the back of some guy's car. For those who read the books and knew how Edward did everything he could to exhaust Bella with activities on their honeymoon so she'd be too tired to "try again", you have to admit that Bill Condon did such a great job showing you visually all the things they were doing without either character having to come out and say, I'm/you're trying to exhaust you/me. And it was adorable with KS put on her little nightgown and leaned against the wall...I got married when I was 19 and I felt the exact same way when I put on lingerie for the first time and dreaded walking into the bedroom with my little gown on. I felt like a child playing dress-up, much like it came off Bella felt.

I was also very impressed by the manner with which Bill Condon allowed us to see through the eyes of Jacob for the first time and hear what he hears with regard to the internal dialog between him and the pack. That scene where the wolves were running to the lumber yard and their voices echoed in Jacob's mind...that was so perfectly done. AND, I loved loved loved the way the Sam and Jacob had their battle for alpha. It was as if you, the person watching the movie, was in the mind of a wolf who is being forced into submission by it's Alpha. The CGI team did a great job because I forgot I was watching computer generated wolves and the intensity of the scene felt like I was there witnessing the true dynamic of a wolf pack.

I thought the birth scene was beyond intense. The scene almost mirroring that as it's written in the book. I think they showed just the right amount of Bella's internal agony during her transformation. For those of us who read the books, to say she had a prolonged bout of suffering during her transformation would be an understatement. However, if they had shown more of that in the movie, it would have taken from the torture that Edward was going through thinking he had lost Bella, and Jacob's malevolence towards Renesmee prior to imprinting on her. That whole scene allowed for each character's state of mind to be both seen, visually, and felt, emotionally. Powerfully shot and brilliantly executed.

I imagine the imprinting scene was a difficult one to translate from paper to screen. They did a great job in this as well. Not in any way cheesy, but sweet and breathless...if that makes any sense. The only thing I did not love about it was that the girl/teenager Jacob sees as an older Renesmee appeared to be CGI. They used an actual young girl to play the younger Renesmee, why not use a real person for the older Renesmee too? I'm sure Hollywood has a few young actresses that would have auditioned for the part???

I loved the fight between the wolves and the Cullens at the very end of the movie. In the books, you go from Jacob's perspective where he witnesses Bella's death and then walks into the living room to kill Renesmee, only to imprint on her. And then you go immediately back to Bella's perspective where she's riving in pain while she's transforming into a vampire. I feel Melissa Rosenburg had a stroke of brilliance when she decided to add this scene so that the audience could see what could have happened in the books, but did happen in the movie, during the time period between Jacob imprinting on Renesmee and Bella awakening for the first time as a vampire. Another unexpected and totally welcomed brilliant surprise of this movie.

Another welcome surprise for me was while Bella was at the very end of her transformation. I thought it was a touching visual moment that just before her heart beat for the very last time, we witnessed Bella's memories in a somewhat reverse chronological order, ending with her very first human memory as a baby in the arms of her parents bouncing her in front of a mirror.

But what was not a surprise and what I've been telling my fellow twi-hards the past couple years is the very last scene of the movie. Once I heard they were splitting BD into two parts, I've always maintained there's only one way to end part 1 with truly visual impact...and that is to witness Bella's subtle transformation from a broken human to a perfect vampire, surrounded by the Cullens, with the scene closing in on Bella's perfect facial features, zooming into her perfectly shut eyes...that suddenly open the most gorgeous crimson red....and straight to credits. I actually gave myself a little pat on the back for that one because so much of the movie exceeded my expectations of visual and audio creativity, and yet the last scene ending a certain way was something I was very adamant with my friends about, and sure enough that's how it ends. So maybe now I can revel in having an ounce of the vision that Bill Condon and Melissa Rosenburg possess...hey I'll take that ounce.

Aside from the standout scenes I've mentioned herein, I thought Kristen Stewart did her best portrayal of Bella yet. Her facial expressions alone are so real to each moment they're almost tangible. I've enjoyed the work KS has done prior to the Twilight Saga, and I am so glad these movies have launched her career because I am certain she will be one of the great leading ladies of acting for many decades to come. So to all Twi-hards out there. This movie was amazing. A must see for those who loved the books and fans of the previous movies. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so that I can add it to my Twilight Saga collection.

Buy The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Special Edition) (2011) Now

From the raised, reproduced lace on the DVD package that matches Bellas Wedding gown, to the simply gorgeous, delicate silk commemorative flag/poster of their wedding photo, this is a no-brainer, must have edition to build your collection, ladies!

Included is the music from the film, the movie disk, a documentary disk that shows how they used a dummy to make Bella appear so emaciated as her pregnancy with

Renesmee progressed, and so much more.

I was gifted this from my brother who works at WalMart and hid it away for me a week before the release/sale date, and I had no idea it was a wedding version.

Upon receiving it you feel like you are truly apart of the Wedding, and that this rare DVD set is your wedding favor!

The movie is beautiful, the packaging is beautiful It truly is one of those instances where you need to buy the rare edition, in this case, this very Wedding Dress Edition. Its worth whatever you have to pay for it.

Read Best Reviews of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Special Edition) (2011) Here

You get a single disk with the Theatrical Release and a few extras. What in THE world makes this a special edition? You don't even know this is your lot until you open it and see it on the disc. :(

Want The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Special Edition) (2011) Discount?

This is one of the worst movies I've seen.

I know it's sort of the "in" thing to hate on Twilight, and there are good reasons for that. It depicts an abusive relationship between two unlikeable people who have absolutely nothing in common, beyond a sort of warped physical attraction, and tries to convince the reader that this is romantic. It's been called misogynistic, classist, racist, and ableist, among other -ists, and transphobic. Stephanie Meyer tries to set up her own vampire mythos, which is fine, but then she contradicts it whenever it's convenient for the plot. We could talk about all of this, and more, and many have, but as far as I'm concerned, it all boils down to one thing:

It's not entertaining.

I only ask one thing from a movie, and that's to be entertained. It may be cerebral, or melodramatic, or a big, dumb action movie, but as long as it's entertaining, I don't care. This is why I love Ed Wood, adore The Asylum, and count "Birdemic: Shock and Terror" among my favorites. Yes, all of these are, technically, of a lower quality than the Twilight series, but I don't care because they entertain me. The Twilight series does not.

The reason for this is a near-total lack of conflict. When I first tried to read "Twilight", I made it as far as a scene in which Stephanie Meyer narrates Bella microwaving and eating lasagna. If I remember correctly, this is about a third of the way in, by which point all potential sources of conflict have been resolved. Most of the book is completely static and then the plot finally advances in the last third or so, but you don't care because it's already been spoiled by Stephanie Meyer's attempts at foreshadowing. This is a problem which plagues the entire series and it translates into some truly agonizing movies.

"Breaking Dawn: Part 1" is the worst offender. It's two hours long. Absolutely nothing happens for the first hour, apart from some terrible music, at which point the movie's conflict finally arrives: Bella gets pregnant. Shock. Then nothing happens and there are some CG werewolves that are even worse than the music and nothing happens until fifteen minutes to the end, when Bella goes into labor. Edward gives her a c-section with his teeth, a horrific CG baby is given the world's most embarrassing name, and Jacob turns into a pedophile. Besides Charlie, Jacob was the only likable character to go through these movies. Then "Breaking Dawn" happened and now he's a pedophile. Goody. I understand he's supposed to be even more unlikable and out-of-character (compared to previous installments, anyway) in the book, but good lord.

That's it, really. It's two hours long. I'd say maybe forty-five minutes of it actually needs to be there. I only just saw it, and even with the RiffTrax commentary, I was so bored I could barely pay attention. It's boring. Don't watch it.

Actually, I take that back. There are three (3) things worth seeing:

1. Watch it if only to skip the entire movie and see the Volturi scene in the end credits. The actors clearly don't care and are just doing what they want, and it's a riot. "Carlisle... who spells his name with an esssssssssss."

2. Robert Pattinson's makeup makes him look like he's about to die of alcohol poisoning.

3. At the end of Bella's getting-ready-to-have-sex montage, she looks like she's trying to psyche herself up to muck out the pigs. Seriously, she's finally going to screw this guy she's been trying to screw for three movies, and she looks revolted. It's hilarious.

PS: There's going to be an extended version of this on DVD. WHY. It didn't need to be two movies in the first place, but now they're making the first one even longer?!

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The Man In The Iron Mask (2011)

I don't know why I did not see the 1998 version of Man in the Iron Mask while it played in theaters. In a way I'm glad I didn't see it then I surely would have embarrassed myself, because it would not have occurred to me that I would need a half-box of Kleenex at the end! I finally watched the movie in my own living room when it came to HBO several years ago, but while I enjoyed the movie at the time, it did not leave me with the urgent desire to see it again. However, I did watch the movie again recently, and now for some unexplainable reason, I can't seem to get enough of it. I have the DVD, and it is the movie I most often reach for on a quiet evening of lousy television.

Those who are expecting a faithful adaptation of the book will come away sorely disappointed, and if that is their measure of the movie, they will do best to avoid this one. However, those who love the characters, who don't mind seeing new adaptations and interesting plot twists, and who love rich costumes and set designs will find this movie wonderfully entertaining. And that is what it is all about, isn't it? Entertainment.

I have read many reviews regarding this movie, and am puzzled, even dismayed at times, by some of the criticisms levied at various aspects of it. Some people have complained about the dialogue in the movie, calling it "flowery", but truthfully I loved the fact that Randall Wallace did not modernize it. So many new films and TV series are "dumbing down" the dialogue of period pieces to make them more compatible with today's manner of speaking. I applaud Mr. Wallace for keeping the dialogue consistent with how it likely would have been spoken in the 17th century.

Still others complained of the unlikelihood of all four Musketeers surviving a volley of musketfire during the final charge. If they had been watching properly, they would have noticed that the young Musketeers were turning their faces away, closing their eyes as they pulled the triggers. And after the first few shots, powder smoke begins to fill the corridor, obscuring their vision. So the lack of accuracy in their volley is adequately explained on more than one count. Moreover, if the critics had been watching more closely, they would have noticed that there are woundings -D'Artagnan is hit in the shoulder, Athos in the thigh. The other two are also limping, and the script confirms that all four are wounded in the barrage.

As for the complaints that the four leads have four different accents, I did not find them distracting or annoying, as some have claimed. I expected it, since this is an International Cast, and with an International Cast, you get International accents.

And speaking of the cast, I must say that in all the Musketeers movies I've seen, this is the strongest cast ever. The primary performers, Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Byrne, Gerard Depardieu, and John Malkovich, all turn in exquisite performances, and Leonardo DiCaprio is, in my opinion, convincing as Louis and Philippe, even though he is upstaged by the other four. Anne Parilloud is simply lovely as the Queen Mother, and the moments she shares with Byrne's D'Artagnan are some of the best in the film. The love scene between them, as brief as it was, is as beautiful as any I've ever seen (this coming from someone who is not a true fan of romance! I was left wanting more!). The music is brilliant and sets the mood perfectly for each scene. The wardrobe is exceptional, especially the black uniforms of the old musketeers.

Particularly nice touches in this movie are the attention to detail: The roses left for the queen speaks as decisively of D'Artagnan's love for her as words ever could (And yes, I really liked the plot twist involving the twins' paternity); Philippe dragging his masked head back and forth over the grating in frustration while in prison; the unmasking of Philippe in a dark blacksmith's forge, his hair wrapped around his neck where, as it grew, it was unable to escape the confines of the mask; Lieutenant Andre's devotion to D'Artagnan throughout the film and the way he looks away when the king orders the volley, unable to watch his captain cut down; the rich, fancy costumes contrast the torn, sweat-stained clothing where appropriate.

The movie is not without its faults, though. The first scene involving Porthos and Aramis, for example, contains some crude language regarding parts of both the male and female anatomy and Porthos's flatulence, both of which seemed out of place, and actually got the film off to a shaky start. The first time I watched it, I almost turned it off at this point. I also could have lived quite happily without ever having seen the bulls-eye glimpses of Porthos' naked rear end. While I'm sure some of Depardieu's fans loved it, the scene did nothing to advance the plot, in my opinion. There is hardly an actor or actress out there these days that has not done a nude, but quite frankly, some things are just better left to the imagination. I'm smiling as I write this, but truly, the scene was unnecessary. Thankfully, there is a "skip" button on my DVD player! And yes, I do use it.

Those few faults are forgivable when surrounded by so many other details that are so elegantly done. For me, it was a very pleasing movie experience, one I enjoy over and over again. Kudos to everyone involved. Now, if I can just convince Randall Wallace to release a director's cut version . . . .

"All for one. One for all!" The familiar oath is heard again in this swashbuckler. Only this time our four heroes are older, as The Musketeers reunite for one last grand stand against injustice.

Aramis(Jeremy Irons),is now a devout priest and prays for the starving people of Paris, Porthos(Gerard Depardieu)is out of shape but still has the will to fight for right(Depardieu is also very much the comic relief in this film),Athos(John Malkovich), retired and has a son who has now gone into the service of the king, and the youngest D'Artagnan(Gabriel Bryne), still in service is now the Captain of the Musketeers, and very loyal to his King. And of course the coldhearted young King Louie XIV(Leonardo DiCaprio).

The King lets his people starve while he lavishes in luxeries. He uses people, especially women with no shred of decency or emotion. Even his mother Queen Anne(Anne Parillaud) is ashamed but still loves him. And Louie has a secret, one that may threaten his reign someday. It is the "Man In The Iron Mask" who he has had imprisoned.

Aramis ,Athos, and Porthos have set a plan into motion to restore decency to the throne. D'Artagnan on the other hand remains loyal to the king and carries with him a secret of his own. They don their old uniforms, and we see them in action once again. Will they be able to set free the man in the mask? Will D'Artagnan reunite with them?

The swordfights,scenery and costumes are all exquiste. The story will move you,there are some very poignant scenes as well as lots of action,adventure, romance and above all loyalties. Loyalties to each other, the King and to France.The actors work extraordinary well together and are impeccable in their roles.Director Randall Wallace really gives us a good look at this time and place in history, and a strong feeling for each character.

Fabulous DVD!(MGM) The widescreen presentation(standard on the other side if you prefer) really shows off the granduer of the palace grounds, and the surrounding scenery.The picture and colors clear and bright. The 5.1 Surround is outstanding in this action film. You can hear every clip clop of the horses on the stone, every clink of the swords, and every word of the dialouge clearly. The music is also well recieved and is effective. There are several features you may want to check out, there is audio commentary, a really informative look at how they chose and made the mask, and a booklet inside the case.You can also use the English, French or Spanish Subtitles if needed.

Check it out.....Laurie

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I know why I like this movie and it is simply because "The Man in the Iron Mask" does for swordplay movies what "Space Cowboys" did for space movies. It allowed a bunch of older actors to have fun in parts usually reserved for the younger set. I can just imagine John Malkovich's eyes lighting up at the thought of somebody asking him to play one of the Three Musketeers (Athos). The same goes for Jeremy Irons (Aramis), Gerard Depardieu (Porthos) and Gabriel Byrne (D'Artagnan). The key line for me in the movie is when Lieutenant Andre (Edward Atterton) points to D'Artagnan and says "All of my life all I ever wanted to be was HIM." But you can substitute any one of the Musketeers in that statement. I just cannot imagine any Hollywood actor of my age turning down this script. You get to be one of the Three Musketeers!

So I am onboard for the fun. This is a solid "B" movie and I do not care that Leonardo DiCaprio is the big name at the top of the cast list. He is a talent actor, but as in "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet" he once again shows he does not have a feel for the diction of costume drama; but his Phillippe is a much richer performance than his King Louis. Yes, I can list lots of other problems with this film. Depardieu and Judith Godreche as Christine are the only ones running around with "real" French accents for one thing. But the film is, all things considered, fairly faithful to the Alexandre Dumas novel (by Hollywood standards) until the final act. I actually liked the "twist" by writer-director Randall Wallace and was not bothered that the survival rate of the Musketeer quarter is the exact opposite in the film that it was in the novel.

But above all I liked watching Malkovich, whose ability to provide nuance into underplaying a role is exquisite and it is so much fun watching him draw his swords and have at it. Depardieu has fun as the bawdry brawler of the bunch, although the script relegates him to the comic relief part of the festivities. Irons provides the most panache of the quartet and the twinkle in his eyes as Aramis hatches his master plan to restore the honor of France counterbalances the deadness in the eyes of Athos after the death of his son. Byrne gets to play a pillar of virtue and his character is more a reflection of the good opinion of everybody else. It is only in his affection for Queen Anne (Anne Parillaud in a dignified but heartfelt performance) and his attempts to instruct Louis that his heart comes through. "The Man in the Iron Mask" is, like the novel, not a great story but more of a grand adventure.

Read Best Reviews of The Man In The Iron Mask (2011) Here

"The Man in the Iron Mask" proves at least two things. The first thing is that it's still possible to make a rousing, entertaining epic with minimal use of digital FX. The second is that action adventure films still work best when they don't take themselves seriously. If you don't believe that, may I remind you that the James Bond series has run for a record 40 years?

In this case DiCaprio gets to play the evil Louis the Fourteenth of France and his all too good twin brother, whom Louis has put in an iron mask and thrown into a truly nasty prison. The two totally different characters are believably played by DiCaprio. There is never any confusion as to which twin is on screen, yet one gets the impression that this is all a piece of cake for the film's young star.

This is the France of 1662. I am not a good student of French history, but the locations, costumes and customs appear to be fairly accurate for that time period. Also the film is reasonable faithful to X's novel. The author took an obscure bit of French history and spun an intricate story from it. For in that year, there actually was a French prisoner who was listed in the prison registry only by a series of numbers followed by the words 'the man in the iron mask'. Since Louis the Fourteenth became king at a very young age, he was quite the brat. As he grew older, he became one of France's greatest rulers. So, who's to say there wasn't a hidden twin?

Even without DiCaprio, this film has a remarkable cast. Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu and Gabriel Byrne play the famous Musketeers. Now retired, they are forced to regroup due to the insane acts committed by Louis. These include having one of their sons killed in the same way King Solomon got rid of Sheba's husband. When he is informed that the peasants of Paris are starving, he dispatches rotting food to them. When they justifiably complain, his suggestion is to shoot them.

One of the cleverest plot devices is to have one of the musketeers the great Gerard Depardieu's character show that time takes its toll on everyone. He is flabby, depressed.... Of course, in true Hollywood style, he makes a big comeback, but until he does, he is uproariously funny.

Anne Parilland plays the Queen Mother with that cutting edge of grace and beauty that is peculiar to the French. Her character is also full of surprises. As the beauty Louis wants so badly that he kills to get her, Judith Goodreche is quite well cast. She is innocence personified.

While not at all original, the musical score by Nick Glenne-Smith is the rich, melodic type one expects in such a film. I was disappointed, however, by one musical aspect. There are some lavishly produced ballroom sequences. The dances are wonderful, but the music is scored for instruments which, for the most part, did not exist in the 17th Century.

"The Man in the Iron Mask" did great business overseas, but was disappointing here. I suspect that this was because DiCaprio became an overnight romantic hero in "Titanic", which was released two months earlier. In this film the only romance happens with the evil Louis. The good twin, as in the book, must spend his time reclaiming his destiny with the help of the Old Musketeers. This left his enormous following of female fans little to bond with. I also suspect that, for the average young American male, the concept of DiCaprio as an action hero is, shall we say, slightly ahead of its time.

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The only reason I rented this video is because the new releases I wanted to see were checked out. To begin with, I'm not a big fan of period pieces featuring performers speaking in an accent appropriate for their role. Even if the performer masters a particular dialect, I still find it a distracting affectation. Also, a little of one accent goes a long way, especially if you're not too fond of a particular accent; I like a french accent well enough, but am still glad the whole cast didn't speak in one. I found it refreshing that the performers in this film weren't required to speak in a foreign accent, or more precisely, an accent foreign to them. I don't think it took anything away from their characters' authenticity; all the actors were very convincing, even moreso, without an affected accent.

Since I'm not a big fan of swashbucking, action type movies or romantic movies, I wasn't attracted to the subject matter of this movie, nor to Leonardo DiCaprio's face on the jacket (although I'm not on the Leonardo-bashing bandwagon; I don't think he deserves all the bashing he gets). I hadn't even heard of Gabriel Byrne or the supporting actresses, but had seen Malkovich, Irons and Depardieu enough to know there would be quality acting in this film. So, having grown bored with browsing, I rented it, having no idea that I was in for such a pleasant surprise which would bring about a few first time experiences for me.

My first "first" was that I wanted to see it again and again & again! I don't ususally want to see a movie again (especially within a short period of time), but this movie more than just impressed me, it enchanted me. I thought every performer in it, even those with bit parts, was outstanding -yes, including Leonardo DiCaprio. Although he lacks the special magic that Gabriel Byrne, John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons bring to a performance, Leonardo DiCaprio still handled his dual role well by effectively conveying the differences in his characters not only in tone & affect, but by the way he could change his eyes from the "sad puppy" eyes of Phillipe to the cold, steely eyes of Louis.

I also found the story interesting (not having read the book first, I wasn't thrown off by the affair) and thought the scenery, costumes, makeup and hair was great (except for D'Artagnon's hair, severely parted way over to the side for some reason, which was a very unflattering style for him).

The music was so appropriate and moving that I even bought the soundtrack, which is also something I've never done as a result of seeing a movie.

And, another first: In all my years, I've never been as captivated, not only by a character (D'Artagnon), but by an actor as I am with Gabriel Byrne. Seeing him for the first time in this movie has prompted me to see more of his work, and I've come to realize that there's something in him, not just his characters, that touches my very soul.

I never expected a video I halfheartedly rented one evening to be one of the best movies I've seen in my life. I wonder why "Titanic" got 11 awards while the people involved with this film didn't get nearly the credit they deserve?

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Midway (1976)

I saw the movie play in a theatre and I was greatly impressed.

I still enjoy the movie BUT! at the same time I am disappointed.

When it was released first on VHS and now on DVD I was greatly disappointed to see how much film footage has been cut out from the original theatrical release.

In its original release MIDWAY ran for almost 2 hours 45 minutes.

On VHS and DVD it runs for 2 hours 10 minutes. What happened to all the othe extra scenes???

Where is the Battle of the Coral Sea which was shown in the original movie?

Furthermore they cut out the surround sound and made it Mono.

It is ridiculous that the have a Special Feature on Surround Sound, but the DVD was made in Mono sound.

And they call this DVD a Special Collector's Edition???

Come on Universal give us the full extended theatrical release along with 5.1 Surround Sound.

Looks like they forgot to include the other hour and fifty minutes of the COLLECTORS EDITION !The sound is mono...yes mono!They forgot the movie portrays history!They also forgot that this is cinematic history as well.For years,I enjoyed watching this movie with my dad and brothers.It was one of the few subjects my dad and I could talk about for hours.Universal has short changed everyone looking to buy the four hour version.I hope they see the error of their ways by the poor sales of this version and begin to re-store the long sought after four hour version on dvd....they owe it to the veterans(of which,I am one),and history buffs.

Buy Midway (1976) Now

Why won't someone put out a complete version of this movie on DVD or even VHS. It is a much better movie when complete and you almost never see it that way. TNT seems to be the only one who shows it that way and they almost never do so, TBS and TCM also show it but in various cut down versions. If the people who put these DVDs and VHSs out are so fond of the cut down version, why not release a two DVD set with the cut and complete versions on it so us werdos who like to watch complete movies can get our fix.

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I have seen "Midway" countless times, and find it impressive for many reasons: The many scenes that contain original war footage, the fabulous cast, and the degree of historical accuracy, which is exceptional for a Hollywood epic.

Some of the WWII footage is riveting, and is edited to blend in well with the 1976 cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr., which is also marvelous; a good score by John Williams also adds to the atmosphere, though mostly we hear the sounds that would have been heard at the time...the roar of the sea, the wind, and the exploding bombs.

Many of the fascinating figures of history are represented well, and a few brilliantly, like Hal Holbrook as Commander Joseph Rochefort, the man who intercepted and broke the codes. Holbrook's portrayal is much like the real man, who working many times 20 hour shifts in a bunker, was a little scruffy, and had crucial information that was an essential part of the battle plans.

Henry Fonda is great as Admiral Chester Nimitz, and other big stars include Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum, Toshiro Mifune, James Coburn, Cliff Robertson and Robert Wagner. I love the way the battle is planed like a chess game by both American and Japanese leaders, moving little "boats" around on a big map, each side trying to outwit the other. It also lays out the basics of the battle and makes it fairly understandable for the non-military person.

Charlton Heston is terrific as Captain Matthew Garth, the fictional character in the script, who has to deal with his son (Edward Albert), in love with a Japanese-American girl (Christina Kokubo), who has been interned with her parents. This little bit of "romance" I imagine was included in the film to round out the "human interest", and though I could have lived without this non-historical addition, it is peripheral to the action.

Admiral Nimitz said that the Battle of Midway was "The battle that made everything else possible", and this film is an excellent way to get a feel for the momentous events of that time, with its heroism, tragedy, extraordinary battle tactics, and men who changed the course of history.

Total running time is 132 minutes.

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Having read that the "Collectors' Edition" DVD would include footage omitted from the theatrical release, I assumed that Universal Studios had finally awoken, smelled the coffee, and included the 30 minutes or so of footage of the Battle of the Coral Sea that one can see when one watches the television version of this film. No such luck. Instead, the studio compounds the mistake it made when it included the goofy and anachronistic "son's fiance" sub-plot by adding not the Coral Sea footage, but two utterly goofy and superfluous domestic scenes with C. Heston and his wife before he leaves for work. Who does Universal thinks watches this type of movie, anyway? If Universal wants to tap into the latent market for DVDs of this film (and in its full version, sans fiance, this IS a good film), they should do the obvious: 1) include in its entirety all the missing footage of the Battle of the Coral Sea (an important context for what follows), and 2) relegate to the status of out-takes all the scenes involving the son's fiance -they don't ring true in the context of the film, and most people who like the rest of the movie delete them out of hand. There IS a market for a true "collectors' edition" of this film -but this isn't it! Bring on the Coral Sea footage, drop the silly "son's fiance" subplot, and give us the DVD that many of us can't wait to buy but can only find at present on TV! Until the studio gets the message, I'd hold off on buying this release and stick to watching the complete film whenever it comes on TV.

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Fast & Furious (2009) (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2009)

After three high-octane rides on the street racing scene, the fourth film in the "The Fast and the Furious" series features a departure from the flashy, overblown colors, obvious CGI-enhancement, and at times over-the-top stunts of the previous two films. With "Fast & Furious" the series returns to its roots with a grittier, more realistic leaning tone and reunites the primary players from the original film's cast of gearheads for more high speed mayhem.

"Fast & Furious" finds Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) continuing his lawless ways in the Dominican Republic alongside his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and a new crew of velocity addicted miscreants. When the law begins to close in on Dom and his crew, difficult choices are made, plans are put into motion, and a life is lost. All of this forces Dom to return to his native Los Angeles on a quest for answers and to ultimately deal with those responsible. While back in town, Dom is reunited, albeit begrudgingly, with his former friend Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker), who once again finds he is torn between doing what he desires most or following the letter of the law he's sworn to uphold.

With the slightly weaker feel of the previous two films in the series, I was kind of unsure of how good this fourth attempt would prove to be, regardless of the fact that many of the original film's cast members were reprising their roles eight years later. After seeing "Fast & Furious" over the weekend, I can honestly say that any misgivings I had regarding the film were easily blown away by the sheer entertainment value and superiority exuded by this film over anything included in the previous two films.

Besides the original film's primary cast returning to the series that made them stars, the writer and director duo of Chris Morgan and Justin Lin ("The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift") make their return to the series with a much more polished final product than what had been featured in their previous effort. The screenplay is a much more complex work than one may expect from this type of movie. Screenwriter Chris Morgan ups the stakes for all the players, delivering several twists along the way, and some very sharply written dialogue, all of which makes for a thoroughly entertaining ride from start to finish. The story really seems to focus on resolving storylines begun in the first movie, and creating a stronger link between all of the other movies in the series, especially "Tokyo Drift" (which has always felt a little bit like an outcast in the franchise). As a fan of the series, I believe that this film's more mature storyline and well-written dialogue showcases the time and effort that Chris Morgan put into this film, and the work definitely pays off by rewarding longtime fans of the franchise by interconnecting each of the films, while not alienating any newcomers.

Director Justin Lin shows an even steadier hand when it came to helming his second effort in the series. Even though Justin proved quite capable in capturing the high speeds and general fast-paced nature of the series with "Tokyo Drift", his work here is stronger even if it is with a little less flashiness. By approaching the film more in the vein of the original's look and tone, Lin imbues "Fast & Furious" with a grittier nature that cements its close ties to the aforementioned, along with having the slight feel of an urban crime drama (albeit without the same level of intensity inherent in most of those films). If there are to be any more films in this series, then I believe that the powers-that-be may have found a valuable asset in this director, and one that they should use whenever possible to maintain consistency between the installments (something this series has previously lacked).

As I've mentioned a couple of times already, the cast for this film features many returning members from the original film. Let's begin with one of the biggest breakout stars of the original, Vin Diesel ("A Man Apart"). In his reprisal as Dom Toretto, Vin gives one of the best performances of his career, if not his best yet (easily rivaling his work in "A Man Apart" or "Find Me Guilty"). In this film, Diesel is given more opportunity to explore Dom, whether it is his passion for the various facets of his life, personal loss, the issue of trust, or merely the unbridled fury that we had only heard mention of in the first film. Here we are presented with a much more layered and developed anti-hero than had been previously established, and one who is more weathered and world-weary from all of the experiences he has endured whether good or bad. If there are still some detractors of Vin's work out there, then the combination of his movies mentioned above should help convince them to the contrary, so long as they ignore his misfire with the dismal "Babylon A.D.".

Alongside Vin is Paul Walker as the other main lead for this installment. This film also marks Walker's second reprisal as the lead in this series, as Paul was the only main cast member to return for the initial sequel "2 Fast 2 Furious". To be fair, Vin has also appeared in the series three times, although his second appearance was just a cameo in the final moments of "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift". But I digress, now back to Paul Walker's performance as one-time ex-law man turned outlaw turned active FBI agent Brian O'Connor. It's a rather convoluted series of events that comprise O'Connor's storyline through the series, but it works. In the first film, Paul gave a fairly solid, if not flawed performance, which he proceeded to follow-up with a decidedly more surfer-esque, flat and stilted performance, replete with more "Yo's", "Bro's", and "Check it's" than one would care to count. Paul's third stint in the series, much like Vin's return, makes for his best performance of the series, not to mention his entire career. I used to think that he was one of those actors that merely skated by on his looks and onscreen charm, with very little acting talent holding it all together. With his performance here he is much more reserved and believable, even intense at times, to the point that one wonders if there may be hope for Paul's career as a serious actor yet. Gone are the various surfer boy idioms, replaced by a much more mature character who is still trying desperately to atone for past mistakes.

The final two returning characters are the two important female roles of Mia and Letty (Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez respectively). Both of these characters suffered from very little development in their first outing, a problem that has now been rectified by this film. The character of Mia is given a very emotional arc to go through over the course of the film as she is forced to deal with the return of her former lover and betrayer of her family, Brian O'Connor. Jordana proves with her more developed role and character arc that she has the acting chops necessary to handle more of the story should the occasion call for it, something that future writers of the series may want to take note of should her character make any more return appearances. Michelle Rodriguez has proven in numerous movies and on TV's "Lost" that she is a very capable actress, but in this series she has yet to really be all that important or necessary for that matter. In the first film she was merely Dom's girlfriend and not all that interesting beyond that; however, in this story her character is central to the film's main plotline. I have to admit that while I wasn't all that enthralled by Michelle's character in the original film, she definitely proved more interesting in this one, and was much more enjoyable to watch as she really seemed to be having a good time in the role.

Lastly, we have one key newcomer to the franchise. Actor John Ortiz ("Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem") plays a man named Campos whose job is to find and recruit drivers to smuggle drugs for a very powerful Mexican cartel. I haven't seen John in any kind of tough guy roles, mostly because I haven't seen too many movies he's appeared in, but I have to say he was very convincing in the role. He portrayed the character with a subtle hint of menace, never really overdoing it just keeping an obvious air about him that this guy is not one to be trifled with. While he wasn't given an incredible amount of screen time, what he is given John makes the most of. John delivers a strong antagonist that could have ended up being just another stock character, but became something a little more developed thanks to his work in the role.

"Fast & Furious" is by far the best of the sequels in the series, and easily rivals the original film, possibly even surpasses it. This is all due to a much tighter and more developed story, the best acting in the entire series, and a much more grounded sense of reality than the previous two films boasted. If you've been a fan of the series or have simply become disappointed by the direction it's taken in the previous sequels, then this is the movie to see as it undoubtedly kicks the franchise back into high gear.

As a side note, it's important to know that "Fast & Furious" occurs prior to the events shown in the third film, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift".

"Fast & Furious" is rated PG-13 for violence, language, and sexuality.

If you enjoy the series, you will continue to enjoy fast and furious! It pretty much feels like a real sequel of the original with the cast back! Alot of action, cars, american muscle, you name it! Decent storyline, but it's all about action and fast cars! The video quality is great as well and sound on a nice system!

Buy Fast & Furious (2009) (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2009) Now

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker team up again for some more heart pounding adrenaline action. Also returning are Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. It's been almost eight years since The Fast and The Furious first debuted in the summer of 2001. This movie takes place five years after the original. After hijacking fuel tanks in the Dominican Republic Dom (Vin Diesel) leaves his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and becomes a criminal on the run. When Dom gets a devastating phone call from his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), Dom decides to return to LA to get revenge. Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) who is now an FBI agent gets assigned to hunt down a drug lord named Braga. This new enemy ultimately unites Brian and Don who want to get revenge for the tragedy that happened to Dom. I will not give away anymore as I don't want to ruin it for anyone who has not seen this movie. I will say as a huge fan of the first 2 movies in the franchise (especially the first one), I knew this movie had a lot to live up to. I'm happy to say Fast and Furious does not disappoint. This Movie will have your heart beating FAST and FURIOUS. Just like the original film that started it all, this new movie will also have you on the edge of your seat. Don't listen to bitter critics, if you like a fun entertaining movie to take you away from your life for a few hours check this movie out! With an weekend opening of $72+ million in ticket sales FAST AND FURIOUS was the all-time biggest debut for the month of April. The blu-ray looks absolutely stunning in full 1080p and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound will give your home theatre a great workout. The blu-ray comes with a ton of bonus material including limited time digital copy and an iphone app that lets you access your compatible blu-ray player and control the virtual garage on your TV with your iphone.

Extras:

* Audio commentary by Justin Lin

* Gag Reel

* "Los Bandoleros" short film

* "Under the Hood Muscle Cars"

* Under the Hood Imports"

* "Getting the Gang Back Together"

* "Driving School with Vin Diesel"

* "Shooting the Big Rig Heist"

* Races and Chases"

* "High Octane Action: The Stunts"

* "South of the Border: Filming in Mexico"

* "Virtual Car Garage"

* "Fast & Furious Video Mash-Up"

* "Blanco" Music Video by Pitbull featuring Pharrell

* U-Control:

* "Take Control"

* "Virtual Car Garage and Tech Specs"

* My Movie Commentary

* My Chat

* D-BOX Motion Code

* Digital Copy

* BD-Live

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I am way too old to review this movie properly. For me, an action film featuring muscle cars is 1968's Bullitt, 1973's Seven Ups, or even 1980's Blues Brothers. Long continuous shots, no CGI with frantic intercutting by an editor sitting behind a computer, and actual muscle cars filmed at full speed with real engine sounds. Younger kids may like their films manipulated to the point where it becomes a video game, so I can't really judge on those counts.

Since I watched this movie to see my favorite actress, Jordana Brewster, I will review it only on that criteria alone. (So please don't vote for the helpfulness of the review if you are not reading this specifically for info on the aforementioned actress.

Here goes: She appears for about 6 minutes of the 107 minute movie, totalling six short scenes. The super hot angle of her in the car that was touted all over the trailer and commercials, comes at the end, lasting under 1 minute before the credits roll. (There were two 1 second shots that the trailer teaser alluded to). On the cover of the DVD, she is at the very front of the featured characters. Either she has a fantastic contract negotiations manager, or the producers of Fast & Furious 4 have taken Jordana Brewster fans for the biggest ride, ever.

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I have been a sucker for "Fast and Furious" movies ever since I saw the first one the opening night in the theater.

This one is no different. It's not a great movie by any means, but it's absolutely perfect if you like the others. I liked having Vin Diesel back in the action for the first time since the first movie (other than the tiny cameo at the end of "Tokyo Drift"). I also liked the plot to this one. It seemed to make a bit more sense than some of the other movies.

Overall, if you like "Fast and Furious" movies, then you don't need to be told that you need to add this one to your collection...

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In the Electric Mist (2009)

This is the second film adaptation of one of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series, the first being "Heaven's Prisoners" with Alec Baldwin horribly miscast as Robicheaux.

In this film, Tommy Lee Jones is perfectly cast as Robicheaux, capturing all the nuance of the literary character: the alcoholic obsessions, the need to impose justice, his essential toughness and goodness.

This is a pretty faithful adaptation of the novel, and captures the flavor of the books, as well as the Louisiana settings. In all honesty, this was almost exactly how I'd pictured it from reading the books.

But a caveat: if you haven't read the books, you're probably not going to enjoy this movie, which is probably why in the USA it was released directly to DVD. Burke's novels are very introspective, which makes for interesting literature, but slow movies. There's plenty of drama, with several murders, corruption, and depravity to spare. But the books and this movie are at their hearts character studies of the Robicheaux character. This is more akin to "Smilla's Sense of Snow" than "Dirty Harry".

I loved it; your mileage may vary.

In the Electric Mist marks legendary French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier's first North American-made motion picture and, based on the troubles he encountered while making it, perhaps his last. Tavernier, a big fan of American crime fiction (he previously adapted Jim Thompson's Pop. 1280 into Coup de Torchon Criterion Collection), jumped at the chance to bring James Lee Burke's bestselling novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead to the big screen. However, reports surfaced that Tavernier and the film's star, Tommy Lee Jones, did not get along, and the producers were not happy with the director's version. As a result, the version released on DVD in North America is the producers' cut and not Tavernier's.

Tavernier does an excellent job capturing the local color of the area in the scenes where protagonist Dave Robicheaux (Tommy Lee Jones) canvases the locals. The entire film was shot on location and this only enhances the authenticity of the story's setting which is rich in atmosphere also helped by the liberal use of blues and zydeco music. The cinematography has a textured quality to it that really brings out the lushness of the region.

The cast is outstanding with Tommy Lee Jones doing his patented gruff yet savvy lawman, Peter Sarsgaard portraying a boozy actor, and John Goodman as a scene-stealing mobster with a genial facade that barely masks a threatening demeanor. The cast is rounded out by fascinating veteran character actors like Mary Steenburgen, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Ned Beatty.

Despite the production and post-production problems that plagued the film, this version is engaging and entertaining but one still wonders what Tavernier's original cut is like.

Sadly, the only special features are a theatrical trailer but considering the bad blood between director and the producers this is hardly suprising.

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I am a huge fan of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux books. I have read most of them and most of them have been top notch. Unlike most series, Burke's actually gets better and better and just when you think its peaked, he writes something better.

Having read so many of the books, I always pictured either Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin (in his younger, lighter days) and Tommy Lee Jones as Dave. 2/3 predictions have come true. Tommy Lee Jones is the perfect David Robicheaux, this character was meant for him to play.

In the Electric Mist is one of the best books in the series, so how come with a great book and great casting the movie is only ok?

The problem is the movie itself is very very inside. The screen writers did too good a job adapting the story from the book. Remember the book is a middle book of a very long running series. As a fan and reader of the series, I knew who everyone was and how they got there. The problem for the mass audience will be that they will have no idea who half the people are and the film does not really give any answers.

This unfortunately will be a film liked by those who have read the books, and not fully understood by those who have not.

Twice filmakers have well casted and made well intentioned adaptations of the books, and twice they have not come through as they should have.

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I watched "In the Electric Mist" on a whim, based upon nothing more than the two actors displayed on the cover. I had no idea what to expect, or what I was getting into. In all honesty, I can't think of a better way to describe my reaction to the film other than to tell you that I logged onto Amazon tonight to purchase a copy.

I loved this film.

From the very beginning, "In the Electric Mist" draws you into an irresistible embrace and never lets go. Every acting performance is spot-on, and the dubious culture of the Louisiana Bayou ebbs from every facet of the story. I also need to mention the excellent soundtrack by Marco Beltrami; it is so powerful that it should be considered a character unto itself. There is a song played during the end credits that is truly one of the most beautiful songs you will ever hear.

Seriously, a great movie.

That being said, when I logged onto Amazon, I was surprised to see many reviewers voicing the opinion that this film's appeal is limited mainly to fans of the book. It's true that "In the Electric Mist" leaves a lot to the imagination, but ambiguity and convolution are two very different things.

Take a chance.

Watch the movie.

Decide for yourself.

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Why do filmmakers destroy a great book? A terrible movie, great acting but a crap movie. Poorly edited, choppy, no atmosphere, NO CLETE, harly a ghost, charecter development was sadly lacking. Was Bootsie there? Or Batiste? Not nearly as much as in the books. Read the book, forget the movie. I feel real bad for what they did to your fine book Mr.Burke.

a shame.

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Space Battleship Yamato Blu-Ray (Region A) (English Subtitled) (2011)

This DVD lives up to it's expectations. For American fans of Space Battleship Yamato, adapted into Star Blazers at the height of the Star Wars craze circa 1979, there will be no disappointment whatsoever. Being one of those fans that saw the toned down dubbed English version I have been following the series ever since. My background with the series may be more extensive as I have no problem watching the original with sub-titles so take that as you may.

It was with mixed reservations that I finally got to see the December 2010 movie adaptation of my childhood favorite cartoon. Having seen it twice now I can tell you two truisms:

1. It has been worth the wait.

2. The movie was made by fans of the original show.

If you have been a close follower of the show, the first 30 minutes plays such a homage to the original I am almost naming my goosebumps. The story-line, characters, ship, soundtrack, action flow, practically the entire first episode including camera angles, has been beautifully recreated. At around 2 hours to cover the original 26 "Quest To Iscandar" episodes I think this has been a beautiful homage to fans of the original series or it's American counterpart. Wildstar (US) or Shima (JA) still has his growth period but is the central character. The only really changed character is IQ9 whose transformation to the big screen couldn't have been better done. Sane (US) or Sato (JA) even still has his cat and famous "spring water."

The Good: As mentioned above and special effects. IMDB reports 15 million spent on the movie, primarily on special effects. Quite frankly I find that impossible. What I saw, rivaled Avatar.

The Bad: Storyline, is radically departed by the end of the movie (sequel possibilities would only involve Andromeda if you take my meaning).

The Interesting:

1. Import only so sub-title English and Chinese only.

2. Product was ordered through Amazon (Asian Entertainment (DVD))on a Monday and arrived Wednesday with standard delivery options.

3. Product is stated as being all region DVD. Tried on Region 1 with no problem whatsoever.

4. Regular DVD came with no special features.

Final word: Absolutely loved it.

I've been a fan of the "Space Battleship Yamato" TV series called "Star Blazers" here in the United States back in 1978. I've always said that it should be made into a live action movie and in 2010 they finally did it. When I saw the theatrical trailer online, I said I've got ot see it. I was hoping that it would be released to theaters here in the United States but that never happened. That left seeing it on DVD as my last option. When it finally came out in June of this year, the manufacturer produced DVDs without English subtitles. That left me out in the cold.

Then I saw this copy called "Space Battleship Yamato The final battle." I was suspicious but I ordered it anyway because it said it had English subtitles.

When I received it and played it, my suspicions were confirmed. This copy is a bootleg version. Here's what's wrong with it. The movie was shot at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio but on this DVD it's streached to a 1.85:1 ratio. The movie was recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1 but this disc only has Dolby Surround. Some of the subtitles are either wrong or came across as silly.

On the other hand, it was the best I could get at the time.

However, another company is making copies of this movie on DVD that are superior. The movie is presented in its full 2.35:1 aspect ratio, it has Dolby Digital 5.1 sound along with the Japanese dialogue and the English subtitles are more accurate.

I bought the new copy and am very happy. That makes this first copy obsolete and unnecessary.

Buy Space Battleship Yamato Blu-Ray (Region A) (English Subtitled) (2011) Now

Being a BIG fan for years of the english dubbed cartoon (StarBlazers aka Yamato ) shown in the

USA year ago, I couldn't wait to see this movie when I heard that a live action version was

being made.

The script sticks mostly to the original story plot from the cartoon.

And the actor in the movie are pretty spot on as well to there cartoon counterparts.

Even the CGI effect are better then I thought they would be. Based on American

movie production budgets that would have cost 3 or 4 times as much to have made a movie like this.

Definitely worth buying this DVD.

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I've been a fan of the "Space Battleship Yamato" animated series known as "Star Blazers" in the United States back in 1978. I've wanted to see a live action version of it and in 2010 they finally made one. The quality and technology of special effects necessary to pull it off has been achieved and it shows on the screen. This movie was shot at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and they fill it with action from end to end.

The story is based on the original one seen in the TV series of Earth vs the Gamilons. The original characters are there more or less. With that in mind, this is not your father's or grandfather's "Space Battleship Yamato." Some of the differences are interesting, some are shocking. The way it's crafted, this movie can be enjoyed by those who don't know anything about the TV series as well as long time fans.

This copy produced by Sarawak Media Corporation of Malaysia is near perfect. The movie is presented in its full 2.35:1 aspect ratio with its original Japanese dialogue and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. It has English subtitles and they are almost complete. There are 2 or 3 scenes that are missing the caption but it's minor.

This version is far superior to another on being produced on DVD by another company.

My thanks to Sarawak Media Corporation for producing this DVD and LOTO-SURPLUS for selling it at an affordable price.

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There is no greater Starblazers fan than me. By "Starblazers" I mean the Quest for Iscandar and Comet Empire series that played back to back to back in America from the late 70s to the early 80s. This excludes the Bolar Wars and any later releases that were produced with different voice actors. Like many fans I got up early before school to watch Starblazers in the morning, and then sprinted home from the bus stop to watch it in the afternoon. And I dressed up as Wildstar for Halloween one year. Later I bought the entire VHS collection for both series that came out in the early 90s. I then upgraded to the DVD versions when they came out, handing down my VHS collection so my little brother could benefit from it. I even own a shrink-wrapped back-up copy of the 2 series on DVD "just in case". Maybe I'll hand it down to my grandchildren one day. Speaking of children, I named my first son "Avatar" and my second son "Venture", and started them on the series when they were 2 years old, and now they are huge fans, too. One year Avatar had a Starblazers-themed birthday party. If I had had 2 daughters I would have named them Tralaina and Nova. I have models of several spaceships, including a large Argo with moving parts and sound effects, and action figures.

Given my almost sacred devotion to the series, it did not surprise me that this first live-action production was overall a disappointment. As a superfan I felt I had to give it a chance, and I figured it wouldn't be total crap so it was worth owning. I think my kids will enjoy watching it multiple times, but really it's a `B' movie by American standards.

The special effects aren't much better than you'd see in some of the bigger-budget, original movies on the Sci-Fi channel. They're also, in large part, too fast to fully appreciate. By "fast" I don't mean the action sequences were too "short". I mean the planes flew too fast, the missiles and lasers were too fast and messy. They were more like flashes on the screen than engaging, suspenseful action sequences. The ground fighting scenes were better in this regard, though, and overall I'd give the special effects 3 out of 5 stars.

The writing and the acting, however, really brought the movie down. Frankly I think the cartoon is more emotionally engaging and less cheesy/corny. Of course, just like when fans as kids fell in love with the cartoon in spite of its cheesiness and corniness, kids today will likely not think much of the added cheese and corn in this live action production. However, the adult fan who was hoping the live action movie would improve on that aspect of the series will be disappointed. Maybe the writers did this purposely to try to make it more like the cartoon, or maybe this is considered `A' movie scripting in the Japanese industry. Not sure. As for the acting, Captain Avatar was probably the worst with Nova the best. Wildstar seemed to start out poorly but got better as the movie went on. The writing and acting I would give 2 out of 5 stars.

As for the screenplay/story, the writers did more than compress the 26 episodes of the Quest for Iscandar series into a 138-minute movie. They made significant changes to the plot, like changing the nature of the Gamilons, and merged elements of the Comet Empire series into the story, especially the end. The sex changes for Eager and Dr. Sane aren't too big of a deal, as well as the change to Wildstar's and Vetnure's back stories. But Homer was eliminated completely and the Space Marines brought aboard (that reminds me; I take back what I said about Captain Avatar being the worst actor, that distinction should probably go to Sergeant Knox). Major conflicts with the Gamilons such as at Pluto and Balan aren't even given screen time in montage form (which would have lessened the feeling of being "rushed" that other reviewers have complained about). Merging the battle at the Rainbow Galaxy in with the assault on the Gamilon homeland, however, was more forgiveable as a time-saver. As for IQ-9, I don't like what they did with his character for most of the movie, but that scene at Gamilon where he transforms into the form of IQ-9 we know and love, and then starts mowing down dozens of Gamilons with guns in both hands, that was AWESOME! Another thing I didn't like was the relative lack of emphasis on the ship. In the cartoon the ship is almost a character. Not so in this movie. Still the movie does pay homage to several story elements from the cartoon, even using nearly identical camera angles as the cartoon for some scenes.

One good thing I can say about the movie is the soundtrack. Much of the soundtrack is new, which was initially disappointing because the original music from the cartoon is largely what made the cartoon great and where it broke new ground. Never before had a movie-worthy score been written for a cartoon. They could have just re-mastered the old score and used it for the live action movie. However a lot of the new music is really good and has that Starblazers feel, even though some of it seems ill-timed. The cartoon was better about playing music appropriate for the scene. Still, I'd give the soundtrack 4 out of 5 stars, even though the DVD menu is ruined with that horrible pop song they put on there. The animated Starblazers DVDs have way better menus and bonus features, all backed by the original score.

So overall I think this movie is worth seeing once, especially if you are a superfan. But for those fans who have been waiting for Starblazers to be given the heavy, live-action treatment it deserves, you'll have to keep waiting. It's too bad Peter Jackson or someone like that isn't a fan. That's what this series needs: one 3-hour movie for the Quest for Iscandar series and one 3-hour movie for the Comet Empire series; both with top, Hollywood-caliber writing, casting, acting, direction, special effects, and score composition, and a more faithful retelling of the story. I've already got the screenplays in my head. But alas I don't have 100 million dollars to produce them.