First Knight / A Knight's Tale (2010)

Excellent value considering it was an after thought. Two quality movies on blu ray at such a bargain price how could can I go wrong. That was my reason for the impulse purchase, and I couldn't be happier. Keep it up, the more specials like this the better. Thanks again.

We love this movie it has so many really funny aspects to it!

If you haven't seen it you are missing out!

Buy First Knight / A Knight's Tale (2010) Now

This combo was a gift for Christmas. Pleased with the quality of items, the shipment time and packaging. Will use this service again when the need comes.

Read Best Reviews of First Knight / A Knight's Tale (2010) Here

needed to upgrade to digital format from video of our families old time favorites! Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger is brilliant for laughter.

Want First Knight / A Knight's Tale (2010) Discount?

This combination pack contains my favorite movie of all time, A Knight's Tale, and First Knight, a decent though not great King Arthur movie.

I will comment simply on the quality and the extras, as you either like the movies or you do not.

The video and audio quality is excellent and pulls you into each film. These are not at the same level as newer movies will be in this area (audio tracks are 5.1 instead of 7.1 and are in older formats), but you will not care as these movies were not about bleeding edge technology even when they were released.

Having said that, my only gripe with these Blu-Ray releases are the lack of extras on the discs themselves. I have not owned First Knight previously, however A Knight's Tale on DVD had a number of extras including a stellar director's+cast commentary that was hilarious, deleted scenes that added to the film, and other extras that added value for true fans of the film.

Because of that, and the lack of extras on First Knight as well, I will dock a single star, as with how much data Blu-Ray discs can hold, it isn't unreasonable to ask for the director's commentary to be present at minimum, even if it has to be compressed a tiny bit to fit. Truly in the majority of cases, all extras from a DVD version should fit on a Blu-Ray version.

I do not regret this purchase in the slightest, despite my small griping. These movies have never looked or sounded better, and that is what is most important.

Save 44% Off

Torrente Collection 1-4 - 4-Disc Box Set ( Torrente: el brazo tonto de la ley / Torrente 2: Misión

Son un fan del policía español, la compra obedece a coleccionar en formato digital estos clásicos de las películas policiacas

Increíblemente perfecto en su des perfección. Humor del negro, buenísimo para aquellos que odian que a James Bond le salga bien todo, este tonto policía ni siquiera sabe lo que hace; el elenco es de mas divertido y original, personajes fuera de serie. Ideal para no verlo con tu pareja.

Buy Torrente Collection 1-4 - 4-Disc Box Set ( Torrente: el brazo tonto de la ley / Torrente 2: Misión Now

Gattaca (1997)

Gattaca (1997) is a beautiful movie that takes place in the not-so-distant future where genetic manipulation prior to birth brings out the best qualities of the parents while eliminating the worst, specifically, predispositions to diseases, additions, poor eyesight, etc. That is, if your parents choose to do so...

The film tells the a story about Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), a man born naturally, a 'God-child', one who didn't benefit from advanced technology during his development within the womb, and subsequently has various conditions many are familiar with like poor eyesight, heart problems, etc. Vincent has his sights set on the stars, wanting to travel to distant planets, visit far away places (I mean really far away) but due to advanced science, he has no chance as people can now determine the status of your health, your future health, by any number of ways, a strand of hair, a bit of spittle on a cup, a flake of skin, and while biases due to genetic profiling are illegal, the practice is common and widespread, resulting in Vincent relegated to working in less than desirable jobs like cleaning offices.

This practice of genetic stereotyping has lead to a new kind of crime, one where a person of impeccable genetic make-up but who has found themselves a victim of fate due to a permanent injury or such, can broker their identity to a natural born person, supplying that person with various blood and urine samples, strands of hair, flakes of skin, allowing that person to pose as a 'valid' individual, and garner a choice position in corporate society. Jude Law plays Jerome Eugene Morrow, a superior individual who suffered a crippling accident and has now agreed to sell his identity to Vincent Freeman, in exchange for Vincent supporting the lifestyle Jerome was accustom to prior the accident. This involves a very elaborate daily routine by Vincent, including a complete scrub down of his entire body to remove any 'loose' material that could possibly be found, analyzed, and give him away. In order for Vincent to pose as Jerome, he must carry on him samples of Jerome's blood, urine, and other identifiers at all times.

Vincent manages to pull off the sham, securing himself a position at Gattaca, a 'corporate' NASA, and is on the fast track to achieving his dream of space travel...but for one problem. A high-ranking official in Gattaca was recently murdered, and the police are thoroughly investigating all individuals. Will Vincent's shell of deception crack under close scrutiny of a murder investigation?

I really enjoyed this movie, watching for a second time last night. The picture has a very texturized feel, with the subdued lighting, immaculate sets and costumes giving the entire movie a very `noir' quality. The story was very well laid out, allowing for rich development of the main characters, creating a real interest and empathy for me for the proceedings on the screen. Ethan Hawke and Jude Law played their roles wonderfully, one as the struggling `inferior' with dreams that reach beyond his genetic make-up, and the other as the spoiled near-perfect specimen forced to deal with a physical infirmity due to fate, one that couldn't be corrected for with pre-natal DNA manipulation. Followed up with a strong supporting cast including Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin, and Elias Koteas, we are presented with a very plausible science fiction tale, one that may cause you to give some thought and provoke conversation on the concept of human messing around in Mother Nature's domain.

The picture here looks wonderful, and is available here in both full screen and wide screen anamorphic formats. Special features also include a trailer for the film, a featurette, deleted scenes, and production notes.

Cookieman108

I have two topics to mention: The "special features" and the "image quality".

It is worth noting that I own the both the original Gattaca DVD and Super-Bit version for comparison.

1) Special Features:

While maintaining the original DVD's ugly menu system, this edition contains a 22 featurette on the making of Gattaca with interviews of Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, and a number of the production crew. I enjoyed this addition. There is also a new clip on gene manipulation (history, current, and future) which was somewhat interesting.

2) Image Quality:

The original DVD was only a single layer 4.5gb disk, which resulted in a grainy image with a slightly blue tint. The Super-Bit disk was disappointingly mastered, with visible dust and hair in the copy. The Super-Bit version took on a more natural tone but suffered from over-saturated browns and greens.

Finally, this reproduction seems to have a good balance between color and image quality, although some scenes are a little grainy and the movie overall seems darker.

Conclusion:

Is it worth buying this edition if you have one of the others? Probably not, but with the HD format wars over, I might be inclined to splurge on a Blu-Ray player to give the new Blu-Ray Gattaca disk a spin.

Buy Gattaca (1997) Now

"Gattaca" is an incredible example of a science-fiction movie entirely based on plot, low-key twists and development, and not on special effects. Married couple Hawke and Thurman, along with Jude Law, and the direction of Andrew Nicol prove that there is no gene for the human spirit.

Vincent (Hawke) is an invalid, a "degenerate" born of natural conception without any advanced genetic engineering. Several seconds after he is born, his parents know how Vincent will die, and his life expectancy. As he grows, his heart dysfunction limits his career choices. As a result, his parents have another child, this time genetically engineered to be totally superior. The feuding siblings prove themselves over a game of swimming chicken, but it is inevitable as Anton grows more faster than Vincent that the younger child will be the favored. As a result, Vincent leaves the home and begins a job as a janitor at the Gattaca Aerospace Center, the closest he can be to his dream: the stars. But he finds that a janitor is the farthest away. Vincent trains his body and mind, but still cannot get past the cleaning job. Then, he makes a call.

He wants to be a defective ladder, or, a stand-in for a enhanced person. Vincent stands in for one of the most prized people, Jerome Morrow (Law). His disguises are perfect. Jerome supplies the blood, urine, and hair to Vincent. Then, just as Vincent is getting along at Gattaca, there is a murder of the exact mission director that was in charge of the flight to Titan that included Vincent. Enter enhance Irene (Thurman) and investigators Hugo and Josef. Vincent adequately, with the help of Jerome, sneaks past the investigators at every turn while a relationship develops between himself and Irene. Drama, suspense, incredible acting follow.

Hawke, in one of his first dramatic leads, shines as he plays an ordinary man who is extrodinary in using everyday techniques. He is the most human character in the entire movie, but holds the weight for all the the genetically enhanced. Uma Thurman, who's not given such a role as Hawke, does well with what she have. Director Niccol really accentuates on her beauty and innocence as he plays Irene, and enhance that really has no idea of the real life that Vincent is so accustomed to. There is excellent chemistry between the two. The two dated after the movie was over, and eventually were wed. There is a great supporting cast, including Alan Aarkin, Jude Law, and Ernest Borgnine.

"Gattaca" is an under-rated movie that suprises all, and wonders how much spirit we can all have.

Read Best Reviews of Gattaca (1997) Here

I must admit that this movie did not appeal to me when it was first released in theaters. However, many years ago, I rented it and was captivated by the story. Since then I've had to make do with the underwhelming DVD edition. If you are looking for a lot of action, then this movie is probably not for you. What it does offer is a fantastic story with a cast that gives top notch performances. If you already own the DVD, and are not sure if this one is worth the upgrade, believe me the Blu-ray edition blows the old DVD out of the water. The sound and picture are near perfection. The colors on the DVD version appear washed out compared to the high def color palette. While this movie won't give your surround system a major workout, it does provide very clear ambient surround effects. The special features include two new short documentaries on the making of the film. While these don't compare to some of the extras offered on other titles, they are very informative and a welcome addition to the previous version. My one fault would be that it would have been great to have at least a good commentary track, or even a picture in picture feature. But, because I feared that this movie would never get the treatment it so rightly deserves, I would still highly suggest you add this title to your Blu-ray collection.

Want Gattaca (1997) Discount?

Gattaca totally bombed at the box office. The ... folks call it a "low-profile" release. Yeah, right. It grossed less than $10 million, despite a big budget and a big cast. But it was poorly marketed (check out the horrible trailer), and the public just didn't dig the dark subject matter without any of the usual high-tech accoutrements -such as nifty explosions, CGI characters, the like.

I however loved the lack of special effects in this movie. This is science fiction in a pure sense -not as popcorn movie, but as a thought-provoking look at what certain advances in science will bring about.

What if we could genetically engineer all human life? That question is taking on added urgency with each passing cloning revelation.

What if pollution got so bad that life expectancy rates were to drop sharply for all who did not have special genetic enhancements?

What if genetic fingerprinting technology got so good that you could not do ANYTHING without the government knowing about it, because their genetic sniffers could detect the DNA in the skin cells you shed every second?

This is not far-out sci-fi, this is plausible, near-future sci-fi.

It has excellent acting performances, including a wonderful Jude Law before he became really famous.

As added bonuses, you get a really taut thriller and a decent love story to boot.

But leave the popcorn in the cupboard: this is a pretty dark movie with a pretty bleak vision of the future. Twizzlers would be more appropriate.

Enjoy!

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1976)

In my opinion, this is probably the best Sherlock Holmes film ever made, and one of only a couple that ring true as being faithful to the spirit of the original stories. This is no Hollywood butchery pitting Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper or Dracula, but a truly excellent film.

The story centers around a cocaine-addicted Sherlock Holmes beginning to lose touch with reality, and the effort by Watson to save him from this fate by recruiting the aid of none other than Sigmund Freud. The three lead actors are thoroughly outstanding. This is especially true for Robert Duvall as Dr. Watson, who is really the lynch-pin of the film. It is a pleasure to see Dr. Watson portrayed well (a doctor and accomplished chronicler after all!) instead of nothing more than the stereotypical bumbling oaf. The story is compelling and entertaining with action and humor in just the right measures. Tennis, fencing, and high-speed chases (by train)!

I can imagine that some Holmes purist might take exception to film, but I think that this original flight of fancy is far better than anything out of Hollywood based on stories that Conan Doyle did write. And the film itself even takes a bit of a bow to the Holmes mythos and Doyle's own designs. I won't give it away, but just listen the last lines in the film as Holmes says goodbye to Watson.

As to the quality of the DVD, however, this one is unexceptional. Just try to let yourself enjoy this 5-star film and don't get too caught up in the media (still, to be fair, the DVD has too lose a star because of the DVD, even if the film itself is great).

This is an off-beat Sherlock Holmes film that rings true. If you're looking for pure fare, just the way Doyle wrote it, look for something by the BBC, such as the Jeremy Brett series of the past decade. If you like this film, try "They Might Be Giants" starring George C. Scott. It, too, is a bit of a 'strange' Sherlock Holmes film that nevertheless seems right.

This is the best Sherlock Holmes motion picture.

The plot, characters, acting, direction, production are all quite good. Nicholas Meyer wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his very fine novel which resulted in a handsomely crafted and very engaging entertainment. Meyer remains faithfull in spirit to the Canon and takes us on an enjoyable and plausable adventure that moves along at a good pace. Highly recommended!

I regret to say, this early Universal DVD is NOT presented in it's theatrical widescreen ratio. Pan and scan is evident in a few scenes and the images feel claustrophophic. The sound is mono but I thought it was stereo back in 1976. There are no extras. Neither is this disk 16x9 enhanced.

This film deserves to be redone and reissued. And please, Universal, redo that cover. This IS a Sherlock Holmes story. Your theatrical poster art would be welcome here.

There are substantialy less than a handful of Sherlock Holmes films on DVD. Why this is so is a mystery. At the very least we should have Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Christopher Plummer and James Mason in Murder by Decree, and Basil Rathbone in The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Buy The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1976) Now

From the opening to the closing credits, filled with illustrations that originally accompanied Doyle's stories in the Strand, the details of the movie are painstakingly accurate when compared to those in the canon. This is one non-canonical Holmes story that exists in the same world as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

The movie takes the liberty of assuming that all of Dr. Watson's accounts of Sherlock Holmes are true, except for one. That would be "The Final Problem", in which the great detective supposedly dies at the hands of his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty. The movie suggests that this story is merely a cover up for a period in time in which Holmes was getting help with his cocaine addiction from none other than famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud.

The settings and characters ring true to both Doyle's mysteries and the Sydney Paget illustrations that accompanied them. Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker and cloak, though never mentioned by Doyle, look more like Paget's illustrations than ever before, more rugged than in most film interpretations. American actor Robet Duvall, despite sometimes struggling with the British accent, portrays Watson as an intellectually and physically fit comrade for Holmes, not a bumbler. Laurence Olivier's Prof. Moriarty matches the vision of Doyle and Paget rather than the cliché mustache twirler of other movies. Only now, Moriarty isn't really a criminal mastermind. He's Holmes' childhood math tutor.

Alan Arkin depicts Freud as a man of intelligence, insight, and above all, honor.

The inclusion of lesser known characters like Mycroft Holmes and Toby is a plus. There are also references, both direct and sly, to canonical Holmes stories.

While Nicol Williamson's performance as Sherlock Holmes lacks the vigor and spark of Basil Rathbone or Christopher Plummer, Williamson succeeds in showing Holmes as a troubled individual rather than a god. The movie mixes drama, subtle humor, mystery, and even action, finally showing Holmes as the capable fighter he was in the canon. The end of the film strays from the books in order to explore the uncharted territory of Holmes' childhood, providing a deeply moving climax.

This may come truer to Sir Arthur's original vision than any other pastiche written for film so far.

Read Best Reviews of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1976) Here

I own this movie on 12" laserdisc format. Unfortunately I haven't had the laserdisc player hooked up in a long time. I've always loved this film. Certainly far above average. I only wish Nicol Williamson would have finished the Granada television Holmes series after Jeremy Brett died. That was sort of a fantasy casting idea. He is superb as Holmes in The Seven Percent Solution. And what can you say about Robert Duvall? You know he's up to the task.

The DVD is out of print in the USA as of this writing (August 2009), and it costs an arm and a leg on the used market.

However, if you have a region-free player, I would check the UK amazon site. You can probably get a Region 2 PAL copy of this movie for about $8 plus shipping. It's also been re-released on DVD in Australia (which the site I'm looking at says is also PAL format -I don't know, I've never bought anything from Australia).

With most DVD players, you can find a little trick with the remote to make it region-free (Google is your friend). Wikipedia's article on "DVD Region Code" states, "Most freeware and open source DVD players, such as VLC, ignore region coding. Most commercial players are locked to a region code, but can be easily changed with software." Likely you could view it on your computer with VLC player. So, if you're a fan of this movie, and you don't mind a small technical challenge... it is available at reasonable prices. I think I'm going to get the import.

Update 10/2011: I did indeed buy the import, and the picture quality is fine. Since I only watch movies on my computer, it was no problem to convert it to a format that can be played with common software players. The movie appears to have been filmed largely through a gauzy lens -i.e. the focus is soft, there is not a lot of detail. I don't believe it is a flaw in the mastering of the DVD. That's just the way the original film looks. I'm very glad I bought this from amazon.uk, as it is one of my favorite films, the best non-canonical Holmes ever done.

Want The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1976) Discount?

It's the only Sherlock Holmes-inspired movie I have ever thoroughly enjoyed. It's funny, intriguing, clever and even romantic. It takes a lot of poetic liberties with the characters, both the fictional (Sherlock & co) and the real ones (Sigmund Freud), but it ennobles and humanizes them, so fans of both can have nothing to complain about.

The movie does something very interesting: Freud psychoanalyzes Sherlock and 'explains' him.If only it was that easy in real life...but you know that you can never walk away with a full proof 'explanation' to the conundrum that is Sherlock Holmes. Still, as the saying goes, if they did not get it right, they have made a very good point.

Save 11% Off

Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic (+ BD-Live) (2009)

I have to admit that I have never read `Watchmen'. More specifically, before I saw the teaser for the film last summer, I don't think I'd even heard of it. The only two comic books I really cared for when I was younger were `Superman' and `Batman', having more to do with the movies, cartoons and TV shows than the actual comic books themselves.

I decided to pick up the Blu-ray of the `Watchmen' motion comic as an alternative to reading the graphic novel in preparation for going to see the movie because I thought it was an interesting concept.

I must say I was stunned.

I won't get into the story and characters as most of you who are reading this are probably well versed already. Let's just say that I can see now what all the hoopla is about. Instead, let me talk about the actual presentation of the "motion comic".

The Blu-ray image is outstanding. Each image on screen is composed of a single panel from the comic complete with the dialog bubbles. The colors are vibrant and the lines are crisp. Many of the images seem to jump right off the screen at you. The score is quite good as the music helps to set the mood of what is going on. Having heard some excerpt's from the film score I have to say as of right now I think the `motion comic' score is more suiting to the story. The sound effects are also well done.

The voice acting is excellent for being performed by one person. Many of the reviews I have read seem to have a problem with a man reading a woman's part. Having listened to many audio books on the road or at work, I can say that I did not find it distracting in the least. Having said that, if this "motion comic" format becomes popular, I think having an actual voice cast would be a wonderful idea.

The pacing is deliberate and maintains a somber mood as the entire 12 part story unfolds over a period of 5 hours and 25 minutes, including opening and closing credits for each story. Getting through the entire disc in one sitting may be difficult but it may be more difficult to turn off.

The extras are minimal. They include a 3 minute mini-doc illustrating how the look of the comic influenced the look of the upcoming film, and a 10 minute look at the new `Wonder Woman' animated feature. I found the inclusion of the latter to be a "filler feature" as it was released the same day as this `Watchmen' motion comic and it was included with the previous release of `Batman: Gotham Knight'. A look at how they created the `motion comic' would have seemed a better choice but I'm not going to complain about things that aren't. Also, exclusive to Blu-ray is a `WB Live' sneak peek at the `jailbreak' scene from the upcoming feature film.

I have seen all of the recent Warner Bros. Animated features and I must admit that this is my favorite. The `motion comic' is an excellent concept and was pulled of quite well on this first attempt. I hope this format catches on as it would be great to see some of the great graphic novels like `Batman: The Long Halloween' or `Arkham Asylum' or any number of others come to "life".

As for this release, it's probably more geared to hardcore fans but I found much to enjoy and couldn't imagine a better way to experience this spectacular story.

Highly recommended.

The most compelling aspect of this release is that Gibbons' artwork is used. The frontpiece and endpiece quotes are also included (which will likely not survive the movie adaptation). Another excellent choice is the inclusion of the speech bubbles. Moore's text has delightful little nuances that can only be appreciated in the READING of the text. For the most part, the voice over exactly matches, but there are some VERY minor exclusions that must have been trimmed for timing.

There simply is no other way to experience the visual "harmonies" employed in the comic book in a live action movie. Zach Snyder is passionate, but he's already taken quite a few liberties with his production design. Ozymandias is horribly miscast (too bad, Jude Law didn't work out).

A perfect example is the iconic blood splash on the Comedian's "smiley" button. That splash motif is echoed throughout the 12 issues, effectively bookending the whole series. Snyder has "a" splash, but not "the" splash.

The voice work is initially off-putting, but he's a good actor, and his performance pulls you into the story. The background music sets the mood without overwhelming.

Despite the loss of Moore's chapter addenda ("Under the Hood" excerpts, Rorschach's psych eval and Journal entries, etc.), I like to think that he would enjoy these motion comics... at least a little. I'm confident that most fans of the comic will feel the same.

Buy Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic (+ BD-Live) (2009) Now

This motion comic is a must have for Watchmen fans. This is exactly like the comic except for a few minor dialogs that have been removed because they would have been unnecessary for the motion comic since the narration adds the emotion in the characters dialog (you'll understand if you read the book along with watching the motion comic). The motion animation and added transitions are just amazing and I just loved the music, I mean really loved the music!! The narrator did a great job for even doing the female voices, but it wouldn't have hurt to have gotten a female narrator because it took some getting used to a man give out a feminine tone as I laughed the first time I heard it. A must have for fans especially if the movie doesn't do to well, but to me the movie looks great. I also agree with the other reviewer that Matthew Goode was terribly cast for the part of Andrian Veight/Ozymandias. I mean why did they choose that scrawy guy for the part and I dont know what the hair stylist was thinking giving Andrian that hair for the movie. Anyways the motion comic really brings the book to life and recommend you BUY THIS!!!! IT JUST RELEASED TODAY!!!

Read Best Reviews of Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic (+ BD-Live) (2009) Here

Originally available to download through iTunes, Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic is now available on DVD. Whether you are a longtime fan of Alan Moore's revolutionary comic or are a newfound follower thanks to the upcoming Zack Snyder adaptation, you'd be better off checking out a single episode before laying down the cash for this DVD set. As you probably already know, there is only once voice used throughout The Motion Comic, as actor Tom Stechschulte provides the voices for everyone, including the female characters. Saying this is just plain weird to hear at first is saying it lightly (especially if you're not expecting it), but all things considered, he doesn't do as bad a job all around as it could have been. The panels and dialogue of the comic are followed to a tee, and making Dave Gibbons' artwork breathe is a sight to behold. Still, Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic isn't without its flaws, especially considering that the DVD itself has zilch for extras, of which there could have been a great deal. In the end, Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic is an interesting endeavor, but is really a worthwhile trip for die hard fans only, if only for the fact that nothing beats actually reading the comic. That being said, there are worse distractions to find as old and new fans alike wait for Zack Snyder's take on Watchmen to hit theaters.

Want Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic (+ BD-Live) (2009) Discount?

I loved this from the first few seconds into it; after the credits had finished rolling! The music creates a powerfully interpreted atmosphere, and the directing is perfect. The only thing I hated was that there were no female voices. One actor narrated the whole thing, doing all the voices, and altering his tone and inflection slightly for each character. While he did an excellent job on all the male characters, I think the best approach for this would have been a two-person team of a guy for all the male voices, and one female for all the female parts. If this had been an audio book, the one actor approach would have sufficed, since in those cases, the actor merely provides vocalization for the dialogue, and it doesn't matter what gender it is rendered in. But in an Illustrated Graphic Novel, you actually See the characters, and one never loses the disconcertment (I checked; that is actually a word) of "seeing" a male voice being uttered by a female character, especially the Same male voice. I hope that they redo this one day soon, with that in mind. If they do, I will buy it again, that is how much I liked this. By the way I still own my original copy of the Watchmen, bought from Bud Plant's Comic Art, many many years ago now. To me, this was just as powerful, and I would highly recommend it. I watched the entire thing in one sitting, even though it took several hours, that is how entranced I was.

Save 50% Off

71-Into the Fire

I was looking forward to seeing this one as I am a fan of Korean cinema. This follows in the wake of many other excellent films from South Korea telling some of the stories that came out of their still ongoing civil war.

Once again this is based on `actual events' that took place on August 11th 1950, when a group of volunteer `Student Soldiers' held back a North Korean commando brigade. They are hopelessly outnumbered being only 71 in number and hence the title of the film, but show remarkable ingenuity and tenacity. It is slightly reminiscent of the German WW 2 film 'Die Brucke' or The Bridge,The Bridge (Die Brucke) [DVD] [1959] where school children are left to defend a bridge against overwhelming odds, but this has buckets more action.

The events unfold in a mix of real time and some flash backs which help to create empathy for the main characters, who are all desperately young and most still in school uniforms.

The action scenes are regular and bloody, they have built on the incredible realism that we saw in films like `Brotherhood',Brotherhood [DVD] [2004]and the excellent 'Assembly'Assembly [2007] [DVD] and first came to the fore in the West with `Saving Private Ryan'. Like those films, this is in Korean with English sub titles. I do not want to give away any plot spoilers as this is a rollicking rollercoaster from start to finish, during the more contemplative moments I was actually glad for a breather, such is the intensity of this film. It is 116 minutes long, which seems like a long film, but the time just flew past and there is so much action in it I feel I will have to view this again to be sure I did not miss too much. There are some plot holes and quite clearly this is `based' on actual events, all of that aside this is one of the best films I have seen in ages.

It's amazing how foreign films deliver such action and drama while telling semi-true stories, even with subtitles. The cinematography and acting made this movie spellbinding.

Buy 71-Into the Fire Now

I really liked this film which is based on a true story of 71 students, who had no training, little idea what to do yet by their courage, they managed to hold up for 11 hours a North Korean army. Since it is a historical movie, from the start you know they all are going to die. The movie is going to be how they died well.

It is an action movie, overall the acting and character development was good. I particularly liked the scene when a sniper takes out one guy and the rookie soldiers chased him. Often you learn much by seeing how wrong people who do not know what they are doing behave.

Some of the scenes are very strong. I did like Cha Seung-Won performance, although I am not sure how realistic his behavior is of a North Korean commander.

The filming was also good, which is amazing as apparently the film was made extremely cheaply.

Read Best Reviews of 71-Into the Fire Here

Good acting! Confusion in the action sequences but that was the point. Since this movie was based on a true event; it is heart-rendering.

Want 71-Into the Fire Discount?

I watched this movie in the movie theater when it was limited timing about a year ago, there was like no one in that movie screen, however the movie turned out to be great, besides the subtitles, it was a movie where you really didn't have to understand what they where saying, because you would understand what they were saying by just watching the movie. If you are into history or are in the military I'm pretty sure this movie will touch you greatly, A MUST WATCH even if the subtitles aren't great.

I will buy this movie shortly.

Save 37% Off

The Fly (1986)

If you're looking for review of the film itself, look elsewhere. As I've done previously I wish to focus on the quality of the picture and audio and leave the writing of the film review for those better suited to it.

This movie is encoded on Blu-Ray using the AVC codec and is brought in using 1080p that most expect from Blu-Ray. The video itself is less than stellar in terms of presentation. Let me qualify this. This is likely the best the movie has EVER looked for home presentation, but it's not a visually impressive movie no matter how it's presented. There is some film grain but there is plenty of detail to be seen. It's just that the movie has no "pizazz" to it so to speak. There are no blemishes on the film and no weird compression artifacts at all. This is as it should be for an HD release.

The audio is DTS-HD lossless. The problem is that there really isn't much that requires any directionality here. It's mostly dialog driven with not much else going on in the sound field. The thing is, 5.1 audio in a movie like this really isn't needed and I'm glad that Fox didn't try to dress the audio up needlessly. I may sound like a broken record but this is also likely the best The Fly has sounded in the home market.

The extras, as seems to be the case on many releases of films that already have DVD editions packed with extras, are all in standard definition. There are some Blu-Ray exclusive extras that aren't particularly noteworthy. The first is pop-up trivia during the film (you can turn this on and off) with fun production facts and so on. The other is a very boring and annoying "game" called "Flyswatter." You have this slow moving fly flying around the screen with some scenes from the movie playing in the background and the objective is to swat the fly with an even slower moving flyswatter. It's time wasting and really adds nothing of value to the disc.

If you already have the special edition SD release, given the video and audio doesn't really stand out too much in the HD front, you may want to think twice about picking up the Blu-Ray edition of The Fly. If you don't own it and want a definitive edition with all the previous extras and the best possible audio and video, look no further.

For a back catalog release with limited appeal, I do think the MSRP is a little on the high side however.

As usual, I've titled my review with a crummy pun. I have no excuse and neither did I have to reference the Lord of the Rings in doing so but it was the first thing that came to mind so... my apologies.

I'm a bit late in singing the praises of this DVD since it came out last year already but as of late, I've been watching this film a lot because of how well produced this DVD is. They really did a good job with this disc and they finally gave the film the treatment it deserves. The picture is nice and clear and the 5.1 mixes (Dolby Digital and DTS) are pretty sweet. So what that translates to is that what was disgusting before in this film is made to be utterly revolting now. Vomiting never looked and sounded so clear before now, especially as it eats through the flesh of a poor guy's hand and foot!

This disc is loaded with special features and if they release this down the road with more stuff, I won't believe it. You get a Cronenberg commentary which is nice because his commentaries are always an enjoyable and informative listen. There are great featurettes, interesting deleted scenes, scripts, texts, pictures and a fantastic, lengthy making-of documentary which is worth the price of the disc alone. If I had to complain, I would've liked to see something said about Howard Shore's music for the film but they really don't make any mention of it. It's a very minor complaint and nothing that hurts the disc overall.

The Fly is a pretty nasty film and I think on that we can all agree on that. Few movies are as revolting as this one, that's for sure. But underneath the viscera, you have a very intelligent, thoughtful and genuinely moving film that has great performances by Jeff Goldblum in the title role, Geena Davis and John Getz. I really appreciate this film and I'm glad that they took the time to produce this edition to properly compliment it. Highly recommended, especially if you're a fan or even if you haven't seen this film at all.

Buy The Fly (1986) Now

A scientist on the verge of a technical breakthrough, is stymied by his failure to understand the body in other than intellectual terms. His affair with the reporter who enters his life to document his discoveries awakens him to the power of the flesh -but the flesh is nothing if not unpredictable and irrational and a "fly in the ointment" changes the outcome of a pivotal experiment, leading to disastrous concequences. The Fly represents a perfect blend of Cronenberg's b-horror sensibility and his obsession with the overlap between man and machine, flesh and technology. It takes what might have been a fairly campy remake of a fairly campy horror film and elevates it to a whole new level, giving it an intriguing science fiction premise and a horrific conclusion. Jeff Goldblum gives a brilliant performance, among his best, as a cerebral scientist who is gradually overcome by the flesh in the form of libidinal urges. The special effects are just right -not enough to overwhelm the story, but sufficiently convincing to horrify. I saw this with a large group very recently, many of whom had never seen it before, and there were uncomfortable laughs and gasps in all the right places. What is even better, as we talked about the film afterwards there was a lot to say. The Fly is right up there with Alien and Blade Runner and Total Recall and the Thing as one of the very best genre films of the 1980s (or of any decade for that matter -I can't think of anything in the 90s, except for the Matrix, and maybe Pan's Labyrinth in this decade, that matches these in terms of the combination of both thrills and intellectual excitement).

Read Best Reviews of The Fly (1986) Here

I'm someone who loves horror movies but I never had affection for this movie. It's not because The Fly was a bad horror film. On the contrary the opposite was true. When I first saw it at 12 it was SO scary I could not even watch the final transformation sequence at the end. This is the ONLY horror film which I could not watch from start to finish. Even to this day I never look at flies the same way. I've discovered that I like horror films that are scary enough to get my adrenaline pumping but not enough to make me feel disturbed for a long time afterwards.

The acting is superb, the special effects look real, and the script is good. In fact, if anything it is too perfect because if it wasn't I wouldn't have to take it so seriously! The reason why I'm giving it 5 stars is because, quite frankly, it deserves it as it is a genuine horror movie that does exactly what it sets out to do: scare you and disgust more in 2 hours than what your imagination could do in 2 years.

If you are looking for a GOOD horror movie this is right place to look. But be afraid. Be very afraid.

Want The Fly (1986) Discount?

I don't know why but I never was a big fan of David Cronenberg's films. Besides the frequent sex and T&A, I thought Crash was terrible and I never liked History of Violence. The Fly however was a blind buy, one of those frequent mentions on great sci-fi movies so I thought well why not and sure enough I found a great film and a surprisingly emotional one at that. It is sci-fi and it's got great makeup but it's also at times touching and even slightly disturbing.

Seth Brundle is a non-social scientist working on a scientist that in his own words "will change the world as we know it". Meeting with reporter Veronica, he shows her his invention: a teleportation device capable of sending objects from one pod to another. The 2 hit it off romantically and the kink the machine has works but one night while drunk and upset, Seth goes into the teleportation pod, unbeknownest a housefly went in with him. Coming out he finds a greater sex drive and athletic ability. But he keeps changing, where he'll become something else entirely.

In probably his best performance so far, certainly his most memorable, Jeff Goldblum is absolutely perfect as the awkward Seth and tragic as the "Brundlefly". Geena Davis is well-cast as well and there's not a whole lot of cast members besides certain bit players. The makeup is quite excellent as well being very well-done and grotesque. This is the 80's so it might not have the polish of today but it still comes across anyway.

What's handled remarkably well is that it doesn't just become a monster movie solely. There's regret and angst and it gets into the sadness of turning into a fly, or at least loving someone turning into a fly. The "insect politics" scene is a good example of this, as well as the end, which I won't spoil but it's touching and tragic at the same time. Besides the whole head exploding thing, I thought Scanners kind of sucked and besides James Woods, I found Videodrome kind of boring. The Fly however is a director coming into his own. Kind of like Peter Jackson doing Heavenly Creatures after a series of gory films.

It's certainly one of the better films of the 80's, Cronenberg's best and a sci-fi classic so there's not a whole lot of reasons left to persuade you to buy this.

Save 53% Off

Moonstruck (1987)

When MGM first released Moonstruck on DVD they inexplicably did so with an inferior pan and scan transfer. They've rectified this situation with a new deluxe edition that restores its proper aspect ratio and with a collection of new extras. Moonstruck was the My Big Fat Geek Wedding of its day only infinitely better and about an Italian family as opposed to a Greek one. Watching Norman Jewison's film again, you realize just how much Nia Vardalos' film is heavily indebted to it. If Moonstruck is La Boheme than Greek Wedding is Tony and Tina's Wedding.

It's time to use your old disc as a coaster as this edition is definitely worth the double dip. MGM has taken TBS' dinner and a movie to the next level by including three recipe cards with fine Italian meals so that you can do your own cooking and eat it while watching the movie.

Carried over from the previous edition is the audio commentary by Cher, director Norman Jewison and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley. Both Jewison and Shanley talk about their fascination with death while Cher talks about the importance of costume and how it helps her get into character. This is a solid commentary with smart observations and excellent anecdotes from everyone.

"Moonstruck: At the Heart of an Italian Family" takes us through the genesis of the film mixing interviews done at the time of filming (Cage and Cher) and new ones (Aiello and Dukakis). There is great, behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage as Jewison and Shanley take us through the film telling several entertaining anecdotes.

"Pastas to Pastries: The Art of Fine Italian Food" is a tour of some of the best restaurants in Little Italy, in particular on Mulberry Street. You have six different places to choose from and their chefs demonstrate how to make a few choice foods guaranteed to make you hungry. If you love to cook and eat than this extra is for you.

Finally there is the "Music of Moonstruck" that examines the role that music plays in the movie. The first screening went badly because the music was all wrong.

Despite comments by previous reviewers this video is not pan and scan, it is cropped. There is a difference although I can understand how people could confuse the two. Moonstruck was originally shot with the intention of a 1:85 aspect ratio for theatrical screenings and 1:33 for television. The tops and bottoms of the frame were cropped to give it the widescreen ratio in the theatre. When films are shot for cropping they are essentially composed by the DP for both for 1:85 and 1:33 ratios simultaneously. Full frame video versions simply remove the cropping bars and show you more than you would have seen in a theatrical presentation. Pee Wee's Big Adventure and The Shining are two other films that utilized this (relatively uncommon) process. While one would still prefer that these films be cropped so as to provide a more "theatrical" feel it is incorrect to call this pan-and-scan because there is no panning and the viewer isn't losing any of the original frame information.

Pan-and-scan is when a film is shot in a widescreen format such as cinemascope, panavision or Super 16 and then transferred to video full-frame. In this case you actually are losing the material at either side of the film frame and you get that notorious back-and-forth panning as the transfer people try to focus the viewer on what they consider the "important" part of the frame. This injustice is still perpetrated for a majority of VHS releases but DVD producers for the most part have caught on that people "want widescreen". So yes, most of the time a full-frame release does indicate the pan-and-scan process but not with this film.

Buy Moonstruck (1987) Now

First off, this is a brilliant movie. Absolutely wonderful, delightful, funny, romantic, and magical. Divine. Worth a cosmos of the brightest, most glorious stars, but I guess in this case a mere five will do.

But I'm sure you've heard what a great film this is by now, if you haven't seen it already and found out for yourself. What I want to address is the controversy regarding the new widescreen transfer on the deluxe DVD. It is indeed true that you see more in the original MGM pan & scan release--but this is still a legitimate widescreen presentation, and the way this beautiful movie was originally intended to be seen. There are many different ways to shoot film in widescreen, and one of these involves shooting onto 1.37 ratio film (pan & scan ratio) while composing it for theatrical widescreen with the aid of two lines representing the "bars" you see on a TV on the monitor. This how "Moonstruck" was filmed, and it is done so that the director can have control over how the film will look both when seen in a theater and when cropped for viewing on a conventional television. Thus, the film is shot with more image on top and bottom than you actually end up seeing in the theater, but although you are technically seeing more in pan & scan, the widescreen is still really the "definitive" version.

Anyway, I hope this review helps those who may be debating between which version of this wonderful movie they ought to buy. Both are legitimate--I've seen the pan & scan and it's lovely (it clearly was carefully composed for both aspect ratios) but I'm going to buy the widescreen version. Thanks, and hope I could help!

Read Best Reviews of Moonstruck (1987) Here

(formerly a THREE-STAR review)

GOOD NEWS AND ALTERED COMMENTS!! BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT!!! "Moonstruck" is a fabulous modern comedy/romance, a classic!! I LOVE this film, and you will, too!

I had complained in my previous comment about the lack of widescreen theatrical release format in the previous release of this film, but I have just received word straight from the horse's mouth (MGM, via e-mail at their website) that the re-release of 'Moonstruck' on DVD (Nov.) will be available in either full-frame or (finally!) widescreen. AND they told me, in answer to my direct question, that 'Moonstruck' was shot in a full-frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio; theatrical presentation was 1.85:1. (Huh?)

I found out that most 1.85:1 aspect ratio movies are actually shot in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, with the intention that the top and bottom of the frames will be trimmed (matted) for 1.85:1 widescreen theatrical presentation. The cinematograper and director frame the shots with this in mind. The result of this is that the movie can be transferred easily to video without doing a pan-and-scan treatment of the photography for full-framed TV presentation. In other words, you're not missing anything in the full-screen framing. This is much preferred by the director, but still not ideal.

In fact, you get MORE than the director and cinematographer intended you to see, so the framing of the shots is a bit tall, less subject-focused than intended for cinematic presentation. This is by far a better compromise than a pan-and-scan transfer: rather than losing portions of the picture and ruining the framing, you just get some extra film that the director considers superfluous. It's still a compromise, and as you watch the film, it could mean the difference between a great shot and merely a good one.

So I personally still prefer theatrical release format, but I don't begrudge those who dislike widescreen their full-frame option, especially if they're not missing parts of the picture. I must say though that it surprises me how many people out there are bothered by widescreen movies on the normal 1.33:1 television. You get used to it quickly, unless you LET it bother you. (Have you noticed all the commercials and TV programs shot in widescreen recently? You probably haven't, so look for them!) As an owner of only a 27" TV (new), and a 20" before that, I say you can enjoy widescreen on TV!

I would now buy this DVD even if it were only full frame. GEORGE'S RECIPE FOR INCREASED DVD AND VHS SALES: the movie studios should inform us on the back of all video releases as to what alterations have been made for the video release. If it says it's pan-and-scan, I won't touch it, but if it's this other method, I might. Many feel the same as I.

I have many DVDs with widescreen on one side and full-screen on the other: the perfect compromise!

Want Moonstruck (1987) Discount?

Like the Movie, this soundtrack offers the perfect setting for Romance. With Some traditional Italian Music, you also can taste a bit of Puccini's La Boheme. The Opera was perfectly added to the rest of the album. The perfect Romance atmosphere is set. Good Luck !!!

Save 29% Off

Osombie (2012)

If you read the manufacturer's description of the movie, you know it is going to be bad. The question is the degree of bad, and does it make for a decent zombie film? Derek Miller (Jasen Wade) is a conspiracy buff who goes to Afghanistan to kill Osama bin Laden because he believes he is still alive. His sister Dusty (Eve Mauro) takes off after him. In all of Afghanistan they manage to both meet up with the same special forces unit killing zombies. One of which is a cute blond named "Tomboy" (Danielle Chuchran) who shoots zombies and lops their heads off with her sword while wearing a ponytail. They are the front line against a world zombie infestation. There is a scene which describes the zombie creation, i.e. "acute biological mutations".

That is pretty much the entire film, hunting and killing zombies. Some of the zombies are fast moving, while others are leg "drag-ers". There is no consistency. While they are supposed to require head shots, some fall down from a sword to the chest. The special effects are CG: helicopters, gun fire, blood splatter, and even the camp fire. The zombie make-up was decent. The plot could have used a little more variation. The dialouge was solid "B" grade which included a series of bad, somewhat politically incorrect old jokes. I used the punch line from one of the jokes as my title. The Afghans speak in Arabic and the film uses subtitles in case you forgot what "Allahu akbar" means.

No sex, nudity or F-bombs that I recall, just some good old fashion blood splatter. Don't spend too much.

Have you heard about the new movie that showcases the greatest manhunt in history? That reveals the truth behind the search for Bin Laden? No, I'm not talking about the award winning "Zero Dark Thirty" (sure to be a major Oscar contender). I'm talking about the equally important and profound "Osombie." Sometimes you hear about a movie that is so ludicrous that it becomes virtually irresistible to lovers of bad movie magic. Therefore, I had exceedingly high hopes for "Osombie." Come on, it's a movie about Osama Bin Laden and a zombie horde! Sure to be filled with camp humor and epic bad taste, this seemed like a can't miss proposition. Unfortunately, though, the movie never really embraces the lunatic possibilities that would have made this unforgettable. There are moments of silliness, to be sure, but the movie plays it surprisingly straight for the most part. And by not taking things to a greater extreme, "Osombie" just doesn't feel special or distinguish itself from the pack of B-movie zombie flicks that have already saturated the horror market.

The movie starts out with promise (and again, realize I am utilizing these terms on the bad movie scale) as a platoon infiltrates Bin Laden's lair only to have the undead unleashed upon them. After a frisky beginning, however, promising much laughter, the movie settles into its main story line. Unfortunately, this is where the film strays from its mark. The bulk of the film follows a Special Forces unit on a secret mission. They cross path with a young women who is searching for her brother, a patriot who is convinced Bin Laden is still alive and is on a personal quest to correct this injustice. Of course, the fact that these individuals are running amok in the desert and collide with each other is preposterous. But the movie, for the most part, doesn't play up the comedic shenanigans. Amidst typical zombie battles (you soon realize that this elite squad isn't particularly smart as the undead constantly get the better of them), the screenplay is content to attempt to develop these soldiers as actual characters. While I did appreciate this endeavor, however, I didn't think hearing the personal stories helped the tone of the movie.

More than anything, I just wanted "Osombie" to be a bit more fun than it actually is. Heck, Bin Laden doesn't even enter the picture again until the final moments and it's all rather anticlimactic. I wanted to LOVE and embrace "Osombie" as a bad movie classic. It just doesn't take advantage of its strongest asset which is the Bin Laden character. The zombie mayhem can be mildly amusing but isn't particularly spectacular. The actors do the most with their material, and a couple of jokes strike home. But overall, the screenplay falls a bit flat. What should have been hysterical madness is rather uninspiring. I didn't hate "Osombie" as a B-movie cheapie, but it is not something I'd go out of my way to recommend. My favorite premise of the year, but it doesn't serve up anything unique. About 2 1/2 stars, I'll round up for a good idea. KGHarris, 12/12.

Buy Osombie (2012) Now

While the title and subject matter was a little unique and made me almost not buy the movie.

However, I am glad I did. For a Zombie movie it was very entertaining. It was not your classic zombie movie,

but I liked the change of pace and the acting was good.

Read Best Reviews of Osombie (2012) Here

This movie had a good story to it. I highly recommend this movie to any zombie movie fan. I give it 7 out of 10

Want Osombie (2012) Discount?

I watched a trailer for this movie and it caught my eye. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for a "B" movie especially when it comes to sci fi and horror. Once you get past the stupid basic premise for this movie you will find that is a well executed action movie. For those who have not figured out the basic story Osama Ben Laden comes back as a zombie. The action stems around a spec ops team trying to find a nest of terrorists while killing zombies along the way. While weak on characterization the action sequences are pretty cool and dare I say satisfying. I won't spoil the ending except to say that Ben Laden gets what he deserves once again!! This movie is worth a look as a rental but not one I would buy.

Save 45% Off

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2007)

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. As you know, Warner Brothers has officially announced the Ultimate Editions of years 5 and 6. The product descriptions are quite wordy. There's a lot of talk about how fans should be excited about these new releases. But there are two words missing from the descriptions of both these products: Extended Cut.

What sold me and so many other fans was the extended cuts. And so I began collecting the Ultimate Editions. And what excited me even more was the idea of more extended cuts to come, especially for The Order of the Phoenix.

Then Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblit of fire Ultimate Editions came out, and of course, there were no extended cuts. And Warner Bros. spun us a tale of directors and their creative preferences. And so, we all said "fair enough" (although I, for one, never quite bought that explanation). Still, I had hopes for Order of the phonex and Half blood prince. Director David Yates is on record talking about having to cut 45 minutes from The Order of the Phoenix. And yet, here we are again with no extended cut to speak of. I'm sure the studio will spin us a tale of how busy Yates has been with the final installment of the franchise, thus making it impossible to return to these previous films and give the fans what they want,AN EXTENDED CUT.

I understand Warner Bros. desire to get these editions on the shelves before the final film hits theaters. As for me, I would gladly wait a year for these editions if it meant getting to see extended cuts of the films. But this is not about the fans. This is about the bottom line. If the WB can get a half-@$$ product onto the shelves sooner, and therefore presumably make more money in the final season of Potter movie mania, then who cares what the fans want? We will buy anything with the word Ultimate in front of it. Or maybe not.

I think that when you take the longest Harry Potter book and turn it into the shortest Harry Potter film, that a large number of complaints by fans as to what has been cut will be inevitable after they watch "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Not that this means that the legions of fans will be bitterly disappointed by the film version, but rather that there will be regrets over not getting to see favorite scenes on the screen. For example, Quidditch is completely out of the film, denying Ron of his best moments in the sun (start singing "Weasley is our king"). So do not be surprised when your mind keeps shifting to what has been cut and distracting you from time to time while watching this summer's latest blockbuster.

When last we left our hero, Harry fell victim to a trap to bring back Lord Voldermort, which cost Cedric Diggory his life. The Ministry of Magic wants things hushed up, but Dumbledore tells the students at Hogwarts that Diggory was murdered and Lord Voldermort murdered him. As this fifth film opens Harry and his wicked cousin Dudley are attacked by Dementors. Harry uses his wand to defend them and is summarily expelled from Hogwarts for using magic in front of a muggle. The good news is that Harry gets reinstated, but the bad news is that the Ministry of Magic uses the opportunity to appoint Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary at the Ministry, as the school's new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. However, Umbridge teaches only the theory and not the practice because she insists Harry is a liar and there is nothing the students need to learn to defend themselves from. Then things get progressively worse.

"The Order of the Phoenix" was the most maddening book to read, not because it was the longest, but because I detest Dolores Umbridge. As far as I am concerned she makes Voldermort look good, because he knows he is evil, wicked, bad, mean and nasty inside, while Umbridge thinks the ends justify the means. She is puritanical, sadistic and hypocritical. If there were not going to be children reading this review I would tell you what I really think of her. Suffice it to say, she makes me sick and I do not even take pleasure in loving to hate her, which is why my only requirement going into the film is that the Weasley Twins get their moment of glory when they become the disloyal opposition to the new order at Hogwarts.

Daniel Radcliffe continues to have the tote the heavy load in these films as Harry, with Rupert Grint's Ron Weasley being reduced more and more often to reaction shots while Emma Watson's Hermione Granger remains the Mistress of Exposition in these films. Alan Rickman as Snape remains pitch perfect casting and Gary Oldman as Sirius Black is also a joy to watch, but I discovered in this film that I really like Michael Gambon's performance as Dumbledore, mainly because he always plays up the character's intelligence and I find I prefer his interpretation to that of the late Richard Harris, forgive my heresy. Imelda Staunton does not look as much like a toad as Umbridge does in the book, but she captures the character's detestability from start to finish. We are always painfully aware how dangerous she is, whether she smiles or not. Also, Evanna Lynch steals more scenes as Luna Lovegood than Katie Leung does as Cho Chang, and it is certainly interesting to see Neville (Matthew Lewis) towering over everybody, with Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) in the silent but strong role for the pivotal sextet.

After seeing this film I raced home and got out my copy of the book and starting cataloguing things that had been cut. Such comparisons are, as I suggested up top, inevitable for anyone who has read the book. At this point what I missed the most were some of the conversations between Maggie Smith's Professor McGonagall and Umbridge where Minerva verbally flaws the Inquisitor. The omission that I am focusing on the most is the whole bit about why Neville's family was a target of Voldermort (I agree with Harry: always say his name and thereby reduce its power), since that suggests implications for what will happen in the final book, which gets released in just ten more days. I also would have liked to have seen an over reaction to Harry discovering his father bullied Snape at Hogwarts. My favorite part ends up being the impressive wizard's duel between Voldermort and Dumbledore. Screenwriter Michael Goldenberg does a good job of whittling down Rowling's book and director David Yates does a competent job, but fans will simply want more. Also, we know what happens in the next book and all of the bad things that happen in this film cannot help but seem inconsequential in comparison. Plus, fans will be distracted by mining this film for clues as to what will happen in the last book.

Buy Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2007) Now

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. As you know, Warner Brothers has officially announced the Ultimate Editions of years 5 and 6. The product descriptions are quite wordy. There's a lot of talk about how fans should be excited about these new releases. But there are two words missing from the descriptions of both these products: Extended. Cut.

These are the words that sold me in the beginning. The promise of seeing extended cuts of the HP films was enough for me (and many, MANY other fans) to double dip and get the Ultimate SS and CoS Blu-rays. And you know what? There were worth it. Not because of the endless array of worthless swag packed into over-size boxes. I mean, seriously... Anybody out there framing their lenticular cards and hanging them over their mantles? I didn't think so. But I digress...

What sold me and so many other fans was the extended cuts. And so I began collecting the Ultimate Editions. And what excited me even more was the idea of more extended cuts to come, especially for The Order of the Phoenix.

Then PoA and GoF Ultimate Editions came out, and of course, there were no extended cuts. And Warner Bros. spun us a tale of directors and their creative preferences. And so, we all said "fair enough" (although I, for one, never quite bought that explanation). Still, I had hopes for OotP and HBP. Director David Yates is on record talking about having to cut 45 minutes from The Order of the Phoenix. And yet, here we are again with no extended cut to speak of. I'm sure the studio will spin us a tale of how busy Yates has been with the final installment of the franchise, thus making it impossible to return to these previous films and give the fans what they want: An official ultimate collector's replica of a square of Hogwart's Toilet Paper.

Oh, I meant AN EXTENDED CUT.

Now, I understand Warner Bros. desire to get these editions on the shelves before the final film hits theaters. As for me, I would gladly wait a year for these editions if it meant getting to see extended cuts of the films. But this is not about the fans. This is about the bottom line. If the WB can get a half-@$$ product onto the shelves sooner, and therefore presumably make more money in the final season of Potter movie mania, then who cares what the fans want? We will buy anything with the word Ultimate in front of it. Or maybe not.

Read Best Reviews of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2007) Here

If you already have Order of the Phoenix in the two disc set as originally released, then why buy this edition. Oh, yeah, there's the third disc. Not a good enough reason. I'm a musician, so I bought the Ultimate edition of Goblet of Fire to get words from the composers, but neither Hooper nor Desplat have lived up to the level of music set by Williams and Doyle in the first four movies.

What made the first two Ultimate Editions wonderful was the presence of the "Extended cut". I bought them specifically for that. As witnessed on ABC Family, the added footed from the "Deleted Scenes" doesn't add much, but it makes scenes have a firmer pace. In the theatrical cut, particularly in Order of the Phoenix, the pace was juttery, totally lacking in the flow it needed. It may not have been just the script that reeked. I'm thinking David Yates was just getting used to directing a big movie. Just because it's in the middle of the series doesn't mean fans don't realize how wonderful every scrap of action is.

The argument that "Director's Cut" is somehow sacred hasn't kept WB and many other companies from issuing extended cuts, alternate versions, and even extensive revisions in the theater. Not all of them came from the directors in charge either think Superman 2 and The Three Musketeers (with Michael York, etc.) Besides the "Director's cut" usually comes about because WB says the movie must not exceed X amount of minutes.

I will try to record every movie from Prisoner of Azkaban on from ABC Family and hope I get extra footage. But even they aren't showing 45 minutes in Order of the Phoenix. In the Deleted Scenes, I've yet to see a DVD with more than 15 minutes in deleted scenes, and some of them are only alternate (more interesting) versions of existing scenes. Look at the Draco/Lucius scene in Borgin and Burkes in Chamber of Secrets. It was about 6 minutes long, some of which duplicated what was in the theatrical release. It added so much to the understanding of Draco and the dimension of his family. Yet, they cut it.

Who knows? Maybe those 45 minutes in Order of the Phoenix included the line from Umbrage that she send the dementors. I give four stars to the movie, but I have to knock it down one just because there is no extended cut. Shame on WB!

Want Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2007) Discount?

I love Harry Potter, OK? So before you freak out, let me get that out of the way. The book version "Order of the Phoenix" was oustanding. I also think that previous directors have done pretty good to great jobs of translating the books to film (though I must say things went a little downhill once Chris Columbus left.)

All that being said, here's the kicker:

The movie "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" played like a Cliff's Notes adaptation of the book.

It lopped off a lot of the charm and romance and heartfelt pathos of the book--as well as a lot of the pure creative touches--in order to get the main arc of the story down. On top of that, it made "adaptations" to the book in order to get the story moving along--yet all these "compromises" were actually worse than what JK Rowling originally wrote!

Don't believe me? Here is only SOME of what is wrong with this movie:

--Poor devlopment of the Harry/Cho Chang arc (The kiss is about all you get. No real feeling behind it at all. No devlopement of Harry's crush. No final break up argument on Valentine's Day.)

--Making Cho into an evil snitch (which is why she and Harry broke up in the movie.) In the movie SHE is the one who betrays Harry. Stupid.

--No hospital scenes. No meeting of Neville's parents.

--Perfunctory explanation of Grimmaud Place

--Perfunctory development of Occlumency

--Harry gets to hear the prophecy while standing in the Department of Mysteries rather than later with Dumbledore. On top of this, he gets to hear the prophecy just by holding it in his hand. That makes no logical sense at all!

--The Department of Mysteries itself is compressed down into one room (the room with the prophecies.) All the cool rooms (with the blue lights, the 12 doors, the clocks, the brains, and so on) are all just ignored. Those were such tremendous inventions by JK Rowling--perhaps some of the most creative stuff in all the books-that I can't believe they just cut them!

--The room with the arch is made into a really boring place.

--The battle scene is really short and rather stupid.

--Snape's memory of being tortured by James Potter and his argument with Lily Potter is compressed into literally a total of 4 seconds of film. That scence is so PIVOTAL to the rest of the book series that I can't believe they got away with not fully developing the scene.

On top of all these plot issues, the WORST part about this movie is that there was really no FEELING in it. The whole range of emotional arcs that are so well-developed in the book are done absolutely terribly in the movie. Yeah, Sirius dies. In the book, it is a devatating moment. In the movie, it's like "Oh, well." Harry, Ron and Hermione don't have many moments together. There is no laughing in the movie. We don't get to feel pathos for Neville because his parents are insane. We don't get to feel the gratefulness of the Weasleys when Harry saves Mr Weasley. There are no lighthearted moments. Almost every scene except one or two that could have developed the emotional attachment we feel to the characters has been summarily excluded.

Like one other reviewer said: The movie is too short, yet it feels too long.

That is, sorry to say, a perfect description of a hack job.

I am quite disappointed.

Battle Royale (2012)

With the emergence of "The Hunger Games" phenomenon of the last few years, the inevitable comparisons between that franchise and the cult novel "Battle Royale" by Koushun Takami have been plentiful. Sure, the two do share strong thematic and narrative similarities, but each has a distinctly unique vibe and explores the back story behind the violence in a different way. The film adaptation of "Battle Royale" by director Kenji Fukasaku garnered almost instant international notoriety in 2000 for its disturbingly bleak portrait of kids set upon one another in a violent death match. Despite being banned and reviled by many, the story's visceral and emotional punch was hard to deny. It was nominated for numerous Japanese Academy Awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Screenplay and won that country's "Popularity Award." The rumor that Hollywood was flirting with an American remake has been circulating for years, but some seem to think that the film adaptation of "The Hunger Games" might have hurt the likelihood of this occurrence. In any event, I never had high hopes that an American interpretation could rival the original.

"Battle Royale" is being released in two incarnations, a film only DVD/ Blu-ray or "The Complete Collection" DVD/Blu-ray.

Film Only: This includes the Director's Cut of the film. First, the story is about a future Japan whose economy is in collapse and whose crime rate is spiraling out-of-control. In an effort to temper this uptick in violence by the juvenile population, the government has sanctioned an annual contest. In the movie, forty-two middle school aged students are dropped off and left to battle one another for survival. They are armed and coerced into fighting, for there can be only one winner left alive. As often as I've seen this movie, it never fails to shock and disturb me as it is exceptionally intense and powerful. Some complain that it isn't as "good" as the source novel (which is a pretty common argument with most translations from the page to the screen), but I think this is a daring and audacious film that succeeds fully on its own merits. I'm not, however, a huge fan of the Director's Cut. I don't think the extra footage adds appreciable value to the movie and I don't love the extended finale. This version has no special features.

Complete Collection (4 discs): The four discs are (1) Director's Cut of the film (see above), (2) Theatrical Cut, (3) 2003's "Battle Royale II" and (4) Bonus Content Disc. While I would certainly consider the original "Battle Royale" as a classic, its sequel is less so. It carries the same concept over to a new class with some variations on the original theme, but the major difference is that an underground plot by an unexpected terrorist cell plays a large part in this year's action. It's solid enough, I like it. It just lacks the emotional kick of the first film.

Bonus Disc Content included in Complete Collection only. This is on a standard DVD even in the Blu-Ray set (but all three films are on Blu-ray). The Making Of BATTLE ROYALE, BATTLE ROYALE Press Conference, Instructional Video: Birthday Version, Audition & Rehearsal Footage, Special Effects Comparison Featurette, Tokyo International Film Festival 2000, Battle Royale Documentary, Basketball Scene Rehearsals, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette, Filming On-Set, Original Theatrical Trailer, Special Edition TV Spot, TV Spot: Tarantino Version. It's a lot of Bonus Material, but it has been used on Special Edition International versions of the DVD and is not new to this set. Blu-Ray films have 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtracks. KGHarris, 1/12.

Before you type out a retaliatory positive reviewread on!

I want to start off by saying I absolutely LOVE Battle RoyaleIt is most certainly on my list of favorite movies. HOWEVERthis 'Director's Cut' is total garbage.

Sadly, as with the case for many 'Special Edition' DVDs, Battle Royale: Director's Cut adds unnecessary footage that does nothing to enhance the film. The end is extending by 8 minutes or so and delves into a sort of epilogue and series of dream sequences.

The Battle Royale wiki explains the changes here: (...)

No attempt was made to clean up the subtitles: I can ignore misspellings and incorrect conjugations however at one point the subtitles ran off the screen. The subtitles in the added scenes were far worse than that of the rest of the movie.

I am not bashing Battle Royale; I want people to buy the regular version and forget that this Director's Cut is even an option.

Buy Battle Royale (2012) Now

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)"Battle Royale" is a superb film, subtle and sad and over-the-top and loud all at the same time. The story is often compared to "Lord of the Flies," but that is a bit of a misnomer. "Lord of the Flies" was about reverting to primitivism, whereas "Battle Royale" is a futuristic cautionary tale in the tune of "1984" and "Brave New World." The caution at work here is the threat of absolute bureaucracy, and the dangers of the loss of the value of life and respect in a rules-dominated society. This is a threat quite apparent in modern Japan.

The actors in "Battle Royale" all deliver excellent performances, including the amazing talent "Beat" Takeshi Kitano playing the appropriately named "Kitano." The film was not directed by Takeshi however, so it lacks his beautiful visual style. It does however feature one of his riveting paintings. There is a good range of responses from the various actors playing the students, from outright suicide, to panic, to a drive to win to a drive to help. Unfortunately, the character of Kazuo Kiriyama (the machine gun boy) is woefully underdeveloped, and instead of the fierce, cold genius of the book he is a somewhat characterless villain.

While a violent film, I wouldn't characterize "Battle Royale" as an action film per se. Anyone looking for a Hong Kong-style action film should realize that Japan and China are quite different countries with different approach to movies.. "Battle Royale" retains the quietude and patient pacing that is the hallmark of Japanese cinema, and which leaves some viewers bored, who are used to a quicker pacing. The bloodshed, while in great quantity, is also more cartoony in nature, which is also more typical of Japanese films, which does not favor a naturalistic approach.

I think some familiarity with problems in modern Japan (ie: school violence, overwhelming bureaucracy) gives some necessary perspective to this controversial movie, and helps frame it as more than exploitation. It is a political statement, with a subtle message underlying the overt violence. Along with this, knowledge of Japanese culture deepens the understandings of certain scenes, such as when Kitano performs the prescribed exercises, and the training video shown at the beginning. Without understanding, these scenes might come off as merely quaint or odd.

Read Best Reviews of Battle Royale (2012) Here

Very good movie. I strongly reccomend this movie to anyone who enjoys strange movies, because you've never ever seen a movie like this.

It's the future... Kids have stopped going to class, and are becoming pests. So the government has started a new program called the "BATTLE ROYALE SURVIVAL PROJECT." What happens is that one class of 9th graders a year is chosen by impartial lottery to go onto a deserted island. The kids then get 'voted off' the island. And by 'voted off' I mean they kill each other. Each kid gets a bag, inside is food, water, a map, and a random weapon. With this weapon, they are ordered to kill each other until one remains.

This movie has everything. Violence, plot, character development (somewhat -enough to satasfy me), and an amazing story. It'll keep you on the end of your seat, or couch, or whatever.

Oh, and if you go out and see the new Tarantino movie, KILL BILL, the actress that plays Liu's bodyguard is one of the kids from Battle Royale.

Buy this movie. I can't stress it enough.

Want Battle Royale (2012) Discount?

this movie has alot of qualities that i liked from the start. the way the students tried to find a way around the game, the social interactions of the students, and the question of could you kill your best friend. the movie goes smoothly from the start, with everyone on the bus, and then comes to on the island. i even have a soft spot for kitano, the cookie eating teacher. the cast did a superb job giving the book characters life and keeping to the plot. and the fact that it didnt save characters that you get to like made it sad, yet, gave the sense that the students really were trying to survive. the one thing i like to point out is the way the students' clicks fell apart after one or two days. some worked better as a team, while others got ripped apart at the seams.

Save 68% Off

P.S. I Love You (2008)

Marketing P.S. I LOVE YOU was a hit/miss situation. The general trailer and the billboards seem to set the audience up for a sappy tearjerker. But happily what happens in this film is not the expected 'widowed person communicating with the dead love out of failure to get on with life' tale, but instead a look into the importance of friendship, family, and adjusting to the incomparable loss. Credit the original novel by Cecelia Ahern as adapted for the screen by Steven Rogers writer/director Richard LaGravenese for making what so easily have been a sappy, maudlin, whining tale into a touching one of human emotions with a sense of reality mixed with a mildly implausible situation, and a series of character studies that emphasize the importance of support in the time of grief.

Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler) Kennedy are a married couple with goals and frustrations and a huge dollop of passionate love, surrounded by friends and family. The tragedy happens just as the movie starts: Gerry has died of a brain tumor leaving the copeless Holly alone with her memories and self-inflicted regrets. But Gerry, knowing he was a terminal patient, devised his own plan to help Holly through that first year of grief: he left letters in various forms and places, advising Holly how to learn about his family and how to get on with life. Holly's mother (Kathy Bates) owns a bar and has supported her little family since Holly's father deserted his family years ago. In the bar is another injured soul named Daniel (Harry Connick Jr.) who fancies Holly but realizes she is far from ready to think about dating. Holly's friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon) accompany Holly to Gerry's pre-planned trip to his home in Ireland to meet the in-laws Holly never knew. While in Ireland Holly reminisces on the magic of first meeting Gerry, meets Gerry's parents as well as Gerry's best friend William (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and through it all manages to appreciate the gift of PS I Love You letters and reminders Gerry has left for her. And she ultimately finds closure to her loss.

The cast is strong and makes these at times strained characters into lovable people: Hilary Swank has made a successful entrance into the feminine lead role and is balanced to perfection by Butler, Morgan, Connick, Bates, Kudrow and Gershon. They make the implausible plausible and deliver a love story that goes beyond the level of superficial to join the ranks of warm and tender memorable slices of life. It is surprisingly good! Grady Harp, May 08

PS I Love You is a bitersweet love story. It is one of those films which you watch with a tear in your eyes and a wisp of a smile on your face.

Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank0 has lost her husband (300's Gerald Butler). As she is in mourning over his loss, she recieves letters from her dead husband. From these letters, she starts to break out of her shell of widowhood.

With the help of her Girlfriends (Gina Gersion and Lisa Kudrow) and her mom (Kathy Bates), Holly starts to live again.

It is one of those nice romantic film to share with those you love. It is a throwback to the older 1950's type films where words and images are more important than car chases and curse words.

The Cast blends together so well you could believe this story is true. Swank's Holly is so on the money, you feel her pain and joy

This is not just another chick flix, it is a well done romantic comedy. It will tug on your heart strings..if it does, check with your doctor to make sure you have a working heart.

I only wish there was a director or actor commentary, which there isnt. I would have enjoyed hearing someone insights on how they made this film..but it is not needed with a film this good

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Buy P.S. I Love You (2008) Now

I saw this movie twice while playing at the theaters and could not wait to purchase it on DVD. My best friend and I laughed and cried and really loved Gerard Butler in this part as well of the rest of the great casts' and funny and touching performances. Another friend saw it too and told the story about overhearing a 20ish male sitting behind her complaining to his girlfriend before the movie started about it being a "chick flick" which my friend overheard and commented back "yeah I guess it probably is a chick flick" At the end of the movie though, the 20ish male leaned forward and said to my friend "That was a great chick flick."

Read Best Reviews of P.S. I Love You (2008) Here

My wife held a gun on me and forced me to watch this romantic comedy. I briefly debated to myself which would hurt more, the movie or the bullet. But within five minutes I was hooked.

This is a beautiful film. It's touching and memorable. What's her name is great as the female lead and that Spartan King dude does a brilliant job of playing a dead guy. This movie has the power to remind men how nice it is to be in love with someone you actually like.

Okay, a lot of guys will notice that this movie is missing the standard quota of murders, explosions, rapes and decapitations. But don't dismiss it fellas, there is still a fine story here.

I highly recommend "PS, I love you." Men, pass on the blood, cars and guns for once and rent this film tonight to watch with your girlfriend or wife. The evening will go well, trust me.

--Guy P. Harrison, author of

Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know About Our Biological Diversity

and

50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

Want P.S. I Love You (2008) Discount?

"I hope

life treats you kind

And I hope

you have all you've dreamed of

And I wish you joy

and happiness

But above all this

I wish you love

And I...

Will always love you"

(Whitney Houston)

Gerry (Gerard Butler) and Holly (Hilary Swank) are married, without children, and are very much in love. Swept off her feet at a tender age by the handsome Irishman, Holly isn't exactly sure what she wants from life, and this leads to petty squabbles and extremely hot making up afterwards.

Before they really get started, the Fates snip Gerry's thread, and Holly is left with a snazzy urn and an empty apartment, which she proceeds to fill with her blue funk.

Her thirtieth birthday brings a big surprise, as it seems that for once, Gerry has made a plan. Gerry's gift goes on giving, and gradually Holly comes to terms with her life, while we, the audience, get to look on with unbridled glee.

Butler is as easy on the eyes as always, and Swank pulls off a difficult role with apparent ease. Lisa Kudrow is a perfect friend, and Kathy Bates proves unsinkable. Other good performances are logged by Gina Gershon and Harry Connick Jnr.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. Sometimes even death can't end an undying love

A chick flick, but an extremely watchable one, especially for fans of Gerard Butler.

Amanda Richards, July 6, 2008

Save 33% Off