Aliens in the Attic (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009)

I absolutely loved this movie! I loved the comedy, the storyline, the action, the effects, everything! This may be my 4th favorite movie of 2009 behind Friday the 13th, Land of the Lost, and Halloween II! I've seen a lot of negative reviews toward this movie, but some people take things a little too seriously. This movie is for the kid in all of us. While on summer vacation, the Pearson family go to three-story holiday house in the middle of nowhere. The kids; Hannah, Tom, and Bethany don't wanna go, but they are forced to. They meet more family members like Jake, Art, and Lee. When Bethany's boyfriend forces Tom to the roof, they see the aliens who want to take over the world. Throughout the day, the kids try to stop them, without their parents finding out. One alien, Sparks is not a threat to the humans and decides to become friends with Hannah. Sparks is a cute little alien, unlike Skip, Tazer, and Razor. Will the Pearson children stop the evil aliens from taking over the world? I highly recommend ALIENS IN THE ATTIC!!!

My almost 9 year-old son and I saw this together. It was VERY, VERY funny. We both thought so. (There were way too many male crotch gags, in my opinion, and of course, the law enforcement representative was an idiot. However, we didn't see his underwear; so, this movie was superior to other kid flicks.) Robert Hoffman is outrageously funny as Ricky the lying-loser boyfriend turned robot alien minion. Ashley Tisdale carries off another major role with credibility, humor, and grace. The DVD is already on my son's wish list for Christmas, and I will be recommending Aliens to my friends to watch with their kids. I will also recommend it to parents of teenage daughters who need a laugh, a break, or a reminder that Eddie Haskell didn't die with the Cleavers.

Aliens in the AtticAliens in the Attic[Blu-ray] [Blu-ray]

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Before I saw this movie the previews gave me the impression that this was just another computer animated and effects driven films trying to exploit a kid's inherent interest in this stuff. It turns out this movie has more thought put into it and a good deal more heart than I assumed (that's what I get for assuming). Aliens in the Attic isn't an instant classic by any means. However it delivers on what you want in a family sci-fi film. Cute enough in some places, witty enough in others.

So yeah, the plot isn't Shakespeare. You have a family on vacation that gets visited by some diminutive (and not too bright) aliens bent on taking over the world. This plot is very close to the same vein as the 80's movie Spaced Invaders. The difference, and it is substantial enough to keep the two movies from being similar, is where the focus is. Where Spaced Invaders put all of its attention on the wacky Martians, Aliens in the Attic puts its focus on the kids and how they deal with the invaders. For this movie it makes all the difference.

You see, the chemistry between the kids is tight. The main boy and his crazy cousins, lovelorn big sisters and a cute little sister all mesh their respective personalities into a coherent plot progression rather well. There isn't a whole lot of character development once the individual players have been established, but you don't need that much since the script capitalizes on the interactions. I'm not talking about two dimensional character clashes sort of capitalization. This movie shows a good example on how differing personalities can work together.

The acting is surprisingly good for these kids. All of them play their parts solid with nary a bad scene in the bunch. Ashley Tisdale is not the main focus of the movie, but her star quality wasn't wasted on. Although she is swimming in familiar waters with her character good acting is good acting. SNL alumnus Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows both hit high marks in their comedic timing, even though Kevin mainly plays the straight man in his role. The big kudos, however, go to Robert Hoffman. He plays the jerk boyfriend to Ashley's character, and while the jerk scenes make you love to hate him the real joy in his performance come after the aliens take over his mind and Robert goes off on some of the craziest pratfalls and other physical humor with a hilariously crazy grin on his face. It's comedic gold!

The aliens are funny in a kids will get giggly kind of way. Sometimes they say something funny enough for the adults to snicker (include a funny observation on kissing). But mostly the aliens are for the kid's entertainment and are mostly two dimensional characters with very little to no depth. The CG animations for the aliens aren't bad, but they aren't going to really impress anybody on the technology either. Basically it's serviceable special effects for a production company that likely couldn't pull this off with puppets.

The Bu-Ray for the movie looks really great. Details pop out with a lot of clarity on both the CG aliens as well as the gorgeous backdrop of the vacation spot. Sound is also top notch with the DTS-HD 5.1 audio, but it's not exactly an audiophile reference kind of movie so don't expect to be blown away. Here's a quick rundown of the extras:

Introduction to Film with Ashley Tisdale Just a quick hello from the move famous actress in the film. No big deal.

The Ashley Encounters A short promo of the movie from actresses Ashley Tisdale and Ashley Boettcher. I wouldn't be surprised with this aired on the Disney Channel before the movie came out.

Alternate Ending It's an unfinished product with the CG kind of in the middle phase of production. Not exactly a complete change from the actual ending, but it is different enough. Prefer the real ending anyway.

Behind the Zirkonians It's a pretty long comic short story about the origins of the aliens. It's not exactly adult fare, but your kids will enjoy it.

Meet the Zirkonians A little biography of the four aliens in the movie that you can browse through.

Lights, Camera, Aliens! A short "making of" featurette that's pretty light on details. Feels like another promo for the movie more than an informative documentary.

Kung Fu Grandma This is funny and weird at the same time. It's like a video game commercial using footage of the movie. The title of this featurette is kind of a spoiler for the movie and I'm glad I didn't know about it before I saw the flick.

Brian Anthony "Electricity" Music Video It's a music video with clips of the movie. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Fox Movie Channel Presents Life After Film School with Barry Josephson This is the REAL "Making Of" documentary. It has more details on the film's production than the other fluff featurette, but it's not an all-inclusive thing.

Deleted Scenes and Gag Reel Didn't get a chance to see these yet. They run about four minutes each and are self explanatory.

If you have kids ranging from grade school to the tweens I believe this film will keep them entertained provided they enjoy watching light science fiction to begin with. Others may enjoy it too for the other fun stuff, but maybe rent first to test the waters. For the adults it really depends on your threshold for this kind of entertainment. The aliens will annoy most of you, but the kids and grown ups in the movie will entertain. If you have a Blu-Ray player it's definitely worth getting if on BD if for nothing else so you can see the beautiful landscapes in high definition.

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This was a good movie. My 6 year old son really enjoyed it. There is not any crude language or bad messages included in the movie. The humor is very clean and funny. Would recommend you watch this movie.

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This is not a film most adults would enjoy as it is designed for kids. Two families go away to the country for the Fourth of July. The kids need to get out and do something away from all their electronic gadgets.

While they are there,small green unfriendly aliens take over the attic and plan on taking over the world. The aliens have devices that can control adults, but not kids. So now it is up to the kids to save the planet using the skills they learned from video games along with modified toys. Ashley Tisdale (Miley Cyrus light) does give the young male viewers a glimpse of her in a bikini.

Acting is bad, script is bad, plot is bad, humor is bad, unless you are under age 13. 5 STARS on the tween scale.

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The Tempest (2010)

Let me say right off: I am a total Bardolator. I teach Shakespeare, I am obsessed with Shakespeare, I have read and seen all the plays, and my love affair with the Bard began with seeing a live performance of The Tempest in 1975. It was pure magic. I also love movies, and I believe that in the 21st century, filmed versions of Shakespeare's plays are probably the best way to reach the widest audience. The sneers and sniffs of snobs aside, I am convinved that if Will were alive today, he'd be writing movie screenplays (or even television), NOT stage plays, which today are aimed at a narrow, elite, theatre-going audience.

As a literature professor who has been teaching The Tempest for a decade now, I have always been singularly bemused by the lack of a filmed version that really captures the magical spirit of the play. The old TV Richard Burton show is well-acted but silly, the BBC version has great actors but terrible, flat production values, Prospero's Books is brilliant but incomprehensible to all but those who know the play intimately, Derek Jarman's version is terribly dated and, despite being a good "film," just doesn't work as The Tempest, in my opinion. The other, "scholastic" releases are plagued by poor production and/or undistinguished acting. And I won't even bother with "adaptations" of the plot, such as Forbidden Planet or Cassavettes's Tempest.

Until this version, the only truly excellent version of The Tempest was the HBO animated one, but at 25 minutes, not much of Shakespeare's story remained intact.

Just last week I had the great pleasure of seeing Julie Taymor's The Tempest in London. It was absolutely amazing. The magic was there! The acting, for the most part, was brilliant. The script contained enough of the actual play's language that the minor tweakings to make it easier for contemporary audiences did not bother me a bit. The visuals were absolutely stunning. The movie was a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to see it again--repeatedly--to savor all the special moments over and again. My only regret is that my students will be unable to see it this year due to the late release date.

[REVISION NOTE: This year's students had the opportunity to see this version, and they overwhelmingly LOVED it. It brought the play to life for them. At last, I no longer have to convince them that The Tempest really IS a great play! 01/19/12]

If you love Shakespeare, and if you enjoy movie adaptations of the plays, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

I saw this movie at the Chicago Film Festival last fall, introduced by Alan Cumming. While I'm a huge fan of Helen Mirren (and Alan), I was much less familiar with Julie Taymor, and not sure what I was in for.

If you're the same, then you can relax this is brilliant, and I wish that Mirren & Taymor would do some other Shakespeare plays with Helen in the (strong, male) lead. Aside from a few minutes in the very beginning, where I thought the verisimilitude of the storm interfered with actually being able to understand what the actors were SAYING there weren't any problems with either the language or being able to follow the plot.

Despite changing of the gender of the lead character, all the other elements we expect from Shakespeare remain intact: elevated, aristocratic figures bickering over their positions or inheritance, a love story featuring the younger generation of characters, a comedic subplot running alongside the primary plot, etc. And the acting was great top to bottom those who weren't aware that RusselL Brand could actually act will be very pleasantly surprised, and we get the amazing performances we expected from the "known" names. Reeve Carney comes off least well, but that is the fault of the character having so little to do (and most of THAT being to look attractive and moon over the young woman).

All in all, I was very happy I was able to catch this in the cinema, and can hardly wait until I'm able to own a copy.

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If you've been following the travails of Julie Taymor's Spiderman production for Broadway, you will understand them a little better once you watch the opening shipwreck scene in her version of The Tempest. It is elaborate and detailed and far removed from the play itself, which of course opens with a brief onboard scene and then goes to Prospero and Miranda on shore for a long scene of explication of their exile on the island. The genius in Taymor's take on the Tempest is to give us Prospera instead of Prospero and, especially, to give us Helen Mirren as Prospera. She is wonderful as always, and convincing throughout. I loved her delivery of the Act 4, Scene 1 "Our revels now are ended" speech that captures both the play and life itself in a few short lines. The rest of the cast, Chris Cooper, Russell Brand et al, is uniformly excellent except the young actor who plays Ferdinand and who reads his lines like he is, well, reading his lines from a script held in his hands. Taymor takes liberties with Shakespeare's text (the credits read something like "written by Julie Taymor based on a text by William Shakespeare") and Prospera's epilogue is a song over the closing credits, but overall this Tempest is in spirit faithful to the play and well worth seeing.

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The final Opus of William Shakespeare was carried to the big screen with that required vision, secure pulse and distinguished visuals without lacking the spirit of the play.

Helen Mirren is actually (Who can deny it?)one of the three best actresses in the world. She chews the whole show all the way through. But additionally the narrative rhtyhm never decays. Taymor (The Lion king and Titus, proves by far how domains Shakespeare's nerve) never abuses of the visual effects (dislike many of her colleagues).

And the outcome could not be more succesful. One of the best twenty films of the last year. No doubt it and go for it.

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I'm a bit of a Shakespeare nut, owning the large majority of his plays on DVD, and often more than one version of the more popular plays. So I was eager for a new version of "The Tempest," and I wasn't able to catch this one in the theaters since it never played near where I live. Unfortunately nearly all of the reviews I had read of this version were decidedly mixed. Still, I wasn't going to let them keep me from seeing it. Well, I'm really glad I bought it because it's *much* better than the mixed reviews had led me to believe. Helen Mirren's excellent interpretation of "Prospero" as "Prospera" strikes me as quite natural -that is, it doesn't come across as a trendy gender-switching gimmick -and most of the other actors are superb as well. The "special effects," particularly with Ariel, are effectively handled. My only reservation, in fact, has to with Djimon Hounsou's performance as Caliban. He himself is, I believe, very good, but his strong accent sometimes makes it difficult to understand Caliban's speeches, which include some of the loveliest, most touching in the play. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend this DVD, which includes a terrific "making of" bonus extra.

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America Lost and Found: The BBS Story (Head / Easy Rider / Five Easy Pieces / Drive, He Said / The

The film opens with Nicholson in a tight shot talking to someone. We aren't sure at first to whom he's talking or why. From that opening scene I was hooked. Nicholson is a radio personality (David) who one day gets a phone call from his brother Jason (Bruce Dern) who is in jail. Jason is basically a big-time loser who has been trying all his life to make something big happen. His latest scheme is to encourage his brother to join him and his female companions (played by Ellyn Burstyn and Julia Anne Robinson) in Atlantic City while contemplating the purchase of an island near Hawaii. Many strange events happen along the way, not the least of which finds the two women competing for Jason's affection. A very strange scene occurs involving a fire on the beach. Without giving too much away, I will say that this is a turning point that has tremendous impact later in the story. So few films today have even slightly interesting characters. These characters are so vivid and interesting that you can't help but be intrigued, wondering what's going to happen next. Each scene seems to have no rhyme or reason, until finally the pieces fall into place. When the pieces do come together, you realize that you've witnessed something very unique, original, and haunting.

The four leading actors are all at the top of their form. I have never seen Nicholson timid, unsure, or at a loss for words before. Dern is hopelessly reckless. Robinson is an innocent in an evil environment. Burstyn is perfect as the key to the whole story, which is one that I'll never forget. You'll think about this quiet little film long after the credits are over.

Since I am mostly commenting on the "HEAD" portion of this set, I should include that already having "Five Easy Pieces" in a restored version on DVD and "Easy Rider" has been reissued numerous times with not much bonus material here, this print of "HEAD" is from the original 35mm negative! Where-as the awful DVD release from Rhino, who lies in a leader frame that the Full Frame format is how the film was meant to be seen! I beg to differ and bow to Criterion for releasing this incredible movie in glorious widescreen and in a true 5.1! Don't worry, those purist that still listen through a Stereo Reciever (because MOST humans only have 2 ears),like myself..the stereo seperation will blow you away, especially if you have the inferior RHINO release, you need not do a side by side comparison! Not only are the songs in true stereo but the entire soundtrack through-out the entire movie. Including the closing credits (Known on the Colgems soundtrack as "PLus Strings") by Ken Thorne. Which also gives RHINO another bad mark. In October, RHINO released a "HEAD Deluxe CD boxset" and list the "Plus Strings as "stereo" and they are most certainly not, yet Criterion goes the extra mile and finds true masters to all the Stereo songs plus Ken thorne's excellent incidental music! "Porpoise Song" has the nice deep low ends and crystal clear highs. Special credit with the live "Circle Sky" and "As We Go Along" where the vocals were burried on the RHINO release. Not so on this print. You feel as if the movie were filmed yesterday! Not bad for a 42 year old film! The colors are vibrant and the print is so sharp you may want to keep your hands away from the screen! Criterion deserves an award for thier excellence!

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With so many surprising and great releases, I've come to take Criterion for granted. But then comes the announcement of "America Lost and Found: The BBS Story" and I'm like an excited kid on Christmas morning. Amazon has done a comprehensive job listing the contents of this impressive set, so I'm going to direct my comments at the eclectic mix of films provided. The BBS story is no less than a film revolution that occurred in the late sixties to try to foster younger artists to the industry and cultivate younger, more adventurous film goers. All films within "America Lost and Found" were produced between 1968 and 1972 and represent a challenge to the conventional film narrative of that period. In retrospect, some of the films have been proclaimed classics while others have become somewhat obsolete. But all are fascinating examples of an artistic rebellion that influenced the film industry for years to come (all the more astounding as much of the company's financing came from the funds generated by the Monkees).

My personal favorite within "America Lost and Found" is Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" which has been begging for a better DVD release. An evocative look at a dying small town, this gorgeous black and white film is supremely entertaining and boasts a spectacular cast. Desolate and spare, the film tells the story of Sonny and Duane who as they approach manhood must face the harsh realities of life, love, and friendship. Nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture, the film won supporting statuettes for Ben Johnson (a career high) and Cloris Leachman. Jeff Bridges and Ellen Burstyn also received nods as did Bogdanovich for Directing and Screenplay (which he co-wrote with the incredible Larry McMurtry).

Two other undeniable classics in counterculture are Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider" and Bob Rafelson's "Five Easy Pieces." "Easy Rider" picked up two Oscar nods (including Jack Nicholson's first) and tells the simple story of two motorcyclists' journey across America. Capturing a specific time so perfectly, the film seems to embrace the anti-establishment freedom of its leads (Hopper and Peter Fonda) while making the compelling argument that ultimate freedom is an illusion and that choosing to challenge societal norms thus becomes the norm. And "Five Easy Pieces," another of my all time favorites, was nominated for 4 Oscars (including Jack Nicholson and Karen Black). Another journey picture (both in physical travels as well as in the spiritual/psychological realm), Rafelson's landmark has one of Nicholson's most iconic performances in a film that is immensely angry and riotously funny by turn. The chicken salad sandwich scene is an undisputed classic in American cinema!

Bob Rafelson's well regarded "The King of Marvin Gardens" is also included. An underrated gem set in Atlantic City, this tale of brotherhood and dreaming big casts a realistic light on a get-rich-quick scam gone wrong. Nicholson and Burstyn are on hand, as is Bruce Dern--and this compelling quasi-masterpiece shows the three on disparate (and times desperate) paths toward redemption. Rafelson also supplies this collection with the bizarre "Head," a meandering and psychedelic excursion into the minds of The Monkees. With a documentary feel, the film follows The Monkees on numerous and random musical encounters and celebrates their celebrity while at the same time seeming to indict the culture who embraces such excesses. Jack Nicholson makes his directorial debut on the uneven "Drive, He Said"--noteworthy mostly for the Nicholson credit. Depicting the college experience in the sixties, "Drive" tells the story of a disaffected basketball player. Introducing many plot threads, the film fails to follow an effective through line and is a fairly disjointed (though interesting) effort. And lastly there is Henry Jaglom's "A Safe Place," another oddity of interior monologue with Tuesday Weld descending into a world of fantasy.

Many of the films in "America Lost and Found" share a thematic connection. The films eschew conventional plot driven narratives in favor of character study. These directors wanted to present a realistic portrait of the era in which they lived and not an idealized film world. And many of the central characters in all the works are seeking to identify their place in the modern world or, indeed, determine if they have a place at all. The BBC story, through film, is an intriguing and progressive one in that it functioned in the studio system. Independent cinema of today still reflects many of the same ideals. A must have collection for film lovers. KGHarris, 10/10.

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I hadn't heard about this collection until i ran a search for Head on Blu Ray here at Amazon. At first I was ecstatic that it was on Blu Ray but dismayed that it was only available as part of a collection. When I saw the other films included coupled with the price being right i decided to buy it. I have now watched all the films and wasn't disappointed. Criterion does an excellent job with the HD transfers and the extras on each film.

Head was a lost gem I first saw on the CBS Late Movie in the early 1970s. To understand it, it helps to have some background about the Monkees and the myths surrounding them, as well as their desire to be taken seriously as a 1960s rock group. I already owned the Rhino DVD version, which professed that the 1:33 to 1 aspect ratio was original intended version. Nothing could be further from the truth; here it is presented in its original 1:78 to 1 aspect ratio (16:9 in the parlance of our times). The extras are very informative as is the commentary by Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz. Finally, an honorable version of this wonderful cult film!

I have seen Easy Rider several times over the years; the last time I saw it was a DVD presentation and I found it to be somewhat dated. However, due to the excellent HD transfer I was less focused on the lingo of the day and more on Laszlo Kovac's excellent cinematography. It's amazing how great the film looks with a proper transfer and it gave me a greatly renewed interest. Again, the extras are top-notch and very informative. It's equally impressive how much "bang for the buck" BBS got from all their films.

Five Easy Pieces was another film I already owned on DVD but again, this version looks wonderful.

The Last Picture Show is one of my favorite 1970s films and I never owned it before now. Again, the extras are excellent and the transfer is impeccable.

I had never seen the remaining films. A Safe Place and Drive, He Said were my least favorites though they are certainly interesting curious from the era. Sometimes films like these require repeated viewings to be fully appreciated though the acting in each were superb and both were original and imaginative. The King of Marvin Gardens was excellent and I'm surprised it didn't do well in its theatrical release years ago. Still, Criterion gave all the Class A treatment with high quality HD transfers and informative, interesting extras.

Criterion must be commended for their great efforts on this set. It's well worth purchasing and will provide several hours of viewing pleasure.

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This film really is spectacular. From the very opening(which is slightly disorienting-but becomes clear quickly), it weaves a tale filled with some very odd and fascinating characters. Nicholson plays a radio deejay of sorts that spouts some fictionalized, but engrossingly told tales. The story itself deals with his visit to his brother-played by Bruce Dern, who he must attempt to talk out of some financial scheming. Dern turns in a fine performance-comparable to his performance in SMILE(very different characters, both great performances). Ellen Burstyn is also terrific. Photography by Laszlo Kovacs ranks up with his best. A welcome follow-up to Rafelson's FIVE EASY PIECES(a follow-up that doesn't get the press it deserves). Looks beautiful on dvd!

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The Professionals (1966)

Given the credentials of the people involved in bringing The Professionals (1966) to the screen, written and directed by Richard Brooks, who also did The Killers (1946), Key Largo (1948), Elmer Gantry (1967), and In Cold Blood (1967), starring Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, and Jack Palance (Believe it....or not!), you would have thought I would have heard about it before now, but I didn't, and there you go...

Anyway, the film begins with the assemblage of four men by a rich, Texas cattleman named Joe Grant, played by Ralph Bellamy (the old dude who wasn't Don Ameche in the John Landis/Eddie Murphy/Dan Aykroyd movie Trading Places), for the purpose of rescuing his young wife Maria, played by the voluptuous Claudia Cardinale, from the clutches of her kidnapper, a Mexican rebel bandit named Jesus Raza (Palance). Seems Raza has made off with the woman and is now demanding $100,000 for her safe return, an amount Mr. Grant would be willing to pay, except he fears that even after he pays the monies, Raza would still harm his wife. As the men come together with the offer of $10,000 apiece if they're successful, we learn of their particular talents. First there's Henry 'Rico' Fardan (Marvin), a master tactician and someone who actually knows Raza as they served together in the Mexican revolution, followed by Bill Dolworth (Lancaster), who also served with Fardan and Raza, and is an expert with explosives, Hans Ehrengard (Ryan), whose skills involve horse wrangling, and finally Jake Sharp (Strode), an expert with weapons, specifically guns and the bow and arrow, and also an experienced tracker. Given that Raza has a good number of men at his disposal, I'd say maybe close to 200, the task would seem highly unlikely, but the men also must deal with first getting to the camp, which involves trekking through the Mexican desert, where temperatures during the day could fry your face off, while the cold night after the sun drops is nearly enough to freeze your blood, but $10,000 is a lot of money, and the group, being men of honor, did give their word, fully aware of the dangers involved, and the probability of success.

While the story may not be highly original, the elements that make it up work very well to make this a highly enjoyable movie. Marvin is great as the brains behind the operation, carefully planning everything, knowing exactly what he has to work with and also having the confidence in the men to perform their tasks, keeping things simple, and avoiding complexities that would normally foul things up. He pulls off his character well, an intelligent man would understands the value in proper preparation especially when the odds are high. Lancaster is also wonderful, presenting a highly likeable character with color, one whose priorities seem simple enough in money and women, but who also exhibits more depth as the film unfolds. Ryan (a highly under-rated actor, in my opinion) and Strode are also quite good, despite the lack of character development given to Marvin and Lancaster, which isn't a negative as we are given just enough to endear the characters to the audience, but not so much to bog the film down, and all four displayed a level of credibility respective to the skills each possessed. Claudia Cardinale was certainly nice to look at, and she was capable, but if I had to choose a weak link in the film, it would probably be her, but given how well all the other elements of the film worked, this was entirely a minor issue. Now when I heard Jack Palance was going to be playing a Mexican, I had my doubts as I just couldn't see it, but he pulled it off. We didn't see much of him in the first half, but in the last half his character really came to life, giving us more than just a character motivated by greed, but one driven by his ideology, in doing what he has to to survive and further his cause. The expansive desert scenes throughout the film are really beautiful, giving a wonderful backdrop to the story, providing a realism you just can't get shooting on a studio backlot. There were a number of twists and turns within the story, as very little is as it seems, and while some of it was predictable, this did little to take away from the film. I also enjoyed the study of the motivations of the various characters, their questioning of the moralism in past and present actions. The film could have gotten mired within this element, but, as with other elements of the movie, there was just enough present to keep things interesting and add a bit of welcome diversity while not taking away from the overall story. The movie does run just under 2 hours, but rarely slows down, as the excellent direction by Brooks keeps things fairly balanced and moving along at a good pace.

The digitally remastered picture here looks amazing, available in both wide screen and full screen formats, and I thought the audio was also very good, being very crisp and clear. With regards to special features, there is any number of subtitles (including English) available, along with an original theatrical trailer and somewhat comprehensive, yet concise, biographies of the talent, including selected filmographies. Also included on the insert in the DVD case are production notes which detail the people involved, the locations the film was shot, along with information about the original release date and the various awards nominations the film received. All in all an excellent film, maybe not the quintessential western of Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969), but certainly required viewing for fans of western films and certainly worth looking into for anyone just interested in a good film in general.

Cookieman108

I thoroughly enjoyed viewing The Professionals on DVD, with one exception...during a seduction scene between Lancaster and Cardinale, a black band is artificially placed across Cardinale's chest so that the viewer cannot see her in her topless glory. Wait a second, didn't I buy this disc? Why is this film being censored in this fashion? Viewers should be notified of this travesty before deciding whether to purchase an otherwise worthwhile film.

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Fans of great westerns will love this movie. I consider it one of the best ever made. Being a fan of movies like "The Magnificent Seven", "The Wild Bunch", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "Hombre", "Valdez is Coming", and "El Dorado", I think this one is a keeper too.

By far one of Lee Marvin's and Burt Lancester's best movies. Fine performances are turned in by Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Jack Palance, and Ralph Bellamy too. Claudia Cardinale is decent but nothing to write home about. She is much better in "Once Upon A Time in the West".

The action is excellently paced and the direction is masterful. Add in beautiful scenery and good music and you have a winner. The story of men rescueing someone from overwhelming odds is not new, but this is a magnificent rendition of it. This DVD is well priced and I highly recommend it.

Read Best Reviews of The Professionals (1966) Here

The Professionals is a very entertaining western that does not receive the same hype as many other westerns made during the same time period. It is an excellent story with an even better cast. The story is about the efforts of four men to rescue a railroad tycoon's wife from the Mexican revolutionaries she was kidnapped by. They must travel deep into Mexico to rescue her battling bandits, the weather, and themselves all the way. The film is very good at dealing with the friendships between the men as the time and the land changes much as the Wild Bunch or Butch Cassidy/Sundance Kid did. How can these men change their lives as the world around them changes? The movie blends plenty of great dialogue with a ton of quotable lines, a lively score from Maurice Jarre, and great acting all-around. Can't miss western and highly recommended.

Burt Lancaster gives another excellent performance as Bill Dolworth, the explosives expert, Lee Marvin stars as Rico Fardan, the leader of the men and also a munitions expert, Robert Ryan plays Hans Ehrengard, the horse wrangler who cares so much for his horses, and Woody Strode gives an excellent supporting performance as Jacob Sharp, the adept tracker who dispatches his enemy with bow and arrow. All four give great performances. How could you go wrong with such a cast? Jack Palance is very good as Raza, the leader of the revolutionaries/bandits who has a past with . Ralph Bellamy plays the husband who desperately wants his wife back, played by Claudia Cardinale who looks beautiful. The new Special Edition DVD includes three excellent featurettes, "The Professionals: A Classic," "Burt Lancaster: A Portrait," and "Memories from the Professionals" which includes interviews with Claudia Cardinale, widescreen presentation, and a theatrical trailer. Check out this western if you haven't seen it before! The Professionals is an excellent, action-packed western with a perfect twist at the end, quick snappy dialogue, and a great cast. Do not miss!

Also, if you like the movie check out the novel by Frank O'Rourke, also called a Mule for the Marquesa.

Want The Professionals (1966) Discount?

If you like adventure stories with well developed characters, then this is a great flick for you. I have seen this one probably 100 times since it was first released and I still love it. It is right up there with the Magnificent Seven, Tombstone, The Wild Bunch, and The Long Riders. The comradery of Lancaster and Marvin is subtle and satisfying. Woody does a better than average negro bounty hunter and Ryan is the guy you want to punch for being such a sissy through most of the damn film. Palance's speech about the Revolution is truly inspired and let's not forget C.C. who "never says no." There are enough witty lines, gun battles and chase scenes to satisfy even the most hardcore adventurer and last but not least, the final line from Lee Marvin to Mr. Grant. That alone is worth the cost of the film. So put on your old campaign hat and a bandana.... then sit back and enjoy

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Crooked Arrows (2012)

Crooked Arrows takes the oft used Mighty Ducks style of sports movie to another level. The overall skeleton of the story is what you would expect. Misfit team thrown together with unpopular, unmotivated coach manages to come together to win in the end. It is how the journey takes place that sets this film apart. Crooked Arrows delves into the rich history of lacrosse and native American culture. The history and philosophy is both accurate and respectful. The theme of the movie is "respect the game," and Crooked Arrows does just that.

Through all this, the comedic timing of these athletes is impeccable. As with Miracle, it would have been much more difficult to teach actors to play lacrosse than to teach lacrosse players to act, so that's the way they went. As a result, the lacrosse action is both accurate and spectacular. They brought in the same sports photography experts that created the intense action of Miracle to recreate that here. You will feel like you are on the field with these players! Throw in a few cameos from lacrosse greats, and you have a perfect movie.

As a former player and current coach, I cannot recommend this movie more highly!

My whole family waited for this movie to come out in theaters, and we ALL loved it! Besides being a great underdog-wins-out sports flick, this movie touches on a lot of other important topics as well, including the rights and heritage of Indigenous Peoples, class rivalries, and personal honor and responsibility, and it does so without an overbearing or moralizing feel. There are a few tongue-in-cheek jokes that only true laxxers are likely to get, and a lot more humor for everyone else to share. A must-see for all youth lacrosse players, this movie is a treasure for the entire family. Spread the game!

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The way the story is told, about a sport established LONG before any Spanish, French, or other non-indigenous peoples stepped foot on this continent makes this film have a richness grounded in a tradition most of us have no clue about.

Beautiful in it's simplicity. Rich in it's uniqueness. Unless the day comes that someone makes a LaCrosse movie on a Res by a native, with only natives in it, you will not get a more inside view of where the sport comes from, and how unique the culture behind it is.

Anyone cynical enough to call this a "typical feelgood movie" needs to examine themselves. There is nothing typical about this movie.

There are not enough movies told from the native viewpoint. That in itself makes this movie out of the norm. I am NOT a Native American, but it sure is something worth wishing for.

Read Best Reviews of Crooked Arrows (2012) Here

I saw this movie in the theater during its limited release. What a fun film! This is the type of movie that you can enjoy with your whole family. It's a great story that needed to be told. It's a story that inspires you to truly care about your roots, your community and your family. The cast is great, especially Brandon Routh (Joe Logan), Gil Birmingham (Ben Logan) and Chelsea Ricketts. The score is also great, and a must buy for music lovers like me. If you like sports movies with heart and a positive message, check this out!

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Great family movie, wonderful story about a great sport and it's origins. Highly recommended, for all sports enthusiast. First movie about lacrosse

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Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (2009) (2009)

I'm floored by the number of reviews here that give this a 1 star review, and then state that they haven't seen the movies. If you actually compare the picture quality with these new BDs to previous DVDs, you do see a vast improvement. Star Trek II, III, and IV have more consistant color and detail then what I saw in the DVDs. In previous editions of ST III, I always noticed an upped contrast in comparison to II and IV: but in this set, it's in line with all the other movies. There seems to be a lot of rumors here about what "Digitally Restored" is over "Digitally Remastered" (as TWOK was the only to get "Digitally Restored"). A digital restoration is when it's accessed that there has to be a new edit of the film due to the state of the print (it could be going in and adjusting color levels for consistancy or even digitally painting out blemishes). It seems Paramount found TWOK to be the only movie in need of a restoration: when you see the other movies on a HDTV, you can easily tell that they are coming from an HD master and not an SD upconversion like some are claiming. They compare favorably to other blu-ray movies from all the big studios. I notice some of the HD interviews are the same interviews taken from the special edition DVDs: it's nice to see them in their original HD resolution (where the studio has obviously been gearing up for HD for several years). Note that there's also some interviews from the special edition DVDs that were shot in SD and have been transfered to this issue (the main one seemed to be ST V). The only gimmick I find with the movies is the "new" 7.1 sound mixes. I don't see the need in mixing 5.1 to 7.1....but the lossless audio does sound great. This blu-ray set is a definite improvement over any other issues of the movies. Issues like DNR or restorations are always subjective; but these transfers are good enough that whenever the movies get a re-issue, I suspect it will be more along the lines of adding more featurettes (or rendering out HD resolutions of the CG shots in the case of TMP).

***Addition****

Since there are still more 1 star reviews, I thought I should address the misinformation about what remastering means in relation to Blu-Ray. It's impossible for any of these movies to have come from a DV (digital video: SD DVD resolution) because studios have been working in 2k resolutions for awhile. A 2k file is 2048 pixels wide by X number high (it's a standard that has varying aspects....with some of my 3D files, I work in 2048x2048). Studios are currently converting to 4k work for new movies and for film restorations of older titles. So the restoration for TWOK might have been scanned at 4k for the 35mm scenes and 8k for the 70mm VFX. The other movies could have been scanned a number of years ago, but the studio would still have masters that are at least 2k resolutions.

Now studios do not author BDs themselves: they go hire companies to do that. So for a genuine HDTV movie, Blu-Ray title, or DVD title the company is getting a copy of the 2k studio master and then remastering for that particular medium: for Blu-Ray, they rescale and process the image to be 1920x1080 at 24 fps....for HDTV, they rescale to 1920x1080 60I, and for DVD, they rescale to 720x480. At this stage, the authoring company then adds particular DNR and compression appropriate for for the medium. When it comes to DNR, some people are more against it then others. I personally don't feel the DNR is that bad here: there are some scenes in these movies that weren't processed the way I'd like them to....but if they ever do get a remaster, it's going to be at the HD level: the studio master is unadulterated.

To conclude my thoughts....it's a pity that the reviews here are getting dragged down by mis-information. I gave this set a 4 star review simply because I save 5 stars for the extremely good titles on BD. If you have a 100" TV, then maybe you want to wait for another HD remaster with less DNR. I'm not as anti-DNR as others....but I'd say that it's not as bad as some make it out to be: I still see plenty of grain for appropriate scenes, and there's not huge edge enhancement going on during scenes with too much softfocus. And for me, the softfocus issues (only in certain scenes) and certain cinematography effects are a lot more glaring then DNR: things that were harder to pick up back when these movies were made, and something that's niether correctable in a transfer and is more clearly evident in HD. For a 110" TV DNR issues might be more overwhelming, but for my more modest TV set with great 7.1 sound system, I'd say this is a no brainer purchase for any passing fan of the series. The movies are marred by some production values that prevent this set from being a "demo" set, but I think the transfers do more closely reflect the studio masters. All of the movies have never looked or sounded as good: they should be stunning for any passing fan of Star Trek.

"Mr. Sulu, Impulse power."

I thought this might help, as there is very little info from Amazon on this product. This review is mostly for the content of this STANDARD DEFINITION 7 Disc ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE COLLECTION Box Set released Sept. 22, 2009.

Obviously, these are the 6 Original Paramount films with the Original Series cast.

STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE

THE WRATH OF KHAN

THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK

THE VOYAGE HOME

THE FINAL FRONTIER

and THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

Every film in this set is the Original Widescreen Theatrical Version. The 7th Bonus Disc is THE CAPTAINS' SUMMIT. A 70 minute round table discussion with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and host Whoopi Goldberg.

Each Movie Disc includes commentaries, a few short Special Features, and NO theatrical trailers. The Insert Card states: 2 1/2 hours of Special Features. My guess is that they're leftovers from the previous 2 Disc Editions for each film, none of which I've ever owned. So, don't take my word for it. (Anyone that thinks 5 Stars may be too generous for this Edition, I only really care about the films. And, the way they look and sound. SFs are of secondary concern to me.)

Sound for all the films is 5.1 Dolby Digital EX and maintains a good presence. There is NO 2.1 or DTS setting. As usual with big studio blockbusters, music is too far forward in the mix for my taste, and dialogue is at a lower volume. (For optimal home theater playback, your center channel should always be set at a hotter level than your front speakers. Here's a good starting point for louder films: The individual speaker volume levels for my surround receiver go to 12. Please, no Spinal Tap jokes. I usually leave my L/R front speakers at level 4, and make my center channel all-the-way hot at 12. I always leave my rear effects speakers at 8 or 10. My Velodyne subwoofer is usually set at -7 because I have neighbors, and the darn thing really pumps those ultra low earthquake frequencies.)

The transfers look EXCELLENT. I've perused them all, but I have only viewed the FIRST film in its entirety. Very nice. Good color timing. (NOSTALGIA ALERT: I really appreciate the primitive Special Effects, models, matte painting, and miniature photography of this era. With the advent of CG, these kinds of photographic effects are a rarity these days. The wormhole sequence is still awesome, and the VGER probe scene still looks really cool. I can't wait to view the rest of the films. Especially THE WRATH OF KHAN!)

This Box Set is a very handsome Edition. Each Disc comes in an ultra thin slipcase with a different cast member in silver on the cover of each case, with Shatner's photo on the Bonus Disc. (I would have preferred the Original movie poster art for each film, but the design is unique for this Edition.)

The Box has a 3D Trek logo on the front, is only 2" deep, and doesn't take up much shelf space. The entire Box is covered with a transparent slipcover that is open on the top and bottom. (CAREFUL: The insert card is glued to the outside and the bottom of the Box. If it comes off, the entire Box can fall thru the bottom of the outer slipcover and crash onto the floor. Remove it, put it under the slipcover, or throw it away.)

A very affordable way to own the 6 Original films.

SPOCK LIVES!

Enjoy.

Buy Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (2009) (2009) Now

Having just gone through my set of the Blu-Rays, I'm very happily surprised at the content. The only aspect keeping this from being a 4 or 5 star review is the fact that only the theatrical versions are available. Blu-Ray is specifically made to hold a great deal more data than any prior video or DVD format. Aside from the issues regarding the new effects of the director's cut of TMP, there's little reason (other than monetary) for Paramount to hold back the extended cuts. Seamless branching, used so successfully on the TOS first season set, would work equally well here.

The Motion Picture is another story, since the new effects were rendered for lower resolution and it will take time and, of course, money to rerender them. We can expect to see a Director's Edition release on BD in the near future, I'm sure. However, this does not excuse the lack of the inclusion of the extended TV cut put out on video.

Having said that, it is an amazing thrill having the theatrical cuts of The Motion Picture, and The Undiscovered Country on disc for the first time ever. TUC was NEVER seen in this version since its original release and until today, I had totally forgotten how good a film it was. Many fans enjoy the additional scenes, but I always felt they brought the film down some. The scenes were obvious and amped up the silliness fact in a film that very much needed to be played straight. The two video versions really brought the maturity level of the story down some notches.

Now, however, we once again see the film as originally released 18 years ago (oh God, it's been that long). Over the years, the film had become less enjoyable and fallen down the ranks in my personal list of favorites. None of the other had, but this one a film I really loved in the theater had dropped in favor. Now, having watched it again from beginning to end, I found I loved the film once more. The story is tighter and less obvious. These changes were not major, but they made an impact. This is the best movie for the cast to exit on and is once more a 4 star film to me.

The Motion Picture: it's great to see this movie in this format again, as released without alteration. However, this film is more problematic. The extended version was just a "longer cut" with some great scenes added, but none of the fat trimmed (these scenes are included in the extras). The Directors Cut was better paced and more tightly edited and also added some amazing effects to cover some of the less successful work in the picture, but they also lost bits that made the film unique which weren't "bad." Since there never actually was a "perfect" version of this film, it's vital all three versions should be made available (or maybe someone should redo the DE).

The Wrath of Kahn: again the theatrical cut and, as we all know, this film had the full restoration, presumably because the master elements needed it badly while the other films were fine. I'll comment on picture shortly, but let's just say this is a fantastic presentation of the movie.

Finally The Search for Spock, my favorite Trek film. For those who notice such things, the video versions always screwed up the opening credits. The VHS version had them replaced by "video graphics" which looked like a cheap, high school AV squad attempt to make Star Trek movie credits. The wide screen VHS and laserdiscs were much better, givings us the titles seen in the film. However, the DVDs had a "glitched" version of the titles, with the timing off badly. It's tough to explain, but if you compare the BD and the DVD opening credits, you'll see them. And since this is my all time favorite Trek film, one I saw in the theater 7 times and memorized with obsessive Trekkie abandon, you can imagine my thrill when I saw the BD version corrected the credits. Ahhhh! :-)

Okay, my impression of the picture quality. There's been a lot said about the excessive digital noise reduction Paramount slathered on the films. I was expecting some bad stuff when I fired up my 52 inch HDTV. You know what I got? An amazing picture every time. The level of sharpness and clarity to these films is a revelation! I had NEVER seen these films looking so amazingly sharp and detailed. The Wrath of Kahn, which as noted got the real restoration, is very nice, but I didn't notice a huge difference between this restoration and the other films. Mostly, I noticed the print was a little darker than prior prints and the other films. The blacks do hold up well on BD, better than on HD-DVD, to my surprise.

I have read that those who watch the movies on HUGE screens will notice the DNR, I have to say that my 52 inch, which I sit 6 to 8 feet away from, does not reveal any obvious dullness. And, really, I would assume the great majority of people don't go much larger than 52 inch (unless you have a mansion and more money than God). Honestly, I have no issues with the picture quality, and can wholeheartedly give the picture a thumbs up.

The sound is also extremely impressive. The dialog is not lost among the music and sound effects, like so many other HD presentations. The muddiness in much of Kahn and The Search for Spock is not as strong, and the music score for the films never sounded so good.

The subtitles for various alien languages are, however, disc generated, not embedded in the films. So the "species centric" fonts are lost (and, I guess, really doesn't make these true theatrical cuts). However, they are not obviously bad or "video titles" and won't stand out to people not that familiar or who don't care.

To sum up: the only disappointment is in the fact that there's plenty of room for all versions of the films, either side by side or through branching, so (aside from the DE of TMP), there's no reason to have left them out. Having all versions would justify the price tag of this double or triple dip. Especially since you know Paramount will release these again with these versions included.

Otherwise, it's a great set. The theatrical cuts are the versions I fell in love with and it's great to have them back. The picture is outstanding, with refreshing sharpness and clarity, while the sound mix is comfortable and satisfying.

5 stars for the presentation

Subtract 2 stars for leaving out the alternate versions.

For fans of the original cuts, this is an essential set. It's up to you to decide if you want to hold out for the next and probably more complete release of these films.

Read Best Reviews of Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (2009) (2009) Here

Firstly we are very fortunate in Australia that we get this set around 2 weeks before the US. The price we pay however is that the set costs nearly double here what it is on Amazon (and that is adjusted for the currency difference). And despite this I am still calling it a worthwhile upgrade

Firstly the good. The movies look about as good as you can reasonably expect. For something that did not go through a Lowry or equivalent frame by frame meticulous restoration this is a good looking set of movies overall (with some reservations as explained below).

As of writing I have only had a chance to fully view the first film and sample parts of II and IV. The Motion Picture was thoroughly impressive. Given low expecations that it was not a restoration like Wrath of Khan I did not expect much. The visuals were thoroughly engaging and the transfer looks like it was done off of a freshly minted print especially for this transfer. There was a visible lack of marks and scratches on the film. Do a compare against the Director's Cut DVD and you'll see a huge number of blemishes on that version. Interestingly the striking visuals of the Theatrical Version were more compelling visually (and more authentic) than the Director's Edition on DVD. For the record I DO NOT LIKE THIS MOVIE but found it compelling viewing until the last act (which becomes a little much). The visual upgrade finally shows what Robert Wise was going for as far as impressive optical effects and these hold up surprisingly well 30 years later. So #1 was a worthwhile watch, prob the most i ever enjoyed this film. The sound was also decent. Not the full range effort of today's best transfers but pleasing enough with generally clear dialogue. I also briefly sampled The Voyage Home and it was generally a pleasing transfer with a solid soundtrack. The upgrade becomes more noticeable if you then compare to the previous DVD editions. You'll find these hard to watch after Blu Ray.

Now for the not so good. Yes, these are theatrical versions and truth be told probably the optimal versions to watch (tighter, less self indulgent and "original") but it would be nice to have the choice of the Dir ed or original for completeness. However the most disappointing thing about this set (so far) has been Khan. The packaging notes that this is a fully restored transfer. When putting it in the Blu Ray player I started wondering whether someone substituted the disc on me. From the first half hour or so I watched I noticed the image had a noticeable degradation from the first movie. Likely due to the lower production budget and likely lower quality film stock used. The image had a noticeable lack of sharpness compared to the first film, the sound was rather hollow (seemed like less ADR and more location dialogue, that was at times hard to understand). If this is a restoration I'd hate to see the state of the original elements and I have to wonder whether the restoration work could have been done a lot better. I expected a real showcase for what is considered the best film in the series and so far I was thoroughly underwhelmed. Again it's better than the DVD edition but should be a lot further improved.

The other noticeable thing was the excessive use of video noise reduction or otherwise known as grain removal (esp noticeable on The Voyage Home). The transfer there was generally good, but the grain removal made all the faces look like they were rendered with putty. Unnatural and overly smooth. This made the film less engaging as subtle facial expressions are lost (or rather smeared away). The sound here also lacked the depth you would want to hear from the best High Def transfer.

But, on the whole anyone who likes their Trek should consider picking these up. Even if there is a double, or triple dip coming you can enjoy the films now in the finest quality and technology available today. In our case you pay an arm and a leg for the luxury, but hey...Life is too short. And when they release a superior edition with more compelling content, i'll probably buy it again...and then again a few years later when they come up with something better again. We keep buying new versions of software that are just different enough to warrant a respurchase why would film be any different?

My vote good enough for now, but could have been so much better...

Want Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (2009) (2009) Discount?

I had pre-ordered this item, and then saw some early reviews around the web stating that the video quality wasn't up to snuff. I canceled my order, and put the discs on my Netflix queue instead to evaluate them before purchase.

Well, I re-ordered the set. Let me tell you why.

The Films:

The Trek films, to my mind, are a very good capstone to the Original Series Trek characters' stories. In them, we are presented with a very good "trilogy" of sorts, ST2-4, and a few other films that retain the thematic elements of the others whilst enjoying varying quality of story.

The Motion Picture (ST1) is unfairly maligned in my eyes. It very ably presents a story of characters re-uniting after a hiatus, with all the varying emotional consequences of that separation. Grafted to this is a relatively high-concept science fiction tale of an artificial intelligence seeking its creator. If this film had been cut by 20 minutes (very long effects sequences which seem a deliberate paean to Kubrick's "2001"), people would be hailing it as a masterpiece.

ST2: The Wrath of Khan is, of course, the public's pick as the greatest Trek film. It's hard to argue. A good villain, a deep emotional core, a slam-bang space battle, and some great performances make this a film that doesn't really misfire.

ST3: The Search For Spock is the middle act of a "trilogy", and really works in my opinion. It has a lot of action, a good dose of humor, and a lot of heart.

ST4: The Voyage Home is unbridled fun from start to finish. Lighter in tone than the preceding two films, it still captures the emotional core of the story, and brings the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion.

ST5: The Final Frontier is the black sheep of the family. It introduces an unfortunate "retcon" character, does some unrealistic things in its quest to reach the "center of the galaxy," and posits an unsatisfying sci-fi story about "finding god." The characterizations are still generally good, though, and there are plenty of charming moments for fans.

ST6: The Undiscovered Country is a return to form of sorts, but I think would not be regarded as highly if it had not followed ST5. A cold-war allegory, it has some good action, but suffers from some silly sequences in the middle (a prison planet and a murder mystery spring to mind). It does have Captain Sulu, though, which is hard to dislike.

The Blu-Ray:

Well, first I'll list the negatives:

We are not presented with the "directors editions" from the last DVD box set. Thus we miss some new effects shots from ST1, one very good bit of back story from ST2, and a few negligible cuts from the rest of the films (mainly 6).

Digital Noise Reduction has been applied to at least the final 4 films and the results are not always positive. Grain has been reduced from the films with negative results some very fine detail (such as fine facial wrinkles) is scrubbed away also. It probably will not be noticeable on displays under 40 inches and I imagine it would be quite noticeable on front projection screens above 80 inches. I personally noticed it in spots on my 50" display, especially on Star Trek 4. ST4 comes off by far the worst, with many faces looking waxy and other scenes being artificially pumped up by edge enhancement to compensate (check out Kirk and Spock walking by the boat dock before Gillian picks them up). I would say ST4 and ST6 suffer the most by the out of control noise reduction. You can really see it when smoke is in a scene check out the scene in ST6 when Kirk smokes a cigar. As the smoke wafts in front of his face, you can see pores and lines under the eyes that are absent in the very next shot sans smoke. It's that extra little layer of detail we could have had, and it's missing.

The double dip conundrum: we are certain to be presented with a new set, although I will go on record betting it won't be before Xmas 2010, if even that soon. Paramount will be putting out the Abrams film this year, Seasons 2-3 of TOS this year, and the TNG movies probably next year. Surely there will be a complete box set at some point, incorporating the "directors edition" footage, but I would guess that this will not be released until the 2nd Abrams film hits theaters. It seems to takes upwards of a year to re-transfer and restore a film, the Directors footage has to be re-shot in 1080p, and logically, Paramount would not cannibalize their current retail SKUs by so quickly re-releasing them. So I would guess 2012 would be the soonest we'd see the "directors editions" with new, hopefully less DNR'ed transfers.

All right, now the good news:

These films have never looked this good. NEVER. ST1 is revelatory there are colors I've never seen, and DNR is not obtrusive at all fine detail seems quite evident. ST2, which apparently had the latest transfer, does not suffer from excessive DNR. ST3-6 are the films that have the most aggressive noise reduction, but it is only noticeable in select scenes (I am watching on a 50" 1080p display). For the most part, detail is quite strong (especially for movies shot in the 1980s), color depth blows away the DVDs (you really should compare them prepare to be dazzled), and sound quality is excellent. The worst looking of these films look as good as the best cable TV HD. The best of them (1 and 2) are competitive with some of the better Blu-Rays on the market now. Just to correct some misinformation from previous reviews, all the films are presented in 1080p. None of them are 1080i, or anything less. Also, all of the films are truly high definition. They are not some sort of pseudo-HD, as one particularly egregious review has claimed.

So it's hit or miss in terms of A/V, but light years ahead of the DVDs. The biggest gains are in color the DVDs are positively muddy by comparison. ST 1, 2, and 5 generally look pretty good detail-wise. The other films suffer from waxy faces they have strong mid-range detail (like cloth textures or scenery), but weak fine detail (like facial wrinkles). It is aggravating, because the films look so good in general, that the little details are washed away.

Extras are VERY strong. Each film gets new commentaries, and most retain a second commentary as well. MANY new documentaries supplement the older ones which are retained for this set (I would estimate about 100 minutes per film combining old and new content). "Library Computer" offers interactive text data while you watch the films. BD Live functions include the ability to create and take fan quizzes with your remote and internet connection. The one giant new inclusion, "The Captains Summit," is presented on its own disc in full HD quality. This is a 70 minute round table, hosted by Whoopie (Guinan) Goldberg, featuring actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart(Picard) and Jonathan Frakes (Riker). Wow! It is oddly titled, and I wish that they had included Kate Mulgrew (Janeway), Scott Bakula (Archer), and Avery Brooks (Sisko). The interview was a bit directionless at times, with Goldberg failing to keep her guests on track. Nonetheless, the actors are generally funny and at times engaging and insightful, and true fans will eat this up.

Atypically for CBS/Paramount, the packaging for this set is very nice. A cardboard box with a plastic slipcover holds the Blu-Ray cases, which are all of the "slim" variety. Thus, the set takes up the space of only about 3 regular Blu-Ray cases, despite having seven discs. Separate cases, though, allow you to lend out one disc, and there is never any fumbling around with the elaborate multi-disc cases that often comprise these sets.

******

In summary, it comes down to a value proposition. At Amazon's reduced price, you're getting the theatrical cuts of the films, better than they've ever looked, for $11.65 apiece. I know I've paid more for films I care about a lot less. There probably won't be superior presentations of them for at least 3 years. So for a serious Trekkie, the math is simple. This is a purchase.

For a general sci-fi fan with an HD setup, it's a maybe. If you're the type who's willing to buy "Chronicles of Riddick" for $20 just to have something HD to watch with spaceships and explosions, it's hard to see the argument against this set. If you're a new Trek fan who wants to dive in, this value is hard to beat. If you don't care much about Trek, this might be a pass, since intimate knowledge and interest for the characters really helps your enjoyment of the films.

The haters need to calm down. No, this is not a perfect set. But at this price, it is still a very strong value. The missing material is not really integral to enjoying the films (unlike the LOTR set without the Extended Edition material now THAT is a significant loss). If you want to see the films for the next 3 or 4 years at their best, this is the set to get. Otherwise, you're stuck with the dull, muddy DVD transfers for at least that long. When it comes time for the double-dip in 2012, the only ones that will probably warrant a re-purchase are 1 and 2, since they gained the most from the "Directors Edition" material.

I would have rated this 3 stars had it been significantly more expensive, or had significantly fewer extras. But for $11-$13 (depending on the set's price) per movie, I'm willing to take the plunge, come what may. I think this set is a worthwhile purchase at either price point, and I would have placed the order at 79.99 as well.

ATL (2006)

For those who expected this movie to be T.I.'s

version of "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" or "8 Mile"...

You will be sadly disappointed!

It never promised to be that.

For those of you who went to the movie theatre

with an open mind, just wanting to be entertained

and to see what ATL was about, then you probably

"got it" and understood that this was not

meant to be "Menace II Society" Part 26!!

It is a refreshing change of pace from all

that ignorance and displays the human side of

the ghetto and the people who live there!

Everybody from the hood is not bustin their

guns in the air, gettin' high, robbin' and

actin' a damn fool!--Puh-leeze!

I think T.I. did well on his first time out

as an actor!...My god, the boy isn't Denzel

or Morgan Freeman!

And this movie wasn't "Glory" by any means!

Some folks need to get a grip on reality!

This movie has a good storyline, all of the cast

did a good job at carrying their characters and

making them believable.

Big Boi was very good as the villain,

young Evan Ross, who played T.I.'s little

brother was also good!

I left the theatre feeling like I got

my money's worth of entertainment value

and couldn't wait to add this DVD to my collection

and most "thinking" people will feel the same!---Buy It!!

ATL, the movie which stars rapper T.I. (Tip Harris) arrives in stores on July 18th. First of all, dispel any preconceived notions that you might have about ATL the movie if you haven't seen it. Although some may consider T.I. a "gangster rapper," the movie ATL is a coming of age story that young adults and older adults will be able to relate to.

T.I. stars in the film as Rashad. Rashad is finishing his senior year of high school. He lives with his uncle and his younger brother Antwone, who they call Ant. Their parents died in an automobile accident years prior. On the weekend, all the kids hand out at Cascade, a local roller skating rink where bragging rights mean everything. Rashad soon meets a young woman named New New. She appears to be a regular girl from the neighborhood but everything with New New isn't what it seems. Ant is feeling the pressure of not having the bling bling. Working part time as a janitor with his brother and his uncle just isn't enough money for him. Soon Ant turns to the streets to make easy cash.

Rashad does his best to rescue his brother from a life as a street hustler while trying to balance a new relationship with New New. Rashad's friend Esquire also has a significant storyline in the movie. Esquire doesn't attend the same high school as the rest of the crew, he attends a school in a nice neighborhood and has dreams of attending an Ivy League college--if he can get the letter of reference that he needs.

ATL is a really great movie. The soundtrack is very good also. The film is also packed with cameos from Atlanta hip-hop stars. Evon Ross and T.I. prove that they are excellent up and coming actors in this coming of age drama.

The ATL DVD includes the music video for the T.I. song "What You Know" among other special features.

Buy ATL (2006) Now

I came across this movie on cable recently and I was surprized I really enjoyed it. I remember this movie came out last year about the same time as "Akeelah and the Bee" another excellent film but based on what I saw on the commercials for it, I said, "Oh please, not ANOTHER hood movie with black kids shooting each other up" and passed on it. I went to see "Akeelah" instead because it was being promoted as a movie with positive black characters, which we need more of. I enjoyed it but now after seeing "ATL", I realized seeing either one of those movies would have been a wise choice. "ATL" was definitely marketed the wrong way and fooled a lot of people, like it did me.

Produced by Will Smith's production company, Overbrook Entertainment and based a story written by Antwone Fisher (who was himself the subject of a movie directed by Denzel Washington a few years back), "ATL" is far from being your typical black film about coming of age in the hood. It does show some instances of drug dealing and violence, but very few, and that is not the central focus of the story anyway. This is an urban tale with a message that is powerful striving and working hard to achieve the better things in life in an honest fashion, and having some fun along the way. That includes Sunday nights at the Cascade a popular roller rink on the southside of Atlanta, where all of the kids love to hang out and have a good time. The focal point of "ATL" is on the lives and the camaraderie of four friends who ponder their futures as they approach graduation.

Because I am not really into today's rap music, I was not too familiar with T.I., other than from his song that was a big hit last year, "What You Know". But I thought he showed wonderful potential in the starring role of Rashad, a poor, 17 year old high school kid who has a gift for art and lives with his janitor uncle because both of his parents were killed in an auto accident. He is extremely protective of his little brother, Ant (Evan Ross, Diana's son). Ant's only goal is to make big money and sport bling-bling, since he feels this is the only way he can gain some respect and attention. He decides to get on the fast track to obtain what he wants, but he's not quite ready to deal with the consequences.

The supporting cast, which includes veteran actors Keith David, Lonette McKee, Mykelti Williamson (his poetic reading later in the film blew me away) and Jason Weaver as a high school super senior, was perfectly chosen. Lauren London, who plays New New, does a great job as a sassy, ghetto-fabulous diva with a secret. She and Rashad begin dating and their relationship is a mutual one until a chance event causes the truth to unfold. Also to take note of is the intelligent, proud and driven Esquire (Jackie Long) who has dreams of going to an Ivy League college but fears because of his parents' income and his background, his opportunities will be extremely limited. Big Boi from the hip-hop duo OutKast and singer Monica also appear in the film, although Big Boi's role is way more pivotal to the storyline, while Monica simply makes a cameo appearance.

Think of this as sort of an updated, African-American version of "American Graffiti" but one I can definitely relate to much more, with various intertwined stories of everyday life in the Georgia hood. Overall, this film speaks of dreams and aspirations realized, potential, and yes, unachieved. "ATL" is inspirational in its own way a humorous, touching and refreshing alternative to the typical films out there about growing up poor and black with the odds stacked against you. No, yall, you don't have to die trying to get rich. There is a better way! A must see.

Read Best Reviews of ATL (2006) Here

this movie is so tight....i thought that it was going to be some hood/ghetto movie with no meaning or point but I was surprised, because i got something totally different...we need more movies like this out, this movie has a message behind it and all the actors were great, the movies was mad funny as well. i am so in love with this movie, it happens to be my fav. right now, i am fo sho going to get this on DVD.....a must have for all movie lovers.

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`ATL' is a coming of age story set in Atlanta, Georgia and follows five friends as they compete in the local skating rink and go through their trials and tribulations. Many people are dogging this movie and labeling it "another rap movie" but it's really good. It's a heartfelt and genuine film and separates itself from the rest with the humor and message. It doesn't glorify violence or drug dealing, though it is in the film, but denounces it and calls for teens to make right decisions in their lives.

I was impressed with the acting of T.I. as his portrayal of Rashaad. T.I. was convincing and was the perfect choice for the role. His character ranged various emotions between his love interest, family and friends but at times you would catch him with his signature expression (tilting the head to side with the corner of his lips curl up). Big Boi maintains a great performance providing plenty of comic relief and still stays in his antagonistic character. Every scene which focused on Big Boi's character Marcus was full of suspense and showcased his ability to be hated and respect in the same realm. Can't wait to see what he brings `Idlewild.'

Other considerable performances were Albert Daniels as Brooklyn, Evan Ross Naess as Rashaad's confused younger brother "Ant", and fresh face newcomer Lauren London as the lovable New-New show's us that she has heart. Jason Weaver comedic performance steals the scene as the underachiever Teddy. The breakthrough performance could be that of Jackie Long as the great hope of the group Esquire. The movie was very entertaining over all but suffered from a few clichés and minor missteps which was the flow of the movie. Chris Robinson is a great director and Antwone Fisher is a great writer. But I felt that the movie was choppy at times with the story telling. As the film gained momentum it slowed abruptly, other than that, the film transitioned smoothly. The clichés of the movie was the Atlanta cameos. I just felt at times it took away from the movie. If you don't realize the cameos, it will be a great movie, if you do notice them it will feel less like a compelling story and more like a 2 hour shout out to ATL.

Other than that it's a good movie that you can feel and form an attachment to Rashaad's plight in the movie. I truly love the direction that our rappers are taking by getting into Hollywood. People like Ludicrous are getting a lot of attention for their acting and if that continues hopefully we can see more of them on the silver screen. I recommend this to anyone who might been indifferent to seeing this film.

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Drew Barrymore (2012)

Drew Barrymore has really grown as an actress. These three movies not only show that but also her comedic talents. These are no brain er movies that are just fun to watch. Seeing Hugh Grant dancing and singing was a great treat. For the price you can't beat this deal.

Here are three movies, starring Drew Barrymore, that are just plain fun to watch. Lots of laughs with great co-stars.

Buy Drew Barrymore (2012) Now

If you're a fan of Drew Barrymore, this is a definite buy. I honestly bought it more for "The Wedding Singer" as that movie always makes me laugh. However, I really did like the movie "Music and Lyrics" with Hugh Grant and "Going The Distance" was one I had never seen and was pleased with as well. The blu-ray transfer looked great on all three movies, and when I bought this, it was only $10 so you couldn't ask for a better deal to have three good movies at this price!!

Read Best Reviews of Drew Barrymore (2012) Here

As always. Drew Barrymore shines in these three movies. Hughly recommended for all three of these. My favorite DB movies are "EverAfter" ,"Never Been Kissed" and "Duplex."

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Because the movie was a Blu-ray and it had all the upgrades from the standard DVD and huge upgrades from the older VHS tapes; "The movie picture and sound was Grrrrrrrreat!!!! Their speedy service was awesome and as such, I hope to purchase more from them in the future too!

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Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982)

When Tron came out in 1982, it was intended to be a visually stunning parable against the powers of computers and technology. More than twenty years later, the movie plays more like a nostalgic ode to the early 1980s, than a simple good vs. evil morality tale. Tron evokes the heady days when video games like Pac Man, Defender and Centipede ruled the arcades and when everyone owned a Commodore 64 or an Atari 2600 -the eight track of personal computing.

Writer/director Steven Lisberger creates a flashy, neon-drenched world, a cybernetic version of Social Darwinism where lowly computer programs must participate in gladiatorial battles against the Master Control's ruthless minions. Even though the computer effects look primitive now, back then they were considered ahead of their time. Fortunately, Lisberger has not remastered the special effects with contemporary computer graphics (take note George Lucas). There is a certain clunky charm to the effects that makes Tron all that more endearing to its fans.

Tron is one of those rare examples where style over substance works. The computer world that Lisberger and his team worked so hard to create is rich in detail. It also plays on our romantic notions of what really goes on inside our computers -not a collection of microchips and circuit boards but a vast world where programs fight each other for survival. It's no wonder that visionary science fiction writer, William Gibson once commented in an interview that the cyberworld in Tron is how he envisioned the cyberspace in his novels.

The audio commentary with director Steven Lisberger, producers Donald Kushner and Harrison Ellenshaw, and special effects wizard, Richard Taylor. There is a relaxed feel to the track as these guys reminisce about working on the movie. The commentary does tend to lean more towards the technical aspects of making the movie as opposed to anecdotal content but the documentary on disc two covers this aspect in more detail.

Disc two features a wealth of supplemental material that was mostly carried over from a special edition laserdisc set that Disney released many years ago. The DVD reorganizes all of these extras into several easily navigable sections.

The best extra on the second disc is a comprehensive 90-minute documentary entitled, "The Making of Tron." Every aspect of the movie, from its humble origins to the struggles of getting it made are covered with brand new interviews with Lisberger and his crew and Jeff Bridges and the cast (minus David Warner). Everyone speaks fondly of his or her experiences working on Tron. This retrospective look at the movie 20 years later is a real treat for the fans and is the crowning touch on this excellent set.

I've read so many reviews TRASHING the special effects of Tron and its plot. First of all, it's easy with our modern ILM and digital masterpieces like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc. to criticize a movie made in 1982 but the bottom line is that the effects, for its time, were amazing!! I remember as a kid watching this movie with my mouth hanging open. I watched it, as a matter of fact, this week, on DVD and it still impresses me.

The key to being thoughtful and critical of movies is to be able to watch them in the context of their time. I could easily watch Star Trek episodes and say, "ha!! Look at that! Since our FX are so much better now days, that series isn't even relevent!!" That's, in a nutshell, what I read one reviewer saying, that the FX of Tron are corney by modern standards to it's irrelevent. Not at all.....

I think the plot, and keep in mind this IS a Disney movie, though simple, is a good one. It deals with a big brother government that wants to make everyone think the same, live under one rule, if you're not with us you're against us, etc. kind of government. To be in good standing with the Master Control, one must not believe in the "users," or, to the computer programs, 'God.' So, atheism is the key to getting good training, promotion and success. Those who oppose the MCP are treated like Roman Gladiators only to perish. Flynn takes on an incarnation of sorts becoming a "user" and a "program" almost resembling a kind of computer Christ. Very interesting notion. Neat parallel. The movie if full of Christian-type allegories and overall is very entertaining.

There is no sex, hurtful violence or garbage. Clean movie, I as an adult still love it, and it's in general a great flick. Give it a break folks!

Buy Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Now

Greetings, Program!

It seems the previous reviews were written about some other, earlier DVD edition of this film. The 20th Anniversary Edition is a great 2-Disc package with plenty of extras, including a 1 1/2 hour retro-documentary of the making of both the original film and this DVD edition. Also included are a collection of production drawings by Moebius, Storyboards & Animatics, Deleted Scenes, and some deleted music! (Please note that Disney & Wendy Carlos have FINALLY remastered the original soundtrack and added a few missing tracks for a new CD due to release January 29th. 2002!) Check out ... for the full story why this took so long!

This new edition is well worth the price and is certain to please die-hard TRON fans! In the Supplementary materials, Director Steven Lisberger even hints at the possibility of a sequel! TRON 2.0!

A word of warning to Sony Playstation2 Users! There is a MAJOR GLITCH that seems to only affect Playstation2...during Chapter 8, the scene where Flynn/CLU is introduced to RAM in the Game-Grid holding cells, the picture wigs-out into a mess of pixelated garbage and artifacts that can only be eliminated by resetting the machine! I returned my DVD to [retail store], only to discover the defect on the replacement disc, as well! The defect did not show up when I played the disc on a friend's dedicated DVD Player. (a small horizontal blip/glitch did appear, but caused no serious problems.)

Playstation Users If you experience this Glitch, Please do not hurry to return "defective" discs to Amazon.com! You can get past this glitch by simply "fast-forwarding" a frame, or two, past the problem spot! In fact, if Playstation2 is your only means of playing DVDs, you may have no alternative!

There is also a small problem with the Sound Mix during SARK's Introductory Speech to the "Programs" being readied for the Game Grid....When SARK is not actually On-Screen, or is seen from the Grid Warriors' Point-Of-View, his dialogue volume drops noticably to the point where his speech is quite difficult to understand!

Hopefully, the manufacturer will remedy these problems in a subsequent pressing. But, Playstation2 & Sound Glitches aside, this a wonderful package that I highly recommend! I was lucky enough to find the disc on [retail store's] shelves a few days before the release date! ...but buy yours here, the price is the same!

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Read Best Reviews of Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Here

I could not believe how good this movie looked on Blu Ray. Disney did an excellent job putting this movie to Blu Ray. I felt like a kid the first time in the movie theater when I went to see this movie. The picture quality is outstanding and also the sound. When the Master Control program is talking its nice and loud on a surround sound system. If your a fan of the original Tron and was wondering if to pick this up or not on blu ray just do yourself a favor and get it. I had watched Tron in theaters on VHS countless times and had the 20th aniversary edition on dvd and must say the picture quality far exceeds the standard dvd in picture and sound and is the closest your going to get to a theater experience of this movie. Just do yourself a favor and pick this one up while you can. A fan of this movie will not be disapointed.

Want Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Discount?

I think I speak for every Tron fan out there when I say that this 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition is long overdue but most welcome! The only way you could improve upon this brilliant piece of work is to release it in a director's cut with DTS, but this still gets 5 stars in my book. For everyone's information, this is a 2-DVD set. First one contains the movie, complete with THX Optimizer. Second one could be entitled "Everything you ever wanted to know about Tron but were afraid to ask." It not only contains the deleted scenes, but it also contains storyboards, photo galleries, and an extensive "Making Of Tron" documentary with interviews. I learned a ton (or should I say Tron) of stuff out of that documentary, among which is the fact that Cindy Morgan still looks magnificent after all this time!

This DVD is a vast improvement over its DVD predecessor, being THX-certified with beautiful widescreen picture and rich 5.1 sound! Wendy Carlos's music score has never sounded better; I look forward to getting the CD soundtrack when it is released (again long overdue.)

When this movie came out, it quickly became my all-time favorite and to this day, it has stayed there. Thank you, Disney, for creating this 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, and thank you to everyone (cast and crew) who helped make it a reality!

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