Frantic & Presumed Innocent (2010)

Unfortunately Amazon has just combined the reviews for the old and new Blu-Rays of FRANTIC, confusing things even more.

The one for sale here as "Frantic & Presumed Innocent", with a released date of May 31, 2011, released a year after the original, is a corrected version. The first disc accidentally replaced the English audio track with the French audio track. For more details on the differences, see my review on the page for the original disc.

After I was unsuccessful in getting Warner Home Video to fix the mistake, I contacted Roman Polanski's office in Paris. They got involved, and within two months a new Blu-Ray was issued.

Note that if you see this new version in stores, it will have the same packaging. The difference is a sticker placed over the barcode.

THIS IS WHAT TO LOOK FOR to distinguish it from the old defective one:

The old number under the barcode is:

8 83929 10637 0

The NEW number under the NEW barcode is:

8 83929 20395 6

Bought it for Frantic as I like Polanski's movies.

The movie is ok but flawed (the end feels off) and did not age very well.

The image quality is not good.

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I was thrilled when these two finally came out in Blu-Ray, Especially "Frantic" because the original did not have subtitles. This is one great two-fer !

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This episode has caused me one hell of a headache:

1. I also had the faulty audio version as part of an order late last year 2010.

2. I only found the problem recently and on checking the feedback here, realized that I was not alone.

3. I contacted Customer Service by email and they agreed to replace the item at no cost to me. I carefully explained that there was a new version of the Blu-ray which I of course wanted as my disc was not just 'one-off' defective.

4. A new order was created, but on checking my account found that the new order was infact for the same faulty version.

5. Once again I contacted Customer Service, this time by the "CHAT" method. After about one hour of discussion, I think I have a resolution, but to get there was an epic and I'm still not convinced that the message has gotten through that there are two versions of this Blu-ray in their system, one of which is a re-issue by the manufacturer of the previous defective one.

6. The simplest solution to this, was to cancel the new replacement order of the faulty title and for me to manually re-order the newer version. For some reason, they were not able to simply swap in this order to the re-issue!

I've been assured that I'm still going to get refunded for the original order.

7. Assuming that my replacement is okay in all respects, I've still only given this Blu-ray 4 Stars as I don't think the VIDEO

on both the contained movies is as good as many of the titles that are being re-issued.

It's certainly not bad, but nothing like the apparent original resolution that is being realized these days. Infact I maybe going out on a bit of a limb here, but video wise, this Blu-ray release is no better than what would be available on a standard DVD. The advantage though I suppose, is getting the two movies on one disc.

8. Why the original, which has obviously been acknowledged by the manufacturer as defective is still in the system, escapes me.

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Pet Sematary (1989)

First off, this is the scariest movie I have ever seen. It may not be so for everyone (and I know comments like that often get you a "0 out 0f 30 people found this helpful" but so be it) but if you like King's visceral, deep-seated horror, I recommend it.

The town, the graveyard, the music, the mist everywhere, the monstrous undead animals and the people all make this a frightening ensemble for me. I have to concur with many of the reviewers about the Zelda character (who was incidentally played by a man named Andrew Hubatsek). There's something so phenomenally horrifying about that character to me that I can actually say I have trouble watching the movie, and certainly never again alone. I find those sequences truly terrifying. The flashbacks of Timmy Baderman (sp?) are also scary.

Furthermore, I agree with many of you that this is a different experience from the book, which I also recommend for added terror. I read the book in broad daylight in a friend's house in Hollywood and I still felt like I was alone in the woods at night.

Highly recommend the film to fans of horror, though it might not be your thing if you just dig slashers. DVD completely lacks features, so for the format itself I'd give 2 stars.

It has been the candid observation of numerous film critics that the works of literary horror maven Stephen King don't often translate well to the screen. But when they DO work, man do they WORK! PET SEMATARY is a prime example. Though some of the details of the King masterwork had to be pared down--as is often the case when well-written literature is made to fit into a two-hour visual narrative--this film captures perfectly the spine-tingling essence and atmosphere of the original novel. As with many King cinematic adaptations, it HELPS if you've already read the book. But with a really good one like PET SEMATARY, familiarity with the book is absolutely NOT a prerequisite.

PET SEMATARY tells the story of the Creeds, a young nuclear family who has moved from the Midwest to a small college town in Maine. They take up residence in a old country house a few miles outside the town, and it isn't long before they become friendly with their new neighbor, a bucolic but agreeable old coot named Jud who lives across the street. Jud quickly alerts them to the fact that the road between their two houses is a busy rural highway, and he therefore warns them to be always mindful of their young children and the family cat. Many a pet has ended up in the nearby pet "sematary," Jud explains, due to an unscheduled meeting with a speeding truck or car on that infernal highway.

Inevitably, the Creeds' cat, Church, joins the roadkill ranks, but only the father, Louis Creed, is at home when this happens. Neighborly Jud worries about how the Creed children will take the news, so he decides to let Louis in on secret. Just beyond the nearby cemetery where the children of ages past have buried their beloved pets, Jud tells Louis, is another cemetery that was long ago held sacred by the Native Americans once indigenous to the region. Local legend has it that when you bury your dead there, they will return to life before the end of the following day. Sometimes there is a price to pay for this magic, says Jud, as the dead don't always come back exactly the way they were before they died. Nonetheless, Jud thinks it is worth the risk if they can protect the Creed children from the pain of losing a cherished pet. Being a physician, Louis is understandably skeptical, but he humors his elderly friend and, with the stiffened body of Church in hand, follows Jud up to the "magical" burial grounds.

Much to the surprise of Louis, Church does indeed arrive on the Creed doorstep the next morning. In some intangible way, though, Church seems different--no longer a loving feline, but instead stealthy, aloof, and easily provoked to anger. Jud tells Louis to try to ignore theses differences, and he suggests that if Louis remains mum about Church's resurrection, the rest of the family will never know their little secret.

Of course, as one might guess, it isn't long before one of the Creed children meets his fate on the highly trafficked road. But dare the grieving Louis bury his son in the sacred soil of the Indian cemetery? And if he does, will what worked for a cat work for a human? If so, at what price?

PET SEMATARY is a very satisfying horror film that offers the requisite spooky ambiance, frightful imagery, and outright scares, and all without requiring much effort to suspend one's disbelief. Part of the reason the filmmakers pull this one off is, of course, due to the excellent job that King has done in his adaptation of his own novel. But the lion's share of the credit goes to the excellent performances from the cast. TV actor Dale Midkiff, whose acting style usually teeters on the histrionic, here turns in a subtle yet compelling performance as the family patriarch, Dr. Louis Creed. Even when things get really intense for his character, Midkiff maintains control and convincingly delivers the reactions of an educated, loving father who is grasping for a rational means of rescuing his family from a dangerously surreal situation. Denise Crosby--better known to SF fans as STAR TREK's Tasha Yar--also does an unusually good job portraying Louis' perky upper-middle-class wife.

It is the performance of Fred Gwynne that really makes the show, however. Genre fans know Gwynne from his role as Herman in TV's classic horror-themed sitcom THE MUNSTERS. As the rustic and lovable Jud, Gwynne stretches his thespian skills way beyond the limits of the slapstick of THE MUNSTERS to create a credible and convincing elderly Maine farmer. Gwynne could easily take it over the top and upstage his fellow actors here, but he instead keeps it honest and subdued and thereby makes a significant contribution towards pulling the audience into the fantasy of the filmic narrative.

As with many of Paramount's DVDs, this disc is sparse on extras. However, the digital transfer (for the widescreen anamorphic edition) was made from a very clean print, and both the picture and sound quality are great. For King fans and fans of great cinematic horror, owning this film is a must!

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After reading Stephen King's novel "Pet Sematary" and being a little disturbed by it, I figured that I would rent the movie to see what a terrible adaptation some money-hungry fellow made. After viewing the film I was quite surprised. The first half of the film starts out nice with a happy family enjoying thier new rural home. But then we see the second half of the film in which all turns to hell. After Gage is killed you can't help but feel bad, no one wants to see a boy that cute skin his knee let alone what happens to him in this film. The performances in the film were mostly well done, especially from Fred Gwynne (Jud Crandall), Denise Crosby (Rachel Creed) & Miko Hughes (Gage Creed). The Pet Sematary novel was meant to be disturbing, and this film certainly is just that. Most likely the reason people hate this film and think it's sick is because they too were disturbed by it. It's definitely not a film to give you a positive outlook on life, but I guess that's what makes it such an effective horror film.

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It was 1989. I was 14 and I thought that Pet Sematary was one of the best movies I'd ever seen. It hasn't aged well. Or rather, I have aged out of it. Upon a recent viewing I came to the unsettling conclusion that this film, despite its horrific subject matter, is basically aimed at a young audience; intentionally or not.

Most of the problem is with King's screenplay. Whatever literary strengths he has, they do not translate to film. (Maximum Overdrive...nuff said) It seems that King has very little respect for film goers. He seems to have some respect for film as a medium, but the viewers themselves he writes down to. Look at The Shining, for instance. For years King complained about and trashed Kubrick's classic adaptation. Then King himself finally remade The Shining and he removed all subtlety, crafting a sappy TV mini-series that pandered rather than entertained. Perhaps King likes bad film adaptations, lest a superior film overshadows his work, as is the case with Kubrick's The Shining IMO.

His screenplay for Pet Sematary is up to the same tricks. King does not bother with characterization, he just shoehorns in the books most horrific scenes and pumps them up in some cases (Victor Pascow being the worst offense, he appears once or twice in the book, but in the film the guy is all over the place, doing some sort of stand up comic zombie routine that gets old quick.) He just sort of hopes that characterization will be implied I guess. He also worked in the "spring loaded cat" jump scare several times. You can't disrespect an audiences intelligence much more than that.

The worst part is that none of it makes very much sense. In the book, King went to great lengths to make you believe in his story and it works. Here, King just seems to be shoveling out the story as fast as he can, making story revisions and additions that have no logic in and of themselves and that contaminate the internal logic of the parts of the story that should work. Again, the Pascow angle is the main offender here. In the book he gives a simple warning. It's up to Louis Creed to make the decisions. In the film Pascow becomes an active force that just screws everything up worse with his meddling as he keeps coming back to help out and only ends up helping out the evil force in the MicMac burial ground. Not a very good result for an emissary send from beyond the grave by "higher forces". This is just one example of how little sense the film makes, I could go on for pages and pages. It seems King had his brain turned off while churning out this screenplay. Gone are all of the weighty themes the book explored, only to be replaced by thoughtless illogical attempts to pump up the opportunity to show more ghosts and guts and blood.

King has said that he does not like Pet Sematary as a book. I guess that's understandable. King is, at heart, an optimist. Pet Sematary was his one foray into real pessimistic horror. Perhaps he just felt like turning it into a big joke on those grounds.

I don't have anything bad to say about director Mary Lambert. She did a damn good job considering the screenplay she was working from. In King's original screenplay King tried to rework Jud's character. He wore trendy clothing and listened to the latest rock music on his walkman...you know, so the kids would think how cool this old guy was. Well, if Mary had anything to do with excising that particular bit of cynical pandering...then more points to her. When Stephen King comes along with his own screenplay, and it's a cartoony carnival spook show...well I suppose as a director you give him what you think he wants. Unless you want to end up like Kubrick, listening to this writer whine and complain about you for the rest of either of your natural lives.

The acting here is adequate. Fred Gwynne steals the show, and is largely the only thing that holds it all together. Dale Midkiff does some wonderful round the bend acting towards the finale. Brad Greenquist is having (too much} fun playing the ghost of Pascow, but for what it is its good acting. The only actor who truly made me feel emotion though was Michael Lombard as Rachel Creed's father. I guess he didn't get the memo that this was all goofy fun because his heartbreak at Gage's funeral is keenly felt. Too bad the rest of them didn't miss the memo as well. In short, the actors did what they were asked to do and they did it well for the most part. No real complaints. Unless you're just a jerk that likes to pick on child actors and the like.

Pet Sematary does have a lot going for it though. For one, it's original. Ok not totally original, you will still hear people saying King ripped off his book from a film called Zeder. A movie you've probably never even heard of (and I doubt King had either when he wrote the story) so it's original enough. Especially for the well worn cliches of the endlessly recycled horror genre. It's also very dark. Even with the cartoony gloss smeared all over the film, it's still considered morbid, mean-spirited, bleak, and nihilistic. I don't consider these bad things, especially for the horror genre, except maybe the charge of mean-spiritedness...which does hold some weight. The film does seem to lack a heart...perhaps of any kind, mean-spirited or otherwise.

Perhaps it had to be this way. 1989 was not likely to be a good year for any mainstream film to be so dark and realistic at the same time. Without suppressing the realism it may have been just too much to remain mainstream, which it pretty much had to be considering it was a King vehicle. Mr King is Hollywood's dependable horror whore after-all. No sense making a film with artistic merit that might lower the profit margin.

It's unfortunate, because if it had been allowed to show the same sort of realism that, say, William Friedkin had brought to The Exorcist, this very well may have become a horror classic for the ages, instead of just another (above average) goofy 80's carnival gore show.

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Pet Sematary is by far the most disturbing horror film I have ever seen. From the creepy opening credits to the tragic ending you will either be creeped out or disturbed by this movie. The most unnerving part of the film is that you can't root for the killers demise because he is an innocent little boy who did nothing to deserve what happened to him, it is a complete injustice. The fact that Rachel Creed (Denise Crosby) is seen with red, swollen, tear filled eyes after her little boy is taken away from her only makes the tragedy seem real. As well, the flashbacks of the Ludlow town's hidden secrets, told by Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne), are intriguing and make you wonder why people wouldn't move far away from that place. Having picked the cutest little boy to portray the tragic role of Gage Creed (Miko Hughes) is one thing, but him giving such an outstanding performance at the age of 29 months is incredible...incidentally it took 2 girls to play the role of Ellie Creed! All in all this film is great for people who can stand emotionally unsettling situations, it is truely a horror film.

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Spartacus: Blood and Sand / Gods of the Arena (2011)

After receiving this "box" set and opening the first season package I noticed that the disks were put in between two solid folds of paper(cardboard idk) instead of the plastic holds that disks usually clip into. This made me wonder if I would scratch the disks just taking them out. Soon as I saw this I knew I wouldn't be using this to hold my disks after viewing. Sure enough after putting the first disk in, after a while I found that the each episode would pause and skip at certain spots. I pull the disk out and notice some odd circular scratch around the center (light scratch) and kinda an odd pattern round it as well. Pull out all other disks and see the same issue. So since then returned this to Amazon hassle free (Amazon always does a great job with all forms of shipping). The show itself from the first disk I sat through (trying to ignore the skips until I found it happening to frequently) seemed pretty great. Plenty of action and seemed less predictable then I thought it would be, from the four episodes I viewed anyway. The packaging and disk damage is why this gets 3 stars over 5.

some of the discs skip at certain points of the movie. I have not finnished all of them,for now though it gets a 2 star

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I'm on my second set of these Bluray discs and the 2nd episode of both have scenes that have stuttered, pixelated, froze, and fast forwarded. These have come with the yellow stripe on the plastic sleeve.

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Good show for a great price. I hope to see more prices like this in the future. I do not mind buying used blue rays just as long as they play.

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I would have spent over $60 in the store for both sets of movies but paid wwwaayyyy less, and Im very happy with this product. A truly great value!!

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NEW Pan's Labyrinth - Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (steelb (Blu-ray)

This is the way fairy tales used to be -before they got bleached, pressed, and de-linted by half-wits trying to protect tender ears. Before they got Disney-fied. Sure, there's violence here, some of it shocking, but none of it gratuitous. Could it give a kid nightmares? Maybe. But given today's pablum stories, maybe it's about time.

Pan's Labyrinth takes us directly into the subconscious, and into the storyforms that infuse all of the great myths, fairy tales, and religions. It's a rich and satisfying stew of symbolism, mystery, and redemption. Multilayered and inspiring, it's a film you'll want to see again. It's hard not to gush, but it's been so long since a movie this good has made it into the quasi-mainstream.

What makes Pan's Labyrinth most effective is it's juxtaposition of harsh "reality" and the mysterious world that lives side by side with it. The heroine, a young girl who may carry a magical seed of immortality (the soul of god's only child who once ventured into the world of men, suffered, and died long ago), is contacted by shapeshifting fairies who lead her to a faun (much like the mythological Pan) who says she may reclaim her throne and escape the mortal world by performing three tasks. The faun in Pan's Labyrinth is every bit as complex as the mythological Pan, a creature perhaps older than the gods themselves. There's something sly, and perhaps even sexual about this elegant and almost alien faun, as he represents the forces at play inside this sensitive young girl. In fact, like every good fairy tale, all of the strange, wondrous, and chilling creatures represent facets of the subconscious, including baby-eating ghouls, flitting fairies, and gluttonous toads.

Pan's Labyrinth is a commentary on the resiliency and power of the human imagination, and takes us to the place where dreams are spun and the great heroic tale of overcoming (of the self and the world) takes root. That spark of the divine in all of us -or at least the hope of it -powers the great story of our lives, and we need tales like this to remind of us of the magic and transformative power of story telling. In the flickering light of the theater, like some great hearth around which we've gathered, Pan's Labyrinth took me back to my childhood, and made me think of so many of the great stories I'd read over the years -of demonic dogs with saucer-sized eyes, of child-stealing trolls, and evil stepmothers. And, finally, of the champions who venture down into those great cracks in the Earth, where the roots of mythic trees twist and wind and the greatest treasure of all can be found: the noble, heroic, and undying spirit that lies within us.

First of all, this film is not suitable for children. It is intended to be an adult fairytale with a young girl as its protagonist. Everyone I know who have viewed this film has loved it, including my 75 year old father, who is not really into foreign films or art films.

The is not suitable for children for a few scenes of torture and violence. While difficult to watch, it serves to create a sense of real peril, ugliness, cruelty and evil that propels our protagonist to seek comfort in another world of grotesque beauty. She is a young girl in the midst of a brutal civil war where both sides reside under her roof, and the only reason she is safe is because her mother is pregnant by a fascist general. There is a sense that this safety is precarious and could evaporate quickly due to circumstances beyond her control.

The protagonists other world is sparked by a discovery of an old labyrinth by the old house where the general holds his position and has a doctor see to the pregnant mother's ailing health.

This other world that is created is amazingly done and is beautiful in its grotesquely Gothic way. The original score is perfect for the film with its haunting humming lullaby. The young girl is perfect young heroine that is flawed but lovable. You want her to fulfill her destiny and escape to her throne in a magical place. The rest of the cast are amazing showing the full range of humanity in a time of war from immense cruelty to amazing courage and compassion. The film itself has a great sense of pacing, almost poetic writing, and is able to keep up the feeling of suspense.

The movie is sad, beautiful, cruel, agonizing, and has kept haunting me. The film made me cry and at times took my breath away. It made me feel great to see such a well-made movie in the era of over hyped corporate films. This had the craftsmanship of an expert watchmaker.

The lullaby still lingers in my mind.

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If anyone wants to know where the dark, creepy fairy tales of old went, here's a hint: Guillermo del Toro is doing a pretty good job with the fairy tales for adults.

"Pan's Labyrinth" ("El Laberinto del Fauno") is a sequel of sorts to "The Devil's Backbone," a magical realism film about the Spanish Civil War. But this movie takes us deeper into a world that is half real, half ominous fairy tale, with a unique and imaginative story and some really excellent acting -in short, a triumph.

Time and place: 1944, Spain. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her very pregnant mother travel to meet her new stepfather, the brutal and murderous Captain Vidal (Sergi López). Ofelia loathes her new stepfather, but is transfixed by the eerie forests around them -and one night she is visited by a fairy, and encounters a giant faun who tells her that she is Princess Moanna of the netherworld, and must return there.

To do so, he tells her that she must do three things, and gives her a strange book. Ofelia menages first task, but is frightened out of her wits by the second task, which involves a hideous monster with eyes in its hands. Even worse, her mother's pregnancy is getting more dangerous. As the guerillas and the fascists clash, Ofelia faces being trapped outside the netherworld forever... and being offered a terrible choice if she wants to get in.

Fairy tales have become cleaned-up and cutesy over time, so that children can read them without nightmares. But del Toro knows that the best fairy tales are the eerie, bizarre ones for adults, that are connected somehow to the real world. That is what makes "Pan's Labyrinth" so brilliantly dark and heartfelt.

Del Toro obviously crafted this with care, directing it in a dreamlike style and brilliant visuals. The eerie atmosphere of Ofelia's wanderings -the delicate yet menacing faun, the chalk doors, the monuments, and the pasty nightmare with eyes in its palms -is both a contrast and a parallel with the everyday world, which Ofelia hopes to escape.

At first, it seems like the post-Civil War and fairy tale stories don't mesh, until you see that the "real world" story is Ofelia's motivation to escape from all the fear, pain and sorrow. But Del Toro's biggest triumph is an ending that is beautifully bittersweet, and which turns out to hinge on Ofelia's newborn brother.

But del Toro's biggest triumph is in the instant connection we feel to Ofelia, with her love of the fantastical and her desire to go somewhere "safe." Baquero is absolutely wonderful in this, as a girl who isn't entirely of this world -in her heart, she belongs somewhere beyond. And López is the ideal villain -you spend the whole movie wanting to see him gruesomely killed.

Half "Mirrormask" and half gritty war story, "Pan's Labyrinth" is one of the best fantasy stories in years -dark, passionate and beautifully made. Definitely a great movie.

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As I write this review, I am listening to the Pan's Labyrinth OST for the sixth time on the film's official website. Without question in my mind, Pan's Labyrinth definitely has the best soundtrack of 2006, perhaps even 2007, though as of this review the year is not yet ended.

Like most movies, I read many reviews of Pan's Labyrinth before deciding to see it. As a long-time admirer of Roger Ebert's reviews, I took his praise of the film seriously and decided to dole out seven bucks. I missed the opening shot. Perhaps it was best that way, since it would have probably influenced my perception of the rest of the movie.

Pan's Labyrinth was advertised as a fairy tale for adults and the trailers were predominantly concerned with the handful of fanciful creatures and little Ofelia. Coincidentally, a few months later, another movie used the same advertising ploy to draw in viewers. Many complained that the trailers for Bridge To Terabithia made it out to be another Narnia and thus misleading, even though they could have saved themselves the trouble by simply reading a synopsis of the novel the movie was based on. The parallels between Pan's Labyrinth and Terabithia struck me as sign that American cinema was veering towards a precipice over which it would plummet into the abyss of Roald Dahlian theatrics. Not surprisingly, criticisms for Pan's Labyrinth and Terabithia were very similar -the ads were misleading, there was not enough fantasy and too much reality. Again, they should have simply done some reading before going to the movie. The old addage isn't always true, ignorance isn't always bliss.

Much of the criticism surrounding Pan's Labyrinth is directed towards the violence and adverse ratio of fantasy to war, as well as use of subtitles (Americans hate reading, it seems). Both complaints show a widespread lack of understanding about some of the film's fine points and overall ignorance. With regard to the violence, Pan's Labyrinth is indeed a violent, gory movie. Seeing as how it's set during wartime, specifically WWII, it is really no different than other wartime films such as Glory or the History Channel mini-series Band Of Brothers. War is grisly and Guillermo del Toro doesn't pussyfoot away from that fact. He includes scenes of gore which, aside from that of Captain Vidal stitching his mouth back together a sign of Vidal's stout resilience and possibly even an allusion to the Joker's smile could hardly be considered excessive. Nobody loses a head or limb; guts don't spill out all over the ground; nails don't protrude out of eye sockets -the level of gore in Pan's Labyrinth is hardly worth criticizing.

Captain Vidal, the main antagonist, is what many would consider truly evil. Some argue his character is unrealistically evil, that he's too sadistic. It seems people are wont to forget Newton's rule of thumb -for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Throughout the film, action and reaction drive the military and rebels. Action, reaction. Push, pull. One thing leads to another. Captain Vidal commands a military outpost resisting Republican rebels. His father died in Morocco and the death greatly affected Vidal. He takes his frustration out on the rebels. As a military man, he knows there is a possibility he might be killed, so he yearns for an heir. Enter his wife Carmen, pregnant with Vidal's son, or so he likes to believe. The camp's physician warns against presuming the child's gender, compounding Vidal's stress. Action, reaction. Push, pull. Carmen brings her daughter Ofelia. Had she been a boy instead, perhaps Vidal would have accepted her. Or perhaps not. Action, reaction. Enter the faeries.

The beauty of this film is del Toro's weaving of reality and fantasy. As I said, I missed the first minute of the movie and as such may not have put it in the correct perspective. The first faerie appears separate from Ofelia as a mantis which follows her to the camp. One night it visits her in bed where she asks, "Did you follow me here? Are you a fairy?" at which point she shows the mantis a picture of a fairy and it turns into one, albeit with an insectoid head. Del Toro claims this was intended to distinguish his faeries from the classic beautified representations. Indeed, nothing in the fantasy realm is beautiful to the viewer, but rather grotesque and at times fearsome. Everything in the supernatural realm mirrors the world in which Ofelia lives. There is nothing wholly beautiful. Even the beauty of child-bearing is marred by pain and blood, as Carmen suffers numerous maladies as she struggles to carry Vidal's heir to term.

The supernatural never appear in the same scene as any other character except Ofelia, excluding the faerie's nocturnal visit while Carmen was fast asleep. Aware of this, it's easy for the viewer to perceive everything as being in Ofelia's head, but the two worlds collide when Ofelia puts a mandrake root under her ailing mother's bed and Carmen gradually recovers, much to everyone's amazement. But Vidal, ever distrustful of Ofelia, mistakes her actions as an attempt on the unborn heir's life. Carmen defends her daughter and after Vidal leaves the room admonishes her for believing in such superstitions. She then tosses the mandrake root into the fireplace, at which point she immediately goes into labor and soon after dies during childbirth. Without Carmen to protect Ofelia, Vidal links the young girl with a treacherous maid and has Ofelia imprisoned in her room. At wit's end, Ofelia cries out for help and is visited once more by the ambiguous faun.

It is at this point which the recurring assumption that Pan's Labyrinth is about escapism becomes fundamentally incorrect. In review after review, the fantasy realm is just that -fantasy. It's all in Ofelia's head as a means for her to escape the harsh realities of the embattled world around her. In actuality, Ofelia not only brings the real world into the "fantasy realm," but she brings fantasy into the real. The labyrinth itself is real. The faeries are insectoid. The toad was inspired by Vidal's umbrella. The terrifying Pale Man was an amalgram of metaphors. And her home kingdom... To mention anything about that would be a spoiler. But after she has been locked in her room, the faun visits Ofelia and gives her a quest: "Fetch your brother and bring him to the labyrinth as quickly as possible." At this point fantasy and reality collide head-on. Ofelia escapes from her prison through supernatural means and kidnaps her brother, thus involving Captain Vidal in the mythical quest.

Escapism -the desire to retreat into imaginative entertainment to escape the harshness of reality. Escapism is sitting in front of a television eight hours a day instead of going out partying. Escapism is chatting or writing lengthy reviews on Amazon instead of hanging out with friends. Escapism is definitely not what Pan's Labyrinth is about. For Ofelia, reality and fantasy are one and the same.

And when all is said and done and the credits roll, you may find yourself questioning your own beliefs. What is real? What is fantasy? And just who really had the most fanciful thoughts? Ofelia with her fairy kingdom? The rebels with their fight for freedom from national oppression? Or Captain Vidal with his unwaivering desire for a son to follow in his footsteps?

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One of the most beautiful, haunting, heart-breaking and, ultimately, exhilarating films I've ever seen (4 times in a theater, alone). This is great film-making that will creep back into your thoughts long after you've seen it and it will make you embarrassed about that last piece of Hollywood bilge you saw. At it's core is an uncanny performance by a young lady named Ivana Baquero as Ofelia that is so honest and brave that it will break your heart AND lift you up. The director Guillermo Del Toro deftly balances the ugliness of fascist, war-torn Spain and the fantasy world that may be Ophelia's refuge without undermining either.

If you treasure great film, you will want to hold on to this one. It's a gem.

The Last Temptation of Christ (The Criterion Collection) (1988)

First of all, this area is SUPPOSED to be for reviews of this movie, not dire warnings of damnation if one watches it. It is JUST a movie....something tells me Jesus and his believers can survive it. Please don't turn this forum into a religious debate.

I think anyone who purchases this DVD edition of the film should definitely go back and listen to the director/actor/screenwriter commentary included with the film. In it, Marty and the screenwriter explain why they used the actors they did, and why they used today's vernacular. They had the characters speak this way so that the viewer is more aware that the players in the New Testament WERE human, just like us. Marty believed that the stilted English of the King James Court, with its "thou's" and "ye's" (and having absolutely NO relation to the way people spoke at the time) serves to distance modern viewers from the pain and doubt that both Jesus has his followers underwent.

Marty also was desperate to counter the prevalent depiction of Jesus in film that has him 100% "divine", with a golden light shining behind his head, with the divine little smile and the gentle words. He wanted to use the idea in the Bible that Jesus was also fully human, subject to both physical AND mental anguish. The latter is the point that Gibson missed in his film. Anyone who has ever lost a child or had to make an agonizing decision knows that mental anguish can be as painful as any physical torment. This movie is about the true temptation Jesus underwent, to deny God and run away from his destiny. All of us can identify with that.

I find this Jesus far more compelling than the Jesus I grew up with in Sunday school. This Jesus is not perfect. He hurts and has soubts and depressions like I do. And yet he gives his body and mind to God in the end.

While the film is not as authentic as the upcoming "The Passion of the Christ" (where Aramaic is used), it was much more realistic and gritty than previous film portrayals. What really adds to the drama of the film is the soundtrack by Peter Gabriel.

Having received 12 years of Catholic school education, culminating when this film was released, I was amused to read the incredible outpouring of emotions by narrow-minded Christians against this film, both at the time is was released and in the reviews. To me, a sure-fire sign of narrow-mindedness is their utter inability to appreciate art for what it is and the fact (evident from their reviews) that they have not even seen the movie. My faith was not so weak as to refuse to entertain artistic explorations and alternative viewpoints.

Although not wholly based on the scriptures, the theme of this film IS based more upon the very nature of Jesus Christ himself. That is, the film and the book both attempt to dramatically explore the contradictions associated with the dual identity of Jesus as both God and man a schitzophrenic combination indeed.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

In this film, Jesus as man resists God's call, at age 30, to take up his role as spiritual savior. Jesus-as-man IS tempted by his own thoughts and doubts (manifested by Satan), the last temptation occuring in a stupor as he hangs dying on the cross the opportunity of becoming all man. This post-death illusion sequence, where Jesus goes on to marry Mary Magdeline and see the dire consequences of such a course of action, covers the last 3rd or so of the film. What is most interesting is the confrontation between Jesus and Paul, the latter of whom is the most signficant evangelical Christian of all time which turns out to be an express of the argument that the idea of Jesus Christ as savior may have been more important (at least politically) that the historical facts. In any case, for those who find this sequence blasphemous, they need to remember that it is a DREAM. (e.g., The crowds are still cheering at the cross as he is taken down by a lovely little girl.) In the end, Jesus triumphs over the evil of human frailty to assume his position in Christian beliefs.

Other interesting factors include the expanded role of Judas (played here by Harvey Kietel), as Jesus' true right-hand man. In an interesting twist, Judas is at least as interested in political revolution as a spiritual one, and Jesus manipulates Judas' anger and convinces him to turn Jesus in for persecution.

In any case, I give it a firm thumbs up. Too bad that this is too expensive for any casual observer to pick it up on DVD, though.

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The deep spiritual feelings that this movie makes me harbor have changed the way I see the world forever. I can almost feel the pains that Jesus must have went through on the cross physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Even though this account of Jesus' life is fictional, the viewer can see and feel the true sacrifice that Jesus made by giving His life on the cross and the struggle it took to get there. Although this movie is condemned by many (most of whom didn't even see it), my personal relationship with God was strengthened by it, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Willem DaFoe was strong, passionate, and yet vulnerable as the Son of God, and Harvey Keitel was masterful in his portrayal of a very believable Judas who helped Jesus in ways many never realized possible (fictional of course). The soundtrack by Peter Gabriel is haunting and moving, and is just one more reason that makes this Scorsese film a true work of art. Though it is not the greatest movie ever made, it is a great movie just by the way it makes you think and feel. I love to watch this movie around Christmas and especially Easter because it always brings me closer to God through Christ. All I have to do is think about this movie and it makes my heart warm, and all the cares of the world are made that much lighter. The role of Satan in this movie really hits home with how tricky he can be, and I think it gives me just another weapon in my own struggle between good and evil spirit and flesh. You must remember that this is not the true story of Jesus Christ... this story is symbolic of our own personal struggles to become more Christ-like. Christ never faultered in His destiny... but we have, and we will.

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This film has stayed with me for 10 years, and I grow fonder of it with repeated viewings. My tastes are broad I will happily sit down and watch the cheapest genre flick and the subtlest arthouse... so while I can see that this film can be picked apart on an intellectual level, I also feel that film should be "felt". Even if you forget the beautiful performances (so human!), the incredible narrative, poetic direction, great music that grabs hold of your gut and drags you down into it -what you're left with is amazing. I am not a religous man, yet this film touches me very deeply from the moodswinging jesus curled up on the shore hearing footsteps to the triumphant jesus joyous on the cross... what part of being alive does this film not talk about? What modern mainstream film has trod paths so high and low? Take this film for what it is -a celebration of man, not a condemnation of christ.

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Scorsese's "Last Temptation" is a great and challenging film. This is NOT some salacious, blasphemous movie! Quite the opposite, this is a serious, very spiritial examination of the great sacrifice that Jesus made. In fact, if detractors of this film(most of whom have never even seen this or are seriously misinformed)would take a look they would see a highly original, reverent film that presents a very personal view of Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us. Martin Scorsese is probably our finest filmmaker. His very best work has always tackled "Catholic" themes. Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull are all brilliant examinations of sin, guilt, and redemption. So it's no wonder Scorsese chose to adapt Kazantakis' book. Last Temptation ranks as one of his VERY best films, right up there with the aforemntioned films if not of a piece with them. This is one of Scorese's most personal films (then again, all his films are, Scorese being the most personal of American fimmakers). We are taught that Jesus was the Son of God and the Son of man. If he is both, then Jesus was subject to the same pain, guilt, and temptations that we all have. Scorese presents most of the major events of Jesus' life: the Sermon on the Mount(a GREAT scene), the passion in the desert, the Last Supper, ect. Through this all Jesus continually questions why he must suffer, why must he be the One with this "burden". Willem Dafoe is incredible in this most difficult role. The final 40 minutes of this film are absolutely powerful when Jesus is on the cross and in absolute agony he is presented with one final temptation. This is the scene that most people question or are offended by. The scene is fascinating, not offensive, and presented by Scorsese in a very careful and tasteful fashion. I dont want to reveal what occurs, that's for you to discover. Let's just say, that Jesus rejects this temptation presented to him and resumes his place on the Cross and fulfills his destiny. The way Scorsese presents the events in the film, makes this final scene all the more powerful. Scorsese really shows us the sacrifice Jesus made for us, he shows us what Jesus gave up for us and how much he really loved us to do this for us. This doesnt sound blasphemous to me at all. Ironically, this is probably the most "devout" religious film Ive ever scene. Technically, the film is brillant. Scorsese really does'nt know how to make a boring shot. The camera work is incredible! Peter Gabriel's music is astonishing, the acting is GREAT (esp. Dafoe, Hershey, and yes Keitel's rather eccentric performance) This is a great film, please give it a chance.

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Jansons Conducts Beethoven & Strauss (2013)

This concert, very well recorded by the ever-reliable Brian Large team in 2011, can be considered a considerable success. The actual recording offers high quality visuals with crisp imaging, true colours and sympathetic camera work that provides detailed close-ups as appropriate combined with more distant views. The sound is also of high quality and is offered in DTS 5.0 and stereo options. The lack of a separate sub-woofer channel seems strange given the sonic nature of the Strauss but in reality there is no lack of bass definition or range.

Mitsuko Uchida has an enviable reputation as a Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert pianist so it is no surprise to find that her performance of Beethoven's third piano concerto is deeply rewarding. The largo is delivered with a concentration that leaves the first two concertos far behind and clearly leads forward to the last two concertos. The outer movements are crisply articulated at a comfortable speed that allows all detail to register properly. This is a very good performance and will come as no surprise to those who know her recordings of the Mozart concertos on CD.

Ein Heldenleben is a large work in every sense and one which makes considerable demands on both the conductor and the orchestra. There have been many notable performances on CD from many conductors and orchestras of repute, not least that by Reiner and the Chicago orchestra in the early days of stereo and now available in SACD form. Karajan's recordings were also of considerable stature. However, Jansons too has become associated with fine performances of this work of late and this performances as delivered by the Bavarian orchestra does not disappoint. Sonically it leaves the competition miles behind and the orchestra, with extra brass and woodwind to lessen the load on individual players, rise splendidly to the task. The extended solo violin part as played by the leader of the orchestra, Anton Barachovsky, deserves a very special mention as being of a particularly sensitive and elevated quality. Not surprisingly. he is singled out for particular applause by the conductor and the packed and enthusiastic audience at the end.

Jansons' interpretation follows fairly traditional lines with tempi chosen and detail brought out in line with any of the most satisfying performances on CD. It is quite clear that this is an interpretation that is well-known by the orchestra who have no difficulty in understanding and delivering his interpretive vision. Once again, this is a deeply satisfying performance made especially enjoyable by the excellence of the recording.

I would therefore suggest that this disc is likely to be a front runner among audio-video choices for a considerable amount of time to come. It is of a quality that may even encourage some long-term collectors to replace their treasured CDs with this new one which can also be enjoyed purely as sound of course. New collectors may wish to consider this as a potential 'only' version and, as such, they will not be disappointed.

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Orlando (1993)

This is an amazing, ironic film, based upon Virginia Woolf's whimsically mock-serious epic about an immortal English lord, who experiences 400 years of history, changes his sex to that of a woman after refusing to participate in warfare (a feminist point that is subtly made), and never bores or condescends to us. What surprised me when I first saw it is how dry, boring and pompous it isn't; the film has a nice lightness and dry humor that make it digestible. The photography is beautiful and the film never drags, and the performances, which a lot of critics have suggested are somewhat two-dimensional, are that way for a reason: Orlando's adventure is too awesome to be rendered realistically; the people and adventures she experiences are meant, I think, to be represented symbolically---each character is actually a rough composite of perhaps hundreds of such types she meets in her journey from 1600 to 2000. Billy Zane, who is seen in the movie's poster, plays an American adventurer who romances the female Orlando, but to all of his "Titanic" fans, a word of caution: he's in the film for roughly twenty-five minutes, if that much. The real star of the show is the ethereally lovely, brilliant, and mysterious Tilda Swinton, whose male Orlando is unnervingly convincing; so much so that "he" almost seems to be doing a drag bit once the sex change happens---and because Swinton is so eye-pleasing and delightful, this is not a bad thing. Her intelligence and talent radiate from her face, which is so expressive that many shots consist simply of gigantic closeups of it---she can say more with a gaze than many lesser performers do with a page of dialogue. I first saw this film in 1993, as an exchange student living in London, and it gave me an appreciation for British history and for Woolf's books that I had never had before. It's really quite a smart, funny, cool, hip movie, but with no explosions, car chases, or hot-button themes, it's by no means a populist-type entertainment. If you like period films, or anything English, you'll dig this a lot: Orlando isn't just English, he/she *is* England, and the country should be so lucky as to be compared with Tilda Swinton's long-suffering (centuries of it, in fact, what a burden) poetry-spouting nobleman/woman. Very cool.

Finally got this one on DVD after nearly wearing out my VHS copy. Sally Potter is one of the best directors and of course Tilda Swinton in the title role is mesmerizing in every way. Although a sharp departure from Virginia Woolf's source material, it retains the spirit and scope of the novel. Orlando's tranformation from man to woman half way through is a beautiful moment. Swinton proudly naked and observing herself in the mirror looks directly into the camera and says "no difference really, just a different sex" it brilliantly blurs the line between what it means to be a man and woman. And when I say blur, I mean it in a good way. The gender, sexual orientation and race lines all need to be blurred until they disappear. Orland is a good salvo in that war.

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First let it be said that while I love the film Orlando it is simply impossible to get all the themes and events of the novel into one movie, so I strongly urge all viewers, whether they loved or hated this movie, to read the book, Virginia Woolf's unique love letter to Vita Sackville-West.

The inevitable failings involved in translating a book into a film aside, 'Orlando' is visually exsquisite, the costumes and locations sumptuous and splendid, fully evoking the decadance and contrasting squalor of the centuries in which Orlando lives his/her life. The score perfectly compliments the surroundings, the atmosphere and the themes of each scene, and is beautifully composed and performed.

Though some have expressed doubts over Tilda Swinton's ability to play Orlando, the aristocrat born as man who turns into a woman half way through his/her life, I thought she was the perfect choice. I believe knowing she is a woman initially taints people's ability to find her convincing as a man; to me she played the part with great charm, amiability and empathy, and became even more charming as a woman the character of Orlando at this stage in 'her' life becoming more rounded, more sympathetic, more knowledgable and Swinton captures that well.

This film does not follow the 'rules' of the 'real' world besides changing genders, Orlando lives for 400 years and does not age a day. It is the story of a pursuit for life, for meaning, by one individual determined to discover what that means. Accept it, and enjoy.

In its attempt to capture the most important of the book's events the film does have a slight recurring bump in continuity, it seems, and will no doubt be pretentious and boring to some, if not many. Nonetheless, Orlando is a sometimes humorous, sometimes haunting movie, thought provoking and richly realised.

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The movie starts with Tilda Swinton playing Orlando, a male role (so far), and Quentin Crisp playing Queen Elizabeth. Already, physical sex and social gender have been neatly divided. Later on, Orlando abruptly transforms from man to woman with no reason or mechanism given. S/he takes it in stride, but her place in her social world changes around her. Given the magical premise, it's an effective way to comment on the attitudes of men and women towards each other, based on complete and mutual ignorance.

There was only one small problem with the casting. Swinton is just too lovely a woman to play even an androgynous male convincingly. It took some effort to go along with Tilda the man, but it was worth it for the sake of the plot.

And, if nothing else, I could always watch the incredible costuming and scenery. Architecture and landscaping seemed to have quiet lives of their own, tolerating the people that moved among them. Many scenes were chosen for strong, almost confrontational symmetries, something that definitely attracted my attention. Another scene near the end actually costumed the landscape, Christo-like, for reasons I never worked out. There were a number of night scenes, too, and many seemed to be filmed using natural light. Those scenes often had a grainy look, but not enough to be distracting.

This is an odd movie, but I like it. Swinton's little asides to the camera, sometimes just a glance, added a quirky note. It's a thoughtful movie, about tone and appearance rather than action, and delivers well in those areas. However much I like it, though, I come away a bit unsure what to make of it. Maybe that's why I keep coming back to it.

//wiredweird

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Sally Potter is one of the few directors to achieve the near impossible to create a movie that actually surpasses the original novel.

Not wishing to take anything away from Virginia Woolf, whose The Waves is one of the most brilliant and defining novels of all time, Potter's film version is nothing less than a work of art.

As other reviewers have indicated, when the Orlando character, who was based on Woolf's friend and lover, Victoria (Vita) Sackville-West, crosses gender to become a woman, she automatically loses the right to own the very same property that, as a man, she/he had owned for eons. Even as a socio-political commentary, (see also Woolf's A Room Of One's Own) this speaks volumes about a patriarchal society in which the lowliest, most moronic male had infinitely more rights than the most brilliant and gifted female.

Our society is still dealing with the legacy of the tyranny of gender and the legacy of the Inquisition, in which nine million women were murdered for being women.

Yet despite the dark insanities that underly the film's pivotal transition, Potter's modern classic is a rich and joyful romp, filled with love, hope and transcendence, with a simply breathtakingly beautiful closing section.

A rare and inspired work of genius, in which the production direction and casting cannot be faulted.

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Rope (1948)

Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, the first film that the Master of Suspense filmed in Technicolor, has languished in largely undeserved mediocrty since its release in 1948. The film didn't do well theatrically in the US, and subsequent versions (VHS) were made from terrible-quality originals. Finally, Universal has seen fit to release on DVD a marvelously restored version of a truly fine film.

Rope, based on a play of the same name, which was in turn based on a real murder case in 1924, opens with two friends played by John Dall and Farley Granger strangling a classmate with a length of rope. The body is then stuffed in a trunk that the two use as a buffet table during an upcoming dinner party a party partially in their murdered friend's honor.

As the movie progresses, the friends' professor played exceedingly well by James Stewart in one of his best-acted roles eventually begins to suspect the crime. As the two students engage him in a discussion about Nietzschian philosophy, and specifically philosophy of the ubermensch (overman or superman), Stewart's character puts two and two together. The tension is so tight you hold your breath for the last half-hour, wondering if Stewart knows, and if he does, what he's going to do about it and, more importantly, if he's in danger, too.

Much has been made of the technical side of the film Hitch wanted it as close to a stage play as possible, and the entire movie has only nine (well-hidden) breaks as well as the homosexual overtones, but the real genius in Rope comes from the acting and direction. As opposed to today's "roller-coaster ride" action movies, Rope builds slowly, layering tension upon tension until the viewer just can't wait anymore to find out what happens. Anyone can toy with an audience, using special effects, explosions, and fast cars to create action, but true suspense that hourglass feeling of grains of sand building a mountain takes talent, and Rope readily uses that effect, thanks largely to the preformances of the three main characters.

In addition, Stewart's ultimate conclusions on Nietzschian philosophy offer a refreshing step away from those who would indict it solely on the basis of notions (and books) like the Will to Power people who can see no further than the two murderers. Like Hitler and Dall and Granger's characters, some people cannot see past these passages, often taken out of context from the rest of Nietzsche's thought. Thankfully, Arthur Laurentis' screenplay ultimately deals with these ideas in a mature manner and shows the horrifying effects of the hubris so many undergraduate-level students get when they don't bother to read and conside Nietzsche in context.

Universal's DVD is excellent the picture and sound quality are top-notch, especially considering it's been more than 50 years since Rope was filmed. The full-frame presentation isn't a problem, since widescreen movies didn't exist at the time. The half-hour long featurette offers some interesting insights and interviews with a couple members of the cast and crew, and isn't your usual "so-and-so was great" pieces. Hume Cronyn offers some genuine and well-founded criticisms of both Hitch and the finished product. Also included is Rope's unique theatrical trailer, a kind of "mini-short" featuring the soon-to-be-murdered lad discussing a marriage proposal with his girlfriend in Central Park, in surprisingly decent quality considering the film's age.

If you are a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, or just like great acting and pianowire-tight tension, then you can't go wrong with Rope.

Based on an actual murder case and directed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, Rope tells the story of two very close, well to do roommates Phillip and Brandon who strangle David, an old school chum, just for kicks. To further increase the exhilaration of their dastardly deed, the duo deem it delicious to desecrate the dead by placing his body into a chest and serving their dinner party guests a banquet on its decorated top. The guests of honor at this most perverse soirée include their former prep school professor Rupert Cadell (James Stewart), the murder victim's parents, his fiancé, and her former boyfriend. This tapestry provides tension for Phillip as he is nervous about being caught and questions abound as to David's whereabouts. Interestingly, Brandon feels smug even justified as he views the act of murder to be relegated to a select superior few.

Rope explores Nietzsche's concept of the "übermensch" or "superman" in which society's people are divided into two groups. Those who believe in the concepts of right and wrong and behave accordingly are deemed inferior beings and therefore unnecessary. While those who are enlightened enough to realize that one is free to act according to their own volition because there are no such primitive or external constraints on behavior are deemed superior. In this worldview, homicide is justifiable because the intellectually superior are actually bettering society by eliminating the inferior and their drain on its resources. The story comes to a head when Professor Cadell who taught Phillip and Brandon these nihilistic concepts begins to suspect that they practiced what he preached by killing David.

Rope was shot with eight; 10-minute reels to give the illusion of one seamless, continuous take. This forces the viewer to pay attention to every word and provides an eerie feeling that he/she is a witness to the murder and is a guest at the dinner party. What also drives the film is its witty if not macabre dialogue that is punctuated with puns, innuendoes and double entendre. It is also interesting to watch the professor engage Phillip and Brandon in the proverbial game of cat and mouse. Likewise, the characters are richly developed and deep.

Rope is Hitchcock's most underrated and unappreciated film. Which is a shame because I believe Rope poses some very provocative questions. Is there sanctity to human life? Are all human beings equal? Is murder ever justifiable? Is there right and wrong? Is moral absolutism an outmoded idea in which only the weak and dumb subscribe? Is a teacher responsible for his/her students' actions? Ultimately, the viewer must decide.

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ROPE is a very experimental-and highly underrated-Hitchcock film. The film (based on the play ROPE'S END and, although loosely, the Leopold-Loeb murder) begins when two young men (John Dall and Farley Granger) murder a college student for fun and because he is a "lesser" man. As a celebration they throw a party inviting the victim's parents, his girlfriend, her ex-boyfriend who Dall would like to put her with, and their old college teacher (James Stewart). ROPE is a highly entertaining and suspenseful film. The experimental angle comes as the film was shot entirely in eight ten-minute takes, (or was that ten eight-minute takes?) giving the impression that it was all one shot. The casting is great, with Dall perfect as the psychotic murderer, Sir Cedric Hardwicke memorable as the victim's father, and Stewart...well, you can't say too many good things about him, though it takes him a while to appear. While not as good as some of Hitchcock's earlier (THE 39 STEPS, REBECCA) or later (VERTIGO, NORTH BY NORTHWEST) masterpieces, ROPE is very well made film, perfect for fans of Hitchcock, Stewart, or suspense films in general.

ROPE's final rating: 9 out of 10

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The first film that Hitchcock released through his Transatlantic Pictures company, Rope is an underappreciate minor classic. It's flawed to be sure but this unusual experiment was shot in long takes an unusual approach for Hitchcock. The story was inspired by the Leopold and Loeb murder case and their obsession with the superman theories of Nietzsche.

Philip (Farley Granger)and Brandon (John Dall)have committed the murder of an old classmate for the thrill of it. They invite over mutual friends, the father and mother of the victim and their old prep school master Rupert (Jimmy Stewart)who first introduced them to Nietzche's theories. They drape a table cloth over the trunk where the dead body rests.

Written by Arthur Laurents and Hume Cronyn from the play Rope's End by Patrick Hamilton, Rope allows Hitchcock to indulge in a number of unusual cinematic experiments. It was Hitchcock's first movie to be shot in color and the entire 80 minute film is shot on one set with the skyline gradually changing. If Hitchcock had gotten his ideal cast the film might have been quite different; originally Hitchcock wanted Carey Grant for the role Stewart player and Montgomery Clift as Brandon.

The transfer is good although there is some edge enhancement and some analog and compression artifacts (although they aren't a huge problem). The vivid 3 strip Technicolor process comes to life on this DVD. The colors are pretty close to the version I saw screened. I should note, though, that I originally saw Rope at the UCLA Theater Arts Archive in black and white (a color copy wasn't available) on a Movieola and it was a nitrate print so I'm comparing it to versions that were released much later than the original.

While Rope isn't a perfect Hitchcock excursion, it's an enjoyable and admirable one that features a number of interesting visuals, strong performances and an interesting thought provoking story. The extras on this edition are quite nice as well including a feaurette entitled Rope Unleased, production photos and notes. Sadly, no extensive outtakes exist for Rope and everything that was written was, for the most part, shot.

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"Rope" debuted in theaters in August of 1948, and represented the first movie shot in COLOR by Director Alfred Hitchcock.

James Stewart, Farley Granger, and John Dall are the stars here, with Stewart (as always) giving a flawless, effortless-looking performance. I really liked all the character portrayals in this film. Murderers Granger and Dall exhibit just the right mix of "Will we get caught?" angst and the cockiness and sheer gall of those that murder simply for the sport of it.

Although not one of the "higher profile" Alfred Hitchcock entries, I think "Rope" is, in fact, one of his better films. It's certainly unique, style-wise, being filmed in ten-minute, continuous takes, giving it a "seamless" uninterrupted look.

There has been much talk about the supposed "homosexual overtones" between the two murderers in "Rope". Now while I know this to be the director's intention, if I hadn't read about it after seeing the movie, I would never have thought those two male characters were supposed to be homosexual. In my view, *nothing* that is said or done in the film particularly points to this conclusion. I suppose it's designed to be there, but "just beneath the surface". But, I looked at the two killers as merely being close friends. I don't really know why the sexual orientation subject even has to enter into it. And, really, it *doesn't*.

"Rope" is unique in another fashion as well -Hitchcock's "cameo". Unique because we get not one, but TWO, "Hitch" cameos in this picture. Right after the opening credits, we see Alfred walking on the sidewalk below. With cameo appearance #2 (which was originally intended to be his lone cameo) coming 55 minutes into the fairly-short 80-minute film. This second cameo is not of Hitchcock "in the flesh". Instead, the director inserted the image of a flashing neon sign outside one of the windows of the apartment. This sign depicts the famous Hitchcock "profile". A very inventive cameo indeed (rivaling his "newspaper" appearance in "Lifeboat" for the most creative, IMO).

As with a much-later Hitchcock picture, "The Birds", "Rope" has no music score to aid the story and move it along (save the opening theme music and the piano-playing of Farley Granger's character). An entire movie void of music is something that I don't imagine too many directors could pull off. But Hitchcock, in "Rope" and "The Birds" (which was fifteen years later), did it quite successfully.

This Universal single-disc DVD offers up a fine-looking and very clear Full Frame picture (1.33:1 aspect ratio). Colors do look a tad dated, though. But, overall, "Rope" looks excellent here! The soundtrack on the disc is in Mono (Dolby Digital 2.0).

The disc's Menu system is simplistic and easy to use (which is OK by me). When the Main Menu is on screen, the theme from Hitch's TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", plays. This is nice, but I wonder why they didn't use the "Rope" opening theme music for the Menu?

Although not officially labelled as one of Universal's "Collector's Editions", this "Rope" DVD could very well have been so designated. This disc has very nearly as many Special Features as the other Hitchcock "Collector's" packages. Here's a gander at the "Rope" bonus supplements .................

>> A 32-minute documentary, "Rope Unleashed", covering the making of this motion picture. Included here is an interview with actor/writer Hume Cronyn, who collaborated on the "Rope" screenplay. Sadly, not too very long after filming the interview for this DVD, Mr. Cronyn passed away, in June 2003. Many backstage pictures are mixed in with the interview segments, including some eye-opening pics of the color camera equipment of the era. Color cameras during those days were more than "bulky" -those babies were humongous! And via some still photos we can see just how cumbersome those cameras were, circa 1948.

>> The Original Theatrical Trailer for "Rope". -I absolutely love this unique trailer. It really (in a way) serves as a "deleted scene" from the movie. And shows us the film's murder victim ("David Kentley") before he falls prey to his killers' rope. The trailer has David (played by Dick Hogan) and his fiancee, Janet (Joan Chandler), sitting on a park bench, talking about their upcoming engagement. It's just a short scene, but sets up some of the plot points very nicely in just a few seconds. After David kisses his betrothed and leaves the park, this becomes more of a "conventional" trailer, with star Jimmy Stewart appearing on camera to narrate. Video quality for this color trailer is a bit splotchy and blurry in places, but still certainly in watchable condition. I think the introduction of the murder victim in this "added" scene was a very clever idea by the filmmakers. Trailer length = 2:25.

>> A very nice Photo Gallery (which has many behind-the-camera images).

>> Some text screens with film notes and cast bios. (There's a kind of funny little mistake in the DVD's bio of John Dall. Dall's character is referred to as "Shaw Brandon" on the text screen, instead of the correct name, "Brandon Shaw".)

Alfred Hitchcock directed more than 50 films -with "Rope", his first venture into the world of "Technicolor", resting among my personal "Top 10 Hitch Flicks". This Universal Home Video DVD comes recommended by this Hitchcock enthusiast.

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Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy Gift Set (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) (1993)

In the light of so many negative customer reviews of this set, I decided, before writing this review to do a direct comparison between the DVD version of Jurassic Park vs. the Blu-ray. I made it a point to set my BD player audio compression to wide range and set the volume levels for each version to be approximately at the same level for the spoken dialog to give each version a fair comparison.

I chose four sections to compare:

1. The scene at Sam Neill's dig beginning with the brushing away of sand from a fossil.

2. The helicopter ride into Jurassic Park.

3. The first encounter with the brachiosaurus beginning when the jeeps come to a stop and Sam Neill and Laura Dern first see the creature.

4. The night storm scene with the T-Rex encounter.

All of the above begin at a chapter change of both disc versions, making them quick to locate.

The video: In no instance can the DVD version compare with the Blu-ray.

In scene 1, the sand particles are fully defined in the Blu-ray and are a blur with the DVD. When Sam Neill rises into the frame the landscape is richly defined in the Blu-ray until the camera refocuses onto Neill's face. Later we see the sheen of sweat on Neill's face with the Blu-ray which is not noticeable at all with the DVD. The improvement in facial definition of the people standing behind Neill when he is lecturing them.

In scene 2, the improvement in the definition of the sea water below the helicopter, the facial definition of the passengers, the clear definition of the weave in Sam Neill's hat. Later the foliage clarity as the helicopter (a miniature, I believe) flies through the canyon.

In scene 3, the improved definition of the tree foliage which is a blur with the DVD and outstandingly defined in the Blu-ray. The definition of the details of the creatures they are observing.

In scene 4, the improved details in the night scene, objects really look wet from the rain. The amazing definition of the wet scales of the T-Rex.

The audio: When I first heard the audio of the DVD, I knew that it was shamefully compressed compared with the LD (Laser Disc) issue that I still have. Also missing were the fundamentals in bass sounds which also have been fully restored with the DTS sound track of the Blu-ray.

In scene 1. When the seismic charge in detonated, you can feel it in the floor with the BD. Not there at all with the DVD.

In scene 3. When the brachiosaur rises on its hind legs and howls, it is really loud with the BD, terribly compressed with the DVD.

When it falls back down onto its forelegs, you feel it in your chest. No such thing with the DVD.

In scene 4. The sound of the thunder, the bass elements of the T-Rex growls, the thumps of its footsteps are all very powerful with the BD and missing in the DVD. When the T-Rex howls at the children and they clap their hands over their ears you hear why they are doing it with the Blu-ray.

The DVD doesn't capture this at all.

The above noted audio differences will not be noticeable at all when using standard TV speakers. A decent home audio system is required with the Blu-ray player set to wide range audio (least compression). I recommend monitoring your volume setting carefully at first to safe-guard your speakers.

I can say without reservation that all three of the films in this collection benefit immeasurably with the Blu-ray format in picture and sound.

The films themselves:

Jurassic Park: Of course the film most people will remember because it made the greatest initial impression. It deserves to be remembered because nothing quite like it had been previously accomplished from a technical standpoint. It's an enormously entertaining and absorbing picture with a fine cast and somehow manages to convince you of the possibilities implied, at least for a while.

The Lost World -Jurassic Park: The most disappointing of the three, especially considering that it was directed by Spielberg. It more resembles a "monster movie" in the class of "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" or some such -one highly improbable crisis after another. There are a few CG errors noticeable even in the DVD version. In the stegosaurus scene, the creature's front foot suddenly unrealistically moves horizontally in the pond water without being lifted, which should have been corrected.

Jurassic Park III: An interesting title considering that there is no film titled Jurassic Park II. Still, a greatly entertaining film in the style of a grand adventure. The search for the missing young boy makes the story more compelling. This film also benefits from a fine cast which the second film generally lacks.

I would have preferred the packaging to be similar to the book form used for the "Star Wars" saga in the interest of saving shelf space but I certainly find the collection to be very entertaining and technically very impressive.

Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster is still the best of the Jurassic trilogy, and the film retains all the amazement and anticipation it had when it was first released.

Taken from Michael Crichton's thrilling novel, Jurassic Park is one Spielberg's most expertly-crafted films. The special effects are from FX maestro Stan Winston, who did the special effects for Aliens (1986) and Terminator 2 (1991). The seamless combination of CGI and robotic creatures creates some truly terrifying action setpieces.

Despite what some critics thought when the film was released, I feel that all the principal actors give good performances, especially Sam Neill as Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm. But admittedly, the dinosaur creations are the main attraction, and Winston's monsters (which won him another Oscar after Terminator 2) are truly frightning. Great entertainment.

The Lost World is an exciting adventure starring Jeff Goldblum, Vince Vaughn, Julianne Moore and Pete Postlethwaite. The film picks up four years after the incident at Jurassic Park, where a corporate businessman Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard) plans to take dinosaurs off the second island (Isla Sorna, where dinosaurs have been breeding) and bring them to a theme park in San Diego.

Spielberg knows what the audience wants; the film has more dinosaurs, even better CGI and impressive animatronic dinosaurs from the maestro Stan Winston. The action throughout the film is exciting and while not as astonishing as Jurassic, the effects are first-rate. Although the action is good, the story isn't one of Spielberg's best. That said, the principal cast are fine, especially Goldblum as Malcolm ("Ooh, aah, that's how it always starts, and then later the running and screaming") and Postewaite as Roland Tembo, a game hunter intent on shooting one of the Tyrannosaurs. Silly in parts, it's still an exciting adventure movie, with enough action and light humour to satisfy audiences.

Joe Johnston, taking over the reigns from Spielberg, has created an adventure that starts off quickly and hardly ever lets up. Sam Neill, returning to the role which made him famous in the original, is a stronger presence than in the first Jurassic, and the supporting cast of William H. Macy and Tea Leoni manage not to get lost amidst the barrage of CGI dinosaurs. The special effects are, of course the main stars, with Stan Winston's excellent dinosaurs surpass the ones for the original. And the plot (a bunch of people get stuck on an island with dangerous dinosaurs) provides plenty of great scares (a scene with nasty pterodactyls is the high-point) and fast-paced action to satisfy audiences. Great fun.

The trilogy DVD extras are firstrate, with superb picture and sound for all the discs. The special features are exceptional, with a 50 minute 'making of' of the film. Most interesting, however, is the footage of early pre-production meetings with Spielberg and the FX team discussing how certain shots and effects should be done. Also there are storyboards, production photos and web links.

The extras for The Lost Wolrd are fantastic, with a comprehensive 'making of', deleted scenes, trailers and ton of production info. The highlight on the JP3 Disc is the Commantary from the special effects team of Stan Winston, Michael Lantieri and some of the crew. Also, you get a series of 'making of's and trailers. Best of all is Disc 4 "Beyond Jurassic Park" featuring over two hours of never-before-available bonus material from all three films. Excellent entertainment that is a must-have for Jurassic fans.

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Yeah, I know the title of this review is corny, but you have to admit that this is a pretty nice boxed set. It contains all three films from the "Jurassic Park" film series. The first film stands alone as one of the most impressive and progressive films of its time. It featured the best special effects of its time and each film builds on these effects. Let's break each film down:

"Jurassic Park" Five stars

Perhaps the greatest dinosaur film ever made, "Jurassic Park" features brilliant special effects, wonderful acting and a great plotline filled with suspense and horror. With Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough heading up a small cast of characters including Samuel L. Jackson, this film is sure to be a winner in anyone's collection. Briefly, this is the tale of a man who hopes to cash in on genetically bred dinosaurs by creating a sort of theme park that allows the average man to get an up-close-and-personal look at T-Rex, stegosaurus, and those wicked velociraptors. Of course, when a small group arrives to approve the park, things go awry. Highly recommended flick worthy of multiple views.

"The Lost World" Three Stars

The weakest flick in the series. Jeff Goldblum reprises his role from the original flick as he goes to a second island where the dinos from the original film were allowed to grow before being shipped to the park. He's there to help a small group study the dinosaurs in an environment untouched by man. Then a gang of hunters come along in a last ditch effort to save the pocketbooks of the JP stockholders and bring a T-Rex back to San Diego, CA to cash in. Unfortunately, this film was weighed down by eco-terrorism and way too many characters. Though the cast was very good, there just wasn't enough to work with here. Not worthy of many viewings, but it's nice to have in the set.

"Jurassic Park III" Four stars

The best sequel and it saves the saga from the forgettable "Lost World." This film brings back Sam Neill's character who gets conned into going back to the islands and ends up having to save the son of a wealthy and on-the-outs couple(played wittingly by William H. Macy and Tea Leoni). It has a brief but wonderful cameo by Laura Dern and takes a potshot at the purple dino, Barney. This film is the most wide open of the bunch as it ditches the suspense of the original and the morality tale of "Lost World" and goes straight for the action. It's a wonderful popcorn flick that works well for what it is. Definitely worthy of multiple viewings and definitely worth owning.

As a whole, this set is really wonderful to own. You get all three films for less than the price of two of them if you purchased each separately. The packaging is pretty cool since it resembles the opening gates that are so famous from the first film. There are plenty of extras for folks into that kind of stuff and two out of three of these films is worth watching more than once. The original flick is timeless, "JPIII" is a rollercoaster ride, and "The Lost World" is nice to have if you're a completionist. Get this set today if you can't get enough of the dino-action and dino-horror that is the "Jurassic Park Adventure Pack."

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When this set came out we decided that we had to have it as our previous versions were on VHS. The bonus with this set of four is the fourth disk with all the wonderful extra features. If you enjoy learning how movies are made the fourth disk, while long, is a great companion to the three movies themselves.

"Jurassic Park" introduced us to digital dinosaurs, and how fearsome they could be with modern computer technology. This movie advanced horror and monsters movie in a method similar to the way "Alien" advanced movies. "Jurassic Park" immediately became an audience favorite and the new standard by which special effects would be judged. Stephen Spielberg effectively combined in-your-face terror with special effects to keep people at the edge of their seats and in awe of the life-like creatures.

"The Lost World" unfortunately did not measure up to "Jurassic Park." Many of the characters were unbelievable and there were too many plot holes that were too readily visible to make the movie enjoyable from beginning to end. While there were several parts of the movie that were well-done, there were at least as many parts where the actions of the characters was unrealistic when considering how people in their positions would normally behave. The bumps in actions of the characters just did not allow me to focus on the plot throughout. Another problem with this movie is that it focused too much on action, and very little on the characters themselves. Thus, the movie comes across as more of a cartoon than a horror movie.

"Jurassic Park III" simplified the plot, added new dinosaurs, and allowed the characters to develop more than "The Lost World." The short length of the movie forced the movie to be more simple than the previous movie, and that simplicity makes for a good movie. The best new dinosaur in this movie had to be the pteranodons, though the spinosaur was great also. The characters in this movie generally acted as I would expect them to, and there were fewer outright acts of stupidity. Even the theft of a raptor egg was done in ignorance. So while it was a convenient plot device, you would expect something like that by someone with only minimal knowledge of dinosaurs. I was very happy to see Sam Neill returning in the role of Dr. Alan Grant. His character particularly is very believable.

If you have yet to buy all these movies, and you thought they were all at least good, if not great, this set is an excellent addition to a home video library.

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I bought this new release with some concern regarging the negative reviews (by some) of the blu-ray transfer quality. I viewed this on a new panasonic LCD TV and a new panasonic disc player. The quality of the image was not a problem. I'm a very critical viewer who has sensitive eyes and has to turn off the back light function for all viewing during day and evening. This lack of back light can be compensated for by turning up the brightness. That being said, I was impressed with my viewing of disc 1 "Jurassic Park." The image was sharp and clear. I've noticed that scenes in dark, low contrast conditions tend to be less so with Blu-ray, in general. Using the back light function will compensate for this, but I choose not do so to avoid the eyestrain that will result. Jurasic park was better than the other movies I've seen in this regard. In fact it was almost not noticable in comparison to other Blu-ray films I have seen. Overall I was very impressed with the quality of the viewing image. I suspect that those who had problems with the quality may have had a disc player that needed some updating.

My only complaint with the film is after a few minutes on pause, the image is lost to a Universal screen logo, and you can't get back into the film by pressing "play." This is a result of the "timeline" bookmark feature that comes up whenever you press the pause button. Just press the green button on the remote and the feature will resume where you left off (whether you originally chose to bookmark the pause or not). If you don't do this you will find yourself in the main menu starting the film from the beginning if you press other buttons trying to get back into the film.

Overall, the image is quite good and anyone who is a fan of this film will enjoy it immensly in this format and will probably not even notice or care about what some of the negative reviewers have chosen to focus (no pun intended) on.

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Donnie Darko (10th Anniversary Edition) (2001)

I missed this film in its theatrical release (apparently it received limited distribution), but since it requires at least two viewings, it's well-suited for DVD. It's difficult to describe the story or even characterize it by genre, which shows how original the film is. Simply put, it's about time travel, but it's about a lot more than that, too.

The acting is consistently outstanding, with a list of well-known names in the cast, along with less familiar ones. Jake Gyllenhaal gives an amazing performance that is so convincing, you forget that he is acting; he IS Donnie Darko. While the story is mainly told through his eyes, the other characters are surprisingly sympathetic as well. This is not an easy feat for a script to accomplish, especially when the viewer must focus so much attention on every event. It would have been easy to create a one-dimensional hero and a bunch of villains, but writer/director Richard Kelly doesn't take the easy way out.

Instead, we get a highly intelligent and challenging film that engages us as much as it baffles us, that injects enough humor to keep us from stress-overload, and most importantly, makes us want to watch it again and again, even after we know what's going on. In this sense, "Donnie Darko" succeeds where other films have fallen short: for example, I enjoyed the complexities of "Memento", but I was not able to identify or even care very much about any of the characters. The same was true of "The Usual Suspects". Both are excellent films, but I viewed both from a distance, more analytically than emotionally.

I did not view "Donnie Darko" from a distance. I was drawn into the world that it creates, and enjoyed it enough to return more than once. A brilliant first film from Richard Kelly, who has set a very high standard for himself.

The DVD does full justice to this fine movie. The video and audio are excellent, and the extra features are quite thorough. I particularly enjoyed the commentary by Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllenhaal, which I listened to the second time I watched the film. They do a great job of helping the viewer to connect the dots. They also include just enough of the usual "behind the scenes" banter to keep the commentary from becoming too academic.

This DVD would definitely be included in any "desert island" list that I would ever compile. Strongly recommended!

First I would like to say that this review is more targeted at the Blu-Ray transfer of this movie. When I first found out this movie was available on Blu-Ray I had to have it since it's one of my favorite movies. I already owned the DVD, and was happy with the quality of the video on my up-converting DVD player. I figured the Blu-Ray would have to look better since it advertised as HD 1080p. Unfortunately that was not the case; in fact the DVD looks better up-converted than the Blu-Ray does. How does that happen? It appears the studio did very little to prepare this film for Blu-Ray. If anything they made it worse by trying to doctor it up rather than spend the money to re-master it properly. The movie has a lot of dark scenes which are almost all grainy and not very detailed. The light scenes are not as noticeable but you can still see it unless you're sitting a good distance from your TV. I guess the point I'm trying to make would be to hang on to your DVD until they fix the Blu-Ray transfer. At the new price it's worth buying if you don't already have the DVD, but don't "up grade" to this from your DVD.

Buy Donnie Darko (10th Anniversary Edition) (2001) Now

My rating and the following refers specifically to the Director's Cut. I would rate the original theatrical release five stars.

This director's cut brought to mind William Faulkner's line about writers often having to "kill their darlings" in order to meet the demands of a work's wholeness and integrity. Evidently, Richard Kelly was forced to kill his darlings with the theatrical release, and the result was close to perfection, if not perfection itself. The film's emotional force was stunning; its mysteries challenging; its pace so good that hitting pause to get more popcorn was impossible to do; its soundtrack (to my mind) a tour de force. It worked terrifically as a film experience, being a beautiful "whole" work of art. Extras that included Roberta Sparrow's book were great ... who really wanted to read the book during the movie anyways? (Which we can now do in the DC.)

Which does not mean a director's cut had no hope of working. Or even, maybe, revisions to the soundtrack (although I really think that was touchy business better left untouched). There were some good scenes deleted from the original, mainly between family members, and they didn't seem major pace-cutters. Fortunately, we do get those scenes here, but we also get the overwhelming force of the director's enthusiasm ... and WAY too much embedded detail of his personal vision.

On the upside, there's a nifty freedom to that enthusiasm which translates well into the Darko world IF you are also enthusiastic and into "playing" with Darko. In other words, if you love Donnie Darko already, you may find this cut a lot of fun. The pacing's completely blown, and the ending comes across flat compared to the original. (Kelly gets too detailed and baroque at the end, thus the impact of the "Mad World" music montage--don't want to include spoilers--and last scene is severely undermined.) Yet it's great to have more Darko, however we have to get it. And I don't regret buying this.

But if you've never seen the original DVD release, I cannot recommend this DVD set to you over that one. You will probably wonder why a cult ever built up around this film ... what anyone saw in it. You'll be missing that visceral power and compelling wonder that makes movies great and leaves you wanting to see a movie again ... immediately, if possible.

Donnie Darko was a little miracle of a film that cast a huge shadow. The director's cut joins many other films that try for bigness and achieve little ... unless, of course, in Darko's case, you've already seen the light and are into shadow-play.

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Any form of media that makes you think has succeeded in what it set out to do.Donnie Darko is a film that succeeds on every conceivable level. The script is original and entirely unpredictable. There isn't a single bit of action or dialogue, not one frame that can be anticipated. The characters, too, are refreshingly well-conceived and highly unique. And it's a treat to see actors we know well (Drew Barrymore, who also produced, and Noah Wyle) stretch well beyond our usual expectations. There is great humor in this film as well as great sorrow. And, ultimately, it's impossible to say if the entire scenario takes place within the dreams of a brilliant but possibly schizophrenic young man or if, as he so desperately wishes, he has, through physics, managed to reverse time.

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a stunning performance as Donnie. Even his body language--incurving shoulders, questioning eyes, uncertain smiles--reveal a vast, searching intelligence. Mary McDonnell gives yet another in a roster of thoughtful portrayals--this time as the despairing mother of brilliant and troubled Donnie, simultaneously loving and hating him for being emotionally beyond her reach. And Jena Mallone is just wonderful, one of the truest, most authentic young actors around today.

This is filmmaking at its best--an adventure for the mind--not to be missed.

Most highly recommended.

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Funny, sad, and mind-blowing, 'Donnie Darko' is, quite simply, an excellent movie. The plot is complex and engaging, with Jake Gyllenhaal as the protagonist, followed up by a cast that doesn't leave Jake holding up the movie.

Depending on what version of the film you see, the plot can be simple, or very hard to understand. I saw the original version on television and it was easy to comprehend. However, I had a lot of questions about little plot strings that weren't tied up. Just the other day I saw the director's cut. I spent the rest of the night explaining things to the people who watched it with me while simultaneously figuring it out myself.

But, let me explain first. In the original version of the movie the plot line goes like this. Donnie Darko is introduced as the protagonist. He smokes, sees a therapist, and is rude to his parents. Then comes the fateful night of October 2nd.

Donnie is asleep when he hears a voice that tells him to follow it. Donnie gets up and walks out of the house and onto a golf course where a human sized, demented bunny rabbit called Frank tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds. At the same time as this encounter a jet engine falls through Donnie's room, which would have crushed him had he not gone out to the golf course. For the next 28 days Donnie goes on certain missions by the bidding of Frank, gets a girlfriend, and finds out about time travel. I wont tell the ending for the sake of preserving it.

In the director's cut there are a few differences. The beginning is the same. However, this time the end of the world mentioned by Frank really comes into play. It is explained (and this is explained only in the director's cut) that Donnie is in a tangent universe separate from the primary universe, and it will collapse after a few weeks, creating a black hole in the primary universe destroying all of existence.

Donnie goes through the same adventures with a few differences here and there from the original version with the same ending result, only it is much clearer why he does what he does.

I highly recommend this movie to those intelects who like to think about the plot, and to those who like dark comedy, and also to anyone and everyone, for this is truly not a film to be missed.

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