Concerto: One Night in Central Park (2011)

I had to watch it twice to fully let the show sink in as this is a longer and more vocally demanding show compared to his previous Vivere. Some pretty complex opera songs are performed, so take your time to digest this.

Opera buffs would be pleased as Concerto's Act 1 shews more towards classics from Verdi and Puccini with help from guests Bryn Terfel, Ana Maria Martinez, Pretty Yende and the New York Philharmonic.

Act 2 trots out the pop classics such as More with Chris Botti, The Prayer with Celine Dion and New York, New York with Tony Bennett. Andrea Griminelli does a really buzzing The Flight Of The Bumblebee on flute. Italian favourites such as Nel Blu, Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) also got the raincoat clad crowd swinging. It closes with the signature Time To Say Goodbye and then Andrea does the soaring Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot, bringing the show to an explosive climax!

Concerto brings back the wonderful memory of Andrea's show on 8 May 2010 held at Singapore's Botanic Gardens. Special guests include soprano Sabina Cvilak, flutist Anrea Griminelli and singer Delta Goodrem. Eugene Kohn conducted Singapore's Philharmonic Orchestra. Organised by Tan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh, MD of Malaysia's YTL Corp, tickets are free and audience members are picked through ballot. I could not get the tickets to see Andrea directly and had to settle for tickets to see him via video screen. But audiences are treated to complimentary Kentucky Fried Chicken meals and ice cream. The souvenir bag had a programme, a 3 Tenors DVD, raincoats and bottled water among many other things. A truly unforgettable evening!

I highly recommend this DVD. I have other DVD and CD's by him and none have disapointed me. The songs and guests have always been great.

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I can not believe that no one has written a review on this CD! Man, you can just

close your eyes and make believe that Andrea is singing every word to you! His voice

is magnificent, his co-singers are awesome and David Foster is just as perfect as he

always is! This music should be played for every child in pre K to understand the world

has music that is worth more than one lifetime!

Andrea..........I love you and your music!

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It is great to be able to enjoy this wonderful concert over and over again. I would recommend it to all who like music.

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This is a great show, but it has a little too much opera for us. If you like opera, you'll love this; His best stuff for most Americans would be 'Live in Tuscany' or 'Under the Desert Sky' out by Lake Las Vegas. Those two I think are his best, but this one is right up there with them if you like opera.

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The Square (2010)

Had the good fortune to see this in Pittsburgh last night, with a Q&A session with director Nash Edgerton after the film. This is the best thriller I've seen in a very long time -gritty, emotional and incredibly tense. Comparisons with the Coens and their debut 'Blood Simple' are inevitable, but 'The Square' is not a copycat film in any sense. The tension barely lets up during the course of the entire movie, and there's a constant feel of menace, like something really bad is always lurking just around the corner (it usually is).

Performances, direction, screenplay, music -everything is top-shelf here. If you like thrillers this is not to be missed.

Noir films obsess over unintended consequences, on the destruction that may proceed from the slightest failures of foresight or from simple chance. This notion is best illustrated in the literary forebear "The Maltese Falcon," where Spade reflects on Flitcraft, a seemingly normal, happy man who one day abandoned his job and family after nearly being crushed by a falling beam. The truth, Flitcraft realized, was that the seeming solidity of his world was a lie--all could be lost in an instant for no reason at all. So, he abandoned this world, abandoned regularity and left it all behind. In Nash Edgerton's feature debut "The Square," Raymond Yale (David Roberts), an ethically dubious construction manager, decides to begin anew as well, not for any philosophical reasons, but rather because he is tired of his wife or, at least, much more interested in the lovely young Carla Smith (Claire van der Boom [a ridiculous name, even by Dutch standards]), a neighbor from across the cove in their small Australian town. Raymond would actually prefer to simply keep seeing Carla on the side, but Carla wants to escape her loutish, criminal husband Smithy (Anthony Hayes), and gives Raymond an ultimatum. Raymond finally relents, and they decide to fund their escape by relieving Smithy of a few hundred thousand ill-gotten dollars, and covering their theft by hiring the shady Billy (Joel Edgerton, co-writer and brother of Nash) to burn the Smith house while the town collectively takes part in Christmas festivities. This seemingly straightforward plan, however, goes horrifically awry and, in a vision rather more moralistic than that of the Darwinian-minded Hammett, Raymond and Carla soon find that the beams are falling with disturbing regularity. Many viewers will be incredulous that Murphy's Law could be applied with such speed and merciless consistency, but this is part of the film's fun, seeing how everything falls apart so completely. More significantly, while chance is clearly against all those involved, the human motivations remain clear and believable. They repeatedly fall into traps, but we can see how and why they wandered into them.

"The Square" is a somewhat difficult film to review, as the reviewer must reveal little. Many have compensated by comparing it to earlier works, particularly "Blood Simple." This is indeed apt even beyond the obvious fraternal debut collaboration on a severely noir-oriented thriller angle. Significantly, Edgerton and co. take a Coen-esque hyper-cinematic and slightly postmodern approach (though in a non-winking manner), reinforce the drama via delicious black humor, and even the sparse solo piano that often drives the score reminds of "Blood Simple"'s minimalist soundtrack. The Australian setting, however, makes "The Square" stand apart somewhat from its antecedents. Though perhaps I'm alone in this, my exposure to Australian film have given me a quasi-mythical view of the country as being somehow more brutal and raw then the rest of the Anglosphere. This is no doubt hyperbolic if not an utter fabrication, but this vision is reinforced and expanded by "The Square," where this Australian town seems a sort of grotesque recasting of the stereotypical image of the American south, filled with steamy intrigue and hardened rednecks bearing antisocial hair. (The mullet budget on this film must've been enormous.) Thus, it is appropriate and familiar, yet still somehow new. Similarly, Edgerton expands the visual palette, mixing standard noir high-contrast and emphasis on night, shadow and rain with a dusty, gray-brown color scheme that oozes sleaze and treachery. (Indeed the film is so smudged and muted looking that I wondered if the theater had turned down the bulb, though viewing the DVD proved this was not the case.) Despite the low-budget and 16mm film stock, however, the film is quite smooth and professional, filled with terse, hard-edged performances and edited down to a sharp, tightly knit narrative. (This efficiency is made even more evident after viewing the 25 minutes of deleted scenes on the DVD.) The film is not exactly fast-paced, but it has an unrelenting intensity to it--everything seems to matter, and does. (That said, the film still has the odd little touches that make a movie stand out, such as the peculiar subplot about the adulterous pair's similarly enamored pet dogs.)

The main criticism viewers will have of "The Square" is from a human interest angle. There are no heroes, as Raymond is a cheater and corrupt businessman (he receives kickbacks from contractors) even before they embark on the scheme, while Carla is little more than an adulterous cipher. (Quite an attractive one, though. Mentioned that before did I? May well do so again before the review is done.) Though I can't deny that Raymond is a bad guy, I'll admit to sympathizing with him. While films of this sort often suggest that venal sins lead to those of a mortal nature, Raymond doesn't really become more malevolent as the film progresses, but merely has the world collapse around him. As soon as the arson goes awry and Raymond begins receiving mysterious cards demanding cash for silence (but about what? He has many secrets), he is paralyzed, hopeless. Other reviewers have compared the film to a nightmare, the sort where you perform some terrible deed and spend the rest of the dream awaiting and fearing your punishment. (And, of course, failing at simple tasks and having absolutely everything go wrong is another common dream theme.) The resemblance is indeed uncanny, and the dreadful sensation it imbues draws me deep into Raymond's plight even if, objectively speaking, he seems to be asking for some sort of rebuke. (Many others, however, receive rather unwarranted retribution.)

I've been pretty cagey here by necessity, so I'll throw in a few honorifics. In short, "The Square" is the best thriller since "No Country For Old Men" and perhaps the best thrillers of the 00s apart from that film. Discover it now before the other cult film aficionados find it and be hipper than the rest.

Grade: A

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When you are looking for a movie that is a little different and that will keep you interested throughout, but without any big names, this one will do nicely. The movie is a low budget film from Australia directed by Nash Edgerton and it stars his brother Joel Edgerton who also was a writer for this film. I found the acting to be quite good and the plotline was interesting and entertaining. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I don't like to give away plots, so I'll give a quick summary: A contractor is taking bribes from his subcontractor. Meanwhile he is having an affair with woman in the same town. Her husband is close friends with another subcontractor. The woman finds that her husband has a stash of cash and so she and the contractor begin a plan to escape their marriages and their spouses. Thus begins the Manifestation of Murphy's Law.

There are some negatives. The sound is very annoying. The actors are difficult to understand with their Aussie accents and the clarity of the sound makes it doubly difficult to make out all of the conversations. So I missed some of the subtleties. Some of the parts were overplayed at the end particularly.

However, that said, I would definitely recommend this film to anyone that enjoys an edgy, tense drama. There was also a short film prior to the main feature; this was also a Nash Edgerton film. It was terrific and once during The Square, one of those characters makes his way into the emergency room (very Hitchcock like).

I'm giving it a 4 star rating because I enjoyed it; beware, though, my wife would only have given it a 2.5 star rating. But we often do not see eye to eye on movie reviews.

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The story has been painstakingly described by other reviewers, so I will dispense with that formality. The plot was intricately conceived and played out, easily the equal of Blood Simple, A Simple Plan, and other, similar productions by far better-known directors such as Sam Raimi and the Cohen brothers. Indeed, each step in its progression meets the criteria of plausibility. Anyone who yields to the temptation of a seemingly simple, straightforward but illegal path always discovers that it rapidly escalates into a dangerous labyrinth of unforeseen consequences and suffocating guilt. Each new move simply makes the noose a bit tighter. So it was with Raymond and Carla.

But from the first few moments, an issue began nagging at my common sense. What forces could have ever brought this couple together in the first place? Yes, they lived in semi-proximity on opposite sides of an inlet, but what traits did Raymond display at any time which would endear him to a much younger and more attractive woman? He was completely devoid of personality and humor, of meager financial means, physically unimpressive, weak-willed and submissive. Go to a young-singles bar looking and acting like Raymond and you will be going home alone.

Yet, he somehow so excited Carla, who could have her pick of younger and much more attractive men, that she chose to sneak around on her intimidating husband and engage in a risky, tawdry affair in parked cars and motels. If she wanted out of her marriage, why didn't she simply steal the satchel of money and run? Raymond was never portrayed as a dupe, as in Body Heat. Her passion for him is presented as real and unwavering, yet at no time did I honestly sense a real, explicable bond between these characters. For this story to work for me, Raymond would have to possess a lot more charm.

This deficiency detracted from my enjoyment of the movie somewhat and cost it one star. I still highly recommend it, but with a much more dynamic Raymond, it could have been a minor masterpiece.

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Every choice seems fairly reasonable (if not necessarily honorable) at the time but things spin slowly farther and farther out of control. Justly compared to the Cohen Brothers' thrillers. I'll be on the lookout for the Edgerton brothers' next film. The short film "Spider" which precedes "The Square" is a pretty near perfect short; a little morality fable about the unintended consequences of a practical joke.

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Titanic Collector's Edition (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusiv

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE "TITANIC in 3D" MOVIE on BLU RAY ***

Holidaying in Ireland, I happened on the preview day of James Cameron's "Titanic in 3D" at the new Odeon Cinema in The Point Area of Dublin's refurbished docklands (or "The Quays" as they're known locally). We caught the first showing on 5 April 2012 debuting on their all-bells-and-whistles "iSense Screen". "iSense" features razor sharp Real-3D imaging on a gigantic screen with state-of-the-art surround sound. So myself and the two kids popped along donned the crazy specs and started to watch. The sheer spectacle of what came next has prompted me to write this review...

I've seen about 10 films in 3D some like "Despicable Me" have impressed and actually met the hype the rest have either felt gimmicky or a downright hindrance or worse a crass monetary exploitation. Even the new Aardman Animation feature film "The Pirates..." which we'd seen some days earlier is not great in 3D (although it's a top movie and thoroughly recommended). But Cameron's complete reshaping of "Titanic" into a 3D realm is a different beast. It's incredible and at times I was genuinely gobsmacked. I saw the film on its original outing in 1997 (which was a cinematic experience to say the least) and I'd estimate that 65 to 75% of this version has been improved by the 3D process with the remaining portions varying between not changed at all or just slightly better but definitely better.

So what's changed? Scenes that were somehow 'ordinary' before are now 'dimensional' at times you feel you could reach out and actually touch them...

Examples the front railings of the sunken liner at the bottom of the Atlantic at the beginning of the film, the unmanned sub that is filming it then making its way through the insides of the wreck you now feel the machine and its cables the space around it the bubbling of the water the barnacles and silt disturbed to the left and right. When the engine room ship-sized pistons kick into gear as the last boilers are lit their size and power; the drinks glasses on the table at dinner as Bruce Ismay pompously tells of how he arrived at the ship's name they have space around them and you feel you could almost lift them off the tablecloths. Even something as unassuming as Molly Brown's decorative hat as she talks to Jack (at a later dinner table setting) now reaches out of the screen into the aisles with extraordinary depth. Winslet's costumes are glorious too her radiant eyes and lustrous hair. The feeling of sea air and wind on the ship's gangways when Rose and Jack walk and talk and discuss art is accentuated more realistic.

But if I was to note just one scene that sums up how improved this version is it would be the one where Rose tries to kill herself by jumping off the back of the ship. As she steps over the railings and the camera looks down at the cold wash below suddenly the distance and the hugeness of the ship becomes 'real' looking downward and with that added depth you can 'feel' that fall...that freezing water below...

The sound is huge too groaning steel creaking wood the water crashing out of the screen right into your face as it floods corridors...

There were occasions where 3D didn't work where the effect was detrimental rather than an enhancement the boarding of the great ship at Southampton was one scene where too much was going on in the crowd sequences for the 3D to catch up. Other offences would be that one character on screen would be razor-sharp image-wise (usually the one talking) while those beside them or to the left of them would be slightly blurred. But these were rare.

What you also forget is what an incredible movie "Titanic" is. Like that other maverick filmmaker Ridley Scott ("Blade Runner", "Gladiator" and "The Kingdom Of Heaven") James Cameron isn't afraid of spectacle he embraces it. He brings it to the screen with bravado and a passion for 'detail' that few have matched. His new 3D rendering of "Titanic" is the same it seems like he's worked everything to give you the viewer as much as possible or at least more than you saw the last time. And when the actual sinking finally comes in the early hours of 15 April 1912 the horror and heartbreak still has the power to make your heart race and bring a tear to the eye. Captain Smith holding the wheel as the ocean crashes through the glass into the bridge area, the ship's funnel that breaks loose and collapses on the bodies below, the propellers rising out of the water, bodies bouncing off the ship's steel structures as the huge hull rises up and they slide downwards to their death the camera panning back as Rose emerges from the swell to an ocean of bodies flaying about in the agony of the icy Atlantic the guilty faces on the lucky ones in the boats that got away hearing their screams and cries for help yet not going back for survivors and knowing they should...

Cameron's version of the sad tale has heart too through all that technical excellence it doesn't forget to show and somehow respect the human cost. There's the rage and helplessness of the third class passengers locked into steerage below while the 'quality' on the decks above get the 'priority' placing in the lifeboats their tickets paid for the band unselfishly playing "Nearer My God To Thee" as the ship goes down by the head, the priest praying with terrified passengers trying to give them strength, the elderly couple holding each other tightly on the bed as the sea floods their cabin the Irish mum telling her two children of 'Tir na N'Og' the mythical 'land of the young' as the inevitable closes in around her beloved...

Then of course there's the cast Bill Paxton as the obsessed present-day treasure-seeker, Gloria Stuart as the elderly Rose recounting the tragedy to an enrapt crew, Jonathan Hyde as Bruce Ismay the White Star Line egotist who ordered the number of lifeboats to be reduced from 48 to 16 (compliant with Board of Trade laws at the time) so as not to clutter up the promenade decks for the first-class passengers and then once onboard practically ordering Captain Smith to open all engines to full speed ahead despite the danger (only to save himself in one of the last lifeboats an act infamous now in history). Frances Fisher is Rose's social-climbing mum, Billy Zane as Rose's manipulative and jealous boor of a fiancé, David Warner as his dastardly man-servant, Bernard Hill as the overwhelmed and ill-fated Captain Smith, 'new money' Kathy Bates as the 'unsinkable' Molly Brown all of them exemplary. Victor Garber adds huge gravitas too as the ship's architect Thomas Andrews a decent man grappling with his thoughts as it all falls apart around him (his dialogue titles this review).

But the movie belongs to its two young leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose a 17-year-old lady of art and means who falls in love with a 20-year old street-rat who paints to survive. While DiCaprio is good and couldn't go anywhere for a few years due to screaming girls (he was 22 at the time) it's Winslet who impresses the most. She is sensational in the role voluptuous, ballsy and humane. She also exudes an acting confidence that is staggering for a 21-year-old. In my book only Kiera Knightley gets this close to that kind of inner belief.

With regard to the 3D Film on BLU RAY (Sept 2012) it arrives in multiple versions a 2D Standard Blu Ray set, this 4-disc 3D version and a DELUXE BOX SET with memorabilia. There are 6 hours of extras, over 25 deleted scenes and endless in-depth interviews. It's a feast of detail. And there's also no doubt in my mind that Cameron has given '3D' a huge boost with this extraordinary rendering of his 1997 classic...

To sum up even if you don't want to see this film again and suffer through that dreadful Celine Dion schlock song at the end think of James Cameron's "Titanic in 3D" as sheer cinematic spectacle. My kids are 18 and 14 and given that their generation is so easily bored and their timespan for attention virtually nil they didn't notice the three-hours-plus playing time go by. In fact my son Sean announced at the end "...that was a great film Dad...really good." I could see it in his young face he was genuinely moved by what he'd just seen.

Praise indeed.

We all know the story so my review is for the quality of the blu ray (image quality) and 3D. The quality of the image is very impressive. The colors are vivid, a lot of contrast, very clear picture. It's hard to believe that this movie was converted from 2D to 3D because the 3D effect is one of the best I've ever seen. There was no noticeable ghosting. I had seen the 3D version of this movie in the theatre and thought it was good. However, it is even more impressive on my 3D TV (47 inch LG). The characters often appear to be with me in the room, they pop out of the screen. There is a lot of depth throughout the movie, which is also visable in darker scenes. The picture is amazing. You get the feeling that you are in the movie...when the boat sinks, you feel as if you're part of the action. I was very impressed with the quality of the 3D. I would recommend this to anyone who owns a 3D TV...worth every penny!

Buy Titanic Collector's Edition (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusiv Now

Finally, the most successful film in the film history gets the dvd treatment it deserves, bringing much respite to the fans all the over the world. Previously available barebones edition dvd has been replaced with a 3disc collector's edition dvd set, loaded with all those great never before seen stuff.

Here's what one can look forward to in this edition:

New high definition digital transfer with the main feature spread over two discs to get the highest possible picture and sound quality...and thankfully it does include DTS6.1 ES track!!!

Never before seen footage (approximately 58 minutes, alongwith the main film but it will be available through branching option on the disc unlike LOTR EXTENDED editions!!)

All-new making-of featurettes which will include time lapse footage of the massive set and studio construction.

Incredible Alternate Ending "Brock's Epiphany"

29 Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary which include romantic moments between jack and rose and historical and action shots as well!!

Commentary by Academy Award-Winning Director James Cameron

Cast and Crew Commentaries by Stars Kate Winslet and Gloria Stuart and Oscar-Winning Producer Jon Landau and Executive Producer Rae Sanchini

Historical Commentary

Visual Effects Breakdown of the Unforgettable Stunts

Music Video "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion

...and much more!!

Titanic collector's edition is a dream come true not just for all those titanic fans out there but it will be a jewel in any dvd collection!!

AND LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT THE LEAST.......if you own a multi-region dvd player or watch dvds from all regions on your DVD ROM, then you have an option of buying from amazon UK where you can choose between the two disc and the four disc set!!

Read Best Reviews of Titanic Collector's Edition (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusiv Here

Having garnered 11 Academy Awards in 1998, a reported production budget of over US$200 million (thus making news headlines in 1997) and earning over US$1 billion in box-office receipts worldwide (quite a percentage of those are due to repeated theatrical viewings), Titanic (1997) has finally been given the enhanced DVD edition many have been looking for.

Having "suffered" a mediocre vanilla (single) DVD release in 1999, the title has finally been given better treatment (better film-to-video transfer and extensive bonus materials) by Paramount Home Entertainment for Region 1 or regions using the NTSC video system and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (Other regions or regions using the PAL video system) before 2005 ends.

Paramount Home Entertainment will be releasing a single 3-disc Special Collector's Edition (SCE) for Region 1 (US) whilst Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will be releasing 2 editions: 2-disc Special Edition (SE) and 4-disc Deluxe/Definitive Collector's Edition (DCE) for the international markets.

DVD Release Dates Table for the 3-disc SCE for Region 1 and 4-disc DCE for Region 2 / Region 4.

Region 1

Editions

3-disc SCE

Release Dates

25 Oct 05 (U.S.)

8 Oct 05 (Japan and Korea)

25 Oct 05 (Canada)

Region 2 / Region 4

Editions

2-disc SE

4-disc DCE

Release Dates

8 Nov 05 (UK)

21 Oct 05 (Mexico)

27 Oct 05 (Sweden)

28 Oct 05 (Italy)

11 Nov 05 (Brazil)

30 Nov 05 (France)

30 Nov 05 (Australia)

30 Nov 05 (Netherlands)

30 Nov 05 (Belgium)

1 Dec 05 (Germany and Spain)

On Disc 1 & 2 of 2-disc SE (R2/R4), 3-disc SCE (R1) and 4-disc DCE (R2/R4)

The feature film Titanic (1997) will be split onto first 2 discs (as per LOTR Special Extended Edition sets) when the enhanced DVD edition is release during the months of Oct Dec 05 worldwide due to the limitation of the DVD format.

For all editions of all regions, the feature film (HD transfer) is presented in 16 x 9 Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35 : 1) with the usual Dolby Digital Surround EX 5.1 soundtrack, there is also the DTS-ES 6.1 soundtrack included. Hopefully, the part of the feature film on the first disc ends on the appropriate scene for a short toilet/snack break.

note: the behind the scenes branching option means when you're viewing the film a little icon will appear at the bottom of the screen allowing you to jump to that part of the film to see how they done that.

The bonus materials included in the first 2 discs of the DVD set (Applicable for all regions) are listed as follows:

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES WITH

DIRECTOR, JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 194m 46s)

CAST (Kate Winslet & Gloria Stuart) AND CREW (Producer Jon Landau and Executive Producer Rae Sanchini) (Run Time 153m 47s)

HISTORICAL LOOK ON TITANIC BY DON LYNCH & KEN MARSCHALL (Run Time 194 min 46s)

BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE VIA BRANCHING (Run Time 62m 16s) / Spread over first 2 feature discs.

POD 01 DEEP DIVE

POD 02 UPSIDE-DOWN WRECK MINIATURE

POD 03 ESCONDIDO UNDERWATER SET

POD 04 TWO ROSES

POD 05 SINKING SIMULATION

POD 06 1912 MORPH TRANSITION VFX

POD 07 SOUTHAMPTON FLOP

POD 08 A VIEW FROM THE PUB VFX

POD 09 LEAVING PORT VFX

POD 10 MELTING POT

POD 11 THE MILLIONAIRE'S SUITE

POD 12 THE ENGINE ROOM

POD 13 TITANIC AT SEA

POD 14 DIGITAL PEOPLE

POD 15 THE MILLION DOLLAR SHOT

POD 16 THE BIG EXTERIOR SHIP SET

POD 17 ROSE SUICIDE

POD 18 BIG SHIP SET VFX

POD 19 TUX STORY

POD 20 THE GRAND STAIRCASE

POD 21 COSTUME DESIGN

POD 22 FIRST CLASS DINING ROOM

POD 23 DINNER SHOOT

POD 24 THIRD CLASS PARTY

POD 25 A WOMAN'S PLACE

POD 26 THE ETIQUETTE KID

POD 27 THE BOILER ROOM

POD 28 FLOODING HOLD MINIATURE

POD 29 ICEBERG/DECK VFX

POD 30 BOILER ROOM FLOODING

POD 31 FIRST CLASS LOUNGE MINIATURE

POD 32 SHOOTING IN STEERAGE

POD 33 KATE'S ACTION COSTUME

POD 34 CRANE AS HELICOPTER

POD 35 LIFEBOATS 13 & 15

POD 36 FLOODED FIRST CLASS DINING ROOM

POD 37 STAGE 2 SINKING SET

POD 38 FAKING A TILT

POD 39 THE SINKING RISER

POD 40 SHIP EXTENSIONS

POD 41 FALLING FUNNEL

POD 42 GRAND STAIRCASE FLOODING

POD 43 MINIATURE HALL FLOODING

POD 44 JUMPING STUNTS

POD 45 TILTING POOP DECK

POD 46 DECK SLIDERS

POD 47 DIGITAL STUNT PEOPLE

POD 48 SINKING VIDEOMATIC

POD 49 SHIP SPLIT MINIATURE

POD 50 VERTICAL POOP DECK STUNTS

POD 51 THE TOILET PAPER SHOT

POD 52 FINAL PLUNGE VFX

POD 53 UNDERWATER GREENSCREEN

POD 54 INTERIOR TANK SHOOT

POD 55 BREATH SHOTS

POD 56 EXTERIOR TANK SHOOT

POD 57 ICE MAKEUP

POD 58 OPEN LIFEBOATS AND THE CARPATHIA

POD 59 CARPATHIA MEDAL

POD 60 THE FINAL SHOT

POD 61 MAKING THE MUSIC VIDEO

MY HEART WILL GO ON MUSIC VIDEO (Run Time 4m 42s)

ALTERNATE ENDING "BROCK'S EPIPHANY" WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 9m 15s)

Bonus Materials on Disc 3 (R1) and Disc 3 or 4 (R2/R4)

note: The film itself was suppose to run for 5 hours and 20 minutes but over 147 minutes had to be cut down for pacing. The 29 deleted scenes + the alternate ending were originally meant to be in the final cut of the film. Unfortunately were deleted before its release.

29 DELETED SCENES (COMPLETE SCENES WITH FINISHED EFFECTS) WITH OPTIONAL AUDIO COMMENTARY (Run Time 45m 57s)

#1 I'LL BE THE FIRST

#2 ROSE FEELS TRAPPED

#3 BROCK'S DILEMMA/ ROSE VISITS THIRD CLASS

#4 ROSE'S DREAMS

#5 COME JOSEPHINE...

#6 EXTENDED SNEAKING TO FIRST CLASS

#7 EXTENDED ESCAPE FROM LOVEJOY

#8 A KISS IN THE BOILER ROOM

#9 WIRELESS ROOM/ THE CALIFORNIAN

#10 HOW 'BOUT A LITTLE ICE?

#11 FLIRTING WITH ICE

#12 THE FIRST S.O.S.

#13 ISMAY PANICS

#14 MOLLY BROWN'S ROWING SCHOOL

#15 IRISH HOSPITALITY

#16 IDA STRAUS WON'T LEAVE

#17 FAREWELL TO HELGA

#18 BOAT SIX WON'T RETURN

#19 RELEASE THE HOUNDS

#20 ROSE GETS A HUSBAND'S LETTER

#21 JACK AND LOVEJOY FIGHT

#22 GUGGENHEIM AND ASTOR

#23 I'M NOT GOING

#24 CORA'S FATE

#25 EXTENDED JACK AND ROSE IN THE WATER

#26 OUT OF THE QUESTION

#27 HOW DARE YOU!

#28 CHINESE MAN RESCUE

#29 EXTENDED CARPATHIA SEQUENCE

1912 NEWS REEL WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY ED MARSH (Run Time 2m 11s)

CONSTRUCTION TIMELAPSE SEQUENCE WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY ED MARSH (Run Time 4m 19s)

DEEP DIVE PRESENTATION NARRATED BY JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 15m 29s )

TITANIC CREW VIDEO (Run Time 17m 26s)

A SHIP'S ODYSSEY (THE TITANIC CREW VIDEO)

SHIP'S TOUR MONTAGE WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY ANDERS FALK (Run Time 7m 33s)

VIDEOMATICS AND VFX (Run Time 8m 38s)

VIDEOMATICS INTRODUCTION

SINKING SEQUENCE

DEEP DIVE

VFX SHOT BREAKDOWN: "ENGINE ROOM"

VFX HOW-TO FOR "I'M FLYING"

VFX HOW-TO FOR "FIRST CLASS LOUNGE"

TITANIC SINKING SIMULATION

STILL GALLERIES

TITANIC SCRIPTMENT

STORYBOARD SEQUENCES

PRODUCTION ARTWORK

PHOTOGRAPHS

KEN MARSCHALL'S PAINTING GALLERY

BY THE NUMBERS

BIBILOGRAPHY

BREAKING NEW GROUND THE MAKING OF TITANIC TV Special (Run Time 42m 50s)

TITANIC FEATURETTES ELETRONIC PRESS KIT (Run Time 18m 10s)

NEWSPOD #1: STORY FOCUS

NEWSPOD #2: ACTOR FOCUS

NEWSPOD #3: BUILDING THE SHIP

NEWSPOD #4: POPULATING THE SHIP

NEWSPOD #5: SINKING THE SHIP

NEWSPOD #6: JAMES CAMERON FOCUS

NEWSPOD #7: DEEP DIVE FOCUS

CONCEPT POSTERS AND ONE SHEETS

Bonus Materials Exclusive to 4-Disc (R2/R4) Release Not Applicable for Region 1 Release

HBO FIRST LOOK THE HEART OF THE OCEAN (Run Time 27m 30s)

TITANIC IN 30 SECONDS WITH BUNNIES (Run Time 0m 47s)

MTV MOVIE AWARDS TITANIC SKIT (Run Time 4m 21s)

TITANIC (1997) S.E. EASTER EGG SNL SKIT WITH BILL PAXTON AND JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 4m 47s)

TRAILERS & TEASERS IN WIDESCREEN OR FULL FRAME (Approximately 25 minutes)

TITANIC TV SPOTS IN FULL FRAME (Run Time 5m 26s)

DESTINY

OPPOSITE WORLDS

KNOW THE LEGEND

NOTHING YOU EXPECT

HEART WILL GO ON

SEE IT AGAIN:15

HONORED

TITANIC SINKING SIMMULATION

RTLT TV SPOT GERMAN

SOUND QUALITY

2-DISC SET 2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND WITH DTS

3-DISC SET 2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND WITH DTS

4-DISC SET 2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND WITH DTS

PICTURE QUALITY

2-DISC SET WIDESCREEN ANAMORPHIC 2.35:1

3-DISC SET WIDESCREEN ANAMORPHIC 2.35:1

4-DISC SET WIDESCREEN ANAMORPHIC 2.35:1

SPECIAL FEATURES for the 2-DISC & 3-DISC & 4-DISC EDITIONS

TITANIC SPECIAL EDITION 2-DISC SET

The movie itself on disc 1 & 2

3 all new commentaries

POD Behind the Scenes branching option

"My Heart Will Go On" music video

All new nine minute Alternate Ending: Brock's Epiphany

2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 dolby digital surround sound with DTS

2.35:1 Widescreen Anamorphic

TITANIC SPECIAL EDITION 3-DISC SET

The movie itself on disc 1 & 2

3 all new commentaries

POD Behind the Scenes branching option

"My Heart Will Go On" music video

All new nine minute Alternate Ending: Brock's Epiphany

29 deleted scenes with optional commentary

Production and special effects featurettes

"Breaking New Ground" TV speicial

Visual effects breakdown of the stunts

Construction Timelapse with Optional Commentary

Titanic Ship's Tour with Optional Commentary

Easter Eggs

Still Galleries

Visual Effects

Videomatics

Titanic Crew Video

Deep Dive Presentation

1912 Newsreel with optional commentary

2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 dolby digital surround sound with DTS

2.35:1 Widescreen Anamorphic

TITANIC DELUXE COLLECTOR'S EDITION 4-DISC SET

The movie itself on disc 1 & 2

3 all new commentaries

POD Behind the Scenes branching option

"My Heart Will Go On" music video

All new nine minute Alternate Ending: Brock's Epiphany

29 deleted scenes with optional commentary

Production and special effects featurettes

"Breaking New Ground" TV speicial

Visual effects breakdown of the stunts

Construction Timelapse with Optional Commentary

Titanic Ship's Tour with Optional Commentary

Easter Eggs

Still Galleries

Visual Effects

Videomatics

Titanic Crew Video

Deep Dive Presentation

1912 Newsreel with optional commentary

HBO "Heart Of The Ocean" documentry

3 TITANIC parodies

15 trailers and TV spots

2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 dolby digital surround sound with DTS

2.35:1 Widescreen Anamorphic

Want Titanic Collector's Edition (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusiv Discount?

The 3rd disc has 3 hidden easter eggs and here is how to find them:

SNL Skit: Go to Deleted Scenes and the last page with Chapter 29. Move the cursor so the picture for Chapter 29 is highlighted in an orange border. Hit the RIGHT cursor (nothing will happen) and then the DOWN cursor and the faint couple near the bottom will highlighted in a white border.

MTV Skit: Go to the Marketing Menu and highlight "Fox Special: Breaking New Ground". Hit the RIGHT cursor (nothing will happen) and then the DOWN cursor and the newspaper in the lower right of the screen will be highlighted in a yellowish border.

Titanic in 30 Seconds with Bunnies: Go to Special Features, then Still Galleries, then Production Artwork. Move the cursor RIGHT until "View Entire Gallery" is underlined. Hit the UP cursor TWICE until the blue arrow in the middle of the screen is highlighted.

These are really great and you will be very happy to see them!! :) :) :)

Attack Of La Nina Blu-Ray Version (2012)

Great footage and excellent sound track. A real crowd pleaser, I show it over and over. Top shelf in my collection.

it's entertaining, has good music and great stunts. It's a natural ski cabin movie for the entire group to enjoy!!

Buy Attack Of La Nina Blu-Ray Version (2012) Now

This dvd blew me away! The pillows were just insane. This is my favorite ski dvd in my colection now.

Read Best Reviews of Attack Of La Nina Blu-Ray Version (2012) Here

Really good segments. Soundtrack was okay. Venues were great. Good humor. Great hucks. Classic ski porn. Sean Petit is awesome. Hoji my favorite. Would like to see Ingrid naked:-)

Want Attack Of La Nina Blu-Ray Version (2012) Discount?

It is am amazing movie!!! If you like skiing, you will enjoy it!!! Outstanding skiers and outstanding movie-makers! I love it!

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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane: 50th Anniversary (2012)

I decided to include this description in case Amazon doesn't put it up right away. Here is what is included on the new 'Baby Jane' Special Edition DVD due out May 30th, 2006!

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) The legendary dispute between rival divas Bette Davis and Joan Crawford fuelled the fire both onand off-screen in Director Robert Aldrich's Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Its Grand Guignol story of an aging ex-vaudeville child star (Davis) waging a psychotic reign of terror over her crippled ex-movie star sister (Crawford) became a smash hit and nabbed Davis her 10th Academy Award nomination for her acid portrayal of the title role. Nominated for an impressive five Academy Awards (winning for Best Costume Design), Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? is a mirthful masterpiece of the macabre.

DVD Special Features:

New 16x9 digital transfer from the original camera negative and restored audio elements (Enhanced for widescreen televisions)

Commentary by author and film historian , Charles Busch and film historian John Epperson (a/k/a "Lypsinka")

3 fabulous documentary profiles of the movie and its 2 immortal stars:

Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition (A new making-of documentary)

All About Bette, Biographical profile, hosted by Jodie Foster

Film Profile: Joan Crawford

Vintage featurette "Behind the Scenes with Baby Jane"

The Andy Williams Show

Theatrical Trailer

Languages: English & Français

Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)

Oh yeah! I've been waiting quite awhile to partake in this slab of metaphysical weirdness! Needless to say, "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" is everything you've heard and more. People went back and forth, frothing at the mouth in anticipation of a Freddy Krueger versus Jason Voorhees duel in "Freddy vs. Jason," but if you want the real deal all you need do is check out Joan Crawford versus Bette Davis. By all accounts sworn enemies in real life, "Baby Jane" finally brought the two powerhouses together for a knock down, drag out fight of epic proportions in a movie that is so utterly insane it really does defy description. Every thing I will write about the film below won't do it justice. I imagine this movie is a lot like the Taj Mahal or the Grand Canyon--you can look at pictures and say "Wow! That looks incredible," but a two dimensional photographic image won't give you the full effect. You've got to go there to appreciate such natural wonders, and you'll have to rent or buy this DVD to appreciate the wonder of Bette Davis on autocamp as a former child star grown up into, well, read on and see.

Jane Hudson (Bette Davis) had it all when she was a child. A hit song insured that big audiences turned out to see her perform on the stage. Unfortunately, little Jane suffered from an ego the approximate size of Wyoming, an ego that resulted in temper tantrums with her parents and her sister Blanche (Joan Crawford). Eventually her raging sense of self torpedoed her career even as her sister's began to soar when the film industry blossomed. Jane Hudson sank into obscurity, liquor, cigarettes, and a monstrous case of mental illness that greatly accelerated when a tragic accident put Blanche in a wheelchair for life. Now the two sisters live together in a decrepit house reminiscing about the old days. Well, at least Blanche reminisces. Jane Hudson spends her time stalking around the house in pancake makeup and a gossamer gown now tattered and spattered, spewing sarcasm and veiled threats at her sister, the neighbors, and the maid who arrives once a week to see how things are going. Hudson still thinks it's possible to resurrect her long dead celebrity if only she can figure out a way to rid herself of the onerous burden that is Blanche. Obviously, she finds a way. She begins tormenting her sister by placing disgusting things in her food and making her sound crazy to outsiders. When that fails to work fast enough, she resorts to out and out physical violence.

With Blanche under lock and key in a bedroom upstairs, Jane begins the rigorous training all performers undertake to return to greatness. She hires a down and out musician by the name of Edwin Flagg (Victor Buono) to drop by the house for voice and dance lessons. Now the real insanity starts as Hudson rapidly devolves back into her childhood persona. She prances about the house singing her old musical numbers, giving it her all without realizing how incredibly grotesque the idea of an elderly woman imitating a child is. Flagg thinks Jane is crackers, and he's right more than he could possibly know, but a paycheck is a paycheck. Until he finds out what is going on in a bedroom upstairs, that is. Faced with the distasteful presence of the local constabulary and the probability of a lot of probing questions about what's been going on between the two sisters, Hudson packs Blanche in the car for a trip to the beach. I won't spoil the conclusion of this cult classic for you, but let's just say a startling revelation at the seashore proves to be the straw that finally pushes poor Jane Hudson over the edge. The denouement is upsetting, the sort of ending that has you putting your hand to your mouth in a "oh my" gesture.

"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" is a masterpiece of casting, directing, and performing. The idea of putting these two lionesses of the silver screen in the same picture was a stroke of genius on the part of director Robert Aldrich, although many questioned his sanity for making such a decision. Wouldn't the two actresses tear each other apart on set? Apparently not, but there were a few confrontations--including a thrown back and some real kicks delivered in a certain scene--and sniping that hinted at the turmoil just under the surface. Aldrich moved forward, crafting a film that is both claustrophobic in its set pieces and one that uses the black and white photography to great advantage. The film really succeeds, however, because of Bette Davis. She blows Joan Crawford out of the water in this movie, although to be fair Davis from the start had the meatier role. Her garish appearance and screeching voice deliver the chills to the nth degree, and her progressive decline into total insanity is shocking and absolutely convincing. Davis was nominated for an Academy Award for her disturbing portrayal of Jane Hudson, and rightfully so. She should have won. I've seen hundreds if not thousands of horror films, and Davis's Jane Hudson ranks as one of the most disturbing characters I have witnessed in any of them.

Sadly, the DVD doesn't give us much in the way of extras aside from cast and crew biographies and a few pages of text describing the production. Then again, it's unlikely we would hear about the movie from the primary figures involved in its production since they are all long dead. Perhaps a commentary track with a film historian or a similar person could have been put on the disc; I know of other films that do this. Anyway, if you haven't seen this film you've got to run, not walk, to get a copy. It's that good, it's that disturbing, and it's that memorable.

Buy What Ever Happened to Baby Jane: 50th Anniversary (2012) Now

This is one great movie! "What Ever Happened to BabyJane?" is, as stated in Amazon's description, the story of twoaging sisters, each in her own way connected with show business.

Now the good stuff. The sisters are played by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (the only time the two ever acted together) to absolute perfection. Crawford is wonderful in the role of crippled sister Blanche, but Miss Davis absolutely walks away with the show as the former "Baby" Jane Hudson. The role is meatly and she revels in it! It is obvious that Miss Davis held the philosophy that, if you are going to go over-the-top, don't apologize. And she doesn't. She goes WAY over-the-top with a gleeful abandon that is infectious.

The way she taunts her wheelchair-bound sister (the title quotes one of Jane's best lines), serves her meals of dead rodents and ex-pets, kicks her in the gut, mocks her ever-so-proper speech, etc. It's all so delicious. And check out the ballet that she does to one of the songs from her childhood vaudeville act. Bette Davis was obviously having the time of her life, and so do the viewers of this classic.

For the DVD edition, there are disappointingly few extras, but Davis is credited with developing the absolutely hideous hair and makeup combinations she sports while slouching about the house in her scuffs and house coat (Director Robert Aldrich said that, while he loved the look, he never would have had the nerve to suggest such a thing to Bette Davis).

Joan Crawford was in fine form, as well. But for Jane to be able to be credible doing the things she did, Blanche had to be the "straight man". Crawford or Aldrich knew this and Blanche behaves accordingly. Consequently, it is Bette Davis' Jane who has the best lines and the showier part in general.

If you have never seen this movie, get it. If you have, go back and visit the Hudson sisters again. Then you might want to write a letter to YOUR daddy.

Read Best Reviews of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane: 50th Anniversary (2012) Here

Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" opened the floodgates for low-budget black-and-white psychological shockers in the early 1960s. William Castle's "Homicidal", Hammer Films' "Paranoiac" and "Nightmare", and Francis Ford Coppola's "Dementia 13" were just a few of these gritty and grisly films. Robert Aldrich, known for making rather macho films such as "Kiss Me Deadly", decided to produce a film based on Henry Farrell's book "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and had a gimmick of his own that gave Hitchcock and Castle a run for their money: he cast 2 legendary Oscar-winning actresses whose "glory days" were, for the most part, behind them...Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Davis' and Crawford's careers had fallen on hard times, and the two, to put it mildly, detested each other. Who better to play a crippled, former glamourous movie star and her sister, an alcoholic, demented, former vaudeville child star? Miss Davis gives one of her most outrageous performances as Baby Jane Hudson, chewing the scenery with relish and looking almost unbearably ugly (Miss Davis, in her own words, "Laid the makeup on with a shovel"), wears unflattering, grotesque outfits (deliberately made a half-size too small to emphasize her dumpy figure) and a blonde Mary Pickford-style wig, which, unknown to her, had been worn by Miss Crawford in one of her early MGM films! Miss Crawford plays her role of Blanche Hudson with equal gusto, suffering and emoting grandly, as if her very life depended on it. This is a grande dame battle royale, there's no mistaking it! "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" became a smash hit, garnered Davis an Oscar nomination, and launched a new trend of films which starred older actresses in a variety of low-budget shockers. DeHavilland, Stanwyck, Fontaine, and Tallulah Bankhead all went the "horror hag" route. Warner Brothers has reissued "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" in a special 2-disc edition, and is a real treat for Davis and Crawford fans. The film itself looks wonderful, with excellent picture and sound quality. The extras? They are a-plenty, tho THIS hag wishes there had been even more! A new documentary entitled "Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition", features interviews with various film scholars and biographers, including the brilliant drag artiste/playwright John "Lypsinka" Epperson, and actor/playwright Charles Busch. The other features include the Turner documentary "All About Bette", hosted by Jodie Foster; a segment from "The Andy Williams Show" featuring Miss Davis singing "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" (in which she looks like female impersonator Charles Pierce!); "Star Profile: Joan Crawford", an interview for British TV filmed at the time Miss Crawford was filming "Berserk!"; and a short feature entitled "Behind the scenes of Baby Jane", made during the filming. Also on the DVD is an audio commentary by Mr Epperson and Mr. Busch, who provide a lot of witty and interesting anecdotes concerning the film. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were larger-than-life ladies who had long careers in a male-dominated industry. They had drive, talent, and b***s. And so, my hat's off to both of them, they should be happy to know that they're still famous, and people are still watching their movies and getting immense enjoyment from them...and that's not even including the "straight" people!

Want What Ever Happened to Baby Jane: 50th Anniversary (2012) Discount?

In "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?" you really DO find out, indeed!

But what horrors you have to endure to see the truth and consequences! With twists, turns, torture & anti-climactic scenes all played to the hilt by the Miss Hudsons (Bette Davis and Joan Crawford), respectively, you will never be able to look at your pet parakeet the same way again.

Miss Baby Jane Hudson, played with great, grotesque gusto by Davis who was once the belle of the ball. Kind of a Shirley Temple of her era. Baby Jane was daddy's girl and Jane, therefore, has quite an Electra complex that is and has been exhibited her entire life.

Her sister, Miss Blanche Hudson, played "aptly and sapply" by Crawford, has a long and lasting career as an adult movie star but is now wheelchair bound because of a little "accident" betwixt the sisters many years back. Jane is the caretaker of Blanche since the "accident" and they both live off of the residuals of Blanche's long and prosperous film career before she became crippled.

After a local California TV station decides to run summer afternoon, back to back Blanche Hudson films, Baby Jane gets that ol' jealous feeling brewing again and wants desparately to revitalize her childhood career. Baby Jane hires pianist from the classifieds, Mr. Edward Flagg, played in a great understated role by Victor Buono, who has his own Oedipal yearnings and problems. They make a great and perfect pair of drunks and crazies, let me tell ya.

Jane is certainly unstable and is likened to a gin and vodka guzzling 60 year old broad with a six year old spoiled brat mentality. SCARY combo, right there! Let alone Jane's guilt of the "accident", her shameless jealousy, and her expressions of the antithesis of "SISTERLY LOVE".

Filmed in glorious black and white, it lends itself to the dark, somber and horrific things that happen to Blanche vis-a-vis Jane...

"Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" is a cult classic and a true and genuine classic in it's own right.

Happy Watching!

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Smiles of a Summer Night (The Criterion Collection) (1955)

This was director Ingmar Bergman's break-through film, the winner of the 1956 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the first of his many internationally acclaimed films. The story is a time honored one, referrencing the same tradition of romantic complications found in Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and Rostand's LA RONDE: every one is either in love with or married to the wrong person.

A famous actress with two very different lovers invites both, their wives, and the son of one lover to her mother's country estate in the hope of sorting out the romantic entanglements to her satisfaction--and the result is considerable charm and unexpectedly dry wit. All the performances are excellent, with Eva Dahlbeck's Desiree a standout, but the real star of this ensemble piece is the unexpectedly witty script. Never quite veering over into broad farce but never sinking into romantic sentimentality, it is a very precisely written tale, and both cast and director make the most of it.

In the face of Bergman's later work, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT may seem rather slight, and indeed both psychology and cinematography is considerably less complex than one expects. Even so, it is very much a Bergman film: the visual style is distinct, and the themes of appearances vs. reality, the inability to correctly interpret another's behavior, and the failure to understand one's self are very much in evidence--only here to comic effect. It is in every way a charming film that Bergman fans will enjoy.

Incidently, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT was successfully translated to the stage as the musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, the score of which includes the famous "Send In The Clowns." Fans of the original film will be interested to compare the two works.

Fredrick Egerman (Gunnar Bjornstrand) is a forty-something lawyer of precise calculation, a bit of a dandy among the mercantile. He has a young wife Anne (the very pretty Ulla Jacobsson) whom he married when she was sixteen, but somehow never got around to unintacting her virgo. He has a sometime mistress Desirée Armfeldt (the voluptuous Eva Dahlbeck) from whom he has recently been estranged. He has a son Henrik (Bjorn Bjelvenstam) full of angst and love's confusion who lusts after the saucy maid Petra (a blonde Harriet Andersson) while he studies theology and his father's wife.

The night for Fredrick and Anne (after a Platonic nap during which Fredrick inadvertently pronounces Desirée's name) begins with the theater; and who should be starring in the production but Desirée. Anne suddenly takes ill and they rush home. Fredrick now steals away to see Desirée. After a pratfall in some water he ends up in some night clothes that belong to Desirée's current lover, the militaristic Count Malcolm (Jarl Kulle as a sprung-steel bantam) who, as it happens, arrives upon the scene much to the merriment of Desirée and to the embarrassment of Fredrick.

The culmination of love's labors and intrigues takes place at the chateau of Desirée's mother, Mrs. Armfeldt (Naima Wifstrand). The action includes a most amusing duel, some hanky-panky atop a haystack, musical beds, an attempted suicide, some Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (if I caught the label right), the amorous kiss of young lovers, the triumph of the fairer sex, and the very proper lawyer's final humiliation.

If you haven't seen Smiles of a Summer Night you are in for a rare treat: a comedy by Ingmar Bergman. And it is no ordinary comedy. Shakespearean and Oscar Wilde-like in its sharp, satirical (and oh so worldly wise) dialogue, this playful romp with the Swedish landed gentry and servants of a hundred years ago is a delight that will satisfy the most sophisticated viewer as well as the most middlebrow.

Owing something to the French farcical tradition (in particular Molière), to light opera (maybe Mozart), and even the Greek theater, Bergman's romantic comedy sparkles with love's intrigues and pratfalls. According to Pauline Kael, whose review is part of a 24-page booklet that comes with the Criterion Collection DVD, Bergman had just finished directing a stage production of The Merry Widow which accounts in part for the fin-de-siècle setting and the genteel treatment that he finally settled upon for his comedy of manners. Also I think this examination and satire of the class structure with hilarious asides on the foibles of human nature owes something to Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest which was set in approximately the same time period and had a similar cast of characters including a Grand Dame, an ingenue, some rustics, a clergyman, but most directly in the fact that both Wilde and Bergman aim their sardonic wit directly at the burghers and the bourgeois. Bohemians need not apply. Indeed the closest thing to a Bohemian in the play is the actress Desirée who is the very calculating and dominate personage of the film.

By the way, Bergman's future protege, Bibi Andersson, does appear in this movie, but only for a moment as an actress on stage at the theater.

The final, cynical bemusement comes as one reconsiders who ends up with whom. Not to spoil the plot, but notice that in every case there is something less than perfect in each romantic partnership, something slightly amiss that may cause problems down the road, something unsettled that suggests that nothing has really changed. As the French say, the more things change, the more they remain the same. It is this ironic underpinning to this delightful comedy that lends to it something of the timeless. Bergman is good at that.

Buy Smiles of a Summer Night (The Criterion Collection) (1955) Now

I came to Ingmar Bergman films in the mid-sixties, as a teen, and liked them because they seemed so stark, so unlike the typical Hollywood fluff. They called 'em art films, but I liked Bergman because of the characters and the stories, not to mention the look and feel of his films. It was only when Criterion Collection released SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT this year that I finally got to see a film I had heard a lot about but never bothered to seek out. Criterion's other Bergman films were all must-haves so I ordered Smiles right away. (I have seen Sondheim's A Little Night Music on stage some three times and saw the film, so I suppose this Bergman source film seemed less unknown than his others. And, by the way, after seeing Smiles, I appreciate even more how nicely Sondheim et al adapted this film.) True to Criterion's high standards and TLC in presenting its films, Smiles looks as good as it must have when it was released almost fifty years ago. This light comedy involves several pairs of lovers who, for a variety of reasons, might be better off if the deck were shuffled and they ended up in another pairing. Aging actress, married lover; aging lawyer, too-young virgin wife; tortured soul son of lawyer, saucy maid temptress, and lawyer's too-young virgin wife; wife of military man who knows husband has mistresses, including the aging actress. Shuffle the deck a few times and a lot can happen in a movie with characters such as these. Sondheim wrote the entire score to A Little Night Music in waltz tempo, which perfectly captures the whirling intricacies of the relationships. Bergman started it all with a very entertaining and perfectly cast film, full of both comedy and the human dimension of mismatched people who may be investing too much energy in the wrong person. It all sounds confusing, but, trust me, you'll enjoy the heck out of this picture. If you think Bergman is just The Silence, Cries and Whispers and Winter Light, you're in for a real treat with SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT.

Read Best Reviews of Smiles of a Summer Night (The Criterion Collection) (1955) Here

Bergman's first major film, and the only comedy he ever made. This will blow your socks off (especially if you only know Bergman's later works).

It's a romp, a meditation on the unpredictability of life and emotions, a tribute both to perseverance and to capriciousness. The performances are flawless: engaging, complex, simultaneously light and profound.

It will make you wish Bergman had made more comedies: I've never seen another comedy that accomplishes this level of depth and vivacity, with pits of despair danced over, landing in a glorious, life-affirming ending.

Want Smiles of a Summer Night (The Criterion Collection) (1955) Discount?

Ingmar Bergman directed a romantic comedy when he filmed Smiles of a Summer Night that is as playful as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream and is set in a small scale backdrop of Renoir's Rules of the Game (1939). Despite the similarities of other stories Bergman creates a unique comedy that is full of conspiring intrigue as it revolves around a small number of characters at the turn of the century in a small Swedish town.

Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Björnstrand), a successful middle-aged lawyer and former widower, has remarried with Anne (Ulla Jacobsson) who is at least twenty years younger than him. Fredrik's son, Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam), from his previous marriage, is of the same age as Anne and has recently arrived home from completing his theological examinations. Petra, the family maid, flirts with Henrik as he expresses his liking for the opposite sex. As a consequence, Henrik is struggling with an overwhelming inner guilt originating from his incapability to live by his lofty values stemming from his Christian faith. In addition, the prominent actress Desiree Armfeldt (Eva Dahlbeck), a previous lover to Fredrik, is performing at the town theater. Fredrik makes nightly visit to Desiree which puts him in harms way as Desiree's current lover, Carl Magnus (Jarl Kulle), a military officer known for his success in duels visits at the same time. However, this is just the beginning for all the predicaments that Fredrik is about to experience.

Smiles of a Summer Night is a well-written comedy with several subplots that drive the main theme, love, forward as it displays Bergman's wide range of story telling. Bergman displays a simple story which becomes complex as the characters are continually dishonest. It is the profound level of deceitfulness in the story that produces intrigue and brings about the comedy. As the final scene fades away in memory, the audience has gone through a first class cinematic experience that will lighten and enlighten those who participated.

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Elite Squad (2011)

I loved this movie. It was largely panned by American critics, never even making it to American theaters, except for maybe one or two in NYC (none in LA).

The film provided a valid, complex viewpoint of some of the problems that modern-day Brazil faces. If you look at comments of reviews of this film on major publications' web sites (like NYTimes, LA Times, etc), you will see that the overwhelming majority of comments are from Brazilians who: 1) loved the movie, and 2) stated that the movie got the situation right.

The film shows the point of view of patriotic police officers that want to do right by their country, although they are confounded by their fellow police officers, the well-armed drug dealers, the bought-off constituents of the slums (favelas), as well as the leftist middle class that excoriates the police on the one hand for its heavy handed tactics as well as its corruption while at the same time sustaining the local drug lords by buying their product.

It is the film's viewpoint towards the leftist middle class that I think doomed the film to never get a proper showing in the US. That, and the fact that this "honest" police force feels obligated (and in the eyes of some in the viewing public, justified) to use extra-judicial, heavy handed tactics to get results in fighting crime.

SEE THIS FILM!

Wow, what a great movie! Let me first say that I am extremely picky about movies and have found myself watching fewer and fewer as time goes by, mostly because most movies now seem to be boring and pointless. So when I do, on a rare occassion, enjoy a movie, for me it is unusual. I didn't just enjoy this movie though, I loved it. In fact, I did that rarest of things I watched it twice!

This movie focuses on the efforts of an elite Brazilian police unit in Rio and their efforts to reduce drug-related crimes. It is violent, compelling, entertaining and a first-class movie experience. Why? Because this movie avoids all the stereotypes of other cops versus drug-dealer movies, especially the simplified good guys vs. bad guys Hollywood take. It is also surprising and rewarding to see the drug war through the eyes of Brazilian culture as opposed to an American view.

The movie focuses on two young policemen, their experiences in the corrupt local police force, and their progression into joining the ranks of BOPE, the "Elite Squad" of the movie title. It is narrated by Captain Nascimento, the leader of a BOPE squad who is desperately trying to find a replacement for himself because after ten years in BOPE the stress and tension is causing him severe physical reactions, and he longs to spend time with his wife and newly born son.

This movie is AWESOME for two reasons I believe. One is that the voice of Nascimento is compelling and beautifully haunting; just listening to him speak in Portuguese as the movie plays will send shivers and chills through your body. Do not ever, ever, get a dubbed version of this movie, it would destroy the magic here. The second reason is that the movie is so highly realistic. All the characters are complex, three-dimensional, believable human beings, and their actions, reactions, and motivations are all perfectly in sync with their characters. There are no wrong, silly, or false notes played in this movie, it all rings true. The drug-dealers (trafficants) and believable, the corrupt police force is ultra-believable because the movie shows why they are corrupt, and the BOPE officers, shown through Nascimento, are completely believable as they struggle against both their corrupt peers and the desperate trafficants. This is no silly, Hollywood shoot 'em up, this is the real deal and it is my favorite movie this year. It's going into my top ten movies ever list.

Buy Elite Squad (2011) Now

The movie is quite violent, so it will appeal to action movie fans, but more than that, it is a social movie.

I was born and raised in Rio, close to one of the many favelas in that city.

Years ago, I attended the same university one of the characters in the movie did. The students there are accurately depicted. They are upper middle class students that preach peace and social services, but while doing that, they also smoke pot. When I didn't see any problems at the time, but now, I can see the hypocrisy of preaching peace, but also financing the violence by smoking pot.

I also have a really good high school friend that's a Capitain now in the PM (Military Policy). He's not part of that Elite Squad, but he's an honest cop. So while severly underpaid, there ARE honest cops out there.

Not really a movie review, but a rant, but this movie was quite realistic and nostalgic for me.

Read Best Reviews of Elite Squad (2011) Here

or something roughly translated to that effect is the motto of BOPE, The Brazilian special operations police outfit.

The story 'Tropa De Elite' tells the story of Captain Nascimiento, a captain in a BOPE squad, who because of personal and family issues wishes to relinquish his command and is in search of a worthy successor for his job. The story is a parallel to the life of 2 close friends, Neto and Matias, young and idealistic who join up with the regular police force and quickly learn the murky truth behind the corruption and extent to which it has permeated to the entire echelons of the police force. Frustrated with their role at being mere facilitators of this level of corrupt activities, they decide to take charge and do some good for the society as well as the police force.

I will not get into the specific details for the sake of sounding like a spolier, but during the course of this they come into contact with Captain Nascimiento during a hostile interaction with drug dealers from the favelas and they sign up for BOPE.

The rest of the movie revolves around the completely different personalities of Neto and Matias and how the Captain must decide who has more courage, integrity and dedication among the two friends, for the job of a BOPE captain.

One of the most intense scenes in the movie, is the course of the BOPE training that Neto and Matias have to endure.

Additonally, It also deals in a very humane manner as to the pressures the people in BOPE face and thei families as well, much to the romanticism of the whole concept, their lives are equally under a great deal of stress and issues.

But it conveys a very brutal and realistic truth, as to who actually encourages drugs and their sales and the inevitable violence that accompanies it. In the end, it is the very people that use drugs are the ones who encourage (both indirectly and directly) the whole crime in society, by and large

Its a very powerful and remarkable film, this is going to be a must buy in my collection when it becomes available. I would definitely recommend for you to see it.

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Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad) shows us the day of a member of BOPE, a urban task force existent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Inspired by the book 'Elite da Tropa' written by a former Captain of this task force (Capitão Nascimento), Tropa de Elite will give you the inside look on a 'favela', the training of BOPE, their personal problems and, even with all the bad things and the danger of being a member of BOPE, the desire and strength shown by young people who believe in good.

This is definitely, a 5 star movie.

Trading Places: Looking Good, Feeling Good Edition (1983)

This review refers to the Widescreen Collection/DVD edtion(Paramount)of "Trading Places"....

If you have already seen this fabulously fun film, then you know the scene I am referring to in my title of this review.It is just one of the many, many laugh out loud moments that Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd and the rest of the brillant cast treat us to. If you haven't seen it and you like to laugh..this is a must see, one that will brighten your holdiays and leave you grinning ear to ear whenever you think of it.

The very wealthy brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke portrayed by legends Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, are sitting around their exclusive club having a little tiff on the theory of Heredity vs. Enviroment. After bestowing a very generous Christmas bonus of five dollars to the man who sees to their needs year round, they make a little wager. The bet...take their most trusted employee(Aykroyd), and play with his life until he becomes an outcast. Take a street-wise con-artist(Murphy),and give him a taste of the good life. Who will prevail? Will the Harvard grad, still be the person he was, after losing everything, or will he turn to crime? And what about the con man? Will his new enviroment make a new man out of him or will he still resort to his old ways? Watching these two "Trading Places" is one of the most fun 2 hours you can spend. The story takes place between Christmas and New Years so it's a great Holdiay film to add to your collection as well.

The cast is marvelous.Dan Aykroyd is the perfect snob, and Eddie Murphy, well he's just great at being Eddie Murphy. Jaime Lee Curits is the hooker with a heart(who's looking to increase her bank account and get off her back),Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy show they haven't lost what it took to become the legends they are, and Denholm Elliot is perfectly cast as the butler in on the action. Adding to the fun are Bo Didley,Paul Gleason, Frank Oz and James Belushi. Directing this wonderful cast is John Landis, who doesn't miss a trick and the music by Elmer Bernstein sets the tone perfectly as usual.The movie is rated R for some some scenes of nudity(do we expect any less from Jaime Lee?).

The DVD is a great buy. The anamorphic widescreen picture is gorgeous. Clear and bright with beautiful colors, the film does not appear to be 20 years old already. You have the choice of Dolby Dig 5.1 surround sound or stereo surround sound, both are excellent. There are English subtitles and it may be viewed in French(mono). There are no special feautres though.

So how much was the wager they made? A whooping one dollar! Who wins?.....I'll never tell!

Seen it?..you know you gotta have it!...Haven't seen it?....Go for it!...You'll love it!...enjoy....Laurie

more fun stuff:

Jimmy Hollywood [VHS]

Diamonds

Goin' South [VHS]

(see my reviews for film details)

Came out in 1983, I bought this movie on VHS, DVD, and now Blu-Ray. I have never seen it look this good. Bright ole 80's fashion colors don't bleed anymore. This precious baby is totally remastered. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd at their prime. Paramount finally gave this absolute classic the hi-def 1080p treatment. I'm glad that I am old enough to still enjoy 80's humor. If you're a fan of Trading Places, definitely pick this up in blu-ray, you won't regret it.

Buy Trading Places: Looking Good, Feeling Good Edition (1983) Now

As others have mentioned this DVD is a "bare bones" one with no extra features. For those used to seeing it on TV, though, seeing the original R rated version will let you in on how much was edited for TV.

The shocking part is that this DVD is MISSING a scene always shown on television. When Winthorp (Akroyd) walks into the Duke & Duke offices, everyone tells him good morning, greeting him by name, and he barely manages a response. That's in there. Then later, when Valentine (Murphy) walks into the Duke & Duke offices, everyone ALSO greets him by name, and he enthusiastically greets them in return, (before getting into the elevator). In the DVD, THIS SCENE IS MISSING!

So, this isn't just a bare bones DVD, in one instance you actually end up getting LESS than you normally see on TV! I'm baffled by this...

But, obviously, this is a classic comedy, worth owning. Too bad they don't offer a beefier DVD.

Read Best Reviews of Trading Places: Looking Good, Feeling Good Edition (1983) Here

I was pleasantly surprissed how good this looked on Blu-Ray. Sometimes the "older" movies don't measure up, but this looks sharp and is impressive.

The story is still very entertaining, even if it has the stereotypical characters Hollywood likes to present, such as (1) the hooker who is beautiful and has a kind loving heart; (2) the black guy who, despite no training, all of a sudden is smarter than all the white guys in the financial world; (3) all rich people are snooty while the lower class are nice and good-hearted and, (4) several cheap shots at Christianity.

Despite all the baloney above, this was an extremely entertaining and funny movie, start to finish. All the actors in here are fun to watch and there are a number of laugh-out-loud scenes. Of course, with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, that's not surprising. Murphy gets the bulk of the laughs. It's really his movie. For the guys, however, Jamie Lee Curtis is one to remember here.

Want Trading Places: Looking Good, Feeling Good Edition (1983) Discount?

This review is for the Blu-Ray release of the 1983 comedy classic "Trading Places." If you have not seen this movie yet then you really are missing out and what better way to experience this movie than in 1080p high definition.

I already owned the bare bones DVD release, but did not hesitate to order the Blu-Ray release. The quality is truly incredible with a level of detail that simply blows me awaqy and none of the grain or softness that plagues the inferior DVD version.

Plus we are treated to a wealth of special features to help sweeten the deal. The main special feature is the retrospective featurette "Insider Trading: The Making of Trading Places" which runs at 18:28 and includes on-camera interviews with Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd and Director John Landis. Tne featurette covers the genesis of the story and the preproduction details (Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor were originally slated to star) and how the success of "48 Hrs" brought Murphy to the attention of the producing team.

Serving as a counterpoint is the second featurette "Trading Stories" which runs at 7:59. The same people are interviewed on camera as in the first docimentary however in this instance they are all from 1983 as they publicize the movies release.

There is one deleted scene running over a minute with an introduction and optional commentary by Executive Producer George Folsey Jr. It details the theft of the crop report by Clarence Beeks and was essentially dropped for pacing reasons.

Next up is "Dressing the Part" which runs at 6:31 and has as its main contributor Costume Designer Deborah Nadoolman. She says that the outfit she is most proud of is the red hooded sweatshirt worn by Eddie Murphy in his first scene. She had Murphy in the bright red outfit and everyone else in shades of gray so as to ensure that Murphy drew the focus of attention.

Since a large portion of the movie deals with the commodities trade the Blu-Ray also includes "The Trade in Trading Places" which includes discussion on the commodities exchange and how it works and runs at 5:25.

Perhaps the most quirky special feature is an improvised promo piece for the movie that apparently has spent the last 20+ years sitting in John Landis' garage. It features Aykroyd and Murphy winging it for 4 minutes and it is a riot once they get going.

The one feature this Blu-Ray release is missing is an commentary but the movie does have a Trivia Pop-Up feature. Throughout the movie sometimes interesting, but ultimately useless trivia appears on panels on screen mocked up as (what else) $1 bills.

All in all this is an extremely entertaining way to spend a couple of hours and this Blu-Ray release does the movie proud.

Revelation Road (2012)

Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End is just that, a beginning of at the very least a two-part movie series from Pure Flix Entertainment. The viewer gets the opportunity to meet Josh, a traveling salesman with a secret but obviously destructive past. You can see early on that Josh has the capability to go a little unhinged when necessary but you can also see that this is not a side of himself that he entertains. We also meet a pretty rough biker gang who have a charismatic leader named Hawg. The gang has no problem with messing with people, stealing and eliminating witnesses, but they do have a problem with Joshua when he gets in their way.

You can tell Joshua has a past, but it changed dramatically when he met his wife. Or at least that is what Josh thought until he sees how easy it really is to slip back into his old skill set. Can a person really change? If tackling that question isn't enough for Josh, it seems there are a lot of energy spikes, thunder storms and other natural phenomenon taking place to keep him on his toes and at the very least distracted. As the description implies, there is an end coming.

Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End is a great start. I found myself wishing for more which is a good thing since there is a sequel on the way (yay!). I have found myself enjoying most of the films that Pure Flix Entertainment has put out, and look forward to seeing where this will go. I hope I don't have to wait too long.

For the most part the film was well acted and I felt a connection with several of the characters. I even got emotional at some points too. I love when a film can accomplish that.

This video is of an excellent quality and it was such an inspiration to me and my family. I highly recommend this video to everyone and the seller.

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This is a great movie and will keep you entertained as well as speak some spiritual truth. I liked it and can't wait for part 2 to come out.

Read Best Reviews of Revelation Road (2012) Here

Cant Wait For Revelation Road 2: The Beginning of the End Love it !!!!!!!! Love it !!!!!!!! Love it !!!!!!!!

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This feature opens with a fire, hell, and damnation type of interpretation of Revelation and then drops the ball as the rest of the film has absolutely nothing to do with the Book of Revelation. This is rather a pop Christian version designed to sell a film to those who never read and studied the book.

Josh (=Jesus) sells vests (=armor of God). He saves a family from a group of evil bikers known as either Outlaws or Barbarians. They have their own heavy metal swagger music, kill people, but never swear. Oh yes, they have something that looks like Thor's hammer. Eric Roberts has a small role in this film. Bruce Marchiano who always plays Jesus in these productions plays a stranger who saves a girl from said bikers. Please Scooby-Doo, tell me who this guy is?

This is just the first part of what will surely be a butchered series designed to soak churches for the rights to showing this film. PLOT SPOILER...if there is such a thing...the rapture happens at the end of the film. While the rapture has statements to support it in the Bible, it really isn't part of Revelation. Technically this is a movie about the end times that doesn't follow Revelation in any shape or form, but simply uses it in the title to sell the feature. Dishonest if you ask me.

Outside of that, the movie was poorly acted and the dialouge was jerky, like the sign reads, "Guns, Jerky, and More."

Parental Guide: No F-bombs, sex, or nudity. Fighting and some killing.

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The Sandlot (1993)

There really is no plot, yet you don't care. There's no real subtext to the entire thing, but that doesn't matter. The actors are all kids and they play baseball...and it's SO SIMPLE.

One of those little films that walked quietly into theaters in 1993 and left just as quietly with little fanfare(which is probably why Fox was hesitant on releasing a DVD) not ONLY happens to be one of the greatest SLEEPERS of all-time, it's also one of the greatest SPORTS films of all-time, ranking with "Field of Dreams", "Bull Durham", "Major League", "The Natural", and "The Longest Yard", to name a few.

This movie is good, so sweetly and innocently GOOD, that you don't care if the obnoxious happens or that a main plot-point happens to be the kids retrieving a prize/signed baseball(by Babe Ruth of all players) from the jaws of a dog-beast-monster-thing.

No, if there was something that James Earl Jones was right about in FIELD OF DREAMS(and he's in here too as a modern-day Boo Radley), it was that baseball brings us back to the times when we were young and apathetic to the world around us. The same applies here.

This film will make you forget about your problems and redirect your focus on your youth and the times you had fun with your best friends.

No matter if those times were spent on a surburban street where the foul poles were really parallel phone poles on either sides of the street or you sat on the porch watching us while drinking lemonade and listening to Ray Charles, those are the good times we remember...

Take a look for yourself...

The DVD has a beautiful 2:35.1 widescreen transfer(it was originally shot in 70mm Panavision) but is lacking in extras. Still, a good cheap DVD with a great film...that's all we ask for sometimes.

-Matt

Back in 1993, two movies involving baseball and children, The Sandlot and Rookie of the Year, came out in the theaters about the same time, both being released by Twentieth Century Fox. I remember Rookie of the Year was pushed hard by the studio while The Sandlot got much less advertising and publicity, which was too bad because I always thought The Sandlot was a much better film.

Scotty Smalls, his mother (Karen Allen), and his step dad (Dennis Leary) just moved into the neighborhood and Scotty is having problems acclimating himself to his social surroundings. An intelligent boy (an egghead), he lacks certain abilities most boys have, like knowing how to catch and throw a ball, any basic baseball rules, or who's the Great Bambino. The movie does an excellent job in providing just enough depth into these characters to provide a sense of the family dynamic given that Allen and Leary have limited screen time. In attempting to join a neighborhood pick up game, Scotty's lack of rudimentary baseball skills is made painfully apparent, to which all the boys except Bennie, the best player of the bunch, let their derisive comments fly. Bennie, feeling a bit sorry for the new kid, gives Scotty a couple of tips and a little extra help in a well hit fly ball that gives Scotty a measure of confidence and helps bring him into the gang. Once Scotty's accepted into the group the movie delves into a plot involving a priceless baseball and a local dog with a mythical reputation. What I really liked was how all the boys came together to help a friend in need, and it was an automatic response. If someone in the circle needs help, the group rallies around, regardless, as they would have done the same for any other member. While a seemingly natural trait in children (atleast in this movie), it seems to be one that becomes lost as we grow older, as seen in Scotty's step dad and his reluctance to play catch with Scotty because he has too much work and doesn't have the time. What is so great about this movie is while it's set in the 50's, the story appeals to most anyone. Whether or not we all had that one great summer or just fond remembrances of childhood friends and activities in general, the movie serves to help recall days when things were simple, and summers were made up of endless possibilities. While watching this movie, I thought about friends I had when I was a kid, phrases we used, nicknames, activities, etc.

No real extras on this disc, but a great presentation of a wonderful movie. My favorite part involved one of the boys called Squints, a smaller boy with great, big glasses, and scene with curvaceous, older, female lifeguard at the local pool.

Buy The Sandlot (1993) Now

I first saw The Sandlot when I was eight years old, and have found myself watching it every year since.

The Sandlot is a film about a kid named Scotty Smalls, who moves to a new town and tries to make friends before school starts.

He walks across a small suburban baseball field where eight kids his age play daily, and he turns up one day, plays terribly and ends up joining the gang anyway.

Soon, the team find themselves in trouble after 'Smalls', as he is affectionately nicknamed, hits a Babe Ruth signed baseball into the yard of an almighty dog, who as rumor has it once ate a kid in the area.

The gang tries all sorts of methods to get the ball back, and this results in an extremely funny and enjoyable film.

The Sandlot is a great watch, and you will find the whole family stuck infront of the TV for this one.

Read Best Reviews of The Sandlot (1993) Here

This is absolutely a great movie. But I cannot be the only parent who was horrified to find I was showing my three boys a movie that is filled with cuss words. Maybe you are ok with a "family feature" in which s--t is used half a dozen times. But not everyone is, and parents need to be aware that this movie goes beyond the d--n and son of a b---norm for PG. If a "edited for tv" version of this existed I'd recommend it to anyone. But can you imagine how many grandparents pick up this "family classic" for their little grandsons, having no idea that their little boys are about to sit through six or eight "s--t"s and almost as many "son of a b----"s? I'm not a prude when it comes to adults' movies. And if parents are fine with their kids hearing these words in a movie, fine. But for anyone who is concerned about this, it is amazing how rarely you'll find any kind of notice attached to this movie. Parents, and grandparents, ought to be able to make an informed decision.

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This movie is a RIOT! I am 36 years old and have been watching this movie with my kids for YEARS! I rarely watch any movie even twice, but I absolutely LOVE this one and so do my kids. It is a true Classic. We just bought a new DVD player and immediately and unanamously decided our first movie would be Sandlot. (To our disappointment it isnt on DVD yet). Dont rent it, BUY it! It totally reminded me of being a kid in the 60's/early 70's, especially since it took place in the San Fernando Valley. The director did a truly superb job in getting the awesome acting job out of these kids. It's not over acted they all seem so believable, maybe thats why its so great. Squints is hysterical! p.s. If you like this type of movie and want to see something similar about a bunch of 12 yr old girls and their adventures in the same time period (60's). Check out "Now and Then" it's also pretty funny, geared more towards girls, but my boys enjoyed it too.

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