Revenant

I just watched this movie on HBO. It's a definite must buy for those who love campy horror movies. I gave it 5 stars because it'll go down as a cult classic like The Return of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead [Blu-ray] and Zombieland [Blu-ray]. This movie is gory and really hilarious! I suggest it to anybody who loves funny horror movies. It's a brilliant film. I also recommend Army of Darkness, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Bubba Ho-Tep if you haven't seen them.

"The Revenant" capitalizes on the current popularity of the zombie with a blend of horror and comedy. American soldier Bart Gregory (David Anders) is ambushed and killed while serving in Iraq. His body is shipped home and buried, but he soon rises from the grave and seeks the company of his best friend, Joey (Chris Wylde), a slacker with a ready wisecrack for every occasion. The two buddies conclude that Bart is now a "revenant," a combination vampire/zombie who's undead and has an insatiable thirst for blood. At first, they try to satisfy Bart's urges by stealing blood from a hospital, but when they stumble on a convenience store robbery and kill the assailant, another solution comes to mind. They'll roam Los Angeles' streets by night and do away with bad guys, thereby providing Bart with a steady supply of fresh blood and easing the city's crime epidemic in the process.

"The Revenant" borrows elements from "An American Werewolf in London," "Death Wish," "My Best Friend Is a Vampire," and "Once Bitten." It's a blending of plot points in both vampire and zombie lore. To satisfy horror purists, there is plenty of gore, and the writing is quite clever. The rapport between Anders and Gregory illustrates that it takes more than death to break up a solid friendship.

DVD bonus extras include a making-of featurette, director commentary, deleted scenes, and photo gallery.

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The Strange Case of Angelica

Patrick Rogers, DVD Verdict --The Strange Case of Angelica has a style similar to a 1930s black and white picture. It's very set oriented with a minimalist and continuous camera technique intent on portraying realism instead of style. And yet realism slowly gives way to expressionism, much in the same way as a film by Carl Theodor Dreyer (The Passion of Joan of Arc). It's also a film set in the 1950s, but with more than a few anachronisms. This tendency helps to infuse the film with its fairy-tale sensibilities. The director is blending the lines between past, present, and future. To further this feeling is a beautifully refined mise en scène that feels believable and lived in with how the characters move and interact within its confines. The color palette is dominated by vibrant and whimsical blues and greens to capture the playful nature of the narrative and its characters, while also reveling in darker stone hued greys and slates for the more somber aspect of this tale of death and vitality counterpoised.

Many people will not like The Strange Case of Angelica. They'll find it boring or pointless, if not bordering on indulgent, in the way the film takes its time to make a point...any point. And yet this isn't a film that should be a massive crowd pleaser. For people looking to see something unique, or to see a slightly offbeat love story instead of the more generic fodder we're all exposed to, then you might just find a little something to like here. Most importantly, Cinema Guild has released a splendid Blu-ray in order to make the film that much easier to digest and to appreciate.

The AVC/MPEG-4 1.85:1/1080p transfer is detailed though flawed. The richly varied color palette is beautifully rendered, while the visual effects employed by Oliveira are given an even great sense of clarity. There's also a great underlying grain structure to the whole affair. One negative aspect is that the black levels are too washed out or murky in some scenes, but it's not a constant. The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track is also elegantly understated. The film's simplistic yet potently effective score is given a great level of vibrancy in the front channels but never quite gets the push it needs in the back channels. The dialogue and sound effects are also crisp and audible but mostly dominate in the front channels.

But the real effort for this disc is put into the special features. First up, we are given Oliveira's first silent film, Douro, Faina Fluvial, with an all-new 2k restoration. It's great to view this short film not only for the obvious craftsmanship and ability to better trace the director's auteur status, but also because it puts Oliveira's long career and evolution into perspective. There's also a stellar commentary by film curator and critic James Quandt who theorizes and discusses in great detail the film itself, while also contextualizing Oliveira's oeuvre as a whole.

To round out the special features, there's a 63 minute documentary called Oliveira L'Architecte by Paulo Rocha which is a very intimate look into the life and career of the director. There's also a 35 minute conversation with Oliveira which, combined with these other features, will answer any last question you may have had about the man. There's also a theatrical film and an amazing booklet essay by Haden Guest, director of the Harvard Film Archive. You really couldn't ask for a better host of special features.

-Full review at dvdverdict.com

I happened to see director Manoel de Oliveira's 2009 "Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl" last year, and now comes the legendary movie-maker's next movie.

"The Strange Case of Angelica" (originally released in Portugal in 2010; 107 min.) brings another slice of magic-realism from de Oliveira. Set in the Porto region, the movie brings the curious tale of Isaac, a Jewish-Portuguese photographer who is called in the middle of the night to photograph the just-deceased Angelica, a young woman who had just married. When taking pictures, Angelica strangely comes to life again through the camera lense. As Isaac later develops the pictures he has taken, Angelica comes to life again, and subsequelty also into his dreams, which seem real-life like to him. But is it a good dream or a nightmare? Separately, Isaac has a strong interest in taking pictures of the laborers working the farm fields in the area. How it all plays out (and how both those story lines are intertwined), I will leave up to you to discover. The movie moves at snail's pace, and that's meant as a compliment.

Just a reminder: Manoel de Oliveira was a crisp 101 years old when he wrote and directed this movie. Wow, just wow. But wait! There is more! This DVD comes with a bunch of extras, none more so than his very first movie, a 20 min. documentary made in 1931 called "Douro, Faina Fluvial", documenting the life and times of people working in and around the Douro river in Porto, yes the very same setting of this "Angelica" movie, now 80 years later! There is also an incredible interview with the director, made in March, 2010 when he was in the final editing process of the movie. Listen to him commenting on "Avatar", violence in movies for violence sake, John Ford, and many other juicy comments. What a great DVD all around, and not just for the intruiging "Angelica" movie. Not for anyone in a hurry, but highly recommended!

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This would be a better title, as the film is primarily about an introverted photographer who becomes emotionally unstable after photographing a deceased married woman at the request of her family. The film only features "Angelica" for very short moments, and as others have pointed out, it is a very slow paced film with plenty of extra dialogue and lingering shots that do not necessarily add anything to the film. de Oliveira's Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl was under 70 minutes, and I feel this film could have benefitted from a shorter run time. Nonetheless, I found it a good character study of a man who turns his back on people in a crowded room, chooses to shoot with an old film camera in the digital photography age, and is interested in taking pictures of the few manual laborers still working the hillside of the Portuguese city of Porto. It is more a psychological film rather than the fantasy one the trailer makes it out to be. This becomes an overall sad tale of a man who appears to be so lonely, that he has to resort to fantasizing over someone he'll never have apart from viewing her in his photos. The cinematography has some nice touches (like the interior scene with the orange goldfish) and features a mostly bland color palette, with Isaac wearing very conservative black and white clothing throughout, and several older characters who do not wear the latest fashions. If it weren't for the children wearing backpacks in the trailer, you would think the film was set in the 1950's, but it is a contemporary Portuguese setting.

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A Star Is Born (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2010)

Many films have a convoluted history, but few so much as A STAR IS BORN. The basic story of a famous Hollywood alcoholic who promotes the career of an unknown--only to see her star rise as his falls--was based on the lives of a number of silent-era figures and first filmed in 1932 as WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? After a number of plot changes, the story reemerged in 1937 as A STAR IS BORN starring Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. Then, in the 1940s, A STAR IS BORN was recycled into a radio play--and the leading lady was Judy Garland.

Garland's private life was difficult, and in 1950 she made a highly publicized suicide attempt. When she proved unable to recover herself quickly, she was fired by MGM amid much negative publicity, and it was assumed her career was over. But within a few years Garland reemerged as a powerful concert performer, and momentum began to build toward a screen comeback. Garland, who recalled her radio presentation with fondness, suggested A STAR IS BORN.

The production was plagued with problems. A number of leading actors turned down the male lead before James Mason accepted. A considerable portion of the film was shot when Warner Brothers decided to present it in Cinemascope, and this entailed scrapping all previous footage reshooting from scratch. Garland herself proved typically highstrung, and her temperament led to numerous delays. The budget ran out of control, and by the time A STAR IS BORN arrived on the screen it had become the single most expensive film made up to that time.

The film's opening seemed to justify all the difficulty and expense. Critics were positive and the public was eager. But Warner Brothers remained concerned about the film's length--and although director George Cukor offered to recut the film gratis, the studio hacked it apart. It was soon apparent that critics and audiences alike were considerably less enthusiastic about the edited version, and the film ended its theatrical release with a whimper.

During the decades that followed the film gained a reputation as a mutilated masterpiece. A lackluster 1970s remake fueled interest in a restoration, but the missing footage could not be relocated. In 1983, however, the full, unedited soundtrack and many of the missing scenes were rediscovered. In working with the film, conservators pioneered the use of still photography to fill in the still-missing scenes, a technique that would be used to restore such classics as GREED, METROPOLIS, and LOST HORIZON. And upon release, A STAR IS BORN was once again hailed as a masterpiece.

Stylistically, A STAR IS BORN is an aggressive film filled with bright colors, bombastic music, and larger than life performances. As such, it seems typical of "blockbuster" films of the 1950s and 1960s. But A STAR IS BORN uses this "bigness" to a considerably different end than its counterparts: rather than containing garish display for its own sake, it contains it for thematic purpose.

The theme developed by writer Moss Hart and director Cukor (who considered this his masterpiece) is one of the various levels of artificiality intrinsic to show business, and differences between degrees of artificiality are carefully drawn in scene after scene. The audience enjoys a show--never knowing that the star is blind drunk. The set crew prepares to film an upbeat musical number--never aware that the leading lady is having hysterics in her dressing room. A wife watches a private screening of a film--not realizing that her husband is being quietly fired in an adjoining room.

The performances that drive A STAR IS BORN are perfectly in line with the film's juxtaposition of reality and artifice. Garland offers a justly famous bravado performance in broad strokes and with an undercurrent of artifice that becomes increasingly noticeable as the film builds, underscoring her gradual immersion in and consumption by the film industry. Mason, in equally brilliant fashion, contrasts her with a performance that becomes painfully realistic as the film progresses. The dissonance created is quite startling: it is easy to see why the two characters attract each other, but it is also easy to forecast how they will self-destruct.

Although musical numbers abound, A STAR IS BORN is not typical of the genre, for the music does not form the primary structure of the film. Still, like most other elements in the film, the songs feed into the film's themes--and always in the most ironic way possible. Near the film's conclusion, Maine ask Vicki to sing for him while he, unbeknownst to her, prepares for suicide. The song she sings is "A New World." And indeed after Maine's death it will be all of that, a world in which unreality will go unchecked and Vicki will win applause by introducing herself as "Mrs. Norman Maine," turning her private grief into box office salvation.

A STAR IS BORN is profoundly bitter film that for all its brashness operates in a remarkably subtle way to make a very dark statement about Hollywood fame: the entertainment we enjoy on screen is an illusion with a price, and that price is a confusion of reality and fantasy played out with stakes of life and death. The DVD offers the film in its restored state, in Cinemascope, and with television broadcast footage of the Los Angeles premiere. If you're serious about film, this is a must-own, must-see.

--GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--

The film A STAR IS BORN, the 1954 Judy Garland musical for Warner Bros., has been through nearly as many trials and tribulations as any real-life movie-star wannabe to maintain its reputation and realism. The director--George Cukor's--love/hate letter to the joys and sorrows of Hollywood stardom came in just over three hours long--181 minutes. In an ironic affirmation of the film's recognition that "the lush days are over" for Hollywood, the studio cut the actual release print down to 154 minutes so that theater owners could squeeze in one extra screening per evening. That is the only version we had between 1954 and 1983, and any revivals, cinematheque offerings or TV broadcasts--quite enough to sustain the cult of the movie and Judy Garland's bravura performance as a Hollywood star married to an alcoholic has-been--sprang from that truncated release.

In 1983, a partially restored, 170-minute-long version of A STAR IS BORN hit first-run movie screens after long and loving archival and editorial struggle. It was a matter of using anything available to make up for the scenes Warner Bros. had hacked out--stills, amateur home movies made from the set, audio tracks--anything. Most significantly, the restoration reinstituted the entire portion of the movie which appear in the DVD as all of Chapters 14, 15 and 16 in which Garland's character takes a long-shot chance at an acting career; but although that enhanced plot-line was reintegrated into the movie, the static and museum-like restoration was in many ways more admirable than lovable. Still, it gets across the idea that Judy Garland's character--singer Esther Blodgett--faced her own trials and tribulations on the way to becoming "Vicki Lester" the film star.

The current 1999 DVD goes the 1983 theatrical release two better: it incorporates even more material previously thought lost--in particular audio--and the newer computer technology was used for a thorough digital "scrub" of the already handsome restoration. Previous reviewers are right: the restored sequences can still be a bit off-putting, but the DVD now for sale at 176 minutes is a noticeable improvement over the 1983 release and probably the closest we'll ever get to Cukor's original masterpiece. Is the color perfect? No, 1954 Technicolor was still garish and candy-colored; interestingly, the scenes filmed outdoors at night come across as more realistic than some of the interiors, and the character's facial tones look more realistic. Is the sound perfect? It's a good 5.1 multitrack engineering that sounded good on my budget-level home theater, and it certainly holds better aural technology than was available in 1950s movie houses.

A STAR IS BORN is very much a movie about movies, a "backstage" musical something like CABARET where the singing and dancing occur as staged performances or otherwise make sense as something the screen characters would naturally do. (As opposed to the more impressionistic, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN type of movie where characters break character and burst into song artificially.) Judy belts Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin's unforgettable "The Man That Got Away" in an after-hours club, an impromptu performance later described by eavesdropping leading man Norman Maine (James Mason) as "singing just for yourself and 'the boys in the band.'" (And with those last five words, a play was born.)

The performance-within-a-performance element that any backstage music requires come from two indelible production numbers from Vicki Lester's films. "Born in a Trunk" is by far the better known but the restoration added the endearing "Lose That Long Face," in which another unsinkable Vicki character sings a message of undying optimism as she tap-dances and flat-foots through studio-set rainy streets (Hmm, wonder where they got that idea?)

But most of Garland's performances are in more intimate venues. After rising starlet Vicki Lester becomes Mrs. Norman Maine, her husband puts her to use as "my own little jukebox" as she sings hit songs from her movies. In a particularly charming sequence, Garland's character plays homage to--and gently spoofs--the Fifties penchant for grandiose fantasy production numbers by acting out the round-the-world extravaganza ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" to a background record, using what's available in the living room to mimic props and delighting the sophisticated Mason. The message is clear: it's the star, not the production values, that matter most.

Indeed, Judy Garland IS the star who makes this movie; her fictional Vicki Lester comes alive when fused with elements of Garland's own poignant and turbulent life as an all-too-visible film personality. In this movie her performances--as actor and song stylist--were never better; volumes of praise have been written to which I happily agree. But those who surround "Vicki Lester" are a key component of the film's success, too: James Mason's "Norman Maine" confronts his wife's tendency to overdramatize with a subtle performance as the self-deprecating, self-loathing alcoholic who increasingly becomes the object of his wife's charity. Jack Carson the perennial WB "heavy" of the postwar years (recall him from "Mildred Pierce" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") is in full force as Matt Libby, the gladhanding and cynical studio publicist. Charles Bickford, perhaps best remembered today as father to Lee Remick's character in "The Days of Wine and Roses," adds humanity to the thankless role of the authoritarian film-studio owner Oliver Niles. And Tom Noonan is perfect as the buddy to impart real-life wisdom to "Mrs. Norman Maine."

People who love Judy Garland certainly should go for this improved and more watchable classic, even if they already have a prior version at home. I think lovers of musicals in general will agree that A STAR IS BORN deserves a place among the tip-top musicals of the 1950s, whether or not they are satisfied with the cardboardish ersatz for Chapters 14-16. Just hop over those with your DVD remote and find out what Warner Bros. left after its butchering! A great film at a great price; go for it.

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Judy Garland, arguably the greatest female pop singer of the Twentieth Century, gives the performance of a lifetime in this 1954 musical remake of the 1937 dramatic film of the same name (also available on DVD in a superb transfer). This movie was perceived as Garland's comeback vehicle since she had not made a film for four years prior and she certainly delivers the goods both dramatically and vocally. Her singing here is in total service of the music rather than the audience, with none of the over the top indulgences evident in her stage appearances. The end result is mesmerizing. Garland's standout rendition of "The Man That Got Away" deserves special mention since it fully lives up to its hype as one of the greatest vocal performances of all time.

James Mason matches Garland every step of the way and in some areas surpasses her in the role of her alcoholic husband whose star is waning as hers is rising. In fact, the entire cast, including Charles Bickford, Jack Carson and Tommy Noonan give excellent performances. Director George Cukor seems to have known just when to reign in Garland and exactly when to let her go and do what she does best. This is especially evident in the "Born In A Trunk" musical number. Cukor also shows a flair for getting the best out of the then new wide screen CinemaScope process. His framing of the scenes has an intimacy appropriate to the story but seems revolutionary for a wide screen picture even today. This DVD showcases the original 2.55: 1 aspect ratio in which A Star Is Born was shown for its initial theatrical presentation and a newly mixed soundtrack preserves the discrete multi-channel stereophonic sound as well. In fact, this DVD looks and sounds phenomenally good considering that this movie will be 50 years old in about 4 years.

Worth the price of the disc alone is the treasure trove of supplementary material, which includes vintage newsreels, a kinescope of live TV coverage of the Hollywood premiere and no less than four alternate takes of "The Man That Got Away."

Judy Garland never was able to equal or top her work on A Star Is Born. On the other hand, no one else has or could either because she was a one of a kind entertainer that only comes around perhaps once in a millennium.

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ENHANCED CONTENT

A Star is Born (1954) 2-Disc Deluxe Special Edition DVD Enhanced Content:

Introduction: Run time 3:01

The Man That Got Away Pink Dress: Run time 5:11 Additional Take

The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #1: Run time 4:49 Additional Take

The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #2: Run time 4:24 Additional Take

The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #3: Run time 4:00 Additional Take

The Man That Got Away Brown Dress #4: Run time 4:00 Additional Take

Here's What I'm here For Alternate Take: Run time 2:36 Additional Take

Lose That Long Face Alternate Take: Run time 4:55 Additional Take

Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo Alternate Take: Run time 1:24 Additional Take

When My Sugar Walks Down the Street Outtake: Run time 0:58 Additional Take

Suicide Scene Alternate Take: Run time 2:15 Additional Take

Film Effects Reel: Run time 0:54

A Report by Jack L. Warner: Run time 6:24 Vintage Featurette

Huge Premiere Hails 'A Star is Born' Newsreel Montage: Run time 7:49 Vintage Featurette

'A Star is Born' Premiere in Cinemascope: Run time 2:05

Pantages Premiere TV Special: Run time 29:30 Vintage Featurette

A Star is Bored (1956 WB Cartoon): Run time 7:00

A Star is Born (1937): Run time 2:46 Trailer

A Star is Born (1954): Run time 3:52 Trailer

A Star is Born (1976): Run time 3:46 Trailer

Audio Vault Oliver on the Phone with the Director Discussing Norman Outtakes: Run time 2:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault Norman and Esther on the Roof of the Hotel Lancaster Outtakes: Run time 2:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault 12/28/1942 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon: Run time 60:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault Judy Garland Radio Interview: Run time 4:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault Born in a Trunk: Run time 9:05 Audio Only

Audio Vault Someone At Last Rehearsal: Run time 10:34 Audio Only

Audio Vault Someone At Last: Run time 7:16 Audio Only

Audio Vault My Melancholy Baby: Run time 7:06 Audio Only

Audio Vault Black Bottom: Run time 1:48 Audio Only

Audio Vault Swanee: Run time 4:57 Audio Only

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I have neither a Blu-ray player nor an HD TV so there was no reason to get the Blu-ray of this release. On my standard def TV the image is not as sharp and crisp as other recent Warner restorations such as My Fair Lady and Wizard of Oz. But, I've learned through some research that this is because ASIB was filmed in single-strip Technicolor and it is impossible to sharpen the image. Actually the print does look a bit cleaner than the old VHS version of the reconstructed film. Just don't expect sharpness throughout. The musical numbers look the best.

Remember that almost 30 minutes of the film was cut after its theatrical release and it was through the efforts of Ron Haver who, in 1984, was able to find stills to fill in where soundtrack sections were located. That is what this version is and it really fleshes out the story. (And a great story it is!). And it is wide screen, not pan and scan.

What makes this version "deluxe" is the additional two hours of new supplemental material. These are all on the second disc which is NOT Blu-ray even in the Blu-ray set. Two hours are the same material as on the last release. The new material includes additional versions of some songs with different costumes and a lot of audio-only bonuses. The disc containing the feature film is double sided with half on each side.

You can see all the details of the bonuses in another "review" which copied the info from the press release.

As far as acting goes, James Mason is amazing and perfect for the part. Garland sings her heart out and this is, of course, a must for Judy fans... many of who can quote her lines from the film from memory.

Some day I'm sure Warner will issue the "Ultimate Edition" of ASIB but, sadly this is the best it is going to look on your TV. This is why film preservation is so important!

If you've not seen this film, or haven't seen it in years, watch it.. It will draw you in and show you why Garland and Mason were stars. This is a true Hollywood classic.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

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Kylie Minogue - Kylie Live X2008

This review focuses on the BLU RAY transfer than on the actual concert. You can read the SD reviews for the overall quality of this concert. With that said this BLU RAY can best be described as a huge disappointment. For those of you expecting a transfer similar to Celine Dion's Live In Vegas tour, prepare to be disappointed. This transfer misses on all counts. Mediocre sound and an extremely soft, blurry grainy picture best describes this hot mess. I compared the picture of this BLU RAY against my SD copy of the Kylie Catch The Fever tour 2002 concert, and the picture quality of the 2002 concert just blows this away. The fact that the 2002 picture was nothing earth shattering should give you an idea of how bad this video looks. The Kylie X concert is watchable when the shots are distant and there are no close ups. But when a close ups of Kylie is shown, the picture gets so grainy that it looks like ants are crawling all over her face. The editors seem to have realized this because camera shots are all over the place. The camera will show a 6 second close up of her face, realize that the picture looks horrible then keeps panning out until it finds a decent show. When I watched this concert I felt like I was sitting in the nose bleed section than on the floor. The video and camera work look like the work of amateur trying to bootleg the concert. It is not BLU RAY quality, or even SD DVD quality. The picture quality is akin to a 1980's BETA movie. The sound is better although no different than sound quality of 2002 Catch the Fever tour.

If you like the CD and feel like you have to get the concert, save yourself some money and get the SD release. It can't be any worse than this hot mess.

I've enjoyed all of Kylie's concerts, especially Manchester and Showgirl; this one was nice to see because of the new songs and variety in staging and choreography. Compared to a lot of modern singers, one thing that's always impressed me personally about Kylie is the hard work she puts into choreography and staging. She's always been very conscientious about delivering a great show for her audiences, and this one is another winner. While to be honest I like her earlier concerts better, this one is still well worth getting, because she's evolved over time (like Sade, M, others), in a good way.

I just recently found out about Kylie Minogue a year or so ago, wish I'd found her years earlier, as she's one of the top female pop vocal performers ever. I watch her concert DVDs regularly and highly recommend all of them, including this one. Well done, and thanks for keeping the music coming, Kylie.

To the music,

Ken

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Let me start by saying that I love Kylie Minogue. Really, I do. Beautiful woman, a gracious smile, a great body and the voice of a princess. I have six DVD's from this girl who I deeply admire. She is my queen of pop (yes, I know all about Madonna since the 80's) and I don't have any blank spaces in my mind or heart for anyone else (in the pop world, I mean). But this Blu-Ray edition is really somehow disappointing. The image doesn't have the quality expected of a Blu-ray disc, maybe because it was poorly filmed or something went wrong in the editing process. My disc has the information that it is a PAL version, but plays without problems in both my (NTSC) blu-ray players. Nothing wrong with my queen or the concert itself. If you are a Kylie fan like myself, buy it. Don't have high expectations on the image, though.

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I do not have any other videos of Kylie to compare this to, but I really like it. She is a "new" addition to my media concert collection and I am happy with it. She has an awesome stage presence, she is just a beautiful woman, her stage rocks and her music is what we all know...great. Why 3 stars? Well, I would give it only 1 but her performance was a 5, the video quality was not blu ray nor was it dvd quality. It is poor, grainy, it leaves a lot to be desired. The sound is great but the video quality really was a flop. For those of you that don't agree, good for you if you are not experiencing this problem with this blu ray, mine was so bad that I stopped it, popped another blu ray in...similar in nature...a concert, to make sure my TV or player were not acting up. Right away I noticed the difference, the system was working fine, it was Kylies blu ray that was not up to par.

I would advise to buy the DVD instead

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Kylie Minogue's 2008 world tour is easily the envy of any pop music fan. As grand a spectacle as anything from Madonna to Lady Gaga...those ladies could learn a thing or two from Kylie. A great show and beautifully captured!

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Blade Runner: The Final Cut Blu-ray SteelBook

Having seen this movie probably more times and in more different formats than most people, I thought it was time I write a few words about this masterpiece of filmmaking. Truly, I wasn't boasting with my assertion that I've seen this movie as much as I have (I watch this movie almost once a week and have done so for almost 10 years). I own several, still unopened, VHS tapes that for a large part of the nineties I did my best at collecting. I own the Japanese Laserdisc version, a rare bootleg VHS version that was distributed over the internet a handful of years ago that has the narration selectively placed back into the Director's Cut version of the film, not called the Esper Version as some would want to label it, the Director's Cut and now the HD version of the Final Cut. That makes 5, but 6 if you count the Workprint version that comes with this box set. So, I would say that's one more than most.

Blade Runner first and foremost, is probably the greatest film ever made, from beginning to end and in all of its variations. A bold statement when the film doesn't even rank in the top 10 in the American Film Institute or on IMDb. Spots #97 and #104 respectively (ahem). But as these kind of lists are subjective and truly under the control of mere mortals and their own strange whims, and I take no offense that so many so-called aficionados have over-looked this film for so long. Roger Ebert slammed Ridley Scott and the film during the first theatrical release by stating that `Scott cared more about the lush environment of the film than he did of the story', which as we all know and even Ebert now, in hindsight, has stated that he was unkind and grossly unfair to both Scott and the film.

For years, Blade Runner was divided into two different camps, or rather four and they are: Those that preferred the narration and those that did not and the other camp was those that thought Deckard was a Replicant and those that thought he was either human or felt it was left ambiguous. Ridley Scott has very gracefully over the years, given homage to these thoughts and made many statements that most readers are aware of, chiefly that Deckard was a Replicant. Unfortunately, due to the studios fingering with the film during post-production, Warner Brothers had the right to trim anything after the 120 min mark, and thus butchering the nuance of the film and leaving several things vague and forcing Scott to tack on the Happy ending and the narration because as we all know ... we're all just too stupid to get it.

The new and most refreshing part of the new argument, evinced in the 210 (wow!) min documentary `Dangerous Days' is that Scott gives equal time to those that enjoyed the film with the narration, with Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth / Hellboy) in the forefront, with his very candid telling of how Blade Runner changed his life and launched him down the road into filmmaking. We also get to hear a very lucid and warm retelling from Harrison Ford of the nightmare that he not only endured making the movie but the further commitment of having to do the Voice Over narration months later, which ended up having its own strange story as well.

So, now with 5 versions available in this box set, you get to see Blade Runner in every single angle imaginable and it is engrossing every time. Ebert also said in the Nineties that the re-release of the movie for the Director's Cut gives you yet another version of the film, but fails to handle the main problems that were so apparent the first time around. As the film has changed Ebert has gone from student flippancy to utmost respect and enjoyment. Ebert's own site has all three versions of his reviews which are interesting to read in context to the passage of time if you're interested.

There are so many layers to Blade Runner and so many things that can be said from the brilliant look of the newly restored cut, the awesome remixed sound, the Original Score by Vangelis, and the story itself. Blade Runner is probably the high water mark of all films and will probably stay that way for quite some time. Internet voting puts the film as the 4th greatest movie of all time, according to AFI's own user polls so that really puts perspective on AFI's and IMDb's so-called Final Lists.

On a final note, when people watch this film, a lot of people come away with a strange feeling of familiarity regarding the content, the story and the character of Rick Deckard the protagonist, the Detective, the Blade Runner. You should know that Philip K. Dick was an incredibly huge fan of Raymond Chandler and absorbed every one of his stories on a personal level. Hampton Fancher, the screenwriter was privy to this when he penned the screenplay while making the adaptation for `Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' and did his best to not only pay homage to this for Dick but for Chandler as well. Movies like `The Big Sleep' really bring it home and make it evident to the viewer. The novel almost reads like the narration and in latter years I find impossible to not hear Harrison Ford's voice as I read `The Big Sleep'.

"What do you think of my Owl, Mr. Deckard?"

"Is it real?"

Due for re-release in December, this motion picture is one of the finest science fiction films of the 20th century. Part of this is because it projects a future that could be the earth as a place with a ruined environment populated by people that couldn't or wouldn't make the jump to one of the more habitable off-world colonies. The other part is because the film questions what it means to be human, and explores the possibly unsatisfactory answers you might get if you could, like the replicants, hunt down your maker and ask him Why am I here? Why must my life end? I'll pretty much let Warner's press release do the talking from this point forward. Basically you have your choice of three different sets 2-disc, 4-disc, and 5-disc. The discs are described as follows:

Disc 1 Ridley Scott's All-New "Final Cut" Version of the film Restored and remastered with added & extended scenes, added lines, new and cleaner special effects and all new 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio. Also included is commentary by Ridley Scott and a host of others that worked behind the camera.

Disc 2 Documentary Dangerous Days: Making of Blade Runner A feature-length documentary revealing all the elements that shaped this cinema landmark. Cast, crew, critics and colleagues give a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the film from its literary roots and inception through casting, production, visuals and special effects to its legacy.

Disc 3 1982 Theatrical Version The original that contains Deckard's narration and has Deckard and Rachel's (Sean Young) "happy ending" escape scene.

1982 International Version Also used on U.S. home video, laserdisc and cable releases up to 1992. This version is not rated, and contains some extended action scenes in contrast to the Theatrical Version.

1992 Director's Cut Omits Deckard's voiceover narration and removes the "happy ending" finale. It adds the famous "unicorn" sequence, a vision that Deckard has which suggests that he, too, may be a replicant.

Disc 4 BONUS Disc "Enhancement Archive" Eight featurettes, image galleries, radio interview with the author, and screen tests for the part of Rachel.

Disc 5 Workprint Version This rare version of the film is considered by some to be the most radically different of all the Blade Runner cuts. It includes an altered opening scene, no Deckard narration until the final scenes, no "unicorn" sequence, no Deckard/Rachel "happy ending," altered lines between Rutger Hauer and his creator Tyrell (Joe Turkell), alternate music and much more.

Also included is commentary by Paul M. Sammon, author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner and a featurette "All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut".

2 Disc Edition : Discs 1-2

4 Disc Edition : Discs 1-4

5 Disc Edition : Discs 1-5

The downside of this 2-disc version is that you are only getting the Final Cut version of the film and the documentary disc. You won't get the bonus disc of featurettes, the disc of past releases, and the workprint version of the film. The upside is that the 5-disc version of the film has some expensive packaging and promotional material included that seems to really raise the price of the entire package.

Buy Blade Runner: The Final Cut Blu-ray SteelBook Now

Well... here's the deal...

Blade Runner stands as one of those films whose editting and final cut were always a subject for debate. As you may know there are two known cuts of this film: the original theatrical version (shunned by many who claimed it was a producer's cut who did not believe in Scott's true vision) and the director's cut (which is not really the director's cut... it is more a screenplay's cut... with some changes who merely unmade some of the things the producers did on the previous cut).

It is this second version that you will find here (while the first version is no longer available) with a face lift... a new transfer... better sound... and that's it.

In one way, this version is badly needed because all the previous Blade Runner DVD incarnations come from the first years of DVD when you didn't even have a decent menu. And since the DVD technology has evolved a lot since then... why not a new version of Blade Runner, right?

But.......

The mystique surrounding Blade Runner says that director Ridley Scott never REALLY got HIS REAL version of this film. And more... A such an important and much loved film like this should have lots of extras to bring a new light to a film that is so fundamental and trendsetting.

And it seems that after 25 years, all the legal problems preventing all this from happenning were really sorted out between the film's former producers who battled for years for the film's rights.

And now, with all problems solved, we know that in 2007, we'll have that multi-disc version all the fans always dreamt of.

SO, THE DEAL IS... IF YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT THIS VERSION, BUY THIS EDITION. The good thing is you won't even go through those stupid snap cases anymore. Even if you already have it, the better image and sound on this release will certainly make up for it.

BUT IF YOU CANNOT BE SATISFIED WITH ANYTHING LESS THAT THE WHOLE MULTI-DISC EDITION COMPRISING ALL THE VERSIONS AND TONS OF EXTRAS... forget about this version and wait a few months for the longer, bigger, more complete, celebratory, multi versioned, multi disc set that will give you the FULL BLADE RUNNER deal.

It will cost more, naturally, but we've been saving money for it since our childhood, right? ;-)

I'm a big fan. So I'll wait. This version is a quick, just and much needed repairment: a great new transfer (with no extras) for those who just want the film. An entry level I'd say. And I think it is good that Warner Home Video has this version for those who just want the film at bargain price.

But more is coming in 2007. In full!!

So, I'll wait impatiently!!!!!

Read Best Reviews of Blade Runner: The Final Cut Blu-ray SteelBook Here

I fully agree with the previous reviewers. I already have the original 1992 Director's Cut and have been waiting ages to upgrade it. However, now that the producers have finally settled their legal problems, we are being deluged with a surfeit of Blade Runner editions. This is the first and the least promising of three planned editions. The 1992 Director's Cut is a compromise cut. This barebones DVD is the same as the previous DVD except that it has been fully restored and given an anamorphic remastering.

Following this edition, there will be another entitled, "Ridley Scott's Blade Runner: The Final Cut," to be released in early 2007 to mark the 25th Annversary of the movie, which will include newly restored scenes and will be Scott's final word on the film. Then later in 2007, there will be the "Ultimate Blade Runner" which will contain all 4 versions of the film, the original U.S. theatrical cut, the expanded international theatrical cut, the 1992 Director's Cut and the 2007 Final Cut, all fully restored and in anamorphic transfers plus tonnes of extras. In addition, Blade Runner will also be released simultaneously on both Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats.

Buy this with your eyes open. It is recommended only if you're a completist or have only passing interest in the film. This edition will have a limited run of just 4 months before it is withdrawn prior to the arrival of the next edition.

Want Blade Runner: The Final Cut Blu-ray SteelBook Discount?

Finally, the version I've been waiting for and many others as well. For years Blade Runner fans have been subject to the insane number of versions of Blade Runner and even the 5 disc Blu Ray copy that really is not worth the price you pay. The Final Cut is the version to have if you truly love the Blade Runner experience and have always hated the annoying voiceover by Harrison Ford that has plagued various copies of the film. Ridley Scott himself was able to have full artistic license with this film and you will not be disappointed. What you will be greeted with is a very clean, crisp HD version of the film and just the best single copy out there without all the extra discs of fluff and crappier versions. This version has the omitted voiceover, alternate ending without the "happy resolution" and the inclusion of the Unicorn dream. Any other reviews that knock the film are most likely fans of the voiceover which spoon feeds you information and takes away the lonely rainy feeling you get when watching the film for the first time. Plus in my opinion without the added commentary you are able to judge the film for yourself and not be guided through every single little plot detail. The acting is spot on and perhaps my personal favorite Ford role to date. If you are going to have any science fiction film on your shelf please get this version you will not be disappointed. 5 stars on audio, visual effects, crisp colors and picture quality.

Hidden Blade (2004)

I thought that director Yôji Yamada could not possibly top Twilight Samurai, but I was wrong. This is a great film for even those that are not martial arts fans. The acting is great, the screenplay is excellent and believable. Director Yamada also had great cinematographers and music.

Since the story for both Twilight Samurai and Hidden Blade were written by the same author and took place in the same part of Japan, one reviewer unfairly indicated the story was a rehash of the first. Definitely, I disagree with this assessment.

I don't want to give anything away. For those that are like me, be sure to have a box of tissues handy when you see this memorable film. I rented it and was so taken by the film (even watching it twice during the same weekend), that I purchased the DVD immediately from Amazon.

Yoji Yamada's "Twilight Samurai" was an extraordinary treat. Following in similar footsteps, "The Hidden Blade" is again a samurai tale where a lower samurai must weigh matters of principle against what is politically and financially advantageous. Shown at film festivals in Berlin & Newport Beach, the main character is Munezo Katagiri whose sister marries out of the household. Masatoshi Magase who played so romantically as the second love interest in "The Sea Is Watching" does the title role. He's very sensitive and honest, but a bit out of touch with his own emotional needs. Takako Matsu who has only made 3 films including 2006's "Suite Dreams" plays the housekeeper Kie. She works hard and lovingly takes care of Katagiri's house. Matsu's beautiful good looks and expressive face make her a charmer. Caste issues divide her from the samurai. When Kie marries, her new family abuses and fails to appreciate her. This results in her illness and rescue by Katagiri who barges into the household and rescues Kie from her own husband! Kie is nursed back to health. Meanwhile Yaichiro Hazama is from the same samurai clan and has gone to the big city of Edo where he gets caught in a plot to overthrow the Emperor. He's brought back home in a basket and imprisoned, rather than being given the dignity of hari kiri. The authorities come to Katagiri and give him the charge of dueling with Hazama, who breaks out of prison and holes up in a rural hut. The lovely Reiko Takashima plays Hazama's wife and comes to barter with the only commodity she has, her body, to try and save her husband's life. She goes to the Chief in charge (forgot his title) and makes a similar deal when Katagiri refuses her. Unfortunately, the unscrupulous Chief has no intention of freeing Hazama and fails to inform Katagiri as he has promised Mrs. Hazama he would do. Min Tanaka who played in "Twilight Samurai" is the retired martial arts instructor Toda who gave Katagiri knowledge of a special move called the Devil's Claw. Now living in a pastoral setting, he gives Katagiri a few last tips. The duel takes place with Katagiri surviving. The Chief suffers justice at Katagiri's hands with the lightning fast Devil's Claw dispatching him to the next world. Deciding to follow Toda's example, Katagiri renounces his pledge as samurai and sweetly approaches Kie who has not remarried and no longer has a caste restriction separating her from the man she obviously loves. There is a real sweetness and innocence in the story of "Hidden Blade" that shows a moral compass. The performances, direction and cinematography are first-rate. Bravo!

Buy Hidden Blade (2004) Now

Wow! What a delight. I picked "Hidden Blade"up from the local video store on the way home from work. It was just on a whim, based mainly upon superficialities (the cover art, the interesting title, the intriguing plot summary on the back), but am I ever glad I did.

This movie is an absolute gem, packed with engaging storylines and intricate character development. There isn't a tremendous amount of action, per se, but the few scenes demonstrate excellent technique. I was glued to the set the entire movie and was saddened when the movie came to a close at the end.

Pick this up for a wonderful human story satisfy your nostalgic longing for days of love and honor.

Read Best Reviews of Hidden Blade (2004) Here

Having been thrilled by the director's movie "Twilight Samurai",

I ordered this film. By itself, it is good period drama of the

19th century Samurai period...basically the story of an honorable samurai in a dishonorable world. However, I felt that

the plot and motifs were quite similar to Twilight Samurai. Given the choice of the two films, I would recommend Twilight over this one. I didn't quite get the point of seeing two

very similar movies.

Want Hidden Blade (2004) Discount?

this is a very good movie, quite different from the other samurai movies. it's quite romantic too. a real gem. a samurai with conscience and principles, a country girl with pure heart, loyalty and love. grab this one and enjoy.

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Save the Date (2012)

A real film about how life sort of just happens. very relatable story and characters. The story plays out like events would in life and that was what made this movie so great. if you enjoy stories that are more realistic then this is for yo Lizzy Caplan and Alison Bree are stellar and you will fall in love with them. The dialogue is key in this film so enjoy and pay attention. i will say the last scene wasnt my favorite but the rest of the story makes up for it

Early on in Michael Mohan's keenly observed film -in fact, in the first shot -we see our protagonist Sarah hunched over a table in the bookstore she manages, drawing Save the Date cards for her sister Beth's impending wedding, when the ding of the "Ring Bell for Service" bell pulls her and her attentions up from her sketchbook. More than just slyly introduce the title of the film, this brief scene actually sets up the entire conflict at the heart of Mohan's film, that of the individual juggling the obligations of work, family, and self.

As played by Lizzy Caplan, Sarah is aloof on top and a jumbled bag of conflicting emotions underneath. Despite personal reservations, she is moving in with her boyfriend Kevin (Geoffrey Arend), who is in a band with her sister's fiancé Andrew (Martin Starr). Alison Brie plays Sarah's sister Beth with an air of lightly affected conviction to the superiority of her own judgment; she chalks up Sarah's reticence to immaturity, telling her, "it's time to grow up."

Beth represents two hurdles for Sarah. In addition to being Sarah's sister, with all of the familial obligations entailed therein, she also embodies the straight-world, grown-up deference to consensus that Sarah, as an artist and as an individual, rails so intently against. "This whole thing feels very... practical," she laments about moving in with Kevin, with resignation. Beth, on the other hand, is incapable of seeing "practical" as a pejorative; she is fussy and fastidious with her time, her money, and her emotions. To Brie's credit, Beth never exhibits any malice or indifference -she means well, but has simply allowed the onus of responsibility to rest too strongly upon her. She considers her sacrifices of will a virtue and fails to understand why they're not appreciated.

Sarah, however, has a distinct point at which she will no longer compromise her instincts, and that point is marriage. She is happy for Beth and Andrew, but is adamant in her own distrust and disbelief in the practice. Despite this, Kevin makes the ill-advised decision to propose to Sarah at the first show of their band's upcoming tour. When she runs, mortified, out of the club, Kevin is decimated. She moves out and he goes off on tour, but video of his failed proposal has made it to the internet; the constant reminder of his heartbreak is too much for him to bear, and they cancel the remaining shows.

Sarah, meanwhile, has been starting a tentative relationship with Jonathan (Mark Webber), a frequent patron of her bookstore. Jonathan is not an opportunist, and both are aware of the pitfalls of a rebound relationship, but their chemistry is strong. After dinner at Sarah's apartment, they share a brief first kiss. "I don't know what I'm doing," Sarah confides, to which Jonathan gentlemanly responds, "I know, and for that I'm going to leave."

Beth struggles to see past Sarah's seeming disregard for Kevin's feelings, but Andrew more quickly warms to Jonathan. It is Andrew, in fact, who remains the calm center of the film, and Starr's straightforward, guileless performance anchors the other four performers. He is level-headed and even-tempered, able to read people accurately and willing to do so without letting preconceptions or bias get in the way.

There are two moments in particular in which Beth's silent repentance betrays her reliance upon Andrew for emotional perspective. The first is early in the film, when she chastises him for making coffee when they have to hurry to the post office to drop off their Save the Date cards. Andrew, a few steps behind, approaches Beth, standing tersely at the intersection outside of their house, waiting to cross the road; he hands her one of two travel mugs, at which she smiles ever so slightly. The second comes much later in the film, after the conflict between Beth and Sarah has reached a fever pitch. Climbing into bed, Andrew -uncharacteristically blunt -says, "The girl that you're acting like right now is not the girl that I fell in love with." The look on Beth's face as she stares at him in the darkness could almost be anger, but as it lingers in silence, we see that any anger she may have is directed at herself.

Mohan and his co-writers Egan Reich and the cartoonist Jeffrey Brown wisely never stray too far from the relationship of the sisters, and the veracity of their interactions is possibly the film's greatest asset. The dynamic between Brie and Caplan is perfectly rendered with just the right balance of disdain, obligation, and genuine affection; throughout the film I couldn't help but be reminded of my wife's relationship with her sister and how true these episodes rang to me.

Brutal emotional honesty is actually an asset that the film in general can claim, offering none of the characters easy answers, nor offering the audience a tidy resolution. Over the past decade, critics have been using the term Mumblecore to describe the work of a small group of filmmakers who have turned no-budget filmmaking into a venue for intimate character studies and relationship dramas. As scene progenitors like Joshua Leonard (with the criminally under-seen and under-rated The Lie) and The Duplass Brothers (with the phenomenal one-two punch of Cyrus and Jeff Who Lives at Home) have been successfully transplanting their DIY aesthetic to major studios, many established actors and filmmakers have ben borrowing from the strengths and lessons of this new style of personal filmmaking. Within this growing genre, Save the Date represents the most honest, unadorned look at what it means to commit to another human being, with fine, sympathetic performances all around and an astute screenplay that respects all of its characters as well as their circumstances equally.

[originally published on Considering Film]

Buy Save the Date (2012) Now

Lizzy Caplan steals your heart as a complex, self gaurded 30something who has love thrown at her when it's the farthest thing she wants. She most choose between the love she has become comfortable with, and the rebound guy turned soulmate. As well as her sister's (Alison Brie) wedding witch she feels obligated to help with. Great performances from Mark Webber, Geoffrey Arend and Martin Starr also.

Read Best Reviews of Save the Date (2012) Here

Really enjoyed this movie and the dark humor was a nice departure from the standard, cliched romcom. Sad at times and i wish it didn't end where it did (not that i'm always opposed to ambiguous endings), but I'd definitely watch it again! Loved the cast and in particular thought Lizzy Caplan did SUCH a credible job with the role.

Want Save the Date (2012) Discount?

Save the Date is a sweet and yet serious indie flick about two sisters who are as different as night and day. Sarah is terrified of commitment (Lizzy Caplan) and Beth (Alison Brie) is happily engaged. Sarah's live-in boyfriend proposes to her in a very public setting and she breaks up with him, and immediately begins a sexual relationship with Jonathan (Mark Webber). Beth is cynical about Sarah's new situation, she feels her sister is just passing time and is afraid to take risks in her safe little world. I thought Lizzy Caplan and Mark Webber have intense and wonderful chemistry, and I also thought Caplan's performance was heartbreaking and electric, this is the best I've ever seen her. Save the Date is a great film, it's not for everyone but if you're a fan of indie flicks then this one is for you. Enjoy!

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Romancing the Stone / Jewel of the Nile (2012)

If you loved "Romancing The Stone" and can hardly pass the TV without stopping to watch when it's on, then you might want to consider this 2-pack. RTS alone is a five star film on it's own.It is one that is as enjoyable the 50th time you watch as it was the first. Then follow the adventures of Jack, Joan and Ralph to Africa in "Jewel Of The Nile".The only problem is...you'll have a heck of a time trying to decide what genre to put them in. There's something for everybody. Action-Adventure, Comedy, and Romance. It's a Caper and a Cliffhanger.

Here's the story for those that may have missed this gem....

Joan Wilder(Kathleen Turner)is a romance novelist who's hopes and dreams are to be swept off her feet by a man like Jessie, the hero of her adventurous stories. She's about to have her own adventure though, one that includes a man, well... not quite like Jessie,but a hero in his own way, Jack T. Colton(Michael Douglas). He has dreams too. And he's into "short-cuts" to make them come true.

After coming into possession of a mysterious treasure map, Joan finds herself in the jungles of Columbia. She must use the map to bargain for her kidnapped sister's life. Things are not going smoothly though. All kinds of villains are after the map. Enter Jack to the rescue, but are his intentions to help her or is he also after the treasure at the end of the map?? Find out as things go downhill(literally), they are swinging from vines, fighting off crocodiles, and are all the time being chased by bad cops and bumbling thieves, including the likes of Danny DeVito!

"Jewel Of The Nile" is the sequel to this fun adventure, and although a bit on the predictable side, and maybe not one that you'll watch as often as RTS,(I would probably give it 3 1/2 stars on it's own),it's a chance to see these three great stars back in action again,this time being chased and romancing their way across Africa.

Joan and Jack have been living together on his boat for six months already.Jack wants to take off and see the world, Joan has a bit of a writer's block and wants more from life. Opportunity knocks on her door when a powerful Sheik wants her to write his story. She's wisked off to Africa, leaving a brooding Jack behind, and immediately finds herself in the midst of a mysterious,intriguing and very dangerous situation involving an all powerful "Jewel". But have no fear, Jack is warned of the danger his beloved is in and is off to save her. Ralph(DeVito),who has been lurking about and hears the word "Jewel" is not going to be left out this time, and tags along as well. An added bonus to this one are the fabulous Flying Karamazov Brothers juggling troupe, who jazz up this film a little with their entertaining skills.

Finally available in a packaged deal on DVD, it would be nice if the special features were listed, so fans of theses films could decide if it is worth the upgrade to a "special edition".

Also these two "special edition" are both sold separately. It may be worth the time to check the prices from Amazon and the outside sellers to see which way is the best deal(including shipping costs)

Fun, Romance,Adventure,Great Location shoots, and three great stars to spend action-packed hours with....go for it..and enjoy....Laurie

more fun stuff:

Man With One Red Shoe

The Cowboy Way

Goin South

These 2 films are 2 of the most nostalgic films for me from the mid-1980s. It had been a long time since I watched them, but they remain as delightful today as they did when I first saw them on VHS in the 80s.

Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner portray a pair of quasi-lovers thrown into rather unpredictable circumstances. Danny Devito plays a loveable bumbling bad guy who is out to convince himself that he really IS a bad guy.

The DVDs contain special features which interview the stars today and all 3 reminisce about the making of both films. The story about how the set-prop of the F-16 nearly caused an international incident is comical. There was just one downside to the interviews, and that was that Kathleen Turner (who SIZZLED in the 80s!) has not aged well @ all. I would have never recognized her. Sadly, I believe Danny Devito has aged more gracefully than she has.

If you grew up in the 80s, I would highly recommend that you pick up this DVD set to re-discover why we all loved Kathleen & Mike way back then. If you're young enough that you were not alive when the movies came out in the theatre, then you're in for a big treat. These are 2 of the funnest adventure movies ever made!

Buy Romancing the Stone / Jewel of the Nile (2012) Now

This review refers to the "Romancing The Stone/Jewel Of The Nile" 2 pack(VHS).....

If you loved "Romancing The Stone" and can hardly pass the TV without stopping to watch when it's on, then go ahead and splurge on this two-pack. RTS alone is a five star film on it's own and worth the price of admission.It is one that is as enjoyable the 50th time you watch as it was the first. Then follow the adventures of Jack, Joan and Ralph to Africa in "Jewel Of The Nile".The only problem is...you'll have a heck of a time trying to decide what genre to put them in. There's something for everybody. Action-Adventure, Comedy, and Romance. It's a Caper and a Cliffhanger.

Here's the story for those that may have missed this gem....

Joan Wilder(Kathleen Turner)is a romance novelist who's hopes and dreams are to be swept off her feet by a man like Jessie, the hero of her adventurous stories. She's about to have her own adventure though, one that includes a man, well... not quite like Jessie,but a hero in his own way, Jack T. Colton(Michael Douglas). He has dreams too. And he's into "short-cuts" to make them come true.

After coming into possession of a mysterious treasure map, Joan finds herself in the jungles of Columbia. She must use the map to bargain for her kidnapped sister's life. Things are not going smoothly though. All kinds of villains are after the map. Enter Jack to the rescue, but are his intentions to help her or is he also after the treasure at the end of the map?? Find out as things go downhill(literally), they are swinging from vines, fighting off crocodiles, and are all the time being chased by bad cops and bumbling thieves, including the likes of Danny DeVito!

"Jewel Of The Nile" is the sequel to this fun adventure, and although a bit on the predictable side, and maybe not one that you'll watch as often as RTS,(I would probably give it 3 1/2 stars on it's own),it's a chance to see these three great stars back in action again,this time being chased and romancing their way across Africa.

Joan and Jack have been living together on his boat for six months already.Jack wants to take off and see the world, Joan has a bit of a writer's block and wants more from life. Opportunity knocks on her door when a powerful Sheik wants her to write his story. She's wisked off to Africa, leaving a brooding Jack behind, and immediatley finds herself in the midst of a mysterious,intriguing and very dangerous situtation involving an all powerful "Jewel". But have no fear, Jack is warned of the danger his beloved is in and is off to save her. Ralph(DeVito),who has been lurking about and hears the word "Jewel" is not going to be left out this time, and tags along as well. An added bonus to this one are the fabulous Flying Karamazov Brothers juggling troupe, who jazz up this film a little with their entertaining skills.

I did not see this set available yet on DVD(although they are sold seperately),I have a feeling it won't be long though. Amazon is sold out of this 2 pack at this time,but there are some reasonable deals here from the sellers if you are interested in the VHS editions.

Fun, Romance,Adventure,Great Location shoots, and three great stars to spend action-packed hours with....go for it..and enjoy....Laurie

Read Best Reviews of Romancing the Stone / Jewel of the Nile (2012) Here

This film really took me back. My mother took me to see it for the first time in the cinema when I was twelve years old. The last time I saw it was on VHS in the late 80's. When I recently viewed the special edition, a whole lot of old memories came flooding back. The film obviously aimed for the Raiders of the Lost Ark crowd with its high-adventure sequences, (Indiana Jones was one of the hottest properties around at the time) but ended up being its own animal before all was said and done, becoming more a romantic comedy than an action-adventure film. This film is something special because as a twelve-year-old who hated all that kissy-stuff I still loved this movie, and to this day I still don't like romantic comedies, but I still love this movie. The story is about a lonely romance novelist who travels to Columbia to bring a map to two kidnappers who have her sister. Along the way she meets Jack T. Colton, a drifter who agrees to take her to meet the kidnappers for $350 some American. Of course, he manages to convince her she should go after the treasure to which the map points (El Corazon, the said "stone" of the title) and a number of misadventures follow. The sequel is almost as good, but added the element of the supernatural, albeit briefly. The bottom line is this: If you like the Indiana Jones films, you'll probably enjoy this. If you've never seen this movie, give it a try.

Want Romancing the Stone / Jewel of the Nile (2012) Discount?

I have loved these two movies since I was a little girl and it is so nice to be able to watch them again and again now that they are on DVD. Thank you so much!!!

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Tiger & Bunny, Set 1 (2013)

In the future, there is an evolved breed of humans called "Next" with special powers. Sternbild City has found a good way to put these powers to use "Hero TV" a real reality tv show where superheroes are sponsored and ranked, with a "King of Heroes", a title that goes to the hero with the most points each year. Wild Tiger is a hero on the show whose popularity is on the decline, while his destruction bill is on the rise. Given one last chance at heroism, Wild Tiger is forced to partner up with the newest hero to join the show, the young and charismatic Barnaby Brooks Jr.

This show was so much fun. The concept behind Hero TV, while flawed, is brilliant. I've always wondered about who covers the bill when some superhero destroys millions of dollars worth of property. I am probably weird. But it is still a fun concept even if you don't wonder about that sort of thing. The characters were all distinct and the relationships very well developed. It was fun having a main character not in high school. Wild Tiger definitely embraces his inner child, but he can show maturity at times :) Actually, his development is one of the best parts of the show.

The plot moves along at a brisk place, sometimes slowing to flesh out the other heroes. The other heroes surprised me a little they were interesting characters. I kind of expected them to be background characters, but they are more developed then that.

I watched this series on Viz and have been eagerly waiting for the DVDs to rewatch the series with my sisters and/or friends (or by myself, I'm not picky :). This set contains episodes 1-13, out of 25 total. There are a couple of movies, but I don't know if they will be released stateside or not. The series ends really well though, so movies aren't necessary to finish the story.

This is the sort of show that can be enjoyed by people of all ages with all tastes. Do you like heroes? Bad guys getting their butts kicked? Comedy? Mystery? Tiger & Bunny has it all and much more! So go ahead and give it a shot :)

this is a great series, i have long awaited its release here in the USA. the series revolves around heros fighting to protect people. these heros are NEXTS(similar concept done by the armored core video games), anyway these nexts have special abilities but only become a "hero" when they have a sponsor, our hero tiger is long in the tooth apparently and down on his luck until a new sponsor takes him and partners him with Barnaby whom he calls "BUNNY" due to the pink points on his suit. they quickly become the only duo team to fight evil and uphold justice and this makes for great ratings (as the heros are watched on a tv show by the populous and win points according to deed, most heros have different abilities but tiger & bunny have the same ability weirdly enough.

this english dub was first vied on viz's new stream "NEON ALLEY" along with others such as blue exorcist, inuyasha, fairy tail, ect

this blue ray set 1 has roughly 12 episodes and is in high quality, while haveing 2 disks, so i predict at least 9 ep on disk 1 and disk 2 is ep 10-12 with special features. this is the common format as done by sentai filmworks and funimation releases.

also please note that like fairy tail this will be released in multiple parts(sets 1-8) and will be available in either dvd or blu ray , i hope we get up to 8 anyway.

look out for this amazing show, it is a fan favorite and if your not sure, watch episode 1 & 2 online to get an idea for the show

Buy Tiger & Bunny, Set 1 (2013) Now

Been waiting for the official release for this in America! Tiger & Bunny is truly one of the best shows ever created. It's highly original for an anime and anyone who's a fan of animation should watch it. The storytelling is fast pace and westernized while still maintaining the feel we all love in anime. Characters are diverse and actually look different from eachother. The art direction is practically flawless, and the japanese voice cast is top notch. Haven't given the english cast a shot but for those of you who are looking for it it's on there too. The blu ray has great updates in the some of the scenes that were lacking in the original release (Which you can see for free on Hulu) and everything is very crisp and bright. Overall a pretty good buy.

Cons? (Not related to Amazon or the series itself)

Well my main complaint is the packaging. While this seems like a total nitpick it's important to consider if North America wants to do a better job of marketing companies really need to take into account how well their advertising is. Honestly the dvd cover looks like something Viz gave to a kid who just discovered photoshop in high school. Or it looks like a bootleg I could pick up in New York from those guys selling dvds on the street. (i.e what is with the type and star background?!) Not the most alluring thing, especially for the price you pay. Yes ideally it is about the content inside which is actually great but for the money paid I would think Viz would've put a little more thought into how the case aws presented and marketed. Also, inside you literally open up the case and the dvds are right there. No pamphlet, no nothing. Just a little paper ad on Viz's neon alley. The package is the first thing a buyer is going to see when picking something up. And yes from and advertising point of view people DO judge a book by its cover (Honestly I don't know why the original Japanese packaging wasn't kept since the title is in english anyway.)

One other con is I wish bonus material was added and I'm not talking about the digital features. If anyone researched the European and Japanese releases there were goodies included in theirs. Just saying.

Read Best Reviews of Tiger & Bunny, Set 1 (2013) Here

In 2011, the anime studio Sunrise, best known for its anime series for "Mobile Suit Gundam", "Cowboy Bebop", "Dirty Pair", "City Hunter" to name a few, went on to work on anime series that would captivate older viewers but also something unique and different for anime fans.

And the 25episode TV series "Tiger & Bunny" was created.

Directed by Keiichi Satou ("Saint Seiya the Movie", "Karas", "Asura"), a screenplay by Masafumi Nishida, music by Yoshihiro Ike ("Asura", "Cobra: The Animation", "Dead Leaves"), character designs by Kenji Hayama ("Baccano!", "The Big O", "Casshern Sins", "Getter Robo: Armageddon") and Masaki Yamada ("Ergo Proxy", "Appleseed", "Great Dangaioh"), background art by Kinichi Okubo ("Ex-Driver", "Honey and Clover", "Angel Beats!"), mechanical design by Kenji Andou ("Origini ~Spirits of the Past~", "Votoms Finder"), Yoshikazu Kon ("Gurren Lagann", "Shangri-La", "Mobil Suit Gundam 00″).

The series aired in Japan on April 2011 and also was seen in the U.S. via Hulu and the Anime News Network. And most recently on Viz Media's "Neon Alley".

In Japan, a one-shot manga by Masakazu Katsura ("Video Girl Ai", "DNA2″, "Zetman") was published in "Weekly Shonen Jump" and in Sept. 2012, an animated film was released and a second film currently in production and planned for a fall 2013 release. Also, the anime series has led to a PSP video game released in Sept. 2012 and a second game planned for a March 2013 released.

And in the U.S., the first volume featuring the first 13 episodes of "Tiger & Bunny" will be released on Blu-ray in Feb. 2013 courtesy of Viz Media.

"Tiger & Bunny" takes place in NC1978 in the city of Sternbild City. 45 years prior, humans with supernatural abilities known as "NEXT" began appearing in the planet. And now, these people with special abilities and are superheroes sponsored by major corporations such as Pepsi, Softbank, Calbee, etc. and are featured on the popular reality TV show titled "Hero TV".

Each season, these heroes try to achieve points by capturing/defeating criminals and the best ranked superhero will be crowned as "King of Heroes". While each are competing with each other, often they work as a superhero team.

VIDEO:

"Tiger & Bunny" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 aspect ratio). "Tiger & Bunny" is probably one of the best, recent anime TV series that I have seen in awhile. From the detail of the futuristic structures, the costume design for the characters in superhero form, the mechanical design of vehicles and costumes and just the many location shots utilized for this anime series alone, these days, you don't see too many anime studios going all out for a TV series, but in this case, Sunrise went all out with "Tiger & Bunny".

Awesome character designs, background art is fantastic but just the character and mechanical designs featuring animation and CG is well-done. The character designs catches your attention with the colors and shading but the mechanical design and the superhero character designs look awesome. Even the art backgrounds as the futuristic city is well-painted, full of detail and adds to the overall look of the series.

"Tiger & Bunny" looks magnificent in HD!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Tiger & Bunny" is presented in lossless English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Both are similar when it comes to special effects. Dialogue is crisp and clear but voice acting is well-done on both the Japanese and English soundtrack. While it would have been nice to have a 5.1 lossless track, especially since this series has plenty of action, the series does sound crisp and clear through the front channels.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Tiger & Bunny: Blu-ray Set 1″ comes with the following special features:

The Making of Tiger & Bunny(24:01) The challenges from the Japanese crew at Sunrise in creating a new anime series that would appeal to manga fans, longtime anime fans and trying to come up with a series that is fresh and new. In Japanese with English subtitles.

Production Art Using your remote (or keyboard), you can look at the production art of "Tiger & Bunny".

Special Logo Art Using your remote (or keyboard), you can look at the special logo art of "Tiger & Bunny".

Japanese Trailers (4:12) The Japanese trailers for "Tiger & Bunny".

Clean Opening and Clean Ending

JUDGMENT CALL:

As a person who enjoys anime, we have seen the team dynamic in many forms.

From the sentai teams of yesteryear, may it be "Gatchaman", "Voltron" to super teams such as the Z-Warriors of "Dragon Ball Z", the ninjas of "Naruto" or the high school friends as seen on "Bleach" and "Yu Yu Hakusho".

But one thing that we often see in America through comic books, animated series and live action films are the superhero teams. May it be Marvel's X-Men, The Avengers or Fantastic Four or DC's Justice League of America, The Teen Titans or Legion of Super-Heroes and it has always been in the back of my mind, what if there was a caped superhero for an anime series?

We have seen a singular costumed heroes from anime series such as "Moldiver" and shows like the Kamen Rider or even Ranger series but what Sunrise was able to create with "Tiger & Bunny" is exciting, unique and different from anything ever featured in Japan.

Humans with special abilities known as NEXT who take on the bad guys, but in a twist, are featured on television and challenge other heroes of who can catch the most criminals and get the most points to increase their ranking, as each compete for the title "King of Heroes".

The characters are nothing like American superheroes in the fact that these are individuals that are flawed.

The main protagonist Kotetsu is an older superhero who knows he is not a great father. He speaks to her on intercom but is never there to see her face-to-face and his daughter pretty much gave up on seeing him. He knows he causes trouble for the station because he causes quite a bit of damage and now, to help put him on the right path, he is given a partner with Barnaby.

And while Barnaby has a cool demeanor, a strategist who thinks first before attacking, he also has a tragic past that drives him to become a superhero and that is to find the killer responsible for killing his parents.

The two are joined by heroes that are interesting. Blue Rose is popular because of her sexy outfit and cute demeanor when fighting criminals but deep inside, she is torn between pursuing her dream to become a singer or being a hero. Dragon Kid is a tomboy and doesn't like to wear cute things, but as she gets older, she is starting to discover her feminine side. Meanwhile, Fire Emblem is an effeminate hero who wants to be accepted by the girls, but yet is considered as a guy. Rock Bison is more interested in partying with Kotetsu and getting drunk than capturing criminals and now he is in danger of losing his job because he is in last place. And Origami Cyclone, a shy guy who has the power to shapeshift but feels it's a worthless power and is more of a cheerleader than a person who does the fighting to capture the criminals.

Suffice to say, each of these characters are unlikely heroes but yet as a team, they are starting to work well with each other. But it takes time, and also, as much as they are a team when facing difficult criminals, they are also rivals trying to get the most points and representing their sponsors with pride.

"Tiger & Bunny" really is an anime series that is unlike anything I have seen before in my decades of watching anime.

And as for the Blu-ray release, picture quality is vibrant and colorful. Sunrise is known for creating magnificent looking anime series but "Tiger & Bunny" features wonderful character and mechanical designs and a great balance between animation and CG. I was really impressed with how cool this series looks. And you get both Japanese and English soundtracks in lossless 2.0 and a few special features are included.

Overall, the first half of "Tiger & Bunny" has turned out to be a quite awesome. A unique and original anime series that will entertain anime fans and one of the coolest looking group of superheroes ever featured in an anime series. A fantastic anime series that I highly recommended!

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watch this anime right now. do it. you won't regret it. ok? ok. Seriously good anime with good writing and great voice acting and visuals

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Meet the Robinsons (2007)

In all my years of reading reviews and shopping on Amazon I have never been compelled to write one myself until now. Like many parents, when a new disney film comes out on dvd, I usually buy it, watch it during movie night, and forget about it by the time the credits start rolling. My daughter is five and she enjoyed it but to me, as an adult who can look back at his life and appreciate all those struggles and "twists and turns of fate" that shaped who I am, the emotional impact ressonated much deeper. I was skeptical of this film due to the fact that disney's computer animated ventures without Pixar on board have consistantly been pretty weak, but in my opinion this one can stand toe to toe with every Disney/Pixar film to date. The director, Stephen Anderson explains that his life was extremely similar to that of the main character, Lewis. The passion that he had for this project is evident in every single detail of every single frame. The musical score by Danny Elfman and the brilliantly heartfelt song "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas fit with the theme perfectly. I've always judged movies based on the emotional response I have to them. If a movie can bring tears of sadness to my eyes, that's one thing, but if it can make me genuinely cry out of sheer happiness, well then in my book it's a winner because I am extremely critical of sappiness and what I call "emotional blackmail". I recently showed this film to a group of 30 of the most hardcore juvenile delinquents gathered from 20 different counties around Ohio and we spent an hour afterwards talking about it. I spend all day with these kids, and the way they let their guard down and opened up about their lives during our discussion was............magical. I don't see that side of them very often and I'm thankful that a "silly disney cartoon" inspired that.

We saw "Meet the Robinsons" in the 3-D version at the theater and my kids laughed about it for days. Too bad they couldn't release the DVD in the 3-D version, but it's still an excellent film for children. Personally, I also loved hearing the voice of Adam West in the film.

The film is based loosely on William Joyce's, A Day with Wilbur Robinson. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. William Joyce ALSO was the artist behind Rolie Polie Olie series. The book is quite different from the film, but there are direct parallels. For instance, there is no orphanage theme in the original book and no Bowler Hat Guy. However, many of the other characters are present in both. Stylistically, the book and the movie have a pronounced retroanimation/cartoon feel to them. It is a very refreshing artistic style to watch and makes for a unique animated film.

The DVD contains a fairly extensive set of features, but nothing out of the ordinary. For future releases of children's videos, I'd suggest adding a reading of the original book. In the few DVD's we've purchased with this feature, it's encouraged my children to read the actual book.

I highly recommend this DVD for your child's video library. It's a film enjoyable by both adults and children. The film is funny and presents a very clear message about the need to celebrate our human differences and stresses the importance of family and friends(adopted or otherwise).

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Evaluating `Meet the Robinsons' depends on whether you entered the theater offering 3-D glasses. Either way you receive excellent family entertainment, even if there are elements of the film you've seen before. Resembling an animated version of `Back to the Future' or `Peggy Sue Got Married,' `Meet the Robinsons' is a briskly based, nicely woven tale about belonging and achieving.

Starting we find the typical desperate mother leaving her baby on the orphanage steps. Her son Louis becomes a nervous inventor at the orphanage and a nuisance to everyone, especially his long-suffering roommate, Goob. Having an intellectual disposition doesn't help him in adoption interviews, and ingenious inventions that seldom work, don't endear him at school. Add to that a pure villain comes upon his scene, known as "Bowler Hat Man" (Whose hat makes him like a nimble, but less scary nemesis comparable to "Dr. Oct".) his life comes into disarray at science fair he's finally sure he'll win.

Using time travel well and peril and humor that truly entertain, `..Robinsons' message to always persevere and the plot's neat and heart-felt resolution will make every family member smile.

(This being my first 3-D adventure that actually worked certainly gave the movie a lift, too!)

Read Best Reviews of Meet the Robinsons (2007) Here

"Meet the Robinsons" was initially based on the book by William Joyce entitled "A day with Wilbur Robinson." While Disney's movie focused on a young inventor name Lewis who specializes in innovative inventions. Lewis adventure begins when he meets Wilbur and journeys across time to avert any changes in the space time continuum.

The film pays homage to a number of established iconic movies such as Back to the Future, Star Wars, Casino, and generic Kung-Fu inspired action sequences. "Meet the Robinsons" also tackles a number to issues such as friendship, responsibility, integrity, and the importance of a family unit/parental figure in one's life.

It's a great movie and one that every family should take time out to see.

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This movie is a wonderful family movie with great lessons about true friendship, forgiveness,adoption, restoration, and family. But not only that it is full of clever and witty dialogue to keep the parents entertained while the colorful images and special effects keep the kids entertained. This bluray version is just as good as the film original if not better. The 1080p factor brings this film to a 3-d likeness. This is a must own if you love disney and hi-def entertainment. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise.

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BARFI HINDI BLU RAY WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES FULLY BOXED AND SEALED DIRECT FROM MANAFACTURER (2012)

Some may say this movie stole some famous scenes from classics. But this movie is full of love and humor, which we can't find in Hollywood movies any more. They didn't steal but quoated those scenes because it seems too obvious if you call it plagiarism. All the actors and actresses are very attractive and lovely. After watching whole this movie once, you will want to watch some lovable scenes again and again.