Elf (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2010)

I loved this movie. It was totally bonkers: a human baby accidently ends up on the north pole and grows up among the elf community that supports Santa Claus. Buddy, as he comes to be known, knows that he's "special" however, since he can't keep up with the other elves. Never mind the fact that he's about three times as tall as any of them and barely fits in the shower.

When he's 30, and still young by Elf standards, he learns that he's really a human. Buddy decides to go in search of his father (who's on Santa's naughty list), to find out where he belongs. He walks to New York (through the Lincoln tunnel), and is immediately run over by a cab. The chain of events starts at that moment ...

Buddy is a delightful and enchanting character with many special talents and a childish personality. He is naive to the point of stupidity, but charming all the while. His lovable demeanour gains him friends in spite of his clumsy efforts. He is sweet, kind and generous. When his father at first rejects him, Buddy ends up in a department store where other elves (people who pretend to be Santa's elves) are working, and stays up all night to decorate the place. When the department store Santa isn't the real Santa, well, you can guess what happens ...

Buddy eats spaghetti covered in syrup, smarties and pop tarts; he gets drunk in the mail room of his father's office and his young half-brother shows him to ask a girl out on a date.

But all the while, things are looking bad for Santa Claus (and also Buddy's father). How will Buddy rescue the day? When Santa crashes his sleigh in Central Park, it's Buddy's moment to shine.

Abstract, enchanting, child-like madness all make up this beautiful movie. Absolutely delightful and recommended to viewers of all ages. If you want a Christmas feel-good movie, this is it.

I rarely go see movies twice, but after taking my four children, I treated my parents and watched it again! You fall in love with Buddy, you just can't help it! Will Ferrell is not the kooky nut in this one as in most of his movies, he truly shows the innocent, sweetness of Buddy the elf. Full of laughs, and not as predictable as you might think. I just can't wait until it is released to purchase. I will own this one, please note that after viewing you will need to decorate your house for Christmas immediately !! :)

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First of all, this was the funniest film I have ever seen; I was in tears half way through. Yes, it is a kids' movie, but adults get to watch Will Farrel rip the heart out of Christmas by camping it up and being ridiculously sincere. Watching Farrel start a fight with a fake Santa for "sitting on a throne of lies" is about as fun as films get.

Those reviewers who think that this was cheesey nonsense duh. It was supposed to be, and that is what made it so funny. And you seem to have missed the whole essence of the film.

Oh, and the kids liked it too.

Read Best Reviews of Elf (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2010) Here

Elf is an unusual movie in this day and age. It is not manipulative and speaks of simple values and simple, true love. I went to see it with my 10-year old, a 28-year old, and a 38-year old (I am 47). We all laughed and cried and came out of the movie amazed that such a simple movie could be so much fun and say so much.

Anytime you have a movie in which the main character is totally innocent and naive, it brings up how calloused and hardened we have all become to the things in life that matter. That's the message of this movie. I highly recommend it and am adding it to my Holiday DVD collection you can bet we'll watch it every year and some inbetween!

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I see a fair number of movies, but it is only rarely that I leave the theatre feeling I truly got my nine dollars' worth. The last six months have been exceptional for me in that there have been three films which have been more than worth my time and money. The first was "Lost in Translation"; the third was "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"; and the one in the middle was none other than "Elf"!

Oh yes, I kid you not. I am usually not the biggest fan of Christmas movies, but "Elf" kept me smiling for two straight hours. This is no small achievement, especially during the holiday season. James Caan is perfectly cast as Will Ferrell's father, and I was really impressed with Ferrell himself. I always thought he was funny on "Saturday Night Live," but this really is classic stuff. There is no danger of him going the way of Rob Schneider or David Spade, "Old School" notwithstanding. Throw Bob Newhart into the mix and how can you lose?

Roger Ebert said it best: "I thought it would be clunky, stupid and obvious...foisting upon us a chaste romance involving the only girl in America who doesn't know that a man who thinks he is an elf is by definition a pervert.... It took me about 10 seconds of seeing Will Ferrell in the elf costume to realize how very wrong I was.... He convinced me that this was a good movie, and that's a miracle on 34th Street right there."

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Hot Rod (2007)

I'm going to cut right to the chase. This movie has a few moments that just don't hit it home. That said, they are exactly that. Moments. This movie was not made to be "good" by any traditional standards. I've heard and read complaints about how the story is shallow, or how the character doesn't even have an age, or hometown, or job, or whatever...but who cares?

Listen..you can't watch this movie expecting to come away with some deeper meaning. There's not one there. Even I'll admit that. You can't watch American Beauty and expect to come away holding your sides. Just as American Beauty was a great film because it conveyed perfectly what it set out to convey, so to is Superbad, because it was exactly what it seemed: An '80s teen movie...that just happened to come out in 2007.

If you have a soft spot in your heart for The Breakfast Club, or even Mighty Ducks (I know, it's not an 80's movie), you will find a familiar, albeit slightly twisted home in this film. If you don't like movies with montages, or Europe music, or cut an paste dialogue music video clips, then you're right...don't see it. I didn't enjoy Fight Club...but I don't trash it, because it just wasn't my thing. It was a great movie for it's audience. So is this.

Enjoy!

"Yes" is my response to this movie. Finally a movie that understands what is truly important in this world: 80s music training montages, fighting people HARD, being totally awesome, and love. It's not obvious Will Ferrell jokes, or Napoleon Dynamite non-jokes, it's somewhere inbetween...and then a sharp right turn off into space. Hot Rod is its own brand of geniusthe genius of The Lonely Island.

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Hot Rod marks one of the first films to feature the new generation of Saturday Night Live members with Andy Samberg and Bill Hader. It's standard practice that SNL has become a launching pad for a movie career. Do Samberg and Hader have what it takes to make that jump from the small screen to the big one? If you put Footloose (Special Collector's Edition), Napoleon Dynamite Like, the Best Special Edition Ever!, and Nacho Libre (Special Collector's Edition) into a blender, Hot Rod would be the martini you would get.

Andy Samberg plays the eternal optimist with zero talent and tons of ambition. He's the Ed Wood of the stuntmen world. He commits himself completely to the role and is likable enough. Isla Fisher is absolutely adorable as the film's love interest and lights up the screen with her engaging smile infectious energy.

Hot Rod follows the tried and true formula of the inept underdog who doggedly pursues his goal despite a lack of any kind of talent. However, this film has a very off-kilter, staccato rhythm all its own, reminiscent of Napoleon Dynamite, that is surprisingly refreshing.

The film features unusual exchanges between characters, like when Rod asks Denise, who would win a fight: a grilled cheese sandwich or a taco, to which she replies, "In a fair fight or prison rules?" This should give you an idea of what kind of film this is. To further throw you off, the film's soundtrack is populated by 1970s prog rock, cheesy 1980s synth-pop and a scary abundance of music by Europe that makes you wonder just what year this film is set in.

Hot Rod is not a gut-busting, laugh out loud funny film but funny in its own unassuming way. Just when you think this is going to be another tired, formulaic SNL film, it takes a hard left into strangeville. Hot Rod has a quirky, personal feel of an independent film and not a studio picture. It is one of those films completely misrepresented by its trailers but in a good way. It is a modest film with a lot of heart much like its protagonist.

There is an audio commentary by director Akiva Schaffer and actors Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. They mainly banter and crack jokes with Schaffer being the only one remotely trying to stay on topic. They ruthlessly make fun of each other which is pretty entertaining even if it feels like a series of in-jokes at times.

"Ancestors Protect Me: Behind the Scenes of Hot Rod" is a jokey take on the usual promotional featurette as cast and crew ham it up for the camera and poke fun at these kinds of extras.

Also included are 13 deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by Schaffer, Samberg and Taccone. They crack jokes about this footage and explain that it was cut because of time constraints.

There is also an "Outtakes Reel" that is an odd collection of bits that aren't all that funny per se, but rather peculiar kind of like the film itself.

"Kevin's Videos" are eight clips shot by Rod's step-brother Kevin that were glimpsed in excerpts in the film. These are funny "promos" and "training exercises" showing how inept Rod is at, well, anything physical. One promo has Rod admiring a jetski that's not his.

"Punch-Dance" takes a look at Rod's "inspiring" tribute to one of the dance sequences in Footloose with a shot-by-shot comparison that is quite funny.

"Home Video Footage of Orchestra Recording Session" is exactly what you get and that's it.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.

Read Best Reviews of Hot Rod (2007) Here

Are you kidding me? How can you possibly slam this movie? It is freakin' hilarious from beginning to end!! This movie is a comedy. It will not be an Oscar nominee. It will make you laugh until your sides hurt. That's what comedies are supposed to do! If you liked The Jerk, Strange Brew, Talladega Nights, or Waterboy, you will love this movie! It is nonsense humor at it's finest! And whatever you do, I challenge you NOT to laugh at the Punch Dance! Funniest movie of 2007!

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This movie is a really smart satire of Hollywood stunt movies and other movies that feature doofy characters. It destroys and mocks formula even as it follows those formulas (sort of). It's tongue and cheek delivery can fall flat in parts (especially if you're expecting the expected), but it's a must-see, even if a lot of people don't get Akiva Schaffer's viewpoint the first time around.

P.S. The extra footage is hilarious--I laughed harder at the cut scenes than I did at the movie. I can't believe the studios made them cut some of these gems. And the commentary...so funny.

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Obsession (1976)

After attending a showing of Hitchcock's classic "Vertigo" director Brian De Palma and writer Paul Schrader were inspired to come up with a film of their own mirroring Hitchcock's classic film but taking it one step further. Schrader wrote a script that had three parallel stories running simultaneously; one set in the past, one set in the present and one set in the future. Forced to trim the film, De Palma cut the future sequence at the suggestions of composer Bernard Herrmann and retitled "Deja Vu" to "Obsession".

A clever, well constructed romantic thriller "Obsession" remains one of De Palma's most fascinating films and while some of the plot twists and themes were borrowed from "Vertigo", De Palma takes them a step further here.

Recently released in the UK on a no region Blu-ray the film looks much improved by comparison although this is never going to be a demo quality Blu-ray; De Palma and Vilmos Zsigmond chose to shoot the film in soft focus with lots of difusion filters as part of the lighting scheme. As a result while the film does, indeed, look lovely, it's not going to feature the strong deteail that you might seen with a more contemporary film. De Palma and Zsigmond were going for creating a layered textured look and they largely succed with the film. "Obsession" has received a nice restoration at the hands of Arrow Films (or, perhaps, it's Sony who did the work for them--I'm not quite sure). Either way, the film looks exceptionally good for its age.

Arrow films has done a terrific job with the film using a high bit rate transfer on a dual layered disc to try and capture as much of the natural look of the film as possible; "Obsession" has always been somewhat grainy to begin with and Arrow films stays true to the original look of the film.

The audio sounds quite nice with a new 5.1 mix

The special features are quite nice as well. We get a 35 minute documentary on the making of the film featuring De Palma, Zsigmond, Cliff Robertson, Geneviene Bujold and editor Paul Hirsch discussing the making of the film. Paul Hirsch relates a story about a very frail Bernard Herrmann weeping after seeing a screening of the finished film. He was weeping because he couldn't recall writing the main theme for the film although he recognized it as his own. MIA is writer Paul Schrader presumely because he is still unhappy about the changes that De Palma made to his screenplay by dropping the last third of the story set in the future. De Palma was wise in cutting the last section of the original script because it would have stretched the credability of the story even further.

We also get the original trailer and two De Palma shorts from De Palma's personal collection--"Woton's Wake" made in 1962 and the documentary short "The Responsive Eye" from 1966. Both are fascinating glimpses into De Palma's early technique.

We also get a replica of Paul Schrader's original script (which differs from the finished shooting script)AND a critical essay on the film itself. It is housed ina slip case with the Blu-ray and there are replicas of the original posters as well as a new (ugly)commissioned fold out poster included as well.

I'd order it via amazon's UK site as it is less expensive.

Arrow has done an outstanding job of putting together the Blu-ray.

DiPalma's riff on Vertigo? No! Obsession stems from the passion of a true devotee, not an imitator. As in Vertigo, there is so much more than meets the eye with repeated screenings. DiPalma has suffered the slings and arrows of critics and sketch comedians for his Hitchcock obsession; Obsession is sometimes put-down as little more than a spin on Vertigo. Look again! DiPalma's mastery of the medium is evident in every sequence. Though Carrie, The Untouchables, Blow-Out and Scarface garner more praise in his body of work, this may be my favorite DiPalma; it holds one of Bernard Herrmann's most intense, evocative scores. High marks to Arrow Video for making this available.

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Some great Blu-Ray discs have been premiering overseas, and many of them don't require region-free players to enjoy, either. At the top of the recent list is Arrow Video's tremendous Blu-Ray package of Brian DePalma's 1976 "Vertigo" homage OBSESSION.

"Obsession" stars Cliff Robertson as a New Orleans real estate developer whose wife and daughter are killed in a kidnapping plot; decades later, he runs into Genevieve Bujold in Paris, who's the splitting image of his late wife. Is he going mad? Seeing double? Or is there a conspiracy plot at the center of DePalma and Paul Schrader's screenplay?

Despite its obvious, and intentional, similarities to "Vertigo," "Obsession" isn't a great movie, with a somewhat icky story by Schrader and DePalma making for one of those films they could've only made in the `70s (and still netted a PG rating, no less!). Though Bujold is appealing, and John Lithgow serves up sufficiently slimy "good o'l boy" charm, Robertson's character often registers blankly at the events going on around him he's certainly no Jimmy Stewart-everyman, at least and the film's outcome strains credibility.

That said, there's still much to savor in DePalma's low-budget film, which was independently produced and later picked up by Columbia Pictures (who insisted that filters be used to suggest the movie's love sequence was a dream and with good reason given the film's ending). Bernard Hermann's score is simply breathtaking a flowing, mysterious, gorgeous work that ranks with his best and Vilmos Zsigmond's cinematography is likewise memorable, utilizing the full Panavision frame as so many of DePalma's early works do. As a result of their efforts, the picture feels like a much more polished, elaborate production than it really was.

Arrow's UK Blu-Ray offering of "Obsession" is region-free and comes highly recommended for any fan of the film. Though the disc defaults to its original mono track upon playback, you'll want to access the full-bodied, remixed 5.1 DTS Master Audio soundtrack that spectacularly reproduces Herrmann's brilliant score. The 1080p transfer boasts a natural (DNR-free) image, though with so much of the film's cinematography being soft and/or filtered, there's little surprise that the print still looks a bit dirty at times. Supplements, meanwhile, include Laurent Bouzereau's documentary produced for Sony's old DVD release (which include some moving anecdotes about Herrmann's work on the film), the trailer, and a pair of early DePalma shorts, "Woton's Wake" and "The Responsive Eye." A reversible cover sleeve, meanwhile, houses international artwork for the film, while an extensive booklet features Schrader's entire first draft screenplay (under the original title "Deja Vu") with commentary from critic Brad Stevens that seems to completely misinterpret the meaning of the film's ending.

Read Best Reviews of Obsession (1976) Here

After years of enduring the unimpressive DVD transfer for OBSESSION, one of De Palma's most impressive films, Arrow has finally released this spectacular Blu-Ray release. This transfer finally does justice to Zsigmond's hazy cinematography, which was too washed-out and dull on previous releases.

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This is not a new film. For its time it was done satisfactorily. I enjoyed it more when I watched it several years ago. Today, I see there was room for improvement in the script. The cast was good and the background music is similar to that in Vertigo, which I liked very much.

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Lone Wolf & Cub Complete (1972)

For pure, unadulterated, visceral entertainment, the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series can't be beat. The acting, directing, the screenplays, and the cinematography are all top notch. The action sequences have to be seen to be believed. Each and every film feature loads of "money shots". Fans of Tarantino will immediately see where he drew much of his inspiration for the "Kill Bill" series. I suspect that these movies were an influence on "Mighty Python and the Holy Grail" as well. Another little known fact is that the manga that this is based upon was also the inspiration for "Road to Perdition".

People with no experience with Japanese cinema will probably find these movies to be very bizarre the first time they see them. They depict a culture whose morals and values are quite different from Western standards. Its not uncommon in these movies for someone to kill, or commit suicide, for reasons not easily comprehended. Examples: in Volume 2, a cult of female ninjas brutally dismember and kill one of their allies, just to prove a point (that they're superior fighters). In volume 6, one thug after another joyfully sacrifice their lives in order to help a princess perfect her killing technique. In volume 3, following a brutal rape and murder, a Samurai attempts to help the criminals cover up their atrocity. His actions are depicted as honorable behavior.

The main character, Ogami Itto, can only be described as an anti-hero. An assassin by trade, he describes himself as evil, a demon, "one who walks along the crossroads of Hell". He will kill anyone for 500 pieces of gold, even women and children. The opening scene in the first film sets the tone of the series, when Ogami, the official executioner of the Shogun, brutally decapitates a toddler. Even so, he is portayed throughout the series as a very sympathetic, honorable character. You will find yourself rooting for him and his son.

I can't say enough good things about these movies. They are so satisfying on every level. You'll get a rush at the over-the-top scenes of violence. You may even begin to question your Westernized notions of morality. Be cautioned though: these movies are not for the squeamish. Volume 1 and 3, in particular, feature very disturbing depictions of rape and murder. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Lone Wolf and Cub is a series of films from 1970s Japan.

The story goes that Ogami Itto is Second to the Shogunate. He falls from grace due to some backstabbing and plotting. As his wife has been killed, he offers his son the option of joining his mother, or joining him in his path to Hell. His son, a toddler, takes the latter. Ogami becomes an assassin for hire, and as he has his son with him, they are the Lone Wolf and Cub.

You can read more about the movies themselves on the Internet. All you need to know for this review is that there are 6 films in total and you get all six in this set on 2 Blu Ray discs.

Video-

This is... a bit of a mixed bag. The transfer, overall, is very crisp and clean from what I can tell. The issue comes in with what is known as DNR (Digital Noise Reduction). Animeigo has made the decision to tweak the quality levels using DNR and as a result, some of the finer details are lost. Over all it doesn't seem TOO over used, but it IS used and there are occasions when it is noticeable if you know what to look for.

The video is n 1080p HD, of course. And it looks good, but could have been "better," in my opinion, had they left out the DNR or dialed it down a little. In comparison to the DVD, which is obviously SD, there is still a lot of extra quality in the Blu Ray.

Audio-

LPCM. Completely uncompressd audio taken from the source. You won't find a better sounding version of LWC's films.

It also needs to be noted, in case there is confusion, that this is in Japanese language ONLY. There is NO OPTION for spoken English language. There are, of course, English subtitles are obviously provided and, if you so choose, can be turned off. However, the subtitles can ONLY be controlled through the remote there is no subtitle option for on the menus.

If you want spoken English and don't mind the films being edited together, check out the Shogun Assassin 5 Film Collector's Edition [Blu-ray] set instead. The edited films are the reason you can't have spoken English with this set.

Menus -

Uhm... what menus? When you put the discs in, you see the Animeigo logo, a disclaimer that if you want subtitles on/off you have to use the remote and then... you're presented with a still shot of Ogami with a menu along the bottom with a choice of which of the 3 films you would like to watch. The option under each film is for chapter selection and an option to look at liner notes about each film.

I guess you don't need menus, really, since the films are what matters.

Packaging-

Kind of lame, but I think this has more to do with the age of the film and lack of more materials.

You have the image on the front, shown on the Amazon page, and a few screen shots on the back. A short description is included as well.

Final thoughts-

These are some of the finest Samurai films ever produced. Animeigo has done a good job with the Blu Ray transfer, though the extra DNR caused me to drop the ranking to 4 stars instead of 5. If you don't care about DNR or won't notice it, then this is a 5 star release.

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"Lone Wolf and Cub" is the pinnacle of Asian grindhouse cinema and the most action-packed and downright cool series of samurai films ever made. The violence is brutal, the sex (both forced and consensual) is plentiful, the characters are memorable, and there is a lot of subtle humor and beautiful Japanese culture to be enjoyed as well. I cannot recommend these six films enough.

Beginning as the Shogun's personal executioner, our anti-hero Ogami Itto is framed by the jealous and ambitious Yagyu clan's shadow ops; his wife murdered in the process. In his rage, Itto takes his young son, Daigoro, and declares them to be demons, apart from the world of men to live as assassins for hire. His primary target: the head of the Shadow Yagyus, a decrepit old warrior known as Retsudo. Along the way he encounters hidden ninja and other Yagyu warriors, deadly kunoichi, clan heads in need of his services, friendly villagers, prostitutes, yakuza, Retsudo's skilled offspring, and many more, most of whom will either be diced up by his sword, or by his enemies'. Thankfully, Lone Wolf and Cub are more than ready for whatever comes their way. Ogami Itto pushes his son around in a modified baby cart that is packed full of hidden surprises for anyone who wishes to take his head. And nobody is his equal with a sword. Nobody. Amusingly, Daigoro manages to rack up a little body count of his own and embarks on his own little adventures from time to time too.

The first film "Sword of Vengeance" focuses on Ogami Itto's first clashes with the Shadow Yagyu clan; playing a bloody game of chess as the disgraced samurai embarks upon his demon's journey by outwitting Retsudo and escaping to the open road. "Baby Cart at the River Styx" is my favorite film of the series and features a deadly band of lady shinobi (kunoichi), and a mission which pits Lone Wolf and Cub against a trio of skilled and honorable warriors with brutal weapons who have been hired to protect his target. "Baby Cart to Hades" (best title ever!) has Itto sacrificing his own body to protect a lowly prostitute in need and features one of the greatest action sequences ever filmed as our (anti)hero single-handedly battles an entire force of Yagyu troopers and kills ever last one. Awesome. "Baby Cart in Peril" features a heroic female samurai with tattoos who fights topless (for distraction, see?). In order to retrieve the information vital to his mission in "Baby Cart in the Land of Demons" Lone Wolf and Cub must past the deadly tests put forth by five of the clans retainers who can appear anywhere at any time. Lastly "White Heaven in Hell" pits Ogami Itto and son against a Yagyu clan desperate to finally avenge their shame by ending their lives. Lord Retsudo orders every person who helps or even speaks to them to be put to death. As Itto flees civilization into the frozen mountains, Retsudo sends his supernaturally-powered ninja to stalk him while the remainder of the clan's army is brought up for the end game. All of these films are must-sees for martial-arts and action fans.

The bonus features include many trailers, particularly for Zatoichi films (Shintaro Katsu -who played the legendary blind swordsmanproduced the first three films and cast this brother, Tomisaburo Wakayama, as Ogami Itto). Each disc also features extensive and informative notes about Japanese history and culture to help put some of the events in the films in perspective. Good stuff.

If you're looking for unrelenting action, brutal gore, a protagonist who is an unstoppable bada$#, and a story that has coolness around every corner then this is a series you must look into. It's a great place to start if you're looking to get into samurai films and this set belongs in the DVD library of all professing to be fans of the genre. Buy these films and enter the Crossroads to Hell.

Read Best Reviews of Lone Wolf & Cub Complete (1972) Here

I'm a huge fan of martial arts films in general, samurais in particular. Part of the problem, for me, in finding samurai films I'd like is the tendency of Japanese filmamkers to include odd humor and action scenes that are too unbelievable. Now, I like unrealistic action fights, I can watch Drunken Master 2 or Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon all day, but sometimes you can take fantasy too far--in the anime version of Samurai Showdown, Haohmaru the samurai defeats a swarm of bees with his sword by chopping them up. A bit too much.

The reason I bring this up is to let anyone who has the same taste as I do in martial arts films (fantasy fighting with some gravity to it) know that they'll enjoy these movies as much as anything they've seen.

First off, the story is just great in each film. You really can't predict the actions and decisions that lead hero, Ogami Itto, will make. He's the perfect samurai character, grim, silent, and ruthlessly efficient. I was a bit leary about Tomisaburo Wakaya, as he's not the vision of the ultimate samurai, but his fine acting and martial arts chops make you forget about his double chin. Upon first seeing him, I wished they had cast an actor who looked mroe like the comicbook Ogami Itto--twenty minutes into a film, I forgot all about the comics.

The action is just incredibly well done. It's not the beautiful, agile swordplay of the Chinese sword films, but it has an elegance to it. Whereas the Chinese like to draw out a fight and have both warriors display every move in their arsenal, the Japanese directors tend to focus on a single, perfect stroke. The fights are fast and furious, with limbs and fountains of blood. For those seeking to avoid blood and guts, you might want to rethink getting this. Just think of the final action scene in the phenomenal Kill Bill Vol. 1, where the bride decimates the Crazy 88. Now imagine that scene with someone who actually knows martial arts, and you'll get the idea.

Anyway, let me just say that these six flicks are MY Star Wars. The ultimate samurai saga, bar none. If only Kenji Masume and Kazuo Koike would ahve made a Musashi film.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)This "Lone Wolf and Cub Complete Series" release from Animeigo is one of the best arguments for changing over to Blu Ray that I have ever seen. It isn't that it is stuffed full of extra features and funky junk that you will look at once and then never again--it's how all six films in the series have been put on two disks, then packed into a single, slim box.

Seriously, I panicked a little when I got this in the mail. I figured something was wrong, that maybe they had only sent me the first flick instead of the complete series. I couldn't believe it until I popped the disk in my player; This set is actually all six films--with the best quality releases ever seen--packed efficiently into a tiny little package. As someone who is a bit of a film junky, and whose house is overflowing with giant, six film box sets, I really appreciate the space. I want to convert everything I own to little packages like this.

That's the packaging; now how are the films? Obviously, the Lone Wolf and Cub series is a bonafide classic. Adapted from the comic series by Koike Kazuo and Kojima Goseki, "Lone Wolf and Cub" may be one of the first comic-to-film adaptations to really nail it. No surprise since Koike also wrote the screenplays. Produced Katsu Shintaro--flush from his Zatoichi fame--who hired his brother Wakayama Tomisaburo as the assassin Ogami Itto, Some might see a bit of nepotism there; tubby, middle-aged Wakayama is hardly anyone's idea of a dashing action hero. But Wakayama is well known as being one of the best true swordsmen to make a career as an actor. Most actor's just faked it. With Wakayama, you are getting something closer to the real deal.

But that is about where reality ends. Lone Wolf and Cub are what I think of as "Cinematic Samurai." Far from the considered humanism of Kurosawa or the socio-political commentary of Kobayashi, these flicks are full-on over-the-top ultra-violent unapologetic male power fantasies. They eschew any form of realism. Blood doesn't trickle from a wound, it bursts forward like a geyser, and with enough blood to paint a house red. Swords can be thrown like darts and never miss their mark. People don't stand still and fight, they leap and bound with superhuman vigor. And one man can cut down an army, so long as they aren't named characters. These are the kind of flicks that inspired Tarantino and Frank Miller. They are a hell of a lot of fun.

The six films are:

Sword of Vengence 1972 Any movie that starts out with the beheading of a 3-year old child is making a statement as to where it stands. If you can't get by that scene, best to just pop the disk out and never watch the series again. The first "Lone Wolf and Cub" flick is a solemn, gloomy affair. Ogami Itto and his child Daigo are on the run for a crime they didn't commit, and wind up with a troop of mountain bandits who want to sport with the father and son before killing them.

Baby Cart at the River Styx 1972 The unquestioned best film in the series. Elite squads of female assassins, the three Lords of Death, and--best of all--Daigo gets into the action. When that cherubic little face hits a button on the baby cart and a big spear comes shooting out, you know this series has leapt beyond it's humble beginnings an into something spectacular.

Baby Cart to Hades 1972 Ruminations on the Way of the Warrior and a concealed Gatling gun are the memorable moments of the third Lone Wolf and Cub flick. There is a danger of escalation, of films going so over-the-top that they move into parody, but the fine balance is still maintained no matter how wild the action gets.

Baby Cart in Peril 1972 Daigo is getting a little too big for his famous baby cart in this film, and decides to head out for some adventures on his own. Meanwhile, Ogami is engaged in a battle with the beautiful--and perpetually topless--female assassin Oyuki. Nice showdown in this film, with no easy win for Ogami.

Baby Cart in the Land of Demons 1973 Name aside, the baby cart is mostly gone now as Ogami and Daigo head out on their separate adventures. Ogami proves he is no hero as he takes on the assassination of a young girl fated to succeed the local daimyo.

White Heaven in Hell 1974 The last film in the series takes some new twists and turns, including supernatural elements and a final showdown with Ogami's longtime enemy who has pursued him throughout the series. The famous baby cart returns with a vengeance, and Ogami manages to slaughter an entire army. He pulls off 150 on-screen kills in this film, the most of any individual character in a movie.

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Old School (Unrated and Out of Control!) (2003)

I just saw this movie about three hours ago, and I have to say it is the best movie I've seen in the theater in a long, long time. The starring cast is unbelievable, as Luke Wilson (from 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and 'Legally Blonde'), Will Ferrell (SNL funnyman/'A Night At The Roxbury' star), and Vince Vaughn (from both 'Made' and 'Swingers') star as three married buddies who begin a fraternity; or something like it. And along with the three stars, there's a great list of supporting roles and cameos. Including Sean William Scott (Stifler of 'American Pie'), Andy Dick, CBS Late Late Show's Craig Kilborn, and Jeremy Piven. And once you get past the long cast list, you have a very funny movie. As the movie starts, you get a glimpse of each of the three stars and their lives; as far as their marriages go. Then as it turns out, none of them are really happy.

And as Mitch (Luke Wilson) gets divorced and moves into a frathouse near a college, they decide to start a fraternity. But it's not like any old club on campus--for this one you don't even have to go to the college. Anyway, as the film roles on, you can imagine what (and if you saw the previews, you get the gist of it) they do. They drink, party, and slowly drift away from the lives they have with their wives. And I have to say, out of the three star performances, Vince Vaughn's was the best. Will Ferrell's certainly is the funniest, but Vince was great. He sort of carries in the same swagger-style he had in the riotous movie 'Made'; something that works very well for him. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the previews don't even begin to prepare you. It's definitely not one of those movies that is only funny in the previews. The laughs portrayed there are multiplied by 100, at least.

For those of you who saw 'Road Trip' you'll not be let down with 'Old School'. And being that it's from the same director (Todd Phillips), that makes sense. But this one is better. Much better. This time around the director takes it to a whole new level. And the characters are more well-rounded here than they were in 'Road Trip'. The slogan of the movie says it all: "All the fun of college. None of the education." I think that speaks for itself.

So I could leave you here saying that if you liked 'Road Trip' you will like 'Old School'; and that's it. But that's not true. This is not just a "teen cult" movie--or whatever they're calling it these days--it's much much more than that. It's a hilarious movie with an astonishing/almost too hilarious cast that will keep you laughing even through the closing credits (courtesy of Ferrell and Vince). And it's not every day I put an exclamation point on my review titles, much less two. I gave the movie 5 stars because that's what it deserves. It's a 5 star movie, there's not getting around it. And again, if you saw the previews and you laughed (or even thought about laughing) then you need to see this movie. There's so many great lines and so many awesome scenes that I couldn't even begin to list them; I wouldn't know where to start. Go see this movie.

This movie is hilarious, and I would give the movie itself 4 our of 5 stars. But there is hardly any difference between the unrated cut and the R rated cut of the movie. When you have topless women on the menu and on the back of the cover, one might be mislead to think there was tons more nudity, when in reality there are 2 brief scenes with any type of nudity (besides will ferrel's butt scene). This movie could have easily passed the R rating cut, as the unrated thing is nothign but a marketing ploy. I bought the movie for laughs and definately not for sex, but for someone who does, the "UNRATED AND OUT OF CONTROL" part is quite misleading.

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"Old School" brings back the fun and irreverence of the days of "Animal House" that so few movies seem willing to revisit. Comedy these days seems built around 'paint-by-numbers' formulas or 'let's see how much we can gross people out' shock characteristics. Current releases like "Boat Trip" and "Bringing Down the House" fall in the former category while any movie involving Tom Green or the Farrelly Brothers falls into the latter category. In "Old School", it's refreshing to see a movie that takes a 'devil may care' attitude with its plot and characters while also have the common sense to push the envelope where appropriate without ever crossing the line (following "Animal House's" lead).

In "Old School", Mitch (played by Luke Wilson) is depressed after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend. He moves into a new house near the local college campus and his two best friends, Beanie (Vince Vaughn) and Frank 'the Tank' (Will Ferrell) decide to cheer him up by using his new house to throw a wild 'freedom' party. In a party complete with nubile co-eds, binge drinking, and a performance by Snoop Dogg, the party becomes legendary and draws the ire of the college dean, who just happens to be some nerd that Mitch, Beanie, and Frank tormented in high school. He attempts to take the house from Mitch by claiming it can only be used for campus-related events. This sparks Beanie's imagination to create the most unorthodox fraternity in existence to circumvent the dean's ruling. From there, "Old School" engages in the type of 'us against the administration' hi-jinx that made "Animal House" such a riot.

Will Ferrell gives a performance worthy of John Belushi with his Bluto-esque take as Frank the Tank, whose relapse back into his college days fractures his brand new marriage. Yet, it doesn't seem to affect Frank too too much. Ferrell, as witnessed by his years on Saturday Night Live, is one of the more gifted physical comedians performing today. He has the lunacy of a Jim Carrey without any of the pretentiousness or self-importance that seems to plague Carrey. Vince Vaughn gives another winning performance as a typical, sleazy salesman type who remains just enough on the side of respectability that you still like the guy. It's classic Vaughn. Luke Wilson's performance isn't quite as memorable, but his lovable-loser demeanor fits the role of Mitch perfectly. There are a number of other supporting characters that, while barely more than one-dimensional, make this film a winner (Blue, the 80-year fraternity pledge is a personal favorite).

With world events becoming more somber and depressing and with movies becoming increasingly disappointing, it's quite a relief a no-frills good time can be had at a theater. "Old School" lets the audience feel that kind of relief.

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I was expecting a good movie when I went to see "Old School," but I wasn't expecting something THIS good. This movie is, simply put, absolutely hilarious, and it's got lots of brains and heart to go with the goofball humor. I'm not really into lowbrow comedies, but "Old School" is a very intelligent take on the typical fratboy fare. The humor is goofy, but witty at the same time, and there are even some real emotions on display. The plot revolves around three thirtyish friends who start up a fraternity with some local college students, and it gets a nonstop stream of laughs out of the idea of guys trying to reclaim some of their lost youth. Will Ferrell is especially great as the loopy Frank, whether he's shooting himself with a tranquilizer dart at his friend's son's birthday party, setting himself on fire trying to jump through a hoop, or belting out an unforgettable rendition of Kansas's "Dust in the Wind" at the funeral of an elderly pledge. The underrated Luke Wilson makes a perfect straight man as Mitch, and Vince Vaughn is the picture of intensity as Beanie. It's really too bad this movie doesn't seem to be getting much attention. I don't go to the movies much anymore, but this one was more than worth the trip.

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I know, I know, the plot for this film has been rehashed from "Animal House" and countless other college debauchery flicks, but so what? OLD SCHOOL is a hilarious romp of scintillating and titillating proportions, a 90-minute mad dash of sight gags, crude one-liners, and tongue-in-cheek zaniness. If college fraternities were really like this I never would have left academia (well, I did have my own "eight-year-plan," but that's another story).

Three thirtysomething buddies (Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell) decide to revitalize their lives by cranking up a college fraternity whose members are not required to be students at the local university. Of course, such a blasphemous act draws the ire of the college's administrators (insert "Animal House" plot here), and accordingly, the fledgling frat must do battle with the corrupt, unscrupulous establishment. Sure, this ground's been covered before in countless other movies, but OLD SCHOOL adds its own loony spin of mayhem--from concrete blocks tied to fragile appendages, to eye-opening mud wrestling.

While OLD SCHOOL's cast, from top to bottom, is excellent, Will Ferrell dominates this film (much like Dangerfield in "Caddyshack," or Belushi in "Animal House"). As Frank "the Tank" Ricard, a newlywed with a party animal mentality, Ferrell's over-the-top antics are bust-a-gut, roll-on-the-floor funny. Ferrell, whether he's streaking or performing a gymnastics floor exercise, carries this film like a fullback with a football.

If in fact we equate entertainment with escapism (which I do), OLD SCHOOL delightfully fits the bill. You'll forget the problems of the day with this puppy, and you'll have fun in the process.

--D. Mikels

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Fantasia (1940)

The quality and presentation of this restored version of FANTASIA is wonderful. Finally restored, unseen since the initial release, are the complete introductory sequences, including a chimes player's accident with his instrument, the orchestra applauding Mickey Mouse, and the orchestra shuffling out for the intermission. Even the original title card has been returned to its proper place, during the intermission. (Some of the narration was rerecorded due to original voice tracks being no longer available.)

But there is CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY over the continued censorship of the "Pastorale" sequence. Circa 1969, the seemingly racist shots of a black centaurette (similar to Our Gang's "Buckwheat") attending on the white centaurettes were cut from the film, resulting in a "jump" in the music. Allegedly, the 1980 release's newly recorded music soundtrack covered up the clumsy edit, so that the remaining choreography was in sync. Subsequent releases to video have used optical tricks to remove the appearance of black centaurs, so that the original music track scans properly.

In this "restored" version, these optical edits are still glaringly obvious. (E.g., an optical zoom to avoid the black centaurette shows you the film grain up close, in another shot, a green bush magically slides across the ground by itself!)

The film survives as a masterpiece of filmic art, and this presentation of a "politically correct, original version" (my description) is tempting. But Disney does this release, and all customers and fans, a disservice by inappropriately calling it a "restored" and "uncut" version, when in fact it is NOT the version that was seen in the 1940 road shows.

Let your buying conscience be your guide, but consider the significance of buying an "original, restored" version that is neither, and perpetuates revisionist cuts as if they never happened.

Don't get me wrong -this film is fantastic, and by itself it rates 5 stars. But this DVD edition is not all its cracked up to be.

First, there's the editing in the Pastoral Symphony, as noted by other reviewers. This is nothing new -that editing was originally done back in the 60s -but it makes for some very grainy frames in an otherwise beautiful print.

Then there's the re-dubbing of Deems Taylor's parts. As I understand it, this was necessary because the original soundtrack was missing for parts of the extended interstitials. However, I can't believe that they couldn't find a better voice match for Taylor, given the wealth of voice talent in Hollywood these days. If you're used to the original, the difference is kind of jarring.

My biggest gripe, though, is the apparent re-mixing of the music. The original soundtrack was full-on surround sound (what Disney called Fantasound) that had the music literally surrounding the viewer, often sweeping about the room to follow movement on the screen. The 1990 theatrical and video releases contained this Fantasound mix, but the DVD seems re-mixed as a static symphony recording, with the rear channels carrying only reverb. The sound is a bit cleaner than the last go-round, but it's far less dramatic. And the differences are noticable even in plain stereo.

All of these things add up to considerably less than a faithful rendering of this film. The editing is understandable since racial stereotypes are unacceptable these days, but the rest is a shame, and hard to understand in view of Disney's usual attention to detail.

As I noted, the film itself is well worth seeing, and aside of the editing, it has never looked better. But the original laserdisc/VHS release is far more interesting.

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It was great to see all of the narration put back into the film, but this so called "Uncut" edition, is not what is seems. Being a life-long fan and collector of "Fantasia" items, I was shocked to see (or not to see), the small black centaurette pyganinnies, totally removed from the film in the "Pastoral Symphony". Disney's "pan & scan" techinque in one sequence chopped them out and when Bacchus is ushered up the stairs, they have been totally wiped out of the segment (the carpet now rolls itself up to the throne...ah,Disney magic). I have many of the above mentioned sequences on video and was really hoping that they would find their way back into the DVD "uncut version". I realize that in this age of 'racial discrimination" that certain things can't be shown or referred to, but give me a break, "Fantasia" is art and should not have been censored, besides, these are mythical creatures. Also,......I remember Demms Taylor as having a different voice, the one in the DVD really does not sound like him at all. Anyway these are my thoughts. Having waited so long for the "uncut version", I feel very let down.

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I loved Fantasia when I was a kid, and it was now time to share it with my grandchildren. I was satisfied with the price, quality and availability of this product, but, when my daughter first inserted the DVD into the player, she was disconcerted to find that the language of the speaker and the settings was Korean. She's a clever woman and she managed to fiddle with the controls to find how to switch both the spoken and subtitled portions to English, but there was no indication in the ad on Amazon that this would be necessary, and no instructions accompanying the item as to how to adjust the settings for language.

Great show, but I think that the marketing was unclear at the least, and possibly misleading. I am disappointed in the seller, whose response to my emailed comments was unsatisfactory to me.

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As a child, I grew up watching the "almost original" VHS copy of my favorite Disney film of all-time.

Since purchasing the DVD, I was thoroughly disappointed. The redubbing of Deems Taylor's dialogue was blasphemous, and I'm sure that it could be easily restored with the technology we have today. Also, another point of interest is the censored "Black Centaur" scene (talk about 'political correctness'). Hasn't anyone seen the recent "Donald Duck" and WWII cartoon shorts from the "Walt Disney Treasures" series? They can at least have someone come on before the movie to warn those who may be offended by an animated African-American caricature.

All I can say is I hope Disney will have the common sense to faithfully restore the entire "Roadshow" edition on DVD and Blu-Ray next year for their upcoming "Diamond" release in Fall 2010. Oh, I pray that the day will finally come!!!

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack) (2002)

The disc was perfect, arrived on time and was in the factory sealed package. I have no problems with the item and now My collection is complete.

No problems with the disc.

Great movie.....especially in blu ray.

Fast shipping!

Would highly recommending this to others.

A great movie for the family to watch together.

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Amazing Movie Series!

It was a great viewing for sure. Definitely worth your time to check it out. :) :)

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Weekend (The Criterion Collection) (2011)

I always appreciate when a big label like Criterion courts smaller noteworthy offerings that might not ordinarily receive a big distribution. Taking on Andrew Haigh's "Weekend" is certainly one of their more interesting offerings. Some might consider it a niche choice with its homosexual themes and same sex coupling, but "Weekend" has a lot to say about how people (of any gender or orientation) connect or don't connect in the modern world. It is a small film, to be sure, that is graced with both a minimalism and a naturalism that might remind you of Mike Leigh's most organic projects. The narrative takes place over the course of one weekend largely within the confines of an apartment. It is a piece that is bolstered by a thoughtful screenplay and two great performances. If you're looking for a big story, this micro-budgeted indie is NOT the picture for you. But if you enjoy realistic dialogue about the human condition, about life, about love and relationships--there is plenty to be admired here.

Basically, "Weekend" is structured as a brief encounter, a fleeting moment. A relationship in microcosm is played out over a couple of days. The film is completely understated and its quiet effectiveness might sneak up on you. It's a typical enough story, I suppose. Russell (Tom Cullen) heads out to a club looking for some action and as the evening comes to a close, he ends up going home with Glen (Chris New). Neither is under the illusion that this is anything other than a hook-up. In fact, it doesn't appear that the two men share much common ground. What follows is an encounter fueled by drinking, drugs, and sex. But unexpectedly, they also let down their guards and really start to connect. In many ways, "Weekend" is about that moment where two people fall in love. It's not a big or dramatic moment, but a subtle shift of how you view someone else--how you seem to fit. While the film does touch on some issues specific to the homosexual community, its underlying themes are much more universal than you might imagine.

The film played very well on the festival circuit, even picking up two British Independent Film Awards, one for Best Achievement In Production and one for Most Promising Newcomer Tom Cullen. Cullen is quite exceptional. His Russell is more aloof, more introspective, but as he starts to share more of himself--the openness and vulnerability are etched across his face. Chris New is believable and outspoken, cynical and frank, but with a need to connect maybe he doesn't even fully understand. If the thought of two men having sex or sharing intimacy bothers you, this might not be your first choice. But both actors really make this work, giving of themselves both physically and emotionally. In the end, it's bittersweet, real, natural, and unassuming. What it achieves, it does so quietly, unexpectedly and with surprising subtlety. Perhaps this tiny little movie is not for everyone, but for those that appreciate realistic adult drama--this is a weekend trip worth taking. About 4 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 5/12.

The Director approved Hi-Def Criterion Disc extras:

Interviews with the director, producer, and principle cast.

Interview with Haigh on the film's sex scenes

On-set video footage shot by New and others

Cullen and New audition footage

Video essay on the film's set photographers

Two short films by Haigh: Cahuenga Blvd from 2003 and Five Miles Out from 2009

Trailer

Criterion booklet essay from film critic Daniel Lim

This beautiful, understated film captures reality in a way few films ever do. As far as I am concerned, it is one of the best "love stories" ever portrayed on film: the actors are superb and the chemistry between them is true and believable. It takes an artist to produce such a simple, yet effective film. If you haven't viewed it yet, I recommend you do so today, you will not regret it.

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My partner and I saw this movie in NYC at the IFC Theatre a few months ago, and it really moved us. We're not young, not into drug culture, and weren't seeing it hoping for a glimpse of some eye candy. We had read a review in The New York Times, checked it on Rotten Tomatoes and seen what a high rating both critics AND audiences alike had given it, and that was the draw for us. What a raw and beautiful film...!!

The two lead characters in the movie have very little in common, at least in my estimation, except for the fact that they're both gay, young, attractive, and affected by the slings and arrows of surviving in a predominantly straight world. They're very opposite, and therein lies the attraction. Yes, they use recreational drugs like a lot of gay youth. I think the movie does a good job of exploring the demons that cause them to have the kind of low self-worth that drives many gay people to abuse substances. Yet, there is a beauty in the love that develops very quickly between them--despite their self-destructive tendencies. Much bubbles to the surface in their drug fueled time together that might otherwise lie dormant if substances weren't being used, and the crashing down of walls that is the result.

Seldom have I seen a film of such gritty honesty. It is uncomfortable seeing the story unfold. But somehow it manages to crawl under the skin with the precision of a microscope of acuity, revealing so much about what drives us gay humans to the extremes that a marginalized existence sometimes does. I thought it said more about how societal pressures, whether real or imagined, get in the way of gay people being able to just live and love. A must see!

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Weekend is a film that can be blatantly described as a Gay/ lesbian film. But the irony of handing it that title is that Weekend itself is a terrific analyzation of the boundaries often placed between the gay community and the straight community. In this film we follow two gay men who have just met: Russell (Tom Cullen): A life Guard who is still a tad insecure about his sexuality, and Glen (Chris New) an outed artist who plans to go to America to flee the boundaries that hold him back in England. The film follows the two over the course of one weekend, the majority spent in Russell's small apartment, where the two men learn about each other, have sex, and have fascinating conversations pertaining to the stigmas placed on homosexuals in a "Straight" world. It is somewhat cliché now to describe a film as having a "documentary feel", but what other way is there to describe Weekend? Here is a film that is so intimate, so realistically acted and full of moments so private that it is impossible to look away. The performances are magnetic and unforgettable while the script is one of immense intelligence.

At its core the film deals with homosexual issues yes, but does that mean it is only for gays and lesbians? Only if you're one of those people who also think Spike Lee films and Roots are only for black people. If anything this is a film that should be viewed more so by straight people. It is a superb document on the humanization of homosexuals. It shows us that we all are pining for the same existential things: Acceptance and love. Those two things might be wrapped in different looking packages between different people, but beneath the exterior the same kind of love is there. For that insightful revelation alone I would recommend Andrew Haigh's Weekend, but there is so much more to it. It is an exceptional film that follows in the footsteps of such great films as Before Sunrise. and like that film it haunts you for days afterward. One of the best films of 2011 no doubt.

Pros: Very well acted, Great script, Kudos to putting John Grant in the Soundtrack.

Cons: None

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This is one of the best films of 2011, but only a few critics (writing in The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, etc.) got it. So it is something of a confirmation that Criterion will be releasing WEEKEND as part of its esteemed blu-ray collection. Highly recommended.

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Peace Love & Misunderstanding (1000)

I NEVER write reviews; however; after watching this film I felt it absolutely necessarily to do so. "Peace, Love & Misunderstanding" is now in my top three favorite movies. The characters are well-developed and brilliantly acted. Jane Fonda shines--as always. Elizabeth Olsen is a powerhouse in the making--and Jeffery Dean Morgan is just an absolute pleasure to watch. The film chronicles the difficulties of bridging gaps between generations, and social beliefs systems. The true lesson is how to let go of the past in order to start the future...just a beautiful movie.

Thoroughly enjoyable film, which is no surprise considering the cast. Great characters, beautiful locations, and a totally uplifting story. I thought all three leading female roles (Fonda, Keener, and Olsen) played their parts beautifully. Have never seen Nat Wolff (Jake) in anything before and found his character to bring much color and humor to the story.

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Perhaps I am a little bias, but I think this is a really great movie. The characters are funny, interesting, and entertaining. The views of the land and the wildlife are terrific! A good portion of Peace, Love & Misunderstanding was filmed next door to where I live. It has captured all the beauty of the land. I feel lucky to have been able to observe a lot of this movie in the making (including "howling at the moon") and to see Jane Fonda in person. It has given me many wonderful memories!

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Wow great acting. Jane Fonda was AMAZING. Loved the little stories and relationship trials. Loved seeing upstate NY, wanted to go there. Young'un Chace Crawford is WAY cute. The singing duo between Keener and Morgan was awesome. Beautiful film. Gift worthy.

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This film is heart warming and well worth it just to see the performances. Jane Fonda is in top form. There are also great turns by Catherine Keener, Jeffery Dean Moran and the always excellent Kyle MacLachlan. This was also the first film that the up and coming Elizabeth Olsen made, you see why she is making such a name for herself.

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Reds (25th Anniversary Edition) (1981)

Warren Beatty pulls off a difficult task in "Reds." He's got to juggle several epic stories, including the rise of the American left in the early 20th century, the Russian Revolution, and a personal story of two romantics in a relationship charged by passion both emotional and political.

Any of these story threads presents a difficult task for a filmmaker and Beatty weaves his multilayered tale together with skill. He pays close attention to detail, gives us a multitude of historical characters and events, and mixes his story telling with the words of real people. Beatty buttresses his scenes with deceptively simple "talking heads." These "witnesses" provide a real background to the John Reed/Louise Bryant story of "Reds," giving viewers a good grounding in the passions of the era. The attention to little details (Reed bringing Bryant lilies, the constant phrase "There's a taxi waiting," etc.) provide a rich portrait of two volatile human beings.

Beyond the personal, Beatty knows how to handle epic screen drama. The rousing montage that leads up to the overthrow of Russian government is sumptuous and envigorating. Don't be deceived thought; this is not a "pro-Bolshevik" film by any great stretch of the imagination. Reed's dissillusionment with the Soviet system is portrayed in agonizing detail. Emma Goldman's story, a really great history in and of itself, gives another point of view to the difficulty passionate people have when taking on governing authorities and social mores.

The performances are uniformally excellent. Beatty and Keaton are well matched and there's plenty of gems in the supporting roles. Standouts include Jack Nicholson as Eugene O'Neil, Maureen Stapelton as Emma Goldman, Edward Herrmann as Max Eastman, writer Jerzy Kosinski as Soviet bureaucrat Grigory Zinoviev and Paul Sorvino as Louis Fraina.

I love "Reds." It's one of my favorite films. Be forewarned, however, you could be lost and confused by the myrad of events in this film if you don't know much about political history of the radical left in early 20th Century America or the Bolshevik Revolution and its aftermath. On the other hand, if you're intrigued by the film you'll find yourself up to your eyeballs at the library reading about the true events and real people who inspired this film.

For those of us who appreciate movies that both entertain and educate, Warren Beatty's vastly underrated magnum opus "Reds" is a wonderful example of how well the two can be combined. Although it did not succeed at the box office, this magnificent spectacle concerning the involvement of an American socialist reporter in the Bolshevik revolution is a terrific movie, and also features Warren Beatty in the pivotal role of John Reed, an American journalist covering Soviet affairs for a progressive American socialist journal called "The Masses" who found his way into a series of important roles in the Soviet revolution and the regime that followed. Also found here is a especially memorable performance by Diane Keaton as the companion, love interest and protégé of Reed's who also served in a variety of roles in the new communist regime shortly after the revolution.

This movie is largely based on Reed's moving autobiographical portrait of his personal experiences during the October revolution in his best selling book "Ten Days That Shook The World". The movie opens by exploring Reed's relationship with Keaton's early feminist character, and chronicles their growth and evolution toward a socialist perspective and an eventual commitment to political journalism that took them to the streets of Moscow in the days just preceding the October revolution. Also prominently featured in the movie is Jack Nicholson as Reed's intellectual friend, novelist and playwright Eugene O'Neil. This is a quite entertaining, sophisticated, and historically accurate effort to show America's own flirtation with unionism, socialism and communism and the reaction of more conservative forces within the business and civic community. The exploration of lifestyles and constant questioning of tradition and conformity make this a terrific teaching tool by showing how critically we can look at the lessons of history. Enjoy!

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Some films have a reputation for being overpraised, and as a result paradoxically they become underrated. This is one such film. Who cares that we now know communism failed in Russia? REDS is not meant to be a piece of Soviet apologism. It is about two people who take part in exciting and sweeping historical events. I certainly disagree with the politics of John Reed and Louise Bryant, but it doesn't matter. I envy the romanticism of the times they lived in (even if the romanticism isn't authentic), and that they were able to find, as one of the "witnesses" says at the end of the movie, "things worth living and worth dying for." The second half of the movie where we see the price that must be paid for taking part in history provides good dramatic balance to the more sentimental view of revolutionary politics we see in the first half. The cinematography is outstanding and the love theme by Stephen Sondheim is exquisite. As it is a film that should be seen on the big screen, I'm hoping that REDS will be re-released for its 20th anniversary in 2001.

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Highly, highly recommended for those who enjoy lush, historical biopics, "Reds" skillfully and entertainingly combines intelligent, thoughtful political discourse and sweeping romantic drama, resulting in a movie that flies by despite its three hour-plus length.

Keep an eye out for how the mundane constantly clashes with the epic during the course of the movie: John Reed and Louise Bryant indulge in lofty political discourse on events that are changing the world as Reed is comically burning dinner in the kitchen; soap opera-ish affairs are entered into and abandoned as governments topple and new ones take their place; a critical meeting to assure the future of the socialist movement in the United States is missed because of a sick baby that needs tending. This constant and clever juxtaposition of the personal and the epic humanizes the sweeping events on display, reminding us that real people living real lives were at the heart of these world-shaking events, not just academic and political arguments.

To enjoy "Reds", one doesn't have to be a particular proponent of socialism past or present. I'm certainly not. You simply need to be someone who enjoys intelligent, involving movies that illuminate the people and events at the heart of notable periods of history. And "Reds" is certainly such a movie. Of course, it helps that John Reed and Louise Bryant are generally portrayed as sympathetic people whose motivations are admirable even if one doesn't agree with their politics.

This new, 25th Anniversary Edition DVD of "Reds" is well worth the modest price. The crisp yet warm widescreen visuals are almost startlingly clear; the original theatrical intermission break (in a small but nice touch) is preserved at the end of the first disc; and there are very generous extra features that further illuminate the topics covered in the film.

In short, this one's a keeper.

Want Reds (25th Anniversary Edition) (1981) Discount?

I watched "Reds" the other night for the first time. I wondered how I may have perceived it had I seen it when it came out, a decade or so before the fall of the Soviet Union rather a a decade or so after it. I had to make a deal with myself; I was going to watch the movie and appreciate it as a movie rather than debate the merits of glorifying socialism. I must have succeeded in that approach because I gave the movie a 5 star rating. I felt an impressive aspect of "Reds" was the periodic inclusion of on-camera first person recollections. We saw the real witnesses of the persons, times, and events that we were watching. It certainly added credibility to what we were seeing unfold and it also added perspective. "Reds" is first and foremost a love story and the two lovers are (surprize!) Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton. I have to admit that the two of them did very good work. I have to give Beatty a good deal of credit for his role as director for which he, not surprizingly, won an Oscar. I'm sure that his hard work made it difficult to edit the film down to the normal two-hour feature film length. I'll admit that I watched the movie, on tape, over the course of three successive evenings but I don't think that I lost any appreciation of the film. I probably could have told you just what all could have been cut if I had watched it all in one sitting. I'll accept that some movies (and "Dr. Zhivago" comes to mind as a logical comparison) just need more time to tell a more expansive story.

Beatty plays Jack Reed who wrote "Ten Days that Shook the World" which did a lot of shaking of its' own when it came out. In pursuit of a combined socialist/journalist's dream, Reed found himself in Russia on the eve of the October Revolution. The scenes of that and other Russian events are quite impressive in "Reds". Long before we get to that point in time, we see a relationship develop between a class conscious writer and a wannabe class conscious writer. The emergence of love between the fighter of proletarian causes and the fighter of feminist causes makes for a different sort of love story. The expressed opinions don't always match up neatly with the heartfelt opinions. I give Beatty grudging praise for his ability and willingness to bring out this concept in "Reds" as well as his look at an imperfect political solution to a real social problem. While there is plenty of Leftist propaganda to duck, Jack Reed wasn't exactly going to morph into Ronald Reagan by the film's end. Yet Beatty allowed the passion of the Movement to come to life and the seeds of its' own destruction to also come to life in "Reds". The scene towards the end with Maureen Stapleton (another deserving Oscar-winner from "Reds") was brilliantly done with an economy of words that conveyed an abundance of nuance. Through it all is the oft-interrupted romance of Beatty and Keaton who seem to go to extremes in their seperations and reunions. I'm not sure I ever saw a "blockbuster" movie that was ever this passionate. The film's ability to maintain that passion over three houres is its' greatest strength

Murder in the First (2012)

This is a remarkable piece of Hollywood filmmaking, one of the best big studio efforts of the 90's and it was so poorly marketed that few have seen or heard of this picture.

The too often (and sometimes easily) dismissed Kevin Bacon is here Henri Young, a role as powerfully haunting as any actor could dream of. With an uncannily natural affinity for Henri, Bacon finds his way into the marrow of this tortured, downtrodden prisoner. In what could have too easily turned into a over-the-top "Look, Ma, I'm acting!" role, Bacon strikes a balance that is unique and rare. Unafraid of any aspect of Henri it becomes a performance nothing less than astonishing in its honesty.

The first 20 minutes presents us with the naked, filthy animal the system wishes to portray him as Henri. Yet, even here, with little more than a mad scene comprised of grunts, screams and incoherent mumblings about baseball, multiplication tables and The Lord's Prayer, Bacon makes Henri shine beneath the hair and grime introducing us to a pitiable sorrowful man not only wronged by the system, but utterly destroyed then forgotten by it. This is one of those rare performances where the work outshines the actor I'd forgotten entirely I was even watching an actor.

It's a hard heart that will not be moved by Henri and Bacon should look back at this performance with nothing but pride. (The fact he was not nominated for an Oscar is astonishing as his performance.)

Christian Slater gives one of his best performances as well and Gary Oldman is, (predictably) wonderfully evil as is William H. Macy. The court room scenes fairly crackle, but ultimately the heart and soul of this movie is found in Kevin Bacon's Henri.

Everything else about this production shines with 30 year old director, Marc Rocco at the helm, giving a strong vision to the entire proceeding. San Francisco looks marvelous and Christopher Young's soundtrack (eerily foreshadowing Kamen's score for "Band of Brothers") adds the final overwhelming touch.

Not to be missed.

Based on true-life events, "Murder In The First" premiered in U.S. movie theaters in January 1995 and stars Kevin Bacon as Henri Young, a 28-year-old man who (as depicted in the film) stole five dollars and ended up doing 3-plus years in the solitary "dungeons" of Alcatraz prison in San Francisco in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Upon looking up some information on the Internet regarding the "real" Henri Young, it seems that the filmmakers of this finely-crafted and well-shot Warner Brothers' drama did, indeed, dish up a liberal dose of "dramatic license" regarding the true events in Mr. Young's life. But, I suppose, this is to be expected from a Hollywood story depicting real-life people and events.

One thing that's been fictionalized for the movie is the brief scene when we find out that Young died while still behind Alcatraz bars. It's never fully explained in the film just exactly HOW Young died while still in prison. I think this should have been more thoroughly spelled out in the movie (even from a "fictionalized" point-of-view).

Evidently, according to info I can gather, Young did NOT die while in prison, and, in fact, might still be alive to this day. Young disappeared after being paroled from a Washington State prison in 1972, after serving additional prison time for another murder. (Sounds like another "D.B. Cooper" type of saga.)

"Artistic filmmaking license" notwithstanding, "Murder In The First" is an excellent piece of motion-picture entertainment, IMO. Bacon is just terrific in his role as the beaten, nearly-savage Young, who was confined to the pitch-black solitary confinement area of Alcatraz for more than 1,000 days before finally being released from the "dungeon".

Gary Oldman and Christian Slater also display their considerable acting chops in this film, along with R. Lee Ermey, who plays the Judge at Young's murder trial. You'll want to slap Ermey silly after a few scenes as the obnoxious "Judge Clawson" here. He's quite effective and humorous (although not altogether believable) as the rather overbearing chief court official.

This film has a classy style to it, with many interesting camera angles and camera movements employed by the movie's brain trust, headed by Director Marc Rocco. I particularly liked the way Rocco moves the camera in circles during the first scene featuring Slater and Bacon, with the camera moving non-stop as it circles completely around Bacon's/(Young's) jail cell. An effective way to present this scene, rather than just "planting" two cameras in the cell and cutting between still shots of the two actors.

This DVD version of "Murder In The First" offers up a dual-sided disc, with a Full-Frame (1.33:1) version on one side, and a nice, crisp-looking Anamorphically-enhanced Widescreen (1.85:1) version on the other side. Colors look rich and well-rendered here, IMO, with many scenes exuding a deliberately-grainier "1940's" look and feel to them.

The sound gets good marks here too. It's not a full-blooded 5.1-channel track utilized for this DVD, but the Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Stereo soundtrack fills the speakers very nicely nonetheless. There's a good musical score too.

More about this DVD ....................

>> Extra Bonus Material -None at all.

>> Chapter List? -Yes; located inside the "Snapper" DVD case (38 total chapter stops included).

>> Languages -English and French (both in DD 2.0 Surround).

>> Subtitles -English and French.

>> Region Encoding -"Region 1".

>> MPAA Rating -R.

Parting Thoughts ....... 1995's "Murder In The First" is a Grade-A motion picture, serving nicely as a good character study of one Mr. Henri Young, and at the same time doubling as a dandy "courtroom drama", too. A most-worthy 122-minute experience.

Buy Murder in the First (2012) Now

The performances in this film are gripping. I actually believed in the plight of Henri Young, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. I wanted to be as good a Public Defender (This is what I do for a living) as Christian Slater portrayed in the film (oddly, the character's last name he uses is one of the real-life escapees). The judge, played by R. Lee Ermey, actually reminds of some of the judges I have been in front of his iron disipline is that convincing. Then, to my shock, I found out that the truth had been stretched beyond all recognition.

The movie itself deserves at least four stars for the performances, particularly by Bacon, who should have been at least nominated for an Oscar for this film. The DVD must have been made at the beginning of DVD technology. If a director's cut DVD is complete with interviews, historical perspectives (why did the jury do what it did, anyway? I don't believe the Federal Board of Prisons and its smear job of Henri Young any more than I believe the version proffered by the director of this film) and the like then I will certainly buy it. Until then, I recommend that you rent this film, or buy a used copy.

Read Best Reviews of Murder in the First (2012) Here

I don't have to think twice in agreeing that Oscar Committee closed its eyes in the year this movie was released.

One of the very best movies I have ever seen that fall in the likes of The Green Mile and the Shawshank Redemption.

Kevin Bacon was outstanding and so was Christian Slater.

The picturization of the brutality was sometimes disturbing, but yet moving.

Definitely, this movie will be counted as a Masterpiece in Kevin Bacon's Filmography.

This is what I call Asbolute MAGIC.

Want Murder in the First (2012) Discount?

Having just come off this year's Oscars, one need look no further than MURDER IN THE FIRST to see how the awards are merely an extravagant popularity contest that more often than not misses truly outstanding performances. Kevin Bacon's performance in this powerful film is tremendous and more than worthy of just a nomination, but a winner. Kevin brilliantly captures the person who is Henri Young. Physically, emotionally, Bacon brings a rare depth to a complex and wrongly treated person. Christian Slater, who I have long considered an average performer, also shines in this role as David, the public defender who fights to show the real villain Alcatraz itself. Gary Oldman is superb as the assistant warden to whom cruelty and inhumanity is as natural as drinking water. Embeth Davidtz, William H. Macy, Kyra Sedgwick (as a hooker who tries to "service" Henri) and even the hammy F. Lee Ermey provide excellent support. To those reviewers who claimed the movie was phoney, poo poo on you. I found myself riveted to the screen and Bacon's performance alone should earn the movie five stars!

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Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990)

Misery is an exceedingly good adaptation of the original novel by Stephen King. The novel features one of King's most tightly-wound, increasingly suspenseful tales, and this movie faithfully brings the novel to life on the big screen. Paul Sheldon, America's best selling writer, creator of Misery Chastain and chronicler of her romantic and human struggles and successes, has just finished writing a "serious" novel he hopes will give him the stature he desires. On his trip home with the manuscript, a fierce blizzard causes him to lose control of his car. Annie Wilkes, his number one fan, finds his car at the bottom of a hill, pulls Sheldon out of it, and takes him home to nurse back to health. As Sheldon begins to adjust to his new surroundings, he is increasingly bothered by his caregiver's erratic mood swings. He soon finds himself a virtual prisoner in her house, essentially unable to move with his two mangled legs. When Annie reads his brand new book, she is exceedingly unhappy with it. When she gets the newly published Misery Chastain novel and finds out that her beloved Misty is dead, she begins unleashing her fury on Sheldon and insisting he resurrect Misty in a new novel written especially for her. All this time, the small mountain town's husband-and-wife police force search for any sign of the missing author (albeit halfheartedly). Eventually, Sheldon realizes escape is something only he can achieve for himself.

James Caan is quite good as Paul Sheldon, but Kathy Bates simply is Annie Wilkes. Her performance as this complicated, mentally disturbed super-fan broods over this entire movie, making it the riveting thriller it is. Lauren Bacall, in what is an overlooked but rather amazing casting coup, lends her talents to the movie in the role of Sheldon's literary agent, while Richard Farnsworth and perennial King favorite Frances Sternhagen round out a truly excellent cast. King actually held out on this project until such time as it could be placed in the more than capable hands of director Rob Reiner. King had a special affection for this particular story, and he was not going to allow a second-rate adaptation of it to come to the big screen.

The suspense of this story is basically psychological in nature, but there are two scenes of far more physical suffering. The hobbling scene is memorable to say the least, and another incident toward the end introduces a little blood to the film, but overall this is a movie that all lovers of suspense and human drama can appreciate. There are a lot of bad movies based on terrific Stephen King stories and novels, but this movie captures the powerful magic of the original novel as effectively as any King movie ever has.

Finally a special edition of Misery! This has been previously released on Region 2 DVD but this is the first official Region 1 release of the special edition. Kathy Bates won a much deserved Best Actress Oscar for her performance. This is one of Stephen King's best and while there are a few humorous moments most notably through Kathy's dialogue, the horror and suspense never fizzle in any way. This is one of the best horror/suspense pictures out there and should be in any fans collection for multiple viewings. Here are the special features:

DVD Features:

Region 1

Keep Case

Widescreen 1.85

Audio:

Dolby Digital Surround Spanish

Dolby Digital 5.1 English, French

Subtitles English, Spanish Optional

Additional Release Material:

Audio Commentaries 1. Rob Reiner Director

2. William Goldman Screenwriter

Featurettes 1. "Misery Loves Company"

2. "Marc Shaiman's Musical Misery Tour"

3. "Diagnosing Annie Wilkes"

4. "Advice for the Stalked"

5. "Profile of a Stalker"

6. "Celebrity Stalkers"

7. "Anti-Stalking Laws"

Trailers 1. Original Theatrical Trailer

2. Original Theatrical Teaser

Buy Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990) Now

This 2-disc bundle is an interesting edition in the sense that you get the movie twice, on Blu AND on DVD.

DISC ONE

The Blu-ray disc has the movie only in beautiful 1080p Blu resolution, of course, and featuring DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound plus French and Spanish audio tracks and English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

Disc one is why I bought THIS Misery I already have a DVD edition and, at this price, I'm glad I did it. Misery's Blu treatment is nothing short of spectacular. Since I was able to compare the 2 versions, with the DVD and the Blu playing simultaneously, it was easy to see the difference. It's not only Blu's higher resolution that reveals more detail James Caan's 5 o'clock shade anyone? but the colors are brighter and the picture overall is crisper. Same for the sound. The lossless (uncompressed) audio is a big plus even on a movie like this where most of the sound is dialog and creepy music.

DISC TWO

Is the 'curious' one, featuring the entire movie as a DVD and a relative large number of featurettes. I call it 'curious' because there is no mention on the back of the box of the movie's duplicate on the second disc a mistake?

Anyways, besides the movie there's the obligatory 'this is how we made this and we had so much fun making it' featurette, named 'Misery Loves Company'. We get to hear from James Caan, the always lovely and talented Kathy Bates, director Rob Reiner and so on.

In addition, there is a SERIES of featurettes discussing 'stalking' which I will list because they are fun to watch:

Advice for the Stalked

Profile of a Stalker

Celebrity Stalkers

Anti-Stalking Laws

This is interesting because Annie (Kathy Bates) is not really a stalker. She is sick and she is Sheldon's (Caan) biggest fan but she's not stalking him, she only takes advantage of an opportunity.

Also good is the "Diagnosing Annie Wilkes" featurette where a psychiatrist explains that Annie was:

psychotic

bi-polar

delusional

paranoid

abused as a child

and a few more other defects that I can't remember now.

THE MOVIE

I love Stephen King, I've read a lot of his work and watched nearly all King-inspired movies but I'm not his biggest fan. While a fan, I am objective enough to admit that not all of the King movies are great and some are quite terrible. It's not the case with Misery. Thanks to Kathy Bates (Oscar for best actress) incredible performance, Caan's showing that he can act and inspired work from director Reiner and photography wizard Sonnenfeld, Misery is one of those few movies that you can watch again and again and never get tired of it. I do watch it every couple of years and, thanks to the Blu edition now, I will enjoy watching the movie even more.

RATING THIS EDITION

This Misery earns high grades for the Blu version. While inside a cheap plastic case the kind that has holes cut in it to save a few pennies the 2 discs feature enough quality and content to qualify this as the best Misery so far:

superior Blu rendering of the movie

unexpected second copy as a DVD

interesting, informative, actually watchable featurettes

reasonable price

The 5 stars are well earned.

Read Best Reviews of Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990) Here

Misery is one of the best in the horror/suspense genre. I have to say I don't think I've seen a better movie that was based off of a book. Usually the book is so good and the movie is sub par, but this one is the exception.

The story begins as writer Paul Sheldon(James Cann)crashes in car while driving in a blizzard. He awakes from being unconscious to find himself in the home and care of a very obsessed fan(Kathy Bates). As he gets better he begins to realize his caretaker has no intention on letting him go anywhere.

Exceptional thriller which anyone would enjoy. I completely recommend Misery especially if you are a Steven King fan.

Want Misery (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (1990) Discount?

In my opinion The Shining is the greatest of all Stephen King adaptations and then Misery. There are actually a lot of similarities between Misery and The Shining. There both about writers, in secluded locations, who are deserted at some point due to a snow storm. They both have characters that aren't all there mentally and we are witness to their descent into madness and loss of reality. Both Bates and Nicholson have a way with tools, whether it be an axe or a sledge hammer, and with these tools they have cut and hobbled their way into our memories and into film history.

Kathy Bates is the star of this film and deserves her Oscar win as the at times lovable Annie Wilkes, the obsessed fan of author Paul Sheldon played by James Caan. Annie goes from saving Paul to keeping him hostage for her own agenda. The "shining" beacon of this film is without a doubt Kathy Bates who for me is one of the most memorable and witty villains of modern horror film up there with Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. With that said Caan is there like a dance partner for Bates every step of the way, he is like John Stockton to her Karl Malone always ready to assist her in enhancing the dark comedy throughout with his reactions by facial expression or perfect delivery of his lines. Caan's non verbal reactions to Annie's tirades are priceless and only enhance her dialouge. Pay attention to Caan's facial expressions during the scene when Annie explains about "chapter plays" and don't call them cliffhangers.

So getting back to the king and queen of horror, I had an idea, what if Bate's character Annie Wilkes had rescued/kidnapped Jack Nicholson's character Jack Torrance and what would that dialouge be like. I think it would go something like this:

JACK: "Annie, let me explain something to you. Whenever you come in here and interrupt me, you're breaking my concentration. You're distracting me. And it will then take me time to get back to where I was. You understand?"

ANNIE: "Understand? UNDERSTAND? I will tell you "what I understand!" I go out of my way for you! I do everything to try and make you happy. I feed you, I clean you, I dress you, and what thanks do I get? "Oh, you bought the wrong paper, Annie, I can't write on this paper, Annie!" Well, I'll get your stupid paper but you just better start showing me a little appreciation around here, Mr. MAN!"

JACK: "Now, we're going to make a new rule. When you come in here and you hear me typing

[types]

or whether you DON'T hear me typing, or whatever the F you hear me doing; when I'm in here, it means that I am working, THAT means don't come in. Now, do you think you can handle that?"

ANNIE: "I thought you were good Jack... but you're not good. You're just another lying ol' dirty birdy."

Just a thought, forgive me for prattling away and making everything all oogy, here's the dvd features.

COLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD FEATURES:

(A reviewer listed them above but in case they got lost in the review shuffle here they are again)

First if your like me and like a nice pristine transfer and good sound the dvd is a definite and worthwhile upgrade. The picture quality far surpassed the older version on dvd and I own both. Also on the sound there was no Dolby Digital 5.1 on the old version and on the Collector's edition there is.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio Commnt by Rob Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman

Misery loves company featurette, Marc Shaiman's musical Misery tour featurette

Diagnosing Annie Wilkes featurette, Advice for stalked feature, profile of a stalker feature, celebrity stalker feature and anti stalking laws feature.

This is a must for any horror fan to add to their collection. It is already a classic and is the type of horror that gives you that warm, glad to be inside, tucked into bed feeling if you can avoid getting hobbled.

A great watch for Halloween. Enjoy!

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