That Cold Day in the Park (1969)

Desperate for companionship, a lonely spinster invites a young homeless boy up to her apartment and then goes to drastic measures to make him stay. Following her Oscar-winning turn in Mike Nichols' ground-breaking drama "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?", this is the gifted Sandy Dennis' finest hour on screen. As the demented heroine, Dennis makes you feel your way into her character's dark and ultimately disturbing world. It's a blissful, strikingly effective performance, and watching it one might wonder why Dennis didn't win a second Oscar. The film is also well-directed by a supremely talented fellow by the name of Robert Altman whom you may know as the creator of such hit films as "MASH" and "NASHVILLE". Unfortunately, "THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK" bit the dust at the box-office. Like so many of Altman's films(3 Women, in particular), the movie requires a great deal of patience to fully understand its meanings, but those who sit it out will find it to be a rich, rewarding film.

In this old film by Robert Altman, we discover how solitude for a young woman is a plague on her way to happiness and satisfaction. She comes to the point where she cannot even ask anyone for the contact she desires. She lives in a completely artificial and closed world. One day she brings into her world a stranger she finds in a park and she desires him but she treats him like a canaribird in a cage : she feeds him, she bathes him, she dresses him, she provides him with all comfort, she even provides him with a woman, but he cannot escape, he is a prisoner. It is only within that frame and after a long evolution that she finally finds the courage to ask for what she wants, and yet with no promise that the cage will be reopened. In other words, after a long life with her mother after the death of her father and among people who are from her mother's world, she is totally handicapped in society and unable to navigate properly among desires and obstacles. She can only take and possess. The other is no longer a human being but a toy, a doll in a way. A very sad picture of the loneliness of the solitary young lady in the upper middle-class....

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Sandy Dennis is at her best in this film set in Vancouver in 1969. She plays a lonely woman and takes in a guy who pretends to be a mute. The most powerful aspect is what's going on in her mind..her break with reality when she realizes her vision of their relationship is an illusion. This mute guy is one evil dude. It's easy to empathize with Sandy's character. Another unique experiment in '60s revolutionary film: smashing many societal barriers.

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This early Robert Altman film is a small (if deeply unsettling) little jewel, distinguished by a superb performance by Sandy Dennis. As a sheltered, naïve, but creepily neurotic woman without a clue as to how the world of human relationships actually functions, she quietly dominates the screen. And she's well-matched by the young Michael Burns, far more cunning & manipulative than his initially mute charade suggests -but he's in over his head, horribly so, as he discovers much too late in the game.

And what is the game?

Sandy Dennis' Frances is a spinster, emotionally swaddled & smothered, yearning for human love & human contact, but utterly lost in the real world outside her apartment. When she encounters Michael Burns (simply The Boy) in the park, she takes him home, which is fine with him. It's only as the story continues that he & we begin to understand just how troubled & dangerous Frances really is ...

In some ways like "The Collector," only with the roles reversed, this film differs in that its leads aren't really that sympathetic. Altman tends to shoot them through windows & panes of glass, distancing them, creating a detached & voyeuristic atmosphere. Add to that the washed-out lighting that exposes every bit of grime & decay, and the result is both clinically & uncomfortably intimate.

The fact that it was made when movies were pushing against the last vestiges of censorship gives it a peculiar intensity. Nowadays everything can be said & shown; back then, it was genuinely daring to even try. So even though what we see is comparatively tame beside the explicitness of modern films, it possesses a genuine & powerful perversity that most modern films can't approach.

It's not for casual viewing, and not something you'd want to watch too often. But it'll stay with you, whether you want it to or not. I'm delighted to see it's finally available on DVD, as it's the first of Robert Altman's many films to fully bear his imprint, and deserves greater exposure. Darkly recommended!

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This film still runs through my mind two days after seeing it. The whole film made me so uncomfortable that I couldn't breathe normally while watching it. And I loved every minute of it.

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The Strange Case of Angelica

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

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

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

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

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

-Full review at dvdverdict.com

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

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

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

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

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Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

Recalling the critical reviews of "Curse of the Golden Flower" upon its release, I seem to remember a pretty split decision. There were those that proclaimed the film a tawdry and violent melodrama while others declared it a beautiful epic. Well, in all fairness, it is a beautiful, yet tawdry, excessively violent melodramatic epic. And I mean that in all the best ways! Chinese director Zhang Yimou has put together an eye-popping spectacle of sets, costumes, and effects--complete with his customary flair for dreamlike action sequences and an astonishing color palette.

Telling a soapy tale of dysfunction within Emperor Ping's clan circa The Tang Dynasty (928 A.D.), "Curse" has all the lurid ingredients of a modern-day potboiler. There are illicit affairs, murderous schemes, generational secrets, and gruesome acts of violence. Similar to the setup of "The Lion in Winter," "Curse" brings the Ping family together and lets them attack each other with a refreshingly unhinged viciousness. But while "Lion's" carnage was largely verbal, no such claim can be made with this film. With elements of "King Lear" firmly in place, the pace of "Curse" accelerates so rapidly--you know the characters are headed for disaster.

Central to the remarkable cast is the gorgeous Gong Li as the Empress. As the catalyst of most of the film's action, Li is the film's most pivotal performer. The female center of this "Flower" (which includes Chow Yun Fat as her husband and their three sons/heirs), Li practically devours the role. Full of passion, rage, lust, and plenty of secrets--she has never been given a showier role and definitely rises to the occasion. The performances are so good, so alive, you want to stick with the tale to the bitter end. And no matter how outrageous this film can get (and the madcap finale certainly pushes conventional sensibilities), it is always grounded with the actors.

Forget Shakespeare's most violent tragedies, "Curse" sports a body count that even the Bard would surely envy. Not since the wickedly over-the-top killing spree during the finale of DiPalma's "Scarface" has a movie devolved into such an unabashed show of bloody lunacy. Ridiculous at every turn, the film succeeds by embracing its excesses. The final showdown left me marveling at the staged choreography and laughing at the inspired, yet insane, debauchery. I won't contend that "Curse" is an artistic masterwork that rivals Yimou's previous films "House of Flying Daggers" and "Hero"--but I will say that it is massive entertainment. A frantic, blood-soaked opera of lust and vengeance (with no apologies), I loved "Curse of the Golden Flower." KGHarris, 11/07.

Outstanding! Incredible cinematography, exceptionally ornate sets, very appropriate and well-done music, academy award-level acting, I keep trying to come up with more superlatives to use for the movie! I thoroughly enjoyed every nanosecond of it. It held my interest so well that I simply could not stop watching it, twice! The sets are exquisitely detailed and opulent, the martial arts used were excellent. It is subtitled, so if you are not accustomed to reading English while trying to pick up on the tonal inflections of the actors you may miss much in their performances...unless of course you speak Mandarin. The plot was Shakespearen in both it's quality and its intricacy. The whole movie centers, and stays focused, on the life of the Imperial family and an upcoming coup within it. One of the other reviews noted that the Imperial physician's wife was having an affair with the Crown Prince, but I think they mis-stated. It was her daughter, Chan, having the affair and the mom became insensed with anger when she found out, since she was mother to both...and they didn't know it. There is so much intrigue and a very complex plot, yet somehow so well-written that I did not find it hard to follow at all.

This is an excellent example of the best of Chinese film-making, and I think an outstanding period piece as well.

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I note that an earlier reviewer saw the 'making-of' featurette. and it's

a good intro into peeling away the layers of this quasi-Shakespearean melodrama. There's something dramatists like, the theme of the darkness beneath the beauty.

Slow starting, Director Zhang moves faster and faster telling the tale of unfolding faces (in an asian sense) and the complexities of relationships,

veering every so-often in to soap-operatics. Yet with extravagant graphics/ production qualities and a nice pattern of on-and-off action with teary or sneer-y confrontations and trysts, even the maybe too-dramatic elements work well.

One measure might be that in re-seeing, the layers get more intense and understandable, adding weight to the conflicts; a plus for buyers versus renters.

Now, if only a quality version of RAISE THE RED LANTERN would be released, Zhang Yimou's stature as a world-class director would be rightly, finally, established. With his successes this millennium, it might just happen for the man...

Read Best Reviews of Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) Here

As depraved and corrupt as the House of Thebes, as morally bankrupt as the Hubbard/Giddens family in Lillian Hellman's "Little Foxes" or George and Martha in "Who's Afraid of Virginia

Woolf," (all of which this film calls to mind) Zhang Yimou's "The Curse of the Golden Flower," though huge in scale is at it's core an intimate family (albeit a majorly dysfunctional family) drama which unfolds during the Later Tang Dynasty (923-936 AD), a time of corruption, dictatorship and warfare--with a mind-blowing, color-soaked brilliance and an almost insane excess that does over-ripe justice to the passions and intrigues that are raging full throttle inside the palace.

The sinister ensemble cast includes an evil emperor (Chow Yun Fat), his desperate wife (Gong Li), his three wildly contrasting sons and heirs (Liu Ye, Jay Chou and Qin Junjie), the troubled imperial doctor (Ni Dahong) and the doctor's bitter wife (Chen Jin) and naive daughter (Li Man), both of whom have secrets that could destroy an empire.

Though all of the performances are first rate, Gong Li as the pathetic consort to the Emperor and Jay Chou as Prince Jai show us the pain and heartbreak behind all the bravura acting: these are brave performances that not only come from the mind but also from heart and the soul of these performers; a particularly difficult task based on all the grandeur and pomposity surrounding them.

"The Curse of the Golden Flower" is eye-poppingly gorgeous to look at yet Zhang Yimou nonetheless has managed to, in the midst of the thousands of extras, millions of flowers and opulent and decadent costumes, produced a very thoughtful and tragic drama about a family that can't resist its basest impulses and in the process demolishes and destroys itself from within: love exists here but its a love twisted upon itself and dessicated by the bile and vomitus of distrust and depravity.

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`Curse of the Flower' is a gorgeous masterpiece. Filled with the uniform pageantry of The Tang Dynasty (A.D. 928), the layers of beauty are unfolded to reveal the household of the Emperor (Yun Fat) whose dramatic crisis is intimately revealed amidst the busy hive of his kingdom. Treason, incest, and treachery against kin are concretely provided for a drama of Shakespearean proportions. The queen (Empress) of the hive is ailing with what the Emperor believes to be anemia. After ten years of ancient herbal medicine, she is no means closer to a cure. More hemorrhaging is the rivalry amongst the two sons who spar for succession like Cain and Abel. Jai (Jay Chou), the elder, appears like the humble, reluctant successor; while his bitter young rival, Wan (Liu Ye) has a sword to grind with his past and a manipulative lover who has no little influence over him. The poor Emperor, revealed with no clothes, is wise to the point of tempering his judgment amongst poisonous ingratitude. Heavy wears the crown for a man who resiliently defies the Shakespearean line, "Death hath murdered sleep." Suspenseful, the plot lines head for a climax during the Chrysanthemum Festival for which the Empress intricately prepares.

Stylish on every score, 'Curse of the Flower' could have been an overwrought melodrama with not enough substance, but story and décor only bring out the best of one another. Never did I feel like this offering was tainted by trivialities. I neglected this cinematic offering on the suspicion I was going to get an ancient and foreign offering of 'Kill Bill, No. 1' with tiresome martial arts scenes. Judiciously, the dramatic and combat scenes are gorgeously choreographed and timed to meticulous precision without draining the attention span of the audience. The battle scenes are innovative in a way reminiscent of , 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' except with more stunning results. If nothing else, it contrasts new horizons of technical achievement that make 'Matrix' borrowing seem stale.

Intense but expert acting and meticulous craftsmanship combine to make a magnificent epic adventure. 'Curse of the Golden Flower' is a singular achievement for director Yimou Zhang and all involved who assembled an excellent Eastern tragedy.

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Night at the Museum Collection (2010)

I still gave it 5 stars. I wish you could do half stars. I would have docked it half a star for the fact that it's 2 full cases that come in a very nice cardboard box. EXCEPT, the cardboard box is not an open ended kind on the side so you can just slide the regular plastic cases out the side. Instead, check my photos. You will see you have to open the flaps from the top and pull the cases out. Which is sad because it's a nice box with pull tab that changes the characters in the windows. Instead the box is a pain to keep moving the cases in and out of. I got this box set for about the same cost as just the 2nd movie. And you get the Blu-Ray only version of the first film (I happen to already have the first film on DVD). And you get the 3 disc Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital Copy set of the 2nd movie!

And since it's just the 2 normal cases in a box. It's like buying both separately but cheaper in my case. It just would have been nice to see this nice cardboard box with an open side so I could keep it on the shelf and still get the movie cases in and out easy. Such a simple thing that would have made this box set top notch.

Read the reviews of the Blu-Ray versions below. The first film has some quality issues. But is still a huge step up from the DVD version. And the 2nd film has a good video transfer. Link was removed to the review, google for the blu-ray review. (not the movie review)

Love Ben Stiller's movies. In Blu-ray they are even better. We laughed again even though we've seen NATM several times before

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I had the original in DVD & I loan it to someone & I never received it back. So, it was nice to find these movies in Blu-Ray. I would buy from this seller again.

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We bought this after watching the first movie. My 6 year old loves Night at the Museum so much we pretend to be characters from the movie and run around the house playing.

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So you should buy this to have the full collection, but I have to say: unlike most movie franchises, the sequel here is far better than the original. There are some truly hysterical moments in the sequel, and Frank Azaria should have received an Oscar for his performance. And here's one thing worthy to note: a lot of kids movies try to work in jokes that only adults will get to keep the adults entertained -but the jokes are usually sexual in nature, a lot of double entendres. And I'm no prude, but still: it's not very original. In Night 2: Battle for the Smithsonian, the adult jokes are laugh out loud funny -and none of them have to do with sex. They parody co-workers we might all relate to, or songs that we know, or -most of the time -historical figures. If you know even the tiniest part about history, you'll be laughing out loud at Custer in this movie. I feel like these sorts of "adult" jokes required far more creativity than making yet another pun on the phrase "come out" or showing adults coming to the door in dissheveled clothes...and you'll laugh more because of it. This is one of the very few movies that when my 5 year old son asks me to put it on, I eagerly watch with him (and he's watched both of these at least 20 times since we purchased it, so they get a lot of miles...)

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Ben-Hur / The Ten Commandments (2013)

The sound is 5.1 on these films. Spanish/English/French;

subtitles as well.

The aspect ratio of these films is rather narrow, and

will be hard to see unless you have at least a 40" set.

Each film is presented on two discs -split at the normal

theatrical intermission points. That's four discs, total.

Enjoy!

Here we have it Two of the greatest cinematic masterpieces (starring the legendary Charlton Heston) in one blu-ray set! With rich scripting and eye popping color and definition that's razor sharp, this is a nice acquisition for those who desire to just have the films without a whole lot of bells and whistles.

Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd were perfectly cast in their roles of William Wyler's Oscar-winning film BEN-HUR as "Judah Ben-Hur" and "Massala" childhood friends who in adulthood find themselves each possessing opposing political viewpoints that will ultimately test their long standing friendship. BEN HUR is rich in scripting in it's portrayal of human attributes that encompasses just about every facet of emotion that the human spirit can feel or would be forced/challenged to deal with. This movie has it all: Prosperity, Sickness, Jealousy, Dissention, Grief, Bitterness, Anguish, Vengence, Humility, Forgiveness and ultimately Restoration. Not lost on the viewing audience is screen beauty Haya Harareet's absolutley fabulous character acting as "Esther", Ben-Hur's love interest, as she literally watches (with grief and anguish) the man she loves descend into bitterness and anger having been betrayed by his long time friend "Massala".

The second feature is, of course, Cecille B. DeMille's 1956 film of the biblical account of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS starring Charlton Heston as "Moses" and Yul Brynner as "Rameses" which looks just as razor sharp in it's presentation. In the 'big picture' there is really something special here and it represents more than just a transfer to blu-ray.

It is no small secret that the film stock of tens of thousands of old Hollywood classic and vintage films has/is literally crumbling in the vaults and are in desperate need of restoration before they are lost forever. Because of this, it gives me a heart of joy and greatfulness to think that great care and effort is being given (where possible) to meticulously restore the 'classics', as well as many vintage films, so that we will have a legacy of our American film heritage that will be preserved for future generations to come. The first class restoration of these two films are beautiful examples of this process.

Enjoy these lavishly restored presentations they are a visual feast for the eyes!

Closed Captioning (via Subtitles) are included for the hearing impaired.

BEN-HUR SPECIAL FEATURES

1. Commentary by film historian T. Gene Hatcher with Charlton Heston

2. Music-only track showcasing Miklos Rozsa's Award winning score

3. Theatrical Trailers

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS SPECIAL FEATURE

1. Commentary by Kathrine Orrison, Author of "Written In Stone"

2. Making of Cecille B. DeMille's epic: The Ten Commandments

3. Newsreel: The Ten Commandments premiere in New York

4. Theatrical Trailers

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The brilliant restoration and remastering of DeMille's Epic Masterpiece THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is one of the best if not the greatest one I have seen on high definition so far for a classic film. Working with the original Vista-Vision 35mm negative source may account for that. It even surpasses BEN-HUR's remastering that tends to carry slight deficiencies in contrast levels during some dark scenes. TEN COMMANDMENTS turned out 100% perfect. Comparable to the high quality excellence that the Walt Disney Company invests in order to restore their classic animated masterpieces to look better than they ever will in high definition. TEN COMMANDMENTS is not only the most popular Biblical epic of all time, it is the highest grossing one as well in the Biblical genre. Due to the attention to details and dedication poured into the making of this time-less classic film, it should have won Best Picture and all the major award categories below that during the 1957 AMPAS ceremonies. Charlton Heston should have received his first oscar 3 years before and then get a 2nd one in 1960 for Ben-Hur. Edward G.Robinson was perfect in his portrayal of Dathan and should have received the Best Supporting Actor award for that role. I guess Academy members back then enjoyed watching Cantinflas dangling from a balloon in Around the World in 80 Days better than being moved by the finger of God writing His Ten Commandments on granite stone atop Mount Sinai. Both masterpiece Biblical epics should not be missing as part of every home entertainment film collection.

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Warner Home Video is treating 1.85:1 screen size and 16:9 (1.78:1) as equal sometimes reporting the change and at other times claiming to preserve the 1:85:1 original release ratio though they're not. This applies to at least 4 films released as 2 movie sets on March 12, 2013, but could extend to many more of their Blu-ray discs.

They're bright and they're beautiful in color and in sound, but having already purchased 3 of the four on DVD, I had my sights fixed on upgrading The Ten Commandments and Forrest Gump to HD and was lured in by the price, picking up Ben Hur and The Green Mile as movie bonuses. I started through the Hur/Commandments disks in order and so was treated to Ben Hur in its full native aspect ratio of 2.76:1. Yes that means there are black bars along the top and bottom of the screen, though less so with an HD 16:9 (1.78:1) widescreen then with an old 4:3 (1.33:1) CRT and on my large 1080P 240khz refresh, 1ms response time TV it's just wonderful.

Then I moved onto The Ten Commandments and right away I noticed that during the intro the screen was filled edge to edge and so I thought no great detriment if that short segment had been edited and I was only missing a small bit of the curtain background, but then the feature started and the screen was still filled, edge to edge.

The Ten Commandments was filmed at 1.85:1 and in all my HD purchase up until now I'd come to expect that the days of hacking up film masterpieces were long over. Not so here. I know it is a much smaller edit than it would have been for Ben Hur, but still, every time anyone watches this release, portions of the original film, to the left, to the right, or both, will always be missing. I grabbed the box and checked the back, finding that Warner had given the aspect specification for Ben Hur but omitted the specification for The Ten Commandments (no 1.85:1 callout and no warning that the content had been edited to fit a 16:9 screen)

I bought The Green Mile Forrest Gump at the same time and so I grabbed that box and saw that the Green Mile was clearly called out as 1.85:1, but just as with the Ten Commandments, Forrest Gump was only listed as having been prepared for viewing on a 1080p 16:9 set. Forrest Gump was filmed at 2.35:1, so if it had also been trimmed, that would have been a huge loss of original screen real estate.

Well, I interrupted The Ten Commandments and put on Gump and luckily it's all there, 2.35:1 with the black bars. I then pulled that one out, thinking but what about the Green Mile? If that's the same original size as the Ten Commandments, even though they've listed the unaltered aspect, could they have messed with that one too? Sure enough, hacked. The movie fills up every single pixel and is being cut of at left/right edges.

Was I judging to harshly and were other distributors starting to do the same? I grabbed newly purchased Blue-ray discs by MGM, Universal and Columbia that were also 1.85:1 originals and every one of them had the proper aspect ratio with the black top and bottom bars.

Warner had to corral other studios for the rights to package these films together so I hope they're all available from these other studios or distributors. Check the aspect ratios if you are going to buy from Warner and stay away from anything that or any other dependable reference lists as 1.85:1 unless you're a fan of pan and scan, colorizing and other after run gimmicks. I want to give the series a negative 5 stars, but 1 star is all that's allowed, sorry. I'm returning both for a refund, then maybe I'll shop for ones verified as having the proper size or just be thankful for my DVD versions.

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What can I say. Both films have been remastered for High-definition and neither have ever looked better. The 'Ben Hur' was mastered from a 70mm print and in HD you can tell! 'Ten Commandments' was sourced from a VistaVision print. VistaVision was a system that used 35mm film sidewayslike a 35mm still camera and that gave a frame twice the size of regular vertically shot cinema film. Needless to say that it too looks spectacular in HD.

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Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

I'm not sure we're all seeing the same movie here. One comment I keep hearing is that the actresses did not perform well, and I cannot comprehend it. Ziyi Zhang especially gave one of the best performances I have seen in years, at least. Just look at her physically shaking during her last scene with Ken Watanabe. This complete giving over to the emotion of the character is nearly unsurpassed in anything I've seen in years, and I'm a huge cinemaphile. That's not to mention the flawless way she carried the postures and demeanor of the child star that played her young self through-out, giving a sense of consistency that I have almost never seen done this well. It's early impossible to remember that these two actresses are not really the same person with the way their performances meshed. So, maybe it's the reserved nature of Asian women, and the dualing of this nature with a sense of individuality and self-expression that people are interpreting as "not understanding the character"?

All I can say is, the cinematography and settings are gorgeous, as are the actresses (and what a stellar cast!), the performances are great (maybe the bar has been lowered so much lately that the degree of skill brought to the screen here is more than some people can handle). That's the only reason I can offer for the bad reactions I have heard.

The story is involving, and very realistic in terms of human nature. The romance is wonderful. There are flashes of humor and some of the script is pure poetry (and as a poet you can believe me on that!) I could go on all day, but let me just say this.

The movie is awesome, and the time flew by for me. It is not the over-wrought heart-rending sap that some may want it to be, but it is very true to the way most people behave, and especially in the reserved manner of the Japanese. In my book everyone involved in this deserves a huge round of kudos, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautiful things, and incredibly realized films.

Memoirs of a Geisha is a stunning movie. I haven't read the book, but now wish I had. The movie is close to 2 1/2 hours long, but the story and scenery are so captivating, it seems so much quicker. The costumes are fantastic and it's no wonder they are nominated for Oscars.

It tells the story of a little girl called Chiyo who along with her older sister, is sold by their father who has no money. The people who bought her, want to make her a geisha so she goes off to school but brings disgrace to herself and therefore they make her their slave. Upon chance, she meets a kind man who buys her a sweet cherry ice cone. She never forgets him and sees him again by chance some years later. Now she has hope and learns again (in a crash course) how to be a geisha and her new name is Sayuri.

The story that unfolds from there has ups and downs but the ending is so moving that of course I cried my head off. The setting is beautiful and it made me want to go and visit Japan. The music too is lovely and I hope they do get some Oscars next week because it's a very deserving movie. There is also a great performance by an actress called Li Gong who plays 'Queen Bitch' Hatsumomo and look for a small role played by Ted Levine who we normally see in a funny role as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in Monk.

Beautiful move that you absolutely have to see. (Especially on the big screen if you still can).

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I read the novel this film is based on and loved it, so I was looking forward to the movie when it was released. I was pleased to see that the movie followed the book very closely. The film was absolutely beautiful, with arresting shots of the geisha as they went about their daily tasks and beautiful pans of the gorgeous faces of the actresses. There were also a few nice shots of (what was supposed to be) the Japanese countryside.

The film follws Chiyo (Sayuri), a young girl from the country who grows to become one of the most celebrated geisha in pre-war Japan. I know that there was a big stink when the film came out that some of the actresses cast were Chinese, rather than Japanese, but I say phooey on that. You cast an actor to play a role. I've seen plenty of straight actors turn in wonderfully nuanced performances of gay characters. I've seen plenty of older actors play roles that were younger than they were, and vice versa. So what? The director's job is to find the right actor for the role, and that actor may or may not be the exact nationality referred to in the script. The point is, does this performer tell the story?

And the performers in Memoirs of a Geisha definitely do. Ziyi Zhang (Chiyo/Sayuri), Li Gong (Hatsumomo), and Michelle Yeoh (Mameha) all give their characters a wonderful depth and subtext, and I really enjoyed them. I know that some critics also huffed about the movie being Westernized, with the actors all speaking English, etc. Wha . . . ? The movie is based on a book written by Arthur Golden, a middle-aged white guy from Tennessee. How can you get more Western than that? Anyway, I personally found the film to be a visual jewel with fabulous performances. I recommend it.

Read Best Reviews of Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) Here

I read the book then watched the movie. The book is much more detailed, as they usually are, but the movie measured up to the book at a faster pace, yet still keeping to the story. I thought both were superb. I liked being able to put a face to all the characters, it made it more interesting for me. I thought the dancing in the movie was beautiful, classy, and hypnotic. Both the book and the movie just drew me in and I had a hard time putting down the book and watched the movie alone and with my husband.

I enjoyed it. I recommend reading the book first and then watching the movie.

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I am getting rather tired of reading about how the movie is so terrible when compared to the book. I do agree that the book is absolutely amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment while reading it. I do, however, recognize that this is a movie based on a book and therefore when I saw it I was not expecting that it would be identical to the book. I did enjoy this movie it is breathtaking to watch visually and essentially the story is pretty faithful to that of the book. What I find makes the biggest difference is that when watching the movie you lose some of the inner dialogue and description of all the events that are present in the book. Also, being that it is a movie some corners had to be cut in order to keep the length of the film closer to 2 hours as is usually the case. Since I have read the book I know the story quite well and am able to enjoy the movie for what it is. In my opinion I think it is a beautiful compliment to the book and I will enjoy watching it again since it is now a part of my DVD collection.

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Rambo Box Set (First Blood / Rambo: First Blood Part II / Rambo III ) (2008)

When I heard they were releasing these on Blu-Ray I wasn't exactly thrilled to be buying them again. I had bought First Blood on Blu-Ray when it first came out after I had rented it at a Blockbuster and was so impressed by the picture I had to buy it. I had seen First Blood in so many different versions including most of the standard DVD releases that I didn't think it possbile to look as good as it does on Blu-Ray. After that I decided I really wanted them all on High Definition but they hadn't announced plans to release the other 2 on Blu-Ray. So I bought the others on HD-DVD (french versions). Again the picture was quite a bit better than any standard DVD previously released but not quite as good as First Blood on Blu-Ray. When the trilogy was finally released on Blu-Ray I admit I was a little mad, I wished they had just released them all together in the first place and now buying the trilogy yet again on Blu-Ray would also mean I would have 2 versions of the same First Blood movie.

I found this set at Best Buy for $29.99 (someone had accidently put them in the wrong area but they honored the price). This was cheaper than buying Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rambo III individually so I bought the whole set.

I am very glad I did though, the picture on the other 2 movies are just as good as on First Blood, and better than the HD-DVD versions I had bought. The sound is also much better than any other version I had. I would strongly suggest that if you are skeptical to just buy these, there is not a better version out there and believe me I know. I watched these with my girlfriend and even she was amazed at how good they looked and she is not picky about picture quality. The movies look like they were just filmed yesterday and not back in the 80's. There is very little grain or film artifacts in these either. One review I read said he didn't realize how much sweating there was in the Rambo: First Blood Part II until he actually saw it in High Definiton and I have to agree, it is so clear everything shows up and looks amazing. If you own a Blu-Ray player and love the Rambo series you owe it to yourself to buy these.

and they mean Ultimate when they say so.

I had recently learned of the redicuolous marketing for these movies, and that's the typical DVD company for you. But because of the bad reviews, is only the die hard fan's problems, not yours. This is only because die hard fans had obviously bought the first box set released, then companys decided to make another for the sake of better special features, and other suspicious reasons. This gave fans who had the older set the urge to buy the next one, and probably sell off the other. But this is when the companys have the chance to release one more on the fans and new comers alike. This enables them to make money off of people buying and rebuying these DVD sets, and it works. Their loyalty isn't to you, THEY'RE A BUSINESS, they are there to get paid like everyone else wants to.

What my real point is however, is that this is a no problemo situation for ones that have not wasted their time with the older sets at their release dates. The other sets are good, and have their pros and cons. But to me, the Ultimate edition packs the least amount of cons, and is for a fact, THEE Ultimate collection. Why? Here is why I think so.

Special Features:

Aspect Ratio: Letter box 2:35 (Perfect widescreen)

Special commentary by Sylvester Stallone on First Blood only, other Rambo sequels have commentaries by the Directors (YES!)

First Blood, Rambo III, Deleted scenes (Very good)

First Blood, features alternate suicide ending (What a find!)

And a Meta vision: So called to expand your viewing capability of the films (Interesting)

And more!

Overall: I love the final Rambo collection. I shall continue to be entertained and blown away by these films, as they will remain a remarkable franchise.

(Thank you, to Sylvester Stallone)

and remember fans, Rambo 4 is coming this year 2006

Buy Rambo Box Set (First Blood / Rambo: First Blood Part II / Rambo III ) (2008) Now

When Rambo first released on DVD, it wasn't even in a complete set. Each film came out individually, First Blood part 2 had some special features, but than the other two had nothing more than trailers. Than they released a special edition, which I thought was neccesary because it was given a good round of features. Now they release it again, so you would expect even more features right? Wrong! First Blood and Rambo III have some decent extras, but why First Blood part II hasn't evolved from the previous edition is anyones guess. The special edition set that was released prior to this one, had more documentaries, so is it really worth buying the ultra-edition just for the sake of a few minor changes. Since First Blood part II hasn't got any extras, I reccomend buying First Blood and Rambo III ultra-editions individually only if you'd a die hard fan. Who knows maybe in 5 years time, they will release a Super special edition, than another 5 years after that a Super duper special edition. Why didn't Artisan include all the features on the ultra-edition with the special? the reason is obvious, they just want to milk as much money out of the fans as possible by re-releasing the set. They did the same with Rocky and Terminator and a string of other movies. There is no respect for fans anymore, film merchandising is clearly based on profit than value for money for the consumer. Mark my words, next on the list is Batman and Titanic, which will be given the special edition treatment, forcing fans to keep returning to the shop over and over.

Meanwhile I love Rambo the films with passion, but the marketing of the movies is ridiculous.

Read Best Reviews of Rambo Box Set (First Blood / Rambo: First Blood Part II / Rambo III ) (2008) Here

What a great Blu Ray 3 disc set!!! This includes all 3 movies of the original Rambo Trilogy(That's First Blood,Rambo II,and Rambo III) They look and sound awseome,so much better than standard DVD,and I got this at a great price from right here at Amazon.com baby,this is the place to do ALL your Blu Ray shopping,the prices just cant be beat!!! If your a fan of the original Rambo trilogy and have a Blu Ray Disc player than this is great box set at a great price,I got this blu ray set on sale cheaper than the standard DVD set,just can't beat that!!! And it comes on a nice collector's case taht looks great on the shelf to boot!!! Recommended! A+

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What a waste! How else can I say it? The Special Editions had trailers, great documentaries, and informative production notes on top of that. Why didn't they include the deleted scenes?! That's the only thing of value on these new Ultimate Editions, because all the rest is missing. If it really was an "ultimate" set, they would have included all the previously released great extras. (For those with the far-superior Special Editions, don't bother replacing yours with these; even the deleted scenes aren't anything to get worked up about, with possible exception of First Blood's alternate ending.) And those nonsense "Meta" features are a pathetic insult to serious collectors. Can't comment on audio commentaries. I gave up wasting my time on those things years ago, having OD'd on them back in the days of laserdisc!

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Fast Company (1979)

The 2-Disc Limited Edition was purchased impulsively on its street date release, after I saw it staring at me on a shelf at a local retailer. Having greatly enjoyed Rabid, The Brood, Videodrome, and Crash, I had long been curious to see Stereo and Crimes of the Future. Yet having picked it up for Cronenberg's two early features, I was watching Fast Company for the sixth time on Saturday night of that same week.

Phil Adamson (John Saxon): You know you're out of your goddamn mind, Johnson. You're out of your mind, and you're over-the-hill. First you turn my trailer into a goddamn whorehouse, now it's an insane asylum!

John Saxon's villainy as the FastCo oil company rep is hilarious. Aside from the wonderfully written dialogue, his facial expressions and gestures are fantastic. Lonnie "Lucky Man" Johnson's (William Smith) team consists of a Western genre family-like trio, with character names such as Billy the Kid, P.J. and Elder; all wonderful performances. Gary "The Blacksmith" Black (Cedric Smith) is Lonnie's top competitor. He is neither a one-dimensional friend nor foe. His personal team members, known as Stoner and Meatball, are a funny pair. Stoner is likable and not-such-a-bad guy, while Meatball is a classic A-hole. Candy (Judy Foster) is Miss FastCo, a not-so-dumb blonde with feelings for Billy, and who makes an admirable stand when her self-respect is threatened by her employer's demands. William Smith and Claudia Jennings are the long-distance relationship lovers that I, on a personal level, have grown strongly attached to. Both, individually and together, add to the film something magical and nostalgic for me that I find very rare in most movies that I've seen. The scenes involved with them makes me feel like a small boy spending time with a favorite aunt and uncle. Mind you, I come from a Hispanic middle class background.

The cinematographer is largely to thank for capturing the humor of the film, as well as the documentary-like and exciting treatment of the dragsters; not to mention a multitude of highly admirable shots. Also worth mentioning is the work of Art Director Carol Spier, as well as the choices of music that significantly add to this wonderful little film. I have to say that Fast Company has been one of the most delightful surprises that I have encountered on DVD so far this year, along with The Passion of Joan of Arc, Flesh + Blood, Humanité, and Diary of a Country Priest.

Now, about Stereo and Crimes of the Future after my purchase, I got home as fast as I could, and saw them first. Alas, they did not fully appeal to me, though Cronenberg's aesthetic approach to the storytelling on both, and his very nice camera work, did. I am very glad to have finally seen them, and I do intend to redo so again in the immediate future.

Blue Underground along with the personal supervision of Cinematographer Mark Irwin present an amazing print for a late-Seventies B-movie. The colors and sharpness are outstanding; and the sound is extremely satisfying. David Cronenberg's commentary is both interesting and very pleasing. His own enthusiasm on the film, and at the discovery of the restoration of a thought-to-be lost seen is wonderful. Comments like: "...it's very much me. And I don't think anybody else could have made this movie the way ... that I did." He stumbles at this last comment, probably concerned with sounding egotistical. However, with his style being so distinct along with his input into the script, he has justification to make that statement. Cronenberg also remarks on the commentary: "Worth every penny of it, wasn't it?" I quite agree. And am very pleased to hear a director satisfied with his own work, for a change. This film should appeal to fans of Seventies exploitation and car racing, while bitter and stubborn Cronenberg no-nonsense horror fans might need some lubing, or repeated viewings, to appreciate it for what it is and not for what they want it or expect it to be.

Billy "The Kid" Brooker (Nicholas Campbell): You know something, gang? There's a lot of junk you can put down your pipes, you know what I mean. Now I'm talking about the good stuff. You gotta take care of your baby's engine. So I suggest you go like the pros, and go with FastCo. If you want that power, that performance, and that protection. Yeah. FastCo. This is what all the pro racers use. FastCo Motor Treatment. (Chuckles). All right.

Fast Company is an anomaly in David Cronenberg's filmography. Nowhere to be found is his underlying obsession with dark sexual psychology but instead this is a straightforward car flick. Don't expect Crash. A/V is excellent for this lost film.

But the inclusion of his two early experimental films make this a must have for the Cronenberg fanatic.

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This is a very unusual film for David Cronenberg. Admittally, a tax shelter for it's producers, it's still a very appealing movie. B-movie legend William Smith as racer Lonnie Johnson, whose sponsor (represented by John Saxon) is trying to push him aside. What I really like is the scene where Smith cold-cocks Saxon and he goes flying out of the trailer. Perhaps payback? Saxon ended up with the role in ENTER THE DRAGON that Bruce Lee originally wanted William Smith for. Unfortunately for Smith, the movie he was working on ran over schedule and he had to bow out. Big Bill and Bruce Lee ... now that would be something.

Read Best Reviews of Fast Company (1979) Here

Fast Company (1979) is truly great B-cinema despite the tendencies of scholastic indifference. Whether its lack of reception has been due to lack of availability, its straight-to-Beta stigma or, most probable, an audience's disregard for anything differing from the Cronenbergian macabre is open for debate. What is certain is that this effort, his first with a budget exceeding the million-dollar mark, was a precursor to the personal trajectory of The Brood (1979).

Divorce proceedings underway, David changed focus to his consuming passion of the automobile. The final product was a decent drag strip movie, "a good B-Movie" he admits. The good versus evil tension included in most racing films is combined with some point of view shots from the car racers proper, in itself, well worth the price of the rental. Spending most of the film arguing with John Saxon, his greasy sponsor from Fast Company Motor Oil, William Smith plays Lonnie 'Lucky Man' Johnson, whose iconic status as drag strip guru is tested race after race. His real stroke of luck however comes through his onscreen squeeze, November Playmate 1969 Claudia Jennings. This marked consecutive attempts at casting notables from the adult industry.

Attempting to recreate the similar appeal and subsequent audience draw that worked for him in Rabid, Ms Jennings' luck ran out in an ironic off-screen car-accident, taking her young life shortly after the film was completed.

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Stereo and Crimes of the Future are among the best underground films produced in North America in the late 60's/early 70's, a time when Kenneth Anger and Martin Scorsese were also making their first films. Thanks to Blue Underground for releasing those two important productions (along with the great Fast Company in a fantastic transfer) in such a classy edition.

May the experiment in telepathy begin...

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Rio Lobo (1970)

Rio Lobo is a good John Wayne western that borrows from several of his previous movies. The story is about a Union colonel trying to find out who the traitor was in his unit that sold information about gold shipments to Confederate guerillas. Along the way he helps a town escape the wrath of a rich landowner and a corrupt sheriff. The story may seem similar, but this still is a very entertaining movie. What John Wayne movie isn't? The story blends action and story together in this exciting western.

The Duke is great once again as Cord McNally, the Union colonel in pursuit of traitors. Jorge Rivero is awkward as Pierre "Frenchy" Cordona, the Confederate guerilla who helps Wayne. I don't know whether it is actually Rivero talking or someone dubbing his lines in, but it just sounds funny. Joining them are Jennifer O'Neill, Christopher Mitchum, Jack Elam, and Victor French. Elam is great as usual in his role as the eccentric old man in the town. The DVD has a good widescreen presentation that looks cleaned up compared to the one shown on TBS. Otherwise, there isn't any extras added on. This was Howard Hawks last western, and he made a good one. Good story and exciting action. Deserves a watch if nothing else for those who haven't seen this late Duke western!

This movie is hardcore John Wayne at his finest, and terribly authentic. The movie begins with Union Colonel Wayne nervous (with good reason) about a gold shipment during the latter stages of the civil war. He is only nervous about sending it through territory where he knows the famous 1st Louisiana Cavalry is lurking. What follows is absolutely the greatest train robbery in movie history in my opinion. You are left breathless when the hornet nest is sent flying into the boxcar holding the gold. Then John Wayne picks up the chase. Great photography, and it posesses all the ear marks of a Wayne-Hawks western. The plot later in the movie follows along the same lines as previous Wayne-Hawks classics "Rio Bravo" and "Eldorado". Do yourself a favor and add this one to your western collection.

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By 1970, John Wayne had his Oscar in his pocket and Rio Lobo on some inspection looks like just a lot of good, clean fun he and the cast decided to have, with no particular regard for making cinematic history. The plot rambles and has some implausabilities-like why does the Duke, who plays a Yankee, go home to Blackthorne, Texas? And Jorge Rivero as a Confederate officer takes some getting used to. Same thing, different reason, with Jennifer O'Neill. She seems too contemporary for a historic setting and her acting is questionable. However, by dogies, she is just so beautiful (and one of the hottest actresses in demand in the early 70's) that she can be forgiven for any dramatic failings.

One of the strengths of the film is the Duke's self-deprecating humor is in fine display, and so is John Wayne himself. Chisum, which was made about this time, is a better film in my estimation, but Mr. Wayne is practically relegated to a supporting player in it. In Rio Lobo he is in almost every scene and that alone makes it a pleasure to watch. Jack Elam hams it up and David Huddleston adds a nice touch of comedy. Trivia buffs will enjoy Sherri Lansing (future studio head) in the near buff and George Plimpton, fresh off his Paper Tiger days, getting a bit role as a short-lived bad guy.

As for improving the movie, it suffers because the death of the lieutenant, which is the main motivating force for Wayne's character to go after the bad guys, is little seen by the audience. We need to connect with this guy so we feel strongly that justice must be done. This character should have been played by a well-known actor in a cameo role. An obvious choice would have been Patrick Wayne. Then the audience would know the character even though their presence onscreen is brief and make a stronger emotional connection with them. Another thing is the sheriff of Rio Lobo is supposed to be a really mean hombre, but we don't have enough scenes with him to establish this. At the very least, a scene should be added where he brutally questions the Sherri Lansing character and scars her. It wouldn't have to be graphic-just enough to once again emotionally connect with the audience.

Mr. Wayne's DVDs are not getting the attention that his fans deserve! George Plimpton had a television special on making Rio Lobo-this should be an extra included. And, my gosh, The Alamo had 500,000 feet of film shot-some by John Ford. What do we get in bonus material? ZIP! NADA! JACKSQUAT! C'mon Hollywood, this is THE most important film actor of the 20th Century! Get off yer duffs and find this stuff. This is HISTORY!

Read Best Reviews of Rio Lobo (1970) Here

Not that it's bad, of course. Fans of the Duke will want to add "Rio Lobo" to their collection because it's classic John Wayne stuff. This time, the Duke is a Yankee Colonel who attempts to track down a pair of Union traitors responsible for the theft of Union gold shipments during the Civil Was and ultimately, the death of a Yankee Lieutenant who was like a son to Wayne's character in the movie. Along the way, he is aided by a pair of Rebs (Jorge Rivero and Chris Mitchum) and beautiful Jennifer O'Neill. The quartet find themselves facing overwhelming odds (don't they always?) as they attempt to get the bad guy, while at the same time helping the oppressed citizens of Rio Lobo.

Director Howard Hawks sticks to his tried-and-true (and successful) formula and puts together a fast-moving, action-filled film. OK, so the acting (especially poor Jennifer O'Neill) is stilted, but viewers of this film didn't go to it (or get the DVD) because they were looking for Oscar calibre' performances.

It's pure Duke with copious amounts of gunfire, self-depreciating humor and great Western scenery. The film score ranks with some of the best work done by Jerry Goldsmith. Hawks uses his patented clipped dialogue to keep the plot moving. The supporting cast, including Victor French, Mike Henry, David Huddleston and Western veterans Jim Davis and Jack Elam, are great components to the film.

If you enjoyed any of the aforementioned Duke classics, then you'll enjoy "Rio Lobo"

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The first part of this western is relatively unique; the second part is commonplace in John Wayne movies. The latter contains such themes as shootouts between posses of good and bad guys, a trade of kidnapped men (the bad guys' boss for Frenchie), and heavy drinking. In fact, McNally (Wayne) has this comment about a drink: "Boy, this stuff ain't for the young!"

The train robbery is creatively portrayed. A group of Confederate guerillas, evidently tipped off about a transport of gold, tap-in into a telegraph wire, and thereby correctly infer which train is going to carry the gold. Then they set up a trap: They grease a section of railway so that the targeted train will stall for lack of traction. Once this happens, they come out of hiding and ambush the train. They throw a bag of bees into a train compartment in order to put the men inside out of action and to force them to jump out of the train. Finally, they detach the gold-bearing wagon from the rest of the train, and steer it to a prearranged place where it can be ground to a halt and stripped of its gold-bearing chest.

Those who feel that westerns ignore women or always place them in passive roles will like this film. There are two women who are good with guns, and who put them to use when the men won't do their jobs to secure justice for them. One of the men gives a form of respect to one of these women: "She's got legs and she can shoot!"

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I'm a Cyborg (2006)

In 2006, the South Korean surreal comedy film "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" from director Park Chan-wook was released.

With Park's work with "JSA", "Oldboy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" attracting many international fans, Park wanted to try something much more different, more on the arthouse side by creating a film that would have a surreal dreamlike feel. Because of its surreal nature, the film did well in Korea during its opening weekend but quickly plummeted in sales by its second. Lauded by viewers who felt it was a wonderful, symbolic and unique style of film, those who are followers of Park's more violent and serious works were a bit dismayed by the film as somewhat incomprehensible. Also, the film would mark the first theatrical role for Korea's hot pop star Rain and would bring in an audience not used to seeing this certain style of film.

"I'm a Cyborg" is definitely a film that one will either love or hate and most that I've read disliking it was more because of the film's surrealist take and not coming up with a clear-cut ending. While those who lauded the film enjoyed the symbolic nature of the film, it's smart use of imagery and Park Chan-wook's ability to step away from the style of film's that he is accustomed of doing and doing something else, whether or not his fans approve.

VIDEO:

"I'm a Cyborg" is presented in 1080p (Anamorphic 1:77:1) on a BD25 Disc. The film showcases the vibrant colors of the film. From the vibrant colors of the outdoors to the glowing of Young-goon's toes, there is a good amount of detail featured on the Blu-ray disc. I didn't notice any major compression issues or combing. Blacks were nice and deep and for the most part, very good picture quality.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"I'm a Cyborg" is presented in Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 but also two lossless audio tracks. One in DTS-HD MA and the other in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. The film tends to utilize various sounds especially during the dream moments of Young-goon. From the sound of her becoming a robot and firing machine guns on everyone around her, to thunder in the background or the hint of crowd ambiance at the mental hospital, there is a good use of surround channels and dialogue is clean and understandable through the center channel. But because this is a BD25 disc, I was a bit surprised to see three audio tracks, especially two lossless audio tracks (DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHd codecs) included.

Subtitles are in English and found no major typo's or errors. Subtitles were easy to read.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"I'm a Cyborg" comes with the following special features:

Please note: This is an all-region Blu-ray but there are times when the special features for a UK Blu-ray will not work on a REGION A Blu-ray player. For "I'm a Cyborg", I was unable to play the special features on a Magnavox Blu-ray player. Usually, I'm able to play it on a PS3 Blu-ray player but in this case, I was unable to access the special features at all.

* Making of

* Exclusive Interview with Director Chan-wook Park

* Music Video

* Original Theatrical Trailers

JUDGMENT CALL:

"I'm a Cyborg" can be seen as a film about love or a film devoid of love until two people who have mental problems find comfort within each other.

And this is not an easy description to make because typically, when you discuss a film that utilizes characters with mental problems or deal with some sort of insanity, one tends to think of a film with a darker storyline. But director Park Chan-wook avoids the banality by giving these characters some depth by using dreamlike-states as a way to show the viewer of what kind of mindset these individuals are having.

From Young-goon's thoughts of killing all hospital workers, to another patient who feels she can fly with her special socks, many may watch this film and enjoy it almost like a comedy but when the second half of the film rolls in, "I'm a Cyborg" becomes more of a film of two people who literally have nothing but each other.

Although the viewer is not explained how things got so bad with Young-goon or Park, you pretty much take their mental illness as what is and wonder if they will eventually get better. And because of their mental illness, those around them have literally shunned them but for both of these main characters, they start to realize that they are not alone and they have each other. Park knows that she is not a cyborg but he doesn't try to prove her wrong, he supports her no matter what.

And it is true that the film's ending may be a bit disingenuous. One may not feel they are getting any closure to these characters but it's all about the symbols shown in the film. I've read many write ups from viewers who have problems enjoying the film because there is no romance or some sort of fitting climax nor a fitting ending. But my feeling is that both of the main characters in the film have mental issues that border to near insanity. Can these two individuals even comprehend what a relationship or a bond is? In a typical movie sense, we are not going to get any liplocking or passionate love making, director Park Chan-wook did a good job in not following the usual path in featuring two people with mental illness. They discover things in their own way, good or bad.

Young-goon believes that Park has powers to help her achieve her goal as a cyborg, Park feels that he cares for her to support her and her mindset of believing she is a cyborg and bet there for her. It may seem unusual but if one loves another, they are willing to do what they can to maintain that love and Park does it his own way, especially a touching moment in order to become healthy.

With that being said, "I'm a Cyborg" won't be for everyone. Aside from it's surreal nature, some may find the violence scenes to be a bit overbearing. There are several times where Young-goon is seen imagining herself turning into a robot and gunning down all the hospital workers. It's a scene that doesn't surprise me (coming from director Park Chan-wook) but I'm sure it may be a bit too graphical to some viewers and although a dream sequence, for those expecting a romantic comedy, this is more of a dark comedy and not for those expecting a blossoming romance.

I have to give credit to both main talents Su-jeong Lim and Rain. Su-jeong Lim playing the part of Young-goon and her portrayal of a girl with a mental illness but also a character that believes she is a cyborg but yet having human emotions that she has difficulty separating from. Pop star Rain does an effective job playing the main lead Park Il-sun. It's quite interesting as other Asian pop stars tend to get music based or romantic comedy type of roles for their first job and often at times, they are more or less taking on a supporting role. But for Rain to take on a major lead role, especially a character that also has a mental illness but at the same time, aware of his emotions towards Young-goon was also well done.

As for the Blu-ray, a very solid Blu-ray release from Tartan Video. Beautiful and vibrant picture quality, clear audio but unfortunately, utilizing two Blu-ray players, was unable to access the special features. But still, considering its price and it is an all-region disc, it may work on other Blu-ray players and for its price, definitely makes this Blu-ray release worth checking out.

Overall, "I'm a Cyborg" is a film that one would consider it a true masterpiece by Park Chan-wook, while others may feel that the film doesn't suit Park Chan-wook at all. Needless to say, I personally feel that it was great for the director to undertake a different style of film that he was known for and his story captures the life of these two main characters who have nothing, no one but each other to count on and possibly find a purpose of living.

If you are a viewer who has a difficult time understanding the ending, I have only one hint to give you and that is too look closely on what is connected to the antenna on top.

"I'm a Cyborg" is a well-done film and most definitely recommended!

I am not reviewing the movie (I bought it as a gift for my brother who loves Park Chan-Wook movies) but was impressed by the timely arrival. I received the item within about two days or ordering it. Good job Amazon! My brother loved the movie and I look forward to watching it soon!

Buy I'm a Cyborg (2006) Now

The Mel Brooks Collection (2011)

I was originally looking to only replace one DVD movie. However when I went looking on Amazon I saw that the collection was on a Timed Deal on Amazon. It had an extreme price cut and I could not pass it up. However even at the higher price it appears to be a value balancing both the content and price per disk in the set. I believe it to be worth the investment so as one would say the buy is not just a "Roll in the Hay" (pardon the Pun).

Here is the low down on the collection:

1) The Box and Packaging of the disks is very good. Includes a cover box and a plastic multi-disk case. (The disks did not shift out of their spot in shipping) Disks also go in and out of the case easily. The Silk Screening on the Box Art is well done. Great selection of Cover Art which is a picture of Mel Brooks as a "Director".

2) You receive quite a number of movies for the price. Silk Screening on the disks is clean and crisp.

3) The picture quality is better than DVD, but maybe not as good as I have seen with other box sets. But not to worry they do make good use of the extra room on the Blu-Ray with Extras.

4) I was impressed with the number of extras that were included, an Example of this is: In Young Frankenstein you get additional out-takes, interviews, bloopers, deleted Scenes, etc.

5) I would recommend exploring the extras they are fun to watch and also give you some insight into the creative process and at times a bigger picture of the story. (I.E. in Young Frankenstein you get to view, as part of the deleted scenes, the reading of the Baron's Will)

6) Includes Trivia Tracks which are fun to play.

7) Downside is it does not contain all of his movies. It would be Nice to have a Volume 2 or 3 which would eventually bring all the features together under one consistently produced collection.

8) Makes a great gift!

I would recommend the collection. So start trading in your DVDs.

This Collection Includes the Following 9 Titles on a set of Blu-Ray Disks:

Blazing Saddles

Spaceballs

Young Frankenstein

High Anxiety

History of the World Part 1

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Silent Movie

To Be or Not To Be

The Twelve Chairs

Blazing Saddles

Extras Include:

New Featurettes:

Trivia Games

Isolated Score Tracks

Deleted Scenes

Gag Reels

Commentaries

Interviews

Documentaries

Still Galleries

Most of the movies here are classics which makes it a problem if you don't want all the movies. The version of "Blazing Saddles" is the earlier release from Warner which doesn't look as good as the 30th Anniversary re-release and the extras aren't any great shakes. The transfer looks so-so and lacks the sharper look of the later 30th Anniversary Edition. "Young Frankenstein" resembles the first DVD release of the film from Fox with the same extras. Reportedly "Young Frankenstein" was supposed to be remastered in anamorphic widescreen but the wrong master used or the wrong discs shipped with this set. For those that care it's not anamorphic. The film looks extremely good but if you already have these classic films, I'd suggest waiting for these to be released individually.

Fans of Brooks will be buying this for the previously unreleased films "Silent Movie", "Robin Hood:Men in Tights", "To Be or Not to Be" (which Brooks didn't direct but stars in) and "High Anxiety". All these films look pretty good here (although "The Twelve Chairs" is probably going to be of the least interest to fans that grew up on Brooks other classic films). "Robin Hood" comes with an featurette produced for HBO on the film. Most of the others come only with theatrical trailer(s). "To Be or Not To Be" comes with a short featurette and some profiles of Brooks, the late Anne Bancroft and Charles Durning. Clearly they weren't produced for the DVD but must be some sort of promotional bits for another format (you're guess is as good as mine)possibly for an Electtronic Press Book.

If you have problems with any of the discs you can contact Fox at their customer service phone number 1-888-223-2FOX.

Buy The Mel Brooks Collection (2011) Now

Since I grew up in the 80's, I grew up with Mel Brooks' films. I have been a fan for as long as I can remember. When I saw this set listed on Amazon for $45.99, I couldn't pass it up. I must say that Fox has outdone themselves here. Those of you who have been buying Fox's DVDs and blu-rays probably know that there is nothing special about the majority of them, as many are lacking special features, etc. But not so with this set. First of all, the video transfers on all nine movies are simply incredible. I have watched all of these movies on DVD in the past, and the blu-ray versions just blows them all away. Every movie also has an impressive collection of special features. These include excellent documentaries (many of which are in HD), deleted scenes, trailers, TV Spots, etc. My only (albeit small) complaint here is that I wish more of the films had commentaries, because I love listening to Mel talk about the making of his movies. He is funny, witty, and he tells a great story. Also included is a 119-page, hard-bound book which talks about the making of all nine films. I am still in the process of reading it, but so far there is a lot of information about the making of the movies that I had not known before. My only other complaint about this set is that it is missing The Producers, Life Stinks, and Dracula: Dead and loving It. It really is too bad that these films were left out for whatever reason, but when they are finally released on blu, I will pick them up just the same. The bottom line is that if you are a fan of Mel Brooks' movies, then you simply can't go wrong here. You will not be sorry.

Read Best Reviews of The Mel Brooks Collection (2011) Here

FYI everyone, Mel Brooks only shot TWO films in wide screen: "Blazing Saddles" and "History of the World Part 1".

If you compare the rest of the films to the original full frame laserdiscs you will see that FOX just masked off the top & bottom of the picture to make the films look widescreen. They should have been presented in full frame to give us the complete picture, some signs & faces get cut off.

So now I have to keep my 1987 laserdiscs, even though these new transfers look sharper.

The missing films not in this box set are not owned by 20th Century Fox. We are lucky they made a special arrangement with Warner Brothers to include Blazing Saddles (although it is the old master) in this set.

"The Producers" , "Space Balls" and "Life Stinks" are owned by MGM.

"Dracula Dead and Loving it" is distributed by Warner Brothers & owned by Castlerock.

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This is the funniest movie, and the world awaits the DVD. When, oh when, will it finally arrive????? There are so many of my all time favorite movie moments in this classic comedy. Who could forget Dr. Charles Montague and Nurse Diesel's cagey response after being interrupted during an intimate moment: 'Sorry for the dissssturbance.' (I probably know the dialogue for this entire movie by heart!) Nurse Diesel arrived on the scene long before Madonna and her tectonic bras. What about Dr. Wentworth's trouble with the car radio? Or Brophey's ineptitude? Every scene is memorable, but if I had the DVD, I would repeatedly jump to Dr. Thorndyke's dramatic lounge act where he wooed Victoria Brisbane by singing the very romantic song 'High Anxiety,' all the while slapping the microphone chord on the ground for dramatic effect. Which is to say nothing of Hitchcock--whose movie plots provide endless fodder for this Mel Brooks masterpiece. The cast is superb, and the movie divine. Granted, this is one review that is not written with those who've never seen the movie in mind. My intent is to take a stroll down memory lane, because this movie deserves to be on DVD.

The Town (2010)

Ben Affleck returns to his old stomping grounds--the working class neighborhoods of Boston--for his second directorial effort "The Town." A solidly constructed crime thriller, "The Town" is at its most successful when it's exploring the specific dynamics of the area in question. Affleck has a sense of the place, the language and rhythm of its inhabitants, that lend an authenticity to the film that elevate it beyond typical genre fare.

That's why he has achieved success working in an area and with characters identifiable to his own upbringing. His previous Boston efforts include "Good Will Hunting" (a screenplay Oscar for Affleck) and "Gone Baby Gone" (Affleck's acclaimed first feature as a director). "Gone Baby Gone," in many ways a standard detective plot, was a huge revelation for being surprisingly hard edged and cynical (it helps to be adapted from a Dennis Lehane book with similar qualities)--and it is that cynicism that made it one of my favorite films of its year.

Now adapting Chuck Hogan's "Prince of Thieves," Affleck casts himself as the stoic lead Doug MacRay. Raised in the Charlestown area, MacRay has been unable to break away from the legacy of his youth, his father, and local crime bosses. He runs a successful crew in robbing banks and armored cars. On a job gone wrong, a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) is temporarily taken hostage. When MacRay's best friend on the job (Jeremy Renner) becomes concerned she might know something to identify them--Affleck sets off to observe her as she lives uncomfortably close to the crew. But getting a little too cozy, he starts to idealize her as an opportunity to escape the life he now feels trapped in. One more big score and maybe he can get a fresh start.

Affleck plays the role with a tight lipped intensity and calm. It's left to the dynamic Renner to provide the menace and unpredictability within this tale. Turning on a dime, Renner is terrific here (as he almost always is--even in lesser films). Small roles by Chris Cooper, Blake Lively, and Pete Postlethwaite help illuminate how MacRay, while basically a decent guy, went wrong. Jon Hamm adepts himself well as MacRay's FBI foil. The cast is uniformly excellent, the action sequences are well choreographed, and the grittiness feels real and alive. However, the romance between Affleck and Hall (so inherent to the plot) is actually the least successful element of the film. The biggest lapse of logic comes after Affeck has identified that he's being tailed by the FBI. Instead of laying low--both for her sake and to appear uninvolved--Affleck continues to date Hall openly, even lunching in a sidewalk cafe. And when she learns the truth, I'm not sure her character has been developed sufficiently to make her choices appear logical.

In the scope of the picture, however, these are small gripes. "The Town" is most assuredly a successful and rich thriller for adult audiences. Affleck displays range and restraint as a director--and if that's not enough, there's a terrific cast working at the top of their game! Check it out! KGHarris 9/10.

I went into this movie knowing absolutely about it, there was little advance hoopla that I can recall, that usually accompanies a major motion picture.

The idea of mask wearing, semi automatic toting nuns at once seems invigorating and slightly surreal, but the viciousness, and sloppy impulse control of one of the robbers played brilliantly by Jeremy Renner (of Hurt Locker) immediately brings us crashing into the reality of what's happening.

These hardened ruthless criminals hide behind a funny mask, and will eliminate anyone who gets in their way. So they kidnap the attractive female bank manager played adorably by Rebecca Hall for leverage, and let her go.

Upon checking her drivers license, and discovering she lives in their neighborhood, the psycho wants her eliminated to cover their tracks. Ben Affleck's character takes the card and decides to investigate her, and discover what she knows. One thing leads to another, and the lives of everyone involved starts to move in ever decreasing circles as the FBI investigation starts closing in.

The story is brilliantly told, and the theater audience responded to the irony of the conversations between the criminal and his unknowing victim.

Ben Affleck's character seems a little at odds with his criminal life, and you wonder why he is a bank robber, nevertheless he has a well developed dark side, and is very resourceful, resourceful enough to be the the architect.

But you also get the sense that here is a guy could go straight if he chose to, and that dilemma of wonder is what makes this movie so great. He makes the good choice of distancing himself from an addicted ex girlfriend, yet makes bad choices as well. But in order to get to that place of going straight he is forced to make criminal but understandable choices, some of which may surprise you.

You can tell that this is somewhat of a passion project. The movie is set in Boston as was Goodwill Hunting for which he won the Oscar for Best screenplay with Matt Damon. Here Affleck shows he is perhaps the under admired element of that partnership as he wears not only a mask but the multiple hats of Director, Actor, and Writer, and as the architect of this movie pulls all those elements together.

The Town is one of those movies that just works on every level, without falling into the trap of just another formula caper movie. In some ways the mask wearing robbers reminded me of the the Presidential mask wearing robbers of Point Break (Pure Adrenaline Edition)starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.

As I think back on the best movies of the last several months I think of the over the top antics in Machete, the intellectual stimulation of Inception, and now the mystery and dilemmas of The Town. The Town manages to convey some Indie style while not following the typical Hollywood formula.

It would be remiss not to mention the brilliant ensemble cast, Jon Hamm of Mad Men as the FBI agent, and Jeremy Renner. Particularly though I found Rebecca Hall to be an amazing and beautiful talent. According to the imdb star meter her popularity has risen 570% in the past week. She also starred as Vicky in the Woody Allen movie Vicky Christina Barcelona, and I predict her star will continue to rise.

If you like this movie I think you will also love Point Break [Blu-ray]The Bank Job, and The Lookout, a personal favorite.

And at the end of the movie the audience applauded. I hope this was helpful. This is definitely one to catch in the theater. I think you will love it.

Buy The Town (2010) Now

I've wanted to see The Town ever since I saw the first previews of it. First, the story seemed quite intriguing: what happens if a man falls in love with the woman he anonymously took hostage while robbing a bank? Another thing that made me want to see this film is that, unlike many crime dramas, this one seemed to escape the artificially polished Hollywood-ish feel. I had to see it.

...And I was correct on all counts! The Town, which was co-written, directed, and features by Ben Affleck, was every bit of what I thought it would be. The directing was very "real" feeling (especially capturing the working-class feel of Charlestown, MA very well). The script was quite good, not once seeming over-the-top or under-developed. The cast and acting was very good.

But I reserve a separate paragraph for talking about the plot and its execution. This film is somewhere between a crime thriller, a character study, and a romance. It has enough teeth to excite those who like car chases and heists but enough depth of emotion to satisfy those who want strong characters and plot lines. The story revolves around Doug McRay, who robs banks with his friends from Charlestown. On one heist (the movie opener), they deviate from the plan and take a hostage. After letting her go (she never saw them), Doug decides to follow her and talk with her. They end up starting a relationship. The questions: how can Doug keep this secret, and how can he get out of his life of crime?

The plot's execution was very well done: fast enough, slow enough. By the end, you have really identified with Doug McRay and may end up feeling as conflicted as he.

For its great story line, believable direction, and its originality, I give The Town 5 stars and recommend it highly to you.

Read Best Reviews of The Town (2010) Here

I always like to give credit where credit is due. And while Ben Affleck has been in a string of box office dissapointments after winning an Oscar for Good Will Hunting, he certainly hit his mark with "The Town". For being a first time director, screen writer as well as acting in this film, I think Affleck has hit his mark again in film and I only hope that he continues on his winning streak.

The Town opens with a quote.I'm summarizing of course, but as quoted, "No town has produced as many bank robbers as Charlestown. Robbing banks and armoured trucks became a trade passed down from father to son, from one generation to the next."If that didn't grab your interest, the film opens up with a bank robbery. A quick hit (in&out)a Townie crew leaves with the money and this time a hostage.

Doug McCray is the head of this crew,followed by his life long friend Jem who is a little more itchy on the trigger. Jem is paranoid that the the bank manager they took along for "a ride" saw more than she thinks" and he "wants to take care of business".Doug steps in to look into it instead to cool Jem's heals and put his crew at rest.

The flip side of this is the crew paying its dues to Fergi, or "The Flourist" who has a tight grip on this Charelstown crew.Well aware that the FBI is on them, in time Doug grows weary of doing any more jobs,and at the same time developes a relationship with the bank manager Clair. Possibly against his better judgent, but I think he sees her as a means to change, and to put knocking over banks and armoured cars behind him. Clair, as he sees it, is "his Eskimo."

Quiting is not as easy as it seems. Not only will Jem let him leave without doing a few more jobs, but The Flourist won't either.Not without Doug paying dearly for it in the end be it his own life, or someone very close to him.Two more jobs down the line, one nearly getting them pinched and the last...robbing Fenway Park, the biggest heist of all.

The Town is a well rounded film.It is a "heist" film on one side, but on the flip side of the coin you have layers of character and conflict.It has some great action with adrenaline pumping car chases and shoot outs. It also has a good dramma side to it.The on screen chemistry between Doug and Clair is realistic and heart felt.You realy want him to "make right" as well as the others to pull through at the end.Well acted by a great cast and well directed and adapted to the screen by Affleck, it leaves only one to pause, "I just wanted you to remember who clipped your nuts first."

Want The Town (2010) Discount?

I honestly wasn't a Ben Affleck fan before this film. Now, I totally am. This is an amazing action film. Very well performed. From start to finish, this one should have you at the edge of your seat, waiting for the next thing to happen. I really thought the nun masks were creepy looking.

Ben Affleck seems to be in the shape of his life. He is such a strong character in this film. Convincingly capable of being a gentle character and the hard liner.

If you're an action fan, this is a must see. You will not be dissappointed. A+