The Long Good Friday (1980)

Talented English director John MacKenzie knew that the English gangster genre needed a good shot in the arm...and he delivered the goods with this tightly scripted and brilliantly acted crime drama.

Bob Hoskins is outstanding as London mob boss, Harold Shand...masterminding a major construction development along the river Thames that will nett him, and his American backers, millions of pounds. Shand has everyone on his payroll...politicians, police and enforcers...but then suddenly everything starts to unravel, and Harolds world turns upside down in the space of a day. MacKenzie's film moves with intent and purpose and Barrie O'Keeffe's screenplay keeps the suspense at a finely tuned pitch. A terrific support cast headed by the sulrty Helen Mirren as Harold's wife, Victoria....Derek Thompson as the cowardly, opportunist Jeff....P.H. Moriarty as the aptly named bodyguard "Razors"....and Bryan Marshall as the drunken councillor, Harris, further contribute to the success of this challenging film.

Clever use of authentic London locations and creative cinematography lend a further hand to enhance the claustraphobic atmoshpere closing in upon Harold Shand and his crew...the viewer really feels through Hoskins emotional range, the unnerving pressure that is causing him to come apart at the seams. Excellent transfer to DVD...sound and color both superb...it's a pity that Criterion didn't add a few extra goodies that they usually package with their fine presentations.

A solidly crafted, gripping film with A grade performances by a splendid English cast...and keep your eyes open for a very youthful Pierce Brosnan in a minor role.

FOOTNOTE : MacKenzie also made another powerful movie three years prior in 1979 called "A Sense of Freedom"...based on the true story of Glasgow gangster, Jimmy Boyle, and his life in jail and out. It's a harrowing, gritty prison film that doesn't pull it's punches...unfortunately it's not on video or DVD at present...but hopefully it will return. Another A class crime film !!

I don't know this for sure, but the Criterion edition of The Long Good Friday is probably the only halfway decent edition of the film available. The story itself is really good, but the DVD leaves a LOT to be desired. First, it is poor quality mono. Second, there are NO subtitles in ANY language. I had much difficulty understanding the mostly "cockney" English, doubly difficult due to significant audio distortion at most all audio levels! If it weren't for the fact that the story is so absorbing, and I am a big fan of Bob Hoskins, I probably would not have been able to sustain an interest to watch the DVD through to the end. But I did! However, I have to watch it at least one more time to catch all the dialogue I missed the first time!!! Also, although the picture quality was mostly decent, the DVD contained many white splotches (original film deterioration?) that most likely could and should have been cleaned up with more attention by Criterion, especially since Criterion provided NO extras (except for a couple of trailers) with this edition. Why are Criterion's prices so high for bare minimum and, in this case, average technical quality DVDs? Objections aside, this is an intriguing ganster flick!

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The second best ever Brit gangster movie is a brilliant energy-filled piece. Ritchie's "Lock, Stock..." is fine if you want a jokey gangster film bailed out by lucky coincidences, but this is the real thing, believable and intelligent.

What really raises this movie into the stratosphere is the bravura performance by Bob 'Oskins. The much-praised ending is riveting. Surely it's the most dazzling display of an actor's craft to hold in close facial shot for a prolonged time showing a variety of emotions cross the features? Hoskins does this to perfection, showing (at least) disbelief, anger, realization, fear, grim amusement and acceptance over a 90 second period, all the while set to pounding soundtrack and flickering lighting from passing streetlamps.

If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and buy the excellent DVD which also has some neat features.

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I have compared this with the UK release and there are several significant differences: This is 1.85:1 whereas the UK release is cropped to 1.66:1. The cover claims that is the original aspect ratio but I can find no evidence to support this. The American release also has subtitles God knows who did them, but not a London Cockney for sure and despite many errors they will be a great help to the hearing impaired. My UK copy had a prominent hum on the DTS-HD Master audio, (but not on the stereo track), but the US release seems fine. So far it is the US by a knock-out, but the UK has a decent range of extras including commentary and a really interesting "making of" doco. Why on earth they could not have done a decent job and got them all on the same disc baffles me but in the end I will watch this US release for the wider picture, the better audio and the subtitles. It has also recently been on sale for $5.99, a real Christmas gift!

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Here is a link to a review of the Image Entertainment Blu-Ray, with screen shots and comparisons to previous editions on DVD:If the above doesn't appear as a live link, then simply copy and past into the address bar of your browser. The news, however, is simple: the disc is single-layered, and the feature doesn't even occupy all the space it could (18gigs, where 25 was available). Screen shots demonstrate that the disc gives a marginally brighter image than the existing SD-DVDs, but is otherwise unremarkable, and has no supplements, not even the supplements on the old Anchor Bay "Special Edition" from a few years ago. Detail is mushy, with nothing particularly standing out, though the colours appear to be somewhat improved. It looks to me as if an existing master, of reasonable quality, has simply been turned into a quick blu-ray. What needs to be done is to remaster the film specifically with blu-ray in mind. Yes, it's cheap, but in this case, and based on the screen shots, I would say that you are truly getting what you pay for.

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The Jerk (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (1979)

This is one of my favorite comedies. It's not for everyone, as you must understand Martin's unique style of humor. That having been said, the DVD is awful.

The transfer is decent, although could have been cleaned up more. Luckily, it's at least anamorphic widescreen. The sound, while hardly sounding like 5.1, still sounds decent, as i doubt surround sound was on the mind of film makers in 1979. Seriously, it's not Star Wars.

Extras? Fugetaboudit! NO commentary. NO making-of. NO interviews. Just one delected scene, trailer, and a dumb ukelele lesson.

The WORST part! There are scenes missing! Perhaps this version of the film is exactly as it was released in the theaters, but i'm too young to know. However, every time i've seen it on television, there were scenes not present in this release...such as the several different people requesting donations from the rich Navin Johnson. In this, you only get the Mexican priest. Where's the guy who needs new seat covers on his plane? That scene was classic!

You know, this is the SECOND release of this film on DVD, and they call it an "Anniversary Edition." If they're going to give it a name like that, they could at least include the cut of the movie with extra scenes added back in. Maybe the commentary and a simple 15-minute making-of is asking too much, but at least give us the material that's already in the can.

Surreal to the point of silliness, "The Jerk" captured the atmosphere of comedy perfectly in the 70's. Before Robin Williams broke through to a larger audience on the big and little screen, Steve Martin was THE JERK. As dense as a brick, Martin doesn't so much as act like a jerk as become one. Opening like a variation on all those Hollywood tales where the hero of our story is down on his luck but soon to be redeemed (of course, this IS a comedy so it's unlikely he'll get the redemption we expect because, well, that wouldn't be funny), Navin Johnson (Martin) mentions at the beginning that he was "born a poor black child". Adopted by a poor African-American family living in poverty, Navin is horrified to discover that not only is he adopted but he's always going to be Caucasian and have absolutely no rhythm. Navin discovers he does have rhythm after all ("praise the Lord!") when he listens to a radio playing dance music from the time. Navin eats his Twinkies, learns the difference between sh-t and Shinola and hits the road hoping to be rich. Armed with the advice his family gives him ("God bless the working man...and remember never trust whitey!"). He hitchhikes getting his first ride which takes him to the end of a fence getting about twenty feet away from home. Needless to say, life is more than an adventure for Nathan and his dog Shithead; it's a vocation.

Receiving a very nice transfer, "The Jerk" looks typical of a film from the late 70's with noticeable film grain and while the colors aren't quite as vivid as I would have thought, they're acceptable. This is the first widescreen presentation for the film so that's something to be thankful for. There's quite a bit of analog debris in the form of dirt (in fact it looks as if this is exactly the same transfer as the previous edition). The 5.1 remastered Dolby Digital Surround Sound mix has nice presence but (not surprisingly) it doesn't use the format particularly well.

In addition to the original production notes from the previous edition and theatrical trailer we also get 1 extra and 1 featuring footage cut from the film. "The Lost Filmstrips of Father Carlos Las Vegas De Cordova" is a "continuation" of the film within a film where we see Martin play various characters doing things like verbally abusing a plant, dressing a bulldog in a clown suit as the audience cheers and takes pets in a bizarre parody of cock fighting. It's really footage that was cut from that sequence. "Learn to Play `Tonight You Belong to Me'" includes sections where you can learn to tune a ukulele (something I've been dying to learn), play it, play along with the Ukulele Gal and, finally, play along with the jerk himself. It's bizarre to say the least. The last bit is just a scene from "The Jerk" where Navin serenades his sweetheart at the beach.

No commentary track from Martin or Reiner. Honestly, you'd think they were embarrassed by this film! Or, maybe they weren't asked to do it or wanted too much money. While an improvement on the original edition of the film, that improved is slight at best. The featurettes are pleasant diversions but the real reason to get "The Jerk" is that this is the first time it's been presented in widescreen. The image quality could have been cleaned up quite a bitas there's quite a bit of analog debris that appears early on in the film. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this unless you're dying to have the widescreen version of this classic comedy.

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NOTE: review below was in regards to the Full Screen or Pan & Scan version of The Jerk that was the initial DVD release. A later edition was released which does respect the movie and offer it in widescreen format. If you are purchasing, be sure to get the anniversary version of the movie so you'll see the ENTIRE movie and not lose the images on the edges of the screen. Remainder of original review left as is. Thanks!

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First off, I love this movie. It's silly, it's funny, it's touching in some places, but mostly, it's just entertaining.

My biggest complaint with this DVD is that it's one that offers little to no bonus value, and, to me, commits the cardinal sin of not putting the movie in it's original format instead offering only a Pan and Scan Full Screen presentation.

I've hoped for several years that this movie would get a 'special anniversary' or other 'collectors edition' that would offer the original wide screen format and some decent special features, but finally had to break down and purchase this 'original' release of the DVD because my wishes seem to be going unanswered.

Please note that I rate the movie itself here a full 5 stars (* * * * *), but the DVD gets only 2 stars, for it's lack of respect to the buying public.

The movie was a classic when it was released.

Steve Martin, the ultimate 'white guy' finds himself 'born a poor black child', without rhythm and unable to figure out why he doesn't fit in with his Black brothers and sisters.

He gets motivated to go off and discover himself, and his adventures along the way are a total riot.

In many ways a model that could have been used for the original "Rain Man" character, Navin R. Johnson (Martin's character) had a simple charm and naive streak that was almost unbelievable, but too funny not to laugh at.

This movie is a comedy classic, and it deserves a Special Edition and better treatment on DVD. Hopefully someday it will get just that.

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This is a fantastic movie... even though I love many of Steve Martin's movies this is the one that I can quote from beginning to end and still laugh constantly!

My main complaint, like others, is that it is NOT WIDESCREEN! The sad thing is, if you look at the packaging for "The Steve Martin Collection" 3-pack it shows "The Jerk" as originally being slated to be shown in the widescreen format, however for some reason they decided to keep in Pan and Scan anyway.... Ugh!

Another sad thing is that this movie HAS DELETED SCENES but they are NOT INCLUDED in the DVD! Anyone who has seen the movie syndicated knows that there are additional scenes which are shown on TV but for some reason are left out of the DVD!

Hopefully Universal will soon release a version of this movie comparable to their great DVD releases of AMERICAN GRAFFITTI and ANIMAL HOUSE... until then, this version will have to do I suppose.

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I have really come to the end of my rope concerning Universal DVD releases. Why hasnt this film been cleaned up and at least out out on a widescreen format? Their is no excuse for this. They are by far the biggest and the worse dvd distributor in the market. They continually release dvd after dvd with framing errors-no digital transfers-no extra features---grainy dirty negatives without any concern about preserving these films. Its pathetic.To add to all of this they will release these films then pull them over and over again how many more re-releases of one film can you produce?Why? your not adding anything but new crappy artwork for the cover.Whens the last time the original cut of the Blues Brothers has seen the day of light??Now The Jerk is also among your lame releases. GREAT film HORRIBLE release done by the worst in the biz. Simply put UNIVERSAL SUCKS.

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Clueless (1995)

This new special edition is a definite improvement over the previous incarnation that had no real extras to speak of and so for fans of this movie it is definitely worth the double-dip. Watching these new extras is like revisiting the cast ten years later to see what they've been up to. They are done in the style of and maintain the same tone of the movie which is a nice touch.

"The Class of `95" examines how the film was cast. Heckerling talks about how she picked the actors. The main cast members, except for Silverstone and Jeremy Sisto, are all back to talk about how their involvement.

"Creative Writing" takes a look at the film's origins. The studio originally wanted Heckerling to write a TV show about an in-crowd group of teens but they didn't get it so she changed it into a movie.

"Fashion 101" examines the memorable costumes from the movie. What Cher and her friends wore reflected the personality of each character and ended up influencing what kids subsequently wore.

"Language Arts" is a crash course on the film's colourful slang. Heckerling had collected books and lists of slang over the years and incorporated it into the movie so that each character had their own way of speaking and favourite sayings that are now quoted endlessly by its fans.

"Suck `n Blow: A Tutorial" explains the party game that takes place in the film in an amusing featurette done during the production.

The challenge of shooting Dionne's driving lesson on the Los Angeles freeway is explored in "Driver's Ed." It was a logistical nightmare with all kinds of vehicles coming at the actors so that their scared reactions were genuine!

"We're History" features the cast and crew talking about what they think about the film ten years later. Not surprisingly, they are all proud of its legacy and how well it's aged.

Finally, there is a teaser and theatrical trailer.

This clever, modern retelling of Jane Austen's novel "Emma " was one of the best high-school theme films made in the past twenty years. Written and directed by Amy Heckerling ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High"; "Look Who's Talking) spent a year in the lives of several teens at various high schools in Los Angeles to give the filmgoer a truly authentic look at life among the young social elites of Southern California.

Alicia Silverstone ("Excess Baggage"; "Batman & Robin") stars as Cher Horowitz, a young, hip teen residing with her lawyer father (Dan Hedaya) in Beverly Hills. Along with best friend Dionne (Stacey Dash of "Mo' Money"), the girls are the doers of social good deeds at their high school. Whether it is trying to play matchmaker for two lonely teachers (playwright Wallace Shawn and Twink Caplan, who is also an executive producer of the film) or doing a serious make over for Tai (Brittany Murphy) a new, dowdy student from the east coast, Cher is the toast of the school among her peers.

However, playing matchmaker for others has made Cher realized that she too needs to find someone special in her life. Pestered by her ex-stepbrother Josh (Paul Rudd) in doping deeds that benefits others and not only herself, Cher discovers that what she truly needs is a spiritual makeover that will allow her to attain happiness and respect. Yet, she wonders why it bothers her so much on what Josh is thinking? As the story progresses, we discover that opposites attract and Cher has realized how "clueless" she was while looking for Mr. Right.

Wonderfully directed and casted,"Clueless" features some memorable performance by Julie Brown (as Ms. Stoger, the physical education instructor), Donald Faison (as Dionne's boyfriend Murray) and Justin Walker, as Christian Stovitz. Walker who plays his role with comedic sensibility is great and witty as the boy Cher has the hots for, although she has little knowledge about his background.

"Clueless" is one of the best films released in the 1990's due to his smart use of popular lexicon, icons, and attitudes that can be attributed to most American teenagers. This is Silverstone's greatest performance to date, seeing that most of her later works did not go well with critics or filmgoers. Although a television series based on the film was launched in 1997, it couldn't capture the charm, wit, and performances of this film. "Clueless" is a classic teenage film you can watch over and over again. It's destined to become a cult classic

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Why is it the best teen movie of all time? Because it was hip, and it was smart. There was no gross-out humor or slapstick comedy. It was a big movie with a big heart. It's really hard not to fall in love with this movie.

Loosely based on Jane Austen's "Emma" (LOOSELY), "Clueless" revolves around a ditzy rich girl name Cher, whose life consists mostly of cell phones, trips to the mall, a killer wardrobe, and tons of guys drooling over her. Her best friend is Dionne, who is just as superficial as Cher. One day, a new girl, Ty, comes to school and inspires a project for Cher. Project: Makeover! What begins as a selfish way to make Cher think she's doing something to help mankind, turns into a really sweet, funny film.

Alicia Silverstone is wonderful in this movie, and sadly has not found any good roles since. A shame, since she is genuinly a great actress. This is also where Brittany Murphy got her big start, as the girl in desperate need of a makeover. And who didn't have a crush on Paul Rudd, who played her "annoying" older ex-stepbrother?

If you haven't seen this film yet, then, well, I'm wondering why. It was at one point my favorite movie, and it's still high up on my list. It's charming, sweet, funny, and smart. If only other teen movies could take notes from this one. Then we wouldn't have to sit through these ridiculous ones they keep putting out all the time ("American Pie" springs to mind...).

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A wonderful up to date retelling of Jane Austen's, 'Emma'. Cher (Silverstone) has a privileged life, she goes to a great school and is popular along with her good friend Dionne (Dash).

She lives with her widowed father (Hedaya) and the only pebble under her perfectly manicured feet is her ex step-brother Josh (Rudd).

Cher loves to play matchmaker and can't resist the challenge when she meets the new girl in school, Ty, who isn't exactly 'popular' material at first glance. Having taken her under her wing and given her a complete makeover, Cher then tries to match her up with various boys.

This is alright until Ty takes a fancy to Josh and then Cher suddenly realises that she has feelings for him herself but who will get the man?

Silverstone is absolutely fantastic in this film. She handles the difficult role SO well and you can't help but really like Cher and want her to get the man of her dreams for all her obvious flaws.

Add a brilliant combination of comedy, both oneliners and visual, and the fact that it's literally such a colourful movie and you've got yourself a film that will leave you smiling for ages afterwards.

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The good news is that "Clueless" is witty and funny and doesn't sink into self-parody; the bad news is the rash of teen movies that followed and have consistently tried, and failed, to emulate its success. On the surface, the movie seems an homage to the materialistic snobbery of young America, but peel through the beaded curtains of shopping bags and Valley Girl-speak, and you'll find a light romantic comedy somewhere along the lines of, well, "Emma," the Jane Austen novel from which this movie comes.

This successful attempt to translate a classic into modern context doubles as an effective satire of the superficial teen culture generated on TV and in movies. You don't take these guys too seriously and because of that, the story is both fun and engaging. Cher, the pretty gum-popping, cell phone-toting heroine, loves clothes, boys, and her dad, in about that order. She manages everyone else's life just fine but is clueless when it comes to her own. Not only does she have to overcome normal teenage struggles like a doting dad, difficult homework, and rocky friendships, she's got to deal with matching her undergarments, dresses, and shoes, failing her driver's test, and falling in love with her ex-step-brother. Tough life, eh? But it's those little quirks along Cher's inflated path to self-discovery that make this movie such a gem. Her humorous approach and response to any situation immediately recalls Austen's Emma.

Critics can whine all they want about Alicia Silverstone, but she delivers a standout performance as Cher, giving her both brains and tenderness and giving us a character to care about. Cher is at once innocent, smart, sexy, compassionate, and mature. Silverstone is so convincing, she hasn't been able to escape her role. The supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Dan Hedeya as her overprotective yet loving father. This movie is full of heart, fun, and laughs and one that will stand multiple viewings; it's not a guilty pleasure, just a pleasure.

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Short Circuit 2 (1988)

I've been a long-time fan of Short Circuit and it's sequel, Short Circuit 2. When it comes to DVD's, I'm there! They're great in so many ways. The Short Circuit DVD is great in some ways, but definately could've been better.

First off, the film transfer is pretty good. For the first time ever, I was able to watch the film in widescreen, while before I was only able to view the "fitted to TV" 3:4 aspect ratio (for any fans of the 3:4 picture, this DVD IS double-sided and HAS the 3:4 picture size version as well). The colours are vibrant (but not too vibrant), the picture is sharp, and there are only a few blemishes and dirt marks on the film. The sound was great! Sure, it hadn't been remastered in Dolby 5.1, but it still was Dolby Surround. The music was MUCH clearer than what was heard on the VHS version. Many areas of the film's musical score which were barely audible before were very clear on the DVD.

Here's the bit of down-side to this DVD: there are hardly any extras. The making-of featurette is at most five minutes long, and though we do get to see that Fisher Stevens is very unlike his character Ben Jarhvi, it ends very abruptly. The movie trailer section doesn't even include the Short Circuit 2 trailer. It would have been nice if more extras had been inserted, like the Short Circuit Special Edition DVD.

If you're a fan of Short Circuit though, you should get this DVD. It's more worth it than getting the VHS version :)

It would probably be much like this; two everyman protagonists, themes of loneliness and isolation and yearning, a robot who is far more humane than his human counterparts...

Unlike the first Short Circuit Movie where there wasn't much time to explore the character of Jonhhy Five, or invest the machine with character, the second film does just that and it does it very well. The viewer's suspension of disbelief is fully engagedeven as an adult I find myself lulled into feeling a deep sesne of pathos and compassion for Number Johnny Five. This is in part due to an amazing pre-CGI special effects/machine team and also due to the exceptionally unselfconscious acting of the human cast: Fisher Stevens ((the bad guye from hackers)) is truly phenomenal as Ben Jharvi, an Indian ((I think)) computer programmer who is as inept at expressing his feelings as Johnny Five is as understanding his own); Michael McKean and Cynthia Gibb are also great (McKean is perfect as a petty conman who betrays and then saves Johnny Five). The actors did an amazing job interacting with the machine and their performances add subtly dazzling layers of humor and sentiment to whta could have been a really awful movie but instead becomes a marvelous thing to watch.

OK. The script is somewhat shoddy at times and the pacing is not so well-handled. There are some dead-end scenes, but for the most part everything really hangs together wellJohnny Five stumbles through several mishaps trying to understand why humans behave as they do and why he feels what he feels. Oh, there's a chase scene set to the godawful "I need a hero," song. The kitschy 80's pop score wears a tad thin afterawhile. But then, this is a kid film at heart, and a rather unique one at that.

One scene always breaks my heart, one of my all-time favorite poignant scenes: Johnny five, after being caught by the cops, is taken and chained in the police basementthe stolen property room. He is slowly reading two books, page by page. His friends come to have him releasedwhen allowed to leave he breaks his chains easily and sadly leaves (you see, he could have left at anytime had he wanted to; there's some Sadean undertones in how #J5 repeatedly allows himself to be demeaned and debased and almost destroyed by humans without fighting back lethallywhich he easily could... a postmodern and mechanical kin to Justine, perhaps).

The books he was so slowly reading were Pinochio and Frankenstein. It always slays me, just like the Rockbiter's monologue in The Never Ending Story ("They look like big, strong hands...").

This one is so much better, in my opinion, than Spielberg's execrable A.I., if only in that Stevie over-reached himself (again) on that crite film; trying to make a 'serious' film about 'serious' issues... and then he tacked on a completely odious ending.

This film has no such pretensionsit mostly aims at fun. Because of that it achieves more than most serious cinema struggling with the same themes of technology and identity.

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What to do now there's no more Short Circuit movies to watch? Why was there never a third? And why, apart from Johnny 5, was Fisher Stevens the only original character brought back?

Those were only minor quibbles for a great movie. And the god awful cover art, which the more I look at, the more I hate. But then they could have done worse. It could have been a white background with the two main characters photoshopped in.

I really enjoyed the first Short Circuit movie. The second? Even better. With more fun from Johnny, including even more interaction with Ben (Fisher Stevens), and more fun-ness, including making the toy Johnny 5's dance, and more, Short Circuit betters the first.

I was kinda disappointed that Stephany didn't reappear for the second movie, she was a bit of a miss, and was only mentioned a couple of times, apart from a voice recording but at least she wasn't completely forgotten about.

What's good about reading other reviewer's ... reviews is that the amount of people is saw this when they were young. I always seem to get introduced to these movies a lot later in life for example I'm a nearly mid-twenty something and seeing this for the first time. What would it have been like to see it as a child? That, I can only dream about.

Short Circuit 2 pretty much follows on from the first, with Ben now in the big city, trying to sell his toy Johnny's on the street, next to a fake Rolex selling vendor. A toy buyer, Sandy, stumbles across a toy Johnny after it 'escapes' and brings it back. Talk of money is banded about, and next thing Ben knows, he needs to make 1000, in 31 days. With the fake Rolex selling vendor, Fred (Michael McKean) as his partner. But bad guys want to break into a bank to steal some priceless jewels, but how are they going to do it? The rest is predictable, but fun.

Jack Weston appears as one of the bad guys, who befriends Johnny, in order to get him on his side, finding out he is incredibly naive. For any eighties rom-com fan will recognise him from Dirty Dancing, as Max Kellerman. (For anyone who hasn't seen this or Dirty Dancing, boy do you need some education!) Short Circuit 2 actually appears to have been Jack Weston's last movie before he died from lymphoma in 1996.

I'm disappointed there was never another Short Circuit movie. And another one. And another one. And another one. It could have been a great franchise. But what's good is normally best left to a minimum, before it loses its glow. Short Circuit didn't pander to the major franchising deals, the endless mindless sequels, and instead left the world a different place with just the two films.

Now where do I buy a little Johnny 5?

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I saw the original Short Circuit when it first came out and recently bought it on DVD. I enjoyed it just as much and found that age had not dimmed the humour. I had no idea a sequel had been made until Amazon emailed me to let me know (that is a great service by the way). Normally sequels are a letdown so I was in two minds whether to order it or not but thought, why not as the price was right. I am pleased that I did as again I thoroughly enjoyed it and can honestly say that the sequel is just as good as the original. Without giving away the storyline, there are some sad moments where I was amazed to find myself empathising with a robot!!

This is one of those movies that while lightweight, do make you feel good after watching them and I do believe that we need a dash of this every now and again.

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In the first "Short Circuit" film, Number Five was viewed as more of a prop than a character. While the story revolved around a robot coming to life, the story seemed to focus more on the reactions of the people it interacted with than the robot himself. In this film, Number Five (who has adopted the name "Johnny Five") is a main character. He is given more of a personality, a bigger sense of humor, but most importantly, he is given emotion. Johnny Five knows he is alive, but he struggles throughout the film trying to prove it to the rest of the world.

Humor is not the main goal in this film (although it does exist); the movie is more of a drama. You almost forget that the main character who gets depressed with the fact that no one will accept him is a robot.

While not as funny as the first one, what the film lacks in humor it makes up with feeling. You'll even cry as Johnny is confronted by a group of thugs (I won't spoil it for you). That's not to say that there aren't good jokes along the way (one in particular when Ben, who already struggles with English, is prompted by Johnny Five while attempting to woo a girl).

Another plus with this film is the presence of muliple plots. This gives the movie a faster pace than the original. Ben, J5's co-creator, is attempting to break into the toy business (with some help from con man Michael McKean); two thugs, using Ben's warehouse as a means of breaking into the vault across the street, are terrorizing the two would-be toy makers; and Ben is struggling to win the love of a girl who sees him as nothing more than just a toy maker. There is nothing to bog this film down, and in the end, all the plots come together nicely.

All in all, this is a GREAT movie!!!

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kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- Volume 2 Premium Edition (2012)

Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You) is one of the best romantic comedies out there. Sawako (the main female character)adorable for her kindness and honesty, despite the fact that she has always been feared and looked down upon by her fellow students, who believe that she can see spirits, place curses on people, and that being near her brings bad luck. It's wonderful to see how she grows after she meets Kazehaya, the first person to treat her like a normal person. Anyone who likes romcoms should watch this series!

One thing that threw me off and I wish it was posted up top under dvd format, this is a DVD COMBO!!!! It has two cases with two discs in each, and has a blue ray and a dvd format of the same episodes in each case. I bought this item not knowing that, and freaked out since I don't have a blu-ray player yet. So if any of you out there love this series (it is wonderful and sweet and the artwork is breathtaking!!!), and are like me and still refuse to budge on buying yet another player or gaming system or whatever, this is a combo pack yay!

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Out of allot of Anime I have watched this has to be within the top 20. But the reason it ranks so high out of all of the other more sentimental anime's is because it it does everything it sets out to without taking forever but dos not happen in one or two episodes like other anime it almost completely perfect. Also just to frank every frame looks like it was panted so that's really nice.

art-5

music/sound track-5

story and character Development-5

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Some Like It Hot (1959)

To correct the technical info above, this DVD (both the special edition and movie-only edition) DOES HAVE an English monophonic soundtrack that was originally used in the film. Also included is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but one wonders if a dialog-heavy film like this should really need a surround soundtrack. Dialogs in both the mono and the 5.1 tracks sound perfectly clear and understable. The surround sound only comes into use during the occasional music and gunfight sequences. I do applaud the inclusion of the original mono track, which quite a few recent DVDs of older movies do not provide in the hope of enticing new DVD owners with 5.1 audio.

The video transfer looks great -images are sharp, levels of black look realistic (you can clearly see and feel the velvety texture of a black robe Monroe wears), signs of wear and tear are virtually non-existent. The picture aspect ratio is 1.66:1, which is not the 1:85:1 ratio used for the original US theatrical release and for all previous US letterboxed laserdisc releases. The 1.66:1 ratio adds a little picture to the top, but doesn't really affect the composition. The video is also non-anamorphic, so the resolution is not as high on a widescreen TV as it would be with an anamorphic DVD. There is also no English optional subtitles, but there are yellow optional French and Spanish ones.

I would have gladly paid a higher price if they had included better supplementary material on the Special Edition DVD, such as the audio commentary and home movies that were put on the Criterion laserdisc made in the early 90s. The extras on the Special Edition DVD include a lively but superficial 30-minute new interview with Tony Curtis reminiscing about the film, a rather uninteresting 12-minute interview with the actresses who played the girl band members, a segment called "Virtual Hall of Memories" that is essentially a still gallery, and trailers of 7 Wilder films including SOME LIKE IT HOT; all the trailers are in poor video condition. The most interesting extra is a reproduction of a pressbook for the film, but the pictures are blurry and the smaller text is illegible. I am disappointed that we never get to hear from Jack Lemmon or Billy Wilder, both still alive, on this DVD. These extras are not impressive, so one may consider buying the movie-only edition for a cheaper price.

Billy Wilder's most popular comedy finally receives the deluxe treatment it deserves. MGM previously released this classic comedy in a nonanamorphic widescreen version a couple of years back. While that edition looked pretty decent this anamorphic transfer puts any previous editions (including my much favored laserdisc edition) to shame. Wilder's comedy operates as a spoof of gangster films and a comedy about gender roles. Jerry (the late Jack Lemmon) and Joe (Tony Curtis) are two musicians on the lam when they witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. With Spats Columobo (George Raft) and his men looking for the duo they go undercover as musicians cross dressing and joining an all female band headed for a gig in Florida. Becoming a woman allows Joe/Josephine to spent time with Sugar (Marilyn Monroe) the latest woman that catches Joe's fancy. Jerry/Daphne on the other hand finds himself romanced by a rich man (Joe E. Brown) who won't take the hint as Jerry tries to blow off his advances.

And you thought the 50's were tame. One of Wilder's richest 50's comedies "Some Like It Hot" continues to be very funny inverting our expectations constantly and playing with the roles that Jerry and Joe take on with their new identities. Joe's eyes open the most as before he was a pretty ruthless womanizer. Becoming a woman puts him in the crosshairs of every male insight and he's on the receiving end of all the smirks, comments and passes that he would have used with Sugar before his change. Wilder mixes social commentary so deftly with comedy (like Hitchcock's work with suspense and social commentary) that at his best--and he's at his best here--it reminds us how entertaining a movie can be without being heavy handed. It's also filled with some marvelous in jokes (for example Colombo played by George Raft observes a thug flipping a coin and comments, "Where did you pick up that cheap trick?" Raft of course did the exact thing in one of his signature roles in "Scarface" from 1932).

A great movie looks even better in this sharp looking transfer. The black and white imagery of the film looks gorgeous. Originally Marilyn Monroe lobbied to have the film shot in color which Billy Wilder felt wouldn't work for this comedy (he persuaded her to agree to shoot in black and white when he showed her make up tests for Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in color where their make up as women made them look slightly green) while the film certainly would have looked great in color the sumptuous cinematography by Charles Lang ("The Magnificent Seven", "Wait Until Dark") looks extremely good in this wonderful looking transfer. Detail is quite good and blacks are solid with a nice array of different textures evident in the transfer. Audio is presented in the original mono and sounds fine.

For those that are into such things the special features here are a huge improvement over the previous edition. We get a commentary track compiled from comments by the late Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and I.A.L. Diamond's son (working with the comedy writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel--honestly I could have thought of better writers to pair with Diamond's son). While the insights aren't exactly a revelation it is an enjoyable commentary track.

We also get two terrific documentaries on the making of the film. The first features a mixture of new and older interviews from the cast and crew. The second documentary "The Legacy of `Some Like it Hot'" is packed with trivia about the making of the film, Wilder & Monroe's relationship on the set and the difficult time Wilder had making the film with his leading lady including footage shot in the 80's of Wilder and Diamond.

Finally we get "Memories from the Sweet Sues" featurette with members of the women who played in the band, an interview with Tony Curtis entitled "Nostalgic Look Back" where Curtis reveals that actor/voice artist Paul Frees did much of his voice as Josephine because he had difficulty reaching the high voice. We also get the imaginatively titled but unimpressive "Virtual Hall of Memories 3-D Tour" The original pressbook appears on the DVD as well and we get reproductions of various lobby cards. Finally we get previews and the original theatrical trailer.

Far more impressive than the lackluster previous DVD releases "Some Like It Hot" looks solid in this re-release although the film could look a bit more vibrant. The featurettes are, for the most part, very good and the compiled commentary track adds loads of trivia (some of which is duplicated in the featurettes) about the making of the film. I do wish that a film historian such as UCLA professor Howard Suber had been involved in some way to help provide context for the movie but that's just personal preference. A fine release that could have been great with a wee bit more effort on the part of Sony/MGM.

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In 1929 during the St. Valentines Day massacre, two traveling musicians, witness one of the hits initiated by the mob. The only way the duo can think of to avoid being discovered is to join an all female band playing in Florida as women. Joe is looking forward to the gig, so that he can spend more time with Sugar while Jerry is horrified to find himself fighting off the advances of a rich suitor. Joe the consummate womanizer finally gets to see what it is like to be on the other side of the coin to see what he has been dishing out for years.

Many see this as a ground breaking movie especially for the 1950's with the theme of cross dressing and gender roles, but I just enjoyed Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon giving some of the best comedic performances of their careers, and Marilyn Monroe shining her brightest. It is laugh out loud funny, and a movie you will watch over and over again.

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With its pseudo-homoerotic undercurrents, I sometimes wonder how this film got past the 50's-era censors. No matter. Writer-director Billy Wilder, and leads Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe dazzle with their comic genius.

You can watch this movie over and over and it always seems fresh. Perhaps it's the realization that Monroe and her alter ego Sugar Kane are far more intelligent than they first appear. Seeing gold-digger-with-a-cause Sugar and faux oil magnate Joe (Curtis) manipulating each other is a hoot. Or perhaps it's Jerry's (Lemmon) gender crisis when he realizes that being a woman, even in a man's world, does have some perks to go along with the headaches.

In any case, the fun lies in seeing three tangles of lies and deceit growing ever bigger and out of control, like a comic Gordian knot, only to be cut at the last second with what's perhaps the funniest yet most anti-climactic punchline in film history. Between the sight gags, the slapstick, and the witty banter, you can't help but feel good watching this movie. There's really nothing bad to say about it; even the draggy parts are far more entertaining than what passes for comedy in most movies.

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Suppose YOU witnessed the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Would you go to the police? Maybe. Would you go into hiding? Probably. Would you change your name and move to Russia? Why not? But would you don a dress and wig and catch a train to Florida with an all-girls band? Well, that's what Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis do in this incredibly riotous and timeless comedy from hit-after-hit producer Billy Wilder, and this is his hottest hit! En route to Florida Jerry, er, Daphne (Jack Lemmon) and Joe/Josephine (Tony Curtis) encounter a ditzy ukelele player named Sugar Kane (it used to be Sugar Kuvulchek) who moves "like jello on springs!". Any guesses? Of course it's Marilyn Monroe. And while Daphne is being whooed by an eager millionaire (Joe E. Brown)Josephine takes on a third personality as a Cary Grant imitating-upper class millionaire to impress an even more eager Sugar! A fabulous script, (maybe even more fabulous actors!) and the direction of Billy Wilder come together to make "Some Like It Hot" a greedily enjoyable movie for anyone! Don't miss it and don't worry: Marilyn never cools off for a moment.

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James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume Two (For Your Eyes Only / From Russia with Love / Thunderball

"The James Bond Gift Set" is a wonderful combination of Bond movies. The set contains "Goldfinger," "Thunderball," "Live and Let Die," "For Your Eyes Only," "Licence To Kill," "Goldeneye," and "Tommorrow Never Dies." The rest of the Bond movies will be in two different sets, the first is coming out in May 2000, the second sometime in fall 2000. For those wondering like myself before I got it there is no special intro before the movies as in for example The Star Wars Special Edition Set, but you still get exciting 007 entertainment while watching these 7 classic Bond films.

I use a PS3 as my Blu-ray player. I had no problems starting these disc, using the bonus features, nor did I have any problems while viewing the video, your results may vary. If you have problems, check your manual for instructions on updating your firmware.

This is Volume 1 and 2 wrapped together, it is nothing "special" the only thing special is the lower price.

When I ordered this, I was not expecting what I got. I thought the movies were in standard blu-ray cases and put in a box, but I was wrong.

When you get your movies, you have a nice 007 plastic slipcase, when you take that off you have the box (which you see in the image) and inside is a very nice "book" that houses your discs.

Each movie is presented on 1 disc, and each volume has 3 movies.

I own the James Bond Ultimate DVD collection. I'm going to assume you may own that version as well, and want to know if the blu-ray is worth the upgrade or not (these movies are over 40-50 years old mind you).

When I got the ultimate dvd collection last year, I was shocked at the quality of Dr NO. This is a very old movie, and it looked better than some blu-rays I owned (and this was on DVD!), the same is true for these blu-rays.

Dr No Looks better than the majority of blu-rays I own. Every scene is sharp. No scene looks soft, or bad. The restoration done on these has to be seen to be believed.

When you watch the blu-rays some of the bonus features explain the process behind the remastering (which is very interesting).

I must warn you. If you're the type who likes to watch trailers (of the film you're about to watch) prior to watching the movie, do not do so here. As they are almost all full of spoilers. Think of the trailer as a recap, and rejoice in the over the top trailers of back in the day.

Now on to rating the specifics.

Video Quality

5/5 Easy. Top Notch. Each scene is so vibrant, so sharp, you will be soo furious with other blu-rays sitting on your shelf, because they wont look half as good as Dr No. (even modern movies shot last year)

Audio Quality

4/5. This is tough to rate really, some of the movies were filmed in mono (and we get the mono track, which as with the dvds, I much prefer), but here we also have a surround mix to go along with it. Obviously this is not going to be as good as any modern movie soundtrack, but it is as good as the movies have ever sounded. Also I must comment, the only part of these movies that make you aware that the movie was indeed shot back in the 60's is the audio. The gun shots and other special effects are.... weak by today's standards, but it is faithful to the source, and that's all that matters.

Supplements

5/5 When the ultimate collection was made, we got the movie, then a disc full of extras. Thanks to the power of blu-ray, we have all those extras and the movie on the same disc. All this is seamless.

Packaging

5/5. If you read some of my reviews on other "sets" I really hound studios. I have wasted 100's of dollars on "gift sets" that are rendered useless when they arrive due to scratching, broke discs, stuff falling out, luckily that is NOT the case here.

The design that houses the discs are similar to the way they are presented on Battlestar Galatica Season 1 (on HD-DVD) (only these actually work, and have none of the issues that set did). Meaning you open up the wonderful book (vibrant, and full of color, I will be posting pictures tomorrow) and the discs look as though they are floating on the case. The best way to get them off is to "twist them".

I really like the packing, its like a really fancy case, it exudes style. I personally love Volume 1 more, the blue is soo suave.

Value

4/5

Ok, I can understand a LOT of work went into making these videos. But the hardwork was already done when you remastered the video from the negatives to make the ultimate dvd sets a few years back. Those videos came with 5 movies, with the bonuses, and now you can buy 2 of those volumes for the price of one of these (which only contains 3 movies per box). Or all 4 for the price of these 2 volumes (20 movies versus 6) all of which are basically the same.

Now, I'll admit, the quality is better, and the packaging is amazing. But you have to ask yourself. Would you prefer having the whole set on DVD or 6 movies on Blu-Ray. (as it amounts to the same price)

At this rate the price for the whole set will run you around 350 dollars (with amazons VERY LOW price) not retail, retail would be 550 and that's for 18 total. I guess you can guess they will triple dip Casino Royale, and make the set a close 700 dollars. I hope they start either dropping the price, or adding a movie or 2 per set.

With all that said, would I buy this set again? Sadly, yes. They are just too good. And the packaging is something that has to be seen to be believed.

If you're choosing, should I buy the single blu-ray releases, or get the box sets. I would say buy the box sets (and save yourself some serious money and buy this "collection" on amazon) The boxes are amazing, and the quality is very high, and it is cheaper to buy 1 volume than 3 discs (though I'm sure there might be some movies you do not want, but if you want the whole collection, its cheaper to just buy them all now)

Last, but NOT least, you get another bonus, that is not advertised, free tickets to the new Bond movie (actually each box has 2 tickets, so you get 4 if you buy this set) that's 40 dollars in value there.

If you own the DVD's and want to know, should I buy the blu-rays, or just keep watching my ultimate series upconverted, that's harder to say, if the money is no problem, you will enjoy the new set. If you're buying this for your boyfriend or husband, he will love the packaging (I do) as it looks very nice.

When volume 3, and 4 come out on blu-ray will I buy them? Without hesitation. Just be sure to give me Goldeneye.

Oh, if the only versions of Bond you own, are not from the Ultimate Collection DVD sets, these blu-rays are going to be night and day for you, as they have been painstakingly remastered from the original negatives (the film that was actually used in the camera) and all flaws have been removed, making these movies as good or better than the latest big budget blockbuster.

If you're new to Bond, and not sure if you want to invest in this series, be sure to take a look at Casino Royale (Two-Disc Collector's Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray], It is one of my favorite movies by far, and easily a favorite bond film. (also highly recommended prior to watching the new QOS movie, which you get tickets for when you buy this set)

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About half of the reviews I've read here at amazon.com have complained that MGM seems to have selected the movies for this set at random. I must disagree with this. They obviously wanted a variety of films, so they chose from across the board. They went with two of the most popular Sean Connery vehicles ("Goldfinger" and "Thunderball"), Roger Moore's first ("Live and Let Die") and his most widely acclaimed ("For Your Eyes Only"), Timothy Dalton's better outing ("License to Kill") and Pierce Brosnan's two films: "Goldneye" and "Tomorrow Never Dies." (They excluded the recently released "The World Is Not Enough" for obvious reasons.) Although I must admit that I would rather own a set that had gone in chronological order and contained all 6 Connery outings and George Lazenby's very good (though underrated) "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," I am very happy with the set that MGM did come up with. "Goldfinger" is the best of the Bond flicks, and I truly enjoy "Thunderball," "For Your Eyes Only," and "Goldeneye." (I haven't yet seen "Live and Let Die.") I can't figure out why "Goldeneye" has received so much criticism while it's greatly inferior, semi-plotless predecessor ("Tomorrow Never Dies") is hailed as the best Brosnan film. In any case, other than "TND," this is a great set. Buy it and get the others that follow. Sean Connery enthusiasts should be pleased to learn that the final set contains three of his films, including "From Russia with Love." Enjoy this set, and many thanks to MGM for putting it out there for us.

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This is a god set for collectors with an attractive box and good variety of Bond films. The only thing it lacks is George Lazernby. This set has all of the Bonds except him. All of the movies have their own flavor and level of action. The Bonds are all diferent as well. Sean Connery being the rough and cool secret agent with all the right moves. Roger Moore being the more romantic and wittier. Timothy Daulton being the roughest of the Bonds with a more ruthless edge. Pierce Brosnan possibly being the best Bond with the ruggedness of Connery and the witt of Moore. All of the Bonds are great, but it still could have had George Lazernby.

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I hope that everyone who had problems playing the first 2 Bond collections had them addressed by now because Volume 3's layout and features is consistent with the previous two. All players that received firmware upgrades after October 2008 should be able to play this set.

Here is my evaluation of the current Bond Blu-ray collection (a work in progress as I'm not fully done with the viewing) and it's not unlike my impression of the first 2.

_____________________________________________

THE GOOD:

Incredible video quality, most likely better than what the audience saw on release date on some of the older movies.

Lots of extras, most of them worth watching or listening to.

Beautiful, innovative packaging.

THE NOT SO GOOD:

The sound restoration not as good as the video on the early Bonds.

Some of the 'extras' sections would benefit from a 'play all' option.

The boxes could be a bit slimmer.

May require upgrades on certain players if they haven't been upgraded since September-October 2008.

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The overall impression is of quality, inside and out. The box could be a little smaller but the packaging is exquisite. There's a transparent plastic slide cover over a solid cardboard box holding a small binder on which the individual movie disks are attached to pages. Each movie comes on one disc holding the movie itself and in incredible amount of extras.

The menu interface is well organized and there's even some humor in labeling. For example, the option that plays the movie is labeled 'The Mission' while the historic promotional material is found under 'The Propaganda'. Depending on which section you may be, menu options branch into further sub-menus.

The extras are numerous and, for the most part interesting. There are features on the restoration process and we get to learn who did what, why and how. Then, we see contemporary documentaries on the making of the movie and so on. The Goldfinger disc, for example, includes actual radio interviews with Sean Connery, 2 major documentaries on 'the making of' and 'the world of' Goldfinger, about 30 minutes each, original trailers, screen tests, an interview with Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore), even a feature on Bond's Aston Martin. And, amazingly, it all fits on one disc.

The area where some of the older installments show their age is the sound. The audio options include the original sound track which, in the older releases is 'mono' but all movies come with DTS-HD Master Audio 24-bit 5.1 surround as the default. The sound wasn't upgraded and improved to the degree that the picture was but, it's understandable. Going from mono to 5.1 surround is the equivalent of upgrading from black and white to full-color 3-D in the world of images. Commentary sound tracks featuring the director and the cast and crew are also included.

When it comes to the video quality, the best that I can say is that you've got to see it to believe it. The restoration of the older movies started with the actual original negative, which is the one reference copy that's almost never touched. Once the copy was digitized as a 4000 lines resolution digital copy (Bluray is 1080) every frame was reprocessed to eliminate any possible defects from 'dirty optics', such as the proverbial hair that we sometimes see on the older movies to scratches, bad exposure, color brilliance. The restorers' goal for the end result, and this concerns the video only, not the sound quality, was to deliver what would appear to be a contemporary movie with a 60's or 70's theme rather than a 60's or 70's movies. In my view, they succeeded and, surprisingly, the 1964 Goldfinger looks as good as the 1979 Moonraker.

My overall rating is a solid five-stars. Just about everything in this release is superlative: the physical packaging, the interface design, the extras, the video quality. The sound is not so good on the older movies but, given the state of sound restoration technologies, I did not feel compelled to remove a star because the old movies sounded more or less like they did on release date or better.

Coen Brothers Collection (Blood Simple/Fargo/Miller's Crossing/Raising Arizona) (2011)

Four great Coen Brothers early works from Fox, and a couple licensed from MGM. Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, and Miller's Crossing are all instant classic films from the Coen catalog, and Fargo is an Oscar favorite bundled with this set and previously available. The die-hard Coen fans probably already own Fargo, making its inclusion here a little annoying for them, but it's still a better value (at current prices) than buying the others as individual discs. For those who have been waiting to get Fargo, or want a headfirst introduction to some of America's coolest filmmakers, this is a great bargain and a fantastic set; for the rest of us who are already Coen converts, buy the set, enjoy it, resell or give your extra Fargo to a friend, and try not to stew too badly thinking about Barton Fink, which yes, would have been better suited for this set.

Fox has given us individual cases for each movie, which I like a lot better than the cheap cardboard packaging of other sets. The discs themselves look and sound great. Most knowledgeable Blu-ray buyers know that there's a sliding scale, the age of the film and the cost invested in the release will determine how good it will look, and those films that have suffered from poor storage or mishandling are special challenges. I think, on the sliding scale, the Coen Brothers films included here look fantastic. These are mostly independently made films, in the range of twenty to twenty-six years old (excluding Fargo), none of them using Hollywood blockbuster money. I think Fox has done a bang-up job on their MGM license releases, and the Coen Brothers set continues that streak. The colors are as vibrant as each film's color palette allows, and a welcome amount of detail is brought out on Blu-ray. For artistic and intelligent films, the Coen Brothers employ a lot of kinetic camerawork and striking visuals, more in line with big-money Hollywood films, and these releases showcase that better than the DVDs I've seen. Occasional softness or a little grain notwithstanding, these are very well-done Blu-ray, and I think easily the best these film have looked since they first hit theaters.

The sound is very solid, though I have to admit my system isn't the best way to test that. No noticeable flaws to me. English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital Surround on Arizona and Miller's, Blood Simple is English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 DTS on Arizona and Miller's, no other language tracks on Blood Simple. Fargo is the same as before, English 5.1 DTS Master Audio and Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish, French, German, and Italian 5.1 DTS, Portugese and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. All are 50GB dual layer discs, ACV @ 39 MBPS (Blood Simple), 31 MBPS (Raising Arizona and Fargo), and 30 MBPS (Miller's Crossing).

Special features are a little thin, but we would be complaining about the wait if Fox put off these releases until the Coen Brothers wanted to contribute more in-depth features and commentary. Raising Arizona essentially gets nothing (trailers and TV spots, and if ever a film was overdue praise, it's this one. A loaded special edition may be planned for some time (25th anniversary is next year), but for anyone who wants the film looking its best (or pretty damn good), this edition is commendable. Blu-ray buyers know the bread and butter of most studios are new releases, not catalog titles, so this is nothing we haven't seen before, and better than a lot of them.

Menus and playback features are pretty stylish. Studios seldom get credit for that, but the extra work is appreciated.

It would have been downright heroic to get Barton Fink with these other early Coen Brothers favorites for the same price, but Fox probably makes a better profit including a previously-released film which has already been paid for, and they've been pretty generous to make the other three titles individually available, if you only want one or two. Not a bad compromise. These are excellent films, fantastic stories and great acting, incredible directing and original ideas, must-owns for me, and if they haven't been given Lord of the Rings-level attention, they've at least been treated pretty respectfully. I'll wait for Barton Fink to get its own release, and get my Coen Brothers fix in the meantime with the four that are included.

This is a great collection for a great price; there isn't a bad Coen Brothers movie and they run from great to pretty good (the worst being Intolerable Cruelty which is not part of this collection). This includes three early films and the Oscar winning Fargo. Virtually all Coen films are tales of morality and what happens when one crosses the line into immorality; their first, Blood Simple, is included here and is their first foray into film noir. Their second, the offbeat comedy Raising Arizona, is one of my favorites and is their first foray into allegorical story telling. Their third film, Miller's Crossing, is another film noir offering with a character who manipulates, and is often manipulated by, other gangsters as he operates under a code of morality known only to him. FInally, Fargo is another film noir that examines the "domino principle" and what happens when one crosses the morality line, tapping the first domino that causes them all to fall while spinning wildly out of control. It's also one of two films in history that I can recall that successfully mingles comedic elements with stark violence. The Coens contrast the quirkiness of midwesterners with the stark harshness of violent crimes. By the way, the other film that does this successfully? A Clockwork Orange. The interesting thing for me is when I think back on A Clockwork Orange I remember it as very violent and when I watch it I realize how funny it also is. When I think back on Fargo I remember the comedy and then when watching I realize how serious and violent it is.

Regarding the transfers, Blood Simple and Miller's Crossing are fair, Raising Arizona and Fargo are very good. Still, to get these four movies you can't beat the price.

Buy Coen Brothers Collection (Blood Simple/Fargo/Miller's Crossing/Raising Arizona) (2011) Now

I got this at Best Buy on sale for $19.99. Not sure if it is worth more unless you do not own a previous DVD version of any of these movies. Fargo is missing an extra feature found on the Special Edition DVD version -the Charlie Rose Interview with the Coen Brothers and Frances McDormand. This makes no sense why it was not included.

Read Best Reviews of Coen Brothers Collection (Blood Simple/Fargo/Miller's Crossing/Raising Arizona) (2011) Here

Gotta admit, the title of the box set is kinda dumb "From the minds of ...". But it's a good decision to put these four movies together. All are crime-gone-wrong movies (what the Coens are best at), although some may argue that Raising Arizona is out of place here as it's the only full-on comedy. Since Blood Simple is an early Coens film, can't expect much from the Blu-ray transfer. The rest are quite good transfers to high-def, although not top-notch reference-disc material. Raising Arizona's colours are especially vivid, since its palette fits the slapstick cartoonish action. Miller's Crossing has a stately picture quality and the classy cinematography is very much aided by the high-def, where colours are correct and shadows are strong. The obvious lack here are extras. But I believe there are not many extras on the individual releases either, so what's there to complain really.

Want Coen Brothers Collection (Blood Simple/Fargo/Miller's Crossing/Raising Arizona) (2011) Discount?

It is likely that the people complaining about this set are the type to walk through life looking for things about which to complain. "Didn't have this extra" or "transfer was bad" or "was fullscreen and not widescreen..." that one made me laugh as I would bet money that person has a blu ray player that he/she/it has yet to set up properly.

The transfers are great, the sound is great, the price is fantastic, the movies are excellent and they ARE, beyond any shadow of doubt, widescreen. One or more aren't your favorite? Buy them separately. Simple. Have a problem with how long it took to get your item or what kind of shape it was in when it arrived? Take it up with the seller or with Amazon and leave it out of the product review. No one cares.

In other words, buy this. You can't go wrong with such great movies at such and unbeatable price. Mr. Split Infinitive wants to complain about 4 blu rays for around $5.00 each? THAT is disappointing, highly.

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Letters to Juliet (2010)

I took a dear elder aged friend to this movie on a bad day in his life, hoping to distract him momentarily from events he couldn't do anything about. Instead, the movie re-invigorated both of us, and brought us repeatedly to tears. Say what you want about "feel good" movies, there are times when they are just what the doctor ordered!

Vanessa Redgrave is the heart of this film. The delicately fearless way she sets out to find her young lover, the grace with which she moves through the ups and downs of a process that could end in heartbreak, the care with which she brushes the young Sophie's hair...she is simply and purely lovely. Women d'un certain age should enjoy the possibilities she presents for aging beautifully.

I also suspect this movie was made after the death of Redgrave's daughter, Natasha Richardson, and so the scenes in which she calls Sophie "my darling" and loves her so freely are especially moving. Hollywood, listen up! Cast more Vanessa Redgraves, Judy Denschs and Helen Mirrens as stars in movies about life after 60, and you'll fill the theaters.

I went to this picture with my mom because I enjoy romantic films and adore Italian landscape. I was pleasantly surprised. The cast was absolutely charming, and I didn't come away with that "why did they have to put that in there" feeling. A true "feel good" movie. So many films go along nicely then suddenly BAM! an unexpected horribly sad plot twist. This gets worse than old at times. I'm a big Austen fan, and although she wrote with unexpected plot twists she always ends with a happy, if predictable, ending. And how do "her" film adaptations do?! Awesome! Let's hope hollywood learns something here. I hated to see the film end, and could have turned right around and watched it again. Way to Go! Some great young stars shine in this film. Hope to see them around again.

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This is the true story: In 19th century, people of Verona indicated a house as the residence of Juliet from William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Later, in 1937, it became a tradition to go to Juliet's grave in Verona and leave Juliet a letter about one's love problems. In 1990s the amount of letters reached astronomical proportions and a group of volunteers, who call themselves "Club di Giulietta," took it upon themselves to answer each and every letter that's left for Juliet.

Enter Hollywood: A young woman named Sophie (played by Amanda Seyfried) on her pre-Honeymoon discovers a letter left unanswered since 1957 and decides to answer it. This sets in motion the entire movie and, lo and behold, the audience is following the film's characters through Italy's countryside in the search for one true love.

"Letters to Juliet" is a cute romantic comedy that has some pretty scenery and captures of Verona, Italy. The movie is rather unrealistic but in a nice, harmless way that makes the most critical of us smile. Although the film never transcends beyond the fairy-tale, it's a sugar-sweet movie that leaves a pleasant feeling.

Amanda Seyfried struggles with the responsibility of carrying on a film as a leading lady and Gael García Bernal is miscast as the fiance that never has time for Sophie. It's up to the film's elders to make the story compelling and Vanessa Redgrave shines as the woman who wrote Juliet a letter and is moved to search for her long-lost true love after fifty years.

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I went to watch this film last night, mainly to see Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero acting together again, having seen them in Camelot a long while ago.

I am an old romantic, hence Camelot being my favourite film of all time, but I have to say Letters to Juliet will now come a close second.

It was a pleasure to watch, The story line was a bit cute, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I found some of the scenes quite moving. I know wether I am enjoying a film as I smile all the time and thats exactly what I did.

The scenery was wonderfull, and will encourage many visitors to beautifull Verona and the wonderfull Italy.

Pleasant, romantic, sceneic, funny, what more could you ask for. Curl up with a box of chocolates.

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I do not cry very often in movies, But in this one, OMG! I've almost drowned in my own tears...

Predictible? Entirely. Cliches? Another big YES!But the movie is never cheesy or corky and that's the reason it conquered me completly.

The film is simply beautiful( Franco and Redgrave meeting, the wedding cerimony and Vanessa reading Amanda's letter to her during the wedding reception soaked my kleenex). Vanessa and Nero are a very sincere tribute to true love and her performance is delicate and sensitive.

The two young guys are less charming but Amanda is adorable and sweet.

I highly recommend. What a beautiful love story! There's not such like this sort nowadays..

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Naked Gun From The Files Of Police (2013)

I saw this movie at the cinema, and when I walked out of the darkened theatre my sides hurt so much from laughing you would have sworn I was suffering from appendicitis, and I rivalled Niagara Falls in my crying the tears were just streaming down my face!

This inane, farcical comedy has got to be one of the funniest films ever released. It's silly, but the silliness is funny and not pointless. Even the cameo actors are houmourous! Leslie Nielsen is fantastic as the deadpan, very moronic Frank Drebin, a bumbling detective who wouldn't know a criminal from a saint, and George Kennedy and OJ Simpson are perfect foils for his lunacy. (I'm surprised. I said something NICE about OJ Simpson!) And Priscilla Presley has never looked better. She and Leslie Nielsen have a chemistry between them that is lacking in many serious or other comedy movies. What can I say? This movie is great! I order you to stop reading these reviews and go and rent or buy this movie! Believe me, you won't regret it!

You'll know this movie is going to be a riot from the openning sequence in which a meeting of the worlds master terrorists including Castro, the Ayatollah and Gorbachev are folied by inept cop Frank Drebin, played with perfect deadpan expression by Leslie Nielsen, who went on to a second career starring in films like this.

Drebin, from Police Squad, must try to stop the assasination of the Queen of England. Drebin is assisted by George Kennedy, a fellow cop and O.J. Simpson as detective Nordberg. Nordberg, especially is the victim of most of Drebin's foul ups and spends most of the movie being beaten or maimed (just desserts!). Ricardo Montalban stars as the construction magnate that is masterminding the dastardly plot.

Nielsen's physical humor is the focus of the movie. His systematic destruction of Montalban's apartment is hilarious. But the highlight of the movie is the ending baseball sequence. and is where Nielsen shines. From his impersonation of opera tenor Enrico Polazzo (his butchering of the national anthem is a total classic) to his routine as a moonwalking showboat umpire, Nielsen is at his finest in milking laughs. The baseball game between the Mariners and Angels is the funniest baseball sequence ever filmed and funnier than any of the Major League movies. This segment features real-life baseball announcers including Dick Enberg and the great Mel Allen. When a highlight shows a baseball players head being knocked off by a fly ball, Allen delivers his classic "How About That?" while a stunned Enberg looks on, speechless. And there are real-life ball-players Jay Johnstone and Reggie Jackson, ("I must kill the Queen").

Priscilla Presley looks beautiful and shows her ability to do comedy. Although Nielsen looks much too old for her, the scenes between them work, probably due to Nielsen's boundless energy and little boy innocence.

The Naked Gun series follwed the Airplane movies in a line of hits for the ZAZ team (not all of them particpated in all of the films). Although the latter two Naked Gun movies were a let-down, Naked Gun shows ZAZ at their best and this movie remains funny.

Also worth noting is the TV series that inspired the Naked Gun movies Police Squad (in color). Look for it at your video store. Underrated and very funny.

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I'm not going to summarize the plot of this movie. Others have already done that. I'm just going to tell you I think it's one of the funniest films I've ever seen.

I love this kind of sight gag humor. And nobody does it better than Leslie Neilsen.

The Police Squad! videos are priceless TV detective show parodies. It's a pity only a handful of episodes were ever made. They're a blast to watch -especially the end credits when the actors "freeze" yet everything else in the scene continues to move. Really dumb humor, but it gets me every time.

Which is why I love this, the first of the three Naked Gun movies. They feature the same bumbling detective (Neilsen) and the same intrepid team that created the short-lived TV series.

I can watch this film and laugh every time. My favorite scenes are the chalk outline floating on the water...the shoe shine guy to which Lt. Drebin palms money for information...and, well, I could name scene after scene.

Naked Gun is not for everyone. Not everyone likes the rapid-fire sight gag humor that makes this movie (and The Simpsons) such a joy to behold.

But if that kind of humor tickles your funny bone, Naked Gun will cause you to laugh all the way to the store to buy the other two installments.

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The Naked Gun-From The Files Of Police Squad. I don't need to talk about this movie. It's great. It's non-stop laughs. It's a must see. So what's the problem? The problem's not with the movie. It's with this DVD. Don't expect to much from silly Paramount, but has anyone ever watched this on cut TV, like USA, Comedy Central, or ABC? If so, you know the cutting out and editing of scenes for a certain channel tri trims a time slot, so they replace maybe 15 minutes with deleted scenes! And very funny deleted scenes I might add. One is where Frank Drebin is seen at a gym in the shower (of the woman's bathroom). Another is where Ludwig shoots Frank in the catchers's thing (didn't anyone ever notice it deflated?) and one where Frank turns off Nordberg's air at the hospital. All these scenes are outrageous and hilariously funny, but no version except the TV one has these scenes. I'm not going to buy any Naked Gun DVD until the scene's are restored. Same with Naked Gun 2, Airplane!, and Airplane 2.

Don't by this 'till Paramount realizes we want deleted scenes!

If you found my review helpful, please be sure to vote for me!

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In 1982, Leslie Nielsen starred in a television comedy called "Police Squad" on ABC. Not since "The Carroll Burnett Show" had television seen this kind of quality slapstick comedy. Unfortunately, it never found an audience and only lasted for 6 episodes.

In 1988, Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and David Zucker adapted their short-lived T.V. series into one of the best comedy movies ever. And this time, it proved to be a hit (grossing over $70 million during it's USA run).

Before starring in "Airplane" in 1980, Leslie Nielson had never done a comedy role before (all of his previous roles had been in dramas). Who knew he had such great comedic timing? And it is that timing that makes this movie so much fun to watch.

Mr. Nielson stars as Frank Drebin, an incompetent cop who somehow always manages to solve the crime (even though he sometimes sovles it wrong). Things happen when Drebin is around, such as a fire breaking out, sliding down a long table on top of Queen Elizabeth II, or going to the bathroom with a live microphone. He never means for any of these things to happen, and occasionally doesn't even know when they do.

The cast is wonderfully filled out with George Kennedy as Captain Ed Hocken and Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer. Both of them have great comedic timing on their own, which is enhanced in the presence of Mr. Nielson. Even O.J. Simpson, who is fairly dispised by much of America these days, does a pretty good job of holding his own in this group. His scene that opens the movie is a total laugh riot.

This movie is pure slapstick comedy at its best. Every line, every shot, every move is done for laughs. Even years later, die hard "Naked Gun" fans can still find jokes and shots that they have never caught before.

If you like funny movies, especially slapstick, then this movie is a must see. Actually, it's a must see again, and again, and again, and...

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Flame And Citron (2008)

In German and Danish language with English subtitles. Based

on actual events.

In 1942, during WWII, a group of resistance fighters were

formed in Copenhagen, Denmark and named "Holger Danske";

a group which liquidated traitors and at the same time

attempted to avoid intervention by the Germans. Two of

the group's most famous members were Jorgen Haagen Scmith

"Citron" and Bent Faurschou-Hviid "Flame" whom the Germans

eventually sought out for the death of several Nazis.

"Flame and Citron" is a Danish produced drama and the most

expensive film made in Denmark thus far. It is directed adeptly

and really captures the essence of Denmark and what it must

have been like during Nazi occupation. The content is taken

very seriously with little in the way of hyperbole and the

actors portray their characters with stark realism. The pacing

is done very well and maintains ones interest until the very

end. The scripting is also handled very well in this wholly

political drama, so much in fact that you don't want to miss

any important dialogue, which is a majority of the film.

Being a part of the "Holger Danske" meant living one's life

on the edge and made maintaining a relationship virtually

impossible. The group was twice infiltrated by the Gestapo

resulting in the death of 64 of its members. "Flame" and

"Citron" however are steadfast in their fight for the democratic

state of their country amidst the Communists and Fascists.

Thier loyalty to Denmark is unwaivering, however, they eventually

find out that all is not what it seems deceit and confusion

are rampant in war and they quickly realize that they are no

excpetion to these rules.

A impressively done war film well worth the rental price and

the purchase price for WWII enthusiasts.

This film succeeds on many levels. It is lovely to look at, with the gorgeous Danish countryside and majestic city of Copenhagen as settings. It is effective, capturing very clearly what the world must have been like at this time. It is compelling. We sweat and worry and shout and cringe with the lovingly portrayed characters. Those are all good things. They make an entertaining film. But it is more than that as well.

There are movies that try to do very little, "exploring" or "suggesting" or other mealy-mouthed words demonstrating that there is no real theme to them. When a movie "explores" the theme of love, I know that people will be in love, but that no particular idea beyond a platitude or two will be discussed. But this movie does an amazing job demonstrating a very easy to state but challenging to convey theme. War is confusing. It is hard to know who is on your side. People lie to their advantage, and when their lives are at stake, they can lie quite convincingly. When nearly everyone is lying, and with a lot to lose, it is challenging to separate the deceitful from the honest. How does one decide who is who? Yet guessing wrong makes you complicit with evil, or dead, or both.

Flame and Citron are two idealists who believe they are acting for good. But things are never what they seem, and by the end of this film you will realize just how beautifully this film makes that clear. I don't know if passivity is the answer, but even when you clearly know what the good is, who is working for it and who is working against it is very difficult to identify.

And then, to tell us that movements need heroes, even if they're false ones, and conclude the film with the information that these two men were canonized as heroes, well, the irony is perfect. No easy answers here, even when the film is over, but a lovely portrayal of the confusion, anxiety, and exasperation that accompany life in trying times.

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In the interest of full disclosure, I should preface my review by saying that I watched this film on pay-per-view cable, not Blu-ray. Nevertheless, I found this to be a solid and compelling WW2 drama. As a WW2 "buff" I am a bit embarassed to say that I know virtually nothing about the German occupation of Denmark, or that country in general for that matter. This is the true story of the Danish resistance movement, but more specifically the legendary figures of Flame and Citron; two friends who reach the status of underground heroes for their brazen assassinations of German occupiers and Danish collaborators alike. Flame in particular, the soft-spoken, sharp-dressing 23 year-old, manages to become the most hunted man in Denmark. The film is a bit slow and drawn out, but I found it quite suspenseful as the men navigate the treacherous underworld of partisans and Gestapo spies. Friends turn out to be foes, and vice versa, and what spy thriller would be complete without the perfidious seductress who entices our heroic protagonist to his own downfall? The acting and script struck me as most excellent and the cinematography, while simple, was well done also. The brief shots of the Danish countryside were quite lovely, while the majority of the film takes place in the dreary, uniformly gray mass of downtown Copenhagen. This sets a very somber mood for the film. The film is in Danish and German with English subtitles. 4 stars.

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I really had no preconceived notions going into the Danish film "Flame and Citron." Aside from my knowledge of co-star Mads Mikkelson (frequently seen in U.S. productions, but perhaps most famous stateside for playing the Bond villain in "Casino Royale") and a moderate awareness of the plot, I was a pretty blank slate. Any time you endeavor to produce a fact based epic, there will always be detractors claiming historical inaccuracies. It happens to the best, most well-regarded pictures as narrative films are not documentaries. So I make no claims to the precise balance of historical content versus dramatic license in this biopic based on Danish resistance fighters circa World War Two. I don't know enough to make such a claim valid. I will simply say that from a movie entertainment standpoint, "Flame and Citron" is a thoroughly fascinating, exciting, and riveting drama--one of the best films to catch me unawares in quite some time!

In Nazi occupied Denmark, there is a small cell of resistance fighters aligned with Allied forces. Perhaps the most notorious pairing are code-named "Flame" (Thure Lindhardt) and "Citron" (Mikkelson). Instructed and given assignments by their supervisor Winther, the two target only Danes who are collaborating with the Nazis. Lindhardt is the muscle and the more impassioned assassin while Mikkelson largely works in a supporting role. However, the dynamic of the resistance group starts to change. With a potential traitor in their midst, an enigmatic new love interest for Flame, and a peculiar shift in assignments to target actual Germans--something is amiss. But who to trust and to what purpose? The film becomes an increasingly frenzied game of cat-and-mouse in which it seems no one will emerge unscathed.

Both Mikkelson and especially Lindhardt provide absolutely riveting performances. Mikkelson's increasing estrangement from his family is powerfully depicted, but Lindhardt is particularly devastating as he starts to question every principle he once held absolute. The supporting roles are well developed with Stine Stengade (as the romantic foil) and Peter Mygind (as the questionable boss) really standing out as well. The film looks terrific--this is a seriously well constructed piece. The screenplay propels the action with believability and true emotional consequence. By the time "Flame and Citron" arrived at its conclusion, I was absolutely mesmerized by the sophistication, smarts, and commitment that went into making this a true epic with historical sweep. Unforgettable leads and a tremendously strong finale make this a personal favorite and a whole-hearted recommendation. KGHarris, 12/10

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Ole Christian Madsen's "Flame and Citron" equals, to my mind, Melville's mind numbingly powerful "Army of Shadows"--something I had not honestly anticipated.

Flame (Bent Faurschou-Hviid) and Citron (Jørgen Haagen Schmith) were the action heroes of Denmark's Resistance to the Nazi Regime and having read about the two of them it is not too hard to understand why. Infamous for doing what most were both reluctant and terrified to do (actually shooting German soldiers and members of the SS in the street), it seems that it is less the effectiveness of the two men than their bravado and sheer physical courage which is so venerated. Though in the movie it is haphazardly implied that each had a plan for escape, these plans could have only been very vague. People were tortured and hung for a fraction of what they did and they managed to pull it off for two years. Both were killed in precisely the ways the film depicts in 1944. None other than President Harry Hiroshima Truman presented Flame with a very posthumous Medal of Freedom in 1951.

These two heroic and also terrifying individuals are played brilliantly by Thure Lindhardt (Flame, looking every bit Dostoevsky's Raskolnikvov) and Mads Mikkelsen (Citron, the actor's performance as this man tortured by his responsibilities to his family and his unwavering commitment to the Resistance is so powerful as to be frightening at times) are caught in a wretched web of lies and deception no more romantic than a Gothic novelist's version of Fabio going mad.

While we are given very little insight in the past of these two, it is obvious that Citron has something to prove about his manhood (the scene in which he tries to reconcile himself with his wife goes to show exactly how the impulse toward violence, however nobly conceived, indelibly stains the human psyche) and that Flame has paternal issues which often disable him from executing authoritative members of the Gestapo who see his youthful weakness and exploit it.

The irony is that their superiors talk about "liquidation" in precisely the same terms the Third Reich talked about "liquidation" in terms of massacring Jews. Madsen's obvious point is driven home with ruthless clarity: at what point does the righteous revolutionary become as bad as the tyrants they rabidly pursue? Why did these two take little interest in sabotage, perhaps hiding Jews or saving them? The answer may be that since they had no foreknowledge of the Allies winning the war they saw what they were doing as the only possible means: getting rid of the German army and all collaborators one by one before they take over the world? That is far too simple, and the answer is infinitely more complex and ominous.

That old edict, "violence begets violence", is in the end a truth they learn far too late. The twist in the film which reveals that they have been badly misguided as to who they have been assassinating and leaves nothing for them but horrendous guilt and yet a determination to act on their own. It seemed pretty obvious to me who was betraying them from the moment the person was introduced into the film, but Flame probably figured he wanted to live as a normal man and not just an assassin at least in one area of his life. Whatever one's quabbles about their methods, one cannot help but admire the way they go out, just as they lived. A movie which is a meditation on conscience in a time where right and wrong were discarded like cheap deck of Uno cards. A masterpiece.

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