Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950)

Well tailored Ladd adventure film. No big name costars, no fancy production values, just Ladd doing what his fans wanted him to do dominate the screen. He does plenty of that in this one. It has the sharp, tough dialogue and physicality that was expected in his films. Glad to see it coming out on DVD. Now if the powers to be would just release his other late 40's early 50's films. Beyond Glory, Chicago Deadline, and especially The Great Gatsby deserve to be seen and enjoyed.

Alan Ladd has been neglected for far too long! Please release Calcutta, Siagon, O.S.S., Blue Dahlia, The Glass Key,...Ahhh, Jeez! Give Us A Box Set!

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"I'm going to stick around and bother people."

Best remembered, if at all, for introducing the song Mona Lisa, 1950's Captain Carey, U.S.A. aka After Midnight is a very decent little thriller that sees Alan Ladd's former O.S.S. agent returning to the small Italian village where he was betrayed, his lover (Wanda Hendrix) killed and 27 villagers massacred by the Germans to find out who was really responsible. It's not a popular return: the villagers blame him for bringing death to their town (so much so they gang up to stone him in the street) and there are more emotionally painful reunions in store before he uncovers the truth. It's not particularly challenging, although surprisingly the most obvious suspects turn out to be innocent, but it's at times surprisingly bitter, with Ladd much better than usual as the disenchanted hero who's been letting his wounds poison him for years.

Although you'll never believe for a moment that you're in Italy rather than Hollywood, it's a solidly produced old-school studio system picture with decent direction by Mitchell Leisen and a half-decent supporting cast including Joseph Calleia, one-time Dracula Francis Lederer, six-times Charlie Chan Roland Winters and a young Russ Tamblyn when he was still billed as Rusty Tamblyn. The use of the Oscar winning Mona Lisa which doesn't even get a mention in the film's credits is particularly interesting: rather than the familiar vocal version, we only get a brief rendition in Italian, not as a serenade but as a warning sign of oncoming danger, an idea that's neatly replayed in purely instrumental terms long after the Germans have left.

Sadly Olive Film's region-free US Blu-ray is a disappointment due to the poor master material Paramount provided them with: while it's not disastrous, the film's clearly had no restoration and has a lot of minor contrast issues and is one it's probably best to save a few bucks on by opting for the DVD instead since the higher definition just seems to draw attention to the flaws. No extras either.

Read Best Reviews of Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950) Here

I enjoy OLIVE label DVD. These are old movies and are mostly seen by old people, as me. So why don't put the english subtitles ?

It would help sales. Same problem with Assault on a Queen and Come blow your horn.

Giuliano Fournier

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Excellent story and acting; a little action and a little mystery. The quality of the picture and sound is very good.

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The Bridge on the River Kwai (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1957)

I'm still not entirely sure why Amazon lumps the reviews for all versions of a given release in the same category. It makes it especially hard to locate reviews on the blu ray version. Anyway, this is a review of the blu ray version recently released, in a collector's format. It is composed of basically a digibook within a hard external case, which is quite flashy as it has raised illustrations and looks quite nice. Upon removing the digibook (which is quite a bit thicker than others), you will find a blu ray version of the film, a dvd version, and a few other things.

First up is the small production book. Actually in comparison with the material you get from other digibooks (which are usually scant on information), these few pages are full of notes and events during filming, almost a quick documentary in itself. It's nice to see a version of this book-within-case that is heavy on words and light on pictures, which are still nice on a few pages.

Second are the replica lobby cards, located after the incorporated book. Not much to say about these, a nice addition for collectors but not much else.

Finally the movie itself. As far as picture goes, its unbeatable for a film from 1957. Much like the other big releases around this time period, care was indeed taken to release a near perfect picture. Obviously in full 1080p, the lighting and scenery really shine here. I'm no expert on filmography and never really looked into the film types and ratios, but what I can judge is a quality blu ray transfer. The picture is sheer excellence down to the last scene, and is quite reminscent of the older James Bond transfers which were fantastic. All in all, as good picture as you'll see anywhere else in blu ray. The audio is great as well, with a fantastic 5.1 transfer. I have 5.1 sound, and it I can tell you it was transferred with the utmost of care. There is no mono soundtrack included in this version.

Extras include a wealth of features, including the previous releases' documentaries and new unreleased features such as Alec and William on the Steve Aleen show. Also included is a narration of the premiere by Holding. The main thing here is the "beyond the bridge" section, in which the full film plays and when applicable scenes come up, the screen size is reduced and graphics will appear on the screen with the movie, along with factoids about the scene. It is a great feature for those who won't mind the screen reducing every now and then.

All in all, this is the definitive version of the film. Chock full with features that you'd expect from a collector's release as well as the film itself (ranking among my all time favorite films), you can't go wrong with this. If you own a previous version, strongly consider this. If you've never owned it or seen it, buy it TODAY.

David Lean's "Bridge on the River Kwai" is one of my favorite movies of all time, and one one the greatest war movies of all time, but a differnt war movie. Can the civilized Colonel Nichoson (brilliantly played by Alec Guinness and won him an Academy Award for best actor) defy the brutal Japanese Colonel Saito(Sessue Hayakawa, also brilliant)and win the war of wills? At first we think he won't but the plot takes a strange turn and this Nicholson turns out to be as fanatic as Saito is in the prison camp. Beautifully shot in Ceylon(Sri Lanka) serving well for Burma by Freddie Young, Lean's great photographer also for "Lawrence of Arabia" the viewer can feel the heat and humidity, see the starving appearance of the prisoners, who start buiding the bridge as a lark until Nicholson wins his points of honor and they work harder than ever. My favorite line in the movie is one of Colonel Saito's favorite sayings: "Be happy in your work," which takes on more and more irony as the film and story unfolds. There is a side plot, with William Holden barely escaping, only to be brought back back with hard-core commandoes(led by demolitions expert Jack Hawkins) to the camp to blow up the bridge. This is a wonderful psychological and subtle war film, with just enough adventure and action to balance its war of words, over the Geneva Covention(Nicholson keeps a copy of it in his pocket and then is slapped with it by Saito)over points of British stiff upper lip and Japanese warrior code,Bushido, two vastly different viewpoints but in the end breed fanatics. The acting, editing, writing,and photography are all flawless. This is one of the few war movies made forty ago that still rank with any today. A true masterpiece, much imitated. Lean is a director of place and attends to all the small details, from the ratty prisoner uniforms,a Japanese sentry standing guard in the heavy rainfall, and the haunting whistling of the entire ragged British company, marching tired and disease-infested into a new camp just after Holden has been digging graves. And the camp doctor, well-played by James Donald, saying "Madness! Madness! after watching the bridge being blown while a train crosses over. A true classic of any genre. The restored version is excellent and again , since I saw this movie on a large screen, see it if you can at the theater, even if you own this video. It is that good.

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The release of David Lean's powerful, intelligent and thought provoking anti-war masterpiece on widescreen DVD accompanied by the added bonus documentary "The Making of the Bridge on the River Kwai", along with other featurette's, theatrical trailers and an appreciation of the film by noted director, John Milius, is indeed a cause for celebration amongst cinema afficiando's of this most superb of motion pictures.

The remarkable novel by Pierre Boulle (also author of "Monkey Planet"...filmed as the memorable "Planet of the Apes") is masterfully brought to the screen by director David Lean, a true genius behind many historical epics.

Deep inside snake ridden Asian jungles, British and American prisoners of war toil under the sweltering tropical sun working on part of the infamous Burma railway that claimed thousands of Allied lives during WWII. Colonel Saito (talented Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa) presides over his POW camp with an iron rule...driving his Japanese troops as hard as his malnourished prisoners. Enter the honorable and steadfast English POW, Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guiness in an Oscar winning performance) refusing to capitulate to Saito's demands that British officers perform manual labour alongside enlisted men. Each man's blind adherance to their own personal code of honor sees the two men plunge into a psychological war of will, bravado and courage...each determined not to waver from their personal beliefs.

As these two leaders clash with each other, American prisoner of war and resident camp gravedigger, Shears (William Holden) effects on escape from the brutal prison camp and after nearing death, he makes his way back to the Allied forces. Unfortunately for the timid Shears, he is coerced to guide a suicidal commando mission with Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) and Lieutenant Joyce (Geoffrey Horne) to return to the enemy infested jungles and blow up the railway bridge being built by Nicholson and the British prisoners of war.

Each differing path taken by Nicholson, Saito & Shears eventually intertwines and ultimately sees the three men confront their own inner fears and beliefs with tragic circumstances....

Seven Oscars bear testament to the wonderful attributes of this movie....including Best Picture and Best Actor...plus "Kwai" is regularly listed by critics as one of the most influential and highly regarded movies of the 20th century. For some additional in-depth behind the scenes reading on "The Bridge on the River Kwai" check out the insightful William Holden biograpy entitled "Golden Boy". Excellent reading !!

Quite simply an absolute "must have" addition to any DVD collection, "The Bridge on the River Kwai" remains a benchmark in inspirational movie making....I cannot recommend this film highly enough !!

Read Best Reviews of The Bridge on the River Kwai (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1957) Here

This review refers to Columbia/Tri Star 2000 release DVD of "The Bridge on the River Kwai"....

I am still whistling that wonderful theme song from this film(I watched it 2 days ago),"Colonel Bogey March". From the moment the British soldiers march into the Japaneese P.O.W. camp, whistling that tune I was once again hooked on this fabulous World War II movie!

The story, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle, is loosely based on actual events that occured during the war.The very proper Colonel Nicholson(Alec Guinness) leads his captured,but proud and tattered British troops into the Japaneese P.O.W. camp they have been assigned to.It is there that he comes face to face with the commander of the camp, the equally proper Colonel Saito(Sessue Hayakawa).Saito and Nicholson are immediatly at odds, concerning the assignment of the British, to build a railway bridge for their enemies over the River Kwai.Both men are highly principled in their beliefs, stubborn in their ways and will not give in where their honor is concerned.Saito seems to have the upper hand, using cruel and unusual punishment to try to persuade Nicholson, but to no avial. The bridge must be built and eventually they come to a compromise.Nicholson sets his men to the task in an almost obssessive way and takes great pride in the job his men are doing.

Meanwhile......an escapee from the camp, American sailor Shears(William Holden),whose only ambition is to get home, has now "volunteered" to lead a task force, including the over zealous British commander Major Warden(Jack Hawkins),back to the camp so they can blow up the bridge.And of course you know with Holden leading the team there will also be some romance mixed in with the action!

It's a great adventure from start to finish. Directed by David Lean with perfection, filmed in the breathtaking locales of Ceylon, with an engaging script by Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman, you'll fall in love with this epic film.It recieved the Best Picture(1957) Award from Oscar and also garnered a Best Director for Lean, and Best Actor for Guinness, as well as Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, and Music Scoring!

You will not miss one detail of the jungles in this beautifully remastered DVD. The colors are sharp and vibrant. It is presented in the original theatrical widescreen(anamorphic), aspect ratio 2.55:1, and every bit of scenery right to the edges is outstanding. The choices on the sound are 5.1 Dol Dig or 2.0 surround. The dialouge is crisp and clear, as is the musical score. The surrounding sounds are not quite as clear but is still good. It may be viewed in several languages or with subtitles as well. There is not too much on the special features on this edition(see tech info), however there is a "Limited Edition" for not much more than this one with a ton of extras(if only I'd known when I bought this one...),that is also by Columbia so I would guess the picture and sound are excellent as well.

One of the best war movies ever made..go for it..Laurie

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Richly deserving its 1957 "Best Picture" Academy Award, "The Bridge On The River Kwai" is truly one of the best motion pictures I have ever seen (and I had never seen it even once until just a few days before writing this review).

Directed expertly by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel, "The Bridge On The River Kwai" never falters. From the very first well-composed "CinemaScope" frame, right through to its exciting climax, everything about this motion picture is spot-on perfect.

The film tells the World War 2 story of a group of British P.O.W.s who are handed the assignment of constructing a railway bridge across the Kwai river, deep within an Asian jungle in the hot and steamy summer of 1943.

Each actor in this movie shines brightly in his respective part -beginning with Alec Guinness' absolutely wonderful award-winning portrayal of "Colonel Nicholson", who undergoes more than his fair share of torture and abuse at the hands of the Japanese "Colonel Saito" (played by Sessue Hayakawa). Guinness' Nicholson is a man guided by an immovable set of rigged principles. And he ends up winning his battle of nerves (and torture) against his Japanese enemy. A truly remarkable performance by Mr. Guinness. It's no wonder he was nominated for the "Best Actor" Oscar for his role in this film. And, rightfully so, he won the award as well.

The great William Holden (age 38 here) earned a healthy 1-million-dollar salary for his part as "Shears" in the movie (plus he got a portion of the film's box-office receipts too). And he earned every cent, as far as I'm concerned. While his part is not quite as deeply-layered or extensive as Alec Guinness' in the picture, Holden's character is still a vital and integral part of the film, as he plays a soldier who sets out on a mission to destroy the River Kwai bridge.

Jack Hawkins rounds out the main cast, as "Major Warden", the hard-nosed leader of the Allied Commando team assigned to blow up the just-finished Kwai railway bridge.

An interesting thing hit me a day after I finished watching this movie for the first time -I found myself re-living portions of the film over again in my head, and (of course) found myself whistling the unforgettably-sensational "River Kwai March" theme tune (aka "Colonel Bogey March"), which is something that's likely to stay with you for quite a long time. (The DVD Menus make sure you won't forget the melody either.)

Plus, the day after I saw it, I also found myself already beginning to appreciate the "timelessness" and award-winning flavor and grandeur of this epic-scale motion picture. And I even felt a strong desire to watch the whole 162-minute film all over again the very next day. When a movie can have that much impact on a viewer, what better compliment can there be to emphasize its greatness?

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released the 2-Disc edition of "The Bridge On The River Kwai" on November 21, 2000, and it's a great-looking DVD in all respects, in my opinion. Sporting a beautiful and colorful Anamorphic Widescreen print of the film, Disc One of this two-disc set contains the full-length film in its original CinemaScope aspect ratio of approximately 2.55:1. The lush quality of the photography shines through brilliantly here via this nice, crisp-looking Widescreen version. I'd hate to think of having to watch this movie in a hacked-to-pieces Pan-&-Scan Full-Screen version. Luckily, such torture is not required here, because the original Widescreen format is available on this DVD.

There are multiple Dolby Digital soundtracks to choose from for the movie -a 5.1 Surround track plus a 2.0 Surround option as well. Both of these tracks sound very good to me. Lots of subtitling options are available as well, plus an "Isolated Music Score" soundtrack too.

Several fulfilling bonus features take up residence on Disc #2, including a nicely-done 53-minute Making-Of documentary, as well as an original 1950s-era vintage behind-the-cameras featurette ("The Rise And Fall Of A Jungle Giant"), which has a satisfying old-time "nostalgic" feel to it.

While I very much enjoyed the "Jungle Giant" mini-featurette (which lasts for a little more than 6 minutes) for its unique behind-the-scenes type of footage -I couldn't help but scratch my head in bewilderment when the final portion of the program seemingly is cut off abruptly without explanation. The narration and video build the viewer's suspense, taking us right up to the brink of the dramatic one-take-only scene of the bridge being blown to bits, then there's a splice in the film just prior to seeing any behind-the-scenes stuff of the actual detonation, with the film then trailing off into its closing few seconds (an "epilogue" of sorts). Very odd I thought. Makes me wonder if that bridge-blowing sequence was somehow lost and not able to be recovered for some reason.

Additional DVD Extras --A "USC Short Film" (with an introduction by William Holden), which runs for just under 16 minutes. This is a kind of a "lesson" in filmmaking techniques, with "The Bridge On The River Kwai" used as an example of what goes into feature filmmaking. Lots of behind-the-scenes footage on the sets of "Kwai" is included here.

Another featurette on Disc 2 is "An Appreciation By Filmmaker John Milius". This is an 8-minute "appreciation" of "The Bridge On The River Kwai" by Mr. Milius, as he provides his personal thoughts on the film and its impact on him. Needless to say, he loves the movie. And his comments here are quite interesting too.

There are also four Theatrical Trailers included as DVD bonus material (including one for "River Kwai"). Plus -A 7-minute "Photo Montage" (on a musically-scored timed track, with "Pause" capability enabled). The "montage" was a slight disappointment to this writer, simply because it only includes photos of poster art and advertising materials for the film. No "publicity stills" are included at all. Which is kind of odd because a few such items are seen within the Making-Of documentary. Still, the filmed montage is done very nicely, with appropriate underscoring to add atmosphere.

Rounding out this healthy batch of DVD supplements is a "Talent Files" section, featuring brief text-only bios on five members of the "Kwai" cast and crew.

Also included as part of the 2-Disc "Limited Edition" DVD package is a collectible 12-page booklet, which is a replica (reprint) of the original 1957 souvenir book. The last page of the booklet is a DVD Scene Selection guide for the film's 40 chapters.

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"The Bridge On The River Kwai" took more than a full year to film and edit, finally making its debut in movie theaters on December 18, 1957. But that year spent in the Asian jungle was definitely worth it. Because what resulted from that strenuous year of sweat and gritty filmmaking was a true cinematic masterwork.

So, take this DVD for a spin soon .... and then watch yourself replaying much of the movie in your head the next day. For this is a DVD to treasure; and a movie to remember. For all time.

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Saturday Night Fever / Grease (2013)

I couldn't believe that two of my favorite movies were included in one package and for the best out there.

If you like John Travolta and you like musicals, you'll love these two movies. The music is a blast from the past and really good to listen and remember times past.

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Excalibur (2011)

It's tough to compress the 900-some-odd pages of text that Thomas Malory used to tell his story of Le Morte d'Arthur into 140 minutes of film, but director John Boorman and screenwriter Rospo Pallenberg give it a good shot. While it sometimes leaves out important details or compresses events in the interest of time, it can never be accused of playing fast and loose with the legend. However, the film also requires a bit of work on the part of the viewer to fill in some of the details, and it's obvious Boorman expects his viewer to be at least passing familiar with the traditions of the Arthurian legend (anyone unfamiliar with Arthur's fate after his death, for example, will be baffled by the film's final shot). So brush up just a bit before you sit down to this one.

With its darkened, cloud-streaked skies, lonely stone castles, eerie green lighting, (all caught in beautiful widescreen glory on the DVD), and effective use of the music of Richard Wagner, you won't find a moodier, more beautifully shot film. In fact, there are some downright breathtaking cinematic moments in this film, none more so than when Perceval hurls Excalibur back into the water, and Wagner's music swells just in time for the Lady of the Lake to make a dramatic clean catch. Great stuff.

It also helps that Nicol Williamson turns in a very game performance as Merlin, but it's Nigel Terry who carries the film in an underappreciated but wholly believeable interpretation of King Arthur. Terry leaves the scenery-chewing to Williamson, and anchors the film instead with a steady, understated performance. Look also for stars-in-the-making Liam Neeson as the jealous Gawain, and Patrick Stewart as Guenevere's father, Leodegrance.

EXCALIBUR has all the elements one expects in a fantasy, yet, in a sense, Boorman does for the sword-and-sorcery film what Sergio Leone did for the western: whereas prior horse operas showed cowboys riding across the desert and shuffing down dirt streets without a bit of sweat, and firing pistols that never drew blood, Leone made everyone look hot and sweaty, and showed that a Smith & Wesson could rip a real hole through your gut. Boorman does the same for the knight in this film -knights clunk around clumsily in heavy armor, get skewered on pikes, get their heads bashed in, and cough their guts out in bloody mud puddles. It all lends an air of veracity to the film that makes it all seem like It Could Really Have Happened This Way.

The widescreen format available on DVD gives this film the weight and heft it has long deserved, and there are some real gems lurking among the additional features -including a surprisingly cheezy, Grade B trailer, and a really great alternate soundtrack in which director John Boorman discusses the action and shares some behind-the-scene goodies (such as the fact that Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren couldn't stand each other, or that the actor playing the grown-up Mordred was actually a first-rate horseman).

Give this one a try.

Within my memory, there've been only a couple films featuring the legend of King Arthur. However, one of them released in 1981, EXCALIBUR, is the standard by which all others, past and future, must be judged. It's positively stunning in its excellence, and a must-see for any devotee of the tale.

In a sense, EXCALIBUR is more a story of Merlin than Arthur since Nicole Williamson's fabulous, unique portrayal of the former overshadows Nigel Terry's role as the latter. However, the film faithfully depicts the Arthurian legend from his conception and birth at Tintagel Castle, to his death at the hands of Mordred. In between are all the other elements of the story one would hope for and expect: Uther Pendragon, the Sword In the Stone, the Battle of Mount Badon, Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot, Guinevere, Sir Percival, the Quest for the Holy Grail, the Lady of the Lake, and Lady Morgana (a.k.a. Morgan La Fey).

A note of caution for parents of young children. At times, the film is intensely violent, bloody and sexual. (Gee, it sounds like any normal day at the office.) You are warned. And it's not a movie for squeamish adults, either.

The costuming is superb. The brilliant cinematography and film editing, combined with a magnificent soundtrack that includes "Carmina Burana" and "Tristan's Funeral March" at just the right scenes, make EXCALIBUR absolutely awe-inspiring. You'll want to watch it over and over. (I've talked myself into wanting to view it again right now!) The final scene is one you'll wish you could extract from your TV screen and frame, with sound.

Oh, my! What a cinematic achievement!

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This movie comes the closest of any theatrical rendition to capturing the grandeur and pageantry of Mallory's Le Mortre De Arthur. From opening scene to closing credits, this is one of the most well-done movies ever made. Boorman is at his best in its direction & the soundtrack is all Wagner. Who could ask for anything more? Also, unlike many other Arthur films (Such as First Knight) Excalibur addresses the entire scope of the legend instead of just one aspect. Fans will furthermore delight in seeing a young Liam Neason and a performance of Patrick Stewart from his mid-life years. This film is, quite simply, excellent.

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Late in the film, King Arthur is about to fight his last battle against his estranged son Mordred. His kingdom of Camelot is falling; the knights of the Round Table are disbanding; and Guinevere has entered a convent. In short, Arthur's world is collapsing. He rides to the nunnery to see Guinevere for the last time. And there, she produces the ancient timeless object hidden beneath some linen: the sword Excalibur, still gleaming, still magical, still potent to fight in the battle that Arthur cannot win. He sheathes Excalibur, and, in full knightly regalia rides with his remaining loyal knights through the English countryside, their pennants and banners flying in the wind. The fortissimo chorus of Carmina Burana accompanies their ride in perfect harmony, chanting the lyrics from the medieval poem "O Fortuna". This is the stuff of legend...

Artistic treatments of the Arthurian legends date back to illuminated codices from the Middle Ages. Thereafter the first, and one of the greatest, attempts to bring the stories into a novelistic form was written in the late 1400's by a knight, Sir Thomas Malory, entitled Le Morte d'Arthur ("The Death of Arthur") which is probably the most famous work of English letters proceeding Chaucer but before Shakespeare. Even later renditions include T.H. White's "The Once and Future King". By the 20th century, theatrical adaptations began appearing as well, including "Knights of the Round Table" (1953), Disney's "The Sword in the Stone" (1963), and the musical "Camelot" by Lerner and Lowe which was possibly the most popular rendition of the story before "Excalibur". These last renditions, although they have their appeal, cannot measure up to the movie "Excalibur" which was largely based upon Malory's original tome.

Many here have detailed very well the merits of the film, and since most people know the story, I will keep this short. The reason why this is the best of the Arthurian-based films is its imagery and its dedication to the original Arthurian myths. The entire look of the film, which I have not seen in a movie since, reeks of Medieval Legend. The lush forests, the huge castles, and the glittering swords give a visual and dream-like reality. This is NOT how it was in the Middle Ages. This is how people in the Middle Ages would have liked it to have been, which is the entire point of the Arthurian myths. The filmmakers of Excalibur understood that myth is about dreams.

Several moments in the film are inspired directly from Malory and earlier Medieval codices. For example, several Medieval illuminated manuscripts feature the hand of the Lady of the Lake bestowing the sword Excalibur to Arthur. Strangely this episode, which becomes an important theme throughout Excalibur, is lacking from other theatrical versions and yet it is central to the original myth. Another is the strange rhetoric that Arthur and the land are one, and when Arthur becomes ill, the land of his kingdom becomes barren. This concept was a widely held belief in the Middle Ages: that the sovereign was essentially married to the kingdom.

Another aspect that makes this film outstanding is the portrayal of Merlin by Nicol Williamson. This was possibly the best Merlin ever to come to the large screen. Some of the most humorous moments of the film occur with Merlin. Instead of being the absent-minded wizard of "The Sword in the Stone", he is the last of the Druids, a race giving way to Medieval Christians. Worth the price of admission. It is sad that he obtained very little recognition for this portrayal.

The fact is, a viewer either experiences "aesthetic arrest" with Excalibur, or he or she doesn't. If the scenes when the knights go riding through countryside with their pennants flying behind them doesn't give you the shivers, this is not and will never be your kind of movie. If Malory had lived to see this film, he would have been awed and proud. Malory gave Arthur to the world, and Excalibur gave Arthur back to Malory.

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Excalibur is the definitive Aurthurian film. Everything in this film is first rate. The scenery was grand. The castles and battlefields made it all seem real. The staging of the battle scenes was impressive. The fighting was convincing, like these battles were really taking place. They were, if anything, too bloody.

The acting was excellent too. Nicol Williamson did a great job of portraying Merlin. Merlin came across as wise, intimidating and stern, but caring. Nicholas Clay and Liam Neeson gave fine performances as the great knights Lancelot and Gawain. Nigel Terry managed his role of Arthur, but not as well as the others.

The soundtrack was magnificent. Boorman chose the right music for the right scenes. This music conveyed the varied moods of this film-mystery, excitement, sorrow, and exultation.

These elements come together amidst an epic taleA story of Rise, fall, and redemption; trust, betrayal, and revenge. This film is good enough to watch many times. Even when one becomes familiar with this version of the Arthurian legend, it is still worth watching for its' looks, sounds, and performances. It can stir the emotions of viewers even when they know exactly what to expect.

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Tears to Tiara

Having gotten other fantasy series like Tower Of Druaga, Sands Of Destruction, Rune Soldiers, an the like after seeing a few episodes of this entertaining series I knew I had to add it to my anime collection. The series is a nice mix of action, magic, drama, romance, and comedy put together nicely also the storyline is very well done for the most part. At first I was going to get the two box sets that were being sold but after seeing that this one would have the added features of and English dubbing with a voice cast I've heard before and knew were very good I decided on this set. The animation is very good as well as the soundtrack for the series and the voice cast as expected for the Japanese cast and English cast did their characters roles very well. The series comes in four dvd's put into one dvd case with a center spindle to stack all four dvd's on top of one another, I'm sorry I know everyone of the U.S. anime production companies is trying to reduce cost and save money but almost all the other companies at least have better cases for the anime series sets I mean they could spend a few pennies more and at least get a better case for some of these anime series box sets. Still regardless I'm very pleased to have added this enjoyable series to my other anime sets to watch and enjoy anytime I wish, but if you're still not sure or are on the line about the series I suggest checking a few episodes out on HULU or other sites to see and you might get shocked at how entertaining you truly find the series to be...

First of all the description of this anime is WRONG....The series IS ENGLISH DUB,not just Japanese audio. That was keeping me from buying this until I clicked the image of the collection and noticed it on the back of the case, I am now going to buy this series since I just found out and hope you do the same.

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In 2005, the Japanese PC tactical RPG video game "Tears to Tiara" was developed by Leaf and then released on the Sony PlayStation 3 console in 2008. It was not long after an anime adaptation of the video game would be shown on Animax Asia and then released by Sentai Filmworks.

"Tears to Tiara" is produced by White Fox, known for their work on Katanagatari and also their in-between animation work for series such as "Pokemon: Diamond & Pearl" and "Mobile Suit Gundam 00'. The anime series is directed by Tomoyuki Kobayashi ("Ichigo 100%", "Rozen Maiden", "Utawarerumono") and a screenplay by Touko Machida ("Lucky Star", "Wolf's Rain", "Samurai Champloo"). Music is by Takayuki Hattori ("Battle Athletes" "Slayers" films, "GTO", "Sister Princess") and character designs by Masahiko Nakata ("Utawarerumono, "Love Hina, "Sou Nanda").

Originally released earlier in the year on DVD from Sentai Filmworks with a Japanese soundtrack, the Blu-ray release has now been released and features a brand new English dub.

VIDEO :

At first, I wondered how the animation and art for "Tears to Tiara" would be, mainly for the fact that they have not done a major series before but only supplying in-between animation for major anime series. But overall, animation and art production by WHITE FOX was actually quite solid. One thing that helps with this series is that the tribe is constantly on the move, so there are a lot of scenes that are new for each episode. Character designer Masahiko Nakata has had experience working on adventure-based series such as "Utawarerumono" but has experience working on anime series such as "Comic Party", "Love Hina", "Soul Nanda" and many other titles.

So, for the most part, I think that the fact that the series has experienced people working on this series and that WHITE FOX is trying to promote their name as a major anime production company, it works in the favor for "Tears to Tiara" as the company doesn't have a their artists working on too many titles all at once. Overall, the animation and art backgrounds are well done and is featured in 1080p High Definition 16×9 Anamorphic Widescreen.

On the original DVD, I did notice some compression artifacting during some scenes and it appears that on Blu-ray, the series looks much better than its DVD counterpart. I do wonder if the episodes were split up into three or four discs, would the picture quality be any better? I did notice some areas where I saw a little artifacting but I was look for haloing and edge enhancement jaggies and I didn't see them. But overall, picture quality was very good and much better than the DVD.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

As for audio, the series is presented in English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Dialogue is clear and understandable and found it much better to have my receiver set on stereo on all channels. Voice acting is well done and a good number of talent with Makoto Ishii, Toru Ohkawa (known for the voice of Roy Mustang from "Fullmetal Alchemist" and Rufus Shinra of "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) and Yuki Goto (voice of Mikiru Asahina of "Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya") providing the voices of the main characters. There is more use of surround channels for the second half of the series. I didn't notice any LFE but for the most part, dialogue is crisp and clear.

As mentioned, the Blu-ray release features a new English dub soundtrack. And this is where I have a problem with this Blu-ray release. I am a believer that if you are used to doing British or Scottish accents or born speaking that way, that's great! But if you are not a native speaker of the language and you don't speak in an accent at all, then don't do it. Otherwise, forcing yourself to speak with an accent is not going to turn out well.

Earlier I mentioned, The story of "Tears to Tiara" is loosely based on the storyline of the Dark Age of Brittania, when the Gaels, Britons, Celts and Scots took on the Roman Empire. And I figured the ADR made the decision to have the voice talent speak in a British and Scottish accent. And unfortunately, I felt that the voice talent were not ready for this because some talked as if they went from speaking with an accent to vocals without one. It didn't work at all.

And as for Arthur...the Scottish accent was not too my liking. Some other accents for other characters didn't work, it wasn't working and unfortunately, I couldn't listen to the English dub track anymore. But with that being said, the English voice talent, these are veterans to anime series but when it comes to accents, no veteran is going to get the accent right if they are not used to talking that way for long periods of time and they get a hang of it. Many actors and actresses for major films are able to immerse themselves in the culture and eventually feel comfortable to speak that way but I'm guessing with schedules, nailing down accents were probably difficult to accomplish in a short amount of time.

Subtitles are featured in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Tears to Tiara" features the clean opening and closing animation and Sentai Filmworks trailers.

JUDGMENT CALL:

For the first half of "Tears to Tiara", the anime series has been quite enjoyable. It does remind me a lot of "Watarerumono" and also a little bit from the OVA series "Bastard". But one thing the series has done well during the first half is establishing storylines for the supporting characters.

Although the first episode featured a good amount of blood and violence, the other character driven episodes are more lighthearted, fun and humorous. I did enjoy the series and felt the first half was more lighthearted and fun, while the second half of the series became much more serious and in some ways, a different anime series because things become more glum and serious.

I haven't played the previous video games, so I can't comment on how close the anime series is to the video games but I have read that the anime series utilizes the voice actors for the Playstation 3 video game and the adaptation is quite close to the PlayStation 3 video game. As mentioned earlier, the artwork and animation is quite solid and the anime production studio WHITE FOX did a wonderful job for their first major anime series.

The Blu-ray version of "Tears to Tiara" definitely is an improvement over its DVD counterpart. It still is pretty much barebones in terms of special features but this time, the Blu-ray does feature both lossless soundtracks in English and Japanese. While I enjoyed the Japanese voice acting tremendously, I can't say the same about the English dub. Not because it was bad but you can tell the actors felt uncomfortable with their accents. It's not projected well in the anime series and at times, I felt the talent were going in and out of their accent back to their natural way of speaking. So, as much as I'm happy to know that the Blu-ray does come with an English dub, it's unfortunate that the poor accents for some of the characters didn't go so well with the series.

Overall, I did enjoy "Tears to Tiara". It's actually a pretty fun, adventure-based anime series in the first half and becomes another kind of beast with it becoming more serious and gloomy for the second half of the series and part of me wanted to see some of that fun, humorous style that I watched in the first 13 episodes.

If anything, Japanese RPG video game fans will more than likely appreciate the series because you can tell there will be many characters but how the writing definitely spends time with certain characters and getting them involved in the series, especially during battle.

But if you are looking for an adventure anime series and also enjoyed series such as "Utawarerumono" and "Bastard", definitely give "Tears to Tiara" a try !

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On the isle of Erin (Ireland) during the medieval era, there lived a tribe called the Gaels lead by the brother and sister team of Arthur and Riannon. One day while most of the village was out on a hunt, Riannon gets captured by the Goidelic people to be used as a sacrifice to revive the Demon King Arawn. Unfortunately for the summoners, upon awakening, Arawn decides side with Riannon instead of eating her. He then joins the Gael clan as their leader in the rebellion against the Divine Empire (Rome).

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this show. After I started watching it I found it was based on an Ero game and wondered if I was setting myself up for disappointment by continuing to watch it. But I was enamored by the often terrible accents and by Arawn, who continued to be an interesting and likable character throughout the series. The accents were darn fun to listen too, and they did get better as the actors got used to speaking with them. Riannon and Arawn were the worst offenders, but by the end of the series Riannon had one of the best accents, though Arawn was still inconsistent. Fortunately with Arawn, he speaks with such a light accent you almost don't notice when he stops using it for a bit.

The accents were my favorite part of the series, but even they wouldn't have been enough if the story had been bad. But the story was actually quite entertaining and surprisingly well developed. It is drenched with Welsh and Gaelic mythology with its own unique twists. As I said before, Arawn is a great character and surprisingly, Arthur is too. I even grew to like Riannon. Most of the rest of the cast is disposable and could have easily been cut out entirely *cough* all of the elves *cough*.

For a show based on an Ero game, I expected more romance and fanservice. I was pleased to see both kept to a minimum. Morgen is very scantly clad and Llyr's top rather form fitting, but this is about all the fanservice there was. And despite Riannon's obvious attachment to Arawn, nothing ever happens between them. I admit I found it quite weird, but refreshing.

There was plenty about this series I didn't much care for *cough* all of the elves *cough*, but the good outweighed the bad and I am glad that I watched it to the end. If you have any interest in Welsh and Gaelic mythology and don't mind a bunch of whiny cutesy elves, then I recommend giving this series a shot. And make sure to give the English dub at least one episode :)

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I like sorcery anime's with abit of hack and slash like Slayers and this is no exception, but I feel the dub takes the accent thing abit too far, but that's only a minor detail, the main character having all the women around him falling head over heels for him is intresting as well^^

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Black Robe

This is a very moving film about the clash of two radically different cultures. The young Jesuit priest, Father LaForgue, although very rigid in his belief system, sincerely wants to help the Native Americans by bringing them the Truth. But his message of paradise has no meaning for the Alogonquins, Hurons, and other tribes that he comes into contact with. They cannot understand why he has no woman. They fear him as a demon because he reads from books and makes strange signs (of the cross). He, in turn, believes they are living in darkness and must be saved. He is fearful of the vast forests where the devil reigns. There is a great deal of complexity in the character of Chomina, the Algonquin leader who fears the Black Robe but who feels honor bound to assist him. Father LaForgue is a tragic figure, so lonely and confused in the vast expanses of 'New France'. Why is he here, so far from his mother's comfortable drawing rooms? What does he hope to accomplish? The film is beautifully shot on location. A warning to the faint-hearted: there are some gruesome scenes in the film. Black Robe is a moving, balanced film with a profound spirituality.

There are remarkably few historical movies which give you the feeling of actually being in another time and place. In almost all costume dramas, however accurate the costumes and sets may be, the characters think, speak and act like people of the present day. The issues are modern issues, and the movies are colored by modern political correctness, and by romanticized and simplified views of the past.

Black Robe is a movie that makes you feel "this is how things really were." It shows both Native Americans and European settlers honestly in all their humanity and complexity. But the issues are 17th century issues, not 21st century issues. The movie is not self-concious, or preachy, or pushing a particular agenda. It's just telling a good story, and telling it very well.

This is perhaps the best and most accurate portrayal of Native Americans in any movie ever. They are shown neither as noble, politically correct, ecologically sound, wise heroes, nor as racist caricatures. They are shown as real people, and as individuals with their own personal concerns and opinions. There is no glossing over harsh living conditions, violence, brutality, torture, and superstition. But honor, loyalty, love, and closeness to nature are just as vividly present as are doubt, deception, self-interest, and cruelty.

The French are likewise shown in a real, accurate and believable way. The narrow-mindedness of the Jesuits and their perverse desire for martyrdom are shown along with their deep sincerity and courage. Colonial attitudes and the overwhelming role of religion in 17th century culture are there, but the characters are never caricatures. Neither European nor Native American religions are denigrated, but both are shown to have their flaws as well as their values.

The role of solemn ceremony in both cultures is vividly shown in some of the opening scenes an aspect of life which has almost disappeared in today's world. There is a feeling of vast distances, and slow, hard travel into the unknown which is likewise missing in our modern world of fast transportation and globalization. We get a sense of the smallness of human beings compared to the vast forests, mountains, and rivers of 17th century North America.

Highly recommended.

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Black Robe is a lush, incredibly deep, strikingly emotive motion picture, that tells the story of a young Jesuit priest's journey across the dense wilderness of seventeenth-century Quebec, undertaken while he simultaneously experiences a transformative test of his commitment to the stark way of life he has chosen. Which holds the greatest desire for him, a beckoning existence of ease and comfort amid relatives back in France; the possibility of earthly love; or service to God, that almost certainly includes a violent martyrdom?

Guided by his nation's Algonquin allies, the determined, idealistic young man of a privileged caste seeks to take up his assignment at a mission on the edge of "New France's" colonial frontier. As this decidedly quiet and cerebral epic unfolds, a journey of spiritual evolution takes this priest and his small band through numerous personal tests and into the face of many dangers, not merely from the unwelcoming savagery of the landscape itself, but from hostile aboriginals who welcome neither the Algonquians nor the European intruder into their homeland. What begins amid the opulence of Bourbon France becomes bluntly visceral with unsparing depictions of torture, bloodlust, rape, and death, and yet the way in which this tale is left to carry itself toward its most unforeseen climax is absolutely courageous.

There are too many noteworthy performances to list here, and any written description of the scenery within this film would fall flat. With its countless tiny moments that contrast cultures (Algonquians thinking the Frenchmen's' mechanical clock was somehow their king, since they lived by its motions) for the alternating bravery, sadism, devotions and loyalty of those characters within it, for its terrific story, and for its end to end flawless quality, I truly think Black Robe is among the greatest films shot in the 1990's, and might just be at the top of its particular genre.

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After watching and rewatching "Black Robe," I could not believe this film was more favorably received. Critics seem to have liked it. I never saw it released in Chicago or San Diego. How could such a masterpiece be buried? Bruce Beresford is an excellent director. Oddly enough "Driving Miss Daisy," the film most have seen and won a few Academy Awards pales in comparission to his previous films like "Breaker Morant," possibly the best courtroom drama ever made. Then Beresford brings out "Black Robe," a movie that takes a totally fresh vison of the American Indian. The acting is flawless. The French and the Indians, thrown togther, literally perceive different worlds and religions. The late Brian Moore, the author of the novel, wrote the screenplay, and he spares us very little of the harsh world view, the harrowing survival in the wilderness, the myth of the "Noble Savage," the realization of just how hard it was to make a colony foothold in the New World. You get the feeling, after watching this film, that there was no foothold, that the wilderness wins, and no religion or superstition can prevail under such conditions. Man, whether French colonist or Indian, when confronted with such hardships, rarely conquers the land. And what a glorious picture of Native Americans. Never has a movie given such a vivid, balanced picture of Indian life and attitudes. It is all about ambiguity. Good Redman? Bad Redman? We see examples of kindness and brutality on both sides. Few films can create and transport one into an entire new world and this is what Beresford has accomplished. In the wake of the so-called "realistic" portrayal of the Native Americans in "Dances With Wolves," "Black Robe" jumps light years ahead. "Black Robe" leaves most movie Indian portraits in its wake. How Beresford did this is a mystery. He avoids almost all cliches from previous movies and we see, brilliantly, his vision, a stark, brutal vision of what it was like to be alive in the 17th century wilderness. And what a beautiful wilderness, and as the winter sets in, one can feel the chill in the bones. The tent scenes are incredible, mixing humor, sex, and bewilderment on the part of the priest, who at first thinks he is in complete control and will save these "savages." In the end of this great movie, the young priest seems to have been converted partly to the superstitions that he previously condemned. His fearfully walks in the snow and ice, showing the landscape in a different light. Is nature really cruel? Or is it just man's perceptions? Is this where faith comes in, to face such hardships? That Berseford can squeeze questions such as these into an unflinching adventure flim is a triumph of a master film maker. Many moviegoers want to escape to an ideal world, with happy endings. "Black Robe," although not ending happily, presents us with a greater truth, a truth that will make us stronger for experiencing the vision unfolding before us. "Black Robe is one of the greatest historical dramas ever filmed.

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When I first saw this movie at the theatres more than 10 years ago, it made a profound impact on me. As I now have it my DVD library, I can watch this movie over and over again. Portraying a Jesuit priest's 1500 mile journey through the Canadian wilderness in the early 1600's, it is a story of God and demons, human relations, and our view of other cultures. It gives a wonderful insight into the minds of the Jesuits, how Europe came to conquer the "savages" and "save them" from their false believes. The filming is wonderful, the landscape and scenery stunning, and the performances very good. The movie does not wear silk gloves the harsh reality of the wilderness is showed in its true and brutal form. Here, only the strong survive, and you cannot be sure that God will save you. One of the best movies of the 90's, and a great preference over Dances with wolves.

Civilization (1969)

If you have never seen this series before and are interested in art history, you just landed in a honey jar. Clark takes us on a 1,500 year journey through Western Civilization starting roughly at the end of the Roman Empire and ending in mid 20th century. He tells us straight out that his aim was to follow the history of Western European civilization as seen through the eyes of its artists. Why the limitation to only Western European civilization? Apparently, Lord Clark wanted to keep the series to a manageable length. The series is over 13 hours long as it is, and one can only wonder what it would have gone on to become had he included the Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Asian, African and Pre-Columbian cultures. The mind boggles. With Civilisation, Clark has done an incredible job of showing us the amazing cultural legacy left by our European forebears. And at the end he reminds us that this is only a fraction of what was actually achieved. You will recognize many of these works. Others will not be so familiar. But they carry the weight of historical significance, and everyone with at least a four year college education should be aware of the general drift of Clark's presentation. He finished this program for the BBC in 1969. It was an immediate success and you can also find the book of the same name which was a popular spinoff of the series. I recommend it also. The series came along in the midst of some of the most tumultuous scenes of civic strife of the last 50 years. Against this background, Clark laid out his thesis that Western civilization has consisted of a series of catastrophes and rebirths. He indicates that our depression over the events of the twentieth century should not lead us into abandoning the cultural legacy which has been bequeathed to us. For example, if the Black Plague of the 14th century were to strike us with the same force it did before, over a hundred million Americans would die. The Thirty Years war devastated parts of Europe even worse than World War 2. And yet, the will to survive and rebuild society was always there. It is a prescient reminder for the current generation of thoughtful people.

Lucid, engaging, and comprehensive does not adequately describe Sir Kenneth Clark's magnificent survey into Western Civilization. For a series over 40 years old, the audio is remastered, the transfers are remarkably clean, and the content and opinions of the host hardly seem dated. Clark effectively interweaves music, art, science and architecture into a broad sweeping portrait that defines Western thought. For those critics who find Clark's praise for Western art either superficial or superfluous have probably been watching and listening to the typical PBS tripe directed to an audience with a junior high vocabulary with an attention span to match.

Clark is a splendid presenter and teacher whose enthusiasm for his work clearly shows. It's all here, from the ancient Greeks to the modern age (well actually, circa 1969 when the series was made), while "Civilization" is a wonderful introduction to the "humanities"--something that they used to teach in college, but now supplanted by courses and programs of dubious relevance and replete with politically correct content.

If you snoozed during your mandatory art or humanities courses in college or just found them as an opportunity to catch up on some other homework during lecture, let Sir Kenneth Clark explain to you why these things still matter today and help to define our culture and our lives. For slightly more than what you would pay for one class at a local community college, you can enjoy a most superlative achievement in truly "higher education."

Unlike the virtually unletterd commentators and hosts on the "History Channel" who apparently utter a profound "Wow, cool!" every time they are confronted with some architectual wonder or historical artifact, Clark's presentation, scholarly but never "stuffy," is a refreshing and welcome antidote.

Clark's remarks and insight are as on target as they are illuminating--see the installment featuring Michaelangelo and the Renaissance and you will understand why. Now, if only the BBC would release Alistair Cooke's "America" with Region 1 encoding for all of us to enjoy on this side of the pond...

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In March 2001 I reviewed the VHS version of this classic. In recent years, I have lobbied for its release in the US in DVD. I joined Steve Lubetkin's blog last year to lobby the BBC, and now it is here. It is remarkable that this work of art about works of art has stood tall all these years against the plethora of programming that has sought unsuccessfully to surpass it. For all of us who know this series so well, it is not just a program; it is a document that families should pass on as necessary for a liberal education. Since it first came to America in the late '60's, nothing has married art, music, literature and a literate world view in the way Lord Clark showed us it was possible to do. That you may not share all his "personal views" is irrelevant. What matters is that what he puts before you will change and enlarge you. This must not be missed.

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"Civilisation, A Personal View" by Kenneth Clark

Created in the 1960,s, this series continues to be a classic television series for those who want to be informed and entertained by a highly, knowledgeable and respected art historian, Kenneth Clark.

Mr. Clark does assume that he is talking to a viewer, who is educated, well-read, and has passionate interest in the history, issues, and flow of western civilization from the end of ancient Rome until the 1960's. As the subtitle, "A Personal View" and his commentary makes perfectly clear, he is presenting his knowledgeable view of the history of western civilization. Drawing upon his years of study and experience, his presentations are carefully crafted to have balance as well as clearly presenting his own personal analysis and conclusions as others. It is obvious that he is not in the entertainment business, but his manner is one of a learned host who is presenting an overview of western of civilization from the point of view of its art. The breath and depth of the subject matter is excellent and is highly recommended today as it was 30 years ago.

Finally, this excellent series is now available on DVD. On the technical side, the image quality DVD is in general very good but it is unfortunate that there are some scenes that do not have the quality that this series deserves.

(At bit of trivia One of the supporting actors in a brief scene from Hamlet is none other than Patrick Stuart.)

----------> Blu-ray Version Update (March 21, 2013)-Did NOT work.

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Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

(In fact 4.5 Stars) Though 'Howl's Moving Castle' ('Hauru-no Ugoku Shiro') may not be Miyazaki's best film, it is still far more enjoyable than many other films, Japanese or American, animated or not. I for one very much enjoyed watching it, and I love the film for its interesting characters and the rich textures of the designs, especially the fantasy world itself where witchcraft and humans' mundane works can be seen side by side. And the titular six-legged castle that really walks among the wilderness is something you never see except in his films.

Miyazaki's new film is based on a book of the same title written by Diana Wynne Jones. The film's story is told from the viewpoint of a 18-year-old girl Sophie, who is working at a milliner's shop every day. But she can hear the sound of bloody battles from the distance, and it is clear that this beautiful country, where witches and wizards live among humans, is going to see another war sooner or later.

But apparently Sophie is still leading an ordianary life until her uneventful routine days are suddenly broken by one accidental meeting with wicked 'Witch of the Waste,' who turns her into an old woman with a curse. Seeking for her place to live, Sophie goes to the wilderness where, the townspeople say, a young wizard named Howl wanders. In fact, Sophie encounters Howl's Moving Castle in the foggy moutainside, and she decides to hop in. There, forbidden to talk about her curse, she starts a new life with young and handsome Howl, who speaks to her kindly like a prince, but at times acts like a spoiled child.

[MIYAZAKI'S LOVE STORY] You will be impressed with many fantastic and colorful images created by Miyazaki. You might find an anti-war message deep in the film's story, but will find the romantic relations between Sophie and Howl is the most touching and impressive part of the film. Sophie's romantic feeling towards Howl is expressed in a unique way (which I don't disclose here), and Miyazaki, as usual, is very good at drawing the character of this independent heroine. One interesting thing is, probably this is the first case in which Miyazaki attempted to show a love story in his films. And a kiss too.

I must say that not everything works in 'Howl's Moving Castle.' I haven't read the original book, but it is obvious that Miyazaki made changes. Not that I'm blaming them. But the story is sometimes told too hurriedly, and when you think something (actions or whatever) will start, it ends abruptly. Howl's character is full of contradictory traits, that's good, but his complicated personality could have been more effective and convincing with more detailed episodes about, say, his mentor magician (and politician) Madam Suliman or Witch of the Waste.

(If I am not mistaken, 'Howl's Moving Castle' is a rare case for Miyazaki who prefers to use his own stories, and this is the first time he adapts someone else's story in 15 years, last time being 'Kiki's Delivery Service. But 'Kiki's' story written by Eiko Kadono is not long -I know, I read -while 'Howl's' story is, I think, much longer. Maybe these facts have soemthing to do with my complaint.)

Greatly helped by Jo Hisaishi's beautiful score, 'Howl's Moving Castle' is full of imaginative power, with one strong heroine you can relate to (though she is 90-years-old), plus memorable supports including fire damon Calcifer, (not a bad guy at all), and ubiquitous Prince Turnip who always appears at the right moment. Flawed, to be sure, but enjoyable fantasy tale with a healthy amount of humor and lots of imagination.

The review above refers to the original Japanese version. I know the English version includes the voices of Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, and Billy Crystal, but as I have never seen the version, I did not talk about them. Still, as Mr. Miyazaki is not likely to approve any changes done to his films, I hope what I saw in Japan, you will see in your country.

Not a lot of directors would be brave enough to take on a love story between a girl-turned-old-lady and a wizard missing a vital organ. But Oscar-winning Hayao Miyazaki tackles a new fantasy realm in in "Howl's Moving Castle" -namely, that of fantasy dowager Diana Wynne Jones.

Sophie (Emily Mortimer) is a plain, unhappy young woman working in a milliner's shop -lightened only slightly by a mysterious wizard who rescues her one day. But then the evil Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall) comes into the shop, and casts a spell on her, turning her into an ancient old lady (Jean Simmons). Sophie ends up wandering into the Moving Castle, a chicken-legged chaos machine, and encountering the sexy if childish wizard Howl (Christian Bale), smart-aleck fire demon Calcifur (Billy Crystal), and preteen apprentice Markl (Josh Hutcherson).

Sophie appoints herself the cleaning lady and starts whipping the castle into shape, trying to deal with Howl's temper tantrums and the war brewing all around them, and trying to cure her peculiar curse. But when she runs an errand to a castle in Howl's place, she finds that her new boss has some sinister problems of his own -including his missing heart, and impending transformation into a monster.

Don't expect much fidelity to the novel; Miyazaki takes plenty of liberties with the story. As a result, it feels more like his story than Jones', with all the earmarks he usually has -blobby monsters, colorful rural settings, intense anti-war messages, strange machines, and a Jules-Verne atmosphere of Victorian technology. But "Howl's Moving Castle" is very different from the others Miyazaki has done, since he kept the British flavour of the original book.

It's also different because it's a love story -and a surprisingly un-cheesy one. In less skilled hands, having Howl say "I finally found something worth protecting. It's you" would seem inane, but Miyazaki keeps it brief and powerful. And even though Sophie looks elderly through most of the movie, Miyazaki never falls into trite observations about inner beauty. He just lets the story tell us that.

The animation is virtually flawless, from the chaotic absurdity Moving Castle to the breathtaking aerial battles with the bird-man Howl. Tiny details are everywhere, from painted ceiling beams to elaborate doorknobs. But there are also quiet, entertaining moments, such as Sophie attempting to houseclean the entire Moving Castle. Calcifur is the one sore point -he's not done badly, but he looks vaguely artificial. I suppose a fire demon is hard to animate.

There are a few flaws, in that the story could have used a bit more fleshing out -at times the relationships between the characters are sketchy. Not much detail, for example, is given about sorceress Suliman (Blythe Danner) and her relationship to Howl, or why she's so peeved at him. Or about the nature of Howl's increasingly dangerous magic and why he did what he did to lose his heart.

While there are the usual "howls" that the English dubbing is inferior to the original Japanese, the assorted voice actors did exceptional work in the American version. Christian Bale and Billy Crystal are the major standouts -Crystal is funny and dry as usual, while Bale is sultry, sexy, soft-spoken and deep. Except, of course, when Howl runs around the house shrieking that his hair is ruined.

"Howl's Moving Castle" moves on a little too fast in places, but it's still a breathtaking, romantic, colorful ride. A wonderful story, told by one of the few filmmakers who could do it justice.

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Probably many people find the story confusing. I felt the same thing when I saw it in the theater for the first time! The story seemed arbitrary and I couldn't connect the pieces together. But when I watch it again on the DVD, I realize the movie is probably about one thing: personal freedom.

Howl is a free person. He doesn't has a heart and even his home (which is usually characterized as a stable point in one's life) can move :-) He is disguised as different wizards in different counties, and when Sophie asks him how many identities he has, he said "Enough to guarantee my freedom". When Sophie confronts Suliman, she comments Howl as "selfish and cowardly and unpredictable, but he's straight as an arrow. He only wants to be free." But in Miyazaki's world, nothing is black and white. According to Suliman, Howl's power is too great for a person without heart, and he will eventually becomes a monster (some political figures come to my mind).

Sophie, on the other hand, is bounded by responsibilities. She is young, but her heart is old. She refuses the invitation from her friends and keep working at the hat shop. When her sister asks her "Are you going to spend your life in that shop?" She replies "It meant so much to papa. Besides, I'm the eldest.". Even her sister asks her to "look out for yourself".

When Sophie is turned to an old lady, it actually set her free because the good thing of being old is that one has "so little to lose" She becomes more adventurous and takes control of her life. She is very assertive as being the cleaning lady in Howl's castle and even tames Calcifer to cook her food. For Howl, his turning point comes when he refuses to move his castle anymore (I'll leave it to the reader as why he does that) By the end of movie, he regains his heart. He feels terrible because it is like "trapped under a stone". And Sophie says, "Yes, a heart is a heavy burden".

There are other wonderful things in the movie. For example, this is probably one of the few movies that tell me what it is really like to be old. But I do want to highlight the thread about personal freedom as it will help you to tie up the pieces of the story.

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Not a lot of directors would be brave enough to take on a love story between a girl-turned-old-lady and a wizard missing a vital organ.

But Oscar-winning director/writer Hayao Miyazaki tackles a new fantasy realm in in "Howl's Moving Castle." In this case, it's the world of fantasy dowager Diana Wynne Jones, and he wraps the storyline in humor, romance and genuine flair. No, it's not faithful. But it is fantastic.

Sophie (Emily Mortimer) is a plain, unhappy young woman working in a milliner's shop. But then the evil Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall) comes into the shop, and turns her into a hobbled old lady (Jean Simmons). Sophie ends up wandering into the Moving Castle, a chicken-legged chaos machine, and encountering the sexy, immature wizard Howl (Christian Bale), smart-aleck fire demon Calcifur (Billy Crystal), and preteen apprentice Markl (Josh Hutcherson).

Sophie appoints herself the cleaning lady and starts whipping the castle into shape, trying to deal with Howl's temper tantrums and the rapidly deepening war. And, of course, trying to de-curse herself. But when she runs an errand that Howl is too scared to deal with, she finds that her new boss has some sinister problems of his own -including a missing heart.

Don't expect much fidelity to the humorous fantasy novel. Miyazaki takes plenty of liberties with the story, leaving out characters and adjusting others. As a result, it feels more like his story than Jones', with the earmarks of his style -blobby monsters, colorful rural settings, intense anti-war messages, strange machines, and a Jules-Verne atmosphere of Victorian technology. But "Howl's Moving Castle" is very different from the others Miyazaki has done, since he kept the British flavour of the original book.

Moreover, it's a love story. Miyazaki has vaguely touched on romance in prior movies, but here it's full-blown, and surprisingly un-cheesy. In less skilled hands, having Howl say "I finally found something worth protecting. It's you" would seem inane. In Miyazaki's hands, it's not. And even though Sophie looks elderly through most of the movie, Miyazaki never falls into trite observations about inner beauty. He just lets the story show it.

Not that it's all lovey-doviness -Sophie's housecleaning and Calcifur ("Sophie, help! I'm going out!") provide plenty of amusement. And the animation is as close to flawless as you can get, from the chaotic absurdity Castle to the breathtaking aerial battles that Howl swoops in on. Tiny details are everywhere, from painted ceiling beams to elaborate doorknobs. Calcifur is the one sore point -he's not done badly, but he looks vaguely artificial.

There are a few flaws in that the story could have used a bit more fleshing out -at times the relationships between the characters are sketchy. Not much detail, for example, is given about sorceress Suliman (Blythe Danner) and her relationship to Howl, why she's so peeved at him. And it's a bit hard to comprehend why Howl's condition would turn him into a monster bird.

And while there are the usual "howls" that the English dubbing is inferior to the original Japanese vocal work, the American voice actors did exceptional work. Christian Bale and Billy Crystal are the major standouts -Crystal is funny and dry as usual, while Bale is sultry, sexy, soft-spoken and deep. Except, of course, when Howl runs around the house wailing that his hair is ruined.

"Howl's Moving Castle" moves on a little too fast in places, but it's still a breathtaking, romantic, colorful ride. A wonderful story, told by one of the few filmmakers who could do it justice.

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Well before HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, Hayao Miyazaki had established himself as the finest creator of feature length animated films in the history of cinema. So pointing out that this marvelous film isn't quite as good as his very best work really isn't very illuminative. He has done at least three or four films that are better, but that cannot be said of any other animator. This film suffers only by comparison with his own work, not with that of anyone else.

A number of Miyazaki's films have been set in non-Japanese settings, so this one's being imagined in a vaguely European locale really isn't terribly unique. In every other way, this is an exceedingly typical Miyazaki creation. There is, for instance, the preoccupation with flying, fields of non-identical flowers that wave in the breeze (each drawn separately by hand and not computer), richly detailed landscapes, and eccentrically designed rooms. There is hardly a moment in this film that isn't a delight to gaze upon.

In two ways this film stands comparison with anything that Miyazaki has done. First, he has created a host of astonishingly vivid and convincing characters. What is marvelous about them is that none of them are simple, but are wonderfully complex and often deeply flawed. Howl of the title is a powerful sorcerer, horrified by the absurd war being waged in the land, but in danger himself of turning into a giant bird of prey. He is struggling with sanity, infected by the insanity that he sees throughout the world. The central character, Sofia, begins the movie a young, simple girl who embroiders hats in a hat shop, but who is turned into an extremely old woman by a witch's spell. Through the rest of the film the spell waxes and wanes, sometimes maintaining completely the illusion of her being ancient, but sometimes in sleep restoring her completely to her youth. At times she appears a blend of old crone and young girl. There is also a extraordinarily well-conceived scarecrow that lays claim to be the finest such creation since THE WIZARD OF OZ. There is even an animal, a dog that is the utter antithesis of all the too cute, too loud sidekicks that populate the Disney films. Almost immobile, unexpressive, he can't even quite bark, but can only manage a bit of a wheeze.

The second way the film stands out is visually. With one exception, every aspect of this film is magical and unique. For instance, the scarecrow is fascinating to watch at every moment, despite the fact that except for being able to hop about on its post as if it were mounted on a pogo stick, it is incapable of facial expressions or moving either arms or hands or legs. As usual in Miyazaki, every aspect of nature is vibrant and alive, but even more than in previous films his interiors are stunning. Each room is filled with bric-a-brac and personal items that make them feel actual and lived-in unprecedented in animation.

So why does HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE fall short of Miyazaki's very best work, even while it surpasses the work of most others? There are two reasons. First, Calcifer the Fire Demon, at least in the English version (I have not seen the Japanese original), is both uninventively drawn and poorly voiced by Billy Crystal. The drawing I dislike because in contrast with everything else in the movie, Calcifer is drawn as an orange blob with eyes and mouth, a hunk of poorly differentiated color in contrast with everything else onscreen, which is carefully nuanced and hued. It is one of the least imaginatively executed characters in all of Miyazaki. I love Billy Crystal, and have thoroughly enjoyed his work way back in the days of SOAP to the present, but he just wasn't appropriate for this film. His loud, somewhat brash New York accent simply didn't mesh with all of the others. The second major problem I had the film was the last quarter of the story. At a certain point the story lost both its coherence and its pacing, and failed to maintain pace with the earlier parts of the movie. The movie did not fall apart, but neither did it remain equally marvelous throughout.

One other element in the film was both a delight and a mild disappointment: the Castle itself. Visually, this is one of the most amazing things one will see in an animated film, and the magical door that allows one to exit in any of four places suited it perfect. The only problem is that we don't get to see much of the interior. Virtually the entire action is kept inside one room in which all seem to eat and sleep. I wanted Sophie to explore!

These minor points aside, I enjoyed this film very nearly as much as I have any of Miyazaki's other films. If you are a Miyazaki fan, it is highly unlikely that you will have any reaction other than sheer delight, and if have not seen Miyazaki before and love this one, you will be delighted to learn that he has done even better.

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Open Season 3 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

We enjoyed Open Season 1 & 2, accepting that Open Season 2 was not voiced by the original actors but still quite enjoyable. Open Season 3 had no redeeming features. The story might have been enjoyable but the voice acting was so horrible we couldn't finish watching the movie. Do not buy this movie, if you must see it, wait for it to be brought to t.v.

The third version was only mildly entertaining. Granddaughter (11) liked it, but again, this is one time rent not buy movie.

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Nothing like the first 2, do not waste your hard earned money on this DVD, wait and see it on TV for free. Story was boring and stupid.

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Light years below the first two films in writing, directing and character developement. The movie was filled with holes in the plot that even my 9 y/o could see through. She thought it was funny in some places, but even then, most of the obvious set-ups for jokes where not funny and there where several mis-fires. She hated the spitting Llama who just plain drools and slobbers. Combined the slobbbering with his "South American" accent and it is hard to understand what he is saying most of the time. Elliot the deer is, by virtue of the story, a non-existant factor and the chemistry between him and Boog the bear that helped make the others successful is completely gone. The dialogue is meandering and forced. Don't waste your money. Rent it or wait for it to come out on television.

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We kept yawning while watching this Sony stinker. It's probably the worst digitally-animated movie we've ever seen, and we've seen all the biggies. BUT, we did give it 2 stars and not one because it does have a few fun scenes. But, those fun scenes are too few. It's really lacking adult humor. Kids MAY enjoy it (we've got none so we can't comment). Please, don't waste your money on this movie unless you're sure your little ones might like it.

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The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) (1935)

I just ordered the Criterion Hitchcock "set" which includes "The 39 Steps", a movie I've watched many times over the last 20 years, but NEVER in a form this crisp and well-transfered; it's been restored beautifully, and as with all the films("My Man Godfrey" and "The Lady Vanishes", to name two)that have been kicking around with duped, grainy, fuzzy prints for the last 60-some years that were FINALLY restored-it's almost like watching a new movie-even if you'd thought you'd memorized all the dialogue and action! There's just so much that's missed in a bad print. Here, we have Hitch at his finest....there just isn't a dull second in this film. It's really as sure-fire as any movie ever made, in terms of entertainment. I believe this too was Hitchcock's first huge breakout international hit, although happily for us, he didn't "go Hollywood" for another 3 years or so(and gave us the later "Lady Vanishes"-another Criterion must-have).

One caveat: if you're like me(hopeless film buff), you often get these Criterions for not only the fantastic quality of the print but for the often illuminating audio tracks, usually provided by experts of one type or another; I've never quibbled with any of them before, but I have to say, don't expect Marion Keane's wall-to-wall droning to be worth it. There's generally two kinds of film "discussion"(not counting the sort where the actual director or actors gab, which we get with new films): the sort that's superb, like Rudy Behlmer's on "Adventures of Robin Hood"-an amalgam of film history, film technique, on-the-fly biographies of the actors you're watching, tidbits about the production locations, etc.etc.-nd then there's the OTHER kind:

film "semiotics". In other words, a commentator turns a smashing, hugely exciting and entertaining movie into a dull excercise in psychoanalysis. Virtually NOTHING is said about any of the particulars of "The 39 Steps" that isn't a parsing of the symbolism, the framing, that sort of thing. That stuff's there, of course, and I'll hand it to her that the speaker *does* mention Robert Donat's acting several times(it's excellent, of course!)-but you know, for all her blather about the poignancy of the scene of the Crofter's wife, you'd think that she might bother to tell us the actress' name(Peggy Ashcroft), the fact that this was one of her few films, that she was a huge stage star eventually, etc. The sort of thing that other audio tracks do so well.

If you don't get the Criterion Edition, you will be getting an inferior transfer of this film: fuzzy images, fuzzier sound...yuck! The "bad" transfers include the one that Tony Curtis introduces.

Again, look for the Criterion Edition.

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A stylish blend of mystery, romance and light humor, "The 39 Steps" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's finest achievements. Unfortunately, the public-domain status of this 1935 classic has resulted in plenty of inferior video copies at cheap prices. Avoid them! You're better off purchasing the Criterion release, which features a stunning 35mm print and some nice bonuses. "The 39 Steps" represents the highpoint of Hitchcock's British period and should be seen in the best possible quality. In terms of value for money, the Criterion version remains second to none.

Read Best Reviews of The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) (1935) Here

One of his masterpieces! From 1935.. "The Thirty Nine Steps" has Hitch's trademark style all through it.An innocent man gets involved with spies and counter spies. He is at the music hall, watching a "Memory Act"(which is quite a scene in itself),there's a gun shot, panic erupts and everyone runs out. A mysterious woman attaches herself to him and comes home with him. She reveals she is spy and others are after her. She mentions the mysterious "Thirty Nine Steps", and the next morning he finds her dead. He goes on the run for fear he will be implicated in the murder and in order to prove his innocence he must uncover this spy ring on his own. His path is fraught with danger, suspense and of course a beautiful woman. It stars Robert Donat,Madeline Carroll(you know how Hitch loved those beautiful cool blondes!), and Lucie Mannheim(as Annabela the spy).Also look for his trademark staircase scene.

Looking for Hitch: Less than 10 minutes in, you'll spy him. What a litter bug!

A must have to add to any Hitch collection...enjoy...Laurie

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Five stars in all might make me sound like an easy-to-please viewer, but I don't see how this DVD could be better. Criterion never disappoints, so if you're buying this film it's worth paying extra for this one. I believe the transfer is way superior and the extras go on longer than an awards night.

The documentary focuses on Hitchcock's British films, which aren't as widely seen these days and also a complete radio broadcast from 1937. Talk about diggin' up some material! I also enjoyed the commentary and that press book stuff. I'm not even sure I've seen it all. Actually, I'm still not sure what The 39 Steps really is exactly, but who cares? I pity people who don't watch certain movies because they're old and black & white. The reason people should see this film is because no one can make a film like this anymore. This is a great film, don't miss it.

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Set It Off (2009)

Four Black women struggling with trying to keep afloat and fighting off the biting sharks of poverty: One a single mother, another a single woman raising her only sibling: a brother, another who was wrongfully terminated from her position as a bank teller after a robbery-gone-bad, and another just fed up with her position working for Luther, the foul-mouthed owner of his own janitorial company. For each of their own individual reason, they all band together and decide to pull their own bank heist. Disguised in wigs and clear masks, they coolly and calmly walk into banks and demand money. To make matters more complicated, Stoney {Pinkett} meets and begins to fall for a branch manager played by Blair Underwood. While working for Luther, the discover he runs out with their money, and now they have to "hit" the bank one more time. With the police hot on their trail, the ill-conceived robberies fly out of control. This movie is filled with emotion, honesty, and a tragic ending. Guest appearances by Dr Dre as Black Sam and Dub-C as one of the bank robbers. This movie is a real crowd pleaser!!!

F. Gary Gray is one of the most talented directors today (not black directors, but director, period!) A film major, I look forward to the day I meet him.

I can't watch this movie when I am down, because it will make me think life just ain't worth living. It has a very very depressing ending. But overall, the narrative was excellent. Each one of the girls had a motive, whether it was directly indicated or not. Black intellects trash this movie because they see it as trapping African Americans in the Boyz N the Hood genre (which was also an excellent film). But they fail to see there are so many stories within the inner cities of African Americans. It is not just about robbing banks, gangs, or drugs, it is out survival, loyalty and frienship. Which I think mainstream America really does not understand and why I think so many black women go to jail for protecting their men involved in illegal activities.

Not to veer off the subject, but set it off is about loyalty and true friendship, (just like waiting to exhale, just a different neighborhood) with a fresh twist. Hats off to F. Gary Gray!

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The issue with the story is that greed is bad. It's also a story about love, a universal subject. There are two different types of love here: heterosexual and homosexual, which is great because people should be true to themselves not just so they'll sleep well at nights, but so that they'll attract people who'll love them the way they are. I love that Blair Underwood and Jada Pinket-Smith have great chemistry. It's so beautiful to watch. I love that they talk about trying different delicacies, which is great because diversity is a great thing. I also love that they talk about their accomplishments because we should all have positive goals. Queen Latifah's character and her partner were great together. I took out a star because a major theme of the film is about robbing banks, which is a very bad idea. It's also a film about stereotyping people, which is a bad thing to do. So in a nutshell, diversity is amazing, different types of love are amazing, stereotyping people is wrong and don't rob banks.

Read Best Reviews of Set It Off (2009) Here

A great movie with a great cast, this movie shows what can happen when you push a black woman to her last straw. From the beginning to the end this movie shows how easily one can be profiled as a criminal just by the company she keeps. Like how one of the characters were surrounded and killed by the SWAT team just because he had the same hair cut as one of the bank robbers. And he was a soon-to-be college student. There is a lot of emotions shown in this movie when the it takes you into each characters personal life and thier reasons for robbing the bank. Don't get me wrong there are no reasons for committing a crime like a bank robbery but their stories are compelling. The ending is sad, even though there was a bright side to the ending. It kind've teaches you a lesson about friendship and material things.

The acting was fantastic, you almost felt like the characters were real individuals(of course that is the point of acting). Queen, Jada, Kimberly, and Vivic really make this movie come to life. I would watch this movie all day everyday, just because it's so great.

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The is the best movie I have ever seen dealing with the following themes: Friendship, Loyalty and Trust. Even though the movie is about crime, these themes dominate the plot. The girls' commitment to each other and loyalty to their cause is very impressive. Also the director of the movie deals with these themes in a easy, playful and humourous manner, even though the girls' couse is a risky and dangerous one. This keeps the audience interested. There is no dull moment or lousy scene in this movie.

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