My Afternoons with Margueritte (2010)

Gerard Depardieu is back...and this time in a sensitive, enchanting film about the beauty of a friendship between a nearly illiterate man and an elderly woman with a deep affection for books. Sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons play and interact, the woman elegant, wise, but going blind senses the honest heart of the man beside her, the character played by Depardieu. She warms up to him and vice versa. They end up loving each other, but not in the conventional way. She reads books aloud to him and finds out that he is an especially good listener.

It's not just about the love of books, it's about the love of loves. In an age where too many movies celebrate violence and sex, this is a gentle change of pace. And let me add that Giselle Casadesus who plays the lead character is a sensation.

Based on a novel by Marie-Sabine Roger, MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE is pleasant, (mostly) family-friendly escapism that serves as a reminder to the young-at-heart who think they know it all. It's the uncharacteristic love story between Germain Chazes (played by Gerard Depardieu) and Margueritte (Gisele Casadesus), two neglected souls who share a park bench in a chance meeting where they talk about the pigeons. Immediately, the elder Margueritte takes a pleasant enough shine to Germain, who's viewed by the locals as a bit of a buffoon. Raised by a mother he believes never loved him, Germain lacked any real affection as a child. In flashbacks, we're shown that throughout his school days he was ostracized by students and teachers alike. He never quite `fit in' with any of his relationships, and, as a consequence, he strongly responds to Margueritte's courtesies. They continue to meet over the next several weeks, wherein the senior agrees to read to him from the books of her personal library.

In short, AFTERNOONS is an oddly effective `coming of age' story for both the principles. Margueritte at her advanced age lives what's left of her days in an assisted living community, where she's holed up with her books, rarely visited by her own family. By contrast, Germain sees the world plainly, engaging in such elementary tasks as naming each of the park's pigeons he feeds based on their observed behaviors. Margueritte becomes smitten by his honest (if not poetic) simplicity, and he slowly begins to realize he may be as "simple" as he's often dismissed himself. Like in any positive relationship, the two come to understand one another in unique ways that brings greater happiness to their lives, even though others scoff at the time they spend together.

Also, there's an odd narrative parallel running between two distinct love stories: (1) Germain and Margueritte, and (2) Germain and Annette (played by Sophie Guilleman), his legitimate girlfriend from town. There's the obvious generational difference between the simpleton and his elderly suitor-of-sorts, but there's a second one between Germain and Annette, who appears (at least to me) about 30 years his junior. The much-older-man with the much-younger-woman doesn't factor as prominent, but it's clear that the townsfolk have no reservations about those affections; by contrast, Germain receives much good-spirited "ribbing" for spending so much time with the old woman. I believe the statement made here is that it's odd how some relationships are accepted, if not encouraged, while others are frowned upon and the source of scorn.

In the end, Germain sees it as love. To be perfectly honest, it probably is, though it may not be the form most folks expect between a man and a woman. Also, given the fact that he's portrayed a bit as the village idiot, one could reasonably question whether it is or not. In the end, it doesn't matter, for, when you're exploring matters of the heart, all that really matters is what the two `lovers' feel. In that estimate, AFTERNOONS are worth spending in the comfort of your soul mate, and these two have definitely found one another.

MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE was produced by ICE3, K.J.B. Production, France 3 Cinema, Studio Canal, DD Productions, and a host of others. DVD distribution is being handled domestically by New Video Group. It all looks and sounds solid. Artistically, I had some trouble with Germain's flashbacks; they were filmed in the same fashion as the present-time parts of the narrative, and it would've been nice had the director chosen to set them apart visually a bit because, the first time it happened, I assumed we were in present day ... until the school boy answered to his name. It's a mild hiccup, but I thought it worth mentioning. No significant special features to speak of; a commentary might've been nice, but, alas, it wasn't meant to be.

RECOMMENDED. It's not a big picture. It isn't necessarily elegant or boldly dramatic in any particular way. Still, MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE is a pleasant enough diversion one exploring a chance encounter that turns into an effective if unconventional relationship for both parties brought to life convincingly by the two leads. It may not change the way you live your own life, but it just might make you think twice when you happen across an elderly spinster sitting on a park bench.

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the good folks at New Video Group provided me with a DVD screener copy of MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE for the expressed purposes of completing this review.

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So amiable, pleasant, and likable--the French confection "My Afternoons with Margueritte" is pretty hard to resist. The film is set in a provincial town where everyone knows everyone else's business and the citizenry is populated with an expected assortment of eccentric character types. At the heart of the film is Gerard Depardieu playing, essentially, the village idiot. As a functional illiterate with a penchant for saying the wrong thing, most of the town laughs along with his antics. People like him, but he is taken primarily as comic relief. His tumultuous relationship with his mother hints at something a little darker beneath the surface and we see glimpses, both past and present, of a less genial life story. But we never dwell on anything too serious in this breezy little film.

But what of Margueritte? She is an elderly woman from a local home that has a chance encounter with Depardieu in the park. They bond over pigeons, and soon their one-time meet morphs into a regular encounter. She shares her love of books with him as she reads aloud and encourages him to embrace that it's never too late too learn. As their bond deepens into a loving friendship, there are a few stumbling blocks. It's all rather predictable, but always very sweet as well. I suppose it would have been very easy for this to have turned into overly sentimental treacle, but the pace is brisk and the actors are engaging--so it's a story you want to root for even if it holds few surprises.

The fact that the movie works as well as it does is certainly a testament to the two leads. I especially thought the great Gisele Casadesus had a pleasing matter-of-factness as the aforementioned Margueritte. When she and Depardieu play off one another, it is a real delight. Her faith in him gives him more confidence in himself, and it's a charming message. I might have toned down some of the unnecessary wackiness within peripheral storylines. I might also have liked to know how, given his reputation in town, Depardieu scored such a lovely and supportive girlfriend. But these are minor quibbles. "My Afternoons With Margueritte" is just a pleasant experience that you give yourself over to. I'm not sure that Jean Becker's film is going to linger with me for long, but I enjoyed it in the moment. KGHarris, 6/12.

Read Best Reviews of My Afternoons with Margueritte (2010) Here

( This is a review of the Standard DVD version of this release.)

Remember in the 1970s and 1980s when French actor Gerard Depardieu was a French "matinee idol"? Okay he wasn't "small" in stature but you would never consider him large. Well time passes and the actor (with almost 275 films to his credit ) is older and much larger now. But he still has that innocent face, and, in his early 60s, is still making fine films.

This low-keyed film matches Depardieu with 97-year old French actress Gisele Casadesus as an unlikely pair who meet one day in a park (literally) counting the pigeons. Depardieus's character, Germain, is a hard worker (he cultivates fruits and vegetables to sell at outdoor markets) but was a slow learner in school and can hardly read. His newly found bench mate is articulate and an avid reader and through reading aloud to Germain she brings a whole new world to him. Director Jean Becker uses an interesting technique to show us how the words (such as those in Camus' "The Stranger") come to life in Germain's mind.

The 83 minutes of this film go by quickly as we are drawn into the story and the actors (both veterans) make us feel for their relationship, knowing that, at age 97, Margueritte has only so much time to read. The ending is sweet and will put a tear in your eye.

My only fault in this DVD (which has no supplemental material except the theatrical trailer) is that the subtitles are in white text and are often difficult to read when the background is also white or in pale colors. (Subtitles work best when they are in green or a contrasting color or shown below the image.)

I can certainly recommend this to Depardieu fans, those who like French films or avid readers who love the printed word.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

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So amiable, pleasant, and likable--the French confection "My Afternoons with Margueritte" is pretty hard to resist. The film is set in a provincial town where everyone knows everyone else's business and the citizenry is populated with an expected assortment of eccentric character types. At the heart of the film is Gerard Depardieu playing, essentially, the village idiot. As a functional illiterate with a penchant for saying the wrong thing, most of the town laughs along with his antics. People like him, but he is taken primarily as comic relief. His tumultuous relationship with his mother hints at something a little darker beneath the surface and we see glimpses, both past and present, of a less genial life story. But we never dwell on anything too serious in this breezy little film.

But what of Margueritte? She is an elderly woman from a local home that has a chance encounter with Depardieu in the park. They bond over pigeons, and soon their one-time meet morphs into a regular encounter. She shares her love of books with him as she reads aloud and encourages him to embrace that it's never too late too learn. As their bond deepens into a loving friendship, there are a few stumbling blocks. It's all rather predictable, but always very sweet as well. I suppose it would have been very easy for this to have turned into overly sentimental treacle, but the pace is brisk and the actors are engaging--so it's a story you want to root for even if it holds few surprises.

The fact that the movie works as well as it does is certainly a testament to the two leads. I especially thought the great Gisele Casadesus had a pleasing matter-of-factness as the aforementioned Margueritte. When she and Depardieu play off one another, it is a real delight. Her faith in him gives him more confidence in himself, and it's a charming message. I might have toned down some of the unnecessary wackiness within peripheral storylines. I might also have liked to know how, given his reputation in town, Depardieu scored such a lovely and supportive girlfriend. But these are minor quibbles. "My Afternoons With Margueritte" is just a pleasant experience that you give yourself over to. I'm not sure that Jean Becker's film is going to linger with me for long, but I enjoyed it in the moment. KGHarris, 6/12.

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So I Married an Axe Murderer (Special Edition + BD Live) (1993)

The late great Phil Hartman is his typical fabulous self in this movie with a cameo as "Vicky," the Alcatraz tour guide. This movie has it all; a great soundtrack, an enjoyable and funny cast, infinitely quotable lines ("Mom, how can you call The Weekly World News 'the Paper'? Newspapers contain facts!" "This paper contains facts! 'Pregnant man gives birth.' That's a fact!") I could go on and on. Meyers is terrific as unlucky-in-love San Francisco beat poet Charlie MacKenzie. Nancy Travis is the love interest who may--or may not--be an axe murderer. The plot twists are clever, as is the relationship between Charlie's undercover cop buddy (played by the always-great Anthony LaPaglia) and his overly-understanding boss, played by Alan Arkin. You will laugh out loud at Meyers playing Charlie's father with a brogue as thick as pea soup (not vegetable beef!) and at Brenda Fricker as his randy mother. You can actually see LaPaglia break up as Meyers screams out "I'm no' kiddin'; that kid's go' a huuuuuge noggin!"

A great movie to watch again and again. If you grew up during the Seventies, you will totally groove on the Bay City Rollers snippets and LaPaglia dressed like Huggy Bear in "Starsky and Hutch."

Buyer Beware! I love this movie and give the movie five stars. However, this new re-release is NOT a special edition. There are no extras at all. Not even the trailer for the movie. It does offer several trailers for other movies and an anamorphic widescreen transfer, but that's nothing special and is standard on most DVDs. If this movie is a special or deluxe edition then every DVD is a special or deluxe edition and we need a new name for DVDs that include such things as audio commentary, documentaries, featurettes, still galleries and trailers. Calling this release of "So I Married an Axe Murderer" a special edition is false advertising and the marketing hustlers at Sony who are responsible for selling this hoax should be called on this and be held accountable. Their integrity is seriously called into question and they need to take a course on ethics. I'm returning my copy of this movie for a refund.

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I admit I didn't like this movie at first; I've never been much a fan of watching Mike Myers mug his way through films. I dislike Wayne's World and despise Austin Powers.

This charming movie, however, Myers' fourth film outing, shows a subdued and sweet actor finding his way among a dozen equally-talented, incredible comedic actors. Other reviewers have focused on Myers' portrayal of the racy Scottish father, but to me that's just another example of him chewing up scenery like it was chocolate-covered graham crackers. Instead, take some time to watch him interact with Amanda Plummer or Anthony LaPaglia, his underappreciated costars. He is quiet, charming, vulnerable and funny, without being obnoxious.

The story is about Charlie McKenzie, a beat poet in San Francisco who has a history of dumping women for stupid reasons ("She smelled like soup...beef vegetable soup..." He meets Harriet, a lady butcher, with whom he falls in love. But wait! Is it possible she's the murderous Mrs. X, who marries men and kills them on their honeymoons? Charlie thinks so, and the ride is on from there.

Pay special attention to the hysterical interplay between Alan Arkin and LaPaglia who play a police captain and undercover detective, respectively. Also watch for the uncredited costar, the city of San Francisco, which is shot more beautifully here than I've seen in any other film.

This DVD deserves a lot of extras, commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes, etc. With a stunning cast like this one, there must be treasures moldering in a vault somewhere, but you'll find none of them here. Aside from a soundtrack in Portuguese (? ) and subtitles in Korean, Thai and a host of other languages, you'll find none of that here. You'll just have to be satisfied with a wonderful movie.

Read Best Reviews of So I Married an Axe Murderer (Special Edition + BD Live) (1993) Here

First off let me say this is one of my favorite movies.

Hence the 4 star.

It does NOT get a five star because this is a huge SCAM!

I bought this movie because it said special edition. I was so excited thinking it would have interviews or something. I put it in my dvd player and to my surprise NOTHING.

How can this be called special edition. What a fool I am!

The only thing different from this one is that it has been remastered.

That is it! It also has a few previews which I dont think the original had but WHO CARES!

WHAT A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!

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Unfairly slammed by critics when it first came out, So I Married An Axe Murderer has become something of a cult film with a small, but dedicated following. I have always felt that this was Mike Myers' best (and most personal) film to date because he doesn't feel the need to hide behind tons of make-up as he does in the Austin Powers films and also the character of Charlie's dad and his insane love of all things Scottish seem to be an obvious reference to Myers' real-life dad. Everything about this film has an cozy, intimate vibe that is much more personal and engaging.

How can you go wrong with a killer cast like this one? First off, you've got Anthony LaPaglia who rarely does comedies and is just great as a frustrated cop who feels more like Fish from Barney Miller than Serpico; there's the kooky Amander Plummer playing yet another bizarro role (does she play any other kind?); the great Brenda Fricker as Charlie's very Scottish mom (another casting against type); and a whole slew of cameos ranging from Charles Grodin and Alan Arkin to Steven Wright and Phil Hartman.

What makes this film so good is the insanely quotable dialogue. Pretty much anything Myers says as his dad is classic ("HEAD! PANTS! NOW!") and the film really hits a groove when he's on-screen. There are a couple moments when you can see LaPaglia actually breaking character as he cracks up over Myers' Scottish rantings about the Pentavert! And then you've got Myers' dead-on homage/parody of Jack Kerouac-style Beat poetry that is so well done -especially if you're familiar with his style of prose and the way he speaks it.

I really hope that some day soon Myers revisits this movie with a lavish special edition DVD treatment it so richly deserves. He's obviously hip to the medium, judging by the extras-packed editions of his Austin Powers films. In the meantime, fans will have to be content with this bare bones DVD, which at least, restores the film's theatrical aspect ratio.

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How the West Was Won (2011)

A massive, sprawling epic shot in the three camera Cinerama Process popular during the early 60's, "How the West Was Won" spans from 1830 to 1880 covering the history of the westward expansion. Directed by three directors (John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall with a fourth Richard Thorpe providing uncredited linking pieces)"How the West Was Won" was produced during the twilight of the western as the most popular type genre.

Warner has done a painstaking job of restoring this classic film and although it isn't perfect, it's an exceptional job that deserves kudos. The film has never looked this good with colors that pop and accurate fleshtones. More important the seams that one could see for the separate cameras aren't quite as glaring as before. The image quality is exceptionally crisp with terrific detail. Audio sounds extremely good with a nice 5.1 mix.

The film is spread over two discs with the original Overture and Alfred Newman's marvelous score included as part of the package. We get a terrific feature length commentary track from "West" stuntman Loren James who provides plenty of background details about the physical shooting of the film, filmmaker David Strohmaier, film scholar Rudy Behlmer, Cierama's John Sittig and music historian Jon Burlingame. My only complaint is that Burlingame will make a comment about listening to Newman's marvelous score and then whomever edited his comments continues to play them right over the music cue we should be listening to without interruption.

The only other complaint that I have is that while the dirt and grit has been removed making the film look marvelous, there's one sequence that has always bugged me--there is a bit of dirt right in the middle of the frame of the opening fly over sequence that I wish they could have figured out how to remove. Other than that, it's pretty smooth looking throughout the presentation despite an occasiona bit of image unsteadiness as characters move across the screen and span of the three cameras lenses.

We also get a terrific hour and a half documentary on the Cinerama process on the third disc.

There are three different versions of the film in re-release: the first is a three disc DVD edition with just the film; the second is the three disc set postcards, a reproduction of the original press book, souvenir book and photos as part of the package;there is no equivalent for this SCE in the Blu-ray edition although it does have a booklet as part of that package.

The image and sound quality in this restored edition improves on the original single disc edition of the film with a terrific commentary track and documentary to round out the set. With a stunning casts (James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Carolyn Jones, Debbie Reynolds, Carol Baker, Lee J. Cobb, George Peppard, John Wayne, Lee Van Cleef, Karl Malden, Agnes Moorehead and others)this was truly one of the last epic, lyrical westerns to be produced in Hollywood. Highly recommended.

If you've never seen the original Cinerama big screen release, or only know the previous video versions of HTWWW, you are in for a big treat. The fully restored classic American film, the top box office hit of 1962, is stunning.

And the Blu-ray hi-def transfer is truly breathtaking. I literally gasped when I saw it. And so have special preview audiences of the hi-def DVD.

Warner -which owns the pre 1986 MGM library -has spent a ton of dough getting this right. Six years, hundreds of people, thousands of hours and millions of dollars have been invested in creating and applying new technology that has virtually erased the "join lines" that marred the earlier -rather hideous -video transfers. Not only that, but every frame has been restored. That's the equivalent of restoring three 35 MM films -the original was exposed using three alligned cameras. The final aspect ratio is 2.89:1 (that's nearly three times as wide as it is high). And it is a wondrous sight to behold.

Seeing this new version is like experiencing the film for the first time. The familiar story -based on a series in Life magazine -follows three generations of a typical pioneer Ohio Valley family from 1839 to 1889. A myriad of stars shine in this great American adventure -John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb and Carrol Baker are among the many recognizable faces.

Three accomplished directors (including John Ford) helmed this rousing epic that does not degrade the Native American experience even as it allows for the conflicts the westward movement created.

The absolutely stunning Blu-ray version inlcudes a "smilebox" transfer that mimics the original Cinerama experience of a giant curved screen. On a large video display -especially if projected on a big pull down screen -this version is jaw-dropping.

The extras include Rudy Strohmaier's much acclaimed documentary "Cinerama Adventure." And there's a wonderful commentary by filmmaker Strohmaier, John Sittig (director of Cinerama, Inc.), film historian Rudy Behlmer, music historian Jon Burlingame and stuntman Loren James. But why no Debbie Reynolds?

The only other narrative three camera Cinerama film is "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" and the stored negative has suffered water damage so there are no plans for a full restoration at this time.

As a kid I saw this film at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. The impact of the big sound and images swept me away and I remember the experience vividly. The rousing music, the involving heartland American story still works. And thanks to cutting edge technology, it's better than ever.

This is one for the digital library.

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This is the first (and only) CINERAMA film I ever saw, without doubt the most thrilling aspect of the movie is the grand scale of the Cinerama process and the multichannel soundtrack. The transfer to DVD is an insult. In this era of digital technology it is easily possible to correct the color balance errors evident in the "seams" of this otherwise remarkable motion picture. I agree with other reviewers, lose the Turner promo. The color balance, saturation, and picture

resolution are very average, and fall well below of what the DVD process is capable. One redeeming feature is the soundtrack. Finally, after viewing the VHS tape, and Laserdisc of this movie, the DVD release incorporates the correct rear channel information of the original release. Finally, and most regrettably, this DVD release has been cropped. Don't we buy widescreen movies to see how they were originally shot? HELLO HOLLYWOOD!

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I keep running into negative reviews for a DVD film or set that hasn't been released yet. I am not sure why Amazon feels in necessay to move reviews over to a DVD that has yet to be released but it's a bit like shooting yourself in the foot. Everyone waiting for a decent release of this film without the lines on film should be aware they need to wait for reviews of the set AFTER it has been released and ignore the negative reviews of previous versions.

Everyone knows this film, it is the reviews of the DVD and not the film that is important to most of us. Wake up, Jeff. This is very frustrating. Quit posting reviews of DVDs that have yet to be released.

Richard

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[I wrote this DVD review of "How the West Was Won" a while ago, but I have added this paragraph to account for a third DVD, released 22 May 2007, as part of a set called "The John Wayne Collection." This third DVD by Warner is the same as MGM's 1998 release. There has been no DVD re-mastering effort. All three DVDs have precisely the same content, and so all the information within my following review about the 2000 Warner release can be applied to "The John Wayne Collection" DVD of Warner in 2007. Of special importance is how it wrongly states the disc is an anamorphic DVD. It is not anamorphic.]

There are two [three] DVDs of "How the West Was Won" (1962) available in the U.S.

MGM Video's earlier disc (released on 28 July 1998) and Warner Video's second disc (released 12 Sept. 2000) [and Warner's third disc of 22 May 2007] have EXACTLY THE SAME DISC CONTENT! Even the menus are the same! They both contain the film's theatrical trailer and contain the same "Making Of" documentary with a run time of 15:30. The only difference is the earlier MGM release also includes an 8-page booklet with large essays filling all but the cover pages, including a section about the "800 pounds" of Cinerama camera equipment used for this spectacle; that plus a plastic DVD box. The later Warner release uses the cardboard case, but even its cover art does not match the disc menu screens as does the earlier MGM release.

This movie with its Cinerama glory deserves a place on the shelf of video collectors involved with American cinema culture. If one wants to buy this movie on DVD, opt for the earlier edition with the booklet. I noticed the DVDs (having the same exact imagery) have four negatives: the extremely wide screen image is only letterboxed and not anamorphic DVD, the theatrical 7-track audio has been degraded to 4-channel matrix-encoded Dolby audio, the DVD picture image suffers from film scratches and dirt, and Ted Turner's logo appears BETWEEN the prologue overture and the beginning of the film. Nevertheless, the great music is worth the price, alone. I was never a fan of the movie, but it was one of the single most ambitious film projects ever and cost a fortune! This film is a crucial landmark of a cultural evolution in American cinema and any collector serious about American film culture needs this DVD. Of course, the great John Ford directed one segment, but also the famous Henry Hathaway and George Marshall directed their segments of this film.

An interesting part of the documentary focuses on the ideas and investments behind the three-camera Cinerama format and three-screen Super Cinerama theater used for this film. Despite the success, only two fictional films used the three-, angled-screen Cinerama format: this movie and "the Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" (1962), the George Pal stop-motion extravaganza. Cinerama was next re-formulated into a single camera process for a curved screen using a 65mm image on Ultra Panavision 70 film, and these newer camera processes weighed a lot less than the original Cinerama cameras. The first film made in the latter process was a comedy, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963) and, according to that DVD, the carpet had been laid in the first of the new single curved-screen Super Cinerama theaters only three days before this comedy's release. The re-formulated Cinerama/Ultra Panavision 70 cameras were so light, Director John Frankenheimer had them mounted onto Formula Three racecars (dressed as Formula One cars) for his 1966 film, "Grand Prix."

The most critically acclaimed and remembered film made for Cinerama three-screen OR curved-screen theaters was "2001: a Space Odyssey" (1968). Read Roger Ebert's website reviews of this movie. Both, Ebert's original review from 1968 and the review from its re-release of 1997 appear on his website.

Movies made before 1952 were predominantly black and white. Because studios blamed theater ticket sale diminishment on television, film studios either invented new technologies or reinvented existing ones such as Cinerama, which at least appears very similar to Abel Gance's use of three camera images during the battle scenes of his 1927 silent epic, "Napoleon." Some of the fads blossoming during the `50s and `60s and remaining today are the use of Cinemascope anamorphic lenses, wide-screen panoramic films, color photography, epic plots, large-budget movies, multi-track stereophonic audio, and other artistic special effects. Some of the fads not quite permanent were stop motion animation like the works of Ray Harryhausen, loud musicals, "3-D" movies, and Cinerama.

However, some ideological remnants of the Super Cinerama remain with another distant format: IMAX. Both processes use curved screens about 110-feet wide although an IMAX screen is dome-shaped because it is twice as high, they both use at least 6 discrete tracks of audio, and they both use theaters specifically designed for exhibitions using their processes.

One of Cinerama and IMAX's fundamental differences is that IMAX's fictional movies are usually transferred from pre-existing wide-screen movies into the IMAX format whereas, unlike IMAX, the fictional movies in Cinerama were made FOR their Super Cinerama theaters. For instance, the IMAX production of "Apollo 13" cropped the original Super 35 film images having a length-to-width ratio of 2.39:1 down into a ratio of 1.66:1 enlarged, according to Ebert's website. Although "How the West Was Won" was mostly shot in its system of three images, some of it was actually shot in Ultra Panavision 70, the second Cinerama format, and optically converted into three-image Cinerama, according to Widescreen Review's website. This means that, even when Cinerama originally meant three screens, it still utilized Ultra Panavision 70 photography for part of "How the West Was Won," the first of the two fictional films using three-screen Super Cinerama Theaters.

The studio had researched volumes for "How the West Was Won" and the Cinerama process, which was one of the many efforts to re-invent the cinema during the 1950s and '60s. In 1963, when "How the West Was Won" released into Cinerama theaters, it was a huge hit and played for nearly two years.

Today, no three-screen Super Cinerama theater remains, and almost all (if not yet all) single-, curved-screen Super Cinerama theaters have vanished. For the sake of American culture, the government should do something to protect at least one of these theaters. America needs some history of culture to protect and a Super Cinerama theater seems worth saving since the cinema provides the largest venue of American entertainment today. The Super Cinerama theater is a landmark of American culture.

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Monsieur Lazhar (2012)

How is a class of eleven/twelve-year olds to cope with a tragedy that suddenly and out of the blue takes away their teacher? How do parents and teachers react to the trauma the children are experiencing? The school principal is under pressure to keep things "normal", none of the other teachers can take on the class, one school councillor is designated for the class of twenty plus young minds a crisis of great proportion... Into this challenging scenario walks Bashir Lazhar and offers himself as the ideal replacement teacher. With great subtlety and compassion does the film, Monsieur Lazhar, explore the evolving relationships between teacher and students, among various teachers and last but not least, between Bashir Lazhar at the school and his personal struggles beyond. While set in Montreal, Quebec, the messages of the film are nor locality specific, and could happen anywhere. The story touches on the different ways of dealing with loss and guilt, with honesty, lies and pretense, with prejudice and expediency. And finally, how the coping mechanisms of adults cannot easily be transferred to those of children living through a crisis. The story concentrates on two of the children, Simon and Alice, their growing hostility and Bashir's strict yet sensitive methods in dealing with the emotional struggles that the children go through.

Mohamed Fellag's acting in the role of Monsieur Lazhar is excellent, his interpretation of his character utterly convincing in his unassuming and often understated acting. The child actors, especially the two interpreting Simon and Alice, come across as natural and genuine. Philippe Falardeau, the film's Canadian writer/director came to international attention last year with his film "Incendies" that, like Monsieur Lazhar this year, was nominated for the Academy Award for best foreign-language film. [Friederike Knabe]

There is no shortage of good French language films about children and their teacher(s). Though this one is set in Montreal, it has many of the endearing qualities that French directors bring to their portrayal of the interaction between children and adults.

What makes this film excellent is its overall tone. It's touching, it's heartwarming and ultimately sad, but in an almost uplifting way. The acting the children is flawless.

And while the subject matter of death is at the core of the film, it is enveloped in a

feeling of awe and detachment at how the kids deal with it, and themselves, and a humanistic

portrayal of the teacher who has to take on the class following the suicide of their previous teacher. The teacher himself though has his own understated but real demons to cope with. But the heart of the film, including most of its scenes, take place in a classroom.

Technically, the film has a near perfect touch. Scenes end when "they should" instead of being drawn out for unneeded effect (and the ending included), histrionics are absent, and it flows like a calm stream with potentially turbulent undertones. It's a film ultimately about life, love, respect, hope and endurance.

It's a film you'll enjoy owning so that it can be viewed on multiple occasions. And being a foreign film, you can bet that most of your friends and family haven't seen it.

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And I don't throw that word around. Everything about this film is exquisite: the story, cinematography, editing, pertinence, depth, character development, acting, soundtrack -and the French (my second language) is pristine. I don't recall breathing while watching it in the theatre, but I must have. The popcorn went untouched. I can hardly wait for the DVD!

Read Best Reviews of Monsieur Lazhar (2012) Here

A replacement teacher and his students help each other come to terms with tragedies in their lives. Compassionate, thoughtful, often very funny.

Recognizes that a modern classroom with its heavily regulated behavior can be an environment hostile to compassion and connection and addresses that both as a part of the inciting tragedy and as an obstacle to dealing with it.

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I'm sure I can't improve on the review that originally brought this Quebecois film to my attention. Je vous remercie profondément, Madame Knabe! Was "Monsieur Lazhar" nominated for Best Foreign Language Film for 2012 or 2011? In either case, it deserved to win just as much as whichever motion picture captured that condescending prize, including even Michael Haneke's intense "Amour." The acting is wonderfully well attuned, both from the adult teachers and from the students in a Montreal public school distraught over a well-loved teacher's suicide in her own classroom. The dynamics of faculty relations in the small school are perfectly convincing, which is not often the case in films. [I taught art and music in a grade school for two anxious semesters, by the way, decades ago at the beginning of my adult life.] As is so predictable, the brightest children are both more perceptive and more vulnerable than their teachers. It must be scary to confront such a realization for the first time as a beginning teacher. The title character, Monsieur Lazhar, has more immediate reasons to be scared, however. Only his gentle, humane decency carries him through.

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The Basketball Diaries (2010)

Director Scott Kalvert creates a moving and realistic recount of the true story of Jim Carroll, played superbly by Leonardo DiCaprio, a New York City teen who at the height of his high school basketball career, falls victim to drugs and violence in the rough streets.

Look for the real-life Jim Carroll who makes a cameo appearance as a crack addict in the scene where young Jim sitting in a back alley listening to the addict preach about his "high" while boiling his fix.

Fine supporting performances by the entire cast and a musical score including original songs performed by Jim Carroll's band. Especially memorable is the acid-rock message song: "These Are All the People Who've Died" which is a tribute to Jim's fallen friends throughout his life.

The serious messages in this film SCREAM out at teens, but also are sombering to adults who realize the sometimes hopeless devastation that wracks a family during a drug crisis. Your heart breaks for Jim's mom and his mentor, an African American ex-druggie who cleaned up and wants nothing more than to help Jim out of his living hell before it consumes him.

This movie was gripping from the start to finish. I loved how it openeda bunch of kids who obviously have minds of their owngetting high off of some household cleaner or something, skipping school, ripping off hot dog carts.. and you think this all seems crazy but then ultimately all the hard core drug usage starts and while at first it may seem like nothing but a small enjoyable thing to doit soon is a huge habit for Jim.

Watching all the struggles Jim has to go throughloosing friends, trying to be clean & then failing, prostitution, begging for money, getting into physical fights.. it is hard to watch and you physically can't believe that someone can go through so much and come out victorious in the end.

Leonardo plays this role FANTASTICALLY. Especially the part when he is crying at the door begging for some money from his mother. The amount of passion he pours into this character is huge... for that reason alonego see this movie.

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Before Trainspotting their was The Basketball Diaries and a brilliant film it is too. This is a great production from Scott Kalvert.It is the harrowing story of how a young basketball hopeful named Jim Carrol, whos life is descending into a life of drugs and violence.In which the only thing that keeps him going is his diary which is later named The Basketball Diaries.The acting in this film is brilliant.An absoloutely brilliant film it has no flaws.Every aspect of this film is great.A true masterpeice.

Read Best Reviews of The Basketball Diaries (2010) Here

This movie is amazing, the talented Mr. Dicaprio really gave an outstanding performance

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I must admit this movie really had a huge effect on me. After watching this, I thought to myself, "How could anyone do drugs like this?" The look of this film matches the tone of it, which is a dark, gritty feel of the streets of Brooklyn during the 1960's.

This movie basically takes a real life teenager and throws him down the wrong paths in life. You can really see Leonardo DiCaprio's character grow more and more addicted to all these drugs. Physically, you can see his body become worse and worse as he becomes more plugged into the drug culture as nights go by.

I have a whole new appreciation for Leo DiCaprio. He was only 20 years old when this was made and you can tell, this young kid can act like a pro.

This film as a very indy-film look to it which seems to add to its realism unlike if it were a major Hollywood motion picture. So, if you want to see an emotional, tearjerking view of innocence crumbling into nothing, this one will suck you in.

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3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004)

As a huge fan of "The Intimidator", I was very skeptical about how a TV movie would portray the greatest race car driver that ever lived. After viewing "3", I must say that I was impressed by the work. Being that this was a TV movie (And I'm not a big fan of TV movies.), it didn't surprise me that the director would tread very thin on the biographical history and not ruffle feathers any further about his love life, his relationship with his fellow drivers or other tracks. The portayal of Earnhardt by Barry Pepper was great. He captured his style and essence. However, I would have loved to see more about some of his rituals at the track. Maybe this is the first of many films that will try to give fans like myself and others who don't know him a feel of what he was like. This film has my blessing.

I thought it was a great movie about Dale, have been a fan since the last year he won his 7th Championship. It touched a lot on what made Dale the man he really was, but the movie didn't show later racing footage until the last 1/2 hour to 3/4 of the show, a little disappointing. They could of made a 3-4 hour movie out of the life of Dale Earnhart, but none the less, it was a good movie. I will buy the movie to have but also am very interested in the 5 hours of interviews and racing footage.

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"3: The Dale Earnhardt Story" isn't going to win a lot of non-Nascar fans over to the sport, but as a biography, it is well-made, offers some believable insights on what made Earnhardt the often enigmatic person he was, and, in Barry Pepper, provides an eerily close approximation to the 'look' and 'feel' of the racing legend. Pepper will certainly receive an Emmy nomination for the role, and delivers such a powerful portrayal that you nearly forget how good the rest of the cast is.

While Elizabeth Mitchell is more glamorous than the real Teresa Earnhardt, she is quite solid and believable in the role; to truly appreciate how important Teresa's intelligence and business acumen were to Dale, it would have required a much longer movie, and might have seriously tilted the story away from Dale's other relationships, and the balance that Pepper and director Russell Mulcahy achieved.

Dale's early years come off best in the film, with a wonderful performance by J.K. Simmons as the inspirational Ralph Earnhardt. The grittiness and 'backwoods blue-collar' feel of Earnhardt's upbringing is well-conveyed, and reminiscent of "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "The River". The film loses a bit of steam when Dale begins racing, and as he achieves success, a lot of memorable moments had to be edited out, or telescoped down, which has disappointed some Earnhardt fans. Considering the time and budget constraints, however, I found the story to be remarkably accurate.

The young actors who portrayed Dale's children as adults should be singled out for recognition; race car driver/first-time actor Chad Mcumbee, while low-key, is pretty impressive as Dale Jr., conveying both a pride in his father, and frustration in being 'held back' so he could complete his education before being permitted to race; Corri English, while too cute, has an infectious smile and manner, and exhibits the Earnhardt joy of fast cars; best of all is newcomer Frank Glidden as oldest son Kerry, who, in a few brief scenes, offers a balanced, sensitive interpretation of the son Dale abandoned, finally winning his father's attention and respect, even as he sees Dale Jr. outshining him on the track. I look forward to seeing more of Glidden's work in future!

While there will certainly be a more detailed and polished feature film about Earnhardt in the future, this ESPN production is not without it's own merits, and provides an entertaining, dramatic overview of the racing legend's life.

Read Best Reviews of 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) Here

I just watched the movie on ESPN for the third time and I like it. What they (the writers, actors and director) got right they got exceptionally so. The accents for example, I'm a Southerner, Tennessee not North Carolina, but the accents are good. I especially thought that the actor playing Dale Junior did a great job capturing his speech patterns.

The racing was good, given the fact that it would have been prohibitively expensive to recreate ALL of it. The use of actual NASCAR/ESPN footage really added to it.

Now for what I didn't like. They made Earnhardt look sweaty and sickly for most of the movie, as though they were trying to suggest that death was haunting his every footstep. I didn't know Dale, I'm simply an ESPN-watching fan, but I never thought of him looking or BEING that way. He always looked like he'd live forever, like he knew something the rest of us didn't and that was his shield. In this movie he doesn't look that way.

Also I didn't like that Dale always seemed to be teaching his son a lesson, all the one-liners he heard from his dad. It got a bit predictable and limiting after the first couple.

What they did here, is to focus on the father and son relationships of all the Earnhardt men. That's what this movie is about, go into it knowing that and you won't be disappointed.

Go into it expecting to see EVERYTHING about Dale's life, the racing, the rivalries, the fame, the arrogant, cool, fun side of Dale, and you'll be disappointed.

I found myself thinking that this was pretty good for television but the full-length feature film that will be made some day will be better.

Will they ever MAKE a full length Hollywood movie about Dale? Who knows. Part of me wants them to and part of me doesn't. Not if they can't do any better than the God-awful "Days Of Thunder".

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Leave it to a Jeff Gordon (or Tony Stewart) fan to write a sucky review without even seeing the movie this pertains to. He probably wouldn't understand it anyway. Hey idiot... stick to the Sesame Street coloring books and leave movies to the grown-ups.

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Rio (2011)

A rare bird is kidnapped from his adoring owner, who must try to retrieve him. Along the way, the bird encounters various delightful, and some not so delightful, characters. Top notch animation, colorful visuals, and prudent voice selections highlight this animated delight. The storyline and the humor will appeal to adults and children alike, as I found myself getting a few laughs out of this one. The 3D effect is outstanding, and this is a movie for which you will want to lay out the extra expense for the 3D glasses. You don't need a babysitter tonight, as the whole family will enjoy this one.

My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

GET THIS; There are about 145 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer and another 36 ranging from 15% to 25%.

The quality of the 3D, in screen and out is exceptional and the movie had my wife and I in stitches many times. This is defiantly a homerun by 20th Century Fox. For animated films, this ranks right at the top along with Open Season and Ice Age.

*** Put this one on your list to ***

*** add to your 3D collection ***

MY 3D RATING = EXCELLENT (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

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The best single word I can use to describe the film Rio is 'vibrant' as it's the colors that really hit you. One can see why, when you're doing a story about birds, setting it in Brazil with its dazzling variety of brilliantly multicolored avian species is a truly inspired choice.

The story begins when a baby blue macaw in the Brazilian rain forest falls (literally) into the hands of exotic animal poachers and ends up being shipped to the US where, by a fortunate accident, he ends up being adopted by a young girl named Linda in a small town in, of all places, wintry Minnesota. A quick flash forward shows girl and bird, which she names Blu, growing up together, to fifteen years later where Linda is now an adult who owns her own bookstore. The thing is though, Blu, raised as a house-bird, never learned how to fly.

The plot really begins when a Brazilian ornithologist named Tulio comes to Linda's store, having learned from her web-site that she's the owner of Blu, who apparently is one of the last male blue macaws in the world. Despite getting off on the wrong foot with Linda, he eventually persuades her to come with him to Brazil so that they can mate Blu with a female blue macaw named Jewel that they've managed to capture. Once there, however, the mating plan hits a snag as Jewel wants only to escape back to her jungle and has nothing but disdain for Blu, who only wants to get back with his human. Further complications set in when both birds are stolen by exotic animal black-marketeers who intend to sell them to the highest bidder. The two birds, though chained together, manage to escape, but it's rough going, particularly when Jewel discovers that Blu can't fly and she can't fly away while she's chained to him, and the bird thieves are hot on their trail, right in the middle of Brazil's biggest and most flamboyant of all festivals, Carnival.

Director/writer Carlos Saldanha goes the distance in bringing some authentic Brazilian touches to the film. I particularly liked the way in which he brought out how everyone in Brazil is soccer-crazy, with good guys and bad constantly being distracted whenever a game is on.

The themes are familiar ones characters are thrust out of their familiar environments into ones they find strange and challenging, characters who don't get along but are stuck together learn to appreciate each other, danger threatens, help comes from unexpected quarters, fears are overcome, and so on but the characters in Rio are engaging and the story-telling is well done so you just lean back and enjoy the show. And Rio is a true visual pleasure to watch just for the sheer vibrancy of its colors and for the exotic setting of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival.

The voice actors for the most part do a creditable job bringing their characters to life. The stand-outs are clearly Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) as Blu and Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) as Jewel, who succeed in not only bringing out the individual personalities of the two macaws but also make you believe in the way the two birds gradually begin to accept and relate to each other. But Leslie Mann and Rodrigo Santoro are also exceptional as the humans Linda and Tulio, Mann for bringing out Linda's mix of independence and introvert and Santoro for Tulio's engagingly manic if clumsy extrovert. Comedic actor Tracy Morgan has fun voicing Luiz, a Carnival-loving bulldog whose bark may be worse than his bite but whose drool trumps both. And Jermaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) adds a deliciously nasty touch as the villainous cockatoo, Nigel.

(Note: I was wondering why a Brazilian cockatoo was talking with what sounded like an Australian accent, but I later found out that cockatoos are in fact of Australasian origin. So chalk up another point for Rio for being educational as well as entertaining.)

The songs are enjoyable if largely forgettable but nicely add to the Brazilian atmosphere. The stand-out exception is the song Nigel sings (as near as I can tell, it's simply called "Nigel's Song") where he explains why he is "not a pretty bird". There seems to be some kind of rule, in recent years anyway, that in any animated musical film, the bad guys always get the best songs.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys beautifully colored animation, engaging characters and good basic storytelling.

Read Best Reviews of Rio (2011) Here

Rio is bright, colorful, lively, and full of music--exactly what one imagines when they think of Rio, Brazil, Carnival Capital of the World.

Sure, some of the other (more critical) reviews you'll read on Amazon will gripe about forced themes and whatnot, but, really, all this movie comes down to is fun and finding love (for both the avian and human characters).

Remember, folks, these animated movies, although certainly entertaining for (and meant to include) adults, are really targeted for children.

My kids give it 5 Stars and can't wait to have their own copy. They loved all of the characters--even mean, old Nigel--as their personalities are just as colorful and varied as what is viewed on-screen.

The animation is beautiful and the storyline understandable--a plausible explanation for how Blu got to Minnesota, why he's afraid to fly, and why he needs to go to Rio.

A great movie for little and big people alike!

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When I first heard of Rio my expectations were not high, never the less I wanted to watch it, mainly because of the Studio them self i loved Ice age so i though i would give Rio a chance.

How ever my mind was blown with in the first few moments of the movie actually starting, it was a stunning and vibrant welcoming in to the movie with a exhilarating song to go with it.

Now from the moment i fount out that Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) was the last of his kind and had to mate with Jewl (Anne Hathaway) I had figured out the story but that did not stop me from watching on, and thank god it didn't, though the story was predictable it was told in a magnificent way so much to make want to watch it again.

Moving on to the cast it self, it was not until I looked at the cast list did I see what great performers were playing in the movie, this was down to that i was so took in with the characters it totally slipped my mind to think who there voice actor was, and i was even more surprised when i saw that Jesse Eisenberg played Blue, he was great in the Social network so I was shocked I didn't pick up on him while watching the movie.

Before I conclude this review I would just like to say that the music in this movie was breath taking through out, and at no point did I feel the movie was out of place or was too in your face.

Overall this is a great movie, great for the entire family and if you are on the fence on if to watch this or not then let this be the final push to convince you to watch this as i promise you will not be let down.

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In the Electric Mist (2009)

This is the second film adaptation of one of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series, the first being "Heaven's Prisoners" with Alec Baldwin horribly miscast as Robicheaux.

In this film, Tommy Lee Jones is perfectly cast as Robicheaux, capturing all the nuance of the literary character: the alcoholic obsessions, the need to impose justice, his essential toughness and goodness.

This is a pretty faithful adaptation of the novel, and captures the flavor of the books, as well as the Louisiana settings. In all honesty, this was almost exactly how I'd pictured it from reading the books.

But a caveat: if you haven't read the books, you're probably not going to enjoy this movie, which is probably why in the USA it was released directly to DVD. Burke's novels are very introspective, which makes for interesting literature, but slow movies. There's plenty of drama, with several murders, corruption, and depravity to spare. But the books and this movie are at their hearts character studies of the Robicheaux character. This is more akin to "Smilla's Sense of Snow" than "Dirty Harry".

I loved it; your mileage may vary.

In the Electric Mist marks legendary French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier's first North American-made motion picture and, based on the troubles he encountered while making it, perhaps his last. Tavernier, a big fan of American crime fiction (he previously adapted Jim Thompson's Pop. 1280 into Coup de Torchon Criterion Collection), jumped at the chance to bring James Lee Burke's bestselling novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead to the big screen. However, reports surfaced that Tavernier and the film's star, Tommy Lee Jones, did not get along, and the producers were not happy with the director's version. As a result, the version released on DVD in North America is the producers' cut and not Tavernier's.

Tavernier does an excellent job capturing the local color of the area in the scenes where protagonist Dave Robicheaux (Tommy Lee Jones) canvases the locals. The entire film was shot on location and this only enhances the authenticity of the story's setting which is rich in atmosphere also helped by the liberal use of blues and zydeco music. The cinematography has a textured quality to it that really brings out the lushness of the region.

The cast is outstanding with Tommy Lee Jones doing his patented gruff yet savvy lawman, Peter Sarsgaard portraying a boozy actor, and John Goodman as a scene-stealing mobster with a genial facade that barely masks a threatening demeanor. The cast is rounded out by fascinating veteran character actors like Mary Steenburgen, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Ned Beatty.

Despite the production and post-production problems that plagued the film, this version is engaging and entertaining but one still wonders what Tavernier's original cut is like.

Sadly, the only special features are a theatrical trailer but considering the bad blood between director and the producers this is hardly suprising.

Buy In the Electric Mist (2009) Now

I am a huge fan of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux books. I have read most of them and most of them have been top notch. Unlike most series, Burke's actually gets better and better and just when you think its peaked, he writes something better.

Having read so many of the books, I always pictured either Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin (in his younger, lighter days) and Tommy Lee Jones as Dave. 2/3 predictions have come true. Tommy Lee Jones is the perfect David Robicheaux, this character was meant for him to play.

In the Electric Mist is one of the best books in the series, so how come with a great book and great casting the movie is only ok?

The problem is the movie itself is very very inside. The screen writers did too good a job adapting the story from the book. Remember the book is a middle book of a very long running series. As a fan and reader of the series, I knew who everyone was and how they got there. The problem for the mass audience will be that they will have no idea who half the people are and the film does not really give any answers.

This unfortunately will be a film liked by those who have read the books, and not fully understood by those who have not.

Twice filmakers have well casted and made well intentioned adaptations of the books, and twice they have not come through as they should have.

Read Best Reviews of In the Electric Mist (2009) Here

I watched "In the Electric Mist" on a whim, based upon nothing more than the two actors displayed on the cover. I had no idea what to expect, or what I was getting into. In all honesty, I can't think of a better way to describe my reaction to the film other than to tell you that I logged onto Amazon tonight to purchase a copy.

I loved this film.

From the very beginning, "In the Electric Mist" draws you into an irresistible embrace and never lets go. Every acting performance is spot-on, and the dubious culture of the Louisiana Bayou ebbs from every facet of the story. I also need to mention the excellent soundtrack by Marco Beltrami; it is so powerful that it should be considered a character unto itself. There is a song played during the end credits that is truly one of the most beautiful songs you will ever hear.

Seriously, a great movie.

That being said, when I logged onto Amazon, I was surprised to see many reviewers voicing the opinion that this film's appeal is limited mainly to fans of the book. It's true that "In the Electric Mist" leaves a lot to the imagination, but ambiguity and convolution are two very different things.

Take a chance.

Watch the movie.

Decide for yourself.

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Why do filmmakers destroy a great book? A terrible movie, great acting but a crap movie. Poorly edited, choppy, no atmosphere, NO CLETE, harly a ghost, charecter development was sadly lacking. Was Bootsie there? Or Batiste? Not nearly as much as in the books. Read the book, forget the movie. I feel real bad for what they did to your fine book Mr.Burke.

a shame.

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John Q / Pelican Brief / Training Day (2012)

Plenty of others have summarized the films before and said whether or not they liked them so I will dispense with that and focus strictly on the quality of the transfer of the 3 films to Blu Ray.

'Training Day' on BluRay was better than I expected once the disc was in. The Mbps rate ranged between the low teens and mid twenties at best. You would expect to see a lot of grain in this film, especially because there were so many dark scenes but the transfer wasn't bad and had good, warm color grading, natural skin tones and was free from artifacts, dirt or ghosting. However, I did see in one scene where the car turns right in front of some overhanging phone/electric lines some very real stair-stepping in the lines themselves. My gut feeling is that the transfer to blu ray was just that, a transfer without any serious remastering. This means that the Standard Def version wasn't bad either and I doubt you would see much difference from the upgrade to Blu Ray. The lack of an upgrade of the audio bolsters my thoughts on this. The audio is lossy Dolby Digital 5.1. You can get used to listening to lossy audio until you hear the difference between it and a lossless version. Very disappointed in the audio, not because the levels were poor or the dialogue unintelligible, but because the panning and use of the discreet channels for foley fx would have been greatly enhanced if the audio had been a lossless one. However, most of the audio is strictly across the front stage. Great movie though and too bad it was not really remastered. There were unfinished deleted scenes and an alternate ending scene as well as trailers, commentary and music videos.

'Pelican Brief' -Exciting political thriller. There was great color with a soft muted focus, realistic grading, no artifacts or problems that I could see. Mbps from 7 to 35.

The audio was Dolby Digital HD lossless which is always good , however the

audio is spread across the front stage with no real use of your surround system for panning or Foley FX or sub for this dialogue driven film. You do need to go to the audio menu as the film defaults to compressed Dolby Digital 5.1 There were no extras of any kind other than a trailer.

'John Q'-Great medical thriller. Video-some early grain especially in the background but appears to clear up. Mbps is high 20's to low 30's. The Audio defaults to DD 5.1 so be sure to change to PCM HD lossless in the menu.

Audio is primarily dialogue ,but both sound stages are used for soundtrack and ambience and even some discreet foley fx from both front and rear channels. Lots of extras including alternative and deleted scenes, commentary and more. Over all, 5 star movie and 4 star transfer

While it is great to get 3 movies on 3 separate discs for such a low price, if you already have them on Standard Def DVDs, do not expect to see a remarkable difference between the two formats if you see any difference at all.

Hopefully, this review has been of some help to you in determining your purchase, hope I am on the correct path with a review of the transfer quality as opposed to providing plot summaries.

Thanks

Triple Feature on Blu Ray with Denzel Washington are Training Day : released 2001 R rated action crime film directed by Antoine Fuqua starring Denzel Washington as Alonso Harris a corrupt senior undercover narcotic detective & Ethan Hawke as the rookie straight cop Jake Hoyt who just been assigned with Denzel Washington and has to prove himself to be an undercover narcotic officer and The Story follows the 2 L A P D Narcotic detectives over a 24 hour period in gang neighborhoods of North West & South Central Los Angeles .

John Q is a film directed by Nick Cassavetes released 2002 a PG Drama about John Quincy Archibald ( Denzel Washington ) a father who's son is diagnose with an enlarge heart and than finds out he cannot receive a transplant because the insurance will not cover him therefor decides to take the hospital staff & patients hostage until the hospital puts he's sons name on the recipients list a touchy story with a kinda happy ending and a good documentary about health care & lack of organ donors and the people in need of them with real patients interviews .

Also starring Robert Duvall Anne Heche James Woods Ray Liotta & Eddie Griffin .

The Pelican Brief is based on a book written by John Grisham a PG suspense crime thriller released 1993 & directed by Alan J. Pakula starring Julia Roberts as a young law student Darvy Shaw and Denzel Washington as the Washington Herald political Reporter Gray Grantham and starts with a couple of supreme court justices being murderer and law student Julia Roberts suspects the real motive is greed so writes a legal brief and shows it to her professor lover & mentor Sam Shepard who gives a copy to his friend John Heard at the FBI and this is where the trouble starts with corruption politics and greedy businessman trying to get rid of Julia Roberts o anyone else involve .

The Denzel Washington triple feature are Three really good Blu Ray Movies with a Great Picture Sound and Value .

Buy John Q / Pelican Brief / Training Day (2012) Now

it is always a good deal when the price is right and the all three movies are the movies that you want. most of the time you get two out of three, but today was a win win for me.

Read Best Reviews of John Q / Pelican Brief / Training Day (2012) Here

When I received the package, only 1 blu ray disc Pelican brief and not 3 blu ray disc as stated on the cover.

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Three great movies for one low price? Can't go wrong with that. I have no need for the special features or additional footage that most people complain about. I'm happy enough having three movies for an excellent price.

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Resident Evil: AfterLife (Steelbook Edition) (2010)

Yes, Paul W Anderson, the director of Resident Evil Afterlife 3D, used the same Fusion 3D camera set up as Avatar, evidenced by the film credits and 3D featurette on the 3D Blu Ray, which also plays standard 2D. The 3D as a result, looks excellent and better than most 3D films out there, excluding Imax's Studio Nature productions. From the opening to the end, everything pops out far greater than you might have seen. The rain in RE:A3D looks spectacular and the depth really shines as though you're "in the movie". This is what 3DHDTV was made for. If you miss this and own a 3DTV, your loss if you like action movies.

The movie has elements of the Matrix's fight scenes and slow motion, with The Walking Dead's zombie infested city. The film covers Alaska, Tokyo and Los Angeles. The opening action scene is a highlight and really slick, packed with blazing machine guns and acrobatics. There's also a Axe man scene worth buying this disc for alone, and a cool but short end fight scene with RE5's Albert Wesker. The story is a basic "escape plan" movie, but in the RE style. This is the best one so far IMO.

The featurettes are 47 minutes total, and informative, including cast interviews. There's also a screen in screen presentation, director commentary track, deleted and extended scenes and more.

Overall, if you own or eventually plan to buy a 3DHDTV, buy this version for a few extra bucks, as it plays in regular 2D on regular HDTV's and players and looks great in 2D, but exceptional in 3D.

Movie: 8/10

3D: 9/10

Extras: 7/10

My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

There are about 70 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer. Another 30 around 25%. At 8:00 minutes a tri-blade throwing knife reaches 40% and at 64:00 minutes, a large blood spatter drop exceeds 50%. Too many OOS effects to pick my favorites.

*** A MUST SEE 3D STATE OF THE ART AT ITS FINEST ***

*** Almost Continuous Action Blood, Guts, Gore and Horror ***

MY 3D RATING = EXCELLENT (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

Buy Resident Evil: AfterLife (Steelbook Edition) (2010) Now

I saw this at the movie theater in 3D (complete with special 3D glasses they handed out) and felt like I was right in it. Every bullet, star, punch, blast, you name it went right between my eyes. I sat 4 rows from the front (I couldn't get any closer without not seeing the whole screen) and was completely devoured by every creature. What an experience! Note I saw this at another movie theater that did not have the 3D version and I loved it but much prefer the 3D version. I have to say that if you love Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter you won't be disappointed. They look super hot and kick some serious butt! The two of them team up to defeat a 12 foot tall executioner dude with a massive ax/hammer. K-Mart makes an appearance at the end but doesn't say a word. No matter there WILL be a Resident Evil 5; I bet she'll speak in that one. PLEASE NOTE: Don't get up and leave after the credits start there is another minute of movie to go; and it explains how Resident Evil 5 will start! Go see this while it is still in the theater You will NOT be disappointed if you are a Resident Evil fan! Bon appetite!

Read Best Reviews of Resident Evil: AfterLife (Steelbook Edition) (2010) Here

There isn't much more to say about this chapter than what has already been said in the product description and reviews. I'm giving it 3 stars because it delivered exactly what we expect from a RE movie. Action, action, action but no real substance. It really seemed like this movie was one of those "We'll force you to make this movie or we won't let you make the other movie you want." feeling. It felt like filler.

I don't normally write short, lack of information, reviews but there just isn't any more to say than what has already been said.

Needed to know before watching...Remember how in the last movie, Alice was now really powerfull and it looked like she would have an army of Alice's? The film makers decided, lets have everyone get drugged (yet again) and have their memories erased and this will explain why we are making yet another film. What??!! Wesker hits Alice with a serum to make her human again? But..He can still track her, she still survives a plane crash (just walks away)? When fighting, she still seems to have these abilities but they seemed dulled down. It was just something that bugged me about the plot from the start.

Buy it if you are a fan of Milla and the series but if you arent' a big fan, let it go. Rent it instead of buy it.

Want Resident Evil: AfterLife (Steelbook Edition) (2010) Discount?

If you are a Resident Evil fan, you will love this movie. Of course, I have to say that there were some discrepancies throughout the movie. Overall, this movie promises to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. I will sure keep an eye on this DVD.

UPDATE: reading the other reviews I suddenly realize that I believe it's a great movie because I am a diehard fan who has read all the books, watched all movies and most importantly played most games, and that is why I did not need an explanation for most of the storyline. If this is your first Resident Evil movie, I suggest you first get familiar with previous movies and/or books. I am not going to go into details because I do not want to spoil. For fans this movie is not a let down in any way and the best thing is that an afterlife is not the end for this installment :D

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The Shadow (1994)

...though how in the (blank) could Universal have released this on DVD and NOT done WIDESCREEN? The DTS transfer is as crisp and clear as you'd ever want, but this is a movie of astounding visual scope that cries out for a widescreen version. (I have this movie on VHS, DVD, and Dolby Digital Laserdisc, and the DDLD is by far the best of the three, because it's widescreen and the DD is amazingly crisp for LD.)

Still, though, there's a lot to like about this movie: Alec Baldwin is dead-on perfect as Lamont Cranston and his darker side, The Shadow; Baldwin can go from charming to chilling with one flex of his facial muscles, and that ability is nicely on display here, even if The Shadow is buried under a hat and cloak and heavy makeup. Penelope Ann Miller looks gorgeous as Margo Lane, the blonde bombshell with a brain to match, but isn't challenged much by the material. John Lone chews up scenery as Shiwan Khan, last descendent of Genghis Khan and darker reflection of The Shadow's edgy goodness. The art deco sets are terrific; the music is rich and moody; the visual scope of 1933 New York City is breathtaking.

I recommend this one with qualifications: If/when a widescreen version comes out, get it instead of the other DVD or VHS versions. But the movie itself is well worth seeing, particularly if you're an old-time radio fan.

I saw the movie in the theater and enjoyed it very much! The ending was a bit abrupt but the ride was great. Baldwin played the part just right and the whole world of The Shadow was very well done. The only problem I have with the DVD is that, to my knowledge, it has never been released in wide screen format. How Universal could release such a good movie in pan-and-scan only is a mystery. Even the DTS version isn't in wide screen! Aside from that, I think this movie would be a pleasent suprise to sci-fi fans.

Buy The Shadow (1994) Now

This is probably my choice for "most underrated movie" ever.

I love the premise, characters, casting, and especially the score. It will be old news to Batman Begins fans, due to similarities in origin (rich man loses his identity in Asia to return a transformed crime-fighting force)... but keep in mind, this movie came out a decade earlier, and the Shadow is older than the Batman in general. Also, Cranston (a.k.a. the Shadow) is darker than Batman.

Baldwin is great as the gravelly-voiced Shadow, but belts out a good maniacal laugh when he needs too. You can't stop looking at the Shadow. Penelope Ann Miller also turns in a very good performance, as does John Lone as the villain.

The DOWNSIDE to this disc is that it very much lacks in transfer and aspect ratio. It's presented in 4:3 (1.33: 1), for boxy old TV... a real letdown for a great film. The transfer is also very poor... dirt and scratches appear obviously in the opening titles.

Still, it is very much worth seeing a lot of fun and an absolute MUST for anyone who enjoyed Batman, but it will not live up to your system if you have a top of the line audio/visual setup.

Read Best Reviews of The Shadow (1994) Here

Let's say the movie deserves 4 stars at least. It's beautiful and the plot stays true to the original characters. Whatever you may think of Alec Baldwin's acting ability it's still a good movie. But the DVD is an old style, barebones, FULL SCREEN version. It's crap. The only reason you should buy this is that you can't wait to see it one more time and it's cheap...otherwise get the even cheaper serials like the Invisible Avenger and wait for the Special Edition.

Want The Shadow (1994) Discount?

My wife & I viewed this movie for the second time & enjoyed it as much as when we viewed it the first time on our laser disc widescreen version; however, this DVD was in FULL FRAME & we were disappointed that it was not presented in the original widescreen version. The amazon add states that the format for this DVD cited both FULL SCREEN & WIDESCREEN, but unfortuneatly, was not the case as our DVD only came in full screen. I did notice that the ratio was 1.33:1 which is the full screen version which should have alerted me. I suggest that the widescreen be deleted in the add as it is not available in DVD. As a Laser Disc owner, we have the Shadow movie (as mentioned above) in the widescreen version, so I can't imagine why the DVD is not in widescreen too. The widescreen shows much more movie than the fullscreen version, which makes the movie even more enjoyable as you see the entire picture as it was made to look in the theaters. As with all films made of comic book & radio heros, this film is definitely worth viewing. All aspects of the time period were done very well, similar to the movies of Dick Tracy, Batman, Superman, etc., which were all done in widescreen.

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How Earth Made Us

I reviewed the DVDs before sending them on to my grandchildren. The professor leads the expedition to places that are unknown to the vast majority of us, explains in clear and easy to understand presention why mankind developed the way they did and where they lived over that past 10,000 years. This is a must see for everyone above the age of 10.

Prof. Bartlett

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Cars Gift Set (Combo Pack with DVD) (2006)

When Cars first came out on DVD, I was a little disappointed because there weren't very many extras on it. I didn't understand why Pixar would take one of their most popular films and give it such a mediocre treatment. Well.....now that I have the Blu-ray version of this film, I think I know why. They were saving it all for Cars debut on hi-def. This has to be the best looking picture I have seen yet on a hi-def title. I looks almost like the entire film is in 3-D!!! I managed to catch part of this movie on a hi-def cable channel and thought I would compare the two pictures. After a little fiddling, I managed to get both screens at the exact same frame, and was blown away at how much clearer the Blu-ray picture is. The Cine-Explore feature on this is the best special feature I've seen on a hi-def title. It is almost sensory overload at the amount of material that continuously pops up across the screen while the film is playing. This disc will be the one I will pop in to show my friends what Blu-ray is capable of doing. Every Blu-ray owner needs to get this title. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

When I saw this movie in the theaters I enjoyed watching it enough, but I kept thinking this was the worst Pixar film I have seen. Funny thing is the worst Pixar film is still A grade material compared to most other animated features released. And while Cars didn't wow me on the big screen the way The Incredibles or Monsters Inc (or a score of other Pixar films) the film grew on me in a big way when we got it home. You see my son (two years old at the time) loved to watch it. Being the inclusive dad that I am I would watch it with him. I got what Pixar was doing when I first saw Cars, but it didn't resonate with me until repeated viewings. Now, while it's still not my favorite Pixar movie, Cars made a believer out of me in what they were saying about this film.

You see Cars isn't just a cartoon about a world where cars are people. It's a tribute of the history of the automobile, a nod to NASCAR and its roots, and a love letter to Route 66. All of this done in a family-friendly and colorful animated universe. Any car nut with a broad spectrum interest in the automobile will find lots of different cars from different eras getting face time on this movie. NASCAR fans will love the racing sequences and level of detail dedicated to the sport. Those who remember the days before the Interstate system where there was as much fun travelling to your destination as there was being there will feel nostalgic for that time again. The movie hits on multiple levels, which is what makes it better than the sum of its parts.

Take that all away and you still have a fun cartoon. You have cars talking and acting like people for God's sake! The kids will eat that up! Cars are getting into crazy situations that are in their own way a slight play on human issues. There are plenty of little jokes on that vein that both the kids and parents can laugh over. There is even a joke or two with a double meaning the adults may get a kick out of. This is all classic Pixar and does much to fill in the little spaces between story development.

The story? Well like I said when I first saw it I got what they were saying, but wasn't impressed. It's essentially much like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show I remember seeing where somebody from the big city gets stuck in Mayberry, desparate to get out, only to end up loving the town and wanting more. Maybe it was because it was in a way the preachiest of the Pixar films telling us we should slow down our busy lives and go back to simpler times. Not that it's a bad message. Just not one that held onto on first viewing. Well after watching it several more times with my excited toddler the little details come into play that I either missed or ignored the first time around. The sleepy town that slowly comes to life the more their new visitor gives to it. The beautiful backdrops of painted deserts and canyons. There is character growth going on.

Cartoons live and die by their voice actors. While just about every animation company puts out movies that take advantage of celebrity power to gain an audience Pixar is one of the few who has consistently been able to get the best performances from them, and cars is no different. Every celebrity voice is pitch perfect and puts you in the view of the character more than the actor. Larry the Cable Guy as Mater the tow truck easily steals the show, but does it in such a way where you absolutely know it's Larry doing the voice, but you see Mater as a character in of itself rather than a cartoon Larry. Owen Wilson puts his best sly, but whiner-like demeanor for racing star McQueen that's his best. Some characters I still have trouble recognizing the transformation is so good. Tony Shalhoub (better known as Monk from the TV series) is absolutely unbelievable as tire shop owner Luigi. Better yet Michael Keaton as Chic Hicks barely sounds like Michael. Michael makes what is essentially the villain in the movie a very enjoyable and charismatic cut up. I can go on, but suffice it to say the "acting" is top notch.

Animation wise all I have to say is this is Pixar. They are just about the best in the business and what you see in this movie will impress even today. The race scenes are dynamically shot the same way you would see a big NASCAR race with gravel, debris, smoke and skid marks looking real. The level of detail is very impressive from the waxed shine on the cars to the minute dust.

This Blu-Ray release is pretty much identical to the previous release, but this time they include the DVD version as well. The differences between the Blu-Ray and DVD versions visually are striking, and that's admitting the DVD looks great. The Blu-Ray technically has two menus, but that's not a big deal. One of the menus has three options which are the movie, bonus cartoons and featurettes. Here's a breakdown (features on the DVD will have an * beside them):

Mater and the Ghost Light*: Like all Pixar releases Cars comes with both the animated short that was viewed before the movie in theaters plus a totally new short related to the movie itself. This is a story about Mater scaring the town with little tricks so he is told a story about the infamous Ghost Light, which he then appears to experience after left alone. Goofy funny with Mater kind of replaying a number of scenes from the movie in a different way.

One Man Band*: This is the short that was played before the movie in theaters. It's about two street musicians "dueling" for a little girl's coin. The musicians get more outrageous in their zeal for the money and things end up going crazy.

Mater in Bounding: Remember the Pixar short with the Jackalope and sheep? Well this is a quickie (non hi-def) short of Mater replacing the sheep bouncing all over the place. I think it's something the animators put together for fun and are sharing with us.

End Credits: Here you can see the animation end credits in full frame without the credits. Love the previous Pixar movie references.

Production Features include:

Two Full Length Commentaries: One is by Lasseter and the other with the production team (with pictures).

Inspiration for 'Cars'*: Documentary told by John Lasseter on the inspiration for Cars including a jaunt through Route 66 and seeing some race cars in action.

Documentary Shorts: There are seven little items here. "Radiator Springs," "Character Design," "Animation and Acting," "Real World Racing: Getting Geeky with the Details," "Hudson Hornet," "Graphics" and "Darrell Waltrip Museum Tour". This is the real meat of the extras. You get to see the real love for the source material and how much they put into making the movie as much a car-lovers movie as possible.

Cine-Explore: This is a way to see behind the scenes stuff while watching the movie. You can set it automatic or manually punch in the content. Much of the content comes from the other featurettes.

Deleted Scenes*: These are just sketches and storyboards that never went beyond pre-production. It's interesting to see how the script evolved, but don't expect extra cartoons.

Carfinder Game: It's dubbed as a very sophisticated BD game, but I call it incredibly tedious. The has three play modes. The primary mode is where you have to select a car from the bottom of your screen when it shows up in the movie. Next is the same concept, but this time the screen is frozen for an amount of time due to a massive amount of cars to rummage through. Third is like a bonus round where you get three images of the same car and you have to pick which one is accurate (with the other two having often the slightest differences in them).

The reward for going through the game (which you cannot get out of until you finish the movie with it) is a Showroom that has all the cars you found. You can click on the showroom and get a pretty neat profile of that car and it's personal history. I have to admit I really like getting this information as it broadens the story greatly. It's just a bear of a game to go through. This isn't a casual game to kill a little time. Be prepared to commit.

Cars is one of those movies that is very different from anything else out there, but then again you can say that for a good number of Pixar movies. It's a great movie for the car lover and those who enjoy remembering the 1950's driving experience where drive-ins and cruising mainstreet were how you treat a Friday night. Oh yeah... car racing fans will definitely get a kick out this film. If you aren't into any of that then you still should give this movie a try. It's VERY accessible to just everybody out there.

Buy Cars Gift Set (Combo Pack with DVD) (2006) Now

After seeing so many children's movies with animals lately (Hoodwinked, Over the Hedge, Ice Age 2, etc.) Cars was a needed change. It was wonderful sitting down to a movie that offered something a bit different. Don't get me wrong, our family loves movies with goofy animals. But after laughing at and with Tow Mater for 2 hours, I was so glad I didn't see a silly squirrel in the whole movie. Tow Mater was awesome. We all hope to see Tow starring in his own flick! Bring on the sequel!!!

With that said, Cars is a heart warming story of a race car called Lightning McQueen who is full of himself. Lightning stumbles off the beaten path of life, and onto the backroads of route 66. There, Lightning McQueen finds all the things he was missing in life because of his self-absorption: friends, beauty, and love.

I was very pleasantly suprised with the story. Yes, Cars had many, many funny parts (especially the tractor tipping, and Tow Mater), but the story itself is what shines like a diamond. Cars is a movie that will have you leaving the theatre changed, looking for love, beauty and cherishing what you have. I can't give a movie any greater compliment than this. A must see, and must own children's movie.

Total Score (out of 100) = 90

43 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.

8 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?

10 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?

9 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?

10 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?

8 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase?

Plus 2 extra bonus points for Tow Mater! Tow is a one one a kind children's movie character that will not soon be forgotten.

Read Best Reviews of Cars Gift Set (Combo Pack with DVD) (2006) Here

"Cars" is definitely a popular Disney/Pixar classic and in terms of quality, has received the highest of rankings when it was released on Blu-ray back in 2007. In 2009, the "Ultimate Cars Gift Pack" comes with the Blu-ray plus the original DVD and 2 exclusive cars (Cruisin' Lighting McQueen and Rescue Squad Mater) with custom Ransburg paint. These items are highly collectible and If you are looking for a holiday gift, especially for someone who owns a Blu-ray player, a die-hard "Cars" fan and loves Disney/Pixar films, you can not go wrong with this gift pack! Definitely recommended!

In 2006, the seventh Disney/Pixar film "Cars" was released in theaters. Needless to say, the film was a major hit as it was nominated for two Academy Awards, has made over $461 million worldwide.

In fact, the film was so popular that merchandise is still sold in department stores today and the cars have been popular toys that have made over $5 billion in sales.

Needless to say, "Cars" was not just a box office success, it is one of Disney/Pixars biggest money making titles that is loved by critics and fans that easily ensured a sequel for a planned release in 2011.

In 2009, in time for the holidays is the release of "Cars Ultimate Cars Gift Pack" which is a great release for those who have now jumped aboard in purchasing a Blu-ray player and a Blu-ray which was released in 2007 and has received nothing but magnificent reviews.

"Cars" is a film directed by John Lasseter ("Toy Story" films, "A Bug's Life") and co-directed by Joseph Ranft ("Monsters, Inc.", "Finding Nemo", "A Bug's Life", "The Incredibles") and features a screenplay by Lasster, Ranft, Dan Fogelman ("Bolt", "The 12th Man"), Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin and Jorgen Klubein ("A Bug's Life", "Mulan", "Pocohontaas", "The Lion King").

The film revolves around a popular rookie named Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson, "Bottle Rocket", "Marley & Me") who races in the Piston Cup stock car racing competition.

Lightning McQueen is quite arrogant and not much of a team-player. He doesn't trust his pit crew and sure enough, when he gets into a 3-car tie, the race would be determined a week later at the Los Angeles International Speedway.

While on the road to practice in California, he pushes his big rig Mack to travel all early morning but when a group of cars start becoming reckless around Mack, Lightning McQueen rolls out of the back of the big rig and ends up in the countryside.

When Lightning McQueen goes to find Mack, he ends up in a small town of Radiator Springs. But when he gets into a problematic situation with the local Sheriff (he tears up the main road), Lightning is arrested and put in jail.

The town's judge and doctor Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "The Hustler", "Nobody's Fool") wants him out of town but the local lawyer Sally Carrera (voiced by Bonnie Hunt, "The Bonnie Hunt Show") insists that Lightning to do community service.

And thus, Lightning must spend time with the locals of Radiator Springs where he gets to learn more about himself, making new friends such as Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, "Blue Collar TV"), Ramone (voiced by Cheech Marin, "Lost", "Born in East LA", "Race to Witch Mountain"), Luigi (voiced by Tony Shaloub, "Monk", "Wings") and many more. But also Lightning possibly discovering love.

"Cars" is an exciting, hilarious and well-cast film featuring beautiful animation from Pixar and looks and sounds incredible via HD on Blu-ray!

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Cars" on Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:39:1) and the picture quality of the film is absolutely vibrant. Colors are absolutely beautiful as you can see the nice sheen of the cars and the reflections of the cars. You can see the detail on the rust stains on Mater and for the most part, if you put in your DVD, you can see how much of a difference the film looks in HD via Blu-ray over its DVD counterpart. Vibrant colors, more detail and overall, a beautiful video transfer with no blemishes, compression artifacts whatsoever.

Audio is presented in English 5.1 (uncompressed, 48 kHz/24-Bit) and the racing segments really utilize the surround channels but also the LFE. It's one thing to have the nice clear dialogue and music through the front and center channels but to hear the cars speeding on the raceway and zooming and hearing through the surrounds is fantastic. Crashes bring out the booms and the audience on the race track can be heard on the surround channels. Overall, a solid lossless audio soundtrack!

Subtitles are in English SDH.

As for the DVD, the DVD is featured in widescreen (2:39:1) and is enhanced for 16×9 televisions. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound EX and Dolby Digital 2.0. Subtitles are presented in English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"Cars Ultimate Cars Gift Pack" contains the original Blu-ray released in Nov. 2007 but also comes with the original DVD plus 2 exclusive cars (Cruisin' Lightning McQueen and Rescue Squad Mater) with custom Ransburg paint.

The Blu-ray special features are presented in 1080p and 1080i High Definition and also 480i Standard Definition with English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital. Also, with English subtitles.

DISC 1:

* Cine-Explore Cine-Explore allows the viewer to watch the film with interactive audio commentary by director John Lasseter. You can see storyboards during the commentary and also see the shorts and deleted scenes as well.

* Cine-Explore Documentary Shorts: Included in this feature are:

Radiator Springs (5:23) Behind-the-scenes of Pixar and trying to make the world of "Radiator Springs" seem believable.

Character Design (6:06) Director John Lasseter talks about the details that he wanted to see in the film. From the reflections to the dirt being kicked up on the tires and more.

Animation and Acting (5:15) Scott Clark and Doug Sweetland (both have the title of Supervising Animator) talk about the character animation and how the characters must have a soul.

Real World Racing: Getting Geeky with the Details (5:29) Those who love "Cars" talk about how they love the details in the film since so many other films tend to not cover car racing that well. So, director John Lasseter (who loves cars) made sure that the details were right on the film and professionals talk about how happy they were that Lasseter wanted to get the details correctly for an animated film.

Hudson Hornet (2:44) Director John Lasseter talks about his first impression of the Hudson Hornet and how it was the fastest car of its day and then realizing how innovative, how powerful and how fast this car was. Others talk about how significant the car was.

Graphics (3:34) The various graphics and product stickers used on the film for each car. Graphic designers talk about the various logos that were used from brands, food, restaurants, products, etc.

Darrel Waltrip Museum Tour (7:13) Director John Lasseter visits the Darrel Waltrip Museum and takes a look at the various cars in the museum and learn some of the history behind those cars from Darrel Waltrip.

* Carfinder Game A game in which you select the cars at a bottom row while watching the film and try to get the best score.

* Deleted Scenes (14:00) Five deleted scenes which includes: Community Service, Top Down Truck Stop, Lost, Motorama Girls and Traffic School featuring opening commentary by director John Lasseter. Deleted scenes are from pre-production sketches (created 3-4 years before the film was released in theaters) are shown.

* One Man Band (4:33) Featured in HD, this featurette is a Pixar animation of a man with many instruments (ala a One Man Band) and competes with another musician in order to get the coin of a young boy who wants to donate.

* Mater and the Ghostlight Short (7:09) Featured in HD, this story features Doc Hudson telling a story of "The Ghostlight" to Lightning McQueen.

* Epilogue (4:20) Featured in HD, this is the ending of "Cars" without the ending credits.

* Boundin' Cars (:46) Featuring Mater and Lightning McQueen at the Drive-in watching a short film.

* Movie Showcase (6:34) Certain scenes that showcase the ultimate in High Definition in picture and sound such as the sequences: Crash, Drive with Sally, Doc Racing and Neon

* The Inspiration of Cars (16:02) John Laseter talks about his love for cars and wanting to bring his love for cars to animated format. A Behind-the-Scenes look at the making of the film and the crew taking a trip on Route 66.

DVD:

The DVD contains the "Mater and the Ghostlight" short, "One Man Band" short, inspiration for "Cars", deleted scenes and more!

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Cars" was definitely an amazing animated film when it came out back in 2007 and in 2009, the film is still a classic and its so popular that toys for "Cars" are still being offered in department stores which is rare to see for an animated film.

I loved the film when it first came out and the film still holds up today and continues to be quite entertaining. The picture and audio quality of "Cars" in High Definition is still magnificent but of course since the original Blu-ray was released in 2007, the lossless audio soundtrack is presented in English 5.1 uncompressed (48 kHz/24-Bit) instead of the current 5.1 or 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless soundtrack that Pixar films are offered in today's Blu-ray releases. But still, it's uncompressed audio and the lossless audio soundtrack of this Blu-ray release is still fantastic. And of course, picture quality is still outstanding.

As for the "Ultimate Cars Gift Pack", the release is right on time for the holidays. With many people now moving to Blu-ray and many Disney/Pixar fans knowing that "Cars" is one of those must-have films to own, Disney is offering a gift pack that includes a DVD (which is great for the kids during long commutes) and two exclusive cars with custom Ransburg paint.

Really, there's nothing negative that can be said about "Cars Ultimate Cars Gift Pack". If you have know someone who is new to Blu-ray and is a Disney/Pixar fan, this is a wonderful holiday gift to give. It's a high quality release that is definitely recommended!

Want Cars Gift Set (Combo Pack with DVD) (2006) Discount?

In Pixar's CARS, directed by TOY STORY director John Lasseter, the world is populated entirely by you guessed it cars. So it's only natural that the biggest event in the entire car world is the Piston Cup, the world's most popular race (inspired by the ever-popular NASCAR racing). This year, the public's rooting for Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), an immensely-talented albeit egotistic rookie. While traveling to California to prepare for the Piston Cup, Lightning's driver, Mack (John Ratzenberger), dozes off and sends Lightning off into the middle of nowhere. The middle of nowhere happens to be the small town of Radiator Springs, or as Lightning described it "hillbilly hell". Though at first Lightning wants nothing more than to escape from Radiator Springs and win the Piston Cup, he gradually becomes more and more attached to the town and its citizens, eventually realizing that friends and family mean more than fame.

Pixar makes family movies better than anyone. Adults find their films just as entertaining as do children. CARS is no exception, though it lacks the power of many of Pixar's previous creations, such as TOY STORY or FINDING NEMO. Also, it is becoming more and more clear that Pixar's films seem to revolve around the same sort of formula. Eventually, I believe that this will begin to bother some adults, but the children will go on loving these films, and that's what the films are here for in the first place.

The cast for CARS is even more impressive than that of previous Pixar films. The cast includes, along with Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, George Carlin, NASCAR racers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr., FINDING NEMO/A BUG'S LIFE director Andrew Stanton, Jay Leno, and Michael Keaton. That is quite the cast. It also features music by Randy Newman and some fantastic animation.

Despite all that it has going for it, CARS was considered a flop at the box office, primarily when compared to Pixar's previous masterpieces. I believe that this is due in part to the advertising, which I thought made the film look like many of the other stupid CGI family film imitations in theaters recently. All I can say is disregard the advertising and see the film for yourself. It's another delightful family film from Pixar. Your kids'll love it, and you'll love it too. What more could you ask for?