Washington the Beautiful in High Definition (2012)

I purchased This DVD because I love these kind of fly overs. Fantastic Blu-ray DVD. One other reason why I purchased it. I love the ride (Soarin) in Walt Disney World.The ride soars over California as if you were hang gliding. Washington The Beautiful Is almost like that ride. Yes, I also purchased the Blu-ray, (Over California).

While i agree with GMc regarding the quality of the blu-ray, the visuals are still stunning. However, in my opinion, the insipid and overblown narration are what detract from this otherwise enjoyable visual spectacle. On first listening I thought it was bad, and it just gets worse with each repeat viewing. Unfortunately, you can't mute the narration without muting the musical score (which is actually quite good) also. Just another of life's interminable dilemmas.

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I once received a ten minute sample of this video at a broadcast electronics show when DVDs were first coming out. Yep, it's that old! I have been looking for it ever since because it impressed me so much.

Recently, I found it here on Blu-Ray HD! It was recorded in the old Japanese MUSE HD analog system. Don't let that stop you, it looks great. The narration is insightful and the sweeping scenery, incredible. It is all photographed from a helicopter, so it looks great on my projection system. A must buy demo disc.

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This review is based on the Blu-ray of 'Washington the Beautiful'. I purchased this because I'm planning on relocating there. This film certainly didn't quell those desires. Featuring gorgeous majestic arial views of the Evergreen State, you will definitely be entranced by her beauty! And that really is about the only good thing I have to say about this disc. So if you're wondering whether or not this disc lives up to its promise of showing you beautiful Washington, rest assured in the knowledge that Yes, it does!

This issues I have with this disc are mostly on the technical side of things. However from a presentation standpoint, let's get one thing out of the way: The feature's narration is extremely, well... sappy! And boy does it lay it on thick! I'm guessing the producers wanted everything in the feature to keep inline with the theme of 'beauty', from the beautiful visuals, to the nice music, as well as trying to make the narration 'artsy' and colourful, and thus beautiful. Sadly it feels like the attempt at that was WAY overdone. If you don't groan at least a few times while watching this film, I would say you're not a human and should be inspected to make sure you're not one of them 'Terminator' machines everyone's talking about now. Here's a sampling of the overblown narraration, as spoken by a guy who sounds like he'd much rather be going over your investment options with you, speaking in a hushed assertive and wispy tone as he introduces the viewer to Seattle:

"A Spectral Spirit, borne of dreams and dreamers...

An unexpected forest, rooted in yesterday, rising into tommorrow...

Here in the Pacific Northwest, no land stands fallow; Upon all ground, something grows...

Upon THIS land... grows Seattle'."

Ugh! The entire feature is riddled with such silly mosaics of fancy excretions, and while you may not feel the effect seeing it written here, as you experience it in the film, it ultimitely winds up feeling... for lack of a better term, seriously ridiculous!

Let's move on, shall we?

Video quality for this Blu-ray is not great. Not terrible, just not great. I certainly would not call it "HD" in the traditional sense of the term. Images are grainly with digital noise and mild artifacts noticeable in the brighter areas, as well as an array of horizontal 'gridlines' that are also barely noticeable, but are definitely there. Plus it lacks a certain sharpness and smoothness (it wasn't shot at 60p, that's for sure). As a result there is no HD 'pop'. I also noticed that yellows and reds tend to be a bit oversaturated and most other colours seems slightly muted. Now granted I'm watching this at 720p and not 1080p, but even still.. it looks like the feature was shot on a Sony Cybershot! Yet if you're not watching it for the HD factor, you'll be okay. The beautiful vistas are still well represented here and will not dissapoint, it's just sad that the quality isn't as good as the subject matter.

On the Audio front, know that the feature is not in 5.1. Rather it uses PCM Stereo. But since it's mostly music and the narration (as well as a handful of sound effects that do actually sound quite nice) it shouldn't matter too much.

In the end I give this disc 3/5 Stars. The non-HD looking video quality and the nausea-inducing narration each take off one star. Otherwise, if you're looking for a wonderful view of Washington's beauty, this feature certainly provides it in breathtaking spades! Covering nearly all interesting areas from the coast to the Cascades to the eastern areas of the state, this film will wisk you through the state's diverse and complex good looks and will make you want to live there, if you don't already.

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I purchased this item accepting the fact that I would have to pay for a conversion to my blu ray player to enable it to play region 1 dvd's. Out of curiosity I tried it and it worked perfectly in my region 2 player. A stunning record of the magnificent scenery in Washington State. I would recommend it to anyone who has, or intends, to visit that part of the Pacific North West

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Shallow Hal (2001)

Being that I am a heavyset person myself, I was able to put that fact aside and appreciate this movie for what it really is. Truthfully, I didn't find this movie funny but I did find a strong message. This movie goes to show that size doesn't have anything to do with the person on the inside. Gwyneth Paltrow's character Rosemary goes to show how underneath all that excess flesh that there is still a person. I think "Shallow Hal" is a movie that helps demolish discrimination against heavyset people. This movie didn't only give examples of heavyset people but of people who were skinny and just not physically attractive to that of one's expectations. Hal is a very shallow character and he is an example of all those people who discriminate against heavyset men and women and people who are not attractive. Like Hal in the movie, people can change and widen their horizons for something more beautiful. "Shallow Hal" is less of a comedy and more of a motivational, moving story about life. I think this is a family friendly movie, something that kids would like as long as the situation is explained to them. Let this movie touch you on several different levels and check it out.

Okay, I sheepishly confess that I watched this DVD expecting to see some patented Farrelly brothers humor: crude, insensitive, and in-your-face. WOW, was I surprised.

This movie is definitely humorous (we laughed out loud at times) but when it's over, you come away with a heightened sense of sensitivity for those people society categorizes as "ugly", "fat" or "undesirable." And if you're not careful, you may just approach life a bit differently once you've watched this excellent movie.

Hal (portrayed wonderfully by Jack Black), and his best friend Mauricio (Jason Alexander) are a couple of obnoxious, shallow guys who make no apologies for their fixation on dating ONLY young, beautiful women. This is tough for both of them, as neither one is particularly good-looking. But, they drive on doggedly in their pursuit of women who are consistently "out of their league."

Everything changes when Hal is stuck in an elevator with a self-motivational guru, who gives Hal a "gift". In fact, Hal is hypnotized; now, he sees a person's inner beauty, not their outward physical appearance. Unattractive or obese women look like supermodels to Hal; and when he approaches them, genuinely attracted to their true beauty, they respond. After years of being unable to connect with beautiful women, suddenly Hal has an unprecedented run of success...only, the women are really not physically attractive, and this is evident to Mauricio, and everyone else...except Hal. In short order, Hal hooks up with Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is smart, funny, caring, and to Hal, stunningly beautiful. One problem: to the rest of the world, Rosemary is a 350-pound behemoth who breaks restaurant furniture simply by sitting on it.

Rosemary and Hal fall madly in love, and it turns out that Rosemary's father is the CEO of Hal's investment company. Taken by Hal's sincerity, and his insightful ideas for improvements to the firm, Rosemary's father promotes Hal to his right-hand man. Everything is going wonderfully for Hal and Rosemary...that is, until Mauricio decides to "rescue" Hal by breaking the hypnosis. What will happen now that Hal can see the REAL Rosemary?

This is a great movie, and can even be watched and appreciated by preteen children. The sexual situations are mild, and there is little or no foul language or nudity. Gwyneth Paltrow, and especially Jack Black, give excellent acting performances. Make it a point to watch and enjoy this DVD. It just might change your life, and make you wish we could ALL see only the "inner beauty" of others. Our world today is much too preoccupied with physical appearance, and other shallow concepts that don't truly matter in the grand scheme of things.

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First published Stanford Daily, Nov 2001.

The Farrelly brothers have done it again. From the makers of such outré comedies as "There's Something About Mary" and "Me, Myself and Irene" comes "Shallow Hal," a comedy with a conscience. Known for movies that feature imperfect men lusting after gorgeous girls with a few laughs thrown in for good measure, the brothers delve a bit deeper this time, seeking to convince us that fat is fun. Jack Black (the crazy music store employee in "High Fidelity") is Hal, a shallow male (if you'll pardon the redundancy) of modest looks, besotted with breasts and waiflike figures. He prefers a girl with just one large breast to one with half a brain. Needless to say, in the true Farrelly tradition, Hal is a loser when it comes to girls.

Hal's messiah is Tony Robbins, the self-help guru who achieves the impossible and makes him see inner beauty. Ergo, Hal moves in a haze, stripping fat women of the excess padding, glossing over manly moustaches etc., to visualize them as the epitome of pulchritude. One such beneficiary of Hal's x-ray vision is Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), who trades her corsets from "Shakespeare in Love" and "Emma" for a fat suit. Despite being well over 300 pounds and gluttonously devouring any source of fat within range, Hal can only see her as the nubile nymphet of his dreams. His consternation at being in a minority of one in his admiration is palpable. Eventually the blinkers fall off, courtesy his shallower pal, the meddling Mauricio (Jason Alexander). The crux of the film lies in how Hal confronts the fat in his femme fatale.

Black's virtuoso performance as Hal makes us squirm. Rosemary, with the fat suit, is ponderously poignant. She shames us with her starkly evident low self-esteem and tame acceptance of stereotypical notions of what passes off as beauty. If only her character had more flesh than fat, the full range of emotions that obese people experience could have been hung out to dry. By resorting to stilted portrayals in black and white of fat people being angelic do-gooders while ugly non-fat people (the ones in this film, barring Jill, can't be called slim), are shallow shysters, the many shades of gray in between are ignored.

Paltrow took a stroll in a New York hotel with the fat suit on, and has been quoted as saying that "...no one was making eye contact with me, or would even look in my direction. No one wanted to connect with me. It was a profound, very sad and startling experience." Some of that sadness is revealed in her portrayal of Rosemary. However, it would however, be a safer bet that UFOs would land at Stanford than to hope that Hollywood would make us laugh and cry in the same movie.

Paltrow looks as radiant as ever. Rather strangely, she reminds one of Phoebe (of "Friends" fame) when she attempts to be goofy. Jack Black has the makings of a star. His Hal is a flawed bungler who is redeemed solely by an inner core of middle-American harmlessness. Rene Kirby as Walt is a casting coup. His joie de vivre is at the heart of the movie's message. Kirby, an ex-IBM employee, was discovered by the Farrellys in a bar in Burlington, as he plodded along on all fours (owing to spina bifida). The character was specifically written for him. Jason Alexander, chubbier than ever, does not disappoint as Mauricio.

The Farrellys have been known for at least one memorable cinematic moment in their movies most notable of course, Ben Stiller's nuts and bolt coming in the way of his zipper, and Cameron Diaz's organic hair gel in "There's Something About Mary." This one has a twist in the tail. Eminently enjoyable.

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First of all, let me state this: I am myself overweight not obese, but overweight. One of my best friends is morbidly overweight. I found the film, hilarious on several occasions and so did she. I will admit, that she also found it flat for the most part. I won't say it was completely flat, but the film could have been funnier though when it was funny, I thought I would pass out.

Is it offensive to overweight people? Let's look at this in the light it is presented... Jack Black and Jason Alexander's characters are the narrators (so to speak) of the story. Neither one of these guys is in shape and that is key to the story. They are losers who are both trying to prove to the other that they are studs with the ladies, when in truth neither of them can get a date.

In a casting coup, Tony Robbins, the self help guru, sort of brainwashes Jack into only seeing women for who they are inside instead of on the outside. This is something that we should all do, but very very few of actually do. From there forward, Jack only sees women for the beauty within them. The fact that most of the beautiful women he sees are in fact physically unattractive in one way or another, is a point that is actually rather delicately handled. It is a telling point of the filmmakers that one woman that he sees as an old crone, is in reality a gorgeous woman. So what's the point of this? I think the filmmakers actually wanted to show that just because a person is beautiful on the outside, they can be ugly on the inside. Conversely, an unattractive person on the outside can be equally or moreso unattractive on the inside (this is a point that could have been brought out but was not).

Does the film pander to the idea that fat people are jolly, etc.? Yeah. Does it presume that unattractive people are more beautiful on the inside? Yeah.

Is the film politically correct? Who cares! We have all become so overly sensitive that we're a nation of big cry babies. I hope that I am evolved enough that if I countenance something that I don't like I can ignore it and move on. Who's the fool if I let something get under my skin? It's me. My folks taught me to "consider the source" when I was offended by something or someone.

So, if you think you will be offended by this film then don't watch it. No one is holding a gun to your head.

But if you do watch it and get offended then get a thicker skin I can promise you there are going to be many more offensive things in life than this film. In short grow up and get over it!

It's a funny film watch it.

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This movie has a feel-good message, making it enjoyable enough for three stars. It says that we all deserve to be loved even if we're not physically attractive (in what it considers the "conventional" sense). But will it really change anything of what it deems mere "convention"? Will Gwyneth Paltrow go on being an advocate for the inner beauty of obese people and others "conventionally" unattractive? I kind of think not. Her performance here is significant and may display genuine talent. But most likely her future roles will reflect a sense of glamour in slimness as much as ever, meaning nothing was really changed by the movie. Similarly, will Jack Black, after his similarly impressive performance be any more inclined than before to accept an obese woman as a girlfriend? I similarly doubt that. For all its feel-good message, SHALLOW HAL builds us up for a let-down when we realize its lack of realism. Many of us will go on with our inner beauty as underappreciated as ever because of outer appearances, and will still find hard to swallow that suggestion that prevalent standards of beauty run no deeper than convention.

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Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos (2011)

Jeff has been my favorite comedian from the time I saw him on VH1 comedy shows back in the early 90s, so I had to get this the moment it came out. I was a little disappointed at most of the performance, as it seemed to be missing much of Jeff's sharp wit. That's not to say it isn't funny. There are points where I was laughing so hard I cried (in particular, Jeff's routine with Achmed shines in this DVD as a stand out performance), but it seemed like Jeff has been worn down a bit by the Political Correctness elitists who are always complaining about his act. A little too much time in this performance was spent attempting to appease critics with asides and it seemed like he was trying to walk a mine field. Based on the out-takes and special features, it appears this special was produced like a sitcom, with multiple takes and a set flow. This detracts heavily from Jeff's true talent as an Audience Worker. Some of Jeff's best moments involve his working the audience with jabs and jokes, but that portion of his act is completely absent here, which is disappointing. There's almost too much polish on this DVD and not nearly enough of what makes Jeff a truly great comedian.

Got to see Jeff and the gang on tour last month!! I've got to say...my family and I have always been huge Jeff fans, but the new tour made us even bigger fans! The new characters are hilarious and definitely worth seeing. Can't wait for the DVD to come out so we can add to our Dunham collection and continue to enjoy what this comedic genius has to offer!! Way to go Jeff Fa Fa!!! :)

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By now I think that most everyone has some familiarity with Jeff Dunham, but in case you don't, he is a ventriloquist. But he's a ventriloquist with a wide range of characters that seem almost real and he does some comedy too and has managed to now make several movies and even had his own tv show for awhile. This is the latest of those movies.

Controlled Chaos brings back Jeff's most beloved puppets, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, Jose Jalapeno on a Stick, Peanut, and Walter. It also features two new puppets, Achmed's son and Little Jeff. Each has their own personality and Jeff does a skit with one or two of them at a time, interacting with himself, each other, and the audience. At the beginning, he also does a comedy routine without the puppets as well.

As said before, each of the puppets has its own personality. Walter is a grouchy old man who really isn't afraid of saying anything to anybody. He likes to lament his marriage and the youth today as well as anything else he happens to think is frivolous. Achmed is fond of trying to kill people, and claims to harbor a relationship with other terrorists. In this particular movie he interacts with his son which adds a whole new dimension to him. Jose Jalapeno uses few words but they always seem to get many laughs. Being that he is on a stick he doesn't move around much, but he isn't required too, unless someone mentions Mexican food. Peanut is probably the oddest of Jeff's characters. I'm not really sure what he is but he looks funny and tends to be real goofy and childlike and loves to get on Jeff's nerves.

While this particular movie had its funny moments, I didn't find it near as good as his other movies. The new characters weren't that compelling and I wish he would have just stuck with his regular four or some of the other side characters he's used in the past. The jokes sometimes fell flat for all the characters though and there were even a few uncomfortable silences in the mix. Which is something that is not usual for a Jeff Dunham show. I felt myself looking at the clock a few times to see when it would be over. I did appreciate that it was mostly new material, as Jeff has reused material in the past, but it just wasn't the normal Jeff Dunham hilariousness that I'm used to.

I'll continue watching Jeff Dunham movie and shows because they are usually uproariously funny, but this one isn't one I'd recommend unless you're a die hard fan.

Review by M. Reynard 2011

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I won two tickets to this filming and it was SO COOL!!!! Can't wait to get the DVD. I laughed so hard I cried. DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!! Man, so funny.

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A little over priced in my opinion but worth supporting a dying art. Edgy, clever, and of course funny as ever!

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The Gangster Collection (American Gangster/Casino/Eastern Promises) (1995)

I strongly recommend all of these films, Casino of course being one of the greatest films ever, and the other two definitely worth owning. The transfer on Eastern Promises is fantastic!

The 3 stars are for THIS PRODUCT AS IT IS PACKAGED and is NOT a rating of the movies themselves or a rating on the quality of the video and audio of the disks. While all 3 of these films are fantastic (I was completely blown away by American Gangster and Eastern Promises), do yourself a favor, save 16 bucks and buy the Blu-Ray versions of these separately.

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Holy Matrimony - Blu-ray (1994)

I don't know why, but I just loved this movie. Patricia is so charming(as usual). I'm definitely a fan of her. I liked how it was tied into the Amish community. The boy was so perfect. If he were older he'd be the perfect guy. The film had action, suspense, a moral, pretty gal, romance, and it was surprisingly engrossing . I liked the conflicts. It was fun to see how putting different types of people in different situations would work.

This is overall, a very enjoyable movie. A woman who loose and easy as we used to call it..working at a carnival..so her and her boyfriend ..who was previously an Amish, decide to steal money...they flee to The Amish to hide out...the guy winds up getting killed and the woman has to marry his younger 12 year old brother... Overall..It is delightful...

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I love in this movie how a little boy marrys a harlet theif and then at the end ends up working things out and realizing there mistake really inspiring movie

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funniest film i have seen in a long time. good story, good acting and no filthy language. a good family film for kids and adults

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I watched this movie when i was younger and watched it again, years later, and i still enjoyed it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was so young, but what a good actor. This is also one of my Patricia Arquette fav's too, well right along with Wildflower. It actually made me laugh out loud, which says a lot.

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North Face (2008)

I have a fear of heights.

I also have a new fear of being stranded on the side of a sheer cliff called "The Murder Wall" during a blizzard. This unexpected thriller, based on a true story, held me spellbound for it's just over two hour running time. I can't recall a more harrowing mountain adventure.

This riveting recreation is set in 1936, a short time before the famed (and notorious) Berlin Olympics which Hitler hoped to use as propaganda to tout the superiority of all things Nazi and Aryan. The worldwide news of Germans conquering this impossible, peak was a hoped-for event before the Olympics and something encouraged by the German press. Here two Germans -Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser -confront "the last problem of the Alps": the Eiger's unclimbed North Face. They are closely followed up "The Murder Wall" by a competing Austrian team. But things go terribly wrong. The crowds and the press watch the ensuing, heart-stopping drama through telescopes from the inn and chalets below.

A terrible point of no return is reached. Under unimaginable conditions, the men fight for survival, trying to do what's right when everything's gone wrong. This extraordinary drama does not relent. It held me in a freezing visceral grip. I was on the mountain with these men and never once felt that it was anything less than real. If you have a need to climb the Eiger, please make note of the Hinterstoisser Traverse. Director Philipp Stoelzl superbly captures the dangers, the daring and the tragedy.

4.6 stars

It's a pleasure to watch a film that covers all the dramatic bases well. Nordwand starts pleasantly, introducing the characters one by one with subtle details that say volumes but with little effort. We get to know the people, and then the adventure begins. I could really feel for these guys, and for once the love story didn't seem tacked on; it plays out like an integral part of the movie.

In fact, the best performance here might be from Johana Wokalek, excellent as the young photographer---you can believe the love she portrays. But everyone is solid, and my only qualm might be that the last 30 minutes stretch a little too long, with too many tense close-ups etc. Still, the tension is real and I felt like I was there; the music is perfect, the sound of the snow and wind quite visceral, and I felt cold while watching this on a hot Texas night. That's good filmmaking.

It helped a lot that I didn't know the story ahead of time; if you also don't, just watch the film before learning more. I was suitably surprised by what happens and never felt manipulated as in many films of this type. The climbing scenes are magnificent, perhaps the best I've ever seen, and you come away with huge respect for these early climbers and what they did with such basic equipment.

All in all, a gripping adventure recommended to fans of mountains, man vs. nature adventures, and even those who enjoy a low-key love story.

One quibble: I speak German and the subtitles are miles off in many parts, not even beginning to convey the subtlety of what these characters are saying at points. Imagine hearing "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," while reading, "It doesn't matter." If you're going to spend this much on a movie, make the subtitles perfect! Bitte...

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I can't give this movie less than three stars-on the mountain, the cinematography is superb and the acting outstanding. To watch these climbers set out strong, then engage in a long, grueling struggle, outfitted with 1930's gear and within sight of tourists below ... it's every bit as riveting as the 5-star reviews say.

And that is precisely why I'd love to sock them with only one star: the story itself is so incredible that it did not need falsifying or romancing. Can we truly not watch an adventure movie without a ridiculous and superfluous romance? And was the actual climb not gripping enough without false additions? The "competitors" were a 4-man team from the start; no living person cut himself off the rope (it was cut the next day, when the men who fell were beyond rescue and no longer responsive); no woman had to galvanize reluctant rescuers, they responded as a matter of course; and on.

If the filmmaker wants to include a fictional story, then the people portrayed should be fictional, as in Titanic. To use a real story, with real, legendary people, and then to falsify it -that verges on obscene. If you would like to know how events actually unfolded, I highly recommend the British production "The Beckoning Silence" based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson ("Touching the Void"). Right now, it is available only in European format DVD. In it, Simpson talks of how this climb inspired him, what the climbers did and how they must have felt, and mountaineering in general. It is accurate and incredibly compelling in its own right. And yet, the scenes recreating the climb, though nicely acted and extremely well filmed, fall just a little flat after watching "North Face". Oh, my kingdom for a hybrid of these two movies! That would be a 10-star!

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This is an action packed film involving a mountaineering adventure, a love story, and the politics of pre-1936 Olympic Games Germany. Pay close attention to the dialogue to catch the subtle politics emerging in the social setting at the posh hotel in the Alps. The mountaineers make basic mistakes which result in a nailbiting climax. The film is based on a true story and should be watched by anyone who thinks they want to climb a mountain. I'm recommending it to all my dear mountaineering friends and relatives to remind them to plan well, climb wisely, and return home safe.

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Next to "Touching the Void" its the best climbing film ever made. Shows how the early climbers suffered with woefully inadequate clothing and gear to reach the summits of what are now regarded as the classic peaks around the world. Hard to watch these guys struggle and freeze their ass off climbing the Eiger! If you are a climbing enthusiast you will definitely enjoy this film. (Even has a little romance for your significant other!)

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Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2

A good bit of this film is a superhero-origins story, in which we follow Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a plain-featured young man of about 20 years old who is a classic "90-pound weakling," as he tries five times to enlist in the Army during the early part of World War II. He is consistently rated as "4F" because of his size and various health issues, including asthma. Inside that small, frail body, however, resides outsized courage, honor, loyalty and persistence. During Steve's fifth trip to the Army recruiters, those virtues in Steve draw the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who escaped the Nazis and is working on a top-secret program to develop super soldiers. Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), who is in charge of the program, wants to use a soldier who is bigger, stronger and has more training for the first human experiment with the Dr. Erskine's super-soldier formula, but the doctor strongly disagrees. He says the other soldier is a bully, but Steve is a good man. It is crucial that anyone receiving the formula be of good character, because the formula enhances the existing personality traits of whoever receives it. Steve would become even more of a good person, but a bully could become a villain.

The experiment is a success, but immediately after Steve is transformed into a handsome, ripped, perfect specimen of manhood, a Nazi spy assassinates Dr. Erskine and steals the formula. Though Steve manages to stop the assassin from escaping, in his first act of heroism as a newly minted superhero, the flask breaks in the process. Without a sample of the formula, it cannot be replicated because the doctor never wrote down the whole formula. Steve is now one of a kind. Unfortunately, the military can't think of anything to do with him other than turn him into a US-flag-wrapped peddler of war bonds appearing in USO shows with chorus girls, until Steve is sent abroad. He finds himself entertaining the recently decimated troops of Col. Phillips and is horrified to discover that his best friend James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has been captured with 400 other Allied soldiers and is being held prisoner in a massively defended fortress deep in enemy lines. Col. Phillips insists he would lose far more men than he could save going after his captured men, and refuses to do anything. But the colonel's assistant, a female military officer, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), encourages Steve to fulfill his destiny as the super-soldier Dr. Erskine created him to be by staging a one-man rescue raid.

On every level this film is outstanding. It is directed by the talented Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji ). The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (the writing team best known for the three Chronicles of Narnia films) is an excellent adaptation, staying true in every important way to the world of a comic-book icon with a 70-year history of stories in Marvel Comics since the Captain's first appearance in 1941.

All of the actors are terrific, but the star, Chris Evans (who played the comic-book superhero, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in the two Fantastic Four films), is superb. Evans gives a depth and breadth to his performance that is remarkable for any genre, but especially for a superhero film. In his capable hands, Steve is endearingly humble, yet enduringly determined to have a chance to contribute to the worldwide struggle against the Nazis in the beginning, origins part of the film. And after the transformation, he compellingly presents Steve as a fascinating contradiction of a relentless, manly warrior who is still emotionally innocent and naïve.

Steve's relationship with Peggy, as his romantic interest in the film, has significant barriers to their connection that makes it both amusing and exciting to watch. She is his superior officer and, for a young man who has barely even had a conversation with a woman before her, it takes more bravery than going to war for him to aspire to a relationship with a woman like Peggy. She is not only gorgeous, but a formidable warrior in her own right. What I found as intriguing as the romantic potential between these two, however, is the fact that they bring out the best in each other. Peggy gives Steve the inspiration to seize his destiny as a super-warrior when the colonel and other leaders have ordered him to sit out the war, and Steve's innate sensitivity and goodness soften the shell of cynicism Peggy has developed around her heart in the harsh, man's world of the Army.

The incredibly versatile Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones) is terrific as Dr. Erskine. Hugo Weaving (who played V in V for Vendetta and Agent Smith in The Matrix movies) is his usual brilliant self as the villain Red Skull. Anytime he appears in anything it is a gift, but he is particularly skilled as a comic-book super villain. As for Tommy Lee Jones, he was simply made for the part of Colonel Chester Phillips. Sebastian Stan (Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl) is a convincing choice as Bucky. He and Chris Evans have excellent buddy chemistry as best friends since childhood. All of the other supporting actors are great, too, including Neal McDonough (Traitor) as Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) as Gabe Jones, Kenneth Choi (Street Kings) as Jim Morita, and JJ Feild (Northanger Abbey) as James Montgomery Falsworth.

Finally, the special effects in the action scenes, aided by computer-generated imagery (CGI), are absolutely breathtaking, making this movie a must-see on the big screen. There is also one other CGI effect that I found awe-inspiring. The real, buffed Chris Evans is trimmed down via CGI to the pre-formula Steve. "It's pretty amazing," Evans told Reuters. "They took shape out of my jaw line, they shrunk my skeleton, and they made my shoulders less broad." They certainly did. The skinny Steve has the body of a prepubescent boy. As for the actual physique of Chris Evans--he went through a specialized training program to put on 15 pounds of muscle on a physique that was already quite ripped.

Among the multiple feature films already done on the Captain, this should delight fans as a standout contribution.

When I was a kid in the 60's, Batman, Spiderman, and Captain America were my 3 favorite superheroes, and remain so to this day.

No need to rehash the other great reviews, but IMO, what they got SO RIGHT here was the CHARACTER of Steve Rogers BEFORE he becomes Captain America.

Just as Batman Begins had us totally invested in Bruce Wayne BEFORE he ever donned the cape and cowl, Marvel works the same type of magic with Steve Rogers & THAT (along with stellar performances by ALL the supporting cast) is what makes this a truly great film.

After suffering through the badly done CA movies of the past, it is a dream fulfilled to see the character brought to life so fantastically By Chris Evans & Joe Johnston.

And the Red Skull--OMG--Incredible makeup & Hugo Weaving shines as always to make the character come across as one of the premiere villains of the Marvel Universe.

Finally--watch the deleted ending scene to see how they really SHOULD have ended the movie--THAT was my only gripe--the truncated ending in the theatrical version.

So, to sum up--FINALLY a GREAT, FUN & FAITHFUL rendition of Captain America.

Bring on the AVENGERS!

It's time to ASSEMBLE!

Buy Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2 Now

I did not know what to expect from this one at all. I vaguely knew Captain America's origins, but he's never been a superhero that caught my interest. I fell in love with the character over the course of the film. Steve Rogers is simply a good person who goes out and does the right thing, even if it means great risk to himself. It's hard not to rally around a character like that.Plus, it's a fun film. The bad guy (Red Skull) is over the top. Captain America's team, the Howling Commandos, are a diverse group of competent soldiers and wisecrackers.Great patriotic stuff!

Read Best Reviews of Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2 Here

For a long time now, Captain America has been my favorite Marvel comics character. He's just awesome. He's been a little on the dark side, particularly during the 80's, when it was required that EVERY superhero comic went through a dark phase, and with some of the recent Brubaker era work, Steve Rogers has seen some serious stuff go down. What Joe Johnston did with this film, and how it not only differentiates itself from all of the other Marvel films (not just the Marvel Studios films, but all films based on Marvel characters), but also how well it works, is how unapologetically sincere and earnest it is.

Without exception, all of the other Marvel-based films have had their fill of post-modern cynicism and self-referential humor, and I'm not really knocking it. For the most part, it's suited the films well, particularly X2 and SPIDER-MAN 2. But this is a film set in the 1940's, and it's about a young man who believes so much in the ideals of his country and who so badly wants to make a difference, he's willing to put his own life on the line to potentially change it.

Most of the heroes in the comic book world are accidents, or some tragedy drives them, or they were born different and were ostracized for their oddities, but Steve Rogers is a hero long before he ever became Captain America, and the exceptional performance of Chris Evans sells that. If there had been a moment of this film that broke from the era to include a line of dialogue that was post-modern humor, it would have utterly broken the back of this film, but thankfully screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus (with a little help from Joss "God" Whedon in a few scenes) never retreat to modern dialogue tropes in order to keep the audience interested. They never make the film totally wooden or sullen either. There is great fun to be had with this film, and you gotta love the little RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK references in it. Also the cast in and of itself is quite good, particularly Stanley Tucci as Abraham Erskine. I honestly get choked up in the scene Erskine and Rogers share in the barracks the night before the experiment. It's my favorite scene of the film, because it gives you time to connect with the characters on an emotional level without any flash or gimmicks. This is pretty easily my favorite of the Marvel Studios films thus far...

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POST-PRODUCTION 3D (converted from 2D to 3D)

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

OOS EFFECTS:

There are about 60 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer. Many of them are quick but easily noticeable. An additional 5 effects made it to 20% or more.

IN SCREEN / OBSERVATIONS:

The cardboard cutout syndrome is glaringly noticeable early in the movie and in A FEW other scenes throughout the film with only 1, 2 or 3 depths and a flat background. The balance of the scenes converted well and only appeared slightly shallower in depth than normal and the syndrome was negligible.

If you like action type films, it is easy to overlook the shortcomings of a (fake 3D) conversion and enjoy this movie for what it is. The 3D definitely adds to the viewing experience of this film.

ACTIVE GLASSES USERS:

In addition to the menu; Crosstalk was evident 6 times but only 1 of them was a major eyesore.

(crosstalk varies from system to system)

3 ½ star

MY 3D RATING = GOOD to VERY GOOD (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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Citizen Kane (70th Anniversary Blu-ray Book) (1941)

Probably the most unfortunate thing that ever happened to `Citizen Kane' was that it found itself atop the AFI top film list. Now, no one can simply enjoy the film. Everyone feels compelled to scrutinize it and make a decision about its greatness. Asking whether `Citizen Kane' is the best film of the century is like asking if Marilyn Monroe was the most beautiful woman. It depends on whom you ask.

`Citizen Kane' is not the most entertaining film I've ever seen, but it is certainly one of the most important. It is a vanguard motion picture and a gargantuan achievement for Orson Welles. If you consider the fact that Welles was a 24 year old Hollywood outsider who had only done radio and theater when he landed the contract for this film, you begin to appreciate what a big deal it was. This was during a time when a few studios controlled every film that was made. How many 24 year old actor/directors can you name today, even in a world where independents abound?

The story is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. Writer Herman Mankiewicz had an up-close look at Hearst as he had been an occasional house guest at the Hearst mansion. The similarities were striking, right down to the paramour whose career Hearst promoted, who loved to do jigsaw puzzles. The fact that this film was released at all is a marvel in itself. Hearst went on a personal campaign to crush the film and enlisted every powerful friend he had to stop it. Louis B. Mayer offered RKO $800,000 to destroy the print. John D. Rockefeller ordered the Radio City premier cancelled. All of Hearst's newspapers were forbidden to mention the film.

Hollywood was uniformly against it and Welles was branded an insolent maverick. The film was snubbed by the Academy. It was nominated for 9 Oscars and won only best screenplay. The film turned out to be a commercial failure, losing $150,000. With all the forces stacked against it, we are lucky to be having this best film debate at all.

The story has a simple moral; that money and power can't buy happiness. We see Kane's progress from a happy child, to an idealistic young journalist intent on helping the common man, and finally to a bitter and angry old man whose innocence has slipped from him. One of the most effective scenes that illustrated this was the two minute overlay of breakfast conversations with his wife. It starts with cooing lovers and progresses through increasing levels of discord. It ends in silence with the two reading separate newspapers, her disdain for him subtly indicated by her choice of the hated Chronicle as her newspaper.

What is so remarkable about this film is the filmmaking. Director after director has pointed to some aspect of this film as having influenced them. The use of shadows and various perspective shots was not unprecedented in 1941, but never before had they been used with so much dramatic impact. What was unprecedented was that `Citizen Kane' was the first film ever to depart from the strict narrative format, which moves forward chronologically. The film starts at the end and jumps around in time based upon the perspective of the person who is telling his or her story about Kane. So the next time you see a flashback, remember it started here.

The makeup was revolutionary. Welles often went through four hours or more of makeup to be properly aged for each scene. The film also launched a number of brilliant careers. Besides Welles, Joseph Cotton and Agnes Moorehead went on to long and prominent film careers.

If `Citizen Kane' is not the best film of the century it is certainly one of them. Its influence on a generation of filmmakers cannot be ignored in the equation. People who watch this film and ask, "What's the big deal?" are comparing it with modern films that have borrowed from this film's techniques and undergone 60 years of evolution. It's like going back to Kitty Hawk and saying, "What's the big deal, the flight only lasted a few seconds."

There is only one rating to give to a film of such monumental importance. It is the consummate 10.

This 70th Anniversary Blu-ray release of arguably the best film of all time is a bit of a mixed bag especially for those who already have the standard disc version Citizen Kane (Two-Disc Special Edition). My copy of the standard disc upscales very well in 1080p on my blu-ray player and while the picture quality is very good and bright, there are still very faint white spots in some frames for example in the scene where the reporter is reviewing the manuscript in the vault. The sound quality is also good there but this blu ray version has a vastly superior sound quality coming in DTS mono. The strange thing is that when it comes to the picture quality, the blu-ray shows a lot more grain when compared with the vault scene in the standard version and while the white spots are virtually a thing of the past, the lighting is pretty dark and at the end when the reporters leave Xanadu, you can hardly see a thing on the blu-ray while you can still make out the faces on the upscaled standard disc. As the second disc on the "Battle for Citizen Kane" is virtually identical to the one on the standard release there is nothing to compare among the two here. The booklet packaging with the colour photos and pages is nice but other than that, there is nothing really to distinguish between the blu-ray and the standard dvd release.

Better sound quality but arguably slightly better picture quality when compared to the upscaled standard disc and equal special features except for the better blu-ray book packaging makes it a tough call on whether or not to double dip. For me, I kinda regret doing it as the improvements do not "wow" me enough.

You will have to decide about "upgrading" but if you don't already have this film in any form, you might as well get this blu-ray. As for me, I wish I didn't as my Special Edition 2-disc Standard DVD release upscales well enough so much so that I don't feel ready to part with it the way I do with other blu-ray upgrades that I have done.

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By all accounts this appears to be a wonderful reissue and collector's edition. However, one "little" problem remains. And it will remain forever. A clue to this problem is found in a comment from the product description:

"Presented here in a magnificent 70th anniversary digital transfer with revitalized digital audio from the highest quality surviving elements ..."

What that means is the original negative of "Citizen Kane" was destroyed years ago. Lost forever by an RKO executive's mistake to slate the negative for silver reclamation, the "highest quality surviving elements" are basically cannibalized intermediate negatives of fair to poor quality. I know, because I was given the job of assembling the best possible negative to strike new prints from for the 50th anniversary theatrical release. In the 20 years since, there is a remote possibility that better elements have been found. However, I seriously doubt any cleaner elements were discovered since RKO provided me with every positive master and intermediate negative they could find in their library.

I did the best job I could given the circumstances and I was able to deliver a decent negative to strike new prints from. Still, one segment of the negative proved impossible to fix. Near the end of one reel, permanent emulsion scratches appear for several seconds. They are thick and white and impossible to miss. At the time, there was no replacement footage available.

I am eagerly awaiting the release of this new edition to check and see if others were able to fix what I could not and to see if some how, some way, better "quality" elements were found in the interim. When I have a chance to screen this edition I will report back on what I see.

However, know this: No new print or DVD will ever be struck from the original negative.

Read Best Reviews of Citizen Kane (70th Anniversary Blu-ray Book) (1941) Here

Add five stars for the quality of the two films, take one star away for the failure to do either of them justice. More could and should have been done in the case of both films. In fact, in the past, more HAS been done:

ABOUT CITIZEN KANE:

In 1984, The Criterion Collection issued their first title ever, a CAV laserdisc of Citizen Kane, spread out over five disc sides (spine number CC101). It was wondrous, because it allowed full-frame access (30 frames per second) to the montage-work in the film. Never before seen, there were extras--a visual essay of over 100 production photos, plus the theatrical trailer! The back jacket named the people who made this release possible--Film Negative Transfer by Alexander Lobel and Ronald Haver; premastering at Devlin Productions, manufactured by 3M in St Paul, Minnesota. Video Review published the critique: "has opened a door to a kind of movie viewing that has never been accessible to consumers before."

Seven years later, in 1991, on the 50th anniversary of the film's premiere, Criterion reissued the title, again as a CAV laserdisc (spine number 147), adding two more extras -an interactive documentary with 35 leading film figures, and the early Welles film "Hearts of Age." The film was entirely retransferred, using newer technology that had become available. The jacket credits Maria Groumbos and Gregg Garvin for the film-to-video transfer this time. The transfer results are much improved over the first laserdisc.

Ten years after that, in 2001, on the 60th anniversary of the premiere, Warner released the two-disc Special Edition DVD, with loads of extras, including two excellent full-length audio commentaries, by Roger Ebert and Peter Bogdanovich, and the film "The Battle over Citizen Kane" on a second disc. There are no transfer credits listed, but clearly a lot of love was put into the transfer from the original film elements. This is one of the better DVD releases of all time.

Now, ten years after that, in 2011, on the 70th anniversary of the film, we have the Blu-Ray. Everything is the same as the Special Edition DVD except the following add-ons: a souvenir book, a collection of miniature posters, and a third disc containing the film "RKO 281," all contained in a very lovely box with "CITIZEN KANE" in big white letters on a black background. Again there are no transfer credits for "Citizen Kane" but the blu-ray seems to use the same digital master as the DVD. Oh, there has been alteration of that master, in the darkening of the whole film which is obvious from the first frame. The "No Trespassing" signs that bookend the entire film are much darker overall than on the DVD. There is excessive DNR employed in that stage of remastering, because the fog that drifts back and forth over the matte paintings in the opening sequences is mottled, clearly confusing the computer that was entrusted with the task of reducing video noise. There are a lot of faces in the foreground of this movie, usually as the commentators point out being an observer in the right foreground of the screen. On the DVD the left face of that observer looks like a normal face, but on the bluy-ray there is the appearance of sand-paper. That is a frequent artifact of black-and-white films released on blu-ray. As a result of these things, the 1991 DVD is still preferable viewing for me.

So how can we assess thirty years of Citizen Kane on home video? The years 1984, 1991 and 2001 were great steps forward in bringing us into the presence of the film as such, and in each of those cases there was a return to the mother lode, the original film negative, to make a transfer using the best methods available at the time. The year 2011 has not been a great step forward. One suspects that there was no return to the mother lode, and that the remastering process was entrusted to a computer chip. Perhaps ten years from now, for the 80th anniversary, the film will reappear, on the head of a pin or whatever the greatest technology since baked bread will be at that time.

ABOUT MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS

In 1986 The Criterion Collection released a CAV laserdisc of Magnificent Ambersons (spine number 9), loaded with extras including storyboards, reconstruction of Welles' original ending, the radio play version of 1939, surviving fragments from the lost silent film version of 1925, and an audio commentary by Robert Carringer, who also produced the disc together with Robert Stein. Film-Negative to Tape Transfer is credited on the jacket to Alex Lobel. Video Review awarded this the prize for "Best Interactive Disc" of 1986. This was widely regarded as one of the best laserdiscs ever produced. Mysteriously, the film never appeared on DVD until now, attached modestly to the side of the blu-ray box of Citizen Kane in the Amazon exclusive. The DVD advertises itself as "newly remastered" but what could that possibly mean when the picture quality is identical to that on the laserdisc of 25 years ago? Was the laserdisc picture so good that it can't be bettered? In any event, there are no extras at all to the DVD, no commentary, no anything. If one would like something tangential, a good buy would be the DVD "It's All True," a nice film about Welles in South America at the time Ambersons was being edited without him. While Ambersons is a welcome addition to the DVD inventory, the no-frills DVD cannot hold a candle to the magnificence of the laserdisc. No one owning the laserdisc would have any reason to consider the DVD an upgrade.

Again, add five stars for the quality of the two films, take one star away for the failure to do them justice.

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This isn't my personal favorite film, but I certainly understand why many people revere it as the greatest. There's no denying the expressive way it uses the resources of the medium, the great power of the tragic story (which penetrates deeply into both human nature and American civilization), and the film's tremendous influence on other directors. As an example of the last point, think of how Lawrence of Arabia is structured: it begins with the protagonist's death, then jumps to a reporter trying to reconstruct the great but flawed man's story, and finally works its way at the end back to the man's death. Sound familiar? Yes, there are good reasons why professional directors and critics have voted this the greatest film, not only in the AFI poll, but also in the international Sight & Sound poll in 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002 . . .

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" Is a strong contender for the best teen movie from the eighties.

The case for the movie is easy to make: It is written by Cameron Crowe, who wrote Jerry Maguire, Say Anything, and Almost Famous. It is beautifully filmed and directed. (Director is Amy Heckerling, who apart from being awefully cute has made such wonderful movies as Clueless.) It is funny and real. And it has a magnificent cast of young actors who where unknowns then.

The surfer/stoner is famously played by Sean Penn in one of his first roles, and he is awesome. Jennifer Jason Leigh is perfect as the young innocent fifteen-year-old. (Amazingly she was about 20 when she played it, but you'd never know it.)

And Phoebe Cates... As Amy Heckerling says in a featurette: The boys just loves Phoebe... the rental cassettes always track a lot around the place where she takes off her top, they've been freeze-framed so much..." Which is as good a reason as any to get the DVD version, they slow-mo and freeze-frame a lot better... But seriously, Phoebe is a wonderful actress who has been woefully underused by Hollywood. And she is also just stunningly cute to boot. Even if this film had nothing else going for it, get it for her. (She is also excellent in the later film Princess Caraboo, and she is buck nude in the light "Paradise", which I hope they will put on DVD soon.)

Eolake

I can't believe the director of this movie keeps standing for the out and out censorship of this! It's (at least) the third release of it on DVD, and this latest (Nov. 2004) try is still a dud. The big problem remains the scenes which they only include in the cable TV versions of this, but keep cutting from the DVD. Why the heck do they?

One of the missing scenes is a very cool safe sex/birth control scene in the mall, for instance. Fast Times sticks out as one of the very rare films that this odd censorship has been performed on. In fact, out of thousands of releases since DVDs started in 1995, this is almost the only one this has ever happened to!

So again we can only ask why? WHY?

Buy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Now

One of the classic high school movies, Fast Times spawned a slew of teenage talent on the big screen, but no one was more memorable in this movie than Sean Penn as Spicoli. Amy Heckerling cuts out a slice of Southern Californian life from a San Bernardino high school that shows both honor students and misfits alike. While the signature moments belonged to Spicoli, there were many other great scenes such as the ongoing burger war in which Judge Reinhold finds himself on the short end of the spatula. Meanwhile his little sis, a seemingly innocent Jennifer Jason Leigh, experiments with dating and sex with an amusing pair of misfits, Brian Backer and Robert Romanus. Phoebe Cates tries to set her young prodigy straight but to no avail. Forest Whitaker even has a significant moment in this movie as the bruising defensive lineman who takes out the destruction of his prized car on the opposing team. Little did he know that Spicoli had a hand in it. But, it is the hilarious relationship between Spicoli and Mr. Hand (Ray Walston) that steals the show. Fast Times may appear a bit dated, but it hasn't lost any of its humor.

Read Best Reviews of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Here

Fast Times At Ridgemont High is Cameron Crowe's first foray into the movie industry. He started out (as chronicled in Almost Famous) as a teenage reporter for Rolling Stone. After he left the magazine, he posed as a high schooler in a Southern California high school. The result was a book that was turned into this movie. Mr. Crowe wrote the screenplay and Amy Heckerling directed. The movie follows several different students and is one of the funniest movies ever made. Sean Penn stars as the stoner surfer Jeff Spicoli who only goal in life is to find some tasty waves and keep a cool buzz. His history professor, Mr. Hand (played with menacing glee by the late Ray Walston), provides an adversary for Spicoli to go up against. Judge Reinhold & Jennifer Jason-Leigh play brother & sister, Brad & Stacy. Brad is a senior who seems to have it all, cool car, good job at a burger joint and a perfect girlfriend. All of this collapses on him as his girlfriend breaks up with him, he's fired from his job and is forced to work a couple of embarrassing jobs. Stacy is a freshman and works at a pizza place in the mall (which is the center of alot of activity in the film) with the world wise Linda (played by Phoebe Cates). Linda is constantly giving advice to the naive Stacy. She meets an older guy and in one of the more poignant moments in the film, loses her virginity to him in a baseball dugout. Mark Ratner works at the movie theater in the mall and has a crush on Stacy. His friend, Mike Damone (played by Robert Romanus) is a hustler who scalps tickets to concerts and he, like Linda to Stacy, gives advice to "Rat". Stacy and Rat eventual go out, but Damone ends up sleeping with Stacy. A whole mess ensues, but in the end, every one makes up. The movie was a springboard to the careers of Mr. Penn, Ms. Cates, Ms. Leigh and Mr. Reinhold and is riff with future stars in small roles including Nicholas Cage, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz & Forrest Whitaker. The movie has a great soundtrack and is a perfect snapshot of the fashions, trends and lives of teenagers in the early 80's. But throw away the different hairstyles, clothes, slang and music, the situations that the kids get into are the same for any generation and we can all relate.

Want Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Discount?

While the film itself is a bona fide classic, and the transfer is crisp and clear, this DVD production is sorely lacking. The extras are slim, and the bonus soundtrack featuring commentary from directory Amy Heckerling and writer Cameron Crowe is unenlightening. The original trailer (showing how the studio sold the film to audiences), and the documentary (including contemporary interviews with several of the players) are nice bonuses.

Like other seminal teen films (e.g., American Grafitti), so many imitations sprouted in their wake, it's hard to remember the ground that was broken with the original releases. But this was a truly groundbreaking film in its attitude and perspective on high school life. Crowe's undercover study yielded a dead-on portrait, and Heckerling's direction makes the most of it.

As a DVD production, though, the enhancements are disappointing. The additional soundtrack, featuring the director and writer in conversation is incredibly insipid, repetitive and sycophantic. 90% of it is taken up with Heckerling complimenting Crowe, Crowe complimenting Heckerling, and Heckerling and Crowe drooling over Sean Pean. Very little of it concerns the actual filmmaking, and, surprisingly, given the lucidity with which Heckerling and Crowe are able to commit their thoughts to film, they shed very little light on the film itself.

Even more maddening is that Heckerling and Crowe often speak of alternate takes and extra footage included in the TV version of the film, yet none of it is included on the DVD.

Move: 5 stars. DVD production: 2 stars.

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The Turin Horse (2012)

Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr's latest, and likely last, film begins by recounting an anecdote from the life of Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher and philologist who taught that life is nothing more than will to power, and that the task for us is to face up to this without despair and resentment, without insisting that where there are no absolutes there can be nothing worth while, that without the security of certainties there can only be emptiness. I don't think Tarr wants to resolve that question, but certainly aims to provide a setting that provokes it. I don't know if there's an ultimate moral or message here, but there's certainly room for meditation on the differences between men and beasts, between life and the land it depends on, and on the kind of carrying on it takes to elevate a life towards something like dignity and meaning. It's a profoundly moving film, that's so beautifully shot, with the subtlety of its lighting and the intelligence with which the camera moves, that it's hard to look away. Still, with a film like this you have to be patient. In classical Hollywood style, every shot aims to convey a very specific bit of information and as soon as that information has been delivered it's time for the camera to move or cut. With a style like that of Bela Tarr, the camera moves very deliberately, but slowly and cutting is kept to a minimum and that means that either you'll be bored waiting for the next cut and the next bit of info or you are forced to slow down, and register as important details you might otherwise overlook, such as the intensity of focus with which the father attends to his daughter as she helps him with his buttons, since he has minimal use in one arm. Or the sounds, or the lighting, or the subtle variations of mood that barely register on the largely impassive faces of the man, his daughter and their horse.

The anecdote the film begins with is that late in life Nietzsche was living in Turin, and he witnessed a peasant beating his horse. Devastated by the sight, and in an apparent effort to stop the beating, Nietzsche threw himself upon the horse's neck and wept; he had to be led home and after that was silent for the remaining years of his life. We know nothing of what happened to the horse, and so this film imagines what may have taken place. The peasant farmer drives the horse along a weary road, the wind whipping the dust into his face; he is met at home by his daughter, who helps him lead the horse and cart into the barn, and draws water from the well. She assists him in taking off his jacket and boots and he lies down while she prepares a couple of boiled potatoes for a hurried and unsatisfying meal, that he eats with a painful urgency, burning his lips and fingers. They sit and look out of the window at the wind swept hills, and there is nothing more, and the next day, if they're lucky, it will start all over all the same and won't at least get any worse. It seems a simple life, and the film does confront us with lives stripped to the essentials, what we all face but forget by way of distractions, that enable us to look away from these essentials of toil and trouble, taking care of basic needs to eat, to sleep, to find a bit of solace in the company of another person. These two have lost the capacity to laugh, to show more than a casual care for one another in ways that seem like habit, as when he calls to her that there is no more to be done and she should go to bed. All through, the howling of the wind never ceases. Still, they go to bed expecting the next day to be much the same as this one.

One might think this repetition, day in, day out, offers a practical example of what's at the heart of Nietzsche's most famous image that of the eternal recurrence of the same. He considers this to be his hardest teaching that one can count a life as worth living only if one could want it to recur in exactly the same way for all eternity. There's a kind of fantasy element to the teaching as it is normally presented, but the real weight of the doctrine can be felt only when it's clear that in a certain sense, when you strip them bare of inessentials such as the fact that every day we have something different to eat and watch a different set of mindless television shows, and hear different stories on the news that are in all essentials the same, most lives in fact do amount to a kind of endlessly recurring set of habitual practices, and you could think of this film as depicting the life of everyone, who has to get up and eat and get to work and deal with some kind of incessant blowing of something or other. Then the question would be: seeing life in that way, what exactly does it take to want it to keep on going on as always?

Bela Tarr has said he considers the face to be a kind of landscape, and it's also true that his landscapes exhibit a kind of face. He is a master of setting, and this film is set in a landscape that is more unforgiving and stark than almost anything he's depicted elsewhere, where the wind blows incessantly and refuses to offer any sign of letting up. Yet it seems that these characters are incapable of letting go. They carry on, day after day, and at some point it no longer seems possible and there's nothing to be done but to continue. One might consider this film a sustained reflection on the very will to live; but then the horse refuses, and his refusal to eat, to drink, to move on command appears here also as both stubborn and heroic, the act of a noble animal who refuses any longer to live merely for the sake of servitude, and stands in contrast with the almost empty gestures of day to day carrying on on the part of the farmer and his daughter, not out of any deep sense of care for their own existence but a sense of habit. A neighbor stops by to borrow whisky and delivers a monologue that seems to come straight out of a secondhand Nietzsche, an effort to give some explanation, even a depressing one, to the desolation they all feel, and the farmer dismisses it as all rubbish. One senses a resistance on the part of Tarr to explain anything or accept explanations whether optimistic or pessimistic there is just life and there are the conditions in which a life goes on and in the face of conditions that make life almost impossible, there is the simple determination to go on or to refuse that we can witness on the faces of the peasant farmer, his daughter and the Turin horse.

Note that this review is based upon seeing the film at a festival; as I understand it the dvd and Blu-Ray release comes with a new essay on the film by J. Hoberman, and a commentary track by Jonathan Rosenbaum. Definitely one to see from a Blu-Ray.

In the thirty shots which comprised the entire 154 minute running time of the movie, "The Turin Horse" portrayed the decay of an already sterile relationship between a man and his daughter living a solitary life on endlessly windswept plains, their only lifeline to the world being their horse. As the horse refuses to eat and slowly approaches death, so progresses the lives of its owners. It's a stunning work that compares favorably with the best of early Bergman. Using a palette of stark black and white images and a deliberate sense of pace that echoes the work of Tarkovsky, "The Turin Horse" transports the viewer into the existence of its protagonists with such immediacy and emotional power that its lingering effect never leaves you. From its opening shot of the horse fighting fierce winds to pull a cart over miles of desolate plains to its closing image, which devastatingly portrayed the resignation of all hope, the film is a tour-de-force of all the possibilities that cinema offers. And from the standpoint of technical achievement, I am at a loss to explain how some of those seven minute-plus takes were done, traveling inside and outside the house into gale-force winds with immaculate steadiness and impeccable composition, rotating 360 degrees and immersing the viewer completely in its world. There is not a single shot that feels like it's "showing off"; every impressive tableau is so rooted into the fabric of the characters' lives that it becomes an inseparable part of the experience.

It is not an easy film to view for audiences accustomed to more traditional narrative structure. Indeed, there is nothing that even resembles a conversation in the film until well over an hour and fifteen minutes into its running time. Upon hearing a few of the comments during a screening I saw, I was reminded of how difficult it was for Antonioni's "L'avventura" to be adequately appreciated for its stunning originality at the time of its premiere at Cannes. It has subsequently been recognized as a milestone in cinema, as I believe "The Turin Horse" will be. It was a richly rewarding experience for those of us who plugged into what it was trying to say and embraced how it went about saying it. It is daring in its approach and bold in its objectives. I consider it to be a masterpiece.

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Before you skip on to the next review (or movie), read this. If you appreciate artistic subtlety, the nuance of the unsaid, and beautiful black and white imagery, you should watch this film. I saw it at Telluride Film Festival, and to be honest it was difficult to watch, but I couldn't stop watching. Beautifully done, luxurious in its sparse storytelling, this film haunts me today after one viewing.

Read Best Reviews of The Turin Horse (2012) Here

"Do you remember, Milan Kundera wrote this book about the lightness of the being? We just wanted to show you the heaviness of the being," this is what Bella Tarr said in an interview with the New York Times referring to his masterpiece The Turin Horse.

That comment by the extraordinary Hungarian filmmaker neatly sums up this magnificent, if challenging, film. As with all filmmakers of Mr. Tarr's caliber, the film works in many different levels and has many different layers of meaning.

However, and taking Mr. Tarr's comments as an illuminating starting point, rarely, maybe never before, has the cinema focused so intensely on the harrowing, soul crushing, involuntarily heroic aspects of physical work, and in this case, physical work connected to actual survival.

In an isolated farm, an old man, his daughter and a horse face the elements, starvation, and what for viewers would definitely be a soul crushing routine. And yet in facing this apparently dreary existence Tarr's character achieve a sense of grace, including the aforementioned horse, who simply can not move anymore; they are not heroic, we don't know if they are spiritual, we just know that for them life has always been this way and will continue to be this way, if they make it to the next day.

In this sense, this film has a touch of the eternal in it, and while watching it is impossible not to think of the hundreds of millions of lives which have been lived like this throughout history in all the world, and some which continue to be lived this way. It is striking that the lives of the father and the daughter are in some ways identical in their barreness to that of the horse, with the primary goal being survival.

That is why the film has the power and force of revelation, and why, after wathcing it, you feel you have seen one of the greatest movies ever made.

In a year in which "The Artist" was hailed as a hommage to silent cinema, it is Tarr's film which really has all the artfulness and brilliance of the greatest silent filmmakers. And it is also true that this will make the film forbidding for many, along with its more than 3 hours running time, almost any lack of dialogue, and the endless repetition of the daily routines of father and daughter.

In this sense, the film is a monumental achievement, akin to a ritual or sacred experience, and it deserves to be seen in as biggest a screen as possible.

"You are doing always the same thing every day, but every day is a little bit different, and the life is just getting weaker and weaker, and, by the end, disappears" Mr. Tarr said in the aforementioned Times interview, and then went on to emphasize the dignity in the face of adversity of the father and daughter in the film. And this struggle, in Mr. Tarr's hands, has produced a thunderous masterpiece.

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You won't be able to get them out of your mind: the eerie howl of the wind; the desolation; staring through the window at an isolated tree; the daily, repetitive, struggle; the entrapment both in the cabin and within each person; the rough hewn texture of both the cabin and the people; the layers of clothing nine layers plus two more for the trudge outside for water; the weight of the water (or was it their existence); the grayness, the bleak, purgatory landscape; the eating utensils consisting of two wooden plates and fingers for smashing and eating the potato.

Who is trapped? The horse or the people? Sisyphus analogy except their tasks seem to get harder with time. The music and changing camera angles added to the sense of isolation. If only the wind, landscape and cabin were real that would have been really impressive. Acting, directing superb. Reminded me of "Le Quattro Volte".

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Barfi (Hindi Movie / Bollywood Film / Indian Cinema) (2012)- Blu Ray

I really love this movie. It was so much fun and I guess this is the beginning for my Bollywood movie adventure.

The most beautiful foreign movie of the year (2012)! I hope everyone they can see this movie. Thank you for have this movie available.

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)

Warner Premiere and DC Comics have topped themselves with the Blu-ray / DVD release of "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1." After the release of "Batman: Year One," the only logical choice for the Caped Crusader's next solo animated feature was evident. It was time for Frank Miller's other beloved and critically acclaimed graphic novel to be adapted for the screen.

Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" not only had an effect on the entire comic book industry, it influenced director Tim Burton to make a serious film adaptation based on the super hero that turned into a multi-billion dollar franchise. Many fans and historians would say it is responsible for the popularity of comic book movies today.

It's been ten years since Batman's last appearance in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne has retired the cape and cowl for a life of tedium and drinking. He meets occasionally with Commissioner Gordon for drinks and to talk about the state of the world. Gordon knows Wayne's secret and is one of his only confidants.

Bruce begins having horrible nightmares about his parents' deaths and witnesses Gotham City digress even further into the depths of depravity at the hands of a new criminal syndicate calling themselves the Mutants. He's driven to suit up once again to take on the homicidal maniacs and show the citizens of Gotham City that they need not live in fear any longer.

"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1" is the best animated feature film DC and Warner Premiere have released. There's no other way of putting it. It feels epic and holds a cinematic flare that the other entries in the DC animated super hero movie franchise haven't accomplished. That's not to say they aren't good or worthy of praise. However, this takes the medium to a whole new level.

The animation is top notch and, although it doesn't mimic Frank Millers artwork for the book, there's a certain respect towards the unique style of the illustrations reflected in the film. Batman is larger than life and as bulky as the Hulk, but isn't quite as "abstract" as Miller's interpretation of him in the graphic novel. This is as close to a perfect representation of the book as I can imagine.

My only complaint is that there are a few spots where the plot jumps around a bit and gets a little hard to follow. They jump from one thing to the next so quickly with brief or no explanation. The viewer is left to just keep up and embrace the fast pacing once the movie gets rolling.

Peter Weller does a wonderful job bringing an older and weary Bruce Wayne to life. When he hits the streets for the first time in ten years, you can hear the satisfaction in his voice at re-embracing his long-forgotten mission of ridding the streets of Gotham City of the filth and crime that overtakes it.

The Blu-ray version of "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1" consists of quite a few treats for fans. There's a sneak peek of Part 2 and "Batman / Superman: Public Enemies." Two featurettes are included entitled "Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story" and "Her Name is Carrie... Her Role is Robin." There are also two bonus cartoons from "Batman: The Animated Series" featured. A section of the "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" digital comic is found as well.

"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1" will be the animated feature all future entries into the DC franchise will be measured by. They've set the bar high with this one. With a spectacular looking and sounding high-definition movie experience and some satisfying special features, this is a recommended purchase for all super hero fans.

I own this blu-ray. Not sure how I got it delivered early from another company but I did and I can tell you that this is the finest Batman film ever made. It is up there with Batman Mast Of The Phantasm.

As a life long fan of Frank Millers Graphic Novel I was excited to see this following Batman Year One which also served the source proud.

There are a few differences from the source. Most notably, Millers trademark voice over narrative of Batman is gone. In the comic we really got into Bruce's head and Batman's. The good news is that I did not really notice this until I got my novel out after viewing. This does not detract from the great story. Another difference is the scene with the general who supplies the Mutants with weapons. There is an additional scene where Batman confronts the general rather than finding him dead.

The film finishes in a perfect place with the fight with the mutant with the incredible line "...this is an operating table and I'm the surgeon."

The voice talent is top notch. I'm a Kevin Conroy fan but Peter 'Robocop' Weller does a great job and its good to hear and see Batman and he truly belongs in the animated universe. The problem with Nolan's live action films is that they are great crime dramas but everytime Batman is on the screen it is embarrassing. It is a man in a suit with a stupid voice. It never worked for me.

This animation however, is a great experience and I cannot wait for part 2.

Extras on the blu-ray include a sneak peek at part 2, a couple of episodes from the animated series (Two Face) and a series of trailers.

Buy it now.

Buy Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012) Now

This is a heads up for Daniel the retired cop who will not buy this because it is a scam...Daniel, this is not in any way associated with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES..this is an animated version of the Frank Miller comic book/graphic novel from 1986 that tells the story of Batman who comes out of retirement when he is 55 because Gotham is under seige by a gang called the Mutants...it is not in any way related to the summer film of this year...because as I have said before; is an animated version of the Nineteen Eighty Six comicbook of the same title....ok? You got it? Good...

Read Best Reviews of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012) Here

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)For years, shows like Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Brave and the Bold have given us tantalizing glimpses at an animated adaptation of Frank Miller's groundbreaking Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. If you had asked me what comic I most wanted to see adapted into The DC Animated Universe, it would have been without question "The Dark Knight Returns." Now finally, close to thirty years after its publication, I finally get my wish.

And it is ... disappointing.

"The Dark Knight Returns" is one of the greatest American comics ever published. That isn't idle praise. Frank Miller tapped deep into the collective unconsciousness to deliver a myth that continues to be an influence to this day. It is an incredible work of art. And DC had to have known that they needed to treat the story with a little more reverie. I am actually confused at how it got such a poor treatment. There are so many problems with this release, from the main film to the bonus features.

First off, and most obvious, is the decision to split the film into two parts. There is nothing behind that but money. DC knows they have a hot property on their hands, so they want to sell it to you twice. But, "The Dark Knight Returns" is still only a 4-issue comic, only slightly longer than Batman: Year One which was adapted to a single film. In order to justify the two-parter, they pad the story. Every scene of dialog is stretched just a little bit further. All of the conversations have just a few more lines thrown in, a few more long pauses. Not only is this awkward, but it completely throws off the pacing of the story. The scene with Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne sharing a drink occupies half a page in the comic, but here it is stretched out into minutes of dialog. And not good dialog. Boring dialog.

And the bizarre thing is, they cut out much of the actual great dialog already in the comic--or monologue in this case. All of Bruce Wayne's internal monologue, the very thing that drives the story, that gives depth and meaning to the dystopian landscape, that makes "The Dark Knight Returns" rise above, has been removed. All of his comments on his body, on the weight of age--gone. That famous scene where he does the back-kick? "There are seven working defenses from this position. Three of them disarm with minimal contact. Three of them kill. One of them ... hurts." Yeah, we still get that scene, but without the play-by-play. Just Batman kicking the guy behind him.

I really don't understand how that decision could have been made. Was there a meeting? Did someone propose "Hey! You know all of that great, famous monologue in "The Dark Knight Returns? " The stuff everyone quotes when they talk about the book? Why don't we just nix that and write a few more scenes of Wayne and Gordon having drinks?"

Seriously ...

And the voice acting. I had the same problem with "Batman: Year One," which looked great but just didn't have strong voice actors. Peter Weller does Batman, and I think he pulls it off well. Everyone else though ... Ariel Winter doing Carrie Kelly just doesn't sound right. She sounds like a pampered rich kid, with no edge or spirit. And all of the other voices; I know Miller put in some dialog that is hard to pull off. The Mutant-speak isn't exactly normal English. But these actors sound like a bunch of frat guys doing a parody of "gangster talk." It sounds so forced and fake, like they don't believe a word they are saying. When a killer steps up behind you and says "I need you mommie. Make me feel safe." it should send a chill down my spine, not a chuckle.

Art and animation-wise, things look decent. They didn't try to imitate Miller's style at all, but I am OK with that. I think they could have been more creative with the television cut-scenes, and more moody with their use of shadows, as well as making better use of some of the visual impact of the comic. Gone is the iconic scene of Batman holding the flag-covered corpse of the General. Gone is the scene towards the end of Harvey Dent's face "matching." But all in all, the animation is solid, and if this were just a regular Batman animated show I would give it full marks.

Now the bonus features (and I am talking about the Blu-Ray here). This is another "What were they thinking?" moment for me. There is almost nothing here about "The Dark Knight Returns." The Carried Kelly feature is cool, talking about a female Robin. But where is the "Frank Miller and Batman" featurette? Where is the "1986: The Year that Changed Comics" short? Or something like that. Something to show the impact and gravity of the comic they are adapting. Instead there is an (admittedly interesting) piece on "Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story." What? Bob Kane? Umm, that's cool and all, but Bob Kane had nothing to do with this.

I have the 25th Anniversary leather-bound edition of "The Dark Knight Returns," and it is filled with newspaper articles and stories about the impact the comic had, the firestorm of press it created, how it directly lead to the creation of Tim Burton's Batman film. There is a wealth of material available. I am always amazed at how little effort DC spends on these bonus features to lead people back to the source comics. It's like they don't want to acknowledge Miller's contribution at all, or how this single comic revolutionized the industry. Maybe they are scared of leading people to the original "Dark Knight Returns" because then they will see what a poor adaptation this is.

Instead we get "The Bob Kane Story." Which again, is admittedly cool. It's funny how all of these comics professionals try to tip-toe around the truth, and bite their tongues to keep from shouting out "Bob Kane was a jerk!" It's even funnier than not all of them succeed. And to hear Stan Lee call someone an egotistical, self-promoting gasbag without even a trace of irony is hilarious. But still, this is "The Dark Knight Returns." I want to hear about Frank Miller. I want to hear about THIS comic.

And the two "Batman: The Animated Series" episodes included: They are about Two-Face. That's cool. But why not "Legends of the Dark Knight" from "Batman: The Animated Series" or "The Battle of the Superheroes" from "Brave and the Bold" that featured scenes from "Dark Knight Returns?" I don't get it. Even the cover of this DVD. Why didn't they use the famous cover from the comic? Sigh ...

Am I getting Part 2? Of course I am getting Part 2. Am I going to be disappointed? Yes. That seems to be par for the course nowadays.

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No cheap puns. No lousy love story. Just bone-crunching fun.

I'm not a huge fan of comics but I have read the Dark Knight Returns. For the most part the film stays true to the story arc. It isn't a scene-for-scene/line-for-line representation, but it does capture Mazzuchelli's art, mood and style quite well. The fight scenes are fantastic.

The soundtrack is brooding and takes some noticeable cues from Hans Zimmer's musical scores. I enjoyed it and would even buy a few tracks if they were available in mp3.

Peter Weller's low, brawny, full-bodied voice was a perfect choice for Batman. Gordon's performance was a little disappointing and a little wooden in places. The slang from the mutants sounded pretentious and unnatural at times, but the filmmakers did the best they could with Miller's writing. Frank Miller just doesn't have very good ear for dialogue.

Overall, this is excellent for a cartoon though and an improvement on previous batman animations I've seen. And this IS a cartoon intended for teens and adults. I wasn't expecting some of the violence from the comic to be carried into the cartoon. But some gruesome elements may catch you off-guard if you haven't read the book, such as a scene where one of the characters is heard committing suicide off-screen.

Most of the negative reviews come from morons who thought this was live action. Too bad. There's no scam here. And if you can't read or pay attention to what you're buying you deserve to be ripped off by people who are more intelligent. Congratulations, you get the Darwin award.

Otherwise, unless you have some neurotic, emotional attachment to Frank Miller's story exactly as it is presented in the comic, you won't be disappointed.

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