Ladder 49

First and foremost, this is a drama, not an action film, about firefighters, with the focus on one firefighter in particular. The film tells the story about the life this one firefighter, whose life is revealed in flashback, when he finds himself in a bit of difficulty while fighting a fire and engaging in a rescue. That singular moment in time is grounded in the context of his life as a firefighter. While the film may be said to be somewhat formulaic and predictable, it does not take away from the fine acting, the great fire fighting sequences, and the poignant and funny moments that occur throughout the film. In many ways it is reflective of life itself, with some highs and lows, as well as a ready, steady core of reality in which all is grounded.

The firefighter who finds himself in a quandary is Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix), a firefighter at a Baltimore firehouse. The viewer sees Jack in his rookie days as he is initiated into the brotherhood of firefighters and begins the bonding process with his fellow firefighters, whereby they become "family". Some of those bonding scenes are quite funny, especially the one involving his initial meeting with the then Captain of the firehouse, Mike Kennedy (John Travolta). Others are quite serious and poignant, as the dangers of the job are brought home to the viewer, especially when Jack loses a member of the brotherhood that is near and dear to him. The film shows, as the years go by, Jack's progression through the ranks from rookie to respected firefighter. It is clear that it is a job that he loves, despite the ever present danger to life.

As the viewer sees Jack's professional life unfold, the viewer also catches glimpses into Jack's personal life, from the moment that he meets his future wife, Linda (Jacinda Barrett), to the moment of their wedding and the birth of their children, with the wife and children also becoming part of the larger firefighter family or brotherhood. The film also shows the tremendous pressure and stress that a firefighter's job can have on one's spouse and children with their ever present concern for the safety of that beloved firefighter. After all, firefighters go where others dare not, simply so that others may live. The film shows how firefighters and members of their families cope with this ever present sword of Damocles that hangs over their respective heads.

Joaquin Phoenix, who is one of the finest young actors of his generation, gives a low key, but poignant, performance as the salt of the earth kind of guy who wants to do the best that he can for those whom he loves, in a job that he loves, with those with whom he loves working. He gives a quintessential portrayal of a working class guy for whom firefighting and family are concepts at the central core of his being. John Travolta gives a humorous and, at times, affecting performance as Mike Kennedy, the firefighting official who clearly is not above playing a practical joke on his firefighters but who pulls out all the stops to ensure that none are left behind when fighting a fire. Jacinda Barrett is effective in the role of Linda, the concerned wife who does her best to allay her fears and, over time, become supportive of her husband's chosen career. The rest of the supporting cast is equally effective in their respective roles.

This is a film that those who would like to sneak a peek into the life of a firefighter will appreciate. It will certainly let the viewer see the everyday types of situations that may confront a firefighter, as well as enable the viewer to discern why firefighters form such close relationships with each other. After viewing this film, a viewer can certainly walk away with an understanding as to why firefighters are such a unique brotherhood and why they bond as they do. It takes a special person, indeed, to walk into a towering inferno. This film does firefighters proud, and my hat is certainly off to firefighters everywhere. It is with good reason that we, in The Big Apple, call our firefighters New York's bravest.

This is a simple story. It's about the brave firefighters in the Baltimore Fire Department. John Travolta is cast as the chief. Joaquin Phoenix is cast as the young fireman. Jacinda Barrett is cast as the young fireman's wife. The film spans a period of 10 years. During this time we see the young couple meet, marry and have some very cute children. We watch the time-worn cliché about how the wife worries about the husband and wants him to stop his dangerous life. Naturally, he doesn't change though and he just gets braver and braver. There's a lot of camaraderie and good-natured horseplay among the men. But they all respect each other and it's a tight-knit group. Eventually, our hero is trapped in a burning building with no way out. The plot is predictable. And the acting is adequate.

But this film is more than just about the plot. It is about the fires. And I must say I sat in that theater absolutely transfixed as I was thrust into what looked like the reality of it all. I've seen other films and also have read about fires. But this film brought me right there. I was inside all the burning buildings depicted in the film. I might not have felt the actual heat of the fires, but I did feel their unpredictability and the randomness in which tragedy can occur. I also have nothing but admiration for the work that firefighters do, especially when they have to actually go into the buildings when everyone else is rushing out. I don't know how the special effects were done and I don't really care. But I admire the filmmakers for bringing to the screen this story what the job of a firefighter is all about.

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I grew up in a neighborhood of rowhouses on the edges of Baltimore City. My father spent some 30 years with the Baltimore City Fire Department, and the single word I can use to describe this film is "authentic." I remember watching my father come home in that same blue work shirt with its black and gold patch proclaiming "Pride Protecting People." I remember going into the Engine House with him as a kid, tossing a football or a softball around with the guys and dreading the fact that any moment that bell could ring, that the dinners on the plates in the kitchen could go uneaten, that the baseball gloves could be dropped and the turnout boots thrust on.

This film places the emphasis on why these men party as hard as they do because every beer might be the last one, and it might as well be the best one.

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When I was 18 I joined our local volunteer fire service, and I have been doing it ever since. Every day people stop and ask why we do it. I never had an answer, but now I just tell them to go watch Ladder 49. This film is in my humble opinion, one of the best, if not the best, movie out there paying tribute to us lucky enough to be a part of the fire service in this great nation.

Granted, I am no Baltimore city fireman, nor am I a paid full-time fireman. But even in our all volunteer district of around twenty thousand or so, I can still say that this movie is as authentic as they come. I often laughed the first time I saw this movie, as I found it funny how similar we run things here in Western New York.

With it's authenticity and stunning cast (especially Travolta, one of the best actors out there), this film easily plays as one of the most powerful movies I have on my shelf. For those of you who loved Backdraft, even though it was not very realistic or authentic at all, you will love Ladder 49. For those of you who cried at the end of Backdraft, you'll ball at the end of this movie. Definately a must have for ANYBODY!

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I watched this movie in the theater and was impressed at the reality of the scenes. I am not a firefighter, but a paramedic and nurse who oversees an emergency department and EMS service. The scenes are very realistic. The comraderie is what is experienced each day. Many of my friends and family saw this movie and realized a whole new expectation for what the folks who deal with emergencies go through. Every nurse, physician, firefighter, paramedic and police officer experience this reality each day. Their families experience it as well.

It's also very much about our mortality and the realization that events are capable of changing our life in a second. Every person who watches this movie should be able to relate. However, those who deal with emergency services should be able to understand that it takes just a split second to change everything. That is where this movie excels. I have been there, and have seen everything change in a matter of seconds.

Watch the movie, and enjoy good acting and a realistic movie.

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L'Age d'Or

L'Age D'or is one of the supreme surrealist films, but it's actually surprisingly accessible for Bunuel. In fact, one of his most accessible. That's not to say that you don't have to work a little, but far, far less that you would for, say, Brakhage or even some Fellini.

The film actually works on several levels, many of which offer Bunuel's often biting commentary on various aspects of life, including the blind acceptance of organized religion (for which the film was banned by the Catholic church for decades, and Bunuel was excommunicated), love and sex, human tolerance, class distinction (short but brilliant), and more. To be honest, to describe the various areas of the film is to pretty much ruin it for anyone who's never seen it. It's really best going in totally unexpectant. Again, though, remember that it's not going to unfold in a logical pattern, and will likely require a few watchings to catch it all. It's just that kind of film. In addition, the things that were absolutely appalling then may not be so much so today, or at least not to the same degree.

Still, it's a genuine work of genius, done for far, far, far many more reasons than just to stir things up. (And hopefully Amazon won't pull my review again because I dared to offer a contradicting opinion to someone else)

Absolutely a must-see for serious film-lovers, and probably a must-own, too. It's a serious work of art and nothing about it -nothing -is random. Oh... to clarify one thing: Yes, the film opens with a French documentary on scorpions. But as the narrator notes, the scorpion's tail has five segments, the last one containing the sting. L'Age D'or also has five segments; and the last one most definitely contains the sting.

Bunuel's first feature "L'Age d'Or" provoked such a fierce reaction among the Right that it was almost immediately banned by the French authorities after its release and not shown for another 50 years (it was finally allowed to play in Paris again in 1980). Suffice it to say, when you see it, you'll understand why: especially the final sequence.

While it is wonderful to have this landmark film finally available on DVD (as well as "Un Chien Andalou" in a separate release), I'm rather saddened by the lack of restorative effort here. The film has the visual and aural quality of the old 16mm prints I saw 15 years ago and there's virtually no extras worth mentioning. By all means get this release if only because it may not come out in any other format here in the US (and some of us can't afford a code-free DVD to buy the BFI version) but it would be nice if the rights holders would lease these films to Criterion to create a: "Bunuel: The Early Years" disc.

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In the second film that Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí collaborated on, they accomplished the infamous L'Age D'or, and this after they stirred the world of art and politics with their Un Chien Andalou a year before. This second film was about to exercise a full out assault on the established guidelines of society through irrational thoughts leading the audience to question their own ideas of society. However, in order to provide more detail to this notion one should know that surrealism grew out of Dadaism, which was a consequence of war. In the beginning of the 20th century, Tristan Tzara, the father of Dada, expressed himself that a world that can create war machines not worthy of art. Thus, he decided to generate an anti-art of ugliness against the up and coming industrial bourgeoisie, but instead of offending the new upper-class they embraced his new art. They felt that the Dadaism was attacking old traditions of feudalism and Christian dominance.

Surrealism is an expansion of Dadaism that grew out from the notions of the French doctor Andre Breton, who had fought at the trenches of World War I. Breton had studied the works of both Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. Through his studies a heavy interest grew with the notion of the unconscious and its functions. Later, Dali developed his own unique technique to capture his unconsciousness onto the permanent medium of the canvas. Buñuel who also was interested in the subconscious did not have the talent of writing, painting, or music, which left him with the new coming art form of cinema. And he truly became one of the masters of cinema, whose films can still provide much pondering and pleasure.

Upon the release of the film the Board of Censors would not have released this film with a screening permit, if it was not for the ingenuity of the artists to call it madman's dream. The film received both appraisal and hatred, as some considered it pornographic and despicable while others found it to be a refreshing touch of reality in the 1930s. It was the bizarre content of the film that raised so much debate, even violence. The pinnacle of controversy came when the League of Patriots, a fascist organization, began to throw purple ink on the screen in the middle of the screening. These fascist thugs continued to vandalize the theater and cut apart artistic pieces by Dali, Man Ray, Joan Miró, and Yves Tanguy. Through several legal issues that came about from L'Age D'or, it was unfortunate that they removed the film from public screenings, and it was not until 1979 that the film received its first legal screening in the United States. Despite the outcome of withdrawing the film, Buñuel and Dalí created a surviving cinematic epitome of cerebral rebellion on societal prejudice bestowed to those who rule.

The film itself offers a peculiarly intriguing journey of the growth of a city, Rome, but in the light of surrealism. The narrative does not follow conventional methods, as it displays notions and concepts through a number of bizarre artistic scenes. The opening of the film displays scorpions while the audience is thoroughly enlightened of its anatomy and how territorial these arachnoids are against same and other spices. Maybe this is a subconscious hint of mankind's way of bordering themselves within countries, companies, and groups. Nonetheless, the scorpion sequence unexpectedly jumps to a scene with some bandits and papal characters, which eventually leads a strange scene with immigrants that claims the ground for the birth of Rome and the Vatican. Within the conquest like society Buñuel creates a society governed by rules of moral conduct and other appointed positions. This society receives an intricate dissection through a love affair between a man (Gaston Modot) and a young woman (Lya Lys) that ventures through scenes with a cow in the bed and toe sucking.

L'Age D'or does not provide any reason with its surreal imagery, yet there is something very familiar in each scene. This familiarity generates a link between the thoughts that the audience experiences. However, the imagery remains disconnected and dreamlike. One cannot help to think that Buñuel found a key to unlock the subconscious within the audience, as he playful juggles images of Christ and Marquis de Sade. There is nothing in the story that connects each scene, but the audience will make the deduction themselves and find a mutual connection from which they will derive the controversial material. This is a step away from Buñuel and Dali's previous film Un Chien Andalou where nothing was supposed to reveal anything in regards to rational thought. In the light of their second film, one should take a couple of steps back and reflect upon the power of the brain and cinema whilst one could feed the brain with thoughtless imagery of cinematic vacuity.

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There is a history of important art creating strong outrage when debuting in Paris. Coletrane and Dolphy earned derision, and Stravinsky's Rites of Spring generated general unrest. The screening of L'Age D'Or engendered direct assaults on the theatre and even rioting on the street.

Bunuel was a self-cenfessed atheist (though much of his body of work examined the spiritual) and there are many images in this film that mock church heiarchy. However, these blows seem more a humorous critique of the authority of beauracracy, that match well a total effort to turn the constraints of societal norms on its ear.

It's doubtful that some 70 years after the fact that viewing this movies will induce riotous outrage. But the dreamy, surprizing images continue to amuse and stimulate an out-of-the-box viewpoint. Not as jarring as the Andelusian Dog, it is perhaps the stronger of the two and absolutely requisite viewing for Bunuel afficianados.

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Although L'Age D'Or is around three times as long as Bunuel and Dali's earlier film, Un Chien Andalou, I find this almost three times as entertaining as well. That's not to say Un Chien Andalou is boring either, L'Age D'Or is simply a brilliant work of cinematic surrealism. It wasn't nearly as provocative as I expected, except for a few scenes, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. A must-see for those interested in surrealism and classic or cult cinema.

As for the actual dvd...I paid $25 for it, and although it was worth it, I feel Kino could have provided better packaging at the very least. Worth it either way, though.

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Canaan: Complete Collection

Canaan is a fast-paced-thrill-ride animated by P.A. Works ( True Tears and Angel Beats ) that will take you and won't let you go until you get to its ending credits, there are many cases where action anime have a very convoluted plot that causes its viewers to lose interest in finishing it, but not in this one, instead you'll be asking for more.

The main character is Canaan a mercenary currently operating in Shanghai who has a strong relationship with Maria Osawa a survivor of the new virus circulating the black market. The characters are superbly well written, even the villains have a special charm that makes them likable, the anime has a little for everyone, from mobsters to sexy hitwomen along with fan service, black humor and very clever innuendo scenes.

Overall is really hard to see a good anime now these days, because now everything seems to be MOE-MOE, I'm not saying that MOE is bad BUT WE need a break from it and CANAAN is a perfect option, also is great to hear Hilary Haag, Andy McAvin, Jessica Boone, Shelley Calene-Black and Rob Mungle are back in the industry and hope to hear more from them.

CONS

1Plot holes.

PROS

1Fast paced action/adventure thriller.

2Well written characters.

3Character design.

4Vivid colors with fluent animation and movie type quality.

5English and Japanese versions are topnotch.

6Fan service.

7A bittersweet ending to all the characters ( my personal favorite was Cummings )

Sentai Filmworks acquired a perfect action anime gem that if you like Gungrave, Ergo Proxy or Gunslinger Girl then by all means buy it.

The other reviews have covered what the story is about...this review is of the actual Blu-Ray release.

Unlike what is printed on the back of the case it is not 1080P, it is 1080i. Even so the visuals are excellent if not really sharp. Vibrant colors with no color banding I could detect. Nice fluid motion as well with lines well defined. The DTS-HD Master Audio track is Excellent as well (I watched in Japanese w/ English subtitles). Tried the English track and it's an excellent track as well, just couldn't take Yun Yun's dub voice. Either one has great use of surround sound and the audio is clear enough to hear the "t"s stressed in the opening.

There are 4 extras on disc 2: Minorikawa's Report, Clean Opening, Clean Closing, and Credits. Minorikawa's Report basicially just uses video clips from the show to explain what you already know if you have seen the show...AMV's on YouTube are better done than this. The Clean Opening and Closing are nice visually, but the audio is not in HD and has over a 10dB level drop over the DTS-HD Master Audio track along with less definition. The credited episode DTS-HD Master Audio opening is MUCH better in the audio department.

So to sum it up the visuals and audio is excellent in the Episodes. The Extras are good visually, but not so good on the audio end. Definitely would recommend getting the Blu-Ray over the DVD, not only because of the quality, but the Blu-Ray version costs less as well. The price I see now is a little high compared to my pre-ordered price though...$10 higher to be exact.

If you are a fan of this type of anime (action/drama/suspension) and don't mind that it's really a Mature title ( I don't see how Canaan retains a TV14 rating...), Canaan is an excellent Blu-Ray release to get.

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Bought this anime simply cause I wanted something to watch and didn't want to rent from Netflix. Read a review from Otaku USA and although the review wasn't all that great I simply liked the character design too much to care and because of the action. Turned out to be a pretty good buy as far as I'm concerned. Storyline is better than I thought and the action is where it's at. Overall, pretty interesting story and very good animation. If you like action and animation and not so much with the story this will probably do it for you.

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Maria was infected by the UA virus. Her father was able to create a vaccine and save her. Most are not so lucky. Those infected either die or develop synethesia; a condition that gives a person superhuman abilities. Canaan is one such girl. When Maria and her partner are researching a story in Shanghai for the paper they work for, they encounter Canaan. The 3 are drawn together into a plot that could cost many lives. Along with their cheerful and goofy friend Yun Yun, the team tries to stop the sinister "Snake" organization from spreading the UA virus. The past comes back to haunt them, and the future doesn't look bright; but Canaan shines brightly.

This anime has a killer opening and a killer ending. The middle part is up and down. Sometimes it drags, but then it will ick back up again. The plot is very well written. There are also lots of great characters on both sides. Cannan is kind of like a mix between Noir, Burst Angel, and The Third; if you can sort of picture that. It's really good. Tons of action, drama, and comedy. It's not for the young ones though. There is harsh language and almost a bit of nudity. To be honest with you, this was a 3 or 4 star series for me until the last episode or 2. It has a killer ending. I think that most mature anime fans will find this series pretty entertaining.

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This series is actually a sequel (spinoff really) to the "428: F'sa Sareta Shibuya de" visual novel for Wii. The viewer follows friends Canaan and Maria for most of the series. The series is reminiscent of a Resident Evil style plot where some entity has purposefully infected people with a rare virus. The virus is almost always lethal, but there are those rare people who actually survive the virus but have their bodies affected in strange ways. Canaan is one of the people. Maria is her photographer friend. Though it is unnecessary to know what happens in the previous visual novel, it does help to explain some of the early plot holes and explain how Maria and Canaan know each other. Some of this is revealed in flashbacks through the anime series.

The series is short, only 13 episodes, but most of the episodes have a lot going on. The animation is very high quality and the backgrounds are lusciously beautiful. The Japanese voice acting is stellar. I watched both versions, and I have to say that Yum Yum and Maria in particular are nearly perfectly matched with their Japanese voice actors.

My negative points are few, but they are important. First, due to the short length of the series, there are quite a few plot holes and plot threads left unfinished. But probably the most annoying is a little 'glitch' in episode 8. The subtitles actually hit one off. Basically when someone is speaking, the subtitle for the next persons' audio is shown. So you see Canaan ask one of the girls if she is okay "Daijoubu ka?" but the subtitle says "Honored Alphard". Then we see the next scene Cumming's says "Alphard sama" with the subtitle for the next dialogue... awkward! But this is only in episode 8. Kind of makes you wonder if Sentai actually watched the finished Japanese audio and English subtitle version for error proofing.

The only other negative point is the finale kind of seems rushed and then we see one particular character having a very drawn out and melodramatic breakdown. I understand it is in keeping with her character, but I might not be the only person who was thinking "Hurry up and die already! I'm sick of hearing you! Jeez!" But I can totally forgive these small annoyances.

I actually checked this out from my local library, so I am quite pleased with it overall; but had I paid $42 I would probably be a bit miffed. Though it is a good series, it is short, and it's not too necessary to own. If you can stream this online or rent from Netflix or your local library (if you're lucky enough to have an anime friendly library nearby), then I would recommend that course of action before spending $42 to buy it.

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Deep Impact (1998)

Although "Deep Impact" invariably gets compared to "Armageddon", I think it's more appropriate to compare it against all other disaster movies. Viewed in that light, it not only surpasses "Armageddon", but every other film in the genre.

Unlike most disaster epics, "Deep Impact" is character driven. I think this is a direct effect of its having been directed by a woman rather than a man. While the special effects are there and are impressive, what drives this film are the emotions of the excellent ensemble cast. All of them ring true, from the occasional duplicitousness of the government bureaucrats, to the real tear jerking moments of those facing tough life and death decisions, to the small intimate moments. It's powerful enough stuff that I have to believe that a lot of the negative reaction the film elicited vis-a-vis "Armageddon" came from guys who don't like their action movies to move them to the verge of tears in public.

All disaster films depend on a hook to set them up. In this respect, most fall far short of realism and believability. Of ones that come immediately to mind, only the cosmic collision movies and "The Towering Inferno" had realistic setups.

All disaster films depend on the heros to come up with some way to save the day. Of the ones with a believable setup, many still fall short of believable and/or technically accurate resolutions. This is where "Armageddon" failed miserably. Mimi Leder had expert advice from NASA and it shows. "Armageddon" has some impressive training facilities shots from NASA, but ignored the actual technology. Very early in "Armageddon", when I saw the two shuttles docking with the space station by coming in from opposite directions, performing clearly aerodynamic banking maneuvers, I was ready to start pelting the screen with rotten tomatoes!

Giving the devil his due, both films glossed over the full impact of operations in the microgravity environment of the comet's surface.

Still, it's the raw emotions that elevate "Deep Impact" above its genre, not just the technical stuff. It's actually best in its quiet moments. Among the ones that clearly stand out:

The president (Morgan Freeman) tries to continue to maintain an upbeat message as each plan successively fails. His press conferences and the dialog around them rings true.

The dialog between the reporter (the usually annoying Tea Leoni) and her mother (Vanessa Redgrave) also rings with truth.

The ultimate reconciliation between the reporter and her father (Maximilian Schell) just before the end reflects the bitterness of choices each has made in getting to that point.

The reunion of the kid who helped discover the comet (Elijah Wood) and his girlfriend (Leelee Sobieski), oblivious for the moment to what was going on around them again, this simply rings true.

The astronaut observing wryly, "Well, the good news is that we'll all have high schools named after us." No melodramatics, no macho heroism, just someone injecting a sense of humor into a shared fate she has accepted as necessary to save the people they love. My favorite line in the film.

From start to finish, this film is a class act. A realistic film that carries an emotional impact to be expected of its serious subject matter. Part of this impact is that you can't always guess in advance which characters will and will not survive. Of the ones who don't survive, not all face their fate gracefully, but all are believable.

This movie began my fandom of Mimi Leder, who I consider to be one of the best directors working today not always commercial, but always excellent. This is on my short list of my top ten favorite movies of all time. Highly recommended!

Of all of the disaster epics I have seen in my life, Deep Impact was the most moving and original. I cried my eyes out, even when the sentimentality was over-the-top, as with the kid/romance subplot. I thought the emotional rendering of a core group of people you come to know as the world is about to end was wonderfully done, and so movingly told. Tea Leoni got a short shrift; her TV anchor was appropriately confounded, disturbed and knocked out by the juxtaposition of her own success/ambition coming about via the worst single disaster known to man. The astronaut sequences were well-done, and featured a small ensemble of strong acting, lead by the reliable Robert Duvall. It was refreshing to see Morgan Freeman as a President you wish was your own. James Horner's music moves the multi-layered plot with deep emotion and color. Though the movie surely delivers knockout special effects in its final reel, this movie is no Armageddon; expect a deep resonant response, one of the heart. It makes sense that this movie was directed by Mimi Leder; it has a woman's touch, which for me brought it a sensitivity and compelling beauty. There are so many moving moments in the final 20 minutes it will be difficult to remain calm, and dry-eyed.

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First things first. If you want action, don't see this movie. Go rent Armageddon with it's static characters and predictable plot.

To tell the truth this is the most moving disastor movie I've ever seen. It seems every charachter gives a powerhouse performance. This was a relief after watching the charachters in Armageddon make jokes just when Earth was supposed to be destroyed. The cast includes the ever-great Morgan Freeman, superb Robert Duvall, newcomer Tea Leoni, and screen favorite Vanessa Redgrave. A lot of movies try too crowd too many good actors into a story line, with awful results. Somehow this one works. All the characters are believable. And you care about them. Morgan Freeman is painful to watch at times, he performs so well.

People die in this movie. But you feel though through their sacrifice, hope will prevail. It different from Armaggedon. I felt that they killed charachters off in that movie to either keep the plot going, or because they had already served their purpose. Deep Impact is more realistic though, I gurantee that by the time it's over, there won't be a dry eye in the house.

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I have recently purchased the Blu-Ray version of Deep Impact and i just have to say that the transfer to Blu-Ray is very very good. Great! The picture is crystal clear and the special effects are even better. I had the dvd and decided to purchase it on Blu-Ray because its one of my favorite movies of all time. If you have not bought this movie on Blu-Ray or have thoughts about it regardless its quality, BUY IT! you will not regret it! This is what you call a Great transfer to Blu-Ray.

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Of all of the disaster flicks out there, I'd have to rank "Deep Impact" in the top five. Why? Because it makes a good effort at making the viewer feel for the characters involved. So many of these films are driven by their special effects that the story is left behind in the cosmic dust. Why then, did I give it only three stars? For the simple fact that the film does seem to drag along too much for my tastes. Also, the relationship between Elijah Wood and Lelee Sobieskie isn't that believable. I understand why they got married, but I just don't "feel the love" between these two.

Rober Duvall turns in a good performance as the "old guy" sent off to destroy the comet of death with a bunch of hotshot astronauts. There is a comaraderie between all of the astronauts(and the one cosmonaut) that makes you hope that they pull through this ordeal. Back on Earth, Tea' Leoni's character is a dead-on representation of a nosey reporter who lets her imagination turn loose in an attempt to gain glory on the television. The rest of the cast is also very good.

If you're looking for a character-driven end-of-the-world flick, this film is for you. It doesn't have quite the action that a movie like "The Core" has, but it's science is a lot more believable. I recommend for an evening at home. It will pass the time just fine.

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Frozen Planet ,Life Exclusive 2 Pack (Blu-ray Disc) (2012)

First and foremost, the blu-ray quality on both of these is amazing. These two blu-ray are probably some of the very best qualities you will ever find. Absolutely amazing. Secondly, David Attenborough version is by far my favorite, but please keep reading.

Life

I own both the David Attenborough and Oprah edition of Life (I already had the David Attenborough edition when somebody bought me the Oprah edition just recently, but I kept them both). There are major differences in narrative quality, but all in all I think Oprah did a pretty good job. I try to stay optimistic and positive about everything, so needless to say, I was pleased.

If you like Oprah and her personality, then I think she brings a little something different to this documentary. David Attenborough, an actual naturalist, has been my favorite narrator since I was a kid so it will always be hard to beat his version of Life. That being said, I can't fairly deduct stars from this review on the sole basis that she did not stack up to David Attenborough expertise. These two Life's do not have identical dialogue. There were times I thought that Oprah's edition could have elaborated on certain scenes, but again, this is basing it off of the detailed paid by David Attenborough's edition. Some reviewers on other sites felt Oprah's edition seemed dumbed down, which to be fair to those reviewers, could come off that way. The narrative when lacking depth, does seem like it misses some true educational platforms.

I have seen a lot of criticism about Oprah's edition, and for true David Attenborough fans this may be warranted. On the other hand, I don't feel that Oprah's edition is bad at all. I think Oprah did really well. I truly believe that if she had narrated it first people would be less critical. It's just unfortunate for Oprah that she had to go toe to toe with one of the greats in the business (considering that this is David Attenborough sole expertise in the industry). In Oprah's defense I bet David Attenborough would not rank as high as Oprah in the afternoon talk show department lol.

Conclusion: If you are a true purist of David Attenborough or the art of detailed documentary then go with David Attenborough edition. If you like Oprah and narrative that is a little more westernized then go with Oprah. I'm not taking anything away from Oprah's edition or even saying her version isn't good. I'm just saying more than anything......it's geared towards a totally different audience. In someways I feel that maybe Oprah's edition might be more suitable for children (PARENT ALERT), while David Attenborough edition is more in depth and sometimes uses words that is not customary to a child's vocabulary (but that may be highly debatable for some).

Frozen Planet

This is David Attenborough version of Frozen Planet so as I've already pointed out, this is automatic gold. David Attenborough as usual brings a personality and expertise that is unmatched in nature documentaries. There is really no need to go into too much depth on this one, but just know that it's fantastic.

Overall this set is a great deal. I got my double feature pack (Life and Frozen Planet) as a gift from Best Buy for $19.99 (the gifter didn't remove the price tag). Amazon has it for $39. Either way it's a great price for almost 14 hours worth of film.

***Disclaimer****

If you buy this edition then know that it clearly says Oprah Winfrey on the cover. It really wouldn't be fair to buy this and then complain that it's not the David Attenborough edition. If you want his edition it is also sold on Amazon. Hope this helps somebody make a decision.

Kill Bill - Volumes 1 & 2 (Amazon.com Exclusive) (2004)

Quentin Tarantino is arguably the best film-maker of his generation. His ability and passion to tell stories through film is second to none. "Kill Bill" bears witness to Tarantino's love of film by referencing a variety of genres such as blacksploitation, marital arts, anime, spaghetti westerns, and superhero movies. Some might find it easy to dismiss him as merely a movie fan who makes movies about other movies. I argue that he's far more creative than that. He draws upon these genres for inspiration and creates stories that are fresh, intelligently written, and compelling to watch. For example, in the third act of volume 2, Bill, played by the late David Carradine, shoots [Uma Thurman's character] with a dart filled with truth serum forcing her to answer his many questions. While waiting for the serum to take effect, Bill monologues about his fascination with comic books and, in particular, superhero mythology. "The point emerges" as Bill compares [Uma Thurman's character's] alter-ego, Arlene Plympton, with Superman's alter-ego, Clark Kent. No one but Tarantino could reference comic books in a film and make the dialogue sound so interesting.

In the realm of cinematography, he "pulls out all the stops" using a variety of camera techniques like split-screens, long-shots, and fast close-ups on the eyes. Some of these techniques can be traced backed to Martin Scorsese, one of his biggest influences. Of course, do I even need to mention the music? I believe I can best describe the selection as cooler than Dante's ninth level of hell. "Kill Bill", while packed with dozens of exciting ideas, can be enjoyed simply as fun movie viewing which, in my opinion, is a trademark of an excellent director.

The Box Set isn't anything extraordinary. Based on my own copy, all that I can determine is that the Box Set contains the regular DVDs............................. in a display box. Unless you are obsessive over display boxes, you could do just as well to buy the two movies separately either online or at your local movie retail store. I personally enjoy the DVD extras but don't be deceived. The Box Set doesn't contain any additional DVD extras.

An excellent blu-ray transfer for an awesome movie. The picture quality is one of the best video transfers on blu-ray and the audio is equally pleasing. Its a must own in the collection of best blu-ray titles. Not much on the extras side, but the Movie itself is worth it.

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REGARDING THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR: First off, The Weinstein Company owns the rights to "The Whole Bloody Affair" when it arrives, so you can't fault Disney for releasing the one and only cut of this movie that they own. They do not, have not and will not have the ability to put out "The Whole Bloody Affair".

And if you're waiting for "The Whole Bloody Affair" I hope you have other things to occupy your time. "TWBA" was first mentioned in 2004, and it's since been four long years without literally ANY actual progress on the front of that cut surfacing. The cut is NOT yet finished. I think people are under the impression that foreign cuts of KB are "TWBA" and they are NOT. Quentin has NOT YET CUT "THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR" TOGETHER AT ALL. Every year he makes a promise that he's about to get to it, to no avail. I wouldn't say I'm actually skeptical it will ever come out (I'm sure Quentin wants to do it) but I'm not exactly holding my breath anymore either.

So, in conclusion: Not only is "The Whole Bloody Affair" NOT coming out tomorrow or something, but it's not likely to come out for quite a long time (especially with Quentin starting Inglorious Bastards), and when it does, it won't be through Buena Vista.

Thanks.

EDIT: In 2011, the completed "Whole Bloody Affair" did finally premiere at the New Beverly in Los Angeles for a week during programming selected by Tarantino (who owns a stake in the theater). There is still no release date for a home video version.

Read Best Reviews of Kill Bill - Volumes 1 & 2 (Amazon.com Exclusive) (2004) Here

I think a lot of reviewers are forgetting the fact that Kill Bill vol 1 and 2 are great movies. $40 for two great movies in high def isn't a bad deal.

Back when this was released on DVD years ago people kept howling not to buy it because you should wait until The Whole Bloody Affair comes out. Well guess what, years later it still hasn't come out on any format. Stop holding your breath for it. Its supposed to be what, 5 hours long?

Also, these are the theatrical versions and i'm fine with that. I own the japanese versions and theres not much difference. Definitely not enough to miss out on owning such a great movie.

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Once upon a time in El Paso, Texas a wedding party is slaughtered execution style. However, it turns out that the Bride (Uma Thurman), who is pregnant, is not dead but in a coma. Four years later she wakes up, no longer pregnant, in time to save herself from insult being added to her injury. Then the Bride puts together her list of people to kill: (1) Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), (2) O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), (3) Budd (Michael Madsen), (4) Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), and (5) Bill (David Carradine). In "Kill Bill, Volume 1," the Bride only gets to the first two names on her list, albeit not in that order the way the film is cut, and then proceeds to the rest in Volume 2. This does not constitute a spoiler because you cannot have a film called "Kill Bill" that does at least get to the title character, regardless of the results. But then this was a do-it-yourself "Box Set" (I bought the two DVDs and they gave me a box to put together).

There is more happening in the each film besides the kill list, such as an anime telling us how O-Ren Ishii became the Queen of the Tokyo underworld and the training sequence in which the Bride studies with the great Pai Mei. But in the first film the primary emphasis is on how the Bride takes out her first two victims and the triumph of style as substance, especially when style means fountains of blood gushing from human beings that would make Akira Kurosawa proud. With "Pulp Fiction" Tarantino made his impression upon our ears with scene after scene of great dialogue. No wonder the soundtrack for that film had clips of some of what came rolling off the tongues of the actors (usually Samuel L. Jackson, who only plays a corpse in these films). But with "Kill Bill, Volume 1" Tarantino's blood feast is mostly for the eyes. This film is not for everybody, but then what Quentin Tarantino film ever was?

The biggest complain about Volume 1 is that it has the two most memorable sequences in the entire epic, namely watching O-Ren Ishii and her posse walk glide into the House of Blue Leaves with the blasting soundtrack giving them energy and the final showdown in an exquisite garden at night with gently falling snow where O-Ren in her white kimono and the Bride in her yellow biker suit do their dance of death with Japanese steel. Nothing in Volume 2 tops either of those scenes, which is not necessarily a bad thing, just a cinematic reality.

The caveat when Mirimax decided to split this four-hour revenge film into two volumes was that those who sensed a lack of character development and motivation in Volume 1 would be appeased by what was put forth in Volume 2, and this is indeed the case. We finally get to go back and see a couple of pivotal scenes set before the "beginning" of the film's opening, such as the massacre at the Two Pines wedding chapel. The net result is that character is more important than killing in the last half of the film, which makes sense because it would really be virtually impossible for the Bride to slice and dice more opponents than she did at the House of Blue Leaves.

I watched Volume 1 on DVD again before I went to see Volume 2 in the theater, which I thought would put me perfectly in the narrative flow. However, Quentin Tarantino has set up his audience just to play with their minds, which, of course, is what he was doing from the start and at the climax of this film I was not at all sure who, if anyone, was going to come out alive. Certainly what happens with numbers 3 and 4 are not what you expected after seeing the fate of numbers 1 and 2, but that certainly puts what happens with the final name on the list up for grabs.

There are a lot of oppositions between the two halves of this film. The beautiful setting of the duel between the Bride and O-ren in the gentle falling snow is countered by the showdown with Budd (Michael Madsen) in the harsh sunlight of his trailer in the desert. Having devoted an entire chapter to Hattori Hanzo creating his most perfect sword for the Bride, it is amazing how hard it is to get the sword out of its scabbard in this one. Volume 1 was a feast for the eyes, but in Volume 2 Tarantino's dialogue becomes more prominent, although not quite up to the level of "Pulp Fiction." But the dialogue is important because before we get around to the titular business of this film, the Bride and Bill have got to have themselves a conversation. Sound also matters more in this film: there is one sequence that is effectively done in the dark.

I am barely acquainted with the genre of Hong Kong films that Tarantino was apparently weaned on, so everything is fairly new to me and consequently smacks more of homage than parody, which is no doubt the director's intent. I probably will not go out and check out some of the films that inspired Tarantino to do "Kill Bill" which have been pointed out to me, because they will undoubtedly pale in comparison to the slicked up version that he is serving for our American palates. All things considered, I have a definite preference for Volume 1, which seems to run counter to the prevailing sentiments, but it took me a while to be comfortable with how the two parts fit together. The key thing is that they do, without Volume 2 being simply more of the same, because it is definitely not. There is something to be said for Tarantino pulling out all the stops just to have fun.

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We Can't Go Home Again & Don't Expect Too Much (1976)

What a thrill it was to see these movies made available at last on video on Amazon. In fact, for the past three years, I regularly surfed Amazon in the event that "We Can't Go Home Again" would become available one day. And as a bonus, this DVD includes other short films made at this time of his career. I've seen nearly all of Nicholas Ray's films, but not these ones. Don't expect "Rebel Without a Cause" or "Johnny Guitar". The films on these discs are experimental and improvised collaborations conducted by Ray and his students, very talky but honest aand revealing. They are not easy to watch, at least in one sitting, but the conversations are compelling and even mesmerising, reflecting the political and social conditions of the times. These films are the bridge between Ray's main body of work and his collaborations with Wim Wenders. I will be watching these movies again and again as I am sure there is much more to be gained from multiple viewings of these multi-faceted rough diamonds.

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Who's Minding the Store (1963)

This is one of Jerry's best and funniest. So many of his other

classics are now out on DVD, why not this one??!!?? To the

"powers that be," PLEASE release this movie on DVD-A.S.A.P!!

My DVD library of Jerry Lewis masterpieces is in need of it!

THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF JERRY'S GREATEST, GREAT SUPPORTING CAST & A GREAT GAG DIRECTOR, FRANK TASHLIN...NO COMEDY OF TODAY EVEN COMES CLOSE TO THIS ONE...ONE OF THE KING OF COMEDY'S GREATEST!

Buy Who's Minding the Store (1963) Now

A million laughs. Jerry Lewis sucks up a dog, a wig, dishes, and half of the displays into a vacuum cleaner that he just repaired. When the bag is popped by a pin, there is a hilarious explosion. A perfect cure for depression or those rainy day blues. Get this movie!

Read Best Reviews of Who's Minding the Store (1963) Here

No need to review the film which is a comedy gem...just the format:

The film starts in widescreen, unusual for a video tape. And just when you're getting used to it, the opening credits end and it reverts back to fullscreen(!)

To add insult to injury, the end credits are not even included, the movie simply ends! So much for finding out who the actors were.......

C'mon Paramount...how about the full version on DVD?

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Have been waiting for this Jerry Lewis goodie ever since the dawn of DVD. This is probably one of the best Jerry Lewis movies ever. Fast, funny and completely insane.

But what a horrible Blu-ray it is! Some few scenes (or rather shots) look just as good as the recently released Blu-rays of The Geisha Boy, Rock-a-Bye Baby and Boeing Boeing, but 95% of the time the image here is super-soft, fuzzy and far, far away from fresh Technicolor. Incredibly sad. Olive Films should not have accepted this HD master from Paramount, and if it really represents the best that could be found in the vaults (which I doubt), then a DVD release only had been a better decision. This ugly-looking crap of an image does not deserve a transfer to Blu-ray. It will only give this superior format a bad name among those who do not know better. Olive Films should be more careful about their products and reputation.

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Ran (StudioCanal Collection) (1985)

Kurosawa's last undisputed masterpiece, "Ran" adapts "King Lear" (Shakespeare was one of Kurosawa's favorite writer) placing it during the 16th century in Japan. Like "Throne of Blood" (another Kurosawa classic that also adapts "Macbeth") "Ran" melds action with drama in a unique way that only Kurosawa was able to do. Sure there have been other directors that have made films about Japanese culture, Feudalism and the Samurai but none with the keen insight and profound glimpse into what makes a culture tick as well as Kurosawa.

Kurosawa had lost most of his collaborators prior to the shooting of "Ran". All of that informs the darkness and his identification for the main character. While Kurosawa freely borrowed from "King Lear", he also informed the film with many issues facing himself; he felt isolated from the Japanese filmmaking community and he was unappreciated in this late phase of his career having to scramble to get financing (frequently going overseas to get it). Kurosawa felt isolated and alone without his collaborators. The loss of his wife just prior to shooting meant that Kurosawa threw his raging emotions into "Ran" using the story of "Lear" as a means to examine his own personal situation.

A beautiful, rich transfer from Criterion. There's few digital artifacts and there's virtually none of the issues that dogged the "Masterworks" edition of this film. The image isn't cropped (the "Masterworks" edition had the edge of the frame cut off) and the high definition transfer looks marvelous with rich colors, remarkable clarity and depth to the image. There is noticeable grain but that's part of the original theatrical presentation of the film and not a surprise given that the film is 20 years old. The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack has no noticeable distortion with nice depth and clarity for both the dialogue and the music.

Chris Marker's marvelous documentary "AK" is included as part of the package on the second disc. That by itself would also make this worth repurchasing if you're in doubt about it. However, coupled with the terrific restoration and transfer done by Criterion here it makes this an essential purchase for fans of Kurosawa's films. We also get an appreciation by director Sidney Lumet, an episode of Toho Masterworks on Kurosawa that's also quite good (although I prefer Marker's 74 minute documentary). "It is Wonderful to Create" focuses exclusively on "Ran" while Marker's documentary is a better overview of the director. Criterion has also used Kurosawa's original sketches and paintings to create sections of "Ran" as Kurosawa original saw it prior to actual production. Finally there's a new interview with lead actor Tasuya Kakadai. As usual Criterion has included an excellent booklet that includes a very good essay by film critic Michael Wilmington, a 1985 interview with Kurosawa about the making of the movie and a new interview with "Ran" composer Toru Takemitsu. This deluxe 2 disc edition makes the nonanamorphic previous edition look almost like a videotape by comparison in terms of the overall quality.

Stephen Prince provides interesting background about Japanese culture and Kurosawa's film style. Prince's commentary is a bit dry coming across as a lecture that one might sit through at UCLA or USC and isn't all that entertaining but it is quite informative. Personally, I would have preferred an interactive commentary with Prince discussing the film with, say, Lumet, Francis Ford Coppola or another well known film director.

This is an essential purchase for fans of Kurosawa. Kurosawa's last epic is, perhaps, his darkest and one of his most accomplished. The extras would make this worth purchasing by themselves but the beautiful, rich high definition transfer makes this the best version of "Ran" that has ever appeared on home video. I highly recommend this film.

The "Ran: Masterworks Edition" DVD could have been much better, but was badly botched by the producer (Wellspring Media).

By far the biggest problem is the so-called "digital restoration," which consists of two things: running the whole movie through a miscalibrated digital denoising filter, and increasing the contrast and color saturation to cartoonish levels. The latter change can at least be undone at the playback end, but the former does irreparable damage to the image. Most of the image problems mentioned here by other reviewers are due to this "restoration," not to defects in the new transfer.

The damage from the digital denoising is severe and present throughout the film. It's easily recognized with experience, or when the denoised image is shown next to the pristine original. But since I don't have that luxury here, I'll just mention some of the more easily seen symptoms. Clouds seem slightly unnatural, as if hand-painted, because their delicate wispiness is interpreted as noise and removed (see for example 0:11:45 and 2:18:00). Thin bright lines against dark backgrounds "sparkle" or "twinkle" like stars; this is caused by cross-frame denoising, which misinterprets movement of sharp edges due to frame jitter or camera movement as transient noise (see for example the sunray pattern in the Ichimonji crest beginning at around 0:04:30). Fast-moving objects shrink or disappear completely for brief intervals, again due to cross-frame denoising (see for example Kyoami's legs as he runs, at around 0:09:15).

The new _Metropolis (1927)_ DVD includes a restoration featurette which explains why computerized denoising was not used in the restoration of that film, and shows examples of some of the problems described above. And denoising was only considered for that film because the available prints were badly in need of restoration. _Ran_ does not need restoration, which makes this unnecessary damage all the more tragic.

Many DVDs released by Central Park Media have also been defaced in this way, notably the new two-disc edition of Takahata's _Grave of the Fireflies_. I think the same company is responsible for all of these botched "restorations," since the modus operandi is always the same: moderate to severe denoising artifacts, grossly oversaturated colors, and a "restoration demo" comparing the restored version to a previous video release in a distinctive splitscreen format.

There are many other problems with this DVD, though they are minor in comparison to the above:

The new transfer was apparently made from a theatrical print rather than a higher-fidelity interpositive, since it contains reel change marks (flashing black circles at the upper right corner of the frame). Surely such a beautiful film deserves better than this.

There are several embarrassing mistakes in the subtitles which would have been caught by a human being, but not by a software spelling checker. Apparently the producers of this DVD labor under the delusion that proofreading, like restoration, can be done by computer.

The MPEG-2 encoding was done improperly, with the result that the image switches randomly between progressive (film) and interlaced (video) encodings, instead of remaining film throughout. This causes annoying random blurring and sharpening during playback on many DVD players, noticeable mainly in still scenes. (See for example the long shots of Hidetora starting around 0:50:00; please note that this problem is not visible on all players.) Some players can be reconfigured to mask this problem (on software players choose "bob" rather than "weave" or "automatic"), but this will reduce the playback quality of properly-encoded DVDs.

Technical incompetence aside, this is not a bad disc. The subtitle translation is problematic, but I've seen much worse; I can't complain too much here. What's lost in the translation is probably insignificant compared to cultural details which no translation could hope to explain. A short "production notes" extra fills in a few of those details but neglects others. Two uninteresting trailers for the film are included. The "restoration demo" is good for seething at in impotent anger, and also for seeing how Kurosawa probably intended the film to appear, colorwise, before it was "enhanced" for this DVD.

There are two commentary tracks. One, by Stephen Prince, focuses on narrative technique and is clearly intended for students. It's quite good. The other is by Peter Grilli, who was present on the set during part of the shooting of _Ran_; he talks about his experiences there and his opinions of Kurosawa and his work. Though sometimes interesting, Grilli's comments make no sense as a commentary track since they're wholly unconnected to the action on screen. They should have been printed in a companion booklet.

The film itself is a masterpiece, of course; even the shoddiest technical treatment can't mask its emotional impact. I would have given it five stars but for the problems with the DVD.

This is the first non-Central Park Media DVD that I've seen to use this "digital restoration" process. I'm frightened that it will spread further. I urge anyone concerned by this to write to Wellspring Media and tell them that they could have produced a much better DVD, with less effort, by simply omitting the "restoration" step. If you decide not to buy the disc for this reason, tell them that too.

Buy Ran (StudioCanal Collection) (1985) Now

That Ran is a masterpiece is not really up for debate. It's arguably the greatest film by arguably the greatest Japanese filmmaker of all-time (and thus one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time from any nation, period).

However, this gem's transition to DVD has been cringe-worthy on Region 1. The Fox Lorber edition is noted as being one of the worst transfers in existence, and while many were satisfied with the Masterworks edition, most who were familiar with the film (and many who weren't) recognized that there was an obscene amount of digital manipulation. The result is the film's colors looked utterly artificial and the film has nowhere near the serene look it normally does. The transfer is just deplorable.

But, true to their reputation, Criterion is coming to save the day. They've announced they're working on a release for late this year. Expect a deluxe edition that you WILL want to wait for, guaranteed. Let the current editions rot.

Read Best Reviews of Ran (StudioCanal Collection) (1985) Here

My star rating has nothing to do with the mertis of the film. It has only to do with the total hatchet job Fox Lorber did in their infamous DVD transfer. By no means buy this version of the film, even though you think you're saving a couple bucks. I agree entirely with the reviewer who said the only thing to do with the DVD and it's case is to use it for a coaster.

The images are muddy and dark. The sound is old 78s quality. It really is a shameful, shoddy piece of work. By all means, order the movie. It's Kurosawa's magnum opus, great in every detail. Just make sure you shell out a few bucks more for the Masterworks edition, or splurge and go for the Kurosawa multi DVD collection.

This review is meant solely for the Fox Lorber 1985 DVD release.

BEK

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RAN is a masterpiece of a film and this review is not about the quality of the movie but about the quality of this DVD. If you play this DVD on a 32" non-widescreen TV the picture will look passable as a "letterboxed" film, but be sure to rent and try this edition out on your 50" or 55" or 65" wide-screen TV before buying! The first problem is that the anamorphic picture cuts off the edges of the credits (a clue that you're not getting all of the frame). Even more disturbing is that the image has an electronic "video" cast to it. Unlike good DVD transfers, there is twitching to still objects on-screen like lattice or anything with parallel lines. The colors are bright but lacking definition (they give off an aura) and again have an electronic cast that looks more like video than film. Overall this transfer is deplorable, and the fact that Wellspring is proud of this "hi-def" transfer is shocking.

As someone who owns over 300 movies on DVD and has seen the full range of quality from early full-screen knock-offs like National Lampoon's VACATION to fantastic DVD's like the LOTR editions and X-MEN, I know what the standard is for a special version of a DVD in November 2003, and this disc does not cut it. Wellspring . . . get your act together.

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Cop Land (Collector's Series) (1997)

Sylvester Stallone can act. There. I said it. And as ridiculous as that statement may appear to some readers, you really do owe it to yourself to take a look at "Cop Land," and see just how good of an actor Sylvester can be!

Who would believe that Stallone could appear on the same screen as Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and Robert De Niro, and hold his own? Certainly not this viewer, and I admit that when I originally went to see the film it was BECAUSE of Keitel, Liotta, and De Niro. So you can imagine just how surprised I was that Stallone wasn't blasted off the screen by the combined talent of his heavyweight co-stars.

Stallone plays "Sheriff Freddy Heflin," the law in the small, New Jersey town of Garrison, just across the George Washington Bridge. What makes Garrison special is that a large percentage of the residents are cops who work the other side of the bridge; hence the nick-name of "Cop Land." There are very few burglaries in Garrison, in fact, there is very little CRIME in Garrison period, so Freddy's days seem to be an endless round of completing paperwork for littering violations, cautioning the occasional drunk, and rescuing children's soft toys from being run over in the road.

This is a shame, because Freddy wants to be a REAL cop, he wants to work the other side of the bridge, but an injury sustained when he saved a women who's car ended up in the river has left him deaf in one ear. Poor Freddy would never pass the physical, but the town showed its appreciation by allowing him to be the Sheriff... kind-of a consolation prize.

But all is not well, there's something rotten in the town of Garrison, a corruption that's eating at the towns soul, and this corruption is personified in the character of "Ray Donlan," played by Keitel. When a fellow cop is involved in a questionable double homicide, Donlan initiates a cover-up that will have explosive consequences for the quiet town of Garrison, but especially for himself and Sheriff Heflin. The fall-out will also engulf the Sheriff's best friend, "Gary Figgis," played by Ray Liotta, another "real" cop, but one who's sick of the corruption and is getting out. Also involved is IAD staffer "Lt. Moe Tilden," played by De Niro, who's been tracking Donlan and his team, and is determined to bring them down.

This is an excellent ensemble cast that really shines in their roles, and Stallone, as I said before, is a revelation. He piled on about 40lbs to play the part, so what we see is not the pumped-up, testosterone driven action man we have come to know and love, but a quieter, humbler, slightly "slow," kind-a bumbling character. Sad and ineffectual, he's barely tolerated by Donlan and his cronies, who's company he so desperately wants to keep.

The story is tight and economical, the dialogue has the ring of authenticity to it, and there's a bitter-sweet romantic sub-plot between Freddy and one of the town's residents that works perfectly within the story. There's a scene where he's asked, by the woman he secretly loves, why he didn't marry, "All the best girls were taken," he replies, and you can practically see the big guy's heart breaking in two!

Don't be put off because Stallone has top billing, this is an excellent film that works on many levels, with a clutch of superbly realistic performances driven by a well constructed story, I would recommend it highly.

I've seen this movie a couple of times and it still gets me.

Its the best dramatic performance by Sly he's ever done. He plays a pathetic wanna be cop who idolizes

the real cops around him who he knows are corrupt and don't take him seriously.

Then he's approached by an internal affairs cop ( played by De Niro) and asked to help bust the corrupt cops.

Its been said that the mark of a good actor is when you can

look at his face and tell what he's thinking.

Anybody who ever wondered if Sly is a real actor and not just a movie star like Arnold should see this.

A great movie with a great cast with a real story about trust, betrayal and redemption.

A must see.......

Buy Cop Land (Collector's Series) (1997) Now

Cop Land is a homage to police corruption films like Sidney Lumet's Serpico and Prince of the City. In many respects, Cop Land is also a modern western, complete with a High Noon-style showdown. Miramax previously released this film on a movie-only DVD. This new version is a huge improvement but is it worth the upgrade?

Definitely.

"Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western" is an excellent retrospective featurette. Stallone to be interested in the role but the actor wanted to something different, to go back to his starving actor roots. After him, came De Niro and then everyone else followed.

Next, there is a "Storyboard Comparison" that allows one to watch part of the film's climatic shoot-out simultaneously with the storyboards for it.

There are two deleted scenes with optional commentary.

Rounding out the extras is a solid audio commentary with director James Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad and actors Sylvester Stallone and Robert Patrick. Not surprisingly, Mangold and Stallone dominate this track. Stallone comes across as a very humble and gracious guy. Mangold keeps everyone talking, acting as an informal moderator and asking everyone questions. This is a really good track and definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of this movie.

Cop Land features a killer cast and allows them to flex their acting chops with a top-notch screenplay. This DVD is a definite improvement over the previous bare bones edition and is worth the upgrade. Miramax has finally done this film justice with an excellent special edition.

Read Best Reviews of Cop Land (Collector's Series) (1997) Here

This is a terrific cop flick and crime drama with a glittering cast. And, this brand new blu ray release is far superior to the Canadian blue ray release of a few years ago. The print has been scrubbed of all artifacts and blemishes. Well done!

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Cop land looks great on blu ray.This film is very underrated.I was very pleased with the picture quality of this blu ray.

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Wes Craven Presents: They / Cursed (2012)

This movie is already out for purchase. Found this combo at Walmart for 5 bucks. Wanted "They" only, this is the closest (other release has 4 movies). I found the movie compelling and moves along quite well. Very good cast and acting is convincing. Sleeper movie not many know about. The picture is much better than the DVD, as it should be. Some soft scenes, but it seems to refocus if you will, after each occurrence. Sound says DTS on the label, but plays back DTSMA on my player (Elite 05) which for me is worth the 5 bucks alone as this movie, like many in this genre, relies heavily on the sound to generate suspense and peril. Doesn't disappoint. Very good spacing, detail and dynamics. A super clean version would of had me drop 20 without blinking. As it stands, for 5 bucks, it's a super deal for sure.

Out of a possible 5, I'd rate video a 3.5 and sound a 4.

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Trouble with the Curve (Movie-Only Edition + UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012)

Your one surviving parent is slowly losing his sight. You have a very difficult relationship and, at the same time, are coming to a turning point in your own career. What do you do tend to, your career or your family?

Gus Lobel (played by Clint Eastwood) is a scout for the Atlanta Braves and has resisted the change occurring in his business and the world around him with every fiber of his being. While his immediate superior and longtime friend Pete (played by John Goodman) values Gus's opinion and defends him against his detractors, one of them is Pete's boss and Gus's ultimate superior. That man, Pete Silver (played by Matthew Lillard) is determined to fire Gus even though he is completely unaware of Gus's failing eyesight. To Silver, a man who relies on statistics and equations over experience and first-hand observation, Gus is a relic of a time gone by. Gus is given one chance, scouting a highly-coveted player in North Carolina, to prove his value to the organization. Pete worries about his friend and so, behind his back, he contacts Gus's daughter Mickey (played by Amy Adams). Mickey is a lawyer on a partnership track in a prestigious firm with a pressing case on the horizon. She's been told that her handling of this case will determine the outcome of the upcoming partnership vote. Still, despite a strained relationship between the two of them, she chooses to go to her father's aide in rural North Carolina and work in her hotel room and over the internet. When Gus informs Mickey that his eyes are starting to fail him, she begins taking an active role in her father's scouting trip. A task she is well-suited for, after a spending a large portion of her formative years by her father's side on scouting trips. In addition to colleagues Gus has known for many years, there is Johnny Flanagan, a relatively inexperienced scout who Gus recruited into the major leagues and who later suffered a career-ending injury. Johnny (played by Justin Timberlake) thinks of Gus as a mentor and, separately, takes an immediate romantic interest in Mickey.

Now, many believed that 2008's Gran Torino would be the end of Eastwood's career, both as a director and an actor. Some who thought little of the film even took great joy in the very idea of Eastwood's retirement. I was not among them. I won't say this is better than Gran Torino or Million Dollar Baby, it isn't. Still, it's an enjoyable film about the endurance of family that also manages to incorporate some timeless wisdom regarding the quintessential American sport. The budding relationship between Mickey and Johnny isn't given as much time, though that's probably for the best.

After starring in the remarkable "Million Dollar Baby" in 2004, then following it up with the gritty "Gran Torino" in 2008, Clint Eastwood announced his "retirement" from acting, instead focusing on on directing/producing films. When the script for "Trouble with the Curve" came along, though, Mr. Eastwood decided that it was too good of a vehicle to pass up. Thus, in his return to leading-man status, the 82-year old thespian proves that his filmmaking (or film-choosing) instincts are as solid as ever.

For a basic plot summary, "Trouble with the Curve" focuses on Gus (Eastwood), an aged baseball scout who relies on his eyes, senses, and gut feelings to scout the top prospects. The trouble is, his eyes are failing and his job is on the line. As such, Gus's friend Pete (John Goodman) is concerned about him and gives a call to Mickey (Amy Adams), Gus's daughter. Predictably, the father-daughter duo do not share a strong relationship with each, and that is tested on a road trip together to scout the newest "can't miss" prospect. Along the way, rival scout Johnny (Justin Timberlake) teaches both parts of the duo a little something about each other and their lives.

When evaluating "Trouble with the Curve", there is one thing that you must do: Absolutely DO NOT try to compare it to "Million Dollar Baby" or "Gran Torino". It's not even so much that it doesn't measure up to those movies (although it doesn't), but rather that it takes a bit of a different tone. It is a bit more light-hearted and not nearly as "life-or-death serious" as those other flicks.

When looked at under its own merits, then, "Curve" is an excellent film that does everything it sets out to do. The plot is interesting enough to keep you invested, the emotion runs high throughout, and the acting is superb. Eastwood is his typical self, while Adams and Timberlake provide the much-needed camaraderie that a movie like this needs from time to time. The characters aren't quite as fleshed-out as a normal Eastwood movie (in this case, there is more "telling" of emotions than "showing", generally speaking), but they are still engaging.

Basically, "Trouble with the Curve" is a conglomeration of a number of different themes (aging, fatherhood, baseball scouting, etc.) that work not in isolation but blended together. All those themes have been done better in other movies, but having them all play off each other still manages to produce a cinematic treat. I hope Eastwood still continues to shine ON the camera as well as BEHIND it, but if this does turn out to be his final acting role, there is no reason to look back with any regret.

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I have to say up front that I like baseball movies, a lot. Add that to my lifelong admiration for Clint Eastwood and the fact that I find Amy Adams to be absolutely charming and very easy on the eyes makes "Trouble With The Curve" a true home run for me.

It's obvious that Clint Eastwood is slowing down a bit with age, but that just makes him the perfect fit here for the aging baseball scout who scouts for the Atlanta Braves but is having vision problems. Since it's hard to actually scout anything without proper vision, his estranged daughter, played by Adams, who is a hot-shot lawyer on the partner path decides to join him out on the road for his latest scouting mission.

"Trouble With The Curve" is a quiet little movie that may telegraph its pitches a bit, but for me that just added to the charm of the movie. There are no major twists and turns, just a simple and heartfelt story being told with grace. Adam's character wants to know why her dad abandoned her after her mother died when she was younger and Eastwood is reluctant to talk about it. Both characters have their flaws and both of them have been carrying demons from the past.

Justin Timberlake plays Johnny, a once hot-shot pitching phenom who was scouted by Eastwood and who then threw his arm out early in his career and is now scouting for the Red Sox in the hopes of landing a broadcasting job with the team. His character plays nicely between Eastwood and Adams, helping bridge the gap between them and as he grows closer to Adams' character helps her understand that her old man may not be the cold guy she thinks he is.

When it's all said and done, this isn't as much a baseball movie as it is a movie about the father and daughter relationship and a movie about why people follow paths that they may not want to follow. The characters are all so very human and well played that it was a joy to watch.

The bottom line is if you like quiet little movies about real people then you'll probably like "Trouble With The Curve."

Read Best Reviews of Trouble with the Curve (Movie-Only Edition + UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012) Here

Clint Eastwood plays an old talent scout for the Atlanta Braves. He has failing eyesight and doesn't have a computer. He has a strained relationship with his successful daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) who is a workaholic and about to be offered a partnership in a law firm.

Clint's latest task is to scout Bo Gentry, a slugger from North Carolina. At the request of her dad's associate (John Goodman) Mickey torpedoes her chance at being a partner to be the eyes for a father, who is not exactly grateful for the help, yet uses her talents. While away, she meets a young scout for the Red Sox (Justin Timberlake).

The movie is enjoyable as Clint plays a man perhaps too much like himself. Amy Adams was magnificent as the shunned daughter in what amounted to an improbable film. The movie spends time to develop character for a plot that lacks the action associated with Eastwood films. A heart warming film for Eastwood fans. Worthy of a view and might make for a decent date night film. Border line chick flick.

Parental Guide: 1 f-bomb. Some spicy language. No sex or nudity.

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We love these movies. Filled with cast whose characters and storyline follow life. However, most folks will not take away a renewed spirit to be better people, better citizens, better Americans, more patriotic, just plain more "good." Good guys win, bad guys don't. Gotta' love it! Eastwood keep on hitting the balls with the meaty part of the bat clean out of the park! Well cast. Story moves right along. Predictability Non-issue.

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Demon King Daimao Complete Collection

I agree with most of the reviews here. The anime started out great. The story line was great. They had a bunch of great characters and development of them was nicely done. Then, half way through it, they picked up and rush too much information in way too fast. I seriously don't know how to explain it in words. It's like they literally didn't want to do leave the fans hanging so they finish it, but only put in all the main plots of the story in, but you would had to read the books before hand to know what's really going on because it's was on fast forward times 8!

I mainly want to say, this anime should had been two seasons, but I guess they saw there wasn't going to be another season after, and so, they had to pick and choose what to tell us to finish it. Again, this wasn't a good or bad idea. It's good for people that already know the story and bad for people that don't know it at all.

Honestly at the very end, I didn't know what was going on? It seemed like they were talking about a lot information that came up to that very point, but the thing is...they never told us anything!!! They, just skipped to the end. I'm not kidding either. It was Climax scene to climax scene to climax scene. I was left feeling ???????????? It just went from what seemed like the middle of the series to the end in one and half episodes. There were a 2 or 3 more characters that came out at the end and it seemed like they were important characters that needed to be explained. I mean, they looked super important to the whole series, but I was left feeling, okay, this guy knows everything and he talking a whole of lot information, and now I see the final battle. Who are you? Were you the main villain? Were you just the secret villain? Were you the guy that just came out of nowhere? Why are you here? Why are you fighting that dude? Ahh...I want to know! It looks cool, but I just don't know what's happening. So sad.

Also, it is confusing to know who was the good guy or bad guy in story. I kept watching it and didn't know what was going on and didn't feel anything towards the end, but confused and rip offed. It was never told who was the "REAL Villain" and it will never will be now. One of the main story lines was the Demon King and he like an anti-hero, but maybe, he was the villain really at the end? I don't know. I can't come to a conclusion on a show 8 times fast-forward. lol

The ending doesn't make any sense. Since, we don't know anything. How could it? It's like one minute, you're in the middle of the season and the next show your in the middle half, then the next show your at the ending. So many things weren't explained and I had no clue to what to get out of it. I could see how they got the happy ending, probably, but I don't really know if that's was supposed to be a happy ending or not. I'm just pissed!

This series could had easily been 5 stars. No problem. It just never had the chance to developed into it. Good for people that already know the story, otherwise, stay far-far away from this one. You'll be just pissed at the end.

Well I've seen the entire series from dvd/television re-encodes so I can't exactly comment on the video quality of the blu-rays, should be superior to both though.

Overall I thought the series starts off well enough, quite a few laughs throughout the first 4-5 episodes. Also the pacing is good during this time, moving the plot along but not forcing it all out. However, something so good will never last...

After this point it seemed as if the staff realized that "OH S**T, we only have 12 episodes!" and so tried to run through a lot of plot very quickly. resulting in an almost 'jumpy' feel toward the end, and it also seemed that they didn't have as much animation budget as they wanted (or it was all used up on breasts, not that I'm complaining).

very nice OP music and the soundtrack has some really decent songs in it. the ED is tolerable but the animation for it seemed out of place (maybe a result of animation budget deficit, who knows).

TL;DR: Its a decent harem/ecchi series, definitely quite funny, plot felt a bit rushed, and animation seemed a bit shy at points

overall: worth a watch

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Demon King Daimao, (also known as Ichiban Ushiro No Dai Mao) follows the high school life of Akuto Sai, in a world in which magic not only exists, it's a normal way of life. Quiet, kind-hearted and unassuming, he hopes to become a member of the highest order of the church. However, to his horror, he finds out that he is destined to become the next Demon King. As a result, he has beautiful girls wanting to marry him or kill him. Sometimes, it's both.

The series is a short one at 12 episodes, but the storyline is quite enjoyable. Fanservice is pretty standard for a harem series, comedy peaks a lot, and the ending does leave you wanting for more. One of the biggest surprises about this release is the fact that is has an English dub. Considering Sentai Filmworks penchant for subbed-only formats, this is quite a change.

For anime fans of harem series, this is a must to own.

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Most disappointing anime title I have ever owned.

let's put aside any review of the storyline, characters or content of the actual show. I am not here to give another review of 'will you like daimaoh?' I am here to talk about the bluray and the bluray released in america.

Daimaoh was originally licensed for streaming by crunchyroll in America. In fact, you can legally watch it right now, all 12 episodes, online at the crunchyroll website or if you have an anime network subscription (they are owned by sentai films who is selling this bluray)watch it there too.

So that brings the question why would anyone want to own this mediocre show that can be watched online for free? Well the bluray should be better quality right? uncensored extra content not available elsewhere?

The japanese bluray content included the 12 episodes plus 6 never before seen specials called Another Extra Daimaoh specials. It also included music videos, original commercials and bonus CDs if you bought the limited editions. So we should get all the same on the North American release, right?

No, that's not right, we don't get crap. Oh wait we got some advertisements for future releases. oh, and the original show is uncensored, like 3 scenes had the little foggy clouds removed. That is what you paid 40$ for, was that.

You know, sometimes I just don't understand. I have been doing my best to support the anime industry for more than twenty years now but sometimes I wonder who am I working hard for? certainly it's not for me, I just purchased an authentic copy of a bluray and half the content is missing.

Maybe the Japanese companies expect us all to be pirates? Am I supposed to pay for half the bluray now and download the rest? Or is it both companies just trying to cash and run as much as possible? I understand the world is changing and the Japanese industry needs to protect reverse importation and Sentai films needs to keep prices low but omitting content, 'especially new never before seen content' is like going to mcdonalds and getting half a cheeseburger.

As for me, I am done. I will not pay full price for another bluray. Interestingly enough, the exact same thing is happening with sora no otoshimono. It's a good thing I did not get around to buying the first season before they announced that. I hate to say it, but the Japanese licensing companies need to learn a very hard lesson and sadly, it's going to be the American ones who end up taking all the damage up front.

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In short this show should definitely be checked out for people fans of ecchi,harem,romance,comedy anime series. As for others who aren't fond of fan service, I don't recommend this show to them.

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