Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) (1962)

Yojimbo and Sanjuro are great movies for diverse reasons.

Yojimbo (The Bodyguard) is a samurai movie based in the detective novels of Dashiell Hammett particularly Red Harvest. Akira Kurosawa wanted to bring the best of literature and interpret it into Japanese cinema. Its interesting that the two main influences in this process were Hammett's hard-boiled detective fiction and William Shakespeare (Ran, Throne of Blood). The always-excellent Toshiro Mifune plays the nameless title character who schemes and plots of take down an entire town of gamblers and gansters. I won't recap the story, suffice to say that his plans lead into several battles and some beautifully choreographed sword fights. Yojimbo was later made (nearly scene-for-scene) into A Fistfull of Dollars by Sergio Leone with Clint Eastwood as "The Man with No Name." Bruce Willis brought the character back to it's ganster/detective roots with the not-so-good "Last Man Standing." Yojimbo is awash with cinematic violence, but the charm infused into the movie by the cynical, yet obstinately principled, hero surprised me when I first saw it. The performances of the supporting cast, as usual with Kurosawa's films, add depth and wit to each scene. For what its worth, Yojimbo has gradually become one of my favorite movies.

If you end up enjoying Yojimbo, check out The Seven Samurai, Sword of Doom, Miller's Crossing, The Maltese Falcon, and The Thin Man.

The sequel, Sanjuro, is a departure of sorts from Yojimbo. Kurosawa and Mifune return as we find our nameless hero assisting some naive samurai who have been backed into a corner by corrupt officials in their clan. Played more for laughs but still brimming with cynicism and wonderfully orchestrated fights (the final scene will leave you afraid to blink), Sanjuro is a worthy but unusual follow-up to the cynical Yojimbo.

Criterion did an excellent job with their recent re-release of Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai, and it appears that they are giving the same treatment to Yojimbo & Sanjuro. A new (and improved) translation, commentary from Steven Price, as well as documentary film focusing on Kurosawa during the time he was making these great movies, and a booklet with info about the two movies, sadly nothing from Mifune (he did have an essay in the Seven Samurai DVD re-release). I can't wait to get ahold of it should be well worth the purchase!

MOVIES:

Introduction:

When you talk about an Akira Kurosawa film there is very little to say because his films speak way more than what any reviewer can write. Any filmmaker or film enthusiast can tell you that Kurosawa is one of the greatest directors to have ever made films. Not only is he able to tell grand and epic stories but he is able to keep his characters intimate with the audience. He is probably the single most influential director to have ever lived. Now the good folks over at Criterion have blessed us with remastered editions of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, two classic samurai masterpieces by the great director. Criterion wowed us last year with their remastered release of Seven Samurai, which was my favorite DVD of the year. This release, while not as extensive as the Seven Samurai three disc set, is still something to jump over. Since Sergio Leone is my favorite director you can assume that Akira Kurosawa is close behind in my taste in film, especially these two films. The two films can be purchased separately, but I highly recommend buying this box set as it will not only save you money but save you shame when you tell people that you own one but not the other.

Yojimbo:

The thing that surprises me the most about Yojimbo was that it was a film that was inspired by American westerns yet was even a bigger inspiration for the genre after it was made. The story is about a masterless samurai who wanders into an old town looking for food and shelter, maybe a job if he can find one. He notices that the entire town is deserted and the first thing he sees is a small dog happily trotting down the dirt street with a severed human hand in its mouth. That image right there sets the entire tone for this fun adventure film with a slight comedic side to it. The masterless samurai who is known as Sanjuro then realizes that the town is in the middle of a gang war with two feuding sides. He takes refuge with an old shopkeeper and decides to use this feud to his advantage. He plays both sides and manipulates each of the gangs in hopes of ridding the town of both groups and making a little profit during the process.

Even though the film was made in 1961 it's still as accessible today as any other film would be. Kurosawa was ahead of his time when it came to pacing films and structuring them. His characters were also so boldly developed that they became unforgettable. His visual style is probably the most unique of any director. The reason why Sergio Leone is my favorite director is because of his appreciation for cinematography and Akira Kurosawa had the same appreciation. While Leone may have been inspired by Kurosawa it was Leone who pushed the limits of the widescreen frame in terms of composition. Kurosawa was never as extreme as Leone was, but his films were nonetheless interesting to watch due to the brilliant cinematography. The final showdown at the end of the film is breathtaking all due to what is captured within the frame. Truly impossible to describe, it must be seen.

When you talk about iconic actors you always come across Toshiro Mifune who embodied the role of the masterless samurai to perfection. Just the mannerisms he uses in the film are entertaining to watch. He'll scratch his beard leisurely in the tensest situations, or even roll his shoulders around as he walks about. While Clint Eastwood without a doubt created his own icon in the Leone westerns, it is without a doubt heavily inspired by Toshiro Mifune.

Sanjuro:

With the immediate success of Yojimbo in Japanese cinema it was inevitable that a sequel was wanted by the studio. When Akira Kurosawa was approached to do a sequel he assured them that he didn't want to do any old sequel, and he didn't. Sanjuro has no relation to the previous film except for the main character. The first scene of the film finds a group of nine samurai in a small abandoned house waiting to be contacted and all the while discussing the state of their clan. Of course our "hero" is sleeping in the closet and ends up hearing their situation. Sanjuro emerges from the closet and tells them they are about to be betrayed and since they are blind to the world he decides to help them weed out the evil and corrupt members of their clan. Sanjuro is slower paced than Yojimbo, and I suppose there are less swordfights. However, just because there are less swordfights in the film does not mean the film has less action. Kurosawa cranked up the intensity of the battling and it makes the scenes all the more exciting. The film also keeps up with the comical side that we saw in Yojimbo. In the end it all dials down to one final samurai duel that will leave you breathless.

Kurosawa paced this film a little differently than Yojimbo. We are almost thrown right into the action with no detailed introductions to our characters. We already know our main hero well, so there is no need to introduce him again. The nine young warriors almost act as one character so just explaining their situation was enough. Sanjuro teaches these young warriors the way of honor and to be weary of their surroundings. It's truly a magnificent film. By the end of the film you will know exactly where Tarantino got his inspiration for Kill Bill and for the style of blood used in the film.

VIDEO: The highlights of these brand new sets are definitely the new high definition transfers, absolutely flawless in every sense of the word. The image could not get any better. Grain and dirt are practically non existent and no signs of any digital flaws. The image itself is not faded and textures come through crisp and clear. I never knew black and white could look so good. Both films are presented in their full 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratios.

AUDIO: Sound is almost as perfect as the picture. We have included the original mono track in Japanese as well as a little bonus. Criterion knows that more and more homes are getting bigger and badder surround systems, but mono tracks on such a big screen may feel uninvolving for today's audience. So, we have an optional 3.0 Dolby track that was created to preserve the original Perspecta simulated stereo effects.

Perspecta was a technology that embedded three separate audio tones into a mono track. It was a cheap alternative at the time since projectors did not need a new sound head. So the DVD is basically using 3 speakers to simulate this early technology that was used during the films' theatrical distribution. Bravo Criterion. Bravo. I'd also like to applaud the effort to provide newly translated and more accurate subtitles for both films.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Yojimbo's Special Features:

Commentary by Film Historian and Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince:

The audio commentary is chock full of important facts and great analysis behind certain techniques used in the film. A must listen for film students and film enthusiasts because I bet anywhere else you'd pay lots of money to hear a professional speak at a seminar or a class to get information like this.

The Making of Yojimbo:

A 45-minute in depth documentary that goes behind the scenes of Yojimbo. There are plenty of interviews with crew members. They speak so much about Kurosawa that by the end you may feel like he was interviewed too. Lots of info such as using a telephoto lens for most of the film to get the look that Kurosawa wanted. Plenty of fun stories from crew members, an especially interesting one from the focus puller.

Theatrical Trailer & Teaser:

The original theatrical and teaser are included. They are nothing like what we know now as the theatrical trailer. It's fun little extra.

Stills Gallery:

Lots of pictures from the set of Yojimbo.

Booklet:

Includes an essay written by critic Alexander Sesonske and some notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew.

Sanjuro's Special Features:

Commentary by Film Historian and Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince:

The audio commentary is chock full of important facts and great analysis behind certain techniques used in the film. A must listen for film students and film enthusiasts because I bet anywhere else you'd pay lots of money to hear a professional speak at a seminar or a class to get information like this.

The Making of Sanjuro:

A 35-minute in depth documentary that goes behind the scenes of Sanjuro. There are plenty of interviews with crew members. They speak so much about Kurosawa that by the end you may feel like he was interviewed too. Lots of info such as using a telephoto lens for most of the film to get the look that Kurosawa wanted. Plenty of fun stories from crew members, especially one story about painting flowers for the highly demanding Kurosawa.

Theatrical Trailer & Teaser:

The original theatrical and teaser are included. They are nothing like what we know now as the theatrical trailer. It's fun little extra.

Stills Gallery:

Lots of pictures from the set of Sanjuro.

Booklet:

Includes an essay written by critic Michael Sragow and some notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew.

BOTTOM LINE: As a filmmaker and a film critic, I am simply floored by this set. I love Kurosawa's work, but these films especially since they went on to inspire my favorite director. Sergio Leone remade Yojimbo as A Fistful Of Dollars and added a whole new element to the story to make is just as great as the original. Leone used elements of Sanjuro for For A Few Dollars More and then he created his personal masterpiece with The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Walter Hill remade Yojimbo with Bruce Willis taking the lead role in Last Man Standing. So, you can see that Kurosawa is simply one of the best filmmakers to have ever lived. Criterion continues to raise the bar in terms of home video distribution of important classic and contemporary films. This set is a must buy.

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Got my pre-order a day early!

The HD treatment on these classics can be described in one word...WOW! Exceeded my expectations in every way! Great contrast and lighting with a 3 dimensional pop. Facial detail and expressions are thrilling to watch. Criterion's previous re-release was an excellent DVD translation but this blu-ray version is phenomenal. 99% of the film is gorgeous but there are a few scenes where detail seems low rez. It doesn't feel like a movie made nearly 50 yrs ago but one filmed recently due to the HD restoration.

I have both a 1080p screen and a 720p screen and I honestly can't tell which has better picture quality. There are 2 audio options, the original mono and a new HD DTS 3.0 perspecta and both are very good but I prefer the original. I've watched these films many times and this is the first time I'm noticing details I've not seen before such as fine details on actor's faces, clothes, props, and actor's facial expressions and backgrounds.

The extra features are slim and is probably the only thing that's lacking. Kurosawa's "It is wonderful to create" featurettes as well as an excellent commentary by Stephen Prince is very informative yet his tonal quality can be dry at times.

The set comes in a box exactly like the DVD version but smaller in size and included booklets of 19 pages.

I found Yojimbo to have better picture quality than Sanjuro which has an overall softer look.

I commend Criterion for an excellent job on these films and can't wait for Seven Samurai on blu-ray which was supposed to be ready in march but will be delayed till end of this year due to the magnitude of the HD treatment.

Even if you have the DVD version, this HD version seems like a whole new experience. Must have!

Blu-ray restoration wish list:

All Kurosawa films

The Sword of Doom

Harakiri

Samurai Rebellion

Samurai Trilogy Musashi Miyamoto

Read Best Reviews of Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) (1962) Here

I'm going to work under the assumption that you have already seen these movies (if not, there are plenty of reviews about how great the movies themselves are, so I won't belabor the point). I bought these movies as an upgrade to the 1998 Criterion release that I still have, and I think it was a worthwhile investment.

Although the differences between 1998 and 2007 pressing are not as great as the differences between the 1998 and 2007 pressing of Seven Samurai, these two movies did get a significant upgrade. While they are not flawless, they are closer than I would have ever expected to see them. I actually watched the first few chapters of each pressing of both movies, and the differences are amazing. The graininess has been cleared up, almost all the scratches have been removed, and there are very few blemishes (you pretty much have to be looking for them to even notice them).

Although these aren't cheap by an stretch of the imagination, if you love these movies and would like to see and hear them at their best, then the pricetag is well worth the cost. If, on the other hand, you haven't seen these movies (of you're just not insane about AV quality, like me) keep in mind that you can pick up the older pressing for half as much.

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I'll admit up front I consider myself a Kurosawa fanboy so writing this is hard as I'm constantly trying to keep myself from degenerating into a fanboy rant. I'll just say with the nice price and the remastered video updating the problems with their original releases, this is a great release for those looking to get into Kurosawa films, or chanbara in general. Both films have a lighter tone and are shorter and funner than Seven Samurai and Ran and I loved the films plots over The Hidden Fortress.

First up Yojimbo, like Seven Samurai one of the most copied of Kurosawa's films. This is fun film, that has a streak of black humor that the two remakes A Fistfull of Dollars and Last Man Standing lack. Mifune had a humorous quality to his acting that came up greatly in his role of Sanjuro the wandering ronin who strolls into town after hearing about it from a farmer quarreling with his son. With Mifunes performance, intelligent writing, Kurosawa as usual makes full use of panavision. The opening where Mifune walks into town where all the residents peek out from behind windows and doors is just awesome with the way the camera captures all the small actions. Theres not much more I wanna say except with the opening listen to the confrontation between Mifune and compare it to a certain scene in Star Wars A New Hope. Lucas not only copied many of Kurosawas movies but cribbed scenes from this one and others as well.

Sanjuro is viewed by some like all sequels as inferior to the original. Personally its not a Matrix/Matrix Reloaded situation. Sure it doesn't feature a deep story like the previous film, but it does have the writing that I always like from Kurosawa and the humor in scenes that are great and add depth to the characters. Plus just one of the best endings ever. I've seen the film five times and I've always been suprised by it.

Anyway this whole thing is a great package with excellent video, the usual essays that come from Criterion and the usual documentaries from the Its Wonderful to Create series produced by Toho that have been on other Kurosawa releases, and a cracking commentary from Stephen Prince who gives a in depth commentary definitely worht a listen. Its a great package well worth the price.

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Miral (2010)

It is refreshing to visit the Israeli/Palestinian conflict form a vantage too seldom shared in cinema. Director Julian Schnabel once again proves that he understands human responses in the face of political conflict. Rula Jebreal has adapted her own novel which in turn is a biography of her involvement in the history of the Palestinian conflict. It is a touching recounting of the events that took place form 1947 to the present and it leaves the window open for much conversation.

The film opens with a party held by Bertha Spafford (Vanessa Redgrave) in 1947 when she asks her guest to forget the conflict outside for a celebration of Christmas: the party is attended by both her Jewish and Arabic friends, the centerpiece being the Christmas tree brought yearly by the Husseini family and then replanted to restore the earth. Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) is there and meets Eddie (Willem Dafoe), an American friend of Bertha. A year latter in 1948 there is an Arab-Israeli War, the Deir Yassin Massacre, and the establishment of the state of Israel. The wealthy Hind Husseini encounters 55 starving children, victims of the war, and take s them home to establish what will become the Dar Al-Tifel Institute, a school for Arab orphans that within months grew to a population of 2000. The film then jumps forward and we meet Nadia (Yasmine Al Massri), an abused alcoholic who is imprisoned and there meets devout Muslim Jamal (Alexander Siddig) who later becomes her husband: Nadia, unable to change her life, drowns herself when their child is only 7 years old. It is now 1978 and Jamal brings his daughter Miral (Yolanda El Karam) to the keeping of Hind, reassuring her that he will see her on weekends. Time passes to 1988 and the older Miral (Freida Pinto) is victim to the intifada (uprising), is sent to a refugee camp where she falls in love with the PLO leader Hani (Omar Metwally) and commits to the Palestinian movement to secure a land of peace called Palestine that will be free of the Israeli governance and jurisdiction. Hind encourages Miral to follow her heart and convictions: it is the development of change represented by Hind, Nada, and Miral that personalizes this compelling epic. Though the conflict between Palestine and Israel continues to this day, this film allows us to appreciate the Palestinian response to the loss of their land and home by a international ruling to create the state of Israel.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier mixes the hot sun washed Palestine footage of the real intifada and the result is mesmerizing. The real star of this film is Hiam Abbass who as the gradually aging Hind Husseini brings the story to life. The large cast is excellent with special kudos to Alexander Siddig, Omar Metwally, and Freida Pinto: the presence of Vanessa Redgrave and Willem Dafoe add credibility tot he proceedings but their roles are minimal. Julian Schnabel is to be congratulated for bringing to light the 'other side' of the Arab/Israeli conflict. He gives us excellent food for thought. Grady Harp, July 11

After critical success with "Basquiat," "Before Night Falls," and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"--I was a little surprised that Julian Schnabel's latest feature "Miral" flew as under the radar as it did. Based on the affecting memoir of journalist Rula Jebreal (who takes a screenplay credit as well), it tells the story of a Palestinian girl growing up amongst the eternal struggles between Palestine and Israel. It is an unorthodox and interesting viewpoint to see events of international consequence filtered through such an intimate perspective. Growing up under military occupation, having hatred and fear as a part of your every day existence--the potential for powerful self exploration and deep drama is inherent. But, in many ways, the film wants to tell several stories by introducing three fascinating female characters before Miral (Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto) is even in the picture. That's fine, of course, but in the grand scheme of things--I'm not sure if those life stories (left largely unexplored) weren't inherently more interesting than the one settled on. In particular, I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass)--a truly remarkable woman who dedicated her life to caring for orphans in the war-torn area.

The film's tag line "Is this the face of a terrorist?" also doesn't serve the movie well in setting up expectations. This is a coming-of-age story where a young women must come to terms with the economic, social and political climate of the area and time in which she was born. Sure, extremism and violent protest are a part of that world and Miral becomes entrenched in it--but this is hardly an examination of modern terrorism. It is a character study of how one adapts to such an environment when it is an inherent part of life. Miral's father leaves her with Husseini so that she may get the advantages and education that will help her avoid the pitfalls that doomed her mother. And the strongest elements within Miral's personal journey are her bonds with both her father and her adoptive mother figure. It is in personal moments shared between these characters that the film's quiet voice speaks much more powerfully.

Schnabel incorporates plenty of stock archival footage into the film to put the historical story in context. This is great and helpful, but you'll likely get more from the film if you have some knowledge of the political situation prior to viewing the movie. We haven't traditionally seen too many English language films that have viewed the conflict from the Palestinian perspective, so that may be off-putting or controversial to some. However, the story is more concerned with intimate human drama than in grand-standing. Fans of Vanessa Redgrave and Willem Dafoe should take note that they are barely in the movie (she has one scene, he two), so if that's of primary interest--you've been alerted. All in all, Miral is a good movie and surprisingly understated. But seriously, Hind is the most intriguingly complex character in the film--and her story seems so much bigger than the main narrative! KGHarris, 6/11.

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Judge Daryl Loomis, DVD Verdict-First and foremost, Miral is not propaganda, no matter what some reviews of the film would have you believe. I can show you propaganda, dark and evil material that is shockingly persuasive, but this is not that. Miral is more akin to Gillo Pontecorvo's incredible Battle of Algiers than it is to, say, any 1970s East German animation one might come across. Ultimately, I understand a pro-Palestinian film made by a Jewish director from an autobiographical book by Rula Jebreal, his Palestinian partner, is bound to drive opinions to already-established hard and fast views on the situation. If viewers can set those politics aside, however, they will be rewarded a gorgeous film of outward emotion and humanity, one that should be regarded as equal or greater to the rest of the catalog of director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), one that people owe themselves to watch.

Miral receives a lovely Blu-ray package from Anchor Bay. The 2.35:1 1080p image is impeccable, featuring perfect color balance and detail. The cinematography by Eric Gaultier (Into the Wild) is impeccable, and some shots are downright chill-inducing; the disc is a fantastic showcase for his talent. The landscapes and the interiors are brilliant in their clarity, detail, and color balance; this is a reference-quality image. The 5.1 DTS-HD audio isn't quite as strong, but it's well balanced and robust. Miral is presented in English, with the occasional snippets of Arabic and Hebrew, and all of it is nice and clear. Schnabel uses a heavy amount of popular music for the score, including two Tom Waits songs as end credit music; all of it very effective.

We also get a good slate of extras. Schnabel conducts an excellent audio commentary with producer Jon Kilik, filled with production information, background, and a few heartbreaking stories of people who appeared in the film. For example, one of his Palestinian actors, a theater owner in Gaza, was assassinated by a religious extremist for what he considered a too liberal production of Cinderella. That it occurred literally two weeks before Schnabel recorded the commentary makes the emotional nature of the story even more powerful. A slate of deleted scenes are all very good, most of which could have been included in the final cut. A short making-of featurette gives us time with Rula Jebreal, who explains some of the differences between the book and the movie, including scenes she deemed too painful to write, but Schnabel demanded be used in the film. A filmmaker question-and-answer session gives us more of the same, and a featurette called "Julian Schnabel Studio Tour" is unnecessary. All in all, an outstanding release for an outstanding film.

-Full review at dvdverdict.com

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Julian Schnabel is a genuine artist, a true risk-taker. He is a respected painter, a writer, and he even recorded an album. And, true to his genius, he is also a filmmaker, having directed unique, non-commercial, yet critical successes as "Basquiat" (1996), "Before Night Falls" (2000), and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (2007). His most recent film, the passionate and eye-opening "Miral," follows this special pattern, this time taking a sincere look at the lives of Palestinian women.

The film is based on a true story from a book by Rula Jebreal, and it begins at a party on Christmas day, 1947. It is there that we are introduced to Hind Husseini (the wonderful Hiam Abbass), who unbeknown to us, will be the most important character the glue, if you will -in the movie. This party, perhaps, will be the last happy one that its guests attended. Schnabel then proceeds to show archival footage of the establishment of a Jewish state in the land of Israel, which would later be referred to as the State of Israel. We are then taken to Jerusalem in 1948, and we find Hind walking on its streets, where she meets a group of homeless children that were displaced due to bombings. She feels sorry for them, takes them home, and eight months later she successfully creates a school for Palestinian children. The director moves forward to 1967, and, as a result of the Six Day War, this time Hind is now limited to the Palestinian sector of East Jerusalem.

After Schnabel introduces us to Hind, we begin meeting other Palestinian women that are victims of racial, political or sexual abuse. One of them is Miral (Freida Pinto), who is raised by her loving father. He tries his best to protect Miral against her surroundings, by sending her to Hind's school. However, it is difficult to escape reality in Palestine, especially in 1987, during the first Intifada, where Miral sees firsthand the treatment of the Palestinians by the Israelis. Miral, as you can imagine, will have to make some serious choices in order to survive a harsh life under occupation.

Although "Miral" is mostly about Miral's journey in life, it is also, as I indicated earlier, about the lives of Palestinian women under difficult circumstances, both internal and external from their homes. It is also about women, like Hind Husseini, who made a difference. But Schnabel also presents a subtle, smart portrait of a society subjugated by a powerful neighbor, and how they live day by day. A real gem that deserved a better audience. The Blu-ray includes deleted scenes, making-of documentary, filmmaker Q&A, commentaries by Schnabel and producer Jon Kilik. (France, Israel, Italy, India; 2010; color and B&W; 106 mins plus additional materials). Reviewed on July 7, 2011 by Eric Gonzalez exclusively for The Weinstein Company / Anchor Bay Entertainment.

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This is a true story, oh what a story this is. A story of perseverance , struggle and success. The story of a young woman who is an example of bravery, self confidence, beauty and reseliance. I would love for everybody to watch this film and read the book. It really is worth you time.

I Love Miral

xoxo

Miral: A Novel

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Fortress (1992)

i was browsing through the Blu-ray's under $10 section and came across this movie which i'd completely forgotten about until now...

the Blu-ray release of this film was put together by a company called: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, which i've never heard of so wasn't expecting much in the way of video quality. i guess i stand corrected however. let me just say that this is a much better HD transfer than Lionsgate did with the original "Total Recall." a lil a grainy side?, yes. but overall definitely not the worst i've ever seen. in fact i've fallen in love with the movie all over again :)

Blu-ray specs are

video: 1920x1080p 1.85:1 Widescreen

Audio: the back of the box just says English 2.0 Stereo, but it's actually

English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Surround).

subtitles are not available

there are also no special features, but overall still definitely worth buying. hope this review helps anyone reading it

A guilty pleasure. I love Christopher Lambert, have all his movie. Been waiting for the Blu-ray to come out for release.

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I believe this is the Blu-ray version of this movie, I sincerely hope the picture quality has been improved but with the low price tag I am doubtful.

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The story of Fortress takes place in drastically overpopulated America of the year 2017, where each woman is allowed only one pregnancy. John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) flee to Mexico when she becomes pregnant after the death of their first child. They are captured by border police and sent to the Fortress, a subterranean high-security prison owned by the Men-Tel corporation and operated by "Zed-10," an omnipotent computer system, and a sadistic, genetically "enhanced" warden (Kurtwood Smith) who has nefarious plans involving Brennick's wife and unborn child. Along with his cellmates (including Jeffrey Combs, a favorite of director Stuart Gordon), Brennick plots a breakout, and Fortress shifts into auto-pilot action mode.

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Tenebrae

To be honest, the only reason I purchased this is because NF does not offer the blu-ray. I had seen it a few years ago, long enough to forget who did it, and weighed my options. For me, the overall stylishness is what made it worth owning on blu-ray as opposed to renting again on DVD. Beautiful poured concrete architecture, '80s women with powdered faces and red lips, old synthesizers, etc. The arterial sprays and other death scenes are impressive and make me queasy to think about. But it's the modern art deco which makes this sort of a 1930s murder mystery, but with more murder and lots of bright red blood.

4 stars because the story, although good, isn't any better than an episode of "Murder She Wrote". Also, there are only two options for audio: all Italian or all English. This means English lines are dubbed over in the Italian version and most lines are inauthentic in the English version. The DVD I remember was mostly subtitled with any English dialogue coming through in English (the main character is an American and his English lines match his lips). I wish there was this third audio option, but the ones presented here are good enough. Two subtitle tracks are available, one which exactly follows the English audio and one which seems to be a closer translation of the the script.

Many people jump on this Blu-ray transfer and yes it may not be the best transfer but its all relative to the print negative. The DVD was rough around the edges too but I will tell you this Blu-ray is sooooooo much of an improvement from my Anchor Bay DVD. It actually looks quite nice at times, definitely worth the upgrade.

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What is this the reviewer below me talking about?The blu ray transfer is amazing and a lot more sharper and better than any us version i have seen....Do Urself a favor and ignore the other review as of now and snatch this up before it goes out of print..comes with 4 reversable artwork and a booklet amzing blu-ray for collector's....

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Dario Argento's 1982 giallo "Tenebrae" is what I feel to be the legendary Italian filmmaker's best film. It features a great cast, an unsually strong plot/script for an Argento film, breathtakingly violent murders and some of the most unique & virtuoso camera work either before or since. If you haven't seen any of Argento's classic output, "Tenebrae" is a great one to start with!

As for Arrow Video's blu ray release of the film, if you scour the internet you'll see a lot of grumbling & controversy about a supposedly inferior hi-def transfer. This couldn't be further from the truth! I own bot the anamorphic Anchor Bay DVD and this blu-ray and have done a direct comparison and I can safely say that the blu-ray blows the DVD out of the water and is truly like seeing the film again for the first time. Where there is possibly a slight problem with the film is that throughout the movie, there is a slight layer of video noise that isn't film grain that is somewhat noticeable but not intrusive at all in my opinion. A lot of recent blu-rays of Italian films have had the same slight visual peculiarity so maybe it's just how the negatives were back then or the production house used to author the hi-def transfers themselves. Colors though are very strong and the detail is truly astounding compared to past DVD releases.

There was also a slight issue with the old Anchor Bay DVD in which it was missing approximately 30 seconds due to print damage with the only print they had access to at the time. The Arrow Video blu ray is the full 1 hour 40 minute 54 second uncut version. Extras involve some interviews with Dario Argento, actress (and Dario's former wife) Daria Nicolodi and composer Claudio Simonetti. You also get two commentary tracks and a live performance by Claudio's former band Goblin too. The audio includes both the Italian & English tracks.

So, if you've been on the fence about picking up this particular blu ray, don't be and pick it up immediately. The film looks truly stunning and the nice array of extras compliment this classic giallo very nicely. Highly recommended!

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Since this is one of my favorite Dario Argento films, I was really pleasantly excited to be able to get this great giallo on Blu-ray. However, upon watching this version, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment. Instead of seeing Blu-ray sharpness, the picture is grainy and mushy. Picture resolution is not nearly as good as on the older, standard DVD. It appears that transfer on this one was made straight from an old, VHS tape without any clean-up being attempted. It's really a shame, too, because this item comes with a really informative booklet describing the film, a film poster, and an appreciable number of disk extras. I have a substantial collection of Blu-rays and Tenebrae has absolutely the worst picture quality of the lot. Maybe someday, someone will issue an acceptable edition of this great thriller but this one is better to pass!

In a Glass Cage (1987)

In A Glass Cage is a piece of work that should not be overlooked. When I saw the film Apt Pupil, I thought it was a decent film with some superb acting, but sadly I felt Hollywood had watered the movie down when it came to portraying the Nazi mentality, decadence, cycle of abuse, and cruelty. After viewing In A Glass Cage, I had finally seen what the other film could have become if it were not for Hollywood politics, and since then I have kept an ever closer eye on foreign cinema.

In A Glass Cage is a both a tale of mental decay and revenge. This story revolves around a German family that has relocated to isolation in Spain after the fall of the 3rd Reich, and a young man(Angelo), who as a child was abused by the patriarch of the family, Klaus; a former SS officer. Angelo has tracked Klaus down, and catches him committing another brutal act against a youth. Klaus' brutal act sends Klaus over the mental edge, and in a fit of despair, he makes a failed suicide bid, confining him to an Iron Lung with glass windows(the Glass Cage). Angelo, having gathered some sensitive journals depicting Klaus' crimes, uses this and his past with Klaus to coerce Klaus into allowing Angelo into the household to "care" for the paralyzed and helpless Klaus.

Angelo quickly begins corrupting the family, gaining the daughter's affections and simultaneously gaining the abhorance of the family matriarch, while keeping Klaus on edge by making him relive the atrocities he has tried to escape. At first Angelo does this through reading the journals of atrocities to Klaus, and eventually Angelo descends deeper into madness, and begins committing atrocities of his own. Starting with the matriarch of the house, Angelo begins to kill, and he quickly moves on to children like is described in the journals he reads. The torture of Klaus who both adores and despises himself for the very things he is now forced to watch has come full circle. His wife is dead, his daughter is controlled by Angelo, and he is forced to relive himself.

This is where the uncompromising nature of the piece really takes hold. Children are put to death in this film, and the viewer is not spared the agony of this with implications, or off-camera violence. This happens in your face, even in the very first scene with Klaus and the youth. It places a bitter slice of Nazi cruelty right in your mouth for you to taste. Eventually this cruelty is aimed at Klaus himself, and with the eerie aid of the daughter, the mental schism becomes complete, with Angelo assuming the role of Klaus in the glass cage.

I found this film to be more of a dramatic shocker than an art-house film, but the story is solid and the acting is top notch, especially when approaching the subject matter. In a Glass Cage does not shock simply to degrade the viewer, rather presents the violencce in a "this is how it went down" fashion. Nothing is glamorized and no character is particularly likeable, they simply do as they are programmed to do for better or worse, which is right on point in the context of Naziism.

If the visually-presented subject of Nazi cruelty regarding homosexuality, petiphilia, and grotesque murder of children would get you to leave a room, then this film is not for you. But for those of you seeking uncompromising cinema....

I saw this movie at a midnight screening in New York City about ten years ago expecting a movie loaded with blood and dismemberments. Instead, I got a movie lacking in gore, but high on psychological horror.

The movie is about Klaus, a Nazi war criminal and child molester exiled in Spain with his family, who ends up confined to an iron lung (a huge metal and glass breathing aparatus, the "glass cage" of the title). One day, a young man named Angelo shows up at his home demanding a private meeting with him. Against his wife's wishes, Klaus agrees to see Angelo, who walks out of the meeting with a new position as Klaus's live-in caretaker. He soon takes over the household and reveals his true reason for being there: Angelo had been one of Klaus's victims as a child, but rather than returning to exact revenge, he wants to learn from Klaus and reenact his atrocities.

The movie doesn't have any explicit gore, but it doesn't flinch at other disturbing visuals either. While most films that feature child murders only allude to them and have the crimes occur offscreen, director Agustín Villaronga doesn't hesitate to show a little boy's throat being sliced. More disturbing than any of the child murders, though, is how Angelo gains complete control of the household, including the full trust of Klaus's young daughter. It's the thought of evil having such seductive power that will haunt you long after the credits roll.

This movie is clearly not for everybody, and fans of mainstream cinema will likely brand this exploitation, but for those with a strong stomach and a taste for something different, this horror classic, long overdue on DVD, will be a real treat.

Buy In a Glass Cage (1987) Now

IN A GLASS CAGE is an obscure and rather hard to stomach Spanish (kind of) arthouse horror movie. It has a rather bad reputation for being one of the most disturbing movies ever committed to celluloid and when I did some online research prior to placing my order on amazon's website I found lots of stories of whole audience walk-outs durings screenings of the film.

While I personally think that the film does not exactly live up to his bad reputation and feel that the shock value is a bit overrated (admittedly this could be due to my familarity with the plot prior to watching it) make no mistake about it: Most people will find story and events in this movie completely revolting and disgusting. I kidd you not.

IN A GLASS CAGE's story concerns Klaus, a paedophile and former Nazi concentration camp doctor who had conducted horrifying experiments on children during the war. Confined helplessly to an iron lung (the glass cage of the title) after a failed suicide attempt, he lives with his wife Griselda and daughter Rena very isolated in exile in Spain. One day, a young man blackmails Klaus in order to be hired as a nurse. It is obvious that the intruder does not simply wants a job and Klaus' past is linked to this young man...What unfolds is an horrifying tale about the attraction of evil and a cycle of ever repeating abuse and terror.

While the film is not overly graphic in its murder scenes, the film is often quite hard to watch, most notably when Angelo stabs a young boy with a gasolene filled syringe in the heart. However what is far more shocking is the sickness of the movie's theme of child abuse. It has to be said however that IN A GLASS CAGE is not a nasty horror film, exploiting a serious issue for questionable entertainment value. It is in fact quite intellectual demanding and you have a lot to think about after the end of the film (the cycle of ever repeating abuse and terror, the political subtext).

It is also very well made, boasting an impressive cinematography with images that linger long in the mind of the viewer. Kudos to the excellent actors for their powerhouse performances in very difficult and challenging roles.

As said before this is an demanding movie which will most likely upset and deeply shock most audiences. If in doubt, do not watch.

However I was not overly impressed with the DVD. Picture quality is acceptable, however far from outstanding.

Annoyingly there is little in the way of extras, just some well written liner notes (well written, but somehow pointless, since only stating the obvious) and a highly interesting but too brief interview with director Agustin VILLARONGA.

Thankfully the optional English subtitles are easy on the eyes.

Read Best Reviews of In a Glass Cage (1987) Here

Banned in Australia for almost 28 years despite several attempts (even recently) to get it classified. It was available on video back in the mid eighties when I first obtained a copy from overseas and later as a dvd special edition several years ago . The film is extremely strong in its' depiction of child abuse after the second world war and will make most viewers feel sick during the abuse. It is probably the most disturbing film ever made and it has not lost its impact after such a long time. Most films lose their impact after a few years but such is the powerful screenplay and imcredible directing ,IN A GLASS CAGE not only pushes the bounderies in cinema but exceeds it like no other film I have ever seen.If you thought that SALO120 DAYS OF SODOM was a shocker when first released then wait until you see GLASS CAGE.It is a must for every film student and lover of European cinema.No mature adult should be denied the opportunity to see this very powerful film .The film in no way approves of child abuse and it is very anti child abuse but it does indeed shock the unshockable.

A MASTERPIECE.

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The box for this DVD caught my eye immediately. I must confess I've always had a morbid interest in Nazi atrocity movies, although while watching them I usually find myself filled with disgust, and absolutely enraged that the participants of Hitler's war on decency were able to get as far as they did, and that so many of them got away with it. This film is described as a horror story and, on that level, it certainly delivers.

The narrative concerns a former Nazi named Klaus who took advantage of his position to indulge himself in the sadistic torture and sexual abuse of young boys. He continues his horrible blood-spree after the war, but in a fit of remorse, attempts suicide and winds up an invalid, confined to an iron lung (exactly how this happens was very unclear in the actual film I rely on the accuracy of a review I read for this piece of plotline). His resentful wife and his small, shy daughter care for him, but long for a nurse to provide some relief. Enter a young man named Angelo who (we learn much later, but suspect from the moment of his introduction) was one of Klaus' few victims to survive meeting him. In a bizarre twist, the young man not only wants to perversely torture his tormentor in revenge, he also seeks to carry out similar crimes, acting out certain details in Klaus' diary exactly. Apparently Angelo's mind has been warped by his encounter with Klaus, and although he is horrified by the details, he is perversely excited by death, and seeks release by performing acts of cruelty in the presence of the man who treated him so badly so long ago. The result is a somewhat hard to follow but always absorbing shock-fest, which succeeds for its gory excesses if nothing else. It has more than its share of difficult-to-watch horror scenes, and one perfectly unforgettable scene in which Angelo murders Klaus' wife, and then ingeniously uses her corpse to exact a horrifying revenge. The contemplation of this scene alone chilled me to the bone and ruined my sleep for more than one night.

One aspect of it bothered me even more. This is NOT a gay film; I certainly don't view Klaus -who is married and has a daughter as anything but a sadistic heterosexual child molester, who happens to favor little boys as his victims. Yet it is aggressively being marketed as a "gay film" and I, for one, resent the fact that some people seem to see it that way merely because the sadistic child molester victimizes boys. The young actor who plays Angelo is quite handsome, but his actions are far too cruel, sadistic and depraved for anyone but a full-blown masochist to find him erotically stimulating.

If you want a fully realized and graphically bloody horror film, you will enjoy this picture very much. However, if you find this shocker even slightly erotic, I suggest you check out a good therapist on the way home.

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Bottle Rocket (The Criterion Collection) (1996)

Released in 1996, this is Wes Anderson's first feature movie and the beginning of a great career that has also included the fantastic quirky comedy-dramas "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." "Bottle Rocket" isn't the equal of those films, but it is a great start to Anderson's career, and a fine little comedy. It also marked the beginning of the stardom of Owen Wilson, who co-wrote the script with Anderson and plays the most noticeable and memorable part. The film was shot in Texas, Anderson and Wilson's home state, based on a short film they had made two years earlier.

The movie has the type of laid-back and character-driven humor that won't appeal to everyone. This is comedy that doesn't target laughs or build up elaborate set-ups as most comedies do. Instead, the humor is continuously slow-pitched to you in the form of weird but likeable characters, off-center attitudes, and situations that seem familiar to us but are played in unreal ways and thus become extremely funny. All together, it's an extraordinarily enjoyable and pleasant movie that strolls through its story with no particular rush.

Owen's brother Luke Wilson, who had so far appeared in every Wes Anderson film, plays Anthony Adams, who gets out of a voluntary mental hospital after recuperating from a breakdown. His friend Dignan (Owen Wilson) has big plans for both of them -a life of easy and enjoyable crime! Dignan doesn't have any good ideas, but tries to make up for it with endless enthusiasm and an outrageously optimistic view of life. Unfortunately, when things inevitably don't go well for him and his friends start criticizing him, he can fall into pretty bitter depressions. Owen Wilson has the character nailed down, and Dignan sets the tone for most of Wilson's other characters: the enthusiastic but misguided nut. Dignan gets his friend Bob (Robert Musgrave) in on his plan to pull a 'job' (and all of Dignan's 'jobs' are minor-league suburban affairs) that will attract the attention of the local crime boss/landscaper, Mr. Henry (James Caan in a brief but darned funny performance). Dignan get obsessed with his planning and attempts at damage control, while Anthony and Bob are more busy with the really important things in their lives: Anthony falls for a housekeeper at a motel (Lumi Cavazos, from "Like Water for Chocolate"), and Bob tries to deal with his bully of a brother, Future Man (Andrew Wilson -yep, another Wilson).

The film has some sad and serious moments -after all, these are characters who are really going NOWHERE in a very boring suburban landscape -but with Dignan around it never stays down for long. There are plenty of chuckles and some real moments of howling laughter, especially during the climatic 'take down' (and I'm really using that term pretty loosely). Another Wes Anderson favorite actor, Kumar Pallana, who appeared as Pagoda in "The Royal Tenenbaums," is on-hand to add comedy as a safe-cracker (and again, I'm really using that term loosely).

If you like quirky, odd, but realistic comedy, and if you've enjoyed Owen Wilson in many of his later performances, "Bottle Rocket" is really worth a look.

(This DVD is, unfortunately, nothing special. The picture and sound are good, but it hasn't a single extra on it, not even a trailer.)

The Criterion 2-disc Bottle Rocket is outstanding, but don't toss your original disc just yet... the new edition is a slightly different edit that loses one laugh and adds another. I couldn't find any reference to these changes in the supplementary material at all.

MISSING: Originally, during the book store robbery, Anthony grabs a random book off the shelf and opens it, revealing the title page "Job Opportunities in Government 1995" which always gave me a little chuckle. Now for some reason the book opens to a black and white photograph of a military plane (it goes by so fast you'd have to freeze frame to make it out.)

ADDED: Originally, when Bob hands his earnings over to Future Man to cover his attorney fees, he asks if he can keep a few bucks for gas, and the scene ends. Now the scene plays a few seconds longer, and we hear Future Man's reply: "No, you can't."

In addition to these minor (and somewhat baffling) changes, I was also unable to find any images of the one-sheet art or logo anywhere on this set (as appears on the menu page and sleeve of the original release).

So if you're a hardcore Bottle Rocket fan or completist, hang onto your old disc and buy this set as well. In addition to a beautiful transfer, commentary track, documentary, the original short film, and other extras, the booklet insert is a miniature replica of Dignan's 75-Year Plan notebook, along with reproductions of Anthony's drawing of Inez on horseback, the book store heist plan schematics, etc.

Buy Bottle Rocket (The Criterion Collection) (1996) Now

This movie grabbed my attention the first time I rented it at my local videostore for it's low key atmosphere and entertaining storyline. The highly persistent (if not entirely insane) Dignan, played by Owen Wilson has got to be one of the most memorable character portrayals in any movie I've ever seen. The slow pace of the movie makes everything just right (you won't be blown away by special effects, unless you consider an altogether cerebral script pyrotechnic) but you will come away from this movie with a sense of adventure and a deep desire for one yourself. The fact that this movie is practically a remake of an earlier project adds even more to its appeal. The caper scenes are hilarious, the dialogue will make you think as well as laugh, and you will come away from this movie with a new appreciation for film making in general. It's not all about explosions after all. And you will find yourself scaring the hell out of your friends when for no reason at all you start screaming "Ka-Caw, Ka-Caw!". If you like this movie check out Rushmore, also directed by Wes Anderson.

Read Best Reviews of Bottle Rocket (The Criterion Collection) (1996) Here

Taking a trip into Wes Anderson's head is like going into a parallel universe where most things are the same, but the nature of reality is just slightly warped. And that formula holds true for "Bottle Rocket," his first collaboration with actor Owen Wilson (who also stars), an absurdist crime caper.

Anthony (Luke Wilson) has just been released from a mental hospital after being treated for exhaustion ("You haven't worked a day in your life. How could you be exhausted?"). He hangs out with his idealistically weird pal Dignan (Owen Wilson), who has mapped out his life over the next 75 years. Dignan, having seen a TV special, has decided to become a master criminal.

First they recruitt the timid Bob (Bob Musgrave) as the getaway driver, as he is the only one who has a car. They practice for a while on smaller-time burglaries, such as robbing a bookstore -then hiding out at a motel, where Anthony falls in love with the pretty South-American maid (Lumi Cavazos). However, the guys find themselves in hot water when they bump into a REAL crime boss (James Caan).

Wes Anderson's touch is a little rough in his movie debut, but it's that slightly unpolished touch that makes his offbeat style a delight here. For example, Anthony "escapes" from a hospital that he can leave anytime he wants. That unnecessarily complex opener sets the tone of the rest of the movie, of thrillseeking young men who are just a little out of sync with the rest of us.

Don't expect stupid puns, toilet humor and bad sex jokes. "Bottle Rocket" shares the dry, funny, erratic humor of Anderson's later movies. Not to mention a thousand funny little lines ("Bob stole his car!"). Anderson and Wilson avoid being self-consciously cool, in favor of being earnestly quirky. No banter, just wit.

The Wilson brothers are in fine form here, especially when interacting with one another. Anthony is calmer and thinks a lot; Dignan is idealistic and wacky almost to the point of mental illness. They have a certain innocence despite their illegal ambitions, and it's fun just to see them ramble around. They, Inez and Bob are sort of misfits, but not the kind you laugh at.

It's a little erratic, but "Bottle Rocket" comes across as fresh, weird, and extremely well-done. Funny, zany and charming crime comedy with a twist of Wes Anderson.

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"BOTTLE ROCKET" is most definitely a hilarious but yet an insanely awkward film that just sticks in your head because of how wild and crazy it is.

Released in 1996, the film would be the directorial debut for Wes Anderson ("RUSHMORE", "THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS", "Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou") and the debut of the Wilson brothers: Owen Wilson (Co-writer) and Luke Wilson (plus brother Andrew) and Robert Musgrave who all grew up together in Texas.

Back in 1992, the first initial concept of "BOTTLE ROCKET" was shot in 16mm film on B&W after the group was able to raise about $4,000 and raise more money and eventually have the 13 minutes extra to have a short film and submit it to the Sundance Film Festival in 1994.

After being screened for the festival, the film was able to attract a few producers who were willing to invest in making "BOTTLE ROCKET" to a full-length film and thus, Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson had their first major opportunity.

As the story goes, the film did terrible in its first test screening which shocked everyone. The film then had its final released cut which then was released in theaters in 1996 and the film bombed. In fact, to everyone's surprie, the film couldn't even get screened at Sundance (where the short film version was able to be screened years prior).

But there were many people who loved the film and for critics, it was a critically acclaimed film that some critics were quite passionate about such as the LA Times (blasting Sundance Film Festival for not screening it) and then followed by director Martin Scorsese calling it one of his favorite films in the 1990's, the film reached cult-status.

Flash forward 12 years later and with three of Wes Anderson's films released on THE CRITERION COLLECTION on DVD, what an awesome way to kick off THE CRITERION COLLECTION's entry to Blu-ray in Dec. 2008 with the release of "BOTTLE ROCKET", Anderson's first film.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

THE CRITERION COLLECTION is all about gathering the greatest films around the world and publish them in the highest technical quality but the focus is to present the film the way the original director intended. For film fans, THE CRITERION COLLECTION is known for its quality and rarely do fans question the releases, the releases are embraced as fans are introduced to important classics or contemporary films.

For "BOTTLE ROCKET", the film is presented in its original aspect ration of 1:85:1. The film's presentation was supervised and approved by Wes Anderson and the Director of Photography Robert Yeoman. The high definition transfer was scanned on a Spirit 2K Datacine from a 35mm interpositive and thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Resotration System and Pixel Farm's PFClean.

The video quality of this film looks great especially for a film created in the early to mid-90's. Typically films released on Blu-ray during these years have been clean but have this softness effect where the vibrancy of the colors are not as beautiful as I would like it to be. With "BOTTLE ROCKET", the film had many outdoor scenes and literally from the red's to the blues and greens and the yellow jumpsuit that the guys wear, these colors are vibrant in Blu-ray HD.

As for audio, audio was mastered at 24-bit from the original magnetic tracks and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle. The film is primarily a dialogue based film, thus a lot of the audio is coming from your front channel speakers. There are scenes with gunshots and music that come out quite live on your home theater channels but the film is primarily a dialogue-based film.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

For the special features, the following are included:

* AUDIO COMMENTARY A commentary featuring Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. The commentary is not more on the filmmaking perspective but more of nostalgia as the guys talk about memories of people they worked with, areas they shot and how some of the people on the crew have moved on to bigger things.

* THE MAKING OF "BOTTLE ROCKET" A featurette with interviews with Wes Anderson, the Owens brothers, James Caan, Kumar Pallana, the producers and more. You learn a lot about the behind-the-scenes of the film from creating the short film, Sundance, how the test screening was a bomb, how the film was not a commercial success but became a cult hit and much more. Great insight on the actors about being part of the job, how they were able to get James Caan for the film and how the producers felt about the talent at the time. A fun and informative documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman.

* The Bottle Rocket Shorts The actual 13-minute B&W short film that was created back in 1992.

* Storyboards Wes Anderson's original storyboards and sketches for the film.

* Anamorphic Test Anamorphic test shots of several scenes from the film and how Anderson originally planned to shoot the film in widescreen Panavision. Test shots.

* "The Shafrazi Lectures, No. 1 Bottle Rocket" A guy who is reviewing the film and talking about why he loved it.

* "Murita Cycles" A Short film created Barry Braverman (friend and collaborator for Anderson and the Wilson family) about his father, a Staten Island bicycle shop owner which inspired the guys to create "BOTTLE ROCKET".

* Behind-the-Scenes Photograps by Laura Wilson The Wilson brothers also had a talented mother who is a photographer that took pictures of Wes, Owen and Luke during the planning stages of the film and also at Sundance.

* Deleted Scenes There were a quite a number of scenes that were cut and eleven featured on the disc. Scenes that would have explained how "Futureman" got his name, what Dignan and Applejack were up to when they went to by Bob's place, another scene of how the pot was found in Bob's home and much, much more.

Also included is a booklet that features an appreciation by director Martin Scorsese (which is a tribute that appeared in the March 2000 issue of ESQUIRE Magazine), an essay book by executive producer James L. Brooks (written as an introduction to the "RUSHMORE" screenplay published in 1999) which really goes into detail of how "BOTTLE ROCKET" was created and things that happened behind-the-scenes not mentioned on the special features and artwork by Ian Dingman.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"BOTTLE ROCKET" is just an amazing, awkward and hilarious film. Forget about the "Oceans #" type of films that try to bring comedy to heist films, BOTTLE ROCKET" was special because it came from these young people who were not known at the time but their vision of filmmaking and storytelling just sticks into your mind.

You know that feeling about pulling a prank that got a lot of laughs during your younger years and you remember it to this day. This is how I felt about certain scenes from "BOTTLE ROCKET". There were a lot of humor that was not meant to be taken in as a joke but for these characters of Dignan, Anthony and Bob, you can't help but be entertained and laugh.

From memorable scenes of the group putting tape on top of their noses before their heist, to how rob the bookstore but at the same time, those being held hostage just look at them as non-dangerous and almost humorous (despite Dignan carrying a gun).

And then scenes of love as Anthony falls for this woman who can't speak any English and goes where she goes as she cleans each hotel room and just falls in love. And his far out drawings of his love for Inez.

And also the team assembled by Dignan for their major heist. One would think, why he would select really old men (especially one who had some major memory loss issues) to bring with him for a major robbery? But you realize it's Dignan and you just accept his approach to pulling of a heist and enjoy the ride.

There are many of these moments in the film that you just think back and just be amazed of how much of those type of scenes were included. Wes Anderson and Owen Williams are just an amazing duo and although at the time, they were not known in the industry, it just showed you how much potential these guys had when they first emerged and eventually they would go on to have successful careers making many more films together.

As for the Blu-ray disc, again, THE CRITERION COLLECTION manages to pull of another wonderful release. Wonderful picture quality that is vibrant in colors and again, I've reviewed many major films released in the early and mid-90's and although cleaned up, never have the vibrancy or sharpness but this softness that always bugged me. This was not the case of "BOTTLE ROCKET", the film looks great!

And the amount of special features and also the booklet that really help enhance one's appreciation for the film. You wouldn't expect anything less from CRITERION and sure enough, they delivered.

"BOTTLE ROCKET" is a fun, hilarious and well-written film that is so different from any film that has come out. It's not a moronic film, nor is it a serious heist film. It's just a film that is just all-out fun and one can understand why it has become a popular cult film.

Highly recommended!

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To Save a Life (2010)

To Save A Life is a terrific movie for teens and adults. It has a Christian theme, but is extremely relative and appropriate for any teen or parent. The movie is very gripping for most people to watch, and definitely one that will stay with you after it ends. It has loud music, partying, and subject matter that many parents wish were not so close to every home these days--cutting, depression, bullying, alcohol abuse, sex, pregnancy, drugs, suicide, divorce, and more.

This is great for a family or groups to watch together. Great talking points to address with teens about the realities of life, consequences, and the fact that things can't always be "fixed" instantly or undone. Parents could rent this and watch it alone first, or just buy it. It is a movie that opens eyes, and one that you will want to share with/pass on to others.

For parents: If you forgot what high school feels like, watching this will bring back memories you may have forgotten, plus others you can hardly imagine your teen dealing with everyday. Way beyond pimples. Disturbing, but highly recommended!

This was one of my 15-year old daughter Elizabeth's favorite movies. (In fact, she often wore her To Save A Life promo shirt to school.) I read the book first, then saw the movie with Elizabeth (she had already seen the movie with our youth group the week before and it was the last movie we saw together as father and daughter; she died of unknown causes about a week later). To Save A Life is a powerful, gritty, true to life Christian film that deals with a lot of issues that plague our families and youth today: the cult of popularity, bullying, family troubles & divorce, depression, suicide, underage drinking, drugs, sex, teen pregnancy, and self abuse or cutting, etc. All this is seen through the eyes of Jake Taylor high school senior, star athlete, popular man on campus, with a full-ride basketball scholarship to Louisville, and of course, the hottest girl in high school.

After Jake's often ignored childhood friend Roger commits suicide in the hallway of their school, he begins to re-evaluate how he had treated his friend in recent years. As he starts to wrestle with his own sense of right and wrong and his responsibility to others, he meets Chris, a youth pastor who intrigues him despite his own lack of interest in religion. As Jake's relationships with his parents and girlfriend Amy deteriorate, Chris becomes someone he can talk to, and his weekly youth group becomes a safe place where he can hang out and just be himself without the fear of being judged. With Chris' help, Jake sets out on a journey of personal transformation and growth that will reveal God's amazing unconditional love and Jake's power to make a difference in the lives of others one person at a time beginning with Johnny, another outcast.

This movie is so powerful I wish I could show it to every high school and junior high school in our area. The issues raised are often ignored in our society and fester under the surface in individual lives. Often we find out about them after the fact. They need to be addressed before then. Parents and youth need to know that the ONLY answer to life's problems is Jesus Christ, and that as follwers of our Lord we can have a positive ripple effect in the lives of others as we share the good news of the gospel. Whether you're a Christian or not, this is one movie that parents and their teenagers have got to see!

Check out my book reviews of To Save A Life and Jake's Choice, the sequel, on Amazon.com!

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My 20yr old daughter and I watched this movie together and enjoyed it. However we were shocked at the bedroom scene. You see them naked as a silhouette. The dancing at the party was really sensual, and the supporting actress was dressed very skimpily throughout the movie. There was also mild cussing. I wish I could have let my other kids watch it, but no way! The bedroom scene was especially disturbing.

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As the subject title implies, I come from a Jewish heritage, and now attend the local Unitarian Universalist church. I saw the movie with my husband and 13 yr. old granddaughter, and we all loved it. Out of respect for Rachael Britts, one of the authors, who I worked with at our local high school, I wanted to see the movie. I was half expecting a Christain solution to everything, but I found it very moving for all faiths tackling many controversial subjects. The subject of Christianity was only brought up a few times.

As an open-minded individual who tries to respect all different types of people, I think this is a great movie for everyone. Watch for other books from the Britts dealing with other controversial issues!

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On opening weekend (January 23, 2010), I took 27 friends to go see this movie in theaters. This was my second screening of the film, as my husband and I saw a free sneak preview in the fall of 2009. Upon the first viewing, we went in expecting very little, but were both *blown away* by the quality and substance of this "indie release" film. The quality of the acting, screenplay, and technical aspects surpassed everything I was expecting. It's the story of a Middle-American high school senior named Jake Taylor, who "has it all"... he's popular, has a cheerleader girlfriend, a basketball scholarship to his dream college, and is living up his senior year. That is, until his childhood best friend Roger commits suicide in the school hallway and turns Jake's life upside down. He begins to question everything about himself and realizes there may be a lot more to life than beer pong and sex with his girlfriend. He learns to reach out to some new friends and finds ways to make Roger's death a legacy, not just a tragedy.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I will say that this movie touches on at LEAST a dozen hot topic issues that modern teenagers have to deal with on a daily basis. This is the most realistic portrayal I have seen of a typical high school in a long time, and as one of my young friends said after seeing the film, "It was TOO realistic." The movie is rated PG-13 for good reasons and I wouldn't recommend it to a younger crowd. However I DO recommend it to anyone in high school or older. It is an EXCELLENT movie that *ALL* teenagers need to see... It causes the viewer to reflect on the impact that each person has on others around them and how much difference one person can choose to make in the life of another who is lonely. I think every teen will find SOME character to whom they can relate.

Though it's touted as an "inspirational" film, there's absolutely nothing cheesy about this movie. It portrays Christians in a very accurate light, with both good and bad attributes acknowledged (such as hypocrisy & imperfection). It's not preachy or pushy with its message, except to say that you CAN make a difference in the world around you. It's also not without humor that this movie entertains the audience, taking on several twists and turns throughout the plot.

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Brassed Off!

I'll bet you don't remember this little gem of a British film at your local cinema...it passed us by quickly and quietly, and I only hope it can have a strong life in video. But the video's cover is just another sign that the studio just didn't know what to make of this movie or how to promote it. Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan MacGregor on the cover make it look like a love story, which is certainly an element of the plot, but one of many, and certainly not the most important. A British mining town is threatened with closure of the mines, which will put much of the population out of work. Unconcerned with this all is Danny (a brilliant Pete Postlethwaite), the leader of the mine's brass band group, so intent on winning the national championships that he doesn't see at first the turmoil as the members of his band face unemployment--including his own son. There's a triumph at the end, but a bittersweet one, when, at the end, Danny declares that music doesn't matter...it's people that matter (a sound bite you probably already recognize--it was sampled at the beginning of Chumbawamba's hit "Tubthumping"). The most logical comparable to this film (and one nearly everyone makes) is "The Full Monty," but this movie came first, and doesn't sacrifice the realities of the British unemployment problem at the expense of laughs. And if you think you don't enjoy brass band music, "Brassed Off" will go a long way towards changing your mind--this is *not* oompah-pah-pah music of your high-school marching band. Music dramatically underscores the lives of the characters and the tone of the movie. As proof, this movie features one of the most absolutely gorgeous wordless sequences in contemporary British film: while the brass band plays an exquisite version of "En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor," the scene cuts back and forth from their practice to the breakdown of negotiation talks between the miners and management--a sublime moment that comes early in the film but sets the scene for many other such moments. Don't miss this one, and don't let the goofy love-story video jacket throw you: this is simply one of the best and most bittersweet British films of recent years.

This excellent movie suffered from some dodgy marketing. Ewan MacGregor was splashed all over the publicity as a result of his role in "Trainspotting", and while he plays a central role in it very well indeed, he's only one of a superb ensemble of actors.

The Yorkshire miners' strike of the mid-80s was, so far, the last great stand of the British working-class against the encroaching forces of capital and "economic efficiency". The mines were the source of not just wealth, but the dignity of entire communities. Coal mining is a back-breaking, filthy, dangerous and ultimately murderous job, and it was the danger and the sweat that gave the communities their pride. One of the things that this pride fostered was the incredible virtuosity of the brass bands. I was never a great fan of brass band music until I saw this movie, but the music in it (played by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, one of the most distinguished bands in the country) is not dull marching music but fantastically intricate and moving stuff. These guys weren't academy-trained musicians, they were mine workers who learned it in their spare time.

And yet, one of the central points of the film is that we can all sit back and enjoy the music but little was done by anyone but the miners themselves to stop the destruction and demoralisation of the communities that produced it. That's what gives the film its tragic force, despite the resilience and good humour displayed along the way. (This is also a funny film, if a very sad one.)

Much of the weight of the tragedy falls on two characters Danny, the bandmaster, and his son Phil, a trombone player in the band. Danny is played by Pete Postlethwaite, a stunning actor who seems to able to incarnate an unbelievable range of figures (he was also the sinister Kobayashi in "The Usual Suspects" and the dying father in "In The Name of the Father"). Postlethwaite's character has been a miner all his life, and his frailty is terribly evident, yet he convinces us with his realisation that the music that he has always loved is, in the end, only the swansong of a whole way of life.

Phil is played by Stephen Tompkinson, who had previously been visible as a good light comedy actor. Here, his red-eyed, desperate performance is a revelation. Phil moonlights as a children's entertainer, and the sight of him in clown costume being beaten up by the bailiffs emptying his home is fiercely ironic.

This is a great movie; the point of it is even greater. The pits were closed down, not because they weren't profitable (most of them were), but because they represented a threat to the new economic order. The final irony is that, with the closure of so many pits and the drop in fossil fuel consumption, the UK is going to have to build lots of nuclear power stations over the next twenty years if they want to maintain the national electricity grid at its current level.

Having seen the country of my birth (Britain) being systematically despoiled and demoralised over the course of most of my life by a long Conservative administration, I can only cheer a movie like this, which counts the cost of it all.

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The heritage of the English coal mines (collieries as they are called) has been a mixed one of industrial production, labor strife and music. Music? Indeed, the existence and competition of employee brass bands formed as a diversionary activity for the miners is overlooked by most people born outside of the English coal mining commmunities. What began as a mild diversion has since provided a rich legacy of music that should not be ignored. But musical legacy notwithstanding, there are other factors at play in this wonderful little movie like the Tory policies of Margaret Thatcher's U.K. and the forced closure of many mines over recent years.

The idyllic (although certainly not prosperous) existence of one such group of miners is attacked on two fronts; first by threats to close down the colliery, but the addition of a woman (Tara Fitzgerald) to the all male ensemble is even more unsettling. Her talent as a flugelhornist is as bothersome to the members of the band, as her beauty is to one bandmate in particular (Ewen MacGregor). Ms. Fitzgerald has to be the best kept secret in the British cinema as she combines fantastic ability with an almost sublime beauty. I'd rent a "How to Fix a Flat Tire" movie if it featured Tara's face and lyrical voice.

Besides the lovely Ms. Fitzgerald, two other actors stand out. Ewen MacGregor shows more range in this role than both of his Star Wars appearances thus far (he also has a much better script to work with). And Pete Postlethwaite would have received an Academy Award nomination had more people simply seen this movie. Postlethwaite is something of a British William H. Macy; he's always rock solid in his character and talented enough to give uniqueness to each character he plays.

Faced with the extinction of their jobs and way of life, the members of the Grimley Colliery Band rally around their leader (Postlethwaite) as they battle economics, black lung and an evolving world. Their quest is to win the nationwide band competition at Prince Albert Hall. Despite a misstep or two along the way, usually aided by an extra pint at the pub, they work their way into the finals. Beyond that, you'll have to watch the movie.

But no discussion about Brassed Off would be complete without mentioning the music. You could find sufficient enjoyment from the music alone. The soundtrack, performed by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band will appeal to almost everyone. It's become one of my family's favorite CD's as well.

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So, why do we do it? We devote our meager free time to the pursuit of musical excellence, many of us in amateur brass bands, string orchestras, community choirs and the like -for what purpose?

Because we MUST. No matter how dismal or depressed the rest of our lives are, there's always an opportunity to create something beautiful, something truly magnificent, by combining our talents with those of others.

The Grimley Colliery Band is but one example of this. Each member, all men but one newcomer, is facing a crisis -the closing of the coal mine into which they've poured their sweat and energy for most of their lives, and the uncertain future to follow. Their director, Danny, demanding and hard-headed, has retired from the mine, and doesn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the matter. "Music is EVERYTHING!" he proclaims. The members consider him daft, as they struggle to balance family, the impending union/management show-down, and finances. It's only at a moment of crisis that they realize the point: Danny not only understands the situation, but he also knows that MUSIC is the only thing that will get these proud men through the storm together, whole and with some shred of self-respect.

Pete Postlethwaite is brilliant as Danny; Tara Fitzgerald's understated performance as Gloria, the only female member of the band, gives her character a sense of integrity and honor that could easily have been overlooked in favor of more "marketable" characteristics. The rest of the cast is remarkable. Particularly notable is Stephen Tompkinson as Phil, Danny's son, whose descent into abject depression seems to mirror the daily descent into the black hole of the coal mine -dark, dirty, and dangerous.

I liked this movie far better than I thought I would when I saw the cover of the DVD. This is less a romance than an examination of many lives made complete -by music, by the pursuit of beauty and grace, by focused cooperation. It really doesn't get any better than this.

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This is a great movie. I first saw it in the theaters, have watched it and recorded it off cable and finally wanted to have a copy to send out to friends, so I bought the DVD.

The "editorial review" seen on the Amazon product page is taken directly from the DVD cover and it so misses the mark it's hilarious! In fact, this marketing copy should win an award for completely missing the point.

This is not a screwball comedy about the madcap adventures of two ex-lovers. It's a heart-felt story of hard working people in England who are facing unemployment due to their coal mine shutting down, and how the town's brass band keeps a few of them united and hopeful. Other customers have already written more about the story line, so read those reviews for more details.

If you love well-crafted, beautifully made films about complex characters superbly played by great actors, then you'll love this movie. But if you're looking for a movie about "two old friends--and ex-lovers--whose surprise reunion turns their lives, and the lives of everyone else in a small mining town, hilariously upside down"... this ain't it.

A Star is Born (Kino Classics Edition) (1937)

The historical 1937 film A STAR IS BORN has remained a classic for many many years. This film's merits are many, I need not comment on them, but will make a comment on the cast. While the entire cast is outstanding, the real standout is Janet Gaynor who portrays Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester in such a way that you can connect with her and feel her sincerity on a level that you cannot with Judy Garland in the 1954 version (and the less said about the 1970s Barbra Streisand version the better). The rest of the performances in this film are super.

This film, produced by the late great David O. Selznick and released through United Artists, is currently in the public domain and many of the numerous DVDs/VHSs of such films are of deplorable picture and sound quality. Fortunately, it is not so on this DVD release from Image. The colors are extremely bold and vibrant. There are some age-related artifacts present and graininess is visible in a number of places, however this has been kept to a minimum. I will forgive these shortcomings considering the elements used for the DVD transfer are nearly 70 years old. 3-strip Technicolor was still in its infancy in 1937 (indeed, the first feature shot entirely in this process was released only 2 years earlier), but some outstanding results were had even then. The sound, while obviously rendered in 1937 recording technology, has been nicely cleaned up for this release, allowing the musical score by the venerable Max Steiner to shine as it should.

Pass up the cheap DVDs and look only for the release from Image Entertainment, edition # ID2777IMDVD. I guarantee this will be the best DVD of A STAR IS BORN you will find.

As with other fans of this classic film, I am greatly disappointed that KINO'S latest offering is not much of an improvement over previous KINO DVD releases of the film. While the IMAGE/KINO DVDs in 1998 and 2004 were at that time a marked improvement over the myriad of public domain travesties, the elements utilized for this release are only marginally better, despite the HD processing. This is also particularly disappointing when the film's fan base is aware that a restored print (by UCLA) exists.

According to a March, 2010 blog-post by NY POST film critic Lou Lumenick, he said, "Daniel Selznick, son of producer David O. Selznick, told me two years ago that WHV was doing a high-definition transfer of a UCLA restoration of the 1937 original, which has long languished in public-domain hell." Lumenick also quoted a Warner rep as saying, "When we looked at the master of the '37 'A Star is Born,' we realized that it really needed, more importantly, deserved a special restoration...using our Ultra Resolution process to bring out the glorious Technicolor of that film. So rather than it be an add on...some less than-terrific extra content, we pulled it back so as not to diminish the importance of either versions."

I suppose it was wishful thinking on my part that KINO would be releasing that long-awaited "restored" version. This will be the VERY last version I invest in until either Warner Home Video, Criterion or KINO offers us the ultimate version -and that will only be when the restored print from the UCLA effort is finally utilized as the source material.

Despite's the Selznick Estate's stamp of approval, I would suggest people save their money and wait.

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Though this is the only non-musical version of the thrice filmed tale, this original is my favorite. It may more than likely appear dated to some, but it is not only a wonderful story about the price of fame, but an early record of Hollywood history. Fredric March and Janet Gaynor are wonderfully touching as the doomed couple ,"Norman Maine" and "Vicki Lester", she being the new discovery whose *star* is ascending, totally eclipsing March's descending stardom. This was my first glimpse at Janet Gaynor, and I fell in love with her. May Robson is great also as Gaynors feisty Granny, who encourages the young, unknown dreamer to follow her dreams, and is there at the end when she seems to have given up. There are many wonderful moments, as when Gaynor, as the then pre-stardom "Esther Blodgett" tries to get the attention of movie big-whigs by her impressions of then popular stars Mae West, Katherine Hepburn, and Garbo. Andy Devine (that VOICE!!) is comical as the fledgling director who befriends the naive, broke, and new to Hollywood "Esther", and sticks with her through her metamorphosis to "Vicki Lester", and her tragedy and heartache. There's also fun scenes of early Hollywood locales, like the Hollywood Bowl, and interesting behind the scenes looks at the star-making process, when a little nobody is given everything from a new hairline to a new name. I always find myself blubbering like a fool at the films end, when Gaynor, having triumphantley come back from tragedy, delivers her final, famous line with a teary-eyed close-up. Yes, it's corny, but I'm crying not only because it's a tear-jerker, but also at the memory of all those beautiful fools of that long ago time, when there really was a place called HOLLYWOOD.

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This is the original... The best.... It has a great feel of the Hollywood that was... Gaynor and March are great. I love u Judy but THIS is THE classic film of the often-told-story... Judy is a class act, but HER film was/is not a classic.

BUY IT FOR GOODNES-SAKES hehehe:)(:

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Having been in public domain for so long now, it seems everyone has put out a print of this movie on video. They are consistently poor quality issues. This DVD issue is not perfect by any means, but it far exceeds any others I've seen. If ever a film was in need of a full restoration this is it. A great movie about that land of hopes and dreams called Hollywood. Honest, realistic, touching, and tragic. Although Judy Garland's version is excellent this is the version that truly delivers. I won't even mention the Streisand remake.

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