The Egyptian (1954) (1954)

Not one of Michael Curtiz' best films, "The Egyptian" is seen here in a serviceable print (and in widescreen) but somehow this transfer doesn't ring any bells. The film itself is a static, sometimes involving historical epic, and the cast is good. Edmund Purdom is fine (despite bad reviews at the time) and he's capably supported by Gene Tierney, Victor Mature, Jean Simmons, and Michael Wilding. But Daryll Zanuck discovery (and mistress) Bella Darvi, as the evil temptress, is a liability. Zanuck wanted Marlene Dietrich to play the sensual siren who leads Purdom astray--and though she might have been too old at the time, she'd at least have delivered her lines with some conviction and style. The film is slow at times, but it picks up in the last act, and is often affecting, despite the limitations of the script and direction. Other reviewers have stated they couldn't turn off the Korean subtitles: I had the same trouble, and I found them distracting. Chances are this film will be released someday in a restored print. I'd suggest hardcore fans wait for that edition, when it arrives.

This is one of the great epics... though for Fox was not a great box-office success at the time. On the DVD itself it is sad that 20th Century Fox seemed to have forgotten about their own DVD release and it is long overdue to those that still enjoy these old movies.

This import DVD edition has lost some of its superb color and sound in its transfer that a movie like this requires but at least it is an opportunity to enjoy a marvellous film though not historically accurate in any way. It is a wonderful classic with a familiar stable of classic stars of that time. At a good price, worth having if you can't hold out for Fox themselves to release it on DVD.

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I am not going to review the movie, that has already been done. This review is about the Blu-Ray disc. Anyone who is a fan of this movie and has a HDTV/Blu-Ray setup needs to get this disc. Yes, the price is higher than most Blu-Ray releases, but it is well worth it. That is if superior picture quality (1080p) and superior sound quality (DTS 5.1) is important. The transfer is also in the original CinemasScope aspect ratio of 2.55, before CinemaScope went to 2.35 to make room for the duel Mag/Optical soundtracks on the film.

I was a little concerned at first, especially since the video resolution of 1080p and the type of 5.1 sound (DTS), was not included in the product discription. But I am glad I went ahead with the order anyway. I have been waiting a long time for a blu-ray release of "The Egyptian" and it has been worth the wait and the price.

It looked great in my home theater which is equipped with a 92" diag. screen,(which gives me a wall to wall picture presentation) 1080p front projector and 7.1 surround sound system. From the Fox/Cinemascope logo to the ending credits, this movie was great entertainment. If you enjoy the Fox "Sword and Sandle" series (ie. "The Robe"), include "The Egyptian", you won't be disappointed.

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This is a marvelous epic film, the acting is remarkable, and Victor Mature is simply enchanting in this film. The three main characters interact gracefully, and the plot about an ancient Monotheistic Religion in Egypt is remarkably well written. The movie is partly based on fact, and partly romanticized. The bluray version is far superior to all of the other versions out on the market, as I purchased all of them available, and this version is simply perfect.

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The Egyptian (1954) [Blu-ray]Firstly let me agree with most of the other reviewers of the blue ray edition of this film by stating that finally justice has been done in both sumptuous picture and sound quality for this incredibly courageous biblical widescreen epic spectacular of the middle 1950's that until recently has been mostly ignored.

Why courageous? Because it was a major commercial release from a leading Hollywood studio in the early to mid 1950's when most of America was christian and conservative. Then along comes this film with its criticisms of the prevailing religion in ancient Egypt, the vicious & politically ambitious priests and highlighting a pacifist pharaoh who is radically different to anyone who preceeded him, obsessed as he is with his monotheistic or "one god" theory of religion. This radical departure from religious tradition obviously brings him into conflict with the ruling elite of the priests and he is targeted for removal by this elite priesthood. The main character, Sinuhe the physician, later meets a grave robber who insists that there are no gods & that every dead pharaoh has had their graves broken into and haven't preserved any of their material possessions in this life for themselves as gods in the next life. Sinuhe tends to agree with this atheist philosophy. Later at the movie's end he is converted to the religious beliefs of his weak & effeminate half brother (pharaoh Akhenaten) to the absolute bewilderment of all concerned as he has given up the chance to be pharaoh himself due to these religious beliefs. I don't really think 1950's audiences appreciated such an attack on conventional religion and also emphasizing that the supposed early christianity portrayed is being championed by such a weak & effeminate character like Akhenaten. Or that this religious philosophy will be carried on by a courageous loser like Sinuhe.

The film also highlights the relationship between the main character Sinuhe & the pharaoh Akhenaten (it turns out that they are half brothers--from the same father but different mothers) that comes perilously close to a thinly disguised homosexual love situation. I cannot remember any other major Hollywood release before this or even 15 years after this featuring one man saying to another man "the others lied to me but I believe that you really love me". Of course the Sinuhe character and we the audience know that these two are half brothers so its just a case of brotherly love. But the disturbing thing for 1950's audiences was that the character of pharaoh (beautifully played by actor Michael Wilding who was best known as being one of Elizabeth Taylor's husbands) does not know this and comes across as a weak & effeminate ruler and, even though he's married to the famous Queen Nefertiti and has many children, could well have some sort of bisexual attraction to the Sinuhe character.

The other aspect is that there is repeated criticism by Sinuhe of just about every ruler & government that he has ever come across---especially in the elite priesthood's willingness to remove the pharaoh from power by poisoning him, replacing him with a strong & more traditional ruler & weeding out all of the pharaoh's supporters. This could be read as a veiled criticism of the American House of Representatives Unamerican Activities Committee that prevailed in USA from the late 1940's to the mid 1950's. In ancient Egypt not long after he was deposed Akhenaten's image and any reference to him were deleted from the public monuments & public records. It was as though he and his period in power had never existed.

Which probably makes it easier to understand why this film was not a great box office success even though it was championed as a Cinemascope successor to the enormously successful "The Robe" of a year earlier. Most reviewers have stated that Edmund Purdom who, whilst having an excellent speaking voice that suits the part, just doesn't have the necessary power and charisma to convince as the main character Sinuhe the Egyptian. It's even suggested that Marlon Brando (the first choice for the role who arrived for rehearsals on the first day & then left the production later that same day) would have made a better main character. I think that Marlon's first instincts about the story & the so called weakness of the main character he would play were correct as it didn't really suit his style & he was correct to leave the film before he got involved. Had he become involved it would have probably turned out something like the 1962 "Mutiny on the Bounty" which basically flopped at the box office due to Brando's characterization of Fletcher Christian & his off screen tantrums when he didn't get his own way on the film sending the film's cost way over budget. Whilst most Americans generally think the 1962 "Mutiny on the Bounty" is a good action adventure & Brando's performance is fair enough (the same opinion I hold) most British viewers hated his performance in that film & regarded his characterization of Fletcher Christian as ridiculous. Which basically ruined the whole film for them. And Brando was first choice as T.E. Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia" by producer Sam Spiegel but director David Lean soon over rode that decision by first casting Albert Finney and when he cancelled then casting Peter O'Toole in the lead role. Again Brando as T.E. Lawrence would have polarized opinion of the movie & probably alienated British audiences. Brando later appeared in producer Sam Speigel's "The Chase"(1966) which was a resounding flop. As far as I am concerned Edmund Purdom puts in a rather convincing performance as a thoughtful & sensitive man caught up in the vicious world of ancient politics. I don't see his character as weak so much as sensitive. Like Brando's role in "Mutiny on the Bounty" if you can accept his central performance then you'll probably like the movie. If you cannot then its an uphill climb to like this movie.

The same can be said about the role of the Babylonian lady of easy virtue Nefer as played by producer Darryl Zanuck's protege (and then secret mistress) Bella Darvi. Most reviewers think of her, like Purdom, as unconvincing & badly cast and even, unlike Purdom, hard to understand when she speaks. Again if you cannot accept her performance as convincing or even reasonable then the whole movie is usually ruined for you. Those who like this film usually accept the performances of Edmund Purdom & Bella Darvi as both convincing and acceptable. Those who don't like this movie usually quote the performances of these 2 actors as spoiling the whole movie for them.

The supporting cast is quite excellent with an incredibly beautiful and appealing Jean Simmons (then 22 years old), a surprisingly convincing & impressive Victor Mature, a suitably alluring & devious Gene Tierney, an appealing rascal role for Peter Ustinov (similar to his later Academy Award winning role as Batiatus in "Spartacus") and a surprisingly effective & moving role for Michael Wilding as the mystic pharaoh Akhenaten.

This film is not so much an historical epic as an historical costume drama as there is not all that much action apart from the lion hunting sequence at the film's beginning & the massacre of the Aton worshippers (or sun worshippers) at the end. And as for historical accuracy the studio spent 3 years in pre production on this film & made strenuous efforts to get everything as accurate as possible whilst still adapting the source material (Mika Waltari's 1945 best selling novel "The Egyptian"). Not long after this film had ceased production the costumes & props were sold to Cecile B. De Mille for his forthcoming production of the 1956 "The Ten Commandments" (probably sold to try and claw back some of the production costs). So obviously De Mille didn't think these costumes & props inaccurate. As far as the sets go, apart from the royal palace interiors (which are very convincing), most of the taverns & doctor's surgeries look like reused sets from "The Robe" and are not all that convincing. They all have that 20th Century Fox Cinemascope epic film indoor set look that attempted some accuracy but couldn't quite convince & that even "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor suffers from (they all tend to look like a mocked up room built in a movie studio). The same cannot be said for the outdoor sets which are quite magnificent and are totally convincing. Where the film (and the book it was based on) do go astray in historical accuracy is in the weaving of too many fictitious characters with actual historical figures & also imposing a conventional religious explanation onto these historical events.

The pharaoh Akhenaten, despite what the book & film speculate, was probably not an early christian prophet long before his time & archeological history shows us that he was not that weak & powerless when it came to enforcing his monotheism theory on his subjects. And the inaccurate description of Thebes as the location where these events occurred instead of Akhenaten's especially chosen capital of Amarna situated in the desert beside the Nile hundreds of miles from Thebes. But the biggest inaccuracy is the complete avoidance of the next pharaoh--probably the most famous pharaoh ever--the boy king Tutankamun or King Tut (either Akhenaten's son or his nephew--archeological science has proven that they were definitely related). Horemheb became pharaoh a few years later. These historical facts do tend to grate against acceptance of the film's storyline however there is enough in the film to over ride these inaccuracies.

Lastly, and by no means least, are the technical details of the film. 20th Century Fox used its first class talent on this film to showcase it as a worthy Cinemascope successor to the enormously successful "The Robe of a year earlier. Which meant it had to be a biblical epic or at least a biblically-themed historical costume drama with exquisite costumes and inspiring sets. Which it was. The set designers and costume designers excelled themselves on this film (apart from my concerns over certain interior sets). Both films cost an unprecedented $5 million dollars to make (approximately $55 million in today's terms) but whereas "The Robe" made $17.5 million (or $193 million in today's terms) in USA alone "The Egyptian" made only $4.25 million (or $47 million in today's terms) in USA which did not even cover production costs. Leon Shamroy (the cinematographer from "The Robe") was Fox's premier cinematographer & did an excellent job on the visuals of this film. Even better was the contribution of composer Bernard Herrman & later in the production Fox's premier film music composer Alfred Newman to the classic musical score of this film. This musical score takes a very good to excellent film (with some flaws) and transforms it into a semi classic film. Even without the music certain sequences are hauntingly beautiful such as the Aton worshipper's (or sunworshipper's) sequences and the seduction of Sinuhe by Nefer the Babylonian courtesan. But with this classic musical score used to enhance these sequences they become absolutely unforgettable. And this blue ray version finally does full justice to the sound quality (the original 4 track stereo sound in DTS 5.1) AND picture quality (original 2.55:1 aspect ratio, ultra sharpness and glowing colour) so that you can assess these qualities and make an accurate judgement for yourself of this semi classic film in a version as close to (if not better) than the original release version. The film's score is also available as a separate track so you can listen to the score only if you wish and appreciate its merits.

Definitely recommended. If you cannot afford the steep price of the blue ray version then the dvd version (while not quite as good) is not half bad either. These reviews relate solely to the blue ray and dvd versions of "The Egyptian" produced by Twilight Time via Screen Archives Entertainment.

Biutiful (2010)

If Mr. Iñárritu went to 3 continents to film the great story of BABEL, his latest film, BIUTIFUL is bringing people from 3 continents to one amazing place; the underworld of Barcelona. I saw this well crafted art film a few days ago in Los Angeles (Mr.Iñárritu and Bradem were present) and wanted to share with you my take on this important, agonizing and remarkable picture. It will take you to places seldom explored by others, it will set in motion untapped feelings, it will make you hate or love it, it will make you talk about it.

Mr. Bardem is masterfully playing Uxbal and with him we slowly and painfully descend into Hades, human misery and his personal hell. The complex character of Uxbal is central for the film and through his journey we meet some of the most unusual characters, places and situations. There is an action/high energy scene of police chasing drug dealers in center of Barcelona, remarkably filmed by the very talented Rodrigo Prieto; it will stay with me for a long time.

Many call BIUTIFUL "a love story between a father and his children", but it is much much more than that. Maybe this line will sell a few extra tickets, but it is more about a extremely dysfunctional modern "accidental" family. The mother, Marambra is superbly played by newcomer Maricel Álvarez, and the children are ever so patient, innocent and understanding.

Kindness, hope, goodwill and humanity is not missing in Biutiful, it is ever-present in the daily dealings of Uxbal who's psyche we enter from the very beautiful and poetic beginning of the film.

See BIUTIFUL with an open heart and mind, let yourself go places you never wanted to go, places you only watch on the evening news.

My tag line for BIUTIFUL: "You don't choose your family. We all belong to somebody, but to belong to Uxbal and Marambra, is both a blessing and a curse."

Adam

It's all about death and dying. We can't get away from that, nor avoid it.

Most European directors take much longer to develop character in films than American directors. There are scenes in this film that wordlessly drag on, with panning shots that are longer than what American film directors recommend. But there is nothing wrong with that. This just means it takes longer to watch a European movie and this artpiece is no different.

Uxbal (Javier Bardem) plays the middleman for a counterfeit operation in Barcelona. He works for a few crooked Chinese who manipulate Africans and Chinese who come into the country illegally to work for pennies a day. Uxbal takes his share of the money but he also has a soft heart for the people who live in dark, musty cold basements.

His wife is a drug-dependent, bi-polar prostitute who only thinks about the next trick. Her goal in life is to have fun, despite her two children that love her very much. Unfortunately, Uxbal lovers her, too, and this uneven chemistry gleams throughout this movie.

We learn right away there is something wrong with Uxbal. He is in the late stages of prostate cancer, and his life is flashing him by throughout this movie. He lives what time he has left to redeem himself among the people he also took advantage of earlier, realizing there are many victims left behind doing the work that he does.

Shot in and around Barcelona's slums, there's a lot of touching cinematography in this movie. Smoggy city panoramas, gushing ocean waves, whispering cold mountain pines and loud street scenes that want to take over your auditory nerves. Take all that out and you have a more American-style movie with action and romp but less story and plot.

This is not a movie to watch when depressed, or while grieving the loss of a loved one. There is more to this movie than what I have just posted, but in the end of this 2:18 hour movie (not including the ten minutes of credits in the end), this is one movie that will haunt your senses for a while.

Crashing waves, whispering pines, dying owls that spit up hairballs. This is life in the real sense.

I rented this via the Amazon Instant Video. I had so many problems watching this movie without it constantly stopping to reload. This may be the last time I rent a movie this way. Great movie, horrible presentation.

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Alejandro Innaritu has directed 4 movies so far, Biutiful being the latest, and all 4 of them are solid. There is great substance in them all. Every film of his has several complex, interknit storylines, each with detailed narratives, and nuances. Innaritu potrays his astounding skill and capability of interlinking several of these, cumulating into an exhilarating panoramic vision, which is a feast to watch.

Innaritu has always casted great actors for his films, such as Gael Garcia in Babel & Amores Perros, Sean Penn & Benicio Del Toro in 21 Grams and Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett & Rinko Kikuchi in Babel. Here, there has been much praise for Javier Bardem's potrayal of the low-life criminal, trying to make ends meet for his family, and nearing his death very soon, and it is all very well deserved. Javier Bardem is a remarkable actor, portraying his characters with simplicity, yet with layers of complexity.

*Might contain spoilers below*

The most interesting characteristic of his films, is the use of regional languages & characters to a very natural degree. Cheng Tai Shen, playing the role of the Chinese syndicate businessman, uses spanish and chinese with much fluency and ease, which I found remarkable. Just as captivating is the role played by Diaryatou Daff, of an african immigrant woman, who is caught in the disturbance of her husband's involvement in the underground drug racket, and his deportation.

The journey for Uxbal (Bardem) is devastating, and tragic, yet fulfilling in a way, since his transition into the afterlife is shown to be one of serene, his departure from his family implying painful repercussions, nonetheless, which is what the viewer is left to come to terms with, in the end.

Another element or tool which the director uses, concurrent to his previous films, is the use of the strong background score and music. Babel had excellent score from the maestro Gustavo Santaolalla, and so does Biutiful. The use of progressive dance tracks such as The Joker (ATFC Remix) by Fatboy Slim in Babel, and Shudder/King of Snake by Underworld in Biutiful, intensify the mood and atmosphere of the films, combined with remarkable camera-work and cinematography, reveal the underbelly of cities such as Japan, and Barcelona, where city-life is portrayed near perfectly, and contrasted with varying emotions that the characters feel.

This film, is as successful as it's predecessors, thanks to the gifted Innaritu, and his muse Bardem this time around, who have both wonderfully captured the nuances and depth of the characters and the intricate story that is the driving force behind this masterfully complex & captivating movie.

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Aunque sí es una película triste, creo que "Biutiful" es una película importante para ver. La película nos enseña las partes de la vida que no queremos ver. Es exactamente por esa razón que creo que es tan importante para ver. Viendo "Biutiful", no puedes evitar las temas incómodas como la depresión de Marambra, la desesperación de los niños, y las repercusiones graves del comercio ilegal. Estoy de acuerdo con la revisión de Mariela Perez-Simons, porque yo también creo que es importante que Uxbal es un héroe complicado. No estoy de acuerdo con Chris Pandolfi y su revisión de la película porque no creo yo que la película hubiera sido mejor por no tener un personaje cerca de morir. Presentado con la historia de un hombre trágicamente desafortunado y enfermo, el público puede entender mejor que la vida puede ser muy injusto. Creo que la mensaje más importante de la película es que no importa lo mal que sea la vida, uno debe vivir lo mejor que pueda para los que ama.

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A beautiful, moving film about the devotion of a father to his children through thick and thin. I was impressed by the actor's range. After all this is the same actor who portrayed a ruthless psycho in No Country For Old Men.

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Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos (2011)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Review by M. Reynard 2011

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

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

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Resident Evil: Damnation (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012)

Resident Evil: Damnation improves upon the first Resident Evil CG movie, Degeneration, by leaps and bounds! Not only did Capcom tweak the appearances of the characters (and for the better!) when in comparison to the last movie, they also took many demands of the fans to heart. A good part of the appeal of the Resident Evil franchise is its trademark monsters, in which case this feature film does not fail to resurrect some of the most notorious creatures from the more classic games of the series. That does not go to say that they have done away with the new, either. With an interesting blending of creatures, Damnation takes that next step into the future of Resident Evil, teasing you with what is to come a few weeks down the line with Resident Evil 6.

The plot at first may seem difficult to follow, but with Leon Scott Kennedy holding the reigns and Ada Wong throwing him a bone here and there, the story definitely does not disappoint. Between all of the monsters, fighting, and oh yeah... more monsters... You really appreciate the effort that was placed in the finer details that truly connect this movie with the rest of the series. Whereas Degeneration felt slightly more disjointed, Damnation is much better woven into the framework of the global threat of Bio-Terror looming on the horizon. The world really is turning into a mess and it's only a matter of time before it spins horribly out of control. This gives the film the intricacies and polish that its predecessor was lacking.

If you're new to the series, the gore and rather flavorful action scenes may be enough to hook you. However, for loyal fans this is a breath of fresh air and you will feel entrenched in Leon's cause and perplexed by all of the questions the ending scenes present.

As you watch the beginning to the ending of the movie it feels like the producers and writers intentionally made the movie as a prequel to the RE6 games storyline but don't let that detract you from the entertaining story that is already in the movie itself. Like on reviewer stated the movie brings into play many of the former monsters and creatures that you see in the games as well as some cameo time with another iconic RE character as well. The CGI Animation is great and the actions is pretty good too.What is almost sadly ironically funny is that some of the fight scenes here are much better then the ones in the live action RE movies. Basically this is a must for any Resident Evil fan or those who like CGI action movies but regardless this is a nice collection to anyone's movie collection and for fans enough to tide us over until the release of RE6.

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In one of the special features on the Blu-ray, director Makoto Kamiya says he was aiming for a "Resident Evil 4" Leon and that he wanted to put Leon through hell. That is the perfect way to describe Leon's journey throughout "Damnation." The Las Plagas virus is now being used for war tactics and utilized in ways that have yet to be introduced in the games. What's great is that "Damnation" throws you into the first person perspective and makes you feel like anything can jump out at Leon and attack him at any moment. The renders as well as the computer animation are crisp and fluid at all times, especially the hosts of the Plaga, the Lickers, and the Tyrants. The only time it looks awkward is when people talk for long periods of time. You begin to notice that their facial expressions don't seem as natural as they should be, but it's easy to overlook.

The lighting in the movie really stands out, especially in the basement sequence and whenever Leon picks up a flashlight. It's just done so well, feels natural, and even helps add tension at times. "Damnation" can pat itself on the back for actually utilizing the slow-motion effect properly. Lately it seems like most Hollywood pictures use slow-motion for the most pointless sequences like when someone is just standing there in the rain or when somebody turns around. The slow-motion scenes in "Damnation" actually enhance the story and action sequences. There are effects that come out at you better than most movies that are released in or post-converted to 3D and released in theaters; there's some really amazing headshots including one where Leon shoves a crowbar through somebody's skull, a table being flipped over and a cup of tea flying at you, a water jug being kicked in your face, and the tongue of a licker jumping out at you.

The story is written in a way that seems intelligent, pulls you in, and feels like it coincides in the same universe as the games. While the screenplay isn't perfect and kind of misses its mark at times (the JD character, Leon's lame one-liners, the final speech Leon gives Buddy), it more than gets the job done and even gets pretty emotional at times.

"Resident Evil: Damnation" is the perfect reminder of how great this franchise really can be and is an ideal lead-in to "Resident Evil 6" due out October 2nd. If you'd lost faith or had been purposely distancing yourself from the atrocity that is the live-action movies (and if that's the case no one could blame you), "Damnation" is the movie for you as its predecessor "Degeneration." These CG motion pictures are what everything "Resident Evil" fans wished the movies would have been. Smart, bloody, well-written, and incredibly creepy, "Resident Evil: Damnation" more than lives up to the "Resident Evil" name.

Special Features include The DNA of Damnation (a thirty-minute making of featurette), Las Plagas: Organisms of War (around seven-minutes, be sure to watch this if you have any remaining questions after the movie), a six-minute Gag Reel, game trailers for "Resident Evil 6," "Devil May Cry," and "Dragons Dogma," and a Conceptual Art Gallery which is exclusive to the Blu-ray.

"Resident Evil: Damnation" will be released on single-disc DVD and Blu-ray this Tuesday, September 25th. The feature is presented in 1080p High Definition with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. DTS-HD MA audio is available in English, French (PAR), and Portugese with Spanish and Thai being available in 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, Chinese, French, Korean, Portugese, Spanish, and Thai. The movie is approximately 100 minutes long and is mastered in High Definition.

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This movie was slow in the beginning 5-10 mins but after they show the first person using their mind to control lickers it gets better. The russian nemesis's(or whatever they are calledthey were used in RE:Umbrella Chronicles too) are f@###kin awesome as unstoppable beasts trying to kill leon and that other guy using las plagas to control lickers. Man the last 30 mins of this movie are worth buying the movie for, Ada wong is in this too. So much action and story, this is way better than RE: Retribution. I give this movie a 10/10, only downside is it's a little slow in the beginning.

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Finally...an adaptation that is worthy of being called a Resident evil movie. Resident Evil: Damnation rose to the occasion on this second installment of the CG movies. It does a great job of captivating a viewing experience that will appeal to hardcore fans of the video game franchise as well as viewers who are unfamiliar with the games. The storyline was thoughtful, entertaining and engaging. The mood and tone of the film stays true to the games and the overall themes conveyed in the game come through in the film beautifully-without making it any less of a film. As I watched the film I felt myself being immersed in the gameplay all over again when the composition of a scene looked eerily familiar to one I remembered from one of the games. Leon and Ada's characters remain respectful to their originals in the game and are not overshadowed by characters created in the adaptation. BOW's do not become uncharacteristically humanized -or beautified into infected superhuman heroines in tight clothes--insuring the integrity and the severity of the threat they pose. In essence, this was a film made with the intention of making a respectful adaptation of the Resident Evil Games franchise--not a series of shameless mockeries disguised as Resident Evil live action films. In surmise, yes, you have the introduction of new characters and a new setting but the overall important core elements of a Resident Evil based movie are not lost unlike the live action films. If you want to experience the survival horror series Resident Evil without playing the games or if you just want to see a good CG horror / action / zombie movie, then this movie is a must see.

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Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992)

From the looks of it, I MAY be the only male reviewer posting positive for this movie, but of course I only read the first several reviews, not all 300 plus. I saw Newsies when it first came out in the movies. I believe it was a double feature, with Aladdin or something, can't remember which. I guess I was around 17. I've always been a loyal Disney fan, and I do love many musicals. This was an instant classic for me, sort of a male version of Annie, which came out a decade or so before, and is also excellent. And I seem to recall that Annie and Popeye, two faves of mine, sort of marked the end of live-action musicals. A real shame. Newsies proves that great musicals can still be made, but it also proves that it can take some time for most modern people to admit they like it. The story is about the 1899 strike of the New York paperboys. The central characters are Jack Kelly, a streetwise orphan played by Christian Bale(the main reason most females love this movie), and David Jacobs, a kid from a more stable, family lifestyle. Through the course of the strike they put on, the two boys become unlikely best friends, and with the other Newsies, learn about loyalty, friendship, and believing that they can work together to fight for a better life. The songs and music are beautiful. I'm particular about that stuff too. Don't trust professional reviewers like Leonard Maltin, whose reviews are inconsistent at best. Just when you think he's got good taste from reading one review, you lose all faith in him by reading another. Judge this movie for yourself. If you don't like musicals, don't bother. You have to love musicals to enjoy this even a little bit. And I don't mean just stuff like Oklahoma or Dr. Dolittle. If you loved Annie, this might be a good one for you. A little more adult than that, but not much. Don't expect to see many female characters though. Ann Margaret has a small part as one of the kids' few adult friends, and there's the character of David's sister, purely there to present a love interest for Christian Bale, just so someone would have a love interest. She's not spectacular, but she IS cute. Bill Pullman does a great job as a reporter trying to help the Newsies get some publicity. This was the first time I ever saw Bill since Space Balls, though I wasn't really keeping track of his career. I'm so glad to hear this will be on DVD soon. And I hope they release more of Disney's late 80's, early 90's stuff on DVD. Like Dick Tracy! A visual masterpiece! And my favorite movie of all time, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, is badly in need of a Special Edition DVD! Such a spectacular film and we didn't even get the movie trailer promised on the box! Anyway, as for Newsies, get the soundtrack too! Great music! I bought the soundtrack back when the movie came out! Unfortunately it was on tape. Gotta replace that with a CD too!

The world was not ready for a return to the days of the movie-musical when "Newsies" was released in 1992. A box-office flop, it has quickly risen to cult classic status with fans everywhere. Newsies is based on the true story of the New York newsboys' strike of 1899. Granted, Disney is guilty of "improving the truth a little", but doesn't any musical, where people break out in spontaneous song and dance, require one to put reality aside for a while? This film tells the tale of the newsies, led by tough, street-smart Jack Kelly (Christian Bale) and intelligent, reasonable David Jacobs (David Moscow), who form a union when Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall) ups the price of newspapers from fifty to sixty cents a hundred. The street children with names like Racetrack (Max Casella), a compulsive gambler who steals many scenes with his wisecracks are aided by a newspaper reporter named Brian Denton (Bill Pullman). Together the unlikely company endures many troubles, including run-ins with the police and their leader's betrayal, throughout the strike. The actors are believable as poor orphans and runaways during the turn of the century, and one look at any of them shows that they've poured their heart and soul into this movie. The lack of depth in some characters especially Sarah (Ele Keats) and Medda Larkson (Ann-Margret), roles that serve no discernable purpose other than sex appeal is my only qualm with the film. Looking past that and the many continuity errors (some of which are actually quite amusing), this is a highly enjoyable movie for the entire family to share. Not a masterpiece, but plenty of entertainment!

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I am offended by the professional critics slamming this movie. My two teenage daughters and all their friends absolutely love it! It has incredible dancing, cute guys, and the above-mentioned females are constantly quoting the songs and lines out of this movie. It has a solid plot and actually holds the characters up to noble ideals...honesty, integrity, loyalty, love of family and criticizes things that I want my kids to hate: greed, breaking promises, etc. There is a touch of romance, but no sex! Yeah!

The fact that it is based (I believe somewhat loosely) in historical fact also pleases me as it has given my kids a taste of that portion of US history and a desire to learn more. We have managed to purchase a piano/flute book of the songs so my kids have also been challenged to improve in another area.

This is a great movie for girls from 11 years and up. (I say this only because my 10 year old is not ready to obsess over this movie yet.)

Newsies has inspired both of my older girls to write stories based on the characters.

The reference to "kiddie humor" is particularly annoying. I, for one, am tired of watching movies geared towards kids that feature "potty humor" such as farting and boys getting hit in the crotch. I can't think of anything in Newsies that is that ignorant.

As you can see, I think this is a great movie. Why do the professionals always dislike the decent movies?

Read Best Reviews of Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992) Here

Newsies is one of those movies that grows on you, like some of the songs in it. The first time it seemd too corny (a bunch of boys singing, dancing, and behaving like the East Side Kids), but I liked it more with each viewing.

In early 20th century New York, Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Empire of the Sun) leads underpaid paperboys in a musical strike against publishers Pulitzer and Hearst. Bill Pullman (Sleepless in Seattle, Casper) plays a Sun reporter who takes up their cause.

Robert Duvall (To Kill A Mockingbird, Second Hand Lions) gives an interesting interpretation of Pulitzer, and Ann-Margaret (Bye Bye Birdie, Pocketful of Miracles) has a few scenes as a dancing girl. But the best performance, in my opinion, is Kevin Tighe (Emergency, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) as a sinister reformatory warden. He's mastered a patiently mean, calmly austere look that could send chills up your spine.

There are at least a couple very memorable songs: King of New York and Seize The Day. The dancing and choreography attempts to rise to the level of classic movie musicals like Singin' In The Rain, doesn't quite reach that quality, but they've made a noble effort that's entertaining in most of the numbers.

On the whole the movie can be quite effective if you can get past the corniness and get into it.

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This is a fun musical! Why it was pulled from the theaters so soon after its original release and why Disney back-burnered this visually exciting live-action film is a mystery to me. But they've made their amends. This DVD has TWO featurettes about the making of Newsies and ANOTHER about the real turn-of-the-century newsboy's strike that the movie is based on. Also, it has director's commentary and sing-along lyrics. Some of the plot turns are predictable and Robert Duval's performance as publisher Joseph Pulitzer is a tad embarrassing. Ann-Margaret's as the dancehall performer, Medda, "the Swedish meadowlark" is not (though she inexplicably evaporates from the movie half way through). But the young cast is diverse and energetic. Dance sequences are tightly edited, but not in the annoying and disorienting way MTV videos are. You can appreciate the flow of the movements...and the dances and music in general support the story line and help define the different characters. If for no other reason, Newsies is worth the purchase price just for the opportunity to see Welsh actor Christian Bale (An American Psycho) sing, dance, and speak in a Bowery boy accent.

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Sliver (2013)

Sharon Stone and SLIVER made a lot of sense after BASIC INSTINCT. It gave her a chance to be the hunted instead of the hunter, and also promised a whole lot of male nudity this time around instead of her being revealed so much. Eszterhas was back on board as a screenwriter, and the film was designed to be a sexual thriller about modern voyeurism with video cameras. SLIVER the book was not Ira Levin's best novel (cheesy fun but nothing classic), and I found myself not minding this movie deviates from it. Anyone who's read it knows the heroine's cat saves the day in one of the silliest climaxes ever. So don't worry about the book being better or worse with this one.

The production ran in to problems especially with the ending originally planned inside a VOLCANO of all things. Test audiences hated it, and so reshoots were quickly done. Eszterhas was not happy with the changes to his original script, and some new scenes made the actors seem a little less prepared and rushed. Billy Baldwin chickened out on full frontal nudity planned for his character, and demanded his most revealing shots be cut from the final movie. Despite any changes, the movie turns out to be entertaining fluff that never quite seems as kinky as it could be. It's still a whole lot of fun, and worth it for Stone fans. There are still some interesting ideas here.

This DVD contains a European cut with more nudity and prolonged sex scenes. For the most part you'll see much more of Baldwin, since Stone carefully handled her nudity this time around (she learned quick after BASIC INSTINCT). There are no extras, and that's a real shame. I wanted to see the real ending, but no such luck. Also no trailers on the disc because they included moments from the original ending and not the new version. And oddly enough a Lords of Acid song is removed from the DVD's soundtrack. But at least we get it bigger, longer, and uncut at a reasonable price.

You like to watch, right?

Sliver is a fantastic film. The best out of all the erotic thrillers filmed between the years of 1987-1995, preferably the time in which the Erotic Thriller genre was big. Ending with Eszterhas's JADE. Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Jade, Jagged Egde) wrote Sliver. A film starring Sharon Stone as Carly Norris, stuck in this age of loneliness after coming out of a 7 year bad marriage. Moving into a slick and sleek sliver apartment building, she is warmly welcomed by all of it's tennants. Including, Vida Warren a woman with a dark double life. Gus Hale, a man that is willing to tell all dirty little secrets. Zeke Hawkins a handsome young man that takes a sexual interest in Carly, FAST. And Tom Berenger a classy writer, with a macho jerk attitude. When Carly gets involved, very involved, with Zeke she begins to learn that inside the walls of this building hides a secret that could reveal everything. With an ending so fast paced it will blow right by you, but a very satisfying ending if I do say so in the least. Again, buy SLIVER in the unrated version, sit down and relax in the darkness and remember that there is no place more frightening than home...

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I absolutely love this movie. When I was in high school, a bunch of us went to see it (yeah, I'm dating myself aren't I?) and I loved it then. Good to know that 13 years later I still love Sliver. Perhaps it was my giant crush on William Baldwin that really made this movie sparkle to me. Or perhaps it was the voyeuristic ambiance throughout it. Either way, this is a fun little thriller that will keep you entertained. For the guys, you can oggle Sharon Stone in all her hotness. And as I mentioned, for the ladies, there's William Baldwin to adore. Basically, a woman named Carly (Stone) moves into the Sliver tower where there have been several weird deaths, most recently, a woman whose looks resemble Carly's, who happened to be the former tenant of the apartment Carly just bought. A variety of suitors attempt to get Carly's attention, one of which brings her a telescope, in turn making her realize that she indeed likes to watch. But who's watching Carly? Ah, to go into it any further would ruin this fine little movie. I'm not saying it's the best ever, but Sliver is plenty of fun for men & women alike who enjoy thrillers.

Read Best Reviews of Sliver (2013) Here

On the verge of Basic Instinct 2, a re-evaluation of Sharon Stone's film career is in order.

Looking through the reviews, it becomes apparent SLIVER is not necessarily an acclaimed film, but don't let that discourage you! When you choose a Sharon Stone movie from the shelf, you probably aren't looking for a pretentious "message" picture. You are looking for entertainment, full of glamour, thrills, sex, romance, melodrama, and excitement--and that's just where the priorities are in this film.

It is not a dumb film. The script is well-written, the cinematography was ahead of its time, and the direction is expert. Sharon Stone is at her best as the vulnerable and lonely Carly, and gives a deep, knowing performance, but the supporting cast varies in ability. Nina Foch and Martin Landau are wasted in small roles.

Many complaints concern the ending--which is apparently not true to Ira Levin's novel. Most book-to-screen adaptations are easy to find fault with when comparing to the book. As a viewer who has not read the book, the film is effective, and that is all that really matters! The film holds its own, and is its own piece of art.

And art this really is--the soundtrack, including the score by Howard Shore, is tremendously effective in maintaining the eerie, lonely mood of the film. The glossy, luxurious atmosphere is also an asset.

It's surprising now to read so many negative reviews, because as far as film-making is concerned, SLIVER is not a B-movie at all. It is a very classy affair. It should not be looked at as camp or cheese, because its intentions were not to be a serious message film. It aims to be what it is--an entertaining star vehicle for Sharon Stone at the height of her beauty and stardom!

It really should not be surprising, though, that SLIVER is often ridiculed as a "bad" film, when our society seems to think the only films worth watching are pretentious message films (not that messages are always bad; BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN contained a very relevant and necessary message, but some films just tell messages for the sake of it, and that is the nature of camp, in my opinion).

It also should not be surprising that SLIVER is so hated, considering the conservative nature of much of American society! SLIVER is a film which includes a lot of sex, nudity, and other sophisticated situations which imply "sin." Puritans will surely find something to dislike here! I think in the early 1990s, a lot of people went to movies like BASIC INSTINCT and INDECENT PROPOSAL, enjoyed them, and then bashed them later on because they were ashamed to say they liked such a film. The truth is they were daring, intelligent films which do not deserve their negative reputation. SLIVER is among them!

So, I am proud to be an exception, and say that SLIVER is a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining, and well-made film! It certainly is a piece of art, and if you are looking for a message, you might just find it has something to say about voyeurism, as well as sexual and romantic independence.

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There's plenty of sex, with heavy breathing, sweat and tears. So if you're looking for a plot, but want to see Sharon Stone get busy as well, this is the film for you. Plot development is not up to par, but I don't think that was the focus of the producer. There is, however, a mystery and a guessing game that does leave you wondering who-dunnit. It's a movie characteristic of the era, so expect some predictable elements. The film is entertaining, though. NOT a family picture.

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The Forever Marilyn Blu-ray Collection (2013)

Just got the magnificent FOREVER MARILYN blu-ray dvd set of 7 films yesterday. Very nice box and presentation, with a little booklet of pictures and lines from the films as a keepsake. I must say the films look stunning, particularly 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. 'How to Marry a Millionaire' looks extraordinary its its full very widescreen ratio (16:9) and so does 'There's no business like Show Business'. I've watched most big production numbers like 'Heatwave' and 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend' again and again, and seeing them on blu ray on my big flat screen HD TV, is like seeing them glisten with real detail, depth and color for the first time. The blacks are black, the whites white, and Marilyn's lips and nails are a real luscious fire engine red. 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' in (4:3) ratio is glorious, the transfer just sparkles with sheer magic and jumps right out at you. Made just before widescreen became popular, I do believe only one number from the film, 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend' was filmed in Cinema-Scope as a test. That would've been nice to see here as an extra, because if any musical number EVER deserves to be seen in widescreen, its that one. The sound (dts-HD) on all films overall is impressive too, clear and crisp, especially through big speakers. The song and dance sequences are breathtaking. Mesmerized I found myself looking at everything technically, the clothes, the sets, the makeup all seemed so perfect as to be surreal. Marilyn is just beautiful, so is Jane and Lauren and Betty too. The awesome technicolor they achieved in the color films here, and the technical excellence will never ever be repeated. The brilliant 'Some Like It Hot' was made for black and white, and as the greatest comedy ever made, it is an absolutely perfect movie. It would've been nice to see as extras long lost cut songs from 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' especially that 'Paris' number we see in vintage lobby cards, but not in the actual film. Or a new doco for the 50 years since we lost Marilyn perhaps. But we must give thanks for the fine re-mastering of these Marilyn Monroe films for their long awaited blu-ray release. The pristine quality delivered here will keep me happy for a long time. Robert.

MARILYN NEVER LOOKS anything less than marvelous, especially on these seven films marking their debut on the 50th anniversary of her death, Aug. 4, 1962. Five have been re-mastered for high-definition Blu-ray viewing, along with "Some Like It Hot" and "The Misfits" that were upgraded earlier.

A collection of comedies, a drama, a western and a musical have one dynamic influence ‒ Marilyn Monroe. She was never anything less than gorgeous whether in full make-up as in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and her showcase number "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" or in pioneer rags in "River of No Return." Still, intelligence and sadness lived just beneath her remarkable beauty. She was an iconic sex symbol, yet women liked her as well, drawn perhaps by her unspoken vulnerability and innocence. Everyone knows about her battle with severe depression and childhood sexual abuse. Today she would have been diagnosed with PTSD and there would have been medication and therapy to help her.

Extras in "The Seven Year Itch" reveal that her illness began to appear during filming when she started being late to the set and had trouble remembering her lines. Problems took hold after the famous subway grate sidewalk shoot. According to Monroe's assistant, the actress came to work the next day with bruises all over her arms, the results of a fight with then-husband Joe DiMaggio. There is some surprising speculation as to DiMaggio's anger over his wife's sexy posturing and jealously over how the crowds cheered for her. Regardless, they were divorced soon after.

Later, when asked why she wasn't replaced, co-writer/director Billy Wilder replied that he had an 80-year-old aunt who always showed up on time, but no one would pay to see her in a movie.

The picture in these re-mastered Blu-ray presentations range from good to excellent. Color is knock-out gorgeous; detail and delineation is bold and sharp, particularly in "Itch" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." (A friend told me he'd never seen Monroe's lips more perfect than in "Blondes.") Soundtracks have been upgraded to Master Audio 5.1; dialogue, music and effects come through clearly, but mostly through the front speaker. The black-and-white "Some Like It Hot" is outstanding. Directed by some of Hollywood's greats Howard Hawks, Otto Preminger, John Huston, as well as Billy Wilder these are films to be enjoyed again and again.

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953), directed by Howard Hawks, Blu-ray full-frame. I confess; this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Monroe teams with the spectacular Jane Russell, whose brunette beauty and talent holds her own in a musical about two showgirls on a cruise to France. Monroe's Lorelei Lee is engaged to a rich young man (Tommy Noonan), but his suspicious father has her trailed by an investigative reporter (Elliott Reid). Look for goofy humor, snappy lines, and outstanding musical numbers including "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Movietone news shows Monroe and Russell putting their handprints in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

"How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953), directed by Jean Negulesco of classics "Daddy Longlegs," "Johnny Belinda" and the 1953 Best Picture "Titanic" with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck; also uncredited for Monroe's "River of No Return." Blu-ray widescreen. Secretaries played by Monroe, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall as secretaries are looking for rich husbands. It's not one of the best films but there are moments, as when Bacall refers to Humphrey Bogart as "that old guy in `The African Queen.'" Bacall gets most of the laughs as Monroe plays the near-sighted gal trying to hide her glasses. This was Fox's first production in CinemaScope and it looks like a first attempt with unstable color and definition; still, it's way better than the DVD. Trailers and a newsreel make up the extras.

"River of No Return" (1954), directed by Otto Preminger and an uncredited Jean Negulesco. Blu-ray widescreen. Two gentlemen hunks Robert Mitchum and Rory Calhoun co-star with Monroe in this CinemaScope Western filmed in Canada. Monroe plays a saloon girl trying for a better life; she follows her treacherous gambler husband (Calhoun), who's out to claim a gold mine he's won in a card game. When Mitchum appears, a widower with son played by "Lassie's" Tommy Rettig, we know Calhoun's time has come. There are terrific white water rapids scenes and beautiful scenery. Monroe sings the title ballad and saloon songs. Color and sound are consistently good. Trailers are the only extra.

"There's No Business Like Show Business" (1954), directed by Walter Lang of "The King and I" and "State Fair." Blu-ray widescreen. Monroe takes a backseat to Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor in a showcase of music by Irving Berlin. Merman and O'Connor as Mom and Pop Donahue and their three kids are a song and dance vaudeville act, the Five Donahues. The act hits a snag when the oldest son falls for aspiring singer Vicky (Monroe). O'Connor dances with statues that come to life, Merman belts out tunes in her bombastic style and Monroe performs "Heat Wave" in a way that gives you chills. Color wavers a bit although not as badly as in "How to Marry a Millionaire." Trailers are the only extra.

"The Seven Year Itch" (1955), directed by Billy Wilder. Blu-ray widescreen. Originally Wilder wanted James Stewart for the male lead but scheduling conflicts kept them apart. A young Walter Matthau auditioned for the role, but the studio wouldn't back him, so Tom Ewell, who had won a Tony for playing the part on Broadway, was chosen. This comedy about the temptation of adultery is slow and dated now, although there are still plenty of good lines. It's summer in Manhattan when wives and children are sent to the country while husbands continue to sweat it out at work in the Big Apple. Mid-life crisis hits while the wives are away and Ewell finds himself tempted by his new neighbor, "The tomato upstairs."

This disc has loads of extras including commentary by Wilder biographer Kevin Lally, who compares the film with its stage version and puts the content in context with `50s morals. There's information about the 1930 Hay's Code, the Motion Picture Production Code that begins: "No picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin." Read the entire list of rules at It's a gobstopper.

Another documentary, "Monroe and Wilder: An Intersection of Genius" provides interviews from several people who knew them well, and who cover the breakdown between Monroe and her husband, Joe DiMaggio, over the famous subway grate photo shoot. Also find a picture-in-picture track about censored material, a series of short Fox documentaries duplicating info from the other features, deleted scenes, a still-gallery and more. The picture looks stellar and the sound is excellent.

"Some Like It Hot" (1959), directed by Billy Wilder. Blu-ray widescreen. Wilder finally got to shoot a film in black-and-white, just like he had wanted to do with "The Seven Year Itch." The American Film Institute voted "Hot" the best comedy ever made and I'd give it that vote, too. Set during Prohibition, two luckless musicians played by Curtis and Lemmon happen to walk in on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Now targets of the mob led by George Raft, the boys disguise themselves as girls, join an all-girls' band and head to Florida. Monroe plays the lead singer in dresses that would be daring and dangerous even today. Curtis falls for the delectable Sugar (Monroe) who falls right back. But it's Lemmon and Joe E. Brown who get the last line and laugh, observing: "Well, nobody's perfect." The picture is brilliant; definition and contrast outstanding. Sound is great.

This is the same disc from an earlier Blu-ray release with a commentary by co-writer I.A.L. Diamond's son, Paul Diamond, with screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, with spliced archival remarks from co-stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Also, watch "The Making of Some Like It Hot" featuring interviews with co-writer/director Billy Wilder, co-writer I.A.L. Diamond, Lemmon, Curtis and others.

"The Misfits" (1961), directed by John Huston; written by Arthur Miller, Monroe's husband at the time. Blu-ray widescreen. This was Monroe's and co-star Clark Gable's last film; he died of a heart attack a few weeks after filming wrapped and she passed months later in 1962. But there's more to this than its place as the last film of two great stars. It's a drama of disillusionment and dysfunction with Gable as an old, modern day cowboy who's seen his way of life die. Gable's character and two other men played by Montgomery Cliff and Eli Wallach fall for the new divorcee played by Monroe. She takes to Gable but things just go from bad to worse as the story rambles on. Sound and picture are both very good in high-def, but there are no extras except trailers.

Buy The Forever Marilyn Blu-ray Collection (2013) Now

I am like millions a huge Marilyn Monroe fan and was so excited to hear a blu ray collection was on it's way as well as the new Marilyn Premiere Collection which includes 17 dvd's. I received both sets today and from a packaging standpoint it freed up ALOT of room for your DVD shelves. While I adore Marilyn I am utterly confused about these sets. The bluray package is very nice and is the size of a standard DVD case made of cardboard however, it is easily damaged, mine was crushed and now I am awaiting a replacement. Also if you get this open it with CAUTION as my blurays and the dvd sets fell out of their holders which are NOT sturdy enough to keep the discs in place. The cardboard sleeves also had small tears making the blu rays slide right out of place. The blu rays look great. Gentlmen Prefer Blondes is stunning and the best of the bunch in my opinion. All the others are very nice and clear but in my opinion this title of GPB' looks the best. Gone are the special features from The Diamond Collection with the exception of The Seven Year Itch. If you love Marilyn the set IS worth getting based on the clarity alone and it's the best we will get I am sure, for a very long time. What ANNOYS me is the selection of films. Where is Niagara, Lets Make Love, Bus Stop AND most importantly the documentary The Final Days with the reconstructed mini film of Something's Got To Give???? Even more odd is in The Premiere DVD Collection it has 17 films but excludes "River of no Return". WHY!!!!! Granted if you buy both sets you will have all her films just a handful in blu ray.

Who the heck made these decisions? Why? And what was the thought process?? I wish they asked us as fans to pick what we would like to see in a blu ray collection. I wish FOX would have just released the Premiere DVD collection in blu ray. Many of Marilyn's early films look good and would likely have transferred over well to the blu ray format.

I hope this helped. Worth buying? Yes! Worth getting them in HD? Yes!!

I just am not sure why FOX chose to exclude Niagara, Don't Bother to knock, Bus Stop and Let's Make Love and I find this very odd indeed!

It is worth getting and I would recommend it ONLY if you are a die hard Fan . If you already have them save your money on the premiere collection. My only hope is Fox is remastering and cleaning up Bus Stop, and all the others for a 2nd blu ray collection. To clarify I compared the Blu ray collection to the new DVD collection and the blu rays are a vast improvement. These sets really go hand in hand if you want all your Marlyn in one small space. I would love to speak to the fools at Fox on how they came up with this selection. Some Like it Hot and The Misfits are included and if FOX could license these MGM titles why not also use The Asphalt Jungle and The Fireball (also MGM/WB) Clash by Night and The Princes and the Show Girl??? (both WB) and lastly they couldn't license Ladies of the Chorus????

I suppose it's better than nothing. A zillion stars for the talent of Marilyn, 4 stars on the blu ray transfers and two stars for the poor selection, flimsy packaging and that Fox didn't include a new documentary for the 50th anniversary of Marilyn's tragic demise. Overall 3 stars.

Read Best Reviews of The Forever Marilyn Blu-ray Collection (2013) Here

The 7 blu-ray titles are: The Misfits Some Like It Hot There's No Business Like Show Business River Of No Return Gentlemen Prefer Blondes How To Marry A Millionaire The Seven Year Itch.

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First thing is I agree with the other reviewers about there being NO NIAGARA in this set, what were they thinking to leave it out? This review is mostly for the package design for the FOREVER MARILYN Blu-ray set and not the films, that has already been done. Once again I bought a new set of Blu-ray or dvd films that had all the discs jammed into cardboard pockets that are not lined with anything to protect the data side and all discs had some sort of scratches or scuff marks. Other sets with similar packaging: 10 film John Wayne box set, the 15 disc Leading Men Collection and 15 disc Leading Women Collection. When will the STUDIO HEADS that control package design listen to their customers? Also there is no information on the box or inner sleeves to let the buyer know which films are widescreen or which films have any extra features. The only good thing with the package design is the nice pictures on the cardboard pages of the disc sleeves. Why couldn't FOX/MGM use the same plastic box they used with the KIRK DOUGLAS or PAUL NEWMAN 7-movie Collections?, these 2 sets were well packaged and protected and still a lot smaller than 7 regular dvd/ blu-ray cases taking up room on a shelf. Amazon should have posted an image of what the inside packaging looks like, showing the discs in their pockets, to inform potential buyers. Also looks like Amazon has gotten cheap and started recycling used shipping materials. When the package arrived it was in a box that had another shipping label under my address label and the box had been tapped shut after being opened. I'll get off my soapbox now, I'm thru venting.

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Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

After reading many of the other Amazon.com reviews of the "Plan 9 From Outer Space" DVD, the consumer MUST be aware there are two different companies that are distributing this movie on DVD. The first is PASSPORT which, from all the other reviews seem to say, should be avoided. Apparently the company has their logo visible on screen the ENTIRE movie and featurette which follows. And they also don't even include a chapter index. The other company which distributes this movie is IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT. This is the version I have and THIS is the DVD to get of "Plan 9". (The cover of my version is the one Amazon.com has displayed in the picture above.) The picture quality is near perfect and the Dolby Digital Mono sound is excellent. And. . . .no annoying logo in the bottom corner of your screen. While the (seemingly) inferior PASSPORT version supposedly has a few interviews cobbled together from Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" press junket, the IMAGE version includes a 111 minute documentary which includes some of the stars of Plan 9 (including Vampira) as well as cult horror directors Sam Raimi and Joe Dante! It's two movies for the price of one! So unless you're a die-hard Johnny Depp fan and NEED to have a couple of clips of him speaking, the IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT DVD is the absolute one to purchase. I believe Amazon.com offers both so just beware. And if you're thinking of buying one from an on-line auction make sure you ask the person selling which version they have. I hope this helps.

Plan 9 is just as bad as everyone says it is (buy it buy it buy it!), so this review is just a reminder for you to purchase the better of the two DVDs that Amazon offers of this title.

Do NOT buy the Passport Video edition...it has horrible sound and the picture lighting throbs between dark and bright through the entire film. Passport Video also included a watermark of their logo in the bottom right hand corner of the screen that lasts throughout the film. In addition to all of this, what is advertised on the package as "Show 2: THE ED WOOD STORY" is in fact 40 mins. of cobbled together interviews with Vampira, Johnny Depp, Ed Wood's wife, and one of Tor Johnson's neighbors. Sounds okay, but they are actually mind-bogglingly uninsightful and focus mostly upon Tim Burton's Ed Wood film.

The edition of this DVD that you will want to buy is the Image Entertainment version that includes the 111 min. documentary "Flying Saucers Over Hollywood" (which is a wonderful addition). This DVD has great sound and picture quality, vastly superior to Passport Video's piddly excuse for a quality DVD.

I know that it may seem counter productive to buy a more expensive release of the worst movie of all time, but you will appreciate the horrible experience of grave robbers from outerspace much more (and Image Entertaiment's documentary is great too).

Buy Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) Now

Plan 9 From Outer Space is often called the worst movie ever made, but its entertainment value elevates it above many other films, even some of better quality. The plot moves along nicely and has little to no padding in it and the dialog and special effects are hilarious even if that was not the intent of the director, Ed Wood. Everyone who loves cinema should see this movie! The wobbly flying saucers on single strings, Swedish wrestler turned actor Tor Johnson, Bela Lugosi in his last role, Vampira and more make this an unforgettable film. It's so bad it's great. Sadly, the great Bela Lugosi died during filming, so look for Bela Lugosi's replacement in some scenes. He's not hard to spot as he is taller and looks nothing like Mr. Lugosi, hence he holds a cape in front of his face in every scene in which he appears!

The original black and white (b&w) version of the film is nicely restored on this DVD and the colorized version is of good quality and interesting as well. The colorization looks better on this disc than most and appears both rich and fairly natural. Mike Nelson, former head writer and host of the HILARIOUS Mystery Science Theater 3000 (aka MST3K, also available on DVD) provides a humorous commentary track that can be heard on either the original b&w or the color version of the film. Other extras include Mike Nelson's amusing "lost alien plans 1 through 8," some brief home movies of the famous cross-dressing director, Ed Wood, commercials produced by Ed Wood, faux comedic deleted scenes, and a color version of the movie trailer.

Fans of Plan 9 will appreciate the nicely restored picture and sound and the Mike Nelson commentary is highly amusing as expected. This DVD is a movie buff's dream. Don't miss it.

Read Best Reviews of Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) Here

As another reviewer mentioned, Passport Video has their logo "PIP" in the lower right hand corner throughout this DVD.

Hold up your hand if this sounds like a good idea.

Also, if you go to the menu and click on PLAY MOVIE (as you're likely to do) you'll not get to the movie, you'll get the INTERVIEWS. That's right Passport Video is a bunch if screwups!

To watch Plan 9 you have to go to CHAPTERS.

Avoid this disc.

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I'm constantly mystified that people call this the worst movie ever made. True, the dialogue, special effects, acting, etc, clearly aren't on par with the big budget sci-fi movies Hollywood was cranking out at the time. However, if a movie is as entertaining as this one -even if it's not in the way its creators intendedit can't be that bad. I've watched this movie countless times and I never fail to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Nowadays, no one could intentionally create a comedy to be as entertaining in the way "Plan 9" is. It's a great party film if you have quick witted friends. If you really want a BAD film, watch "Wild Wild West." "Plan 9" may have UFO's made out of pie pans; but at least it doesn't have a stupid 80ft spider. There's a difference between entertainingly bad and just plain bad. "Plan 9" is the former. I think Ed Wood -the original "Bowfinger" would be surprised to know that his "masterpiece" turned out to be exactly that. A masterpiece. Well, maybe not in the vein he intended! Buy this movie!

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Blowing Wild (1953)

i must respectfully disagree with mr. maltin on this one. what he considers"plodding" i would describe as dark drama. barbara stanwyck was at her most evil, gary cooper at his most distressed since"high noon", anthony quinn did well in a career enhancing role for him at that time, ward bond solid as usual and ruth roman an attractive and fine actress. the scenic locations enhance the excellent photography and the local actors as bandits were believably threatening. however the one flaw for me was the score and frankie laine's insistent and repetitive singing of the picture's theme song,"blowing wild" sorry, that was NOT in "high noon" class. in an era when john wayne remade the same picture a dozen times "blowing wild" stands out.

What a strange movie this is. Not quite a genre movie, not quite a soap opera, not quite high drama. It starts out as a loose reworking of TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE, then veers into WAGES OF FEAR territory, before becoming a dark romantic drama, and finally ending as high adventure. Whether it works depends on one's feelings about just how much latitude a movie has in refashioning itself as the story unfolds. For me, I can watch this and almost laugh outloud at the absurd going's-on, and then watch it another time and find it absolutely fascinating. Its very weirdness becomes hallucinatory. Cooper, Stanwyck and Quinn are all very good, though you wonder how they kept their roles straight as it bounced from one type movie to another. There's a side of me that believes this movie has improved with age. Because it breaks so many story-telling "rules", it plays better in today's market. Indeed, there is almost something independent-looking about the entire production. But since Cooper was the number one box office star in the world in 1953, had just snagged his second Academy Award (HIGH NOON), it is hard to believe this was an indy. But, HIGH NOON was an indy, why not this? Take a chance on it.

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Thus says Barbara Stanwyck as only she can to Gary Cooper who then proceeds to nearly choke the liver out of her!! This film is lambasted by most critics (who don't know anything). But it is a fun movie to watch from start to finish! The characterizations by the principals are first-rate with Stanwyck the stand out. No one could beat her in a Western. And she's a baddie to boot, rotten to the core. Quinn and Cooper are excellent as well! With a haunting score (Frankie Laine singing the title song)this Western is a dandy.

Read Best Reviews of Blowing Wild (1953) Here

Gary Cooper was never more Gary Cooperish than in this rugged modern western. Here, Cooper plays Jeff Dawson, a hapless oil speculator in South America whose misadventures reunite him with an old friend, Paco (played strongly by Anthony Quinn). Unfortunately for Jeff, Paco's wife is bad-news, man-eating Marina (the ever hot Barbara Stanwyck), the lover Jeff ran away from years ago, undoubtedly knowing that despite his lust for her, she was just no good. And Marina is as sexy as ever despite her iron gray hair and flat out cruelty to Paco, whom she plainly considers a wimp.

Nonstop action follows as Jeff fights the elements--including banditos and the heat--and, MUCH more importantly, his hormones. A scene in which Cooper and his sidekick Dutch (Ward Bond) navigate a hot, bumpy road in a truck full of explosives, with banditos trailing them all the way, might be a metaphor for Jeff's romantic entanglements: Marina chases Jeff like a hungry animal, and though he could never love such a vulture, the passion is palpable and explosive. So he flees into the arms of Sal (Ruth Roman), a pretty woman he meets along the way and soon falls for.

The main characters are expertly written and acted--especially Paco, who (we learn) used to be mister tough guy but now likes to play it safe seeing as he's got a wife and a fortune to protect. Alas, his caution only triggers his wife's contempt. Quinn is so good here he might have stolen the movie had the leading parts been played by other than the likes of Cooper and Stanwyck.

As Jeff, Cooper has to walk a tightrope: we've got to believe that bad girl Marina turns him on, but also that he's a good guy who wants to do right by his buddy Paco. As usual, Cooper succeeds in this delicate balance.

An aging Stanwyck simply personifies lust as Marina, despite Marina's lack of a single other redeeming virtue. In the fifties, Stanwyck would play a lot of these western Lady Macbeth types--thoroughly rotten, all fire and ice, and yet somehow irresistible to men. Not very nuanced roles, but nobody--and I mean nobody--could have done them better.

Supporting characters Dutch and Sal don't really get to develop as much as I'd hoped. Both have some interesting scenes early on, but the second half of the movie belongs solely to Cooper, Stanwyck, and Quinn. Still, Bond and Roman both do a great job.

A word about the dialogue: very good and avoids cliché. The setting too is interesting and fresh. Strongly recommended.

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I did not know a thing about this movie when I ordered it, but any flick with Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper, Anthony Quinn, and Ward Bond couldn't be that bad, could it?? Well I watched it last night twice and was blown away by its genre bending script and style. What a fun flick...............Barbara channels Martha Ivers and her great Double Indemnity femme fatale role as one brassy broad. Gary Cooper underplays his role as always with magnificent results. Ruth Roman almost steals the movie as Cooper's grifter girlfriend. The best scene in the flick is the woman to woman talk between her and Stanwyck.........................meow meow!

I easily counted Treasure of The Sierra Madre, Wages of Hear, Double Indemnity, and Out of the Past as movies that influenced this effort.....Ruth Roman has a very Jane Greer like quality in this movie.

As always Olive Films presents this movie ia a very pristine transfer..................Highly recommended for film noir buffs..a pure delight.

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Plain Clothes (1988)

I discovered this movie on cable quite by accident about 25 years ago and fell in love with it. The quirky screenplay by Scott Frank ('Get Shorty', 'Little Man Tate') under the skilled and well-thought-out direction of Martha Coolidge ('Real Genius', 'Valley Girl') made for a tight, yet low-key and funny-as-all-get-out movie that stands head and shoulders above a lot of the other films of its day that seemed somehow to garner more unwarranted attention.

The cast, ranging from relative unknowns Arliss Howard and Suzy Amis to screen legend Robert Stack, do an astounding turn in this movie, neither taking themselves too seriously, nor poking fun at the source material. As Martha Coolidge says about the film in her commentary, 'it's a good, fun romp!' It's sad that this got lost in the shuffle during its theatrical release, but fortunately, it's now on Blu-Ray and DVD.

The transfer is very good (full-screen, unfortunately, but a very good one), the sound and picture are rich and full, and the only other things I would've liked for this disc to have would be either the 'director's cut' or at least some deleted scenes (which Ms Coolidge talks about in great detail), and an isolated soundtrack to hear the songs performed by The Knack. Beggars cannot be choosers, especially ones as lucky to have a little-known film get not only a digital release, but also an insightful director's commentary, so please don't take that as a complaint. This release could've had ~no~ bonus features and I would still own it on Blu-Ray.

Do yourself a favour and take a trip back to a better time. It's well worth it.

This was a simple but funny movie that we had on VHS tape recorded off TV. We have been looking for it for years and were pleased to find it on Amazon.

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Superman: Unbound (Limited Edition Combo Pack with Exclusive Figure) (2013)

This review is not on the blu-ray, but on the movie itself. I was lucky enough to see a screening of this at WonderCon along with a panel discussion with some cast and creators.

I wouldn't consider myself a diehard Superman fan, but as a fan of comics and pop culture in general, I really enjoyed this movie. Not much (if any) background is needed to enjoy it. Superman and his cousin Kara (Supergirl) are attacked by a android that turns out to be a scout searching for worlds to collect as specimens. Kara recalls how before she escaped Krypton, a villain known only as Brainiac sent similar androids to attack her hometown and literally "stole" it off the face of the planet. Now that these androids have appeared again, they fear that Metropolis may be Brainiac's next victim. Determined to prevent the past from repeating itself, Superman plans to find Brainiac and stop him before he is able to steal any more worlds.

What follows afterward is an interesting look at the characters Clark, Kara, and Lois and how they each deal with fears associated with protecting the people they love, and how these choices effect those they care for. Some pretty deep character development, as well as some witty dialog, humor, an interesting villain, and a gesture that the panel claimed gave this a PG-13 rating (done in a humorous fashion) makes this a great film for Superman fans and comic fans alike.

The cast is also a great one with Superman played by actor Matt Bomer of "White Collar", as well as "Castle" cast members Molly Quinn and Stana Katic as Supergirl and Lois Lane respectively.

My recommendation: Give this one a shot!

It's difficult to say if Superman Unbound is attempting to maintain continuity with previous DC animated films, they do after all fall on either side of the New 52 comic, franchise reboot.

The Story: Superman confronts Brainiac for the first time while Supergirl struggles to deal with being a superhero... relatively simple but nevertheless engaging.

The Look: Warner Bros. Animation Studios has developed a unique look in traditional animation for their DC series of films and this latest installment represents a definite step forward in that evolution. Although overall, the artwork for both characters and scenery looks great, I really wish they'd stop tweaking the heroes themselves because I thought Superman and Supergirl were perfect in "Superman/Batman Apocalypse". Visually, my impression of Supergirl is petite, Bratz doll and Superman (from the neck up) looks an awful lot like Colin Morgan from the BBC series Merlin, but at least they didn't use his New 52 plate armor. Also, for some reason they decided to make Lois Lane look a bit like Margot Kidder from the 80's, live-action franchise; although admittedly Margot never looked so good but the end effect is something approaching a sexy Cruella Deville and just doesn't seem to really fit the character. Brainiac however, looks absolutely phenomenal; he embodies intelligent super-villain and a legitimate threat for Superman not to mention his cybernetic henchies rock.

The Script: As with all the DC feature-length, animated films the voice-acting is superb but it just feels like the studio can't quite take the genre serious enough to give the actual dialogue a bit more depth. For me, this is where Superman Unlimited fails (and why I'm subtracting one star) as it's inundated with a host of typical, action-movie clichés and almost adolescent interchanges between characters. Also for some inexplicable reason, they decided to go with angry teenager for Supergirl's personality which is at best an unappealing fictional persona and then there's the character Lombard who struck me as something straight out of Looney Tunes (I REALLY hope they deep-6 him for future films).

Superman has always been my favorite hero and as long as he remains a champion of truth and justice, always will be and so I'm grateful this story follows the overall tenor of the franchise, being typically optimistic and conservatively heroic as opposed to the exploration into moral ambiguity of "Rise of the Imperfects" or the antithetical fantasies of "Injustice: Gods Among Us". Even with its faults, Superman Unbound reaffirms my love for the DC superhero universe and I can definitely see myself watching this one again. :o)

Buy Superman: Unbound (Limited Edition Combo Pack with Exclusive Figure) (2013) Now

I bought this in anticipation of the the looming 'Man of Steel' movie, which I bet was the whole reason for this cartoon adaptation.

The source had great art, better flow and a spectacular ending that set up some compelling stories about Kandor on Earth. Sadly, the best parts of the comic are left out (mainly the story would be to big and incomplete) for more drama about Supergirl's issues. Superman is 'unbound' a few times when Brainiac binds him, but the title seems too generic. I could do on how the movie was bad in my point of view, but I am sure some can do that better than me.

Here's what I liked:

Supergirl Unbound.

Lois Lane on Superman's case about their love life.

The jock voiced by the guy from 'Drew Carry show.' (You know, Batman's voice on the Brave and the Bold show).

John Noble as Brainiac.

The movie is watchable and not the worst of the DCU animation.

It's okay.

Read Best Reviews of Superman: Unbound (Limited Edition Combo Pack with Exclusive Figure) (2013) Here

I watched this and didn't think it was that bad. Then I went back and reread the original comics it was VERY loosely based off of. Man, what a difference.

Start with this Superman: Brainiac. Now, remove all the dialogue and make up your own. Add a 10 minute fight scene at the beginning of the movie with Superman and Supergirl vs some generic human villains. Add another 10 minute scene with Superman inside the bottled city of Kandor, remove the tragedy at the end and replace it with a nice upbeat ending, and you'll end up with this film.

Some of the changes I can understand, for example, the film has this be the first time Superman meets Brainiac. This makes explaining the very messy Post-Crisis back history unnecessary. But taking out all the original dialogue removes this exchange:

Supergirl: Thanks, Ma'am. (Catherine Grant tugs on Supergirl's cape) Hey.

Cat: My name is not "Ma'am"--

Supergirl: It's not like I called you an old woman or anything, lady...Well, that's strange.

Cat: What's strange?

(Supergirl stares at Cat's chest.)

Supergirl: My X-Ray vision is picking up some strange plastics in your--

Lois: Supergirl! There you are.

..

Supergirl (later, to Lois): I think that lady needs to see a doctor--

Lois: Don't say anything else. You don't want to antagonize HER.

Supergirl: But--

Lois: Just smile and say "bye."

Supergirl: Bye.

Catherine Grant doesn't get any dialogue in the film, so this whole scene is cut.

The comics had much better art, dialogue, and story. So I'm left thinking, "Why did they do this? Why do an adaptation, and then deviate so much from it? What was the thinking process?"

Well, at least we get to hear John Noble as Brainiac.

The single disc DVD has minimal extrasjust previews, including a sneak peek at the forthcoming animated "Flashpoint" movie. Flashpoint, as you may know, is the event that led to the Great Reboot of 2011, which sends this story off into "never happened" land.

Want Superman: Unbound (Limited Edition Combo Pack with Exclusive Figure) (2013) Discount?

On its own merit, if you are not a Superman comic book fan and did not read the story that this movie is loosely (and I use the term very loosely) based on, it is a decent way to spend 75 minutes of your free time and a bit of your entertainment dollars. For those of your who read the source material and were hoping that this was a true adaptation of the story, save your entertainment dollars or spend them somewhere else.

I watched the film, got distracted and thought that I had missed the best part of the story based on the reading of the source material. Alas, I was not only mistaken, but I found that the best part of the story was the box cover. As such, 2 stars are all I can give this product. If you aren't a true fan, expect a decent story. If you are, rent it. Don't buy it, or just skip it altogether.