History Of The Eagles

I first caught this documentary on the Showtime channel in one setting (Parts 1 & 2). It was originally broken down in 2 parts. The first part shows the band members in their formative years and ends with their eventual breakup in 1980. The shorter part 2 deals with their lives afterwards, ending with their Farewell 1 Tour in 2005. Together the film runs a little over 3 hours. Certainly for Eagle fans, it is time well spent. Even if you're not a fan, it chronicles the seeds of a rock band in the 1970's.

The early lives of writing partners Don Henley and Glenn Frey is well detailed including some interesting home videos. We see an early association with Jackson Browne and a brief time backing up Linda Ronstdat. We get a no holds barred look at the inner turmoil that comes with the growth of a rock band. We see the early comings and goings of band members leading up to a bitter breakup with lead guitarist Don Felder.

One thing that comes through is the success of the group has transcended generations like few others. Their strength comes from some great song writing, often at the hand of Henley and Frey and some of the great 4 or 5 part vocal harmony. We get some first person detail of booze and drug binges, especially those of Joe Walsh.

So what's missing? Well, certainly family and wives are tipped toed around and we see virtually nothing of them. We don't any of the juicy sexy-time stories which are all but ignored. How about some celebrity union stories? Still this is an entertaining journey through the lives of one of America's musical treasures.

Available in April, the Blu ray package includes 3 discs in 1080p video resolution with a DTS-HD Master Audio option. Also included is a photo booklet and hours of new, previously unreleased material. Also included on the 3rd disc (which I haven't seen) is 1977 concert performances from the Capital Centre in Landover, Md. (Hotel California Tour) including Hotel California, New Kid In Town, Take It To The Limit, One Of These Nights, Lyin' Eyes, Rocky Mountain Way, Best Of My Love and Take It Easy.

Love them or hate them, The Eagles are a band that ran up a string of hits through the seventies that defined much of the decade. They've been accused of being narcissistic, overtly mellow, egotistical, and other things not all that complimentary. "The History Of The Eagles" spells all this out in detail, which makes it almost indispensable for fans of the bands or for folks who wonder how a seventies band made it though the music industry.

While the band was centered around the songwriting axis of Glenn Frey and Don Henley, every band member, past and present, gets a say. It's a warts and all approach, often unflattering but frequently compelling. Managers, producers, album cover artists and fellow musicians (Bob Seger, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and more) get their say. The music drives the narrative, sticking closely to the evolution of tha band as they release their consecutive albums, up to the acrimonious split around 1980.

However, the movie is broken into two parts, and the second half details the members as they seek separate careers and the reunion that takes place 14 years later. Again, the footage is not always flattering to the band (Don Felder gets so frustrated that he walks out of one of his segments), but the Eagles get, As Henley puts it, "that rarest of things in America, a second act." This covers the period from "Hell Freezes Over" to the independently released "Long Road Out Of Eden." The whole deal clocks in at 3hrs and 15 mins, making the documentary as exhaustive as can be.

Loaded with plenty of vintage (those seventies haircuts!) and never before seen clips to add to the attitude of the movie. And as you watch these men, now elder statesmen of classic rock, make their case for the importance of the Eagles, you get the feeling that attitude (along with plenty of the big three, sex and drugs and rock and roll) fueled The Eagles through the run that continues to this day. Some will find it bloated and unwatchable, the rest of us, with memories of where the Eagles were in our lives, will find this invaluable.

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Before all the how can you review something that is not even released yet bashing begins, let me first off say I watched the 3 hour documentary twice. While all the live footage and classic era interviews are golden, the 1977 Hotel California concert footage is definitely the cream de la creme. Secondly, the press release for this has been released. Everything you saw in the 3 hours will be released with no additional bonus documentatry footage. Also about 8 tracks from the 1977 concert will be released as a dvd part of this package. Why not just release the whole darn concert? I've got a boot of one of the shows filmed during the tour, but the concert footage show in the documenatary is definitely master film...so why not just release the entire concert???? Why only pieces of a show??? It's 2013...why not give the fans the real deal...

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I've been anxiously awaiting this Blu Ray, as after seeing it on SHOWTIME it really exposes all the angles and many unanswered questions as to what happened to the Eagles in the late 70's and also in particular, Don Felder, which you have to read his book "Heaven & Hell with the Eagles" to get the full picture.

That said, there is so much footage from the 70's we've never seen before, one wonders how they kept all this private until now. To see how the story unfolds from day one when Frey and Henley played in a band with Linda Rondstadt and broke off into their own band is simply fascinating... I could write a book on this DVD/BR, but you'll have to buy it for yourself to fully appreciate what the Eagles went through all those years.

The Audio: recorded in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is truly outstanding. They really did a great job in using all the surround channels, hence making you feel as though you're in the audience when watching their concert (separate disk that comes with this set), and also anytime their shown playing together on Part-1 & Part-2.

The Video:

For the most part the video looks very good in 1080p, but during certain parts like when they flash back to "Hell Freezes Over" and some of Henley and Frey's solo footage the video becomes grainy almost to the point its annoying. Its the disk, not your player or HD tv, as I have an Oppo-BDP-95 Blu ray player and one of Samsung's higher end HD tv's. The graininess is tolerable, but its the only reason I didn't score this 3 disk set with a 5. If you're a audiophile such as I, then this is one for your reference collection.

To see Felder and Walsh playing in their heyday together (especially Hotel California) is truly brilliant. Its so unfortunate Felder and Frey couldn't move past their issues and keep Felder in the band, as he's every bit as much as an Eagle as any of them. Anyway, this is a great story about one of America's greatest, most successful bands of all time, so buy it while you can, as $30 is a small investment for such an outstanding story of how the Eagles gained so much success and fame throughout the world during their 40 years of tremendous success! Definitely one of my favorite bands! I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.

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This is an incredible documentary, but a missed opportunity on several levels with this release. First, the official release should have had extra unseen footage and interviews not seen in the early Showtime release earlier this year. Give us die hard fans a little bonus for going out and buying the big package. Second, have some additional "bonus" side footage or lost footage not seen in the documentary and not part of the documentary. We want to see it badly. This documentary should stand as the "official" historical document for the band...make it count. Finally, the Capital Theatre footage should have been the entire concert. It is the most amazing footage I have ever seen regarding The Eagles...beautifully shot on film with just the most incredible hi-fi sound imaginable. This band was so good it was just stupid...they were stupid good! Give us the entire show for Christ's sake... This was the band at the zenith of their career. If you think you know good...you simply don't if you haven't seen this Capital Theatre footage. They redefine excellence.

Ok, so what they did do right was give us the classic line-up with with Randy Meisner on bass. What an incredibly underrated musician and singer. The man played the most incredible bass lines and sang like an angel all whilst locking in with Henley and anchoring the band into a cohesive 747 Jetliner. Too bad he didn't hold on for just a little longer as the Eagles only lasted three more years. They were never the same after he left. You can only replace so many members of a group before you lose the essence and energy of what you once had and what made you special. The loss of Don Felder is another example. How can you replace Don Felder? It simply isn't possible and while the new guy plays the parts...it isn't with the same essence and energy. The peak of their career was with these five guys: Henley, Frey, Meisner, Felder, Walsh. After the breakup of this classic line-up, the band self-destructed. The end.

In a nutshell, give us more vintage material because we will buy it. Don't wait so long that your audience grows too old and eventually no longer cares!!!

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The Complete Jean Vigo (A propos de Nice / Taris / Zero de conduite / L'atalante) (The Criterion Co

Sight unseen.... the Blu-ray DVD has not yet been released. I have however seen all of these films, and own l'Atalante on DVD--which improved the quality of this very old movie. In Blu-ray it will probably be further improved, but I cannot speak to that.

For me there is no movie more romantic and heartfelt than L'Atalante. It's story is simple enough, a young couple is married in a small town and then begins married life on Seine River barge heading for Paris. The deck hand is Michel Simon, (Boudu Saved From Drowning -Jean Renoir) in another funny role. They arrive in Paris, complications ensue... L'Atalante inspired the French New Wave, especially Francois Truffaut, Claude Lelouch and Jacques Rivette. It's one of the great treasures.

Zero de Conduite is about a rebellion in a boarding school and established that genre. Luis Bunuel's Los Olvidados and Truffaut's the 400 Blows, quote directly from it.

A Propos de Nice and Taris are a City Film and a study of a swimming champion. They will seem very dated, but if you love movies, city films-films about cities-are interesting, both historically, and for the film techniques they used. The qualities of these short movies led directly to Vigo being allowed to make his two feature films.

I can't say enough about Jean Vigo and especially L'Atalante and Zero de Conduit.

Jean Vigo is one of the best directors you might not have heard of until recently. This set completely does his work justice. I have the dvd version, and the transfers are absolutely gorgeous. There are informative commentaries, in depth episodes, an interview with Truffaut and Rohmer about the man and his work (and the short amount of time he had to do it), and a neat little tribute from the director Michael Gondry. This set is essential to any lover of cinema, and its storied beginnings. Get it.

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The Criterion Collection is a beacon of light for film aficionados. For those of you who are not familiar with his work, I do not want to influence your experience. Have your own first impression. For anyone who has seen the work of Jean Vigo (preferable of film screened in a theater with an engaged audience), I do not need to tell you what a master and early innovator he was. He was a great story teller and his influence has been far reaching to every generation of great directors after him. Even those young directors who don't know his work were influenced by his followers.

Thank you Criterion, for continuing to broaden and show appreciation for the medium of film. This was a great inclusion to your canon.

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Accessing Vigo's works has been a challenge until Criterion recently issued this 2 disc set. The image and sound quality has been restored as well as they can be.

Vigo may be obscure to many filmgoers, but his influence on cinema has been substantial since his untimely death at the age of 29. His total film output was under 2 hours, but what a 2 hours they are!

The extra features in the Criterion version put Vigo into context and help the viewer appreciate the conditions under which the films were made and the difficulties faced by the restorers.

Criterion does it again!

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"The Complete Jean Vigo," consists of three short, early silent works of the French filmmaker, "A propos de Nice,""Taris," and "Zero de conduite," along with "L'Atalante," (1930),thankfully a talkie, a romantic drama that is considered one of the lesser known glories of early French cinema, which is a shame, as it is a masterpiece.

"A propos de Nice" is a rhythmic view of life in that bustling tourist city; it occasionally rises to unexpected absurd heights. "Taris" is a portrait of a swimming champion. "Zero de conduite" is an inventive, charming tale of rebellious boarding school students, a topic on which Vigo can be presumed to know a lot: It has been endlessly influential to other film makers world wide over the years.

"L'Atalante"is in black and white, runs a tight 89 minutes, and is the greatest achievement of Vigo, a too-little known but greatly respected and influential film maker, who died of tuberculosis, shortly after its completion, at the shockingly young age of 29. The film is now generally available only on this disk that constitutes the entire oeuvre of the director's short, turbulent life.

Vigo's master work opens as Juliette, a young girl who has never set foot outside her village, marries Jean, mate on a French river barge named "L'Atalante," and sets up housekeeping aboard. Also aboard are a cabin boy, and the colorful old sailor Pere Jules, played by the inimitable Michel Simon (Port of Shadows (The Criterion Collection),The Train). When the barge reaches Paris, Juliette, who has never seen that great city, slips off to take a look at it. Jean awakes, discovers her gone, and leaves her to her own devices in the French capital. She knows no one there, has no money, does not know the city at all, and will have a very hard time there. But so will Jean, on his own again, until Pere Jules goes to find her.

But this simple, engaging plot isn't the reason the film is so loved. It was restored in 2001, making Boris Kaufman's brilliant cinematography and Maurice Jaubert's lovely score accessible again. The picture is legendary for its sheer, sparkling beauty: the waterways of France, and of Paris the movie was filmed in that city's "Bassin de la Villette, Paris 19"-among other locations, have never looked more evocatively beautiful. The characters are full-blown, their actions unpredictable, confusing, true to life. The film is wildly imaginative, inventive, surrealist, and has been compared to the daring early works of Vigo's contemporaries, the better known Jean Cocteau and Luis Bunuel. It remains fresh today, with scenes that still have the power to surprise and absorb us.

Vigo was the son of Miguel Almareyda, a notorious anarchist, who died mysteriously in jail when Vigo was 12. The young boy was always in poor health: he was abandoned by his mother and sent from boarding school to boarding school. Lucky for us, he took up film at age 23. Just because Vigo is little-known today, doesn't mean his work is not accessible. You want to see what we're all talking about.

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Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

The opening fight scene is legendary. Golf ball crushing, eyeball stabbing, punching through the roof of a police car, ninja star to the face, this fight has it all! The ninja even throws a star with his foot and shoots a dart down the barrel of a gun!

A woman is possessed by an evil ninja who uses her body to avenge his death. That's cool and the kill scenes are cool, especially the one at the cemetery, but unfortunately the woman also has a hairy boyfriend whose main habit is to show off the hair on his shoulders while talking a lot about nothing.

Even with the hairy guy slowing down the pace NINJA III: THE DOMINATION manages to secure itself as a minor masterpiece in the ninja genre thanks to the martial arts skills of Sho Kosugi and David Chung. Also look for James Hong in a minor role.

You're not a true ninja fan until you've got this movie in your collection.

I will admit up front that I am a Cannon film aficionado. I grew up with and still adore all their 80s cheesy action offerings. Before their loveable Charles Bronson, Chuck Norris and "American Ninja" offerings, Cannon released their "Ninja" trilogy consisting of "Enter the Ninja", "Revenge of the Ninja" and "Ninja III: The Domination". MGM released "Revenge of the Ninja" on DVD ages ago and for many years I have been patiently waiting for them to unleash the other two entries in the series. "Enter the Ninja" finally got a DVD release, albeit on their crummy MOD (made-on-demand) DVD-R program, but the transfer was good and at least it has been made available to fans. Sadly "Ninja III" was nowhere on the horizon for even a MOD release until a little company called BonZai Media Corporation unleashed it on DVD under the radar.

BonZai is a rather shady company and the legitimacy of their releases is frequently brought into question. Their transfers are hit an miss ranging from beautiful anamorphic widescreen to crummy VHS ports. Still their releases are silver pressed discs so all looks good on the surface. Sadly with "Ninja III" it's a VHS transfer. I've seen good VHS DVD transfers in my day but this is not even on par with many of Lionsgate's releases. This is a bad VHS transfer with digital compression blocks frequent throughout and extremely noticeable on large widescreen TVs. To top it off, the VHS that was used for the transfer is a Japanese tape and is complete with non-removable (or burned in) Japanese subtitles.

If BonZai was going to source their transfer from a VHS then why didn't they just use an American tape? My VHS has much better picture quality and doesn't have the annoying Japanese subtitles to boot. For fans of the film the DVD is worth picking up to complete the trilogy on DVD but only for a cheap price. The picture quality is watchable, barely, but I will admit my personal transfer of the film to DVD-R from my old American MGM tape is far superior. Hey, on the bright side at least it's on DVD and it's even on a silver pressed disc, which is more than I can say for the MGM official DVD-R of "Enter the Ninja"

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This is in my opinion the best ninja movie ever made. Yes, it is very corny and yes it is very cheesy but in a good kind of way. It's one of those movies where it is so bad it's actually good. This movie could be one of the best so bad it's actually good kind of movies ever made. I will give you the positives and negatives about this film. If you read this, this will be the best and the most official review about this movie.

Positives

1. It has ninjas in it. Duh. Love them ninjas.

2. Sho Kosugi who is a real ninja in real life is in it.

3. This movie has a great location. It was filmed in Phoenix, Arizona on the months of October of 1983 to December of 1983. Love the great ending on top of the mountains.

4. Sho Kosugi doesn't use his kids in this one. Yippie for us.

5. Lucinda Dickey is hot in this movie, probably still is hot even today. Who knows.

6. This movie has loads and loads of action. This movie is all about action.

7. The coolest and most rediculous beginning of a movie in movie history. If you have seen this movie you all know what happens.

8. This movie borrowed elements from Flashdance which was released in 1983. So they must of stole that pretty quickly. And of course this movie borrows from The Exorcist during the exorcism scene where they try to bring out the demon out of Lucinda Dickey which of course turns out to be a Ninja!!!!!!

Negatives

1. No dvd. I have been contacting Anchor Bay and Blue Underground. Hopefully some company will finally realize that this deserves a dvd release.

2. There are deleted scenes that may or may not be still out there. If you have the big box vhs cover version in which i do not have but still remember from renting so often, you can see on the back Sho Kosugi killing a black suited ninja which was never in the movie so i'm trying to push Anchor Bay or Blue Underground to release this movie with the deleted scenes.

3. No nudity. How is that possible when you have Lucinda Dickey in her 20's in a ninja film, in a Golan Globus production, which is rated R during the 1980's? There was definitely a chance though but either Dickey didn't want to show them because she thought she would become a big actress some day(which never happened) or the director which was Sam Firstenberg blew it which was unlikely to happen because Firstenberg did have nudity in Revenge Of The Ninja in which he also directed.

4. That acting is very weak to say the least. Lucinda Dickey may be hot but she can't act. That's probably why she never hit it big. Jordan Bennett can't act as well. Sho Kosugi isn't a great actor either and i've read that in most of his movies they actually dubbed his voice. And i believe they dubbed his voice in this movie.

5. This is a Golan Globus production so the production is less than stellar. This movie is over 20 years old now and the special effects are cheesy if past their prime.

6. This movie was filmed on a low budget and the movie shows that.

7. If your going into this movie hoping for great acting, great writing, great special effects and big name stars forget about it. This is strictly B movie fair.

That's all folks. Have a great day.

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THIS ITEM IS NOT DVD QUALITY AT ALL NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!!! ITS A RIP OFF VHS TO DVD AUDIO AND PICTURE IS CRAP DO NOT BUY!!!!! SHOULD SELL FOR NOTHING NOT WORTH ANYTHING!!!!!! BUYER BEWARE

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I can't believe this movie has never came out on DVD. This is one of the best Ninja movies of all time. The opening and final fight scene are stuff of legend.

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Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition) (1978)

I won't go into praising the movie. It's already an American Classic and obviously anyone who's contemplating buying this will already love it. I felt guilty about double-dipping but the cute leather jacket was an irresistable gimmick. The following discusses mainly technical aspects of the new disc.

I did a one-to-one comparison with the older disc. The picture has been cleaned up and looks noticeably different, though not necessarily better. The tiny dirt specks and film nicks, few as they were on the first disc, have been almost entirely eliminated. There is less grain. The picture also looks brighter, due to application of higher contrast. This has both positive and negative effects. In the darker scenes; like ONJ's "Hopelessly Devoted to You," the greater contrast (deeper black levels and brighter highlights) makes it appear clearer, and I personally prefer it this way. Some viewers may not like it as the lighting now appears harder and more "artificial". In other places, the greater contrast tends to wipe out detail in the brighter parts of the picture; you can see this at the opening beach sequence, where the scene now appears brighter and clearer but the finer detail in the sandstone rocks have been obliterated in the glare. So pluses and minuses, but overall I liked the new transfer.

The audio too has been remastered. The bass here is noticeably more prominent than on the previous DVD. It has that very satisfying visceral feel to it but there is also swamping of the underlying instrumentation. However I doubt if many people would notice or bother. What reviewers have referred to as an echoey quality on the first remix is still there. It is actually an over exaggerated reverb added to the vocal track. Most of the tracks in Grease have electronic reverb applied but some are more obvious and artifical than others; especially so in the 1998 remix featured here. The most egregious examples would be at the "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" reprise and Travolta's "Electrifyin'" repeats in "You're The One That I Want." Again I liked the newer, audio remix, mainly for its richer bass extension. Like previous reviewers have said, the 2.0 Stereo featured here is not the original theatrical Stereo mix but a downmix of the later DD 5.1 remix (made in 1998 for its 20th Anniversary re-release). And purists should note that the DD 5.1 remix (1998) is actually messing about with the music itself there are additional instrumental and vocal overlays not found on the original theatrical soundtrack. (Eg. additional bass drum in second half of "Summer Nights," background vocals in "Hopelessly Devoted to You," and a clap-track in "We Go Together.") Perhaps someday the producers will see fit to release Grease with its original unembellished soundtrack.

The real delight here are the Extras. My favourite is the 15-minute long "25th Anniversary DVD Launch Party." Exerpts from the party concert include full length versions of Olivia Newton John singing "Hopelessly Devoted to You," Olivia and John Travolta singing "You're The One That I Want," and the reassembled cast singing "Summer Nights." All fine performances packed with fun-filled nostalgia. The 11 deleted/extended scenes are all in B&W and last for just 10 minutes. Nothing earth-shattering here but good to have all the same. The Sing-Along was something I appreciated. In the previous DVD, there was no direct access to individual songs. A note about the Sing-Along subtitles. These are multicoloured, animated, karaoke-style, lyrics that accompany the songs and can be activated within the film or in a separate Sing-Along session. It apparently caused problems for some viewers. I tried it out on several DVD players, a Sony, a Pioneer and a Denon, one of which was over 5 years old. The lyrics displayed without any problem. It also worked on a computer DVD-ROM drive (Pioneer), so at least these models apparently work. Only the main feature is anamorphic (enhanced for widescreen TV 2.35:1 OAR). All the extras are in standard 1.33:1 fullscreen.

"GREASE" is the most successful movie musical ever created. The 1978 film was based on a musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey and eventually caught the attention in the early 70's of producer Allan Carr who purchase the rights to adapt the play into a film.

With the popularity of "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER" in 1977 which help boost the career of John Travolta, producer Robert Stigwood joined Allan Carr to create a film based on this play. Tapping director Randal Kleiser who worked with Travolta in the popular 1976 TV film "The Boy and his Bubble", recruiting "GREASE" musical choreographer Patricia Birch and hiring Director of Photography Bill Butler ("Jaws", "Stripes" and "Rocky II & III", etc.), this team would create a film that would become a musical ingrained into American pop culture.

Despite no respect in supporting the film by the major film studios, "GREASE" would become the second highest grossing film in 1978 behind "Superman" bringing in $96 million in the box office, the "GREASE" soundtrack would achieve #1 status around the world during its release and the film received many award nominations.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"GREASE" is featured in 1080p High Definition and I will tell you I was blown away by the picture quality.

I've watched this film dozens of times, owned the VHS and both DVD versions and when I started watching the High Definition Blu-ray transfer, I was speechless. The many colors featured in the film were quite vibrant. This film is over 30-years-old and Paramount really did a great service in the transfer and remaster of this film. Closeups, outdoor scenes, you name it, the film looks spectacular!

I compared my 25th Anniversary DVD to this Blu-ray and just the opening sequence alone with the two at the beach, the colors are just absolutely stunning on Blu-ray. I was literally in awe of how beautiful this film looked in High Definition. The DVD video quality just doesn't compare to the Blu-ray disc and I was quite impressed!

As for audio, audio is presented in English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and also in French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish mono. Since music is a big part of the film, it was important for me to test this Blu-ray out on my system. Where the 1977 film "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER" was just spectacular for its High Definition audio transfer, I was hoping to have an awesome lossless soundtrack for "GREASE".

Somehow, in the beginning of the film, it seemed as if the audio coming from the center channel was a bit lower than my front speakers. So, dialogue seemed as if it was being overpowered by the music. I've run a variety of tests and I did have to increase my center channel dB a little bit to compensate for the music coming louder but this may be due to my audio setup for my receiver. But everything sounded well throughout the film after the adjustment.

The dialogue was quite clear but the music really came alive and I did notice certain sounds utilizing my subwoofer during the car and music scenes. But overall, the music does sound great and clear via Dolby TrueHD 5.1.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"GREASE" comes with a good number of special features. Included on this Blu-ray disc are:

* Commentary: Commentary by Director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch This commentary is quite interesting as Kleiser talked more about the film side of "GREASE" while Patricia Birch talked about the choreography part of the film. Both give really good insight of bringing the musical to film, talking about the things they had to accomplish and how Kleiser, Birch and DoP Butler really had to work closely with each other and the talent to make this film successful. You learn about the challenge of filming the National Bandstand segment, the finale during 102 degree weather and how Olivia Newton-John had to have her tight clothing sewn on and more.

* Introduction by Randal Kleiser A brief :24 second introduction to the special features. Kleiser does several introductions throughout various features.

* Rydell Sing-Along This segment is for those who want to watch the musical parts from the film and on the bottom of the screen is a karaoke single along.

* Featurette: The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease (22:27) This is the main featurette featuring interviews with the Director, producers, the cast sharing their memories of working on the film, working with John Travolta and more. How Allan Carr and Robert Sigwood made this musical a film and put money into it despite no studio wanting to back it, having to work with a good number of talents, John Travolta talking about why he wanted Olivia Newton-John to play the role, how Jeff Conaway actually played Danny in Broadway and was understudy for several other roles with the exception of Kinickie. And many more interesting tidbits on the making of the film.

* Additional Scenes: Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes with introduction by Randal Kleiser (intro :13 scenes 11:55 TRT 12:08) Randal Kleiser explains how footage was recently found in the Paramount vaults. The additional scenes found are in black and white.

* Additional Scenes: 1. T-Birds Harass Eugene EXT

* Additional Scenes: 2. Classroom Announcements EXT

* Additional Scenes: 3. Pink Ladies and Sandy at Lunch EXT

* Additional Scenes: 4. She's too Pure to be Pink EXT

* Additional Scenes: 5. Intro to Summer Nights DEL

* Additional Scenes: 6. Rydell Pep Rally EXT

* Additional Scenes: 7. Kenickie and Danny Outside Frosty's DEL

* Additional Scenes: 8. The Stroll EXT

* Additional Scenes: 9. National Bandstand ALT

* Additional Scenes: 10. At the Dance ALT/EXT

* Additional Scenes: 11. Thunder Road DEL

* Grease on DVD Launch Party (15:13) The cast and crew reunited for this DVD Launch Party back in 2002. Both Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta performed live on stage singing a few of their classic songs that sung with each other.

* Grease Memories from John & Olivia (3:23) Both talent at the DVD launch party and discussing how it was like working together and their memories of being on the film and their favorite scenes.

* The Moves Behind the Music (8:14) Interviews with Patricia Birch and the talent as they discuss how they learned the dance moves and how it important it was for Patricia to work with Director of Photography Bill Butler in capturing the choreography for film.

* Thunder Roadsters (5:21) Interviews with George Barris (King of the Kistomers) and Michael Astamendi (Car Builder/Fabricator) and others in regards to making the cars for "GREASE". How they focused on customizing because parts for the old Chevy's are hard to come by.

* John Travolta and Allan Carr "Grease Day" Interview (1:47) A quick interview with producer Allan Carr and John Travolta on "Grease Day" and Travolta talking about working with the producers and the talent for the film.

* Olivia Newton-John and Robert Stigwood "Grease Day" Interview (2:07) An interview about how Olivia Newton-John gotten involved and the popularity of the film and working with John Travolta and more.

* Photo Galleries: The photo gallery consists of the following still photos broken down into several categories such as:

* Rydell High Year Book

* Production

* Premiere

* Grease Day

* Theatrical Trailer HD (2:09) The original theatrical trailer in its original untouched and aged format, grain and scratches included.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"GREASE" is just one of those timeless classics that never gets old with repetitive viewings. But I have to be truthful and say how much I was in awe to see the brilliant camerawork but to see how the choreography and just literally everything look quite smooth on film.

And surprisingly watching this again 30-years-later and as the Director and even producers have said in the featurette, they were able to pull things off today that probably wouldn't happen now. Quite a bit of sexual lingo but overall, the lyrics of the songs to the mannerisms of the characters is what made things look genuine.

It's interesting to read some of the critical reviews from people who did not grow up with the film but are more familiar with today's musicals and drawing comparisons to "High School Musical" and making the comment of how HSM utilized real teenagers for high school life and that "GREASE" utilized 20 to 30-something year olds to play teenagers. I don't think any of us who watched it back then ever thought about the age being an issue for the film. What we saw were popular talent at that time in a movie musical and the film became a success. Even today, I have no reservations of the talents playing their roles. They did a fantastic job!

For me, John Travolta was the hottest star coming off with "Welcome Back, Kotter" and then doing "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" in 1977 and Olivia Newton-John was just one of the most beautiful female solo singers at the time. Both had unique chemistry and the film was well-cast that I felt everything just went smoothly on the final cut.

You really have to give a big applause to Allan Carr and Robert Stigwood for taking the chance of bringing a musical to film but making sure its adapted well for the screen. Sure we see musicals now but during that time, there was no studio support. And because the film was enjoyed by audiences, the film is definitely ingrained into America's pop culture.

Also, I was just amazed through the featurettes and learning how the choreography was done. Because there were so many people utilized in the dancing segments, Patricia Birchwood wanted to make things come alive but to alter a talent's own personal dance to make it look right on film. And of course, Bill Butler, to capture what Birchwood wanted on film, the amount of cutting from scene to scene showing opposing points of view on a song like "Summer Nights" to the ending theme, it was indeed "electrifying"!

Overall, this Blu-ray release of "GREASE" is just the definitive version to own. To watch this classic film in High Definition and to see the magnificent picture quality really brings out the vibrant colors of the film, the energy and beauty of the beach sunset to showcasing the life of youth of the late 50's. The DolbyTrueHD 5.1 audio makes the music come alive and last, there are many special features included that will help people remember and celebrate such a wonderful movie musical.

Again, this is the true definitive version of "GREASE" to own! I was just stunned by how magnificent this film looked and how much clearer and alive the music sounded in High Definition. I highly recommend this release!

Buy Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition) (1978) Now

The movie Grease has appeared on DVD several times. The most current incarnation of Grease on DVD is the "Grease Rockin' Rydell Edition." This edition of Grease is truly for the superfan or the person who hasn't previously purchased the movie on DVD in the past.

Grease is the cult classic that starred Olivia Newton John and John Travolta. Olivia Newton John starred as Sandy. Sandy was a transfer student to Rydell High working to fit in John Travolta stars as Danny. Danny and Sandy had a wonderful summer romance but when Sandy transfers to Rydell their two different worlds collide. The films soundtrack--and dance numbers are classic.

So what makes this version of Grease on DVD different than the version's previously released? The DVD comes in a leather jacket type of keepsake case. This is cute and the box fits snugly inside of the jacket. What really makes this version of Grease on DVD stand out are the bonus features. The film recently celebrated it's 25th Anniversary. The DVD includes memorable scenes from the 25th Anniversary DVD party. Another neat bonus feature is the featurette "Grease Memories" from John and Olivia. There are a ton of bonus features including a Rydell sing-a-long, deleted scenes, a featurette named the moves behind the music and many more.

I recommend Grease-Rockin' Rydell Edition for the super Greast fan. If you already own the film on DVD and only are interested in the movie it's no need to repurchase the movie. If you are planning to purchase Grease on DVD for the first time I would strongly recommend this edition of the film on DVD.

Read Best Reviews of Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition) (1978) Here

While the re-mastered video gets a big thumbs up, the audio couldn't be worse. The ramped up sound fx are tolerable and in some cases an improvement on the original. However, they (sound fx) are too 'in your face'. All audio sounds very compressed. It seems they tried too hard to make sure you noticed the changes. The music tracks are a different monster. They are terrible!!! The original tracks are not simply re-mastered. Many additional audio tracks have beeen added. And badly I must say. The reverb's used are stupid big and overbearing. The many additional layers of instrument tracks tends to bury the lead vocal on some tunes! Surround sound is stupid over-done and exaggerated. You will need to turn up your center channel alot to clearly hear lead vocal parts or better yet, turn off your surround sound and watch in stereo. Even in stereo, this is the worst audio re-mastering i've ever encountered. New instrumentation sounds very generic and electronic and clearly was laid over a complete 2-track recording, sounds a bit like karaoke instruments, not 'in the mix' but on top of it. Like one guy with a pc/sequencer re-did the whole soundtrack. And some songs were changed alot, Olivia's 'Hopelessly Devoted to you' has drums and full instrumentation from the very beginnig, it doesn't 'kick in' on first chorus, like the original. They took a 1970's movie, set place in the 50's, and now has music that sounds like 1990's bad pop. I assume this was an attempt to sound modern. This re-master clearly misses the mark from an audio standpoint. The video is superb and the DVD extras are a nice addition.

Want Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition) (1978) Discount?

As far as film musicals are concerned, nothing comes close to "Grease" in terms of appealing to a mass audience of all ages, races, and generations. Though set in the fifties, "Grease" remains deeply entrenched in the seventies, as it defined that freewheeling decade's carefree attitude and innocence while drawing inspiration from the Elvis era. Still the top-grossing movie musical of all time, "Grease" works as a coming-of-age film we can all relate to it sings (great songs from the Broadway classic plus chart-topping classics from the Bee Gees and Olivia Newton-John's longtime collaborator, John Farrar), it dances (Rydel High's Gym Dance), zips ("the chicks'll cream for Greased Lightning") and celebrates youth and friendship.

Twenty five years after its first theatrical release, the movie still feels and sounds fresh even through its nostalgia, thanks to star-making performances from Travolta, Newton-John and Stockard Channing, to its clever wordplay and its irreverent look at high school when everything and anything is possible. It's a movie that gets better with repeat viewings, as audiences associate seeing it with a singular moment in time. Cameo appearances from golden greats like Frankie Avalon ("Beauty School Dropout"), Sid Ceasar and Edd Byrnes are comic gems.

The now-world-famous cast is hard to beat ... Didi Conn and Stockard Channing are excellent as Frenchy (THE beauty school dud) and Rizzo (the tough girl with a soft spot), while Eve Arden (Our Miss Brooks) gets the supporting role of a lifetime. Dody Goodman as her daffy assistant is a hoot, but the film belongs to the music and the performances of its two principles. Olivia Newton-John is a sublime choice for Sandy. Though requiring re-tooling from the original stage show, her character's Aussie born lass is a perfect combination of girl-next-door sweetness and (later on) I-Am-Woman-hear-me-roar guts. Perhaps no transformation has been so effectively cut in a movie as ONJ's good girl gone wild. Besides setting off fashion trends and the lycra industry, Sandy's evolution reminds today's teens that you can be hip AND nice. That's a testament to the singer-actress' presence in this film and her ongoing legend. Travolta is also sublime as Danny, a mix of cocky swagger and silly-boy charm that's never malicious...just young. His Danny plays both sides of the teen-angst fence, whether telling his version of "Summer Nights" to the boys, or sweetly professing his love for "Sandy" at the drive-in (drive-ins are set for a comeback if this DVD finds itself into everyone's home!) After 25 years and countless viewings, Olivia and Travolta make beautiful music together!

Guaranteed a winner in any home, "Grease" gets better with repeat viewings and remains accessible, fun and genuine. As a backdrop for baby boomers' high school years and our memories of all thats happened since..."Grease" remains the word! Thrilled to have this out on DVD!!!

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Spaceballs (1987)

I love the film so it was a no-brainer to get it for the store, and my slight disappointment is offset with showing what a high storage capacity can do for this product.

The package comes with both the BD and the standard def discs and included are all of the special features we know from the 2005 release. So what's changed? Nothing except for the languages: Dubbed in DTS for six languages (including Castilian, German, Italian and French) and Mono or Dolby for three others, and subtitled in nine languages (incl. Danish, Swedish and Norwegian). None of the supplements have been upgraded but that DTS always sounds awesome during the main feature. The picture has not been cleaned up from the transfer so there is plenty of artifact, hair and random film discolorations. I enjoyed watching some of the same special features again, including the John Candy memorial and the Mel Brooks conversation. The ludiricous speed is just as lame as before.

The menu is a killer if your player is not tuned up (or older). It becomes painful when trying to watch those flubs sequences as there is no play all option. It is Spaceballs, it is Mel Brooks so it makes it a worthwhile purchase if you did not already upgrade a few years ago to that special edition DVD (especially with both included here). I would normally rate this lower but there is so much here I had to go up one.

Spaceballs is perhaps the best Sci-fi spoof of all time. It has already been mentioned that it spoofs Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, but it really spoofs nearly every big Sci-fi movie ever. Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey ("...they've gone to plaid!") and many more. Some of the best sequences are the "ludicruous speed" scene, the "instant video" scene, and the whole Yogurt part. Mel Brooks plays the spoof of Star Wars' Yoda who is the guardian of the Schwartz and is also heavily into Spaceballs Merchandising, including the Spaceballs flamethrower. ("The kids love this one.") Rick Moranis, of course, is the Darth Vader spoof, and I have to congradulate the casting department, because Rick Moranis and Darth Vader have to be as close to being polar opposites as you can come. Although I have heard it called unfunny and lame by others, I think it is a very funny movie and deserves to be watched not only by Sci-fi fans, but by anybody looking for a good laugh.

Buy Spaceballs (1987) Now

Spaceballs is one of my all time favorite films and I eagerly awaited it's bluray release and even put in my preorder months in advance. Now that the bluray is here it is still one of my all time favorite films but i must admit the transfer is not demo material.

The transfer itself is solid and without any unnecessary tampering (digital noise reduction, edge enhancement, etc) and it is the best this film will probably ever look on home video however the film itself will never wow anyone with detail.

On the audio side we get a 5.1ch track that does it's job as well as the source material allows... just like the video it's not demo material but it's still a solid track. Also included is the original dolby stereo track along with a rather large collection of languages (and subtitles as well)

The bonus features are the same as the previous DVD edition, I haven't really dug into all of them but in Fox bluray tradition features that need a play all option (in this case the film flubs) don't get that much needed option.

The included DVD is the older flipper disc with the 4:3 pan&scan on one side and the non-anamorphic 1.85:1 version on the other.

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The movie itself is pure Mel Brooks. I really enjoy how Mel brings hilarious havoc to the sci-fi genre, spoofing movies from Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers to Star Trek and Star Wars. I am surprised that MPAA had originally given this movie a PG rating instead of a PG-13 rating since the movie is heavy on adult humor, language, and sexual innuendos not exactly what I would call a flick for the whole family. Enough about the movie; this review is about the newly released Collector's Edition (CE), especially the bonus material.

The Dolby 5.1 sound quality has been enhanced compared to the original 2000 DVD release, but I will need to confirm this. I'm glad MGM offers a DTS track on disc 1. I have not yet compared Mel's commentary on the CE to the original release. I did make some limited comparisons of the picture quality: The colors are more vibrant (perhaps too much on the red?) and the picture is clearer to my eyes; the skin tones look correct to me. Since the video presentation is not THX quality, you will see some specks and film blemishes. The aspect ratio on the CE (1.85:1 for 16x9) is the same as the original 2000 release, but on my Sony monitor (4:3) the CE widescreen version is "slightly" zoomed in more than the 2000 widescreen released version.

I am disappointed in the Special Features. Why? For one reason, it does not include Rick Moranis. He is mentioned but is not interviewed at all how can Mel not include Dark Helmet! In addition, you will not find any behind-the-scenes coverage (other than still photos) such as those found on the 2000 DVD release. Mel did not include any deleted scenes or bloopers (no, the film flubs don't count). However, there is a well-produced 29 minute documentary that includes the other main actors and crew members. You will learn that the actors and crew members had more laughs making this movie than the audience had watching it. If this is true, Mel should have included some of those comical moments in the Special Features. Also missing on this CE is a featurette about special-effects. The conversation between Mel and co-writer Thomas Meehan is rather boring, but the tribute to comical genius John Candy is commendable, touching, and about time.

The CE is a 2-disc DVD set. It is a shame that MGM and Mel could not/would not include more about this classic comedy. Overall I give the CE version a 3/5. The movie gets 4/5!

Want Spaceballs (1987) Discount?

Following the multi-million-dollar success that George Lucas enjoyed with his original "Star Wars" trilogy of films released in 1977, 1980 and 1983, comedic actor/writer/director Mel Brooks was inspired to create one of his most outlandish films in 1987 entitled "Spaceballs". The film begins on the dark planet of Spaceball, which no longer has a breathable atmosphere. There, President Skroob (Mel Brooks) wants to steal another planet's atmosphere and transport it back to planet Spaceball, so he orders Colonel Sandurz (George Wyner) and Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis spoofing "Darth Vader") to take a giant military spaceship (much much larger than any of Lucas' spaceships, except for the Deathstar) to planet Druidia to kidnap Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga spoofing "Princess Leia") and hold her for ransom. On planet Druidia, Princess Vespa is scheduled to marry the very boring Prince Valium (JM J. Bullock) as arranged by her father, King Roland (Dick Van Patten). However, when Princes Vespa has cold feet, she runs from the Druidic church with her android, Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers spoofing "C3PO"), and takes off from planet Druidia in what was to be her honeymoon spaceship. In space, she is encountered by the giant Spaceball ship, but is rescued by the trader/smuggler Lone Starr (Bill Pullman spoofing "Han Solo") and his sidekick Barfolemew 'Barf' (John Candy, 1950-1994, spoofing "Chewbacca") in a space-worthy Winnebago RV. As with the constant love-hate relationship that Princess Leia and Han Solo had in Lucas' "Star Wars" trilogy, so too do Princess Vespa and Lone Starr have a similar relationship. Along the way though, Lone Starr finds out from a mysterious Yoda-like character named Yogurt (Mel Brooks again) that he's really a prince and sets out to rescue Princess Vespa who had eventually been captured by Dark Helmet. It is from Yogurt that we hear those immortal words, "May the schwartz be with you," spoofing Lucas' creation of the Force in "Star Wars".

With hilarious one-liners, a classic Mel Brooks storyline, good actors and reasonable special effects, "Spaceballs" is a truly funny comedic sci-fi spoof. Rick Moranis' portrayal of Dark Helmet is one of the funniest roles, especially since he can't always keep his visor open. Also funny are George Wyner and Joan Rivers. Overall, I rate "Spaceballs" with 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a great spoof by Mel Brooks, sci-fi and a good laugh. Even product merchandising isn't free of being spoofed by Mel Brooks in this hilarious film.

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Space Cowboys (2006)

A Russian satellite is having problems with its' guidance system. The technology is dated, and the only one that has a solution to the problem is the person that designed it. That person is Clint Eastwood, and he has a hard time comprehending how they got a hold of classified information, but agrees to do what he can to help as long as they include his other buddies that were never given the chance to be in space. Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner, and Donald Sutherland are his partners in crime, and the situations and antics they get into are hilarious. What a stellar cast, and the supporting cast is just as impressive with James Cromwell, Marcia Gay Harden, and William Devane. This film is very entertaining, well acted, and has many memorable moments. It is one you will enjoy time after time.

This is a well acted film with a stellar cast. How can you go wrong with a movie that stars Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner? Deftly directed by Clint Eastwood, it is a well made, entertaining film.

The plot revolves around a crisis in space that is triggered when a Russian satellite malfunctions and is due to collide with Earth in densely populated areas, unless someone can repair it in space. The problem is that the technology on the satellite is obsolete and no one knows how to tackle it except the inventor of that technology, retired Air Force pilot Frank Corvin, played by Clint Eastwood.

Corvin agrees to do so, but only on condition that he and his top gun crew of forty odd years ago go into space to do it themselves. Having been kicked out of the space program in 1958, he wants an opportunity for them to do what they had come so close to doing in the past. NASA agrees, but only if this now geriatric quartet can pass the physical. Their preparation for their big moment provides some laughs, as they ultimately prove themselves the physical equal of their younger counterparts and exceed them in experience and wisdom.

Permission for them to go into space is reluctantly granted, but much to their consternation, they ultimately realize they have been sold a bill of goods. Not only has NASA not been dealing in good faith with them, but they eventually discover that a much more serious problem than a satellite malfunction exists. Unfortunately, they do not discover it until they are out in space.

What happen in space will keep the viewer glued to his or her seat. There is action, pathos, tension, and heroics. It is a film that says that one is never too old for adventure.

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I must say that at a price of nearly 3.50 per movie you couldn't get a better deal on this. You get 4 good movies on 2 double sided discs. Of course I am only giving it 4 stars because of the fact that they are double sided discs. For about 4.00 more I would've been glad to pay for a 4 disc set of these movies. Other than that great movies and great deal.

Read Best Reviews of Space Cowboys (2006) Here

My wife and I picked up a number of Clint Eastwood DVDs and enjoyed them very much. Good entertainment, albeit somewhat violent in many cases! More recently, we bought a packet of four Clint Eastwood Comedies ("Space Cowboys," "Honkytonk Man," "Every Which Way But Loose," and "Any Which Way You Can"). The four-pack is an easy and inexpensive way to purchase four good Eastwood films, or you can buy them as individual DVDs. In any case, I reviewed each individual movie for Amazon. You can look them up if you're interested in my opinions.

I rated all four individual DVDs highly. They were very good! Perhaps "Any Which Way You Can" was my favorite (4 stars) and the somewhat dated "Space Cowboys" was my least favorite (3 stars), but only by a slight margin. Anyway, this 4 pack is a bargain over purchasing them as individual DVDs and they're all very entertaining movies. If you like Clint Eastwood movies, it's an economical choice. Oh, by the way, two movies are on each disc, one on either side. Some people don't like this arrangement so be aware.

Gary Peterson

Want Space Cowboys (2006) Discount?

Clint Eastwood. Tommy Lee Jones. Donald Sutherland. James Garner. That's the way to start a movie. The movie starts out showing the guys as young men in 1958. They main goal is to become the first men in space, but after crashing their 3rd test plane in 10 months, they find out that another agency, NASA, has been givin' that job. The movie then fastforwards to the present. A Soviet satelite is getting ready to come down, but the Soviets are pushing to make sure that it stays in orbit because it is their only communication satelite. The engineers can't figure out how to get that technology to work as it is outdated. So they go to get help from the creator who happens to be Clint Eastwood. After initially turning them down because of his hatred for their superior (you'll find out why when you watch this movie), he finally agrees to help. His idea is to send him and his 3 buddies up. The catch is they have to pass the physicals and all other test that all other astronauts would to qualify. This is filled with Clint & Tommy Lee's characters constantly competing against one another which is hilarious throughout. Pretty soon, they are on talk shows and in newspapers everywhere and are making NASA popular again. But before they get to go up, one the crew is diagnosed with cancer. After some arguing, in which Clint believes his "enemy" is trying to keep him from going to space again, he finds out that the Vice President is insistent that they are sent into space to fix the satelite. And this is where it gets really exciting. With excellent acting, some great comedy in the beginning, and super special effects, this movie is a keeper.They constantly are making fun of their age and continually beat the odds. They also have an extended version from the movie of the guys on Jay Leno's show. It's pretty funny. Clint Produced, Directed, Starred, and also composed the beginning music for the movie. And what a terrific job he did. Get this movie and you won't dissapointed.

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Tengo Ganas De Ti - La Historia De Tres Metros Sobre Cielo Continua BLU RAY (2012)

Perhaps I'm the naive one, but I thought that a movie in Spanish sold here would have English subtitles. Most English language movies I've ever purchased have subtitles in Spanish and often several other languages. At a minimum you should have a note on the purchase ad indicating whether it has subtitles. My Spanish is not good enough for me to enjoy this movie without some help so it's pretty worthless to me. My bad, but I won't get burned again by Amazon.

In my opinion this movie is as good as the first part "3 metres sobre el cielo". I most certaily enjoed watcihing it..

Buy Tengo Ganas De Ti - La Historia De Tres Metros Sobre Cielo Continua BLU RAY (2012) Now

the actors (especially Mario Casas)

the story

the setting

just love it all

saw the movie in flight and had to own it and see it again

Read Best Reviews of Tengo Ganas De Ti - La Historia De Tres Metros Sobre Cielo Continua BLU RAY (2012) Here

you have to watch it and begin by watching 3 metros sobre el cielo and it will move every single bone in your body and it will make you love again.

Want Tengo Ganas De Ti - La Historia De Tres Metros Sobre Cielo Continua BLU RAY (2012) Discount?

I loved this Movie!!! Is the best yet!!! AM soo thrilled to find it here in amazon and it being USA compatible!!!! I love that Gin has more courage and lets herself show rather than Babi's character! Anyways if you like the last movie 3MSC than you surely will LOVE this one!

Seven (1995)

SE7EN Can anything more be said about what a great film this is???? Well, now, YES because New Line's new Double DVD is a fantastic package and a MUST for any fan of the film. The film has once again been remastered from the original film elements and it has never looked better -even better than the old Criterion laserdisc. Colors, shadowings, sound, contrast have all been adjusted for optimum effect (one of the extras on disc 2 shows the before-and-after on several scenes). Just check out the green lamps in that library scene WOW! The film is on Disc 1 and there are 4 separate commentary tracks...the most interesting one in my opinion is Track 2 which discusses the genesis of the project from script, to selling it to a studio and the fight to retain the original ending. Fincher is always interesting, but hearing Andrew Kevin Walker discuss his inspiration for writing the script and the struggles to get it made is even more fascinating. The voice behind one of the most original screenplays in years is pure genius. "Extras"-filled Disc 2 features deleted scenes (including the original opening)...most of which are just slightly extended scenes from the film (you see more of "Pride", etc.). There is also an alternate cut of the ending with different shots that was test-screened to an audience plus a storyboard of a different ending that was never shot. All of these come with or without commentary. An analysis of the opening credit sequence offers different angles and commentaries on 3 variants of the sequence. There are still galleries with commentaries by the photographers. Yes, "Sloth" victim's decay is included in the photos (unfortunately, not as clearly as it was presented on the Criterion LD) as well as John Doe's notebooks and lair. There is only one theatrical trailer (where are all the tv spots, etc. that were on the LD?????) and a short EPK. There are also some DVD-rom features on both discs (script-to-scene, etc.) to round it all out.

Only downside is that a lot of the extras on the Criterion LD are NOT INCLUDED HERE in any form. Although Criterion holds the rights to their original commentary track (Featuring Fincher, Pitt, Freeman, Rob Bottin , Walker, etc) and some other extras, surely NEW LINE owns the rights to the tv spots and other such promo materials. Where, for instance, is the great gallery of original artwork and poster concepts that so playfully used the number 7 or the sins as the backdrop???? New Line created these so why aren't they included here? The Criterion disc also had out-takes and many other things not included here, so don't ever toss that disc out! It's sure to be valuable some day. And with this DVD, which also includes items NOT on the Criterion LD, they combine to make the ultimate "SE7EN" collection.

"At first sin is a stranger in the soul; then it becomes a guest; and when we are habituated to it, it becomes as if the master of the house." Tolstoy.

Although not originating from the bible, the concept of deadly sins is almost as old as Christian doctrine itself. Theologians like 4th century Greek monk Evagrius of Pontus first compiled catalogues of deadly offenses against the divine order, which 6th century pope Gregory the Great consolidated into a list of seven sins, which in turn formed the basis of the works of medieval/renaissance writers like St. Thomas Aquinas ("Summa Theologiae"), Geoffrey Chaucer ("Canterbury Tales"), Christopher Marlowe ("Dr. Faustus"), Edmund Spenser ("The Faerie Queene") and Dante Alighieri ("Commedia Divina"/"Purgatorio"). And in times when the ability to read was a privilege rather than a basic skill, the depiction of sin in paintings wasn't far behind; particularly resulting from the 16th century's reformulation of church doctrine, the works of artists like Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder brought the horrific results of humankind's penchant to indulge in vice back into general consciousness with surrealistic eloquence, reminding their viewers that no sin goes unseen (Bosch, "The Seven Deadly Sins") and that its commission leads straight into a hell reigned by gruesome, grotesque demons and devils whose sole purpose is to torture those fallen into their hands (Bosch, "The Hay-Wagon" and "The Last Judgment;" Bruegel, "The Triumph of Death" and "The Tower of Babel").

More recently, the seven deadly sins have been the subject of Stephen Sondheim's play "Getting Away With Murder" and a ballet by George Balanchine ("Seven Deadly Sins"); and on the silver screen the topic has been addressed almost since the beginning of filmmaking (Cabiria [1914], Intolerance [1916]). Thus, "Se7en" builds on a solid tradition both in its own domain and in other art forms, topically as well as in its approach, denouncing society's apathy towards vice and crime. Yet and although expressly referencing the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaucer and Dante David Fincher's movie eschews well-trodden paths and grabs the viewer's attention from the beginning; and it does so not merely by the depiction of serial killer John Doe's (Kevin Spacey's) crimes, which could easily degenerate into a mindless bloodfest that would defeat the movie's purpose. (Not that there isn't a fair share of blood and gore on display; both visually and in the characters' dialogue regarding those details not actually shown; but Fincher uses the crimes' gruesome nature to create a sense of stark realism, rather than for shock value alone.) In addition, Doe's mindset is painstakingly presented by the opening credits' jumpy nature, his "lair"'s apocalyptic makeup and his notebooks, all of which were actually written out (at considerable expense), and whose compilation is shown underlying the credits. The movie's atmosphere of unrelenting doom is further underscored by a color scheme dominated by brown, gray and only subdued hues of other colors, and by the fact that almost every outdoors scene is set in rain. Moreover, although screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker explains on the DVD that the story was inspired by his observations in New York (and the movie was shot partly there, partly in L.A.), it is set in a faceless, nameless city, thus emphasizing that its concern isn't a specific location but society generally.

Central to the movie is the contrast between world-weary Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) who, while decrying the rampant occurrence of violence in society, for much of the movie seems to have resigned himself to his inability to do something meaningful about this (and therefore seems to accept apathy for himself, too, until his reluctant final turnaround), and younger Detective Mills (Brad Pitt), who fought for a reassignment to this particular location, perhaps naively expecting his contributions to actually make a difference; only to become a pawn in Doe's scheme instead and thus show that, given the right trigger, nobody is beyond temptation. As such, Somerset and Mills are not merely another incarnation of the well-known old-cop-young-cop pairing. Rather, their characters' development over the course of the film forces each viewer to examine his/her own stance towards vice.

Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt perfectly portray the two detectives; while Freeman imbues his Will Somerset with a quiet dignity, professionalism and learning, muted by profound but not yet wholly irreversible resignation, Pitt's David Mills is a brash everyman from the suburbs with an undeniable streak of prejudice, a penchant for quick judgment and a thorough lack of sophistication, both personally and culturally. Notable are also the appearances of Gwyneth Paltrow (significantly Brad Pitt's real-life girlfriend at the time) as Mills's wife Tracy and ex-marine R. Lee Ermey as the police captain. Yet, from his very first appearance onwards, this is entirely Kevin Spacey's film. Reportedly, Brad Pitt especially fought hard for his casting; and it is indeed hard to imagine "Se7en" with anybody other than the guy who, that same year, also won an Oscar for portraying devilish Keyser Soze in "The Usual Suspects": No living actor has Spacey's ability to simultaneously express spine-chilling villainy, laconic indifference and limitless superiority with merely a few gestures and vocal inflections.

While "Se7en" can certainly claim the "sledgehammer" effect on its viewers sought by its fictional killer, the punishment meted out to Doe's victims taking their perceived sins to the extreme pales in comparison to that awaiting sinners according to medieval teachings. (Inter alia, gluttons would thus be forced to eat vermin, toads and snakes, greed-mongers put in cauldrons of boiling oil and those guilty of lust smothered in fire and brimstone.) Most serial killers have decidedly more mundane motivations than Doe. And after all, this is only a movie.

Right?

"Sin ... engenders vice by repetition of the same acts, [clouding the conscience and corrupting the judgment.] Thus sin tends to reproduce ... and reinforce itself, but it cannot destroy the moral sense at its root." Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994).

Also recommended:

Getting Away With Murder

Red Dragon (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

The Silence of the Lambs (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Cabiria

Intolerance

The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso)

The Canterbury Tales (Penguin Classics)

Aquinas: Selected Writings (Penguin Classics)

Bosch : C. 1450 1516 Between Heaven and Hell (Basic Series : Art)

Buy Seven (1995) Now

Seven is a very disturbing thriller about a serial killer,John Doe(Kevin Spacey), killing people via examples of the seven deadly sins gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, pride, envy and wrath. The story begins with Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) being assigned to Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman). Detective Somerset is due to retire at the end of the week, and Detective Mills is moving up in the world, and is to take Somerset's place. This is a very disturbing movie. It will keep you enthralled and glued to your seat for the entire 127 minutes. Indeed, I was staggered that I never once lost concentration or was bored with this movie.This is a movie with an unexpected ending that is absolutely unpredictable and which is not at all a "Hollywood" style ending.

The disc itself. The movie is presented in its origianl form, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, letterboxed not Anamorphic.The picture is dark in itself however the detail is quite good and crisp with very few problems (odd shimmer effect in certain scenes). The sound is recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1 which has no audio sync problems and the use of the surround mainly during rain sequences adding tone. The track was bass heavy in spots and gave the .1 channel a working. There is a small section of extras , a 6 min featurette, production notes and Star bios. My only complaint is this disc however a FLIPPER, yes it is on 2 sides!, split after the conversation between Morgan freeman and Gweneth Paltrow in the coffee shop. Just as suspense is building the film requires a turn over. Please note film distrubutors this is annoying and in the age of DVD unnecessary.I hope that the film is re-released as a dual layered film and includes some of the extras from the Lasedisc version.

All said and done the film is one of the best, along with Silence of the Lambs, in its genre and the disc even with its faults is a qaulity purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Seven (1995) Here

I thought this movie was incredible the first time I saw it I love films that DON'T end the way you expect them to, that don't follow the safe and true path, so if you don't already own the videotape or the original DVD release, that alone is a great reason to buy (or at least rent) this new DVD.

We'll start off there...

1. It's simply a great movie. A modern classic. The screenplay is just brilliant. The characters are developed and complex. Screenwriter Walker hit upon a great idea and ran with it. (And I am bitterly jealous.) Even if New Line were able to get away with making it into just another cheesy cop flick, the idea would have been intriguing. Walker went the extra mile, though, and pushed himself to try new twists and turns. Kudos to him and directory David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and everyone else who pushed to keep the plot's integrity. The acting is superbe, Gweneth Paltrow is a true angel and Kevin Spacey (yes, lovably average-looking Kevin Spacey from "American Beauty") just resonates with evil.

2. It's not just my assumption that New Line tried to "emsculate" (my word) the "SE7EN" script; it's on the record now with the "Stars" commentary track. It's never been easy to get a movie made when it cuts against the grain (just ask Terry Gilliam). Studio suits are notorious whimps when it comes to trying out new stuff, as Fincher, Pitt and Freeman attest to. Though the suits may not think so, I think the director and actors are being nice they don't name so many names. But they do talk about the battle with the studio to keep the picture from being watered down and turned into just another blasé film version of a TV cop show. Plus you get to feel like one of their buds as they talk fairly candidly about what was going on during production, their thoughts and feelings about the story, etc. It is particularly interesting to list to Morgan Freeman analyse his character's psyche and hear how he came to certain acting choices a gem for other actors. The "Stars" audio track is often quite funny, too, as with Fincher and Pitt's observations about how the dead GLUTTONY guy was "enhanced" (again my word) to recompense the actor for having enduring hours of make-up and playing a stiff.

3. Speaking of commentaries, the "Sound" commentary track with Fincher, Author Richard Dyer, composer Howard Shore and sound designer Ren Klyce is an enlightening treat, one I've never experienced before (though I don't own every DVD out there). They explain the complex process of applying the different continuous sounds of the city and music in a digestible fashion. It'a fascinating, too, to watch the movie with the background noise brought to the fore and the dialogue and up-front sound effects cut out. Very surreal.

And tying into that...

4. The sound has been remixed for the home theater, and it will blow you away. There's background noise everywhere, just like in a real city. It's crisp, it's clear, it's there in your face (or rather your ear, if you prefer). Why, their creation is alive! It's aliiiiive!

5. The "Story" commentary track with Fincher, Dyer, screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, editor Richard Francis-Bruce and New Line production president Michael De Luca breaks the story down piece by piece. This track alone should be a film school student's dream come true; it dissects the movie nearly scene by scene. Wannabe screenwriters and movie directors should listen to this track over and over again.

6. The picture quality on this new DVD cannot be overstated. It has been transferred from the original negative and it is simply sumptuous. It's not a post card, mind you, and it's not meant to be, but it no longer has that "ER" faded feeling to it, either. For example, the all important color RED really JUMPS OUT out at you from the darkness now, adding to the creepiness of the moment. When something is supposed to be disgusting, again like the dead GLUTTONY guy, it is. It's just so real and vivid, like you're there in the moment. It's unlikely that many movies will ever get the loving treatment "SE7EN" has received for this new DVD release, and it's a shame. This makes those movies that have been rushed out onto DVD to make a quick buck (and there are plenty of them) look that much crappier. (Ever see "Splash" on DVD?) That's why people who love movies, and not greedy MBA schmucks, should run movie studios.

7. Although I've watched the movie's original opening (I think they could have kept it in, but with the new vibrating title sequence), there's still a ton of stuff on the second supplemental DVD I haven't yet had time to explore. I have the "Fight Club" DVD, though, and even though that's a different studio (Fox), I am confident that David Fincher will not let me down, so my 7th reason for getting this DVD two-pack is all the fun exploring all the extra stuff, such as extended scenes, the fourth "Picture" commentary track, and veiwing the dead GLUTTONY guy frame by agonizing frame. (If that's your thing, Sicko.)

This film may actually convince me to put off my mother's heart transplant so I can buy a DVD-ROM.

(Shut up, Mom! No one lives forever! Geez.)

Want Seven (1995) Discount?

I wish more movies like Se7en were made, and not because I'm into only creepy, unsettling films. Se7en simply doesn't pull any punches. The excellent characters, script, music, and atmosphere all work together to create the perfect canvas to paint this brutal tale of a serial killer that tortures and kills specific people in accordance with the seven deadly sins. Everything in Se7en has been tweaked to perfection. The movie captures your attention so completely that you can't look away, even at some of the truly morbid scenes. And let's not forget the acting! Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey are all simply outstanding. Every word they utter seems real, unlike most Hollywood films where the characters are contrived and simply not believeable. The ending is shocking and depressing, more than equaling the rest of the film.

As if Se7en wasn't awesome enough, the DVD is simply loaded!! This is one of those rare cases when a movie DESERVES to be stocked full of extras! Obviously, this movie is not for the squeamish or weak of heart, but anyone who can handle this kind of a movie will discover one of the best films of the 90's.

High and Low (The Criterion Collection) (1963)

BEWARE: SPOILER ALERT

Very rarely does a film improve upon the book on which it is based. It takes a visual master, working with an excellent screenwriter, to convey as much detail about a story as an author. However, Akira Kurosawa's High and Low manages to do it. The source novel, Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novel King's Ransom is a well written thriller that, nonetheless, doesn't really stay with the reader afterwards. Kurosawa, however, better known for his samurai epics, took McBain's story and gave it a depth never realized in the book. The famed director stays faithful to the novel, but fleshes out a simple detective story into a drama that makes social commentary as well as entertains.

McBain's Douglas King never really earns the reader's sympathy -even though we can understand his motives. Toshiro Mifune's Kingo Gondo, in contrast, becomes a three-dimensional sympathetic character. Both men have their entire financial well-being at stake in the form of a hostile takeover bid for control of a shoe company. Both men, at first, behave selfishly, refusing to pay the ransom even though they are risking their chauffeur's son's life. However, McBain's Douglas King never shows the humanity that Mifune's Gondo does. Kurosawa adds a scene, not in the book, where Gondo pays the ransom and saves the kidnapped child. Even though his business deal is now dead and he is broke, he still reacts with relief and joy when the kidnappers return the chauffeur's son. It's an emotional payoff that McBain's book is sorely lacking and helps to flesh out the character.

Gondo is also a more sympathetic character partially due to the fact that his actions are at least partially dictated by Japan's rigid caste system. Japanese society is broken up into social strata whereby the rich and powerful expect the lower classes to know their place. This division of influence, unlike in the United States, is generally accepted, even by those on the lower end of the scale. This isn't just the way Mifune's Gondo thinks -EVERYONE thinks that way in Japan. However, Kurosawa, while he understands the mindset of Japanese society, is also critical of it. Kurosawa shows that when Gondo pays the ransom and saves the boy, even at the cost of his financial well-being, the Japanese people, as a whole, hail Gondo as a hero. Our sympathies are clearly supposed to be with the chauffeur and his son, even though it goes against every principle of the Japanese caste system. This commentary gives High and Low a depth that McBain's novel lacked.

In the novel, McBain hedges his bets morally. One of the kidnappers is a vile hardened criminal. However, the other two kidnappers, a husband and wife, are more sympathetic, particularly the wife who doesn't know about the plan until it is already in effect. In the end, the kidnappers get away and the chauffeur's son, Bobby, refuses to aid police in their capture. In addition, the police are seen as somewhat disjointed with some detectives with personalities and egos that irritate other policemen.

Kurosawa, in contrast, concentrates on one central kidnapper, a vile person who exploits drug addicts to do his dirty work and then kills them when he gets what he wants. McBain's subplot about the husband and wife is distracting, even though his kidnappers, with their self-doubt and streaks of conscience, seem to be a more balanced and realistic portrayal. In addition, the police are seen as a cohesive unit who forgo ego in order to catch the kidnapper. However, this is more a reflection of Japanese society, with its emphasis on team effort rather than individual glory, than a pie-in-the-sky idealized vision of the police. McBain's portrayal of the police is probably close to what an American police squad is like. Still, Kurosawa's vision is more satisfying. The police pursue the criminal and bring him to justice. Ironically, the resolution of the film, made in Japan, is probably much more satisfying to Americans than the resolution of the book, written by an American.

King's Ransom has an interesting plot. But author Ed McBain has only provided a good skeleton of a story. Akira Kurosawa, in contrast, has taken the exciting, but conventional story and turned it into a memorable cinematic masterpiece.

Watched this a few days ago for about the fifth time and have been thinking about it ever since. I think it probably is my favorite Kurosawa film.

Toshiro Mifune plays a top executive in a shoe company who is secretly planning to take over the company. He wants to keep making quality shoes and gradually expand the market. The other executives want to make cheaper shoes and take advantage of the company's reputation. Mifune has raised every yen he can, including using his house, for the buyout, but his son is kidnapped. For the ransome he'll need all the money he's raised. He's prepared to do this for the sake of his son.

Then he finds out that the kidnappers made a mistake. They kidnapped his driver's son, who is the same age as his own. What a terrible moral dilemma. Would you or I give up every dime we had to save a neighbor's or an employee's son? Mifune does, and this act has a great effect on the police and the public.

The first half of the movie takes place in his house on a hill while all this unfolds. The second half is the chase to find the boy before he's killed and to capture the kidnapper. We move from the intensity of the dilemma unfolding in Mifune's home to the gritty business of the search which takes us into some of the lowest parts of the Japanese underworld.

Mifune is powerful in the role of the father, at first torn by the decision he has to make, then commited to finding his driver's son. Tatsuya Nakadai plays the detective, handsome, smooth, professional, and ultimately deeply touched by Mifune's integrity. Years later Nakadai played the leads in Kurosawa's Kagemusha and Ran. And it was good to see Mifune out of samurai costume.

High and Low is the work of a master. The DVD has the quality and extras one has come to expect from Criterion

Buy High and Low (The Criterion Collection) (1963) Now

HIGH as Toshiro Kingo Kondo Mifune's house which lies on a hill, admired by the whole city. HIGH as Kingo's wealthiness that allows him to buy nearly 50 % of the shares of the society he's working for. HIGH as the moral integrity of this man who appears as a gentle capitalist never forgetting that money must be earned in a proper honest way.

LOW as the condition of Kondo's servant whose only son has been kidnapped. LOW as the morals of Kondo's partners who are the true villains of the movie, LOW as the expectations of the drug addicts of Dope Alley who seem have been forgotten by the prosperous 1963 Japan. At least, LOW as Takeuchi's chances to escape a police humiliated by the machiavelic plot he has imagined.

Adapted from one of Ed McBain " 87th Precinct " novels, Akira Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW is a masterpiece. The first half of the movie takes place in the living room of Kingo Gondo. Kurosawa gives here an unforgettable lesson of cinema helped by a great actor Toshiro Mifune who is going to pass through the whole variety of feelings, from Happiness to Despair, in a 36 hours period.

The second half of HIGH AND LOW depicts the police investigations in order to discover the kidnappers. Another scene worthy to stay in the annals of Movie History is the expressionist description by night of the hot streets of the city. A cinematographical enchantment.

No bonus features with this Criterion release except for a booklet. Superb sound and images as usual.

A DVD zone your library.

Read Best Reviews of High and Low (The Criterion Collection) (1963) Here

Based on King's Ransom by Ed McBain, High And Low (original title Heaven And Hell) tells the story of Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), head of National Shoes' factory production, who believes in producing quality shoes that are expensive but durable. He is ready to take a controlling interest in his company to prevent from being kicked out of the company when he receives a phone call saying his son has been kidnapped and to fork over 30 million yen. His son Jun, fortunately, returns from playing outside with Shinichi, the chauffeur's son, who is now nowhere to be seen. That changes nothing, as the kidnapper still demands the ransom.

He calls the police, who come in discretely in one of the cleverest methods I've ever seen. Led by Inspector Tokura and aided by Taguchi, a burly bald man known as the Bo'sun, they prove to be ideal policemen, dedicated, rational, and clever.

Gondo adamantly refuses. He has mortgaged everything, including the luxurious house on the hill he and his family live to get the shares. Paying the ransom will put them all out on the street. The police are accomodating, saying that it's important to rescue the child, but not by sacrificing Gondo. However, Gondo's right-hand man Kawanishi has sold him out, informing his colleagues of his plans. Gondo's dreams have been destroyed, so he agrees to pay the ransom.

The drama can be divided into three parts. First, the kidnapping, Gondo's refusal then agreeing to pay, and the police coming over to advise him. The second part has Shinichi being released and goes into high-level detective drama mode as the police use evidence, deductive reasoning, and clues that will help them catch the kidnapper, and three, the trap the police set out for the killer. It's part two that's the best. The Japanese police's teamwork, skills in chasing down and analyzing clues, and the cooperation shown by the public, denotes that the Japanese police are truly dedicated servants of the people, compared to the American police (q.v. Rodney King, Malice Green, Amadou Diallou). The police in this movie are likable and honorable. And when each development or clue is found, the excitement ratchets up a notch.

Water is twice a symbol in this movie. Gondo is taking a shower, the water running full blast after Kawanishi has betrayed him. After this scene, he calls the bank to get the money per the kidnapper's demands. Also, once he tosses the money again per the kidnapper's demands, he washes his face in a sink. It's a cleansing; the first scene denotes his washing away the cold businessman for someone with humanity. Indeed, when Shinichi is released, he rushes towards him as if he were his own son. This was first touched on when his wife Reiko berates his worsening attitude. "Success isn't worth losing your humanity" and she is right. Gondo is thus reborn as someone with compassion, humility, and a soul, while being his own man as opposed to being a cog in the corporate wheel. His sacrifice makes him a hero to the Japanese public. And the scene where he refuses his post back at National Shoes after the media backlash at the company for firing him, elicits a secret smile from the Bo'sun, who usually wastes on love on the rich, but ends up admiring Gondo.

Gondo also represents the ideal of quality goods Japan has become famous for. In the opening, he is dead set against the cheap quality of shoes his colleagues propose making. He says in response to his colleagues that shoes must wear out and are accessories just like hats and handbags that "hats are decoration. Shoes carry all your body weight." He advocates making shoes that are durable yet stylish, expensive but profitable in the long run. It's the Japanese business ideal versus America's disposable merchandise attitude. Thus Kurosawa also advocates quality in material things as well as quality of the soul.

High And Low is proof enough of Kurosawa's ability to film gendai-geki (or contemporary drama) as opposed to jidai-geki (stories that take place in the feudal, samurai era in the warring pre-Tokugawa period.) Some will argue that it's nothing compared to The Seven Samurai or Throne Of Blood, but for its values of compassion, humanity, dedication, and ideal quality in spiritual and material things.

Want High and Low (The Criterion Collection) (1963) Discount?

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Like most Americans, I am more familiar with Kurosawa's period films (Samurai flicks!) than with his modern dramas. "High and Low" was my first venture into this aspect of Kurosawa, and it is very rewarding indeed.

Toshiro Mifune's commanding presence dominates the first half of the film. He is every bit the in-control general, trying to find a strategy that allows him to keep family, fortune and face. His fortress has been breached by the enemy, and he must first defend then counter-attack. The enemy is invisible, hiding in an area of Japan that Mifune knows nothing about. The drama is tangible.

Most of Kurosawa's troupe is here, with familiar faces at every turn. Yoshio Tsuchiya (the gun-slinger from "Yojimbo") is one of the good guys this time as a police detective. Takashi Shimura (Kambei from "Seven Samurai") is the police director.

"High and Low" opened up whole new Kurosawa worlds for me. "The Bad Sleep Well," "Stray Dog," "Drunken Angel,"...I will never again limit myself to swords and top-nots. Great film!

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