Training Day (2006)

I must say, my preconceptions about Training Day were all wrong. The trailer I saw in the theatres made it look like a belated ripoff of The Corruptor, while director Antoine Fuqua's disastrous fumble with The Replacement Killers several years ago did nothing to boost my confidence.

My doubts were dispelled the minute Denzel Washington looked up from his newspaper. It is indeed good to see Washington, one of the most gifted actors of our time, abandon the saintly martyrs he's been prone to playing for 10 years and sink his teeth into a role which allows him to show a mix of deep charisma and dangerous viciousness. That same alchemy had made his breakthrough performance in 1989's Glory amazingly compelling, and in Training Day, there isn't a single moment where Washington is less than completely absorbing. Ethan Hawke also gives the performance of his career as Jake Hoyt, an idealistic but easily swayed young cop who finds himself drawn into a web of corruption, violence, and twisted morals.

Fuqua's directing is still overly stylish at times, but after a hyperactive first act, the film begins to roar. David Ayer's script is dazzling, a combination of rat-a-tat street vernacular and relentless forward momentum, and after the midpoint of the movie, the intensity of the scenes would reach incredible levels. And that's when Fuqua's show-offy camerawork finds a raison d'etre. In this film, Fuqua even finds room for some comparatively simple scenes which are really like a breath of fresh air to his filmmaking -for example, the "you're a leader" car scene, and that beautifully understated ending shot. I hope he makes this part of his regular style, because there's only so much virtuoso camera one can take before it gets tiring, as is the case in the opening of the film.

A white-knuckle thriller, well worthy of the accolades it received. I stand humbly corrected on my original predictions.

In all honesty, I had grown a bit tired of Denzel Washington's "goodie-two-shoes" roles in recent years, as great as they were. His performance in TRAINING DAY, however, has given me newfound respect for him as an actor. Not only does he play "the bad guy," but he milks it for all its worth his Alonzo Harris would make Clint Eastwood's DIRTY HARRY look like Barney Fife from "The Andy Griffith Show." The last time I walked out of a movie theater so rattled was after seeing DANTE'S PEAK in the early '90s mainly for its special effects. In TRAINING DAY, it was Denzel Washington's performance alone that blew me away! The fact that he has recently received his fifth Oscar nomination and third for Best Actor should come as no surprise.

Kudos also to Ethan Hawke for a great performance and a well-deserved Supporting Actor Oscar nod this year. Any young actor who can hang with the likes of Denzel Washington in a film like this DESERVES recognition. Hawke proves that he has a stellar film career ahead of him.

The Academy Awards telecast is March 24, and my money is on both these tremendous performers to come away with well-deserved Oscar gold. TRAINING DAY is a film with no special effects, no colorful cinematography, and no Picasso-esque art direction just a movie that slaps you upside the hide from start to finish, with two powerhouse performances that stay with you long after the closing credits.

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I've had many conversations with my friends about this movie. Conversations turned into debates. Debates turned into arguments. And there are many, many things to argue about concerning this particular movie, which I guess is part of its allure, at least for me. Whether it was realistic or not. Whether Denzel's performance, while indisputably good, was Oscar-worthy or not. Whether it was too violent, or simply a portrayal of the violence that goes on every day in a big city.

One at a time.

I believe this movie is realistic in all aspects dealing with the situations on the street. There are vicious people who's kill you just as soon as look at you. People who are out to get your money and your livelihood. People out to take your heart, sometimes literally. I believe that there are no clear-cut right or wrong answers out on the street. You just have to stick to some basic code of conduct and hope everything works itself out. I believe that not all cops are the knights-in-shining-armor people would like them to be in this post-September 11th world. That's probably not the most fashionable thing to say right now, but that's what I believe. I believe that mostly good and decent men can be corrupted by that sense of power and authority. And since my father was a cop in West Philly for 20 years, I have a pretty fair basis for my beliefs.

Whether Denzel's performance was Oscar-worthy or not... I don't put much stock in the Academy Awards myself. Usually, the Academy's criteria and mine differ a great deal. But they are supposed to reward people for excellence in film, and on that basis, Denzel certainly did deserve it. You could see the subtle shifts in Alonzo's character from scene to scene. Now, I didn't believe the character was stereotypical. If anything could be construed as stereotypical, it was his street persona. But that was only a persona, only a part of the character. It was the glimpses of the good man still lurking inside that made the character fresh and original. There isn't another actor working today that could've captured all those nuances. No Hopkins, no DeNiro, no Pacino, no Rush... nobody. He most definitely earned that Oscar, for what it's worth. And even if--IF--it was only a "freebie" for ignoring his tour-de-force performance as Malcolm X, it was certainly no different from Russell Crowe's situation last year, when he won for "Gladiator" after being passed over for "The Insider" a year before. And that reparation didn't even have the added wrinkle of any white actors having been ignored for 3 decades.

About the violence... I've never lived in LA. I've never even been off the East Coast, so I can't say I know how it is there. But I do know how it is here. This movie has no more violence in it than anything you might see on 52nd Street, or K & A, or 5th and Lehigh, or the Badlands, or even Broad and Olney, where I saw a crackhead jump on the hood of a man's car and promptly get the [stuff] beaten out of him. (If you live in Philly, or have ever lived here for an extended period, you know the areas I'm talking about.) It's not violent for the sake of violence, like other Hollywood movies. It's violent because it's a reflection of a certain lifestyle which happens to be very violent sometimes. That's what I believe.

Now I don't think that my opinion will change anybody's mind about this movie one way or the other, but maybe it'll help you see the other side of the argument. But if you haven't seen the movie, don't let this review or any other review sway you. Watch it with an open mind and judge for yourself.

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Back in the "go go" 1980s, during the heady era of Wall Street "greed," I read an article about a black stock broker indicted by the SEC for insider trading. It struck me that, in an odd way, this was indicative of progress for African-Americans. They had to have access to the inside in order to be indicted for it. In the old days, they never would have had those doors opened in the first place.

Which brings me to "Training Day", in which Denzel Washington delivers an astonishingly good performance as a totally corrupt and evil L.A. cop. The fact that an African-American leading man is portrayed as the "bad guy" is truly groundbreaking, and just another reason to look at this film and be in awe of it. In the same strange twist as the stock broker, here we see a black cop who has all the doors of sin open to him. Like the white cops of the Jim Crow South, he takes to corruption in a way that has no skin color. It is the story of humanity, temptation and power.

Blacks on film have for a number of years now been shown either one way or the other. There is no shortage of depictions of black drug dealers, gangbangers and "homies." Hollywood then tries to make up for it by portraying blacks as doctors, lawyers, voices of conscience or reason, and the most frequent stereotype, the "tough but fair police commander."

The negative portrayals of blacks, however, were never played by big name actors. Washington himself has built a career as a guy more or less saving the world in "Crimson Tide" and "Fallen". His flaws in "Ricochet" are brought out only by a vindictive white man (John Lithgow). In "Training Day", Denzel is all on his charismatic own, a product of a world that he is convinced revolves around him. By choosing to pursue this amazing role, Denzel demonstrates the kind of courage that is rare among actors.

Think of Robert Redford, for instance. Redford never let his hair down. He played heroes and fantasy figures. Every so often, however, a superstar will break type. Paul Newman did it in "Hud". So did Robert Duvall in "The Great Santini".

What is even more astonishing in "Training Day" is not just that a black guy is the bad guy, but a white guy (Ethan Hawke) is a clearly marked, unfettered hero, placed in utter contrast and opposition to the villain. "Candy Man", a B movie franchise of the early 1990s, featured the politically explosive portrayal of a black man slicing and dicing his way through white women, but this was hardly big time fare.

"Training Day" takes all the Political Correctness of the past 20 years and explodes it. Hawke not only is innocent and good in contrast with Denzel, but he is a Lancelot-type figure who comes to the aid of a Latino-girl-in-distress, and later faces torture and terror at the hands of a group of Mexican gangbangers. The actors who portray these guys are so good, so real and so terrifying that if you met them on the streets, even knowing they were just acting, you would be a little frightened.

By no means does "Training Day" leave the viewer groping with the uncomfortable notion that "white is right." The performances are too real and too powerful. It is only in retrospect that one realizes this is truly groundbreaking stuff. Denzel Washington is extraordinary. His performance in this film is among the very best ever seen. There are not enough superlatives, not enough words, than can do justice to his edgy power.

"Training Day" leaves the thinking viewer utterly exhausted and left in some kind of daze, grateful only that they do not live in the netherworld shown herein. Look at Ethan's face when he rides the bus after escaping, through pure luck and coincidence, death at the hands of the gangbangers. He is beaten. His actions afterwards are about redemption, a decision to take his life in a new direction in which expediency and innocence are no longer options. He has been transformed into a reluctant avenging angel, forced to face evil and fear because he cannot turn back. It is the story of Original Sin. Ethan represents what the viewer does not have the gumption to be at this point. The viewer wants only to crawl in a hole and forget what (s)he has seen, but Ethan's character is about the confrontation of good vs. evil that must take place if humanity hopes to advance.

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A brutal and disturbing film that attempts to connect you with the underbelly of the streets of downtown Los Angeles, while examining that fragile, thin line between those who enforce the law and those who break it, "Training Day," directed by Antoine Fuqua, is a cautionary morality tale that decidedly points out that what you do and who you are is a matter of free will and personal choice. Beyond the action, it's a study of human nature that explores the necessity of having a moral code by which to live, especially when confronted with that age-old seductress Evil, who can lure even the best of the best across that line from which there is no return. The most disconcerting aspect of the film, however, is in it's portrayal of those in high places who with facility betray those they are sworn to serve and protect, with their flagrant abuse of their position and power, and moreover, seemingly always manage to hold the high ground of advantage over those against whom their misdeeds are perpetrated. Indeed, the burden of proof must always fall to the good guy, and more often than not it is those endowed with a more positive, benevolent nature-the ones who want to do the right thing-that find justice elusive and become victims themselves, if only because of their refusal to compromise their own principles. And that is really what is at the heart of Fuqua's film, which very probably will take many viewers to a place they would rather not be. But, as Steve McQueen said in "Bullitt," when asked by his girlfriend how he can stand doing a job that keeps him so close to the gutter, "That's where half of it is--" And in today's world, unfortunately, it may well be that the percentage is even higher; which somewhat elevates the significance of this film.

Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), a nineteen month veteran of the L.A.P.D., is about to begin his first day on a new assignment, having landed a spot in the Narcotics Division, where he will be a member of a small squad under the direction of Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington)-if he measures up to Alonzo's stringent expectations. It's a job he wants, because he sees it as an opportunity to really do some good in the community; it's a place from which he can help rid the streets of drug dealers and other felons. But he quickly discovers that-as most worthwhile things are in life-it's just not that easy. As Alonzo is quick to point out, "If you want to protect the sheep from the wolf, you have to become a wolf. It's the wolf that catches the wolf--" Jake also learns that on this day he's going to have to make a lot of decisions, and make them quickly, without the luxury of time to consider all of the possible ramifications. And one of them is put to him directly by Alonzo, who tells him he's going to have to decide what he wants to be, a sheep-or a wolf. It's something he's going to have to know by the end of the day; and Jake doesn't know it going in, but this day, his "Training Day," is going to be a day that will change his life forever.

Fuqua's film is presented honestly and in such a way that it successfully puts the viewer on the streets of L.A., and Jake and Alonzo are credible characters; but the motivation behind Alonzo's ruthlessness is fairly anemic and under-developed. The weakness of the film, in fact, lies in the screenplay (by David Ayer), which though it captures a certain sense of "street-wise" reality, is otherwise rather formulaic and doesn't really have the depth it needs to make it emotionally involving. ...As Alonzo, Denzel Washington gives an excellent performance-and, quite frankly, this film would be less than average without him-but whether or not it is deserving of an Oscar is open to speculation. Washington is one of the finest actors in the business, without question, and he's taken on some challenging roles (in which he's been very successful) that make this part pale by comparison. Alonzo Harris is more along the lines of Mel Gibson's Riggs in "Lethal Weapon," or Eastwood's Harry in "Dirty Harry," the difference being that Alonzo is the bad guy. It's a credit to Washington's ability that he was able to make this such a strong character, however, and his Alonzo is certainly believable and real. And, in retrospect, perhaps it is an Oscar-worthy performance; it had to be to overcome the weakness of the script and what he was given to work with. And, again, without Denzel Washington, this film plays for two weeks in the theater and is quickly forgotten when it hits the video store shelf.

Hawke gives a strong performance, as well, but that he received an Oscar nomination for it is the stuff of which debates are born. Like Washington, however, Hawke does do a good job of bringing his character to life, and it is one of the strengths of the film.

The supporting cast includes Tom Berenger (Stan), Harris Yulin (Doug) and Scott Glenn (Roger). In the final analysis, "Training Day" is elevated by the performances of it's stars; without them, this one has no legs.

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The Black Pirate (1926)

To be thoroughly rewarded by enjoying a really good digitally restored classic like this, buy it. It was completely up to expectation and in it's brilliant original two strip colour technicolor. Certainly one of Fairbank's best swashbucklers and a full 90 minutes plus of superb entertainment.

Also on the blu-ray is the original re-released "talkie" version with Doug narrating the story with no intertitles ,from the thirties, although this version is in B/W. Plenty of extras with tons of extra footage that was not used in the actual movie.It amazed me that this footage has survived, although, again, it's unfortunately in B/W.

A remarkable buy and one that all vintage movie lovers will enjoy, especially those who love silent cinema as I do. Highly recommended.

Seen today, many of Douglas Fairbanks' films don't hold up too well, but his lavish 1926 swashbuckler The Black Pirate, shot in the still experimental, costly and time-consuming but here surprisingly impressive Two-strip Technicolor, works remarkably well. There's less of the camp prancing that marred his earlier Robin Hood (though the army of soldiers in swimming trunks and straps swimming to the rescue in the grand finale would look at home in any Gay Pride march) and less striking of heroic poses while manically grinning, with more genuinely exciting stunt work as he swings from the rigging or slices his way down billowing sails. Fairbanks is at his best here, not overacting or chewing the scenery as relentlessly as in some other films, perhaps because the film's revenge plot keeps him in check. The sole survivor of a pirate raid on his ship that cost his father's life, he swears to have his vengeance, bluffing his way into their crew by killing their captain in a swordfight and capturing a galleon single-handed only to risk everything for the beautiful princess they take hostage when some of the crew can think of better things to do with her than hold her for ransom.

Every pirate cliché in the book is faithfully presented, from buried treasure to walking the plank, though the pirates are especially brutal here: when one captive swallows a ring, they simply slice open his stomach to retrieve it (albeit off camera) or test the sharpness of a blade on a prisoner before disinterestedly wiping the blood off on his corpse. There's fine underplayed villainy and casual cruelty from former dentist Sam De Grasse (Prince John in Robin Hood) and comic relief from a one-armed Donald Crisp, though they're not quite enough to keep the film's pace from noticeably slackening somewhat in the middle. The most disappointing aspect is the undeveloped love story: beyond the necessities of the plot there's no real connection between Fairbanks and Billie Dove, so it's no surprise to find that in their final clinch it's actually his wife Mary Pickford standing in for her. And, while the sets are impressive even if the galleon is the size of a warehouse inside the model ships are never convincing. But there's more than enough here that does work, and works wonderfully well to forgive its shortcomings.

The real revelation is the use of color. Filmed on two separate strips of film one dyed red and orange, the other blue and green that were cemented together for exhibition, the Two-Strip Technicolor system was rarely very satisfying: good on burgundy, green, wood tones and navy blue but highly variable on flesh tones, what was a liability on most pictures actually works to its advantage here, with careful choice of color schemes paying off with what may well be the best looking Two-Strip Technicolor film. Thankfully the 1995 restoration does it justice, with the opening scenes of pirates looting and sinking a ship quite outstanding and the quality never less than good.

While the UK DVDs and some public domain releases are all black and white versions, Kino's Region 1 DVD is the 1995 Technicolor restoration with a full orchestra recording of Mortimer Wilson's original 1926 score, as well as a typically comprehensively informative audio commentary by Rudy Behlmer. Best of all, Kino's version comes with 19 minutes of revealing out-takes (sadly only in black and white, the color having completely faded), also with commentary. As well as the odd deleted snippet or mistimed stunt, there's footage of Fairbanks losing his temper after being nicked in a swordfight as well as detailed looks at many of the stunts that were shot in reverse. It's also interesting to learn that in an age before optical printers the film's lap dissolves all had to be done in-camera. Even better is Kino's region-free Bluray release, which includes an additional 29 minutes of outtakes and the adapted black and white "talkie" version of the film. All in all a terrific package just as long as you avoid the non-Kino releases.

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Having previously owned THE BLACK PIRATE on Laser Disc in the Technicolor version I find the Blu-ray to be a nice upgrade. Sometimes the 2-strip Technicolor is quite impressive and at other times on the washed out side. The thing to remember is that Fairbanks went to great efforts to recreate a pirate pallet and advanced the creative use of color greatly. In testing it was found that costumes and make-up photographed differently when shot under the lights of the studio then they did outdoors, so two sets of everything where designed to give the best possible color. The restoration improves the color but the early process is still limited. The Rudy Behlmer commentary on the feature and 18 minutes of outtakes is excellent. Well researched and quite informative. Having a newly recorded version of the original 1926 score along with Lee Erwin's organ score is a nice touch. If you are interested in Blu-ray versions of films from the silent era then Kino's release will be well worth adding to your collection.

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There is an improvement in image quality of this release, in comparison to the older Laserdisc and DVD releases. It has fairly good image quality, although the color is not as good as it was when this was originally released, due to the original negative being lost.

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A Separation (2011)

The Iranian film "A Separation" will most likely win this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and has already won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film as well as best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. "A Separation" is writer and director Asghar Farhadi's fifth film, and it's the one that will establish him as one of the world's most brilliant storytellers.

The title ostensibly refers to an urban middle class couple who have separated from each other; English teacher Simin has gotten a visa to emigrate to the West, but her husband Nader, who works in a bank, refuses to leave his father who has Alzheimer's. They have an 11-year-old daughter Termeh (played by the director's daughter) who doesn't want her parents to leave each other, and so chooses to stay with her father, knowing that Simin won't leave Iran without her.

But the title also refers to the rural-urban, traditional-modern, moral-utilitarian divides that coalesce to form the main conflict in this movie. After Simin leaves to live with her parents, Nader hires a villager named Razieh to look after his father. Looking after a male patient with dementia is too much for the pregnant Razieh, who must commute three hours to work. When Nader's father soils his pants, the profoundly pious Razieh has a crisis of faith, and seeks religious counsel to see if God will permit her to change the poor man's pants. She's underpaid and exhausted, but ultimately she's bound to the family's misfortunes by her own: her husband has lost his job as a cobbler, has to take medication for the consequent depression, and is in and out of debtors' prison. One day, Nader returns home to find Razieh absent and his father tied to the bed, and he becomes so distraught and angry that he fires Razieh by pushing her out the door. Then Nader and Simin find themselves in a hospital where they learn that Razieh has had a miscarriage. The two families entangle themselves in a legal fight to determine who was culpable for Razieh's miscarriage, and in the process dig themselves deeper and deeper into a moral conundrum.

Farhadi manages several neat tricks with this movie. "A Separation" is morally complex without being morally confusing, is dramatically tense and emotionally powerful without being melodramatic and emotionally overwhelming, and is sympathetic to all characters and viewpoints while affirming the power of truth and love.

Farhadi accomplishes this by building strong contrasts and comparisons between the three sets of characters. There's the two wives Simin and Razieh, while standing with their husbands and across from each other, nevertheless are devout to the "truth" (Simin to a modern and metaphysical "truth," Razieh to the Koran), and thus stood together throughout the film.

Then there's the two families' daughters who live in different worlds. One scene in a court of law outside the judge's chambers captures how irreconcilable this chasm really is: While waiting for their parents, Termeh is pre-occupied studying for her final exams with the help of her grandmother, while Razieh's 6-year-old daughter looks on with sad bright eyes, having never been inside a classroom and knowing she'll never get into one. But despite their differences they're both united by a child-like attachment to what is right, what is fair, and what is true an innocence that makes them equally suffer as the film sinks into its moral murkiness.

What ultimately drives the plot of the film is the conflict between the two husbands, who are tragically alike. Razieh's husband Hodjat is consumed with anger at his poverty and powerlessness, and he becomes more volatile and violent as he seeks justice for his wife and his unborn child, but feels helpless against a modern middle class urban society that seems to have united against his family. Simin's husband Nader is consumed by pride, which ironically makes this secular man a fanatic, as he seeks to prove his innocence, even if he has to lie, conspire, and abandon his wife to do so.

Besides using vivid characterization, Farhadi also manages to balance the complexity, contradictions, and conflicts by filming minimally in interiors. Every scene is either shot inside an apartment or a hospital or a court or a school or a car. He doesn't use wide angles to allow the audience to breathe a bit, nor does he attempt to control mood with music, color, and lighting. But the film's claustrophobia works to the story's advantage, magnifying and reflecting the tension and the anxiety in the characters themselves.

What ultimately makes this movie work so well then are the individual performances of all the actors. In his book The Ends of the Earth, Robert Kaplan argues that Westerners have a misconception of Iranians as cold and aloof Muslims, while in reality they're poetic and passionate Persians which is perhaps why they often make such gifted actors.

Towards the climax of the movie, Simin has negotiated a truce with Hodjat to pay "blood money" for the miscarriage so that the feuding can stop its downward spiral. Simin and Termeh, who is now living with her mother, go tell the good news to Nader in his apartment. Arguing that by paying he would profess his guilt, he refuses, and Simin walks out angrily. She attempts to take Termeh with her, but Termeh refuses. The 11 year-old fears his father's lies and equivocations, but above all she fears losing him, and so she tries to convince his father to take the deal. Then Nader says to her in that cold calculating manner only he's capable of: "If you think I'm guilty go get your mother, and I'll do what she wants."

Termeh's facial response powerfully captures so many hues and shades: It's at the same time loud and numb, stunned and aware, hurt and empowered. That one-second facial expression, caught between crying and laughing, reveals that if no one else has changed, she at least has. And she now knows that no matter how much she loves her father he's lost to her and to himself.

"A Separation" is a bold masterpiece of Iranian film-making.

This is a masterful, unblinking, documentary-like description of the incredibly delicate relationships that exist between the members of any family. It should appeal to any adult who has ever a) been married; b) been a parent; c) cared for an elderly person; d) had a serious difference of opinion with a mate; e) tried to be a good person and do the right thing but was thwarted by circumstances and dilemmas; and f) tried to keep the peace at home by telling a white lie that eventually had unintended consequences.

In other words, the very mature subject matter and plot should be of interest to just about any adult anywhere in the world.

I wonder why Hollywood is incapable of making similar films. The cost is minimal, but Hollywood would have to imagine a good story, write a realistic and intelligent screenplay and refrain from explosions.

["The Kids Are All Right" did an excellent job addressing the drama of family dynamics, but it seemed unable to move the focus away from sex and lesbianism. "The Kids..." addressed only one tenth the number of adult issues that "A Separation" does. I wonder if Hollywood is still capable of complex adult family drama.]

The subtitles were not distracting at all.

The sympathetic depiction of Alzheimer's and its effects on all family members is very real, but not at all "in your face".

When living in Cairo for five years our family resided in three separate apartment buildings similar to those in this film. From time to time we'd hear a domestic dispute underway somewhere in the building, and, because the raised voices were in Arabic, we could only imagine what the dispute was about. This film showed me that what was going on in those Cairo apartments was similar to what happens in just about any American home at some point in time.

Strangely, after the movie ended, the entire audience remained sitting watching the lengthy credits which were in untranslated Farsi. Clearly the audience was stunned by the intensity of the story. You will be stunned as well.

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A Separation, an Iranian film written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, is an intricate family drama set in current-day Tehran. It won both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for 2011, and was also nominated for Academy's Best Original Screenplay Award as well.

The film begins with a couple explaining to a judge why they want a divorce. Simin (Leila Hatami) wants to emigrate to another country where she feels they can have a better life for themselves and, more importantly, for their daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). They had filed the needed paperwork months ago and recently it finally came through. But her husband Nader (Peyman Mooadi), who had previously been agreeable to the idea, refuses to go, ostensibly because of his father who is suffering from Alzheimer's and now needs someone with him at all times. Simin, fearing the opportunity may never come again, is determined to go regardless and wants to take Termeh with her. But under Iranian law, she needs Nader's permission for that and he refuses to give it. So they feel that divorce is the only option left to them. The judge says that this is insufficient grounds for a divorce and refuses to approve their request, leaving them without any resolution to their problem. Simin, who had been looking after Nader's father, leaves their home and moves in with her family, while Termeh, who is in school, stays.

Their conflict becomes further complicated when Nader tries to find someone to look after his father while he is away at work. He cannot afford a professional caretaker, so he ends up hiring a woman named Razieh (Sareh Bayet) who is a friend of a cousin of his wife's. Complications arise almost immediately. Razieh, who has a young daughter and is pregnant with her second child, is reluctant to take the job but she desperately needs the money due to her hot-headed husband, Hodjat, (Shahab Hosseini) who is not only seemingly incapable of holding a job but is also being pursued by creditors. But it is soon clear that Nader, unwilling to see just how bad his father's Alzheimer's has become, has underestimated the level of assistance his father now needs, and on the first day Razieh has to contend with Nader's father soiling himself because he no longer realizes when he needs to go. The situation quickly deteriorates over the next couple of days and ends up in an argument between Nader, who comes home and finds his father alone and tied to the bed from which he has fallen, and Razieh who had left because she needed to go to the doctor. The argument ends up with Nader forcing Razieh from his apartment, and Razieh then falling on the stairs and ending up miscarrying. This escalates the conflict between the two families, with charges and counter-charges being filed and both husbands faced with being jailed.

What makes A Separation really work is the level of complexity that Farhadi brings out in the characters. There is no black-and-white here, no simplistic good-guys vs bad guys, only ordinary human beings having to deal with the kinds of problems that people all over the world have to deal with. For the most part, all of Farhadi's characters are people who are trying their best to do what they feel the right thing is, but who nonetheless are all too humanly flawed pride and stubbornness being first and foremost and who are not above trying to twist things in their favor even when in their heart of hearts they know they're doing the wrong thing. In lesser hands this would have been dealt with a comedic fashion, but in Farhadi's we are presented with realistic drama that everyone can relate to from their own lives.

There is also a subtleness present in A Separation which makes it both distinctly Iranian and yet universal at the same time. The dynamics of culture permeate the film and one gets a sense of just what it means to be an ordinary Iranian without the skewing political bombast and rhetoric which is all that most people ever see. The way in which the two families end up resolving their dispute in particular illustrates how different their culture is from ours. But at the same time, the characters in A Separation are universal in their lives, their situations and their human frailties as they try to cope with the same kinds of problems that people all over the world have to contend with. In Farhadi's characters, we see ourselves and/or people we know.

Nader is, as Simin says to the divorce judge at the beginning of the film, a decent man and a good father to their daughter, the latter illustrated in scenes where he pushes Termah to be confident and stand up for herself. And you can sympathize with Nader as he finds himself increasingly crushed by the need to try and care for his father. Two brief scenes are particularly poignant. In the first, where Nader and Simin are arguing before the judge, Simin tells Nader "Your father does not even know you!", to which Nader responds "But I know him!" And later, when he is alone and trying to get his father to change his clothes, and his father is no longer even aware enough to do anything but just sit like a lump, Nader struggles with the task, his father being too heavy even for him to handle alone, and finally he just breaks down weeping, realizing the impossibility of his situation, yet holding on to his father, unwilling to let go. But for all of his good intentions, Nader is all too humanly fallible as well. In the conflict over his possibly having caused Razieh's miscarriage, he makes statements which he knows are not true, most particularly claiming not to have known that she was pregnant. And when his daughter, Termeh, catches him on this, he puts the moral burden on her, asking if she wants her father to go to jail. And later, when Termeh ends up lying to the judge to support his lie, and Nader sees what his unwillingness to admit the truth is doing to her, he still gives in to weakness and lets the lie stand rather than risk the consequences of telling the truth.

But Nader is not the only character with human weaknesses. Simin tries to use Termeh as a way of getting Nader to go along with emigrating, just as Nader is using Termeh to keep Simin from emigrating. And at the same time, Termeh tries to manipulate the situation to keep her parents from breaking up. Hodjat, who is more flawed than any other character, tries to maniuplate the situation to get the money he needs to pay off his creditors. And even Razieh, who is the only one who is truly religious, is not above telling half-lies, partly out of pride and partly out of not wanting to admit being in the wrong.

In many ways, Razieh is one of the most intricately drawn characters in A Separation and serves to counter the common perception most people have of religious Iranians. Far from being the kind of militant shouting hard-liner we are presented with in the news, Razieh is simply someone who is devout in her faith and who is truly concerned with her everyday actions being proper within Islamic tenets. In an early scene where Nader's father has soiled himself, she calls her imam to ask whether or not it is proper for her to clean him up and change his clothes (to which the imam responds that yes, given the circumstances, it is proper for her to do so). Razieh is a person for whom sin is a very real thing with very real consequences, and this matters to her, even when doing the right thing comes with a heavy price. She reminded me very much of an aunt of mine who was a very strict Catholic. Again, this works for A Separation's universality, for even in secular societies we still have people often in our own families to whom this sort of thing still matters, and the film presents them in a way that we can relate to.

All of the actors give excellent performances, to the point that we feel that we're watching real people going through these crises in their daily lives rather than actors following a script. Payman Mooadi's Nader reveals much through his eyes and his expression, and while he works to keep his feelings under control, we see his inner turmoil on his face, particularly in the scenes where he knows he's setting the wrong example for his daughter, and worse, allowing his own weakness to emotionally blackmail her into doing what he's always tried to teach her is wrong. The same goes for Sarina Farhadi's Termeh, whose eyes show the hurt and disillusionment she feels after she lies to the judge to support her father's lie. And Shahab Hosseini's Hodjat is a subtle performance, making an unlikeable character at least somewhat sympathetic as he rails about, blaming everyone else for his troubles, by showing him to be a man who simply has no control over himself and is constantly being undone by his emotional impulses and bad judgment.

To his enormous credit, Farhadi does not give any of his characters easy outs for their problems. They do not get sudden magical insights, nor do they receive providential rescues. They must wrestle with them the way real people do and accept that the resolution, if it comes, may be far from satisfactory. We are reminded of this as the film ends, with Nader and Simin again outside the divorce judge's office, left waiting to find out which of them Termeh will decide to go with. The audience is left not knowing any more than they do. No tiy resolution, no neat Hollywood ending, just life the way it really is for most people.

Highly, highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of A Separation (2011) Here

A divorce in Iran isn't easy. However, if both parties agree to everything, it's possible. In this heartbreaking story, a couple has reluctantly agreed to part ways. The woman, Simin (Leila Hatami) wants to leave the country to have a "better life" for the family, especially for their beyond-her-years smart 11 year old daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi, director Ashar Farhadi's daughter). The husband, Nader (Peyman Maadi) is conflicted but refuses to move due to his elderly father's Alzheimers.

Termeh decides to stay with her father which then puts the brakes on Simin's departure. Simin moves in with her family leaving Nader responsible for his father. He hires a young mother to care for the older man. The woman (Sareh Bayat) brings along her own young daughter to the man's apartment. In one scene she is morally conflicted as to whether she is allowed to change the old man's pants when he soils himself. In a clarifying point of her confliction she feels she must call the "religion" police to get a ruling. Although barely showing, Razieh is also pregnant. This is also hidden beneath her numerous layers of clothing. This becomes an important issue in the story as to whether Nader knows of her condition.

On one day, Razieh must leave for a medical appointment, so locks the old man in the apartment and ties one hand to the bedpost to keep him from wandering around. Before she can get back, Nader and Termeh return early and find the old man slumped on the floor unconscious. This leads to an ultimate confrontation. During the argument, Nader physically forces Razieh out of the apartment. While we don't see everything that happens after that, she ends up in the hospital suffering a miscarriage. Razieh and her husband inform the police and Nader is charged with murder. Interestingly in Iran this doesn't appear to be a big deal for the police and the justice system. A little "blood money" will fix everything. Well, everything but pride and the truth.

This is a complicated film full of sympathetic characters. All isn't what it seems and eventually young Termeh carries all the moral weight which she applies to all with a deft touch. The pacing of this film is a bit tedious early on, but the second half is a riveting portrayal of rifts based on age, genders, religious beliefs, class distinctions and domestic struggles. A wonderful movie and probable Oscar winner.

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An Iranian film about a couple seeking a divorce. They split, and the man stays with his ailing father, hiring a lady to care for him. Problems arise, and legal troubles ensue for the man. This is a terrific film that portrays problems that are common to couples the world over. The conservative Iranian customs bring additional concerns for women who have less control over their lives in a male dominated culture. Regardless of the locality, this was a very well-told story about a family dealing with difficulties and is an outstanding foreign film.

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Run, Fatboy, Run (2008)

I too think, that the title "Run Fat Boy Run" is quite amusing and very apropriate for the film. Let me, in response to another reviewers question "who would pay money to see a fat boy run?" ask: who wouldn't?

The story is neither original nor complicated. At their wedding, Simon Pegg's character gets cold feet and takes off without explanation, leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind. 5 years down the line he, now a fat, pathtic looser without the mone to pay the rent, realises that he actually left the love of his life behind that day. She has found a rich, handsome, athletic American played very well by Hank Azaria, and has no need for her former fiance. So to win her back, Pegg must compete against his American competitor in a marathon race. Chaos and hilarity ensues.

Simon Pegg, who is nothing short of a comic genius, plays the gormless loser so joyously well, and adds to it his incredible sense of physical comedy. His American rival is in turn played expertly by Mr. Azaria, who somehow manages to portray a character that at the same time is absolutely charming, wonderful, and thoroughly unlikeable. The always funny Dylan Moran adds his own interesting personae to the character Gordon, the best friend of Peggs character. Also a guest visit from Little Britains David Walliams, makes for a nice little surprise.

I'm not the biggest fan of director David Schwimmer, but I must admit that he's done a decent job with this one. The score, scenery, production, and all the rest of it is also done quite well.

So in conclusion I'll say, that while "Run Fat Boy Run" is not in any way original or spellbinding, it does provide some solid laughs and is never boring. Definitely recommendable.

First, a warning to fans of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, the more popular of the Simon Pegg starred films: this isn't a film that would seemed to have come from the same team of film makers, that is despite the fact that Simon Pegg did help develop the story for this film. There are lines of humor and jokes in this film that hint at the playful spirit shown in those earlier films, but as a whole this movie is much more in the "charming" category where those films were done in a different manner entirely. Perhaps the difference is David Schwimmer's direction, perhaps it's the screen play, or perhaps Pegg was intentionally aiming for charming in an effort to widen his range and appeal, either way the result here is a film that fans of the earlier movies may be disappointed in.

If you can get past the idea that this film is going to be charming, rather than more satirical and crude, well, you find that the result isn't that bad. 5 star material, not so much for me, and really probably more in the 3.5 range overall, but I'm rounding up a bit as I happen to think charming isn't such a bad thing to be.

Simon Pegg plays Dennis, a man that ditched his pregnant girlfriend (Libby, played by Thande Newton) at the altar. Years later he finds himself working as a security guard that can't run more than a few blocks to try to catch the shoplifter that ripped off the shop we works at. Ah, the difference a few years, many cigarettes and not so healthy eating makes for.

Dennis is a not so dependable father to the son that Libby has been raising by herself, and meanwhile Libby has found another potential love interest (played by Hank Azaria) who seems to make Dennis all the more sad over the love he lost.

Eventually (not so far along really), Dennis decides that he'll run in the big marathon to impress Libby, not just because he wants to impress her, but because his competitor for Libby's interest is going to run in the event. Can a guy whose life is such a mess, not to mention the lack of being physically fit, actually run a marathon? That's what you'll be watching to find out. :-)

There are several crude jokes mixed into the film along the way, and several minutes of the same mixed into the outtakes that are included on the Blu-ray disc. Nothing that is that harsh, but those that are easily offended should consider themselves warned. A few instances of rough language also help get the film that rating it sports, so again if you are easily offended perhaps you're better off looking elsewhere.

Picture quality on the Blu-ray is nice. The soundtrack is enjoyable and the musical selections that are included fit nicely where they are placed. Give this romantic comedy a chance to charm you and you may find it more of a winner than you expected. Certainly worth a rental, not far from the buy it rating.

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I have really enjoyed Simon Pegg's films and 'Run Fatboy Run is no exception. With a winning cast this romantic comedy is much better than most films of this nature. If you liked 'Shawn Of The Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz', you should like this film.

David Schwimmer who directs this smart and funny love story is to be commended for giving us an inspiring feel good romantic comedy without over loading it with artificial sweeteners.

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I'd recommend watching this with some friends while training for your first marathon.

It's comical, but with a touch of inspiration.

It's about a man who sets out to prove his love to a woman, only to find himself in the process.

Some bad language, which I'd prefer was left out of every movie, but fairly clean film for teenagers and above.

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Excellent video and audio quality. Predictable, yet engrossing and funny storyline. Thandie Newton and Simon Pegg are their usual quality selves, while Hank Azaria really deserves kudos for his portrayal of a shallow, self-absorbed and cowardly character. Recommended.

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Hans Christian Andersen (2012)

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75) was an Ugly Duckling. He lived in the third largest town Odense, in Denmark. The son of a cobbler he was poverty ridden and a failure as an actor and it wasn't until he moved to Copenhagen and won the patronage of Frederick VI, through his poetry, that he wrote his fairy tales and developed into a swan. Like many artists he wasn't particularly happy, and never did marry, although he was very fond of Jenny Lind (1820-87) the Swedish Nightingale a soprano given the name by P.T. Barnum during her tour of the United States between 1850-52.) Charles Vidor's film does state at the beginning, This is not the story of Hans Christian Andersen but a fairy tale about the great spinner of fairy tales. The Danes objected to the way Hans Christian Andersen was portrayed even though Goldwyn had rejected 21 previous manuscripts, so the film company inserted this statement in the credits.

Danny Kaye with his chiselled features does resemble H.C.Andersen when looking at his profile, but apart from this facial feature that's where it stops. Kaye had dark hair but Hollywood soon changed that and he became a blonde, Andersen also had dark hair but he kept it that way.

Unlike some earlier musicals, this film does have a strong story line with loads of songs written by "Baby, It's Cold Outside", Frank Loessen, such as Thumbelina, Ugly Duckling, No Two People, and of course Wonderful Copenhagen. The scenery is very clever, the backgrounds look like illustrations from fairy tale books, but as the camera zooms in to the foreground the buildings and props become three dimensional similar to a pop-up-book.

There are four ballet scenes that I probably found boring back in `52, but revisiting them now, they are visually very interesting, technically I wouldn't know if they are good or mediocre but for a Hollywood musical film, four ballets must of taken an enormous amount of consideration seeing as the film is really for kids. Once again the backdrops for the ballets also resemble fairy tale illustrations and pop-up-books.

Instead of a soprano, Andersen falls in love with a ballet dancer and here's a musical that doesn't have a very happy ending because poor Hans gets mixed up with a married woman. The ballet dancer Doro, is played by Zizi Jeanmaire, and is married to Niels played by Farley Granger. During the last part of the film, the audience is taken behind the scenes of the ballet company playing at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen, but this isn't a film of a show included in a show, similar to earlier musicals, but an uplifting musical film with lots of music with catchy tunes helped by a ton of children.

The last ballet scene takes 17 minutes, quite long for a popular movie. In the film Hans writes a story especially for his love Doro, unfortunately Niels locks him in a cupboard so Andersen never sees her perform but has to use his imagination.

The ballet takes place on land and under the ocean. The surface waves are pop-up so that the dancers can be seen dancing in between the swells, it's really very clever visually, and there's no trickery here. Under the sea filled with monsters and witches, the heroine is probably attached to a pulley so that she can be seen swimming for the surface. There are no blue screens in this film, all effects are up-front and work perfectly similar to a staged ballet. Once again the technicolor process is used and this enhances the fairy tale effect with vivid colors.

Hans Christian Andersen fairy stories are not violent when compared to the Grimm brothers, but the themes usually have a lesson, and in the story written for Doro's ballet, "The Little Mermaid," it is saying that aiming for the stars does not always bring happiness, but then of course Walt Disney hadn't yet arrived on the scene and he soon changed that philosophy.

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN presents a fanciful, fictionalised re-telling of the famed storyteller's life, highlighted by Frank Loesser's beautiful score and the perfect casting of Danny Kaye in the central role.

As the film opens, cobbler Hans is entertaining the children of Odense, Denmark, with yet another fantastic tale, much to the consternation of the schoolmaster who feels the children are having their time wasted when they should be studying. This seems to be the opinion of most of the townspeople, so Hans is politely told to leave town...for a while anyway. Hans and his young assistant travel to the bright lights and bustle of Copenhagen for a fresh start, but old habits die hard and soon Hans is entertaining a new group of children with his amazing storytelling talents. When Hans is engaged to make slippers and toe-shoes for the city's ballet troupe, he becomes entranced by the prima ballerina Doro (Zizi Jeanmaire in her film debut) not knowing that she's married to the troupe's tough choreographer Niels (Farley Granger). His story of "The Little Mermaid", inspired by Doro, becomes the ballet's new work, but discovering the truth, Hans returns to Odense a hero, his storytelling now famous all over Europe.

Danny Kaye is just was is called for in the role of Hans. His natural warmth, fatherly air and ability to combine pathos and heart serves him well in his performance. Zizi Jeanmaire as the glamorous Doro likewise is perfect casting (although Moira Shearer from "The Red Shoes" was first choice, pregnancy prevented her from doing the film). Having shot to fame in husband Roland Petit's ballet version of "Carmen", Jeanmaire adds a European beauty and elegance to her role, and Petit staged all the ballet numbers in this film too. Farley Granger's Niels is the perfect foil to Danny Kaye's innocent and childlike Hans, and the love triangle is thrillingly brought to life in the Dream Ballet.

Frank Loesser's score is what most people remember the film for, and it's one of the best written by the legendary composer-lyricist. He had just come from his phenomenal success on Broadway with the score of "Guys and Dolls" and Hollywood was eager for him to ply his trade for the movie musicals of the 1950's. Songs like "Thumbelina", "The Ugly Duckling", "Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen" and "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" have become well-known standards. "Inchworm", bookended by children chanting their times tables, is so lovely and gentle in it's beauty, and "No Two People" is a jaunty little duet for Hans and Doro in the Dream Ballet.

This film was beautifully-photographed by Oscar-nominee Harry Stradling. The film also received Oscar nominations for Costume Design (Mary Wills, Madame Karinska), Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Music Scoring (Walter Scharf), Best Song and Best Sound Recording. The Technicolor photography is absolutely stunning and the bold colours pop off the screen with their brightness and clarity.

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I fell hopelessly in love with Danny Kaye when I was 8 years old, and I'm still crazy about him many years later. . . no other performer of whom I'm aware has ever shown his unique combination of comic virtuousity, tenderness, silliness, physical bravado and dramatic depth.

He could also really sing, not just comically but straightforwardly, in his naturally rich, sweet lyric-tenor voice. If you really listen to the "Inchworm" song, you will hear just how fine his voice really was.

The ballet sequences in the movie transfixed me as an eight-year-old ballerina wannabe. Maybe they look hokey to present-day grownups, but I bet most kids would immediately understand.

One of the best movies ever!!!!

Read Best Reviews of Hans Christian Andersen (2012) Here

This is a truly charming film for people of all ages.

Danny Kaye is perfectly cast as the famous and wonderful

story-teller, Hans Christian Anderson. I highly recommend this

very enchanting film, and would give it ten stars if I could!

Buy it, and your in for a real treat.

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When I was 11 years old, I wanted to marry Danny Kaye when I grew up; my parents kindly explained to me that he was dead. I still don't really believe it, though -Danny Kaye will always live on in the imaginations of his fans.

No comedian was ever so tender; no romantic actor was ever so silly. Danny Kaye is still my hero, and he always will be!

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Toy Story 3 - Movie Only Blu-Ray (2008)

My review is brief as others have almost said it all. I just want to say that I am 62 years old, and just the thought about the way I felt when I saw this movie in the theatre makes me tear up. It is a nostalgic feeling in a big way. Reminds you of your childhood and those special feelings about growing up. You want to grow up and get on to being an adult in the worst way, but thinking back now your childhood was such a very special time. So fleeting and if we're lucky, such a special time in our lives.

I highly recommend the purchase of this movie to add to your collection.

I honestly feel that the series should stop here. Perfect right where it was left.

I went to the San Francisco Film Festival screening at Pixar Studios last night not really knowing what to expect. Toy Story has been with us for 15 years now (20, in terms of actual development) and I had a sinking feeling that maybe all the character potential had been used in the first two and this was some shameless plot by Disney to exploit the franchise ("Little Mermaid 3", anyone?). Well, shame on me for underestimating the capabilities of Pixar, who once again have shown how a small studio in Emeryville is a storytelling powerhouse that leaves the rest of the industry in the dust.

Toy Story 3 is the tale of Andy, the toys' owner, going to college and their quest to determine their future headed between the attic or a daycare center. If you've enjoyed the way the first two films blend character drama with innovative action and humor, this cocktail hits its stride in the third film, which draws on everything we already know about the characters and then adds two new entire sets of toys to the plot. There's a new villain, two very amusing romance sub-plots and a litany of visual gags that push the envelope even further. I'm not allowed to go into any details but the second half of the film is a familiar set piece performed in a completely new way that will forever change your view of certain toys and day care centers.

Apart from a level of animation that sets the bar in the industry and an attention to detail that makes you wonder what most "real" films actually do in pre-production, the real genius of the third film is to provide a satisfying conclusion that gives every character a completed character arc. About 20 minutes before the end, I was wondering how they would do this since there were some fairly dark moments (similar to those in Wall-E and Up), but naturally they manage to pull it together. There's literally not a single wasted shot, let alone a wasted scene, and the pace quickens throughout to keep the tension mounting.

Overall, this is another Pixar classic that easily has enough for both kids and adults (and movie aficionados). It's not difficult to see why each of their movies takes five years to complete yet despite the technical wizardry, the success of their movies is fundamentally routed in their stories, a fact which most other studios seem to forget these days. As to whether the stage is set for Toy Story 4, I suppose they could always pull it off given the creativity at work here, but I think there was a deliberate attempt to make this the last in the series.

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"Toy Story" was about sibling rivalry. "Toy Story 2" was about loving others, even if it means you might get hurt someday.

So what is "Toy Story 3" about? It takes the whole "kids + loyal toys" theme to its natural conclusion, by showing us what happens when the kids grow up and leave. While the first two-thirds of the movie are fairly pedestrian (for a Pixar movie!), the last part is both action-packed and emotionally wrenching.

Ten years have passed, and Andy is now a college-bound teenager. His toys are anxious about what's going to happen, so Woody keeps assuring them that they'll be put safely in the attic. But a misunderstanding leads to a date with the garbage truck. Since the toys believe they have been abandoned, they jump into the box of donated toys bound for Sunnyside Daycare.

They're greeted by the genial Lots-o'-Hugging Bear (aka Lotso) and the friendly daycare toys, and all seems to be well. But Andy's toys soon discover that Sunnyside is a nighmare -they've been assigned the "Caterpillar Room" for wild abusive toddlers, and Lotso is the Godfatheresque overlord of the daycare. Once Woody learns the true horrors of Sunnyside, he must infiltrate the daycare and somehow get his friends out.

You know that the movie industry is officially in a slump when the cleverest, funniest and most touching movie of the summer... is a CGI sequel about toys. "Toy Story 3" starts off rather lightweight at first, with the toys being brought into Sunnyside and Woody setting off in another direction.

But once Lotso is revealed as the villain, the movie takes a sharp turn -it becomes a clever, complex "Great Escape"-style caper, with some moments of G-rated horror (THE MONKEY!) and hilarity (resetting Buzz ends up turning him into a flamenco-dancing suave Spaniard). And while the toys' attempted escape from Sunnyside is taut and genuinely thrilling, it's only the START of the climax -a harrowing, genuinely scary chase scene that brings the toys together.

And there's a bittersweet core to "Toy Story 3": kids grow up, leave home and the people/toys they leave behind are both proud and sad. In the final scenes of the movie,we're quietly ushered through the emotional goodbyes and hellos of growing up.

And the adorable little cast of toys still remind us that what matters most is love and loyalty, particularly during a deadly crisis where they all fearfully join hands (it sounds sappy, but it isn't). There's also some endearing additions to the cast -the foppish clotheshorse Ken, Big Baby, a Totoro, a giggly tricerotops, and the Shakespearean stuffed hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants.

Anyway, this blu-ray/DVD combo has a wealth of extras -trailers teasers, theatrical shorts (oh look, Night and Day are scuffling!), "Cine-emplore," commentary, lots of making-ofs, behind the scenes stuff like "A Toy's Eye View: Creating A Whole New Land," a music video, and just lots of endearing odds and ends like Ken's dating tips. Er...

It hurts to say goodbye to Woody, Buzz and their friends, but "Toy Story 3" is a fitting farewell that brings the trilogy full circle. Best movie of the summer, hands down.

Read Best Reviews of Toy Story 3 - Movie Only Blu-Ray (2008) Here

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

Not counting shallow effects, there are about 16 out of screen effects that extend 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer, 1 effect at 15% and a few blurry rain drops at 20%.

The quality of the in screen 3D is good to very good but...

PIXAR DOES NOT WANT (or try to create) OOS EFFECTS.

Children may enjoy Pixar's in-screen 3D films, but if Pixar wants to ignore half of the 3D technology, they should only charge half as much.

*** Disappointing OOS 3D ***

MY 3D RATING = GOOD (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

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What amazes me is that PIXAR continues to keep the story, characters, and action fresh in a third installment of the story line.

How many sequels come close to the original? How many "part 3's" come close? Very few.

But this is great and my kids and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first two. if you have children then this is a MUST buy. (assuming you've seen the first two).

Final Destination (2009)

"Final Destination" is a pretty good flick considering that it's filed under the "Teen Slasher" title. The concept of Death coming after those who have thwarted their fate seems fairly original to me. I don't recall any other movie using this concept.

As most of you probably know, the story starts out with a young man(Devon Sawa) having a vision of Flight 180, the flight he and his classmates happen to be on, exploding into a ball of flames. He freaks out, gets himself and some of the other students and a teacher booted off of the plane and shortly thereafter, his vision becomes truth. He's considered a prime suspect for planting a bomb on the plane.

One by one, however, his classmates begin to die in some rather unorthodox ways. The agents tailing Sawa happen to notice that he has been around when most of these deaths occur, further incriminating him. Sooner or later Sawa, Ali Larter, and a few of the other surviviors realize that Death is hunting them down in the order that they should have died in the plane explosion.

This is where the train goes off the tracks. The plot gets a little bit loopy and things get rather silly as Death picks off the survivors one by one. The death scenes are rather original, and some of them make you cringe for a second as Death narrowly misses his victims. Of course, you have to wonder how Death can pull off a plane explosion, but can't manhandle a few puny high schoolers after they avert him the first time around. Just don't take this movie too seriously, and I'm sure everything will be okay. Look beyond the absurdities and you'll love every minute of it.

Overall, this isn't a bad flick. The story, though somewhat absurd, is original and the pacing of the film is perfect. The acting is solid, though Sawa seems a little bit stiff compared to the others. Ali Larter does a fine job as the loner who is the first to believe in Sawa's character. All of the death scenes are morbidly entertaining. I'm sure everyone has heard about the scene with the bus. If not, keep your eye out for it. It's one of the quickest, most violent deaths I've seen in the past few years. Also, look for the guy from "Candyman."

Recommended to teen slasher fans who like gore more than actual scares and anyone who just wants a neat popcorn flick to kill a little time. This one is entertaining enough to fill that need.

I went in hoping very much to like this film, and I came out being surprised that I actually did.

A group of students bound for Paris leave the plane when one has a terrible vision, only to find that it comes true a few moments after takeoff. Oh, but death doth not allowth such an easy route out. Soon the ole Grim Reaper begins to hunt down each of these students one by one and kill them off. Wow, a slasher flick with the ultimate slasher, huh? Yep, and it works beautifully.

The film starts off with the best plane crash perhaps ever seen on screen and is quickly followed by two very original death scenes. And well, then it kinda goes downhill. What started out clever becomes cliché, and the last few deaths are not nearly as original as the first. The ending is also very lame and seems more tacked on for sequel purposes than for a "complete film."

Still, even with those flaws, and the semi-bad acting, the dialogue shines and the movie itself blazes. Final Destination has its flaws, but in spite of them it ranks as one of the most entertaining films so far this year. Go see it, but beware if John Denver comes on the radio...

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This movie takes a revolutionary approach to the teen slasher flick remove the slasher. Instead of a dude in a mask, our photogenic heroes are up against Death himself. Death doesn't need a butcher knife or a fisherman's hook to kill the instruments of death are everywhere, from the slippery tiles in the bathroom to the can of turpentine in the garage.

The filmmakers make the most of style and atmospherics, loading the beginning of the film with almost subliminal foreshadowing, using subtle tricks of light, set, and sound design to enhance the feeling of foreboding. The result is a film with a unique, look and feel to it, not another run-of-the-mill horror flick.

There's also a welcome sense of morbid humor at work here. It's not precisely the satiric post-modernism of Scream. Rather, it's the blackest kind of comedy: we have to laugh at death, because we can't do anything about it.

I can't say I cared enough about the characters to have an emotional stake in what happened to them, which is the film's only flaw. Though they're more 3-dimensional than your typical cliched teens, they weren't real enough to elicit my sympathy.

Nevertheless, it's a finely crafted thriller, with genuinely disturbing scenes and grim humor amiably rubbing shoulders. Some said this makes an inconsistent tone, I disagree. Life itself is tragic one minute, comedic the next. You just have to roll with it. The comedic scenes don't diminish the horror, or vice versa.

The DVD is a five-star treatment, with several deleted scenes leading up to an alternate ending that fell victim to audience testing. It's a more philosophical ending, but almost ridiculous in its earnestness and not quite true to the spirit of the film; still, it's interesting to see. There are also two commentary tracks, one with the filmmakers and one with the actors. Add to that assorted documentaries and games, and you've got hours of fun.

Definitely a cut above your average teen-in-peril flick. If you're a horror fan, you'll enjoy this.

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Version: U.S.A / New Line Warner / Region Free

VC-1 BD-25 / AACS

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Running time: 1:38:02

Movie size: 20,306,337,792 bytes

Disc size: 22,792,510,156 bytes

Total bit rate: 27.62 Mbps

Average video bit rate: 21.30 Mbps

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1644 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1644 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)

Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps

Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby Surround

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby Surround

Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish

Number of chapters: 20

#Audio Commentaries

#Deleted Scenes

#Featurettes

--A Look at Test Screenings (SD 13 minutes)

--Premonitions (SD 20 minutes)

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I tend to like a lot of high-brow dramas and foreign films, but I also enjoy a good, exciting thriller. What sets Final Destination above so many high school-set horror films is its original premise. The killer is not some deranged madman or...cheerleader, but Death itself. Another good thing is the production values. The quality of the special effects, the locations and even the actors (they aren't Olivier, but they're believable) is pretty high for this kind of film. The writers and director (Morgan, Reddick and Wong) pay great attention to detail and are good at building tension in the story. Watching the bathroom scene puts my nerves so much on edge that I cannot watch the entire thing with my eyes open. The DVD is nice because it shows the alternate ending, and discusses the screening and previewing process. This is just a fun, but scary movie to watch at home with your folks or some friends. I've seen it a couple of times. My only real complaint about it is the character of Clear Rivers, portrayed by Ali Larter. She came off as kind of cold and maybe creepy. I'm not sure what the deal was with that; I'll have to listen to the director's commentary one of these days.

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My Way (2011)

South Koreans have a way with film. In the last decade, they've had a particularly good run at presenting war stories, some from the World War II era and many others exploring the Korean War. I've had the good fortune of seeing several of them each one perhaps a bit better than the last and now I can add MY WAY to the burgeoning list of accomplishments. It's a big budget critical success that opens your eyes to the plight of people who find themselves equally at odds with themselves as they do the greater world around them.

At a time when Japan ruled a smaller Korea, Kim Jung-shik (played by Jang Dong-Gun) and Japanese aristocrat Tatsuo Hasegawa (Joe Odagiri) find themselves as bitter young rivals to the upcoming Olympics. When Kim and his fellow residents rebel against the Japanese authorities after stripping the young man of a chance to represent his country, they're all conscripted into the Japanese army. Their fates collide again as Kim's regiment is assigned to Tatsuo, now serving his country as an officer. When both are seized by the Soviets in a bloody battle, they'll slowly learn to trust one another again until they're separated by the invading German army. Eventually, they're reunited at Normandy Beach, only days before the fateful invasion of the Allied Forces, when destinies collide in this epic story of survival.

And it is a truly epic film. MY WAY features some powerful performances by all of the principles as well as some fantastic filmmaking at work on all levels. Director Je-kyu Kang has produced a masterpiece that explores personal conviction and redemption against the backdrop of the international stage. War is arguably the most horrific form of conflict to explore stories of one's humanity, but the script (which he co-wrote with Byung-in Kim) gives everyone here the chance to explore who they are as individuals as well as members of a greater society. Kim and Tatsuo end up drivers of their own cruel fates as they are victims of their time, always conscripted to serve some greater enemy. Where others sell out their souls in order to secure momentary freedom, these two men remain tied to their own convictions big or small, right or wrong and they suffer the consequences of their own prejudices. However, along the way, they manage to retain as much of their dignity as the circumstances allow, and they prove once again that even in the darkest of times there is some goodness to be found in the unlikeliest of friendships.

As for the completed product? The cinematography is breathtaking, at times, and heart-breaking at others. It's the kind of visual mix reserved for blockbuster films, of which MY WAY definitely deserves to sit side by side. The director clearly went to great lengths to capture these various terrains the stark beauty of open fields, the harsh claustrophia of the Russian winters, the majestic swells on the beaches of Normandy and adapt them to the message of each sequence, and it all looks solid and impactful. The musical score is equally impressive though perhaps a bit derivative at times.

MY WAY was produced by Directors, SK Planet, and CJ Entertainment. DVD distribution is being handled through Well Go USA. The disc looks and sounds exceptional the picture is stunningly crisp, and the audio is a terrific mix for both the big and the smaller elements. As is often the case with some of these foreign releases finding distribution in the US, there aren't tons and tons of special features, but, thankfully, MY WAY has a solid few: there's a `making of' featurette along with some behind-the-scenes material, cast interviews, and a director interview. Also, there's an English-dubbed track which I found helpful given the fact that there are sequences of some rapid-fire dialogue that just doesn't give this ol' pair of eyes enough time to read all of it. It clocks in at an impressive 143 minutes, but you wouldn't know it; it never felt overlong or overwrought in the slightest, as the focus retains a personal edge throughout.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. MY WAY continues to string of terrific war-related films out of Korea. Culturally, their artists have latched on to a winning, compelling formula of delivering tales of great conflict alongside some tragic and triumphant personal narratives. Granted, there were a few sequences one tinged with fairly predictable character-based humor that `cheapened' a few moments, but they're very, very small (and completely forgivable) when compared to the epic scope of the picture. MY WAY walks that line with excellent balance it's as frightening as it is inspiring and it's easy to see why the NYC Movie Guru dubbed it the "most powerful war film since SAVING PRIVATE RYAN."

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the good folks at Well Go USA provided me with a DVD screener copy of MY WAY by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.

Riveting. Brutal. Epic. All of the above. Director Kang Je-gyu sure knows how to make films that are heartbreaking. Based on the true story of an Asian man found on the beaches at Normandy during World War II, somehow the main character ends up being forced to fight for the Japanese, the Russians, and the Germans over the course of the film. There are at least five different languages spoken in this film: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and German. And then the credits roll with a wonderful song from Italy's own Andrea Bocelli. Truly a multinational picture. Contains amazing scenery and a jaw-dropping, climactic recreation of the Normandy invasion. Just don't watch it if you're squeamish. Very, very graphic in places. But so powerful.

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A epic production about two friends who grow up together ,but a horrible tragedy while they were young tore them apart, the acting in this film was very compelling ,the meat of the film is the spectacular war scenes , very realistic and harsh, there are few similarities with this film and the film "the brotherhood of war" which came a few years prior to this one ,both films told a very human story around the brutal reality of war.A likeable movie but very long.

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This is the sort of film the word `epic' was coined for. It is a Korean World War II film that takes in China, Russia and Europe as its scenes for some really well done battles. It is based on `true events', and I suspected a lot of licence has been taken but have since found out that this is based on the life of a Korean captured by the Americans on D Day in a Wermacht uniform Yang Kyougjong.

The film is the story of two men Jun-Shik (Dong-gun Jang `Brotherhood') and Tassuo (jo Odagiri `Shinobi'), the former is Korean and the latter Japanese. They are both keen runners and an early rivalry starts between them as children when Tatsuo's family move to the now conquered Korea to bring the Imperial Army jackboot down on the populace. An enmity soon grows between the two which is worsened by Japans decision to not allow Koreans to do the try outs for the Olympics.

As a result of the ensuing unrest many Koreans and press ganged or sentenced to fight in the Imperial Army, this happens to Jun-Shik and many of his friends, they are sent to China to further the war that has been raging there since 1937. They have to face Russian tanks with swords drawn and strap bombs to themselves as suicide attacks and it all kicks off. Hopelessly out numbered and out gunned they are taken prisoners of the Russians. This now begins the story of bitter struggle in the camps and the ensuing journey across Europe. To say any more would be a plot spoiler, but having said that there is rather a lot of plot so please don't think I have revealed too much already.

There are some great battle scenes and the action is all excellent as is the period detail and the languages are all authentic too, including Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, German and English; so this is obviously sub titled. There is rather a lot of CGI and it is all on the above average side, but considering the scope and ambition of this film, they could not have done it any other way.

This is from `Brotherhood' director Kang Je Kyu who has taken seven years off but made this in ten months, I just hope he doesn't need such a break this time. For location fans this was actually shot in Latvia, but I did not feel this lacked authenticity. Whilst this is unashamedly emotional as most Korean cinema is, it is still brimming with action and no on screen time is wasted, it is an edge of seat marathon with a run time of 2 hours and eighteen minutes, you get a 40 minute `making of' as an extra too. If you are a fan of the ever growing catalogue of Korean action films, then this is one you will want to add to your collection unmissable.

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Magnificent. Overpowering. A true masterpiece. "My Way" is, in my view, one of the best movies about war ever, one that you will feel and live. Well Go USA brings us again another piece of Korean-Japanese history that desperately needed to be told, and it looks outstanding in its Blu-ray edition.

Helmed by Kang Je-Kyu, who was also responsible for "Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War" (2004), the film takes us to Korea, during the Japanese occupation of that country. We immediately meet Jung-shik Kim (Dong-gun Jang), whose father works for a high-ranked Japanese army officer, as well as Tatsuo Hasegawa (Jo Odagiri), grandchild of this officer, who comes to visit. Both Jung-shik and Tatsuo are very young, and they are excellent runners. Unfortunately, a tragedy happens which separates the families, and they never develop a friendship while growing up together. In addition, at the time, some, if not most, Japanese looked at Koreans as low-class people. Once they become adults the year is 1938 --, Tatsuo, who is wealthy, is due to go to medical school (against his will; instead, he wants to become an army officer) and Jung-shik, who is poor, becomes a rickshaw driver. Tatsuo, too, is running at the Olympic Games, representing Korea, which infuriates the Korean population. As a result, Tatsuo and Jung-shik have to compete for the Olympic trials, with Jung-shik winning, but being cheated by government officials who wanted Tatsuo at any cost. But fate intervenes and Japan goes to war, with the Koreans forced to join the Japanese army as "Imperial soldiers." As expected, both Jung-shik and Tatsuo go to war, and their paths will be crossing over and over for the next years, leading us to a surprising, dramatic end.

"My Way" is a story about redemption under the worst circumstances, and the battle scenes are as realistic as they can get, with amazing cinematography by Mo-Gae Lee and production design by Geun-hyun Cho. This is one grandiose production, also ignored by Hollywood. The Blu-ray includes a making-of feature, interviews with the director and Dong-gun Jang, and more. (South Korea, 2011, 143 min plus additional materials).

Reviewed on July 30, 2012 by Eric Gonzales for Well Go USA Blu-ray.

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The Quick and the Dead (1995)

I am not Sharon Stone's biggest fan and I did not expect to like this movie when I saw it, but now I find myself watching it every time it is on tv. Gene Hackman is great as the sadistic John Herod, he is even meaner than in Unforgiven. Russell Crowe gives a good performance as Cort, and Crowe is finally getting the attention that he deserves as a serious actor. Sharon Stone's role does not demand all that much of her and she does what is expected of her. Leonardo DiCaprio exudes the appropriate amount of cockiness as the young upstart gunslinger. There are some good minor roles in the film, including Lance Henriksen as Ace and Keith David as Cantrell, the man secretly hired by the oppressed townfolk to take out Herod. The most dramatic moment in the film comes when he faces Herod and the townspeople bend their heads in prayer for salvation only to be disappointed as Cantrell comes to a brutal end. Some of the other reviewers found the camera angles annoying and certain scenes unrealistic. Well, this movie doesn't strive for realism. It is part send off of spaghetti westerns and part live action adult cartoon. If you see the movie in this spirit, you cannot help but like it.

In 1995, then-blossoming director Sam Raimi (who went on to direct the "Spider-Man" and "The Evil Dead" films) and writer Simon Moore ("Traffic") worked on their first Western. Joined by composer Alan Silvestri ("G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra", "Beowulf", "Night at the Museum" and "The Mummy" films) and cinematographer Dante Spinotti ("X-Men: The Last Stand", "The Family Man" and "Red Dragon"), the crew set out to create a unique western that has never been done before.

"The Quick and the Dead" featured an all-star cast which included the sexy Sharon Stone ("Basic Instinct", "Sliver", "Bobby" and "Catwoman"), the legendary actor Gene Hackman ("Unforgiven", "Crimson Tide", "The Replacements", "Heist", "Behind Enemy Lines" and "Runaway Jury") and two actors that would become popular a few years after the release of this film, Russel Crowe ("Gladiator", "A Beautiful Mind", "Cinderella Man", "American Gangster") and Leonardo DiCaprio ("Titanic", "The Departed", "Bood Diamond", "Gangs of New York").

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"The Quick and the Dead" receives its first HD release on Blu-ray. Featured in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1), the film for the most part captures that Western feel and at times, the picture quality showcases the grit of the West. From Sharon Stone's blue eyes to gold in the the teeth of some of the people in the town, there are times that the picture quality looks very good especially since this is a 15-year-old film.

But there are times when the picture quality just looks bad. In one scene during a discussion between Ellen and Cort and when it focuses on her, the film looks as if the the low light added so much noise around the film. Fortunately, this segment is short. The other thing is that the film in high definition also does make certain CG segments a bit unreal (ie. a tremendous hole in the middle of one's head).

But for the most part, the film does look good for a film back in 1995. And happy to know that Sony has decided not to use DNR (digital noise reduction) and kept the grain intact.

As for the audio, "The Quick and the Dead" sounds awesome. The lossless audio really takes advantage of the surround channels. I was pretty impressed because it's one thing to get the clear dialogue and the gun shots from the front and center channels (and gun shots zipping through the surround channels) but there a good amount of scenes that really utilize the surround channels and some of those booms are not just short, some actually linger. I also noticed a bit of LFE, so for the most part, the audio for "The Quick and the Dead" was pretty solid. Not reference quality but for a 1995 film, it sounds great.

Subtitles are in English, English SDH and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The Quick and the Dead" comes with only one special feature (aside from the trailers) and that is the film is presented in movieIQ. For those with Blu-ray players that are BD-Live enabled, you can watch the film while a panel on the side can be accessed via your remote with information about the cast, crew, music and production.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"The Quick and the Dead" is by no means the greatest Western, nor is it the best. But what it does well is trying to accomplish something different by capturing the look and feel of a spaghetti Western, but also making the protagonist a female surrounded by an interesting group of characters.

Sharon Stone is absolutely beautiful in this film and the film wasn't created that long after "Basic Instinct". She was one of America's top, sexiest female leads and it was interesting to see her in a film that captures that beauty and sexiness but also has a hint of danger around her. I suppose its up to the viewer if she was a win or fail for the film but for the most part, the concept of a female protagonist was definitely enjoyable to see in this film. It's also important to note that this was the first film that Sharon Stone co-produced.

As for the other talent, Gene Hackman is just solid in any Western. The film was made a few years after his Academy Award winning appearance in the classic Western "Unforgiven" and he seemed as a natural playing the antagonist in "The Quick and the Dead". As for Russell Crowe, he was still an unknown in the US despite being popular in Australia and Asia (especially in Japan for his other 1995 film "No Way Back") and Leonardo DiCaprio was starting to emerge after his Academy Award nominated performance in the 1993 film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" and plays a young man quick with his gun but all he has wanted was respect from his outlaw father John Herod.

The film also had interesting behind-the-scenes information (probably why there are no special features included on the Blu-ray) in regard to Sharon Stone starring in the film only if Sam Raimi directed and writer Simon Moore being fired and then rehired to fix a script written by writer Tom Sayles but instead of fixing it, omitted Sayles work completely and gave him his own rewrite. It's important to note that Sony at the time was against Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio to be in the film that Sharon Stone was the one who fought for Crowe to be in the film and because of Sony not wanting DiCaprio for the film, Stone paid him out of her own pocket.

If anything, I felt that Raimi did a fine job with this film because no matter what was going to happen, there would be viewers that don't necessarily have female gunslingers in their minds as the main protagonist. Sure, the gunfights may be cliche and the screenplay may not be deep and engaging, but "The Quick and the Dead" was not a film I was expecting to be the next "Unforgiven" nor was I expecting anything remotely close to a Clint Eastwood or John Wayne film either.

Overall, "The Quick and the Dead" was a wild, fun and entertaining film that may not have been a financial success in the box office nor was it a film that received many positive responses from the critics, but it was one of those films that people didn't take seriously and wanted a Western popcorn flick to enjoy and be entertained. For those who want to see a different kind of Western on Blu-ray, you may want to give this film a chance.

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The Quick and the Dead has long been derided as a Sharon Stone star vehicle that flopped. However, there is much more to this film than meets the eye. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes, Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gary Sinise, Keith David, and Lance Henricksen, this film is a refreshing change from past takes on the western.

Stone plays a quiet and beautiful gunslinger, come out of the dusty plains to the town of Redemption, seeking revenge for the murder of her sheriff father years ago by the town dictator John Herrod, a dark and malevolent old gunfighter intent on maintaining his stranglehold on the frightened populace by staging a quick draw contest, the better to publically eliminate any opposition to his rule, and to squash any hope of salvation. Drawn into this dark contest are Herrod's former partner turned preacher Cort, a man whose tortured soul still seeks it's own salvation, and who Herrod seeks to pull back to Hell. Herrord's son, The Kid, enrolls in the contest as a way to seek fame and glory, and to prove himself to a aloof and uncaring father. Thrown into the mix are a number of colorful characters come to town to seek their own fortunes and the fireworks ensue. There is strong symbolism throughout this film, shades of death and rebirth, powerful archetypal figures in the charaters of Herrod, the powerful demonic ruler of the underworld, and Cort, the misguided but eventual redeemer and saviour.

This film boasts a strong and talented cast that give some wonderfully enjoyable performances. Sam Raimi does an incredible job once again of producing a stylishly directed tale of loss, redemtion, salvation, and revenge in this telling of the western as mdoern myth.

Read Best Reviews of The Quick and the Dead (1995) Here

If you are going to review a Blu-Ray movie, please describe the audio/video quality.

I really like this movie, and am entertained every time I watch it. This is the first time I have seen it on Blu-Ray.

At first I was disappointed, because the first scenes had grain, and I thought "here's another Blu-Ray movie with bad video quality". But then it got better a lot better. Most of the movie had excellent video quality, with great detail. But, there were a couple of scenes that had grain. I don't know if it was a different camera, or what. But 99% of the movie was grain free and excellent.

The Dolby 5.1 TrueHD audio was also great.

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The Quick And The Dead

[Superbit Version]

(8.5/10)

Back in 1995, director Sam Raimi was at a bit of a crossroads.

After his accomplishments through the Evil Dead series, yet

not yet to his A Simple Plan/Spider-Man level, he made

this fast paced Western that in alot of way feels like both

time periods of himself. However, this Western plays differently

than most revenge types, with a secret woman (played

amazingly well by Sharon Stone) joining in a town's shoot-out

competition with the intent of seeking revenge on the town's leader (played by Gene Hackman, just on the over-the-top edge). Along the way, we meet alot of the town's faces, including future stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, as well as character classics as Tobin Bell & Lance Henriksen just to name a few. Simply put, this is a great cast for a movie with the then "Evil Dead" guy. But it works. Well.

While considering 90's Westerns like The Unforgiven & Dances With Wolves to be more classy & important than this flix, it definitely holds it's own, fitting perfectly with say Tombstone or Silverado. Yet this flix probably gets less attention than any of them, and it shouldn't. If you missed Sam's classic camera-in-your-face angles, or his quick as lightning cuts, he didn't lose them here. The showdowns are intense, visual, and the audio mix superb. And though Stone lost what little credibility a long time ago, this movie showed she could be taken seriously as an actress, fully dressed even!

Many have seen this play over the years on cable, but

the true way to see it is on this Superbit version. While this

release was done back in 2003, it's picture and DTS audio is

miles ahead of it's inferior single-layered original disc. Colors

bright & rusty, sound full of body, and bit rate always at

the fullest. I guess my only complaint is that they really didn't

try to remaster the actual print first due to a few, a few, blemishes on the print here and there that the high bit rate only brings out more. But believe me, for now I can say I've never seen this movie this good.

Downside is that this movie has alot of deleted scenes including a romance between Stone & Crowe & a wedding with Bruce Campbell as the minister! Too bad cause the Superbit, nor the regular, has them & International cuts only included the romance in the movie. So, I'd probably buy it again for a Raimi Director Cut, which after seeing the movie, you'd probably agree.

A good, fast-paced, 90's style Western that doesn't ever slow down. Featuring a female hero that you could actually believe in, as well as a cast that looks like they're in good hands with a director that finally got to do a Western with a little visual flair. A good movie that deserves to be seen & in your collection.

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