Jackie Brown (1997)

"Jackie Brown" was widely received as a disappointing follow-up to Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," but I think it's actually a better movie, if less obviously so. It's hard not to be blown away by "Fiction" because of it's sheer audacity; "Jackie Brown" is a quieter film that shows Tarantino has the potential to become a mature and sophisticated director.

It's somewhat ironic that Tarantino, associated with the young hipster audience, made this film, because at the basic level "Jackie Brown" is about getting old. All of Jackie's motivations spring from the fact that starting over will soon become impossible for her. That the options available to a a middle-aged, lower income level, black woman in modern America are severely limited. Tarantino shows an amazing prowess for getting into the head of this woman. His sensitive direction coupled with Pam Grier's top-notch performance combine to make Jackie one of the most compelling and honest female characters to hit the movie screen in recent years.

The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent too. Robert Forster stands out as bail bondsman Max Cherry, who becomes Jackie's partner in crime, as it were. Samuel L. Jackson does well with the kind of part he seems born to play, but his character is not as interesting as the others and so makes less of an impression. Bridget Fonda is a scene stealer as a California beach bunny, and the contrast between her and Pam Grier is used quite effectively.

It's interesting to note that in the book this movie was based on, "Rum Punch" by Elmore Leonard, Jackie was white. Changing the race of the title character to black adds a whole other dimension to the film that the book lacks. This is one case where the movie greatly improves on its source material.

"Jackie Brown" will take some commitment on behalf of the viewer. It's leisurely paced and more reliant on character study than Tarantino's other films, but these aren't detriments. They merely illustrate that Tarantino has some range as a director, and I hope he continues to explore that range.

I waited a long time to see "Jackie Brown", because I heard it wasn't any good, and I didn't want to tarnish the memory of "Reservoir Dogs" or "Pulp Fiction". Both those films were kinetic, profane, daring, and truly visceral experiences. I loved every minute of them. "Jackie Brown" is a horse of a different colour, however. It is low-key, thoughtful, tender, and assured. And, I must say, just as good.

One of the main criticisms leveled against it, that I've heard, is that it's too long and too slow. Well, compared to "Pulp Fiction", which is about the same length, of course you'd think it was too slow. But that's the way this story needs to be told, for one simple reason. "Pulp Fiction" was about young, experienced criminals, always on the go, always in control. They could afford to move quickly. "Jackie Brown"s criminals are a touch older. Jackie Brown and Bail Bondsman Max Cherry even have a conversation about what it means for men to get older (they lose their hair) verses what it means for women to get holder (their behinds get bigger). It's actually kind of a touching, and very odd, moment to have in the middle of what should be a zippy little heist flick.

Another way it differs from "Pulp" or "Dogs" (which would lead people to believe that it's sluggish) is the lack of gunplay. Tarantino's earlier films were defined by the style and abundance of their shootouts. "Jackie Brown" has only six gunshots. And all are essentially off-camera, or off in the distance, producing little or no blood. Now I'm not offended by violence in movies. Not at all. But it is kind of refreshing to see a director, especially one who's made his name off it, not rely on the showy exploitation of shooting someone. When he does show it, however, the torment and suffering and guilt of the shooter is always apparent.

Which brings me to the most intriguing thing about this movie. Tarantino, who the rap on in recent years has been that he's tormented by his early success and hasn't the confidence to make his next picture, actually shows a very assured hand in making this movie. Besides the above conversation between two aging characters, there are other places where he shows supreme confidence in his decisions. For instance, he's cast Robert DeNiro in his movie. Okay, a no-brainer, right? Wrong. Because he's cast DeNiro in a tiny, stoical role. Simultaneously, he's cast Robert Forster (I know he got an Oscar nod, but before that wasn't everyone asking "Robert who?") in a role that's very meaty, the tortured love-interest. A less-assured director would have switched the two actors, but Tarantino knows what he wants, and boy does he get it. DeNiro doesn't do more than he has to in creating his understated character. And Forster steals the show with his laid-back, relaxed, but always conflicted Bail Bondsman.

And Forster's scenes with Jackie Brown are touching, chemistry-filled, and a joy to watch. Credit in this case should go to Pam Grier, as Jackie Brown, another Tarantino casting coup. Grier is asked to be maturely sexy, street-smart, tough, and vulnerable all at once. And she pulls it off without flaw. I suspect that Tarantino has fantasized most of his life about casting Pam Grier in a movie, and would have done so even if the role didn't suit her so. But it does. It truly does. She carries the picture as not only the title character but also its emotional centre.

The rest of the cast is good in their own rights. Sam Jackson was born to speak Tarantino's dialogue, and doesn't disappoint. He makes Ordell a genuine badass, even through his ponytail and silly little beard (and Jackson, bless his heart, even throws in a nod to my home town basketball team, the Toronto Raptors). Bridget Fonda is actually quite sexy as a layabout surfer chick, whose big mouth is bound to get her into trouble. And Michael Keaton, who I've always thought of as a very underrated and interesting actor, plays his ATF agent with just enough faux-cool and indifference that you're always wondering if he's playing Jackie or if Jackie's playing him.

While talking about character, I'd like to give kudos to Quentin for a neat little-shorthand trick he uses to define them. Each character essentially has his/her own soundtrack. A scene near the end, which cuts between several different characters driving in their cars, shows this very well. Cut from Melanie's (Bridget Fonda) van, where faux-eighties punk is blaring, to Max Cherry's (Robert Forster) car, which features the laid back grooves of the Delfonics, to other characters and their distinctive musical tastes. The music shifts so suddenly sometimes that it can be jarring, but it's an effective technique. Furthermore on the music front, Tarantino liberally uses the Meters' "Cissy Strut" near the beginning of the film, which quickly brought a smile to my face, and let me know that funky good times were ahead.

"Jackie Brown" is a fine addition to Tarantino's oeuvre. Sure, his fingerprints are all over it in some cases, such as his distinctive use of language, and his fondness for shifting time back and forth upon itself to show the same scene from several different perspectives. But it's much more of a grown up movie. True, it's a tad too long. But just a tad. I can take excessive verbosity from Tarantino easier than I can from any other writer/director, because he's always fascinating, always moving, always trying to surprise, and always trying to tell a good story. "Jackie Brown" succeeds on all counts.

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Doug Thomas, your writing style is as tight-a**ed as your personality must be. Were you in a rush to splatter your half-witted thoughts on this movie because you had better things to do? Wow, even though your review is a pile of garbage, because you're a professional film critic, your smelling heap of empty-thoughted bullsh*t takes the privileged spot of primary review. Congratulations, your mom says she's proud.

Perhaps tea time prevented you form checking out the extras DVD included in the package... oh wait, you reviewed the VHS edition. Well, if you had done a lick of research, you'd've discovered that, *GASP*, Quentin grew up in black culture. Yeah, he had black friends and even went to schools populated heavily by black kids. And get this... you ready?... his mother dated... black guys! Now sit back, breathe in a bit, and utilize that liberal arts education I'm assuming you were at least exposed to, if not got a degree in: Artists like Quentin draw on their personal experiences in an effort to create an authentic piece of work. Heap on those pile of words.

How can a director be a lustful, minstrel-show-seeking culture-exploiter if he uses Bobby Womack, The Delfonics, Randy Crawford, Brothers Johnson, and Minnie Riperton in the score? Quentin didn't get any help with the script. That scene between Ordell and Beaumont on the balcony outside the latter's apartment was written by a white guy. Not even the most overzealous white-guy-wanting-desperately-more-than-anything-else-but-to-be-black could create something so sonically deft and authentic. A scene like that shows how Quentin is a respectful student of black culture, not some hand-wringing, cigar-smoking WASP wanting to take rap and use it in a Fruity Pebbles commercial at the height of RUN-DMC's success in the late 80s so he can sell more cereal for General Mills.

Music and dialogue carry this movie and are the two ingredients that make it such a pleasure to take in. The film's been described as "slow-moving," but people who say that don't realize that the pace is purposefully done slow so one can enjoy each characters' interactions. Sam Jackson's character, for as messed up as he is, is a piece of art. Charismatic dialogue. That's why I've watched the movie 3 times already, having seen it for the first time about a month ago.

If you're anything like this stiff critic whose review is posted at the top of this page (or the first page), you won't like this movie. However, if you're receptive of artful dialogue, non-predominently-white culture, and some awesome 70s soul/R&B music, this flick was made for you.

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Tarrantino showed his maturity in this film, assembling a very fine cast in a wry transformation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch. Always one to have fun with 70's action films, Tarrantino's masterstroke was resurrecting Pam Grier in the title role. Grier, who made her career in such blaxploitation movies as Coffy and Foxy Brown, gives a star performance in this film. She is well balanced by Samuel L. Jackson as Ordell, a two-bit drug dealer, and Robert Forster, who turns in a remarkably understated performance as Max Cherry, a bail bondsman.

Tarrantino pretty much followed the 70's action film formula here, letting the movie build slowly and relying heavily on dialog to carry the action. Once again, he has underscored his film with a fine soundtrack, which even includes a track from the Brothers Johnson, Strawberry Letter 23, as Ordell does away with one of his runners. But those used to Tarrantino's high octane films may be disappointed with this one, but I found it to be a very enjoyable departure from his usual fare.

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That is coming from someone who love anything this director makes, presents, or endorses. I think this is a very complex and satisfying film. Using the relatively unfilmed cities of LA, such as Hawthorne, Compton, the REAL Hollywood, it utilizes a more down to earth approach to real world crime. This isn't about a multimillion dollar heist, and the criminals are likeable and genuinely interesting even if one or two are full of themselves (Namely Ordell and Melanie.) The film opens with the classic Across 110th Street as sung by Bobby Womack and featuring a strong Pam Grier, walking that moving sidewalk at LAX. As the opening progresses she ends up possessing a look of worry on her face that shows a VERY strong woman's strength become vulnerablity. From then on we meet a handful of excentric baddies and law enforcers, that are all likeable, interesting and have at least one or two funny lines (with the exception of the cop who isn't Michael Keaton, who is just a plain jackass cowboy cop) My favorite part is the friendship/romance between Pam and the subtle and sensational Robert Forster. Starting with a very special ride home, which bleeds to a bar, and then to Griers Apartment. All involve rich dialogue and interest shown. They bond thru body language, their age, and eventually music("The Del----Fonics".) The fact that Forster rushes to the nearest record store for his first Delfonics Tape is just plain cute, and shows he is falling for her music and all. The Scenes between Grier and Sam Jackson also need recognition. They are at times funny, terrifying, and very well acted. There is also Robert DiNiro as an old friend/partner to Jackson, and a few girlfriends of ordell's such as Surfer Girl/PotHead Melanie, Old sex siren Simone, and Super Slow Country Girl Sheronda. There is just a bunch of rich characters here, and they all give great parts no matter how big or how small...especially Chris Tucker, who's performance as a snitch is equal parts brilliant and hilarious. This movie just hits a right note for anyone interested in a talky, rich picture. Tarantino says this is a movie for older people, well at 19, I'm definitely not younger, but this is my favorite of all tarantino films, be it because of the great soundtrack, storyline, performances, direction it makes no difference. It's my favorite period. Give it a chance and you'll see what I see...Great Movie!

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Mysterious Girlfriend X: Complete Collection

Unfortunately, as too often happens, the people who write the product summary have either never watched the show in question, or are misguided enough to believe that sensationalism is the path to sales success. What I mean to say is the "Editorial Review" (which is rather a "official" product summary) is almost entirely misleading as to what this show is about.

Here's what Mysterious Girlfriend X is really about:

This is a low-key romantic comedy about a couple of high schoolers discovering love for the first time with each other. Although there are some unique circumstances as to how this comes about, the core of the story is not really about those oddities, but rather about how this couple grows together emotionally over time.

Mikoto Urabe is the titular "Mysterious Girlfriend" -and an intriguing mystery she definitely is. In the strictest sense she represents what is sometimes referred to as the "Magical Girlfriend" type of character... however this is played very low-key for most of the series, with the emphasis instead placed on how she handles developing her love interest (given her unusual attributes), rather than any stories focused on her "powers" per se.

Akira Tsubaki is the often bewildered protagonist -equally accepting and intrigued by Urabe. Probably the most important thing I can say about him is: he is normal, in the sense that he is neither an over-the-top pervert, nor does he recoil in fear whenever a female pays attention to him (unlike alot of anime male leads). His reactions are pretty understandable, and generally he is a pretty mellow guy.

There is drool exchanged, and alot of it -but this is reasonable when you consider how much drool is exchanged in your average french kiss (not to mention other bodily fluids in intercourse). Some people seem to haven a strong aversion to this, but that really comes down to some unrealistic ideas as to what is "hygienic" in human sexuality (which is not a terribly hygienic act). Mysterious Girlfriend X handles these realities with a very matter-of-fact honesty that is quite refreshing.

Overall, the series is heartwarming and humorous, and I think by the end of the series you will find yourself rooting for the couple to continue growing together long into their mysterious future.

There are techniques used by storytellers and others to grab the audience and to hold their attention;this crazy series grabs a "handful" and doesn't let go,even when it becomes clear the two are heading down the path to probable romance. The initial tasting of her drool may feel like a slap across the eyes to even the most hardy of otako's and cause the weak to run screaming from the room but if you take it as a French kiss... without the tongue...and the kiss...,well,it still is a bit off the wall.The tasting of drool,so goes the storyline,tells the taster the true feelings of the the drool doner that they are unable to express in words,but only if there is a "connection" to the other person.

What you will get is a great,well-drawn,dare I say,intelligent series about a male teenager that falls for a very strange teen-aged girl that,among other weirdness,carries a pair of scissors in her panties, even in her bikini while she sunbathes at the beach.For whatever reason,she pulls the scissors out and uses them to astonishing effect on whatever object that she targets.

Probably one of the best offerings from the anime "gods" this season and is on my "must buy" list. Easily PG-13 but probably aimed for the 16-17 age group. I got my copy quickly and it is a first-rate product. The "fan-serv" in this edition remains the same few times she pulls her scissors out and the "nudity" is,even without details,(ie,no nipples)the nude bodies are further shaded or blurred. As the story is the purpose of this series and not fan-service,it is most highly recommended.

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The initial impression I had from this anime is that this would be a really queer series to watch. I decided to give it a try since crunchyroll had it available for subscription and I actually enjoyed watching the story and seeing the characters progress through their problems.

Story:

The premise is that a new transfer student names Urabe comes into the class of the main character Akira and she ends up creeping everyone out by out bursting into laughter. One day Akria comes back into the class late and wakes up Urabe and tells her to go home and she ends up leaving a drool puddle on her desk. For some unknown reason Akira decides to lick that drool.

Throughout the series Urabe's drool has some mysterious effect on Akira. This is really out there with the drool thing, but the story does suck you in and makes you want to know what events take place each episode. I never found it to be predictable at all with a really unique character like Urabe. The series definitely has more a mature theme, but I never found it to be creepy, it's just how the characters are.

Animation:

The animation is pretty cool in this series. It has the high-definition quality of 1080p, but the character design have that classic 1990/2000's look to them a bit and it ends up blending together wonderfully. The locations they visit and the school setting all look amazing in HD and you never get bored watching the events taking place. The main characters themselves have their own unique look to them and you can tell who's who even if they are in the school outfits, or city clothes.

Soundtrack:

Some of the themes are really, really cool. The main one I love is the dream theme; which is the song that plays when Akira has a dream, or any dream like sequence that plays out during the anime. It was really nothing I have heard before and was stuck in my head for a while. The other themes are mainly a mix of the opening and ending themes.

Speaking of the opening and ending songs, the voice actress for Urabe actually sings both of them. I only found this out by looking at IMDB and I thought this was pretty cool that she can both act and sing really well. The opening theme reminds me a bit of Chobits though, since you can hear a bit of theme at the start of it. The closing theme is interesting to listen to as well.

Verdict:

I really enjoyed watching this anime and it's nothing like I have seen before. The memorable soundtrack, characters and story make this a series I really recommend to anyone who enjoys anime; especially those who like stories about relationships. Granted I know the droll thing can make some people not want to watch this anime at all, but is it really that odd compared to series that have aliens with superpowers that shoot beams, or giant robots fighting intergalactic wars? If you can get past the droll theme, you're in for one of the most unusual and great series out there.

Positive:

* Really cool story that sucks you in

* Never found it to be predictable

* Great mix of classic character design with High Definition Resolution

* Characters are identifiable with unique design

* Dream theme is amazing and extremely memorable

Negative:

* Drool thing might turn away some people

* Also has some mature themes in the episodes

Read Best Reviews of Mysterious Girlfriend X: Complete Collection Here

First, listen to the other reviewers and NOT the blurb on the back of the package. Though I like spit puns as much as the next person, that is a very inaccurate description of the tone of this show. It's actually a pretty serious and often sweet show, not just a gross-out comedy. Nothing really gets explained about Urabe's "powers" (no answers in the manga yet either) but it preserves her mystery. Anyway, when I first watched the show, I might has well have had some of Urabe's addicting drool: I marathoned all thirteen episodes in one day!

It is rated M, and rightly so, but it's pretty tame compared to most M-rated things I've seen. There is no sex, no violence to speak of, some nudity shielded by strategically placed shadows (edit: a bit more than I remembered, you can actually see some... topmost female body parts in the second episode, though they are shown in the shadowed side of a sunset), a few suggestive surreal dream sequences, and no bad language that I recall (at least in the subtitled version). The topics of sex and arousal are touched on, mainly to illustrate some of the embarrassing/confusing feelings, and honest wonderings about sex that most teenagers have. But one thing I really love about the show is that the main couple is taking their relationship very slow. I read an essay online calling it "the first pro-abstinence anime", and that sounds about right to me. I would say this show is appropriate for more conservative teens ages 16 and up.

Finally unless you really like the manga, I would not recommend buying this show without watching at least several episodes first. (At the present time, it's streaming legally for free on Crunchyroll.) I absolutely love it, but I realize that there are a lot of people who won't. There's a slowly building romance with no "payoff" in the traditional sense, so that may disappoint some viewers. And then there's the drool. And a lot of it. That kind of stuff doesn't bother me, but I have always kind of been labeled the weird one in my family... and at my school... and at my church... and, well... Try the show: you just might like it.

Update: Got the blu-rays, and just wanted to say that the picture and sound quality is fantastic. Had to watch the dub for comparison reasons and I LOVED it. Since I don't speak Japanese, I missed a lot of the nuances in the tones of voice the characters were (probably) using. I can actually discern them in the English dub, so I enjoy the show even more now than I did before. I thought the VA they picked for Urabe was perfect. Almost no special features, if you care about that. I found this to be a good release, and I'm sure going to get my money's worth out of it.

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I guess that to say Mysterious Girlfriend X is different would actually be an extreme understatement. To say that it's a love it or hate it anime, that's probably more accurate. The plot follows the romance between Mikoto Urabe, an unusual girl who within one episode bursts into a fit of maniacal laughter seemingly for no reason (she also she wields scissors as a weapon with some skill) and Akira Tsubaki, the guy who's addicted to her drool. Yes, you read that last part right. Some will immediately be turned off by the fact that this series is about a guy whose connection to his girlfriend is through her drool. The drool is very much a part of this series and yes, for many people this will be too much.

For those okay with this though, you're in for a treat. The animation on this series is STUNNING. Beautiful, gorgeous, a thesaurus will run out of words and not heap enough praise on the artistic merits of this series. In the opening episode there is a dream sequence involving a dance, and I knew from that moment I would have to watch the series to the end simply because of the visuals. The blu only makes it better. There are seriously some scenes that it feels like you could pause at any moment and hang the image on a wall.

Now that I've talked about the artistic merits, let me say, the story is amusing. There are several laugh out loud moments. The plot has some interesting turns and the series has better than average voice acting. Part of the fun of this series is listening to Urabe, who does not even sound like your usual anime character... she sounds like a real person in terms of her voice, which only adds to the strangeness of her character. For those who care there is an English dub included, which is surprising given Sentai's usual releases (I cannot judge the dub though as I'm a subtitle only person).

Some will probably complain that there is a lot in this series that goes unexplained. Some of the explanations for the weirder aspects seem illogical, and keep the viewer expecting for a different answer that will never arrive. While this may be annoying, I must point out that the title is "Mysterious" Girlfriend X. The title lets you in a little on this before you even watch the show, so you can't say they didn't warn you.

I'm honestly a little surprised this series got a release in the US let alone a blu-ray release. The plot is a little out there and no doubt a little gross to some. Yet, the novelty of this one is part of the charm. Hopefully Sentai will give more unique anime a chance here in the US. I highly suggest that if you're an anime fan you give it a shot. This one's worth it.

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Naked Lunch (Criterion Collection) (1991)

Cronenberg's version of Naked Lunch is a brilliant combination of Burroughs' novel and Burroughs' life. He blends the true story of Burroughs life (and his reason for writing) with the surreal dark-comedy 'routines' of the novel until they become one story. The story is a quiet hallucination featuring exterminators, addiction, typewriters in the form of insects, typewriters that grow genitals, a global conspiracy of intelligence agents, the drug trade, homosexual ambiguity, writer's block, accidental murder, and literary paranoia. None of these elements is explored completely. Instead, Cronenberg touches on each one until they form some strange, underlying logic.

This edition of the DVD has enough extras to make it the only version of Naked Lunch you'll ever have to buy. (They won't release a bigger, better edition later.) The BBC documentary is okay. It's about 45 minutes long, giving Cronenberg and William Burroughs a lot of time to speak. (Burroughs is particularly good, with a dry sense of humor and a habit of saying obvious truths that make people uneasy.) The second disc also has stills from the special effects team, showing how the various creatures and organic typewriters were developed.

But it's the first disc --the movie itself --that makes it worth buying and watching. The special audio track, shared by Peter Weller and Cronenberg, adds a lot of useful background information. The film itself is bright and sharp, a perfect example of DVD clarity. I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who is interested in the best films of the 1990s. Naked Lunch didn't make as big an impact in theaters as it did in book stores, but it should have.

As a devout Burroughs fan, of course I was a little hesitant to view this movie initially. And having read the book "Naked Lunch" prior to watching the film, I was at a loss as to what I expected. Certainly there was no way this book could translate into a movie...even "The Wall" director Alan Parker would have been lost.

In essence, Cronenberg didn't attempt to recreate the book verbatim. Instead he deftly interwove Burroughs' life with some of the routines and rants from the book. This movie is not for the fainthearted as it shows man-sized mugwumps and talking typwriter/insects who are really operatives for a covert attempt to penetrate Interzone, using a hapless writer, Bill Lee, as their chief spy.

Definitive moments in Burroughs' life, such as his relationship with Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac and the death of his wife Joan at his own hand are featured in the movie. It also gives a surreal biography to the birth of the writer in Burroughs as he attempts to write his way out of the guilt of his wife's death and the drugs that numbed the difficulties of his life.

Those who think that this movie had no real plot or if they did think there was a plot that the plot wasn't linear, then they can't be that big a fan of Burroughs. His life was not normal, his fans are not normal, and his mode of thinking was, frankly, insane. Cronenberg does a brilliant job getting inside the mind of the writer, the genius, the man, William S. Burroughs. Take a trip into his mind, ladies and gentlemen, and be changed forever.

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David Cronenberg has done something very interesting in his film version of the book by William Burroughs. Attempting to faithfully follow the book's plot would have been a hopeless enterprise (and an X-rated movie); instead, Cronenberg wraps short sequences from the novel and intertwines them with Burroughs' own life. This is not only completely appropriate for this unique author, but also conveys the tone and structure of the book. In this respect, although the 'plot' of the book is not followed with slavish respect, this is one of the most successful book-to-film translations.

There are interesting (if brief) portraits of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac (although in the movie Ginsberg is portrayed as pursuing Burroughs, when in fact Burroughs was in love with Ginsberg). The film also shows the accident in which Burroughs shot his wife, and his meeting with Paul Bowles in Tangiers. In the plot of the movie, Bill Lee is instructed by giant insects to infiltrate Tangiers and write 'reports' which eventually become the text of _Naked Lunch_. All of the events of the movie are shown from Bill Lee's drug-altered perception, so that most of the film's scenes have to 'translated' from the metaphorical to the actual by the viewer. In spite of other reports, the movie is quite coherent and linear, detailing Bill Lee's emotional recovery from drugs and the death of his wife as he becomes a writer. Perhaps 'recovery' is the wrong word; what Lee learns is to use them as material for his writing.

One warning: Cronenberg's decision to use elaborate special effects to show Bill Lee's reality works brilliantly, but it can be quite disgusting. The movie is not for weak stomachs (which again fits both the book's title and content exactly).

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David Cronenberg's dazzling sci-fi imagery meets William S. Burroughs' dark humor in this bizarre cult film. Peter Weller plays William Lee, an exterminator who can't seem to keep track of his bug powder. His writer friends hint that it may be a `domestic problem.' Indeed, he finds that his wife is stealing his bug powder for its narcotic effects.

At a party with two friends (meant to be Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg), Lee nods to his wife and says, `About time for our William Tell act...' Joan balances her highball glass on her head and closes her eyes. Bill isn't such a good shot that night, and accidentally shoots a hole through Joan's forehead. The glass falls to the floor, intact.

Soon the police are after Lee. They lock him in a room with a giant bug, who tells him his real identity. It starts him on his journey to Interzone, a strange hallucinatory world inhabited by talking insects, living typewriters, and alien/insect mugwumps that secrete intoxicating juices from the penises on their heads.

Lee has a long strange trip in Interzone. His insect typewriter sends him on missions where he meets strange people and even stranger creatures. And all the while he is still on the run from the police.

David Cronenberg's screenwriting and directing skills were in top form for this movie. Once called `the king of venereal horror,' his trademark grotesque sexual imagery and bug obsessions, as seen in Videodrome and The Fly, have been honed to give the perfect nightmarish effect. Surely there couldn't be a better man to bring Burroughs' Interzone to the big-screen.

The acting was also superb. Wearing a fedora and an anonymous tan overcoat, and speaking in Burroughs' low monotonous drawl, Weller is a very believable William Lee. Judy Davis was also excellent, bringing to life the most three-dimensional portrayal of Joan Vollmer Burroughs ever.

The fabulously surreal special effects are sure to draw in Cronenberg fans, and fans of Burroughs will be equally entertained by samplings of the original book's `routines' and parallels to Burroughs' own life. However, Cronenberg isn't known for making accessible movies, and when coupled with Burroughs' characters, this certainly isn't a film for everyone. Rated `R' for heavy drug content, adult language, and `bizarre eroticism,' there are scenes portraying bug powder injection (a heroin metaphor), typewriters with genitalia, and a gay sex scene in which Julian Sands turns into a parrot. But for all the "adult" content, this is a very intelligent, complex, and inspired movie that its viewers will not soon forget.

Want Naked Lunch (Criterion Collection) (1991) Discount?

I just finished David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. It was released in 1991, and is based on the William S. Burroughs novel of the same name. I've never read any of Burroughs' work, but now, I wouldn't mind researching it.

This film is about an exterminator named Bill Lee who is played here by Peter Weller of RoboCop fame. Bill is an ex-junkie, and is thrown back into drug addiction once he finds out that his wife is addicted to the bug powder that he uses on the job. He tries it once, and becomes hooked. He starts hallucinating. Giant bugs start spouting conspiracy theories to him. A giant alien-like creature, a "mugwump", has a conversation with him at a bar. Sounds weird, huh? It only gets weirder from there on out. And I mean WEIRD. One night, he and his wife decide to play a random game of William Tell that goes horribly wrong, in that he accidentally shoots his wife in the head, and she dies. He flees the scene, and heads off to the "Interzone," an exotic city that may or may not exist inside of his head. He starts to write a novel, a novel that will eventually become the book Naked Lunch. While he is in the "Interzone," his hallucinations get worse. They become so surreal and weird, that it is hard to differentiate between what is real and what is not. I don't have time to explain it all some of the hallucinations were so strange, that I can't print them for fear of offending someone however, one thing is certain: this is definitely a film that requires a second viewing.

The character William Lee is loosely based on author William S. Burroughs. Burroughs really did shoot his wife during a game of William Tell, and this novel was written shortly after that incident. It may help to know that he was addicted to heroin at the time that he wrote it, which would explain all of the strangeness in the film.

I DO NOT recommend this to everyone. It is most definitely not a film for anyone under the age of 17, and contains some shocking material. However, if you are in the mood for something different and I stress the word DIFFERENT, then you may want to check this out. You may not understand all that is going on the first time around, but the point of the film is to make you feel as though you are on drugs yourself. I still don't know what to think about it. It certainly does stay with you afterwards, and it is very thought provoking. David Cronenberg is one of the best directors out there. After all, he gave us last year's classic, A History Of Violence. If you are familiar with Cronenberg or David Lynch, and you've enjoyed their previous offerings to cinema, then you'll probably want to see this. You may want to follow this up with a similar, albeit less trippy film named Barton Fink, which was released the same year, and also stars Judy Davis in a supporting role.

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Tooth Fairy 2 (2012)

This is a place to review the products not express an opinion against a celebrity that a person thinks is stale. For anyone that wants to know if it's a great movie for kids, my 4 and 5 year old love it. There is nothing offensive about it. It's not going to win any Oscars but I'm pretty sure the makers didn't expect a nomination. There is no violence and it's a cute story. Nothing about it you'll have to explain to your kids later. So for parents that just want 90 mintues of peace and quiet its worth the purchase.

I judged this by the same standards I would judge an adult movie:

Did it keep my attention throughout the film?

Was the story-telling original?

Was the sequence of events credible (within the context of the fantasy)?

Was the humor original and did I laugh spontaneously?

Were the casting choices and acting good?

I consider myself a harsh but fair critic, judging a work by its merit within its own genre. I thoroughly enjoyed "Tooth Fairy 2."

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My kids loved it that the "Head Fairy" was a kid. They know Larry the Cable Guy and his redneck ways, so the farce was complete. Total turn-around from the Rock version.

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I know everyone has their own opinions on everything; here is mine:

I LOVE Larry, he is so funny. This movie is nothing like the last one, except he is the fairy. There are all different actors, and frankly it is not as funny as you would think. I am sorry Larry, but the Rock has you beat on the funny portion. This could be due to the fact that the Rock is a wrestler and actor of a different type, so to speak. And knowing Larry is in the movie you just expect it to be hilarious, I don't know. I was actually disapointed in it.

As far as the person selling this, they did a fantastic job. The items was as described, a good price, and the shipping was fast, thank you.

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Cute story and enjoyed the actress Brady Reiter who complemented Larry the Cable Guy. Great movie for the younger audience members.

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Embodiment Of Evil (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2008)

[Embodiment of Evil (2008) co-written, starring and directed by Jose Mojica Marins widescreen presentation] Horror fans rejoice, as this film marks the return to the screen of Coffin Joe (Jose Mojica Marins), the gruesome graveyard caretaker, murderer, torturer and existential executioner of exploitation extraordinaire. And it's a helluva homecoming, establishing a new watermark in the annals of contemporary horror films and redefining the horror/exploitation genre for a new generation. In this transgressive terror tale, Coffin Joe makes Freddie, Myers, Jason and Leatherface look like cub scouts or altar boys. No horror enthusiast/collector should miss this one. Even if you don't agree with my previous remark.

After serving 40 years in the mental wing of the Sao Paulo State Penitentiary, Josefel Zanatas, Coffin Joe's birth name, is finally being released, not for good behavior, he killed nearly 30 men during his term there, but through an administrative decision, overcrowding and the financial burden of keeping him in solitary confinement. His re-emergence back into a society he loathes will be a simple one, as he is greeted by his faithful hunchbacked servant, Bruno, and they prowl the streets witnessing extreme poverty, prostitution, drug use, crooked cops killing kids they deem irredeemable and too young for prison, and a military so corrupt they torture innocents into confessions before doing away with them in the most heinous way possible; that is until Coffin Joe puts his agenda into play.

Upon the return to his lair, whose upkeep was Bruno's loyal labor of love all these years, Coffin Joe mutters, "Perfect", when in fact this place would make Dracula uncomfortable. The modern gothic creepiness of the surroundings and its accoutrements is sickeningly splendid. Bruno has also recruited four new 'apprentices' to undertake the missions of CJ, and their tasks are not the type dictated by Donald Trump, I assure you. Now the carnage and butchery begins anew, and these events make scenes in 'Saw' or 'Hostel' seem sometimes tame in comparison. CJ still espouses his blasphemous, anti-biblical philosophical diatribes throughout the movie, peppering each scene of insanity to add almost operatic overtures to the gruesome and ghastly imagery heaved upon us with near projectile-vomiting brutality. There's no downtime, no flat, static or dry moments to even catch our breath; the plot was constructed to maximize the onscreen onslaught of audacity. We're continually barraged with flinching scenes of torture, barbarism, cringing crucifixations, scalping, skinning, whipping, dismemberment, flesh-eating bugs and a scene with a rat you'll never forget you know, the things fans of this psychotic cinema want and expect from these flicks. No disappointments here, the 'rituals of purification' are the most disturbing you'll find it makes a Bosch painting look like a church-sanctioned Da Vinci fresco. This is madness in a class all its own.

As in the first two flicks from the 60's ('At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul' and 'This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse' there was a third film that's totally ignored here by all, `Awakening of the Beast', one of my favorites, but I believe it's being ignored due to the plotline here is a continuation from the second film) the saga of Coffin Joe searching for the right woman to have his 'perfect' child subtext (and isn't that what it always comes right down to the search for a 'soulmate' in every romantic comedy and drama throughout history? See folks, Coffin Joe's just an extremely misunderstood romantic at heart) is still vital to the story and referenced continually in nightmares, flashbacks (done in B+W, like the earlier films), hellish hallucinations and spectral haunting from his past female victims, who also appear in B+W. It's a great effect in the context of the film.

In spite of this entire demented phantasmagoria, the film has a clear, linear plot, great dialogue, mood, settings, a strong budget and alarmingly realistic special effects that are never reduced to CGI effects, as detailed in the 'making of' featurette. There's also abundant nudity heaped upon us (some gratuitous, some plot essential, all of it enjoyable) along with the extreme hyper-violence and gore that's near heart-stopping yes, kids, there's something here for everybody. I was impressed from start to finish (but that might be admitting there's something dreadfully wrong with me...) and I'm a harsh critic of modern horror films.

The fourth act is supremely and sadistically satisfying, and a posthumous-procreation finale results in a perfect ending and set-up for a sequel insuring the legacy of Coffin Joe is far from over (let's hope we don't have to wait nearly so long for it, Marins is already ancient). After all, he is 'The Embodiment of Evil, isn't he?

My initial exposure to Coffin Joe was through Fantoma's box set including "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul," "This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse," and "Awakening of the Beast." I absolutely loved these films for their spacey, pseudo-philosophic criminal worldview, shocking-for-their-time violence, and trippy visuals. I had no idea Jose Mojica Marins had filmed a long-delayed follow up to these films until Amazon emailed the suggestion to me. Naturally I jumped all over the Blu-Ray once I learned about it.

I would compare "Embodiment of Evil" to Dario Argento's "Mother of Tears" for several reasons. Both are more modern looking films by classic directors. Both serve as a sort of homage to each respective director's prime. And both movies are pretty much insane. As a long-time Argento fan, I actually liked "Mother of Tears" a lot more than most. However in comparing these two films, I would say that Jose Mojica Marins' movie was more successful. While both make numerous and welcome references to characters and scenarios of the past films, Marins delves into a sort of meta-fictional territory by having Coffin Joe haunted by his former victims, who appear in black and white just as they were in the sixties films. Marins also imbues his new film with a greater sense of gravitas (despite the inherent silliness of the entire premise) than Argento. "Embodiment of Evil" feels like a logical progression in the series, whereas "Mother of Tears" feels almost like a parody of the classic "Suspiria" and "Inferno."

Marins also touches upon all the elements that made his earlier films great. There is shocking violence (much more intense than the previous films), crazy pseudo-philosophical ramblings, and trippy visuals. There's even a descent into hell just like there was in "This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse," although it looks much different this time around. Argento failed, at least in large part, to recapture the beauty and grandeur of his earlier masterpieces, choosing instead to take "Mother" in a more campy direction.

Moving away from this comparison, I would also say that I hope Marins finds time to film another Coffin Joe movie. Without spoiling the ending, it opens up an extremely interesting possibility for another movie.

Buy Embodiment Of Evil (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2008) Now

This film is very exploitive and gratuitous, but it doesn't look or feel sleazy. The production values look pretty high; and it's also well acted, directed, and the gore FX are very good. It contains some great gruesome imagery, as well as a plentiful amount of nudity and graphic violence. This is a Brazilian film, so there's no shortage of nudity; there's full frontal nude scenes in the film, and all the women are really good looking. I thought the films pace is pretty fast, and it has really good replay value. The film will obviously appeal to most horror fans of exploitive 70s and 80s horror, but it also might appeal to many mainstream horror fans because the film looks and feels modern; it isn't a cheap sleaze film. I personally thought it was a great horror flick.

The DVD quality looks great, and the extras are good as well.

Read Best Reviews of Embodiment Of Evil (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2008) Here

If you're like me, you adore Coffin Joe's first two films, "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul" and "This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse", and snatched up the UK Blu-ray for the third and last in the series, "Embodiment of Evil", the moment it came out. When I saw that a US Blu-ray was put out, I ignored it for a while. "Why bother when I already own the film on the format?"

Well, upon buying a few Synapse BDs and being highly impressed by their quality film reproduction, I started to wonder if their release for this film was any different from what I already owned, whether there was an appreciable difference in the transfer. I inquired about it, to which I was informed that a whole new master was struck for this release based on a 2K telecine of the film, whereas Anchor Bay's UK release was sourced from an HDCAM tape (not HDCAM SR, but regular, old-fashioned HDCAM from the mid '90s), which has a maximum interlaced resolution of 1440x1080 (rectangular pixels which are then upsampled to 1920x1080 during playback). In other words, this isn't true HD by today's standards, while the Synapse release is.

In addition to that, Don May fixed special effects shots and they look a whole lot better this time around. The overall presentation is just a whole lot more filmic and pleasing to the eyes; color reproduction is beautiful, whereas the UK release looks incredibly drab. A pleasing, healthy veneer of grain graces the image. (I've said it before, I'll say it again: grain COMPOSES the image, and you're bananas if you hate grain in film.)

It's a must-own Blu-ray for Coffin Joe fans and definitely worth upgrading to if you already own the UK BD. The HD footage spliced in from the original films makes me yearn for those two to be released on Blu-ray. As of now, the Brazilian lab has yet to scan the two in HD. Here's hoping that they do so soon. In the meantime, Synapse plan to release them on DVD, and they're sure to be a vast improvement over the non-anamorphic DVDs by Fantoma.

The film? A worthy end to the Coffin Joe trilogy. The fact that it was made forty years after the second film and the story has the same amount of time in between is astonishing. José Mojica Marins plays the character with such elegant ferocity that rivals and even tops his previous performances. The content in the film can be quite extreme at times, so isn't for somebody who has a weak stomach. One example is of a naked woman who is drugged and made to show her loyalty to Coffin Joe and his vision by having her right buttock cut off like Christmas ham and fed to her raw. "For you, I would eat my own flesh." Sure to make some queasy.

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I love this film so much. And I knew it was going to be great. Although it does not carry the same mystique and soul of his first two films, it creates a completely new horrific sense and awareness. I will not go on about the plot, other than to say it is genius. If you are a fan of Ze do Caixao you must do exactly what I did: buy a multi-region player, then buy this film. You'll thank me in the end. Brilliant horror!

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Majikoi: Oh! Samurai Girl - The Complete Collection (2012)

Like with other past series similar to this Ikki Tossen/Samurai Girls/Tenjho Tenge/Freezing/Sekirei the series gives us a bevy of hard core fighting and for most of the females well endowed characters with their own quirky personalities that quickly endear them to you. The basis is you have a group of young high school friends most who are very talented martial arts or weapons fighters and again like with most harem animes most of the females all have a hidden or not so hidden feelings for the main male character of the series. Though what separates this series a little from the previous mentioned ones is that for the most part many of the characters have endearing original quirky personalities that seem to set them apart from some of the more usual harem animes. Also while there is actions and some drama in the series for most of it the setting is pretty light hearted as you see the rivalry between school classes, different schools and people think of it as a little updated Ranma1/2 subplot.

While the extras aren't the greatest they are still good especially the short comedic specials. The actors and actresses for the Japanese subbed did a great job in their character roles and kudos to the English cast as well. The set is a little pricey but if you've seen some of the series online or like harem animes with hardcore female fighters with quirky traits then here's a decent one to add to your anime library.

I like the series it was Good,the storyline progresses well for a comedy. So far, this is one of the only anime I have watched that has both gained my attention as well as bring out some good laughs. The storyline is both very serious, but keeps a constant comedic theme all the way through.I would recommend this for anyone that watches anime for humor, as well as people that watch anime for seriousness. If you fan of an harem or ecchi based anime, Buy it, you going to enjoy {^.-}

Buy Majikoi: Oh! Samurai Girl - The Complete Collection (2012) Now

In Kawakami City, having a samurai ancestor and an enormous fighting spirit isn't just a cool historical fact; it's a determining factor on how you rank in the societies totem pole. That ranking spills over into the school system. Local kids like Yamato Naoe have learned to form groups to deal with this reality. The balance of sexual tension was even in his circle of friends with 3 girls and 4 boys. That is until 2 more chicks started spinning everything out of control. Yamato lives with 5 hotties that all want him bad, that is all except the one he loves. Things are about to get interesting and very dangerous! The country is in political turmoil. The Prime Minister uses his power to gain even more power, by any means necessary. There are many in Japan who despise this. Including Yamato's father, who abandoned his country because of the corruption. Yamato, however, decides that he will fight against it for the people he loves.

This anime starts off kinda seeming thoughtless. It's definitely a harem anime, and there is lots of nudity and racey stuff. Despite all of this, a plot develops. There is a fairly decent love story, nothing like Clannad or Marmalade Boy, but a decent one nonetheless. This anime also has some very meaningful political and moral lessons to teach. Is it better to abandon your country because it's leaders are ruining it, or should you be loyal and remove the corruption. This is a very important topic, especially considering America's current political situation. Anyway, This anime also has great production quality. The animation, voice acting, and soundtrack are excellent. There is a great mix of comedy, action, drama, and fan service. It's not the best anime series out there, but it's pretty entertaining. If you want to laugh, watch fights, and have fun, Majikoi is a good place to look.

Read Best Reviews of Majikoi: Oh! Samurai Girl - The Complete Collection (2012) Here

While there is a measure of nudity and a couple of yuri scenes, this isn't an endless sexual romp as might have been implied. The scene depicted on the cover nor the large rendering on the back of two girls boob-to-boob do not exist in this series anywhere. As for the story,it isn't anything worth mentioning in your next letter to your mother.

The main one-on-one girl fight scene goes on to near the point of boredom as,quite frankly,does most of the series.

Considering the faults cover art,the over-the-top price,(for what you get) and the looming recession,save your money or watch your friend's copy.

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The Japanese adult visual novel known as "Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!" has its fair share of fans in Japan.

Created by Minato Soft for the PC back in 2009, a manga adaptation for Comp Ace would follow in 2010 which eventually led to a 12-episode anime series in 2011. And now, "Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls: Complete Collection" was released on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks in October 2012.

VIDEO:

"Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls: Complete Collection" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1 aspect ratio). While the series is vibrant and colorful, backgrounds are well-detailed and for the most part, the anime series looks good. As a TV series, there is some softness but overall, the series compliments the visual novel counterpart when it comes to close-ups of the characters. There is nothing groundbreaking when it comes to the animation but overall, it does look good on Blu-ray and I didn't notice any artifacts or any major problems while watching the anime series.

AUDIO:

"Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls: Complete Collection" is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Although I would have preferred to have a more immersive 5.1 lossless soundtrack, "Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls: Complete Collection" and its two soundtracks are crystal clear coming through the front channel and there is no difference between the overall mix of both lossless soundtracks.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls: Complete Collection" comes with the following special features:

12 Shorts The omake shorts (12 total) that typically appear at the end of an episode are featured as a special feature.

Clean Opening and Closing Animation

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls" is another anime series that exemplifies what a harem anime series can be. With its cover featuring one of the lead protagonist grabbing the antagonist's breast with one hand and her hands on her rival's rear, already, anime fans know that this anime series is going to be perverted.

For fans of the ecchi anime series genre, it's all about how far the anime series will go with its all-out perverseness.

Comparable to series such as "Sekirei" and also other harem anime series which features a protagonist with many female friends who want to be with him and also a series that is based on a adult visual novel, "Majikoi! -Oh! Samurai Girls" starts out being a different type of anime series by showcasing a group using strategy to defeat another fighting club, something we see similar to another series "Tenjo Tenge".

But while that first episode was trying to establish the characters who are a group of friends now having certain power at their high school because they beat a stellar and wealthy team, the series then changes.

What we end up getting is how the protagonist Yamato becomes the man that each female character desires.

Momoyo is the woman that Yamato grew up with liking, but because he made a promise to her that he won't be with her unless he can be of equal footing, both try to have this brother and sister relationship.

So, the other ladies look at Yamato as open season. Momoi's adoptive younger sister Kazuyo always knew that Momoyo liked Yamato, but because she doesn't show her feelings of love, she decides to go for Yamato.

Miyako on the other hand is the most aggressive of the young women. She was saved by Yamato when picked on by bullies and she desperately wants Yamato to have her body and will do anything sexual for him, but he resists.

Yukie is the shy type that likes Yamato but is not good at expressing her emotions, while the German Christian Friedrich doesn't know too much about Japanese culture and but the fact that Yamato is a great strategist and he was good at nearly getting her to expose herself nude to him, makes her appreciate him more.

And of course, there are Yamato's male buddies who had a major part in the beginning of the series but not so much throughout. The series pretty much plays out of how these young women start to follow for Yamato and each wanting to vouch for their love for him, but jealousy developing within each member of who can win Yamato's love.

And for the anime series, the perversion level for "Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls" is quite high! Momoyo loves to squeeze Yamato, but because she is so well-endowed, you are not sure if he's loving it or if he's really hurting. Miyako is the ultimate in perversion as she has dreams of Yamato having sex with her and even so far as being blunt to Yamato of what she wants him to do with her body.

And as one can expect from a perverted harem anime series, you get your T&A and other forms of fan service. It's important to note that this anime series is rated TV 14 VSD, which is quite surprising as I was expecting a rated TV M because of the nudity and sexual themes in certain episodes, especially the ending credits.

But with the characters being fighters who specialize in one-on-one combat and utilization of weaponry, the series has its fair share of action as well. Actually, a lot of action and while there are antagonists, it may seem that most of the action take place within the core group as each woman fights for Yamato's affection.

As for the Blu-ray release, the animation is quite vibrant. For the most part, animation is vibrant as greens and Earth colors really are quite vibrant and certain areas are well-detailed. Character animation are also good but as one expects from a TV series, some areas do look soft. Audio is presented in lossless 2.0 but you get an English and Japanese soundtrack and dialogue is crystal clear and there isn't too much of a big difference between the Japanese and English soundtrack in dynamic range. And you also get several special features, which are the omake portion at the end of an episode.

Overall, "Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls: Complete Collection" is an anime series that doesn't really break any new ground. It has a banality of other harem action anime series but it's strength lies within its fan service and because there is a niche of anime fandom that just adores perverted anime, it all comes down if you want more of it on Blu-ray. So, if you are into perverted anime series with nudity, fan service and mature jokes, then "Majikoi Oh! Samurai Girls: Complete Collection" is for you!

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High Road to China

I read all 61 reviews to learn as much as I could about this fine film MISSING from my DVD collection. Then I went to my collection and read the back of the "Quigley..." jacket. I then Googled MGM Home Video, and went to their site. I scrolled to the bottom of the first page and clicked on "Help/Contact/FAQ." This took me to a screen with a pull-down menu from which I selected "MGM DVD," entered my email address, and politely asked them to explain themselves, check these 60 plus reviews as evidence that they should release HRTC in DVD.

I suggest you vote yes on this "review" (I did say it was a "fine film")in the hopes that 100% "Yes" votes will get this to the top of the review heap where it can be seen. Then I suggest that you use the instructions above to contact MGM. Finally, I suggest that everyone buy this film from Amazon when it comes out as thanks for their strong support of end-viewer reviews. God Bless.

Tom Selleck stars as a former World War I flying ace, reduced to reliving his past glories in a bottle and giving flying lessons in two broken down Camels. Sparks fly between Selleck and Bess Armstrong when she hires him to help find her father (a young looking Wilford Brimley), last seen in Tibet, before her inheritence is lost to a scheming business partner (Robert Morley at his humorously evil best). Adventure abounds as the pair wend their way between Egypt and Tibet, with sidekick mechanic Jack Weston holding the dilapidated planes together. An outstanding musical score helps this entertaining film immeasureably. This is the kind of movie that Hollywood should be making ... but isn't!

I find myself wearing out the recording I made from an on-the-air source and fervently wish that "High Road to China" would be re-released on video and DVD so that I could buy a decent copy for my library.

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UPDATE: This movie has just been announced for Blu-rsy and DVD releases in the United States for April 17, 2012.

After passing over the role of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" three years later Tom Selleck appeared on movie screens, cashing in on his Magnum PI popularity as an adventure hero who owes more than just a tip of the hat to the character made famous by the teaming of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Of course the movie industry was heavily populated with Indy clones in the early 1980s, but this one in which Selleck plays a pilot helping an heiress locate her missing father was a cut above the above the rest.

I never saw this movie in the theater but on television and subsequently the now defunct VHS format. I think I wore that tape out watching the movie again and again.

With a great script and some truly clever dialogue this movie zips along so fast that you overlook the holes in the plot and just sit back and enjoy a good time. It helps that the supporting cast includes Bess Armstrong (so much better here than she was in Jaws 3), Brian Blessed (always fun to watch) and the perenniel villainous Robert Morley.

Very highly recommended, here's hoping it arrives on DVD soon.

There is a DVD of this movie available in Europe (Region 2) for those of us with region-free players. Copies of this Swedish DVD regularly appear on e-bay.

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This is such a fun and feel good film. Not one of the critical "greats" of cinema history but still very much loved. I've lost count how many times I've watched this excellent little movie. There is such a chemistry between the two lead characters that the film is a real joy. I don't think Bess Armstrong played such a likeable funny magnetic character again. (Then again I don't suppose I've seen all her work. Suffice to say , she is wonderful in this).And Tom Selleck demonstrates most clearly how underrated he has been since the days of "Magnum". High Road to China was a bit lost at it's time of release. It was dismissed as a Raiders of the Lost Arc wanna-be. Looking at it again now makes one realise that this was a silly and shallow comparison to make. The only similarity is the time period the film takes place in.

Now to the negative. A DVD release of this film is LONG overdue. Why oh why is it being flopped into the market place with poor mono sound and dodgy unrestored picture that looks like it has been pirated from a VHS tape?

I bought this DVD from another source in Australia and was just so glad to finally have it on DVD in any condition. However I do fear that the uncreative twits who make the decisions as to which movies are to be released on DVD, are simply testing the waters with this unrestored release. If this sells well then maybe High Road to China will eventually be given the treatment it deserves and fully restored and re-released on DVD.

These decision makers aren't fans of movies. They don't understand why or how a film is a success. (just look at the number of sequels that are made, when the first in any series always has to struggle to be approved).

This DVD release is well worth getting in my opinion because the characters and story hold one's attention so well that the dodgy quality of the DVD itself is not too distracting an issue. I just know I'll be sucked in to updating to a fully restored edition one day. Ah well...... that's private enterprise for you.

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Love this movie! I remember going to see this with my mother, I loved the movie so much that I took the bus across town, by myself, the next day to see it again. There I was sitting alone, waiting for the movie to start and my father walks in and sits next to me. He's said to me, "Must be a good movie if you are willing to see again..." Indeed it was.

Glad to see it finally on disc... and Blu-Ray at that.

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The Wiz (1978)

This, the 30th Anniversary release of THE WIZ, is a far improved print from the earlier DVD release. The colors of each scene are bright and crisp, and the graininess has been cleaned a great deal. Included with this edition is a soundtrack CD featuring SOME of the songs from the film. Those expecting the entire soundtrack may be disappointed to see that they only get a small percentage of the original songs.

I know I've already reviewed the old DVD, but I would like to have a good read for the Anniversary (even though I'm late for it).

If you've read my old review, you'll notice that I like this movie, even though I agree there could have been some improvements.

"The Wiz" movie was released into cinemas on October 24 1978, so now the film IS over 30 years old.

This New DVD, with a great new cover AND SHINY Slipcase better than the one I designed in a letter to Universal mentioned in the old review is both a great gift, and a slight disappointment:

GREAT: As said before the Picture and Sound have been Restored, so that you can see the shots and hear soundtrack more clearly until now I never even noticed Dorothy/Diana removing her ear-rings upon deciding to kill Evilene! and the colours certainly do appear CLEANER. You'd be surprised at how much better this new picture is compared to before!

DISAPPOINTMENT: I was hoping to see a slightly wider and longer version of the picture, but close comparison and attention have shown that the image is slightly zoomed in look at the edges (sides and top/bottom) in the wide shot of Dorothy in her Emerald City Motel room for example, and you'll notice a bit missing. And when we see Dorothy and Toto being transported across the screen from New York to Oz, that is the one time it looks more-or-less the same as the old DVD (despite better detail and cleaner picture).

And as Diana finishes singing "I wish I was . . . " in 'Soon As I Get Home', I noticed how her lips mouth 'home'; Unfortunately, it seems she didn't say 'home' and that moment remains unspoken even in restoration.

Again the Chapter List stays the same: 20 scenes for the opening title, each song and end credits but here they are presented by 4 screenshots instead of 3 like before.

The Menus, though quiet and simple, do have a bit of animation and Much more Colour to them. MAIN reuses the front cover characters (but rearranged, words appearing in afterwards), while SPECIAL and SET-UP use the back cover movie moments. Again, great English specific subtitles, audio selections are English 5.1 in Dolby and dts, with French 2.0 and subtitles.

When "PLAY" activated, there is a (unavoidable to skip or speed-up) new classification screen and the Universal Logo. When you do see the movie's (old) Universal opening with the Wiz music, you'll be surprised at how well the restoration shows! Unlike last time, there is no 'Universal on DVD' video-promo, and the menu comes up before the movie allowing you to choose what to do first.

Special Features are once again the Trailer and Making-of "Wiz on Down the Road", and unfortunately that's it. Still, they are fun to watch and hear.

Another disk with MORE Special Features (Galleries, music videos, trivia-facts using the old DVD notes, interviews, LOTS of things on the Original Broadway, etc.) would definitely have been welcome and made this DVD a better winner, but . . .

The only other bonus is an 8-track '30th Anniversary Edition Music CD' (inside DVD-case, unattached to anything with own slip-cover) with movie songs "He's the Wiz" by Thelma Carpenter, "You Can't Win" Michael Jackson, "Ease on Down the Road" Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, "Slide Some Oil to Me" Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross' "Mean Ole Lion", Emerald City, the Winkies' "Brand New Day" and "Home" with Diana Ross some of which are fun and great to listen to.

The front cover of the characters (except Diana, of course) are from/can be seen in "the Wiz Scrapbook", and the Back cover of the DVD and slipcase are the same, except for the area with the barcode and an oval-like shape above the 'Special Features'.

Picture and Sound have been Restored Superbly (despite slight zoom in), and although the Special Features are a downgraded repeat (and slight overstatement) these are still fun videos to watch.

Once again, a very enjoyable DVD for a could-have-been-better movie, a "bad" movie which is still FAR BETTER than that of the 1976 Australian horrified modern-day "OZ (A Rock 'N' Roll Road Movie)" version, terribly unsuitable for children and families!!

Checking out this 30th Anniversary DVD is worth it, for the quality picture and sound, and simply good menus.

Look and . . . See a . . . Brand New Film!

Buy The Wiz (1978) Now

If you are a fan of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Disco Music and Broadway Musicals, then this is a must-see film.

Based on the 1975 Broadway show and filmed entirely on location in New York City back in 1977, the film was released in 1978 to mixed reviews. Even though it was not a box-office smash, this film has become somewhat of a cult-classic over the years to millions.

The Quincy Jones-produced score still sounds as fresh today as it did 30 years ago, and the visual effects were way ahead of their time when this film was made.

The film's "Emerald City Sequence" musical number, which featured most of the main cast and hundreds of dancers, was shot in the plaza between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Like so many films that were shot over the years on or near the now "Ground Zero" site in Lower Manhattan, prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this film may bring back memories of that fateful day. But at the same time it should also be a reminder of how much more at peace the world seemed to be all those years ago.

I have always enjoyed watching this film over the years, but like so many films that we have come to love, that were filmed on that site prior to 9/11, it is sad that even our culture in movies has been tarnished by the events of 9/11 as well.

Read Best Reviews of The Wiz (1978) Here

That's the song that introduces Michael Jackson's Scarecrow in The Wiz! I love this movie. It's cheesey as hell and a camp classic the songs are top notch fair and in some cases beat out the lyrics from The Wizard Of OZ! Just listen to Ms. Ross belt out "Home" or when michael and her team up for "Ease on down the road"! The plot is also fun it takes the premise of the original and places it in New York. The dialogue is great with slang and refrences to black pop culture. Lumet paints the film with a colorful glaze of magic and distress by making the colors pop off the screen and the use of glow in the dark images is astonishing. The soundtrack is also a must buy this film is a complete child's fairy tale and it's beautiful. After hearing "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" you'll be easing on down the road and humming the tunes for days!

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OK, OK...I will admit that I trashed this movie over in the VHS section, but understand my only copy was one that I taped from a television showing and it had been badly butchered (edited) by the network to fit the time slot. So my most recent memory of The Wiz has been this terrible copy of this 1978 musical.

I recently decided to give it another chance to win me over. I purchased the DVD version, and I must admit this new, crisp, complete film with its remastered soundtrack, is a much more watchable and entertaining experience.

We all know the story, Dorothy goes to Oz via whirling snowstorm, meets up with band of misfits who through their harrowing experiences together learn they can all be better than they had ever imagined. And that life can be good no matter where you live.

In the past, the cropped version diminished the entire focus of the story, and made it feel dark, and claustrofobic but now

the Widescreen format greatly enhances the scope of the movie, giving it a more important feel. The color is so much brighter than before that I couldn't believe all the details I had missed that are now clearly visable. The scene where the Munchkins come alive off the Grafitti wall, is really very cool.

There are entire scenes I had forgotten about that are now included, like the one where Dorothy and others are in the OZ motel room talking about having to kill Evilene. I had not seen that one since 1978, and had forgotten it entirely.

I still have problems with some of the performances, and I still believe that it was poorly edited, but all in all I was very impressed with the brand new feel of this movie and if you have not seen it in the DVD format, do so, you will be suprised at the difference. I am now looking forward to seeing it again and again.

The extras on the DVD, are pretty standard, with Trailers and the like. There is a very dated special presentation about the making of the Wiz in which Sidney Lumet discusses his vision of this timeless tale.

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Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)

A discussion of Charles Bronson that fails to mention the "Death Wish" series isn't really a discussion at all. The first entry in this seminal series arrived on the scene in 1974 during a period in American history when all types of crimes skyrocketed. We can thank the moral laxity inflicted on the rest of us by the Counterculture for the increased numbers of murders, arsons, burglaries, robberies, rapes, and countless other forms of physical and mental assaults that soon became common occurrences on every street in the country. A large percentage of the population, referred to by Nixon as "The Silent Majority," ached to find a way to fight back against the vermin committing these atrocities. Since our embrace of vigilante justice faded away due to the abuses of lynching in the South, and our legal system began letting the scum back out on the streets, only Hollywood seemed to offer refuge to the growing number of victims. Enter the revenge and vigilante genre, the most notable entries of which consisted of the Clint Eastwood "Dirty Harry" pictures. In these films, a cop or outraged citizen would hunt down criminals outside the law, meting out a savage brand of justice we could all cheer about.

"Death Wish 4: The Crackdown" is yet another chapter in the saga of the Angel of Death, aka Paul Kersey, the mild mannered architect turned vigilante turned one man army. Everyone he comes into contact with and cares about in any way perishes horribly at the hands of society's vermin. By the late 1980s concern about drugs and drug pushers moved to center stage in the media, so Kersey emerges from his hibernation to battle a couple of ruthless mafia style families responsible for most of the cocaine traffic on the West Coast. Of course, the death of his soon to be stepdaughter Erica Sheldon (Dana Barron) from an overdose provides more than enough impetus for action, as does the grief of the girl's mother Karen Sheldon (Kay Lenz). Kersey bumps off the low level pusher who sold the drugs to Erica, but the real fireworks start when a wealthy third party, Nathan White (John P. Ryan), hires Paul to wage all out war on the mafia hoods moving the dope. Loaded for bear, Kersey begins investigating Ed Zacharias (Perry Lopez) and Jack Romero (Mike Moroff), the two men named as prime suspects by White. The idea is stage a series of raids so each family thinks the other is trying to start a war.

Kersey takes out his targets by donning a variety of "disguises." He dresses up as a waiter at a party thrown by the Zacharias family, a party where Paul inadvertently witnesses a murder and barely escapes with his own life. Another incident, probably the film's best scene, finds Kersey posing as a wine salesman in order to kill a few goons with a bomb in a bottle. Everywhere these guys hide, our hero shows up to deal out death. He throws one of the family's lieutenants out of his posh high rise apartment, shoots up a drug distribution warehouse, and kills several goons in a video store that serves as a front for drug operations. Predictably, Zacharias and Romero set up a meet outside the city to hash out their problems. Even more predictably, Kersey mows them all down with a sniper rifle the size of a conference table. Thank goodness the bad guys are all gone. But wait! "Death Wish 4" throws in a plot twist we saw coming from a mile away, and the game continues. Now Kersey must confront someone who has, among other things, kidnapped Karen Sheldon, and he'll do it the only way he knows how--with an assault rifle/grenade launcher the size of which would make Scarface weep with envy.

It should go without saying that Paul Kersey is the only person still living at the end of the film. It should also go without saying that "Death Wish 4" is a cheap, poorly acted piece of drivel that massively entertains largely due to its over the top violence. Say what you will about Bronson making these low budget potboilers, and you could say plenty of unkind things, but he always manages to pull it off. Not only do we want to see him eradicating the scum, we enjoy watching him do it. So entertaining is it to watch him pummel a man twice his size and thirty years his junior into submission that we hardly care about the impossibility of such a scene at all. Nor do we ask more than once how a guy his age could land a babe like Kay Lenz's character. All that matters is the action, and "Death Wish 4" has as much of that as it does plot holes. I loved the scene where the bad guy tries to drive away from Kersey only to receive a high explosive round as a reward. Note to self: when escaping from a nut armed with a grenade launcher, drive faster than five miles an hour. It's also interesting to note the effects a high explosive round has on a human body when fired into it from five feet away. Heck, the violence here is so much fun you barely notice the inexplicable disappearance of Lenz's character for most of the film.

It's a shame MGM released this in fullscreen with only a trailer as an extra. Amazingly, Bronson made one more "Death Wish" film in 1994 before calling it quits. While we'll never see another Charles Bronson film--the actor passed away in 2003--we can still revisit his numerous low budget Cannon clunkers of two decades ago. Rest in peace, Charles Bronson, and hopefully you somehow know that you forever left an indelible impression on the minds of lovers of low budget action thrillers.

i can't understand why the reviewers of Bronson films think it necessary to trash the people who actually like to watch Bronson. you know, i love his movies because they say a lot of things i wish i could do in real life. everyone wants to get rid of people they hate and since killing is illegal and i have a rational mind, i can watch Bronson films and get out my anger at somebody through his mass killings of street scum and corrupt public officials. i don't see the harm in the genre of films Charles chose to link himself with. Death Wish and all it's sequels are designed strictly for that kind of audience that gets thrilled and excited watching someone do things that can't be done in real life without suffering the consequences. Charles' character never goes to prison or is never seriosuly pursued by the police...BECAUSE Bronson is doing what the POLICE wish they could do to crooks and the PUBLIC loves what Bronson's character is doing. that's the message that his mid '70s to mid '80s movies set. i say, what's the harm in an actor giving HIS public what they want and all you have to do is look at the box-office, not the critics. 90% of his so-called "bad" movies, the ones that critics scathe and tear apart, were huge money makers and that's the bottom line. to say Charles Bronson's career wasn't popular and appealing is a lie...he's the "common man"'s hero but my no means does that make his fans vigilantes...we just get excited watching bad guys get what they deserve and Charles vents our frustrations for us in his movies. it's as simple as that. Death Wish 4 is based on a murder and the fact that red tape and procedures get in the way of solving cases. vigilante films, like the wonderful Death Wish series, are limited in originality due to the very fact that it's a vigilante film. you can't get too original with that premise, can you? so that's why we don't mind that the series is all the same sort of plot, we get a kick out of the many ways Bronson shoots the bad guy and the different sort of guns he might use.

Buy Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) Now

Right off the bat I just want to say that this is a unrealistic action movie and should be viewed as such. On the unrealistic action movie scale I give it a 4 if only because I thought some of the other Death Wish movies were a slightly more fun, but this is classic. When a would be rapists asks Kersey who he is we get the classic line: "Death"! Paul Kersey is just too cool!If you have never seen the Death Wish movies you are in for a treat. These movies are in a league of their own and this time around, Kersey is gunning for high powered drug dealers and he now has an arsenal stored behind his refrigerator! Leave your rational mind out of it and have fun with Death Wish 4.

Read Best Reviews of Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) Here

Paul Kersey A.K.A The Unluckiest Man In The World moves back to L.A.(he'd be better off disappearing into a small town in Wyoming, but then we wouldn't have a Death Wish movie, would we?)and gets a new girlfriend who's daughter dies(naturally) from a cocaine overdose. Well, then he's back in Bronson mode, and manages to bring down the L.A cocaine empire in a few days. Cool. Not as wild and out of control as Part 3, but good violent fun nonetheless. Michael Winner decided to hang up the directing duties after 3, and now J. Lee Thompson(who made about 8 million 80s action flicks with Bronson) takes over. This is just like any other crude Thompson/Bronson actioner from the 80s-and that's either good or terribly bad depending on your taste. My big problem is with MGM's halfassed treatment of these dvds. Death Wish 2, 3, and 4 all came out on the same day and all three are terrible disappointments. Sure, the picture's the best it can be, but MGM has gotten extremely lazy and not released them in widescreen format. The same goes for most of the MGM released Chuck Norris films. Look, these films aren't art, and didn't have oscar winning cinematography, but they do have a fan base and those fans have been waiting for these dvds for a long time so they could ditch their old VHS copies for a nice widescreen transfer. Well, the fans will be saving themselves alot coz they might as well, and probably will just keep their VHS copies. A "making of" documentary was filmed at the same time as Death Wish 3-why isn't that on the dvd? MGM better get the lead out fast.

Want Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) Discount?

When his girlfriend's teenaged daughter dies from a cocaine overdose, Paul Kersey again picks up a gun and starts wasting drug dealers. Although the story's twists and turns border on being silly, nonetheless star Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson give this unnecessary entry in the Death Wish series a little something extra. The opening minutes of the film are particularly impressive, sending a subtle signal that they were trying to make a real movie instead of just another bargain basement formula action thriller. So well done it's almost good in its own right instead of being just another b-grade guilty pleasure.

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Saw VI (2009)

I still remember seeing the first Saw, and the shock and gossip about the hacksaw scene that followed. I was pumped for number 2 and actually enjoyed it quite a bit, I thought were climbing a hill of movie goodness here. Saw III followed and was interesting to say the least, I was happy it improved over on the 1st and 2nd and kept me interested in 4. Needless to say 4 and 5 plummeted the series like a skydive gone wrong...I was officially done with Saw after seeing 5.

Last week I fell to the curiosity of Saw 6 and decided to see it that weekend. I went into the theater with my 6 dollar soda, and 5 dollar skittles, sat through the 4 or so teenagers next to me giggling and talking through the entire 91 minute movie...then came the end credits.

I can honestly say after all was said and done my friends and I looked at each other with ear to ear grins. I was very happy with this 6th installment, and didn't feel so bad about the 20+ dollars I had spent to see this movie. The opening scene is brutal and has you sitting back in your seat thinking OUCH! The movie throws in some real world situations that most people can relate to or at least see the truth in.

In my mind a lot of things were answered and blanks filled in from the last couple movies, which I felt helped number 6 a lot. And the new director didn't clam up and make this one borderline PG-13, the gore is very well done and makes even me, a horror fanatic cringe. I'm not gonna discuss the plot, or twists, because I think you should feel how I did when they play out on screen.

I will say when it comes to Saw 6, forgive and forget the last 2 and see this one! If your a Saw fan your gonna love this new installment, if you were a Saw fan this will re-ignite your Saw fascination, and at least get your heart pumping and mind racing as to what the next installment will include! I can honestly say I'm looking forward to adding this to my Blu Ray collection and think it will shine next to the abomination that was Saw 4 & 5.

Jigsaw's 6th puzzle piece was awesome and one of the best in the Saw franchise! It was a lot better than the previous film. There are a bunch of new and terrifying traps and twists. They tie up a lot of loose ends like what was in Jill's box, what Amanda's letter from Hoffman was about, and much more. Tobin Bell does another amazing job as Jigsaw who's legacy continues long after his death. Hoffman sets up a new game for William Easton, an executive at a health insurance company. He decides who to cover based strictly on probabilities of health or illness, which turned down Jigsaw when he had cancer. William must make impossible decisions such as who should live and die in the Carousel Trap, and who is more worthy of living. The game comes full circle! I highly recommend SAW VI!!!

Buy Saw VI (2009) Now

Seeing the "Saw" films has become admittedly a sick tradition of mine. The films are consistently clever, but often ultimately disappointing. "Saw 6" was however one of the best in the series, as it maintains its integrity to the early entries while creating a convincing healthcare themed story that is both twisted and relevant. Don't expect the increase in quality to mean a decrease in gore as this has its fair share of squint-n-squirm moments, but hey you go to a "Saw" movie, you cannot be angry when the blood starts to run. If you like any of the other ones even if you've been disappointed in the franchise lately, give this one a try. You won't be let down.

Read Best Reviews of Saw VI (2009) Here

I got into the Saw series the year Saw IV was coming out. I don't know what had made me wish to watch the first installment, but I did. And after finishing it I was truly amazed, I was hooked from Saw I. Saw II was one of my favorites because it had alot more interation. Saw III was great, but the first few times, I thought it was a bit slower than what I wanted, which I'm now fine with it's pace.

Saw IV wasn't all what the series needed when it had been released. After all the Saw fans had to deal with hearing people wish they had stopped at III, and also doubting where the creators could possibly go with the story now that John Kramer had passed. Yea...it was pretty slick making the story take place during the time Saw III was playing, but it didn't do what the series needed it to do.

Saw V was a slight improvement, it slowed down alot and allowed you to better understand all that was taking place. But it still didn't have enough redemption to make a full recovery from Saw IV. But nonetheless, I was determined to keep watching the series until the end.

....Saw VI....Of all the films that have been in this series, in my opinion, this by far comes closest to beating the amazement that Saw I gave to it's veiwers than what II, III, IV, & V could have ever done. Opening with one of the most brutal traps in the whole series, this film kicked of to an amazing start. *SPOILER AHEAD* Another thing that made this film well was how it pulled it's victims not from the underbelly of society [prostitutes, arsonists, people having affairs, those wishing the deaths of others, etc.], but from an Insurance Firm/Agency. *END OF SPOILER* It was a very smooth move on the people who helped script the movie to go with such a choice, because although we can think of plenty of kinds of people that would be perfect Jigsaw Victims. We don't necessarily think to place those sort of people at the top of our lists.

Overall Saw VI was a MAJOR improvement for the "2nd Trilogy" of the Saw series, although it left us with some questions, it answered so many that the fans needed/wanted to know the answers to. If you haven't watched any of the Saw films, you need to ATLEAST give the series a chance and watch Saw I. It is truly more than just mindless slasher film.

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Ok, so by now if you're reading a review on SAW 6 you have to like the franchise. If not you seriously need to get a life because either you're just one of the people who hate these films but have never seen them, or your just bored and reading random movie reviews. If you are a fan of at least some of the films this is the best one yet...no joke. When I saw this I was thinking, ok, it'll hopefully be a little bit better than 5 but I wasn't going to ask for much. Even Back to the Future and Godfather went down the tubes during their 3rd sequel, try to wrap ur head around a Back to the Future pt. 6! Ya. Aside from the overly nausiating first trap (I'm desensitized from the other films but this "pound of flesh" trap got to me), the movie excells in every way from the other films. It had a real plot, motivated characters and..gasp!...good acting. IF YOU ARE A FAN...you need to watch SAW 6, it's that good.

Now...I was once a hater...I thought before I saw the first movie that anyone who liked it must be a freak. I thought that Harry Potter fans were all idiots for liking some dumb wizard flick. I also thought that Twilight fans were just as insane....It's very very easy to refuse to see a movie and still talk about it with distain. So I watched them, as a hater should force themselves to do before they make idiotic comments. Now, after watching every SAW i find myself thinking that it's probably the smartest horror franchise in history. Clues, comments, and commentary all have the fan guessing what will happen next. It's not a slasher film and by the 6th movie I actually feel sorry and root for the guy that we all hated in SAW and SAW 2. I also went from loathing Harry Potter to actually finding the films entertaining and now own all of them. I'm never going to read the books cuz they're wayyyy too long and I have no intention on delving deaper into the psyche of the wizards of Hogwarts that the movies dont touch on, but they are just fun to watch. Now as for Twilight...well...it sucks...its a buncha blank starring and "oh he loves me, he loves me not"...the action is a cheap wireworks display and im really glad there wont be 8 of these films....but I still saw them, so its my actual opinion, not me going on a banter. If you hate these movies for either A)the gore, B)the acting in a few movies, C) horror isnt your thing, than this wont change your mind. But if you hate saw just to hate it you have no business commenting on these types of websites where people are looking for honest answers to whether or not they should buy the movie. Giving this film 1 star and saying "How much more do I have to take of this!!!!", is not helpful to anyone...you could have stopped after SAW 2 if you didnt like it, so really the idiot isnt the person who wants to purchase the film, its you for making urself watch something you dont like.

In summary, don't listen to the people who gave this movie 1 or 2 stars. This movie easily beats 5, 4, and 3 and is far more fast-paced and entertaining than 1 and 2. If you like SAW and you waited till dvd to watch this cuz you werent sure if u'd be wasting 10 bucks in theaters I promise you wont be wasting 15-20 bucks buying this, or waiting till Blockbuster/Hollywood Video, or any other store has this pre-viewed for $7.50.

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