Executive Decision / Point Break / Swordfish (Triple Feature) (2012)

I have been a skier, skydiver, surfer, fast car driver and more. All of these movies kept my attention and at least got a smile or two out of me. I had seen them all in the past before U purchased these but I figured that since they were decent films I would enjoy watching the again. Three movies for a low price is a great deal.

Point Break seems to be out of place in this collection from my personal point of view as I am not a surfing enthusiast, the Bluray transfers ore good on the 3 separate discs, However if you are a surfer this would certainly be a recommendation

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Three exceptional action thrillers. All three in this package are well worth your time if you enjoy action movies.

Swordfish: You have John Travolta as a rogue agent that takes hostages at a bank to make the government pay him millions in compensation with the assistance of Hugh Jackman and Halle Barry. Lots of twists in this one making it hard to tell who the bad guys are and what they really have in mind.

Point Break: Patrick Swayze and his ex presidents are robbing banks with Keenu Reeves in pursuit for the FBI. Keenu joins them undercover and develops a friendship that will make it hard to take them down.

Executive Decision: Steven Seagal and his team with the aid of Kurt Russell try to regain control of a commercial flight full of terrorist. Kurt actually an analyst, but he gets roped into onsite support that becomes much more than he bargained for. Great support cast in this one.

CA Luster

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Three great movies in one case and all you have to do is get the popcorn ready, soda and candy to eat.

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Smokey and the Bandit (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (1977)

What can I say about this super cool movie that none of the other reviewers have not already said? It is one of the funniest flicks ever, it is a celebration of cool things from the 70's (and there were not too many) like CB radios, weird/wild looking cars, tight jeans and Coors beer. The story involves a pair of Truckers (Burt Renolds and Jerry Reed)and their dog Fred, who take a bet from an obnoxious Father/Son Texas oil millionaire team that they can deliver an 18 wheeler full of beer about halfway across the USA in 24hrs. They hook-up with the original runaway bride Sally Field along the way, she does the impossible before your eyes and changes out of a wedding dress into the tightest jeans ever to grace the silver screen inside a Trans Am! The jeans are so tight she might as well be naked!! It's great! They are chased by jilted groom Junior and his Daddy Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice played by the great Jackie Gleason. The Great One plays the best southern sheriff ever as he and his son drive from one madcap scen to the next in the "evidence" as they chase the Bandit in his Trans Am from one state to the next. The cast of charcters encountered is hilarious, mobile cathouse, samurai trucker, friendly undertaker, biker gang and many keystone cops. A big 10-4 to all those who firewalled this film, a big steamy 10-200 to those who did not. Let's have a reunion Burt, Sally and Jerry could take on a new sheriff. Burts need to be in a jet black WS-6 Ram Air TA with a "screaming chicken" sticker on the hood. Pontiac should beg for it, they need an image boost. I'm outta here good buddies, look out for those "Kojacks with Kodaks"!

When originally released in 1977, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT was second only to STAR WARS as the year's internationally top grossing film. With a simple plot and film locations around Atlanta, Georgia doubling as other states, this film fast moving fun. This film stands out among the other Burt Reynolds films (Like WW AND THE DIXIE DANCE KINGS) which were traditionally filled with car chases, country music and just plain showing-off. Though this was not his first major motion picture, Jerry (Hubbard) Reed plays his part perfectly as Burt's Bandit-Blocker bootlegging partner. SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT jump-started Sally Field's career and finally broke the typecast that she could be nothing more than television's Flying Nun. Jackie Gleason is ideal as Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice, whose character, a man with old-fashioned southern values, chases Reynolds, Field, and Reed from Texas to Georgia. Jerry Reed wrote and sang most of the vocals in the sound track. If the theme song, East Bound and Down, doesn't have you toe-tapping by the end of the film, then you need to watch it a second time. This film was followed by two sequels which paled in comparison to the original. This is probably the only 1970's trucker-chase and laugh movie worth owning.

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Smokey and the Bandit is a dramatic comedy based on various folk legends surrounding the questionable "real-life" exploits of bandit Bo Darville and southern sheriff Buford T. Justice. Smokey (Jackie Gleason) gives a powerful performance as Justice who relentlessly pursues a new Trans Am driven by the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and a runaway bride (Sally Field), as well as his singing buddy Cledus (Jerry Reed) who drives a semi truck full of Coors.

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Transfer looks fine, has some cool extras, but they changed the sound of the car. I've seen this movie 3,294 times or more, and I know it inside/out. A major sell for me as a kid was the car in the movie.

Though the original sound of the car in the movie was totally dubbed to make the car sound better (and sound like s stick-shift, while the car in the movie is clearly shown to be an automatic). The Special edition version tones it down and makes it sound.. ... I dunno. Bleh. Not loud, not cool. Not the Bandits Trans Am.

I'd stick with the regular DVD if you are as about the film as I am.

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I caught the tail end of this movie on cable a couple of weeks ago and it took me back almost 30 years ago when first I saw it in the theater. I was 15 and was with my whole family at the movie theater and I remember cringing at every swear word because my mom was with us. It seemed like a lot of profanity back then, but these days you'd hardly notice it.

I also remember how great of a movie it was and just had to go out and get it for my DVD collection. Well I got it yesterday and watched it last night, and even 30 years later it's still a great movie. One thing to remember is that it seems like the late 70's and early 80's were filled with movies and TV shows like this (Dukes of Hazzard ring any bells?), but Smokey and the Bandit was the first, the original, and Hal Needham deserves alot of credit for single-handedly creating a whole genre, or at least a sub-genre.

Smokey and the Bandit was a fresh movie when it came out and immensely sucessful. It came out at the height of the CB Radio craze when virtually every one was putting a CB in their cars and trucks. My Dad had one in our van and another friend of mine's Dad had one in his truck and we used to hang out in one of our driveways for hours talking away with whoever was on the CB. Of course we had to memorize the list of "10" codes, and every CB radio came with a laminated list, so you learned that 10-4 meant affirmative, 10-20 meant location, 10-10 meant taking a break, and so on.

And so the CB was a big part of Smokey and the Bandit, and so were the Jerry Reed songs like "Eastbound and Down" that made up the soundtrack. And speaking of Jerry Reed, how great was he as Cledus carrying Fred the Basset Hound around eveywhere in the truck?

Sally Field as the runaway bride picked up by the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) was a perfect role for her. And Burt Reynolds was probably the most popular movie star of the 70's. The repartee between the Bandit and Frog (Sally Fields) character was funny and perfect. "You have a really nice profile." "Yeah, I do, don't I... especially from the side." Watching Smokey and the Bandit reminds me of why Burt Reynolds was so popular during the 70's.

And then the coup of the casting was getting Jackie Gleason to play Sheriff Buford T. Justice who chases the Bandit from Terxarkana all the way back to Atlanta Georgia. Gleason is phenomenal in the role and ad-libbed a good part of his lines. Telling his inept son Junior in a perfect southern drawl, "There is no way, just no way you came from my loins. When we get home, I'm going to punch yo mama right in the mouth."

And the car, I can't mention the other actors without mentioning the other star of the show, that fantastic black Pontiac Trans Am with the 6.6 liter V-8, the T-tops and the giant golden Eagle on the hood. That car was made for the movie and sales of Pontiac Trans Ams increased 700% solely because of the movie. Everyone wanted a car like the Bandit's.

Sure parts of the movie are a little cheesy, but it has a whole lot of redeeming qualities as well. It's not a film for intellectuals, but it's a great movie for watching with friends on a Saturday night with pizza and beer. Watching it in widescreen again was wonderful too, it's really shows off the cars and the stunts a lot better.

If you're looking to build a good solid movie collection, you need some good ones from the 70's and Smokey and the Bandit is one of the best comedies of its era. I highly recommend it.

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Its A Disaster (2013)

Amazing what can be conveyed from inside one house the whole movie. Initial tension turns to thought provoking results. One of those movies that stays with you a long time.

A collection of couples get together for their regular couples lunch, and this lunch turns out to be anything but normal. An unexpected calamity has hit, and they are not only dealing with personal issues amongst the group, but dealing with getting information about the disaster, and figuring out how to survive. This quirky black comedy is well-cast and skillfully scripted, enabling it to be quite funny and entertaining. The mostly little known actors are perfectly cast in their roles. The film may be called It's a Disaster, however it is anything but. This is actually a pretty darn good movie.

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As anyone can tell you, comedies are a tough sell, especially when broaching such subject matter as the end of mankind. Some wouldn't dare find anything close to that a laughing matter, but when it's used merely as a backdrop for broader, more general comedy, it certainly can be a nice filter. That's exactly what writer/director Todd Berger set out to do with IT'S A DISASTER: he combined an end-of-the-world scenario and mashed it up with a twentysomething and thirtysomethings coming-of-age comedy (THE BIG CHILL meets PERFECT SENSE. On many counts, it just doesn't quite work; yet, there's something wonderfully sublime about seeing a bunch of self-centered shallow suburbanites get their comeuppance ... even if that comeuppance is a nerve-gas Apocalypse.

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I'd encourage you to skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you're accepting of a few modest hints at `things to come,' then read on ...)

Emma (played by the comely Erinn Hayes) and Pete (Blaise Miller) Mandrake throw only the best Sunday brunches. Yet this week's brunch is going to be a disaster. Not only are they in the midst of their own full-blown marital crisis, but also some terrorists are about to detonate a series of nerve gas canisters across the United States, bringing about an end to life as we know it. Will the quiche be too hot? Will everyone like the wine? Will they have to down it all before the end comes? Oh, what's a couple of yuppies to do!

Surprisingly, I thought IT'S A DISASTER missed more than a few of its marks. That isn't to say that it's unfunny in any way, because that would be inaccurate. It's just that, given the premise and the cast including David Cross, Julia Stiles, America Ferrara, and more I think I expected a bit more. Many moments felt like they should've been played a bit bigger a big more obtuse and, instead, they're scaled back almost to the point that one wonders if everyone showed up knowing their lines. Or was this a case of dialogue being manufactured on the set, and the players were only provided with the talking points? It's hard to say, though I'd be remiss if I didn't underscore a bit of disappointment.

There are some truly brilliant pieces in here. Berger himself dons a hazmat suit and shows up uninvited to the dinner party as snooping neighbor, Hal; he's the one that breaks the news about the attacks. Rachel Boston and Kevin M. Brennan are splendid as Lexi and Buck Kivel (respectively), a husband-and-wife team so completely comfortable with their own generous sexuality they want to share it with anyone they can (which almost includes David Cross's Glen in a wacky development). And the occasional still shot of the dead latecomers to the party on the front steps along with an assortment of dead crows is increasingly funny as it's played so wondrously deadpan. I can't help but wonder if IT'S A DISASTER started out as a stage play all of the action takes place inside the house, though spread out across several rooms but I've no doubt thinking that this is exactly the kind of film that when it gets remade will probably find a much bigger and much more appreciative audience.

It's definitely worth a view. Maybe not an owner. But definitely worth a view.

IT'S A DISASTER is produced by Vacationeer Productions, Attainment Media Group, ARM Entertainment (II), Gordon Bijelonic / Datari Turner Films, and Tip-Top Productions. DVD distribution is being handled through Oscilloscope Laboratories. As for the technical specifications, it all looks and sounds very solid, though there were a few instances when recording levels seemed a bit off. Fans will be surprised to find a wealth of special features, including a commentary track and even a Comic-Con Panel appearance. It's a nice assortment for a nice middle-of-the-road comedy.

RECOMMENDED. It's more benign comedy than it is outright farce, and, as a consequence, IT'S A DISASTER misses some of the true laughs because so much of it is underplayed. Still, there's an awful lot of talent in there, so much so that I would've expected better. This may've been the case of a writer/director being too close to the material to see the weaknesses in the performances; it could've used a few more manic highpoints especially given the subject matter and a little less routine shtick of twentysomethings trying to figure out who they are. It's the apocalypse, after all? Laugh it up, people!

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This is a good movie for anyone who enjoys a nice dark comedy every once in a while. It also has a lot of great lines that I will be quoting for a long time.

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This cast is great, the actors play to their strengths and really create the diversity necessary to make a one setting movie work well. Not only are there some "audience told" quirks about each couple or character, but there are some surprises as the movie progresses. The surprises sort of escalate as the movie moves along so I kept wanting to know who and what next? Did everyone show all their cards or is someone going to do something to top the last one.

Most important It's really funny! And, I can't say more on this, or it will ruin the ending for some, but the ending has a very good irony to it.

Well I hope if you choose to watch this, you enjoy it as much as I did!

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Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982)

When Tron came out in 1982, it was intended to be a visually stunning parable against the powers of computers and technology. More than twenty years later, the movie plays more like a nostalgic ode to the early 1980s, than a simple good vs. evil morality tale. Tron evokes the heady days when video games like Pac Man, Defender and Centipede ruled the arcades and when everyone owned a Commodore 64 or an Atari 2600 -the eight track of personal computing.

Writer/director Steven Lisberger creates a flashy, neon-drenched world, a cybernetic version of Social Darwinism where lowly computer programs must participate in gladiatorial battles against the Master Control's ruthless minions. Even though the computer effects look primitive now, back then they were considered ahead of their time. Fortunately, Lisberger has not remastered the special effects with contemporary computer graphics (take note George Lucas). There is a certain clunky charm to the effects that makes Tron all that more endearing to its fans.

Tron is one of those rare examples where style over substance works. The computer world that Lisberger and his team worked so hard to create is rich in detail. It also plays on our romantic notions of what really goes on inside our computers -not a collection of microchips and circuit boards but a vast world where programs fight each other for survival. It's no wonder that visionary science fiction writer, William Gibson once commented in an interview that the cyberworld in Tron is how he envisioned the cyberspace in his novels.

The audio commentary with director Steven Lisberger, producers Donald Kushner and Harrison Ellenshaw, and special effects wizard, Richard Taylor. There is a relaxed feel to the track as these guys reminisce about working on the movie. The commentary does tend to lean more towards the technical aspects of making the movie as opposed to anecdotal content but the documentary on disc two covers this aspect in more detail.

Disc two features a wealth of supplemental material that was mostly carried over from a special edition laserdisc set that Disney released many years ago. The DVD reorganizes all of these extras into several easily navigable sections.

The best extra on the second disc is a comprehensive 90-minute documentary entitled, "The Making of Tron." Every aspect of the movie, from its humble origins to the struggles of getting it made are covered with brand new interviews with Lisberger and his crew and Jeff Bridges and the cast (minus David Warner). Everyone speaks fondly of his or her experiences working on Tron. This retrospective look at the movie 20 years later is a real treat for the fans and is the crowning touch on this excellent set.

I've read so many reviews TRASHING the special effects of Tron and its plot. First of all, it's easy with our modern ILM and digital masterpieces like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc. to criticize a movie made in 1982 but the bottom line is that the effects, for its time, were amazing!! I remember as a kid watching this movie with my mouth hanging open. I watched it, as a matter of fact, this week, on DVD and it still impresses me.

The key to being thoughtful and critical of movies is to be able to watch them in the context of their time. I could easily watch Star Trek episodes and say, "ha!! Look at that! Since our FX are so much better now days, that series isn't even relevent!!" That's, in a nutshell, what I read one reviewer saying, that the FX of Tron are corney by modern standards to it's irrelevent. Not at all.....

I think the plot, and keep in mind this IS a Disney movie, though simple, is a good one. It deals with a big brother government that wants to make everyone think the same, live under one rule, if you're not with us you're against us, etc. kind of government. To be in good standing with the Master Control, one must not believe in the "users," or, to the computer programs, 'God.' So, atheism is the key to getting good training, promotion and success. Those who oppose the MCP are treated like Roman Gladiators only to perish. Flynn takes on an incarnation of sorts becoming a "user" and a "program" almost resembling a kind of computer Christ. Very interesting notion. Neat parallel. The movie if full of Christian-type allegories and overall is very entertaining.

There is no sex, hurtful violence or garbage. Clean movie, I as an adult still love it, and it's in general a great flick. Give it a break folks!

Buy Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Now

Greetings, Program!

It seems the previous reviews were written about some other, earlier DVD edition of this film. The 20th Anniversary Edition is a great 2-Disc package with plenty of extras, including a 1 1/2 hour retro-documentary of the making of both the original film and this DVD edition. Also included are a collection of production drawings by Moebius, Storyboards & Animatics, Deleted Scenes, and some deleted music! (Please note that Disney & Wendy Carlos have FINALLY remastered the original soundtrack and added a few missing tracks for a new CD due to release January 29th. 2002!) Check out ... for the full story why this took so long!

This new edition is well worth the price and is certain to please die-hard TRON fans! In the Supplementary materials, Director Steven Lisberger even hints at the possibility of a sequel! TRON 2.0!

A word of warning to Sony Playstation2 Users! There is a MAJOR GLITCH that seems to only affect Playstation2...during Chapter 8, the scene where Flynn/CLU is introduced to RAM in the Game-Grid holding cells, the picture wigs-out into a mess of pixelated garbage and artifacts that can only be eliminated by resetting the machine! I returned my DVD to [retail store], only to discover the defect on the replacement disc, as well! The defect did not show up when I played the disc on a friend's dedicated DVD Player. (a small horizontal blip/glitch did appear, but caused no serious problems.)

Playstation Users If you experience this Glitch, Please do not hurry to return "defective" discs to Amazon.com! You can get past this glitch by simply "fast-forwarding" a frame, or two, past the problem spot! In fact, if Playstation2 is your only means of playing DVDs, you may have no alternative!

There is also a small problem with the Sound Mix during SARK's Introductory Speech to the "Programs" being readied for the Game Grid....When SARK is not actually On-Screen, or is seen from the Grid Warriors' Point-Of-View, his dialogue volume drops noticably to the point where his speech is quite difficult to understand!

Hopefully, the manufacturer will remedy these problems in a subsequent pressing. But, Playstation2 & Sound Glitches aside, this a wonderful package that I highly recommend! I was lucky enough to find the disc on [retail store's] shelves a few days before the release date! ...but buy yours here, the price is the same!

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I could not believe how good this movie looked on Blu Ray. Disney did an excellent job putting this movie to Blu Ray. I felt like a kid the first time in the movie theater when I went to see this movie. The picture quality is outstanding and also the sound. When the Master Control program is talking its nice and loud on a surround sound system. If your a fan of the original Tron and was wondering if to pick this up or not on blu ray just do yourself a favor and get it. I had watched Tron in theaters on VHS countless times and had the 20th aniversary edition on dvd and must say the picture quality far exceeds the standard dvd in picture and sound and is the closest your going to get to a theater experience of this movie. Just do yourself a favor and pick this one up while you can. A fan of this movie will not be disapointed.

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I think I speak for every Tron fan out there when I say that this 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition is long overdue but most welcome! The only way you could improve upon this brilliant piece of work is to release it in a director's cut with DTS, but this still gets 5 stars in my book. For everyone's information, this is a 2-DVD set. First one contains the movie, complete with THX Optimizer. Second one could be entitled "Everything you ever wanted to know about Tron but were afraid to ask." It not only contains the deleted scenes, but it also contains storyboards, photo galleries, and an extensive "Making Of Tron" documentary with interviews. I learned a ton (or should I say Tron) of stuff out of that documentary, among which is the fact that Cindy Morgan still looks magnificent after all this time!

This DVD is a vast improvement over its DVD predecessor, being THX-certified with beautiful widescreen picture and rich 5.1 sound! Wendy Carlos's music score has never sounded better; I look forward to getting the CD soundtrack when it is released (again long overdue.)

When this movie came out, it quickly became my all-time favorite and to this day, it has stayed there. Thank you, Disney, for creating this 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, and thank you to everyone (cast and crew) who helped make it a reality!

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Faster (2010)

This was a great modern exploitation movie. It had some decent acting, and contrary to some other reviews The Rock hardly speaks in it, which is one of the things that makes it a great flick. He has tapped back into that imposing WWE persona, and brought it to the big screen again. His presence, his attitude and his demeanor is absolutely perfect for the role. There isn't an ounce of Tooth Fairy in this performance.

The overall story and how it plays out is very much influenced by the genre. There are so many great examples of this in the film, it really is a treat if you're into that. It's a really fine example of modern exploitation flimmaking. I don't know where CBS films is going to go, but hopefully they will not have given up on this type of movie.

Don't go into this movie thinking it's a highbrow heist film or savvy thriller it's a visceral blow-em-up action flick that is probably best watched with your wife at the grocery store or at her sewing class. Crack open a beer, open up a bag of Little Smokies and sit on the couch for an hour and a half of blowing stuff up and sweet, sweet revenge 80's style.

I know this movie did not do that well money wise, but I thought it was the Rock at his finest. He was made for this role and performed it like a veteran actor. It is similiar to other movies involving revenge, but this movie takes it to a much higher and violent level. The action is very fast paced and actual bordered on brutal killings, which are great and crowd pleasing as you root for the protagonist to "Get Even". Billy Bob Thorton is good as always while playing a burned out detective.

I can not say too much more or it will spoil the different plot twists in the movie especially towards the end. You don't have to be a Dwyane Johnson fan to really love this movie. Johnson simply excels in his role due to his physicality in looking the part he is playing, and the bonus is the action and excitement. Great movie. If you saw "Walking Tall" and liked it, you will love this one all that much more as it is a much better movie.

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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has no real name in this movie, just his occupation: Driver. Similarly, Billy Bob Thornton is "Cop." That must have been difficult to come up with. A completely unnecessary third-wheel-subplot is present, showing off a millionaire software developer assassin who has mastered yoga (seriously) and gets to shag Maggie Grace whose role as hot girlfriend is so pointless it should have been uncredited is hardly worth mentioning.

After being released from prison, Driver jumps in the car set up by a P.I. acquaintance of his, drives to a local telemarketing office, and sprays some nerd's brain matter on the back of his cubicle. If there is a better way to get me on the side of a guy embarking on a cross-country, revenge-filled murdering spree which is tracked by Cop and his partner Cop with Breasts (Carla Gugino) then I don't know of it; because everyone hates telemarketers. Through flashbacks we learn that Driver's brother (and crew) were involved in a bank heist and later murdered for their score. Up next: Death Wish Johnson!

Flaws in character development abound, as very little is learned about Driver, but a ton of time is spent on Billy Bob's failed marriage, portly kid, and drug problem. Each of the characters is transparently established as flawed, and the certainty of their eventual revelation makes tomorrow's sunrise doubtful. The cinematography and limited special effects are both unremarkable. Acting-wise, this film has the gusto of a professional cast already reading their next script; it never reaches the crescendo of expected excitement. Evidently two decent car chases and a few head shots just wasn't enough to get the cast fully enthralled either. I will say, however, that Johnson definitely steps outside his comfort zone, displaying what appeared to be genuine vulnerability to pair with already mastered anger.

While disappointing, Faster is nonetheless in my beloved "Death Wish," screw with me and I'll kill everyone you know, category. So, for that, it gets extra points. Besides all that, I'm for any opportunity that keeps the Rock out of family films or a fairy costume.

Jason Elin

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So I decided this evening that I was in the mood for some mindless action not typically the genre I usually watch. But regardless, I decided to watch "Faster." I knew very early on that this was definitely a mindless action movie and not to have very high expectations. When the movie's main characters have names such as "Driver," "Cop," and "Killer," you don't really expect much. But about an hour into the movie, I was completely caught off guard.

The last thirty minutes or so of the movie are surprisingly and uncommonly powerful. I wouldn't nominate this film for any awards for its acting or its story, but for what the movie had me believing it was, the last third of the movie was quite emotional. I will admit that I was even a little choked up and almost teary during some scenes. But I have a tendency to really analyze those types of scenarios on a personal, and almost empathic level, so many of you may not have the same experience.

But regardless, it was a fairly decent revenge flick with plenty to keep you entertained.

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Plot: The plot begins pretty straight forward: "The Rock" (or whatever his real name is) gets out of jail. Without even being out a full day he kills the first guy. We later learn that he's on a revenge streak going after the people that killed his brother and almost fatally wounded him. We also get to see the stories of a hired gun hunting him and a cop (Billy Bob Thornton) chasing him.....

PQ: This presentation comes extremely close to the intended goal. It isn't overly sharp and contains a fair bit of grain but it actually comes very, very close to the theatrical presentation. Colors and fleshtones are accurate. Luckily no DNR or Edge Enhancement was used to make the Picture "better"..as the rest of this presentation, the picture quality was a welcome surprise

SQ: We are provided with a DTS HD Master 5.1 Soundtrack by Sony here and it's pretty awesome. Dialogue is always kicking. You constantly have ambient noise in the back. The subwoofer is called to action when needed. There are some nice Sound Pans too in this one. For this kinda movie a pretty good soundtrack.

Summary: Considering that I watched this movie with almost no expectiations whatsoever I was pretty blown away by this one. The story was deeper and contained more character development than the last 10 action films I saw. All the actors were on the top of their game. Even those that had very small parts. (Like Tom Berenger)... This movie is really so much more than a stupid revenge killer movie. The quality of the BD Presentation is above average. The only thing is that there were no extra features whatsoever. Even though I usually don't even mention extra features.. With that good a movie I actually wanted to watch those and was disappointed when there were none. But that's pretty much the only bad thing that can be said about this movie. Do I recommend it? Hell yeah!!!!

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Mr. Popper's Penguins (2010)

You live in an apartment in New York City and work within sight of the Empire State building. Your life is hectic but predictable.

Imagine getting a very unusual gift (turns out, later, to be from your father). It is a live gentoo penguin. Wanting to send it back, you ask for a return crate. You get a new crate all right--filled with five new penguins.

What a mess your apartment soon becomes! You get snipped at and dumped on by the penguins. You give them names, such as Nimrod, Stinky, Captain, etc. They are perpetually playful! The penguins swim in the bathtub and spill water all over. Your children from a terminated marriage come to visit, and, having long been alienated from you, absolutely fall in love with the penguins.

A nosy neighbor wonders what the noises are from your apartment and, suspecting that he is on to something, wants to tell the board about it. Worse yet, your new nemesis, a penguin specialist who works in the zoo, keeps spying on you. He has a behaviorist view of animals (making animals little more than machines made of flesh), and is determined to take your penguins from you. To him, penguins are simply fish-eating machines. He doubts if a non-specialist can properly care for penguins, and especially ridicules the notion that a loving bond has developed between the penguins and you.

In time, you turn your apartment into a winter wonderland, complete with snow, ice skating, etc. Some of the penguins lay eggs, and you are determined that they hatch. Your colleagues from work stumble upon your transformed apartment, and think that you have totally lost your mind. Your penguins follow you around wherever you go, and this produces its own share of comic events.

Everything comes to a head from the nosy neighbor, the penguin specialist, the kids, Popper's ex-wife, and his work colleagues. Popper is accused of breaking the law by housing penguins. He is fired from his job. He tries to win his ex-wife back. The penguin specialist has all of Popper's penguins. The apartment is normal once again, and the visiting children are heartbroken. And then... I will not spoil the ending by revealing it.

This is a very entertaining and heartwarming movie for the whole family. If you are an animal lover, this little tale is definitely for you.

Took my 7 year old daughter to see this movie today & Im really glad we went!

From the previews I thought the movie was going to be boring & lame, but I was pleasantly surprised with the movie!

The movie ran at a fast & very entertaining pace...

The theater audience laughed, laughed & then laughed some more...

The movie has comedy for sure, but also tells a great story & has a few very good life lessons in it...

The lengths Carrey takes to take care of these Penguins is just AWESOME!!!

Jim Carrey did a fantastic job as the lead actor...

He shows signs of his old hillarious humor from his early films, but is not sooooo over the top in this film as he was in past films...

He showed true heart & was very believable in his role!!!

The Penguins were unbelievably funny & simply amazing! They must have had some serious training!

The supporting acting was pefectly done by Mr. Poppers kids & ex wife...

Overall I give this movie an A...

I would recommend going to see this movie while its in the theaters...

I would also recommend it for adults & children...

Thanks for reading my review!

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Between Mr. Popper's Penguins and The ZooKeeper, ... I liked them both, but I liked Mr. Popper's Penguins more. Kids loved it too. Nice story. Has been while since I saw a Jim Carrey movie,... thought he did a good job in this role. And the penguins are hilarious! I didn't quite get that incredible name of Mr. Popper's assistant,.... with the fun voice and accent, ... miss P (?),... but I liked her character/role too. So many fun scenes in this movie. We had a good time.

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Jim Carey is funny and finally decides to please the kids and his wife. Movie is great, enjoyed, the moral content is top notch and it is always clean.

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I'm sorry. I forfeited all objectivity once the first penguin waddled on camera. Jim Carrey's past few flicks have been hit or miss with me, and maybe a part of it is that I've gotten accustomed to his schtick, despite the impressive rubber face and manic body contortions that would make a yogi master weep. And maybe I'm still holding NUMBER 23 against him. But what's cuter than an infestation of penguins? My niece and nephews adored this film. MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS, with its predictability and obvious gags, rises above the dreck by dint of penguins. Plus, it's got Carla Gugino, hotness personified.

Jim Carrey plays Tommy Popper, a businessman severely focused on his career. But, first, we see Tommy as a child who spends a span of years communicating with his father via ham radio. His dad is an explorer who is always away on exotic expeditions, and, over time, we witness young Tommy grow disillusioned with his absentee father. Thirty years later, Tommy Popper is divorced with custody of his two kids on alternate weekends. Tommy himself has become a neglectful parent. All he's focused on is securing a partnership in his firm, a position guaranteed him once he bags a primo piece of real estate called the Tavern on the Green.

The status quo gets topsy-turvied when Tommy receives a shipment of penguin to his upscale New York apartment. And then another crate of five more penguins. When his kids come over for a visit, they fall in love with them. From there the plot unfolds in by-the-numbers fashion. You may guess that Tommy Popper turns over a new leaf and becomes a better father, to the detriment of his career. You may conjecture that he becomes smitten with his ex-wife all over again, although how in heck do you fall out of love with Carla Gugino in the first place? There's fun in watching Popper gradually convert his swank Manhattan duplex into a sub-arctic region, just to accomodate the birds and to connect with his kids. Other than the usual thorny family dilemmas that inevitably crop up, the narrative conflict hinges on Clark Gregg's (a.k.a. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Agent Colson) scheming NYC zoo official who covets the six penguins because they're of the rarer gentoo breed.

I was somewhat impressed when I learned thru the bonus features that there's a higher percentage of real penguins in action here than one would assume. (Obviously the scene in which Carrey dances with the penguins is CG-rendered.) Several of the penguins are given enough character traits that they stand out. We learn that "Captain" suffers from flight envy. That "Nimrod" tends to bump into and fall over things. That "Stinky"... well, you can guess his specialty. The others Lovey, Bitey, and Loudy are descriptive enough. The birds' ridiculous antics won me over. Jim Carrey tones his stuff down, as well, and this is a welcome thing. And I did love his compulsively alliterative personal assistant Pippi (Ophelia Lovibond). I recommend this family flick for those who think penguins are funny. But for those who couldn't care less about penguins meaning that there's no buffer or filter thru which the bad bits can be digested there are moments in the movie that simply defy believability (like a penguin hang-gliding) and they well may hike up ye olde blood pressure. MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS is not subtle. You'll see every plot point coming, predict every pratfall. It'll be as if you're watching the addled Mirror Universe version of the MARCH OF THE PENGUINS. But the kids will laugh themselves silly. I did, too.

The DVD's bonus material:

Audio Commentary by director Mark Waters, editor Bruce Green, & visual effects supervisor Richard Hollander

All-New Animated Short: "Nimrod & Stinky's Antarctic Adventure" (00:06:08 minutes)

Gag Reel (00:01:58 minutes)

2 Deleted Scenes with optional commentary from the director, editor, & visual effects supervisor (totaling 00:02:08 minutes)

"Ready for Their Close-Up" A behind-the-scenes look at the real stars of the film: them penguins (00:08:25 minutes)

"Ladies and Gentoomen" SeaWorld San Diego's senior level aviculturist Jessica Perry divulges fun (or informative, anyway) facts about gentoo penguins (00:05:53 minutes)

Original Story Sampler enjoy the first three chapters of the 1938 children's book MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS by Richard and Florence Atwater on which the film was based

Theatrical Trailer

Sneak Peeks at SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD and TOOTH FAIRY 2

Speak Now World Tour Live (2011)

It's easy to poke fun at Taylor's less-than-spectacular live vocals, cheesy lyrics but as i watched a segment on her on 60 Minutes, her manager made a specacular pointIf Taylor wasn't pretty, blond, young, and appealing to young girls and their moms, he lyrical compositions would be praised and looked at a higher level than she is. Instead, she was classified as a pop/country bubblegum singer with no depth.

When I first heard of Taylor Swift, my initial reaction was repulsion. I wasn't a country fan, and her association with the genre never really allowed me to give her a chance. Then, being forced to listen to her, as I have 4-10yo nieces, her catchy tunes actually had feeling, innocence, and truth to them. She describes her own music as being autobiographical; writing about famous ex boyfriends (Joe Jonas and John Mayer) and the tabloids who launch you into stardom, only to try to tear you down ("Mean"). This girl is level-headed, smart, and knows how to put on a production.

You can see what a hard worker she is. If you watched Taylor Swift: Journey To Fearless, you can see that she is involved in every aspect of her spectacle: Lighting, dancer auditions, staging, projection, video montages, etc. The Speak Now World Tour, which sold out venues almost instantly, was wonderful. I got a chance to see her in Los Angeles (Where she sold out 4 shows in a matter of minutes) and she even brought Justin Bieber onstage.

Although not having a specific theme unlike her last tour, She still played with the "fairy tale" illusion where it is clear that she is enjoy being what she isa girly girl who loves sparkle and playing dress up.

I recommend this show to anyone who isn't caught up on searching "perfect live vocal" and just wants to sit back and have a blast (and wave their hands back and forth and shrieking like a little girl).

This DVD captures the magic of the Speak Now live convert experience perfectly. The image quality is superb. Colors are vibrant, and the details are crisp and well defined, despite the harsh lighting in the concert environment. The only minor complaint is that colors sometimes tend to favor yellow tones a bit more than ideal. But again, that's mostly attributed to the non optimal lighting conditions. The videography strikes a nice balance between intimate close ups of Taylor and her various bandmates and wide angle shots that really convey the grand scale of her concert stage and the production value. And that's the real value of this DVD. It gives you the kind of close up look at the concert you just can't get from the live thing, no matter how good your seats are. I was lucky enough to get 7th row seats when I attended her concert. While I was super close to the stage, my head barely rose above the floor of the stage. So the whole time I was craning my neck to maintain my view of the stage. At the concert I was so busy keeping my eye on Taylor, I paid almost no heed to her background dancers and other band members. Now I get a chance to go back and relive the experience and focus on the details that I missed the first time around. I particularly enjoyed being able to see the expression on her face while she say "Dear John".

The footage on the DVD is put together from multiple concerts. Taylor took the best of her performances for each song and stitched everything together seamlessly. You'd be hard pressed to know it's not from a single concert, if you weren't paying attention to the lyrics written on her arm, which varies from concert to concert. The audio mix on the DVD is also pretty close to perfect. The nonstop cheering of the crowd adds just the right amount of ambiance to really bring the concert experience home, without being overpowering, and muddying her vocals. Sadly, that cannot be said for the audio quality on the accompanying CD. For some of the songs on the CD, the crowd noise completely overshadows the singing, and makes her vocals sound dull. The worst offenders seems to be Sparks Fly and Mine, which is a shame, as those are two of my favorite tracks. Personally, I plan to rip the audio track off the DVD and make high bit rate MP3s out of them to solve this problem.

The other minor point to be aware of is that the CD doesn't contain every song that's on the DVD. Specifically, the following are missing:

1) Our Song

2) Fearless (under the tree)

3) You Belong With Me (under the tree)

4) FIfteen

5) Love Story

Despite these minor flaws, the overall experience is fantastic and absolutely enchanting. I recommend this to any taylor swift fan without reservation. From this DVD, it's easy to see why Taylor defines the voice of a generation.

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This woman never stops topping herself. She is such an exceptional artist. All her songs have such strong meanings and easily relatable topics. This year alone she has been named Entertainer of the Year for the second time, Billboard Woman of the Year for 2011, and Top Artist of 2011 by the American Music Awards. These awards just go to show how much her fans love her because of all her hard work and dedication. This album is a wonderful addition to any Taylor Swift's collection. This is a great subsitute for not being able to see the concert in person, as well as a great item to keep those memories for those who went. She never fails to amaze me. She is so perfect and the most deserving entertainer. I love Taylor Swift with all my heart, and this is just another great gift she's given to us fans. Talk about an early Christmas present

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Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (2011)

I'm not a Mike Myers fan, and I avoided this film--and its sequels--like the plague when they were on the big screen. But I now know the error of my ways: AUSTIN POWERS is one of the freshest bits of purely entertaining, mindless fluff to come along in quite a while, the perfect antedote to an overcast and bad-mood sort of day.

The story is an amalgamation of the more excessive plot ideas of such films as DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and OUR MAN FLINT. Fashion photographer by day and swinging spy by night, Austin Powers is the toast of psychedelic London--and more than a match for Dr. Evil. But when Dr. Evil has himself frozen, Powers does the same, and the two defrost some thirty years later and resume their battle in the much more up-tight 1990s. The most obvious target of the spoof is the James Bond films, but fans of 1960s film will have a field day spotting the film's take offs on such characters as Matt Helm, Derek Flint, Emma Peel, celebrities like The Beatles and Andy Warhol, and such diverse films as THE TENTH VICTIM and the camp classic DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMB. And dare we mention the sixties' own classic swinging spy spoof, the infamous CASINO ROYALE?

Myers is greatly amusing in the double role of Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, both of whom have considerable difficulty adjusting to everything from safe sex to inflation, and Elizabeth Hurley is quite good in the Diana Rigg-ish role of sidekick Vanessa Kensington. But the real fun here is in the details--and the details include every one from Michael York to Robert Wagner to Burt Bacharach to Carrie Fisher, "Fembots" with killer pasties, and Italian sexpot Fabiana Udenio as a character with the most devastating name since Honor Blackman hit the screen in GOLDFINGER. The soundtrack is just as swinging as it gets, with blasts of everything from "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and "I Touch Myself." And look for a hilarious spoof of Bob Fosse-inspired choreography during the main credits!

You won't find any deep thoughts in AUSTIN POWERS, and thank heaven for it: giggles and grins are the order of the day, and the film delivers them in abundance. The DVD is a nice one as well, offering your choice of widescreen or pan-and-scan, some entertaining notes and deleted scenes, and amusing commentary. Buy it and keep on your shelf for that rainy day.

Mike Myers is rapidly becoming, if he isn't already, the heir apparent to Mel Brooks in the sense that he is a master of jokes based on bodily functions. AUSTIN POWERS--INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY has all the elements of scatalogical humor: urination, fornication, masturbation, penis enlargement (almost anything to do with the penis really), allotta fagina, femmebots with gun barrel breasts... jeez, he even has a long scene in a toilet booth (with a fun cameo by Tom Arnold). And like Brooks, Myers is a master of movie genre satire. If Brooks had taken on a 007 spoof, it would pretty close to this. And Brooks would play multiple roles as well.

Still, Myers is to be congratuated for his undoubted originality. His interpretation and reinterpretation of 60s and 70s pop culture, which he also demonstrated a mastery of in WAYNE'S WORLD, is his own. Part Bond movie, part Laugh-In, part sci-fi, all hilarious, AUSTIN POWERS is one of the best comedies to have emerged in the 90s.

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I have to laugh my head off when I read negative reviews from people who say the movie is stupid. Gee, you think?. It is supposed to be. Some people, like the one star review below, were completely lost on the joke. Over their heads. So many don't understand comedy like that. Mike Meyers created one of the funniest and most memorable comedic characters of the last decade with this hilarious and silly and over the top comedy spoofing the James Bond series. Auatin Powers is a British spy with horrible teeth and a raging libido. Austin's main arch nemesis is Dr. Evil(also played by Meyers), who, with his bald head and cat and manner of speech is an obvious spoof of recurring 007 villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Evil freezes himself and programs the cryogenic chamber to unthaw him in the late 1990's. Austin decides he will do the same thing so he can be there to stop Dr. Evil with his dastardly scheme for global domination. Did I mention that Austin was also a photographer by day?. The guy just never stops. There are rumors that Meyers also fashioned the Dr. Evil character after his old boss, "SNL" maestro Lorne Michaels. Seth Green(who seems to pop up all the time)is hilarious as Scott Evil, Dr. Evil's angst ridden teen son. There scenes together are priceless. Equally as good is Mindy Sterling as Evil's assistant. Robert Wagner(does this guy age?)plays Number 2, another henchman. "SNL"'s Will Ferrell pops up as well. The 'girl' is none other than the lovely and beautiful Elizabeth Hurley, as Vanessa Kensington. A most perfect choice in the casting department if you know what I mean and I think you do. This movie is written, designed, filmed, and acted with the intention of just having a good time. This isn't comedy that'll make you think days afterwards. This is pure popcorn cotton candy people. Meyers is a master at different characters. He really brings them to life with their very own characteristics and mannerisms. He is brilliantly talented. The movie has many laugh out loud moments that make this movie the best spoof in many a moon. Again, the humorless droids who ridicule it as stupid have obviously missed the point. Of course it is. You may think your bashing it, but your basically saying that it did what it was supposed to do and it succeeded. Totally lost on those people. "The Spy Who Shagged Me" was even better, and now "Goldmember" is coming up. Let's hope that Austin and Dr. Evil have more adventures down the road. Oh behave!!.

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Austin Powers would have to be one of the funniest movies of the decade. That is why it is so disapointing that scenes in the original movie have been cut from this DVD version. Rob Lowe and Lois Chiles were relegated to the deleted scenes section of the DVD but at least they "appeared" albeit not in the movie itself. Where was Christian Slater and the famed "Orange Sher-bert" scene? Not to be found. True fans of Austin Powers may be disappointed with the DVD version.

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I LOVE this movie, but I am reviewing the DVD, not the movie. The DVD transfer for this movie is atrocious. The aspect ratio is wrong. There are grainy scenes and scenes where the film was obviously dirty. Need a new transfer from the master laser disks.

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Echoes of Creation Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack - As Seen on Public Television

This DVD is absolutely the best viewing for relaxation. Trouble going to sleep or getting back to sleep? Get this DVD!

This is one of the most beautiful videos I have ever seen. It is something you can watch after a difficult day, or any time you need to lift

your sagging spirit. Gorgeous picture and music. Whether you watch it with or without narration, turn up the volume, and be transported for the next 40

minutes.

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Since we loved the DVD version of Echoes of Creation, I thought that the Blu-Ray version would even be greater in technical quality. However, after viewing both the Blu-Ray and the High Definition versions of the combo pack, I do not detect much, if any, significant difference between these and the original DVD, perhaps a miniscule improvement. In any case, the difference was not that important. Surprisingly, the combo pack is a better value than the single DVD.

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I have never dwell into this kind of stuff/genre before but after trying out Echoes Of Creation on DVD, I've decided that I must have it on blu ray to give it further justice and for the hi-def experience as the visual is simply breathtaking and relaxing for the eyes and the music that accompanies it is simply sootihing to the ear. Both audio and visual gels really well. I can't wait to receive my blu ray disc but for now, I shall pop in the DVD and enjoy it.

Note : For an unforgetable experience, you must have at least a reasonable sound system setup to really appreciate this disc as without it then it is just another ordinary boring disc.

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Fantastic and awe inspiring from start to finish. Photography and soundtrack combine perfectly for a great experience for the senses! I also love the fact that 90% of it was filmed in Washington state! The Redwoods of California and the ice flows of Alaska round out this film perfectly!

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Overtime (2013) (2001)

Raphael (Al Snow) and Max (John Wells) are hitmen who kill bad guys after they confide in defense attorney Samantha Carter (Katie Stewart) and she gets them off. Raph has a normal family life and it is his son's birthday. His wife tasks him with getting a clown, a cake, and a gift at the last minute. He stops by to see Samantha to get paid, but she has one more task for our duo to perform.

Our guys have their own grindhouse swagger music that is interrupted by a phone call from the wife (Cristina Mullins). Unable to secure a clown at the last minute, they employ a drunk homeless man (Sean Saunders), someone who is a "Bobcat" light. Raph with his "Steven Seagal looking pony tail" and Max enter a Kentucky warehouse to do one last job only to be confronted by zombie type humans under alien control.

Overall the acting was bad, although it did win awards at the Louisville Fright Night Film Fest, go figure.

At one point in an elevator Ralp calls Max "Ray" for some reason. The dialouge was humorous, but not rip roaring funny. A fun popcorn film. John Wells did win an award for this film "Best one liner" although I can't say what it was. The film had a number of good one liners.

Parental Guide: F-bombs. No sex or nudity. My local Walmart $9.96.

Got to see this film when it won the best feature award at the 2011 Fright Night Film Festival/Fandom Fest in Louisville KY. There was a packed house for the premier and I missed half the good parts (the one liners) due to the crowd reactions. Laughing and cheering. I recommend you get a copy on DVD and watch several times. I see or hear something new each and every time. Fun to the max.

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I would say its fresh and entertaining through out. Not too much of a zombie filled and centered focus, but the entertainment and lines keep you consistently content.

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Great movie. felt like I was in the 80's again when movies were movies. One liners, Raw acting, and kicking butt.

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It was a lot of fun, especially for a low budget film. The script was well written and the actors delivered.

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On the Waterfront (Criterion Collection) (1954)

If you want to know why Marlon Brando inspired and influenced an entire generation of actors, see On the Waterfront. His Terry Malloy is real down to his fingernails. Brando in his prime took and held the screen like no one else, absolutely magnetic, whether as a seeming uncaring pug with unawakened nobility in his heart (Terry) or a Mexican revolutionary (see Viva Zapata) or a racist jet ace (Sayonara) or whatever.

Matching Brando is a perfect cast. Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger, Lee J. Cobb, there isn't a missed note or lesser performance from any of them, not to mention the thugs and real-life dockworkers surrounding them. Elia Kazan was an actor's director, and his skill at eliciting superior performance is nowhere more evident than here. He also knew how to make a movie, and his work with the camera and pacing is first rate. The B&W photography is gritty, beautiful and serves to locate the film in time and place while eliminating distraction from the performances.

You must know the story by now, culled from the real dockside union problems of the day, Budd Schulberg & Kazan fashioned a story that is about courage, loyalty (misplaced and otherwise), responsibilty and the willingness to stand up for something, stand alone if need be, and in that stance to risk the mistrust and misunderstanding and ostracism of your friends, your society, and the loss of your place in the world and even your life. They created a powerful melodrama of greed & corruption, of the struggle with compromise and conscience, of loss and redemption.

Frankly, this is just great movie making. It isn't done any better than this, and if for some reason you have never seen this film, treat yourself to excellence.

This is one of the best, don't miss it, and don't miss one of our greatest actors in his prime.

Often mentioned among the greatest films of all time, this gritty story of corruption in the longshoremen's union and one man's courage to resist the mob bosses, hits with the force of an emotional sledgehammer. The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won 8 including best picture, best actor for Marlon Brando, best director for Elian Kazan and best supporting actress for Eva Marie Saint in her feature film debut. The acting talent was so deep that four cast members (Saint, Malden, Cobb, Steiger) were nominated in the best supporting actor category. The film was also rated number 8 on AFI's top 100 list of the twentieth century.

The story focuses on Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), a small-time former boxer whose brother was highly placed in the corrupt longshoremen's union. Terry lures out Joey Doyle, an informant and friend of his, so the mobsters can deal with him. Terry thinks they are going to rough him up to keep him quiet, but instead, they throw him off a roof to his death. The guilt begins to gnaw at Terry, compounded by the fact that he is falling in love with Joey's sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint). He is further urged to inform on the mob by Father Barry (Karl Malden) setting up a dramatic confrontation with the union.

The setting was highly realistic, filmed on the docks of Hoboken, NJ with the New York City skyline as its backdrop. Most of the extras were actual longshoremen who worked on those same docks. The use of black and white film rather than color only served to enhance the dramatic effects.

This film was a vehement and personal political statement by Elian Kazan. Kazan had just finished testifying before the House Unamerican Activities Committee, naming former associates who were affiliated with the Communist party. As a result, he was ostracized by most of the filmmaking community. "On The Waterfront" became his personal mission to justify his testimony. He looked at Terry as his own alter ego. In one scene, a union boss shouts, ``You ratted on us, Terry,'' and Brando retorts: ``I'm standing over here now. I was rattin' on myself all those years. I didn't even know it.'' This was Kazan's defiant statement in response to the vituperation of his critics.

For this reason the film was reviled by the Hollywood elite and Kazan vilified as turncoat. In his 1988 autobiography, he wrote about how he felt after the film won 8 Oscars: "I was tasting vengeance that night and enjoying it. `On the Waterfront' is my own story; every day I worked on that film, I was telling the world where I stood and my critics to go and **** themselves.''

The political agenda aside, this was brilliant filmmaking. The story had gut wrenching power, a classic struggle between good and evil with one man defying insurmountable odds and certain death to stand by his beliefs. It contains one of the most memorable and most quoted scenes in film. Brando gives his now famous "I coulda been a contenda" speech in chastising his brother for selling him out and making him take a dive so the mob could win the bets they laid on his opponent. The ending of the film is one of the most triumphant in filmmaking history.

The acting was superlative across the board. Brando's performance is without question one of the most unforgettable ever. His character was a simple man with extraordinary courage making him an amazingly attractive hero. The anguished torment he portrayed was deeply affecting. Karl Malden was electrifying as the defiant priest who stood with the union members to encourage them to oppose corruption. Lee J. Cobb was also fabulous as Johnny Friendly, the crooked and maniacal union boss who would stop at nothing to maintain power. Rod Steiger gave a fantastic performance as Terry's older and "smarter" brother who was nothing more than Johnny Friendly's stooge. Eva Marie Saint was compelling as the courageous sister of the slain longshoreman. Also playing minor roles were a very young Fred Gwynn and Martin Balsam.

This is one of my favorite films of all time. Of course, I rate it a 10/10. It is required viewing for any classic film buff. Its power cannot be adequately described, it must be experienced.

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Most of us know how great this film is, so I will stick to the quality of the Criterion blu-ray.... The print is near perfect, with just the right amount of film grain....three aspect ratios are offered: 1:33, 1:66, and 1:85.... The 1:85 fills the whole screen on a 16:9 hdtv, which would make it actually 1:78-a true 1:85 film on a 16:9 would have thin black bars on the top and bottom of the screen.... Oh, well, aside from that minor nitpick, the rest of the release is fantastic-Two discs, with the "preferred" 1:66 version on the first disc with numerous incredible supplements, and the 1:33 and 1:85 versions on disc two.... The audio is fantastic as well, with a 1.0 mono option, or the fantastic 5.1 surround, which really opens up the magnificent Bernstein score.... It seems to work just like the "Anatomy of a Murder" blu-ray, where the score is in stereo, with everything else seemingly in mono....the sound is just perfect--the supplements are as well, with a brief visual explanation for the multiple aspect ratios....terrific release all around....definite must-own....

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Columbia continues its downward spiral where its classic DVD output is concerned. "On The Waterfront" is not only a great Academy Award winning film, it is an American icon. The plot is concerned with a union stooge, Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) who eventually realizes that the intimidation racket of his boss, Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) is an evil and destructive force in his community. Eva Marie Saint costars as Edie Doyle, the sister of a man who was thrown off of a rooftop on Friendly?s orders. It is partially through her love and the stoic commitment of Father Barry (Carl Malden) that Terry reforms his ways. Rod Steiger is particularly effective as Charley Malloy, Terry?s brother.

Quite simply: this transfer is a let down. Contrast levels are extremely low, fine details are lost in video noise reduction enhancement and digital grit, grain and noise are detected throughout. The gray scale is poorly balanced. Scratches, chips and distortions in the original camera negative stick out like a soar thumb. The audio is mono and undistinguished. It's not a bad mix, though there are moments where a slight background hiss crops up. No extras! Oh, come on Columbia. This is one of your BEST PICTURES and it gets this kind of treatment on DVD?!? It ?could'a been a contenda'!?

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The full screen version we've all seen on DVD and on television is, technically speaking, the fullest version, containing the most visual information. But, as the very informative video-essay in the special features explains, the filmmakers shot with the 1:66 and 1:85 borders marked on the viewfinder, and composed the shots more for the wider screens (by necessity I mean, you can't really do it the other way without later mangling the composition to make it fullscreen). Consequently, there's a ton of extra headroom in the full screen version.

So, while the 1:66 version, the preferred version, does in fact cut some of the full screen information off from the top and bottom, it's nothing like the way pan-and-scan formatting used to cut off valuable parts of the movie from the widescreen frames. Because those top and bottom portions of the full screen shots in On the Waterfront weren't really in the director's composition; it's basically just extra room filmed so it could be viewed that way if necessary in certain theaters. And while it's neat to see a little extra sky above or ground below the main action, the frames are much more elegant and artful in the 1:66.

I'm taking all this trouble to say this because my first reaction to the three ratios was this: if it was shot in full screen, I want to watch it in full screen. I don't want any picture lopped off to make it look widescreen. But after watching the two different versions (there are actually three, but the 1:85 loses vital screen information in several scenes and looks more like somebody's goofed with the ZOOM button on your remote control) it's clear to me that the 1:66 version makes a big, big difference in the feel of the movie, and for the better. The film on DVD, the full screen one, has always suffered a lack of intimacy and a certain awkwardness from all that extra headroom in medium and wide shots. Watch it once at 1:66 and I believe you'll agree it's a knockout. Happy viewing.

Oh, and it's a great, great Blu-ray. I'm not much on extras because I don't like having the magic diluted by tons of behind-the-scenes info on a movie, but I browsed the interviews, commentary, and documentaries and it looks like a lot of prime material, not filler. And the transfer is beautiful. A huge improvement over the DVD. Check out the depth in the dock scenes and the scene in the park when Terry puts on Edie's glove. This is a top 3 all time film for me, so I'm thrilled to have it on Criterion, who has knocked it out of the park like usual.

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The Sessions (2012)

After making a splash at this year's Sundance film festival, the provocatively themed "The Sessions" has created a fair amount of buzz both for its subject matter and for its performances. Based on the true story of Mark O'Brien, the movie tackles a topic that might make some uncomfortable--sex, specifically sex and the disabled. In an era where any amount of violence and gore is perfectly acceptable, I still don't understand why it is verboten for American movies to deal with sexual issues in a frank and adult manner. So I appreciate that writer/director Ben Lewin made "The Sessions" with a matter-of-fact boldness uncommon in today's movies. The movie is frank, explicit, and both emotionally and physically revealing. Instead of feeling unnecessarily prurient, however, the movie is surprisingly life affirming. It is sensitive about its topic, but also quite humorous. I was afraid the film might be a little too clinical, depressing or dispassionate but it is, instead, eminently relatable and entertaining.

O'Brien, a paralyzed man who spent his nights in an iron lung, has tried to live the best life that he can. He's a professional writer, and has attempted to get as much normalcy out of his days as possible. At 36, though, he is thinking more and more about relationships, love, and sex. He wants to experience human intimacy in all of its forms. After exposing himself emotionally, he decides to seek out a more straightforward answer to losing his virginity. With the advice of his priest (William Macy) and the assistance of his aide (Moon Bloodgood), he contacts a sex surrogate to assist. The remainder of the movie details these sessions in much explicitness. They have surprising candor, insight and impact. The movie does not ask you to feel sorry for O'Brien (a great decision) because of his disability, but to experience this journey with him as a man. In other hands, "The Sessions" might have had an entirely different tone. But Lewin keeps things lively, grounded and believable.

The ever-impressive John Hawkes is a revelation as O'Brien. This great character actor is really coming into his own, and this is easily his most realized starring performance. From years as a side kick (Deadwood), he has startled with a number of creepier roles (Oscar nominated for Winter's Bone). His performance here ranks with the very best of the year, though. Obviously, the role is reliant on minimal movement but Hawkes does everything he needs just through facial expressions, dialogue, and voice over. He is matched by Helen Hunt in what I think is her best role as well. Hunt doesn't shy away from anything in this piece. Her choices are fearless and bold. This is a pairing that you won't soon forget. When these two are together, "The Sessions" rivals anything else on screen this year. It's not a perfect film, however, some of the supporting roles or side choices are a bit less developed. But overall, this is a joyful expression of life. While the movie is infused with an underlying sadness, this is not a depressing experience but a hopeful one. A nice character piece for adult audiences. KGHarris, 12/12.

The Sessions is an extraordinary little indie film based on an even more extraordinary true story. In 1988, Mark O'Brien, a thirty-eight year old poet, journalist and advocate for the disabled living in Berkeley, California, decided to lose his virginity. This may not sound very extraordinary unless you know that O'Brien, severely afflicted by polio as a child, had spent most of his life in an iron lung and was unable to move any part of his body below the neck.

O'Brien's decision was prompted as a result of research he was doing for an article on the sex lives of disabled people. After interviewing a number of disabled people, and seeing how many of them were in fact enjoying an active and rewarding sex life in spite of their disabilities, O'Brien began to consider his own sex life, or rather, his complete lack of one, and how he might go about changing that. The issue was further complicated for O'Brien by the fact that he was a devout Catholic and what he was contemplating sex outside of marriage was a moral issue as well as a physical one. So in addition to consulting a sex therapist for help with his physical challenges, he also consulted with his local priest for what was for him a moral challenge as well.

It is important to understand the exact nature of O'Brien's situation. He was not paralyzed, at least not neurologically. Polio afflicts the muscles, leaving them weak and atrophied, but not the nerves, and so although he couldn't move, O'Brien could still feel and his 'equipment' still worked, albeit in moments that were more embarrassing than anything that could be considered pleasurable, given that the only people ever touching him or seeing him naked were doctors, nurses and attendants. And he could survive outside of the iron lung for a few hours at a time, though he had to be kept on a gurney which let him lie prone. But this made it possible for him to do things like attend university where he ultimately earned his degrees in English and journalism (and later to have his sessions with the sex therapist). Ultimately though he always had to be put back into the iron lung as his own lungs were only strong enough to function on their own for those few hours.

The story of O'Brien's quest for non-virginity is brought vividly to life in first-class performances carried out by a marvelous cast. John Hawkes (best known for his Oscar-nominated supporting performance in 2010's Winter's Bone) does an outstanding job as Mark O'Brien, rising to the challenge not only of portraying a man solely through the use of his head and face but also finding O'Brien's voice, bringing out his combination of intelligence and humor along with his anxieties and vulnerabilities, both physical and emotional. Helen Hunt (best known for her Oscar-winning performance in 1997's As Good As It Gets) is equally outstanding as Cheryl Cohen Greene, the sex therapist who works with O'Brien to help him achieve his goal of becoming a fully realized sexual person, bringing out Greene's own struggle between her commitment to always maintaining a professional distance with her clients and her inability to not be moved by O'Brien's mix of raw vulnerability and nervous courage. And his ability to find humor in spite of his situation. "I have to believe in God," O'Brien says at one point. "I would find it absolutely intolerable not to be able to blame someone for all this."

The supporting cast is also quite excellent. William H. Macy does a nice turn as Father Brendan, the priest O'Brien turns to for guidance with his dilemma. In what could easily have been a mere comic cliché role, Macy instead delivers a nuanced performance as a man who seriously weighs the church's position against the sheer humanity of the situation he's been presented with and then goes with his basic humanity, telling O'Brien "I have a feeling that God is going to give you a free pass on this one. Go for it." Macy does bring a gentle humor to the situation, showing Brendan's awkward discomfort at advising someone with such an unusual problem, but gives it a solid grounding by showing Brendan's commitment to giving the best spiritual guidance he can, even if he does feel completely out of his depth. Moon Bloodgood delivers a quietly funny performance as Vera, the supportive attendant who accompanies O'Brien on his interviews for his article and to his sessions with Greene, doing her best to be stoically professional even as her highly expressive face reveals her inner reactions to the things she sees and hears in the course of her duties. And Jennifer Kumiyama is quite engaging as Carmen, a wheelchair-bound woman with Arthrogryposis who's cheerfully chatty about her sex life when O'Brien interviews her for his article and who ends up letting O'Brien and Greene use her apartment for their initial sessions.

As both director and screenwriter, Ben Lewin brings a special insight and sensitivity to the film, being someone who was afflicted with polio himself as a child and who must use arm braces to move about. In addition to drawing on his own experiences while writing the screenplay, Lewin worked closely with Susan Fernback, O'Brien's partner of several years, and with Greene, wanting the script to be as faithful to O'Brien the man as humanly possible. The music score by Marco Beltrami is appropriately subtle, present in the background and discretely adding to the tone or feel of a scene but never threatening to distract from or overwhelm what's happening on the screen. In some movies the director depends on the score to tell you what you're supposed to be feeling, but The Sessions has no such need.

But it's Hawkes and Hunt who carry the heart of the movie and they do it marvelously well. Hawkes' challenge is first to portray O'Brien's extreme limitations and vulnerability, and then, having done that, to get you to see beyond those things to the man O'Brien really was. Not without some cost though. One of the things Hawkes did was to lie on a soccer ball-sized foam rubber sphere during filming to simulate O'Brien's curvature of the spine. However effective the results were visually, the constant pressure against Hawkes' spine resulted in him developing back problems. Hunt's challenge was similar in that her role required her to spend a lot of her screen time naked, playing a woman who was both comfortable and professional at being naked and in a sexual situation with her clients, and then to slowly reveal Greene's growing discomfort with the fact that in spite of her professionalism she cannot be completely dispassionate about O'Brien, that there is something about him that is connecting with her and making her feel for him. It's a tribute to the chemistry that develops between these two fine actors that the sexual aspect of their situation ultimately becomes secondary to the emotional and human connection that's being made.

In 1997, O'Brien was the subject of a short film by Jessica Yu, Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. In it, he makes the statement "The two mythologies about disabled people break down to: one, we can't do anything, or two, we can do everything. But the truth is, we're just human." That, more than anything else, sums up what The Sessions is all about.

Highly, highly recommended.

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How do you lose your virginity if you have been confined to an iron lung most of your life? A couple of years ago, I had some lively discussions on this topic with one of my JayFlix friends, a health-care professional who was attending a young quadriplegic. Now this film-festival favorite addresses the question, only this man isn't paralyzed with no physical sensations, instead he is a polio survivor confined to an iron lung since childhood. Furthermore, he is a witty, well-educated and frustrated adult.

Based on the real-life story of Mark O'Brien (1949-1999), a Berkeley poet and journalist, he was the first severely disabled student to graduate from college, earning a bachelor's degree in 1982, and acceptance to a post graduate program. His inspiring story has been told once before in a documentary film, "Breathing Lessons," directed by Jessica Yu. It won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short in 1997. This version is written and directed by the acclaimed Ben Lewin, himself a polio survivor who requires crutches.

We watch:

* John Hawkes ("Contagion") is brilliant as Mark O'Brien, who wryly tells his priest he wants to experience sex before his "Use-By date" expires. Hawkes is an amazing chameleon who transforms himself from film to film, each time I am stunned to discover who I have just watched. There is some well-deserved Oscar buzz about this film.

* Helen Hunt ("As Good as it Gets") is Cheryl Cohen Greene, a professional therapist hired to provide basic instruction in human sexuality. Her therapy is bluntly anatomical and unembarrassed while at the same time, extremely sensitive and insightful. His responses are usually humorous and disarming. Hunt is fearless but convincing, and is beautifully naked a lot of the time.

* William H. Macy ("The Lincoln Lawyer") is Father Brendon, our hero's priest, who fears he might have unleashed some major sinning by counseling his parishioner to "Go for it!" This priest spent his childhood on a farm, so his observations are very forthright and practical.

This film proves two points:

1) Our biggest sex organ is between our ears;

2) One of the most seductive things about another person may be an ability to make us laugh. O'Brien, when asked if he is religious, replies, "Of course I am! I've gotta have someone to blame!"

There are many happy spots in this inspiring piece and as we exited the theater, we were subdued but satisfied...smile....I'll be happy when Amazon notifies me of the DVD release.

Read Best Reviews of The Sessions (2012) Here

This is an autobiographical story of poet Mark O'Brien who was stricken by polio and spent much of his life in an iron lung. In 1988 at the age of 38 he decides he wants to lose his virginity. A sure bet for an Oscar nomination, John Hawkes plays O'Brien. Hawkes' already thin frame is reduced even more to where his muscle tone approaches that of a polio victim. His acting is mostly confined to his vocal inflections and facial expressions.

Before going much further, let's be clear about one thing. This isn't a dower, conventional weepy film. If anything it's uplifting. O'Brien is a funny guy and some of the scenes between him and his understanding priest (William H. Macy) are some of the best in the film. Once O'Brien gets the Church's go ahead, he hires a sex surrogate (excellent Helen Hunt) to guide him through his ultimate goal. While there is nothing overly salacious in the scenes involving O'Brien and Cheryl (Hunt), they are pretty graphic. Ms. Hunt in particular, leaves little to the imagination.

Perhaps under-appreciated in the film is O'Brien's caretakers. One, played by Moon Bloodgood, I found particularly interesting. I would have liked to have seen her role a bit meatier. Perhaps it is no surprise, that in spite of O'Brien's physical limitations, he's quite the hit with the ladies, especially those closest to him. Director and writer Ben Lewin does a nice balancing act, given the sexual and religious overtones. The movie is well photographed giving a strong sense of reality of Berkeley, California in the late 1980's. Excellent film.

Want The Sessions (2012) Discount?

Ever since "The Sessions" made its smash debut at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2012, this movie has gotten the reputation of "that movie with a lot of Helen Hunt nudity in it", and while it is true there are a number of nude scenes in the movie, I hope you will agree that, after you will hopefully have seen this film, this movie surely is about a lot more than that.

"The Sessions" (2012 release; 95 min.) brings the (real life) story of Mark O'Brien (played by John Hawkes), a Bay-area poet who lives in an iron lung as a result of polio when he was a little kid. In his late 30s, Mark wonders what if would be like "to be with a woman in the biblical sense", as he confides to his priest (played by William H. Macy). With the priest's blessing, Mark eventually gets in contact with a sex therapist, who in turn gets him in contact with Cheryl (played by Helen Hunt), a sex surrogate. Over the course of several sessions (hence the fiml's title), Cheryl gives "body awareness" tips and experiences. I'm not going to spoil your viewing experience by disclosing how it all plays out, but I will say that the last half hour of the movie is bittersweet and very touching, and I welled up more than once.

Several comments: first and foremost, John Hawke's performance will simply blow you away. I cannot imagine that he will not get an Oscar nomination for this. Of course, Helen Hunt's performance surely is Oscar-worthy as well, and not only because of the daring and frequent (but never exploitive) nudity. The immediate subject matter of the movie (sex for the disabled) is handled with care and grace. The buzz for this movie has been steadily growing in recent months, and I must say I was quite surprised how poorly attended the screening was which I attended a few weekends ago here in Cincinnati. Maybe it was just a coincidence. I sure hope so, as I very much enjoyed this movie from start to finish. "The Sessions" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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Suddenly Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack (1954)

This review is for the December 4, 2012 Image Entertainment/Blackhawk Films Blu-ray release of the 1954 film SUDDENLY, UPC Code# 0-14381-82005-8, Amazon ASIN: B00960EHUE. There is also information on the HD Cinema Classics version at the end of the review......

If you are reading this review on it's correct page you're probably a fan of the film wondering "Will this be the release where they FINALLY get it right? The answer is a resounding YES! YES! YES! Transferred from the original 35MM fine grain master print, the crisp, clear beautiful black and white transfer is also finally reproduced in the correct aspect ratio and exhibits added picture information on all four sides compared to the literally dozens of earlier Public Domain VHS tape, LaserDisc and DVD releases. It also has two New Audio Commentary tracks, one featuring Frank Sinatra, Jr. (!) and the other by Dr. Drew Casper, Professor of American Film at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. There is also a Short Film by Francis Thompson made in 1957 titled N.Y., N.Y.: A DAY IN NEW YORK, and an Image Gallery.

SUDDENLY stars Frank Sinatra as psychopathic hired presidential assassin John Baron, who with two compatriots take over the hilltop home of retired Secret Service agent Pop Benson (veteran character actor James Gleason) in the small town of Suddenly ("that's a funny name for a town..."), who lives with his widowed daughter-in-law Ellen (Nancy Gates, THIS LAND IS MINE, SOME CAME RUNNING) and grandson "Pidge" (Kim Charney). Sinatra chooses the location since it overlooks the train station where the President is due to make an unscheduled stop. SUDDENLY was Sinatra's first film after his Academy Award winning "comeback" role in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Upon release it garnered good critical reviews including those in The New York Times and Variety. Sinatra's co-star Sterling Hayden (THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, JOHNNY GUITAR, DR. STRANGELOVE) anchors the picture as town Sheriff Tod Shaw, who loves Ellen, but even though three years has past she still cannot come to terms with her husband's war death. When Hayden accompanies Pops' former Secret Service co-worker Carney to the house, Carney is killed and the Sheriff is wounded. The movie remains taut and exciting until the inevitable, but surprising conclusion.

In what became a strange coincidence, Sinatra had a lead role in another film about a planned presidential assassination, 1962's THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, but this time as the hero. A terrific movie with a terrific cast, based on the popular novel by Richard Condon. Sinatra's acting in the film is considered by many as his finest film performance. The novel and the film were also a favorite of President John F. Kennedy, who was also a "Friend Of Frank." Although Sinatra later had a falling-out with Kennedy, his daughter Nancy has stated that Frank cried for three days straight upon learning the terrible news of the President's murder. After the assassination, Sinatra asked that both SUDDENLY and THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE be withdrawn from circulation out of respect for the fallen leader. A rumor had circulated that Lee Harvey Oswald viewed SUDDENLY the month before the assassination, but was investigated and found to have no basis, archetypal of the myriad theories surrounding Kennedy's death.

Upon the cusp of the home video age, SUDDENLY had fallen into the Public Domain, and began to show up on TV. When the VHS era began, suddenly there were eventually dozens of home video releases of SUDDENLY, all mastered from whatever battered prints could be found. In the 90's, a Roan Group LaserDisc purported to be a definitive version, but was hampered by incorrect matting and occasional battered reels. Later versions such as one from Legend Films are touted as "fully restored" (and also adds a colorized version), but they're now worth as much as those old video tapes compared to this Image Entertainment/Blackhawk Films release. Trust me, YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY! (Hopefully, not by John Baron)......

ADDENDUM: There have been reviews of another new version from HD Cinema Classics that seem very positive, but mention that it doesn't have Image's Extras or Commentaries: SUDDENLY Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack

2nd ADDENDUM: I sprung for the HD Cinema Classics release and I can report that they also did a good job. I have to give the nod to the Image/Blackhawk disc however, it seems to have a slightly better picture and the commentary by Frank Sinatra Jr. is a surprise. The HD Cinema Classics version has a also contains a regular DVD, has a different commentary, and a poster reproduction postcard, and which may be attractive to some buyers. Either way you can't go wrong......

Frank Sinatra is riveting as a cold-hearted hit man obsessed with his spurious war record, who traps a family in their house, along with a few others that get caught in his net, as he plots to assassinate the president, who is making a stop in Suddenly, California, on his way to Los Angeles. It's a great character study, and Sinatra pulls it off flawlessly, making this a taut thriller, with a quiet, folksy beginning that turns into a nightmare.

Sinatra followed his Oscar Award winning performance in "From Here to Eternity" with this film, which unfortunately hasn't been seen much, and one of the reasons is Sinatra himself; he was horrified to know that Lee Harvey Oswald had watched "Suddenly" shortly before the Kennedy assassination, and requested the film be pulled from distribution.

Co-starring Sterling Hayden who is excellent as Sheriff Tod Shaw, it has well paced direction by Lewis Allen, a crisp script by Richard Sale, and a score by David Raskin. There have been other films with this type of hostage scenario like the '55 Humphrey Bogart "Desperate Hours" and its 1990 remake, and this is up there with the best.

My DVD copy is of the inexpensive variety, a little blurry with imperfect audio (distributed by VINA) but is still fascinating viewing.

Filmed almost entirely in one room, it holds one's attention, mostly due to Sinatra's superb performance.

Total running time is 75 minutes.

Buy Suddenly Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack (1954) Now

While the Roach edition of "Suddenly" may have a better picture quality than other releases, the overall transfer is disappointing. It has numerous video issues, along with splices and one instance where there appears to be a small amount of missing dialogue. Have not seen a better overall print yet.

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Great little noirish-type-thing with Frank Sinatra and the great Sterling Hayden--directed by Lewis Allen....this one seems to tighten up as it gets closer to the finale as Sinatra waits for his chance to assassinate the President.... This one looks very very good on blu-ray, with decent mono audio....also a very interesting 15 minute color film from 1958 made up of kaleidiscopic views of New York City....two commentaries also--Frank Sinatra jr. and Dr. Drew Casper....great stuff here for sure....

Want Suddenly Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack (1954) Discount?

Long in the public domain, "Suddenly" (1954) provides Frank Sinatra with one of his finest dramatic roles in this low-budget noir thriller. Ol' Blue Eyes makes the most of his villainous portrayal, with solid work from Sterling Hayden and James Gleason. Taut direction by Lewis Allen does justice to Richard Sale's memorable screenplay. Made during a time when Sinatra actually cared about his movies. After years of poor-quality dupes, Legend Films offers the best available DVD release. Needless to say, the excellent black-and-white restoration is preferable to the colorized version.

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