Richard III (Criterion Collection) (1955)

Those who criticize Laurence Olivier and Alan Dent -co-authors of the screenplay -for taking certain liberties with Shakespeare's play should also criticize Shakespeare for taking certain liberties with the historical material on which he often relied so heavily. In this instance, Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, Vol. 6, and various Tudor Historians. In my opinion, such quibbling is a fool's errand. This much we do know about the historical Richard III. He was born in 1452 in Fotheringay Castle, Northamptonshire, the youngest son of Richard, Duke of York. He was created Duke of Gloucester by his brother, Edward IV, in 1461, accompanied him into exile (1470), and played a key role in his restoration (1471). Rewarded with part of the Neville inheritance, he exercised vice regal powers, and in 1482 re-captured Berwick-upon-Tweed from the Scots. When Edward died (1483) and was succeeded by his under-age son, Edward V, Richard acted first as protector, but within three months, he had overthrown the Woodvilles (relations of Edward IV's queen), arranged for the execution of Lord Hastings (c.1430-83), and had himself proclaimed and crowned as the rightful king. Young Edward and his brother were probably murdered in the Tower on Richard's orders, although not all historians agree. He tried to stabilize his position but failed to win broad-based support. His rival Henry Tudor (later Henry VII), confronted him in battle at Bosworth Field (August 22, 1485), when Richard died fighting bravely against heavy odds. Though ruthless, he was not the absolute monster Tudor historians portrayed him to be, nor is there proof he was a hunchback.

Cleverly, this film begins with the final scene of Henry IV, Part III, the coronation of Edward IV (Cedric Hardwicke). Locating himself at a strategic distance from the throne, the Duke of Gloucester (Olivier) carefully observes those around him. He shares with those who see this film or read the play his most private thoughts and feelings, many of which are as deformed as his body. Gloucester's "winter of discontent" will soon end. With a systematic tenacity unsurpassed by any other of Shakespeare's villains, Gloucester's coronation as Richard III (his own "glorious summer") will be the fulfillment of his royal ambition. The acting throughout the cast is outstanding. I do not recall another film in which Olivier, John Gielgud (George. Duke of Clarence), and Ralph Richardson (Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham) all appeared together, joined by Claire Bloom (Lady Anne Neville) and Stanley Baker (Henry Tudor). Special note should also be made of Otto Heller's cinematography which is integrated seamlessly with their performances. It is a pleasure to have this film now available in a DVD format, one which offers much sharper images and much clearer sound. Other special features of this DVD version include high-definition digital transfer; newly discovered footage; a commentary by playwright and stage director Russell Lees and John Wilder, former Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company; 1966 BBC interview with Olivier hosted by Kenneth Tynan; a 12-minute television trailer; a theatrical trailer; and an essay by film historian Bruce Eder.

Only two of Orson Welles' Shakespeare films rival "Richard III" for the title of greatest Shakespeare movie ever made. That said, Olivier's film may contain the most sheerly enjoyable performance any actor gave on film. His Duke of Gloucester is the definitive performance. Elia Kazan once said Olivier had a certain girlish quality, and that quality is used in the film: His Richard is seductive--a prancing, charming monster whose voice sounds like "honey mixed with razor blades." But one look into his black eyes, framed by false hawk nose, violently angled eyebrows and fright pageboy wig, will tell you that he's also stone-cold pure evil. Richard enacts all our homicidal, plotting fantasies as he cheerfully knocks off all his stuffy relatives and rivals.

Olivier emphasizes the black comedy and wittiness of Shakespeare's play, which he cut and refashioned into a star vehicle for himself. Though Sirs Gielgud, Richardson and Hardwicke co-star, they don't make much of an impression. (Blame that on Shakespeare too) Interestingly, Olivier later regretted not having cast Orson Welles as Buckingham.

You experience two major innovations concerning the filming of Shakespeare: the first is Olivier's old custom of using extremely stylized, artificial sets, thereby making Shakespeare's stylized, artificial verse fit in with the settings. The second is the source of Olivier's triumph: he delivers his soliloquys directly to the camera. This daring move destroys the fourth wall and takes true advantage of what the movies offer. He becomes our friend and confidante and we become complicit in his mounting evil. The production values are top-notch: we get deliriously vibrant technicolour, William Walton's pompous, irresistible music of pageantry, and the book-of-hours sets. And through those sets Olivier's camera subtly glides and skulks like the snake Richard himself is. Olivier is still an underrated director, and his grasp of the frame's spatial properties is excellent: he knew how to move the camera into and out of the frame for maximum impact. For an example, look at the moment Richard finally becomes King, and his satanic powers become unbottled: He slides down the bell rope to greet his minions, and expecting to shake his hand they approach, only to fall on their knees when Richard silently demands they kiss it. As they sink downward, the camera flees backward until the awful composition is complete, with half a dozen men in black on their knees as Richard presides all in the center of the frame: on twisted and bent legs as the bells announce the triumph of evil.

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This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

Lawrence Olivier directed and stars in this great movie. As this is a Shakespeare release, I see no need to write a synopses. The acting is incredible and the photography is great also.

The Criterion Collection has done a fine job releasing this in a double disc set. It includes footage that was recently rediscovered and not seen for many years prior to the release.

The special features are:

"Great Acting: Laurence Olivier" A 1966 interview with Lawrence Olivier conducted for the BBC, a 12 minute featurette/trailer for the film as well as a theatrical trailer. There are also production and publicity photos and lobby cards. The film also has an optional audio commentary track by Russell Lees and John Wilders.

This is a must for Shakespeare fans.

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No one could rival Laurence Olivier (Hamlet, Henry V, Richard III) as the scheming, ruthless youngest son of the 3rd Duke of York, who stopped at nothing to be King Richard III. His first appearance was deceptive. I noticed only a big nose and recognized him only after he spoke. Burdened with a crooked back, limp and shrunk hand, his ambition for kingship only burnt more feverishly. With disguised humbleness, he made peace with other royalties. His words were sugar-coated and gay. He killed Warwick, the 'KingMaker' who helped enthrone his elder brother as King Edward IV, and wooed Warwick's daughter Anne(the beautiful Claire Bloom) to marry him shortly after killing her husband. His planned murders of his elder brother Duke of Clarence, Lord Hastings, his young nephews (heirs-to-be), his wife Anne made even today's politics pale and unexciting.

Yet the movie about such a dark character was beautiful in VistaColour, set and costumes, cinematography. Scenes of executions, naïve Lord Hastings (Alec Clunes) walking into his death trap, innocent heirs-to-be greeting uncle Richard and Richard's final battle are memorable. All the other characters exuded integraity, royality and humanity. They were handsome in appearance and noble in heart, so different from Richard III. Even the once accomplice Duke of Buckingham (Ralph Richardson), without whose help there would be no Richard III, showed a moment of caution in doing any more evil. Perhaps it's this great contrast between Richard and everyone else that made the movie luring and tragic. In his last battle of Bosworth Field, Laurence Olivier showed a more reflective and human side of Richard III. When nearly everything on his side was lost, he marched, with a handful of supporters including his royal page (Stewart Allen), and fought valiantly.

The movie also succeeded in its clarity and fluidity. The powerplay of an excellent cast of experienced actors with great screen presence made 155 minutes fly without notice. With no prior knowledge of the Wars of Roses (House of York vs House of Lancaster), I am not at all lost in the many characters and relationship. And the crowning of Henry Tudor, 2nd Earl of Richmond, as Henry VII marked the beginning of the most filmed Tudor dynasty a perfect prologue of films about the lives of Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth.

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Anything filmed in Vistavision (or its wider cousin Technirama) will look incredible (like White Christmas) when properly transferred to blu-ray (unlike One-eyed Jacks), and Richard III does just that on blu-ray (Vistavision was not only wider than 1:33, but also taller--each frame was actually two frames, with the film running horizontally as opposed to vertically, which was necessary to give it more detail).... It looks fantastic, with great detail and tremendous colors.... We all know the story (or should, anyway), so I will stick to the quality of this release.... The mono LCPM 1.0 audio works very well with the great score and the dialogue-heavy script and does just what it should.... As far as the extras are concerned, they are pretty much the same as on the DVD, with the addition of a restoration comparison hosted by Martin Scorcese (wherever there is great color, he will thankfully appear), which shows what a great job was done restoring this masterwork.... Must-own....

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Puncture (2011)

"Sometimes the brightest light comes from the darkest places" This is the true story about Mike Weiss (Evans) a personal injury lawyer who takes on a huge health supply company after one of his clients is infected with a dirty needle. The client is a nurse in a hospital that uses plastic needles that are re-used over and over. Mike wants to make it so every hospital only uses the one time use only needles that his other client manufactures. The only problem is that Mike is a drug addicted mess. This movie is deceiving. The first half hour to me was a little slow and wasn't sure if I could make it through. When it picked up, it really picked up and sucked me in. By the end of the movie you are very engrossed and are pulling for someone you normally wouldn't. A movie much like "Runaway Jury" mixed with "The Lincoln Lawyer", not quite as good as "Lincoln Lawyer" though. Overall, a very good law movie that will make you think. I give it a B+.

*Also try Lincoln Lawyer & Runaway Jury

I was lucky enough to see this film when it opened and I was not disappointed. While it may have some subjective flaws, the message of the film is important. And those that see it should remember is it based on a real story; and those rarely satisfy the Hollywood-addicted among us. Real life takes turns we often don't want or expect.

I just hear about the DVD being released and I am going to preorder it when I finish this review. If you don't get distracted by what could be flaws and details that are not part of the main storyline, I think you will like this movie. I also think you will have some greater measure of your opinion of Chris Evans' acting ability. I know I do.

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The creators of this movie had to make choices. For viewers who like a artistically well-rounded film, it may have disappointed. The larger "point" to Puncture was to recreate in a microcosm the protracted battle which politically and legally helped expose some of the rampant corruption in the medical supply industry. The actual event was defused by settlement in the early 2000's. The fact that it still strikes a nerve these days is testimony to the work we still need to do in containing the excesses of corruption in the area of commercial health care. It is a reminder of the need for constant vigilance in an arena that too many consumers naively trust.

It's a personal thing, I guess . . . I found it a stylish, well-paced movie with a gripping plot. Like another reviewer, I was more focused on the injustice of the stifling of the invention by corporate power and greed, than wanting a perfectly formed hero and plot resolution. Hey, that's life. It's not usually like a classic movie script. Some of the peripheral characters weren't fleshed out, and the lawyers for the defense were formula villains, but I felt the inventor's helpless rage, Danziger's frustration and fear, and Weiss's alternating disconnection and intensity. If the script was kind of jerky, well, that's the way that Weiss was probably seeing his life go by, and maybe not a bad directorial device.

4 stars for taking on a difficult story that's all too sadly been seen before, and trying it from a different angle.

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I remember seeing the preview for this during another movie.

I'll admit, I rented it for a rather shallow reason.

Captain America Chris Evan's with facial hair. :)

For that reason alone I had to see it.

That said I was treated to an absolutely awesome movie.

In a nutshell...

The movie opens with a nurse being stuck with a needle.

A man has invented a safe needle that won't stick the user or the medical professional but hospitals won't buy it.

Enter a small law firm who takes the case.

One lawyer is the ultimate drug addict/party boy "Evan's".

His partner is the straight laced type.

They take the case, sue the medical industry and...no spoilers...you'll just have to rent it.

I loved it.

Amazing acting.

Fast paced and interesting direction.

Everything was done well.

Excellent story from start to finish.

Highly recommended.

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This is a movie that definitely sneaks up on you and hits you from behind. It was compelling and surprisingly evocative. The acting was believable and the writing a cut above from the usual 'based on a true story' kind of movie. I highly recommend it.

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OCEAN GIANTS 3D (Blu-ray 3D & 2D Version) REGION FREE

I have just read the product describe and it sounds exciting. I saw a movie about Galapgos's underwater world and I was really shocked how many animals live there. It is incredible! My favourites are the seals they are so kindly and funny!

My dream to travel there once in my life. I anticipate a good mark for it!

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Stoker (2013)

* Also published on Imdb *

Another masterpiece by Park, who playfully, coldly and ruthlessly explores the darkness of the human psyche.

The movie is not only as good as the trailer, but hugely better and even more mysterious and captivating. It simply blows your mind away. Fortunately, I ignored the negative Anglophobe reviews and watched it. It's the most complete artistic work by Chan-wook Park in his career so far, an ingenious masterpiece, with the only minor complaint being the lack of the explicit violence he depicts in his Korean movies; this is not his fault though, but the request of the American companies involved, and still he manages to make us shiver with the cruelty of the violent scenes depicted and insinuated.

To fully appreciate this movie, you must have watched Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, and in general to be a fan of Korean and Japanese cinema. The script is excellent, violent, unpredicted, the plot mysterious and sinister, and not for those who love the silliness of American spoon-fed cinema. If you don't like or understand international cinema, then don't bother. This movie and Matthew Goode's performance are Oscar material, if Oscars were not political travesties.

I have never watched such a cinematic masterpiece before. Highly stylised, every move, every word, the posture of the actors, every tiny detail has a meaning. The mansion filmed on location has an ominous air of decadence. The plot is clearly outlined: India is a strange girl, with something dark and off about her. Her mother is a depressed rich stay-at-home housewife, and we understand that her marriage has become a chore. When India's father has a mysterious car accident, uncle Charlie, an unbelievably handsome man, suddenly appears. And bad things start happening. Who, what and why? The movie builds up the plot and the suspension like a dance or the notes of a symphony! This is something I have felt with other movies by Park, and they are the only movies I watch again and again to fully take in and appreciate every detail, and the beautiful music throughout. Little by little, every nod, word, step, bring us to the climax, to the end, the answer to the questions and the harsh reality. There are no easy supernatural explanations here. Only the malevolence of the human heart.

"Stoker" is a beautiful, twisted, hypnotic trance it's meant for an audience not overly concrete in it's thinking but who have an open imagination and are able to take the plunge into the darkly poetic vision of it's director. The three principle actors are superb but Mia Wasikowska really gives the film a beating heart, as she emerges from her innocense into her latent self. This movie is filled with images that are as disturbing as they are lyrical and open to endless interpretation. I've seen the movie three times in theaters and find that my impressions change with each viewing and that it has really haunted my imagination. "Stoker" is one of those unique and mysterious masterpieces that I'm sure I will be returning to frequently over the years there's much to drink in, as the well runs deep,

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STOKER is a strange little film that unfurls its blossom of a story in manner that draws the viewer into the hauntingly bizarre family with fine writing (actor Wentworth Miller with Erin Cressida Wilson), fine directing (Chan-wook Park), fine art direction (Wing Lee) fine casting and some of the most beautiful cinematography of the year (Chung-hoon Chung). The magnetism of the film beings while the credits are being shown over the background of a beautifully wooded area where a girl is walking toward a roadside. The voice over, that of the main character India Stoker, states `My ears hear what others cannot hear; small faraway things people cannot normally see are visible to me. These senses are the fruits of a lifetime of longing, longing to be rescued, to be completed. Just as the skirt needs the wind to billow, I'm not formed by things that are of myself alone. I wear my father's belt tied around my mother's blouse, and shoes which are from my uncle. This is me. Just as a flower does not choose its color, we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free, and to become adult is to become free.'

The plot can be summarized as follows without providing information that would destroy the suspenseful movement of this strange story: India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) was not prepared to lose her father and best friend Richard (Dermot Mulroney) in a tragic auto accident. The solitude of her woodsy family estate, the peace of her tranquil town, and the unspoken somberness of her home life are suddenly upended by not only this mysterious accident, but by the sudden arrival of her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), whom she never knew existed. When Charlie moves in with her and her emotionally unstable mother Evie (Nicole Kidman), India thinks the void left by her father's death is finally being filled by his closest bloodline. Soon after his arrival, India comes to suspect that this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives. Yet instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless young woman becomes increasingly infatuated with him. Yet it is on her 18th birthday that things dramatically change. There are plot twists that defy expectations in this movie whose elegant creativity is the biggest twist of all.

The musical score for the film is the work of Clint Mansell who repeatedly inserts excerpts from Verdi's opera `Il Trovatore' the aria `Stride la Vampa' sung by the ominous gypsy Azucena (`Screeches the blaze!
The restless mob
runs to the fire
with happy faces'). Every detail of this polished thriller has been expertly conceived. The strong supporting cast includes Phyllis Somerville, Jacki Weaver, Lucas Till, Alden Ehrenreich and others. This is an example of expert film craftsmanship on the part of everyone concerned. Grady Harp, June 13

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Stoker is the type of film you don't see very often. It has a small cast with huge star power, a brilliant script, expertly crafted design in both set and costume, and a truly fascinating story. The film is told less through dialogue and more through action, facial expression, and the imagery of a scene. Stoker doesn't spoon-feed its audience. It expects them to be attentive and alert, ready to come to their own conclusions.

As a horror film it is strangely elegant. As a romance film it is quite disturbing. As a coming-of-age film, it is simply chilling!

Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, and Mia Wasikowska all provide some wonderful acting here. Kidman's talent is to be expected, but Goode and Wasikowska are especially impressive. Matthew Goode is nearly unrecognizable in his emotions on display here and Mia Wasikowska completely owns the role. Its hard to take your eyes off these characters.

The elegance of the set and costume design is surprising, giving the film an unusual style; the shifts in tone contrasted with the various designs often times creates a sense of disorientation yet overflows with beauty. The camera dances in expertly crafted movements, which is never a distraction, giving the film another layer of polish.

Music and sound design is expertly crafted as well. Classical piano and strings fill the score, while the sounds of the Stoker House are startlingly clear (due to a character's ability to hear extremely well). The sound of India cracking an egg, for example, will surprise many viewers. She is in-tune with the world around her, and the sound design helps create this illusion flawlessly.

This truly is one of the more interesting films of the past few years, one which cinephiles will eat up and more casual viewers should be intrigued by. Film: 4.5/5 STARS

The blu-ray's video quality is superb. Closeups are stunning and the cinematography is gorgeous, presented neatly in 1080pHD. Colors burst and black levels are excellent. Video: 4.5/5 STARS

Audio is a real highlight here. Like I said, Stoker sounds great. The music, the sound effects, its all captured well on the blu-ray. Dialogue is easy to hear as it moves around the sound-stage. Audio: 5/5 STARS

Extras include Deleted Scenes, Making Of videos, Photo galleries, and more. While most of the extra material is nice to watch, it doesn't spoon-feed the audience more answers and leaves the film's ambiguity intact. There isn't a commentary track. Extras: 3.5/5 STARS

Overall: 4.5/5 STARS. Stoker is a dark coming-of-age-horror-romance-mystery done very well and it has been given a wonderful blu-ray release.

Rating: R. A few scenes of disturbing violence, some shown, some implied, will disturb some viewers. Brief graphic sexual content in one scene is rather disturbing. Blood in a few scenes. Name-calling/vulgar insults might upset some viewers. Ages 17 and up.

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Except for several people being killed, almost nothing happened in this movie. Dark, moody, pregnant with suspense, with no follow through. A total waste of time and money (epecially since it weas higher priced $4.99). Not sure it would be worth it to see it for free actually.

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Escape (2012)

Received a free copy of Escape with C Thomas Howell and John Rhys-Davies.

first here is what the distributers had to say:

Doctors Paul and Kim Jordan are struggling to find peace in their lives after the tragic loss of their baby's life. Paul (C. Thomas Howell from The Amazing Spider Man, ET) persuades Kim to escape reality and flee to the exquisite islands of Southeast Asia. Paradise becomes a nightmare when he is kidnapped by human traffickers in need of a skilled doctor.

Faced with a fight for survival, Paul finds himself captive alongside the wealthy Malcolm Andrews (John Rhys-Davies from Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings). He quickly realizes there is no hope for his captors dying leader and is forced to examine his eternal fate. With life and death in the balance, Malcolm challenges Paul to stop running from God. Will Paul realize that trust in God is his only hope for escape and reunion with his wife?

Pure Flix has had many films over the past few years from Brother White to Encounter to Jerusalem Countdown and many more.

this film was another step up in every area.

First thing that caught my eye was the great photography. This movies production value took a giant leap in quality.

Second was the actors. From a LOTR actor in John Rhys-Davies to Pony Boy Curtis from the outsiders tthe films actors did a great job.

Finally the script was very solidly written as well.

Our main characters find themselves after a tragic loss leaving everything they have to do doctor work in the villages of Thailand.

One day a young boy comes to the clinic and Howell follows him to a so called emergency. He soon finds himself kidnapped to help some local pirates.

The story carreans from there into a suspensefil drama that is not the norm in Christian cinema.

Be sure to pick up a copy and help support GOOD christian Films!

Even before I watched the movie for the first time knew it was going to be a good one.. Just did not know just how great it would be. One of the best movie I have seen in a long while. The film is great visually with it's shots, and locations of the film including the water shots. Both C Thomas Howell and John Rhys Davies were amazing in the movie. Escape is the best film that I have seen Davies in.

It's a Christian film, with Christian stuff at the same time in script. But yet it didn't feel like a Christian film/ a Pure Flix film. At least what I think. Blown away with the film def a must see

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I love the Pure Flix moviesthey are all amazing and powerful. Excellent for every member of the family. A safe movie for all ages

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I agree with the previous reviewer, this movie wasn't bad, but just OK. I thought it started off well and the premise was pretty good, there just wasn't enough done with it. The ending was disappointing also. It was only nominally Christian and the story itself wasn't that great. 2 1/2 stars.

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This is not what you'd consider to be a "landmark" film. The acting was pretty good. This would be just above a B film and would make for a a pretty good church movie night. The photography and scenery was believable. It makes for a good family film. My older teens didn't complain after it was over and their comment was "not bad".' I'd loan it out but pick a better Christian film for a gift. We own it but probably wouldn't watch it again.

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Inside Man (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2006)

The first thing that attracted me to this film was the cast. Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Christopher Plummer, Jodie Foster, heck Willem Dafoe is really a bit player in this one. Not to mention that Spike Lee, not one of my favorite directors, but certainly capable of telling a good story, and the potential was there for brilliance. By now, you know surely that the film deals with a heist of a bank, that the thieves are not after the normal booty that bank robbers go after, and that someone high up in the bank brass stands to lose very personally based on the actions of the thieves. What you may not know is why the movie is so much fun and so great to see.

Clive Owen owns this film. Yes, Denzel is great and carries his scenes well, but Owen has the task of not only convincingly playing a thief who is totally in control of the situation, he has to play the role in a way to illicit sympathy from the audience. He does both things masterfully. No doubt you will be in agreement that his performance is the landmark achievement of the movie and the reason it ultimately works. Washington is a good two dimensional character, blending his desire to take advantage of this one great chance he has at landing a plum role within the police department and the fact that he is personally struggling with the pressure of his girlfriend who wants to discuss "the M word" and wear something on a certain finger. In fact, this becomes a large part of the film, right up to the very end.

If I noted a couple of weaknesses in the film they would be these. Jodie Foster's character, while necessary, seems to distract from the action. Her role is somewhat important, but I wished she had not been there. Also, the film wraps up somewhat clumsily, as it feels that an extra scene or two should have been left out. This would have made the scenes after the main action feel much tighter. The very end of the film was the only time I felt any urge to look at my watch.

These are minor complaints, believe me. In the end, this is a winner, top to bottom. The scary thing about watching movies like this is that the idea the crooks had for robbing the bank is so smart, it will be a wonder if other people don't try it. The heist strategy made that much sense. I highly recommend this film. You won't regret it.

MOVIE: Spike Lee has never been on my top list of directors. His movies usually have very strong social commentaries, and nothing more than that. Those social commentaries though are usually the same thing, and it always has to deal with race. Hell, he calls every one of his films "A Spike Lee Joint". I'm not against it, but it usually detracts from the story. Inside Man is really his first movie that really focuses on the narrative and is intent on telling an entertaining story. The film is his most mainstream film to date, and in my opinion is his best. Clive Owen plays a bank robber who decides to go Dog Day Afternoon style and perform an elaborate bank heist, but this theif has everything planned to perfection. The film opens right into the action and wastes no time. Denzel Washington plays the "average joe" hostage negotiator who is assigned to the case, and Chiwetel Ejiofor plays his partner. As the story progresses we learn more of what the true purpose of this bank heist is. The owner of the bank, played by Christopher Plummer, has a secret about his past that could destroy his repuation if released to the public and it happens to be located in an unlisted safety deposit box in that bank. He hires Jodie Foster to help him try and reason with Clive Owen's character, while all Denzel Washington is concerned about is serving justice. The film is quick, superbly edited, and extremely entertaining. Spike Lee doesn't compromise his techniques and the film still retains all of the familiar Lee social commentaries. Race and politics become the underlaying theme for the film and it moves it in the right direction. All the reviews and ads talk about the twist ending and a plot full of surprises. It's not that kind of movie, there isn't a Shyamalan twist waiting at the end of the movie, but there are a few secrets about the characters that are slowly revealed throughout. There are some surprises that will make you grin with shame becaue you didn't see them coming, and those are always fun. The racial and political theme is not overpowering, it's not what drives the film but rather enhances the character relations in the film. It's a really well put together piece of filmmaking. Sharp dialogue, light tone, and great entertainment make Inside Man a joint worth passing to the next person.

ACTING: This is the dream cast that any director would kill for. Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, and Willem Dafoe headline this impressive ensamble. I mean, how can you have bad acting with a cast like this? It's impossible. The cast is so experienced that they make it look easy to pull off roles like these. The characters feel natural and real, and are emotionally involving. It's a great cast.

BOTTOM LINE: Spike Lee proves himself to be a great storyteller. He focuses on the important things and highlights them with his personal touches. He even has his trademark "floaty camera" technique, which he uses to show determination on Denzel Washington's character's part. Even the opening titles and credits are done with style. He uses a very catchy song for the opening and closing credits that sets the perfect tone for the film. It's a song from Bollywood composer, A.R. Rahman. It's titled "Chayya Chayya". You can find the album on Amazon, it's the soundtrack to Dil Se. Inside Man is a tightly woven piece of filmmaking, and is worth your time

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This movie is a WINNER!

Totally entertaining, well acted and directed ... and one you'll be talking about when it's over. Pay close attention to the ending, I didn't realize how many twists there were until I talked with my husband, and several others who were walking out of the theater.

What a good ol'fashion mystery! ENJOY!

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The one note about Spike Lee films is that you're never sure what you're going to get. I'm not really a fan, I find that his films are too convoluted with extraneous detail and somewhat over produced. Inside Man retains all the elements of a solid bank robbery/caper film, whilst also giving us Spike Lee's trademark of gritty, street-wise irreverence.

The problem with Inside Man is that it's impossibly unbelievable with a plot that strains the realms of credibility; combine this with it's over-long running time and you have a film that features some great performances by it's cast Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Christopher Plummer and Jodie Foster but ultimately sags a bit in the middle and ends up becoming rather ponderous.

Lee manages to pull off a handful of effective scenes, but he doesn't have the flair to bring the whole movie off with real conviction. An enigmatic master criminal (Owen) who spends most of the movie wearing a mask plans and executes a "genius plan" in which he and several masked companions take over a Lower Manhattan bank and brutally seize several dozen of its customers as hostages.

The NYPD negotiator given the task of dealing with these crooks is an affable junior detective, Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) under a cloud of suspicion from a previous case he soon surmises that the perpetrators don't actually want the bank's money. Enter smarmy and elegant New York political insider Madeline White (Foster) who knows everybody and even has the ear of the Mayor.

Madeline is hired by the chairman of the bank's board of directors (Plummer) to oversee the crisis and make sure that certain secrets he has in his safe-deposit box stay secret. The bulk of the film involves the standoff between the bank robbers and the NYPD as they try frantically to ensure that the hostages remain safe.

Of course we know the hostages survive because Lee inserts interview footage of them after the heist is over, this device, however, tips off the outcome, dissipates suspense and quickly becomes tiresome. This is just one of the many techniques Lee uses to clutter the movie's structure and prevent the plot from unfolding as quickly as it should.

Obviously, everyone has something to hide, particularly the bank president, but when his past is revealed, it finally appears with a bit of a thud, with the movie going through to much difficulty to arrive at very little. In all fairness, Inside Man has some interesting things to say about race, money, power and the ethics of urban living, particularly in New York and the performances are wonderfully cynical and gritty.

Washington is sexy and strong, Foster is skillfully odious as the icy, sophisticated and amoral Madeline who cares for nothing but chasing big bucks, Owen is morbidly compelling as the determined heavy and Plummer is letter-perfect as the guilt-ridden bank honcho.

Lee, however, just doesn't seem able to bring all the disparate elements of a heist film into a convincing and gratifying whole and in the end; the movie is vaguely unsatisfying and impossibly far-fetched. Mike Leonard August 06.

Want Inside Man (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2006) Discount?

Spike Lee's Inside Man may seem like just another cop and robber story until you see the story unravel on screen. Robber Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) has planned a perfect heist that has put career cop Keith Frazier in a fix. Amidst intense negotiation between thw two, power broker Madeline White (Jodie Foster) enters the picture proving herself to be a better negotiator than Fraizer. But everyone has their motives and the interlocking puzzle gets more complex. As the story unfolds, each turn becomes

more unpredictable.

Clive Owen is excellent witty robber who's outpacing everyone at every opportunity. Displaying a level of cool collectedness, Owen was convincing as the potentially violent criminal with a broader agenda in mind.

Denzel Washington turns in an equally sublime performance playing the detective who's trying to serve justice while battling investigation for corruption. Detecive Fraizer's urgency in taking Russell to task is well portrayed by Washington.

Jodie Foster's Medeline White may just play a supporting role but it's no doubt that the actress can handle any role with aplomb. Her character's brimming with calm confidence trying to secure a deal with the robber while enriching her own pockets.

Spike Lee's Inside Man is an exciting thrillers with non-stop action and suspense. It cleverly plays out and eventually leaves the audience dazzled and in awe. (A)

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John Dies At The End (2012)

This movie is losing a star because of how poorly adapted it was. We all know that adaptations are iffy and even hardcore fans of something will accept before viewing that a movie will leave parts out, some of those parts their favorites. But many very important character developments were left out as well as very chilling and mind-blowing elements. The first hour was a wonderful experience, even with the few minor changes. The last half hour was rushed and confusing, jumbling up several sub plots in a very lazy way.

~THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. SPOILERS WILL BE MARKED WITH A STAR~

I'll start out with the PROS:

-Great casting, great acting. Dave and John were portrayed just as they should have been and Chase Williamson's facial expressions and line delivery were especially good. John was just as ridiculous as he should have been and his whole demeanor was very "book John". Doug Jones is one of my favorites and I loved that he was Robert North (changed to "Roger" in the film for some reason). I love Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti in general but Paul Giamatti was a perfect Arnie. Also, Tai Bennett as Robert Marley was AMAZING. Dude deserves serious props for his delivery of "the speech" to Dave. That guy needs to be cast in EVERYTHING. It's very clear to me that many of the actors read the book and studied their characters carefully. The Justin White, The Shelly and Detective Appleton were all very good too. Overall, the acting in this film was really, really good and I have zero gripes with the talent.

-The special effects were at times a little campy (towards the end of the film, maybe the budget was getting tight) but that didn't take away from the experience. The Meat Monster was NOT campy at all and looked just as ridiculous and frightening as it should have.

-Some great moments and lines were kept in the movie, including the Bratwurst scene and the Korrok trolling scene.

CONS:

-Some of what has been left out is totally unacceptable and takes AWAY from what most of us love about the story. No shadow people? Not even a mention of them or an appearance? They only orchestrated almost every event that happens. The shadow people are genuinely frightening because of what they can DO. The shadow people, in my opinion, are the whole entire reason Wong's book is so frightening. The shadow people are what I see out of the corner of my eye when it's quiet and dark. This movie left out the most haunting aspect of the story.

-Marconi felt like an afterthought in the movie. He destroys the Meat Monster and then he's gone from the entire movie until the black tube that takes them to the other dimension. He's gone because the entire Vegas scene is completely left out. Shitload is still there but he's poorly combined with another subplot involving the Mall of the Dead, which is combined with another subplot involving Amy.

-Speaking of Amy, this film continues the trend of "cliche, pointless love interest" female character. Amy is just "the girl" in the movie. This is no fault of David Wong. He is very good at writing realistic, in depth, likable characters and especially Amy. Amy is a very well written female character. She is a realistic female with a complicated past and motive. David Wong impressed me so much with how well he wrote this female character. Most women can't even write female characters as well as David Wong. Amy's back story is completely ignored, she is just missing a hand with no explanation. She's combined with the Jennifer Lopez character which I understand and accept but she's also made into a totally different kind of person than she was in the book. Her brother, Big Jim, is omitted as well.

-The character development overall is very, very lacking. The actor's themselves did a great job but for someone who hasn't read the book and doesn't know Dave or Amy's past or doesn't know how alcoholic John is actually an extremely decent and good person, I can see how they'd find it very hard to care about these characters or what happens to them.

-Amy and Dave's relationship is hollow and forced. Again, this is a character development and adaptation issue. Many events that were cut help build the trust and bond between Amy and Dave and when they suddenly end up together in the book, it makes sense. **In the movie, Amy is just some girl with a ghost hand whose dog Dave ends up getting killed and she's suddenly into him.**

-**So, the dog's name and gender is changed. Not a deal breaker for me but considering how they end the movie, I don't see how it's even possible to make a sequel. Molly/Bark Lee is central to almost every event that was left out of the book and EXTREMELY central to the actual book sequel, This Book Is Full of Spiders.**

-In the movie's world, there is no reason why the people of Shit Narnia should worship John and Dave as heroes. All of the events that take place that make them heroic and admired are completely omitted. Anyone who hasn't read the book will be thrown off completely as to why the people of Shit Narnia love John and Dave so much.

-Korrok was kind of weak as an ending villain. Combined with the lack of shadow people and the cutting out of huge events (including Amy's chatlog), Korrok was not menacing and his immense power was barely portrayed. **The danger of his people in Shit Narnia crossing over to "Dead World" was not obvious, so why should we care if John and Dave blow him up?**

-NO monster-Dave?! Really?! I'm happy the Arnie Blondestone twist was kept but the biggest twist of the story is completely left out?!

The movie's version of the story is fine on it's own, nothing special, but entertaining and interesting. A few plot holes since the subplots were so shoddily thrown together. David Wong's story is amazing, blow-your-mind awesome, plot twists you can't even imagine and horrifying situations you will wish you couldn't imagine. It is genuinely frightening, heart warming, supernatural and hilarious all at once. I feel like Don Coscarelli just took all of the silly elements from the book and skipped all of the existential crises and back story that makes you love the characters and root for them. I think this would have been better as several movies with just the Vegas and Shitload story as the first movie. They tried to jam way too much into one film and even if there was uncertainty about there ever being the funds to make a sequel, the story would have been done more justice with just the Vegas plot as the movie.

Don Coscarelli will have my forgiveness if there is a director's cut of this movie with tons of scenes cut out that have shadow people, Monster-Dave and backstory included. I know there are limitations on lower-budget films but character development should not have been sacrificed just so the entire book could be jammed into one package. As a hardcore fan of the book and it's sequel, I'm very, very let down.

HOWEVER, if you're a fan of David Wong and you want the possibility of a miniseries or reboot, I suggest seeing this movie anyways. Rent it online, see it in theaters, buy the DVD. PAY for it, don't pirate it. Let's show our support for David Wong as fans, so that we can reap the benefits of more work from him. The fact that his book went from short story online, to full novel, to published on a small scale, to published on a large scale, to MOVIE is pretty amazing in general. I think we should all do our part to help him reap the benefits of this, even if Don Coscarelli kind of butchered his story.

As a fan of the books, I applaud Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes for nailing my interpretation of the characters spot on. I would have actually enjoyed seeing them play out some of the more outstanding and righteously entertaining scenes from the book though. I'm a little disappointed at how mangled the adaption is, but in and of itself I think it holds its own. It needed more time and a bigger budget to really have the same weight and presence as the book, but then again I'm not sure anything really could have portrayed this modern-day masterpiece on film and still do it all due justice.

Overall though, I'd just as soon go read the book again rather than rewatch this. It isn't awful by a long shot, but neither is it as fantastic as some of the other reviews are raving. It's a decent B horror flick. The movie is too rushed and the omission, renaming and mishmashing of characters from the book reaaaaaally takes away from it over all. I can't really believe that more people aren't disappointed by this. The book explores some incredible concepts and propositions to think about that are only briefly alluded to in the film. This caused several comments to have sketchy context and created a sense of things not being tidied up and settled by the credits.

tl;dr: Book was fantastic. GO BUY IT AND READ IT RIGHT NOW SO YOU'LL BE READY WHEN THEY SHOW UP. Movie not so much, but still entertaining. Don't watch it expecting a technicolor, holographic psycho disco-haunted house or anything else equally absurd. Watch it with the understanding that it's a compressed and distorted version of the book that still offers laughs but maybe not so many shivers.

Buy John Dies At The End (2012) Now

I'll begin by admitting that I'm an unapologetic David Wong fan-boy; I own both the JDatE novel and the sequel in hardcover, and I've been following the progress of this film since day one of the announcement. The release of the film has been on my mind for months, and I watched this tonight with my heart in my throat.

Is it as good as the book? No.

It's also not as long. And it's in a completely different medium. And there is absolutely no way on earth that the film could EVER have looked and sounded exactly the way that I imagined it. The film is quite altered from the text in some places, and yet beat-for-beat in others ... and sometimes, the changes were jarring. Many of my favorite lines and scenes from the book didn't make the cut, and some of the changes were inexplicable to me.

But for fans of Wong's writing, this a damn good adaptation: created by people who truly love the source material ... even if, in some instances, it seems like they don't truly "get" it, at least in the same way that I do. That's not much of a complaint; I suppose that it's "praise by faint damning" my issues with the film are, given the circumstances, a wash.

I only wish that this amazing novel could have received the full 10-hour "Game of Thrones" HBO miniseries treatment. Since that simply wasn't going to happen, I accept that this fun little flick is a faithful beginner's guide to the weird writing of David Wong.

Read Best Reviews of John Dies At The End (2012) Here

"John Dies at the End" is based on the novel by David Wong (a pseudonym for author Jason Pargin). It's director Don Coscarelli's ("Phantasm," "Bubba Ho-Tep") first feature film in ten years. The horror comedy did make the rounds at certain film festivals in 2012, but is getting a limited theatrical run in certain markets in 2013 and is already available on demand. If you've never read Wong's novel, you don't really know what you're getting yourself into. Reception thus far has been mostly negative labeling the film as incredibly bizarre without much of a payoff, but that isn't entirely accurate. Speaking as someone who's a stickler for solid writing in cinema, this is a rare instance where a film can still be pretty enjoyable without everything making sense.

Dave (Chase Williamson) is sitting in a dimly lit Chinese restaurant telling his unbelievable story to a reporter named Arnie (Paul Giamatti) and it's a doozy. After Dave is able to analyze everything about the change in Arnie's pocket without seeing it and knowing every detail of the dream Arnie had the night before without Arnie even bringing it up, Arnie is eventually able to come to the realization that this is no normal story. When Dave was still in high school, his friend John (Rob Mayes) was in a band. At a party that John's band was playing at, Dave met a Jamaican guy named Robert Marley (Tai Bennett) who not only knew everything about Dave but seemed to know every detail about everything before it happened. That is how Dave and John were introduced to a drug known as "soy sauce," a black liquid which "opens their minds to s*** they've never seen before;" those are the words of Robert Marley. Overloaded with heightened senses, Dave and John are now able to communicate and interact with creatures that aren't from this world but have bigger problems to worry about like how to defeat a monster made of refrigerated meats or figuring out how to throw a headstrong detective (Glynn Turman) off their trail. Arnie has the story of the century on his hands as Dave's story proves to be a prime example of truth being stranger than fiction.

The erratic atmosphere and disorganized sense of humor makes itself apparent right from the very first frame with Dave's story about whether an axe is still the same axe if its had its head and handle replaced while killing a skinhead. Its messy pace takes some getting used to. The beginning of Dave's story where he and John try to help a girl named Shelly (Allison Weissman) deal with an abusive boyfriend that died two months prior is bizarre. Not only because of the subject content, but also because the chemistry between actors Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes and their desire to help those who've had problems with the paranormal is eerily similar to Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki as Sam and Dean Winchester on "Supernatural." As soon as you think that though, the film seems to steer in a completely different direction as Shelly explodes into snakes, a doorknob turns into male genitalia, and that refrigerated meat manifestation appears.

That's about when all of these recognizable faces start appearing; Clancy Brown as TV psychic Albert Marconi who's a lot like John Edward except Marconi actually knows what he's talking about, Angus Scrimm in a small role as a priest, and Doug Jones portraying a man from another dimension named Ryan North. You'll actually be left wanting more of Arnie (Giamatti) and Ryan North (Jones). Paul Giamatti is still able to steal the spotlight even though he's only a supporting actor here. His line delivery is just the perfect amount of over the top disbelief when Dave shows Arnie what he has in his car and Arnie's line about Atlantic City is laugh out loud funny. The film is literally overflowing with sarcasm. There's so much of it that you feel like you may have missed some of its wit in just one viewing. When you're not laughing about how ridiculous the film is its humor is sure to circle back around to make sure you laugh at least once during the film's 90 minute duration.

After you settle into the film's use of controlled insanity (it's like trying to throw a saddle on a tornado before attempting to ride it), you get used to its crazy pace and begin to enjoy it. The film is particularly pretty awesome until Dave and John go to another dimension and meet Korak, then it's just bat s*** insanity. The horror comedy gets even weirder than you'd come to expect from the first hour. Nothing about the film is predictable, so there is that to fall back on. But people who don't already hate the film will really hate it by the time the last twenty or so minutes come around.

"John Dies at the End" is really freaking weird. It's along the lines of Quentin Dupieux's "Rubber," but really pushes the boundaries of absurdity. With its flying moustaches, severed limbs with a mind of their own, having conversations with bratwursts, and a dog driving a truck through a house that's on fire, it's safe to say that "John Dies at the End" will go well over many heads and won't be appreciated and that's fine. Just remember that you don't choose the soy sauce. The soy sauce chooses you.

Want John Dies At The End (2012) Discount?

No, it's not the book (which you will also enjoy), and maybe it's not for everyone. But if you like 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' & 'Evil Dead II' —I can pretty much guarantee you will love this movie as much as I do. It's the same director who did 'Bubba Ho-tep'.

How can you not enjoy a movie that not only has a meat monster, but also a killer mustache, a guy talking on a bratwurst, alternative universes, and a heroic dog?

I say give it a go. I don't think you'll be sorry you did. Bonus: this is good on weed.

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Nightmare on Elm Street Collection 5-Disc Blu-Ray

This Nightmare On Elm Street Collection is Amazing! I own both the DVD Collection and VHS Collection. The DVD set is way better due to the many extras found on the bonus disc titled The Nightmare Encyclopedia which has all 7 Movie Previews that were shown in theatres, it also has Music Videos including DOKKEN's "Dream Warriors". It has a interactive game called The Labyrinth which is very hard, if you have a DVD-Rom you get even more extras like all 7 Screenplays and an interactive Freddy that haunts your PC courtesy of Togglethis.com. What can I say you get so much more! All the Movies are in the best Quality ever with the exception of the bad film transfer of Nightmare 2! As far as my personal review of each film I give Nightmare 1 five stars, Nightmare 2 two stars, Nightmare 3 five stars, Nightmare 4 four stars, Nightmare 5 two stars, Nightmare 6 two stars, and than Nightmare 7 Wes Cravens New Nightmare five stars. I have to also say NANCY who is played by Heather Langenkamp brought this whole collection to life with her roles in Nightmare 1, Nightmare 3, and Wes Cravens new Nightmare. Without NANCY who we were all so familiar with from the start, this collection would not be so Good. I also give a big thanks to Wes Craven for taking the laughs out of Freddy and taking him back to what he was in the original Nightmare 1, a Horror Icon not a comedian! I highly encourage anyone to buy this collection! The DVD set is truly amazing for any Nightmare On Elm Street fan!

If you love the "A nightmare on Elm Street" movies, this is for you. EVen if one or two aren't that great, this boxset is way easier than buying the four or five dvd's you love. I mean, 7 movies , a bonus 8th disk and a booklet descussing all 7 movies for only 80 dollars is a very good price.So, instead of looking at the two or three small things it doesn't come with, you're better off looking at the positive of it. However, if you only like maybe one or two of the films, you're better off buying just those dvds. THis is only for fans whom enjoy the majoroty of the series films. ( if you don't, lets face it you're simply wasting your hard earned money) Now, for those of you who haven't seen these films I will give a short run down of them ( with NO spoilers)

A Nightmare on Elm Street part 1 Classic film and the best of the series, Freddy is probably the most frightening in this one, a cult classic. Even if you hate the rest, i'm sure you will love this one. It starts out as a young teen girl's (Heather Langenkamp) friends start dying in their sleep by you guessed it Freddy Krueger, as the movie goes on you learn a little about Freddy's history and how he came to be,Johnny Depp's movie debut. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2. How do you follow up a great movie like the first? Well, eh. They really didn't, one of the worst installments in the series right after the best (go figure)

A young man moves into the same house as the girl from the first movie (Heather Langenkamp) and Freddy uses his body to come back, this movie suffers from havin a poor leading man and a leading woman that is too ditzy, however Robert England doesn't dissapointed and is as scary as the first, making this atleast watchable. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.

A Nightmare on Elm Street part 3 This right here, should have been part two, bring's back Heather Langenkamp's character and her father, this time she finds some teenagers in a mental institution, who have been having some pretty bad dreams..... this movie has strong acting by every character (even the ones who don't stay very long) here Freddy gets a bit of humour, while staying scary though ( the humour isn't over done like in future movies) I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4. sees the return of the surviving members of part 3, however, if you loved, part 3 the first 20 minutes or so might be a little vexing to you.Features a new hero (lisa) and her often dim witted yet charismatic boyfriend. This movie isn't great but definetly good has good actors and a few bad ones, Freddy is still Freddy and this is one of the better sequals. I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

A Nightmare on Elm Street part 5 Sees the return of Lisa. The story is Freddy comes back and is turning her unborn baby into a prodidgy of himself. The plot is one of the best, just not acted out very well. Freddy gets a little too funny. Yet is full of likable heros. Also goes deeper in Freddy's history While it isn't the best it is far from the worst and one of the most under rated in the series. I give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

A Nightmare on ELm street part 6. One of the worst, plot is not thought out well and freddy goes over the edge with humor, few people die and the deaths take way too long. However, you learn the most about Freddy in this movie and that is the main reason to watch it. The plot is, that there is only one more kid left on Elm Street (our old pal Freddy did away with the rest) however the final kid has a bad case of amnesia and can't recall anything. Features scenes with a pre-teen human Freddy and a teenage human version of him, with a guest appearence by Alice Cooper as Freddy's drunk abusive father. (maybe somebody should have told poor old Freddy just because you were abused, you shouldn't abuse others) I give this one 2 out of 5 stars.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare The biggest turn in the series, Freddy gets an upgrade and for the first time, is in the real world. With this plot, the "A nightmare on Elm Street" films are just that films. Heather Langenkamp stars as herself and Wes Craven is in it as just Wes Craven, however when Heather's son starts believing in him, he comes to life, when Wes finds this out he flees. ( I would have loved to have seen a Wes fighting Freddy scene.) A new twist is just what the series needed after part 6 but i'm glad Freddy went back to the world of fiction in "Freddy vs Jason" good film. I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

So in conclusion if you love the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series Buy this now. Enjoy

Buy Nightmare on Elm Street Collection 5-Disc Blu-Ray Now

First and foremost, I'm an avid "Nightmare" fan... My review of 3 stars is NOT my review of the movies themselves. This is a review of the NEW "Nightmare" box-set which existed in a previous, superior form. Just to cover the movies, however, here's how I rate them:

1.) "A Nightmare On Elm Street" 5 stars. An untouchable horror classic.

2.) "A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge" 3.5 stars, and underrated by most reviewers if you ask me.

3.) "A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" 4.5 stars.

4.) "A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" 4 stars.

5.) "A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" 3 stars, and a bit of a disappointment for this series.

6.) "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" 3.5 stars.

7.) "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" 4.5 stars, another horror classic from Wes Craven.

8.) "Freddy vs. Jason" 2.5 stars. Clearly the worst installment in the series (unless you count the 2010 remake of the original). Freddy is not a comedian, he's a killer, and if you thought his one-liners were cheesy in the other sequels, they are horrendous in "Freddy vs. Jason". Also the most atrocious acting and scriptwriting in the entire series.

Ok, now that we've got that out of the way, here's my problems with the NEW box set. I of course bought the original box set (released before "Freddy vs. Jason"), and although I felt the set should've had more extra features, at least it had SOME, as opposed to this new re-issue, which strips the old special features from the box set as well as all special features from the "Freddy vs. Jason" original DVD. Another issue none of these films have been remastered from the original DVD releases. You might think that because New Line Cinema remastered the original a few years ago (in the form of an "Infinifilm" release) that you will get the remastered version in this set. You would be wrong, because you don't get the remastered version, you get the same version that was in the original box set. Frustrating. Another issue I do have to say that Jackie Earle Haley's "Freddy" being featured on the cover is idiotic. Big deal or not, it doesn't make any g*d**n sense. We have eight films in this set, all of which feature Robert Englund as "Freddy", but to someone who hasn't seen the new remake, the cover has a stranger on it and is confusing (not to me, I've seen the remake {it sucks, badly} and recognized Haley instantly). If they were going to feature Haley on the cover of the box set, they should have at least waited until the new remake is released on DVD, and then they could've included the remake in the box set. Not to mention that Haley cannot TOUCH Englund's portrayal of the classic horror character. Haley being featured on the cover is disgraceful to Englund and his many glorious years performing as "Freddy". Yes, I do think it's kind of a big deal.

Here's what you need to look at if you're considering buying all 8 of these films:

If you want to go the cheapest route, and you're not interested in bonus features, you should buy "4 Film Favorites: Nightmare On Elm St. 1-4" and "4 Film Favorites: Nightmare On Elm St. 5-8". Two 4-disc sets, with the identical prints of the films in this box set, priced as low as 2.50 apiece used, or about 8 bucks apiece new.

If you've got the money to spend, I would recommend buying the ORIGINAL box set (which comes in a larger, much cooler box, contains 3D glasses for the end of "Freddy's Dead" during the 3D sequence, and contains a bonus disc with a few special features), the remastered 2-disc Infinifilm version of the original "Nightmare On Elm Street" (for the bonus materials and the far superior audio / video quality), and a separate copy of "Freddy vs. Jason", which is also a 2-disc set (Remember, in this new box set, the 2nd disc of bonus features for "Freddy vs. Jason" have been stripped; as have ALL special features... this box set has none).

I will definitely stick with my original box set, the Infinifilm Version of the original "Nightmare", and the "Freddy vs. Jason" DVDs, due to the lack of extra features and no remastering. Come on, New Line Cinema, you could have done so much more with this brilliant series of films.

Read Best Reviews of Nightmare on Elm Street Collection 5-Disc Blu-Ray Here

Finally picked up the Nightmare Blu Ray box set. This is the first time I've bought the series since the inital DVD box set release well over 10 years ago.

Picked this up on sale for $30 at Best Buy. A fantastic deal for a killer set of movies. Blu Ray quality is about right what you would expect from a Nightmare release. This isn't remastered like a Spielberg classic, but it's a big upgrade from my 12 year old DVDs. The sound is good from what I've heard so far.

The biggest surprise for me was the new doc which was narrated by Robert Englund in his Freddy voice! It was fantastic. Not very long, and not as good as the doc in the DVD set (can't remember what is was called) but it was fun seeing something new with Wes and Robert being interviewed. Also as an extra you get two episodes of Freddy's Nightmares! Pretty unmemorable episodes, but fun just seeing the show again.

If you are a Nightmare fan the set is definitely worth the upgrade if you can find it at a fair price!

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This review refers to the bonus disc found in New Line Cinema's "The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection" boxed set.

THE WHO'S WHO: Starring Wes Craven, Robert Shaye, Sean Cunningham, Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, John Saxon, Rachel Talalay, Jack Sholder, Kevin Yagher, Dick Cavett, Chuck Russell, Frank Darabont, Dokken, Patricia Arquette, Renny Harlin, John Carl Buechler, Stephen Hopkins, The Fat Boys, Whodini, Clive Barker. (NR) Contains Very Mild Violence, Mild Profanity, Very Mild Gore, Very Brief Nudity and Mild Sexual Content; 240m.; 1999. Cumulative information for the film series as a whole includes an (R) rating for violence, gore, profanity, drug content, nudity and mild sexual content; 655m.; 1984-1994. The overall rating for the films included in this boxed set is four stars. For individual reviews of each film, please see separate titles.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?: Consummate "Nightmare on Elm Street" fans will be delighted by the inclusion of an eighth bonus disc as part of the series' boxed set. The central focus of this DVD is a "Labyrinth" video game, but all of the important documentary material that can be uncovered within the labyrinth is found on the index of the disc itself. However, the "Labyrinth" is the only place to uncover humorous outtakes and comedy interactions with Freddy Krueger. The bonus disc begins with the "Welcome to Primetime" (46:26) segment. Relevant members of the cast and crew for the original "Nightmare" film talk about the newspaper clippings that inspired the screenplay, how producer Robert Shaye was the only person who believed in director Wes Craven's script and how the original idea of Freddy Krueger was supposed to have him portrayed by a sixty or seventy year old man. Makeup man David Miller tells the story of how a pepperoni pizza inspired Freddy's face. There's also a small tidbit relating to the fact that New Line almost sold the "Nightmare" rights to Paramount. "Welcome to Primetime" concludes with the first alternate ending of the original "Elm Street" film. The index of the disc is divided into separate sections by film. The "Nightmare on Elm Street" section is just a breakdown of the "Welcome to Primetime" documentary with the addition of the film's trailer. Segments in this section include "Original Theatrical Trailer" (1:49), "It Really Happened" (3:03), "A Childhood Memory" (2:35), "Sometime in the Early 80's" (0:25), "So it Began" (4:47), "Beauty and the Beast" (8:42), "Making the Glove" (1:09), "Shapeshifter" (9:54), "The Shoot" (7:22), "The Revolving Room" (1:53), "All's Well That Ends Well" (4:04), "Talalay's Tally" (1:52), "It Couldn't Have Happened..." (1:51) and "Alternate Ending: Version 1" (2:00). The "Freddy's Revenge" section expresses Craven's concerns over the original screenplay for the sequel. We're also treated to horrendously bland interviews with director Jack Sholder who does nothing to bring perspective to his sequel, owing a lot of explanations and offering very few. He also sounds very indecisive of the choices he made now that he has the opportunity to look back on his film. Even production assistant Rachel Talalay admits the film's vast array of mistakes. Segments in this section include "Original Theatrical Trailer" (1:28), "Heroes and Villains" (6:23), "Psycho Sexual Circus" (3:28), "The Male Witch" (2:48) and "Freddy on 8th Street" (5:29). The "Dream Warriors" section finds Wes explaining how he wanted to take the film series to the next psychological level. Director Chuck Russell and screenplay writer Frank Darabont share discussions about the controversies surrounding the Freddy snake and the Robert Englund-improvised "welcome to prime time, b*tch" line. Englund is also on hand to relate a tale of how he had breakfast with transvestites across from the L.A. county jail. Segments in this section include "Original Theatrical Trailer" (1:37), "Fan Mail" (0:46), "Onward Christian Soldiers" (9:02), "Snakes and Ladders" (6:05), "Trading 8's" (4:10), "That's Show Biz" (2:01), "Burn Out" (3:39), "The House That Freddy Built" (0:39) and "Music Video: Dokken Dream Warriors" (5:06). The "Dream Master" section finds Robert Shaye explaining how the 'stamina effect' helped director Renny Harlin get the job. Discussions are also held about how the writers' strike affected the outcome of the movie. Segments in this section include "Original Theatrical Trailer" (1:31), "Krueger, Freddy Krueger" (8:17), "Hopeless Chest" (3:46), "Let's Make-Up" (2:21) and "The Finnish Line" (2:28). The "Dream Child" section finds Talalay mentioning why her husband Rupert Harvey produced the fifth film and not her. Surprisingly, the Fat Boys music video was misplaced on the disc. Instead of appearing in the section for the fourth film where it belongs, it wound up here. Segments in this section include "Original Theatrical Trailer" (0:46), "Womb Raiders" (6:24), "The Sticky Floor" (5:46), "Take the Stairs" (0:57), "Hopkins Directs" (0:36), "A Slight Miscalculation" (1:27), "Music Video: Fat Boys Are You Ready For Freddy?" (5:32) and "Music Video: Whodini Anyway I Got to Swing it?" (3:26). The "Freddy's Dead" section is the lightest of all sections, though it does find Talalay talking about how the 3-D format of the finale limited her choice of special effects. Segments in this section include "Original Theatrical Trailer" (2:14), "Rachel's Dream" (2:50), "3D Demise" (2:19), "86'd" (1:41) and "Hellraiser" (0:40). The "New Nightmare" section focuses entirely on Craven himself. He discusses how he originally thought he would become a novelist and touches briefly on the friendship he shares with "Friday the 13th" creator Sean Cunningham. Segments in this section include "Original Theatrical Trailer" (2:41), "Becoming a Filmmaker" (7:55), "An Insane Troupe" (0:52), "Two Worlds" (2:04), "The Problem With Sequels" (1:36) and "Filmmaker" (4:38). The final section is entitled "Conclusions" and features horror master Clive Barker comparing Freddy's characteristics with Pinhead's. We're also able to see small sections of a 1989 interview with Robert Englund as he discusses the witty and sexy traits Freddy possesses. Segments in this section include "Where Gothic Plots Come From" (2:04), "Why We Like Gothic" (1:34), "Sadomasochism" (0:54), "Freddy v. Pinhead" (2:46), "Freddy's Manic Energy" (1:40), "Creating Lasting Characters in Horror" (1:33), "No More Magic Tricks" (2:28), "Monster With Personality" (0:33), "Freddy as Sex Machine" (1:59) and "Campfire Stories" (1:43). Overall, this is an enjoyable and highly informative way of killing four hours.

THEY SAY THEY'RE SPECIAL BUT...: The 1.33:1 full screen format is a solid presentation featuring even flesh tones, good coloring and stable black levels. The 5.1 surround sound is pointless during the documentary portions of the disc. The only time the surround sound really picks up is during the music videos and the theatrical trailers. Then the presence of the 5.1 is truly felt and truly appreciated. This bonus disc arrives packaged in one of New Line's atypical paper cases. The front cover features a fantastic "Hellywood" painting that fits the Freddy motif perfectly. The rest of the case is devoid of any artwork. The inside of the case spotlights the list of special features on this disc. The disc itself is painted with a montage of six different Freddy Krueger photographs. The entire disc is comprised of special features, however the ones not described above include the actual "Labyrinth" video game which is a wonderful way to experience the separate pieces of information for those who want to take the time. Graphics for this game are very entertaining and the sound quality is above par. DVD-ROM users are also treated to the final "Dream World" trivia game and an interactive Freddy that will "haunt" your computer.

THE YOLK'S ON YOU: New Line Cinema has packed their boxed set so well that they don't need to place hidden easter eggs on the separate discs. Of course, on this bonus disc, there are a few useful pearls of wisdom for the wary viewer. For starters, if you stand in one spot for too long at the entrance of the "Labyrinth" (where the question mark appears), Freddy will pop out of one of the doors on the left side of the hallway and quickly dart into one of the doors on the right. Also, if you make it down into the boiler room, look into the ashes of the furnace for awhile. Pretty soon, you'll be able to see the burning image of Freddy himself. Finally, for those viewers searching for the mythical "second alternate ending" to the film (which is not included as part of the index section on this disc), there's a very simple solution. When you come to the locked fire door, step up to it until you can see the individual diamond panes of the glass. There are three horizontal rows of clickable diamonds. Each row has four diamonds you can try. The alternate ending is hidden beneath the fourth diamond (the one farthest to the right) on the middle row. However, be warned that the "second alternate ending" is not worth the time it takes to find. Frankly, it's an incredible let down, even to a hardcore Freddy fanatic like myself. Forget the second alternate ending and try to uncover all the Krueger cut-ups instead.

THE LEWD AND NUDE ALERT: There is absolutely no stimulation on this bonus disc. However, since this is mostly a documentary forum, that's to be expected.

THE GORE REPORT: The bonus disc actually shows a bit of gore in the original theatrical trailer during Tina Gray's (Amanda Wyss) death sequence.

SAY AGAIN: "Sometimes a giant snake is just a giant snake. Yeah." Frank Darabont. "Exactly." Chuck Russell. "Which is why it wound up eating the little girl." Frank Darabont (during a conversation about the phallic symbolism of the Freddy snake from "Nightmare 3").

THE FINAL SAY: Yes, I recommend buying this disc. As part of the "Nightmare on Elm Street Collection" boxed set, it provides an invaluable source of behind the scenes discussions and revelations. One wishes they would have had more interviews with the actual cast members of the films, but the crew members and Robert Englund provide a wealth of details. It's just a shame that this disc is not available separately as it stands very well on its own. Yes, I also recommend buying the boxed set itself. This is an efficient way of acquiring all seven films and is the only way you can receive the bonus disc.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM: "Freddy's Favorites: The Best of a Nightmare on Elm Street" Available on Varese Sarabande Compact Discs.

Mulan

This is absolutely the best presentation of a well known story. The adaptation is very good, and the acting is first rate, especially that of Vicki Zhao(Mulan). The battle scenes are some of the best-staged in recent Chinese movies. In the equestrian scenes in particular, the horses run straight, their heads are not yanked around like a marlin trying to shake off its hook and the riders sit properly instead of bouncing around with their arms flapping like the wings of a bird trying to take off. The entire cast is to be congratulated and I highly recommend this movie to everyone who is interested in Chinese legends. Beware though, that although the English subtitle is reasonably accurate, there is no way to turn it off! This may be a distraction to some viewers.

This is intended only as a means to inform you of an unfortunate, incorrect product display concerning this particular Blu ray release.

Unfortunately, even though this title is listed as being "region-free" in terms of coding, it is not. Review of the specific title pictured is in fact coded for region-B specifically (which includes Europe, Africa but none of the Americas.) Further information confirms that no current (as of 06/22/2012) "region-free" version of this release exists.

The good news is, there is a region-A version of this release available for purchase from multiple online vendors (a quick google search will help there!) This is not meant to tarnish or demean the value of shopping with Amazon.com, it is merely stated for those who truly would like to own a version of this release they can watch on their region-A coded players. Additional information of this region-A version is that it is Chinese language with English subtitles, there is no English dubbing. The distiction between the two versions is in the unique cover art; The current displayed art is for the region-B version, and the region-A version shows the titular character on horseback with other lead characters and massive armies on the front cover.

So, if you already have a region-B player, then you are all set in terms of this title. As I stated this review is only to clarify that this is not a region-free version. I have heard there are "chips" or firmware that may be installed in blu ray players to allow them to play any region coded Blu ray (the ever popular google search can assist with that!), but that involves tampering with the player which usually voids the warranty (if applicable.) So, hopefully this is helpful to anyone wanting to own this blu ray release. A quick note on the actual film itself This is a more mature movie based on the Chinese folk tale, this is not the "Disney Mulan" you may have seen.

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I saw this movie shortly after it came out in Chinese only, so I do not know about the translation. However, the characters, plot and special effects are all wonderful. I liked the disney version, but I like this version much more. Definitely a must-see.

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This is a very well done martial arts action movie based on the Mulan character. Had to watch right away and glad I did. I was skeptical about the "region free" designation and was so delighted that it played well on my system. Movie Mars offered a very good price and delivery was better than I expected.

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the story line was absolutely incredible the acting was top notch the movie scenery / cinemagraph was very well set "recommended"

Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1 Gift Set

My 7 year old daughter recently discovered the Harry Potter movies while they were on TV one weekend. I wanted to get her all the movies that were out this far (1-7) but did not want to pay individual DVD prices for each one. Then I found this set on Amazon for this great price. This set does only have the 7 movies on DVD (7 individual DVDs) no extra DVDs come with it. Some of the DVDs do have a few "extras" but not all. This is a great set if you are looking just to get the movies. My daughter loves them and even my husband and I have grown a liking to Harry Potter.

THIS REVIEW IS EDITED BECAUSE OF A COMMENT FROM A READER.

THE ORIGINAL: I am an avid Harry Potter fan. I own all of the books and movies purchasing as far back as vhs, then DVD and now Blu-ray. The plus for the set is the Blu-ray itself is beautiful viewing, really clean and lively colors BUT, anyone who has viewed the earlier copies will notice that many scenes have been dropped and others added. Scenes I notice missing are not even in the deleted scenes. Anyway, lots of changes I've noticed in all of the movies in this set AND, WHAT IS VERY INCONVENIENT IS, THERE ARE NO SCENE SELECTIONS AVAILABLE IF YOU STOP THE MOVIE FOR OVERNIGHT. I have hunted thru all the settings and find no way to set up scene selections and so have decided they are non existent. ALSO, after purchasing a large screen to improve viewing pleasure, I can tell you the wording in the extras are much too small for reading (our screen isn't the biggest but it is 42 inch) plus the fancy fonts makes reading them even more difficult. A really poor choice from the developers of this series or for that matter any extras on any DVD. TO THE POWERS THAT BE, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T SEE THAT LITTLE STUFF AND TO MAKE IT WORSE YOU PUT IT ON PATTERNED BACKGROUNDS. A real shame for some of us who enjoy the extras as well as the movies. I had thought about returning the set as there are so many changes in the movies I wasn't sure I was happy not being told of them in the advertising but decided that some of the changes are good overall. Anyway, that about covers my thoughts on this particular set. Beautiful to look at but unexpected changes and poorly planned mapping of the Blu-ray for us, the viewer. For the price they should have included the original movies along with the changed versions so we could make a choice for watching, ALSO THE SCENE SELECTIONS WOULD BE GOOD. Signing myself, IRRITATED.

THE EDIT: The helpful comment from a reader was that he had purchased the set and not had the same scene selections issues. I went back into my set spending a lot of time with the TV Wand and settings. I discovered that there are, hidden scene settings for these Blu-ray DVDs. I don't know why they didn't show up and they have been difficult to discover, not an easy format of programming in this Blu-ray set at least not for me. I have very little problem, usually, and why this particular set is a problem I don't know but I do want readers and possibly buyers to know, I WAS WRONG PER THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE; THERE ARE SCENE SELECTIONS. Wishing things would always be easier in the programming of the DVD we purchase but guessing it will take more study on my part to discover EASY and proficient. Thanks for reading. RSBlain

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Harry Potter Years 1-7 (part one) was purchased for a movie-marathon for 5 HP-crazy boys who have read the books, were involved in a research project, and now planned a sleep-over to view the first movies before going to see the final one in the theater. This Harry Potter set was perfect for this purpose, as the boys wanted to get through all the movies in 2 days (with very little sleep!).

The only downside: This set doesn't include a bunch of extras, so if that's what you are interested in, don't get this.

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This was an amazing find! This was the cheapest I've found it anywhere including stores and online. I ordered and received it well before the expected delivery date. It was a great way to prepare for the final movie. I would definitely recommend ordering from this site.

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I've read a few reviews on this product, and the reviews that had low ratings were because they didn't see why you would purchase this collection. I understand you probably wouldn't buy this if you already had all the DVDs or even for that matter a couple of the VHSs. The reason I would buy this is because I don't have a copy of any of them for myself, and getting all of them so far in Blu-ray format is a plus. Now I know you might think, "then why not wait until that last part of "The Deathly Hallows" comes out, because they are just going to put them all in a box then." You have a valid point, but at the same time it isn't that big of a deal to me to get these ones now and then just buy the single when it comes out later. Either way if you are looking for a collection and want them all in Blu-ray format, and you can't wait until the very last one comes out on tape, then buy it.

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Penguin Drum Collection 1

Mawaru Penguindrum is a difficult anime to define... As another reviewer said it is art in the truest sense of the word. If you want mindless entertainment, look elsewhere. If you want something playing on the TV in the background while you are doing something else, look elsewhere. It is a series that requires and deserves your full attention. It is highly psychological and highly philosophical. If you don't care for analyzing literature or peering into the darkness of the human heart, then you probably won't enjoy Penguindrum.

That disclaimer out of the way, Mawaru Penguindrum is a philosophical masterpiece. The main topic is free-will vs destiny. There is also quite a bit of time spent on perception vs reality, and the meaning and nature of family. But to me the topic that distinguishes the series is the role of others in self-definition and self-worth... Namely, that an individual is defined by their contrast with others, and no individual can continue to value himself unless he is also loved by another.

Let me give two examples... The first is the animation of the background characters. Background characters such as random people walking on the street are depicted as white blob-figures--like what you would see on a public restroom door. At first I thought this was evidence of a low budget, but as I began to understand the series I realized that it emphasizes the main point. A person does not become truly human in the eye of the observer until the observer knows something about them. The background characters have no individuality, no motion, they are nothing but blank scenery. Since we know nothing about these characters, they cannot become truly human in our minds, and the series emphasizes this point by depicting them with no individuality.

The second example is a mild spoiler, so be warned... One of the most poignant aspects of the society in Penguindrum is an institution called the "child-grinder." Any unwanted child is sent to the grinder, where they are ripped to shreds and then reassembled into "invisible people." The thesis is that to be unloved is to be unappreciated for your individuality. If these unloved children are reassembled into generic people with no individuality at all, then they will have no reason to feel pain when they are unnoticed by others. It is frighteningly symbolic of our public education system, where in the name of "equal opportunity" or "no child left behind" our society has taken pains to ensure everyone gets out of school with exactly the same skill set... There is little acknowledgement of individual ability and aptitude. Through standardized testing and curriculum, we ensure our children enter society as generic.

As one last disclaimer, let me add that as in many psychological studies, there is quite a bit of sexual content in Penguindrum, and some of it is homosexual.

If you are looking for simple entertainment, Penguindrum is not for you. If you want believe that man is basically good, you will probably be offended by the series. But if you are open to gazing into the darkness of the human heart and the darkness of human society, Penguindrum is an excellent case-study.

I was so excited when I heard Mawaru Penguindrum was coming out in the US. It was something I had been waiting for. The series was one of my all time favorite anime series. Actually not just one of my all time favorites, it is my all time favorite. I was looking forward to seeing it on my big screen TV and eager to support it by buying it.

Now the reason for only 3 stars I really wish another company besides Sentai had gotten this series. One that would have done a better job. I was watching the subs and they really weren't good. At first I thought maybe it's just because I watched the fansubbed version so many times that I was used to their wording, but no. It seems like Sentai was really careless with the subs. At one point Kanba says "we gotta got hold of Uncle." Gotta got? Didn't anyone check these things? There are more instances where I found myself wondering "how careless were the people who subbed this thing?"

Aside from the errors, there were some changes to the script. The most notable change was changing the series' catch phrase from "survival strategy" to "survival tactic" in the subs. Another example I can think of off the top of my head is when Kanba (in episode 1) said his speech at the end; instead of saying "Dear God, is he really human? Just wondering," he says "could God...really be human? Yeah right." Uh, what? I won't post the whole speech, but I will say that doesn't even make sense in the context of what he's talking about. The first line does he's talking about if someone loved another person in spite of their DNA or fate, could that person cast those things aside and still be considered human? The second line has him asking a philosophical question about the nature of God out of left field.

It's just sloppy work all the way around. I'm torn now on the one hand I really want to buy the DVDs and support a series that gave me so much joy. On the other hand, I don't want to support Sentai's shoddy work.

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Kunihiko Ikuhara is best known for directing episodes of the "Sailor Moon" series but most notably for his work on "Revolutionary Girl Utena". While Ikuhara may not be known for having a long oeuvre in his animated career, Ikuhara has won over fans all over the world for his work.

In 2011, Ikuhara returned with a 24-episode series titled "Mawaru Penguindrum" (Penguindrum) produced by Brain's Base.

Directed by Ikuhara and also co-written along with Takayo Ikami ("Heaven's Memo Pad"), the series features the music of Yukari Hashimoto ("Mayo Chiki!", "Kanamemo", "Toradora!"), original character designs by Lily Hoshino ("Zakuro", "Mr. Flower Groom", "Otome Yokai Zakuro"), character designs by Terumi Nishii ("Casshern Sins", "Death Note", "Inuyasha") and background art by Chieko Nakamura ("Eyeshield 21″, "Azumanga Daioh", "Revolutionary Girl Utena") and Kentaro Akiyama ("Air", "Black Rock Shooter", "Steel Angel Kurumi").

VIDEO:

"Penguindrum" vol. 1 is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1). It's important to note that when it comes to anime production, unlike major anime studios who are very busy developing several animated TV series, films and OVA's all at one time, Brain's Base (which is founded by former staff of Tokyo Movie Shinsha) is not one to put themselves in the situation of having too much on their plate. The good news is that because the staff are not in a major deadline while working on multiple series, they could focus on a series and give it the best quality, even though it's a TV series.

In the case of "Penguindrum", everything that you can hope for in a series with many locations, scenery, art backgrounds, characters in different clothing and great amount of detail and shading is featured. Colors are not subdued or soft, they are colorful and vibrant. I detected no banding issues, no artifacts whatsoever.

"Penguindrum" is probably one of the coolest anime series that I have seen in quite some time and goes to show that TV anime series can look fantastic and it does on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Penguindrum" vol. 1 is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Japanese and English). Both are the same when it comes to special effects and in terms of voice acting, both are well done. I typically listen to the Japanese soundtrack but this is one series where the English dub soundtrack is well-done. Lossless audio is crystal clear from the front channels.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Penguindrum" vol. 1 comes with the clean opening and closing animation.

JUDGMENT CALL:

When I heard that Kunihiko Ikuhara was working on another anime series, like many anime fans who were stoked with the big news, for me, I felt like it was about time.

Having enjoyed his work for "Sailor Moon" and "Revolutionary Girl Utena", I don't know how many times I saw next to Ikuhara at an anime convention that I was covering, asking if he was working on any new projects.

There is this style and also creativity that he brings to his anime series, may it be the fashion aspect or even the Yuri elements and relationships which were pretty bold for an anime TV series.

With that being said, he's one of those directors that needs creative control to bring that high-level of creativeness and I know that some studios are hesitant unless it's someone near legendary status in the anime industry.

While "Revolutionary Girl Utena" is from the 1996-1997 (with the film in 1999), it has been over a decade until he got to direct again and this time, it looks like he has creative control with "Penguindrum". And his collaboration with Brain's Base turned out to be very effective as this is one of the coolest, stylish, freshest TV series that I have seen in terms of quality.

As mentioned earlier, popular studios are always working on multiple series and so art backgrounds are typically trees, skies and occasional buildings, but for "Penguindrum", this is a series that requires a lot of locations. Characters travel to so many different areas around the city and each background is detailed. Also, I like it when characters are shown wearing different clothes. With TV series, to make things easier on the animators for deadline, most often the characters are wearing the same clothes. But Brain's Base put a lot of time in making sure these characters have different clothing.

Character designs and art backgrounds are fantastic and on Blu-ray, this is one of the most vibrant TV series I have seen. If there is one factor that I wish the Blu-ray had was special features. May it be commentary, featurettes, Japanese commercials or promotional videos, something other than opening and ending credits.

As for the storyline, there is a lot of humor, a lot of flashbacks and twists and turns. At the beginning, we are often wondering why a character like Shouma is having to follow this crazy stalker, Ringo. But we slowly see each layer peel away to reveal Ringo's true intentions but also how her past connects with the Takakura's.

Suffice to say, when you get to episode 10-12, things get crazy and it leaves you craving for more!

Overall, "Penguindrum" vol . 1 is an amazing series. It's different from previous Ikuhara works such as "Revolutionary Girl Utena" and even "Sailor Moon", but with a solid storyline, cool and interesting characters and wonderful animation and art backgrounds, "Penguindrum" is an amazing series that I highly recommend on Blu-ray!

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First things firstThis is a wonderfully crafted anime, beautifully animated with an awsome story. Youd think Sentai would do their best to dub the series and tweak it just enough so it makes more sense in english, but not so much that it changes the entire meaning of the showNOPE! Insted we get an akward sounding dub, with not so great to terrible sounding voice actors. Youre probably saying "Oh, thats fine! I don't even watch the dub." Well the sub is no better, the intent of various scenes and the overall point of the series ends up not making sense... Let me put it this wayFOR ONCE FANSUBS ARE BETTER.

On to the product itselfthe blu ray is pretty bare bones so there isnt much to it, thats it really.

I wouldnt recomend this unless you can find a good deal used, much like im going to for part two... Sentai youve let me down again...

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this is a great anime and i couldnt be any happy. i will be buy from this again . and the price is not bad at all

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