NFL Super Bowl XLVII Champions: 2012 Baltimore Ravens

The 1080 on this is visually stunning. It looks as though the football players are right there with you. I love the special features section. I just wish they would of made it a bit longer in the segments. But overall, if you are a Ravens fan it is a must for your collection. Nice to put this one next to the 2000 Superbowl set which is only available on DVD. It does show segments for mic'd up as well as best shots (hits between players) during the 12 season.

This game was about to be a blowout until the power went out, then SF made it a close game that came down to the wire. Bizarre to lose power during the biggest sporting event of the year, but in the end the Ravens prevailed. In the aftermath, San Francisco fans have proven themselves to be the biggest group of bitter crybabies that I've ever seen from an NFL fanbase. Every fanbase cries "refs" at some point, but I've never seen it to this degree.

The non-call on Jimmy Smith nearly committing a holding penalty against Crabtree on San Francisco's final drive on 4th & 5 is their sticking point, however 49ers fans conveniently forget that in the NFC Championship game 2 weeks before the Super Bowl, NaVarro Bowman committed the same exact penalty (more blatant, actually) on Roddy White during the Falcons final drive to try to win that game, and that also did not get called and ultimately resulted in the 49ers winning and advancing to the Super Bowl (see link below). So if any Niners fans actually think that the Ravens "didn't really win" the Super Bowl based on that non-call, then they must also believe that the 49ers shouldn't have even been playing in it because the refs should have also called Bowman's penalty in the NFC Championship game, in which case the Ravens would likely have played the Falcons in the Super Bowl. Basically, most 49ers fans are either crybabies or hypocrites. It's a shame too because I used to respect the 49ers and assumed their fanbase was also respectable, but that's gone out the window in the past week.

Here's Bowman's hold on Roddy, for reference once you've watched this DVD:

Anyway, this was a great game that was fun to watch right down to the final minute.

Ryan

Buy NFL Super Bowl XLVII Champions: 2012 Baltimore Ravens Now

I'm a pretty solid Ravens fan. I'm sure everyone who purchases this is as well. I just have to let people know what this is before they buy it.

If you are a casual fan you may enjoy this. It summarizes the season pretty well and gives the main events of the season. Almost like a 'cliff notes' of last season by someone who isn't particularly passionate about the Ravens.

If you are a pretty solid fan, you may want to purchase this just for memory's sake, but the film itself is nothing new. If you've followed the season, watched all the post/pre-game interviews, followed all the story lines, read all the articles on the ravens website, you won't see anything exclusive in this film.

In fact, I'm not sure but I feel that this was produced by the "NFL" not the Ravens organization and it really shows. It doesn't bleed purple and black like I thought it would. It failed to capture the high emotions of the playoffs, even the Broncos game which in my opinion was one of the best/emotionally back and forth games I've seen in a long time. They didn't even show the Ray Lewis dance after the Indy game which was a huge disappointment.

Read Best Reviews of NFL Super Bowl XLVII Champions: 2012 Baltimore Ravens Here

Quality looks awesome on blu-ray. This was a great season for the Ravens and they deserved to win this Super Bowl.

Want NFL Super Bowl XLVII Champions: 2012 Baltimore Ravens Discount?

Nobody thought they could do it, but the Ravens won their second superbowl on Feb. 3rd 2013. This blu ray is a film documenting their run in the postseason. Great film. Congrats Ray Lewis!

Save 46% Off

The Dark Knight Rises Digi-Book (Blu-ray/DVD Combo+UltraViolet Digital Copy with Prologue Comic Boo

Having been a huge fan of Chris Nolan's previous two Batman films, couldn't wait to watch this when it was released. And The Dark Knight Rises didn't disappoint. The conclusion to the trilogy is fitting for the franchise, for Batman, and for Bruce Wayne (though I have read rumors that Nolan might come back for another film in the series or maybe a Batman/Superman film hope some of this is true!).

The film starts with a frail Bruce Wayne having pretty much retired and living a private life eight years after he eliminated the Joker. The peaceful Gotham City where police officers feel they will soon be "chasing overdue library books" is rocked by a series of events orchestrated by the ferocious and calculating villain, Bane.

The pace of this film is slightly slower (and heavier) compared to the previous two films, partly because there are a lot more characters in this film, and Nolan being the master storyteller that he is, gives each character enough time in the film. It could seem a bit lengthy at 3 hours of thereabout because of this. Lucius Fox and Alfred return in their usual roles of being Batman's brains and soul respectively. Michael Caine's performance as Alfred is simply remarkable even though his screen time is somewhat limited in the film. Christian Bale, as usual, has done a great job portraying the battles within Bruce Wayne overcoming his hears and rising from being as good as dead to come back to save his beloved city. His character comes a full circle from the first film as Thomas Wayne's words "why do we fall down Bruce" echo through this film and Bruce seemingly understands their meaning here as he prepares to pick himself up and "rise".

New characters added a refreshing touch to the series. Anne Hathaway is brilliant in her role as Selina Kyle. She lightens up the serious macho overdose of the film with her flair and flamboyant ways. Bane, with links to the League of Shadows, brings a dark element unlike any Gotham has witnessed before. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays John (Robin) Blake perhaps a younger version of Jim Gordon. He seems to be set to take over the reins from Commissioner Gordon, but eventually chooses to stay free of the shackles imposed by structure and protocols by the GCPD. Marion Cotillard (I thought she was brilliant in Inception) plays a convincing partner and love interest of Bruce Wayne.

The conclusion is definitely a lot heavier in terms of content and pace compared to the previous two films. This film requires focused attention to the dialogue and sequence of events, previous 2 films seem somewhat lighter compared to this one. The fact that Bane's voice was muffled with his mask doesn't help in this regard, it only increases the level of focus one needs to have which watching the film. In addition, the film has more characters with their place in the film. Chris Nolan has spent a fair amount of time with each character to fully bring out their roles and let the audiences savor the nuances of their personalities, inner conflicts, and goals. I personally think the editing room could have shaved off a good 15 to 20 minutes from the film, but this is Nolan's signature style of storytelling. Also some scenes make Batman seem too human, like the street fight scene with Bane towards the end. Batman is a superhero and it feels somewhat strange to see him battle his enemy bare hands in the middle of a street-fight. That being said, there are plenty of new toys in his arsenal and the Bat, in particular, is awesome!

Yes, the performance of Heath Ledger and the compelling storytelling of The Dark Knight are hard to match, but TDKR is an appropriate and epic conclusion to what I think is one of the best series of super-hero films made to date.

As someone of the unpopular minority who didn't like Christopher Nolan's previous Batman film 'The Dark Knight' (but really liked 'Batman Begins') I find 'The Dark Knight Rises' a pleasant surprise. It carries a lot of the elements of the first two films, especially TDK's darker tone but manages to off-set it's self-seriousness with a strong story, terrific action-scenes and characters I wanted to root for!

The story of 'The Dark Knight Rises' takes place eight years after the events of 'The Dark Knight' Gotham Ciy is seemingly crime free and the Batman hasn't been seen since (still wanted as a fugitive after the events of TDK). In steps Bane: a super-strong, methodical terrorist leader intent on destroying Gotham and ends up forcing Batman/Bruce Wayne out of retirement. There's a lot of elements at work in this dynamic story (taking obvious influences from the Batman comics Knightfall, No Man's Land and Dark Knight Returns) and the movie's almost 3-hour length is felt, but Nolan's strong directing and script manage to bring it all together and he keeps things moving at a brisk pace.

As much as I like the story in 'The Dark Knight Rises' it's the characters I found myself most vested in. Regular greats Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman return as Jim Gordan and Lucius Fox, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays honest cop John Blake and Anne Hathaway the thief Selina Kyle (each giving the film both an every-person to follow and moments of comic-relief). Marion Cotillard gives protagonist Bruce Wayne a business partner as well as a love-interest in Miranda Tate. Tom Hardy doesn't make Bane as memorable as Heath Ledger's Joker (no one could) but he's an imposing presence and a terrific foil to Batman in terms of strength and ingenuity.

All the characters in 'The Dark Knight Rises' have a chance to shine, especially in their personal journey's and relationships but the one holding it all together is Bruce Wayne/Batman himself. It's fun seeing Batman drive through the dark in the Bat-Pod, stealthily take down criminals from ceilings and dodge gun-fire between muzzle-flashes. Watching a middle-aged and physically impaired Bruce Wayne build himself back up (especially after a nasty beat-down from Bane) is almost as awesome as watching him become Batman for the first time! Christian Bale's amazing performance sells this character in every scene and I especially liked how his relationship with his Butler Alfred played out (an equally compelling Michael Caine with much more screen time). This is the hero I wanted in the first two films!

While the direction is sharp and the story exciting, 'The Dark Knight Rises' does have some obvious faults. Hans Zimmer's musical-score is strong as ever but the film's sound kept drowning-out character's dialogue, even during some key moments; Bane's voice-box really didn't help matters either. Nolan's usual self-seriousness is also most apparent in this film, and while the dialogue is less artificial this time around (with much more humor) the movie still got a bit heavy-handed.

Even with it's short-comings 'The Dark Knight Rises' is an original and exciting superhero epic. Most fans will probably still favor 'The Dark Knight' as the best of Nolan's trilogy but I'm just glad TDKR is such a great conclusion.

Buy The Dark Knight Rises Digi-Book (Blu-ray/DVD Combo+UltraViolet Digital Copy with Prologue Comic Boo Now

After watching this film the first time, I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I knew it wasn't a bad film, but at the same time it just didn't sit right with me for whatever reason. So I went back and watched Begins and TDK and I think I figured out why I didn't really care for it. In my opinion it doesn't seem to fit with the other two films.

Warning: Some spoilers

First there's the setting. The concept of a broken and retired Batman living as a recluse is interesting, but it seems to sort of contradict what we saw in the other films. We learn that he hasn't been Batman for 8 years since Dent was killed, which made me wonder, why is he in such bad physical shape then? Rewatching The Dark Knight, I didn't see anything to show where these injuries came from. Why is his leg screwed up? The last scene of Dark Knight was him running away from the camera. If he hasn't been Batman since then and has been living like a hermit, how did he screw up his leg? Also, why did he stop being Batman? Rises seems to suggest it was stress over Rachel, although that happened midway through The Dark Knight and didn't seem to stop him. He sort of suggested at the end of Dark Knight that since Dent died, he had to be the hero. That was sort of the point of Dark Knight that Gotham's savior had to be either Dent or Batman and since Dent died, it had to be Batman, but then Rises suggests that Batman just kinda went home literally right after that. Rises sort of gets around this by introducing what I consider to be a highly implausible "Dent Act" in honor of Harvey Dent, in which all of Gotham's criminals are apparently just straight locked up with no sort of legal due process, the streets become clean as a whistle, and Batman "isn't needed anymore". The Dent Act also asks you to believe that everyone now believes without a question that Batman killed Harvey Dent, despite having saved him very publicly from the Joker in Dark Knight. I find it strange that things like this are considered realistic, yet more cat features on catwoman's suit are not. Anyways..

Second, the villains. I found Bane to be just plain underwhelming. Physically intimidating sure, but I felt like they had to seriously water down Batman's competence in order to artificially make Bane more threatening. In Begins and Dark Knight Batman would fight using his surroundings. That's basically how he fights, something he learned from the League of Shadows and Ras Al Ghul. "Always mind your surroundings." Yet when confronted with Bane and reminded of the League, Batman simply charges at him swinging like a brawler. No tech, no using the environment around him, just straight fisticuffs. I realize that he's been "retired" for 8 years, but again, that felt forced and unexplained as I mentioned in my first point, which just reinforces my belief that this was done simply to make Bane seem more threatening. As for Talia, she just felt too much like Ras, and a lesser version at that. Not only does she not get the character development that Ras got to make him interesting, but in the end she's only doing it to carry out Ras' will, which just made her feel like a pawn. The main villian and she doesn't even have her own plan. Overall they felt too similar to the Begins villians. In Begins the villains worked within the system, using it to try to destroy Gotham. In Dark Knight the villains worked to try to destroy the system and induce chaos in Gotham. In Rises, I was expecting another progression to give the villains an overall theme to work with, but it just feels the same as Begins. Talia manipulating the system to try and destroy Gotham.

Third, not enough Batman. Having Bruce trapped in a pit for the better part of the film's second half served no purpose imo. I don't think anybody thought that he wasn't going to escape this pit and return to face Bane. I realize this sort of had to happen based on what we know of Bane and Batman in the comics, but the way it was handled only served to take us away from Gotham and Bane where things were getting interesting, and into a dull situation miles away in which we already know the only possible outcome. Obviously the movie won't end with "And then Batman died in the pit" It employs odd and often confusing time jumps that the previous films didn't have, taking away from the pacing and making the film feel frantic. Once Bane starts implementing his plan and things start to pick up, there's literally a 5 month time skip that glosses over Gotham transitioning from normal society to anarchist warzone in favor of Bruce's previously mentioned antics in the pit.

Warning: Spoilers!!!!!!

Fourth, John Blake. I liked the character and portrayal but I felt the "big reveal" about him at the end was totally unnecessary and handled in the worst possible way. First off... his actual legal name is Robin? ....... I'll leave that at that, but what bothered me more about how this was handled is that again, this doesn't seem to be consistent with the previous films. In Rises we get Bruce spouting a bunch of nonsense about how Batman was supposed to inspire people into action and that "anybody can be Batman" Oh really? What about those guys in The Dark Knight who were trying to help Batman take down Scarecrow and some drug dealers? They tried to be Batman and Bruce responded by kicking the living cr@p out of them, breaking all their weapons and then making fun of their outfits. They did exactly what he's talking about in Rises and he personally beat them up for it. Just seems weird is all.. Also, how did Blake know Bruce was Batman? You can assume that since he's a cop he could've done the detective work and figured this out, but he doesn't say that's what happened. He says he literally figured it out by having met Bruce once a long time ago and recognizing he had the same hidden pain that Blake had from losing his parents? Really?! That's it?! How can you reasonably make such a huge assumption based on meeting someone once and looking at their face?

Fifth, Catwoman. Again, nothing wrong with the performance, but I felt her character was unneeded. Nothing she did in the film seemed to matter, except of course for the fact that they decided to let her be the one to kill Bane. The romance between them felt forced as well imo. I don't see why he would be attracted to her. Her ideology is almost the direct opposite of his. In the comics there's a sense that she genuinely cares about him and a lot of that is due to their long history, none of which we get to see here. I never really get the sense that she saw him as anything other than a 1 percenter or necessarily cared about his well being. When Bane "breaks" him, she doesn't seem concerned about him, just concerned about what Bane will do to the city and how it will effect her. It's all about her and I just don't really see what draws him to her in this film.

Finally, the ending. I get it, he retired. Batman gets to live a happy life in Europe or whatever with Catwoman. Great for him I guess, but isn't Gotham gonna be worse than ever now? Gordon will likely lose his job as commissioner because of his 8 year lie to the public and for knowingly framing Batman for Dent's murder. Dent has been revealed as a murderer, meaning the Dent Act will likely be repealed and all these criminals are gonna come pouring back to the streets, including Joker, who isn't dead and who happens to be the direct cause of almost everything that happens in Rises to begin with. I get that they can't use Ledger anymore, but I for one found it strange that they deliberately chose not to once mention the Joker even though nothing in Rises would be as it is without him.

And who's left behind in Gotham to handle this new mess? "Robin" John Blake, a man who now has Bruce's suit and gadgets, sure, but none of the League of Shadows training that would let you take on dozens of thugs/SWAT officers at a time, meaning the first time he suits up and hops down into a group of 5 guys thinking he's a bad@ss, he's gonna get wailed on. Bruce didn't even bother to train the guy like the real Robin. Not only that, but Bruce only met this guy what... twice, for a total of 10 minutes and he trusts him with the Batsuit? But I guess Bruce isn't concerned with any of that anyways. He's "moved on" and I should be happy that he doesn't have to be the hero and protector Gotham needs like we've come to expect from him over the course of this trilogy, right? I just feel like it sent a strange message where you should do what you feel is right but only until you're tired of it, then you should sit back and have some "me-time" with a foxy lady despite the fact that there's still more to be done. I dunno about you but that just struck me as not very admirable and as something no respectable version of Batman would EVER do...

Overall the film is well acted and looks and sounds great, but it's only mildly entertaining and drags in a lot of places. I also felt it was the least realistic of the trilogy which I found unfortunate since the realism is what drew me to the trilogy in the first place. Things like the Dent Act, an old man in a pit who can heal a broken back by punching it, a usb drive that can erase your name from every computer on the planet and a cheesy imo nuclear bomb plot that emerges somewhat randomly near the end of the film serve to make it the most comic-booky feeling film of the three. All that said, again it's not a bad movie by any means and I'd say it's worth a watch, but it's easily the weakest of the trilogy in my opinion.

Read Best Reviews of The Dark Knight Rises Digi-Book (Blu-ray/DVD Combo+UltraViolet Digital Copy with Prologue Comic Boo Here

I wanted to like this movie. Truly, I did. With the production values and people behind it, everything on paper said this movie should be an absolute joy. And I suppose if you ignore the previous films, and franchise as a whole, turn your mind off, and just watch these pretty scenes cut together then it can be enjoyed just fine. Delve any deeper, however, and you might find a story that does not mesh with the series, the franchise, or reality, and one that becomes heavy-handed in its drama. Warning, this review does contain spoilers.

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after The Dark Knight, and Batman hasn't shown his face since the climactic events of that movie. Wait, what? The previous movie establishes a continued need for Batman, of how this is supposed to be a hero that can accomplish things a normal man cannot, yet directly after establishing that and the credits roll we are expected to believe Bruce Wayne hung up his cowl and sat in his room mourning for eight years...when the death of someone close to him is what set him off to begin with. The idea of a Batman just giving up is...unfathomable. Yet that is the basis this film hinges upon

So we get into 45 minutes of slogging through this plotline, of Bruce Wayne being a crippled hermit slowly brought out of retirement by a thief linked to a greater plot. 45 minutes before we see anything of the Batman. We get things like the Harvey Dent Act, in which criminals are able to be held indefinitely without parole. We get a character knowing the connection between Bruce and Batman...all due to the pain he recognized in Bruce's eyes over the loss of his parents. We get Alfred telling us in exacting detail the ending of the movie two hours before the ending of the movie. We get the great dossier of Bane, of how he escaped from a hellish pit to be trained by Ra's al Ghul, a person whose entire organization was a massive secret yet somehow now has a former members listing. Then there's a great stock exchange robbery, where clearly illegal transfers are somehow allowed to stand, followed by one of the poorest moments of editing I've ever seen, where a daytime chase scene switches very suddenly to night as finally, dun dun dun! the Batman makes his anticipated appearance...

...and fails to do anything impressive. Remember in Batman Begins, the sequence of taking out Falcone's men one by one? Or crashing in on the Scarecrow? Remember in The Dark Knight how he managed to smuggle a money launderer our of Hong Kong? Or managed to subdue an entire SWAT team before they mistakenly killed a bunch of hostages while taking out numerous armed criminals? Or flipping the semi truck? There's none of that here. Batman's grand entrance consists of a bunch of people getting all excited watching a guy ride a motorcycle. Oh sure he punches a guy or two and o hai! Flying Bat vehicle. But none of this accomplishes anything. These things are just there to be there without any of the jaw-dropping set pieces. But wait, Batman's not done yet! He also...punches a bunch of guys. Lots and lots of guys, in an open space, who don't realize they have guns, or how to attack more than one at a time. Exciting. And how about that fantastic fight midway through the film against Bane, where Batman turns into a full out brawler who suddenly forgot about all the equipment he's shown off the past two films.

And this is supposed to be the better half of the film.

From there the plot is finally unveiled to us and everyone goes full retard. See, the League of Shadows wants to get revenge on Bruce Wayne for his destruction of their base and killing of Ra's, as well as to fulfill Ra's legacy to cripple Gotham. To do so they do things such as seduce and comfort Bruce during his time of need and take months to set off an explosive which could wipe out Gotham instead of blowing the thing and being done with it. To stop this nefarious plot the police send their entire force into a sewer system where they suspect Bane is hidden, with predictable results. Then, to complete his embarrassment of the police, Bane reads a letter from Commissioner Gordon detailing the truth about Harvey Dent and Gordon's lie about Batman's supposed murder of him...and people just believe Bane. But do the trapped police forces die? Nah, of course not. Over the following months Bane's forces keep them well-fed, despite all intention to just blow the city up. Do I really need to explain the problems with all this? So the film takes a turn and focuses on good cop Blake and his stay in a broken city, trying to restore order without any success to speak of. His story is a long wait for no payoff. Meanwhile, we spend another 45 minutes of film without any Batman where he must slowly build himself to recover and don the cowl. Again. For the second time in this film alone.

Then when Batman makes his (second) triumphant return? He appears back in the city. Which is locked down under threat of extreme violence. From the other side of the world. When he has no money or equipment. With no explanation. There's big, epic fights, (obvious) plot twists (Talia al Ghul?! no wai) and a great, climactic battle in which weaponless cops (apparently all lost in the sewers)take on vastly superior numbers of criminals armed with automatic weapons in a gigantic...fist brawl? In which Bane's plot is resolved out of nowhere. In which the true villain dies in terribly acted fashion moments after being formally introduced. And in which Batman can escape a nuclear blast in five seconds and Gotham has never heard the words "nuclear fallout" used together.

But it's ok. In the end it all works out. Bruce runs away with Catwoman, having given up the cowl for good (ironically when the city might need Batman most, considering the state of chaos it happens to be in and all the escaped criminals which happen to be free, not to mention repealed Harvey Dent Act releasing all mobsters back into the world and thus negating everything he accomplished in the first two films) and nobody recognizes the famous billionaire playboy who drunkenly burned down his home, lost all his money and mysteriously died at the same time as Batman. Meanwhile good cop Blake (real name: Robin) takes on the cowl...without any of the training. After having not accomplished a single thing of note during the entirety of this nearly three hour epic film.

When everything's said and done, this does not feel like a part of anything. It uses familiar names and faces, but they don't line up with anything we've ever known, they don't act in any logical manner, the film follows no rules of the series or reality, and it follows none of the established themes. It's as if the writer never read the comics or understood the happenings of the previous film. Remember that chilling moment when Joker said, "I think you and I are destined to do this forever," and you just had to wonder when he might escape and who the next villain might be to show their face? There was an understanding there about the characters and franchise which went completely unrecognized in this story and the movie collapses in on itself because of it.

Want The Dark Knight Rises Digi-Book (Blu-ray/DVD Combo+UltraViolet Digital Copy with Prologue Comic Boo Discount?

First of all Tom Hardy's performance as Bane is just magnificent as well as his meanacing voice. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman was actually pretty sexy and Batman is just a badass plain and simple. I'm a little sad to see the trilogy end...so I would like to thank Mr. Nolan for reviving the Batman series after that Batman and Robin crap. I highly recommend getting this movie, I personally think its a little better than the Avengers(Despite it making 1.5 billion dollars).

Spellbound (1945)

The video quality of Criterion's DVD version of SPELLBOUND discs look a bit sharper, more detailed, but grainier than Anchor Bay's re-pressed version from 2000 (in which the flash-of-red color shot was restored). The audio quality of Criterion's 1.0 mono soundtrack is also a little more detailed and more distinct than Anchor Bay's 2.0 mono track. The Anchor Bay disc also sounds much louder, but there are audio distortions in a few places. The soundtrack of the Criterion disc (and many DVDs) was recorded at a much lower volume level, which is usually an effort to retain as much as possible the dynamic range of the source material. The Criterion DVD booklet says the film's original overture and exit music has been included on the disc for the first time. This is simply not true, for the re-pressed Anchor Bay disc also has the overture and exit music. The initial pressing of the Anchor Bay disc, in which the red-color shot is erroneously shown in B&W, does not have the overture and exit music, however.

Although SPELLBOUND helped solidify Hitchcock's position in Hollywood, it isn't one of his best films. But Marian Keane's remarkable analytical audio commentary on the Criterion disc should heighten your appreciation of the film. Keane juxtaposes the themes in the film against the manner in which Hitchcock made his films and the manner in which we, the viewers, watch them, and suggests that they are somehow interrated. She points out that many Hitchcock films (including SPELLBOUND) are about people who take pleasure in watching and analyzing other people, which is also the very thing that we, the viewers, do when we watch such films. As in her commentary for the NOTORIOUS DVD, she injects an extra layer of significance within the film by refering to certain elements in the film as "surrogate authors," "scriptwriting sessions," and "director's assertion of his authorship." Keane single-mindedly concentrates on the interpretation, deconstruction, and theorization on the subject of Hitchcock, and the result is one of the most remarkable dissertations ever recorded on DVD. I give 4 stars to the film itself, but 5 to Keane.

I give 5 stars to the supplements on the Criterion disc as well, like I routinely do. There is a wonderful, rather detailed photo-essay segment on the making of the Dali sequence. Two film clips of the surrealist film UN CHIEN ANDALOU is included ! to show some earlier inspirations for the SPELLBOUND dream sequence. Memos from the filmmakers and production photos show how the dream sequence was re-shot several times due to logistic difficulties and artistic differences. There are also production photos of the deleted "ballroom" sub-sequence, in which Ingrid Bergman plays a statuesque figure bewildering Gregory Peck.

Other extras include about 150 production and publicity photos, a half-hour audio interview of the film's composer, a 7-minute radio program on the subject of theramin, a 1-hour radioplay version of SPELLBOUND, "story treatments" that show how the original novel was loosely adapted into a filmmable story, and other correspondences from psychoanalysts and Production Code officials who offered advices to the filmmakers. The booklet contains two very good essays; one is about the making of the film, while the other offers some artistic analyses (some of which echo Keane's comments).

Combining Hitch's fascination with Freudian symbolism, desire to work with Salvador Dali and writer Ben Hecht, "Spellbound" manages to be very entertaining even if it is a flawed Hitchcock classic. Compromise started with casting with Hitch forced to take Gregory Peck for the lead opposite his choice Ingrid Bergman. Peck does a nice job even if he is a bit stiff in the role of Dr. Edwardes--only he isn't Edwardes at all. It turns out that "John" suffers from amnesia and must rely on Dr. Constance Peterson (Berman) to discover who he is and what happened to the real Dr. Edwardes.

Blu-Ray Transfer: "Spellbound" will leave fans of the film, well, spellbound. The film receives a handsome transfer. How does this compare to the Criterion? "Spellbound" looks sleeker in a good way with nice, consistent grain (for the most part) with the only major flaw I could detect some over use of edge enhancement (resulting in some intrusive haloing). Could this look better? Probably--the use of edge enhancement was unnecessarily heavy handed but, on the whole, it bests just about every DVD presentation I've seen of the movie.

Bear in my that the bigger your screen, the higher resolution your monitor and the more noticeable the improved resolution/depth will be. It isn't a huge difference but it IS there (depth though is noticeable different on both small and large screens).

"Spellbound" had a very troubled production from conflicts between Hitchcock and Selznick's consultant on the film, to butting heads over the dream sequence (which uses a lot of Dali's concepts but was actually redesigned by William Cameron Menzies at Selznick's request)which was heavily edited for the film. Selznick had a heavier hand in this Hitchcock production compared to other films from the period (with the exception of "Rebecca" which Hitchcock always stated wasn't a "Hitchcock picture" and "The Paradine Case" about which star Gregory Peck responded he'd love to see burned when asked if he could pick one film to be destroyed from his extensive filmography).

As usual when Hitch had a conflict or couldn't quite find an angle to the material he focused his attention on certain sequences such as the last shot of the film (which briefly uses an innovative moment of color in an otherwise black and white film) and the sequence where Bergman experiences her sexual awakening.

That isn't to say that this set doesn't have some flaws. For example the lack of a main menu is a bit annoying although not a deal breaker.

The special features are solid throughout.

We get a really good commentary track featuring Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg both film historians with some interesting observations about the movie, it's production history and the issue that Selnick had with the dream sequence (and had the bulk of it cut unfortunately).

We also get a featurette on Dali and Hitch's collaboration as well as Selznick's discomfort with the dream sequence.

"Guilt By Association: Psychoanalyzing Spellbound" is a solid featurette highlighting the narrative hook of psychoanalysis and dream interpretation. Hitch was primarily interested in Freud only as a means to tell a story.

We get a unique presentation--Hitchcock directing the radio play of "Spellbound" featuring Joseph Cotten subbing for Peck.

We also get one of Peter Bogdanovich's Hitchcock interviews.

There's also a good featurette on co-star Rhonda Fleming as well as the theatrical trailer in standard definition.

Although it isn't a flawless classic "Spellbound" has enough of Hitch's set pieces to make this interesting and Bergman is, as always, beautiful. Hitchcock's "Spellbound" receives a nice transfer to Blu-ray courtesy of MGM and, while this isn't one of Hitch's best films, it has enough moments to make it worthwhile for Hitchcock fans.

Is this the ultimate edition on Blu-ray? It's hard to tell because MGM and the company they've hired for the restoration done here has done a fine job on the film. It's possible that Criterion or another studio could do some additional work that might make this edition obsolete but, for now, THIS is the best showing of the film even with the occasional bit of noise, edge enhancement and other minor imperfections in the transfer.

Recommended for Hitchcock fans.

Buy Spellbound (1945) Now

SPELLBOUND was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick in 1945. As the story unravels it is essentially a murder plot interwoven around psychiatrists and psychoanalysis. It is actually Alfred Hitchcock's approach to the story and his collaborations with composer Miklos Rozsa and surrealist artist Salvador Dali that highlights this film. Gregory Peck plays John "J.B." Ballantine who poses as a psychiatrist while in a state of amnesia. Uncovered by Dr. Constance Peterson played by Ingrid Bergman, Ballantine must find out if he is responsible for the death of the missing psychiatrist that he posed as and simultaneously discover his own identity. Miklos Rozsa's score is both romantic yet eerie as Ballantine tries to remember what happened through analysis of his dreams. Alfred Hitchcock hired Salvador Dali to design illustrations and paintings in order to construct a crisp and vivid rendering of these dreams. Hitchcock did not want to use conventional techniques such as blurred camera shots to recreate the dreams. He wanted them to be as clear and even sharper than the rest of the film. He wanted Dali's style of using shadows, lines of convergence and the idea of infinite distance incorporated into the dream sequences. In the dream sequence we see a black stage highlighted with people at gambling tables with huge mysterious looking eyes peering over them. A man cuts away at the fabric of one eye with a giant scissors revealing another eye. In another part of the dream we see a man standing on a roof behind a chimney that has sprouted roots. The hooded man holds what looks like a deformed or eccentric wagon wheel in his hand. In the distance there is a formation of rocks and boulders, which look like they are sprouting into the shape of a man's head. Another part of the dream shows a man running down a pitched geometric plane as the shadow of a bird follows him. In the background there are geometric shapes and lines that go off into infinity. All these images must be interpreted into experiences from reality. Dali's images are unsettling and thought provoking. Eventually, the eccentric wagon wheel turns out to represent the chambers of a revolver pistol and reveals the true identity of the murderer. A surrealistic painting brings to the canvas an image from reality but puts it into a context of the unreal. I think Dali was successful in translating the realistic elements from the plot into a vision of incomprehensibility of the conscious human mind. Hitchcock and the scriptwriter Ben Hecht then had their characters translate Dali's images back into plausible reality. This is brilliant filmmaking years ahead of its time.

Read Best Reviews of Spellbound (1945) Here

This movie has several flaws, but the great performances of its stars and Hitchcock's clever direction make it a classic, and great fun, anyway! First off even though most of Hitchcock's films have aged well, this one hasn't. Its biggest problem is that the silly psychology reminds you constantly when the movie was made. Additionally, if you are a big Hitchcock fan, be forewarned that this is not as thrilling as some of his other films. Instead, it is more oriented towards romance and bad ideas about psychology.

Pretty much, Spellbound is about a icy, analytical psychologist (Ingrid Bergman) who runs off with a patient who was posing as the new director of the mental institute (Gregory Peck). As they attempt to keep away from the police, who want to arrest Peck, Bergman tries to "cure" him using psychoanalysis (it's tough not to laugh during these scenes).

Anyhow, all in all, this is great entertainment. The Salvador Dali dream sequence, which is famous, is rightly so and the music, acting, and cinematography combine to make a great atmosphere. The movie is still pretty exciting and Bergman and Peck give great performances and make a nice couple. Even though this is not Hitchcock at his typical best, it's a good movie and deserves a viewing regardless of its silly ideas.

Want Spellbound (1945) Discount?

This review refers to the Anchor Bay release of the "Spellbound" DVD....

Anchor Bay has done it again. This 1945 classic directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was beautifully transfered onto this DVD. The black and white images are sharp, crisp, and clear. Barely a sign of this film's age. The sound remastered in Dolby Dig 2.0 is great. If you're a fan of this film, you'll be thrilled at how good it looks.

Haven't seen it yet, but love Hitch, or maybe it's been a while since you have?....Here's a little of this riveting story.....

The beautiful Ingrid Bergman plays the distant psychiatrist Dr. Constance Petersen. She treats a number of troubled patients at the Green Manors Mental Asylum, but her toughest case is yet to come. With Dr. Murchison(Leo G Carroll) being forced into retirement a new chief of staff will be arriving. It is the esteemed Dr Edwards(Gregory Peck)who takes over. It is not long before Edwards and Constance find themselves attracted to one another, and it is not long before Constance figures out that Edwards is not really who he says he is. He displays signs of paranoia and amnesia and it is possible that he murdered the real Dr. Edwards.They are on the run to try to solve the case but as the original theatrical poster says,"Will he Kiss me or Kill me?"(The DVD comes with a mini version of this poster).

You'll be awed Hitch's definitive style of camera angles, shadow and lights, romance and a unique dream sequence designed by Salavdor Dali. Not to mention all the wonderful talent that graces this film. Bergman and Peck make screen magic together, Carroll is a legend and this film shows us why.Also starring is Rhonda Flemming,Michael Chekhov, and Wallace Ford. The music by Miklos Rozsa also adds greatly to the building tension, and romantic scenes in the story.

Looking for Hitch: About :40 minutes in, you may see him if you're quick!

It never ceases to amaze me that we are lucky enough to be able to see these great classics as they were first seen and with the added treat of the origianl theatrical Overture.(I will be adding this one to my listmania of "Old Movies That Look Great on DVD") Now, if you are looking for special features, this DVD does not have any, there is another version by Criterion that offers more in the way of extras,although quite a bit more expensive.(Criterion also does great transfers)Which ever you choose, this a a must have for fans of Hitch, Bergman or Peck.

So don't worry about trying to over anaylze this one....As Hitch himself said "It's just a movie." But a GREAT one! So enjoy!......Laurie

more Hitch stuff:

Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized and Illustrated Look Inside the C

Alfred Hitchcock Presents volume 2

Alfred Hitchcock Double Feature Volume One Sabotage / The Man Who Knew Too Much [VHS]

Save 56% Off

Airplane! (1980)

A clever, funny parody of disaster movies (bad melodramas such as "Zero Hour" and "The High and The Mighty" along with "Airport" were the prime targets here), "Airplane! The `Don't Call Me Shirley' Edition" manages to combine silliness, puns and with topical humor in a style that recalls something out of an alternate off-kilter universe. Filled with melodramatic, over-the-top music, deliberately bad acting and every cliché about plane disasters you can imagine, "Airplane!" aims wildly and accurately most of the time taking the wind out of the sails of bad (and some good ones, too such as "Jaws")movies everywhere. Evidently the writing/directing team of Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams (who wrote "Kentucky Friend Movie" for director John Landis and later went on to crate "The Naked Gun" films) caught "Zero Hour" on TV and realized that this overripe melodrama was just right to be plucked and served up as comedy (something it verged on anyway).

Robert Hays plays Ted Striker(the name of Dana Andrews' character in "Zero Hour!") a former fighter pilot who is now afraid to pilot planes since a disastrous mission years before. Striker books a seat on the flight of his girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty) in hopes of working out their relationship. When the crew and passengers are brought down by food poisoning Ted has to overcome his fears to pilot the plane to safety.

While the film looks very good (and better than its previous edition), I was a bit disappointed by the amount of dirt and debris. I thought that a deluxe edition like this would have a nearly pristine print and that Paramount would have the film digitally cleaned up. Overall the film looks good but could have been tweaked more for this special edition. The soundtrack sounds pretty good overall and is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 with dialogue clear and little distortion.

The extras are where this edition truly shines. "Airplane! The `Don't Call Me Shirley Edition" doesn't have any of the conventional special features you'd expect. There's no "making-of" documentary or featurettes on the film per se. The "Long Haul Version" allow you to watch the film with frequent detours into comments by the actors (Hays is present but Julie Hagerty curiously isn't), writers/directors and other production crew. We also get deleted scenes in the "Long Haul" section that are quite amusing in many instances as well. Included in the "Long Haul" version are clips from the movie that inspired the Zuckers/Abrahams "Zero Hour". We also get the theatrical trailer and a clever menu that presents some of the classic scenes from the film as if you're watching an animated version of those horrible safety/disaster cards they place on airplanes drawn in the same style. This is like watching the movie, deleted scenes and a documentary at the same time. It's a great conceit and works pretty well here. There is also a subtitle track that features trivia about the movie and points out visual mistakes, etc. throughout the movie.

There's a good commentary track featuring the directors sharing stories about the production of the movie. This sounds like the commentary track from the previous edition. The commentary track provides a lot of amusing stories, trivia and background about the movie. Many of the comments are also echoed in the extended branching edition of the movie so listening to the commentary track really can't compare to watching the seamlessly branching edition.

A classic comedy that still works amazingly well, this special edition of "Airplane!" is well worth it for the fans of the movie. Although the image quality could have been cleaned up a little bit more for this presentation, it's a pretty minor issue really as the "special features" make this edition worthwhile for fans of this classic bit of madness.

Anyone who has ever seen one of a host of abysmal 1970's disaster flicks could have predicted that they were ripe for a satire, but I doubt anyone could have predicted that "Airplane" would have set the gold standard for the spoof. In addition, since it appears on TV so often, seeing it on DVD is almost a new experience because all of the scenes that were cut for content seem like new jokes.

I can't imagine anyone is unfamiliar with the plot (such as it is), but by way of a brief summary, a passenger jet is in trouble when the entire flight crew, and many of the passengers, fall ill from the in flight meal. It's up to Ted Striker to bring down the plane safely; but there's just one problem, he hasn't been able to fly since his last abortive raid during "the war". Oh, and his estranged girlfriend is one of the stewardesses. However, where a disaster film would turn this into an overwrought melodrama, absolutely nothing, and I do mean nothing, is taken seriously in "Airplane".

In fact, it is almost remarkable how much is packed into this film. Literally every scene contains a joke or a sight gag or a double entendre. There's so much going on that in spite of dozens of viewings, I still find something new more often than not. Eve the sound effects are a gag, as all of the exterior shots of the plane (which is a model that is so fake it's hilarious) feature the sound of a prop plane even though it is obviously a jet.

The DVD doesn't have much to recommend it other than the film, but that's to be expected from an older, relatively low budget movie; and those who have seen it would agree, there can't have been much left on the cutting room floor to make up extra features. The image and sound are fine, if not spectacular, but then neither needs to be. However, having the film in widescreen is nice because some of the wide angle shots now contain people that weren't visible in the fullscreen version familiar to TV viewers.

In the end, "Airplane" may very well be the king of movie satires. From start to finish it is a non-stop joke reel, and the amazing thing is that they are all still funny years after the first viewing. Fans of the movie will find this DVD to be adequate, as the transfer and sound are fine, but don't count on any new material or amazing extras. However, as I said before, I don't think this is a movie that needs a lot of extras, and the film alone is well worth the very reasonable price.

Jake Mohlman.

Buy Airplane! (1980) Now

Like many fans of this movie, I'd waited for this bells & whistles edition then quickly snapped it up on the first day of rerelease. Well....though it's nice to see this film again, it did come with it's lil' bit o' surprises.

The Print: Most rereleases that I've seen tend to have a newer transfer...at least one that outshines the previous and doesn't make us feel we're watching an 'OK' print. This one here has a liveable, but still noticeable amount of scratches and mystery objects that appear in the frame. I was expecting a bit better considering this is the day and age of restoration. Here, they didn't seem to do much of, if anything to the print, so we're left with one that is slightly better than a good TV quality picture. Hardly a 'special edition' copy of this film.

Features: I noticed immediately when I played the film alone, that it stopped or sputtered in the framerate at times. I'd stopped counting at about five, but still managed to finish the movie fine despite these annoyances. Well, I come to find out, as others have pointed out, the ballyhoo'd special features are chopped up and mixed into the movie (you enact this in the setup menu). Well, after looking at where these special features popped up when enacted, then going back to watching the same scene with them off....bingo....the sputtering I was seeing was exactly where these parts would normally come in. My point being....BEWARE......on some players this will cause a jittery film experiance at times if your just trying to watch it straight thru. My Apex & Koss Players refuse to play the film without these jittery spots, but my Playstation 2's both play the film normally. So just be informed, and keep this in yer back pocket. I'd took my first copy back for an exchange thinking it was defective, then got the replacement and it did the same. This is my first film of hundreds that I can only play on the PS2...lol....and the film.... what can I say that hasn't been said....unfortunately packed into a good intentioned, but rather lamely executed DVD Release. Was this an intern's project? Where's the menu for the special features to see them seperately instead of thru that grating pause so the disc can switch layers or dresses or whatever it does. Gaaaah!

But yea....AIRPLANE: 5 stars.....SHIRLEY PRESENTATION: 3

Read Best Reviews of Airplane! (1980) Here

Airplane! was recently called "One of the top ten funniest movies of all time." This is very well deserved. Airplane is a film that keeps throwing gags at us and we all keep laughing so hard that by the time we've finished the movie we have to catch our breath. A absoloutley hilarious joke comes, we laugh, we start to stop laughing, and another one comes that's even funnier than the one before it and we laugh before we can catch our breath! It takes strong comic talent for a movie to keep us laughing like that! Let's explore this classic spoof film.

Flight 209 is heading to Chicago. It's March 5th and Elaine Dickenson (Julie Hagerty) has just run away from her ex-boyfriend Ted Striker (Robert Hays). However, Ted comes home early, finds her note, and speeds to the airport to stop her before she gets on the flight and intends to change her life in Chicago. His attempts to get her back fail, so he follows her on the plane, haunted by flashbacks of his expierience in the war, where he lost most of his squadron while on a foolish attack. Bad luck takes the day when all the pilots become very ill courtesy of food-poisoning in the fish. Even more bad luck comes when passengers start getting sick for the same reason and now it's up to Ted to land the plane with the help of his ex-girlfriend, a doctor (Leslie Nielson), stewardess Randy (Lorna Patterson), a loony air-port controller by the name of McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges), and and old friend (?) from the war, Rex Cramer (Robert Stack).

It may sound serious, but not one thing is meant to be taken seriously in this unbelievably hilarious film. Every shot (yes) has something funny in it, whether it is subtle (the air-plane makes a propellor blade noise) or some very out-in-the-open ones I will not give away. Let's just say, watching this movie may be the most hilarious expierience of your life.

All the actors are right on. Delighfully acting serious amidst all the slap-stick things going on, it's pitch perfect. Robert Hays is swell as paranoid Striker, and Hagerty is good as his ex, but those who deserve special recognition are surely Leslie Nielson (Don't call me Shirley!), Lloyd bridges (Look's like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking), Robert Stack (No, that's just what they'll be expecting us to do!) and Steven Stucker as the clueless Johnny (Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes and curtains in the windows and wheels, and it looks like a big tylenol). But this an excellent cast.

The directing is handled by the now famous Zucker brothers and Abraham, whose only previous film was The Kentucky Fried Movie. The directing is very Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker, which means HILARIOUS. Knowing what they're doing, they're the ones who wrote this beautiful script!

The DVD for the film is a cut above most Paramount features, but still seriously lacking, especially for such a classic film. There's a commentary by the director's that runs out of steam after about half an hour (it's one of those commentaries where they say they're gonna talk about a certain thing and never do). The commentary was a big dissipointment for me, because I expected info on how a lot of gags got thought up. Nothing like that here. A trailer is also included, but it's very long and ruins a lot of the funniest moments by putting them along with stupid music and making the movie look very unfunny.

The presentation quality of the film is actually very good, though. The picture is not bad at all, much brighter than the mushy presentations of previous video and TV incarnations of the film. The grain has been very reduced to a minimum and the quality is very good for a 22 year old movie. The sound is a new remastered 5.1 surround that gets the job done admirably. After videos that would go from LOUD LOUD LOUD to quiet quiet quiet, this new sound is great. Well-balanced and with the music well-placed and the voices clear, you'll love the new sound (why Paramount's Friday The 13th movies are getting treated with Mono soundtracks is beyond me).

However, a complaint I hold against this DVD the most iswhere are those TV scenes? When the movie plays on TV, it includes some cool extra scenes that extend the running time and add some more laughs. They include more scenes with the little kids acting like adults and more scenes with Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Robert Hays and Julie Hagery, as well as Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges. They are nowhere on this DVD. BIG dissipointment. I don't think Paramount quite get the point of DVD. They re supposed to be movies on disks with superior picture and sound quality as well as interesting behind the scenes features and DELETED SCENES. Anyway, that's the big thing missing on this DVD.

Airplane was followed by a sequel, Airplane 2 The Sequel which failed to keep the laughs the original had going and usually recycled stuff from the first film with new actors. Also, it missed a lot of great characters from th original. Leslie Nielson, Robert Stack, Lorna Patterson, a lot of people missing from the sequel. That movie is good fun, there are some good laughs, but the original will always be the best. Period.

Want Airplane! (1980) Discount?

i once owned this film airplane on vhs many years before the "don't call me shirley

edition" was officially released on dvd. with seven to eight minutes of footage

omitted from it(all the DISASTER humor is GONE!). the true original IS 95 minutes

in length! and made in 1980 not 1997 not 2002 not 2004 and not 2007, thats four times in a ten year copyright span. when this film is FINALLY released probably

as a directors cut print and/or as the "true original" i will finally buy a copy.

but let it be known I AM NOT FOOLED Mr. Jerry and David Zucker and Mr. Jim Abrahams

NOT FOR ONE SPLIT SECOND!

Gamera Trilogy (Guardian of the Universe / Attack of the Legion / Revenge of Iris) (2012)

It was only recently, to be honest, that I first learned who Gamera even was. Godzilla? Sure, I grew up on the guy... I've got the lunchbox, have taped the Godzilla's Rockin' New Year's Eve special many times and even saw the Andrew Lloyd Weber adaptation on Broadway during its woefully short run in 1994.

But now there's a NEW guardian of the universe? Why didn't anyone tell me?? Finally, someone did. Specifically, it was a co-worker from the main office of the Tokyo-based manufacturing company (it shall remain nameless) for which I have worked for the last 8 years. He was relocated to New York and has become a rather good friend.

Hunushi is a fantastic resource for all things Japanese. One of those is monster movies ("kaiju" as the genre is called in Japan), and I am also a big fan. Knowing this, Hunushi recommended to me the first Gamera film when it was released in English in 1997. Since then, I have been hooked and wanting more.

Why do I like this Gamera series so much? The special effects are AWESOME, and the dubbing is simply masterful. Forget everything that you thought you knew about dubbed dialogue, as that knowledge is now useless and outdated. The story lines are engaging, the characters are well developed. These are great movies, period.

When I heard that a box set of all three movies (Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris) was available, I jumped on it.

I thought I knew why I was buying this box set, but I had no idea at the time that its most entertaining feature was an as-yet-unknown-to-me DVD extra. Within the extras of the second film, Gamera 2, the English-language director has created an entirely new and hilarious version of that film dubbed almost entirely with "red neck" character voices.

This is an absolute stitch, but in no way did it offend my delicate "kaiju" sensibilities. Gamera remains completely untouched in this tongue-in-cheek version of the film. Only the human contingent, scurrying below, is made to look anything less than admirable. The bottom line is this: I have never laughed harder in my life (by the way, there is also a fantastic DVD extra on the 3rd disc but I'll let you discover that one on your own).

I hope you enjoy these films as much as I have. Thankfully, it looks like Japan's best kept "kaiju" secret has just been let out of the box!

I need to append this; the movies are not in anamorphic widescreen. They are still very entertaining; however, the blu-ray ARE anamorphic. Sorry about the confusion.

I'm amazed by the story lines and special effects in these newer come-back movies of Gamera. The box set was purchased with Christmas money, and I'm glad I did so. Gamera began as low-budget giant monster movies in competition with Godzilla in about 1965. Some of the early films are pretty cheezy, though fun to watch. Kids especially seem to relate to the big turtle. My daughter likes him as much as Godzilla.

The new Gamera pictures carry on the idea that Gamera is here to protect earth, but the story lines are very mature compared to the original films, and the special effects are, at times, amazing. Every bit on a parr with the newer, new millenium Godzilla films of the past five years. The first film in the pack, "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe", was release in 1995, and the others followed about every two years. The origin of Gamera is reinvented here, and explained in a way that is a nice marriage of fantasy and science-fiction. In the first film, Gamara's heroic mythology is backed up by an ancient tablet that predicts a giant creature will rise to combat an horrific darkness. All evidence points to some sort of flesh eating creatures that nearly ate man to extinction in the time when Atlantis was still above water.

The second film, "Attack of Legion", is even better, with an even creepier creature and It's swarming spawn called "Legion" (from the Bible, no less) threatening earth's extinction yet again. The special effects are better in this film, and that's saying a lot, since the first movie was very well done.

I haven't watched the third movie, "Revenge of Iris" yet, but even if it turns out to be disappointing compared to the first two, it was still money worth spending.

All three pictures are presented in anamorphic widescreen, with language options of the original Japanese with English subtitles, or in dubbed English. The soundtracks are in Dolby digital 5.1. I really enjoyed watching the second film in the original Japanese, thus getting to hear the true emotions of the actors. There are a lot of nice extras included on the disks, so take some time to explore.

Buy Gamera Trilogy (Guardian of the Universe / Attack of the Legion / Revenge of Iris) (2012) Now

Oldschool Gamera is definitely classic kaiju, it just tends to have some of the worst aspects of kaiju built into its roots: annoying little kids, illogical stories, bad set designs, and plots that seem just a skeleton to justify monster fights. Good kaiju, on the other hand, tends to have characters that the viewer can indentify with, a sense of being overwhelmed by the size of the battles, a desperation for survival, allegory to real world problems, and monsters that, though they may be large and scary, are somehow sympathetic at the same time.

That is what I like about this new trilogy. It takes one of the more ludicrous monsters, a large turtle that walks on its hind legs, eats fire and uses atomic jets to propel itself, and gives it as a good of a treatment as I have ever seen a kaiju receive.

The first one has an excellent story, and a great old school "King Kong" kind of feel to it. The second one, which seems to either be the favorite or the most hated depending on who you ask, takes the story a step up (in my opinion) and adds a level of desperation that somehow was lacking in the first one. The fight scenes and effects are improved, though the sense of adventure and human interaction is weakened and the almost add-on moral from the very end seems out of place. The last one is probably the best, and I feel it is such because the story line brings the monster-to-hero so epitomized in the original Gamera idea full circle.

The effects are excellent by kaiju standards (which are still lacking by what some people would want, but I loved them) and the storylines are still a little illogical. The new explanation for the origins is kind of better as far as making sense of the oddity that is Gamera, but not 100% satisfactory. The dubbing and the subbing are both excellent, and I love the fact that I can get wide-screened, well transferred dvds as opposed to the low quality ones with bad dubbing that are normally part of the genre. The features are not the best in the world, but were a nice addition (since I got the movies for the movies, the extras are just some additional icing).

Read Best Reviews of Gamera Trilogy (Guardian of the Universe / Attack of the Legion / Revenge of Iris) (2012) Here

Image and sound quality is very good on the three movies, especially on the third one. The cardboard slipcase is colorful and attractive, with a very professional design, much better than other Mill Creek releases. The problem of this set are the subtitles on the second disc: the movie "Gamera 3" has lots of missing and out of sync sentences which make the movie much less enjoyable (for example, Kurata Shinya's explanation of the Gamera graveyard is totally lost if you watch the movie that way). And subtitles on extra features get progressively out of sync until there is a delay of seven seconds between characters speaking and subtitles appearing on screen. It's something regrettable which should have been corrected before release and keeps this release from being totally recommended.

Want Gamera Trilogy (Guardian of the Universe / Attack of the Legion / Revenge of Iris) (2012) Discount?

The movies themselves are excellent, but the subtitling is perhaps the worst professional work I've seen, especially with the first and third films. In the first, none of the Japanese on screen text is translated, despite the movie using a large number of things like newspaper headlines to provide information. The third is the worst by far, with a good 20% of it not being subtitled at all, and quite of few of the subtitles being mistranslated. It's an absolute shame, since these are great movies that deserve much better treatment.

Save 55% Off

The Polar Express Presented in Anaglyph 3-D (2004)

I will admit, 2 years ago I purchased The Polar Express 3D with the red and blue glasses.... it about made me sick when I watched it. The colors made me dizzy and the picture was heavily distorted. This on the other hand was a breath of fresh air! The 3D quality on this blu-ray disc is absolutely superb with minimum "ghosting". One stand out scene in particular is portrayed on the front cover of the Blu-Ray case, the train skating on the ice. The 3D effects are so fantastic here that I had to play it over a few times. Its enough to make you say WOW. Also, the entire North Pole scene is absolutely beautiful especially the zoom outs showing the large Christmas tree and all the kids and elves surrounding it.

I would highly recommend this to anyone with a 3D television! The picture is stunning and the 3D effects are breathtaking! The world of Blu-Ray 3D is growing, and this one definitely stands as one of the top 3D releases so far!

I went to see this movie tonight with a mentally handicapped friend "Michael" -(from a L'Arche home here in Winnipeg, Canada). We were the first persons in the theatre for the very first evening showing in this city and we were the last to leave. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves enchanted by the movie's subtleties and happily exhausted by its roller-coaster rides.

Time and again, Michael (who is sensitive, compassionate and with a good sense of humor) turned to me in the darkness, smiling in appreciation at the exact same moments I turned to see his reactions. Each time this happened, it was at a moment in the film when some little detail, perfectly captured through superb 'cinematography,' brought moisture to my normally cynical eye, and a warm smile to Michael's innocent face.

Some examples: There is a lone, black child on this apparent 'dream train' to the North Pole a girl of about ten or eleven years, and like a painting come to life, the miraculous technology at work in this film captures the particular sensibilities of this compassionate, black youngster -- We see small mannerisms of someone comfortable with herself in a way the other (ten or so) white kids on the train are not. And the effect is profound --the movie audience, including some children of that same age group, went silent at such moments in the film.

My friend Michael who has a 'savant' genius for perceiving my emotions, and expressing them for me out loud in public --Michael turned to me with a delighted smile when the girl on the train reaches out to hold the hands of the poorest boy, sitting alone in the rear compartment; and later, she hugs two other boys, (one of them the central character) --at their final parting. At that moment I held up a finger to my lips to try to hush Michael, but couldn't prevent him from saying aloud: "She's such a sweetheart." There were murmurs of appreciation in the darkness around us, responding to this innocent sentiment.

There is a sublime moment, on the back platform of the moving train -the Northern Lights glimmering in the distance -when the young girl joins in song with the poorest kid on the train (a younger boy from a dilapidated home on the "far side of the tracks"). I admit to being overcome with emotion during this duet (a lovely, strong melody with poignant lyrics) and I blurted out loud to Michael, after the first chorus: "What a wonderful song!" The refrain includes the words "When Christmas comes to town." [It's a song so good that, with some future 'cover versions' by serious musicians who could do it justice -- this "Christmas Comes to Town" song could, I believe, deservedly join the small list of true, Christmas 'classics.']

I'd have to agree with anyone who thinks this movie is a little short on plot. And yet . . . once you've suspended disbelief - beginning with an earth-shattering, Christmas-eve arrival of a steam-puffing, passenger train on a small-town Michigan street, directly outside the home of the movie's central character -once we've swallowed that premise, the movie disarmingly embraces the child in us, (including our fears) and our reservations vanish without our noticing.

Just as great `realistic' painters, (think Rembrandt or Vermeer) worked wonders of light & shadow that no mere photograph could ever capture, so too this computer-animated marvel takes your breath away through an accumulation of tiny but acute observations that could never be captured by conventional cinematography. Prime examples from the opening scenes:

A shaft of light illuminates the boy's bedroom, and he is reflected in a chrome, automobile hubcap leaning against a wall; at once we share his view -through the keyhole of his bedroom door we can see only the backs and the dressing gowns of mother and father, as they say goodnight to the boy's young sister, after determining the state of her belief in Santa's existence a belief no longer shared by the older brother, whose eye is at the keyhole.

Later, on the train, there's an exquisite close up of the boy's face, a slight blemish above the pores on his upper right cheek; the `camera' pans in rotation, capturing perfectly, the texture of the boy's hair, and that of the young black girl sitting beside him -subtleties of such perfection one wonders if the unique, artistic accomplishment of "Polar Express" could ever be surpassed.

The film's last scene, consists entirely of a close-up view of a small, silver bell (of the type associated with sleigh rides) with its attached 'ribbon' of red leather. The little bell helps make the final point about `Belief' --in things unseen, (or forgotten, and thus inaccessible to some adults). So simple, so powerful, so enlightening an image. My friend Michael turned to me at that moment, with a radiant smile. And we just shook our heads in awe.

----

Yes, this movie must have SOME shortcomings one or two moments that don't quite work as intended by the creators. But right now, in the afterglow, I can't recall what they were. The film was just too satisfying an experience!

I'm a 57-year-old grandfather who happens to believe that "The Polar Express" is the first, true Christmas classic in almost 60 years. Not since the original Kris Kringle "Miracle" movie of 1947, has any film (to my jaded eye) so transcended our secular, commercial views of the Holiday Season, with such uplifting and fresh reminders of the timeless and true spirit of Christmas.

Mark Blackburn

Winnipeg Canada.

Buy The Polar Express Presented in Anaglyph 3-D (2004) Now

When people go into a movie theatre they expect to be entertained. Audiences want to be scared, amused, curious, sad, and hopefull. Believe it or not, this film provides all of those elements and then some. I've read the comments by people who gave passed this film on as either "too scary to children" or "just plain boring with no plot" And I agree with several people who have responded to such comments.

This film isn't going to give you instant gratification halfway through. If you don't have two hours to spare then you aren't going to understand what this movie is about. Sure the plot was invisible at times, but I don't think the point of the movie was to have the audience follow a plot. The point was to reveal or in some cases remind people of the simplistic faith or child like view we once had in our lives.

Think of the characters themselves and what they represent. Hero Boy reminds us of people who are caught in between faith and doubt. Do we trust what we cannot see? Who is to say? Hero Girl shows the stronger side of faith and believing in what is not readily seen to the human eye. Childlke faith personified into a little girl. Lonely Boy represent those who doubt because they haven't truly experienced the joys of life or have had tragedies happen to them from an early age so they learn to only trust themselves, but that ends up leaving them...lonely. Then are those who are the Know-It-All character who claim to take everything at face value (much like the critics and cynics of this film). They want to know it all because what they don't know scares them.

I'm 21 years old and I haven't had nearly enough experiences in life, but I can say that I had been so busy growing up that I had forgotten that there was a part of me that was once simple, happy and appreciated the joys of just believing that things were true. That is until life makes you grow up and tries to distort your beliefs (much like HoboMan in this film).

When I first saw this movie my eyes widened with every new frame. It was the first time since my childhood that I can remember sitting in the audience with my mouth open and my eyes stretched out as far as they can be. I was stunned, by the artistry and complexity of the story. I was a kid again for two hours. It was like an old friend who I hadn't seen in a long time came back to visit. It was an amazing film.

It's a train ride, a leap of faith, a test of the human spirit. It's a ride and like the movie says: "It's not about where the train takes you, what matters is that you get on." THAT, my friend, is what this movie is about. Not being entertained by slapstick humor or satirical sarcasm, but remembering that part of you that resembles the kids in the movie. Believe.

Bravo on a fantastic film.

Read Best Reviews of The Polar Express Presented in Anaglyph 3-D (2004) Here

This movie was superb in many ways. The story is excellent and the movies great for children and adults of all ages to remember the innocence of youth and recognize the milestones we have all passed growing up. But now on to the real essence of this review: the 3D quality.

The 3D is VERY GOOD...in fact it's great on so many levels. The colors are vibrant and vivid and not washed out like many have complained happens when watching movies in 3D from dark glasses. Also, the picture quality was top notch in HD even while wearing glasses. The surround sound effects and audio couldn't be any more realistic and complementative of the video. The 3D was spectacular guys. Many scenes had things popping right out at you (which i love) and the depth was deep and realistic. I actually felt like I was in the movie. I have an 82 inch 3DTV so that helps but a crappy 3D movie is a crappy 3D movie no matter what screen you watch it on and crappy this was not. The 3D on this film will make any television pop and sizzle and truly brings out the power of your new 3DTV to your family and friends.

Overall watch The Polar Express is a wonderful holiday experience anyone should have the opportunity to enjoy and if you're looking for a good 3D movie then this is a must buy as you will not be dissapointed. Furthermore I experienced no ghosting at all while watching but that could be due to my televisions technology compared to plasma, LED, and LCD. Pick up a copy for yourself. You won't regret it.

Want The Polar Express Presented in Anaglyph 3-D (2004) Discount?

I had mixed emotions about the prospects of this movie.

I love the book. I never like seeing a book be made into a movie--even when the movies are well done.

Add into the mix my general liking of Forest Gump and CastAway, the two previous Hanks/Zemeckis films (I feel CastAway is the far superior film if anyone's interested).

Temper that general feeling of goodwill with the fact that Tom Hanks's last piece of GREAT acting (in my opinion) was in Joe vs the Volcano (Meg Ryan's as well)--and that CastAway was Zemeckis's last good film.

These ingredients, as well as knowing that this film was to be a guinea pig for a new kind of animation, left me feeling unsettled at best about going to see The Polar Express.

Yet...

This movie blew me away.

Say what you want about The Passion of the Christ or Fahrenheit 911 (both are great movies in the movie-making sense and should be nominated for all kinds of awards) but this is my movie of the year. It is also the best Christmas movie in quite a while.

The movie version of The Polar Express has a whole lot to see. This is serious eye-candy. That said, the movie stays incredibly faithful to the heart of the book.

The book and the movie are all about the wonder and joy of belief.

I could go on and on about the great job Tom Hanks does, about the awesome animation, but I won't. For as gilded and bedecked with ornaments as this movie is, it all gets stripped down to the ringing of a silver bell.

The sound of belief.

Faith is the evidence of things not yet seen.

This movie is a wonderful hymn to that evidence. An evidence readily found in all hearts brave enough to believe.

I give the Polar Express my highest recommendation.

The Preacher's Wife (1996)

As a rule I dont tend to warm to remakes of classic films however the Penny Marshall directed Christmas story "The Preacher's Wife", is a definite exception and has become one of my favourite festive season viewing experiences. Based on the classic Samuel Goldwyn film "The Bishop's Wife", which starred legends Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven, this 1996 effort has a charm and slant on the essentially same story all its own. Denzel Washington in the role of an angel sent down to earth to sort out the life of a preacher who has lost sight of what really is important, is a most worthy successor to Cary Grant in the original film and Whitney Houston in the female lead displays a warm screen presense and great musical talent that couldn't be bettered in this type of story. Amazingly I only saw this film for the first time 3 years ago but it has become a firm favourite of mine ever since. Combining a traditional and much loved Christmas tale with some truly wonderful gospel singing gives this effort a really upbeat feel which however never sacrifices for one minute the more touching aspects of the story.

"The Preacher's Wife", focuses on the parish of St. Matthews run by Rev. Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance), a well meaning and dedicated preacher who has been trying to be all things to all people in his needy area. Along the way through court cases for wrongly convicted minors, leaking furnaces, and offers by local big wig Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines), to "upgrade", to a new flashy parish of the future, Henry has lost sight of his wife Julia (Whitney Houston), and their small son Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund). Just when things look the blackest and Henry feels he is acheiving nothing an unexpected answer to his prayers for help comes in the form of debonair stranger Dudley (Denzel Washington), who has a hard time convincing the embattled preacher that he has been sent down to earth by "the big guy", to help him with his problems. Dudley has his work cut out for him as Christmas approaches and Henry gets more and more ground down by his duties in the parish. Dudley begins to provide the warm understanding companionship that Julia craves much to the growing alwarm of her well meaning mother Beverly (Loretta Devine). The pair go skating, and even go out at night to the jazz club where Julia used to perform and where Henry proposed to her. Warned off by Beverly, Dudley begins to see that he is falling in love with Julia and that that was not why he was sent back to Earth. Some well timed intervention in Joe Hamilton's crass plans for Henry makes the preacher begin to see where his real value is and what is important to him, first and foremost his family. All things come together for the Christmas pageant and service where Henry reaffirms his faith in God and his family and his place in the world. Dudley realises his work is done on earth and in a poignant finale blesses the family with a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree after which they will not recall his presense in their lives at all. Dudley attends the Christmas service at St. Matthews but the adults have no memory of him, however Jeremiah still so young at heart does still know him and wishes Dudley a Happy Christmas before he returns to Heaven with his task successfuly completed.

A truly inspirational and touching story filled with some beautiful music and comic pieces is the best way to describe this beautiful little movie. I love all three lead performances here and it's a joy to see Denzel Washington, normally the star of some intensely dramatic films, in such a charming and light hearted role as Dudley. He displays a fine comic talent and teams especially well with the other two leads. If ever there was a proper successor to Cary Grant in this role then Denzel Washington is it. Whitney Houston does very well in the role of Julia and she displays a nicely touching persona especially in her scenes with her screen son. She of course comes alive in the musical numbers many of which she produced herself. I've become a big fan of gospel music after her terrific rendition of such numbers as,"Step by Step", and especially the show stopping "I believe in you and me". Courtney Vance playing the earlier David Niven role of Henry is also excellent and his performance contains alot of the dramatic meat of the story as the essentially kind hearted preacher who is torn too many ways and sees himself loosing his family. His work with Denzel Washington in particular is note worthy especially in the scenes when he can't seem to understand just "where", this mysterious helper has suddenly come from. Other standouts in the cast are Jenifer Lewis as Julia's mother in a very funny performance full of great lines and wry observations about what is happening in the Biggs household, and Gregory Hines as sharp business man Joe Hamilton who in turn is also affected by Dudley's presense in his previously rather shallow life. The look and feel of "The Preacher's Wife", makes it a wonderful newer Christmas viewing experience and much of the credit goes to the church scenes with the St. Matthew's choir taking centre stage. Their singing and expert handling of all the gospel music is perfect and really gets you into the feel of the season.

As a "modern", Christmas story I personally feel "The Preacher's Wife", is a most worthy successor to the well known and greatly loved earlier classics like "White Christmas", and "Miracle on 34th Street". Taking a very different slant on the story than the earlier 'The Bishop's Wife", it manages to be wholly original in its own way and makes delightful seasonal viewing. Try and see this touching film next Christmas and I'm sure it will become a treasured part of your holiday viewing like it is in my home.

Fine and uplifting remake has everything going for it. A great leading man (Denzel Washington) and a great cast of characters that will lift your sprits when you are down. Great support is giving by Courtney B. Vance and Whitney Houston, and the soundtrack by Miss Houston is simply amazing. See it, and let a smile come a cross your face.

Buy The Preacher's Wife (1996) Now

The Reverend Henry Biggs is a good man who's doubtful about his ability to make a difference in his troubled community and home. Help is on the way in the form of an angel named Dudley who soon becomes the source of and solution to their problems. This movie is wholesome, great family entertainment with a good message. I absolutely loved it.

Read Best Reviews of The Preacher's Wife (1996) Here

I'm fond of the original of this film; "The Bishop's Wife". But, contrary to your own reviewer, I think this film is just as good, and an excellent update with lively gospel/jazz musical score. Ok, it may be too sweet for some people. But the cast does a great job with the material, which is clean, non-violent comedy focused on family values and which sends you out with your feet tapping to a great jazz rendition of "Joy to the World".

Want The Preacher's Wife (1996) Discount?

A few years ago I picked this up at a record (OK-movie, CD, DVD) store when the sales were good because the business was collapsing about their ears. Hadn't seen it until this (2011) Christmas season when I reached it in the unwatched section of the movie shelf. Naturally, I learned what I presumed many already knew. It was intended to be, and it is, a welcome addition to the regular movie fare for Christmas. Can't imagine why we should try to compare it with the Cary Grant-Loretta Young version. Different generations, unique performers, quite different socio-cultural reference and quite similar warmth. Denzil Washington is not Cary Grant; Cary Grant was not Denzel Washington (in white face). There was no Whitney Houston in the older film, there is no Loretta Young in the new one. Enjoy each when you are in the mood for one or the other.

No doubt the star of the film is the music. Whitney Houston leading a church choir or Whitney Houston in a Jazz club makes no difference. She IS ONE CLASSY SINGER. The singing with and without Ms. Houston is stimulating and satisfying. Nothing in the film can beat it; but, it makes everything else in the film better than it might otherwise be. Perhaps surprisingly, despite the number of singer/actors we have had, she also does a fine job as the Preachers Wife, who is getting a bit tired of the lack of a private life with the minister (although, with a father in the same profession, one would have thought she would have expected i)t. Denzel Washington is charming as the Angel; no room here for his normal intensity, but he fills the role well. The Preacher's role is competently handled as is the mother's; they both make solid contributions. Those handling the two little boys are to be congratulated. The boys are cute without being cloying or annoying. Hard to achieve. Gregory Hines gets to play the, was it Henry Travers', role in a Father O'Malley film, requiring nasty turned saintly (more or less). There is no way to be more than OK in such a role

All in all, therefore, this is a family picture, so-called, well worth a family viewing around the Christmas holiday (or any other time, for that matter). Don't expect a film for the Hall of Fame equal to Citizen Kane; do expect a light, good-spirited, musically satisfying, little film worth watching when in the mood.

Save 32% Off

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

I would just like to say that it is rare in this day and age for a theater audience to stand and applaud at the end of a movie. That is exactly what happened when I saw Mr. Magorium.

It is also rare for a movie to captivate, not only myself and my wife, but my 13 year old, 10 year old and especially my 4 year old all at the same time.

It was a truly magical movie. Dustin Hoffman was brilliant and brought the charm of Mr. Magorium to life; a performance matched only perhaps by that of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.

To those who suggest this is a child's movie. They are correct. It is for children...of all ages.

This is a terrific family movie that is suitable for children of all ages. There are, to a degree, some parallels with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory [HD DVD]. However, for the most part it is its own movie. It centers around a man (played by Dustin Hoffman) who wishes to leave the management / ownership of his magical toy store to his favorite employee (portrayed by Natalie Portman) as he can sense that his end is near. Unfortunately, Portman's character is apprehensive about taking over the toy store, mostly stemming from a lack of self-confidence.

To be sure, many will say that this film is predictable, and so it is. However, the people who criticize it on such grounds are, I believe, missing the point. Granted, there are no real "hooks" in the plot or plot-twists that will keep you guessing. So what? In a movie like this, it really doesn't matter. At base, to me the film is not so much about the story itself as it is about how we all used to look upon the world with such a sense of wonder when we were children. People who are only looking for surprises are not prone to "getting it" insofar as this DVD is concerned.

The casting is terrific with Hoffmann and Portman leading the way. Hoffmann gets his chance to play a sort of pseudo-Santa Clause, and it's evident that he enjoyed himself immensely. I've always like Portman, and it's nice to see a young woman who is both a fine actress as well as a great person. She is kind of the antipode to "bad girls" like Lindsay Lohan.

If you are the parent of small children, I'd highly recommend this film. If you're not a parent of small children but enjoy feeling like a kid again, this one is recommended to an equal degree.

Buy Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) Now

A breath of fresh air of a family movie. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is simple in its storytelling about believing in your self, finding the magic in your life. It is an enchanting movie; entertaining without the typical hper-action, potty/burping humor or street-smart smack talk so overdone in every other "family" movie these days.

Charming. Brilliantly understated acting; not over the top in any way, no sterotypical characterizations. Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman and child actor Zach Mills played true to their characters, filled with wonder, believable. I can only imagine that the movie's negative reviews are based on reviewers having preconcieved ideas of what they "thought" the movie would be like. This is a simple Willy Wonka-esque story, 90 minutes of enchanting entertainment without hype or preachiness. Slow down and enjoy it!

Read Best Reviews of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) Here

[Mild spoilers in this review:]

This is a unique movie. The plot is relatively simple Toy Store Owner prepares his assistant to take over the business. There is no villain in the form of a character. I suppose the "villain," or conflict in the plot, is "lack of imagination." This is initially personified in the form of a dry, by-the-books accountant, however this character is by no means the villain in this story. "Lack of imagination" is the force opposing Mr. Magorium and his whimsical store.

I suspect that mainstream America and the critics didn't respond favorably to this movie for two reasons: marketing this movie was difficult; and much of mainstream America and the critics are guilty of exhibiting the same element that served as the conflict in the movie: "lack of imagination."

For example, in one scene, the witless accountant finally gives in to others' use of imagination and tries being imaginative himself by wearing silly hats and pretending to be someone else. He and a young boy act out fairy tale stories and let their imagination run wild. The boy's mother discovers them and is immediately suspicious of the accountant's intentions. It's as if the movie is commenting on some people that perhaps don't "get it." Additionally, as if life were imitating art, there were some people that didn't "get" this movie.

My family (with two kids aged 6 and 3) thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and we could comfortably watch it without fear of "toilet gags" and without anxiety of seeing crude/vulgar moments. And this movie also effectively addressed the potentially disturbing subject of "death." I liked the approach here.

Like the characters in the movie, give Mr. Magorium a chance. And let your imagination flow with the movie.

Favorite line: "Light bulbs die. I am departing."

Want Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) Discount?

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium champions classic toys and the stores that used to carry them before the proliferation of chain stores like Toys R Us and Wal-Mart made them virtually extinct. In this age of crass commercialism, this film celebrates idealism and imagination things that our world so desperately needs.

Dustin Hoffman portrays Magorium as an optimistic Willy Wonka-type who is a genius toy maker and has a pet zebra in his home. He runs a magical toy store complete with an enormous book that lists the store's entire inventory and going to the appropriate page magically produces said toy. Each character has their own dilemma to resolve: Eric has to make a friend; Henry has to learn how to have fun, and Molly's desire to create music instead of running the Emporium. The cast is uniformly excellent, from Natalie Portman's engaging turn as Molly to Jason Bateman as the button-down accountant.

There is an absolutely charming scene where Henry and Eric communicate on opposite sides of a pane of glass via handwritten messages to the Cat Stevens' song, "Don't Be Shy" that demonstrates director Zach Helm's skill a visual storyteller. It was at this moment that I wondered if he is a fan of Hal Ashby's films as this song was used prominently in Harold and Maude. This hunch was confirmed with Ashby's surname popping up in a scene as a store name. It is these little touches, like the nervous slinky or the gigantic dodge ball that fills an entire room or Magorium's hospital room at night decorated with many glow-in-the-dark stars, that make this film such a joy to watch.

He adopts a vibrant colour scheme with the larger shocks of colour being primary in nature and then the smaller details (toys and clothes) comprised of secondary and tertiary colours. For example, the hospital that Magorium stays in is dominated by golden yellows while warm, brown wood dominates the Emporium. The entire film is like a giant box of Crayola crayons exploded all over it.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is not at all what I expected it to be (to be honest, I had little to no expectations) and was pleasantly surprised by how charming and imaginative this film turned out to be. It makes a convincing argument for keeping magic and wonderment alive. So often we grow up and either lose or ignore these feelings. There's more to life than dollars and sense. Mr. Magorium is a wonderful film that appeals to your heart without being so obviously manipulative and celebrates imagination over conformity. It also appeals to children with condescending to them and to adults who haven't forgotten what it's like to be a kid.

"Strangely Weird and Weirdly Strange: The Magical World of a Wonder Emporium" is comprised of four featurettes that take brief looks at various aspects of the film. The first one features cast and crew praising director Zach Helm. Another takes a look at how the Sock Monkey puppet works. We also see how the production dealt with an actual zebra on the set. Finally, we see how the life-sized sculpture of President Abraham Lincoln was made entirely out of Lincoln Logs.

"An Eccentric Boss and An Awkward Apprentice" takes a look at the characters of Mr. Magorium and Molly Mahoney. Not surprisingly, the actors were drawn to the project because of the well-written script. Cast and crew speak highly of Hoffman and Portman. The two actors describe their characters.

"To Meet Eric Applebaum, Start by Saying Hi" takes a look at Eric and the actor who plays him, Zach Mills. Like the previous featurette, the character is described and the actor is praised. He was picked out of 1,200 other kids.

"The Magical Toy Store" examines the fantastic set that was the toy store. Helm and the production designer worked together to create a big playground for kids. They wanted to create the impression that the store really existed. There's also footage of this set being constructed.

Finally, there is "Fun on the Set," a montage of the cast and crew goofing around on and off the set.

Save 44% Off