The Crazies (2009)

THE CRAZIES is not a great film, nor will it likely even enter the "Hall Of Fame" of zombie-type movies. However, it is a tight, well-constructed and reasonably well-acted thriller that is more than worthy of a look.

In the small mid-western town of Ogden's Marsh, high school baseball season is just getting started. Everyone in town is there to size up the quality of this year's team...and frankly, life just couldn't get any finer. In less than 2 minutes, we get learn all we need to know about this little town...we see that it's a town where everyone knows everyone. Everyone has a place and is contented. Life is simple but satisfying. But when a glassy-eyed farmer with a shotgun wanders onto the field of play (actually, he has what might be described as a zombie-like stare), the sheriff (played at a perfect pitch by Timothy Olyphant) tried to talk him out of his weapon. Their brief, tense confrontation ends in the death of the farmer...and the town is rattled. Things quickly escalate as more and more citizens begin acting weird, violent and yes, CRAZY.

It isn't quite a zombie movie...no dead person is coming back to life. In fact, it's more a cousin to 28 DAYS LATER, where the zombies were really just people infected with rage. But whatever the case, we essentially see the very quick collapse of this little society...especially when the government quarantines them and begins to separate the sick from the well.

The movie takes a fairly predictable path from here...there's not really much we haven't seen before (although the film does feature the scariest journey through an automatic carwash that we've ever seen). But there is seldom much in the way of the truly new in this genre...it's all in the execution. If the film is constructed well enough, we don't pay quite so much attention to some of the plot holes (or if not holes, at least areas the stretch credibility, even if we accept the initial premise). THE CRAZIES is well-constructed, and uses its modest budget well. It doesn't attempt anything it can't pull off well, so there aren't lots of cheesy effects. It assembles a small core of characters, and makes us care about them just enough to draw our sympathy at their plight.

The central relationship is between sheriff Olyphant and his wife, the town doctor, played by Radha Mitchell. They are a couple that has clearly been together for awhile, and there are no big histrionics between them. They feel like a couple that has a natural ease between each other, and even when pushed to extremes, there's never any doubt that they're comfortable. This reflects the overall ease of the movie...it doesn't push too hard. Olyphant and Mitchell feel more like a married couple that is comfortably at ease with each other...not the typical movie couple who always have to find a way to tear each other's clothes off and fool around, even as the world collapses around them. I liked that...and it made me really root for them.

In many ways, the most interesting relationship is between Olyphant and his deputy, played by Joe Anderson (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE). Their interplay, the casual deference of the deputy for his boss, their unshakeable sense of duty all feel natural. These are good guys...but in quiet, unassuming ways. They just do what they feel is right, even if they're really scared. The movie is not showy about them...it's not like their Mel Gibson & Danny Glover in LETHAL WEAPON...they're just a couple of small town law enforcement officers who wear their badges not only with pride but with an instinctive understanding that they have RESPONSIBILITY as well.

The movie has scares aplenty, and lots of tense scenes. There's a great scene in the latter half when the couple is confronted by a couple of crazies in their own bedroom...we've got four people basically clawing and scratching at each other in a tiny room, and it's maddening to watch.

It's nice to see a good, honest little film that knows its business, but takes the time to get enough little details right to make it just a bit more than ordinary. If you're in the mood for a few jump-in-your-seat moments, you could do far, far worse than THE CRAZIES.

I knew nothing about The Crazies going into the theater. I didn't know it was originally produced by the father of the zombie genre, George Romero. And I didn't expect to see a movie about a sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant wife (Radha Mitchell) with my own wife six months pregnant. Please note: this review contains spoilers.

The movie starts out slowly. In these stressful times, we're all too familiar with scenes of sudden gun violence in an idyllic setting. After sheriff Dutton is forced to gun down a former town drunk on a little league field, the town of Ogden Marsh begins to unravel. Everybody knows everybody else in this small town and a murder leaves emotional aftershocks that traumatize its citizens. This includes Dutton's wife, who happens to be the town doctor.

The tension slowly notches up from there. These early moments are critical in establishing The Crazies as a superior horror film. The petty rivalries, the secret and not-so-secret grudges, the sadistic bullies all of the townsfolk's deepest impulses are let loose through the TRIXIE virus, a military bioweapon that has accidentally (?) contaminated the town.

Unlike so many other horror movies, Dutton and his deputy Clank (Joe Anderson) are precisely the people who should be dealing with an outbreak. The problem is that they are little fish in a very big pond. The movie quickly morphs from a slasher flick to survival horror when the military gets called in, loses control, and pulls out.

What makes The Crazies so refreshing is that it plays on horror tropes, using it to narrative advantage. We find out that the soldiers who are executing townsfolk aren't faceless, that the TRIXIE virus may or may not be transmitted through the water supply, and that taking one's temperature isn't a guaranteed means of identifying who's infected. The Crazies makes no promises but always delivers.

This ambiguity may frustrate some people who expect everything to be wrapped in a neat bow, but director Breck Eisner knows that there is horror in uncertainty. It's precisely this lack of clarity that makes the movie so good the villains aren't unilaterally evil, the victims aren't always helpless, and the solutions aren't always moral. The Crazies wallows in the gray area of harsh decisions, treating an outbreak with all the ethical gravity of a war.

Let there be no doubt, this is as much a war movie as it is a horror movie. The real crazies, Eisner seems to say, is anyone who would trust authority. These days, that may not be such bad advice.

P.S. Stay through the credits!

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Gina from Haunted Flower reviews "The Crazies" directed by Breck Eisner and produced by George A. Romero based on his 1973 version. It stars Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, and Joe Anderson. A contagious mental illness takes over the inhabitants of a small town in Iowa.

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Make no mistake-"The Crazies" is a horror film. You may have read that it's really a modern remake of an old 1973 George Romero horror film by the same name. I haven't seen Romero's original, but this film is very well-done.

The biggest name in this film is Timothy Olyphant in the lead role as sheriff of small town Ogden Marsh, Iowa (population 1260). The rest of the cast and the director, Breck Eisner, are not quite as well-known, but they all do a very competent job. The acting and the directing are so well-coordinated that you never have the feeling the film is trying to "showcase" a particular actor, nor that the actors are ever competing with each other for attention. That, along with the pace of this film, which to me seemed just perfect (transitioning very gradually from casual to almost frenetic as things fall more & more apart) really allows the viewer to suspend disbelief and immerse yourself in the story. And there is plenty of story. There's plenty of scares too, but this film never loses sight of telling a story, focusing on a small group of people trying desperately to escape this town alive. They have not only the "crazies" to contend with but also the military (in classic Romero style, the government is no more trustworthy than the disease). The violence is just sufficient to maintain a real sense of suspense, without over-the-top or gratuitous gore.

The film is almost entirely first-person viewpoint, and along with the characters we learn that something is terribly wrong, people are going berserk and senselessly attacking others; that it apparently came from the cargo on a military plane that crashed in the marsh which supplies the town water; that it might have become airborn; that the military is rounding up and quarantining everyone; and finally, that nobody is going to be allowed to get out...

There are also plenty of head-fakes in which you don't know whether something awful is about to happen or not, but these too are done in a reasonably sophisticated way, not overly calling attention to themselves but just keeping you constantly on-edge and not knowing just what's coming next.

The blu-ray looks great and the musical score is good, particularly at the ending credits. There are a moderate number of "bonus features"; three short (10 minute) featurettes being the most interesting to me. This was really filmed in Iowa, as well as in rural Georgia (enabling filming to avoid the cold Iowa winters and the hot Georgia summers). The whole story takes place over just a couple of days. I'm doubting there will be a sequel although the final sequence left open the possibility. This is a very nicely-done horror film with good characterization and a somewhat understated style. It should appeal not just to horror film devotees but to a somewhat wider audience.

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I have never seen the original "Crazies" film so I can not comment on which version is better. The Crazies(remake)takes an overplayed zombie genre idea and tries to make it more realistic. The story is told simply with a plausible background story. Instead of hordes of zombies running around like supercharged baboons or sloth-like undead roaming aimlessly, these "zombies" are alive and act fairly human(at least from a distance), but have a pretty mean disposition. Depending on how far gone they are, they can almost seem normal...I said almost. What makes it seem much more real is that they still seem to have a little memory of the former selves and react to people they know. The special effects and gore are played down a notch, but it doesn't make the film any less frightening. This is largely because the "zombies" are the least of your worries! I'm a fan of some of the classic zombie films and there have been a number of good ones in recent years, but The Crazies is one of the few that made me think could this happen? ...and that's pretty scary in itself!

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Bellflower (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

An abridged version of my review:

Bellflower is badass.

But to go into further detail for those who need more convincing, this film swallows you into a separate existence of envious invention. Shot on a homemade camera, it follows two dudes as they build homemade flame throwers to attach to their reconstructed apocalyptic car, aptly named Medusa. The cinematography is mind blowing, with hazes of golden yellow lurking in most scenes, which perfectly compliments the amount of fire and explosions. In all honesty it's a real bummer that more people haven't seen this, as I fully plan on forcing it onto my friends. The cars, the flames, the soundtrack (!!!!), the painful demise of a relationship, everything about this film is tangible and personal. Initially I wanted to see this because I am a lame girl and I thought it would be an edgy, indie romance sort of vibe, and I liked the homemade aspects of its production. Instead I found out that I want a flame thrower. And a car with a secret whiskey spout for mid-ride pick me ups. But instead I just got the movie on dvd.

BELLFLOWER is a beautifully shot twisted dark love story that has the perfect mix of cars, flame throwers, and blood! I can't wait for the their next film.

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Not only did I absolutely love the movie but the high quality you get with the packaging and case of this Bl-Ray is unmatched! A++++

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As a nearly 50-year-old, and still feeling and thinking at half that age, I am obviously not all that ensconced "in" that age bracket when I see something that grabs my attention as expediently and with such dominion that I sat up and took notice of the immediacy of what I was seeing and hearing in the trailer; Bless the Beasts and the Children, but even moreso the editor of this trailer, as it got my attention so quickly that my Centrum 50s' spilled and scattered over my glass tabletop by my reaction like so many albino hydrocodones falling tragically from a broken Pez dispenser. Once my vitamins (and temerity) had been successfully gathered, I watched it another 10-12X before finding the cheapest Blu-Ray I could find (through Amazon, of course), pushed the "Buy Now" button and awaited it's delivery daily to see if the film warranted my initial reaction. It did. Not since "Searching For The Wrong-Eyed Jesus" has an Indy film had such a complementary soundtrack that both adds to and keeps the viewers on their collective toes to add to the benefit of the film and help to complete it, too. Far too many films today rely on big-budgeted royalty checks and generalized 'guesses' as to "well, this song might sound good dropped in here" in determining their placement, rather than to the overall feel and rhythm of the film, itself. These independent artists were pure fresh air to me, particularly the Small Town Zeros-"Secrets", which lent itself to the apocalyptic subtext succinctly. Let's face it, I was brought up on a diet of the Mad Max films in the mid-80's, where we would have all night Dusk 'til Dawn film festivals in my suburban basement where everyone became suitably lubricated for the festivities as the night wore onthe films' malevolent fight over "the gas", the irrefutably galvanizing car culture with it's host of poor-man's but righteous Bond-gadgets to disfigure and disable, and the man himself, "the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla", Humongous, who led the pack with his choke-hold and "worse then Ahnold" elocution. The inventiveness and damn-straight honesty of the characters and dialogue (of Bellflower) were revivifying most of the time in the "best" way, with only the occasional freshman mistake to intrude. The markedly stylized cinematography was the other half (along with the soundtrack) to keep the audience's interest peaked throughout, and was the reason that my initial reaction was so markedly demonstrative and jettisoned me across the room to the computer to immediately buy the Blu-Ray. So to the cast, crew, and Mr. Glodell, Kudos! ...for getting this prematurely wizening hipster off his a%$Holy carbuncle! And to the rest of you looking for something fresh and engaging, with a little 80's genre thrown in, and with what hopefully will become a new oeuvre unto itself, check it out. OR, if you're just a "car guy", you'll love it, too.

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This moive is perfect, Evan Glodell is someone that I will keep my eye on. I love his work in this. I wish there were more films like this. I will not give any of the plot away you should see it for your self. Just trust me BELLFLOWER IS GREAT.

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Memorial Day (2010)

This movie is a poignant characterization of the conflict that combat veterans live with, during and after their experiences. Focused on a WWII U.S. Paratrooper and his grandson it gives us a sense of the emotions that many combat veterans of all eras may go through having to make a decision during a war that you know is going to end badly for someone and then having to live with your decision or in having friends be killed or injured. Anyone who has had a family member or friend who has seen combat can recognize the defensive wall that many veterans erect as their way of dealing with the experience. Hopefully this movie will encourage at least some of those veterans to allow their friends and family to try to understand.

I was lucky enough to see a screening of this film, and was blown away. To echo the reviews below, it's more than a war movie, it's a family movie. The movie crosses multiple generations, and encompasses stories from two wars. For those from the WWII generation this will bring back their own memories from a time with the war was very much part of their daily life. For those with loved ones serving now it gives a real face to what is happening. For everyone else it's a solid reminder that memories are stories that need to be shared, that burdens can't be carried alone and that all generations have something to give to one another.

Additionally, it teaches us that Memorial Day is more than a time for picnics and BBQ, more than just a free day off and a parade but that it's a day when we honor and remember.

I strongly recommend this for anyone, not just those with military ties

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As a Marine veteran and grandfather, this film touched me on both counts. As a veteran, the meaning/importance of those small "souvenirs" one acquires during their time in service can be both cherished and guarded. This film approaches that importance with reverence without the carnage usually found in "military movies".

The closeness between the grandfather and his grandson was also touching and special. I am lucky to be very close to the only grandchild I have, a boy of 5 1/2. We have, since his birth, had a special relationship that continues to grow each day. I too have things to share with him someday.

Sometimes fathers, because of their role and lack of experience/wisdom, cannot share with their son, daughter, or other family members. With the years comes a realization of the memories tucked away which those "souvenirs" represent. This film helped in my confirmation of that.

I recommend this film to all Vet's and their families, and everyone else. I hope I have/will not be the only veteran/grandfather that is touched in this way. I also hope that it helps all who view it to share, respect, and understand those "things" that may never be spoken of by the veteran.

The "story" is 5 star. Own the DVD/Blue-Ray; share it with all who will sit still long enough to watch it. Lord knows we sit and watch allot less deserving films.

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This movie gives renewed meaning to why we celebrate Memorial Day.

This movie is realistic in its war scenes without unnecessary blood and gore.

I admit that this holiday used to be a reason to have a "3 day weekend".

Now I will remember the sacrifice that all of our soldiers have made through the years.

I hope this encourages all veterans to tell their stories so that we and future generations will understand and appreciate their experiences.

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The worst part of movies dealing with war or soldiers during a specific time period is that they often feel like recruitment videos. Either that or they shove patriotism down your throat. "Memorial Day" isn't like that at all, which is a relief. What really balances out the entire movie is the time Kyle spends with his grandfather. James Cromwell's heartfelt performance is really fantastic. His emotion gives much needed heart to a story like this. The thing about grandfathers is that they're supposed to always have a story to tell and have words of wisdom. Bud is the epitome of that, but he waits to reveal that until somebody makes him talk.

The time Kyle and Bud spend together inspires Kyle to start a collection of his own once he becomes a soldier as an adult and has a family of his own. This is the other big intriguing aspect of the war drama. Seeing Kyle collect things throughout the movie only makes you realize what he's eventually going to tell his son one day, which is kind of heartwarming. The last five minutes of the movie are also its bread and butter. It's as if the entire movie was written to give those few scenes more impact and it works so well. It's just a series of really passionate performances along with perhaps the most memorable scene to take place on that porch in the entire movie.

Many of the other performances feel uninspired. Maybe it's just the way Hollywood writes soldiers, but most of them are pretty forgettable here other than Kyle. John Cromwell is pretty exceptional in his full length feature film debut though. Everyone else outside of the main cast just feels like filler. Ho-hum is an acceptable way to describe the majority of the movie as things like the score, battlefield sequences, and lines of dialogue will be a distant memory at best. Although roaming shots of the countryside are extremely colorful on the Blu-ray edition of the movie.

"Memorial Day" is mostly watchable thanks to the performances of John and James Cromwell. The story does its best to reel you in and feel for these characters, but may feel like it's stringing you along with no pay off in sight at times. There are certainly worse war related movies you could spend your hard earned money on.

Special features include Audio Commentary with Director Sam Fischer, Writer Marc Conklin, and Actor John Cromwell and a less than two minute Behind the Scenes featurette.

"Memorial Day" is being released as a single disc DVD and a single disc Blu-ray starting tomorrow, May 29. The movie is not rated, is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio in 1080p High-Definition and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. It is approximately 104 minutes in length. "Memorial Day" will be available in most retail outlets and online stores.

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Last Year at Marienbad (The Criterion Collection) (1962)

Last Year at Marienbad is a "love story," although not a "story" in the conventional narrative sense, since the fragmented images cannot be scanned chronologically. The "story" is not told rather it is described using a juxtaposition of physical images, through memories and associations, projected through a space-time continuum, which destroys both linear chronology and fixity. Resnais built a captivating puzzle-like film, a labyrinth, which at time resembles the optical illusions of Escher or the surreal world of Magritte. Any attempt to provide a satisfying chronology for the film would contradict the assumptions upon which it was built, as well as the manner in which it is presented.

Marienbad is a cine-roman, a cinematic novel, that is, a particular way to tell a story, which by definition involves space and time. It is not simultaneously a novel and a film, but it uses certain techniques of the novel and of the cinema. Resnais uses a variety of cinematographic techniques: the use of "atmosphere," or mise-en-scene, to provoke an emotional response on the audience's part; the use of "dream" sequences, flashbacks and flash forwards as they relate to imagistic or observational characterizations of a character's imagination; the use of visual and audio montages to disrupt the chronological time and replace the temporal and linear narration by his mise-en-scene's spaces. As a result, it is necessary to view each Resnais film completely in order to understand its structure and discourse. This is especially true for Marienbad, where a second and even a third viewing are necessary to fully appreciate the structure and the details.

Marienbad is lyrical, but by its framings, has the precision of a documentary, undermining the cinematographic writing and heralding the future films of Duras, Robbe-Grillet, or Jean-Luc Godard. Resnais uses extremely short scenes, with purposely too dark or over-exposed shots, obscure image flashes, shot with reframing that allow for the intrusion of characters. Certain scenes are repeated several times, with variants. At times, the actors' clothing changes in the same scene, resulting in blurring the distinctions between past, present, and future, reality and fantasy The fluid camera moves everywhere with unrestricted freedom, a character unto itself. The dialogues are in the form of leitmotifs. The secondary characters utter disjointed, repetitive bits of conversations, and have a strange tendency to freeze in mid-sentence, or even to speak without making a sound. All of these effects are mesmerizing, and contribute to destabilizing the viewer. The mystery is further sustained by the names of the characters, which are only initials.

Everything contributes to destroying chronology and setting an ambiguous mood. The music at the film's "beginning" is typically "end of film" music. Using staggered sound tracks of the narrator's (X's) voice after the music further enhances this impression. Through most of the film, the sound of a single organ, playing an excruciating music score mostly in a minor key which seems to have come from a horror film, accompanies the action. Minor keys conjure melancholy and insecurity. X and A, dancing a slow waltz whose music, instead of being joyful and exuberant, recalls Sibelius' Valse Triste, does not contribute in any way to lighten the mood.

Games are pervasive in this film, symbolizing destiny (dominoes), and also the domination of M (who plays poker with determination and coldness, successfully bluffing his adversaries). But the most notable game shown in the film is a variation of the game of Nim, which from the release of the film on became known as "the game of Marienbad." M haughtily announces "I could lose, but I always win." In this particular version of Nim, which is based on binary representation of the number of items in the game at any give time, the one who first starts the game cannot win against an experienced player, such as M. And M, who proposes the contests, always manages, under the cover of courtesy, to make his adversary begin the game.

The first theme of Marienbad is love, which does not require much explanation. X is or was in love with A (or was it with A? If not, then A will do), and A, as befits any beautiful woman, plays hard-to-get (or maybe she is not attracted by a bore such as X).

The second theme is Resnais' favorite: the elusiveness and subjectivity of memory, but also, its persistence and inescapability. As in Hiroshima Mon Amour, Resnais explores the effects of time and memory on the emotions of a pair of would-be lovers. In his hands, the time elements of memory, whether retrospective or prospective, find realization as cinematic images, which the author manipulates through editing, effusing a non-chronological structure to his work. In Marienbad, Resnais shows us the hotel, its corridors, its salons, and its garden, together taken as an explicit metaphor for the "mind," traveled by the roving camera, the "self" exploring its memory.

There are so many things to discover in Marienbad that, like the "story," the possibilities are endless. There are two possible ways of viewing this film. In the first, a Cartesian approach, the viewer will try to somehow impose a linear, rational structure and invariably will find the film difficult, if not totally incomprehensible. In the second way, the viewer will just let him or herself be carried away by the extraordinary images and the mise-en-scene, and he or she will find the film completely obvious. And the "bonus" resides in the fact that upon subsequent viewings, one can reassemble this puzzle-like film in as many different ways as one's imagination allows, making it each time a new viewing experience. Viewers in the first category will probably give the film a negative rating; those in the second category will give it a five-star rating. I give it a five star.

LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD is virtually without peer in the cinema. It has caused a great deal of controversy over the years, with some claiming it as one of the greatest films ever made, others claiming that it must be some sort French joke on the audience. For those of you familiar with French films in general, you know that bad French movies tend to consist of a few characters discoursing about love in a stilted, soap-opera-like manner. Set against this context, LYAM is indeed a joke, a brilliant satire. The banality of the love triangle also pokes very Gallic fun at the annoying cliches of Hollywood melodrama. Part of the confusion caused by this film comes from the standard nature of the plot our expectations about how this type of film should work are constantly set up, then thouroughly compromised from the opening sequence of the movie. Viewers are rarely cognizant of just how much we have internalized standard Hollywood techniques as the ONLY way of using cinematic forms to tell a story, which should have a beginning, middle and end, but MARIENBAD cannot be understood this way, although there is indeed a progression to this bizarre narrative, which takes the form of Man Y's increasingly elaborate explanations of what might have happened between him and the Woman in her room, which might have been either rape or seduction. It is a profoundly VISUAL film that can only be understood if you use your eyes carefully. The action is split completely from the dialogue, which goes over the same issues again and again in settings that indicate different times of day and of the year. Some of these scenes are flashbacks, some may only be the narrator's fantasy. In MARIENBAD, past, present and future coexist simultaneously. What MARIENBAD dramatizes is the relative quality of human memory. We tend to organize our perceptions of the world in linear fashion, but memory is non-linear, collapsing past and present into a single entity. Subjectivity is crucial to understanding MARIENBAD, which examines the way in which each participant in a given event experiences the same event differently. Lawyers know that if you have six different eywitnesses to an event, you will get six different stories about what happened, and this relativity of memory is basically what MARIENBAD is about. Once you know this, MARIENBAD is actually quite easy to understand and to follow, at least in terms of the "plot." Now just sit back and admire the unbelievably rich technique the film uses to explore this idea. The moving camera tracks by frozen humans, assimilating them within the overall decor, are combined with astonishing editing techniques which alternately slow down or extend time itself through fragmentation or repetition. The performances (and the actors REALLY ARE BRILLIANT I can hardly imagine how difficult this film must have been to act) accomplish the same thing through similar means. This film should be watched at least 3 times, once just to accustom yourself to its unique rhythms, a second to appreciate the complex structure, and a third for the humour of it. MARIENBAD is a truly mind-boggling experience.

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Be warned up front that this movie will not suit everyone. This is film as art and it is in black and white; there are those who hate it and those who love it. It is subtitled in English but you will enjoy it even more if you understand French because the off voice is often hauntingly poetic. It was filmed on location in Bavaria, Germany, near Munich at the palaces of Nymphenburg and Schleissheim. The script is relatively easy to find both in French, L'Annee derniere a Marienbad, and in English under a title slightly different from the one of the movie: Last Year in Marienbad.

I greatly admire and love this movie; I believe it to be a masterpiece of French cinema. This is a work that you'll watch over and over and of which you will not tire. A labyrinthian intrigue unfolds in an icily beautiful sprawling baroque palace --a dream-like deluxe palace hotel where tuxedos and evening dresses are de rigueur . Along with the protagonists you will enjoy losing yourself over and over in this enchanted yet disquieting movie.

He ("X " in the official script --he remains nameless in the movie) and She ("A" in the official script --also nameless in the movie) had met last year at Marienbad (thus the title). That's what he says. A romantic encounter, apparently. A short-lived affair, a summer long liaison? The true nature of their relationship is never disclosed. If they did not have an affair might they not have exchanged only a promise to elope, or merely agreed to meet again a year later? Did He grant her one year's reflection time to decide whether to follow him and leave her husband? Ah, yes, her husband is there also, a witness and party to this mystifying situation; quite a dispassionate and remote witness though. Yet he genuinely loves her, well at least he seems to care about her, in his cold, aloof way that is. Would the husband know more about the matter than he lets out? In some European legends it is Death who sometimes grants a one year reprieve to her victims, could it be... too farfetched an interpretation since death is at no time mentioned in the movie. Your guess will be as good as mine.

But, again, did they actually meet last year at Marienbad? X/He argues they did, obsessively. A/She pretends having no recollection whatsoever of the event and denies everything. Of this encounter He is absolutely, passionately convinced; but her denials and her rejections of his advances appear no less sincere and convincing.

One of them must be in error if not lying, fatally, but who? Did He actually have an affair with her or is he deluded and raving mad? He keeps trying to wake up her memories, relentlessly, but has she such memories? His off voice resounds along the empty hallways like an incantation; would he be attempting to captivate, hypnotize, or bewitch her? Is She amnesic or deluded, truthful or lying? What motives would move him, or her, to keep pretending so maddeningly? Who will convince whom? And how is it that her husband cannot ever be defeated at that mind game of his that became the rage after he initiated the male guests?

Welcome to Marienbad! Wait, no, this is not Marienbad! Marienbad was last year of course, supposedly at least; this is another place, nameless. A sumptuous palace of endless corridors lined with gilded baroque stuccoes and ornate mirrors, icy cold in the midst of a brightly sunlit summer; viewer beware! You have entered a universe of pure fiction, your old points of reference, your habitual rationality and expectations are worthless. Already X, once again, weaves a vortex of deja vu, lies, delusions, obsessions, dreams or are they genuine memories? How will you tell? His voice charms you, draws you into his world beyond the hotel, and when the night will have fallen on the grounds you will realize, only too late that you cannot escape him, you cannot leave; you will be, as I am, one of the guests --forever.

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Alain Resnais makes Terrence Malick look like Guy Ritchie. You will often read the word "dreamlike" in connection with this film but that's misleading in a way because it implies the soft, CGI limpness of today's film fantasy fare. What makes this movie's other-wordly quality so unsettling is how deeply rooted it is in the real world in the concrete and the solid. It's full of walls and heavy furniture and large rooms and weighty doors and formal gardens and attire. In fact, it's so loaded down with its own visual weight, it shouldn't budge. But it floats and soars and weaves memory and desire together so deftly that you constantly feel as though you're flying through the interiors, a kind of all seeing though never quite fully comprehending spirit. This is a marvelous film. One of the best ever made because it works on you for days, weeks and even years after.

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People tend to either love or hate this film. Whilst some adore it's labyrinthine, non-linear structure; the playfulness of the imagery; and the innate contradictions between the voice-over narrative and the visual imagery, others consider this irrelevant and tedious.

The subtlety of the film in both the auditory and visual modes encourages examination. Why do the figures in the garden cast shadows, when the garden itself doesn't? The film has the texture of a dream, reminiscent of the eerie paintings of Paul Delvaux and Giorgio de Chirico.

This is a film that all students of the subject should see. It is not an easy film to watch, but an endlessly rewarding one to consider and reconsider. It is a film for those who believe art should challenge.

Unleashed (2005)

Movie 4.5

Been a while since I'd seen this movie. I used to own in on DVD and saw it something like 3 times before selling it to make room for the transition to Blu-ray. It took a while, but it's good to finally see this title on BD. And after so many years, I have to say I actually like it a lot more now than I did initially. Danny the Dog (aka Unleashed in the U.S.) is the story of Danny (Jet Li), a poor soul raised from childhood as a human attack dog that does the dirty work of small-time Glasgow kingpin, Bart (Bob Hoskins). Danny is literally treated like a dog given a collar to wear 24/7, is fed food from a can, and lives a pretty desolate life as nothing more than a mere animal. But one day, Danny befriends a blind piano tuner named Sam (Morgan Freeman) who, through a stint of piano tuning, manages to elicit some of Danny's human side, if but for a few minutes. Then, when an accident injures Danny and sets him free from the grips of his cruel master, he seeks out Sam, who accepts him with open arms and offers to care for him with the help of his stepdaughter, Victoria (Kerry Condon). And in their time together, the two manage to re-humanize Danny and salvage his broken spirit from the dark depths of violence and emotional turmoil. This couldn't have been a more perfect role for Li. As apparent by his other Hollywood films, while he does show some actual acting prowess (though more so in his Chinese work) from time to time, the language barrier has always been his weak point. And what better a way to utilize his not-so-good English than with a character that's more about movement (which Li is a master technician of from all that wushu) and less about dialogue? Throw in the opposing fatherly-forces in Hoskins and Freeman (who play outstanding contrasts to one another) and some cutesy lighthearted bonding moments with Condon, and you've got a fairly gripping story. Needless to say, it's also a Jet Li movie choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, and the action is absolutely brutal when you get down to it. But what surprises me the most is how the entire film manages to be not just an entertaining romp, but also a touching tale and character drama. This is easily Louis Leterrier's best film to date with a little help from his mentor, Luc Besson, in the writing department, and soon-to-be director, but current DP, Pierre Morel. In fact, speaking of Besson, I'd even go so far as to say Danny the Dog was this decade's Leon, albeit a tad less developed, but excellently portrayed, nonetheless.

Video 4.5

It's been too long for me to remember what this looked like on DVD, but thankfully the extras are in SD, which is enough to remind me of the difference in quality. That being said, Pierre Morel's photography looks excellent. With Leterrier wanting to achieve a film noir-look, colors aren't particularly vibrant. In fact, just about any scene outside of Danny's bonding moments with Sam or Victoria are very cold, drab, and opaque. There are lots of blues, whites, grays, and charcoals used in a majority of the gangster life sequences when we see Danny living as a dog. From his dirty clothes to the grimy streets of Glasgow, the production design gives off a depressing quality befitting of the life Danny has lead to that point. Contrast is also slightly more desaturated in these scenes, though black levels are maintained very well throughout. During the happier times in Sam's apartment or in the various other non-criminal locales, hues are much fuller and create a sense of warmth to counteract the coldness of the former. Contrast and saturation feel more natural making flesh tones appear very lifelike and just a lot more pleasant to the eye. Image detail is actually a lot sharper than I remember and especially in comparison to some of the SD shots from the extras giving the visual presentation a nice sense of depth and HD pop. For instance, you can see all the little indentations of the food at the supermarket, the lining of Victoria's braces, or the fuzzy textures on Danny's teddy bear. The film also possesses a fine layer of film grain to keep the picture feeling gritty, and there appear to be no signs of DNR. There are some instances of Edge Enhancement and some scenes of the movie are a bit nosier than others (like the really, really dark scenes), and there are occasions of dirt and debris popping up here and there, but overall I'm very satisfied with the quality of the picture, especially in comparison to those SD shots from the DVD port. I think all the various color schemes, filters, and whatever other methods they used to portray the different outlooks of Danny's life are a great way of compliment and contrast for another.

Audio 5.0

In addition to an excellent video transfer, Universal also outputs a booming and reference-level audio experience. The DTS-HD track has quite a bit of rumble to it. LFEs are the most prominent feature making their mark through the pounding bass of the music and various low end sound effects (like dramatic whirring and such). Dialogue is crisp and clear from the center with no distortion or dropout problems, while a majority of the sound effects are not quite front-heavy per say, but slightly more towards the front as a result of the sound design. It's not until guns start blazing that the rears get their fair share of noise distribution, which for all intents and purposes sound awesome because there really aren't that many sequences of it till around the end of the movie. But being most notably a martial arts-centric film, a majority of the effects come from the frequent punching, kicking, whacking, and body thuds. Again, much like the gunplay, there's not an incredible amount of the stuff, but when the violence starts, you can really hear and feel it. I was very happy to feel the thumps and wuds emanating from the sub-woofer and wouldn't expect anything less from this genre. The music by Neil Davidge and Massive Attack give the film a great balance of upbeat ambience for the action and slow, mellow piano/orchestral pieces for character development. Again, directionality and separation don't do a whole lot and are more sporadic in the first and second acts of the film, but immersion is excellent when the fighting ensues. Obviously, the best parts you could use for reference are Danny's fight in the arena and his battle against that bald-headed, wannabe Shaolin monk white guy (never liked his look, but he did a pretty good job keeping up with Li). The arena fight has a lot of sound immersion from the crowd and music with some great body hits and weapon clash effects. And the white guy battle is reference brutality, when they start fighting in the toilet room and literally beat the crap out of each other I can't help but find that scene violently beautiful. The clarity of the smacking of fist on head, fist to body, then foot to head are quite rousing.

Extras 2.0

While everything else about this disc is great, the extras are very underwhelming and a bit of a disappointment. First, there's a 5-minute clip of Leterrier talking about the film where he basically gives the premise, tells a little bit about the kind of picture he wanted to make, all the star power involved, and how great it was to work with all of them. It's very short and not a bad watch, but an audio commentary would've been nicer. Then there's the feature "Serve No Master," which basically shows the fight choreography for the scene in the arena with some snippets of commentary from Li rounding out to about 10 minutes. Most of it is the fight itself taken straight from the movie with a little bit of P-i-P comparisons from the filming. This one is pretty skipable. Next, there's "The Collar Comes Off," which is a little bit more in-depth about the overall filming and writing. It recycles most, if not all of the commentary and interviews from Serve No Master, though does have some input from Freeman, and a little more from Hoskins. This feature is about 12 minutes long, but again is severely lacking in depth. And lastly, there are a couple of music videos featuring the music of Massive Attack and The RZA. Altogether these videos are about 4 minutes total and are nothing more than highlight reels of the fight scenes. The extras aren't shabby, but they're not that interesting either. Oh well, better than nothing.

Overall 4.0

Danny the Dog is probably my favorite non-Chinese Jet Li film to date (although I'm not really sure which side I'd put The Forbidden Kingdom on, it's Hollywood-made, but for the most part was made in China..). It's a riveting story about an unfortunate person who came to live a sad life, but was saved from it with a little bit of kindness and lotta' bit of martial arts to take his pursuers out. Ever since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon set a new standard for me in terms of wushu/wuxia movies with a story, I've found some pretty good gems since then in Hero, Danny the Dog, Huo Yuan Jia (aka Fearless), and maybe even Chi Bi (aka Red Cliff) if I ever get around to watching part II. But I definitely can say is this another one of the greats. With excellent video and reference audio (though a disappointing amount of extras), Danny the Dog (or Unleashed, or whatever you're used to calling it) comes highly recommended.

While I am in fact a fan of Jet Li, this is a movie that a non-martial arts person can enjoy. It is by far the best acting he has ever done. You could see the evolution of his character's mindset, all while trying to understand kindness and humanity. Also, great action scenes!

You can't go wrong with Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman, either. It was clearly good vs. evil, but those two guys can give nuance and depth to even the most basic of plot points.

The Blu-ray version is clean and crisp. No pixelation even with the intense action and darker surroundings of the fighing pit and Freeman's apartment. Nice extra's as you get a chance to hear Jet Li's take on the character and why he wanted the role so much. Don't hesitate to buy it and while you're at it, grab Kiss of the Dragon, too!

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I'll admit that upon first look this film seemed like just another run-of-the-mill revenge action flick with mediocre writing and substandard acting, yet I was very pleasantly surprised by how deep and emotionally involving this film actually was! While Jet-Li has never been known for his acting talent, he shines here as young man is taken under bondage by his sleezy and greedy uncle who uses him as a sort of pitbull fighting dog, who makes his uncle vasts amount of money in underground street fights by keeping him sort of captive through the use of a electronic metal collar. How this collar works exactly is never really explained, but given how engrossing the film is, it doesn't really need to be. Danny also deals with a struggle with how his mother died and what exactly happened to her.

Jet-Li's character Danny soon becomes separated by his uncle and gang and gets taken in by a blind piano repair man played by Morgan Freeman (who surprised me that he actually decided to be in this film), and his stepdaughter Victoria (played by unknown actress Kerry Condon who puts on an absolutely charming and adorable performance as a young and extroverted high school senior you know, the sort of young woman every man dreams of finding and marrying... really, she's that good). All in all, Condon and Freeman steal the show, as without these two actors playing middle-class citizens in London just trying to get by this film would most likely just be another substandard washout. Jet-Li also puts on a surprisingly good performance as we see his character develop from a somewhat very shy and introverted mute to an more open and joyful young man who is reborn into a new life.

Things soon get dicey when it is discovered that Danny's uncle is not actually dead as originally thought, and Danny's two worlds collide.

While the film is only 95 minutes long, and doesn't really do anything that other films have already experimented with, it is the performances that keep you involved. Yes, there are some great action scenes and good fighting choreography in this, but what is relieving is that the fighting is not what is meant to keep your attention during this movie, but instead it is the characters and their relationships, their growth and emotional involvement. You come to care about the characters and what happens to them, you begin to feel bad and worried for Danny as well as his new family. This is just good writing.

Now, sure this movie could have been better if the script was more tweaked and more time was put into the few plot holes that exist or things that aren't readily explained, the villains also could have been more "hate-able," and there could have been room for more sideplots involving the new family... but really, as you watch the film, you just accept it for what it is and do come to like it. So in another sense, this film can't immediately be dubbed an "action film." While there is action in it (fairly violent at many points) there is good dialogue and drama, so this could be placed in the borderline action/drama category. The Unrated version is only 1 minute longer than the theatrical version (both version exist on the disc), and I'm sure plenty of brief violent scenes are restored, although I have only seen the Unrated version.

As for the Blu-ray transfer, I must honestly say that it's pretty good, but not great. There is some grain that is left over so while the picture is good, it is no Lord of the Rings Blu-ray quality, but it is quite a few hairs better than what a DVD would be. The sound excels over the video as the audio comes out even across the entire film, and things sound plenty rich and crisp and crystal clear. I would say in some ways the audio in this film exceed many of the more mainstream Blu-ray hits. So definite Kudos for the studio on that one. As far as extras, don't expect anything, you don't get any behind the scenes or anything like that, but considering the price, you won't miss it.

So for action fans this is a good pick up and flick to watch over the some dinner or with some friends. I definitely recommend it, even for those non-action fans.

Read Best Reviews of Unleashed (2005) Here

This movie depicts how a human might react if they were treated like a dog. Put into a cage, taught to fight on command, ignore pain and damage until the other individual(s) is down or dead. Yet redemption is still available as a memory of his childhood clings to him in the form of a piano tune. It is through this manner that a "chained dog" becomes surface civilizied where he overcomes his incredibtly brutal upbringing to rise above and claim his humaity before the curtain ends. A bit of a leap in the transformation, but it is supposed to be a redemption movei and you can't have your hero staying "chained" to his past unable to break free. Good movie, lots of violence, some over the top; but when compared to some of what's in theaters today, it can seem almost tame.

Not for children as this is adult theme movie, not PG-13 by any means, would be hesitant to allow pre-teens to watch.

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Did you ever max out your man's credit card? I did. I put this will the discover bill. Jet Li on blue ray fixed everything.

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Black Book (2007)

As many here have said, this is a beautifully shot, gripping, unforgettable movie, a great addition to the honorable genre of WWII flicks. In fact, the father of one of my colleagues, Dutch himself and in his 70s, said this was the best film he has ever seen. So I don't understand why, if a man in his 70s who is from the WWII generation himself did not find this film "prurient," so many reviewers have insisted that it is. The scene that most of the prudes seem to find gratuitous is (spoiler alert) the scene in which the Jewish heroine prepares herself to pass as a blonde bombshell so she can seduce the German officer. Clearly, she is going to have to dye or shave hair other than the hair on her head in order to pass as a natural blond. The movie shows her doing this. Why is it not gratuitous? Because the scene sets up the love triangle that will result in the conflict in the last third of the movie. It is absolutely essential to the advancement of the plot, and in my opinion, any reviewer who can't see that is not only a fussy old woman, but also not much of a reviewer. So if you have not seen this movie because you've read a review that trashes it on the grounds of prurience, please reconsider. And consider this: the most recent Ang Lee movie is so sexually frank that it got an NC-17 rating, yet there hasn't been a single review which has trashed it on the basis of its gratuitous sex. That says to me that some major reviewers are only interested in criticizing Paul Verhoeven rather than commenting honestly on his film. Another reason to see this movie is Carice Van Houten. She not only convincingly plays a 40's bombshell, she has that same 40s movie-star quality that you can't take your eyes off of. Truly, you could watch this film 100 times and never get tired of her. She is irresistible.

One of my special interests is WW II history, especially the Nazi era, and I have watched many fact-based movies dealing with the theme. Black Book is a first-rate thriller that depicts the trials and tribulations of a young Jewish woman in Nazi-occupied Holland. Rachel Stein the lead character is played consummately by the beguiling Carice Van Houten whose facial expressions do a lot more to convey fear, vulnerability, hatred and determination than mere dialogue alone. To ensure her continued survival and escape from certain death that awaits the Jewish populace, Rachel, having suffered the loss of her brother and parents, takes on the guise of an Aryan, Ellis de Vries, and is roped by the Resistance to seduce Ludwig Muntze [Sebastian Koch] a Gestapo officer and steal Nazi secrets.

The actors in this movie are well-cast even the Gestapo officer, whose very title should inspire revulsion is portrayed with a certain sensitivity, and he shows a semblance of humanity, a rare trait for an officer of the Reich. Even knowing Rachel's true Jewish identity, he falls hopelessly in love with her, and this is portrayed with a level of credibility given the contradictions inherent in such a pairing.

The action is fast-paced, there is much violence, and yes, even explicit sex, but through it all, nothing detracts from the plot, only serves to enhance the story, and makes this a gripping, must-see WW II thriller.

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Director Paul Verhoeven stunned the film world with his World War II masterpiece "Soldier of Orange"...and in a sense, this film is a second

installment of his story of the Dutch Resistance. In the earlier film it was easier to distinguish the evil from the good...here characters are edgier and perhaps darker.

The story begins when a young, pretty Jewish woman tries to flee to Belgium from Nazi occupied Holland but her family is betrayed, massacred and robbed along with other Jewish families. After a nail-biting escape,

Rachel (Carice Van Houten), joins the Resistance and agrees to infiltrate the Gestapo headquarters. Surprisingly, she becomes attached to one of the officers, and the tale begins a spin into betrayal and counterbetrayal...so that enemies and friends are very hard to distinguish.

There is a lot of old-fashioned World War II suspense and action that

rolls the story along. But ultimately, this is a film about how hard it is to identify villains and heroes, when everyone is wearing a mask...including Rachel,of course who is hiding her Jewish identity.

Overall, the film sizzles more than Soldier of Orange, but the original World War II film is still the better steak. Recommended for the high octane action, interesting plot twists, and solid historical detail.

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I think the best reason to view this movie is to watch Carice van Houten as she plays the part of Rachel Stein, a Dutch Jew trying to stay alive during the Nazi occupation of Holland in 1944. Rachel is forced to assume a different identity as Ellis de Vries ( recruited by the Dutch Resistance following the betrayal and deaths of her parents and brother), even going so far as to dye her dark hair blonde to hide her Jewishness from SS Officer Ludwig Muentze in order to gain his confidence and infiltrate the Nazi HQ. Carice is incredibly convincing as the sexy ex-cabaret singer entertaining the smitten Captain Muentze, with whom she becomes infatuated, and his fellow SS officers with her 40s Bombshell looks and sweet voice.

The movie was a well-written, exciting, and suspenseful foreign language film (in Dutch, German, and English) from beginning to end. I highly recommend BLACK BOOK to anyone who enjoys good film making.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Mata Hari and Greta Garbo move over; Rachel Stein a.k.a. Ellis de Vries is the new girl in town, and she is positively fearless!

Paul Verhoeven, whose American film making career gave us such films as BASIC INSTINCT and ROBO COP, has returned to his native Netherlands to co-write and direct his "piece de resistance" (literally!) in his exhilarating and relentlessly thrilling BLACK BOOK.In BLACK BOOK Verhoeven has created a Resistance fighter/spy/seductive vixen heroine for the ages in Rachel Stein.She is a one-of-a-kind, and Dutch actress Carice van Houten probably has made her most important career choice in portraying her.

Though The film begins on a Kibbutz in 1956 Israel where we meet a song singing teacher named Rachel Stein who chances upon an old friend from the War days,a former Nazi whore named Ronnie, Rachel's memory quickly takes us from the peaceful kibbutz back to the horrors of WW2 in 1944 Holland.This is where the story of Rachel Stein really begins.

As a Jewish woman in Holland, Rachel Stein has been forced into hiding with a Dutch family in order to fly under the radar of the terror of the Nazi Occupation and the compliant Dutch Police. When the family's farm is bombed ,Rachel is forced by circumstance to begin a long line of improvisations to simply stay alive.She is gorgeous,incredibly resourceful and absolutely and unapologetically opportunistic as she,instead of waiting out the War in seclusion, boldly goes forth right under the noses of the Nazis,changing her persona to Ellis de Vries,a platinum-blonde former Berlin cabaret star ,relying on her incredible female powers,beauty (and she is!) genius and courage and takes the Nazi Terror on.Ellis finds her niche with the Dutch resistance which asks her to land smack into the arms of a head Gestapo officer,Ludwig Muntze,(Sebastian Koch).She becomes the Resistance's chief spy as she plays whore to a Muntze,who falls heartily and hard for the magnificent and charming Ellis.What was simply a spy job,though,now changes drastically as Ellis and Ludwig really do fall in love.This is where the final and most difficult task lies for Ellis (and that is all this reviewer is giving away!)

Carice van Houten is an absolute rare find and no doubt the job that she so admirably does in infusing Rachel/Ellis with such depth,complexity and grit will land her all kinds of accolades and awards in the year to come.Ms van Houten takes the courageous yet fleeing Jewess Rachel and transfigures her into the ever resourceful,luminesque-Garbolike Ellis taking her into the world of roller coaster nightmares that leaves the viewer positively out of breath (and I was!)

Sebastian Koch,fresh from his sucess in the 2006 Foreign Oscar winner THE LIVES OF OTHERS is even MORE convincing as Gestapo officer Muntze in BLACK BOOK.This is an actor of such depth that coupled with van Houten and a flawless script and deft direction, BLACK BOOK is going to be hard to top for the 2007 Oscar.With such a glut of overused and underachieved American "stars",van Houten and Koch are actors' actors and hopefully will keep making smart decisions to act only the finest material under the best direction.Watching these actors makes one wonder why Americans fawn over some of the "fluff" stars we do?

What is neat about BLACK BOOK is that Verhoeven never gives the audience one minute of rest.He, though, never allows BLACK BOOK to become just another action-packed spy thriller; instead he gives us an incredibly deep and detailed story,set among the darkest days in war torn Europe that is character-rich,plot-exploding with great visual sense and style.BLACK BOOK is Verhoeven at his most mature.His last Dutch film,the 1983 thriller THE FOURTH MAN,though alright,followed by his American films,puts BLACK BOOK at the top of his distinguished directorial list.

Anne Dudley,who heretofore was known to this reviewer for her classical-style music, HYMNS ANCIENT AND MODERN, has composed a compelling and riveting soundtrack that never overtakes any of the story,but cleverly moves the action along-the chief goal of a score writer.

It is hard to believe that this film was 2 and 1/2 hours long! It flew by.BLACK BOOK is rated R and contains nudity,violence and coarse profanity.

Great companion films on WW2 Netherlands would be THE HIDING PLACE and A DAY IN OCTOBER .It seems to me that THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE ,which is the true story of Edith Hahn's transfiguration from hiding Jewess into a Officer's wife may well have been the "true events" that inspired the screenplay for BLACK BOOK.The similarities are uncanny making BLACK BOOK all the better for it.DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

Sebastian Koch followed up this film with THE LIVES OF OTHERS-another triumph!

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Legends of Jazz (2007)

I found out about this 2-disk set while watching the "Male Vocalists" episode of the new PBS television series "Legends of Jazz," and after buying it, I find I am really looking forward to seeing all the rest of the actual half-hour TV shows from which these 13 tracks and clips are taken. As for this set, let me say first that the audio and video quality are simply outstanding, among the best I have ever heard, in fact, (which is not surprising considering that the TV series is shot in HDTV and features really outstanding Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound.) Next, as for the performances themselves, they really shine and there is something here for everyone the set covers everything from latin jazz to be-bop, Brazilian jazz, fusion-type jazz, vocal jazz, and even throws in a bit of the blues, with a great duet by Robert Cray and Keb' Mo'. A really nice mix of artists, older and younger, and a pretty good value for money, considering that you get both a CD and a DVD packaged together in the box. I highly recommend this!

This is a fantastic collection of live performances on both DC and DVD! From the Al Jarreau/Kurt Elling vocal duet version of Brubeck's "Take Five" to David Sanborn and Phil Woods blowing down the house on the classic "Senor Blues", there is not a single bad track in this package. I also loved the solo performances Chick Corea's mind-blowing display of technique on "Armando's Rhumba" is a particular standout, as is Benny Golson's "Killer Joe" (the track Spielberg used in the Tom Hanks film, "The Terminal".) This would be a good deal just for the audio CD, but the included video versions of the performances on the accompanying DVD are a welcome extra they're shot beautifully and the Dolby 5.1 Surround really makes you feel as if you are there at the TV taping... For me, though, the best part is that the artist combinations are really well thought-out, and give you the chance to hear some incredible jazz musicians performing together whom you would ordinarily never see on the same stage.

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If you want to know the great high definition, buy it !

The performers are first class. Audio = *****.

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I caught a few episodes of "Legends of Jazz" before buying this, so I knew I would like it. Some of this has not been shown yet by PBS in my area, so I didn't know if the ones I hadn't caught yet were going to be as good as the earlier ones. Well, it turns out that the remainder of them lived up to my expectations. I really like the Kurt Elling and Al Jarreau version of the classic "Take Five" and the Robert Cray and Keb Mo collaboration on "The 12 Year Old Boy". The only thing I'm disappointed about is that there is no Roy Hargrove on here. Hargrove is my favorite living trumpet player and I really enjoyed his playing on the first episode. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

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This disc is a must-own if you like Jazz and have a Blu-ray player. The video is outstanding, but the audio will blow you away.

The entire disc is in Dolby TrueHD, so you get 100% lossless audio. It is pristine.

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A Madea Christmas: The Play (2011)

We, my husband and I, also went to see the play. Even though we didn't have great seats, we didn't regret attending this play. It was so funny but with a much needed point. Thanks so much to Tyler Perry for being real!! Get this DVD!!

A Madea Christmas: The Play

My husband and I saw this play live and I must say that it is another one for the books! It was hilarious. Everything is not always as it seems that is for sure. Mr Perry always knows how to bring it. This is worth buying and if you haven't seen one of his plays live, you are missing out. There is nothing like it. And for the Nay sayers, keep your comments to yourself! We must uplift one another and if you do not like Mr Perry then keep it moving.

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I am a big Tyler Perry fan, I really enjoy watching his plays and movies, but Tyler Perry is getting very redundant. This play is a great joy to watch. Me and my dad watched it and we both loved it, but it still misses some of the key characteristics he had in his first 3 or 4 plays, and has to much of stuff he doesn't need. Every play Tyler Perry brings out he starts to cuss more and more. At first he just said "hell", with a few marijuana references here and there. As he produces more and more, he say's "ass" 20 times, "damn" 4-5 times....borderlines blasphemy in my opinion in some cases, and every play there is a marijuana reference, EVERY PLAY! Like c'mon Tyler, it was funny at first, but do something different. Not every character has to have a marijuana hobby.

This play is more about Tyler Perry (Madea) than anybody. Of course, we ALL LOVE MADEA! She is so awesome and funny, but lately when there is a play with Madea, its ALL ABOUT MADEA! There is so much talent on the stage, yet Madea is the only one talking 90% of the time. Telling moral stories and how to live life. Let someone else give those words of wisdom. Only time there are actually serious moments in the play, is when Tyler Perry is not on stage. The play is very funny without Madea a lot of times. Or when the characters are trying portray a serious situation, Madea is just ad-libbing the entire time, pulling you out of the story seriousness. I truly want Tyler Perry to keep doing work and making plays and movies. However, variety is key. Not the same old concept of black people doing bad. Not to mention the movies, those have really been bad lately.. Madeas Big Happy Family movie is IDENTICAL to the play, no new jokes, same EVERYTHING! I really do not understand why make a movie into a play, but not change a darn thing about it....Money maybe? But you don't want me to bootleg..? But you want to make 2 shows the exact same way to just make more money???....right.

There is another play coming out called "The haves and the have nots", it is currently on tour, yet, the title alone is basically the same story of this "Christmas" play....Cmon now...

I'm getting off track here, I just really want the old Tyler Perry to start making great stories again, with an intriguing story line. Cut out all the excess fat and garbage. This is overall a good play, it is a GREAT play if you are not familiar with Tyler Perry plays. For older fans, it's just another money maker, that will turn into a movie.

BLU-RAY -

It was amazing to see this play on Blu-Ray, I wish he would go back and reformat the older plays and make them High Def. The sound and visual of the play, is VERY detailed. You can see everything on the set so smoothly, the colors are so vibrant. I was literally blown away with the video quality of this play on Blu-Ray. I'm going to have to snag "Madeas Big Happy Family The Play" on Blu-Ray after seeing this fantastic quality.

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i really enjoyed this play. It simply had me laughing and crying. This is a must have for all people. Tyler P keep up the great work.

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Just watched this and at first was going to change it but once Madea arrived I stayed. THis show was hysterical, awesome singing and the fact that it was on stage, live Awesome!

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Diary of a Chambermaid (1946)

A mystery to audiences because its equivocal moralism when it premiered in 1946, "The Diary of a Chambermaid" is now considered one of Jean Renoir's key works for unlocking his contemplation of the many facets of human nature. This film is a faithful adaptation of the spirit of Octave Mirbeau's novel, exhibiting decidedly French sensibilities because of its expatriate director, cinematographer (Lucien Andriot) and composer (Michel Michelet). For that matter the novel had been a play written by Andre Heuse, Andre de Lorde and Thielly Nores, although actor Burgess Meredith had a hand in writing the screenplay.

This film is most reminiscent of his examination of the dark, sinister and ugly side of life as in "La Bete Humaine" and "La Chienne," that manages to be both a social satire and a perverse tragedy. Renoir's moralistic tone comes through, even with the surface levity of the characters, portrayed by an international cast. Celestine (Paulette Goddard) the chambermaid has a new job in the country estate of the Lanlaires (Reginald Owen and Judith Anderson), where she hopes to use her beauty to seduce a wealthy man. Three men from three different social classes with three different perspectives on the world vie for her attention: Young Georges Lanlaire (Reginald), who has come back home; one of the neighbors, the ex-officer Captain Mauger (Burgess Meredith); and the Lanlaires' depraved valet Joseph (Francis Lederer in the film's most memorable performance).

"The Diary of a Chambermaid" is filled with disquieting moments, such as when Mauger crushes his pet squirrel to death or Joseph kills a goose with a long needle, while Madame Lanlaire frets possessively over the family silver. Meanwhile, Celestine's doomed love life continues on the path to degradation. This is clearly the best of Renoir's efforts in America, although it does benefit from being considered in context with the larger body of his work. Final Note: look for Irene "Granny" Ryan as fairly young "Louise."

A much-praised and criticised film. Goddard is an enterprising young chambermaid who wants nothing more than to wed a rich man. As love would have it, a penniless valet becomes enamoured of her; he tries to win her the only way he can....France's great director, Jean Renoir (son of the immortal impressionist painter Augustus) was known for his realism in his French films. This picture, however, done during the director's Hollywood years reeks of artificiality. Upon its release in 1946, it met with disapproval with the studio system, and it was shunned by his French patrons. Perhaps egotistically, but most likely, they insisted that his best work was done in France, which is probably true. However, Renoir was unique and his humanism and morality breaks through here; a brilliantly oddball film which blends the serious and the comic. Francis Lederer is menacing as Joseph, Burgess Merideth is amusing as the eccentric Captain Mauger and Irene "Granny" Ryan has a memorable cameo as Louise, the timid maid.

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Sliver (2013)

Sharon Stone and SLIVER made a lot of sense after BASIC INSTINCT. It gave her a chance to be the hunted instead of the hunter, and also promised a whole lot of male nudity this time around instead of her being revealed so much. Eszterhas was back on board as a screenwriter, and the film was designed to be a sexual thriller about modern voyeurism with video cameras. SLIVER the book was not Ira Levin's best novel (cheesy fun but nothing classic), and I found myself not minding this movie deviates from it. Anyone who's read it knows the heroine's cat saves the day in one of the silliest climaxes ever. So don't worry about the book being better or worse with this one.

The production ran in to problems especially with the ending originally planned inside a VOLCANO of all things. Test audiences hated it, and so reshoots were quickly done. Eszterhas was not happy with the changes to his original script, and some new scenes made the actors seem a little less prepared and rushed. Billy Baldwin chickened out on full frontal nudity planned for his character, and demanded his most revealing shots be cut from the final movie. Despite any changes, the movie turns out to be entertaining fluff that never quite seems as kinky as it could be. It's still a whole lot of fun, and worth it for Stone fans. There are still some interesting ideas here.

This DVD contains a European cut with more nudity and prolonged sex scenes. For the most part you'll see much more of Baldwin, since Stone carefully handled her nudity this time around (she learned quick after BASIC INSTINCT). There are no extras, and that's a real shame. I wanted to see the real ending, but no such luck. Also no trailers on the disc because they included moments from the original ending and not the new version. And oddly enough a Lords of Acid song is removed from the DVD's soundtrack. But at least we get it bigger, longer, and uncut at a reasonable price.

You like to watch, right?

Sliver is a fantastic film. The best out of all the erotic thrillers filmed between the years of 1987-1995, preferably the time in which the Erotic Thriller genre was big. Ending with Eszterhas's JADE. Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Jade, Jagged Egde) wrote Sliver. A film starring Sharon Stone as Carly Norris, stuck in this age of loneliness after coming out of a 7 year bad marriage. Moving into a slick and sleek sliver apartment building, she is warmly welcomed by all of it's tennants. Including, Vida Warren a woman with a dark double life. Gus Hale, a man that is willing to tell all dirty little secrets. Zeke Hawkins a handsome young man that takes a sexual interest in Carly, FAST. And Tom Berenger a classy writer, with a macho jerk attitude. When Carly gets involved, very involved, with Zeke she begins to learn that inside the walls of this building hides a secret that could reveal everything. With an ending so fast paced it will blow right by you, but a very satisfying ending if I do say so in the least. Again, buy SLIVER in the unrated version, sit down and relax in the darkness and remember that there is no place more frightening than home...

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I absolutely love this movie. When I was in high school, a bunch of us went to see it (yeah, I'm dating myself aren't I?) and I loved it then. Good to know that 13 years later I still love Sliver. Perhaps it was my giant crush on William Baldwin that really made this movie sparkle to me. Or perhaps it was the voyeuristic ambiance throughout it. Either way, this is a fun little thriller that will keep you entertained. For the guys, you can oggle Sharon Stone in all her hotness. And as I mentioned, for the ladies, there's William Baldwin to adore. Basically, a woman named Carly (Stone) moves into the Sliver tower where there have been several weird deaths, most recently, a woman whose looks resemble Carly's, who happened to be the former tenant of the apartment Carly just bought. A variety of suitors attempt to get Carly's attention, one of which brings her a telescope, in turn making her realize that she indeed likes to watch. But who's watching Carly? Ah, to go into it any further would ruin this fine little movie. I'm not saying it's the best ever, but Sliver is plenty of fun for men & women alike who enjoy thrillers.

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On the verge of Basic Instinct 2, a re-evaluation of Sharon Stone's film career is in order.

Looking through the reviews, it becomes apparent SLIVER is not necessarily an acclaimed film, but don't let that discourage you! When you choose a Sharon Stone movie from the shelf, you probably aren't looking for a pretentious "message" picture. You are looking for entertainment, full of glamour, thrills, sex, romance, melodrama, and excitement--and that's just where the priorities are in this film.

It is not a dumb film. The script is well-written, the cinematography was ahead of its time, and the direction is expert. Sharon Stone is at her best as the vulnerable and lonely Carly, and gives a deep, knowing performance, but the supporting cast varies in ability. Nina Foch and Martin Landau are wasted in small roles.

Many complaints concern the ending--which is apparently not true to Ira Levin's novel. Most book-to-screen adaptations are easy to find fault with when comparing to the book. As a viewer who has not read the book, the film is effective, and that is all that really matters! The film holds its own, and is its own piece of art.

And art this really is--the soundtrack, including the score by Howard Shore, is tremendously effective in maintaining the eerie, lonely mood of the film. The glossy, luxurious atmosphere is also an asset.

It's surprising now to read so many negative reviews, because as far as film-making is concerned, SLIVER is not a B-movie at all. It is a very classy affair. It should not be looked at as camp or cheese, because its intentions were not to be a serious message film. It aims to be what it is--an entertaining star vehicle for Sharon Stone at the height of her beauty and stardom!

It really should not be surprising, though, that SLIVER is often ridiculed as a "bad" film, when our society seems to think the only films worth watching are pretentious message films (not that messages are always bad; BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN contained a very relevant and necessary message, but some films just tell messages for the sake of it, and that is the nature of camp, in my opinion).

It also should not be surprising that SLIVER is so hated, considering the conservative nature of much of American society! SLIVER is a film which includes a lot of sex, nudity, and other sophisticated situations which imply "sin." Puritans will surely find something to dislike here! I think in the early 1990s, a lot of people went to movies like BASIC INSTINCT and INDECENT PROPOSAL, enjoyed them, and then bashed them later on because they were ashamed to say they liked such a film. The truth is they were daring, intelligent films which do not deserve their negative reputation. SLIVER is among them!

So, I am proud to be an exception, and say that SLIVER is a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining, and well-made film! It certainly is a piece of art, and if you are looking for a message, you might just find it has something to say about voyeurism, as well as sexual and romantic independence.

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There's plenty of sex, with heavy breathing, sweat and tears. So if you're looking for a plot, but want to see Sharon Stone get busy as well, this is the film for you. Plot development is not up to par, but I don't think that was the focus of the producer. There is, however, a mystery and a guessing game that does leave you wondering who-dunnit. It's a movie characteristic of the era, so expect some predictable elements. The film is entertaining, though. NOT a family picture.

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

The 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a perennial classic that absolutely terrified me as a child and still holds up after nearly 30 years and is one of the best and rare examples where a remake actually surpasses the original ala John Carpenter's The Thing. Director Philip Kaufman crafts a suspenseful science-fiction masterpiece about the dehumanization of humanity by investing in the personalities of very emotional human characters that break the mold of two-dimensional cookie-cutter stereotypes. Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams have a genuine chemistry with great supporting roles by Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright. Adding to the eerie atmosphere we also get a very creepy and surreal performance by Leonard Nimoy as a pseudo-intellectual psychologist that will completely alter your perception of Mr. Spock forever.

I had the pleasure of watching this film again late at night after an exhausting day of work which is the perfect state of mind to be in. Struggling to keep myself from nodding off I could relate even better to the characters and their conflict by forcing myself to stay awake, not because the film is dull or boring, heavens no, but because as a child I believed, however irrational it may seem, that if I fell asleep watching this film that I too would be transformed and replaced by a pod. Funny how the innocent superstitions of childhood can resonate in our subconscious after so many years.

The new 2-disc collectors edition DVD is definitely worth replacing the old one if you own it, which seems almost like an analogy of the film itself which is finally presented in anamorphic widescreen with Dolby digital sound and director commentary by Philip Kaufman if you really want to test your insomnia. The second disc contains some nice featurettes like "Re-visitors From Outer Space, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod" featuring new interviews with Donald Sutherland, Veronica Cartwright, Phillip Kaufman and screenwriter W.D. Richter who reflect on the lasting appeal of the film and provide some interesting anecdotes about making the film. "Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod" goes into the the organic photography of the alien spores and "The Man Behind the Scream: The Sound Effects of the Pod" features Lucasfilm's sound guru Ben Burtt who designed and mixed the sound effects after completing Star Wars to create the film's unforgettable and disturbing sound design. "The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography of the Pod" also goes into the production design and chiaroscuro lighting used to compose the forboding look and mood through light and shadow to invoke dramatic Hitchcockian suspense, and lastly the original theatrical trailer is included as well. There's more than enough material here to keep you awake for hours but should you find yourself feeling a bit tired just remember one thing; no matter what happens... DON'T FALL ASLEEP!

The best of three very good big screen adaptations of Jack Finney's classic sci-fi novel is the closest thing to a filmed nightmare you're likely ever to see.

This entire picture is a horror masterpiece. Director Philip Kaufman puts together a hell of a movie, colorful, claustrophobic and atmospheric. Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams head-up a stellar cast, including Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Leonard Nimoy, and even Robert Duvall in an early blink-and-you've-missed-him cameo. Kevin McCarthy reprises, more or less, his role from the original 1956 film, initiating Sutherland and Adams on a nightmare ride of alien invasion that escalates to apocalyptic proportion.

There's not a thing wrong with this movie. Denny Zeitlin's eerie, atonal electronic score highlights the often very unsettling visuals, which include disintegrating people, fibrously materializing doppelgangers, and a dog with a human face. The script is flawless, succeeding like Finney's novel and the original movie by presenting us with recognizable people facing an impossible reality, updated for modern times. The actors underplay the tense melodrama, making it all the more dramatic when they're ultimately driven to screaming madness.

I can't recommend this movie highly enough. If you're a horror or science-fiction fan, or simply love a wonderfully performed, tensely scripted melodrama, this movie is for you.

Warning: this film is very, very disturbing, at times. You might want to keep it on the upper shelf.

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"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is one of the earliest science fiction films I remember seeing. A superior remake of the 1956 original, it's both chilling and funny.

In San Francisco, people are beginning to "change". They seem to lack feeling. This is because they are not human, they are replicas, grown from seeds that came to Earth from space. Donald Sutherland plays a health inspector. His friend and co-worker (Brooke Adams) tells him that her husband seems different. Over time more and more people are becoming unlike themselves. It feels like some sort of conspiracy is afoot. Sure enough, an alien invasion is slowly unfolding.

This film is about four people's fight to preserve their humanity. The basic message is, if you are not an individual, your own person, you are virtually dead. Love, hate, fear, and anger are what colour our lives.

There are certain things in the film that suggest dark humour. Whenever you see the rubbish truck, you know another person has been "replaced". If you listen carefully, you sometimes hear that alien shriek among the everyday noises of traffic and city crowds. Kevin McCarthy, who starred in the 1956 version, has a cameo, again trying to warn people what is happening (to no avail). The film's ending is completely unexpected.

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We all know the story, so there's no point in my discussing that here. As a movie, this version stands as positive proof that some remakes are just as good as -and sometimes better than -the original. Leaving behind the small-town setting of the earlier B&W version from the 1950s, the locale is changed to a large city, San Francisco. Some interesting changes were made that lent it a hipper feel, and, of course, the acting style is completely different: the dialogue all sounds so much more natural. For enhanced chills, more of the transition from human to pod-person is revealed, accompanied with an eerie sound of a heartbeat and swooshing circulation. It's a good movie, preserving what was best in the original and making some creepy alterations. So those of us who owned the DVD of this version were very disappointed when we played it on our BD players. Expecting at least a half-decent upconversion, we found instead that the picture was a wriggling mess. Even worse, the picture was shrunken down to a letterbox presentation. I found it unwatchable, so this movie needed a BD upgrade in a big way.

The simple report is, the BD image is patently superior to the DVD edition. After making a comparison, I saw that some minor image cleanup has taken place, removing flecks from aging. If any DNR went into it, it wasn't done to the extreme of sacrificing details. It also appears as if little or no sharpening was applied, which is a good thing: sometimes these older movies can become a mess once every defect from age is brought into bold relief. The color palette has remained natural, fitting for its noirish intent. However, taken in total, the improvements don't really POP OUT at you, like they often do when you first see the Blu-ray of a favorite movie. At times, a soft, fine, snow-like noise is visible in some dimly lit scenes, but it's not consistently so, and I found it negligible in any case. In all, the end product is just sufficient enough to make it worth the purchase, if only because the DVD edition is so horrendous.

So while it's definitely sharper than the DVD, it wouldn't be worth the PREMIUM price you see for other BDs, that have gone through frame-by-frame restorations. It is, however, easily worth the $10 or so you can get it for here. If you like this film, you might as well jump at it, as I don't think it'll get any better than this.

For extras, there are these featurettes: "Re-visitors from Outer Space, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod," about sixteen minutes, with a few words from the producer and director, with a few of the cast members pitching in; "Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod," about five minutes long, explaining the special effects; "The Man Behind the Scream: The Sound Effects Pod," describing the sound design, about thirteen minutes long; "The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod," about six minutes long, about the dark camera work. There's also the original theatrical trailer. The soundtrack comes in stereo or 5.1.

There is one very puzzling failure: The commentary track by director Philip Kaufman was not ported over to the BD. For that, you'll have to play the second two-sided DVD (SD widescreen on one side, fullscreen on the other). That's where you'll find the commentary. Why didn't they put it on the BD? Go figure. It shows me that the manufacturer saw this merely as a quick fix to the awful DVD. It's a sufficient, but minimal, effort.

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One of the creepiest movies I've ever seen. Instead of the humanoid-appearing aliens so typical in most sci-fi films THIS movie goes in the other direction by portraying the aliens as seemingly harmless plants, which adds a rather terrifying irony to the proceedings. What these plants do once near a sleeping person (or animal) has to be seen to be appreciated because the special effects here are unsettlingly real.

All of the actors do a splendid job in portraying their characters, from the quirky and nuerotic Jeff Goldblum to the intuitive and resilient Veronica Cartwright. The stolid but slightly off-beat Donald Sutherland, to the emotionally suspicious Brooke Adams. All are terrific here!

Another thing that makes this movie so suspenseful is the masterful use of paranoia, which starts on a low simmer, building gradually, till by the movie's end everything is turned up to a heart-pounding, raging boil. All along the way you're virtually on the edge of your seat.

So the next time you're out walking and find a rather strange looking plant growing amongst the shrubbery, think twice before bringing it in your home.

But why worry, it's only a plant right???

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