The Battle of The Black Sea - The Untold Story of Black Hawk Down (2013)

This is bar none the best source of information regarding the events that led up to, during and after the battle that took place in Somalia in October of 1993. Paul's words are riveting and to the point. Having read every other book related to the battle on October 3/4, this goes above and beyond any other source of information that has been available to the public. There are many pictures and hard to find footage from Somalia 1993 included with Paul's commentary. Anyone interested in this subject will not be disappointed.

Thank you Paul and Panteao for producing such an excellent source of information.

Paul's account of what happened leading up to and during the operation that spiraled out of control and laid the ground work for the movie "Black Hawk Down" is very, very informative as well as entertaining. Chocked full of interesting tid-bits of information, names of participants and a minds eye view of the battlefield from a top Delta operator. He lays out the escalating battle with a no holds barred honesty and attention to detail of actions, inactions, and of the surroundings. His narrative brings to attention the problems he witnessed in command breakdown, lack of cooperation between command groups which compounded the problems in those desperate days, and increased the casualties .

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I was expecting a movie but it turned out to be a one person narrative. I much preferred Blackkhawk Down.

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Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

Based on the very popular and successful TV series, "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" is one entertaining thrill ride that really shows how effective anime can really be when it is done correctly. It's hard to think of a cartoon being so action-packed and involving, but this movie does a splendid job of doing just that. You're plunged right into the nail-biting action that will have you glued to your seat until it is well over.

The movie revolves around a bunch of outlaw bounty hunters. In Mars, there's a suspected terrorist running around with a virus that could very well wipe out the existence of human beings. Spike and company decide to take the case, as there is a large reward that will be given to the person or persons who catches the madman. The only trouble is that Spike and the gang have stumbled onto something that is much more than a simple bounty and end up discovering a big conspiracy that will throw their lives into ultimate danger. The action and excitement never ends until the shocking finale.

I watched the movie TWICE in one day. Right after I had seen it for the first time, I had to immediately watch it again. You know a movie is powerful when it has that kind of effect on you. Very rarely do I run into movies that make me want to watch it again right then and there. When you're watching "Cowboy Bebop," you really don't view it as an animated feature, but as a real living and breathing film. It is done that well. And, the great thing about this movie is that you do not have to have seen the show before. I watched this without seeing any of the shows and was able to follow it without any problems. Of course, chances are that you will want to watch the series after viewing the movie. The story is well thought out and appropriately structured. There isn't a single dull moment in the entire movie.

A little warning; although this is an animated feature, the movie is rated R. While it is certainly more mild than most anime, the movie does contain violence and language. I don't think this is anything for very young children, but I don't see a reason why older teens shouldn't be able to enjoy it.

The DVD has some nifty features to offer. First off, the picture quality is GORGEOUS. Even though it is an animated movie, the picture quality is fantastic and it really shows if you have great home theater system. The sound is also very good. Extras included are featurettes, music videos, storyboard comparisons, trailers and more. You can also watch it in the original Japanese audio track or the dubbed English one. I have to say, they do a great job of dubbing it in English. If you're not a fan of subtitles, then check it out in English. Overall, a very cool DVD package.

If you're looking for a wild and exciting trip filled with humor and thrills, "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" is just for you. Again, you do not have to have seen the actual TV series to understand the characters or the story. The movie does a fine job of standing on its own. This is truly a great movie that shows you just how exciting anime can be. Definitely a favorite. -Michael Crane

I love this movie. It's a long Cowboy Bebop episode and as such it's just fine. It has the humor and drama that one can expect from Cowboy Bebop and our beloved bounty hunters are back and in fine form and the stakes are higher than ever.

My review isn't so much about the movie itself but about the blu ray transfer. The video is very nice, better than the DVD, and the new font they used for the subtitles is very clean and I thought easy to read. The main menu is VASTLY different and does not use music from the movie like the DVD's menus do. It's rather nice and simple to navigate. Those are the positives.

Now for the negatives:

This blu ray only has 2 channel sound while the DVD has 5.1 surround.

This blu ray is missing all extras, not even trailers. If you want the interviews and the storyboard comparison, stick with the DVD.

In at least two places, the subtitles takes perfectly good translations and makes them wrong. I speak enough Japanese to be able to tell the difference, but one of them I verified with a native speaker. In several places near the beginning of the movie the subtitle is at the top of the screen. A couple of those relocations made sense, but the rest were inexplicable. If you watch it subtitled, stick with the DVD.

I only gave this 2 stars for my massive disappointment in the blu ray release. It would have been better if they charged a bit more for it and gave it parity with the DVD. The product description DOES say that there are no extras, but it doesn't tell you that the audio is only 2 channel.

I've watched this movie at LEAST a dozen times and I expect I'll watch it another dozen times, but it will be the DVD. The blu ray will gather dust if I don't sell it.

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Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed go after a Bio-terrorist worth a LOT of money. Good music from start to end (stay for the credits), with lots of humor and the characters are the same ones we love from the series, no changes like they do with other anime characters when they put them onto the big screen. Lovely camera shots, good quality work and you can tell they spent a lot of time working on the details. When the DVD comes out with lots of extras and both subtitles and dubbing in the English, you can BET your life I'm going to buy it. If you can't wait the DVD is already out from Japan (English subtitles only).

Try to see it on the big screen first. Not only does it seem to live, to reach out and touch you, but you're with other fans of Cowboy Bebop. How can you lose?

Even Ein has a few good scenes!!!

Go see it!

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This movie has been described as an extended-length episode of the clever and well-shot Cowboy Bebop series; an unfair comparison. Knockin' On Heaven's Door, which assuredly takes place somewhere in the middle of the series, follows bounty hunters (or cowboys) Spike, Faye, Jet, Ed and Ein in pursuit of a tremendous 300,000,000 wooloong bounty by the name of Vincent, who has the capacity and drive to remove everyone from the face of the planet. It does sound like just another episode, with raised stakes, but the movie offers more than just that. The art and "camera" movement are much more polished than the series, and the fight scenes (which may be the among if not the best hand-to-hand-to-broom-to-coffee maker combat scenes caught in ink) also reach a higher level of activity and smoothness. The plot isn't convuluted; you'll enjoy it a lot more if you watch at least five or six episodes of the series, but the movie is easy enough to follow and self-supporting.

"_____ the Movie" efforts often take on their own lives, and offer nothing toward the originating series, but Heaven's Door is an exception. The tale perhaps provides some insight into Spike's invulnerability and willingness to enter death or death situations; gives some more color to the "Julia" storyline; and just provides more interaction among the main crew of the Bebop.

Expect many beautifully shot moments to appropriate music, similar to the first Vicious-Spike encounter in the series.

Can't go wrong with it, and is at the least, worth your money.

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My review is aimed primarily at those unfamiliar with Cowboy Bebop and of the world of anime itself, as Cowboy Bebop: The Movie represents my first baby step into a cinematic style I have been curious about for some time. Obviously, I can't compare this film to others of its kind, nor can I comment on how well this movie ties in to the original Cowboy Bebop series. I can only say how much I enjoyed the movie and offer my own comments, for whatever they are worth, about the format of the presentation.

This was a new kind of viewing experience for me, and while I enjoyed the movie a great deal, parts of the storyline took a while to sink in or missed me altogether; I'm sure this is because I have no familiarity with the original series. Spike Spiegel is certainly an interesting character; I would not call him an antihero, but he is certainly a hero of a different stripe, as is his whole gang of fellow bounty hunters. Spike can be cryptic at times, and he spends a lot of time sleeping. When the time for action comes, however, he is up and at 'em, doing superheroic things in spectacular fashion. Then there is Faye Valentine, a partner who pretty much does her own thing and looks good doing it. She and Spike almost seem to be working at cross purposes at times, but their own paths converge eventually; the relationship between the two is a mystery to me. Former policeman Jet Black is the general of the bunch, but his arguments for slow, methodical action are rarely acknowledged by Spike and Faye. The most unusual character, particularly for a Cowboy Bebop neophyte such as myself, is young Edward, apparently some kind of hacker savant who oftentimes speaks in a child-like language all her own. Lest I forget, I should also mention the wunderdog Ein.

When a tanker truck explodes in the middle of a crowded city, unleashing some type of unknown agent that kills everyone who comes into contact with it, a huge reward is promised to anyone who discovers the culprit and brings him to justice. This reward gets Spike and the gang right on the case, one in which they have a head start Faye actually saw the man who drove the tanker. This is no regular old bounty hunt, though, as our intrepid heroes soon discover. The man behind the terrorism is planning to kill everyone on the planet with the unknown agent in his possession, and there is precious little time to stop him and save the world. Treating the tanker explosion as an act of bioterrorism, scientists work feverishly to identify what they think is a virus while both the cops and the military make moves to find and stop the terrorist from striking again. Spike and Faye wind their way into this seething world of mystery and hidden danger, only to find that identifying the culprit makes their job that much harder.

There is plenty of great action throughout the movie, including several fights and a number of spectacular chases by both land and air. I had a hard time getting a real grip on the story until I made it pretty far into the movie, but the story is a compelling one from the very beginning. Visually, the film is a joy to watch, exhibiting levels of incredible detail and fluidity of movement, really bringing to life every character in the story. More striking than the visuals, though, is the sound. The soundtrack of cutting edge music fits perfectly with the evolving story and stands out as one of the more memorable features of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. Don't make the mistake of dismissing this film and others like it as mere fancy cartoons. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a marvelous, gritty, realistic presentation of a breathtaking world of serious intrigue and excitement.

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The Grass is Greener (1960)

What a wonderful movie. Who could ask for more, with a cast including Cary Grant and Robert Mitchum? Not to mention a duel, a missing mink coat, mushrooms, British manors and fishing?

A wonderful romance, that shows how fate and middle age can come together and create havoc on the seemingly happy, if not a bit dull, life of a settled English couple, whose large country estate doubles as a tourist atrraction to support itself. (with lots of American tourists who leave apple cores and sticky bits of paper all over the grounds!)

To make ends meet, the wife also happens to run a thriving mushroom growing business in the cellar! (phew that was a long sentence!)

Robert Mitchum is one of these camera toting tourist who "mistakenly" wanders into the private portion of the house, finding Lady Rile and the sparks fly!

It's a charming old-fashioned adult romantic farce, that's not too far fetched.

I don't even know what Dundee cake is, but I like this movie. Cary Grant as the befuddled, cool, supercilious, angry, calm, loving, clever, wronged, vengeful, forgiving Lord Rhyall does indeed excel. Deborah Kerr as the lady of the house who falls for Robert Mitchum, quite good. Mitchum's not bad at playing the cad. Jean Simmons as the bibulous, gossipy friend Hattie -priceless.

But the dialogue, the verbal joustings, the rapid-fire wit: a marvel. As it turns out, there's jousting of a non-verbal variety, too. There's a weekend spent fishing. There are mysteries solved. There are lies covered and uncovered. There are knowing glances. There are panicky schemes and "friendly" phone calls. And most of the time, for the happy viewer, there is laughter. And admiration of this very elegant, very witty, funny and serious film.

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The movie is delightful, the DVD copy is very satisfactory. Its letterbox format is perfect for this movie, much better than an ananorphic format would have been.

My only complaint is that although the DVD is advertised as "Closed-Captioned" it has the "CC" logo on the case the DVD has NO captioning. This is quite disappointing for those who need captions.

Still, this DVD is the best way to see "The Grass Is Greener" outside of a movie theater.

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The perfect marriage of Kerr and Grant hits a snag when dapper, and loaded, American tourist Mitchum shows up at their grand English country home. While these three hold their own in their respective roles, it is Jean Simmons as the not to subtle and nosy best friend of the couple who steals the show. Her complete enjoyment of everyone else's discomfort is a delight and the writing is witty yet dead on caustic too. Just the scene where she shows up at the house to "comfort" Grant is enough to make any viewer love this film. Definitely a must-see.

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This has always been a favorite film of mine. The story is old-fashioned yet fun and the cast is divine. Despite having the VHS, I wanted more and ordered the DVD.

Beware! This DVD claims on its packaging to have Closed Captioning, but it does NOT!! No subtitles in any language, no line 21 captioning.

Nor does it have anything else. "Interactive Menus" means scene selections. This plain vanilla release doesn't even have a trailer. This film and cast deserves better and I see no reason Lion's Gate reissued this DVD with nothing added.

Since I bought it online, I can't return it and neither Lion's Gate nor Artisan will take it back despite the error in labeling and false advertising which is not the fault of the people I bought it from.

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Sin City (Two-Disc Theatrical & Recut, Extended, and Unrated Versions) (2005)

While it's probably a total cliche to say it by now, Sin City really is a wild thrill ride of a movie, and quite possibly the most entertaining thing that will hit theaters all year. Adapted by director Robert Rodriguez from Frank Miller's graphic-novel series, it's an energetic slab of neo-noir, complete with twisted characters, ambiguous morality, and deadly serious dialogue. For those who thought the Kill Bill movies weren't bizarre or violent enough, Sin City ought to seem like a stylish, action-packed gift from guy-movie heaven. It's filled with negativity, outrageously over the-top bloodletting, and some of the blackest humor known to man, but it all works anyway. I even managed to forgive the incessant voice-over narration, normally a rather lazy device, because it's so oddly poignant and poetic. It's not really that big a deal anyway, because this movie is so impressive visually that the characters could speak in gibberish and I'd probably still be moved to give it at least three stars.

It should be noted right off the bat that Sin City is not a movie for everyone, but if you're the type who would like it you presumably know who you are. IF you like crime movies, especially those filled with action and atmosphere, you will almost certainly get a kick out of Sin City. If you prefer lighter, more "socially redeeming" fare, you may still like it, or you may be overcome with bile filling your throat for most of its two-hour running time. It's all a matter of how willing you are to accept what's going on without asking too many nagging questions like "How exactly did Mickey Rourke just take out ten armed riot cops with nothing more than his fists and a hatchet?" or "is it really possible or even necessary to manually tear off a man's scrotum?". Everything about this movie is utterly outsized, from the themes to the characters to the action, but in the end it's a rousing success at what it intends to do, which is entertain. It's precisely because this movie was so utterly entertaining that I found myself unwilling to nitpick; you'll probably be too busy having your senses assaulted to linger on any problems you may have with the movie. Nothing is more key in movies (or TV, or novels for that matter) than getting the viewer to suspend disbelief, to simply let go and enjoy what's transpiring regardless of the plausibility level. Some of my favorite movies are wildly unrealistic, but at some point when watching them I just decided to go with it. Sin City is one such movie: I realized early on that the events unfolding onscreen bore little to no resemblance to reality as presently constituted; I just didn't care. I went to see this movie with my wife (who is, to put it mildly, not a fan of dark or violent movies), and she may have summed up the experience of watching it the best when she said simply "I was never bored." That, ultimately, is the secret to Sin City's success: it's so gripping to watch that it's hard to care about anything else.

As everyone (and probably their brothers) knows by now, Sin City was filmed using real actors against a black-and-white CGI background with some touches of color added for dramatic effect. It may seem like a gimmick at first, but Sin City is all about bringing the viewer into a sort of parallel universe, so this unconventional device works perfectly. Sin City is a movie dealing with lives on the edge, and it conjures up a delightfully dark, grimy, and gritty atmosphere to go match the depravity of its subject matter. Weighty themes and over-the-top violence abound here, and it's only fitting that the movie's look and feel should be so uniformly haunting. Consisting of three tangentially related stories occurring out of sequence, Sin City brings the viewer into an underworld populated by thieves, murderers, hookers, and dirty cops, and the morality is viewed entirely in shades of grey. In the Basin City of the movie, where the good guys are bad and the bad guys are even worse, violence is often a virtue, or at the very least a prerequisite for survival. If there's one redeeming value to Sin City's cartoonish ultraviolence, it's that it's painfully clear that its recipients generally deserve it.

Anyway, if there's one theme running through all of these stories, it's that of redemption. The protagonist in each tale (Bruce Willis's Hartigan, Rourke's Marv, and Clive Owen's Dwight) is a most unlikely hero (although Hartigan is just a regular cop and therefore not exactly bad, whereas it's clear that Marv and Dwight are murderers), but each finds himself driven to acts of extreme courage and sacrifice in order to see justice done. Sin City portrays a kind of heroism not typically seen in movies (especially big-budget, sanitized Hollywood productions), one that comes from doing the right thing even when it's nowhere near being the easiest thing. Rourke's Marv is probably the most memorable character, a hulking thug with a highly overdeveloped sense of vengeance who managed to arouse some of my sympathy even as he cut a swath of unimaginable destruction through his enemies on his way to avenging a murdered prostitute. Out of the legions of other figures in the movie, the great Benicio Del Toro deserves some special mention as a comically malevolent crooked cop who won't shut up even after he meets his unfortunate end.

Now, although I've gone on too long already, I'd feel remiss if I didn't talk about Sin City's staggering violence quotient. Yes, this an extremely graphic movie, and much of the violence is downright disturbing to watch (Elijah Wood's character being cut up and fed to a wolf is a prominent example, even if much of the violence in that case was implied), but it's just as true that context is an important factor when considering just how offensive such bloodletting is. Now, for one thing, Sin City is meant to be a piece of escapist cinema, so nothing that takes place onscreen should be taken too seriously anyway. After all, no one got offended during the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when King Arthur cut off the Black Knight's arms and legs; that scene was meant to be funny and it was. Perhaps more to the point, the violence here is so ludicrously over the top from the opening scene that it's hard to imagine any rational person getting too upset. You have to just go with it; if you're the kind of person who makes it a point to be huffy and offended all the time you shouldn't be seeing this movie anyway. 'Nuff said

The concept for this film started in the Comics revolution of the late 60's with incredible artists like Frank Frazetta, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, and Barry Smith. They knew anatomy, and they used photographs to compose their backgrounds. Pre-Anime, the characters began to "almost" move off the pages. Frank Miller came along in 1978. He helped to inaugurate the adult graphics novels-larger formats, better paper, brighter inks-coupled to nudity and R-rated dialogue. Some of this has been around since the late 50's, but the new format was gathering speed and Miller was in the vanguard.

Miller's graphic novel's about SIN CITY contained art in panels that broke down like very detailed storyboards. When Robert Rodriguez decided to court Miller and sell him on the idea of converting the graphics to digital video-Miller loved it. Their partnership went so far as to have Rodriguez dropping out of the Director's Guild so that he might be permitted to put Frank Miller in the credits as co-director. Rodriguez created a B&W world where color was used sparingly-and for great effect. Blood was white-or bright red. Some eyes were blue. Some hair was blond. Pale green and pale blue showed up on classic cars.

Rodriguez assembled a powerhouse cast. Bruce Willis was first up, to boost the sales of the production and the star power. He was excellent in the film-beginning to appear very Noir-very Chandler and Hammett-a modern Bogart. Using CGI and live actors, Rodriguez was able to do most of the work in his homegrown studio in Texas. Miller created a world part pulp-novel, classic cars-and part hyper-violent martial arts and splatter film. Everybody smoked, many of them drove a ragtop-they could shoot guns with both hands simultaneously-and women, regardless of how far they had fallen-were still treated with respect. More than an adaptation of Millers comic book art-it is literally his artwork brought starkly to life. The effect is original, violent, sexy, existential-and very effective.

The film worked off three Miller "stories"-and the best of the three-THE BIG FAT KILL-starred Mickey Rourke. He can think of this film as his return to the big time. He is brilliant. His character, Marv, is perfectly fitted for this new genre-and his acting, and the action he precipitates-blows all the others in the film out of the water. This may be Rourke's finest performance. He has been a pro boxer, as well as actor-and he needed that physical prowess for this role.

Everyone in the film was impressive-with the likes of Clive Owen, Powers Boothe, Rutger Hauer, Nick Stahl, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Michael Madsen, Josh Harnett, and Michael Clarke Duncan all making love, murdering, or slapping around women like Jessica Albo, Jamie King, Rosario Dawson, Carla Gugino, and Brittany Murphy. One critic wrote," This is a Mickey Spillane fever dream!"

There is a rumor that in the director's cut RR will include some deleted scenes that he shot to flush out all three of the Miller stories. It appears that a sequel is imminent-absolutely necessary. Most of us can't wait for the next installment-to cruise Old Town, prowl the Roark farm, beware of the warrior hookers, love the hot babes, dodge the bullets and swords and knives, and stare at those great cars.

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I wish the rating scale went up to 10 stars because I'd enthusiastically give them all to Sin City. I've watched it a dozen times and am still blown away by the dialog and gritty throwback feeling it evokes of the old 30's and 40's hard-drinking, hard-fighting tough guys. It actually inspired me to sit down the night I saw it, and jot down the outline for a Film Noir type novel that's now moved to my front burner after completion of my third novel in my McCarthy Mystery series. I just hope I can write something half as compelling as Sin City.

The film makes no apology for the raw lust and violence and yet never falls into campy self-parody.

But it's the film-work, the use of light and shadow and especially color that really blows you away. Yellow for the corrupt, cowardly blood of the pederast villain. Masterful!

If you haven't seen Sin City, give your senses a treat and buy the DVD.

You won't be disappointed!

Read Best Reviews of Sin City (Two-Disc Theatrical & Recut, Extended, and Unrated Versions) (2005) Here

It is now official that Robert Rodriguez will be releasing a full, 2-disc special edition copy of Sin City in early December. It will feature the film (theatrical version and a version in which the three tales can be viewed separately)and a disc of bonus features (ten minute cooking school, ten minute film school, a few commentaries, trailers, poster gallery, and a load of featurettes).

So if your just looking for the theatrical version and nothing more, buy the featured DVD now. If your a fan, and want all of the nooks and crannies, I think you can hold out until late November or early December, trust me, it should be worth it.

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Sin City has finally come out on PSP, and my god it doesn't get better than this.

A few words about the movie This is, without a doubt, a MASTERPIECE of film-making, and definately live's up to the hype surrounding it's release.

Now that's said, let's get onto technical side of the UMD disc.

Video:

Sin City looks absolutley JAW DROPPING on PSP. Consistently sharp, contrasty as hell with solid "BLACK" blacks, no evidence of grain or compression artifacts, and no bleeding whatsoever...it's a SOLID performance from Mirimax/Dimension. The OAR is untouched, keeping it's original 1:85 ratio (with tiny little black bars at the top and bottom). Subtitles are large, displayed in yellow, and easily readable against the image. Overall, this is a faultless presentation.

Video: 5/5

Audio:

The sound on this baby packs quite a punch, and right from the word go you'll be pleasantly surprised. Make sure you crank this up to full volume, as it deserves this experience to be fully appreciated. Overall, a nice job boys.

Audio 4.5/5

Extras:

Now, this is the first UMD disc that i own, to spoil you with more than just your usual trailers. Like the DVD release, we get the gorgeous animated menus aswell as the 8 min "Behind-the-scenes" featurette, giving you a teaser of what we'll expect on the future Director's edition coming out.

Extras: 4/5

Overall this is, without question, the disc to own this season. And for under $20, there's no excuse not to buy. Fantastic Visuals, Excellent Audio, and great extras, this is the benchmark for future UMD releases. Get used to this kinda UMD treatment boys and girls.

Overall 5/5

-zallapo

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Elizabeth Double Feature (Elizabeth / Elizabeth: The Golden Age) (1998)

The costumes are awesome, the sets are fantastic, the storyline is wonderful.

It just isn't history. It resembles history, and it has many similarities to what was recorded as happening, but it is missing a few important details.

The golden age had almost exactly all the same problems.

Wonderful entertainment, but don't base a history report on them.

I'm addicted to English royalty movies and these are the best about Queen Elizabeth. Cate Blanchet's transformation throughout the two films is amazing.

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If you are looking at this double feature, I am sure that you have already watched both of these movies. Cate Blanchett does a wonderful job portraying Elizabeth I in various stages of her life. The costumes and sets are so beautiful and help to pull you into another world. The Blu-Ray transfers are amazing and the picture quality wonderful.

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To all those reviewers who feel this film is in some way anti-Catholic, portraying historical truth does not make the "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," prejudiced. The Inquisition, Spanish, and otherwise, lasted for SEVERAL CENTURIES! All those nice people we watched in this movie would have been at best imprisoned, and at worst, put to death because of the Roman Catholic Church and it's allies in the Spanish government had the Spanish armada succeeded in it's mission.

I enjoyed this film so much I actually watched it twice on the big screen! Something I have not done in a very long time. The acting, costumes, screenplay, cinematography and soundtrack are all fantastic! And, since this magnificent film is based on a true story it makes it all the more gripping!

If the Spanish Armada had been successful the United States would probably not exist! England would of ended up a Spanish colony like the Netherlands eventually did! And all of history would have been radically changed for the worse. At least in England they had the Magna Charter! Spain's legal system, on-the-other-hand, was an absolute dictatorship. A legacy that did not end until 1975 with the death of the dictator Fransisco Franco!!

Quite simply, being Protestant made you a member of a minority religion in Queen Elizabeth's day! Thankfully, in most parts of the world we have now grown-up and accept minority religions as a fact of life. But during Elizabeth's reign you were literally putting your life on the line. Something this brilliant film makes crystal clear, regardless if Queen Elizabeth was no saint!

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Cate Blanchett did a stellar portrayal of Elizabeth, the queen who launched England into years of prosperity. During her years in power, England became the worlds strongest sea power. Loved the period costumes.

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Disorganized Crime (1989)

There is no way you cannot enjoy this movie, the actors are all absolutely hillarious. (Ruban Blades is by far the best) What, at first, looks like just another run-of-the-mill crime caper, turns into a complicated action-comedy that doesn't have one unlikeable character. (Ed o'neil is also one of the best Characters)

DISORGANIZED CRIME is a movie equivalent to a tv crime comedy. It's all ensemble acting with no one person stealing all of the scenes. All of the actors are very good as different criminal talents put together to execute a perfect crime in a small town. There is just one small problem; the mastermind for all of the other criminals is arrested and cannot put all of the various pieces togrther. The rest of the movie is about the mastermind escaping two funny but incompetent lawman while the leaderless henchmen try to do the job by themselves. Both parts of the movie work well and the ending is funny, ironic, and surprising.

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It cost only 10$. But it's worth 3 times that. I saw this ages ago (just after it came out) and always loved it, so I had to have it for my collection. I dig movies about bumbling thieves too, but these guys aren't the bumbling kind. And besides, the Bank Vault with all that money may motivate the characters in the film, but ultimately it's not about that. Rubén Blades is just so superb in this. His behaviour always provokes fits of laughter. All the actors play off each other so well, whether it's the late Fred Gwynne, Young Guns' Lou Diamond Phillips, or Ed O'Neill from TV's Married With Children. I really can't recommend this more. It doesn't play like the usual caper, because the humour isn't necessarily in great jokes or great physical stunts or the like. The laughs come from the dynamics between the characters their interaction and communication with one another; it's in how they say things, their facial expressions. Subtleties. And all this from actors who don't earn 20 million per picture. Plus, you know, it cost only 10$!

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This movie is an obscure, totally forgotten comedy from 1989 but its one of the funniest movies Ive ever seen.

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This is one of my favorite movies when I'm in the mood for comedy. Lots of recognizable faces. Witty. Many memorable lines and moments. The character personalities and character interaction is priceless. I guarantee you'll laugh out loud.

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The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD) (2012)

The book is great. The movie is great. That doesn't usually happen. I guess it is because Gideon Defoe, the author of the book, also wrote the screenplay for the movie, intending one not to be a "spoiler" for the other. The movie was definitely more of a kids' movie, where the pirates were the ragtag underdogs struggling to keep up in the increasingly competitive pirate world (you are judged for your "booty"--double entendre?). The book has different characters and a completely different villain! That is how much the stories differed. The book also contains more grown-up humour more people being run-through by swords, more blood, more walking the plank, more steely pirate bad-assedness. Queen Victoria is one crazy woman in this movie, enough to get PETA up-in-arms for ages. The other pirates the Pirate Captain competes against for the Pirate of the Year Award (Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven) are swashbuckling good fun, even if they are more than a little rude toward the beloved Hugh Grant's character. Also, Hugh Grant gives a surprisingly different performance than the one he's known for in his rom-coms; his pitch is deep and fierce and his performance is touchingly funny without any over-saturated fluff. Gideon Defoe is spot on for creating a movie that is appropriate for the kiddies and a book that has humour for the older kids. See the movie because Aardman's stuff is always funny, but definitely read the book to get the original story.

After years of disappointment the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) resolves to finally win the Pirate of the Year competition and so embarks on a series of raids on passing ships in the hope of earning sufficient booty to compete with the his rivals Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) and Black Belamy (Jeremy Piven). However he is still plagued by bad luck with the best produced by a succession of raids being the capture of Charles Darwin (David Tennant). Still at least Darwin is able to identify that Pirate Captain's beloved parrot Polly is in fact a dodo, supposedly extinct for over a hundred years. This gives them both an idea...!

Pirates! is a gloriously hilarious, exquisitely produced movie. Its very much a children's movie but with plenty of sly asides to keep adults on their toes as well. The sets are stupendous and almost beg a second viewing in themselves to allow the viewer to try to aborb all the teeming detail. Both the voice performances of the cast, and the painstaking detail of the stop-motion animation are flawless.

I thought it as close to perfect a piece of film-making as I have seen in many years and I hope for more adventures of the Pirate Captain and his crew in the not to distant future.

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The Pirate Captain yearns to win the Pirate of the Year award. Not if Peg-Leg Hastings, Cutlass Liz, or Black Bellamy can help it. The Captain's adventures cross paths with a geeky Charles Darwin, who observes that his parrot Polly is actually a dodo. So it's on to London for a science competition, only it turns out that Darwin isn't the only one after Polly. I love stop animation, and it's beautifully done here. The movie is ok enough, but it's not exactly Pixar magic. Cool soundtrack, with the notable exception of Supergrass. Screw them.

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I'm really picky about kids' movies. If my daughter enjoys it, fine, but she isn't what you might call discerning. This is one of the few that I actually enjoyed watching with her. Sharp humor, clever writing and fantastic to look at. It even has David Tennant! What else could you want?

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Pirates have become cool again with the trilogy of films made by Johnny Depp but those films might be just a tad too intense for the youngest of children. With that in mind the folks at Aardman studios, the stop motion group responsible for Wallace and Gromitt among other things, have come up with some pirates of their own. They've just been unleashed with this film.

The story follows a group of pirates that aren't quite up to snuff in the pirate hierarchy. Sure they have the peg legs and eye patches, but this ragtag group just doesn't seem to pillage near as much as most. They're led by the Pirate Captain who does his best to keep his crew happy and content (hey, don't forget ham night!). But Pirate Captain has dreams of his own, of becoming the Pirate of the Year.

The only problem is the amount of pirating he and his crew does. With Cutlass Liz and Black Bellamy always bringing in more booty they win the competition every year. Rather than allow him the chance to do better, the group always ridicules him as well.

That could all change when Captain Pirate and his crew board a boat stocked with all sorts of stuffed animals and body parts. The boat belongs to Charles Darwin who's been seeking a special scientific discovery so that he can become the Scientist of the Year award back in London. He too has had a tuff time but when he sees Captain Pirate's parrot he recognizes it is not a parrot at all but the extinct dodo bird. Darwin convinces Captain Pirate to take him to London along with the bird where they will win all sorts of treasures for their discovery.

Even though the queen has placed a bounty on the heads of every pirate to sail the seven seas the group heads for London. Once there Darwin attempts to steal the bird from Captain Pirate to claim the award for himself. He fails and Captain Pirate wins the award, stunned to find that it isn't booty at all but an award along with the chance for time with, of all people, the Queen! Darwin failed to mention the reward would be time spent with the woman of his dreams.

The Queen also wants possession of the dodo bird for her private zoo but Captain Pirate doesn't give in easily. After discovering he is a pirate and nearly decapitating him, she stops and pardons him in the hopes he will turn over the bird. When she offers treasure as well, Captain Pirate sees the chance to return to Blood Island with more booty than anyone has ever claimed and win the prized Pirate of the Year award. But all doesn't go as planned, something that always seems the case with this group.

The story may seem pretty well straight forward but in truth there is more beneath the obvious here. It's not just about Captain Pirate winning the award and gaining some self esteem. Instead the story is more about discovering who you really are and what is really important in life. For Captain Pirate that boils down to winning the award he's cherished for so long or remaining true to both Polly (the dodo bird) and his crew.

As with all Aardman Studio films this one is chock full of sight gags that run from beginning to end. Each one may be a small portion of the film seen but they all will garner laughs from adults as well as children. They do a nice combination of jokes that older viewers will get but won't offend the young crowd.

The stop motion animation is as always amazing. In a world where computer animation seems to have taken over, it's nice to see someone using this technique and not allowing it to fade away. Somehow just watching it makes you realize how creative and artistic it is in comparison.

The final word about this film though is that it is truly entertaining. It's a movie that both young and old will enjoy and have fun with. Topping that off is the fact that it offers something that youngsters will not realize they are getting and that is a set of morals to accompany the tale. They'll learn that wanting something and doing anything for it at the sake of losing everything that is truly important isn't quite worth it. And for a movie to entertain and get that point across is truly an amazing feat. So hoist the rigging and set sale for the high seas with this film that the whole family can enjoy.

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Predator Trilogy (2010)

If you're looking at this item, odds are you already know whether or not you like these movies, so I'm not going to waste time talking about the artistic merit of them. While I enjoy them quite a bit, Predator is essentially 2 hours of Arnold screaming, Predator 2 is Danny Glover and Gary Busey chasing a Predator that's also maybe chasing them and oh man drug wars, and Predators is Adrian Brody trying to be Not Adrian Brody while things die horribly. These movies shouldn't be nearly as enjoyable as they are, really.

Anyways, the picture quality and audio quality is what you would want from a blu-ray collection. Everything looks quite nice, and the sounds, while not superb, do have some high points, such as the sheen of a sharp object being thrown.

My reason for purchasing this was to have a matching set to the Alien Anthology. While it has nothing on that in terms of the sheer volume of content, it is definitely a serviceable companion, albeit one that clearly had next to none of the love that AA had put into it.

As for the negatives, the digital copies that are included of all three films are troublesome. For one, they're practically advertised to you even though you've already purchased the product. Half of the back cover for each individual case is dedicated to the digital copy, and each case contains a second disc. Make sure you are strapped in, folks, because this might just blow your mind.

If you put the second disc into your computer, a window opens that lets you enter in the serial code for that films digital copy.

Of the 6 discs in this set, 3 of them are simply another layer of DRM. On the plus side, you now have three discs you can try to make a Predator Disc out of once you've redeemed all your digital copies.

The larger issue with the digital copy is that most people are going to try to redeem it through iTunes. Well, unless you live in the UK or Ireland, where this is originally sold, you can't. The discs are region free, but your codes won't be region free if you use them with iTunes. I went through Fox customer service and they were actually pretty easy about the whole thing. My suggestion is to redeem the code for the Windows Media Player copy, which IS region free, and use a program of your choice to convert it to a format that plays on your device of choice.

To be clear, this review is for the white set with the cover art depicting the sideshot of a Predator mask.

Must have for any sci-fi/predator fans. Great price! The product arrived on time with no defects. Purchase this product today!!

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I bought this set mainly because i had just purchased the Alien Anthology(import). I had seen Alien Vs Predator also but still did not see the first 2 Predator films. I stumbled across this trilogy and it had a beautiful price so i decided to pick it up. The first movie Predator staring Arnold Schwartzenegger was a pretty fun movie. Arnold leads his team of elite soldiers into a jungle for a rescue mission. needless to say it does not go as planned. The second Film was not nearly as fun in my opinion. Don't get me wrong though there is plenty of shooting and lots of awesome predator kills. however it turns out all the action in this movie didn't make it as desirable as the previous film. The third film is the second best watch although to some it may be the best one. full of great actors. but the story has something to be desired. If you read other reviews you may see that people are having problems with the Digital copies of these movies. This particular feature does not really do anything for me since i never watch movies in my laptop because its a piece of junk, if you are somebody who uses digital copies often when they are provided then you may want to skip this set. If you are someone like me and only watches their movies on a TV then i would highly suggest getting this. Overall the movies score a 4/5 the cover art is very cool and the digital copies don't really carry any weight to make me drop my overall score.

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Skip 2, someone should be punished.

This euro set plays great on my PS3 and other Sony Blue Ray player.

Great extra features, def a great set.

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AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!!! Best Blu Ray DVD I have bought in a while! Satisfied fully with this purchase! Thanks a lot y'all!

Cowgirls 'N Angels Blu-ray (2012)

If you're in the mood for something light and cheesy, then this might be for you. Ida is a 12 year old girl who uses the rodeo to look for the father she's never met. Along the way, she gets recruited by the Oklahoma Rodeo Sweethearts. There's some romance (Hello, Jackson Rathbone!) between one of the Sweethearts and a rodeo cowboy, there's some trick-horse riding, and there's even some country line dancing. This isn't a heavy-hitting Oscar winner, but it really is a sweet movie.

This was a great movie!

We throughly enjoyed it!

A must see!

This movie is good for families to watch also.

It's clean with no bad language or sex scenes.

Just goes to show you that the producers don't need to have violence, sex and bad language in a movie for it to be good! A good story line is what makes a good movie.

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my girls loved the movie they enjoyed it very much thank u it was a great movie i think as well

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Great family movie that is funny and heart warming. My kids really enjoyed it. Worth a watch for sure. Would highly recommend.

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What can I say? This is just a fantastic movie for the family, great cast, endearing story, fun to watch. You won't be disappointed!

Marathon Man (2013)

I'll spare you a long talk about the movie, except that it's one of the best thrillers ever made. Enough said. Now for this new DVD. Finally we get this classic in widescreen, that alone should please many fans. (-The opening credit scene has a different letterboxing than the rest of the movie, for some reason.) The extras will make you drool !. A new documentary with most of the people involved with the movie, except Olivier, of course. Sadly, neither William Devane, Fritz Weaver, Richard Bright or the director take part. Still, it's great to hear the stories surrounding this excellent suspense movie, like why it was decided to give Olivier's character that last infamous meal !. -But it makes sense, considering what Hoffman's character went through. At one point when talking about Olivier, Hoffman is almost in tears. Touching. Strangely enough, I found the full-screen clips shown during the documentary to be sharper than the movie itself presented on this DVD. Stll, you must get this release, even if the price is a little high. There's also a very good 70s making-of featurette with interviews. Take ANY thriller made today, compare it to "Marathon Man", and "Marathon Man" will win on ALL levels. It's as simple as that.

Tom (Dustin Hoffman) studies history, partly because theories of history are so clear cut and comforting, unlike life, and partly because years earlier, his father committed suicide after having been branded a communist. As he matures, he learns that books and a love of history cannot prepare him for the real world. In MARATHON MAN, Tom learns that the real world is far more dangerous than the relatively minor razzing that a local street gang subjects him to. He learns that the people who are the closest to him are not what they appear to be. His brother Doc (Roy Scheider) is a businessman with a secret life as a CIA agent. His girlfiend Elsa (Marthe Keller) is mixed up with an escaped Nazi dentist, ex-Auschwitz Commandant Szell (Sir Lawrence Olivier). The movie starts off slowly with Tom first believing in then later finding out the truth about Doc and Elsa. He learns that all three have been looking for a hidden cache of diamonds stolen from Jews during the Holocaust.

MARATHON MAN stands out as quite different from other chase and thriller films that seek to capitalize on the genocide of the war. Here, Dustin Hoffman plays Tom as decidedly unheroic. He can run fast and far, and shows creative talent in tight situations, but he is no fist fighter. He is constantly bullied and beaten by a variety of thuggish types. He endures a brutally realistic session as a prisoner in a dentist's chair when Szell uses his dental skills to extract facts rather than molars. Yet,despite Tom's lack of martial skills, he proves every bit the equal of spy types who kill for a living. As convincing a job as Hoffman does as Tom, the real star is Olivier as the demented dentist Szell. Olivier is absolutely convincing as the former camp commandant who will stop at nothing to retrieve the stolen diamonds. While seeking to ascertain the value of his diamonds, Szell goes to the diamond district of New York, a business run by the very people he killed in massive numbers some thirty years earlier. An old woman and a diamond dealer recognize him and the tension generated by his potential exposure forces the viewer to see events from the unlikely perspective of the hunter who is now the hunted. Olivier was a deserved nominee for best supporting actor as Szell. The movie points to a climactic confrontation between Tom and Szell, and when it arrives, the sparkly diamonds serve only to throw light on the ongoing but long postponed battle between a man who thought the passing of time would excuse and justify his acts and a man who is determined that all bills, even overdue ones, must be paid in full.

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If you're a fan of this film don't buy this DVD (the Paramount "Widescreen collection" 120mins as sold in the UK). It has been clumsily edited to the point that key sequences no longer make sense. The renowned drilling scene, for instance IS NOT IN THIS DVD despite the fact that it appears in on the back cover and the inlay. Check imdb the film is supposed to be 125 minutes long not 119. A disappointing experience for me after much anticipation, and a sad end for what in its true form is an outstanding piece of film.

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One of the great suspense dramas of the 1970s, MARATHON MAN is a somewhat violent buy often stylish and sinister intrigue thriller that remains a high watermark of its genre.

Dustin Hoffman portrays the Columbia University graduate student and marathon runner who becomes caught up in a deadly game involving smuggled diamonds belonging to a Nazi fugitive (Laurence Olivier). Hoffman's brother (Roy Scheider) was one of the couriers helping to transport the diamonds, which are now in a safety deposit box in a Manhattan bank; and when Olivier kills Scheider, it is assumed by Olivier and his henchmen that Hoffman knows something about them. He is strapped to a dental chair in an abandoned warehouse, forced to undergo dental torture at the hands of the Nazi, who had been a dentist. Olivier keeps asking him numerous time, "Is It Safe?" (regarding the diamond stash). Hoffman doesn't know a thing, but this doesn't stop Olivier from performing a root canal--one of the most squeamish sequences in cinematic history.

Excellently directed by John Schlesinger and scripted by William Goldman (from his own novel), MARATHON MAN features a typically fine performance by Hoffman as the man in the middle, and Olivier, arguably the greatest actor that ever lived, as the very devious Nazi fugitive. Scheider, who was brilliant in JAWS, scores more points here, as do William Devane and Marthe Keller. The opening sequence, a vicious and somewhat hilarious car-to-car argument between an irate Jew and Olivier's brother which ends in a collision with an oil truck, sets the story's machinations off, and is deftly handled by Schlesinger in a manner Hitchcock would have admired.

If you have a fear of dentists, of course, you may want to steer clear of MARATHON MAN. But if intense suspense is your game, this is as good a film to start with.

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Made from William Goldman's novel, MARATHON MAN is a very good thriller movie, the sort of thing that the fine director John Schlesinger did very well indeed. Although the film was released almost ten years after THE GRADUATE, Dustin Hoffman in some of the scenes looks as youthful as he did in that film and sometimes he lapses into the same speech patterns as he used in THE GRADUATE. You half way expect Mrs. Robinson to walk into the room at any time. Roy Scheider and William Devane give respectable performances, but the best acting has to be that of the great Laurence Olivier who plays the Nazi Christian Szell for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.

Olivier's torture scene with the dental equipment is as chilling the third time I saw this movie as it was the first. The scene of course is a classic and not to be missed.

For this sort of movie, MARATHON MAN is about as good as they come.

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The Buddy Holly Story

I'm a huge fan of Gary Busey, who may not be a "star" but is nevertheless a great actor. This is by far his best performance, & I feel he deserved the best actor oscar more than Jon Voight (who won for Coming Home). Few people know that Busey was a musician before he was an actor, so in this awesome musical biography of Buddy Holly we get to see just how talented he is. The film is mostly factual, although some screen characters are actually composites of two or more people. The energy in Busey's performance is what makes this a winner. Not only did he sing, he did it while being filmed live! That's what gives this such a realistic look to it & it's why this stands out among the other musical biographies as one of the best. There was also a lot of unscripted dialogue that makes this even more entertaining. The best thing about the dvd is the hilarious & very informative commentary from the director Steve Rash & Gary Busey, which is almost as good as the film itself! This is an excellent tribute to a lengendary rock & roll icon & it won an oscar for best score adaptation. Do yourself a favor, add this great film to your collection!

This is not a huge hollywood production with slick lighting and camera work but rather a small production that almost has the feel of a cross between a home movie and a TV movie (in a good way). What this movie does so well is celebrate life, and simply follows a character with passion and drive. It's inspiring to see someone follow their dreams relentlessly and that is what the filmmakers have tapped into here. We all know how Buddy Holly's life ends (so if you don't know don't read on), but the movie never even shows a shot of the plane because that is not what it's about. Top this movie off with Gary Busy's performance which is even more impressive when one learns he did all the singing in this film live (he did not lip sync any of it!).

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I think this is a fantastic movie. Gary Busey did an excellent job portraying Buddy Holly. Though I am aware that not every detail of this movie is 100% factual, it still makes the audience love and care about Buddy and his music. This movie is truly a must for any music fan.

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I think the most important thing about "The Buddy Holly Story" is it captures the essence of it's subject, the time it is depicting, and the burgeoning rock'n'roll movement. The most glaring innacuracy is the names of the other Crickets, Jerry Allison and Joe Mauldin, being changed. That quibble aside, this film is simultaneously important, yet thrilling, because it celebrates the artistry of rock's premiere pioneer(sorry, Elvis). Gary Busey doesn't merely portray Buddy Holly, he is possessed by the spirit of the man. Though he doesn't necessarily duplicate the vocals of Holly, he has the essence of them down pat. Credit too has to go to Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith as the other Crickets. This trio actually feels like a working band. I read some of the other reviews that take issue with the film for it's inaccuracies. The truth of the matter is alot of the fabrications in the film were the result of legal wrangling and not a deliberate attempt to falsify the facts. The most important thing here is the film celebrates the man, his creative processes, and the music. If this film moves the uninitiated they can seek out the true story. In conclusion,"Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll!"(Oh, that's Chuck Berry.)

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You become accustomed to Hollywood taking too many liberties with the actual stories of the famed and infamous alike; in music, you could ask Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and the Dorsey brothers, all of whom had their life stories sentimentalised and bowdlerised to the quick once Hollywood got its mitts on them. Likewise with Buddy Holly. The liberties taken with the Texas rock pioneer's actual story may have made for audience-gripping moviemaking, but history has its claims as well and there was no need whatsoever to gussy up the Holly story, unless someone figured that because he was one of the few early rock stars who could claim a background of reasonable stability and, for the most part, parental support and empathy, Buddy Holly as a film subject would have been as boring as Buddy Holly the musician was exciting.

But there remains one reason to indulge "The Buddy Holly Story" after just over two decades Gary Busey's performance as the long tall Texan with the thick-rimmed glasses, the toothy smile, and the deceptively gripping songs and rippling guitar style remains one of the most unpretentiously electrifying you will ever see given of an actual music star. Busey made a very credible Holly, both when cranking out his versions of Holly's signature music and in portraying the shyly confident young man offstage, and it remains the most earnest and thorough performance of Busey's career; it garnered him an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor and he deserved the nomination. He played every facet of Holly the musical confidence, the unprejudiced amiability, the striking romantic (slightly twisted though the scripting is, it is nevertheless true that Buddy Holly really did ask his girl friend's aunt, who'd raised her, for her hand in marriage), the enthusiastic performer with a surety and a thoroughness he's been hard pressed ever since to equal.

Holly himself might have been spinning in his grave over the telling of the story and it only begins with the point that even the uninitiated knew (and know) that the Crickets were a quarter for most of the time they worked with Holly. But Holly might yet have said of Busey that he'd done him justice in spite of what he had to work with, even if he'd wished Busey could have delivered that justice in a more appropriate presentation.

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Spartacus (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (1960)

If you're a fan of the movie "Spartacus", this is the version to get; the Universal DVD is as bare bones as they get with just the movie. The Criterion version looks great. The facelift the film received help return much of its luster. Kubrick later disowned his version of the epic Hollywood Sword & Sandal genre, but Kubrick brings much of his sensibility to bear; the fight sequences and epic vistas bring to mind Kubrick's work on Paths of Glory and 2001. True, this isn't a complete Kubrick picture; Kubrick had nothing to do with the screenplay and Douglas had all but cast the picture in collaboration with director Anthony Mann (dismissed after butting heads with Douglas one too many times).

Is it Kubrick's finest film? Well, frankly no it isn't. It's an interesting mishmash between Kubrick's detached, ironic style and Hollywood glitz. Spartacus is Kubrick for people who don't care for Kubrick's detached style. It doesn't measure up to Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001 or A Clockwork Orange although it does compare favorable to the much darker Paths of Glory.

Kubrick stated that his intent at the time was to subvert the cliches of the genre. As a result, Kubrick manages to reinvent a genre that was in danger of becoming a parody of itself. As a collaborative effort, Spartacus is a great piece of entertainment and far more sophisticated than almost everything else that came out of Hollywood at the time.

The transfer is beautiful with much of Kubrick's bold use of color restored. The strong acting of most of the cast has always been a virtue of Sparatcus. The soundtrack has been meticulously transferred to 5.1 and Alex North's beatiful score has never sounded so sweet, tragic and powerful before. The audio commentary is the same one that was on the laserdisc version. It provides additional understanding about the complexity of making an independently produced project like Spartacus. Kirk Douglas' bold decision to produce the film himself (with Universal-International distributing)was a leap of faith in both the material and the talented director.

The second disc is stuffed with supplements that are found nowhere else.There's two older interviews with Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons plus one that Ustinov did in 1992 for the laserdisc edition. It's delightful and he shares a number of funny stories about the picture. There's also a text overview of Kubrick's career and his involvement with the picture. Included also are sketches Kubrick made for the motion picture (artistically they're nothing special but they do provide insight into Kubrick's role in the visualization of the film). Included are some vintage newsreels and a promotional film originally made but unfinished for Spartacus that gives us a glimpse behind the scenes. The promotional film is missing it's soundtrack (in fact, it might have been lost if not for the forsight of a private collector) and has much from North's score. We also get to glimpse at Saul Bass' wonderful title design sequence.

Criterion has been both praised and criticized for their DVDs and laserdiscs before. While they tend to be expensive, this is the complete package. Occasionally Criterion will release a package that isn't up to their usual standards. Spartacus isn't one of them. Robert Harris (Harris restored the film along with Vertigo)evidently was also involved in the transfer to DVD. If you want a spectacular transfer of the film, loads of extras about the making and background of the project from those involved, this is the set to pick up.

Great movie. Horrible, horrible blu-ray. Maybe the worst blu-ray disc I've seen. Do not buy, wait for a recall. It's so blatantly awful even non-cinephiles will notice.

Here's the main problem: most all the film grain and fine detail have been completely wiped out in a clumsy attempt to remove video noise. Which begs the question: so what's the point of owning it on blu-ray?

What's worse is that it didn't have to be this way. But I guess this is what happens when an indifferent media conglomerate has complete control over a masterpiece. Check out Robert Harris's (the man who restored the film years ago) extremely negative review of this blu-ray on the web. I thought maybe he was overdoing it a bit, but no. It's even worse than he says. If you have the Criterion DVDSpartacus Criterion Collection, just hang on to it for now.

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The Movie:

I've been letting this one sit in my collection for a few months before I let loose on it. This is one of my personal favorite movies. In the "swords and sandals" genre I think it is among the finest it has a stirring story, a wonderful sense of scope, a great soundtrack, and a set of truly exceptional performances, including screen greats such as Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov, and Kirk Douglas. Although it doesn't display the sort of technical mastery that Kubrick would assert on his later films, there is still a certain Kubrickian something to the direction, as well. Certain camera moves, certain lingering shots, certain compositions. All told, it's a great movie and a great representation of the 1950-60s "epic" motion picture tradition. At 3-plus hours, it always remains brisk and entertaining, and it's a movie I frequently revisit because of its richness and replay value.

The Blu-Ray:

But then we get to this transfer. Having owned the Criterion DVD edition of this film, I was well acquainted with its look and feel.

This Blu-Ray transfer has been stripped of all natural film grain. As such, a level of fine detail is missing from the image, one which has been compensated for by the application of edge enhancement (quite noticeable on the tall iron bars frequently visible in the gladiator school) and an artificially boosted contrast.

On the plus side, the image *is* more detailed than the Criterion DVD. Interested viewers ought to search "spartacus dvdbeaver" in order to see that site's comparison between the Criterion DVD and the Universal Blu-Ray. You should be able to note that several of the comparison shots show that mid-sized details are much sharper. But fine details such as film grain are gone. It should also be rather apparent that colors have been juiced up for this release as well Kirk Douglas was always a bronzed sort of guy, but he looks like he spent a few too many hours in the tanning salon for this release. The most revealing comparison is the shot of Douglas being painted to show "kill zones" by his instructor. Details on the instructor's uniform like his metal buckles are clearer. But check out the high contrast areas such as the metal bars in the lower left there is practically a double image made of edge enhancement halos. The flesh tones also are hot and unrealistic. Facial details at this distance look waxy.

The irritating aspect of Universal's thought process is that there was apparently a fresh, restored celluloid interpositive from 1991 that could have been re-transferred at only nominal cost. Instead, the studio went with the cheaper option of using the inferior early-90's HD transfer of that interpositive, a transfer that Richard Harris (who oversaw the 1991 restoration) has called flawed in the extreme, riddled with noise. This noise was washed away with DNR, and then compensated for with edge enhancement.

So in the end, this is sort of a textbook case for a middling Blu-Ray transfer. Sure, it looks better than a DVD. But it is obvious that we're missing so much more that we could have seen. I'd call this comparable to decent cable television HD. Smooth, compressed, pleasing to the uncritical eye, but unsatisfying to those who wish their movies to look like they were shot on film, not on a computer.

The audio is quite nice. The DTS soundtrack presents the booming music score quite well, and the voice acting always comes through well. Extras of course fall short compared to the Criterion release, which had an entire extra disc to its credit. But we do get deleted scenes, some classic interviews and newsreels, some behind the scenes footage, and a trailer. Had we not known of the Criterion DVD, I think most would be pleased. But the lack of commentary and the lack of a comprehensive making-of documentary are glaring. A movie like this cries out for a discussion of writer Dalton Trumbo, Kubrick's tension with actor-producer Douglas, the Hollywood blacklist, and the many elements that slipped past censors of the day.

Conclusion:

As it stands, I can't go above three stars, here. The movie is undeniably great. Those who enjoy historical epics will find a lot to love. But the video transfer is significantly flawed (though perhaps not fatally so). That makes this an "average" home video purchase at best.

This is a stopgap. I think it's worth buying at a low price, in order to have a version of this film in high definition. But we can only hope that either Criterion gets the rights back from Universal and does their usual respectful job, or the powers that be at Universal pull their heads from their rears and decide to treat this classic the way it deserves to be: with a fresh, modern HD transfer from film elements that will give us a truly filmic presentation of a great flick.

Read Best Reviews of Spartacus (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (1960) Here

I have reviewed this film at length, with links available under external reviews at the IMDB; however, I want to encourage readers to check out the Criterion Special Edition for the extras. The best feature on the 2nd disk is an interview with Peter Ustinov where he tells some of the background "dirt" behind Sparatus--hilariously scrunching up his face and immitating the great Charles Laughton to tell us about the ego wars that Laughton conducted with Sir Laurence Olivier.

Then by all means turn on the main commentary to hear original author Howard Fast (fired from writing the screenplay by Douglas for being too slow) absolutely rip into Douglas for his acting. I had to recue it to make sure I heard some of these criticisms correctly--far different fare than the usual promotional tone of most commentaries. The others offering commentaries are uncensored in their criticism as well, so count this as the most honest and refreshing commentaries on the market!

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Well, call me a romantic but I still love this picture. Yes, it's a bit dated in technique, and it was restrained in its depictions of sex and violence and adult themes by the Hays office (the official Hollywood censor board). And it has a bit of Hollywoodness in its love story and presentation (music etc.), but it also had heart and it strived to evoke a spirit of rebellion and defiance of oppression that moved me way back when and still does today.

And I don't give a tinker's damn what Howard Fast's, Dalton Trumbo's, or Kirk Douglas's for that matter, politics were...it's a helluva an entertaining movie!

Stanley Kubrick replaced Anthony Mann after production began. He had decried the film and script because it wasn't the one he would have written, but I think he did a good job just bringing this effort off and he was able to tone down or eliminate much of the Hollywoodisms. The matter-of-factness of Varinia's having to offer herself, the icily calm and detached way Olivier dispatches Woody Strode like an animal, though he is unnerved by the meaning of the attack. These are Kubrickian touches.

In the extra goodies in this Criterion effort, we discover that it was a very difficult shoot with everyone fighting with everyone. You had 4 major egos at battle: Kubrick, Douglas, Olivier & Laughton...each with his own ideas about what was or wasn't important. Would have been nice to have Stanley's comments, but we do get Douglas, Fast, & (most amusingly) Peter Ustinov's recollections.

All that is interesting, but beside the point. Why I love Spartacus is: the great Gladiator school sequence; the genuine warmth and relaxed sexiness of Douglas & Jean Simmons (lovely & luscious)together; the depiction of Rome at its height of power and the nice interplay between the corrupt but true democrat Laughton and the haughty and superior Olivier, whose lust for order and power is a far more sinister corruption; the wonderfully flawed & human Ustinov and the affection and warmth of his scenes with Laughton (much of which he wrote and they worked out together); great battles; and finally, the haunting image of the road to Rome decorated with the crucified remnants of Spartacus's slave army.

This last is why I return to this movie again and again. When the slaves lose, as they had to lose fighting against the awsome power of Rome, and the defeated remaining men standup and claim they are Spartacus knowing crucifixion will follow their gesture; and, Spartacus too goes to the cross but swears to Crassus over the dead body of Antoninus (Tony Curtis) "he'll be back and he'll be thousands"....well, it gets the blood moving. I love defiance in defeat.

And the last scene, with Varinia holding up his son to the silently dieing Spartacus saying "he's free" may be Hollywood corn to some, but it was just that small note of hope that makes movies emotional experiences rather than academic exercises to me. You can have the razzle dazzle of Gladiator, I will take the emotional heart of Spartacus any day. There is still something thrilling & uplifting in watching someone go down to defeat with chin raised (cleft and all) in defiance. Probably 4 to 4-1/2 stars, but will always be 5 to me for sheer entertainment.

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Shakespeare in Love (2012)

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)I honestly did not know what to expect when I first sat down to watch "Shakespeare In Love." Perhaps that was for the best, since this film teems with unexpected moments and twists, turning literary history upside down and giving it a clever and bawdy twist.

Gywenth Paltrow plays a young noblewoman who is expected to be demurely betrothed, but who wants none of the life ahead of her. She yearns for the theater, and, in her headstrong, ambitious drive, dresses like a boy to obtain a part in Will Shakespeare's newest drama. Of course, the two fall in love (hence the title!) and their duplicity leads to plot complications that get more and more outrageous. Literary jokes abound, but you don't need to know a whit about Shakespeare to enjoy this romp. This is a romantic comedy cloaked in Elizabethian times, an anachronism that is thoroughly satisfying.

Paltrow's Viola is gutsy, intelligent, and torn, a portrayal that deservedly earned her an Oscar. Joseph Fiennes makes a lovable, bumbling Will Shakespeare. The two display a chemistry that brings the witty script to life and elevates this film to a level above most romantic comedies.

This film should appeal to a wide range of viewers even those who hated studying Shakespeare in school.

This movie really hit home for me. I just sat there in awe of the acting, the way the story unfolded. It totally engrossed me. I saw it three times at the movies and could have easily gone to see it again and again. When it won so many Academy Awards, I wasn't surprised except I thought Saving Private Ryan should have won Best Picture. I also felt that Tom Wilkinson didn't get the praise he deserved. His performance was, as usual for Tom, understated and perfect. I thought he should have been nominated instead of Geoffrey Rush, for best supporting actor, and I'm an aussie.

I also felt Joseph Fiennes should have got a Best Actor gong. Gwyneth was great but Joseph's performance of Will was exceptional to say the least.

The highlights for me were the unfolding of the two stories, (Romeo and Juliet & Will and Viola). Then the actual performance of Romeo and Juliet and the intertwining tragedy of Will and Viola. The way the audience reacted at the end said it all.

I think that 'Shakespeare In Love' is mainly a movie that females thoroughly love. The males in my circle of friends and family didn't quite GET IT so to speak.

Also deserving of mention were Colin Firth and the actor with the the stutter, which miraculously disappeared at the start of the play.

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This is the kind of movie the Academy loves and through its love, rewards.

The script by Stoppard and Norman is erudite and cunning, passionate and playful, filled with witticisms by and about the Bard; and the parallels to Shakespeare and his work, especially the play within a play, Romeo and Juliet, and the play to come, Twelfth Night, are marvelous and a bit miraculous. The romantic direction by Madden conjures up an Elizabethan England and its London theatre with enough lusty color to delight the poet himself. The acting is wonderful with Gwyneth Paltrow conquering a very demanding and delightful four-part role as Viola/Tom Kent, and on the stage as first Romeo and then as Juliet! Joseph Fiennes as the young Shakespeare writing his Romeo and Juliet on the fly, fired with the energy from his adulterous love for the lovely Viola, is better than advertised.

Of course what would a Shakespearean play or a great Hollywood movie be without its bit players and supporting roles? Judi Dench as the queen in her Academy Award winning performance gives the impression of somebody doing something marvelously well but with such ease as to look unemployed. (I stole that line from somewhere.)

From the gutter snipe with his rodents to the queen's bad teeth, from Colin Firth's delightfully villainous Lord Wessex to Geoffrey Rush's wise, but bumbling stage manager, from the tavern trollops to the gentry at the ball (in which the sonnet within a play from Romeo and Juliet is once again given life by Fiennes and Paltrow) everything is expertly presented. You don't have to be a Shakespearean buff to appreciate this resplendent romantic comedy, but if you are, your experience will be enhanced.

This is Hollywood at its best. For all the clunkers and the mass-mindless indulgences that are the usual fare-tinsel town, you are forgiven!

Read Best Reviews of Shakespeare in Love (2012) Here

I would like to point out that Blu Ray of "Shakespeare in Love" that Mark Barry is reviewing is actually the European/UK 1080p release, but he has erroneously listed his review on the site for the Canadian (Alliance) 1080i Blu Ray release. Those in the USA interested in obtaining the European 1080p/24 5.1 DTS-HD MA release should know that it plays FLAWLESSLY on my standard Sony PS3 in the USA, as it is "Region Free". It can be obtained at amazon.co.uk for less (delivered) than the inferior Canadian version. Also note that the 1080i/60 Canadian (Alliance) edition only has subtitles in French, while the 1080p/24 UK/European edition contains subtitles in English as well as many other languages.

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The first time I saw the movie, my reaction was: "Hmm, not bad. An OK movie, but nothing striking. Maybe even got a bit turned off 'cuz it's such a 'chick movie'."

Two months later, I was dying to go back to the theater and watch it again why, it was a mystery. So I paid a little more attention the 2nd time round, and I found out why subconsciously I'd already come to like that film after the first viewing.

To begin with, the dialogues are witty and very well-written. As someone who had never read any Shakespeare before (pardon me, Shakespeare gurus), I didn't know at first that there're many, many lines that were taken directly from the poet/playwright. As I read 12 of Shakepeare's plays and all of his sonnets after the movie (you can tell that I fell madly in love with Shakespeare after watching the film), I came to see how Shakespeare's own words were taken out and seamed together so cleverly and perfectly in the script. And as I re-watch the video, each time I continue to discover something new in the script that I didn't notice before.

Second, the way the Romeo/Juliet and Will/Viola stories intertwines together is just fabulous and done perfectly. The two stories bring each other to life and it's just a very creative and beautiful way of telling a story. The lead to the Twelth Night at the end is totally icing on an already-marvelous cake.

In a word, this movie is a classic.

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All the Right Moves (1983)

Because "Risky Business" gets all the attention for being Tom Cruise's breakout film, Michael Chapman's "All the Right Moves" has often been unfairly overlooked or just outright forgotten. That is a shame because Cruise's "other" coming-of-age film is a highly entertaining effort that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as his more high profile projects.

Cruise plays Stefan Djordjevic, a high school football player who dreams of being awarded a college scholarship in order to escape a future in the steel mills. However, Stefan's short temper often gets the best of him and his relationship with his high school coach (Craig T. Nelson) becomes strained after he participates in an incident that leaves the coach's house vandalized. With the help of his high school sweetheart, Lisa (Lea Thompson), Stefan starts to get his act together and ultimately gets his life back on track.

"All the Right Moves" proves that Tom Cruise had tremendous screen presence from the very beginning. His scenes with Nelson and Thompson provide dazzling hints of greater things still to come. Nelson, who may be better known for his comedic side, turns in an especially strong supporting performance as the coach who is both Stefan's tormentor and supporter at the same time. The story of the small-town kid dreaming to escape his surroundings for better things has been told so many times on television and film in so many different ways that it would be easy to dismiss "All the Right Moves" as just another tired re-telling. However, a familiar story is still engaging if told well and this film is proof of that.

Having grown up and played football in Western Pennsylvania, every bit of "All The Right Moves" brings back emotions, thoughts, memories and even smells. Even if you are not from Pittsburgh, you can appriciate the frustration this film captures of just wanting a better way of life. I hope any body viewing this film, at least can appreciate what the backbone of this country experiences. I never realized it until I moved to Los Angeles, the respect I have for my home town. I will very soon be moving my family back. Every time I see this movie I remember who I am and how proud I am of my heritage.

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Tom Cruise was a busy man in 1983. With the success of Taps 2 years earlier, he took a year off, then came out with 4 movies in the next year. They was Risky Business, The Outsiders, Losin It and All the Right Moves. My fav of all those was All the Right moves.

Cruise plays Stefan, a kid who plays for the Ampipe HS football team as a cornerback, in backwoods Pennsylvania. It is a one industry (steel) town and if the kids can't get away from there, they usually end up in the steelworks. Cruise doesn't want to work there. He has higher goals of being an Engineer. And football is the only way out, and a few schools have offered him a full scholarship.

His girlfriend is played by Lea Thompson, and she is a smart, insecure girl who is also talented in music, but trapped because schools don't give scholarships to music students who aren't brillant. There is always a hint of jealousy in her mannerisms as she watches the "dumb jocks" ride to the schools that she will never get into..and it is smartly portrayed near the end of the movie.

The "dumb jocks" here are the anti-stereotypes that are seen in movies today. They aren't slick, omnipotent acting jerks. Stefan and Brian (played well by Christopher Penn) are sensitive, uncertain and shy people. The other players become sidetracked as well, such as Salvucci who becomes a criminal, rather than a star or Shadow (played by Leon) who is so worried that he won't get in anywhere (but gets into Virginia Tech).

The core of the movie is the relationship between Coach (Craig T. Nelson) and Stefan. It is rocky in the beginning. Coach (who is also the typing teacher), is nervously waiting to see if he will be a defensive coach at CalTech, and is on a blaming streak against anyone messes up his chances. One person he blames is Stefan for losing the game to another school (it wasn't really his fault). It gets worse when (after kicking Stefan off the team), he catches him with a posse of local idiots vandalizing Coach's home.

In a derivative movie, Stefan would have blackmailed him, burned him into getting back on the team. Or he would ruined Coach's chances to being accepted at CalState. Coach would have become another one-dimensional badguy. But here, at the end, they resolve their differences like real people and work things out.

The only problem with the movie is that the genre has been copied so many times, by the time I saw it for the first time (7/2000), it seemed very derivative. Another spoiler for me is the ending, while upbeat, seemed a little too Hollywood. Rating: B-

Notes: There is full frontal nudity between the two leads! Also, the director of Photography was Jan deBont, who went on to better (Twister, Speed) and worse things (Speed 2, The Haunting).

Read Best Reviews of All the Right Moves (1983) Here

Sent the movie to a grandson. He needed to see the message in this movie.

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I bought this DVD for my husband for Christmas, He loves it and watches it frequently. Great price.

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