Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008)

The Resident Evil series has become one of the top selling titles for video game company CAPCOM. Known in Japan as "Biohazard", the series has sold over 34 million games and among the series, one of the most popular titles was the 1996 Sony Playstation game "Resident Evil 2' which introduced us to the characters of Racoon City rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (sister of "Resident Evil 1' hero Chris Redfield).

The two were popular characters that fans enjoyed and in 2005, "Resident Evil 4' featuring Leon Kennedy became a huge hit earning "Game of the Year" by various publications.

With the popularity of the character of Leon Kennedy, how fitting was it when CAPCOM announced the reuniting of both Leon and Claire. As a fan of the video game series, I was definitely excited and couldn't wait to see the film. "resident evil: DEGENERATION" takes place seven years after "Resident Evil 2'.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Picture quality is pretty good. The film is entirely in CG and was created in Maya. The CG was well done but not as fluid as "Final Fantasy: Advent Children" but still looked very impressive. The rendered character models were just great to look at (especially at the beginning when you see the airport or even the WilPharm HQ. Both look very realistic!) and Leon, Claire and Angela Miller model renders were just very well done. If anything, there is slight jerkiness when it comes to a close up of a character and trying to make it do natural and realistic movements during a conversation. But during the action scenes, the movements were very nice and overall, the CG was very well done.

If anything, fans of the video games will more than likely enjoy these CG rendered scenes.

As for audio, the audio is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 and during the action scenes (which there are many), sound does come alive and sounds very good on my system. Dialogue is quite clear. As for the music, the ending theme "Guilty" is by Japanese music artist ANNA TSUCHIYA.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The DVD features quite a few special features which include:

* The Generation of DEGENERATION featurette This featurette interviews Makoto Kamiya and other CAPCOM staff and their goal with the film, why they used the actual English voice actors in terms of the motion capture (including having them learn how to hold a gun) and more behind-the-scenes footage on the creation of the film. Also, fan reaction at San Diego Comic Con.

* Character Profiles Profiles feature a text blurb on each character and you can access a video or photography profile (from parts of the film).

* Voice Bloopers This is more or less bloopers but not sure if it was intentionally created or if it was actual bloopers. One featured Leon Kennedy telling the others about his "fee". Quite funny to watch.

* Faux Leon Interview I'm not quite sure what this feature was about. A man is interviewing one of the motion capture actors and the actor is talking about working with Kamiya-san and others on the film.

* Resident Evil: Degeneration Trailers Trailers for the film

* Resident Evil: Degeneration Tokyo Game Show Trailer Tokyo Game Show trailer

* Resident Evil 5 Special Game Footage Promotional video for the upcoming Playstation "Resident Evil" game.

* Resident Evil 5 Game Trailers Trailers for the upcoming Playstation 3 video game.

Let me first say that I am a big fan of the "Resident Evil" series and I own nearly all the US releases. "Resident Evil 2' really was innovative when it first was released for the Sony Playstation and was my favorite R.E. game until "Resident Evil 4' was released and that video game was just incredible.

So, that being said, watching this film had me smiling because I absolutely adore both the characters of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. How this film furthers the storyline of the two characters but also builds on certain situations that may have major ramifications for future video game releases is quite exciting.

So, with that being said, I enjoyed the film because the creators really wanted to pay homage to "Resident Evil 2' and "Resident Evil 4' video game series and its fans. But I realize that many people who are not familiar with the video game series are wondering how the context of this film is to the live-action film series featuring Mila Jovovich.

There is a relation by name and of course, the virus that turns people to zombies but really, this film was created for the fans of the video game series in mind.

Also, with this being a video game-related film, many who crave a deep storyline with character development of who is Claire and who is Leon may feel disappointed. The reason why video gamers who played the video games is that through those video game moments of playing these characters for hours, there was a vested interest.

I would assume that many viewers not familiar with the video game series won't pick up the importance of Claire or Leon to the actual "Resident Evil" storyline. In fact, some may wonder why they should care about these characters especially at the end with the politics surrounding the viruses.

So, with that being said, "resident evil: DEGENERATION" is an awesome film for those who followed the video game series. The film features plenty of non-stop action, bloody violence courtesy to the zombies and you even get a scene with blood that splatters on to the camera. But the enjoyment comes from those who had the experience of playing "Resident Evil 2' and "Resident Evil 4' and to see Claire and Leon again.

The CG looks great and there are some moments that I was just really in awe but at the same time, there are some movements that were jerky and robotic at times. But overall, the model renders were good and Leon and Claire look very good. So, the bottom line is that this film is just total fan service for "Resident Evil" video game fans. So much that I highly recommend this DVD.

For those who are not familiar with the video game series, you may enjoy it but if you are expecting a continuation of the live action films, then this DVD may not be for you. In fact, some may be disappointed because there is no strong plot for them to truly enjoy these characters especially without playing the video games. So, I can understand if they don't get into it.

Again, if you are fans of the "Resident Evil" video games, you can't help but have a smile on your face because there is now a "Resident Evil" film that was created with the RE video game fan in mind. And for that, I recommend this DVD for you!

I love Resident Evil and really enjoy the video games a lot even though I am not to much on the live action movies. With that said I was surprised that I liked this movie even though I didn't love it.

The video quality is pretty awesome in the blu ray version with pretty thing I noticed wasawesome sound. The one thing I noticed was the close up of faces are greatly detailed but from far away look like they have kind of a plastic coating or something that reminded me of Advent Children. I enjoyed certain scenes of the usually overdone slow motion, like when Leon throws Claire a handgun in the airport or Leon shooting a mutant in the face in the facility are really great. The animation is great but not really an as advanced as I hoped from when Advent Children. I did notice more vibrant colors and the flame effects are very good with fantastic lighting and rich blacks.

I was hoping for more of an open movie instead of being in claustrophobic atmospheres and Leon has too much perfect hair. Even at the end of the movie no one seemed roughed up to bad and their hair and faces remained intact unless you suffer from a case of zombiefacationism of course. Like I said earlier this movie surprised me that I enjoyed it. I wish it felt bigger and on a larger scale but the whole thing just felt small be it the amount of the immediate cast or the location. The only open part being the airport at the beginning and thank goodness they didn't make the whole thing based in the airport. The whole movie could have been a bunch of cut scenes from a video game like a new Resident Evil game and why so serious all the time Leon. I think I enjoyed this better than the current Resident Evil trilogy and wonder why this isn't the route they took instead of live action. The story doesn't feel like a movie but more part of a mini series which is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have by the end.

Fans of Resident Evil should watch since it is a nice inclusion and it didn't hurt the series or make it look bad. The blu ray is fantastic to show off its capabilities since it just looks so pretty even if sometimes character movements aren't always fluid and an occasional plastic texture face. Special features aren't the greatest but still nice to have and I guess they will have a special edition later. Though it is three stars for me I still enjoyed it and its a 5 star just for its picture and audio quality but that's not enough to warrant a purchase. Rent it if you love than give it a buy.

Buy Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008) Now

I watched Degeneration in NY Horror Film Festival. At first I didn't expect a lot from this movie, cause the live action trilogy is very disappointing and I just didn't dare to expect it would be good, but it is. If you're an RE fan, it's a must-see movie. You won't be disappointed. Luckily the movie doesn't focus on fighting zombies too much. It is a drama/thriller. The movie successfully combines T & G-virus storyline fans are familiar with. Although not much character development, you can enjoy the story. CG part in my opinion is not as good as Final Fantasy. Characters' facial expression is a little stiff, and their "stares" are dull. Women look like they had plastic surgery. But these are not serious problems, just the technical parts they need to improve. Degeneration story is much better than FF. After watching its premiere, I can't wait to buy the DVD.

Read Best Reviews of Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008) Here

Going into Resident Evil: Degeneration I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did have slightly low expectations; the first Resident Evil game was classic and I was never hooked on a game like I was with that. I would spend hours and hours playing that game, but never played the rest until Resident Evil 4. Well I played a couple of levels of Resident Evil 2. It's not that I didn't want to it's just something I never really got around to, but I really enjoyed the first and fourth game a lot. As for the film franchise, which this has no connection with Degeneration, I thought they were alright. All 3 movies are watchable, but very forgettable and on multiple viewings they tend to get worse.

If you've never played the games before you can still enjoy Resident Evil: Degeneration, while knowing the games would probably help you enjoy this a little more when all is said and done you really don't have to know the games to enjoy the movie. I've only really played two of the games, none in which had Claire, but Leon is in Resident Evil 4 so I don't really know Claire's character, but yet it didn't take away from the movie for me at all. But knowing the games again will probably help you enjoy this a little more, but it's not a must.

Even though Degeneration has no connection to the live action series I still went in with slightly low expectations and Resident Evil: Degeneration is far better than the live action series and overall far better than I thought it would be it still falls a little flat. The movie gets off to an amazing start with some good suspense and tension. The first act is set in an airport and the scenes were great. As I'm watching it the first thought I had was this is the best zombie movie to come along in ages (not counting the 28 Days/Weeks Later movies since by right they aren't zombies).

But after the opening act Resident Evil: Degeneration does start to decline a little bit, but always stays entertaining it just wasn't able to keep the high level of the first act. As stated before the opening act is very solid. It has a great build up and is filled with suspense and tension. But as we get more into the G-Virus it loses a little steam and the zombies pretty much go MIA for the remainder of the movie except a couple of scenes; while the plot is pretty good it does sort of feel like it drags in some spots.

Writer Shotaro Suga does a pretty good job for the most part; the characters are all solid and entertaining, but not all works. The opening act Senator Davis (Michael Sorich) plays a pretty big part and his character seemed like it would be crucial, but after the airport scenes he barley plays a part. I think there was some potential there, but nothing comes about. The script isn't perfect, but gets the job done and is far better than the three Resident Evil movies written by Paul WS Anderson.

Director Makoto Kamiya early on creates a lot of suspense and tension and the set up is excellent, but Degeneration as I stated before does run out of steam, but Kamiya is able to keep the movie fairly interesting despite the sometimes lack of action. Kamiya manages to get some the suspense and tension back for the final act, but it never reaches the level of the opening act. But overall he gets it done and crafts an enjoyable if not slightly lackluster of a movie.

Fans of the game are probably the best audience for Degeneration, but non-fans can still watch this and enjoy it; if you're disappointed in the live action series this while not great or anything if overall a lot more enjoyable and worth checking out.

The Blu-ray looks and sounds excellent and is jam packed with special features, which are pretty much the same as the DVD except a couple of minor features excusive to the Blu-ray.

Want Resident Evil: Degeneration (Blu-ray Steelbook Bonus Disc) (2008) Discount?

Having just completed Resident Evil 4 once again I was all revved up for Degeneration hoping for a continuation of the story with Leon Kennedy. All the RE games have followed a set template consisting of a lone armed man or woman fighting a hoard of undead and genetically altered beasts leading to a final confrontation with a powerful, virus infected human. The reason Capcom sticks with this formula is because it works but Degeneration breaks the pattern to its detriment. Zombie's (or virus infected human's) are present but no modified creatures. No embiggoned spiders or snakes or freaky dogs or sharks, just zombies and the inevitable G-Virus monstrosity who takes nearly half the film to destroy.

I was pleased to see that Leon is voiced by the same actor who played him in RE4. Problem is Leon looks a little bit off. Let me step back for a moment and say that the United States is clearly ahead of Japan in terms of computer generated visuals. The big problem in Degeneration is that even the living characters look undead. It appears to me that what the animators did was model the faces add some blinking and mouth movement and call it a day. The problem is it creates a very odd plastic look as if all the characters were wearing masks. The face they modeled for Leon looks like Leon except in a permanent scowl and his eyes are obscured by the shadow of his brow so you can scarcely see them. Clair looks even worse with an unexplainably odd mouth rendering. The still shots look fine but her facial movements just aren't working and character motions often look mechanical.

I really wanted to like this one. Unlike the live action movies it's put out by Capcom so I assume that it will be integrated into the series canon and I would expect to see it referenced in future games. Too bad the plot is so flat and uninspiring that maybe it doesn't even matter. There are no interesting characters like Luis Sera, Krauser, Saddler, Salazar and Chief Mendez. In Degeneration we get the laughably evil Senator Ron Davis, Fredrick Downing, Curtis Miller and Leon's potential love interest, the forgettable Angela Miller.

My only complaint with RE 4 was that it wasn't scary. It was often creepy but never scary. Degeneration takes it even further by being neither scary nor creepy. That's not quite true; the mannequin like appearances of the characters is kinda creepy. Degeneration is pure action which seems to be the unfortunate direction that Capcom is taking the series. The extra features are actually pretty good and if you watch the preview for Resident Evil 5 there is a clear tie to Degeneration. This is a pretty exciting time for Resident Evil fans and I hope they continue to make these movies but this first effort is pretty disappointing with a lot of room for improvement.

Walking Tall: The Trilogy

I have waited for a long time for the Walking Tall Trilogy to be released on DVD but was not over joyed with the DVD set. First I have to say is that the movies are all outstanding and can be watched over and over aging without loosing their excitement. But, it looks like Rhino did not use a master print but a copy of the video tape. The print they used I think is a very poor print. Walking Tall part 1 has alot of what I call "video tape lines' runnig through it, the Final Chapter is real dark in some scenes, and over all the video quality is not what you expect out of a DVD. It looks like you are watching a video tape. Rhino, you did Bufford Pusser an injustice! And I have to agree with the other reviewer; Where is the TV series at??? Release them pleaseeeee.

Over all, for the movies sake I give it a 5 star plus. On Rhinos part, 5 stars for releasing the movies on DVD, and 2 stars for their transfer. Go back to the master prints, thx them, re-do a new release to DVD including a release of the TV series.

If you like Walking Tall and Buford Pusser at all, this is a DVD set you will wnat to own

A trio of films from Bing Crosby Productions, the WALKING TALL series were mostly-fictionalized accounts of the life and alternately tragic and triumphant times of Tennessee small-town police chief Bufford Pusser in the `60s and early `70s. All three films newly available on both Blu-Ray and DVD from Shout! Factory -make for ideal drive-in fare, mixing fisticuffs, some social justice sermonizing and vigilantism that would likewise become a potent formula for the "Death Wish" series.

The original "Walking Tall" is by far the best of the trio: a somewhat crudely made yet undeniably compelling B-movie with Joe Don Baker as Pusser, a former wrestler who returns to his small Tennessee town, only to find crime, corruption, moonshinin' and prostitution having overrun the local residents. Pusser nearly dies, twice, as he tries to clean up the town first as a frustrated, concerned citizen, then as the newly elected sheriff forever running into opposition from crooked judges, lying politicians and local white trash.

Baker's performance anchors the original WALKING TALL which became a huge hit in 1973, leading to a series of wannabes and similar "redneck justice" pictures. It's not a great movie by any means, but it has a certain charm about it, with the movie having been made on a workmanlike level across the board. Walter Scharf's melodic, occasionally overwrought score includes a forgettable Johnny Mathis end credits tune, while the supporting cast features little Leif Garrett as Pusser's son and a pair of young actresses who met with premature ends: Elizabeth Hartman, who plays Pusser's wife, later committed suicide in the `80s (she also voiced Mrs. Brisby in "The Secret of NIMH"), as did Brenda Benet, Bill Bixby's ex-wife, who killed herself in 1982 and makes an impression here as a hooker sympathetic to the sheriff's crusade.

Baker didn't return for WALKING TALL: PART II, a barely serviceable 1975 sequel with Pusser still taking on the local mob in a movie that feels more like a TV film recycling as opposed to a legitimate big-screen continuation. Bo Svenson, at least, does a decent job as Pusser with a few faces having returned from the original; Walter Scharf repeated his scoring chores in a film that was released shortly after the real-life Pusser's mysterious death.

1977's FINAL CHAPTER: WALKING TALL is an appreciable step-up from its predecessor, offering an interesting account of Pusser's continued attempts to dismantle local organized crime, to his work with a film crew documenting his life and sad demise. The Howard B. Kreitsek-Samuel A. Peeples script aims higher than the second film, picking up some loose plot threads from the original that the first sequel overlooked, with Pusser's character being more developed as the lawman loses almost everything though ultimately not his legacy.

Shout's Blu-Ray set is a gem: the first film's 1080p transfer (all films are 1.85) has been culled from a pre-existing HD master and looks pretty good, with just a hint of DNR, and a 2.0 DTS MA stereo remix. Judging from the credited telecine colorist who worked on Parts II and III, the sequels appear to have been freshly transferred for this release, boasting decent detail, less DNR and 2.0 DTS MA mono soundtracks, though the modest budgets and no-frills filming of each installment certainly don't make for HD "eye candy" or demo material.

Extras are also on-hand, including a documentary offering new interviews with Baker (albeit off-camera), Garrett, his sister Dawn Lyn (who plays his sister in the film), and numerous members of Pusser's own family, who discuss the real man whose story inspired the movies (and the later, lame remake with The Rock). TV spots for all films, trailers for the sequels, and a vintage look at the production of "Final Chapter: Walking Tall" make for an excellent package, which is also available on DVD with the same extras this May from Shout!

Buy Walking Tall: The Trilogy Now

My brother got this last week at the Buford Pusser Museum, who received their shipment early.

We watched the first movie last week on my projector and 80" screen, and I can honestly say that this is the best this movie has ever looked. We saw no scratches, specks, dirt, nothing but a perfect picture. As far as HD quality, I can't speak for that since we only watched the first film.

I know a lot of people are curious about the special features, so here we go....

There are 2 discs on the blu ray set, and oddly enough, the first and 2nd movies are on the first disc on 1 side...the 3rd movie is on a disc by itself. I would have figured that part 1 would be on a disc alone, as it is the best film. Part 1 has 2 tv previews and a photo gallery; Part 2 has tv previews, a trailer and another photo gallery. Strangely, Part 2 is where the best feature is...the all-new "Buford Pusser Story" feature, which includes new interviews with many of the cast and real life people, including Leif Garrett, Dawn Lyn, Bruce Glover, Dwana Pusser and many more. What really disappointed and baffled me is that Joe Don Baker is only heard, not seen, as narrator. He is not shown giving his thoughts on-screen. Disc 2, which has Part 3 on it, has a trailer, more photos, and some older footage.

I can't speak yet for how parts 2 & 3 looked, as we only watched part 1, but the set is well worth the price for the fantastic transfer of the best of the trilogy and for the new interviews (even though we don't get to see Joe Don!).

Read Best Reviews of Walking Tall: The Trilogy Here

I bought the original Walking Tall Trilogy DVD set several years ago and it was packaged in a less that durable case and there were no extra features at all, not even the original film trailers. The picture quality on Final Chapter-Walking Tall was too dark at times. I have read that there will be some extra features included on this new release, but am not sure exactly what they will be or just how many. As this trilogy is fact-based, here's hoping for some factual type of documentary to maybe fill in some blanks and answer some long-lingering questions that have existed since Buford Pusser's suspicious death in a car crash in August 1974. His mother Helen firmly believed that he was murdered until her death and his daughter Dwana still believes it today.

Want Walking Tall: The Trilogy Discount?

This set gives what it promises. It provides videos of the 3 movies from the 70s about Sheriff Buford Pusser. It does little else. There are no special features to speak of; its just the movies.

If you like the movies and don't care for the frill, you will like this set. If you want more, you will be disappointed.

Synopses of the individual films appear below:

Walking Tall

The Original is still a Classic

Joe Don Baker plays the part of Buford Pusser, a.k.a. Buford the Bull, a pro wrestler who is disenchanted with the crooked sport and who decides to settle down in his home town in rural Tennessee. Home is not the way he remembers it, though. There is a hint of corruption in the air.

This does not matter overly much to Buford until it affects him personally. When the local thugs, working for the local moonshiners and madam, work him over and leave him for dead, he decides that he has had enough. He doesn't get a gun, his wife does not like guns. Instead, when he recovers, he gets a big piece of oak, heads over to the roadhouse where all the problems are and proceeds to kick everyone's collective butt. That lands him in jail.

When the trial comes about, it's a pretty open and shut case. Even Buford admits that he did the violence. It looks like he is going to be convicted until he fires his lawyer, makes an impassioned plea on his own behalf, shows the jury his scars and promises that if he is acquitted, he will run for sheriff and clean up the town. He gets off and then proceeds to clean things up.

The problem is that the crooks don't want to be cleaned up. They fight him and even threaten his family. That makes it personal for Buford. He cleans them up anyway but has to endure a fair amount of grief in the process. Throughout it all, he relies only on speaking softly and carrying a BIG stick.

This is not highbrow. Its just a simple good versus evil story. Buford is the good guy and he is likable.

Walking Tall Part 2

Vengeance in Mine Sayeth Buford

Near the end of the Original WALKING TALL, Sheriff Pusser's wife is killed while the mob is attempting to kill him. Now it is time for payback. There are a few changes, though.

Bo Svenson replaces Joe Don Baker as the likable sheriff. He does a creditable job but, under the circumstances, he is less concerned with the niceties of exactly following the law.

He's still effective, though. He is so effective that the mob is desperate to get him and hires a variety of hit men to do the job. One of the mob leaders, in particular, is just as obsessed with getting the sheriff as the sheriff is with getting them. That leads to an intense conflict and no concern for niceties. That means violence and mayhem.

Even with his proclivity for violence, the sheriff is concerned for his people. He is still a "nice" guy unless you are one of the people who is responsible for the problems. He still manages to get most of the small fry but the big fish still elude him.

This is not a bad movie as sequels go but it is not as good as the original. Anger can only take you so far in progressing the plot. It cannot make up for a lesser script and lesser story.

Walking Tall: The Final Chapter

End of the Road

The second Walking Tall ends with a notice that Sheriff Buford was killed in an auto accident. This third one picks up earlier in the story though. He is still adamant about getting the people who killed his wife and the Mob is still bent on getting the sheriff but Buford has a problem. He has lost his job as sheriff.

The job loss comes about for several reasons. In some cases, Buford is scene as having gone too far outside the legal boundaries. This happens even when his solutions make life easier for everyone, including the perpetrators. The people of his county also seem a bit jaded by continued success. Where they once cheered him, now they are not ready to support him.

The loss of his job means that Buford has to go after justice as a private citizen and he is well on his way to the poorhouse in pursuing his aims. The new sheriff is suspicious of him and is fearful that Buford might become a problem for him. It begins to look like he might have to move away with his business unfinished when he gets a lucky break.

A Hollywood producer learns of his story and wants to make a movie about him. That brings in money and a chance for achieving his goals. The mob leader with a taste for vengeance finally gets his chance and we learn the story of the end of the former Sheriff of McNairy County.

This one is better than the second but not as good as the first.

Save 46% Off

The Conformist

What kind of man gets himself in such a pickle that --on his honeymoon --he's given a gun and asked to kill a professor he's always admired?

That is the question presented to us at the beginning of "The Conformist," as Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant) sits in a Paris hotel room, waiting for the call that will tell him it's time to kill the professor. If you love movies, the answer --told in a series of flashbacks, and, on occasion, flashbacks within flashbacks --will make for one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences of your life.

Let's get the praise out of the way right off. Bernardo Bertolucci --known to most moviegoers for his Oscar-winning "The Last Emperor" and his down-and-dirty "Last Tango in Paris" --made "The Conformist" at 29. It is a young man's film, drenched in ambition. It is also Bertolucci's greatest film. Indeed, it is one of the ten greatest films I've ever seen.

My reasons?

First, "The Conformist" is beautiful in the extreme. The cinematographer was the great Vittorio Storaro, and his color palette is so exquisite that Francis Ford Coppola watched this film over and over before making "The Godfather" --and then hired Storaro to shoot "Apocalypse Now." The production designer was Ferdinando Scarfiotti, whose credits include "Death in Venice" and "Scarface." And Georges Delerue, who did the scores for "Jules and Jim" and "Platoon", composed the music.

Then there is the acting. Trintignant is one of the most familiar faces in French cinema; this is the performance of his life. But mostly, I want to praise Dominique Sanda, then just 22 years old and making only her third movie. She plays the professor's wife, and she unfailingly strikes a remarkable balance --on one hand, she's the loyal spouse, on another, she's a bi-sexual flirt, and on yet a third, she's the only character in the story who senses the tragedy that lies ahead.

And, finally, there is the story, adapted from the novel by Alberto Moravia, one of Italy's most seductive novelists. Sex is almost a character for Moravia, and it certainly is here --as the title suggests, Clerici's greatest desire is to be normal, to be one of the faceless masses, to conform.

That's not so easily done in Italy in 1936. Mussolini has brought down the Fascist boot; progressives have fled the country. So Clerici takes a rich, vapid wife. He makes his accommodation with the government. And with that --he thinks --he's safe.

But there are no hiding places in life --and certainly not in a dictatorship of madmen. And then there is the question of the past: How do you acquire a "normal" life if you never had one before? As we flash back, we see that Clerici's privileged childhood was anything but normal. His mother awoke at noon, looking for her first shot of the day. He was raised by nannies. And then there was the encounter with the chauffeur...

What Bertolucci is exploring here is the equation of politics with sex. In a film financed by an American studio, that equation would be explicit and vulgar. Here, every connection is made through imagery and suggestion. Your jaw will drop at scene after scene, but you'll be on the edge of your seat during one in particular --an evening at a Parisian dance hall when Sanda dances with Clerici's wife. It's a breathtaking seduction, hotter in some ways than sex itself.

Why does Clerici freeze when he's given a gun? Can he kill the professor? What happens to Sanda? And, jumping ahead, what does the Fascist's defeat mean for Clerici? Bertolucci's screenplay is brilliant on these key questions; you are always leaning in, thinking it through, putting the puzzle together. And, of course, you are invited to imagine --as we always do in great films --how would I handle this? What would I do if I were Clerici?

And now I must share some tragic news: "The Conformist" is not available on DVD. There's only a VHS. The consolation: Storaro oversaw the transfer. Still, the difficulty of seeing this remarkable film is an injustice that somebody really ought to fix.

For those too frustrated to rent or acquire a VHS tape of "The Conversation," let me recommend "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis", also starring Dominique Sanda, made a year later and exploring some of the same themes. Or you could read Alberto Moravia's novel. But be warned: This is that rare case --a movie so much better than the book that reading it is a disappointment.

I just want to add my voice to those asking pleading for The Conformist to be released in a subtitled version on DVD. I first saw The Conformist when it was released about 35 years ago, and have had the good fortune to see it a few times since. (At the risk of rubbing salt in the wound of reviewer James Luckard, I did get to see it when it was at the Nuart in L.A. two years ago.) This film is just absolutely stunning in every way Jean-Louis Trintignant is of course a great actor, but the thing I find so overwhelming with this film is the way the story, the acting, the cinematography, the lighting, the music, everything just comes together so well.

Buy The Conformist Now

Break out the brass section, the DVD has arrived. This landmark film like fine wine, now that it has been remastered by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, and presented with color intact in widescreen in Italian and French, emerges as a true classic. The dispicable VHS dubbed panned & scanned version that we have been watching for over 20 years can be "retired". Bernardo Bertolucci's truth is once again on display. This release sparkles with clarity, and we can thrill to the carefully presented imagery and the powerful symbolism.

Bertolucci, under 30 when he directed CONFORMIST, has become a wonderfully gifted and powerful force in cinema; and never more so than in this fledging effort. He must have storyboarded every moment. The film is tighter than a Rolex; no wasted seconds or icons. In this film he began to explore the vistas of sensuality and sexuality that only two short years later would blossom into THE LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972); and then would spill out all over the lens and screen in his latest effort, THE DREAMERS (2003).

Alberto Moravia wrote the original novel at over 300 pages. Bertolucci did a marvelous job of extracting the essence of the protagonist, Marcello Clerici, and constructing a fabulous film, complex, lyrical yet brutal, beautiful yet shocking, shallow one moment and lethal the next, full of madness, repressed homosexuality, religious hypocracy, petty politicos, blind people, assassins, victims, and a never ending line of characters being cajoled or abused or eliminated or shamed or extolled. This is the Italy of the late 30's and early 40's, when the bald bulldog, Mussolini, strutted in the shadow of Hitler, dreaming of a new Roman Empire --about ordinary citizens who either resisted the Fascists or joined them. The ones who "resisted" had to be hunted down and eliminated by the ones who "accepted" Fascista "normalcy".

This is a film that needs to be seen more than once. The film opens mid-thrid act, and speeds its entirity in flashback, bringing us up to speed. Just one viewing leaves even the hardiest film buff limp and confused. Somewhere during the 2nd or 3rd viewing, Bertolucci's motives make themselves accessible and evident.

Jean-Louis Trintignant is the perfect Clerici, a successful professor, a loner, who wants to bet married and become a member of the Brown Shirts in order to "fit in"; and along the way we discover the dark side of his nature, confirming his cowardice and true nature. Stefania Sandrelli was very lovely as Guila, the young wife. But the film was stolen by the smoldering sexuality of Dominque Sanda, striking a Marlene Dietrich pose in tight pants, with her hands in her pockets, and a cigarette dangling out of one corner of her mouth. She is a woman of huge appetites and dark secrets.

Read Best Reviews of The Conformist Here

I agree that The Conformist should be released on DVD. I also agree with the reviewer who said that The Conformist is undoubtedly Bertolucci's finest film and perhaps his only true masterwork. However, the dubbing is atrocious--and a similar problem exists with Truffaut's Day for Night--another film that is unavailable on DVD and which has previously been available only in a dubbed version. Since I have seen The Conformist in the theater in the original language, I am confident that they could--with a little effort--release The Conformist in Italian. The Conformist is a truly great film--with stunning cinematography. Bertolucci explores the question of why an intelligent thinker would care to become a fascist. The answer is complex, startling and not ever comforting. It's truly a shame that it has not yet been released on DVD; but it would be a travesty to release it on DVD as a dubbed version (as if voice is not part of acting.)

Want The Conformist Discount?

When I found THE CONFORMIST in dvd I couldn't believe my eyes. The movie in fact is not available on dvd format in Europe. The quality of the dvd is pretty good and surprised me since we are talking of a reletively old movie. Even the italian soundtrack is good, in spite of the mono. I met some minor problems with the subtitles, but let me also add that their choice is wide. The 16/9 ratio respects the original and it looks great even on a big plasma screen. The interviews of Bertolucci and Storaro (in English!) in the extra make the whole thing a must. This version of THE CONFORMIST includes a 5 minutes scene (interesting enough for its symbolism) that was deleted at the time of the opening. I fully agreed with those who consider THE CONFORMIST Bertolucci's best flm. If you like this sort of films, I may suggest LACOMBE LUCIEN by Louis Malle, MR. KLEIN by Joseph Losey, NOVECENTO by Bertolucci himself, IL GIARDINO DEI FINZI CONTINI by Vittorio De Sica (Oscar in 1971 as Best foreign picture). They are all unique in their own way, but they deal with the same historical period, and they are all great examples of Cinema.

Rio Grande (1950)

'Rio Grande', the last of director John Ford's 'unofficial' Cavalry Trilogy, has often been unfairly judged the 'weakest' of the three westerns. Certainly, it lacks the poetic quality of 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon', or the revisionist view of a thinly-disguised reworking of the events surrounding the death of George Armstrong Custer ('Fort Apache'), but for richness of detail, a sense of the camaraderie of cavalrymen, an 'adult' (in the best sense of the word) love story, and a symbolic 'rejoining' of North and South conclusion that may have you tapping your toe, 'Rio Grande' is hard to beat!

It is remarkable that 'Rio Grande' ever got to the screen; Ford hadn't planned to make it, but in order to get Republic Pictures to agree to his demands for 'The Quiet Man' (he wanted the film to be shot on location in Ireland, and in color), he had to agree to do a 'quickie' western that would turn a quick profit for the usually cash-strapped studio. This is, perhaps, a reason why the film is held in less esteem than it deserves. 'Rio Grande' may have not been born with high expectations, but with John Ford in the director's chair, and John Wayne and the Ford 'family' in the cast and crew, the potential for something 'special' was ALWAYS present!

A few bits of trivia to enhance your viewing pleasure: Yes, that IS Ken Curtis, singing with The Sons of the Pioneers, in the film...while uncredited, he made a favorable impression with Ford, and soon became a part of his 'family'...Ben Johnson, Harry Carey, Jr, and Claude Jarman, Jr, actually did their own stunts while performing the 'Roman Style' riding sequence (Carey said in interviews that they were all young, and didn't think about the danger of it; a production would lose their insurance if they 'allowed' three major performers to do something as risky, today!)...Did you know that O'Hara, playing Jarman's 'mother', was barely 14 years older than her 'son', and was only 29 at the time of the filming?...Harry Carey barely had any lines in the script; most of what you see in the film was ad-libbed!...the popular ditty, 'San Antoine', sung by Jarman, Carey, Johnson, and Curtis, was, in fact, written by Mrs. Roy Rogers, herself, Dale Evans!

Whether you're viewing 'Rio Grande' for the first time, or have sat through many viewings, the film has a richness and sense of nostalgia for a West that 'may never have existed, but SHOULD have'. It would be a proud addition to any collector's library!

This is the third of Ford's films which focus on the U.S. Cavalry and its violent encounters with the Apache. Wayne's role in each is quite different. He is a subordinate officer in Fort Apache, a commanding officer about to retire in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and again a commanding officer in this film but estranged from his wife Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara), and son Jeff (Claude Jarman, Jr.) among the men he commands. Lieutenant Kirby Yorke (Wayne) resembles Woodrow F. Call in Lonesome Dove (played by Tommy Lee Jones) who refuses to show any favoritism or even affection whatsoever to his son. (In fact, Call denies his fatherhood.) Of course, Ford ensures that husband and wife are reunited by the end of the film; also, that father and son become close after Trooper Yorke plays a key role in helping to rescue children captured by the Apache and thereby earns his commanding officer's (and father's) respect. A similar relationship exists in Red River except that the conflict is resolved without a brawl. Personally, I would have preferred less reliance on Irish ballads, the focus on Yorke's marital conflicts, and what I view as the macho element of which Ford was so fond. Nonetheless, Wayne's performance is outstanding and the sequence by which the children is rescued is brilliantly portrayed. In additional to much improved sound and image, this DVD version also offers several excellent supplementary features which include a scene-specific commentary with Maureen O'Hara, a mini-documentary "Along the Rio Grande with Maureen O'Hara," and "The Making of Rio Grande" hosted by Leonard Maltin.

Buy Rio Grande (1950) Now

Rio Grande is a 1950 western film and the third installment of John Ford's "cavalry trilogy", following two RKO Pictures releases: Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949).

John Wayne stars in all three films, as Captain Kirby Yorke in Fort Apache, then as Captain of Cavalry Nathan Cutting Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and finally as a promoted Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Yorke in Rio Grande (the York/Yorke character's last name was spelled slightly differently in Fort Apache and Rio Grande).

The film is based on a short story "Mission With No Record" by James Warner Bellah, that appeared in the The Saturday Evening Post on September 27, 1947, and the screenplay was written by James Kevin McGuinness.[1][2]Ford wanted to make The Quiet Man first, but Republic Pictures studio president Herbert Yates, insisted that Ford make Rio Grande first, using the same combination of Wayne and Maureen O'Hara; Yates did not feel that the script of The Quiet Man was very good, and wanted Rio Grande to be released first to pay for The Quiet Man. (To Yates's surprise The Quiet Man, on its eventual release in 1952, would become Republic's number one film in terms of box office receipts

The film was shot in Monument Valley, and other locations in southeastern Utah around the town of Moab and along the Colorado River.[3]

In Rio Grande, Colonel Yorke is posted on the frontier to defend settlers against hostile Apaches. Col. Yorke is under considerable stress between the Apaches and the young-raw recruits sent to the post-in numbers far inadequate to the needs of his command.

Tension is added when Yorke's son (whom he hasn't seen in fifteen years), Trooper Jeff Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr.), is posted to the fort. Not wanting the other men to think he is favoring his son, he ends up being harder on him. Jeff is watched over by a pair of more seasoned troopers, Tyree (Ben Johnson) and Boone (Harry Carey Jr.).

With the arrival of the estranged Mrs. Kathleen Yorke (Maureen O'Hara) who has come to take the under-age Yorke home with her, even more tension is added. The Colonel and Mrs. Yorke figure out it would be best to let young Jeff grow up and make the decision whether to stay or leave for himself; he chooses to stay. The tension brought about in the fight for their son rekindles the love they once had for each other.

Yorke is visited by his former Civil War commander, Philip Sheridan (J. Carrol Naish), now Chief General of Army. Sheridan has decided to order Yorke to cross the Rio Grande into Mexico, an action with grave political problems since it could well be seen as an act of war against Mexico.

If Yorke fails in his mission to destroy the Apache threat he faces the threat of court-martial. Sheridan, in a quiet act of acknowledgment of what he is asking Yorke to risk, promises that the members of the court will be men who rode with Yorke through the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War. Yorke accepts the mission. Now Col. Yorke must fight to save, and put back together, his family and his honor.

Some aspects of the story, notably the regiment's crossing into Mexico, and undertaking a campaign there, loosely resemble the expedition conducted by the 4th Cavalry Regiment (United States) under Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie in 1873.

Read Best Reviews of Rio Grande (1950) Here

This film marks the first of five films that John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara made together. Once John Ford got a somewhat reluctant Republic mogul Herbert Yates to agree to produce his long-time dream "The Quiet Man" Yates added a "condition." That condition was that the same team, Maureen O'Hara, Duke Wayne, do a western film first, to make up for the money he anticipated 'losing' on "The Quiet Man."

Yates must have had to eat a lot of crow because not only was "Rio Grande" a box office success, but "The Quiet Man" went on to become an all-time classic masterpiece. "Rio Grande" is an exceptionally wonderful film, and I feel is equal to "The Quiet Man" in it's own genre (Calvalry/western). It is romantic, sensitive, full of action, and everything you would expect from hero John Wayne...and his lovely lady, Maureen O'Hara plus a happy ending.

This is a subject close to my heart because I maintain a website on Ms. O'Hara and have interviewed her, as well as many of her peers, including Harry Carey, Jr., Anna Lee and John Agar. The chemistry of O'Hara and Wayne in itself is an interesting study and long underrated by Hollywood historians....

Want Rio Grande (1950) Discount?

I love this movie Maureen O'Hara never looked prettier and John Wayne is his outstanding macho self. Wayne had to complete The Quiet Man in Ireland in order to do this film and John 'Pappy' Ford made exceptionally effective use of the Monument Valley locations. The added bonus is the music of Stan Jones and the Sons of the Pioneers, the number one western music group of all time. Stan (who wrote the classic "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky") wrote almost all the music, also has a speaking role, as does Ken Curtis, the Pioneers' lead singer and who later became "Festus" on Gunsmoke. The story is a classic a mother's love for her only son along with the anger of a spoiled southern aristocrat caught in the ravages of the Civil War, the former husband whose pledge of Duty, Honor, and Country of the career military man broke up their marriage, and the realization and acceptance by both of that pledge is as integral to the man as were her ties to the South. This should be in the top five of John Wayne movies for collectors great music, acting, scenery, photography, and message.

Save 40% Off

The French Connection (1971)

(NOTE: For updated info on the new 2012 blu-ray release, check out the second half of this review below)

"The French Connection" is a fantastic time capsule of a film; a solid crime drama enhanced tremendously by great performances, crackling dialogue, terrific stunt work and wonderful location shooting in and around NYC that captures The Big Apple during its 1970's heyday as a scummy, gritty cesspool of a town. It's a fine example of 1970's American cinema, a classic of its type and a must-see, if not a must-own, for fans of crime dramas and police procedurals. Without question, a five star film (out of five).

Regarding specifically the 2009 2-disc blu-ray release, Director William Friedkin has apparently decided that the gritty, documentary-like feel to the original cinematography of his film was not gritty and documentary-like enough; instead of taking advantage of the latest technological advances to clean up or restore an original master of this classic film, director Friedkin decided that he would revisit his 39-year-old masterpiece so as to make it look decidedly worse. Using various digital filters, he has amped up the noise and graininess, distorted and smeared the color scheme with a bizarre "pastel" look, and blown out the contrast, all to give "The French Connection" an (intentionally) worn-out, distorted look that really does change the visuals of the film.

Unfortunately, rather than giving the film a more "cinéma vérité;" feel (as was the director's intention), this inexplicable digital makeover adds absolutely nothing to the film's impact save for scads of fake film grain, alternately faded and dull hues and crappier contrast. I am by no means a film purist, but the fact is this visual overhaul is pointless, gimmicky and (most problematic) extremely distracting. The added grain will astonish you during certain parts of the film... and not in a good way. People with large televisions especially be warned.

"The French Connection" was originally shot by legendary film cinematographer Owen Roizman (whose cinematography resume includes such film greats like "Network", "The Taking of Pelham 123" and "The Exorcist"). The following comment is what Mr. Roizman had to say on the matter of the film's "new" look after viewing it:

"Billy (director William Friedkin) for some reason decided to do this on his own. I wasn't consulted. I was appalled by it. I don't know what Billy (director William Friedkin) was thinking. It's not the film that I shot, and I certainly want to wash my hands of having had anything to do with this transfer, which I feel is atrocious."

I sympathize with you, Mr. Roizman.

As a side note, I personally think this trend of technologically "fixing" older films is crap, directors cut or no director's cut. Imagine if Stanley Kubrick revisited Dr. Strangelove in order to add improved nuclear missile effects via CGI; or if Kubrick digitally altered "2001: A Space Odyssey" in order to digitally "improve" Dr. David Bowman's trip through time and space; or if Martin Scorsese added new CGI blood effects to "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver"? What if an elderly Picasso decided to round up his earlier cubist paintings and touch them up, in order to "correct" the technical imperfections of his youth? Where does it end?

Perhaps Mr. Friedkin's decision to experiment with the film's original cinematography wouldn't be much of an issue if the original version of the film was included alongside the digitally-altered version, but alas, that is not the case with this blu-ray release. Unfortunately, Mr. Friedkin has stated that this new, digitally-altered version of "The French Connection" is how he hopes this classic film will be presented in all future home video releases from here on end (we'll see about that). My belief is that if this trend must continue, then I do think that there is an obligation for the original, unaltered film to be available to the public as well, for reasons of both history and personal aesthetics.

Admittedly, the special features of the Blu-Ray release are impressive (although most are recycled from the earlier 5-Star Collection DVD), but when the main film is presented as such, what does it matter? I infinitely prefer the 2001 Five-Star Collection 2-disc DVD set, and wholeheartedly recommend it over this Blu-Ray. The remastering on the THX-approved 2001 DVD is terrific (looking especially good upconverted via 1080p), the original cinematography is preserved, the 5.1 Dolby Digital sounds great, and its got hours of extras (as mentioned earlier, its got virtually all of the extras found on the Blu-Ray incarnation). As another alternative, if you can live without most of the extras, the 2005 single-disc DVD release has the same mastering as the 2001 Five-Star Collection 2-disc DVD set, is currently still in circulation, and can be bought brand new for around $7.00.

In all, the 2009 Blu-Ray release is a two-star (**) affair at best; if you must check out this Blu-Ray, rent before you buy.

Perhaps its time for Mr. Friedkin to make a new film rather than waste time tinkering on his old ones (or, judging by his last film "Bug", maybe not).

8/8/12 UPDATE: Predictably, 20th Century Fox went back to the drawing board and whipped up a new transfer for an all-new blu-ray release that was originally a Best Buy exclusive, but is finally available for purchase on Amazon.com. It is being hailed as a director-approved cut (just as the last blu-ray release was), but this time it was remastered under both Freidkin and Roizman's supervision (who have apparently have made up with each other since the last Blu-Ray release).

So, how does this blu-ray stack up with the earlier release? Overall, this new transfer is mostly terrific, and completely blows the old blu-ray release out of the water. Colors look natural again (if a little over-saturated at times). Contrast is great, although blacks can be a bit crushing at times. Grain and noise is present, but far less so than the previous release. Sharpness has been increased. Overall, the film looks great, especially when compared to the last release. As far as audio is concerned, it is the same as the earlier disc.

There are a couple caveats, however. First, the film has been given a blue/teal tint that is fairly noticeable in some scenes, but not in all. While this has bothered some critics, when I compared this disc to the Five-Star DVD release, it really isn't as bad as some have made it out to be, and is nowhere near as distracting as other teal-ified blu-ray releases, such as "Aliens" or the 2012 blu-ray release of "Total Recall". In fact, the Five Star 2-disc DVD set (which still looks great, I must say) exhibits a fairly blue color scheme for much of the film, although it is not as pronounced as the "Signature Series" blu-ray release. Why they won't simply release the film as it looked in theaters, with its original color timing, is beyond me.

Second, there are less extras on this disc, the most egregious omission being the removal of the excellent one-hour BBC documentary "Poughkeepsie Shuffle", so as to consolidate the film and remaining extras on to one Blu-Ray disc. It is a great documentary that is totally worth owning for fans, and is a real shame that it's been left behind. Fans will want to hang onto their old 2-disc Blu-Ray or Five Star 2-disc DVD set for that neat extra. Fortunately, the "Signature Series" blu-ray release does retain many of the great extras found on the earlier releases, and overall should satisfy most fans.

Final Note: For super-fans, none of the blu-ray releases come with the original theatrical trailer for The French Connection (although The French Connection II blu-ray release did include its original theatrical trailer...go figure); however, the Five Star DVD set does indeed include the theatrical trailer.

So there you have it, folks. The new blu-ray release, while not perfect, is totally worth the upgrade for the improved picture quality, and is a four-star (****) release.

For casual fans, the 2012 "Signature Series" blu-ray release is far and away the preferred release to own. In the end, it is hardcore fans who get the shortest end of the stick (as per usual); if one wishes to have the most complete "French Collection" experience, one must invest in both blu-ray sets and the Five Star DVD. Adieu, friends!

The Tuminaro Case. That is what the law enforcement community calls "the French Connection" case of 1968. Two rough-and-tumble NYPD Narcotics detectives named Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso stumbled on a heroin-smuggling ring which spanned the Atlantic and linked the New York Mafia with a French mob operating out of Marsailles, which, if you are not familiar with it, is a great port city in the Mediterranean famous for, among other things, being a stop on the great heroin pipeline between Turkey, Siciily, Corsica, Continental Europe, and the Big Apple. This discovery was the birth of the understanding that the heroin trade was big international business, being conducted on a breathtaking scale, and the efforts of local cops and a few federal agents to stop it by busting junkies and street dealers was as ludicrous as handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500.

In the end, somewhere between 100 300 kilos of pure heroin were seized, the ring was smashed, two cops sprung to fame by making the big case ("Went through The Door", in NYPD Narc lexicon), and the soon-to-be legendary NYPD Special Investigations Unit was created. But at what cost, and to what end?

This is what the film version of "The French Connection" examines, changing the names of the players (to Popeye Doyle, played by the great Gene Hackman, and Cloudy Russo, played by the criminally underrated Roy Schieder, respectively) but leaving the basic facts of the story intact. Very few movies have attempted to show the methodology and mind-set of Narc detectives without either glamorizing them or apologizing for them; "TFC" does neither. Doyle is a truly disgusting human being, but a [darn] good cop. He has the ego, the spleen, the recklessness, and the obsessive won't-let-go mentality of a pit bull, which more or less typefied the Narcs of the pre-Knapp Comission years. If you want a cop like Doyle off your case, you pretty much have to kill him. And if you try, don't miss.

The SIU, an elite branch of the Narcotics Division, was born during this investigation. No police unit in history probably bagged more hard drugs, busted more big-name dealers, or wrought such havoc with the drug trade in the Big Apple. On the other hand, no police unit in history ever broke so many laws doing it:

the tactics used by Doyle and Russo in "TFC" became standard procedure for the SIU: Illegal wiretaps. Shakedowns. Theft of money. Distribution of heroin to informants. Perjury. Extortion. Entrapment. You name it, they did it, and operated with virtually no supervision for about ten years before another famous cop, Bob Leuici, who got his own movie ("Prince of the City") brought down the house by exposing its inherent corruption. About seventy detectives served in SUI and of them, more than fifty ended up being indicted, and most went to prison. A number killed themselves. In a moment of true irony, several SIU detectives were fingered in the theft of 300 pounds of heroin from the police evidence lockup. The heroin in question was the evidence seized by Egan and Grosso in the Tuminaro Case. So in the end, it was largely for nothing. The H hit the street anyway.

I read some review of this film which question its morality, its supposed affirmantion of the 'war on drugs' and even liken "Connection" to the Nazi propiganda film "Triumph of the Will" because it seems to endorse the ends-justifying-tactics of Doyle and Russo. These people are missing the point entirely. The French Connection is not politicized fiction, like "Blow." It is a real case, the detectives were real people, and these were the real methods they used to crack it. The scene where Hackman chases his would-be assassin all across New York, endangering the lives of about 100 people in the process, says more than any dialogue could about his personality. In other words, this movie isn't about the drug trade, it's about the cops who fight it.

"TFC" is NOT an endorsement of the war on drugs; it simply lays out what happened here in a dramatized fashion. Like all great movies, it does not tell the viewer what to think but allows him/her to come to his own conclusion. And by the way, the movie most certainly DOES imply that the drug war, or at least this particular battle in it, was futile. The 'what happened to them' blurbs at the end of the film demonstrate this in no uncertain terms.

Looking back I see this is not a proper review of the film but more of a rant. ...

I'm through venting. Sorry. I'll make up for it with this: "The French Connection" is a great crime drama, brilliantly acted, superbly directed, and deserves every bit of its reputation as one of the greatest films of all time. I'm going to buy it on DVD today.

Buy The French Connection (1971) Now

Even though there's nothing to say about this now 35-year-old masterpiece that hasn't been said by someone somewhere, I can't resist offering my opinion on the greatest cop movie ever made and, in all likelihood, one of the 10 best films ever made.

How can a film be better than this one? It deservedly won five Oscars including best picture, best actor (Gene Hackman), its script and editing. Film editing is probably the most common downfall of a movie that is the least understood by the average filmgoer. aside from inane scriptwriting, it is editing that either turns individual scenes into something larger that its parts or robs those scenes of their vigor and value by misplacing them in the overall sequence of events.

There are so many good things going on in this film -the action, ultra-intelligent script based on a real life incident, the acting, the locations, the searing score using knife sharp high strings and bellowing lower strings, and William Friedkin's monumental direction that included the unplanned train chase scene that is now considered the greatest chase in film ("We didn't ask anyone for a permit," Friedkin said. "We just did it.") -that it is somewhat foolhardy to identify one element as the key to this masterpiece. Still, I believe the editing is what transforms "French Connection" from five stars to masterpiece.

I first saw this movie in 1971 during a matinee at an old big city theatre, now bulldozed, the kind of theatre that used to exist before malls took over the industry. While the chase scene was just as riveting then as now on the big screen, it was an earlier scene that more captivated me.

In the second scene, Hackman and Scheider go to a drinking establishment where a Supremes-like trio is singing. The reality and scope of this scene far more overwhelmed me on the big screen than any other. It also happens to be the scene where the two cops first identify bad guy Tony LoBianco -who followed his success in this film with a lot of appearances on the 1970s CBS cop show "Kojak" -as an emerging kingpin throwing around money with some druggie hotshots.

It probably isn't possible to explain to today's moviegoers what a drug kingpin was circa 1971. Drugs are so ingrained in our culture now, with kids regularly taking them to and selling them in school, that the profundity of such a scene in a film can no longer have the same meaning three and one-half decades later.

The final scene, in the decrepit buildings on Riker's Island, is another ultrarealistic scene that puts the viewer at the scene of the crime and the ongoing melodrama. That inconclusive ending was true and commonplace for its period, a time when the "antihero" film was emerging. The popular cop films from the "Dirty Harry" series, as well as Charles Bronson's "Death Wish" films, were clearly influenced by the antihero aspects of the "The French Connection" cops and their futility.

A cast note: Marcel Bozzuffi, the hitman character known as Pierre Nicoli in the film, played a different type of killer two years earlier in the remarkable 1969 French film "Z", a political thriller with much of "The French Connection"'s sizzling energy. And like this film, "Z" was also based on true events. Check this out next time you're in the mood for one of the better films of that era.

Far from being a timepiece, this film is just as contemporary today as it was when it came out -a time when there was no Internet, cell phones or cable television, there was only one American telephone company and gas cost about 30 cents a gallon. This film will always be among the handful of critics' short A-list movies and I'll continue to watch it at every opportunity. I suggest you take a look if you've never seen it. There will never be another quite like it.

Read Best Reviews of The French Connection (1971) Here

(NOTE: For updated info on the new 2012 blu-ray release, check out the second half of this review below)

"The French Connection" is a fantastic time capsule of a film; a solid crime drama enhanced tremendously by great performances, terrific stunt work and wonderful location shooting in and around NYC that captures The Big Apple during its 1970's heyday as a scummy, gritty cesspool of a town. It's a fine example of 1970's American cinema, a classic of its type and a must-see, if not a must-own, for fans of crime dramas and police procedurals. Without question, a five star film (out of five).

Regarding specifically the 2009 2-disc blu-ray release, Director William Friedkin has apparently decided that the gritty, documentary-like feel to the original cinematography of his film was not gritty and documentary-like enough; instead of taking advantage of the latest technological advances to clean up or restore an original master of this classic film, director Friedkin decided that he would revisit his 39-year-old masterpiece so as to make it look decidedly worse. Using various digital filters, he has amped up the noise and graininess, distorted and smeared the color scheme with a bizarre "pastel" look, and blown out the contrast, all to give "The French Connection" an (intentionally) worn-out, distorted look that really does change the visuals of the film.

Unfortunately, rather than giving the film a more "cinéma vérité;" feel (as was the director's intention), this inexplicable digital makeover adds absolutely nothing to the film's impact save for scads of fake film grain, alternately faded and dull hues and crappier contrast. I am by no means a film purist, but the fact is this visual overhaul is pointless, gimmicky and (most problematic) extremely distracting. The added grain will astonish you during certain parts of the film... and not in a good way. People with large televisions especially be warned.

"The French Connection" was originally shot by legendary film cinematographer Owen Roizman (whose cinematography resume includes such film greats like "Network", "The Taking of Pelham 123" and "The Exorcist"). The following comment is what Mr. Roizman had to say on the matter of the film's "new" look after viewing it:

"Billy (director William Friedkin) for some reason decided to do this on his own. I wasn't consulted. I was appalled by it. I don't know what Billy (director William Friedkin) was thinking. It's not the film that I shot, and I certainly want to wash my hands of having had anything to do with this transfer, which I feel is atrocious."

I sympathize with you, Mr. Roizman.

As a side note, I personally think this trend of technologically "fixing" older films is crap, directors cut or no director's cut. Imagine if Stanley Kubrick revisited Dr. Strangelove in order to add improved nuclear missile effects via CGI; or if Kubrick digitally altered "2001: A Space Odyssey" in order to digitally "improve" Dr. David Bowman's trip through time and space; or if Martin Scorsese added new CGI blood effects to "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver"? What if an elderly Picasso decided to round up his earlier cubist paintings and touch them up, in order to "correct" the technical imperfections of his youth? Where does it end?

Perhaps Mr. Friedkin's decision to experiment with the film's original cinematography wouldn't be much of an issue if the original version of the film was included alongside the digitally-altered version, but alas, that is not the case with this blu-ray release. Unfortunately, Mr. Friedkin has stated that this new, digitally-altered version of "The French Connection" is how he hopes this classic film will be presented in all future home video releases from here on end (we'll see about that). My belief is that if this trend must continue, then I do think that there is an obligation for the original, unaltered film to be available to the public as well, for reasons of both history and personal aesthetics.

Admittedly, the special features of the Blu-Ray release are impressive (although most are recycled from the earlier 5-Star Collection DVD), but when the main film is presented as such, what does it matter? I infinitely prefer the 2001 Five-Star Collection 2-disc DVD set, and wholeheartedly recommend it over this Blu-Ray. The remastering on the THX-approved 2001 DVD is terrific (looking especially good upconverted via 1080p), the original cinematography is preserved, the 5.1 Dolby Digital sounds great, and its got hours of extras (as mentioned earlier, its got virtually all of the extras found on the Blu-Ray incarnation). As another alternative, if you can live without most of the extras, the 2005 single-disc DVD release has the same mastering as the 2001 Five-Star Collection 2-disc DVD set, is currently still in circulation, and can be bought brand new for around $7.00.

If you must check out this Blu-Ray, rent before you buy.

Perhaps its time for Mr. Friedkin to make a new film rather than waste time tinkering on his old ones (or, judging by his last film "Bug", maybe not).

8/8/12 UPDATE: Predictably, 20th Century Fox went back to the drawing board and whipped up a new transfer for an all-new blu-ray release, initially a Best buy exclusive, it has at last arrived on Amazon. It is being hailed as a director-approved cut (just as the last blu-ray release was), but this time it was remastered under both Freidkin and Roizman's supervision (who have apparently have made up with each other since the last Blu-Ray release).

So, how does this blu-ray stack up with the earlier release? Overall, this new transfer is mostly terrific, and completely blows the old blu-ray release out of the water. Colors look natural again (if a little over-saturated at times). Contrast is great, although blacks can be a bit crushing at times. Grain and noise is present, but far less so than the previous release. Sharpness has been increased. Overall, the film looks great, especially when compared to the last release. As far as audio is concerned, it is the same as the earlier disc.

There are a couple caveats, however. First, the film has been given a blue/teal tint that is fairly noticeable in some scenes, but not in all. While this has bothered some critics, when I compared this disc to the Five-Star DVD release, it really isn't as bad as some have made it out to be, and is nowhere near as distracting as other teal-ified blu-ray releases, such as "Aliens" or the 2012 blu-ray release of "Total Recall". In fact, the Five Star 2-disc DVD set (which still looks great, I must say) exhibits a fairly blue color scheme for much of the film, although it is not as pronounced as the "Signature Series" blu-ray release. Why they won't simply release the film as it looked in theaters, with its original color timing, is beyond me.

Second, there are less extras on this disc, the most egregious omission being the removal of the excellent one-hour BBC documentary "Poughkeepsie Shuffle", so as to consolidate the film and remaining extras on to one Blu-Ray disc. It is a great documentary that is totally worth owning for fans, and is a real shame that it's been left behind. Fans will want to hang onto their old 2-disc Blu-Ray or Five Star 2-disc DVD set for that neat extra. Fortunately, the "Signature Series" blu-ray release does retain many of the great extras found on the earlier releases, and overall should satisfy most fans.

Final Note: For super-fans, none of the blu-ray releases come with the original theatrical trailer for The French Connection (although The French Connection II blu-ray release did include its original theatrical trailer...go figure); however, the Five Star DVD set does indeed include the theatrical trailer.

So there you have it, folks. The new blu-ray release, while not perfect, is totally worth the upgrade for the improved picture quality, and is a four star release. For casual fans, the 2012 "Signature Series" blu-ray release is far and away the preferred release to own. In the end, it is hardcore fans who get the shortest end of the stick (as per usual); if one wishes to have the most complete "French Collection" experience, one must invest in both blu-ray sets and the Five Star DVD. Adieu, friends!

Want The French Connection (1971) Discount?

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the DVD-release of this terrific film. Anyone who appreciates gritty, police dramas such as Hill Street Blues and NYPD can thank director William Friedkin, who set the standard with this movie. Two years later the same director made the stuffy Academy members start taking the Horror genre seriously with his release of The Exorcist. And Friedkin was way ahead of his time with the 1970 gaythemed The Boys in the Band. The man is quite a trendsetter, not to mention a damn fine director.

Gene Hackman, one of the finest, most versatile actors around, gives the performance of his career as the impulsive, almost maniacal, Popeye Doyle. Hackman's "balls-out" performance earned him the Academy Award for best actor. Incidentally, it is the tenacity of his character which adds to the rush of the famous car/el-train chase. No one is going to take a pop at this guy and just slink away!

And what about the chase-scene? Some, including myself, feel that this is the best one ever on film. Others say it was done better in The Road Warrior; or Bullitt; or Raiders of the Lost Ark; or The Seven-Ups. ( Ronin is mentioned also, but I have never seen it.) These movies all had great chases, but they were shot either in the desert (Road Warrior and Raiders) or largely in the open road (Bullitt and Seven-Ups). In The French Connection, however, the pursuit takes place in a crowded Brooklyn commuter hub. And appropriately so, as the film is all about the grit of the big city. Working within this challenging setting, editor Jerry Greenberg does a tremendous job of maintaining the continuity of a rather lengthy sequence of high-speed events.

There is more that can be said about this great movie, but I'll leave it at this: Unlike a previous reviewer, I have no trouble discerning how this film earned its five Oscars.

French Connection 1 & 2

Gene Hackman's portrayal of Popeye Doyle is Phenomenal. The film has fantastic Cinematography. The 2nd film was a great conclusion to what was done in the first film. Not alot of people cared for the French Connection II, but it is a companion piece to the Academy Award winning original.

Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging) (1999)

I took my Niece to see it and expected it to begood but I was not prepared for what followed. What a terrific movie.Woody and Buz have worked through the problems that existed between them in the first Toy Story and have become the best of friends. I laughed throughout the movie. What humor, I loved the scene where Mrs. Potato Head is packing Mr. Potato Head for his trip to save Woody and she packs his angry eyes "just in case". The depth of the personalities, the humor and thoughtfulness of each of the characters makes me feel as though these are real people. I have put this movie on my list of "All Time Favorites" My Niece is 5 and I am 47 and we both loved it. I am eagerly waiting for it to be available for home viewing so I can own my own copy. Hats off to Disney and Pixar for a job well done.

My wife and kids (11 and13) actually kind of dragged me to see this one in the theater. Boy was I happy that they did! Toy Story 2 is really a great movie that had us all laughing a lot. It also provides for some very emotional moments (Jessie's song remembering her time as a favorite toy, among others). Many of the jokes refer to the first Toy Story, so it really helps if you know that one. What I personally liked best, though, has become a great "habit" with Pixar: The end trailors where the "stars" get to be their "own self": Here especially "Tour Guide Barbie" was a blast!

Enjoy... I can't wait for it to come out on DVD to once again enjoy the great graphics AND sound effects that so impressed me in the theater last week!

Buy Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging) (1999) Now

It is rare for a sequel to surpass the original movie artistically as well as commercially. One of those rare sequels is "Toy Story 2". I didn't think it was possible for Disney and Pixar to create a sequel as good as the first "Toy Story" but they did. "Toy Story 2" is that rare treasure.

In "Toy Story 2" Woody is stolen by Al, the toy collector who plans on selling his collection of Woody and the Round Up Gang to a Japanese toy collector. With Woody kidnapped, Buzz Lightyear, Ham, Slink, Mr. Potato Head, and Rex sets off to find their kidnapped companion. There are three new characters in the movie, Stinky Pete (voiced by Kelsey Grammar), Jessie (Joan Cusack), and Bullseye the horse. The writing and animation is superb. I really enjoyed the scenes with Woody, Jessie, Stinky Pete, and Bullseye. One of my personal scenes is when the toy collector calls in the old man to fix Woody's arm. The details in the animation is amazing and very realistic. I also loved the scenes when Jessie reminisces about her former owner Emily. It was very poignant without coming off as drippy. Sarah McLachlan's song added a melancholy feel to the scenes. Another great moment in the film was when Buzz and the gang were in the toy store looking for Al, the toy collector.

"Toy Story 2" is one of my favorite Disney/Pixar collaborations. This is a film that can be enjoyed by all ages. It is also one of the best films ever, animated or not. The writing in this film is simply too good to ignore. I still enjoy watching this movie to this very day and not get tired of it.

Read Best Reviews of Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging) (1999) Here

In November 1999, the sequel "Toy Story 2" was released in theaters and the $90 million dollar film like its predecessor did extremely well in the domestic and worldwide box office making over $485 million.

What is interesting was that the film was originally not intended for a theatrical sequel but a direct-to-video release. When Disney execs were pleased with the results, Pixar Animation Studio staff literally were on overdrive as they had only 8 months to finish the film, when the usual animated film by the company takes four years. Needless to say that while the making of the film was stressful and even some the film's animator's suffering repetitive stress injuries for working nearly 40-straight hours (rarely any sleep) shifts, the company made what was impossible...possible.

And now with a third film to be released in the Summer of 2010, 11-years-later, both "Toy Story" 1 and 2 films will be released on Blu-ray.

VIDEO:

"Toy Story 2" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1). The first thing one will notice (especially after watching "Toy Story 1") is how much detail is included in "Toy Story 2" (and after watching the special features, you'll see how much have improved over a decade later with the sneak peak of "Toy Story 3").

For the most part, "Toy Story 2" has improved animated-wide by including much more detail and textures as seen during the close-ups of Mr. Potato Head (you can see the texture as you would see from the actual toy), the plastic covering on the package of Stinky Pete, the detail of Rex the Dinosaur, more shading and the scenery of the outdoors, from vehicles to the store, the trees, the ground and everything you can think of, looks much better than its counterpart.

And of course, on Blu-ray, you see the detail and the amazing clarity. Colors are absolutely vibrant, you can see details and textures which come alive on HD and for an animated film that came out in 1999, even over a decade later, this animated film looks much, much better than a few of the animated TV shows and films that we today.

Also, the movements of the characters are just well-animated. From the characters of "Woody's Roundup" dancing, the toys and their walking movements. The movements were very good on the first film but they improved on it for the sequel. Very impressive.

Overall, wonderful picture quality for this sequel.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Toy Story 2 " is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Maser Audio and English 2.0 DTS-HD, English DVS 2.0 Dolby, Spanish and French Dolby Digital EX and I was amazed by the lossless audio quality for the first film on Blu-ray but for this sequel. WOW! Lossless audio is amazing. Just the first few minutes of the beginning of "Toy Story 2' as we see the Buzz Lightyear video game sequence, we are treated with an immersive soundscape with the center, front and surround channels being utilized as well as LFE. The film has a good amount of action sequences as Buzz Lightyear #1 takes on Buzz Lightyear #2 along with Emperor Zurg. We hear the Cheetos snap when Woody steps on them and much more.

Sound is crystal clear and overall, another impressive lossless soundtrack.

As for subtitles, subtitles are presented in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Toy Story 2' includes the following special features:

* Characters: An Exclusive Sneak Peek At Toy Story 3 (4:00) A sneak peek at the new characters and the talent voicing the new characters for "Toy Story 3'.

* Director Commentary

* Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs:

o Episode Two: International Space Station (3:43) Buzz reports back about his adventure to the International Space Station.

* Paths to Pixar: Technical Artists (4:24) In this series of shorts, Pixar artists talk about their career path and share advice to aspiring filmmakers and animators.

* Studio Stories: A series of amusing anecdotal shorts about life at Pixar.

o "Toy Story 2 Sleep Deprivation Lab" (1:25) This short featurette gives audiences an inside peek into the intense time pressures under which the Toy Story 2 editors found themselves.

o "Studio Stories: Pinocchio" (2:15) This short featurette shows an impromptu competition between the animators to decorate their workspace by throwing toys into the ceiling.

o "Studio Stories: The Movie Vanishes" (2:32) This short featurette tells how a mischievous technical error almost erased all of Toy Story 2 from the computer system.

* Pixar's Zoetrope (1:58) A look at the creation of the live-action zoetrope that Pixar created to capture the principles of animation in a live sculpture.

* Celebrating our Friend Joe Ranft (12:46) A tribute to beloved Disney and Pixar story man Joe Ranft, regarded as one of the industry's most gifted story artists.

* Making Toy Story 2 (8:10) A featurette on the making of the film, talking with director John Lasseter, crew and talent.

* John Lasseter Profile (3:02) Crew and talent talk about working with John Lasseter.

* Cast of Characters (3:28) A featurette on how the talent bring the characters to life and the new talent who provide the voices for the characters of "Toy Story 2'.

* Toy Box This section features outtakes (5:27), Jessie's Gag (1:00), Who's the Coolest Toy (3:19), Riders in the Sky Music Medley (3:11) and autographed pictures (:45).

* Deleted Scenes (4:11) Featuring deleted animation intro (:47), Godzilla Rex (1:28) and Crossing the Road (1:56).

* Design A featurette on the design of each character (Galleries), the 3D-Visualization and the colorization of the characters.

* Production Featuring Designing Woody's Past (2:50), Making Woody's Roundup (1:51), Production Tour (2:31), Early Animation Tests (3:04), Special Effects (1:38) and International Scene (1:47).

* Music & Sound Featuring Designing Sound (5:38), Making the Songs (3:25), Woody's Roundup" Music Video (2:17) and "Jessie's Song" Randy Newman Video (2:48).

* Publicity Featuring Character Interviews (2:05), Trailers (3:24), TV Spots (2:12), Posters (:50) and Baseball Woody (:18).

EXTRA:

Included in the "Toy Story 2" Special Edition is a DVD of "Toy Story. The DVD is featured in Widescreen (1:78:1) Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions and is in English 5.1 EX with English SDH subtitles.

JUDGMENT CALL:

Having gone crazy for the Blu-ray release of "Toy Story 1", I can easily say that this Blu-ray release for the sequel is equally impressive and a title definitely worth owning and worth having in your Blu-ray collection.

Although, I enjoyed the storyline for the first film much more, I enjoyed the second film because of the additional characters and the animation showed great improvement nearly five years after the first was made. But since the release of the film on VHS and on DVD (multiple times), I have owned each release because these films are both magnificent.

The voice talent and acting is top notch, the storyline is well-written and Pixar Animation Studios set the bar higher then and they continue to set the bar higher now when it comes to CG animated films.

And so far, every Pixar Animation Studio release on Blu-ray have been nothing short of magnificent. From the Blu-ray releases of "A Bug's Life" and "Monster's Inc." (and yes, we are still waiting for that Blu-ray release of "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles") and their releases from "Cars" all the way up to their 2009 film "Up", when it comes to new releases that are Pixar related, so far we have been given awesome picture quality, awesome lossless audio and plenty of special features. "Toy Story" 1 and 2 are among those films that just look and sound fantastic but also additional content to keep any animation fan happy.

I will say that if you own the "Ultimate Toy Box Set" that was released in 1999, you will want to hang on to that set because although the Blu-ray's do have new additional content, a lot of content from the Ultimate Toy Box Set are NOT included on the Blu-ray release.

"Toy Story 2" is just an enjoyable family film that holds up well today, over a decade later and will still produce plenty of laughs and even in today's world of awesome CG animation, you can't help but see this vibrant film and just enjoy it on so many levels. Just seeing the detail and texture and how much the film had improve within the last five years from the original film is incredible. And the fact that the employees busted their heart and soul to get this film done in eight months vs. the usual four years is equally impressive.

With the release of both special edition "Toy Story" films on Blu-ray, these are the definitive versions of the film to own and for those like myself who have owned several versions of "Toy Story", the upgrade to Blu-ray is definitely well worth it and highly recommended!

Want Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging) (1999) Discount?

This has GOT to be on the short list of movie sequels that are superior to the originals. First off I felt that an entirely digitally animated movie was incredible to begin with, and when I finally saw the original 'Toy Story' I was in awe of not just how technologically incredible it was, but how GOOD it was as well. Forget for a moment we are talking about ANIMATION...I think too many people believe that just because it wasn't live-action it simply wasn't worth an adults time. Thank heavens I have little children who want me to take them to these kinds of films so I won't feel embarassed as an adult walking into a so-called 'Children's movie'...but it just DOESN'T matter in the case of 'Toy Story' and this particularly amazing sequel. I have to hand it to the producers and writers for coming up with such a great story! First off you have to put yourself into the role of a toy, and think to yourself, "IF it WAS true that toys were alive, what kinds of problems might they encounter?" They certainly did come up with a plot that seems a perfect natural for this scenario. All of the voices do a superb job of giving life to these animated toys we see, so good in fact that I watched the entire film without once thinking to myself, "Hey, that's Tom Hanks and Tim Allen talking there!" You find very quickly that you are enveloped in this creative and might I add VERY FUNNY story which moves along at a great pace and well, even if you have seen it before, it is definitely worth another look...and if you have put off seeing this because its a 'kids film' get OVER it and see it. Good stuff no matter HOW old you are.

Save 48% Off

A Cat in Paris (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

From the famed French animation studio Folimage comes the charming animated treat "A Cat in Paris." This little film, filled with simple pleasures, was nominated for a 2012 Academy Award and just seems pleasingly different from the increasingly boisterous tone of most U.S. animation. It's a small movie, to be sure, without particularly lofty goals--but that's what I enjoyed about it. It's a flight of fancy, a bit of sophisticated escapism that you don't have to be anesthetized to enjoy with your older children. This is a real family film (not just a kiddie flick). As they enjoy the mischievous feline, you can relish in the Paris backdrop and fondly recall rooftop chases from "To Catch A Thief." This two-pack release has both the DVD and the Blu-ray feature and you may opt to see the film with its original subtitles or with the new soundtrack. For American distribution, Marcia Gay Harden, Anjelica Huston (with a fairly peculiar accent) and Matthew Modine headline the vocal talent.

In addition to the 62 minute feature (in both English and French), this release has a cute short film entitled "Extinction of the Saber-Toothed Housecat" (also rated PG) and "The Many Lives of A Cat" Video Flipbook.

Despite these extras, though, the real star is the main show! The furry critter in the leading role is living a double life. During the day, it's a domestic pet for a troubled young girl reeling from the violent murder of her father. During the night, it prowls the cityscape with a human cat burglar scoring exotic treasures. Harden voices the girl's mother and Huston is a new housekeeper. As Harden, a police inspector, closes in on the criminal ring that was responsible for her husband's death--the two worlds get pulled closer together. And as danger approaches, might our nighttime criminals actually take on the roles of unexpected heroes? I think it's a safe bet, but it's a pleasure to see how. One particularly memorable scene (in the dark) is done simply with crude line drawings and was my favorite moment in the whole movie.

"A Cat in Paris" may not be for the very young, but it is certainly for the young at heart. It just has a cool vibe. It looks great and it's a lot of fun. What more can I say? That's more than enough for me, even with the film's modest ambitions. KGHarris, 10/12.

The style of animation is not one I especially appreciate. That's quickly forgotten though as I became absorbed in the sprightly tale of cops and robbers, life and death, a cat and a kid, all set to a vivacious score. There are some dark themes touched on but the story bounces along without dwelling in the dark places for long.

Buy A Cat in Paris (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010) Now

------------------------------------------------------------

"A Cat In Paris"

(Folimage/New Arts, 2010/2012)

------------------------------------------------------------

A real gem from French animators Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol... This brilliant, stylish, wildly creative thriller has a look and feel unlike anything being produced in the United States these days. Visually the film is gorgeous: the graphic design is odd and angular, with purposeful nods to film noir's camera angles and use of darkness and shadows, along with a color palette that's filled with rich, unusual choices. The delicious graphics are complimented by a slinky spy-jazz score that feels alternately moody and retro.

Thematically, "A Cat In Paris" is practically an anti-Disney kids' movie: it's stylish and unpredictable; there is a dead parent, but it's the kid's dad, not her mother (who, rather than being dead is a strong, no-nonsense police detective... A great female role model, along with the movie's young heroine...) The story is intelligent and brisk, a refreshingly original plot about a clever cat who slips out at night to join a lithe, roguish burglar who likes stealing stuff just for the challenge but has a strong sense of right and wrong when it comes to taking care of little kids. Best of all it presents cats in a favorable light and makes fun of dogs instead. Like I said: the opposite of Disney.

Lots to love here: alt-oriented families who enjoy material that's fun but off the beaten track will definitely want to check this on out! (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's media reviews)

Read Best Reviews of A Cat in Paris (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010) Here

I enjoy most animated movies, especially with colorful characters, and an exciting story. The introduction of a cat and a child, bad guys and the police, and who's running for their lives, or who is being chased. There's plenty of excitement with a theme of good-verses-bad. Fun-filled, Enjoyable, and Entertaining. Highly Recommended!

Want A Cat in Paris (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010) Discount?

My initial interest in A Cat in Paris came from an excellent review but I was also interested in seeing the film from my own interest in cats and that the film is hand-drawn animation. The story revolves around Dino, a cat that lives a double life. By day, he is the pet of Zoë and by night, he is the companion of a bugler, who appears to be as flexible as a cat. Zoë's mother, a somewhat neglectful parent, is a police inspector, seeking to capture a notorious criminal. The characters of the two stories soon join together when the criminals her mother is after endanger Zoë.

I enjoyed the animation. The colors are magnificent and the style of drawing was a refreshing change from the CG animation that is more often used for animated films. I must add that I got so caught up in the story that I didn't try to guess the cast members that were doing the voices, as I usually like to do. The DVD includes a short film called Extinction of the Saber-Toothed Housecat (a very tongue-in-cheek story) and The Many Lives of A Cat Video Flipbook. A Cat in Paris is a charming story, imaginatively drawn and boasts a marvelous jazzy soundtrack. A Cat in Paris is a wonderful film for the family that, I, for one will want to see again for the artistry of the animation and the fun of the story.

Save 50% Off