The War at Home (1996)

This movie blows me away! Martin Sheen and Kathy Bates, (my favorite actress,) both play roles totally unexpected and suprising as husband and wife.

The acting was believable of all characters, and it really makes you stop and think about the horrors that our soldiers had to endure in Vietnam, God bless them! This is a wake up call addressing our need to honor our vetrans and their families.

I highly reccommend this flick!!!

I first saw _The War At Home_ by accident on television. I was about 16 at the time. I loved it mainly because I thought it was a true story, since I had turned it on after the first 15 minutes & missed the opening voice-over. (Just to clarify: five million Americans served in Vietnam over the course of that long war, therefore a good chance exists the events in this movie happened to thousands of young vets--so I'm hesitant to call it FICTIONAL)

Watching it four years later, I felt very sad at the end. Which I actually DIDN'T feel the first time I saw it. The characters were both likeable & unlikeable; I love a movie where you can resent one character you've known all of two hours, or be on the verge of tears when another is facing a difficult time.

Bob seemingly acknowledges his son has changed for the worse when he gives his "draft card speech" at the Thanksgiving day table, but he does nothing to help Jeremy. At the same time, Karen is a psych student, but she can be a little too harsh on Jeremy in certain moments. But the characters are humans, they make mistakes.

The only real problem I had was with the ending voice-over. It gave too much away. I would have been happier wondering what became of Jeremy. (I wonder why they had Karen, of all the characters, doing the voice overs?) Still, it's worth 5 stars.

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Excellent movie.......Worth seeing over and over.....One of the most underated films of our time.

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As a peace time veteran I have always been interested in the elements that made up the Vietnam war. No movie spoke to me more than Born on the Fourth of July because it explored the naive patriotism so often held by the young and inexperienced (such as I) and the disillusionment born of societal apathy and disdain as well as the pathetic way our vets are 'cared for' and utterly disregarded by the military itself. That's not an endorsement of the Vietnam war itself but merely a commentary on the condition of our so underappreciated veterans.

That being said 'The War at Home' explores (quite adeptly if I might add) many of the psychological effects suffered by those brave men and women who so gallantly served in addition to the heartache and responsibility of the families involved.

It's a masterful work. Unfortunately most who have never served or put their own well being on the line for a cause they believe in can not even begin to understand or empathize with the inner plight of the Vietnam veteran.

A must see film!

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I just watched this movie on TV and all I can say is wow. The characters all play out like real family members. Kathy Bates is just brilliant in her role as the mother. I think there are many families who can relate to these people. I don't know how anybody can watch this movie and not think about our troops coming home from Iraq.

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The 10th Victim (1965)

Ever since catching about a half hour of The 10th Victim in bleary black-and-white on television as a teenager I had been dying to see the whole film. So when Anchor Bay released it on DVD in 2001 I jumped on it and have watched it at least four times since. It's become one of my all-time favorite movies, a superbly written, directed, and designed combination of futuristic thriller, sex farce, and dark, dryly witty satire--all wrapped up in a colorful, surreal pop/op-art package--that pokes fun at a dystopian future where war has been replaced by the "sport" of legalized murder ("the Big Hunt"), comic books are regarded as "Classics," elderly parents must be turned in to the state for extermination, and advertisers sign up "hunters" to promote their products during live commercials featuring cold-blooded killings.

Ursula Andress (at the peak of her beauty and animal sensuality) and Marcello Mastroianni (the epitome of jaded cool) play hunter and victim, respectively, both vying for a million-dollar prize if one can murder the other, and each also lining up a corporate sponsor who will pay out if the killing can be timed to happen during a live commercial for their product. But love, of all things, intervenes (not to mention his ex-wife and mistress), seriously complicating their cat-and-mouse game of death. Along the way we are treated to some great futuristic pop-art set designs and decor, terrific, catchy Eurojazz soundtrack, and breezy satire of the media, society's fetishization of violence, religion, marriage and divorce, Bondian intrigue, television, and shameless, opportunistic corporate advertising. Several future fads are accurately predicted, including robotic pets and tawdry reality TV shows, and a number of elements from the film are recognizable as being "borrowed" by Mike Myers for the Austin Powers movies, most notably Andress's ballistic bikini top.

I have found that The 10th Victim actually improves with each viewing, as each time I pick up on more details or bits of dialogue that had previously escaped me. *Spoiler Alert* The only disappointing aspect of the film, in my opinion, is the "comic," slapstick ending tacked on at the insistence of American distributor Joseph E. Levine. I'm about 99% sure that the movie is really supposed to end just after Mastroianni shoots Andress, but Levine apparently considered that ending too downbeat. It's pretty obvious that the final scenes amid some ruins and on an airplane were added after the fact as they are completely at odds with the tone of the rest of the movie and attempt to provide the film with a wacky, screwball "happy ending." But other than the denouement ringing false, the film is nearly perfectly realized.

When I heard that Blue Underground was releasing this on Blu-ray I wondered if it would really be worth the price of an upgrade. Thankfully, the answer is a resounding "yes!" The brightness, color saturation and balance, sharpness, and detail are vastly improved over the Anchor Bay DVD. While the word "revelation" gets thrown around perhaps a bit too freely when describing Blu-rays in comparison with their previous DVD incarnations, in this case it is apropos. The BU transfer makes the Anchor Bay disc look positively sick in comparison--dark and muddy, with faded, poorly balanced color and mushy detail. The difference here is literally like night and day; it's astounding how much better the Blu-ray looks when compared side-by-side with the DVD. The 1080p transfer does bring out the grain a bit, but never to the point of distraction. Fleshtones are natural, detail is crisp, and the muted hues of the Anchor DVD give way to sizzling, neon-vivid greens, yellows, and fuchsias. If you are a big fan of this movie, you really need to upgrade to the Blu-ray; it's almost like seeing the film again for the first time, and easily the biggest improvement in a Blu-ray over a previous DVD release I have yet seen. (Note that Blue Underground's 2009 DVD release is merely a repackage of the Anchor Bay edition, so the Blu-ray is the only way to see the much-improved remaster.)

Blue Underground also up the ante with some enticing supplements, including a somewhat washed-out U.K. release trailer (1:47), which is the same one as on the Anchor DVD, and a superior, gorgeous-looking Italian trailer (2:31), with English subtitles, that actually gives you a much better idea of what the movie's about than the rather inscrutable U.K. trailer (both are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen). A gallery of stills, posters, and pressbook art and a Mastroianni still gallery are also present, as well as an hour-and-a-half documentary on Mastroianni (which I haven't watched yet). But even without these extras, the far superior transfer makes this a more than worthy upgrade. If you love this film as much as I do, I guarantee you will be delighted.

Synopsis: In the future a game called "The Big Hunt" where it is legal to commit murder has been created to help facilitate mankind's growing obsession with murder.

The 10th Victim was directed by Elio Petri, whose other notable films include The Lady killer of Rome, A Quiet Place in the Country and Investigation of a Citizen... Above Suspicion. The screenplay for The 10th Victim was adapted from the Robert Sheckley story titled "The Seventh Victim". The Cinematographer on The 10th Victim was Gianni Di Venanzo whose impressive filmography includes Il grido, Big Deal on Madonna Street, La note, L'eclisse, Federico Fellini's 8½ and Juliet of the Spirits. After The 10th Victim Gianni Di Venanzo would only work on one more film before his untimely death at the age of forty five. The score for The 10th Victim was composed by Piero Piccioni, whose other notable scores include Duel of the Titans, The Lady killer of Rome, La commare secca (The Grim Reaper), Contempt (The Italian and Spanish versions), The Nuns of Saint Archangel and Story of a Cloistered Nun.

The plot focuses primarily on two characters Marcello Polletti and Caroline Meredith who are both participating in "The Big Hunt". Marcello is the hunted as Caroline in the hunter in seek of her 10th victim. She soon discovers that he is not as an easy target as her previous victims as he leads her around on a series of misadventures as he tries to figure out who she is and what she wants. This cat and mouse game that evolves between these two characters is the most enjoyable part of the film.

This film takes full advantage of the Rome locations in the film. All of the sets used are all beautifully designed and realized. The film features a solid performance from Marcello Mastroianni in the role of Marcello Polletti charismatic character that in many ways resembles his own persona. Cast opposite of Marcello Mastroianni in the role of Caroline Meredith is Swedish sex icon Ursula Andress. While she is more than serviceable in the role one has to wonder if the original choice for the role Ann-Margret would have been the better suited for this role. Early on in the film there is a scene with Ursula Andress that obviously inspired the machine gun breast assassins from the Austin Powers International Man of Mystery films. Ultimately The 10th Victim is an exceptional satire that hasn't lost any of its charm or relevance.

The BluRay:

The 10th Victim comes on a 50 GB dual layer BluRay. The film is presented in a 1080 progressive anamorphic widescreen. Colors look vibrant, flesh tones look accurate, black levels look very good and details look sharp throughout. There is a healthy layer of grain and there are no problems with compression. When compared to previous North American home video releases of The 10th Victim, this brand new transfer from Blue Underground looks amazing.

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD Mono mix in English and a DTS-HD Mono mix in Italian. Both audio are in good shape as dialog is always clear and everything sounds balanced. The score benefits most from these audio mixes and the more ambient aspects of the soundtrack are well represented. This release comes with four subtitle options, English, English SDH, French and Spanish. Also the English subtitles appear to be a direct translation of the Italian audio track, while the English SDH subtitle is a direct translation of the English audio track.

Extras for this release include the U.S. theatrical release trailer (1 minute 47 seconds anamorphic widescreen), the Italian theatrical release trailer (2 minutes 31 seconds anamorphic widescreen, with English subtitles), a poster & still gallery for the film, a Marcello Mastroianni still gallery and a feature length documentary about Marcello Mastroianni titled `Marcello: A Sweet Life' (98 minutes 15 seconds 4:3 Full Frame / Letterboxed Widescreen, with English subtitles). This is a superb documentary that not only covers all the major films that Marcello Mastroianni, it also features an abundance of comments about who he was outside of cinema. All of his main collaborators make appearances in this documentary, whether it be newly recorded interviews or from archive footage, all of Marcello Mastroianni's comments come from archive footage. This documentary also features comments from his two daughters and his brother Ruggero Mastroianni, a noted film editor. Overall The 10th Victim gets an exceptional release from Blue Underground.

Written by: Michael Den Boer with thanks to Michael

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This a poignant film--touching and sad--and full of fun at the same time; a classic film, for sure; and a film only Italians could have made. The director, Elio Petri, is often quoted: "Making a movie needs a lot of madness and a lot of love for cinema. And most probably this is the most positive side of the whole matter."

The director, Petri was a lawyer turned filmmaker, a leftist, vocal member of the Communist Party, a rascal, and a man totally aware of the mission of filmmaking: it's a vehicle for entertainment first and along the way you spice it up with politics. Candy with medicine hidden inside.

The 10th Victim is a visual delight, the costumes and art design, the attractive stars--a young, blonde Marcello Mastrioinani and sex goddess Ursula Andress. Everything is done up deliciously 60s : pop-art, futuristic furniture, Sassoon haircuts, fake eyelashes, clothes with cut out backs and zippers everywhere, fantastic hats and visors. Most of the action happens in Rome and there's no tourists, in fact, the streets and sites are empty, no Vespas, no graffiti. On a stretch, the telephones and video screens in the film could still seem contemporary today. The director made a wise choice not to include close-ups of electronic gadgetry and that decision allowed the the film to age beautifully.

Quick synopsis: It's the future. War and violent impulses have been replaced by a game where one aggressive person hunts and murders another. It's a safety valve After succeeding in ten computer-generated match-ups, the last killer-survivor becomes a celebrity. In the film Marcello is the hunted and Andress is the hunter. Of course they fall in love--in a twisted futuristic way that asks, why tell the truth? Relationships are all filled with deception.

The story lampoons marriage, commitment, honesty, the media, people's hunger for fame and celebrity, and greed in an intellectual way that is as valid today as it might have been for farsighted for Petri back in 1965 when he made the film.

I was wowed not only by Rome's empty streets but also the sound of crickets in the Colosseum, the jazzy-pop soundtrack, the frequent futuristic predictions about homosexual liberation and, most surprised by the right-on appearance of the Chinese in this almost 50 year old sci-fi spoof) as being the nation who ends up with the most money. The Chinese give prize money to the winners and promote their product during broadcasts of the hunt. "Drink MIng Tea and Live Forever."

How did he figure that out about China? Petri was a genius!

Why could only an Italian make this film? Who else could make a film about the role of money, schizophrenia and the individual's destruction and make it sexy, adult and stylish?

Sad? Because there are so few people in the future, it must mean there was a terrible war and not many people survived and the ones who did stay home and watch TV shows about the hunters and hunted and drink Ming Tea.

The Virgin Knows: an art theft thriller

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I recommend this purchases for all its is worth every penny and is a timeless classic of all ages. It is a must have

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Sometime in the future (after the Fourth World War or perhaps the Sixth according to one of the trailers), humanity has decided that it must forever put an end to war. Understanding that violence is a part of human nature, society has decided to make that aggression legal with something called the Great Hunt, in which Hunter and Victim can legally do each other in. Each participant alternates being Hunter and Victim. Each can legally kill each other (though if one kills the wrong person, it's 30 years behind bars), and if one survives ten hunts, as only 15 have done well, the rewards are many.

I have an interest in comedies, futuristic films and Italian films from the `60s and `70s, so when I read about this film that fits into all three categories, I couldn't resist and the film definitely pays off! Ursula Andress and Marcello Mastroianni star respectively as Caroline Meredith, an American who has just survived her ninth hunt and is now pursuing the magic "tenth victim," and Marcello Poletti, a blond-haired Italian participant who seems to be just trying to survive his life, with a nagging mistress (the beautiful Elsa Martinelli) and an ex-wife who collects and spends his paychecks.

Director Elio Petri directs this 1965 film in tongue-in-cheek fashion, showing us a world that we would see again in movies like "Sleeper" (mechanical pets), "Logan's Run" (senior citizens must be handed over to the state), "Austin Powers" (bullet-spitting bras) and "The Running Man" (violence as entertainment).

Though mostly set in and around Rome, the film actually begins in New York City, where we see a man chasing after and shooting at a dark-haired young woman in lower Manhattan. At one point, she seems to be almost toying with him coyly, finally running into a club into which the man follows. Little does he know what fate awaits him as we see Ms. Andress do a sexy striptease, slapping all of the men in the face as they get close to her. In a later sequence, we see beautiful shots of Rome filmed from a helicopter and are reminded by the Colosseum that bloodsport is nothing new.

In this future, the survivors of the hunts are courted by the media as celebrities, with corporate sponsors setting up executions on live television to boost their products. All of this could have been handled in a serious manner, but this film is a lot of fun, with armed men brandishing guns being told by a waiter that they can't kill anybody in bars (legal in the US but illegal in Italy) and a successful hunter who just killed a victim getting a parking ticket for blocking the entrance to a building. The fashion is 1960's futuristic, but of course, the cars are not (nor is the airline, Pan American).

So, if you like your futuristic films with a comic twist, definitely give this film a try, and welcome to a world of exploding boots, ejector seats, roadside sex stops and armored skin. It will be worth it.

As for the presentation, I watched the blu-ray released by Blue Underground. The film is presented in a 1:1.78 widescreen ratio, with good colors and a sharp picture, though grain from the film is often noticeable. It includes Italian and English soundtracks, and I watched with the Italian track and English subtitles. Extras include the Italian and American trailers, with still photo galleries of the film's publicity material and of Marcello Mastroianni.

The biggest extra, however, is a feature length documentary, "A Sweet Life," about the life and career of Mr. Mastroianni. In Italian with English subtitles, it includes vintage interviews with the actor as well as people such as Sophia Loren, Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti, as well as more recent talks with the actor's two daughters and film world people like Claudia Cardinale and Anouk Aimee. It's informative and entertaining (a lot of people thought he was lazy, though he never retired from acting; he loved pasta fagioli and Claudia Cardinale; and when not actually doing filming, he was constantly on the phone), though at 98 minutes it feels a bit on the long side.

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Smokey and the Bandit (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (1977)

What can I say about this super cool movie that none of the other reviewers have not already said? It is one of the funniest flicks ever, it is a celebration of cool things from the 70's (and there were not too many) like CB radios, weird/wild looking cars, tight jeans and Coors beer. The story involves a pair of Truckers (Burt Renolds and Jerry Reed)and their dog Fred, who take a bet from an obnoxious Father/Son Texas oil millionaire team that they can deliver an 18 wheeler full of beer about halfway across the USA in 24hrs. They hook-up with the original runaway bride Sally Field along the way, she does the impossible before your eyes and changes out of a wedding dress into the tightest jeans ever to grace the silver screen inside a Trans Am! The jeans are so tight she might as well be naked!! It's great! They are chased by jilted groom Junior and his Daddy Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice played by the great Jackie Gleason. The Great One plays the best southern sheriff ever as he and his son drive from one madcap scen to the next in the "evidence" as they chase the Bandit in his Trans Am from one state to the next. The cast of charcters encountered is hilarious, mobile cathouse, samurai trucker, friendly undertaker, biker gang and many keystone cops. A big 10-4 to all those who firewalled this film, a big steamy 10-200 to those who did not. Let's have a reunion Burt, Sally and Jerry could take on a new sheriff. Burts need to be in a jet black WS-6 Ram Air TA with a "screaming chicken" sticker on the hood. Pontiac should beg for it, they need an image boost. I'm outta here good buddies, look out for those "Kojacks with Kodaks"!

When originally released in 1977, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT was second only to STAR WARS as the year's internationally top grossing film. With a simple plot and film locations around Atlanta, Georgia doubling as other states, this film fast moving fun. This film stands out among the other Burt Reynolds films (Like WW AND THE DIXIE DANCE KINGS) which were traditionally filled with car chases, country music and just plain showing-off. Though this was not his first major motion picture, Jerry (Hubbard) Reed plays his part perfectly as Burt's Bandit-Blocker bootlegging partner. SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT jump-started Sally Field's career and finally broke the typecast that she could be nothing more than television's Flying Nun. Jackie Gleason is ideal as Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice, whose character, a man with old-fashioned southern values, chases Reynolds, Field, and Reed from Texas to Georgia. Jerry Reed wrote and sang most of the vocals in the sound track. If the theme song, East Bound and Down, doesn't have you toe-tapping by the end of the film, then you need to watch it a second time. This film was followed by two sequels which paled in comparison to the original. This is probably the only 1970's trucker-chase and laugh movie worth owning.

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Smokey and the Bandit is a dramatic comedy based on various folk legends surrounding the questionable "real-life" exploits of bandit Bo Darville and southern sheriff Buford T. Justice. Smokey (Jackie Gleason) gives a powerful performance as Justice who relentlessly pursues a new Trans Am driven by the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and a runaway bride (Sally Field), as well as his singing buddy Cledus (Jerry Reed) who drives a semi truck full of Coors.

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Transfer looks fine, has some cool extras, but they changed the sound of the car. I've seen this movie 3,294 times or more, and I know it inside/out. A major sell for me as a kid was the car in the movie.

Though the original sound of the car in the movie was totally dubbed to make the car sound better (and sound like s stick-shift, while the car in the movie is clearly shown to be an automatic). The Special edition version tones it down and makes it sound.. ... I dunno. Bleh. Not loud, not cool. Not the Bandits Trans Am.

I'd stick with the regular DVD if you are as about the film as I am.

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I caught the tail end of this movie on cable a couple of weeks ago and it took me back almost 30 years ago when first I saw it in the theater. I was 15 and was with my whole family at the movie theater and I remember cringing at every swear word because my mom was with us. It seemed like a lot of profanity back then, but these days you'd hardly notice it.

I also remember how great of a movie it was and just had to go out and get it for my DVD collection. Well I got it yesterday and watched it last night, and even 30 years later it's still a great movie. One thing to remember is that it seems like the late 70's and early 80's were filled with movies and TV shows like this (Dukes of Hazzard ring any bells?), but Smokey and the Bandit was the first, the original, and Hal Needham deserves alot of credit for single-handedly creating a whole genre, or at least a sub-genre.

Smokey and the Bandit was a fresh movie when it came out and immensely sucessful. It came out at the height of the CB Radio craze when virtually every one was putting a CB in their cars and trucks. My Dad had one in our van and another friend of mine's Dad had one in his truck and we used to hang out in one of our driveways for hours talking away with whoever was on the CB. Of course we had to memorize the list of "10" codes, and every CB radio came with a laminated list, so you learned that 10-4 meant affirmative, 10-20 meant location, 10-10 meant taking a break, and so on.

And so the CB was a big part of Smokey and the Bandit, and so were the Jerry Reed songs like "Eastbound and Down" that made up the soundtrack. And speaking of Jerry Reed, how great was he as Cledus carrying Fred the Basset Hound around eveywhere in the truck?

Sally Field as the runaway bride picked up by the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) was a perfect role for her. And Burt Reynolds was probably the most popular movie star of the 70's. The repartee between the Bandit and Frog (Sally Fields) character was funny and perfect. "You have a really nice profile." "Yeah, I do, don't I... especially from the side." Watching Smokey and the Bandit reminds me of why Burt Reynolds was so popular during the 70's.

And then the coup of the casting was getting Jackie Gleason to play Sheriff Buford T. Justice who chases the Bandit from Terxarkana all the way back to Atlanta Georgia. Gleason is phenomenal in the role and ad-libbed a good part of his lines. Telling his inept son Junior in a perfect southern drawl, "There is no way, just no way you came from my loins. When we get home, I'm going to punch yo mama right in the mouth."

And the car, I can't mention the other actors without mentioning the other star of the show, that fantastic black Pontiac Trans Am with the 6.6 liter V-8, the T-tops and the giant golden Eagle on the hood. That car was made for the movie and sales of Pontiac Trans Ams increased 700% solely because of the movie. Everyone wanted a car like the Bandit's.

Sure parts of the movie are a little cheesy, but it has a whole lot of redeeming qualities as well. It's not a film for intellectuals, but it's a great movie for watching with friends on a Saturday night with pizza and beer. Watching it in widescreen again was wonderful too, it's really shows off the cars and the stunts a lot better.

If you're looking to build a good solid movie collection, you need some good ones from the 70's and Smokey and the Bandit is one of the best comedies of its era. I highly recommend it.

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The Little Shop Of Horrors (1960)

Unfortunately, Little Shop of Horrors and every other Roger Corman Filmgroup production lapsed into public domain years ago and have generally been available on VHS and DVD only in poor-quality editions ranging from merely bad to atrocious. (The only Filmgroup features to get a decent official or semi-official release so far are Bucket of Blood, Beast from Haunted Cave, and Night Tide.) After researching every DVD version of Little Shop of Horrors available (there are at least eight!) I played a hunch and went with GoodTimes to replace my VHS copy, and I'm very pleasantly surprised at the overall excellent quality of the source print. When I saw the "preserved using the best available elements" line at the beginning of this disc I thought 'yeah, right,' but I have to admit that this is the brightest, cleanest, sharpest (if not exactly razor-sharp) print of this film I've ever seen. The black level, contrast, gray values, and shadow/highlight detail are fine, and physical damage is limited only to some very light speckling and blemishing (!!). On the downside, the transfer itself seems to be somehow deficient (low bit rate?), causing areas of flat white or smoothly gradated grays in the image to exhibit some very faint but noticeable pixelation or banding, especially during the opening credit sequence (areas of flat color seem to be DVD's Achilles Heel). The casual viewer probably won't notice this phenomenon unless it's pointed out, but it's there. That said, the superior quality of the source print more than makes up for this one barely noticeable flaw; this is still most likely the best edition yet available of this classic 'sick humor' gem and well worth the bargain price. It definitely blows away every TV print and cheapjack PD video version I've ever eyeballed. Grab this before it goes out of print.

The movie itself still entertains tremendously today, a funny, goofy (dare I say charming?) horror-comedy that basically plays like a stage farce (most of the action takes place on one or two sets). The story is essentially a remake of Bucket of Blood with a change in locale and a few fresh twists. This time Jonathan Haze portrays everyschlep Seymour Krelboine, who lives with his alcoholic hypochondriac mother (she listens to KSIK radio) and works at Mushnick's skid row flower shop. Seymour (temporarily) finds fame, fortune, and romance by nurturing (and eventually murdering for) an exotic talking cannibalistic plant. Mel Welles, in his finest hour (literally), steals nearly every scene with his droll portrayal of perpetually exasperated Gravis Mushnick, and Jackie Joseph (Andy Griffith Show, Who's Minding the Mint) seems born to play pretty, ditzy Audrey. Corman regulars adding to the fun include Dick Miller (Walter Paisley in Bucket of Blood) as Fouch, a flower-eating client, John Shaner as a sadistic dentist, and 14th-billed Jack Nicholson (featured prominently on most tape and disc box art) as his masochistic patient. Shot on a shoestring in just three days (at least all the interiors), Little Shop holds up better than many big-budget comedies of the day (anyone watched Story of Mankind lately?). Much credit must be given to Charles B. Griffith, unsung hero/architect of the AIP/Allied Artists/Corman style. His list of credits reads like Corman's greatest hits: It Conquered the World, Attack of the Crab Monsters, The Undead, Not of This Earth, Teenage Doll, Bucket of Blood, Beast from Haunted Cave, Wild Angels, Death Race 2000, etc. Griffith's clever, witty screenplay is a model of late-50s sick humor, working in a dead-on Dragnet parody, some wonderful malapropisms and bits of wordplay, lotsa Yiddish humor, and a handful of his patented icky-creepy moments. (Griffith also voiced the plant, Audrey Jr., played a few walk-ons, and directed some second unit scenes, all uncredited.) Fred Katz's memorable score is alternately goofy and spy-jazzy, and, unlike some of Roger Corman's other attempts at comedy (e.g. Creature from the Haunted Sea), I find his touch just right here, ably supporting Griffith's verbal bits with complementary editing patterns (check Sgt. Joe Fink and Det. Frank Stoolie's hilarious introductory scene). Lighter in tone and a bit broader and more farcical than Bucket of Blood (which I personally prefer), Little Shop, judged on its own terms, is still fresh and engaging, though the low budget is obvious at times. I'm not sure how fans of the Broadway show or movie musical will react to the original (I admit to being a purist myself), but if they share a taste for low budget horror or 50s-style sick humor they'll probably find it an offbeat treat.

Roger Corman's Original 1960 version of "The Little Shop Of Horrors" is considered by many as a true cult classic comedy of B-Movies,even the most respected of film critics.Unfortunately depending on the tastes and opinions of film fans that were used to seeing this legendary film comedy through the public domain since there was a lack of copyright in the titles,(same thing had happen to "Night Of The Living Dead") and for many years since the dawn of the videocassette and late late movie shows,those versions were vastly inferior and often poor-looking in terms of presentation and contrast.Now the great folks at Legend Films have finally put out a brand-new definitive and excellent restored presentation of this cult hit on DVD in both the original black & white version as well as the disc's main presentation of showcasing a brand-new restored digitally colorized version too.As with previous selected Legend releases of classic horror/B-movies in their DVD series,the disc features a well-done and at times hilarious commentary by MST3K's Mike Nelson and the great thing is that you can listen to the track on both versions of the film,giving the b&w version sort of a MST3K-flavor to it (I love how he refers to the opening Filmgroup logo as little Reese Cups !).Despite packaging claims that is the first time the film has been colorized,it's actually the second colorized incarnation of the film.First colorized on videocassette in the very late '80's with lousy and at times amateur results,this Legend version completely blows away the first attempt and looks like it was actually filmed in color,but of course this films' legendary budgetary constraints prevented from actually filming it in color.Of course lets not forget that the film features a very very young Jack Nicholson,in his fourth film role,in a memorable role as a crazy dentist patient.I must say,this Legend version of "Little Shop" is probably the most superior and sharpest looking out of all the previous versions of the film that you're possibly going to see and no wonder it was transferred from an excellent 35mm print of the film ! Other extras,besides the Nelson commentary,round out the package including both restored color/unrestored b&w trailers to "Little Shop",and the following colorized trailers for "Plan 9 From Outer Space","House On Haunted Hill","Carnival Of Souls",and "Reefer Madness".Plus a gallery of nine man-eating plants,if any kids are planning to do a school project on man-eating plants,this could actually be a fun reference guide,and also a very short clip called "Man Eating Plants" which is actually the president of Legend Films Barry Sandrew vigorously eating vegetable plants such as celery (always eat your vegetables folks !).Well-done packaging,excellent eye-catching menus and a sparkling transfer of both versions will definitely please any film buff,both Hollywood and B-Movie fans alike ! This is by far one of the first best DVD releases of 2006 and is highly recommended for old and new fans alike instead of those who only prefer the 1986 spectacular Frank Oz musical remake with Rick Moranis and Steve Martin.Highly recommended !

UPDATE 11/24/06:

Just Recently,Buena Vista Home Entertainment in association with Roger Corman have finally released an "authorized" DVD release of "Little Shop Of Horrors" as well as a nicely restored original black & white version of Nicholson's debut film "The Cry Baby Killer".Unfortunately,the recent disc's presentation of "Little Shop" is in fact the ORIGINAL colorized version,slightly mentioned above,that was first produced and eventually released to video in 1987 by Color Systems Technology.The source print used for the color version (other than the fact that the quality was directly copied off a video master for the DVD) is surprisingly in quite good condition,but it really truly is one of the worst examples of 1980's colorization technology I've ever seen and will probably be the last.The colors are often the same as certain objects (ie: the outside of Mushnick's Shop and the greens for the flowers,etc.),tons of continuity errors (ie: clothing,signs,etc.) and does anybody wish to care seeing Audrey Jr. looking like a talking watermelon plant? Reportedly,that color version was authorized by none other than Corman himself and it's easy to see why many directors above his stature hate and disregard colorization.Nicholson/Corman fans alike aren't going to be impressed with that bust of a release and it's very easy to see why the '87 colorized version was out of circulation for many years.Easier said than done,the newly restored Legend Films release is by far,hands down,the real winner due to the technology,version options,and bonus materials !

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I had origanlly seen this movie on a late night horror movie host and loved it having already seen the musical version. I bought the DVD expecting DVD quality. The transfer to DVD is bad. It's proably one of the worse ones I own. It's a little choppy, very grainy and somewhat blurry. There's also a spotlight effect once in awhile that I don't remember being there before (where the egdes of the movie are a little darker then the center). If you look carefully you can see waves going though the picture during the first part of chapter 2. The sound is a little muffled. I rate the transfer at 2 (I'm sure there's a worse one) and only gave it a 3 becasue of the movie it's self.

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This is the original that started it all, in 1960 which the film was shot for only two days. It's an good film, with a lot of grainy feel to it in black and white.

This version is about the bumbling Seymour who was almost out the door by his boss, Mr. Mushnick, for his incompetence. Seymour finds an unusual plant and Mushnick told Seymour if the plant turns out to be ok and fed, Seymour gets to stay at his job. Seymour names this plant, Audrey Jr., after his coworker, Audrey, who he loves. Before long, Seymour finds out that this plants wants nothing other than blood and human flesh...and ends up bringing dead people to the plant that were accidently killed. The cops were trying to find out what happened to the missing people (they were already eaten by the plant), and Mr. Mushnick stumbled on Seymour's secret. Mr. Mushnick offered a robber in the shop to the plant to save his life. The cops find out that Seymour is the one who killed the people when the pods of the plant opened up, showing the faces of those that were eaten, and there was a junkyard chase after Seymour. When Seymour goes back to the shop, he was mad at the plant, and intending to cut the weeds to kill it, he jumped in and the plant ate him. When the others came back to the shop, they found Seymour's face in one of the pods, then the movie ends.

There are some funny parts, and some silliness in other scenes (like the tramp that Seymour ran into, and their conversation is humorous!), plus you can find a young Jack Nicholson as the pain-loving dental patient.

This movie reminds me a little bit of the 1920s or 1930s films by the way some of the acting and the grainy image has portrayed in this 1960 movie, but overall, it is a good movie to watch.

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I recently watched the musical remake of Little Shop of Horrors and enjoyed it immensely, and my curiosity about the genesis of that film lead me to its progenitor. I hadn't realised that Roger Corman's original was intended as a comedy--I'd thought that it was a cheapie horror film with camp humor arising from its unintended absurdity. This is absolutely not the case, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The absurdity of Little Shop, and there is plenty, is all fully intended. At times it is almost as if the Monty Python troupe is doing a black-and-white horror spoof, it is so good. I find it impossible to say whether the musical remake or the original is "better"--they are simply different, and each amusing in its own way. I prefered Rick Moranis's Seymour to that of Jonathan Haze, but Jackie Joseph's Audrey had funnier lines and was less pathetic than Ellen Greene's. But what really surprised me was that the comic touches I had thought were signatures of the Saturday Night Live/Second City crowd were all in the original: the sadistic dentist and his masochistic patient; "Pain" magazine, "Feed me!", and more. Futhermore, the original had some more absurd characters that didn't make it into the remake, including a parody of the detectives from Dragnet and Seymour's mother, a hypochondriac whose home cooking is all flavoured with medicine! Although the sound and picture quality of the version I watched was poor, it was worth sitting through if you enjoyed the more recent version. Also worthy of note was the spiky, xylophone-timpani-and-baritone-saxophone-laden score by Fred Katz.

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Michael Clayton (2008)

'The truth can be adjusted' is the official tag line for this brilliant film MICHAEL CLAYTON, a film that deserves and demands audience attention to appreciate all of the layers of complexities of thought and message while delivering a slick, brooding, polished piece of cinematic art. First time director is highly regarded writer Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Cutting Edge, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity, The Devil's Advocate, Proof of Life, Dolores Claiborne, etc) who understands the tension of suspense films and here adds to that entertainment element the key ingredients of social and philosophical statements. It is a film that works on many levels.

Michael Clayton (George Clooney, in one of his finest moments) is a lawyer with a major firm headed by tough yet compassionate CEO Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack, finally in top form as an actor), but Michael's position in the firm has been reduced to a 'fixer/janitor', a man who cleans up messes that are always part of legal cases. Michael is cool, brilliant, but is struggling with his own demons of gambling addiction, inherited debt from covering for his wasted alcoholic/druggie brother's failure as a restaurateur, and a divorced man trying to relate to his son. When a long term law suit against a major chemical corporation comes to a head, the chief lawyer for the case Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) falls victim to the pressure of the case, and while he holds the key to the truths involved, he disintegrates into a manic depressive state. The chemical company's lawyer Karen Crowder (a brilliant Tilda Swinton) struggles to please her Board of Directors in a plea bargain that is backed by all manner of lies and crimes. It is Michael Clayton that persists in 'fixing' and cleaning up the case, uncovering a massive tragedy the company has been shielding. To say more (and there is SO much more to tell!) would spoil the development of this nail-biting plot.

Every actor involved in this film is superb, thanks in large part to the sensitive direction of Tony Gilroy. Clooney proves he is one of our more well rounded actors on the screen today, Wilkinson continues to prove his mettle as a character actor par excellence, and Swinton is so fine in this tough role that she leaves the audience staggering. Watching MICHAEL CLAYTON restores faith in just how fine Hollywood movies can be. It is sure to be on the list in many categories come Awards time. Grady Harp, October 07

George Clooney once again shows us the Hollywood powerhouse he is as lead actor and producer of this engaging film.

While the film is essentially well-written and extremely well-acted, it offers nothing new to the corporate thriller genre and most of Amazon's comments in their review are dead on accurate. The film is essentially a mystery that involves corporate baddies trying to screw over the little guy by covering up a danger to the public. We've seen this plot before in film's like Erin Brockovich. In addition, we have a conscience driven lawyer who is tired of defending criminals he knows are guilty and another lawyer who is burnt out from playing the firm's "Janitor" and now wants to find some moral ground to land upon. Both lawyers are seeking some kind of redemption. The first has a nervous breakdown finding it and the second is forced to find it as his life spirals out of control. This is very much like Paul Newman's Oscar nominated role in the fabulous film The Verdict.

The script is clever, but all too predictable by the final third of the film. In fact, as generally satisfying as the finale is, it is something of a letdown too. Things are wrapped up far too neatly for what was a complex film with deep round central characters. Clooney's character has his nature revealed to us slowly as if peeling a rotten onion. Each layer is ultimately unsatisfying until we get to the core which seems damaged, but salvageable. I certainly expect another Oscar nomination for him and it's well-earned here. Tom Wilkinson as the manic depressive attorney who has an epiphany that his corporate clients should not get away with what they are doing is a bit over-the-top and even stereotypical, but still convincing in the end. A supporting Oscar nod is not out of the question, but I think he would be undeserving of it. Contrary to a majority of the reviews here, even Tilda (The Chronicles of Narnia) Swinton's controlling corporate bigwig who lies to herself to justify her actions is a deeper character than most give credit for her being. Her avoidance of actually saying, "Kill (fill in the blank)" coupled with her sweating fit scene clearly demonstrates a believably conflicted individual. I would not be surprised to see an Oscar nod for supporting actress come her way. Even Sydney Pollack, sometimes director (but better actor), is very convincing here and he also serves as co-producer with Clooney. These generally terrific performances nearly make up for a somewhat flat ending.

Credit must be given to first time director James Gilroy who adapted the "Bourne" books to film and wrote the screenplay for this film. He handles his actors well in that he knows what he wants, but also trusts their instincts to deliver what they believe are their character's true emotions. His directing style in unobtrusive and that greatly benefits this particular kind of film. His lack of coming up with a more complex, less tidy ending is his only major flaw in this otherwise outstanding film that is certainly worth your trip to your local theater or Blockbuster when it becomes available on DVD.

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Tony Gilroy has already proven that he can weave/write a great story via his writing for the "Bourne" franchise. And the striking thing about "Michael Clayton" is how Gilroy has written ironic, conflicted, complicated characters that are at once "good" (and in the world that Gilroy has created here...this is in itself a term that is up for interpretation) yet are often bad as in unethical, mean, misanthropic. These characters can and do betray themselves and others: There's no one to truly love or hate, from Sydney Pollack's quietly devious law firm CEO, to Tom Wilkinson's holy madman of an ace courtroom defense attorney, to Tilda Swinton as a tricky senior partner in nice suits that peel off to reveal sweaty armpits and a gift for rationalization. Even our hero, Michael Clayton as portrayed by George Clooney is a loser: a 12 year veteran at his law firm who is utilized as a bag man, a fixer usually dispatched to do what amounts to private eye work.: cleaning up the firm's client messes. Clayton is a failure both professionally and personally: a failure as a father, brother, husband and Clooney strikes just the right notes here as Clayton struggles, fights to regain his dignity both as an officer of the court and more importantly as a father and a human being.

The central plot revolves around a large chemical firm's responsibility for sickness and deaths in a farm community and because Gilroy weaves and bobs among the big ensemble cast and among the various plot points, I was hard pressed to figure out just exactly what was going on for the first half hour. But this is to Gilroy's credit: he refuses to foreshadow or explain thus adding texture and ambiguity to the film.

Moral and social dilemmas multiply as "Michael Clayton" races to its exciting denouement: a denouement that satisfies both emotionally and morally. Yet all is not as it seems here as Gilroy manages to leave a small festering wound of deceit and decay not quite healed: ready to re-open and re-infect itself.

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"Michael Clayton" is a magnetic, engaging film, with a plot so intriguing that you find yourself absorbed within the first five minutes. Here's a story that can't be defined by a single genre; while it is above all a drama, so much more is being presented. Parts of it work like a thriller while other parts work like a social commentary, and these in turn make for a pseudo-morality play that requires a little extra observance on the audience's part. And that's a good thing, simply because not all stories should make everything clear. This film is intelligent, not only because the plot relies on strategic obscurity, but also because logical thinking is needed in order to understand it. This is not an escapist film--absolutely nothing will be hand delivered to us.

George Clooney plays the title character, and he gives Clayton a restrained yet powerful presence that was truly fascinating. This is no small task, considering the direction his life is going in: Clayton was once a highly respected trail lawyer, but his talent for negotiating has reduced him to take an unrecognized, poorly paid position. He basically does the dirty work for one of New York's most prestigious law firms, co-owned by Marty Bach (Sidney Pollack). Clayton cleans up legal messes by talking directly to plaintiffs and defendants and striking up deals. Clayton considers himself a janitor, a Mr. Fix-It, a miracle worker; he bends the rules in exactly the right ways to avoid exactly the right people. When it comes to other people's problems, he's the one everyone turns to.

But when it comes to his own problems, he needs a lot of help. A gambling addiction is established, as are financial problems--he owes quite a bit of money on a failing bar, which is co-owned by his drug-addicted brother, Timmy (David Lansbury). For obvious reasons, Clayton was forced to finance the business by himself, which required him to hock virtually every item he owned. On the bright side, he has a fairly good relationship with his son, Henry (Austin Williams), who greatly enjoys reading fantasy novels. Clayton drives Henry to school one morning, and on the way, Henry raves about the book he's reading, explaining each character's significance with childish zeal; Clayton listens, realizing that his son is actually giving an insightful description of life in general. It was a brief but wonderful scene proving how casual profound statements can seem.

The film's main focus is a legal dispute between Clayton's law firm and a chemical company (which happens to be Bach's most important client). Coming to its defense is Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), a litigator whose career depends on negotiating a multimillion-dollar settlement. But this will not be so easy to accomplish; attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) complicates matters by interfering with the case. He believes that the chemical company is responsible for poisoning the population, and he claims to have the evidence to prove it. Because his conscience is guilt-ridden over keeping his mouth shut, he loses his rational state of mind, becoming a manic, paranoid, and seemingly incomprehensible wreck. A severe emotional spasm was caught on tape--while at work in Milwaukee, he stripped completely naked, after which he ran through the parking lot.

Thus begins a taut, suspenseful, and compelling quest for the truth. Part of the quest leads to the discovery of Anna (Merritt Wever), a young woman who lost some of her family to the chemical poisoning. For some bizarre reason, Edens feels responsible for her, and he shows this through incessant phone calls and cryptic messages. Clayton is initially unwilling to believe anything Edens has to say, simply because he's acting erratically. But as the film progresses, he begins to question himself. Could Edens have been on to something? Is it possible that his odd conversations were more than mere ramblings? Was he sane, after all? Unbeknownst to Clayton, getting the answers to these questions will mean endangering Edens' life.

Crowder, meanwhile, is busy on her own quest, which turns out to be more stressful than she anticipated. There are key shots in this film showing her in panic mode: she hyperventilates in a hotel bathroom, her hands shaking, her armpits soaked with sweat. There are also moments of her standing in front of a mirror, practicing her speeches; most of these shots are inter-cut with actual meetings, in which a subtle yet significant lack of confidence undermines her delivery. Swinton made this character her own, turning Crowder into one of the film's most fascinating characters. A quiet desperation is visible on her face, and it's obvious that she's trying to hide it. She wants to be a professional: shrewd, capable, and strong-willed, unwilling to back down from a challenge.

The fact that I can gather this much from so few characters is a good sign. A clear, specific level of character development is vital for a film like "Michael Clayton," especially since the genre spectrum is broad. Well-defined characters make for a much more engrossing story; thank goodness this film includes a number of them. And despite what some people say, a complicated plot is not necessarily a deterrent. This film proves that some stories need to be richly detailed, if not for clarity, then for establishing the climactic finish. The ending of "Michael Clayton" is one of the year's most satisfying, a perfect blend of deception and emotional resolution. That alone makes the film worth recommending.

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***1/2

If "Michael Clayton" didn't seem like quite so obvious a rehash of Sidney Lumet`s "The Verdict," I might be inclined to recommend it more highly. The basic premise of both films revolves around a dissolute legal type who achieves personal redemption when he lands on the "right" side of a class action lawsuit. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the best thing to be said for the makers of "Michael Clayton" is that, if they had to find a movie to emulate, they at least chose one worth emulating.

Michael Clayton is no longer a practicing attorney himself but rather a "fixer" or "bagman" for a powerful legal firm, a man whose job it is to troubleshoot or run interference for any potential problems that might arise in one of its many cases. As with most such protagonists, Clayton spends so much time at his job that he doesn't have much of a personal life going for him: he's a divorced father with a serious gambling problem, a drug-addicted brother, and a failed business that has him in hock to the tune of $80,000. One of the firm's biggest clients is a chemical company whose powerful weed killing formula has allegedly resulted in serious medical conditions and even death for some of the farmers and their families who've come in contact with it. Clayton is called into action when the lead attorney for the defense suddenly goes berserk at a taped hearing, stripping off his clothes and launching into a Howard Beale-like rant for the other side. As he delves further into the case, Clayton undergoes a metamorphosis from cynical corporate water-carrier to enlightened populist do-gooder, finding personal redemption and fulfillment by helping the common man in his fight for justice.

"Michael Clayton" is, for the most part, a solid legal thriller, serious, intelligent and extremely well-served in the acting department. The "little man vs. vile corporation" theme has been pretty much played out by this time, but there are enough twists and turns in the plot and enough decent red herrings to keep us interested at least on a superficial level. The story goes through periods of murkiness when it isn't always clear what exactly is going on, but writer/director Tony Gilroy manages to straighten out most of the confusion in time for the finale. The moody score, bleak winter settings and dank cinematography all contribute to the chilly atmosphere that permeates the film.

In a role tailor-made for his acting style stoic yet heartfelt, rugged yet vulnerable George Clooney carries the weight of the film on his sturdy shoulders. The gifted Tilda Swinton doesn't fare quite so well with her character a ruthless, emotionally unstable career woman with no personal life and no romantic prospects, a character, quite frankly, that feels just a trifle out-of-date in the year 2007. Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack and Michael O'Keefe excel in minor roles.

"Michael Clayton" is a proficient, professional legal drama that never cuts as deeply or touches the heart as profoundly as one would like for it to do. Still, compared to most other cinematic offerings around at the moment, this is substantial, if not exactly sumptuous, movie going fare.

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Soul Surfer (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

I just went this afternoon to the matinee, and wow what a good movie!! A main theme of the movie is that good can come out of bad. Also, it shows how we can help others through our personal tragedies and that life is not over when bad things happen to us. There is a plan for everything. I was very impressed with all the acting, special effects and the family friendly tone. There are zilcho swears. Even in the characters' darkest moments, there are no typical overused omg's or anything that would indicate they were angry at God or anyone else. They don't shy away from Christian references but present it accurately, the way the family and Bethany responded in the situation. I was impressed that the faith message that was natural, but not preachy. Also, the Bible verse quoted was from Jeremiah 29:11 and really if you were of another faith you wouldn't be offended by it I don't think. In the credits they show interviews with the real Bethany and she mentions Jesus there. However, that's who she is! Some of the critics have said oh she was too calm or sweet...but I didn't see it this way at all. In fact, in real life, it was her calmness that helped save her life!! She wasn't screaming but was in shock as well I think. I think she is just a very calm person. Later it showed how hard it was for her to deal with the loss of her limb from a functional standpoint and emotionally such as when she worried about not being attractive to boys. All the relationships and reactions were very typical of real people...nothing forced at all. It is clear how good the relationships are between the parents and among the siblings but they interact and argue like NORMAL people. Bethany has said in real life interviews that she and her competitors weren't that catty with each other, like with the antagonist they created for the movie. However, her response to the girl is very good which shows young people that being nice to someone gets you a whole lot further and can change the person. It also showed how she dealt with her celebrity status and how that was a real challenge. The other part critics say isn't realistic is about her artificial arm...but it's very common for amputees to reject a prosthesis when it's for their upper limb. Tony Melendez (singer and plays 12-string guitar with his feet) did the same thing and he found he could function more easily without the prosthesis. There are some beautiful shots of Hawaii and the underwater/wave effects were just breathtaking. I definitely recommend this movie and am looking forward to having the blu-ray/dvd!

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen.. Period. It is a movie you can take your whole family to and not be afraid of them being exposed to any kind of crude jokes or bad refrences. There is not one curse word in the movie and it's hard to get that these days, even in cartoons.! It is a wonderful movie of faith, family, and never giving up.! So inspirational and just a great all around movie.! They also did a good job staying true to Bethany's story.! Loved it and would see it again in a heartbeat! Can't wait until it comes out so I can buy it.! =)

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This movie was wonderful! The cinematography was beautiful. I especially loved the shots filmed through the pipeline as she surfed and the scenes shot looking up through the surface of the water. I scuba dive and love to look up through the water. It adds dimension and energy to the scenes. The special effects were just awesome. The actress really looks like her arm is missing. Just incredible. The acting was top-notch. It is everything I am looking for in a good movie. Drama, warmth, realism, up-lifting. This young girl is a real inspiration. There are those who might not want to watch because the message is overtly Christian, but I would ask the question, "Have you seen the movie, Ghandi? Or Seven Years in Tibet?" Did you avoid them because they were overtly about their religious beliefs? Watch with an open mind and be inspired by this young girl and the God who gave Bethany such courage and perseverance.

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I admit that I am not normally one who likes to have faith mixed in with my movie. I normally find myself more interested in the fantastical worlds such as Mirrormask, the amazing adventures of Doctor Who, the mindless bloodshed of Resident Evil, or the quirky humor of Shawn of the Dead than an inspirational film such as this. But every once in awhile I find a little gem that is just too good to not watch, and this movie most definitely fits the bill.

Some people have issue with the faith based overtones. I've though about it for awhile and decided that this is my answer to those issues: It doesn't matter if a film has a Christian overtone, Buddhist overtone, no overtone, somewhat of a maybe overtone or whatever. A good movie is a good movie, and this film is definitely a good movie. From what I've seen in interviews and the like, Bethany and her family are deeply religious people whose faith helped them deal with this. I would say that if there WASN'T an overtone it would do the story a disservice.

So why the 4 stars? This is a slight bit of overacting at parts in my opinion, plus, while I find this an excellent film I do not put it with my favorite all time films ever. I would give it a 4.5 but that is not an option.

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This movie was Triumphant!

What a story of Courage, Strength, Heart, Will, and Accomplishment!

This Girl shows all of us what is possible on this earth!!!

The movie went at a good pace... I took my 7 year old daughter with me, and neither of us were bored or un-content during the film.

The theater was full, but you could hear a pin drop, as every single person was intently staring in AWWW at the big screen...

I found myself shedding a few tears at various times!

I compare this movie with the likes of Cinderella Man, The Hurricane, Remember the Titans & Secretariat.

Helen Hunt & Dennis Quaid did fantastic in their respective roles...

I loved at the end of the movie, while the credits played, they played video clips of the real girl behind the amazing story! The clips also updated what she did in her life after the accident!

I would love to meet this girl someday!!!

I give this movie an A+, and reccomend you go and see it on the big screen!

Thanks for reading my review...

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Open Season (2006)

I recently jumped on board with the new tech and went 3D in the home with a brand new Samsung model. Currently have purchased almost every 3D Bluray available including some imported overseas from Amazon France and UK such as Alice In Wonderland and Bolt. So I have a lot to compare Open Season to in regard to the 3D aspect of the Bluray.

With great confidence I can say that Open Season is hands down at this time the best showcase of 3D Bluray. The transfer is just pristine and pops with color, sharpness and depth. The 3D does not come across as gimmicky but truly is done so well that you feel like you could reach out and grab the characters on screen. Sony should be comended for doing such a fantastic job with this transfer and this should be the standard bearer going forward when referencing 3D Bluray and what it brings to the table for future home entertainment.

This is a must buy for any 3D HDTV owner.

My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

There are about 60 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer and another 19 around 25%. At 55:40 minutes raindrops fall up to 50% and around 71:30 a flying stick of dynamite made a lot of my friends duck.

My last observation specific to this disk is hard to put into words but here goes; The 3D is done in such a way that it is hard to define "in the screen" and "out of the screen" effects. They usually flow between the two seamlessly making the surface of the screen (mentally) disappear. Ya know what I mean?

*** Funny with an enjoyable story line Excellent graphics add to the 3D ***

MY 3D RATING = EXCELLENT (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

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"Open Season" is the coming-of-age story of a very unlikely friendship. Boog (Voice by Martin Lawrence), the Bear, has lived a very sheltered life in the garage of Beth, the game ranger who rescued him. Elliott (voice by Ashton Kutcher), the mule deer, has had a very bad day. He's just gotten expelled from his pack by the Alpha Buck, gotten hit by a truck, lost an antler and ended up strapped to the hood of an insane hunter's truck.

When Boog saves Elliott's life, Elliott comes to join him in his garage haven--and they end up on a night on the town that gets Boog sent to the wilderness earlier than his game-ranger Mom would have preferred--and sadly, at the beginning of "Open Season."

To stay safe, the two must band together--and along the way, they learn a lot about friendship and teamwork. This is a great lesson film for kids as well as having some wonderful moments for adults, too.

Plus, the making of videos are fascinating. Viewers have the chance to learn about how animation is drawn and how the directors help bring the voices to life.

Read Best Reviews of Open Season (2006) Here

Saw this movie a couple of years ago and thought it was okay....that hasn't changed. However, this is the best 3D blu ray I have seen so far (A Christmas Carol, Monster House, demo 3d disc by Disney). The images look great and its a good demo 3d. Also the previews for Smurf are excellent. In fact the previews look as if 3D blu ray may even get better with time. However, all of the 3D disc that I have seen don't seem to measure up to Directv 3D channel, not sure why, but TV looks better in 3D then these blu ray 3D's. This is well worth the buy to see what your 3d tv can do!

Update*Piranhas 3D took the lead for me, followed by Resident Evil:Afterlife 3D...if you can deal with all the naked people in Piranhas its a hoot!

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I will not provide a review of the movie as there are plenty of movie critics out there. I will however, concentrate on the in-home 3D aspect of this movie, and found this one of the best animated 3D movies currently out at the moment. Excellent depth perception, no ghosting of the images, and some good "out of the screen" scenes.

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Clerks (15th Anniversary Edition) (1994)

One of my favorite films of all time... and they've given it the deluxe treatment with this 3-disc set. Here are the details from Kevin Smith's View Askew website about this new edition:

The 93 minute "Clerks" Theatrical cutAll new HiDef transfer from 16mm IP supervised by Dave Klein with all-new 5.1 Skywalker Sound remix supervised by Scott Mosier, includes original commentary track from laser disc/initial DVD release

The 103 minute "Clerks" IFFM First Cut, includes all-new audio/video commentary track with Kevin, Scott, Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran and Jason Mewes.

The 95 minute "The Snowball Effect: The Story of Clerks" Brand Spanking New Documentary that inteviews almost everybody who ever had something to do with "Clerks"

The MTV Jay and Silent Bob shorts that everyone's been crying for us to put on a DVD for years now

The Arclight 10th Anniversary Q&A with Brian, Jeff, Marilyn, Scott, Dave, Mewes, and Kevin

Lots of new video intros.

"The Flying Car" short from the Tonight Show (re-telecined in HiDef).

The Original theatrical trailer

"Can't Even Tell" Music Video

The original Jeff, Brian, and Marilyn and Ernie O'Donnell audition tapes

The brand new, seven minute animated "Lost Scene" short

Expansive Still Photo Gallery

'Clerks' Trivia track

Original 168-page original first draft screenplay

Kevin's 'Clerks' Journal

Kevin's 'Sundance' Journal

Peter Broderick's 1992 article "The ABC's of No-Budget Filmmaking" that inspired the budget for 'Clerks'

Peter Broderick's followup article "Learning from Low-Budgets" a year later that does the same treatment on 'Clerks'

Amy Taubin's Village Voice article on the 1991 IFFM and 'Slacker' that inspired Kevin to take 'Clerks' to the IFFM

Amy Taubin's Village Voice article on the 1993 IFFM about 'Clerks' being the gem of the festival.

Janet Maslin's 1994 New York Times review of 'Clerks' entitled "At a Convenience Store, Coolness To Go"

The entire John Pierson 'The Odd Couple: Sundance 1994" Chapter from 'Spike Mike Reloaded' book

The original Kevin-penned IFFM program note

The original Bob Hawk-penned 1994 Sundance Film Festival program note.

"Mae Day" Kevin and Scott's Vancouver Film School documentary short.

Clerks rules. Kevin Smith is a genius. I try to think of what the most expensive part of this movie was. My guess is that the hockey game is, due to licensing fees. Who knows? Either way, this movie shows what can be done with a great script and just under 30k dollars.

To me, some of the greatest things in the movie are the little errors were people might trip on a word for a second. That's so real, that it give the movie a sense of reality that is missing in so many other movies. People have complained that Randall sounds like he's reading from cue cards. So what! Haven't you ever met anyone like that? I have.

Jay and Silent Bob are the kings of loitering. What class they possess. Dante and Randall are a shining example of what can happen to you after working too long in a convience and rental store, respectively.

There is nothing far fetched about the story of a guy having a bad day at work. I had many days almost that bad when I did retail. The dialogue is brilliant. Nice little insights about life and your place in it.

After hearing a little of the story you forget that the movie is in black and white, and you don't care because it's so good. If you are a Kevin Smith/Silent Bob fan and have not seen Clerks yet... Get it! If you've watched Mallrats or Dogma without seeing this you're missing out.

Great soundtrack, very cool Soul Asylum video, neat extras. This is one of the best comedy movies out there.

Buy Clerks (15th Anniversary Edition) (1994) Now

Being a *huge* Kevin Smith fan, I felt the need to list the specs of this highly anticipitated special edition...

Disc One: The 93-minute theatrical cut in anamorphic widescreen (from a new HD transfer of the 16mm interpositive, supervised by DP Dave Klein), all-new DD5.1 remix (supervised by producer Scott Mosier and completed at Skywalker Sound), original commentary track from the previous Clerks release.

Disc Two: The 103-minute initial cut (from a video source) screened at the IFFM, all-new audio/video commentary track (with Kevin Smith, Scott, Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran and Jason Mewes).

Disc Three: "The Snowball Effect: The Story of Clerks" 95-minute documentary, newly-animated "Lost Scene" short, new video intros, audition tapes, Clerks trivia track, "Mae Day: The Crumbling of a Documentary" student film project, Arclight Cinemas 10th anniversary Q&A, MTV's Jay and Silent Bob shorts (!), "The Flying Car" short from The Tonight Show, extensive still gallery, theatrical trailer, "Can't Even Tell" music video, 168-page original first draft screenplay, Kevin's 'Clerks' Journal, Kevin's 'Sundance' Journal, original IFFM program note, original 1994 Sundance Film Festival program note, lots of print articles (Peter Broderick's "The ABC's of No-Budget Filmmaking" that inspired Kevin, Peter Broderick's "Learning from Low-Budgets" which cited Clerks a year later, Amy Taubin's 1991 Village Voice article on the IFFM and Slacker, Amy Taubin's 1993 Village Voice article on the IFFM and Clerks, Janet Maslin's 1994 New York Times Clerks review, "The Odd Couple: Sundance 1994" chapter from John Pierson's Spike Mike Reloaded) and a very cool booklet.

Read Best Reviews of Clerks (15th Anniversary Edition) (1994) Here

I watched Clerks last night on video with my wife after putting it off for a couple of years. This is a very funny movie. There is no plot per se, but essentially the movie centers around Dante, the convenience store clerk who has no direction in life and dreams about dumping his girlfriend Veronica, who is combative but loyal and caring, for his ex-girlfriend Caitlin, who cheated on him repeatedly when they were dating. His buddy Randall, who works (sort of) at the nearby video store is the ultimate cool guy whose zen like observations about Dante's life are so on the mark. Clerks is filled with funny and vulgar exchanges that I cannot repeat here, ... . Also memorable is Silent Bob, played by the film maker Kevin Smith, who speaks only once but has the most profound line in the entire movie. The girl who plays Veronica reminded me of Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. My favorite scenes: 1) the chewing gum salesman trying to turn kids off of cigarette smoking, 2) the man who wants to use the rest room, 3) Randall ordering porno flicks over the phone in the presence of a young lady and her daughter, and 4) Dante and Veronica talking about how many people they have been with and their argument that ensues from it. Clerks is a Gen-X classic best appreciated by high schoolers and those in their 20's, but even an old codger of 31 like myself can enjoy it too.

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Clerks was made on a low budget and it shows, but it's still much more enjoyable, witty, smart, and hilarious than numerous movies on a big budget. The movie follows a day in the lives of two "clerks", one in a convience store (Dante) and one in the "crappy video store" (Randall). The story centers around Dante's troubled love life: he's has a girlfriend he loves (Veronica), but he longs for an ex-girlfriend (Caitlin) who cheated on him numerous times. Dante finds out his ex is engaged and tries desperately to find out if it's true and why he wasn't informed before hand. In the midst of this, Randall and Dante discuss Star Wars, make clever observations on life and the world around them, go to a wake that ends with Dante and Randall being chased out of the funeral home by a mob of angry guests, play hockey on the convience store roof, and put up with some clueless and annoying customers ("You expect me to drink this coffee hot?").

The dialog from writer/director Kevin Smith carries the movie as there is little action, but it works. You get a sense that the characters are real people as opposed to many movies in which the characters are empty and emotionless. Dante and Randall are smart and witty, and you get the sense that they have some kind of great talent that they don't know what to do with. Dante is especially unsure of what he wants to do with his life, and it takes Randall to point him towards the source of his problems. Anyone who has worked retail (including me) can relate to some of the annoying customers and how at times the job can become mind-numbingly and painfully boring.

I will not spoil the most notable scene for those that haven't seen the film. It happens off screen, but will still leave you with a look of shock when you find out what happened. Clerks is not for those who are easily offended by strong language or those uncomfortable with talk about sex (including "snowballing" and deadly means of self-gratification). But the movie works without resorting to crude, sickening humor. And of course, the infamous Jay and Silent Bob make their debut. This is a must-see for Kevin Smith fans and a great place to start if you want to get into Kevin Smith's work.

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Monsters, Inc. (2 Disc Blu-ray + DVD) (2001)

Admittedly, I am a fan of Pixar's work. Their artists have done some incredible animated features over the years. Between the "Toy Story" movies and "A Bug's Life," they have managed in a short time to build an impressive track record. Their shorts are also among the best ever produced. So my expectations going into this movie were very high.

The story concerns the monsters in your closet. The theory being that their world runs of the energy produced by children's screams. Sulley (John Goodman) is number one at getting screams. His main rival (Steve Buschemi) will do anything to gain the top spot. Oh, and they consider the touch of a human child to be toxic.

While not as instantly relatable as "Toy Story," the movie builds on the talents of Goodman and Billy Crystal (Mike) to bring you into this make-believe world as Sulley and Mike try to get little Boo back through the closet door to the safety of her bedroom.

Disney/Pixar has presented this well on DVD. Both Widescreen and Pan & Scan versions are available on the first disc. The second disc has games, outtakes, an award winning animated short, and a fun (easy to find) Easter Egg.

All in all, if you enjoy Pixar's work, or animated features in general, this is a must have for your collection.

Before anyone starts saying this has not been released yet and there cannot be a review of the Bluray edition let me tell you this, this movie has been available in Japan and Mexico for quite some time now, and I was able to get a copy of the Mexican edition, which was at one time, identical to the one to be released in the US. It is a 3 disc edition (2 BD plus DVD copy of the movie), this has now been changed to a 4 disc set in the US to include the additional digital copy.

Disc one starts with an intro by director Pete Docter, in which he pretty much explains all the contents in this 'glorious' high definition version of the movie. A mini documentary on the 'Monsters, Inc: Ride & Go Seek ' ride in Disney Japan is also included. The highlight to me was the creators 'Round table' in which they talk about the process of creating the movie, some deleted scenes not included in prior DVD versions are shown here and they finally explained to me why is it so difficult to get a reservation at 'Harryhausen's' if all the staff from the scare floor seems to hang around there!

The Pixar shorts 'For the birds' and 'Mike's new car' (originally made on 4:3 format) are also included in HD format (as previously released in 'Pixar shorts)

The movie is presented in 1:85:1 aspect ratio. The word that comes to mind to describe how this looks is simply 'Beautiful', the colors, the textures, Sullivan's fur, the character's skin textures, Roz' sweater. Details pop up, colors are bright and clear. I had never noted that the real name of 'Boo' is actually in the movie until I saw it on Bluray!

The audio is another improvement of this BD edition. Presented in an uncompressed 5.1 track, the music by Randy Newman and the sound effects (check the audio in the door chamber sequence or every time 'Boo' laughs/cries and there is a power variation) sound just great. Spanish and French Dolby Digital tracks are also included. An audio commentary with the creators provides a lot of details of the movie, since I have watched this over and over with my 2 year old kid I have been able to play the commentary a couple times so he watches the movie and I learn about how it was made.

One thing I noted though, the end credits in the Bluray are not the same as in the DVD. The DVD will have the bloopers play while the credits roll, while the Bluray does not. Those 'Bloopers' though are included in disc 2 as additional features.

Disc 2 includes a feature called the 'Employee's manual' Additional spots created to promote the film are included too. Storyboards and drawings from the artists in HD as well as the '100 doors challenge', which is like a trivia game in which based on your responses you will be offered a position in Monsters Inc. Disc 3 as mentioned earlier, is a DVD copy of the movie (in the Mexican edition the 4:3 presentation is included, NOT widescreen) which is great as my kid can have that to watch it as many times as he desires.

Fans of the movie or any Pixar movie should not miss this!

Buy Monsters, Inc. (2 Disc Blu-ray + DVD) (2001) Now

If you look at my other Amazon[.com] reviews, you will notice that I don't review movies and truth by told, I watch very few movies. Perhaps 2-4 per year, including both in the theater and at home on video or DVD. I'm just not a movie fan.

But tonight, we rented the Monsters Inc DVD and I absolutely loved it! Clever, hilarious, touching, innovative, unique, imaginative those words don't begin to tell about this movie! You just have to see it.

It's such a pleasure to see a G-rated movie doing so well, both at the box office and also sales of the products for home viewing. This movie is totally free of sex, profanity, and substance abuse. Some of the action could be called violence, but not in the sense we usually define violence in movies! This movie might scare a 4-year-old, however. You need to know your own child to know if he's ready for this action-packed, laugh-a-minute masterpiece!

I watched this with my husband and two of our older kids (ages 19 and 21). We all enjoyed this movie immensely and can't wait to watch the extras on the other DVD. I can actually see watching this movie again, as the humor flies fast and furious and I know I missed a some good lines!

You will be touched by the relationship between Sully (the big blue monster) and the little girl he affectionately names Boo. He puts her safety above his job and above the good of the company. This little girl they created is nothing short of charming and endearing. You will instantly love her and cheer Sully on as he does everything he can to protect her.

The premise of the movie that the Monsters collect screams of children which in turn power the city that the Monsters live in, is nothing short of genius. This DVD would be a great gift for many people on your Christmas List regardless of their age!

Read Best Reviews of Monsters, Inc. (2 Disc Blu-ray + DVD) (2001) Here

DISC ONE: For moviegoers during summer of 2001, the marquee was packed with animated options: Shrek, Atlantis, Final Fantasy and Monsters, Inc. If you disect the movies, the first two end up being dissapointing when viewed in the small screen and Final Fantasy is just made with a different public in mind. Now, Monsters, Inc. achieves in DVD format the same feel you got when you (hopefully) saw it in theaters: the movie IS a great movie for all ages. No bells and whistles: simply brilliant!

The script is very funny, clever and innovative (it is worth seeing on the DVD how much it evolved from the original treatment it was going to have...), turning around the ageless childhood fear of monsters into a fear of kids BY monsters, who need kids' screams in order to power their society. Top ranking scarer, big, blue and furry Sulley (voiced by John Goodman) and his one-eyed assitant, Mike Wazowski (brilliantly played by Billy Crystal) see their "monstrous" lives turned around when Sulley accidentally brings a little girl (Boo) by accident into their monster world.

Complementing the script and the voices, the animation is incredible. The faces of the characters, the blinking of the eyes (the red in the eyes, when Mike sprays antibacterial stuff on his face, the glassy look in Sulley's eyes toward the end of the movie), the fur of Sulley (every hair moving just as if he were real), the illumination all through the movie. Plus the persecution scene leaves you speechless: there's SO MUCH happening in it, and it's so seamless: one of the great animation accomplishments of the movie without any doubt.

DISC TWO: One element that powerfully called my attention is the very human (is that ironic or what?) touch that the second disc has. For example, the Director, the two Co-Directors and the Producer appear in the very beginning, showing you how to find your way around the DVD. It's not that it's a convoluted DVD or anything of that sort: simply the two discs are packed with all sorts of goodies and they are making an effort to have you find it all.

One of the best things included in disc 2 is the Oscar-winning animated short film "For The Birds" which we all enjoyed in theaters so much right before Monsters started. Also included are the complete outtakes (call them "bloopers" from the movie, if you may, whose concept alone makes you scratch your head in surprise while you laugh till it hurts). But the fun to disc two doesn't end there: there is a wealth of details for the more technically-inclined or those who simply are curious about the way animation is done, with a whole tour through the process, from story reels, to layout, animation, simulation (a key component in the level of perfection accomplished with Sulley's fur and the way Boo's big shirt works) ahd shading/lighting. Same thing is done with design and music & sound. Wrapping up the goodies is a pretty fun tour of Pixar studios where you can catch a glimpse of why these guys are able to come up with such a funny movie: they're having a blast there! :D

Technical comments

-If you view the DVD on a computer (as I did), the first time you do it, you will go through the installation of the InterActual player software. Hit "Accept" at every step of the way: whether you like it or not, you won't be able to take advantage of all the elements in the DVDs unless you view it using this software...

-Another detail for computer users: the "Peek-A-Boo Door game" was useless on my computer. It's designed to be played when viewing the DVD on a DVD player. In fact, it almost brings my laptop to its knees. So, my recommendation to you DVD-viewers using a computer to go past the intro page with all the games on it and click on to view the movie.

-Subtitles included are in English only, so that probably will not make Spanish-only or French-only-speaking viewers too happy, n'est-ce pas? Verdad?

In general, though, excellent! Five stars to this incredible production by Disney and to its Two-Disc Collector's Edition. You will enjoy every bit of it and watch it several times over.

Want Monsters, Inc. (2 Disc Blu-ray + DVD) (2001) Discount?

This is one of the best DVD's I've gotten to date. The movie itself is wonderful and includes the voice talents of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Ratzenberger, Jennifer Tilly, and James Coburn. As you probably already know the storyline, I'll just talk about DVD.

You get 2 discsone contains the movie itself (with the "full screen" or "widescreen" versions, as well as a director's commentary option)and the second disc is chock full of goodies! You get "For the Birds" the 2001 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film (shown in theaters before the movie), and "Mike's New Car" (exclusively created for the video and DVD release, as well as an exclusive sneak peek of "Finding Nemo", the newest upcoming release from Disney starring Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, and Willem Dafoe. Plus, if you choose the "Human Door" option, you get a tour of the Pixar animation studios by the makers of the film. They'll show you deleted scenes, 3-D location flyarounds, and animation gags and "inside" jokes. The "Monster World" door is where the real fun startstrain for your first day at Monster's Inc.; see the employee handbook, and play the "Boo's Door Game", which works like a CD rom-type game. Use your remote control to go through doors and find pieces of Boo's door that come together like a puzzle. The kids and I had tons of fun playing this together. Even our 4-month old son laughed heartily while rocking in his swing. Definitely a DVD for familes to ownworth every penny for the amount of material you get. Buy it, buy it, buy it now!

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