Buck

Neither my wife nor I had heard of the movie Buck. We went to see it because it was close to our motel in downtown Grand Junction, CO. It was spellbinding. Both my wife and I truly enjoyed the movie. It was an unexpected treat. Though it may seem to be about horse training it is really about life though Buck's life in particular. It will appeal to a far wider audience. I hope this movie goes in wide distribution because I think this movie would be enjoyed by many more than might see it in the limited distribution theater network. This would be a good parenting movie. I plan on buying the DVDs for my kids who are in their 30s, and maybe a few friends. See this movie.

I have known Buck for over twenty years and had horses in my life for over 40 years. I work with horses and use them to help humans who have survived trauma, who have physical challenges, or those who simply want to learn to be around a powerful, gentle, sensitive creature. Horses are the mirror for the human condition. If you are unbalanced they will not choose to approach you. If you have good, calm, welcoming energy they will be drawn to that. If you are angry forget it, they will have nothing to do with you. I am delighted with the accurate portrayal of Buck. Kudos to Cindy Meehl and crew on a documentary well done!

If you are not a horse person, you will gain insight into how people can overcome. That old adage that, 'abusers grow up to become abusers' is simply not true. I have several friends that are in the mental health field and they love the film.

If you are a horse person you may find a new path to getting more done with your horse by doing LESS sooner.... ah, that old gem: prepare for the transition and the transition will take care of itself...

Buck is holding the bar high and hoping we can all aspire to finding softness and harmony; in ourselves, with our horses, and in life.

This film is a treasure, we have been invited into the lives of some very special people. Watch it, look in your "mirror" assess what is reflected there, change where you need to then go share. Pay it forward and the world will be a better place.

FYI I've seen this twice now with friends and would go again if asked while it's still up on the "big screen" every time I watch it I get something new.

Enjoy & happy trails

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You walk away with a better understanding of people, and hopefully more respect and understanding for living things than before you saw this film. And that is worth a lot.

So, don't think it's just all cowboys and horses, it isn't really that at all, only on the surface.

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Buck Brannaman is the "real enchilada", a man for whom it would seem the term, "cowboy" was coined. Enduring beatings from their abusive tyrannical father, Buck and his brother were professional trick ropers by the time Buck was 4 1/2. After their mother's death, authorities finally removed the boys from their dark home life. Through the love of his foster parents, Buck managed to leave his haunted past behind, though not without heavy scarring, on his soul as well as his body.

As one of the interviewees pointed out during the movie, perhaps "tortured souls", such as she calls Buck, have a special sensitivity to the horses they help that the average trainer lacks. Whatever it is, Buck's feel for the horse has enabled him to help thousands of horses with their "people problems", as he is wont to call them. "Buck" follows Brannaman as he takes to the road for nine months of each year, giving 2-day clinics all over the country. There is even footage of his daughter, Riata and her girlfriend, as they accompany him for part of the time, as well as Mary Brannaman, Buck's wife of many years.

Fans of Buck Brannaman will slurp this movie up like a kid eating ice cream on a hot day. But its appeal is far broader than just for those who love horses. Scenery is excellent, the music is catchy, and there are scenes of working cattle, Californios roping with Buck and Riata, and what most fans probably are looking for, Buck doing his thing with horses with issues. More than this, though, is the weaving of Buck's past through the film, along with footage of some of the Western horse world's greats, such as Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, mentors of Brannaman.

As if all this weren't enough, "Buck" shows how oftentimes clinics are about more than getting a handle on your horse. As Buck says, the horse is our mirror. Owners' issues are reflected quite accurately in their horses' attitudes and actions. And when Buck begins to pull threads on the horse, you can just about bet, one or two ends will be firmly attached to the owner. Tears and other emotions often rise to the surface, and people usually find they learn more than they'd imagined they would, at day's end. Sensitive he may be, but Brannaman pulls no punches when it comes to giving "tough love" to his clients. If they ask, he will tell them what they need to hear, which is many times far different from what they may want to hear!

"Buck" is nicely done; not too long, with just the right mix of lightness, humor, and drama to keep viewers' interest high. And ultimately, the scenes of Buck on a horse just shouldn't be missed. No one sits a horse like Buck Brannaman! See it; you'll be glad you did! I can't wait for the DVD!!!!

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This was a "no holds barred" documentary during which Buck candidly shares his thoughts on many subjects, not only those related to horses. Having had a troubled childhood, Brannaman matured into a really fine adult who has helped a lot of horses, as well as many people. The sequence near the end of the movie shows that some horses are actually beyond help. However, during most of the movie we can see how well he handles horses that others find to be problematic. He has real respect for the animals and, in most cases, they seem to appreciate it and respond in kind. This movie should appeal to more viewers than simply horse lovers.

Paul Baragona

Raleigh, NC

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Gray's Anatomy (The Criterion Collection) (1997)

Incredible writer and monologuist Spalding Gray takes us on an incredible journey, around the world and through his soul. Though based on his his attempts to avoid dangerous eye surgery, the story is really about meeting fascinating characters and Gray's own fascinating neuroses. If the idea of a monologue sounds boring to you -basically Gray sitting and telling you a story -I especially challenge you to try this out.

While dry, Gray's humor keeps you laughing out loud. You'll find it mesmerizing, and at the end of your own journey through the film, changed for the better. Highly recommended.

Spalding Gray's death has left us poorer than when we started. How evident this is after viewing this edgy, moving, often riotous monologue directed by Stephen Soderbergh.

A macular "pucker" leaves Gray virtually blind in one eye. Born into Christian Science, Gray leaves the church when his CS practitioner demands he renounce allopathic medicine to receive help. Gray's breathless journeys through alternative healing remind us that we all face mortality at any cost, and that no religious or philosopical system will spare us the inevitability of suffering or dying.

What I loved most about this film were Gray's frequent outbursts of humor -framed in frustration, delivered in sentences which resonate like poetry in the mind, this guy rages -quite literally -against the dying of the light. And I would add that this is a film best viewed late at night.

While Soderbergh's direction is occasionally heavy-handed and selfconscious, it is still creative and ambitious and will never disqualify this film from classic status.

The movie doesn't benefit from the opening montage of "eye horror stories" delivered by subjects who almost lost their sight, and who occasionally make an unwelcome visit into Gray's monologue. Happily, Gray gets 'round them.

The man had a brilliant, brilliant mind and a great heart. Watch this, and the only thing you risk is awareness of his absence, and it is a sad feeling.

I just loved this movie, or should I say: I loved this mirror.

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This is a wonderful example of the 'gift of gab' that is, the art of telling a story. Spalding Gray has a story to tell mind you, the plot is not nearly as interesting as, say, a Jedi Knight fighting a battle in a galaxy far, far away. It is not so much what he has to say, but how he says it. If one of your favorite childhood memories includes sitting around a campfire listening to someone spinning a yarn about a headless ghost, then you might enjoy this more adult version of a scary story. Substitute the encounter with a headless horseman with an even more frightening trip to see a doctor to diagnose an incurable medical condition and you may start to understand this movie. It was fascinating listening to his tangential logic, flashbacks, and digressions of a gifted story teller. It is also somewhat of an insight into the mind Spalding Gray, whose favorite story was the life experience he gained by walking around Washington Square Park several times, breathing in all of life's drama.

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If you enjoyed "Swimming to Cambodia", then you will enjoy this film also. If you haven't scene "Swimming to Cambodia" buy this but watch "Swimming to Cambodia" first.

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once you get it, you will never forget it: to wit, how unique and singular it is to be a great storyteller. we discover this by the way this show opens. a slew of people from everyday life tell their stories of how an eye condition altered their lives. i found myself nodding off as i sat through this, admiring the infrared film but finding the rest of it yawn inducing. then i was electrified by spalding gray's coming onscreen. by solely using his monolog skills, he holds me spellbound while he relates his eye injury story. it is a story i will never forget because its telling sears it into my memory.

it was sad to realize anew what a huge talent we lost with his suicide in 2004. ironically, with life later imitating art, spalding gray was in a serious car collision after he filmed this. he could not handle the pain, the constant physical therapy, the constant use of crutchess, etc., this in part led to his suicide. in this film we watch his hysteria over the prospect of a low risk eye surgery for the not painful condition of macular puckering in the eye. he was a complete mess over this eye problem alone but in a very woody allen like neurotic way.

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Toys in the Attic (2009)

This film is actually a recycling of a 2009 Czech Republic film. I saw it when abroad and while it is a distinctive and visually appealing stop-motion film, some of the characters are quite scary/disturbing, especially the cigar toting vile bust/statue known as "Head." Head leads the evil "side" of the attic against the peace loving "side" of the attic. A rag-tag group from the peace loving side must overcome the evil Head and rescue a kidnaped antique doll. The voice casting is great, lots of big names and the stop-motion filming is artistic, however, the dark edge of the film may steer this towards the tweens and up (maybe 8-10 and up?). If you're not sure, you might want to preview it before the kids get a chance to see it. Other than the caution for the scary factor, definitely worth viewing artsy imaginative work.

these toys looked after each other with great care! thats what made me enjoy all the adventures of each toy! great show!

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I mean really, I stand in awe.

I didn't know, at first, that this was by Jiri (pronounced kind of like "Year-zhee") Barta. That would have sold me right then, since Czech animators and Barta in particular display senses of the macabre, joyous, heroic, delicate, and mysterious all at once. (Since so many of them worked, or tried to, during the Soviet oppression, that seems rather natural.)

This, like any brilliant work of art, works at many levels. Physically the puppets and objects combine Svankamjer's sensibilities with Joseph Cornell's supply closet. In image creation, Barta melds live action with flip-books (or something close), stop animation, overdrawing, and I don't know what-all in computer animation and postproduction. The stop-animated puppets, however, embody unique personalities in their materials, structure, and articulation, even before you hear them sspeak,

Skipping ahead, I have to applaud the English language rendering. Taken in itself, it expresses the characters and helps bring them to life, even though English was never considered when the movie's original Czech version came out. But, the English is dubbed so it syncs to Czech mouth movements (mostly). This involved heroics on the parts of the scriptwriters, voice actors, and sound masters to create some cadence that a lip-reader might believe.

Backing up to the original, though, this represents a rather daring fable of personal freedom against the militarists, something Barta lived through before the Velvet Revolution. The plaster talking head had some reality in the Stalin era, and the spies and operatives remained real until the Stasi got their pink slips.

Behind and in front of everythign else, though, this stands out as a major artwork, masterfully crafted and carrying more meaning than any one reading can disclose. I've admired Barta's art before. This, however, impresses me in more different ways tha I can hope to name.

-wiredweird

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The English version is very unique and well crafted. Jiri has done great work in the past and this movie is nothing short of magical. The movie kept my attention from beginning to end and the voice-overs fit the characters perfectly. My girlfriends two daughters really enjoyed it. Two thumbs up.

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Great movie. There was so much work put into this movie and you can really tell. I have bought some for gifts.

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Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging) (1942)

I remember being mesmerized by Bambi at the drive in as a kid in the early 70's, and then again on TV but, what a fantastic restoration.

I have to thank Amazon.com for providing this before the actual release date and I was amazed at the restoration. I am not going to review the story as it is a classic and most know what it is about. I will review the repackaging and upgrade of the classic. The new DVD provides extra outtakes that haven't been seen before and the new coloration is fantastic. Gone is the sort of gloomy non crisp colors and in its place are wonderful bright colors.

Fantastic redo! If you have kids they will love this updated version. If you just like Disney Classics than you will also want to own this one.

Walt Disney opened the vein of fear that drives children and adults alike with his animated classic films. Disney understood, like the Grimms before him, that the same fears are at the heart of what motivate children as they do adults. In the uncertain and haunted world of the 40's where war and loss hung like a specter stalking every aspect of American life, Disney mined that vein of fear, loss and death and turned it on its head recognizing that the optimism and can-do attitude of the American dream could triumph but not undo the nightmares of the past. That's why Walt's films continue to resonate today even with fancy computer animated effects and larger than life villains. He knew that the worst monsters could be our next door neighbors. Disney adapted a modern sensibility to the same fears that the Grimms paraded in their tales.

That's why "Bambi" despite its pacing from a slower, less attention challenged era still has power and poignancy. As a kid everything you need to know about life can be learned from a Walt Disney film. The loss of innocence, the cruelty of others, the compassion of friends and the big "D" all crop up in every Disney film. It's ironic because Disney's films, unlike other animators of the time, weren't afraid to tackle the very things that both scared and delighted kids. The two big themes that figure in Disney films rear their heads in "Bambi" when death and the cruel world outside try to erase Bambi's innocence from existence. We're immediately thrown into Bambi's world and his life with his mom. When Bambi's mom is killed he becomes an orphan adopted by his new found friends Thumper and Flower. Kids will love the interaction between these characters. While the film's pacing may be a tad slow for children below the age of six used to the rapid fire editing of "Aladdin" and more recent Disney classics, the colorful landscape and the delightful characters will keep most children entranced.

Featuring a terrific restoration, "Bambi" has never looked better on DVD. Like many films of the era "Bambi" was shot on nitrate stock which disintegrates fairly rapidly over time so the miracle here is that it looks as good as it does (due to careful care) and the magic of digital technology. The images sparkle with a crystal clear image almost too perfect. The rich color, deep dark blacks and detail in the images are truly astonishing. The remastered sound makes fairly good use of the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround medium as well. Given that the original film's soundtrack was mono, the surround speakers are used surprisingly well. You'll have to reset your expectations though as this 60 year old film wasn't designed with any of our home theater equipment in mind.

"Bambi" has a forest full of extras in this two disc set. The most important extras on the first DVD is the comparison between the finished film along side images from story meetings, script notes, surviving production drawings and other items that give you a sense of the preparation that went into making this animated classic. We get to see the amazing restoration process for the film itself from the cleaning of the original nitrate negative (stored at the Library of Congress) to the expansion of the original soundtrack for home theater equipment and movie theater exhibition. There's also the classic award winning animated short "The Old Mill". Again, many of Disney's cartoons from the 30's and 40's don't have the manic energy we've come to expect in our post-Looney Tunes/Animanics world but the quieter, slower qualities are actually appealing after one too many frantic animated adventure. "Tricks of the Trade" was originally shot for the Disney's TV show in the 50's and takes us behind-the-scenes allowing us to see the difficult and time consuming process of making animated feature films before the advent of computers. "The Art of Bambi" allows us in the Disney archive to see the surviving preproduction artwork, design elements and storyboards. "Disney Time Capsule" provides viewers with a glimpse into the world that spawned "Bambi". "The Forest Adventure Game" will be entertaining for most children over the age of six as it may take a bit too much skill for anyone below that age to master. There's also two surviving deleted scenes (which is a surprise given the age of the film but Disney is nothing if not methodical). We learn a bit about America during World War II and the type of society that America was creating for itself. "Bambi's Forest Friends" focuses on how deer live in the wild. We also get the original theatrical trailer (which provides an interesting contrast to the restored film). Most of these extras will be of interest more to the adults that grew up watching "Bambi" in theaters, on TV and early home video.

An engaging film from another era that still has tremendous power and is entertaining, "Bambi" has never looked this spry before. I imagine that this DVD looks better than the original release did in the 1940's as resolution and theater standards were quite different then.

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I was disappointed in this updated version I have seen this movie since I was a young child every year it was shown in the theaters. I looked forward eagerly to when it came out on video. But was very disappointed as they had cut out several parts of the movie that had been shown in the theater version. I figured that when they remastered it digitally on DVD, they would add those parts back. But they didnt. They cut out the part where Bambi is fighting with Rono in the clouds no loss there. But they also cut out one of the very best parts where the Owl is talking to the youngsters about being Twiterpaited then starts singing the twiterpaited song. "Everybody's twiterpaited in the spring, skunks smell sweet, rabbits sing, daffodils go daffy when the bluebells ring, the whole wide world's in love. When you can't control a grin, when your head's inflated. Love just socked you on the chin, pal your twiterpaited! Anyway. It is one of the best parts and I was really saddened that they didnt include it in the movie.

But the color is good and it will always be a classic. Just wish they had included "ALL" of it.

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Another of Disney's Platinum Editions; "Bambi" is certainly a Disney classic, and quite unique in their catalogue. This is a 2 DVD package, with the first DVD containing the 1942 movie in its original format (1.33:1, the same as a standard television) with an enhanced 5.1 enhanced sound mix (THX certified). It also contains a feature entitled "Bambi: Inside Walt's Story Meetings" where we are able to listen to the comments of those involved in making the film. It also contains a preview of the second disk.

The second DVD is packed with extras as is the case with all of the Platinum Editions. It includes a couple of deleted scenes (Winter Grass, and Bambi's First Snow), some games and activities for the younger viewers, and a lot of behind the scenes features as well, called Backstage Disney. These include a making of feature, a restoration features, a sneak peak at the new Bambi movie, a time capsule for 1942, a feature on the multi-plane camera, a feature on the Disney archives, "The Old Mill" animated short (in which many of the techniques that were used in "Bambi" would be tried), the original trailer, and artwork from the movie.

It has been said that "Bambi" is the animated feature with the fewest lines of dialogue, and it is amazing how they combined movement and music to effectively tell the story while keeping the dialogue to a minimum. The movie also is known for its very stylistic or impressionistic backgrounds. Lastly, as far as I know this is the only Disney movie where the main villain (Man) never appears on the screen. Instead we see and hear the tools of man, such as gunshots, his hunting dogs, and his campfire which gets out of control and starts a forest fire.

The movie was based on the 1923 book of the same name by Felix Salten, although I think it is safe to say that most people now think of the movie when they hear the name. It premiered in London on August 8th of 1942, in the midst of World War II. It was the only civilian project which Disney continued during the war years. The rest of the studio was dedicated to helping the war effort. Not surprisingly, given the circumstances, the movie lost money in its initial release but has subsequently made millions for the company.

The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1943, including Best Music, Original Song (Frank Churchill & Larry Morey), Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Frank Churchill & Edward H. Plum), and for Best Sound, Recording (C. O. Slyfield). In 1948 it won a special Golden Globe award for Walt Disney for futhering the influence of the screen with the Hindustani version of the movie. In 1988 it won the Genesis award for classic feature films. Lastly this DVD was nominated for the Satellite Award for Outstanding Youth DVD in 2005.

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I am very appreciative to Amazon.com, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment for sending my family and I this DVD (before it's public release March 1st).

I have always loved this film. Bambi is a timeless treasure that I am glad I am able to share with my children.

Made in 1942, the animation is flawless (my favorite scene is where it's raining, it's so perfect). The animators have truely captured the movement of each different type of animal that inspired the film. This is Disney at it's very best!

Besides the wonderful animation, my children and I enjoy the humor. I love the owl talking to the older Bambi, Thumper, and Flower about all the animals being "twitterpated" in the Springtime; they all vow that it will never happen to them, but sure enough, one by one, they all fall victim to it.

The flawless animation, the colorful imagery, cute, memorable characters, humor. Bambi is a true gem; a timeless treasure. A priceless Masterpiece.

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The Crazies (2009)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

P.S. Stay through the credits!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Yogi Bear (2010)

All these people that are rating this movie as boring, expected, "I knew exactly where the plot is going" SERIOUSLY???? its YOGI BEAR, not a Tarintino movie. I personally LOVED this movie. Sure the jokes were corny, but that's why they were funny. The jokes were always corny on the original Yogi cartoon. I honestly thought I was going to hate this movie because of all the so called bad reviews it got. However, I decided to go see it anyway, at the discount 3d theater, and I laughed from beginning to end. My 9 year old son also was cracking up. It was a nice, clean, goofy family movie. What's so wrong about that? after we watched it at the movies, we went out and bought the blu ray combo and watched it again. I enjoyed it more the second time watching it in the comfort of my home. Don't listen to People's opinions, rent it if you must, but watch it and make up your OWN mind. If you are like any of the people at that theater that day, you will love it.

as for the blu ray dvd, it is beautiful and very clear. On this movie, I did not have enough money to buy the 3d version, but I did borrow it from a friend and it is AWSOME. This movie is BEST VIEWED IN 3D, its just much more fun that way. the regular blu ray is nice but its much more fun in 3D.

Well, I went to an advanced screening of the new Yogi Bear movie and I loved it. It is a very funny film with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. I took my 11 year old son with me and he enjoyed it just as much as I did. As we were leaving the cinema, we were both going back and forth over all the lines from the movie. I think the animators did a great job with Yogi and Boo Boo. Dan Ackroyd did a good job with Yogi and Justin Timberlake was fantastic as Boo Boo. Speaking of the little buddy, in the commercials Boo Boo seems a little smarmy but in the film he is the same ol' Boo Boo that we all know and love. The story line is pretty weak but the antics of Yogi and Boo Boo help make up for it.

As a matter of fact, the weakest part is the human actors. Yogi and Boo Boo were always dead on perfect and funny during their scenes. However, Tom Cavanagh is weak as Ranger Smith. Instead of chasing after Yogi and getting all upset at Yogi's antics, Tom took the opposite approach: Yogi will be Yogi and there's nothing I can do about it. Anna Faris is a good love interest for Ranger Smith. The first twenty minutes of the film, when they are setting up the plot, is the slowest part of the film because it is mostly Cavanagh, Faris and the villain, Mr. Mayor. Once the set up is done, though, it is pure antics and hilarity throughout the rest of the film.

I am very biased because I have been a big Huck and Yogi fan all of my life and it is great to see an H-B character in a big budget film that works. After the film, I turned to the guy next to me (not my son) and said, "What did you think?" His reaction was the same as mine that it was a great film and a terrific Yogi Bear movie. Everyone in the theater were laughing uproariously at the film and gave the film a huge applause at the end, so it wasn't just me.

I loathe the three TV films from the 80's (Yogi's Great Escape, Yogi Bear/Spruce Goose and Yogi/Space Bears). They were awful. Yogi's First Christmas is a just a step above these three but not by much. However, this film is probably the best Yogi Bear showing since "Hey There, It's Yogi Bear" and this is no exaggeration. I enjoyed every minute and my hat is off to Warner Brothers Pictures for making a terrific Yogi Bear movie.

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I loved Yogi cartoons when I was a kid, many moons ago. Wasn't sure what they would do to wreck that with an "updated" movie. Fortunately, they pretty much stuck to the original formula and produced and thoroughly predictable but thoroughly enjoyable movie.

We took our grandson and I expected to drift off or spend more time concentrating on the popcorn bucket than the actual movie. However, despite a massive headache at the start of the show, halfway through, I was back to the screen and had a great time. The live actors were a vague mystery to me. I have seen them all somewhere, someplace, but couldn't put my finger on who they were. When I got home and looked them up on IMDB, I had that "aha" moment. Anna Faris was the most recognizable.

I'll have to give Kudos to Dan Aykroyd as he really nailed Yogi's voice. I'll also give A for effort to Justin Timberlake, who did an admirable if slightly off Boo Boo.

I was able to predict virtually every single scene and event well in advance, yet it didn't bother me at all. I think the filmmakers delivered the spirit of the cartoon show from so long ago.

Wasn't perfect, but still not a bad way to pass time while I ate popcorn. All I know is Baby loved it. Highly recommended for kids and young at heart.

Read Best Reviews of Yogi Bear (2010) Here

Comment: I have to laugh when I hear these people reciting bogus information about 3D and the wearing of "goofy" glasses from so called "technical reporters" that formed their opinion based on a brief viewing in a crowded noisy convention, rather than living with a 3D TV in their homes for awhile. These same people will stand in line for hours and spend $18 apiece (not to mention the cast of food) to get in. That same 3D experience (or better) can be had any time they want (with their family) for the cost of one admission. This family movie is a case in point. It is family entertainment on all levels. The jokes are great... the story is "lesson learning"... and the 3D effect is wonderful with the occasional surprise. It is probably a little mild for teenagers and "tweensters" but if it's a wholesome funny politically correct family movie your looking for, this is it... it's "smarter than the average bear... right Boo Boo"?

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I love this movie.

There's something about it, that doesnt get old. I have watched it about 15 times and still feel like I'm watching it for the first time, whenever I watch it again. It's like taking a fun trip to Jellystone over and over again.

What's not to like?

The movie is about forever friendship: Yogi and Boo Boo are charming, a great team, and compliment each other better than Abbott/Costello, Cheech/Chong, Laurel/Hardy, etc, and those were great teams.

The movie is about fun and adventure: Yogi and Boo Boo stop at nothing to swipe a pic-a-nic basket. If they have to fly, they will. If they have to hook up pic-a-nic tables themselves, to a vehicle and get the baskets that way, they'll do it.

They never give up, and there's a good natured lesson to be learned there.

The film is full of scenes of a sunshine filled Jellystone Park, it is a happy movie, a movie meant to entertain and provide fun to the audience and it hits a home run in doing that.

The scene where Yogi and Boo Boo dance and shake their groove things: Cute and Great.

The fireworks scene: Hilarious.

The "limo window challenged" Mayor: A riot.

The so called movie "critics" and less than stellar box office numbers notwithstanding, this is a great movie that the whole family will love.

It brings Yogi and Boo Boo to life like never before, and I love this movie more than the cartoons.

I hope there will be more movies.

Throw in a nerdy but funny Mr. Ranger and a funny, cute "Movie lady" played by the lovable Anna Faris, and what do you have?

A pic-a-nic basket full of goodies, and dreams that come true.

Verdict: Two pic-a-nic baskets up!!

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Billy Madison (1995)

I've read every review of this movie quite thoroughly and I've noticed a common thread in each and every "bad" review given. All of Billy Madison's detractors say that the movie is stupid and childish. I suggest that these people stick to their "The English Patient", and leave this wonderful film alone. The movie's 'stupidity' as critics call it, is actually the essence of it's true genius. Billy Madison is ridiculous, illogical, and downright bizarre, but it is these elements that make this movie the most entertaining film I have ever seen. Sure, there are great, epic, emotional dramas that have the power to move you to tears, and these are exceptional films. Films can also be fun however, and Billy Madison is the most fun you will ever have from simply watching a movie. Doesn't this also make a film great? Why do critics always dismiss films such as these as "immature"? Billy Madison won't make you cry, but Gone With the Wind sure isn't gonna make you laugh either. Both emotions are important, and a film that makes you laugh uncontrollably (which I guarantee this film will) is just as effective as one that makes you weep, or feel warm and fuzzy inside. As far as Sandler's acting chops are concerned, he certainly wouldn't be considered a 'thespian', but his natural appeal is so exceptionally strong that it can carry a movie he is just that likeable. The man speaks pure gibberish and I laugh my fool head off, this is a talent that no other actor can match. I don't recommend that you see Billy Madison, I insist that you buy it, right now, from Amazon.com. The American Film Institute declared Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" as the greatest film of all time? Just one question: where is the imaginary penguin, Mr. Welles? Where is the imaginary penguin? Peace, I'm outta here!

This is still my favorite of all of Adam Sandler's filmefforts. WHY, you ask? Because of it's LACK of a script. This moviedoesn't even try to create substance, character or plot! All it is, is Adam Sandler acting so lovably loopy that you can't help but crack a smile or let out a large guffaw. Sandler's other films (that I DIDN'T like) like "The Waterboy" and "Big Daddy" tried to be sort of serious in some parts and tried to be witty when in fact it wasn't.

"Billy Madison" is all about STUPIDITY. Heck, it's about a 28 year old guy going through grade school! Whatta ya expect, ya know! There are classically hysterical moments:

"O'Doyle rules! " "Shampoo is better! I help clean the hair! Conditioner is better! I make the hair silky and smooth! Oh, really fool! Really! . . .Stop looking at me swan." "No, I will not make out with you! "

And of course, who could forget Steve Buscemi putting on lipstick? Or the late great Chris Farley making out with a penguin. Or those stupid graduation parties! It's so stupid but sooooo funny for some reason. Watch this comedy today. END

Buy Billy Madison (1995) Now

This movie is like -soo riotously funny. No bearing on relity, but you'll laugh your splitting sides off! See Adam Sandler before he became so well known. His comic genius was already showing big time. As an heir with whacky friends, he has to repeat all grades of school in just a few weeks to convince his dad that he's worthy of his inheritance. And he has a riotous good time in the process. He meets a teacher, Veronica Vaughan, played by Bridgette Wilson. This is her only lead role I know of -she's such an underrated actress who should have gone big places. See this underrated gem of a comedy!

Read Best Reviews of Billy Madison (1995) Here

Is there a point to this story? No. Do you care? No. This is, in my humble opinion, Adam Sandler's best movie.

Adam(Billy Madison) plays a drunk, lazy, party going imbecile. His father is the proud owner of a big hotel chain. Billy wants nothing more than to take over this chain of hotels from his father. In order to do so he must graduate grades 1-12 in two weeks. He falls for his third grade teacher Veronica Vaughn. He actually has one of his third grade classmates call up his teacher to see if she likes anyone. That in itself is funny as I'm sure all of us guys and gals have had one of our friends call up someone we had a crush on to see if they liked us when we were younger. Billy, however is 28 years old.

Anyway, Billy Madison isn't for everybody. If you want a rich plot or great acting this is definitely not for you. This movie is for any Adam Sandler fan. It's that stupid, stupid humor that can make anyone crack a smile. If you want a movie to make you laugh see Billy Madison.

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Billy Madison is the most hilariously inane character that Adam Sandler has portrayed, and while I don't consider this one of Sandler's best movies, it is easily one of his funniest. A lot of the comedy seems to have come directly from the set of Saturday Night Live; it was funny there, and it is funny here. Even a few SNL buddies, namely Norm MacDonald and the late Chris Farley, turn up to revel in the infectiously entertaining silliness. Sandler plays Billy Madison (of course), the son of a filthy rich hotel magnate. He spends all of his time lazing around the pool, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, and pawing over nudie mags; his only hobby seems to be lighting bags of poo on fire on the front porch of people he doesn't particularly like. Even after his infantile behavior at a big business meeting, he is shocked to hear his father say he is giving the company to a particularly annoying executive rather than turning it over to him. He swears he will do anything, even go back to school and actually earn the diploma his father bought for him, to make his father change his mind. Monday morning finds him camped out in a first grade classroom, where he actually fits in pretty well. Every two weeks, he is tested and bumped up another grade. Billy really enjoys his time in third grade because he makes some good friends among the children and laps the elixir of knowledge from the fountain of the gorgeous Veronica Vaughn (Bridgette Wilson). As time goes by, Eric starts sweating and sets Billy up for a fall. Only the disciplinarian love of Veronica and the support of his new childhood friends can pick Billy up and get him back in the game.

I think Sandler is a comic genius, and few comedians could make such a silly, silly movie a real success. I mean, Billy does things like chase imaginary giant penguins around the house; that kind of thing just doesn't fly with any other actors. I should point out that there is actually a strong human element to this story as it progresses, though. Once all the alcohol is out of his bloodstream, Billy is a nice, good-hearted fellow, and the reliving of his old school days makes a profound impact on his character. I'm still not exactly sure what Veronica sees in him, but true success pretty much requires a good-looking woman to be there to kiss you at the end. Perhaps I should just say a final word to the parents of teenaged boys: while this movie does provide a strategy guaranteed to make any young man study his heart out, it is probably not something you will want to sanction in your own family life.

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Jumanji (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1995)

When Alan Parrish finds an old board game in a construction site, he has no clue what awaits him. When he and friend Sarah Whittle start to play, he is pulled into the game and she is chased from the house by bats. Fast-forward 26 years to when brother and sister Peter and Judy Shepherd start to play. They free a now grown Alan from the game, but in the process release monkeys, mosquitoes, and a lion. They realize they must finish the game to make everything return to normal. Reuniting with the adult Sarah, they attempt to stay alive long enough to do just that.

This movie is a fantastic fantasy/action movie. It starts out well, and the suspense continues to build until the climax. At the same time, it's got some great one-liners and funny scenes to break the tension. The entire cast does well with the material, including all the special effects. The special effects show their age today and are a bit more stylized then realistic, but they serve the movie well.

A word of warning to parents. This is a very intense movie. Even though it was marketed as a family movie, many small kids will be frightened by it. Keeping that in mind, you might want to preview it before you show it to them.

This DVD is a perfect showcase for the movie. The picture is sharp, and the surround sound puts you right in the middle of the action. There is a commentary and two documentaries from the special effects team that give you insight into how they brought the animals in the film to life. If you're looking to purchase this film, this is the version to get.

Jumanji is an action movie that gets it right. It has the perfect mix of character and story supported by special effects. Pick it up today and be prepared to leave your world behind.

Wow, can you imagine waking up on Christmas morning and finding JUMANJI under your tree? Talk about a game that would literally bring down the house! JUMANJI was critically bashed upon its release, but viewing it now, one has to wonder why. It has some pretty inventive special effects, and its premise is neat in that you never know what you get with the roll of the dice. Giant mosquitos? Spiders? Mad monkeys? A stampede of African animals? A crazed hunter? Floods, etc., etc. While the movie sometimes drifts off on unnecessary tangents, it's still a whirlwind of fantastical adventures. Robin Williams, the king of playing grown men who act like children, is remarkably restrained as Alan Parrish, a young boy who was sucked into the game back in 1969 and is released in 1995 by a young Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce. In order to stop all the horrendous things happening, they must finish the game Alan started in 1969, which includes his now adult girlfriend, lovingly played by Bonnie Hunt. Of course, the demented hunter (Jonathan Hyde in a dual role as the hunter and Alan's rather loutish father) doesn't want the game finished. Smaller children may find themselves frightened by some of the catastrophies that plague our heroes, but for older children and even us adult children, JUMANJI delivers.

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Robin Williams does a great job playing Alan Parish. He is one of the best adult "kid" actors there is. He plays a similar role in the film Jack.

The action is stunning, and the visual effects are awesome! The two kid actors did an awesome job playing Judy and Peter, and Bonnie Hunt does a great job portraying the ditsy palm reader-"Alan's girlfriend."

A very good film. A must see in this world of steriotypical trash.

Read Best Reviews of Jumanji (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1995) Here

JUMANJI is one of the best computerized special effects movies out there. It's a Family Classic and based on the childrens' storybook JUMANJI. Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, and Kirsten Dunst are awesome.

JUMANJI is basically about a boy, Alan, and a girl, Sarah, who start playing this mysterious, enchanting old board game Alan found at a construction site during the late 60s. When Alan rolls the dice, he gets sucked into the board game's jungle and has to stay there until somebody rolls a five or an eight. The girl Sarah gets chased away by a bunch of bats who appeared when she rolled the dice.

Now, twenty-six years late, another boy, Peter (Bradley Pierce), and his sister, Judy (Kirsten Dunst), move into the same house that the boy Alan Parish lived in. They find the board game one morning in the house and begin to play it. To make all the animals and jungle plants go away, they have to finish the board game. At one point, Peter rolls the dice and out pops Alan Parish who is all grown up (Robin Williams), as well as a lion! In order to continue the game, the three go out on a "search" to find Sarah, who is too grown up (Bonnie Hunt). Everytime they roll the dice something bad happens to them: There's once a stampeed, a monsoon (the monsoon is my favorite sceen), and even a hunter who tries to kill Alan!

This movie is hilarious as well as charming and heartwarming. It is a divine film and a great movie for all ages. It's full of adventure and action, too. And even some romance. It has something for everybody. The acting is flawless, too. JUMANJI is definitely a must own to your Family Classics collection!

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Definitely a great movie worth the watching. The opening scene is a couple of 19th century boys who bury a box. They are obvioulsy scared it's a dark night and they can hear wolves. Despite their fear, they agree they must bury it. One nearly panics as steady drumbeats begins from the board. They bury it when one boy asks the other, "But what if somebody finds it?"

There is a deadly pause before the reply: "Then God have mercy on his soul..."

1969, a small town. Alan Parrish discovers the board and invites his friend to play the game. Yet they unknowingly unleash powerful forces and Alan is sucked into the game "until the dice read five or eight". His friend is chased screaming out of the house by bats.

1995 Two young kids discover the board in their new home and begin playing, bringing about the arrival of giant mosquitoes and a lion, and bringing Alan back. Yet there is no way out of the game except to finish it. During the course of the movie, everything from stampeding rhinos, to floods, to a crazed hunter with a machine gun appear all attempting to kill the players.

They succeed in ending the game and the board is eventually sent downriver, till it enters the sea. There is a quick epilogue of the characters and how their lives end.

The closing scene is the best. The board is lying on a beach. Two out-of-focus characters are seen as the drumbeats begins. One of them says "Qu'est-ce que c'est ce bruit?" The writing underneath translates "What's that noise?"

The movie incorporates the best parts of movies to create a really good movie comedy, drama and plenty of thriller/action with lots of good acting AND special effects. Worthwhile seeing, but not really worth buying in my opinion. It lacks something I can't quite put my finger on...

One thing I can say for it the sound effects for the movie are really really good in a house of horrors (trust me, I tried it!)

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Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

Since his Oscar-nominated "Henry V" adaptation, Kenneth Branagh has come up with a simple, effective recipe: Blend 3 parts English actors well-versed in all things "Bard" with 1 or 2 parts Hollywood, sprinkle the mixture liberally over one of Shakespeare's plays, lift the material out of its original temporal and local context to provide an updated meaning, and garnish it by casting yourself and, until the mid-1990s, (then-)wife Emma Thompson in opposite starring roles.

In "Much Ado About Nothing," that formula works to near-perfection. A comedy of errors possibly written in one of the Bard's busiest years (1599) although as usual, dating is a minor guessing game "Much Ado" lives primarily from its timeless characters, making it an ideal object for transformation a la Branagh. Thus, renaissance Sicily becomes 19th century Tuscany (although the location's name, Messina, remains unchanged); and the intrigues centering around the battle of the sexes between Signor Benedick of Padua (Branagh) and Lady Beatrice (Thompson), the niece of Messina's governor Don Leonato (Richard Briers), and their love's labors won initially the play's intended title; Benedick and Beatrice are a more liberated version of the earlier "Love's Labor's Lost"'s Biron and Rosaline as well as the schemes surrounding the play's other couple, Benedick's friend Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Beatrice's cousin Hero (Kate Beckinsale) become a light-hearted counterpoint to the more serious, politically charged intrigues of novels such as Stendhal's "Charterhouse of Parma:" Indeed, the military campaign from which Benedick and Claudio are returning with Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon (Denzel Washington) at the story's beginning could easily be one associated with Italy's 19th century struggle for nationhood.

While according to the play's conception it is ostensibly the relationship between Hero and Claudio that drives the plot as well as the plotting by Don Pedro's illegitimate brother, Don John (Keanu Reeves) Beatrice and Benedick are the more interesting couple; both sworn enemies of love, they are not kept apart by a scheming villain but by their own conceit, and are brought *together* by a ruse of Don Pedro's (although even that wouldn't have worked against their will: "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably," Benedick tells Beatrice.) And while Don John's machinations create much heartbreak and drama once they have come into fruition, the story's highlights are Benedick's and Beatrice's battles of wits; the sparks flying between them from their first scene to their last: even in front of the chapel, they still although now primarily for their audience's benefit respond to each other's question "Do not you love me?" with "No, no more than reason," and when Benedick finally tells Beatrice he will have her, but only "for pity," she tartly answers, "I would not deny you; but ... I yield upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption" whereupon Benedick, most uncharacteristically, stops her with a kiss.

Branagh's and Thompson's chemistry works to optimum effect here; and while every Kenneth Branagh movie is as much star vehicle for its creator as it is about the project itself, Benedick's conversion from a man determined not to let love "transform [him] into an oyster" into a married man (because after all, "the world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor I did not think I should live till I were married"!) is a pure joy to watch. Emma Thompson's Beatrice, similarly, is an incredibly modern, independent young woman; and scenes like her advice to Hero not to blindly follow her father's (Don Leonato's) wishes in marrying but, if necessary, "make another courtesy and say, Father, as it please *me*" only enhance the play's and her character's timeless quality.

Yet, while the leading couple's performances are the movie's shining anchor pieces, there is much to enjoy in the remaining cast as well: Richard Briers's Don Leonato, albeit more English country squire than Italian nobleman, is the kind of doting father that many a daughter would surely wish for; and what he may lack in Italian flavor is more than made up for in Brian Blessed's Don Antonio, Leonato's brother. Kate Beckinsale is a charming, innocent Hero and well-matched with Robert Sean Leonard's Claudio (who after "Dead Poets Society" seemed virtually guaranteed to show up in a Shakespeare adaptation sooner or later); as generally, leaving aside the appropriateness of American accents in a movie like this, the Hollywood contingent acquits itself well. Washington's, Leonard's and Brier's "Cupid" plot particularly is a delight (even if the former might occasionally have gained extra mileage enunciation-wise). Keanu Reeves, cast against stereotype as Don John, is a bit too busy looking sullen to realize the role's full sardonic potential: "melancholy," in Shakespeare's times, after all was a generic term encompassing everything from madness to various saner forms of ill humor; and I wonder what but for the generational difference someone like Sir Ian McKellen might have done with that role. But as a self-described "plain-dealing villain" Reeves is certainly appropriately menacing. Michael Keaton's Dogberry, finally, is partly brother-in-spirit to Beetlejuice, partly simply the eternal stupid officer; the play's boorish comic relief and as such spot-on, delivering his many malaproprisms with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.

The cast is rounded out by several actors who might well have demanded larger roles but nevertheless look ideally matched for the parts they play, including Imelda Staunton and Phyllida Law as Hero's gentlewomen Margaret and Ursula, Gerard Horan and Richard Clifford as Don John's associates Borachio and Conrade, and Ben Elton as Dogberry's "neighbor" Verges. (In addition, score composer Patrick Doyle stands in as minstrel Balthazar.) With minimal editing of the play's original language, a set design making full use of the movie's Tuscan setting, and lavish production values overall, this is a feast for the senses and, on the whole, an adaptation of which even the Bard himself, I think, would have approved.

Also recommended:

The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition

Love's Labour's Lost

Henry V

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

BBC Shakespeare Comedies DVD Giftbox

BBC Shakespeare Tragedies DVD Giftbox

Olivier's Shakespeare Criterion Collection (Hamlet / Henry V / Richard III)

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

Richard III

The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare: 38 Fully-Dramatized Plays

"Much Ado About Nothing" is one of those sparkling adaptations that supposedly couldn't have been done. But Kennneth Branagh (director and star of "Hamlet," and creator of the supremely underrated "Midwinter's Tale") brought an all-star cast in a sparkling Tuscan setting, to bring this tale of bickering loves and sordid betrayals to life as never before.

The sullen Don John has just been stopped in a rebellion against his brother Don Pedro, by young hero Claudio. Now all of them (including Don John, whom his brother has forgiven) are arriving in Messina, the home of kindly Leonato. But when they get there, Claudio immediately falls in love with Leonato's beautiful daughter Hero. And despite the efforts of Don John, Don Pedro manages to get the two young lovers together and altar-bound.

But Don Pedro isn't willing to stop there. Hero's cousin Beatrice has a long-running feud with Claudio's pal Benedick -they insult each other, they bicker, they argue about everything ("It is so indeed -he is no less than a stuffed man!"). What's more, both of them swear to stay single forever. ("All women shall pardon me -I shall live a bachelor!") Pedro and the others conspire to get Benedick and Beatrice to somehow fall in love with each other. And at first it seems that everything is going well -until Don John manages to cast doubt on Hero's honor

There's a certain timeless quality to "Much Ado" -not just the dialogue, but the simple costumes and the buildings in it. That leaves the audience free to pay more attention to the dialogue and its plot. And what a plot it is! "Much Ado" is brimming over with funny dialogue, dastardly plots, comedic supporting characters and weird pairings. (Beatrice and Benedick are the sort of love-hate couple that a lot of movies try to have, but don't succeed with)

The dialogue is mostly (if not all) Shakespeare's own, but it's not necessary to be a Shakespeare buff to understand what they're saying. It's not dumbed down, either -it's just spoken as normally as ordinary English. And the Tuscan landscape sparkles with life, passion, and lots of fruit and wine. You don't need to be a fan already to understand and appreciate this movie.

Kenneth Branagh (who also directed and adapted the play) is amazing as Benedick, lovably witty and egotistical; he gets a little silly at times (such as his bird calls or joyous romp in the fountain), but demonstrates his serious ability after Hero is disgraced. the outstanding Emma Thompson is even better as the sharp-tongued Beatrice, a fiery young woman with her own mind and definitely her own mouth. Thompson lashes out Shakespeare's witty lines as easily as if she just thought them up herself; one of her most powerful scenes is here. Denzel Washington (Don Pedro) looks like he's having a great time; Keanu Reeves (Don John) is a bit flat in places, but glowers well enough. Kate Beckinsale's first movie role (Hero) is suitably sweet and adorable. Robert Sean Leonard (Claudio) is the one weak link in the cast; he seems a bit too overwrought and hysterical to be a major hero. (No pun intended)

This movie was unavailable for a very long time and only recently was rereleased on DVD. The DVD is pretty spare; aside from the movie, there are a few DVD promos (for "When Harry Met Sally" and "The Princess Bride" -both, I notice, comedic romances) and a brief making-of featurette. The featurette doesn't really offer much that is new, but does give some insights into the chosen settings and why the cast wished to do the movie.

Those who enjoyed Branagh's "Hamlet" and "Henry V" will rejoice in "Much Ado About Nothing," the quintessential romantic comedy. Funny, sweet, romantic, and incredibly well-acted, this is a keeper.

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Yes, Keanu Reeves fits in to this Shakespearean production like a tuba player in a heavy metal band, but don't let that scare you off. His leaden delivery can't weigh down a movie this light and bubbly.

Branagh has outdone himself in this tale of young men and women in love. It is set in the gorgeous Italian countryside, all warm sunshine and bright colors. The actors positively glow with happiness and health.

Branagh plays an almost self-parodying arrogant ham with just the right note of swagger and hidden insecurity. His battles of wit with Emma Thompson's Beatrice bring some of Shakespeare's cleverest writing to vivid life. Denzel Washington makes for a truly regal prince, and Michael Keaton puts in a knee-slapping cameo as the Beetlejuice-ish Dogberry.

This is one of Shakespeare's best comedies and Branagh films it excellently, moving the plot along and keeping things light. The title is apt -the problems the characters face aren't difficult to solve -and Branagh thankfully doesn't take any of the proceedings too seriously.

This is Shakespeare as it was intended to be. It's not actors dressed in tights histrionically shouting lines; it's funny and vibrant with a strong pulse. It's a feel-great movie and not to be missed, by Shakespeare loyalists or by anybody else.

Read Best Reviews of Much Ado About Nothing (1993) Here

This, without a doubt, the funniest film that I have seen Kenneth Branagh do. True, it was no match for his four-hour masterpiece HAMLET, but MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is almost as great. Branagh shows us that his acting abilities can range from heroic to comedic. But please, let us not talk of the very bad performance he gave in the insanely crazy, and just as stupid WILD WILD WEST. Another thing that suprised me about the film: Keanu Reeves as a bad guy. This film also proves that Reeves, who plays the sinister John the B-----d, can play a wide variety of characters (from THE MATRIX's Neo, to BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE's Bill Es Preston Esquire.). The other supporting actors (Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Emma Thompson, Brian Blessed, among many others) gave what could be called their finest performances ever. The movie, which is insanely funny, also has some dramatic moments, so as not to make it too ludicrous. Anybody who has a thirst for Shakespeare, or just wants a good laugh, should see this movie. Trust me, you'll be singing HEY, NONNY NONNY 'til you die. Grade: A+

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If your mind is longing for a Shakespeare production, this is an excellent adaptation of the highest order. Not only is this one of the best romantic comedies ever written, it is set in the Tuscan sun and reaches its full comic potential in all the lustiness and witty dialogue only Shakespeare could create.

At a sensuous picnic, Beatrice reads:

Sigh no more, ladies, sign no more,

Men were deceivers ever,

One foot in sea, and one on shore,

To one thing constant never.

Then sigh not so, but let them go,

And be you blithe and bonny,

Converting all your sounds of woe

Into hey (nonny nonny). (brief translation: what the heck).

Act 2, scene 3, 62-69

In Messina, the governor Leonato, his daughter Hero, and her cousin Beatrice (Antonio's daughter) learn from a messenger that Don Pedro has won victory in a battle and is returning home.

Denzel Washington as the Prince Don Pedro really adds sex appeal to this movie! When he arrives with his soldiers from war there is a moment of excitement when everyone lets their inner child escape and there is a feeling of giddy anticipation and the movie takes on a vigorous life of its own.

This is pure escapism for sure. The Italian villa with lush landscapes, fountains and plenty of shrubs to hide behind for eavesdropping on crucial conversations is just enchanting. It is the perfect place for the story to unfold. Here the prince and his warriors decide to vacation for a month.

The main plot involves two love stories. Hero (Kate Beckinsale) and Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) are in love and hardly need to be pressured into matrimony.

Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson) have a hilarious adversarial type courtship in neither can decide what they really want.

"Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably."

They have both declared they will never marry. In fact, one assumes it was their desire of their wild hearts all along, but was only revealed in a tortured path of wit and intrigue.

Claudio: [to Hero] Lady, as you are mine, I am yours; I give away myself for you and dote upon the exchange.

Beatrice: Speak, cousin, or (if you cannot) stop his mouth with a kiss, and let not him speak neither.

Don John ("yummy" Keanu Reaves) is of course the evil villan in this story and sets out to destroy the relationship between the beautiful Hero and the handsome Claudio. Like a devil, he manages to create mayhem and then leaves the tortured souls to figure out the details of their salvation. With the sweet Hero slandered and presumed dead, one assumes as sure as there is a thought or a soul, there is no turning back.

There are so many great lines in this play that were included with such flair. This is now my favorite Shakespeare adaptation. You will laugh with absolute delight at the antics these characters get up to!

Universal appeal!

~The Rebecca Review

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Dead Ringer (2012)

Bette Davis plays Bette Davis not once but twice in this over-the-top story of a sister who kills and then replaces her twin. The result is a thoroughly far-fetched and yet somewhat predictable thriller that succeeds in being a tremendous amount of fun.

Karl Malden and Peter Lawford fill out the cast, but the film belongs to Davis, and she clearly relishes the film's every excess, owning the script like a tailor-made gown. Indeed, much of the pleasure in watching DEAD RINGERS is the fun of seeing Davis play with such little restraint, and the movie makes use of every Davis mannerism imaginable.

This movie will never make any critic's short list, and over her long career Davis certainly made a great many finer films and gave a great many more artful performances. But as a late-night popcorn fest for Bette Davis fans, DEAD RINGERS is hard to beat.

This is the second time Bette co-starred with herself; the first time was in "A Stolen Life"; however, do not look for that sort of quality here...the poor sister of the rich sister, Bette kills off her richer sibling and adopts her persona, and moves from her tawdry digs into the magnificent mansion in Beverly Hills. (The old Doheny estate, and the location for "Cinderfella" and "The Loved One.")

I enjoy Peter Lawford in anything, a truly underappreciated actor and a really nice man. He is enjoyably slimy in this role, and adds the right note for the jaded, rather tired boyfriend. Karl Malden is sad, and you feel sorry for him;; he was so devoted to the poor sister...the star of the show is Ms. Davis, and the fabulous house and grounds. Don't look for high, quality drama here, but rather, an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday night.

(NOTE: The Doheny estate, built in the early 1920s, is specatacular, and boasts several streets with signs for it's 25 acres of grounds, and it has a children's playhouse with fireplace and kitchen, etc., that rivals anything I've ever seen...and three guest houses, larger and more magnificent than most mansions! Also a bowling alley, a real movie theatre and over 30 bedrooms in the servants quarters. There was murder there, around 1929, the father caught his son with the butler, and shot and killed him; the son was put away in an asylum. Quite a history, and quite a setting...)

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I have to admit I am an ardent Bette Davis fan. The first film of hers I ever saw was "Whatever Happened To baby Jane?" on late-night TV years ago, and I fell in love with her. I can't say I admire her like I do Joan Crawford, but Bette comes pretty close.

I've been lucky to pretty much see all her films over the years, but I really like her 1960's stuff the best; perhaps its watching how Miss Davis tears up the scenery, as well as her co-stars that makes me such a Bette fan, but I do believe a lot of her later motion pictures are underated and often ignored. These films, often known by some critics as "hag-films", are true classics. Bette, along with Joan, had one of the longest careers in pictures, and how they managed to survive, in an industry that swallows careers and actresses at whim, is a testament to how good they were at their profession.

"Dead Ringer" is well acted, directed, and superbly cast. In it we see Bette playing twin sisters, one good, one bad. One sister steals the identity of the other in order to live her ellegant lifestyle to the fullest. There are many plot twists and turns to satisfy the most ardent viewer, and the film flys by fast. Karl Malden has a secondary role as one of Bette's boyfriends, and Peter Lawford plays one of the best villins in '60s films.

Sit back and enjoy a good Bette Davis potboiler.

The film is beautifully restored and the DVD features an informative documentary on the movie. Author Boze Hadleigh is interviewed and offers some insightful info on "Dead Ringer" and Bette Davis. If you think Bette was good in "Baby Jane" wait until you see her in this one!

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If ever there were a movie equivalent of what Susan Sontag called Camp many years ago...this is it. Bette Davis stars as twins: one the rich, Champagne-driven, mansion living Margaret DeLorca, the other "Injun Country" area of Los Angeles (really Echo Park) living, beer guzzling, Karl Malden (Hobbson) loving Edith Phillips. Margaret is the bad twin, Edith the nice. But Edith is still holding a grudge against Margaret for stealing her man many years before and she aims to set things right, twenty years later.

Davis chews up the scenery as only she can when given full rein of her performance and her director, Paul Henreid, who starred with her in "Now Voyager" knew better than to get in her way.

"Dead Ringer" is a hell-of-a-lot-of-fun and the commentary from Charles Busch is appropriately outrageous. This is a movie that both you and your Mom can love: twist the top off a quart of Schlitz, bake up some Velveeta Mac `n' Cheese, get out two spoons and enjoy every morsel of this delicious movie.

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The juicy thriller "Dead Ringer", is a personal favourite of mine and is a classic example of that curious genre that involved veteran performers appearing in macabre stories which sprung up in the early 1960's as a result of the sensational box office success of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?". The films made in the wake of Baby Jane's success were to provide many veteran actresses and actors such as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Ray Milland, with meaty leading roles in lower budgeted thrillers and horror stories for the rest of that decade. Whatever failings these films may possess critically they are still immensely entertaining and certainly gave the veteran actors involved a new lease of life career wise at the time. I believe that "Dead Ringer", starring the legendary Bette Davis in the dual roles of two long estranged identical sisters caught up in a web of envy, intrigue, deception and finally murder is one of the best of the cycle. Produced by Warner Bros., the studio where Davis was once the undisputed Queen in the 1930's and 40's, "Dead Ringer", has an irresistably expensive look to it and is the ultimate star vehicle for the ageing Davis where she gets the unique opportunity to act opposite herself. "Dead Ringer", and "Baby Jane", began a flurry of work for Davis for the next ten years in films of varying quality such as the Grand Guignol gems "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", in 1964 and "The Nanny" in 1965 through to the truly bizarre "The Anniversary", in 1968. "Dead Ringer", however is one of the more intriguing efforts in this genre and Bette Davis as always gives her all in her dual roles.

Based on a story by Rian James, "Dead Ringer", stars legend Bette Davis in the dual role of Margaret DeLorca/Edith Phillips, two long estranged sisters who are suddenly brought together at the funeral of Margaret's husband Frank. It is far from a happy reunion as the sisters have a long smouldering emnity for each other ever since Margaret stole Frank away from Edith on the excuse that Frank had got her pregnant. Not helping the situation is the fact that while Margaret went on to lead a glittering life enjoying the DeLorca millions , Edith remained unmarried and struggled to earn a living running a heavily in debt cocktail lounge in a seedy part of San Francisco. Margaret makes some very patronising amends by offering Edith cast off clothes back at the house after the funeral however the bitter Edith begins to form a deadly plan of her own when she discovers from the family chaffeur on the drive home that there was no child and that Margaret had deceived her to get Frank fo rherself. Enraged over having her whole life ruined by her sister Edith calls Margaret to her home that evening and then murders her sister and cutting he rhair and taking her clothes assumes her sister's identity back at the DeLorca mansion. However things dont go as smoothly as Edith first thought as she has to get used to strange surroundings, new people, and worst of all a very unexpected and eventually troublesome "boyfriend" in Margaret's secret lover Tony Collins (Peter Lawford). Edith finds herself drawn further into a frightening world of black mail when she discovers that Margaret and Tony actually murdered Frank and that Tony has discovered her masquerade and wants to be paid off. Edith's beau, well meaning Sergeant Jim Hobbson (Karl Malden), also begins to become suspicious and when Frank's body is exhumed and he is discovered to have died from poisoning the net closes in around Edith. Edith is successful in getting Tony out of the way when he is savaged by the family dog but her problems escalate when Edith then finds herself up on a murder charge for the crime her sister had commited. Not wanting to ruin Jim's loving impression of her Edith keeps up the charade of actually being Margaret who is condemmed to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin and she kindly allows Jim to believe it was Edith who died back at the house and not Margaret as she goes off with the police to be executed.

"Twice the terror as murderous twins!", cried the trade papers about Bette Davis at the time of the release of "Dead Ringer", however never could this film be termed a true horror effort as it is more a psychological thriller with Gothic overtones to it. Despite the time period it was made in "Dead Ringer" closely resembles one of those old star vehicles from the 1930's which had the lead actress centre stage throughout the proceedings. Despite it's short comings in the story department this is a Bette Davis show all the way and Davis handles the work where she is seemingly acting with her double very well. This was the second time she had played identical twins involved in murder, the first time being back in 1946 in "A Stolen Life". She manages extremely well in giving both Margaret and Edith very distinct personalities and mannerisms and her scenes where she is playing Edith after she murders her sister and is trying to adjust to Margaret's lifestyle at the mansion are especially good. Considering the Davis powerhhouse at centre stage it is amazing that there are some other interesting performances in this film especially Peter Lawford as the boozy, black mailing boyfriend of Margaret's who cottons on to Edith's deception and wants his share of the goodies. His work with Davis as he begins to blackmail her character is especially noteworthy and creates alot of the dramatic tension in the second half of the story as Edith's plan begins to unravel. Karl Malden as Edith's ever loyal fiancee who by his investigation unknowingly signs his beloved Edith's death warrant thinking she is Margaret is also effective in his playing and both Jean Hagen as flighty socialite Dede Marshall and especially veteran actress Estelle Winwood as the religious zealot Dona Anna make great impressions with their limited screen time. "Dead Ringer", boasts very high production values which gives this "B" grade story a style which is quite unexpected. The use of the luxurious Doheny Estate for the exterior shots is a superb choice and gives those scenes shot there an expensive look and feel so important in creating the vast difference in the fortunes of Edith and Margaret. The musical score by Andre Previn is also a great favourite of mine and is excellently chosen and incorporated into the action creating alternately eerie and oppressive feelings through the course of the film. Interestingly "Dead Ringer", is directed by Bette Davis' old "Now Voyager" co star Paul Henreid. While he might seem a strange choice for the directing duties his direction here is spot on as he lets the action move along at a leisurely pace building in tension and complexity as the story develops. He wisely allows the characters of the two sisters to be fully mapped out which allows much of the drama of when Edith pretends to be Margaret to have its own built in tension.

Glossy star vehicles for ageing actresses really are an extinct species in present day Hollywood where no one ever seems to be over 35 years of age. Thankfully the fluke success of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", allowed many actresses from the 1930's and 40's to keep working in similiar roles. Regardless of how the material in these films was viewed critically Bette Davis was never less than compelling on screen and she certainly displays all of her star quality here in "Dead Ringer" turning a fairly ordinary little thriller into something you can enjoy time and again. Passed off by many as camp fluff never to be taken seriously I instead enjoy the film and Bette Davis' performance in particular more from the point of it being from that last period of the fast disappearing studio system in he early 1960's that still saw studios tailoring vehicles for particular actors and actresses and managing to give even relatively low budget efforts such as this a gloss and sheen unheard of in the "New Hollywood", of the 1970's onwards. Enjoy Bette Davis playing twin sisters on a collison course of hatred, deception and murder in the stylish Grand Guignol thriller "Dead Ringer".

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The Deep (1977)

Before "The Island", "Into the Blue" and "The Beach", there was the 1977 underwater suspenseful thriller known as "The Deep".

Based on the very popular novel by Peter Benchley (who wrote the popular novel "Jaws" and "The Island" which both would receive film adaptions), the suspenseful aquatic film adaption would be directed by Peter Yates ("Krull", "Roommates" and "Bullit") and a screenplay by Benchley and Tracy Keenan Wynn ("The Net", "The Longest Yard" and "The Glass House"). The film would feature the music by John Barry ("Indecent Proposal", "Madagascar", "The Scarlet Letter" and "Dances with Wolves") and cinematography by Christopher Challis ("Force 10 from Navarone", "Two for the Road" and "Top Secret!").

The film would star Robert Shaw ("Force 10 from Navarone", "Jaws" and "The Sting"), Jacqueline Biset ("Nip/Tuck", "Joan of Arc", "Bullit" and "When Time Ran Out"), Nick Nolte ("The Prince of Tides", "Hulk" and "48 Hrs.") and Louis Gossett Jr. ("Iron Eagle", "Diggstown" and "Roots").

The film revolves around a scuba diving couple, David Sanders (Nick Nolte) and Gail Berke (Jacqueline Bisset) who found the wreckage of the Goliath (a ship that sunk during World War II in Bermuda). The two start to look at the artifacts found and discover a medallion from 1714. During the search at the wreckage, something has grabbed Gail and tried to pull her in but she manages to escape.

When the two return from their search, because of the belongings they found, they start to make certain locals suspicious of their actions. With their research into the medallion going nowhere, the group enlist the help of lighthouse-keeper and treasure hunter Romer Treece (Robert Shaw). As Sanders and Treece start to show several people an ampule brought from the wreckage, the local drug kingpin Henri Cloche (Louis Gossett, Jr.) is interested in the Goliath primarily for its morphine cargo.

Cloche kidnaps both Sanders and Treece and looks for the artifacts but fortunately for the couple, they left the belongings with Treece and are eventually let go.

While the couple and Treece have their sites set on the wreckage that the Goliath may have unearthed and finding long lost treasure, Cloche is only interested in getting the morphine from the Goliath and will do whatever it takes to get it.

The film was released in two versions with a 3-hour version featured on television. The film on this Blu-ray is the 124 minute version.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"THE DEEP" makes its way to Blu-ray ala High Definition (2:40:1 aspect ratio) and like many recent Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases on Blu-ray, Sony has elected to keep the film process and feature the grain than using DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) which many people have complained in the past, giving it a soft, lack of detail look.

With the release of "THE DEEP", the transfer definitely showcases the detail of the film and vibrancy of Bermuda island with its greens and brown sand and light blue waters. For a film that was made in 1977, the HD transfer definitely captures the era with its warm color and blacks are nice and deep. And for a film created during its time, how it looks on Blu-ray is well done.

When "THE DEEP" opened in theaters, what caught the attention of many people was the beautiful aquatic cinematography and of course, a certain swimming scene at the beginning featuring Jacqueline Bisset. And this 32-year-old film looks very good on Blu!

As for the audio, audio is presented in English, French, Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (and Spanish 5.1). For the most part, the film is front channel driven. There are times that you hear occasional effects and a musical score that come alive at times. But for the most part, I felt the audio was good for a film for its time but for the most part, the lossless track was average. In fact, at times during the film I felt I had to increase the audio to hear the dialog.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"THE DEEP" comes with two special features and is BD Live Enabled.

# The Making of the Deep (48:41) The original 1977 featurette hosted by Robert Shaw. Interviews with the cast and crew, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the experiences of the talent working on the film, how they had to undergo scuba training and become certified divers, how certain aquatic scenes were shot and how the Goliath and the wreckage was created.

# Selected Scenes from the 3-Hour Special Edition The 3-hour film may not be included on the blu-ray but at least certain segments from the 3-hour version are featured on the Blu-ray wich include:

* Prologue The Goliath Sinks (3:06) How the Goliath sunk during World War II

* Romer Treece's Disposition (1:06) both Dan and Gail learn a little about Romer.

* Treece and David Harassed by Cloche's Goons (2:12) While scuba diving, Cloche sends a few of his men to scare both Treece and David.

* Pillow Talk (6:22) A longer, romantic scene between David and Gail.

* Extended Conversation between Cloche and Treece (3:22) The two make an uneasy business proposition to work together.

* Treece's Past Revealed (5:19) Gail tries to learn about what happened to Treece's wife.

There is also a selection to watch trailers and latest releases from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

JUDGMENT CALL:

The 1977 film "THE DEEP" was an interesting film at the time. Considering that the film would showcase the Bermuda islands and the beautiful blue oceans, there was a lot of expectation from fans who were mesmerized by "JAWS" and have had hopes that they would get another equally, terrifying underwater film with "THE DEEP".

For the most part, there were scenes in the film that could be seen as terrifying but for the most part, the film was an adventure film that had equal portions of romantic drama, suspense and even a killer aquatic eel (which unlike "JAWS" is not the main antagonist of the film). But many critics enjoyed the film for its showcasing underwater cinematography and for Jacqueline Bisset fans, the film was almost in a similar context of how male viewers today felt about Jessica Alba for "Into the Blue".

But the overall storyline for "THE DEEP" is not exactly strong and although it does manage to keep enough action and suspense to keep the viewer interested, there are scenes that really go in depth into the characters are featured on the 3-hour version that aired on cable, it's a bit of a disappointment that this version is not on the Blu-ray (selected scenes from the 3-hour version are featured in the special features).

Overall, "THE DEEP" is a film that inspired many similar films thereafter and its box office success did help in the funding for Producer Peter Guber's Academy Award winning film "MIDNIGHT EXPRESS". But the Blu-ray does bring out the beauty of Bermuda and features detail that overshadows the picture quality of the original DVD release. If you are a big fan of this classic film, then definitely give "THE DEEP" a try.

There is a scene in this film wherein Robert Shaw's character, Romer Treece, discovers the body of a friend strung up in a shed, gently lowers it to the floor, and covers the body with his coat. Treece, overcome with grief, then drops to his knees and hugs his friend's lifeless body. On this DVD, the scene ends after Treece covers the body with his coat. The footage that is supposed to follow is missing from both the widescreen and full screen presentations on this disc, so viewers don't get to see a very powerful and emotional moment. Also, this DVD is a no-frills release, with just the widescreen version on one side and the full screen version on the other--no trailers, nothing. Perhaps at some point there might be a special edition or director's cut which will restore the missing footage. I can't recommend this title in its current DVD incarnation.

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An okay transfer of the movie on a bare-bones DVD.

Unfortunately, the makers of this disc decided NOT to include the 53 minutes of additional footage that was shown on the NBC broadcast of this film. This additional 53 minutes shows the sinking of the U-Boat during a storm, along with some additional fighting scenes.

Hoperfully a Special Edition of this film will be released that will feature either an extended cut or offer the deleted scenes seperately.

Read Best Reviews of The Deep (1977) Here

This inexpensive run of "The Deep" is really a no-frills version. There is only the FULL SCREEN presentation here and that is disappointing, since one of the big things this film has going for it is the wonderful underwater photography. The story and plot are actually a good one missing treasure, treasure hunters, bad guys and good guys. I always disagreed with those indicating it was a rip-off of "Jaws". The story isn't close and the only thing in common is that it takes place in the water. This film can really stand on it's own. It's a pity this DVD didn't do it justice. All in all a good movie, a bad presentation.

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2005 remake of the Deep (into the blue) is not bad. But the Deep (1977) is a much better film. The photography is much nicer, and in my humble opinion, even the sexy Jessica Alba is no match to miss Bisset in her prime. And Louis Gosset Jr is one of the best villain of all time in this movie. The treasure hunt story is OK, predictable but quite entertaining. The new budget DVD is presented only in Full Screen which is a big disappointment, find the older release which include both WS and FS Version. Highly recommended and did I mention Bisset's Wet T Shirt. Classic.

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