Crashout (1955)

A curiously compelling little movie, Crashout is a throwback to the tough prison-escape movies of the 30's. Fortunately, the producers had the good sense to hire an expert cast of B-movie veterans to enliven an otherwise shopworn plot. Writer-producer Hal Chester and director-writer Lewis Foster provide each convict with a distinct personality that holds viewer interest as tensions mount, while the audience anticipates how each character will be brought to justice. Standouts in the cast are the always subtle Arthur Kennedy, an engagingly ambivalent Marshall Thompson, and William Tallman doing his scary psycho bit, this time as a knife-throwing religious fanatic. And in a poignant bit part, cult favorite Gloria Talbott as the prospect of a normal life for the ill-fated Thompson. Though you've seen it all before, there are many nice touches that lift this otherwise generous slice of thick-ear beyond the merely routine.

Sure, we've seen the escaped convicts formula before, but this one hits home. Here is a real diversity of the six characters; each one as convincing as the next. William Bendix is his usual great gruff self, playing the heartless, cold-blooded mastermind. My personal favorite, film veteran Arthur Kennedy, excels as the counterpoint to Bendix: he excels as the white collar criminal with a brain, and ultimately, a heart. Fine dialogue, plenty of action, and even a little romance thrown in. A winner!

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CRASHOUT might come as a surprise to crime film fans or noir

enthusiasts who pick it up, expecting a routine mid-50s B movie. For

one thing, it's feature-length (89 minutes), and doesn't skimp much on

plot and character development. Director Lewis R. Foster was probably

pretty adept at action/adventure pictures, judging by titles in his

IMDb filmography. CRASHOUT was probably just another assignment to him,

but the film shows he was no hack. It's a foregone conclusion that a

Hollywood movie won't let criminals get away unpunished, but a superior

example like this makes the fate of its players more meaningful with

good actors and intelligent writing. Foster keeps things moving nicely,

once past the fairly talky first scene in the cave. The film never lags

once after that, because there is plenty of action, and characters are

given enough depth to differentiate them and keep them interesting.

Arthur Kennedy appears to be the main protagonist here. His Joe Quinn

represents the typical redeemed-too-late criminal (who had been jailed

for robbery). The actor invests Quinn with plenty of believability,

especially in his interactions with Beverly Michaels (an odd, rather

glamorous choice for a farm resident, but she is effective). William

Bendix plays another of his dumb thugs to perfection, this time never

letting up and with no redemption in sight. In Luther Adler's Mendoza

we see more evidence of this great actor's talent, making a good deal

out of what could have been a stereotyped cypher. Gene Evans, another

prolific actor, is allowed to show two sides to his Monk Collins,

intimidating one moment, and teaching card tricks to a hostage child

the next. Also interesting is Marshall Thompson--a performer who may

have never really gotten his due--as the 'nice young man gone wrong'.

Thompson really stands out in the very good sequence involving the

young woman he meets on the train. Gloria (I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM

OUTER SPACE) Talbot is nicely cast in this sequence. Last, and far from

least, is William Talman (THE HITCH-HIKER, ARMORED CAR ROBBERY), as

Remsen, a lapsed reverend, who obsessively plays the same record over

and over, as though it were a final vestige of goodness in his life.

In smaller roles we get a nice, but brief, dose of inimitable Percy

Helton, playing a country doctor called out in the middle of the night,

and who pays a hefty price for his professionalism. Also of note, Adam

Williams (memorable as Larry Gordon in THE BIG HEAT two years earlier)

in the role of Michaels's heroic date. And there's Morris Ankrum, as

the head guard in the crashout scene.

Another interesting aspect of this film is the question of its place in

the so-called 'Noir Canon'. Is this a film noir? In the strictest

terms, probably not (although the designation is more subjective than

many want to admit.) It has enough of the typical elements for some to

see it as noir. But its 'existential' qualities may be disputable. This

usually refers to a sense of isolation experienced by, typically, a

single protagonist: he or she feels trapped in an uncaring universe,

forced to proceed alone, resorting perhaps to uncharacteristic methods

for survival. The escaped convicts in CRASHOUT don't really fit this

profile. They are already immersed in crime. However, there is a strong

sense in this film of over-arching fatalism: we all know, the escapees

and the viewer, that they are trapped by their actions, that there will

be no true escape. So at this level, the film can be seen as belonging

to the 'noir universe'. Whatever category it fits into, CRASHOUT is a riveting corker of a movie not to be missed.

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They just dont make them like this anymore! I would love to see Alpha Video put this masterpiece out on DVD. Very tough crime flick from the 50's, one of the greatest!

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Straight Talk (1992)

If you've seen Straight Talk, you're no doubt a fan. This light-hearted movie is such a pick-me-up! I just love finding a movie I can watch several times and still laugh out loud!! I just love the scene where she loses her $20 bill on the bridge and James Woods comes to the "rescue"! The soundtrack is even good with songs written and performed by Dolly.

The DVD falls short though. No extras, no inner liner notes and it's ONLY available in full screen YUCK!! Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment should be ashamed of themselves for putting out such a poor product. Maybe this film wasn't a total blockbuster, but it sure deserved a better presentation than what it got.

Movie *****

DVD **

Overall ****

Yes, It's true. I am a diehard Dolly Parton fan, but if I wasn't I would still love this movie. Dolly's natural charm and humor comes to play in this rags-to-riches type of story. This is a must see!! Dolly is hilarious. This movie is a five star plus. You definitely won't regret seeing this. I don't care what the critics say. By far my favorite movie ever!

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I loved this movie! Shirlee Kenyon was a down on her luck country girl, when a mistake turns her into a big time radio doctor. I thought that her boss was kind of an a hole... He goes by the impression that people who have been married 3 times are losers, or those that have something real to say, He would write them off as losers..

This film shows off Dolly's spicy side of things! She had quite a few one lines... "I am like a one legged man in a butt kickin' contest!' Plus you get to see an early appearance of Terri Hatcher! (Lois & Clark The New Adventures of Superman)

I would like to have seen the trailer. as well as the music videos and even a commentary would have been nice... Aside from that, I still love the film....

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Some stores are already selling these locally. I picked one up yesterday, and the transfer is wonderful. Even though it is not posted on Amazon as of this writing, rest assured it is in 1.78:1 16x9 widescreen enhanced ratio. But, there are no extra's at all.

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Dolly Parton is utterly delightful in this corny, syrupy but immensebly enjoyable comedy. Her unlikely romance with James Woods is actually quite interesting as it is easy to see how Dolly's charm could permiate even the most jaded people. Sure it's not very original and it is very lightweight but it's got an old fashioned Frank Capra kind of sweetness to it.

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In the Mood for Love (The Criterion Collection) (2000)

Perfection in cinema is an almost impossible goal to achieve. Mostly because spectators have varying taste and perspectives. But you can't help but feel that Wong Kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love" is anything short of perfection. The imagery with its lush colors and breathtaking movements is enough to elevate this film. The simple, yet somewhat complicated tale is both heartfelt and authentic. And the performances by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung are a marvel. But it's none of these that really makes this film, it's rather the manner that Kar-Wai so magically molds all these factors to set a mood that I have never felt before while watching a movie. In all honesty, I'm really not too fond of "forbidden love" movies, but this film really startled me.

Ironically, "In the Mood for Love" feels nothing like a Wong Kar-Wai film. It's a very slow moving film which uses lots of fades and dissolves. The Criterion edition of this film is probably the best dvd package I've seen to date. There are just so many extras on it, it's hard to believe. Deleted scenes, interviews, and promotional material, are just a few of the extras. The way Kar-Wai shoots his films (without a script) also adds to the suprise of picture. You see in the extras how much different the original concept was for "In the Mood for Love." There is also an alternate ending that seems very plain, but at the same time very heartbreaking.

Tony Leung is a journalist in Hong Kong, who rents a room with his wife in a family apartment. Next door, Maggie Cheung has done the same thing with her husband, who is almost always away on business.

As part of Kar-wai's game plan, neither the wife, nor the husband, is seen. They exist and are talked about, but never introduced.

Both Leung and Cheung's characters are painfully polite, which means you don't know what they're thinking. Even when it becomes obvious that their other halves are having an affair, it takes ages for either of them to respond. The idea of an emotional outburst would be unthinkable.

The film is so subtle and slow and internalized that it crystallizes into a thing of beauty. Longing has been choked by a thousand years of acceptable behavior. The cut of Cheung's dresses and the sheen of Leung's hair take on an unexpected importance in what appears to be Kar-wai's experiment into the purity of unconsummated passion.

By now this one is the most beautiful movie I had ever seen.

Every shot is like a poem. Each picture is a work of art.

I couldn't help myself from repeating the scenes again and again just to make sure i hadn't miss a thing.

A masterpiece.

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In the Mood for Love is such a charm despite a very simple plot. The year was 1962. Chow Mo Wan, a newspaper editor, recently moved into a dwelling populated by Shanghai immigrants with his wife. Through casual and accidental encounters Chow exchanged pleasantry with So Lai Jun (Mrs. Chan) who later found out about her husband's affair with Chow's wife. Heartbroken and devastated of the cruel truth, Chow buried himself in his job while So indulged in nightly movie screening. They began to let down the guard for one another and spent time during the mahjong sessions of their landlords. The characters forced themselves to abide by inveterate conventions and cultural morale that forbid an affair to become fruition. ...

Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung as usual deliver an impeccable performance in this 2001 Wong Kar-Wai release. Leung portraited a man who is unsatisfied about his marriage and denied his spouse's infidelity. Cheung seizes the empathy of her character who is accustomed to hush about reason for his husband's frequent absence. Maggie Cheung is elegant and charming in this movie. Not to mention the dazzling wardrobe she wears consistently over the entire movie. Her leg movements are captured in slow motion. Her arms dangling with the thermos meant for the late-night porridge order-to-go from the street vendor.

The movie is shot through a minimalist scope, that is, message is conveyed through very succinct scripts and imagery full of lush colors and meticulously chosen soundtracks. The film is shot in a very stealthy manner; it is as if a pin camera being fastened on the wall of the apartment. Conversations between Leung and Cheung are shot in an eavesdropping manner. The director seeks to de-emphasize other characters in order to focus on Leung and Cheung. Their spouse, respectively, always have their back facing the camera. Their performances are conducted by voices. The gaffer has done an excellent job adjusting the hues of light which is relatively dim throughout.

As a native of Hong Kong (born in mid-70s) who never witnessed the city in glory 60s, In the Move for Love has done me a favor in reminiscence. Wong Kar Wai makes sure everything is done just like when it was the 60s. Yes, even the restaurant menu to which Leung and Cheung skimmed through briefly. It was a green piece of cardboard decorated with some coconut tree clip art. Menu with such heavy Malaysian touch can still be found at local cafés that serve a fusion menu of Malaysian spices and sirloin steaks. Napkins are folded diamond-shaped like paper planes and kept at the far end of the booth. Leung and Cheung sip coffee from flimsy green chinaware cups that hold maybe three gulps. The green vinyl blinds hang unevenly at the office windows. The rotary phone. The subleased rooms where newly-wed couples rent and the kitchen with whom they share with their landlords. The white-collared wardrobe worn by housemaids. These are all the epitomes of lives in the 60s, in Hong Kong. Some find this mmovie a little slow-paced. I savor the manner in which the film is made. I savor all the details, the choice of colors and the tiptoeing scores in the film. 4.6 stars...

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It's only a shame that this wasn't released several months ago in the U.S. as it was in the U.K. or else it would have been nominated for some major awards. It's actually really hard to fault anything in this movie: the acting, directing, music and cinematography are all world-class.

The story centers around a woman and a man who live next to each other in a Hong Kong apartment complex in 1962. They both suspect their spouses of having an affair with each other, and begin to fall in love themselves. Being in such tight surroundings they obviously cannot show very much affection to each other in public and rely on subtle glances and very little actual physical contact: it is a testimony to the superb acting skills of the two main leads, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, that the relationship is believable. The director Wong Kar-Wai is also brilliant at mixing in slow-motion shots (perhaps to emphasize how slowly their relationship develops) and Spanish music, which fits the mood of the movie amazingly well.

To add to the atmosphere, the movie is almost completely shot indoors except for some shots outside at night and in the rain and the haunting last scene. You really get a sense of clautrophobia after a while, not only of the living space but how confined the characters' marriages and even lives are as well. Futhermore, the movie also has a political overtone which is, like everything else here, subtle, but suffice to say its setting in 1962 is not accidental.

Finally, the lack of a huge amount of dialogue means that those who don't like subtitles won't have to suffer through so many. For those of you like me who were disappointed with most of the junk nominated for Academy Awards this year, finally here's a movie that lives up to its reputation.

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"In the Mood for Love" is simply one of the most beautiful films of the last several years. I cannot praise this film enough the plot is at once simple and complex, the characters are both real and heartfelt, and the images are powerful and elegant. There really are so many positive things to say about this film, I'll try and hit the highlights for you.

The acting is superb both Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung give impeccable performances filled with subtle emotion. They radiate a quietly powerful intensity that is so lacking is a great number of film stars today.

The story moves in ways both expected and surprising. The pacing is wonderful as the story unfold slowly before you. They're none of the lighting fast cuts and manic pacing of most films. It's a slower film for a patient audience willing to wait for their just rewards. The overall design of the film with the use of color and wardrobe stunned me with it's rich simplicity. The same can be said of the photography rich with nuance (the way the shots are framed is remarkable) and feeling.

With "In the Mood for Love" Wong Kar-Wai has become one of the most skilled directors of our time with this film, proving that "Happy Together" (another brilliant film) wasn't a fluke. The Criterion Collection edition of the film is a two disc set that has an astonishing number of extras. After watching the film once, I watched the extras then immediately watched the film again with a fresh eye to see how the entire thing was put together. I was truly impressed.

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Alien Anthology Blu-ray Import Set (4 Discs) (2010)

My main concern with this set was that it would have issues with my US Region 1 Blu Ray Player. I saw mixed reviews and was concerned but for the lower cost decided to take a risk. I'm glad I did. It works perfectly on my Sony BDP-S570. This Blu Ray is definitely superior quality to the DVD version. I will definitely look for region free Blu Rays for my future movie purchases.

I recently had to upgrade my Alien collection from standard DVDs to Blue Ray format. The Alien saga is a must have. I grew up with the original Alien in the 80s. It's the original sci-fi Horror movie and nothing today has ever come close to topping it. And never will, as Alien is truly the Godfather of all sci-fi movies today. This collection is nice to have…what else is there to say, accept buy it now!

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The set doesn't come with a bunch of extras, but these classic movies look great on Blu Ray! A great set for an Aliens fan.

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really does change them in profound ways. It's funny, but all that detail shows how much artifice goes into film making. You can tell where lighting instruments are when Ripley is on deck; and the steam coming out of the eggs looks like steam makers. It's an odd combination of sensations. It simultaneously hinders willfull suspension of disbelief and makes you feel as though you are really on that set. High-Def has changed film making in all sorts of ways, but how you light a set has got to be one of the biggest. Really breathtaking stuff!

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These Blu-rays came quickly and the movies really clean up better than I would have imagined considering how old the first two are. If you like the Series I highly recommend this Box Set.

Gattaca (1997)

Gattaca (1997) is a beautiful movie that takes place in the not-so-distant future where genetic manipulation prior to birth brings out the best qualities of the parents while eliminating the worst, specifically, predispositions to diseases, additions, poor eyesight, etc. That is, if your parents choose to do so...

The film tells the a story about Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), a man born naturally, a 'God-child', one who didn't benefit from advanced technology during his development within the womb, and subsequently has various conditions many are familiar with like poor eyesight, heart problems, etc. Vincent has his sights set on the stars, wanting to travel to distant planets, visit far away places (I mean really far away) but due to advanced science, he has no chance as people can now determine the status of your health, your future health, by any number of ways, a strand of hair, a bit of spittle on a cup, a flake of skin, and while biases due to genetic profiling are illegal, the practice is common and widespread, resulting in Vincent relegated to working in less than desirable jobs like cleaning offices.

This practice of genetic stereotyping has lead to a new kind of crime, one where a person of impeccable genetic make-up but who has found themselves a victim of fate due to a permanent injury or such, can broker their identity to a natural born person, supplying that person with various blood and urine samples, strands of hair, flakes of skin, allowing that person to pose as a 'valid' individual, and garner a choice position in corporate society. Jude Law plays Jerome Eugene Morrow, a superior individual who suffered a crippling accident and has now agreed to sell his identity to Vincent Freeman, in exchange for Vincent supporting the lifestyle Jerome was accustom to prior the accident. This involves a very elaborate daily routine by Vincent, including a complete scrub down of his entire body to remove any 'loose' material that could possibly be found, analyzed, and give him away. In order for Vincent to pose as Jerome, he must carry on him samples of Jerome's blood, urine, and other identifiers at all times.

Vincent manages to pull off the sham, securing himself a position at Gattaca, a 'corporate' NASA, and is on the fast track to achieving his dream of space travel...but for one problem. A high-ranking official in Gattaca was recently murdered, and the police are thoroughly investigating all individuals. Will Vincent's shell of deception crack under close scrutiny of a murder investigation?

I really enjoyed this movie, watching for a second time last night. The picture has a very texturized feel, with the subdued lighting, immaculate sets and costumes giving the entire movie a very `noir' quality. The story was very well laid out, allowing for rich development of the main characters, creating a real interest and empathy for me for the proceedings on the screen. Ethan Hawke and Jude Law played their roles wonderfully, one as the struggling `inferior' with dreams that reach beyond his genetic make-up, and the other as the spoiled near-perfect specimen forced to deal with a physical infirmity due to fate, one that couldn't be corrected for with pre-natal DNA manipulation. Followed up with a strong supporting cast including Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin, and Elias Koteas, we are presented with a very plausible science fiction tale, one that may cause you to give some thought and provoke conversation on the concept of human messing around in Mother Nature's domain.

The picture here looks wonderful, and is available here in both full screen and wide screen anamorphic formats. Special features also include a trailer for the film, a featurette, deleted scenes, and production notes.

Cookieman108

I have two topics to mention: The "special features" and the "image quality".

It is worth noting that I own the both the original Gattaca DVD and Super-Bit version for comparison.

1) Special Features:

While maintaining the original DVD's ugly menu system, this edition contains a 22 featurette on the making of Gattaca with interviews of Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, and a number of the production crew. I enjoyed this addition. There is also a new clip on gene manipulation (history, current, and future) which was somewhat interesting.

2) Image Quality:

The original DVD was only a single layer 4.5gb disk, which resulted in a grainy image with a slightly blue tint. The Super-Bit disk was disappointingly mastered, with visible dust and hair in the copy. The Super-Bit version took on a more natural tone but suffered from over-saturated browns and greens.

Finally, this reproduction seems to have a good balance between color and image quality, although some scenes are a little grainy and the movie overall seems darker.

Conclusion:

Is it worth buying this edition if you have one of the others? Probably not, but with the HD format wars over, I might be inclined to splurge on a Blu-Ray player to give the new Blu-Ray Gattaca disk a spin.

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"Gattaca" is an incredible example of a science-fiction movie entirely based on plot, low-key twists and development, and not on special effects. Married couple Hawke and Thurman, along with Jude Law, and the direction of Andrew Nicol prove that there is no gene for the human spirit.

Vincent (Hawke) is an invalid, a "degenerate" born of natural conception without any advanced genetic engineering. Several seconds after he is born, his parents know how Vincent will die, and his life expectancy. As he grows, his heart dysfunction limits his career choices. As a result, his parents have another child, this time genetically engineered to be totally superior. The feuding siblings prove themselves over a game of swimming chicken, but it is inevitable as Anton grows more faster than Vincent that the younger child will be the favored. As a result, Vincent leaves the home and begins a job as a janitor at the Gattaca Aerospace Center, the closest he can be to his dream: the stars. But he finds that a janitor is the farthest away. Vincent trains his body and mind, but still cannot get past the cleaning job. Then, he makes a call.

He wants to be a defective ladder, or, a stand-in for a enhanced person. Vincent stands in for one of the most prized people, Jerome Morrow (Law). His disguises are perfect. Jerome supplies the blood, urine, and hair to Vincent. Then, just as Vincent is getting along at Gattaca, there is a murder of the exact mission director that was in charge of the flight to Titan that included Vincent. Enter enhance Irene (Thurman) and investigators Hugo and Josef. Vincent adequately, with the help of Jerome, sneaks past the investigators at every turn while a relationship develops between himself and Irene. Drama, suspense, incredible acting follow.

Hawke, in one of his first dramatic leads, shines as he plays an ordinary man who is extrodinary in using everyday techniques. He is the most human character in the entire movie, but holds the weight for all the the genetically enhanced. Uma Thurman, who's not given such a role as Hawke, does well with what she have. Director Niccol really accentuates on her beauty and innocence as he plays Irene, and enhance that really has no idea of the real life that Vincent is so accustomed to. There is excellent chemistry between the two. The two dated after the movie was over, and eventually were wed. There is a great supporting cast, including Alan Aarkin, Jude Law, and Ernest Borgnine.

"Gattaca" is an under-rated movie that suprises all, and wonders how much spirit we can all have.

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I must admit that this movie did not appeal to me when it was first released in theaters. However, many years ago, I rented it and was captivated by the story. Since then I've had to make do with the underwhelming DVD edition. If you are looking for a lot of action, then this movie is probably not for you. What it does offer is a fantastic story with a cast that gives top notch performances. If you already own the DVD, and are not sure if this one is worth the upgrade, believe me the Blu-ray edition blows the old DVD out of the water. The sound and picture are near perfection. The colors on the DVD version appear washed out compared to the high def color palette. While this movie won't give your surround system a major workout, it does provide very clear ambient surround effects. The special features include two new short documentaries on the making of the film. While these don't compare to some of the extras offered on other titles, they are very informative and a welcome addition to the previous version. My one fault would be that it would have been great to have at least a good commentary track, or even a picture in picture feature. But, because I feared that this movie would never get the treatment it so rightly deserves, I would still highly suggest you add this title to your Blu-ray collection.

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Gattaca totally bombed at the box office. The ... folks call it a "low-profile" release. Yeah, right. It grossed less than $10 million, despite a big budget and a big cast. But it was poorly marketed (check out the horrible trailer), and the public just didn't dig the dark subject matter without any of the usual high-tech accoutrements -such as nifty explosions, CGI characters, the like.

I however loved the lack of special effects in this movie. This is science fiction in a pure sense -not as popcorn movie, but as a thought-provoking look at what certain advances in science will bring about.

What if we could genetically engineer all human life? That question is taking on added urgency with each passing cloning revelation.

What if pollution got so bad that life expectancy rates were to drop sharply for all who did not have special genetic enhancements?

What if genetic fingerprinting technology got so good that you could not do ANYTHING without the government knowing about it, because their genetic sniffers could detect the DNA in the skin cells you shed every second?

This is not far-out sci-fi, this is plausible, near-future sci-fi.

It has excellent acting performances, including a wonderful Jude Law before he became really famous.

As added bonuses, you get a really taut thriller and a decent love story to boot.

But leave the popcorn in the cupboard: this is a pretty dark movie with a pretty bleak vision of the future. Twizzlers would be more appropriate.

Enjoy!

Forbidden World (Roger Corman's Cult Classics) (1982)

Corman's Galaxy of Terror is usually referred to as a rip-off/cash-in on Alien, but that film has very few similarities with Alien. Corman's low budget schlocker, Forbidden World definitely fits the Alien rip-off bill much more accurately..

The film involves an intergalactic buttkicker named Colby(Jesse Vint) who's summoned to a science lab on a distant planet to check out an experiment that "got loose". And I'm assuming, to kick it's butt. Colby arrives at the station to find that "Subject 20" as it's called, has escaped, killed all the lab animals and locked itself away in the incubator for a little R&R before it goes on a killing spree. Colby spends a good amount of his time giving the two, horny and attractive scientist chicks something to study in the after hours. Meanwhile, Subject 20 finally makes up his mind to leave the incubator on account of some flunky who decides to open the incubator door to get a better look at it when he noticed it started moving. Now it more or less becomes Alien-Roger Corman's Alien, that is! That is to say, shameless and cheesy(it ought to be with a character named Colby), with a bunch-O gore and T&A.

Once again, Corman really stretches his dollar. This film had a smaller budget than Galaxy of Terror, though in some parts it actually looks a bit more slick than Galaxy. The Making Of.. documentary on the disc provides some interesting insight on how the film was made. The second disc is the director's cut titled Mutant(a much better title considering the title "Forbidden World" doesn't make a lot of sense in the context of the movie). It's worth a look, though the film didn't get the same slick remastering as the first disc, so it's a bit rough.

All in all, another great Corman disc from Shout Factory. Makes a good double feature with Galaxy of Terror(especially at about 3 AM).

I can not believe it has been 28 years!!!!! I was maybe 13 years old when my friends and I bootlegged this movie when one could still record off the main movie tracks!!!! I fell in love with this "Alien" knock-off movie for two simple reasons:

1. It kept me wanting to see what happened next.

and

2. The shower scene...need I say more???!!!

This movie was ahead of it's time with its play on the bio-engineering scenario. I loved the erotic intensity of the characters and spent many of long evenings with fantasies of the shower scene, the voyeur scene and the sauna scene. I loved the build-up of the creature roaming about making it a hunt for more then just a blood thirsty, brainless monster. It was a powerful play on men and women playing "God" with this creation that turns out to be a bit more then they thought it would be. I loved the B-movie play on it because it had more bite then many of these so called A-movies out today. It did not have CGI, it did not have your casual stand-ins for hard to do scenes, and it did not fall into the jittery home-made movie feel. It stood alone on a small budget, a cult following, and some of the most intense erotic sci-fi interactions between both humans and the creation. I am definitely pre-ordering this so it will be on my doorstep for me to expose my own children to something I could never put into words here but left me with lasting impressions for many years. As a writer of paranormal fiction this movie was one of the few to influence my build up on erotic vs. horror intensity. Give it a try, I can saw for the most part it will leave you panting for more, in more ways then one!!

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In an isolated lab on a barren planet, a group of scientists are experimenting with gene splicing to solve a food shortage. An experimental life form kills a bunch of lab animals and is contained in the lab where it spins a cocoon, and begins a transformation. When a bounty hunter is called in to contain the rapidly evolving genetic experiment, things get bloody.

I don't want to go into the story too much and spoil things for those who haven't seen this gem, so I'll mainly focus on the Blu-Ray quality / extras.

Long out of print on video, and previously available on a crappy (and ridiculously expensive)import DVD, Forbidden World finally gets the re-release it deserves on Blu-Ray!

A perfect mix of horror, sci-fi, gratuitous nudity, monsters and gore -Pure entertainment!

I have wanted to see this movie again for years, and had almost resigned myself to forking out the cash for the import DVD. When I saw that this was finally getting an American Blu-Ray release, I pre-ordered it immediately.

I was shocked at how good this blu ray transfer looked for a film this old! Extremely sharp pictures and vivid colors I haven't seen this movie for over 25 years, but I don't remember it looking this good. A couple of the darker scenes are a little grainy, but overall a very impressive transfer.

A list of contents:

Disc 1 Blu-Ray: Widescreen Theatrical Cut, Roger Corman interview, Cast and Crew interviews, special effects featurette, poster and stills gallery,theatrical trailer, several other New World trailers.

Disc 2 DVD : 'Unrated Director's Cut' (full frame) with commentary by the director.

Picture on the DVD is still pretty great, and it was interesting to see how the additional footage changed the tone of the movie The restored footage doesn't appear to be more graphic, it mostly adds a bit of comedy to the film.

Shout Factory did a great job on this one they seem to have put a lot of time and effort into what is arguably an obscure title. With the recent glut of barely upscaled DVD prints being shoveled onto Blu Ray, it's nice to know that some studios are trying to give the fans a worthwhile product Thanks for giving us something we thought we'd never see.

If you are at all considering a purchase, I highly recommend the 2 disc Blu-Ray set.

Read Best Reviews of Forbidden World (Roger Corman's Cult Classics) (1982) Here

Dawn Dunlap gets naked in frontal nudity twice in the movie. Worth the purchase right there. The whole movie is standard B-Movie drive in fare, which means nudity, violence, cheap plot, cheap acting, bad effects, laughable monster, and you'll need a couple of beers. Good Saturday night blow off movie.

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FORBIDDEN WORLD, 1982, Color, 82 Minutes long.

Starring : Jessie Vint, Fox Harris, Dawn Dunlap, June Chadwick, 4 more.

Produced by Roger Corman

Directed by Jim Wynorski

FORBIDDEN WORLD Is Also Known As MUTANT, but do not confuse it with the movie MUTANT (1984) starring Wings Hauser and Marc Clement.

FORBIDDEN WORLD is a very rare Sci-Fi movie not available on DVD(in region 1) and hard to find on VHS. (It does exist on DVD in region 2 under the title MUTANT.) It has a great cast of little known but very competent actors. It is a typical Roger Corman/Jim Wynorski film low budget but very well done. And naturally there are several scenes of nudity.

On planet Xarbia, an elite group of researchers is threatened by "Subject 20", a man-eating organism which they accidentily created. Space Marshall Mike Colby (Jessie Vint), the best trouble shooter in the Galaxy, is called in to investigate. During his investigation, he manages to get in a steam bath with naked teenager (19) Dawn Dunlap. Later, Dawn and June Chadwick have a shower scene together. After this, the monster (Subject 20)has gotten so big and ferocious that it starts feeding on the researchers. Time for Mike and his robot sidekick to earn their keep.

Not as slickly made as ALIEN, but if you like Roger Corman movies, this is one of his best. Make no mistake about it, this is definitely a B movie,but it's one of the best. (Fox Harris is a hoot !)

I've seen movies that cost a jillion dollars to make that weren't

nearly as good as this one is.

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Paul (Steelbook) (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2011)

Two British amateur ufologists Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) visit COMICON in the US. Then they are off to the UFO sites in the US. They have a close encounter with a maniac driver. Little did they know they were going to encounter Paul an, an area 51 escapee who just wants to go home. We go along for the ride. There we encounter several cultures on the journey.

I first saw the trailer for this movie on TV; the one where Paul brings the bird back to life and then does what comes naturally. That set the tone for the whole film. The film does offend prudes of all types with it British style of humor (however Universal City, CA) if not it would have let someone down. For me it was the excessive potty mouth. However being part of the aggregate it was probably necessary.

A nice side part of the film is that they make fun of or incorporate a tad of quit a few of the major sci-fi movies. Watching the extras we learn that they went out of the way to also incorporate filming stiles of some great movies.

For some sort on inexplicable reason I really enjoyed the film and it made me think of a lesser known film named Out There [VHS] (1995), of which I am still waiting for an official DVR transfer.

Out There [VHS]

This is exactly what I wanted. THe case looks awesome and I am glad to have gotten it. Im a huge fan.

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3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004)

As a huge fan of "The Intimidator", I was very skeptical about how a TV movie would portray the greatest race car driver that ever lived. After viewing "3", I must say that I was impressed by the work. Being that this was a TV movie (And I'm not a big fan of TV movies.), it didn't surprise me that the director would tread very thin on the biographical history and not ruffle feathers any further about his love life, his relationship with his fellow drivers or other tracks. The portayal of Earnhardt by Barry Pepper was great. He captured his style and essence. However, I would have loved to see more about some of his rituals at the track. Maybe this is the first of many films that will try to give fans like myself and others who don't know him a feel of what he was like. This film has my blessing.

I thought it was a great movie about Dale, have been a fan since the last year he won his 7th Championship. It touched a lot on what made Dale the man he really was, but the movie didn't show later racing footage until the last 1/2 hour to 3/4 of the show, a little disappointing. They could of made a 3-4 hour movie out of the life of Dale Earnhart, but none the less, it was a good movie. I will buy the movie to have but also am very interested in the 5 hours of interviews and racing footage.

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"3: The Dale Earnhardt Story" isn't going to win a lot of non-Nascar fans over to the sport, but as a biography, it is well-made, offers some believable insights on what made Earnhardt the often enigmatic person he was, and, in Barry Pepper, provides an eerily close approximation to the 'look' and 'feel' of the racing legend. Pepper will certainly receive an Emmy nomination for the role, and delivers such a powerful portrayal that you nearly forget how good the rest of the cast is.

While Elizabeth Mitchell is more glamorous than the real Teresa Earnhardt, she is quite solid and believable in the role; to truly appreciate how important Teresa's intelligence and business acumen were to Dale, it would have required a much longer movie, and might have seriously tilted the story away from Dale's other relationships, and the balance that Pepper and director Russell Mulcahy achieved.

Dale's early years come off best in the film, with a wonderful performance by J.K. Simmons as the inspirational Ralph Earnhardt. The grittiness and 'backwoods blue-collar' feel of Earnhardt's upbringing is well-conveyed, and reminiscent of "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "The River". The film loses a bit of steam when Dale begins racing, and as he achieves success, a lot of memorable moments had to be edited out, or telescoped down, which has disappointed some Earnhardt fans. Considering the time and budget constraints, however, I found the story to be remarkably accurate.

The young actors who portrayed Dale's children as adults should be singled out for recognition; race car driver/first-time actor Chad Mcumbee, while low-key, is pretty impressive as Dale Jr., conveying both a pride in his father, and frustration in being 'held back' so he could complete his education before being permitted to race; Corri English, while too cute, has an infectious smile and manner, and exhibits the Earnhardt joy of fast cars; best of all is newcomer Frank Glidden as oldest son Kerry, who, in a few brief scenes, offers a balanced, sensitive interpretation of the son Dale abandoned, finally winning his father's attention and respect, even as he sees Dale Jr. outshining him on the track. I look forward to seeing more of Glidden's work in future!

While there will certainly be a more detailed and polished feature film about Earnhardt in the future, this ESPN production is not without it's own merits, and provides an entertaining, dramatic overview of the racing legend's life.

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I just watched the movie on ESPN for the third time and I like it. What they (the writers, actors and director) got right they got exceptionally so. The accents for example, I'm a Southerner, Tennessee not North Carolina, but the accents are good. I especially thought that the actor playing Dale Junior did a great job capturing his speech patterns.

The racing was good, given the fact that it would have been prohibitively expensive to recreate ALL of it. The use of actual NASCAR/ESPN footage really added to it.

Now for what I didn't like. They made Earnhardt look sweaty and sickly for most of the movie, as though they were trying to suggest that death was haunting his every footstep. I didn't know Dale, I'm simply an ESPN-watching fan, but I never thought of him looking or BEING that way. He always looked like he'd live forever, like he knew something the rest of us didn't and that was his shield. In this movie he doesn't look that way.

Also I didn't like that Dale always seemed to be teaching his son a lesson, all the one-liners he heard from his dad. It got a bit predictable and limiting after the first couple.

What they did here, is to focus on the father and son relationships of all the Earnhardt men. That's what this movie is about, go into it knowing that and you won't be disappointed.

Go into it expecting to see EVERYTHING about Dale's life, the racing, the rivalries, the fame, the arrogant, cool, fun side of Dale, and you'll be disappointed.

I found myself thinking that this was pretty good for television but the full-length feature film that will be made some day will be better.

Will they ever MAKE a full length Hollywood movie about Dale? Who knows. Part of me wants them to and part of me doesn't. Not if they can't do any better than the God-awful "Days Of Thunder".

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Leave it to a Jeff Gordon (or Tony Stewart) fan to write a sucky review without even seeing the movie this pertains to. He probably wouldn't understand it anyway. Hey idiot... stick to the Sesame Street coloring books and leave movies to the grown-ups.

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Boat That Rocked (1990)

This is the British version of "Pirate Radio" and is formatted for Europe. I play it on my computer and it works fine. There are some big differences, making this purchase rewarding if you are a fan of "Pirate Radio". The characters are developed better in this version. Sometimes different music is used. The scene of Mariannne's second visit is staged for the night they become illegal which is highly improbable. The American cut is much better for this scene. The assistant of the Labor Party bad guy, Kenneth Brannaugh, actually boards the ship and the inference of sabotage is established. I remember in real life the suspicion that the Royal Navy planted a remote detonated mine on a radio ship. At any rate this version is very entertaining and a must for "Pirate Radio" fans. The music is great.

The Boat That Rocked AKA Pirate Radio is set in 1966. When Great Britain was only playing rock and roll 45 minutes a day. There was a group of DJ's on a ship in the North Sea that's playing rock and roll 24 hours a day. Of course their are those who want this to end at any cost. This is also a coming of age movie for early rock and roll and young love.

I have no idea why this movie has been out since 2007 and no one has seen it. It is a quite long movie, but keeps your interest to the end. This is not a no name movie. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Kennith Branagh, Talulah Riley and many more.

Pirate Radio aka The Boat that Rocked must have one of the best soundtracks since A Hard Day's Night (1964). This is one movie you should not MISS.

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Released in the US recently as Pirate Radio, the DVD and BD discs have already been released in other regions as The Boat That Rocked (UK, Oz), Good Morning England (Fr), and Radio Rock Revolution (De). When you see the number of outtakes on the DVD (45 min worth), and the love the director has for each one (by way of his introductions), you can understand why the film is long. Decisions, decisions. Some of the best stuff ended up on the cutting room floor, but its inclusion would not have moved the plot forward, he claims. (A long scene in which Rhys Ifans describes to young Carl why he returned to Radio Rock, set in a Mexican cantina, is particularly poignant.) All the disc jockeys in the film are very "real". Ralph Brown as Bob sort of reprises his role as Danny in Withnail and I. Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Count, the token American, is as irreverent as the rest. Tom Sturridge is perfect as the lost boy, a fatherless, virgin, 18-year old sent to the ship as punishment. Kenneth Branagh, as the civil servant wanting to sink the ship, is an old-school villain born many, many drinks short. But music is king here, and the tracks are sometimes chosen to reflect the names of characters in the film. Too long? Maybe, but I bet you watch each one of the outtakes once you start. Perhaps it should have been a miniseries!

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There was a period of my life during which for more than 12 years I played in rock bands, worked as a DJ in rock stations, wrote for 3 different rock magazines and a newspaper, and lost a lot of money organizing rock concerts, but man, what a gas! Were? Doesn't matter and that's another story. So this movie was more than sweet memories and like living all over again for me. Never worked in a pirate radio station though, but those days are long gone. With Internet Radio Stations, the mp3 players and music downloading, with musical magazines going virtual, with the prostitution of the music industry and the general media, it's no longer fun. I've interviewed well known bands and people in the real rock world, but now days there's nothing worth covering and few things worth playing, mostly metal. Basically, radio, as we know it, is dead and so is printed matter. Ask any radio station manager, newspaper editor and any book editor. Not everybody is thrilled with things like the iPad.

Anyway, let's get to the movie `cause if you liked this one, then you're gonna love "Almost Famous" (also with Philip Seymour Hoffman) and hell, why not, "FM", "Good Morning Nam" and even "American Graffity", the way I did. "The Boat That Rocked" (a.k.a. Pirate Radio) is a fiction movie based on real facts. That is: by 1967 there were about 20 pirate radio stations in the UK which played a Top 40 format, forgotten and probably forbidden in the Victorian norrow minded BBC. In the early 60' there were two well known pirate radio stations broadcasting from offshore ships: Radio Caroline and Radio London. The movie takes from them. There was also a government act in 1967, the "Marine Broadcasting Offences Act" ("Marine Offences Act" in the movie). It was something ridiculous then and even now, but concerning the arts and technology all governments tend to be quite illiterate. The bottom line is that even today there are over 100 pirate radio stations in the UK alone. Why? The same old story. Official radio stations live on commercials and on payola. Yes, I worked in several and I knows how it works. So, there's music that they'll never play and only the pirate radio stations will be able to cover all the rainbow of music that people want to listen to. That's why I love Internet Radio, specially those commercial free stations. I don't know of any offical radio station playing, for example, psychedelic rock now days. Thus the success of the Internet Radio.

The plot in the movie is great. Simple, straight, honest, comic, with some hints of drama, but the essence is there, the music is there. The life DJs lived, and beleive me, those DJs in the movie are too clean and decent. Well the movie is too clean in that matter. There are some insinuations about drugs but you won't see anybody smoking pot or dropping acid or getting really plastered. The stag party was too decent for guys that are supposed to be rock DJs in the mid and late sixties of the 20th century. Anyway, one gets a lot of laughs and a Hollywood end.

The OST is great but there are a few mistakes that can be explained only by the fact that the person in charge of it, chose a specific song because of the moment in the movie. For instance, Hendrix' "The Wind Cries Mary" is from the album "Are You Experienced?" released in August of 1967 long after the period which is established in the movie, but there's a very nice touch of homage towards Jimi in the scene were Quentin (excellently portrayed by Bill Nighy don't miss him in "Wild Target") enters the lower deck of the ship just to find DJ Mark surrounded by naked girls exactly as in the cover of the 1968 "Electric Ladyland" album. Hilarious. Another song is Jeff Beck's "Hi Ho Silver Lining", a single from 1967. So is Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". You can hear The Who with "Won't Get Fooled Again" from 1971, but it wasn't included in the OST CD. I don't understand why David Bowie's 1982 "Let's Dance" was chosen for the closing credits of the movie. It's even included in the OST CD. Bottom line, again, it doesn't matter, the music is far out.

Although there are a couple of Stone's tracks, they are not included in the OST. Copyrights I suppose, Mick and Keith think they're still poor. Arthur Brown's "Fire" was also left out. So was "Little Saint Nick" by The Beach Boys. And so was Ennio Morricone's theme "For a Few Dollars" and several other.

Some mistakes I won't excuse: the Capitol and A&M labels on the records shown in the movie were designed in the 70's; there's a modern Panasonic headphones in one scene, you don't play a 45 singles at 33 RPM, slim straight arms for turntables and tape reels were introduced in radio stations many years later (specially the arms), there's a drum head that I'm sure wasn't there around those days and man, anyone who's worked in a radio station knows what'll happen if you climb the antenna during transmissions. And finally, we didn't call them condoms, but Johnnies.

The cast in perfect. I already mentioned Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy, but not far behind are Rhys Ifans (unforgetable in "Notting Hill") as rock star DJ Gavin, Kenneth Branagh as the Hitlerian looking and dictatorial Sir Alistair Dormandy and Jack Davenport as the sleasy assistant Twatt (yes, with two ts at the end). Definitely a movie for all ages. For those who like to remember through music and for those who weren't born and have the interest and curiosity to find out how it was.

(P.S. From personal experience I know that record players are supposed to be flat horizontal in order to play and at the end of the movie there's no way they were leveled)

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...this movie is made in the spirit of the time. You can pick it apart with facts but pirate radio changed the music world in England (the boats were mostly in the Southern North Sea) and the guys who did it were larger than life! The music is the joy of the film held together by some funny jokes and a threadbare plot. Enjoy it for what it is an homage to an integral part of the music scene in the 60s in the UK.

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Who's Minding the Store (1963)

This is one of Jerry's best and funniest. So many of his other

classics are now out on DVD, why not this one??!!?? To the

"powers that be," PLEASE release this movie on DVD-A.S.A.P!!

My DVD library of Jerry Lewis masterpieces is in need of it!

THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF JERRY'S GREATEST, GREAT SUPPORTING CAST & A GREAT GAG DIRECTOR, FRANK TASHLIN...NO COMEDY OF TODAY EVEN COMES CLOSE TO THIS ONE...ONE OF THE KING OF COMEDY'S GREATEST!

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A million laughs. Jerry Lewis sucks up a dog, a wig, dishes, and half of the displays into a vacuum cleaner that he just repaired. When the bag is popped by a pin, there is a hilarious explosion. A perfect cure for depression or those rainy day blues. Get this movie!

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No need to review the film which is a comedy gem...just the format:

The film starts in widescreen, unusual for a video tape. And just when you're getting used to it, the opening credits end and it reverts back to fullscreen(!)

To add insult to injury, the end credits are not even included, the movie simply ends! So much for finding out who the actors were.......

C'mon Paramount...how about the full version on DVD?

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Have been waiting for this Jerry Lewis goodie ever since the dawn of DVD. This is probably one of the best Jerry Lewis movies ever. Fast, funny and completely insane.

But what a horrible Blu-ray it is! Some few scenes (or rather shots) look just as good as the recently released Blu-rays of The Geisha Boy, Rock-a-Bye Baby and Boeing Boeing, but 95% of the time the image here is super-soft, fuzzy and far, far away from fresh Technicolor. Incredibly sad. Olive Films should not have accepted this HD master from Paramount, and if it really represents the best that could be found in the vaults (which I doubt), then a DVD release only had been a better decision. This ugly-looking crap of an image does not deserve a transfer to Blu-ray. It will only give this superior format a bad name among those who do not know better. Olive Films should be more careful about their products and reputation.

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Under Siege (2006)

I would say 90% of the whole movie was cleaned and sharpened for HD. Other 10% of random scenes exhibited alot of grain and snow. Still a major improvement over the DVD release that I have viewed multiple times. Only wished they cleaned the whole movie. You won't miss the untreated scenes, extremely grainy. Otherwise, still a great movie in my opinion.

Steven Seagal is finally coming to Scotland, Edinburgh specifically, to play with his band Thunderbox. Although he has a few more chins than he used to, my boyfriend is thinking of going to see him in concert, so what better way to celebrate the fact a major star is coming to Edinburgh, than to watch a movie?

I'm normally not that fussed about Mr Seagal. I own one of his movies (Marked For Death), but I've discovered, since watching this, that I have so much more respect for him when he doesn't have that ponytail. Which just looks silly on a guy that big anyway. I knew I was going to be watching this, as it was "reserved" for watching on the brand new, HD DVD player that now resides in my boyfriend's sitting room. It was my first viewing of a HD DVD and overall, I was very impressed.

Shock horror, you do actually get to see Steven SMILE in this film, which made me start to like him even more. Normally, he's all serious. It did look like he was going to start dancing at one point, which would have left me cringing, but thankfully, he didn't. Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones join him in this movie, including some female nudity from Erika Eleniak, who proves she can handle a gun that looks bigger than her. This is a very stereotypical action movie of the nineties, where terrorists take over whatever it is. In this case, it's a very big naval battleship. Tommy Lee Jones looks like he came straight from the sixties to this point in time. There's not much to the story, but Seagal saves the day, leading everybody along in the process to believe that he's nothing but a lowly cook.

The HD is very impressive, looks great on a 50 inch big screen (some guys have cars my boyfriend has all his TV stuff and DVDs), the picture has been remastered, and is brighter and sharper than you can possibly imagine. There's no extras on this unfortunately, just a trailer, but some other HDs boast of in movie experiences etc. Shame they couldn't have brought back Steven for a "look back on..." or a commentary, I'm sure it would have been worthwhile.

Definitely the best Seagal movie in my eyes. Get it, watch it!

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This review, and the rating that I gave it, is for the transfer to Blu-ray ... not on the movie itself.

For the many fans of Steven Seagal who are thinking about buying this movie, you probably have already seen this movie before and while it's your typical action movie, it still is, and remains, very entertaining. Under Siege was one of Steven Seagal's earlier movies, before he started doing direct-to-video movies which have been described as nothing more but water-logged with poor script-writing and the attempt by Hollywood to turn rap-stars into movie stars.

When I decided to purchase Under Siege, I was expecting a seamless transition to the High Def format. However, most of the movie doesn't seem to transfer very well to the Blu-ray format. While the close up scenes appear to transfer well, when the camera pans out, the rest of the movie seems to have a gritty image to it which results in "artifacts" (or defects" in the image quality. While I don't know if this was intentional, it does seem to be distracting.

While I did watch this Blu-ray release on a 32" Samsung, and the overall review of the Blu-ray transfer isn't that great, the Blu-ray version of this movie is still very watchable.

Read Best Reviews of Under Siege (2006) Here

They say the villain makes or breaks an action-adventure flick. But in UNDER SIEGE, it's Navy-cook-turned-hero Steven Seagal, not villains Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, who carries the film. Seagal's quiet demeanor is the calm before the storm of karate chops for Jones, Busey, and the rest of the antagonists who pick the wrong ship to hijack. The martial-arts actor even proves funny in UNDER SIEGE, in his non-verbal way. When he's not out-fighting them, he out-thinks them. The film ends on a weird note with the passionless kiss Seagal gives actress Erika Eleniak. See UNDER SIEGE Steven Seagal mops the deck with those creeps, so who needs kissing, anyway?

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This is an engrossing tale taken from the mold of DIE HARD but it stands on its own thanks to a great performance by Seagal. This is probably his best film. It has great production values and an incredibly good cast. Most importantly, it entertains resoundingly.

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Alpha Dog (2007)

The movie is based on the true story of the kidnapping of Zack Mazursky (Yelchin) by "drug dealer" Johnny Truelove(Hirsch) and his "posse". The basics is that they kidnap the 15 year-old kid so that his older brother pays up the 1200 dollars he owes Truelove. But the whole plan goes awry and Zack ends up being killed.

In itself the movie isn't that original. It's themes we've already seen a million times : the disenchanted, bored youth who play drug dealers in California. But what makes this different is that it's a true story, and that fact alone turns the movie into a dark, almost horror, story that ends up haunting you and staying with you long after the end credits. This actually ends up saving the movie from itself, not turning it into another one of those horrible laugh-out-loud movies like "Havoc". What helps is also the opening credits, where when you reach the end you end up asking yourself "how did they get from there to here?"

The acting is average. It's not bad but there aren't that many great performances. The breakout star in all of this would probably have to be Justin Timberlake who shows he can act and gives an emotional level to the story, without which the movie would be doomed. I think most of it has to do with the script though, because you seriously have to wonder if they actually talked like that. Sharon Stone is also fairly decent as Zack's mother, that is until the end. Another honorable mention would have to be Ben Foster who just chews up the script.

But as Bruce Willis' character so insightfully points out, this movie is really about parenting...bad parenting at that. It's another movie that shows what happens when the parents don't give a damn and let their kids run all over the place and do whatever they want. But throughout the movie I also really wanted to slap the kids for taking stupidity to a whole new level, which is frightening considering it's based on a true story.

The only other negative point about the movie is that it runs about 15 minutes too long, with Sharon Stone's last scene that fails to inspire compassion and sadness at the whole situation and ends up being just ridiculous.

On the whole it's a decent movie worth seeing once and that won't leave you indifferent.

Johnny Truelove (Hirsch) is pushing weed to local teenagers and everything seems to be fine in his quiet life till his authority is questioned by a fascist jew(!) Mazursky (Foster) who furthermore is not giving Johnny back $1200 he borrowed. Truelove and his friends then kidnap Mazursky's 15-year-old brother Zack (Yelchin) and hold him as a hostage. Zack is OK with being a hostage parties, booze, weed and girls are definately better than sitting home with wonk parents. Everybody's having a great time, kids fool around and it seems like we observe ordinary teenagers' life, only sometimes captions appear at the sides of the screen calling every new character number next witness. And it makes you feel uneasy. We know the film is based on true events, hence we know something bad will happen, but till the very end I personally refused to believe it actually will.

Alpha Dog is a movie about a crime which was commited not by some malicious intent, but rather by an absolute bluntness and with a total recklessness of the characters involved. These 20-year-olds behave like small kids having commited something bad they are afraid of upcoming punishment and descend deeper into crime. They don't believe themselves they're capable to do something terrible and they can't stop when it's not yet too late. They are just a bunch of silly kids hence the outcome is utterly disturbing although we saw it coming.

Alpha Dog is a remarkable film, but to tell the truth it's overshadowed by such works as The Chumscrubber or Bully. Nick Cassavetes did a great job, but still Larry Clark's movies, for instance, have a greater impact on you. Alpha Dog's impact is based more on the fact that all the ivents shown here really happened some time ago. And I'm sure they still take place in different corners of our world. So it's another flick for you if you want to know what modern youth is. It won't leave you indifferent for sure.

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I stumbled across Alpha Dog the other night on cable and found myself wrapped up in the true life teen gangster story along the lines of Larry Clark's Bully, although lighter and funnier. Dog is filled with young acting talent reminiscent of The Outsiders The Complete Novel (Two-Disc Special Edition) combined with strong seasoned performances by Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, and Harry Dean Stanton.

Dog, directed by Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook (New Line Platinum Series)), who also played bad guy Packard Walsh in the so bad it's good 80's movie The Wraith. Amazon already does an informative write up, which talks about Cassavetes own run in with the law for his contact with the real life character behind Johnny Truelove, still on the F.B.I's ten most wanted list at the time of the film. I found that interesting. Although I disagree with their interpretation of Foster's character Jake, which I'll address.

The story, based on actual events, follows a group of suburban kids who watch music videos, act tough, drink 40's, smoke cheeba, disrespect people, and talk shiite. The leader of this crew is Johnny Truelove played by Emile Hirsch, who seems to get better with every role, and gives his best performance a year later in Into the Wild. Johnny is a smooth manipulator but gets most of his respect from his family ties, also surrounding himself with idiots doesn't hurt.

In this movie of solid performances it is Ben Foster's Jake Mazursky that steals the spotlight, as he did in similar fashion from Russel Crowe and Christian Bale in the western 3:10 to Yuma (Widescreen Edition) with his portrayal of Charlie Prince. Amazon describes Foster's character Jake as a scum bag drug addict. I disagree. There is no doubt he has a drug problem, and problems in general, but in a time when most just talk trash, Jake actually follows through. In some aspects I saw him as a stand up guy, or would be without drugs, and has a fearlessness that other men can respect, under different circumstances he could have been a leader. Ben Foster does a great job showing rage in this part with words or without. Justin Timberlake also gives a good performance as the mostly obnoxious, with hints of charisma, Frankie Ballenbacher.

The basic plot is Jake owes Johnny Truelove money. Johnny tries to disrespect Jake like he does with his other friends, but Jake isn't his other friends, and it continues to escalate from there. The crew decide to teach Jake a lesson and kidnap his younger brother, whom Jake is close with. This sets a chain of events sometimes fun and entertaining but ultimately tragic.

Read Best Reviews of Alpha Dog (2007) Here

ALPHA DOG is a strong film that reminded me of a film called BULLY that was similar, but not given much publicity. ALPHA DOG seemed to me to be a more commercial film that got more publicity and had big stars like Bruce Willis & Sharon Stone giving it clout.

That isn't a bad thing. ALPHA DOG is a frightening film based on a true story and its greatest gift is its closeness to reality and how kids go through life thinking with blinders on. They don't see the big picture. They don't realize the consequences of their actions from minute to minute. Everything we do has an effect and repercussions. Teenagers have an aura of invincibility. In the case of ALPHA DOG, we get to see those aura's exposed.

The only thing that I was disappointed with was the absence of Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster) from the end of the film. He was probably the most interesting character in the film. He walks through the movie with an unabashed intensity that explodes at will. After he walks into a party looking for his missing brother and ends up introducing a slew of party goers to his black belt, he is pretty much gone from the film.

Although I do realize that the movie was based on a true story, so inserting him in the end would have taken away from the truth.

Fortunately though, this movie is given its life by Nick Cassavetes' screenplay and direction, a solid young cast (including a solid performance by Justin Timberlake) and a solid veteran cast.

Alpha Dog is a really good film and a lesson in life and its undeniable consequences. Not to mention, should be a wakeup call to all parents who don't know where there kids are at night and the things they could be getting into.

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Recently our cinemas have been packed with high concept "product" that caters to the lowest common denominator of entertainment and to the least discriminating film goer. What this says about our culture is distrubing at best. How thrilled I was then to see Nick Cassavetes brilliant "Alpha Dog." It must have taken guts to make a film this bold and unrelentling. From the opening credits with the late Eva Cassidy's haunting rendition of "Over The Rainbow" to the final denouement I was entertained, laughed, cried and moved beyond imagining. Justin Timberlake was very good as was Anton Yelchin. Ben Foster looked like he was living the part of the drug addled Jake. Robert Fraisse's cinematography was stunning as well. Southern California's sun drenched decadence gleamed like a jewel unable to concel the rot at it's core. This is a movie people will love or hate. All the best ones are like that. Nick Cassavetes is taking an interesting path in his work and I'm looking forward to what he has in store for us next.

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The Girl Who Played with Fire (2010)

Whoever edited the Millennium Trilogy into film is a genius. Stieg Larsson was a good author and his novels are captivating, but he can detail an idea to death. Whereas the screen writer for the films has taken pages, even chapters of Larsson's minutia and delivered the meaning and impact of Stig's over description in a raised eyebrow, a word or a deceptively simple scene. The Girl Who Played With Fire is a bridge between Dragon Tattoo and Hornet's Nest, yet the screen writer has delivered a film that stands on its own. I've read the books and thoroughly enjoyed the films. My husband has not read the books and was impressed by the films. We have seen Dragon Tattoo three times and Fire twice at the theater and can't wait for Hornet's Nest to come out this fall. Although this is a non English film, I found the captioning to be very easy to follow and it did not detract from enjoying the movie. Watch Dragon Tattoo first, then enjoy Fire and the brilliant acting of Noomi Rapace, this woman is a stunner and is perfect in the role of Lisbet Salander. See it.

This a good movie, which in combination with it predecessor (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) has made for an suspenseful, enticing and intriguing series of films. One caveat, the level of explicit violence in these films are not for the faint of heart. Grown-ups only.

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This is the second movie out of the Millennium Trilogy. Middle movies often have difficulties, since they end "in media res." That, of course, describes the second of the three works on Stieg Larsson's trilogy. However, this movie is still quite effective on its own merits.

For one thing, the character of Lisbeth Salander has been developed. And she is the focal point of this movie. Noomi Rapace continues her splendid acting in the role. She is not as tiny as the character described in the book (four feet eleven inches tall and about ninety pounds), but she seems to me to capture the character of Salander. She is coldly efficient when taking on people whom she deems "bad" or not leaving her in peace or men who hate women. That is exemplified here in her treatment of one of the "johns" who had been identified by a team--Dag and Mia (boyfriend-girlfriend)--who were in their separate ways examining sex trafficking in Sweden. And of her sanguinary meeting with the two bikers of Sweden's Hell's Angels "wannabes."

The story itself focuses on the murder of Dag and Mia--and of lawyer Bjurman, who was Salander's "guardian." She had been deemed incompetent many years before and was still caught in the system. When her former guardian, Palmgren, was felled by a stroke, Bjurman took over. He was hardly an impartial overseer. In the first movie, Salander had "neutralized" Bjurman. She had a powerful motive to kill him. Indeed, in the end, with her fingerprints on the gun that had killed all three people, she became wanted as the killer.

The book moves ahead from that premise. Her former lover and friend, Mickael Blomkvist, believes her to be innocent and sets out to try to find the real killer. They had not seen one another for a year and their communication is limited to e-mail and other indirect communication.

The movie speeds forward (it hardly seems to be over two hours long) to her inevitable confrontation with her father and a blonde giant who feels no pain (her taser has little effect on him). Her poignant e-mail message to Blomkvist as she headed off to face her father is powerful: "Thank you for being my friend." She "comes back" from the dead, having been severely wounded and left for dead. Her survival is somewhat improbable, but the touching meeting between her and Blomkvist at the end is powerful indeed. Palmgren is never identified as her former guardian (if you have read the books, you know who he is). This movie is closer to the book than the first, but that is not a matter of importance for either. They are both true to the spirit of the book and the key characters. A minor annoyance: At times the English subtitles are hard to read, as they are in light shading and when the screen is light, too, it's a bit tough to read--but, not a major issue.

The ending is powerful, leaving us to wonder what is to be the fate of Lisbeth and how the conspiracy to imprison her because of her father's value to the secret service of Sweden is to end. A worthy sequel to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

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Fire, the Movie

After reading the book, The Girl Who Played With Fire, I went onto Amazon Video On Demand and watched the Swedish adaptation of the book. Let me tell you, this was in many ways quite a let-down.

Yes, when I see a movie after reading the book, I do expect some divergence from the original works. I mean take a look at Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, two book to film adaptations that I felt were well-paced and captured the spirit of the author's intent.

However, "Fire" does not do that well. Pretty much every single subplot was cut out of the film. Literally! I can understand cutting out the Caribbean scenes from the book, but none of the betrayal inside the police investigation was ever shown. Nothing was explained about Salander's wealth nor why she suddenly got this huge 20 million Kroner house.

The choppy scenes and quick cuts and tight dialogue made for an extremely rushed first half.

The second half was better I think for a couple of reasons: the second half honed closely to Larsson's rendition -the hunt for Zala, the blonde giant's fight with Paolo, the lesbian understanding with Salander, etc., were nearly scene for scene from the book. There were minor differences but nothing to quibble about.

The ending was quite different from the book. Without giving away spoilers, unlike the book's ending, the police were efficient and the doctor's were forthright -quite different!

Noomi Rapace as Salander and Michael Nygvist as journalist Blomkvist were excellent in reprising their roles. I really missed the subplots of the editor's secret offer, the men-hating investigators who wanted to get at Salander, and the police chief Bublanski coming across as a dense cop rather than in the book as the only cop who knew what was going on.

The film was bare-bones of what the book breathed and lost what I felt was the heart of the book. A few good scenes, a decent ending, rushed plot. Average!

Can't wait for the American version!

Read the Books!

Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy Deluxe Boxed Set: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Plus On Stieg Larsson

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To the point, DO NOT MISS THIS "EXTENDED EDITION" if you are interested in the Swedish film/TV production of Steig Larson's novel of the same name (or either of the other two productions in the series). WHETHER OR NOT you have already seen the seriously truncated (shortened, mangled) version which was earlier released on DVD, BD, and streaming, THIS IS NOT TO BE MISSED. Unlike the previously released version, this "extended edition" provides a coherent presentation. Being one of the inexplicably over the top fans of anything connected with the three Larsen novels (or associated biographies, etc), I read all three novels early this year and then waited with bated breath for the "movie" versions. I was seriously disappointed with all three earlier, shortened movie releases, and particularly the last two of the three in the series. This was because new characters suddenly showed up on the screen without either sufficient introduction, or even identification. Or there were very significant holes in the story line (in addition to those already extant in the novels!).

As many of you will know, the three novels were filmed for Swedish television, with one film for each of the three novels. This disc presents one of the three films as originally formed and appearing on Swedish television each film, including this one, was broken into two segments of approximately 90 minutes in length, for a movie lasting a total of 180 minutes. When the Swedish TV version was presented in American theaters (and DVDs and BDs, the latter which I own), it was re-edited, and seriously shortened. As far as I am concerned, this ruined all three original "movie" presentations.

Despite the fact that the productions were evidently produced for first showing on Swedish TV, the production values (both sight and sound) are certainly comparable to those of first rate American movies. This reviewer does not know but strongly suspects that the producers had ultimate theater showing in mind when the films were made.

And finally, the Amazon's streamed version of the Extended Edition is free of notable artifacts on this reviewer's 109 inch Stewart Screen in the streamed version the color balance and brightness are good the black levels, interfered with by encoding and transmission noise, do not equal that of the BluRay disc, but are certainly acceptable. Needless to say, I was grateful and quite thrilled that the original version finally made it to market in Amazon's streamed version with Amazon's typical quality!

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The Resident Evil Collection (Movies 1-4: Resident Evil / Resident Evil: Apocalypse / Resident Evil

They're ridiculous, they know it, and they don't give a damn what you think. In point of fact, they prefer if you don't think.

Let's get one thing straight, I am a huge fan of the game series. I own Resident Evil 1-5, and I'm probably going to buy 6 soon. I am fully aware that these movies deviate from the games in every way, but for some reason I still love them. They're dumb, stupid fun.

Resident Evil is actually a great movie in and of itself. It's suspenseful, and well made. I appreciate the fact that zombies and other monsters aren't introduced till late in the movie.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse is actually my favorite of the bunch. It's a good action movie, and I think they really captured Nemesis. Great movie, and awesome action.

Resident Evil: Extinction is a little slow, but is ultimately a good movie. The story of this series has never been cohesive, but the plot of this one in particular is just ridiculous. At this point the movies have become self aware and every subsequent sequel is even more bombastic and ridiculous. Awesome...

Resident Evil: Afterlife is a little weird. Kind of strangely paced, but still a solid action movie. I love how they don't even try to explain how the zombies got Las Plagas virus. Just go with it.

Resident Evil: Retribution. Holy hell. What a strange ride. It's a top notch comedy, I'll say that much. I, personally really liked this movie. It's just so... ridiculous. Like I said, these movies have become self aware, and are now just trying to one up each other. This one does a hell of a job.

Milla Jovovich is hamming it up with every single movie. It's really funny. She's always this hardcore action star with a little bit of an emotional side. I also think she's just gorgeous, so that's alright.

These movies aren't oscar winning classics. They're like every cheesy 80's action flick that you love. Keep that in mind if you are looking to buy these films. As for this collection, they are all the individual releases with no added special features other than the ones that are included with the individual release. Good for the price.

This review is going to focus more on the quality of the blu ray transfer rather than evaluating if the movies are quality works of art. For zombie action movies, I think they're pretty good. Anyway, the audio quality on all of the movies seemed pretty outstanding to me; got to love the lossless audio you get with most blu rays. There was a lot depth to the audio track, especially during action scenes (which there are a lot of), that really engrossed me into the film. The overall video quality I would describe as average for blu ray for the first 3 movies, while I would describe Afterlife as above average. There were some scenes that really looked good in that last movie. There was one big issue with the video quality though, black levels.

Black levels were not consistently black during the movies. I didn't notice it during the first movie, but during Apocalypse it was almost unwatchable without adjusting my television. Almost that whole movie takes place at night, so when black is showing up as moderately dark gray, there is an issue. I had to turn the brightness way down on my television to compensate, at which point the movie was watchable. The problem with doing that is black crush, now everything that is supposed to simply be dark gray is black as well. But that's better than everything that is supposed to be black or dark gray being shown as dark gray. The black levels weren't as messed up for Extinction or Afterlife, but they were off a little as well. Especially since more of the movie takes place in light environments, I didn't bother to adjust my television for those.

Overall, I would recommend these if you are a fan of the series and don't have any of the blu rays. I gave the package 4 stars with great audio tracks, good video for the first 3 and great video quality for Afterlife, and the entertainment value of the movies helping and only the black level issues bringing it down. I could have gone down to 3 stars because of the brightness issue, but since you should be able to adjust your television to compensate, it shouldn't be a deal breaker.

EDIT: I stumbled upon Resident Evil: Apocalypse on tv and noticed that the black level was totally off there as well. I decided to dust off my old DVD for that film and yet again black was gray. So it seems that, at least for that movie, the black level issue didn't arise from the Blu Ray transfer, but probably resides in the studio master. I never acquired DVDs for the other RE films, so I can't check those out.

Buy The Resident Evil Collection (Movies 1-4: Resident Evil / Resident Evil: Apocalypse / Resident Evil Now

Blue ray is the only way u should watch these movie.i have only one word for this collection.....have to have it

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the 5 movie boxed set has all the resident movies but there is supposed to be an ultraviolet code in the box, didn't come with one. I am waiting for a prepaid return label to send it back I can get the same boxed set w/the ultraviolet code and could then watch on my tablet any time any where

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I rated this 5 stars, because it is a really good franchise that is worth watching. Non stop action in all of these movies! If you like Sci-Fi with action, then buy this set.

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