Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa

Having just seen the sneak preview screenings of the english language reversioning of Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shamballa, I can say without reservation that it is a thrilling and must-see epilogue/ending capping off what is without question one of the greatest masterpieces of anime. However, DO NOT START your exploration of this story with this movie. Some of the things that make this story so great are its character development, story arc, pacing, and unexpected twists of plot. To be properly appreciated, Fullmetal Alchemist MUST be seen in sequence from episode 1 through episode 51, and THEN this movie. If you try to watch this movie before seeing the series, not only will you find it largely incomprehensible, but knowledge of what happens will SPOIL many of the surprises that await in those 51 episodes. Virtually no backstory is provided; viewers are assumed to have seen the series.

All the charm and wonder of the series is here in this film. All the voice actors from the english reversioning of the series were brought back to voice their characters for the movie. The care and attention to detail shown by both the original creators and the reversioners is remarkable to say the least. I only wished it was longer. The epic story of the Fullmetal Alchemist, in its entirety, will stand for decades as a monument to and inspiration for what can be achieved in this medium. This film is the final coda at the end of all its symphonic glory.

Note: this may contain minor spoilers. That said, the FMA movie brings a close to the storyline left open at the end of episode 51 of the TV series. It has stunning visuals and a superb soundtrack, nicely rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. It picks up three years after the end of the television series and wraps up loose ends surrounding the gate, Hoenheim, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, Ed, and Al. Despite the fact that it was written by the same staff who created the series, the movie does have a different "feel" to it (especially since alchemy can't be used for a good portion of the film). If you liked the series, you'll definitely enjoy (at least most of) the movie. Fans who are looking for romantic relationships are going to be disappointed as the staff seemed to focus more on the bond between the two brothers.

For the big fans of the series, this special edition will definitely be a highlight to your collection, as it will contain a hard-bound book, several character "portrait cards", and a bonus DVD with multiple commentaries and interviews with the Japanese cast and crew, as well as the American staff. It also has a nice portrait of Ed on the cover of the box (the same that was used for the Japanese ltd. ed. release).

I would highly recommend this film to anyone who likes Fullmetal Alchemist; despite what I saw as the film's few shortcomings, it was still a good movie overall.

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First off, if you are a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, this is a must buy. That said...

This was a great ending to the series. Fans who watched the 51 episodes prior to this were likely a bit disappointed with the ending of the series itself. It was rather open-ended, with little in the way of actual character resolutions. The movie, however, fixes this. it's a great ride from start to finish that leaves you satisfied when the end credits start rolling. Without giving anything away, I would suggest that you have at least watched enough of FMA to know the characters, but ideal you should have watched the entire series itself before watching the movie.

As for the video/audio, the movie looks great on Blu-ray. The colors are vibrant and the audio is crisp and clear...though there is a bit of an issue with line consistency, but over all this is a HUGE improvement over the DVD.

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I purchased the entire series of FMA on Amazon as well as Conqueror of Shamballa on Blu-Ray. I made sure to watch the series before popping the movie in and was glad I did. I loved the movie. I'm not sure if watching the series is necessary before watching the movie, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I didn't. It's a great addition to the show. The Blu-Ray quality is apparent with some gorgeous visuals. The US actor commentary, talk session, and making of in the special features are pretty good. Overall the movie was solid, same talented voice work, interesting story, and the Full Metal Alchemist vibe in all its high-definition glory. 5 Stars.

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Similar to End of Evangelion, this film is essentially the conclusion to the 51-episode anime show that caught on big with audiences stateside. While it's not a fair comparison, that was my first thought that came to mind, especially since like EoE, Conqueror doesn't end with an "all questions answered" ending. While it's definately cool to see your favorite characters in a fuller context, there's some things that aren't dealt with, mainly with characters, that I wish they concluded. In case you haven't seen the series, I am going to spoil it so consider yourself warned.

At the end of the series, 4 Homunculi had been killed with one being sent through the Gate. Al had been restored to his body with his memory wiped out and Ed was in our world circa the 1920's in Munich, Germany. In this film, Ed rescues a gypsy named Noah who has mind-reading abilities. It also turns out she's being hunted by the Thule Society who wants to reach the world "Shamballa". Back in the series world, Al actually turned out to be a pretty powerful alchemist and has been trying to find Ed while dealing with a new villain.

One of the things that's always fun while watching these movies is seeing one of the old characters show up. I don't want to spoil it but some of them are like "hey! that's him/her!". But like certain movies that have the same back and forth structure, you start to get intrigued by the appearance of characters in one world then you jump back to someone else. It's only a minor nitpick so it isn't as important. But it is great to see the characters again.

Now where I guess the disappointment comes in is the handling of certain characters. There's obviously some romances that are suggested such as Mustang/Hawkeye, Ed and Winry(and even at one point Ed and Rose), Scar and Lust and you'd at least like to see some acknowledgement of one of them actually happen. And the conclusion of the film suggests there will be a sequel since there's obviously stuff that can be resolved. I haven't read a single manga of the show, not that we have it available here anyway, so I have no clue what happens at the end.

It's highly recommended that you watch the series as everything from transmutation circles to Homunculi will be completely lost. Sure you'll understand the basics but all the small details will be completely lost. The film's great so it's not that big of a problem but still, it's a big investment to watch the film so set some time to watch all 51 episodes then come here.

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Edward Scissorhands (1990)

This wonderful fantasy tale stars Johnny Depp as a not-quite-real teenager who was built by an eccentric inventor. The old man died before he could finish him, so Edward has knife blades where his fingers would be. A well-meaning Avon lady (Diane Wiest) finds him living alone in his crumbling castle, and brings him home to live with her family, which includes daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Edward is naive and timid, but so sweet and helpful that he soon becomes the darling of the neighborhood. He is smitten with Kim, which angers her bully of a boyfriend (Anthony Michael Hall).

Diane Wiest is perfect as the ditsy and always-cheerful mom. Ryder is convincing as a selfish and spoiled teen. Hall is the villian you love to hate. The star, of course, is Johnny Depp. As Edward, he is painfully shy and lovelorn; his performance is so heart-wrenchingly delicate that you ache for him in every scene. Covered with white make-up and with only a few words of dialogue, Depp proves he is a very talented actor. The wonderful and quite frail Vincent Price, as Edward's loving creator, will surely bring a tear to your eye.

This completely unique film blends comedy, fantasy, and romance to make a sentimental fairy tale that both teens and adults will enjoy. It is a heart-breaker; bring your hankie.

Kona

Every director probably has one movie that he pours part of himself into. For Spielberg, it was ET, Lucas had American Graffiti. Here, Tim Burton poured into the soul of Edward Scissorhands the world of an outsider, a creation of an old inventor (wonderfully played by Vincent Price) who passes on before he can finish Edward(wonderfully played by Johnny Depp). Edward is one day discovered by Peg Boggs, a curious Avon lady, who takes Edward home to suburbia, a community of multi-colored houses that could only come from the mind of Burton and production designer Bo Welch. Danny Elfman delivers probably his most moving score in this picture. The DVD looked like it would be incredile with what was announced, but it would have to lose starts for what I thought: 1)Audio commentary by Burton and Elfman: Both of these guys do not talk all the way through the film, (though it does sound a little better than Devlin and Emmerich on ID4's DVD & Barry Levinson and Tommy LEe Jones on Men In Black, who chatter on like inane movie theater patrons). But most of the time I found myself wondering when they would speak again. Burton probably speaks 12-15 times through most of the movie, but it sounds more like he's having little afterthoughts. Elfman's audio plays after certain music segments are done (his background music plays over the dialogue so we hear outright how it sounds). 2)Tim Burton concept art: after seeing The Tarzan Collector's Edition, this was a letdown, with only about 7 pieces of art (5 concepts of Edward, 1 of the Inventor, and 1 of Edward's place in the mansion's attic). 3)The featurette talking about the film is also a letdown, as there is nothing that was reall notable (I was really looking forward to hearing how Stan Winston Studios made the Scissorhands props). The only cool notable is the interactive menu, made like a pop-up book of the mansion Edward is found in. If you are looking to find a great movie, get this DVD. If you are into those that promise incredible extra features, pass this one up.

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It would be hard for me to be critical about Johnny Depp, or even Tim Burton for that matter. I like just about all their movies. In this flick, Johnny Depp plays a tormented teen that spent all his childhood living in the haunted house on the hill, with an old dude and scissors for hands. Already he has my deepest sympathies. Falls for the girl next door,Wynona Ryder, but dosent get the girl, because the angry mob scares him off, and eddy with his scissorhands the girl next door, decide for his safety they could never be together. Go figure! As usual society wins. But it was good that it didnt end with a cheesy ending cuz that would ruin it. So definetly a must see, thats if you haven't seen it already. or u have the movie sitting with the other many Johnny Depp movies that u made a shrine out of.

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I have a friend who is convinced that `Edward Scissorhands' is a metaphor about the way the media treats celebrities. My mother says that Edward represents anyone who can be considered "different". A lot of people think that the point of the movie is to display the way people will love something one second and hate it the next. I had a teacher once who told me it was about what it's liked to be loved for the things you do but hated as a person. My six-year-old cousin thinks it's about how sad it would be to have scissors for hands.

I honestly have no idea what Tim Burton's masterpiece of a movie is "really" about. It seems to me that it is very open to interpretation, as there is no real basis to say that any of these ideas are just plain wrong (Can you really say that my cousin's observation that it would be sad to have scissors for hands is way off base?); however none of them really feels right to me.

Here is what I have to say about Edward Scissorhands: This movie makes me sob; I mean I just bawl my eyes out every time I watch it. Only God knows why, but for some reason there is nothing sadder than a monstrous looking loner who is misunderstood and taken advantage of. I know it sounds like a specific description, but the idea is just so universally poignant that details and all it has been done numerous times (the most notable being Gaston Leroux's ` The Phantom of the Opera' and of course `Beauty and The Beast').

Then there's the whole other story of Johnny Depp's performance. There are a lot of actors who are considered "good actors" but we never really think about what their limitations are because we only see them in roles that they can play well (which, of course, would be the reason they're playing them). I am fairly confident that not a lot of actors could have successfully played the part of Edward, so when you consider how successfully Depp did play it that says something. One of the interesting things about the movie is that its title character has what seems like two lines in the whole thing, which made Depp's job of doing a decent job even harder he never has a weak moment, not once.

I do not know what Edward Scissorhands is a metaphor for; however, I do know that this movie successfully makes people feel, whatever it is that they feel when watching it, more than any other movie I know of. It is surprising but telling that a movie that seems so strange could succeed in making so many different people care about the same thing: the fate of a lonely misfit who somehow comes across as far less fictional than it seems that such an obviously imagined creature should. Therefore provoking the question: exactly how much of this "fantasy movie" is truly fiction?

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**This is for the collectable tin version**

The DVD content is basically the same from other Edward Scissorhand DVD versions, but this version is dynamite for DVD collectors. This DVD has limited edition tin, 8 Collectable movie stills, and the same features from other versions. If you would like to know:

*Audio Commentary by Tim Burton and Danny Elfman

*Original release Featurette

*Concept Art

*Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots

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Sid & Nancy (Collector's Edition) (1986)

What I enjoyed most about Sid and Nancy was the profile of the Sex Pistols who (unfortunately) are only a vicarious part of the plot. I know that Johnny Lydon did not approve of this film, but I absolutely loved Schofield's portrayal of him here. In fact, he almost steals the spotlight from the train wreck that is the relationship between the main protagonists. I also thought that technically this film was outstanding. My favorite scene involved the press/party boat. After it was forcibly docked, the shot of Sid and Nancy gliding through the melee was exceptional. This movie has something in common with all period pieces we remember--it is incredibly well-done. My own appreciation for the film, however, was sabotaged by the fact that I was not even remotely interested in the love affair between Sid and Nancy. I found the gradual disintegration of their lives to rather depressing.

I think Sid & Nancy might just be the best rock-based biographical film yet done. Better than Oliver Stone's The Doors, better than last year's dismal Brian Jones flick whose name isn't worthy of being repeated here. The reason Sid & Nancy rises above the rest can be summed up in one word: talent. Sid & Nancy is the result of a passionate filmmaker getting near-perfect performances from his well-chosen cast, of welding great music and attention-grabbing scenery to a modern tragedy that touches many emotions. The result is a five-star film.

People are surprised when I tell them the Sex Pistols rank among my all-time favorite groups. No, I was never a punk, and besides, when I was growing up `70's punk bands were mostly curiosities from modern pop culture history, but I do like the music the Sex Pistols produced on their one and only legitimate album, and the film Sid & Nancy, much criticized by pompous purists and much praised by most everyone else, is a chronicle of that era and two of its most infamously doomed participants. The chameleonic Gary Oldman brings Sid Vicious not only to life, he somehow surpasses the original to vicariously embody a character more memorable than the flesh and blood young man on whom the role is based. Likewise Chloe Webb (who really deserved better career choices than she got after this movie) brings the manic-depressive Nancy Spungen back from the grave in all her alienating, irritatingly pathetic hideousness.

Some say this movie takes liberties with the timeline of Sid and Nancy's short lives, and others say it manages to glamorize them for the wrong things. Probably legitimate gripes, I'll grant, but there are also those who refuse to see the greatness in, say, Shakespeare's Richard III, because the fictionalized villain bears scant resemblance to the real man. That's much the same case here. For all one might say in criticism of this movie, Alex Cox did the impossible and revived the decaying, culture-shocked world of 1970's London, and against that stage he crafted a story that works well. Sid & Nancy is about drugs, music, twisted love between two misfit human beings, needless death, and a revolutionary movement that imploded on its nihilism even as its message was lost on the masses. Sid & Nancy is not only about Sid and Nancy, so emblematic of their time and place, it is the tragic chronicle of the spirit of misguided post-adolescent reaction against a dismal age.

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I think many people don't have the right feelings about this film. Empathy being one of them. Although Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungeon could indeed be described as two wastes of sperm and eggs, empty and apathetic as they lie on their beds strung out on heroin in one scene, we have to acknowledge their backgrounds and their ages. Sid, bassist with 70s punk band The Sex Pistols and Nancy, his American groupie girlfriend, were just a pair of misguided teenagers. Nobody is perfect at the age of nineteen or twenty, nobody really knows exactly what they want to do in life. And there are a lot of young people, who at that age, can't see a future for themselves.

We may very well say drugs are bad and drug addicts deserve no respect, both of the above being true. But the fact is that this is being too narrow minded. Those of us who have had wonderful childhoods and loving parents to guide us through those turbulent teenage years may scoff and scorn at the films title characters, as we see them embark on the doomed journey of drug abuse with only one end in mind. Sid might have been an intelligent, bright and witty young man, Nancy could have had the chance to fix her life if her parents hadn't given up on her and sent her packing. This film is a remarkable movie, one that should be watched with empathy, as it replays the ill fated romance of punk's 'Romeo and Juliet' I understand John Lydon when he scorned the film, but no movie can ever capture real life. As a teenager recovering from the draining world of drugs, depression and apathy, I have to say that this movie accurately portrays the effects of drug abuse.

The drugs do eventually end up taking control of you, and there is nothing more dangerous than having a friend or lover who feels the same despair that you do. Trying to escape the dark hole of drugs seems almost impossible in that scenario. I think this film is an excellent portrayal of the effects of drug abuse, of the 70s punk scene, of the blurry details surrounding Nancy's death.

It's a pity the film was given an R rating, because a lot more young people should see this movie. Sex Pistols fans may also ike to see this movie, maybe to gain an idea of the helplessness of Sid and Nancy's situation. For all those drug addicts out there, I just wanna say, you should see this film before you "climb the ladder to the poppy". During a time when I was stupid enough to want to become a junkie, this movie saved my life. The scene that hit me the hardest was one of the last, where Sid tries desperately to get out of the hotel room he and Nancy share, tries desperately to escape Nancy's rantings of death, before engaging in the scuffle that got her killed.

It may or may not have happened in real life, but I had never felt so suffocated watching a movie before, watching helplessly as Sid's fingers reach for the latch on the door but don't quite make it. I won't give the ending away, but many people have scoffed it. I think it worked very well and understood and exactly the irony that Alex Cox was getting at. Maybe some of you will understand it too. But you have to watch it to find out..You can watch this movie with feelings of disgust, scorn, helplessness and sadness. But this move made me personally, empathise with Sid and Nancy, two lost children in a vast world, searching for something that can't be found. And although many punks made it through the seventies, supress your contempt when watching this movie, and feel sadness for those who didn't.

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Probably the benchmark of the punk rock movie genre is this beautifully lyrical love story of destruction. If you're reading this review, you probably don't need the plot spelled out for you, but for those who need it: Sid was the bassist for the original English punk band, the Sex Pistols, and Nancy was the groupie/girlfriend who sent him spiraling to self-destruction. The film is based on their true romance, and is a heartbreaking and aching portrayal of nihilism and narcissism.

Gary Oldman, back when he was a lean and hungry actor at the top of his craft, puts in a stunning tour de force performance as doomed druggie Sid Vicious, while Courtney Love has a pre-fame bit part as groupie Gretchen (a precursor to her real later life with Kurt Cobain, as detailed in Nick Broomfield's "Kurt and Courtney").

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This has got to be the best film that I've seen about drug addiction and the emptiness of people who fall into it. The decline and death of the protagonists are frightening and depressing, so well acted that it is horribly, completely believable. Oldam and Webb are simply brilliant. Webb is totally believable as a border line personality, at times sensitive, but suddenly abusive and paranoid it is subtle and perfectly acted.

But the film is much more than that. There is also a twisted love between two people who can only be described as complete losers: Sid, who is nothing but a youth disaster become celebrity by chance and Nancy, a suburban cast-off who has wandered into the drug world, S&M for pay, and a pathetic search for groupie association with stardom. While almost nothing on their own, together they enter a downward spiral that can result only in death. Together they are far worse than zero. You helplessly witness their descent into a hell of addiction and chaos.

Finally, there is a wonderful evocation of their milieu: the late-70s punk scene. I recall, as a middle-aged man, how this was the first youth movement in which I had no desire to participate: I had been a late-comer hippy and was aspiring to academia when this started. It was the first "movement" that repulsed me personally, that I had no desire whatsoever to mimic. In this film, you see how talentless and nihilistic punk really was, but also how it had the raw energy of urban youth in societies that could offer them nothing of value. Gone are the ideals and dreams of the 60s. Their chaos and drugs and indirection in the end were all that they had, so they lived it unto self-destruction. Their scene, as portrayed in this film, was a revelation to me and is brilliantly evoked.

Reccommended with enthusiasm. This is like a modern Balzacian tale of meaningless annihilation, a rememberance of a time, and a perfect work of art.

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On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

I would have to say that this is the best DVD of this latest round of release of the Bond films. The extras are certainly substantial and worth having.

My initial reaction to seeing this extraordinary film on its first release was summed up in one indelible question that I kept repeating over and over again to myself. If Sean Connery decided not to appear in a Bond film, why did it have to be this one? This film brought the series to a culmination of emotional fervor. It was the first film to address James Bond, the man. It seemed to have been made for Connery. This is the one we had been waiting for. I thought it was an excellent film, but Connery wasn't in it. Yet, I also could not get the image of George Lazenby out of my head. He looked the part and there was something very unique about his facial features. Many critics said his performance was bland. Even if they were right Lazenby still possessed the physique and physical attributes that really fit the part and again his unique looks just added to the wordily and masculine aura he exuded. I went to see the film three more times. I really liked it. I missed Connery, but I still couldn't get the screen image of Lazenby out of my head. I did some real self-analysis of this film over the next two years. I started to read the Fleming books. To my amazement they were very dry yet very interesting and appealing at the same time. Fleming single-handedly drew the reader into the world of James Bond whereas the filmmakers achieved the same result in a collective effort of talents. When I read "Dr. No" and "Thunderball" I visualized Sean Connery or someone vaguely familiar to him yet not with his sardonic humor. When I read "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" I could visualize no one other than George Lazenby. As it turned out ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is the one film closest to any Fleming novel of the same name. I began to see the merits of Lazenby. The filmmakers had gone out of their way to make this the epic Bond film. The introduction of Lazenby as Bond was a well thought out and well crafted piece of pure cinema. There is no dialogue and only the strains of the James Bond Theme in another innovative interpretation by John Barry are heard. Less dialogue is better. Let the images tell the story. In the case of George Lazenby that's what worked best for him. Early on in the film he is having a bad night at the tables and you can see the disgust on his face as he deals out another loosing hand. He breaks into Gumpolt's office and penetrates his safe with assuredness and conviction while under the clock. This well directed scene is nerve racking and suspenseful again played without dialogue. The editing, music and Lazenby's presence make this another tour de force of pure cinema. It wasn't until the release of DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER that I realized that ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE was the best Bond film for me. The combined efforts of all the filmmakers and Lazenby's performance of a James Bond with conviction, assuredness and determination made this the definitive James Bond film. The film had a sense of real drive behind it accentuated by Lazenby's no-nonsense approach and the urgency of John Barry's instrumental theme used repeatedly to never let up the pace. If James Bond was ever the dedicated civil servant it was in this film. I can't even imagine Sean Connery in this film any more. The filmmakers traded in Connery's worldliness for Lazenby's energetic determination. It seems apparent that Lazenby probably looked to DR. NO for inspiration. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is considered to be one of the better Bond films in the series. It follows the directorial style of DR. NO. Sean Connery in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE continued his portrayal of the character in the Fleming literary mold, but refined his performance adding more depth to the character's worldliness, intellect, social graces and wry humor. Lazenby reverts back to the James Bond we saw in DR. NO concentrating on his resoluteness and tenacity as the man with a mission who will not be deterred until the opposition is completely vanquished. Lazenby's scenes with Diana Rigg as Tracy, his bride to be, showed genuine compassion and depth. This was Bond's only true love interest up to that point in the series. Connery had showed genuine subdued sorrow tinged with anger at the death of Jill Masterson and her sister Tilly Masterson in GOLDFINGER and again with Aki in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. However, I don't see how any actor could have given a better reaction as George Lazenby did to the death of James Bond's new bride slumped over limply into his lap. George looked like he was really hurt as he buried his head onto the Tracy's lifeless body. This Letterbox VHS version of ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is excellent and does real justice to this epic film.

This DVD is astounding. The restoration of the visuals is amazing. The digital sound has been laboriously enhanced for true stereo separation. You can even very clearly hear source music that was in the background. For instance, you can now plainly hear the guitar melody that was playing in the scene between Bond and Draco while they were discussing business while overlooking the bullfight on Draco's estate. The extras are very good too. This DVD contains SWISS MOVEMENT a great documentary introducing George Lazenby and showing off the entire cast and great location work in Switzerland. It remains very good to this day. Some of the other extras touting George Lazenby as the new James Bond are enticing. Peter Hunt's commentaries during the film are very insightful as was George Baker's contribution. This is a required DVD edition if you truly embrace this film.

Many years ago, long before James Bond became the high-tech hero of the movie set, there were a set of fascinating books written by a gentleman named Ian Fleming. These books were about a superior British Intelligence agent, code name 007. With due regard to Sean Connery and the equally effective Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby, the star of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, is by far the closest of the Bond actors to the character of the books. There is nothing charming or even particularly likeable about the James Bond of print. He is a totally non-descript character who can easily disappear into any crowd; a cold-blooded killer who will accomplish his mission regardless of the cost. Connery came close in Dr No, Tim Dalton even closer in License to Kill but both are too physically attractive to accurately depict 007. In these regards, Lazenby excels in his protrayal of Bond.

This story is a gripping, emotional tale of an agent committing the ultimate sin, getting involved with another individual involved in a mission. All of the normal Bond components are present; gadgetry, high-speed chases, lots of explosions and lots of pretty girls. This one goes one step farther, giving us a truly malevolent villain (played brilliantly by Telly Savalas)and Bond's only true romantic interest (played equally brilliantly by Diana Rigg).

The action is non-stop, the locations are beautiful, the soundtrack one of the best. The climax is one of the most gut-wrenching ever placed on film.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service has often been placed at the very bottom of the long list of James Bond vehicles. It doesn't belong there. This is an outstanding film with a truly outstanding cast. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

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When other Bond fans first talk to me the the question they always ask is "What do you think of O.H.M.S.S. ?". The answer to that is not a simple one.

I first saw the film in the cinima in 1973 and was surprised, given all the negative reports I'd heard about it, how good it was. Although very long by Bond standards the film moves along at a fair clip and has the capacity to engage the viewer. Although several of the earlier films in the series follow the main plot lines from the novels, from which they take their names, this is the only atempt by EON to film an Ian Fleming book as written.

Watching the film on DVD all these years later was a joy. The transfer is surperb the, sound crisp and short of watching a pristine print in a film theatre this is the best vision of this film your ever going to see. The additional features particularly the director's commentry make this a must for any of the many fans that this film has.

O.H.M.S.S has a tremendous "look" and the deep purple colour that is in the opening sequence, continues in the titles and is seen through out the rest of the film in various guises. There was a kind of chic fashion just at the end of the sixties after the hippies and before the seventies gave style a bad name; this is one of the few films that captures that time. Just look at the cut of James Bond's suits or the dresses worn by the girls in Piz Gloria; it's nostalgia perhaps but I love it!

George Lazenby is element of the film that most people seem to dislike and the fact that he started out as a model is usually sited as proof of his lack of acting ability; well actually Sean Connery started out as an art college life model. At least George kept his clothes on in the "Big Fry" ads. ! But seriously, for the most part he looks great in the action sequences and when he has to play the normal affable, laughing in the face of danger, side of Bond he's at least acceptable; but when he has to step out side of that, for instance when he confronts Tracy in his hotel room early on in the film that he becomes less convincing. Compare that with Sean's Bond when he confronts Tatiana in the train in "From Russia With Love" and you'll see what I'm getting at. But actually his attempt is better than Roger Moore's confrontation with Rosie in "Live And Let Die". The only difficulty is that each line Lazenby speaks seems to be made up of several different takes, all recorded at different sound levels, which makes him sound as if he has a perminant attack of hiccups; still you do get used to it. If Lazenby lacks experience his deficiency is compenceted by the standard of acting from the rest of the cast and the superior dialogue in this film; for example, Moneypenny's devastating put down when Bond attempts to resign the Service "What did you expect, a knighthood?" is unforgetable and one of the few times Lois Maxwell's character gets the upper hand in the whole series.

The structure of this film is very different from the others in the series; Bond spends the first half of the film meeting and falling in love with Tracy. He then locates Blofeld, discovers his plan and only then does the film shift up into the frenetic pace that we more normally associate with the Bond films. The ski and car chase sequences that follow are terrifically exciting and compare favourably with the best in the series. Then we have the final confrontation with Blofeld and inevitable distruction of Piz Gloria. Incidentally Lazenby's encounter with the St. Bernard dog after the bob sleigh chase was apparently ad-libbed and for an untrained actor he does it better than many RADA graduates I can think of.

Peter Hunt, more than anyone else, was the man brought this film together as a first time director it is a brilliant debut. For instance his choice of Simon Ravan to add dialoge to the scenes between Blofeld and Tracy lifts the whole film. Almost every shot seems to reflect his feel for the book. It is only fitting that the opening shot of the film, absent form the VHS version, which containes his reflection in the brass name plate of "Universal Exports" has been restored to this print.

Many action film fans dislike this picture well they'd better stick to "Things Keep Exploding III" which at least is better than "Things Keep Exploding II" although not as good as "Things Keep Exploding" although it lacks the characterization of the other two. The rest of us can enjoy the most literate of the James Bond films. It's not better or worse than any of the others just different.

Read Best Reviews of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Here

To say that ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE has grown on me is an understatement. The first time that I saw it a few years ago, I can remember laughing with my friend about how awful Lazenby was as a replacement for Connery. But after a recent second viewing, my tone has changed dramatically. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is now one of my favorite Bond films. Of the first six movies, I would definitely place it in the top three and it certainly beats out its predecessor YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, both in its "watchability" and its ranking as a Bond film. What is it about ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE that is so good? Well, it seems that director Peter Hunt (the fantastic editor of the previous films) wanted to return Bond to his roots, emphasizing story and characters over action and gadgets. Indeed, the gadgets are absent in this film. Instead, we get a good old story of espionage as Bond infiltrates the secret mountain-top lair of Ernst Blofeld, posing as a famous genealogist. Lazenby is a superb Bond. Though he doesn't handle women in the same smooth way and his charm and refinement are noticeably lacking, Lazenby does deliver some terrific action sequences. Furthermore, Lazenby handles the scripts "love interest" quite well, showing us one of the most emotional Bonds ever. Understandably, fans either loved or hated this new Bond, and the film went on to be less of a success as the Connery films. Still, one has to wonder what might have become of the series if Lazenby had kept the role for a significant run.

After the opening "gun barrel" sequence, we are greeted with the pre-credits teaser. M and Moneypenny are at a loss of where exactly 007 is located. We have no problem finding him. We watch as Bond chases after a girl, whom we later discover is Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), and saves her from near suicide, only to be attacked by an enemy. A great fight sequence in the waves is played out, with Lazenby delivering in fine style. It's been a while since Bond has been this fit! The girl escapes Bond during the commotion, leaving him alone on the beach. Lazenby, firmly set in his new role, winks at the camera and says "This never happened to the other fellow." In breaking the fourth wall, Lazenby and the Bond team let us know that James Bond is not Sean Connery; James Bond is James Bond. This line kicks off the titles, another Binder work, this time without a popular singer belting a song. Perhaps after the awkward lyrics of THUNDERBALL, the producers decided that trying to work ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE into a song would just be too difficult. The titles are a classic Binder work, involving shifting images through an hourglass and elaborate silhouettes.

The plot is back to the good old days and adds a love angle, allowing for some character depth on the part of Bond. The first part of the film opens up on that angle. Bond encounters Tracy again (Teresa di Vicenzo) and makes a more "formal" introduction. After their brief encounter, Bond is suddenly kidnapped and taken to see Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti), head of Europe's second largest crime syndicate (second only to SPECTRE). There it is revealed that Tracy is Draco's daughter. In a weird spin, Draco desires Bond to continue to woo his daughter, ultimately marrying her for a personal dowry of one million pounds. Tracy has had a troubled past (as we have witnessed) and Bond is just the sort of thing she needs to save her. Bond refuses the proposal, but agrees to continue to see his daughter in exchange for information about Ernst Blofeld's whereabouts. Upon returning to MI6, Bond is promptly kicked off his current assignment of tracking down Blofeld. Bond is so irritated that he tenders his resignation, only to have his resignation covertly changed to a leave of absence by Moneypenny. Realizing that he can continue to pursue Blofeld on his vacation, Bond heartily accepts the vacation. After some good old spy work, Bond finally learns that Blofeld is attempting to lay claim to a royal title, under the French surname Bleuchamp. Posing as genealogist Sir Hilary Bray, Bond gains access to Blofeld's new hideout--a "research institute" sitting on top of the Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps. Once there, Bond learns that Blofeld has developed a bacterial weapon that he plans to distribute throughout the world. The weapon is so powerful that it is capable of destroying vital species of flora and fauna--unless, of course, Blofeld is granted amnesty for all past crimes and given his new title. Will Bond be able to stop the crisis before it is too late?

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE displays many characteristics of the great Bond films. Its plot is intricate and involves good old-fashioned spy work. Bond is a character of great depth in this film, portraying both a recklessness and arrogance towards MI6 and the establishment, as well as great love for his leading lady. Finally, the action in this film is great. The famous downhill ski and bobsled fights are fantastic and do not lack for any excitement. Unlike Lewis Gilbert in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, director Peter Hunt decided to keep the film as close to Fleming's novel as possible, yielding a film that many fans of the books describe as the most accurate Bond adaptation ever produced. It's a shame that it has the negative reputation that it is sometimes branded with.

George Lazenby, as mentioned before, does a find job as Bond. While he certainly doesn't have the same style and class as Connery (who does?), Lazenby is more than adequate in the action sequences and handles the fights wonderfully. Moreover, he turns in one of the more complex Bond performances, culminating in the film's final sequence. I was startled to see a scene like that in a Bond film and welcomed its arrival. Diana Riggs also turns in a good performance, providing us with one of the more complex and dominant female leads ever to show up in a Bond film. Telly Savalas's rendition of Blofeld (the second actor to play the visual part) is one of my favorites. His Blofeld is not quite as pathetic as the one we first meet in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and not quite as quirky as the one we will soon meet in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. While he doesn't live up to the menace of the character originally heard in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, he is certainly a more capable, worldly, and interesting villain than the rest.

Ultimately, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE feels very different from the rest of the Bond films. For my tastes, it was a refreshing return to the source before the Bond series would take on its inevitable Roger Moore phase. The Ultimate Edition looks very crisp and sounds wonderful. It is also packed with plenty of extras, including a "Making of" documentary, films about the casting of the new Bond, interviews with Lazenby, and all of the usual assorted material. BINDER DOCUMENTARY? If you like the novels or are a fan of the early Bond films, you can't go wrong with ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. Just promise to give Lazenby a chance.

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All I can say is it's about time this movie has been available as a single DVD. Ever since its initial release this remarkable film has had to deal with the regrettable and entirely undeserved stigma of being a lesser and forgettable footnote in the Bond canon. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a masterpiece, both as a James Bond movie and as an adventure movie in its own right-and it is far and away the best Bond movie that has ever been made thusfar. The reasons for this are manifold. For one thing it succeeds marvelously on both an artistic as well as an escapist level-imho it's the only Bond film so far to achieve this. Secondly it features what is easily the greatest score in a Bond movie, and possibly the greatest action theme music ever--the ripping instrumental theme still excites me every time I hear it after 25 years and more listens than I could possibly hope to remember. Thirdly it features one of the best ensemble casts of all the Bond movies-every part was perfectly cast (yes even Bond) and they all played off each other wonderfully. Last but not least it was directed but arguably the best of all Bond directors, Peter Hunt.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is unique among the Bond movies in so many ways, most notably in that it stars the criminally underrated George Lazenby as Bond. Lazenby was a fight instructor with the Special Forces, a championship skier and swimmer-all of which contributed to him having a remarkable physical grace, as well as the sort of radiant magnetism, confidence and swagger that simply can't be faked. In short, where most of the Bonds have been actors trying to be action heroes, Lazenby was an action hero trying to be an actor-and as far as I'm concerned this gave him a distinct advantage over everyone else who has attempted the role. And he was bloody cool. So cool, in fact, that to this day, more than Connery even, watching Lazenby makes the 12 year-old in me want to run out and save the world. Topping everything off the man was a model and absolutely adored by women. In short he was, to my mind, far and away the most naturally qualified of any of the actors who have ever played Bond. Yes, he was a little rough around the edges in the acting department, but by God he had it where it counted and was diamond in the rough. It is one of the great tragedies of action cinema history that we didn't get to see him develop as Bond.

And then there's the film itself. In addition to a fantastic lead it also contains one of the best villains of the series-Telly Savalas' Blofeld. Egotistical, charming, entirely self-centred, brilliant as well as menacing and physically imposing, he was the perfect counter to Lazenby's Bond. You could literally sense the urgency and drive behind his egocentric madness-clearly he was a villain to be reckoned with. And there was that cool way he held his cigarettes. Furthermore, On Her Majesty's Secret Service has what is probably the best story of the series. It struck just the right balance between the absurd (the mountaintop fortress and plan to destroy the world's crops) and the serious (the character development and lack of gadgets and over-the-top fantastic elements) as well as touching on some quintessential male fantasy elements: a bevy of beauties atop a mountain hideaway on the one hand, and the delectable Tracy on the other. Let it be said here and now that as ridiculous as the idea of hypnotizing a group of beautiful women to go out and do your bidding really is, it must be noted that the whole concept is fantastically cool on the level of fantasy on which Bond films have always had their true niche. If Ian Fleming were alive to day I would give him a good pat on the back for that one.

Let us now consider the action scenes-some of the best of the entire series-not the least of which are the stellar fight scenes: brutal and personal, not to be approached in awesomeness until Casino Royale two years ago. And then there are the ski scenes-utterly fantastic. The Piz Gloria escape is easily the single most exciting scene in the whole series, and it culminates so beautifully with Bond lost and alone at the ice rink, unsure what to do before lo! his guardian angel appears. I would go so far as to say that from the moment Bond is imprisoned in the cable-car room right through the end of the movie, we have perhaps the best extended action sequence in any Bond movie, perhaps in any action movie ever-and it's scored brilliantly by the incomparable John Barry.

Above all, however, one gets a definite sense watching On Her Majesty's Secret Service of how much went into it. Starting with Goldfinger and culminating with You Only Live Twice the Bond movie producers went quite over the top and shifted the focus of the films away from character and depth into the realm of big budget spectacle-to the point that the character of Bond was reduced to a cheap toupe adorning all the nonsense going on around him. By the time On Her Majesty's Secret Service was made they evidently decided to direct the series back to its roots. One thing that stands out to me more every time I watch this film is how much it is apparent that everyone involved with it put their heart and soul into making the "epic" Bond film. It broke all the standard Hollywood success rules-it blew the then just-established formula to smithereens, it was the first one to really address James Bond as a human being, it was the first to give Bond a chance to fall in love, to have him register genuine fear and emotion, and so on.

Looking back it's almost as if some higher power intervened, realigned the planets and allowed the fireworks and spectacles to be put on hold for one movie so that the filmmakers could make a movie from their heart, so they could tell a story without sacrificing its integrity on the altar of crazy gadgets, whimsical plotlines and futuristic sets-and I think it is this quality that gives OHMSS its true pulse, that quality which, to me, makes it stand out more and more as the best film of the series with each viewing. Goldfinger and Thunderball may have embedded Bond firmly in the collective popular consciousness, but On Her Majesty's Secret Service captured perfectly the soul of Bond-and it hasn't been topped since.

To paraphrase a tribute once given to a great historical personage: To a traveler standing near a mountain range many eminences seem to have approximately the same altitude; it is difficult to disengage Everest from its lofty neighbors. But as the range recedes in the distance, the highest peak lifts more and more above its fellows, until it alone fills the horizon. So it has been with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

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!

Read Best Reviews of Dead Ringer (2012) Here

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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Mission Impossible: Ultimate Missions Collection (Mission Impossible / Mission Impossible II / Miss

For anyone who doesn't already own the previous Blu-ray release of this trilogy, then now is the time to buy But there's a caveat.

But first, the quality of the films:

Mission Impossible is a very well crafted film. It has action, appropriately placed jokes to break the tension once in a while, and believe me, this film does a great job at keeping the tension palpable, and the acting is great all around. It actually even adhered to the original series method of storytelling to a certain degree. Top notch film for anyone who's a fan of suspense and action.

Mission Impossible II... meh. I enjoyed it for what it was, a mindless popcorn action flick. Directed by John Woo (Broken Arrow/Face-Off), the M:I formula is thrown out of the window, the character of Ethan Hunt is transformed into a cocky arrogant, and the only thing remaining is lots and lots of action, which has a tendency to be a little hard to swallow at times. That being said, it's still fun to watch. This is pure action eye-candy, and if you're OK with that, you're going to have a lot of fun. If not, well...

...The Mission Impossible III at least comes in to save the franchise. Directed by JJ Abrams (Alias, LOST, Star Trek), this film is a true return to form. A great story that's paced out evenly and some mindblowing action. Personally, it's still a shade under the original, but this film holds its own very well.

The best thing about all three films is that they're all seperate entities for the most part, meaning, you don't have to see any film before you see the other.

Now, back to that 'caveat' I was talking about The audio. It's all LOSSY audio, which is fairly inexcusable for a Blu-ray in this day and age. Yes, it's true that this boxed set has the same exact encodes in video and audio the original releases had, and that was pretty early in the HD game, but that's STILL no excuse. The studio really should have just taken the lossless audio and made a new encode for this release. So, what now? Does the studio give us 'proper' releases after the fourth film hits Blu-ray? My personal opinion is this If they release a four film boxed set at that time, you're not going to get anything new from the original trilogy. So you may as well pick this up now. After all, the price is pretty stellar.

I am not going to bore people with what the plots on these 3 movies are about as I think we all have a reasonable grasp of them. What I will say about the HD-DVD boxset is that MI2 and MI3 are both spectacular examples of this high definition format. They excel in both the video and audio transfers, I think they would have been par excellence if they had of included a TrueHD audio track.

The one down point to this set is the original MI HD-DVD, the ball was dropped on this one with a sub par video transfer which at times was so out of focus that it was not funny. The audio, while not jaw dropping, was acceptable.

Buy Mission Impossible: Ultimate Missions Collection (Mission Impossible / Mission Impossible II / Miss Now

I was a bit dissapointed to find out that the so called "Extreme Blu-Ray Trilogy" edition of the Mission Impossible films was nothing more than a repackaged original Blu-ray discs . The specs and artwork of the discs are exactly the same as the ones previously released, the only change is that the BD case artwork is different as well as the box. If you already have the previous trilogy box set there is no need to "upgrade", or better say "downgrade", since M:I 3 only comes with 1 disc instead of 2 as the previous set.

If you never had them, go ahead, make the purchase, even better, Best Buy have them for $19.99 this week, and they include a $10 coupon for Ghost Protocol, so in essence you will end up spending only $10 for a 3-BD Box set. Not a bad deal.

Read Best Reviews of Mission Impossible: Ultimate Missions Collection (Mission Impossible / Mission Impossible II / Miss Here

While it is true that retailers are trying to leverage the upcoming movie to bump sales on this item, who can blame them? For under $30, I get three blu-ray movies. Great price, and they put me in the mood for the newest release. I can't agree with the other reviewers who gig this movie just because there's a new movie on the way. Buy it if you want. Don't if you don't. For me, it seemed like a good buy.

Want Mission Impossible: Ultimate Missions Collection (Mission Impossible / Mission Impossible II / Miss Discount?

For the price, this set is totally worth it. But to be completely honest I would not have minded paying a little extra for a better remastering of the first two films. The transfer for the first two films is not bad, but it isn't great. There is still a soft and grainy quality to the movies. For a blu-ray, this should not be an issue. For those of you who say that the age of the film is a factor, I invite you to watch Blade Runner on blu-ray. You will be amazed. Now keep in mind that Blade Runner is about 30 years old already, and the remastering of this movie looks A LOT better than the transfer for Mission: Impossible 1 or 2. I suppose I can't complain much since I paid 20 bucks for this set, but still. These are great movies, they deserve a better transfer.

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Dogma

Don't listen to the zealots, this is a great movie. Many people believe that this movie "bashes" Christianity, Catholicism in particular. Now, like Kevin Smith, I am a Catholic, and I was in no way offended by this movie, in fact I saw it five times in the theater. This is a movie that shows the idiosyncracies in church dogma, just as every structure has idiosyncracies. The movie shows these points through an interesting and entertaining story of good v. evil. The overall theme of this movie is that people should be more open to new ideas and to realize what Christ was all about, love and understanding. "Jesus wasn't sent to earth to give us the 'willies,' he is a booster." Finally, this is a great movie, with great ideas and great dialogue. I believe that it is Kevin Smith's best work to date. Matt Damon, Jason Lee, Linda Fiorentino, George Carlin, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman, and Chris Rock all give very good performances, but Ben Affleck does a wonderful job as Bartleby. I would certainly suggest this movie to anyone. Faith is a funny thing.

As a pair of two lapsed Catholics, My husband and I rented this movie on the recommendation of another catholic friend of ours. From the moment they unveiled the hilarious "Buddy Christ" to the moment the ending credits appeared we were rolling on the floor howling with laughter as only two people who spent years in catholic school could.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were great as two fallen angels banished by God to hell (Wisconsin) trying to get back into Heaven through a loophole in Catholic dogma. Which would unfortunately destroy the world because it would prove God fallible. Chris Rock was a very funny 13th Apostle named Rufus and Selma Hayek's role as a feisty muse name Serendipity was also good. Jason Mews and Kevin Smith himself in their perennial roles as "Jay" and "Silent Bob" were a scream as two unlikely "prophets" sent to aid the last Scion played by Linda Fiorentino. My favorite performance was that of Alan Rickman who played the surly and much put upon Metatron (or the voice of God). He portrayed the long suffering character of God's right hand angel with an excellent mix of irony, dry humor, and compassion. His fiery entrance scene was classically funny!

I felt that the weakest performance was that of Fiorentino's who played the main character Bethany, the last Scion charged with the mission of stopping the renegade angels. While she did a good job, there was something that seemed slightly forced in her portrayal of a catholic (who worked in an abortion clinic by the way) struggling with her beliefs just going through the motions of faith. The sarcastic lines lacked some bite and her expressions seemed a bit contrived. Her performance improved in the middle of the movie during her scene with Rickman after she discovers her true identity.

Overall, I felt that Dogma was not about bashing the Catholic church, but about some of the funny things about organized religion and faith. Smith touches on a number of different issues here, and the humor was a great way of dealing with the touchy and explosive subject of religion.

Most critics I suspect were offended by the language, but if you've seen one of Kevin Smith's movies before, that's to be expected. Sometimes you have to look past the messenger to see the message. Other critics sited implausible plot, wordy, or the always elegant "it just sucks". One critic bashed Smith for assuming that everyone was Catholic!

Those that thought the movie bashed Catholicism didn't read into what Smith was saying. Selma Hayek summed it up perfectly "You people don't celebrate your faith. You mourn it." Loosen up people, having a sense of humor about it is part of celebrating your faith.

I agree that the dialogue got a bit wordy, but I suspect that was for the benefit of those who didn't have a background in Catholicism. If you filtered out some of the conversational meandering and vulgar interjections by the trash mouthed "prophet" Jay, you'll find some interesting and thought provoking gems in there. As for an implausible plot...hello! We're talking religion here folks, and I think that few people would agree that the Bible is necessarily a wellspring realistic and plausible plots. Religion is about leaps of faith and if you can't handle that, then you won't get the meaning behind the movie.

The critics in the "it just sucks" camp I suspect aren't very patient with the subject of "two hours of Catholic mythology" and are more comfortable with the secular subjects of Smith's other movies (romance, shopping, drugs and the like). Hey, I don't like football, so am I going to complain that the writers of The Replacements and Remember the Titans assumed that everyone in the world enjoys football? No, I'm simply not going to watch movies about football...problem solved. The name of the movie is Dogma, it should give you a clue. And if you don't know what dogma means, look it up.

So here's a warning to all...if you have no tolerance for organized religion, so called Catholic mythology, occasional potty humor (literally), profanity, or you have no sense of humor on the subject of religion, then don't watch this movie. You be disappointed or angry.

If you are a little bit more open minded, I invite you to try out this wonderfully funny movie.

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Forget about any controvery, this movie is a laugh a minute. Being Catholic I was wary of this film, knowing the church was not too pleased with it. Having watched it once, I then bought the DVD.

Granted, Smith takes some artistic license here. I doubt that there was a 13th apostle and I doubt that Jesus had brothers and sisters that we never heard about, but he uses his "theories" with amazing comedic effect. He also mixes in some poignant generaliztions about the faith that ring somewhat true (i.e. Salma Hayek "Catholics don't celbrate their faith , they suffer it)

The cast in this flick is great. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are a couple of fallen angels looking for a loophole that will get them back into heaven. Damon is surprisingly relaxed and funny in his portrayal as the angel of death Loki. The only people that can stop them are Linda Florentino (the last zion), Rufus the unknown 13th black apostle, and Jay and Silent Bob (the prophets?). Chris Rock is hillarious as Rufus and Jay and Silent Bob are......well if you have ever seen a Kevin Smith movie you know they are good for some laughs.

Other supporting cast include Salma Hayek (serendipity wow, dont miss her dance scene!) and George Carlin(priceless as the cardinal). Overall the cast is fantastic although Linda Florentino was a little off on her timing.

Watch this film with an open mind and you'll watch it again. If you are easily offended, don't even bother....let the rest of us enjoy it.

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This is an all round great movie that offers so much to the viewer. The plot is original and well crafted. It offers an intelligent, sometimes violent, but ultimately lighthearted telling of two banished angels who have found a loop hole which will enable them to re-enter the gates of heaven. However, this cannot be allowed to happen, for it would negate all existence. It is up to the cynical Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), accompanied by two unlikely prophets, Jay & Silent Bob (who provide some hilarious moments) and the "13 apostle", (Chris Rock) to stop them.

This is probably Kevin Smith's finest work yet, despite it being aimed at a more mainstream market than his usual audience. He uses the same type of characters and much of the same cast as those which made Mall Rats, Chasing Amy and Clerks so watchable. It is a very creative, hilarious, fantasy tale that I can watch over and over again.

The Dvd quality is complimentary to the movie. The 5.1 surround makes full use of its capabilities while the picture is clear. However the extras are dissapointing. For such an interesting movie, it would have been good to understand more about the making of and Kevin Smith's vision, Nonetheless, it is still a must have in your collection.

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I wont review the movie plenty reviews here already. So you want to know about the Blu Ray, well having just watched it inspite of the good reviews before me, I dont quite agree. I dont know what the quality of the DVD is like but I didnt find the blu ray anything special. But what I did find annoying inspite of the fact its supposed to be a 5.1, I found the sound to be sub-standard. The dialogue was low and not crisp and had to up and down volume with the scene. Any action sound was over the top. I just found the sound annoying and no way to par to what it ought to be. Personally Id say just go with the DVD.

PS. I went through the deleted scenes and you wont believe just how bad the quality of them was not even VHS quality. So Id say they didnt invest much if anything into this blu ray hence my suggestion to go for the DVD if half the price, this aint anything special at all. 2 Stars for the blu ray experience.

Hand That Rocks the Cradle: 20th Anniversary Ed (1992)

Who would've thought that The Hand That Rocks The Cradle would've become so popular ever since its 1992 release? After being broadcast on the networks many times and finally put on cable, the viewers ratings show that this thriller is one that manages to gain more popularity with each showing. Starring Rebecca De Mornay as the estranged wife of an obstitrician accused of sexual molestation, she seeks out the woman who brought up the charges (Annabella Sciorra) after her husband kills himself. De Mornay's character, Peyton Flanders, worms her way into Annie's home, posing as a nanny in order to make Sciorra's family her own. The suspense builds to sometimes frightening heights as Peyton begins to destroy Annie's life, misplacing papers and making things not what they seem. The climax is one of the best suspense endings I've seen in my life, and the acting from each person in this film is amazing and truly believable. Unlike so many other movies, this one is not anticlimactic, and flows very steadily from start to finish. A must-see for an De Mornay fan as well as followers of the suspense genre.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is one creepy film but I enjoyed it. Rebecca de Mornay plays a manipulative and revenge-seeking nanny. I am kinda surprised this thriller is directed by Curtis Hanson, doesn't seem like his type of movie. I won't give away too much but De Mornay's character has been through a tragedy and she will stop at nothing to seek solace even if it means driving a happily married couple insane. I highly recommend this cat and mouse game, enjoy!

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The plot is a bit predictable. You'll probably guess most of the plot twists before they come. The demented nanny. The saintly, stuttering black handyman whom she has fired. The mousy, asthmatic wife. The clueless husband. There are sadly, few surprises in this movie.

So why four stars instead of zero or one? Well, Rebecca DeMornay is superbly chilling in the role. She's absolutely believable as the nanny who has her very real reasons for going off the deep end. (In fact one of the few surprises in the film is that she is given a solid reason for flipping out. I sort of hate to say this, but I was kind of rooting for her over the very mousy Annabella Sciorra.)

The scene with DeMornay in the woman's bathroom at the arboretum was great. Her character, Payton, was quite soulless, and she made you feel her chill. She never plays a false note. The stares she gave could stop people in their tracks. You really do think this woman could kill.

Recommended. Worth watching if you want a good, entertaining. And DeMornay's character will stick with you for quite some time. She's that good (and beautiful, to boot.) Because of her story, you actually start rooting for her, except that she's gone around the bend a bit.

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The ethereal, beautiful, and always just a little too frightening Rebecca DeMornay does a star turn in this overly predictable potboiler about a psychotic Nanny run amok.

In THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, DeMornay plays Peyton, the widow of a Seattle-area gynecologist who commits suicide after he is accused by a patient (Annabella Sciorra) of sexual impropriety during an examination.

After losing her own pregnancy as a result of the shock of her husband's death, DeMornay manages to get hired by Sciorra to be the live-in Nanny for Sciorra's newly-arrived baby. As soon as Peyton settles in, she begins the slow and deliberate seduction and destruction of Sciorra's family, with the ultimate goal of stealing both husband and children away from the woman she considers responsible for the destruction of her own life.

Peyton is, ironically, a somewhat sympathetic character, who seems more dynamic than Sciorra's mousy Claire, at least until she starts to spit venom as her carefully constructed fantasy world begins to collapse.

The best thing about THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE is DeMornay herself, who moves from shyness and gentleness to brazenness and cruelty with an ease that is really disturbing. DeMornay is not a great actress, but she always projects an underlying predatory sexuality that THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE exploits magnificently.

When DeMornay's Peyton finally takes leave of her senses she is absolutely, convincingly, terrifying.

Always, ALWAYS, get references!

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Here's a movie whose premise is often unsettling, but the execution, when it takes off, keeps one's attention through thrills and chills. A doctor commits suicide after malpractice charges. His widow, who has apparently led a "normal" life before that, suddenly turns into a vengeful demon (just why is left unexplained). She targets the woman who first brought abuse charges against her deceased husband, posing as a nanny and moving in with a hidden motive of stealing her baby. The doctor's widow turned vengeful nanny is played by seldom-seen actress Rebecca de Mornay, in a generally commanding performance that could well make us wish to see her act in more movies. She's chilling as the grisly villain but a few of her actions are as unexplained as why she turns vengeful in the first place. At one point, as part of her plot, she destroys an important business letter to her target's husband (and father of the baby she plans to steal). She does so in a "toilet stall", preparing to flush the fragments of the letter. But for mysterious reasons she goes ballistic and seems to try to destroy the "stall" by beating it with a plunger. The mother she targets is played by Annabella Sciorra, who, in typical fashion for her, is part riveting, part exasperating. Her husband, played by Matt McCoy, is a longsuffering doter, exasperatingly longsuffering at times through his wife's travails. Julianne Moore has a supporting role in this movie, made before she had (at least to my knowledge) become anywhere nearly the major actress she is today. Her performance herein is a mixed bag, showing considerable acting potential but not clearly foreshadowing the significant actress she would become. But perhaps the show-stealing role herein is that of a mentally-challenged gardener, played by Ernie Hudson. Too bad movie makers apparently didn't take more note of his performance and recognize him as an actor who should have gone places. Given the right roles, I thought he should be one to eagerly wish to see again and again in the movies. But sadly, everywhere else I've seen him, he's far and away wasted compared to this role. Too bad some riveting performances seem to go so unnoticed.

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Striking Distance (1993)

Bruce Willis at the peak of his action hero form playing a cynical hard-boiled cop trying to fight the system. A pre-Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker at the peak of her cuteness. Great character actors like Dennis Farina, Tom Sizemore, Brion James, John Mahoney, and Andre Braugher. Superb on location cinematography shot by Mac Ahlberg in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a cool genre score by Brad Fiedel (love that saxaphone love theme) and on the mark (and wonderfully over the top) direction by Rowdy Herington of Road House fame. Striking Distance is a nice little hard boiled action gem that seems to be slowly gaining a nice little cult following. For fans of 80's and 90's action films, this is a movie worth seeking out.

I was really surprised by the number of negative reviews of this movie. Granted, STRIKING DISTANCE, is not one of Bruce's best films, but I found it to be solidly entertaining, cliches and all. And I think it had some very good twists that I didn't see coming. I found the whole cast, (even (...)Sarah Jessica Parker) to be commendable in their roles. Special kudos to Robert Pastorelli, Dennis Farina and Tom Sizemore. I wanted to be entertained and STRIKING DISTANCE certainly filled the bill for me!!

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Bruce Willis is Pittsburgh cop Thomas Hardy, a former homicide detective who believes his cousin is in the center of the case he is investigating. When Hardy and his sexy new river patrol partner (Sarah Jessica Parker) discover a series of women floating dead in the Ohio River, Hardy begins to believe his cousin, an ex-police officer, is the serial killer, and the whole story goes back to his mysterious family past... Directed by Rowdy Herrington. Pretty good movie, but Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and other movies like that beat this. Worth seeing (!).

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There are two mysteries to "Striking Distance" (1993) which drive this movie and provide the character motivation; as things build toward a climax (and only ten minutes remain to wrap everything up) you know that two has to be one-that the same thing will be the answer to both questions because not enough time remains to untangle two "different" sets of misdirection.

Of course first-time viewers applying first-class logical reasoning skills will never guess the answer, because someone (presumably the writers) cheats at the end and introduces the deus ex machina device. Dating back to Greek tragedy, deus ex machina is when an artificial character is suddenly introduced to untangle a hopelessly contrived plot. Looking back for clues to the involvement of this character you realize that there are none and that the writers have intentionally kept the audience ignorant, a cheap way to surprise the viewer, the drawback being that the technique makes it impossible to inject even the tiniest bit of suspense into the viewing process. What clues there are were inserted just to jerk the viewer around.

They cheat again with another of those stupid villain resurrection fight sequences at the very end. You know this tired stuff, show evidence that the villain could not possibly have escaped then have him Jason-like magically surface alive and kicking. The sad part being that it doesn't work (which must have been obvious during the editing process), it is totally unnecessary, and it could have been seamlessly trimmed out during post-production. Lose those moronic 20 seconds and you could add about 10 IQ points to the target audience.

That said, it is otherwise an entertaining film. Bruce Willis plays a trouble-making Pittsburgh cop named Hardy and.... big surprise.... he's unpopular with the department brass. He is demoted and paired with Sarah Jessica Parker patrolling the three rivers for the River Rescue Squad. Their romance is predictable but the chemistry is good and the relationship has a nice low-key charm. The river patrol provides an opportunity to stage some nice 1940's style action and chase scenes. Hardy is very easy to identify with so you can get a nice vicarious rush from his point-of-view.

Hardy is unpopular because he testified against his first partner in a police brutality case, because he insists that a serial killer is still at large, and that only someone on the force could be the serial killer. So mystery #1 is the identity of the serial killer. Mystery #2 is who killed Hardy's father (a police Captain) about the same time as the first round of serial killings. . His uncle (Dennis Farina) is on the force, and at one time so were two of his uncle's sons, Hardy's cousins and childhood friends. Not much is revealed about them because doing so would require a much more intelligent screenplay. One seems to be a violent nut case so you know he could not possibly be involved in the killings.

Roger Ebert summed it all up nicely in a template: "A rebel cop stirs up trouble and is disciplined, but determines to stay on the trail of a serial killer, while meanwhile he is assigned a partner that first he hates and then he likes, while the killer cleverly tries to frame him. Add several chase scenes and a deadly confrontation in which all of the key characters magically congregate at the same time."

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

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This is a great movie, there is nothing you can not like in this movie.

Bruce willis as well as the rest of the cast did a good job in this movie with very good acting, the plot is also entertaining with some twists in it, the whole thing about how all the family members of Bruce are cops is just cool, reminded me a little of cop land (town of cops), but this movie is even better than cop land.

Tom sizemore performance was also noticable, even Sarah jessica parker was good here.

currently, i only own a VHS copy of the movie, but if any one have not seen it yet, my advice is to buy the DVD because this movie is worth it and is FULLY ENTERTAINING !

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