Griff the Invisible (2010)

By day Griff has the usual office job where he is bullied by his workmates and is only ever visited by his brother who tries to make Griff conform to society. By night Griff takes on the alternate persona as the town's superhero protecting the city streets. Griff is invisible to the world until he meets his brother's new girlfriend, Melody who turns Griff's life upside down with her eccentricities that only match his own.

Griff the Invisible is a very touching story that blends the lines between reality and illusion that is definitely worth at least one watch and I would highly recommend it. The story isn't too similar but if you like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind this movie is definitely worth a chance.

Lov superhero movies, Netflix had this and stopped weirdly half way through and just needed to watch in its entirety. Good fun quirky film

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Legend of Zorro & Mask of Zorro

This set contains both Zorro films! Each movie is wonderful with Antonio Banderas perfect as Zorro! I am giving this set 4 stars for the price, and for the transfers. A quick breakdown of each film is as follows:

The Mask of Zorro: 4 Stars! Zorro (Banderas) returns to action against Montero and his band of evil doers! After Spain is run out of California, the original Zorro (Hopkins) is locked away by his mortal enemy, Montero! To add insult to injury he takes his infant daughter Elena (Zeta-Jones) as his own. Now Montero has returned with a sinister plot to buy California for his own! It is up to the old and new Zorro to stop his sinister plot and teach Elena the truth about her past!

The Legend of Zorro: 3.5 Stars! Zorro (Banderas) is called by the people of California again to stop the sinister plot by Armand (Sewell) that will destroy the union. Zorro must also save his wife (Zeta-Jones) and son from his evil clutches as well!

NOW FOR MY BLU-RAY THOUGHTS: The Mask of Zorro looks good, but it could have been better. It certainly suffers a little from age, but it's the best it's ever looked. The Legend of Zorro looks fantastic! A beautiful picture with sharp contrasts and amazing color! Each film has very good audio mixes. SPECIAL FEATURES: All special features are carried over from each special edition DVD. FINAL THOUGHTS: As a box set, this is an absolute winner! Especially if you can get it for under $30. ABSOLUTELY UPGRADE!

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Black Snake Moan (2013)

I was drawn to this movie because I enjoyed director Craig Brewer's earlier film, "Hustle and Flow". If anything, I liked "Black Snake Moan" even better. The movie combines tawdry and lurid components with a tale of love, forgiveness, and hope. I don't think the film is exploitative. Instead it suggests in a simple way how sensual and redemptive parts of life often complement each other.

In thinking about this movie, I was reminded of George Eliot's novel, "Silas Marner", the bane of every high school student. In Eliot's novel, Marner, an embittered miser finds redemption when he raises Eppie, an orphaned girl, from childhood to young adulthood. Similarly, "Black Snake Moan" tells the story of a middle-aged black American man, Lazarus, portrayed by Samuel Jackson, who feels embittered when Rose, his wife of 12 years, leaves him for his best friend. Lazarus happens upon a young scantily dressed white woman, Rae, played by Christina Ricci, who has been beaten and left near-dead on a country road following a wild party. Lazarus takes her into his home and tries to teach and care for her. Ultimately, the movie suggests, both Lazarus and Rae receive a kind of hope, Rae by marrying her boyfriend, Lazarus by finding what may be a promising new relationship.

The story gets life through a great deal of tawdry sex. At the turning point of the movie, Lazarus chains Rae to a radiator to prevent her escape. Rae was a victim of sexual abuse and a neglectful mother, and in her boyfriend's temporary absence for military service, she throws herself at every man she can find. She appears in the movie scantily clad, in a cut-off blouse with a Confederate flag and in shorts. Lazarus has his own frustrations to work out from the loss of Rose, his wife. A black preacher, the Reverend R.L., played by John Cotham, helps both Lazarus and Rae and is the quiet hero of this movie.

In this movie, atmosphere and scene count for a great deal. The story is set in a small Tennessee town near Nashville, and the story is redolent with poor Southern life, both black and white. There is scenes in shacks and farms, and small town stores and streets, and in clubs and bars that bring the movie to life. Brewer shows the same love for and knowledge of the rural South that he showed in "Hustle and Flow". Most importantly there is music. The tale of sex and redemption is captured in the flow of the blues in a soundtrack and in performances by Lazarus himself. Jackson spent long hours learning the blues guitar in preparation for this movie. The movie includes two scenes of footage with the great Delta bluesman Son House holding forth appropriately on love, loss, and the blues. Music is a redemptive force in people's lives, and in this movie of the hot-blooded South, redemption comes through the blues.

I found the tawdry elements of this movie an essential part of the story it had to tell. "Black Snake Moan" is rewarding.

Robin Friedman

So, let me get this straight. The Deep South. A young, white woman (Christina Ricci) who is also a nymphomaniac, ends up on the doorstep of an aging, black blues singer (Samuel L. Jackson) and he decides to chain her to his radiator. Have I returned to another era of filmmaking? When I first heard about this story, I did a double take. "Black Snake Moan" could be very bad; there are a lot of inherent problems with this story. Or it could be very good; the synopsis has so many weird, uncommon elements that it almost guarantees it will be something wonderful. I am happy to report the latter is true.

I didn't love "Hustle and Flow", writer director Craig Brewer's last film, but I liked it. I just wasn't won over by the story of a pimp who wants to become a rapper. If there's anything we learned from the film its "Don't you know it's hard out there for a pimp".

So when I first heard about "Black Snake Moan", Brewer's follow-up, I was not excited. Then I started to really pay attention to the previews and the images. Okay, this is going to be one strange movie and sometimes strange movies are beautiful because they have a license to go places we don't expect. "Black Snake Moan" is all of these things; strange, beautiful and also contains great performances from Jackson (one of his best) and Ricci (certainly her best).

The first thing "Black Snake" does is set up the two main characters, establishing their lives, before they meet. This may sound like a given, but Brewer spends a significant amount of time showing the despair each person has in their lives, for different reasons, giving us a chance to get to know each of them.

Rae (Ricci) begs her boyfriend Ronnie, (Justin Timberlake) to not go to Basic Training. But he has to go, this is the only way they are ever going to escape the trailer park they live in and have a chance to escape their white trash roots. She runs after the truck in her daisy dukes and oversize flannel shirt and then drops to the ground, crying. As soon as he is gone, she gets the `itch', something she is only occasionally able to control. This time, she won't be able to control it. She calls up the local small time drug dealer, a black man, and they are soon going at it in a seedy motel room. Later, she attends a large party, wearing the same daisy dukes and a cut off t-shirt bearing the Confederate flag (really just a strip of cloth making a valiant effort to cover her breasts, frequently giving up the fight) and tries to hook up. With anyone and everyone. Unable to find someone, she takes some pills and before you can whistle Dixie, she is running around in her panties and a football guard playing a game of football with some friends. Before you know it, she is having sex on the lawn, amid hundreds of used plastic cups. Later, she ends up with a bloody nose on the dirt road outside of Lazarus' small farm.

Lazarus (Jackson) has troubles of his own. A former Blues musician, he learns his wife has been cheating on him with his brother. She wants to leave, but his brother won't leave without his blessing. Lazarus shows great restraint in a confrontation between them. The local preacher, a childhood friend, tries to offer him guidance, but Lazarus won't have any of it. Returning home drunk, he throws all of his wife's possessions into a garbage bag before passing out. The next morning, he takes the garbage bags out to the trash and spots the young girl. He soon realizes she is hurt and tries to figure out what to do. If he calls for help, he will be immediately blamed and may end up in jail. He decides to take her in and help her. He visits the local pharmacist, Angela (S. Epatha Merkerson, TV's "Law and Order") and she gives him some cough medicine for `his niece's' cough.

Fading in and out of consciousness, Lazarus helps her get rid of her cough and tries to help with the black eye and the cuts and bruises. In a moment of lucidity, she attacks Lazarus, trying to tame her `itch' and have sex with him, leading him to find out about her nymphomania. In order to control her, he chains her to the radiator.

When she comes to, wearing her panties and t-shirt, she assumes something happened, but he assures her it didn't. Well, if he wants to, he can, as long as he lets her go. He won't have any of it. He has to help her.

This only begins to scratch he surface of "Black Snake Moan". Because the film is basically about these two characters, and we spend a significant amount of time with them, we learn a lot about each. But it is a testament to each actor that these moments of knowledge come through their performances, one of Jackon's best and certainly Ricci's best to date.

Christina Ricci deserves a lot of credit for the simple rawness of the performance. There aren't many actresses that would take on this type of role, let alone abandon themselves to the character. Rae is half nude throughout most of the film. Naturally, this character, a woman so loose with her sexuality, so promiscuous, would find nudity a natural thing. And the character does bare her breasts a few times. She also has sex with more than one person. But all of these images are presented in a very matter-of-fact way and illustrate the character's soullessness. When she meets Lazarus and he starts to care for her, this behavior stops, because he won't allow it. Gradually, as she realizes he cares for her, she starts to listen to him. She doesn't change completely, or quickly, making the character seem all the more natural.

This performance is very raw and fitting for the character. Ricci seems to give everything she has to the role, making it a memorable, vibrant performance. When she starts to change, we have lived part of the journey with her and we feel as though we have changed with her.

Samuel L. Jackson also seems to lose in the role of Lazarus. Every time we go to a movie, we may recognize the actors playing the role. Not surprisingly, the less famous an actor, the more easily they `become' the character they are playing because we are more likely to forget they are an actor playing a role. Samuel L. Jackson has made many films, many of those very popular, so he is very recognizable. An established actor always has more difficulty disappearing into the character. But Jackson seems to disappear into this character for large stretches of time, allowing me to forget I was watching the famous actor who has also appeared in "Pulp Fiction ", "Snakes on a Plane" and many others. The fact that he can fully immerse himself into the character at all speaks to his ability to make this character seem real.

From the moment we first meet him, we experience some of the troubles Lazarus has with his community, with his wife, with his life. When he finds Ricci on the dirt road, he has to help her. But he has to be cautious. It wouldn't look good for an aging black man to be seen with a half naked white woman, let alone one who has been beaten up. So he looks both ways, to make sure no one is watching and takes her inside.

The more involved he gets in her recovery, the more we realize he needed such a `project' to give meaning to his life. This also brings him into contact with the pharmacist, a woman who clearly has a little `itch' of her own for the aging Blues singer. Throughout the course of the story, Lazarus heals through his interactions with the young lady and may be able to get his life back on track after all.

Justin Timberlake is also good as, Ricci's boyfriend. Going beyond stunt casting, he actually shows he has some acting chops as he makes the character's difficulties real and substantive.

"Black Snake Moan" is a simply made film. The action centers at Lazarus' small farm in the middle of nowhere. Occasionally, he goes into town or other characters come out to the farm and interact with him, but I can't imagine this film cost a lot of money to make. Which makes sense because I am pretty sure if the budget for this film were too high, it never would have been made.

I'm glad "Black Snake Moan" was made, because it contains two great performances, introducing us to characters we have never seen before, and likely are not to see often again. It is also a believable, well-made tale of redemption for two people who need to have some meaning in their lives.

This strange film is, at times, quite a beautiful film.

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Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) directs his second mainstream film and John Singleton produces. Black Snake Moan stars Samuel L. Jackson as Lazarus, a religious man living in a small southern town. Lazarus is also a blues musician. His demons are that his wife left him for his own brother and for this he is riddled with anger. Christina Ricci plays Rae, who is an overly promiscuous girl who is traumatized by a history of child sexual abuse. On top of that her boyfriend Ronnie has left to join the National Guard. Ronnie is played by Justin Timberlake. After Ronnie leaves, Rae ends up having a pretty bad evening that leaves her scantily clad and beat up in the middle of a dirt road. She is left on a road just in front of Lazarus's house. After helping her get better, he soon comes to find out who Rae is and what kind of reputation she has. Lazarus sees this as a sign from god that he must heal her of her wickedness in order to receive some redemption for himself. So he ties her up to a giant 40 pound chain.

The film has a great atmosphere. It comes off as sticky and sweaty throughout and plays with that imagery as the characters develop. It consistently offers references to blues music and the characters are loud and full of life. It comes off as exploitative in some ways but that is ultimately done for a greater cause. Samuel L. Jackson is always good, even in really bad movies, but this is one of his best roles in many years. The real star here though is Christina Ricci who I've always felt is doing whatever she wants for now but one day she will be hailed as one of the best actresses around after a performance that hits the mainstream just right. Unfortunately for her though Black Snake Moan has not yet been a commercial success. None of that really matters though because it is still a very good movie although both Jackson and Ricci are even better than the screenplay and direction demand.

Some people say the film is hypocritical for sexualizing Rae and offering several erotic scenes with her, while at the same time presenting a negative view of sexuality. Firstly, I disagree that the film portrays sexuality as a negative but instead portrays excess as a negative. I did not feel hammered down by any messages that sex is wrong. Secondly, Black Snake Moan is definitely not meant to be erotic. It certainly rings of exploitation films but by watching Rae's transformation away from nymphomania and toward stabilization, away from her history of abuse to some degree of resolution, away from vulnerable to honest and confident, and away from being naked to being clothed; I can't help but think this is a fiercely unsexy film that is against hypersexuality alone. To be pro-spirituality and critical of actions often perceived as sinful is not puritanical and not even necessarily anti-sex. I would even argue that this movie uses religion only as a tool, but healing in general as its primary message despite the powerful Christian overtones. No matter how you look at it Black Snake Moan is, above all, a film that reinforces morality. It also happens to be quite entertaining.

Read Best Reviews of Black Snake Moan (2013) Here

Black Snake Moan sure has a weird hook. Setting: Deep South. An older black man who plays the blues keeps a white nymphomaniac on a chain to cure her of her horniness. About half-way through, my husband turned to me and said "And why exactly did you think I would like this movie?" I winced and said I thought it would have blues as more of a central theme. But guess what, he stayed around and pronounced it a good movie after all! His summary is the best: "everyone has their struggles, and you are never really free of them."

The performances are exceedingly strong, the setting of Tennessee bucolic and beautiful. You really feel as if you are in this small, rural town where everyone knows each other.

Black Snake Moan is bold, and really gives you a sense of empathy for the different characters. Most importantly, it provides hope that if you have your own struggles, someone will be out there for you as well, not to judge you or cure you, but to love you.

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"Black Snake Moan" isn't a perfect movie. I am definitely not a fan of Justin Timerlake, as a singer or an actor. I find it weird that the makers of this film would really think Timberlake was the best person to play the part of Rae's boyfriend.

For the most part, however, I find this movie enjoyable because it is differnt from what is normally available in the theatres. I only saw the director's last film, "Hustle & Flow," after I saw "Black Snake Moan." This guy definitely has a different way of looking at things, and I hope he does not let too many Talking Heads start making creative decisions for him as he crafts his films.

For a movie with an unrealistic premise, I think that the conclusion of "Black Snake Moan" is very realistic. I feel that most people who view this will, at the very least, be entertained by a unique flick.

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Insignificance (The Criterion Collection) (1985)

Those who say that "The Man Who Fell To Earth" (1976) was Nicolas Roeg's last great movie either have not seen "Insignificance"(1985) or have vastly underestimated it. All the trademarks of a Roeg film are here; surrealism, spectacular visuals and a uniquely intelligent story.The idea that Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstien had an intimate relationship is explored here with great gusto. Misconceptions about Monroe's intelligence and Einstien's intellectual elitism are shattered here although her baseball player husband(DiMaggio)is what the viewer would expect.The climax is both unpredictable and mind blowing. All in all, Russell and veteran cast are great and Roeg's craftsmanship is uniformly excellent.

In this quirky highly original film director Nicolas Roeg posits the theoretical question, what would happen if Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio and Senator Joe McCarthy were all gathered together in the same hotel room for one evening in 1953?

An eclectic gathering indeed. If it helps you to conceptualize where this film is headed, think of this as an evening of psychotherapy for the rich and famous. Marilyn wants to be loved for her brain, yet continually relies on her sex appeal for attention. Her husband and sports legend Joe DiMaggio wants to express his deep feelings of love for his wife but can't seem to express himself without a pack of baseball cards in his hand. Meanwhile Senator Joe McCarthy is busy scowling and perfusely sweating as he continues a campaign of threats and intimidation against everyone in the room.

Einstein's quiet evening alone has definitely taken an unexpected turn. Between the emotional angst displayed by the vulnerable sex kitten, the inept attempt at reconcillation by her superstar husband and the politics of fear levied by the Senator, the usually aloof, unattached scientist finds himself in an environment beyond his control, even for one of his mental capabilities. It turns out to be an evening of personal discovery for all involved.

'Insignificance' is really a mixed bag, one of those films you either get it or you don't. Not by any means a great movie, but it has its moments, the best moment being Marilyn's attempt to impress Dr. Einstein by explaining his theory of relativity using toy trains and flashlights as props. Very cute, thank you Theresa Russell!

This may not be a film that would stand up well to alot of repeat viewings but worth a viewing nonetheless. Starring; Michael Emil as Albert Einstein, Theresa Russell as Marilyn Monroe, Gary Busey as Joe DiMaggio and Tony Curtis as Joe McCarthy.

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CONTAINS A FEW SPOILERS. While "Two Deaths" (1995) showed a few flashes of the directorial brilliance that seemed to come so easily to Nicholas Roeg between the early seventies and the mid-eighties, I would argue that "Insignificance" was his last great film. Roeg was not a writer, but he managed to put his unique stamp on nearly every film he directed between his mesmerizing solo directing debut, "Walkabout" (he was co-director on "Performance" prior to that), and this allegorical gem, "Insignificance." This film followed by two years Roeg's underrated "Eureka," a film which baffled the suits at MGM/UA, and was not released until a couple years after it was completed. "Insignificance," with a script adapted by Terry Johnson from his stage play, was a more low budget film than "Eureka," and, to paraphrase another interesting director, Whit Stillman, when a lot of dollars are involved your movie is more likely to get sabotaged by "jerks." I can't decide myself if Theresa Russell's portrayal of "the actress" in this film is the high water mark of her career, or if that came in 1981 in "Bad Timing: a Sensual Obsession," her first collaboration with Roeg, whose wife she had become by the time "Insignificance" was shot. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Russell in 1981, during her promotional tour for "Bad Timing," and she told me at the time she considered her work opposite Dustin Hoffman in "Straight Time" the acting she was most proud of to that point in her career. But to "Insignificance" itself, this is a movie I find fascinating, but which I'm sure some would find utterly pretentious. What saves it from that charge is the humor that runs through this film, despite the seriousness of the subject matter: the unleashing of atomic weapons, communist witch-hunts, and, while it may see of lesser importance, the nature and burdens of celebrity and having to live up to some manufactured image of oneself. The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent. It is appropriate that Tony Curtis, at least lately a decidedly right wing, anti-gay activist who campaigned against "Brokeback Mountain getting Best Picture, is cast as "the senator," who is obviously meant to be Joe McCarthy. Curtis, a fine actor, brings some of the smarmy charm of his character from "Sweet Smell of Success" to this film as well, albeit a charm filtered through an alcoholic haze. Gary Busey is perfect as the famous former baseball player, who realizes his glory days are gone, and that he will forever live in the shadow of his wife's greater fame. And Michael Emil, so good in a number of his brother, Henry Jaglom's quirky low budget films ("Sitting Ducks," "Always") is fine as "the professor," who has come urge the US government to not use his great discovery for additional destructive purposes, but to use it to promote peace--a position for which the senator has no sympathy. The scene in which Russel, as the actress, demonstrates her understanding of the professor's theory of relativity using a toy train set is not to be missed. Roeg never made a film this interesting again. After a few attempts at films of substance, such as the failed "Track 29," derailed by a weak script, Roeg signed on to direct more mainstream fare. Some like "The Witches" were at least competent and entertaining films. Others, like the TV mini series "Samson and Delilah," seem beneath him. In the end, Roeg was the victim of the passing of the time of the powerful director in commercial film making. Some of the strong (and/or commercially successful) still survive, but many, like Roeg, have had to abandon the adventurous path of their earlier films in order to maintain a viable, or semi-viable career.

Read Best Reviews of Insignificance (The Criterion Collection) (1985) Here

I've never been a fan of director Nicolas Roeg.

I prefer straightforward storytelling in my movies and his work is just too cryptic and experimental for my taste.

Nevertheless, even aside from Roeg's kaleidoscopic images, I'm not quite sure I get the complete message that screenwriter Terry Johnson is trying to put across in INSIGNIFICANCE, an adaptation of his stage play that deals with a fictional meeting between 1950s icons Marilyn Monroe (Theresa Russell), Albert Einstein (Michael Emil), Joe DiMaggio (Gary Busey) and Senator Joseph McCarthy (Tony Curtis), none of whom are specifically identified in the film.

Perhaps the movie is about the burden of "celebrity," or the fact that "knowledge is not necessarily truth," or maybe it's about those ideas and a few others. Certainly there are many different thoughts tossed about in the picture's 108 minute running time.

Einstein, played by Emil with a childlike innocence, and Monroe are the central figures in the piece, and the scene in which she uses flashlights and various toys to explain to him his "theory of relativity" is a delight. Also memorable is a scene with the scientist and the DiMaggio character where the great athlete justifies his "celebrity" with the fact that he was featured in 13 series of bubblegum baseball cards.

Busey is marvelous as DiMaggio, as is Ms. Russell in capturing the persona of Monroe. Indeed, all of the actors shine in their individual roles. It is their performances, as well as many of the well-written scenes from the original stage play, rather than Roeg's flair for "opening up" the action, that make INSIGNIFICANCE worth watching.

Among the extras in The Criterion Collection edition of the 1985 film are recent interviews with Roeg, his producer (Jeremy Thomas) and the film's editor (Tony Lawson). There is also a vintage "Making of" featurette and a 26-page booklet filled with essays about the picture.

© Michael B. Druxman

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Note: Will require a multi-region DVD player to view in the America's.

In this quirky highly original film director Nicolas Roeg posits the theoretical question, what would happen if Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio and Senator Joe McCarthy were all gathered together in the same hotel room for one evening in 1953?

An eclectic gathering indeed. If it helps you to conceptualize where this film is headed, think of this as an evening of psychotherapy for the rich and famous. Marilyn wants to be loved for her brain, yet continually relies on her sex appeal for attention. Her husband and sports legend Joe DiMaggio wants to express his deep feelings of love for his wife but can't seem to express himself without a pack of baseball cards in his hand. Meanwhile Senator Joe McCarthy is busy scowling and perfusely sweating as he continues a campaign of threats and intimidation against everyone in the room.

Einstein's quiet evening alone has definitely taken an unexpected turn. Between the emotional angst displayed by the vulnerable sex kitten, the inept attempt at reconcillation by her superstar husband and the politics of fear levied by the Senator, the usually aloof, unattached scientist finds himself in an environment beyond his control, even for one of his mental capabilities. It turns out to be an evening of personal discovery for all involved.

'Insignificance' is really a mixed bag, one of those films you either get it or you don't. Not by any means a great movie, but it has its moments, the best moment being Marilyn's attempt to impress Dr. Einstein by explaining his theory of relativity using toy trains and flashlights as props. Very cute, thank you Theresa Russell!

This may not be a film that would stand up well to alot of repeat viewings but worth a viewing nonetheless. Starring; Michael Emil as Albert Einstein, Theresa Russell as Marilyn Monroe, Gary Busey as Joe DiMaggio and Tony Curtis as Joe McCarthy.

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The X-Files - Fight the Future (1998)

"The X-Files: Fight the Future" is an endlessly fascinating and complicated movie that ties together all the mythology pieces from the popular series upon which it's based. Although I think that people who never watch the show can enjoy this movie, I doubt they can understand it very well. Heck, I watch the show religiously and I still don't think I understand everything.

However, it succeeds in introducing the audience to the characters of Agents Mulder and Scully, without rehashing the things that are familiar to the fans of the show. When we are first introduced to our favorite duo, their conversation on their cell phones is enjoyable to both old audiences and new ones alike.

The film also makes clear the deep affection and love Mulder and Scully feel for each other--something regular viewers already know--which comes to a head in the famous hallway scene outside of Mulder's apartment.

The film is top quality, as we've come to expect no less from "The X-Files," with an intelligent story-line, great action sequences and special effects, and plenty of aliens to satisfy the sci-fi junkie in all of us. But don't get me wrong--you don't have to be a sci-fi junkie to enjoy this film. You have to like a good suspense/thriller, with some action, intelligent story-telling, and yes, a little bit of hinted-at romance. I mean, for "The X-Files," any 'Shipper will tell you that this is a pretty romantic movie. As one of those so-called 'Shippers, I was very angry at that darn bee, which was my biggest disappointment.

The DVD itself is nicely presented, with all the theatrical trailers, an informative commentary track by Rob Bowman and Chris Carter, and an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. Best of all, it has added footage not originally in the theatrical version.

This DVD is sure to please all forms of movie-goers. =)

I wouldn't pretend to be one who regularly watches the television series on which this film is based. However, I've often watched and have always marveled at how life is played out in the head of creator Chris Carter. To base a motion picture on a television series, you have to give a regular viewer more than you would normally and yet still make the movie comprehensible to the viewer of happenstance. I think Mr. Carter succeeded.

The movie opens in the past. Quite a ways past, in fact. 30,000 B.C. in a place we now know as North Texas. At this point in time, North Texas is a cold and barren place but something happens which sets the stage for what is about to come.

After this incident, we move to "present-day" Dallas, Texas where the FBI is investigating a terrorist bomb threat in the Federal Building. We shortly meet our two heroes, agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). In short order, we're told that the X-Files have been closed but that Mulder and Scully are still partnered. Scully is somewhat exasperated because her partner is again being unorthodox and searching another building across the street from the one the rest of the Bureau is searching. Finding nothing, Scully and Mulder prepare to leave the building when Mulder decides to buy a soda from a nearby vending machine. Instead, what he finds is the vending machine unplugged and a bomb -a very big bomb -inside it. And Mulder is locked in the room with it. This being the 90s, Mulder calls Scully on his cellular phone and she arranges to have the building cleared and the FBI team brought to the building to get Mulder out and defuse the bomb. One part of the plan works.

This is brilliant screenwriting because once you accept that agent Mulder is a tad unorthodox and has an uncanny knack for stumbling into the truth, it's completely believable to believe a scenario that would have a terrorist call in a threat to one building and blow up a different one. The resulting explosion evokes memories of the Oklahoma City bombing quite chillingly. However, instead of Scully and Mulder being hailed as heroes, they're hauled in front of an inquiry to explain why five people died instead of the countless number that would have died had the bomb not been discovered.

As Mr. Carter points out in a short "Making Of..." presentation before the movie begins, the truth is not always the truth and things are not always as they seem. The Dallas bombing sets off a chain of events which takes us not only through the Southwest, but to England, Antarctica, and Tunisia.

This really is an excellent piece of filmmaking and there's lots of credit to go around. First, there's a solid, finely nuanced story by creator/screenwriter Carter and collaborator Frank Spotnitz. This is a piece of work that stands completely on its own. You don't have to be a fan of the television series to enjoy the film; however, the movie is almost completely consistent with the series and fits like a puzzle piece with it. The acting is really quite superb. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are fresh and lively in their portrayals of Mulder and Scully. There is a guest appearance by Martin Landau as a conspiracy theorist doctor who, in shadowy fashion, guides Mulder toward the truth. Blythe Danner appears as the chief investigator of an inquiry where the outcome seems already determined. Series regulars are much in evidence as well. Mitch Pileggi as Assistant Director Walter Skinner and, especially, William B. Davis as the Cigarette-Smoking Man keep the action moving throughout the film.

Regardless of whether you're a fan of the series or not, this film will make a fine evening's entertainment.

[Originally written 18 October 1998]

Buy The X-Files - Fight the Future (1998) Now

At the end of the outstanding fifth season, Chris Carters genius found a new canvas via the silver screen in this, the culmination of five years of superb episodic television. On the silver screen; The X-Files, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are in every way movie stars and the genre in this format are visually stunning. Chris Carters genius shines through as this film was made prior to shooting the fifth season of the episode and therefore they had to design the entire fifth season around the film. In no uncertain terms, Chris Carter and the other producers of the series proved that they could exceed even their own high standards and take the genre to the silver screen. The only real question is, now that the series is over after nine years, are or when are they going to film a second movie?

The premise: MINOR SPOILERS

At the conclusion of the fifth season, The X-Files have been closed as those who have been conspiring with the alien forces have desired to do, since Mulder and Scully were getting a little too close to their flame.

The movie opens with a stunning scene taking the viewers back thirty five thousand years where we witness an encounter between cavemen and an alien. We're then taken to the present day where Mulder and Scully are in Dallas, TX. The X-Files are closed and they're working as normal agents, searching for a bomb on a hot Texas day. Unfortunately for them, although Mulder discovers the location of the bomb, it still goes off, killing a senior agent and supposedly three other people in the building. This leads to the FBI needing scapegoats and directing the separation of Mulder and Scully. Of course, Mulder can't sit still for this and in the only way he and Scully know how, they begin to uncover the conspirators' plots.

What follows is simply a silver screen masterpiece as we are finally, after five wonderful years of questions, given some answers. Unfortunately along with these long awaited answers we find that there are more questions. As the producers of the show have stated all along, they've been making television movies all along and were ready for the big screen, so right they were.

Exceptional performances by David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, William B. Davis and Mitch Pileggi. Nods to Chris Carter and director Rob Bowman for casting Martin Landau. Mark Snow who has done the score for every episode is, of course, given the opportunity to exceed his own high standards in the film, as the score is beautifully played out. Highlighting the score is the film being digitally THX mastered.

Bonus Features:

The Making of "The X-Files;" Audio Commentary; Extra Footage and Theatrical Trailers. Included in the DVD case is a special eight page booklet giving a short synopsis of several of "The X-Files" key players and a small card displaying one of the many wonderful paintings done of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny.

I would highly recommend this film, even for the casual viewer or somebody new to the genre as the filmmakers ensured to make it accessible to even those who'd never once seen an episode.

Read Best Reviews of The X-Files - Fight the Future (1998) Here

The X-Files "Fight the Future" takes place after the end of season five when the X-Files have been shut down. FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully ( Gillian Anderson) are assigned to a Federal building in Dallas to locate a bomb. Unfortunately, the bomb goes off before it can be defused, and an FBI agent as well as three fireman and a boy are killed in the explosion. The FBI needs someone to blame for what happened and look to Mulder and Scully. Wanting to find out what really happened to save their careers, Mulder starts searching for clues. He soon encounters a paranoid doctor ( Martin Landau) who reveals to Mulder a conspiracy dealing with a deadly virus that could be alien in origin and capable of destroying all life on earth. Mulder and Scully are soon forced to put their careers and lives on the line, when they are pitted against a powerful group of men known as the Syndicate, who are somehow connected with the virus and willing to kill to keep their secrets safe.

The X-Files film "Fight the Future" offers a very enjoyable transition from the television series to the big screen. I first saw the film, back when it was released in theaters. I had never seen a single episode from the show, and even though there were some things I did not understand, like who the Lone Gunmen were, the Syndicate's role in the overall conspiracy, etc., the film managed to entertain me. Now that the prices on the DVD sets for the show have been reduced, I was able to go back and finally watch the first five seasons. I recently watched the film again, and I really enjoyed it because I was finally able to understand all the smaller details that eluded me the first time around. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are in fine form once again as Mulder and Scully. Martin Landau was very good as well. Fans of the show will be happy with the film, because it does a very good job expanding on the overall mythology, as well as bringing in characters from the show like Assitant Director Skinner played by Mitch Pillegi, the Lone Gunmen, and the Cigarette Smoking Man played by William Davis. The special effects, action sequences, and suspense this film brings will entertain people who have never seen the show.

In my opinion, "Fight the Future" can be enjoyed by hardcore fans of the show, as well as a person who has never seen the show. I know this from experience because I was able to watch the film from both points of view. In fact, it was seeing the film the first time around that made me want to watch the show in the first place. The DVD itself offers top notch picture and sound quality, as well as commentary from Chris Carter, and an in-depth featurette on the making of the movie and the transition from the show to the big screen.

A solid 5 stars...

Want The X-Files - Fight the Future (1998) Discount?

Even if you've never seen an X-Files episode, you will love this movie. This movie has all the makings of a cult classic (just like the show). I did not watch the X-files show until after I saw the movie in 1998. Now I am a X-Files watcher for life. It's nice to have a movie and TV show that excites your intellect as well as your senses. Chris Carter has outdone himself David Duchovny is masterful in his portrayal of Special Agent Fox Mulder, the "Spooky" yet brilliant agent in charge of the X-Files (the cases the Bureau deems unsolvable and strange). Gillian Anderson is wonderful in her portrayal of Special Agent Dana Scully, the perfect counterpart to Agent Mulder, he is mysterious in his personal life and has his head in the clouds at times, she is a down to earth (unless she's been abducted again) and no-nonsense agent that deep down loves the drama that ensues everytime she goes on an assignment with her partner. Yes, there is a sexual overtone to certain parts of the movie, but in the show there are sexual inuendos in every episode Mulder and Scully are obviously in love, but I agree with Chris Carter, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in saying that the relationship MUST stay at a non-sexual level (at least until the show is over) so don't expect Mulder and Scully to hop in the sack in this movie you will be disappointed if you do. Buy this! The script is even more interesting than the movie it has lines and scenes that were cut from the movie and you can see where David Duchovny does his wonderful improvisation. The film cells are interesting just remember it takes 16 frames of film to make one second of a movie so don't expect to see a scene from the movie. Very nice, glossy 8x10 posters and the "Making of..." Video is very insightful. Buy this collection you will not be sorry!

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A Bug's Life Combo Pack includes DVD BLU-RAY (1998)

For some reason, this early Pixar movie was released for sale multiple times, the first being DVD only, the second time being this DVD/Blu-Ray combo in the standard DVD packaging, and all subsequent times in Blu-Ray packaging. The 2nd release is the best deal by far; both Blu-Ray and DVD formats at an affordable price. Having watched it, the package comes with all the same features as the subsequent 2-disc Blu-Ray packaging release. There is the movie itself, the standard Pixar short, outtakes, interviews with cast members, and as a bonus, an old Disney cartoon upon which A Bug's Life was based. Sound and visual quality was great, and the movie itself is a wonder, entertaining people of all ages.

Love the blu ray version of this movie and glad I now own it! When I have my own kids they'll love it as much as I did im sure!

Buy A Bug's Life Combo Pack includes DVD BLU-RAY (1998) Now

Another great job from Disney/Pixar. My one and three year old boys love this movie. It's age appropriate for toddlers, while still being enjoyable for older children and adults. The combo pack was great, as we keep the blu-ray for our family room TV, and the DVD can be taken with us for the car or a trip to grandma's. (It's definitely worth the extra few dollars not to have to worry about misplacing or forgetting the movie somewhere.)

Read Best Reviews of A Bug's Life Combo Pack includes DVD BLU-RAY (1998) Here

Thanks for the fast service. the Product as described and my daughter loves the movie.nice doing business with your company.

Want A Bug's Life Combo Pack includes DVD BLU-RAY (1998) Discount?

Awesome movie. I've been holding out on buying it for a few years because it is so expensive but it was worth it. Now that I have a baby, I've got an excuse to have movies like this but really, it's for me.

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American Gangster (2007)

This viewer rented the DVD form of AMERICAN GANGSTER, having passed it by in the theatrical run, thinking that it was yet another 'crime and corruption in New York' genre film. It was surprising to discover that this very long film (just under three hours in the Unrated version) is completely riveting and in a way far different than the usual gangster film: this story, based on real people as outlined in an article by Mark Jacobson (transformed for the screen by Steven Zaillian), and while it has its share of grisly killings, it seems more concerned with the issues of integrity in the face of police corruption as embodied in the character of Richie Roberts, the etiology of the heroin use escalation following the Vietnam War, and the presence of a 'Black Mafia' lead by one Frank Lucas. It is delivered with compelling gusto and intelligence by director Ridley Scott and has some of the best acting of the year. In other words, this is not a film to be lightly dismissed as a Hollywood retread, but instead it is a tense drama with many very fine points.

Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) follows the footsteps of his idol Bumpy (Clarence Williams III) who 'ran' the Harlem streets, and when Bumpy dies, Lucas inherits his mantle. Lucas is wise, cunning, a gentleman, a powerhouse of ideas, and quickly finds a way to bring the best uncut heroin from the Far East to the streets of New York at a price that undercuts the other mobsters' product. To establish his control he enlists his family, including his brother Huey (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and rapidly becomes the kingpin of the streets.

Simultaneously within the NYPD we meet Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) whose personal life is a mess but who, with his partner Lou (Ted Levine) discovers corruption in the NYPD and more particularly the Drug Enforcement sector of the police: Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) works with the existing drug lords, grabs their drugs and money and then recycles both to his benefit. During a particular drug bust, Richie and Lou discover a stash of nearly a million dollars and turn the money into the police a deed that makes the duo seem foolish and lose the respect of their fellow cops but establishes Roberts as a man who is committed to being a good detective.

From these two separate studies the film weaves the development of each character and the interaction between Roberts and Lucas we know will take place. The end result may be known to those who followed the story as it developed in the 1970s, but for those for whom this true story is new information, the resolution of the film is fast-paced, thrilling, illuminating, and just plain fine cinema. Both Washington and Crowe are in peak form, as are those in the many small roles (Ruby Dee, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal, Carla Gugino, Cuba Gooding etc). This is more of a drama than an action film and while many may feel the final moments of the movie are weak, they do reveal the true ending of the story and say a lot about the narrow line between crime and criminal investigation. This is one of Ridley Scott's most successful films and one that will be around for many years as a model for the medium. Grady Harp, February 08

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)American Gangster 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition

In American Gangster Ridley Scott has created the perfect storm of an American movie masterpiece. An amazing group of actors, headlined by Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe, produces a very convincing period piece of 1970s New Jersey and New York and the crime culture that existed there. It's hard to feel anything but shame watchig this movie. This movie is both believable and tragic, and it startles me that neither Crowe nor Washington received nominations for two incredible performances.

The Story and the Script

The story is supposed to be based on the real life exploits of Frank Lucas. Movies like this usually exaggerate. The fact that this movie is so believable makes it all the more tragic. There are no black and white characters and we are left to choose between murdering drug pushers and crooked cops.

The writing and the story structure are both excellent. The plot is developed slowly and masterfully. While there is less shooting and action than one would expect from such a tale, the movie is filled with drama and suspense.

Cinematography

They have managed to create a period piece here that is beautiful, gritty, real and romanticized. The framing of the actors and the skylines are beautiful. Much of the scenery and shots are darkly lit. This is most often used in the scenes with the police in their shadowy research rooms, clearly to juxtapose them against the Lucas empire, almost always shown in the light.

The first disk in the unrated edition is in a beautiful widescreen. Don't know why they list this as full-screen, perhaps because there is a full screen version available on the other side. The

Acting and Direction

I don't know whether it's award winning acting or directing that makes the end result so good, but I would be willing to guess that it's both. Denzel is steady and appears to be taking on a similar persona in his recent films. Crowe is more fantastic than even his normal performance, portraying the troubled police investigator caught between a crime ridden New York / New Jersey and the even more criminal Special Investigative Unit.

All the acting is great, and this movie could easily have won for best ensemble cast. Josh Brolin is solid in a limited though well executed part. The directing is textbook mastery.

Bottom line, this movie should have gotten nominated for best actor, best supporting actor, best direction and best picture. It probably should have one a few of those categories. Michael Clayton, Eastern Promises? Give me a break.

The nominations for art direction and for Ruby Dee as best supporting actress in a very limited role were not enough compared to the strength of this movie.

Features and Extras

The unrated extended edition has an entire disk of special features. The making-of extra is not just a featurette, it's a feature-length documentary. You get an in-depth look into every aspect of the film's creation.

There are also three in depth "case-files" on film research, script adaptation and police techniques.

The deleted scenes include an alternate opening sequence. Finally, the theatrical trailer includes writer and director feature commentary. A very nice set of extras indeed.

Conclusion

This is absolutely a masterful , one of the best this year. This DVD needs to be added to your collection.

Enjoy!

Buy American Gangster (2007) Now

we've been here many times before. This film offers nothing new to the genre, but it is still a terrific film.

Ridley Scott is an already proven director who is well overdue for an Oscar, but just what attracted him to this story is something of a mystery. Perhaps being a diverse director with films like the first Alien and Gladiator he wanted to add another genre to his credits and that is admirable (more admirable than Martin Scorsese who keeps making the same film over and over again and then wonders where the Oscar is). However, Scott could have selected a gangster film that didn't include so many tributes to better films in the genre (The Godfather, The Untouchables and Serpico come to mind). In this regard the film disappoints even though Scott directs his great cast in both subtle and stylized fashion. He deserves kudos for his efforts if not for the end result.

Speaking of the cast, it is hard to criticize Crowe and Washington, however, their roles are not very original and Crowe, while good, pales in comparison to the ever-charismatic Washington who is simply playing a variation of his Oscar-winning character in Training Day. Crowe is simply playing a more subdued version of Al Pacino's Serpico role of the honest, but conflicted cop up against criminal elements both within the police force and outside of it and it takes its toll on his personal life. I know much has also been made about Cuba Goodling's cameo role in this film, but there is seriously nothing great here. It's a whole lot of news about nothing really. I do not see Oscar nods for anyone in this film as solid as they are; they just never reach that level of excellence. In fact, I don't see Oscars for this film at all as the plot and characters are too familiar, the film needed editing/trimming, the photography is too often murky (even out of focus at times), and the music was often monotonous or just plain forgettable.

Okay, Steve, then why give four stars to a film in which I have so many negative things to say? Well, as I've said this before in other reviews, just because a film has some significant flaws doesn't mean it isn't entertaining. I greatly enjoyed this film. Washington, while not giving an Oscar-caliber performance this time around, is always compelling to watch. Crowe is sympathetic and believable as the cop out to bring down Washington. In addition, he story does have its clever moments and plot twists and just as Brian DePalma wisely had few scenes in his The Untouchables wherein Eliot Ness (Costner) and Al Capone (DeNiro) actually face off, this film follows in that same vein. Washington and Crowe share very little screen time and in this kind of story that approached worked for which the writers and the director deserve praise. Lastly, while Ridley Scott does nothing boldly new with his entry into this genre, he is a top-notch director who is only a little off his game with this film.

I don't think many will be disappointed with this film if they go into it with lower expectations. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to purchasing it when it's released on DVD. It has good repeat value and I hope the DVD has extras that include background on the true story on which it is loosely based.

Warning: As a parent of a 15 ½ year old and an 11 year old, I'm careful about what my kids view, but I have been known to let them see some R rated films on rare occasions, but only at home where we can talk about what we are viewing. I've recently started seeing some R films with just my son as he is extremely mature and is obviously growing up and out of many PG and PG-13 kind of films. His first really "mature" film was the recent Michael Clayton with George Clooney and he loved that. It's mature in that its both R rated for language and adult content, and is story/character-driven and not propelled by mindless violence and sexuality. This film, American Gangster, was his second mature film. He is a huge Denzel fan and he loves mobster films, so this was a "must-see" for him. While there is no nudity in the brief sex scene in this film, there is considerable nudity as Denzel's character has nude girls make his drug packages. They are nude so that they can't hide any drugs on them. The scenes lack any sexuality to them, but it is nudity just the same (and there is quite a bit of it). As a parent of a middle teen, I was okay with it and my son handled these scenes maturely, but I thought it fair to mention this to other parents who may be in the same boat as myself raising maturing teenagers.

With Respect,

Steve

Read Best Reviews of American Gangster (2007) Here

There's little new in director Ridley Scott's "American Gangster." However, the emphasis on characterization over violent action is refreshing. Denzel Washington gives a compelling performance as real-life Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, with Russell Crowe equally impressive as New Jersey detective Richie Roberts the man determined to bring down Lucas' heroin empire. An excellent supporting cast features standout portrayals by Josh Brolin and Oscar-nominated Ruby Dee. Regardless of the predictable outcome, Scott manages to keep the pot boiling for 157 minutes. "American Gangster" does not rank with the classic crime epics, but remains a solid achievement.

Want American Gangster (2007) Discount?

'American Gangster' is the story of Frank Lucas (Washington), the Harlem druglord who began as a driver and bodyguard for the notorious Bumpy Johnson, and ended up controlling a multi-million dollar heroin empire in his peak. Most of the film takes place during the Vietnam War, and without giving too much away, this circumstance plays a major role in Lucas' success. In fact, some may be shocked by the nefarious actions revealed by this aspect of the film. And of course, what's a good gangster flick without the righteous yet down on his luck cop, played here by Crowe, serving as the determined antagonist to Lucas' dreams of grandeur? There are also plenty of crooked cops to go around, and this plays an important role in the story as well.

It is a very well-crafted film, and Washington and Crowe put on remarkable performances as usual, but unfortunately the film doesn't really offer anything new. At bottom, it is just another glamorized rendition of a ruthless criminal figure (who maintains a veneer of respectability) who has claimed his piece of the American pie through crime and brutality. Take Goodfellas, throw it into a pot with New Jack City, add a dash of Serpico, and voila; you have American Gangster. Also, the film is apparently only semi-true, as many liberties have been taken with the story. All in all, a well made film that gangster/cop film buffs will enjoy, but those looking for something deeper will probably not find much here to write home about. 3.5 stars.

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Alien (1979)

Amazon's reviewer calls this movie overrated and drawn out, while the Leonard Maltin movie guide review seems a bit baffled that some people like this kind of entertainment. Don't listen to either of them. Alien is, quite simply, one of the best movies ever made in both the sci-fi and horror genres. Those who complain that the film takes too long to get going suffer from some kind of cinematic attention span disorder; Ridley Scott draws his scenes out because he wants to build tension and establish a sense of realism before introducing H.R. Giger's terrifying creation. Unfortunately we can all see that the monster is just a guy in a suit during the closing sequences when Scott finally lets us see what the big slimy nemesis really looks like, but otherwise the film hasn't aged a bit since it came out two decades ago. The DVD is great too, with excellent picture quality and a really great commentary track, despite some disastrously inappropriate menu screens (the interfaces are all CG-rendered glitz, which really doesn't go with a movie known for its slow, elegant, quiet suspense). Anyone with any interest in horror or science fiction films in general should pick up this classic immediately.

"Alien" is one of the most intense Sci-Fi thrillers to have ever graced the silver screen or the home theater in any format! It is the film's intensity that provides such an incredible draw to this extraordinary film. If you're looking for a lot of action, this film is not really what you're looking for; "Aliens" is where the intensity and action comes into play in the line of Alien movies; the whole theme behind "Alien" is to scare to pants off of you with extremely intense scenes and if you've never seen this movie before, it may very well do just that! Never before in the history of this genre had there been a film of this magnitude and few have matched it in it's intensity since.

Now, with this latest release, fans of "Alien" are treated to the best release of this film yet. The very first thing you'll notice when you put this DVD into your player is that you have the option of playing either the 1979 Theatrical Release or a 2003 Director's Cut. The 2003 Director's Cut is preceded by an interesting introduction by Ridley Scott himself. This cut is put together seamlessly and the additions to the film add just that much more flavor to the film, making it that much better. The only downside to this edition and I believe this just stems from the time in which this film was made, was the audio. Despite having the options of THX and 5.1 Dolby Surround or 5.1 DTS, the audio playback just isn't what it should be.

Copious amounts of credit and accolades go to the incredible cast for this outstanding cinematic treasure! Although I wouldn't go so far as to say that "Alien" is "the" movie that made Sigourney Weaver a star, I would say that it was the one that made her a superstar! And since the release of this film and the following three in the Alien legacy, she will forever be known for these roles and probably very few others, except maybe her role in "Ghostbusters."

Director Ridley Scott, who has directed some of the most influential films in just over the past quarter century, deserves high praise and acclaim for "Alien" and the direction he took this film in. There are several directors out there that may have made as many or more films than he has but few have enjoyed the success he has had and a lot of that success can be directly attributed to the work he did on this film!

The Premise:

Although never clearly defined as to when, it is the future and America has expanded Earth's atmosphere and is sending mining ships out there... The Nostromo, a civilian mining vessel is making the return trip home from an expedition and the crew is in cryo-freeze for the trip home but "Mother" the ships computer wakes them up to investigate what appears to be an alien SOS message.

As the crew goes through the necessary steps to investigate the signal on a small planetoid, the tension builds right to the moment that Kane (John Hurt) is deep within the bowels of the alien ship and is leaning over what appears to be an egg...

What follows from there is most certainly one of the most intense Sci-Fi thrillers ever to have been brought to the silver screen. I highly recommend this exceptional film to any and all who're fans of movies in this genre. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

For those that have been waiting for a special edition DVD of "Alien" with all of the bells and whistles, this edition is most assuredly it!

-1979 Theatrical Version (Deleted/Extended Scene Index) (Alien Vs. Predator Teaser Trailer)

-2003 Director's Cut (Ridley Scott Introduction) (Deleted Footage Marker)

-Full Length Audio Commentary with Director Ridley Scot, Writer Dan O'Bannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings, Actors; Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt (Both Versions) +

-Behind the Scenes Featurettes:

*"Star Beast: Developing the Story"

*"The Visualists: Direction and Design"

*"Truckers in Space: Casting"

*"Future Tense: Music and Editing"

*"Outward Bound: Visual Effects"

*"A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film"

*"Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978"

*"The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet"

*"The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design"

*"The Chestburster" Multi-Angle Sequence with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott

-Sigourney Weaver Screen Test with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott

-Still Photo Galleries

-Deleted & Extended Scenes

Buy Alien (1979) Now

ALIEN received mixed reviews when it debuted in 1979--largely from science fiction critics, who accused it of being little more than a sort of "Friday the 13th in Outer Space," a blood-and-gore horror flick given a futuristic twist via some problematic special effects. But while these accusations have more than a little truth, it has been an incredibly influential film--and even today, in the wake of CGI effects, it still holds up extremely, extremely well.

The story is well known: the crew of an interstellar craft responds to what seems a distress signal, only to encounter a remarkably lethal alien life form that boards their ship and sets about picking them off one by one. Some of the special effects are weak (the alien spacecraft and the android "revival" are fairly notorious). There is little in the way of character development, the film has a fairly slow pace, and the story itself is predictable; you can usually guess who is going to die next.

BUT. The art designs are incredible: the entire look of the film, from the commercial nature of the spacecraft to the iconographic alien itself (brilliantly envisioned by Giger) is right on the money. Director Ridley Scott encouraged his cast to ad lib from the script, and the result is a shocking sense of realism--and the somewhat slow pace of the film and the predictablity of the story gives it a sense of relentless and ever-mounting paranoia that is greatly enhanced by the tight sets and camera set-ups. With its odd mixture of womb-like organics and cold mechanics, ALIEN is a film calculated to send even the most slightly claustrophobic viewer into a fit of hysteria.

The entire cast, led by Tom Skerrit and Sigorney Weaver, is very, very good--and the film abounds with memorable images and scenes ranging from John Hurt's encounter with the alien egg to Skerrit's search of the ship air ducts to Weaver's terrifying race against time as the ship counts down to self-destruct. Seldom has any film been so consistent in design, cast, direction, and out-and-out fear factor, and although certain aspects of ALIEN are open to legitimate criticism the end result is powerful enough to bring it in at a full five stars. A word of warning, however: you'll need to send the kids to bed for this one. And you'll probably be up half the night afterward yourself! Recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Alien (1979) Here

Many have tried and failed to repeat its success, but nothing can beat the masterpiece that is Alien. Unleashed at cinemas in 1979, the film is a flat-out classic sci-fi horror flick, using extreme moments of suspense to build up the scary scenes. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is a ground-breaking classic that still holds up amazingly well today, and made an international superstar if Sigourney Weaver.

In Alien, the terror begins when the crew of the spaceship Nostromo are instructed to investigate a transmission from a desolate planet, as they are on their way back home to Earth. Upon their arrival, they make a horrifying discovery a life form that attaches itself to the victims face, using it as a host before breeding inside the body. The life form then removes itself, waiting for the young it has planted inside the human victim to be born and explode through the stomach. A gruesome description indeed, which is why the film is so brilliant. The alien is now on board the spaceship after it exploded through the stomach of one of the spaceship's crew, all because the remaining crew foolishly let him back on board. It's now up to the crew to stop this alien menace, and fight not only for their own survival, but the survival of all mankind.

Sigourney Weaver stars as Ellen Ripley in her film debut role. Weaver is absolutely perfect for the role, and was practically the first girl-power type female heroine who single-handedly carries this international blockbuster right through until the final minutes. John Hurt also plays Kane to excellent effect, especially in his death scene as he frantically wriggles on the table with the alien inside him. Harry Dean Stanton is brilliant as Brett, as is Tom Skerritt as Dallas. Yaphet Kotto is also perfectly cast as Parker, who provides many on-screen laughs. Veronica Kartwright (who later went on to star in The X-Files some 20 years later) stars as the loveable Lambert, the only other female member of the crew along with Ripley. Ian Holm as Ash is absolutely brilliant in his role as the android secretly sent on board to bring back the alien life-form, while in his eyes, and "Mother's" all other crew members are expendable. The acting in this film is really first-rate, which is another big factor in why the film works so well.

Many scenes from Alien are classics, and are all equally scary. The first really scary scene we witness is when Kane investigates the egg in which the life-form is waiting to spring out onto his face. The noise it makes is enough to give anyone nightmares, and the deathly silence that proceeds after the event is truly eerie. The first extremely shocking scene we get is when the alien explodes from Kane's stomach. The noises it makes, and the screams of pain and terror from the crew members is most disturbing, rivalling anything previously set in horror films such as the scenes from The Exorcist. Ripley's confrontation with the robot Ash is truly terrifying. After she discovers exactly why he is on board and what the truth behind their the mission, he tries to kill her, by blocking all the exits in the spaceship. It's only when the remaining crew (those who haven't been killed off by the alien) come to her rescue that Ash reveals his true self, spinning around the room with white liquid exploding from every orifice. Before long, Ripley is the only surviving member of the crew. On her own, she proves herself to be a true action hero as she finally defeats the alien on board.

All in all, Alien is a terrific sci-fi horror movie that plays with your senses incredibly well. Nothing happens for the first 30 minutes, and that is exactly the director's intent. By doing so, a feeling of extreme suspense is instantly formed, leaving you on the edge of your seat until the very end. When you think of the film when not watching it, you'll think of the long corridors and the eerie silence that stalks them, as these are the scenes that you remember most vividly because of the suspense created.

I urge anyone who hasn't seen Alien to pick up a copy and watch it today, because you really are missing out on a landmark film that redefined the way people think of space, and the horror movie genre in general. As they say, "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream."

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That was the fitting tagline to this 1979 classic. Alien is certainly a masterpiece of the Sci-Fi/Horror genre. Ridley Scott's richly atmospheric and lavishily detailed direction immediately makes this a film that stands high above all of its rivals.

The story itself is simple and harkens back to those 1950's space creature pictures. The production design is simply marvelous. The design of the Nostromo is filled with realistic details, and creates a claustiphobic atmosphere. H.R Giger's contribution is simply breathtaking. His design of the derilict spaceship and the Alien itself has been much imitated since. The seven foot creature is truly a work of art. Only Aliens came close to really recaptuing the striking horror and beauty of the creature.

The cast which featured Sigourney Weaver in her debut, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm. Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright and Harry Dean Stanton is diverse and each adds something to the film. The music score by Jerry Goldsmith is filled with all sorts of eerie & strange sounds and creates a stomach churning atmosphere.

The pace of the film is slow by todays standards, but it's what creates the build up for the several shocking encounters with the Alien. The 20th anniversary DVD is fiiled with extras, looks and sounds terrific and is a must have for fans of this film.

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She's Out of My League (2010)

Most comedies out there today are complete and utter garbage. Most romantic comedies could be written by brain-dead zombies and have more originality. After watching hours of that drivel (my wife likes them), She's Out of My League was refreshing. For the first time in far too long, I laughed out loud at a romantic comedy. The movie was genuinely funny, meaningful, and not always predictable.

Despite the scenario (hot girl, deadbeat guy), She's Out of My League doesn't peddle the usual bromides about "love being blind" or "good things happen to good people." Rather, it's about self-esteem. This makes the characters and plot more interesting and subtle. I'm not going to claim that there's Oscar-winning character development in She's Out of My League, but Molly, the hot girl, and Kirk, the not so hot guy, do seem like realistic personalities. Kirk does not "refashion" himself into a stud (although there is one incident with shaving a certain area...). Molly isn't the "perfect" hot girl, but has insecurities of her own and a need to play it safe. They're helped by a decent script with dialogue that doesn't seem too forced or awkward (except for the cursing see below). It is kind of possible to see why they fall in love with each other it makes sense in a way that most romantic comedies don't.

My only problem with the movie is the overload of cursing and sex references. I understand that's standard fare in most comedies nowadays. Frankly, I found most of it funny. Sometimes, however, it just became too much (how many times do you really need to drop the f-bomb? You don't actually need it to express anger in every scene). It got to a point where it seemed like the scriptwriters couldn't think of anything better to fill the space. Fortunately, this doesn't take away from the movie too much, but it might not be a good idea to watch this with anybody who's sensitive about those sorts of things.

She's Out of My League had real potential, and I'd like to see more work from this set of directors, scriptwriters, and actors (well, maybe better scriptwriters). Overall, 4 stars.

Ok, we've all seen this story before. average guy gets the hot chick, an unbelievably hot chick I might add. Its the same storyline in a lot of romantic comedies, but what keeps us from going to watch them when we know they are all alike? They each have there own little twist. The particular twist in League is that the guy is an unattractive Security worker at an airport who meets the hot chick by a series of events that we all wish would happen (dont deny it you guys we all wish life worked like it does in the movies). Anyway, after seeing the previews your either thinking 'Hmmm... this might be a good movie' or 'OH GOD another stupid comedy about a loser and a girl' there is no 'WOW, this looks amazing' crowd. I was in the group that thought it looked good, so I had to check it out for myself. I was downright happy with this movie. It was funny, it was loving, not to mention the disney movie references the fat guy kept making. I dont think I'm the only one who thought Stainer, one of the friends in the movie, had a Napolean Dynamite vibe to him. The way he talked and looked just screamed 'Frickin Idiot'. It was good enough to see twice ad it is good enough to be going in my dvd collection when it comes out. I gave it 4 stars because lets face it, its been done before, and I can't help but to think that its just gonna make all the single unattractive guys out there feel a little down!

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'She's out of my league' is a movie that works. Rather than relying on tired dirty jokes and cliche's, and despite it's goofy looking promo poster, it is quite insightful into our shallow perceptions of relationships.

Part of it's success is the main character, Kirk, is just very average and humble. He's not self-deprecating in a rediculous way, he's just very straight-forward, with a dose of low self-esteem. Even his more-attractive love affair, Molly, is a pleasant person, rather then some poster-girl stereo-type. Even better is the fat guy (forgotten his name) who's mature outlook helps him to lead a contented life. It's the good characters that make this movie worth watching.

On the whole, everything is good; the dialogue is usually interesting, the jokes are ok, etc. As you can guess, the movie is about a really hot woman who starts falling in love with a man who considers himself unattractive. The man finds it difficult to accept such a hot girl could like him, or that their relationship is justifiable. There is a raft of side-plots and characters that add to the overall entertainment. Overall, the whole movie is very enjoyable. Rating ***1/2

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When I started to see the previews for the film, I thought it could be a nice mid day typical funny movie. However I was laughing so hard, and when it was over I knew I had to see it again soon. This movie is so funny and because of the somewhat unknown cast, the jokes became funnier.

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Emaciated and timid, Kirk (Jay Barachul) is a man who is referred to by his friends as a moodle man poodle. He's the fixer-upper who never gets the girls. When graded by his friend Stainer (TJ Miller), the best Kirk can be is a 6 out of 10, and that's being generous considering his atrocious car. It's Kirk's fortuitous encounter with Molly (Alice Eve), however, that begins to change not only his mind, but the opinions of his unsupportive friends and family.

Filmed in Pittsburgh Primanti Brothers and Mellon Arena are highlighted the movie really comes off as genuine. Sure, the hot chick never goes for the guy who is so skinny his nipples touch, but it was even less believable thanr that execrable disgrace The New Guy; somehow it worked, and it even had a little Serendipity vibe to it. Tal Bachman said it best with their definitive song: "She's so high above me, she's so lovely." She's too good for him, yet realism oozes out of the movie.

Perhaps it's because the actors played who they actually probably are in real life. Alice Eve looks like she has always been the over-achieving cheerleading captain who buckles men's knees, so the role was probably not a stretch. Similarly, there is no doubt in my mind that Jay Barachul has received multiple toilet swirlies in his time. Stealing every scene, however, is TJ Miller. What a cool, socially aware Napoleon Dynamite might be, Miller is hilarious, and looks like the guy who got big laughs since he was a child. For such a young, somewhat inexperienced cast, there are no lulls or weak links.

The one glaring flaw in the screenplay (other than the aforementioned improbable skinny dude and hot chick connection) is an uncomfortable ball shaving scene the most unbelievable scene in movie history. Yes, more unbelievable than Ben Affleck as an oil worker who goes into outerspace as a temp astronaut to land on an asteroid and mine into it to deposit a bomb which will split the asteroid which is the size of Texas into multiple pieces that will narrowly miss the Earth and avoid an extinction level event.

Fun, quick-moving, and worth the time. I recommend it, even if it does toe the line of chick flick.

Jason Elin

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42nd Street Forever: The Blu-ray Edition

Synapse's awesome 42nd Street Forever series finally makes its Blu-ray debut, and we should all be thankful for it. A best selling and beloved series that collects a smorgasbord of bizarre grindhouse-era movie trailers and presents them in all their nasty glory, the Blu-ray edition of 42nd Street Forever features trailers for a whole mess of horror, science fiction, exploitation, blaxploitation, and other assorted unsavory flavors of trash including The Deadly Spawn, John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon's Dark Star, David Cronenberg's underrated Rabid, They Call Her One Eye (Thriller: A Cruel Picture), Ms. 45, Sugar Hill, Chained Heat, Flesh Gordon, The Italian Stallion, They Came From Beyond Space, and tons, tons more. Outrageous, gratuitous, ridiculously over the top, and featuring a bevy of familiar faces peppered throughout a number of the films advertised here (including Tommy Lee Jones, William Devane, Sharon Stone, Ernest Borgnine, Linda Blair, Marilyn Chambers, Sylvester Stallone, Sybil Danning, Kennan Wynn, and lots more) all help make this collection an excellent pick up. If you already have the DVD's that Synapse released originally, there's no real reason to rush out to pick up this Blu-ray edition, but if you don't have any of the 42nd Street Forever series and any or all of what I said sounds right up your alley, you need to pick this up.

Exploitation fans, drive-in buffs, and aficionados of cult and obscure cinema have long regarded Synapse's 42ND STREET FOREVER compilations as some of their favorite video releases. A retrospective of movie trailers culled mostly from the `60s and `70s some for independent films, some for obscure studio product, and many hugely entertaining this bestselling series has finally released its first Blu-Ray edition and the results do not disappoint.

If you're a series fan, the content here won't be a total surprise, the bulk of it coming as a mix of trailers previously released on the first two DVD editions. However, a few new surprises have been added in, with of course the enhanced benefit of having 1080p AVC encoded transfers that further transform your home theater set-up into a cavalcade of politically UN-correct gore, sleaze, sex, and comedy.

At nearly four hours and with 89 trailers on-hand, it's difficult to comment on them all, but here are a few of my favorites:

-Raiders of Atlantis: Hilarious "Road Warrior" rip-off with one of the all-time funniest decapitation scenes ever and it's in this trailer! (Incredibly, the film itself just surfaced on DVD, in 16:9 no less, as a part of Mill Creek's 2011 "Sci-Fi Invasion" 50-movie bargain pack).

-Skatetown USA: Scott Baio, Epstein from "Welcome Back Kotter," Marcia from "The Brady Bunch," Ruth Buzzi, Flip Wilson and "introducing" Patrick Swayze? Someone tell me why this disco-skating flick isn't on DVD!

-The Crippled Masters: A favorite from the earlier compilation, in full scope widescreen.

-Wicked, Wicked: Early `70s MGM B-movie offered the first and last usage of "Duovision," a two-camera set-up that failed to sell this bizarre looking camp horror outing.

-Welcome Home, Brother Charles: `70s Black exploitation outing with a particularly memorable trailer.

As with the prior 42nd Street Forever retrospectives, the trailers are grouped together by category, from sleazy soft-core sex flicks to biker pictures, martial arts outings, sci-fi and horror, with the occasional big-studio film worked into the mix (like, say, MGM's hysterical Japanese co-production "The Green Slime").

The transfers are all superior to Synapse's admittedly terrific DVD sets (with many in anamorphic widescreen), but are also a mixed lot in terms of their condition, as you'd anticipate from materials that aren't pristine but that only adds to the disc's inherent nostalgic, and overall entertainment, value. In fact, I've found that playing just a few minutes of these trailers is perfect for certain houseguests and friends you might have over, who are certain to get a kick or two out of them. Commentary by exploitation fan/webzine authorities adds some insight to the fun as well.

Here's hoping Syanpse doesn't wait so long to bring us a second volume!

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Oh man, where to begin. This is one of the most excellent blu ray releases ever, from one of the leading providers of cult film cinema, Synapse Films!

225 mind numbing minutes of trailers, from some of the most insane genre films imaginable. Nothing more, nothing less (well you do get a commentary track with folks from Fangoria and the like, which is pretty entertaining).

A good number of these films I have never even heard of, while other ones I feel I saw the whole movie before the trailer ends! We're talking a good time here folks, moreso if you are a horror, cult, sleaze, action junkie. Perfect for a long night of drinks and hanging out.

Synapse rules.

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If you're a fan of grind house cinema then you have to get this. No exception. You'll see things in this set that will blow your mind. Essential viewing. Don't think about getting it, just order it and sit back and let the filth fly.

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Not all of the coming attractions are interesting, but I had a lot of fun watching this since I have seen most of the films. Not for all tastes, but if you are a fan of horror and "grindhouse cinema," see it.

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Big Trail (1930)

This review is for "The Big Trail" (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONCE AGAIN AMAZON HAS LUMPED REVIEWS FOR ALL VERSIONS OF "THE BIG TRAIL," THUS DENIGRATING THIS DVD VERSION!!!

I am baffled as to why reviewers have given the restored 70mm (wide screen) version of "The Big Trail" anything but five stars. As other reviews have indicated, the film was made on the cusp of "talkie" movies and the innovation of William Fox's 70mm The Grandeur Process that would eventually lead to modern day wide screen format films in 1953--twenty-three years after "The Big Trail." As such, viewers need to keep in mind that the script, filming, and editing were all based, in various degrees, upon the silent film format of filming. Furthermore, this is not really what I would call a "western" by today's standards, although it clearly is the template for the genre. Nor is is it an action or drama film. Rather, "The Big Trail" is a silent movie "lag" that has seldom been repeated in movies with sound: it is, what I prefer to call (I have no idea if there really is such), an EPIC genre film. The "frontier," the "trail" and the "story" are the movie; not the characters, the plots, or the themes. The history of the film is, as discussed by others, a sad one; but hopefully this new release (2008) of "The Big Trail" will vindicate its greatness.

WARNING: If you like "traditional" westerns, lots of action, drama, or other modern aspects of the western genre, "The Big Trail" will most likely not appeal to you. "The Big Trail" was made before CGI, wide spread use of models and stage sets, and standardized props and costumes. Instead, Walsh went for "realism." And he had the advantage of having both worked as a "cowboy" on cattle drives and spending time with well known American Indian leaders. I cannot state for certain, but I believe that Raul Walsh wanted to re-establish a base line for how westerns should be made. "The Big Trail" was definitely a good start; unfortunately the economy and the times were not ready. Even more unfortunate, when Hollywood did restart the western genre, they took Raul Walsh's ideas and bent them in the "wrong" direction. As such, then, you may want to stick with your favorites or check out "newer versions" of "The Big Trail," such as "How The West Was Won."

As I stated above, I feel that "The Big Trail" is the template that started the western genre of movies with sound. In deed, I would argue, that while I label it an "Epic" genre film, it is the mother of the western genre, and one of the finest "westerns" ever made. The fact that it has not been available in its filmed format until now is most likely why so few--if any other--link subsequent westerns to this film. Most notable of these "innovations" is the use of western settings as an integral component of westerns. "The Big Trail" majestically displays the beauty and splendor of the west, as Raul Walsh filmed in at least two locations each in Arizona, Montana, and Utah; three locations in Wyoming; five locations (including Sequoia National Park for the conclusion) in California; and one or more sites in Oregon. (Many of the scenes include vistas of over five National Parks). The entire film was shot on location and on a budget of approximately $2 million dollars! Many of the locations seen in "The Big Trail" are not even there today.

Unlike many subsequent movies and television shows about "settlers" going west, "The Big Trail" actually depicts many (rather than none, one or two) of the true hardships endured in their journeys. The film shows people dying of thirst and other environmental hazards; and while not overtly stated, portrays the fact that more people died from the "elements" than from the one "Indian" attack (which have become the center piece of newer westerns). Walsh shows babies--human and animals--being born; couples getting married; spouses and children dying; the elderly dying; and many other aspects of life on the trail--including internal strife. Many of these aspects became templates for future films; others were never--to my knowledge--shown again. For example, it shows the wagons actually being lowered by ropes over cliffs! "The Big Trail" also establishes the types of characters that became central to the western genre--in particular, the rugged individualistic loner; the tough guy. Conversely, I don't think another western has come close to capturing the nature of Tyrone Power Sr.'s character, Red Flack, in costume or portrayal of the "grungy bad guy." And one cannot ignore the fact that it was Raul Walsh who dared to take an unknown "actor" named Duke Morrison, change his name to John Wayne, and cast him as the lead. That 23 year old Wayne doesn't seem polished to many should be no surprise; rather that Wayne does so well is a true harbinger of his future in films. Add to this the fact that many of Wayne's lines were not written (by request of Walsh) but rather elicited by the other character's lines--often impromptu as well--and I find Wayne's performance to be one of his finest! But I know that it will still take many years before Wayne's critics wake up and recognize that he really was a great actor as well as a great presence on the screen--his personal opinions aside.

Another phenomenal aspect of this movie, which has not really been touched on, is that there were actually four casts--American, German, Spanish and Italian stars--and the film was shot in both 70mm and 35mm (full screen at the time). That means that Walsh had to shot each scene at least four times with two different types of cameras--more cameras if he wanted extra footage. This in itself is amazing, especially given that there were: 1) nearly a thousand Native American actors and extras--including Charles Stevens, a grandson of Geronimo, and Nino Cochise (uncredited), a grandson of Cochise (both Cochise and Geronimo are legendary Chiricahua Apache leaders); 2) over 2000 extras; and 3) over 1500 animals (horses, cattle, oxen, pigs, mules, etc.).

In deed, I would (as a non-trained film critic) not be surprised to see "The Big Trail" compared to, and eventually seen as superior to, many of the movie classics. For those who have seen previous releases or the film on television, please rent or buy this version to enjoy the real version of "The Big Trail"--I have both. The quality of this DVD, especially given the age and processing that it had to go through is superior to many "new" movies. The bonus material is informative, although the the commentator, film historian/author Richard Schickel, is often biased in his comments and his commentary does have inaccurate information (e.g., Moisie is not in Utah, but Montana; and the buffalo scene was filmed there on the Flathead Indian Reservation because the herd was the only sizable herd left in 1930).

Please Note: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks.

Finally a DVD transfer of the "Holy Grail" of early widescreen epics.

This 1930 film directed by Raoul Walsh was intended to make 22 year old Duke Morrison a star.

And indeed it did.

While John Wayne became a star, this striking ahead-of-its-time 70mm widescreen film was dismissed, forgotten and virtually lost. In the 1980s it was rediscovered and restored but previous DVD releases were only the alternate 4x3 format since most theaters at that time (early 30s) were unable to show a widescreen format properly. And most TVs were "square" as well.

Fox publicity says it accurately and simply: "In this sweeping pioneer adventure, a courageous young scout (Wayne) leads hundreds of settlers across treacherous cliffs, through brutal snowstorms, Indian attacks and buffalo stampedes to their destiny out West. Along the way, he loses his heart to a beautiful pioneer woman (Marguerite Churchill) and never stops trying to win her love. Tyrone Power Sr (not the Tyrone Power you probably first think of) co-stars in this visually spectacular epic."

Digitally restored and re-mastered from the original 70mm elements, an alternative full-frame edit is also included in the DVD package.

Extensive extras include:

* Wonderfully detailed commentary with film historian/author Richard Schickel on the 70mm widescreen presentation

* The Creation of John Wayne

* Raoul Walsh: A Man in His Time

* The Big Vision: The Grandeur Process

* The Making of The Big Trail

* Galleries

* Publicity

*Original Posters

*Pressbook Gallery

* Trailers

Not bad at all. It took a while, but Fox is treating this film like it deserves!

This film has been shown on TCM in its true aspect ratio. Every time I see it when channel surfing, I get sidetracked and stick around. The BW cinematography is beautiful and the story is engaging.

On a lot of levels, it was way ahead of its time in scope and ambition and visual sweep. It is certainly worth seeing not just as an anomaly of early filmmaking but for the pure entertainment value. Duke Morrison's performance is confident and charismatic and it is fun to see him become "John Wayne" in front of your eyes.

Highly recommended.

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This is an epic movie for so many reasons....not the least of which is that it is the first major starring vehicle for John Wayne and he is very good and startlingly young and handsome to boot. Legendary director Raoul Walsh made an asbsolute spectacular film and THIS edition is the first release of the 70mm WIDESCREEN version!!! I won't go into the story or the history...there are very servicable featurettes on the DISC that give great detail and help the enjoyment of the picture. The second disc contains the lesser 1:33 version. The restoration is pretty darned good for a 1930 movie and I couldn't be MORE pleased to finally have this "important" movie in this format and aspect ratio!

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"The Big Trail" and "The Quiet Man" are clearly the two best of John Wayne's films. Fox has relegated "The Big Trail" to the trash heap . . . considering "old" to be worthless. Should the folks at Fox figure out the "pure gold" that they have, they would put this classic on DVD in its entire original format, with the ENTIRE CLOSING MUSIC, without dropping a single frame of the original. I, for one, would purchase a few of a complete DVD, should Fox "figure it out" and step up to their responsibilities. Fox, that film is not improving with age. It's time you get busy and save this masterpiece before it's too late. If you wish, you could even add a second DVD as a bonus (at extra price) giving a history of the making of the movie . . . whatever. Thousands of us will pay the price. You have a diamond in your hands, and are treating it like a "rhinestone".

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This is a film that really deserves to be seen in its widescreen glory. This is truly an epic film. However, I feel compelled to point out that the version that is available on this DVD is not, in fact, a "cropped" version of the film. The movie was actually filmed in three different versions. The first two, featuring the original cast, were the widescreen "Fox Grandeur" version and the version available here, shot in the Academy Standard ratio, which allowed the vast majority of cash-strapped theaters (they couldn't afford the special equipment for widescreen projection) to exhibit the film. The scenes in this version were blocked appropriately for a standard film of this era. The third version, shot concurrently, was a German edition using German actors in medium and close shots and footage of John Wayne and company in the long shots.

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