Downfall (2004)

"Downfall" is one of the most astonishing movies I have seen this year. I am a little baffled that it hasn't received more attention in the United States. Bruno Ganz should have gotten an Oscar nomination for best actor. But it did get a nomination for best foreign film. "Downfall" is easily as good and gripping as the renowned hit "Das Boot". It's probably the case that foreign movies don't get as much attention now as they did in the 1980's. Nevertheless, this fine film should have a long life on DVD.

"Downfall" has caused some controversy because it depicts Adolf Hitler not as a demon, but as a human being who was kind to his young secretaries and his dogs. In fact this makes his evil all the more insidious and monstrous. "Downfall" can be seen as an attempt by Germans to come to terms with their part in Hitler's crimes. How could a not-entirely-bad man like Albert Speer or an innocent like Traudl Junge retain their loyalty and admiration for such a diseased figure? We see the terrible events of April 1945 through German eyes. This involves acknowledging the horrible suffering of the German people as they were bombed and smashed into surrender. (Definitely, however, without letting them off the hook for their moral responsibility for the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity.)

We see Berlin turned into an apocalyptic landscape that would not seem out of place in the Book of Revelation. Gangs of murdering Nazis roam the rubble, looking for final victims to lynch. The Volkssturm, the army of old men and little boys recruited for the last defense of the city, is slaughtered by the advancing Russians. Officials of the regime are committing suicide right and left. (Some historians say there were more suicides among the Germans during the end than among the Japanese.) Down in the fuehrer's bunker Hitler's young secretary Traudl Junge (the wide-eyed, pretty, sweet Alexandra Maria Lara) witnesses the death throes of the Reich. Bruno Ganz is amazing as Hitler. The warm, human angel of "Wings of Desire" is entirely gone, replaced by this occasionally lucid, frequently rabid being. For long stretches of the movie, I swear, I entirely forgot there was an actor working up on the screen and it seemed as if I was watching Hitler himself in all his malignancy.

The movie turns the screws of suspense as things get worse and worse, and you get a solemn sense of justice being done at last. (Although there are still crimes that can be committed, like the diabolical murder of Goebbels' small children by their mother, shown in graphic detail.) The key to the movie perhaps can be had in a little speech by Goebbels. An army General protests the wanton slaughter of civilians and the Volkssturm. Goebbels replies, "I have no sympathy. No sympathy! The German people gave us the mandate. And now you cry because your little throats are being cut." It's a chilling moment. And a sobering reminder that politicians must be held accountable, and the people of a nation have to be responsible in their choice of leaders.

I saw this film in Germany in November, 2004, and picked up a copy in Berlin this March...my pre-ordered Amazon.de copy was waiting for me on my return.

This film is essential for anyone who wishes to understand "the evil that men do" (and women, for example, Frau Goebbels, who killed her children because she did not want them to grow up in a world without National Socialism, Nazism). It is a deep film, based on the historical novel of Joachim Fest, and the stunning documentary "Blind Spot" (Bis Zum Toten Winkel) revealing the thoughts of Hitler's personal secretary, Traudl Humps (married to an SS officer on Hitler's staff who was killed in 1943, she became Traudl Jung), shortly before her death as the millenium turned.

The acting is superb. The best new crop of German actors, as well as Bruno Ganz portraying Der Führer himself, are excellent. Most of the elements that led to the coming of the Holocaust, the Third Reich, and its downfall are cleverly intertwined in this phenomenally staged docudrama. In several viewings, I could find virtually nothing to criticize, down to the china used in the bunker, or so-called Führerbunker, to the attitudes of the many Field Marshalls, who were in many ways as "apolitical" as General Tommy Franks, attitudes of resignation, as suicide as the last honorable gesture, of "doing the right thing."

Such films have to be seen in context. After 60 years of banishment of the swastika (Hakenkreuz in German) in Germany, we see the swastika in its full "glory" throughout the film, the beautiful and attractive uniforms originally designed by Hugo Boss (no kidding). In context, in 2004, Germans were suddenly faced with an extremely well-made film that shows Hitler as nearly human (hiding is Parkinsonian tremor of his left hand behind his back as he presents the Iron Cross, 2nd Class, to Hitler Youth defending Berlin after the declaration of "Clausewitz"--Berlin as a war front. While other officers plead for the evacuation of women and children, Hitler responds that the German people (das Volk) do not deserve to survive, because they have lost this war. National Socialism is revealed as the death culture it was. In other contexts, there are excellend books, articles, and documentaries revealing how willing the German Volk were to turn over all thought, conscience, morality, to the Führer, who encouraged them to do so. Unfortunately, the next 60 years would show that the attitudes of National Socialism did not die with him.

I could individually commend the performances of the many players and people behind the scenes. I have been to Berlin, and this IS Berlin, to any approximation I have seen in photos of the time, and I have been in the last remaining Air Raid shelter (bunker) for the populace and it is no different from this soundstage, save the furniture that was probably taken from Jews years before by the party, which ended up as furnishings in the many homes of the high command and Hitler.

After viewing the film, I do recommend that the viewer take in "Schindler's List" or "The Pianist" to complement it. As we are faced with worldwide conflagration against a non-uniformed enemy of Western culture and democracy, it is hard to think of World War Two as the last of the "civilized" wars, even though it was perhaps the last of uniformed armies facing one another (the Cold War, which never went hot, excluded).

This film does show, through the characters of Traudl Junge and her young friend, the Hitler Youth decorated by Hitler personally, as they walk through the Soviet line on their way back to Bavaria, that the policy of war as a solution to any international dispute is at best fragile. Perhaps that fragility is our best hope for peace.

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If you want to know how it feels to enter the abyss, then watch this movie. The viewer is crushed by the heartache of the coming end of the Reich, and wonders how any person could emerge from it with a measure of sanity remaining. Civilians trapped in the street fighting; children enduring tank assaults; the constant drumbeat of incoming artillery; and meanwhile against the constant backdrop of the unreality of the Fuhrerbunker, the men and women living in their "wolkenskukushiem."

What is it like to experience total and utter defeat? The world you have known is collapsing around you, and you are totally helpless to stop it.

Watch the face of the actor who plays Brigadefuhrer Mohnke as he hears Göbbels telling him that the German people will have their "little throats" cut. What would go through YOUR mind? Watch as an SS doctor works his way through the bunker, even as men of the Nordland and Charlemagne SS troops (yes... Norwegians and French volunteers fighting the last battle around the Führerbunker) recheck their equipment and load what little ammunition they have left. The shock on Gen. Helmut Weidling's face, the commander of the famed 56th PanzerKorps, as he is told that HE's now the commandant of Berlin's defenses. The flash of reality that crosses Eva Braun's face when she gives away her mink coat to Traudl Junge, a rare glimpse through the forced happiness she otherwise displayed.

But in the midst of the carnage there is real courage. Forget the politics, forget the Nazis, as you see that there were people who displayed REAL courage in hopeless circumstances... soldiers and civilians fighting hopeless battles through the crumbling streets of Berlin. My mother saw and experienced some of this same anguish in Southern Germany.

But now for the problem-a BIG problem. Soviet atrocities are completely expunged. Even Traudl Junge is shown to have escaped the Russians unscathed... pure fantasy. She was raped by the Soviets numerous times. While SS and Nazi atrocities are shown repeatedly, (guys hanging "defeatists" for example), there is not ONE Russian atrocity displayed. Not one. Thus, despite the fact that the movie is well done and reasonably accurate historically in many areas, it actually strives to rewrite and sanitize history.

Nevertheless, the acting is well done. Ganz does a superb job of humanizing Hitler, which of course makes this movie controversial. Despite the problem above, and my three star rating, the movie is still worth seeing, or even owning. The scenes are riveting and heartrending, and will remind us of the tragedy that became known as the Battle of Berlin. It should also remind us of what happens when people surrender themselves to the power of the State, to let the State run their lives and "care" for them in its brutal maw.

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Why did this movie not win an Oscar? It goes to show how retarded holywood has become. This is one of the best movies of the last decade.

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One of the most significant statements of the always reminded master of the cinema, Robert Bresson, was :"To be models; instead of look like actors." I would say that Olivier Hirschbiegel unconsciously followed this wisdom advise. This (Should I just label it film, or perhaps this term be insufficient, why not better to design it supreme artwork?) masterpiece simply surpassed all the eloquent adjectives of previous reviews.

The impressive narrative dissection, supported by a sinewy script, is loaded of such burden of mesmerizing, engaging and delirious realism, that literally involves you from start to end. This outstanding work is a true radiograph that explores with merciless crudeness all the insights of the last ten days of Adolf Hitler.

Bruno Ganz followed his bliss and stole that coveted pearl, that justifies the supreme artistic achievement of his lifetime. From the initial shot when the nervous secretaries wait for him, until his last Farewell; his delirious anger accesses, increasing withdrawal of the reality, eloquent grimaces deserves for him (without forget Javier Bardem in Sea Inside) the most towering performance in years.

On the other hand the camera leads us to the struggling and increasingly claustrophobic environment. The camera handle and the fabulous angle shots from the floor accent still more that oppressive atmosphere (Do you remember Orson Welles The Trial?).

The inner tragedy is expressed with vibrant expression. Three expressive sequences are enough to support it: watch for instance the ominous sequence in which Goebbels wife dismisses from her children, the child `s horror at the moment he will have to face the death in its portent in the middle of the flaming wrecks and finally the elusive gaze of Eva Braun in her last supper.

On the other hand, the dialogues are never superfluous. With a visible resources economy, Hirshbiegel built a huge stage that reminds us the true intention of the Greek Tragedy or Wagner in Gotterdamenung, to shake the soul through the catastrophe, is what we experience after we leave the Hall a true cathartic experience.

That superior coherence, the fact of fixing without congealing the feat of communicate expressions without the use of words is what it makes of this artwork a supreme masterpiece.

It's in the Bag (1945)

Addendum 6/8/13: This new Blu-Ray reissue IS the preferred non-voiceover version, read on.

Where to start? First, there are two versions of this hysterical farce but one of the versions is severely hampered by Fred Allen's voice overs through many of the best comedy segments. The other, and I'm guessing, "original" version involves no voice overs and this version is an unmitigated classic for which we can give a big thank you to producer Jack Skirball.

It's in the Bag is one of the screwiest comedies ever. It's the story of Fred F. Floogle(Fred Allen)an unsuccessful flea circus exhibitor and his madcap family; devoted and wholly unsatisfied wife Eve(Binnie Barnes), soon-to-be-bride daughter Marion(Gloria Pope) and genius son Homer(Richard Tyler)who is given many of the best lines though there are zillions of funny lines and millions of gags in this one-of-a-kind romp. Exterminator(Robert Benchley)is determined to not let his son Perry Parker(William Terry) marry into such an inferior family as Fred's, that is until Fred's millionaire uncle dies leaving his entire fortune to his long lost nephew, or so everyone thinks. Everyone thinks it enough to extend Fred and his family whatever they wish and they're wishing the moon. But when Fred and Eve meet with his uncle's former business partners(headed up by John Carradine in a rare, intentionally comedic role)they find that there's "no money", only a set of chairs.(This is where Mel Brook's "Twelve Chairs" may have found it's basis or vice versa if the period piece is actually from that period.)Of course Fred sells the chairs only to later dicover there's a fortune and the name of his uncle's murderer hidden in one them and now they must be retrieved. Along the way we run into Don Ameche, Jack Benny, Rudy Vallee, William Bendix, Jerry Colonna, Sidney Toler and Victor Moore to name some of the bigger names but there are what seems to be hundreds of well known faces of comedic character actors in tons of riotous bits. This movie is a real hoot. If you're old enough to understand that phrase, then this movie might be for you.

As I've said in past reviews, the fact that this and Champagne for Caesar, Ball of Fire, The Male Animal, The Senator Was Indiscreet, Cold Turkey, The Loved One, A Slight Case of Murder and Larceny Inc. plus many, many more have not been restored and tranfered to DVD format IS A CRIME.

Oh, that's Joe.

There have been numerous attempts at fashioning movie vehicles for radio stars:most of them failed to work,or work consistently well,but It's In The Bag is something of an exception.Starring Fred Allen-who had a great face for radio-and featuring cameos from Jack Benny,Robert Benchley,Don Ameche,Rudy Valee,and William Bendix,this is a simple,plot-driven movie packed full with in-jokes and tried-and-tested routines.Mel Brooks would return to the source material a Russian short story for the 1970 movie The Twelve Chairs,but the pretentiousness of that version is missing here.If you like Benny(who is on fine form) and Allen(who is at his most appealing,or least unappealing,depending on your perspective)then It's In The Bag is well worth a look.

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It's a shame that only a chosen few REALLY KNOW who Fred Allen is. In the 1940's his popularity was that of names we still cite today Jack Benny, Abbott & Costello, etc.

But in his day Fred's radio program was incredibly popular, as well as his "fued" with Jack Benny. If you love old radio, or old time comedy you will enjoy IT'S IN THE BAG. Fred Allen was, as still is, one of the smartest writers of comedy there was even today great legends such as Mel Brooks and George Carlin cite his influence.

One drawback with the film is that to get all the jokes you will need to be familiar with "the age" when the film was released since some of Fred's jokes are dated (commentary about crowded theaters comes to mind), but some of the jokes are just as fresh today as they were 56 years ago (commentary on how relatives get in the picture, why do we need to watch credits, psychoanalists, etc.)

In some ways it's a very "da-da-ist" film -as in the vein of W.C. Fields' INTERNATIONAL HOUSE. You can read the film synopsis above so I won't waste time with that I'll just say, see it for an enjoyable, smart comedy.

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this is a funny movie, though under-rated. this and what i call the companion movie called "It's a Joke, Son!" starring Kenny Delmar as 'Senator Claghorne' are must-have films for Fred Allen fans (even though Fred isn't in the second film with Delmar, it's based on a character created by Fred all the same.) On this "It's in the Bag" film, the one and only Fred Allen stars as Fred Floogle, a flea circus showman. The film is about a guy who has a wealthy relative who passes away. Fred follows human nature and starts buying expensive things and puts money on stocks. Fred thinks he's inherited his uncle's $12 million fortune but all he gets is 12 chairs after the will is read. angry, Fred has his son sell the chairs. It's only later that a vinyl record surfaces with Fred's uncle instructing him to claim the $300,000 he hid in one of the chairs! Too late...they've been sold to countless people all across town. this causes Fred to go on a wild goose chase tracking down the 12 chairs. This is where the film starts to pick up speed. An array of '40s radio stars make cameo appearances: Rudy Vallee, Don Ameche, William Bendix, and the immortal Jack Benny. Bendix spoofs his "tough-guy" build by being a cowardly leader of a gang of muggers. Ameche and Vallee hit the stage in a night-club but the bass singer is missing. Fred joins them on stage as an imposter who sings a terrible bass section {by this time in the film he's running from the police because they think Fred is working for the Bendix Gang!}. Along the way Fred encounters Mrs. Nussbaum (Minerva Pious, the same woman who played that character on Fred's radio programs) in an eerie segment that allows the viewer to see what "Allen's Alley" would've looked like had Fred went into TV. Jack Benny's scene is the stand-out of course. Cheap jokes are here...Fred acts like he's the president of a Jack Benny Fan Club and needs an item for display. Fred, of course, wants the chair that Nussbaum sold Jack. an assortment of sight-gags follow (including a cash register inside his living room and wax paper to wrap the chair in!). all the while he's being chased by a detective trying to prove that Fred is in ca-hoots with the Bendix gang. Walter Tetley has a memorable role as an elevator operator. The "immediate seating" gag is hilarious as well. Jerry Colonna, the wide mustache maniac side-kick of Bob Hope, has a zany appearance as a psychiatrist who slaps himself across the face numerous time thinking a tsetse fly is swarming his face! Victor Moore plays the campy Chef and others making cameos are John Carradine, Robert Benchley, and Binnie Barnes. Fred finally tracks down the chair with the money but reality sets in...and you'll never believe what happens next...the film is an overall lesson in greed and irrational behavior. Fred Allen was a radio comedian from 1932-1949. He's famous for his topical humor, battles over censorship, battles with network executives, the "Allen's Alley" routine that ran from 1945-1949, and his false feud with Jack Benny. Allen wrote all of the material that made it to the air...he employed several writers but they served as leg-men and joke finders, nothing more. It's said that Allen read up to 100 newspapers for material. His leg-men also scoured the headlines and back-pages of newspapers for potential material. Fred Allen hated TV...we don't really know why but some have speculated that Fred didn't have a face or a delivery for TV. to see for myself I taped a TV game show Fred hosted...i did this on a cassette and i played it back and i was amazed to hear how great it SOUNDED but it didn't feel so great WATCHING it! Due to Allen's inability to make it on TV with a major hit, the TV generation doesn't know him at all. In 1954 Allen headed to the fourth chair on the panel of "What's My Line?". Ironically, Fred died in 1956 of a heart attack amidst his popular run as a panelist on "What's My Line?"...a TV show of all things!! But, "It's In The Bag" might well be the greatest thing to showcase Fred, visually, aside from his "What's My Line?" years.

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DO NOT BE Fooled!!!! The original Fred Allen movie 'It's In the Bag', had Fred 'narrating' through the movie. This has been entirely cut out The worst cut is the Quartet of Rudy Vallee, Don Amache, Fred Allen & Victor Moore. It is only HALF there. The original had Fred narrating about "this group breaks windows..."

I have tried to get an original uncut but it is apparently no longer available.

DO NOT THINK YOU ARE GETTING THE ORIGINAL MOVIE...

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Cabaret (2013)

This is a very good movie, although deeply disturbing. Set in the great city of Berlin in 1931, a time of economic depression and political crisis, this movie constructs an image of the decadence and delusion of the late Weimar period as German society is plunging through a kind of moral and social decay into the nightmare of Nazism.

The film is based on "The Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood (written between 1935 and 1939), who lived in the city in the early 1930s. He had seen both the decadence and the dangerous hunger for a kind of national "purification" among many "respectable" and "moral" middle class Germans, who already had been traumatized by military defeat, hyperinflation, and mass unemployment. The film, following Isherwood, weaves together the stories of the marginal characters who live in this troubled city at the very edge of the great moral catastrophe of the 20th century.

Liza Minnelli is brilliant as "Sally Bowles", an Americanized version of the British Sally who appears in Isherwood's book, and her energy (and visible angst)drive the film as other characters wander aimlessly through a narrative heading all the time towards disaster. Michael York is effective as "Brian", the fictional stand-in for Isherwood himself, and the other characters present believable and even moving representations of people wandering through the impending nightmare as through a fog.

The nightmare itself is suggested by the increasing visibility of the Brownshirts and the sinister swastika, the authentic posters and grafitti from the period, and the passing visual allusion to the street fights and storm troopers. These allusions effectively evoke the sense of uneasiness and danger in the air, an effect reinforced by Sally's deep desire to scream her heart out. The smug and complacent self-assurance of the conservative aristocrat Maximilien, played by Helmut Griem, provides a clue to the almost wilfull blindness of even (perhaps especially) educated Germans to the moral danger posed by the Nazi movement. The anti-Semitism of the movement is also effectively displayed from several angles, most movingly through the love story between Fritz and Natalia.

But the strangest character is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub, played brilliantly by Joel Grey. His character has a sinister ambiguity; is he mocking the Nazis by his farcical musical satires, or rather is he reinforcing the anti-Semitic prejudices of his audience through such pieces as, "If you could see her as I do . . ."? Is his decadence ignoring the danger and plunging his head like an ostrich into the sand, or is it a critical commentary on the pseudo-morality that worries about cabarets while ignoring Nazis? By the way, the entertainment at the movie Kit Kat Klub is first-rate (far, far better than the actual entertainment at the real Kit Kat cabaret, according to the later testimony of Isherwood, commenting on Liza Minnelli's performance). But this Bob Fosse-choreographed spectacle underlines both the brilliance and the moral danger of the cabaret.

In historical fact, most Berliners were not Nazis; it was a largely working class town with strong Socialist and even Communist neighborhoods and a powerful left-wing tradition (which is why Hitler hated Berlin). But it was not immune to the Nazis. The Nazis themselves liked to contrast the supposed "healthy" vitality of a romanticized rural and small-town Germany against the decadence of urban Berlin, a point that is made in the film when young Nazi youth leaders at a beer garden lead an increasingly Nazified crowd to join in song celebrating nature and the volk. The film effectively plays out the irony of this contrast between a "moral" rural Germany increasingly drawn to the appeal of a profoundly immoral and murderous movement, and the "immoral" decadence of urban Berlin, many of whose cabaret performers would probably wind up in concentration camps within a few years. Hitler, after all, was big on public "morality." It's just that this kind of "morality" didn't stop him from screaming hatred, fanning murderous resentments, murdering millions of Jews, and plunging Europe into the most catastrophic war in history. Cabaret performers, however otherwise decadent, could not be blamed for that. And decadent Brian even manages to get into a fist fight with some Nazi Brownshirts.

This is a great film. It doesn't tell you what to think about the Emcee, or poor yearning but lively Sally, or even Brian himself. But whatever their tales, we know where the story is going. We know what those brownshirts and swastikas mean when we see them reflected in the glass at the end of the film. "Life is a Cabaret," as Sally tells us in her climactic song, but even the best shows sometimes have the darkest endings.

It's often been said about old musical movies that they went too far in the conceit of people "bursting out in song" during a scene. Well, in his film version of Kander & Ebb's masterful Cabaret, Bob Fosse completely got around that problem by presenting the songs on stage. It was handled brilliantly, the choreography was incredible, and the movie just plain works.

Cabaret the movie doesn't share many songs in common with the original stage version it still has "Willkommen," "Two Ladies," "Tomorrow Belongs To Me," a German version of "Married," "If You Could See Her," and "Cabaret" but that's it. A few new songs were added "Mein Herr," "Maybe This Time," "Money, Money," but for the most part it's a lot less sung than the staged version. A lot of musical numbers dealing with the world outside the Kit Kat Klub were used as underscoring, preserving John Kander's great tunes. But this doesn't detract from it being one of the best filmed musicals out there.

Fosse's direction is a big help; it has a great eye for early 1930s Berlin, and presents the decadence and foreshadows the Nazis brilliantly. Fosse created great, sensual choreography for the film, and it is completely entrancing to watch the musical numbers. And the rest is worth it, too.

Flipflops aside, the couples are presented well; Liza Minelli's portrayal of Sally Bowles is definitely the acting part of a lifetime. She was just completely *convincing* as Sally, from end to end. Michael York as Brian is very reserved, very British, and very studied. Helmut Griem is entirely convincing as Max, who creates tension between the couple after befriending them. The secondary couple is played to perfection by Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson, as opportunistic Fritz Wendel who falls in love with the rich young Jewess Natalia Landauer, respectively. And, of course, Joel Grey is spectacular as the haunting, Puckish Emcee.

In general, this movie presents itself as a stunning revelation to viewers of a story that will stick around for a very long time. It's a virtuoso interpretation of one of the greatest American musicals, and deserves to be seen.

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The 2003 DVD re-release of Cabaret is just a re-packaging of the original DVD. Though the new package details state that it is "enhanced for 16 x 9," this DVD is a non-anamorphic, matted widescreen presentation. So if you were thinking of trading up to this new edition of Cabaret for your new widescreen TV, hold on to your money. I was not so fortunate. I now have two copies of Cabaret with lousy transfers. Whats up with Warner? They screwed up the release of Giant also. This film is a classic and deserves better treatment.

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One of the most politically and socially significant films ever produced, Cabaret is as unsettling as it is exhilarating. This 8-time Academy Award-winning film based on the controversial Broadway musical, tells the disturbing story of a fourth-rate American cabaret chanteuse trying to survive in Berlin during the final days of the Weimar Republic. The overriding concept of the film actually serves as a biting and painful metaphor for a morally bankrupt and self-indulgent society so intoxicated by its own rotting decadence and corruption that it fails-or more appropriately, refuses-to realize that it is about to dive head-first into the fires of an apocalyptic nightmare that will ultimately cost the lives of over 11 million people. Liza Minnelli is astounding in her star-making role as the deluded and self-absorbed nightclub singer Sally Bowles, based on the infamous character of Christopher Isherwood's novel, "Goodbye to Berlin." Bob Fosse deserved his Best Director Oscar for creating a hyper-stylized visualization of Berlin as it was rotting to the core in the early 30s just as the Nazis were gathering in the wings. But the real show-stopper here is Joel Grey, the horrifyingly demonic and sneering Master of Ceremonies, shrugging his shoulders and smirking at us through the camera with a disturbingly hypnotic twinkle in his eye acknowledging that we all know exactly what history has in store.

Cabaret can be thought of more than just a musical. Unlike the unrealistic musicals of the 40s and 50s in which the characters burst into song out of the middle of nowhere, the musical numbers here are strictly prohibited to stage numbers at the Kit Kat Klub, an alteration from the Broadway version that significantly adds to the reality of this spectacle. Furthermore, if you want to get the entire message of the film in a minute and a half, pay particular attention to the scene when Sally, Brian and Max are driving through downtown Berlin. Listen closely to their conversation juxtaposed against what they are observing on the street outside the car. If taken into social and historical context, the scene is so unnerving, you'll be left speechless.

Overall, if you want to watch a film that is not only an important lesson on the fragility of humanity, but could also be a mirror for contemporary society, then don't miss Cabaret. The movie's ending will leave you (as it did me the first time I saw it) in stunned silence, thinking twice about social apathy in the context of the potentially devastating nightmare we are now experiencing at the dawn of the 21st century.

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I too had great expectation of this reissue and the main reason I purchased it was for the stated anamorphic enhancement which it definitely is not. With all the interest in Kander & Ebb at the moment, this was a perfect opportunity to revamp a truely classic movie and address the poor transfer of the original issue. Warner are clearly just jumping on the promotional bandwagon with little concern for the value of the movie itself. This is Liza's finest moment and a critic's dream of cinematic metaphor and constructionit deserves better than this. It saddens me to think that it is unlikely to be issued againthe best Warner can do is recall this rerelease and do the job properly. I now own three versions on DVDthe region 2 uk release is even more washed out than the USA issue!

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Chocolate

Chocolate is the perfect "acid test" to determine who are fans of action movies and who are not. How so? Let me explain. A true fan of action movies has the ability to overlook some flaws in film-making (e.g., script, acting, character development, etc.) if the action sequences are exceptional enough to make up for them. This is no different from fans of art-house dramas who can overlook minimal content if the film can portray everyday life in interesting ways. With that said, Chocolate is one of the best examples of an action movie that has such extraordinary fight sequences that they easily overpower any deficiencies in the script.

An autistic girl with martial arts skill attempts to collect on the debts of her sick mother. This movie is not well written, and requires some patience from the viewer to slug through the early moments. Once the 30 minute mark arrives, however, the viewer is treated to one of the most amazing displays of asskicking by a female protagonist in the history of action cinema. Virtually all of the remaining 50 minutes is devoted to high quality choreography and bone-crunching maneuvers. The settings and scenarios change frequently, thereby avoiding any feel of repetition or monotony. This is brainless action at its very finest. JeeJa Yanin an amazing specimen with her fluid moves and hard strikes catapults herself into the upper echelon of female action stars with this single movie. Her punches and kicks start off rather basic, but get increasingly more complex until they peak during the jaw-dropping finale that lasts a whopping 20 minutes. Lots of fun to be had here.

Now, a snobby moviegoer will cry about the negatives without even considering the positives. Anyone who does not enjoy the action in this movie seriously needs to get their pulse checked, or at least schedule for a re-alignment of their action movie tastes. There's nothing more scintillating than watching a cute girl kick the living hell out of hundreds (quite literally) of stuntmen in a variety of environments. Basically, if you're not entertained by this, you're not a fan of action movies. (You probably didn't like So Close or Azumi either, right?) Stop fooling yourself and go watch another Tsai Ming-liang film.

Some critics have claimed that this movie "ripped off" other movies. It didn't. There are a few homages that last a few minutes at most (a few Bruce Lee references, a locker scene reminiscent of Jackie Chan, and some footage from Tony Jaa's movies). These few scenes are only a drop in the bucket, because 95% of the action is independent of any references to other movies. The sign-post battle on the apartment complex balconies is one glaring example of a completely novel (and breathtaking) sequence that pays homage to no one but itself.

This is definitely worth a blind buy. True fans of martial arts mayhem will end up re-watching the action scenes about a thousand times.

My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Premise

*An autistic girl learns martial arts through imitation, and uses her skills to collect money from some unsavory people who owe her mother, who is is need of medication (and was formerly associated with the Yakuza). Then the Yakuza retaliates, and all heck breaks loose.

The Good Things

*Video quality is almost perfect; it's very clean, sharp, and colorful, with only a couple of grainy scenes. The sound quality is pretty good.

*Includes a short 8-minute making-of featurette and a few trailers for other movies.

*Includes both English dubbing and the original Thai language track with optional subtitles.

*The movie has a lot of phenomenal fight scenes. They are extremely well-choreographed and distinctive. Judging from the outtakes, it also looks like they were made to be completely authentic, and the actors sustained some serious injuries in the process. Even though the fighting is fantastic, it's also very real.

*The movie is also very well-filmed, with lots of good camera angles and unique colors.

*Production design is good. Sets are interesting, costumes are good, props are good. Look out for one or two unique motifs.

*It looks like there were one or two homages to earlier films by Prachya Pinkaew ("Ong Bak" and "The Protector").

*The storyline is good and easy to follow. Aside from the action, it has some drama and emotional parts, but it's nothing too sappy. It's actually quite invoking, and seems to carry a strong message about love (believe it or not).

*The characters are excellent. The main character, aside from performing so many amazing stunts, shows some good compassion and emotion and makes the character believable. Other characters are great too.

*Music is good.

The Bad Things

*Not very many special features; it's especially dissapointing since the region-free British import seems to have deleted scenes and featurettes and other stuff. Oh well...

*Not for the squeamish; contains brutal violence, some blood, and some brief sensuality.

Thailand seems to be pumping out some of the coolest martial arts films these days, and "Chocolate" is probably my favorite of them all so far. Aside from boasting some incredible fight scenes and stuntwork, it is a surprisingly emotional story with strong characters. This Blu-Ray has exceptional video quality, and would highly reccomend it to any martial arts fan.

Buy Chocolate Now

This film by the makers of Ong Bak, was both heartmelting, and spectacular in its choreography, featuring as centerpiece the new action star of Asia, Nicharee Yanin (Jeeja) Vistmantananda, who is nothing short of a wonder of the world. The plot of course is simple, focusing on the efforts of young Zen, (Jeeja) to recover funds owed to her cancer stricken mother from her days as a moneylender for a criminal gang, a mission which brings her into several violent confrontations with gangsters. The plot twist, which makes the whole film, is that Zen is an autistic savant, who has assimilated the techniques of the greatest martial artists whom she has watched on TV, from Bruce Lee, to Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and of course, Tony Jaa. (who helped train Jeeja for this part, a program which took her 4 years.) There are many things to criticize in this film, but these fall away quickly and are overcome with the escalating storm of adrenaline which kicks in, as Jeeja demolishes wave after wave of attackers using techniques which are right up there with the best in their execution and form. The one thing which explodes from the screen, is the ferocity and fighting ability which flows from the 5'3" 93 LB little Jeeja, who uses her lithe frame like a whip with a hammer on the end, bringing more power to bear with each kick and elbow strike than you can believe from someone so small, and so cute. She is also very authentic in her sensitive portrayal of an autistic girl, which she prepared for by spending time at a home for autistic kids to observe. For her acting debut, she is superb, and has a fantastic future ahead if she can broaden her audience to the West, and get some Michelle Yeoh type parts.

Read Best Reviews of Chocolate Here

Chocolate [Blu-ray]

I went into this movie expecting a so-so movie with a girl that can do decent fight scenes. Well, the girl can do some awesome fight scenes. Using no stunt doubles and no wires, the only fake stuff in this move are the baseballs she catches (you can tell that it's 3D effects there). If she makes another movie, she could become as big of an icon as Tony Jaa.

As for the fight scenes, there are mainly around 4 really good leangthy ones, with the last one being really long and nonstop, taking place in multiple areas of a building, one inside with guns and samurai swords, another on the roof against a transvestite, a couple of women (the only women who actually fight the main character), and one other sequence that has to be seen to be believed, on the side of a building where Chocolate and the never-ending bad guys (seriously, there were too many, but that can be forgiven since it's a martial arts flick) duke it out on narrow ledges, big street signs sticking out of the walls of the building, and the side of a subway line only a couple yards away from the structure, easily connected by the street signs. 3 stories of 2D fighting goodness, and the people who fall take hits that will make you cring, including, but not limited to, a guy falling 3 stories straight down, while others hit a few obstacles on the way down (ouch).

It's also funny to see scenes from Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong (also great movies) on a television Chocolate watches, as well as hearing sound effects from Bruce Lee movies (supposedly). It's great in the first fight scene hearing her immitate Bruce Lee's hoowaaah-ooo! voice. That'll put a smile on your face.

Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda is good in her role, playing an autistic girl who learns from watching, fast. She was already a taekwondo practitioner before production, but then trained extensively for 2 years before the film shooting began, and another 2 years during the shoot. She is somewhere between the age of 21-24 during the filming of the movie.

For anyone who loves martial arts, they'll enjoy this. Anyone who wants to see a woman who can hold her own in these types of movies, definitely watch it. And one more thing, be ready for some bloopers at the end credits to show the real hits that the cast (including Chocolate herself) took during the shooting.

Want Chocolate Discount?

CHOCOLATE, named for its protagonist's favorite snack, is about an autistic young Thai girl who is a martial arts savant--parallel to the compensatory abilities of Dustin Hoffman's character in RAINMAN. Early in the film she takes on and defeats a gang of nasty kids. Next, she demolishes an array of deadbeats, who owe her sick mother money. Finally, as we can easily foresee, the evil gangsters who have split up her parents are going to be no match for her. (Telling you this is not "spoiling" the story--anyone who can count to three can see it coming.)

The excellently choreographed fight scenes have a sweet and fairly touching story around them. If you enjoy watching women "kick butt," Yanin Vismitananda (Jeeja Yanin), the star of this film, is sort of a tiny female Jackie Chan. Another big plus in my view is that this film is not pretentiously artsy and "meaningful" the way the excellent CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON was.

As a bonus feature, the DVD includes a rather short "making of" piece that shows just how dangerous its stunts really were and how amazingly athletic these people are!

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Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator (2011)

Randy Orton is one of the most popular superstars in the WWE, but he has never been the subject of a home entertainment release until now. This 3-disc set takes an in-depth look at WWE's Apex Predator from Elimination Chamber through the road to WrestleMania and Orton's brutal bout with CM Punk. Along the way, fans learn about the Viper in and out of the ring as he reflects on his career to date. Family and opponents contribute never-before-seen interviews about Orton's past, present, and future. In addition the set is packed with some of Orton's most memorable matches and moments from his career.

DISC 1 Documentary

I Am Randy Orton

The Road to WrestleMania Begins

Preparing for the Chamber

Embarking on a Path of Destiny

Training Days

The Elimination Chamber

Facing the Media

The Next Diamond

Signs of Trouble

Dealing with Injuries

The Legend Killer

The Man of Destiny

Punked Out

Coming Home

A Hard Lesson to Learn

Evening the Odds

The Mecca

The Price and Reward of WrestleMania

Making a Difference

Dark Days

Madison Square Melee

Randy's Redemption

Axxess to the Apex Predator

Legacy

The Day Has Arrived...

I Won't Be Your Hero

The Evolution of Randy Orton

DISC 2 Matches

Randy Orton vs. Slick Robbie D

OVW Christmas Chaos January 31, 2001

Randy Orton vs. Hardcore Holly

SmackDown April 25, 2002

Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels

Unforgiven September 21, 2003

Intercontinental Championship Match

Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam

Armageddon December 14, 2003

Handicap Tag Team Match

Randy Orton, Ric Flair & Batista vs. The Rock & Mick Foley

WrestleMania 20 March 14, 2004

Hardcore Match for the Intercontinental Championship

Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley

Backlash April 18, 2004

Intercontinental Championship Match

Randy Orton vs. Edge

Vengeance July 11, 2004

Handicap Casket Match

Randy Orton & "Cowboy" Bob Orton vs. The Undertaker

No Mercy October 9, 2005

DISC 3 Matches

Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle

Vengeance June 25, 2006

Legend Killer vs. Legend

Randy Orton vs. Hulk Hogan

SummerSlam August 20, 2006

Texas Bull Rope Match

Randy Orton vs. Dusty Rhodes

The Great American Bash July 22, 2007

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship

Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. John Cena

WrestleMania 24 March 30, 2008

"I Quit" Match for the WWE Championship

Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Breaking Point September 13, 2009

Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus

Hell in a Cell October 3, 2010

Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

WrestleMania 27 April 3, 2011

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Randy Orton vs. Christian

SmackDown May 6, 2011

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVES Matches and Special Features

The Royal Rumble Match

Royal Rumble January 25, 2009

Stretcher Match for the WWE Championship

Randy Orton vs. Triple H

The Bash June 28, 2009

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Randy Orton vs. Christian

Over The Limit May 22, 2011

On the Road with Dad

Randy Orton's Championship Legacy

Randy's Motorcycles

Rhodes Stories

Photo Gallery

The Evolution of Randy Orton's Tattoos

The youngest World Champion in history...The Legend Killer...The Viper. So many alias go along with the third generation wrestler known as Randy Orton & here is WWE telling his story on his own DVD with additional comments from others like his farther Bob Orton jr, Arn Anderson, John Cena, Triple H, Batista, his wife Samantha, Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase, and Sheamus.

The documentary is setup differently than the usual sit-down interview about his career type that we normally get as it's similar to how Jeff Hardy's "My Life, My Rules" or similar Steve Austin's "Hell Yeah!" where it's based around following him with a behind the scenes look at him during a certain time period while also telling his story. It was the period between the Elimination Chamber & WrestleMania 27 PPV's in this case where we saw Orton on the road, backstage at events, at home with his family, and doing promotional work (radio, Axxess, ect.) while Orton recalls various flashbacks in his career. Orton beings to talk about how he was interested in getting into the business back in 1999 leading to going to OVW developmental territory the same time John Cena & Batista & Brock Lesnar were there along with him having a cocky arrogant attitude that makes Orton himself admit that he was an "jerk." This run in Evolution was discussed from how he was handpicked by Flair & Triple H leading to backstage jealously regarding his spot on the roster before talking about how his own bad attitude got in the way of his success. His successful run as the Legend Killer leading to becoming the youngest World Champion in history was discussed before going back in time to tell the story about how he didn't didn't originally want to follow in his dad's footsteps & the story behind Orton going A.W.O.L. from the military. Orton's drug problem was discussed in heavy detail next from his suspension to what was the one thing that made him turn his life around & how he incorporates elements of this period into his current "Viper" character before going into his run with Dibiase & Rhodes in "Legacy" to being seen as a locker room leader close out the documentary.

Matches Include

vs. Slick Robbie D The video quality here wasn't much as OVW was pretty low budget but it was a quick match to showcase Orton at the beginning of his career.

"OVW Christmas Chaos" Jan. '01

vs. Hardcore Holly This was Orton's WWE television debut that was pretty short & sweet but very impressive for a first showing.

"SmackDown" Apr. '02

[Best Of Smackdown: 10th Anniversary]

vs. Shawn Michaels The was the Orton's first singles PPV match & the beginning of Orton's run as "The Legend Killer." Orton kept getting shown up by Shawn in the beginning causing Orton to attempt to do it himself at one point with his own version of "skin the cat" to get an advantage only for Shawn to return it & gain the momentum back. Shawn ended up hurting his shoulder by hitting the post causing Ric Flair to get his shots in on the outside while Orton also used the ringpost along with working over Shawn's arm with hammerlocks, armbars, and even a single arm DDT. Both men went back & forth with Flair constantly trying to get involved only for Shawn to keep knock him down but unfortunately not out as Flair would get involved towards the end causing a bit of confusion which Orton was able to capitalize on.

Unforgiven '03

vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion vs. Rob Van Dam Mick Foley was not only the special referee in this match but also the co-General Manager at this time while also having his personal issues with Orton dating back months earlier when Orton attacked Foley at Madison Square Garden. RVD was in control during the first half of the match before he "crashed & burned" with a high risk move on the outside for Orton to gain control. Orton grounded RVD with moves like a side headlock before they began to trade momentum with impactful moves like RVD's spinning kick onto Orton on the ringside barrier while Orton later gave a DDT with RVD hanging off the middle ropes. This was a good match that got more competitive overtime.

Armageddon '03

w/Evolution (Ric Flair & Batista) vs. The Rock & Sock Connection (The Rock & Mick Foley) This was The Rock's first match in almost a year while Foley's first in over 4 years. This was just a fun handicap tag match that's not easy to summarize more than to just sit back & watch unfold as everyone here had their moments to look strong as Foley looked like he didn't miss a step, Batista heavily showcased his power, and the biggest highlight being the interaction between Flair & Rock to the point where both men were trading each other's taunts like Flair doing the people's elbow & Rock doing Flair's strut.

WrestleMania XX

WWE Intercontinental/Falls Count Anywhere Match vs. Mick Foley Foley came out under his "Cactus Jack" persona & tried to nail Orton with "Barbie" right away with Orton running for his life before Orton was able to took nail Mick with a trash can to the face multiple times before Orton eventually ended up taking one himself. They took the fight to the ramp where Foley was back suplexed before going back into the ring where more weapons came into play causing Foley to ask the fans if they wanted him to use either "Socko" or "Barbie" on Orton. Foley got more violent as he used "Barbie" to bust Orton open along with using that to give him a legdrop to the groin. Barbed wire boards, cookie sheets, thumbtacks were all used here along with a moment where Orton was thrown off the stage followed by the classic Cactus Jack elbow drop off the stage onto Orton. Foley in this match did what he did for Triple H in 2000 as he heavily put Orton over in his hardcore environment & showed that he can take some serious punishment that most wrestlers can't & still go while telling a good story in the ring as well.

Backlash '04

[Mick Foley's Greatest Hits & Misses: Hardcore Edition]

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match vs. Edge Years before the thought of "Rated RKO," Edge was on a mission to take out Randy Orton & end the longest I.C. title reign in over 7 years. This match had some dull moments (2-3 min. headlocks by Orton) but went back & forth between both guys with an interesting note here being how the fans were divided as half were cheering for Edge while half were getting behind Randy Orton despite being a heel in Evolution.

Vengeance '04

[Edge: Decade Of Decadence & History Of I.C. Title]

Casket Match w/Bob Orton vs. Undertaker As expected in a handicap match situation, the Orton's kept trying to corner & double team Taker while Taker's strategy was to hit & move when both of them were. Taker was able to focus on one man when the other was out of the way for a few moments such as using a chair on Randy while choking out Bob with the triangle choke. Bob resorted to desperate tactics like using a fire extinguisher to blind Taker while Orton was able to knock Taker out with a chair for a victory but it was the aftermath of the match that made the strongest impression on everyone.

No Mercy '05

[Undertaker's Deadliest Matches]

vs. Kurt Angle This was a rematch from the ECW One Night Stand PPV weeks earlier & for those who don't remember, Kurt Angle was part of the ECW brand during this time with WWE treating it as a separate promotion from WWE causing various biased commentary against Angle & ECW from Jerry Lawler causing Jim Ross to even get caught up in it from time to time. Angle outwrestled Orton early to the point where he almost delivered a german suplex from the apron to the floor before eventually just doing it on the floor. Orton attempted to ground Angle with his chinlocks & side headlocks but Angle kept coming with his various suplexes including one off the top rope, repeated belly to belly suplexes, and eight german suplexes in a row. Good match in their series that went throughout the year.

Vengeance '06

vs. Hulk Hogan There really isn't much to say here except this was the typical performance you would get from Hulk Hogan at this "attraction" stage of his career in that he was dominate for a majority of the match with Orton getting somewhat of an advantage by going after Hogan's bad leg for a while & even nailing the RKO at one point but you knew exactly what was going to happen afterwords & who was going to win so this match wasn't much but the politics behind this match (and last year's SummerSlam) also showcase why you hadn't see Hogan wrestle a match or really done much business with WWE since.

SummerSlam '06

Texas Bull Rope Match vs. Dusty Rhodes This was a very short match that served it's purpose in that Randy Orton beat another legend...in this case, the legend who created the event itself. Besides that & Cody Rhodes appearance after the match, nothing noteworthy here.

The Great American Bash '07

WWE Championship Match vs. Triple H vs. John Cena Before I get started, I liked Cena's entrance with the college band playing his entrance music. Well, this was the shocker of the night considering the winner of the match was the person nobody expected just based off 92% of WWE's own poll & a majority the comments in the reviews of Royal Rumble & No Way Out on Amazon itself. As for the match itself, it was your typical triple threat match in which it was non-stop action with each man having their moments at various times along with the various moments of one man stopping another from winning the match before Orton got the biggest win in his championship reign...and for those trivia fans who like to keep score of this type of thing, this was Cena's first WrestleMania loss & the fourth time a heel has walked out of WrestleMania a World Champion.

WrestleMania XXIV

WWE Championship/"I Quit" Match vs. John Cena Due to what happened at SummerSlam, the stipulation here was that Orton will lose the title if anyone get involved. This is one of those matches that's more about "putting over a character" more than actual wrestling quality because the actual physical part of the match itself (haven't seen their matches past this PPV) ranks below their previous two SummerSlam matches but above their other two PPV matches that were also setup to just further a storyline. This match heavily showcased Orton's "Viper" character as being cold hearted & calculating & merciless by just attacking Cena's head with the hanging DDT and weapons like a monitor & steel chair & the steps. Orton also at one point had Cena handcuffed and just beating the hell out of him & so obsessed with having Cena say "I Quit" that he even refused to allow Cena to "get out easy" & passout from the pain while Cena's character was pushed here too as he just kept taking a beating but refused to quit. I'll give credit in that I thought it was a creative way of applying the STF but the finish just came too quick to be believable. In the end, you have to look at this match for what it was in that it was more of a "character driven" match more than anything else.

Breaking Point '09

[Best PPV Matches 2009-2010]

WWE Championship/Hell in a Cell Match vs. Sheamus With their previous matches (Royal Rumble & SummerSlam) not having a clear winner due to disqualifications, this final encounter would determine a clear winner. The match got taken to the outside early with Orton being able to avoid Sheamus' attempt into using steel steps then ramming his back into the cell twice & using the steps on Sheamus himself before Orton ended up feeling the cell himself with Sheamus delivering a shoulderblock that knocked him off the apron into the cell. Sheamus targeted Orton's ribs including dropping him on the steel steps right on his ribs & even countering an attempted RKO with a knee into the ribs. Orton was able to recover with powerslaming Sheamus onto the steel steps & executing the hanging DDT from the apron onto the floor while Sheamus again focused on Orton's ribs using a chair & hitting Orton twice with the Crow Kick. Sheamus attempted a High Cross on the steps but Orton was able to counter with an RKO on the steel steps to finally prove he was the better man in what was definitely the best match in their series.

Hell In A Cell '10

vs. C.M. Punk Orton came into this match with an injured leg & Punk focused directly on it with various stomps, even kicked the steps into his leg when Orton was chasing him on the outside, a modified indian deathlock, and even doing a top rope kneedrop onto Orton who was hanging from a tree of woe. This injury did effect Orton to the point where he wasn't able to push off his legs when Punk had the anaconda vice & even was able to do his punt. Orton was on the defense for most of the match but was able to get offense including an RKO that was one heck of a visual. Good match between both men.

WrestleMania XXVII

vs. World Champion Christian Less than a week after winning the World Championship in a Ladder Match, Christian had to defend the championship here. Orton was in control early with Christian being able to regain control after an Orton clothesline that sent both men over the top rope to the floor with Orton's foot kicking Christian's head on the way down. Both men traded momentum pulling out all the stops as the match went on such as Christian's top rope offense of a missile dropkick & flying crossbody while Orton delivered his snap powerslam & hanging DDT before catching Christian in the middle of one high risk move too many. This was one of the best TV quality matches of the year (so far).

"SmackDown" May '11

(Blu-Ray) Royal Rumble Match This Rumble heavily made up for last years as we got a bunch of welcomed surprises here in terms of either performances or special appearances and at one point, we had the most wrestlers in the ring at the same time during the match that I ever remember seeing. Various highlights include the opening minutes with the young talents getting the spotlight for a while, Cryme Tyme's coin flip, how Mysterio re-entered the ring after being tossed out, the "Rhodes Family Reunion", Rob Van Dam's appearance & "no ring rust" performance including one awesome looking double team move he did with Mysterio at one point, Santino's Rumble performance, "Hi I'm Dolph Ziggler", seeing the 400 pound Big Show "skin the cat" at one point, and the dominance of Randy Orton's Legacy. Great Rumble match overall that delivered.

Royal Rumble 09

(Blu-Ray) WWE Championship/3 Stages Of Hell Match (Regular, Falls Count Anywhere, Stretcher) vs. Triple H Don't let the match "stipulation" fool you as this was really just a stretcher match as the first two falls went by really quick & could have been left out because that ended up hurting this match more than helping in the end. This was your typical Triple H/Orton brawl as it went in the ring, through the crowd, and made it's way onto the stage with a few nice spots with the stretcher with a nice story of Orton focusing on Triple H's bad leg throughout the match. Overall, just like how their WrestleMania match wasn't a bad match but it wasn't at the level you would & should expect for a WrestleMania main event...this was a good stretcher match but a horrible 2 Out Of 3 falls/3 Stages Of Hell match which was the match advertised.

The Bash 09

(Blu-Ray) World Championship Match vs. Christian Both Lawler & Cole left to get ready for their match leaving Josh & Booker to do the commentary. They did some nice early back & forth wrestling with Christian backdropping Orton over the ropes then dropkicking him through the ropes before Orton later came back with a giant suplex from the top rope that ended up hurting his own head in the process. Both men went back & forth with their counters & strikes coming so close with their near falls including one moment with Christian escaping Orton's hanging DDT to later execute a flying headbutt that I haven't seen done since Chris Benoit. The announcers tried to put it over that the crowd was split when you could clearly hear "Let's Go Christian!" as Randy Orton pulled out a new submission in the reverse Boston Crab (or Colt Cabana's "Billy Goat's Curse"). Both men kept blocking each others signature moves & turning them into counters such a Christian's double foot kick in the corner into a hanging DDT, Christian's attempted spear into a snap powerslam by Orton, Orton's punt into a spear, and going back & forth between the Killswitch & RKO. This was definitely the match of the night as these two meshed well together in one of those performances that have both men walking out with more credibility than they did going in as Christian was able to pull more out of Orton than others have been able to.

Over The Limit 11

I like the different approach to the documentary as far as following him on "The Road To WrestleMania" but in doing so, I felt like they didn't cover various & moments about his career like important feuds & things worth mentioning like working with his Dad back in 2005. As for the match selection, I know a bunch of people are upset that his World Title victory over Benoit wasn't on here but we know the stance WWE has in regards to Chris Benoit for the past four years & it isn't going to change so it's really pointless to argue about it but Orton's had close to a decade long WWE career so they aren't going to get every match he's done but some of the matches (Dusty & Hogan) were pointless & could have easily been replaced with more quality matches that haven't been released to a DVD set like the No Mercy '07 "Last Man Standing" match against Triple H. Past those things, I was satisfied with the release overall & it's something Randy Orton fans would enjoy overall.

Buy Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator (2011) Now

I don't usually buy WWE Superstar documentary sets these days, I stick to some PPVs thats about it. However Id been waiting to see a Randy Orton set for awhile so today I went to best buy and bought the Blu Ray set and Im in Awe of how good this set really is. the matchlist imo with the exception of missing his SummerSlam 2004 World Heavyweight Championship Match against Chris Benoit (we all know why) is very good but I loved this set for the Documentary part, it goes through all aspects his childhood, school years, Marine situation, early career, mid career, now. His family is on here and you get alot of good interviews with co-workers like HHH, Cena, I beleive Batista. Just a great great set, usually i ebay or trade in the newer WWE dvds these days however this set is an exception and will stay in my blu ray/dvd collection. I recommend Randy Orton the Evolution of a Predator to any WWE fan and Certainly any Randy Orton fan such as myself. In the end it's a good thing they waited until this point to make this DVD they went through his career which overshadowed events and issues he was going through in his personal life, for example when he was world champ in 2004 and could of had the world by the kahones but wasn't "ready" to take advantage of it, so again I beleive they waited until the right point in his life/career to make this set it feels complete. Again Great set and Enjoy.

Read Best Reviews of Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator (2011) Here

Anyone else think it's weird that the sticker on the front says 3 disk collection but its only 2 disks when you open it. Anyone else see this or am I missing something? I haven't actually watched the movie yet just opened it yesterday and saw it was only 2 disks not 3.

Want Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator (2011) Discount?

Okay, so I am reviewing this DVD set after watching it yesterday. The documentary portion was well done. They had shown some behind-the-scenes footage of Randy's lives both at home and on the road with WWE. I won't get into too much detail for those of you wanting to find out more for yourself... but he brings up his childhood in the St. Louis area, meeting his future wife Samantha, and dealings with all things WWE. Randy does a good job of describing his feelings and actions at several points during his career (the good and the bad), which you can appreciate. Others connected to the wrestling business, such as Triple H, Arn Anderson, Cody Rhodes, and a lot more share their thoughts on where Randy has gone and where he has been. Very entertaining to see these guys break character and just be themselves for a change. Samantha Orton gives a very honest look at Randy and their relationship together over the past many years, which is another good peek at the whole look inside the world of Randy Orton.

I won't go match-by-match, but they are all very solid. Of course, they didn't show the match against Chris Benoit at SummerSlam 2004. That is a shame, but my memories are still very clear from around the time and if you want to see that one, just go look for it somewhere. The rest of them are very good and to me, clearly show the progression from the beginning and middle of his career. Hard to believe that he has been around almost 10 years now... all of us fans hope it will be at least 10 more.

So, I am still giving this RKO collection five stars and it is a must-see for all of WWE fans... not just those of Randy Orton. They did a great job in producing this DVD set and I can finally say it it was well worth the wait. I hope you all will enjoy this one as much as I did.

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Love Aaj Kal (2009)

I really like that LOVE AAJ KAL, a romantic comedy that segues into a drama, takes a more sophisticated approach and allows for real emotional development, something we don't get too much of from the generic Bollywood product, what with Indian cinema so hooked on sweeping over-the-top romances. When director Imtiaz Ali met star/co-producer Saif Ali Khan in the first of their pre-production meetings, he told him, "All I know about this story is that two people meet to break up." It's an interesting take, and the premise gets even more interesting with the introduction of two interweaving storylines, one set in contemporary times, the other set in 1965.

London today, and Jai's opening gambit when hitting on de ladies goes something like this: "I don't mean to pile on but..." This must be a colloquial Indian maneuver, since this phrase strikes me as a pretty odd flirting tool. Meera, lovely and outspoken, certainly isn't impressed, and she calls Jai out on it. Still, they start a fun year-long romance, chronicled in the film's first seven minutes in abrupt episodic moments. But then careers get in the way and Jai and Meera being a sensible couple there's an amicable parting of ways (there's even a break-up party).

Somewhere along here, Jai is befriended by coffee shop owner and old sikh Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor) who goes on to give him advice and to recount his own long ago romance. Jai's romantic plight strikes a chord with Veer and he begins to reminisce. And this is when the secondary story arc is introduced.

It's 1965 in Delhi, India. Veer Singh is a sikh and something of a rough fella. But his ornery demeanor shifts once he sets his eyes on the very shy Harleen. It's a long distance romance, really, as Veer and Harleen barely exchange any dialogue. Just tons of furtive longing glances, and Veer doing his best to woo her from afar. It seems to work, until he learns that Harleen's family has arranged a marriage for her. And we wait to see just how far Veer will go for love (turns out, he goes pretty far).

On the surface, the cynical modern love story serves as a counterpoint against Bollywood's traditional idealistic romance (in which a man may be so besotted that he travels hundreds of miles from Delhi to Calcutta on a rattling train just to catch a glimpse of his love). But a closer look gives us the film's true message, that love may wear different fashions, that behavior may be reflected by the respective era, but love remains universally the same and confounds even obstacles such as cynicism and practicality. This is a really good movie from India. It mostly stays away from silly elements and the relatively understated tone goes a ways into lending believability to the plot. And it does feel like there's a solid connection between the two generations of lovers onscreen.

The acting is terrific across the board. We've seen Saif Ali Khan take on roles like "Jai" before in SALAAM NAMASTE and in HUM TUM, you know, the charismatic fun-loving guy unwilling to settle down. His character's journey to maturation is pretty predictable. Saif also plays the bearded and turban-coiffed Veer Singh of 1965, and Veer is a far cry from Jai, unabashedly romantic where Jai is flighty and dismissive. It's a nod to Saif's acting ability that you're able to separate the two characters even as they share the same features.

Deepika Padukone, long-legged and stunning, is the revelation. She's simply marvelous and adds surprising depth and warmth to Meera, and, c'mon, how can you not fall in love with her? She makes Meera a character you really root for, a girl perfectly aware of what's going on every step of the way and hoping against hope that her guy would get wise and catch up. Harleen, the other lady in question, is played by 20-year-old Brazilian model Giselle Monteiro, who had initially auditioned for the role of Jai's Caucasian girlfriend (yes, Jai does try to move on after Meera). However, the director's wife pointed out that Giselle would make a better Harleen, since Director Imtiaz Ali had been getting frustrated finding the right actress for that part. Not exactly rocking the Hindi language, Giselle Monteiro doesn't get a lot of dialogue, which is probably a wise thing. Giselle's identity was kept under wraps until the movie's theatrical release.

Besides the opening seven minutes of quick cuts, LOVE AAJ KAL throughout its running time is rife with transitional images which fall outside of chronological order. It's a disjointed technique but there's a sense of gratification as you do eventually see how these images fit within the framework of the story.

The production values on this film are top notch. Not only is the contemporary story arc set in the slick international backdrops of London, San Francisco and modern Delhi, but the 1965 setting is also nicely, convincingly evoked. Not that I'm a huge expert or anything, having only recently started watching old Bollywood classics from the '60s and '70s but I least now know how much Rishi Kapoor and his wife Neetu impacted Indian cinema in the '70s.

The musical numbers are alternately hip and charmingly old-fashioned. "Dooriyan" is a contemplative, soulful song about distances and separation. "Twist" is toe-tapping stuff and showcases Saif's unexpectedly smooth dance moves (even Saif's admitted to being a stiff at dancing). "Ajj Din Chadheya" is sweetly done and frames Veer and Harleen's courtship at a distance. "Thoda Thoda Pyar" is the old-school courtyard number featuring a dancing Giselle (according to the commentary, Giselle drove the dance choreographers up the wall because, well, as someone new to the culture, she couldn't quite grasp the moves). "Chor Bazaari" is fun and serenades Jai and Meera as they hang out on the sly in Delhi.

2 discs for this one. Disc 1 has the feature presentation, an option to check out the film's musical numbers, and the film commentary in English by Saif Ali Khan & Director Imtiaz Ali. Disc 2 has the following special features: the Making Of the film segment; the Making of the songs; LOVE AAJ KAL Journey which is even more behind-the-scenes stuff (although one does get tired of a segment that keeps popping up, the one about the crew going on and on about the hassle of shooting in horrible Delhi traffic); deleted scenes and quick shots with director's commentary (including a sequence in a sweet's shop featuring Jai and Meera and the now aged Veer and Harleen); the promotional press conference with the lead actors & crew; a remix video of "Twist"; the audio release function basically, another press conference this time focusing on the music in the film; and the original theatrical trailer.

Love Aaj Kal is DEFINITELY one of the very best 2009 romantic comedies I have ever, ever seen in an utterly long time... the two main leads (Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone playing as Jai and Meera, respectively) are just flat-out fantastic, and the way the two love stories from two different generations of time interconnect with each other is just seamlessly and most flawlessly brilliant indeed; you can just literally sense the sheer chemistry, the compelling character development, their painful heartaches, and one powerhouse performance after another in this original Hindi-language film from start to finish, combined with such an outstanding story that just makes you want to leap with great joy and go all the way, guaranteed!!! ;)

Shot on location in San Francisco, London, and New Dehli as the main backdrops, what makes this movie *extremely* so special for me personally is that all the dating and relationships here are handled in quite an absolutely, ABSOLUTELY fresh and alive and splendidly convincing and rather strikingly mature manner indeed between the characters and what they are going through also, and even much more better is that we end up fully and genuinely with an amazing, non-stop rooting interest in those two main characters throughout, especially as well in the key point late in the film where we actually sense that Meera and Jai's emotional, secretly attractive connection to each other is seriously at risk when they are in sudden jeopardy in their relationship! I am not gonna spill the beans on what happens at the very end here... but one thing is for certain: with fantastic pacing, excellent laughs, amazing non-stop energy, first-rate songs to lift the action so wonderfully, and an incredibly top-notch modern-day romance that spans two generations, Love Aaj Kal literally blows away all of the contrived, obnoxious, and most blatantly lifeless 2009 American theatrical romance comedies (i.e. The Ugly Truth, Love Happens, and All About Steve to name a few!) to kingdom come. PERIOD, final.

DO NOT MISS THIS ONE especially with your loved one as well, because this is your perfect date movie that you must, must see indeed... you will *not* be even disappointed whatsoever, and congratulations to Illuminati Films, Eros International, and especially to writer/director Imtias Ali as well on quite a watershed brilliance of a romance-comedy film well made!!!! (^-^)v !!

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With highlight over Contemporary romance in comparison to older times love, this new hindi movie is meant for the youth and completely relates to both the generations. It is a movie that throws light on how the 2 generations don't understand each other and how broad each of their thinking is. With a starcast like Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan, who are the face of youth in Bollywood, the movie shows how love in two different generations was the same feeling.... flowery. It's just about how people treat their love differently. Comparing the lifestyles of people in 2 different countries, the movie is based in London, Delhi and Calcutta. It showcases the best of the 2 countries.

It's a feel good movie and worth watching again and again with the high quality picturization and amazing dance and romantic songs churned into a beautiful tale of 2 generations that makes you feel that "love" is truly a bliss and worth giving your life for just like Veer (Saif Ali Khan) does!!

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This is one of my favorite movies to come out of Bollywood. Though I am just now diving into the very deep waters of Indian cinema, I know a pearl when I see one. This movie is both timely and timeless, with a theme that will speak to anyone's heart. Also, the music is spectacular. Since this is Saif Ali Khan's first foray into producing, I hope to see many more great films come out of his studio in the upcoming years.

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I'm gonna give this film full marks because it doesn't try to be a romantic comedy and unlike a lot of Bollywood films takes itself seriously. Saif was superb while Deepika only outshines him with her effortless grace and intriguing character. Some surprises as far as guest appearances are concerned but the film will win you over. A great film both for cynics and for daydreamers.

I strongly recommend.

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Kiss of the Damned (Alternate Artwork)

Kiss of the Damned pays homage to Italian horror cinema and Hammer Horror films of the 1970's, minus a lot of the cheesy qualities that plagued some of those films, most of which were due to budget restraints. This film doesn't boast a huge budget either, but clearly director Alexandra "Xan" Cassavetes knows how to effectively spend that small budget. No doubt her famous families background in cinema has given her the necessary tools to be a talented director in her own right. Her brother Nick Cassavetes directed Alpha Dog and the Notebook, her father was Guy Woodhouse in Rosemary's Baby, and she has previously made a documentary, but her Silver Screen directorial debut is impressive.

Albeit a vampire movie, it is a quintessential vampire movie, sticking to the traditional mythos that horror fans have come to expect. None of this Twilight nonsense of sparkling in daylight and playing baseball. Kiss of the Damned vampires are brooding, sad and sexy. This films oozes sexuality, as it should. In sticking to the source material of Bram Stoker's Dracula, vampire stories should be a love story at the core, sensual, provocative, intense, sad and dark. This movie is all of those things, so in regards to being a traditional vampire story , it is one. Some may be displeased that this story doesn't push the envelope or tell a story we haven't really seen before, I personally don't mind. Vampires aren't real, you can really only do so much with vampire stories and they have kind of all been done already.

Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes, Rocky Balboa) as Paolo gives a strong performance as he usually does, and has great chemistry with the female lead Josephine de La Baume as Djuna (Johnny English Reborn, Boogie Woogie). She is incredibly sexy, and plays a very provocative and enticing mistress of the dark. The relationship between the two is magnetic and enjoyable to watch. Roxane Mesquida (Rubber, The Last Mistress) as Mimi is an excellent complication for these two and their new found love for one another. The movie as a whole is enjoyable to watch (if you like hot female nudity and bloody gore, this is the best I've seen in a vampire movie in awhile, rivaling maybe only the HBO series True Blood) especially because of the superb Cinematography. Tobias Datum (with a long list of credits, this being his biggest feature to date) does an immaculate job setting up shot compositions and executing technical skill that most American movies lack. This movie looks foreign and old, only in the sense of camera movement. There are forced zooms and push ins that haven't really been utilized in cinema since the `70's that work brilliantly in this film. If I believed in the Oscars bulls***, Tobias should be nominated for best Cinematographer. The soundtrack for this movie is great as well. I was very pleased that the songs used in the trailer for this movie are actually in the film as well, which is rarely done. "Wucan" by Black Mountain is the most prominent song in the trailer and is displayed in a cool way in the film. Most aspects of this film work really well and are a welcome refreshment from a genre that has been plagued with too many failures in the last decade.

If you like Hammer Horror films, traditional vampire films, True Blood, hot female nudity, and intense love stories with a bumpy road ahead of them, this is something you'll most likely enjoy. I have to note that I think some people may have a problem with the frenetic editing and somewhat slow pacing. Like I said, this feels like a foreign film, no fast paced action or quick moving story that beats one over the head. Perhaps that for me, is part of the charm of this movie. And I don't doubt that some will have a problem with the denouement, but I liked it, and you may too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I saw a trailer for this in a theater and turned to my friend and said, "This looks awful, but I would totally watch it." Then I found out it was written and directed by a daughter of John Cassavetes and it was available on demand, so I was intrigued and took a chance. Definitely the best vampire movie I've seen in a long time, stylish and less goofy than the trailer suggests. Retro and smart, glamorous and gritty, very satisfying.

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Gorgeous, talented cast: the hot guy from Heroes, beautiful French model from Agent Provocateur and the other French actress from The Last Mistress. This is a vampire version of a sexy movie like 9 1/2 Weeks or Red Shoe Diaries, only a hundred times better. Though a low budget movie, it moves quickly. Entertaining and tastefully done.

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Totally entertaining, full of sex, violence, blood and humor (believe it or not), and super-beautifully crafted. The cinematography and soundtrack are amazing. Once it started don't take your eyes off the screen. i really liked the Twilight series (as did our kids), but this is Twilight for adults, and much more sophisticated and erotic! It's a totally fun ride and the film has some great surprises. Amazing to just sit back and be taken away into. Highly recommend it!

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Lascivious, Titalating, A Blow Your Mind Experience!

Nothing comes close to "Kiss of the Damned" for a trip

with Vampires. and Hot, Hot Babes!

You Can't Miss This.

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Days of Thunder (1990)

First of all... The movie is quite good, with great performances from Robert Duval, Tom Cruise, and Nicole Kidman. The film has great racing footage (with a few inconsistencies) and is all in all, a good movie... Now let's talk about the DVD... This is one of the best sounding DVD's that I've ever put in to my home theater! The sound in the 5.1 surround sound will absolutely have you looking around for the race car!!!!! As "Cole Trickle" first gets in the car at the vacant raceway, test driving "Rowdy Burns'" car, you will absolutely be beside yourself!! The sound is unreal! You will love this DVD just for the fact of showing off your home theater to friends! The picture has a few flaws, but nothing too noticable! (mainly aspect ratio) That's what gave it the 4 stars instead of 5. Buy this DVD for your theater... You won't be disappointed!!!

Okay, let's talk about plausibility for a minute here. People who don't like this movie seem to talk about the fact that the plot is implausible. How many movies today have plausible plots? Are you telling me that I shouldn't like Aliens because the plot is unreal? Yes, this movie does not have Academny Award winning acting or a thick and deep plot, but it serves the purpose it was made for -to be a thriller. It combines suspense, action, and fun, and although it's not the best in any of these, it combines them seamlessly into an extremely fun ride. Personally, I just don't want to watch an epic everyday, and if you're looking for a REAL fun ride -this is THE movie.

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I loved this movie at the cinema and rushed to get it on DVD. So why is it grainy, with bad sound, no extras to speak of and just feels very poorly done. Really really disappointed with it and have taken it back to the shop for a refund. The studio have cheated the fans on this one!

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Fist of all , this movie is perfect for a racing fan. it has action, comedy, romance and so on. Now all of you people who think that NASCar is the WORST sport ever, think about this. Get in a car and drive 200+ MPH and tell me its the worst sport. so i dont even want to hear it.

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lets face it people tom always plays the cocky gun in every movie he has played in. this movie is good (i liked it) but its like top gun with race cars, which doesn't make the movie bad just another "same part" played by tom (=

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NEW Escape From New York - Escape From New York (1981) (Blu-ray)

Hailed as a cult classic by many, John Carpenter's "Escape from New York" is finally available in a more-than-appropriate DVD edition that does the film justice. A dark movie filled with danger, action, suspense, and even humor, this is the classic that gave birth to the ultimate outlaw and anti-hero; Snake Plissken. Now, you can relive the movie like never before.

In a post-apocalyptic world filled with crime and violence, the entire city of Manhattan has been transformed into a prison--a death sentence to most. Here, the prisoners are sent once they are banned from society and are forced to stay a life sentence to fight on their own. A crisis is before the people who are in charge of the prison, as the President has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by the very people they dedicated their lives to lock up. The only chance they have is a former war hero turned outlaw, Snake Plissken. They make him a deal that if he can bring back the President alive, all of the charges against him will be dropped. However, there's yet another catch; the main man in charge of the prison has injected Plissken with an explosive device that will be the end of him in less than 24 hours should he not be successful, insuring that he won't "flee" the scene. All of this leads to an exciting and thrilling cult classic that is loved by many.

John Carpenter has done a terrific job of painting a dark and bleak picture of law enforcement as we know it. At the same time, he does an excellent job of creating a successful and subtle satire of law and authority. The script is always clever and surprising. While the movie might be a little dated, it still does not take away anything from the raw effect the movie has on us. Kurt Russell is fantastic as the mono-toned "Snake Plissken." He makes the role his own and stands out as one of our favorite anti-heroes in film. All of the right ingredients to make a successful and exciting film are there.

This new DVD edition is a lot better than the previous one. The picture has been remastered in high-definition, which truly stands out as an accomplishment. The sound is decent, but we must keep in mind that this is an old movie and the sound can only be restored so much. Extras included are commentaries, photo galleries, an exclusive comic book, featurettes, trailers, the deleted scene of the original opening; the bank robbery, and more. I can tell you for sure that I am much more pleased with this edition of the film.

"Escape from New York" is definitely one of those films that stands out from the rest. It is a cult classic for a reason, and that reason is undeniable. While it may be overlooked by some, the ones who really appreciate it for what it is benefits a great amount of deal from it. If you're looking for an exciting thrill ride with action, suspense, and humor, this is the one to check out. A superb film on every front.

The film itself is three and a half stars (out of five): yet another entertaining "B" thriller from cult film director John Carpenter, this sci-fi/action romp is lots of fun in every sense of the word: great characters populated by a great cast, led by Russel's iconic take on "Snake Plissken", the love child of Clint Eastwood and Jim Morrison; a delicious, cheese-tastic premise that maintains a sense of humor while playing it serious (unlike its lesser, overly-campy sequel); production values that sporadically waver between solid and chintzy, somehow only adding to the film's gritty, dark (and fun) comic book-like tone; and a classic (albeit corny) John Carpenter synth score.

As a point of acknowledgment, I'm a big John Carpenter fan... but if truth be told, while Carpenter is terrific with atmosphere and suspense, he is somewhat challenged when it comes to shooting action sequences. That point is underscored once again with this film, as the action sequences are fairly unmemorable; fortunately, the film's creepily weird atmosphere and colorful characters more than make up for it.

While the film ultimately does not live up to its potential, it has more than enough attributes to cement its place as a minor genre classic. This is not Carpenter's best work by a long shot (for my money, "Halloween" and "The Thing" are tied for that honor); nevertheless, this is still a must-see for those who dig the 1970's-early 1980's era of "B" movie sci-fi/action flicks.

Now, on to the Blu-Ray review: the 1080P widescreen picture quality of this Blu-Ray is a decent step-up from the special edition DVD released a few years back. Released in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (Amazon incorrectly listed this release at 1.85:1), colors are punchier, contrast is good, sharpness is increased, and grain is at a minimum for a picture this age. Blacks are solid, if a little grayish at times. Thankfully, the original look of the film is preserved, meaning the green hue of some previous home video releases is gone. Also, there are no obvious signs of edge enhancement or DNR manipulation... always a good thing. However, all's not perfect; the film's original cinematography alternates inconsistently between being soft, hazy and reasonably sharp. That fact, coupled with the film's inherently dark and murky look (the film was shot almost entirely at night on a fairly low budget) means that this film is hardly Blu-Ray demo material. That being said, fans should be pleased, as this is the best the film has ever looked on home video (and that includes the green-hued Optimum U.K./Canadian Blu-Ray release from a few years back, which was so artificially touched-up, it barely looked like the same film that was released in 1981).

The audio quality is also a decent step-up from earlier DVD iterations. The 5.1 DTS-HD soundtrack makes use of surround sound for much of the picture, with good bass and nice aural ambience. However, dialogue from the center speaker was mixed a tad too low at times, making it necessary to raise the volume on occasion; fortunately, it was not enough to ruin the overall aural experience. To sum up, while hardly demo-quality (this is a 30-year-old film, after all), unquestionably this is the best the film has ever sounded on home video.

As for the rest: MGM continues its desperate attempt to stay afloat and raise cash... at the expense of both the good will of its customer base and the reputation of future releases of its formidable library of catalog titles. As is the case with its recent release of "Kalifornia", the quality of this release reeks of cheapness in every sense of the word. Absolutely no special features come with this Blu-Ray, unless you count the film trailer and the DVD copy of the film that is included with this set... and unlike earlier MGM Blu-Ray/DVD combo releases, where the included DVD had special features the Blu-Ray lacked ("Misery" and "Bull Durham" come to mind), the included DVD on this set has zero special features; this means that all of the special features from the fine 2003 special edition two-disc DVD set are nowhere to be found on this release.

The included DVD is in fact a flipper, which has an anamorphically-enhanced widescreen version of the film on one side of the disc and a fullscreen copy on the other. Really? Is "fullscreen" considered a bonus feature in 2010? Since MGM included a flipper DVD disc, why not have offered the two-disc special feature edition as a flipper?

Also, a careful comparison on my part found that the quality of the included DVD is of lesser quality than the 2003 special edition DVD, with colors and sharpness looking duller. From what I can tell, the included DVD is the same as the inferior 2000 DVD release with one puzzling difference: the audio on the 2000 DVD was in 4.0 Dolby Surround, and this included DVD has a 5.1 Dolby Digital track! It seems that MGM did put some effort into this combo release after all... just in the wrong places.

Even the case that houses the Blu-Ray is a disappointment, as MGM didn't even bother to package it in the standard small Blu-Ray case, but rather opted to release the combo set in a larger-sized standard DVD case. This may seem like nitpicking to some, but I, with my large video library, appreciate the smaller size of the Blu-Ray case.

>.

So, it boils down to this: for casual viewers and those on a budget, if you already own the 2003 special edition DVD of "Escape From New York", this Blu-Ray upgrade is probably not worth your time, as the picture quality on that DVD looks very good upconverted, and the special features on that two-disc set really make the 2003 special edition DVD the one to own. For fans and/or videophiles who don't particularly care about special features, the visual and audio uptick is good enough to warrant a purchase, albeit at a discounted price. Of course, true fans will be forced to pick up (or hang on to) the 2003 special edition DVD with its terrific set of special features, including: a mini-graphic novel, two fine audio commentary tracks, a making-of doc, and (perhaps most intriguing) the original opening for the film (complete with restored audio), which consists of an eleven-minute bank robbery sequence that explains how Snake Plissken got caught (by the man!) in the first place.

I understand that MGM is in a financial rut at the moment, but releasing this obvious cash-in at a sticker price of $24.99 is poor form, no matter how you cut it (fluctuating sale prices on Amazon.com, notwithstanding). Seeing as how they just released "Kalifornia" in the exact same fashion, I'm going to think twice before making another MGM Blu-Ray purchase in the future, as I have no interest in supporting MGM's new trend of top-dollar, no-frills Blu-Ray catalog releases.

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Back in 1981, John Carpenter released a film, set in 1997, that depicted a somewhat bleak future for the United States in that the crime rate had risen to the point where it was necessary to turn New York City into a maximum security prison by enclosing the island in giant, concrete walls, installing landmines on the access bridges, and providing constant surveillance with the threat of death for any that try to escape. Felons convicted and sent to this prison are given the option of execution rather than being forced to try and survive in this hellish, nightmare environment. Truly only the strongest and most ruthless survive behind these walls. The female narration, done by Carpenter favorite Jamie Lee Curtis, at the beginning ends with the ominous line, "Once you go in, you never come out."

After this is set up, we learn that, while en route to an extremely important conference, the president's plane has been hijacked, and is crashed inside the prison. The inmates recover the president, and threatening to kill him if any attempt is made to release him. A plan is formulated, one including the recently captured, ex-military, now convicted, criminal Snake Plisskin (Kurt Russell) to send him in, alone, and try to bring the president out alive, offering him a full pardon should he succeed. Only problem is, due to time constraints, of the conference, Snake only has 24 hours to complete this mission, if he accepts it. Another minor glitch...without his knowing it, microscopic implants are inserted into Snake's neck in case he decided to skip out, and are set to go off unless Snake can recover the president and return him safely within the time allotted.

This has always been one of my favorite movies. It brings to life the perfect anti-hero, the outlaw. We've seen and loved this type of character before, like in the Clint Eastwood western movies of the 60's. America loves an outlaw, and John Carpenter has brought the character into the future. Escape From New York is an excellent example of a low budget movie that is really well made, from the realistic sets and scenery, characters, casting, scripting, direction, and music, all of which was composed by John Carpenter himself. Kurt Russell plays Snake so perfectly that you'll never picture anyone else in the role. Other actors that provide wonderful performances, many of which Carpenter uses in his later films, are Harry Dean Stanton, Donald Pleasance, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Van Cleef, and Tom Atkins. And let's not forget Isaac Hayes as The Duke of New York, leader of the most powerful gang within the prison, and the one holding the president in hopes of using him to escape. Another thing is that this movie moves. There is no plodding, the plot is clearly defined and drives the movie to its' satisfying conclusion.

The special features included in this special edition DVD are many, and listed thoroughly on the product page. Included is the eleven-minute sequence involving Snake, a bank robbery, and subsequent capture that led him to be sentenced to the prison. This was only available before on the laserdisc version, so I am really glad it made it here. After watching it and listening to the commentary, you'll understand why it was cut from the movie, but the gist is that it humanized the character of Snake too much. Also included from the laserdisc version is a full-length commentary by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. Many commentaries I watch tend to be dry and boring, but it was wonderful listening to these two talk about scenes and reminisce. They go into great detail, all while keeping it interesting. Some of the other extras are nice, but probably not for everyone, like the mini comic book and the additional commentary by producer Deborah Hill and production designer Joe Alves. It's a bit dry and boring, and probably only would appeal to the more hardcore fans. And last but not least is the quality of the picture. It looks beautiful and crisp, better than I have ever seen it. All in all, this release is truly befitting of the title 'Special Edition'. This movie was followed up in 1996 by a somewhat disappointing sequel called Escape From LA. The elements were pretty much there for that one, but the gritty edginess that made Escape From New York so wonderful just wasn't. Maybe too much time had passed between the movies.

Cookieman108

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Ok. So I'm a HUGE fan of Escape from New York. Obviously that's going to make me a little demanding of any treatment of the film. Just from examining the packaging, though, you can tell this DVD release doesn't do the film justice. Here's how:

1. The only 'extras' on this DVD are the theatrical trailer. Well, the recent VHS release of the movie has a complete documentary on it along with footage that was edited out of the original film. This footage does the setup for Snake Pliskin getting sent to prison. Why wasn't this on the DVD? Probably because it's being saved for a future 'collector's edition' DVD. Any fan who bought this will have to then buy a copy of the good one.

2. The cover illustration depicts Pliskin with a snake tattoo on his arm. He has a snake tattoo on his stomach, not on his arm. If you flip the box over, there's even a photo from the movie where you can see he doesn't have a tattoo on his right arm.

3. In the synopsis on the back, the text says "Kurt Russell (Stargate) plays ...." Whoah! If you're going to make a parenthetical reference describing Kurt Russell by a movie he's been in, THIS IS THE MOVIE to use. Not Stargate. I'm not bashing Stargate, but I bet Escape from New York is Kurt Russell's best-selling movie on DVD. Having seen it in the theater, I instantly became a Kurt Russell fan. When he came out with The Thing, Stargate, and Soldier, it was Snake Pliskin that made me want to see those movies.

Ok. So I've been ranting. The last comment I have to make is that if you're sick of buying DVD's that later get trumped by the 'collector's edition' being released, then don't buy this. Hold out for the inevitable 'Special Edition' of Escape from New York.

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I'm sick and tired of Amazon lumping DVD reviews together with Bluray reviews. This gets really annoying when I'm trying to learn about improvements made for a Bluray release. And now we have 2 different Bluray options for this movie, Escape From New York. One is a combo pack from MGM and is $15 and change and the other is from Canalstudio, priced about $10 higher. What am I supposed to do? Which one looks better? Which one has the correct aspect ratio? Amazon (I have read) has the wrong aspect ratio listed on one of these releases making this problem even worse! Which one has more bonus features? Does either of these releases have the deleted scene included in the deluxe 2 disc DVD? ARE YOU LISTENING AMAZON? I know someone has to check this review for curse words, unless they have an automated system doing that.

Also, how about listing the bonus features for every movie? All you have to do is read the back of the cover and enter the information.

Amazon is still my favorite place to shop. They have the biggest selection, and with Amazon Prime I get free 2 day shipping. But the problems I have mentioned is really making my life difficult.

Oh and by the way, my 5 star rating is for this movie. It is one of my all-time favorites, in any format. As far as which edition you should buy, well, good luck. Amazon has left it to be a guessing game.