Maldeamores/Mancora (2008)

Mancora is the primary reason I bough this disc. It is one of those movies you watch by yourself or with a couple friends but should be embarrassed to watch with your family--it's a little heavy on the sex and drugs.

More importantly, it's one of those movies about an immature youth, who doesn't really come off as immature because he is a well-experienced cynic, coming into his own by the conclusion. It's an unusual formula for a bildungsroman in that it won't always interest those who expect all fictional young adults to either be young (and stupid, as in the title character of Thor) or an adult (and mature, like Hermione in the Harry Potter series). In this case, "coming into your own" means renouncing a worldly, cynical, crass view of the way society goes on with itself, and embracing an optimistic, more hopeful lifestyle. It contrasts with typical narratives of maturity in that, conventionally, naivete means innocence, and experience means learning the harsh reality of life; in Mancora, naivete means disillusionment and pessimism, and experience means learning to love--and pursuse--life in spite of it. In this way, it teaches a much more hopeful message to the angsty teenage crowd, who tend to get caught up in an egoistic kind of mistrust of everyone and everything, in that it acknowledges full well the reasons for that mistrust and teaches the value of nevertheless possessing an informed optimism.

Despite the sex and drugs, this makes Mancora a vastly more moral movie than any Disney-like portrayal of good and evil, because in real life you can't tell good from evil; you can only learn and decide how to live the most positive life possible, in the face of endless adversity. Beyond that, Mancora portrays a very sensous, culturally-aware, mixed-emotions presentation that I personally find intoxicating.

Maldeamores is a great match for the teenage angsty drama not just because it is also a Spanish-language film starting with the letter "M," but because it has a similar quality of sensuality and shifting emotions. Its roller-coaster of laughs, cries, and frights is constructed through a series of love-story vignettes, a la "Paris, Je T'Aime" or "Love, Actually." Like Mancora, Maldeamores tries to teach the value of loving life in spite of how unsatisfying life can be. (Some of the stories also moralize quite transparently on the dangers of not learning this lesson, and forging ahead blindly and stubbornly, as well as the dangers of just being an outright idiot. Those were some of the best laughs, of course!)

I view this combo as a great drama accompanied by a great comedy--and not the other way around--mostly because I am one of those serious tightwads who would rather be fascinated than entertained. Either way you take this pairing, I have to say that I love both films and make as many of my friends watch them as possible.

Ps. To evaluate the blu-ray itself, it's got no special features and not at all an exciting menu, but when you contrast that with the value of two movies placed on one disc, well, you begin to demand less in added perquisites. Buy this movie!

quality was excellent, only thing i hate it was widescreen, cutting part of the picture off. the studios should make both version. thank you

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The Hunger Games (3-Disc Deluxe Edition + Digital Copy) (2012)

"Hunger Games" is certainly the best film I have seen since many many months, and it is a very successful adaptation of an excellent book.

In my personal opinion, both the book and the film are much deeper and much more ambitious, than what most critics and reviewers would make us believe. After reading the reviews in "New York Times", "Le Monde" and on "Msn.com" (to cite only few) I was surprised that they mostly missed everything that is important in this film. With a kind of amused superiority, which people from Capitol in this movie would immediately recognize, the "professional" reviewers pointed at the obvious allusions to gladiator fights, the reality shows, the importance of trashy entertainment in today's TV, the search for a new franchise able to replace "Twilight", etc., etc.

But they almost entirely failed to see, that this film is first and above all about much more important things: how to keep hope, not lose the courage and preserve humanity and dignity under a totalitarian oppressive regime.

I believe that almost everybody now knows that when writing "Hunger Games" Susan Collins attempted basically a modern (even futurist) retelling of the old Greek myth of Theseus and Minotaur. According to this ancient tale, after losing a war, every year the city of Athens had to send a tribute of seven young men and seven maidens to the king of Crete. Once there the young people were locked in the Labyrinth, to be devoured by the monster Minotaur. This yearly punishment and humiliation lasted until Theseus, crown prince of Athens, volunteered to be one of the tributes and once locked in the Labyrinth he defeated and killed the Minotaur.

In "Hunger Games" what was once United States (and I think also Canada) is now called the Panem. It is a country divided in twelve Districts remaining under the control of the Capitol central metropolis. There was once thirteen Districts, but when they rebelled against the central power, the Capitol destroyed completely the District 13 with all its population and then defeated and submitted again the twelve others. In order to remind to its subjects how absolute is its power, the Capitol claims a yearly tribute one girl and one boy of ages from 12 to 18 from every District. The tributes are then send to an arena and forced to fight, until only one remain alive. This yearly event is called the Hunger Games and it is shown live on TV to all the population of Panem. This film tells the story of what happened at the 74th edition of Hunger Games...

For Capitol the purpose of Hunger Games is to remind yearly how powerful is the central metropolis and how dire can be the consequences of its wrath, but also and even more importantly in my opinion to humiliate and degrade the people of the Districts by forcing them to become accomplices (even if under duress) of a barbarian custom in which some of their own children are send to the slaughterhouse. And as all bullies and abusers know, it is much easier to oppress, abuse and brutalize victims who lack self-esteem...

Well, in this film we can see how one of the tributes from District 12, an exceptionnal young girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), manages to turn the tables on the Capitol and by allowing people of Panem to regain some of their dignity she will be the pebble which starts the avalanche. The exact way in which she does that will not be revealed here, but both in the book as in the film it is described in a very intelligent and very moving way...

This may seem a rather improbable thing that a 16 years old child can do something that will ultimately bring down a seemingly invincible and all-powerful tyranny, but let's not forget that in the real world, the great wave of revolutions of Arab Spring began on 18 December 2010 with a desperate gesture of a dirt-poor 27-years old Tunisian street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire after having been robbed and beaten by the corrupt local police one time too much... Less than two years after, the opressive regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya already collapsed, the seemingly invulnerable dictator of Yemen had to resign and the Syrian brutal regime is facing a massive armed rebellion..

Bottom line, this film is first and before all a story about how even a seemingly powerless person can horribly hurt a tyrannic regime with a magic potion made of lots of courage, an ice-cold determination, a great personal dignity, a little compassion, a handful of flowers, a couple of tears and one defiant and powerful gesture...

The powerful message and excellent scenario are not the only reasons why I consider "Hunger Games" as a masterpiece. Actors were selected very carefully and they perform well. Jennifer Lawrence is simply perfect there is no other word to describe her performance! However, after seeing her in "Winter's Bone" and "X-Men: First class" I didn't expect anything less.

But the real surprise in this film comes from Josh Hutcherson who plays Peeta Mellark, the boy tribute from District 12. His character is more difficult to play, because Peeta is in the same time more limited but also more complicated than Katniss. Josh Hutcherson could have very easily fall in one of the many traps which are build in Peeta's character. By overacting or underacting he could have make him a wimp or a passive follower or an immature kid, but he avoided those snares with grace and his Peeta comes out of this film as a surprisingly complexe and also a very likeable character. He is certainly not a hero and a fighter like Katniss but until the very end he preserves his honor, in a deadly place where he shouldn't ever be send...

A special mention goes to little Amandla Stenberg, who plays 12-years old Rue, the youngest of all the tributes. Her character is both secondary and in the same time incredibly important and this little cute pixie played it perfectly!

Other, more known actors contribute to the success of this film. Woody Harrelson is excellent as Haymitch, the only person from District 12 who ever won in the Hunger Games and is now an advisor to Katniss and Peeta. Lenny Kravitz portrayed a perfect Cinna, the man in charge of image of tributes from District 12 in public appearances before the games begin. And finally there is the giant figure of Donald Sutherland, who plays the supreme ruler of Panem, President Coriolanus Snow. He is purely incredible. There is a moment in this film when he says to somebody "I like you" and I believe that I have never heard such a terrible and deadly threat in one short sentence since the archifamous Schwarzenegger's "I will be back"...

I also absolutely adored the using of the cameras. In some moments of this film we have the impression of going after the characters with a camera, like a war correspondent following the fighters (this style was also very skillfully used in "The Shield" series). Of course not all the film is turned in this way, but mixing this kind of scenes with more conventional ones gives here an excellent effect.

The games themselves are very skillfully described and are a very dramatic tale, full of surprises and twists. I found them much much better than "Battle Royale", to which this book and film are often compared. The games are deadly and brutal, but there is only limited gore I think this film is suitable for young teenagers, although not for children younger than 12. There is also absolutely no nudity, sex or strong language and I for one found it a most excellent thing.

There are still many more good things to say about this film, but I believe you should discover them by yourself. One more thing however about the book it is of course possible to see and greatly enjoy this film without reading the book, but I believe that reading the novel first is a good idea. If reading the whole book is out of question, I would advise to read at least the first hundred pages. It will not reveal much about the games themselves, but it will allow for a better understanding of some of the key elements: the strength of the bond between Katniss and her younger sister, the history that Katniss shares with her hunting partner Gale, the complicated relation between Katniss and her mother and last but not least, the mysterious bond existing between Katniss and Peeta Mellark.

About this last point: if you did not yet read the book I do not want to spoil the pleasure of discovery so I will say just this Katniss and Peeta lived for 16 years in the same village, but they never spoke one to another (except for an occasional "Hello") and they never touched one another in any way. And still, they share a secret as big as life and death, a secret which both bonded them together and in the same time separated them deeply... If you want to know the solution of this riddle you have either to watch very very carefully every scene of the film or simply read the book...

Conclusion: this film is a masterpiece! I loved it and I am going to buy the DVD as soon as it is available. And I am SOOO going to see the the second part, as soon as it opens!

I enjoyed this movie. Yes, I've read the books. People will always be upset because things are always missing from the story when you take a book and transfer it to film. I thought it was done well. Other people didn't understand the concept. This is a trilogy, you're not supposed to learn everything in the first book. Everything will come together, and there will be more understanding. Overall, it was a great representation of the book, in my opinion.

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For the record I am a HUGE Hunger Games fan and have been of the books for over 2 years. Please do not read this as a rant, but rather a fans opinion.

This movie is garbage in the representation of the books. It was created specifically with Twilight fan-girls in mind. The first chunk of the movie is very, very slow and does not explain anything well. If you did not read the book (or books, actually, as the movie jumps a bit ahead on features), I cannot see something really understanding what is going on. At the very least, the true meaning from the book is lost.

"HEY! Movies can't be exactly like the books!" you may say. Yes, I agree with this but to a point. The books revolve around the main fact: the Capital forces two children from each district to brutally murder each other to survive. The film makers took this and decided for the young children audience that the kids would fluff each other to death. Deaths magically become fuzzy or shaky, with music or odd sound overlayed to the scene.

I went to see this movie opening night at a nice theater it cost me about $20 a reserved seat which I purchased first available day. It was packed 90% with teenage girls who screamed over the barely-there deaths and gasped out loud over the kiss which, if you read the book, is not a "real" kiss. Before the movie 12 year old girls were running around yelling "TEAM PEETA!".

Greed took advantage of what had amazing potential. Money was the key factor young girls will be running out to buy the "team" shirts and action figure toys. A rated R movie would have been true to the story, but would generate a mere fraction in sales.

Read Best Reviews of The Hunger Games (3-Disc Deluxe Edition + Digital Copy) (2012) Here

Director Gary Ross's version of Suzanne Collins's HUNGER GAMES manages to sanitize the entire concept of kids-killing-kids in order to produce a PG-13 blockbuster that's sure to rake in the big bucks. But what was devastating and heart-wrenching in the novel is glossed over and prettified here, leaving me feeling none of the emotional impact I experienced in reading the book.

[**SPOILER WARNING** I'm assuming readers are familiar with the novel, so some plot elements will be discussed in this review.]

Don't get me wrong, this is a slick and well-made film, with plenty of action and a sensational performance from Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. The settings are well done, especially the Capitol in all its crazy-colored chic-ness and over-the-top luxury. District 12, the poorest district in Panem, is believably presented as well, complete with starving people dressed in rags and walking like zombies to their depressing jobs. The scene of the "Reaping" is chillingly done, and the scenes of Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) getting primped and trained in the Capitol hit perfect satiric notes (it's all so "reality TV," which is what makes it all so believable).

What doesn't work are the scenes of the Games themselves. From the start, Ross misses the mark. When the Games are seconds from beginning, the 24 teens are standing in a semi-circle, staring down at weapons and backpacks strewn about around the Cornucopia as they wait for the countdown to hit zero. We need to feel what they're feeling. We need to feel their terror, their horror, and yes, even their excitement. But Ross doesn't let us feel any of that. Instead, he keeps the focus almost solely on Katniss, and once everyone starts rushing forward, he cuts so quickly between scenes that it's almost impossible to see what's going on. We are aware that people are being killed, but it happens so fast and with so little reaction from the characters themselves, that it has little impact.

The same holds true for the rest of the games. Horrible things happen, but I never felt that they had much affect on Katniss or Peeta. Most of the killing in the film happens off screen, or the camera cuts away before anything brutal is revealed. That wouldn't be a bad thing if we could at least see some believable reaction shots. But we don't. On top of that, none of these characters look like they've been out in the woods for days, trying to kill each other. Close-ups of hands show clean, manicured fingernails, and everyone looks amazingly dirt-free (aside from Peeta, who camouflages himself with mud at one point but even then, he's clean and chipper-looking a few scenes later).

Rue's climactic death scene is equally ridiculous. Rue (Amandla Stenberg) looks downright gorgeous, like she's on her way to a photo shoot instead of swinging in trees to avoid getting knifed (in fact, we don't get to see her swinging in trees at all, just peeking out from between branches). Her hair is perfect, there's not a scratch or bit of dirt on her, and when Katniss is holding her as she dies, it's impossible to imagine that they've been out in the woods for days without soap and water, fighting for their lives. It's just all too pretty, all too nice.

I walked out of the theater feeling oddly detached from what I'd just seen. That's not at all the way I felt in reading the book. The novel was gripping and gut-wrenching, and although it was certainly not graphically violent or bloody, the situation Katniss found herself in was chilling and horrifying and impossible to forget. At the end of the film, however, Katness seems almost unscathed by what she has just experienced. I didn't see any indication that she is the wounded, devastated young woman she is in the novel. In the final scene, she's more bothered by seeing Gale (Liam Hemsworth) in the crowd at the train station while she's holding Peeta's hand. Yikes, girl, you've just KILLED people and seen children covered in blood . . . surely you'd be thinking of something more than which guy you like better.

There are changes in the film that might bother the die-hard fans. The "Mutts" that attack during the final act are just generic beasts in the film (they don't have the faces of the fallen tributes), which minimizes their impact. The symbolic Mockingjay pin just shows up near the start of the film without explanation. But these are minor changes. Stanley Tucci is great as Flickerman, Woody Harrelson is terrific as Haymitch, and I enjoyed seeing Donald Southerland as President Snow (although his performance was so low-key I had trouble imagining him as a ruthless dictator).

This is a big movie, and it's going to be a huge success. I have no doubt a huge percentage of HUNGER GAMES fans will be thrilled with what they see on the screen. I just wanted to feel more. The whole idea of being forced to kill people for a TV viewing audience is absolutely horrifying I wanted to see that and feel that in this movie, the way I did in the novel. You can't win a "game" like this. Haymitch is proof that you can't win (what happens to his life after winning the Games is evidence of what such brutality will do to you). In the novel, Katniss herself is torn apart by what happens. In the film, not so much.

HUNGER GAMES is not a terrible film. I'm glad I saw it. But it in no way does justice to the novel, and that's too bad.

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EDITED AUGUST 19, 2012

I bought the DVD of "The Hunger Games" yesterday and watched it for the first time since seeing it in the theater. Looking back on my previous review, I realized I was a little too harsh on the movie. Watching it the second time around, I liked it a lot more than I originally did. However, it's still not without it's flaws. My overall rating for the film is now teetering at about 3.5. Not quite a perfect 4, but not a 3.

**SPOILER ALERT**

THE GOOD

*The acting. This was one of the things I was able to appreciate more watching the movie the second time around. Jennifer Lawrence appears to have been born to play this role. She embodied the role of Katniss perfectly. Josh Hutcherson played a pretty good Peeta. He certainly looks the part, with a round, sweet face. I especially liked him at the beginning, the way he followed Haymitch around like a dog, trying to get tips. I have a few quibbles with him, but overall, really enjoyed his performance. Liam Hemsworth was okay, I guess. It's sort of hard to judge his acting, with what little we were given of Gale (I mean, he wasn't in the book much more, but still.) Most of his scenes were just making angsty faces when Katniss and Peeta kissed.

Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) was also perfect. He was exactly how I envisioned Haymitch. I also loved Effie (Elizabeth Banks.) Banks played the airheaded Capitol native well. She had excellent comedic timing with her lines and had a bubbly, vacant personality that was perfect for Effie.

(I realize I'm using the word "perfect" a lot.)

All of the tributes were also well-cast. Rue (Amandla Stenberg) was absolutely adorable. Cato was scary. His movement throughout the film just seemed to say, "Don't mess with this guy." I liked his monologue at the end, which showed that he wasn't all bad and, like the other tributes, was scared and wanted to go home. Clove was terrifying. The actress who played her was younger than what I imagined Clove in the book to be, but her younger age made her more frightening, with how vicious she was with a knife.

Donald Sutherland was different than the Snow I imagined, but that's not a bad thing. I liked that he looked a little more friendly. He looked more like Santa or someone's grandpa. The way he delivered his lines and his voice, though, said otherwise. He was wonderfully creepy.

Moving on...

*Costumes and makeup. The Capitol's costumes and makeup were insane and I loved it. It was wonderful. It really reflected how silly and airy the Capitol people are. Oh, and some of the hairstyles in this movie. I loved Katniss's hair during the "girl-on-fire" scene was beautiful. Also, Seneca Crane's beard? It made me sad that he died, knowing that I would never see that beautiful beard again. RIP, Seneca.

*Glimpses outside the arena. I thought that was a nice touch, since in the book, we're limited to Katniss's perspective. It was interesting to see the Gamemakers add things to the Games. That scene from District 11 was also a nice addition to the movie. In the books, we only hear about a revolution starting via Haymitch telling Katniss and it seems sort of distant. In this, we got to see that the revolution was happening NOW.

*Followed the book pretty well. The movie followed the book very well. Of course, not everything was perfect, but what book-to-movie adaptation is? Overall, I was impressed with how the book transferred to the screen.

THE BAD

*Cinna. Now, he wasn't exactly terrible. My expectations for Lenny Kravitz were kind of low. He surprised me and I'll admit, he didn't seem completely miscast. But something about him still felt kind of...off. I personally feel that Cinna could have been cast better, but like I said, Kravitz wasn't terrible.

*The score. It didn't have that broad, epic sound I thought maybe it would have. When a movie is this big, you expect it to have a theme song that will be memorable (think "Harry Potter" or "Lord of the Rings.) I feel that we didn't really get to hear enough of the score, since there were so many silent moments in the movie. What we did hear was, in my personal opinion, just seemed sort of generic, like music you hear in other action/adventure movies. It just didn't really strike me as anything special.

THE UGLY

*Long awkward silences. At certain points during the Games, the movie goes practically silent or the sound is muffled. Occasionally, it works, but overall, it's just very awkward.

*Cinematography. As many other reviewers have mentioned, the cinematography is incredibly shaky. I will praise it for this: It helped with the gore. I think the shaky cinematography eliminated some of the violence. You could tell what was going on, but it didn't get as graphic as it could have. However, it became kind of annoying after a while. I understand what the filmmakers were going for, but I don't think it had the effect that they wanted. It just made some parts difficult to watch. I also wasn't a huge fan of the zoom-ins they did (like when they zoom in on Katniss's lips before she blows up the supplies.) While the cinematography helped tone down the violence, it ended up looking more like a little kid had taped it with a camera.

*Games felt rushed. Not horribly so, but I think the movie could have had a little extra time. I think the fandom would have sat through twenty-thirty extra minutes. One part that really suffers, in my opinion, were Rue's scenes. Katniss wakes up, finds Rue, there's a short (and I mean, SHORT) bit showing them eating, then it launches into the blow-up-the-supplies scene where Rue is ultimately killed.

*Cave scene. This kind of goes along with the "games felt rushed" problem. I feel like this scene needed a little extra time. It ends up being one of the bigger scenes in the book, with Katniss pretending she loves Peeta, Peeta thinking it's real, and Katniss realizing it might not all be an act. In the end, this scene was mainly just Peeta telling Katniss about his near-lifelong crush on her, along with some rather creepy dialogue. "I watched you walk home from school every day. Every day." Well, hello, Edward Cullen! It also made it seem like Katniss was really, truly in love with Peeta, as opposed to faking it, although I will say that towards the end, when they come home to District 12, she seems a little awkward with Peeta.

Overall, this certainly wasn't a bad movie. It was a good adaptation of the book with some amazing acting. But it did have its flaws and it wasn't perfect. However, I think fans will enjoy the movie.

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

This movie is half a century old and followed The Robe as the second Cinemascope feature. It's visually beautiful in the DVD widescreen version, evoking the thrill of first seeing Cinemascope in 1953 (which I'm old enough to remember). Though the story and humor are extremely dated and so many of its stars are now dead, the photography and sound are both so breathtakingly clear and beautiful, it makes one realize how advanced the technical side of filmmaking was that long ago. It's amazing how cinematographers of that day were able to adapt so quickly to the much wider screen and take full advantage of its sweep even during scenes filmed in close quarters, such as those on the airliner (which was a propeller plane, by the way). It's true that Lauren Bacall, though lovely in the film, looks much older than the "25" she's supposed to be. (I saw Ms. Bacall in person pitching her bio at a bookstore 45 years later and she looked un-surgically young and beautiful, so go figure.) While the movie is not great in terms of content or performances, it's worthwhile because it's a beautifully restored piece of movie history that recaptures a more innocent (?) age and preserves an important part of the Monroe legend.

HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE was the first non-musical comedy to be released in the CinemaScope ratio. The film was released in 1953, which proved to be Monroe's breakthrough, watershed year, with the success of MILLIONAIRE, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES and NIAGARA cementing her place as one of the top box-office attractions of 1953.

MILLIONAIRE is one of Monroe's most delightful offerings. She plays the visually-challenged Pola, who, along with Chotzi (Lauren Bacall KEY LARGO, THE BIG SLEEP) and 'Loco' (Betty Grable MOTHER WORE TIGHTS) rents a Manhattan penthouse in the hopes of snagging rich husbands.

Of course, Fate often hands you things totally unexpected, and soon the girls realise that money can't be a substitute for happiness. There are plenty of pin-sharp observations about the opposite sex, a good 50-odd years before "Sex and the City" decided to make a whole TV show about women in the Big Apple.

Marilyn, Lauren and Betty make a colorful trio, and the CinemaSope picture is indeed a treat to the eyes.

The DVD includes restoration comparisons and trailers. Available separately or as part of the Marilyn Monroe Diamond Collection.

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Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe star in a Broadway play adaptation, as three New York models who together rent a Sutton Place apartment in order to attract rich husbands. Their plan appears to go awry when after a few months they are forced to sell the furniture in the lavishly appointed pad for living expenses.

The girls fortunes appear to turn when Bacall meets elderly Texas cattle baron J.D. Hanley played by the debonair William Powell. Grable gets lured to Maine by wealthy but married Fred Clark but winds up falling for and marrying penniless forest ranger Rory Calhoun. The visually challenged but super sexy Monroe winds up on the wrong plane when going to meet her prospective beau in Atlantic City. She winds up enamored with and marrying tax cheat and previous owner of their apartment David Wayne, who is equally blind.

Throughout the film Bacall is pursued by a Tom Brookman played by Cameron Mitchell. She dismisses him as being a poor gas station attendant. Bacall and Powell are all set to be married but at the last moment she can't go through with it. Mitchell, who Bacall really cares for, stands in for Powell and marries her. They are all shocked when they learn that Mitchell is actually worth 200 million.

The gals have their plans dashed but wind up marrying for the right reason...........LOVE.

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First of all, this movie is still hysterical. It is a work of art. Although Marilyn got top billing, she's clearly out-performed by both Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable.

Let me, for a brief moment talk about the "Diamond Collection" version of How To Marry A Millionaire. When you think of remastering, especially older films made on Cineascope or Technicolor, you think of rich, vibrant-colored stories in particular the Rogers and Hammerstein collection. Excellent. You, especially, think of the remastered Disney Collection. Excellent. Both of which, were competing genres at the time Marilyn was making a name for herself. You might even throw the remastered "The Wizard of Oz" (1937) in the fray. And yet, this "Diamond Collection" is barely passable as a DVD version. This isn't a distinct restoration. The images, even in the special feature section "Restoration Comparison" shows how little the previous version and the film version hasn't had much improvement with this collection. Don't get me wrong, the sound reproduction is superb, but this is comedy and a lot depends on visuals.

Recently, I started to repurchase the Disney collection-their "Platinum 2-disc" set. Cinderella, Peter Pan. And, there is a profound difference between the last version and this deluxe version. The Sound of Music, the same thing.

This isn't to say, it's not worth watching, but there's little to no improvement in picture quality. And, that's too bad, the technology is already here and their apology for "grainy film loss" is no excuse for not investing in a better color transfer system.

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Other reviewers do a fine job summarizing the plot and the reasons for viewing this film, so here's an overlooked morsel to savor: the opening orchestral number is the ultimate inside joke.

The number Alfred Newman conducts had been used as the title theme for the Oscar-winning movie "Gentlemen's Agreement" a half-decade earlier. While the plots of the two films are light years apart, the title of the earlier one (which had to do with anti-Semitism) addresses one of the final plot twists in "How To Marry..." In essence, the orchestra's opening performance represents a droll set-up to this delightful movie's windup, but so subtly that only Hollywood insiders would be aware of what was being done.

Funniest bit in the movie: a very lecherous Fred Clark foiled by a bridge tolltaker.

Innocent playfulness with a great Fifties cast and well worth a view.

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Just Go with It (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

I went to see the movie with modest expectations, especially since some reviews haven't been overly kind to it. However, I as well as the 4 other people who saw it with me found it uproariously funny and sometimes even sweet. I really enjoy Adam Sandler in most of his films, and although this is a comedy, in this role he also displayed his sweet side much like he did in the Wedding Singer. He is actually a very good and expressive actor whose dramatic chops are underrated in many ways. And of course, I am a huge fan of the wonderful Jennifer Aniston, and she did a superb job here. There were also some other surprises....Brooklyn Decker was sweet, likable and relatable even beyond her obvious physical attributes. Nicole Kidman showed up in a character who was a bit over the top, but being a huge fan of her as well, I enjoyed this turn as we don't get to see her do comedy that often. Not every role needs to be deadly serious, after all. She had a lot of fun with this one and she was great to watch. Dave Matthews played her husband, and he was surprisingly good as well...perhaps he has a new career ahead of him in films. The only character that was too over the top and a bit obnoxious was the fellow who played Adam's long-time friend. Nothing about this guy was at all believable or particularly likable and you wanted to just swat him away as he was just downright silly and annoying, and he didn't really add much to the plot except as a necessary diversion device here and there. The Hawaii scenery (a lot of it filmed around and in the Grand Wailea in Maui) was beautiful, of course. I don't really want to get overly picky about this film. It was not meant to be highbrow cinema, but it was consistently funny and very enjoyable, definitely a film I plan to buy when it is released on DVD. Go see it, you'll like it.

This movie is HILARIOUS!!! Easy the best comedy I have seen in a long long time. Everything is really well done, and even though the ending is obvious as anything you just REALLY enjoy the ride. Kind of like life, you know the ending but you gotta know how you get there. If you don't see this movie, then I just pity you. You'd be missing out on something that is just great. I came to Amazon immediately after watching the movie to try to place a preorder...IT'S THAT GOOD!!!!!

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I got a great kick out of this movie. my gut hurt I was laughing so hard. It had a lot of laughs and a few heart warming parts. I love ad-lib and sarcasm and even though it was scripted, the dialog had such a ad-lib feeling hints the title "JUST GO WITH IT". I'd see it again, Ill buy the DVD. ... oh and Dave Matthews!!! great member of the cast.

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From my wife Sarah: If you want to have fun, relax and have some laughs, this very entertaining movie is just the thing. I stayed away from it for quite a while because of the mixed reviews. When we had run out of movies to see in the theater, we chose this as a last resort. It was so enjoyable! Don't wait to see it.

I won't go over the plot as it's already been done by others, but here's what I liked about this movie:

1. It was funny. Okay we didn't laugh non-stop, but that's because there was a real plot, with real character development. Still there were many very fun surprises and big laughs. I smiled through much of the movie.

2. Sandler was great, Jennifer Aniston was great. Not only are they funny, but they can really act. The entire cast was really good. Sandler's goofy friend sidekick was hilarious, the children were dynamic and funny. Kevin Nealon had an absolutely hilariuos bit. Nicole Kidman was perfect as Jennifer's competitive and not so nice friend.

3. The plot was very different and interesting. Although there's a kind of predictable ending, it's still a fun ride to get there.

The only thing I would have liked to see just a bit different was more heat between Sandler and Aniston. While their relationship was really developed and believable, they didn't seem to have that strong chemistry.

Regardless, I strongly recommend this movie for anyone who enjoys comedy as well as romantic comedy.

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Hilarious, funny, feel good, make you laugh kind of movie! Cute love story and comedy! Can't wait til it comes out on DVD so I can watch it again! Jennifer Aniston is beautiful and Adam Sandler is so funny. They are so good together in this movie!

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In My Sleep (Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

In My Sleep is a fast paced, gripping, edge of your seat thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the very end! The story plays out in an unpredictable and wonderfully spooky, which will keep you on your toes. In many ways this movie reminded me of a new age thriller that is reminiscent of the classics from master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Truly a great new film from Director/Writer Allen Wolf that I highly recommend for all viewers!

Writer/director Allen Wolf has hit a home run with this indie motion picture in the tradition of Hitchcock. From the opening scene, the viewer is kept guessing with the main character, Marcus, who embarks on a mission to try to discover whether he committed murder and to search within whether he has the capacity for such an act. The plot is highly suspenseful and entertaining, but in the end the movie leaves the viewer thinking about the deep issues that Marcus explored within himself.

The screenplay is tightly written and the movie features strong performances by lead actors Philip Winchester, Lacey Chabert, and Abigail Spencer. Allen Wolf mixes superb humor into this thriller, keeping the audience entertained throughout. "In My Sleep" is truly a unique movie that you will not forget.

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Can you imagine going to bed and waking up with blood on your hands? Not knowing what you've done the night before? In My Sleep asks those questions and many more equally frightening ones, keeping you in suspense throughout, until the last satisfying and surprising revelation. There are even a few chuckles along the way! Worth the wait!

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I was gripped from the beginning of this film to the end! I'm usually not a lover of thrillers, but this one was smart, well-paced, and had a great cast. By the end of the film, I had gotten so engrossed in it that I had forgotten where I was. That, to me, is a great movie!

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I rarely rave about movies, but without exaggeration it's truly one of the best movies I've seen in a very long time.

The movie is a well-written edge-of-your-seat thriller, interlaced with incredible suspense, Hitchcockian elements, a fantastic plot, great intensity, wonderful musical score, and even humor along the way.

If you like movies like Memento and the Usual Suspects, and appreciate movies with twists and turns that keep you guessing the entire time, you'll love this movie. After I saw this movie, I couldn't stop talking or thinking about it. It's one of those movies that stays in your mind and makes you think through it and ask questions about it for several days. (And one that you'll want to see again once you figure everything out).

Live and Let Die (50th Anniversary Repackage) (2012)

"Live and Let Die", released in 1973, is the eighth entry in the James Bond series produced by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. It is also the debut of Roger Moore as the British secret agent, a role he would play of total of seven times, more that any other actor.

Sean Connery was originally slated to reprise his starring role but no amount of money could tempt him to sign on. The producers turned to an actor they had originally wanted to play Bond back in 1962, Roger Moore. At that time, Moore had to turn down the role because he was committed to play Simon Templar in the successful television series "The Saint". But by time "Live and Let Die" was ready to go into production, Moore was available to take on the role. Guy Hamilton did return to direct his third Bond film and "Live and Let Die" does have a feel similar to "Diamonds are Forever". Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell reprised their roles as "M" and Miss Moneypenny but Desmond Llewelyn is notable for his absence, the only time "Q" has not appeared in a Bond film. Also missing, this time permanently, is the evil organization SPECTRE and its leader Blofeld. Except for one uncredited cameo, Blofeld never again appears in a Bond film.

In this outing, James Bond is investigating a series of murders targeting British intelligence. The one common thread appears to be the prime minister of the island nation of San Monique, Doctor Kananga, who is currently residing at his consulate in New York City. The CIA already has a team led by Bond's opposite number Felix Leiter keeping tabs on Kananga. Bond follows Kananga to Harlem where he meets another ruthless character named "Mr Big", the boss of bosses in the black underworld. Bond also meets a mysterious young woman named Solitaire who seems to be able to predict the future by using tarot cards. Somehow, these two men are connected to each other and Bond must go to San Monique where he must penetrate a world of voodoo and discover the secret which has killed all others who tried.

"Live and Let Die" was shot on location in New York City, Jamaica and around New Orleans. It was the first Bond film (and the last) where African-American actors played many of the prominent roles. Yaphet Kotto plays Doctor Kananga with the sauve, menacing manner usually associated with Bond (some have called Kananga, rather than the assasin Scaramanga the anti-Bond). Solitaire is played by Jane Seymour, who portrays her in a detached, wistful manner. Bond participates in his first interracial love scene with the lovely CIA agent Rosie Carver(played by Gloria Hendry). Kananga's henchman TeeHee is well played by Julius W. Harris and Clifton James provides the comedy relief by playing Sheriff J. W. Pepper up as the reddest redneck one could ever hope to meet. Finally, Felix Leiter is played by his fifth different actor, David Hedison, who would later become the only actor to play the CIA agent twice.

Despite all the promising elements, "Live and Let Die" comes off as a pale shadow of Bond films past. Unlike his excellent portrayal of the Saint, whose character was similar to that of Bond, Roger Moore comes off as very stiff and formal, earning him the nickname as the "wooden Bond". However, the dry wit that is characteristic of the Moore Bond is much in evidence in this film. The female characters seemed to have regress from the strong minded women in the earlier Bonds. Even CIA agent Rosie Carver is played as hopelessly inept. Another problem is the growing tendency to play James Bond up for laughs, continuing a trend started in "Diamonds Are Forever". James Bond and his world are becoming a caricature of its sixties self. That kind of formula works better with Bond facing a major foe rather than a small time one. It is ironic that the story of "Live and Let Die" might have worked might have worked better if it had been made in the 1960's. In 1973, James Bond almost seems wasted here since the moviegoing public expects him to save the world or at least some of part of it.

If the sum is less than satifactory, "Live and Let Die" certainly has some good parts. The action scenes are first rate, particularly the boat chase and the plane chase. The fight scene on the train between Bond and TeeHee is reminiscent of the one from "From Russia With Love". Geoffrey Holder's portrayal of Baron Samedi is downright eerie, it is a shame that this fasinating character could not have had a more prominent role in the script. Perhaps the best element of all was the lack of references to earlier Bond adventures in order to establish Roger Moore as the new Bond. Moore is Bond, period.

Despite it all, "Live and Let Die" did well enough at the box office to permanently associate Roger Moore with Bond. Moore would in time make some of the best Bond movies of all time.

The special edition DVD contains the best print and sound track of "Live and Let Die" this reviewer has seen. The movie is shown in the widescreen format although it was not shot with the very wide Panavision camera like many earlier Bond films. Typical of the special editions, there are two audio commentary tracks and the documentary material as well as trailers, advertisements, and still photos. If one was just starting out their Bond collection, one might start with "The Spy Who Loved Me", "For Your Eyes Only" or "Octopussy" to see Roger Moore at his best. However if one has to have a copy of "Live and Let Die", the special edition DVD is the one to have.

In 1973 Roger Moore made a smooth transition from his most famous role that of Simon Templar to yet another literary character who had been made famous by another actor. Whereas the Saint had been immortalized by George Sanders in a series of movies much earlier (allowing Moore to make it his own in the highly successful television series), the memory of Sean Connery as James Bond was much more recent in the publics mind so Moore had his work cut out for him.

It is hardly surprising then that "Live and Let Die" plays it relatively safe. Moore went on record as saying that he read one line detailing how Bond had to kill once, but didn't very much like it (from the novel "Goldfinger"), and took his portrayal from that. In fact in his first couple of movies Moore plays the character much closer to his television Simon Templar persona than later in the series (the producers subsequently felt it was too close to Connery's interpretation of the role). This is a sad development as Moore never really had the chance to show he could play both charming and ruthless as he had plenty of chances to portray on The Saint.

Taking one of Fleming's most controversial novels (the villains are all black) the producers were faced with a vexing problem. They overcame this by not only giving Bond a black ally, but also allowing the villains to get the better of 007 on several occasions. They also threw in a redneck sheriff as comic relief for good measure.

The movie is essentially one long chase and in a definite break with tradition we are offered up a pretitles sequence in which James Bond does not appear. In the opening we see two British agents killed by ingenious means first a man is killed at the United Nations through use of what can only be assumed a sound weapon and a second by snakebite on the Caribbean island of San Monique. James Bond (in only the second and last time we see a glimpse of his London apartment) is assigned by M to investigate.

What follows is a chase as Bond pursues the Prime Minister of San Monique Dr. Kananga and an underworld gang leader named Mr. Big across the United States to a fiery, explosive (literally) climax in the Caribbean. On the way our interepid hero must escape from all manner of tricky situations, such as being stranded on a tiny island surrounded by crocodiles. The action highlight is most probably a boat chase half way through the movie that has probably only been bested by an even better boat chase sequence in "Puppet on a Chain."

This movie does seem to have trouble deciding if it wants to be humorous or serious and I liked the introduction of the voodoo element that makes this a very unique 007 picture.

Truth be told, the initial Bond movie by Roger Moore is a mixed bag in my book. Whereas the supporting villains are excellent, the main villain is underwhelming and his plot (flooding the US with drugs) is rather ho-hum compared to bigger plots like destruction of the world (Moonraker) or the nuclear attack of British cities (For Your Eyes Only).

Roger Moore is also still finding his way in the part and apart from a few glimmers of what he would eventually deliver, the movie and his performance seems to be on remote control.

The DVD is one of the refurbished releases of late 1999. Previously the Bond movies had been released by MGM in the accursed snapper cases with few special features. MGM corrected this oversight throughout 1999 and 2000 releasing special editions of the movies in a series of three waves.

"Live and Let Die" was one of the seven movies released in the Oct. 19, 1999 wave (the first). For this reason its format is slightly different from releases in subsequent releases with this one serving up two audio commentaries and one documentary on the making of the movie.

It is in the commentaries were the real joy of this DVD lies. We are treated to a scene specific commentary from writer Tom Manckiewicz. The fact that he is sitting in the studio watching the movie with us is very obvious he even noticeably yawns during the opening credits (hold in there Tom there's another couple of hours to go). His commentary is informative and very enjoyable. There is also a commentary by Guy Hamilton which is also entertaining. Aside from this the special features are very recognizable to collectors of these DVDs with trailers and tv spots and a still gallery with over 150 images. There is of course the requisite "Making of" documentary and a very short "On the set with Roger Moore" featurette that will prove interesting to Bond fans. Perhaps most curious of all is a UK Milk Board commercial that was released to tie in with the new James Bond movie. One special feature also here (and one I really miss on MGM releases these days) is a very handsome collectible booklet with trivia and notes on the production.

UPDATEIt should be noted that there is a rerelease of this movie coming up on DVD which will feature a newly recorded scene specific audio commentary by Bond actor Roger Moore. So, it may well be worth holding off on a purchase until these Ultimate Editions are released towards the end of 2006.

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Roger Moore's debut as Bond, in terms of quality, is a so-so outing, as was expected. Moore brings about an aura distinct with that of Connery's. The Bond that Connery portrayed was more of the consummate professional type, serious, rather impatient, edgy, relying more on toughness and innate resourcefulness to see him through. On the other hand, Roger Moore concentrates on the finesse side of Bond. He is debonaire, more intuitive, more blueblooded in the sense he is articulated and sophisticated, and a definite poster child on what it is to be a British gentleman secret agent. Moore reflects the 70's, where poise and style rules and therefore more adequate than Connery to play Bond in this point of time. Live and Let Die lays the foundation of this revolutionized Bond attitude the next six films, with Moore at the helm.

Although Live and Let Die wasn't quite anything truly special in terms of overall story quality, besides Paul McCartney & the Wings' eerie, but memorable theme song, this film has to be one of, or if not Moore's most provocative and intriguing under his tenure as 007. First off, the mood and the pace of this particular episode has changed. Aside from the fact that the 70's feel prevails throughout, there is a supernatural, superstitious sense, a very foreign concept to the Bond series, even to this very day. There is a sense of mystery and unsettled emotion in Live and Let Die right from the get-go. Bond must investigate the enigmatic murders of three of his fellow agents: Dawes on the floor of the United Nations, Hamilton on a New Orleans street right in front of a funeral procession, and Baines who became part of a bizarre voodoo ritual on the island of San Monique. Getting a lead, 007 is on the trail for a Dr. Kananga, a UN representative of San Monique who "witnessed" Dawes' murder, while a Harlem kingpin Mr. Big (Kananga's other personality) gets in Bond's way. Bond also encounters an intriguing tarot reader, Solitaire (a very young Jane Seymour) who aids Kananga in foretelling the future. Bond is calm, cool and collected, amidst intimidation, inspired by the spiritual and supernatural circulating the movie and obviously, by Mr. Big's African-American organized crime machine. Successful in dispatching Solitaire's fears of the superunknown, Bond embarks on a mission to foil Kananga's plot to smuggle and distribute free heroin in an attempt to control the heroin market.

The most controversial aspect of Live and Let Die is obviously its stereotypical subject. Filmed during touchy times, naturally African-Americans are portrayed as the big, bad, baneful dirty criminals, selling or in this case, giving away heroin for gain. At the same time, blacks obtain somewhat of an irrational label, portraying voodoo as just that, an irrational, outdated religion. The relative uneasiness of race relations is focused on as well (i.e. Bond/Rosie's love scene, the "Billy Bob" segment) Whites aren't exactly exempt from exploitation either. J.W. Pepper, played by Clifton James, is the stubborn, tobacco-spitting, indifferent redneck Louisiana sheriff, in essence, mocking southern culture. And of course, Bond, the seemingly omniscient, refined white man conquers all.

Other than the relevant shortcomings, Live and Let Die is an action-packed extravaganza, meant to be taken with a good sense of humor. Moore elicits more of an over-the-top, lighthearted element to the film. Seymour's peformance as Solitaire is a definite bright-spot, as she plays out the innocent, vulnerable side of her character well. Yaphet Kotto's Kananga/Mr. Big is a competent villain who is seen off, Monty Python style and arguably is given the unenviable association with the worst death of a head villain in the Bond series. The supporting cast, in particular, Rosie Carver, Baron Samedi, and J.W. Pepper add a smart, eerie, and hilarious touch, respectively. And of course, the action scenes make up for its blatant flaws. A stellar speedboat chase, highlighted by Bond's crocodile-crossing stunt getaway before the chase even starts the chase, takes the cake, as the best sequence of the movie. All in all, a high-octane Bond adventure caper with an odd, but enticing supernatural kick.

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And none the worse for it, since every Bond film needs a fresh spin on the same old formula. Roger Moore's first outing as JB is, in equal measures, comical and action-packed. You'll never get bored. But it's definitely the weirdest Bond ever with loads of utterly bizarre moments.

It begins with M turning up at JB's house in the early hours while he's pumping some Italian agent for information (don't you just love his initialed dressing gown). Before sending him to America to investigate a Harlem pimp known as Mister Big he delivers some gadgets from Q-Branch, including a very useful watch. Q himself, or Major Boothroyd if you want to call him by his proper name, doesn't make any appearance in this one.

Standing out like a Muslim in an airport, almost every single black person JB encounters in Harlem is on Mister Big's payroll. And they've got a seemingly endless bag of tricks to play on him. The funny thing about Moore is that he's very proper and British and doesn't think anything of walking into a tough Harlem bar while dressed up like the Duke of Edinburgh. His stunned reactions when they mess with his head are seriously funny.

The action then moves to Louisiana and a savage Caribbean island as JB uncovers a massive heroin plot. There's a particularly long speedboat chase across a bayou where JB encounters Sheriff J.W. Pepper, the most stereotypical southern redneck ever. Think of Texas Businessman from The Simpsons and you get the idea. JB also gets to dodge a hundred hungry Gators and do, many times over, Solitaire, Mister Big's Tarot card reader.

I'm not sure what kind of formidable villain uses a Tarot card reader to help him do business but when you also surround yourself with a hook-handed maniac called Tee-Hee, a quiet fat guy called Whisper and a seemingly unkillable voodoo high priest called Baron Samedi then you really do become a serious baddie. Right? He even goes on a big speech about how his master plan works before attempting to kill JB slowly. Obviously this makes much more sense than just shooting him right away. When will they learn?

Despite being the oldest actor to debut as Bond (at 46), Moore does look younger than Connery. And while Sean was gruff and Scottish, Moore is perpetually calm and refined, even in the face of danger (fingers being chopped-off, snake in the bath, being eaten by gators/sharks). Everything that the British once thought they were. He has a certain sarcastic edge that the other Bond actors lacked. While some of his films may have been the sillier of the franchise, Moore has always been my favorite. And the massive revolver and holster he uses at the end is so much more masculine than the usual, wimpy as hell, Walther PPK.

And, as much as I am no fan of Paul McCartney, you gotta love that theme song! Exciting and iconic at the same time. And also yet another juxtaposition in the weirdest Bond movie ever.

MI6, Harlem, Pimps, Paul McCartney, Gators, Heroin, Voodoo, Snakes, Sharks, Clairvoyance, Rednecks, Afros, Fake Afros, Fillet of Soul, Human Sacrifice, Scarecrows and a small-headed man in a Top-Hat who lost a fight with chickens. Is this a Bond film or did the whole world just go insane?

The DVD is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen (this AR doesn't suit a Bond movie) with Dolby Mono sound and a fair whack of extras.

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I had very high hopes for Moore who just "looked" the part of Bond. I like him on "The Saint" series and thought he'd be a natural as Bond, and admittedly, he was at times. I just hated the storyline of this Bond and the emphasis on chases and stunts which Connery feared the franchise was focusing too much upon as time progressed. It was all rather silly and the staged stunts all looked just that, staged.

Moore decided to play Bond more as a cartoon-like character. He did go on to much better Bond flicks though such as "The Man with the Golden Gun", "Moonraker", and the outstanding "The Spy Who Loved Me." However, he was a rather forgettable Bond in the end. I liked him, but it wasn't until Pierce Brosnan took the role that I really enjoyed Bond films again.

NOTE: Connery's last Bond film, "Diamonds are Forever", cost about $7 million and grossed $120. Not a bad profit and this first outing of Moore as Bond had almost identical numbers. Whether I necessarily like Moore or not as Bond means little as the general public certainly did and he played Bond very successfully for the producers. His versions always brought in a nice profit.

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Night of the Devils (1972)

When I had read throughout various Euro Cult Cinema websites that Raro Video USA was releasing Director Giorgio Ferroni's 'THE NIGHT OF THE DEVILS' aka 'LA NOTTE DEI DIAVOLI"-1972 on BluRay , I shivered with anticipation. Available for over a decade in inferior VHS and DVD bootlegs, the film can now be fully appreciated in its wonderful 2.35 glory with updated English subtitles and gorgeous DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio. Director Ferroni touched many genres including sword and sandal and a quartet of Spaghetti Westerns with actor Giuliano Gemma but only made two entries in the Horror/Thriller genre, this one and the wonderfully atmospheric 'MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN' aka 'IL MULINO DELLE DONNE DI PIETRA'1960 available in a beautiful transfer from the Mondo Macabro label. The short story by Tolstoy 'THE WURDALAK' was unforgettably lensed as part of a horror trilogy by Horror maestro Mario Bava in 'BLACK SABBATH' aka 'I TRE VOLTI DELLA PAURA'-1963 starring Boris Karloff but now Ferroni reboots the tragic family tale into a modern setting somewhere in the Hungarian countryside. By having our protagonist confined to an insane asylum, we are allowed to experience the nightmare in flashback culminating in an exciting climax at the fade out. The cast is excellent: Gianni Garko who is known to Euro fans as the classic Western character Sartana : the stunning Agostina Belli who made many genre titles including Director Edward Dymitryk's infamous version of 'BLUEBEARD'-1972 (wait till you see her beautiful blue eyes in Blu-Ray) and other familiar faces including a wonderful cameo by actress Maria Monti who plays the eerie witch of the town. Monti also acted in Bava's 'DROP OF WATER' episode in 'BLACK SABBATH' .as the spiritualist's housekeeper. The true scene stealer is child actress Cinzia De Carolis who plays Irena predating the child vampires from such films as Neil Jordan's 'INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE' -1994 and Director Tomas Alfredson's 'LET THE RIGHT ONE IN'-2008 among others. De Carolis who also played in Director Dario Argento's 'THE CAT OF NINE TAILS' aka 'IL GATTO A NOVE CODE'-1971 as blind Karl Malden's sidekick plays her vampire role with animalistic gusto and is hard to shake after the film fades to black. I purchased this through a company called Fictions because it seems Raro Video keeps postponing the release through Amazon so scoff it up while you can, it arrives in good condition and it is a US release not an import. The release has a few extras including an unnecessarily loud introduction to the film by Fangoria magazines Chris Alexander and an interview with composer Giorgio Gaslini who seems annoyed with his interviewer throughout the Q's & A's. There is a booklet included with the same Q & A interview with Gaslini and liner notes by Alexander. Highly recommended for Euro Horror and vampire film fans, Raro Video should be commended for bringing this rarity into the digital age showing how Britain's Hammer Films were not the only memorable studios releasing excellent product in the late sixties/early seventies.

I was truly entertained by this lost masterpiece. Takes me back to Saturday night movie marathons (which no longer exists thanks to dumbed down American Idol TV wanting audiences). Raro Entertainment's restoration of this film is right on par with a Criterion quality release, be proud, very proud. What I got out of this film is that this is not a zombie move. It's not a werewolf, it's something in between.

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Giorgio Ferroni (1908-1981) was an Italian director that helmed almost every kind of genre of films, including war, ancient Rome, Mythology, and more. He also made incursions into the then popular culture of Italian horror movies during the early seventies, a great result being the penetrating and electrifying "The Night of the Devils."

Gianni Garko, who we meet at the beginning of the movie after being found in the wild and taken to the hospital, is Nicola, the unlucky fellow who crashes his car in the woods, trying to avoid a lady that crossed his way. He looks for help at the closest town that he is able to find. Only that this town is almost deserted and there is a good reason for it. The only family left is the one led by Gorca (Bill Vanders), who has told his family that if he doesn't show up at a certain time to the house, to not let him back in, because he will kill them all. Many that have done so in town have had that experience, and met a horrible dead. It is the curse of Vourdalak, that is, incorporeal material creatures, which has taken over the community and created a never-ending chain of death. Nicola, of course, is incredulous, but he will learn the hard way. In addition, things get complicated when he falls for Sdenka (Agostina Belli), Gorca's beautiful daughter.

The film is dark and the atmosphere is eerie, like a good horror flick should be. It also has some nudity, as it was required during those years in Italian Cinema, and it has survived the test of time as a Euro-Horror classic. The Blu-ray edition features interviews with Chris Alexander (Fangoria Magazine) and composer Giorgio Gaslini, and a great booklet with the story of the film and its director. (Italy / Spain, 1972, color, 93 min plus additional materials). Reviewed on December 3, 2012 by Eric Gonzales for RaroVideo Blu-ray

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I'm not sure what the deal is here but every time I click on this title Amazon does not have it in stock so I feel an urge to speak up. As of this writing the THE NIGHT OF THE DEVILS Blu-ray is still in print and can be purchased directly from Raro (that's how I got mine). Look them up. It's a fantastic disc. Show them your support. It's also worth liking them on Facebook. You not only get product updates but they sometimes offer a free bonus DVD with purchase. And no I don't work for the company I just dig what they are doing. Hopefully Amazon will clear this issue up (more sales for Raro) but it's been going on for months.

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I liked the A/V presentation.

It's definately a imptovement over the DVD counterpart.

Also It's great.

That all of the supplemental material is carryed over.

Thanks Walt Disney pictures for a great Blu-Ray release.!!

Needless Complete Collection

While I wasn't expecting a great series it still actually surprised me at how entertained I did find it, the series feels like a mix of Naruto/Bleach/Ranma mixed together and while as expected there is a ton of fan service in the series the story and action made the series a lot more entertaining then first expected. The set gives you the entire series as well as the special OVA's as well, and while a little pricey($60.00)the series feels worth the price, though I'd advise people to check a few episodes online first just to make sure this is a anime series you'd enjoy. The animation and soundtrack fit nicely together and the voice cast did a very good job in their character roles, also yes unlike the first release this set does have the subbed and dubbed audio tracks. Other then the OVA's the extras aren't anything to shout about just the usual textless intro/ending songs and some trailers.Unlike another series I recently purchased many of these characters do endear themselves to you which is appreciated especially for myself after watching the previous series with much more dislike then expected.

Update 07-09-2012

Some have asked about the set case,sadly to say if you bought from Sentai Filmworks before you know about their set cases. What that means is that all five dvd's are stacked on one another on a single spindle inside a slightly bigger dvd plastic case,while there is hardened Styrofoam cushioning to keep the dvd's secure and not moving for the price of the set I was kind of hoping for a better quality case for this set. Also while some may have seen the OVA's they are only on the fifth dvd as the bonus feature the trailers will be on the four series dvd's.

I purchased this video based on its description without first watching it online. While it started off different than most that I normally watch, I found it entertaining enough that I actually had to stay up very late to watch it all the way thru.

The 24 episodes cover the story very well. It is organized in mostly chronological order, although story background is covered in several sections by having entire episodes dedicated to fully covering the background stories of various characters.

The focus of the story is a basic struggle against oppression with a very healthy dose of fan service included. Lots of magical powers, panty shots and humor mixed together well. Not recommended for kids.

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This anime is amazing. Its very funny and never gets boring. The artwork is awesome and the storyline is great.

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the colors are bright and strong. i love the first parts theme song modern strange cowboy.

Breif overview*spoilers*

the place of this anime is set in japan after a bomb goes of and creates a sot in the land were things are .. different. people with strange powers appear and fight to control this area now called the black spot, which is under control of a pharmaceutics company called simion controlled by the villian. the people with odd powers are "needless" and have a fractal or power they use. the beginning and ending animations make this show look pervy but at most it shows a bouncing boob or girls bending over and having a tight butt. mainly girls are small with small breasts so this isnt a common factor.

the main charater is normal oddly enough and is searching for his sister with the help of his friends and is going to defeat simion. for some reason reminds me of gurren laggen dont know why. anyway its great, comedy,action,romance anime and you will enjoy it , please dont be fooled by the cover its a very clean anime i recommend to 15 and up ages

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All the President's Men (2011)

This Oscar winning 1976 film is about Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two Washington Post reporters who broke the biggest story of the 1970's that of the Watergate scandal. It originally seemed like a small story, a break-in at the Democratic headquarters, but because of these two young men doggedly going after the facts, it brought down a president.

Starring Dustin Hoffman as the chain-smoking and quirky Bernstein, and Robert Redford as the more sophisticated Woodward, there is a chemistry between them which gave them the impetus to push way beyond the limits of what the story required, and as one discovery led to another, build on the accumulated details to go even further. Both the men were good at sizing up people, and the film shows how, in one interview after another, they got each interviewee to reveal those details that could fit into the king-size puzzle that they had taken on. Martin Balsam, cast as the managing editor, wanted to give the job to more senior reporters, but as Jack Warden, the metro editor, pointed out, the two young men had a passion for the story that was very special. Jason Robards, the executive editor, was quick to question all their facts, but generally supported them all the way.

Throughout, there are lots of shots of the massiveness of the tall buildings in contrast to the smallness of the men. And, when it came to the secret informer who they called "Deep Throat", those scenes were cast in shadow. The pacing was excellent and the there was tension throughout, which kept me fascinated even though I knew the eventual outcome. This story became an obsession with the two reporters and it seemed as if nothing would stop them. Occasionally, it got a bit repetitive, but that is the nature of good reporting, which can also be called good detective work.

The film brought back the reality of the 1970s, from the hairstyles to the manual typewriters. I found myself thinking about the cell phones and computers we take for granted today, as I watched them pour through phone directories as well as thousands of library take-out slips as they followed up on every clue. The acting, of course, was excellent as well the screenplay, which focused entirely on the news story, rather than becoming maudlin with the personal lives of the men. I give this film a high recommendation. It's definitely worth seeing.

The enduring brilliance of the 1976 film "All the President's Men" is not due to the handful of great performances by legendary actors. It's not due to the shockingly true story it documents. What sets "All the President's Men" apart, making it one of the great suspense thrillers of all time, is its utter authenticity.

The film does not make a single misstep. Each low key scene after another, solidly crafted, realistically portrayed, slowly builds a growing sense of dread. Like reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, we discover each clue. With great apprehension, we begin to realize this peculiar Watergate burglary is leading to one of the great scandals in American history.

I have seen "All the President's Men" at least 10 times, and each time my respect for this film grows. I am amazed by the camaraderie during the editorial meetings, so realistically portrayed. Equally impressive is how two larger-than-life actors Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman (as Woodward and Bernstein) disappear into their roles. Rarely noted, these two superstars give what is arguably the finest performances of their storied careers. By film's end, they are no longer Redford and Hoffman but two young reporters, intensely on the trail about to break the story of the century.

One of the great supporting casts of all time is important to the success of this film. Jason Robards, Jack Warden and Martin Balsam as the Washington Post editors who grudgingly guide and support their young reporters, are nothing short of brilliant. And then of course, you have Hal Holbrook, Jane Alexander, Ned Beatty, Robert Walden, Stephen Collins and Lindsay Crouse in crucial, but memorable supporting cameos.

The late director Alan J. Pakula was the perfect choice for this film. An expert in paranoid thrillers ("Klute," "The Parallax View," "Presumed Innocent"), "All the President's Men" must be considered his crowning achievement. Hollywood has a history of changing true stories for dramatic embellishment, and Pakula should be applauded for sticking to the facts (as should William Goldman, who wrote the tight screenplay based on the Woodward/Bernstein novel of the same name) and creating an authentic recreation. It must have been an incredible challenge to make a film with so little action (no explosions, murder or gun fire).

In "All the President's Men," the pounding of the typewriter key is akin to the firing of a cannon. Eventually, as we see Woodward and Bernstein furiously typing away while on the television Richard Nixon is sworn in for his second term as President, we realize just how great a country the United States is. We are all accountable for crimes, even our highest elected leaders. This is a free country, perfectly personified by our free press. "All the President's Men" flawlessly documents this.

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The beauty of this film is it is a better watch today than it was in the 70's. Remember that this movie was made only a couple of years after the events it chronicled. My favourite moments were those that obviously inspired the X-Files television series, and the wonderful depiction of a 70's newsroom with its scruffy reporters (or at least its attempts to make pretty-boy Robert Redford look scruffy) and incessant clickety-clack of a multitude of typewriters. Those not familiar with the Watergate players (as I was not) may get lost in the names, but fortunately you don't have to understand it all to appreciate what a great film this is. I missed a lot the first time, and I'll probably miss a lot the next time, but it'll be worth watching again and again. It ranks up there with The Russia House as a political thriller, but is even more engrossing because it is true!

The DVD picture and sound was crisp, but any sort of extra would have been nice. Who can figure out Warner Bros? Some of their DVDs are excellent (Contact, L.A. Confidential), but this one is bare-bones. Still, it is priced to own.

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All the Presidents's Men is a truly wonderful film.

Unfortunately, it was also one of the first films to be released on the DVD format. Because the format was experimental, the studios were not willing to spend lavish amounts of money to create a DVD when the format might not even sell to the public (see Sony's Mini-Disc). So in what was a sound business decision, but a horrible decision for fans of the film, All the President's Men was given the bare bones treatment. Why spend the money is nobody is going to buy the machine to play the disc? That means both no special features (which still plagues some new releases) as well as making the quality of the film transfer just plain bad. Is it better than VHS? Yes, but not by much. A couple of the other reviews have mentioned that the picture and sound quality is fine. I'm guessing that these folks either lack the technology to exploit the marvels of DVD, or simply have not viewed enough DVDs to know what is good from bad.

Unfortunately, this is simply bad. The report from Widescreen Review speaks for itself, but I think it important to restate that fact that the positive reviews about the DVD transfer are wrong. All the President's Men doesn't have the action-packed scenes that take full advantage of Dolby Digital sound. But the 2.0 Dolby that is used isn't good. There is too much background noise and there isn't much difference between using your home theatre system vs. the speakers from your television. And compared to the picture quality, the sound is great. As I watched the DVD, I couldn't believe how bad the picture quality is. I know that a 25 year old film isn't going to be as crisp and clear as a film made last summer. But film restoration projects have made films that were shot in the 30's look way better than this DVD does. The film is grainy, the colors are not sharp, and the images aren't always too clear.

Warner Brothers has started to re-release some of its early releases and has given them better handling. Nothing has been anounced about All the President's Men, but one would hope that it too will receive a make-over in the near future. I'd save my money until that happens -this disc is such a small upgrade from VHS that it isn't worth it.

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Don't bother purchasing the current dvd. See what is coming soon:

Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of All The President's Men (Two-Disc Special Edition for 21st February 2006 priced at $26.99 SRP. The Academy Award winning motion picture about the Watergate burglary investigation that ultimately brought down the administration of Richard Nixon will arrive from Warner in two-disc special edition form in the same week as President's Day.

Newly remastered, the DVD bonus materials include commentary by Robert Redford (a first in his distinguished career), vintage featurettes including a making of the film and an interview with Jason Robards from the Dinah Shore show, as well as a new featurette about "Deep Throat" Mark Felt, whose identity was only recently revealed.

Features include:

Commentary by Robert Redford

Telling the Truth About Lies: The Making of All the President's Men

Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat

Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting the Fire

Vintage featurette Pressure and the Press: The Making of All the President's Men

Vintage Jason Robards interview excerpt from Dinah!, hosted by Dinah Shore

Alan J. Pakula thrillers trailer gallery

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Meet Me in St. Louis (2011)

Many critics consider MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS the single finest Hollywood musical of the 20th Century. Produced by Arthur Freed, directed by Vincent Minnelli, and sporting a flawless ensemble cast led by Judy Garland, the film was immediately hailed when it debuted in 1944--and time has only added luster to its name. Now, after several home market incarnations, it at last receives the edition it deserves on DVD.

Given its stature, it is ironic that both MGM and Judy Garland originally fought the project. Based on a collection of autobiographical stories by Sally Benson, the script is little more than a series of domestic adventures in the lives of the Smith family of 1903 St. Louis. But it became a thing of wonder: a careful balance of sly but gentle humor, a collection of memorable performances, an understated score shorn of the usual movie-musical affectations, and at the center of it all Judy Garland, one of Hollywood's most memorable talents.

The transfer is excellent, capturing every nuance of the film's meticulously and beautifully designed sets in full Technicolor; the sound elements, remastered in Dolby 5.1, are equally fine and Garland's unique vocal skills are undimmed by time. All in all, it seems safe to say that not even the original 1944 theatrical release could surpass the quality of picture and sound offered here.

Although the bonus package would have better without the awful pilot for a failed television series based on the film, by and large it offers a superior collection. Previously available on VHS, the Roddy McDowell-narrated "making of" documentary is worth revisiting, as is the TCM-produced "Becoming Attractions." While a number of later documentaries surpass it, "Hollywood: The Dream Factory" has never before been widely available and offers an inside glimpse of the famous 1972 MGM auction. The Martins' performance of "Skip to My Lou" a reconstruction of "Boys and Girls Like You and Me," and a collection of Vincent Minnelli movie trailers round out the offerings, all of them entertaining.

The notable audio commentary is led by film historian and Garland scholar John Fricke. I regret to say that I have several issues with Fricke, who seems to rely excessively on Vincent Minnelli's autobiography I REMEMBER IT WELL and who has a tendency to perpetuate certain myths about the film--chief among them the idea that Garland did "The Trolley Song" in a single take. (Garland prerecorded the song, the overall sequence involves at least seven unique camera set-ups, and although Garland performs most of the solo in a single take there is a change in camera set-up toward the end of her vocal.) Even so, Fricke offers considerable insight into the cast, crew, and production of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, and the commentary is laced with remarks (some of them archival) by the likes of Margaret O'Brien, Hugh Martin, and Irving Brecher; in spite of my occasional misgivings, it really is everything one could wish an audio commentary to be.

These aside, the bonus package contains one significant and unique prize: the short film "Bubbles" and a notable audio commentary led by Hollywood and Garland historian John Fricke. Long thought lost, "Bubbles" is one of several shorts made in the early 1930s that include The Gumm Sisters, the youngest of whom would become better known as Judy Garland--a true rarity indeed.

Given the beauty of the transfer and the generally exceptional bonus package, it is difficult to imagine a better edition of this uniquely American classic. I strongly recommend it.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Judy Garland gives one of her finest performances in the delightful period musical MEET ME IN ST LOUIS, still one of the best-loved movies of all time.

Esther Smith (Garland) is in love with "The Boy Next Door", and when she discovers that the Worlds Fair is coming to her town, everyone in St Louis is thrilled.

Her enchantment only grows when she discovers the feeling of love is mutual, but when her father announces that the family is moving to New York, the romance could be finished before it even began...

Margaret O'Brien steals every scene she's in as Esther's little sister Tootie, while the supporting cast, led by Lucille Bremer, Mary Astor and Leon Ames is first-rate.

Initially more popular at the box-office than THE WIZARD OF OZ, the evergreen MEET ME IN ST LOUIS continues to be loved by generations of movie-lovers.

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"Meet Me In St. Louis" would have to be in my belief one of the most perfectly executed musicals to come out of Hollywood's golden age. While most attention always tends to go on praising "An American In Paris" and "Singin' In The Rain", both of which leave me largely cold, this film I feel is leagues ahead in quality of presentation, musical score and performances.

MGM the home of top quality musicals poured all of its creative talent both from behind and in front the camera, into making "Meet Me In St. Louis" the classic which it has become. The film relates the very simple story of a year in the life of the Smith family in St. Louis and all the trials and tribulations that each member experiences in the led up to the World's Fair. Starring the magical Judy Garland at the peak of her talents as Esther Smith and a superb supporting cast including child sensation Margaret O'Brien as the scene stealing Tootie Smith, veterans Mary Astor and Leon Ames as the Smith parents, and Margorie Main in the typical role of the no nonsense housekeeper Katie the film is overflowing with wonderful talent that gives the story their all. Indeed rarely has such a nostalgic look back at simple Americana been presented in so appealing a manner and as we get further away from thos eearlier simpler times I feel this movie grows in stature.

Produced by the famed Arthur Freed Unit at MGM and based on a short novel by Sally Benson the film cost a fortune to make in late 1943 and was a considerable gamble considering the uncertainty of how the war would turn out at that time. The risk was rewarded with a huge Box Office success that made "Meet Me In St. louis" one of the biggest hits in MGM's history. With the films lavish use of the most brilliant technicolour, the introduction of each new season within the borders of what appears like a beautiful illustrated greeting card, sumptuous sets and beautifully detailed costumes it without a doubt has been regarded as one of the most beautiful films produced by MGM during the 1940's and has become one of the great classics of any time. "Meet Me In St. Louis" provided Judy Garland with her most famous role after "The Wizard Of Oz" and amazingly she was at first very reluctant to do it as the character was a much younger woman than those she had been recently playing and she feared that she would be eternally trapped in the image of the young girl looking for love. Luckily the powers that be convinced her otherwise and she went on to create a sensation in the role of the young girl who develops a passion for the boy next door. Directed with his usual flair in the musical genre by the legendary Vincente Minnelli this is where the romance between Judy Garland andhimself began and it was continued into their next film together the outstanding drama "The Clock" resulting in marriage. Garland produced some of her finest work on film under Minnelli's direction and here she is never better where she is in turn sentimental, alive and a ball of energy. glowing with a rare beauty, and in beautiful voice to sing some of her classic trade mark songs created especially for this film. And what songs!!!. The classic "The Boy Next Door", "The Trolley Song", "Under The Bamboo Tree", and unforgettably the classic "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes like no other song you will hear. This is Garland at her shining best just before her own personal troubles began to interfere with her work leading to her being released from her contract by MGM in 1950.

The film contains so many wonderful sequences. One of my personal favourites is the famed Halloween scene which is dominated by wonderful child actress Margaret O'Brien in a scene stealing performance. Rather than just have Tootie depicted as a sweet child up to mischief they have shown her talking about all the fatal diseases her dolls are suffering from and how half of them are buried in the backyard!! Truly a delightful performance by who the critics dubbed "the pint sized Garbo". The wonderful section set during the Christmas season also helps make "Meet Me In St. Louis" such a special viewing experience. The lovely togetherness of the Smith family learning to cope with it being their last Christmas in their St. Louis home is touching and beautifully done. It's scenes such as these that make you really wonder where Hollywood's heart is nowadays as rarely do present day films touch me as much as this part of "Meet Me In St. Louis" succeeds in doing. Among the smaller roles Tom Drake is the perfect young leading man to play John Truett the eternal boy next door and the object of Esther's attention. He would be forever typed as this character and it is still the role Drake is best known for. Harry Davenport as Grandpa, June Lockhart as Lucille Ballard and Chill Wills as the iceman all round out a superb cast delivering their best in unforgettable roles.

For an enchanting excursion back to a time and place long gone from our present harder world "Meet Me In St. Louis" cannot be bettered. It is without a doubt one of the finest musicals ever produced and each screening brings out more joys to wonder at and experience. Enjoy some wonderful time with the Smith family of St Louis soon.

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Why isn't this on DVD yet? "Meet Me In St. Louis" is a 1940s look back to a year in the life of the Smith Family of St. Louis, the year preceding the 1904 World's Fair. This movie is visually stunning. The Technicolor photography and the camera setups are amazing (the late-night candle distinguishing is all one shot), a testiment to the talent of Vincente Minnelli and his wonderful cast, particularly his soon-to-be wife Judy Garland, who was at her most beautiful and could transform any song into something magical.

Garland gives generously to her costar, Margaret O'Brien, a sort of Shirley Temple for the forties, who is nothing short of brilliant as the morbid youngest daughter Tootie, with the fascination for "dead" dolls. Her Halloween scene is remarkable and hilarious. The minimalist plot--Will Dad take the job in New York? Will Esther marry the boy next door, John Truitt? Will Rose wind up an old maid, like Katie?--never gets in the way of the lavish staging of the musical numbers. "The Trolley Song" is like a great music video, and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is still a standard. Great for the Holidays or any day, this movie is always sure to bring a smile. Watch for a very young June Lockhart ("Timmy and Lassie", "Lost in Space")as Lucille Ballard, the much-maligned New York socialite.

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"Meet Me In St. Louis" is the quintessential teenager in love, feel good movie of the 1940s and despite the fact that the film is sixty years old, it sparkles like vintage champagne from the canons of MGM's illustrious film heritage. Judy Garland is Esther Smith, a girl pining for the affections of the boy next door (Tom Drake) while lamenting the fact that her father (Leon Ames) is about to move the family to New York. And all this before young Esther and her siblings have a chance to see the World's Fair. What's the critical desperation of youth to do? Well, if you're Judy Garland you warble one effervescent tune after the next. From The Trolley Song to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, truly, this movie is a veritable potpourri of golden memories. Margaret O'Brien and Lucille Bremer costar as Garland's sisters. Mary Astor and Harry Davenport are ideally cast as mother and grandfather respectively. One of the great joys of cinema, Marjorie Maine, surfaces as the Smith's gregarious housekeeper.

THE TRANSFER: It's really no surprise that Warner's high resolution digital mastering has made "Meet Me In St. Louis" look and sound as it never has before. In the mid 1990s MGM home video gave us a very smart looking laserdisc box set. This DVD improves upon the resolution of the old format and provides a smooth, rich and textured visual presentation of one of Vincente Minnelli's greatest achievements. Colors are bold, rich and fully saturated. Contrast and black levels are bang on. Fine detail can be seen in even the darkest scenes. The audio has been remixed to 5.1 (as it was on the laserdisc) and is very well represented. There is nothing to complain about in this presentation.

EXTRAS: The same documentary as was previously available from MGM, narrated by Roddy McDowell and chronicling the saga of bringing this film to life plus several short subjects particularly produced for this 2-disc special edition.

BOTTOM LINE: This classic is an absolute must for anyone who loves movies period!

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