Lord of the Flies (Criterion Collection) (1963)

`Lord of the Flies' has been made into a movie at least twice since the William Golding novel of the same name became a cult classic / must read volume for high school and college students in the late 1950s. The first version, which follows the novel very closely, was done in black and white by the noted director, Peter Brook in 1963. The second version was done in color by Harry Hook and released in 1990.

Like many remakes in the same language, one immediately wonders why bother, as the original Brook version is more than gripping enough to convey the message of the novel.

To highlight the differences between the two versions, let me outline the story shared by the two versions.

The scene is set when an airplane carrying school children crashes in the South Pacific, of the coast of a remote tropical island. Approximately 30 of the children, ages 6 to 13 make it to shore and gather on the beach to work out how they are to survive and assume that since they are far removed from their original destination and the island is small and uninhabited, there is a good chance it will take a long time, if ever, for grown-ups to find and rescue them. The first two principle characters are Ralph, one of the two or three oldest boys who we meet first, in the company of an intelligent, bespectacled, slightly overweight boy of the same age known as `Piggy'. The third main character is Jack, about as old and as fit as Ralph. Three minor named characters are Simon, who is prone to fainting and `seeing things' and Sam and Eric, a pair of twins.

An early vote sets up Ralph as the leader, with a few rules establishing a conch shell found by Ralph and Piggy in the first reel as the symbol of the right to speak to the gathering of boys. Jack immediately assumes the responsibility as leader of a `gang' (later to become a `tribe') of hunters who will also take responsibility for maintaining a signal fire which Ralph succeeds in lighting by using Piggy's eyeglass lens as a means of concentrating sunlight on a clump of tinder.

Jack's gang gets involved too much in hunting and allows the signal fire to go out just as an aircraft flies near the island. Soon, a story evolves about the presence of a monster on the island. This creates the pretext for Jack to split off from the group with his tribe and create a camp at a more defensible location. As this larger group becomes more and more primitive, they raid Ralph's camp and steal Piggy's specs since it is the only means they have for starting fires. To placate the monster, the head of a killed wild pig is cut from its carcass and stood on the top of a pole near the suspected monster's lair as an offering to the monster.

After a few days, Simon observes this pig's head and its very large collection of flies feasting on the festering flesh and imagines he hears the pigs head speak to him, hence, the source of the title. Simon is then killed when the hunters mistake him in the night for the monster.

When Ralph and Piggy walk to Jack's camp to recover Piggy's specs, Piggy is killed by another `accident' when Jack's tribe members pry a large boulder loose that falls on Piggy. Ralph and Jack fight, Ralph is driven off, and the whole tribe sets fire to the jungle to flush out Ralph and, presumably, kill him. Both stories end as Ralph runs to the beach to find himself at the feet of a very professionally uniformed member of his country's elite armed services.

Hook spices up the dialogue by making the boys much more hip with lots of swear words and references to contemporary popular shows such as Alf and Miss Piggy of the Muppets. Unfortunately, Hook loses the two most important elements of the whole story. In the beginning of the novel and, subtly, in the beginning of Brook's film, we see that the world is once more at war and the boys from several different schools are on a plane to Australia to find relative safety from the coming (nuclear?) conflict. Hook shows nothing of this, giving us simply a group of boys from the same military academy on a trip to goodness knows where. This totally looses the whole allegorical sense of the story where the conflict between the boys mirrors the war in the world at large, especially the sense of the last scene where the world (island) is destroyed by the conflict (fire).

The second major oversight in Hook's rendition is that there is never enough attention given to the significance of the pig's head, Simon's vision, and the sense of `The Lord of the Flies'. A less important point is that the origin of the monster myth is different in the two movies. Brook's film follows the book and has it be a misinterpretation of a billowing parachute from a fallen, dead pilot. Hook creates the myth out of the spasms of the downed plane's delirious pilot as he finds refuge in a cave and is rediscovered by Simon who believes he is a monster.

Both movies do a credible job of depicting the fall of nominally civilized boys into savagery and myth. The combat between Ralph and Jack near the end is straight out of Frazier's `The Golden Bough' on the myth of killing the king. Unfortunately, Hook's version seems as eviscerated as the pig carcass, as all the great allegorical of the original story are totally lost. And, as minimal as they were, I even think the boys' performances in Brook's version are better done, as their initial innocence in the face of this loss of civilization makes their transformation all the more interesting.

Brook's version is highly recommended.

It was a pleasure to see the original version of "Lord of the Flies" again. I'll be interested in seeing the DVD version as well, to see what additional material comes in that format. Having been one of the boys in the movie, I also appreciated seeing the reviews posted by other Amazon customers! I wonder if any of the other cast members have checked out this site...

I confess to liking the original version far more than the remake, but that's not surprising, I guess. I TRIED to keep an open mind when I saw the new version, but, alas, I failed. My recollections of running from the burning jungle, coughing, onto the beach at the end makes a black-and-white rendition seem more real to me.

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I was terribly excited to discover that one of my favorite classic films, the 1963 Peter Brooks "Lord of the Flies" was on dvd. I was even more excited when I saw it had been given a deluxe treatment by some studio called Criterion.

"Lord of the Flies" was the first dvd I bought and it introduced me to the phenomenal Criterion Collection. Every extra on this dvd is fantastic and interesting, there is no filler or meaningless praise. The commentary alone is worth the price of this dvd, it gives a magnificent insight into how this film was made: for instance, the film was one of the first independent productions ever produced. This is one of those rare commentaries that adds to your appreciation and understanding of the film, I rank it alongside "Seven Samurai" and "Grand Illusion" (also both Criterion dvds) commentaries as among the best I have heard.

The film itself looks abolutely fantastic, worlds better than any vhs or laserdisc edition I had previously seen; criterion's produced an amazing, clean image that will be striking on any video set up.

_Lord of the Flies_ is one of my favorite novels; Golding masterfully touched on many themes and concepts about society and managed to capture the essence of humanity in the boyish caricatures he created. For the most part those themes and ideas come across very faithfully in the film. As it is pointed out in the dvd's commentary; there is no screenwriting credit, because there was no script, the production team worked straight from the novel, using it as their sole source of the story. The result is a remarkably clear and coherent adapation of the original novel, brought to life with great faith and startling prowess for a first time filmmaker. Some technical limitations can still be seen in the final product, but they do little to detract from your enjoyment of the film.

In short: a fantastic, dark, and compelling story is brilliantly brought to life in such a stark manner that it feels to viewer at times like an unfolding documentary. Finally, to top it off, the film was given a royal treatment on dvd that perfectly complements and enhances the film itself; in all, very much worth the price of admission.

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This is a thinker's film. If you like movies to sweep you away in a safe adventurous fantasy, get something else. Enjoying this film is contingent upon thinking about it. Like the book, it provokes, and you, being the subject matter, may not like being addressed in such a way.

Whether ir not it lives up to the book is a whole other question. I think it is wonderful in its own right, and that it does a great job of bringing Golding's story to the screen. Whatever.

As a DVD, this Criterion Collection edition is practically unsurpassed. I buy very few DVDs because they are expensive and I see this new medium as an opportunity to build a truly great movie collection. One afternoon I was discussing with some friends what movies we would buy on DVD. I immediately suggested "The original 'Lord of the Flies'. But they won't release it. And if they do it will be a crappy transfer. And there won't be any extras." Oh, how wrong I was! The sound and picture transfers are incredible the film is better than I've ever seen it. And the extras are amazing! The commentary is completely satisfying from a filmmaker's point of view, and likewise a philosopher's interest. The story of the making of the film is worth the purchase in itself.

There's tons of stuff to watch and listen to. It's great. It's totally worth the price. I thought that "The Matrix" was a great value as a DVD (in terms of extras), but this matches it and means a lot more. "Buy it!", I say!

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This movie is a very skillful presentation of William Golding's eponymous, timeless sociological horror story. A group of boys ranging from around 6 to, I would guesstimate, 14 or 15, are stranded on a desert island. Unfortunately for the boys, the general spirit of their story parts ways with the spirit of "Gilligan's Island" immediately, and they end up deteriorating into tribal, superstitious savages, rent with internecine strife, in a matter of (evidently) weeks.

Any viewer out there who plans to see this movie should absolutely make an effort to read the book. You could possibly see the movie first, if you digest storylines more easily through movies than books. But whatever order you carry out the two activities in, you must see the movie AND read the book, if you want a full understanding of what the director was doing here.

Here are a few good things to notice. First of all, you should be aware that this film was shot mostly on the islet of Vieques, off the coast of Puerto Rico. It's hard to believe that this is true, because it's just so perfect -Vieques is the island where the U.S. Navy practices bombing these days, and protesters against war have been getting into all kinds of clashes with the authorities the past few months (spring and summer of 2001). Maybe "Lord of the Flies" was more prophetic than the director, actors and writers ever even realized.

A second thing to notice is the song that is constantly playing, throughout most of the movie. The song is "Kyrie Eleison." At first Jack's choir sings it, and then it sort of becomes general background music. If you happen not to be particularly into going to church, let me just clue you in that "kyrie eleison" is Greek for "Lord have mercy," which I think you'll agree is a chillingly apt refrain for this relentlessly dark movie.

A third good thing to notice is the little boy, who progressively loses his memory of his own identity, over the course of the film. At first, he automatically recites his full name, address and phone number to any stranger he meets, as he was apparently taught to do by his parents. Midway through the film, he can remember only his name, and part of his address. By the end, not to spoil the ending by giving too much away, he cannot even recollect his name. "How quickly," one envisions William Golding bemoaning, "we forget!"

But I'm just pointing out a few minor things to notice. The basic theme is obviously the clash between savagery and civilization, and the tendency for things to fall apart, for the center not to hold... George Washington himself used to say that the job of government has to do with Fear -instilling it in possible malefactors, in enemies of the state, even in respected members of the community, just to keep everyone in line. This movie makes you think about what might happen if that force were removed from society as a whole. If the function of art is to raise awareness of painful truths, as this movie does, then the individual must be sure to bring things other than art into their lives, in order to raise awareness of kinder truths which are no less valid, no less serious, and no less important for being kind. That's what I think anyway.

This is an interesting movie, and it will really make you think. Two thumbs up.

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Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

I wasn't exactly sure about the whole idea and concept behind this movie as I walked into it tonight, since all it took was a fifteen second glimpse of a TV trailer and the ambiguous claim about a case of mistaken identity that uncoiled my interest into full blown curiosity.

I was floored and blown away by the movie and at the same time really proud of trusting my gut feeling about good flicks. I was thrown off many times by the black humor since I knew it wasn't a comedy as Slevin (Josh Hartnett) had what seemed like a really unlucky chain of events that have spiraled him into a big, hot mess. As he arrives in New York to meet up with an old school friend after being fired from work, cheated on by his girlfriend back home and mugged down the block, all he finds is an empty apartment and no sign of Nick, his old friend. He proceeds to shower and dress as unexpectedly the next door neighbor, Lucy Liu, drops by to borrow some sugar. They become quick friends with matching quirky personalities and from that point on things go from laughingly bad to worse.

Slevin is mistaken for Nick, who apparently owes money to two rivaling mafia type bosses who hate each other and he gets pulled into their personal war. This movie was so full of twists and turns that I forgot to eat my snacks and almost left my purse at the theater at the end. I recommend not reading too much about it and skipping long trailers because this beauty can be given away on a silver platter and to miss that feeling in the theater of realizing the true story would be a sin. I was really impressed by the actors in this movie and I think Josh who looks like a teen-movie type of an actor did a brilliant job! Bruce Willis is also quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, here as a slick top class assasin, I was impressed greatly!

I enjoyed the twisted suspense, murder mystery comic relief type of a story so much that I was unable to concentrate on my book on the way home. I couldn't read or think, all I was consumed by was the story. This movies is an odd-ball, eccentric, quirky, unconventional and refreshing cinematographic achievement. The line between good and bad guy was blurred consitantly and the story dug deeper and deeper into my curious brain. I'm really glad I got to see it on the big screen.

And last but not last let me tell you, the loud people in front of us who wear eatting and laughing quickly became mutes so sucked into the story that I forgot I was furious with them before. It kept everyone entertained and made them gasp at the right time and the hip music at the end really wrapped the whole thing together nicely.

Bodies accumulate quickly in LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN at least eight in the first 15 minutes, not including the horse. Then, I lost count.

As background to "now", the film flashes back a couple of decades to a fateful horse race. A young husband and father, privy to a tip about a horse doped for extra speed, takes out a foolishly big loan from a bookie and bets it all. His horse comes from behind, but then fails to finish in dramatic fashion. With no way for the loser to pay back the loan, the local Mob makes an example by brutally killing him, his wife, and his young son. Flash forward to "now".

Slevin (Josh Hartnett) arrives in New York to visit his friend Nick (Sam Jaeger). On his way to the latter's apartment, Slevin is mugged, his nose broken, and his wallet stolen. Arriving at Nick's place, Slevin finds it deserted and the door open, but decides to stay the night. The next day, Slevin is kidnapped, garbed only in a bath towel, from the apartment by two thugs and forced to meet with The Boss (Morgan Freeman) in his luxurious penthouse. The Boss believes Slevin to be Nick and claims the latter owes him $96K, but gives Slevin the option of eliminating the debt by killing the son of his archrival in crime, The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley), who lives in an identical penthouse immediately across the street. Unable to prove his real identity remember the stolen wallet Slevin has no choice but to agree to terms before returning to the apartment. Then, as if the day wasn't going bad enough, two of The Rabbi's goons kidnap Slevin and force him to meet with their employer, who, unaware of Slevin's shotgun arrangement with The Boss, claims that Nick owes him $32K. Both mobsters give Slevin three days to meet his obligation.

Slevin's life is further complicated by Lindsey (Lucy Liu), Nick's perky across-the-hall neighbor and NYC medical examiner, hard-boiled plainclothes cop Brikowski (Stanley Tucci), who has both The Boss and The Rabbi under surveillance from a dilapidated van who and wonders how Slevin enters the equation, and Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis), a mysterious paid assassin who's apparently working both sides of the street, so to speak.

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN is a fiendishly clever, albeit bloody, masterpiece of misdirection and long-delayed justice with a completely unexpected plot twist. This is perhaps the first film of 2006 that contains Oscar-worthy performances Best Supporting Actor nominations for both Freeman and Kingsley.

The film, at times a very dark comedy, is given its lighter (and romantic) moments by the Lindsey character, whose presence on the screen is marked by a soundtrack turned quirky and playful, and her interaction with the vulnerable Slevin. As a couple, the two are enormously appealing.

Bruce Willis is in top form as the calm, dapper, efficient hit man working in the background to control the strings of his puppets, which apparently even include both The Boss and The Rabbi.

The cinematography, enhanced by uncluttered, modern and/or otherwise visually engaging sets, e.g. the first visit to the airport waiting room, the penthouse occupied by The Boss, and the hallway outside Nick's apartment, is inspired. Even the wallpaper in Lindsey's bedroom is eye-catching.

After a long work day followed by an evening meal, I'm likely to nod off even during a better-than-average film. LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN kept my eyes open and riveted to the Big Screen for its entire runtime.

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After watching this movie over cable in HD I was glad to see it released on HD DVD.

Warning: Possible Spoiler here! This is basically a payback story that has many twists in it that reminds me of a Hitchcock movie. Some mysteries are only good to watch once but this one has so much going on to try and trick you that multiple viewings are recommended.

The picture quality was outstanding with bright colors and deep blacks that was visably better than cable HD on my Hitachi 50" rear projection LCD as was the Dolby Digital Plus audio. No problems with playback or menu access either on my HD-A1 with 2.0 firmware. Highly Recommended!

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This title is a testament to the absolute beauty and superior quality of HD DVD. The richness of the formats color and depth of contrast lend itself perfectly to the story told in this film. With a flawless transfer, you can enjoy the film without distraction as if you were in your own private theater. As for the film, it is one of the most amazing films as of late. Reminiscent of The Usual Suspects in it's twists and turns. With the redemptive qualities of films such as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. I don't want to say too much about the film because it may just spoil it if you haven't yet seen it. Trust me when I say, don't rent this movie, buy it!

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You don't want the kids to see this movie. It is very violent with a lot of killings. (Also a couple of short nude scenes.) The movie starts with a brutal killing with a big splatter of blood and guts on a car window. The movie makes no sense at all in the first few minutes, but as it proceeds all the loose ends are eventually tied up and it all makes perfect sense by the end. The ending (which I won't reveal) is somewhat a surprise, although you can kind of figure it out somewhat before it is fully revealed and perhaps early on. I don't usually like this type of movie, but it was interesting enough to keep me watching to see how the hero was going to get out of the serious predicament that he was in. The top cast keeps it interesting too, but probably not the best performances for any of them. Lucy Liu seemed a bit weak in her role and too predictably ends up in bed with the hero, but her performance is okay. A great rental for adults. Would you want to own it? Perhaps not because once the surprise ending is revealed it probably is not as interesting to watch again.

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Pandorum (2009)

So many people these days want to do movie comparisons with just about every new title that's released...here is another one getting that same treatment. These are the movies I have seen this one compared to: "Alien," "Solaris," "Event Horizon," and "2001: A Space Odyssey." This flagrant need to compare movies is largely due, in my opinion, to Hollywood's decade long quandary with not being able to come up with much new material...everything has already been done...and everyone has been conditioned to not expect anything new from that corner of the planet. Well, I'm not buyin' it! Books pour out of author's imaginations and onto the shelves of our local bookstores on a daily basis, and they are ALL different from the next. If book writers can do it, then I'm sure movie writers can do it as well. And this movie is no exception. It has plenty of newness to it. As a matter of fact, once you get through the creepy and atmospheric body of "Pandorum," which takes place on a spaceship meant to transport everything needed to start anew on another planet much like Earth, and finally reach the climactic ending, the breath of fresh air is resultant of a movie that never let on where it was going, reveals a story that has never been told (even remotely), and leaves the watcher with good feelings in their hearts...feelings of hope and reverie. The acting is superb by all in attendance, although, I believe Ben Foster should have gotten top billing, not Dennis Quaid. The vast majority of the time spent here is centered around Ben's character, whereas, Dennis' character doesn't do much more than try to stay connected with him from another part of the ship. All in all, "Pandorum" delivered on all eight cylinders. It had suspense, tension, depth, a well-thought-out plot, exceptional acting, production, and direction, creepiness, absorption, and reward. If you like the sci-fi/horror type thing, DON'T MISS IT!!!!!

Five Stars *****

See the movie BELOW, about the WW2 submarine? A sleeper right? Seeing this with low expectations reminded me of seeing that with low expectations. Especially when the ending credits came up and I realized that they made it all the way to the end without losing it.

When I first saw the trailers for Pandorum I said (as it seems a few others did), well, I gotta see it but it's probably another Event Horizon or an Aliens(1 or 2) ripoff attempt or a space zombie "bug hunt". (And I joked with my wife that Quaid must need some quick cash to re-do his basement or something, and he'd probably be killed off in the third scene when it's too late to get your ticket money back.)

Not that there's anything wrong with any of those things, Event Horizon was good for the first half till it overexplained the obvious, Aliens 1/2 were classics that deserve homage and Resident Evil (1 and 3) were great zombie fun with excellent fight dancing. (And every actor is human with human cash needs.)

I missed this in the theatre and forgot about it till I went looking for MOON on DVD and noticed this came out at the same time, MOON was out of stock so I got this.

It's good, I have to say it's really good. Like all science fiction / horror fans I pride myself on being able to guess the inevitable twist and I'm pretty good but not this time. Not for the multiple twists.

After being SOOOOOOOOOOOO INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED by Avatar's ripping off Every Lousy children's use-syfy-to-cover-the-stinking-preaching storyline, this Pandorum film was a refreshing fun adult Action/SF flick.

Good multiple ending twists, fun and toe-curling fight scenes with well done good-olde "bug hunting" ;-) and a final ending that while "happy" actually worked well and satisfied without feeling like it was tacked on just because it tested well.

Glad I bought it, it's a keeper. Cudos to the crew and cast. Remember guys, the good SF usually doesn't do well at the box office but eventually rises to the top in home sales.

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Some of these reviews are very eloquent and seem to be written by people with a great deal of entertainment expertise. All I can say about this movie is that I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It was a complete surprise. I thought it might be just another cheap sci-fi dud like we've all seen. Not so! If there was a negative I would say it leaned a bit toward the gory side. Not gratuitously though. And what a complete twist at the end! I think this movie deserves a solid "A".

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"Pandorum" was one of those rare films that blew me away and exceeded every expectation I had for it. From the mysterious opening to the horrific finale, this film is a work of carefully constructed perfection. Was it dark? Yes. Was it violent? Yes, but not gratuitously so. Was it tasteful? Totally! That's where this film succeeds where so many have failed. The STORY is the forefront of this film, and it really comes through.

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I caught this on cable and thought I'd watch a few minutes and then try and find something else. That never happened, I was on the edge of my seat for most of the movie. This film came as a complete surprise, and a good one at that. I'd never heard of this movie, and having grown tired of cheesy science fiction wanna be films that are mostly rip offs that fall short of being entertaining, was expecting this movie to be more of same. it wasn't.

This film straddled a couple of film genres quite well, bringing something new to the table and had enough twists in the plot to keep the viewer guessing, and it even fooled me in the end. The story holds up well, and isn't filled with holes like so much of what you see today.

Well done.

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Oliver & Company: 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray/ DVD Combo Pack) (1988)

During the 80's, the studio hit an artistic, creative, and commercial slump. However, I still find that I quite enjoy Disney's 80's films, many of which experimented with computer animation, non-musical storylines, and different source materials. One of my favorite pre-Little Mermaid 80's Disney films is Oliver and Company. Boasting a soundtrack filled with great songs and a wonderful cast of characters, Oliver and Company finally gets the DVD treatment, albeit a less-than-stellar one.

For one, the transfer is good, but it could be much better and it has a fair amount of grain.

The bonus features could have been much better as well. A few fluff EPK-type featurettes, which are nice, but still fluffy, are sadly enough the meat of the bonuses. Also included, fortunately, are the original trailer, original TV spot, and the 1995 re-release trailer. Two sing-alongs are included as well as two classic Disney short cartoons.

Overall, it's nice to see Oliver and Company on DVD at last. This is probably the best DVD edition Disney will give it for at least a while, so if you're considering picking it up, go for it.

Poor, abandoned kitten Oliver is homeless on the streets of 1980s New York City, until he meets a streetwise dog named Dodger. The cool canine takes Oliver under his wing and, with the help of the rest of his all-dog pickpocket gang, begins to teach him how to survive on the wrong side of the law. But when one of their con jobs goes awry, Oliver ends up in the hands of a sweet, lonely, little rich girl named Jenny. Suddenly, Oliver is living the high-life in a Fifth Avenue penthouse, much to the chagrin of Jenny's prize-winning, pampered poodle, Georgette. When the old gang shows up to rescue Oliver from his ritzy new life, they're disappointed to find that he wants to stay with Jenny. Their human ringleader, Fagin, however, is more than happy to send Oliver home, if he can get a healthy ransom in the process. Fagin isn't really a bad guy, he's just one step above homeless and has a really nasty loan-shark breathing down his neck. Jenny shows up on the dark and dangerous docks to pay Oliver's ransom and rescue her little kitty, and her sadness is too much for Fagin to take, but loan-shark Sykes has no troubles from a conscience and sees a chance to make even more dirty money. He snatches up Jenny and plans to hold HER for ransom! Suddenly, Oliver, Dodger, Fagin and the gang find themselves on a desperate rescue mission to save Jenny from the ruthless Sykes and his bloodthirsty Doberman Pinschers, Roscoe and Desoto, and even Georgette is getting in on the heroic action!

There's no doubt about it, Disney's wonderfully charming classic "Oliver and Company" is one of the most dated animated films you'll ever see. Of course, that's a big part of its charm. What could be more "`80s" than 1980s New York City? How about the music of Billy Joel and Huey Lewis? I know they were two favorites of mine in the `80s! Okay, to be honest, Billy Joel and Huey Lewis aside, the `80s is something you look back on and mock rather than view fondly, especially the clothes, and Oliver and Company captures that aspect, along with many others, perfectly. So, it's dated. Everything is, really. Call it nostalgia. Anywho, as strongly `80s as "Oliver and Company" is, it rises above it! It is simply a great film! That's something that's easy to forget if you haven't seen it in a while. "Oliver and Company" is Disney's twist on Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist," and it is an EXCELLENT modernization! All the best characters are there, and the cast is star-studded! The piano man himself, Billy Joel, voices the artful Dodger, a canine so cool he puts Snoopy to shame (we still love ya, Snoopy)! The hilarious Cheech Marin is Tito the Chihuahua, animation alumnus Dom Deluise is Fagin, the divine Bette Midler is one of Disney's funniest characters as Georgette, Robert Loggia is the excellently slimy villain, Sykes, and a very young Joey Lawrence plays Oliver, just to name a few! With seamlessly incorporated computer animation and painstakingly acquired "dog's eye view" shots of New York City, "Oliver and Company" was the film that kicked off Disney's big comeback as an animation heavyweight, though this cute little film was easily forgotten in the wake of Disney's mega-hit, "The Little Mermaid," the following year. But don't let that stop you from enjoying the magic of "Oliver and Company" yourself! Even the soundtrack is terrific, despite that it is powerfully "80s." And, it's amazing how well Disney has translated "Oliver Twist" into a tale about cats and dogs on the streets of New York without losing the heart of the tale and its underlying messages. The DVD is fantastic as well, especially for a single-disc Disney release! This is the way DVDs should be! In addition to the widescreen presentation of the film, you get a behind the scenes featurette from the original theatrical release, 2 shorter featurettes, a TV spot, theatrical trailers, a scrapbook gallery of art and other materials, 2 sing-along-songs, and the best part: You get two classic Disney shorts! Included as extras are "Puss Cafe," a hilarious Pluto cartoon where the pup goes up against two troublesome felines invading his backyard, and "Lend a Paw," the Oscar winning Mickey Mouse short in which Pluto saves a kitten from drowning and quickly regrets it. Outstanding stuff, and an amazing selection of extras for a single-disc Disney DVD! Rediscover this Disney Classic on DVD today! You won't regret it!

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This Disney release is a joy especially considering the poor film-only DVD releases of late on Region 2 format.

Oliver and Company has been given a quality treatment and the DVD boasts the new technology with an animated menu and sound (not just a static picture). From the menu you can choose your various options including the well-endowed Bonus Features section.

The Bonus Features are fitting and plentiful including a lovely animated short (cartoon) called `Puss Café' from Disney's Golden Age. The 14 page extensive gallery with conceptual art, character development and layouts makes for good viewing and is a rare peak in to the wonderful making of the film progress which is also documented in an ample featurette.

In addition to these features Disney have also included a short featurette on the theatrical re-release of the film as well as a featurette on the animation of Disney animals throughout Disney history a gem of a bonus on this disc.

In true Disney style, as on R1 DVD releases, the DVD also has two Sing Along features.

The presentation, detail and consideration that has gone in to this DVD release sets a high standard for the new wave of UK DVDs from Disney. The included documentaries feature interviews with Bette Midler and Billy Joel et al. and are padded with interesting information which fans will welcome.

This film is a historic one for Disney just note the trial of CGI and rebirth of Disney magic under the omniscient eye of Roy Disney in his foundation attempts to regain dwindling love for the House of Mouse.

A winning feature with no flaws and many paws.

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So Happy this is finally coming out on Blu-Ray Disk. Oliver and Company is a fun take on the Dickens Classic. No it doesn't follow Dickens. It's just based on the idea. Great movie.

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I really adore this movie. It's been one of my favorites for a while. The songs are really good and I've memorized them all. My favorite song is definitley "Once Upon a Time in New York City". It matches my voice perfectly which is odd because it's also my favorite song.

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The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008)

Tennessee Williams is the heart, mind, and voice of the South, and Jodie Markell has made an extraordinarily beautiful film of his screenplay, "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond." Exquisite in its detail and dramatic force, the director does not shy away from Williams's view of a rotting, decadent, romantic Gothic Southland. And in Bryce Dallas Howard (with alabaster skin and raven-black hair) and Chris Evans, she has possibly the most handsome cinematic-couple since Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in "A Place in the Sun." This film is a great achievement, not to be missed.

Jodie Markell has created a period piece with timeless appeal! This never-before produced screenplay by Tennessee Williams came to light at the right time and in the right hands. Markell's insightful direction and Bryce Dallas Howard's brilliant performance transport the viewer to 1920's Memphis with its juxtaposition of high-class southern charm, architecture and posh parties to the inner turmoil brought about through the accompanying societal expectations. Howard's portrayal of a "fallen" southern belle, Fisher Willow, is both heartbreaking and breathtaking. The high-value teardrop diamond earring she wears which is lost represents Willow's desperate struggle to hold onto her inheritance at all costs -monetary and personal. The viewer is seamlessly transported into Willow's world of truth vs. lies, genuine vs. fake, awake vs. asleep... as she is forced to face her past and present demons on the journey of discovering her true self (and true love, ie Chris Evans) in the process. You don't have to be a Tennessee Williams fan to get swept away by this film!

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I find it strange (or maybe just typical for an antsy media world) that this film was shunned so widely, if not overlooked. Also, there seems to be a recurrent animosity against Bryce Dallas Howard as an actress that I find hard to justify. I can think of few others who are showing such promise at an early age.

And as for the screenplay that is the inevitable draw of the film, it certainly falls canonically among Tennessee Williams' lesser works; yet even his lesser works have always carried much magic, and an idiomatic command of poetic elegance that no American writer since has matched.

We all know well Blanche's ruminations about paper lanterns as a metaphor for magic in the world; people far smarter and wiser than me have called those words among the most deeply felt ever written in the English language. In this film, Fisher Willow has her moment too, hers more nuanced than the melodramatic flourish of Vivian Leigh's delivery. She pines for the company not of strangers, but of people who have meaning, who aspire to art and creation, and so forth. They are words meant to be heard spoken, rather than spit out in this no-name review on the Internet.

So all of that is to say, the best you can do is ignore the shrugging critics and watch this film. It does the legacy of Tennessee Williams justice, it is beautifully shot on a very low budget, and it is a fine performance by a budding actress who absorbs the playwright's intentions elegantly.

Read Best Reviews of The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008) Here

Beautiful and exquisite Tennessee Williams script with wondeful performances and flavor of the period. A must have for Williams fans.

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"The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond," is a real gem but it is not for everyone. If you are not a big Tennessee Williams fan, you probably will not like it. If you are unfamiliar with Tennessee Williams, then you are better off watching "A Streetcar Named Desire," or "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

Admittedly, this is not one of Williams' best stories. The reason the film works so well is the acting and directing.

I had seen Bryce Dallas Howard in a few other films but they did not prepare me for this absolutely thrilling performance. This is not just the best performance of the year but it is the best performance in the past several years. She brings the character of Fisher Willow to life the way that Vivian Leigh did for Blanche DuBois. In many ways Fisher Willow is like a young version of Blanche.

Fisher is a typical Williams' heroine. She initially comes off as a selfish, self centered, Southern Belle but underneath she is much more fragile than anyone suspects. Bryce Dallas Howard is able to bring this out with such complexity and nuance that we can sympathize with a character that we should not care about so much. Even in her best moments she seems as though she could shatter at any moment.

This performance alone is enough reason to see this film.

The story follows the familiar themes covered in other Tennessee Williams stories: loneliness, loss of wealth, fall from grace, and battling interior demons. The teardrop diamond could represent the wealth and status her family once had. It is not just a $5000 jewel. It is a symbol of what her family once was and what was once the old South.

Jodie Markell does an impressive job directing. Her style is old school. She knows when to let the camera linger and when to let the scenes play out. The film does not seem rushed and it never drags. The cinematography is gorgeous with burnished orange dominating the color palette.

"The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond," may not be one of the four best movies made from a Tennessee Williams story but it is not far behind. This is mandatory viewing for any fan of Tennessee Williams.

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The Lookout (2007)

So this is a warning to anyone who likes this movie and has seen it before. There are two versions of this film on Blu-ray! The one originally released back in 2007 with the silver swoosh running down the cover and the words "Beyond High Definition" in the bottom right corner is the one to get. This new one released by Echo Bridge has manipulated the aspect ratio of the movie so that there are no black bars on top or bottom! Essentially they've zoomed in on the image so you lose part of the picture on the right and left side of the screen. Don't let the low price fool you! This is a corrupted version of the film, and if you have any respect for the filmmakers' intentions for the look of the movie you will not purchase this version! Or, if you're like me and find out once you watch it for the first time, I implore you to return it and send Echo Bridge a message that we will not support the altering of films! Of course, if you haven't seen the movie before you would never notice the difference and this may not bother any of you... Just a warning for those who care.

"The Lookout" got overlooked when it was released earlier in the year. This unusual thriller directed and written by Scott Frank focuses as much on character as it does on the tense, moody atmosphere. Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)had it all; he was a bright kid who also displayed talent in the hockey rink. Chris, his girlfriend and another couple are involved in a terrible car accident that leaves Chris brain damaged. He's unable to do anything more than simple tasks and can't even remember what change he should get back after buying a beer.

SPOILERS AHEAD**

When Chris gets sucked into a plan to rip off the bank where he is a janitor by smooth talking slime ball Gary Spargo (Mathew Goode), he finds himself over his head and with nowhere to turn. Initially Chris believes this will provide him with the start up money for a business he wants to start with his blind roommate Lewis (Jeff Daniels)but things spiral out of control and suddenly he has nowhere to turn.

END OF SPOILERS**

The film looks terrific with a crisp and detailed transfer to DVD. Audio sounds solid as well. The main extras we get here are a terrific commentary trackby writer/director Scott Frank discussing the making of the film and a 20 minute featurette that covers much of the same ground with cast and crew interviews. Scott discusses how the script had been shuffled from one studio to another as he watched in frustration eventually deciding he had better do it himself. Frank is rather blunt about his shortcomings as a director in the commentary track but honestly he did a terrific job on his first time in dual roles as writer & director.

We also get a 9 minute featurette with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and director Frank discussing the development of the character of Chris. Gordon-Levitt reveals that he did quite a bit of research prior to shooting the film on the mentality disabled.

You should be on "the lookout" for this fine film which got lost earlier amid some of the other films released at the same time. Although not perfect, "The Lookout" has strong performances and is well made by first time director Frank. I'm not surprised that the film got lost though as it isn't the type to lend itself to the hype machine of Hollywood as easily as, say, "Transformers" or other blockbuster films. "The Lookout" is well worth picking up not only for its well written script and deft direction from Frank but also from the terrific performances of everyone in the cast.

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Within the traditional crime drama genre, it has become increasingly difficult to find serious minded films that don't play as "hip and ironic." Add a young leading man to the equation, and it's twice as likely that you'll end up with a movie filled with artifice and self-awareness. In fact, reading the description of "The Lookout," I was sure that this picture would be just another film where clever one-liners were more important than generating actual suspense and drama. I couldn't have been more wrong! "The Lookout" is a tough and believable entry in the arena of heist films. Bolstered by a powerful lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this film is both true to the conventions of crime genre and surprisingly different. The film succeeds with strong character development and provides an intriguing twist on the traditional protagonist.

Here, Gordon-Levitt plays a man coping with severe memory loss, control issues, and occasional motor skill inconsistencies. Sounds scary, huh? But don't worry, this is a real character dealing with real head trauma issues--not some cliche'd portrait or movie-of-the-week caricature. As a former "golden boy," Gordon-Levitt struggles to adjust to his disability. But he's also trying to cope with a monstrous grief--the car accident that impaired him (he was driving) also resulted in the death of two others. One day, he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to know him and seems to accept him in his present condition. Excited to belong, to be normal--he is drawn into a new world of friendship, women, and living life free and on the edge. But he soon questions the motives of his new friend as he is pulled into a plot to rob the bank in which he works. What follows is a hard edged story with real consequences--a riveting and suspenseful drama made even stronger by its attention to characterization.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt seems intent on becoming a serious thespian as opposed to just a big "star." With smart and unusual roles, he has certainly set himself apart from most actors in his age group. With "Mysterious Skin," "Brick," and now "The Lookout"--Gordon-Levitt has put himself on a short list of performers who can be counted on to make interesting choices. These diverse performances demonstrate a great versatility, a willingness to take chances, and (most importantly) the opportunity to really showcase what a great actor he has become. But "The Lookout" also benefits from a great supporting cast. Jeff Daniels gives an understated, humorous and quietly moving performance as Gordon-Levitt's blind best friend. And I found Isla Fisher ("Wedding Crashers") to be enchanting--complicit and innocent at the same time, what might have been a stereotypical role is refreshingly free of cliche.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Lookout." One small note--the skeptic in me wondered how Gordon-Levitt was mentally (not to mention legally) able to handle a car due to his circumstances. In all honesty, it's unlikely that he would have been licensed based on what happened and on his current state of health. But it's a small point in an otherwise exemplary film. Smart, tough, and unexpected--"The Lookout" works as a caper, as a drama, and as a character study. A remarkably complex entry into what has become a fairly routine genre, this film packs an emotional punch and provides another great Gordon-Levitt performance! KGHarris, 03/07.

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Chris Pratt (a getting better with each role, Joseph GordonLevitt) was a golden boy: a high school Hockey star, an entitled child of wealthy parents. And then one night he decides, with 3 other friends, to seek out a shower of fire flies on an empty Kansan highway when tragedy strikes and he is rendered impaired both mentally and physically. His life is now more about "sequencing": ordering his life in such a way so as to recall what he needs to do on a daily basis in order to survive. Chris's golden sheen is tarnished, dented and made worse by the fact that, though his memory is spotty, he unfortunately can recall the high points of his young life: winning the hockey championship, cruising the highway in his convertible Mustang with his beautiful girlfriend, Kelly who survives the accident and appears every so often as a touchstone plunging Chris back to that fateful evening under a clear, Kansan night sky.

Chris works as a night janitor at a bank and it is this job that brings him in contact with some crooks (mainly an amazing, deadly Matthew Goode, heretofore known as eye candy in Mandy Moore movies...as Gary Spargo) who take advantage of Chris' impairments in order to rob the bank: "Whoever has the money, has the power," Gary intones and this mantra will echo throughout the film.

Director/Screenwriter ("Out of Sight") Scott Frank audaciously centers the "action" on the who's/the why's and the where fore's of Chris' search for his basic morality: he's not the man he was before, this much is clear, this much is unassailable. So who is Chris now and more to the point how will he allow the accident to dictate his future: will he let it swallow up all that is good and humane in him...or will he not?

"The Lookout" is an effective, nail-biting at times, little thriller filled with the minutiae of lives well observed particularly that of Gordon-Levitt's masterful Chris: behind a veil made from the opaque cloth of befuddlement and embarrassment, he manages to project vulnerability and the injured remains of an ego he can only periodically recall.

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With his adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel, Out of Sight, Scott Frank demonstrated a knack for crime thrillers with plenty of plot twists and double crosses. Now, he's finally gotten the chance to direct his own movie and the result is The Lookout, a neo-noir that evokes other crime movies like Charley Varrick and Fargo.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues his knack for offbeat roles. He does a great job portraying someone with neurological damage and the frustration that comes from not being able to do simple things like opening a can of food or remembering someone's name. He also conveys the guilt his character feels over the car accident that robbed him of a promising future. We see how he tries to hide his disorder and the frustration of not being able to do basic things. It's a performance grounded in realism that is in contrast to this stylized noir world. It doesn't hurt that he is surrounded by cold, detached characters, and this makes him very sympathetic as well.

Jeff Daniels steals pretty much every scene he's in as Chris' genial roommate. The actor displays a dry sense of humour that is very funny to see in action. He and Gordon-Levitt's character make for very unlikely roommates to say the least but the two actors make it work thanks to the excellent chemistry they have together. Along with The Squid in the Whale and Good Night, and Good Luck, Daniels is turning out to be quite an excellent character actor appearing in several well-made independent films.

Frank has a keen visual sense, adopting a predominantly dark colour scheme in keeping with the neo-noir tradition. He has crafted a clever little thriller with a fascinating protagonist at its centre. What could have easily been a forgettable film is anchored by yet another riveting performance by Gordon-Levitt.

"Behind the Mind of Christ Pratt" features an interview with the film's star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He was drawn to the complexity of the character and ended up living with the role for almost a year. He talks about how he portrayed Chris and speaks intelligently about his take on the material.

"Sequencing The Lookout" takes a look at various aspects of the movie: the script, casting, the look, and so on in an interesting way. Frank says that he was influenced by European thrillers that emphasized character. He talks about the origins of the story as well.

Finally, there is an audio commentary by writer/director Scott Frank and his director of photography Alar Kivilo. Frank isn't afraid to point out the mistakes he made as a first-time director. With Kivilo, their comments tend to be about filmmaking techniques like the cameras they used, the type of shots for a given scene and locations used. This could come across as kind of dull if you're not into the technical aspects of film.

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Forrest Gump (Chocolate Box Giftset) (1994)

Forrest Gump is a rare movie that succeeded on all levels. It was a box office smash ranking among the top five highest grossing movies of all time. But it was also a critical darling, garnering across the board praise and a truckload of awards. The movie became a cultural phenomenon, spawning cook books, quote books, a top ten soundtrack album and lines like "stupid is as stupid does" and "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" have permeated our dialect. The movie has a nostalgic, feel good vibe thanks to the dimwitted Forrest's trek through 60's and 70's touchstone events. Underneath all those warm feelings lies a darkness. Bad things happen to just about everyone Forrest comes in contact with. His best friend Bubba is killed in Vietnam, his other friend Lt. Dan loses both his legs, his mother dies of cancer and his beloved Jenny dies of AIDS. Even the famous people Forrest comes across meet with disaster, President Kennedy & John Lennon are assassinated, George Wallace is shot and Elvis Presley dies young. There are superb performances all around. Sally Field is feisty as Forrest's mama, Mykelti Williamson is funny as Bubba, Gary Sinese as Lt. Dan is a perfect rough edged foil to Forrest and Robin Wright as Jenny portrays the confusion that young people of the times felt perfectly. While all those performances are of high quality, Forrest Gump is Tom Hanks' tour de force. He is utterly brilliant as Forrest. He is in virtually every scene of the movie and never once does he fail to astound. He becomes Forrest and makes you care what happens to him. Mr. Hanks deservedly won his second consecutive Best Actor Oscar for the role and cemented himself as the best actor of his generation and one of the best of all time.

1994 featured the two most interesting central characters to ever grace the silver screen. They were Andy Dufresne (The Shawshank Redemption) and Forrest Gump, played respectively by Tim Robbins and Tom Hanks. Both films from which the characters originate I consider to be in the top five best movies of all time and it's the actors that makes the characters come to life that makes the films so magnificent.

Forrest Gump is a drama and a comedy. It tells the tale of a mildly retarded man who becomes involved accidentally in the biggest events of the sixties, seventies, and eighties. All throughout his life since he was a child, Forrest has been in love with a girl named Jenny (Robin Wright Penn). However, she refuses him only because she loves him too much and doesn't want to hurt him.

Underrated by audiences, Forrest Gump is simply an amazing film. I was surprised by how hilarious and moving it was. The film generates many big laughs that involve how Forrest initiated and inspired many events in recent history such as how he was the one who taught Elvis Presley to dance and the time he unknowingly ratted on the Plumbers of Watergate.

The performances are what make this film memorable. Tom Hanks gives one of the best leading performances of the decade (and possibly of all time). Coming in almost as good is Gary Sinise as the misanthropic lieutenant whose life is changed after becoming involved with Forrest in the shrimp business. The supporting cast which consists of Wright Penn, Sally Field, Mykelti Williamson, and Haley Joel Osment (of Sixth Sense fame) also deliver good performances.

Forrest Gump is a great film that has to be seen to be believed. Cynics might find some problems with this film but they would just be missing the entire point. This is essentially a film about how the most innocent and kind person on Earth has a low IQ and how he views the world. His journey is simply breathtaking.

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Forrest Gump is one of the best film of all time. Definitely the best Zemeckis's work so far and he has put so much soul and depth to this 1994 Academy Award winning Best Picture. This movie portrays the life of a slow-witted character who gets embroiled in various ridiculous situations. He was a Vietnam war hero, received a congressional medal of honour, shook hands with many US Presidents and was a successful owner of a shrimp company. We get to see many world events through the eyes of a supposedly "dumb" character. The flow and pace of the movie was perfect as we ride through various historical events like the Vietnam War, assasination of JFK and the Watergate Scandal. Tom Hanks gave an undeniably wonderful performance as Forrest and truly deserves the Oscar that he earned. Gary Sinise gave a superb performance as Lieutenant Dan in the movie. Even though he was only nominated and did not win anything, I felt he really deserves the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The scene where he pulled Forrest down from the bed and cursed him for saving his life, just simply blew me away. Sally Field is also wonderful as Forrest's mother and deserves the Oscar as well. The line "Forrest, you have to do your best what God has given you. Be brave Forrest, be brave in everything you do. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get." really moved me and brought me tears. No movie had bring such emotion in me. Robin Wright did her role well as Forrest's love interest and complements well to Forrest's life. The actors truly brings the characters to life and I must salute Zemeckis for choosing the perfect cast. The technical aspect of the film is just excellent. The visual effects is unlike anything we have seen before. Many movies have not fully utilised the CGI effects to complement it. Nowadays, filmmakers just want to show what special effects they can do rather than what the special effects can do for the film. In Forrest Gump, visual effects are utilised to their best to create unbelievable scenes. Scenes like the flying feather, Lieutenant Dans' missing legs, Vietnam War, meeting of the president is just incredible. This is what visual effects is all about. To create impossible scenes to the big screen. Alan Silvestri's film score is one of the best scores I have ever heard. From the touching piano piece at the beginning feather scene to the uplifting tune of Forrest hugging Jenny at the Washington square scene, Alan's award-winning score truly brings the perfect mood and emotion to the film. Every aspect of this movie is simply excellent from the eye-popping special effects, film editing, wonderful score, sound, to the theme of the movie. This movie makes us realised that we all have a purpose in life and that we all have the ability to do the impossible. Forrest Gump tells us that we all should have strong principles and beliefs to succeed in life. Forrest only believes in 3 person. He believes in God, his momma and Jenny. Nothing can go past them. Just look at what Forrest has achieved. He is the President of a shrimp company, a war hero, a Ping-Pong champion, and a happy father. Forrest Gump simply tells us that we can achieve anything in life as long as we put our best effort and believe in everything that we do. Forrest Gump is no doubt one the best films I have ever seen. It changes my perception of life and makes me realised that we all have a purpose in this world. We probably won't be seeing anything like this forever. A true masterpiece.

Read Best Reviews of Forrest Gump (Chocolate Box Giftset) (1994) Here

Forrest Gump is a very hard movie to watch since I am an autistic physically disabled black dude who grew up in the racially charged 1960's. I had always heard so much about Forrest Gump that made me not think it was the kind of movie I'd like watching so I usually avoided it with a passion. Suddenly this Christmas friends of mine roped in into sitting through Forrest Gump and I was shocked by how much I absolutely loved this movie.

The movie is vivid fictionalized but oddly realistic life seen through (disabled kid) Forrest Gump's eyes. Forrest Gump's perspective on life was weird but strange as he was the movie felt real in the oddest ways I could imagine. It is true watching life unfold through Forrest Gump's eyes offers a perspective that leaves you altered for the better if you have any heart and soul at all. I owe this movie a huge appology because for years I just knew in my heart I'd hate Forrest Gump yet I ended up loving that it was so much like my own life experience growing up disabled in the 1960's when you got very little encouragement and help as a special needs kid.

I suspect I disliked Forrest Gump because it came way too uncomfortably close to being exactly like my own life growing up disabled labelled the dummy or my neighborhood retard by grown ups and peers alike. Like Forrest I had family members (grandparents mainly) who loved me and fought hard, long and tirelessly to be sure I had the same opportunities for advancement other kids had. I saw the park bench scene in the movie trailer and felt it was acted way too simplistically almost as if the movie was poking fun at or making light of the disabled so I never wanted to watch it. Forrest Gump threatened to reopen many painful memories from my own past growing up disabled and those sores were still sensitive in my heart so why watch it.

I am much stronger as a disabled person now than I have ever been before so I let myself be roped into watching Forrest Gump. I liked and understood myself now so I risked veiwing Forrest Gump this Christmas Eve surrounded by friends. Anyways this Christmas Eve friends wanted me to see the Forrest Gump DVD after hearing I had still never seen it so I saw the movie from beginning to end. Watching Forrest Gump was still very painful because, I experienced personally so much of the torment Forrest did going to regular school as a disabled kid in the mid 60's myself. More than a few times I wanted to leave the movie and just go sit in a corner, retreat into my own autistic world to cry tears of solidarity for Forrest Gump in a place where my heart was my only witness but I did not. I stayed the course and watched the whole Forrest Gump movie despite my own pains being vigorously stirred. I gave my word to friends I'd watch to all of Forrest Gump and a Wolf without honor is no Wolf at all.

Yes Forrest Gump stirred up some real painful experiences in my past but that said the movie answered some real unresolved questions I had leaving me much stronger, secure and prouder as a disabled man for my Forrest Gump experience. In my eyes a truly good movie uses fiction to teach truth in ways that leaves an audience stronger better and more enlightened and in all these measures Forrest Gump excels so completely as to have no equals in its job of putting 1960's life with disability in honest perspective. My grandparents used to insist I never see myself as disabled I was expected to do everything the normal folk did and for years I thought my grandparents were cruel almost to the point of being sadistic. I had started to know my grandparents loved me. Watching Forrest Gump showed me that expecting your disabled child to make his own way in normal society coping using tools he developed alone was the most difficult way to love a special needs child in the 1960's but it was the only way to encourage success back in those days when ignorant hostile cruelty about disabilities was rampant.

I am successful today exactly because my grandparents pushed me forcing me to cope in the world of normal people until I got it right. In my case it took me 41 years to get it right and it is still a daily struggle to live among normal folk but I do it. I had hated and avoided watching Forrest Gump for the same reasons I love and highly reccomend buying it from AMAZON.COM now. The Forrest Gump experience as wacky and off beat as it appears was really how it was to be cognitively and physically disabled in the 1960's. For a long time Forrest Gump was too real. Forrest Gump's message hit me way too close to home reminding me of things I'd rather forget and for those very same reasons I most highly recommend that you please buy Forrest Gump on DVD from Amazon.com because the story might be fiction but the 1960's disabled experince it shares is so REAL it can not honestly be deniedtake it from one who lived it! This I know.

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Forrest Gump is a tale of America's culture from the 50s through almost the present day, and it is brilliantly done. Tom Hanks' performance as Forrest Gump is quite simply flawless as an idiot savant who comes into contact with most of the significant events and people of his day. I have always liked Hanks as an actor, and here he puts in an unusual and yes, a brilliant performance.

But the real star of the movie is America of the 50s through the early 80s. The portion of the film that dealt with the Vietnam conflict was unforgettable, as we see large numbers of ordinary American boys swept into a conflict that they little understood. Gary Sinise puts in a very creditable performance as Lt. Dan, Forrest's platoon leader in Vietnam for whom the war is a personal tragedy.

The film hilariously shows Forrest Gump navigate through many of the key events in history during the periods. He meets Elvis and influences his style. He meets President Kennedy. He has a ringside seat in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. He is caught up in the Vietnam War. He meets President Nixon and inadvertantly triggers the Watergate scandal (this part is really a hoot). The film's portrayal of the hippies and radicals of the 60s is particularly funny and in fact rings true.

This is a film that almost everyone will like, and which will touch even the most hard-boiled viewer. The DVD is a terrific value, and most viewers will enjoy watching this one many times.

Men in Black (1997)

Wow! This limited edition isn't limited in features. Disc one has the wide and full screen versions, visual commentry with Barry Sonnenfeld and Tommy Lee Jones and a technical audio commentry with Sonnenfeld, Rick Baker & the ILM team; this feature is exclusive to the limited edition version. Throw in the standards like the sound setups: English 5.1, english 2-channel (Dolby Surround) and french (Dolby Surround) and subtitles that include english, french, spanish, cantonese and mandarin, and that wraps up disc one! Disc Two is loaded! I can't list them all or I will use up all my space, so I will list the major ones. There is a 3 scene editing workshop which allows you to become the filmmaker, so to speak. You get to edit 3 chosen scenes that were filmed in a lot of different angles and then watch the final cut. Sonnenfeld will also descibe his own editing process. Next, there is a Edgar bug fight scene deconstruction using different angles. Then you have "concept to creation" creatures feature and art and production photo gallery. There are extended & deleted scenes, storyboard comparisons, a documentary, a music video, DVD & web links, trailers, talent files and more! Whew! I said there was a lot, and as you can see, I wasn't exaggerating. Throw in a booklet and letter from Sonnenfeld and small poster which may be signed by the artists and you have a DVD with enough features to keep you entertained and busy. Quickly, the transfer was beautiful and, of course, the movie is great. This movie was one of my favorite Will Smith roles. Aside from the comedy woven into the script, the special effects were great! This is a must have for any fan of the movie or comic book! Enjoy!

Men in Black was one of my favourite Hollywood blockbusters of the '90s. One of only a handful successful comic-book translations in history, the film retained the irreverence and zany creativity of the best comics while adding the visual grandeur, attention to detail, and narrative focus of the best features.

Rewatching this movie now, it's lost none of its charm. The meticulous Bo Welch production design is superb, director Barry Sonnenfeld's sense of pacing and comic timing impeccable, the Danny Elfman score absolutely perfect for its subject, and the cast is uniformly excellent. Nobody else could have played the role of Agent Jay with such pizazz as Will Smith; Tommy Lee Jones delivers hands-down his best comic performance ever, Linda Fiorentino is delightfully weird as coroner Dr. Laurel Weaver, Rip Torn nearly steals the show as perennially grumpy, inscrutable agency head Zed, and Vincent D'Onofrio is fun to watch as Farmer Edgar/Edgar Bug.

The bonus materials are also great. The "editing workshop", which allows you to play with alternate footage and put together a new version of one of two scenes, is my personal favourite (although I actually agree with Sonnenfeld's poker-faced quip that, "[The audience] will find out that everything I did was perfect). "The evolution of MiB" gives a hint of the major changes that happen on (to) a big movie as it's being made, and the MIIB (Men in Black 2) teasers definitely suggest that MIIB is a must-see for summer 2002.

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Based on the comic book of the same name, these guys keep the aliens living among us under wraps. A lot of tongue-in-cheek humor and a new way of looking at a multitude of aliens , good and evil, small and large.

Will Smith makes the movie entertaining and the special effects quality and originality will keep you from blinking. Fun gadgets will also intrigue the sci-fi afficianado. This full-featured DVD is well-worth the money, especially with the multi-angle shots. I've already seen this on tape a number of times and I'm anxious to get this limited edtion DVD edtion.

There is some language, but not much beyond what you'd see on prime-time TV nowadays. Very enjoyable and entertaining.

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It's a fun movie, even if it isn't a cinematic masterpiece. Just a joy to watch, it's well paced, funny and slick. It has undercover agencies, aliens, and Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones,a nd lots (I mean lots) of jokes and a touch of action and mayhem. Gotta love this classic summer fun flick!

The Blu Ray edition is stunning; while some of the special effects didn't age as well as I'd have liked, picture quality and sound quality were both phenomenal, noticeably better than DVD. Colors were crisp, there was minimal grain and noise. Watching this on my 50" plasma was a total blast. This was hi def done right and a great showcase for the capability of blu ray. I haven't really explored the extras much, but they seem pretty normal--commentaries and the like. Fox should take lessons from this and fix some of their abysmal transfers (Predator, I'm looking at you!).

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This is a excellent DVD loaded with extras including the music video by Will Smith, storyboards, extra footage, and a sneek peek at Men in Black II! Grat movie, Great DVD.

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Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, T (2013)

The Curious Case of Benjamim Button is by no means a feel-good movie. In fact upon watching it, I felt depressed even the next day just thinking about it. People may confuse this for a love story but to me the film clearly symbolizes death. The love aspect is certainly present, though it is not the center of attention here.

Brad Pitt stars as Benjamin Button, a man who essentially ages backwards. When he is born, his own father attempts to drown him before a sudden change of heart has him leaving the swaddled and very whithered newborn upon the steps of an elderly home. There he is found by Queenie, played to motherly perfection by Taraji P. Henson. She sees past the deformity and oddity and loves him immediately.

Instead of dying, as a doctor predicted, Benjamin actually begins to age backwards. He appears as a very old man and slowly grows younger, but only in body. His mind seems to function as a typical human's mind. He learns, and dreams and experiences. This basically sets up the magnificent story and from then on, you are taken from country to country, from one decade, to another and it is just superb to witness.

The acting is fantastic all around. Brad Pitt does an outstanding job, portraying both the old Benjamin as well as his younger counterpart. Cate Blanchett as his childhood friend/love interest is also a joy to watch. She can do no wrong, she is simply stunning. For such a short part, Tilda Swinton surely makes the most of it. Her tale and part with Benjamin in Russia is just stunning. There is also the talented Julia Ormond, who has a bigger part to play in the tale than we may realise at first.

The most impressive aspect of the film is the flawless visual effects. Just flawless. You have never seen aging/deaging done like this. There is a scene, towards the end, with Benjamin and Daisy (Blanchett) that had my jaw dropping. It was like looking back in time. I can't describe how utterly impressed I was. The cinematography, the sad musical score, the costumes, just every little minute detail is just so impressive and authentic.

I have heard grumbles from people who compare it to Forrest Gump. What? How? There should not be any comparing the two films-or the two characters. Gump was a slow and mostly ignorant person who fell into unbelievable situations. Button clearly chooses his own paths, though it may not seem it, at the beginning. It irritates me how someone can make such a comparison.

This is a long film, nearly three hours, though with the plot and subject matter, it makes sense and really, it is such a beautiful film, you hardly notice the passing of time. Like I mentioned, it will leave you feeling blue but that does not diminish from the fact this is one of the better newer films out there now, and one that people will remember in the future.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has such a high concept that some people were thrown off. Even major critics like Roger Ebert bashed the film as a whole based only upon his thought that the concept made it a film that no one could ever relate to. I wholeheartedly disagree, and am a little disappointed that after so many years of reading Ebert's reviews, that he's limiting his scope by writing off concepts that, to him, just can't work, especially when this film makes its concept work so brilliantly. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a brooding, sweepingly epic tale about--no surprises here--Benjamin Button, who was born as an old man and will age backwards until he is once again an infant. While this is certainly never the case in life, the unusualness of it even more poignant, because it still does, in a way, mirror real life. When Benjamin Button becomes a boy after years of "growing down," he will begin to lose his memories the same way an elderly man with Alzheimer's would. Truthfully, it is a high concept that perhaps would have been one of those "huge idea, not so much story" films in different hands, but screenwriter Eric Roth and director David Fincher made a film that transcends even this looming premise.

The movie has a sort of Burtonesque whimsy, though it is textured in a way that none of his films are. The film is almost three hours long, and it's such a busy three hours that it feels more like four. There is a framing story, in which a dying woman and her daughter read the diary of Benjamin. These may be considered the weakest parts of the story, but it also comes together nicely in the end. All of the various characters that Benjamin meets along the way are so interesting and so well thought out. There's a man who gets struck by lightning seven times (we see six of these through hilarious flashbacks), a woman who wants to break a swimming record but is limited by her age, a drunken captain who opens up his world to carnal pleasures, and a whole lot of other characters who you will fall in love with over the course of the film. Many people die, because death--one way (old age) or the other (youth)--is sort of the whole point behind this film. People come into your life and one way or another, they leave. And they leave an imprint. The film is such a weird way to tackle the premise but it's so deliciously inventive and brilliantly made that its weirdness plays a central role in its overall greatness.

One of the better movies of 2008, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a universally enjoyable film that I suspect it will be even better to watch on DVD when one can take a bit of a break between scenes. The length, and the war scene, will definitely lose some viewers for a while, but everything that comes before and everything that follows is so fantastic that you'll definitely catch back up with it.

8/10

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"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a wonderfully staged fantasy based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's fantasy about a boy born old and aging younger instead of older. The story could obviously be off-putting and distracting, but everyone involved does such a magnificent job of telling this story that it is not hard to accept this as fact, and following the story as it shows Benjamin growing younger and falling in love with a young girl named Daisy.

Benjamin and Daisy's story and the balance of Benjamin's life impart so many valuable life lessons that it is hard to recount them all the idea that life brings many hardships and the best we can do is doing the best we can with what we're given, making the most of every moment because life is fleeting and unpredictable, find the joy and happinessin life and hold on to it dearly, and many other lessons.

"Benjamin Button" gives Brad Pitt the chance to shine in the title role, and he makes the most of it. He is ably assisted by Cate Blanchett as Daisy, Taraji P. Henson as Benjamin's adoptive mother, Tilda Swinton as another love of Benjamin's, and many others. This film is marvelous and a hopeful fable for all of us.

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This is, while a technically brilliant piece of filmmaking that fully exploits all the wizardry of CGI and makeup of which the filmmaker's art is now capable, strangely hollow at the center. One begins the movie expecting some profound truths about human existence to be explored, but it ends not with a big life-affirming bang, but more of a whimper, quite literally. Benjamin says though his diary at one point: "Life is defined by opportunities--even the ones we miss." And that could be a sum-up of this film project as a whole, as well as the life of the bizarre hero at its center. One gets the sense of promise grasped for here but not quite realized as the technical and stylistic gymnastics of this movie overwhelm the fragile love story that should be its beating heart.

The film opens with Mr. Gateau (Cake) constructing a magical clock that runs backwards and mounting it in a train station in New Orleans in honor of his son, dead in the Great War. No mention is made again of Mr. Gateau or whether his clock was successful in rewinding time to bring dead boys back to life. It does have a curious effect on the life of one boy, though, as Benjamin enters the world essentially running backwards. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's quizzical that the clock has this metaphysical effect on only Benjamin among all the other children born afterwards, but then, fantasy is not required to operate by the rules of logic. Perhaps Benjamin, with a Gullah mother was particularly susceptible to magic, and how serendipitous that old-man baby Benjamin's grieving father abandoned him, along with $18 on the steps of an old-folks home, rather than say, a brothel . . .this being New Orleans, after all. What are the chances, outside the realm of fantastical fiction, furthermore that Benjamin's progenitor be named Mr. Button, and that he own a button factory? Otherwise we wouldn't have such nifty alliteration.

Countless comparisons have been made to "Forrest Gump", with which this narrative does share structural similarities. However, that didn't occur to me while I was watching and found instead resonance with one of Pitt's earlier characters, Tristan Ludlow from "Legends of the Fall"--like Benjamin, Tristan is a soul set apart, blessed or cursed with mystical powers he does not fully understand; uncomfortable among other people and destined to lose the true love of his life due to his own inability to live a normal life. Scenes of Benjamin travelling to foreign shores and sailing a boat underscored this impression. (The presence of Julia Ormond, here playing the adult daughter of the aged Daisy was just a bonus, since she and Pitt have no scenes together.) The setting of New Orleans during Benjamin's childhood in the early decades of the last century also reminded me of Louis Malle's "Pretty Baby".

This film is technically dazzling, but I think it was justly deprived of the top acting awards. With so much else to be distracted by, the acting had a job of it to even be noticed, really. Cate Blanchett is luminous, as usual. I had my doubts a 38-year-old mother of three could pull off a 23-year-old ballerina, but La Blanchett can do anything. The greatest curiosity I had, to be honest, was in how they were going to make Brad Pitt look 18 again. Brad has taken pretty good care of his body over the years, but the strain of being father to the United Tribe of Benetton is starting to show . . .at least when he's not on a movie set. When he's lit and coiffed for a film, he does not look anything like a 46-year-old father of six. He can easily pass for a decade younger . . .but I thought 18 would be pushing it. Well . . . did I say that the makeup department is amazing?? Looking at the scene of an 18-year-old Benjamin coming to visit the now-58-year-old Daisy--wow. It was like having a flashback to Mr. Pitt's debut in "Thelma & Louise", and it was a very unsettling feeling. "Unsettling" is the best descriptor for this movie. Parts of it were stunning to look at, but its tragic meditations on the ultimate inablity of love to bring any meaning to human life leaves you wrung out and uncertain whether you are better off having seen it than you were before.

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Visually, this is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Every period in the film, from the roaring '20s of Benjamin's earliest years, to the 1960s when he lived briefly with the girl of his dreams, are captured almost perfectly onscreen. The cinematography is practically flawless. The film is so wonderfully atmospheric it's almost worth watching for that alone. The special effects are remarkable as well. At different points in the film, both Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt are made to look roughly twenty years younger than their actual ages. This is relatively new in film. It's been possible since the medium began to age actors with makeup, but now it's also possible to de-age them through the magic of CGI. So where it would once have only been possible to make this film using very young actors to play the leads, and use make up to age them into their 40s and 50s and beyond, they can now cast established stars in their 40s and still have them convincingly play characters just out of their teens. The technical wizardry behind this is amazing, and it's yet another example of the magic of the movies.

So on technical merits alone I'd give the film 5 out of 5 stars. Unfortunately, the story does not quite live up to that high standard. It's not bad, to be sure; I did enjoy the movie, but I couldn't help wonder, at the end of it all, what the point was. As the reviewer for the Sunday Times aptly put it: "It's a gimmick that goes on for nearly three hours." Now I don't think every story has to have a moral, or a great message, or all kinds of weighty allusions and themes, and so forth. But simple, escapist entertainment just works better as a comedy or an action piece. A moody, character-driven drama, one can't help but feel, ought to have a little more to say. This movie, enjoyable as it is, seems like nothing more than an exercise in "what if" thinking -what if a man could age backward? What would that be like? Storywise, the film seems to have nothing to offer beyond that, and one really doesn't need a 2 1/2 hour film to spell out all the sorrowful ramifications of such a scenario.

Still, the film is good for an evening's entertainment, and is a feast for the eyes. Cate Blanchett is nearly always worth watching, and Pitt gives a very good performance as well.

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Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (1948)

Hello All

I was just wandering through amazon and came upon this section and was just delighted to find "A&C meet Frankenstein" getting such nice compliments.

I would like to let you all know that my father Robert Lees and his writing partner and an old family friend, Freddy Rinaldo, wrote this film.

Freddy is no longer with us but my father is still, all of 92 years old, and is thrilled that after all these years you all like the film.

A little addenda:

You all must remember that A&C were essentially radio comedians,

and it was from his training in radio that Costello had the bad habit of coming unglued if he didn't consistantly get laughs from the crew for each gag each take, no matter how many takes were involved in getting a scene right.. For him the crew was a live audience, so if he didn't take the house down, he would put in another piece of business and reinvent the scene on the spot until he did and he was very inventive! I don't know how successfull they were, but they tried to take him aside and explain how important it was to actually follow the script!! Dad said that Lugosi enjoyed this aspect of Costello very much although I'm not so sure whether the director did, or the writers either for that matter.

Both Dad and Fred respected the "horror/terror" genre in literature very much noting to me when I was younger how complex and interesting the form had become in the hands of writers like Dunsynane Tolstoy Lovecraft Saki,or Poe to name a few.

Tolstoy wrote some strange and luminous things in this old form, once a short story about a Vampyre.

But in those days and by the time Universal Studios got through exploiting it all, "The Wolfman meets Dracula, meets Frankenstein,meets the Mummy, meets the Andrews Sisters" well, lets just say that the bloom was well off the rose.....

And so the object for them was not to parody the genre (at least the serious part) but to parody what Universal Studios had by this time done to the genre....

One of my favorite parts in the film is that sublimely dysfunctional chase scene at the end.

And its true, they had a blast writing the movie.

Lou Costello was always the master of strangulated, speechless terror, so putting Abbott & Costello in a movie with the Wolfman, Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster was inspired. Getting Lon Chaney, Jr., Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange to play the Terror Trio was just icing on the cake. This time around Bud and Lou play Chick Young and Wilbur Gray, a pair of railroad baggage clerks in LaMiranda, Florida, who have to deliver two large crates to MacDougal's House of Horrors. Inside are Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster, but of course they escape. To make things worse, Wilbur's beautiful girlfriend, Sandra Mornay (Lenore Aubert), is really a mad scientist who wants to put Wilbur's brain in the Monster. Fortunately, Lawrence Talbot (Chaney) has arrived from Europe on the trail of the monsters.

It is rather amazing how long this film goes with Wilbur being the only one to spot the monsters. The comedy in this movie is something of a departure for the comedy team, because it relies more on situational humor and not as much on the "Who's On First" word play. The scene pantomime scene with Lou on the Monster's lap is great, as is the final chase scene with the boys encountering one monster after another. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" is the first and the best of the boy's comic team-ups, which does not deserve the reputation it has in some quarters for having made the Universal monsters creatures of ridicule. That might be true of later Abbott & Costello monster comedies, but the charge would be truer of "House of Dracula" than this film, which has the same respect for the monsters as does "Young Frankentstein." Trivia Note: While filming the scene where the Monster throws Sandra through the lab window, Strange was knocked over and broke his ankle. Chaney, who had played the Monster in "Ghost of Frankenstein," volunteered to step in and once again don the makeup and he is the one who re-shot the scene that appears in the movie.

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Abbott and Costello's best known and perhaps best film has them meeting Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman, then Bela Lugosi as Dracula, then Glenn Strange as Frankenstein and then. . . . The plot revolves around the idea that the perfect new brain for the Monster should be a simple one -on that's easy to control. Lou Costello's is simple enough. The slapstick begins when Bud and Lou refuse to believe Larry Talbot (Lon) is the wolfman. The best non-monster bits are variations on what Bud and Lou did in the still funny, Hold That Ghost. You will note that Dracula can be seen in mirrors and that he would not have really died from a long fall (that's not being left out in the sun or getting a stake in the heart). But who cares, this is a silly, enjoyable slapstick that gives us both Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi doing a wonderful job acting straight against the boy's antics. Glenn Strange is the Monster. Vincent Price does a cameo. (1948 Directed by Charles Barton).

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Universal's legendary, all-time classic comedy paired Abbott & Costello with a series of movie monsters, including Bela Lugosi essaying Dracula for only the second time on-screen, Lon Chaney, Jr. as Larry Talbot (aka the Wolfman), and Glenn Strange as Frankenstein (there's also a fun cameo by another Universal monster favorite at the very end). "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" also revitalized A&C's film career for years to come (with the boys meeting everyone from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to "The Killer...Boris Karloff"), and still holds up tremendously well especially for any fan of the classic Universal monster movies. The comedy in Robert Lees, Frederic Rinaldo and John Grant's script deftly bridges A&C's antics with a basically respectful treatment of Dracula, Frankenstein and crew, allowing for the film to recreate the feel of the studio's Golden Age chillers in a hilarious setting that never ceases to entertain.

Universal's Blu-Ray presentation of the film, out next week, is terrific: the AVC encoded 1080p transfer is natural in appearance and allows the film, warts and all, to "breathe," so to speak, without any obvious filtering or excessive DNR. The DTS MA mono sound is acceptable, and extras carried over from the prior DVD include Gregory W. Mank's commentary and the David J. Skal-hosted DVD featurette "Abbott & Costello Meet the Monsters" (though, as with the recent Blu-Ray of "Jaws," this featurette is presented in a heavily compressed, terrible-looking standard-def encode). Two Universal 100 Years featurettes and the trailer are also included, plus the trailer, a DVD and digital copy.

EDIT Some users asked if the DVD contained this set is also remastered. IT IS NOT. In fact it's the same "Comedy Legends" older DVD pressing...so don't buy this set if you are not interested in the Blu-Ray.

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Regardless of whether you have ever seen Abbott & Costello or not, this is a DVD you simply cannot pass up. I highly recommend this film because not only is it excellent, Abbott and Costello are always winners! As usual, Abbott is sarcastic and Costello is loveable and charming.



Bud Abbott and Lou Costello star in this hilarious horror/comedy that has not only one but three of Universal's classic monsters: Frankenstein, Count Dracula and the Wolfman.



Abbott plays Chic Young and Costello is Wilbur Grey. Both men work as baggage handlers in Florida. After a brief meeting with Wilbur's beautiful girlfriend Sandra(Lenore Aubert), Wilbur takes a mysterious phone call from Lawrence Talbot (the wonderful Lon Chaney Jr.) about two crates to be delivered to the McDougal House of Horrors.



Thinking nothing of it, the eternally scared Wilbur goes about his business. When Chic and Wilbur get the crates for Mr. McDougal (Frank Ferguson) in a rather unusual manner, McDougal insists the men deliver them personally so the insurance company can inspect the deliveries.



After a hilarious delivery scene, Count Dracula (the immortal Bela Lugosi) and the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange) escape the House of Horrors and go to the home of Dr. Sandra Mornay! Dr. Mornay and Count Dracula want Wilbur's brain so they can revive the Frankenstein monster.



Added to the mix is a lovely insurance inspector, Joan Raymond (Jane Randolph) who is 'interested' in Wilbur for the purpose of her investigation. Chic simply cannot understand why so many beautiful women are in love with Wilbur!



I was very pleased to see the classic stars Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange in this film. All three men were just as splendid at comedy as they were in their horror roles. I also found this movie to have some very good special effects for its time. The scene where Dracula changes from a bat to a man is excellent. Vincent Price, a true master of horror himself, appears as the voice of the Invisible Man at the end of the film.



This film also has some great trivia. Lon Chaney Jr. worked as both the Wolfman and the Frankenstein monster on some scenes after Glenn Strange broke his ankle during filming. Boris Karloff also did some promotional work for the film. Check out the Internet Movie Database for more trivia!



Will Dracula and Sandra get Wilbur's brain? Will Wilbur get the girl? Will Chic ever give Wilbur the respect he deserves? Get the DVD and find out!

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