Tenebrae

To be honest, the only reason I purchased this is because NF does not offer the blu-ray. I had seen it a few years ago, long enough to forget who did it, and weighed my options. For me, the overall stylishness is what made it worth owning on blu-ray as opposed to renting again on DVD. Beautiful poured concrete architecture, '80s women with powdered faces and red lips, old synthesizers, etc. The arterial sprays and other death scenes are impressive and make me queasy to think about. But it's the modern art deco which makes this sort of a 1930s murder mystery, but with more murder and lots of bright red blood.

4 stars because the story, although good, isn't any better than an episode of "Murder She Wrote". Also, there are only two options for audio: all Italian or all English. This means English lines are dubbed over in the Italian version and most lines are inauthentic in the English version. The DVD I remember was mostly subtitled with any English dialogue coming through in English (the main character is an American and his English lines match his lips). I wish there was this third audio option, but the ones presented here are good enough. Two subtitle tracks are available, one which exactly follows the English audio and one which seems to be a closer translation of the the script.

Many people jump on this Blu-ray transfer and yes it may not be the best transfer but its all relative to the print negative. The DVD was rough around the edges too but I will tell you this Blu-ray is sooooooo much of an improvement from my Anchor Bay DVD. It actually looks quite nice at times, definitely worth the upgrade.

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What is this the reviewer below me talking about?The blu ray transfer is amazing and a lot more sharper and better than any us version i have seen....Do Urself a favor and ignore the other review as of now and snatch this up before it goes out of print..comes with 4 reversable artwork and a booklet amzing blu-ray for collector's....

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Dario Argento's 1982 giallo "Tenebrae" is what I feel to be the legendary Italian filmmaker's best film. It features a great cast, an unsually strong plot/script for an Argento film, breathtakingly violent murders and some of the most unique & virtuoso camera work either before or since. If you haven't seen any of Argento's classic output, "Tenebrae" is a great one to start with!

As for Arrow Video's blu ray release of the film, if you scour the internet you'll see a lot of grumbling & controversy about a supposedly inferior hi-def transfer. This couldn't be further from the truth! I own bot the anamorphic Anchor Bay DVD and this blu-ray and have done a direct comparison and I can safely say that the blu-ray blows the DVD out of the water and is truly like seeing the film again for the first time. Where there is possibly a slight problem with the film is that throughout the movie, there is a slight layer of video noise that isn't film grain that is somewhat noticeable but not intrusive at all in my opinion. A lot of recent blu-rays of Italian films have had the same slight visual peculiarity so maybe it's just how the negatives were back then or the production house used to author the hi-def transfers themselves. Colors though are very strong and the detail is truly astounding compared to past DVD releases.

There was also a slight issue with the old Anchor Bay DVD in which it was missing approximately 30 seconds due to print damage with the only print they had access to at the time. The Arrow Video blu ray is the full 1 hour 40 minute 54 second uncut version. Extras involve some interviews with Dario Argento, actress (and Dario's former wife) Daria Nicolodi and composer Claudio Simonetti. You also get two commentary tracks and a live performance by Claudio's former band Goblin too. The audio includes both the Italian & English tracks.

So, if you've been on the fence about picking up this particular blu ray, don't be and pick it up immediately. The film looks truly stunning and the nice array of extras compliment this classic giallo very nicely. Highly recommended!

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Since this is one of my favorite Dario Argento films, I was really pleasantly excited to be able to get this great giallo on Blu-ray. However, upon watching this version, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment. Instead of seeing Blu-ray sharpness, the picture is grainy and mushy. Picture resolution is not nearly as good as on the older, standard DVD. It appears that transfer on this one was made straight from an old, VHS tape without any clean-up being attempted. It's really a shame, too, because this item comes with a really informative booklet describing the film, a film poster, and an appreciable number of disk extras. I have a substantial collection of Blu-rays and Tenebrae has absolutely the worst picture quality of the lot. Maybe someday, someone will issue an acceptable edition of this great thriller but this one is better to pass!

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

This is a story about a stubborn and arrogant man who needs to push his body to its absolute limits, but who dedicates very little of his energy to his soul or intellect. That's the concept the unites this film and the book on which it was based. But ultimately films owe no debt to the books or the reality on which they are based (read the book "Monster" by the late screenwriter and author John Gregory Dunne if you need to get that straight).

Brad Pitt is not unwatchable as Heinrich Harrer, but you may cringe at his Austrian accent. Just remember that this film may not have been made at all without his interest and participation, and it wouldn't have been permitted the sort of budget that gave us the amazing landscapes which dominate the movie.

I suppose once they had their big star, casting went for the very finest actors they could find regardless of their status: therefore, we have two beautifully resonant performances by David Thewlis as Pitt's climbing companion and Lhapka Tsamchoe as the Love Interest.

This movie is about Heinrich Harrer, but there is some focus on his ties to the Dalai Lama. Very little screen time is spent in the camp for enemy aliens (those were YEARS of his life) or the difficult scrabble simply to exist once he escaped. The shots of the Dalai Lama's early childhood are there not only to foreshadow the important role the Dalai Lama ultimately plays, but also to establish a link between the child who befriends Harrer and the son who Harrer does not know.

The authenticity and detail of Tibetan life, dress, buildings, and so forth is rare and overwhelming. Even if it was staged, it is a good record of a lost time.

Further praise to the screenwriter (Becky Johnston) who translated a good book into a good movie. The addition of a few good laugh lines and the general development of character were well done.

Heinrich Harrer is an interesting man and merits a movie about his life. Of course, the elements of living in Tibet and developing a friendship with the Dalai Lama are crucial to the interest. For my part I've watched the movie several times and I always get deliciously lost in the scenery.

SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET

(USA 1997)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Theatrical soundtracks: Dolby Digital / SDDS-8

The only thing more beautiful than Brad Pitt in Jean-Jacques Annaud's low-key drama SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET is the astonishing location photography (Argentina, Canada, Austria and the Himalayas standing in for Tibet), rendered in glorious Panavision widescreen by cinematographer Robert Fraisse. Pitt, every inch the blond Aryan god, plays real life explorer Heinrich Harrer (on whose book this film is based), an arrogant Nazi bully who ran from his wife's unhappy pregnancy to conquer the Himalayas toward the end of the 1930's. Stranded there by the outbreak of World War II, Harrer found his way to the forbidden city of Lhasa, where his unexpected friendship with the teenage Dalai Lama (played with great warmth and sincerity by non-actor Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk) curbed his ruthless streak and provided him with a fresh outloook on life, until he was forced to flee the country following the Chinese invasion.

Suffering from unfair comparisons with Martin Scorsese's KUNDUN (1997), which opened shortly afterward both movies were denounced by mainland Chinese officials Annaud's film evokes the splendors of a remote mountain community founded exclusively on Buddhist principles (in an amusing sequence, Pitt is asked to build a movie theater without killing the hundreds of worms uncovered by his workers' excavations). It may be a Hollywoodized vision, but it's also respectful and, in places, deeply moving ("Do you think someday people will look at Tibet on a movie screen and wonder what happened to us?" the Dalai Lama asks Pitt in one of the movie's most self-referential moments).

When Chinese troops invade the Tibetan stronghold towards the end of the film, they display all the arrogance and hostility which had typified Harrer's behavior until he was transformed by the example of his gracious hosts. Distinguished by John Williams' majestic score (so much better than the tuneless dirge he provided for SLEEPERS the previous year), the film also features David Thewlis (NAKED) as Pitt's climbing partner, Lhakpa Tsamchoe as the beautiful woman who comes between them for a while, and B.D. Wong as a lowly Tibetan official whose vanity and cowardice prompts the downfall of his own culture.

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There are so many spiritual moments in this movie. I was literally captivated from start to finish. The theme of mountain climbing was fascinating and the sheer beauty of the snow laden mountains gives the story a purity of spirit.

In my humble opinion, this is Brad Pitt's finest movie yet. As the Austrian mountain climber, Heinrich Harrer, he brings a sexy warmth to a freezing climate. At first Heinrich is only concerned with his own existence and is quite out of touch with his spiritual self. He abruptly leaves his very pregnant wife to fend for herself as he runs off to join an expedition to climb Nanga Parbat in British India in 1939.

He seems to be on a personal journey with destiny lending a hand. While climbing, he is captured and spends time as a prisoner of war. Not even this experience breaks the chains that seems to hold his soul captive. In his case, the enemy doesn't help him to develop patience and compassion. It takes the heart of a child to show him why he should climb down from the mountain of his own pride, so he can take on a higher challenge, love.

This is a breathtakingly beautiful story of two souls who find one another under the most hostile situation. For a brief moment in time, they know true friendship, despite the age and cultural differences.

Unfortunately, mankind is rarely happy with what they have and when Tibet comes under attack, the tranquility and harmony of the Tibetan city of Lhasa is completely destroyed.

While humans have the ability to destroy one another, they also have the ultimate responsibility to love one another and nothing is more difficult when your philosophies of life clash so horribly. While peace is the ultimate goal, this movie brings the realization that evil is alive and well and that at times, evil seems to have an upper hand in many countries.

Still, the hope for peace and happiness for every human burns in some hearts like a flame for the rest of the world to see. Finding a reason to live in a difficult situation and not running from your responsibilities to friends, family and country is also emphasized.

Thoughtful and will leave you with a feeling of peace and hope.

Quotes from the Dalai Lama I found recently:

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect towards others.

We have to take seriously our concern for all of humanity. When we focus on our individuality, humanity inevitably suffers. Whether we love humanity or not, we must realize that we are part of it. That is why being compassionate is actually in my own best interest. And a symptom of my own peace of mind that I can share comfort with others around me.

It is constructive and worthwhile to analyze our emotions, including compassion and our sense of caring, so that we can become more calm and happy. Hatred, jealousy, and fear hinder peace of mind. When you're angry or unforgiving, for example, your mental suffering is constant. It is better to forgive than to spoil your peace of mind with ill feelings.

Altruism is the best source of happiness. There is no doubt about it.

~The Rebecca Review

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In this lengthy (132 min) basically true tale, Brad Pitt portrays an egotistical, selfish, pompous, despicable, Nazi jerk (admittedly, not a pleasant combination of characteristics) whose abhorrent personality ruins his marriage and alienates all around him. While on a mountain climbing expedition, he is captured and imprisoned by the British in India. After numerous escape attempts, he finally does achieve freedom and begins a long trek to the relative safety of independent Tibet. Unfortunately, outsiders are not welcome in Tibet, and thus begins a 7+ year ordeal which culminates in his becoming a tutor and friend of the youthful Dahli Lama. Through their interaction and strongly influenced by Tibetan culture, Pitt's character achieves a complete reversal of personality, emerging an infinitely better individual. How all this happens is both believable and beautifully presented.

I found Pitt's uneven German accent to be inaccurate and highly distracting, but this is my only complaint about the production. Photography, music and settings are magnificent....successfully capturing the essence of the Himalayas and 1940's Tibetan culture. For those not familiar with the Dahli Lama's current exile to India, this movie provides a clear and honest historical review of events that made it necessary. You will come to understand why, to this day, so many people support him and his country so fervently.

I recommend the movie to all mature viewers who appreciate superb scenery, epic scope, excellent acting (accents aside), insights into history and exotic cultures, and a heart-warming character renaissance.

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The Chinese genocide of the Tibetans is one of the most disgusting and disturbing events in modern history, on par with the Nazi treatment of the Jews. This is doubled by the fact that the western powers did and are doing nothing as members of an ancient civilisation dedicated to spiritual practice are exterminated by the chinese.

There are those who will deny this fact, if you are that ignorant then do not watch this film and write pathetic, twisted comments.

If you are more of a human being then you will enjoy this film. Far from perfect, the depictions of what Lhasa once looked like before the Chinese invasion are breath taking. The film shows Tibetan Buddhist monks being shot in cold blood by Chinese soldiers. This is shocking as it should be. This is what happened to thousands of monks in 6,400 monasteries. In the words of the Dalai Lama, 1,200,000 Tibetans have died as a direct result of Chinese occupation policies.

If you view this film and enjoy it, you might want to read of the plight of Tibet by the Dalai Lama himself. 'My Land and my People,' is an excellent book.

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Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 (Part 2) (2011)

Note: This DVD presentation is a direct continuation of the Jacque Mesrine crime saga that began with "Mesrine: Killer Instinct." If you haven't seen that film, you will probably want to in advance of screening this one. Both theatrically and for DVD distribution, this film was split into two distinct parts and packaged separately. There are, however, international DVD versions available that have the complete product--if you choose to go that route and buy only one DVD, just make sure that the DVD is compatible with your DVD player.

Branded his country's Public Enemy No. 1 for his international exploits during the sixties and seventies, Jacque Mesrine's notoriety brought him a certain celebrity status. With murders, bank heists, kidnappings, and bold prison breaks--Mesrine embraced his lawlessness with a flair and flamboyance that have maintained his cult appeal even thirty years after his death. Adapting Mesrine's own memoir, writer/director Jean-Francois Richet has divided Mesrine's escapades into two feature films. The first--"Mesrine: Killer Instinct"--charts his initiation into a gangster existence and his rise to worldwide attention while this follow-up "Mesrine: Public Enemy #1" charts the height and end stages of his criminal career. Where the first installment was an episodic character study that explained Mesrine's descent into crime, this film boldly takes on the appeal of a full fledged action epic.

Don't expect any back story or recap going into "Public Enemy #1." The narrative starts right off with an exciting court house escape and the momentum rarely wanes. Vincent Cassel delivers a performance of much power and charm as the relentless Mesrine. These years (the seventies) have Cassel embracing his criminal notoriety and fame. Filled with bravado, Mesrine toys with the cops and fashions himself a true celebrity bad boy. Heck, the most brutal sequence in the film is directly related to Mesrine have received some unfavorable press! Mathieu Amalric, as a fellow escapee and part time partner, makes for an interesting foil and ally to our outlaw hero and Ludivine Sagnier has some bright spots as Mesrine's opportunistic girlfriend.

But, in truth, this picture--and indeed the entire saga--belongs to Cassel in a true star performance. The film is fast paced, surprisingly funny, and infused with high tension. Even in the finale, where you know what is going to happen, the director shoots the sequence with so much precision and tenseness--you'll be at the edge of your seat. I genuine liked the first film even if the episodic nature kept things at a somewhat superficial level. But, I loved this follow-up! One of the better true crime stories I've seen in a while, it's one I would easily recommend if you're interested in the genre. And one more shout-out to Cassel, he really is awesome! KGHarris, 4/11.

MESRINE: PUBLIC ENEMY #1 is a sequel, or actually Part II of MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT. It is important to note this fact because for the casual viewer who picks up this DVD first there will be a lot of background story missing. Apparently there is somewhat of a cult of Mesrine devotees, so powerful was his image as the most devious criminal of the 1960s -1970s in France. Or perhaps it is the media that makes criminals like Charles Manson, Bonnie and Clyde, John Gotti, Al Capone, John Dillinger etc etc 'heros' to the public. But if examining the lives of such beings entertains you then this film may register.

Apparently the first film in this biopic showed the development of Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel) as he becomes a bank robber, kidnapper, jail breaker, etc, but this film starts with Mesrine in court form which he escapes and then proceeds to rob banks and kill people and eventually end up believing in his own grandeur as Public Enemy #1. The film was written by Abdel Raouf Dafri and director Jean-François Richet who obviously are more concerned with setting up ambushes and escapes and robberies than with character development. The is one well-written scene in the film Mesrine sneaking into a hospital where his father (Michel Duchaussoy) is dying that is true drama, but the rest is rather uncontrolled raucous crime. Vincent Cassel is such a fine actor that he is able to bring to life this atrocious character (having not seen Part 1 leaves any advantage that film may have given to his character development and why this actor suddenly has a beer gut, etc). He is abetted by Ludivine Sagnier as his pickup girlfriend Sylvia, Mathieu Almaric (another very fine French actor) as his accomplice François Besse, Samuel Le Bihan, Gérard Lanvin, Olivier Gourmet, and Georges Wilson.

The film is overly long (133 minutes) to tolerate all action/no story, but one factor remains: Vincent Cassel's performance is intriguing, right up to his grisly death scene. Not for the faint of heart or for viewers who appreciate a script with a story. Grady Harp, April 11

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Good movie! I lived there when this went down and found it true in the details. More movies like this.

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Lots of moody looks take the place of action or actual progress. Cassell is very good in both movies, as usual.

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As an American with an appreciation of French cinema, I enjoyed "Mesrine: Public Enemy #1" (MPE1), but wouldn't rank it alongside the best gangster or crime movies from the U.S. or the U.K. The filmmakers do an excellent job of recreating the scenery, clothing and hairstyles of the 1970s, and the movie has its moments of suspense. However, American audiences are likely to compare it to the many thrillers that fill our cineplexes, and MPE1 doesn't quite measure up. The gunfights and car chase scenes are just not as powerful; in fact, when a cheap Renault getaway car gets spun around and dented in MPE1, I chuckled a bit at the thought of such an underpowered car being used by criminal masterminds in a life-or-death situation. I guess it's better than a Vespa...

The primary reason why "Mesrine: Public Enemy #1" can't compare to over-the-top thrilling crime movies such as "The Dark Knight" is that MPE1 is actually based on factual people and events. There really was a Jacques Mesrine in France who robbed banks, murdered several people, and escaped from prison multiple times. MPE1 does adhere to the basic facts of Mesrine's actual life story, at least as it is captured on Wikipedia.

Vincent Cassel gives a decent performance as Mesrine. At times Mesrine's viciousness comes through, but much of the rest of the time Mesrine is clowning around or strutting about with his chest puffed out. I wondered if Cassel was perhaps playing the role a bit too much for laughs, but maybe this is the way that Mesrine really was. The chief question posed by the film is: why did Mesrine do it? At times he claims to be a revolutionary, at times he wants revenge for the suffering he and others endured in prison, at times he lusts after the money, and at other times he just appears to be doing it for the thrills. It is up to the viewer to draw a conclusion.

Ludivine Sagnier achieves absolute perfection as Syliva, Mesrine's favorite "objet d'affection". She doesn't make her appearance until halfway through the film, but oh what an entrance it is. Sylvia instantly captivates Mesrine, and Sagnier does the same with every viewer who appreciates female beauty. In all her scenes she is absolutely gorgeous, and one can see why Mesrine wanted to shower Sylvia with jewels. Sylvia herself is an interesting character, and her priorities and feelings towards Mesrine are debatable until the very last scene of the movie. Certainly Mesrine is the more famous character, but I think an interesting movie could also have been made of Sylvia's life leading up to and beyond her relationship with Mesrine.

The supporting cast is mostly excellent, especially Mathieu Amalric, who gives a haunting portrayal as a criminal associate of Mesrine's, and Georges Wilson, who gives a wonderfully understated performance as an elderly kidnap victim. The version of the film I saw was dubbed in English, which was slightly distracting, but probably less so than subtitles would have been, especially in the action sequences. All in all I would recommend MPE1 if you are interested in the Jacques Mesrine story or if you would enjoy a trip back to France in the 1970s. But if you are purely in the market for an escapist thriller, there are more thrilling options out there.

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Untouchables

Sometimes dubbed "the Master of the Macabre," director Brian De Palma is best known for his enactments of the supernatural ("Carrie"), mania ("Dressed to Kill") and his mob stories. The latter part of his reputation is primarily grounded on four of his movies from the ten-year period between 1983 and 1993: "Scarface" (1983, starring Al Pacino), "Wise Guys" (1986, starring Danny De Vito, Joe Piscopo and Harvey Keitel), "Carlito's Way" (1993, again starring Pacino) ... and "The Untouchables" (1987), featuring an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith. Among these, "The Untouchables" stands out as the only movie not primarily told from the gangster's but from the lawmen's perspective but what it does share with all of De Palma's works is an almost voyeuristic appeal to its audience's visual senses; going far beyond the lavish display of film blood it is most often cited for.

Less fact-based than cinematic grand opera par excellence, the movie takes as its premise the end of the career of Chicago's ganglord of ganglords, Al "Scarface" Capone, who (after a few half-hearted attempts to prosecute him for murder had failed due to the unavailability of witnesses) pled guilty, in 1931, to evading federal income tax, and was sentenced to an 11-year prison term and a $50,000 fine. Capone's downfall was brought about by a group of initially 50 but later only nine Treasury Agents, formed in 1929 (not in 1930, as suggested here) with the express purpose of breaking up his operations, and headed by Eliot Ness, whose 1957 book "The Untouchables" posthumously gave new rise to his fame Ness died of a heart attack without ever having witnessed the full extent of his book's success and inspired, inter alia, the like-named 1959 television series starring Robert Stack and Brian De Palma's 1987 movie.

Scripted by Pulitzer Prize winner and Chicago native David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross"), "The Untouchables" is not so much a study in character development as based on a western's classic "good versus evil" setup; although that doesn't mean that its protagonists are two-dimensional in any way. On the contrary: Robert De Niro imbues his Capone with a ruthlessness and glib charm very likely matching those of the real "Scarface," who was known for his little hesitation to commit murder and other acts of violence as much as he cultivated a reputation as a savvy businessman and benefactor of the poor, for example by running several soup kitchens. (And yes, all of De Niro's mannerisms are on full display, too; but rarely have they fitted a role as well as here.) Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness may be a little too assertive Robert Stack once commented, after several conversations with Ness's nearest and dearest, that the real-life Treasury Agent had been described to him as "rather soft-spoken, but very effective and brave" but mildness is certainly not the principle trait written into the larger-than-life role of the man who "got" Al Capone, and Costner *is* an effective lead; although he is matched (not entirely sidelined, but darn near outplayed) by Sean Connery, who deservedly won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a National Board of Review Award as the crotchety old-timer Malone who has seen it all, somehow managed to stay both clean and alive, and now lets Ness talk him into becoming his tutor in all things Chicago Gangland. Andy Garcia, in his break-through role, is instantly likable as George Stone, the smart, fast kid from the South Side who doesn't take kindly to put-downs of his origin but can nail a human target with one hand while lying down and holding a baby stroller with the other hand. Charles Martin Smith finally brings humanity and subtle humor to the character probably closest to the real-life "Untouchables," accountant Oscar Wallace, who first has the idea to charge Capone for income tax evasion. Strong performances by Billy Drago as Capone's right-hand man Frank Nitti (who of course was not really thrown off a rooftop by Ness), Richard Bradford as Police Chief Mike Dorsett, Patricia Clarkson as Ness's wife, Jack Kehoe as Capone's bookkeeper Walter Payne and others round out an altogether impressive cast.

Unmistakeably scored by Ennio Morricone (whose style often, and certainly here, doesn't even take a full bar to recognize; and who with an ASCAP Award, a Grammy and a BAFTA Award was the movie's other major winner besides Connery), "The Untouchables" lives off its splendid cinematography, production design costumes courtesy of Giorgio Armani and the exquisite timing of its sharp-edged dialogue and editing: Not only is screenwriter Mamet known to have his actors practice their lines according to a metronome; the editing of some of the movie's most memorable scenes has the distinct feeling of a carefully choreographed, veritable ballet. This is particularly true for Malone's death, pointedly set against the aria "Vesti la Giubba" from Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera "I Pagliacci" ("The Clowns"), which is based on a real-life murder and which Capone attends while his lieutenants waylay Malone in his own apartment; and the famous shoot-out in Chicago's Union Station, which turns into a deadly dance of bullets, blood and a baby stroller, shot almost entirely in slow motion.

Paradoxically, the one plot element this movie is most often criticized for the jury switch at Capone's trial is one of the few facts that actually did take place (although Capone's attorney would have had to be given the right to conduct a new voir dire). But ultimately, it doesn't even really matter how much of the plot is fact-based and how much fiction: Even if "The Untouchables" doesn't quite reach the mythical status of the "Godfather" trilogy particularly its Parts 1 and 2 as the mob movie to end all mob movies, it is one of only a handful other films that at least come close to the proportions of Francis Ford Coppola's epic masterpiece.

Also recommended:

The Untouchables

Eliot Ness and the Untouchables: The Historical Reality and the Film and Television Depictions

Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone

Scarface

Carlito's Way

Wise Guys

GoodFellas

Casino (Widescreen 10th Anniversary Edition)

Once Upon a Time in America (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The Godfather DVD Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather Part II/ The Godfather Part III)

This isn't a documentary style film it's a gorgeous, over-the-top retelling of one of the most famous periods in America's history. Al Capone and Eliot Ness are well known, as is the Chicago in which they lived. De Niro and Connery are fantasic in their roles, and the cinematography is beautiful. Costner as Ness also shines, but with these other two powerhouses his performance is almost overshadowed.

Great plot, great dialogue, great action, the movie is definitely a fun romp through an appealing period in history. The movie has even more significance as The Sopranos becomes a huge hit people being drawn into learning about the mob way of life want to trace the roots of this drama and see where it's taking its guidance. Many Sopranos scenes are taken from this movie, and the characters even quote it at times.

Highly recommended a DVD you'll watch many times over!

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I've always been a big fan of this movie, which I remember as first marking Brian DePalma as a "blockbuster" director. It's filled with sharp dialog, Oscar winning acting, some inspired (clearly by Hitchcock) camerawork, a dramatic score by Ennio Morricone, and a nostaglic/patriotic retelling of a truly gritty real-life crime drama.

As far as this blu-ray goes, it features a very nice transfer that ups the detail, contrast, color and stability considerably over the previous DVD release. Unfortunately it also introduces nearly constant edge halos and some shimmering both presumably artifacts of edge enhancement used to make the film look more appealing to modern audiences.

On the Audio front the 6.1 DTS-HD track does a very fine job considering the age of the film. I was particularly impressed by the dynamic range of the score and the use of discrete effects in the Union Station shootout.

Overall, if it were not for the digital retouching, I would have rated this release at 5 stars. Since I can't give 4 and a half I had to downgrade it full star for the botched digital enhancements.

Hopefully someday there will be a untouched version of The Untouchables.

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What do you expect from a film in which Kevin Costner and Sean Connery star as the good guys and Robert DeNiro plays all-time Bad Guy Al Capone? A great movie! And that's what this is--a really really good gangster flick. No, it is not The Godfather, but then again nothing but The Godfather is The Godfather. Having said that, this is a wonderful film that actually does a pretty good job of explaining what Elliot Ness was up against when he was given the job of enforcing prohibition, gunning for Al Capone and cleaning up Chicago.

Costner is effective in his role as Elliot Ness. Connery does fine as the Chicago policeman Ness recruits to show him the ropes as to how things in Chicago operate. De Niro is matchless as Al Capone.

My favorite scene is the one in which Elliot Ness joins forces with the Canadian Mounties. Hilarious!

This movie is good entertainment and the storyline manages to move along pretty well without dragging and losing the viewer's interest. The film never makes the mistake of taking itself too seriously, and its use of humor is effective and prevents the movie from waxing pompous, which would have been easy for it to do, given the serious theme. This is one that you'll watch again and again. Recommended.

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I was really impressed with the blu ray transfer of this movie. Sometimes with older movies you have to do a side by side comparison to realize the improvement, but for The Untouchables it was clear to me right away that it was an upgrade. The movie looks so good that it's easy to forget that it is 23 years old. This movie was also shot in a way where the blu ray treatment really helps e.g. a lot of closeups of faces and a nice use of color (I compared the scene outside the hotel when the bellboy picks the papers off the red carpet and was pretty amazed at how much "redder" the red was on blu ray).

The sound seemed like it was improved, but I am not enough of a sound expert to know for sure. There are also some extras on here, but I don't know if it's anything that's groundbreaking.

Goon (2012)

I am a semi-recent hockey fan, female, from California, and also a big movie fanatic in general, and I found this movie to be entertaining, funny, fun, not too gory or anything... The main character was consistently charming and endearing in a sincere way... The pace was good. As a "puckhead," I know what details are a lil bit exaggerated, but as a movie fanatic, the narrative was engaging, fast-paced, not too formulaic, adventurous, and simply sweet in all regards!!! I wish there were more movies like this out there! GO DOUGIE!!!!

This film one-ups the relentless verbal crudity, testosterone-fueled raunchiness, and bone-crunching violence of the legendary ice hockey movie "Slap Shot," combining it with the dry wit and doltish characters you may know from SCTV's "Great White North" sketches. Based on a memoir by hockey pro Doug Smith, it mixes in broad jokes about beer, women, Russians, and Québécois to make something quintessentially Canadian, yet it's also accessible to those of us who did not grow up with Molson running through our veins and visions of the Stanley Cup haunting our dreams.

"Goon" features an excellent cast of Canadians led by the winning Seann William Scott, perhaps best known for his role as Steve Stifler in the "American Pie" films. Scott plays bouncer Doug Glatt, a sweet-natured, dim-witted man-child who just happens to be very good at beating the crap out of people. After a fracas at a hockey game leads a local team to hire him, his thuggish efficiency on the ice gets him promoted to a minor-league club, the Halifax Highlanders. Coach Ronnie Hortense (Kim Coates) assigns him the task of protecting the team's high-scorer, Xavier Laflamme (Marc-Andre Grondin), a former prodigy now less interested in hockey than he is in cocaine and strippers.

Eugene Levy (also in "American Pie") is Doug's father, a doctor ashamed of his son's job as a hockey enforcer; Jay Baruchel (one of the screenwriters) is Doug's friend Pat, a rabid fan who hosts an amateurish cable program devoted to the sport; Alison Pill (Baruchel's real-life fiancée) is Doug's crush Eva, a "puck bunny" with a thing for hockey players; and Liev Shreiber (the only major star in the film) is renowned enforcer Ross "The Boss" Rhea, who becomes Doug's nemesis in the arena.

Since it's a comedy, "Goon" gives us a happy-if-cockeyed ending in which Doug gets the girl and his underdog team wins redemption in the final showdown. But that's not really the point: this is an over-the-top love letter to the rough-and-tumble culture of hockey and of Canada itself, as well as an excuse for boys being boys, with all of the aggressive idiocy, drunken profanity, and bloody brutality that involves. Entertaining stuff. I recommend it.

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Warning This film has very over the top dirty language. If that's not your thing don't post a review about this movie. On to the movie: I watched the movie with my wife who is not a huge sports fan at all. Neither does she like blood much. This movie had pretty much everything a man loves about a movie Action, Sports, Fights, Overcoming bull crap in your life. Then it throws in just enough of a romance to keep anyone else with a pulse interested in the rest of the movie. It's not too long, it's gets to the point and it pulls you in from the start if you're a hockey fan.

Just remember it's rated R.

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Who doesn't love a good underdog story? Add in the fact that this is based on a REAL person (man i love that guy)... and especially when he's hot and he gets the girl in the end... and along the way he beats the holy crap out of everyone who deserves it... the fight scenes were AWESOME and the story was memorable...the characters are absolutely irresistable. It makes me want a hockey guy of my own. In the meantime I'm going to rent this again and watch it a couple more times! He was totally blessed by the fist of God. :-)

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What is cool is this is based on a true story of a guy who used to box and who is now currently a police officer (seek out the documentary short about this guy). Also do not miss the end credits to see the real Doug fight it out!! :)

Had to watch this a 2nd time as I was laughing too hard and missed some of the jokes. Great movie! Can't remember the last time I wanted to see a movie twice but will buy for sure when it is released on Blu Ray (mabye latter this year?)

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Riddick Collection (Pitch Black / Chronicles of Riddick) (2000)

This release has the directors cuts and unrated versions of the full length features however Dark Fury is still only on DVD (it came in today and I've already watched them). So its a good way to own all three features and a solid price and includes all the "extras". I'm not sure if Dark Fury will ever be released on Blu-Ray as I don't believe that the animation team had made it at a level that will support it, though it could be remastered...

Just a thought...

Honestly I love the Riddick saga, I've only watched the anime once. This collection comes with both, the theatrical version and the director's cut, of Pitch Black and The chronicles of Riddick. I just love the story line of the three movies, and the director's cut makes it worth the purchase. Buy it and watch it in the right secuence, Pitch Black, Dark Fury and The Chronicles of Riddick. Altough in the intro, the director explains that each movie has an extra 15 min footage, i belive that the 3rd one has a lot more than that, it completly changes the story, maiking it more rich. Don't be disapointed because the anime is on DVD, it doesn't exist on Blu Ray.

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Both movies on bluray are awesome to see, you can tell the difference from the dvd. The anime may not be in bluray but still your bluray player will make the best of it and its definately a good in between movie.

Read Best Reviews of Riddick Collection (Pitch Black / Chronicles of Riddick) (2000) Here

For fans of Vin Diesel and the character Riddick, this is the one to get. It has the Unrated Cut of Pitch Black and the Extended Cut of Chronicles of Riddick, plus a DVD with an animated movie, Escape from Butcher Bay. It is a 3-disc set with each movie on its own disc.

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I've been looking to get riddick on blu-ray, and this is exactly that. The blu-rays include both the theatrical and director's cuts, which is good because from what I recall the theatrical release of chronicles cut some important scenes. In fact, I have no interest in the theatrical releases, but it's cool that they're included for those who do. Even though I didn't notice the extra animated feature "dark fury" listed in the description, a dvd version of dark fury came included in the purchase (I still don't see it in the product description, oh well). About the only thing I didn't like was the packaging; part of the blu-ray case fractured immediately after I opened the product, and now the two blu-rays (pitch black and chronicles) are loose in the case (dark fury came packed in the side, so it's safe). Otherwise, I'm happy.

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Monster (2003)

I watched Monster without any expectations, save knowing that it was a movie about two women. At the end of the screening, i was totally blown away. One, Charlize Theron gives a spectacular performance as 'serial killer' Aileen Wuornos. Her facial expressions and bodily movements strongly resemble that of the actual person (based on what i read). Secondly, the 'human' aspect of Aileen was brought out in the film, and despite her brutal killings, one can symphatise with aspects of her life which brought her to this point of no return when she started killing her johns. Thirdly, although Monster is primarily about Aileen the killer, yet the viewer is treated to a love story between Aileen and her lesbian lover. This is in many aspects, the driving force of the film and which makes the film memorable. Some prison psychologists had diagnosed Aileen as having Borderline personality disorder, which explains her behaviour of wanting to keep Selby Wall, her girlfriend (in real life, the girl's name is Tyria Moore) at all costs, despite the fact that Selby was at times a selfish, immature person who ultimately betrayed Aileen. The final scene of the 'confession' phone call (which basically nailed it for Aileen) is heartbreaking. Aileen basically took the fall for everything and absolved Selby of any blame. Even though the audience may sense a taste of Hollywood drama here, one must remember that in real life, Aileen did take the blame for everything, and even went to the extent of sending Tyria money while she was on death row. Perhaps this is a glimpse into a rare aspect of her life (which traditional documentaries on her never cover), which shows us that at the end of the day, she is a human being like the rest of us and despite her heinous crimes, she too longed to be loved and feel love. The betrayal scene will stick in my mind for a long time to come. I welcome emails on this film as i am interested to know more about the film as well as Aileen and her lover.

Charlize Theron gives a five star+ performance as the executed serial killer Aileen Wuornos, the monster in "Monster." I would have rated the movie the same, except it is just too filled with pain, desperation and hopelessness for me to rank it that high. The script is not particularly strong. We only get a glimpse into the life and mind of this woman, and we never discover what made her kill. Many abused women hate men, but they don't become serial killers. There is also a lot of repetition, as Wuornos goes through her pattern of solicitation, violence and anguish over and over again. Without Ms. Theron's magnificent acting the film would be rather mediocre.

Director Patty Jenkins begins Wuornos' story in 1989-90, just before she was caught and imprisoned. She portrays Aileen more as a victim than as a victimizer. Through an initial monologue and various dialogues the viewer learns of Aileen's very troubled childhood in Michican. Her father, a convicted child-molester, committed suicide. Aileen was raped repeatedly by a family friend, and she began prostituting herself when she was thirteen. Her only job had been as a hooker. I think Ms. Theron portrays Aileen as a woman suffering from serious mental illness. Her moods swing from suicidal depression to euphoric overconfidence. She had delusional periods where she believed that all her dreams would come true and that she was invincible. She is a tough talking lady who drinks too much and barely holds her rage beneath the surface.

It is during this period that she meets Selby (Christina Ricci is superb in this role.), a shy, naive teen, in a bar. Selby is a lesbian who wants to come out of the closet against her family's wishes. She is a misfit, without friends. So is Aileen. At first the two are so thrilled that they like each other that they are not alone anymore. Their desperate, mutual quest for affection culminates in this doomed relationship. To me the relationship is more about loneliness and emotional dependency than physical attraction. The honeymoon is short-lived, however. Selby had never been on her own before and for some reason, doesn't think to get a job. She expects Aileen to provide for them. She manipulates Aileen into continuing to work as a prostitute, even though she is aware of at least one murder. Jenkins suggests that as long as the money keeps coming in she will ask no questions. Wuornos tries to get work and go straight but has no job skills or experience. She winds up going back on the road as a prostitute again, and then, after a violent episode with a john, her rage takes over and the murders begin.

Charlize Theron does give an extraordinarily powerful performance as the serial killer. It is amazing how she was able to literally transform herself into a woman who looks exactly like the actual Aileen Wuornos, mannerisms and all. This transformation is not just make-up. She speaks like Wuornos, walks like her, with a masculine swagger, captures her intensity, and her eyes often hold a glint of madness.

The film is shot in a gritty style on the highway, streets, bars and motel rooms. The ambiance is pure sleaze, reflecting the true crime drama. Overall, the story is fascinating, as is the point of view. And, as I have said, the performances are simply excellent. Highly recommended!

JANA

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I really wish I could give this movie more then 5 stars because it truly deserves 100,"Monster" is possibly the best films ever made. Charlize Theron's performance has the highly interesting Aileen Wuornos is phenomenal! Christina Rucci performance has the native Selby works so well in contrast with Theron's strong and independent character that two have incredibly chemistry. The directing, the story line, acting, and everything else in the movie is remarkable and it all helps to show the pain in Alieen Wournos' lonely life. After trying to leave their horrific pasts behind new friends Alieen and Shelby move away together, but when money gets low, Alieen is forced to go back to prostitute lifestyle. But one night after Alieen is rapped, she kills the man and knows she just can't go on hooking again. But being the only way she can make money, she decides instead of having sexual relations, she'll murder the men and take their money. This sad and true story left me amazed and even forgiving. Please watch this movie, I promise you won't regret it.

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Though this film is brutally honest about Aileen 'Lee' Wuornos' crimes it does provoke some sympathy for her. Yes, she does kill many people (all men) but when you consider how many men battered her and raped her all through her life, even as a child, it's no surprise she became so psychotic.

And I don't think it's exactly fair that she got the death penalty. Surely it would have been best to help a woman who lived her entire existence in the dregs of society (which is surely to blame for sending her mad) than executing her.

Focusing entirely on Lee instead of the police investigations following her (there is a TV movie from the mid-90s that does exactly this if you're more interested), we see her straggle from thinking about suicide, hooking up with lonely, naive Selby (Christina Ricci), killing in self-defense and finally killing for revenge/money.

Charlize Theron completely vanishes as she brings her take on Lee (her full name is never mentioned in the film) to the screen. She sure deserved her Academy Award and Christina Ricca (who is very cute here) is also very good. However, for a lesbian couple I just didn't see any real feeling between them. It annoyed me how fast the film moved and there are not really many quiet moments for these two characters to bond in any way. Yes, they proclaim their love for each other but I just didn't see it. There was too much shouting and screaming.

There are no surprises in the film, as we all know how it ends anyway. But some of Lee's killings are harsh, compelling and even ironic. The overall effect of the film isn't so long-lasting on me though.

It's shot and lit like a TV movie and Lee's heavy judgment at the end of the film is played down. For a film that is slightly biased to her point of view it's annoying that her unfair trial and life are not exploited just a little bit more for us to gain a little extra insight into the making of a 'monster'.

Keep a lookout for Kane Hodder as an undercover cop near the end.

The DVD is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby/DTS 5.1 sound and some slight extras.

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"Monster" delves into the mind of the first female serial killer, Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron.) But it does not condone what she did or take sides. Instead, the film describes her life over the nine months after she found love with Selby (Christina Ricci); from 1989 to 1990. I really liked the narration/voiceover that Charlize did (as Aileen.) It lent a little credence to the movie and some humanity to Aileen, as well.

Charlize Theron very rightfully won the Academy Award for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos. Charlize completely metamorphosed her entire look which was so eerie and uncanny because it was impossible to tell that she was acting in a movie. She also changed the sound of her voice, sounding exactly like the women she played. Charlize is a true actress and very deserving of the Best Actress nod from the Academy. Christina Ricci was also excellent playing the shy and introverted Selby, and has proven herself to be a very accomplished cinema actress.

The movie follows the tale of harried and hopeless Aileen Wuornos as she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered and tattered life. When Aileen meets Selby it was almost love at first sight. Selby practically saved her life and for that Aileen was forever in her debt. I think my favorite scene was when they were together in the bed (that first night they met) and Selby asks Aileen if she could touch her face. Aileen seemed so sensitive and gentle.

Besides that horrible rape scene and other depictions of degradation (I really hated that scene with that scumbag cop that picked her up after her job interview), I also found the scenes when Aileen tried to look for work very bitter. No one would give her a chance or listen to her. She had no money, no education, no family; absolutely nothing. All the doors were loudly slammed in her face. Society gladly threw Aileen Wuornos away. She was just another hooker, why did it matter that she wanted to clean up her act? Charlize was especially perfect during these parts. Her look of rage, and total desperation was purely obvious.

Another aspect of this story that I found terribly sad was when Selby turned her back on Aileen. Aileen loved her more than her own life and she finally thought that she had a chance of happiness. Maybe Aileen also thought that she finally found a person that she could honestly trust. Maybe if Aileen never met Selby she would still be alive today?

I really liked the way the movie ended. It wasn't too deep or sad, instead I found it very surreal because it wasn't too weighty. The movie ended the way it started, with Aileen narrating to the viewers in her own sarcastic and comical way.

"Monster" did make me feel sorry for Aileen because she was obviously an incredibly broken person that was never given a fighting chance. Someone please tell me why is Aileen vilified while these horrible men that raped her and sexually abused her aren't? Whoever said it's a man's world sure wasn't kidding.

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Anton Chekhov's The Duel (2011)

Sadly for me, The Duel is a film which looks good on the screen, but unfortunately is a badly directed adaptation of Anton Chekov's fine novella of the same name. The director, Dover Koshashvili, portrays Laevsky, the central character in the novella, as a nasty, brutish lout whose bizarre behavior is as unaccountable to the other characters in the film as it is to the viewer. He has left St. Petersburg for a small town on the Black Sea with another man's wife. He discovers that he does not love this woman, Nadya, and wants to leave her and return to St. Petersburg. He tries to borrow money from a local doctor, who in turn asks a zoologist, Van Koren, for the rubles. Van Koren hates Laevsky and tries to persuade the doctor to convince Laevsky to take Nadya with him when he leaves. When Laevsky comes to ask for the money, he insults the doctor and Van Koren uses this provocation to challenge Laevsky to fight a duel. Those that wish to see this film can discover the outcome of the duel for themselves.

As noted, director Koshashvili's mishandling and misunderstanding of the main character make it difficult for the viewer to make much sense of the story. All the other characters in the film have the same problem as the viewer; they watch Laevsky's antics with some astonishment, not knowing what to make of his behavior, and yet they tolerate him. Almost as confusing and equally unsatisfying is the treatment of Nadya, the woman who has left her husband for Laevsky. The director has little understanding of what motivates her as she interacts with Laevsky and the other characters in the film. In Chekov's novella, Nadya plays a small, but important role. In Koshasvili's film she is a central character and has many scenes unnecessary to the development of the story.

After viewing the movie I went back to Chekov's novella to determine if there was some confusion in his telling of his story and his treatment of his characters. The story, translated by the reliable Constance Garnett, is crystal clear and beautifully told. Laevsky and Nadya are complicated human beings. Chekov is so skillful and great a writer that we slowly begin to understand these truly unhappy and pitiful people. I recommend the novella, not the film.

Any adaptation from a much-loved work of literature is bound to disappoint, or puzzle, on certain levels. Some succeed and some fail miserably. This "interpretation" of Chekhov's novella is faithful, esthetic, respectful perhaps almost too respectful to work as a film on its own, if the viewer has no prior knowledge of Chekhov's often strange and certainly vanished world. I do think this is a successful interpretation of Chekhov's intent, however; it is well-written, well-acted, and immaculately produced, with gorgeous scenery and music, and it renders well the atmosphere of the original. Not a film for anyone expecting "action" from the duel of the title, but certainly rewarding for those who are still looking for a visual poetry from the cinema, or a questioning of the human heart.

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It is a wonderful interpretation of the famous Chekhov's novel with a new approach and deep examination of the novel's main characters. The direction of the film and the photography are second to none. Considering none of the actors were of Russian background their ability to study and recreate that "Russian" soul is really commendable. It felt authentic Russian through and through. It was a real treat. My mother-in-law, an old English lady fell in love with the film. I felt so proud! Definitely recommend buying it and keep on your library shelf for returning back to it again and again and then passing on to your kids. It is worth it.

Read Best Reviews of Anton Chekhov's The Duel (2011) Here

Chekhov's THE DUEL, an astounding novella that will change your mind about what a short work of fiction can do, has been faithfully, thoughtfully, affectionately, and intelligently transformed into a movie that has all the wild energy and deep psychological pathos of the original work. Don't miss it. Everything about it is wonderful, the actors, the direction, the setting (shot in Croatia which is stunningly beautiful), and the script. Can't recommend highly enough.

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Thumbs up. If you're an Andrew Scott fan, you'll like this one. (It's so beyond Scott's other roles and he shows himself as a versatile, quality actor in this one. I'm not familiar with Chekhov at all but doesn't matter here. None of the story is obscure as you'd expect from a classic writer. The story was done more like a stage play but most frequently outdoors. More like a series of vignettes with the same characters. The cast did a good job to go with Scott's exceptional acting. The scenery in The Duel was worth watching if just for the sea scenes. I wanted so much to NE there. The costumes were not overwhelmingly period. I am SO glad they used their own British accents instead of trying to do Russian accents. It's worth watching more than once. (Now that Scott's won the BAFTA award, I'm hoping to see him in more movies!)

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The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter's "The Thing" wasn't so much a remake as a reinterpretation of John Campbell's classic short story. Closer in spirit to Campbell's conception of the Thing, Carpenter's film was both critically lauded because of the suspenseful storytelling and critically attacked for the excessive gore. While the gore is at times quite excessive it fits in with the audience expectations after films like "Dawn of the Dead" (the origianl 1979 movie)and other films of the era.

What's amazing is how audiences are drawn into the story despite the fact that there are no characters we really, really like. We admire many of these men and their resolve but we don't like them. They're the product of their harsh environment and isolation. Mac (Kurt Rusell)is the helicopter pilot for an Antarctic science station. Their dull routine is interrupted by a team of seemingly crazy Norwegians pursuing a dog. The Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left without any idea as to what might have driven the Norwegians over the edge.

Blair (Wilford Brimley)pours over the Norwegian journal brought back by Mac and Cooper (Richard Dysart)and discovers that the Norewegian team discovered an alien spacecraft with an occupant that was very much alive. More importantly, it can change into any shape and take over anybody. Mac, Childs (Keith David) and the rest of the crew must destroy the alien before it can spread to the rest of the civilized world.

Previously released as a "Special Edition" in 1998, "The Thing" has been remastered for this edition.The anamorphic widescreen presentation is, I believe, the first time this has been transferred in the anamorphic format. The previous widescreen edition looked exceptionally good and comparisons between the two transfers reveal minimal differences except for the fact that the new edition is presented in anamorphic (i.e. with a higher resolution) picture. There are some minor digital blemishes that occasionally crop up as on the previous edition (which makes me suspect the previous master was digitally remastered vs. creating a new master). The 5.1 Surround Sound mix has tremendous presence and is exceptionally good with crystal clear dialogue. Ennio Morricone's marvelous music sounds particularly rich and detailed. There's no isolated music track which is a pity.

The special features are exactly the same as the 1998 edition of the movie. "Terror Takes Shape" is an 80 minute documentary on the movie that includes both new interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot. Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other members of the cast,the optical effects and make up crew and screenwriter Bill Lancaster on all phases from conception to post-production. It's an excellent and informative documentary divided into the various phases of production.

We also see outtakes including the deleted stop-motion animation that Phil Tibbert did for the movie. Carpenter cut almost all of it out in favor of the physical effects because they didn't quite mesh as well as they could have. There's substanial behind-the-scenes footage, photos and the work-in-progress visual effects for the film. Essentially, this indepth approach makes "The Thing" as close to a film school as you'll likely find on DVD.

We also get the original theatrical trailer, storyboards and conception art. The "Visual Effects-in-Progress" featurette t gives you a clue as to how the visuals and effects changed during shooting. There's also an annotated production background archive with an essay on the production illustrated with excerpts from the screenplay with photos and production drawings. There's also a brief essay on the casting in text format along with production photos from the film.

The commentary track is the original one from the 1998 release featuring John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. As with the "Escape from New York" commentary track, "The Thing" commentary track is exceptional with interesting and amusing stories related to the production of the movie as well as behind-the-scenes tidbits that fans will find valuable. Both clearly enjoy each other's company more twenty years after their first collaboration.

The packaging has been redesigned. While it is pretty cool, it's not going to be really durable. The exterior plastic cover like that for "Stir of Echoes" looks really cool and wraps around the carbord and plastic inner case. The inner case has photos and images from the movie. The inside, curiously, looks like it was designed for a chapter sheet or booklet but there's nothing inside.

Though The Thing shocked with its new level of gore when it came out in 1982, popular taste has pretty well caught up to the gore factor. Now fans will be able to see it all in Blu-ray high-def.

The Thing takes its title from the influential 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing from Another World, a film it otherwise resembles only in similarity of location and a few plot points. (If you're interested in a less scary, more campy, funnier black-and-white version, with women in it, check out the older one.) The location is an isolated antarctic research station, cut off from radio contact with the outside world, where Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David and several other men unknowingly take in an alien creature that can adopt the form of members of the crew as it destroys them. They quickly find themselves in a desperate and paranoia-inducing situation, each not knowing who among the others might be an alien waiting to kill him. Internal organs are spread into view in various creative ways, while violence and tension build.

Director John Carpenter specializes in gritty, intense, violent suspense, and he doesn't disappoint here. Though it didn't do very well when it came out, maybe because it was up against the much cheerier alien E.T., it has become a favorite since.

The movie has already been released in HD at the same 1080p resolution the Blu-ray will have, so the transfer should be of similar quality. The HD transfer is very good, with strong color and good detail and sharpness, definitely improved over the standard DVD. The sound will be English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, with French DTS 5.1. There will be English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. *Update* 19 September: The early reviews verify that the transfer is high quality, as expected, with excellent picture and good sound (not much surround in a movie this old).

*Update* Universal has said in its promotional material that this release will include the extra material from the current DVD, but according to the early reviews, that isn't true. First, here are the special features announced in the main press release:

-audio commentary with star Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter

-U Control Picture in Picture

-U Control tutorial

-BD-Live

In addition, most of the 84-minute making-of documentary from the older DVD has been incorporated into the Picture in Picture (PIP) feature, meaning that you watch it in pieces in a window along with the movie. The rest of the special features from the older DVD aren't included. Just as a reminder of what those old features are, missing here:

-outtakes

-deleted stop-motion animation

-work-in-progress visual effects footage

-behind-the-scenes location footage

-behind-the-scenes photos

-storyboard and conceptual art

-annotated production archive

-original theatrical trailer

Again, those are old features that Universal has *not* included on the Blu-ray.

I'm not into gore, but the suspense is well done here, and Kurt Russell is in his element. Fine video transfer and good commentary make for a good package, but the missing features from the older DVD mean you may want to keep the old one too.

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Maybe someone said so in the DVD's documentary: 1982 was the right time for this movie. Nothing like it would be made today, or even a few years after its release. Even if a thematically similar film were made, it's almost a guarantee that it would use digital effects. This movie boasts the most incredible prosthetic effects ever seen, and I know in my gut that if it were made with computer graphics it wouldn't be nearly as good.

Okay, enough about that. I probably don't need to describe the movie itself, at least not from a plot perspective. Let me briefly cover technique: this movie is built for suspense. From the marvelous low-key Ennio Morricone score to the gold-standard cinematography of Dean Cundey, from the scene construction (I love the scene where the dog enters a crew room, and the scene fades out after we see the man's shadow turning no sting, no shock, just a fade out) to the realistic paranoia and fear building in the eyes of the men. I admit that paranoia movies are a personal favorite genre, but there are very few films that I can say made me sweat from suspense, and this is one of them.

One of the film's greatest strengths is the ensemble cast mostly familiar faces, but not TOO familiar, so you feel a kinship and empathy but you're not saying "oh, that's Richard Masur" the same way you would if it were Bruce Willis, for example. Sure, there's Kurt Russell, but he plays his role so perfectly that he just fits right in with everyone else. Then of course there's the ending, something John Carpenter excels at (the ending of his ESCAPE FROM L.A. made the whole movie for me) especially when in the dystopian mode... so here again we can make up our own stories over "what happened next."

The DVD presentation is packed with so many goodies it's hard to know where to start. An excellent documentary, enjoyable commentary, isolated score (selectable during the documentary), even some cut scenes...and so much more. The picture is fantastic, with such wonderful smooth blue hues so prevalent in the movie. For many years laserdisc owners were tantalised by rumours of a special edition with tons of extras, and when we finally got it (on both laserdisc and DVD) we weren't disappointed at all, and it was well worth the years of anticipation.

The movie is absolutely not for everyone, as its level of gore is quite high. Many people say they're distracted too much by the gore, but I seem to immerse myself in the film's atmosphere and it's never taken me out of the experience. An engrossing and extremely well-crafted film, and the same goes for this special edition presentation.

Read Best Reviews of The Thing (1982) Here

Long after its debut, THE THING is finally getting the respect it deserves. I'm glad John Carpenter is young enough to be around to see it. This film was unfairly shunned when it came out because E.T. came out at the same time. Nobody wanted to see E.T. killing people, hence no one went to see THE THING.

Along with THE HIDDEN, this is one of the greatest horror/action movies to come out of the 80s. It should be on any serious horror fan's top ten list (it's number two on mine) and it is perhaps Carpenter's greatest film to date. Yes, I think it is even better than HALLOWEEN. This movie sticks closer to the original story ("Who Goes There") that both this and the older movie THE THING FROM OUTER SPACE were based on. The latter was more of a monster movie, whereas Carpenter's version is more of a psychological action film with a great dollop of paranoia. Kurt Russell and John Carpenter work so well together, and Russell does a great job here (along with the underrated Keith David). I hope they make more films together. Wilford Brimley, better known as the Quaker Oats man, is terrific as well. Actually the whole cast puts in amazing performances. On the DVD commentary J.C. says they all were really into their parts, and it shows. The "blood test" scene is a great example of how well they all worked together.

The special effects in this movie still look good. I honestly don't think they look dated at all. I imagine that if they did this today we would be inflicted with some dumb-looking CGI monster that would ruin the film and seem silly in a few years' time.

If you like this one, get the DVD. It has tons of extras and is worth the money just for the commentary by Russell and Carpenter. 10/10

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The movie itself is 5 stars no question. The picture quality on this Blu Ray is amazing. Contrast is consistent and blacks are deep throughout the film with very good detail. Colors are rich and the various hues of blue in the night scenes are pleasing. Greens, yellows and oranges, as well as the important reds (got to have have proper reds in a horror/sci~fi film) are all rendered properly, in this Blu Ray offering. Film grain is not distracting, and chroma noise is not an issue. Unfortunately I have serious issue with Universal for removing features on the Blu Ray that were present on the DVD for US customers, while keeping them in the UK version of the Blu Ray release. The lower stars rating is for this review is for this particular release of it.

I love John Carpenters "The Thing", but Universal Studios should be ashamed of themselves for releasing a Blu Ray version of the film with almost ALL of the extras REMOVED.

Inexcusable.

It's a shame Universal chose to do this, since this Blu Ray's picture quality and sound are both great. Purchase the Uk Blu Ray release instead. It includes the many extras not found in this US version. Does Universal Studios value their UK customers more than their US customers for some reason?

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Coma (2012)

After his success with the 1973 sci-fi thriller "Westworld" director Michael Crichton followed up with 1978's "Coma". In the earlier film he dazzled us with a fantastic futuristic vacation resort that turns against it's patrons. Here Crichton depicts the medical care system as a treacherous terrain where some patients may fall victim to odious conspiracy's.

Most people quite naturally experience an overwhelming fear of being defenseless and vulnerable while at the mercy of a hospital staff when they are admitted for surgery. Crichton explores this tendency of ours to suffer anxiety and apprehension at this prospect without being exploitative. He carefully crafts a believable scenario and we soon become caught in the same tangled web as the lead character Dr. Susan Wheeler, played marvelously by Genevieve Bujold. Wheeler is a bright, strong willed, liberated woman who supports herself and can withstand a challenge from her current boyfriend Dr. Mark Bellows, well played by Michael Douglas. Crichton received both critical praise and public criticism for the movie's portrayal of such an emancipated heroine, a role which has fortunately become more standard in the years that have followed.

When Wheeler's friend Mary is admitted to the hospital for an abortion Mary expresses her fears to Wheeler who assures her it is a routine operation and that she shouldn't feel a need to worry. Something does go wrong with the operation however and Mary falls into a coma, shortly afterward she dies. This event doesn't seem possible to Wheeler and out of curiousity she reviews Mary's medical records and notices inconsistencies and inquires about them. This sequence begins what will become a complicated and formidable investigation that she proves completely capable of following through on. Her defiance is so threatening that soon a predator is stalking her intending on silencing her permanently and she handles this situation resolutely, fighting against her fears and facing the enemy.

Crichton presents coherent, edifying scenes of doctors, interns and nurses going about their daily duties that adds authenticity to the film. The anesthesia explanation is well written and necessary for our understanding of the plot. The Jefferson Institute complex is the film's great set piece. It stands isolated in a lush green valley looking sterile and impersonal, matching the cold treatment that Wheeler has been receiving from her male superiors who she has been reporting her findings to. The building also adds a striking Gothic horror feel to the movie; the sight of bodies suspended by wires from the ceiling is eerie, chilling and unforgettable.

"Coma" also features splendid supporting peformances by many recognizable faces. Tom Selleck has a brief bit as a patient who is victimized; Ed Harris appears as a Pathology resident with a headful of hair!; Rip Torn plays Dr. George, the hospital's Chief of Anesthesiology, who Wheeler suspects; Elizabeth Ashley is the autocratic and apparently soulless head of Jefferson Institute. But it's Richard Widmark who makes the strongest impression as the hospital's administrator, Dr. Harris. His final self-righteous discourse to Bujold, as she slowly succumbs to poisoning, is memorable he brazenly explains away ethics as if they were a mere contrivance. It's at this point you realize that throughout the film he has been dispensing his diabolical medical elitism with all the ease and grace of a seasoned diplomat.

Mysteriously, Crichton chooses to film a climax that has Wheeler falling into an all too familiar 'damsel in distress' situation where she needs to be rescued by a man. But the sight of her lying helpless on the operating table makes your heart pump with fear and anxiety, creating another of the film's most effective moments. Not one of us wants to be this completely helpless and vulnerable!

"Coma" remains a top-notch medical thriller today despite it's lack of special effects that today's sophisticated audiences demand from this genre. Still, it remains largely unknown, enjoying a bit of cult movie status among the moviegoers who came of age in the 70's.

One final note: People often mistakenly credit Crichton for writing the book upon which the film "Coma" is based. Actually Robin Cook is the book's author although I can see why people would easily make this incorrect distinction due to some similarities between them. They each have a medical degree and earlier in his career Crichton penned a handful of novels that had a medical setting and wrote the non-fiction book "Five Patients" as well.

I discovered by chance that this 1978 thriller with Michael Douglas was written and directed by Michael Crichton, who was himself a qualified medical doctor, but this film would have one believe that he had no love lost for his original profession (as would "The Andromeda Strain".)

Coma despite being an "old" movie by many standards, is surprisingly fascinating on DVD. Crichton gets good performances from the whole cast, with Genevieve Bujold, in particular, reminding us of what a fine actress she can be. As a doctor suspicious of certain goings-on in her hospital but disbelieved by everyone around her, she shows courage and determination (without ever losing her femininity) which is welcome in a female lead. She finds herself forced to question her own sense of perspective, even her sanity, as she struggles to uncover the mystery of comatose patients that surround her.

There's one sizeable twist towards the latter half of the movie, but you generally know what's going to happen. The beauty of this movie is in the overall execution -it's VERY well done.

Recommended rental. Especially for the medically inclined.

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Writer/director Michael Crichton's second film was an adaption of Robin Cook's bestselling novel. Michael Douglas plays the role of the heroine while Geneviene Bujold has the hero's role in this role reversal thriller. This was made prior to Douglas becoming a break out star. There are a number of fine performances including a great turn by the always interesting Rip Torn.

The extras are slim; we get the trailer and both the widescreen and standard versions of the movie. No director's commentary or observations from the cast; no "making of" documentary (or promo fluff piece for that matter). Which is a pity as this fine thriller does deserve better but then that was SOP when DVD's started coming out.

You can't argue with the price nor with Crichton's direction. He really never got any better than this as a director (although there are a couple of films like The Great Train Robbery that hold up to this and Westworld). Crichton isn't a great film director (he's a better writer) but he gets the job done. Coma will keep you guessing.

Read Best Reviews of Coma (2012) Here

For a period in the 1970s, it looked as if Michael Crichton was on his way to becoming a film director instead of the author of popular science-thrillers that he is principally known as today. He had a hit with the robot science-fiction meets the Western flick with "Westworld" in 1973, and he followed it up with this medical thriller in 1978. Based on a book by another M.D.-turned-novelist, Robin Cook, "Coma" is an entertaining suspenser with some good performances and nice pacing, helped immensely by Crichton's expertise on the medical profession and the politics of working in a hospital.

Unfortunately, "Coma" is one of those films that's good enough to make you wish it could have been even better. You feel satisfied with the viewing experience, but feel that the movie could have pushed itself even farther and turned from a good film into a very good film. The potential is certainly there, with a fun conspiracy plotline (Why are supposedly healthy people at a Boston hospital falling into irreversible comas? What is the purpose of the freaky, mysterious Jefferson Institute to where the coma patients are being shipped?), its level of paranoia (no one believes heroine Genevieve Bujold's suspicions -or perhaps everyone around her is in on it), and Crichton's perfectly realistic representation of medical jargon and the workings of a busy hospital (a prelude to his television creation, E.R.). Many of the performances are excellent as well, especially Michael Douglas as Bujold's ambitious doctor boyfriend, Richard Widmark as the chief surgeon, and Elizabeth Ashley as the nearly robotic and incredibly frightening head of the Jefferson Institute. Rip Torn also pops in for a brief but noticeable role as the gruff head of anesthesia. (And hey, look, it's Tom Selleck in a brief appearance an an unfortunate patient!) The score by Jerry Goldsmith is also deliciously suspenseful and takes an unusual approach (no music at all for the first forty-five minutes, then almost non-stop growing fear through pounding pianos and creepy strings).

But "Coma" is often too cold, too distant, and Bujold's performance is too one-note and disinterested to make the film work as well as it could. Crichton also handles many of the scenes in a flat, pedestrian manner; he has trouble dealing with the character-driven scenes, and really needs actors like Michael Douglas and Rip Torn to carry these sequences. Except for the scenes at the Jefferson Institute and its ghastly "hanging room" (the film's best set-piece), the whole movie has a bland, flat look that makes it feel as if it were shot for television. And the final twist in the story won't surprise anybody.

But I still recommend "Coma" as an entertaining thriller. Even if you can see the surprise revelation coming long before the heroine does, the actual finale is a squirmy, suspenseful bit that plays off everyone's hidden fear of hospitals in general and surgery specifically. And Crichton's attention to realism in his setting puts the film far ahead of most of the overactive, loud and obnoxious thrillers released today. People in the medical profession in particular will enjoy the movie, but even if you can't tell a stethoscope from syringe, you'll find yourself enjoyably drawn into the mystery of "Coma." (Don't expect much in the way of extras on this DVD -they're really aren't any. Commentary from Crichton would have been extremely interesting, but alas, nothing.)

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A great movie from start to finish. Young Genevieve Bujold and Michael Douglas give outstanding performances. Everyone in the movie is great. An excellent "conspiracy theory" come true movie. A good add for your DVD library.

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Horror Express (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1972)

Just received my copy today. I won't go into the story; you can read the product description for that. I just want to comment on the terrific improvement of the picture quality over past releases.

I've owned at least a couple of public domain versions that were washed out, blurred, and grainy. This verion is crisp and clear, with vibrant color and a lot of clean up done. I won't say it's pervect. I saw a couple of spots of imperfection, but they were few and far between. This looked as good as any of the Hammer releases to me.

Very happy how this release turned out, especially given what had to be dated materials. Now if someone can just do something with Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.

Director Eugenio Martín's 1972 fright film, HORROR EXPRESS (PÁNICO EN EL TRANSIBERIANO) is, arguably, the most interesting and enjoyable 70s pairing of acclaimed horror film stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Long considered to be in the public domain in America, this British-Spanish co-production has seen dozens (at least) of crappy, washed out, battered-looking video releases over the years. Now, thanks to the fine folks at Severin Films, this Gothic gem finally receives the high-quality, high-definition treatment it deserves in an extraordinary DVD/Blu-ray Combo pack.

In 1906 China, Professor Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee, HORROR OF DRACULA, THE RESIDENT) unearths a frozen fossil in the Manchurian province of Szechuan that he believes may be the "missing link." Determined to bring the fossil back to England, he crates up the creepy creature's remains, drags it to Shanghai and boards the trans-Siberian Express train, where he encounters professional rival Dr. Wells (Peter Cushing, FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, SHOCK WAVES). During the trip, an alien entity trapped within the icy corpse is released, possessing various passengers, absorbing their knowledge and memories, and then moving on, leaving blank-eyed corpses in its wake. The two British scientists set out to identify and destroy the creature, but their efforts are complicated by paranoia among the survivors and the arrival of an overbearing Russian military officer (Telly Savalas).

HORROR EXPRESS is a delightfully claustrophobic and suspenseful mishmash of Gothic horror, zombie, sci-fi and serial killer tropes, with a dash of 70s Satanic possession elements tossed in for spice. With a twisty, witty and constantly surprising screenplay written to take advantage of a detailed and startlingly realistic vintage steam train model built for another movie, HORROR EXPRESS is 90 fast-paced minutes of thrills, chills, and terrific performances by a talented, International cast. The special effects are remarkably good and surprisingly gory for a film of its vintage, and the production values are top-notch. The eerie score by composer John Cacavas is also noteworthy, adding considerably to the overall success of the film.

Cushing and Lee are in fine form, the two old friends playing off each other magnificently, and unlike many of their 70s pairings enjoying equal screen time and prominence in the plot. Eurobeauties Helga Liné and Silvia Tortosa provide lovely eye candy, and Savalas is a hoot as the arrogant Cossack, Captain Kazan, assigned by his superiors to investigate the murders on the speeding train.

As stated above, HORROR EXPRESS has seen many previous home video releases on VHS and DVD, including a fairly decent, non-anamorphic DVD from Image Entertainment back in the late 90s. For this new edition, Severin Films has used the original Spanish negative as the source of their 1.66:1 widescreen 1080p HD transfer. Clearly, the custodians of the negative didn't take particularly good care of it there is minor damage throughout in the form of specks and small scratches. But the colors are bright, detail is astounding, and the overall visual presentation is light years superior to any previous home video release. Two audio options are provided: English and Spanish dialogue tracks in Dolby 2.0 mono.

Severin has assembled a nice batch of supplements, including an enthusiastic Introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander, new interviews with director Martín, producer Bernard Gordon and composer Cacavas, and a vintage audio Interview with Peter Cushing, which can be played as a commentary over the film, and which covers the distinguished actor's film career in great detail. Finally, there's the creepy theatrical trailer, along with previews of three other Severin titles PSYCHOMANIA, NIGHTMARE CASTLE and the forthcoming THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD.

This new HORROR EXPRESS Blu-ray/DVD combo is, by far, the finest presentation of the movie to date, and barring a future, frame-by-frame digital restoration, likely to be the definitive video version for some time to come. Fans of the film and or the Lee & Cushing team even if they don't own a Blu-ray player should pick it up; it's reasonably priced and the DVD contains the same fine transfer and bonus material as the Blu-ray disc, albeit in standard definition.

HORROR EXPRESS is a classic chiller, and highly recommended.

Buy Horror Express (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1972) Now

I originally saw this film on SciFi Channel back in the early nineties during a Halloween marathon of horror films. This is probably one of the best Peter Cushing/Christopher Lee movies, that rival even some of their better hammer era films. The atmosphere isolated and creepy and the special effects are simple but very effective and startling. It's also a real treat to see Lee and Cushing working together.

The best way to describe this film is "Murder on the Orient Express" meets "The Thing". A strange prehistoric missing link creature in discovered in a frozen countryside by Christopher Lee's character and is transported on a train. Cushing plays Lee's professional rival, but they soon join forces when they discover the creature is a not so dead alien and is on the rampage turning passengers into mindless zombies.

The movie's not perfect. It has some awkward dialog in some spots, but other then that this film is an often overlooked diamond in the rough. If your a fan of films like the Hammer Studios horror films or just curious about older horror movies of yesteryear give this one a try. The new Blue-Ray edition of this classic by Severin has given this movie the treatment it deserves with some interesting extras.

Read Best Reviews of Horror Express (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1972) Here

A previous review was critical of the image quality, but I've never seen this film look better (I hope they also found a new print of Shock Waves in that Mongolian film vault). I like to see a few flaws in the film reminders that I'm watching something made in 1972. The Spanish credits and use of its original title further enhanced the feeling of seeing this for the first time. The use of a 1973 Peter Cushing interview as the commentary track is a nice touch, as is the inclusion of three "bonus" trailers.

The film itself is great in my opinion, far superior to any genre films Hammer/Tigon/Amicus produced in the 70's. An alien fossil thaws-out and infiltrates an isolated group of humans. Sound familiar?

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Awesome horor movie with Horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee! And actor Telley "Kojak" Savalas is in it too! "Who loves you baby?!"

I watched this movie many many years ago and it's on Bluray now with a CLEAR CRISP picture! (I'm not sure what these other reviewers are crying about the picture?)

The picture quality is great and awesome! Get it!

Now I can finally throw away my $1 poor quality DVD that I bought at the dollar store!

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