The Moment of Truth (The Criterion Collection) (1964)

The Moment of Truth follows poor Spanish youth, Miguelin, who finds fame and fortune in the ring fighting.......bulls. Director Francesco Rosi set out to fully depict bull fighting with all of its cruelty, danger, and beauty. He definitely accomplishes that task. Nearly everything in the film is authentic. The main character is an actual matador. The bull fights are real. The gore and accidents are too. There is only one professional actor in the film, an actress actually, who plays an actress. And the cinematography gorgeous inside and outside of the ring--I am particularly reminded of the scene where Miguelin walks through a field of female laborers harvesting grain. As the women fling grain in the air, it all falls like strands of gold in the background.

But The Moment of Truth is not for everyone. If you have any protective feelings toward animals, and you are going to watch this, prepare yourself. Like I said earlier, this is a bloody movie, and every time you see a bull die its gory death, you actually did see a bull die a gory death. So while the beauty of the sport comes through, so does the butchery. Finally, it seemed to me that the story was the second emphasis of the film. That's not to say its poorly acted or even without emotional content. The Moment of Truth clearly points out the nightmarish worlds Miguelin, and others in his position, felt forced to choose between. I just mean that, to me, it seemed like Rosi's main intent was to capture the full scope of bull fighting. While that may make The Moment of Truth the best movie of its kind, it also makes it, at moments, feel more like a documentary than a movie. Think about it.

"The Moment of Truth," new to Blu-ray, is an intriguing look into the life of a famous bullfighter, played by real-life bullfighting legend Miguel Mateo, known as Miguelin. Tracing his career's rise and decline with an unswerving focus on the dangerous sport, the movie is gritty, seldom turning away from its less-than-glamorous aspects.

Several Hollywood pictures have used bullfighting and its milieu ( "Blood and Sand," "The Matador," "The Bullfighter and the Lady"), but none has captured the day-to-day drama as well as "The Moment of Truth." Mateo is a charismatic actor, and his dramatic scenes outside the arena come off convincingly, particularly his romantic scenes with co-star Linda Christian.

Though the setting is Spain, the movie is in Italian with English subtitles. Blu-ray bonus extras include a 2004 interview with director Francesco Rosi, new English subtitles, and a booklet containing a critical essay.

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Every moment in Francesco Rosi's film "The Moment of Truth" is electric with life and sometimes death; and the story of a young matador's from an impoverished area of Spain to fame as a bullfighter is intriguing at every turn. Another first class Criterion edition.

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Just finished watching a neglected jewel by renowned Italian filmaker Francesco Rossi: "Moment of Truth" (1965). It's a beautiful, thrilling and realistic poem to bullfighting, showing underbelly as well. There is more to it than just bullfighting: it begins and ends with Holy Week in Seville. It is telling us something about then fascist Spain probably morphing into something else, but always with the boots of Franco's soldiers marching at the side. But the essence of the film is the predominance of real, beautifully photographed bullfighting scenes. It stars the very great torero Miguel Mateo "Miguelín" who executes all of his own bullfighting scenes, thus the movie providing lasting testimony to his art. I am a fan of real bullfighting, not the bloodless variety. All the bull blood here is real and the bulls fight and suffer like they still do. This is not for the SPCA crowd. But it is a glorious film, and the bull fighting is truly exhilarating. Miguel Mateo died of natural causes in 2003. The film's blu-ray edition from Criterion is exemplary.

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I first saw this film many years ago, then had an opportunity to see Miguelin in Pontevedra, Spain in 1965, Unfortunately he was beyond his prime because he was a truly extraordinary matador.

What I enjoyed so much about seeing it again was the beautiful photography of Semana Santa or Holy Week in Spain, something that my wife and I have enjoyed many many times.

My only regret is that it is in Italian, not Spain.

Morgan Smith

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Cinderella(Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (Spanish Version) (1977)

I looked forward to this DVD release for months and snagged a copy the first day it was available. My excitement turned to dismay, however, as I began to watch it. From the moment the birds open the curtains to reveal Cinderella in her bed, it became painfully obvious that Disney truly had "enhanced" the picture to within an inch of its life. Instead of restoring this beloved classic film, the images have been changed; this is NOT Cinderella as she was first seen in 1950. Just to make sure I wasn't mistaken, I did a comparison between my parents VHS tape (the original video release) and the DVD. True, the picture on the DVD was much sharper and the sound was crystal clear, but Cinderella's hair was NEVER that color of yellow, and lines that were part of the original animators drawings, faithfully inked and painted onto the original cells, are no longer visible. For instance, right at the beginning of the film, when Cinderella turns over in her bed to shut out the sun, there were originally clearly drawn/inked lines in her blanket to show the drapery of the fabric. Those lines, obvious in the VHS version, are now only visible if you zoom in on them. Similar editorial decisions on the part of the DVD authors are evident throughout the film, though they decrease in frequency as the film progresses. It could be said these changes don't matter much, but they truly affect the look of the film. I often found myself thinking it looked like a Scooby-Doo cartoon, a far cry from any Disney classic. Although I understand that Disney owns this intellectual property in the legal sense, I don't understand why the've chosen to disrespect that very property, especially in light of their excellent work on Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, etc. Hopefully, this is an anomaly and Disney won't continue to offer us disfigured films.

In an effort to revive his sagging animation department, Walt Disney turned once again to a fairy tale. This time around, he chose one of the best known and oldest of them all, Cinderella.

The tale is familiar. A beautiful girl is abused by her stepmother and stepsisters and forced to work as their slave. When a ball is given for all the eligible maidens in the kingdom, Cinderella dreams of going too, only to have her hopes dashed at the last minute. With a gift of magic, she is able to go, but only until the stroke of midnight.

The story is so well known, if fact, that any story about an underdog coming from behind and winning is called a Cinderella story. Disney's job here was to make the story entertaining for 75 minutes. The solution here was creating the animals. Mice Jaq and Gus and their constant struggle against the evil cat Lucifer is funny and tying this sub-plot to the ultimate outcome is brilliant. The other standout character is the stepmother who is frighteningly evil with no super powers.

As with any Disney movie, this one also has great songs. Arguably the best known is "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo." Right behind it is "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." My favorite, however, is the often overlooked love song "So This is Love."

While not the best release in the Platinum series, it still stacks up well. The movie has been restored, and it looks great to me. I'm not a nitpicker, but I can't find any problems with the full frame picture, the original aspect ratio. There is an enhanced 5.1 home theater mix, which doesn't seem quite as impressive as some other releases. It seems more like the sound coming equally from all speakers. Of course, given the age of the film, there probably isn't much more they could do. For purists, there is an original soundtrack on the disc as well.

The extras in this set seem to be split between content for kids and adults, with the kids winning. Disc one includes a new version of "A Dream is a Wish" with the stars of several Disney Channel series. It also has several "Cinderella stories" in sports moments, a weird feature to me. Disc two includes several features about living like a princess.

Also on disc two are the bonus features adult fans of this movie will want to watch. There are two "deleted scenes," which are really abandoned songs with the storyboards created for them. In edition there are more abandoned songs with no storyboards on here. It's pretty interesting watching how various ideas went from one form to another before finally making it into the movie. Other extras include a thirty-eight minute documentary about the creation of the show, including achieved interviews with the animators behind the show. We are also treated to an overview of how the movie progressed over the years it was in development, a tribute to the "Nine Old Men," Disney's "Laugh-O-Gram" version of the story from 1922, and radio promotion from the time. I was thrilled to see trailers from the movie's multiple releases here. Unfortunately, there is no commentary in sight.

This Platinum DVD release means that all of Disney's animated movies have been put on DVD at some point in the last few years. While the Platinum series isn't quite as nice for adult fans as they used to be, this is still a release that fans of the movie will want to pick up.

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There are two well known versions of Cinderella, the French version and the German Brothers Grimm. Disney and Rodgers & Hammerstein used the more family friendly French version and Sondheim & Lapine used the more grisly Brothers Grimm.

The story is very simple. A young girl's father remarries to vain and cruel woman with two daughters of her own. Her father dies and the stepmother turns Cinderella into a servant.

The King wants his only child, the Prince to marry. So he holds a ball with all the eligible maidens. The evil stepmother and her two daughters attend but make sure that Cinderella does not. Come to the rescue Fairy Godmother. She does her magic and uses Cinderella's animal friend. The Prince sees Cinderella and instantly falls in love. But she has to leave before midnight and only leaves her glass slipper.

A search for true love begins!

This is a fun version of the fairy tale with the most violent villains of all three main versions of the story. This is still a great movie but if you want the best get the Leslie Ann Warren version of the Rogers & Hammerstein TV special.

DVD EXTRAS:

Disc One -

Cinderella Stories presented by ESPN Classic: Joe Namath host 10 sports "Cinderella Stories" from teams like NY Jets in Superbowl III and 1980 US Hockey Team to individuals like Lance Armstrong and Mia Hamm. You can watch all ten or just the ones that you want. These are superficial but can be inspirational for young kids. (Total running time 34 minutes)

Music & More Two music videos and a making of video (9 minutes total) A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes is done by Disney Channel stars and shows that with today's technology anyone can be made to sound alright. It also shows how you can take a great song and make it into drivel. This is followed by making of video. Every Girl Can be a Princess which uses clips from all the Disney "Princess" films. The song was written for a Princess album. It actually is very nice.

Disc Two -

Deleted Scenes Two deleted scenes and an introduction by Don Hahn (Producer of Beauty and the Beast. The Cinderella Work song is newly recorded and has the original storyboards. Dancing on a Cloud is the original recording with the original storyboards. (10 Minutes)

Music & More -

Cinderella & Perry Como: A 7 minute excerpt of his show promoting the film. Perry narrates with Ilene Woods (Cinderella) and the Fontaine Sisters as the mice singing the song live. The end is a jazz version of Bibbidy Boobity Boo by Perry, Ilene and the sisters this is great.

Cinderella Title Song: Original demo recording probably by the song writers (no storyboards). (2 minutes)

Unused Songs: 7 songs not used in the film audio only (17 minutes). Disney animated films always had unused songs. Usually, the scene that it is used in was cut but sometimes it just didn't advance the story and this was the number one rule of songs. They do not give singing credits on these.

Radio Programs: Three radio program excerpts promoting Ilene Woods (12 minutes) Village Store introduces Ilene as Disney's choice for Cinderella and she sings When You Wish Upon a Star. Gulf Oil Presents Ilene sings A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes. Scouting the Star with no singing.

Games & Activities -

House of Royalty: Three six minute vignettes on Look Live Act Like a Princess. These are for the youngsters only and they probably will not watch them more than once. Although Act Like a Princess has some tips everyone could use.

The Royal Life DVD ROM game in which you can point and click to make your dream castle, ball gown or bedroom.

Princess Pajama Jam A really silly 3 minute game on dancing like a princess. It would have been better if this lasted longer as a child's exercise program but it is really an advert for the Princess Party DVD.

Backstage Disney -

From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella Four featurettes totaling 39 minutes. This is actually an indepth look at not only the film but Disney and has interviews (from 1995) with the original animators. The section on the voice casting is really interesting as many of the voices were well known character actresses. It is really great.

The Cinderella That Almost Was: This is a 14 minute featurette on the genesis of the story from a Silly Symphony to various early incarnations that were never used. It is very interesting to see what didn't make it into the film.

From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men This is a 22 minute round table discussion with today's top animated film makers discussing the original nine animators. It is nice but nothing special.

The Art of Mary Blair A fifteen minute tribute to the artist who helped conceive the style of many Disney animated features.

Storyboard to Film Comparison: Opening Sequence A seven minute comparison of the film to the original story boards or live action reference shot. These are always fun to watch.

Cinderella Still Galleries Massive stills galleries from concept drawings to posters

1922 Laugh-o-Grams: Cinderella An early animated short based on Cinderella set in current times.

Excerpt from The Mickey Mouse Club with Helene Stanley (1955): A four minute sequence with live action model Helene Stanley.

Read Best Reviews of Cinderella(Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (Spanish Version) (1977) Here

Stunning new 2-disc `Platinum Edition' of Disney's 1950 fairytale confection CINDERELLA. The story is as old as the hills: Cinderella is mistreated horribly by her cruel Stepmother and stepsisters Anastasia and Drisella. Her only friends are some pet mice, the birds and her faithful dog and horse. When the Prince invites all the eligible maidens in the land to his grand ball, Cinderella is heartbroken when her Stepmother forbids her to go. Enter the magical Fairy Godmother, who, with a little "Bibiddi Bobiddi Boo" magic, enables Cinderella to live out her happily-ever-after dream.

From a historical perspective, the Disney studio was pinning it's future on the success of CINDERELLA. World War II had virtually wiped out the studio's international market and films like PINOCCHIO, BAMBI and FANTASIA had lost a lot of money on their initial releases.

Disney has performed a complete restoration on the film, including an extensive frame-by-frame cleanup of the original camera negative and the result is eye-popping (almost alarmingly-so as every hint of speckle, dirt and debris has been removed). The film looks showroom-new and it's hard to believe the thing was actually made over 50 years ago. Likewise the soundtrack has been sweetened with Disney furnishing the film with an all-new "Enhanced Home Theatre" 5.1 mix. But purists need not worry, as the original mono soundtrack is also included.

There are some fantastic extras on Disc Two including an all-new `Making-Of' documentary which features recent interviews with Ilene Woods (voice of Cinderella), Mike Douglas (the Prince) and Lucille Bliss (Anastasia). "The Art of Mary Blair" is an invaluable look into the life of the revered Disney concept artist and designer; "The Cinderella That Almost Was" hosted by Don Hahn explores the scenes, songs and characters that were considered but eventually cut from the final film. "Disney's Nine Old Men" is a charming segment hosted by Joel Siegel which has the leading Disney animators of today remembering the trailblazers who created the classic Disney animated masterpieces.

There is also a charming clip from Perry Como's television show which publicised the film with a performance from Ilene Woods. A clip from "The Mickey Mouse Club" features Helene Stanley (the live-action reference model for the Cinderella character) enacting a scene with the help of the Mouseketeers. There are also extensive galleries, interactive games and DVD-ROM components.

There are however some needless (and downright questionable) extras like the ESPN Classic "Cinderella Stories" programme, which profiles sport celebrities and their rise to fame. Just what exactly does all this have to do with Disney's Cinderella? Plain boring old filler. That said, the rest of the package is outstanding. For Disney collectors and families everywhere, this is a must-own.

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Well, only a year to wait...

This two disc Platinum Edition will follow Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin and (Easter 2005) Bambi as Disney's jewels in their DVD crown when it is released next October.

Whilst seemingly forgetting how to produce a decent animated film lately, the folks at Disney sure know how to produce DVD packages. Expect deleted songs, artwork, games, docs, commentaries and much more!

Just avoid the embarassingly bad sequel.

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Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Okay, I am a rabid Frith and BBC fan of the miniseries, but I was very impressed with this adaption and found it refershing in it's grounded, youthful take on the story.

For starters, there is a very grounded nature to the presentation of the story. Some Austenites got their knickers into a twist because they thought it made the family and their circumstances too drab looking. But I loved it! The Meryton Assembly basically sets the stage for this grounded approach-the dancing looks a little heavy footed, the girls look sweaty, and you can't help but think that someone needs to open a window cause it looks awfully sweaty! But at the same time,it made the story come alive, like you were a fly on the wall, peeking in on Lizzy and Darcy and the rest of the gang.

Lastly, I loved the youthful take on the story. I LOVE Firth and Ehle as the '95 leads. They had this chemistry and sensual tension that was electric! But their take was definitely from a mature standpoint-like the way I'd act now as a 33 year old woman. Whereas Macfadyen and Knightley? Theirs is a more youthful, innocent, first love take that I just took to. Great chemistry, Lizzy's a little less cocksure, Darcy's a bit more unbalanced by this attraction, and it felt right in terms of age and stage of development with the actual characters in the book.

Great adaption, brisk storytelling, and a wonderfully irreverent tone by a fun director who knew it was a good idea to knock the pedestal off from under our Lizzy and Darcy, and let them be seen in a more grounded light. And ps-I thought Macfadyen, even though he doesn't have that big of a part, was a great Darcy!

First, to all of the Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth lovers (of which, I am one), we will always have that remarkable masterpiece. Therefore, we should be able to judge any new versions freely. Having said that, this version is great!

This movie is quite shorter than what we're used to for P&P adaptations and at first it seemed to me that the dialogue was rushed, but after the first 15 minutes it either slowed down or I ceased to notice it, until Darcy's proposal scene anyway, but it worked quite well there.

This film is also much more of a comedy than the two BBC versions. There were minor changes with dialogue but none of the changes lessened any of the characters or the spirit of the story. Instead, it probably enhanced the feelings the audience shared with the characters. In fact, I think that everything left out of the two previous BBC versions were added to this one so you still get something new from the same story.

One major change is the loss of Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. In a two-hour movie there just isn't enough time to do their characters justice. The rest of the cast is so marvelous though that we barely notice they're missing and it makes the movie flow more naturally.

The actors chosen are wonderful in their parts. I didn't think I'd be able to accept Keira Knightley as Elizabeth but after the first five minutes I was completely taken in by her. She pulls off Elizabeths witty dialogue like, well... Elizabeth and just as Jennifer Ehle added some distinctive traits to Lizzie, so does Keira. She wonderfully manages to show us Lizzie's love of a good laugh without making it seem as though she was a giggling loony and every time she smiles, we smile with her.

I won't critique all the performances but I have to add that Donald Sutherland really does a spectacular job as the head of a household of silly women. The last scene with him and Lizzie had me in tears.

Not to say that this movie was perfect, what adaptation can be without some faults or silly alterations? None are too serious though. The first is at the Meryton ball, when Darcy, Bingley and Caroline walk in, everything stops. The music, the dancing, all conversation and the crowd parts to offer them a path. I thought for a second the crowd had mistaken Mr. Bingley for royalty. It just seemed a bit over the top. But it passed quickly enough. The other was actually Darcy's proposal scene which was done in the rain. I thought it silly that he would follow her outside in such weather to propose, but one can accept that in view of the other changes that turned out so well.

I give this movie 5 stars because I wouldn't want to miss it and I don't think any P&P fan should.

All in all, if you have a good sense of humor and aren't afraid to laugh, like Elizabeth, you will just enjoy the story as it is played out. Remember, afterwards you can always put Jennifer and Colin Firth back in the DVD player.

Buy Pride & Prejudice (2005) Now

OK, I'll admit it: I've gone to the theater to see this 6 or 7 times already--I've lost count; I'm thrilled that the DVD is coming out sooner rather than later.

No, this is not the much-loved 1995 multi-hour A&E version. And no, MacFaydan is not Firth, and Knightly is not Ehle. And some liberties were taken with the original storyline (sometimes a bit disconcerting like Lady Catherine's night time visit?? and Bingley entering Jane's sickroom, even before knocking?? "simply not done" in those days!).

But I very much agree with the positive reviewers below --this version is MOST enjoyable on its own. The scenery, photography, and music are gorgeous (you must buy the CD!). Darcy and Elizabeth are still wonderfully Darcy and Elizabeth. It was a little disconcerting at first to see so much mud, livestock, and plain gowns--but you get past that fairly quickly. And it seems maybe a bit more realistic for country gentry.

BTW--if you're a P&P addict like me, don't miss Pamela Aiden's Darcy trilogy--it tells the entire story from Darcy's viewpoint and fills in a lot of what I think is missing. Also, if you have wondered what might have happened after the wedding and like a "spicier" novel, read Linda Berdoll's "Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife" (Austen meets Bronte and Sandra Brown).

Read Best Reviews of Pride & Prejudice (2005) Here

Yet another re-release DVD, promising more special features when any regular fan, like myself, already has the first DVD release.

About this DVD:

1st Disc: Is the exact DVD released prior to this one. It has the widescreen movie version and all the same features on the previous DVD release.

2nd Disc: This is the new disc with "extra" special features including...

-Fullscreen movie version.

-"The Politics of Dating" A short feature with cast, crew, and director talking about modern vs. P&P time dating (i.e. dancing, the 'touch', etc). Most of the interview clips are recycled from what we've previously seen on the first disc special features. And brought little to nothing new to the table and lasted around 7 minutes.

-"Galleries of the 19th Century" Interactive photo gallery. Fun.

-"The Stately Homes of Pride and Prejudice" A small handful of about 5 minute interviews with cast, crew, and director talking about the different locations they worked at. New stuff, but nothing exceptionally interesting that lasts for long.

-"Pride and Prejudice Family Tree" A DVD menu telling us how the characters in the movie are related. It is pointless and useless, nothing interesting or new.

-And that's IT.

Packaging:

It's absolutely gorgeous. I think all the money was spent on the box rather than putting together a decent 2nd disc. The package is made to look and open like a book. It's a great, beautifully designed set that is hard to resist if you saw it in stores.

Booklet:

A booklet was included in this set with some new, unseen photographs and talk about costumes, characters, and music. It's basically like a scrapbook of images and tidbits of various cast and crew's thoughts.

Included:

The soundtrack is included in a paper sleeve along with a ticket for director Joe Wright's upcoming film Atonement.

Conclusion: If you were hoping for new interviews with the cast and director, unseen behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes, or anything worth shelling out more money to buy another DVD for, then you will be severely disappointed. If you're like me, and already own both the movie and soundtrack this really isn't worth the $28 buy. Because ultimately you're just getting just a pretty box, another copy of the DVD you already own, and a throwaway extra disc. But if you don't have the DVD or soundtrack yet, then I say go for this set because it will be worth the extra money to get both the movie and soundtrack, and flashy box.

I give it 2 stars for the pitiful attempt at "exclusive all-new features"

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This film is a favorite of my wife and I; we have watched it several times in DVD format and thought it looked pretty good. I bought the Blu-ray version as soon as it was released and compared it to the DVD on our HDTV. What a difference! The BD is a huge improvement (as it should be) and has made this fine movie just that much better!

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Menace II Society (Director's Cut) (2009)

Menace II Society is the story of Caine (Tyrin Turner) a young man living in Watts, Los Angeles. From the very beginning of the movie we follow Caine with an early flashback to his childhood to start . Caines narrative voice is found all throughout this movie. Things start off violent, and never really stop, from beginning to end there is bloodshed, but theres alot more than just violence in this movie, Caine lives a day to day existence, and its only in the end that he realizes whats important to himRonnie (Jada Pinkett), her son, his family and living. Other main character is Caines best friend 0-Dog (Larenz Tate) who is young, black and doesnt [care], his presence in movie is really a powerful one, and his lack of conscience contrasts with Caines. Movie also stars Vonte Sweet, Samuel L. Jackson and Glenn Plummer. Produced by Darin Scott & the Hughes Brothers. Tyrin Turner a still virtually unknown actor is excellent in this movie, and in my opinion deserves alot more credit than he has gotten.To say this movie is just powerful is an understatment, and to compare it to Boyz N the Hood is wrong too. There are some similarities, but Menace II Society is alot darker, and wasnt made to please the masses. Maybe thats why I like it so much, because the story is realistic and the makers dont play down the violence to get mainstream appeal. Would like to talk about some of key scenes but you dont do that when writing a review for people who havnt seen the movie, all I will say is this movie is definetly worth watching, and if your like me and really enjoy it, its worth having in the collection.

Menace II Society. An odd name for a movie, you think on initial glimpse. Why II, and not to? Who's the menace? You pick up the box. There's a picture of two black kids on the front. OK, you read summary. It doesn't tell you much. So, by this point intrigued, you rent it. Good for you.

Menace starts out in a convience store. There's confrontation, and soon, two people are dead. The gunman is smiling and opening the register. His friend, Kane, screams at him and shivers with panic. We fade, and begin the story of Kane's life.

If you're the average white person living in America, what you hear in rap music and see on the news must be very distant from you.

Allen and Albert Hughes grapple us with their genius storytelling skills, and quickly, show us what we're so secure not to know. The daily living, the blood, the drugs, the not caring. What do these mean? The main character, Kane, is mixed up in all of it.

To himself, he wants outway outof his hoodlum life. Externally however, he wants in. He's never shot anybody, he's the clean one. But he sells drugs. He knows how to kill someone. He's been friends with people who have. Here we see his internal struggle to get out in stunning visual perspective.

The film itself has an expert way about it of opening our eyes to the culture, the environment, the lack of consequences, the police brutalityAll of it, while still maintaining assemblence of structure in where it wants to go.

Most of this movie is painful to watch. Seeing Kane fall down his path of righteousness and commit sins he scoffed his brethren for commiting just days earlier. Seeing innocent lives be torn by misunderstanding. Seeing utterly meanless death. It should hurt to watchthe directors made sure of itthat's why it's so poignant.

The aforementioned sins that Kane commits jump into his future as well. Every time he has a chance to escape, he's pulled right back into the circle by something he himself did. As Kane matures and finds his way, the circle flows into it. It's reminicent of Michael Corleone in The Godfather.

Some other noticible traits of the filmit's incredibly stylistic when it wants to be, but graphically gritty others. Also, it does a good job of displaying ironylike a scene when Kane and friend walk down the street speaking of how the Bible won't help themwith crosses dangling from their necks. The use of fades, especially toward the beginning of the film, is well-timed and welcome.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Menace II Society is a worthless piece of garbage about violence far from home. Maybe we don't need to see it. But that violence is realand it's not so far away. I don't think I'm wrong. I think, that after this movie is finished, you'll be very glad you rented it.

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Dang i remember when i first saw menace II society back in the day.lowriders were the thing having a set of daytons on your ride was the thing.this movie fit in perfect with that culture at the time.so i was so excited when this was released on dvd.what a letdown the most grainy mess i have ever seen and the sound was crappy.then here comes high def and blu-ray! now i finally got to see this movie the way i always wanted to it looks awesome! the soundtrack is rather subtle during dialogue but when called upon the gunfire music and sound effects kick your ass!it seems to me that they bumped up some of the gunfire and stuff on the original soundtrack and it sounds very natural.there seems to be a few video shots that didnt fare so well onto blu-ray but is very subtle and hardly noticable.so if you are a fan of this movie you are definatley in for a treat! the ending scene they really packed a wallop into the soundtrack and it is powerful as ever.you will not forget it.....peace

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A truly groundbreaking film about the harsh realities of life on the streets and hustling in the ghettos, 1993's "Menace II Society" gives us a poignant look at what can happen when wrong choices are made and when redeeming one's self is too late. This film also magnifies the pressures that many young African Americans must deal with on a daily basis.

Meet Caine Lawson (a brilliant performance from Tyrin Turner). As a boy in the Watts, California hood with his heroin addict mother and murdering drug dealer father Tat (Samuel L. Jackson), was it any wonder that Caine would become drawn to a similar lifestyle? When his parents die, Caine is sent to live with his grandparents. Fresh out of high school, Caine hits the streets as a drug hustler trying to make money for expensive cars to attract the ladies and to take care of Ronnie (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and Anthony, the family of his childhood role model Pernell who is in prison. It is a struggling situation between family/role model man, and the lure of the streets for Caine. Despite the preaching from his grandfather, trouble is always around the corner for Caine, especially when he's with his best friend O-Dog (a very convincing performance from (Larenz Tate), who is basically a don't give a f**k ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Besides being involved in a fatal convenience store shooting and being stalked by the police, Caine also struggles to keep himself alive. When his cousin gets killed and he himself gets shot, Caine realizes after talking with Ronnie that he needs to make a fresh start in life before it's too late. Traveling to Atlanta with her and Anthony may be the only thing that would save him. But there's no fighting the lure of street trouble; selling drugs, getting into mischief of O-Dog and the gang, getting back at the guys who killed his cousin and possibly impregnating a woman. But by the time Caine decides to go away with Ronnie and Anthony, his mistakes may have stirred up a hornet's nest that will come back to haunt him in the most tragic of ways. For Caine, it may be too late to redeem himself for good.

This movie is an eye-opener and sends a very harsh and true message about upbringing, lifestyles and choices. Boozing, drugs, shooting, attacking, cruising and all the while trying to survive, get respect and rise above, not to mention being a role model. These are just a few of the things that mirror inner city life. You can run from the streets, but the streets will always be in you. This is what Caine must face. Awesome funky hip-hip soundtrack and some serious intense acting make this movie great. The street-wise lingo, the clothes, the attitude; all this pulls the movie together. Special features include an in-depth interview with the Hughes twins who directed the film, as well as the theatrical trailer, and more. Watch the film, get engrossed and recognize!

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Menace II Society was the debut film from the directing duo of the Hughes brothers, released in 1993 at the height of popularity of "hood movies". As most other reviewers have stated the film is an extemely powerful look at growing up in L.A in the early 90's. The movie grabs your attention straight away with the robbery of the liquor store and the controversial shooting of the Korean owners, and the pace never lets up throughout. Caine (Tyrin Turner) is basically a bystander in the opening scene as O-Dog (Larenz Tate) goes on a rampage, and this continues throughout the film, Caine is a good person but very much a victim of his circumstances, whereas O-Dog just "doesn't give a f**k".

Without going into plot details the events in the film all conspire against Caine and it all catches up with him in the inevitable ending. There are also good performances from Jada Pinkett and MC Eiht and a small role at the start from Samuel L Jackson as Caine's father. While the film is very powerful and a sad and realistic take on ghetto life, it is not without it's faults, the main one being the lack of depth of some of the characters. They never really explain Caine's relationship with Parnell, though he regularly refers to him as "like a dad" throughout the film. Also several of the other characters are hard to sympathise with as their background is never really explained (something I felt was done better in Boyz N The Hood),and I find it hard to believe Parnell would be cool with Caine's relationship with his girl. Despite these minor faults the film is still great though and the ending in particular was tragic and inevitable. One of the better hood movies of the early 90's, if your into them you should definetely check this out.

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The Ultimate Buster Keaton Collection (1920)

I just bought the ultimate Buster Keaton collection blu-ray box set and I'm pretty happy with it but it's not for everybody. First of all, I want to thank all the great people who take time to review in ellaborate detail these great movies. Because the price is pretty high, I needed some help to make up my mind about this box set. I must have taken 3 hours of reading all the great comments about each blu-ray edition of this package and I made my decision after that. Like I said before, I don't think this box set is for everybody because the improvement is not that great overall, it is very good but I could have been happy the rest of my life with my original box set The art of Buster Keaton on DVD. The thing is, I'm a little nutty about the clarity of the image so I'm a big fan of blu-ray because of it, I also have a good home theater and a lot of reviewer talked about the improvement and the multiple choices for the soundtracks of these movies, so having these classics in 5.1 DTS HD interested me quite a bit.

As for the 3 discs with the earliest shorts of Buster, some of them are improved, especially Cops, The high sign, The balloonatic and The Boat because they were enhanced so they are clearer, I don't know why they chose only 4 because a lot more of them could use restoration. That was my biggest disapointment of the box set, not much effort to restore these shorts, they look a little better and that's it.But I love the fact that they were in chronological order and the little commentaries on most of them, those 2 things were fun. As for the feature lenght movies, The Saphead is interesting because you have 2 different versions of the film, but the improvement picturewise was small. Our hospitaly for the feature films is my biggest disapointment, I compare with my DVD and there's not much improvement. A thing that bugged me also was they kept the old title cards, a little restoration could have been interesting for a clearer reading of the cards. Sherlock Jr. also not a great difference with the old DVD but there's 3 soundtracks to choose from so that's interesting. The 3 ages also not a great improvement picturewise. After that, it starts to get better, Seven chances is amazing the image is clear with a lot of detail, good improvement against the DVD. The Navigator, very good also much clearer image than the DVD on the old set. Go West and Battling Butler, the image was pretty good ans stable on DVD and now it's a little better, a little more detail and clarity. The General, amazing!! this is the masterpiece improvement and it's my favorite movie, so I was happy when I saw that.

College, the print was good and now it's better, this one is a very good improvement. Steamboat Bill Jr. the movie looked good on DVD and now it's more clear so another good improvement here. Overall, the picture quality on theses features movies and shorts is better than DVD at different degrees, I learned by comparing DVD movie by blu-ray movie that Kino is not Criterion, they don't spend a lot of money on improving the quality of there titles. I know they could but restoration is expensive and I accept the fact that they're doing what they could. There is an improvement but it could have been a little better. I'm still happy because these classics never looked better and some of them looked amazing, almost every film got a 5.1 DTS ausio track, the extras are great and they gave me a few audio commentaries on my favorites Buster features so I loved that. The packaging is wonderful too, the box contains 4 discs and everything is in there. So my final words are, if you're a fan of Buster and you don't have the other box-set it's a no-brainer that this is a must buy. But if you have the old DVD box-set, you need to be a big fan of picture quality like me or be a big a fan of sound quality because the improvement is there but the old DVD set can do the job too.

Kino has re-packaged their Buster Keaton Blu-ray releases into this space saving set by removing the original packaging. 3 to 4 discs are housed in 4 plastic cases and placed in a slip-case.

This price will save you about $100 as this Ultimate Collection contains the nine single discs and the 2-disc 'Lost' collection that retail for $35 each, And the 3-disc shorts collection that retails at $48. That makes this a $398 value!

The restorations vary from major upgrades to just sharper images over the past DVD releases.

See my reviews under the individual titles for more specific details:

Buster Keaton Short Films Collection: 1920-1923 (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray] (3-disc set)

Battling Butler / Go West (Ultimate 2-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]

The General [Blu-ray]

The Navigator: Ultimate Edition [Blu-ray]

Our Hospitality: ULTIMATE EDITION [Blu-ray]

The Saphead: Ultimate Edition [Blu-ray]

Seven Chances (Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

Sherlock Jr. / Three Ages [Blu-ray]

Steamboat Bill, Jr. [Blu-ray]

Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts 1934-1937 [Blu-ray] (2-disc set)

The set also includes COLLEGE which is new to Blu-ray and not yet available individually, but is promised for March 2013.

College: Ultimate Edition [Blu-ray]

If you have been waiting to upgrade your old set, then this cost-cutting, space saving box set is for you. The only downside I see is that there are some disadvantages to buying box sets:

1) This set does NOT include the "KEATON PLUS" DVD that is in the "Art Of Buster Keaton" DVD set. It substitutes that DVD with a different collection called "LOST KEATON" which is his Educational Comedy collection. You will want to keep your old "KEATON PLUS" DVD to keep your collection complete. That DVD contains the only complete version of "HARD LUCK" (which is incomplete on the Blu-ray shorts collection), surviving scenes from the never completed cinemascope film "TEN GIRLS AGO", excerpts from the TV series "LIFE WITH BUSTER KEATON", Buster's first dramatic role in "THE AWAKENING", Buster's appearance on TV's "THIS IS YOUR LIFE", as well as a collection of Buster Keaton's TV commercials.

2) There is always a chance that one of the titles in this set may get upgraded in the future if any new 35mm master materials are found, you could buy that re-master but you have to keep the old version in this set.

BUT you do save $100 by buying this set, so these disadvantages are minor compared to the savings.

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I agree that casual fans should be fine with the old Kino sets, but to a real fan like myself, this is kind of like Coin Collecting when you have the opportunity for a better specimen in the context of your specialty, you grab it. To my mind, if there is a better copy of the Keaton silents out there, it would simply eat at me, and I won't stop until I can play them, perfectly restored, on demand, in a classic theater with live music at my beck and call. Until that point, I go with the best available, and yes, I know that this makes me Kino's idea of a really soft target. It is what it is.

Read Best Reviews of The Ultimate Buster Keaton Collection (1920) Here

Cold Mountain (2003)

"Cold Mountains", one of the best films of the year (it's a crime it wasn't nominated for Best Picture), is beautifully crafted, stirring, poetic tale of love, loss, and the will to survive. Directed and adapted to the screen by the wonderful Anthony Minghella and boasting a stunning cast of Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Jack White, Brendan Gleeson, and Donald Sutherland, this film is truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Cold Mountain" tells the story of Inman (Law), a carpenter working in Cold Mountain, North Carolina in 1861 when the alluring, elegant, and well-educated Ada (Kidman) and her father, Reverend Monroe (Sutherland), move to the Blue Mountains from the city. Inman and Ada, in true Hollywood fashion, are instantly taken by each other and engage in restrained flirtation, Ada's preacher father and their different social classes being the bulwark from romance. Soon the Civil War begins and the entire young male population of Cold Mountain departs in eager anticipation of glorious battle. Inman and Ada engage in one fleeting, hungry kiss before he rushes off to join the departing procession.

During battle, Inman is wounded and, after reading Ada's numerous earnest letters imploring him to return to her, deserts the Confederate army and embarks upon an Odyssey-like journey back home to his true love. Meanwhile, Ada's father has died, leaving her helpless and alone on their 300 acre farm. Soon Ruby (Zellweger) arrives and offers Ada her services in exchange for food and shelter. Realizing that she simply cannot manage on her own, Ada agrees. The rest of this spellbinding film flashes back and forth between Ada, being "all that keeps Inman from sliding into some dark place" and Inman, being Ada's "last thread of courage". Though these two souls barely know each other, they both remarkably become the single thing in each others world worth living for, worth fighting for.

When boiled down to it, "Cold Mountain" is simply a beautiful testament of the human soul's fierce will to survive and, as corny as it sounds, the power of love. If it weren't for their love, neither Ada nor Inman would have found the will and courage to survive after their lives had been shattered by the brutalities of war.

The seamlessly intertwined music plays such a large emotional role in this film. From Gabriel Yard's haunting score to Alison Krauss' tender songs, the music in this films helps to create an absorbing atmosphere that sucks you right into the Civil War. In addition, John Seale's breathtaking cinematography complete with sweeping views of the snow-encrusted Blue Mountains makes this a film you simply must see on the big screen.

This has been a very difficult review for me to write. Upon first seeing "Cold Mountain", I was pleased with the film, but definitely not as taken with it as I soon came to be. That all changed in the weeks following. I simply cannot get this film out of my head. The hope, the sacrifices, the pain, the loss, the love. It really sticks with you. It's hard to put my feelings into words and I sincerely hope that this review has given you the incentive to go see this film, and by doing so, embark upon an unforgettable journey.

Cold Mountain is a beautiful movie set during the American Civil War. A North Carolina town of Cold Mountain has sent it's beloved sons to war leaving behind Mothers and Lovers. Our two main characters are Ada (Nicole Kidman) and Inman (Jude Law) two Cold Mountain residents dedicated to there reunion after the war, but the war drags on and there correspondence is the only thing that unites them in a terrible time of American History.

The movie tells of Inman's journey back to Ada and the parrallel story of Ada trying to survive on her fathers farm. Both characters take a journey in spirit and determination to survive the horror that has become there existance during the war.

I loved the intertwining of music and drama in this movie. Anthony Mingella did, as expected, an excellent job etching the powerful feelings of hope and dismay with haunting music written by Sting and performed by the clear voice of blue grasses own Alison Krauss. I am from North Carolina am familiar with the native music of the area and thought the music in the movie very similar and so wonderful.

Although, this is a Love Story more than a movie of the American Civil War it stirred the feeling of my Southern Roots. The movie did not contemplate the reasons for the Civil War but it was a vehicle for ours lovers seperation. I found the depiction of the Petersburg battle flawed not entirely accurate to history but then again the war is not the focus in the movie.

I was in aw of the cinemontography of this movie, magnificent. A gorgeous movie that needs to be seen.

Perhaps I am biased, since I am a North Carolinian, but I thought this movie excellent, bittersweet, wonderfully acted, and crafted by the best in the movie business today. I would recommend this movie.

I was so touched by the Lovers' correspondence between each other the quiet love between two people spelled out in words. You hear Ada reading her letters to Inman on his journey back to her and your heart aches for the both of them......sigh.

girldiver:)

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"Cold Mountain," Anthony Minghella's film of Charles Frazier's novel, is a mournful, beautiful and occasionally profound film about the futility of war, the persistence of love and the desperate attempts of people to survive in wartime. The quiet, delicately nuanced performances of Jude Law and Nicole Kidman in the lead roles are deeply moving, and Renee Zellweger brings much-needed comic relief as Ruby, a plain-spoken farm worker. The film's episodic structure may distract some viewers, but the vignettes are extremely powerful per se, and they allow for some wonderful supporting performances--by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, Donald Sutherland, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Lucas Black, Brendan Gleeson, Ray Winstone, Jack White, Ethan Suplee and others--to be placed strategically in the movie like jewels in a crown. "Cold Mountain" makes the sad but undeniable point that at times of national tragedy, all the survivors can do is pick up the pieces, rebuild their lives as best they can, and find joy wherever they can. With fine performances, excellent music (by Sting, Jack White and others), and exquisite photography by John Seale, "Cold Mountain" lingers in our minds and hearts long after the closing credits roll.

Read Best Reviews of Cold Mountain (2003) Here

"Cold Mountain," directed by Anthony Minghella, stars Jude Law as Inman, a Confederate soldier during the U.S. Civil War, and Nicole Kidman as Ada, the minister's daughter he loves and longs for when he leaves to fight. Renee Zellweger costars as Ruby, a feisty farmhand who works with Ada on the homefront.

This film is a period piece that has a true epic sweep, yet never loses an intimate connection with the main characters. The production design is full of fascinating and thoughtful details that make the film a joy to watch. But it's also often harrowing and graphically violent--Minghella does not flinch at exploring the injustice and brutality of humankind towards itself.

The performances are all superb. After having distinguished himself in a number of noteworthy supporting roles, Law really proves himself a great leading man here. Kidman brings both delicacy and steel to her role--a southern belle faced with daunting wartime challenges. Zellweger delivers a rich, earthy, zesty performance; she is a perfect foil for Kidman and their characters' relationship is one of the great highlights of the film. The three main actors are superbly supported by the rest of the cast.

"Cold Mountain" is often quite grim and brutal, but is leavened by earthy humor and irony. Ultimately I found the film to be life-affirming. It's a love story and a war story, but regardless of genre it's a superbly crafted and genuinely moving film.

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COLD MOUNTAIN by Charles Frazier is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read. It is a heart-wrenching story about Inman, a soldier fighting for the South in the Civil War, his desertion from the war, and his subsequent journey home. But it is also about Ada, the spoiled and impractically raised preacher's daughter who is left to fend for herself after her father dies. It is touching to watch Ada grow before your eyes as she learns to work and take care of herself for the first time, and becomes selfsufficient. When I discovered they were making it into a movie, I was ecstatic. I recently saw it, and I give it 3 stars out of 4. It was a good movie, but not great-(let LOTR win this year!)

First, I wanted to write this review because **I feel as though everyone is missing the point of the story somehow**. Some have stated they couldn't feel sympathy for Inman because his character was cold, and it glorified a deserter in some way. Others felt Ada's relationship with Inman was superficial and trite. It's very important to understand Inman's motivation for leaving the war in order to understand Inman as a person, and his relationship with Ada.

In my opinion, Inman is one of the bravest and most human characters any author has ever written. In the novel, Inman's inner turmoil is more evident than in the movie, so readers will find themselves better able to sympathize with him than viewers. Frazier's novel shows Inman is becoming dehumanized by his experiences in the war. He has seen too much. He has watched his friends murdered, he has taken lives with his own hands, he has done what he can to survive, and it is not honorable. It reminds me of the Wilfred Owen poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est" or Randall Jarrell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner", because those poems get across to readers there is nothing glorious about war. What the book gets across beautifully, and where the movie fell short, is the effects of war on the human soul. Inman's spirit is being BROKEN. There is a black place inside him he does not know if he can ever recover from. This is why he knows he must leave.

Inman doesn't know if he can ever recover from what he's been through. He has been irrevocably affected by what he's been through, this horrible tragedy that is war. He sees Ada as his salvation; she is the light at the end of his tunnel, the only possible chance for hope. Even in the novel, they didn't have much interaction before Inman left for war. It seemed as though there was much more left unsaid between them than was ever actually put into words. However, Ada and Inman saw something in each other that was enough to sustain them.

There were many good points about the film. Beautiful scenery and cinematography....fabulous costumes...rich characterization. The two main characters were well cast with wonderful chemistry. After thinking back on Kidman in "Far and Away", I knew she could pull off Ada's character, which is supposed to be cold and somewhat haughty. Jude Law is a perfect Inman. I especially enjoyed the moments between them when they said nothing, yet you KNEW some sort of understanding had passed between them. Their love scenes were passionate and tasteful. I loved Donald Sutherland as Ada's father. Kathy Baker captures the stoicism and stalwart nature of Ada's neighbor Sally Swanger. I loved Giovanni Ribisi as the money hungry Junior, and Natalie Portman will bring tears to a few eyes as the lonely young widow trying to survive a hard winter with her baby. Philip Seymour Hoffman is an excellent Veasey, a priest Inman meets on the journey to Cold Mountain. When Inman meets him, Veasey is attempting to dredge up the courage to kill his pregnant lover--whom he has drugged and stolen from her home in the middle of the night-so the townspeople won't realize what a lecher he is.

There was one thing that threw the movie off for me. Renee Zellweger plays Ruby, a strong young woman who comes to help Ada gain control over the house (she's being terrorized by a rooster when Ruby shows up). Ruby becomes Ada's teacher in all things pertaining to country life and running a farm. Zellweger did a nice job getting across the conflicted way Ruby felt in regards to her father, the fiddle playing Stobrod, who abandoned her repeatedly when she was a child. Their relationship was touching. But while Zellweger provided some much-needed comic relief, her acting was COMPLETELY OVER THE TOP. She did not so much "steal scenes" as she hurled herself into them and shoved everyone else out of the way. I did see a few reviewers (a precious few-most people seemed to think she was brilliant and deserves an Academy Award) who felt less would've been more. The movie is not meant to be hilarious, and her scenes felt too contrived--every time she came onto the screen, people would start to chuckle, knowing something "amusing" was going to happen. To me, she wasn't amusing so much as just overreaching her role. I was especially frustrated when she RUINED the moment at the end of the film when Inman is finally expressing his feelings for Ada.

One of the most touching aspects of the film is when you think about the spirit of the characters in it. No one was rich; they all struggled to make it through a horrible experience with few resources of their own. Yet they were still willing to give food off their own tables (and out of their children's mouths) in order to keep some stranger from going hungry. That kind of attitude and camaraderie was simply unforgettable. Go see the movie, but don't miss out on reading the book.

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Safe Haven Blu-Ray + DVD+ Extra Bonus DVD + Digital Copy (2013)

I'm not so sure you should classify this as a chick flick, even though there seemed to be a lot more females than males at the screening I attended. For me there were enough non-romance scenes to make it a more of a mystery. I can't say a lot about the plot without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it.

The movie runs the course of your basic romance with an unlikely couple who meet and fall for each other in spite of their problems until their relationship takes a major hit due to revelations about a secret past. In fact, threaded throughout the story are short scenes involving a Boston cop obsessed with finding a suspect in an attempted murder. There are a few tense moments of violence and absolute terror, but it's not gratuitous or over done, only enough to reveal the mystery and lead to a satisfying conclusion, (or not). What I liked the most was that, just when I thought the plot had taken its final twist, a letter is opened and read which surprised me all over again.

I enjoyed this movie much more than The Notebook, another movie based on a novel by the same author, Nicholas Sparks. I felt this was more action packed, exciting and optimistic that The Notebook. I also felt the cast was strong, from the leading characters to the supporting actors. All in all, an entertaining movie that I would recommend.

One day my mom said she wanted to see this. So we went and saw it. It starts out with some mystery. A girl seems to be hiding. From what or whom you are unsure. Then, she finds a place to feel safe and starts to enjoy her new dwellings. Throughout the movie you will learn about what she is afraid of and what happened to finally free her and make her run. Then, there may just be something in the movie that will happen that makes you have this weird feeling in your gut. I will not say anything though.

The chemistry between the actor that plays the father and the actress that plays the girl is amazing. They are so good at playing nervous, anxious people who are falling for one another. You will come to like both of them and hope for good things to happen. There is someone else in the movie as well. A detective/cop. His role in the movie is important.

The kids that play the mans kids are great. They are such good actors. I am proud of them. They never get in the way of anything that is going on. You see them for the perfect amount of time. In the time you see them you will understand their pain and their reasons for doing what they do.

Another thing that I liked about this movie is the location. It seems to have a small town feeling. Some movies go all over the place. But this movies was really in one place. It let you feel safe. Like you were at home and nothing could happen. Very well done.

This is a great movie for a man, women, or both to watch. It really makes you thankful for those you have that you can love and who love you. As soon as this comes out, I am buying it. One of those movies that is great to watch on a rainy night. A great movie!!!!

Oh, and if you were wondering I am a 28 year old guy. I have had a lot of pain in my life. I enjoy love stories. Just makes you feel good.

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"There is more than one way to skin a cat" has got to be humorously posted on a some wall somewhere within the offices of Nicholas Sparks Productions. The latest proof of this has arrived in the form of Safe Haven.

In Safe Haven, Katie (Julianne Hough) is introduced frantically attempting to escape being chased down by a Boston Police Officer (David Lyons). The mystery of the film revolves around why this chase is taking place, but of course the point of this film revolves around her somehow ending up in North Carolina with a handsome man. "Write about where you know" has got to be humorously posted on some wall in Nicholas Sparks's North Carolina home.

Katie does end up in the aforementioned state in the tiny town of Sea Port. Sea Port offers all of the necessities for Sparks to work his magic: quiet streams for canoeing, beaches with virtually no one around, general stores, rusticity, no technology, one big event (that apparently draws over 100,000 people in for a day), and a laissez faire attitude. Predictability ensues, but not to an offensive degree.

This is the eighth Sparks novel to get the cinematic treatment, but it may as well be the eightieth. It rarely rises above standard TV movie production quality and offers nothing unexpected to the viewers. What it can cash in on is the likability and chemistry between its main co-stars Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. I suspect that this is the main reason the film got green-lit at all. An attempt, albeit a failed one, at adding some edge accomplishes little more than The Lucky One was able to accomplish last year. What is surprising is that the novel does have some edgy back-story, but director Lasse Hallström and screenwriter Dana Stevens chose to downplay, simplify, and blatantly avoid these opportunities preventing this film from elevating itself above the standard warmed over genre-film that it became. Formulas exist because they provide the framework for pleasing an audience, but unfortunately they grow tremendously stale and unsatisfying if they are not tweaked and modified from time to time. This is a lazy movie from start to finish, and it is an apparent Valentine's Day cash-grab at a movie hungry audience looking for a romantic film during a barren movie season. Like most films that receive reviews like this, it will be very comforting to those who go in knowing what to expect and unappealing to everyone else. How do you grade a film like this? Skin the C off the cat.

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I guess I'd call this a PG-13 romance with an edge. We have attractive leads, mysterious pasts and dark secrets..... The book on which this is based is by Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook") so it MUST be romantic, right? And there has to be an idyllic boat ride on a bayou...and two lovers caught in the rain. The movie is directed by Lasse Hallström ("Salmon Fishing in the Yemen") so it will feel like real people in a real situation, with humorous bits tossed in just for fun. As you can tell, this was actually pretty good because we had plenty of people to root for.

We watched:

* Josh Duhamel ("Transformers," "New Year's Eve" and lots of TV) as Alex, a widower of two years, helping his two youngsters cope with their loss and helping his uncle run a little grocery store/gas station/tackle shop in a North Carolina fishing village. BTW, this actor is really good with children!

* Noah Lomax (Lots of TV) is Josh, his older child who remembers, and still misses, his mom.

* Mimi Kirkland in her first movie role, is Lexie, the younger child who only remembers the idea of her mother. She's a precocious, loyal little busybody.

* Julianne Hough ("Rock of Ages" and "Footloose") is Katie, fleeing for her life from Boston and trying to find a safe haven beyond the reach of her pursuer.

* Cobie Smulders ("The Avengers") is Jo, the lovely neighbor who befriends our heroine.

* David Lyons (Lots of TV) is either a cop, an abandoned husband, or both.

There are plenty of other characters, but time does not permit... I could have done without some of the bucolic photography, but it was only 115 minutes. Suffice it to say, this had no profanity and some chaste love making, but had a real nail-biter of a climax and a totally unexpected twist...plus Duhamel is VERY easy on the eye! Your DVD from Amazon will allow you to back up and look again.

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I love Nicholas Sparks and truly enjoy reading his novels, and that is what makes this movie go south for me. Don't get me wrong it was a great movie but if youve read the book you become very critical. Most Nicholas Sparks movies are well done and stick more to the book than this. I do not like when back stories that make the character who they are and names of characters are changed. It really looses the book. Her past is different and it really takes away from who she is. I reccomend NOT reading the book before the movie or you will ruin it for yourself.