The Maiden Heist [HD]

A Charming Film
The prior reviews of The Maiden Heist have given a good idea of the story of this film. To those I have some non-spoiler comments.

The Maiden Heist, to judge from the clapboards, was originally titled The Maiden Lady from the painting that Christopher Walken is obsessed with. This film answers the question if museum guards actually like the art they protect. The three guards of the story - Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman and William H. Macey - are all obsessed with different pieces of art. They feel very protective about their art so when they learn that the entire exhibit will be moved to a museum in Denmark and replaced by some avant-guard art, they decide to save their favorites.

Morgan Freeman plays a soft-spoken affable man who enjoys drawing and painting; William H. Macey's character claims he was a Marine but changes his combat stories and Christopher Walken is a quiet homebody who daydreams about protecting his Maiden Lady from ant harm. Marcia Gay...

Low-key heist film with another perfect Marcia performance
Even though Marcia Gay Harden has a supporting role here as Christopher Walken's retro-laden wife, she plays pitch perfect the supplemental but powerful wife. Otherwise, the only other stand-out surprise would be William H Macy's bold outing as a bronze statue obsessed museum guard (right down to the several nude scenes where he shows off his impressive 59-year old muscular tone).

The story follows three museum guards as they decide to pull off a heist of their favorite artwork after the museum sells the pieces off. Each of these guys have their own weird little nuances that make them the perfect trio of dysfunctional museum guards, but most of their backgrounds are never really delved into. Most of what we get are three old guys trying to be something more than they ever have been - but in a low-key semi-realistic kind of way. Morgan Freeman plays the affable "sexually questionable" (from the making-of) character which just did not feel right, and Christopher Walken really...

I Laughed Hard!
Some of these reviews seem a bit harsh for this enjoyable and endearing film. Let me share what I liked most about it. Christopher Walken.

He stares at a painting entitled "The Lonely Maiden", and has fallen deeply in love with it over the years, while his very attentive and loving wife (Harden) waits patiently for him to come back around to her. She does not know about his love affair with the painting, and she comes off as kind and doting. SHE is the lonely maiden. I figured that out early. Walken is entranced with the painting, when all the while the true lonely maiden was right in front of him. Of course, he loves his wife and is attached to her forever (you can tell that they have an old-fashioned and sadly-gone view of marriage--stick it out to the end no matter what). And as he plans the heist with his fellow security guards, he keeps his wife's needs in mind the whole time. There is also a very sweet happy ending for these two (Shhhh).

Macy's character is...

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The Adventures Of Huck Finn [HD]

One of the Greatest movies ever made!!!
Elijah Wood plays Huckleberry Finn, a young boy growing up in the pre-Civil War South. Huck's father is a drunken troublemaker, and is rarely around. The boy has been taken in by two kindly old women who are trying their best to civilize him, but aren't having an easy time of it. Huck lives for freedom and adventure, and the river is constantly calling his name. His best friend is a slave named Jim (Courtney B. Vance), and the two look out for each other, more-so with every passing day. When Huck's father Pap returns for the boy one night, having heard that he's inherited a nice some of money (for those days), the boy is desperate to escape. Trapped and left alone the next day in his father's run-down cabin, Huck escapes and fakes his own "murder." He takes a boat to Jackson's Island, where no one lives and hardly anyone visits, and there he runs into his old friend Jim! The two best friends go swimming, fishing, and have a generally great time, when Jim tells Huck that he's run away...

Elijah Wood - A Perfect Huck Finn
From the first opening Clemensian Voice Over and the whimsical fight scene, Huck Finn brims with authenticity and focus. Sure, we've read the book and seen the many movie versions. But this one stands tall and comes to grips with Twain's not-so-juvenile hero as he grows along the river of life. Great allegory sublimates its symbols, so you take it like heroin, directly in the vein. And so it is with this film with a strong crop of performances and a sterling rendition by its star, Elijah Wood.

The spirit of any great literary masterpiece translated to film is not the details a la BBC and Masterpiece Theater, but the distillation of ideas and moods into enduring messages and iconic scenes. Huck Finn is Elijah Wood's first foray into the literary character venue, a venue that would eventually lead him to Frodo Baggins. He does not approach the role as "the lost child on the river," but as a growing cock-sure adolescent, more adult and intelligent for his age and station. His...

Excellent Movie; Horrible DVD
The movie: A+

Elijah Wood is/was one of the greatest child actors in Hollywood history. His presence shines through even the most mediocre of films, and when he is given a good supporting vehicle, just sit back and enjoy the show.

The Adventures of Huck Finn is one such vehicle--his best vehicle, in fact. While some will complain that Twain's classic has been Disney-fied, movie lovers will see past the sugar coating to find a gem of a movie about friendship and honor, about choosing good in a world that endorses evil. As Huck comes to respect Jim, we come to love them both, leading us to one of the greatest movie endings of all time. One of my all-time favorite movies, and hands-down the best movie soundtrack I have ever heard.

The DVD: C-

Disney is notoriously slow about releasing movies on DVD, but you'd think that after taking so long they would give the customers something worth waiting for. Not so, this time around.
The only real difference between this and the...

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Dick (1999) [HD]

This has cult hit written all over it.
I feel for those who had the unenviable job of marketing this movie. Who do you aim it at? Teens, most of whom know nothing about Nixon and Watergate, or adults, who will dismiss it as being another obnoxious, dumb teen comedy? Hence the box office failure. But what true hidden gem this film is! The writers have managed to put elements into this film that will be able to please the entire spectrum of viewers and knowledge of the Watergate scandal is not at all required to enjoy this hilarious film, but if you happen to have a grasp on it's history, your enjoyment will increase tenfold. The performances of everyone involved are top-notch with special notice going to Dan Hedaya (Nixon dead-on)and Michelle Williams (watch her shy expressions and mannerisms as she develops her crush on Nixon. Priceless!). Many, many scenes left me laughing hysterically (the beach dream scene, Haldeman's interrogation of the girls, Hello Dolly meets Breshnev, Bernstein hovering over Woodward at...

The True Story of Watergate?
Dick is a tremendously funny movie that spoofs the gravity of the Watergate situation. It combines fictional characters with the real people who were involved. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams play two dim-witted 15 year olds, Betsy & Arlene, who unwittingly stumble across G. Gordon Liddy and the Watergate break-in (Arlene lives at the Watergate) after sneaking out to mail a letter to Bobby Sherman. On a class trip to the White House, they again see Liddy and pick up the infamous CREEP list. Through a series of hysterical coincidences, they meet Richard Nixon, become official dog walkers and secret youth advisors, give Nixon cookies laced with marijuana, find the secret tapes, contact Woodward & Bernstein, are revealed to be the actual Deep Throat and provide the key information that takes down Nixon. The movie has a great soundtrack of 70's songs and is filled with authentic clothing and props. The cast is first-rate with Ms. Dunst & Ms. Williams perfectly...

Sex, Drugs, and Roller Skates; must be the White House
Dick is a great comedy for adults. Coming off as a kid's movie in previews, I was refreshed and surprised at the caliber of the comedy. Every character is comical genius, all the way down to the stoner, draft-dodging brother. I could not stop laughing at the mad camp adventures of these two clueless DC socialites. I almost broke a rib!

I can't urge you enough to buy this movie. It is defiantly going to be a party house favorite.

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Honey, I Blew Up The Kid [HD]

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
The only sequel better than the original. Rick Moranis stars as an eccentric inventor. He accidentally zaps Adam, his two-year-old, with a machine designed to enlarge things. Adam grows to over 100 feet tall. We are reminded of The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, although Adam is a little kid and means no harm. He is cute in his red overalls. He terrorizes Las Vegas. He reminded me of my own kid, especially when he went for the Hard Rock Cafe guitar. The terrible twos take on a new meaning. Keri Russell is the baby sitter whom Adam's brother ties up. She grew up and went on to star in the delightful Waitress.

Suddenly the world grows a whole lot smaller.....
I seem to like this sequel more than Honey, I Shrunk The Kids mainly because this is one of the movies that I grew up watching it. It's true that Honey, I Blew Up The Kid doesn't really hold up eighteen years later, but there are still some pretty good things about it. The story is just as weak as the one in the original, but at least the special effects are pretty fun to watch. There are some fun and silly scenes, as well as a pretty wacky music score by Bruce Broughton. The things I disliked the most about this movie were the lame one-liners said by Keri Russell, the cardboard cutout villain played by John Shea, and, as I mentioned before, the story which isn't really much to start with. In the end, I consider Honey, I Blew Up The Kid a bit of a guilty pleasure. The film beings a lot of nostalgia: I liked it back when I was a kid, and I still like it now (at least SOME of it).

Grade: 6/10

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid(1992)
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid(1992) is the sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids(1989). This sequel does something different by turning Wayne Szalinski's toddler son into a giant. Even Michael J. Nelson from Mystery Science Theater 3000 pointed out that the film is an homage to Bert I. Gordon's The Amazing Colossal Man(1957). There are a few deja vu moments in the film. Wayne Szalinski yells, "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!" after accidentally shrinking Nick(Robert Oliveri) and the babysitter with the Shrinking Ray. The mailman delivers mail to a box with "Szalinski" written on it. Bruce Broughton(Silverado, Lost in Space) composed the energetic music score for the film. The filmmakers went on location to Nevada to make the film. Randal Kleiser(Grease) directs the film. For a Hollywood movie made in the 1990's, it uses models, giant props, blue screen photography and little or no CGI. The stunt driving is quite good. Amy O'Neill from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids makes a brief cameo during the first...

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Gross Anatomy [HD]

This film is actually outstanding!
While "Batman" may have pulverized "Gross Anatomy" at the box office in the summer of 1989, this film is worth seeing and owning. This is one of those films where you watch a character evolve in front of your eyes. You watch Matthew Modine's character grow up in the film. As he goes from being a careless flunky who barely made his way through a less than top notch school, you see, as Christine Lahti does, that he has something. And she makes him believe it. And finally, in an emotional scene in a diner and an even more emotional scene in a classroom before final exams, you realize he has. A great film that you can identify with if you've ever known someone who seemed to have so much going for him, but seemed to just want to play the clown all the time. A beautiful film.

Heartwarming
"Gross Anatomy" is a predictable, but heartwarming, little film about five eager first-year medical students. I appreciated the occasionally goofy medical humor and the fine performances from all the actors, notably Christine Lahti, as a rigidly serious, if ultimately well-intentioned anatomy instructor This film has been sadly overlooked for years; it deserves more than a passing glance.

Not enough praise for Gross Anatomy
In my opinion, this movie never received the recognition that it deserved. As a medical student hopeful, I was drawn in by the medical school backdrop of the film. Aside from that,I also feel that the movie's use of drama, romance, and comedy in the main characters' struggle to discover things about themselves and each other was superb. Although largely underrated, this remains one of my favorites.

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Ghost Train: Volume XXI, Episode 1

Still a great series
Still a great series, I love how the characters are evolving. Well written and interesting story lines. I wish the seasons had more episodes.

awesome again
T&R is really a good great series I hope they keep coming great casting with good story line as always

Changed from original format
While this is still one of my favorite series, they seem to have eliminated the trial portion of the story. I thought this added an interesting part to the story.

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The Lazarus Project [HD]

Paul Walker shines in this
"The Lazarus Project" aka "The Heaven Project" is one of those straight-to-DVD releases, which was okay i guess, though after viewing it, I felt this was a lot better than some other actual cinematic releases that were pure drivel.

Paul Walker [of The Fast and the Furious] plays Ben Garvey, an ex-con who is just getting his life back on track with a beautiful, supportive wife [Piper Perabo] and young daughter. But his past catches up with him and his no-gooder brother comes back into his life with a solution - robbery - well, things go terribly awry resulting in fatalities, and Ben is left to shoulder the guilt and blame. He is sentenced to die by lethal injection and that is when the movie actually begins.

Ben finds himself getting a sort of 'reprieve' from death and is whisked away to an psychiatric facility somewhere out in the boondocks and is given the job of groundskeeper - the people that he comes into contact are all either strange or sinister or both -...

The Lazarus Project
In Dallas, Texas, the family man Ben Garvey is on probation but he is a hard worker of the Fort Garry Brewery Company and lives a simple life with his beloved wife Lisa and their daughter Katie. When his probation period finishes, Ben's brother Rick visits him after being released from prison and invites Ben to heist 12 kg of gold in dust from a laboratory. Ben refuses the invitation but he is fired from his job because of his record; he decides to join Ricky and his partner Phelps in the robbery. However things go wrong and Ricky, Phelps and a security guard die in the heist and Ben is sentenced to death for the murders. After his execution through lethal injection, Ben awakes working as housekeeper of the Monte Angel community in Dundee, Oregon, for Father Ezra, who explains to him that his past life is gone and now he is having a second chance. However he should never cross the boundaries of the location, otherwise he would die. Ben feels confused with the weird situation but he...

Kudos to Paul Walker....A new respect for a disrespected actor...
A trip of a film...I thought about how to title this film the whole time I was watching it...the best I could come up with is; What a Trip..a truly psychological ride of (in the end) an anti-smoking film.

Films like these can be debated for a long time as to when reality blurs into fiction and if the film actually ever occurs at certain points. I saw this as an approachable film with little recognition that can be attained by the masses. Bob Gunton. Piper Perabo and Brooklynn Proulx all perform in a film that I fear will be forgotten in the mass of subpar indie films coming out this quarter.

Nothing should be explained much beyond a man experiencing a strange life of getting second chances, numerology, psychiatric misappropriation, innocent family love, and a beautiful filming location character of Canada. This is the second film in as many days (coming out this week) that shows what a splendor our Northern neighbor has.

I was pleasantly surprised by...

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The Deadly Affair [HD]

Call For the Dead
The Deadly Affair is one of the better John Le Carre screen adaptations. Based on 'Call For the Dead,' the title's not the only name change: though he's called Charles Dobbs here, James Mason is really George Smiley while Maximilian Schell's character also undergoes a name change from The Spy Who Came In from the Cold because Paramount still owned the character names. Shot in 1966, when Britain seemed to be closed due to bad weather (a look made even grimmer by Freddie Young pre-exposing the film stock to mute the colours), Sidney Lumet's low-key and very small-scale thriller works much successfully on screen than you might expect. Where many LeCarres fail because, as someone once said, they're all plot and no story, this has at its heart a fairly good mystery - why did a cabinet minister commit suicide AFTER being cleared of allegations of spying, and was it suicide or murder?

This is from that period when Mason's screen image was shifting from aggressive and domineering...

Flawed, but still an interesting adaptation of le Carre's Call for the Dead with James Mason as George Smiley, aka Charles Dobbs
For an espionage thriller I like a lot, The Deadly Affair is also one of the most frustrating. The movie is based on John le Carre's first book, Call for the Dead. It introduced his readers to George Smiley. For some reason, in addition to changing the name of the book, director Sidney Lumet changed George Smiley to Charles Dobbs (James Mason). I'll continue to call him George Smiley. The story is how this aging British spy with a quiet manner and a shrewd mind finally learns the identity of an East German spy. It starts when Smiley is asked to investigate a mid-level foreign officer, Samuel Fennan, who has been accused in an anonymous letter of being, at best, a Communist sympathizer. Smiley determines that the man is not a danger, but shortly after the man commits suicide...yet he left a wake-up call for the next morning. Smiley's boss tells him to drop it. Smiley won't, quits, and enlists the help of a retired police inspector, Mendel (Harry Andrews), to help him. Smiley meets the...

A solid movie
I am a major collector of John Le'Carre books and movies. My favorite book is "A Call for the Dead" which is where this film finds it plot. I could accept the changes to the story to make it play for Hollywood but I did not see the point or reason to alter the plot the way they did. I could more or less accept the casting choices and character portrayal but I have to admit I was not pleased with most of the casting choices nor their portrayal. I found the soundtrack to be very intrusive and almost over-powering. I think Quincy Jones was a poor choice to prepare a soundtrack for an English "Spy" film. Yet with all of these seemingly negative comments I have to say that overall it was a solid film. Well directed and acted (minus the soundtrack of course). My problem is that I am a die-hard Le'Carre fan but I have to say that If it cannot be perfect, this would be close enough.

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Inspector Gadget [HD]

Inspector Gadget - a movie that your family will enjoy!
I know that the movie didn't do as well in the box office and that critics bashed it. The question is why I bought this DVD. I have a few reasons actually. #1) I was a big fan of the animated series as a child. #2) I like Disney films #3) It was on sale. Three major reasons and yet I even struggled to watch it because it was bashed on so much and it was only 78 minutes long.

So, I was expecting a bad film but you know what. I enjoyed it. I actually liked the movie. It's definitely not below average.

Matthew Broderick is actually a good Inspector Gadget. I think with the way movies are, many people tend to want to see a different Inspector Gadget, perhaps someone more violent. Well, if that's the case...there is the Criterion edition of Robocop with the added gory scenes that you can buy. This movie was made for kids as was the cartoon and I'm a kid at heart because I grew up with the show.

One of the things you'll notice is that it's a Disney DVD with extra's...

An Adroit Live Action Master Work
Inspector Gadget offers more than you'd expect from a superhero blockbuster with dazzling special effects and a well-written script. The casting is the true strength of the film. Matthew Broderick has always won critical acclaim, due to his superb acting versatility in films including War Games, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Cable Guy, and Godzilla. In his finest performance, Broderick transforms the two dimensional cartoon character made famous by Don Adams, from a security guard into a compassionate, crimefighting cyborg, made up of equal parts of "MacGyver" and "Robocop" with tear-jerking results.

Inspector Gadget DVD Review: It's actually not that bad
I was expecting a bad film but you know what. I enjoyed it. I actually liked the movie. It's definitely not below average.

Matthew Broderick is actually a good Inspector Gadget. I think with the way movies are, many people tend to want to see a different Inspector Gadget, perhaps someone more violent. Well, if that's the case...there is the Criterion edition of Robocop with the added gory scenes that you can buy. This movie was made for kids as was the cartoon and I'm a kid at heart because I grew up with the show.

One of the things you'll notice is that it's a Disney DVD with extra's. Yes, it's a miracle isn't it. The majority of all Disney DVD's don't have squat in them. This one has a 30 minute featurette on "Go Inside Inspector Gadget". It also has a music video from Youngstown and the trailer. Not bad Disney...keep adding more! Also, the sound is well done with the 5.1. Good use of the rear channels!

One...

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Anger Management [HD]

Fun to Watch!
Lighten up, fellow reviewers! ANGER MANAGEMENT is lighthearted comedy--not neurosurgery. I had zero expectations going into this movie, but as soon as the hilarious plane scene unfolded I found myself watching with an ear-to-ear grin on my mug.

I've seen Adam Sandler in numerous movies (and hated most of them), but as humble, wishy-washy Dave Buznik, Sandler is at his low-key best. Buznik is the last person to have an anger management problem, but following a fateful series of miscues (and hysterically funny miscues at that) he is ordered by a judge to attend an anger management course. And this is not just any old course: This is a course led by the unorthodox and dysfunctional Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson's inherent creepiness is perfect for this role). Nicholson and Sandler play off one another in grand fashion; the goofy therapist pushing the mild-mannered Buznik to the edge--and beyond--is mucho fun to watch!

An added delight to this campy comedy...

by-rote comedy
With that frazzled hair, that just-swallowed-the-canary grin, and that sly, mischievous, devil-may-care gleam in his eye, Jack Nicholson does the controlled-mania shtick better than anyone working in movies today. But even his presence isn't enough to prevent "Anger Management" from emerging as a decidedly unfunny comedy, one that ends up wasting the talents of Adam Sandler, Marisa Tomei, John Turturro, Woody Harrelson and Luis Guzman as well.

The David Dorfman screenplay is yet another of those "high concept" package deals - replete with contrived plots and big-name movie stars in the leads - that look irresistible to all those corporate green-lighters at the studio, but which fall to pieces the moment they come to fruition on the big screen. Sandler plays a mild-mannered, put-upon schnook who is unfairly and inexplicably convicted of assaulting a stewardess on an airplane. Much to Sandler's chagrin, the court consigns him to the care of Nicholson, a well-known anger management...

Great if your an Adam Sandler fan, OK otherwise
Possible Spoilers Ahead:

I have to admit that I am not a big Adam Sandler fan. However, I saw the trailers and I was intrigued by the thought of Sandler playing a regular guy to an over-the-top Jack Nicholson. About halfway through the movie, I had trouble following the storyline. I think this was due to Sandler playing his mild mannered Dave Buznik character too calm in the beginning. While I understand the concept of a guy who internalizes his anger (which is why he was a candidate for Anger Management classes), even guys who internalize their anger show some frustration when there are problems. I thought Buznik's overly calm reactions seemed unrealistic during the entire flight attendant hostility `over the headset' episode. I suppose Sandler was trying to go for no reactions at first and building up, over the course of the movie, to more obvious displays of anger (like the fight with his grade school nemesis turned Buddhist monk), but he started out so overly calm at the...

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The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe [HD]

Watch It For The Entertainment Value
Young Lucy Pevenise, along with her older brothers Edmund and Peter, and her older sister, Susan, are in London during the initial bombing raids of WW II. And like many families of the time, the parents decide to send them to the country for safer keeping. Peter, the oldest, is told by their mother to "watch over them" and make sure they stay safe. And although this seems like a fairly simple request, Peter's ability to protect his siblings will be put to the ultimate test. But not by WW II, but by an amazing secret discovered by young Lucy.

Soon after being spirited into the company of a hermit-like professor's care (Jim Broadbent), they decide to play hide-and-seek, and it's during this game which Lucy discovers a mysterious wardrobe. She tucks herself inside and backs to the rear of the cabinet ...only to discover herself in an entirely different world. Here she meets up with Mr. Tumnus, a strange half-stag, half-human creature who explains much about the wintry...

Excellent but Minor Changes will Irritate Avid Fans of the Novel
I just went to see this movie last night and WOW, it is really breathtaking and superbly done. The most important thing that was achieved is that the producers of this film captured the essence of Narnia. You really feel like you've been to Narnia and to me that makes the film tremendously powerful. The death and resurrection of Aslan were really fantastic, and I also especially liked the Lucy/Tumnus meeting and also when the children grew up in Narnia and were looking for the White Stag. How did they get adult actors who looked SO much like the children, I'd like to know?! Well done! Georgie Henley was terrific in this movie and really stole the show. She was the perfect Lucy. The casting for this film was really well done. The only character I did not care for was The White Witch. In other movie versions, perhaps the role is "over-played" and so because of that the role seemed to be "under-played" in this case. I don't know if a happy medium exists to be truthful. The...

A magical adaptation of an even more magical story
If you're going to bring a beloved classic to life, you had better do it right - and director Andrew Adamson did just that, largely because of his own special memories of reading the book as a child. The timing for this film was also right - not only because it follows in the wake of the masterful Lord of the Rings series (and there will always be comparisons between Narnia and LOTR, despite their vast differences) but, more importantly, because this film really could not have been made any earlier. I wasn't a big fan of CGI when the technology emerged; I thought it took away from the purity of the medium and, of course, it was oftentimes obviously not real in those early days. When you watch The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, though, you see the undeniable magic that CGI has now opened up. This film is heavy with computer animation, and its integration with real actors and sets is virtually seamless. Aslan, by way of example, may well be CGI's...

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The Professional (1994) [HD]

Uncut version is worth the price!
I own both the US and international versions of this film, and the international edition is much better. Both versions carry a slight sexual tension throughout between Leon and Matilda, and the uncut version is more pronounced in this area, but that isn't the reason to buy it.

The extra 24 minutes on the uncut version provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between the two as the film progresses. For example, in the US version Matilda never becomes a real "cleaner" or hitman. It's only hinted at when they shoot a jogger from a rooftop with blanks. In the uncut version, Leon takes her completely under his wing and teaches her the trade, including scenes where the pair run around killing bad guys and such. In the process, Leon teaches her the "ring trick" by tossing a grenade at a victim and keeping the ring and grenade pin in his hand. This scene sets up the final scenes in the movie in a way that the US version left short and...

Beautiful Love Story and Action Packed Adventure
This is the story of Leon(Jean Reno), the highly efficient contract killer who's known as a cleaner due to his ability to kill you without you ever knowing he's there. He's cold blooded, but at the same time lovable due to his obvious innocence, seen as he affectionatly waters his plant and his love for milk. He lives a loners life until he meets Matilda(Natalie Portman), who was soon to change his life. Luckily for Matilda, she was running an errand for Leon while the corrupt villian and lead antagonist of the movie Normon Stansfield(Gary Oldman), and his group of thugs decide to wipe out her entire family, due to some drugs, which were cut by her father while he was supposed to be just holding them. When Matilda returns, she finds that her family is dead and turns to Leon for help.

When Matilda learns what Leon's trade is, she is intrigued, and convinces the reluctant Leon to teach her the ways of the cleaner. As Leon trains Matilda, their relationship grows, and...

Excellent, Must-See Film!
French director Luc Besson ("The Messenger"; "The Fifth Element") made his U.S. film debut with this intelligent thriller of an Italian hitman who is untouchable. "The Professional" stars Jean Reno ("The Big Blue") who plays Leon, a professional hitman with ninja-like skills, who eliminates rivals for a mob boss (Danny Aiello).

After a corrupt cop (Gary Oldman) eliminates the family residing next door due to a drug transaction gone wrong, Leon finds himself the guardian of young Mathilda (Natalie Portman in her screen debut). Taking Mathilda under his helm, Leon teaches her the art of the "cleaner". However, danger lurks around every corner, and Leon must protect Mathilda from the same cops who killed her family.

Considered by many to be his masterpiece, "The Professional" was originally released internationally under the title "Leon". However due to the feeling that American audiences might find...

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The Cat From Outer Space [HD]

Purr-fectly delightful family entertainment. . . .
His name is Zunar J5 Zoric 9/49, but everyone just calls him Jake. His home planet is never identified, but they must have some beautiful felines there if this talented extraterrestrial abyssinian is their ambassador.

Actually, Jake just comes to Earth because of maintenance problems on his space-going scout ship. After arriving, he teams up with a superb comic cast, including Ken Berry, Sandy Duncan, MacLean Stevenson, Harry Morgan and Roddy McDowell for some of the zaniest adventures you or your children will ever enjoy. Just for good measure, Jake brings along the most unique flea collar ever made, and therein lies most of the story.

Jake only needs a small amount of a fairly common substance (on his planet) to repair his ship. Unfortunately, that common substance turns out to be about $120,000 worth of gold. Needing that kind of material help in a short period of time provides the vehicle for a madcap comedy.

The Cat from Outer Space isn't a classic, but it's...

Great Family Film for All Ages!!
I first saw "The Cat from Outer Space" while a little girl years ago and fell on the floor laughing. When I saw it was available on DVD, I quickly purchased it to have it for my family so my 3 year old daughter can have it for when she is old enough to enjoy the humor. That won't be long as the movie is simply infectious and has humor for all ages.

The plot is simple. An alien cat with a most unusal collar, named Zunar J5 Zoric 9/49, but whom everyone just calls "Jake" has made an emergency landing on Earth for repairs. He has only a limited amount of time to fix his spaceship before his rendevous with the mothership, that he calls "Mother", otherwise he will be stranded on Earth for years. I used to think he was from Mars, but actually his home planet is never identified.

Jake spends his time after arriving with a terrific comedic cast including two from M*A*S*H (Harry Morgan as a gruff General and MacLean Stevenson as a compusive gambler friend), as well as...

My favorite of all the Disney classics!
Zunar J5 Zoric 9/49 "Jake" makes an emergency landing and must fix his ship before joining his Mother Ship. Time is limited. With the help of a few humans, after shocking them a few times, he must find the material to fix his ship (I won't tell what it is and ruin it for you), get his ship back from the military (which has quarantined it for study), as well as fix the ship and get off Earth. The result is funny and lovable all at once.

***** I grew up watching this movie any time I could. When it was finally released on VHS I purchased my copy quickly. I also wore it out...TWICE. I have purchased, over the years, most of the Disney animated movies, but few of the un-animated classics. And I have never worn out a video tape before, much less twice. So DVD is a must for me.

My son is in his middle teen years. As a mom, I was delighted to share this movie with him as a child. Now, it is one of his fond memories of spending time with me and a bowl of popcorn. Just us...

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Casanova [HD]

Carry On Casanova
If you're old enough to have seen the "Carry On" movies the first time around, or have watched them on DVD on "oldies night", (don't worry, we're not going to ask your age) you'll see the resemblance to this funny take on the world's greatest lover. Slapstick, double entendres and misunderstandings abound, as Heath Ledger tries to fill the trousers of the legendary lothario without getting a broken back in the process.

It takes place in 1753 in Venice, a time when no woman is safe from the charms of Casanova, not even those confined to the convent. Luckily for him he has friends in the right places and escapes being strung up for debauchery (a big word which in the movie means that he shakes a lot of bedsprings without the benefit of a marriage license)

After going one conquest too far, his friend the Doge insists that Casanova get married ASAP, or face exile from Venice. Exile is not a possibility, as we learn early in the movie that he has a very good reason...

Romping at the Ridotto
This is the first of Hallstrom's films that I've seen, and I gather it's by no means typical of his recent work. However, I found it immensely entertaining. It bears little reference to the Chevalier de Seingalt's life, but once you've got over that (ideally before you see it) it is highly enjoyable. The imaginative and brilliant photography of a Venice peopled with the colourful characters and costumes of the ridotto in the city's heyday makes the film worth seeing for that alone. Venice should always look this good; its inhabitants should always wear the costume of this period.

Then the acting is good and plausible. I spent some time trying to work out who it was that Heath Ledger reminded me of, and eventually realised that it was Russell Crowe, not so much in looks as something about his manner. Jeremy Irons is hilarious and others well up to par. The film was well-paced, building to a comic finale.

I think the great point is to grasp that the whole thing was...

Heath's Heights
Casanova is an enjoyable film. Alot of fun and very entertaining. Everyone involved are terrific. I love Heath Ledger as Casanova. I think its so great that he has two very different movies out on dvd ( Brokeback Mountain & Casanova ) that showcase his talents and versatility. I enjoy him in light farce just as much as in drama. Casanova is a delight to add to Mr.Ledger's filmography and definitely to all Heath Ledger admirers, such as myself. :)

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The Castaway Cowboy [HD]

Entertaining little Disney comedy-western
In the early '70's, James Garner made two films for Disney studios, "One Little Indian" and "The Castaway Cowboy." Of the two, "Cowboy" is by far the best: a slight but entertaining little comedy-western co-starring the lovely Vera Miles (who was also in "Indian"). She plays Henrietta McAlvoy, the owner of a failing Hawaiian (known here as the Sandwich Islands) potato plantation whose native workers fish a nearly drowned deserter named Costain (Garner) out of the ocean. While Costain waits for a ship home to Texas, he hatches a plot to save the farm by turning it into a cattle ranch, using the Hawaiian workers as ranch hands. Of course, in Disney films of the era, there is always a villain, and "Cowboy" features Robert Culp as Bryson, a local businessman who romances Henrietta in order to get her land and when she won't sell, stoops to some nasty business to sabotage Garner's plan.

Everything is predictable and ends just like you...

Castaway Cowby--a great movie!
I really liked this movie!! The scenery was beautiful (of course, it's Kauai and that can't be helped!) and the story line was interesting with all the obstacles James Garner had to contend with to help this family establish a cattle ranch. It also had a great ending and the good people won! My kids even enjoyed it (ages 4,5, and 8), so I must recommend it.

Best of the 2
Garner made 2 movie for disney. if your on the look out for good family movie that are fun, no cursing or nudity, a little action and a little romance... you want Castaway Cowboy, CC not One Little Indian, OLI.

CC is a nice movie about a cowboy that ends up stuck on an island. He shows the nice widow woman how to start a cattle ranch instead of tring to far or fish.

OLI is very boring. Not one of my three kids stayed for the end. And isn't that the true test of a movie. It isn't totally what mom or I like, it is also what they will like enough to sit and watch and enjoy.

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Pumpkin Eater, The [HD]

ACTING EXCELLENCE.
Anne Bancroft, in an AA nominated performance, plays a twice-married mother of six. She divorces her second husband (played by Richard Johnson) and takes up with a highly successful screenwriter played by Peter Finch. After the two marry, it is obvious that her philandering husband will never buckle down to her notions of marital fidelity. This sometimes confusing, sometimes depressing film is elevated to screen art via once-in-a-lifetime performances by Bancroft, Finch and Mason. As Jo Armitage, Ms Bancroft is magnificent: giving her role real depth, switching her moods with a wonderfully eerie believability. Her breakdown in Harrod's Department Store isn't easily soon forgotten. In his supporting role of Bob Conway, James Mason is nothing short of excellent and Peter Finch excels as Jake. This is a fine film which encompasses the joys and tragedies of life: birth and death, love and hate, marriage and divorce. The direction, slow and even-handed, allows the story to develop at...

The Pumpkin Eater: A Modern Tragedy
Positive reviews of this film often refer to it as a melodrama. It is more significant than that, being a largely successful attempt to create tragedy. Deeply depressed by her husband's infidelity, the heroine, Jo, finds the priviledged lifestyle he affords her, devoid of spiritual value. Her pregnancy becomes a pivotal moment in which she must seemingly choose between her core identity and belief, and an alternative offered by her husband. She makes her choice as if it were a pact with him, only to find herself betrayed. The fight scene that follows is harrowing. At the film's conclusion, in a gesture both exalted and grimly realistic, Jo accepts her husband's offer to continue their life together.

Thus we have the elements of tragedy: success that is a fall from grace; Jo's dilemma at the time of her pregnancy; the tragic insight that allows Jo to reconnect with her husband, as he truly is.

I have rarely been so moved by a film. Surely, this film is unsurpassed in its...

Brilliant Portrait of a Bad Marriage
This is my absolute favorite film of all time, and Anne Bancroft's performance is her best. Made in 1964 and set in London, this film tells the story of a woman who is in the middle of her third marriage, to a screenwriter, played by Peter Finch. Her character, Jo Armitage, is a woman who truly seems to find her self-worth and happiness only when she is pregnant and raising children. Once her children become even only slightly older, she seems to lose her sense of purpose, and allows herself to become quite isolated in the world. Her current husband, the screenwriter, doesn't make matters any better for her either.

This is definitely Anne Bancroft's film all the way, and she is breathtakingly beautiful in it as well. Her portrayal of Jo Armitage paints a very lonely, depressed, lost, and in many ways pathetic character...but it is also strangely my favorite performance of Bancroft. Look also for wonderful supporting performances by James Mason and Maggie Smith. This...

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7th Cavalry [HD]

Terrible image quality
I ordered this product from Amazon UK -- the video quality is terrible, much worse than a VHS. The picture looks as if it has been dubbed from a poor master. Poor clarity, badly faded colors, and a constant hissing sound in the audio. There's even a warning on the case saying the 'some image quality may have been lost' when the video was mastered.

"7th Cavalry (1956) ... Randolph Scott ... Columbia Pictures Classic Westerns"
Columbia Pictures presents "7TH CAVALRY" (1956) (75 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Starring Randolph Scott, Barbara Hale, Jay C. Flippen, Frank Faylen & Leo Gordon. --- Directed by Joseph H. Lewis and released in April 1, 1951, our story line and film, Returning to Fort Lincoln, Captain Benson learns of Custer's defeat at the Little Big Horn. At the inquiry as Custer's Officers blame Custer for the defeat, Benson tries to defend him. But Benson was suspiciously absent at the time of the battle and is now despised by the troops. So when an order to retrieve the bodies from the battlefield arrives, Benson volunteers for the dangerous mission of returning back into Indian territory --- Although it's nowhere near as good as the oaters Scott did with Budd Boetticher, this one nonetheless still rises above most of the other westerns from Harry Cohn, Columbia Pictures and company was putting out ... It also helps filming it out in the California pine country away from the usual...

Randolph Scott movie
This is a great movie if you love Randolph Scott as I do. Would recommend to a friend. Very good picture quality.

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Geronimo: An American Legend [HD]

An under-rated movie
I share the opinion of several other reviewers that "Geronimo" is an outstanding -- but undervalued -- Western. Let me tick off some of the reasons why this is such a good movie.

First, the scenery and the cinematography are fabulous. Some of the photography deliberately imitates great scenes from other Westerns in the past. I was overcome with deja vu at the scene in which a file of mounted Apaches is silhouetted on the skyline. This is right out of John Ford's "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" if memory serves me right.

Secondly, the performances of Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, and Wes Studi, as Geronimo, were outstanding. Matt Damon and Jason Patric were fine as young cavalry officers, and I liked the performance of Steve Reevis as Chato, a friendly, trusting -- and ultimately disillusioned -- Apache scout. Third, the movie was reasonably true to fact and avoided the "noble savage" philosophy that made movies such as "Dances with Wolves" tiresome. Nor did the movie gloss over the...

Terrific cinematography only adds to a fine film
Sometimes, stunning camera work adds significant value to a film's overall merit. Case in point is 2001: A SPACE ODDYSSEY, in which the visuals (and musical score) contributed to make it one of the great films of all time. (I saw it 8 times when originally on the big screen.) Yet the acting and storyline were so nondescript that who can remember who the actors or their characters were beyond Hal? Although certainly not carrying the same weight as 2001 in the evolution of movie making, the 1993 release GERONIMO: AN AMERICAN LEGEND is elevated for the same reason, and the acting is much better besides.

Matt Damon plays 2nd Lt. Britton Davis, newly commissioned out of West Point, who arrives in Arizona in the mid-1880's just in time to accompany the savvy 1st Lt. Charles Gatewood, played by Jason Patric, on a mission to accept the surrender of Geronimo, and bring the Apache leader to the reservation. Eventually, Geronimo abandons the reservation to again take up arms against the white...

Excellent true sory concerning the Apache Chief Geronimo
Walter Hill's film is full of action and drama concerning the Apache Chief Geronimo. Wes Studi should have got an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the Apache Chief. Also outstanding performances by Robert Duvall as Al Siebur the Indian Scout, Jason Patric as Lt. Charles Gatewood, Gene Hackman as Gen. Crook, and Steve Reevis as Apache Scout Chato. Jason Patric's horsemanship is showcased in a scene where an Apache warrior is charging at him on horseback, firing a pistol. A standout scene. A must see for Western Fans. This is an eye opening look at how the Apache were treated by the U.S. government. A truly sad part of American history.

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Cheetah [HD]

If you love cheetahs...
This was my absolute favorite movie when I was a child. I haven't seen it in years, though I know I have a worn out tape of it somewhere. I remember the cheetah was adorable and the story, while possibly being typical Disney fluff, was heartwarming. I'd definitely recommend it as a gift for any child who loves animals.

Cheetah Was a childhood favorite of mine...
It brought back so many fond memories to watch a great Disney classic, I was so excited to share this movie with my son. He also loved it, and it has now become a favorite of his. I would recommend this movie for a wonderful family movie night.

Childhood Treasure
Cheetah is one of those movies that I wore the tape out on as a kid. It tugged my heartstrings with the poachers and racing schemes. But it also made me smile when I was shown that people *did* care about animals.

I was 8 when it first came out, and my mom made sure I had a copy the moment the tape came out. I played it all the time, along with The Last Unicorn, Labyrinth, and the old Shaggy Dog movies. She had to replace copies every so often, especially after a hurricane decimated my collection.

I'm so glad I have the chance to own this movie again. It makes finals week much easier to bear.

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Meet the Robinsons [HD]

"It's the heart that really matters in the end." And this film has more heart than any movie I've seen in ages!
In all my years of reading reviews and shopping on Amazon I have never been compelled to write one myself until now. Like many parents, when a new disney film comes out on dvd, I usually buy it, watch it during movie night, and forget about it by the time the credits start rolling. My daughter is five and she enjoyed it but to me, as an adult who can look back at his life and appreciate all those struggles and "twists and turns of fate" that shaped who I am, the emotional impact ressonated much deeper. I was skeptical of this film due to the fact that disney's computer animated ventures without Pixar on board have consistantly been pretty weak, but in my opinion this one can stand toe to toe with every Disney/Pixar film to date. The director, Stephen Anderson explains that his life was extremely similar to that of the main character, Lewis. The passion that he had for this project is evident in every single detail of every single frame. The musical score by Danny Elfman and the...

An Excellent Disney Film For The Geeky Kid In All of Us!!
We saw "Meet the Robinsons" in the 3-D version at the theater and my kids laughed about it for days. Too bad they couldn't release the DVD in the 3-D version, but it's still an excellent film for children. Personally, I also loved hearing the voice of Adam West in the film.

The film is based loosely on William Joyce's, A Day with Wilbur Robinson. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. William Joyce ALSO was the artist behind Rolie Polie Olie series. The book is quite different from the film, but there are direct parallels. For instance, there is no orphanage theme in the original book and no Bowler Hat Guy. However, many of the other characters are present in both. Stylistically, the book and the movie have a pronounced retro- animation/cartoon feel to them. It is a very refreshing artistic style to watch and makes for a unique animated film.

The DVD contains a fairly...

The film pays homage to a number of established iconic movies...
"Meet the Robinsons" was initially based on the book by William Joyce entitled "A day with Wilbur Robinson." While Disney's movie focused on a young inventor name Lewis who specializes in innovative inventions. Lewis adventure begins when he meets Wilbur and journeys across time to avert any changes in the space time continuum.

The film pays homage to a number of established iconic movies such as Back to the Future, Star Wars, Casino, and generic Kung-Fu inspired action sequences. "Meet the Robinsons" also tackles a number to issues such as friendship, responsibility, integrity, and the importance of a family unit/parental figure in one's life.

It's a great movie and one that every family should take time out to see.

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Double Take [HD]

What a tangled web they weave..
The first time I saw this movie, I have to admit, I was about to fall asleep. That normally doesn't happen, so I didn't think this movie was my type. However, I rented it again to give it another shot because there were some funny parts. But- Double Take is a thinking person's movie. If you don't have time to think about it and figure it out, theres only a few funny parts. But, if you enjoy movies that make you think and laugh, then try it. It also has a good cast including Orlando Jones, Eddie Griffin and one of my favorite actors- Daniel Roebuck.

I LAUGH THINKING ABOUT THIS FUNNY MOVIE
O man this is better than i expected, great chemistry bewtween jones and griffin.Griffen is HILARIUOS.Some lines in here just made me laugh and i am gonna get this dvd.I absolutley love the song when they are in the car and they dance at the petrol station, i am gonna have to get the soundtrack for that great song.
I dont know why people dont like it, i rekon it was a great comedy and a story line of whose, who?
If you are a fan of these 2 you are shore to get this, i wasnt a fan but after this i am now!
But some people have different taste so i suggest you to rent it if you are not shore or never heard of these guys but those who do i recomend this to you!

RECOMENDED

Its Not As Bad As They Say
This movie about a wall street hot-shot named Daryl Chase, and a loud mouth "ghetto recipient" Freddy Tiffany has one of THE STUPIDEST plots you'll ever see. But this movie is just flat out hilarious! Eddie Griffin gives a great performance in this movie, and you'll be laughing till' the very end. Some of the lines are just so funny. Like when Freddy is in Chase' s office and he pretends to be on the phone he says stuff like " a broker is a smoker " and " is that Chloe kitt man I sure like to wax her draws" and as hes being taken out by security he says " hows yo mama we went out " Its a confusing movie but Eddie Griffin saves it. So dont listen to the critics, See this movie you'll like it its very funny!

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Father Hood [HD]

Excellent Cast and Funny Script = A Great Movie!
This very humorous and touching movie is about a self-centered hood, who is just days away from pulling off the biggest hiest of his life, when his big plans are unexpectedly hindered by his 2 children who are suddenly back in his care. The fact that his kids have had a bad experience in foster care does not make this movie hard to take as a comedy, but it allows the viewer to see that even a hood will try to do right by his kids, although in his own way. The conflict facing the father is that of being content with his life of crime and having no kids around to hinder that lifestyle, but at the same time, loving his kids enough come to their rescue when he learns they were mistreated in foster care. The kids long for their father to be "a father" to them while it is clear that his primary concern is for himself and that the lifestyle he has been used to for years, has no room for kids. This situation is portrayed brilliantly by all of the actors involved. So, what...

Funny Stuff
I've seen most of Patrick Swayze's movies and I really enjoy his characters. However, they're usually kind of serious and intense, with a rather "cool" quality. I never imagined him being manic and funny--the exact opposite of most of his more well-known characters. Well, to my surprise, he was terrific. The script has some gaping holes, but Swayze's portrayal of Jack Charles is a totally enjoyable experience. Anyone who is a Swayze fan will enjoy this movie (which even contains a tiny segment of him dancing in front of a mirror).

Great movie
Fun, sweet and heartwarm movie. Real fun and touches on some important issues that need more attention

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One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing [HD]

Fun 70's Disney Comedy
One Of Our Dinasaurs Is Missing didn't quite enjoy the heights of success it was anticipated to by Disney. Its a shame as this is actually an enjoyable, fun comedy with a cast of stars that includes Peter Unistov, Helen Hayes, Derek Nimmo and Joan Sims, who was more famous for her appearances in the classic Carry On film series. A top secret formula is hidden by aristocrat Derek Nimmo inside the skeleton of a dinasaur at the natural History Museum in London. Peter Unistov is mildly amusing as a Chinese agent where as Helen Hayes and Joan Sims are leaders of a gang of unlikeley nannies that even Mary Poppins wouldn't join! Livening things up is a silly, though amusing car chase, lots of kung fu fighting and some flamboyantly over-the-top acting makes this an overly good and entertaining film thats defintley worth a look.

VERY FUNNY
this film is awesome. its one of those must see silly films. a group of nannies telling the grown men in this film what to do! a laugh a minute.

Great Movie
When do we get this in a region 1 DVD? So many other movies have come out on DVD that are out on VHS. Has anyone else been waiting for this movie?

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Husbands (1970) [HD]

Complex Comedy
In Ray Carney's new book about Cassavetes he talks about how the director spent
a year re-editing this movie because he thought it was too "entertaining" and
too "funny" in its first version. Ray Carney's Cassavetes on Cassavetes has
hundreds of similar anecdotes by the filmmaker. It's a perfect introduction to
Husbands. It's anything but a simple comedy. The characters are as unpredictable
as real people and the situations as hard to figure out as stuff in real life.
Husbands gets you all mixed up. Are these guys idiots or inspired? Are they
jerks or pursuing a dream? Cassavetes doesn't want it to be too clear or too
easy to understand. He doesn't want us to laugh off the serious questions. He
talks about that in Carney's book, but it's obvious from the film itself. This
film should be required viewing for all men, so maybe they can begin to
understand themselves, and it should be required viewing for all women so that
they...

Rat Pack In Extremis
Three forty-ish professionals and best friends from Long Island go on a week-long bender in the wake of the fourth of their number dying suddenly of a heart attack. They play sports, go on an endless pub crawl, and eventually flee their wives and kids on an impulsive trip to London, where they set about pairing off with younger women. This is a very conventional sounding story, and director John Cassavetes, operating in the wake of the surprise success of his own film Faces and his acting appearences in two of the biggest hits of the late '60's (Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen) got studio backing and stars for Husbands, and shot a two hour mainstream male-bonding comedy that he screened to great success for MGM executives. He turned to co-star Peter Falk during the applause and whispered "Remember that version -- because no-one's ever going to see it again."

He then spent a year making a completely different film in the editing room, taking out all the scenes of a...

pain is good
This is an excruciating, frustrating, painful comedy of men, and amazing in retrospect. Cassavetes was an authentic cinematic genius of American film, regardless of the philistine like comments I've seen in these reviews. What I don't undertand is why they haven't made it available on DVD. Are they restoring it? Are there legal tie-ups? What? I've only ever seen it in pieces on television. I would love to be able to examine fully, without commerical interruption or deletion....

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The Man with Nine Lives [HD]

Another Karloff Rarity Makes it to DVD
**May Contain Mild Spoilers**

This issue of THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES (1940) is another in what looks like it might be a DVD series of the horror films Karloff made for Columbia. For fans of the actor, it's more than welcome. Karloff gets to play a couple of nicely chilling scenes, which he does very well, and his Dr. Kravaal is the saving grace in what would otherwise be just another B programmer. He's the only real standout in the cast, but the general level of acting is above average. As Dr. Kravaal's foils, Roger Pryor and Jo Ann Sayers are convincing and sympathetic. The often-seen character actor Byron Foulger has some nicely intense moments as one of Kravaal's victims, and there is Bruce Bennett as policeman in the film's climax. It's a fine example of a good B picture: concise and never dull. Director Grinde creates a sense of doom and foreboding as Pryor and Sayers begin their journey in search of Dr. Kravaal's documents, which leads to a variation on the haunted...

Wow, what a good Karloff film!
I recently purchased the "Icons of Horror - Boris Karloff Collection" featuring his Columbia films of the 30s and 40s. That set contained four films. Two of his Columbia horror titles were missing, "The Devil Commands" and "The Man with Nine Lives," because Sony had previously released them separately. I decided to buy the separate DVD releases. I am really glad I did as this film, "The Man with Nine Lives," was a great surprise.

After seeing Karloff recently in a lot of mad scientist roles that all seemed to be similar, I wasn't too sure about watching him in yet another mad scientist flick. Would he be on death row again? Would he be a widower and have the obligatory 18-25 year-old daughter? Would he be seeking vengeance against those who scorned him? Wow, imagine my surprise to see him in a very different mad scientist role.

"The Man with Nine Lives" has Karloff as a misunderstood genius who has perfected a way of using cryogenics (a term that is never...

Karloff on Ice
Cryogenics...what the heck is that, you ask? The online dictionary defines it as "The production of low temperatures or the study of low-temperature phenomena." Hardball fans got a crash course, in terms of its use on humans, back in 2002 when Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ted Williams had his head separated from his body (post mortem, of course), the two parts now frozen in cold storage somewhere in Arizona, I believe...here lies Ted, there lies his head...but back to my point, it seems the legendary Boris Karloff, as a movie character, had been a pioneer of the process back in 1940 (actually the process, in one form or another, had been around since the turn of the century, although I'm unsure when they actually began freezing humans or their parts) in the film The Man with Nine Lives (1940). Directed by Nick Grinde (The Man They Could Not Hang, Before I Hang), the film stars Boris Karloff (Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, Bride of Frankenstein), Roger Pryor (Bullets for...

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Unthinkable

Unimaginably Powerful
As stated by many reviewers, this movie is a 5 star "under the radar" supernnova! Samuel Jackson portrays a "non-existent" terrorist interrogator, who is brought out to save the country from a nuclear Muslim terrorist, Arthur Younger played beautifully by Michael Sheen. Younger is frighteningly convincing with a mysterious conviction, a personal and religious agenda involving at least 3 hidden nuclear bombs of mass destruction, hidden in unknown metropolitan America.

Jackson's character is magnificent, simply known as "H," the silver bullet weapon who is the only chance to extract key information and save millions from an impending holocaust. The movie races under a pressure cooker of time, obstacles of authority, and confusion on how far to go in this unbelievable quandry of intensity and horror. What does "H" need to do to uncover and neutralize this madman's design to kill millions of innocents? The military and intelligence teams are portrayed with sublime perfection,...

Challenging
Extremely powerful. I finished watching this movie a few moments ago, and am struggling to come up with the words to describe it. First I should say that the movie is graphicly violent, as most of it is based on the torture of one suspected terrorist. The movie generally plays on the what-ifs and what people assume is the worst case scenario to an attack on the United States. However unlikely we may want to say the story is, those that have researched wartime history know that as humans we have been and can be amazingly cruel. One of the things that I thought was well done with this movie is that... at least to me... did not seem to tell the story from only one perspective. Whether it was the conflict between "suspect" and government agencies, or the conflict between giving life value or to torture, or whether we would be willing to destroy everything we are in order to save ourselves. I was hesitant to rent this movie at first simply because I have not been impressed with...

Another must-see film
I am usually hard pressed to give 5 stars to any movie, game, etc but this movie gives excellent reasons for me to give 5 stars.
The review by M. Himed was excellent except one point. He/she stated that there was a scene where a woman said she had been raped. He said we didn't know if she was Muslim or Christian. He/she was incorrrect. The woman speaking to Carrie-Anne Moss was Sam Jackson's wife and in the beginning of the movie they clearly state, his wife is a devoute Muslim. She was the one who was raped at one point. It's one of the reasons Sam Jackson is considered to be one of the most dangerous people that the Gov reps use to do their dirty work. He has reasons to hate terrorists.
Michael Sheen is awesome in his performance. With a large, well known cast around him, he stepped up and delivered an amazing performance. The mental chess game he plays is very well acted.
This movie shows the average viewer that sometimes, the unthinkable MUST be done in order to...

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Across the Universe [HD]

'Love is all you really need'
Julie Taymor once again uses her considerable innovative magic to create a film that not only is mesmerizingly beautiful to watch, but also a 'semi-documentary' about the world changes that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s as young people for the first time spoke out against the war in Vietnam, the death of Martin Luther King, and the senseless mayhem that extended from the battlefields of Vietnam to the streets of America, all set to the significant, timely music of the Beatles. It sounds like an impossible juxtaposition of themes and ideas, but in Taymor's hands it succeeds.

Opening in Liverpool, England (where the Beatles began their impact on music and thought) we met Jude (Jim Sturgess), a working class boy with the gifts of an artist who decides to set off on a sea journey to meet the father he has never known. Once in New York he meets Max (Joe Anderson) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) who represent the wealthy class, but who both show roots of rebellion...

In the Name of Love
If it were possible to go into the mind and film the imagination, if one could actually get a glimpse of a creative spark and present it as a movie, the end result would look something like "Across the Universe." Here is a film so vibrant, colorful, and imaginative that it practically flies off the screen. It's not something you simply watch; this richly detailed musical fantasy is something you fully experience, from the stunning visuals to the brilliant soundtrack. Few films have successfully incorporated previously written song material into an original story; one notable exception is Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge," in which songs by Elton John, David Bowie, Madonna, The Police, and many others were interwoven. "Across the Universe" gets its inspiration from the music of The Beatles--every song fit the story so naturally, it's almost as if they were specially written for the film.

But as much as I enjoyed it, I can't help but feel that I'm the wrong person to review it;...

Is there anybody going to listen to my story
There have been several movies that have tried to make the music of The Beatles a central focus of their reason d'existence. Some - like The Beatles' own A Hard Day's Night and Yellow Submarine - are perfect, some are not (the dismal "All This and World War Too"). Even the camp classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was so bad it was worth seeing because of the music. Heck, even the forgettable I Am Sam raked in a killer soundtrack thanks to John, Paul, George and Ringo.

But they've got nothing on "Across The Universe." Taking the turmoil and tumult of the sixties and re-imagining it through the lyrics of Beatle's songs, it is a trippy, hallucinogenic ride that is a visual and sonic...

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Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round [HD]

Criminally Underrated
This is a unique and sensational 60s caper -- very well-written. There's no exposition - nothing is telegraphed. You have to pay careful attention to all Coburn's moves to find out how they play out. You're not even sure what the score is `til the final 20 minutes. It's seriously ahead of its time, although its time may not have yet arrived still, because if this were made today they'd overplay the cynicism of the piece and not let it all unfold for the viewer without irony.

Though it has a low-key, hip 60s vibe, it has more of the feel of a subversive 70s entertainment. (I winced when I saw Rose Marie's prominent billing in the credits, fearing a garish Mad-Mad-World-style comic cameo. She has only a couple of scenes, though and she's terrific.) Coburn's never been better.

The picture's a little too long, but it's a complete knockout. Remembered today mainly for Harrison Ford's three lines as a bellboy, this a subtle little classic.

A Solid Caper Film with Only One Real Flaw
James Coburn is among my favorite actors -- he might not have been as handsome as, say, Cary Grant or Gregory Peck, nor as suave as Sean Connery or Rock Hudson, but he could carry a film as easily as any of these leading men. What Coburn brought to his roles, long before it became de riguer, was a steady but self-effacing cool, with quite a bit more humor than Steve McQueen or Lee Marvin, who approximated him physically. That his career did not go further is a mystery to me, but thank goodness we have the films he did make. Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round is a cryptic title until you get the reference in the film, but it's a fine hold-up movie, and the sort that keeps you guessing as to what will happen next.

Coburn plays Eli Kotch, a grifter who, among other things, charms his way out of prison by bedding the state's psychologist (Marian McCargo, a cross between Barbara Billingsley and Dina Merrill) before making his way across the country in a series of interesting cons...

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round 1966
Saw this movie while I was stationed in Germany 1966/67 Having grown up in and around the LA airport, it was like seeing a bit of home in a far off land. Didn't see this movie again until the 1980s and taped it on VHS. Was glad to see it available on DVD really enjoyed this movie.
The actors and dialog in this film, are classic. After I got out of the US Army in 1970 went to the LA airport and walked around, the area, the bank in the film was under a different name for the movie, When I went to visit the airport, it was a Bank of America branch.
Walked around the Encounter Restaurant and Observation area at that time, you could just walk about anywhere. Today all that
open area in the movie where you drop off and pick up passengers is now enclosed and is a double-deck area. For myself, its one of those movie I'll always remember and now own in my DVD movie collection...

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The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band [HD]

Musical
This was a good show with good morals and the whole family having fun playing musical instruments and helping to back their grandfather.

Great family show
A superfamilyoriented, typical Disney family movie! I would recommend showing it your children (but they'll probably think it's corny, and it is)...

Great family movie
This is great movie for the entire family. Typical 60's type - a bit hokey at times but it's great to not have to filter language or attitudes.

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The Cemetery Club [HD]

Plenty of life left
The acting and the basic theme of the film -- how people handle further attachments after losing a spouse -- are good. There are a number of funny lines and poignant moments. The main romance is handled well and realistically on an emotional level. The final scene in the music store was unfortunately marred by Ben's phoney stuttering when he tries to get out the word marriage. The idea is fine, but the execution seemed really hokey. All in all, an enjoyable film that had a lot of nice touches, particularly the bedroom/hotel night scene.

Movie Review
The Cemetery Club has been one of my favorite movies for years. Before purchasing the movie through Amazon, I had been searching all video stores for the movie. I wished I had thought of Amazon before searching for the movie elsewhere because it was so easy to find on Amazon and just as easy to puchase, as well.

The Cemetery Club is a movie for all ages. It is especially fun to watch with family members. The cast is fantastic; Danny Aiello, Olympia Dukakis, Ellyn Bursten and Diane Ladd and Christina Ricci has a small part in the film as a young girl.

I highly recommend this movie.

great movie
Although it starts out very sad.....as we all long for this relationship...it turns into a great story. Loved every part of it. I watch it over and over again.

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The Seventh Sign [HD]

Watch for revival of The Seventh Sign
Amid the various current releases with themes relating to the turn of the millenium and the Apocalypse, The Seventh Sign is a thought-provoking and scary sleeper from a more than a decade before (1988) that's bound for a revival in 2000.

A very pregnant Abby Quinn (Demi Moore) has a disturbing, recurring dream of a Roman soldier (Peter Friedman) striking a condemned Jesus Christ to the ground and demanding, "Will you die for him?" Little does she know the future of the world rests on her answer to the question after the Messiah returns to Earth as David Bannon (Jurgen Prochnow), a mysterious traveling teacher of ancient languages who rents a Venice, California garage apartment from Abby and her husband Russell (Michael Biehn).

Prochnow (Das Boot, The English Patient) puts on such a convincing performance as Christ it's very easy to believe he is indeed the Messiah returned to the present to unleash the wrath of God as he breaks the seals of the Seven Signs...

A Charismatic Role for Jurgen Prochnow
I would give this film three stars, but five for Jurgen Prochnow's remarkable performance. It is almost tragic that Hollywood has never known what to do with this intelligent, charismatic actor, so brilliant in "Das Boot," and demonstrating such a quietly compelling presence even in this apocalyptic melodrama. As for the film itself, intriguing scenes alternate with others that don't add up. Demi Moore's character is cited for her kindness, but in actuality, she seems completely oblivious to the sensitivities of others. We see her obsess and invade her tenant's privacy to the point of actually stealing (and even casually destroying) possibly priceless artifacts, with her only "excuse" a morbid curiosity and an ignorance threatened by what she can't immediately explain, and to which she gives the most self-obsessed interpretation. As for the movie's question, "Would you die for me?" - it is truly not answered by the ending, as most mothers would die for their children: as presented...

One of the better apocalyptic thrill-rides from Hollywood.
Most have never even heard of this movie, which is a true shame, for The Seventh Sign is a nice little look at what will happen, or might happen, when the seven signs of the apocalypse come to pass. Demi Moore plays Abby Quinn, a woman in the last month of her pregnancy who meets a man intent on renting the apartment above the Quinn's garage. This man is seen earlier in the film walking among different places, cracking seals that unleash ruin on the lands and seas. Abby, after much deliberation, begins to discover that her tenant is not what she originally saw him to be, and suspects that he may want to bring harm to her unborn child. She dreams of a man being struck, and a soldier yelling, "Will you die for him?" This movie definitely has a factor of suspense which is evident throughout most of the picture, and the conveyance of each of the seven signs is very haunting and original. Acting is an added plus, especially in the most tense of situations. Do not be...

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Treasure Buddies [HD]

When did Santa Claus become Indiana Jones????
In all fairness, I am torn about this entire review. I agree with everyone that the Buddies direct to dvd franchise is strained and borderline pathetic. And I was ready to completely dislike the movie before even watching it. But to my chagrin by the third time my six year old played the disc, I found myself chuckling at some of the lines and antics.

Yes, the CGI is bad. The "Middle Eastern accents" are bad. The humor is bad and at times completely unnecessary (when Cammy and Butter Ball discuss regurgitation... YUCK! While a fact of life, was this important enough to put in the movie?!?!). And the premise of the movie? ... you guessed it, bad. For anyone put off by the supernatural storyline in Spooky Buddies, Treasure Buddies is no different as there is a curse involved and an evil cat bent on taking over the world (think Warner Brother's "Cats & Dogs" movies). Yes there are scary scenes because of whole storyline, but the amount of 'fright' really depends on your...

Indiana Bones
My daughter (5) and I (43) had a great time watching this movie. It had some fun new characters (a cheeky little monkey and a friendly camel) to complement the five lovable Buddies and our fairly high expectations (we have seen all the Buddies movies) were more than satisfied. The humor and adventure were handled in an appropriate manner for a G rated movie and had some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. The middle-eastern setting was an exciting and interesting departure for the pups and held our interest to the final frame. While the actors involved will never be receiving Academy Awards for their performances, the movie showcased positive values in a way that kids can relate to. I am certain that it will be receiving a considerable amount of repeat viewings in our house.

Scary for Little Ones
My children anxiously awaited the arrival of this movie in the mail. However, we were quite disappointed as we watched it tonight. My youngest daughter kept saying that the voice of one of the buddies is different than in the other movies. My youngest son kept saying, "I'm scared". At the end of the movie, they all three said they were too scared to go to bed and asked to please watch something else for a few minutes to get their minds off of this movie.

Please understand, this movie is not SO TERRIBLY SCARY. There are some creepy scenes, especially with the naked cat, the snake, the bugs, the naked cat...oh did I already mention the naked cat? I think one problem is that my children enjoy the Air Bud and Buddies movies because they make them laugh (as silly as they may be). This movie does not make children laugh and it almost put mom and dad to sleep!

There is also an element of family bonding, love, and loyalty in the Air Bud movies that is missing in...

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Nickelodeon [HD]

The version of "NICKELODEON" that Bogdanovich wanted and who can not love the timeless classic "THE LAST PICTURE SHOW"
Peter Bogdanovich, one of America's well-known directors, known for major cinema hits such as "What's up, Doc?", "Paper Moon", "Nickelodeon", "The Last Picture Show", "Mask" and most recently "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream". Many directorial hits within the last 50 years. In the 1970's, one film which would garner two Academy Awards and many other cinema awards for its unique story and the other which showcases a time during Hollywood during the silent film era and the end of the Nickelodeon but was not created the way the director intended until now.

"NICKELODEON" is a 1976 film which would star popular actors Burt Reynolds and Ryan O'Neal together including O'Neal's daughter Tatum (who was the youngest actor to win an Academy Award in 1973) and emerging actor at the time, John Ritter.

The film took place during the 1910's when people were enlightened by silent films, especially plays and so forth. But during the time when Patent...

Essential for anyone who loves movies
I've obtained an advance copy of this DVD package and it is stunning. Reasons:

* It collects Bogdanovich's two best films.
* He delivers a smart, entertaining commentary for each film.
* Though LPS includes the same extras found on the previous DVD release, this edition adds a commentary. I suspect this is the same one on the out-of-print laser disc.
* Nickelodeon is presented in two versions: the original colour one, and the slightly longer one in beautiful black-and-white. Guess which is better?
* Both discs are dual-layered to preserve the quality of picture and sound.

Need I say more?

AT

NEW B & W REMASTERING OF NICKELODEON!
The best news about the release of the hugely under-rated Nickelodeon - the disc includes the color theatrical release PLUS a newly-reworked black-and-white version, overseen by Bogdanovich, who originally wanted to film it in B & W. Also, the copy of The Last Picture Show has been remastered.
NOW, Mr Bogdanovich, PLEASE let us have At Long Last Love!

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Underworld U.S.A. [HD]

Seven very different and interesting films in this collection
We now finally have the details on the seven films that will be in this collection:

It Happened in Hollywood (1937) - Fuller's second film. Richard Dix stars as a silent Western star who is put out of work by the coming of talking pictures, since in the early days the technology can't be taken outdoors. He loses his career, his ranch, everything. After his fall he encounters a small boy who still adores him.

Adventure in Sahara (1938)-Much like Mutiny on the Bounty except it is set in the desert.

Power of the Press (1943) - From 1925-1935 Hollywood had made many anti-war films. This is one of those films that tried to reverse that trend with a tale about the dangers of isolationism.

Shockproof (1949, directed by Douglas Sirk) - About a parole officer in love with a parolee. This is against the rules of his profession, so the parole officer fixes it so the parolee can work in his home tending to his mother. However,the parolee just may be...

Difficult packaging
I'm not here to discuss film content, which is probably excellent. I am here to discuss the difficult packaging which plagues this set. Not only are the DVDs stacked on top of each other in twos, but the lower discs have edges that are positioned BELOW the spindles!

I had major difficulty sliding the four lower DVDs out without breaking them (I did crack the outer packaging twice). I should have pushed down on the lower release button BEFORE attempting to slide the discs from underneath the spindles. I'm neither adroit nor mechanically minded, so the packaging was a challenge to me. Others will probably have less trouble than I experienced, as long as they are careful.

I still hate this packaging, and would rather have slim cases in a wraparound. That would avoid the potential for breakage that I described above.

The film transfers look quite good for the most part.

Amazing and not to be forgotten! A must for a gift
Sam Fuller has an artist's eye that you can really see in his films. He is one of the few that can capture the reality of the 'Underworld' without making a mockery of it.
He also brings the audience in to see the real L.A., n ot just Sunset Strip, but downtown, like the real Main Street and Little Tokyo and let's the location become another character of its own.
This is a must for any film lover or friend, even if they have never heard of Sam or his films.
I am a 28 year old female that normally does 'girly stereotypes', and went to see a screening of Underworld U.S.A. and Crimson Kimono. I am now a die hard fan! I use this as an example that he spans all sexes and generations.
Enjoy!

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