Transformers Rescue Bots: Roll to the Rescue

DVD Review: "Transformers: Rescue Bots - Roll to the Rescue"
Hasbro takes a page from Marvel for their new television show "Transformers: Rescue Bots." They make the Robots in Disguise look cuter and more toddler friendly to grab that audience. It's something toy manufacturers and television producers have been doing for decades. Anybody remember "Muppet Babies," "Tiny Toons," "The Flintstone Kids," or "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo?"

"Transformers: Rescue Bots - Roll to the Rescue" brings the metallic heroes to the town of Griffin Rock, Maine. Each of the four Transformers take on the forms of a bulldozer, fire engine, helicopter, and police car. Chase, Heatwave, Blades, and Boulder are recruited by Optimus Prime to assist a police chief, firefighter, helicopter pilot, and engineer fight fires, aliens, and other dangers.

The show is perfect for younger children and geared to them. However, most Transformers fans will enjoy the show for what it is. It moves at a quick pace and is entertaining yet simple. Like most animated shows...

Transformers for Young Kids!
My boys love anything to do with Transformers and Rescue Bots is a great show for younger fans. They basically took the original Transformers but made them more colorful and bubbly - young kid friendly. It features four Rescue Bots - Chase, Heatwave, Blades and Boulder - as protectors who keep people safe while learning themselves how to be heroes. The show is wholesome and full of action that isn't all about fighting or weapons, it is more so showing heroes and working together as a team. My boys (4 and 5) love this show and this DVD features five episodes full of fun with over two hours of content. My boys love how the Rescue Bots transform and they would watch this DVD over and over if I let them. While I am sure they have probably seen some of these episodes on TV (HUB network airs Rescue Bots) they don't see to mind and love that they can watch their favorite heroes anytime!

Very fun series!
My kids love this series, and they were so happy to get the DVD! I wish it had more episodes on it but we are pleased with it! Good quality, plays well, and overall definitely worth the price.

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Fight Club

The most underrated film of the last year
When I'm looking at the Top Ten list's of America's critics and the nominations of the DGA,WGA and all the other guilds and press associations, I terribly miss David Fincher's outstanding film "Fight Club", which is possibly the best film of 1999.

Not only is the film visualy stunning, it is also very thought-provoking, wickedly funny and, above all, extremely entertaining. Only few films managed to be so many things at once. David Fincher, in my opinion one of the most exciting directors of the decade, fills his movie with so many ideas that it would be sufficient for three more movies, and they are not just gimmicks for their own sake, they all mean something. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are brilliant in the leads and the soundtrack by the Dust Brothers fits perfectly to the images.

Many reviewers thought the film was fascist. I think you can only call this ridiculous, since that assumes Fincher sympathizes with Tyler Durden's project mayhem. In fact, he...

The year's best satire
FIGHT CLUB arrived in the US with a blaze of publicity stressing its violence and nihilism; some critics (and those close to the production) countered this with the suggestion that it was an anti-materialist jeremiad. On a second viewing, it seems like neither -- it's easier to see it as a smart, committed and complex piece of filmmaking. David Fincher once again dazzles with his direction, which is as intelligently energetic as the acting of Brad Pitt and, especially, Edward Norton. What's really impressive, however, is the way that the film manages to flirt with an anti-materialist, hyper-masculine primitivism even as it suggests that we're all a little too sophisticated to buy it (as it were).

FIGHT CLUB may hold that we're not the clothes we wear, or the credit cards in our wallet, but it's savvy enough to realise that our paths of thought and modes of organisation are almost entirely contaminated by the world we've created. Is the solution to destroy that world...

This Movie doesn't care what you rate it...
It's a number. A star. A rating. Tyler knows that. He doesn't care. He's just pleased to know that in a world where even God doesn't know most people's name, there's another man who knows who Tyler Durden is.

Tyler Durden lets Big Lou punch him repeatedly in the jaw, while laughing maniacally, mocking him and infuriating him. At the end of the scene, Tyler seems to make the point: Real men don't always beat the crap out of other men, Real Men laugh silly at other men who try their best to make them feel pain, but only fail repeatedly. How would you feel if you sucked in all the power you had, landed a blow on a dude, and he laughed in your face as if to say, "That's your best shot?" Not very good, I think.

Tyler Durden [Brad Pitt] is the manifestation of every man's fantasy. Good-looking, brash, arrogant, fights like a tank, takes a beating like a tank, ****s like a machine and doesn't do any REAL work.

The Narrator [Ed Norton] is the manifestation of...

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7 Clinics with Buck Brannaman: Complete Set 1-7

Worth every penny...
You don't have to be an advanced rider to benefit from this clinic series featuring Buck Brannaman. However, it probably does help if you're at least a serious student of horsemanship...if only to understand the importance of the endless 'wax on, wax off' moments Sensei Brannaman ;-) delivers along the way. Cindy Meehl and her production team followed Buck to 7 clinics to capture 'footage' for the documentary, Buck. Cindy then cut the best from each clinic and arranged the content by topic. In particular, thank you for this arrangement, Cindy (should you ever read this). The video itself is high quality, with great audio (production quality like this is a rarity unto itself in the world of instructional horsemanship DVDs). In my opinion, this is worth every penny.

Lightness, Harmony & Dignity.
This set of DVD's is the single best source of horsemanship wisdom and practice that you will ever find. Both the audio and video are superb. It is the best $145 dollars that you will ever spend on your horse. Among many other things, Buck offers some important things to do with your horse that will eliminate 95% of the bronc rides that you might have in your future. And this may actually save your life. So, I would say that this is money well spent.

At the beginning of every DVD, Buck speaks informally, for a few minutes, about the general philosophy that informs his approach to horses. In the "Lessons" section of each DVD he covers everything from ground work, to basic exercises horseback, to more advanced and subtle concepts that will help both you and your horse to achieve a clear, harmonious communication based upon mutual trust and respect. Everything he does with a horse is designed to set the horse up for success with a minimum of both mental and physical...

Definitely Worth The Watch
This set of DVDs is really worth the watch. The quality of the product (packaging & content) is excellent. It is a must-have for anyone that is interested in "practical" horsemanship. There are golden nuggets of information strewn throughout the set (discs 1 to 7).

As a precursor / primer, I would highly recommend that you watch Buck Brannaman's "Groundwork" DVD before you watch Discs 1 & 2 as it will give you the framework and understanding of Buck's approach and methods. Similarly, one would benefit from watching his "Making of a Bridle Horse" before watching discs 3 & 4. This is just because this set of 7 DVDs are not really a stand-alone, how-to kind of series. It is extremely valuable and informative, but it might not be "instructional" enough for everyone without the more in-depth coaching of his instructional DVDs.

Should someone choose to only watch this set of 7 discs, then it is definitely still worth it!

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Fairy Tail: Part 6 [Blu-ray]

One of the best Fairy Tail Arcs.
This set is like all the other ones, and thats awesome. Seriously this is the best Arc so far with Oracion Seis. buy more Fairy Tail.

AMAZING!!!!!
I love this series, but when is part 7 coming out. Its killer to wait this long in between. Anybody on the fence should definitely hop over and give it a try!!!!!

Nice!
It's great that this is releasing soon, but it's a bit pricey compared to the previous sets. Will this also get a price drop?

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Swastika

Still a chilling, frightening film
I first saw this documentary in 1976. It took several days for me to shake the chilling, disturbing effect it had on me at the time. I just bought the DVD and watched about half of it. It still has the same effect, particularly if you have not seen it before.

What makes it so upsetting? It's not what you've come to expect in a documentary about Nazi Germany. This is the Nazis through their own eyes. The entire film is archival footage from the time. There is no narration. There are no post-facto talking heads. In short, there is no editorializing, and, lacking that, you start to see why the German people were willing to follow such evil people.

The bulk of the film is from before the war. The highlight is Eva Braun's home movies of Hitler and the Nazi leadership. We see Hitler relaxing at Obersalzburg, talking to friends, greeting children, petting dogs. As the film says at the beginning, it is necessary to see the human face of evil in order to...

A Must See Film!!
This is an absolutely fascinating look at pre-war Nazi Germany. The film attempts and I believe succeeds in allowing the viewer to experience what it was like to live in Germany prior to the Second World War. This was before the bombings, death camps and all the horrors that are now associated with the words Nazi and Adolf Hitler. Hitler as well as his inner circle are shown in a manner that makes them all too human and, for me; quite easy to relate to on a human level. That alone would make the film worth watching but what I really found extremely powerful was seeing how much the German people idolized Hitler and watching it could understand why. The film was vilified when it first opened and considered by many pro Nazi because it lets the viewer interpret this material for themselves. This is a film that doesn't "tell" the viewer anything. It is a film that makes the viewer experience something radically different and having experienced it forces them to understand exactly...

Not So Shockingly New
For those who are avid students of WW II, those who have seen the better WW II documentary films and those who watch a lot of The Military Channel and The History Channel on cable, 90% of the Berghof footage is old news. A lot of the Nuremberg footage is well known. There is a very short scene of one of the Braun sisters skinny dipping up in the mountains which was new to me. Yes,they played with their doggies, sipped tea, doted over the children, frolicked in the Alpine meadows and murdered millions. There are numerous scenes of ordinary Germans doing mundane things especially Bavarian farmers who look like Appalachian hillbillies. There is some interesting footage of German kids going to summer (indoctrination)camp and it looks like everybody in Germany wore a uniform. Look at the faces of the people in the huge crowds and you can see and feel the hysterical "fatal attraction" Hitler had over these people. This film is an excellent slice of German life from 1933 to 1939. The ironies...

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Team Umizoomi

Only 4 episodes
I love Umizoomi & so does my 2 yr old! Since there is not much of a description listed for this DVD, I just want to let you know that it only contains 4 episodes: the rolling toy parade, the legend of the blue mermaid, kite festival, & wild west toy train show.

Cute show!!!
This is a really cute show-- and educational! It has counting, shapes, and patterns. My 2 year old is autistic and this is one of the few shows he will actually sit and watch.

Bring on the Team Umizoomi merchadise!!!!!
My two year old daughter can't get enough of Team Umizoomi. Is there a Millie, Geo or Bot doll anywhere? There's money making potential with this team so somebody bring on the toys, games, books. Christams is not too far away and it sure would be nice to have something under the tree. :-) Team Umizoomi, We need your help! :-)

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Troop Beverly Hills

...blue-light special, aisle thirteen...cookies...
This was one of those fabulous 80's movies that Shelley Long made after her surprising "Cheers" departure. As a kid growing up, I loved this movie because it was so funny. My brother and I would watch it all the time, it got to a point where we memorized most of the lines (...blue-light special, isle thirteen...cookies...)

"Troop Beverly Hills" is a the story of a Beverly Hills homemaker (who's going through a divorce) that attempts to lead her daughter's wilderness girl troop. Phyllis Nefler (played by "Cheers" star Shelley Long) leads this group of spoiled Beverly Hills princesses.

Along their journey, they learn how to be "real wilderness girls" in a non conventional way while fighting the evils of Vesta Plendor (played by the very funny Betty Thomas.) Vesta will stop at nothing to prove Phyllis and her troop are nothing more than a group of pampered Beverly Hills brats.

Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper from "Three's Company") also has a small part in this...

Beverly Hills, what a thrill!
Although I did not get to see this movie until I was about 13 (I'm 18 now), I have to say that this is an absolutely hilarious movie! How can you not love seeing these spoiled Beverly Hills girls doing what they consider "roughing it" by sleeping at the Beverly Hills hotel, or making a dress-rack backpack for the craft fair? In the end though, they show that money may buy you the world, but it's true spirit that wins the race. A funny movie, with an excellent message. Buy it, watch it, you won't be disappointed!

A DELIGHTFUL FILM
One of my favourite "pick-me-up" films, TROOP BEVERLY HILLS is a hilarious romp filled with big belly laughs!

Shelley Long (one really under-appreciated actress) plays Phyllis Nefler, a spoiled socialite whose marriage is on the rocks. She agrees to take the helm of her daughter's wilderness girl troop, to engage in some long-overdue bonding.

Along the way, she encounters the bitchy wilderness girl leader Velda Plendor (played perfectly by Betty Thomas) and the mousy little Annie (played by Mary Gross). The "ordeal" also reunites her with her husband (Craig T. Nelson), and the maid Rossario (Shelly Morrison) could not be happier!

A truly star-studded film, boasting cameos by Dr. Joyce Brothers, Pia Zadora, Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Pee-Wee Herman, and many more!

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Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Final Sacrifice

I laughed so hard I almost threw up
There are two parts to this review: 1) the actual movie, and 2) the MST3000 part.

The movie is in the horror/science fiction genre: Thousands of years ago, a city of an advanced civilization disappeared but, apparently, evil descendents of the superior beings skulk around the woods in Alberta (led by a marvelous villain named Satoris) looking for the city while wearing hoodies, jogging trousers, and black teeshirts. They all have strange tattoos. OK. That's basically the plot, except that a young teenager (name of Troy)is being hunted by them, and he somehow teams up with a man who (what a coincidence!) is an ex member of the cult. His name is... Rowsdower -- Zap Rowsdower. There is also a wonderful grizzled fellow named Mike Pipper.

This is all so funny that is difficult to imagine what could make it funnier. But MST3000 manages it.

The MST3000 part of the story is, as usual, just an onslaught of funny comments. My personal favorites have to...

If you could only watch (or show your friends) one MST3K
It should be this one, followed by Puma Man.

Some will say that Manos: The Hands of Fate is the best. What they really mean is that Manos is the worst movie they ever did, which isn't quite the same thing.

If you want a hilariously bad, incredibly campy, odd couple Canadian adventure film, this is it. You'll be quoting this one with your friends.

Hilarious!
This is hands down my favorite of the mystery science theater episodes! The first time I watched it, I missed half of the jokes because I was laughing so hard. Each and every part of the commentary during the movie is well timed and well played. I am not a huge fan of the commentaries when they're in the spaceship not actually watching the movie, but when the movie is playing, each of the three characters is really on their game. Fantastic! I highly recommend watching this if you'd like to laugh incessantly for a solid hour and a half. Thumbs up!

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The Killing: Season Two

The Investigation Into Rosie Larsen's Death Finally Comes To A Close
Note: Unfortunately, this set did not receive an official DVD release available in stores. This offer is for MOD (manufacture-on-demand) only and the three disc set will be pressed onto DVD-R media when you order it. There are no Special Features for this reason.

When Season One of "The Killing" premiered on AMC, it was an instant critical darling. An adaptation of a successful Danish television series, it was an intense and quiet show with a slow build drama that got under your skin. Those eager for easy answers and constant action might have needed to look elsewhere because the pace of "The Killing" was more akin to the unraveling of a fine novel than to that of a breakneck thriller. In the premiere episode, a young girl named Rosie Larsen was found murdered. Each episode represented one day following three distinct story threads. We saw the investigation progress, we examined the painful aftermath on the girl's family and friends, and we reflected on how the...

No Closed Captioning!!! Such a disappointment and waste of money...
I ordered this before other reviews were posted about the lack of subtitles/closed captioning...I am hearing impaired and cannot watch without captioning. I thought it was a law that everything had to have closed captioning nowadays...what a disappointment as I really like this show and was waiting anxiously for Season Two to be available on DVD.

I Very Seldom Get Upset/Angry over DVD Releases..BUT...
I'll make an exception over the release of the 2nd season of Killing..I enjoyed season 1 very much and was eagerly awaiting season 2 and wondering why it wasn't being released. Just a few mintes ago I was ready to buy the finally release season 2 when I realized it was a dvd-r with no sdh/english subtitles. The season one had them of course so I naturally assumed season 2 would also never suspecting an AMC/Amazon dvd-r collaboration that showed no regards for people that purchased season 1. This is uncalled for and shows no respect for people who need sdh-and yes I am still very ticked off even after venting. Shame on all involved in this.

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Moulin Rouge! [Blu-ray]

Wish I saw it in the theater.
At a time when movie-goers reward high budget, formulaic, Hollywood concoctions, I am grateful for this creative, unconventional, genre-defying movie. By genre, I don't mean musical or drama. I mean film, theater, opera, circus. Somehow the director had so much vision he managed to take so many unsavory elements (unoriginal love story, singing, dancing, so much lace and ruffles, a bit of campiness)and turned them into breath-taking entertainment. The first time I saw it, it did strange things to my pulse, but it was the second time that I let myself enjoy it. I feel sorry for all the critics and movie-goers who expected it to be what movies are 'supposed' to be and so didnt have anything to compare it to or knew how to relate to it. There really has never been anything like it. For those who have not seen it, I suggest approaching it as you would a roller-coaster ride (dont expect to be in control).

Eye Candy at the Moulin Rouge
I must admit that when I first went to see Mouln Rouge in the theaters, I was most reluctant. It looked cheesy to me, but I kept hearing good things about it. So finally I went, and was blown away. This movie, from a writing aspect, breaks no new ground, but visually,it is astonishing. The beautiful thing about film is that the same story can be told over and over in different styles. And Baz Luhrman's style is most definitely unique. The movie pulls you in from it's opening moments, and rarely lets go. I did find the movie slightly over-indulgent at times, as though Baz was throwing certain visual effects in for the sake of throwing them in. But the acting all around is incredible, and the music is absolutely genius. Many may have a problem with what could be describe as a 2 hour music video, but I loved it. It is definitely geared towards the MTV generation, but I think it can be enjoyed by all. All in all, it is the best movie I have seen in a long time.

Words don't describe it!
I went into the cinema expecting to be amazed with the costumes and scenery, in awe of the singing, and enthralled in the story. Basically I went into Moulin Rouge with unreachable expectations.

I wasn't disappointed!

The movie was unlike anything I've ever seen. The camera angles, and difficult shots are at times dizzying and overwhelming, but in the fantasy world that Baz Lurhmann has created it all works. The music is beautiful and inspiring and funny all at the same time.

Nicole doesn't have the most powerful or experienced voice, but it only adds to the poignancy of her character. I found that she fit the part far better than I expected. Her rendition of "One Day I'll Fly Away" was especially nice.

As for Ewan, he can *really* sing! His voice was clear and powerful, and the Elephant love melody duet was probably one of my favourite sequences. That last scene (*sniffs)...Wow.

I laughed (never I thought I'd enjoy Madonna's "Like a Virgin" quite so...

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Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXVII

Slime People, Rocket Attack USA, Village of the Giants and a Deadly Mantis
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection Volume XXVII features three episodes from the Comedy Central era of the show and one from the Sci-Fi Channel era. Two episodes feature show creator Joel Hodgson as host and two feature head writer Mike Nelson as host. These are four solid episodes and three of the feature films used are low budget science fiction, the core film genre of the show, though personally I think the incredibly low budget cold war propaganda film makes for the strongest episode of the four. This is another solid set with a wide variety of episodes spanning the history of the show from seasons 1, 2, 5 and 8.

108- THE SLIME PEOPLE with short: COMMANDO CODY PT 6
Los Angeles is invaded by an army of subterranean monsters in this black-and-white film from 1963. A pilot, a scientist with his two daughters and a marine fight to retake the city. It's silly fun with cheap costumes, lots of smoke effects, and a very low budget look all around. 1940s star Robert...

"Marie died, you know."
I'm officially tossing my hat in the ring for an early MST3k volume review, as I've already pre-ordered this one and have recently re-watched 3 of the 4 episodes. Why did I pre-order it? "The Deadly Mantis" was one of the very first episodes of MST3k I ever saw, watching it on the Sci-Fi channel at the tender age of 10, so this set already has me with its sentimental/nostalgic value. EDIT: Now that I actually *have* it, I'll give you my full review, complete with bonus features, etc.

Here's the episode breakdown:

THE SLIME PEOPLE: A film predating C.H.U.D. that features reptilian type creatures coming up from underground and causing trouble for the surface dwellers. A scientist, his two daughters, some reporter guy, and a marine named Cal that apparently is played by Conan O'Brien's older brother get caught in an invasion by the Slime People, some gross monsters that live underground...

Totally awesome - as usual
The movies, as usual, are horrible. And this set is no exception. The riffing is, as usual, really good. Some of the quips are hit or miss, but 99.9999% hit the mark and run anywhere from a guffaw to fall on the floor hilarious. The extras are pretty good and give some background to the movies and the stars of MST3K.

And again, Shout Factory has done an outstanding job of the lead-ins and cover art. If you are an MST3K fan (as I am - and you must be if you are here), the purchase of this set is a foregone conclusion. If you are just starting to discover MST3k, welcome - and hit the "buy" button. Then, sit back and enjoy the madness that the rest of us have been telling people about for years!

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The Impossible

A Family Divided: This True Life Disaster Drama Serves Up An Emotional Gut Punch
Going into a movie like "The Impossible," I knew exactly what to expect. Based on the real life experiences of Maria Belon (who takes a story credit) and her family, the film focuses on the harrowing tsunami that devastated Thailand in 2004. "The Impossible" never attempts to be anything more than it is and that is much to its credit. In a waking nightmare, the simple story highlights one family affected by the trauma. Separated, injured, and scared beyond belief, it recounts the struggle to stay alive and the quest to reconnect. This is NOT a film about plot, however, for the outcome is predetermined (and pretty much given away in the marketing even if you haven't heard any peripheral information). This is solely about the journey. And with a handful of remarkable performances and with sweeping effects, the movie works on an entirely visceral level that is likely to leave you emotionally drained. While perhaps not perfect, it is a gut wrenching experience that is hard to shake...

A 12-year-old Boy Became a Man
I just watched a 12-year-old boy become a man. After 114 grueling minutes of calamity piled upon disaster followed by tragedy, I got a lump in my throat along with the rest of the audience as we saw a dauntless family do its best to cope with a vacation gone very, very wrong. "Lo imposible" is based on a book by María Belón which in turn was inspired by true events that occurred during the catastrophic tsunami that devastated southeast Asia in 2004.

We follow:
* Naomi Watts ("J. Edgar") is María, a physician who has suspended her career to raise a family.
* Ewan McGregor ("Salmon Fishing in the Yemen") is Henry, her husband, who has concerns about his job but most particularly whether or not he re-set the house alarm when they left for their vacation.
* Tom Holland (voice:"The Secret World of Arrietty") is Lucas, a mildly rebellious tween but a good kid. Once he and his badly injured mother are stranded in the bewildering detritus...

Not since 12-yr old Christian Bale's Performance in Empire of the Sun has a young man given such a tremendous performance
The young Tom Holland brings heart, soul, and courage to his performance. Much of the emotion in the film is expressed through his reactions.

Naomi Watts was also stellar.

This was not a sugar-coated account of the tsunami, but rather real, raw, and powerful. Of course, I had to google the real family. What an amazing story.

Makes you want to go and hug all of your loved ones.

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Little Shop of Horrors

Rejoice! This release includes the alternate ending, IN COLOR!
At the time of this post in June 2012, no information from Amazon exists on this product page. This is the press release stuff I was able to cull from the internet.

Tech specs will include a 1080p digitally remastered high definition transfer for the Blu-ray. Audio will be mixed in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD for the BD.

This release will not only include the theatrical cut (on BD), but also a completely restored, never-before-seen Director's Cut of the film, featuring a drastically different, and much darker, 20-minute alternate ending.

Here's a note about the restoration direct from Warner, "The footage of the original ending was previously available only in black & white in the extra content of a limited number of copies of a DVD edition released in 1998. Now, with the help of production notes from Frank Oz and others on the film's creative team, WHV has meticulously restored and digitally remastered the ending, in full color, with the elaborate special...

THE version to have (so why is it not available?)
Recently checked this out over the weekend, prepared to merely re-watch an old favorite-but boy, is there a lot of cool "add ons" in this version made for DVD! First of all, the film comes letterboxed-only (some people like having the choice, but if you've seen this in a movie theater, you notice a LOT of stuff cut off at the edges by "blowing it up" to full screen), a walk through commentary by legendary puppeteer (voice of ms. piggy/grover) turned director-Frank Oz that lends a humourous and insightful (if sometimes technical)overview from the one guy most qualified to talk about its behind the scenes trials and tribualations. You'll be surprised at just how much work and planning really went into it. And, best of all-the legendary original ending! Yes, it's true, the off-broadway musical (and even the Corman B-movie original) had a VERY different ending. This is where Oz's comments come in particularly handy as first hand guide to the very tough...

If you're a fan, DEFINITELY buy this!
The transfer is great - the colors are much more vibrant than on the DVD, and the picture is sharper.
The sound is incredible -- the best mix of this movie, I've ever heard in any medium.
It's worth the price just to finally see the cut original ending.
... and the little note from Frank Oz about the cut ending is pretty great.

if you're a fan of this movie -- YOU NEED THIS.

SPOILERS ALERT:

... more of a point of discussion (the cut ending in great to finally see -- FIVE stars for this blu-ray)

... Technically, the cut ending of the movie is the ending of the off-broadway show, it's the same song, etc -- but i can see why audiences didn't spark to the movie's end. For one thing - it's played much sadder in the movie than the show. The slow death of Audrey, the close-ups of her tears, Seymour being devoured sooooo slowly... it's sad. in the musical, it all happens pretty quick, and it's pretty campy.

AND -- more...

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Mystery Science Theater 3000: Code Name: Diamond Head

Words cannot describe.
This is Simply awesome. Nothing more and nothing less. You won't be disappointed at all. And if you are you have no soul.

One of the better ones
This is an episode that didn't get much attention (in the grand scheme of things), but is pretty much in the midst of the show at its best. Solid humor throughout, but some "in-jokes" make it hard for a first-time episode maybe. There's a lot of ongoing and re-occurring jokes and all in all it's a pretty solid example of MST3k doing it's thing :)

Ha. Ha. Haaaaaaaaaaaa. Ah. This is hilarious.
Classsic example of the classic TV. Mike helps keep the dullness of the movie out of sight, as to Crow and Tom. Watch this. Watch this now.

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Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series

Don't turn away....Don't even BLINK!......
The strength of DOCTOR WHO, the new series and the original, has always been change, and change it has. Over forty-years ago the show began with one actor and now we have 10 actors who have portrayed the 900+ Timelord. The first season of the new series ended by changing leads through regeneration, as the 2nd season ended with the "lost" of not only the companion / love interest, but the whole "point-of-view" for the new series: Rose Tyler. Since the PILOT or "ROSE" episode the series has been through her eyes. The viewers could relate to the Human perspective more readily than the sometimes alien POV of the title character. In fact, the series gave up not only Rose, but her family, Mickey Smith, Jackie Tyler; Mum, Pete Tyler ( deceased, sort of) ,all of the anchor characters that added so much emotion to the new series.

Can the series, even one a clever and cool as Dr. Who, survive such change.
The answer is yes, definitely, yes. Although, there is a loss, infact...

"I dream I'm this...adventurer. This daredevil. A madman."
Third time's a charm--that's the inevitable cliche that pops to mind. If the first series (season) of Doctor Who was good with some hiccups and the second quite fine overall, the show's creators seem to have really hit their stride with the third series here and brought forth an excellent range of science fiction adventures at once interesting, inventive, and exciting--innovative and unusual but very true to the show's spirit over the decades. Oh, and loads of fun, of course.

By now David Tennant has a totally surefire grasp of the Doctor's character and has contributed much to its portrayal--and convincingly developed it in the bargain, especially in light of the events of series two. Eccentric as always, frenetic and off the wall but silently nursing a deep melancholy, open and friendly and yet with a certain emotional distance and brusqueness. The Doctor we all know and love, but a little more complex. You will never get me to say that he's better than Tom Baker as some...

Possibly the best season since Tom Baker hung up his scarf
I have been a fan of Doctor Who since Jon Pertwee put on his first velvet jacket and the 3rd season since the BBC revived its series about "the Doctor," a time travelling alien with a fondness for earth, is quite possibly the strongest season for that show since the 4th actor to play the role hung up his trade mark 18 foot scarf, more than a quarter century ago.

Going back and forth between sci fi and historical adventures the season manages to flit easily from Elizabethan England to a medical lab of a mad scientist in modern London, to a boys school in Edwardian England to a crippled space ship to depression era New York to a lost colony in the far future and on, it goes without a misstep.

There are more 2 part adventures than the revived series has had in the past but this allows for the more convoluted plots and this is a good thing, harking back to the plot with in a plot adventures of the mid 70's. And an appearance by Sir Dereck Jacobi in one episode as...

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Napoleon Dynamite

"I caught you a delicious bass."
In high school, I was one of the nameless, faceless rabble who drew little attention, maintained a low profile, and caused little trouble all in the hopes of getting out relatively unscathed, a goal I managed to accomplish, partly due to my sometimes intimidating presence, but mainly because I was able to fit in, sort of like a fish within a shoal...but there were those who weren't so fortunate, as obvious physical characteristics or personality traits (or both) tended to enunciate their presence regardless of vain attempts to `blend in' or enjoy the anonymity I, and those like me, tended to take for granted. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) is a film about one of those individuals.

The film, written and directed by Jared Hess, takes place in a small Idaho town and stars Jon Heder as the title character (he reminded me a lot of Timothy Busfield's character of Arnold Poindexter in the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds). Also appearing is Jon Gries (Real Genius, Fright Night Part II),...

Geeeze Don't be an "Idiot" just see it!
I knew absolutley nothing about this flick when my 14 year old red-headed math whiz son said Dad let's go see this movie. From the opening credits I was entertained. This movie, is essentially a "day in the life of an Idaho high school nerd as he moves through various life cycle events and characters." Though the word "nerd" hardly seems to do justice to the timeless nature of title character Napoleon Dynamite. With little or no plot, Napoleon turned out to be more than part nostalgia. It was a stroll down memory lane. If I did not know that the writers in fact lived in Idaho, I would have sworn they had gone to my High School in South Florda in the late 70's. Our Senior Class Vice-President was in fact PEDRO from Mexico, our class Secretary, Melanie a blonde buxom cheerleader incarnate of this films' fictional "Summer" character and our Treasurer sported a huge Afro and all were clad in their finest disco outfits.

I guess this is why this sleeper film has gained such...

The New Mormon Cinema Finds Its Poster Boy
For the past few years there has been a movement in American film you could call "The New Mormon Cinema." Young Latter-day Saint filmmakers (definitely inspired by the Sundance Film Festival which is held right in their own backyard) have been making inexpensive independent films that are targeted at the Mormon population that stretches in the west from Alberta in Canada down past the Mexican border (the so-called "Mormon Corridor.") Most of these movies have been really bad, cheaply done sit-com influenced "comedies" that have had absolutely no influence on non-Mormon audiences. (With the honorable exeception of Richard Dutcher, the director of good movies like the missionary drama "God's Army" and the thriller "Brigham City.") Things began to change this year with widespread recognition going to the tough-minded World War II drama "Saints and Soldiers" and this twisted little comic masterpiece, "Napoleon Dynamite."

Jared and Jerusha Hess are products of Brigham Young...

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42 [HD]

Plaaaay Ballll!
"Plaaaay Ballllll!" Yes, the Boys of Summer are at it again and this time, I learned a LOT about where American baseball has been and the fundamental changes that have happened in my lifetime. Even though we already know how it ends, thanks to a terrific PG-13 script by Brian Helgeland (Oscar for "L.A. Confidential") this insight into the Great American Pastime is an excellent reminder of how far we have come, thanks to courageous trail blazers like Jackie Robinson, who integrated professional baseball in 1945 at the instigation of Branch Rickey, a baseball executive who loved the game.

We cringe at the language used to attack our hero, we are saddened by the refusal of hotels and restaurants to serve a team that includes a black man, we are enraged by the racist heckling that takes place and we cheer when we see a man quietly rise above the rancor and "just play ball."

Here is a sample of the (huge) wonderful cast:
* Chatwick Boseman ("The Express" and...

Tale of Real Life Heroism
When I was a kid Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey were history, I read about them in books. But my baseball heroes were Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins, to me they were always just baseball players, their being black wasn't a factor in either my liking or disliking of them, and "42" brings home the truly heroic effort and forces Jackie Robinson had to overcome.

"Sports movies" are best when they're a metaphor for other areas of our lives. "Field of Dreams" isn't really about baseball, "Rocky" isn't really about boxing, and "Hoosiers" really isn't about basketball. What those movies speak to are other forces in our lives that hopefully bring out the best in us, and while "42" isn't metaphorical it speaks directly to our views of race and racism.

"42" takes place between 1946 and 1948 when Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) brought Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the Brooklyn Dodgers and integrated baseball. The plot is as simple as that, the story isn't...

A good movie about a great baseball player.
When I was growing up, I listened to baseball on my radio at night and found myself imagining who these players were and what their lives were like. When I finally saw pictures of these men, I didn't think it was so strange that only one was a black man and the rest were white. Being a child from the midwest, I had no realization what the significance of that would be until later in my life. I enjoyed watching this movie as it took a trip back into time and helped give insight into the world of major league baseball and the men like Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson who had the courage and grace to help this country take that giant step forward. As Dr. King said, this country should truly be about the content of your character and not the color of your skin. This is more than a movie about the all American game of baseball, this is a movie about us, about who we were, where we have been, and where we are going. Watch it, you won't be disappointed.

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Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? [HD]

Special Edition DVD Showcases Albee's Vitriolic, Take-No-Prisoners Marital Combat Zone
Edward Albee's vituperative play about marital warfare, an acknowledged classic even during its first run, came to the screen with searing fervor by an unlikely combination of talents at that time - stage director Mike Nichols helming his first film, screenwriter Ernest Lehman coming off the big box office treacle of "The Sound of Music", and two mega-stars who were more famous as notorious tabloid-saturated lovers than as character actors. The highly successful 1966 adaptation of the Broadway hit was considered quite daring because of its frank portrayal of a sadomasochistic marriage and the frequent use of profanity throughout. The groundbreaking film also signaled the end of the Hayes Code, which held a censorship stranglehold over Hollywood productions since 1934. Now in a new 2006 two-disc DVD set, the movie seems marginally tamer now, but the lacerating wit of Albee's fearless dialogue and the powerful performances still make this a great picture albeit not a joyous one...

Virginia Woolf? No Way, I'm Afraid of Martha
An absolutely flawless film adaptation of an absolute brilliant play by Edward Albee, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" was a triumph for first time feature director Mike Nichols. "Woolf" has long been one of my favorite films, I'd say it's in the top three of all time along with "The Lion In Winter" and "All About Eve". So, needless to say, I am thrilled that it's finally receiving an updated Special Edition. So many unworthy, mediocre films are getting deluxe makeovers that it is gratifying when something great gets included!

Because "Woolf" is based on a play, it relies heavily on performance and writing. The sets have been expanded a bit, but primarily what you see is concentrated to a couple of hours in a house. This can be jarring in the day of quick cuts and rapid scene change. This film is a lot more claustrophobic than what you might be accustomed to--but this closeness is used to great affect throwing these characters into confrontation.

This film...

Spellbinding Shrewery.
I consider this one of the most intelligently written and acted movies ever filmed. The psychological devestation that George (Burton) and Martha (Taylor)inflict upon each other casts a spell which, though it at times makes the viewer uncomfortable in its realism, is impossible to turn away from. George Segal and Sandy Dennis are the unfortunate co-passengers on this mad ride to "truth". Though they are not stupid, they are naieve and inexperienced to the point of seeming arrested development, and George and Martha go in for the kill. This is the film where Elizabeth Taylor shattered her glamour image, a pretty brave thing to do at that time, and it worked. Though her beauty was always obvious, I was never a big fan of many of her film roles, until I saw this film. It is not only her best performance, but I consider it in the ranks of the top female performances ever filmed, and Richard Burton is equally superb. That they were able to play so well off of each other in spite of, or...

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Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Vol. 1 - Seasons 1-3

Extremely fond memories of a classic series
Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears finally gets its well-deserved DVD treatment. I think that Gummi Bears was the first of Disney's syndicated animated shows in the 80s, and paved the way for later classics like Duck Tales and Tale Spin.

I came across recordings of these shows a short while ago and watched a lot of them. Even though the show is nearly twenty years old, I was struck by the quality of the animation and the voice work, which included veteran voice actors like June Foray (of Rocky the Flying Squirrel fame) and Paul Winchell (best known by people my age and younger for his work as Tigger).

The rich fantasy setting of this show and the detail put into the Gummi Bears and the remnants of their old society are impressive. I think most impressive was that the fact that this show was not made to market action figures, like so many other shows of the 80s. All of the Gummi Bears are distinctive and each has their own appeal, and the other heroes and...

Love Gummi Bears, Horrible quality
I'm not going to say much about the Gummi Bears that hasn't been said before. It's a great show and a lot of fun for the kids (and adults too). However the quality of these DVD's is terrible. More accurately it is completely unacceptable and if I had known it was this bad, I would never have bought the pack.

The content has been massively compressed in order to squeeze 47 episodes onto 3 discs. With the low cost of DVD's I think 5 or 6 discs would have been in order.

The compression is far worse than what you might see from your cable or satellite provider. I have never complained about the compression on a set of DVD's so this should be an indication of how bad it is. I still don't believe this is from Disney!

Buy this if you're desperate, but if you don't enjoy watching shows with horrible, distracting artifacts in the picture, avoid this at all costs.

Come on Disney, do the right thing and fix this set up!

The Vanguard of late 80s/early 90s Disney cartoons- Finally
Finally!!!! Gummi Bears is on DVD!

It should have been released with DuckTales, if not before then. Thankfully, Disney is releasing it.

Gummi Bears had superb writing and was the perfect show for a kid. I could never get over how sharp the animation was. This cartoon would be the vanguard for the Disney Afternoon. Before it played in the Disney Afternoon, it aired on Saturday mornings. It was always my number one goal to catch it at 10 or 11 AM. Gummi Bears held its own among other great hits of the 80s.

Lets hope they start DVD 1 with the very first episodes and don't mess it up like they did DuckTales. I think DuckTales and the others sold well enough for Disney to realize there is a market for their late 80s and early 90s cartoons. These years were the golden years for recent Disney animation. None of the new cartoons or any of the late 90s cartoons hold a candle to the Disney Afternoon originals.

I think Disney heard the...

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The Last of the Mohicans: Director's Definitive Cut [Blu-ray]

Theatrical version available on DVD overseas
Like many people here, I detest the recut DVD version of this film. Seeing the original theatrical version in 1992 was one of the key moviegoing experiences of my life. I don't buy DVDs to see a new spin on a movie I liked, I buy them to be able to rewatch that same movie. Alternate cuts are fine as a bonus feature, but once I saw how Michael Mann had butchered his mainstream masterpiece, giving no option of seeing how it was originally, I sold the DVD and bought a copy of the mercifully untouched widescreen VHS.

Recently, however, I discovered that while this American director's cut DVD is from Fox, Warner Bros holds the rights to Mohicans outside the USA, and they have released the original theatrical version on DVD around the globe. I have a regionless DVD player, which is easy to get in many stores for under fifty dollars, so I bought a copy of the British DVD at amazon.co.uk

Wow. It's as I remembered it, with the Clannad song, without the extra monologue...

Big Lie for the day -- this DVD is an "Expanded Edition"
This DVD is a huge disappointment. With every other movie I have ever bought that was labeled a "Director's Cut" or an "Expanded Edition", the movie had things added to it and not taken out. This version of the movie cuts out much of the familiar and favorite dialogue from the movie released in the theater. Did you like the part where, hiding in the forest, Hawkeye & Cora have their conversation about her people being a breed apart and not making any sense? When Cora gets offended by this, Hawkeye gives her such a look and says "I would make an exception in your case, Miss" and she sarcastically says "Thank you so much!" All this is ripped out of this version. When Major Hayward and Hawkeye have their confrontation in Col. Munro's office about whether the Colonial militia should be released from service to defend their families, gone is the part where Hawkeye looks at the Major and says "I think one day you and I are going to have a serious disagreement". When the party is escaping...

Great Original Movie (and VHS); POOR DVD
Re-release of a previous review so those who read nearby reviews NOTE the difference between VHS (excellent) and DVD (POOR): Waited in great anticipation for the DVD release of this one. The Last of the Mohicans is a great movie enhanced with terrific music. The VHS widescreen version in THX is a wonderful piece of entertainment. Unfortunately, this Director's Expanded Edition has destroyed the flow and continuity of the original. In Director Michael Mann's attempt to supply us with his "definitive vision of the film" via his own editing, he has ignored the professional editors and provided us with a substandard version of what was a fine film. Several of the added clips have no musical sound track at all and come across as painfully awkward - making the viewer fully aware he/she is watching actors in front of a camera rather than immersing us in the action. There is even a series of scenes in the original (and VHS) that has a vocal music piece overlaid that...

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Spike [HD]

kids loved spike. amazing fun movie for the 3yr old, 6 yr old and daddy
Kids loved this movie. funny animation and funny jokes. a must watch with kids and some hot chocolate. kids wanted to watch it over and over

Good mocie
Cute movie. Reminded us of a low-budget Arthur Christmas, but our kids enjoyed it. I recommend it for family movie night!

Wonderful!
Great show! I loved the ending but I've just gotta say: a year of community service for robbing a bank? Sounds like real life! :)

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West Side Story (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

WEST SIDE STORY Impresses
Wow. What a great DVD.

The one hour documentary featuring interviews with some of the cast, Robert Wise, Harold Prince, Sondheim, and some key crew members is completely engrossing. Home movie footage showing the filming of the movie is included. Examples of the techniques that the movie makers used to film a musical are fascinating. I was amazed that the knife scene, for example, is COMPLETELY counted out and the actor/dancers' movements were choreographed down to the second (breath, two, three, four; stab, two three; look, two, three, four). Incredible! Rita Morena is particularly informative regarding the dubbing of her song "A Boy Like That". The Robbins/Wise codirecting of the film is explained. And some of Natalie Wood's original vocals are included. The documentary is invaluable for fans of the film.

As for the film itself, it looks and sounds incredible on my widescreen HDTV. The anamorphic transfer is very good.

The DVD is packaged very well. The...

THE Musical, As It Should Be Presented
"West Side Story" is proof that the sum of its parts can not only be greater than the whole, but possibly be the greatest!

Little known writer in Elizabethian England pens a drama about two star-crossed lovers. Flash ahead to the turbulent streets of New York in the late 1950s and early 60s. Turn feuding families to rival gangs. Add music, choreography, make it vital. Then find a brilliant director who knows what to show, and watch as it takes home every Oscar it can.

We know the story of this film but what's important for you to know about here are the extras you get in this package that make it worth your while: The first disc is the film, preserved perfectly. And the second disc has your special features.

First, you get a great documentary on the making of the film. Titled "West Side Memories," Principals like Sondheim, Moreno, Chakiris, Beymer and more sit before the cameras and explain the process of preparing and executing what could be the...

ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING MOVIE MUSICALS EVER!
When "West Side Story" hit the Broadway stage it must have shocked theater critics. A balletic musical about street gangs and murder, with such an emotional swell built in, that even the most hardened cynics must have left the show dewey-eyed and humming the Leonard Berstein score. The film created nothing less than an international craze and garnered an unprecidented 10 Oscars - the most of any musical.
PLOT: In a nut shell, this is Romeo and Juliet in the ghetto. Natilie Wood (dubbed by Marni Nixon) is Maria; poor, Puertorican and in love with Richard Beymer (Tony). But her brother, Bernardo (George Chakaris) and his girlfriend, Anita (Rita Moreno) don't approve. If you know your Shakespeare, you know how this one ends. The difference here are the songs, so electric and outstanding that they easily steal the show. Try listening to "America" or "I Feel Pretty" without tapping your toes or "One Hand, One Heart" without getting goose-bumps. It's impossible.

MGM gives...

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Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy)

Be True to Your Ghoul
Note: This is a review of the 2008 DVD release

What's this? A new "Nightmare Before Christmas" DVD package? Actually there are three versions: this two-disc set that includes a downloadable digital copy, a Blu-ray version, and a collector's edition that comes with a bust of Jack Skellington with a detachable Sandy Claus beard and hat.

Though this version is billed as a two-disc set, it actually has three discs. The third one contains the digital copy. An instruction sheet spells out in clear steps how to download the file to an iPod or similar device.

The movie itself is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. A delectable witches' brew of stop-motion animation, catchy show tunes and a seriously warped creative license, it always stays true to its timeless message: to be happy, be yourself. Devilishly...

Nightmare Before Christmas 2 Disk (Blu-ray + DVD)
Nightmare Before Christmas [Blu-ray]
Since there are a number of reviews listed on previous releases of this movie which describe the storyline of The Nightmare Before Christmas, I will just mention that I saw it when it was originally released in the movie theaters and have been a fan ever since. After being unable to find out sufficient details about the technical specs of this 2010 release on the Amazon and Disney websites, I decided to find out the information by visiting a "Big Box" store so that I could physically look at the Blu-ray/DVD cover. This version contains one Blu-ray disk and one DVD disk. The Blu-ray specs listed on the box are 1080p, with a 1:66:1 aspect ratio. The DVD specs are shown as "original theatrical format" with a 1:66:1 aspect ratio. If you do not already own a Blu-ray player, this version will work best.

After considering this information, I decided to order the...

A Special Edition that is TRULY Special
If you think the best movies are the ones that show you a world you've never envisioned before, then you will LOVE Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas". A benchmark in stop-motion animation, this incredibly difficult-to-make film (24 individually posed frames were needed to produce ONE SECONDS's worth of action) is a masterpiece of art direction, set design, and good old-fashioned storytelling. The plot revolves around Jack, the Pumpkin King of Halloween, and his attempt to run Christmas in place of Santa Claus. "Sleigh" becomes confused with "slay"; "stockings" become "stalkings"; and spirits go from joyous to ghostly as the two holidays clash together like oil and water, or fire and ice. One of the great surprises of the movie is that although it dances around material that could easily careen into cynicism, it remains refreshingly sweet and light throughout. Which is not to say that some of the comedy isn't a little...

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A Jersey Christmas

Too many bad words in the first minute
In the first minute of the movie there were two curse words. With no rating on it we had to see what type of movie it was by playing a few minutes of it. It's definitely not ear friendly for me. I will also be contacting amazon and suggesting they list the rating in every movie even if its NR so we don't have to look each movie up online. We watched a minute and a half of the movie.

I tried...just couldn't
Unlikable characters doing uninteresting things. Tried for about 1/2 an hour. Couldn't get interested in what was next except for it ending.

Awful. Horrible.
If I could give negative stars I would. This is an awful, horrible waste of time. Do not pay for this movie. Don't even watch it if you can view it for free!
This has to be the most awful movie with Christmas in the title that has ever been made.
I am guessing that this movie was supposed to be thought provoking or politically profound in some way, but it is neither of those things. It is just incredibly awful.

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American Dad! Volume Eight

American Dad Volume 8
Volume 8 contains the 18 episodes from 8th season of American Dad!

List

1. Hot Water
2. Hurricane
3. A Ward Show
4. The Worst Stan
5. Virtual In-Stanity
6. The Scarlett Getter
7. Season's Beatings
8. The Unbrave One
9. Stanny Tendergrass
10. Wheels & the Legman and the Case of Grandpa's Key
11. Old Stan in The Mountain
12. The Wrestler
13. Dr. Klaustus
14. Stan's Best Friend
15. Less Money, Mo' Problems
16. The Kidney Stays in the Picture
17. Ricky Spanish
18. Toy Whorey

I don't think this is the best volume of American Dad but there are still some good episodes on here. The season starts off with Stan becoming addicted to a sinister Hot Tub and at the end of the episode he actually dies. Interesting episode, not bad just interesting. The Scarlett Getter features a woman Stan was attracted to before meeting Francine, but it turns out that she is just using Stan because...

Not the best volumn but still better than Family Guy
We have been fans of American Dad for a long time and have all the volumes on DVD. This season held up to the unique sense of humor that is American Dad. However I do feel that show has declined slightly since seasons past. If you are an American Dad fan it is worth purchasing to complete your collection. Even though the show has declined slightly it is still a thousand times better than Family Guy which is so awful and has only gotten more and more ridiculous over the years. I just hope that how this volume of American Dad was isn't a glimps of it following the same path as Family Guy.

American Dad! Vol. 8
Honestly , this volume is probably one of the worst-best. Meaning , that its half good , half bad. The front artwork shows characters from ''Hot Tub'' , ''The Worst Stan'' ''Seasons Beatings'' ''Old Stan in the Mountain'' ''Stan's Best Friend'' and ''Toy Whorey''. The color theme for this is red and its mainly based on Hot Tub. The back is a photo from the song ''Daddy's Gone'' with Steve and Roger. The inside on the left is the Hot Tub , with the episodes on the right. You can't see the episode list that much unless you take it out. The Discs have Stan and Francine (1) , Roger (2) , and Hayley , Steve , and Klaus (3). There is only three commentaries and many deleted scenes and a Twerking ''Stan's Booty Dance'' featurette. This set sucks alot but you get very amazing episodes and the complete 18 episode Season 8. I recommend getting this. Very nice!

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Power Rangers: Seasons Eight - Twelve

I love it! 20 years in the making!
I bought the two sets of Mighty Morphin box set and Seasons 4-7 together straight from Shout Factory and I love them but was wondering when they would release the rest. A few weeks ago I learned that there would be a complete series set of all 20 seasons (with extra slots for the 2 movies) in a Jason (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' Red Ranger) helmet. This left me very happy, sad and confused all at the same time. I was happy that there would finally be a complete set of every season starting 20 years ago at the original all the way to the latest season of Mega Force with an awesome helmet case for every single disc and even spaces for the two movies (which you can find just about anywhere for about $5 each now). I was very sad to see this because I spent over $200 already for almost half of the seasons and if I bought this, I would have 7 seasons of duplicate discs and wasted money. I was confused because I thought that they had completely forgotten about the season box sets and went...

Finally
This is what I've been eagerly awaiting since the announcement of these mega-sets. These seasons are some of my favorites, including my top one, Lightspeed Rescue. It also ends my relationship with the series as I had stopped watching after Dino Thunder (though I have heard amazing things about SPD). A quick summary of the seasons:

Lightspeed Rescue brought the Power Rangers back to Earth, the previous two seasons being set in space. It also marked the complete end of the Zordon era, with the removal of Alpha and the Megaship from In Space. Another notable mention is the first ever American Ranger in Ryan Mitchell, the Titanium Ranger. An interview is included on the bonus disc in this set (looking forward to it). Not considered the best of the series by many, I really loved this one. Also, honorable mention to Carter Grayson, labeled a total bad*** in the fandom.

Time Force was, in a word, dark. No, not the lighting. This season really brought the storyline to a...

FOREVER RED!!
This set will contain one of the best Power Ranger episodes ever made- "Forever Red"! All of the previous Rangers (from MMPR through Wild Force) are present! If you only want one reason as to why you should get this set- this is it!

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The Harbinger Decoded

Amazing once you get into it...God's warning to America...
Rabbi Jonathon Cahn brilliantly present's God's message from Isaiah 9:10 to America. It is so involved that once you've heard the message there is no denying it that this came from God. One amazing thing that happened to me in relation to this message was that I noticed that the central scriptures that Rabbi Cahn uses that is related to 9/11 is located on the September 11 scripture reading to my worn out One Year Bible. Then I looked and noticed that my Bible had been printed in 1985! More than 16 years before the 9/11/2001 events that Isaiah 9:10 and part of this message refers to. You just have to get the DVD to understand God's hand in all of this. Prepare to be drop jawed and amazed throughout this well done DVD. You will have no doubt about God's hand in this timely and prophetic message to America once you've seen this DVD.

Outstanding DVD!
I just finished watching "The Harbinger Decoded," which I bought at an event sponsored by One Message, a ministry of Promise Keepers. I own a copy of the book that inspired the DVD. I've watched programs and listened to CDs about "The Harbinger," but the DVD explains the book and it's prophetic implications for the future of America better than anything I have seen yet. The DVD contains well-organized material and unforgettable images. Every American needs to see "The Harbinger Decoded."

Life-Changing video
Jonathan Cahn is President of Hope of the World ministries, Senior Pastor and Messianic Rabbi of the the Jerusalem Center/ Beth Israel in Wayne, New Jersey, and the author of "The Harbinger", a New York Times Bestseller. Hidden within an ancient biblical verse from the Book of Isaiah are mysteries so precise they foretell recent American events down to the exact days which are revealed to us by Cahn in "The Harbinger".

Just released is "The Harbinger Decoded", a DVD which highlights the book and giving a background on the nine harbingers, or warnings, of judgment America has received since 9-11. How can anyone possible review something written by God? It is obvious that Jonathan Cahn is God's instrument to bring His message to a nation in desperate need of repentance and revival. Cahn could quite possibly be a modern-day Moses.

Having not read "The Harbinger" prior to watching the DVD, I didn't know exactly what to expect from the video. At first I thought...

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My Christmas

One of the BEST Christmas performances ever!
I saw this when PBS aired it on television and was blown away! This is something I will watch every year at Christmas. The DVD contains performances of all the songs on his CD, My Christmas. This definitely gets you in the mood for the holiday season! Buy it!

Wonderful Bocelli
This Christmas DVD is incomparable. It has a superb Christmas feel good factor.

Andrea's singing is so versatile throughout and there is something for everyone here. Fun and humour with the muppets, majestic singing with the Mormon Choir, modern renditions of old carols, A Child is This is absolutely beautiful with Andrea and Mary J Blige, Ave Maria stately and sung with such brevity by Andrea, Blue Christmas, with Reba McEntire and Andrea gives a haunting quality, not to be missed.

In conclusion anyone who loves Christmas and tradition will love this DVD and I would recommend this to lovers of good music. This DVD will be enjoyed for many years to come by me and my family.

MY CHRISTMAS WISH HAS COME TRUE.
Being an Aussie fan of David Foster's music (since the "St. Elmo's Fire" days) I have followed his career as a musician, writer, producer, and arranger for nearly 25 years. Following his knockout "Hitman" Concert, PBS Special, and ultimate CD/DVD release, I was so much hoping for a Christmas 2009 DVD release of a "David Foster and Friends" Concert Tour which has been underway since May this year. Well, my wish has been granted with this soon to be released "Andrea Bocelli and David Foster - My Christmas" Concert from the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, CA. This concert dvd features the absolutely astounding David Foster and Andrea Bocelli (who always work beautifully together), along with extraordinarily special performances with Natalie Cole on the intimately arranged "The Christmas Song" and Reba McEntire on "Blue Christmas"; Mary J. Blige on the hauntingly beautiful arrangement of "What Child Is This"; and Katherine Jenkins on the operatically spellbinding "I Believe", all under...

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The Sopranos: The Complete First Season

The upgrade to Blu-ray is worth it
The Blu-ray version of Season 1 boasts significant video quality improvements over the 2000 DVD release.

Season 1 used a grainier film stock than subsequent seasons. This was problematic for the 2000 DVD release because MPEG II encoding has a difficult time handling grain, HBO squeezed 4 episodes onto each discs (except the last one) resulting in a high level of compression, there was a lot of edge enhancement applied to the video, and that this was a relatively early DVD release -- MPEG II encoding has significantly improved since then. As a result, the video on the DVDs had a lot of artifacts -- and the larger the TV you have, the more obtrusive the artifacts and edge enhancement are.

The Blu-ray release pretty much fixes all of those problems. You can really see the difference in the closeups on the actors' faces. The image is clear with a film texture. You'll also notice a lot more details in the background.

The pilot episode doesn't look as good...

Absolutely fantastic!
I'd been hearing about The Sopranos all last year but honestly, I just never have time to catch a series every week. I just don't watch TV with any regularity and I'm not crazy about missing episodes or seeing them out of order when I know there's continuity. When I saw that whole first season of The Sopranos was coming out, I figured that would be just right for me.

I wasn't disappointed. Matter of fact, I was blown away. It's a great show, at times hysterical, at times very dark. The characters are sometimes over the top but they stay close to basic story, unlike a lot of shows where, struggling to fill 60 minutes and having run out of any sensible ideas, they'll have doctors from an ER show caught in an improbable plane crash in the Andes or whatever.

The most interesting thing for me is the way they've used Tony Soprano's sessions with his therapist as a way to stitch everything together and let you get inside Tony's head. The actors playing both Tony and the therapist...

Larger than life and full of humor, irreverence and humanity
I didn't have HBO when The Sopranos came out in 1999, and so I am delighted that it is now on a set of DVD discs. I'm a big fan of books and movies about the Mafia and so I was prepared to love it. I must say that my expectations were all met, and more. There is nothing like being able to watch the series, in its entirety, all at once, at my own pace. And there is nothing like watching several video interviews and behind the scenes featurettes on the discs to enhance the viewing experience with background information. This series has won many awards. I can understand why.

James Gandofini stars as Tony Soprano, a very human individual, who just happens to be a gangster. He's living in modern times though, and so he's plagued with depression and goes to a therapist, played by Lorraine Bracco. Tony's domestic scenes, which include his wife, Edie Falco, his daughter, Jamie-Lyn Sigler, his son, Robert Iler, and - especially his mother, Nancy Marchand, are all unique and slightly...

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The Way We Were (Special Edition)

"Katie, it was never uncomplicated"
As stated many times before, THE WAY WE WERE is one of only a handful of romantic blockbusters to actually feature an intelligent script and complex characters. Writer Arthur Luarents' based his screenplay (and subsequent novel) on girl he knew in college, who fought for liberal (and sometimes communist) causes. Three decades after it's release, THE WAY WE WERE remains one of the few cinematic depictions of the Red Scare that swept America in the forties and fifties; the backdrop of which lends the surrounding love story greater potency and depth. The film was a surprise box office smash when originally released, and became the fifth-highest grossing film of 1973 and was instantly embraced as a classic.

Katie Morosky is a character that Barbra Streisand born play, and she delivers on all accounts. Fierce and determined, yet vulnerable and self-conscious, Katie is a tricky character and Streisand inhabits her so deeply that she seems nothing less than completely...

"See ya, Katie"
I want to strangle Hubbell when he says this final line at the end! But my rage is just an indication of how much I adore this movie!

I think people who giving a low rating to the film because of the incorrect portrayal of the communist movement, and whatever, are missing the mark of this movie entirely. The Way We Were is a love story, first and foremost. Communism is just a circumstance that complicates the love story. It is NOT in my opinion, the central theme of the movie.

That being said, TWWW is a classic story of "love isn't enough." I think Katie and Hubbell love each other deeply, but they are such different people. She wants him to be everything that she believes he is. (Whether he is or isn't those things is debatable.) But he is content living a safe, yuppy life. He needs a girl who can just roll with that lifestyle, hence, he ends up with the nameless girl at the end of the film. She represents the safe type of girl that is pretty enough...

A 4.9 DVD on a scale of 1 to 5-Still Makes Me Cry
The Way We Were still makes me cry nearly 30 years after seeing it for the first time. The movie basically explores the cliche "opposites attract" as Golden Boy Hubble (Redford) and Communist Sympathizer Katie (Streisand) fall deeply in love and marry. But can their passion survive their differences? Ah, that's the story... The movie takes place in the 40's and 50's with beautiful sets and wonderful costumes.
If you have never seen The Way We Were and you enjoy romance, melodrama, and/or historical drama, then you should buy or rent it. (The weepiness may make this a tough sell for some men and women who dislike this genre.) If you have seen The Way We Were, then you should still rent or buy the DVD. The extra features are outstanding. Sydney Pollack's (the director) commentary is insightful and informative. He talks about everything from camera angles to Redford's hesitance about doing the part. The documentary is also beautiful and a "must see" for The Way...

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The Expendables

Superior to the theatrical cut (but hold onto the 1st blu-ray).
The 114 minute extended director's cut of Sylvester Stallone's 2010 action extravaganza "The Expendables" is a more deep, well rounded and satisfying version of the film that was already a great deal of fun in its original 103 minute theatrical cut. I'm usually wary of so called "extended" or "unrated" cuts of modern movies as they usually just involve shoehorning back in deleted scenes that were cut out for a reason.

The director's cut of The Expendables isn't that at all. As Sly himself states in a great introduction to the new blu-ray of his film, he basically started from scratch and re-edited the movie from the ground up to what his original vision and intention of the film was from the outset. He says that he liked the theatrical cut but that he loves the director's cut. I completely agree with him!

One thing that really stuck out to me is that the theatrical cut was edited in such a way that the majority of the film seemed to be focused much more on Sly...

Because HD didn't exist in the Eighties
Oh man was this a fun movie!

At one point I leaned over to one of my buddies and said, "Best. Movie. Ever." Really. Actually, it probably isn't the best movie ever. But it was a nice throwback to the good old days of 80's movies that I grew up watching with the cheesy Schwarzenegger one-liners and over the top violence where the good guy wins and the bad guy meets his maker in some ridiculous way.

There are some over the top visuals that make it worth seeing and hearing; the sound was pretty amazing. And by amazing, I mean loud. Explosions you can feel in your bowels and that's not just the beef and bean burrito from lunch talkin' either. Better than they could do in the Eighties.

They missed out on a rematch w/ Lundgren and Stallone. I kept waiting for Lundgren to say, "I will break you" to someone but it never happened. The Schwarzenegger cameo was cool, but he should have thrown someone out of a window or something. Not happening these...

Much better than original theatrical version
Sometimes Director's Cuts don't make that much of a difference ............
But in this case, the Director's Cut takes EXPENDABLES to a much higher level !!

Now I can like EXPENDABLES much better and never watch the theatrical version again.

Improvements -------

1) More character development

2) better choice of backing music

3) different bad guys in opening ship scene

4) got rid of the choppy edited fight scenes and returned a more complete natural action to the fight scenes so that you can now actually follow what is going on.
Much longer and complete fight scenes

5) More interplay between characters .. more comradarie

It is almost like a totally different movie

Seeing this Director's Cut, I can't understand why they ever released the original Theatrical Version like it was.

By comparison the original version looks like what happens when they put a movie on TV and...

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The Mummy Trilogy [Blu-ray]

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad
This review is for the Blue Ray collection. Picture: Pristine. Sound: Great. Movies: I & II - Grand Entertainment. Universal successfully resuscitated it's venerable monster genre and transformed it into bigtime Tentpole event movies and produced two very good action adventure rides to take with the kids. III - Phoned in. Brendan collects huge paycheck and goes home. Rachel wisely stays away in the first place. Kid being groomed to carry on - the poor man's Shia (and I didn't think much of him either). Jet Li - stony and morose. Story is flat. Use of China as a backdrop - secondary and poorly executed (nothing new or breathtaking here). This truly is the sin - we're actually IN China for heaven's sake and there is no grand vista, no expansive shots to dazzle us with the landscape. In watching the nightclub scenes I kept expecting Kate Capshaw to step out and start singing - it's that derivative. Everything else is CGI. No overall quality to raise it to the level of the...

Great deal for these movies - works in the US
This set appears to have been intended for sale in Europe - one of the ratings labels on the cover appears to be for the Irish Film Censor's Office. Being that I live in the US and was aware of the regional coding issues present with a lot of DVDs, I was a little nervous about buying this. I read up online about region coding on Blu-Rays and apparently it's used a lot less than in the DVD era and one source indicated that Universal doesn't region code their Blu-Rays at all.

I decided to try this set out due to the price difference between this version and the US labeled one. I use a PS3 for a Blu-Ray player and the discs work perfectly. I have a TON of language choices - I'll only use one, but that may be helpful to others out there. Other than that, absolutely no difference as far as the movie content and special features.

I'm glad I took the gamble.

MUMMY: Trilogy.
I love the Mummy movies. A trilogy box set was perfect....as long as they don't make a fourth. After watching ' The Mummy; Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. they better not. The action was great in the aforementioned movie, the chemistry was not as good, and some of the acting weak....but hey it was still fun. If you love the Mummy movies and don't have them all, this is a great deal for the price.

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Christmas in the Car

LOVE this show!
I didn't watch it for the first few episodes (the first season) because I thought it was a stupid premise but when I finally did watch it I was hooked! I thought it would be another Family Guy but there is not the crude, overly-sexual, disgusting humor that you'll find on Family Guy.
Usually I have one character I really love and then like the others but all the characters on this show are great! Bob (hence, Bob's Burgers) is swarthy and well meaning but isn't a great businessman and has his own faults (such as the fact that he MUST have his "meeting" everyday at 4pm) but is an essential to pull the family together. Linda, his wife, has the most perfect voice, loves to sing and is always on everyone's side. Tina, the oldest child, just turned 13 and is painfully awkward and is in love with both Jimmy Junior (the neighbor's son) and zombies and writes erotic friend-fiction. Gene, the middle child, is a budding, yet terrible, musician that loves food and is a sort of...

I hate that I am paying for commercials
I love Bob's Burgers, its funny and cool but I hate that I am paying for commercials... Please fix this Amazon

Why am I paying for commercials?
First off let me say that I love Bob's Burgers but I hate that I am paying for commercials... Please fix this Amazon

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Family Guy, Volume Nine

I kinda feel cheated......
I've been a fan since January 31, 1999.. Bought every DVD including the random DVD's they release so Seth MacFarlane could make some extra cash (like he needs it). But now I'm starting to get a little upset with these half season DVD releases.. I really feel scammed. I almost feel like not buying anymore. Between netflix, hulu, and amazon prime I'm starting to realize that people like Seth MacFarlane cant hold my arm behind my back in order to have their shows on demand.. Let alone the fact that family guy has kinda gone downhill the past 3 years... Maybe a handful (2-3) are memorable. Lets take a stand and maybe they will go back to trying to make us happy instead of filling their pockets :)

About time...but what's with the wait?
I hate to add to the rest of the comments complaining about the release date fiasco (reviews are only supposed to be for people that actually purchased the item), but I did a quick look online and found that all of season 8 and the first couple of season 9 have already been released in other markets (as Volume 10) and the rest of season 9 has been released (after checking amazon.co.uk) as 'Volume 11'. What gives with the giant wait? In the same amount of time between Volume 8 and Volume 9's release in the US, region 2 got the next two volumes already released!

Season 8 is pretty decent in itself, but much of the series has lost its comedic spark and turned more serious. I don't know if FG will regain its hilariousness (the original writing staff before the long cancellation period was genus), but I do know that American Dad seems to have gotten the better writers (as per commentary/comic-con appearances by Seth, the writers of the two shows are separate and rarely interact...

Not too bad but just not what it used to be
Family Guy Volume 9 contains 14 episodes. The last 11 episodes of season 8 (not including "Something, Something, Something Dark Side") and the first 3 episodes of season 9. The 3 episodes of season 9 on this set are shown in a Widescreen format.

Episode list

Business Guy 2/5 (Last episode of 2009)
Big Man on Hippocampus 4.5/5 (First episode of 2010)
Dial Meg for Murder 3.5/5
Extra Large Medium 4.5/5
Go Stewie Go 3/5
Peter-assment 2/5
Brian Griffin's House of Payne 4.5/5 (Good episode except for the scenes with unconscious Stewie)
April in Quahog 3/5
Brian and Stewie 1.5/5
Quagmire's Dad 2/5
The Splendid Source 4/5 (Cleveland appears in this episode!!)
And Then There Were Fewer 3/5 (Season 9 premeire)
Excellence in Broadcasting 3/5
Welcome Back Carter 3.5/5

The episodes that I would reccomend are "Big Man on Hippocampus", "Extra Large Medium", "Brian Griffin's House of Payne", and "The...

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