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Buy Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – Director’s Cut At Amazon! Compare & Purchase Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – Director’s Cut at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – Director’s Cut Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3178 in Movie
• Released on: 2010-01-22
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Running time: 117 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Great movie/DVD; Star Trek 3 Director’s Edition coming soon!
I just bought this DVD…, and the verdict is in: It’s a blast!!!

THE MOVIE: Certanily one of the best Star Trek movies. Although the main plot about revenge is a bit too basic, the sub-plots, including the addition of Kirk’s ex-wife and son, makes the movie better. The action is well paced and the special effects are marevelous. Also, the “expanded director’s edition” featured on this DVD adds about 5 extra minutes to the movie. The added footage does little to help the plot, but does a great deal to flesh out more of the minor characters, such as Kirk’s son and Lt. Saavik. Also, the last 15 minutes of the film (some added dialogue was put in there to have a little bit more emotional impact at the end of the film) made me jump the grade of the film from a “B” to an “A+.”

THE DVD: In addition to having a crisp, clear picture transfer of the film with oustanding sound, the first disc has a nice audio commentary from the director and an even nicer text commentary from Michael Okuda, co-author of the Star Trek Encyclopedia. (That guy knows EVERY SINGLE LITTLE DETAIL THAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD NOT EVEN KNOW A THING ABOUT that regards to Star Trek.) The second disc contains the following:

1) The Captain’s Log: A 27-minute documentary featuring brand new interviews with Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, director Nicholas Meyer, Ricardo Montalban, and others. They talk about how they originally intended to put the film together, how they eventually ended up completing that task, and other things.
2) Designing Khan: A 23-minute documentary that features interviews with director Nicholas Meyers, the costume designer, and the production designer. They discuss the transitions they made in costume and production design from the ST:TMP to ST2:TWOK.
3) Visual Effects: An 18-minute featurette that has interviews with the FX crew. They explain how they executed and completed the FX shots. (Big surprise there)
4) The Star Trek Universe: A 28-minute documetary that features interviews with two Star Trek novel writers. They discuss how they fill in the gaps between the movies with their books and where they get their ideas.
5) Original Interviews: Basically 10 minutes of interviews (from 1982) featuring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban, and Deforest Kelley.
6) Archives: The archives feature 10 original storyboard sequences. (That sure beats the storyboard archives on the ST:TMP DVD, which features a mere 3 storyboard sequences.) There is also a thatrical trailer.

So, there you have it. A great movie with a packed DVD equals a great purchase. Buy as soon as possible.

1982; 116 minutes; Rated PG for mild obscenity, some sequences of sc-fi action/violence, and brief shots of the aftermaths of brutal murders.
(I DO think this movie should have been rated PG-13, but the rating didn’t exist then. See and judge for yourself.)…

The royal treatment comes to the most famous TREK film
In the wake of Robert Wise’s “director’s edition” of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, it was only a matter of time before Nicholas Meyer’s STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN was awarded the same treatment. Half a year later, KHAN does indeed get the royal treatment with a 2-disc set loaded with extras and fan tidbits galore. The package includes a slightly extended “director’s cut” of KHAN that restores a critical plot point (namely, the young cadet who dies in Scotty’s arms is actually Scotty’s nephew) and a few brief clippings of dialogue (mostly back-and-forth exchanges among the main cast); a commentary by Meyer in which he discusses both the film and his approaches to filmmaking; a text commentary by STAR TREK’s long-time technical point man Michael Okuda that’s packed with more fanboy knowledge than a game of Trivial Pursuit; cast interviews from 1982 (in which Leonard Nimoy wears a pink and white striped suit that makes him look like a pimp); three documentaries covering the making of the film; “A Novel Approach,” a documentary where TREK authors Julia Ecklar and Greg Cox discuss how KHAN’s plot elements spun off into the TREK novels; the film’s FX storyboards; and of course, the theatrical trailer. Let’s look at each of these:

THE DIRECTOR’S CUT OF KHAN – the film makes a bit more sense now that the scenes establishing the doomed cadet as Scotty’s nephew have been restored, and the restored dialogue adds a little extra kick to the proceedings (it’s especially funny to hear Spock respond to Kirk’s telling him about his son with a disinterested “Fascinating”). But the film is still as tightly structured and fast-paced as it’s ever been; the added footage does nothing to slow the film down or to harm the story (although some nit-pickers will make the hilarious claim that the whopping THREE minutes restored to the film “butcher” it and ruin the pace-how can this be when the added three minutes are spread out over the whole film?). Rather, it gives it a bit more punch. As for the look of the film, it’s certainly a lot cleaner and brighter than most other prints, but even with the digital re-mastering, there’s still a lot of visible film grain. Like STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE before it, KHAN looks its age regardless of the print quality. But this is a minor detail. Overall the film looks pretty good.

COMMENTARIES – both interesting and enjoyable. Meyer’s regular guy vibe and insights into the making of the film are engaging, and Okuda’s trivia-heavy text comments are a joy for anyone who thrives on knowing useless fanboy tidbits.

CAST INTERVIEWS – a unusual time capsule in which the film’s leads plug the film. But let’s face it; the coolest thing about this insert is seeing Leonard Nimoy dressed like a pimp. Spock in a pink suit is perhaps the greatest source of laughs you’ll ever find.

DOCUMENTARIES – by far, the coolest of these is “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which covers the stylish FX work ILM did on the film. The giddiness with which the film’s FX crew recalls their work on the film is enormously contagious. “Designing KHAN,” about the film’s costume and set designs, is pretty good, too. “Captain’s Log,” about the overall making of the film, is uneven though. Where Meyer, producer Harve Bennett, and Ricardo Montalban are discussing what went into the making of the film, William Shatner spends his time being a total wiseacre, either mercilessly razzing his pal Nimoy (“I think the death scene would have been better if we DIDN’T see him thru the glass!” and “Oh, he knew he was coming back, he set me up to think he was leaving…I’ll get him one day!”) or joking about how he used women’s cosmetics to look younger. And Nimoy is no better, cracking wise about how much older Shatner is than he. (For those of you wondering, this is how they act around each other all the time.) The insight/clowning-around mixture simply doesn’t jell. But to be fair, at least Nicholas Meyer is finally acknowledged as the author of KHAN’s shooting script, not Jack Sowards as has been erroneously credited. “A Novel Approach” is interesting, but dry; it bogs down when the authors recite passages from the novels. The moments where they discuss how KHAN formed the backbone of their work and display their fan knowledge are the most enjoyable, even if the supertitles used during the film clips steer too much into jokiness.

STORYBOARDS – mind-blowing. We’re treated to the conceptual sketches of the film’s FX shots (including the combat sequences, which match those in the finished film almost exactly), as well as some terrific concepts for the opening title sequence and the “Spock monologue” finale that really should have been used in the film. Illustrated by the late Mike Minor, these storyboards read like a really good comic book.

THEATRICAL TRAILER – pretty dramatic for a teaser, and it gives a good idea of what the film was going to be.

Despite a couple of rocky patches, the “director’s edition” of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN is a worthy package to a really good film. Highly recommended.

KHAAAAAAAN! KHAAAAAAAAN!
Considered the best Star Trek film to date. The film is a virtual Horatio Hornblower in outer space. Wrath Of Khan is a gripping adventure reminisent of a 1957 WWII film “The Enemy Below.” Ricardo Montalban is superb at Khan Noonan Singh, genetically modified super madman from the late 20th century. Awoken on a sleeper ship in the 23rd century by Capt Kirk and crew, only to be exiled on unstable planet. Khan seeks revenge on Kirk in the worst way, as he hijacks a Federation starship as well as a device that could literally destroy the galaxy. The best line in the film:

Admiral James T. Kirk: Khan, you bloodsucker! You’re gonna have to do your own dirty work now, do you hear me? Do you? Khan: Kirk! You’re still alive, old friend! Admiral James T. Kirk: Still, “old friend!” You’ve managed to kill everyone else but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target. Khan: Perhaps I no longer need to try, Admiral. [beams the Genesis device away] Admiral James T. Kirk: Khan… Khan, you’ve got Genesis, but you don’t have me. You were going to kill me, Khan. You’re gonna have to come down here. You’re gonna have to come down here. Khan: I’ve done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I’ve hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her: marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet, buried alive. Buried alive. Kirk: KHAAANNNN! KHAAANNNN!

Wrath Of Khan also stars Kristie Alley (of Cheers, and Veronica’s Closet). It was Krisitie’s 1st roll on the big screen, playing Lt. Saavik, Spock’s protegee. Great acting by Montalban and terrific over-acting by Shatner. Star Trek II is a tour de force. A must have for the Trekkie and sci-fi collector.

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Juno Product: Juno Sale-$9.99! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $9.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #7579 in Movie
• Released on: 2009-11-17
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Running time: 97 minutes

A Complex Tale Told with Humor, Tenderness, and Simplicity
Teenage pregnancy is frequently a starting point for myriad philosophical arguments: some see it as a major problem, some see it as an argument for the need of early teaching of contraceptive technique and sex education, some see it as a reason for championing abortion, and some see it as a piece of life that confronts families in both positive and negative ways. JUNO is a beautifully written (Diablo Cody) and directed (Jason Reitman) version of unplanned pregnancy offered by a splendid ensemble cast: it is a movie that could modify the sociologic outlook of many people in a very strong fashion.

Juno (Ellen Page) is sixteen and talks her best friend Bleek (Michael Cera) into having sex: the result is a surprise pregnancy that Juno shares with her girlfriend Leah (Olivia Thirley) and the store clerk Rollo (Rainn Wilson) even before informing Bleek, a likable kid who seems fairly flat about the situation. After discarding abortion as a viable solution, Juno informs her father (JK Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) of her status, and tells them she is going to complete the pregnancy and give the baby to some loving and needy barren couple. Her parents are at first flustered by the news, but quickly become supportive in a way that tells us many things about the durability of successful families. With Leah’s help, Juno answers an ad for ‘wanted: baby’ in PennySaver and visits the Lorings (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who desperately want a child and embrace Juno’s gesture of adoption with eager excitement. The remainder of the film follows Juno as her abdomen increases in girth, finding new respect for her parents and for Bleek, and inadvertently walking in the troubled waters of the Loring’s marital discord. Without giving the story away, the ending is so tender and free of cliché that it allows us, the audience, to appreciate all the vigor and sensitivity and humor and warmth of Juno – an example of developing maturity that is a fresh breeze compared to the usual teenage movies.

Ellen Page does indeed deliver a pitch perfect performance, but her co-stars are equally fine: Simmons and Janney break away from their usual type cast roles brilliantly, and the other members of the cast (the entire cast) flesh out this well written story with great skill. The mixture of animated graphics and the imaginative musical score enhance the flavor of the tale. JUNO offers an unbiased look at the topic of teenage pregnancy and wins on every level. Grady Harp, April 08

Two-Disc Special Edition Chock Full o’ Extras!
Juno was Little Miss Sunshine of 2007 – the little independent film that could. Once the studio realized that it had a successful crowd-pleaser on its hands, the film was promoted from the art-house circuit to the multiplexes. Actress Ellen Page and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody became the film’s breakout stars garnering the lion’s share of critical raves and awards with Page getting an Independent Spirit Award and Cody an Academy Award. Now that all of the dust has settled, Juno can be reassessed to see if it really has the staying power and substance to cut through all of the hype and stand-up to the inevitable backlash.

There is an audio commentary by director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. The first thing that you notice when listening to Cody talking is how well Ellen Page mimicked her way of speaking. Reitman tends to dominate the track and, not surprisingly, talks about filmmaking aspects like the casting of minor roles, the attention to details for the sets, how he shot certain scenes, and so on. This is pretty decent track filled with lots of anecdotal stories and production details.

Also included are 11 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reitman and Cody. We meet Juno’s crazy next-door neighbour. There’s also a different introduction to Juno’s family. We see Mark and Vanessa’s first attempt to adopt. There’s also an amusing bit where Juno has a solo gig and sings a song about getting pregnant. These are all good scenes and Reitman explains why there were cut.

There is the obligatory “Gag Reel,” a hilarious collection of blown lines and goofs with Bateman making Page break character time and time again.

The “Gag Take” is an odd scene where Rainn Wilson and Reitman get into it with a mock heated argument.

“Cast and Crew Jam” features the cast and crew members rockin’ out to a song in this mock music video.

There are “Screen Tests” for Ellen Page and Michael Cera. In the scene they do together you already see them in character and displaying excellent chemistry. There is also a test with Page and Olivia Thirlby and one with Page and J.K. Simmons as well.

“Way Beyond `Our’ Maturity Level” takes a look at the characters of Bleeker, Juno and her best friend Leah with interviews with the actors that inhabit them. Diablo Cody talks about how they are based on people in her life.

“Diablo Cody is Totally Boss” is a profile of this novice screenwriter who got her start writing a blog and got noticed by a film producer. Reitman recalls his initial impressions of the script and the cast gush about its “unique voice.”

“Jason Reitman for Shizz” takes a look at the director. The producers gush about how he was the right fit for the material. He talks about establishing the right tone and how he shared the same vision for the film as Cody.

“Honest to Blog!: Creating Juno” features Cody and Reitman talking about how the film came together. She credits her stylized dialogue to spending lots of time on the Internet. Cody also talks about how she came up with the idea for the story. They talk about specific scenes and her knack for depicting an unconventional family.

Wondering what “…with digital copy” means?
It means the bonus disc includes a digital copy of the film that can be automatically downloaded to a laptop or iPod. Seems obvious after you know it, huh? The second disc also includes some extra bonus features not on the single-disc DVD — four featurettes titled “Way Beyond ‘Our’ Maturity Level: Juno – Leah – Bleeker,” “Diablo Cody Is Totally Boss,” “Jason Reitman For Shizz” and “Honest To Blog! Creating Juno.”

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Dirty Love Product: Dirty Love Review. List Price: —- Amazon Price: $3.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #20461 in Movie
• Released on: 2009-12-18
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Running time: 91 minutes

Let me remind you why you once feared the dark
Guillermo Del Toro has become the new master of dark fantasy — first with the quirky clockpunk “Hellboy,” then with the Oscar-winning “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Not to mention forthcoming travels to Middle-Earth.

So you know he has the skills to pit Mike Mignola’s scarlet anti-hero against an army of fairies and elves, and not make it silly. Instead, it’s a spectacular dark fantasy full of humor, action, quirky appeal, romance, and some truly astounding special effects. But what really shoves this movie over the top is Del Toro’s brilliant direction, and the stunning performance by Ron Perlman.

Decades ago, Professor Broom (William Hurt) told a small Hellboy a yuletide bedtime story about the Elf King Balor and his unstoppable Golden Army, and how the crown that controls the Army was split into thirds and divided among fairies and humans.

Well, you can’t really expect that kind of power to never be revived.

Cut to current day. Hellboy (Perlman), Liz (Selma Blair) and Abe (Doug Jones) investigate a strange supernatural attack on an auction house, where the archeological curiosity known as the Crown of Bethmoora was being sold — only to be attacked by savage tooth fairies. Turns out the crown was stolen by Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), a resentful young elf who is determined to take the world back from humanity — using, of course, the Golden Army.

And while Hellboy chafes against strict new commander Johann Krauss (a suit filled with ectoplasm), Abe encounters Nuada’s sister, Princess Nuala — who also happens to have the last third of the crown. But Nuada will not allow anyone to oppose him as he searches for the Golden Army’s location, and Hellboy and his friends must venture into a strange, ancient kingdom to stop him from destroying all of humanity.

The worst you can say about “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” is that it sticks to the formula of the demonic outsider with a dark destiny, and his continuing romantic woes. There’s some retreading as Hellboy realizes anew that he’ll never fit into the world of humans, because he’s big and red and has horns and a tail. Okay, we got it. Next big psychological issue!

Fortunately those flaws are relatively minor ones. Del Toro is still able to spin a dark, twisted story with some truly bizarre creatures (the utterly alien, eye-winged Angel of Death), clockpunk robots, trippy underground goblin markets and a new BPRD agent who is basically ectoplasm in a suit. And for the action scenes, Del Toro does not pull punches when it comes to the smashing action scenes — giant thrashing vines and a one-on-one duel with Nuada are among the highlights.

With all this going on, it would be easy to neglect the characters. But Del Toro packs the script with solid snappy dialogue and some poignantly romantic moments — including some pretty startling actions from dear ol’ Abe. And he also adds little moments to this epic story that remind us that these are supposed to be people — such as Hellboy’s bickering with Krauss, or Abe and Hellboy getting drunk and having a little Manilow singalong together. It’s just so cute.

But what really sets this movie apart is the “children of the Earth.” No flitting Victorian sprites — these are creatures that are weird, grotesque, dangerous and immensely powerful, from nasty little tooth fairies up to vast rock monsters and plant gods. There’s an alien, bizarre aesthetic to these creatures that feels wholly real, as if Neil Gaiman casually dropped a few sketches onto the drawing board.

But as amazing as the visuals are, Del Toro never neglects the characters. Perlman is perfect for the role of “big Red” — he’s gruff, sarcastic, moody, but also endearing and self-deprecatingly likable. There are more hints of his potentially dark future, and he faces some delicately-handed temptations. But Big Red’s good heart is still very much in the forefront, no matter how much human beings fear him.

Blair gives a more lively performance here as a spunkier Liz, who also has some surprising developments in store. Jones is pitch-perfect as the fish-man, who experiences the first pangs of young love for Nuala, while Goss gives a chilling, whispery performance as a rebel prince who is willing to do whatever it takes — even kill family — if it helps him restore the fey kingdom. Pretty good villain, since he clearly isn’t trying to be bad.

There’s also loads of extras in this particular edition of the movie — feature commentary with director Guillermo Del Toro, Jeffrey Tambor, Selma Blair and Luke Goss, as well as some deleted scenes also with commentary with Del Toro, a prologue to the movie, a digital script, image gallery, a “Puppet Theatre” for the opening sequences of the film, concept art, interviews, and other such stuff. Also making-of documentaries — seven mini-documentaries that visit the set, the “Troll Market Tour” in the movie’s most memorable “faerie” setting, and the two-hour “Hellboy: In Service Of The Demon.” Basically, it turns the film inside-out and lets you examine its guts.

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” is a wild, darkly ornate ride through the world of half-forgotten gods and fey. While it has a few flaws, those are far outweighed by the brilliant of Del Toro’s vision.

Hellboy II – Back And Better Than Ever!
You know you’re not watching a formulaic comic book film when one of the highlights is a drunken rendition of “Can’t Smile Without You” by Hellboy and Abe Sapien. “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” is a more confident, assured outing than the first film and while it does not draw from Mignola’s comics for its plot it is perhaps better off for it, lacking the usual burden of comparison and expectations. “The Golden Army” is more fantastical than the first film and is less sci-fi oriented but this is the sort of thing Del Toro does exceptionally well as a writer. He never lets the fantasy become the focus of the film, instead concentrating on characters and delivering action scenes that can only be described as, forgive the crass immaturity, kickass.

As entertaining as many comic book-to-film adaptations are it is a rare event when one can call one of these films a true artistic achievement. I am convinced without a shadow of a doubt that Guillermo Del Toro’s entire career has been leading up to this film, particularly regarding his work as screenwriter here. The comedy feels less forced and is worked incredibly well into the script here, so much so that it doesn’t feel remotely unnatural when the scene of comic drunken singing leads directly without a break into one of the film’s most intensely dramatic sequences. Del Toro’s handling of character has never been better, not even with “The Devil’s Backbone”, which is still my favorite of his films, and his sheer skill and ability when it comes to telling a fairytale-esquire fantasy is astonishing, as proved in the prologue to this film. In short this is Del Toro at the top of his game and providing artistry the likes of which we rarely if ever see in summer blockbusters. It’s only fair that an astonishingly brilliant comic like “Hellboy” by an astonishingly brilliant artist like Mike Mignola is adapted this well and by someone as talented at what they do as he is.

How refreshing it is, a week after the release of “Hancock”, which to me epitomizes everything wrong with action film-making today, that we get “The Golden Army” which features hands down some of the finest action scenes we have ever seen in this sort of film. Just stunningly beautiful, well-shot, well-crafted, the sort of thing that leaves one wondering how much time and effort went into it and endlessly thankful that some really talented people went to the trouble of making the film.

The film is generally just superb on a technical level. Why am I even saying this? Of course it is. Danny Elfman composing, Guillermo Navarro serving as cinematographer, top-notch editors, fantastic special effects wizards. It’s a world-class crew that made this film. I shouldn’t be surprised at its quality but “The Golden Army” really just floored and astonished me with how good it is. The cast is also excellent, proving once again that you don’t need ‘big names’ to carry a movie. Just about everyone here is excellent, particularly Perlman with another excellent turn as Hellboy and the underrated Selma Blair as Liz Sherman.

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” provides essentially everything a Del Toro or Mignola fan would want. I imagine it will entertain and charm many outside those circles as well with its fantastic action sequences, engaging characters, and wonderful sense of humor. I would personally go as far as calling “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” one of the top five or so comic book movies ever made.

Give `em Hellboy!!
Fans of dark fantasy movies will definitely like this one. If you take Pan’s Labyrinth and add more creatures, and then give it an injection of humor, and sprinkle some Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, some Fantastic Four, and a little Lord of the Rings, and last of all let Neil Gaiman put the finishing touches, you’ll probably get Hellboy II or a reasonable facsimile thereof.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. Humans and mythical creatures are at it again
2. One crown rules an indestructible golden army
3. Uneasy lies the head that wants to wear the crown
4. All Hellboy breaks loose after a visit from the tooth fairies
5. The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense sends a gasbag to lead the team into the bowels of New York City
6. Hellboy may be red and angry, but it’s Liz (Selma Blair) who’s the hottie
7. Big fights, big guns and big fun follows
8. `Twas beauty that tamed the beast

When the BPRD agents are called to take on the job of stopping rogue Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) they get a lot more than the main responsibilities listed on their job descriptions. Battling mythical creatures, disobeying direct orders, and generally tearing the place apart, our heroes never let a little adversity get them down on the way to a stellar showdown.

This is a fantasy, an adventure, a battle of good against not-so-good, and a love story, all rolled into one red hot package.

Rated: 4.5 stars

Amanda Richards, July 23, 2008

Watch From Here to Eternity Movie Online. Movie Title: From Here to Eternity Average customer review: From Here to Eternity is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download From Here to Eternity

Now pay attention, widescreen DVD fans (I am among them) …!

Do not go looking for widescreen format before 1954, because with a couple of exceptions (glance “sir-critic” below), they don’t exist. One must be a student of history to some extent as a classic movie fan: when collecting a video library, know your format history; the key year is 1954. (Interestingly, it is the same key year for stereo music recordings, at least in the Classical world.) Also remember that a post-1954 movie is not necessarily a widescreen film, either, especially in the first few years. (Stare my review of “Moonstruck” for more aspect ratio commentary that you’ll fetch very captivating, if this one is racy to you. I ranted about its full-frame release and found out that I didn’t know what I was talking about, more or less.)

“From Here to Eternity” is a gigantic classic film that was shot and originally released in 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Like many, many other pre-1954 movies, this film was probably re-released several times in theaters with a “widescreen” format, but they fair lopped off the top and bottom of the represent for the release. This was a grotesque practice, butchering many exquisite films and ruining the painstaking framing of shots by the cinematographer. You don’t want a widescreen version of “From Here to Eternity”, because it’s butchered, I mean, ALTERED.

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The vital thing for DVD collectors / film buffs is Unusual Theatrical Release Format, i.e., what the director and cinematographer intended you to peek. The video release companies should be heavily encouraged by us to provide this information on the DVD and VHS boxes, so that we know a film’s right fresh aspect ratio, and whether the particular edition is or is not altered, I mean, BUTCHERED.

Why is the television mask a 1.33:1 aspect ratio? Because movies’ ratios were 1.33:1. TV programs and movies were filmed with the same cameras and film. By the early ’50s, TV was becoming so vital that film studios needed a unique hook to retain people coming to the theaters, so Cinemascope and others were born to amaze audiences. Try to imagine seeing a 2.55:1 Cinemascope narrate in the theater when all you’ve ever seen up to then was 1.33:1 films and TV. WOW!! THAT would withhold you coming assist to the cinema! Later cinematic hooks would be in sound, calm more or less unachievable at home — remember Surround Sound’s forerunner, “Sensurround” (worn for “Midway” and “Earthquake”)?

Remember film fans, you might have to do a miniature research on a given movie before assuming that a video release is not the accurate format.

From Here To Eternity is probably best remembered for the illustrious beach fancy scene of Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, but there’s a lot more to this legendary film. It tells the sage of the lives and relationships of several characters in the time leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. The film is well cast. Lancaster gives a strong performance as the tough sergeant in fancy with his superior’s wife, and Kerr is equally glowing as the frustrated wife who has become renowned for her dalliances. Frank Sinatra gives a charismatic performance as Maggio, the soldier with a esteem of drinking who gets himself into concern. Donna Reed convincingly plays a “toned-down” prostitute who doesn’t want to drop in like with a soldier, but does. The best performance is given by Montgomery Clift as the soldier Reed loves, a bugler and primitive boxer who critically injured a man in a fight and doesn’t want to step assist in the ring. Clift was an actor worthy of digging deep into his characters, and unfortunately, he seems not to be as well known today as others from his time. The dialogue is titillating and weak, the attack scenes are safe, and there are a number of dramatic, memorable moments in this film. Examine it for the beach scene, for Clift’s superlative performance, and for all the qualities one would question in a top notch film from Hollywood’s Golden Era.
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House of Flying Daggers-Retail —-! Sale Only $8.49! Compare & Purchase House of Flying Daggers at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $8.49 Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

House of Flying Daggers Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4386 in Movie
• Released on: 2006-09-06
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Running time: 120 minutes

Customer Reviews:

More Romance Than ‘Hero’ and More Beauty of Zhang Ziyi
Soon following the success of ‘Hero,’ director Yimou Zhang made another film featuring beautiful Zhang Ziyi. One of the good news for Zhang Ziyi fans (including me) is that ‘House of Flying Daggers’ features her almost all through the film. And this time director’s stress is clearly given to the romantic side of the story — and as if to match his intention, ‘House’ looks more beautiful, colorful, and gorgeous, than ‘Hero.’ And there are actions, and some of them are quite unique.

The film is set in 859 AD, last days of the now corrupt Tang Dynasty in China. One underground sect called House of Flying Daggers are openly challenging the authority of the government, and to crush these rebels, two officers Jin — also known ‘The Wind’ (Takeshi Kaneshiro, ‘Chunking Express’) and Leo (Andy Lau, ‘Infernal Affairs’) think of a good plan.

Jin goes to meet a blind courtesan Mei (Zhang Ziyi), who is suspected to be connected with the secret clan, and he gains the confidence of this beautiful dancer by some tricks — tricks meaning ‘love.’ Make her love you, and you get her secret. Hopefully she will lead Jin to the hiding place of the ‘House of Flying Daggers,’ but before the plan starts, Leo warns Jin: ‘Don’t fall in love for real.’ But who can resist Mei’s beauty? Or Zhang Ziyi’s for that matter?

The rest of the story is very melodramatic, and the film sometimes needs a good amount of suspension of disbelief (especially for Western audiences, I’m afraid). But, though melodramatic, it is aptly so, as this is basically about a romance, or a love story. Those who love the romantic mood in films would understand what I say. It’s all about the tension and mood, and ‘House’ has lots of them.

Actions are done by Tony Ching Siu-Tung, whose CV includes the action director of ‘A Chinese Ghost Story.’ He gives superb martial arts actions here again, without using too much of now-too-trendy wire actions. As the film title shows, there are some effectively shot scenes of ‘flying daggers’ which, with a good use of CGIs, gives a few of thrilling moments. And like I said before, the battles in the midst of a deep bamboo forest are not to be missed, if you are a real Hong-Kong film fan.

Costumes are provided by Emi Wada (as in ‘Hero’), whose colorful dresses are just wonderful. Particlularly those long-sleeved dancing costumes for Zhang Ziyi not merely enhance the exotic beauty of the dancer, but things to be treasured on their own merit. And Kathleen Battle sings the theme song at the end of the film.

But first and foremost, to me, the film is made for Zhang Ziyi. Did I say she is beautiful? She is, and breathtakingly so, when her character betrays her hidden emotions before the camera. And sometimes the film reveals the character’s very sensual side — I say, for a Chinese film, of course, but it was a little surprising.

Of course, top-credited Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro are the stars, and they are very good. The film is always beautiful to see, from the first to the end (the snow field was shot in Ukraine). And if you’re a fan of Zhang Ziyi, this one is not to be missed for it’s not too much to say that it belongs to her.

If you have the DVD, don’t bother with the Blu-Ray
Since none of the other reviews for this movie seem to focus on the Blu-Ray disc, I decided I’ll throw my $.02 in.

The movie is a very good, well told story. The other reviews tell you that. What they don’t tell you is that the Blu-Ray version is a waste of money.

The first issue I had when playing the movie was the menu. Something told me that when the menu come on and it looked no better than DVD that something was amiss. I had hoped it was just the menu. I was wrong.

I then started the movie up with subtitles and when the actual movie started I raised my hand to my head and began to scratch it. The video looked HORRIBLE. Pixelated and blurry and lacking detail.

I paused the movie just before the drum scene. I then put the DVD into my Oppo 971 DVD player, switched the input on my TV to the DVD player and skipped to the same scene on the DVD. I was amazed. The DVD upconverted to 720p using the Oppo 971 looked BETTER than the 1080p image coming from the PS3 through HDMI! The only difference is that the PS3′s image is a bit brighter. This may be because I haven’t calibrated the color for the HDMI input and not a true representation of the transfer.

The sound is really good, but not a whole lot better than the DVD. It certainly isn’t worth the price to upgrade to Blu-Ray when the sound nearly imperceptibly changes and the video looks this bad.

Looking at reviews on-line for the disc and given they were giving the movie decent video ratings, I thought it may be a problem with my setup, so I called Sony’s PS3 support line and basically was told that as long as my other movies looked good (Corpse Bride looks simply stunning in Blu-Ray) that it was likely the way the movie was authored. Pretty sad that Sony, who are the biggest backers of the format, can’t even author a movie properly. I have since learned from sources other than people trying to justify the expense of their $1000 players that HoFD is widely regarded as Sony’s most poorly authored Blu-Ray title. Part of the issue may also be that Sony has an aversion to VC-1 (which is supported by Microsoft) and instead focuses on using MPEG-2 to encode the video. Talledega Nights also uses MPEG-2 but looks light years beyond HoFD.

Do yourself a favor if you want to purchase this on Blu-Ray; save yourself some money and buy the DVD version instead. The content doesn’t change and it honestly looks better than the Blu-Ray disc. If you want something to show off the clarity of Blu-Ray, pick up Corpse Bride.

A necessary supplement to Hero
If you have not seen Hero, HOFD stands on its own for its gorgeous art direction alone. If you have seen Hero, you must see HOFD, because HOFD is a perfect contrast to Hero; “Hero” cannot be complete without HOFD. Both films are about sacrifice. So what set them apart?

While the message in “Hero” can be interpreted as “the greater goods outweigh the individual needs”, the message in HOFD can be deciphered as “the individual needs outweigh the greater goods”.

In “Hero”, Nameless and Broken Sword gave up their plan to assassinate the emperor (thus giving up not only their desire to avenge personal hatred but also their individual happiness) because they realized that the power of the emperor might be the best solution to end the dreadful pains and suffers resulting from the a tangle of warring states.

In HOFD, Mei and Jin eventually chose to give up their mission to serve their respective political entity and instead, pursue their individual happiness and freedom.

In both movies, the outcomes are the same. No matter choosing the greater goods or individual needs ahead of everything, the individual cannot escape from suffering. In “hero”, sacrifice of the individual dreams leads to the broken hearts. In HOFD, sacrifice of the greater goods leads to amplify the conflict of individual emotions (e.g., rejection and jealousy). At the end, the individuals still suffer and death becomes the best way to free it all.

While Yimou Zhang was criticized for the communism dogma in Hero (the importance of the greater good over the individual freedom), HOFD is his brilliant effort to silence the critics. HOFD manifests the unspoken (or relatively hidden) messages of Hero: the individuals’ emotional baggage could outweigh everything after all. Humans are just humans. They suffer and search for ways to alleviate their suffering. And Zhang sympathizes with both forms of sufferings.

Watch In the Good Old Summertime Movie Online. Movie Title: In the Good Old Summertime Average customer review: In the Good Old Summertime is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download In the Good Old Summertime

This year 2004 marks the first appearance of this titanic Judy Garland film (one of her last for MGM) on DVD. This film is based upon an earlier James Stewart film THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER and was recently remade as YOU’VE GOT MAIL. This fresh restored print is an improvement over the previous VHS release. The portray has been cleaned up and colors discover brighter and bolder than ever before, as we inquire with 3-strip Technicolor, though there are composed a FEW age related artifacts demonstrate, but I am forgiving enough to peruse beyond this. In general, the modern transfer is radiant. The soundtrack sounds equally as impressive and has been cleaned up very nicely for this release.

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Included on the disc are trailers for this film, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, and YOU’VE GOT MAIL. I really don’t know why the latter was included here, it lends nothing whatsoever to this release, and practically everyone in the country has seen it by now. There are no other “extras” to snarl of. We wish that the deleted musical number, “Last Night When We Were Young,” sung by Judy Garland, had been included as a bonus on this disc. Both the footage and soundtrack for this number survive, and it was included in the Outtakes fragment of the fourth disc of the original That’s Entertainment 4-disc boxed station, released this past October. Why wasn’t it included here?

On the whole, this is a very commendable release from Warner Home Video, but if you unexcited have the VHS tape there’s no sincere special reason to hasten out and lift the DVD.

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Look for an 18 month conventional Liza Minnelli during the closing scenes, making her film debut.

Despite this charming film’s misleading title the majority of the yarn takes situation in winter in the lead up to the Christmas season. It does however feature one of Judy Garland’s best later performances made in an all to rare trauma free moment in the unhurried 1940′s for this legendary actress/singer when her health problems were affecting her ability to do before the camera. Amazingly none of that is evident in “In the Reliable Worn Summertime”, which finds her delivering a wonderfully controlled and at times wistful performance as a young employee of a music store in turn of the century Chicago who is having a romantic letter correspondance with a penpal who addresses himself simply as “dear friend”. Given its setting of a music shop “In the Generous Weak Summertime”, also offers Judy Garland a number of opportunities to note some glorious musical interludes in her unusual style.

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It was a stroke of genius by MGM to determine to remake as a musical it’s earlier 1940 classic “The Shop Around the Corner” which starred James Stewart and another highly strung female performer in Margaret Sullavan. The results here are almost as effective as in the earlier film and Garland and Van Johnson perform a appetizing camouflage team. Based on the play “The Shop Around the Corner “, by Miklos Laszlo, the action this time has been moved from explain day Budapest to turn of the century Chicago. Indeed this comely film bares a strong resemblance to Garland’s earlier classic “Meet Me in St. Louis”,and here the atmosphere is objective as rich where the action centres around Oberkugen’s Music Store hurry by the memorable Otto Oberkugan (S.Z.Sakall), and his colourful group of employees in the store. Chief among them is Andrew Larkin (Van Johnson) who is a promising store clerk. Andrew however has a very prickly relationship with novel employee Veronica Fisher (Garland) and both seem to always salvage something to disagree about. However what both dont realise is that the romances they are respectively enjoying via the mail out of work hours and which have progressed from “lustrous topics” to exact treasure, are actually with each other! As the pen pal letter exchange deepens into admire it is agreed that the two will meet. Andrew however sees Veronica already waiting in the restaurant and in his disappointment decides not to go in. Thinking about it longer and realising Veronica is his pen pal Andrew decides to give her a hard time about it and in a laughable location enters the restaurant and engages her in conversation considerable to Veronica’s consternation as she believes her “date”, will be due to turn up at any dinky. Assist at the store however things slowly open to thaw between the two and when Andrew gets into deep inconvenience with Mr. Oberkugan for lending his prize violin to friend Louise (Marcia Van Dyke), for an audition he finds himself fired. The staff rally around him and its up to Otto’s long suffering secretary Nellie (Spring Byington) and Veronica to execute him notice the error of his ways. Otto relents for his behaviour and Andrew is made the unusual manager however Veronica decides she must be the one to leave and its only during a romantic interlude alone in the darkened shop on Christmas Eve that Andrew reveals his precise treasure for her. Veronica also confesses her deep adore for her weak antagonist and the scene cuts away to the couple in a warm summer setting happily married and with a fine young two year ragged daughter (Liza Minneli) .

“In The Great Customary Summertime”, boasts many memorable musical numbers including the title song, “I Don’t Care”, “Assign Your Arms Around Me Honey”, the laughable “Play The Barbershop Chord”, and my personal favourite “Merry Christmas”. In all of these numbers apart from her blooming singing style Judy Garland proves what an exceptional talent she was in comedy, pantomine and more energic pieces such as the barbershop number. Here is a talented actress in the chunky bloom of her capabilities who was unfortunately honest about to exit the musical movie stage for quite some time. The supporting cast is exceptional with such radiant amusing talents as S.Z. Sakall and Spring Byington providing the top level assist that they delivered in film after film in this period. Some rarities also pop up in “In The Satisfactory Ragged Summertime”, as we search for feeble Buster Keaton play Otto’s brow beaten nephew to handsome attain in his last MGM appearance and in the final scene reality and movie fantasy despicable as Judy Garland’s genuine life daughter Liza Minnelli plays her and Johnson’s movie child in the last scene. Calm star Anna Q. Nilsson also has a dinky section as a woman buying one of the infuriating harps that reoccur in the fable. MGM talent is abundantly on prove in all departments here. The director Robert Z. Leonard who helmed the classic “Maytime”, for MGM, was only brought in after Garland nixed plans by the studio to give the assignment to her husband Vincente Minnelli as the pair were having difficulties at the time. The choreography is top rate and was handled by Robert Alton who was responsible for the innovative dance numbers in Garland’s previous film “Easter Parade”. Cedric Gibbons’ handsome work in site form also deserves mention for giving the film its graceful appearance and period flavour.

After this distress Judy Garland sadly went into a steep decline health wise and after completing only one more film “Summer Stock”, and being released from an aborted attempt to film “Royal Wedding “, with Fred Astaire her MGM contract was terminated. None of this sadness is evident in “In The Beneficial Ragged Summertime”, thankfully and what we have here is a movie with lovely technicolour, many splendid musical numbers delivered by Garland and a amusing, and touching anecdote area against a radiant “MGM”, Christmas. Luxuriate In Judy Garland at the top of her talents in MGM’s “In The Beneficial Veteran Summertime”.
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Streaming The Grapes of Wrath Online. Movie Title: The Grapes of Wrath Average customer review: The Grapes of Wrath is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Grapes of Wrath

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loos’d the fateful lightning of His awful swift sword, His truth is marching on.” – Battle Hymn of the Republic.

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In 1936, John Steinbeck wrote a series of articles about the migrant workers driven to California from the Midwestern states after losing their homes in the throes of the depression: inclement weather, failed crops, land mortgaged to the hilt and finally taken over by banks and grand corporations when credit lines ran dry. Lured by promises of work aplenty, the Midwesterners packed their belongings and trekked westward to the Golden Space, only to accept themselves facing hunger, inhumane conditions, contempt and exploitation instead. “Dignity is all gone, and spirit has turned to changeable nettle before it dies,” Steinbeck described the result in one of his 1936 articles, collectively published as “The Harvest Gypsies;” and in another portion (“Starvation Under the Orange Trees,” 1938) he asked: “Must the hunger become arouse and the exasperate fury before anything will be done? ”

By the time he wrote the latter article, Steinbeck had already published one modern addressing the agricultural laborers’ struggle against corporate power (“In Dubious Battle,” 1936) . Shortly thereafter he began to work on “The Grapes of Wrath,” which was published roughly a year later. Although the book would collect the Pulitzer Prize (1940) and become a cornerstone foundation of Steinbeck’s Literature Nobel Prize (1962), it was sharply criticized upon its release – nowhere more so than in the Midwest – and calm counts among the 35 books most frequently banned from American school curricula: A raw, brutally shriek, yet incredibly poetic masterpiece of fiction, it continues to touch nerves deeply rooted in fresh society’s fabric; including and particularly in California, where yesterday’s Okies are today’s undocumented Mexicans – Chicano labor leader Cesar Chavez especially pointed out how well he could empathize with the Joad family, because he and his fellow workers were now living the same life they once had.

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Having fought hard with his publisher to believe the novel’s uncompromising arrive throughout, Steinbeck was weary to give the film rights to 20th Century Fox, headed by much mogul and, more importantly, known conservative Daryl F. Zanuck. Yet, Zanuck and director John Ford largely stayed suitable to the novel: There is that sense of desperation in farmer Muley’s (John Qualen’s) expression as he tells Tom and ex-preacher Casy (Henry Fonda and John Carradine) how the “cats” came and bulldozed down everybody’s homes, on behalf of a corporate entity too intangible to truly acquire accountable. There is Grandpa Joad (Charley Grapewin), literally clinging to his earth and dying of a stroke (or, more likely, a broken heart) when he is made to leave against his will. There is everybody’s brief joy upon first seeing Bakersfield’s rich plantations – everybody’s except Ma Joad’s (Jane Darwell’s), that is, who alone knows that Grandma (Zeffie Tilbury) died in her arms before they even started to spoiled the Californian desert the previous night. There is the privately-run labor camps’ direct desolation, complete with violent guards, exploitative wages, lack of food and unsanitary conditions; contrasted with the relative security and more humane conditions of the camps accelerate by the Place. And there is Tom’s crucial development from a man acting alone to one seeing the befriend of joining efforts in a group, following Casy’s example, and his parting promise to Ma that she’ll earn him everywhere she looks – wherever there is injustice, struggle, and people’s joint success. In an overall outstanding cast, which also includes Dorris Bowdon (Rose of Sharon), Eddie Quillan (Rose’s boyfriend Connie), Frank Darien (Uncle John) and a brief appearance by Ward Bond as a safe policeman, Henry Fonda truly shines as Tom; despite his smashing beneficial looks fully metamorphosized into Steinbeck’s quick-tempered, lanky, reluctant hero.

Yet, in all its starkness the movie has a more optimistic slant than the novel; due to a structural change which has the Joads enchanting from abominable to acceptable living conditions (instead of vice versa), the toning down of Steinbeck’s political references – most importantly, the elimination of a monologue using a land owner’s description of “reds” as anybody “that wants thirty cents and hour when we’re payin’ twenty-five” to reveal that under the prevalent conditions that definition applies to virtually *every* migrant laborer – and a greater emphasis on Ma Joad’s pragmatic, forward-looking diagram of dealing with their fate; culminating in her closing “we’s the people” speech (whose direction, interestingly, Ford, who would have preferred to ruin the movie with the image of Tom walking up a hill alone in the distance, left to Zanuck himself) . Jane Darwell won a much-deserved Academy-Award for her portrayal as Ma; besides John Ford’s Best Director award the movie’s only winner on Oscar night – none of its other five nominations scored, unfortunately including those in the Best Portray and Best Leading Actor categories, which went to Hitchcock’s “Rebecca” and James Stewart (“The Philadelphia Chronicle”) instead. Calm, despite its distinguished success – also expressed in a “Best Portray” National Board of Review award – and its marginally optimistic outlook, the movie engendered almost as worthy controversy as did Steinbeck’s book. After the witch hunt setting in not even a decade later, today it stands as one of the last, greatest examples of a movie pulling no punches in the portrayal of society’s ailments; a type of film regrettably rare in fresh years.

“Ev’rybody might be honest one enormous soul – well it looks that-a plot to me. … Wherever men are fightin’ for their rights, that’s where I’m gonna be, ma. That’s where I’m gonna be.” – Woody Guthrie, “The Ballad of Tom Joad.”

“The highway is alive tonight, but nobody’s kiddin’ nobody about where it goes. I’m sittin’ down here in the campfire light, with the ghost of obsolete Tom Joad.” – Bruce Springsteen, “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”

Also recommended:

John Steinbeck : Novels and Stories, 1932-1937 : The Pastures of Heaven / To a God Unknown / Tortilla Flat / In Dubious Battle / Of Mice and Men (Library of America)

John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1936-1941: The Grapes of Wrath, The Harvest Gypsies, The Long Valley, The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Library of America)

Steinbeck Novels 1942-1952: The Moon Is Down / Cannery Row / The Pearl / East of Eden (Library of America)

John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962: The Wayward Bus / Burning Shiny / Sweet Thursday / The Winter of Our Discontent (Library of America)

America and Americans and Selected Nonfiction (Penguin Classics)

John Steinbeck, Writer: A Biography

East of Eden (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Of Mice & Men

Viva Zapata!

The Ox-Bow Incident

This is it! This is the movie to note to your preteen children to give them an notion of what it means to struggle for something, for the barest of necessities.

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John Steinbeck and John Ford did America proud, allowing us to peek inward to explore solutions for our social problems. As a country we would do well to do the same again.

Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) and Ma Joad (Jane Darwell) are the central characters of this film, but many other, richly defined, roles can be found here. The young husband who deserts his wife because he’s ashamed that he can’t provide for her … the waitress whose, somewhat hardened, heart is softened by the scrape of the Joads … the Grandfather who dreams of California and eating grapes while their juice runs down his chin … the grieving father warning the Joads of the hard times ahead in California … and who can forget the family friend who refuses to leave Oklahoma, and slides further and further into insanity as his entire community disappears.

Each secondary member of the cast has something invaluable to add to the tale and the standout is the astronomical John Carradine as the disillusioned, x-preacher, Casey. It is Casey who helps Tom to search for the injustice in their ‘migrant’ world, and Casey who provides the supreme sacrifice and catalyst for Tom’s promised future of being “there” for the exiguous guy.

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Yes, this movie can descend victim to overt sentimentalism, but the underlying feeling of injustice is probably the main ‘character’ in the account. While it’s overall theme can be depressing, you can’t abet but smile when Ma Joad says “We’re the people that live.”

I absolutely esteem this movie, I consider you will too.
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Streaming Silk Online. Movie Title: Silk Average customer review: Silk is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Silk

For those who fell under the spell of Alessandro Baricco’s recent SILK, a meditation about admire, desire, and conflict, this cinematic transformation adapted as a screenplay and directed by François Girard will not disappoint: reservations about making Baricco’s poetry visual are for the most piece attach to rest. The resulting film, SILK, is supported by a sensitive cast, wondrous cinematography by Alain Dostie, a haunting musical acquire by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and is an appropriate extension of the beauty of Baricco’s short recent.

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Set in France in 1862, Hervé Joncour (Michael Pitt) is following his family tradition of military duty until a somewhat mysterious man named Baldabiou (Alfred Molina) approaches Hervé’s father Mayor Joncour (Kenneth Welsh) with an understanding to increase the dinky French town’s revenues by capitalizing on the develop of silk. He talks the town council into fortifying his project and in a short time Baldabiou has several silk mills running. A dilemma arises when an infection attacks the silkworm eggs and threatens to waste the business. Baldabiou convinces Hervé to fade to Africa to win silkworm eggs to solve the dwindling supply. Hervé, meanwhile, has met and fallen in admire with the pleasing Hélène (Keira Knightley) who is loving enough to relieve Hervé’s go to Africa for the eggs, a lumber Hervé makes and returns with eggs that earn the town’s mills thrive, allowing the prospering relationship between Hervé and Hélène to result in marriage and hopes for a delighted future.

The eggs are again attacked by disease and this time Baldabiou sends Hervé to Japan where the perfect eggs can be smuggled out of the country: the straggle is arduous, long (through Europe, Russia, China to Japan), and while Hervé succeeds in securing the precious eggs, he also loses his heart to the seductive eyes of the baron’s concubine (Sei Ashina) . Upon returning home the town prospers, Hervé and Hélène try to have children, but Hervé is again forced to depart to Japan for more eggs – and to fulfill the longing to glimpse the concubine again. Japan is now at war and the bolt is far more harrowing than before and while Hervé doesn’t satisfy his desire for the concubine, she gives him a notice in Japanese as he departs for France. Upon returning to France, Hervé has the brand translated: ‘Come encourage or I shall die’. His cherish for Hélène remains strong and he shares the experience he had in Japan. A letter is delivered to Hervé, a radiant care for letter, and it is at this point that Hélène becomes ill and the events that transpire bring life to the genuine meaning of cherish in an unexpected method.

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There are problems with the film: the Japanese conversations are not translated by subtitles (perhaps the director wants us to feel the alienation of a Frenchman in a weird land) making the viewer feel that chunks of the anecdote are missing; the emphasis of the film is more concentrated on the beauty of the various locales than on the character development; Michael Pitt is a delicate actor but the inner conflicts of his character are not explored well. But these flaws are minor when the scope of the film is viewed in plump. It is a resplendent work and one that will satisfy the readers of the unusual from which it was adapted. Grady Harp, February 08

Like many well-intentioned adaptations, “Silk” fails in its atrocious execution. We supposedly have an adventurous silk trader, Herve Joncour (Michael Pitt), who undertakes the dangerous plod from France to Japan in the mid-1800s in search of blight-free silkworm eggs that would ensure his village’s prosperity in the silk industry. Married to a fetching wife and, from all accounts, in admire with her, our dauntless traveler becomes obsessed with a Japanese concubine in his first lumber to Yamagata. On the pretext that Japan’s silkworm eggs are worth the frequent traveler miles, Herve returns to Japan to accumulate yet another observe of his amour. We are obliged to collect that the largely lethargic Pitt traverses these thousands of miles (3 times!) by carriage, rail, ship, caravan and horseback, when it looks like he can’t even obtain across town without being toppled by a strong perambulate. Straining to evoke a Dr. Zhivago-like sage, it only succeeds at looking ludicrous. Permanently sporting a pout like a child scolded for playing with worms, Pitt mumbles in a monotone with one wooden facial expression all throughout, in perfect accompaniment to his sleep-deprived droning voiceover narration for the film’s painful 110 minutes. As badly miscast and as anemic as Pitt’s acting is, it is equaled, agonizingly enough, by the same dull performance of Keira Knightley as Herve’s wife Helene. Mostly relegated to bidding Herve a spiritless goodbye whenever he departs and a spiritless hello whenever he returns, one wonders if the absence of affect and chemistry with the two was a joke on the audience that they secretly glad in.

It may have been possible to forgive such lackluster acting if there was a legend to observe. When the procurement of silkworm eggs is more riveting than Herve’s infatuation with the unnamed concubine, then I know there’s no redemption. I am as perplexed as those who’ve seen director Francois Girard’s “Red Violin” in the `90s, a exquisite film that remains one of my favorites to this day. A feudal Japan of the 1800s, tranquil closed to the west, with its warring warlords and bewildering culture would have been ripe for exposition, injecting the much-needed tensions and conflicts the film sorely lacks. To not have attempted to incorporate it in any meaningful design with the lame esteem tale was a fatal mistake. At least, it could have given the dying state a fighting chance. This is nothing more than another stupid and unimaginative depiction of the white man’s fantasy of the submissive, exotic female, a stereotype that really is getting weak.

I’m no stranger to arthouse, but honestly, it’s films like this that give arthouse a poor reputation. The astonishing cinematography in “Silk,” with breathtaking panoramic shots of Japan in winter, cannot rescue this corrupt film. I’ve seen nature documentaries on PBS with more gist and drama than this turgid use. Arrive to consider of it, I’ve seen turtles with more passion.
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Streaming All About My Mother Online. Movie Title: All About My Mother Average customer review: All About My Mother is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download All About My Mother

“Todo Sobre Mi Madre,” or “All About My Mother,” revolves around the life of an organ transplant coordinator, Manuela, who was briefly shown in one of Almodovar’s most original movie “The Flower of My Secret”. After the death of her only child, Manuela sets off from Madrid to Barcelona to get both his father and the traveling troupe who performs “A Streetcar Named Desire,” throughout Spain.

Argentinian actress Cecilia Roth is both safe and convincing as Manuela. Her performance for an actress not from Spain is unique, since most of Almodovar’s leading startlets are Spaniards. Marisa Paredes as Huma, a fading starlet, reminded me of her performance in “High Heels,” wher she played a similar character. However the two emerging standouts in this film are Antonia San Juan as Manuela’s drag-queen friend (fact: although she looks like a man, San Juan is actually a woman) and the blooming Penelope Cruz, who plays a HIV-positive pregnant nun (only Almodovar can bring us such characters) . Cruz, who radiates natural beauty and style has become Spain hottest export to Hollywood since Antonio Banderas. Preserve an ogle out for her in the advance future.

The visual way of colors, patterns, and clothes brings the film so mighty beauty it is unbearable not to explore and esteem it. Almodovar’s camera illusions, especially watching a grieving Manuela urge to her injured son, Esteban, after he is struck by a car (the camera looks like if the victim is watching his mother hurry in the rain) and the trick of watching Esteban write in his journal (we notice his pencil recede through a glass that is supposed to be his pad) is extraordinary. Only the pure genius that Almodovar is could have plan of this.

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This happens to be Almdovar’s best film in the past 10 years. Truly, if you are an artist, an admirer of Spanish culture, or unbiased treasure art films, then this film will fascinate you. A fair gem in the evolution of Spanish cinema.

A flashy, sophisticated swirl of color, do, and art nouveau excess courtesy of the city of Barcelona frame a melodramatic core of prima donna antics and suffering mujeres. These women are plot past a nervous breakdown–Cecilia Roth’s raw emotions situation the tone for grand of the film; the transgender Antonia San Juan provides the madcap Almodovar wit of his earlier movies. Penelope Cruz stands out–a gloomy beauty who gives a haunting, fragile performance as an HIV-infected, pregnant nun. Throw in Marisa Paredes as an aging diva with ruby hair touring in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire and the stage is situation for Almodovar’s tribute to suffering womanhood, replete with wistful references to All About Eve. Not as consistently toothsome as some of his earlier work but perhaps more weak and sunless, more resigned to the vicissitudes of esteem and death. It’s fantastic that Almodovar–the greatest Spanish director since Bunuel–could have remained proper to his sensibility and have won an academy award. He’s Bunuel with none of the bitterness–Bunuel with a smile and a wink at the absurd.
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Streaming Swiss Family Robinson Online. Movie Title: Swiss Family Robinson Average customer review: Swiss Family Robinson is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Swiss Family Robinson

I strongly recommend! Originally released in 1960, the film returned to theatres 4 times in later years. This is absolutely one of the most fun family films the Walt Disney Studios ever made. There is truly something for everyone… comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, and suspense. Even at 126 minutes in length, it does not feel too long. Starting in the aftermath of a shipwreck, the Swiss family rebuilds their life on an uncharted tropical island. They spend the wealth of come by in livestock, tools, guns, furniture, wood, and more to earn a valid home in the trees, complete with running water and other conveniences. The mother and father commence an idealic exhistance with their 3 boys old-fashioned 9, 16, and 18. But one day the older boys determine to retract a canoe and gape the rest of the island. They stumble across pirates that are attacking the crew of a ship, and rescue the captain’s daughter, bringing the wrath of the pirates on them since they are discovered.

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Directed by Ken Annakin, the movie was filmed on place on the caribbean island of Tobago. While the production went intention over budget for a total cost of $4 million, Walt did not accumulate upset with his production team at the time since the film was looking to be success when he reviewed clips from the area. As it turned out, with subsequent theatre releases, television, and video airing, the film has turned out to be one of the top-grossing films from Disney.

The tropical scenery is spectacular as they filmed all over the island; waterfalls, forests, grass plains, flowers, beaches, cliffs, mountains, oceans, streams, and noteworthy more. Contributing a colossal amount to the exotic locale of the movie are animals, pirates, ships, and a tree house to beat all tree houses ever made. Similar to the role the submarine “Nautilus” filled in the earlier film “20,000 Leagues Below the Sea”, the tree house becomes a star in it’s have honest. The fantastic and inventive home designed by the castaways and from the ships accept is astonishing to view.

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Featuring a fantastic cast and crew assembled by Walt himself, Mr. Disney liked to stick with actors he knew could describe to a substantial audience. Most of the actors in this film appeared in other Disney movies over the years, many times with other actors from this film. Hayley Mills (Pollyana, Parent Trap, That Darn Cat, Summer Magic, In Search of the Castaways, The Moon-Spinners), Dorothy McGuire (Ragged Yeller, Summer Magic), John Mills (Did not appear in other Disney movies, but was Hayley’s true life father), James MacArthur (Light in the Forest, Third Man on the Mountain, Kidnapped), Kevin Corcoran (A Tiger Walks, Savage Sam, Veteran Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Bon Voyage, Babes in Toyland, Toby Tyler, Pollyanna), Tommy Kirk (Probably the most proficient of all with Savage Sam, Mature Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Moon Pilot, Bon Voayage, Son of Flubber, The Absent-Minded Professor, Misadventure of Merlin Jones, The Monkeys Uncle, Babes in Toyland), and Janet Munroe (Darby O’Gill and the Miniature People, Third Man on the Mountain) . Most of these actors also appeared in movies for the Disney television series as well.

VAULT DISNEY DVD VERSION

The 2 disc DVD treatment that Disney gave this film is perfect, starting with tremendous packaging and case. It is in Widescreen, the first widescreen release outside of theatres for the film in fact. And what a incompatibility it makes in the fine site island vistas of the film. The film has been cleaned up and remastered to its current brilliance with lush colors, broad image and depth, it fair sparkles. The DVD transfer itself is very well done, a high quality job. The audio is very desirable and crisp.

DVD EXTRAS

The extras on this DVD are what really design the best version released of this film, and they are not all listed here at Amazon or even on the packaging. You have to hunt them down and catch creative with your remote. So let me assist by telling you what to leer for if you prefer this… For starters they have the new cartoon that was released with the movie, “Sea Salts” allowing you to look this with the kids the plan that it is meant to be seen. There is a 2 shrimp “1960 Disney Studio Album”, a montage of projects, attractions, shows, and films being made and released that year. There is an audio commentary as an alternate track that features comments from cast and crew.

Next we have 23 minutes from a vintage Walt Disney television “Unbelievable World of Disney” episode titled “Elope to Paradise”, that expose the making of the film late the scenes. Up next is the recent 1960 movie theatre trailers for the film, and the 1960 televison spots to advertise the film. Then there are “Storyboard to Scene Comparisons”; a seperate “Storyboard Gallery”; and a 2 cramped “Production Gallery” of photo stills from leisurely the scenes at situation. Another gallery is beefy of production stills; Next is “Biographies” on 8 principle actors; and then “Belief Art” on the films pre-production invent work.

As if that’s not enough a featurette titled “Adventure in the Making” was made unbiased for this situation, and at 49:00 minutes long it is very complete and satisfying, with fresh interviews of the novel cast and crew. There is titanic leisurely the scenes current footage in this allotment, and the folks regale us with humorous stories of the filming days. Peter Elleshaw (matte artist), Ken Annakin (director), Danny Lee (special effects), and actors John Mills, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran are all here for new interviews. ANOTHER short 4 shrimp featurette that was also made impartial for this state is “Swiss Family Treehouse”, narrated by Hayley Mills. It is the pre-opening footage and the accurate Opening Ceremony of the “Swiss Family Robinson’s Tree House” attraction (now gone, replaced with Tarzans Tree House) at the Disneyland Park. Walt himself is there and it is evident he is really enjoying himself in this must-see footage.

Included on the situation is a very nice 12 small interview with James MacArthur, who appeared in this film and 3 others for Disney along with a TV movie. This features mountainous video as well. There is a “Pirates” music video state along featuring pirate themed clips from Disney films, TV shows, cartoons, and the theme park attraction “Pirates of the Caribbean”, all site to the Disney tune of “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirates Life For Me”. An modern or unexpected extra is a featurette that has 20 minutes of excerpts from a 1940 non-Disney version of the record.

The dvd dwelling has Audio Archives spot to photos from the film, including 2 Interactive Sound Studios, 2 songs from the film, novel 1960 radio spots. Another staunch treat is the complete LP soundtrack of the modern “Storybook Album” of the movie released in 1960.

SUMMARY

I really enjoyed this DVD, and this film really got the best of treatment by Disney. They simply outdid themselves and I am one grateful viewer. I wish all the really well-behaved classic Disney films got at least some of this royal treatment. They have a reputation as the best studio about protecting their outmoded source material, archives, etc, but they are not always capable in using it for their DVD’s so I can really like the concern here by the decision makers. Thank you Disney for this compilation that really honors this gem of a film the procedure it should be!!!! My highest recommendation if you are considering buying this DVD.

The folks at Walt Disney Home Video have keep together four proper recent “Vault Disney” releases that truly showcase DVD technology at its best. “Swiss Family Robinson,” one of Walt Disney’s best-loved live-action adventures, benefits immensely from DVD technology, especially the wide-screen presentation and THX restored report and sound quality. The widescreen alone would have happy most fans, so the plethora of extras on the supplemental disc are truly special. I have never seen a DVD with so many extras presented in such a creative and easily accessible diagram. Thank you to everyone at Walt Disney Home Video for this improbable DVD. Hopefully, more titles will follow in this series (like Third Man on the Mountain, Darby O’Gill and the Small People, The Moonspinners, and Summer Magic) and ALL Disney DVD’s will be released in their modern theatrical ratios
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