Posts Tagged ‘Videos On Demand’
Dances with Wolves Review.
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Dances with Wolves Review.
Compare & Purchase Dances with Wolves at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 |
Dances with Wolves Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #900 in Movie
- Released on: 2009-12-08
- Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
- Running time: 181 minutes
Customer Reviews:
For History Enthusiasts or Movie Buffs
I bought this set for my brother, who is a history major in college. These are three great movies in a great boxed set. If you can get it when it’s on sale, I would go ahead and buy it (especially if you don’t own the movies already). You can’t get many sets like this for the price. I suggest reading about each of the three movies if you aren’t familiar with them. Here are some summaries from DVD Price Search:
Platoon (Special Edition): Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and based on the first-hand experience of Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, Platoon is powerful, intense and starkly brutal. “Harrowingly realistic and completely convincing” (Leonard Maltin), it is “a dark, unforgettable memorial” (The Washington Post) to every soldier whose innocence was lost in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam. Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young, naive American who, upon his arrival in Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. While his two commanding officers (Oscar-nominated Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe) draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and the one they fight with each other, the conflict, chaos and hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to man’s highest value life.
Dances with Wolves – Extended Cut (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition): A “truly spectacular” (The New York Times) film that combines action, romance and breathtaking adventure, Dances With Wolves is “a cinematic masterpiece” (American Movie Classics) that is nothing short of “a triumph” (Roger Ebert)!Sent to protect a US outpost on the desolate frontier, Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) finds himself alone in the vast wilderness. Befriending the very people he’s sent to protect the outpost from, the Sioux Indians, Dunbar slowly comes to revere those he once feared. But when the encroaching US Army threatens to overrun the Sioux, he is forced to make a choice one that will forever change his destiny and that of a proud and defiant nation.
Windtalkers: In the brutal World War II Battle of Saipan, Sergeant Joe Enders (Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage) guards and ultimately befriends Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach), a young Navajo trained in the one wartime code never broken by the enemy, the Navajo Code. But if Yahzee should fall into Japanese hands, how far will Enders go to save the military’s most powerful secret? John Woo directs this “exciting” film.
The best epic about the American West
Wow, this is a powerful movie. I recently rewatched it after several years and suddenly remembered what really makes a great movie. I love how “Dances with Wolves” begins with an intimate portrait of the American West, from the vast plains to the charismatic wolf “Two-Socks”. The film follows Kevin Costner’s emotional but nuanced journey from disillusioned Army officer to Sioux patriot. The acting is superb all around. There are no shallow characters, even within the U.S. Army. Every character seems to have several layers of emotional complexity. “Dances with Wolves” is an emotional and visional treat. I can’t wait until it comes out on blu-ray.
Boot Camp Discount.
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Boot Camp Discount.
Compare & Purchase Boot Camp at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $3.99 |
Boot Camp Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #11651 in Movie
- Released on: 2009-12-16
- Running time: 100 minutes
Customer Reviews:
Just had something missing…
Ordered this on the premise of Mila Kunis possibly carrying a film, and they were advertising this as the “unrated” version. But in the end, you are left with feeling disappointment and watching bad storytelling.
Mila plays a troubled young lady who is sent to an island work camp by her parents. The isolated layout of this camp in Fiji could make for a beautiful filming location, but it really only gets used once or twice (coral, white sand beaches, etc.). Peter Stormare (I always remember him the most as Satan in Constantine) fills the role as the camp creator and leader of this paramilitary counseling group. The idiot boyfriend who finds a way to get himself committed to the same camp (yeah right) is played by Gregory Smith (he has a much better role in Closing the Ring).
As more unlikely events occur and an intermittent writing mess unfolds in virtually every scene, the movie strives to falter. Mila tried very hard here, and I have to give her props for taking a somewhat different role. There are plenty of important themes attempted here, including the topics of physical abuses and illegal activities that occur at these camps, but the short paragraph statement in the credits is all we are given as an extra. No supplements. The sound was average as was the picture quality. Regarding the unrated quip, everything that could give it an R happens off camera or is edited out (Mila’s shower scenes and abuses towards one female character). Almost feels like a made for TV movie, but even then so much is not explained or elaborated on, that it misses the mark on being an informative film. It becomes more of a brief passion piece film about these camps.
Three movies in one that should really be starring Regine Nehy!
This is three different movies in one. The first part is bad, second part is interesting, the ending is great. Between the bad and interesting bit the movie gains credibility. Between the interesting and great part there is a really tough scene that doesn’t really define the movie at all, but it is a tough scene that comes out of nowhere, slaps your morality in the face and propels this movie from campy-seen-before to something mature and life defining. This for me is where the movie starts.
That said, it isn’t a completely bad movie nor is it a completely good movie. What would have made this movie better was the execution (maybe do it with a flashback syle narration)and most likely using different actors. I think the cast of Twilight would have been better in this movie because those adult-playing-kids are genuises at playing somber, downtrodden, spoilt teens.
I didn’t like Mila Kunis in this. Her character is drawn out too one dimensional. She is totally miscasted and out acted by even the one line characters. Stock and background characters seem to have more dimesions that the main character that Mila is playing. I think Mila was told to just be a bratty, slick, angry-youth-in-rebellion from minute one of the first shoot to the last outtake.
If anything Regine Nehy should have been the star since her character is what propels the movie towards the end-and her character develops richly and credibly in front of us. Either that or Mila should have played that character and remain the star. Mila’s character, as you will find out after watching this, is totally irrevelant in every way for the success or failure of this movie. In other words the movie would’ve went on as a complete movie without her character in it.
Said and done, this is an entertaining movie that will either be praised or boo’ed by everyone with no one that will want to be on the fence about it.
Even so everyone hating or liking it must agree that it is a very entertaining movie and that is only where this flick succeeds!
A Boot In The Rear; Not Campy At All!
This little gem took me by surprise! Initially, I just wanted to watch a movie with Mila Kunis in it to see why she was basically the only one (except for Ashton Kutcher on a smaller scale) who has made the successful transition from That 70′s Show to the movies…my guess is that TV to the big screen a very hard thing to do…considering notable past attempts and failures. Anyway, the first thing I was greeted with in Boot Camp was not only one transitional actress, but a transitional actor as well…Gregory Smith of Everwood (an exceptional and believable actor in his own right)…and a well put together movie as well. I have been aware of these “Tough Love” boot camps for many years now, and I am certain that what goes on in Boot Camp is what goes on in some of them to a degree but not ALL of them. I’m sure that many of these camps, although rigid in their ways, are also successful in what they are trying to get across to troubled teens.
Anyway, back to the movie itself. This is a chilling, edge-of-your seat tale that just never lets up, and it was well-acted on ALL accounts. I had the thought on two separate occasions during the movie that I didn’t want it to end. I loved some of the characters, and I hated others. The movies sucks you in and doesn’t let up. Well-written, well-directed, well-produced, and filmed with a gorgeous backdrop…Boot Camp delivers from start to finish. KUDOS to all involved!
STAR RATING – Five Stars
Risky Business Discount.
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Risky Business Discount.
Compare & Purchase Risky Business at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 |
Risky Business Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #10948 in Movie
- Released on: 2009-12-18
- Running time: 100 minutes
Customer Reviews:
Great movie – Poor DVD
I think most people who buy/rent this DVD have already seen the movie and know what they’re getting. There are a lot of good reviews on this movie here at amazon.com but I only saw one that mentioned the quality of the DVD. It is absolutely horrible. The companies who produce these dark, grainy DVDs need to know that the consumers aren’t going to accept this type of low-quality transfer. I’d gladly pay a bit more money for a DVD that’s viewable. We know how good movies can look on DVD. So why release a disc that looks as poor as this one? As consumers we need to demand better! Just as VHS movies recorded in SLP or EP were unacceptable, so are DVDs that look as bad as this Risky Business disc.
More like a dark comedy, but great nonetheless
“Risky Business” is without a doubt one of the classics from the 80′s which I’ve continued to enjoy many times. This is simply a great movie with convincing acting, superb music, good script and believable characters. While the plot isn’t anything too original, the above mentioned qualities make this movie fun to watch. Tom Cruise, having the house to himself while his parents are away, carries out the fantasy of just about every adolescent male by basically turning his home into a party haven with the inevitable consequences that follow. Rebecca De Mornay (it should be illegal to look that good in a pair of tight jeans!) plays a prostitute that becomes Cruise’s “partner” in the scheme of things and Joe Pantoliano plays her sleazy pimp and does a great job in his role.
One thing that stands out about “Risky Business” is that while technically a comedy, the tone is often dark in terms of sequence of events and the eerie (yet great) instrumental music that pretty much makes up the soundtrack. While others might not really like this, I think it makes the movie stand out and avoid the over-the-top silliness that have caused many 80′s comedies to become dated by today’s standards. Don’t get me wrong, I love those 80′s movies, but “Risky Business” has a certain quality to it that takes on a more serious tone while also maintaining the fun element.
And finally, I have to say that the DVD transfer is absolutely horrific. Extras are virtually non-existent and image/sound quality is abysmal. 2003 has come and almost gone, so by now it’s pointless to hope for a 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD. So if you intend to buy this get it on VHS. I can’t see why anyone would want the DVD other than for longevity’s sake.
Still loads of fun!
This 1983 film that launched the career of Tom Cruise proves its relative timelessness by entertaining audiences even today. Mediocre student and always-obedient son Joel (Cruise) is left alone in his upscale suburban house when his parents take a vacation. It’s Joel’s senior year in high school and it appears that the only highlight is going to be a boring project for the Young Enterpriser Club contest. When his friend Miles (Curtis Armstong) forces his hand to take a chance, Joel is thrown into an out-of-control scenario involving the charming prostitute Lana (Rebecca de Mornay), her enterprising friends, an irate pimp named Guido (Joe Pantoliano), and a high school full of unfilled but hormonally charged teenage boys. Throw in Joel’s father’s Porsche, an application to Princeton, and the all-important midterms that Joel is in danger of failing – and you’ve got a fast-paced, hilarious flick of adolescence out of control.
Unlike today’s teen movies, “Risky Business” is not preoccupied with sophomoric humor and gratuitous foul language. It’s too smart a screenplay for that. Instead, it focuses on the humor of a good boy gone temporarily bad, and how one small act of rebellion changes everything. At times, the film tries to be artsy with its gimmicky camera shots, direction, and editing, thus dating the film more than the costumes and screenplay do, but overall it succeeds. The music is great, particularly for those who remember the times.
Dust off your memories and revisit this fun flick. If you’ve never seen it, you should, if for no other reason than for seeing why Tom Cruise and Rebecca de Mornay rocketed to fame following its release.
Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Sale-$2.99!
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Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines
Product: Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Sale-$2.99! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available |
Compare Prices on Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines
- Amazon Sales Rank: #4456 in Movie
- Released on: 2009-11-10
- Running time: 138 minutes
Magnificent DVD
Finally! The 20th Century-Fox 1965 roadshow extravaganza comes to DVD. The movie looks marvelous in what must be a transfer from a restored 70mm print. On my 16X9 HDTV in progressive scan the images are quite stunning for a film of this vintage. The Dolby Digital 5.0 remastering of the original 6-track magnetic soundtrack is also a joy to the ears. This is an old-fashioned entertainment for the entire family. Thanks to its presentation on this new DVD the movie is once again a grand experience. The extras are extensive for such a moderately priced DVD too. Director Ken Annakin provides an interesting commentary track and appears in a new featurette. Somebody at Fox definately loves this movie, one that is a childhood favorite of mine. I saw it in its original release, and also in a 1969 reissue as part of a double feature with Fox’s “Planet of the Apes.” “The Perfect Mates” the ads said, “Apes and Men.” Studios just don’t don’t do things like that anymore. Anyway, this DVD is a joy!
One of the most enjoyable movies I’ve ever watched
This is an absolutely wonderful movie. I have watched it again and again. It seems to be one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, yet it was a very good old fashioned, innocent, and more professional humor than most other comedies. I think it is a work of art and should be added to DVD format. Being that much of my family is German, Gert Fröbe was my favorite character. A funny and warm resemblance of the Prussian gentleman of the time. All the national characters were funny too. Terry Thomas was wonderful and gave me plenty of laughs. The Frenchmen and the Italian (Emilio) were great too. You will just feel naturally happier after you watch this movie. Don’t even hesitate to buy it!
A fun film, despite Stuart Whitman…
Would you like to take a ride in my ornithopter? No? How about a quick jaunt in my aerial steam carriage? Maybe a lift in my oscillating monoplane? It’s hard for many of us to imagine when airplanes were not the efficient, quick, safe, and somewhat affordable mode of transportation that they are today, but there was a time when the technology was still in the experimental stage, back in the early 20th century, and that’s when the film Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes (1965)…whew! That’s one heck of a title…
Directed by Ken Annakin, a British director who gained acclaim working on such Disney films like The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Sword and the Rose (1953), and Swiss Family Robinson (1960), Those Magnificent Men (shortened for sanity’s sake) stars Stuart Whitman (Call Him Mr. Shatter) and Sarah Miles (The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing). Also appearing are Robert Morley (The African Queen), Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger), Eric Sykes, Benny Hill, Yûjirô Ishihara (Japan’s most popular film, TV, and recording star at the time), along with England’s most recognizable gap-toothed character actor Terry-Thomas (his most famous roles involve him playing an upper-class British twit, as he does here).
The story is pretty straightforward here…basically, a rich (in both money and snobbery) English newspaper owner named Lord Rawnsley (played by Morley) happens upon an idea, one which would increase his paper’s circulation greatly, of having an aeronautical race from London to Paris, with the winner to receive not only a large sum of dough, but the prestige of being the first man to accomplish such a daring feat. Applicants from all over the world begin appearing, most for the money, but some for the honor of their respective country. Orvil Newton (Whitman), arrives from America, Colonel Manfred von Holstein (Fröbe) from Germany, and so on and so on…and lest we forget native Englander Sir Percy Ware-Armitage (Thomas), along with his less than able henchman Courtney (Sykes), a pair of bounders (Sir Percy being the bigger bounder of the two) who will stoop to almost any form of chicanery in order to win the race.
As far as grand, epic comedies go (the film runs roughly 138 minutes, but there is a lengthy intermission about halfway through, for those of you with the weak bladders), this isn’t the best in my opinion, but it’s certainly not the worst. My favorite has always been It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), with others being Around the World in 80 Days (1956), The Great Race (1965), Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies, aka Monte Carlo or Bust (1969). As with any of these films, Those Magnificent Men… has a few separate storylines going on at the same time that tie themselves up by the end, the main one usually being a romantic plot, here being a tepid love triangle between Patricia Rawnsley (played by Miles), whose father is sponsoring the race, Orvil, and a local man named Richard Mays (played by James Fox, who, by the way was involved with Sarah Miles in real life, around the time of the making of this film). I had read somewhere that the makers of this film had originally hoped to get Dick Van Dyke for Whitman’s role, but couldn’t for whatever reason. Casting Whitman as the male lead was a serious boo boo, as Whitman is one of the most unfunny, uncharming, and unwatchable actors I’ve seen in a long time. Come to think of it, the entire movie isn’t really all that funny, but it does give effort and it has a lot of charm. The working replicas of the old-timey planes are really wonderful, along with the various authentic vehicles displayed, i.e. motorcars, motorcycles, etc. The aeronautical shots were excellent as was the scenery, the Cliffs of Dover, the Eiffel Tower, etc. I was kind of disappointed Terry-Thomas didn’t have a bigger part in the film, as his on screen time probably ran about 15 minutes total at most. He plays the pretentious, foppish English twit better than most any other actor I’m familiar with…Come to think of it, I thought there was an awful lot of comic talent appearing in this film, with so little of it actually used (I’m still stuck on the whole `casting of Whitman as the comedic male lead’ thing). The rest of the fliers, from various countries (which country made extremely obvious by not only their clothing but manner of speech), fills out a good deal of time. The stereotypes presented (an uptight German lacking a sense of humor, an animated Italian who has like 15 children, an overly amorous Frenchman) are goofy caricatures of themselves, and, while probably not entirely funny, they probably wouldn’t offend except for the most sensitive. The special effects in the film are pretty obvious, but the scenes to watch are the ones with planes actually flying. All in all, this is just good fun, and a really good-looking film that can be enjoyed by all.
The wide screen picture on this DVD looks really good, and the sound quality is superior. Special features include a full commentary by the director Ken Annakin (use the Force, ken, use the Force…a lame attempt at humor, to be sure), a theatrical Trailer, a TV spot, various still galleries featuring the actors, the planes, the visual effects, and storyboards. There is also a feature containing conversations with the director. I was surprised to see the amount of special features available here, and beware ye who enter the still galleries, the number of photos seems endless…
Cookieman108
The Blair Witch Project Lowest Price!
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The Blair Witch Project Lowest Price!
Compare & Purchase The Blair Witch Project at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $4.99 |
The Blair Witch Project Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #10758 in Movie
- Released on: 2006-08-15
- Rating: R (Restricted)
- Running time: 81 minutes
Customer Reviews:
Give Credit Where Credit’s Due
It seems like everyone now enjoy’s ripping on “The Blair Witch Project”, and I don’t get it?! It’s almost like when you scare the hell out of that kid when you are in 6th grade, and he might have been screaming wide-eyed with fright, only to tell you a couple minutes later “Hey, You Didn’t Scare Me”, just to repair his pride or ego. When I first saw “Blair Witch”, it did scare me, and left me a little rattled at the end…..why? Because when I went to see it in the theater, there was still a strong buzz about the movie that it was either really an aborted documentary, or was a film based on true events…we were supposedly seeing the genuine article. Sure, I may have been duped by a clever marketing campaign that involved TV mocumentaries, internet gossip and radio buzz…..and looking back I think that was great. “Blair Witch” if nothing else, is a wonderful homage to William Castle, who back in the day of “The Tingler” would wire theater seats to shock select members of the audience to induce a well timed scream, or his film “The House on Haunted Hill”, where skeletons would buzz the audience, or his movie “Straight Jacket” in which he offered the audience a chance to buy life insurance in case the film scared them to death. That is great stuff that put butts in the theater seats, and with the advances in technology, and modern communication, “Blair Witch” and it’s marketing campaign did the same thing, only the updated version. It worked, the movie made a ton of dough and was the water-cooler talk around theoffice for weeks. Did I feel let down when I learned “Blair Witch” was just a movie? No. I applauded the idea behind the movie, and only wish more films would do the same. As far as the actual movie goes when I watch it on dvd….well it doesn’t pack the same punch as when you might think these were actual events, but I still get a kick out of it. And it’s obvious this film hit’s a nerve with quite a few people, I mean at this time there are over 1700 reviews posted here at Amazon about this movie…most are ripping the film apart….but there just seems to be a hint of that 6th grader saying “Yeah….you didn’t scare me” as they rush over to turn on the lights after the movie ends.
Gave Me The Creeps
I really don’t care for modern horror movies….they seem so stupid nowadays (Scream was a recent exception). But I really liked this.
If you like Hollywood cookie-cutter horror movies, this is definitely NOT for you. It’s a very unique, experimental movie, one which had elements from my childhood nightmares (getting lost, being in a strange house, etc.).
Why it works, I think, is because so much is unseen or vague, leaving much of what is going on to your own imagination, sort of like Jaws, where the most intense scenes are those where the shark isn’t even in sight. Hitchcock understood this concept, that less is more.
Unfortunately, today’s viewers (especially younger ones) are jaded by the glut of gore and special effects in modern Hollywood horror movies, which may explain the negative reviews (worst movie ever? Not by a long-shot). Gore is almost non-existent in this movie…but be warned, I believe the “R” rating comes from the use of the “F” word, which becomes more and more prevalent as the three filmmakers get more and more lost/scared/frustrated.
I was a little disappointed at the ending initially, but the movie stuck with me for weeks after (I also had trouble falling asleep the night I saw it)….give it a shot.
Try to ignore the hype & just keep an open mind if you can.
First, I feel like I have to address the buzz surrounding the movie. I am at the same time disgusted and sort of impressed with the hype. It is pretty clever when you think about it. No trailers (well, they did have some eventually, but still, it took them long enough) no cast members doing the rounds on talk shows, no big budget, etc. Just the website, the documentary on the SciFi channel, and big-time word of mouth. Apparently worked. I feel for those actors, since they got paid about what I make in 2 weeks for 3 weeks of hell. I hope to God the filmmakers were generous and gave them points in the film.
I am also hearing that at most theaters, they pay the manager, etc to get up before the showing and get the crowd all hyped up, which is kind of lame. When we saw it Saturday, the owner (before she threatened people who had laser pointers) got up and yelled, “Hey, welcome to Crossroads theater, and ARE YA READY FOR THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT? Whooooo-hoooo! Everyone READY TO BE SCARED?” I was like, oh please. I also heard these girls in front of me asking someone next to them if **this was a real documentary**. We got up and moved because I did not want to spend the movie sitting behind someone so incredibly stupid and naive. But I guess that’s what a good job they did marketing it, because I heard there are plenty of stupid people out there who think the thing is real. I also grudgingly admire whoever decided to market it initially as a ‘hard ticket’, meaning they wanted to have it only at one theater or so per city for a few weeks. I’m sure that helped the buzz. Hyping it as the scariest movie of all time (though maybe this is more word of mouth than the filmmakers doing it) is kind of dumb, though, because people are just going to be disappointed, unless all they’ve seen are “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”. I heard kids talking after the movie who were let down because they was very little gore, no monster, and no real pay-off.
I had a good time because I told myself not to expect anything. I guess if you go, just keep an open mind, and don’t think, “This better be the scariest movie of all time after all the hype, or I’ll be p**sed”. I do think it’s kind of funny how the big studios spend millions of dollars marketing their lame summer ‘event’ pics, but this is the one most people are talking about wanting to see.
So, that’s my 2 cents as far as the hype goes. Went and saw BWP for myself a few weeks after in came out. Inside the theater manager had to come make an announcement about laser pointers, she said if anyone used them during the movie she’d take them away and kick them out. She was this huge, burly, tough woman who looked like a prison warden so people calmed down after that and shut up. Anyway, I loved it. Not the scariest movie I’ve ever seen, but if you asked me what the scariest movie I’ve ever seen was, I wouldn’t be able to name it. I would saw BWP, the Exorcist, Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer, Last House on the Left (and a couple more I can’t think of right now) are like the top scariest. I was really impressed though. Very realistic, the way it was shot and put together, and the character’s reactions to stuff. My spouse said it really scared him, which he hardly ever says, because he’s been camping and that’s like your worst nightmare. The whole movie was very creepy and spooky but the last 5 minutes REALLY scared the crap out of me.
It’s funny, the audience started out very rowdy, and I thought I’d have to “shhh” people the whole movie. But after the first 5 minutes, people were engrossed. As the film got more and more tense and scary, there were no screams. Instead, the whole audience just sat there cowering quietly in fear. Not a lot of talking back to the screen, etc like there is in most horror movies, and the audience was full of teenagers. That speaks for itself, I think.
I read a review in which they said that the movie was all about panic, and I agree. One of the most upsetting things is the way the characters go from calm, controlled, and joking, to nervously joking and then arguing, to trying desperately to hold it together, to understandable total freaked out panic by the last reel. As the film draws to a close they just give up all pretenses of composure and control and just panic and run around like maniacs screaming incoherently at the top of their lungs. Usually when characters in a movie do that you feel like slapping them, but the film draws you in so much that you do not blame them, one bit. You know you would probably act the same way if you were in their shoes, and the way the movie is filmed, you are pretty much in their shoes.
Bottom line regarding how scary it is: If I’d been watching it by myself at home at night I probably would have started crying.
Dumb and Dumber Discount.
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Dumb and Dumber Discount.
Compare & Purchase Dumb and Dumber at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 |
Dumb and Dumber Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #2048 in Movie
- Released on: 2008-11-07
- Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
- Running time: 107 minutes
Customer Reviews:
We got no food, no jobs… our pets’ HEADS ARE FALLIN’ OFF!
This is one of the funniest movies made in my lifetime. I had seen the movie hundreds of times and equally enjoyed each viewing, so when I heard there was going to be an unrated version, I pre-ordered it right away.
This is a great DVD edition. The deleted scenes are hilarious – and some probably should have been left in the movie (like the “other peoples’ money – seize the day” scene). The alternate endings are also pretty cool, but they definitely chose the best ending for the actual theatrical release. The retrospective documentary is also quite interesting, as you get some insight into the production, casting, etc… of the movie, as well as the impact it has had on comedy fans over the years. If you search through the interactive menus enough, you will even find a couple of hidden features.
Dumb and Dumber lives on as a standout comedy film. It just never seems to get old… I’m just excited to finally get some bonus footage from this comedy classic!
Love this movie, but hate the unrated cut
The 1 star is purely for the Bluray, unrated version. I am a huge fan of the theatrical cut and it was one of the first movies I upgraded from VHS to DVD. Dumb and Dumber has near flawless pacing in it’s theatrical form. The unrated version throws in bits that are completely unnecessary, extremely crude, and not very funny. It is easy to see why they were cut and a little hard to understand why the Bluray version is only offered in this version. I sent the Bluray version back and I hope the the next format upgrade of this film goes back to the classic theatrical cut.
*Spoiler Alert*
For those of you who would like to know, here are the differences (info copied from wikipedia):
* In the PG-13 version, when Mental tears Petey’s (Harry’s parakeet) head off, it cuts after he says “I Tawt I Taw a Putty Tat!”. In the unrated version, it shows him violently squeezing Petey’s head with his fists.
* In the PG-13 version, Seabass is about to spit on Harry’s burger, but the camera cuts to Lloyd, while the spitting sound is still heard. In the unrated version, it shows the spit coming out of his mouth onto the burger.
* In the unrated version, when Joe Mental and Shay (the female accomplice) are waiting by the side of the road for Harry and Lloyd to drive by, Shay says to Joe: “turn around, I gotta squeeze a lemon” and crouches down.
* In the unrated version, when Seabass finds Lloyd in the bathroom, Lloyd keeps repeating ‘find a happy place’ to which Seabass replies, ‘I’ll show you a happy place!’ before dropping his own pants and grabbing his crotch.
* After the gas station scene a new scene occurs while driving where Harry makes fun of Lloyd about being in a bathroom with a 6 foot four man with his pants down.
* In the original PG-13 version, “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” by Crash Test Dummies plays during the scene where Harry, Lloyd, and Mental are in the restaurant. This song is absent in the unrated version, possibly due to copyright issues.
* The unrated version of the film features an extended dialogue scene between Lloyd and Harry in the honeymoon motel.
* The unrated version of the film features an extra scene prior to Harry’s departure to the slopes with Mary, in which Lloyd comments on Harry’s “revealing” ski suit.
* In the PG-13 version, when Harry is attempting to fix Mary’s toilet, he shouts out that he’s shaving, and we see Mary standing at the door. The unrated version shows Harry lifting the toilet to the window and dumping its contents out.
New Footage and Extras are Nice, But You’ll Want to Own the Original as Well
This Unrated Version finally gives the DVD fans what they want — 6 minutes of additional footage, two alternate endings, and some making-of bonus features. At least… we thought we wanted an “unrated” version. The problem is, the original was consider a classic in its day, that adding six more minutes of footage (sprinkeled around a number of scenes) really breaks up the almost-brilliant pacing that fans loved from the original film. The footage added also makes this basically an R-rated film now, with what we would call “strong sexuality” (without given away the jokes. It was nice to see the extra footage, even if it is a little more risque, but the original PG-13 rating really suits the movie better (and younger teens can watch it without hearing jokes that parents think are too strong). Missing is any kind of audio commentary, and the complete absence of Jim Carrey in the bonus material is rather strange. Swartzenegger was available for the bonus’ in the first Conan movie when it got re-released on DVD, so why didn’t the studio at least try to wait for Carrey to have some free time.
If you’re a fan like me, and can almost recite EVERY line from memory, seeing this Uncut Version will be a nice treat, especially when it come to the extras (though everything fits on only 1 disc, so we don’t get a whole lot of content). I liked seeing the extra footage, but as soon as I finished this new version, I went online and bought the original PG-13 DVD — becuase that’s the film that I loved and memorized years ago. Extra footage is nice, and a few sections of the Deleated Scenes are really funny, but they really did leave the funniest stuff in the original version. Still, buy this version for the extras, but buy the original on DVD as well. That’s the version that will always be a classic, no matter how much time passes.
New Best Friend Discount.
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New Best Friend Discount.
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New Best Friend Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #12529 in Movie
- Released on: 2009-03-06
- Rating: R (Restricted)
- Running time: 92 minutes
Customer Reviews:
If You Want to See Soccer Moms Playing Undergraduates
“New Best Friend” is another entry in the “steal another woman’s life” sub-genre; the best of which are “Single White Female” and “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”; the worse of which you can catch almost any afternoon on the Lifetime Channel. For some reason this type of identity theft happens exclusively to women.
There are just two basic ways to play this type of story. You can make the woman evil at the beginning and let the audience watch knowingly as she hatches and implements her evil scheme. Or you use misdirection to make her appear a good person, as a seemingly unplanned series of events break in her favor until she is revealed to be evil in the climatic scene. Unfortunately the makers of “New Best Friend” could not decide how they wanted to play it and things crash and burn early. We first meet Alicia (Mia Kirshner) scamming the college’s financial aid office for scholarship money. We now know that she is a bad person and will view all her subsequent activity with suspicion. But the director and editor apparently forgot that this revelation had been made and spend the next 50 minutes laying misdirection to make us think that Alicia is a good person. This introduces the only element of suspense, not about whether she is evil but about when the director and editor will wise up and stop wasting our time with transparent misdirection.
“New Best Friend” suffers more than most from the teen movie curse of a cast too old to be portraying undergraduate students. There are really only two big parts, Hadley (Meredith Monroe) and Alicia (Kirshner). They were 31 and 26 respectively at the time of the production. It almost works for the 26 year-old Kirshner when she plays the mousy version of Alicia but it becomes glaring when she is transformed into the glamed-up version of Alicia. Monroe’s casting is simply a joke, about like having Nicholette Sheridan try to pass as a classmate on “Lizzie McGwire”. She looks much closer to a mid-life crisis than to a term paper.
The producers must have owed a lot of favors because this age issue extends to most of the supporting characters. Taye Diggs who plays the town sheriff is younger than most of the students.
The basic setup is that Hadley and two other rich party girls (played by Dominque Swain-age 21 and Rachel True-age 35) are undergrad roommates at college. They share (as their student residence) a mansion that is nicer and better furnished than the mansion on Real World-New Orleans (a premise more believable than soccer moms playing students). Alicia moves into the mansion and begins to take over Hadley’s life. At least that way Swain finally gets a roommate from her own generation so the two can have a lesbian scene. Swain’s supporting performance is the only good thing about “New Best Friend” and her love scene with Kirshner is fantastic, so cool and artsy that it doesn’t fit with any of the other segments, maybe it was subcontracted out to a good director and cinematographer.
The unintentionally hilarious story is presented in a series of dreary flashbacks of rampant sex and nonstop parties, each proceeded by a shot of a comatose Alicia in a hospital bed. About half of Kirshner’s screen time is spent lying motionless with a tube in her mouth. Not a good career move Mia.
Then again, what do I know? I’m only a child.
Somewhat confusing but still worth while
Although this is a grown up teen movie set for the 20 something college genera, it is still quite a good mystery flick. Throughout the film the plot manages to twist and turn just enough to throw you completely off track in regards to your opinion on “Who Done It?”. Although the film does boast Dominiqe Swain as one of the title characters, don’t expect her to be the lead, she does play a big part, but not as big as Mia Kirshner and Meridith Monroe.
Definately a film worth checking out if you like to have a surprise ending and like to act like Shurlock Holmes!
A great movie for a hot date!
A poor girl who falls in with rich girls suffers an overdose, and the local sheriff wannabe is brought in to investigate. The rich girls are young and very attractive, especially when they’re partying in their spaghetti-strapped dresses. And the poor girl, played by Mia Kirschner, is no slouch in the looks department herself with her dark features and jet black hair.
Mia eventually ingratiates herself with all of the friends; smoking, drinking, and doing drugs – and sharing dark secrets – like when she and Dominique Swain discover that both of them had been molested by their fathers when they were ten-years-old, which causes them to bond by exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues, pawing at each other’s clothes, and then falling asleep in each other’s arms soon afterwards.
Mia then uncovers that Rachel True, a gorgeous fair-skinned black girl, is bulimic; and Mia offers to help her quit when she’s ready. Rachel is touched, but rather than make it with Mia, she shares a deep soul kiss with Ms. Swain to continue an on-going relationship with Dominique (who is bisexual).
Dominique is on a roll, but the only girl among her circle of friends she doesn’t kiss is Meredith Monroe, who plays Hadley, the story’s main character – and main suspect! Meredith looks a lot like Natasha Henstridge (`Ghosts of Mars’), so watching her is definitely easy on the eyes. The most risque thing she does in the movie, though, is get naked (from the back) with her boyfriend in bed. But her performance as a seemingly innocent and helpful best friend is excellent.
Besides Meredith, another fine appearance is made by Taye Diggs as this Southern college town’s interim sheriff. He approaches his task with sensitivity and determination, and it is through his eyes – and the flashbacks that he’s told – that we get to enjoy the girls’ divulged sensuality.
Taye solves the crime, and one of the girls is brought to justice. She ends up behind bars at the movie’s end – while we see Dominique, asleep and naked in bed – and lying between both her own boyfriend and another girl! (Gee, I don’t remember college life to be this good!)
This movie is well produced – and well paced – and Dominique (who I loved in `Lolita’) is definitely fun to follow. This would be a great film to share on a really hot date. Enjoy!
Buy Cabaret At Amazon!
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Cabaret
Product: Buy Cabaret At Amazon! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $8.49 Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available |
- Amazon Sales Rank: #6884 in Movie
- Released on: 2010-02-02
- Running time: 124 minutes
Beware False DVD Packaging
While this is probably not a bone of contention with most viewers, I think it’s worth noting for those that do pay attention to these things, especially if you base your purchases on them, as I did in this case. The packaging on this newer DVD edition of “Cabaret” states that it is an anamorphic transfer (i.e. “Enhanced for Widescreen TVs”). It is NOT. This is the SAME disc as before, with new a label on it.
They merely changed the packaging, I guess, so that they could mention “Chicago” in the description on the back cover and tie it into the heat for that film. Shame on you, Warner Bros. We all work hard for our money and deserve better than to believe we’re buying a new anamorphic transfer, when you are really marketing the exact same discs as before.
Dark wild nights in the late Weimar period
This is a very good movie, although deeply disturbing. Set in the great city of Berlin in 1931, a time of economic depression and political crisis, this movie constructs an image of the decadence and delusion of the late Weimar period as German society is plunging through a kind of moral and social decay into the nightmare of Nazism.
The film is based on “The Berlin Stories” by Christopher Isherwood (written between 1935 and 1939), who lived in the city in the early 1930s. He had seen both the decadence and the dangerous hunger for a kind of national “purification” among many “respectable” and “moral” middle class Germans, who already had been traumatized by military defeat, hyperinflation, and mass unemployment. The film, following Isherwood, weaves together the stories of the marginal characters who live in this troubled city at the very edge of the great moral catastrophe of the 20th century.
Liza Minnelli is brilliant as “Sally Bowles”, an Americanized version of the British Sally who appears in Isherwood’s book, and her energy (and visible angst)drive the film as other characters wander aimlessly through a narrative heading all the time towards disaster. Michael York is effective as “Brian”, the fictional stand-in for Isherwood himself, and the other characters present believable and even moving representations of people wandering through the impending nightmare as through a fog.
The nightmare itself is suggested by the increasing visibility of the Brownshirts and the sinister swastika, the authentic posters and grafitti from the period, and the passing visual allusion to the street fights and storm troopers. These allusions effectively evoke the sense of uneasiness and danger in the air, an effect reinforced by Sally’s deep desire to scream her heart out. The smug and complacent self-assurance of the conservative aristocrat Maximilien, played by Helmut Griem, provides a clue to the almost wilfull blindness of even (perhaps especially) educated Germans to the moral danger posed by the Nazi movement. The anti-Semitism of the movement is also effectively displayed from several angles, most movingly through the love story between Fritz and Natalia.
But the strangest character is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub, played brilliantly by Joel Grey. His character has a sinister ambiguity; is he mocking the Nazis by his farcical musical satires, or rather is he reinforcing the anti-Semitic prejudices of his audience through such pieces as, “If you could see her as I do . . .”? Is his decadence ignoring the danger and plunging his head like an ostrich into the sand, or is it a critical commentary on the pseudo-morality that worries about cabarets while ignoring Nazis? By the way, the entertainment at the movie Kit Kat Klub is first-rate (far, far better than the actual entertainment at the real Kit Kat cabaret, according to the later testimony of Isherwood, commenting on Liza Minnelli’s performance). But this Bob Fosse-choreographed spectacle underlines both the brilliance and the moral danger of the cabaret.
In historical fact, most Berliners were not Nazis; it was a largely working class town with strong Socialist and even Communist neighborhoods and a powerful left-wing tradition (which is why Hitler hated Berlin). But it was not immune to the Nazis. The Nazis themselves liked to contrast the supposed “healthy” vitality of a romanticized rural and small-town Germany against the decadence of urban Berlin, a point that is made in the film when young Nazi youth leaders at a beer garden lead an increasingly Nazified crowd to join in song celebrating nature and the volk. The film effectively plays out the irony of this contrast between a “moral” rural Germany increasingly drawn to the appeal of a profoundly immoral and murderous movement, and the “immoral” decadence of urban Berlin, many of whose cabaret performers would probably wind up in concentration camps within a few years. Hitler, after all, was big on public “morality.” It’s just that this kind of “morality” didn’t stop him from screaming hatred, fanning murderous resentments, murdering millions of Jews, and plunging Europe into the most catastrophic war in history. Cabaret performers, however otherwise decadent, could not be blamed for that. And decadent Brian even manages to get into a fist fight with some Nazi Brownshirts.
This is a great film. It doesn’t tell you what to think about the Emcee, or poor yearning but lively Sally, or even Brian himself. But whatever their tales, we know where the story is going. We know what those brownshirts and swastikas mean when we see them reflected in the glass at the end of the film. “Life is a Cabaret,” as Sally tells us in her climactic song, but even the best shows sometimes have the darkest endings.
Life is a cabaret, old chum…
It’s often been said about old musical movies that they went too far in the conceit of people “bursting out in song” during a scene. Well, in his film version of Kander & Ebb’s masterful Cabaret, Bob Fosse completely got around that problem by presenting the songs on stage. It was handled brilliantly, the choreography was incredible, and the movie just plain works.
Cabaret the movie doesn’t share many songs in common with the original stage version – it still has “Willkommen,” “Two Ladies,” “Tomorrow Belongs To Me,” a German version of “Married,” “If You Could See Her,” and “Cabaret” – but that’s it. A few new songs were added – “Mein Herr,” “Maybe This Time,” “Money, Money,” – but for the most part it’s a lot less sung than the staged version. A lot of musical numbers dealing with the world outside the Kit Kat Klub were used as underscoring, preserving John Kander’s great tunes. But this doesn’t detract from it being one of the best filmed musicals out there.
Fosse’s direction is a big help; it has a great eye for early 1930s Berlin, and presents the decadence and foreshadows the Nazis brilliantly. Fosse created great, sensual choreography for the film, and it is completely entrancing to watch the musical numbers. And the rest is worth it, too.
Flipflops aside, the couples are presented well; Liza Minelli’s portrayal of Sally Bowles is definitely the acting part of a lifetime. She was just completely *convincing* as Sally, from end to end. Michael York as Brian is very reserved, very British, and very studied. Helmut Griem is entirely convincing as Max, who creates tension between the couple after befriending them. The secondary couple is played to perfection by Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson, as opportunistic Fritz Wendel who falls in love with the rich young Jewess Natalia Landauer, respectively. And, of course, Joel Grey is spectacular as the haunting, Puckish Emcee.
In general, this movie presents itself as a stunning revelation to viewers of a story that will stick around for a very long time. It’s a virtuoso interpretation of one of the greatest American musicals, and deserves to be seen.
Scent of a Woman Sale-$2.99!
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Scent of a Woman Sale-$2.99!
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Scent of a Woman Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #5512 in Movie
- Released on: 2007-08-11
- Running time: 158 minutes
Customer Reviews:
Simply Riveting
Of all the movies that I have seen that has moved me, Scent of a Woman was the one that did it. A highly emotional movie which starred Academy Award Winning Actor, Al Pacino who portrayed Ret. Lt. Col. Frank Slade, and Chris O’Donnell as the young fresh faced student of the prestigious Baird School, Charlie Simms.
Charlie(O’ Donnell) takes a job caring for Slade(Pacino), a washed-up, decorated military man who clings to his Jack Daniels, so he can earn enough money to go home for the Christmas Holidays. Along the way, Slade takes the young man through different turns during the Thanksgiving Day weekend in New York City not knowing what the boy will expect. While the unpredictable occurs, Charlie contemplates his fate with his school honor–a conflict of interest with who is your real friends and who are not.
The entire movie wraps around relationships and how strangers can make a difference in a little over 2 hours and 37 minutes. For one weekend, Charlie and Slade discover that they need each other more than they thought, with different circumstances. You’d have to see the movie to know what I’m talking about, especially the finale.
The director, Martin Brest(Beverly Hills Cop and Meet Joe Black), has the knack of bringing out the best in the characters even in unpleasant situations. The soft sides always show in those who don’t appear to have it.
If this film had a theme it would be, living is worth living.
By far my favorite movie
When I first heard of this movie, I had no clue what it was about. My friend and I saw a teaser poster with Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar dancing the tango labeled “Scent of a Woman”. Putting two and two together, we went into the theater thinking we were watching a love story until the movie started. Whoops. Despite my misgivings in the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised. What I found was a riveting story of mentor-mentee relationship. I love movies that involve the master taking young grasshopper under his wing. Except master is not Mr. Perfect himself. Both the student and the teacher learn from each other’s weaknesses. And despite Lt Col Slade’s struggle with his misfortunate blinding accident, his Army core values were still in tact. Hard-working and willing to give up a Thanksgiving weekend to look after an embittered retiree, Slade sees an underlying goodness in Chris O’Donnell’s fragile, fence-sitting character, Charlie. Like most young men his age, he was susceptible to peer pressure and could easily choose the wrong path as his friends had. Slade is blind but easily sees the temptation to compromise the boy’s integrity and future. “This old bat has sharper radar than the Nautilus” Slade tells his young league. He lays all the cards out for Charlie to see, but knew instinctively it was up to the boy to make his own decision. Charlie eventually shows his true colors in the face of adversity. Like a good soldier, he never leaves his commander’s side even when the danger is self-inflicting. Character like that is a rarity in anyone and must be preserved! This prompts Slade to reciprocate his support for Charlie who is enrolled in a prestigious school reknowned for producing some of the most important figure heads in America. “Be careful what type of leaders you’re making,” he warns the school staff. Charlie learns lessons in life that no school could teach him.
Underneath the tough exterior, there was a softer side to Slade. He definitely had a thing for the ladies. Instead of playing up a macho cassanova, “Mac-Daddy” persona predominate in a lot of films today, Slade is quite the charmer and gentlemen. He’s cultured, sophisticated, genteel and surprisingly knowledgeable about women’s perfume. Hence the film’s title. I find that warrior-poet quality incredibly sexy and appealing. You can’t resist a man who makes the tango look so easy and doesn’t mind getting “all tangled up” with you. A beautiful role played by Pacino earning him a well-deserved oscar which probably was most credited for by his empowering monologue in the end. This is by far his best role in a movie.
Lovely film. Sweet, sad, romantic yet uplifting. This is truly a classic for the ages.
The Tango Scene
Little is said about the tango scene, thus far. That allows me the pleasure of being the first to talk about the interesting things that are going on there.
Frank, an ardent admirer of the beauty of women, and an afficionado of the Tango, finds himself with an opportunity for a special moment, a situation, in which he proceeds to charm a sweet flower of a young woman, so well embodied in Donna, with his manner and his words. Tango music is swaying in the background, compellingly played by The Tango Project.
Frank asks Donna if she can Tango; she had wanted to learn, but her Michael didn’t. Frank offers her a lesson, then and there. She hesitates, blushes, smiles, and finally submits to his ” seduction.” They escort each other to the dance floor. Aware of Frank’s blindness, Donna instinctively holds him closer.
“Por un Cabeza” begins. Frank leads her, gently and masterfully, through the beautiful ritual of the Tango. She seems to move as one with him. Effective camera work reveals Frank’s dramatic and romantic execution of the Tango, and Donna’s pleasure and surprise at her ability to follow him, effortlessly, through this colorful dance that she has long wished to do.
They leave the dance floor. One gets the sense that what transpired was more than simply a dance lesson. They were both deeply fulfilled by the experience; Frank, by being with a beautiful woman, doing his beloved Tango, and Donna, by finally doing a Tango with a charming man.
I would add that Donna was not mildly smitten by Frank, as betrayed by her glances toward him during the brief conversation that followed, and as she was being led away by Michael, who had joined them. She was obviously not very willing to say goodbye. A small tragedy is perceived in the fact that Frank could not see and reap the reward of the attraction of a beautiful woman; there is no doubt that he sensed it, but he would have been very pleased to see it.
No Reason Discount.
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No Reason
Product: No Reason Discount. List Price: —- Amazon Price: $1.99 Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available |
- Amazon Sales Rank: #2877 in TV Series Episode Video on Demand
- Released on: 2009-08-30
- Running time: 44 minutes