Wild America (Snap Case) (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I think the title kind of explains it all really. Three guys going off into the wild of America, on a mission to find a cave filled with a thousand bears, although being told that they sleep alone, the boys don't believe anyone, find the cave, and have loads of adventures along the way!! Jonathan Taylor Thomas played a great part in this movie and he really narrated it well too! As I live in the UK, I was lucky enough to see it while I was in America, I'd always liked Jonathan and Devon's films, and this was another one I HAD TO HAVE!!! I would also say that this is a great film for all the family, only recently has it been released in the UK, but I bought it in America, luckily I have an international VCR. This film is way cool. I would really reccommend it.

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Based on the true story of the daredevil Stouffer brothers, "Wild America."DVD Features:Production NotesTheatrical Trailer

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Unseen Cinema - Early American Avant Garde Film 1894-1941 (1910) Review

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(More customer reviews)The contents below are from unseen-cinema; they include the contents of a 160-page softcover Series Catalog, which is sold separately, but I think you would want. This is clearly a labor of love; though I can't imagine trying to watch all this in a month of Sundays, I could see dipping into it from time to time.
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Disk 1: THE MECHANIZED EYE
Experiments in Technique and Form
The dynamic qualities of motion pictures are explored by cameramen and filmmakers through novel experiments in technique and form. Early cinematographers James White, "Billy" Bitzer, and Frederick Armitage display experimental shooting styles that wowed audiences. Other independent companies further image manipulation through creative staging, editing, and printing, such as a stunning three-screen film that predates Gance's Napoleon. Experiments by photographer Walker Evans, painter Emlen Etting, musician Jerome Hill, and the film collectives Nykino and Artkino record the world in a continual process of flux. A most extreme approach is realized by Henwar Rodakiewicz with Portrait of a Young Man (1925-31), a monumental study of natural and abstract motions.
18 FILMS:
5 Paris Exposition Films (1900)-James White
Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Palace (1900)
Palace of Electricity (1900)
Champs de Mars (1900)
Panorama of Eiffel Tower (1900)
Scene from Elevator Ascending Eiffel Tower (1900)
Captain Nissen Going through Whirpool Rapids, Niagra Falls (1901)-creators unknown
Down the Hudson (1903)-Frederick Armitage & A.E. Weed
The Ghost Train (1903)-creators unknown
Westinghouse Works, Panorama View Street Car Motor Room (1904)-G.W. "Billy" Bitzer
In Youth, Beside the Lonely Sea (c. 1924-25)-creators unknown
Melody on Parade (c. 1936)-creators unknown
La Cartomancienne (The Fortune Teller) (1932)-Jerome Hill
Pie in the Sky (1934-35)-Nykino: Elia Kazan, Ralph Steiner & Irving Lerner
Travel Notes (1932)-Walker Evans
Oil: A Symphony in Motion (1930-33)-Artkino: M.G. MacPherson & Jean Michelson
Poem 8 (1932-33)-Emlen Etting
Storm (1941-43)-Paul Burnford
Portrait of a Young Man (1925-31)-Henwar RodakiewiczDisk 2: THE DEVIL'S PLAYTHING
American Surrealism
Edwin S. Porter and other early filmmakers used bizarre sets, fantastic costumes, and magic lantern tricks to illuminate their fantasy films. American parody supplied Douglas Fairbanks with enough unusual material to produce the truly surreal When the Clouds Roll By (1919). The expressionistic Cabinet of Dr. Calagari (1919) influenced American sensibilities throughout the 1920s as seen in Beggar of Horseback (1925), The Life and Death of 9413-A Hollywood Extra (1927) and The Telltale Heart (1928). The emphasis shifted when amateurs J.S. Watson, Jr., Joseph Cornell, and Orson Welles crafted a unique variety of American surrealism on film unfettered by European concerns.
17 FILMS:
Jack and the Beanstalk (1902)-Edwin S. Porter
Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906)-Edwin S. Porter
The Thieving Hand (1907)-creator unknown, Vitagraph
Impossible Convicts (1905)-G.W. "Billy" Bitzer
When the Clouds Roll By (1919)-Douglas Fairbanks & Victor Fleming (excerpt)
Beggar on Horseback (1925)-James Cruze (excerpt)
The Fall of the House of Usher (1926-27)-J.S. Watson, Jr. & Melville Webber
The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra (1927)- Robert Florey & Slavko Vorkapich
The Love of Zero (1928)-Robert Florey & William Cameron Menzies
The Telltale Heart (1928)-Charles Klein
Tomatos Another Day (1930/1933)-J.S. Watson, Jr. & Alec Wilder
The Hearts of Age (1934)- William Vance & Orson Welles
Unreal News Reels (c. 1926)-Weiss Artclass Comedies (excerpt)
The Children's Jury (c. 1938)-attributed Joseph Cornell
Thimble Theater (c. 1938)-Joseph Cornell
Carousel: Animal Opera (c. 1938)-Joseph Cornell
Jack's Dream (c. 1938)-Joseph CornellDisk 3: LIGHT RHYTHMS
Music and Abstraction
The rhythmic elements of cinema are explored by artists and filmmakers fascinated by the abstract qualities of light. The American authors of avant-garde classics Le Retour á la raison (1923), Ballet mécanique (1923-24), Anémic cinéma (1926), and Une Nuit sur le Mont Chauve (1934), are finally acknowledged for their seminal artistic achievements made in Europe. Pioneer abstract films by Ralph Steiner, Mary Ellen Bute, Douglass Crockwell, Dwinnell Grant, and George Morris are compared and contrasted with Hollywood montages created by Ernst Lubitsch, Slavko Vorkapich, and Busby Berkeley. For the first time on video, composer George Antheil's original 1924 score accompanies Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy's film Ballet mécanique, a truly avant-garde cacophony of image and sound.
29 FILMS:
Le Retour à la raison (1923)-Man Ray
Ballet mécanique (1923-24)-Fernand Léger & Dudley Murphy
Anémic cinéma (1924-26)-Rrose Sélavy (Marcel Duchamp)
Looney Lens: Anamorphic People (1927)-Al Brick
Out of the Melting Pot (1927)-W.J. Ganz Studio
H20 (1929)-Ralph Steiner
Surf and Seaweed (1929-30)-Ralph Steiner
7 Vorkapich Montage Sequences (1928-37)-Slavko Vorkapich
The Furies (1934)
Skyline Dance (1928)
Money Machine (1929)
Prohibition (1929)
The Firefly- Vorkapich edit (1937)
The Firefly-MGM release version (1937)
Maytime (1937)
So This Is Paris (1926)-Ernst Lubitsch (excerpt)
Light Rhythms (1930)-Francis Bruguière & Oswell Blakeston
Une Nuit sur le Mont Chauve (Night on Bald Mountain) (1934)-Alexandre Alexeieff & Claire Parker
Rhythm in Light (1934)-Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth & Melville Webber
Synchromy No. 2 (1936)-Mary Ellen Bute & Ted Nemeth
Parabola (1937)-Mary Ellen Bute & Ted Nemeth
Footlight Parade - "By a Waterfall" (1933)-Busby Berkeley
Glen Falls Sequence (1937-46)-Douglass Crockwell
Simple Destiny Abstractions (1937-40)-Douglass Crockwell
Abstract Movies (1937-47)-George L.K. Morris
Scherzo (1939)-Norman McLaren
Themis (1940)-Dwinell Grant
Contrathemis (1941)-Dwinell Grant
1941 (1941)-Francis Lee
Moods of the Sea (1940-42)-Slavko Vorkapich & John HoffmanDisk 4: INVERTED NARRATIVES
New Directions in Story-Telling
Early directors D.W. Griffith and Lois Weber develop the radical language of cinema narrative through audience-friendly melodramas made for nickelodeon theaters. Experimental fantasies are depicted in such independent productions as Moonland (c. 1926), Lullaby (1929), and The Bridge (1929-30). Depression era films by socially-conscious filmmakers reshape drama as demonstrated in Josef Berne's brooding Black Dawn (1933) and Strand and Hurwitz's biting Native Land (1937-41): each pictures a raw reality. Parody and satire find their mark in Theodore Huff's Little Geezer (1932) and Barlow, Hay and Le Roy's Even as You and I (1937). David Bradley's Sredni Vashtar by Saki (1940-43) boasts an inadvertent post-modern attitude.
12 FILMS:
The House with Closed Shutters (1910)-D.W. Griffith & G.W. "Billy" Bitzer
Suspense (1913)-Lois Weber & Philips Smalley
Moonland (c. 1926)-Neil McQuire & William A. O'Connor
Lullaby (1929)-Boris Deutsch
The Bridge (1929-30)-Charles Vidor
Little Geezer (1932)-Theodore Huff
Black Dawn (1933)-Josef Berne & Seymour Stern
Native Land (1937-41)-Frontier Films: Leo Hurwitz & Paul Strand (excerpt)
Black Legion (1936-7)-Nykino: Ralph Steiner & Willard Van Dyke
Even As You and I (1937)-Roger Barlow, Harry Hay & Le Roy Robbins
Object Lesson (1941)-Christoher Young
"Sredni Vashtar" by Saki (1940-43)-David BradleyDisk 5: PICTURING A METROPOLIS
New York City Unveiled
Only Unseen Cinema DVD released as a SINGLE
The DVD depicts dynamic images of New York City and scenes of New Yorkers among the skyscrapers, streets, and night life of America's greatest city during a half century of progress, while at the same time showing changes in film style and the history of cinema experiments. Avant-garde moments pop up in the most unlikely of places including turn-of-the-twentieth-century actualities, commercial and radical newsreels, and Busby Berkeley's "Lullaby of Broadway" from Gold Diggers of 1935. Included are spectacular prints of Charles Sheeler and Paul Strand's Manhatta (1921), Robert Flaherty's Twenty-four-Dollar Island (c. 1926), Robert Florey's Skyscraper Symphony (1929), Jay Leyda's A Bronx Morning (1931), and Rudy Burckhardt's Pursuit of Happiness (1940).
26 FILMS:
The Blizzard (1899)-creators unknown
Lower Broadway (1902)-Robert K. Bonine
Beginning of a Skyscraper (1902)-Robert K. Bonine
Panorama from Times Building, New York (1905)-Wallace McCutcheon
Skyscrapers of NYC from North River (1903)-J.B. Smith
Panorama from Tower of the Brooklyn Bridge (1903)-G.W. "Billy" Bitzer
Building Up and Demolishing the Star Theatre (1902)-Frederick Armitage
Coney Island at Night (1905)-Edwin S. Porter
Interior New York Subway 14th Street to 42nd Street (1905)-G.W. "Billy" Bitzer
Seeing New York by Yacht (1902)-Frederick Armitage & A.E. Weed
2 Looney Lens: Split Skyscrapers (1924) and Tenth Avenue, NYC (1924)-Al Brick
4 Scenes from Ford Educational Weekly (1916-24)-creators unknown
Manhatta (1921)-Charles Sheeler & Paul Strand
Twentyfour-Dollar Island (c. 1926)-Robert...Read more›

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7 DVDs – 20 Hours - 155 Classics of Avant Garde Cinema! "Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1894-1941" reveals hitherto unknown accomplishments of American filmmakers working in the United States and abroad from the invention of cinema until World War II, and offers an innovative and often controversial view of experimental film as a product of avant-garde artists, of professional directors, and of amateur movie-makers working collectively and as individuals at all levels of film production. Many of the films have not been available since their creation, some have never been screened in public, and almost all have been unavailable in copies as good as these until now. Sixty of the world's leading film archive collections cooperated with Anthology Film Archives to bring this long-neglected period of film history back to life for modern audiences.

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The Hidden Fortress - Criterion Collection (1960) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have to confess my bias at the start: Akira Kurosawa is easily one of my two or three favorite directors. If forced to sit down and do a list of my 25 favorite films, SEVEN SAMURAI would be in a tie for first, and two or three others would join it on the list.
This was the first movie that Kurosawa made that was widescreen, and therefore the first that will derive maximum benefit from DVD. (Read through the early reviews of the DVD of SEVEN SAMURAI to see some of the confusion over this.) His use of the wider angle is magnificent, presenting the view with extraordinary vistas again and again. Kurosawa never seemed to struggle with the technical aspects of filmmaking, and would later make a similarly effortless transition to color.
This is one of Kurosawa's finest films. It is difficult to say that it is his best, since his very best films are among the greatest ever made. Suffice it to say, that the film bears in every way the mark of greatness. The camera work is flawless. Though black and white, the film is gorgeous to look at every moment. The acting is impeccable, with Mifune giving a somewhat difference performance in this one. If we are more accustomed to think of him as a more fiery character, as in RASHOMON or SEVEN SAMURAI or THRONE OF BLOOD, in this one he is magisterial and aristocratic.
I think the parallels to STAR WARS are rather overblown, and anyone coming to this film looking for tones of George Lucas rather than Akira Kurosawa just may find themselves disappointed. Yes, there is a princess, and yes, there are some very small plot parallels, and yes, there are two comic characters included to provide light entertainment and to move the plot along. But none of these are crucial elements of THE HIDDEN FORTRESS.
But I do think the STAR WARS references bring up a very interesting point about Kurosawa: more than anyother foreign filmmaker in history, Kurosawa is the one with the easist relationship with American culture. People who normally dislike foregin film can respond powerfully to his films. I once showed SEVEN SAMURAI to a group of high school boys. These kids were almost in a state of mutiny, because 1) the film was black and white and 2) it was subtitled. But by the end of the evening they were all entranced and had become fans of the film.
I think the reason they responded so easily was partly because Kurosawa was a cinematic genius, but also because he had absorbed so much of American culture and film technique in his films. Just as many American films have borrowed directly from his work, so he borrowed from American sources. Many of his films bear evidence of extensive exposure to film noir and American Westerns, and several of his plots are borrowed from American and Western sources. One example: much has been made of the fact that A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS was based on Kurosawa's YOJIMBO, but it is not as often noted that YOJIMBO was based on Dashiell Hammett's RED HARVEST, in which the Continental Op goes to the town of Personville (or, as a Brooklyn-accented character in the book pronounces it, Poisonville) and turns two warring criminal factions against each other.
But if you haven't seen this film, do so. Without any question one of Kurosawa's very finest films.

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A general and a princess must dodge enemy clans while smuggling the royal treasure out of hostile territory with two bumbling, conniving peasants at their sides; it's a spirited adventure that only Akira Kurosawa could create. Acknowledged as a primary influence on George Lucas' Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress delivers Kurosawa's inimitably deft blend of wry humor, breathtaking action and humanist compassion on an epic scale. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this landmark motion picture in a stunning, newly-restored Tohoscope edition.

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Matinee (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was 12 years old during the Cuban Missle Crisis, in love with cheap, schlocky horror movies (ANYTHING with Vincent Price!), and had a subscription to "Famous Monsters of Filmland" Magazine, so, except for living in Florida (I lived in Hollywood - well - Los Angeles, the only place for a film fanatic to grow up) this could be my biography. When the boy is shown with monster magazines spread all over his bed, they're real magazines from the period, and I had every last blessed one of them! I also had the monster models in his bedroom. When he turns into a fount of movie minutia at lunch, he IS me at school lunch, the kid who knew the difference between William Castle and Roger Corman, who couldn't have mistaken Dick Miller, who knew every trivial fact about every trivial horror movie ever made, and who would share them all with anyone in earshot. This hilarious yet heartfelt movie pushed all my nostalgia buttons. Even now, I can say what's that poster for "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" doing in a 1962 movie theater when the film hadn't even been shot yet? I remember the panic in our local grocery store during the missle crisis, and it was exactly as Dante shows it in the film. It's my favorite John Goodman performance. He was born to play William Castle, aka "Lawrence Woolsey". This is Joe Dante at his best. Apparently he and I had the exact same childhood.

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Step back into a time of outrageous movie-theater gimmicks and larger-than-life B-screen stars in this charming homage to the great sci-fi and horror flicks of the 1950s and 1960s.John Goodman is at his uproarious best as the William Castle-inspired movie promoter Lawrence Woolsey, who brings his unique brand of flashy showmanship to the unsuspecting residents of Key West, Florida.It's 1962, and fifteen-year-old fan Gene Loomis (Simon Fenton) can't wait for the arrival of Woolsey, who is in town to promote his latest offering of atomic power gone berserk, MANT!. But the absurd vision of Woolsey's tale takes on a sudden urgency as the Cuban Missile Crisis places the real threat of atomic horror just 90 miles off the coast. With the help of Gene and Woolsey's leading lady, Ruth (Cathy Moriarty), the master showman gives Key West a premiere they'll never forget. Anything can happen in the movies, and everything does in this hilarious tribute to a more innocent (and outrageous) time in American cinema.

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The Day of the Outlaw (1959) Review

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(More customer reviews)Robert Ryan is not usually thought of as a Western actor, but his credits in that genre are numerous and uniformly excellent, from HORIZONS WEST to THE PROUD ONES and the HOUR OF THE GUN, not to mention THE WILD BUNCH. THE DAY OF THE OUTLAW, in stark black and white, is one of his finest, and perhaps the finest directed by the underrated Andre De Toth. Burl Ives makes a superb "baddie," almost along the lines of Donald Pleasants. Set in the snowy high altitudes, the film exudes a superbly shaped "coldness" that is also reflected in the lean dialogue. All in all, a very worthy film, well worth owning.

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Studio: Tcfhe/mgmRelease Date: 05/13/2008Run time: 92 minutesRating: Nr

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Hotel Rwanda (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)In 1994 when Rwanda descended into the bloody madness of genocide Paul Ruseasabagina (Don Cheadle) was reasonably secure in his process. He belonged to the Hutu majority that was slaughtering the minority with machetes and he was the manger of the five-star Hotel Milles Collines in Kigali. But his wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo), is Tutsi and the Tutsi are not only being called "cockroaches" on the nonstop incendiary radio broadcasts they are being exterminated like them. Not only are his wife and children in danger, so is the rest of his family and so are the guests in his hotel. It is up to Ruseasabagina to do something about this madness simply because there is nobody else to do the job (it would be easier to call the character Paul, but given the story it seems important to focus on the fact he was an African).
"Hotel Rwanda" is a true story, and even though we know going in that Ruseasabagina is going to save over a thousand refugees this is still a harrowing story. For the most part the genocide happens outside the walls of the hotel, but there are enough scenes and stories of what is happening to make it clear that the people huddled in the hotel are in mortal danger. What is probably the most unforgettable moment comes while a van is being driven through the fog and appears to have gone off the road (the DVD extras also contain scenes of the unforgettable way the Tutsi have memorialized the victims of the slaughter at one location).
The explanation for why the United Nations, the Europeans, the Americans, or anybody else with a speck of humanity in them does not intervene to stop the genocide is articulated by the Colonel Oliver character played by Nick Nolte, who tells Ruseasabagina that the problem is that these are just black Africans killing other black Africans. The words are spoken in disgust and are brutal, but they are horribly true and what redeems Oliver is not only that is he is willing to articulate the brutal truth but that there will come a point where orders to stand by and do nothing are no longer going to be obeyed. Likewise, the cameraman played by Joaquin Phoenix provides a memorable scene as the Europeans leave the Milles Collines and the character is so shamed not only by the retreat but also by the presence of a hotel employee holding an umbrella over their heads in the pouring rain.
But there is one person who cannot turn his back on what is happening. Ruseasabagina is literally the right person in the right place, because only the hotel could have become a refuge for the Tutsi and only the manager of a five-star hotel could have known exactly how to placate the military men leading the massacre. Not only does he speak their language, there is a sense in which they want to speak his as well, showing that even though their arms are covered in blood they can play the role of a civilized man. Cheadle's performance, deservedly nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, is appropriately controlled just as Ruseasabagina had to be in persuading these thugs to help him. He cracks only once when a mundane part of his preparing for his job suddenly becomes an impossibility to manage. He is also a hero who is flawed, making mistakes and trying desperately to do the right thing, even if that means forcing his wife to make a fateful promise or abandoning his family to try and save others.
There is an obvious comparison to be made between "Hotel Rwanda" and "Schindler's List." But watching this 2004 film I could not help thinking that if during the Holocaust there had been images of Nazis herding Jews into the concentration camps on the nightly news nobody would have done anything either (but if a whale is trapped in an ice flow in the arctic a rescue mission shall be sent). Stories such as this emphasize the small number doing good against the large number doing evil, but there is always that even larger number signifying all the people who do nothing and assent to the evil by their silence. Those who watch "Hotel Rwanda" will find themselves counted among that final number and should well remember that even if they were oblivious to what happened in Rwanda history will repeat itself is this regard and give us another chance to do the right thing.

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Once you find out what happened in Rwanda, you'll never forget. OscarÂ(r) nominee* Don Cheadle (Traffic) gives "the performance of his career in this extraordinarily powerful" (The Hollywood Reporter) and moving true story of one man's brave stance against savagery during the 1994 Rwandan conflict. Sophie Okonedo (Dirty Pretty Things) co-stars as the loving wife who challenges a good man to become a great man. As his country descends into madness, five-star-hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle) sets out to save his family. But when he sees that theworld will not intervene in the massacre of minority Tutsis, he finds the courage to open his hotelto more than 1,200 refugees. Now, with a rabid militia at the gates, he must use his well-honed grace, flattery and cunning to protect his guests from certain death.*2004: Actor, Hotel Rwanda

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Citizen Kane (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1941) Review

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(More customer reviews)Probably the most unfortunate thing that ever happened to `Citizen Kane' was that it found itself atop the AFI top film list. Now, no one can simply enjoy the film. Everyone feels compelled to scrutinize it and make a decision about its greatness. Asking whether `Citizen Kane' is the best film of the century is like asking if Marilyn Monroe was the most beautiful woman. It depends on whom you ask.
`Citizen Kane' is not the most entertaining film I've ever seen, but it is certainly one of the most important. It is a vanguard motion picture and a gargantuan achievement for Orson Welles. If you consider the fact that Welles was a 24 year old Hollywood outsider who had only done radio and theater when he landed the contract for this film, you begin to appreciate what a big deal it was. This was during a time when a few studios controlled every film that was made. How many 24 year old actor/directors can you name today, even in a world where independents abound?
The story is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. Writer Herman Mankiewicz had an up-close look at Hearst as he had been an occasional house guest at the Hearst mansion. The similarities were striking, right down to the paramour whose career Hearst promoted, who loved to do jigsaw puzzles. The fact that this film was released at all is a marvel in itself. Hearst went on a personal campaign to crush the film and enlisted every powerful friend he had to stop it. Louis B. Mayer offered RKO $800,000 to destroy the print. John D. Rockefeller ordered the Radio City premier cancelled. All of Hearst's newspapers were forbidden to mention the film.
Hollywood was uniformly against it and Welles was branded an insolent maverick. The film was snubbed by the Academy. It was nominated for 9 Oscars and won only best screenplay. The film turned out to be a commercial failure, losing $150,000. With all the forces stacked against it, we are lucky to be having this best film debate at all.
The story has a simple moral; that money and power can't buy happiness. We see Kane's progress from a happy child, to an idealistic young journalist intent on helping the common man, and finally to a bitter and angry old man whose innocence has slipped from him. One of the most effective scenes that illustrated this was the two minute overlay of breakfast conversations with his wife. It starts with cooing lovers and progresses through increasing levels of discord. It ends in silence with the two reading separate newspapers, her disdain for him subtly indicated by her choice of the hated Chronicle as her newspaper.
What is so remarkable about this film is the filmmaking. Director after director has pointed to some aspect of this film as having influenced them. The use of shadows and various perspective shots was not unprecedented in 1941, but never before had they been used with so much dramatic impact. What was unprecedented was that `Citizen Kane' was the first film ever to depart from the strict narrative format, which moves forward chronologically. The film starts at the end and jumps around in time based upon the perspective of the person who is telling his or her story about Kane. So the next time you see a flashback, remember it started here.
The makeup was revolutionary. Welles often went through four hours or more of makeup to be properly aged for each scene. The film also launched a number of brilliant careers. Besides Welles, Joseph Cotton and Agnes Moorehead went on to long and prominent film careers.
If `Citizen Kane' is not the best film of the century it is certainly one of them. Its influence on a generation of filmmakers cannot be ignored in the equation. People who watch this film and ask, "What's the big deal?" are comparing it with modern films that have borrowed from this film's techniques and undergone 60 years of evolution. It's like going back to Kitty Hawk and saying, "What's the big deal, the flight only lasted a few seconds."
There is only one rating to give to a film of such monumental importance. It is the consummate 10.

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The story of an immensely wealthy newspaper publisher, as he is remembered by his friends and former wife after his death. Loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. Frequently called the greatest film of all time.No Track Information AvailableMedia Type: DVDArtist: WELLES/COTTEN/COMINGORE/MOOREHTitle: CITIZEN KANEStreet Release Date: 09/24/2002

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Life Is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella) (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)Put the children to bed, unplug the phone, get out the tissues and refuse to watch this movie with anybody who likes to talk during a movie. You will be blown away.
Holocaust and comedy. Two words never spoken in the same breath before "Life is Beautiful." To smiply label this movie as such, would do it injustice. Every emotion comes into play during the viewing. You soon begin to empathize with Roberto Benigni as he portrays a father trying to keep the harsh realities of a German concentration camp from his young son. Benigni protects his son with two weapons that the German's could not seize: Humor and Imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and yes I cried. But I also laughed and smiled.
I recommend the Sub-title version of the movie. After five minutes the reading becomes natural and the depth to which you become involved with the movie is well worth it.
I so enjoyed the music in this movie, that I purchased "Tales of Hoffman" by Offenbach. The second playing of this piece in the movie will not allow you to maintain dry eyes.

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An inspired motion picture masterpiece, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL was nominated for 7 Academy Awards(R) -- winning 3 Oscars, including one for Best Actor Robert Benigni. In this extraordinary tale, Guido (Benigni) -- a charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colorful imagination and an irresistible sense of humor -- has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for his young family. But then, that life is threatened by World War II ... and Guido must rely on those very same strengths to save his beloved wife and son from an unthinkable fate! Honored with an overwhelming level of critical acclaim, this truly exceptional, utterly unique achievement will lift your spirits and capture your heart!

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Underworld (Unrated Extended Edition) (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Being a fan of the Underworld series as well as the lovely Kate Beckensale, I had to purchase this movie on blu-ray. I have this movie on every format except vhs. All I have to say is that this movie looks and sound awesome on blu-ray. If you want good demo material get this movie, you will not be disappointed.

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Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a captivating new film by director Gini
Reticker. It exposes a different story angle for the largely forgotten recent events
of the women of Liberia uniting to bring the end to their nation's civil war.
This film is amazing in the way it captivates your attention from the
earliest frames. It doesn't shy away from showing footage of the violent
events that took place during the Liberian civil war. But the main story
of the film is that of Leymah Gbowee and the other women uniting, despite
their religious differences, to force action on the stalled peace talks in
their country. Using entirely nonviolent methods, not only are the peace
talks successful, but Charles Taylor, the president of Liberia, is forced
into exile leading to the first election of a female head of state in
Africa.
The women of this film are truly an inspiration and no one can fail to be
moved by the message of hope that comes through clearly in this film.
These are heroes that deserve to be remembered and with Pray the Devil we
are able to do that, gaining both a knowledge of the history we are
ignorant of through archival footage and an understanding of the leaders
of this movement through close-up interviews with the many women who lead
it.
The film also offers a great soundtrack & inspirational song- "Djoyigbe" by Angelique Kidjo & Blake Leyh.
I highly recommend this soul-touching film. Once you watch it, you'll want to share it with your friends because- "PEACE IS LOUD"!


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PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL - DVD Movie

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George Lucas in Love (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)Several reviewers around here really seem to want a lot from a 9 minute film.
'George Lucas In Love' was a very fun short. From Lucas' roommate Benji talking about an 'all powerful force' to his friends Hal & Chuck working on Hal's 'fastest thing on campus' to a professor whose speech patterns resembled a well known Jedi Master, this film has a heck of a lot crammed into it's 9 minutes. If anything, the filmmakers should have done a 15-20 minute film! The film was very clever and enjoyable. Maybe just a tad bit funnier than 'Hardware Wars'.
The music, cinematography, and acting are all very good, indeed. Anyone who didn't enjoy this at least a little really needs to get a sense of humor. Of course, it's a bit cheesy, but it's meant to be that way. It's presented in the slightly corny, overblown way that 'Hardware Wars' or the 'Naked Gun' films were. The same people who didn't understand those films probably won't understand 'George Lucas In Love'. It's not a 'great' film, but who cares? It's a fun little short by a guy who really loves 'Star Wars'. Some have condemned the filmmakers doing this just for the money. I seriously doubt that Mr. Nussbaum will make a huge fortune from this film and if he does, big deal. Nothing wrong with making money from doing what you love or making money at all. Surely, none of the people who reviewed this film would go and work at their jobs for free and live in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere! Anyway, GLIL is great fun and a great to watch before your next screening of 'Phantom Menace' or the original trilogy.

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Computer Science 101 (Wargames / Anti-Trust / Hackers) (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)This collection contains some great films that have strong computer hacker/espionage themes. The first film, "War Games" stars Matthew Broderick as an underachieving high school student and computer enthusiast who inadvertently starts a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia after hacking into a government artificial intelligence system, which he thinks is a prototype video game. Of course, this sparks a race against time to thwart the destruction of the world as we know it.
The film was shot in 1983, so if you don't mind the quirks of movies from that era this should be an entertaining thriller.
Next in the lineup was "Hackers" starring Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie. This film is by far the most delinquent of the three. A group of young cyber criminals end up being blamed for a computer virus they didn't plant, which leads to them having to expose an elaborate cover up. If I were to grade this movie on its accuracy in the portrayal of hackers it would be a negative 4 stars. However, movies are meant to be entertaining, and quite honestly most people would rather watch paint dry than pay to watch a true account of a hacker's life.
The last film, "Anti Trust", posed the most plausible storyline within this collection. The film stars Ryan Phillippe and Tim Robbins. Phillippe assumes the role of a recent college grad, who also happens to be a computer genius, and Robbins is cast as a Bill Gates type software tycoon who wants to recruit the youngest, hottest talent in computer programmers and he has his eyes set on Phillipe's character. Phillippe and his best friend part ways because of their differing ideologies about supporting the free software movement and working for software giants (like Microsoft). Shortly after starting his new career, Phillipe's friend turns up dead, and he has a growing suspicion that his new boss is somehow behind it. There are a lot of twist and turns in this film, and the acting is quite good. The film also deserves a gold star for staying true to the technology without losing casual watchers whom have limited experience with computers.


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Disc 1: Wargames Disc 2: Anti-Trust WS Disc 3: Hackers

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Star Wait Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay. I couldn't resist. I was walking up the DVD aisle in the local Target the other day and I saw this DVD for $2.99. I said to myself, "You've got to be kidding me. How did this movie ever get marketed?" But, I soon found myself, copy in hand, waiting in the checkout line.
Upon playing the movie, I was worried. It took quite a while to get introduced to all of the "important players" in the line and, for the first half hour, I was pretty bored and didn't think I would make it all the way through. But then, as time rolled on, I found myself getting absorbed in the lives of these people who had travelled to Hollywood in order to stand in line for six weeks. There is plenty of drama in this reality-based movie, as the people get pretty frazzled by each other after being in a closed space for weeks on end with one another.
Some of the characters are funny, some are laid back, and some are real jerks. It is hard to watch a film that tends to focus on the jerks, lovingly following them around to pick up on the random rants and tantrums they throw about various issues. You just end up wondering what these guys problem is. But fortunately, there is other content in the film to make up for these tense moments.
In conclusion, I'm not sure why I found STAR WAIT interesting. One sort of wishes to follow up on these folks and see where they are and the included "sequel" to the film is not enough. It seems sad that the energy is gone, even if these individuals are a bit geeky and can spend six weeks of their lives waiting on a street corner. If you are a Star Wars fan, you should get the movie. If you are a fan of reality tv and documentaries, you will also find it strangely entertaining. And hey, for under five dollars, you can't go wrong.

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Every time a new Star Wars film comes out, they start lining up. Hundreds of devoted Star Wars fans line up outside Grauman's Chinese Theater a full 6 weeks before each Star Wars opening.But who are these people? HOw do they deal with the non-Star Wars fans making fun of them? And of course, how do they go to the bathroom? Star Wait has all these answers and more.For 6 weeks the filmmakers of Star Wait stood in line with these crazy fans with camera in hand to bring you a sort of reality show/ documentary look at a Star Wars line.This DVD also includes bonus celebrity commentaries from:-The original members of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Joel Hodgson, Trace Bellieu, Josh Weinstein)-Cast members from Freaks and Geeks (Samm Levine and John Daley)-Amy Allen (Episodes II and III)-Dana Gould (The Simpsons)-Paget Brewster (Huff, Friends)-Paul F. Tompkins (Mr. Show)-Jason Guy (Big Brother 3)-Special commentary from the punk rockers that got in a fight with the line members (Dave From Clit 45) and many more!

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GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY: 10TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just watched this documentary tonight. so, I thought I'd put my two cents worth into what I think about the DVD, as well as the Star Wars phenomenon in general.
First off, I have to say that for the most part this DVD has been put together quite well. It has some pretty good rockin' background music, and it covers the phenomenon of Star Wars as well as the specific build up of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The only complaint I really have about the DVD is that the bonus features menu for the deleted scenes doesn't leave the last feature you just watched selected or the next feature selected in the list. In other words, after each deleted scene, you have to start from the top of the menu again instead of where you left off. But other than that, it's a well put together DVD. And the bonus features are good.
I must say, even though I know how big Star Wars is, I never actually got to experience hype that big until watching this DVD. I knew about the crazy people camping out waiting a month and a half for the movie and whatnot. But to actually be a part of it I never was really. The most I've done was get in line two hours before the midnight showing on opening night of Episode II with my ticket in hand. And even that was a big event. But to actually have a documentary dive into different areas around the U.S. and talk to people waiting in line for 42 days and to just see all the craziness behind it is incredible.
They documented the Toys 'R' Us mayhem of May 3, 1999 with legions of Star Wars fans lining up just to buy the new toys. They covered people who actually believe the force is real and claim Jedi as their religion. They interviewed famous stars like Meat Loaf and Joe Pesci about what their thoughts were on the Star Wars phenomenon. They talked about costumes, the lines, the toys, the "religion," the force, the conventions, the lack of father figures in these geeks lives, etc. They even compared the crowds pushing each other around to get to the toy they want to the crowds in Kosova pushing each other around just to get food. Very ironic. They definitely did cover the phenomenon. So overall, it's a very interesting documentary.
When I watched this DVD, I realized that I'm better off being a low-key fan like I am. Sure, I have a Star Wars website. Sure, I collect Star Wars stuff. Sure, I went to the midnight showing of Episode II. But I'm not insane and out of my mind like these people are. I mean, this documentary really shows how nuts these people actually are. Star Wars is their life. Maybe that's why I wasn't so let down by The Phantom Menace like some of these fans in the documentary were. I mean, they practically deserve to be let down. One shouldn't build up a movie, no matter how big of a movie it is, to be the second coming. One is destined for a let down then - even the director of this DVD, Tariq Jalil, says this in the commentary. Sure, there will always be people who will be let down no matter what. But has anyone noticed how many more fans were pleased with Attack of the Clones than with The Phantom Menace? TPM had 16 years in the waiting, and enough inescapable hype in 1998 through May 1999 to sink us into a black hole. And that's exactly what happened. People got sucked into a black hole, thinking that the movie sucked beyond belief, when in reality it's only them that's the problem. AOTC had only three years of waiting, and the hype was considerably low-key on purpose. And most fans walked out loving the film. The fan-base's opinion of the movie wasn't split down the middle like with TPM.
So I'm glad that I didn't build these movies up to be more than movies. I mean, they are a phenomenon and one cannot escape that. And I don't think one should. It's good to be fascinated with something and to even make it a big part of your life. I don't get down on those fans for doing what they did. I think it's cool that they waited in line that long to see The Phantom Menace. I mean, the hype is fun and exciting. But it's when the hype alters the opinion of what should be a good movie that it gets to be too much. My advice for fans of Star Wars would be to basically get a life, but not forget about the movies. In other words, find other things to focus on, but still enjoy the genre that is Star Wars. It's a great hobby, and a great phenomenon that one should not be ashamed of being a part of. It's ok to have this hobby. But don't let it have you.

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10TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITIONDirected by Tariq Jalil1977, STAR WARS premieres at Mann's Chinese Theater. It triggers a pop culture phenomenon that has lasted to this day. 1999, fans anticipate the release of Episode I, The Phantom Menace. A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY features interviews with hundreds of fans, movie executives and high profile celebrities shedding new light on the film trilogy that has captivated generations of moviegoers. It takes us to STAR WARS conventions, to nationwide premieres, into the homes of devoted fans showing off their treasures and to the 42 days of waiting in lines in the spring of 1999. The complete, often hilarious exploration of the phenomenon brings together a group of interesting, hysterical and often touching fans. Yet it is not just a movie about zealous fans, GALAXY offers new insight into the reasons these fast-paced science fiction films struck a mysterious and powerful chord with all the races, genders and generations.Featuring music: Chemical Brothers, Luscious Jackson, They Might Be Giants and Morgan PhilipsSpecial appearances by Joe Pesci, Andy Garcia, Meat LoafDVD Extras: Deleted scenes, Original commentary, All New Audio Commentary by the Producer & Director, Original trailer, All New Trailer, Special 10th Anniversary Interviews with the Producer & Director, Special 10th Anniversary MST3K-style Video Commentary with the Producer & DirectorYear: 2000/2009 (New Bonus Material)

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SceneIt? Includes 4 Big Button GamePads Review

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(More customer reviews)I had my doubts about this game -- especially after seeing a picture of the included controllers. However, I stand corrected. This was one of the best game purchases that I've made this year. The game is very fun, and has been a hit with my family. Also, the tracking of the questions/puzzles and the variety of categories makes for an exciting and lasting experience.
For the price of a normal game, you get 4 wireless buzzer controllers, batteries, and a USB wireless controller IR port. Definitely worth it after you consider how much you actually get with the game.
I'm hoping that MS decides to expand the experience in 2 ways: 1) Through downloadable content through their Live service (in the form of new questions or puzzle types) and 2) Creates new trivia games that can utilize the same controller setup.
Scene It! is a pleasant surprise for Xbox 360 gamers who want to add some casual family/friends gaming to their system (especially for those who don't own a Wii). I hope that people buy this game just to show MS that there is a viable market for quality party games on the Xbox 360, and encourages them to release other great trivia titles.

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