Red Dragon [HD]

Great Until the End.....
When I first saw Michael Mann's adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon", I was blown away; I'd never encountered a character as evil and wiley as Hannibal Lector (Played by Brian Cox.)....Years later, I read Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs back to back, and was blown away again. Especially by Red Dragon- The end of the book was SO powerful and dark that upon finishing the book, I sat in stunned silence for the rest of the train ride home. How could they have NOT used that end in Manhunter???

Well, here's more of the same....Red Dragon is perfect in nearly every way, except for the ending, which, while retaining the same setting, opts for a more "Crowd-pleasing" finale...and loses that punched-in-the-gut feeling that the novel gives.

The cast is top-notch, as one would expect from actors the caliber of Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman (Especially good as the loathsome Freddie Lounds..), etc. Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes,...

ANTHONY HOPKINS STEALS THE SHOW...
Based upon the wonderful, well-written novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this is a superior and chilling thriller. Grim and gripping, it features Edward Norton in the role of troubled, retired FBI agent, Will Graham, who is called back to service in order to track down a bizarre serial killer, known as the "Tooth Fairy". It appears that Graham has the uncanny ability to get into a killer's mindset and figure out what his next move might be. It is as if he and the killer become one. In his preparation for this, Graham even consults the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter (yes, THE Hannibal Lecter), deliciously played by Anthony Hopkins. Unfortunately for Graham, Hannibal has not forgotten that Graham was responsible for his changed circumstances.

It is Hannibal Lecter, after all, who was the catalyst for Will Graham's retirement. The viewer is treated to scenes of Lecter's life, before he was revealed to be Hannibal the Cannibal, one of the sickest serial killers ever to strike...

Red Dragon 4 � Manhunter 4
The debate has raged long and hard as to which of the adaptations of Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon is superior with most people plumping for whichever version they saw first. For this is the problem with remakes (or watching a movie having already enjoyed the novel) and particularly with thrillers, where it's the twists and turns that dictate just how much viewing pleasure and excitement there is for the audience. So at the end of the day being objective about which movie is better and how to rate each one is very difficult (and perhaps all that serves to prove is the pointlessness of the debate) but for what it's worth here goes...

In a third outing as the world's favourite cannibal Anthony Hopkins returns in this prequel to "The Silence of The Lambs", complete with a ponytail in a new and very clever opening sequence that pits Hannibal Lecter against the FBI's special agent Will Graham (Edward Norton). Directed by Brett Ratner, (a surprise choice given that his last two outings...

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Mobsters [HD]

The Big Wait, equals Big DVD disappointment
I loved this movie when it first came out OK, so the actings not great at all, and the casting could have been better BUT after whoever finally decided to release this movie on DVD, they gave MINIMUM EFFORT in its creation.

DO IT PROPERLY, OR DON'T DO IT AT ALL!

LIST OF PROBLEMS

1) Several Scenes are missing on the DVD version eg, Richard Greicos' love scene when they go to meet Sam Rothestein. Basically on the UNCUT version on VHS he just takes one of the ladies at the party by the hand and they go off to a room together and he starts to seduce her by moving an ice pick gently all over her body while talking softly to her about how to kill somebody properly, after finishing telling her how to kill a man properly he slides off the top with the ice pick.

In this DVD version, his love scene is cut back dramatically, basically he takes off one side of her top with the ice pick, kisses her, then takes off the other side. no talking about how to...

This Movie was Great
This movie was a thrill to watch. It shows how 4 friends remained just that when there were rough times. It also portrays the rise of infamous Luciano, Lansky, Seigel, and Costello. Great Movie to watch if you like movies that portray the Mafia.

An OK telling of the rise of Luck Lucian and pals, but glamorizes them far too much
While this is an entertaining telling of the rise of Lucky Luciano, Myer Lansky, Benny (Bugsy) Siegel, and Frank Costello, it has the flaw of making them seem like rough and tumble fraternity members rather than the murderous monsters they really were. Still, given the material and the approach of the movie, Christian Slater (Lucky), Patrick Dempsey (Lansky), Richard Grieco (Siegel), and Costas Mandylor (Costello) are good in their roles. Two really nicely done performances are Michael Gambon as the vicious boss of all bosses, Don Faranzano and Anthony Quinn as his rival Don Masseria.

Since this is a movie about Depression / Prohibition era gangsters you would expect some violence, sex, and other immorality and the movie does provide them, but not in as extreme a way as more recent movies. I am not claiming this is a virtue or an excuse, just letting you know what is in this film.

The story takes us from the four gangsters as kids and seeing their lives in...

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Beethoven's 2nd [HD]

Sweet Movie
This is a funny and adorable movie. We actually like it better than the 1st one. The theme is love instead of violence like the 1st. We laugh our heads off many times during the movie. My kids are five and four.

BEETHOVEN HAS FOUND A GIRLFRIEND!
i watched Beethovens 1st 2nd and 3rd and i got to say this is the best one ever. This movie is about beethoven finding a mate, but the girl (missy) gets taken away by an evil dog napper. Beethoven saves her and she had puppies, but the dog napper soon takes missy away again, now its up to the newton to save the puppies from being drowned, our worse.
I liked this movie because i like dogs and adventures, the puppies are so cute and i cant believe anyone would like to drown them,
before i go i would like to recommend this movie to anyone who likes animals, even if your not a big animals fan you still gotta see this movie

The continuing adventures of Beethoven
Now that the lovable St. Bernard Beethoven is enjoying life with his new masters,the Newtons,he begins to start a family of his own,biologically. Beethoven impregnates a female St. Bernard named Missy and the canine couple sire four puppies. One of is named Tchaikovsky,after another late classical music great. First,George Newton(Charles Grodin) objects to Beethoven in the Newtons' home,then objects to the mutt's offsprings. The Newton family agreed to find homes for the puppies after they've grown. George's wife Alice(Bonnie Hunt) is now working with her husband at his air freshener factory. One memorable scene is where the Newtons take a vacation up in the mountains,with Beethoven in tow,of course. Missy belongs to a mean-spirited young woman named Regina(Debi Mazar) who is going through a divorce. After the divorce is final,Regina's now-ex-husband is granted sole custody of Missy. The ex-hubby and Missy visit the Newtons in the last scene. This film would one of Grodin's last...

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Bustin' Loose [HD]

I was in this movie
I hadn't thought about this movie for some time. I was in this movie. I was a King County deputy (outside Seattle) at the time working off duty for set security on this movie and was invited to be in it. I am one of the two cops (the one with all the hair) at the end of the movie confronting Richard Pryor. It was very interesting being involved in this movie. I got to meet Cycely and Richard Pryor and actually small talk for a bit with them between scenes. As far as the movie itself - I enjoyed it. It is funny and actually touching in parts. There were parts of this movie that were redone at a later date to "soften" it up some for the new improved Pryor (after his accident). The kids in this movie were great and some of them were actually disabled to some degree. Yes, I agree it would be interesting to see how some of the kids are doing now..24 yrs later. By the way, I don't have all the hair anymore. It is interesting to watch a movie filmed in your home area. Watch this movie...it...

Showstopping
This movie was funny, and made for everyone. I would be happy to
share it with my daughter. One of the few movies Richard stars in for a kid crowd. Ms.Tyson plays the mother role to perfection
with all the childrens roles shining. I think this movie was a
big hit for foster children.It showed the system in a funny way.
Again, it was so funny. I think every home should own this movie. Richard of old, with the funny for all time.

Good Richard Pryor Movie.
Richard Pryor does gives an heartwarming performance in a comedy, often realistic film about a man all is life, been living as a theft. One day, he cought him red handed stealing from a department store. They give him a parole, if he could drive all the way to the country with social worker(Played by Cicely Tyson) and a group of street kids. He accepts but given an very old school bus, has a lot of problems and kids are given him, a hard time to deal with. But he gets to know them with helping and talking there problems to them, even he talks about his own pass. Telling them about his hard times and difficult life, have been through in all these years in the streets.

The film does have some strong moments. Easy mix of slapstick humour and drama in surprisingly good way. Likable Characters of kids in the movie. The picture does often have street language but does have the heart of a family movie. I haven`t seen all the films of Richard Pryor but he gives a memorable role and probably...

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The Other Side Of The Mountain Part II [HD]

MY DAUGHTER'S FAVORITE
I bought this movie for my grown daughter. She was just like a kid when I gave it to her for her birthday. The Other Side of the Mountain movies, part one and two, have been her all-time favorite movies. The quality was great and it arrived shortly after being ordered. I am very satisfied with this product. Thank you.

How Do You Mend A Broken Heart?
This film takes up about ten or fifteen years after the original film. Jill Kinmont (Marilyn Hassett) has now become a role model for quadraplegics by becoming a successful school teacher in Los Angeles. There's an underlying sadness to her, though. She does not have a true love in her life. Qualify that by saying that she does not allow love to come into her life for fear of being hurt. Enter John Boothe(Timothy Bottoms) a kind-hearted truck driver. Despite Jill's protestations Boothe will not go quietly into the night. The central romance here is touching and believable not in a Hollywood cliched way. I viewed this film after seeing the original. I wondered if it could aesthetically stand alone without the original. The answer is a resounding yes because the sequel successfully references the first film through flashbacks that fill in the blanks. Would I give the film five stars if I hadn't seen the first? That's something I'll never know. I asked my wife which film she...

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN PART 11
IT IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE AND CAN'T WAIT TO RECIEVE IT IN THE MAIL... I hope that is what I was looking for.

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Mallrats [HD]

"That Kid Is Back On The Escalator!"
Well, folks, it's been ten years since the would-be cult classic "Mallrats" bombed both critically and at the box office. To celebrate such failure, director Kevin Smith and company have erected a brand new double-dip...errr...I mean special edition DVD. Aside from the usual distractions (i.e. featurettes, commentary), the main attraction is an all new extended-cut of the flick, done by Kevin Smith himself. This new cut (don't fret, the original remains intact on the opposite side of the disc) integrates deleted footage and alternate takes into what ends up being a sprawling two hour and three minute epic. Think James Cameron re-editing "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Ok, maybe not that big of a deal, but it's still cool, nevertheless. The "Extended Version" is (as Smith describes it in his introduction) basically the script put to screen. The "new" film is just as funny, and actually, better. I never had a problem with the original "Mallrats," but for some reason, this version feels...

"Okay Lunchbox, let's try this again"
Mallrats, to me, has always been an excellent and hilarious movie bordering on "comedy classic status". Not until watching the bonus material included on this Anniversary Edition DVD did I learn that it was basically a critical failure.

The quotable lines are countless. The talent found in casting is absolutely outstanding. The dialogue is quirky, thoughtful and biting, etc., etc... It's difficult to attribute the movie's failure to anything other than poor marketing and it not being properly prioritized by Rogue Pictures. But, whatever the cause, Mallrats has found it's cult following in the years following its release. It's too good a movie to have remained unnoticed and unappreciated for too long.

The 10th Anniversary DVD includes an extended version of the movie, as edited by Kevin Smith himself, while pleasuring himself so that he could truly "enjoy" his work (as revealed in the bonus interview). This version is hilarious and it gives you a slightly...

Ahead of its time
I think it's safe to say this movie is a cult classic; my friends and I have seen it countless times.

Kevin Smith's follow-up to 1994's "Clerks" was not-so-well-recieved by the critics.

The box-office numbers didn't treat the flick too kindly, either.

See? The stuff cult classics are made of.

The critics were wrong and the movie goers must have been napping in late 1995, because this film is hysterical from start to finish.

Buy this one, folks. You can't go wrong with a Kevin Smith movie. Buy it for the commentary, buy it for the deleted scenes (over one hour's worth), buy it for the witty dialog of Jason Lee, buy it to laugh at Jeremy London's acting skills; but most of all, buy it for the movie itself.

While you're at it, buy "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy," too. And get a copy of "Dogma" (the best of the four) when it's released on DVD on May 2.

Remember: Kevin Smith is the best screenwriter out there, so buy it. You...

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Sixteen Candles [HD]

I wish they'd left the soundtrack alone...
I have to agree with the reviewer who complained about the "butchered" soundtrack. I grew up with "Sixteen Candles" -- I've seen it so many times I practically know it by heart -- and the songs are as much a part of the movie as the dialogue. I wonder if someone forgot to get permission to use some of the songs when the original movie was released -- but that wouldn't explain the cheezed-up "muzak" version of the opening credit music. And why substitute "Strangers in the Night" for "New York, New York" as background music for the post-party conversation between Jake and The Geek? The replacement music, as a whole, seems thrown together -- the songs are obviously meant to sound "almost like" the originals but for anyone who really knows the movie "almost like" just doesn't cut it. The most awkward moment is when the family is leaving the house the morning of Ginny's wedding. In the original version of...

Clarification on soundtrack and PG rating controversies.
Soundtrack Issues
In the first DVD release of Sixteen Candles, several of the songs from the original soundtrack were missing due to licensing rights. For anyone looking for a version of the movie with the original soundtrack, get the "High School Reunion Collection" (released in 2003). This is the version I own and it has all of the original songs in it. I believe the "Flashback Edition" (released in 2008) also has the original songs, but I cannot verify that. The original release (released in 1998) has no special heading/title and is the version with several missing songs.

MPAA Rating Controversy
As far as the "PG" rating, do not buy this movie thinking you are going to enjoy introducing your young kids to a great 80's throwback. Prior to buying this movie, I had only seen it on TV. I assumed that the edited TV version was similar to the unedited movie because of the "PG" rating. As it turns out, Sixteen Candles came out in May, 1984, 2 months before the...

Great 80's Teen Flick
Sixteen Candles takes place basically over the course of one day when a family forgets the sweet sixteenth birthday of a girl amid the preparations for the oldest daughter's wedding. The sixteen year old is played by the 80's teen queen Molly Ringwald. It was the movie that helped her gain that title and is the best of her career. She plays the role of Samantha Baker with ease and charm. We feel all her range of emotions from the hurt of being forgotten to the longing she feels for a boy, Jake Ryan, who she has a major crush on but doesn't think he knows that she's alive. Little does Samantha know that Jake wants to meet her and the movie goes through a series of near misses between the two. Anthony Michael Hall plays "The Geek" who is constantly hitting on Samantha. He acts like he is a man of the world, but really is full of hot air. Mr. Hall is extremely funny and the scene where he gives Jake advice on women and eventually drives the prom queen home in Jake's...

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