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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Beethoven's 3rd [HD]

"Full House" with a bigger dog
There is only so much you can do with fifteen minutes of dog footage, and a two hour feature film is not a viable option. Granted it is difficult to make a movie for children when your main premise has been done before - and better - but the direction of this film was disastrous, apparently relying solely on a few moments of animal appeal as salvation. Still, indications are that young children do enjoy the film; young girls will identify with the daughter's plight to be heard, young boys will get a laugh out of the recurring poop and fart jokes, and some of both will cheer Beethoven when he gets to make his brief appearances. Adults, however, will only derive pleasure from the children in the audience.

Beethoven tragedy
I have always loved the other beethoven movies but this is WORST! The 4th one was great, but ugh! this one is [bad]! the director put NOT ONE BIT of taste or brains into this one, he/she just wanted to make "another beethoven movie to get it over with". Don't buy this. save your money.

This 3rd sequal is not worth it!
I watched this third sequal right after seeing the two original movies and it was not what I expected. I love Beethoven 1 & 2 but this sequal was boring and ridiculous. The original cast are gone and the new characters are just boring. The villians in this movie are really stupid. The only interesting thing about this movie was looking at Beethoven. This movie really wasted my time and I suggest saving your time and money. Not funny or interesting at all!!! Anyway I can't wait to see the fourth one though!!!

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King Kong [HD]

Review for 3 Disc Extended Edition
The biggest problem most people had with King Kong was its length, so there's no surprise that reaction by the general public to the release of an extended edition of another 3 hour-plus Peter Jackson film was almost the equivalent of a collective groan.

The surprise is that everything added to the Extended Edition of King Kong should have never been cut. More dinosaurs and more creatures and more action on Skull Island only improves the film, and one wonders if these scenes were cut mostly for time and pacing, why wasn't a little bit of the 51 minutes of pre-Skull Island snipped or perhaps a few overly drawn scenes of Kong and Anna gazing into each other's eyes?

The more noticable scenes are that of a rampaging Ceratops and a fun scene of an underwater monster attacking Adrien Brody and Co. while they are rafting down a river. A bit more character development with some seedy behavior by Carl Denham (Jack Black) and heroic deeds by Jack Driscoll and the shipmates...

tHE eXtra that make the difference....
Hello People,

well Peter Jackson's Opus, King Kong now comes in it's extended version only on DVD... This review basically gives you a guide as to what you might expect from the DVD release.. I have no breakdown of what scenes are make up the extra minutes, but from Perter Jackson's comments and Comic Con presentation, there have been indications of what might be make up the running time...

The dVd details -

Firstly this dvd presentation is brought to you in 3 discs. An additon of thirteen(13) minutes of footage has been added to the extended version of the film.

Extra scenes include :

* King Kong's capture at Skull Island and journey to New York.

* A river scene; where our heros are stuck on a log/raft, and

them being attacked by a large aligator. (Comic Con info)

More to be added soon...

King Kong Extended Edition: Disc 1

2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation...

A movie that beats on it's chest and roars!
I was one of those people who thought King Kong was a mistake for director Peter Jackson. Fresh from his monumental success and Academy Awards with his work on The Lord of the Rings, I wasn't confident that he would make an equally, much less surpassively, good film. I was proven wrong.

Running at a horrendously intimidating 187 minutes, I had my fears that there would be parts where cinematographic drags would consume my interest in the film, especially since there were several such moments in Fellowship of the Ring which Jackson also directed. However, I was pleased to find that dragging moments were limited and the whopping runtime was put to good use... so take care of your bladders prior to watching.

I have heard many complaints regarding the first third of the film which takes place in depression-era New York city. It is in this third where the titular beast is nowhere to be seen, but we are introduced to all the other main characters. I have argued...

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8 Mile [HD]

WOW!
This is the first time I've ever seen a movie on opening night, and it was well worth the wait and trouble. I'm extrememly lucky to get tickets, practically all the theaters in the entire area have been sold out!

Jimmy Smith, Jr., a.k.a. Bunny Rabbit (Eminem) lives in inner city Detroit, with his alcoholic, yet highly interesting mother, played by Kim Basinger; and his younger sister, Lily, who is absolutely adorable, and Rabbit's only obvious weakness. He dreams of making it big, along with his group, 313, including Future (Mekhi Pfipher) and his buddies, including the hilarious, [silly] Cheddar Bob, and the politically active Iz.

Jimmy works in a stamping factory, where he meets Alex (Brittany Murphy), an ambitious woman with dreams of modeling, whose only real wish is simply to leave Detroit and escape to New York City. "All I need is a plane ticket."

Future resides over rap battles at the shelter, and, having faith in Rabbit's skills, invites him to rap. After we open...

Eminem impresses even a non-fan
After believing that Eminem's 15 minutes were up about two years ago, I was incredibly impressed to see just how good his performance was in 8 MILE. Being the only person on the planet that doesn't like his music, I thought that the only place that 8 MILE was headed was a Dead End. I stand corrected. Not only was the film extremely well acted, but it is very entertaining, as well. It takes a bit to get used to the street lingo, but I think fans will have a field day with it, nonetheless. As for whether or not you should bring the kids, DON'T! Three sex scenes, a few fist fights, one shooting, and all the foul language that you have come to expect from Eminem. The only nudity, however, is Eminem's rear. (That should sell a couple tickets, as is!) Although definitely not a film for everyone, the film showcases a new talent for Eminem that many will enjoy. The film is clever and fun. I will certainly be looking forward to his next project, and prefer it be a movie as opposed...

Eminem Displays Talent in New Film
Eminem, probably the most controversial rapper today, who is best known for his highly disturbing lyrics, stars in the first motion picture of his career, 8-mile. Eminem plays Jimmy Smith Jr., a young white rapper trying to make it big in a black dominated area in Detroit near 8-mile road, the barrier that seems to keep him from accomplishing his goals. He struggles trying to deal with home life in a trailer park with a near psychotic mother, as well as earning respect as a white rapper. He attempts to gain recognition for his talent by competing in battles between rappers of the street, he being the only one who's white. The movie seems all too familiar, being somewhat based on Eminem's real life. Kim Basinger plays his mother, Brittany Murphy his "sort of" girlfriend, and Mekkhi Phiffer stars as Future, the DJ of the battles.

As all movies do, this one too has its high and low points, but overall 8-mile is a fairly good film, taking critics and moviegoers all over the country by...

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Illegal Tender [HD]

Puerto Rico Represents
I have to give John Singleton major respect for giving Puerto Rican actors their time to shine. I was going to see this movie regardless because I think Rick Gonzalez is gorgeous. (It's a weakness, but if an attractive man plays a lead role, chances are it's going to catch my eye.) However, I read in JET magazine that the cast was many shades of Puerto Rican people, and I really respected that. African American actors get shunned plenty of times for trying to go against stereotypical roles, and Latino actors absolutely get treated the same if not worse, so for Singleton to put out a movie with a dominant PR cast was something I really respected.

Now on to the movie. Not only did I respect the cast variation, but I also liked how Singleton took this movie against the grain. Instead of having Latinos in a poverty-stricken neighborhood looking mean as hell, he went against the stereotype and made the main characters upper class in an extremely nice neighborhood. Whatever...

AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL!!!!!!
This movie is amazing! I couldnt stop watching it...I watched it like 3 times in a row. It's raw, real and touching all at the same time. I like it because it's not brutal and hardcore to the point where you're disgusted. I absolutely loved it!

Hot Movie
Illegal tender should have been released on the big screen. If you like it you should also view "Slow Burn". Illegal Tender is a blend on "Miami Vice" and "Heat". I watched it on OnDemand from home and was looking for the sound track when I wrote this review of the movie. Get this movie and "Slow Burn"

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Slap Shot [HD]

Fantastic, Funny, a CLASSIC for ANY Hockey Fan
Slap Shot is a great hockey comedy. It's a hilarious, vulgar, completely wild joyride through the trials of a failing 70's steelmill-town based, utterly amateur hockey team. Failing, that is, until their players resort to pure violence in an attempt to keep their franchise alive.

Paul Newman plays the womanizing player/coach who, after a series of embarassing losses (including one to a visitng team's center who's flat drunk) needs to work with a 3 brother gang of misfits, who all look alike and have an incredibly aggressive style of playing.

Chaos insues when Newman's character decides to finally play these "goons" with his other teammates, and he watches as the fan base increases when they proceed to physically demolish - without any love for the game - the opposing teammates in an series of hysterical scenes that combine the best in hockey photography with hilariously explicit dialouge and violence. The shot of the goon's nonchalanty skating past the...

Maybe the greatest sports movie ever
Ask hardcore hockey fans (the kind that are familiar with the Montreal Maroons or that understand that present-day hockey is virtually figure-skating compared to the seventies) what their favorite sports movie is, or ask hockey pros what their favorite sports movie is; probably more than half the time, you'll hear "Slap Shot". Some "serious" sports films suffer from self-importance or a lack of realism; try watching a good war documentary for actual life-and-death situations. Thankfully, "Slap Shot" doesn't take itself terribly seriously yet still manages to paint an accurate, believable picture.

Sure, the humor is rude and crude, but necessary to paint a somewhat accurate picture of `70's minor league hockey (surely these guys weren't discussing Plato or speaking in blue-blood accents). It may be offensive to uninitiated people (e.g. people who don't watch hockey or team sports in general), but the humor is oft-hilarious for hockey fans.

Paul Newman plays...

At last, the original version is saved
I have just received (and watched) the DVD version of "Slap Shot", and I thank the powers that be for restoring the original sound track to the movie. The generic music that was released on VHS took the heart out of the movie. With the restoration, and the excellent digital quality of the movie, my favorite film is complete. Now, a full 5 stars only because I can't give it 10.

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Werewolf Of London [HD]

Werewolf Of London --Good Universal Horror
Warner Oland is simply wonderful as the mysterious Dr. Yogamiand Henry Hull plays the other unfortunate victim of lycanthropy withperfection.This was Universal's first attempt at the werewolf story, and it is too bad that this film is attacked by many critics.The old London, foggy atmosphere is erie setting,music(which was used in other Universal films of the period) is good, set pieces are beautiful, plot is interesting(remember"2 buds from the marafasia lupina will save 2 souls tonight......").Early transformation scene is interesting as Hull becomes harrier as he walks by each wall.Beautiful Valerie Hobson is a good Universal Scream Queen.There is even a scene involving 2 gin-swilling old ladies that is reminiscent of the Bride of Frankenstein(I swear I thought one of those old ladies was Una O'Connor!).One complaint I have is what was that weird final shot of that old bi-plane flying with the triumphant music blaring in the background? Highly recommend this film!

The Wolf Man Prequel that launced the Werewolf films
The film Werewolf of London, produced in 1936, was Universal Studio's first werewolf feature. The studio had released many horror films, and it's horror department was making money. Henry Hull, starring as the Werewolf, is a wonderful actor, but would not agree to the make-up that Jack Peirce had invisoned. Emotion is noticable only because Hull had no latex appliances.
Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull), a noteable botanist who enjoys solitude, searches for the rare Marifasia flower in Tibet. After finding the blossom, he is attacked by a wolf-like beast. Back in London, Doctor Yogami (Warner Onald) warns Glendon that his "moon flower) is the only known antidote for Lycanthrophobia, or werewolfry. He also claims that two werewolves are in London. Glendon scoffs at such claims-until that night of the full moon, where he transformes into a sinister, super-intelligent werewolf. Attempting to protect his wife Lisa (Valerie Hobson), Glendon hides in an old, abandoned peice of property...

Universal's first werewolf film is too often overlooked
Mention a werewolf, and you immediately think of the afflicted Larry Talbot played by Lon Chaney, Jr., in the classic monster films of the 1940s. Not only was Chaney not the first Wolf Man, he was not even Universal's first Wolf Man - that distinction goes to Henry Hull, who played a werewolf in Universal's 1935 classic Werewolf of London. This film, residing as it does in the shadows of Chaney's memorable werewolf films, is often overlooked; it is also unduly dismissed by some reviewers and horror fans. This is a much different type of movie than 1941's The Wolf Man, but it is really quite an enjoyable viewing experience.

Forget gypsies, wolf bane, pentagrams on the hands of victims, and the other werewolf staples Curt Siodmak put into his script of The Wolf Man. In Werewolf of London, botanist Wilfred Glendon (Hull) sees his troubles begin in - of all places - Tibet, where he traveled in search of a very special flower, the "Marifasa Lupina." This particular flower...

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Beautiful Creatures [HD]

An unpredictable dark comedy Pulp Fiction fans will love!
I saw this movie with a little hesitation. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I had read sounded all too interesting. And from the beginning, I was completely enjoying it.

The dark comedy stars Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Chain Reaction) and Susan Lynch (Waking Ned Devine) as two women trapped in bad relationships. The two meet by accident, when Dorothy (Lynch) stumbles across Petula (Weisz) being beaten by her boyfriend. As the boyfriend begins choking Petula, Dorothy realizes she must help her. Acting on instinct, Dorothy grabs a large pipe and whacks the man in the head. The two take the unconscious man back to Dorothy's apartment. There, the two introduce themselves. When the boyfriend wakes up, he falls from the bathtub (where Petula and Dorothy had placed him for the time being) he bangs his head. Now Petula and Dorothy have a dead body to deal with. Not just some man either. Petula's boyfriend is the younger brother of a very wealthy and very powerful...

Dorothy & Petula Have A Body To Die For
While this movie had a promising start, it sort of crumbled like a cookie by the middle. Billed as a black comedy/suspense thriller, Beautiful Creatures stars Rachel Weisz and Susan Lynch and Petula and Dorothy, respectively. At the outset we find both women are involved in abusive relationships with very despicable men. Through a chance meeting, Dorothy intervenes, with an usual choice of a weapon, while Petula's boyfriend, Brian, is throttling her, and he is knocked unconscious. Fearful of legal entanglements and repercussions, they drag him back to Dorothy's apartment and try to decide how to best proceed. Brian regains consciousness, and while still suffering from too much drink, he falls and hits his head, ending his own life. This sets up the rest of the movie, as the women have to now deal with a dead body.

Now Brian, who is well off, works for his brother Ronnie, who is even more well off, so the women concoct a scheme to make it appear as if Brian has been kidnapped,...

Don't underestimate these women!
There is a myth in Hollywood that strong women characters have to be strong women (i.e. Erin Brockovich). What I liked about the film "Beautiful Creatures" is that the lead female characters, Petula and Dorothy, are not strong women initially. They have allowed themselves to be dominated by physically, mentally and sexually abusive men. Neither seem to be capable of helping themselves out of these relationships. But, ironically, they each have the ability to help the other. And in helping eachother, they find the strength that had been beaten out of them. Even though the film addresses a serious subject, I found it to be very funny without making light of the domestic abuse issue. Susan Lynch is terrific as Dorothy, the fed-up heroine who comes to the aid of a stranger and finds herself facing murder charges. And "Mummy" fans will hardly recognize Rachel Weisz from her most familiar role as "Evie." Weisz is proving herself to be one of the most versatile...

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Isn't She Great [HD]

Nope, she's Divine!
The hilarious Miss M does it again! Her timing is fab and she nails the delivery. Nobody can tell off God quite like Bette as trash novelist, Jackie Susann. While the movie was not a knock-your-socks-off hit, the critics are wrong. With perfectly cast supporting players, a super-ditzy 70s-style score by none other than Burt Bacharach, and wonderful costuming and sets, the film was very enjoyable and I recommend it to those who actually have a sense of humor.

Stockard Channing (who really shines in over-the-top roles) is incomparable and a perfect match to Bette. Her best lines are second only to Bette's conversations with God and her editor. Master of the stage, Nathan Lane, delivers his usual outstanding performance as the endearing, funny, supportive husband and handler of Bette's wacky, exceedingly self-centered Susann. Bette and Nathan are like cream and sugar. David Hyde Pierce brings Niles' charm and wonderful sensitivity to his character as Bette's editor. John Cleese,...

A PARTY, WITH LOTS OF HEART
This movie was so good,funny, and affecting that I ended up seeing it twice in the cinema. Now, I'm a BIG Bette Midler fan. I mean BIG.But I can't really say that I am biased, because ANY film with her radiates such warmth, and energy, and this one is no different. This movie isn't very thought-provoking, but it is sincere,hilarious, but at the same time very, very fragile.All the costars did a solid job, but this is Bette's party, this is her movie. I won't give away the plot, but it's about a writer, Jackie Susan (she wrote 'Valley of the Dolls"), in the 60's, and she is in every sense of the word a rockstar.Over the top,dramatic, in your face, flashy, but with lots of heart and soul.She keeps getting rejected, 'till she finally gets her chance at becoming what she aspires to be- a writer. Then Jackie gets a punch, she's diagnosed with cancer. But she gets ten more years, and on those ten years, she takes you on ana entertaining and delightful ride, without ever once losing...

I Think,I Read About The Wrong Jackie
Jacquelyn Susann was a well known author of best selling books. Until she came on the scene, her kind of book, down low and dirty,were not to be found. She changed the culture, and she helped to change the way books were marketed.

Jackie met Irving Mansfield in a coffee shop, she was looking for a job and her husband, Irving Mansfield, was looking for someone to represent. After a not so secure life as a TV ad actress, her husband convinced her to write a book. That book, 'The Valley of ThenDolls' became the best selling book of the year. Hernlifebhas been immortalized in this film, it is OK, but does not represent the vibrant woman we came to know. Bette Midler does a passable job of playing Jacquelyn. Nathan Lane plays her husband, not with a subtle touch, I might add. The film did not hold my interest, and I found myself fast forwarding. The scenes of New York were fascinating, the film colorful.

Recommended. prisrob 03-22-13

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Smokey and the Bandit II [HD]

I LOVE THIS MOVIE! Daddy, look at that big ugly alligator...
"Daddy, look at that big ugly alligator.", "That reminds me, I gotta call your moma tonight." THIS MOVIE IS FUNNY!!!
The first thing I noticed about SMOKEY and the BANDIT 2 was the quality of the digital transfer to DVD. It is done so well, I felt like I was watching a movie made a year ago(aside the old cars and clothes).
I'm 36 and this movie brought back tons of memories. "Son, why isn't your gun loaded?", "It's too heavy when I put bullets in it, Daddy." This movie is full of hilarious one liners. I found myself to be in a great mood after watching this movie. There's a semi-sentimental tone that is, at times alittle cheesy but still, touching and not too overboard.
Everyone is fantastic in this movie. Even the gas station attendant is brilliantly funny. I really can't think of one negative thing to say about SB2.
It's as good, if not better than, the first BANDIT. I give it 2 thumbs up and a MUST SEE for anyone who...

Why would anyone not like this movie if they liked the first
So this movie was different than the first Smokey and The Bandit. Was it really? If it's fast cars wanted, this has just the same as the first. If it's chase scene spectacular, this is just as much. If it's "bubble gum machines" getting wasted in a pile of heep by semis, this movie has just as much if not more so than the first as well. The same Burt Reynolds style, the same Jackie Gleason style, pretty much the same movie with a twist. Instead of hauling bootlegged beer, it's a pregnant elephant headed toward the Republican convention in Texas. Dom Deluise is hilarious in this second installment, making an added character for additional humor. Jerry Reed continues being the sensible one of the cast, always being the mediater in solving a problem as usual. If a person truly liked and is a real fan of Smokey and The Bandit original film, they would like this just the same. True, not the same as the first but equally as good even with the slight differences.

Bring it out on DVD!
I keep wanting to see this movie on DVD. To be honest I think this one is the funniest of the three, maybe not the best overall but the funniest. The banter between the Sheriff and his son take this movie over the top. Now if this movie and Used Cars could just be put on DVD...

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Road to Utopia [HD]

A Great Set
If you don't like classic comedy, you're not going to like this either. But for me, this is my first stop when I need to take a break from the Marx Brothers (who I watch way too much). These films are exhibit A for Bob Hope's comedic talents, and Bing's cooler than you or I will ever be. Plus with Bing around, I'm actually happy to listen when the songs come, which is not the case for most 30's and 40's Hollywood films. Morocco is my favorite, but any of these four films can brighten a dark day. There are a few decent extras on this set, and for $20 it's a steal. If you're willing to watch a comedy made before "Animal House," you should go ahead and take the plunge into Hope and Crosby's world.

Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake, Baker's Man...
Wow! The first four Hope and Crosby road pics on one DVD! What can you say? The first two, ROAD TO SINGAPORE and ROAD TO ZANZIBAR (though still funny) are still trying to flesh out the chemistry of the duo and the two actors adhere to the scripts. Then, they hit their stride of hilarity and break out in ROAD TO MORROCCO and continues in ROAD TO UTOPIA. However, in ROAD TO ZANZIBAR evidence of what is to come in Hope and Crosby's future pairings comes near the end of the film. The two are captured by cannibals in Africa and are tested to see if they are gods (sort of a variation of THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING). Hope's character is forced to wrestle a gorilla in a caged match. This is very funny as Hope shows his ability for physical comedy. Then, the climax is when they are about to be literally cooked for dinner. They use their patented "patty-cake" routine to escape from the cannibals. This is even more hilarious than the gorilla scene. Then, in ROAD TO MOROCCO, the...

Great Collection, But Where Are the Other Three?
This collection of the first four Road pictures is well worth having. The picture quality is excellent and all four films are loaded on one double-sided disc. But where are the remaining three Road pictures? This would have made the ultimate Road collection. Disappointing.

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George A. Romero's Land of the Dead [HD]

Extension of Romero's original "Dead" trilogy fun and inventive
The dead are mad as heck and aren't going to take it anymore! When we last caught up with George Romero's "Dead" films, "Day of the Dead" focused on the military trying to train the zombies for combat and experimenting on them. Romero takes the next step introduced into a world divided by the dead and the living each sharing space reluctantly with the other. That is until a gas station attendant zombie shows an inkling of intelligence and decides to go after the living in a sealed off skyscaper while those less fortunate live on the streets of the sealed off metropolis. Run by Kaufman (Dennis Hopper in perfect looney mode), the city is supplied by "employees" who can't live in the beautiful people's skyscraper. These scavengers led by Riley (Simon Baker) and Cholo (John Leguizamo) pillage the landscape around them for essential items for the wealthy. Riley has a conscience decides he will no longer lead the crew of his "tank" Dead Reconkening and work for "the man" anymore. Cholo, on...

George A. Romero proves that zombies still creep us out
We should have known that if George A. Romero was going to go back to the well of the living dead another time he was going to come up with something different. What "George A. Romero's Land of the Dead" (the director's name goes up top so you know this is not merely another remake of one of his zombie films, like last year's "Dawn of the Dead") offers is two variations on the familiar theme. The first is in this brave new world humanity has found a way of perpetuating the old divide between the "haves" and "haves not," even when there are all those zombies out there suggest it should now be "us" versus "them." Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) has set up Fiddler's Green, a luxury high rise on an island between a couple of rivers (think the location of Three River Stadium in Romero's old stomping ground of Pittsburgh even though the movie is shot in Toronto). There the "haves" live while the rest of the island has the "have nots," some of whom are hired as mercenaries to go out into the world...

Romero's Still Got It
I've read several reviews for Land of the Dead in the past week. Some praised it, while some dismissed it as a "rehash" or "uninspired" film, saying it does nothing to further the Romero legacy. I've heard it's not funny. I've heard it's character's sucked. I've heard lots. I'm here to let you know that Romero's new addition not only fits like a glove to the original three - it's hillarious, well acted, well concieved, and looks beautifully-dirty at that!

When I hear people say LAND is "unoriginal", it makes me chuckle. No other horror filmmaker can mix social commentary, humor, and gore like Romero, and if there is one out there, he'she probablly got the idea from Romero anyway!

I saw LAND last night, at a midnight show here in Chicago. From the opening old-school UNIVERSAL logo, to watching KAUFMAN say things like "We don't negoitate with terrorists," to watching a population of zombies appear from under the water in what, to me, is one of the creepiest moments...

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Juguetes

Juguetes es un cortometraje increible ...
El cortometraje Juguetes es una producción hecha 100% en Caicedonia Valle, Colombia. Felicito a Hector, Yovanny y todos los demas participantes de este maravilloso proyecto, que marco el inicio de un vertiginoso avance hacia el convertir a Caicedonia en pionera en cuanto a producción de cine y efectos especiales se refiere.

Me agrada de sobremanera saber que este tipo de proyectos esta manteniendo una continuidad en la producción de Polaco Studios y esperamos con ansias su próxima obra "Sarah".

Este tipo de proyectos mantiene los jóvenes Caicedonitas ocupados, invirtiendo su tiempo y energía en asuntos productivos, hacia un futuro mas promisorio.

Caicedonitas, apoyemos a Caicedonia.





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Anderson Silva Like Water [HD]

Anderson Silva is the best in the world.
An inside look at the story behind the fighter, the man behind the belt. Anderson Silva is the greatest mixed martial artist in the world. Overall a great documentary leading up to the fight that had Silva fans on the edge of their seats. I watched this fight live, and truly thought Silva was about to lose the belt, then the triangle, and tapout from chael. Overcoming adversity is what TRULY makes a champion, and if you have seen the Silva vs Sonnen fight, you know, like it or not, Anderson Silva is a true champion. This documentary shows the story behind THAT story in a gripping and honest way. For Anderson Silva fans, M.M.A fans, fight fans of all types, LIKE WATER will NOT disappoint!

Not revealing
I was expecting an in depth look at Silva. You get to see some of his values and his family, but not much by way of words from him, most importantly you hear nothing of his martial arts philosophy, only some excerpts of him training. I was dissapointed because I expected to see more philosophy, not just training footage. I really learned nothing new about silva except that he seems to be kind of a jokester with his friends, that's about it.

This Could Have Been So Much More
Anderson Silva is MMA's greatest champion. His fighting ability in a variety of disciplines is astounding, which accounts for his long reign as middleweight champion. This video purports to give us the inside information on this great champion, but sadly, very little is revealed about him. We know from the video that he has a wife and two children; he appears to be a loving father and husband, but we do not get any insights from his wife or children, nor do we get any insights from people from his hometown. We actually learn very little about Anderson Silva. He speaks Portuguese, and is a man of few words. He speaks nothing of himself in this video. We see him training for his big fight against Chael Sonnen in August, 2010, but we are not told that Silva had a cracked rib when he went into that fight. The video implies an injury, but it is not stated as such. We perhaps learn more about Silva from his opponent, Sonnen, who suggests that Silva is a "gang-banger", certainly not...

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Blue Like Jazz

A Cult Classic?
The main stream reviewers really didn't know what to make of this movie. Normal "Christian" movies are supposed to be right wing morality tales that tug at the heart strings and are family friendly. Edgy "Christian" movies are supposed to be filled with lots of sex, or violence, or profanity in order to prove that they are not normal "Christian" movies. This film is none of the above. While not skirting sex, violence, or profanity it doesn't use any of these as a tool to prove its street cred. Just like the book which serves as its source material it is somewhat whacky and off beat, filled with quite a few unforced laughs and real life as it follows the essentially true story of a Texas church boy with a messed up family (and maybe a messed up church) trying to fit in at an Oregon college that really puts the "liberal" into Liberal Arts.

This movie moves at a nice pace. It is well directed and edited with a solid cast. As for the "Christian" part, it may not please the...

The Gospel Reigns in "Blue Like Jazz"
I'm good at laying my cards on the table, so I will do so right now. I didn't like the book. I generally don't find Donald Miller's writing very compelling, save for Searching for God Knows What. That said, I loved Blue Like Jazz.

Beginning with a surreal (albeit) poorly paced opening of Donald Miller, played with reserve by Marshall Allman, Blue Like Jazz knows exactly where it needs to go. The film starts in Texas, at a fundamentalist church where Miller is content to simply exist without much rigorous thought. After a familial incident, Miller's perfect life is upended and he runs away into the godless Northwest United States to Reed College, where he experiences drinking, drugs, bi-curious girls and social justice. But, he cannot escape his background, or the Deity that seems to follow him.

Blue Like Jazz does not equate itself to being a Christian film. This does not suggest that Christians are not involved or that there is any lack of Christian themes in...

The Most Important Spiritual Film of Our Generation
It's been about seven years now since I first experienced Blue Like Jazz. I picked up the book one morning and read through it all in one day. Don Miller's honest and vulnerable story of a very personal journey of faith resonated with me. It was refreshing.

When I was in college, I wrote a very short concept for a Blue Like Jazz film one day during screenwriting class. Later that same year, I found out that Steve Taylor had beaten me to it.

So when Blue Like Jazz finally made it to the big screen, I wanted to be there for opening weekend. Even if that meant a long road trip from the hills of Arkansas to someplace with skyscrapers.

If you want to read film reviews, there is a diverse selection of them available on your local internets. I'm not a critic, and have neither the ability nor the desire to write a proper film review. I'll leave that to the professionals. What I can tell you is that Blue Like Jazz is probably the most meaningful and important...

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Inside Deep Throat (NC-17) [HD]

Back when screen porn was innocent fun
If you're old enough to have seen DEEP THROAT when it was first released in 1972, then the documentary INSIDE DEEP THROAT will perhaps be a rewarding trip down Nostalgia Lane (assuming your memory cells weren't fried by all the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll of the 60s).

DEEP THROAT was the first porn film exhibited in public theaters, and the first to be viewed openly by mixed couples, undoubtedly elbowing out the raincoat crowd. It was produced for $25,000; to date, it's grossed $600 million, and is the most profitable, independently produced film of all time. Oh, and it's centerpiece attraction was actress Linda Lovelace fellating a goofy doctor character, played by Harry Reems, who's diagnosed Linda's character as having her clitoris in her throat. Do you get the naughty picture?

This film is a montage of archival footage from the era liberally sprinkled with interviews with the principals - producer Gerard Damiano, Lovelace, and Reems - and many others,...

A plea for the end to censorship.
Culled from over 800 hours of interviews into a feature-length documentary and narrated by Dennis Hopper, this really is a magnificent look at the cultural impact of the most successful porno film in history. To date the film has grossed over $600 million and still counting. And let's not even discuss the revenue generated for video pirates!

The film contains on-screen interviews (new and archive) with a whole range of people such as John Waters, Harry Reems, Gerard Damiano, Norman Mailer, Larry Flynt, Warren Beatty, Georgina Spelvin, Jack Nicholson, Linda Lovelace, Hugh Hefner, Xaviera Hollander, Gore Vidal, Camille Paglia, Al Goldstein, etc. Even Wes Craven comes along and confesses that he directed hardcore porno films to break into legitimate Hollywood fare.

This is a brave and timely piece that explores the issues of censorship and the right of the artist to express their views. And to think that the decision banning the film in theatres still stands. It has...

An interesting documentary that places DEEP THROAT in historical context
Whether one likes or dislikes the legacy of DEEP THROAT, there is simply no question that it is a film that for good or ill had a significant impact on American culture. To this day it remains one of only two or three porn films that the vast majority of Americans can identify by name. This interesting documentary certainly does not attempt to make a case for DEEP THROAT as a work of art and does not try to argue that it is more than what it is: a smut film. The focus instead is more on the overall cultural impact of the film and the fate of the major participants in its making and distribution. It also attempts to use the film as a measure of where the United States was in the late sixties and where it is today. It is also, I should add, a quite funny film.

That DEEP THROAT spawned major changes in American life is beyond debate. The debate comes over whether that is a good or bad thing. What has always amazed me is the widespread popularity of porn movies in...

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Cheech and Chong's Next Movie [HD]

Has The Best Movie Scene Ever
It's a shame that a film like this will be mostly dismissed by a society that will see this as nothing more than a "stoner" film. While admittedly the humor often contains drug references, there are several scenes that I think anybody could enjoy and have a good laugh at.

While I agree with many reviewers here as to what are some of the funnier scenes, the two that really do it for me is the one in the Welfare Office. This is just physical comedy at its very best. While Chong waits for Cheech to "visit" with his lady friend, he is seated next to an old man, and a very odd character played by Michael Winslow (and it is very apparent what a brilliant comic he is, and it's too bad his talents went to waste in countless Police Academy sequels). I cannot even begin to describe this scene, but those who have seen the movie know what I am talking about. Those who haven't need to do themselves a favor and watch the movie, if only for this scene alone. Even the look on Chong's...

laughoutloud
Nostalgia for my childhood recently caused me to buy and watch the Cheech and Chong movies (with the exception of The Coriscan Brothers). Aside from realizing I shouldn't have been watching those movies in my pre-teen days, I realized how well done they are. Most amazing to me was that they held up one after the other, feeling not repetitive, though each of them is rather episodic. Most impressive was Chong's direction; he makes a number of interesting choices that elevate him beyond the status of writer/star who has enough power to direct; clearly, he took this role quite seriously. The movies, of course, are not serious. I rarely laugh out loud in movies these days, but I did at least a half dozen times in each of these. The characters are not only given funny situations in which to work and funny lines to deliver, but each of them is presented with a kind of earnestness that makes them likeable, and the films all he more watchable.

NOT JUST BEST C&C, BUT ONE OF THE BEST COMEDIES PERIOD.
If your like me, than you love adolesscant toilet humor. If you know Cheech and Chong, than you know to expect low brow pot humor. This movie is the best when it comes to dirty jokes and off-the-wall antics. Of all the Cheech and Chong movies, "Next Movie" is the best. Many will tell you "Up in Smoke" is the best, they are wrong. "Next Movie" is far better than its predecessor. The best aspect of this movie is definitely Cheeches Cousin Red, who is also played by Cheech Marin. So buy this movie, its probably cheap.

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The Frighteners [HD]

Wicked fun
Just before doing "Lord of the Rings," director Peter Jackson (who can be seen in a cameo as "Man with Piercings") made an off-kilter horror/comedy movie called "The Frighteners," the tale of the undead and the guy who makes a living off of them. Though "Frighteners" was barely in theaters at all, this cult flick is funny, creepy, well-acted and wonderfully directed.

Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) has seen spirits and apparitions ever since the car crash that killed his wife. Now he operates an amateur "ghostbusting" operation that is supposed to exorcise ghosts from people's houses -- the problem is that the ghosts who haunt those houses are in league with him (Chi McBride as the opinioated afro-ed Cyrus, Jim Fyfe as the nerdy Stuart, and most of John Astin as what is left of The Judge).

Frank's business certainly isn't hurt by the fact that for years after a serial killer's murderous spree, people have died mysteriously of heart attacks. Then Frank starts...

Underrated gem from Peter Jackson
Practically bashed by critics everywhere when released in 1996, the Frighteners can be appreciated today as an underrated gem. After crafting a landmark gorefest with Dead Alive and scoring a hit among critics with Heavenly Creatures, future Lord of the Rings trilogy director Peter Jackson directed this wildly inventive and surprisingly innovative film starring Michael J. Fox as a psychic investigator who, with the help of three ghost pals, runs a phony ghost busting business. Soon enough, people are getting picked off by Death himself, and it's up to Fox to find out what's really going on. So much is going on in the Frighteners that it's easy for the film to become incoherent, but it's exciting visuals and special effects, along with the performance of Fox and the energetic direction of Jackson, make this film a surprise gem that should be (and very well may be) a cult classic. The rest of the cast includes R. Lee Ermy, Jake Busey, and genre stalwart Jeffrey "Re-Animator" Combs.

Wicked fun!
Just before doing "Lord of the Rings," director Peter Jackson (who can be seen in a cameo as "Man with Piercings") made an off-kilter horror/comedy movie called "The Frighteners," the tale of the undead and the guy who makes a living off of them. Though "Frighteners" was barely in theaters at all, this cult flick is funny, creepy, well-acted and wonderfully directed.

Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) has seen spirits and apparitions ever since the car crash that killed his wife. Now he operates an amateur "ghostbusting" operation that is supposed to exorcise ghosts from people's houses -- the problem is that the ghosts who haunt those houses are in league with him (Chi McBride as the opinioated afro-ed Cyrus, Jim Fyfe as the nerdy Stuart, and most of John Astin as what is left of The Judge).

Frank's business certainly isn't hurt by the fact that for years after a serial killer's murderous spree, people have died mysteriously of heart attacks. Then Frank starts...

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Cape Fear (1962) [HD]

The Original......Classic Thrills and Chills
This review refers to the "Cape Fear"(1962) Widescreen DVD edition by Universal.....

"Cape Fear" from 1962 is a terrific example of great film noir. Filmed in black and white, director J.Lee Thompson uses shadows and light, and the art of suggestion(the censors were pretty tough back in the 60's), to bring us this bone-chilling and suspenseful classic that over fourty years later, still, has not lost it's draw. Not unlike many of Hitchcock's films, Thompson has the audience on the edge of their seats,our hearts in our throats, and in fear for the hero.

It's good vs. evil, as Greogory Peck and Robert Mitchum, put their immense talents together for this spine tingler. Max Cady(Mitchum) has just been released from 8 long years in prison. From the moment we meet him, we KNOW this is one bad hombre. He is bent on revenge, and Sam Bowden(Peck) is the man who must pay. Sam's young daughter and beautiful wife are the targets of Max's obssession. He is slick and...

"Max Cady isn't a man who makes idle threats!"
Prior to his Oscar-winning role as lawyer Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird", Gregory Peck portrayed another attorney in 1962's "Cape Fear", a psychological thriller also starring Robert Mitchum in one of his most despicable roles.

No two actors were better suited than these two. Their characters are a definite study in contrast. Peck's Sam Bowden is a civilized intellectual forced to resort to some underhanded means to protect his family and himself from the treacherous taunts of Mitchum's crude, rude antagonist. Tension builds as the two men make a final confrontation at the location of the film's title.

Polly Bergen and Lorie Martin as Peck's respective wife and daughter are quite good a show a strength of character rare for women in the early 60's. They are not just "screaming Mimi's".

Martin Balsam, Jack Krushen and a pre-Kojak Telly Savalas round out a superlative cast; Barrie Chase is also quite memorable as a woman that runs afoul...

Have No Fear? Get Some NOW!
The late great classic acting talents of Robert Mitchum are showcased in this 1962 classic, reproving his ability to play the villain with unsurpassed expertise, as in the former 1955 classic "Night of The Hunter".

Here, Mitchum plays Max Cady, a menacing figure with a perpetual lit cigar and Panama Hat. He has come to town after being released from jail to visit and wreak revenge on the man who put him there, enter Sam, played by Gregory Peck. From their initial reunion in the town parking lot, Cady lets Peck have a peek at what's on his mind. From that moment on, there are grippingly suspenseful encounters between the two men and even worse, threats to his wife played by Polly Bergen, and his daughter, in a rather ineffectual role considering what she goes through when encountering Cady. Particularly amusing is a scene in the beginning of the film. Cady casually watches the family bowl, while harrassing a waitress and having a beer. The expression on Pecks face as...

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The 40-Year-Old Virgin [HD]

2nding the notion that the unrated version pales in comparison to the original
This is one of the funniest movies I've had the pleasure of catching at a movie theater in a long time. I thought I was purchasing more laughs for my buck buying the UNRATED version, but much to my disappointment this is definitely a case of MORE is LESS. The added scenes do nothing to enhance the original; in fact, I'd say 90% of these added scenes should have been left as "deleted scenes." They hurt the comedic pacing of the original. If you thoroughly enjoyed the original at the theaters, stay away from this unrated version. In fact, I'm so disappointed in this unrated version, I'm tempted to buy the r-rated "original" version even though it only comes in full screen (why the original is unavailable in the widescreen format is also cause for this fan to roll his eyes in disbelief).

A 40-Year-Old Virgin's review...
My first viewing of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" was late in its theatrical run. By then it had been banished to the smallest theater in the multiplex, so me and (I assume) the only other middle-aged virgin in town were its sole audience. I wish I'd seen it sooner, because it's now one of my all-time favorite comedies.

Forty-year-old Andy Stitzer lives a comfortably regimented singleton life - similar to the main character from "About a Boy," except chaste, uncool, and with no internal monologue. He works in the service department of Smart Tech, a Circuit City-like electronics store. One day, a couple of coworkers ask him to be the fifth man at a poker party. He accepts, but during the game is outed as a virgin. The rest of the movie revolves around his friends' outrageous attempts to get him hooked up, along with Andy's determined efforts to overcome his fear of women and woo Trish, an attractive customer who owns an online auction store across the street...

One Very Smart, Dumb Movie
Surprise, it's a morality tale disguised as a sex comedy.

Imagine you combined a few of the best parts of Something about Mary, 40 days and 40 nights, Sideways and ( as strange as it might sound) an after school special. Now, throw in more profanity than really necessary and imagine that the combination worked.

Plus, unlike the Josh Hartnett film, 40 days and 40 nights, there is some actual thought given to the kind of person who is shown.

It's not Shakespeare. It's not Once Upon a Time In Mexico. And it's not the Usual Suspects, but for what it is it works.

And what it is, is the smartest dumb movie I've seen in a very long time.

Among its many surprises, is you have a peer group of men who actually look out for each other.

You also have an attractive grandmother who is not the standard cookie-cutter grandmother.

These are just two of the many departures from the expected that make this anything but the...

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Uncle Buck [HD]

Typical John Hughes
Director/writer John Hughes is one of those Hollywood success stories who has left in his wake a heap of popular and often entertaining films, leaving an indelible stamp on motion picture history. He may not have won a ton of awards, but the regular folks (as opposed to film snobs) love his work and have made him a very wealthy man. A list of his better known films would have to start with "Home Alone" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and would continue with "The Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink," "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles," and "Sixteen Candles," as well as many others.

This particular John Hughes film stars John Candy as Uncle Buck, the kind of character Candy specialized in. He's a middle-aged kid who can't seem to find a good reason to accept any responsibility in life. As he says in one scene, "People used to say to me, 'Buck, you've got it made. You've got no kids, no wife, no office, no desk, no boss, nothing to tie you down. You've really got it made.'...

Too funny
I miss John Candy. He was one of my favorite comedic actors in the '80s. Some of my favorite movies stars John Candy like "The Great Outdoors" and "Spaceballs". "Uncle Buck" is another hilarious movie John starred in. He plays a happy-go-lucky bachelor named Buck who is a bit of a slob and not very responsible either. He gets a call from his brother in Chicago asking him to babysit his children while he and his wife go take care of his wife's father who had fallen ill. Buck agrees and goes to his brother's house, not knowing what was in store for him. Buck has to contend with two precocious children (one of them played by then unknown Macaulay Culkin)and one angst-riddled teenager named Tia. Tia gives Buck a run for his money with her teenage angst. This leads to a lot of conflict between the two especially when it concerned Tia's boyfriend. The two younger siblings Maisy and Miles are simply a handful and enjoys Buck's company. I particularly loved the scene when Buck is making...

Buck Russell... Best Uncle EVER!
John Candy has his BEST performance EVER in this film by John Hughes. "Uncle" Buck Russell (Candy) is a perpetual screw-up who HAS to get his act together enough to watch over his older brother's three kids & dog, Tia, Miles, Maisy and puppy, Parsey since his sister-in-law's father had a heart attack.

The cast includes Mac Culkin as Miles, Gaby Hoffman as Maisy, Amy Madigan as Buck's girlfriend, Chanice Kobolowski, & Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne's sister, Jackie) as the crazy neighbor lady, Marcie Dahlgren-Frost. Also billed in small parts are Anna Chlumsky (My Girl), Patricia Arquette, and Devon Odessa (My So-Called Life).

This film is totally hilarious but also has those wonderful John Candy touching/sentimental moments.

A wonderful family film that can be watched over and over again!

Happy Watching!

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Black and Blue- The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Game

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Kindergarten Cop [HD]

Where's the Special Edition?
Great flick, good for all ages, and above all else, it's SCHWARZENEGGER!!! I would really like to see a widescreen special edition of this film, but Universal is severely lacking in that department. The picture quality isn't that great and it's only available in fullscreen pan and scan. But it's a great film either way.

Five Star for the movie but Not for the DVD
I think this is one of the worst DVD attempt by Universal Studio. They have totally ignore the fans of this movie. The picture transfer of this movie to DVD was not up to the standard. And why in the world they will only release this in Full Screen format only? What happen to the Widescreen format? I am sure many of us here like to see this movie as it meant to be seen. I felt like cheated by the studio. I should have read the fine print.."FULLSCREEN" I suggest not to buy this dvd and wait for better quality dvd version of this movie. I think Arnold should say something to the studio.."What Ah you thinking?!!"

A charming, family-friendly film...
Long before Californians elected him as the Governator, former elite bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger took Hollywood by storm as The Terminator. An overpowering figure with amazing charisma on and off the screen, Schwarzenegger did his best to secure roles outside of the typecast blood and destruction movies for which he seemed destined. Instead, Arnold showcased his diversity by branching out into differing genres with such flicks as Twins, Junior, and Kindergarten Cop... Arnold's success is apparent in this light-hearted romantic comedy which utilizes his likeability as well as his macho man image. A delightful bit of entertainment, Kindergarten Cop is classic Arnold, spawning another of his usual famous one-liners, "It's not a tumor"!

When Detective John Kimble (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his partner, Phoebe O'Hara (Pamela Reed), get a hot tip that a drug dealer, Cullen Crisp (Richard Tyson), who they've long pursued is searching for his ex-wife because of some money...

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The Sting [HD]

WHY NOT GET THE FACTS BEFORE COMPLAINING???
I just bought this DVD for my father because this movie IS a classic, no matter what anyone says. But, when it came in the mail, I was surprised to see "Full Screen" on the front of the box. So I did what many of you did NOT do (with the exception of reviewer cammonro dated Sept 2, 2003), I went to the Universal web site and emailed their Home Entertainment division.

From Universal Studios Home Entertainment:

'The Sting' is only available on DVD in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, which in this case displays the same picture information side-to-side as was seen theatrically. Also, more information is shown top-to-bottom than in the theatrical version because of the way the film was originally shot.

One process used in creating movies for theatrical exhibition is to place 'mattes' over the top and bottom of the 35 mm film frame to alter the aspect ratio to 1.85:1 'Widescreen.' To avoid black letterboxing bars on the top and bottom of the picture when it is...

Stop whining about "full screen"!
Please stop whining about this DVD's aspect ratio. It's not "full-screen." It's widescreen with the original top and bottom sections restored.

According to film historian David P. Hayes, THE STING was filmed in 4:3 (equivalent to "full-screen") ratio because director George Roy Hill wanted it to look like an old movie. The studio (and/or the exhibitors) apparently had second thoughts about it, though, so theatrically-released prints had the top and bottom sections blocked ("matted") to fit the widescreen format.

What you see on this DVD is not "pan and scan" (with missing left and right content), but the original format with the top and bottom restored.

(...)

Awesome Movie on HD DVD!
Honestly i've seen better HD DVD's but still this one is remastered like crazy,its a hell of alot clearer than the original dvd release and its amazing to see what they can do with movies such as old as this one. I mean 1973 this movie comes out and after watching the HD DVD you would think it was a new release. All in all to keep this short this is an amazing film and you should pick it up on HD DVD right now!

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Frenzy [HD]

Droll and dark Hitchcock suspense film
Frenzy was a homecoming of sorts as it was Hitch's first film shot in the UK since he left during the 40's. I would disagree with those who claim that Frenzy can't stand with Hitch's best work; Hitch's droll and dark sense of humor change what could have been a run of the mill thriller into a minor masterpiece. The best bits in Frenzy are every bit as startling and powerful as those in Rear Window, Vertigo and North by Northwest. Although his wife Alma's heart attack couldn't have informed the pre-production stages of the script and film, it certainly had an impact on the atomsphere captured in the film. There is an underlying darkness here only hinted at before (most explicitly in The Birds, Vertigo and Marnie).

The performances are uniformly excellent. The fact that Hitch chose stage actors and lesser known British film actors for this film gives it a bit more grit and reality than his earlier films. Anthony Schaffer's script plays with the routine cliches of suspense films. A...

The Master's Last Psychological Thriller
For the first time in twenty-plus years, Alfred Hitchcock returned to his native England to make what turned out to be his final psychological thriller FRENZY. Despite a series of only modestly successful films since his 1963 triumph with THE BIRDS, Hitchcock had not lost his touch when he was handed Anthony Shaffer's fine screenplay (based on the Arthur LaBern book "Goodbye Picadilly, Farewell Leicester Square"). And although his approach to sex and violence is more explicit here (thanks to the ease in censorship restrictions that happened only a few years before), Hitchcock still delivers a film quite typical of his work--suspenseful, chilling, and often quite funny in a blackly humorous way.

The film revolves around a series of grisly strangulations of women occurring around London that have the police totally baffled. The killer's choice is a necktie, which pretty much leaves the door wide-open, since almost every man there wears a necktie. We are then introduced to Richard...

Review of 2001 DVD and 2012 Blu-ray
*** UPDATED OCT-08-2013 ***

Director Alfred Hitchcock's second last film is a suspenseful mystery-thriller about an unlucky bartender who is framed for murder by a cunning and psychotic villain. This is one of Hitch's best films, with many trademarks of the master of suspense: his cameo, the "wrong man" theme, the occasional black humor, and voyeuristic camera movements. But this is a fairly atypical Hitchcock film as well. Set in a working-class London neighborhood, "Frenzy" is quite far apart from the elegant and urbane settings of his earlier films with actors like Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Instead of Hollywood glossiness, Hitch gives the film a fairly realistic, decidedly unglamorous look and feel. And he even goes far in portraying ugliness. This film has one horrific murder scene in which the depiction of brutality and evil reaches a new height in Hitchcock's career, earning his first R-rating from the MPAA. (His 1960 film "Psycho" would be his second R-rated...

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Hollywoodland [HD]

When Films Collide--A Great Hollywood Story At Odds With An Average Detective Flick
There is a fantastic film within "Hollywoodland"! That film stars Ben Affleck and Diane Lane, both giving superlative performances. As TV Superman George Reeves, Affleck connects with a role that some say mirror his own situation. He's an appealing, handsome actor of limited range who is not generally regarded for having actual talent. And Affleck steps up to the task of inhabiting that persona--he shows the frustration, rage, and longing for respect that comes with being typecast as Superman. Diane Lane plays the wife of a studio exec who fancies Reeves and turns him into her kept "boy." Well, an older woman never looked so good! Lane just seems to get better and better as the years go by. She hits all the right notes in a performance that's wickedly sexy, desperate, charming, and funny--all rolled up into one.

This relationship, her open marriage to Bob Hoskins, his courtship with a golddigger played nicely by Robin Tunney, and the tale of Reeves' struggle in...

Broken Lives
"Hollywoodland" is everything that the dreadful "The Black Dahlia" isn't: interesting, beautifully acted, intelligent, respectful to it's time and place which in both cases just happens to be Southern California circa 1945-1959. Both concern a death: one perhaps a suicide and the other definitely a murder.
Directed by Alan Coulter with a genuine empathy for his characters sad, sordid lives: a brilliant Ben Affleck as TV Superman George Reeves, a committed though out-of-the-box style performance from the always interesting Adrian Brody as a down-on-his-luck Private Investigator, Louis Simo and the luminous Diane Lane as Reeves paramour and fading beauty Toni Mannix.
Coulter spends a lot of time on the back lives of these three which adds texture and resonance to their film lives and by extension the film. Of particular note is Simo's story: his son, his ex-wife (the terrific Molly Parker), his father or lack thereof. Brody is particularly thoughtful and emotionally open in...

When Films Collide--A Great Hollywood Story At Odds With An Average Detective Flick
There is a fantastic film within "Hollywoodland"! That film stars Ben Affleck and Diane Lane, both giving superlative performances. As TV Superman George Reeves, Affleck connects with a role that some say mirror his own situation. He's an appealing, handsome actor of limited range who is not generally regarded for having actual talent. And Affleck steps up to the task of inhabiting that persona--he shows the frustration, rage, and longing for respect that comes with being typecast as Superman. Diane Lane plays the wife of a studio exec who fancies Reeves and turns him into her kept "boy." Well, an older woman never looked so good! Lane just seems to get better and better as the years go by. She hits all the right notes in a performance that's wickedly sexy, desperate, charming, and funny--all rolled up into one.

This relationship, her open marriage to Bob Hoskins, his courtship with a golddigger played nicely by Robin Tunney, and the tale of Reeves' struggle in...

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Howard the Duck [HD]

The 80's film that all is required to hate, apparently, but still has a special edition dvd!
This is a review for the 2009 American dvd special edition release.

This is one of the most well known, whether you've seen it or not, films of all time. 23 Years ago George Lucas was one of the hottest producer/writer/directors in Hollywood thanks to his involvement with the original Star Wars trilogy and Indiana Jones. Everything he touched turned to gold. He started his own sound and effects companies that revolutionised the business and the method in which films are made, and he still does that today. Then came the infamous Howard The Duck. Even when it was announced some were unsure why Lucas would gravitate to such an offbeat concept(originally an equally offbeat and satirical Marvel comic). Then, the reports of the budget and reshoots(which thanks to this edition, you find out was due to the limitations of the original Howard puppet) had the skeptics reeling even more. Every writer would make sure to note the huge budget of the film, as if it was relevant to...

Just to counter all the negative reviews...the Duck is what it is.
I understand why someone who is looking for a great film would be disappointed. Howard the Duck is no Saving Private Ryan or English Patient. Thankfully not all films are or we'd be really bored. What Howard The Duck IS is entertaining. It's a guy in a duck suit...so what? It's pretty funny and refreshingly enjoyable to watch. It is a well made B-movie...so if you look at it on that level then it's a lot of fun. And it's not helpful to compare the film which is aimed at a young audience to the comic which was very adult. Two different things entirely...really, if there were enough fans of the comic (and I'm one) then there would be a new, adult version of Howard. I don't see that happening. So enjoy the film for what it is. I hope the DVD does it justice.

All Hail Howard the Duck!!!
(...)Howard the Duck is all of this and more. I first saw this movie in theaters and loved it. Lea Thompson and the rest of her band The Cheery Bombs are sexy, and the theme song is real catchy!

The special effects are up to par with the technology at the time, and the comedy is right on the nose. I mean c'mon those Dark Overlords were pretty cool looking. Anyone who claims to hate this movie is obviously an 80's hater. (...) This film defines great 80's cinema and I could never understand the backlash. Many great movies have bombed at the theaters only to become favorite classics (the original Blues Brothers and It's a Wonderful Life come to mind).

(...)I will defend this movie until my dying day. Howard the Duck is a great movie from the greatest decade of the 20th Century. Hail Howard!!!

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