Winning Favor

Sports film with great family values
Looking for a sports film with great family values? Moms (especially of basketball fans) - this is a fun and heartwarming movie!





Click to Editorial Reviews

The Girl of the Golden West

Nelson Eddy's lush baritone as delightful as ever!
I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw this movie- somewhere I'd gotten the impression that it wasn't going to be as enjoyable as other MacEddy movies, which just wasn't so. Nelson's voice is as luscious as ever and he is just as debonair and romantic in his portrayal of the swashbuckling Ramerez. Jeanette's character is less coquettish and more open and trusting than her usual which was a nice change. Ramerez, stolen from his own family as a baby, becomes the infamous leader of a group of mexican bandits (his own more trusting instincts becoming stifled when his adoptive father is shot while offering help to white settlers.) The plot develops delightedly as Ramerez falls for Mary, who owns the local saloon and is being courted by the town's sheriff, who in turn is trying to track down Ramerez (echoes of Rose Marie but with a twist.) Girl of the Golden West may not have produced any musical hits but Jeanette and Nelson's numbers are still entrancing, especially Jeanette's version...

MACDONALD AND EDDY IN OLD MONTEREY.
This was the fifth time around for this story. Originally, it was a play by David Belasco in 1905; it was made as three silents as well as an opera. In this version, Eddy and MacDonald were at the height of their popularity: their finest effort - MAYTIME - was filmed the year prior. The screenplay isn't exactly superlative and the direction drags a bit, but fans of the great singing duo should still find themselves semi-enthralled. Jeanette owns a rough gambling saloon and Nelson is a Zorro-like character - but on the wrong side of the law. They fall in love, naturally. The best number in the film is the elaborate MARIACHI number. Buddy Ebsen, who plays Alabama, is in fine form and gives the movie some much-needed comedic moments. Monty Wooley can be seen briefly as the Governor. Melodies include Liszt's beautiful LIEBESTRAUM, THE WIND IN THE TREES, SUN-UP TO SUNDOWN & AVE MARIE....What a deux mixture!! Oddly enough, Ray Bolger was originally singing and dancing in this...

Golden Girl, a Golden Time
Two hours of this fast-moving 1938 saga of Old California West is a little long. Color would have helped black and white long shots... so often mottled like ink on a blotter; a forgiven price we sometimes have to pay for these wonderful old movie gems.

The story features Poker Saloon owner Mary (Jeanette MacDonald) who talks like a hillbilly, walks like a cow but sings like an angel. The irony is palpable with classics like "Liebestraum" (Is Love a Dream?) and "Ave Maria" (Gounod's).

Our swashbuckler leading man Ramerez (Nelson Eddy) leads a pack of South-of-the-Border desperados to steal gold from stagecoaches and have fun in the process. As a phony Mexican bandito, Ramerez follows the Robin Hood tradition of taking from the rich to give to the Monterey mission. His bold sombrero covers his golden hair (but not his golden heart) and his mask exposes only his dark eyes, vivid without the distraction of a lipsticked mouth; a method apparently acceptable to actors of the`30s. To...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Jonah and the Whale, Told by Jason Robards

Not for young kids
I watched this with my 2 1/2 year old to have a sunday appropriate activity after church. The drawings of God were very scary to him and we stopped after only a few minutes. I didn't enjoy watching it, so I can't imagine a kid of any age would.

Jonah And The Whale
My granddaughter love it, she is five years old. She watch the whole movie until it was finish. She did not move. The voice was great the story was told at a good pace. My grand daughter was able to tell me the whole story she did not miss a beat.

jonah and the whale
Got this book for my son, great book, easy to read. He reads a little every day, at 6yrs old, this was the best starter book for his new kindle fire.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Undoing

Solid movie
I was drawn to this film as I am a fan of Kelly Hu's and Russell Wong and found a very pleasant surprise in the talents of Sung Kang . I was not familiar with the works of Sung Kang even though he had been in several movies that I had seen. I will be looking for him in the future. This is a gritty caricature study made on a small budget by a very talented writer director Chris Chan Lee who got fine performances from the entire cast. I look forward to the future works of both Sung Kang and Chris Chan Lee.

Highly recommended
It is a stylish movie. I enjoyed this movie a lot because I am a big fan of Sung Kang's, the main character in this movie. You will enjoy the short film called 9:30 came as a bonus feature of this DVD.

Unexpected
I was expecting this movie to be kind of fast-paced but shallow, since most of the actors in it are known more for action films. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Undoing is a much more sophisticated film, character-driven and emotional, with really strong acting performances and unique visual style. The plot is interesting, although not particularly new or innovative; in fact, the story is very much a throwback to classic noir films. But its enough to keep you compelled and engaged to see the story unfold. I really enjoyed this film.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Thumbelina, Told by Kelly McGillis with Music by Mark Isham

Another classic . . .
Grandchildren beside me, we follow the adventures of this very tiny magical being. A loving gift to a mother who desperately wishes for a child. Enter the enchanted world of fairy tales with Kelly McGillis as narrator. Once again , art and music only add to the ambience! Take the time to share with children, grandchildren or just the young at heart . . .





Click to Editorial Reviews

Black Sunday

Beautiful, Brilliant Bava
Italian director Mario Bava exploded onto the horror scene with the wonderful black and white film "Black Sunday," also known as "The Mask of Satan" (a title I prefer because it does such a better job describing the movie). This picture borrows heavily from a Nikolai Gogol short story called "The Vij," and while I am not familiar with the story, the movie succeeds fantastically at conveying a bleak atmosphere of horror. "The Mask of Satan" was Bava's official directorial debut, giving viewers a chance to see the genius that was to come from this excellent filmmaker. Bava didn't merely direct films, however. He also worked on all aspects of movie making during his long career. The director even helped his son cut his teeth in the business immediately before his death in 1980. Fans will miss Bava terribly after viewing just a few of his films, as he was one of those rare Italian horror directors who could truly deliver the goods.

"Black...

This deluxe DVD is a must for any serious collector
Black Sunday is an engrossing, well-crafted, and suprisingly beautiful horror film. This DVD is testament to that fact and a sharp back-handed slap at those who automatically dismiss genre movies as trash. The respect Black Sunday and director Mario Bava are given is long overdue.

I won't bore you with tedious plot summarys. All I will tell you is that if you haven't seen Black Sunday, you must, and that if you have seen it, you must see it again in this presentation (because you've been missing plenty both in content and quality).

Presented in its origanal 1:66:1 theatrical aspect ratio, viewers for the first time can see this classic in ALL its macabre glory. The image quality is absolutely astounding when one compares it to the VHS editions floating around. The audio is also presented in pristine condition gaurenteed to sound excellent in any stereo thanks to the various formats.

All this makes one wonder exactly how much time went into this? If Video...

Best-ever transfer (but....)
Actually, my rating for this DVD version of "Black Sunday" would be 5 stars for the video transfer, 5 stars for Bava's cinematography (seen here like never before), 2 stars for the audio transfer, and 3 stars for the overall quality of the film itself. Bava was not a great director, and didn't like to be called a "cinematographer," but this film really is a painting in motion: every scene is a paradigm of Gothicism -- the cinematic equivalent of Gustave Dore. Like other

reviewers, I was floored by the print used for this disc: it looks, almost literally, like it was shot yesterday, and it's almost impossible to believe the film is almost 40 years old. If there are other films from this era that look this pristine, I haven't seen them. My only quarrel with the disc has to do with the dubbing. In all honesty, I feel this film sports one of the worst American dubbing jobs ever performed on a film, and the big question (which neither Tim Lucas nor...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Finn McCoul, Told by Catherine O'Hara with Music by Boys of the Lough

Finn McCoul -Irish legends
This is a rare and hard to find story...and it is told with an authentic Irish accent, an excellent tale. The best version we have found and in our opinion, the true story of Finn himself. Great music too!

Very Enjoyable Story
My two little ones loved this story and asked for more like it. It is nice to see something classic and simple that is enjoyable for all ages of children. Please bring more like it!



Click to Editorial Reviews

The Ugly Duckling, Told by Cher

Like this...
it reminds me of the the book I read when I was a kid. And Cher reads/tells this story well. The graphics are good.

Great to share with the little ones
Beautiful illustrations and nicely voiced by Cher. A wonderful bedtime treat for youngsters. I would recommend it highly. Thanks again to Amazon Prime for making quality viewing available.



Click to Editorial Reviews

Paul Bunyan, Told by Jonathan Winters with Music by Leo Kottke with Duck Baker

Used in Story Telling Class
This is a great introduction to American tall tales - told by a master. The illustrations are delightful. Plan on buying more.





Click to Editorial Reviews

Parables That Jesus Told, Told by Garrison Keillor with Music by David Lindley

Nicely done
It was nicely done but did not fit into the lesson I had purchased it for. I'm sure I'll be able to use it with our classes in the future.





Click to Editorial Reviews

Cyrano De Bergerac

Best edition of a magnificent film
This (yellow poster on DVD case) is the Hal Roach edition of the 1950 film starring Jose Ferrer. I'm aware of two other editions: Alpha Video, & Marengo Films. The Alpha Video edition (full colour head shot of Cyrano) is crap -- not worth $5. The Marengo edition (black poster on DVD case), while clean in sound & video, is darker than this Hal Roach edition. In several significant scenes taking place outdoors at night, this edition shows more detail and is easier to watch. It has a minor flaw, a purple band that slowly rolls from bottom to top of the screen; I can eliminate it by reducing the colour intensity on my monitor.

I have all three editions; this is the one I watch.

BEST OF THE CYRANOS
This Hal Roach Studios production from Image Entertainment is the best of the best. Flawlessly transferred from original 35mm camera negative and finegrain material, it features a brilliant soundtrack as well as the original theatrical trailer. This is the real deal--not a backyard dupe offered in a quickie transfer (probably to analogue) for el cheapo prices. If you want CYRANO, this class act version is the one to buy. SPECIAL NOTE: The specification notes indicated on the Amazon site are WRONG--this disc is encoded "Region Zero" not "Region One" as is stated. It will play on any DVD player anywhere in the world. So, what are you waiting for?? (Review refers to Hal Roach Studios DVD version released by Image Entertainment.)

Great film but, alas, a poor DVD
This review is based on the Apha Video DVD. That's the cheaper one with the close up of Cyrano's face on the cover. The picture jumps so badly, I got a headache. There are also several split-second gaps in the footage, causing snatches of spoken lines to be obliterated. Worst of all, the actors sound as though their heads are being held underwater and the violins on the soundtrack are similarly submerged.

This is lovely, literate film, with several average performances and one astonishing, Academy-Award-winning performance by Jose Ferrer. His portrayal of Cyrano might well be the greatest of all time, even when it sounds like it is spoken from inside my fish tank. The story itself, rich and romantic, and almost Shakespearean in its sense of tragic romance, may cause you to cry as much as the horrible quality of the DVD. The closing scene, in the courtyard of a convent during a light-falling snow, has been etched in my memory ever since I first saw it as a kid...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Emperor and The Nightingale, Told by Glenn Close with Music by Mark Isham

Best storytelling ever
I have watched this since I was young, and enjoy the story more and more with each viewing. Close is a marvelous storyteller and the illustrations are stunning. Perfect story for children and adults alike, keeping dreams alive and teaching the importance of difference over similarity.





Click to Editorial Reviews

Pecos Bill, Told by Robin Williams with Music by Ry Cooder

Funny version of a tall tale.
This movie was a good retelling of the book Pecos Bill. Robin Williams made the book come to life in a very humorous way!

Funny!
This video is very funny, Robin Williams keeps it rolling with almost unrelenting laughs.
Ry's guitar music is great too.
We have enjoyed this over and over.

Very disappointed!
As a child, I loved the old tale of Pecos Bill, and I was super excited to show it to my children. However, I was VERY upset about the nudity (Bill's behind). I had to turn it off because I had other people's children watching it along with me. Shame on me for not watching it beforehand!

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Song of Sacajawea, Told by Laura Dern with Music by David Lindley

Creates awareness, understanding and appreciation.
This film would be great for young people ,to acquaint them with our early history and the native American people that lived in this country for thousands of years before the Europeans colonized this land. It could instill the desire to learn more about and increase their understanding of these great people.





Click to Editorial Reviews

Peachboy, Told by Sigourney Weaver with Music by Ryuicki Sakamoto

Enjoyable retelling of the old story of Momotaro
Very well done. This is one rendition of the traditional Japanese folk tale of Momotaro or Peach Boy, a story about parental love and the triumph of good over evil. There are many variations of this tale, starting and ending at different points and including different plot twists, and this is a pleasant version for readers of today.

The illustrations are lovely and camera movement is well designed. The music is by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who also composed the music of The Last Emperor and other movies. Sigourney Weaver narrates it well, even if her pronunciation of Japanese words like ojiisan (grandpa) is a bit off. About 27 minutes plus credits.





Click to Editorial Reviews

The Boy Who Drew Cats, Told by William Hurt with Music by Mark Isham

Wonderful story!
One of my favorite stories from childhood. I purchased the DVD to give to my grandson as a Christmas present. Well worth it.

Darling video
I bought the book expecting to see the illustrations from the video in the book. They are not in the book and my 7 year old great granddaughter was fascinated with the video and so was I. Any child interested in drawing would be able to pause the video and copy the drawings.



Click to Editorial Reviews

No More Games

I loved this movie
You will learn a lot from the male and female display of Cheating. We might not cheat the same way but we will always hurt someone in the end,

loved this film
OK this is a pretty cool flick .I watchedhis other 2films , And Emmbre has turned out to be quite a good filmmaker like his brother TYLER PERRY . His style is quite different but he telling is story his way .And that the best part he brings a large degree of swagger to the screen. My wife loves urban romantic comedy's. and this is her Favorite. WOULD RECOMEND THIS FILM TO ANY ONE WHO LOVES THINK LIKE A MAN.

rating for movie
i thought it was a good movie some parts of the movie i could relate to and some of it i couldnt but all and all it was a good movie

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Elephant's Child, Told by Jack Nicholson with Music by Bobby McFerrin

I still enjoy having a story read
Jack Nicholson did a great job narrating. And I certainly enjoyed the story, it's nice to hear how things could have happened.

Great story
This is a great Rudyard Kipling story and the music for the story is infectious. I wish I could get just the audio.

This is the best Audio version.
My boys loved listening to this version of The Elephants Child. Jack Nicholson really tell the story dramatically and with humor.
I wish I could buy this version on CD. But it is now out of print and is a collectors item.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The White Cat, Told by Emma Thompson with Music by Joe Jackson

Cute Story
i had never heard of this story and was curious. It turned out to be a delightful story which I believe any child would love hearing.





Click to Editorial Reviews

The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Told by Jeremy Irons with Music by Mark Isham

Brilliant
I have had a copy of this for nearly 20 years, originally on video but the tape has worn out, i have now purchased the dvd, the music by Mark Isham is lovely and the storey told by Jeremy Irons is great. This is not a cartoon but a picture book brought to life. It is a love storey between a one legged soldier and his ballerina. FANTASTIC if your an old romantic. 10/10.

Love this
I teach Fantasia 2000 and 1940 to music appreciation classes. Sometimes there are too many student to gather around the book as I read it to them. This helps with the larger classes because the art work and the story are the same as the book I have, and everyone and see and hear it.



Click to Editorial Reviews

Davy Crockett, Told by Nicolas Cage with Music by David Bromberg

If you Love America, you will Love this.
This is pure awesome. Nic Cage in this excellent presentation demonstrates the totality of his vocality. He shows, with his typically intense zeal, the degree to which he will infuse emotion into the most bane of words -for he is Nicolas Cage. If you are a Nic Cage fan, it will be hard to not enjoy this masterpiece. Perfection.

You may all go to perdition and I will go to Texas
Very nice to see Davy Crockett still in the mix, very nice indeed. Truth be told, I'd give five stars to just about anything about Crockett, but this little video was absolutely a great deal of fun and wildly illustrated. It is for children, but with many innuendos for the history buff and the weekend researcher. It parlays several of Davy's yarns from his childhood up to the Alamo. It is an introduction to the legend, but an introduction for the children - so don't expect the harsh realities of his life. However, it is a blast and kept my daughters interest, if not my own, through its brief run time. You're still the King of the Frontier Davy - you always will be,

Terrible, pretty much intolerable
Why does this exist? Nicolas Cage is not the right person to have narrated this, let alone anything. If you are southern, you will be offended at his attemps at an accent.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Bikini Jones and The Temple of Eros

One of the best Retromedia releases!
Christine Nguyen is adorable in the lead role and pneumatic Rebecca Love is just freaking amazing in this typical spoof from Retromedia. Only this release is more explicit and has a few new faces (and bodies) to see.

Don't even try to follow the plot; watch it for the wall-to-wall sex, which happens about every five minutes.

This spoof of Indiana Jones is meant to watch for the women, not the plot.
This film was kinda bizarre, but in a nice way... All the girls are hot and there are plenty of sex scenes. The ending was pretty stupid I'll admit, but left enough for fans to fantasize their own sequel of the film. If you watch late night films for good acting and enticing plots, then this film is definitely not for you! However, if you watch late night films for hot women, great sex and an occasional laugh or two, then you won't be disappointed.

Fun with lots of full leg shots. Christine Nguyen at her best!
This is best of the series of films by this collection of actors and actresses. We see more leg shots here than in and other recent releases directed by Fred Olen Ray nee Nicolus Medina. The story is straight out of Indiana Jones lore but with a sexy twist and mediocre acting, as usual. But we see Christine Nguyen's legs and feet more here than in the other "bikini/busty girl" films by this company. It is worth multiple viewings for leg men and the <$15 price is reasonable.

Click to Editorial Reviews

X-Men: The Last Stand [HD]

Very controversial among X-Men fans, but I have to confess I really liked this one
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

I may be among the few who liked this one better than the previous two. It probably was never going to be possible to create an X-Men finale that was going to please everyone. I'll confess that there were a number of things in the three-film sequence that I didn't care for. But give the team an "A" for effort in at least trying to do something interesting and compelling. My complaint with the first film was that it was so safe and tame. It didn't try to take the X-Men saga anywhere new or interesting. THE LAST STAND did. For the record, my complaint with the series is that it managed to make Rogue an unessential and uninteresting member of the team. Of all the incarnations of Rogue, this one was the least powerful and the least complex. Anna Paquin did a fine job given the script they provided, but she should have been far more empowered than she was.

Most movies based on the comics suffer from a failure of nerve. The writers...

Collector's Edition!!!!!
The Collector's Edition was a let down to say the least. All they did was take a regular widescreen X-MEN THE LAST STAND in the regular DVD CASE and put it in some nicer packaging and throw in a COMIC BOOK and charge you about $10.00 DOLLARS MORE. You are better off just getting the regular version and save yourself about $10.00 DOLLARS. I would think if you are putting out a COLLECTOR'S EDITION you would think it would be a 2 DISC SET , especially for the price. I was not Impressed at all!!!!! 1 STAR for a BAD COLLECTOR'S EDITION , 3.5 STARS FOR THE MOVIE.

I Liked It; Not Great, But Good, And Much Better Than Some Are Saying
At long last, we have the third, and possibly final, installment of Fox's X-Men movie franchise, and it's been no easy road getting here. There were a lot of behind-the-scenes troubles that plagued the film which led to many online fansites predicting the worst. After seeing it, I can say that despite the backstage drama, this ended up being a pretty good movie. It's no classic, but it's good for what it is. And while it's not the best superhero film ever (that honor either goes to Batman Begins or Spider-Man 2), or even the best of the series (X2: X-Men United), it's nowhere near bad.
After Jean Grey's (Famke Janssen) death at the end of the last film, the atomosphere at the X-Mansion hasn't been the same. Everyone misses her, but no one as much as Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Mardsen), her husband, who can barely pull himself together. Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) has even resorted to having Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) substitute teach for him. Meanwhile,...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Purgatory Comics

An Indie Treasure Trove!
In our everyday quest to unearth cinematic genius, we are faced with the seemingly insurmountable task of wading through thousands of dubious titles, hundreds of ambiguous descriptions, and a handful of potential contenders. For the brave, this process involves diving into the murky, uncharted territory of indie flicks. We know the risks associated, the countless hours lost to mediocrity, the frustration, the angst. Most of the time we feel slighted, realizing too late that our high hopes for that "dark comedy" is nothing more than an amalgamation of shoddy camera angles, cheap lighting and bad jokes.

We remain undaunted, though, in our search for greatness. And occasionally we are rewarded with gold.

Enter Purgatory Comics.

The film premiered in 2009 at the Lancaster Area Film Festival and comes in at a cool 90 minutes. A 2010 Long Island International Film Expo winner, the film's awards included both "Best Long Island Feature Film" and "Best...

Funny, quirky & completey enjoyable
One of the reasons that I enjoyed Purgatory Comics so much is that the characters are completely believable. You either are, or know people just like these--and you don't have to be a comic book fan to relate to the trials and tribulations of these guys and gals (although it wouldn't hurt). This is a quirky story about finding yourself, but cleverly told with humor and--dare I say--intelligence (even though I roared with laughter at the scenes of comic-book reading nerds fantasizing about hot porn stars). This was a well-directed and delightful 'slice of life' film that could never have been produced by a big budget Hollywood production company. Watch it and enjoy!

bad acting, worse timing
I could not get past the first 10 minutes. It felt like I was watching a high school play. The pause after every line was unbearable...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Art of Rap [HD]

Great documentary
This is one of the best hip-hop documentaries I've seen, both in the range of artists it interviews and the information it gives to you.

It's kind of like a companion to the book which came out a few years ago, where they got hold of around 100 MCs (many of the same people in this documentary + more), this is the one I mean -
How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC

...so this documentary is like additional knowledge to go along with that book, and obviously you get to see some nice freestyles and everything on the screen with this.

It's great that people are finally documenting the actual CRAFT of MCing, rather than either trying to attack it in some way without knowing anything about it, or just talking "around" the art form, by focusing on stuff like the socio-political background... that stuff is important, but not at the expense of a thorough discussion and...

Art of Rap Review
Was one of those early rap listeners who thought it would just be a fad and not ever catch on...early rap artists were more about catchy rhyming and not about any substance...until The Message hit the airwaves and now it became a social highway for other artists to talk about what was happening in the core of the city. It is easily understood why rap has maintained the longevity that it has; I suspect that rap will continue to be at the center of all music that is artfully important. The message can be so powerful and positive, I would love to see our talented musicians (rappers) come together and send out lyrics of growth and positive harmonization. Uplift our youth and create a true pathway for empowerment. Music can and does a lot to answer real questions and guide folks in the right direction....
As a 55 year old advid listener of many types of music...everything from Old School Funk, Neo-Soul, BTO, Chicago, Miles and Coltrane, I am easily drawn to Rap-if the message is...

This is what I grew up on, I had to see it...
I'm a white dude from the 'burbs, few of my peers listened to it, but I love it. This is my high school years' anthem.

I enjoyed it. The cinematography was excellent, the long list of rap stars was impressive, and the fact that they did this are all huge pluses.

However, Ice-T was not the right guy for the job, he's just not much of an interviewer, I wish Fab 5 Freddy was still alive he would have made this a 10/10. It also seems like he just can't remember much of anything from which ever rapper he was interviewing. He honestly at times of the movie seems like a casual fan, which of course he's not, he's made, and had some great hits, but damn' he barely named any of the rappers he was interviweings hits, he'd say remember the one beat da da da, yea yea, I'm like really ? I guess he just forgot, he's pretty far removed.

Doug E Fresh looks exactly the same, and beat boxing like he's still in his prime, and 'Ye killed his spot, caught fire, that...

Click to Editorial Reviews

LUV for Keeps: The Story of Madonna's Stalker

LUV for Keeps - the Stalkermentary
This documentary is very scary but intriguing. This man could not shake his obsession with Madonna, & was very determined to meet "his wife". After being locked away for so many years, and considered a threat to the community I can't believe he was just released and not monitored. The stalkers home videos were the highlight of the film. Hope he stays in jail!





Click to Editorial Reviews

Elvira's Movie Macabre: Bloody Madness

The Real Review and Release Info
In case you were wondering what four movies are in this set. I offer you the following since the other reviews here are completely worthless.

Disc 1 is "A Bucket of Blood." The second episode on that disc is the never-before-seen episode titled, "The Killer Shrews." Meanwhile, Disc 2 contains Elvira's take on "Manos: The Hands of Fate," and they finish fans off with this warning: "Don't Look in the Basement."

Taken from: [...]

Like all of the previous releases in this series, some of which are in this collection, they are the full length episodes of "Movie Macabre" and well entertaining. Quality varies from movie to movie, not one is outstanding but quality is fine across the board. Check out the other collections including the recent Mega Movie Marathon for first time buyers who want more bang for the buck.

Or should I have said, "This is a great dvd. You play it on dvd players. Elvira is very talented and funny. Everyone should like her...

Elvira Fan
She makes all those dull movies entertaining and enjoyable to watch again and gain.
I will always buy her movies!

Elvira fan
I got in to her in 2010 when i started to watch her at night. It too bad she not on any more.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Navigator

Buster's Maritime 3
THE NAVIGATOR (1924): One of Buster's best features. A fast-paced fun collection of classic gags, Buster filmed on top of "The Buford", a ship that was actually used by the U.S. govt. to dump alleged Bolsheviks out of the USA and into Russia in 1919. The film begins with Buster proposing marriage to his gal, who turns him down. The two mistakenly wind up on the ship, called The Navigator, which happens to be deserted and floundering at sea. They make do the best they can, and eventually must deal with cannibals on a tropical island. One of the funniest Buster gags I've ever seen is in this movie - while he's trying to go to sleep in his cabin, his gal throws a snarly-looking portrait of a swabo out of her cabin and it lands on a nail outside the porthole window of Buster's cabin. It swings from side-to-side, giving Buster the illusion that The Navigator is haunted. More haunted-ship gags follow (spook gags show up in other Buster films), which makes me wonder if...

Beautiful transfer of a great film!
Many silent films have lived past their copyright expiration and are now in public domain. This allows any hack with enough will to put out old films on DVD and charge what the market will pay. Fortunately, Kino International has provided us some excellent transfers of the Buster Keaton film library to enjoy.

'The Navigator' is a film that uses a large ship as it main prop. Keaton plays the naive son of a wealthy family who wrongly gets on a ship that is about to be destroyed, He spends the rest of the movie barely dodging disaster after disaster while keeping his famous dead-pan facial expression. 'The Navigator' also includes some of the earliest underwater movie photography.

Included with this DVD are 2 extra 20 minute films: 'The Boat' and 'The Love Nest'. Both are excellent transfers and fun to watch. The DVD also has a theme, since all included movies have to do with sailing and the ocean.

The musical scores are excellent and compliment the movie very well.

If...

How funny can one movie be?
No other movie I've ever seen - with the possible exceptoin of the first Richard Pryor concert film, which isn't quite the same thing - has ever made me laugh as much, or as hard, as this. That the gags are peerlessly set up and flawlessly executed is to be expected with Keaton, and he made better films than this ("The General" comes to mind, of course) but for sheer, painful belly-laughs, none of Buster's work, for me, comes close. A few moments of many: Buster's idiot girlfriend making coffee; their eerily hilarious meeting on the drifting boat, so perfectly timed and played it should a) serve as a model for all physical comedians and b) never be done again; and Keaton's underwater duel with a swordfish. Just don't watch it while you're eating, and keep a pillow by the couch for falling on.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Best of All About John Deere for Kids

my son
my son loves it would buy it again he will watch it all day loves his tractors will go to sleep at night watching it

Educational
Good and educational. Our grandson really enjoyed watching it with his grandad. So colorful and beautiful. This music is good too he loves the theme song.

Kids love it!
I would recommend this series to anyone who has kids that love tractors! My 8 year old still likes to watch.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Atlas Shrugged Part 1 [HD]

Thoughts on Atlas Shrugged Part 1
Being a big fan of Ayn Rand's great novel Atlas Shrugged, I expect a less-than-stellar movie version of the book. Happily, I was very pleased with the first installment of the film.

With the length and scope of the story, it requires either an incredibly long movie or a division into different parts, which they decided to do here. While I've heard plenty about the overall low budget of the film, it is still very well done and they spent some good money on CGI effects for the John Galt Line. Taylor Schilling is actually very good as Dagny Taggart - she projects the high-end efficiency and passion of the character, and she is appropriately sexy as well. Grant Bowler as Hank Reardon turns out to be a decent choice as well.

Bottom line, though: I brought along my 16-year-old daughter to see the film, and I expected her to find it "boring" or otherwise uninteresting. Big surprise, though: she loved it! She likes the story and was very drawn to the character of Dagny...

Good despite the negativity of many reviews
I've never read Atlas Shrugged, and probably never will, so I wasn't familiar with the story at all. When the movie was originally released at the theaters, I read one bad review after another, so I opted not to see it at that time. The move recently went on sale with Amazon, so I bought it and watched it. I came away from the movie surprised; surprised at why it got bad reviews and surprised it didn't do better at the box office despite the bad reviews.

For certain, if you're looking for a movie with explosions, action, comedy, gratuitous sex or horror, you're not going to find Atlas Shrugged worth watching, but if you're looking for an erudite, smart and philosophical movie, Atlas Shrugged hits the mark. The complaints about poor production are so wrong it logical to assume it ideologically driven. The acting it convincing and realistic; anyone who's worked for a successful, self-made business person will quickly recognize the character of "Hank Reardon". And the...

Excellent Adaptation . . .
This movie is Part 1 of three parts; and it covers the first part of the book.

The movie is well made - the quality is actually quite good. Acting was generally good to excellent. Camera work was good; although the low budget resulted in a missing camera angle here and there. Special effects were consistently well done.

The story, of course, is exceptional; and it is well-told in this movie.

Numbers I've seen indicate 80% of the audience (more than 12,000 people were polled) give this movie a thumbs up. And yet, only about 13% of professional movie critics gave this a thumbs up. By voting it down, the professional movie critics really got it wrong. Why? I don't know . . . I am truly surprised that so many movie critics would allow their own political bias to influence their review - but I can find no objective reason for the critics' poor grades.

Some people would say that those of the liberal persuasion would not enjoy this; as the...

Click to Editorial Reviews

X-Men [HD]

What the Batman franchise should have been.
X-Men, the first REAL attempt at bringing a Marvel Comic to life on the silver screen, succeeds on several levels. First, it is well written, leaving just enough cheese and in-jokes for fans of the comics--but it doesn't ignore the newbie, either. Each important plot point is explained, and we are saved from watching the "origin" of every character.

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and Ian McKellan as Magneto really steal the show. They've embodied their characters, and work well together. The message of discrimination is never played heavy-handed, but it comes across. All in all, a solid performance.

Michael Kamen's music is wonderful and fitting. Just the right amount of adrenaline and somberness. (I recommend you by the CD as well as the DVD!)

In short, X-Men is a rewarding superhero flick. People with children however, should be warned that there is an amount of violence, but it is not gory. All in all, and excellent movie.

Better than it should have been.
Comic books are notoriously difficult to translate to feature-film format. Goodness knows, there have been missteps in the past. But director Brian Singer does about as good a job as can be reasonably expected. First off, we need to thank the makers of Mission Impossible 2 for running over-schedule, thus tying up actor Dougray Scott and consequently allowing actor Hugh Jackman to play Wolverine. Jackman is the standout in this movie. His wonderfully understated performance as the "reluctant hero" is arguably the centerpiece of this film.

What distinguishes this film from other lesser film adaptions is an intelligent script, or at least intelligent for the genre. Character development isn't sacrificed to make room for more standard mindless special effects and action setpieces, like in some movies ("Batman and Robin", anyone?).

The in-jokes are funny, and the characters' history and motivations are treated with a fan's level of respect.

If the...

X-CEPTIONAL ENTERTAINMENT!
At last, with comic book adaptations, Hollywood is starting to get it right. The first, but hopefully not the last, movie to feature Marvel's merry mutants benefits immensely from a superb cast, an enthusiastic director, and an intelligent, thoughtful approach that makes this more than just another "superhero" flick. In the near future, more and more people are revealing themselves as "mutants" - genetically altered people with superhuman powers. As the US government considers passing Senator Kelly's (Bruce Davison) Mutant Registration Act, two extremely powerful mutants ponder their species' fate. Telepathic Professor X (Patrick Stewart in the role he was born for) believes in teaching mutants to develop their powers for the good of mankind, whereas his old friend Magneto (Ian McKellan) wants simply to wipe the human threat out. Caught in the middle of all this are Rogue (Anna Paquin), a young mutant with energy-sapping powers, and Wolverine (a superb Hugh...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Marvel's The Avengers (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging)

...And there came a day, a day unlike any other...
I am more giddy than my giddy aunt. I saw the midnight showing of the AVENGERS last night and, at the end, my face hurt from grinning so big. I am so wired I can't form a coherent thought, and so here, instead, is a salvo of stream-of-consciousness impressions, in whatever order.

Mark Ruffalo is simply terrific as the Hulk's alter (and calmer) ego. I actually prefer his interpretation of Dr. Banner over Bana's and Norton's. Ruffalo steers away from the deadening angst that made me fidget in earlier Hulk pictures. He finds a balance. This Banner exhibits a dry sense of humor but exudes this quirky, low simmer edginess. And I love Ruffalo's interactions with Downey, Jr., two swaggerful eggheads matching their test tubes against each other and applying big words. I like that there's respect between their two characters. There's an intriguing twist involving Banner's relationship with the Hulk, of which I won't say more. The Hulk - and this seems to be a unanimous impression -...

Love the movie, cheated by 4-disc set.
Don't get me wrong, it's one of my favorite movies and I highly recommend it as a Blu-ray purchase for any action and/or hero fan. The problem is that this 4 disc set is nothing but a sham, and on multiple levels:

Digital Copy:
First, the only supported tablet is the Ipad, so for all of us Android tablet users, don't dream about taking the movie with you on the go through legitimate means.
In fact, even if you choose the WMP version which can only be seen on your computer, you might face difficulties. My Laptop apparently needed a security update (which I couldn't get no matter how much I tried), in spite of the fact that it's running on the latest version.

Digital Music Download:
Why not simply include the music within the set in MP3 files? Here's why. Although you've already paid a higher price for a set that should provide the soundtrack, they feel that you still haven't actually paid enough. After giving my authentication code online, I was...

"Are you sure about this?" "Yeah, it'll be fun."
....And what fun it is.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Marvel's "The Avengers" is an expertly-crafted movie that makes 2 1/2 hours fly by like....well....I don't really know...SOMETHING FAST. My thoughts on seeing this movie--the first time (yes, you WILL go to see this more than once)--were: "This was just as good as 'The Dark Knight'....how is THAT even possible?" Well...consider first that Marvel has always had the best storylines, and the know-how to mix all of their characters' comic books together into one, all-encompassing storyline. Then, consider they decided to apply said formula to their movies. Third, they went out and expertly casted the parts.

How could this NOT be good?

Who else but Robert Downey, Jr could be a multi-billionaire, techno-wizard, armor-wearing snark-artist? Acts like he doesn't care, but is willing to sacrifice his life to save New York.

Chris Evans is Captain America. A 1940s guy living in the present...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Weird-Noir (Girl on the Run / The Naked Road / The Seventh Commandment / Fear No More / Fallguy / Stark Fear)

Rare rare rare
The other reviewer is bang on in everything he writes but one thing I'd like to comment on is the rarity of these films. Five of the six films I had never heard of. And I am a film buff who collects older oddball stuff. Sure, the cynical will say... "with good reason thes are obscure" and that is true. No true gems here, but as a collector of rare films this package was a delight and I thought the digital transfers were all well done.

Trenchcoat Fare
Much like I would suppose they were designed to do when first released, these six re-packaged B-Movies tend to suggest from their appearance that there is much more going on that what eventually shows up onscreen. The title itself (Weird-Noir) is a bit deceptive too; there are really only two movies here that I would consider weird or off-beat, and none are classic noir. Of course, everyone's definition of both those terms vary so widely that it isn't worth the time picking them apart. At the time they were made, they probably WERE quite weird.

For those with more prurient interests, there is no nudity in any of these films, though a lot of women in slips and swimwear. Sex is only implied, but a pretty consistent theme. In four of the six films, young, attractive women are at the mercy of ruthless pimps, gangsters, crooked cops and crazy husbands, which might appeal to certain types; of the other two, one is a femme fatale who has the man under her thumb, and the other...



Click to Editorial Reviews

Scrap

How much can a single man really do?
Art never stands alone; it's always created, and we always experience it in context. What then of art that is so big, the only possible context is the entire life (and family) of the artist?

While "Scrap" may nominally be a documentary exploring two such monumental works of art, and two uncompromising artists who have been driven to commit their entire lives to the projects, it actually strikes me as a piece mainly (and more interestingly) stepping back to explore that context in a way which might be difficult if not impossible in any other medium. "Scrap" explores these men and their worlds as much as it explores their art - their uncompromising vision and approach to life which gives them and their work focus, both for better and for worse.

Jim Bishop started working on his Castle in 1969, and has been at it ever since. With his own hands he has built his dream stone by stone, eschewing heavy equipment for sweat and ingenuity (as he describes it: "engineering...

Interesting Subject Matter Boringly Handled
Would love to see better filmmakers handle something like this. The film chronicles strange and wondrous man-made structures but never really gets to the heart of what drives such unique and painstaking creativity. The makers of Scrap could have certainly taken a lesson there. I once saw a 22 minute episode on tv about the maker of a hotdog stand shaped like a hotdog that was more entertaining. Advisable only for background watching. Pity.

Jim Bishop ... A tribute to hard work
For many years I have followed the building of BISHOPS CASTLE. Jim Bishop is a man with a mission and a great inspiration for anyone taking on a project the requires iron will and long standing stamina, Jim certainly has both. This video shows some of his inner thinking and a peek into his personal life through his wife and sons eyes. Jim sometimes gets a bad rap from U tube but after seeing this video you get a real respect for the man and his family. A very informative video and one place I intend to go is to see Jims Castle in the very near future.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Little Fockers

A Juvenile, Laugh-Free Nail-in-the-Coffin for the Series
The third film in the Meet the Parents series takes place five years after the last outing and reunites the original cast, while adding some new characters and expanding previously smaller roles. Not only has original director Jay Roach been replaced by Paul Weitz, a sign of trouble to be sure but you know a series is in trouble when it has to introduce children into the mix...Writers tend to introduce children in order to expand their story when that story has run its course. Despite the title, the children don't play too big of a role in the movie and are pawns of the script used to create a reason for these characters to reunite a final time. I enjoyed the first two films in the series and I admit that I went into this thinking it was unnecessary but despite these reservations, I watched the movie with an open mind expecting a mediocre comedy that would entertain me for 90 minutes. While I wouldn't call this movie "boring," I was not prepared for just how mediocre it actually...

Hollywood - Please Stop Making Terrible Pointless Sequels
So it's been 10 years since Meet The Parents, and boy has this franchise been mined to death. For the 3rd movie, let's strip away all writing talent, all of the jokes, and hey throw out the plot while you're at it. There is absolutely no point to watching this movie, the gags are the same as 10 years ago, and most of the major players simply phone their parts in. They even had to shoehorn Hoffman and Streisand into the film, gee wonder why they're in scenes by themselves? Because they couldn't clear their schedules enough to show up for major filming. (Valentine's Day ring a bell anyone?)

Anyway, avoid this like the plague.

Nothing like the first two movies
This movie was nothing like the first two movies.....it was not funny at all....I rented it from the redbox so I am glad I only wasted $1

Click to Editorial Reviews

Fight or Flight

See attached Irish Times Article
THE IRISH TIMES
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

[...].

Knocking on the door of success
Peter McCarthy threw himself into Thai boxing to heal the mental scars of an assault and ended up selling the resulting film door-to-door, writes ARMINTA WALLACE .
IF YOU BOUGHT a DVD on the doorstep recently from a guy with a sad story and a sunny smile, and you haven't watched it yet, for goodness' sake dust it off and put it into the machine. Made by Good Dog Films, the documentary feature Fight or Flight is well worth a chunk of your time - which is perhaps why it's beginning to attract attention on the international circuit.
The film, which took six years to make, has already picked up awards at festivals in Hamburg, Toronto and California, and is in the running for another couple of prizes in Wisconsin and New York's Long Island over the next couple of weeks. Last weekend it was pipped at the post for an Irish Film and Theatre award, in the editing...





Click to Editorial Reviews

Hatchet For The Honeymoon: Remastered Edition

Middling Bava is still impressive
A unique blend of giallo and ghost story/tale of madness, Hatchet for the Honeymoon is quite an entertaining trifle. The plotting is careless, what with the police inspector showing up at just the right moment at least three times too many, but Mario Bava's many visual and editing flourishes are so clever they're downright witty. I particularly like the way the psycho, John Herrington, literally puts his wife at a distance by looking at her through the wrong end of his binoculars while she harangues him. Also wonderful is a transition where the camera pans across a line of mannequin heads that seem to float against the black background of a darkened room. The camera stops at the final head, which we realize with a start is Herrington, and we hear a woman's voice speaking. There's a momentary sense of dizzying disorientation before the camera suddenly continues its pan and we see the woman speaking and realize that we're in a different scene now. There's also a bit...

Great movie but very poor picture and terrible sound!
As always, my review is based on the QUALITY of the DVD.

I appreciate Image Entertainment giving us the opportunity to view "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" and another work of Mario Bava to observe. It is remarkable that we have this new entertainment medium and that we can enjoy these films from so long ago. But -- this DVD is the worst one that I own. The picture is lousy and the sound is awful. You get the 1.66:1 screen ratio, but that wouldn't be so bad if the picture was CLEAR. I'm not sure if this was released prematurely. Just take into consideration my review of picture + sound to make your decision if you really want to buy this. In addition, it comes in a snap-case although there are some notes within.

Volume is at an all-time low. I had to crank up my speaker and software volume to the maximum and still had trouble hearing the dialogue. You could not possibly eat potato chips and listen to this at the same time!

The movie itself is pretty good, perhaps worthy of...

probably the best this movie will ever look
Bava's intriguing and original twist on the Italian giallo (a genre he had pretty much invented with Evil Eye and Blood and Black Lace) with an empathic view towards the killer (who is never hidden like in other thrillers but revealled right at the start). However, this is not a harrowing portrait of perversity like Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer or even Psycho. Bava's colourful compositions and beautiful cinematography give the proceedings a decidedly playful appeal - and his surreal flashbacks whenever the killer strikes avoids the use of on-screen gore. His use of voice-overs in the opening is inspired, as our 'hero' ponders his madness, what drives him to kill, etc. All this is delivered with a suitible ironic european flavour that non-Bava fans may be rather baffled by.

It's a shame that 'Hatchet' didn't receive the sort of dvd treatment 'Black Sunday' or 'Lisa & the Devil' got from Image, but it's a solid addition to any collection of Bava's work or fans...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads

The rest of the success story of Los Lonely Boys
Well now, baby, I'm from Texas
And I just wanna let you know
'Bout the ways of life and livin' baby
On them Cottonfields and Crossroads

That's the first verse of Los Lonely Boys' song "Cottonfields and Crossroads". It is a blues song that talks about rural West Texas and the part of town that we don't always get to see.

In turn, that song title is applied to Hector Galan's documentary of the early part of Los Lonely Boys ascent from (very) young men backing their dad, to taking creative control themselves, to becoming an Austin, then national favorite.

And you know what? Mr. Galan takes us to that same part of town in those same rural West Texas towns to show the influences on los hermanos Garza.

Not in a sad or exploitational way, but as a means of setting the scene for the explosive arrival of Los Lonely Boys and Texican Rock and Roll.

For those of you not into long reviews, here's the summary. GO BUY THIS...

C & C... A Texican Story of Famila, Struggle, and Success
I discovered the music of Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza one day while browsing CDs at a music store. I listened to a sample of the first track, and I did something to me. The second track was as equally great. By the third sample, I had chills. The SRV/Hendrix/Santana guitar sound was pouring out with a unique passion. The harmonies reminded me of The Beatles, America, and Eagles. I purchased the CD and started to search for information about Los Lonely Boys. I related personally to these brothers from San Angelo on many levels.

Before all of this happened, though, there was a story to be told. A story about three brothers and their family and their music. Hector Galan, director of Cottonfields and Crossroads, saw them perform when they were playing in a small Austin bar and felt compelled to capture their electifying stage presense and raw ... yet polished sound. All of this was before Grammys, magazine covers, and television appearances.

Don't make the...

Wonderful Documentary
I finally was able to see this film in December after a long wait to see it. The Galans did a wonderful job and captured not only the music but the heart of the Garza family.

It was worth wating for, and I will be adding it to my collection.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Detachment

Provocative And Unrelenting: A Bold Drama About Education That Is Uncompromising, If A Bit Heavy Handed
Controversial director Tony Kaye certainly doesn't play it safe. Notorious for "American History X," Kaye has proven himself both outspoken and challenging as a filmmaker (and as a person). Despite that film's positive reception by both audiences and critics (as well as its Oscar nominated leading performance by Edward Norton), Kaye publicly disavowed the movie after it was recut against his wishes. So it's no surprise that "Detachment," from a screenplay by Carl Lund, is like a brisk slap to the face. A bleak and depressing portrait of the American educational system, the film is unrelentingly dark. In its world view, it certainly has a refreshing candor and truth. At times, though, the stylized nature of the movie can detract from its essence. It is surely meant to provoke, which it does, but it also has the tendency to straddle the line of pushing over-the-top when a bit of restraint might have balanced the action. Still, though, it's hard to fault someone willing to make a...

Adrian Brody's best yet
To begin: the first third of the movie is out of synch which almost had me turn it off and ask for my money back. But I stuck with it, although it should be fixed, and am I ever glad I did.

This is a beautiful, and also a heartbreaking film. Adrian Brody has the most soulful eyes and is superb in this film.

The story is not very new, but it's approach is different.

I felt a lot of empathy for each character.

It is not for the faint of heart, for it has quite a few very difficult situations presented.

But it's not exploitative at all.

Rather it is tender. Yes, tender. And you feel for these people as if they were you and yours.

Finally , a teacher drama that tells it like it is
I related to this wonderful film as a 38 year teacher. I watched it twice on on demand, tried to VCR it the second time, but it didn't come out that well. I can't wait until the DVD is released. While the sub plot involving the teenage prostitute is a bit too much, the classroom scenes are haunting and frightfully real, particularly when it is the first day. The faculty burnout scenes are beautifully scripted as a consequence of students bad treatment of teachers. Those not in the profession who villify teachers constantly should see this film and maybe have a degree of sympathy for us.

Click to Editorial Reviews

John Henry, Told by Denzel Washington with Music by B.B. King

John Henry DVD
Kids love this lively tale of one of America's African-American pioneers. In a time when reading and math overshadow history, this story segues into a discussion of the opening of the American West. It's funny, entertaining, and a great way to introduce tall tales to kids.

Excellent
An age old story told by an academy award winning actor and music by a grammy winning musician. Superb. Superior Quality.

Great tall tale
Good for classroom use; this is a short but well done video with great narration by Denzel Washington. I would view it again.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Fisherman and His Wife, Told by Jodie Foster

For the love of grandchildren
A story of greed and the results. What a fun way to tell the story and perhaps a lesson learned. Definitely a tale to share with my grandchildren. Add a quilt and a snack for another interesting venture to the land of enchantment.

It was OK
Watching VOD was OK...the movie stuttered the whole time when watching it. I thought it might be my system, so I rebooted my Google TV and my router and when I started the video again it was still stuttering. Other than that the quality was fine. and the ease of ordering it was great.



Click to Editorial Reviews

Conception

A Breezy Ensemble About Relationships Aims For Lightweight Escapism As Opposed To Real World Contemplation
Josh Stolberg's "Conception" is one of those lightweight confections that it is almost impossible not to like. Like "Love, American Style" updated with a bit of foul language and nudity, the film showcases intercut stories about relationships within various stages of life. From a casual one night stand to a married couple fallen into routine to a couple struggling to get pregnant to another battling the immediate aftermath of a new baby, the numerous pairings all have an easily identifiable hook. For the most part, these interludes are pleasant and relatable without being particularly challenging. "Conception" really aims to be an entertaining romp and that it is, just don't expect a serious commentary of modern relationships. It's certainly enjoyable, though, and is further sold by an immense TV friendly cast of actors.

Included in the roster are David Arquette, Jonathan Silverman, Jennifer Finnegan, Alan Tudyk (Suburbia), Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Pamela...

Well "Conceived"
I was drawn in by the well rounded and respected cast and gladly surprised to find a small independent film so well made, written and
at the end of the day a delight to watch. Will definitely be recommending to all my friends, especially for those looking for a GREAT DATE NIGHT MOVIE.

Fun for almost the whole family
This is a light-hearted treatment of the many different ways we enter this world.
The ending is particularly warm-hearted and upbeat.
Although I am not an expert, the editing seemed particularly good.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Hatchet for the Honeymoon

Middling Bava is still impressive
A unique blend of giallo and ghost story/tale of madness, Hatchet for the Honeymoon is quite an entertaining trifle. The plotting is careless, what with the police inspector showing up at just the right moment at least three times too many, but Mario Bava's many visual and editing flourishes are so clever they're downright witty. I particularly like the way the psycho, John Herrington, literally puts his wife at a distance by looking at her through the wrong end of his binoculars while she harangues him. Also wonderful is a transition where the camera pans across a line of mannequin heads that seem to float against the black background of a darkened room. The camera stops at the final head, which we realize with a start is Herrington, and we hear a woman's voice speaking. There's a momentary sense of dizzying disorientation before the camera suddenly continues its pan and we see the woman speaking and realize that we're in a different scene now. There's also a bit...

Great movie but very poor picture and terrible sound!
As always, my review is based on the QUALITY of the DVD.

I appreciate Image Entertainment giving us the opportunity to view "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" and another work of Mario Bava to observe. It is remarkable that we have this new entertainment medium and that we can enjoy these films from so long ago. But -- this DVD is the worst one that I own. The picture is lousy and the sound is awful. You get the 1.66:1 screen ratio, but that wouldn't be so bad if the picture was CLEAR. I'm not sure if this was released prematurely. Just take into consideration my review of picture + sound to make your decision if you really want to buy this. In addition, it comes in a snap-case although there are some notes within.

Volume is at an all-time low. I had to crank up my speaker and software volume to the maximum and still had trouble hearing the dialogue. You could not possibly eat potato chips and listen to this at the same time!

The movie itself is pretty good, perhaps worthy of...

probably the best this movie will ever look
Bava's intriguing and original twist on the Italian giallo (a genre he had pretty much invented with Evil Eye and Blood and Black Lace) with an empathic view towards the killer (who is never hidden like in other thrillers but revealled right at the start). However, this is not a harrowing portrait of perversity like Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer or even Psycho. Bava's colourful compositions and beautiful cinematography give the proceedings a decidedly playful appeal - and his surreal flashbacks whenever the killer strikes avoids the use of on-screen gore. His use of voice-overs in the opening is inspired, as our 'hero' ponders his madness, what drives him to kill, etc. All this is delivered with a suitible ironic european flavour that non-Bava fans may be rather baffled by.

It's a shame that 'Hatchet' didn't receive the sort of dvd treatment 'Black Sunday' or 'Lisa & the Devil' got from Image, but it's a solid addition to any collection of Bava's work or fans...

Click to Editorial Reviews

History Classics: Lincoln and the Civil War

Excellent
Very informative documentary concerning Lincoln and his political views. Recommended viewing for all interested in the Civil War Era. Priced right!

Very Informative
Learned many interesting things I'd never heard before. Particularly liked the disks about Sherman and also Booth's efforts to escape and his wrong expectations that he was a hero. Terrific set of DVDs.

Gift for my pops
I purchased this for my father after we saw Lincoln in the movie theaters. The movie was a tad disappointing to him and he really wanted something a bit more historical about Lincoln overall. He raves how much he enjoyed watching this version and he has watched it several more times since then.

Click to Editorial Reviews

David and Goliath, Told by Mel Gibson with Music by Branford Marsalis

Wonderful, true to the Bible
This is a wonderful show for children, it tells the story right from the Bible. The music is very relaxing and the illustrations are beautiful and captivating. My children watch a lot of the Veggie Tales, and this is a good addition since it tells the story and doesn't make it quite so silly.

Blessing for your precious children
So biblical and fun learning and enjoyment for my precious boys to watch.Thank you for having this special show available.



Click to Editorial Reviews

Munger Road

I would have rated higher but...
This was a great suspenseful movie. I love horror, hate gratuitous gore. Had me on the edge of my seat. I would have given four, maybe five stars EXCEPT...

SPOILER ALERT: the ending - to be continued? Really? This isn't a weekly made for TV movie, so that was a total rip-off. SO you basically are watching a movie with a story you may never know the ending to. That was a very cheap shot.

Decent Movie ... With a Crap Ending ... Here's the A-Z!
** CONTAINS SPOILERS **

I mean, sure, we've all fallen prey to a great horror/murder premise that leads us in to watch it with either a good storyline, a good trailer or even just some well put together cover art re: DVD or poster ... but ending anything on TO BE CONTINUED is b/s of the highest order, sorry!

OK, as you can read either a) "it was so realistic, so wonderful," or b) "it was bad, so bad" in the 22 other reviews listed here before me, let me bring you up to speed quickly with an A-Z ... a local fair is setting up for the weekend and at the same time a convicted child killer breaks out of prison (we never see his photo on the fax though) and a group of 4 teens journey out to Munger Road, the scene of some spooky goings-on over the years.

The fair is a waste of plot time, the escaped convict too (as he proves to have been already killed in a hit and run at 11pm the same night he escaped), and so the only two stories are a) the Sheriff and his...

Good All Fashion Fun
Director Nick Smith has done an excellent Job with his first Movie " Munger Road". It reminds me of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller. Cast is great and Bruce Davidson does a fantastic Job as the Town Sheriff. I can wait to see more from Smith

Click to Editorial Reviews

Checking Out

Fantastic!
This film reminded me what a well written and acted film looks like. If you love smart dialogue and comedy, this is your kind of movie. I wish more films were this good.
If you liked this film, I suggest that you see "When Do We Eat".

Very Funny
I liked every minute of this movie.
It made me remeber "Noises OFF" because of the fast pace and the continuous laughing it provokes.
I do recomend.

Fun show to watch
Well written and well acted. Full of surprises you would not expect.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Aquamarine [HD]

Good for girls
My 11 year old daughter and 3 of her friends thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's just about right for their age group -- boy crushes, magical mermaids, wishes, giggles and mean girls.

It's an updated teen version of Little Mermaid -- Aquamarine is looking for True Love to prove to her dad that it exists so that she doesn't have to marry some seadude that she's not in love with.

At the end of the story -- the true love that she finds is the love that the two girlfriends show to her.

My girls all gave it a thumbs up and you'll find yourself humming the song as you leave this light hearted romp.

Pleasant, amusing, uplifting.
Aquamarine is a feel-good movie aimed at young teenage girls, but from a different demographic I still found it amusing, pleasant, and original enough to keep my interest. There's lots of young people, the beach, fireworks, the hit song "Island In The Sun," and a mermaid. If you're sick of winter in the midwest, it's a pleasant escape.

It's about two girlfriends, one of which is about to move away, who discover a mermaid washed into a swimming pool by the previous nights severe winds. The mermaid will grant them a wish if they help her find love - within a few days. Her father is forcing her to marry someone she doesn't love, because the Mermen (?) don't believe in love. She has just a few days to prove it exists, and she picks out the local life guard whom the two young protagonists also admire.

There's a bit of romance, a bit of humor, even a bit of suspense as the boy's previous girlfriend jealously interferes, and a few poignant moments as well. The...

Wonderful Pre-Teen/Early Teen Flick
Demographically speaking, "Aquamarine" has a clearly defined target audience. Young girls from the ages five through fifteen will think that this is the greatest movie ever. For the rest of us, meaning anyone over the age of fifteen, this is still a pretty cute film with likeable characters and decent acting.

The story goes like this: Two young friends are about to be worlds apart when one of them's mother gets a grant to work in Australia. They pray to the weather gods in typical silly sleepover fashion in hopes to remain together. Luckily, a mermaid washes up in the local public pool and agrees to grant them their wish if they can help her prove that love exists by getting the local lifeguard dreamboat to fall in love with her.

Sounds sort of silly, right? Well, it is, but not so silly that this flick is unwatchable. The three lead actresses, Emma Roberts, JoJo, and Sara Paxton, are all very likeable. Roberts and JoJo convincingly play best friends who...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Lost Broadcasts

The Move
If you were into 60's psychedelia and followed the British Invasion with a passion, The Move was the one to listen to. They were Beatle influenced as heck, with strings and cool arrangements, i am happy this is no loner a lost broadcast! Recommended highly!!

Love it!
If you are a fan of The Move, Jeff Lynne, ELO or Roy Wood this is a great DVD! So much better than watching little videos on YouTube and it had my feet tapping and a big smile on my face. Excellent quality and a great surprise to have these on DVD in this quality. Now if we only get an official release of the COLOUR ME POP stuff and more!!!

fascinating and strange in a good way
for Move completists.....very original and quirky......nice to see Jeff Lynne doing his bits and Roy Looks veryyyy tired and uncomfortable

Click to Editorial Reviews

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 [Blu-ray]

Lives up to the original!
This movie was totally funny!

I'm a big-time fan of the original BHChichuahua, but I found part 2 lacking and forgettable. Part 3 is way better, almost as good as the original in terms of laughs, thanks in large part to newcomer scriptwriter Dana Starfield. There were certain music scenes that had me literally rolling on the floor with laughter, and a certain happy ending that appears halfway through the closing credits that had me in tears.

I feel like a lot of effort was put into this sequal; I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the original.

Better Than a Vacation to Fiji!
This charming film is delightful from the first bark to the last peanut butter pit! If you haven't seen the film and don't know what I'm talking about, let's just say that dogs and peanut butter is a more unbeatable combination than peanut butter and chocolate. George Lopez and the rest of the voice actors give real heart and soul to all the darling dogs, even the ones with bit (or bite sized) parts. And of course, Papi rules! This is Disney at its finest: whimsy, fun, beautiful production value and great animated magic that takes you to a happy, light-hearted place which is sometimes just what the doctor ordered during these stressful, difficult times. I felt like I was on a wonderful fantasy vacation with my lovely dog friends at the very posh Langham Pasadena. Not only five star accommodations, but a five star film all the way! The talking animal effects are the most effective to date and helped pull me into their idyllic, happy world. Felt as rested as if I went on a spa...

Disney classic!!
This is for sure a Disney classic, because this movie has everything a great disney classic needs, great characters, great/funny/sarcastic villians, and a great catchy song sung by rainia Rodriguez. The story was great the chihuahua animation was awesome really cool, good story and always kept everyone interested in the movie.

I highly reccommend if looking for a good family film!

Click to Editorial Reviews