Wonder Pets - Save the Reindeer

Epsiode Listing for this DVD
Includes: "Save the Reindeer!", "Save the Goldfish!", "Save the Baby Birds!", "Save the Camel!", "Save the Ants!", "Save the Egg!", and "Save the Flamingo!"

What took so long?!?
We must have waited a year - at least - for new Wonder Pets episodes, but this one doesn't disappoint. Although there is a Christmas-themed reindeer episode, the others are as good (if not better) than the many, many other pets that have been saved in past episodes. My kids (3 and 6 - who started watching this at 5 and 2) STILL love this show, and are also learning about places and animals as they go. As a mom, that makes me love it, too - although I'd probably love it anyway, thanks to the adult-aimed cracks made throughout the show. Now, hopefully we won't have to wait another year for MORE WONDER PETS!

Super cute!
My kids LOVE The Wonder Pets! This DVD was as cute as can be. The "Save the Reindeer" show is their favorite of all the episodes on this particular DVD. Such sweet little songs & the "teamwork/friendship" message is clear.

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Above and Beyond

4-stars for the history buff, but only 2 stars for the general viewing audience, but I liked it!
In 1940 Germany's submarine forces are winning the war in the Atlantic, and massive tonnage of allied shipping, including shipments of military aircraft, make it only to the bottom of the sea. This Canadian made-for-TV mini-series uses this dire situation as a backdrop.

Since submarine warfare is slowly strangling Britain's ability to defend herself something has to be done to get materials across the Atlantic. A bold military officer and his capable female assistant take on the responsibility of setting up a risky yet vital plan to fly planes across the north Altantic from Newfoundland to Britain.

When the officer and his assistant arrive at a small Newfoundland airfield, they face the challenges of recruiting and retaining pilots, and training them to fly across the north Altantic (a risky venture at best), and dealing with the local townsfolk.

We soon learn that the assistant has a history with the local airfield operator, and their past catches...

Absolutely Fascinating- Must See!
What a wonderful delight. I am an avid history buff and was very surprised to find a huge story of WW2 that I knew nothing about. This movie details, with great charm, the perilous mission of flying new American made planes from Newfoundland to Ireland - a risky move that shortened the delivery time from 10 days to 10 hours. The venture was responsible for turning the tide of the war. The acting is first class and includes stellar performances by Kenneth Walsh, Richard E. Grant and the inimitable Joss Ackland as Churchill. Sluggish at times and with poor digital animation of the planes (they only found one Hudson plane so had to computer generate the rest). Aviation buffs may notice some errors, but it doesn't detract from the overall quality of the film. It will take two nights to watch, so be prepared with lots of popcorn. Truly one of the more interesting films I have ever watched and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Definitely a must for getting teens hooked on history -...

I love learning little bits of history
If you buy this because you see Jason Priestley's name in the cast list, you may be both sadly disappointed (his part is very small) and pleasantly surprised. This two-part Canadian Miniseries tells how a place most residents of the USA (and Canada and England, for that matter) had never heard of in 1939 became the primary embarkation point for thousands of US and Canadian built fighters and bombers flown to England to help turn the tide of the Second World War. It's an interesting story, with a little human conflict, a little star-crossed love, and a lot of pride in what the human race can do when the chips are down.

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Antlers (Subtitled)

Hunting Moose
This is a skillful and sympathetic portrait of six Canadian hunters who survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness by tracking down and killing Moose, hence the title. It is an unobtrusive form of film making, reminiscent of Errol Morris, which allows each subject to speak and act for himself without editorial judgment. Each viewer will form their own opinion about the practice of destroying these beautiful animals. Some may consider it a crime against nature, which it would be if for the purpose of adorning walls with grotesque taxidermy. But one can empathize with these hunters, who continue a tradition rooted in Canada's pioneering past. Modern ballistic technology has, perhaps, made the contest a little one sided. Nevertheless, I found it an absorbing insight into a way of life very remote from my own.





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Species (Collector's Edition)

SciFi Action with Sex Appeal
Don't be mistaken, the focus of this movie is to entertain. Mission accomplished! If your looking for a deep meaningful movie forget it. If your offended by nudity forget it. If action, gun play, and horror offend you forget it.

Species is a SciFiAction thriller with sex appeal. From the opening to the close of the movie your senses are bombarded with the goings on of a very sexy and very often nude Natasha Henstridge's fight for her alien life. The story line is solid and cohesive, with a few twists and turns thrown in this classic SciFi tale. Species is filled with: great actions sequences, excellent sound, very high quality production, and good acting from a superb cast. A classic mix of SciFi and Action required viewing for any true SciFi buff and an excellent choice.

Blu-ray Quality Review
While the film itself is a love it or hate hit kind of thing (as far as the story and actors and whatnot), I would like to rate the actual quality of the disk and what separates it from the dvd version.

The Blu-ray version of this movie is much better than all the other version. Better quality images, better quality sound, and you even get a cool glimpse into Giger's creative process with a extra on the blu-ray that shows him creating the "evil train" sequence.

Personally, I liked the movie - but I think what most people want to know is, is it worth buying the blu-ray version vs. the dvd version and the answer to that question is DEFINATELY!

The Mating Game
For years we humans have been looking for signs of life other than what's on this great, greasy mud ball we affectionately know as Earth. We've sent probes, satellites, and signals out into that vast darkness...we've searched the heavens with powerful telescopes and listened with highly sophisticated equipment design to detect anything that could point to the possibility of intelligence other than our own...and for all our efforts we got...squat...that is, until now...

Directed by Roger Donaldson (I was a bit wary here, as this was the man responsible for awful films Cocktail and Cadillac Man, but he did a really good film in that of No Way Out, so I'm torn...), Species (1995) stars certainly an interesting cast including the very busy Ben Kingsley (Ghandi), who slated to appear in a whopping seven films in 2005 (I think he's trying to compete with Gene Hackman and Michael Caine for the title of most prolific actor), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol's 1 and...

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Bratz: Starrin & Stylin

Daughter loves it
My daughter is obsessed with the Bratz dolls, and now she thinks she needs to own every single movie. This wasn't her favorite of them, but she does watch it quite often.





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El Rito de la Santa Muerte

Violent Ritual
"El rito de la Santa Muerte" (The Saint of Death Ritual - 2007) is a horrific nightmare that comes to life for a young gang member who makes a pledge to the Saint of Death. Before leaving prison, Diego (David Enriquez) has a change of fate when his cellmate trusts him with two secrets: the first is a suitcase filled with millions of pesos and the second is the possibility of becoming immortal through a pagan ritual. Once freed, Diego begins a war with drug dealers in his quest for revenge. From that moment forth, unable to undo his fatal pact with the Saint of Death, Diego is haunted and his life is just one big bloodbath. His destiny is sealed.

El rito de la Santa Muerte
Es una excelente película que explora algunos de los ritos asociados al culto de la Santa Muerte. La trama es extraordinaria, las actuaciones son en verdad únicas y la realización y dirección son geniales. Lo más extraordinario de ésta cinta es su fotografía. Aunque sólo fuera por su fotografía, El rito de la Santa Muerte refleja algunos de los estilos de vida que se pueden observar directamente en la región chicana de la Frontera entre México y EUA... ¡es en verdad una película para disfrutar visualmente!...



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The Other Side

Sam has to rescue the woman he loves before Reapers drag him back to Hell
Samuel North (Nathan Mobley) is skipping his college graduation to get back to the woman he loves, Hanna Thompson (Jaimie Alexander). A cell phone conversation sets up a rendezvous at their favorite spot, but the meeting never takes place. One of Hanna's co-workers tells a little lie to get some jerk to leave her alone, and that sets the jerk on Hanna's trail. As for Sam, he begins the victim of a strange car accident and wakes up in a hospital bed, where he learns that Hanna is missing and that all those strange dreams he had while he was unconscious were memories of time he spent in Hell. The bad news is that Sam was killed by the accident, but the good news is that he has escaped from Hell, which results in more bad news because Hell has sent a trio of demon bounty hunters known as Reapers to fetch him back. So Sam has to find the missing Sarah and avoid the Reapers, aided and abetted not only by Peter (Stephen Caudill), a friend who happens to be a cop, but also Oz (Poncho...

Good Indie Thriller
Though this definitely could have benefitted from a bigger budget, more experienced actors, and a little more polish on the editing and directing sides, this is a solid effort offering up some fun action and a clever storyline. Infused with some genuinely funny moments, an impressive score, and some startling violence, this is an action thriller that doubles as a mystery with a supernatural twist. In summary, an impressive little film, an interesting find, and I applaud everyone involved; they clearly put a lot of energy and artistry into this, and it pays off.

"The Other Side" is best indie movie I've ever seen!
Saw this movie "The Other Side" at the Waterfront Film Festival, and it was really really good. The movie has a cool premiese, and I enjoyed the roller coaster action thrills all the way to the end. The writer and director Gregg Bishop is an inspired young filmmaker and I'm looking forward to his next effort. This cast of newcomers was a real discovery, especially the leading man Nathan Mobley. He's sort of reminds me of Matt Damon in the first Bourne Identity movie. The beautiful Jaimie Alexander from "Kyle XY" is the leading lady. And Mobley's sidekick played by Cory Rouse stands out too as a wise cracking trouble maker. This one's definately worth seeing and buying for your collection.
The Other Side

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Evil Aliens (R-Rated)

Remember kids... dont have sex in the middle of a circle of stones. Or you might die.
I'm gonna try to keep this review short and sweet.

First off, if you don't like low/decent budget, then don't bother.

If you do like gore, then you need to try and watch this.

Ok. Now `Evil Aliens' starts off, right away, with a sex scene (which you see nothing but a dudes booty) where a guy is pounding away like a jack rabbit, right in the middle of some very large stones that form a circle. Now that is just a no no in my horror movie experience. And boy was a I right...especially if you're fond of not getting anal probed by aliens. Woah woah woah my friends. Don't get aroused just yet. Yes, we got aliens destroying a mans backside and cutting a woman's gut open to throw an alien fetus in her belly within 5 minutes of the movies beginning, but that does NOT mean this movie is good. Yet. I almost took the movie out honestly. It got pretty boring even with it's blatant humor. Thank goodness the girl named Michelle Fox was in there showing off...

Amazingly fearless and funny
Normally to see a great 'crowd pleaser' movie you have to watch something from Disney, Spielberg, or Jerry Bruckheimer. But with them you get no crude humor, drug use, or gratuitous amounts of gore. You have to admit, it would be nice just for once to see a movie fearless enought to do that. Enter Evil Aliens - a movie made to please a crowd that has no boundries, not even on movie genres. It's part sci fi, part horror, part comedy - and it even breaks the rules for those three genres as well. The comedy ranges from oldstyle slapstick to drug references (I can't think of another movie with that range). The gore is so creative and off the wall that it leaves you laughing in amazement, instead of puking in the corner. And it breaks all the rules of sci fi by not being family orientated in any way, shape or form. Let's face it - you could watch any of the Star Trek movies with your kids and grandparents. And remember how upset those Star Wars fans were when they saw the original Alien...

Cool Fun Horror!!!
This movie is unbelievably cool & gory as all get out!! Anyone who's ever enjoyed silly type slapstick horror titles such as "Evil Dead 2", "Army Of Darkness", "Undead", "Dead Alive", "Shaun Of The Dead" (Shaun still did it best hands down :P) or "Feast" will get a swift kick outta this film. Nothing you really need to know plot wise other than there's a show that does investigative reporting in Europe about Aliens & UFO's. A silly rag tag group is assembled to go investigate an Alien abduction. And then just lots of blood, guts, more blood, & more guts. There's more to it than that, but not to spoil things, that's all you'll need to know going in. If you've ever enjoyed any of the films I listed above watch this movie, it's destined to be a classic & you'll love every minute of it!!! "ENGLISH!!!" *Ptew*

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Southern Fried Chicks

You'll laugh yourself silly
If you like the MEN of "Blue Comedy Tour" then you'll love this. These women will make you laugh so hard. The first comedian is pretty stupid, so I forwarded it past her. The second lady is pretty good. But then the blonde who does the impressions is so talented! Her comdey is original. And you have to hear the last one, Etta May, talk about her family. You will want to watch it over and over again.

These Ladies are a Hoot!!!
The "Southern Fried Chicks" are four women who do stand-up comedy. I caught their hour special on CMT (this video contains that material and MORE) and have to say I've never laughed out loud so much at a show like this. The stand-up routine performances were definitely 'each their own' and these gals really do a phenomenal job. They get a little raunchy, but nothing too over the top/obnoxious. For a good hour of just plain ol' contemporary country comedy, this DVD fills the order. Be prepared to laugh out loud, and often. Both my husband and I found the Southern Fried Chicks to be marvelously funny.

southern fried chicks
this cd was tremendously funny and made my day I bought two more and sent them to my mom and mom in law for Christmas!

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The Departed [HD DVD]

Brilliant remake of "Infernal Affairs"
It's a tricky business adapting a foreign movie for an American audience. Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" captures all the best elements of the original film "Infernal Affairs" and works traditional Scorsese themes and material into the film making it very much his own and every bit the equal to the Chinese film. Featuring outstanding performances all around perhaps this film will finally earn Scorsese the Oscar for Best Director that he deserved for "Raging Bull" over twenty years ago.

Two state trooper academy graduates one an undercover officer named Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a mole in the department Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) working for crime lord Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson)have opposite goals. Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) charge Costigan with gathering as much dirt as possible on Sullivan so they can finally take him out. They work up a false history for Costigan which includes a brief stint in prison to create...

A remake? An original? Or both...?
I read some of the other reviews, and I'm frustrated that so many people are finding a problem with Martin Scorcese's sensibilities in adapting a Hong Kong -set thriller to an American venue, using his legendary experience to create a very American "original". I was immensely entertained, baffled at all the intended times, intrigued at the appropriate times, and thoroughly blown away with the remarkable ending. Others have blabbed away plot-points, and I'm glad I didn't read those reviews before I saw the film. There's no doubt that Scorcese is deserving of Oscar recognition, and trying to make comparisons to his other films doesn't fly with me. This was a brutal display of some very mean people, but not as gory as "Goodfellas", not as character driven as "Raging Bull" and not as gritty as "Taxi Driver". It WAS, however, a terrific plot-driven narrative, and Mr. Scorcese should be applauded for taking this very complicated story, where each character is constantly affecting the...

Ratology
At long last a great movie by Scorese again. After a disappointing Aviator and an impressive but somehow soulless Gangs of New York, this one is entirely satisfactory.
A highly suspenseful cops and gangsters story with the main driver provided by the mutual spy set-up, i.e. both sides having their undercover agents in the opposite camp.
Leo D. and Matt Damon are perfect in their parts as "rats". Of course they represent different species of the rodent. Leo is the good rat, who hides among the baddies and has to pretend to be one of them. You suffer with him and are near a nervous breakdown, just as he. Damon is the smooth and admirable bad rat who seems to his environment like a good solid bloke, but the viewer knows better. Well, also Wahlberg's character does not like him, but he likes no one. This is the Hitchcockian technique of letting the audience know more, which increases suspense dramatically. Imagine the same story, but you don't know who is the bad rat. That would...

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Funny Face (50th Anniversary Edition)

"I love your funny face! Your sunny, funny face!"
In 1957, Paramount produced a very enjoyable musical comedy called "Funny Face", directed by Stanley Donen, and to the music of George Gershwin, Adolph Deutsch, Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe. With a simple plot, the film begins in New York City within the offices of the major fashion magazine named "Quality". Its president, Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), is determined to find a new way to promote the magazine. In a moment of inspiration, she comes up with the slogan "Think pink," and breaks into song praising the color pink and saying that everything (from women's clothing, soap, furniture, etc.) must be pink. Of course, she "wouldn't be caught dead" in it.

Moving on to another magazine project, Maggie wants to find the perfect spot to photograph one of the magazine's models named Marion (Dovima, who was a major fashion model in the 1950's working closely with photographer Richard Avedon. This was her only film.). An assistant suggests that they go to a bookstore in Greenwich...

The Centennial Collection of "Funny Face" is the definitive version to own on DVD!
Think Pink! S'wonderful! Songs that are among the many wonderful memories from the classic love story and popular 1957 musical "Funny Face" starring Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson featuring memorable Gershwin songs, exciting choreography, beautiful fashion and beautiful scenes shot in Paris. "Funny Face" was not just a regular musical of that time, it was a special film that highlights the style of an era and of course, another stunning fashion collaboration between Audrey Hepburn and her designer Hubert de Givenchy. And also bringing together two top tier music talents such as Astaire and Thomas, all three in one film is just fantastic!

The film starts off with publisher and editor of Quality Magazine, Maggie Prescott (Thompson), looking for a new fashion trend. A woman that exhibits beauty and intellect and both Prescott and fashion photographer, Dick Avery (Astaire) decide to look for this woman who can "think as well as they look". So, the two along...

"Let's give 'em the old bizzazz!"
FUNNY FACE is one of the most enjoyable and delightful of Hollywood musicals. Featuring an immortal George & Ira Gershwin score ("He Loves and She Loves", "S'Wonderful", "Let's Kiss and Make Up", "How Long Has This Been Going On?"); the smartly-written screenplay by Leonard Gershe also marks this film with a strong storyline. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't like this movie.

When Quality Magazine invades a pokey Greenwich Village bookstore for a photo shoot, it's the "dowdy intellectual shopgirl" Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) who gets unwittingly discovered. Photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) finds something special in this "funny face" and jets her off to Paris as the new model for Quality's beauty campaign. Of course love comes knocking for Jo and Dick, but not before some marvelous songs have been sung, and showstopping dances have been performed.

Kay Thompson steals the entire movie as the deadpan magazine editor Maggie Prescott. She gets things...

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Dierks Bentley: Video Hits

Dirks' Beginning
This is a good video compilation that covers the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. This is worth it for What Was I Thinking, alone. Nice to see sweet young Dirks striving for the acclaim he justly deserves!





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Craziest Christmas Collection

Does NOT contain Yogi's First Christmas...
Everytime I did a search for Yogi's first christmas it brought me to this title. Upon reading the reviews no one was helpful enough to include what it actually did contain other than the obvious from the front picture. So this set includes 3 dvd's: One contains a compilation of Scooby Doo mysteries from old to really old that revolve around Christmas or just winter in general. Another is the WB cartoon Bah Humduck which is the Christmas Carol as done by the Warner Brothers crew...Daffy Duck etc. Lastly is a compilation of Christmas or winter Tom & Jerry cartoons.

The only one that we have watched all the way through is the Scooby Doo since we are not big fans of the other characters. The overally quality and packaging is good so if you are into these guys then this DVD is for you.

except for a couple of them ..it wasn't very christmassy
I don't know what it is but some people think it if you throw in a little cold and snow you all of sudden have a christmas theme related show . there were probably two shows in the sets one was a scooby doo and the daffy duck cartoon called "bah humduck" that actually had christmas theme to them . none of the the tom and jerry cartoons were really christmas related themes other than the had snow in them and a cold weather feeling. so I will give it a 3 because for the price it wasn't bad .I'm a big fan of cartoons even though I got this for my daughter for us to watch together during the holiday season.

scoobydoo
scoobydoo hes my man love this cartoon how could you not laugh at scooby voice thank you the dvd was great shipping was great very fast thanks again

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Strawberry Shortcake - Let's Dance (Mat not included)

Strawberry Shortcake: Let's Dance
The movie was good and my 7-yr old daughter enjoyed it, but the bonus dancing feature was a little disappointing. There is only one dance and it hardly even uses the provided mat.

A Great Strawberry Video
"Let's Dance" is another great Strawberry Shortcake video. A few of the previous videos before this one have been lacking, but this one makes up for them. It is now one of the best video in the collection so far.

The first part of the video is about the Purple Pieman and Sour Grapes trying to steal this years berries. Sour Grapes pretends to be a famous dance teacher to keep the kids busy while Pieman takes the berries, but everything goes wrong for Pieman when Sour Grapes begins to enjoy teaching the kids.

The second part of the video is when the kids meet Apricot for the first time. Apricot learns that you don't have to pretend to be someone you are not so that other will like you. It really has a good message for being yourself and friendship.

really cute and interactive
This was my daughter's first Strawberry Shortcake dvd. She's watched it over and over; she was 2.5 when we got it and is now 4.5 years old and still likes it. And she learned the dance moves, sort of. She loves to dance along with the dance mat. there's also a special feature with a music video where SSC and the friends play instruments, so my daughter likes to get out her guitar and pretend to be one of the girls. My boys also like this video too and they were 5 when we bought it and still like it at age 7!.

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Superman Returns [HD DVD]

A Superman we can root for
I remember seeing Superman IV in the theaters when I was six, how there were so many people swarming all around, how there was excitement. Clearly it was a shoddy movie, but to a kid you just can't buy that kind of palpable movie madness.

Now I'm as old as my parents were when they saw the very first Superman, and I've got to say this must be what it felt like. I think Bryan Singer is fast becoming one of the most respectable directors in Hollywood, and what he did with this movie--on a far, far grander scale than either of his X-Men movies--merits SOME kind of award come Oscar time.

We all know the story--Kryptonian boy comes to Earth, saves man from the foibles of archnemesis Lex Luthor, woos Lois Lane. Singer and Co. decided to have this movie pick up after Superman II (wise move) but you never really get a jarring sense of chronology--no General Zod references here. Instead, Supe has just returned from a nearly five-year journey to see if anything remains of...

Not Even Kryptonite Can Stop Him!
I can now forgive Bryan Singer for ditching X-Men - possibly even he couldn't have saved X-3, but what he did with Superman Returns puts him at the top of the heap of action film directors. Quite simply Superman Returns is just about perfect. It has nearly everything one could want in a 21st Century incarnation for the Man of Steel and the physical production is visually as eye-poppingly glorious as anyone could hope for. The flying scenes (especially the Superman in space scenes) have a breadth and beauty around them that almost stops one's breath - absolutely stunning.

As we've come to expect, there is great humor throughout with winks to the comic books and previous Superman flicks and director Singer doesn't shrink from paying obvious homage to the Reeve flicks - a very nice touch, indeed. Singer doesn't shrink, either, from going for broke in the second half of the film's more emotional content and the balance between action, love story, and pseudo-religious,...

A sequel and a remake at the same time
I went to a special pre-release screening of Superman Returns that I thought was supposed to start at 9:30 and did not start until 10:30. While watching the previews, I wondered why on earth I ever agreed to go see a movie at this hour on a work night. As soon as the film started, with the stunning 3-D-like presentation of the credits, accompanied by that wonderfully irreplaceable theme music by John Williams, all doubts were gone.

And in this theme music is the key to the wonder of Superman Returns. It is set up as a sequel to the original films, and yet it recycles many elements of the original, and so it manages the seemingly impossible task of being a sequel and a remake at the same time. Watching the film was like a wonderful trip back in time to 1978. Everything was different and yet everything was the same.

Once again, Lex Luthor has a plan for taking over the world that involves land, and this plan is even more diabolical and life-threatening than...

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Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man

Go For the Whole Season
I hate to have to say that I was dissapointed with this buy, but I was. And it's difficult to find any redeeming quality in it. The idea of condensing the GITS Laughing Man series into a feature length movie was a great idea. The story arc is a complex one, and I jumped at the opportunity to re-watch the story in a continuous format. However, one of the first issues arises in the editing. People who watched the complete series will see the editing choices the producers made when splicing together the various episodes -- and will very likely notice just how disjointed the results are. Those who haven't seen the original episodes won't notice the uneveness, but will probably be completely confused as to what the heck is going on within 20 minutes. So who exactly was the audience for this product? Old fans or new ones?

If the answer is old fans, than the producers will have given them plenty of other reasons to be upset about this product. For one, the original character...

A great story with just one flaw for hard core SAC fans
If you think you might be interested in Ghost in the Shell SAC this would be a great introduction to the series beyond the film, however, I could not give it a 5 star rating because the english voice cast is not the established voices from the SAC series. I would rather recomend the 26 episode box set or individual disks from the SAC series first because while the Laughing Man story arc is great, the additional stand alone stories from the 26 episode series are equally entertaining. In summary I would not recomend this disk to established fans of the series but, I would to anyone who is interested to a great story outside of the movie and has a mild curiosity about Ghost in the Shell SAC.

Pass on it, get the episodes instead
To paraphrase another movie, this is not the DVD you are looking for.

The series was edited and basically slaughtered to make the Laughing Man "movie." The editing leaves out too much of the original Laughing Man episodes, and makes the story very choppy. The voice actors are not from the original cast, and their performance and dub-in is not good.

I bought this 2 DVD set because I thought that it would be neat to see the whole Laughing Man story arc as one complete movie. Unfortunately, the editing leaves out too much of the story line, and the voice acting is not good. I couldn't watch it at all with the English soundtrack, and I had to switch to the Japanese and subtitles.

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Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale

Funny and cute DVD for family
This is a really cute, wonderfully animated holiday DVD to help kids appreciate the Nutcracker. Tom and Jerry, two staples of cartoon characters make this a wonderfully funny dvd for the whole family to watch. I would recommend this for any family to watch.

A great childrens Movie
This movie is great! My 4 year old saw it once on TV and loved it! I came to Amazon to find it, since it was hard to find being not one of the most popular movie/cartoon titles that are out these days. It is definitely an enjoyable classic and well worth the money!!

My Review on The Nutcracker Movie Cartoon of Tom and Jerry
The Nutcracker of Tom and Jerry was very cute and excellent movie to watch for any Tom and Jerry fan !
Great animation and Great storyline of Nutcracker Tom and Jerry !

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Nothing But the Truth Skate DVD

Nice movie.
It is a nice DVD, but actually I was expecting more skate and less "cinematography" on this movie, and P.Rod scene was really short, I can resume saying that I was expecting more from this movie.

Great DVD
Good skate video with great music. If you like this, I recommend "Yeah Right!" by Girl Skateboarding, and "Fully Flared" by Lakai Limited.



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Seven Sunny Days: Short Stories From A Long Winter

Great movie!
Best ski movie I've seen in a long time! Much better than the recent Warren Miller films, has a good soundtrack and incredible camera angles. Highly recommended.

Excellent ski movie
Awesome ski movie. Great shots and great athletes killing it. Matchstick was truly at the peak of their game during this one.

Action filled!
Great big mountain action with a little park thrown in for kicks and giggles. Always a fun view with MSP.

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The Sarah Silverman Program - Season One

You'll either love it or hate it -- or both at the same time
It is impossible to watch this show without some kind of strong reaction. There were times watching this show that I laughed as hard as I have laughed at anything I've seen in recent years. But there were also times when I was simply appalled at how unfunny and in bad taste some parts were, as if the point had ceased being to make us laugh and had become to shock and dismay us. There are many moments when I am simply blown away by the brilliance and originality of Silverman's comic vision and times when I wonder if she has any conception of what is funny and what is not.

This is definitely not a show for everyone and it has nothing to do with how well one's sense of humor is developed. There are simply a lot of absolutely terrible moments in these episodes to go along with some hysterically funny ones. If you can filter out or ignore the bad and merely focus on the good, this is a show you will either partially enjoy or consider a masterpiece. But if you can't filter...

Perhaps the best comedy since "Sunny in Philly"
I heard the buzz about this show and Tivo'd it a few weeks ago. Now I'm addicted. If you enjoy tasteless, no holes barred comedy that will make you squirm in your seat and fall on the floor laughing, this show is right up your alley. The show has nothing in common with Seinfeld other than both are sitcoms and very funny - for totally different reasons. TSSP is more akin to 'It's Always Sunny in Philly' than anything else on the air right now. For that reason alone, it's worth checking out.

I love Tab
A hit and miss affair at some points, but when it hits, it hits solid. The Sarah Takes in a Homeless Guy episode and the Sarah Becomes a Lesbian episode are highlights. Can't wait to see the second season. Oh, and maybe you should watch the show if you think she's in any way trying to be Seinfeld.

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Mar Vol. 3

MARvellous
My sons and I love the show. Each summer we watch the whole series (1-52 in English and 53-102 in Japanese with English subtitles). Volume 3 has the start up of the War games with the introduction of Ian and Nanashi. The episodes are cleverly written with likeable characters. If you watch Naruto, you will notice several familiar voices.





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Lost Gospels or False Gospels?

Maybe needs a new title
The title False or Lost Gospels may be a bit misleading. Early Christianity was surrounded by a complex world of religious diversity and many times other groups tried to 'borrow' from each other to help earn converts to their religion. In reality, that's what Gospels like Thomas, Judas, etc are all about tryin to create interest in Gnosticism by using well known names of people well known to Christians. This video makes that clear--unlike some others that try to see the Gnostics as an off shoot of Christianity (instead of a seperate religious group with Greek roots). This video is a good example of explaining a somewhat complicated situation in an understandable way.

Exposes Neo-Gnostic pseudo-scholarship
This is a good primer for the Christian or seeker who may be confused by scholars such as Elaine Pagels who claim that there were many "competing Christianities" and "hundreds of Gospels" in the early centuries. This DVD exposes the faulty postmodernist thinking behind this so-called scholarship.

This DVD is directed to Roman Catholics with presentations by Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa, Ph. D, and others.
If your are not a Catholic, don't buy this DVD. There have been many recent discoveries of gnostic gospels, which are interesting to me, and many books which cover them are available on Amazon. The gnostic Gospel of Judas by National Geographic on DVD can be purchased here. I highly recommend the DVDs of Joseph Campbell (Mythos in 3 parts with Susan Sarandon and the Hero's Journey, both available on Amazon) for unbelievers or those who want to learn about all religions. Campbell has also written many books on religion, including The Masks of God in 3 volumes and The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers. Finally, I would direct you to the recent release of Zeitgeist: The Movie, which points out that many Christian beliefs were taken from the Egyptians and other ancient religions and questions if Jesus really existed.

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Max & Ruby - A Merry Bunny Christmas

Classic and Simple Entertainment
This DVD is pleasantly simple. The characters do things strikingly similar to what my children do, which makes it all the more amusing to them. They are not over stimulating, and do not contain violence, undertones, or really anything that I would not want my family exposed to. Rather, they take those everyday moments you absolutely treasure and have presented them in a classic/retro style cartoon that appeals to both boys and girls! Yippee, the kids can agree on something to watch! And they're quite nostalgic for mom and dad, as well.

Episodes include:
Grandma's Present, Max and Ruby's Christmas Tree, Max's Snow Plow, Max's Snow Day, Max's Snow Bunny, Max's Mix-Up, Max'a Fireflies, Max and Ruby's Fashion Show, Ruby's Sing Along, Ruby's Puppet Show, Sugar Plum Max, Max's Ant Farm

riddle
What's little, sticky and can watch a Max & Ruby DVD 986 times in a row?

I think anyone with kids or grandchildren can answer that one. I can't believe how much my grandchildren love Max & Ruby. Simple, cute and evidently hypnotizing.

Gotta love Max & Ruby.

We love Max and Ruby
The Max and Ruby books and dvd's are wonderful. My kids and I have been enjoying this series since they were little and they still love them today.

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Frank Sinatra: Signature Collection

Good collection of classic Sinatra films at an ultra-low price
"The Frank Sinatra Collection" includes three classic films:

"The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955) 1 hour 59 minutes, B&W
Notable for Sinatra's performance as a junkie going through cold turkey withdrawal from heroin.

"Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946) 2 hours 17 minutes, Color
Almost every big name of the day puts in an appearance in this Jerome Kern biopic. Precious little Sinatra, but he does get the honor of performing the big finale number.

"Suddenly" (1954) 1 hour 15 minutes, B&W
Sinatra as a would be assassin waiting for the Presidential motorcade. After 1963 Sinatra had this film noir withdrawn from circulation. (Because the copyright wasn't renewed this one fell into the public domain and a lot of bad copies are floating around.)

The inclusion of "The House I Live In" (1945) as a ten minute bonus feature more than justifies the price of the entire collection.

The DVD package says, "Carefully Re-Mastered for...

Getting Your Money's Worth, and Then Some
This is a fantastic trio of Sinatra films, and though he is only in the last scene of "Till the Clouds Roll By," his performance singing "Old Man River" warrants it being a "Sinatra film." Both "The Man With the Golden Arm" and "Suddenly" are in black and white, and show their age by being quite grainy, but are well worth watching and especially owning if you're a Sinatra fan. "Till the Clouds Roll By" is in color and in remarkable condition, and the running time on this version is 2 hrs. and 17 minutes. An added bonus is a ten minute film to teach kids about the evils of bigotry (although this being a WWII film, it is not exactly Japanese-friendly). Included are 2 songs, "If You Are But a Dream," and "The House I Live In." The audio on these songs is poor, but shows us the era when Frankie made the girls swoon, and we can understand why.

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955)

Viewing this film is like lifting a rock to see what has been existing under its dark...

Good Low Budget Film Noir
If you like old film noir movies, you can't go wrong with this very inexpensive Sinatra set. Man With The Golden Arm is memorable and captivated me in terms of venturing into Sinatra films. Suddenly is pure low budget noir, quick paced and entertaining-Sinatra is one really evil dude in this picture, so be prepared! Till The Clouds Roll By is a very long musical extravaganze-nothing in terms of plot but great to just fast forward to a few noteworthy performances (Sinatra closes with an incredible "Old Man River"). All b&w, somewhat grainy.......but at this price, a winner.

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Evening

Nostalgia and Reverie - A Cinematic Mood Piece
Criticism of the film EVENING, based on the novel by Susan Minot and adapted for the screen by Minot and Michael Cunningham, has been harsh, so harsh that it may have discouraged many viewers from giving the film a try. The primary criticism has centered on the fact that very little happens in this film about a dying woman's fretting over a mistake she made one summer in her youth, that famous actors were given very minor roles, that the entire production was over-hyped, etc. For this viewer, seeing the film on a DVD in the quiet of the home, a very different reaction occurred.

Ann Grant Lord (Vanessa Redgrave) is dying in her home by the ocean and her medication and memories allow her to share a man's name - 'Harris' - with her two grown daughters Nina (Toni Colette) and Constance (Natasha Richardson). As her daughters sit at her bedside Ann relives a particular summer when she was a bridesmaid for her best friend Lila (Mamie Gummer) - a marriage both Ann (Claire Danes...

Superb performances alone simply cannot rescue EVENING from mediocrity.
This will undoubtedly be the toughest review that I have ever written. I went into this film with the highest of expectations. I was not disappointed with any of the acting as it is uniformly superb (surprisingly most from Hugh Dancy in a "Greek Chorus" commentary performance that I found truly touching!).Oscar nods for acting would not surprise me in the least for a number of these fine professionals! I was charmed and lulled with Jan A.P. Kaczmerak's hauntingly poignant original soundtrack. The camera shots are beautiful. The set design and costumes are appropriately period.I will probably remember much of what I saw and mull it over in the coming years.I truly wanted to be bowled over by this film, but I left the theatre feeling flat, confused and unfulfilled. The shifting back and forth between the time frames was not at all a problem (I was already comfortable with THE HOURS and THE NOTEBOOK and YA-YA) so that wasn't it.

My conclusion was that the screenplay just...

Spend An Evening With These Fine Actresses
Caught a special screening of the film and I was just blown away by the performances. It's one thing to know that these actresses are in the film but to then see them together on the screen is a joy.

If you're a fan of The Notebook you'll love this film. It's a sweeping romance that takes place against a beautiful backdrop of the New England cliffside. The cinematography takes full advantage of the location.

Claire Danes has come to visit her good friend on her wedding weekend and she gets swept up in a romance with Harris, played by Patrick Wilson. Too bad for Hugh Dancy's character, cause he's got some issues.

This is all happening in flashback as Claire Danes' character, now played by Vanessa Redgrave, recounts the tale to her grown daughters.

The performances are top notch. Meryl Streep shows up later in the film but I don't want to spoil it. I cried at least five times throughout the film and I can't wait to see it again...

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The Best of the Cosby Show

Nice sampling
This is a nice sampling of the better Cosby episodes. I liked the show, but didn't want to purchase and watch entire season sets. This set has most of the episodes that I remember from the series run. Don't expect superb picture quality, but it looks at least as good as the original broadcasts. There are no bonuses. Episodes are in broadcast order. For example, the first is from season 1, then you get one or two from each of the seasons that followed, in chronological order.

The Best of the Best
I really love "The Cosby Show." Like millions of other families, every Thursday night when this came on, my family and I would get around the TV and watch it.

Why is "The Cosby Show" so groundbreaking?

It is really the first accurate depiction of an African-American family. Prior to "The Cosby Show," African-American sitcoms always had the buffoon character with unrealistic storylines. But "The Cosby Show" refused to pander to the lowest common denominator. And by doing so they became the Number One Sitcom in the country. "The Cosby Show" said that the black family was no different from the white family or the Asian-American family or the Latin-American family. Maybe the main message of "The Cosby Show" was that in the end we all have the same problems and the same goals.

It's really hard to say who my favorite character is on "The Cosby Show." The entire cast is so likeable. Watching them was like watching old friends. If I had to pick, of course...

They just don't make them like this anymore
I don't think we ever missed a show during its long run. The very first night it was on, my wife said "I never heard you laugh like that" and in deed it did hit me just right. It of course is not all just funny a lot of the shows had a very serious side, isn't that life amoung all the seriousness of life there are those funny moments.

I am a big fan of old tv from "The Honeymooners" to "The Cosby show", in my opinion the only great show in the last 15 years or so has been "Everybody loves Raymond", I have the whole series on DVD and it was really expensive $40 a season, but worth it.

Since I got this "Best of Cosby show", I have seen each episode 3 or 4 times, I seem to be able to watch them over and over and they don't get old.

Having said that, much like the first "Mary Tyler Moore" I got that was a compilation, I bought the whole series so that first one was kind of a waste and I gave it away to a friend, I don't think she ever watched it. I...

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Auto-B-Good Special Edition: Driving It Home

Great stories!
The kids watch it over and over, never get tired of it. Great message and done in a way that the 4yr olds love.





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Patch Adams [HD DVD]

Meet a doctor who doesn't look, act, or think like a doctor!!!
+++++

This movie is based on the book "Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter" by Hunter Doherty Adams with Maureen Mylander.

Mike Farrell of "M*A*S*H" fame was one of the producers of this movie.

This movie is also based on the true story of Hunter "Patch" Adams.

At the movie's beginning we are taken to the psychiatric ward of a hospital in 1969. We discover here how Hunter Adams (Robin Williams) gets his unique nickname of "Patch" and why he decides to become a medical doctor.

Two years later he goes to medical school where he encounters, among other things, a snobby roommate named Mitch (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a very traditional medical school dean (Bob Gunton), meets a fellow medical student named Truman (Daniel London) who becomes his good friend, and as well meets a stand-offish female medical student Corinne (Monica Potter) who eventually sees his point of view with respect to medicine.

Patch's antics at...

Gain inspiration & wisdom while you're entertained!
Robin Williams' portrayal of Dr. Patch Adams' medical school adventures was both entertaining and inspiring. Although Williams' comic genius shined through in his physical humor of clowning around (e.g. entertaining sick children by dancing with bedpans on his feet, an enema bulb on his nose and an IV stand as a dance partner) as well as quick verbal banter, the comedy is only part of Williams' acting repertoire and movie's appeal. Having seen Robin Williams mostly in interviews where he seemed to be spending every second trying to be funny, I was amazed at his ability to not only be serious, but to convincingly portray a spectrum of non-comic emotions/conditions: shock, grief, guilt, frustration, anger. All was not fun and games in the medical school education of Patch Adams, as he dealt with personal issues, personality clashes and the difficulties of trying change the institution of medicine without getting thrown out of medical school. I also enjoyed the work of the...

Great movie
Robin Williams gives an outstanding performance. It's touching, funny, and a whole lot cleaner than most movies today. Someone said that this movie showed people being murdered, blaspheming God, and showed you how to have sex. None of this is true. A girl *is* murdered, but you don't see anything at all and don't even know that until way after it happens. She is murdered by a severely insecure man who then kills himself, but you don't see this or even see their bodies afterwards. God is not really blasphemed, but there is one part where Patch sits on a cliff and talks to God about why things had to happen that way, and he considers commiting suicide. But this doesn't happen. And for the life of me I have no idea where they showed or even mentioned sex! The absolute closest thing to that would be at the end when he graduates from medical school... I don't want to give it away because it is hilarious, but don't worry, it's not dirty or nasty. I wouldn't recommend you watch it...

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Alfred Hitchcock: The Legend Begins - 20 Movie Classics

Good deal for the money
Since the days of bargain-bin videotapes by labels like Goodtimes, I've always been wary of these "too good to be true" deals. Yet, as I am quite a fan of the films of Alfred Hitchcock, I couldn't pass this one up. And for the most part, I'm glad I gambled a few bucks.

As of this writing, the majority of these films are still in the public domain and thus, not available from companies willing to spend the time and money on a proper restoration. It's worth noting, though, that some of the best films here ARE available in near-pristine condition in the 3-disc The Alfred Hitchcock Box Set (The Ring / The Manxman / Murder! / The Skin Game / Rich and Strange). Two are available in Criterion Collections: The Lady Vanishes - Criterion Collection and The 39 Steps...

The origins of greatness
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - THE LEGEND BEGINS consists primarily of silent and sound films that Hitchcock directed before relocating from Britain to Hollywood in 1940. One feature that distingushes this collection from several similar budget-priced multi-packs is the near-hour's worth of movie trailers included as a bonus. There's also a couple of episodes from the murder/mystery anthology TV show that Hitchcock hosted a half century ago.

MILL CREEK box sets offer good-to-average-quality audio and video transfers of public domain material at a most reasonable price. Since their switch over from RAINTREE, the company ID appears for brief intervals in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK - THE MASTERPIECE COLLECTION is an exquisite box set of many of Hitch's finest UNIVERSAL/MCA titles.

Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings...

What a lot of fussing over a 5 buck item!
I picked this up at Wal-Mart in the five-dollar bin, desperate for a copy of The Thirty-Nine Steps and willing to risk all of a five-big-dollars-plus-tax for it. What I got was a terrific collection of the early Hitchcock films, including the silents, not remastered but seemingly all taken from surprisingly decent prints, and with good sound--the quality we used to see and be fine with on late night television. All my discs played perfectly including one I'd scratched accidentally. The discs are packed solid with material so if your DVD player is old or dirty you might have problems.

If I waited for Criterion to do up an equivalent package, and that doesn't seem to be happening, I'd probably end up paying over $200 for the whole shebang. This $5 deal leaves me with $195 to go out and get another DVD player, or even a new lawnmower. Not bad.

Batches of defective discs turn up all the time. It just happens. If a customer, immediately after purchase, swaps a bad...

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Total Body Cardio Toning

Upbeat, fantastic workout
I love this workout and can't wait to try the other DVDs in this series. It is a carto-strength training-yoga-pilates fusion, but no sun-salutes here, yeah! The instructor (Tanja Djelevic ) is not too chatty, but motivates to get you going. The music really is not disco, it is modern, upbeat, and wonderful. The setting is beautiful in the mountains of Utah. You get 50, 30, and 10 min workouts. In the 50, she'll start you with a fun warm-up; move on to challenging cardio, then weighted movements (with or without weights), pilates abs, and yoga/stretch cool down. The moves are easy to learn and perfectly paced. I'm not much of a pilates fan, but her moves were fun and just my speed. I have been looking for a challenging workout like this and I was in a sweat as time flew by. Tanja makes it so fun.

If you want good results, definitely get this DVD. I have also tried her new balance ball DVD and you can read my review...it's great too! I can't wait to try the other DVD's in...

Nice setting but LACKS cardio
While I think this is a decent DVD, I was really expecting a lot more cardio. Unlike Tanja's Cardio BalanceBall DVD where I stayed in my heart rate training zone for most of the workout. My heart rate monitor did not indicate that with this workout. Also, my pedometer only indicated that I got in 1400 steps out of the daily 10,000 recommended steps. I think the title should have been changed to reflect that this DVD is predominantly a toning DVD.

I enjoy Tanja as an instructor, and I do think that she incorporates a lot of dynamic movement into this intermediate level workout. She is positive, and you can tell that she truly enjoys health. I work out at least 6 days a week to fitness DVDs.I think I will only do this video about once a month or so.

If you are a beginner/ intermediate exerciser who wants a serene workout for lighter days, you will enjoy this workout.

Great workout Nice change of pace
I normally don't like Yoga based workouts, they're just not my thing. I prefer kick boxing and lots of sweating and kicks. However this workout I found to be a great combination and lead by one very long and lean instructor. I chose this workout due to the reviews posted here on Amazon and have been very pleased with this purchase. Everything everyone has written if very true. I find I get a great cardio workout from this and have an overall great feeling of strength when complete. I found the moves to be doable and enjoyable. I think the setting is very scenic and a nice change of pace from the hum drum studio set you normally get. I can only wish I looked like Tanja and had those amazing long limbs. The workout leaves me refreshed and energized and feeling more flexible then I have in a long time from a workout.

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Knocked Up (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD)

Details on the different versions of this DVD release
Loved the movie. That said, I was confused on what the differences were on the 3 DVD versions, but found some details that I've posted below. As for me, I'm going with this two-disc unrated version.

Basic extras -- available on all (both R-rated and Unrated Editions):

- Deleted and Extended Scenes
- Gag Reel
-"Directing the Director" (Capote director Bennett Miller stops by to help Apatow get the job done)
- Line-O-Rama (Tons of alternate takes)
- Audio commentary with Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Bill Hader
- Roller Coaster Featurette

Goodies available only on the Unrated releases:

- MORE Deleted and Extended Scenes (some pretty raunchy ones, reportedly)
- Topless Scene: "Web Design"

And finally, extras available only on this 2-disc Unrated version:

- Judd Apatow's Video Diaries
- Finding Ben Stone (A mock casting session)
- Stripper Confidential (Rogen and Paul Rudd wade...

Great movie, good disc (blu-ray) review
The movie is great. If you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend it. This one is directed by Apatow himself; so, you you know it's one of the better ones that carries his "brand"...unlike some of those cheeseball movies with Will Ferrel. More to the point, you get the sense that he made this movie for himself or his family. For example, his wife in real life is Leslie Mann, and his daughters play his and Leslie's daughters in the movie. But enough about a review of the content...I assume that if you're considering the Blu-Ray release of Knocked Up, you've seen the movie before.

I don't know about you, but when I am considering purchasing a Blu-Ray, what I want to know is (in order of importance) 1) How good does it look? 2) How good does it sound? 3) What special features distinguish it from the DVD version that I might possibly own already. The picture quality is good but not amazing. I have yet to find a BD that has worse picture quality than its DVD counterpart,...

Real fun movie and great on blu ray
Writer/director Judd Apetow is building his own franchise and making a real name for himself with his high quality comedies with his unique special brand of humor and great casting. SUPERBAD does seem to be the most popular thus far but KNOCKED UP is in the same league for me.

Story line is pretty basic. We have an average stoner guy and a beautiful professional woman who meet at a bar, get drunk, have sex and she gets pregnant. In real life such different types of people may not try to make a relationship work but here it is very believable and the development of each character about life, love and acceptance is very realistic as the pregnancy develops. Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen are in top form as their lives are forever altered. Dialogue is funny, circumstances are realistic and having the marriage of Heigl's sister to compare with works great. Paul Rudd shines here and steals all the scenes he is in.

This is a bawdy comedy but manages to put...

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Ultimate 150 Cartoon Festival

Details provided for all 150 cartoons
Most prominent in MCE's ULTIMATE 150 CARTOON FESTIVAL are shorts featuring the New 3 Stooges, Betty Boop, Popeye and "bouncing ball" singalongs. Of especial interest to vintage animation fans are silent-era cartoons drawn by Walt Disney. Oswald Rabbit is clearly the physical predecessor of Mickey Mouse. Disney's "Alice" animations combine live action and cartooning. Also from the pre-talkies 1920s are a half-dozen Felix the Cat shorts. The adult subjects of these include a visit to Bolshevik Russia that gets rather frightening, a trip through the transatlantic pipeline and a Hollywood audition.

Animations are generally grouped by studio via a simple menu system and subdivided according to main character. No superimposed on-screen logos mar the cartoons. Video dub quality varies with stock condition-- that is, from very good to barely fair. Audio is uniformly strong and without excessive filtering.

This MILL CREEK DVD set plus their...

A Mixed Bag of Public Domain Cartoons
Mill Creek Entertainment's "Ultimate 150 Cartoon Festival" showcases the usual public domain animation (Fleischer/Famous Studios, Van Beuren, Iwerks, etc.) with a few special exceptions. There is a hard-to-find copy of the Fleischer Color Classic "Tears of an Onion" (1938) - along with two Van Beuren gems from 1933, Tom and Jerry's "Happy Hoboes" and Cubby Bear's "Croon Crazy." Oddly enough, these aforementioned shorts are nowhere to be found on Mill Creek's "Giant 600 Cartoon Collection." In both instances, you must wade through an endless stream of made-for-TV clunkers such as "The New 3 Stooges" and "Mel-O-Toons." The print quality ranges from very good to nearly unwatchable.

150 Ultimate 150 Cartoon Festival
I purchased this for my Grand daughters for Christmas. They love it and play it all the time. Would not hesitate to order more.

G. White, Hardy, VA

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Someone's Watching Me

The forgotten John Carpenter film
Someone's Watching Me is sort of the forgotten movie of John Carpenter's career. Someone's Watching Me aired back on November 29th of 1978, which was almost a month after Carpenter's career took off with the horror classic Halloween.

Originally John Carpenter wrote the movie as theatrical film, but Warner Brothers decided to make it a TV movie. In my opinion I think that was the right move. Even though this movie aired after Halloween it was actually filmed prior.

I have to admit I enjoyed this movie quite a bit, but I don't think it would have worked as well as a theatrical film. You can clearly though see flashes of the brilliance Carpenter would show through out his career. Despite his reputation as a filmmaker who uses violence, Carpenter aims more for suspense and tension. This is a TV movie so the violence will obviously be lacking, which in some ways I think is a plus. Carpenter had to create a certain amount of tension and suspense and rely on that to...

Carpenter on TV
While 'Someone's Watching Me' may not be Halloween, The Fog, or Escape from New York, it certainly delivers both thrills and chills. The story is not the most original; kind of like a reverse Rear Window where someone with a telescope is terrorizing someone across the way in another building. The police are helpless; what can they do to a crank phone caller?

The movie, as I've said, may not have the best story, but John Carpenter delivers a well paced and directed TV movie that would have pleased even the Master of Suspense himself. This film is scary and tense, and a definite purchase for any John Carpenter or suspense film fan. Highly recommended.

Not you're typical carpenter
This made for TV movie is just that, a made for TV movie . You won't find any carpenter music style in this or the intensity that most of John carpenters movie have . It's an ok film . It was filmed before the iconic halloween right after assault on precinct 13 . If you are a John carpenter fan like myself then check this out but like I said ... Made for TV movie.

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King of the Cage: Rampage - Birth of a Champion

Rampage: the early years
This is a one hour DVD of some (6, in fact) of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's early fights in the King of the Cage organization. The fights included are against the following opponents:

- Marvin Eastman
- Rob Smith
- Charlie West
- Dave Taylor
- Rocko Henderson
- Sean Grey

The fights are good and show Rampage's slams, strikes, and even a submission, as well as his resiliency in tough matches. Though the quality isn't as high as in Pride or UFC DVDs, especially the production values, at this price this DVD is a great deal for Rampage fans.

There aren't any extra features included; the DVD has a short introduction and conclusion by an announcer from KOTC and that's it. The time between rounds has even been cut.

So in the end, although the excitement of these fights doesn't equal Rampage's match-ending slam on Ricardo Arona or his KO of Chuck Liddell, this DVD is still worth checking out with some solid bouts.





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Broken (Unrated)

The man who is holding Hope captive wants to break her, not kill her
I was watching the previews on the DVD for "Black Sheep" when the trailer for "Broken" came on. In that week's rentals I had a film called "Broken," but it was an Indie film starring Heather Graham and Jeremy Sisto and not this film, which turns out to be another example of the torture porn horror film, albeit with pretensions. What is interesting is that that both "Broken" films came out in 2006 and that apparently both have just been released on DVD in the past month. This brings to mind the possibility that somebody would recommend the Heather Graham "Broken" and rent this one by mistake (Don't laugh, I recommended the Academy Award winning "American Beauty" to a co-worker once and they went to the video store and picked up...

This Was A Joke, Right?
Description leads you to believe there's lots of torture and sadistic scenes in this movie, but the "series" of events is over in like the first 10-15 minutes of the film. Then you're treated to an hour of the most trying, dull scenes in horror film history. The people who gave this 4 or 5 stars must've never seen a decent horror flick, because this failed on the psychological front as well as the violence front. Two cringe-inducing scenes and that's it. They were pretty cool though, hence the two stars rather than one. Some annoying whimpering that we could've done without. The kidnapper was a cross between Crocodile Dundee and Indiana Jones dress wise. Personality wise, he was just dull dull dull. I dunno, man. This premise could've worked, and should have. The lead woman was sexy enough, but we never get to see her naked. Disappointing. So many scenes just rang untrue, and bringing in the 2nd girl was ridiculous. Only one person dies, and she's a minor character. I thought the...

A waste of time for everyone involved.
Not the worst low budget movie I've seen, but Broken is pretty bad. The acting of the lady playing the main character is not good. I can deal with a bad actress as long as I'm convinced she's doing her best. What I can't deal with is a plot that's totally pointless. *SPOILER* There's a scene where the lady is holding a knife over her sleeping kidnapper, instead of stabbing him in the neck or chest, she gives him a flesh wound on his leg then stumbles off in the forest to allow him to sneak up on her a few moments later. Just about every scene in this film is either unnecessary, pointless, or just lame. The crap in the beginning with the digging the razorblade out of your stomach to free yourself from the tree?!?! That was just stupid. Now I do understand that a crazy guy has to do crazy stuff, but there should also be some sort of crazy logic to it. I mean, why not make her dig the blade out of her bum? That at least would have been just as stupid, but hilarious and worth talking...

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2001 - A Space Odyssey (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Learn Your Aspect Ratios
In regards to the uneducated 2.35:1 zealot reviewer, as a Director of Photography, I can state unequivocally that 2001 is supposed to be in 2.20:1 aspect ratio. It was shot in 2.20:1. It was not shot in Cinemascope (or anamorphic Panavision), which is 2.35:1. It was shot with straight lenses in Super Panavision 70 (65mm negative, 70mm projection print with soundtrack). Super Panavision 70 is a 2.20:1 aspect ratio format. When you are watching a 70mm print in a theater you are watching 2.20:1, which was never as wide as the anamorphic formats. Learn your aspect ratios.

Not to mention the fact that Kubrick went to the extraordinary effort of exposing his special effects composite shots as successive passes on the original undeveloped 65mm negative (after it being held sometimes in refrigeration for up to a year or more waiting for the next pass) so that all the composite visual elements are first generation on the original camera negative, rather than the cheaper and more...

Sci-Fi filmmaking was never the same after "2001"
In the summer of 1969, when I was all of ten years old, Mom & Dad bundled all us kids into the white Oldsmobile stationwagon and drove to the Rockville (Maryland) Drive-In to see "2001: A Space Odyssey." I didn't know much about the film, but as a budding sci-fi fan I was already champing at the bit to see it. Needless to say, "2001" rearranged my universe. I can't say I understood the movie completely at the time, but I do recall talking my parents' ears off about the film during the drive home.

"2001" is personally my favorite movie of all time. I've seen it more times than I can count, purchased the soundtrack several times (vinyl and tape wear out, you know), read Arthur C. Clarke's novelization several times, and read every other piece of literature about the film I've been able to get my hands on.

And recently my partner Greg purchased this "Stanley Kubrick Collection" DVD from Amazon, and it was just last night that we sat down to watch it on...

Bonus Materials for this DVD set
I haven't seen any of this, but I thought anyone interested in this new edition might find it useful, since it's currently not in the product description.

The 2001: A Space Odyssey (Special Edition) DVD will feature the following bonus materials:

* Commentary by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood
* Theatrical trailer
* Channel 4 documentary: 2001: The Making of a Myth
* Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001
* Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001
* 2001: A Space Odyssey - A Look Behind the Future
* 2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork
* Look: Stanley Kubrick!
* Audio-only interview with Stanley Kubrick

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Chalk

B+
They really had me going. I thought for sure when I was watching "Morgan Spurlock Presents: `Chalk'" I was watching a documentary. Indeed the acting is so natural it took me until a silhouetted fantasy scene half way through the movie to figure out it was not. Featuring mainly three teachers and one assistant principal, all the mishaps of education come to fruition at fictitious Harrison High School in Texas. Filmed in Austin, TX and New York City, the tightly knit pseudo simulation year-in-a-life escapades are often funny and very familiar. Nothing happens even in the bigger moments that doesn't look like real life. We see the teachers in the classroom, in the teacher's lounge, and being videotaped at their residences. 'Chalk' does to education what 'The Office' does to the workplace.

The Faculty: Mr. Lowrey (Troy Schremmer) is a first year social studies teacher with a first class case of the jitters. He stutters and his stilted lectures prove that those who can...

Like it is . . .
True-to-life documentary-style film in which four completely believable actors and three classes of real students at Travis High School in Austin, Texas, tell it like it is in American public schools. Troy Schremmer as first-year teacher Mr. Lowrey is a fish out of water who gets off on the wrong foot the first day, wrangles with students over misbehavior and ringing cell phones, and eventually evolves as his students decide miraculously not to give up on him. His fellow teachers have their own griefs, gripes, and conflicts - sometimes with students and sometimes with each other.

Meanwhile, a new assistant principal finds herself putting in long hours that alienate her from the faculty she hopes to serve. Many scenes make you cringe; many more make you laugh; often you don't know whether to laugh or cry. While there are small successes along the way, the ambivalent ending is perfect. We now know the truth behind the opening statistic, that 50% of teachers quit in the first...

Chalks up to an A
Like other reviewers, I first thought I was watching a real documentary - it's that good. I cringed as I watched "Mr. Lowery," who doesn't seem to be suited to the teaching profession. "Coach Webb" was totally believable in the way she connected to her students and alienated her coworkers. The assistant principal was perfect. "Mr Stroope" was a little over the top as he drew his students into his quest to be "teacher of the year."

I would agree completely with reviewers who are happy to see a movie that doesn't feature a heroic teacher defying the system or smooth, beautiful spoiled teens. This movie works because it's just so...real.

The DVD is worth watching for all the bonus material, especially the director's commentary. The work is almost entirely improv and some cast members are new to acting. The entire film was "in the can" for less than $10K. The narrators point out many small but significant points that most audience members will miss.

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Desert Punk: The Desert Duo v.2

Completely stupid, completely fun
Desert Punk is a ridiculous anime. That's what makes it great. There is not much of a point, other than making you laugh. There's no point explaining the story since the story doesn't matter. The animation, voice acting, dialogue, and comedy are all very well done. Despite being very low brow, this anime is entertaining, and a bit addicting. It's a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. If you want to laugh a lot Desert Punk is for you.

Simple Hilarity
My first impressions of Desert Punk weren't exactly good ones; I had originally thought this to be a completely useless series as there was nothing in it other than "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"-like comedy and a complete over-saturation of fan-service. But I still had liked it nonetheless, because it did make me laugh. The English version, while not the truest translation, is filled with top-notch dirty jokes through and through, some of which is delivered so fast that it takes a moment to realize what you're laughing at. Plus, I enjoyed the unique style of animation and the quick-paced action.

But this volume of Desert Punk proves that my first impressions weren't so accurate. Not only do they attempt to follow a continuing storyline, but it actually works very well from episode five to episode eight. It deals with Desert Punk losing his reputation and having to find a way to regain it back while accepting some pretty strange jobs. Also, a few of the characters introduced in...

No regret from Gonzo production
Excellent!! The anime can still be excellent from a set of seemingly silly background.

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Walking Tall - Lone Justice

"Walking Tall: Lone Justice" surpasses "Walking Tall: The Payback."
No, "Walking Tall: Lone Justice" doesn't resume where "Walking Tall: The Payback" ended. The major players in Dallas behind sleazy Howard Morris--Traxell Byrne (Jerry Cotton of "American Outlaws") and his right-hand henchman, Lou Dowdy (Todd Terry of "The Anarchist Cookbook")--got away scot-free. Whether this was a deliberate choice on the part of the filmmakers or a gaping hole is still debatable. Those two precipitated two of the most important events in "Walking Tall: The Payback." In a sense, they served as plot puppeteers. They pulled strings and got the hero and the villain to dance to their tune. Instead, the "Lone Justice" in this genuine sequel refers to a ruthless Hispanic drug-lord, Octavio Perez (newcomer Rodrigo De la Rosa), who the Feds are prosecuting as a racketeer. Producer Andrew Stevens has a cameo as Octavio's defense attorney. Tenacious FBI agent Kate Jenson (Yvette Nipar of "Vampire Klan") and her rebellious daughter Samantha (Haley Ramm of "X-Men: The Last...

Walking Tall continues............
It's fascinating what a franchise Walking Tall has become. I have to say I enjoy all of the different machinations in which it appears. I think at this point it doesn't matter about how closely it sticks to the facts about Buford Pusser's life. It's become a metaphor. You just kinda know, if a movie or tv show has the name Walking Tall attached to it, what the general subject matter will be. It will be a small town sheriff out to rid his town of bad guys. Thats good enough for me! Thats always a good starting point for an entertaining movie. I loved the original Walking Tall movie as a kid. And I have always kept track of subsequent Walking Tall titles. I like that it has kinda turned into an institution all it's own with a singular wholesome message. I don't think the message will ever get old or tired. And I think now that Buford Pussers story has been told, it's ok to branch off and dramatize it and recreate the moral of the story in various ways. I think it all still pays tribute...

Good Action Packed Movie!!!
Kevin Sorbo has done an outstanding job here. Very well paced, acted, and directed movie of a former sheriff forced into a situation in which he has to defend his family from a drug cartell because his FBI wife is involved in an investigation, but, there is a leak in the task force. It must be dealt with, but on the sheriff's terms, in down home justice!!! Very well worth a watch! Violence, Adult Situations, Some adult language.

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Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids

My 2 year old loves it!
My daughter loves Dora and all her shows. She would sit and watch this DVD as many times as I would let her. Most Dora shows are 25 minutes long, but this one is double that so it gives me a larger block of time to get stuff done while she is watching. Very cute!

Best Dora So Far
I have 2 girls and a little 2 yr old that i babysit and they love this movie. We have 3 different Dora movies and this is their favorite one. My 2 yr old Daughter loves the songs and loves to sing along with them. And a major plus is that its pretty long. Just long enough for their attention spans and not too short that i have to keep listening to the same songs over and over again

Save the Mermaids!
Got it for my nieces who love Dora. This has a great environmental stewardship message, and the kids loved it.

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Paniponi Dash, Vol. 6: Chaos Cum Laude

Extremely Silly
Rebecca has started her new job teaching high school. She's an 11 year old genius. This makes it hard for her to relate to her students, whom all have major personality quirks. Their day to day life is filled with dopiness and insanity.

This show is like Azumanga Daioh on crack. The best things about this anime are the animation and comedy. It's extremely strange, so don't try to understand it. Just get past the first 5 episodes and enjoy all of the goofiness that comes. If you can get a close up picture of the cover; then you can get a get a good idea of how Paniponi is drawn. The color shading and character designs are very unique and cool. There are also some pretty good voice talents in this one. It's not one of the better animes I've seen, but it's definitely funny and good mindless entertainment.

Sweet
Awsome way to end the Paniponi dash series. Filled wuth fun and laughter, althought what was up with the bunny. Never seen a bunny do that before.



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Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny V10

One of the most action packed volume to come out of this series
If you thought this series was pretty exciting before you'll be even more enthused to see what happens in this latest volume. With Zaft moving it's forces in Orb things get pretty action packed, in other words this 4 episodes don't skimp on the gundam battles. In this volume we see the debut of the strike freedom and the akatsuki and towards the end Athrun enters to pilot the enhanced complete justice, unfortunately we won't get to see that one in action until the next volume. This one almost got a 5 star rating from me except for the fact that they waste an entire episode recapping events that literally occurred 3 episodes ago. Not only was that episode a total waste but it came after an episode that had quite the suspenseful cliff-hanger ending so it kind of killed the momentum they had going with the action. All in all though, it's got some pretty awesome episodes.

Gundam seed special edition dvd vol 10
Not only does Seed Destiny throttle towards its epic conclusion with volume 10, the special edition provides a bonus t shirt in an awesome slide out 2 compartment box. A must own series and one of the Best Gundam Animes ever!

Quality service guaranteed.
Got it two days after I ordered it. Which is good because in the world of anime a day is an eternity. The dvd was secured and in new condition. Not too mention the price was good.

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