World War Z (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE UNRATED CUT AND THE THEATRICAL CUT
The Unrated Cut runs about 7 minutes longer than the Theatrical Cut, and primarily contains additional action shots (nothing major). Director Marc Forster has said that the Theatrical Cut IS the Director's Cut, which also unfortunately means that we will not be seeing any footage from the discarded Battle of Moscow (except for a few quick scenes in the closing montage) and the Matthew Fox subplot.

The UNRATED Cut is the one to get! It contains slightly more gore (but not gratuitously so) than the Theatrical Cut, and the action scenes are more fluid and less choppy.

I've listed the primary differences between the Unrated Cut and the Theatrical Cut below. Note, SPOILERS follow below, so read at your own risk.

1) When zombies are shot/stabbed/curb stomped/etc.., they spew CG black blood. When people are bitten, there's more CG red blood.

2) During the opening scene in Philadelphia, there are more scenes of pandemonium and zombies getting...

Unrated version is bloodier, still not as good as the book
This movie is a great standalone zombie apocalypse movie, carrying over a few themes from the book. I would say this movie is "inspired" by the book rather than "based" on it.

Still, this movie has its merits. Decent acting, amazing visuals, fairly coherent story. There are a few 'why would he/she/they do that?' moments, but they don't detract from the fun.

Though this unrated version has more blood and guts than the theatrical release, it still doesn't come close to other movies or zombie fare (I think it has less gore than a movie like 'Dredd' or the series "The Walking Dead").

Notable differences: more graphic zombie headshots, a more intense (i.e. bloody) version of the hand removal scene in Israel, and a few more zombie body obliteration sequences.

This version did not contain the original ending everybody is hoping to eventually see.

This is not the book on film!
I've heard a lot of reviews written by fans of the book by Max Brooks and many of them are negative, because they were expecting to see the book made into a movie. Simply put, this is not the same story from the book, however it's still a great zombie film. In fact, it's easily one of my favorite zombie movies of all time. If you're a fan of zombies, whether you've read the book "World War Z" or not (I recommend reading it btw) you will definitely have a good time watching this film. While there's not a lot of gore as in most zombie films, the zombies are pretty creepy and there's lots of 'em and there's enough tension to keep things interesting throughout. If you're on the fence about seeing this movie, let me give you a small nudge to check it out. You won't be disappointed. Just don't expect to see the book made into a movie.

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Is This a Zombie: Season Two

Is this worth it?
I believe that this is worth the price, it's perverted beyond belief but also extremely funny. I liked everything about the first season and the second season doesn't fail to be funny. the box set is also very nice, it has the same glittery pink like the first season but they have covered the back with pictures of the characters. personally, I think it looks better that the first seasons.

So worth $30
Though i was sad that i came to realize this wont be the last season which means ill have to buy another box set, i cant wait to see what the creators throw at us next! Beware, the second season doesn't feel as intense with all the fighting, more perverted and hilarious then ever though.

As Funny as the first
This is just as funny as the first season. I only wish it was longer. 10 episodes is a bit short to call a season.

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3 Films By Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman (Criterion Collection)

A Bergman bonanza!!!
As a longtime, heavy-duty Ingrid Bergman fan, I have been waiting and hoping for years for Criterion to produce a definitive box-set of the Bergman-Rossellini films. I am absolutely thrilled about this set, both for the films themselves and for the copious extras.

Now I just hope that the two Bergman-Rossellini films missing from this set -- JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE (1954) and FEAR (1955) -- will follow very shortly. They are equally worthy of inclusion in a collection like this one.

Real Movie News Blu-ray review
Roberto Rossellini is considered the godfather of Italian neorealism, having inspired the movement with his internationally successful Rome Open City (1945). This film and his next, Paison (1946), utilized the bombed out cities devastated by World War II in order to make films with real locations rather than sets. They also often used non-actors for the roles, so many saw it as a betrayal when Rossellini began working with Swedish actress turned Hollywood star, Ingrid Bergman. The professional relationship quickly became a romantic one, though never entirely private.

The gossip about their relationship may have tainted audience perception at the time of release, or perhaps it was more of the stylistic departure that Rossellini had taken, but these three films are much more highly regarded today than they were initially received. The romantic and professional partners in film collaborated on six films together, with the three most notable included in this fabulous box set...



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The East

4 1/2 stars for another fine film with rising star Brit Marling
I first caught actress and screenwriter Brit Marling in a movie called "Another Earth" from a couple years ago. Shortly thereafter she shows up in "Sound of My Voice." In both cases she plays quiet, thoughtful young women with complicated personalities. "The East" is her best role and her best film. She plays an FBI-trained agent who is working for a private security firm headed by Sharon (Patricia Clarkson), a no BS CEO.

Sarah/Jane is given the task of infiltrating an eco-terrorist group known as The East. This is a big step up in Sarah's career and she relishes the assignment. She's very good at her job and manages to get inside the secret group, which is headed by Benji (Alexander Skarsgard) an heir to a fortune, but ultimately disillusioned by corporate greed. Ellen Page plays Izzy and like Benji, she seeks payback for corporate atrocities is necessary even if lives are at stake.

While this sounds pretty cut and dry, Sarah using the alias Jane, begins...

Well worth watching
This was a nice surprise because we never saw previews. It had romance, feeling, suspense and action. the actors were phenomenal! I highly recommend it.

Please Listen.
I'm not a movie critic, so I don't know the technical operations of filming and I can guess that most people watching movies don't either. Therefore, this is simply based on my experience of seeing The East. I love a movie that can open a hole into my mind and inflict the question of how I am living my life- leaving me with a sting of the truth and the mixed feelings of someone who is on the brink of acting to correct those choices and someone who is unsure about leaving behind the comfort of what is familiar. Though the consistent opinions of this film not having a lot of action is true; it in no way lacks the reality that life does not happen in a constant motion, but draws in inconsistent flourishes- enhancing, for me, the ability to grow with the plot, as well as allowing me time to think about the overall picture. I got attached to the characters, felt their emotions, and could sympathize with their motives. Sure, it sucks when you have to buy a movie you aren't sure about, but I...

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Psycho III (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

Highly Entertaining Sequel!
Picking up where Psycho 2 left off, Norman Bates is a free man living in his old home behind the Bates Motel, his new stuffed mother his only roommate. He lives a quiet life managing the less than successful business, spending most of his time practicing taxidermy on the local birds that eat from his poisoned feeder. But things get all shook up again when Maureen Coyle, a young, runaway nun, enters his world. Maureen's short, blonde hair reminds Norman far too much of his most unforgettable victim, Marion Crane, causing a myriad of conflicting feelings to well up within him. But Norman is not the only one who is disturbed and confused. Maureen has left the Church because she has so lost her faith that she recently attempted suicide and caused the death of a fellow nun who attempted to stop her. With her feelings of hopelessness and guilt, Maureen still hasn't given up on the idea of taking her own life. And Maureen is not Norman's only problem. Duane Duke, a pretty boy, would-be...

A comment on the DVD
I just thought I would shed some light on the quality of the DVD disc technically speaking. Out of the entire presentation I was extremely surprised by the quality of the audio. The Dolby Surround track is well used, mostly by Carter Burwells unique score. All the speakers are used occasionally adding to the dark mood that some of the scenes convey. The sound is always clear and noise free. The dialogue driven scenes stay close to the center channel and move only from time to time. The video print seems to have aged well and doesn't show any large amount of dust or scratches. Colors are saturated very naturally and there doesn't appear to be any distracting pixelation. Some of the titles do appear to slightly shimmer, but it looks as if it was just the old fashioned techique used to make them. The letterboxed picture feels wider than the 1.85 ratio stated on the case, but only slightly. Overall a very nice DVD by itself. The added theatrical trailer does feel dated, both in...

Underrated sequel deserves another look
It's about time Universal got around to releasing a decent disc of Psycho 3. The film, directed by star Anthony Perkins and released theatrically in 1986, has widely been regarded as a marked decline in quality for the Psycho series. And I admit, I once regarded it the same way. Unlike the relatively tame Psycho 2, the third film in the series ups the sex & violence level considerably. This was probably a conscious attempt to compete with films of its time...remember, "splatter" films were big in the mid-80's.

But, like Hithcock's original masterpiece, there's more going on here than meets the eye. Perkins the Director appears to have studied not only Hitchcock (the opening scene is straight out of VERTIGO), but other contemporary filmmakers like John Carpenter and Dario Argento. Psycho 3 is almost equal parts fright film and black comedy...a combination that certainly describes many of Hitchcock's most successful films.

Though hardly a perfect film, Psycho...

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The Crying Dead

Great, Fun Movie
This is a great little movie. Some fun scares with a nice twist on "found footage". There are some nice setups for tense "boo" moments. Perfect little movie to provide scares but not too hardcore for the younger audience.

Worth Watching!!
Watched this movie with no expectations and gotta say it kept me on the edge of my seat. Very entertaining and well put together. Definitely worth watching!!

Decent "found footage" Movie
This isn't a high budget movie here guys so don't get your hopes way up. It is, however, a fairly entertaining popcorn flick. The acting is decent but the ghosts lack the scare factor. Overall okay show.

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Suddenly

THE GREATER GOOD
In the small town of Suddenly, Tod (Ray Liotta) is the town drunk and deputy. He likes the widow Ellen (Erin Karpluk) and is respected by her son Pidge (Cole Coker). Ellen tolerates Tod because he spends time with Pidge.

As it turns out, the President is going to stop in town. Members of some super secret society plan on assassinating the president from Ellen's house. Even when the plots are together, things seem like two films. There is the personal aspects and the dirty little secret why Tod drinks. The secondary aspect is the guys who are planning to kill the President.

Ray Liotta, who I normally don't like, did a fairly decent job as someone who drinks too much, the stagger, the glassy eyes, etc.

Note: The film credits spells Liotta's character name as "Tod" while IMDB lists it as "Todd." I'm still trying to figure out "Pidge" which sounded like Mitch, Bidge, Pitch, and something I call my dog.

The film never grabbed me. Except for the...

A pretty generic and predictable movie about trying to stop an assassination. Not terrible but not amazing either. I say C+
"Today is a glorious day. Today I get to kill the President." Barren (Purcell) has become disillusioned with the President and his policies. He devises a plan that will help deal with his problem. Him and his accomplices pose as secret service agents and take up a position in a family's house that has the perfect sniping position. When a local cop (Liotta) shows up Barren's perfect plan starts to unravel. Uwe Boll's trademark seems to be lame movies with poor acting but decent action. This one had both. The movie itself isn't really that terrible but it is also fairly generic and predictable. There have been many movies about trying to stop a presidential assassin and I usually like movies with that plot. I did like this one too but it's not one of the better ones and I don't think I would watch this again. I have not seen the original with Frank Sinatra but I would guess that one is better. I could be wrong though. Overall, nothing terrible but nothing amazing either. I give it a C+

Suddenly
I thought that it was a good movie seeing all the actors in different roles. The kid (Pidge), I thought made the movie cause how many can say that they saved Ray Liotta's life and "did" Dominic Purcel?

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V/H/S/2 [DvD]

"No Safe Haven From The Ghosts, Zombies, and Aliens"
I can't lie, I absolutely loved "V/H/S [DVD]" so checking out part 2 for me was a no brainer. This go around is definitely a step up from the first and brings us stories that deal with a man who receives a bionic eye implant that lets him see ghosts "Clinical Trials", a bike ride in the park as a zombie outbreak occurs "A Ride In The Park", a trip to a religious cult "Safe Haven" and a sleepover that results in alien abduction "Alien Abduction Slumber Party". As I watched it seemed to me that each segment just got better and better except I wish they would of switched the last two segments with "Safe Haven" being the final tape before the wrap around.

"Clinical Trials" directed by Adam Wingard "A Horrible Way to Die" takes us into the last days of a man who receives a bionic eye implant due from damage to his original eye as part of...

Ghosts, Zombies, Cults, and Aliens... A Terrifying and Creative Horror Anthology...
(The following review may have potential spoilers, although most descriptions are as brief as possible.)

V/H/S 2 is a found-footage horror anthology. "Tape 49" is the frame story which follows two private investigators searching for a missing college student. When they arrive at the house, they find and view several VHS tapes hoping to track the young student. Instead, they find the following short movies:

"Clinical Trials Phase 1" follows a man who has received a new eye after a car accident - an eye with a built-in camera. When he gets home, he begins to hallucinate - things are misplaced, odd figures are seen, etc. This story works superbly as a jump-scare ghost story. It uses great suspense and the claustrophobic tunnel-vision to create effectively unexpected and consistent jump-scares. Some of the visuals are also eerie, and very creative. The acting of the lead was a bit off at times as his dialogue delivery felt unnatural - he didn't seem frightened...

Awesome!
It's a fun film for someone with an interesting taste in the unusual. Anyone who is tired of watching a Saw film every year would love the uniqueness this film offers.

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Day Of The Dead (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

"The Darkest Day of Horror the World Has Ever Known"
The third--and possibly the final--entry in George Romero's DEAD series, 1985's DAY OF THE DEAD was initially panned by both critics and horror fans. Many complained that, in spite of the much improved special FX, the film did not live up to the creepiness and the literacy of the groundbreaking first film of the trilogy, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), nor was its content equal to the offbeat humor and satirical subtext of the second film, DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978). Thus, it was simply written off as another exercise in shock value. But in the time that has passed since the initial release of DAY OF THE DEAD, many fans and critics alike have grown to regard the film as a worthy entry in the series, with many claiming it has become their favorite of the three.

DAY OF THE DEAD is a claustrophobic character study set almost entirely in a secured underground military bunker. The story picks up some months after the end of DAWN OF THE DEAD, with the earth now nearly overrun by the...

Horror fans should seriously consider watching this film
If you haven't see Day of the Dead and you're reading the viewer reviews of this film, it's presumably because you're either a zombie fan or you loved Night of the Living Dead and/or Dawn of the Dead. But you're not sure whether or not to watch this film because of the mixed reviews it received. My recommendation is that you should rent this film and watch it twice and if you liked the film buy the Anchor Bay remaster widescreen version.

The plot to Day of the Dead is simple. The world has been conquered by zombies, as seen in Day's predecessors. There are only 12 survivors left in Florida and they've taken refuge in an underground salt mine and silo. There's heated conflicts between the soldiers and the scientists and civilians and by the end, thousands of zombies pour into the silo and wreak graphic havoc.

Yes, Day of the Dead is extremely graphic and gory (It's probably the most violent and gory American horror film ever made) as most zombie films are. But this...

Mmmmm.....apocalicious!
A fine horror film in its own right, but it suffers in comparison to "Dawn of the Dead". Where "Dawn" thematically succeeds on its criticism of consumerism, it's hard to find where "Day" fits in the trilogy. And George Romero himself has stated that this was only a shadow of the original "dead" grand finale he envisioned. But the good news is that maybe we'll see a another sequel some day? It's time...the world needs another Zombie film!

But no matter...it's creepy, apocalyptic nightmare that probes a primal fear, i.e. being eaten. It's quite well-acted (in a yelling and screaming sort of way) in spite of its other shortcomings. Lori Cardille and Jarlath Conroy stand out; too bad they haven't done more film work (both are very active in indie/theater work). Josef Pilato has gone on to character roles, including Dean Martin in "Pulp Fiction".

One note regarding the special effects...they're *really* disturbing, especially Sarah's...

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Scenic Route

Kafkaesque Buddy Survival Flick
In the 20th century the term, "Kafkaesque" was commonly used to describe literature and films that were reminiscent of the writings of Franz Kafka. The term seems to have dropped out of common usage in the current century. Scenic Route should rightfully bring it back. Here we have a film that gets under the skin and leaves a transcendental bruise on the psyche.

Reviewers on other sites have noted Josh Duhamel's incredible depth in performance. He certainly has proven his chops as a serious actor in this role. However, Dan Fogler's performance was equally if not more impressive. Fogler's cherubic style as seen in such role's as Franklin in the Hannibal TV series is also present in Scenic Route. But Fogler goes even further here as he explores more dark elements of man's depravity.

Indeed, this film in general considers not only the evils man is capable of but just how close the darkness is to the surface. You may watch this film and question how easily you...

A fantastic movie that is very much worth seeing but won't get the audience that it deserves. I highly recommend. I say A-
"You stage a breakdown in the middle of the desert so we can talk?!" Mitchell (Duhamel) and Carter (Fogler) are best friends we have started to drift apart when they decide to go for a ride. When the truck they are in breaks down in the middle of a desert they start to argue about the directions their lives have taken. The argument starts to escalate and their friendship is pushed to its limits. Before I start I have to admit that the plot doesn't seem exciting or interesting at all but this is a perfect example of you can't judge a book by it's cover. While the plot isn't all that intriguing the acting is so brilliant that it gives the movie a tenseness and excitement that the idea alone can not. You really begin to feel for the friends and are so invested in them that you find yourself living and dying with them with every passing minute. It's to talk to much about the events without giving something away because each event builds on the one before it but I will say that this was a...

Stirs the Emotions
I enjoyed this movie. I hope it's a big commercial success because people need the message that it conveys, it seems to me. It's about friendship, anger (even murderous anger), betrayal, and survival. That's a lot for a cast of two to handle; the few others in the film played no significant role.

Two men, about thirty years old, find themselves stranded along an isolated stretch of desert road. One of the men, Carter (Dan Fogler) decided to take this remote route as a way to spend some time with his long-time buddy, Mitchell (Josh Duhamel). Their friendship goes back many years, but in recent times the two have grown distant.

Carter's old pickup truck dies on them. It dies in the wrong place: the nearest town appears to be sixty miles away. Lesson: stay on the main drag if you're driving through an area that looks like the surface of the moon.

It's very hot by day and bitter cold by night. They run out of water. It becomes an ordeal. And the two men...

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War of the Buttons

A Great Foreign Film.
There was an older film of this same title, but it dealt with Irish schoolboys and had much the same plot. But this one I think is better because it shows a side of the World War (1939-1945) from a child's point of view. Also, the title in French translates to "The New War of the Buttons," possibly from the fact of the previous film of the same name. As foreign language films go, this one has English subtitles that actually give you enough time to read them. My French is cursory at best, but I did detect the English translations to be slightly off, adding more words than were actually spoken but still maintaining the gist of the conversation. The period clothing is perfect and none of the children had ever acted before which is very surprising by their performance. Some of the scenes of the French countryside are breathtaking. This is a very delightful film and highly recommend for those who are weary of war movies bathed in blood and gore. Imdb website gave it only 5 stars, but...

War of the Buttons (French version) Seen in the Big Screen
Beautiful and sensitive Movie about pre-teens set in France during
the Nazi ocupation, around 1944.
Made with Love, Humor and Patriotism.
I wish all France, should had reacted
this Way. THEN, WE WOULD LOVE FRANCE.
Otherwise, the Acting and the Story
is Excellent. SEE IT.
Jose Cymerman.



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Matilde Di Shabran

Bel Canto Perfection!!!
After three Rossini Opera Festival releases were marred by questionable staging, it is a huge delight to have one of Rossini's last Neapolitan opera seria available in an exciting, more traditional staging. And sung to near perfection, as well! In fact, not one member of this cast did less than a five star job on some extremely demanding music.

Osborne ("The Bel Canto Operas")refers to the plot as "senseless and complicated", which it is, truth to tell. But the music, gentle reader is sublime, in the main, but demands a first rate cast to realize the beauty and complexities of the score.

Juan Diego Florez is a favorite at our home; whether on CD or (preferably) DVD, JFD has the range, skills and intelligence to bring life to roles that have been abandoned for decades, in part, because there was no one who could handle the tessatura and coloratura demands they present. Tenors who sing Verdi, Puccini and the later great Italian composers simply cannot navigate in...

Perfect Cast .. a Rossini delight
One of my most favorite operas and having seen several version going back to the very early quite bizarre Pesaro production with a young Florez - this one is a delight to watch. There are no poor performers in the cast - both in voice and acting. The staging is the recycled double helix stairs set from several prior Pesaro productions but this version moves with more confidence and slickness. Florez is in commanding style and being that much older - more believable in his role, but the Neapolitan poet role of Isidoro is very well handled as is Matilde and Edgardo.
People say the story is odd - but not really. It's essentially a reverse Taming of the Shrew but also a parody of characters with exaggerated personality aspects. The 3 CD Decca recording of 2006 if superior musically as some of the music on this DVD is a wee bit muted and less energetic, possibly a result of the live recording pick-up.
There are English subtitles but speaking Italian I enjoyed watching with...



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Drift

Surfing in West Australia 1972: Nice Surf Scenes and Clichéd Storyline
Set in 1972, West Australia, a 2013 Australian film "Drift" follows the story of two brothers with conflicting personality traits. Andy Kelly (Myles Pollard, who also produces) and Jimmy Kelly (Xavier Samuel) are surfers who start a surf shop in their garage. While their business goes well, their childhood friend Gus (Aaron Glenane) gets involved with a local biker and drug dealer Miller (Steve Bastoni).

Sam Worthington plays JB, a hippie-like surf photographer travelling with a beautiful Hawaiian girl Lani (Lesley-Ann Brandt). Third-billed Worthington, known for Hollywood blockbusters like "Terminator Salvation" and "Avatar," appears in a comparatively smaller role.

Though the film claims the story is "inspired by actual events," I think most of it is very loosely based on facts. The film's drama is not very interesting with stock characters and a familiar storyline. Conflicts arise between the characters in a predictable way, and then they are easily...

Good movie: nice plot, realistic acting, simplicity without unnecessary effects
I recently watched this movie and thought it was very interesting. It has a good plot and interesting characters. Simple filming, realistic expectations. I liked the fact that it did not have extra effects or complicated relationships evolving between the characters just to keep the plot going. It deals 60% with entrepreneurship and 40% with surfing. Maybe they should have marketed it that way, it would probably 'sell more'. A disadvantage is that in the beginning of the movie the relationships between the characters are not explained well, and the viewer gets confused. But apart from that I enjoyed the movie.

Really Enjoyable Movie
All the actors were amazing! I was expecting to see more of Sam Worthington, but Myles Pollard made up for it.

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Disconnect [Blu-ray]

Doesn't Anyone Talk Face to Face?
Doesn't it seem like everyone is wired these days? Doesn't anyone talk face-to-face anymore? This recent trend has permeated everything we do; if you don't believe me, take a look: LOL; BFF; OMG; W8; BTW; BYOB (kidding...); FYI; ETA; ASAP; RSVP (well, okay... not EVERYTHING is recent)....

With this in mind, brace yourself for an exciting film that addresses our digital world, with grief counseling chat rooms, cyber bullying, on-line sex, and identity theft, plus general e-mails, texting, GPS units and Facebook. It is NOT boring; there isn't a wasted scene, an unnecessary line or a plot hole left unfilled. Kudos to director Henry Alex Rubin ("Murderball" - a terrific documentary) and scriptwriter Andrew Stern ("Return to Me" - one of my favorites), for a movie about moral dilemmas and ethical quicksand that keep us engaged and involved every step of the way.

We see:
* Jason Bateman ("Identity Thief") is a successful attorney named Rich, whose adolescent son...

Powerfully Disturbing Portrayal of the Disconnection in Today's World
"Disconnect" may be one of the most thought-provoking films to come down the pike in recent years that paints an accurate and frightening image of what life looks like now, due to our dependence on the internet, and where it might lead if people don't realize the damage that is being done. The internet is a powerful, useful tool, but the daily abuse of it is almost beyond the scope of comprehending. "Disconnect" gives us an idea about how widespread and frequent that abuse is.

There is a certain amount of irony that our world has become so much closer in the way we communicate. We can literally converse with almost anyone on the planet. I grew up during a time when pen-pal letters from school was about as "close" as I ever got to talking to someone from another country. However, the closer we have become with our communication, the larger the chasm in our connections with others.

"Disconnect" focuses on three main story-lines. The first involves, Ben Boyd,...

It's Better to be Connected than Disconnected
You really need to take a long shower after watching this one. Disconnect contains two basic messages...the Internet is certainly not your friend and you better start "connecting" with friends and family or plan on losing them. Exploitation of young adults for on-line sex sites, cyber-bullying and identity theft are the Trinity of what is essential peril of our Internet usage. Good acting and a tension filled narrative really drove this movie to a good place. Most of the characters in this you just wanted to haul off and hurt. Disconnect reminded me a lot of my reaction after seeing the 2002 movie Thirteen...dazed and scared in my ignorance of not knowing the sick reality in this big bad world of ours.

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Behind the Candelabra

An Opulent HBO Biopic Pulls Back The Curtain On The Tempestuous Love Life Of Liberace
Even though I was quite young, I can still remember the infamous palimony suit filed by Scott Thorson against Liberace in 1982. The story created national headlines and scandal at a time when homosexuality wasn't discussed as openly as it might be today. Despite his flamboyant stage persona, Liberace was NOT out of the closet and did not acknowledge the intimacy of this relationship. That's part of what fueled the attention, further adding to the controversy and media scrutiny. I won't discuss the outcome for those new to Thorson's memoir "Behind The Candelabra," which is the source material for this prestigious HBO project. Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) teamed with Oscar nominated screenwriter Richard La Gravenese (The Fisher King) to adapt Thorson's book. Headlined by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, "Behind the Candelabra" was certainly one of the most anticipated TV movies of the year. As you might expect, though, this is told from Thorson's perspective...

A bio-pic that is worth seeing and I thought was good but the performance by Douglas was great. Watch for him. I say B
"I want to be everything to you Scott. I want to be father, brother, lover, best friend." This is the true story of Scott Thorson (Damon) and his relationship with the one and only Liberace (Douglas). Scott was a normal easy going gay man with a dream to become a vet. That all changed when he met Liberace. The small town boy became a drug addicted, paranoid, and revenge obsessed man. I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this movie. I knew very little about the real Liberace and nothing about this story at all. The movie shows the rise and fall Scott and the extreme things he goes through for the man he loves. The story is pretty interesting but the real reason to watch is the performance of Michael Douglas. He is great in this and turns himself completely into the character that he makes you forget you are watching a famous actor like Michael Douglas. Overall, a pretty interesting bio-pic that I thought was pretty good but the performance by Douglas is great. I give it a B.

Liberace the Legend Served Well
The film is based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Scott Thorson (with Alex Thorleifson) adapted for the screen by Richard LaGravenese about the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace and his much younger lover Scott Thorson. This film along with SIDE EFFECTS are purported to be Steven Soderbergh's last films he will direct.

The cast is very solid. Matt Damon embodies the role of Scott Thorson well - a young apparently bisexual man who has been tossed from foster home to foster home while he does odd jobs (he is 17 years old) tending to animals. In a gay bar he meets Bob Black (Scott Bakula) who takes Scott to a Liberace concert (his first exposure to the megastar) and to meet Liberace afterwards. There is tension in the air with Liberace's current paramour and performing partner Billy Leatherwood (Cheyenne Jackson) and we soon discover that Liberace (impeccably played by Michael Douglas) only keeps his `boys' around for a while before his manager...

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Golgo 13: Complete Collection [Blu-ray]

Review based on Price??? C'mon people!
So your upset about the price so you are going to give this amazing show a 1 or 2 star rating. Don't rate the damn price people. Besides the price Amazon has listed is way above everyone else out there and when it's released I'm sure they will drop the price when they aren't moving any sets. I can't mention other stores here by name or else Amazon will delete or edit the post...so I will just say other online stores that DEEPly DISCOUNT DVD's have the Pre Order Blu Ray set for around 75 and DVD set for under 60 (which I already did)...not bad for 50 shows plus extras. So you want to rate the show or direction, the extras, hell you don't like the cover art, or you got a paper cut opening it and the packaging made you cry then fine...but if you are going to rate something on price grow up. The new Corvette is expensive so it must suck right???...and everything in the dollar store is first rate? Really?? I have some tape from them that wouldn't stick to tar in the summer. Things are...

Very well done
This one's a keeper and a gem, I can't turn it off once it's on. Have read people knock the video quality but to me it looks fine. The graininess and muted colors seem completely natural to this show and just lend it more personality.

Instead of selling them separately, They now got Whole Set!
Since I already got them all when they were selling them separately year ago, Collection 1, 2, 3, and 4. But this time they're selling the whole set for $98.00 Dollar just the DVD (non-blueray disc), but if you want Blue-ray Disc it'll be $115.00 dollar. The entire set won't come out till Sept 17th 2013 I believe.

If Money isn't the issue, than I would get Blue-ray Disc. I noticed someone complains about the price on Blue-ray disc, he'll want to get DVD one the $98.00 dollar one instead. I think its reasonable price.. Because back than it cost me nearly $45.00 dollar just for each Collection.. so 4 Collection times $45.00 = $180.00.

See the huge difference on the price before, and now with entire set DVD is merely $98.00 dollar, but Blue-Ray disc is $115.00.

I'm thinking about getting Blue-Ray disc, not on release am thinking about getting it in Dec this year. Golgo 13 is a excellent series, I couldn't stop watching it after few time. >.<

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Tremors Attack Pack [Blu-ray]

Alaskan Bull Worm!!!
Certainly the jewel in the Tremors series of movies between 1990 and 2004 is the original. It's funny. It's scary. It's suspenseful. It's got a great cast. It's fun to watch! And this DVD release gives you the three follow-on sequels for almost the price you'd expect to spend for the original cult classic by itself.

In the original 1990 "Tremors", you have Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward as the leading characters. Their performance together is (almost) on par with John Travolta and Sam Jackson in Pulp Fiction; the dialogue between these guys is priceless. They truly come across as buddies for life.

The story is simple: a B-movie-esque scenario where giant man-eating subterranean monsters (big wormlike things called aptly named Graboids) start plucking man and animal from the surface in a remote desert town. Bacon and Ward are trapped by the underground beasts with little known Finn Carter and mercenary neighbors (Michael Gross) and his wife (Reba McEntire). The result...

Tremors Attack Pack: Reviewed
PROS

- You get all 4 movies in one box, a great value at about ~$5 per movie!

- The first movie is the best but you'll probably also like the fourth (which is a prequel) and either the 2nd or 3rd if you haven't seen any of them yet.

- Inside is a coupon for $10.50 off a ticket to Peter Jackson's King Kong which opens in theaters 12-14-05 (valid until 1-1-06).

CONS

- Despite the claims on the packaging for 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, all four movies are presented in 1.78:1 NON-anamorphic widescreen. In fact, the video transfers are exactly the same as those on the previous DVDs.

- All 4 movies are on TWO discs - which of course means both discs are double-sided. ARGH. If you're not the type of person to handle optical discs carefully, forget buying this, you'll probably scratch everything up right away, no offense.

- To make matters worse for two double-sided discs, the DVD case Universal came up with is...

You get what you pay for, and then three extra movies
I am a huge fan of the Tremors movies, and am very excited to see a box set funally being released. The first movie is excellent, the foundation for many good sci-fi/fantasy movies, the beginning is slow enough to actually introduce the movie, but exciting enough to have you hooked, then comes Tremors 2: Aftershocks, new setting, new challenge, new characters, same classic storyline and still has Micheal Gross as Burt Gummer, the match made in heaven for an actor to a part. Tremors 3: Back to Perfection, back to the original detting with a few new characters and yet another exciting twist and an all new way to save the day. Then comes Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, One of the only good prequels in movies to date. All this for only $26 list price? An excellent buy.

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Frankenstein [Blu-ray]

Frankenstein 75th Anniversary is an upgrade.
After disappointingly releasing James Whale's 1931 classic Frankenstein in two previous DVD editions, I had my doubts as to whether or not this edition would be any better. Would Universal give this classic horror film the treatment it deserved? To be honest, the previous DVD's special features were always great, like documentaries, audio commentary, ect.; but the one real issue that bothered me about the other editions was picture and audio quality. I can honestly say that, even after going as far as making a side by side comparison between the first release and this new edition, this new anniversary edition is the one to own. Much has been improved over the old versions, and I could not see any blemishes that exist here that did not exist before. The film now looks sharper, with significantly less dirt and dust, and the contrast of the expressionist photography has also been improved, with truer blacks and more subtle grays giving the film's cinematography the dark starkness it was...

A Memorable Monster; A Magnificient DVD
Although I have seen better prints of the film, this DVD issue of Universal Studio's famous FRANKENSTEIN is a magnificient package that is sure to delight any fan of classic horror. The film itself has been restored for content, and the Skal-hosted documentary--which traces the story from Mary Shelly's famous novel through its numerous film incarnations--is a delight, including numerous interviews with various historians, critics, and Karloff's daughter. The bonus audio track by Rudy Behlmer is also quite interesting, as are the various biographies and notes, and although the short film BOO is a spurious mix of footage from NOSFERATU, DRACULA, THE CAT AND THE CANARY, and FRANKENSTEIN, it is an enjoyable little throw-away. All in all, it doesn't get much better than this.

As for the film itself, the production of FRANKENSTEIN was prompted by the incredible success of the earlier DRACULA--but where DRACULA is a rather problematic and significantly dated film, FRANKENSTEIN was and...

It's Alive! It's Alive!
At last! Isn't this what we all investment into DVD for? (or at least it is for me) Digging deep into their vaults (sic) Universal Studios have packaged the first in a promised series of Classic Monster flicks with suitable aplomb and style. This is the real classic of silver screen horror films and spawned a series of sequels which still reverberates today. Not only do we get the best possible print of the movie, uncut - yes the complete print including the full lakeside scene - but it is crowned with a host of extras which make full use of DVD. Not only is there an excellent audio commentary, but we are also given a tremendous behind the scenes look at the treatment of Mary Shelley's monster by Universal (crammed full of tantalising trailer snips from all the Universal canon). If you have a DVD player with Region 1 capabilities then you owe it to yourself to invest in this beauty.

Classic monster tales don't rate any higher than Frankenstein. It really is the...

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Disconnect [HD]

Doesn't Anyone Talk Face to Face?
Doesn't it seem like everyone is wired these days? Doesn't anyone talk face-to-face anymore? This recent trend has permeated everything we do; if you don't believe me, take a look: LOL; BFF; OMG; W8; BTW; BYOB (kidding...); FYI; ETA; ASAP; RSVP (well, okay... not EVERYTHING is recent)....

With this in mind, brace yourself for an exciting film that addresses our digital world, with grief counseling chat rooms, cyber bullying, on-line sex, and identity theft, plus general e-mails, texting, GPS units and Facebook. It is NOT boring; there isn't a wasted scene, an unnecessary line or a plot hole left unfilled. Kudos to director Henry Alex Rubin ("Murderball" - a terrific documentary) and scriptwriter Andrew Stern ("Return to Me" - one of my favorites), for a movie about moral dilemmas and ethical quicksand that keep us engaged and involved every step of the way.

We see:
* Jason Bateman ("Identity Thief") is a successful attorney named Rich, whose adolescent son...

Powerfully Disturbing Portrayal of the Disconnection in Today's World
"Disconnect" may be one of the most thought-provoking films to come down the pike in recent years that paints an accurate and frightening image of what life looks like now, due to our dependence on the internet, and where it might lead if people don't realize the damage that is being done. The internet is a powerful, useful tool, but the daily abuse of it is almost beyond the scope of comprehending. "Disconnect" gives us an idea about how widespread and frequent that abuse is.

There is a certain amount of irony that our world has become so much closer in the way we communicate. We can literally converse with almost anyone on the planet. I grew up during a time when pen-pal letters from school was about as "close" as I ever got to talking to someone from another country. However, the closer we have become with our communication, the larger the chasm in our connections with others.

"Disconnect" focuses on three main story-lines. The first involves, Ben Boyd,...

It's Better to be Connected than Disconnected
You really need to take a long shower after watching this one. Disconnect contains two basic messages...the Internet is certainly not your friend and you better start "connecting" with friends and family or plan on losing them. Exploitation of young adults for on-line sex sites, cyber-bullying and identity theft are the Trinity of what is essential peril of our Internet usage. Good acting and a tension filled narrative really drove this movie to a good place. Most of the characters in this you just wanted to haul off and hurt. Disconnect reminded me a lot of my reaction after seeing the 2002 movie Thirteen...dazed and scared in my ignorance of not knowing the sick reality in this big bad world of ours.

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Augustine [HD]

Not Enough Character, Not Enough Story
In the opening scene, 19-year old servant Augustine (French pop star Soko) has a violent seizure at a high society banquet. The onlookers have no idea what they are seeing or what to do about it, except throw water on her. When Augustine awakens, she cannot open her left eye and so she is shipped off to a posh clinic (that looks more like a chateau than a hospital) in the countryside to be treated by Dr. Charcot (Vincent Lindon) who specializes in female hysteria. We have no idea who decided to send her there, or who is paying for this extravagant and controversial treatment, nor do we ever learn. What we do learn very early on is that director Alice Winocour is uninterested in such details but is very interested in the fact that the doctor's profession is a compromised one as the doctor must continually market his research/work to potential backers, and an essentail part of this marketing involves treating his profession as a form of theatre and staging/inducing hysterical fits...

Horrifying, Informative, Funny and Sad
This entry from France (English captions) to the 2013 Seattle International Film Festival is by turn, horrifying, informative, funny and sad. Written and directed by Alice Winocour, I wasn't sure if this had any real basis in fact. Reminded of "Hysteria" released in June of 2012, which named real people treating the same "ailment" in 19th century England, I wondered if this too, was equally grounded. Happily, I found plenty of evidence that it is based on real people. Unfortunately, the barbaric equipment they used in their "treatments" is also based on fact. That is the horrifying part!

We watch:
* Vincent Lindon ("La moustache") is wonderful as Professeur Jean-Martin Charcot, whose well-documented treatments for hysteria were conducted at Salp

Alpha Girls: A Satanic Sorority Slasher

Fun slasher homage
Alpha Girls is a fun throwback flick that dishes out a good time on a Saturday night. I prefer to use "cheeky" rather than "campy" to describe the horror film's undertones. It has a fun mix of 'The Craft' Meets 'Mean Girls' that really works in the movie's favor. All of the actresses put 100% into their performances and bring individual life to their characters. Zito and Trov have designed a movie that nods to everything from 'The Amityville Horror' to 'Revenge of the Nerds' and it works. When used, the special make-up effects are successful and throw a nice amount of gore onto some pretty pictures.

Definitely fun with a group of people. Don't miss this one.

throwback to 80's horror
Remember the budget section of Sam Goody, where you could find outrageous, over-the-top slasher flicks designed from inception for home video? Yeah, this represents the best of that...plus Ron Jeremy for good measure.

A sexy thrilling THE CRAFT remake
Great work from Ron Jeremy, and could become a cult film. Nice storyline, excellent filming, good sorority house location, and a bevy of very talented sexy actresses. Really enjoyed the acting by these very cute girls and the schoolgirl outfits they wore were quite remarkable. The acting by the head sorority mistress was top notch and the stunts that she put the new plebes through was so unpleasant. The only thing that i think was missing would have been some more sexiness by the actresses, and maybe some extracurricular activities with boyfriends. A lot of blood and some very gruesome scenes were in this film that i may have taken away from the film. Am sure that alot more boys would like this film than girls, but it would be alright for both couples. Wonder if maybe there will be a part 2 with the save storyline?

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Java Heat [Blu-ray]

Dark And Disturbing Or Lightweight And Comical? This Action Thriller Simply Can't Decide
The action thriller "Java Heat" isn't necessarily a terrible movie, it just ends up being entirely forgettable and somewhat empty-headed. The movie looks like it will be a contemporary political puzzler, but never makes the most of its exotic locale and intriguing premise. What might have been an intricate and relevant look at religious strife and political maneuvering quickly goes somewhere far less interesting from a plotting standpoint. And when all the truths are revealed, my gut reaction was "who cares?" On the plus side, the movie is set in Indonesia which provides for plenty of local color. The action sequences are well executed, even if there aren't any real stand-out moments. And the movie features a really appealing lead performance from Indonesian actor Ario Bayo as a local detective. My principle negative, though, (aside from a rather mundane story) has got to be Kellan Lutz in the biggest role. Lutz is a man committed to a mission, supposedly with plenty of...

(2.5 STARS) 1980-ish Buddy-Buddy Movie in Indonesia
"Java Heat" re-uses or recycles the conventions of Hollywood buddy-buddy cop movies of the 80s, that "Hot Fuzz" effectively parodied, but director Conor Allyn takes them very seriously. Kellan Lutz, best known for his role as Emmett Cullen in "The Twilight Saga" franchise, plays an American named Jake, who is interrogated by a no-nonsense Indonesian police detective Lieutenant Hashim (Ario Bayu) about a terrorist bomb attack that killed Princess Diana.

Of course, Jake is not what he says he is. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi in Walter-Hill-directed "Red Heat," our two heroes team up rather reluctantly at first, but in the course of hunting down the villain and occasional bickering, they come to understand each other.

The scenery-chewing Mickey Rourke in white jacket plays the villain named Malik. He is sort of a criminal mastermind living in a gorgeous mansion, whose motive for criminal behavior is not very convincing.

Some action film...

Great Movie
Great artist. It dragged a bit but all in all I would recommend it to someone who likes action movies

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Behind the Candelabra (Blu-ray + Digital Copy)

An Opulent HBO Biopic Pulls Back The Curtain On The Tempestuous Love Life Of Liberace
Even though I was quite young, I can still remember the infamous palimony suit filed by Scott Thorson against Liberace in 1982. The story created national headlines and scandal at a time when homosexuality wasn't discussed as openly as it might be today. Despite his flamboyant stage persona, Liberace was NOT out of the closet and did not acknowledge the intimacy of this relationship. That's part of what fueled the attention, further adding to the controversy and media scrutiny. I won't discuss the outcome for those new to Thorson's memoir "Behind The Candelabra," which is the source material for this prestigious HBO project. Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) teamed with Oscar nominated screenwriter Richard La Gravenese (The Fisher King) to adapt Thorson's book. Headlined by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, "Behind the Candelabra" was certainly one of the most anticipated TV movies of the year. As you might expect, though, this is told from Thorson's perspective...

A bio-pic that is worth seeing and I thought was good but the performance by Douglas was great. Watch for him. I say B
"I want to be everything to you Scott. I want to be father, brother, lover, best friend." This is the true story of Scott Thorson (Damon) and his relationship with the one and only Liberace (Douglas). Scott was a normal easy going gay man with a dream to become a vet. That all changed when he met Liberace. The small town boy became a drug addicted, paranoid, and revenge obsessed man. I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this movie. I knew very little about the real Liberace and nothing about this story at all. The movie shows the rise and fall Scott and the extreme things he goes through for the man he loves. The story is pretty interesting but the real reason to watch is the performance of Michael Douglas. He is great in this and turns himself completely into the character that he makes you forget you are watching a famous actor like Michael Douglas. Overall, a pretty interesting bio-pic that I thought was pretty good but the performance by Douglas is great. I give it a B.

Liberace the Legend Served Well
The film is based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Scott Thorson (with Alex Thorleifson) adapted for the screen by Richard LaGravenese about the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace and his much younger lover Scott Thorson. This film along with SIDE EFFECTS are purported to be Steven Soderbergh's last films he will direct.

The cast is very solid. Matt Damon embodies the role of Scott Thorson well - a young apparently bisexual man who has been tossed from foster home to foster home while he does odd jobs (he is 17 years old) tending to animals. In a gay bar he meets Bob Black (Scott Bakula) who takes Scott to a Liberace concert (his first exposure to the megastar) and to meet Liberace afterwards. There is tension in the air with Liberace's current paramour and performing partner Billy Leatherwood (Cheyenne Jackson) and we soon discover that Liberace (impeccably played by Michael Douglas) only keeps his `boys' around for a while before his manager...

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Jeff Foxworthy's Comedy Classics

Classics
This DVD shows you the past, present, and future of country comedy, but unlike some other tribute DVDs, this one features clips that everyone can relate to. My kids laughed through routines by Don Knotts and Jim Varney before hearing material from new comers Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White. To top it all off there is outstanding performances of Foxworthy and Engvall in Las Vegas to close it off. It sure is a classic!

The Sad Demise of Country Comedy
Someone asked me if I would watch this dvd with them. I looked over the information on the case before deciding. I saw the words "comedy classics" and "a look at the history of country comedy". Well that sounded interesting. On the back of the case the very first picture was of Bob Hope, followed by 3 other pictures. I didn't know what Bob Hope had to do with "country comedy" but I knew he was a king of comedy - so another potential plus in favor of watching this dvd. The back of the dvd case makes the claim: "traces the roots of this truly American art form, from the storytelling of Will Rogers to the heyday of the Grand Ole Opry, where colorful comic characters like Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl became famous household names, to comedy legend Andy Griffith sharing priceless clips and memories..." and "introduce us to some of the funniest comics working today". Ok, I said, sounds good, pop it in the player.

The first part of the dvd seemingly races through most of...



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Pierce Brosnan 007 Collection (Goldeneye / The World is Not Enough / Die Another Day) [Blu-ray]

Pierce Brosnan is my favorite Bond!!!
While it's really hard to say who is the best James Bond ever, I know who my favorite is. While I freaking love Sean Connery and Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan is my favorite James Bond mostly because he was the one I grew up with. His movies exposed me to the 007 movies and I've been a fan since. So I owe Pierce (and my Dad who's a huge bond fan) for introducing me to the series. Ever since MGM came out with the Sean Connery 007 collection. There was no doubt they would come out with a collection of the Pierce Brosnan films. It's great that they finally came out with it, but the only include three of his four films. The film that is missing from this collection is "Tomarrow Never Dies" which was a great movie. Still, the three movies that are in this set are great movies and they are worth it.

Goldeneye (1995)- Possibly the best movie of this set. Goldeneye was Pierce's first time as Bond and he does a great job stepping out of the shadow of both Connery and Moore. This film...

Pierce Bronsnan did 4 movies, not 3...
How can this be Pierce Brosnan ULTIMATE if it doesn't have all the movies? It's missing TOMORROW NEVER DIES. Someone didn't do their homework.

5 Stars For Brosnan's Bonds, No Stars For This Set
Brosnan's Bond is credited for saving the franchise from the malaise that the series suffered from "Moonraker" through "Licence to Kill". Welcomed enthusiastically by the public and widely mourned when he departed the series, "The Billion Dollar Bond" brought fun, menace and presence to the all-but-dead series in the form of four (yep, that's FOUR) terrific movies. As good as "Goldeneye is (and it is very good), it was the second Brosnan film, "Tomorrow Never Dies", that returned the series fully to its former glory. A crazy villain, evil henchman, some of the best chases in the series, fun rapport between Bond, Moneypenny and Q, a more fully realized relationship between Bond and M, an ultra-cool bad guy lair, noirish segments, a great score and real Bond girls in Teri Hatcher and Michelle Yeoh. So, why is this movie missing from the set? This is no "ultimate" set at all, but a slap in the face to Brosnan's considerable Bond legacy.

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Arrow: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

Wow. I Am Impressed
I had low expectations when I decided to download the pilot episode. After the utter failure of 'The Cape' and other superhero TV shows ruined with poor acting, poor action and plots that could have been written by a 10 year old, who can blame me for expecting Arrow to be another loser. However, I actually came away impressed ... and I am not that easily impressed.

First, the selection of Stephen Amell as Green Arrow was excellent. I was worried the role would go to a male model more concerned with being pretty than being a hardened man on a mission. With Stephen Amell as Green Arrow you get a guy who comes off more as an MMA fighter, which makes Arrow so much more believable. The action scenes are crisp and effective. Arrow starts out with grit and has an edgy quality that keeps you interested. The plot contains plenty of room for mystery and the dialogue/acting is pretty good. It makes no difference if you are a Green Arrow fan or not, this show is about enjoying a...

This show justs gets better and better!
I love, love, love this show. Such a nice change from the usual mostly meh kind of shows many of the networks are churning out like the mindless so called "reality" shows that I refuse to watch. Way to go CW-this is a winner.

Not your average superhero fan
First let me say, I probably skew the demographics on superhero TV and movies. I am a 52 year-old woman, and have loved the science fiction and superhero genres since I was 12. I love the X-men movies (all of them), most of the Batman movies, the first Iron Man movie,not crazy about Superman (too goody-goody for me, I like 'em dark!). I'm a faithful fan of the excellent Grimm, and the sometimes over-the-top Once Upon A Time. I even enjoy watching some of the animated Spiderman and others with my grandson (LOVE the Di-gata Defenders!). The best ones are archetypes, resonating in the soul.

That said, my review:

This series is really well-done, the cast is exceptionally strong considering their lack of fame, the acting is well above average for the genre, and particularly for a television series. It's dark, often creepy (but not so much that I wouldn't let a nine- or ten-year-old watch it), plenty of action, with a wonderfully believable set of characters. Stephen...

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Byzantium [HD]

Amazingly Well Acted
In a time of many various forms of what it is to be vampire, like in 'True Blood', 'Twilight' movies, and 'Vampire Diaries'. Byzantium is a refreshing take on vampirism. Like the movie 'Underworld: Awaking' we have a mother/daughter team that is trying find their own identity in the world. However, in Byzantium, we get the real deal. What we find is a movie that is portraying a real life relationship between mother and daughter who are fighting to stay alive. To the detriment of an all male vampire league. The strength of the movie comes from the acting abilities of Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan, as the mother and daughter lead. In the world of the 19th century and in present time they both have to deal with a male dominated world. But in the end they find their own strength as women. Showing that women are just as powerful as men, intellectually speaking. However, the ending shows that there is the potential for a sequel. Like Christopher Nolan, if there is a sequel, I...

A dash of realism
Finally, a vampire story that explores the paralyzing loneliness that must come with immortality. Something sorely overlooked in the slew of human-vamp love stories flooding the media these days. Great to see themes untouched since the likes of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice, and at the center of it all two strong, determined female leads. The film also boasts impressive, yet never heavy-handed CG. Very satisfying indeed.

An original, well-plotted and well-acted vampire movie!
The concept behind Neil Jordan's film BYZANTIUM is compelling: A mother/daughter vampire story. The grabs the attention right away. Jordan as director makes in more interesting, and an eclectic cast that includes the rising Gemma Arterton, the unusual Caleb Landry Jones and the excellent Saoirse Ronan makes it a must-see.

BYZANTIUM is moody, atmospheric, often bloody, sometimes funny and always interesting horror tale. It is not a SCARY movie...nor is it trying to be. Vampires don't really scare anymore...but Jordan proves that they can be interesting subjects for story-telling. BYZANTIUM is also often very slow moving and isn't quite as gripping as it thinks it is. I enjoyed the movie, I guess...but in many ways I APPRECIATED it more than I loved it.

I don't really want to give away too much of the plot, because much of the film is really the slow telling of the backstory of these two vampires. The film is set in modern times and shows how these two make...

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Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series (Blu-ray)

Doctor Who: The complete seventh series, September 24th
This Blu-ray set will be available September the 24th, and this set features all 13 episodes of Series 7 as well as two Christmas Specials:

*2011 Christmas Special: The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe

*Asylum of the Daleks
*Dinosaurs On A Spaceship
*A Town Called Mercy
*The Power of Three
*The Angels Take Manhattan

*2012 Christmas Special: The Snowmen

*The Bells of Saint John
*The Rings of Akhaten
*Cold War
*Hide
*Journey To The Center of The TARDIS
*The Crimson Horror
*Nightmare in Silver (The Last Cyberman)
*The Name of The Doctor

This set also has the following special features:

*Audio Commentaries
*Behind the scenes featurettes
*Episode Prequels
*Doctor Who on the Nerdist
*Doctor Who in the U.S.
*Last Days of the Ponds
*Pond Life
*The science of Doctor Who
*The Companions
*Doctor Who at Comic Con

*NOTE*...

Commentaries, one with MATT SMITH, as DVD Extras and Two Christmas Specials! Hurrah!
On 7/29, BBC issued a press release with the official list of Complete Seventh Series episodes and extras for Region 2 (U.S.). Both DVD and Blu-Ray will have six-discs, to be released September 24, 2013. The thirteen episodes (already released as Parts 1 & 2) are included plus two Christmas specials. For a synopsis of each episode and special, as well as the bonus features that have already been issued on DVD/Blu-Ray, check out reviews of the previous DVD issues. Season 7 has some really great writing. Sometimes, though, the shorter 45-minute format hobbles the story-telling:
Season 7 Part 1
Doctor Who: Series Seven - Part One
Season 7 Part 2
Doctor Who: Series Seven - Part Two
"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" (aired 12/2011)
Doctor Who:...

Excellent and almost perfect
I pre-ordered this item 2 months before the release, which is in 2 days as I write. I have no problem writing a review of the product, though, having seen all the episodes several times through the wonders of my DVR. I have to admit that, when I first saw the episodes, there seemed to be something lacking in each of them that made them not quite up to par. I have since decided, however, that overall, the 7th is a good season. I think I succumbed to the hype around the episodes that raised my expectations. But, the hype aside, and some time between first viewing and now, the season is satisfying. There are just a few things:

1. The stand-alone episodes in the first half of the season, for me at least, are less satisfying than those in the second half that are crossed by a story arc. While many people criticized the timey wimey story arcs in Season 6, I loved them. So, the stand-alones were lesser episodes for me. That doesn't mean they weren't good or that I didn't like...

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This Is The End [HD]

One of the funniest movies of the past few years: Laugh out loud, ridiculous fun.
With the amount of talent this has lined up, it would be strange if it was not a good time at the movies. Based on a short film called Jay & Seth vs. the Apocalypse, this movie ups the ante in every sense of the word. The comedy you have come to expect from Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride is top notch. The rest of the cast, all playing themselves, is also played perfectly. Injected with horror in fact, some right out of famous horror films like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, this movie also brings the scares and gore, although it never loses sight that it is a comedy, first and foremost.

When Jay comes to LA to party with Seth, they end up hitting a party at James Franco's new, druglord-type mansion. All the celebrities are there: the main cast of 6 mentioned above, Michael Cera, Rihanna, and others that I won't spoil the cameos for. Then, it comes to a crashing halt when the party is stopped by the oncoming End of...

Insanely funny
The movie was brilliant and absolutely hilarious. My wife and I were crying it was so funny. A must own.

Lots of Fun
This movie does not really concern itself too much with a story line. It is just meant to be a bit of fun and it achieves that well. The actors really play up to stereotypes and you can tell they had fun filming this.

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The Kings of Summer [Blu-ray]

Biaggio character alone worth the rental
Moises Arias' character alone makes this movie worthwhile. One of the funniest characters and performances I've seen in a while.

An Entertaining Coming -of-Age Comedy
THE KINGS OF SUMMER is an entertaining coming-of-age movie, reminiscent of STAND BY ME, but with a lighter touch.

Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and Biaggio (Moises Arias) are a trio of Mid-West teens who have decided to flee their parents. Joe's dad (Nick Offerman) is a wisecracking, insensitive "s.o.b.". Patrick's folks (Megan Mullally, Marc Evan Jackson) are on the "creepy" side, and, except for one brief scene, we don't really meet Biaggio's parents, but he's a bit "weird," so that should tell us something.

The truth is that, from a teenager's standpoint, all parents are insensitive, creepy and/or weird.

In an ultimate act of independence, the three boys decide to spend their summer building a ramshackle house in the woods and living off the land. The house goes up amazingly fast, and while the parents and the police (led by Mary Lynn Rajskub) search for them, the teens have a great time. The adventure, however, turns south when...

One of A Kind!
Hilarious, heartwarming and original! I have not seen a movie this good in years. It was humorous, not saccharine and lovely and warm. An absolute must see for adults or older teens.

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Java Heat [HD]

Dark And Disturbing Or Lightweight And Comical? This Action Thriller Simply Can't Decide
The action thriller "Java Heat" isn't necessarily a terrible movie, it just ends up being entirely forgettable and somewhat empty-headed. The movie looks like it will be a contemporary political puzzler, but never makes the most of its exotic locale and intriguing premise. What might have been an intricate and relevant look at religious strife and political maneuvering quickly goes somewhere far less interesting from a plotting standpoint. And when all the truths are revealed, my gut reaction was "who cares?" On the plus side, the movie is set in Indonesia which provides for plenty of local color. The action sequences are well executed, even if there aren't any real stand-out moments. And the movie features a really appealing lead performance from Indonesian actor Ario Bayo as a local detective. My principle negative, though, (aside from a rather mundane story) has got to be Kellan Lutz in the biggest role. Lutz is a man committed to a mission, supposedly with plenty of...

(2.5 STARS) 1980-ish Buddy-Buddy Movie in Indonesia
"Java Heat" re-uses or recycles the conventions of Hollywood buddy-buddy cop movies of the 80s, that "Hot Fuzz" effectively parodied, but director Conor Allyn takes them very seriously. Kellan Lutz, best known for his role as Emmett Cullen in "The Twilight Saga" franchise, plays an American named Jake, who is interrogated by a no-nonsense Indonesian police detective Lieutenant Hashim (Ario Bayu) about a terrorist bomb attack that killed Princess Diana.

Of course, Jake is not what he says he is. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi in Walter-Hill-directed "Red Heat," our two heroes team up rather reluctantly at first, but in the course of hunting down the villain and occasional bickering, they come to understand each other.

The scenery-chewing Mickey Rourke in white jacket plays the villain named Malik. He is sort of a criminal mastermind living in a gorgeous mansion, whose motive for criminal behavior is not very convincing.

Some action film...

Great Movie
Great artist. It dragged a bit but all in all I would recommend it to someone who likes action movies

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Redemption

My favorite Statham movie.
And a good movie on its own, too. I loved the set-up,the flow of the story was good and there were a few surprises. I was with him all the way on his journey as he fell into a good though dubious oppertunity. The sub-plots were good as well. I didn't know what would come next and liked the unexpected ending. As a movie, I give it four stars, but as a Statham movie I give it a big five stars. Saw it last night ans still thinking about it.

Statham Shows Depth
Jason Statham gives what I would argue is his best performance to date. While he has long established his capabilities as an action star, his performance in Redemption showcases his ability to play a character with depth and dimension as well.

I found the overall movie to be extremely entertaining. Frankly, the weakest dialog and acting was during some of the action scenes IMHO. I strongly recommend giving this movie a viewing. For what it is I give it 5 stars. Cheers!

A different movie and role for Statham. Nothing that will change the way he's viewed but I liked and and worth watching. I say B
"I'm looking for someone, her name is Isabel. I've come to save her." Joey (Statham) is a homeless ex special forces soldier on the run from a court martial. When he stumbles on a chance to change who he is he takes it. When someone he knows comes up missing he has to walk the line between who he was and who he wants to be. Since this is a Statham movie I had an expectation going in. I was expecting another Transporter type movie, since that is basically all he does. I am a fan of his but who's gonna argue that. The first half hour made it seem like a different movie for him, then he became a driver/hit-man and I thought...here we go again. For the most part though this was a different movie and role for him and he did a pretty good job. This is nothing amazing and won't really change the way he is viewed but for once this isn't just another Transporter type movie. I liked it, but again I am a Statham fan. Overall, a different type of movie for him and worth seeing. I give it a B.

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As Cool As I Am [HD]

good, watch me.
This is good! I had no expectations, but love Claire Danes. She doesnt disappoint - the characters are rich and abundant, if extremely flawed, - and acted well.... ahh the movies. Makes you feel good about life essentially - in an unexpected way.

Good premise
As far as coming of age and parents gone wild films go, this one is not bad. The actors and actresses all deliver solid to excellent performances. It's just the execution of all these moving parts where something mis-fires. I love slow movies like Out of Africa and Age of Innocence, but this one was slow without engaging me. The resolution of the film is touching but felt incomplete.

Pretty depressing but very much worth watching & I highly recommend. If you like What Maisie Knew you will love this. I say B+
"If memory is malleable then the future is too." Lucy is a sixteen year old girl who is too smart for her own good. She spends her free time learning how to cook and hanging out with her friend Kenny. Her mother (Danes) and father (Marsden) had her when they were young and not ready for that responsibility. Now with her dad gone all but 4 times a year and her mom acting like a kid herself Lucy is left to discover life for herself. This is a movie that again proves my point that a movie can be entertaining and worth watching involving great acting rather then special effects. This is a movie along the line of What Maisie Knew only involving an older child rather then a 6 year old. Parents that should not have been allowed to have children and a child who is more mature then the parents. You really root for Lucy the entire time and by the time the end come you feel extremely sorry for her as well as relief. That is a hard combination to achieve but that's what great writing and acting...

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V/H/S/2 [VHS Tape]

"No Safe Haven From The Ghosts, Zombies, and Aliens"
I can't lie, I absolutely loved "V/H/S [DVD]" so checking out part 2 for me was a no brainer. This go around is definitely a step up from the first and brings us stories that deal with a man who receives a bionic eye implant that lets him see ghosts "Clinical Trials", a bike ride in the park as a zombie outbreak occurs "A Ride In The Park", a trip to a religious cult "Safe Haven" and a sleepover that results in alien abduction "Alien Abduction Slumber Party". As I watched it seemed to me that each segment just got better and better except I wish they would of switched the last two segments with "Safe Haven" being the final tape before the wrap around.

"Clinical Trials" directed by Adam Wingard "A Horrible Way to Die" takes us into the last days of a man who receives a bionic eye implant due from damage to his original eye as part of...

Ghosts, Zombies, Cults, and Aliens... A Terrifying and Creative Horror Anthology...
(The following review may have potential spoilers, although most descriptions are as brief as possible.)

V/H/S 2 is a found-footage horror anthology. "Tape 49" is the frame story which follows two private investigators searching for a missing college student. When they arrive at the house, they find and view several VHS tapes hoping to track the young student. Instead, they find the following short movies:

"Clinical Trials Phase 1" follows a man who has received a new eye after a car accident - an eye with a built-in camera. When he gets home, he begins to hallucinate - things are misplaced, odd figures are seen, etc. This story works superbly as a jump-scare ghost story. It uses great suspense and the claustrophobic tunnel-vision to create effectively unexpected and consistent jump-scares. Some of the visuals are also eerie, and very creative. The acting of the lead was a bit off at times as his dialogue delivery felt unnatural - he didn't seem frightened...

Awesome!
It's a fun film for someone with an interesting taste in the unusual. Anyone who is tired of watching a Saw film every year would love the uniqueness this film offers.

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The Last Tycoon [Blu-ray]

A Lavish Chinese Gangster Melodrama: Operatic Grandeur, But Rather Thin Characterizations
Everything about the lush and beautiful gangster melodrama "The Last Tycoon" is done with visual panache and great style. An epic tale about the rise of a small town boy named Cheng Daiqi, the film has the sweep of a classic crime saga played out as an over-the-top and operatic historical set piece. Everything is big about this picture, a movie that seems to be in love with movies. Independent scenes can instantly reference other cinematic moments from a shoot-out reminiscent of "Bonnie and Clyde," to a romantic departure out of "Casablanca," to a street fight tinged with a "Singing in the Rain" vibe, to a church confrontation straight out of classic John Woo (but without the Woo doves). It is all put together with exquisite choreography, impressive effects, and a swelling soundtrack that compliments the escalating action. It's fair to say that director Wong Jing wasn't aiming for subtlety and understatement with "The Last Tycoon!" From the fight sequences, to the bombing of Shanghai,...

Real Movie News Blu-ray review
Jing Wong's The Last Tycoon is a reasonable entertaining film. There are more than a few engaging sequences, though they are buried enough amongst many forgettable and vaguely familiar moments to make The Last Tycoon feel like the echo of better films from recent past. Despite a jarring editing style which jerks the audience back and forth in time, there are few surprises to be found and little distinctly memorable. With that being said, The Last Tycoon is still a reasonably entertaining film.

Action star Chow Yun-Fat plays the seasoned older version of the film's main character, Cheng Daqi, and it almost feels as though the editing was a choice made in order to keep the film's largest star equally dispersed amongst the narrative. First played by Huang Xiaoming, Daqi is a young man working for a fruit stand owner in the early 1920s when he is framed for murder and forced to become the right hand to a triad boss, Hong Shouting (Sammo Hung).

He is forced to leave...

A playground for the adventurous
Wong Jing's Hong Kong film is labeled as a crime drama, which "The Last Tycoon" certainly lives up to being. But the film also features some extremely explosive action sequences and has a rather hardcore romance element at its core. The film is constantly jumping back and forth between what's happening in the present, which takes place between 1937 and 1940, and nearly 25 years in the past. Naturally, most of the main characters are portrayed by both a more distinguished actor and a younger one.

Huang Xiaoming plays the Cheng Daqi of the past while Chow Yun-Fat is the man he grows up to be. Xiaoming does an impeccable job of portraying a young man with the undying ambition to make a name for himself. The young Cheng Daqi is always trying to prove himself nearly every time he opens his mouth. Meanwhile, Chow Yun-Fat is a bit more relaxed. He has everything he's ever wanted except for Zhiqiu (Yuan Quan) who's just walked back into his life. As the Japanese begin their...

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Halloween Home Haunts

These Are Some Folks Truly Dedicated To Scaring Others!
Halloween gets a bad rap. Sure, maybe it has some unfortunate relation to some pagan celebration or some such thing. And, yeah, maybe there's much ado about witches and ghosts and goblins and trolls and such. Still, more and more, adults are branching out into all witches' hallow (or is that hollow?), taking it over from the kiddies (to a degree) and turning it into an even bigger cause for celebration. This DVD from Apprehensive Films and TheGrindhouse.net explores the three levels of dedicated Halloweening homeowners: from display to haunted properties all the way up to full-fledged separate businesses.

HALLOWEEN HOME HAUNTS is a modestly produced documentary that explores some of the `why' and `how' folks are drawn to their particular fascinations with October 31. It goes into some detail on some of the more prolific decorators - explaining how they accomplish what they do in transforming their suburban lawns into wonderfully horrific displays of the Undead. In its...

Entertaining Documentary
If you live anywhere near civilization, you probably already know that Halloween, for some people, is as popular as Christmas. Some folks will go to great lengths and expense to turn their houses and property into graveyards, ghost-filled hospitals, haunted mine-shafts, and just about any other scary backdrop you can think of. These are the people that make Halloween fun for adults. In HALLOWEEN HOME HAUNTS, we get a closer look at a few of these `home-haunters', and we get to see firsthand how they put together their attractions.

My buddy Hayes over at Hayes Hudson's House of Horror is one of these home-haunters, although he doesn't take it to the extreme like some of the folks in this documentary. This group of people might be called obsessive, although the results of their passion can clearly be seen in the crowds they draw.

HALLOWEEN HOME HAUNTS is shot well and looks good onscreen. The format of the documentary is more of an interview-style than an...

Not what I was hoping for.
I first sumbled onto this film by seeing a trailer on YouTube and( then later heard it on Hauntcast). The trailer looked really promising so I ordered "Halloween Home Haunts"

I must say that I was really looking forward to this little indie film. But soon after the movie started my heart started to sink. The documentary has a host and he's in every scene during an interview. (It reminds me more of a local News Report interview than a documentary)
The interviews are sadly dull and boring due to the fact that it has really nothing to do with the hardship of setting up the haunt or the pressure to make a prop in time for the Holiday. It's just the person gloating over their Yard/Home Haunt. Then after the interview it show the haunt with no one in it. But the problem in showing to Haunt is whoever filmed the Haunts didn't keep a flow of continuity. In all of the Haunts I had no idea where props were in comparison to others. (I've seen people doing a quick run of their...

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