price：$10.99
E1 Entertainment
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Weird movie) 『Rob's acting is really good in this movie; but I did not enjoy it. Not sure what the deal is with all the spiders? Save your money.』
(boring) 『The movie was very slow moving and pretty boring. I like these types of movies normally but this one didn't impress me at all. I never turn movies off before the end but I couldn't stand watching much more of it. I watched most of it but I can't see it changing enough to interest me.』
(Too Much Reliance on Visuals) 『To rate a movie highly because of the appearance of a single actor does an injustice to the story and to everyone else involved. The acting by all was more than adequate to convey the story but for a few directorial impediments. Such as first, the director relied to much on a dark, barely visible setting making it difficult to relax and fully enveloped the nuances of the story. All was lost in the darkness - darkness as a cheap substitute for drama and suspense. Second, props such as spiders contributed little to understanding the character and were cheaply overused. Third, the story was edited to the point of fragmentation leaving the viewer to guess more than understand.』
(worse ever) 『this movie was all over the place and terrible! the only reason people are watching it is to see robert pattinson's GORGEOUS self. but other than him, the movie was awful. i wouldnt recommend anyone spending more than $1 on this movie from redbox, and even then it isnt worth it!』
(haunted) 『The reason I got this movie was to see if all the hype about Rob Pattinson was just twilight or more. He is indeed a talented young man, this movie is very dark but, very good. He does bring you into just how this young man is feeling not just with word but with looks. You really want to help him. The end was not what I expected. Great』 『Flight Lieutenant Jugg (Twilight's Robert Pattinson), confined to a wheelchair after being wounded in action, arrives at a remote mansion in Wales to recuperate. Suffering from terrible nightmares and visions, he suspects the methods of his psychiatrist, Dr. Hal Burns (Julian Sands). His beautiful aunt, Julia (Rachael Stirling) seems to be the only person he can trust– until circumstances make him doubt even her intentions. Based on the novel “The Haunting of Toby Jugg” by Dennis Wheatley.』
price：$38.99
Warner Home Video
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Another Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume for Me!) 『What's up, Doc? I now have another volume of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection! The cartoons have never looked better or funnier than before. There are even more shorts in this collection than in the first volume. Even the cartoons with miscellaneous characters are really entertaining. I like the inro by Whoopie Goldberg. She had a terrific message to give before the cartoons started. Anyway, if you miss seeing the Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network or Boomerang, this and other Looney Tunes volumes are the stuff for you!』
(WARNING - SOME DEFECTIVE SETS OUT THERE!!) 『I purchased this volume along with volumes 1&2. After watching both volumes without incident, I pulled off the factory seal on volume 3 and discovered, instead of the DVDs, there were 5 BLANK Memorex CD-Rs! I'm not blaming Amazon, because they don't make the things. I writing this mainly as a warning to other customers. Amazon has allowed me to return the defective set and is sending me a replacement. I will post a review of the set once I receive it. Volumes 1&2 were great.』
(Decent Collection of Cartoons) 『Volume 3 in the "Golden Collection" series has number of good cartoons, but not the sheer density of good cartoons found in the first two volumes. All in all, a solid 4-star outing. However, I'm deducting a star for having an annoying, unskippable disclaimer at the beginning of each DVD "hosted" by Whoppi Goldberg. The purpose of this collection is to watch classic cartoons, not to listen to people whine about how the past wasn't as progressive as today.』
(A great set for collectors, featuring many popular cartoons) 『Not as good as Volume One, but still an excellent collection. This set (Vol. 3) is geared more toward animation buffs and collectors, rather than the casual cartoon fan. Disc One focuses on Bugs Bunny, Disc Two focuses on Hollywood caricatures and parodies, Disc Three focuses on Porky Pig, and Disc Four is a miscellaneous hodge podge of Looney Tunes favorites.
The caricatures of golden-age Hollywood stars are classic, but few people today will recognize the references (or care). And most casual Looney Tunes viewers probably won't care about the evolution of Porky, with a disc of several black&white 1930s cartoons. That makes this collection better-suited for the serious Looney Tunes fanatic, in my opinion.
(For casual fans not interested in special features or history lessons, there are the 2-disc "Spotlight Collection" DVDs. They are just the cartoons and seem ideal for kids or families who just want to have fun watching Bugs, Daffy&Co. Check out Vol. 1.)
Like the other Golden Collection sets, this one comes with a lot of cool extras, including: - the Chuck Jones documentary "Chuck Amuck" - "Behind-the-Tunes" featurettes about the Wabbit Season trilogy, Bosko and the early black&white toons, the restoration process, Frank Tashlin, Pepe Le Pew, and wartime cartoons - Chuck Jones's non-Warner Bros. film "The Bear That Wasn't" - Private Snafu WWII shorts "Rumors", "Snafuperman", and "Spies" - audio commentaries for select cartoons
And the Looney Tunes cartoons themselves are very good. Many memorable cartoons from my childhood, growing up watching Looney Tunes on TV, as well as some more historically or culturally significant efforts.
Highlights include: "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" - part 3 of the classic Rabbit Season/Duck Season, Bugs-Daffy-Elmer trilogy (parts 1 and 2 are both included on Golden Collection, Vol. One) "Robin Hood Daffy" - Daffy as an outrageous Robin Hood, Porky as Friar Tuck (a classic) "The Honey-Mousers" - an all-mouse parody of "The Honeymooners" TV show "Wackiki Wabbit" - shipwrecked sailors meet Bugs on a tropical island "Porky Pig's Feat" - Porky and Daffy try to escape a hotel without paying their bill "Swooner Crooner" - a Sinatra-like chicken singer distracts the hens "Rocket Squad" - Daffy and Porky in an outer-space "Dragnet" parody "Steal Wool" - a wolf tries to outsmart a sheepdog from 9 to 5 "Daffy Duck&Egghead" - Daffy's zany second-ever appearance, eluding a dim-witted hunter "To Beep or Not to Beep" - the token Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote short
This collection also includes appearances by Sylvester&Tweety, Speedy Gonzales, Pepe Le Pew, and Foghorn Leghorn.
This third volume of the Golden Collection series has a glossier packaging than the first two sets and very nice-looking Hollywood-y menus. My set also came with a "collectible litho cell" entitled "The Stars Are Out", featuring Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Pepe, Tweety, Speedy, and Wile E. inside the red Looney Tunes rings.
While this is undoubtedly an excellent DVD set, featuring great cartoons and great extras, I consider it a notch or two below the first Golden Collection set, which I think had a better mix of top-grade Looney Tunes classics. The more specialized focus of the later sets make them a little less fun to just sit down and watch. The sets are still great for collectors, though, and there are enough great cartoons to justify adding Vol. 3 to a growing Looney Tunes collection. (But I wouldn't start with this one.)
All of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets are excellent. The Looney Tunes are still hilarious fun to watch and the 4-disc sets contain around 60 cartoons and loads of bonus features. The sets make great gifts and can be occasionally found on sale for around $26 (down from about $50). This one isn't the best of the series, but it's still very good.』
(Classic Looney Laughs) 『I'm glad I purchased this collection because I needed a good laugh. I have forgotten about many of these shorts and the characters in them because I watched them so long ago. The writers of this collection had to have been looney themselves....Do yourself a favor and buy this and get ready to laugh.』 『RESTORED, REMASTERED AND REE-DICULOUS: COMPLETELY UNCUT AND UNCENSORED LOONEY-NESS, INCLUDING SOME HOME VIDEO DEBUTS! You know what you want. More three-day weekends. More ounces in a pound of chocolates. More Looney Tunes. Your wish is our command. Because in this 4-disc set are 60 more of the most looneytic Looney Tunes ever unleashed on rabbit, duck, pig or humanity. Indeed, some have never before been on home video! Disc 1 features the tall, gray and haresome one. Disc 2 lampoons Hollywood. Ham actor Porky Pig rules Disc 3. And Disc 4 has the duck and a cast of crazies. One thing: to watch these, you must be as tall as this sign. Wrong disclaimer. Read the one in the box below. Got the idea? Now have fun. And pass the chocolates. Disclaimer Box Copy: The Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 3 Is Intended for the Adult Collector and May Not Be Suitable for Children.』 『Like the previous entries in theLooney Tunes Golden Collectionseries, volume 3 confirms how brilliant the Warner Bros. artists were and how durable their creations have proven. The set includes classics that every cartoon buff will recognize: "Duck! Rabbit! Duck!," "Robin Hood Daffy," "Birds Anonymous." Other selections are less familiar but significant in the development of the studio: "Sinkin' in the Bathtub," the first Looney Tune; "I Haven't Got a Hat," the earliest Warners cartoon viewers can watch for fun, rather than as an historic curiosity; "Porky's Romance," in which director Frank Tashlin introduced rapid cutting to cartoons. Some of the caricature films have aged less gracefully. Younger audiences will recognize the drawn versions of W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Katharine Hepburn, and Charlie Chaplin. But will anyone under the age of 60 remember Edna Mae Oliver, George Arliss, or Ned Sparks?
The producers have once again loaded the discs with supplemental material, including "Point Food Rationing," a unseen short explaining wartime ration books; a BBC documentary on Chuck Jones; and interstitial animated sequences forThe Bugs Bunny Show. "Philbert" ranks as the oddest of the extras: an unsold (and leaden) pilot from 1963, featuring live actors and an animated title character. Whoopi Goldberg introduces the set, explaining that some of the ethnic gags would no longer be considered appropriate. But she correctly adds that to remove them would falsify both the history of animation and American popular culture. It all adds up to a set every cartoon fan will want. (Unrated, suitable for all ages: cartoon violence)--Charles Solomon』
price：$7.00
Vivendi Entertainment
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Blood Ties) 『Thought this was a great series. Although I did not care for the female investigator, I thought the vampire and police investigator were great. They made the series worth watching. The lady investigator was the most self centered, unyeilding character I have seen in a long time. By the end of the series I felt she got what she deserved.』
(my take on blood ties) 『I enjoyed the show but found the books much more satisfying. That is pretty common for me with most books turned to tv or movies. The characters and plot seem fairly well done, I understood the story line and could follow the characters actions and motivation. All together I would rate the show an eight on the ten scale.』
(Great Show That Ended Too Soon) 『The show needed allot of work but it was a precursor to all the vampire shows now airing. The acting was great and I really miss this not being on.』
(Why was this show canceled??) 『I gave this 5 stars because I've really enjoyed the first season and this second season has great episodes, but you can tell they got cut off at the knees when they were canceled. So I'd like to give the Lifetime network zero stars for canceling this really well done show.
The casting for this show was really great. Kyle Schmid is one of our heart throbs now. And I think the woman who played the medical examiner is my all-time favorite medical examiner on TV. Christina Cox was also well chosen. I've read all the books and I think she makes a great Vicki.
The show itself was suspenseful and usually had comedic overtones that I enjoyed. This DVD set is well worth the price, even though there are only 9 episodes and no special features. That was a disappointment. But its all worth it to watch Henry, especially when he goes all vampire. They did his vampire teeth (and overall look) right. His canines and second incisors extend and his forehead does not get bumpy and his veins do not pop all out. Henry's vamp look is very sexy.』
(Love it) 『I am a fan of this show and can not wait for the next season』 『Blood Ties Season 2 picks up with Vicky Nelson and Henry Fitzroy being drawn into baffling cases involving a terrifying pantheon of occult adversaries. While Henry deals with Christina, the vampire from Henry s past who turned him into a Vampire 480 years ago.』
price：$9.49
Universal Studios
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Reacquaint with "The Birds") 『Hitchcock's 1963 drama/horror/thriller "The Birds" details the story of a city woman (Tippi Hedren) going to the rural coastal town Bodega Bay to play a coquettish prank on a lawyer whom she met in the city (Rod Taylor). As she starts to get to know the town the birds mysteriously attack in force.
"The Birds" might well be the first official nature-runs-amok flick, which were made hugely popular a dozen years later with the release of "Jaws," the film that opened the Pandora's box to creature-on-the-loose flicks.
I believe "The Birds" should be enjoyed at face value as a simple story of birds mysteriously attacking a coastal hamlet, but a more allegorical interpretation is that Melanie (Hedren) represents modern ideas (for 1963, that is) that attempt to infect the rural communities where people live and think in a simpler, more conservative way. The village is not ready to accept and incorporate these "new" concepts and so nature itself attempts to vomit out the infection, irregardless of hometown damage and casualties. Yet this interpretation seems to be rejected by the film itself in the restaurant scene where the mother with two kids hysterically rebukes Melanie for supposedly causing the bird attacks; when Melanie slaps the mother, this irrational notion is 'slapped' out of the viewer as well, as if to say, "That's stupid, Melanie is not the cause of this, whether literally or figuratively."
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
- For the better part of an hour the story plays out as a slow drama, which will likely turn off those with ADHD. Personally, I find this approach refreshing in light of the frenetic editing and absurd action sequences of modern "blockbusters." Films like "The Birds" seem almost daring by comparison; in fact, it's startling. Besides, the beautiful Bodega Bay photography provides some nice backdrop eye-candy to help maintain one's attention with the soap operatics. - One obvious plot hole is: Why do Melanie, the schoolmarm and the kids flee the schoolhouse? Wouldn't it be wiser to simply blockade themselves in an inner room with no windows? Or maybe there isn't such an interior room big enough to fit all the kids; after all, it appears to be a fairly small schoolhouse. - Complaints about Melanie's supposedly lame prank on Mitch (Taylor) are nitpicking at best; and criticisms of Melanie foolishly searching for the source of a mysterious sound -- even though she must know what it is -- can easily be chalked up to curiosity killing the cat (for instance, while stopping by Point Pleasant, WV, on vacation in 2005 I went into an old abandoned building that used to be a home for troubled kids back in the day; my wife refused to go any where near the creepy domicile but I HAD to go in and look around; even the satanic graffiti and shocked birds flying out the windows didn't deter me!). - After recently seeing films like the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" and "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", I can hardly find "The Birds" horrifying, although I certainly find it very entertaining. Really, the creepiest aspect of the movie is Mitch's hovering, suspicious mother, played by Jessica Tandy -- whoa, is she scary. - The age difference of Mitch and his sister seems off. Taylor (Mitch) was 33 years-old during filming, although he looks to be more like 40 or older, but his sister in the story (Veronica Cartwright) was only 13. That's a twenty-year difference. I could see her being his daughter, but his sister? Also, if Veronica is 13 that means his creepy mother had sex a mere 13 years before -- and that's a really scary thought!
WHAT WORKS:
- As noted above, the slow dialogue-driven drama of the first hour is actually appealing in light of the modern glut of moronic cgi-laden, frenetically-edited drivel, not to mention the awesome coastal Northern California cinematography. - Viewing the film is like going back in time to the early 60s. It's entertaining to see the clothing and decor styles, as well as social interactions, etc. - Although I don't find Tippi sexy, I do enjoy her facial expressions. I know this is an odd comment, but she does have that Paul Stanley pouty lips rockstar expression down pat. - Suzanne Pleshette's in the cast -- now SHE's sexy. - There are numerous memorable and thrilling sequences -- the various bird attacks, the guy with no eye balls, the phone booth scene, etc. I also enjoyed the interesting discussion on birds in the diner sequence - [END SPOILER!] I love the mysterious way the film ends with no explanation or dialogue. The sea of birds seem to permit their departure, even though the fowls could easily stop them if they wanted.
The film runs 2 hours.
GRADE: A-』
(one of my 6 Hitch faves...(in no order)) 『1 THE BIRDS 2 NORTH BY NORTHWEST 3 PSYCHO 4 VERTIGO 5 MARNIE 6 LIFEBOAT --- STRANGELY Universal started releasing 2 disc SE titles from the 2005 restored Hitchcock box, then abruptly...stopped
PSYCHO VERTIGO THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY REAR WINDOW (?) so far Maybe TORN CURTAIN and ROPE
MARNIE is from the 2005 MASTERPIECE SET, but before they decided to make them super deluxe standalone titles in 'book' form LIFEBOAT was a shock to watch after viewing the MASTERPIECE SET-FOX should have been shamed into restoring it
I anxiously await THE BIRDS SE』
(Wretched Hitchcock) 『Hitchcock made some good films, such as North by Northwest. But The Birds was not one of them (nor Psycho). Direction and writing are nigh nonexistent. Was Hitchcock on tranquilizers while doing this film? If not for the special effects crew this film would be wretched, as is sometimes the case in Hollywood (such as The Mist, another example of extraordinary special effects talent mismatched with horrid direction and writing). I know, saying Hitchcock made bad films is like saying Michelangelo couldn't sculpt or Shakespeare couldn't write. But that simply isn't the case. The Birds is a drunken flop in all but special effects.』
(An oldie but most definitely a goodie!) 『*exhales deeply* 20 horror reviews down, 11 to go before I reach my "31 reviews for 31 days of October" goal. With Halloween at the tail end, October is definitely the "month of horror" should there ever be one, and "The Birds" is a definite horror masterpiece. Although this movie is over 40 years old, watching it today, there really isn't any "dated" feel to it, unlike some other horror movies of the time (such as "Blood Feast", although that movie is still enjoyable B-movie gold).
"The Birds" is full of suspense and a thickening plot, and is able to be a scary movie without relying heavily on the graphic side of horror, although I will admit there are a few scenes that were probably quite graphic for the mid '60s audience. However, this is certainly a movie that proves Alfred Hitchock the "Master of Suspense". The birds are the villain altogether, a miniature army like the dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park". And that's one of the things that makes this such a great horror movie. Usually, there's only one villain in a horror movie, but "The Birds" is able to produce a countless amount of villains, in the flocks and flocks of angry birds! Even today, such a concept is rather rare, so for it's time, it was most certainly a visionary concept, I would assume!
Although I'm probably a lot younger than most people familiar with this film, I still think "The Birds" is a suspenseful and brilliantly-done horror masterpiece. What it lacks in the gorier side of horror, it undoubtedly makes up for in the awesome writing of the film, and the all-around suspense. Highly recommended for all horror fans, especially in time for Halloween! Well, only ten more reviews to go before I reach my goal, time for a breather. Thanks for the time, and peace.』
(1963 Hitchcock dvd.) 『This film must have shocked audiences in the early sixties, the same way that Jaws, shocked audiences in the mid-seventies. A dark perspective of nature vs. man, which had some, state of the art, visual effects, for the times. Scary and effective, and one of Hitchcock's best editing sequences, namely the scene, where the birds attack, at the gas station, which ends in disaster and destruction. Even though the film's subject matter is heavy, it's presented in such a way, that the viewer is aware, that it's only a movie, so, it's very entertaining to watch.』 『AS BEAUTIFUL BLONDE MELANIE DANIELS ROLLS INTO BODEGA BAY IN PURSUIT OF ELIGIBLE BACHELOR MITCH BRENNER, SHE IS INEXPLICABLY ATTACKED BY A SEAGULL. SUDDENLY THOUSANDS OF BIRDS ARE FLOCKING INTO TOWN, PREYING ON SCHOOLCHILDREN AND RESIDENTS IN A TERRIFYING SERIES OF ATTACKS. CONTAINS MANY BONUS FEATURES.』 『Vacationing in northern California, Alfred Hitchcock was struck by a story in a Santa Cruz newspaper: "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes." From this peculiar incident, and his memory of a short story by Daphne du Maurier, the master of suspense created one of his strangest and most terrifying films.The Birdsfollows a chic blonde, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), as she travels to the coastal town of Bodega Bay to hook up with a rugged fellow (Rod Taylor) she's only just met. Before long the town is attacked by marauding birds, and Hitchcock's skill at staging action is brought to the fore. Beyond the superb effects, however,The Birdsis also one of Hitchcock's most psychologically complicated scenarios, a tense study of violence, loneliness, and complacency. What really gets under your skin are not the bird skirmishes but the anxiety and the eerie quiet between attacks. The director elevated an unknown model, Tippi Hedren (mother of Melanie Griffith), to being his latest cool, blond leading lady, an experience that was not always easy on the much-pecked Ms. Hedren. Still, she returned for the next Hitchcock picture, the underratedMarnie. Treated with scant attention by serious critics in 1963,The Birdshas grown into a classic and--despite the sci-fi trappings--one of Hitchcock's most serious films.--Robert Horton』
price：$5.00
Shout! Factory
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (the stepfather) 『I love the stepfather one of my favorite movie, i was so glad to see it made it on dvd it was so hard to find...』
(Skip the remake and watch the original!) 『Terry O'Quinn (Lost) stars as a psycho looking for the perfect family. When they prove to not be what he's looking for.....he murders them. A year after killing a family, he has moved on to a widow (Shelley Hack) and her troubled daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen).
Stephanie doesn't like him from the start and thinks there's something wrong with him. The mother thinks he's perfect though of course. But when Stephanie proves to be what he's not looking for in a daughter, he's ready to kill and move on.
Yes, the film is a B-Movie but O'Quinn and the hot Jill Schoelen make the film worth watching. O'Quinn perfectly balances his performance. By that I mean in one scene he's so good at being a nice guy that you forget that he's a total nut. Then of course there's scenes where he's believable as a mad man.
I thought I had the movie pegged. I thought the family dog would be the first to go. But the movie is a little less predictable than I expected. The only problems I had with the film is that some of the violence is corny and Shelley Hack is awful. Other than that this film didn't have to be remade and the remake certainly isn't as acclaimed but that shouldn't be a surprise. I mean when does a remake ever get more acclaim than the original ??』
(Who's Your Daddy?) 『If you decide to watch this movie, I recommend that you don't watch it alone. Not because it's scary, but because then you won't have anyone to make nutty comments with.
There are two reasons this film is worth watching.
1. Terry O'Quinn (Locke, of Lost fame) is simply a fantastic actor. His portrayal of the demented stepfather is so spot on, you don't miss or need any of the clunky exposition most modern horrors would include to give you an idea of why he's so messed up in the head.
2. The rest of the film is unintentionally hilarious. How so? Oh, let me count the ways! (Beware: key plot points are revealed ahead.)
-- O'Quinn's acting is so great, it makes everyone else look like barely credible puppets. -- O'Quinn's stepfather is a man obsessed with the perfect family, and when his family (like most) proves to be flawed, why he simply murders them and moves on. The brother of his most recent victim is the only one pursuing him (a year after the fact), and he goes after him with the zeal of a junkie hunting down his next hit. One wonders why he's in such a rush, when he's waited a full year to go looking for the guy. Then, when he finally confronts the stepfather, well, you'll see. It's bloody hilarious. -- O'Quinn's new stepdaughter absolutely hates him for no apparent reason. I mean, we all know he's a killer from the first scene of the film, but she seems to suspect him only because it gives the plot some necessary tension. Taken at face value, she seems to WANT him to be a psychopath. -- The stepdaughter is so troubled, she has regular visits with a counselor/psychiatrist/psychologist who is so unprofessional, I kept expecting the movie to reveal that he had an inappropriately intimate relationship with the girl. Not so. He's just a really crappy doctor. -- Every once in a while the movie shows characters playfully gadding about in leaves or having humourous fake fights with each other. These moments are so contrived and fake, they completely void the character development they are meant to portray. -- There are at least a dozen scenes that add absolutely nothing to the story and are bizarrely placed. You'll know them when you see them.
Scary? No. Fun? Sure. One great actor and a bunch of accidental laughs don't make for a spectacular film, but they do add up to a good night with your friends.』
(If you are a fan of the x-files...) 『There are at least six actors who have roles or bit parts in this film that appeared on the X-Files (and Millennium) TV series. Since I am a fan of the X-Files series, it made watching this film all the more fun. If I'd known that, I would've gotten a drinking game started! I hadn't seen The Stepfather since I rented it on videotape back in the 80's. It still holds up well and is quite entertaining, though the quality of this DVD transfer shows that this film is in serious need of a restoration. I hope somebody gets around to it so that it can be transferred to hi-def blu-ray. If Night of the Creeps can get the kick ass royal hi-def treatment, why can't The Stepfather?』
("YOU KNOW?! .....FAMILY?! ....HOME SWEET HOME?! .....ALL THAT C R A P ?!") 『Finally on DVD!'The Stepfather' is an 80's horror thriller that is a lot of fun! Terry Quinn (unknown at the time) gives a chilling and comical performance as the title character in this low budget, but effective chiller. The movie score is like a bad 80's TV movie and the acting is a little stiff at times, but overall this film is very entertaining and quick paced. The blood and gore are dialed back a bit, but it is handled well and is effective. Overall this is a decent horror thriller from the time period and is a lot of fun, especially watching Quinn in his unnerving and cheesey performance as "The Stepfather! ......remember "Father Knows Best"!
The DVD has a nice clean transfer and there is a commentary and a new feature-ette with some of the castincluding Jill Schoelen.』 『Jerry Blake (Terry O Quinn,Lost) is a man obsessed with having the perfectAmerican Dreamlife: including the house with the white picket fence in the suburbs, an adoring wife and loving children. He believes he has found it when he marries Susan Maine and becomes the stepfather to her 16-year-old daughter, Stephanie. But Stephanie gets an uneasy feeling when she is around Jerry with hisFather Knows Bestattitude: she can see that there is a darker side behind his cheerful exterior. Could she just be going through the typical teenager rebellion against her new stepfather, or is he actually the same man who brutally murdered his family just one year earlier?
Bonus Features:
* Audio Commentary with director Joseph Ruben *The Stepfather Chronicles: An all-new retrospective featuring interviews with director Joseph Ruben, producer Jay Benson, actress Jill Schoelen, author Brian Garfield and others on the making of the film and its enduring legacy.』
price：$8.47
Sony Pictures
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (It is what it is - which is pretty good!) 『There seem to be two camps here - people that love the original anime and wanted a live action remake, and people new to the story who like the film for what it is. I've seen, but not loved, the original anime, and just discovered the film.
The movie is not the anime, but it is quite good in its own right. The action scenes are spectacular and the look of the film is moody and gorgeous with several beautiful images; seriously, you could pause the video at random and do a screen capture, and over 50% of the time you'd have a nice-looking wallpaper for your PC or decent poster. The action-packed battles are so good, they overcome the effects, which simply aren't up to portraying the demons in "true form" convincingly. Major props to the lead, who is charismatic, athletic, and battles with a casual, experienced flair that makes you feel her character really has been using a sword for hundreds of years.
The film has its off-notes: Alice's character is poorly written or heavily edited, so that much of what she says seems stupid or out of context. As in "The Legend of Chun-Li," Asia is crawling with Americans running things, instead of, you know, Asians, and not just on the military base. And the writer(s) would have done well to lead with the information in the cliched "big reveal." George Lucas and Mark Hamill have ruined such revelation scenes for at least a couple of generations.
But overall, if you're any sort of action movie/martial arts fan, your overwhelming reaction to this film will be a Keanu Reeves-like "whoa." I don't get the Japanese fascinations with school-girl outfits and swords, but this film makes them work.』
(MORE ACTION AND EXCITEMENT than the animated movie!!!) 『For fans of the manga or anime versions this movie could make them a little dissapointed because Saya is not THAT quiet and tough looking. Besides, there are a few vampire monsters and more zombies and ninjas. I guess that makes the fans very angry.
BUT I DON'T CARE!!! ALL I CARE IS ABOUT THE ACTION! In this movie, Saya is a ONE-GIRL ARMY slashing lots of vampire-zombies and ninjas, the fight choreography is AWESOME! you'll see the "fast/slow motion" camera each time Saya kills an enemy, the cinematography is BEAUTIFUL as Crouching Tigger Hidden Dragon, the one to one fights were COOL, and the acting was okay.
I think that this is one of the few cool live-action animes ever! I mean... this one is good as Crying Freeman, Guyver 2 and Kill Bill vol. 1 because the action is more important than the concept but without trying to ruin it. No movie can be so specific as the series or comics but as long as the concept is still there then there is an opportunity to make the film very entertaining.
Adios.』
(A lot of fun despite being a bit of a mess and having poor CGI) 『I had a lot of fun watching this despite the film being plagued by a host of problems. For one thing, how can anyone botch CGI in this day and age? I mean, if you've watched BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, you've seen how good television can do CGI. The Cylon Centurions are just spectacular and you often simply forget that they are produced by a computer program. Then in the movie CAPRICA that introduces the new BSG prequel, we see an individual Cylon that moves from merely looking photo realistic to actually "acting." The subtlety is breathtaking. But BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE? The CGI in this film seems to come from 1996, not 2009. Or take BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, which debuted in the spring of 1997. The "dusting" of vampires looked more convincing in that show than the blobs of blood in this film does in 2009. I watched the film on Blu-ray and perhaps it didn't look so bad on regular DVD, but it was just appalling in high-def. But the visual low point was unquestionably any scene featuring a demon -- with our without his hostage -- running around in an urban landscape. Watching that demon bounce around was the most painful bit of CGI since watching the Hulk bounce around the desert like a tennis ball in Ang Lee's misguided film. But the silly looking blood that spurts out from time to time makes the demon look high tech.
If you can get past the silly CGI, and the needless messiness of the plot, there are some fun moments. I liked the conceit of having a centuries old demon-hunting vampire who looks like an Asian school girl. I never saw the animated film the film is based on, but with some minor improvements this might have been one of the best films around featuring a vampire hero. Saya is a compelling character, well-played by Gianna Jun and really enjoyable in her long string of action sequences. The film would have been improved by a firmer implementation of the "less is more" principle. The length of the film was too brief to support the several story arcs contained within the film. Eliminating one or two would have streamlined the story and allowed them to focus more on character development and strengthening the remaining storylines. This would have left the film with less of a fragmented feel. As it is, the central story of Saya seeking a confrontation with her demonic nemesis (whose identity turned out to be disappointingly pedestrian and expected) is complicated by betrayals from within covert government operations, by a poorly told back story, and an insufficiently articulated story in the present.
All that aside, the film was still fairly entertaining. Its many flaws keep it from being as much fun as it ought to be, but it certainly is far from a completely waste of time.』
(Just Awesome) 『Actually improving on the excellent 2002 anime, the new live-action Blood: The Last Vampire is a dynamic horror-action rocket ride through an ancient war of demons that still rages in the modern day. Ji-Hyun Jun of 2003's The Uninvited (listed in Blood's credits simply as 'Gianna', allegedly because it was thought anglicizing the names of the film's Asian actors would make it go over better in English-speaking countries, which sounds kind of bizarre...) plays Saya, the vampiric half-human ultimate weapon of The Council, an ancient organization dedicated to preventing a demonic takeover of the world. They've operated in secret over the ages and Saya is their assasin and most skilled combatant, a superhumanly strong, martial-arts trained immortal warrior armed with a sword charged up with 'dark energy' from the legions of demons it's slain. In 1970s Japan, Saya is sent undercover into a high school for the children of military personell on an American army base that the demon shapeshifters have infiltrated. Saya finds an unlikely ally and friend in Alice McKee (Allison Miller), the daughter of the base's commanding officer, and the two find themselves unexpectedly on the scene of a much larger demonic infiltration than The Council expected, and the cusp of a major demon uprising.
Saya has led a solitary life over the centuries, dedicated only to slaying demons, even though - and this is conveyed subtly rather than stated outright - she's inwardly torn. Her vampire half relates to the demons more than to humans. In one of the movie's most telling moments - happening fairly early on and so not a spoiler - Saya cuts herself and feeds her own blood to a demon she's just mortally wounded, apparantly to ease the pain of its death throes and offer some comfort. We see the origins of Saya - her early years in an isolated mountain village following the death of her demon-hunter father, her training at the hands of a kind old warrior, the tragedies that set her on the course of life she's followed for the last few centuries. We don't, however, see the origins of the demon war in any detail (I'd love to see this part delved into in a sequel); hence we don't see if the demons really are just purely malevolent, bloodhungry beasts, or if they have some other motivation for the war, 'their side of the story' so to speak. Questions along this line have occured to Saya as well, as seen in flashbacks. So she's spent ages fighting a war that she has doubts about, and locking those doubts inside. She's also led a friendless existance. The other agents of The Council are her allies, but not her friends. The bond she forms with Alice has an immediate effect. Saya is very quick and violent in her actions, but at least once in the latter parts of the movie she seems to restrain herself because, for the first time in ages, there's actually someone who she cares what they think of her. The duo of Saya and Alice compliment each other very well: although Alice has next to nil fighting skills and has to depend almost exclusively on Saya in physical situations, it's Alice that the emotionally damaged Saya starts to depend on psychologically.
The monsterous, bloody action is tremendous. It walks a line between the enormously stylized and deliberately exaggerated-for-symbolic-effect action of Asian epics like Hero and the more realistic (as in the context of otherworldy creatures or phenomena, not what regular humans could do) vibe that Asian horror movies often strive for, ending up along the general lines of a slightly easternized relative of Underworld (Unrated Extended Cut). Blood: The Last Vampire is the only movie I've seen where things like a sword cutting an enemy straight down the middle and in two actually looked realistic. There are a couple of moments that could be argued to be too over the top, but they worked for me with the overall flow of the movie. The CGI effects on the demons in certain scenes could have been better (and this will probably become a major point of contention for fans accustomed to action movies that can afford a hundred million dollars for the FX budget alone) but, while they weren't the greatest, they certainly weren't the worst - and that includes movies that probably had vastly bigger budgets. And these effects in question only come to play in a couple of scenes. The rest of the time, the special effects (CGI included) are just fine.
The only other real drawback is that you could argue the movie was too short. With the amount of ground they're covering it could have been a full hour longer. I prefer to think that the aspects that got short play in this will just be picked up on in a sequel (I don't know if that's Likely) and expanded there - the origins of the war, more screen time for some of the supporting characters, etc. But the quick pace, in my opinion, didn't hurt things at all. It moved fast, hit hard, and unlike a lot of movies that go this fast most of the time, it didn't lose its emotional punch or the ability to drop hints at a much larger overall saga than the one chapter we're witnessing here. This is one of the year's best and it's a shame it's flown under the radar of much of the moviewatching public. Highest recommendation.』
(Dont bother with this, GO watch the Anime film its based on) 『About 30 minutes into this movie I realized one thing: why did I bother to rent it. About 15 minutes after that I realized a second thing: what else is on TV right now. Yep, after about 45 minutes I took the disk out and put it back in the netflix sleeve, shipping it back the next morning. This movie pretends to be based on the hit anime movie of the same name, but therein do the similarities begin and end. Save yourself the time (I am sure your time is as valuable as mine) and rent/buy/watch the original anime movie. Even if you are not a fan of anime I promise you, its a far superior movie to this one, in every way.
』 『The deadliest assassin to stand the test of time. From a Producer ofHeroandCrouching Tiger, Hidden DragoncomesBlood: The Last Vampire, based on the cult hit anime series. Demons have infested Earth. And only one warrior stands between the dark and the light: Saya, a half-human, half-vampire samurai who preys on those who feast on human blood. Joining forces with the shadowy society known as the Council, Saya is dispatched to an American military base, where an intense series of swordfights leads her to the deadliest vampire of all. And now after 400 years, Saya's greatest hunt is about to begin.』
price：$4.49
Paramount
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Sleepy Hollow is wide awake on Blu-ray) 『The incredible production values and performances really shine on this Blue-ray edition of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. Tim Burton's rendition on the classic tale is a creepy fall take shrouded in mystery in tune with Halloween. You will not go wrong in buying this edition as it is worthy of many repeated viewings.』
(Wonderfully spooky! The Tim Burton way!) 『This a great time of year to bring out this DVD! I only have standard dvd and not Blu-Ray yet but still looks good. The storytelling is great fun and the 'Dark" spooky skies and atmosphere Burton creates is not to be missed. Danny Elfman's music is a real treat and will scare you to death! The movie runs a little out of steam a little toward the end! That's why not five stars--but still highy recommended!』
(Spooky and Magic) 『Sleepy Hollow is a rare blend of gothic atmosphere, slice-and-dice gore, and black humor, a horror fantasy that works both as horror and as fantasy. Tim Burton fleshes out the legend of the Headless Horseman and creates a starkly striking and frightening world.
With the deft touch that Burton has at his best he builds a world of unparalleled imagination that is completely believable. And in Sleepy Hollow, that world is the stage for a story that's thrilling and with just the right amount of twisty-turny mystery. Costume horror doesn't often surpass its stuffy surroundings to be either genuinely fun or spooky, but Sleepy Hollow does both.』
(Fun pastiche of Hammer horror, Poe, Irving and others) 『I used to love Tim Burton. Being a sf/fantasy/comics freak from childhood on, Burton was one of the few Hollywood filmmakers separate from the Lucas/Spielberg axis who was making stuff that I could always count on seeing with my non-film buff friends who were into the same sort of genre stuff I was. I loved "Edward Scissorhands", "Beetlejuice", and "Ed Wood", and always looked forward to what came next.
But in the past decade or so he's disappointed more often than not. His "Planet of the Apes" remake was complete dreck, and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", while not terrible, didn't seem necessary or particularly necessary either. "Sweeney Todd" was a little bit better, but still didn't make me particularly worry about having missed a couple of his more recent works. I caught up to one of those recently though, and I'm happy to say that my fears were not (mostly) justified.
"Sleepy Hollow", first of all, has very little to do with the Washington Irving story which it is "based on" according to the credits. "Inspired by" might be more accurate, and the film takes equal inspiration from the works of Edgar Allan Poe (specifically his prototypical detective character, Dupin) and Hammer horror films from the late 50s and early 60s - going so far as to cast Christopher Lee in a small role at the beginning of the film.
The cast is certainly a big, big part of the fun here, with such wonderful character veterans as Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, Ian McDiarmid, Michael Gough, Martin Landau and Christopher Walken all getting juicy (if generally small) turns in this story of a New York police constable, Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), with "advanced" ideas being sent (more or less as punishment) to the small Hudson valley town of Sleepy Hollow to deal with a series of gruesome beheadings, in 1799. As the film develops, Ichabod believes there's a perfectly rational explanation for the murders, and it's to the film's credit and Depp's that as he gradually learns that in fact there is a fantastic, mystical presence behind them (Christopher Walken as the silent but deadly Headless Horseman), he continues to probe the secrets, never entirely giving up his rational belief system but also finding the ability to accept some of the religious/magical possibilities behind the horseman - while also coming under the spell of a young woman at the center of the horror (Christina Ricci).
It's all quite beautifully shot, excellently acted with perhaps the exception of Ricci (one of those actors I can never really accept in period roles), who isn't really bad, and it's a wonderful mixture of comedy, scares and thrills, and a bit of the mystic. My only real problem with it comes in the ending, which is too much like a Scooby Doo "aha, I've got you now" episode; most of the film managed to keep me guessing at least a little bit but the finale is all too typical. Oh well; this is certainly one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in a while, and there's even some interesting stuff below the surface - the whole colonial/witch-haunted/Protestant New England of the 17th-18th centuries brushing up against the coming of modern science and the Industrial Revolution and secularism is quite expertly handled, though it never gets in the way of a good old-fashioned story. Really, loads and loads of fun and probably my 2nd-favorite Burton film at the moment after "Ed Wood".
The DVD transfer seems quite excellent; I haven't listened to the commentary yet (I often don't) and the other extras are of middling interest.』
(Don't Lose Your Head Over This Entry by Tim Burton!) 『It's been ten years since this cool Johnny Depp film came to play and it's still as fun and as comedic as they come.
Loosely based on the Washington Irving tale, Tim Burton wanted to make a story that woudl be a horror tale, great texture and capturing some 18th century wildness.
Oddly, this story reminded me of Columbo, kind of like an 18th century Columbo. Similar in a lot of ways with the conspiracy theories, the four Sleepy Hollow conspirators, and the fact that Icabod's scientific know-how falls prey to an actual horror, the headless horseman.
The Danny Elfman score adds to the mystery of the horseman. Rated "R" most likely because of all the heads being lopped off, quite cleanly I might add.
The detective mystery aspect is fascinating since I did not see that ending coming. Christina Ricci plays a naive girl who dabbles in witchcraft and Icabod faints at the sight of spiders and corpses.
Great flick for a Halloween night.
The DVD has some cool extras, such as an interview with the cast and crew and you really get into Burton's head and see what he was all about, plus film trailers and such.
Uncredited appearance by Martin Landau in the beginning of the film, and a short but masterful rendition of a court judge by Christopher Lee.
To add, the photography was the best. The deep, muted colors throughout the film gave it a moody, depressing look. After the evil is banished at the end, all is bright and autumn red colors. Yeah, a bit corny but interesting play of color and light.
Other Burton Films Recommended:
Beetlejuice Edward Scissorhands [Blu-ray]』 『Master storyteller Tim Burton (Batman, Edward Scissorhands) weaves an eerie, enchanting version of the classic tale of horror. Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean 1&2) is Ichabod Crane, an eccentric investigator determined to stop the Headless Horseman. Christina Ricci (Monster) is Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful and mysterious girl with secret ties to the supernatural terror.』 『The films of Tim Burton shine through the muck like a jack-o-lantern on a foggy October night. After such successes asThe Nightmare Before ChristmasandEdward Scissorhands, it should come as no surprise thatSleepy Hollowis a dazzling film, a delicious reworking of Washington Irving'sThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Dark and moody, the film is a thrilling ride back to the turn of the 19th century. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a seemingly hapless constable from New York City who is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of the decapitations that are plaguing the town. Crane is a bumbling sort, with a tremendous faith in science over mysticism, and he comes up against town secrets, bewitching women, and a number of bodies missing heads. Christina Ricci, as beautiful as ever, is Katrina Van Tassel, the offbeat love interest who alternately charms and frightens Crane.
The film, while occasionally gory (as one should expect from a movie about a headless horseman), is not terribly frightening, although it is suspenseful. Both Depp and Ricci are convincing, and the art direction and production values give the village its harsh feel. Toward the end, once the secrets are revealed, the film does slow down; however, this stylistic horror film provides many tricks and even more treats.--Jenny Brown』
price：$11.99
Warner Home Video
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Hilarious Comedy) 『This movie is deservedly a classic, but to me it's one of the great comedies of all time. I saw it in the theater when it was released, since on TV. I first saw it with 2 Catholic close friends. They were terrified. But when Linda Blair's head started spinning around, I just could not stop laughing. They looked at me and wondered, "What's wrong with him?" There are films I find really scary, most of which my wife is too afraid to watch (Hitchcock's Psycho, Jaws, Halloween, Alien), but The Exorcist always makes me laugh.』
(Scariest Movie..) 『Scariest movie yet Inaccurate and Offensive(antiCatholic-nasty scene) loosely based on a true story about a boy many years before. Lots of profanity and vomit, Yet yes it is very Creepy and Scary.』
(The scariest movie ever, reviewed on the scariest night of the year) 『Well, considering it's Halloween night and this is the last of my "31 Reviews For 31 Days of October" review-fest, I figure I'll end this countdown with one of the absolute most well-known horror movies of all time, and certainly one of the most horrifying, "The Exorcist". Although many quotes, stunts and ideas from this movies have been taken and parodied ("The power of Christ compels!" comes to mind.), this movie nevertheless has the power and terror that basically defines the horror movie genre.
Watching "The Exorcist" all the way through is more like an experience than watching a movie. For one thing, the general idea of the movie is a plausible concept, and having been to a paranormal speaker just last night, who ironically spoke of and showed a video of an exorcism for which she witnessed, this sort of thing is not entirely impossible, although it almost never happens. I don't want to dwindle on this part too much, but also regarding that I'm Roman Catholic, this movie definitely hits home with me.
But back to the movie itself. It kicks off with a scene that takes place in Egypt if I'm not mistaken, on an excavation dig with the foreign scenery setting a mood and atmosphere that carries throughout the whole movie. Starting the movie like this is an interesting idea, and a concept that hasn't been done too much by other movies, even though it works here. The acting throughout is phenomenal, alongside the special effects, which goes without saying. The whole movie plays out like a terrifying, dark, atmospheric nightmare and never loses its intensity or interest, even in the slower moments. I must say, even though I personally sometimes find it tedious to sit through a movie that goes over two hours long, I think "The Exorcist" definitely has the hudspah (spelling?) to make it pull you in for the whole thing. As dark and terrifying as this movie is, it most certainly still packs a brilliance, alongside talented writing and directing that makes it worth the watch.
In short, "The Exorcist" is a film that's just as horrifying as it is both groundbreaking and vastly interesting. Such a movie deserves to go down as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, and considering I'm a guy who's seen countless horror movies, I agree with that statement. Well, the review's about up, but for those that haven't seen such a heart-pounding, groundbreaking, interest-stirring movie yet, this is very highly recommended. And before you sleep, say some prayers just for safety!!! Happy Halloween, everybody, I'm off to smother myself in Halloween candies, household props and going around all evening in my pajama pants. Thanks for the time, and peace.』
(Try sleeping at night after watching this . . .) 『It's really hard to name every single horror film that's ever been made. Many deal with zombies, ghosts, serial killers, classic monsters like Frankenstein, and mutated species. Some are classic, others are mediocre, and several are ridiculous and dull. Out of all of them, only a few have been recognized as the greatest in the genre. The Exorcist, Psycho, and The Shining have been rightfully praised for the terrors that they have conveyed. Dozens of others have never topped them ever since they were released. While my favorite horror film of all time is actually The Shining, I can perfectly understand why The Exorcist is considered the best. First of all, is has an unusual storyline (back in the 70's, at least). Instead of ghosts or zombies or werewolves, it's demon possession. The body of a young girl is being controlled by a spirit from Hell. With every medical analysis being inconclusive, the mother has one last chance of bringing her daughter back. She brings in Father Karras, who has a crisis of faith, and Father Merrin, who has seen this sort of prediction when he visited Iraq.
So why is it that this is considered the scariest movie of all time. Well, the shock effects may be outdated to some, but it's the eerie atmosphere and the thought of being possessed that makes it truly horrifying. The silent, quick shots of the infamous "Captain Howdy" are also an addition to this ghoulish nightmare. You don't need loud and abrupt music or hardcore gore, all you need here is a creepy environment, a slow pace, and some fiendish dialogue from Regan/the demon. Mind you, there are some great modern horror films (such as Rec, The Evil Dead series, and the original Thai version of Shutter), but The Exorcist, The Shining, and Psycho are in top form when it comes to scaring the s*** out of you. The Exorcist, especially, is one that is truly scary because of its controversial subject matter. The finest, no doubt.
Grade: A+』
(Blu ray , In her soul ???!!!!) 『Ive watched the original VHS tape in 1991 , and then i saw the movie on dvd digital remastered , and thought there would be nothing better or could spread my heart ou like this dvd version .
WOOOOOOOW Bluray???? did we just saw the exorcist on blu ray , cant you imagine how it would be in Full HD with up to 7.1 surround and DTS true hd ?????
nope me too , just cant wait to see the blu ray version , yes yes dont miss it』 『Something beyond comprehension is happening to a little girl on this street in this house. A man has been called for as a last resort to try and save her. That man is the exorcist. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/13/2005 Starring: Ellen Burstyn Linda Blair Run time: 132 minutes Rating: R Director: William Friedkin』 『Director William Friedkin was a hot ticket in Hollywood after the success ofThe French Connection, and he turned heads (in more ways than one) when he decided to makeThe Exorcistas his follow-up film. Adapted by William Peter Blatty from his controversial bestseller, this shocking 1973 thriller set an intense and often-copied milestone for screen terror with its unflinching depiction of a young girl (Linda Blair) who is possessed by an evil spirit. Jason Miller and Max von Sydow are perfectly cast as the priests who risk their sanity and their lives to administer the rites of demonic exorcism, and Ellen Burstyn plays Blair's mother, who can only stand by in horror as her daughter's body is wracked by satanic disfiguration. One of the most frightening films ever made with a soundtrack that's guaranteed to curl your blood,The Exorcistwas mysteriously plagued by troubles during production, and the years have not diminished its capacity to disturb even the most stoical viewers. Don't say you weren't warned!--Jeff Shannon』
price：$14.50
WARNER HOME VIDEO
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Amazing!) 『I remember the first time seeing this movie in 2003. It's not really for young kids but it's a great movie. The scenes are carefully shot and the story is cool. The main character starts out as normal guy, sitting at his computer. But by the end of the story, he becomes amazingly strong! My favorite part about this movie is how you feel great at the end of it.』
(The Original Matrix in Full HD Glory) 『The Matrix fandom is heavily divided between those who loved the entire trilogy and those who regard the first one as a true classic with two sub-par follow-ups. Whatever side you support, there's no denying that the first Matrix is indeed a classic that revolutionized the industry and raised the bar on many layers (from special effects and sound to editing). It's a well paced, action packed, philosophical science fiction master piece.
If you already own the collection on DVD, this is the one "must" to upgrade to Hi-Definition. It looks and sounds superb on Blu-Ray and it has all the special features (related only to the first movie) that come in the collector's set plus a color booklet.
The digibook package hasn't been received with unconditional love by everyone, but it does give a "special edition feel" and provides decent protection to the disc.
Some people will prefer "The Ultimate Matrix Collection", but for those of us who loved the original the most and are unwilling to pay upgrades for everything, this is the edition to get. 』
(Is it real or is it Matrix?) 『For many, "The Matrix" is great special effects and great science fiction, which it undoubtedly is, and undoubtedly one of the best of the genre, but it is much more than that.
The Matrix is a spot-on science fiction analogy and metaphor for the manufactured and bogus reality (or "Matrix") that Americans are trapped in. The Matrix is a created artificial reality that is so well-done that actual reality is completely concealed. In the movie's Matrix and in the real (?) world , sometimes there is a "glitch" in the perception of "reality" that alerts a member of the Matrix that something is wrong with reality as they know it. Neo (Keanu Reeves) pierces the computer-created reality and fights the "agents" that are the enforcers of the artificial intelligence that is exploiting humans (using them as organic batteries) and using the created reality of the Matrix to conceal their reality of exploitation. This, of course, is easily analogized to using a media created reality enforced by various corporate agents to conceal their victims' similar exploitation as organic profit generators.
The Matrix is a milestone in moviemaking, special effects, fantastic action sequences, and use of an intelligent and imaginative science fiction plot to convey a message...a classic must-see movie.
』
(A Classic) 『One of the best sci-fi action films ever made. I was hoping the sequels would be up to the same par, but no. This is the original classic.』
(The Matrix - bluray) 『First of all this is my all time favorite movie. Prior to ordering this bluray version I've watched the dvd I have probably 15 times. But, the bluray is so stunning that I look at it as an entirely new movie. It is so clear that you can see the pores on the faces of all the actors. This sounds like a "yuk" thing, but, believe me, if the pores are so outstanding everything else is even more amazing.
Now the bad news: it may just be this disk, but the "In Movie Experience" i.e. the commentaries reset to play automatically each time I stop or eject the movie. When reviewing the location in Special Features to turn it "Off", it already says "Off" but plays anyway. The only way I found to stop it is to turn it "On" then go back and turn it "Off". This only works for this one time I'm playing, but, as before it comes back by itself even though it still says "Off". I'm trying to get the disk exchanged, but it's only been two days since I submitted my request. I am surprised I haven't even received an email response, however.』 『A computer programmer is mankind's last chance for survival against the machines that generated a computer based reality in which we all live. Neo (Keanu Reeves) tries to live up to his calling as the chosen one and lead mankind to freedom from their comatose slave.』 『By following up their debut thrillerBoundwith the 1999 box-office smashThe Matrix, the codirecting Wachowski brothers--Andy and Larry--annihilated any suggestion of a sophomore jinx, crafting one of the most exhilarating sci-fi/action movies of the 1990s. Set in the not too distant future in an insipid, characterless city, we find a young man named Neo (Keanu Reeves). A software techie by day and a computer hacker by night, he sits alone at home by his monitor, waiting for a sign, a signal--from what or whom he doesn't know--until one night, a mysterious woman named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) seeks him out and introduces him to that faceless character he has been waiting for: Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). A messiah of sorts, Morpheus presents Neo with the truth about his world by shedding light on the dark secrets that have troubled him for so long: "You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad." Ultimately, Morpheus illustrates to Neo what the Matrix is--a reality beyond reality that controls all of their lives, in a way that Neo can barely comprehend.
Neo thus embarks on an adventure that is both terrifying and enthralling. Pitted against an enemy that transcends human concepts of evil, Morpheus and his team must train Neo to believe that he is the chosen champion of their fight. With mind-boggling, technically innovative special effects and a thought-provoking script that owes a debt of inspiration to the legacy of cyberpunk fiction, this is much more than an out-and-out action yarn; it's a thinking man's journey into the realm of futuristic fantasy, a dreamscape full of eye candy that will satisfy sci-fi, kung fu, action, and adventure fans alike. Although the film is headlined by Reeves and Fishburne--who both turn in fine performances--much of the fun and excitement should be attributed to Moss, who flawlessly mixes vulnerability with immense strength, making other contemporary female heroines look timid by comparison. And if we were going to cast a vote for most dastardly movie villain of 1999, it would have to go to Hugo Weaving, who plays the feckless, semipsychotic Agent Smith with panache and edginess. As the film's box-office profits soared, the Wachowski brothers announced thatThe Matrixis merely the first chapter in a cinematically dazzling franchise--a chapter that is arguably superior to the other sci-fi smash of 1999 (you know... the one starring Jar Jar Binks).--Jeremy Storey』
price：$7.99
Lions Gate
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Not as bad as everyone said) 『This is the first Saw movie that I purchased on Blu-ray and it was also the first Saw movie that I did not go to the theater to see first. After all the negative reviews I read from critics and fans alike, I was hesitant to purchase it. But I now have a Blu-ray player and I wanted to keep my Saw DVD collection up to date so I decided to shell out the extra bucks for the Blu-ray. Although it's not up-to-snuff with the previous films (especially 1 and 2), I don't think it is nearly as bad as everyone said. Maybe it wasn't worth the extra bucks for the Blu-ray but overall I found the film interesting, full of good Jigsaw traps, and I found it fun to watch. I heard the "Saw 6" is much better but I most likely won't see it until the Saw 6 Blu-ray comes out next year. Bottom line: maybe just purchase the regular DVD of "Saw 6".』
(The curse continues...) 『There is a curse throughout horror movie franchises (or franchises in general) condemning the fifth episode to mediocrity at best, or unfocused, mundane nonsense at worst. The fifth episodes of the following franchises: Friday the 13th pt. 5 (the "Jason imposter" episode), Halloween 5 (that corny man in black gimmick), Star Trek 5 (the lame Shatner directed ep), Leprechaun (okay, that series sucked to begin with), Hellraiser 5 (Craig Scheffer as a debauched cop, while Pinhead is over on the sideline), Return of the Living Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street... the list goes on and on.
Saw V is no exception to this rule. After a cool opening involving an fbi agent ingeniously beating a jigsaw trap, we get scene after scene of Scott Patterson walking around with an angry look on his face, Costas Mandalor in an exceptionally stoic offering as Jigsaw's apparent heir, flashbacks that make no sense (the chronology of the Jigsaw/ Hoffman link is especially convoluted), drab photography that lacks the flair of the Wan/ Bousman directed offerings, and an ending that is telegraphed from pretty much the opening scene.
Even the relevance of the "game" is not explained until Kevin Greutert's superb Saw VI. As it stands, the subplot comes completely out of left field. People looking for ingenious traps better stick to the other sequels as Saw V hasn't a single interesting gadget throughout its running time. And if you're a Saw fan the plot developments are not so germane that subsequent films would be confusing if you haven't seen this one.
Saw V is about the only entry in the franchise I don't like, and further proof that the number "5" should be omitted from the franchise index.』
(Emtombing the ones you Loathe.) 『The games have just begun - that was the credo that empowered the Jigsaw killer and it is also the truth that keeps onkeeping on. Even after what happened to Jigsaw during the last test he gave to a former employee (or partner, or whatever you want to call her), Jigsaw still has a voice and hands to do his dirty deeds. He also has a thing about police officers that has been explained to us in vivid detail, and we find out why this is - if we haven't already pieced that together. There is another game being played as well, one that talks about working together and one that the team of people placed inside this horror don't seem to get, and that is the lovely part about so many of these things. People are such bad listeners - just play the tape and take the game seriously, because this is their lives. The traps here are nasty little things, too, and they are loveingly deceptive because they al;low people to see what they should do but give them the freedom to choose. It is perhaps there, in that freedom of choice, that people mmake their worse mistakes. As Jigsaw would say, let the games begin.
I've taken to the movies well because I thought they were all done really well, overcoming things like budgetary confines by utilizing Tobin Bell and the saw puppet as things that make the flesh quiver. They also have traps that have duality stamped into their very being, and this duality allows the games to become things that seem to be one thing when they are, in fact, tests that measure other items. I always liked that, enjoying the fact that people are challenged to see the world in different ways, and that some people really do have the means to their liberation. And the ones that do not seem fair, almost unfairly doing things to people with no way out, we see exactly how that happens. And the answers to that are brutal, and unfair on so many levels. Combine with that the acting prowess of some of the individuals involved (I think it takes a lot to become a victim and sell it to an audience), the impact of lighting and music and tools like flashbacks, and the underlying terror that has to be there when you find yourself listening to a tape recorder or a doll that holds the keys to your survival and you have a game unlike anything I would ever want to play. and seeing the places where all of these games have taken place and the extent to which planning goes into everything and it is impressive. Even the first kill, one that happens because someone really doesn't listen, is good stuff. And i love it - i love it a lot.
If you watch Saw, watch them in order. They stack together well, and the plot that expands through-out the series is one to keep track of. Seeing how the helpers become involved, seeing the different type of handywork, and seeing why tests are given oftentime build over time. Even some of the people who fail are added into newer tests, so you count anything out. I personally like all of that, and i like how Jigsaw has some of the greatest lines in this new realm of horror movies. Even the 5th installment, which would normally be bad in any other series, is great here. I love them all.』
(I No Longer "Want To Play A Game") 『In 2004, the original "Saw" film breathed new life into the horror movie genre. Though enticing viewers with some of the most graphic horror scenes in cinematic history, the real "hook" of the film was its morality-play plotline. Using a tact rarely taken in the annals of horror movies, Saw actually created doubt in the viewers' minds as to whether the "victims" were exactly that. Though perverse, the demented Jigsaw killer was doling out justice in a seminal way that everyone can relate to (even if it horrifies their "good side").
With each subsequent film, however, that magic has been lost, little by little. While Saw II just fed off the hype of the original and didn't mess with the formula and Saw III was interesting for the "dying Jigsaw" plotline, the two most recent installments have failed to recapture that spark of the "original trilogy". Saw IV was just outright confusing, while this film suffers from two major maladies:
First, the departure from the tried-and-true formula of regular citizens being tested in their weakest area. Like I said, the strength of the first few Saw movies was the writers' abilities to make audiences think about the morality of what was reality transpiring. This film, however, doesn't really take that tact and instead just focuses on clearing up all the loose ends from the fourth release. Though perhaps a noble cause for hard-core Saw fans, this line of storytelling only served to irritate me, as Saw IV was where I saw the series begin going downhill and thus didn't want to go in that direction again.
The other notable departure is a moving away from the Jigsaw character. To me, Jigsaw is at the very heart of what the Saw franchise is all about, and the series really isn't active unless he is in it. The flashbacks in IV were interesting, but Jigsaw's presence in V just seemed to be an excuse to bring back Tobin Bell, not to advance the plot in any meaningful way.
Thus, I see the Saw franchise as being at a paradox right now. One direction would be to continue on with the "Jigsaw lineage" and further dilute the original material (the likely path in order to please the die-hard scrutinizers), while the other, more inventive approach would be to come up with something new. Perhaps someone subjecting one of these psychopaths to their own devices?! At any rate, Saw VI will likely be the measuring stone of the "Saw future" considering the failure of this installment.』 『Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 01/20/2009 Run time: 96 minutes Rating: Ur』 『How do you keep a horror franchise going when your villain has been unquestionably and irrevocably killed off? That's a conundrum any number of genre series have tackled--to varying degrees of success--and the problem facing the sadisticSawfilms in its latest entry,Saw V. The filmmakers' answer--faithful henchmen--is at first blush a savvy idea, as it allows the mayhem of original bad guy Jigsaw to continue unabated, despite the fact that he was dissected on a morgue slab in the previous film.Saw Vextends the premise by having disgraced detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor from the previous two films) don the pig mask to unleash horrific tortures on another group of seemingly unconnected strangers. Scott Patterson (Aliens in America) also returns as Hoffman's Javert, a dogged fellow agent who escapes death in the fourth film and an ugly fate in this entry to continue his pursuit. All the elements that have made the Saw series popular with horror fans--the elaborate killing machines, the trompe l'oeil plotting, and the sociopathic judgments handed down by Jigsaw--are intact inSaw V, which is a positive for its most faithful followers, but a negative for just about everyone else.Saw Vcovers no new ground, expands no part of the mythology of the series and seems perfectly content to present a lifeless retread ofSaw IIIandIV. It also suffers from the absence of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw, who despite his top billing, is glimpsed only in brief flashbacks. Bell, who could be unsettling even in the stillest moments, gave the series a gravity that kept its least plausible moments in check, and Mandylor, though game, simply cannot provide the same. What's left is dreary and relentlessly downbeat, and to make matters worse, ends on an open note that clearly indicates that a sixth film is in the works, no matter how obvious that the diabolical ingenuity of the originalSawhas been worn to the bone by its sequels. Only diehardSawfans need to sign up for this round of Jigsaw's games.-- Paul Gaita
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>,Robert Pattinson,Julian Sands,Rachael Stirling
