Lady Chatterley's Lover (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)A mainstay on HBO around 1982-83, "Lady Chatterly's Lover" is a soft-core romance, but not a sleazy one. It wasn't successful in theaters, maybe because nobody knew what audience it was targeted to (surely not literature addicts or art-house filmgoers; maybe Sylvia Kristel/"Emmanuelle" fans). Consequently, it was popular on cable and video, where viewing privacy can elicit whatever reactions necessary (mostly giggles). It isn't very well-made, but the acting is decent and the passion is convincing. The editing is sloppy, with some sequences, and the ending, cut short, but it does have a few steamy scenes, frisky nudity, and good location filming.

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Paralyzed from the waist down due to a war injury, Sir Clifford Chatterley (Shane Briant) urges his wife, Constance (Sylvia Kristel), to take a lover to satisfy her physical needs.But when she begins an intense affair with a man of shockingly lower class ­ the virile and rugged gamekeeper Mellors (Nicholas Clay) ­ the unexpected stirring of passions will rock not only their marriage, but all of society as well.

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Kung Fu Hustle (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Kung Fu Hustle is among my favorite films, not because I am a die-hard fan of Stephen Chow, but because I really liked the wild mix of comedy, adventure, crime caper and martial arts action. Most notably the excellent fight choreography by legendary Yuen Woo-Ping(who is also responsible for the fight scenes of Kill Bill vol. 1, Fearless, The Matrix, Hero). As I said, I love KUNG FU HUSTLE and am very much looking forward for its sequel in 2008, so forgive me if I am a bit biased. (I will try my best not to lose my objectivity)
The New "AXE KICKING EDITION" soon to be released by Sony is actually the REGION-3 Hong Kong release which I have. (I am certain)The Hong Kong release is still the one to go for if you have a multi-region dvd player. Since I almost know for certain that only fans of the film will be interested in this new edition, I will skip the plot summary. ( for those of you who haven't seen it, you may look up my review under the original U.S. DVD.)
I will go straight to the differences between the previous dvd release and this new "Axe-kicking edition"(original Hong Kong release):
Mild spoilers ahead---
Scene 1; The landlady throws her husband out of a window and drops a flower pot that ended up on the back of his head. The original cut showed a small pool of blood coming from his face, but the U.S. version digitally omitted it. The blood now appears as part of the film.
Scene 2; Sing heckles/insults the residents of Pig Sty Alley and gets hit in the tummy by a woman. The original cut showed Sing spitting up blood which landed on the woman's face, but the earlier U.S. version digitally removed the blood (though some still appeared around Sing's mouth). The blood now appears in this release.
Scene 3; This may be more offensive to others; it takes place on the eve of the big attack on Pig Sty Alley. The Hong Kong cut showed a man taking a d--p onto a piece of paper as the camera panned by, but the American version digitally removed the offensive feces. Now the paper is no longer blank. "Mr. Poo" makes an appearance!
Scene 4; Sing confronts "The Beast" in the casino, he gets hit hard on the chest twice. After the 2nd hit, blood sprays on The Beast's face and Sing is shown reeling backwards from the force of the punch with blood spurting from his mouth. The U.S. version PREVIOUSLY removed both of these sequential shots.
Scene 5; Also in the casino, Sing's head is hit on his face, hammered into the ground by The Beast. After the first hit, The Beast's bloody fist is shown emerging from the floor in slow motion...but the U.S. version removed this shot entirely.
Now for the DVD Picture and Sound quality--
2.35 Anamorphic Widescreen. The Picture is extremely sharp with solid Black levels. Colors are natural and enhancements are not noticeable. CGI effects suffer a bit of softness. But the transfer is clean and nice. It is the Hong Kong transfer from what I can tell.
Sound is in 5.1 Dolby/2.0 surround in English, French & Cantonese. I am a bit disappointed why Sony still didn't include the Cantonese 5.1 DTS track as in the original Hong Kong release. Why?!
EXTRAS: Stephen Chow interview--Bloopers/outtakes--Featurettes: w/ Yuen Woo-Ping, Oliver Wong(Production designer), Shirley Wong(Costumes)
Storyboard comparison--trailers--audio commentary
CLOSING: Kung Fu Hustle is one of the more entertaining (if not the most fun in 2004) imports. It mixes pop culture blends, over-the-top comedy, hard-hitting action while maintaining a profound respect for the spirit of Kung Fu. This new region 1 release is a bit confusing, while it contains the original cut of the film, it misses the original special features and the powerful DTS Cantonese Language track. I wouldn't advise a "double dip" for fans who own the first REGION 1 dvd, but for fans who doesn't own the movie, pick this new version up. However, the lack of DTS sound is a huge minus for this version. I STILL prefer the ORIGINAL Hong Kong region-3 release!
RECOMMENDED!! (Timidly)


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Stephen Chow (director and star of Shaolin Soccer) is at it again with his newest action-packed and comedic martial-arts adventure, KUNG FU HUSTLE. From wildly imaginative kung fu showdowns to dance sequences featuring tuxedoed mobsters, you've never seen action this outrageous and characters this zany! With jaw-dropping fight sequences by Yuen Wo Ping (famed action choreographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix), KUNG FU HUSTLE will blow you away! In a town ruled by the Axe Gang, Sing (Stephen Chow) desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who turnout to be kung fu masters in disguise. Sing's actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung fu battle. Only one side will win and only one hero will emerge as the greatest kung fu master of all.

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The Nun: The Story of a Carmelite Vocation Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a deeply human and sublimely spiritual story of a religous Vocation set within the context of both a loving family and a doubt filled secular society. The lack of artifice and profound intimacy of the exchanges and the relationships make on feel priviledged to watch this. A beautiful and Inspiring Experience.

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The Last Starfighter (Widescreen Collector's Edition) (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Has it really been 25 years since this movie was released?
That was my first thought when I heard this movie was being released on Blu-ray. My second thought was that my ever burgeoning Blu-ray collection would be increasing by at least one more movie in August.
I will discuss the plot later in this review but I am suspecting that most customers checking this Blu-ray catalog item out on Amazon are perhaps more interested in the Picture and Audio and the special features.
I have never seen the HD-DVD but have read that the HD-DVD transfer was simply horrible and was bracing myself to be disappointed with the quality of the Blu-ray release.
While the transfer is a far cry from anything that anyone would cite as reference quality with a lot of the scenes suffering a smoky look at times, the colors are OK with some distinct black and white levels, but on other occasions muted too much. Still it is an improvment over the previous DVD release, though it''s questionable if this should be enough to double-dip.
The audio has some nice surround and great bass but again is also somewhat average, so if you are expecting an audio track to rival more recent movies you will likely be disappointed.
The highlight of rhe special features is the audio commentary between director Nick Castle and production designer Ron Cobb. This is evidently an old audio track but the two seem to have an enjoyable time. There is also a Making of featurette called "Crossing the Frontier" and, as one would expect with a movie touring itself as a 25th Anniversary Edition, a new featurette that includes cast and crew looking back on the movie and their roles as mentors.
The movie follows the adventures of Alex Rogan (played by Lance Guest). Living in a trailer park and with a beautiful girlfriend Alex spends his time mastering a video arcade game in between doing oddjobs for his neighbors. However, after a particularly successful game at the controls, he is visited by a mysterious character. It turns out that the video game is used as a recruiting tool of sorts to locate those who would be great intergalactic fighter pilots.
Before Alex knows what has hit him the bewildered teen is whisked off across the galaxy and discovers that what was once just a video game is now all too real.
Yes, it's good old 1980s cheese and the early CGI effects are much less impressive now than they were 25 years ago, but for a pure fun movie that does not take itself too seriously you can do much worse :)

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At the time of its original release in 1984, this modestly budgeted sci-fi excursion had the distinction of offering some of the first examples of purely computer-generated animation, an apt (and frugal) special-effects solution for a movie with a plot line rooted in computer games. Both the computer-generated visuals and the arcade game now look quaint, but writer-director Nick Castle's affable, good- hearted adventure holds up nicely, thanks to a clever premise--the title game is actually a test for prospective starship pilots, planted by embattled aliens under siege from an evil invader. When a restless teenager (Lance Guest) racks up an impressive score, he finds himself spirited away to the besieged planet and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war. Apart from Castle's skill at contrasting his extraterrestrial settings with the mundane details of his hero's earthbound life, the movie gets lift-off from two thorough pros, Robert Preston, who makes the alien recruiter, Centauri, a planet-hopping cousin to "The Music Man"'s Harold Hill, and Dan O'Herlihy, the alien copilot, who suggests a scaly Walter Brennan. Older fans will snicker, but kids and young teens will find this rite of passage absorbing, while their folks will savor Preston's brash charm. "--Sam Sutherland"

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Knights of the South Bronx (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)The movie was great. I enjoyed it. The child actors are good, and Ted Danson is just excellent. By and large, the actors, the storyline, and the chess seem credible, realistic and on target. As a chess player, I could see that the chess teaching techniques used are textbook, so there is nothing fake or phony about this story.
I'm a believer in the main message of the movie, that I chess is able to boost a child academically, and that..."chess is a battle of the mind....it does not care who you are, what color you are, or where you come from..."

Having just taught my 5 year old daughter how to play chess, I find that the grittiness of the South Bronx depicted in the film, and the bad language used is too much for my daughter's view right now. This is a pity, but the producers and directors are "keeping it real". I respect that but I wish that they came out with a more family friendly version with over-dubbing of the language.
The last scene in the movie showing the animated ninjas on the board was a little hokey and unnecessary.

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Middle-aged and recently unemployed, Richard Mason (Ted Danson) decides to return to his first love: teaching. He finds a job as an inner-city schoolteacher teaching fourth grade. Richard discovers a way to reach out to his skeptical students through the game of chess. Against all odds, he inspires his students to become champions, not only at chess, but in life! Ted Danson gives a compelling performance in this heroic, heartwarming story based on true events co-starring Keke Palmer and Malcolm David Kelley. Knights of the South Bronx proves that no matter who you are or where you come from, if you play like a winner, you can be a king!

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Living Landscapes: The World's Most Beautiful Places Review

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(More customer reviews)Very very pretty and relaxing. Good to just chill out and relax or as a background to the party or a dinner. Just like looking out the window and with some soft classical type music playing in background.
This one has a bit of everything, and they are all good. There is also full hour version for each envinroment if you find one that you like in particular.
I dunno what the other reviewer is smoking, but i found the quality to be excellent both video and sound wise.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: This disc will only play on an HD-DVD player. It will not play on a Blu-ray or standard DVD player.This HD-DVD "best of" program features naturally recorded surround-sound for a true nature experience, and relaxing music by Emmy Award winning composer Gary Malkin and others.An inter-active playback feature allows you to select any one of 9 HD environments for continuous repeated playback.Experience the peace and tranquility of the Grand Tetons reflected in pristine mountain lakes. Descend into the mists of Costa Rica's cloud forest as hummingbirds and macaws fly across your home theatre sound space. Feel the warm rays of the sunrise peaking through golden clouds on Maui's famed Haleakala Crater. Transport yourself to a warm tropical beach in the middle of winter and visit the island paradise of Bali. Experience the turning of the leaves in New England or the stark beauty of the Pacific Coast from Carmel to Washington state.These are a few of the many magical moments you will have as you peek through the HD window into the World's Most Beautiful Places.The Living Landscapes HD Environments Collection is a series of High Definition programs designed to create relaxing sensory experiences of the world's most beautiful places. These mesmerizing programs bring your home theater or computer screen to life through the magic of High Def Video & 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound.The programs can be set to repeat, turning your blank, static screen into a virtual window, revealing an ever-changing, ever-inspiring view of gorgeous natural scenery.Filmed by award-winning videographers, backed with natural sounds and music by award-winning composers, these programs are true artworks to be enjoyed again and again.The Complete Living Landscapes HD Collection:BaliCalifornia RedwoodsCosta RicaFall in New EnglandHawaiiOlympic RainforestPacific CoastRocky MountainsSacred Canyons of the SouthwestThe Four SeasonsUnderwater Paradise HawaiiWild AfricaWorlds' Most Beautiful PlacesWorlds' Most Beautiful MountainsWorld's Most Beautiful Sunrises & SunsetsWorld's Most Beautiful Waterfalls

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A Grandpa for Christmas (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)A Grandpa for Christmas is a heartwarming tale of reconciliation. Ernest Borgnine is his usual somewhat crusty but loveable self, and Juliette Goglia, who plays his granddaughter, gets to show off her beautiful singing voice. If you like a story about family members coming together for the first time and helping each other, this movie is for you. I've seen it on TV twice. Now, I'm buying it!

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An estranged family discovers that to understand the past, they first have to face it. For a dear old man on Christmas, the reward is being called Grandpa for the first time in his life. Eighty-year-old Bert Riley is a former movie tough guy living comfortably and surrounded by good friends all vets from Hollywood s Golden Age. With a scrapbook full of memories, life has been pretty good to him. But he never expected any more surprises out of it. That s before he receives word on Thanksgiving that Marie, the estranged daughter he hasn t seen in decades, is in the hospital following a car accident. What s more, Becca, the ten-year-old granddaughter he s never even met, is moving in with him!

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