Homeward Bound (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a Disney film based on Sheila Burford's book __The Incredible Journey__, about three household pets (specifically a bulldog named Chance, a Himalayan cat named Sassy, and a golden retriever named Shadow) who run away from a faraway ranch in order to find their way back to their home in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the owners (specifically 3 kids: a little brother named Jamie, a big brother named Peter, and a sister in the middle named Hope) call a search-and-rescue while at the same time trying to cope with a stepfather. As you may expect, this film eventually comes to a happy ending where everyone is reunited and all is well.
Now, I'm 15 years old and I have loved this film ever since I saw it in the theater at the age of 6. I had many reasons why I loved it at the time--I thought it was funny, I thought it was exciting, and the ending made me cry (hey, don't snicker, I was six years old back then). But now I have a reason why this film has stood the test of time against much flashier and less "cute" movies that I see nowadays, and that's simply because...well, because it's really a good movie!
Don't understand? Well, this film is so much more than just a movie with talking (sort of) animals that go on a journey in order to entertain little 6-year-olds. The pets aren't just animals; they exude the human personalities of their owners! Chance, owned by Jamie, is a mischievious pup who's always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Shadow, owned by Peter, is a wise old golden retriever who's always trying to keep Chance out of trouble. And Sassy, owned by Hope, is a fickle cat who always acts like she's sick of being stuck with her "brothers", if you know what I mean.
And then there's the fact that even though the pets start out acting like siblings who drive each other crazy, they wind up going through thick and thin and actually realizing that they really love each other. Also, this film also has a subplot that turns out happy too; Peter, Hope, and Jamie finally learn to love their stepfather and actually call him "Dad". When the pets are back home in the end (face it, you KNEW it was going to happen) and they see the happy faces of their ecstatic owners, and EVERYONE is actually LOVING each other like a REAL family, Chance thinks with pride, "For the first time in my life, I was HOME." Never before have I heard such a profound statement in a Disney movie.
Any idiot can entertain a 6-year-old by making him laugh, cry, and be excited. However, it takes the work of a genius to entertain a 6-year-old with a work that he will even love nine years later. See this film NOW!
P.S. Don't see the sequel--it's completely insipid, and the pets have totally lost their human personalities in it.

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Hook (1991) Review

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(More customer reviews)The subtitle to the play "Peter Pan" is "The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up". Spielberg's sequel could well be called "The Man Who Grew Up Too Much". The story of Peter Pan is reversed, as are many roles.Robin Williams has the easy task of playing the thoughtless parent, the moderate task of playing the grownup Peter Pan, and the incredibly difficult task of making the transition between the two believable.
Dustin's Hoffman's Capt. Hook knows, as do all of us who remember his soliloquy, that no little children love him. His concern with how he will be remembered, and with Good Form, ring quite true to the original. The character is suave, urbane, vicious, captivating, and ultimately tragic.
At first I was annoyed at the modern elements in Never-Never-Land, but I soon realized that they had to be there, as Never-Never-Land was always a compilation of everything Lost Boys found exciting. In the twenties, that included Red Indians, but if they were lost in the 1980s, well then, baseball and skateboards should be included. The original play was Edwardian, but the movie makes no sense unless it's updated.
The role-reversal and eventual re-reversal is fascinating. In the play, the same actor always plays both Hook and the thoughtless and cruel father, Mr. Darling. But here, Peter is the uncaring father and a corporate pirate, while Hook takes the children to Never-Never-Land. The lost boys are, at first, quarrelsome and threatening, while the pirates are a happy adventuresome lot, even sentimental in the lullaby sequence. But while the Lost Boys help Peter recover himself (and to recover their own innocence), Hook's attempt to win over Peter's kids is, in the end, a failure, and we are brought full circle. The final scene of the helpless Hook surrounded by Peter and his boys parallels the earlier scene of the helpless Peter Banning surrounded by Hook and his pirates. ("Somebody lend me a hand." "I already have.")
The movie has one major flaw - most people don't know the Peter Pan legend well enough to really understand it. Seeing the play "Peter Pan" won't help much, either, because there's a lot in the storybook "Peter and Wendy", and in the play's stage directions, that enhances the understanding of the movie Hook. In a scene usually cut from the play, Peter sacrifices himself for Wendy, and thinks he is about to drown. His line is "To die will be an awfully big adventure." Later, when Wendy and the Lost Boys are leaving Never-Land, Peter is left alone, slumped in his chair. The stage directions state that at this point, if Peter only understood a little more, he would say, "To live would be an awfully big adventure." Hook is the story of how Peter finally learns that to live is, indeed, an awfully big adventure. Along the way, he must also discover what a Happy Thought for a grown-up is, and that a man with no childhood is as incomplete as a boy who would not grow up.
The pretend-food that was always Peter's favorite kind of meal is used to excellent effect. I found the first moment when Peter's adult façade started to break down surprisingly believable. He is in an insult contest, and losing badly, until he finds the intersection between his grownup life and the childish contest. He wins with the biggest, most impressive insult, ending with "... don't mess with me, man, I'm a lawyer."
Maggie Smith's Wendy fills in the roles of both Wendy and Mrs. Darling from the play. Her concern with the night-lights is especially fulfilling. We are also re-introduced to Tootles, who was the Lost Boy who always missed the adventure, and so he does again. Several times in the movie, the first time I saw it, I mouthed the dialogue along with the actors, because I knew that after Hook said, "Prepare to die", Peter had to reply, "Dark and sinister man, have at thee." There's a brief appearance of Michael's bear and John's top hat, which they took with them to Never-Never-Land so many years ago. Lisa and Nana return (Nana IX, really), and many other details make it a wonderful reunion. Bob Hoskins's Smee and Julia Roberts's Tinkerbell are true to the original, and yes, she says The Line She Had to Say.
Yes, Peter Pan grew up. But he didn't do it when he became a lawyer; he did it in Hook.

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The John Wayne Century Collection (Big Jake, Donovan's Reef, El Dorado, Hatari, Hondo, In Harm's Way, Island in the Sky, McLintock, Rio Lobo, The High and the Mighty, True Grit, The Shootist, etc.) (1967) Review

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(More customer reviews)Contrary to Amazon's editorial description above, the John Wayne Century Collection contains 14 movies, but does NOT include THE QUIET MAN. Still, it is a good bargain and contains a new Special Edition release of TRUE GRIT.

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Africa's Lost Eden (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)The quality is typical of what National Geographic always delivers with the added bonus of incredible footage of crocodiles hidden in the natural grasses of the waterways, with only a single eye peaking out, laying their eggs and hatching them on the sand, and the most amazing footage I've ever seen of an African eagle fishing. I would recommend buying it for that alone. There aren't words for how stunning the photography is in this film and the message behind the restoration project of the park and its people is even more breathtaking. You will not regret getting this.

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Space Jam (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Space Jam teams up His Airness, Michael Jordan, with His Hareness, Bugs Bunny, for a fun, and funny, family film.
Michael Jordan has retired from basketball, and currently playing baseball, when Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals ask for his help in playing a b-ball game against diminuative aliens from Moron Mountain. These aliens have stolen the talent of 5 NBA players, including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, and are now larger than life. Since this is Looney Tunes Land, this game is NOT your average basketball game. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun.
Though not an actor of any kind in anyone's book, Michael Jordan does a very good job of interacting with his cartoon co-stars. Most of the jokes are well done and the basketball game itself is a lot of fun. In addition, it is quite funny to watch the 5 NBA players that had their "games" stolen trying to cope with their newfound ordinaryness.
This movie is not groundbreaking by any means and most all of the original Looney Tunes cartoons are better. But this movie never tries to be more than it is: a good time. And at that, it succeeds very well.

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Mighty Joe Young (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)Jill Young's mother is killed by a poacher while trying to protect a baby Gorilla named Joe who is rather big for his age. Jill grows up with the giant Gorilla and takes care of him in honor of her mother. Unfortunately poachers are always on the lookout for the giant gorilla, and so Jill and Joe have to relocate to a mini-preserve in California. Unfortunately the poacher that killed Jill's mother is out for revenge since Joe bit off his finger during the original encounter, and now it seems nowhere is safe for Joe.
What a beautiful movie! Charlize Theron brings real heart to her character and it is her love for Joe as part of her family that makes this a movie to believe in. Bill Paxton does a fine job as the male lead, and they are well supported by great characters and actors (Regina King among them). Also watch out for Naveen Andrews who currently appears in the television series "Lost". The movie is extremely well directed by Ron Underwood, and the beautiful score by James Horner adds the movie's soul to Charlize Theron's heart.
The picture quality on the DVD is good, thanks in part to the amazing cinematography, and the film is in a nicely balanced Dolby Digital 5.1. This movie is a rare gem. So yes it is a remake to the original Mighty Joe Young, and yes we have a new King Kong movie coming up, thus making this a bit of a middle child. Still, once you've seen it, you'll see how wonderful it is. Who needs King Kong? Who needs the original Mighty Joe Young? Hell, who needs Planet Of The Apes? This movie has real heart and soul, once more I credit Charlize Theron and James Horner for that. It won me over. I hope it does you too.

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A heroic Disney movie.

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Casablanca (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's hard to believe that when Casablanca was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in 1942 it was "just another" of the 50 or so films that the studio was producing every year, as Lauren Bacall points out in the documentary about the film included in the special features. The movie was an instant success with audiences everywhere, and won three Academy Awards including Best Picture. Called "America's most popular and beloved movie- and rightly so" by The Motion Picture Guide, and "The best Hollywood movie of all time" by Leonard Maltin, Casablanca was voted the #2 film in a list of the top 100 films of this century by the American Film Institute.
Set in refugee strewn French North Africa in 1942, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a night club owner, and his friend Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), Prefect of Police, enter into a wager as to whether or not Resistance Leader Victor Laslo (Paul Henreid) will be able to escape Casablanca and reach the Free World. When Laslo arrives in Casablanca, Rick is stunned to find him accompanied by his ex-lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman). Filled with mystery, suspense, intrigue and romance, Casablanca will remain a favorite of classic movie lovers for years to come.
The supporting cast include Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson as Rick's piano playing confidant, Sam. The entire cast are superb, the settings are excellent, and the cinematogrophy is wonderful.
The song "As Time Goes By" was made famous by Casablanca, as it's melody is entwined throughout the film, and it too is now a classic, filled with romance and nostalgia.
This is one film that absolutely MUST be in your DVD library!

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Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if you're wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one - especially Victor's wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo's transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more - personal happiness or countless lives hanging in the balance.
Winner of three Academy Awards including Best Picture, the Casablanca Ultimate Collector's Edition marks nearly 70 years as a beloved favorite with many bonuses that no matter how often you've viewed the film itself - this gift set provides a most compelling reason to foster a whole new beginning of our continuing friendship with this unforgettable classic.
Included in this very special edition of Hollywood's most unforgettable classic is a bonus disc of the featurette "Jack Warner: The Last Mogul" - a rare glimpse into the public and private life of one of the most respected names in the entertainment industry.

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D3 - The Mighty Ducks (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Mighty Ducks. Perhaps the best live-action series that has been put out by Disney to date. In this, the third movie in the series we see the Ducks receive scholarships to the prestigious Eden Hall Academy. At the same time, Coach Bombay has decided to move on and will be partaking in the Goodwill Games. In going to Eden Hall, the team acquires a new coach who is not as pleasant as Coach Bombay was. In fact, he could be best described as a nightmare. At the same time the Ducks bump heads with the championship varsity team. In the end the two square off in an excellent game of hockey. Leading up to the game, many of the typical hyjinks take place. Aside from the Ducks having their scholarhips on the line and other set-backs, the exchange of pranks between the two teams is simply classic. In the climatic third-period of the game the Ducks will have to prove why they are that quack-tastic. Will they do it?? I can't say, but D3 is a movie you don't want to miss. Disney has done it again with another great movie that anyone in the family can enjoy, so pick up today as you won't be disappointed.

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Bolero (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Lovely Bo Derek embarks on an awkward, sensual quest to lose her virginity in the roaring 20's. Armed with a huge inheritence, her trusty chauffer (George Kennedy), an adventurous college friend (Ana Obregon), an extravagant wardrobe and a seemingly endless supply of black eyeliner, Mac (Bo) travels around Europe looking for a sheik like Rudolph Valentino. Director John Derek, once again, focuses more on his wife's magnificent beauty than the outrageous story. By this point in her career (1984) we've already seen Bo exhaust the "innocent virgin" role (Fantasies 1974 and Tarzan, the Ape Man 1981). The script is completely ridiculous (which is really o.k. because most of the actors have thick accents that are incomprehensable) but the scenery is gorgeous! Bo tangles with an opium-addicted sheik, a jealous gypsy, and a handsome bullfighter (Andrea Ochinpinti) who wins her heart and her virginity. After he is gored by bull in the privates(!), Bo becomes a bullfighter on horseback and eventually proves that "love conquers all" when it comes to mending a broken, er..heart! Despite the raging controversy that followed this film, the love scenes are all beautifully photographed and not the least bit pornographic. But this IS a Bo Derek film, which means lots of nudity(!!!). For me, the best scene is when Bo fights the bull in the film's slo-motion climax. Her skill as an equestrian and "humane" approach to bullfighting are the most interesting part of this film. Campy and unintentionally funny in some parts, BOLERO is a great choice for a cheesy midnight movie at home. Bo didn't score a "10" with this silly film, but she seems like she had fun making it. You'll never look at "milk and honey" the same way again...

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Upon graduating from school in Britain, the wealthy Ayre "Mac" McGillvary (Bo Derek) hungers for more education in the art of love!Journeying to Morocco, she meets a handsome sheik, but alas, he falls asleep while seducing her.A hot-blooded matador in Spain does not disappoint, however. Unlocking her deepest desires, her world-class lover gives her a lesson in ecstasy she¹ll never forget.

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The Ten Commandments (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)In terms of adjusted box office, Cecile B. DeMille's 1956 film "The Ten Commandments" is the fifth biggest grossing movie of all time, ahead of "Titanic," but behind "Gone With the Wind," "Star Wars," "The Sound of Music," and "E.T." There was a sense in which that film, with the parting of the Red Sea sequence, was the first big special effects film. Of course, the story of how Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt had more going for it and that story is certainly worthy of further examination. Yes, "Prince of Egypt" was a musical, but it also focused more on the relationship between Moses and Ramses, who were friends growing up, rather than the rivalry we saw between Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner. Now we have this 2006 mini-series. The good news is that it does try to tell us a different part of the story in its second half, but the bad news is for every step forward there are steps backwards, and on balance this version does not come out ahead.
The mini-series aired in two parts, with the end of Part 1 being the parting of the Red Sea (not a real cliffhanger). The first part moves through the story of Moses from the night he floated down the Nile in basket to that moment in front of the Red Sea at a fast clip. Moses (Dougray Scott) grows up, kills an overseer, goes off into the desert, saves Jethro's sheep and marries his daughter, sees the burning bush and is back in Egypt telling Ramses (Paul Rhys) to let the Hebrews go. The plagues of Egypt come quickly as well, and there is a clear suggestion of how the frogs, locust, etc., were related to the Nile turning to blood. This Moses is not raised alongside Ramses, but Menerith (Naveen Andrews), the natural son of the princess, and they are the brothers who are torn and who face each other at the edge of the Red Sea. Moses has enlisted his brother Aaron (Linus Roache) to speak for him, and this version deals more with the reluctance and doubts of Moses, more so as the leader than as the deliverer of the Hebrews out of bondage.
This is little in the first half of "The Ten Commandments" to justify having made the mini-series. The only things that stood out where the idea that God wants Moses to work out some things in his own mind and the scene where Moses is forced to work as a slave, which this time is after he returns to Egypt. What is important in the first part is the idea that even before their deliverance, the Hebrews challenge the leadership of Moses. However, after the conclusion of the parting of the Red Sea the rest of the second half is devoted to the period in which the Hebrews wandered in the desert before reaching the Promised Land. This is where this version of "The Ten Commandments" starts to tell a different story, for a lot happens in the hour between the Red Sea and the Golden Calf. There is manna in the wilderness and turning the slaves into an army. Above all this there is the need for Moses the Deliver to become Moses the Law Giver. However, the impetus for this transition comes from a melodramatic irony that smacks of soap opera more than scripture.
Time and time again I question what Ron Hutchinson, who won an Emmy in 1989 for writing "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story," is doing in this story. At one point Moses is training the army and Joshua (Karim Salah) refuses because he sees being a solider as an admission of not having faith in God. Moses then tells what must be the oldest story of how God helps people; certainly it is an older version of the one Karl Malden tells to Jed Bartlett on "The West Wing." The relevance of the story to the point being made is lost because we cannot believe Moses is telling this story. However, this is a Moses who is not a cool and commanding presence. His doubts and lack of resolve are arguably the biggest reasons why the people doubt God; they have problems believing in his messenger.
I have always been bothered by the Hebrews challenging the idea that their God WAS God during the Exodus. What happened at the Red Sea should prove the point once and for all. The manna in the desert and Moses smiting a rock to bring forth water might be "minor" miracles, but they are nothing to scoff at and reminders of everything God did to get them out of bondage. Being freaked because Moses has gone up on the mountain and you think he is not coming back is one thing, but making the Golden Calf is a really bad idea. Hutchinson sticks to the book of Exodus and covers the slaughter by the sons of Levi that was the bloody aftermath of the great sin the people sinned.
This becomes the final act before the denouement where Moses sees the Promised Land but is not allowed to cross over. Hutchinson does play with Biblical chronology, because the battles they fought are covered in Numbers. However, my final complaint is not about chronology but rather that the story essentially ends with the slaying of the three thousand men, and not as Exodus does with the construction of the tabernacle and the ark, symbolizing the renewal of the covenant, which I find to be the more important part of the story. I would have preferred seeing this version of "The Ten Commandments" be restricted to what happened after they crossed the Red Seas; after all, the Hebrews forget the evidence of the power of God. The other half of the min-series could have covered the history of Numbers and Deuteronomy, the part of the Exodus that remains to be told in such a format.

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The Ten Commandments unfolds with all of the spectacle, violent human drama, and grand inspiration that have earned it its distinction as the greatest story ever told. When an oracle prophesizes that a child will become Prince of Egypt, a time of danger approaches the kingdom. The Egyptian Pharaoh orders the massacre of all newborn males. But one child, Moses--the son of a Hebrew slave--escapes certain death when he is set adrift on the Nile. As years pass, he is raised in a royal Egyptian household and, with no memory of his family, rises to the stature of prince. Upon discovery of his true heritage, and inspired by a fiery message from God, Mosesembarks upon a noble and desperate fight to reclaim his destiny as the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people. With a stellar cast that includes Mia Maestro and Golden Globe winner Omar Sharif, The Ten Commandments is unsurpassed in its vision--both intimate and grand. DVD Features include: The Making of "The Ten Commandments", Closed Captioning.

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Tarzan, The Ape Man (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you grew up in the early 80s, it was hard to ignore Bo Derek. She was everywhere. On talk shows, posters and magazines - and mostly unclothed. These two films represent her true arrival on the scene. She had made a minor splash as the gal who gets her leg bit off by "Orca," but who can rememeber a pretty woman in the wake of a Killer Whale rampage? But who can forget Bo bouncing on the beach with her hair in beads? "10" was one of those films that you conspired to sneak into at the multiplex. And it was the reason some of us put up with irritating guys so we could get a second shot of seeing it on HBO (or was it Showtime?). Bo was hot and the rest of the movie was there for the old people.
Tarzan, The Ape Man was Bo's attempt to turn her star power into cinematic gold. She wasn't merely going to be an actress, she would produce "Tarzan, The Ape Man" along with her husband John directing. And it's not that bad of a Tarzan film - with the great John Phillip Law (Danger Diabolik) and Richard Harris along with Miles O'Keeffe as the Ape Man. And in order to keep people sitting in the theater until the last frame of the film runs through the projector, Bo remains topless for the end credits - don't cut this DVD off early.
The only other DVD that you need to truly lust for Bo's glory days is "Bolero."
I wouldn't recommend these films to someone who doesn't have a lust for Bo. But the price of this double feature is just right for me to put it on my guilty pleasure shelf - and I do have one.

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A Far Off Place (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)A Far Off Place is the sequel to the bestseller by Laurens Van der Post, 'A Story Like The Wind'. Hunters Drift is a farm in Matabeleland (today part of Zimbabwe)
It is the home of Pierre Paul Joubert known affectionately by all who live there as 'Ouwa', where European, Matabele and Bushmen live in harmony with each other , and with the great flora and fauna of Africa.
This is before the forces of destruction and death, Marxist terrorists, massacre the whole population of Hunter's Drift , as they carve a path of blood through Southern Africa.
The only survivors are Ouwa's teenage son, Francois, Nonnie, the young daughter of a colonial governor and his Portuguese wife, both murdered by the terrorists and Francois' beloved hunting dog, Hintza. They are joined by a young Bushman, Xhabbo, and his wife, Nuin Tarra.
The four young people and brave dog , must pass through bush and desert , to safety , while pursued by the cold-blooded killers.
'A Far Off Place' is a heartwarming story of love hope and courage, and of survival against overwhelming odds. It is about the fine balance between all living creatures.
Not least it highlights the death and suffering caused so many times by those forces of evil that hide behind the slogans of revolution and 'Liberation'.

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Walt Disney Pictures and Amblin Entertainment team up to deliver a thrilling story, action-packed adventure, and breathtaking scenery! Thrown together under incredible circumstances, two strangers must discover courage and strength when they begin a journey across the treacherous African desert! Equipped with only their wits and the expertise of a native bushman who befriends them, they are determined to triumph over impossible odds and reach their destination. But along the way, the trio face a primitive desert wilderness teeming with deadly obstacles, including wild animals, ruthless poachers, and severe weather conditions!

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The Big Red One - The Reconstruction (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Whenever I would catch it on cable years and years ago, Sam Fuller's "The Big Red One" was a quirky war movie with strange pacing and a very uneven balance of comedy and tragedy, of high and low-- several great moments strung loosely together. Working on the upcoming DVD, I was not aware of the fact that Fuller had shot 4 hours or that he wished to his dying day that the film would be lengthened, and I was skeptical as I always am with extended versions (this one carries the subtitle "Reconstruction"). I got to look at it several times, once for business and twice more for pleasure, because the film is transformed and made great, and there are so many memorable scenes that one wants to go back to it again and again. 40-plus minutes have been added on, some full scenes, some simply extended bits to old scenes. The narrative structure of the movie is still very free and loose, very episodic, but the greater length is absolutely crucial to the plot, since we are meant to get at least some slight idea of the tedium and homesickness that goes along with being a soldier in an ongoing war. Fleshed out is the character and performance of Lee Marvin--everything that he is capable of as an actor, everything that that stone wall of a face can convey is on display here--tough as all hell but with a simultaneous sweetness that can be, when called upon, heartbreaking. Look at his expression when a gunfight breaks out after the Italian girl places flowers on his helmet--he jabs the rifle into position along his chin and begins firing rounds, his face jerking only slighty with each shot. We don't see anything of the gunfight, only close-up on his face and the expression says nothing and everything all at once--we're meant to meet him halfway and fill in the blanks ourselves. He makes it easy for us because by this point in the movie we know what kind of a man he is. And because this is Sam Fuller, the movie has a diabolical sense of humor, sometimes downright hilarious, as when some of the boys swap sexual fantasies, some of which have become warped and deranged after so much time in battle. Another sequence has the Sergeant and the boys of the One helping to deliver a baby inside the belly of a German tank--the mispronunciation of the French word for "push" setting the stage for some verbal slapstick. This juggling of moods doesn't seem quite so out of place in the longer version, and I get the impression that if they ever decide to cut together the 4-hour picture that Fuller had intended, we still wouldn't tire of the characters or their tours of duty. But as it stands now at 2 hours, 40 minutes, it has been rounded out for us and has jumped to the top of the heap alongside the small handful of truly important movies depicting war. The most common complaint I hear is that the German tanks are clearly American tanks dressed-up. This is true-- if you are searching for dead-on accuracy and detail in set design such as in Private Ryan, this is not for you. "The Big Red One" is a gritty personal little movie that is not burdened by the kind of strained sentimentality that sometimes hampers Spielberg. It can be at times surreal and absurd, but not the kind of surrealism that floats above and transcends the actual war as in "Apocalypse Now"-- it keeps its feet firmly on the ground. The tanks don't pass the test, but the characters more than make up for it... Lee Marvin's nameless Sergeant, stone-faced, intransigent, whose tragic prologue sets up a touching epilogue... Keith Carradine's cigar-chomping, novel-writing Private Zab-- a fill-in for Fuller, who lived all these experiences in his days with the Big Red One-- and Mark Hamill's Griff, the most fleshed-out character, whose unforgettable finale in the Falkenau concentration camp gives new meaning to Conrad's notion of "shelling the bush". The Falkenau scenes, by the way, were shot, like much of the movie, in Israel with Jews playing the Nazi wardens--a surrealistic slap in the face to anyone itching for strict realism in their war flicks. Inconsistencies be damned. This is a great one, and now, thanks to Richard Schickel and his gang, a fuller Fuller movie, a very generous update of a picture that never got a fair chance its first time around.

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DVD Features: Audio CommentaryDocumentariesPhoto galleryTV SpotTheatrical Trailer

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The Great Rift: Africa's Greatest Story Review

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(More customer reviews)If you've seen any of the other HD nature documentaries from BBC (Planet Earth, Life, Nature's Most Amazing Events, etc), you already know what to expect from this series. There is nothing groundbreaking here, just more of the amazing, high-quality, exciting nautre scenes that, frankly, only BBC knows how to deliver. While I wish David Attenborough had narrated the series, simply because no one else has that kind of gravitas, Hugh Quarshie's narration is decent and takes nothing away from the presentation.
East Africa had already been pretty well documented before this series. I have also traveled there. And still, in shot after shot, this series showed me things I had never before seen.
If you're a fan of high-quality, serious, beautiful nature documentaries, pick this up right away.

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Ace Ventura Deluxe Double Feature (Pet Detective / When Nature Calls) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, first off, yes they made the first movie Widescreen finaly and they redid the transfers to make them look much better. The sound is improved as well with 5.1 on the first movie.
However, why did they delete the dolphin trainer bit where he talks to the reporters. I mean WTF....Also, they should have made the first one an extended version like was on TV once. On TV they showed a version that had 4 or 5 new scenes added and they were great.
Even though it could have been better it was still worth the money for this set which now looks great on my bigscreen HD TV. The old version looked pretty bad compared to today's standard dvds.

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Allllll righty then. Let's get to it. As Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Jim Carrey instantly soared to stardom while tearing decorum to pieces. The award-winning actor plays the screwloose sleuth determined to sniff out the Miami Dolphins' missing mascot and quarterback Dan Marino. Jim Carrey returns in Ace Ventura When Nature Calls as the alligator-wrasslin,' elephant-calling, monkeyshining, loogie-launching, burning coals-crossing, disguise-mastering pet detective. Includes a bonus DVD with specially selected cartoons from the hit TV show Ace Ventura The Animated Series. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Tom ShadyacTV SpotTheatrical TrailerTV SpotTheatrical Trailer

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