Paradox of the Andes (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The paradox of the title is that the equator is supposed to be the warmest place on Earth, but the higher one is in altitude there, the colder it is. A subplot is that there are no distinct seasons there, but in 24 hours, it can go from below zero to scorching hot. This doc looks at the animals who live there. (It's implied that humans wouldn't live there.)
Vicunas, animals that must be related to llamas, only give birth in the day because a newborn couldn't survive the cold night. Hummingbirds can flap their wings 20 times per second. There is only one bear species in South America and it is not a carnivore. Both males and females incubate condor eggs. Some plants are so deep that frogs can rest in the ponds they make. This documentary is full of insightful facts.
The work says the equator is the most biodiverse place. It goes on to discuss many mammals, plants, and birds that live there. Close to nothing is said about fish and insects. Perhaps the those animals aren't as diverse as the others. However, I wonder if this were Jungian and the documentary makers know that most humans don't care to see insects.
This would be a great thing to watch in a biology class. It reminded me of how most featurs on living beings have a reason for being there. This might be the type of thing that the Discovery Channel or PBS would show all the time. Still, I enjoyed it. Thumbs up!

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Gigi (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)For those wondering why they should purchase another edition of "Gigi" on DVD, here are all the extras; however, if you own a Blu-ray, you might want to wait and pre-order Gigi [Blu-ray]. Other than the technical specs, the extras are the same on both versions.
Winner of 9 Oscars, "Gigi" was produced after the demise of the original 3-Strip Technicolor system, and photographed in the industry-standardized Eastmancolor process, which had a tendency to fade to reds and purples. For this new DVD release, Gigi has been photo-chemically restored from its original camera negative and safety separations to produce a much sharper and colorful image than has been seen in decades. It also contains a 5.1 audio mix created from the original multi-track source elements.
Disc 1 (Gigi '58): 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen * English DD5.1 Surround * French Mono * English, French and Japanese subtitles * Bluray specs: 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 1.0 (Both Castilian and Latin), German 1.0, Italian 1.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles (Main Feature): English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Subtitles (on Select Bonus Material): English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese
*New Commentary with Leslie Caron & Film Historian Jeanine Basinger
*The Million Dollar Nickel [1952 MGM short]
*The Vanishing Duck [1958 MGM cartoon]
*Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2: "Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi" The story of how 1958's Best Picture winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its daring sexual content and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli
Original 1949 Nonmusical version of Gigi starring Daniele Delorme in the title role and directed by Jacqueline Audry (in French Mono with English subtitles)
For those not familiar with the plot, Gaston (Louis Jordan) is the descendant of a wealthy Parisian family who rebels from the superficial lifestyle of upper class Parisian 1900s society by socializing with the former mistress (Hermoine Gingold) of his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) and her outgoing, tomboy granddaughter, Gigi (Leslie Caron). When Gaston becomes aware that Gigi has matured into a woman, her grandmother and aunt (Isabel Jeans), who have educated Gigi to be a wealthy man's mistress, enjoin on him to become her provider and on her to accept such a golden opportunity. However, true love adds a surprise twist to this Cinderella story that was actually filmed in Paris.

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The Secret (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Secret" stars David Duchovny as Ben Marris, a successful ophtalmologist who is happily married to Hannah [Lili Taylor of The Haunting]who is a housewife. They have a rebellious 16-year-old daughter Sam [Olivia Thirlby]and from the beginning we can see the antagonism Sam feels towards her over-protective mother. Both mom and daughter head out on a weekend trip and an accident causes both to be critically wounded, eventually resulting in a bizarre occurence in which Hannah's spirit transfers over to Sam's body whilst Sam's spirit lingers somewhere in limbo-land.
The rest of the movie deals with how Ben comes to grips with this bizarre turn of events and how Hannah struggles to cope not only with having lost her material body, but having to try to 'find' her daughter's spirit within Sam's physical self, whislt at the same time traversing the tension-fraught life of a high school teen. Both Ben and "Hannah as Sam" also have trouble dealing with the weirdness of their situation as being deeply in love, they come to certain realisations about the impossible situation they are both in. Ben is torn between wanting to satisfy his and Hannah's emotional and sexual needs whilst not wanting to cross the boundaries presented by his own daughter's material body.
The leads do a credible job of portraying three individuals trapped in an intolerable situation, though it is Duchovny's Ben and Thirlby's Sam that carry the movie for the most part. Olivia Thirlby's performance as Samantha/Hannah is commendable as she portrays both mother and teen credibly. Viewers can really tell when she is playing either mother or daughter. Thirlby is definitely a young actor of promising talent based on this performance.
This is supposedly a remake of a Japanese movie titled Himitsu, and though I haven't watched the original, this movie can stand alone on its own merits. Though it has a supernatural premise, it never really delves too deeply into that aspect for the movie deals more with how individuals cope under strange circumstances. Ben and 'Hannah' do seem to accept the situation way too quickly [which did strike me as very odd], but at 1.5 hrs long, the movie really didn't have the luxury of time to go in depth into the topic of spirit transference/possession.
On the whole, I found "The Secret" to be quite an engrossing drama and well carried by credible acting.
SPOILER ALERT
For those viewers who are very much concerned about the taboo aspects of this movie, i.e. a dad having to deal with a daughter who has her mother's spirit residing within her and the physical issues of dealing with that, do not fret. The movie never crosses the line towards actual physical consummation nor any explicit displays of affection between Ben and "Hannah as Sam".

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In the spirit of Ghost and Birth, Hannah and Benjamin (Lili Taylor, Six Feet Under and David Duchovny, The X-Files) are a happily married couple whose love is tested in ways they never could have imagined in this touching supernatural drama. But when Hannah is killed in a car accident, the couple's strong bond may be responsible for an unusual twist of fate that keeps their love alive -- at the expense of their daughter (Olivia Thirlby, Juno).

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Clerks (The Snowball Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm not going to tell the plot of Clerks, since tons of other reviewers have already done that, but instead I'm going to focus of the DVD, because I don't feel enough people write about that.
First off here's the special features:
Audio Commentary: This commentary features a nearly countless amount of people, but mostly Kevin Smith with the occasional tid bit from actor Brian O' Halloran (also known as Brian Christopher O' Halloran) or producer Scott Mosier. Funnily, Jason Mewes showed up drunk for the recording of this and lies on the floor past out most of the time, sometimes waking up to swear or scream "Snootchie Bootchies." Obviously only one mike was used for this, but that never bothered me much, because the commentary is a load of fun, with tons of interesting things and laughs. I like this much better than the overrated Mallrats commentary.
Deleted Scenes With Introductions by Kevin Smith: There are about 6 deleted scenes, almost all of them extended bits, but all of them interesting. Ones I particularly liked were the longer Gum Guy's speech, the longer conversation with Dane and Veronica, and the longer talking between Veronica and Randal. The only completely additional scene is in #3 where Randal tries to pursuade a customer to rent Smokey and the Bandit 3. Not very funny, but interesting. The introductions to the scenes by Kevin Smith are very good, short and to the point, where as in all the other DVDs he rambles on for about two minutes about why you should visit Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash or mumbles or wastes time going "Um," you get my point. In these intros he simly states what you'll find new in the scene and then you view, I think the longest intro is about thirty seconds. Excellent.
Original Ending: The shocking original ending is included for your enjoyment, and it is obvious why it was cut, although I personally love the scene and think it'd be a great ending to the film. Why? Because it ends on a downer, just like Dante and Randal talk about early in the film, and is more realistic (OK, maybe not, but I like it). Sit through the short set of credits for a breif cameo by director Smith. The ending features an introduction where Smith states how happy he is that the scene was cut. Interesting.
Music Video: The funny music video for Soul Asylum's "Can't Even Tell", featuring a recreation of the hockey scene, in color no less! It's an interesting look at what if would be like if the movie was in color, but it's also a pretty good song, and the video is entertaining, measuring around four and a half minutes. Introduction by Smith is included, which is pretty interesting.
Theatrical Trailer: The film's original trailer is included with introduction by Smith, where he states how crazy he is for it and that it's one of his favorite trailers ever. It's a nice trailer and all, but really, it is just a trailer, and I think he sees into it more than most people will (though I read a review that called the trailer "a piece of film itself").
Anyway, those are the extras. It doesn't look like much, but quality overwhelms quantity, and all these extras are very cool, and worth your time.
The sound and picture on the film is fine, at least when you think about it. Remember Clerks cost less than a car to make, and the picture is consistently grainy throughout, as well as black and white (oh boo hoo to all you people who can't watch a black and white movie), but I could always tell what was going on, and after about two minutes, I got used to the grain (you will, too). The sound is a 2.0 surround sound that is always clear and never bothersome. There's minor hiss, but barely irritating (or noticeable).
Anyway, I like CLerks a lot, although most people won't watch it because of the black and white picture and a lot of people find it boring, but I just don't understand how anyone could find a movie with such great acting and dialouge boring. Well, if you need an explosion or a bunch of action every ten minutes.....
Hope you liked my review (kind of long, sorry), and please vote if it was helpful. Thank you for reading.

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Edward Scissorhands (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)This wonderful fantasy tale stars Johnny Depp as a not-quite-real teenager who was built by an eccentric inventor. The old man died before he could finish him, so Edward has knife blades where his fingers would be. A well-meaning Avon lady (Diane Wiest) finds him living alone in his crumbling castle, and brings him home to live with her family, which includes daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Edward is naive and timid, but so sweet and helpful that he soon becomes the darling of the neighborhood. He is smitten with Kim, which angers her bully of a boyfriend (Anthony Michael Hall).
Diane Wiest is perfect as the ditsy and always-cheerful mom. Ryder is convincing as a selfish and spoiled teen. Hall is the villian you love to hate. The star, of course, is Johnny Depp. As Edward, he is painfully shy and lovelorn; his performance is so heart-wrenchingly delicate that you ache for him in every scene. Covered with white make-up and with only a few words of dialogue, Depp proves he is a very talented actor. The wonderful and quite frail Vincent Price, as Edward's loving creator, will surely bring a tear to your eye.
This completely unique film blends comedy, fantasy, and romance to make a sentimental fairy tale that both teens and adults will enjoy. It is a heart-breaker; bring your hankie.
Kona

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NEW Three Kingdoms - Three Kingdoms (blu-ray) (Blu-ray) Review

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(More customer reviews)Review of the Uncut HK version.
Amid the beloved historical epic tales of the "Battle or Romance of the Three Kingdoms", arose three movies in 2008. The very mediocre "Empress and the Warriors" with Donnie Yen, and late last year came the first chapter of John Woo's "Red Cliff". Daniel Lee's (Dragon Squad) "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon" was released a few months earlier in Asia than Woo's star-studded film (which I will review later), and has Hong Kong's Andy Lau (Running on Karma) in the lead as the famous General Zhao Zhilong--yes the same guy in the video game named Zhao Yun in "Dynasty Warriors". The film has massive commercial appeal, and the film is beautifully shot. However, purists of the tales of the Three Kingdoms will be annoyed and repulsed, as the film does feel a little empty in regards to an intricate storyline and full of historical inaccuracies. (Hint: John Woo's overly exaggerated film about the three kingdoms isn't much better)
228 A.D, before the rise of the Jin Dynasty. The kingdoms of Shu, Wei and Wu are divided. Zhilong (Andy Lau) is a simple soldier from Changsan who becomes a legendary warrior under the employ of Liu (Yueh Huah) who rises from the ranks of the Shu forces to become one of the "Five Tiger Generals". Zhilong becomes famous for his many campaigns against Cao and the last surviving general of the "Five Tigers". Now, after many years of war, Zhilong is set to make his last stand against Cho's granddaughter--who has become a beautiful, cold and stoic warrior woman; Cao Ling (Maggie Q, Live Free and Die Hard).
The film is narrated by Pingan (Sammo Hung), Zhilong's oldest friend who joined the Liu army with him many years ago. The film is supposed to cover thirty years, Zhilong was a simple soldier who ascends to become a simple general and so the film feels a little too short. There are a lot of plot holes and several important parts missing, but then as a tale being narrated by Pingan who remained a simple soldier in the ranks, I can accept its shortcomings. Pingan never became a part of Zhilong's military unit until his final campaign. The viewer is privy to Zhilong's achievements through the musings of humble Pingan and it is rather hard for Sammo Hung to carry this burden, and purists will undoubtedly become disconnected. Zhilong is a renowned general in the Shu kingdom, he may be remembered as the "Spartan" of the Liu army--truly legendary and whose name struck fear in the hearts of his enemies.
Thankfully, Andy Lau does turn in a great performance and I am happy to say he isn't miscast. This may well be his best performance since his role in "The Warlords" with Jet Li. The plot may be a little too simple and doesn't reach Zhilong's epic grandeur, but Lau does the best of what he's got; Lau is playing a larger-than-life character and despite the simple plot, he manages to project the character competently. Maggie Q. is alluring as Cao Ling, and despite her limited screen time, she was exciting and enchanting to watch. The rest of the supporting cast isn't so bad, but we all have to remember that this is a film with Zhilong as its central focus.
Aside from the Pingan narrations, the real problems begin when the film has some "add-on" characters played by two lesser known performers in the persona of Vanness Wu, and Andy On; they seem to be mere attempts to give the young stars some exposure. (Maggie Q. is just so hot, I don`t mind her at all) A lot of folks would be interested to see this film because of truly iconic characters played by accomplished actors such as Sammo Hung, Yueh Hua, Ti Lung, Chen Zhihui; but sadly the film does nothing with them. Zhilong may be the center of the film but all others, disappear after the first half. This film definitely needed to be longer and the significance of the other four "Tiger Generals" to Zhilong a little more fleshed out.
The action sequences have the usual style of Chinese epics and reminiscent of other films of this kind. The choreography by Yuen Tak is fairly good, although it looked too flashy for my tastes. (as with Woo's "Red Cliff') The shots are cool and well-choreographed, a blend of the usual wire-fu, wild slow-mo and blood and some gore. Highlights include Zhilong rescuing Liu's son, (which was fairly exciting) and the fight between Cao Ling and Zhilong were very cool to watch. The fights provide great eye candy, but that's all they were; pure eye candy. The film does have a lot of action, it feels more like an action drama and abandons the contemplative nature of the horrors of war.(although it does touch on this idea a little in the final act) Writer/director Daniel Lee does an average job in mixing in emotions and action, but it felt that it reduced its visceral effect. The film has colorful, elaborate costumes and some beautiful cinematography that it will no doubt attract mainstream audiences.
"Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon" isn't a bad film, and I rather thought that this may be Daniel Lee's best work. It is a lot better than the abysmal "Empress and the Warriors" and I've seen John Woo's "Red Cliff" and believe me, Woo's first take on the "Three Kingdoms" period was better but only by a tad. The lore and legend of the Three Kingdoms isn't fully fleshed out, and the film does resort to flashy camera tricks and choreographed action sequences. While this may not be exactly be a bad thing, and will no doubt give the non-meticulous viewer a good diversion, purists of its historical significance will be very disappointed since it isn`t as intricately compelling as I wished it to be. The film never does delve into wartime strategy that much and falls to the usual epic trappings of honor, betrayal and fate. This film has massive commercial appeal but quite respectable in its quality. "Three Kingdoms" is indeed an entertaining experience, but not outstanding and manages to exude coolness throughout--but isn't war supposed to be "un-cool"?
Another one for the overindulgent International audience for beautiful Chinese epics.
Recommended! [3 ½ Stars]


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Nature: Amazing Places: Hawaii Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a really beautifully shot piece. The narration by F. Murray is pretty cool, and he doesn't dumb it down. You really learn a lot in addition to getting to take in the cool scenery. It looked ridiculously good-- almost photorealistic-- on my Blu-ray player and HD TV. I totes recommend 100%.

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Ecosystems on Big Island Face No Small ChallengePROGRAM ONE KILAUEA: MOUNTAIN OF FIREKilauea continually molds Hawaii s Big Island. Violent and beautiful, destructive and creative, Kilauea: Mountain of Fire explores the incredible power of the volcano and thechallenges of life in its shadow. Academy Award-winner F. Murray Abraham narrates. TV-GFrom Rivers of Lava Springs Bedrock of LifePROGRAM TWO VIOLENT HAWAIIImagine a lost work with lava flowing down mountainsides, violent storms, monster waves, rockslides and even heavy snows. This isn t science fiction. It s Hawaii where spectacularbeauty was forged by fire, and created by turbulent natural forces. Tony Award-winner James Naughton narrates this riveting HD visual journey.

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HD Moods Blu Ocean Review

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(More customer reviews)Unlike my other two "HDMoods" blu-rays (Aquarium and Fire), this one does not offer various options for the soundtrack. You are stuck with the annoying jazz music or just hitting the mute button. It would have been much better (and more relaxing) if you could choose a "natural" soundtrack, like soothing surf sounds. With the Aquarium and Fire blu-rays, you can choose just bubble sounds or crackling fire sounds, or you can choose "spa-like" music, or you can choose a blend of both! I was disappointed that Blu Ocean doesn't provide several options. Let's face it, jazz is not for everyone. That being said, the visuals are still stunning.

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The World's Biggest and Baddest Bugs (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)the star of this movie is nutty. he goes a little overboard to prove a point. so some of his gags are not that great.

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The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I see reviews here that give this film one star, and in a way, it does deserve just that. However, there are certain parts that must make you think this movie is better than most people say it is. For one, the special effects are better than the original, and the way the film is shot makes them seem much more realistic. However, great special effects are no match for a good story.
Jurassic Park, the original, had a wonderful plot. Two dinosaur experts visit a park, not knowing what to expect. And the scary part is this....something like that could actually happen. Now, tell me this....why would Dr. Malcolm, Jeff Goldblum, go back to an island just to save his girlfriend? Yeah, he loves her and all, but I'm pretty sure that Mr. Hammond could get her back safely without making him go all the way there.
Also, there are several inconsistantcies in the film. Look at the original: There's a raptor expert with a gun hunting down what he knows best. What happens? He gets killed. Now look at JP2: A young girl that knows nothing about the animals, and might I add that she doesn't have a gun, takes out three of them using gymnastics. Maybe is she was Jackie Chan......I'm not gonna even get into that.
Jurassic Park 2 needed to have a plot that would make you think, "Oh yeah, that could happen." Not, "They must want pictures of those cute, innocent dinosaurs!" And they all know that they're dangerous, but yet, they want the pictures. I'd be like, "Forget that! I can live without 'em!" Spielberg, in my opinion, is the greatest director of all time. He scored big with the original, Saving Private Ryan, Jaws, and several others...but when it comes to JP2, it just didn't work out.
I prey that Jurassic Park 3 will be something worth the money I'm paying, not a plot where the film doesn't develope right, so they go back to get more pictures! (I only hope they don't read that and go, "Great idea.")
If you liked Jurassic Park, you'll be disappointed with its sequel. But if you really loved Godzilla, and you thought that was the best movie ever, you might like this one. But go ahead and see it anyway.....some of the action scenes may be funnier than a comedy.....

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This is the second Jurassic Park movie.

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Dumbo: 70 Aniversario (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Review

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(More customer reviews)`Dumbo' is one of those Disney films I grew up on and I still have fond memories of putting this on on VHS and enjoying every minute of the story. I was obviously looking forward to this Blu-Ray reissue and although it lives up to my expectations in some respects, it also misses the mark in others. The re-mastering is pretty decent and the sound quality is much improved, but I feel the animal rendering is too polished now. The nuance and style of the classic animation is lost and you can obviously tell this has been retouched. Re-mastering should be unobtrusive and add to the end product and sadly here it detracts from the original animation. Thankfully the scenery is still beautiful and many small touches that make this film remain. This film has great music that brought many memories flooding back and the now famous psychedelic pink elephant scene is just as impressive as ever. This has a nice mix of cute, funny and sad scenes and the sad ones made me choke up as a kid and still had the power to put a lump in my throat as an adult. This package features an array of extras, most of which are of more interest to a child audience, but there area also some bits of interest to adults too. Overall this is a fine example of classic Disney animation and although I feel the re-mastering may have taken a step too far this time, this is still a film that should be owned by all fans of animation. This is heart warming film making at it's best.
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Import Blu-Ray/Region A pressing. Includes a bonus DVD (NTSC/Region 1) of the film. The film has been granted a fantastic Lowry Digital frame-by-frame restoration, resulting in a 1080p/AVC- encoded transfer that s absolutely pristine. The grain has been almost completely removed for this new 2010 pressing. Includes a number of special features

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One Piece: The Princess and the Pirates - Adventures in Alabasta Movie #8 Review

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(More customer reviews)How my ratings work:
5 - I really liked/loved it
4 - I liked it
3 - Could've been better/worth a look
2 - Just didn't live up to the potential
1 - Simply awful
I just saw this movie today with my friends. I've been a fan of One Piece for a good while. I've yet to read the manga, but I plant to read it some day. This movie has everything you could want: action, comedy, drama, intense battles. I don't need to go into the plot since it's mentioned above. The voice cast is outstanding, and it's cool to see it all uncut (I've mainly seen it on tv). If you love One Piece, you'll love this. If you're a fan of anime, movies, and pirates, you should love it in general.

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The island kingdom of Alabasta is about to erupt in civil war – a war engineered by Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and his criminal organization Baroque Works. Monkey D. Luffy, his Straw Hat pirates and Princess Vivi race to the island, where the strongest warriors of Baroque Works wait to stop them. Can Vivi and her friends stop an entire war? And how can Luffy fight Crocodile, when Crocodile can turn into sand?

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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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Verdi: Aida (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was looking for a modern replacement of my old Met Opera DVD of Aida and, as someone who likes the spectacle of Grand Opera, decided to buy this Franco Zeffirelli directed version from La Scala. I noted that a number of the reviewers had mentioned the superimposed images and fade-ins and fade-outs employed by the director and how much it had annoyed them. However, I thought they were probably being too subjective and I couldn't imagine that a video director would have been given so much of a free hand that it could detract from Zeffirelli's production. How wrong I was! In the triumphal march in Act 2 the stage is full of people, the costumes are opulent, the props are magnificent, the orchestra under Chailly is building up to a climax and yet Patrizia Carmine thinks that she can improve on all of this by adding dissolves through drapes and superimposing close-ups of trumpets; not just once, but again and again.
There is so much to like about this production and I no doubt will watch it occasionally, but it could have been so much better without the interference of the video director. I would go so far as to suggest that all might not be lost and the DVD could possibly be re-released without all the offensive and unnecessary additions. How novel that might be, a non-directors cut of the opera.


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The luxurious Franco Zeffirelli production, live from La Scala, which marked his return to the house after more than 20 years! With an image up to six times sharper than conventional DVD and superior high-definition sound, Blu-Ray lets you watch opera and ballet performances from the front row of the theater. Experience every detail, no matter how small, in the highest quality possible. With five times the memory of standard DVDs, Blu-Ray is a completely new way to experience the theater at home.

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Category 7: The End of the World (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've always been open to watching these disaster movies. Volcano, Twister, Day of Tomorrow ... all good films in their own right, despite what the movie critics say about them.
Category 7: End of the World was a very entertaining movie. I think too many entertainment fans spend too much time over-analyzing movies that are made by the entertainment industry instead of enjoying it for what it is, quality entertainment. While I haven't seen the previous film, Category 6, I plan on purchasing the movie to see how this series started.
While it's not too impossible to believe, such events as what is seen in this film could very well become true. With the rising cost of oil and the fact that the greenhouse effect and global warming are impacting our enviropnment, this movie does have a very moral lesson to show anyone who watches this movie. We must protect our environment before it starts to react to our presence on this world.
It was refreshing to see Shannon Doherty and her authentic talent coming to the surface. She had been released from Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed because of her attitude with producers and directors but it was refreshing to see her performing true to her nature and having a role that was written just for her. She is a wonderful actress and it's time more and more roles were written specifically for her. Randy Quaid is also the consummate actor who always seems to manage to steal every scene he's in.
But, I was disapponted that the US Government and the politicians that are portrayed in this movie seem content in facing the ultimate destruction of Mother Nature and protecting the interests of the large corporations, oil cartels and special interests instead of safeguarding the lives of the people. It shows a lack of original thinking on the part of the writers, who should have gone to a few more creative writing courses before sitting down to write this movie. In addition, I felt that this movie was a little longer than it should have been. Hopefully, there'll be a little more of a waiting period before we see Category 8, which will be coming our way faster than we can turn off the power.

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NEW ON BLU-RAYCATEGORY 7: THE END OF THE WORLDAs a deadly Category 6 storm descends upon the Earth, unleashing violent winds, hurricane force pressure, and devastating tornadoes, officials scramble to pinpoint the cause. Though global warming is suspect, beautiful but discredited scientist Faith Clavell (Shannen Doherty, Mallrats, TV's Charmed) realizes that something else is triggering the extreme weather. Teaming up with storm chaser Tommy Tornado (Emmy nominee Randy Quaid, Brokeback Mountain, Elvis) and Judith Carr (Gina Gershon, Sinatra, Face/Off), head of FEMA, Faith realizes they must enter the storm itself if they hope to stop it. While the country is at its most vulnerable, the government becomes aware that it is the target of a terrorist organization. Now, it's not only man against nature, but man against man as an intensified Category 7 approaches...

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Scenic National Parks: Zion & Bryce Review

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(More customer reviews)This turns out to be a dvd which emphasizes activities like rock climbing (who cares) over the beauty of these two beautiful parks. There is non-stop chirpy narration from a guy who's voice you will recognize immediately from programs on cable nature/travel channels.
The camera moves with lightning speed over the scenery, but dwells on things like sneakers.
Finally, if this is blu-ray, its the worst quality I've ever seen.
All-in-all, a real disappointment.


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Blu-ray captures like no other format the sweeping beauty andextraordinary natural wonders of America s premier national parks.Filmed and mastered in High Definition, Scenic National Parks takesyou off the beaten path to discover untamed places, unique wildlife,and invigorating activities.Zion and Bryce Canyon National ParksBy foot, shuttle, and horseback, this program gives you access to the scenic and geological wonders ofZion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. In Zion, embark on a breathtaking ascent of Angel s Landing.In Bryce Canyoun, climb sheer cliff walls, tube down the Virgin River, and gaze upon thousands ofbeautiful and bizarre rock spires known as hoodoos.Bonus Program Secrets of the SouthwestIn this land made famous by Georgia O Keeffe, you ll discover the secretsof the Southwest along famous Route 66 and the Grand Circle, an areathat boasts the highest concentration of national parks in the country,including the grandest canyon of them all. Discover how Monument Valleyin Utah and Gallup in New Mexico became cinematic locations, jet-skiin the brilliant blue waters of Lake Powell, and explore the spirit of theNavajo in Canyon de Chelly.

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Exotic Saltwater Aquarium (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This does not look very "high def" and certainly not filmed at 1080p. Also, with all that room on a B-ray disc, you think they could make the segments longer than a few minutes; what happened, did the fishy's union demand overtime or something? It's not like there is huge overhead filming a tank of fish with a stationary camera. Waste of money.

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