Knockout (2011) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have to admit I didn't go into this thinking I would be watching a 'Karate Kid' installment. Have to give credit to the copywriters - the dvd/digital download synopsis was cleverly deceitful.
Since Knockout followed the *exact* same formula as the aforementioned flick - it was predictably acceptable fare.
Although, again, I was under the impression that Austin himself was the star - and not the boxing version of Mr. Miyagi. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but clearly this is a family film intended for a much younger and broader audience. I won't be surprised if this finds its way to the ABC Family channel.
Interesting career choice on the part of Austin, and in comparison to a similar move, a quantum leap improvement on Vin Diesel's detestable movie 'The Pacifier'.
All things being equal - I hope producers will hook Steve into the 'Undisputed' franchise. He's a natural for the role and I can completely envision the film: Basically a thousand-pound, granite-fisted, knockdown, drag out punch-fest. Actually, come to think of it, that's what I thought *this* film was about. :-D
I hope some producer realizes that Stone Cold in the 'Undisputed' franchise is a solid money maker - so make it happen.

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The Prisoner: The Complete Series (40th Anniversary Collector's Edition) (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well not exactly Patrick McGoohan's opening from The Prisoner, but it did catch your attention :-). Seriously here they are, all 17 episodes plus the Prisoner Video Companion originally offered on MCI Home Video now on DVD compliments of our good friends at A&E. What's nicer is the episodes are arranged in what the fans believe to be the chronological order of the episodes in terms of Number 6's time in the Village rather than order of original airdate (although some of them are in airdate order). As a hint at this look carefully at "The General" and "A, B and C". Both star Colin Gordon as Number 2, but in the opening for "A, B and C" he says "I am number 2" rather than "The new number 2". Also this set contains something released on video previously but only in England, a special edition of the 5th episode of the series, "The Chimes of Big Ben". Definitely the best of McGoohan's 3 British Secret Agent types series, but also the quintessential scifi series as well. By the way, a special debt of gratitude to A&E Homevideo. When this series first came out on VHS on MPI Homevideo in 1990, they made a muff in the episode "Checkmate". In the "Where am I" segment of the opening sequence it started with McGoohan doing it with the fore mentioned Colin Gordon even though Peter Wyngarde played Number 2 in this episode. By the third line "That would be telling" the tape was ok. I can't speak for the new A&E VHS copy, but on these DVDs the muff has NOT recurred. Which means either A&E acquired a better copy of the episode to restore on DVD or someone told them about the flub from 11 years ago. So kudos to A&E Video for to repairing this decade old "blooper". This 10 pack is much better buy than the 5 sets of 2 DVDs individually. Get it now, return to the Village and escape at your own pace.

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Patrick McGoohan's classic 17-episode British TV series, THE PRISONER, has been mesmerizing American viewers since its CBS debut in the summer of 1968. Now, just in time for its 40th anniversary A&E presents this definitive collector's edition of the cult classic series. Fully restored and digitally remastered, THE PRISONER is presented in the fan-preferred episode order, offering a chronological interpretation of perhaps the most unusual and challenging television series ever filmed.After resigning from a top-secret position, a man is abducted from his London home and taken to a mysterious place known only as The Village. Residents of The Village, known only by numbers, are held captive on account of their valuable knowledge. The Prisoner--Number Six--must protect his mind in order to preserve his humanity while he struggles to discover the identity of Number One and achieve freedom by escaping from the repressive grasp of his captors. Set includes all 17 complete color episodes: Arrival / Free For All / Dance of the Dead / Checkmate / The Chimes of Big Ben / A, B, and C / The General / The Schizoid Man / Many Happy Returns / It's Your Funeral / A Change of Mind / Hammer Into Anvil / Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling / Living In Harmony / The Girl Who Was Death / Once Upon a Time / Fall Out DVD Features: Ultra-rare original footage of the 1966 location shooting, accompanied by commentary with Bernie Williams; Bonus Program: THE PRISONER VIDEO COMPANION; Rare, Alternate Version of the Episode "The Chimes of Big Ben"; Rarely Seen "Foreign File Cabinet" Footage; Rarely Seen "Textless" Intro & Outro; Original Broadcast Trailers; Original Series Promotional Trailer; Gallery of Original Production and Promotional Materials; Production Stills Galleries; Interactive Map of the Village; Prisoner Trivia; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection NEW LIMITED EDITION COLLECTOR'S BOOKLET: 60 Fully Illustrated Pages; Hidden Mysteries Surrounding THE PRISONER; Complete Series Guide of All 17 Episodes; Detailed Color Fold-out Map of The Village Stills from The Prisoner: The Complete Series (Click for larger image)

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Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition (Superman - The Movie/ Superman II/ Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut/ Superman III/ Superman IV - The Quest for Peace/ Superman Returns) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Warner Brothers promised that 2006 would be the year of Superman and they delivered in a big way. In addition to the plethora of seemingly endless new Superman merchandise, nearly every conceivable screen incarnation of Superman to date has been released on DVD! The pinnacle of these releases being the Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD set. Here is exactly what's included;
DISC 1- Superman The Movie
* 1978 theatrical version with commentary by producers Pierre Spengler & Ilya Salkind
* Theatrical trailers, TV Spots
* Soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1 (original 1978 audio mix in Dolby Digital 2.0)
DISC 2- Superman The Movie
* 2001 expanded movie with commentary by director Richard Donner & creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz
* Soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1
* Music-only audio track
DISC 3- Superman The Movie
* Taking Flight: The Development of Superman
* Making Superman: Filming the Legend
* The Magic Behind the Cape
* Additional scenes
* Screen tests
* Audio-only bonus: additional music cues
DISC 4- Superman The Movie
* The Making of Superman the Movie vintage TV special
* 1951 Superman and the Mole-Men movie starring George Reeves
* 9 Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons mastered from superior vault elements
DISC 5- Superman II
* Movie with commentary by producers Pierre Spengler & Ilya Salkind
* Additional scenes (over 8 minutes worth)
* Soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1
DISC 6- Superman II
* The Making of Superman II & Superman's 50th Anniversary TV specials
* First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series featurette
* The Remaining 8 Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons
DISC 7- Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
* All new introduction by director Richard Donner
* Commentary by director Richard Donner & creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz
* Superman II: Restoring the Vision featurette
* Additional scenes
* Dolby Digital 5.1
DISC 8- Superman III
* Movie with commentary by producers Pierre Spengler & Ilya Salkind
* The Making of Superman III vintage TV special
* Additional scenes (over 19 minutes worth)
* Theatrical trailer
DISC 9- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
* Movie with commentary by screenwriter Mark Rosenthal
* Additional scenes (over 30 minutes worth!)
* Theatrical trailer
DISC 10- Superman Returns
* Theatrical cut
* Dolby Digital 5.1
DISC 11- Superman Returns
* Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns 3hr multi-part documentary
* Additional scenes (without Return to Krypton sequence)
* Theatrical trailers
DISC 12- You'll Believe: The Making of A Saga- 5 part documentary
* Origin- Superman in the media & the challenges the Salkinds faced
* Vision- Choosing the right script, director & actors
* Ascent- Production of a new kind of fantasy film
* Crisis- Conflicts behind Superman II
* Redemption- Criticisms & burnout of Superman III & IV
* Bonus new documentaries- Mythology of Superman, Remembering Christopher Reeve, vintage Superman parodies
DISC 13- Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman
* Kevin Burns 2006 documentary on Superman's history
DISC 14- Bryan Singer's blogs
* All the web blogs plus two never-before-seen
The Ultimate box is encased in a keepsake tin and also includes a reprint of the Superman comic book issue #7, a Superman overview booklet and a mail-in offer for 5 reproduction Superman theatrical movie posters. The original 2006 release of the set had the bonus content for Superman the Movie and Superman III erroneously omitted. Fans could order replacement DVDs of those movies by calling the WB customer service number. In 2007, the Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition was re-released with the corrected DVDs already included. Perhaps the best part of this collection is the unbelievably reasonable retail price, with many retailers selling it for significantly less. Like many fans who have grown up on the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, I've patiently waited for a collection worthy of its legacy. Finally, WB has compiled a set that not only honors the character but all of the fans that still believe in truth, justice, and the American way!

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Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition (Superman - The Movie/ Superman II/ Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut/ Superman III/ Superman IV - The Quest for Peace/ Superman Returns) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are a true fan of Superman, buy this set. I cannot imagine that you will be dissapointed. With 14 discs it is beyond exhaustive and leaves no stone unturned in relation to the Superman films, legacy and mythology. Really, the Superman film series has given audiences all that is right and wrong with making a film based on a beloved comic book hero. We begin with the brilliance of Richard Donner's initial vision and move to the director controversies of the second, arguably equally triumphant, film. We actually get two versions of the first two films, including the Richard Donner cut of Superman II that is quite different from the version filmed by Richard Lester after Donner was removed from the project. From there the next two Superman films are, at best, uneven and chaotic and a sad way to end Christopher Reeve's iconic portrayal of the Man of Steel. Superman Returns and Bryan Singer's take on the character is interesting, and while an improvement on the horrid Superman IV that killed the movie franchise of the most popular character in the world for 19 years, it still lacks something in my opinion. There are more featurettes and making of documentaries that will please the casual fan to the most avid Superman afficianado. There are some excellent full-length documentaries on the creation and evolution of Superman and the making of the Superman films, including all the controversy. There is a nearly three-hour documentary on the making of Singer's Superman, and there is a touching portrait of actor Christopher Reeve. There are some vintage TV specials thrown in on the making of the first three films, and there are lots of deleted scenes, which is interesting to watch especially on the bad films. You can also listen to a lot of commentary on the films from writers, producers and directors. My favorite was from Michael Rosenthal, a screenwriter for Superman IV, who fesses up with refreshing candor about what a mess the film turned out to be (contrast this with the producer Ilya Salkind's commentary on Superman III where he spends a great deal of time trying to convince us that the critically panned, modestly profitable film was really a smashing success). There is much more to the set including all the brilliant vintage Superman cartoons from the 1940s, some WB Superman spoof cartoons with Bugs and Daffy, a live action Superman movie serial that preceded the popular 1950s TV show and a rare, and truly awful television pilot of a Superman spoof that featured little people dressed up in dog costumes (I'm not kidding). Somewhere on one of the DVDs somebody says that without the original Superman movie, the fantastic success of all the other comic book movies that has come since, including Batman and the X-Men, wouldn't have been possible. Really, it's impossible to say, but this wonderful DVD set pulls out all the bells and whistles so that, paraphrasing the marketing pitch from the 1978 film, "You will believe a man can fly."

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Werner Herzog Collection (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have not reviewed this collection, only thought someone should list the contents. This information courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment:
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
·Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs
·Theatrical Trailer
·Audio Commentary with Director Werner Herzog and Norman Hill
·Werner Herzog Bio
·In German with Optional English Subtitles
Even Dwarfs Started Small
·Full-Frame Presentation
·Audio commentary with Director Werner Herzog, Actor Crispin Glover and Norman Hill
Heart Of Glass
·Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs
·Theatrical Trailer
·Audio Commentary with Director Werner Herzog and Norman Hill
·Production Notes
·Werner Herzog Bio
Little Dieter Needs To Fly
·Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs
·Production Notes
·Werner Herzog Bio
Stroszek
·Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs
·Theatrical Trailer
·Production Notes
·Werner Herzog Bio
·Audio Commentary with Director Werner Herzog and Norman Hill
·In German with Optional English Subtitles


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Myrna Loy and William Powell Collection (Manhattan Melodrama / Evelyn Prentice / Double Wedding / I Love You Again / Love Crazy) (1941) Review

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(More customer reviews)This collection contains five titles currently not on DVD that were made starring the famous duo during the same time frame as their "Thin Man" series. With the exception of 1947's "The Senator was Indiscreet", this puts all of the Loy/Powell films on DVD. The extras described below are from a press release from Warner Home Video. The biggest let-down about this set is the lack of commentary for any of the films, but Warner probably figures with the amount of documentary material they put in the Thin Man Boxed Set, they would just be going over old territory. The films, in chronological order, are as follows:
Manhattan Melodrama (1934)
This is more of a movie with Powell and Loy than one about them as a couple. The focus is more on Clark Gable and William Powell, who play two orphans who grow up together but wind up on opposite sides of the law. Myrna Loy plays the woman that both characters love. Gable plays the gangster in this film, Powell the guy who goes up the political ladder. The melodramatic part is that as D.A. Powell's character wins a conviction against Gable's character, and as a result he is sentenced to death. Later, as governor, Powell must decide whether or not to commute his childhood friend's sentence. Powell is very good here at playing a more serious role.
Special Features:
· Comedy short "Goofy Movies #2"
· Classic cartoon "The Old Pioneer"
· Theatrical trailer
· Subtitles: English & French (feature film only)
Evelyn Prentice (1934)
This one seems to miss a step as far as plot holes go, but it is still above average. Powell plays a defense attorney who is also part detective, and whose heavy-duty work habits cause him to neglect his wife, played by Loy in the title role. As a result of this neglect, Loy commits an indiscretion with a playboy and ultimately figures into her husband's next big murder case.
Special Features:
· Comedy short "Goofy Movies #3"
· Classic cartoon "Discontented Canary"
· Theatrical trailer
· Subtitles: English & French (feature film only)
Double Wedding (1937)
This is a different kind of film for Powell and Loy. Loy plays high-powered businesswoman Margit Agnew who is unhappy to learn that her little sister is planning to marry vagabond Charlie Lodge (William Powell) who, since he lives in a trailer, is hardly in a position to support her. Margit tries to intervene, and in the end winds up with Lodge herself. The plot is thin, but the comedy is very good. This film was shot partly before and after the death of Jean Harlow, who was Powell's lover and Loy's good friend. Filming was suspended for awhile due to the tragedy.
Special Features:
· Musical short "Dancing on the Ceiling"
· Classic cartoon "The Hound and the Rabbit"
· Theatrical trailer
· Subtitles: English & French (feature film only)
I Love You Again (1940)
My favorite non-Thin Man Loy and Powell movie and showcases everything that is great about the chemistry the two had on screen. Powell plays stuffy and rich Larry Wilson, who, after a blow to the head, realizes he is actually confidence man George Carey. Wilson is just some alternate identity he assumed after he first got amnesia nine years before. Realizing he has a sweet deal in his wealthy second identity, Carey decides to clean out Wilson's finances and leave town. However, when Carey meets Wilson's estranged wife, played by Loy, he falls for her and decides to hang around long enough to win her back.
Special Features:
· Crime Doesn't Pay Series short "Jackpot"
· Classic cartoon "Tom Turkey and His Harmonica Humdingers"
· Theatrical trailer
· Subtitles: English & French (feature film only)
Love Crazy (1941)
Another excellent entry in the Loy and Powell series of movies. After four years of marriage, Stephen Ireland (William Powell) runs into an old girlfriend that lives nearby. The two end up just talking, but a series of comic misadventures cause Stephen's wife, Susan (Myrna Loy), to believe Stephen is cheating on her and she decides to divorce Stephen. Desperate to keep Susan, Stephen decides to pretend he is not in his right mind to draw things out. He does such a good job that everyone believes him - except his wife. There is some great physical comedy here by Powell.
Special Features:
· Classic cartoon "The Alley Cat"
· Audio-only bonus: Screen Directors Guild Playhouse Radio Broadcast
· Theatrical trailer
· Subtitles: English & French (feature film only)

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MYRNA LOY AND WILLIAM POWELL COLLECTI - DVD Movie

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The Bible Collection (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought all of these 6 DVDs separately because I did not know that they came as a set, at a better price! I paid about $15 each, about $90 total, and I do not regret owning them all, but I would have jumped on this set if I had known about it!
Most of these DVDs are very interesting and faithful to Scripture. SAMSON & DELILAH is the weakest of these 6 DVDs, as it spends too much time on non-scriptural characters. ABRAHAM covers many scenes of the 40 year wandering rarely seen on DVD. JACOB is pretty close to Scripture. JOSEPH is great, but it spends a bit too much time rewriting the narration to allow for Ben Kingsley's Potiphar role to expand. I have not yet watched DAVID, but I look forward to Leonard Nimoy's appearance in the film.
Most of these films are 3 hours long, presumably they were mostly all short mini-series when they originally ran on TV. I think only JACOB is about 90 minutes, of the 6 DVDs in this set. You can read about each DVD as they are all sold separately on amazon.com.
All of these 6 DVDs have major TV network, made-for-TV quality, and I am quite surprised and pleased that these movies are so good. I do not know of any better series of Bible stories on DVD.
There is another Box Set available, THE BIBLE SERIES BOX SET, which has 3 other DVDs of this series of movies. JEREMIAH is my favorite of all 9 movies. ESTHER is great, and perhaps the most faithful to Scriptural accuracy and chronology of all 9 movies. SOLOMON is the only 3 hour DVD in this smaller Box Set. There is a GENESIS in this Box Set, but it is not a dramatized movie, just a narration of the book of Genesis, while modern day nomads are shown going about their daily routine. GENESIS is a disappointment and very UNLIKE the other 9 movies, so much so that it doesn't even seem to be part of the same production series.
Bottom Line: I highly recommend that anybody buy both of these box sets, and they will save about 50% over buying each DVD separately! Praise the LORD!

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Berserk Complete Review

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(More customer reviews)I've uploaded some scans of the discs and cover/case onto Imageshack (I can't upload onto Amazon yet for some reason). Why? Because the disc artwork is, quite frankly, wonderful.
Discs 1 & 2: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8559/b1cz3.jpg
Discs 3 & 4: http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9803/b2vn9.jpg
Discs 5 & 6: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3209/b3fh9.jpg
Case/Cover: http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4645/12787150rz1.jpg
Now, as you can probably see by viewing my scan of the cover/case, the six discs are fitted in a standard sized DVD case. I never thought I'd live to see six discs fitted in a case so small but I have. Four of the discs go on the left and right sides of the case and the remaining two go on a piece of plastic that was fitted onto the spine of the case. The discs fit in nicely but it doesn't seem like much of a box set. At least the cover looks vastly superior to the cover of the old budget Berserk set...
My main complaint isn't with the cheap case, though -- it's with the video quality. On the back of the case it's pointed out that the series has been "beautifully remastered from film." This is confusing because there's little to no difference between the video quality on the old Berserk DVDs and the video quality on these 'remastered' DVDs that my eyes can see. When I watched both versions of episode 1, the only real difference I saw was that the Japanese Berserk logo didn't flicker during the opening on the 'remastered' DVD. Hardly worth re-buying the series for!
There are minor changes included, such as Japanese text replacing English text during the opening and some subtitle changes, but nothing major enough to warrant re-buying the series if you already own it. To be honest, the only impressive thing about this re-release is the new disc artwork, which is vastly superior to the old disc artwork. Even the DVD menus and extras are the same as before.
It's 100% worth buying the series for amounts as small as £17.99 (PlayUSA) if you don't already own the series on DVD because Berserk is up there with the best anime has to offer. But, aside from diehard Berserk fans, for everyone else it'd be a waste of money.
I'd normally continue beyond this point, explaining why Berserk is in my top 10 anime list, but it's an old series and there are plenty of reviews out there that highlight its many qualities. So, instead of rambling on, I'm going to just say that you MUST watch Berserk if you're an anime fan, or even if you're simply a fan of dark fantasy.

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SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete 2nd Season (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)Spongebob has to be the funniest cartoon ever created. Last year when the complete 1st season came out, I got it right away and watched it all the time. Then I waited for the 2nd season to come out and finally it's here. Although, I was sad to see that this dvd didn't feature some of my favorite stories like Squilliam Returns, Rock-a-bye Bivalve, No Weenies Allowed, The Krusty Krab Training Video, and Just One Bite. But the episodes on here are funny and season 2 is the best season. Season 3 is good too but I recently saw the worst Spongebob episode ever, I Had An Accident. Anyway here are the episodes on this dvd:
Disc 1:
-Your Shoe's Untied
-Squid's Day Off
-Something Smells
-Bossy Boots
-Big Pink Loser
-Bubble Buddy
-Dying For Pie
-Imitation Krabs
-Wormy
-Patty Hype
-Grandma's Kisses
-Squidville
-Pre-Hibernation Week
-Life Of Crime
-Christmas Who?(double-length episode)
Disc 2:
-Survival Of The Idoits
-Dumped
-No Free Rides
-I'm Your Biggest Fanatic
-Mermaidman & Barnacleboy III
-Squirrel Jokes
-Pressure
-The Smoking Peanut
-You Wish/Shanghaied(double-length episode)
-Gary Takes A Bath
-Welcome To The Chum Bucket
-Frankendoodle
-The Secret Box
-Band Geeks
Disc 3:
-The Graveyard Shift
-Krusty Love
-Procrastination
-I'm With Stupid
-Sailor Mouth
-Artist Unknowm
-Jellyfish Hunter
-The Fry Cook Games
-Sandy, Spongebob & The Worm
-Squid On Strike
Special Features:
-Audio Commentaries by the animation crew
-Storyboards
-Script viewer(ROM feature)
-Around the world with Spongebob Squarepants featurette
-Nick DVD game demo
-Dolby Digital
-English Stereo
-Spanish Stereo
There you have it, The Complete 2nd season of SpongeBob SquarePants. I hope this review was helpful to you.


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SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS:COMPLETE SECOND - DVD Movie

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Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection (Planet of the Apes / Beneath the Planet of the Apes / Escape From / Conquest of / Battle for) (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have loved this series ever since I was a young boy who saw the original movie on TV. When the TV series came out, I was glued to the set for every episode, and then the cartoon series became a part of my regular Saturday morning viewing. This is one of the few movie franchises that I loved growing up that has not lost any of its charm with me now as an adult. I first bought the Limited Edition Evolution collection on DVD a few years ago, and followed up with my purchase of the Ultimate Collection that came enclosed in a bust of Caesar. When I first heard of the arrival of this series on Blu-ray, I thought they would simply transport the DVD versions I already owned onto a Blu-ray platter. BOY was I wrong!!!!!
I will not go into the details of the story line for this series, since so many have already done a great job at that. What I will focus on is the Blu-ray 40th Anniversary Collection.
I had seen pictures of the collection, and was very excited to get my own copy, but I had never actually seen a copy of it in the stores. Because of that, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with regarding the quality of the set. I had just recently been MAJORLY disappointed with Fox's horrible Blu-ray box set of the Omen series (another favorite of mine). The packaging for that set was one of the worst I have ever seen on any format. But I digress....this is not a review of the Omen set. Let's start with the outer box. It is of very sturdy construction with the spaceship on the cover in textured relief. The box serves what appears to be a hard bound book. You slide that out of the cover, and it opens to reveal a detailed timeline of the entire Ape film series. Each gatefold of the timeline then opens to reveal the discs which are attached to the backboard with these clear rubber hubs. I will admit that the hubs proved to be frustrating at first, because I could not get the discs back onto the hubs to secure them before closing the package. While this is my only complaint about the entire set, I found that instead of trying to force the discs straight down onto the hubs, it works MUCH better to place the disc on the hub and then give it a gentle twist which easily secures it. While I have some reservations about the choice to use these rubber hubs to hold the discs, I have to admit that it really does look great when the package is all together. The only other thing included in the package is a book that chronicles the entire film series. But wait....this is no typical listing of special features with a brief synopsis of each film. This book is a substantial 200 page overview of this timeless series. The production value of this book is top notch!!! It is the best I have ever seen in a movie set. What makes this book truly special, is that it was produced exclusively for this Blu-ray collection. You may browse the book with it still attached to the package, or you can easily slide it out to look at it on its own. All of the packaging for this set is constructed from very sturdy cardboard and it all works together to serve as an excellent means of presenting the true star of the set, the 5 Blu-ray discs that comprise the film series.
If you have ever had doubts about jumping into the Blu-ray high def pool, this set serves as an example for what this format is capable of. The wealth of information on the first disc alone is truly staggering!!! Not only does it include all of the special features that were included on the 2-disc DVD, it also adds some fantastic special features that are unique to the Blu-ray format. One of those features is the ability to watch the feature long documentary as it was originally presented or you may choose to watch it in Interactive Mode where you are presented with extra text and video features. You also get the Science of the Apes Bonusview which is a picture-in-picture feature that can be viewed while watching the first film. One of the other cool features was the ability to actually read newspapers which served as props in the original movie. You first get to see the paper as seen in the movie, then you use your remote to choose which article you would like to read. Finally the entire text of the article is presented in an easy to read text format. This may not be for everyone, but as a longtime fan, I enjoyed it. I could go on and on with all the special features of the 1st disc, but you can get that information elsewhere. While the first film does deservedly get the royal treatment with special features, Fox did not simply slap the previous DVD version of the other 4 films on a new format, and throw them together. It is amazing that Fox took the time to present these other 4 Ape films in what I consider the best video and audio I've ever experienced them in. Each film also gets its own documentary, while not as extensive as the original, each one is more than just a puff piece of each film. As a longtime fan, I have been dying to see some nice extra features for the other films in the franchise. In addition to some nice extra features, you also get the opportunity to watch "Conquest" and "Battle" in either the original theatrical version, or an expanded version. While there was an extended version of "Conquest" in the Ultimate Collection DVD set, this is the first time we have been given the opportunity to see the extended version of "Battle". It has been mentioned in previous releases, but it was thrilling for me to finally get to see it.
BOTTOM LINE: I will concede that the sound on these discs cannot compare to those of such blockbusters as Transformers or Iron Man, but if you are an Ape fan and have been looking for a definitive collection of the franchise, then I wholeheartedly recommend that you get this collection on Blu-ray. These films have never looked and sounded better, and I am thrilled with all of the extra features that are available for each film. This is hands down the greatest Blu-ray collection yet created, and I think it will stand the test of time as other studios follow suit. Even with the little complaint about the rubber hubs holding the discs, I have no reservations in recommending this to any Ape fan who has recently jumped into the Blu-ray pool of high definition movie viewing.

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The Mel Brooks Collection (Blazing Saddles / Young Frankenstein / Silent Movie / Robin Hood: Men in Tights / To Be or Not to Be / History of the World, Part 1 / The Twelve Chairs / High Anxiety) (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)Most of the movies here are classics which makes it a problem if you don't want all the movies. The version of "Blazing Saddles" is the earlier release from Warner which doesn't look as good as the 30th Anniversary re-release and the extras aren't any great shakes. The transfer looks so-so and lacks the sharper look of the later 30th Anniversary Edition. "Young Frankenstein" resembles the first DVD release of the film from Fox with the same extras. Reportedly "Young Frankenstein" was supposed to be remastered in anamorphic widescreen but the wrong master used or the wrong discs shipped with this set. For those that care it's not anamorphic. The film looks extremely good but if you already have these classic films, I'd suggest waiting for these to be released individually.
Fans of Brooks will be buying this for the previously unreleased films "Silent Movie", "Robin Hood:Men in Tights", "To Be or Not to Be" (which Brooks didn't direct but stars in) and "High Anxiety". All these films look pretty good here (although "The Twelve Chairs" is probably going to be of the least interest to fans that grew up on Brooks other classic films). "Robin Hood" comes with an featurette produced for HBO on the film. Most of the others come only with theatrical trailer(s). "To Be or Not To Be" comes with a short featurette and some profiles of Brooks, the late Anne Bancroft and Charles Durning. Clearly they weren't produced for the DVD but must be some sort of promotional bits for another format (you're guess is as good as mine)possibly for an Electtronic Press Book.
If you have problems with any of the discs you can contact Fox at their customer service phone number 1-888-223-2FOX.


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This 8 disc boxset includes Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, Robinhood Men in Tights, Silent Movie, To Be or Not to Be, Twelve Chairs, Young Frankenstein.

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Alien Quadrilogy (Alien/ Aliens /Alien 3 /Alien Resurrection) (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)This consists of two discs for each film, the original and an alternate version (more on that below) on the first disk, and collections of approximately 2 hours of featurettes and other bonuses on the second disc. The ninth disc is a hodgepodge of trailers and other items from previous DVD and laser disk versions. Although the extras have been released in a variety of forms over several years (the John Hurt documentary 'The Alien Saga', being the latest), THIS is the definitive version.
'Alien' (average user rating: 4.6). If you haven't seen this classic film, then you must be living under a rock. The collection includes the original theatrical version (which I prefer) and the "Director's Cut", notable for its inclusion of the controversial captain-cacooned by alien scene (controversial because from the Alien mythology developed in later films, we know that only the massive queen can lay eggs). I prefer the original (which is actually 1 minute longer), and interestingly enough, it appears that Ridley Scott prefers the original as well. The making of featurettes are extensive and reveal Giger's extensive participation and how what was originally expected to receive a b-moive budget became one of the very few examples where Fox studios followed the vision with a classic.
'Aliens' (average user rating: 4.7). This is the only sequel I know of that is rated higher than the original. This time, the "Special Edition" version (also on the previous 'Alien Legacy' box set) is a superior experience and exactly is how upstart director James Cameron (who had written the script prior to the release of 'The Terminator') wanted to release the film, but was constrained entirely by time limits. The result is additional scenes featuring the colonists and Ripley's family lost to the time she spent in hypersleep. As with the first installment, the featurettes are interesting and thorough, although the Viet Nam War metaphor is not as thoroughly explored with Cameron as has been in other releases.
'Alien 3' (average user rating: 3.2). As a fan of the franchise, this was perhaps the most anticipated part of this new box set. The "working print" of the film (the longest of all the versions here, and complete with subtitles for missed sound editing), adds a depth to the film that was not in the original. That is, the arrival of Ripley and the characters are covered much more thoroughly, the alien creature is begotten by an oxen with a much more original look, there is an additional plot twist arising from the nature of the inhabitants (criminally delusional), and there is no riduculously-timed chest-burster scene at the end. Still, the film is a flawed masterpiece. The film is better appreciated in light of the bad situation first-time director David Fincher had been placed in - not the least of which is an incomplete script during production and a set that had already been constructed for the ill-conceived "wooden planet/monestary" vision of the previously assigned director. In this sense, the three production featurettes come across as almost an apology/tribute to Fincher. (NOTE: Fincher is the only director who is not interviewed on the box set.)
'Alien Resurrection' (average user rating: 3.0). What happens when you put the French director of 'Amelie' (Jean-Pierre Jeaunet) in charge of an alien movie? Well, foreign/art movies were all the craze in the last 1990s, so . . . Fox studios thought, "Why not?" In the end, many fans of the franchise did not appreciate the obviously satirical slant on this final installment. The opening scene and ending scenes (the only additions of substance) on the extended version make the film even more tongue-in-cheek. Despite the French director and crew's obvious regard for the original 'Alien' (as documented in the featurettes), armed with the return of Sigourney Weaver and the addition of superstar Winona Ryder, the director ultimately made a quirky, campy action film. But in the end, it was the last quarter of the script that makes this the weakest of all the installments by far. Postscript to Fox studios: if you had given Fincher this much creative freedom, you would have have a third masterpiece.

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Disc 1: Alien Collector?s Edition Disc 2: Aliens Collector?s Edition Disc 3: Alien 3 Collector?s Edition Disc 4: Alien Resurrection Collector?s Edition Disc 5: Bonus Disc

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Planet of the Apes - The Legacy Collection (Planet of the Apes / Beneath the / Escape from the / Conquest of the / Battle for the) (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)This upgrade of the August 21, 2000, Fox "Evolution" APES boxed set is a significant improvement over that release. All of the films are now available in 16x9 anamorphic transfers, but more importantly each film has been remastered with improved picture and sound quality.
The first, and best, film PLANET OF THE APES (1968) is here actually a reissue of Disc 1 of the 2-Disc "35th Anniversary Edition" Fox released on February 3, 2004 (the extras-loaded 2nd disc has not been included in this set), with the same menu screens and sparse commentary tracks (thankfully one from the late, great Jerry Goldsmith), but it's a fine picture transfer of this important film, with the original 4-channel stereo soundtrack elements remixed in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, and sound is very good for recordings that are over thirty-five years old. (The DVD picture upgrade from Fox's original non-anamorphic one isn't perfect though, with some flicker and scratches visible. Hopefully Fox will do another improvement from archival restored elements before this title comes to High Definition DVD.)
The picture quality of the four sequels to the original SF classic have been vastly improved with these THX-mastered anamorphic transfers. The images on all are much brighter and sharper, with truer color fidelity, and just as importantly, their new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks feature much better stereo separation and directionality than the previous DVD release. (All the sequels were originally released theatrically in mono sound only.)
Still disappointing is the lack of extras for the sequels. No commentary tracks, little if any still and poster galleries. (There are Easter Eggs of behind-the-scenes footage on the discs for ESCAPE and CONQUEST, though, that have been lifted from the 2nd Disc of the Anniversary edition for the original.) The trailers for all of the films are still non-anamorphic, though, and that doesn't seem right. Could it be that Fox is holding off on such things until the inevitable High Definition DVD release, possibly in time for the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 original in 2008? Let's hope so.
Also disappointing here is the egregious cover art for each film, which I think is an effort to try and link these films to the ill-conceived 2001 "reimagining" of the franchise. Fox should have stuck with something based on the original theatrical ad and poster campaigns. This is usually what fans desire, but for some reason the people working for these home video companies don't seem to know it.
Finally, the disc of "Behind the Planet of the Apes," the 1998 documentary on the making of the APES franchise, has been included once again here. It's the exact same thing as found in the original DVD release with no enhancements. Clips from the films are still non-anamorphic. While this documentary was fine for its day, it's now nearly a decade old and should be retired. Hopefully it won't reappear in any future High Definition release (new making-of featurettes should be produced).
So, if you're an APES fan and care about seeing these films in the best possible quality -- but don't care about paying over $100 for a "Collector's Head" -- this "Legacy" boxed set is an excellent buy... that is, until HD and Blu-ray DVDs.

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Laugh It Up Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy (It's A Trap / Something Something Something Dark Side / Blue Harvest) Review

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(More customer reviews)I had already owned the first two movies on DVD. But when i saw this set for only 22.99 here on Amazon on Blu Ray, I thought that the deal was too good too pass up. Based on the Amazon description, I wasn't expecting much. Just the BDs and the Bonus features listed which were for the new film. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised when i got this today! Every film includes a digital copy, something not listed by Amazon in the description. In addition, it looks like all the bonus features from the past releases are still there, something that was also not listed by Amazon when I purchased. All this, 3 great BD titles plus digital copies plus tons of bonus stuff..... all for under 8 dollars per title. Can't beat that. Here is a full rundown of the bonus features listed for each title:
Blue Harvest:
*Audio Commentary from Seth Macfarlane and director, producers, writers, and editors
*A Conversation with George Lucas
*The Making Of Blue Harvest
*Animatic Version of Blue Harvest
*Family Guy Star Wars Clip Show( my favorite bonus feature from the past releases)
*Uncensored audio track
Something Something Something Darkside:
*Audio Commentary
*Fact Up Version of the feature( kinda like those old VH1 pop-up videos, with fun facts popping up throughout the movie)
*Poster Art Featurette
*Sneak Peak at the next feature with Table read
It's a Trap!
*Audio Commentary
*A very Special message from Dart Stewie
*Star Wars Trivial Pursuit: The ultimate Challenge
*Drawing with Peter Shin
*Sock Puppet Outtakes
*Animatic
*Making The Scene featuretteThat oughta keep you busy for a while, eh? And then there is the feature itself. Well, I'm not gonna review that in depth, simply because I think since this hasn't been broadcast yet, many people who buy this will be seeing it for the first time and I don't want to give anything away. But I will say I thought it was just as good as the first two. Really enjoyable. Family Guy fans will not be disappointed with this set. It is a little sad to see it end, since from what i understand there are no plans for making Episode I, II, and III parodies. Hopefully they do something similar, maybe with Back to the Future or Indian Jones, two franchises they are constantly referencing. Can't you just picture Peter and Francis tied up to the chair in The Last Crusade!
EDIT: The It's A Trap Digital Copy Disc also features a DVD of the movie. I did not notice it at first.

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Rocky: The Undisputed Collection (Rocky / Rocky II / Rocky III / Rocky IV / Rocky V / Rocky Balboa) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally, the Rocky set has made it to blu ray. I have been a fan of Sylvester Stallone since I was a kid.(I am now 39.) I already have the complete Rambo collection on blu ray and it is great to finally have the Rockys.
The quallity of each movies are much better than the previous dvds. The sound is superb. I have a 76 inch flatscreen tv and surround sound and I'll tell you the quallity of the blu rays make me feel like I'm watching all of them in the theater again. Awesome! If you have a blu ray player, buy these. Much better than dvd.
If I was to complain about any one thing it would be this- Where are the Director's cut of each one? That is why it is getting 4 stars out of 5. The movies themselves and the blu rays are 5 stars.
Thank you Amazon for very fast delivery. 5 stars

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