Henry V

Starring:Brian Blessed, Richard Briers, Fabian Cartwright, Patrick Doyle, Ian Holm, Derek Jacobi, Edward Jewesbury, Charles Kay, James Larkin, Alec McCowen, Shaun Prendergast, John Sessions, Simon Shepherd, James Simmons, Stephen Simms, Jay Villiers, Daniel Webb, Michael Williams, Jimmy Yuill
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
Very few films come close to the brilliance Kenneth Branagh achieved with his first foray into screenwriting and direction. Henry V qualifies as a masterpiece, the kind of film that comes along once in a decade. He eschews the theatricality of Laurence Olivier's stirring, fondly remembered 1945 adaptation to establish his own rules. Branagh plays it down and dirty, seeing the bard's play through revisionist eyes, framing it as an antiwar story. Branagh gives us harsh close-ups of muddied, bloody men, and close-ups of himself as Henry, his hardened mouth and willful eyes revealing much about this land war. Not that the director-star doesn't provide lighter moments. His scenes introducing the French Princess Katherine (Emma Thompson) are toothsome. Bubbly, funny, enhanced by lovely lighting and Thompson's pale beauty, these glimpses of a princess trying to learn English quickly from her maid are delightful.

Amazon.com

"Remember, remember the fifth of November," for on this day, in 2020, the minds of the masses shall be set free. So says code-name V (Hugo Weaving), a man on a mission to shake society out of its blank complacent stares in the film V for Vendetta. His tactics, however, are a bit revolutionary, to say the least. The world in which V lives is very similar to Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in 1984: after years of various wars, England is now under "big brother" Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt, who played Winston Smith in the movie 1984), whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After they gained power, minorities and political dissenters were rounded up and removed; artistic and unacceptable religious works were confiscated. Cameras and microphones are littered throughout the land, and the people are perpetually sedated through the governmentally controlled media. Taking inspiration from Guy Fawkes, the 17th century co-conspirator of a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, V dons a Fawkes mask and costume and sets off to wake the masses by destroying the symbols of their oppressors, literally and figuratively. At the beginning of his vendetta, V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a group of police officers and has her live with him in his underworld lair. It is through their relationship where we learn how V became V, the extremities of the party's corruption, the problems of an oppressive government, V's revenge plot, and his philosophy on how to induce change.

Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame) and directed by their protégé, James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current U.S. political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change. Unfortunately, the movie only offers a means with no ends, and those looking for answers may find the film stylish, but a bit empty. --Rob Bracco

On the DVDs
On disc 1 is a 16-minute documentary "Freedom! Forever!: Making V for Vendetta" with discussions on the movie's origin and themes by the principal cast and crew (no Alan Moore or Wachowskis, to no one's surprise, but the graphic novel's illustrator David Lloyd is on hand to call the movie "a very good version"). On disc 2 is a 17-minute production featurette, a 10-minute history of Guy Fawkes, and the 15-minute "England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave in Comics." Lloyd and others from the comics industry such as Paul Levitz and Bill Sienkiwicz talk about the graphic novel and how it appealed to a different, older audience. The second menu of the second disc also has an easy-to-find Easter egg of a rapping and swearing Natalie Portman on Saturday Night Live. --David Horiuchi

Beyond the Film

The graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
More by Alan Moore
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen

More by Natalie Portman
More by Hugo Weaving
More by the Wachowski Brothers

Customer Reviews:

V.......2007-07-02

loved this DVD. Very haunting. Hard to get out of my head.

Leaves other similar classics such as Phantom of the Opera, in the dust.

V Is For Very Good........2007-06-29

I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would have. It Really is worth viewing in my humble opinion and is nowhere near as bad as some professional critics claim it to be. I thought V was a very good character and Hugo Weaving did a great job of portraying him on screen. It's taken me awhile to get around to this movie but now I've watched it it's on my "to watch again" list for sure. Great stuff!

Totalitarian Dystopia,Huh?.......2007-06-29

Wow! It's all here...a vigilante(and failed government experiment gone rebel)waging war on a "totalitarian" society wreaking of the "fascism of Christianity", religious/cultural bias, and outright intolerance in the name of God. V's objective? Freedom by any means necessary...a donning of the mask to unmask the monstrous hypocrisies of a world under the iron curtain of a particular faith. A message shouted a million times before and a keeper for atheists and agnostics...by the way, I'm a born again Christian who's secure enough in his faith not to be offended by the portrayal of faith in this film...so if my applause is rubbing any religious heads the wrong way...grow up.

A great thought provocative tale.......2007-06-26

I loved V, I would classify it as a thriller and a "what if". The stage is set in London, England but this tale could really be set in any society that once had a democratic government. It shows the horror of what could happen if a society freely gives up freedoms for protection. I also really enjoyed the message of freedom and the power of ideas that were throughout this tale. A must own!

A movie that invokes thought and emotion.......2007-06-26

Scanning the other reviews it's obvious that this is a movie that will affect you one way or the other. I'll avoid the political and social commentary and diatribes in my review.

The acting was exemplary in my opinion. Portman did a great job (as usual), but I have to tip my hat to the actor who had the task of playing the role of V. It has to be difficult to use purely gesture and voice inflection to play a part, and he was excellent! I could imagine the emotions hidden behind the mask.

Yes, the film could be interpreted as being somewhat "preachy" and portraying a transparent political and/or social agenda, but it makes one think. It can evoke strong emotion. To me those are things that can make a movie great.

I could've used less gore in the final battle scene between V and the bad guys though. Really wasn't necessary.

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival
Revelatory performances.
Not complete
Jimi Hendrix plays Wild Thing at Monterey Pop
Everything I wanted

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection
Starring: Scott McKenzie , 'Mama' Cass Elliot , John Phillips (II) , Michelle Phillips , and Denny Doherty
Director: D.A. Pennebaker , and Chris Hegedus
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006JU7P
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Amazon.com essential video

The Monterey International Pop Festival, the three-day event staged in 1967 that has become one of rock music's most famous and in some ways greatest concerts, gets the royal treatment with this three-disc boxed set.

Material on two of the three discs has already been widely available. Monterey Pop, D.A. Pennebaker's 79-minute, 1968 film, effectively sets the scene for the festival, which took place during the fabled "Summer of Love," when the hippie ethos was in its fullest flower, especially on the West Coast. And while not all the featured performances are thrilling, those that are--principally by the Who, Jimi Hendrix, and the amazing Ravi Shankar--are worth the price of admission, especially in the high-definition digital transfer and new 5.1 mix seen and heard here. The same can be said for Jimi Plays Monterey and Shake! Otis at Monterey, which appear in the boxed set on a separate disc and provide a much fuller look at Hendrix's and Otis Redding's incendiary sets (literally, in the former case).

Those two discs are also loaded with bonus features, including audio commentary by Pennebaker, festival producer Lou Adler (on Monterey Pop), and author Peter Guralnick (Shake!); audio-only remarks by some of the performers; photos; trailers; and other material. There's also a substantial booklet, filled with essays and photos. But it's the third disc, "The Outtake Performances," comprising some two hours of music that didn't make the final film edit, that will be of most interest to many viewers. The disc supplies a taste of some of the artists who didn't appear in Monterey Pop at all (the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver Messenger Service), and a more complete look at some who did (the Who, Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas). A nice addition to an already very impressive DVD collection. --Sam Graham

Description

DISC ONE: "Monterey Pop" New high-definition digital transfer, supervised by D.A. Pennebaker. New 5.1 mix by legendary recording engineer Eddie Kramer, presented in Dolby Digital and DTS. Audio commentary by Festival producer Lou Adler and D.A. Pennebaker. New video interview with Lou Adler and D.A. Pennebaker. Audio interviews with Festival producer John Phillips, Festival publicist Derek Taylor, and performers Cass Elliot and David Crosby. Photo essay by photographer Elaine Mayes. Original theatrical trailer. Orginal theatrical radio spots. Monterey Pop scrapbook. Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition.

DISC TWO: "Jimi Plays Monterey" and "Shake! Otis at Monterey" New high-definition digital transfers, supervised by D.A. Pennebaker. New 5.1 mixes by legendary recording engineer Eddie Kramer, presented in Dolby Digital and DTS. Audio commentary on Jimi Plays Monterey by music critic and historian Charles Shaar Murray. Two audio commentaries on Shake! by music critic and historian Peter Guralnick: the first on Otis Redding's Monterey performance, song by song; the second on Redding before and after Monterey. Interview with Phil Walden, Otis Redding's manager from 1959 to 1967. Original theatrical trailer for Jimi Plays Monterey. Video excerpt: Pete Townshend on Monterey and Jimi Hendrix. Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

DISC THREE: "Monterey Pop -- The Outtake Performance" Two hours of performances not included in the original film, from the following artists: Buffalo Springfield performing "For What It's Worth, " The Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Blues Project, The Byrds, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Country Joe and the Fish, The Electric Flag, Jefferson Airplane, Al Kooper, The Mamas and the Papas, Laura Nyro, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Simon and Garfunkel, Tiny Tim, and The Who.

Customer Reviews:

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival.......2007-06-28

It was 1967, the Summer of Love and "Sergeant Pepper's," a charged moment when rock'n'roll was evolving in daring new directions, fueled by psychedelic drugs, the sexual revolution, and a new generation finding its voice. Documentarian D.A. Pennebaker covers the Monterey Pop Festival like a blanket in this feature-length concert film--the first ever--filming everything and everyone, while showcasing landmark performances by immortals Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and The Who, among others.

Revelatory performances........2007-01-07

The film restoration work looks and sounds magnificent. Eddie Kramer gets extra congratulations on the 5.1 audio mix. That said, the 3rd disc is mainly in stereo only.

Karen's review below is a bit harsh. If you actually listen to the main film's commentary, you will understand why more footage isn't available: Not every second of 3 days of performances were captured. Concert films did not exist as a genre at this time (see the annoyingly choppy 'Festival!' documenting Newport), so this was new territory and the point of the film was to make a document that gave an overall feel for the event and time. Pennebaker and his crew had to decide which songs to film, which seems to have been predetermined by Dylan's buddy Bob Neuwirth who was more familiar with the scene than the filmmaker. They would turn on a red light on stage to signal to start filming the next song. At some times, they didn't have a plan and the camera men would shoot at their discretion, so some performances may have been captured by only 1 camera and therefore considered not presentable. Also, film reels would end during performances and need to be changed (approx every 20 minutes), hence footage missing from two of Jimi's songs.

Regarding the lack of more outtake footage:
1. Your precious Janis and Big Brother's new manager Albert Grossman didn't allow them to be filmed the first day, but finally they were asked to play again the next day because of the crowd reaction and the desire to get something on film. The whole set could exist but I doubt it. Grossman and his need for control is probably to blame, and it's no coincidence that Woodstock's filmmakers were also refused to use her footage in the original release. She only appears now in the directors cut.
2. The Byrds set is extremely historic, and that is one that should have been included in whole if it exists.
3. The Who's set is only missing 'Pictures of Lily' not counting 'My Generation' which is in the proper film. It is on bootleg Who dvd's so why that wasn't included is inexplicable. I would have like to have seen all footage from each artist's set put together on the bonus disc including the songs included in whole or in part in the actual final film, so that it's all in one place. What we get is anything besides what made the final cut.

4. As far as Tiny Tim, yes his impromptu performances are annoying, but they are part of just that, impromptu candid backstage footage supplied as bonus, not part of the 2 hours of bonus footage. So, skip past it like I did and get over it.

5. Regarding the Grateful Dead, a small glimpse is seen at the beginning of the 'Jimi Plays Monterey' film, but the liner notes from the 4CD box set from 1992 tells us, that like Janis, the band and or management refused to allow any audio or visuals to be used. I assume they didn't like their performance, or wanted to control it like the rest of their own vault. The whole festival was for charity, as we also learn from the supplementary interviews, and the artists therefore had to sign waivers releasing the rights to their performances. My guess it the Dead refused to comply.
6.The real shame is that there is no footage of Lou Rawls' electrifying set, which would also show more of the diversity of genre's that were at the festival.
7. Charles Shaar Murray's commentary during the Hendrix film is actually quite insightful and entertaining. Yes, there are some funny comments about substances and clothing. He wrote a definitive biography of Jimi, and his commentary is well founded and gives context to why his perfomance at the festival was revolutionary.

That said, this is a definitive package, and a must own release for a serious rock collector's library.

Not complete.......2006-12-10

I know i give this five stars and it is worth the high price, but complete. Not even close. Since i first heard about montery pop on some vh1 thing years ago ive been interested in monterey pop. The fact that it was the first real festival, besides newport, and in my opinion the best.
I originally bought the vhs tape, and then the hard to find 4 disc box set, and then this 3 disc dvd. I even have a bootleg of the grateful deads performance there. It would just be a lot cooler if it was actually complete. Its just kinda of a tease to see one buffalo sprinfield song when you know they most likely have their whole performance on tape.

Jimi Hendrix plays Wild Thing at Monterey Pop.......2006-10-15

Unforgeteable performance, that I first watched in a movie theater in 1975. The sound in big space is much different,you hear the crakles of fire in the guitar, and the acoustic couplings between guitar and Marshalls are richer in tremeloes and vibrations. May be the remastering for DVD filtered too much, but unless you own a superb stereo equipment, you better watch it as a movie!

Everything I wanted.......2006-08-15

I have been looking for the Hendrix concert footage for awhile. This is worth the full price alone.

Average customer rating:

See It to Believe It
We happy few!
Maybe The Best Film Adaptation of William Shakespeare Ever Done
Branagh's Best
A Scotsmans opinion

Henry V
Starring: Brian Blessed , Richard Briers , Fabian Cartwright , Patrick Doyle , and Ian Holm
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 079284615X
Release Date: 2000-07-18

Amazon.com essential video

Very few films come close to the brilliance Kenneth Branagh achieved with his first foray into screenwriting and direction. Henry V qualifies as a masterpiece, the kind of film that comes along once in a decade. He eschews the theatricality of Laurence Olivier's stirring, fondly remembered 1945 adaptation to establish his own rules. Branagh plays it down and dirty, seeing the bard's play through revisionist eyes, framing it as an antiwar story. Branagh gives us harsh close-ups of muddied, bloody men, and close-ups of himself as Henry, his hardened mouth and willful eyes revealing much about this land war. Not that the director-star doesn't provide lighter moments. His scenes introducing the French Princess Katherine (Emma Thompson) are toothsome. Bubbly, funny, enhanced by lovely lighting and Thompson's pale beauty, these glimpses of a princess trying to learn English quickly from her maid are delightful.

What may be the crowning glory of Branagh's adaptation comes when the dazed, shaky leader wanders through battlefields, not even sure who has won. As King Hal carries a dead boy (Empire of the Sun's Christian Bale) over the hacked-up bodies of both the English and French, you realize it is the first time Branagh has opened up the scenes: a panorama of blood and mud and death. It is as strong a statement against warmongering as could ever be made. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

He ruled a massive empire...and fought a mighty war! Kenneth Branagh, Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, Emma Thompson and Judi Dench star in this heroic, action-packed epic based on the timeless play by William Shakespeare. "Magnificent, passionate and steeped in powerful emotion" (The Washington Post), Henry V is a "stunning," (Leonard Maltin) OscarÂ(r)-nominated* adventure that takes its place amongst the greatest war films of all time.Having recently been crowned King of England, Henry (Branagh) commands a massive invasion to assert what he believes is his legal right to the throne of France. But a mighty army stands in his wayÂ...and the young monarch must rely on untested reserves of courage and cunning as he personally leads his outnumbered forces into a desperate battle for the honor and glory of the British Empire. *1989: Director, Actor (Branagh), Costume Design (winner)

Customer Reviews:

See It to Believe It.......2007-05-12

This is a film so good it is hard to review. Henry V is not a major Shakespeare play, but rather a strong cross section of who Shakespeare was in his own time, aiming to rouse and please an audience with memory of a universally loved hero-conqueror king, before the debacle of the war of the roses. It is all straight up heroism with no looking back, with bombast that only makes sense when performed, and loads of unabashed patriotism.

Branagh spectacularly made his entry into film here, having long directed Shakespeare on stage. In many ways it is his most defining moment; many think it his best, and it is hard to argue with them. The film is full of verve and gritty realism, Branagh having learned much from Orson Welles' depiction of medieval war in Chimes at Midnight. The plot is about as simple as you can get -- the young British king invades and conquers France, and gets a French wife in return for letting up. Yet I would disagree that this, like Chimes, is some kind of anti-war statement. This is the way the world once was folks, and there are no knowing winks to the modern audience or tongue in cheek ironies here. Branagh gratefully plays his Shakespeare straight, and we are supposed to cheer, not moan, when the king ruthlessly dispatches traitors and derelicts, including one of Falstaff's merry crew.

Of course, the new dimension of realism possible with the film camera makes some of the heroics incongruous to certain modern sensibilities -- Branagh in fact introduces the film studio in the opening chorus section, as if it is another character in the drama. This is directorily wise and shrewd, but Branagh's only concession to the present moment. Mano a mano is the game, both in the story line and in offscreen ambitions -- Lawrence Olivier being the offscreen shadow opponent. Branagh bested the master here, in this memorable and ever fresh production.

We happy few!.......2006-10-04

One of the great coming-of-age brotherhood of arms movies. Brilliant performances and stunning visuals give Shakespeare's words new life and excitement. This is the struggle up close and personal ringing with the crashing of swords and the rush of raining arrows. It's a bloody, muddy, messy fightthat ends with the greater part of glory.

Some have speculated that it is a pro-war movie while others have identified how it is an anti-war film. That it can be viewed either way is testiment to the filmaker's ability to draw out all the complexities and ambiguity of such a struggle. But the most potent message does not seem to be a commentary on war, it is a commentary on boys becoming men and bonding in a common fight for their cause and more, for each other.

Maybe The Best Film Adaptation of William Shakespeare Ever Done.......2006-09-19

As a purist, first, let me get it off my chest that the heroic king Shakespeare created for his play isn't entirely in keeping with the actual character of the sickly, violent, theocratic young man whose brief reign concluded nearly two-hundred years before this story was written. It also strikes something in my twenty-first-century American heart that this martial event we're roused to root for is actually a hostile invasion of a sovereign foreign nation carried out in the name of a tenuous, anachronistic claim. Also, if I were one of Henry's soldiers, outnumbered six to one and wading homeward waist-deep thru mud, I think I might've said, "I know we're English and we have a hard time keeping out of other countries' lands, but couldn't we sort of let the French keep France?" But noooo, so inspiring is Henry with his Saint Crispin's Day spiel that all the soldiers are positively leaping and cheering to be off about the battle, long odds or not. Good story, bad history. That said, as far as fictional constructs go, this play is beyond brilliant!

Kenneth Branagh is a genius as a director and as an actor. He is a visionary and a man whose presence and range instantly wed him to the role of England's last great warrior king. Drawing all the elements together (while Branagh was still in his twenties) and turning out a film that got everything right, from Patrick Doyle's score---well worth owning in itself ---to the casting of one of the greatest acting troupes ever assembled, to somehow, miraculously, always getting the best shots for each scene, be it rain and mud and breaks of sunlight through clouds, to dismal forests, shadowy castle chambers and elegant royal halls, Branagh pulls it all together to the envy of directors everywhere.

This film works in so many ways and on so many levels. Its violent depiction of Medieval warfare is far more brutally tragic than that it was six years later in Braveheart or ever was before. Its courageous depiction of the dirt and muck of fifteenth-century daily life is striking in itself, as it is meant to be. It is a tale which draws on universal emotions and stirs an audience to blood-boiling readiness for the fight we know is coming, but which in its grittiness shocks us nonetheless. And most of all in giving the great, show-stealing Derek Jacobi the role of the chorus, here played as a modern, omniscient figure in a black trench coat and a Rod Serling-like capacity to be ever at-hand while remaining unseen in the shadows, Branagh achieves his greatest effect of all.

This film is one for the ages!

Branagh's Best.......2006-09-16

Kenneth Branagh gave "Henry V" the gritty,stirring interpretation it deserved.He also USED his immense acting talent,making King Henry into an all-too-human,conflicted man.His "Upon the king" soliliquy shows his loneliness,and the misery of war.It's no wonder his witty courtship with Princess Catherine at the end is a perfect,luminous counterpoint.

A very young Christian Bale plays a drummer boy,whose death in battle stirs wrath in Henry.

Brian Blessed&Ian Holm are excellent as warriors,and Ian Holm is great as a proud Welshman.

Patrick Doyle rightly said he considers his soundtrack for "Henry V" his best.It is stirring,passionate,powerful."Non nobis domine" will linger long after the movie is over.

"Henry V" is one of the best cinematic interpretations of Shakespeare,and must for anyone who's a fan of the Bard.

A Scotsmans opinion.......2006-08-06

Mr. Lunberg & Mr. Turnley............I am a Scot, think about that. Neither of you have the wit to understand the dialog of this moving work.
Even as a Scot, I can still recognise genious (albeit English) when I see it.

Average customer rating:

V
V Is For Very Good.
Totalitarian Dystopia,Huh?
A great thought provocative tale
A movie that invokes thought and emotion

V for Vendetta (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Natalie Portman , Hugo Weaving , Stephen Rea , Stephen Fry , and John Hurt
Director: James McTeigue
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FS9FCG
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Amazon.com

Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski brothers (of The Matrix fame) and directed by their protégé, James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current U.S. political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change. Unfortunately, the movie only offers a means with no ends, and those looking for answers may find the film stylish, but a bit empty. --Rob Bracco

Beyond Vendetta

The graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
More by Alan Moore
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen

More by Natalie Portman
More by Hugo Weaving
More by the Wachowski Brothers

Description

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself - and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

Customer Reviews:

V.......2007-07-02

loved this DVD. Very haunting. Hard to get out of my head.

Leaves other similar classics such as Phantom of the Opera, in the dust.

V Is For Very Good........2007-06-29

Totalitarian Dystopia,Huh?.......2007-06-29

A great thought provocative tale.......2007-06-26

A movie that invokes thought and emotion.......2007-06-26

Average customer rating:

V
V Is For Very Good.
Totalitarian Dystopia,Huh?
A great thought provocative tale
A movie that invokes thought and emotion

V for Vendetta [HD DVD]
Starring: Roger Allam , Amelda Brown , Charles Cork , Sinéad Cusack , and Stephen Fry
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000I2JKFG
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Amazon.com

"Remember, remember the fifth of November," for on this day, in 2020, the minds of the masses shall be set free. So says code-name V (Hugo Weaving), a man on a mission to shake society out of its blank complacent stares in the film V For Vendetta. His tactics, however, are a bit revolutionary to say the least. The world in which V lives is very similar to Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in 1984: after years of various wars, England is now under "big brother" Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt, who ironically played Winston Smith in the movie 1984) whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After gaining power, minorities and political dissenters were rounded up and removed; artistic and unacceptable religious works were confiscated. Cameras and microphones are littered throughout the land, and the people are perpetually sedated through the governmentally controlled media. Taking inspiration from Guy Fawkes, the 17th century co-conspirator of a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, V dons a Fawkes mask and costume and sets off to wake the masses by destroying the symbols of their oppressors, literally and figuratively. At the beginning of his vendetta, V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a group of police officers and has her live with him in his underworld lair. It is through their relationship where we learn how V became V, the extremities of the party's corruption, the problems of an oppressive government, V's revenge plot and his philosophy on how to induce change.

Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V For Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame) and directed by their protégé, James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current US political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change. Unfortunately, the movie only offers a means with no ends, and those looking for answers may find the film stylish, but a bit empty. --Rob Bracco

Description

Customer Reviews:

V.......2007-07-02

loved this DVD. Very haunting. Hard to get out of my head.

Leaves other similar classics such as Phantom of the Opera, in the dust.

V Is For Very Good........2007-06-29

Totalitarian Dystopia,Huh?.......2007-06-29

A great thought provocative tale.......2007-06-26

A movie that invokes thought and emotion.......2007-06-26

Average customer rating:

Lots of humor - lots of action. Great!
Silver Streak -- DVD
One the greatest films I have ever seen
Silver Streak
Oustanding!!!!

Silver Streak
Starring: Gene Wilder , Jill Clayburgh , Richard Pryor , Patrick McGoohan , and Ned Beatty
Director: Arthur Hiller
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Seems Like Old Times

ASIN: B0002XL37E
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Product Description

In this wild comedy adventure, rail passenger George Caldwell (Gene Wilder) finds that a romantic escapade with a sultry secretary (Jill Clayburgh) puts him in the middle of a Hitchcockian murder plot. Leaping on and off the train, in and out of roomettes, bars and dining cars, George teams up with an amiable, small-time crook (Richard Pryor) to defy the murderer's henchmen, FBI agents and a host of other outrageous characters.

System Requirements:

Running Time 114 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Despite the presence of hack director Arthur Hiller, this hybrid comedy-thriller works most of the time as pleasant faux Hitchcock. Gene Wilder is a book editor who is relaxing by taking a cross-country train ride. Then he gets caught up in a murder--and becomes a suspect. It's up to him to prove his own innocence. As noted, the script, by Colin Higgins, owes a big debt to Alfred Hitchcock; but the mystery isn't all that mysterious and the comedy isn't all that hilarious--at least not until Richard Pryor shows up, which is at least halfway through the film. Things definitely pick up from there. Jill Clayburgh, as the love interest, is merely along for the train ride. Wilder and Pryor eventually teamed up for several other films, but they were never as funny together as they are in this one. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Lots of humor - lots of action. Great!.......2007-06-08

An excellent cast, many very interesting characters. The action is fast, but well-laced with humor. If you like your "krimi" films to be tempered with a good mixture of the human touch, this one is for you. The finale is fantastic and very true to life. Can only recommend Silver Streak most highly.

Silver Streak -- DVD.......2007-03-20

I'm a railroad kid so I loved the train and the ambience of the train. This is a wonderful film. Whenever I hear someone has taken a train ride, I always recommend this film to them afterwards. I love the dramatic ending and don't want to scare anyone before their ride.

One the greatest films I have ever seen.......2007-03-05

This was one of the first films I have ever seen at the theatre and one of the greatest. I have been telling friends and family for over 20 years that they need to watch this picture. Gene Wilder is calm and caring but also very funny. Richard Pryor is sneaky and clever but also hilarious at the same time. I have always been fascinated with train travel so it helps that this picture takes place on a train. The scenery is beautiful, the music is sweet and the people that Wilder and Pryor come across are entertaining. Gene Wilder tries to milk a cow, goes flying in a bi plane and even tries to pass for black by putting shoe polish on his face with the help of Pryor. This film was nominated for a few awards and walked away with some as well, I can see why.

Silver Streak .......2006-07-19

One of Gene Wilder's best performances. I saw this in high school and have wanted to have a copy. Nothing is better than Wilder trying to pass as black. Great movie.

Oustanding!!!!.......2006-07-03

I really enjoyed this movie. I was a bit suprized at first but once I got into it I really enjoyed watching richard and gene together again. Good work I say.

Average customer rating:

Music video or feature film?
very, very disappointing... and bad
Amazing.
Very disappointing end to the series
Botched Opportunity

Naqoyqatsi
Starring: Greg Louganis , Bill Clinton , Elton John , Marlon Brando , and Dalai Lama
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Koyaanisqatsi / Powaqqatsi (2 Pack)
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ASIN: B00005JLIA
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Amazon.com

Whether your intellect is completely engaged or passively detached, any viewing of Naqoyqatsi is likely to provoke a fascinating response. You can view it as a magnificent, visually stimulating music video (as critic Roger Ebert suggested you should), or in context as the third and most unsettling film in director Godfrey Reggio's "qatsi" trilogy, each titled from the Hopi language, and preceded by Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi ("Life out of Balance" and "Life in Transformation," respectively). "Life as War" is the translation of this film's title, and Reggio's theme is not one of conventional warfare, but of daily life as warfare in the age of rapidly evolving technology. The entire trilogy views humankind as a blight on the pristine nature of Earth, but here the theme is taken to its inevitable extreme: a constant flow of new and archival images--manipulated with solarization, digital enhancements, thermal effects, 2-D and 3-D animation, etc.--combine to convey athletic and military regimentation, culminating in the doomsday flowering of missiles, rockets, and all varieties of nuclear weaponry. The cumulative effect, when combined with Philip Glass's mesmerizing score (his best of the trilogy, with cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma) is one of doom-laden portent, but, as Stephen Holden observed in the New York Times, the film is also arrestingly beautiful as it weaves its hypnotic, apocalyptic spell. For those who wish to delve further, Reggio, Glass, and editor/visual designer Jon Kane provide valuable insight in a bonus panel discussion. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Miramax Home Entertainment and Oscar(R)-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Best Director, TRAFFIC, 2000) present NAQOYQATSI ("Life As War"), from filmmaker Godfrey Reggio, in collaboration with composer Phillip Glass, whose original score features renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In this cinematic concert -- the concluding film of the Qatsi Trilogy preceded by the critically acclaimed KOYAANISQATSI ("Life Out Of Balance"), and POWAQQATSI ("Life In Transformation") -- mesmerizing images reanimated from everyday reality, then visually altered with state-of-the-art digital techniques, chronicle the shift from a world organized by the principles of nature to one dominated by technology, the synthetic, and the virtual. Extremes of intimacy and spectacle, tragedy and hope, fuse in a tidal wave of visuals and music, giving rise to a unique artistic experience that reflects Reggio's visions of a brave new globalized world.

Customer Reviews:

Music video or feature film?.......2007-05-18

Having read some other reviews here, I have to agree with their basic criticism. Then again, perhaps this film should not so much be critisised as a feature film, but as a music video, or in fact a video installation that took the wrong door. Watching this as a feature film is unbearable for anyone with a sense of plot. Also, it has so many flashy effects that there should be a seizure warning on the package. But the film certainly goes well as a background for Phil Glass' very enjoyable music, or for running it in the background during a weird, geeky party you are having in an abandoned Detroit warehouse...

very, very disappointing... and bad.......2007-01-23

The first film in this trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi, is a classic.
The second, Powaqatsi, is not as good but still worth watching.

Naqoyaqaatsi, to quote some other reviewers, is just 'a mishmash of computer-treated footage, signifying nothing'... 'all quite forgettable'... except that the feeling of disillusionment and disappointment is hard to forget... The absence of Ron Fricke and his incredible cinematography that mad the other films so great stops this from even being interesting.
Don't waste your time.

Amazing........2007-01-12

If you have not watched this yet and have any inclination to, PLEASE DO. It is not a "movie with a plot" so to speak, but a film/documentation of society and culture. I love it. (But watch Kooyanisqatsi first. ) In comparison, it is what Kooyannisqatsi would have been had it been made 20 years later. I think it's brilliant.

Very disappointing end to the series.......2006-12-13

The first film in this trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi, is a classic, and features what is possibly the best score Philip Glass ever wrote for anything.

The second, Powaqatsi, is not as good but still worth watching.

This third installment offers none of the thought-provoking imagery of the first two films. It's just a mishmash of computer-treated footage, signifying nothing, and all quite forgettable. I wonder what went wrong?

Don't waste your time.

Botched Opportunity.......2006-12-02

First, let me say, I LOVE Koyaanisqatsi, the original film in this trilogy. Koyaanisqatsi is a true visual poem that tells a straight forward story about what we humans are doing to the earth.
The second film in the trilogy, Powaqqatsi, wasn't as good as the first but it was still fairly understandable as a critique of how humans exploit one another.
Naqoyqatsi could have been the best in the series since it had ample opportunity to show us the horrors of war. Instead, it comes off as a sophomoric exercise in video experimentation, nothing more. If not for Philip Glass' music, I would not have given this film any rating at all.
I write this criticism in hopes that Godfrey Reggio sees it. He should pull this travesty off the market and reshoot the entire film with stronger footage showing us, as clearly as he did with "Koy", why war (the topic of "Naq") is so horrific. If you want an effective critique of violence, try "Clockwork Orange". Naqoyqatsi is simply a mess.

Average customer rating:

Great DVD!
An Excellent Movie
A Good Effort
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Movie
A Must See

Their Eyes Were Watching God
Starring: Halle Berry , Ruben Santiago-Hudson , Michael Ealy , Nicki Micheaux , and Lorraine Toussaint
Director: Darnell Martin
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Their Eyes Were Watching God CD

ASIN: B000AJJNMM
Release Date: 2005-11-29

Amazon.com

Produced by Oprah Winfrey, this lush, yet earthy telefilm was adapted from the 1937 novel by Zora Neale Hurston. Set in rural Florida, the story begins several years after emancipation. Janie (a soulful Halle Berry) is a dreamy-eyed teenager, who never knew her parents. She was raised by the bitter Nanny (Ruby Dee), an ex-slave, who marries her off to an older man the minute she gets the chance. Mr. Killicks works Janie like a dog, but leaves her alone otherwise (he's abusive in the book). Then Janie meets the courtly Joe (Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues), who whisks her away from the muck to the black township of Eatonville. The two proceed to transform the town from a patch of dirt into a real community. Along the way, Joe becomes mayor and Janie a mere helpmate. Except for her friend Phoeby (Nicki Micheaux), the townspeople confuse her sadness for conceit and she ends up lonelier than ever. Twenty years later, Joe dies and Janie takes up with the younger Tea Cake (Michael Ealy, Barbershop). Much like the other literary adaptations with which she's been associated (The Color Purple, Beloved, etc.), this Oprah production boasts an impressive line-up of African-American talent, including Terrence Howard (Crash) as the covetous Amos. A mostly successful mix between suds and substance, Their Eyes Were Watching God, which premiered on ABC, was directed by Darnell Martin, co-written by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan Lori-Parks, and graced with a classy score by frequent Spike Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Oprah Winfrey Presents THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, the story of a remarkable and resilient woman's quest for love and fulfillment based on the best-selling book by Zora Neale Hurston. Academy Award(R) winner Halle Berry (Best Actress 2003, MONSTERS BALL) stars as the beautiful Janie Crawford, who embarks on an emotional and dramatic journey of self-discovery. Refusing to compromise in spite of society's expectations, Janie endures two stifling marriages until finally finding love in a passionate romance with a much younger man. In one of the greatest, most lyrical love stories ever written, Janie experiences all that life has to offer, from unbelievable triumph to unspeakable heartbreak. Be inspired again and again by this timeless story of passion, romance, and the spirit of true love. ~

Customer Reviews:

Great DVD!.......2007-05-28

The DVD was much better than the book. Halle Berry was excellent in her role.

An Excellent Movie.......2007-05-15

My review of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" would be excellent. I enjoyed the story plot as well as the characters in the movie. It made me laugh and cry. I would recommend that everyone add this great movie to their collection.

A Good Effort.......2007-05-14

This made for TV movie is well done, but does not measure up to the novel.

Their Eyes Were Watching God, Movie.......2007-05-07

This book never arrived at my house. I would like a refund.

A Must See.......2007-04-11

If you love Halle - you HAVE to see this. A Great Movie!

Average customer rating:

V
V Is For Very Good.
Totalitarian Dystopia,Huh?
A great thought provocative tale
A movie that invokes thought and emotion

V for Vendetta (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Natalie Portman , Hugo Weaving , Stephen Rea , Stephen Fry , and John Hurt
Director: James McTeigue
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FS9FC6
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Amazon.com

Beyond Vendetta

The graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
More by Alan Moore
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen

More by Natalie Portman
More by Hugo Weaving
More by the Wachowski Brothers

Description

Customer Reviews:

V.......2007-07-02

loved this DVD. Very haunting. Hard to get out of my head.

Leaves other similar classics such as Phantom of the Opera, in the dust.

V Is For Very Good........2007-06-29

Totalitarian Dystopia,Huh?.......2007-06-29

A great thought provocative tale.......2007-06-26

A movie that invokes thought and emotion.......2007-06-26

Average customer rating:

truth story
Ends Abruptly - But Still Worthwhile
And the bolchevik propaganda continues
Impartial look at the Russian history
A riveting documentary

Russia - Land of the Tsars
Starring: Edward Herrmann , Michelle Maryk , Ronnie Farer , Henry Strozier , and Steve Ahern
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Nicholas and Alexandra
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A History of Britain - The Complete Collection
Biography - Peter the Great: The Tyrant Reformer

ASIN: B000096FU4
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Product Description

Its forests stretch from Europe to the Pacific. Its winters have vanquished the mightiest armies ever mustered. Its people have borne the excesses of some of history's most notorious rulers.

Russia: Land Of The Tsars illuminates the imperial past of the world's largest nation. At the heart of this epic tale are the figures whose names have become legend: Ivan the Terrible, who expanded the empire at the rate of 50 miles -and innumerable lives - a day; Peter the Great, whose sweeping reforms westernized the nation; and Catherine The Great, whose rule was marked by conquest, change and controversy.

Filmed on location throughout Russia, enriched by exclusive visits to important sites and museums, and filled with commentary from renowned scholars, this is a kaleidoscopic, captivating portrait of a land that has endured centuries of despair and rebellion, innovation and conflict.

System Requirements:
Running Time: 200 Min., Color
Copyright 2003 A&E Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

truth story.......2007-01-06

I just came back from Russia would like to learn more. It is very good reference film.

Ends Abruptly - But Still Worthwhile.......2006-12-07

This 2 DVD set from the History Channel with the soothing voice of Edward Herrmann narrating tells the story of Russia starting in the 1500s and how this collection of varied peoples became a nation.

This tortured land and its citizens have suffered everything including invasions, revolutions, plagues, wars, and persecutions, yet Russian history remains a highly compelling tale.

While full of interesting information about each Tsar (including where the name came from), the documentary suffers from an overuse of the same re-enactment footage over and over.

But my biggest complaint is that it is too focused on the Tsars and ends abruptly with the death of the last Tsar Nicholas in 1918. There is nothing about the tumult in most of the 20th century. I was hoping for more of a complete Russian history.

Still it is a better than average historical documentary and the Tsars are very interesting ranging from the holy to the horrific.

And the bolchevik propaganda continues.......2006-08-11

This documentary is filled with bocheviks lies to reinforce the mantras against the imperial Russia. It was a religion war to destroy christianity and culture and to rob the russians. This is still going on. Those thoughts are wrong. Wake up!

Impartial look at the Russian history.......2006-06-06

I am Russian and I can testify that most of the documentaries about Russia made in the West either spill hatred and venom or just scream ignorance to the point that you wonder where those Western historians get their facts from. You don't even know if you should get upset or laugh at those Russian history "specialists". This particular film is impartial and fair. It is deep enough for a good introduction, given that you simply cannot fit long and eventful Russian history into a couple of hours program. The film touches on some of the most important moments of the Russian history that formed Russian soul, culture and mentality. Without knowing these events and facts it is impossible to understand the way Russians live and think. In Russia there is such a strong link between the past and the present that knowing history you can understand what is happening there now and often predict what will happen in Russia tomorrow or in 10 years. Apart from the technical issues, I would definitely recommend this program to those who want to know what Russia is really about.

A riveting documentary.......2006-05-11

I am not a fan of Russian culture or history, but when I saw this program on the History Channel, my fingers never picked up the remote control. I never channel-surfed once. There was more drama, intrigue, action, and violence in this documentary about REAL PEOPLE than in any soap opera drama. It reminded me that nothing imagined on TV or in the movies can compare with real people and events in history.

DVD:

DVD List

DVD

DVD

The House That Screamed

Teletubbies - Meet The Teletubbies

Royal Bed (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Parasite

Frühling auf Immenhof

The graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd	More by Alan Moore	From Graphic Novel to Big Screen
More by Natalie Portman	More by Hugo Weaving	More by the Wachowski Brothers