Wag The Dog)

Starring:Robert De Niro
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Customer Reviews:

Another prediction of the future proven wrong.......2007-06-22

Every century has spawned its own genre of art and literature. The 20th century saw the rise of many genres; the most notable being works about the future. Many of these have become respectable mainstays of popular culture and include the likes of The Time Machine, 1984, Blade Runner, I Robot, and this cult classic by Terry Gilliam; Brazil. Based in the early 21st century, it is a paean to the common man's fight against bureaucracy, red tape, and an intrusive government whose powers have no limits. Overall, this movie is a more tragic and more comedic version of 1984.

This movie can be viewed in two ways. If one approaches it as pure entertainment, it is a very good movie. The acting is good and the plot line is interesting and very original. The comedy is funny and unique; not quite British in style, but more of a synthesis of many forms. The action scenes and special effects look real enough, and the ending is unexpected.

If one views the movie as social commentary, as a prediction of what the future might be, then this movie fails on many accounts. First of, the primal point of this movie; the rise of an overarching and all-powerful government, is totally misplaced. If anything, government agencies in modern industrial societies are often weak and serve the whims of the private market. The US provides many great examples. The US Department of Agriculture is nothing more than a communal office for multinational food product corporations. Likewise, most national legislatures are run by corporate lobbyists.

Second, the movie portrays government as highly responsive to any threat real or imagined; one phone call and government agents are at your door in 5 minutes. Ask anyone who has filed a complaint to their city about a water main leak, or an open manhole, or a downed electricity line; and chances are they waited for hours or days, not minutes. Even the 9/11 attackers left tons of clues that were reported to authorities, but nothing ever happened. So the image portrayed by this movie of a lightning fast government that can disappear its citizens at will is utterly false. Third, the character played by Robert DeNiro is totally unreal. His character is a plumber - janitor, and leads an underground resistance to the government. Political revolutionaries have historically been either close to the power base or are academic thinkers; not blue-collar workers. Last, this movie is presumably commenting on the future of Western society. A visit to any Western city will reveal a melting pot of races, ethnicities and languages. If anything, cities are only going to become more heterogenous with time. Yet somehow everyone in this society is white; Western European white most likely.

The point is that the social commentary provided by this movie is all wrong. Overall, an entertaining movie, but not too accurate in its portrayal of the future.

Rating for the DVD, not the movie........2007-05-30

Let's be clear on one thing: The movie Brazil gets SIX stars out of FIVE in my book. This review is not about the movie, but the DVD.

I already owned the standard Brazil DVD but wanted the Criterion Edition because I'd heard good things about their releases. I am very disappointed because there isn't a dime's difference between the Criterion and the regular DVD. All I can see from the box cover is a slightly different widescreen aspect ratio and the time is a bit longer (perhaps some added scenes?). The sound is still in lame 2.1 stereo, not 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS . I see no excuse for this; Even the H.G. Wells' "First Men In The Moon" DVD, a movie filmed in 1964, is in 4.0 discrete surround.

Brazil, excellent movie, but buy the regular release and a couple of other movies instead of the Criterion version.

The Horrors and Humor of Modern Bureaucracy........2007-04-16

After various European and American versions, this is the "fifth and final version of 'Brazil'". Scenes have been restored and the ending is in tact as director Terry Gillam intended. "Somewhere in the 20th century", Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is a distinctly unambitious bureaucrat with the Ministry of Information. He works in Records and stubbornly resists advancement in spite of his mother's (Katherine Helmond) prodding. Sam is a romantic at heart, a knight in shining armor in his dreams, where he struggles heroically to reach his damsel in distress. When Sam spots Jill Layton (Kim Griest), the woman from his dreams, in real life, he agrees to a promotion to Information Retrieval so that he might track her down. But Jill's persistent complaints about the wrongful arrest of a neighbor have made her a terrorist suspect, along with freelance heating engineer Harry Tuttle (Robert DeNiro) and everyone else who exposes the system's inefficiency.

The most memorable and amazing aspect of "Brazil" is undoubtedly its overloaded visual style. Gillam puts so much information in every shot that the audience can hardly take it all in. Wide angle lenses are required. I don't think I've ever seen wide angles used this extensively. The actors must have been inches from the lens. The result is that we are placed in the middle of this busy production design, a mass of modern amenities and ubiquitous, intrusive ductwork. "Brazil"'s bureaucracy assails the audience as it satirizes the modern systems that both enable us and bind us. We feel as trapped by it all as Sam does. Gillam drew on real and fictional settings in creating "Brazil"'s intricate, despotic realm: the technophilia and haberdashery of post-WWII America, Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", Margaret Thatcher's Britain, Orwell's 1984, and Nazi Germany.

"Brazil" expresses Gillam's feelings about the film studios that he has fought with for most of his career and a cynicism toward the improved efficiency that technology is supposed to bring us. In its lighter moments, "Brazil" is quite funny. In its creepier moments, it is consciously repulsive. The only fault I find with this version of "Brazil" is its length. The longer dream sequences slip into tedium and could have been shortened. Apart from that, I think that Gillam made the right decisions in this edit. The intent, the humor, and the visual banquet are preserved. The characters are fleshed out as much as possible. And we get the point. This extraordinary achievement in visual impact and sly humor is a must-see for all film lovers.

The DVD (Criterion Collection Single Disc 2006): The single disc edition contains the final version of "Brazil" and an audio commentary by director Terry Gillam that was recorded in 1996. Gillam's discussion is thoughtful and constant. He compares different versions of the film, tells us why the film is called "Brazil", talks about his inspirations, the film's' themes, sets , actors, and how the shots were accomplished. English subtitles are available for the film by pressing the "subtitle" button on your remote.

Futuristic film.......2007-03-15

This very surreal social commentary on a society more concerned with proper paperwork than their citizens has a certain 'timeliness' to it that prompted me to watch it twice. Underneath the fantasy elements is a very realistic statement on corrupt and inefficient governments who hide mistakes, even at the cost of innocent human life. When an average civil servant finds a mistake in the arrest of a Mr. Buttle (was supposed to be Tuttle), he notices the girl of his dreams. The couple's happiness is trampled under the control freaks who run the society they live in. Even if you don't like the movie, it'll definitely infiltrate your thoughts.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

I love this movie.......2007-03-14

This edition was a nice surprise for me as i grew up watching the VHS version. There are significant clips included on this DVD that must have been edited out from the old video cassette tape. The new footage is excellent and I was very happy they decided against excluding it from the new format.

Brazil - The Criterion Collection (3-Disc Boxed Set)

Average customer rating:

excessive to say the least
One Line Review of "The Love Conquers All" version
Thrilled and disappointed
Amazing Set for a Classic Film
The Best Movie of All Time!

Brazil - The Criterion Collection (3-Disc Boxed Set)
Starring: Roger Ashton-Griffiths , Jim Broadbent , Anthony G. Brown , Virginia Bruce , and Patrick Connor
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Futuristic | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

All | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Seven Samurai - Criterion Collection - 3-Disc Remastered Edition
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Yojimbo & Sanjuro - Two Films By Akira Kurosawa - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B000G8NXZK
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Customer Reviews:

excessive to say the least.......2007-04-18

first off, the movie Brazil..aka the first disc or disc 1 is an easy 5 stars. i saw this movie when we rented it and immediately fell in love with its quirky weirdness.

now i would recommend this set to 4 types of people. 1.) completist criterion collectors 2.) someone doing a research essay on this 3.) people who can throw around 50 dollars like it is 20...or 4.) someone who lives, breathes, and worships brazil and/or Gilliam movies.

otherwise, in my honest opinion, the single disc is all you need...it has commentary, a nice booklet, and the superb transfer. disc 2 is excessive to the max...aka more than i want, care, or need to know...and the "love conquers all" ending thing could have been added as a deleted scene on disc 1 or something.

anyways, brazil is a great movie and worthy to be in any collection, but the single disc, in my opinion is all you really need.

One Line Review of "The Love Conquers All" version.......2007-03-01

Whoever thought that this beautifully dark movie could ever be glossed over is delusional to the point of madness.

Thrilled and disappointed.......2007-01-14

What can I say about Brazil that hasn't already been said. Yes this may be a difficult movie for some to understand, but it is well worth the time.

While I was thrilled with the extras included by Criterion with this release, I was disappointed as well. The feature about the problems with the US release of the film were informative and entertaing. I also enjoyed the studios hack job to redesign the film for US release.

However, I had hoped for a bit more, while the transfer of the film was good, I had hoped that the audio would have been remixed to Dolby Digital 5.1 as least, considering the cost.

Still all in all this is an excellent film and a must for any collection

Amazing Set for a Classic Film.......2007-01-09

After I first watched Brazil about a year ago,...I was rather confused. The plot seemed like it was supposed to make sense yet I couldn't get my head around a few points in the film and their meaning. Several discussions later I got it and the 2nd and 3rd viewings have only brought more elements of the film to light. This interesting presentation by Terry Gilliam based somewhat on 1984 is often considered to be one of the top 100 films in the 20th century.

Regardless of the films merit, this particular collection is well worth the wait and the extra cash. The video quality is far superior to the original Criterion release while the rest remains relatively unchanged. All the extras, while very interesting, are the same except that the essay on the film is this time included on the extras disk instead of as a pamphlet like in the original release. The slip cover also has a different piece of artwork but neither are far superior to the other in my mind.

If you don't already own the first edition of the Criterion release, this is a good edition and generally cheaper than the original release. If you do, Criterion also sells disk 1, the feature film, by itself. Giving you the option of upgrading to the cleaned video and true wide screen without re-buying the set.

The Best Movie of All Time!.......2007-01-05

Next to "All About Eve," Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL is the best movie of all time. This Criterion Box set has it all, every version, including the botched "family friendly" version edited for American TV. Gilliam takes George Orwell's story of 1984 turns it upside down and inside out creating a masterpiece of dark comedy and horor that you won't soon forget. Many people who have seen BRAZIL only one time really haven't seen it at all. This DVD is a keeper to watch again and again. Katherine Helmond is priceless, ("I know simply everybody!") and Johnathon Pryce as the "fool in love" Lowry gives a heartbreaking but brilliant performance. Robert DeNiro as a renegade plummer gives a smashing cameo performance. Although Gilliam says that BRAZIL should not be compared to political events happening in the world today, it's kind of ironic due to all the similarities...you be the judge.

Suspense Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection

Average customer rating:

ITS JUST FINE
On a 1 to 10 scale, this collection is rated: 4.7
suspense classics 50 moviepack collection
I won't resell this because...
Suspense Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection

Suspense Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection
Starring: Dennis Hopper , Robert De Niro , and Kathy Baker
Manufacturer: Mill Creek Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Dark Crimes Collection: 50 Movie Pack
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ASIN: B000A2X4PQ
Release Date: 2005-09-01

Product Description

Get ready for nail-biting suspense and white knuckle thrills in this incredible collection of suspense features. You get 50 full-length feature films that have been carefully selected and digitally re-mastered to deliver maximum value.

System Requirements:
Suspense 50 Movie Pack -

A Dangerous Summer
A Killing Affair
A Tattered Web
Bailout
Beyond Justice
Black Raven
Born to Win
Boxer
Cape Town Affair
Cat O' Nine Tails
Code Name Zebra
Cold Blood
Cold Room
Corrupt
Crime Boss
Cross Mission
Cry of the Innocent
Death Collector
Death in the Shadows
Dominique
Door to Door Maniac
Escape From Sobibor
Forest
Hollywood Man
Julie Darling
Kill Cruise
Lady Gangster
Lucifer Complex
The
Manipulator
Master Touch
Midnight Cop
Millions
Mitchell
Murder Once Removed
Mysteries
Night of the Sharks
Night They Took Miss Beautiful
Paco
Paper Man
Power
Passion and Murder
Rogue s Gallery
Seducers
Sellout
Seven Doors to Death
Squeeze
The Stoolie
TSwap
TTarget of an Assassin
The Sphinx
Woman Hunter

Running Time 75 hrs 30 mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

ITS JUST FINE.......2007-05-08

IT'S WAS OK. IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS THE HORROR MOVIE COLLECTION BUT WORTH WHILE TO SEE IT.

On a 1 to 10 scale, this collection is rated: 4.7.......2007-04-06

(AMAZON rating: 2½ stars)

SUSPENSE CLASSICS 50 MOVIE PACK is a nicely mixed collection of lesser known thrillers, both domestic and imported. Half of these are foreign productions, while a small percentage were originally made-for-TV. Video quality of MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT products tends to be good and for the price you definitely can't go wrong with their SUSPENSE CLASSICS set.

The current average 1 to 10 scoring for these 50 titles (as voted on by users of a film data website) is: 4.7.

Program list is alphabetized and includes individual movie ratings, original titles (in parentheses), years of release (and country, if other than USA) as well as principal actors.

(3.9) Bail Out ("W. B., Blue And The Bean") (1994) - David Hasselhoff/Linda Blair
(4.1) Beyond Justice (Italy-1992) - Rutger Hauer/Omar Sharif/Elliot Gould
(5.3) The Black Raven (1943) - George Zucco/Wanda McKay
(5.6) Born to Win (1971) - George Segal/Karen Black/Robert De Niro (in support)
(4.3) The Boxer (Italy-1972) - Robert Blake/Ernest Borgnine
(4.8) The Cape Town Affair (So. Africa-1967) - Claire Trevor/James Brolin/Jacqueline Bisset
(6.4) Cat O' Nine Tails (Italy/France/W Ger-1971) - James Franciscus/Karl Malden
(2.2) Code Name Zebra (1984) - James Mitchum/Frank Sinatra Jr. (minor role)
(5.0) Cold Blood (W. Germany-1975) - Rutger Hauer
(5.1) The Cold Room (TV-UK-1984) - George Segal/Amanda Pays
(5.5) Corrupt ("Copkiller") (Italy-1983) - Harvey Keitel/John Lydon
(4.4) Crime Boss (Italy-1972) - Telly Savalas
(4.7) Cross Mission (Italy-1988) - Richard Randall
(5.8) Cry Of The Innocent (TV-Ireland-1980) - Rod Taylor/Nigel Davenport
(3.2) A Dangerous Summer (Australia-1981) - Tom Skerritt/James Mason (in a minor role)
(4.5) The Death Collector (1976) - Joseph Cortese/Joe Pesci
(???) Death In The Shadows (TV-Netherlands-1985) - Maayke Bouten
(4.4) Dominique (UK-1978) - Cliff Robertson/Jean Simmons/Ron Moody
(5.7) Door-To-Door Maniac (1961) - Johnny Cash/Pamela Mason/Ron Howard
(7.4) Escape From Sobibor (TV-Yugo/UK-1987) - Alan Arkin/Rutger Hauer
(3.1) The Forest (1982) - Dean Russell/Gary Kent
(3.7) Hollywood Man (1976) - William Smith/Jennifer Billingsley
(5.8) Julie Darling (W Ger/Canada-1983) - Anthony Franciosa/Sybil Danning
(4.8) Kill Cruise (W. Germany-1990) - Jurgen Prochnow/Elizabeth Hurley
(5.7) A Killing Affair (1986) - Peter Weller/Kathy Baker
(5.9) Lady Gangster (1942) - Faye Emerson/Jackie Gleason (in support)
(3.3) The Lucifer Complex (1978) - Robert Vaughn/Keenan Wynn/Aldo Ray
(1.9) The Manipulator (1971) - Mickey Rooney/Keenan Wynn
(5.5) Master Touch (Italy/W Ger-1972) - Kirk Douglas
(4.0) Midnight Cop ("Killing Blue") (W. Germany-1988) - Morgan Fairchild/Frank Stallone/Michael York (in support)
(3.6) Millions (Italy/Spain-1991) - Billy Zane/Lauren Hutton
(2.8) Mitchell (1975) - Joe Don Baker/Martin Balsam/John Saxon/Linda Evans
(5.8) Murder Once Removed (TV-1971) - John Forsythe/Richard Kiley/Joseph Campanella
(4.6) Mysteries (Netherlands-1978) - Rutger Hauer
(3.1) Night Of The Sharks (Italy/Spain/Mexico-1987) - Treat Williams/Janet Agren
(3.8) The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (TV-1977) - Gary Collins/Chuck Connors/Phil Silvers (minor role)
(4.1) Paco (Colombia-1976) - Jose Ferrer/Allen Garfield
(6.2) Paper Man (TV-1971) - Dean Stockwell/Stefanie Powers
(4.6) Power, Passion And Murder ("Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson") (TV-1987) - Michelle Pfeiffer/Hector Elizondo
(5.1) Rogues' Gallery (1944) - Frank Jenks/Robin Raymond
(4.8) The Seducers ("Death Game") (1977) - Sondra Locke/Seymour Cassel
(4.7) The Sell-Out (1976) - Oliver Reed/Richard Widmark
(5.6) Seven Doors To Death (1944) - Chick Chandler/June Clyde
(5.2) The Squeeze (Italy/W Ger-1978) - Lee Van Cleef/Karen Black/Edward Albert/Robert Alda
(5.6) The Stoolie (1972) - Jackie Mason/Marcia Jean Kurtz
(3.3) The Swap ("Sam's Song") (1969/1980) - Robert De Niro/Jennifer Warren
(4.8) Target Of An Assassin (So. Africa-1976) - Anthony Quinn/John Phillip Law
(5.6) A Tattered Web (TV-1971) - Lloyd Bridges/Broderick Crawford (in support)
(6.2) The Sphinx (1933) - Lionel Atwill/Sheila Terry
(5.0) The Woman Hunter (TV-1972) - Barbara Eden/Robert Vaughn/Stuart Whitman

suspense classics 50 moviepack collection.......2007-03-18

have seen the 4 movies and liked three out of four, judging by quality of contents, picture and sound...and NO commercials...
Evelyn

I won't resell this because..........2007-01-27

I would not want anyone else to be subjected to these choices of movies. Upon afterthought of when I read the reviews before I made the purchase, I began to wonder if maybe some hadn't been paid. The sellers(Mill Creek)could certainly have offered ten people a hundred dollars each + or - to write a seemingly regular person review, but make it reasonably positive enough to cause people to try out the DVD set. Hence, a simple $1000 advertising budget. So without emotion or fanfare, I will itemize my experience with this set.

I saw 41 of the 50 movies. The nine I did not see were because the write-up of them already told me the content was not something that I wanted to fill my mind with. Most of them were European/Italian made. Out of those, about 1/2 dozen had such bad sound I was unable to understand them. (If just the sound had been fixed a little, I would have been willing to pay a couple dollars more.) Three were so hokey, I did not continue viewing them. Four had content that was on the verge of sick. And the most surprising of all, ten had nudity from complete to partial. For those who value the beauty and sanctity of the created body and its intimacy in marraige, and prefer not to degrade it by exposure and abuse, this information would be appreciated. For those who don't care, so be it. That leaves seventeen that range from bearable to a few good. Even with the good ones, however, the sound was not great.

Now for the itemization of costs. New, at $19 (including S&H), 50 movies would be around $.38 each. Sorting through the trashy ones to get the possible 17 viewable movies makes each one around $1.11. I won't argue that is an okay price, but to find the 17, who wants to fill their mind with what I've just done? I wish I'd never seen the images I did, and I did turn off several after I found out what they were about, but that did not take care of having to be surprised and see them in the first place. That is why I will not resell this set. I am now going to throw the entire set into the garbage

Suspense Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection.......2007-01-13

50 DVD for less than $15? How can one complain. I bought this item with the full understanding that the DVDs were not remastered. The picture quality on some was poor and some good. However they are all viewable and quite entertaining. I have not seen all of them but from the few I have seen, I would recommend this product to anyone who likes pure black and white suspense from the past but is willing to overlook some flaws in picture quality.

Martin Scorsese Collection (After Hours/Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore/Goodfellas/Mean Streets/Who's That Knocking At My Door?)

Average customer rating:

A representative set from the master
A collection that will show you how Scorsese started and how he became a legend
The BEST Scorsese box set on DVD!
The Best
Marty is God, no, not good, God !!

Martin Scorsese Collection (After Hours/Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore/Goodfellas/Mean Streets/Who's That Knocking At My Door?)
Starring: Martin Scorsese , and Robert De Niro
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

The Martin Scorsese Film Collection (New York, New York / Raging Bull Special Edition / The Last Waltz / Boxcar Bertha)
A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
Taxi Driver (Collector's Edition)
The King of Comedy
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000286RR0
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Amazon.com

Almost by accident, these five Warner Brothers films represent key moments in Martin Scorsese's career. Three of the films debut on DVD; all have excellent presentations plus new commentaries from Scorsese. The black-and-white Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1968) was Scorsese's first film, an episodic tale of growing up in Little Italy. Mean Streets (1973) put him on the map. After taking a bit of Hollywood bait (Boxcar Bertha), mentor John Cassavetes put Scorsese straight to find his true vision, and this nervy look at New York friends who border the gangster life is the result. This new special edition has the commentary track and a big improvement in its home video presentation.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) put Scorsese in the mainstream. This tale of a single mom (Ellen Burstyn in an Oscar-winning performance) finding second chances in the arid Southwest proved the New York City kid could tell other types of stories. After Hours (1985) saved Scorsese. The drain of big movies and his unsuccessful first attempt to make The Last Temptation of Christ left the auteur doubting his talent. The nightmarish comedy starting Griffin Dunne is a love-it-or-leave-it for many Scorsese fans, but the fast shoot schedule and claustrophobic story rejuvenated Scorsese and won him Best Director kudos at Cannes. The highlight of the collection is a two-disc edition of his masterpiece, GoodFellas (1990), complete with a remastered print and a dynamite commentary by several key talents (recorded separately) including Ray Liotta, author Nicholas Pileggi, and even Robert De Niro. Even with an extra disc of three featurettes, it's the film on which we hear the least from the man himself, but perhaps all we need to know is on the screen. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

A representative set from the master.......2007-03-17

This set only contains one of Scorcese's great films - Goodfellas, more of that later. I haven't seen Alice doesn't live here anymore, but it is supposed to be very good.
After Hours is an entertaining black comedy with Griffin Dunne trapped in a yuppies nightmare worthy of 4 stars.

Whos that knockin' is effectively a dry run for Mean Streets. However, Scorcese was still learning his craft in the 60's and whilst there are cinematic references to many classic films you do feel that Scorcese hadn't quite found his own voice at this stage of his career.

Goodfellas is a magnificent film. Only the first two Godfather films are on the same level in modern gangster films. This film has pace. It moves from one classic scene to the next. I remember Scorcese in an interview saying "you want it fast let's make it really fast" - this was his reaction to the 80's trend in fast cutting etc, but he does it with class.
The three lead roles are all marvellously played, and for me if I had to pick one, Joe Pesci would just steal the acting honours. This is a 5 star film.

The box is just cardboard with four DVD's in it. Goodfellas is the special edition which is much superior to the early double sided edition.

A collection that will show you how Scorsese started and how he became a legend.......2005-12-08

An excellent collection, starting at Scorsese's debut feature taking you all the way to his masterpiece goodfellas.

Who's that knocking at my door - Scorsese's film debut out of NYU funded by NYU and Scorsese's agreement to use the doors song the end over a sexy fantasy scene. The film is about falling in love, how the little moments in the beginning of a relationship are so wonderful. The fantasy scene is still groundbreaking today, great on showing how men desire sexual women but fear whores. A must see for any fan of scorsese or anyone who enjoys realistic filmmaking.

Mean Streets - Today, it remains of Scorsese's best and one of the best of the 70s. Mean streets is about a small time hood named Charlie who constantly has sinning on his conscience while attempting to help his crazy friend Johnny boy played by De Niro which led to the role of Don Corleone and an oscar! Wonderful film, beautiful cinematography, and beautiful, personal filmmaking! One of the best I've seen.

Alice doesn't live here anymore - You might think Scorsese sold out working with a major studio and a star but all the elements from his previous films are there. Ellen Burnst won an Oscar for her amazing portrayal of Alice, a widow trying to raise her snotty son while also trying to find a decent man a long the way. This is an excellent movie, one of the most important films of the 70s finally showing the women as the hero.

After Hours - After failing to get his Jesus picture funded and the failure of his dark gem The King of comedy Scorsese resorted to a college kids script called After hours. This is pure 80s filmmaking and pure Kafka esque. Showing a man in a nightmare he had no idea he was getting into with no idea how to get out. Definitely a must see. One of the best dark comedies ever made!

Last but not least GOODFELLAS - Not much to say here. Just the greatest mob film ever made. Goodfellas shows the rise and fall of a group of gangsters from the 60s on. Scorsese directs the film with insight and he puts his electric trademark in every scene. One of the best of all time, this puts the icing on the cake of an excellent collection. It's a Great DVD and an amazing movie that you will appreciate more and more each time.

There you have it, my long review on a great collection. 5 essential films in Scorsese's career. A must own. 5 OUT OF 5!!!

The BEST Scorsese box set on DVD!.......2005-07-22

This is a brilliant collection of Scorsese's films, an even better collection than MGM's Scorsese Box Set! It gives us a Special Edition of "Goodfellas", Scorsese's first film (finally on DVD) "Who's That Knocking At My Door?", "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", a Special Edition of "Mean Streets" and (another finally on DVD) "After Hours".

The gems of this collection are Mean Streets, After Hours, and Goodfellas. These three films are considered to be among Scrosese's best! Pick this up today if you're a Scorsese fan, or a film buff, or if you're trying to get into Scorsese's work. Recommended.

The Best.......2005-03-20

Think of a world with out Martin Scorsese....... I don't want to, he's the best, and the only!

Marty is God, no, not good, God !!.......2004-12-03

This collection is the must have of any Marty fan and for that matter of any proper cinephile. Through 5 movies it traces the greatest part of Scorsese's stellar (until gangs of NY) carreer. It is extremely precious since it brings us "Who's that knocking at my door?", his first film shot when he was still studying in NYU, for the first time (to my poor French knowledge at least). The box really gives a wonderful overview of the themes that obsessed him in his young years (sex and religion, duty and punition) pictured in WTKAMD and Mean Streets, the film that made him big enough to introduce him to Hollywood, first in B-Movies ("Boxcar Bertha"), then to Oscar winning projects: "Alice doesn't live here anymore". This movie is extremely odd since it could seem to be a "feminist" film, and Scorsese as anyone will tell you is a guys' director (except for last temptation of Christ, the age of Innocence, Kundun... have I said enough to kill the cliché?). This woman "road movie" is nothing like "Thelma and Louise" but is still a very poignant portrait of a woman trying to put her life back together, but carefull, it's not a women's weepie, it's a strong, nuanced work. Which brings us to "After Hours" (one of the projects that ended MS's walk through the desert, along with Raging Bull), this Cannes festival prized movie reconciled MS with the critics and is one of the strangest movies in his carreer, you'll be surprised. And then, possibly his masterpiece, "Goodfellas", I don't think I need to say anything, the movie speaks for itself: WONDERFUL WONDERFUL and, oh, I forgot, WONDERFUL!!!
The DVD's all have commentaries and all of them have other featurettes on the making of the films, or trailers, and Goodfellas is actually the 2 DVD edition. In a word, u NEED to own this !

The Robert De Niro Collection (Analyze This/A Bronx Tale/Goodfellas/Heat/Wag The Dog)

Average customer rating:

Here's the deal
Very good actually
Bizarre collection...
Disappointed
Well...

The Robert De Niro Collection (Analyze This/A Bronx Tale/Goodfellas/Heat/Wag The Dog)
Starring: Robert De Niro
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Casino (Widescreen 10th Anniversary Edition)
Donnie Brasco (Special Edition)
Taxi Driver (Collector's Edition)
Once Upon a Time in America (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Raging Bull (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00000JSJR
Release Date: 2000-09-15

Description

This great collection of award winning actor Robert DeNiro includes five of his best-selling films on DVD--- Anayze This, A Bronx Tale, Goodfellas, Heat, and Wag the Dog.

Customer Reviews:

Here's the deal.......2005-05-12

A lot of people have complained about this collection because they claim it doesn't house De Niro's best films. Let me break it down this way: Warner Bros. released this box set (as well as an Al Pacino version) and they are only allowed to include films licensed through WB. Therefore, most Martin Scorsese/De Niro classics such as Raging Bull (MGM), Taxi Driver (Columbia), Casino (Universal) etc. cannot legally be included. They'd have to make some sort of deal with all the major movie studios, and that's practically impossible.

So, for what's included here, it's a great place to start a De Niro collection. You can usually find it on the market for $59.99 -- divide it by five... yeah, it's a pretty cheap deal when you consider the fact that these DVDs by themselves cost around $11 - $12 in the average video store.

ANALYZE THIS -- Not a great film, but De Niro is very funny and it's an essential De Niro movie as it's not only one of his best comedic performances, but one of his most popular films. If you're a De Niro buff, and you don't own this, you might get some skeptical glances from other fans.

WAG THE DOG -- An underrated, sharp satire with a great ensemble cast, well directed by Barry Levinson ("Rain Man"). I can see why some might not like it, but if you enjoyed "Bulworth" and similar political satires, you'll like this. (For the record, I thought it was far subtler and more intellectual than "Bulworth" was, although they're both fine comedies.) Dustin Hoffman is actually better than De Niro in this in my opinion - he's really funny.

GOODFELLAS - This has since been released on a Special Edition DVD but this standard-disc version is still good enough... it's got the same transfer as the SE version and the trailers as well... it doesn't have the commentary or the documentaries, but I heard the commentary -- split into different sections -- is a waste of time and the docs are only so-so... at $10 it's a pretty good deal and one of the top five De Niro films of all time. You can always upgrade letter.

HEAT -- This has also been re-released recently but nevertheless this disc is pretty good for an older DVD release... the movie itself is awesome. The new DVD is better, but again, you can always upgrade if you enjoy it enough.

A BRONX TALE -- Robert De Niro directed this and in my opinion it's one of the greatest gangster/Mafia films ever made, and unique because it deals with different aspects of the genre that even Martin Scorsese doesn't touch upon in some of his films. De Niro is excellent in it and he does a terrific job behind the camera. I'm thrilled to hear he's directing a film next year -- after seeing this I was in awe of just how talented he is behind the camera.

So overall if you're new to De Niro this is a good place to start, and if you're building up a collection there's a good chance you're going to want most of these films sooner or later... at a pricetag of $60 it's a pretty good deal and I'd recommend it to anyone. The only other De Niro film I know of that WB had the rights to and should have included here was "Sleepers," also directed by Levinson ("Wag the Dog")... you should seek that out after buying this, it's a good movie.

Very good actually.......2004-01-02

Although the collection is of films from many places everyone one of them is great. Analyze This - one of the most dramatically funny films of Deniro's carrer since Midnight Run. A Bronx Tale - which he directed and was also fine. Goodfellas - a very good true storie of the mafia. Heat - one of the last successfull action drama films of Deniro before Casino in 1995. And Wag the Dog-although different from his other films proves to be a winner with Dustin Hoffman as co-star and should be enjoyed by all fans of Deniro. If you are a Deniro fan then I definitely reccomend this collection.

Bizarre collection..........2003-03-28

What a weird selection of an actor's work. It would have made more sense if they did a Scorsese/De Niro compliation. Now there's a winning collection: Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Mean Streets, and The King Of Comedy.
But if you're a fan of everything De Niro, this is a cost effective means of expanding your collection.

Disappointed.......2002-10-26

For such a great actor, I expected to see his best films-not a collection of his so-so films. The movies are good, but it's a huge diappointment to true De Niro fans.

Well..........2002-09-14

Too good of an actor to not have put his better movies.

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