Empire

Starring:John Leguizamo, Peter Sarsgaard, Denise Richards, Vincent Laresca, Isabella Rossellini, Sonia Braga, Delilah Cotto, Nestor Serrano, Anthony 'Treach' Criss, Rafael BÃ¡ez, Fat Joe, Carlos Leon, FÃ©lix Solis, Omar Pastran, Rob B. Campbell, Granville Adams, Jean-Luke Figueroa, Nicole Gomez-Fisher, Maritza Morgado, Sam Coppola (II)
Director: Franc. Reyes
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Episode IV A New Hope Eighteen years later, Luke Skywalker, a young farm boy on Tatooine, is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet. Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of the evil Empire. Although Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a lightsabre duel with Darth Vader, his former apprentice, Luke proves that the Force is with him by destroying the Empire's dreaded Death Star. Episode V The Empire Strikes Back Three years later Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion's defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. In the midst of a fierce lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord, Luke faces the startling revelation that the evil Vader is in fact his father, Anakin Skywalker. Episode VI Return of the Jedi In the epic conclusion of the saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star while the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts his father Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor. In the last second, Vader makes a momentous choice: he destroys the Emperor and saves his son. The Empire is finally defeated, the Sith are destroyed, and Anakin Skywalker is thus redeemed. At long last, freedom is restored to the galaxy.

System Requirements:

Running Time 387 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Was George Lucas's Star Wars Trilogy, the most anticipated DVD release ever, worth the wait? You bet. It's a must-have for any home theater, looking great, sounding great, and supplemented by generous bonus features.

The Movies

The Star Wars Trilogy had the rare distinction of becoming a cultural phenomenon, a defining event for its generation. On its surface, George Lucas's story is a rollicking and humorous space fantasy that owes debts to more influences than one can count on two hands, but filmgoers became entranced by its basic struggle of good vs. evil "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," its dazzling special effects, and a mythology of Jedi knights, the Force, and droids. Over the course of three films--A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983)--Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and the roguish Han Solo (Harrison Ford) join the Rebel alliance in a galactic war against the Empire, the menacing Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), and eventually the all-powerful Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). Empire is generally considered the best of the films and Jedi the most uneven, but all three are vastly superior to the more technologically impressive prequels that followed, Episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999) and Episode II, Attack of the Clones (2002).

How Are the Picture and Sound?

Thanks to a new digital transfer, you've never seen C-3PO glow so golden, and Darth Vader's helmet is as black as the Dark Side.

In a word, spectacular. Thanks to a new digital transfer, you've never seen C-3PO glow so golden, and Darth Vader's helmet is as black as the Dark Side. And at the climactic scene of A New Hope, see if the Dolby 5.1 EX sound doesn't knock you back in your chair. Other audio options are Dolby 2.0 Surround in English, Spanish, and French. (Sorry, DTS fans, but previous Star Wars DVDs didn't have DTS either.) There have been a few quibbles with the audio on A New Hope, however. A few seconds of Peter Cushing's dialogue ("Then name the system!") are distorted, and the music (but not the sound effects) is reversed in the rear channels. For example, in the final scene, the brass is in the front right channel but the back left channel (from the viewer's perspective), and the strings are in the left front and back right. The result feels like the instruments are crossing through the viewer.

What's Been Changed?
The rumors are true: Lucas made more changes to the films for their DVD debut. Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) has been added to a scene in Jedi, Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replaces Clive Revill with slightly revised lines in Empire, Temuera Morrison has rerecorded Boba Fett's minimal dialogue, and some other small details have been altered. Yes, these changes mean that the Star Wars films are no longer the ones you saw 20 years ago, but these brief changes hardly affect the films, and they do make sense in the overall continuity of the two trilogies. It's not like a digitized Ewan McGregor has replaced Alec Guiness's scenes, and the infamous changes made for the 1997 special-edition versions were much more intrusive (of course, those are in the DVD versions as well).

How Are the Bonus Features?

Toplining is Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, a 150-minute documentary incorporating not only the usual making-of nuts and bolts but also the political workings of the movie studios and the difficulties Lucas had getting his vision to the screen (for example, after resigning from the Directors' Guild, he lost his first choice for director of Jedi: Steven Spielberg). It's a little adulatory, but it has plenty to interest any fan. The three substantial featurettes are "The Characters of Star Wars" (19 min.), which discusses the development of the characters we all know and love, "The Birth of the Lightsaber" (15 min.), about the creation and evolution of a Jedi's ultimate weapon, and "The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of Star Wars" (15 min.), in which filmmakers such as Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and James Cameron talk about how they and the industry were affected by the films and Lucas's technological developments in visual effects, sound, and computer animation.

The bonus features are excellent and along the same lines as those created for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Each film has a commentary track, recorded by Lucas, Ben Burtt (sound design), Dennis Muren (visual effects), and Carrie Fisher, with Irvin Kershner joining in on the film he directed, The Empire Strikes Back. Recorded separately and skillfully edited together (with supertitles to identify who is speaking), the tracks lack the energy of group commentaries, but they're enjoyable and informative, with a nice mix of overall vision (Lucas), technical details (Burtt, Muren, Kershner), and actor's perspective (Fisher). Interestingly, they discuss some of the 1997 changes (Mos Eisley creatures, the new Jabba the Hutt scene) but not those made for the DVDs.

There's also a sampler of the Xbox game Star Wars: Battlefront, which lets the player reenact classic film scenarios (blast Ewoks in the battle of Endor!); trailers and TV spots from the films' many releases; and a nine-minute preview of the last film in the series, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (here identified by an earlier working title, The Return of Darth Vader). Small extra touches include anamorphic widescreen motion menus with dialogue, original poster artwork on the discs, and a whopping 50 chapter stops for each film.

"The Force Is Strong with This One"
The Star Wars Trilogy is an outstanding DVD set that lives up to the anticipation. There will always be resentment that the original versions of the films are not available as well, but George Lucas maintains that these are the versions he always wanted to make. If fans are able to put this debate aside, they can enjoy the adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han for years to come. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

"BOOM!".......2007-07-02

While I Love the remakes as much as the originals, I think my favorite part of this collection is the bonus disk. There are interviews and lots of "making of..." footage where we get to really see them putting together the original "low budget" films. My favorite part was when they were filming the ultimate destruction of the death star and you hear some guy in the background go "boom!"

The "secrets" behind the making serve only to add to my enjoyment, no matter which version I am watching....

No need for introductions.......2007-06-28

Born in 1970
Saw the Originals
Saw the Remakes in Theaters in 1997
Didn't like the prequels for the scene of Darth Vader hearing from the emperor that Amidala is Dead, really bad scene in the Myth of Darth Vader, but the gradually transformation and the motives I'll have to said that there where OK.

For starters I have all the version of Stars Wars and the DVDs what's up with the Jabba the Hutt in the hangar with Han Solo in A New Hope, it look like he was really young and in the Return he was and old guy I don't buy it.

Also the Mr. Jar Jar I just don't like these character, the light sabers effect they didn't do anything to put them better and last but not least the ending of the Return they change Sebastian Shaw for Hayden Christensen this was a cheap shot from the Lucas Camp, but after all is said and done this is a must have collection for two things:

The most important first - the bonus disk (excellent)
The second most important thing is the package - the best in history.

Long live Peter Mayhew.......

Its Star Wars : Of Course it gets 5 stars!.......2007-06-17

Star Wars : DVD's : Boxed Set : 5 stars

If you need an explanation, you shouldn't purchase this item.

Okay...You've seen what they all wrote..........2007-06-12

Just a very quick background on me...
Born in 1990
Saw the the movies in their original form first
Saw the 1997 remakes in the theaters
Love all of the rrequels but have a few issues with them...*cough*jar jar

I don't understand why all of you hate these movies now. I will admit, some of the changes are unnessassary, but the audio, picture, and continuity is flawless now. Before there was an orange glow underneath the landspeeders and there were English letters on the power control in the Death Star. These films needed to be brought into the 21st Century. The only scene I have a problem with is the music number in Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi...But it makes up for the idiotic Ewok song that used to be at the end. The movies have NOT CHANGED! They did not change actors, lines, and the Greedo/Han cantina scene was put back to the way it was. The only MAJOR change was the adding of deleted scenes(particularly the interesting scene between Luke and Biggs before the Battle of Yavin) and the adding of Hayden in at the end of Jedi (for those who don't get it: this is what he looked like the last time he was human, before he "died" and became Darth Vader...Sebastian Shaw therefore did not exist as a human, but as a cyborg.) In my opinion, these are bettered versions of the originals. So stop saying that it's not the same thing.

The Greatest Film Series Of Our Time.......2007-06-01

No, I don't like the changes that have been made to the films. But they are at least 95% intact and are still the defining movies of my generation. The themes of good versus evil, the underdog versus the technologically superior enemy, the young hero who rises from being nothing to changing the course of history- are timeless. These movies will still be loved a hundred years from today.

David Lynch's Inland Empire (Limited Edition Two-Disc Set)

Average customer rating:

The Labyrinth of a Woman In Trouble
IT'S DAVID LYNCH
Give yourself a lobotomy instead!!!
Awesome
One of Lynch's best films!

David Lynch's Inland Empire (Limited Edition Two-Disc Set)
Starring: Laura Dern , Jeremy Irons , and Justin Theroux
Manufacturer: Absurda / Rhino
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Twin Peaks - The Second Season
Zodiac (Widescreen Edition)
The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky (Fando y Lis / El Topo / The Holy Mountain)
Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)
Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B000QQFKYE
Release Date: 2007-08-14

Amazon.com

Though Inland Empire's three hours of befuddling abstraction could try the patience of the most devoted David Lynch fan, its aim to reinvigorate the Lynch-ian symbolic order is ambitious, not to mention visually arresting. The director's archetypes recognizable from previous movies once again construct the film's inherent logic, but with a new twist. Sets vibrate between the contemporary and a 1950s alternate universe crammed with dim lamps, long hallways, mysterious doors, sparsely furnished rooms and, this time, a vortex/apartment/sitcom set where rabbit-masked humans dwell, and a Polish town where women are abused and killed. Instead of speaking backwards, mystic soothsayers and criminals speak Polish. Filmed on video, the film's look has the sinister, frightening feel of a Mark Savage film or a bootlegged snuff movie. Constant close-ups, both in and out of focus, make Inland Empire feel as if a stalker covertly filmed it. A straightforward, hokey plot unravels during the first third of Inland Empire to ground the viewer before a dive off the deep end. Actor Nikki Grace (Laura Dern) is cast as Susan Blue, an adulterous white trash Southerner, in a film that mimics too closely her actual life with an overbearingly jealous and dangerous husband. When Nikki and co-star Devon (Justin Theroux) learn that the cursed film project was earlier abandoned when its stars were murdered, the pair lose their grasp of reality. Nikki suffers a schizophrenic identity switch to Sue that lasts until nearly the film's end. Suspense builds as Nikki's alter ego sleuths her way through surreal situations to discover her killer, culminating in Sue's gnarly death on set. Sue's actions drag on because any sign of a narrative thread disappears due to idiosyncratic editing. Non-sensical scenes still captivate, however, such as when Sue stumbles onto the soundstage where she finds Nikki (herself) rehearsing for Sue's part. In this meta-film about identity slippage, Dern's multiple characters remind one of how a victim can become the hunter in their fight for survival. Lynch's portrayal of Nikki/Sue's increasing paranoia is, in its own confusion, utterly realistic. Laura Dern has created her own Lady Macbeth, undone by her guilt over infidelity. Even though Inland Empire is too long and too random, Laura Dern's performance coupled with Lynch's video experiments make it magical. --Trinie Dalton

Product Description

Laura Dern in a virtuoso performance plays an actress whose latest role sends her through a Lynchian looking glass of dark dreams and transformation

Customer Reviews:

The Labyrinth of a Woman In Trouble.......2007-07-03

"We are like the spider.
We weave our life and then move along in it.
We are like the dreamer
who dreams and then lives in the dream.
This is true for the entire universe."

These were the opening words that Lynch spoke during his introduction for INLAND EMPIRE at various theaters around the county in early 2007. If we are willing to trust Lynch's choice of words, this quote from the Upanishads opens a small window into the world of this film. Admiring any artists' work, requires a certain amount of trust in the artist. Their job is to ask questions (through their work) and our job is to verify what is true for ourselves. But that process is not necessarily a linear or an intellectual one. Such is the case with INLAND EMPIRE's complex meta-physical web. I consider this film to be a 21st century Alice in (a) wonderland (of hell). And in this film, hungry ghosts abound.

Having read the Amazon reviews, I wanted to take mine in a slight different direction. Not since Eraserhead has Lynch had the artistic license and freedom to create a film so free of typical constraints. And having evolved as a filmmaker, he has established his own distinct palette of colors from which to work. There is a good deal of continuity from one project to another and these qualities can be a clue as to the enigma that is INLAND EMPIRE.

Despite our human nature to try to make sense of unfamiliar territory, Lynch is not only aware of this natural tendency, but not interested in explanations. His job is to create something very visceral within the narrative of a story infused by the world of ideals. This is what makes his work so damn challenging - we are so busy hanging on to "rationality," we undervalue intuition and our ability to sense what we experience. It is also a testament to the many levels on which Lynch's films work. Rather than grasping at any "meaning" that may (or may not) be there, it has become more interesting to me to see how far I can allow myself to be absorbed into what I am seeing and experiencing. Lynch's ability to lay out very effective ground rules is what elevates his work into the realm of Hitchcock, Bunuel, Fellini, and others. And like a Buddhist sand mandala, what appears to be a flat one dimensional thing, turns out to be multi-dimensional house of many mansions. Lynch films are not for the passive.

I would have to echo the sentiment that Lynch's work, does not have a "center" or a set "reality," in a typical sense. Not taking this into account and trying to figure out meaning, if not fun, will be very frustrating for many. And it is often here that much unjustified criticism is leveled at Lynch and the extraordinary thing he his doing cinematically. In a Lynch film, the only reality is the fact that he made a film and that there is an audience in the theater watching it. Beyond that, as in the dream world, you are on your own. When I first saw INLAND EMPIRE, I knew it was going to be a long movie, and I accepted the fact that I was about to pay my money and, as if I was at a carnival, going to be taken on a little ride (in tandem with a few thousand companions). Before I knew it, the ride was over and I found myself walking out of the theater, a little dizzy and wondering what the hell I just saw. Woman in trouble, indeed. Amazing film.

Lynch spoke about what we could expect in terms of a DVD release and he mentioned that it was going to be fun and include some really great things. This looks to be the case!

We can expect the following extra features:
A behind the scenes look at INLAND EMPIRE with David Lynch
Interviews with Laura Dern and the director as well as
"additional character experiences" (more things that happened)
Three theatrical trailers
A 73 photo stills gallery
And Lynch demonstrating how to prepare quinoa!

Beautiful.

IT'S DAVID LYNCH.......2007-06-23

I'm definitely buying this. I haven't seen it, but, it's David Lynch. Even when he's bad he's brilliant. He has a fantastically rich imagination, and if Mary Sweeney did the editting on INLAND EMPIRE, then it will be well worthwhile.

Lynch's films delve our subconscious civilisation and represent our social repressions. He is a master, an auteur, a genius.

People first considered Eraserhead to be long-winded and meaningless. From what I've seen of the INLAND EMPIRE trailers, it seems very similar in approach to Eraserhead's surreal abstraction. Not so much long-winded and meaningless as in-depth and weighty.

It may be that his method is in flux right now, and what we get is to enjoy the madness of our own subconcious exegesis as represented by an artistic visionary.

Give yourself a lobotomy instead!!!.......2007-06-20

This movie is a complete waste of your time! It makes no sense! There is no continuity and one boring scene leads to another and so forth. Give yourself a break and save your 3 hours for something that will enrich your life, because this ain't it!

Awesome.......2007-06-15

This is my favorite Lynch film ever. Let yourself go and experience this film multiple times and you'll "get it". There is definitely a story here, but the story exists on many different planes. As for people who say it has no emotional impact, shame on you. There's a ton of emotion here, actually almost too much to mention.

My advice- sit back and absorb. We will never have this much artistic brilliance in the US ever again.

One of Lynch's best films!.......2007-06-13

With out going into detail of what the film may or may not be about, I will say that it is possibly the most disorienting and disturbing piece of cinema I have seen in a very long time...maybe ever! By the end of the movie you feel like you've been slapped around in your seat for 3 hours. But considering how boring and nonexperimental movies have become today this is a wonderful thing. Highly Recommended!

Average customer rating:

Still My All-Time Favorite!
A Favorite Film
Classic
It Moved Me.
Some of Barry's Best Work

Out of Africa
Starring: Meryl Streep , Robert Redford , Klaus Maria Brandauer , Michael Kitchen , and Malick Bowens
Director: Sydney Pollack
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Out Of Africa: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
Doctor Zhivago (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: 0783240171
Release Date: 2000-02-29

Amazon.com essential video

Sydney Pollack's 1985 multiple-Oscar winner is a sumptuous and emotionally satisfying film about the life of Danish writer Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), better known as Isak Dinesen, who travels to Kenya to be with her German husband (Klaus Maria Brandauer) but falls for an English adventurer (Robert Redford). The film is slow in developing the relationship, but it is rich in beautiful images of Africa and in the romantic tone surrounding Blixen's gradual discovery of her life and voice. One downside: while we may all love Redford, he is as convincingly British as Kevin Costner is in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. --Tom Keogh

Description

The most acclaimed motion picture of 1985 stars Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in one of the screen's great epic romances. Directed by Oscar winner Sydney Pollack, Out of Africa is the fascinating true story of Karen Blixen, a strong-willed woman who, with her philandering husband (Klaus Maria Brandauer), runs a coffee plantation in Kenya, circa 1914. To her astonishment, she soon discovers herself falling in love with the land, its people and a mysterious white hunter (Redford). The masterfully crafted, breathtakingly produced story of love and loss earned Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay (based on material from another medium), Cinematography, Original Score, Art Direction (Set Decoration) and Sound.

Customer Reviews:

Still My All-Time Favorite!.......2007-07-04

This true story's appeal is for all generations.A movie that intrigues and captivates as it tells of courage and perseverance while maintaining a tension of romance throughout.It is made of everything a great story should be.Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are the perfect actors for these roles.Immerse yourself!

A Favorite Film.......2007-06-09

This is one of my two favorite films of all time. The sweep and grandeur, along with the beautiful human elements makes this film a keeper!

Classic.......2007-06-08

This is one of the great classic films with wonderful actors, beautiful story and great photography. Love It

It Moved Me........2007-06-05

A masterpiece of cinematic beauty. This film is based on Danish writer Karen Blixen's(Isak Dinesen)years in Africa. One of the great performances of Meryl Streep, in a career of many great performances.

The story of a strong, yet very sensitive woman who follows her husband to Kenya to start a Coffee Plantation. His philandering ways soon leaves her with syphilis. Of course their relationship ends, and she is romanced by the Brit' Denys Finch Hatton, played by Robert Redford minus an ascent. One of the few often heard complaints during the film's release. But their chemistry still makes for one of the great screen romances ever.

1985's Best Motion Picture Academy Award winner, a year that saw many superb films. One of my other favorites that year was "The Color Purple", either one of which was worthy of the award in my book. Sydney Pollack also received the Best Director Academy Award for some of his most ingenius work. One of the most beautifully photographed films is magnificently transferred to DVD, though if you've never seen it on the big screen don't miss the opportunity should it ever arise. And John Barry's musical score makes for an even more breathtaking experience.

Some of Barry's Best Work.......2007-05-11

Everything it seems, has been said about this gorgeous film, except perhaps about the sound track. John Barry's work is outstanding and seems to enhance the move at its most powerful moments. The lasting impression I have more than two decades after the movie is the "Flight over Africa," when Denys takes his love up for a flight in his plane. I could watch - and listen - a million times and be enthralled every time.

Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

A Spiritual Giant Who Left His Mark In History
Ghandi
Outstanding movie!
Chinese extras menu?!?!?!?
Brilliant film; surely one of Attenborough's best!

Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Ben Kingsley , Candice Bergen , Edward Fox , John Gielgud , and Trevor Howard
Director: Richard Attenborough
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KX0IOA
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

Sir Richard Attenborough's 1982 multiple-Oscar winner (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Ben Kingsley) is an engrossing, reverential look at the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi, who introduced the doctrine of nonviolent resistance to the colonized people of India and who ultimately gained the nation its independence. Kingsley is magnificent as Gandhi as he changes over the course of the three-hour film from an insignificant lawyer to an international leader and symbol. Strong on history (the historic division between India and Pakistan, still a huge problem today, can be seen in its formative stages here) as well as character and ideas, this is a fine film. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Gandhi (click for larger image)

Beyond Gandhi on Amazon.com

Other Oscar Winners at Oscar Central
More Biographies on DVD
The Films of Ben Kingsley

Description

A critical masterpiece, GANDHI is an intriguing story about activism, politics, religious tolerance and freedom. But at the center of it all is an extraor- dinary man who fought for a nonviolent, peaceful existence, and set an entire nation free. Winner of 8 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director (Lord Richard Attenborough) and Best Actor (Sir Ben Kingsley), GANDHI's highly acclaimed cast also includes Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, Sir John Gielgud, Roshan Seth and Martin Sheen.

The extras include more than 90 minutes of new material, including interviews with director Lord Richard Attenborough; actors Geraldine James, Saeed Jaffrey, and Edward Fox; Diana Hawkins (Director of Publicity), Terry Clegg (Executive in charge of production), Billy Williams (Cinematographer) and Stuart Craig (Production Designer). The DVD includes a Director's commentary with Attenborough, who also filmed a personal introduction to the film. The featurettes include In Search of Gandhi, Reflections on Ben, Madeleine Slade: An Englishwoman Abroad, The Funeral, Shooting an Epic In India, Looking Back, Designing Gandhi (3 mini featurettes) and From the Director's Chair (2 mini featurettes).

Customer Reviews:

A Spiritual Giant Who Left His Mark In History.......2007-06-03

In one of the interviews with Ben Kingsley, he expressed great apprehensiveness and even reluctance to play Mahatma Gandhi. "Nobody can play this man," he'd stated. After a while, he gave it some more thought and finally decided to accept the role. Thankfully, his decision would bring one of the best and most memorable acting performances ever shown on the silver screen. It was a no-brainer that he won the Oscar for Best Actor that year, and that "Gandhi" won for Best Picture.

Martin Luther King Jr once stated about Gandhi, "I have found it challenging at times to live by the words of Jesus, but Gandhi proved it can be done."

This beautiful autobiography of the "Mahatma" or "Great Soul" (a title bestowed upon him by the people of India and not by himself) demonstrates how one man conquered a nation through love and non-violence instead of hatred and war. Gandhi understands that to stand up to the fear and hatred in others, you must first conquer the fears of yourself. A master teacher of ALL religions, he recognized the spiritual paths of all men, and put into practice the universal teachings of peace, love, forgiveness, and brotherhood; teachings that every great master and saint has ever taught.

Richard Attenborough directed this magnificent story that opens with his assassination. This was a brilliant move, on his part. He shows how Gandhi dies, but immediately focuses on his extraordinary life. Filmed in India with wonderful performances by both Western and Eastern performers, they collaborated together to bring this film to life.

Ben Kingsley plays Gandhi in such a true and humble way. He brings Gandhi to life and endows him with the characteristics and personality that I have read so much about. Paramahansa Yogananda (a great Master from India who came to the U.S.) spent some time with Gandhi at his hermitage and wrote about the experience in "Autobiography of a Yogi." Some of Gandhi's ashes were also given to him were they now lie at rest in Lake Shrine, California.

Every actor, whether they have a small part or a large one, brought their best for this film. You can see that in their performances. Martin Sheen looks as if he's sitting next to he real Gandhi. Perhaps that isn't far of a stretch, if the spirit of Gandhi was indeed working through Ben Kingsley.

It is simply amazing how Gandhi was able to persuade the people of India into non-cooperation with the British. Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" coincides beautifully with Gandhi's actions. "We want to see the British off as our friends, not our enemies," explains Gandhi.

The film is over three hours in length, and every time I watch it, I feel as if I've had a spiritual experience. I can understand why he was given the title of "Mahatma." Albert Einstein may have said it best in a quote that is given at the very beginning of this movie, "Few people will scarcely believe that any one in flesh and blood ever walked the face of this Earth."

Ghandi.......2007-05-08

A great movie with a wondeful lesson that needs to be practiced to a degree by everyone in this country and beyond.

Outstanding movie!.......2007-04-19

I watched this movie when it first came out in the theaters. Being Indian and watching it at such a young age was definitely a memory I will never forget. I've seen it since over a dozen times and love it every time. I was ecstatic to see they finally made a two disc special edition one and grabbed it. This movie will live on for centuries, and I really think it's high time someone makes just as symbolic a movie of Martin Luther King Jr. so that children of this time can have a movie to cherish for in centures to follow!

Chinese extras menu?!?!?!?.......2007-04-17

Hey, the extras disc has menus in Chinese..they still work, and you can view all the stuff, but you have to guess at what each menu option will do...anyone else get this?

Brilliant film; surely one of Attenborough's best!.......2007-04-10

When I first saw this film in 1982, it reminded me of one of David Lean's epics. Like Lawrence of Arabia or Dr. Zhivago, it tells a story of nations and political movements from the perspective of a single person. The cast is top notch, the acting is superb (Ben Kingsley is amazing in this role), and the photography is gorgeous.

So it's a must-see film, but what about the dvd? In a word, terrific! The sound and color all look wonderful, and the extra features are informative. I cannot say how this dvd edition compares to the one that came out about five years ago, but if you don't already own a dvd copy of this film, you won't be disappointed with this one.

Average customer rating:

A Truly Great Film
Medieval dysfunction
The Lion in Winter
The "Lion" roars
Start to finish great performances.

The Lion in Winter
Starring: Peter O'Toole , Katharine Hepburn , Anthony Hopkins , John Castle (II) , and Nigel Terry
Director: Anthony Harvey (II)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000056HEA
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Amazon.com

In this 12th-century version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Henry II of England (Peter O'Toole) and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), meet on Christmas Eve to discuss the future of the throne. These two are having slight marital problems, as she is kept in captivity most of the year for raising a rebellion against him, and he flaunts his young mistress. Then there are the problems raised by their three treacherous and traitorous sons.

James Goldman won an Oscar® for the brilliant screenplay, based on his Broadway play. It is a tad wordy, as the action is kept to a minimum, but those words are sharp as daggers. The humor is wicked and black and delivered with very dry, dead-on precision. Sparks fly and the screen sizzles whenever Hepburn and O'Toole tango, which is often. Both were nominated for Academy Awards® for their vigorous performances. (She won; he didn't.) There's also an infamous homo-erotic exchange between Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) and Richard the Lionhearted (Anthony Hopkins). Both actors were making their feature-film debuts. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

Katharine Hepburn delivers an amazing (Variety), OscarÂ(r)-winning* performance 'that must be seen to be believed (Boxoffice) in this dazzling (Los Angeles Times) all-star film that is not to be missed. Behind the great stone walls of an English castle, the world's most powerful empire is in crisis. Three sons struggle to win their father's favoras well as his crown. King Henry II (Peter O'toole) and his queen, Eleanor (Katharine Hepburn), engage ina battle of royal wits that pits elder son Richard (Anthony Hopkins) against his brothers, while the cunning King Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) takes advantage of the internal fracturing in his bid to destroy their kingdom. *1968: Actress

Customer Reviews:

A Truly Great Film.......2007-07-03

This is a great film with unforgettable performances -- a classic by any definition. You can't really compare it to the drek that normally released as a movie today. Do yourself a tremendous favor and buy it!

Medieval dysfunction.......2007-06-28

It is Christmas, 1183 and aging King Henry II of England meets with his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine to decide which of their three sons will inherit the kingdom upon Henry's death. Each has a favorite and one must be chosen, and through deception, torment, connivance and deceit the "family" follows through in their respective roles. It is a wonderful story and though the outcome is in doubt, one thing is certain....there will never be another Christmas like this one!

Strong performances are universally good in "The Lion in Winter" and Katharine Hepburn earned a much deserved Academy Award. It's a shame that Peter O'Toole didn't win as well, as the two are equally matched for spark-flying drama. A third dazzling performance is turned in by a young Timothy Dalton as King Philip of France.

Though as much as the drama is perfected, "The Lion in Winter" (1968) hasn't particularly worn the test of time well. The dialogue is kitschy, (sometimes unintentionally funny) and the dysfunction is all too broad. Emotions change faster than you can snap your fingers, so many of the scenes don't play out as well as they should. That said however, "The Lion in Winter" is worth seeing for Hepburn, O'Toole and Dalton. On that score, you won't be disappointed.

The Lion in Winter.......2007-06-28

Shot on location in France and the British Isles, and based on an excoriating play by Richard Goldman, "Lion" is a wit-fueled, magnificently acted parable of power-lust and extreme family dysfunction. O'Toole and Oscar winner Hepburn are superb as the grizzled, sarcastic regent and his cunning wife, locked in a never-ending exchange of venomous criticisms. A youthful Anthony Hopkins, in a spirited turn, pops off some of the best insults. Aside from the endless machinations of various family members, Harvey adds period flavor with authentic costumes and gloomy, tone-perfect settings. When this "Lion" roars, you'll be hooked.

The "Lion" roars.......2007-06-14

"The Lion in Winter" is one of the best films ever made. It has the language, scope and beauty of a great Shakespearean play. It also has two magnificent performances by O'Toole (King Henry II) and Hepburn (Queen Eleanor)and a fine early film appearance by Anthony Hopkins (Richard the Lionhearted). It concerns the struggle of Henry's three sons to take the crown and King Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) is willing to use Richard's love for him to destroy the kingdom.

Start to finish great performances........2007-06-06

Great storyline. Untoppable Performances. I keep buying copies, because my friends keep making off with them. This one dosn't dissapoint.

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated ***(**)
Good Movie
Wonderful!!!!!!!
I have a good feeling about this...
BEST MOVIE EVER

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , and Anthony Daniels
Director: Irvin Kershner
Manufacturer: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FQJAJG
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of The Empire Strikes Back is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Empire as it originally played in theaters in 1980. What does that mean exactly? The film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements George Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more of Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replacing Clive Revill with slightly revised lines, or Temuera Morrison rerecording of Boba Fett's minimal dialogue.

What do you lose by watching the 1980 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here), and digital cleanup. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Empire, however, on a widescreen TV will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of The Empire Strikes Back, and the 1980 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Customer Reviews:

George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated ***(**).......2007-06-08

I agree with any of a number of previous reviewers: Would somebody PLEASE take STAR WARS away from George Lucas before he ruins it completely?

Like Francis Ford Coppola, who messed with THE GODFATHER trilogy over and over again trying to "perfect" it, Lucas keeps coming back to the original STAR WARS trilogy and adding enhanced effects and formerly deleted scenes.

In what is now known as STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, (let me catch my breath a minute, please), Lucas decided to "enhance" the film by inserting extra dialogue in several scenes, apparently in order to strengthen the film's connection to the prequels. He should have done it the other way around when Episodes I, II, and III were first released. This attempt at backward compatibility just proves that time travelers should never try to change the past. Fortunately, the changes aren't jarring.

Lucas also decided to expand the scenes with the Wampa Ice Creature on Hoth. These changes ARE jarring. The updated Ice Creature doesn't look anything like the original, and the quick intercuts don't hide the disparity. The fact that Lucas chose to "improve" the creature despite having to retain the original footage doesn't demonstrate his creativity, it demonstrates his hubris. Why not just replicate the original? Clearly, his desire to make the change overrode any considerations of film continuity and audience expectations.

This is the kind of thinking that brought us the ridiculous Jar-Jar Binks and his race of Rastafari amphibians in THE PHANTOM MENACE. George Lucas isn't really trying to give us a better cinematic experience, he's just totally into playing with his favorite toys. It's a form of selfishness.

The same goes for the rest of his changes. Lucas decided to make the battle scene explosions more "dramatic," do a score of other little tweaks, and clean up the print. Lucas has done this so many times over the past three decades that it's now impossible to figure out which film is the "real" THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Of all the questionable "improvements" he's made, cleaning up the print is the only worthwhile effort. Most of the added scenes add nothing to the film, the "extra" dialogue is interesting but unnecessary, and some of the changes (like the Wampa Ice Creature) actually degrade the movie.

Fortunately, this two-disc set contains the original theatrical release with all the nicks and imperfections it was born with. The print's a bit dim, and the special effects are showing their limitations after twenty-seven years, but this is THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK that will remain THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. It is what it is, and it never needed changes. Given the immense amount of material that has grown up around STAR WARS since it was first released, Lucas would have been smarter to release one or the other or both versions as he did, but added an Extras disc with all kinds of "The Making Of.." and "The Legacy Of..." goodies. I was disappointed that this isn't that set.

I was twenty when THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK debuted in 1980. At age 20, this now-classic movie became and remains a favorite of mine. It is arguably the best of the six STAR WARS films, because it takes the STAR WARS universe completely out of the realm of pulp science fiction. The appearance of Yoda and his Zen-like philosophy of The Force changes the entire tenor of the sextology. The Force ceases to be a kind of parlor magic useful for tricking Imperial Stormtroopers and becomes a form of bushido. The Jedi become Samurai, imbued with all of that caste's Warrior Ethos.

I never became a "Jedihead" (the original tag for the STAR WARS version of a Trekkie), but I did become a student of Zen and the martial arts. My personal decision was not at all made because of STAR WARS, but the films certainly brought such concepts into the mainstream consciousness.

The STAR WARS films are not CITIZEN KANE IN OUTER SPACE. Overall, they are not "great" films, but they are true "classics." THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK in particular engages the viewer. Entertaining, exciting, and yet contemplative, the film makes you want to keep coming back for more, the true basis of success and the core of meaningfulness for any story.

The STAR WARS universe is clearly derivative. THE LORD OF THE RINGS has a "Dark Lord." STAR WARS has a "Dark Lord of the Sith." Lightsabers are yet another nod to the film's Sword & Sorcery roots. Yoda is a short green Sensei, straight out of the 1970s TV show KUNG FU. STAR WARS' "Corellians" appear in Isaac Asimov's FOUNDATION as "Korellians", and "Han Solo" is also there as "Hari Seldon." The space war elements are a mishmash of STAR TREK, FORBIDDEN PLANET, AMAZING STORIES, pulp fiction, and a hundred other sources. George Lucas was able to take these well-used pieces and combine them into something that is both very original and yet archetypal.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK carries the sci-fi retelling of the Mythos of the young Hero a step farther. Having been initiated into the Mysteries by Obi-Wan, Luke is now called upon to take up the discipline his craft requires. Immature and impatient, he ignores his Master Yoda's advice, and makes his own determination that his training is complete. However, he is unready, unready to face his external enemy (Darth Vader), and unready to face his even more potent internal enemy (his own impulses toward the Dark Side).

Classic mythic elements abound: Luke has a mysterious birth, a hidden twin, and a direct blood link to the Evil he is trying to overcome (as the son of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader). He suffers a horrific wound (the loss of his hand), is forced to face the Darkness within himself, and must decide how to confront his Enemy who is also his Dark Father.

A far more sophisticated story than the straight-ahead STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is so mythic and archetypal that it suffers none of the "beginner's jitters" of A NEW HOPE. Although the first film had some really bad acting by the background characters and a few missed beats here and there, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK brings forth the best from all the cast (including even Yoda who, despite his very real humanity, is, after all, a puppet). The story sustains itself through it all.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK even survives Lucas's post-theatrical obsessive-compulsive changes to remain a modern classic.

FIVE STARS FOR "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK", THREE STARS FOR LUCAS' "IMPROVED" VERSION.

Good Movie.......2007-05-12

I have the whole series of the Star Wars movies and I enjoy them very much.

Wonderful!!!!!!!.......2007-05-11

This is an master piece and one should watch it. The star war series is a must have. Love the story and the way the film draws your attention...Love the cast.

I have a good feeling about this..........2007-04-13

This is easily the best of all the Star Wars movies. For once we have the right balance of action, mystery, humor, romance and swash-bucklingness, if that's a word. The dialogue is crisp and smart (Han steers the ship into an asteroid field. Leia: You don't have to do this to impress me!) The acting this time is actually quite good, particularly between Ford and Fisher. The special effects are incredible, but they serve, rather than overwhelm, the story. (Oddly, there are a few moments that look fake, such as the bits with the taun-tauns, but George chose not to redo them.) This one is closest in style and content to the old-fashioned movie and radio serials, which is what the whole thing was supposed to be based on. The first ten minutes are a little wobbly, as it seems to be trying to find its tone, but things soon pick up, and the evacuation from Hoth has to be one of the best moments in the whole series, climaxing in a Millennium Falcon that won't start. ("Would it help if I got out and pushed!?") I know in the past I've said it might have been better if George had just given us one movie and been done with it, and artistically for his career it would have been, but at least, before the franchise got stale, we got this wonderful, smartly-done fairy tale directed by the very underrated Irvin Kershner.

Here, as in the other DVDs featuring before and after versions of the original trilogy, George chose to give us terrific-looking enhanced-for-widescreen-TVs redos (among the best-looking DVDs I own, if not THE best) and unenhanced original versions. Fortunately for me I have an upscaling DVD player and television, so it doesn't look *as* bad for me as it does for a lot of other people here, but still, this is just George being spiteful--there was no reason for this. The commentary track is terrific, and justifies this purchase alone if you're a big fan. We hear from most of the major creative forces, including director Kirshner, the only Star Wars director who really "got it" as far as I'm concerned. (And the one Lucas was most upset with initially, thinking he was taking too long and doing too many takes. But the quality shows. Could you imagine the love scenes between Han and Leia directed by Lucas? Actually you don't have to; just watch Attack of the Clones.)

It's hard to "recommend" or "not recommend" something like this. It has its built-in audience--it's doubtful anyone buying this has never seen the film before. It is nice to have the two versions side by side to compare what's new, however, which is why I chose to go this route.

(P.S.: George, who the heck is "Lando Clarissian"? Also, Venus isn't a gaseous giant; it's a rocky planet just like earth. You folks will have to listen to the commentary track to understand what I'm talking about.)

BEST MOVIE EVER.......2007-03-28

Best Star Wars movie! No wait, best movie EVER!!!!! Ironically GL didn't even direct it.

Average customer rating:

Combat, the Way it Should Be.
A Roman Epic
Great movie!!!
Gladiator one of the best
INCREDIBLE MOVIE

Gladiator (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Russell Crowe , Joaquin Phoenix , Connie Nielsen , Oliver Reed , and Richard Harris
Director: Ridley Scott
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009ZYBY
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Amazon.com essential video

A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--Saving Private Ryan, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitas as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! --Mark Englehart

Customer Reviews:

Combat, the Way it Should Be. .......2007-06-24

Although it really isn't history the way it should be as the real Commodus was a whole lot more bizarre than this one, and Maximus is as fictitious a character as one would think based on his name. It's a good thing though to familiarize modern audiences with the likes of Marcus Aurelius, however, and the movie deserves the accolades that it got. Russell Crowe is magnificent here as was Joaquin Phoenix. The latter's career is rising at present in the same manner as the mythic creature with the production of outstanding work in both The Village and Walk the Line. They're both excellent actors and are perfectly cast in this epic. Gladiator has about all you need from a film with constant action, beautiful sets, and an intriguing plot. It's a quick couple of hours and you'll find yourself surprised at how soon it is over. I fond it delightful.

A Roman Epic.......2007-06-20

This is a superb film from the opening battle scenes right through to the end. As it was directed by Ridley Scott this shouldn't surprise you, since he is one of the most consistent directors around.

Russell Crowe takes the leading role of Maximus, a Roman General who is betrayed by the son of the Emperor and he gives a commanding performance. The authority he gives off as a Roman General is spell-binding (not to mention his impressive physical condition) and if anything I would have given best Oscar for this role rather than A Beautiful Mind. In fact its a stellar cast all round with Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi and David Hemmings all playing good supporting roles. Joaquin Phoenix plays Commodus, the treacherous son of Marcus Aurelius and Connie Neilson his sister.

The cinematography and cutting is excellent, and although this was made 7 or 8 years ago now, the CGI efects still look good to this day. There are some brilliant scenes inside the Colloseum, noteably where the Tigers are released during a Gladiator fight, and during the scene involving the chariots.

Although the film is nearly 2 and 1/2 hours long, you'll never be looking at your watch during this. This is what cinema and film (and I include DVDs in this as well) were meant for. There is no basis of fact behind the story, but in the end who cares this is just great entertainment.

Great movie!!!.......2007-06-17

Lots of action and great special effect! 5 stars!!!

Gladiator one of the best.......2007-06-14

Glad I bought this one, saved me from renting it at least twice a year from here on out...

INCREDIBLE MOVIE.......2007-05-17

If you don't own this yet, please ADD TO CART now. This is an amazing movie, and when I put it in the DVD, I am always sad to see it end the way it does. But IT is a MUST have.

I wish I could give it 10 STARS.

Average customer rating:

Give it a chance you just might like it
King Arthur
King Arthur comes to Life!!
Very good take on the Arthur legend.
Go into this movie forgetti