The Fighter Pilot & Me

The Fighter Pilot & Me


Starring:John Raphael
Studio: Big Kids Productions
Product Type: DVD
Flyboys (Widescreen Edition)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A truly bad movie
  • James Franco Becomes the next Ace Movie Pilot
  • Painfully fake
  • Not bad if you ignore the facts.
  • pretty good wwi movie
 Flyboys (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: James Franco , Scott Hazell , Mac McDonald , Philip Winchester , and Todd Boyce
Director: Tony Bill
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000LAZE8C
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Amazon.com

World War I aviation action gets an impressive digital upgrade in Flyboys, a welcome addition to the "dogfight" sub-genre that includes such previous war-in-the-air films like Hell's Angels, Wings, and The Blue Max. While those earlier films had the advantage of real and genuinely dangerous flight scenes (resulting, in some cases, in fatal accidents during production), Flyboys takes full (and safe) advantage of the digital revolution, with intensely photo-realistic recreations of WWI aircraft, authentic period structures, and CGI environments requiring a total of 850 digital effects shots, resulting in an abundance of amazing images, many of them virtually indistinguishable from reality. Unfortunately, the film's technical achievement is more impressive than its screenplay, which conventionally and predictably tells the fact-based story, set in France in 1916, of the daring young pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille, a pioneering French air-combat unit that welcomed American enlistees prior to the United States' entry into the war.

There's a familiar cliché to match every thrilling scene of aerial combat, but director Tony Bill manages to keep it all interesting, from the romance between a young American maverick (James Franco) and a pretty French girl (newcomer Jennifer Decker) to the exciting action in the air, which includes a stock variety of heroes (many of them composites of real-life WWI pilots) and an intimidating villain known only as "The Black Falcon," whose Fokker Dr-1 triplane (one of many in the film) recalls the exploits of German "ace of aces" Manfred von Richtofen, the dreaded "Red Baron" of legend. With impeccable production values that will impress even the most nit-picking aviation buffs, Flyboys (like Superman Returns and Apocalypto, also released in 2006) was also one of the first feature films to be shot with Panavision's state-of-the-art Genesis digital cameras, resulting in beautiful images that meet or exceed the visual nuance of film. Flyboys also benefits from painstaking attention to physical detail, making it easier to forgive its shortcomings as a generic and formulaic slice of romanticized history. So while some viewers may have wished for a more realistic and grown-up depiction of the Lafayette Escadrille, it's safe to say that Flyboys will be thrilling its target audience for many years to come. --Jeff Shannon

Extras from Flyboys

Director Tony Bill on Filming Dogfight Sequences
...On throwing away the script for pilot training
...On the real-life stunt pilot who stars in the film

Beyond Flyboys

More "War in the Sky" Films
SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War 1


More "Military and War" Films

Stills from Flyboys




Description

Inspired by the true story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille, this action-packed epic tells the tale of America's first fighter pilots. These courageous young men distinguish themselves in a manner that none before them had dared, becoming true heroes who experience triumph, tragedy, love, and loss amid the chaos of World War I. Hang on for the ride of your life!

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars A truly bad movie.......2007-07-03

Considering the richness of the subject matter and the real life stories of those who lived it this was a truly bad movie. The makers tried to tell everything and as a result told nothing. The characters were unbelieveably superficial and too many of the flying scenes were historically inaccurate and unreal. If a few special effects are good too many are not necessarly better. The Blue Max and Battle of Britain are far far superior. For those who are willing to put up with a mess just to look at recreations of old airplanes its probably worth buying but be prepared for alot of dissapointment if you are looking for a good movie.

5 out of 5 stars James Franco Becomes the next Ace Movie Pilot.......2007-07-03

He kills in this one. Okay, okay...so you saw him in Spiderman 1, 2, and 3. He was ___. But now, this is the real deal: STARRING! When he stars, he kills. Now he is sure to get several new roles as well...you'll see.

So, the movie...and spoiling it. WW1 was before me, but the Flyboys movie wasn't. I loved the scene where someone lost a hand but not their life. The star is amazing at fighting in the air, leading in the air, leading on the ground, and just being centered. He falls in love in France where they are stationed (he is enlisted as a U.S. help towards France before U.S. enters the war). He saves her and her dead brother's 3 children at the last moment.

The end: The movie ends with a "National Lampoon's Animal House" written ending, one where each character has their life play out. Our hero, played by James Franco, never finds 1 of: his love, or his farm, or his mind, or his gun, or his plane, or his partner, or his pants...find out in THE MOVIE!

1 out of 5 stars Painfully fake.......2007-06-25

For a fan of the old wood and fabric fighters of WWI, this film causes nothing but heartburn. The CGI effects are painfully bad, so obviously fake that it hurts to watch. And the scenes where they use actual airplanes, or recreations, are just as bad. What really bugged me was the fighters with fixed radial engines, rather than the rotaries they should have had. Forget about this film, and just read "Winged Victory" for the story by somebody who lived it. If you want to see the real airplanes fly, go to Rhinebeck, NY.

2 out of 5 stars Not bad if you ignore the facts........2007-06-18

I confess I was entertained by the movie -in those moments when I wasn't screaming at the TV. Some of the historical inaccuracies were so glaring that even for a work of fiction it was hard to swallow. At the beginning the movie states that 9 million would eventually die in WWI - soliders perhaps. That total is nowhere complete if you add in the civillian dead. A good number of which would have come from the area in which the characters were fighting. The Verdun front was a wasteland for miles - towns were obliterated from the shelling - the area around the fronts were ruined for not years but decades. No cheery farmhouse with well-fed children, no trees or plowed fields visible from the air, nothing but death and destruction for miles and miles. Trench warfare was not confined to a thin sliver. Though the front itself moved only yards the shelling and death reigned over an extended area. There are villages in the area that never returned and if you drive over the battlefield even now 90 years later as I did, you can still see the craters and hills caused by the shelling. The aviators were above the day to day merciless killing field but they were not untouched by it. My biggest problem with the film was the complete santization of WWI. The northern part of France and southern Belgium were devasted far more thoroughly than even Germany in WWII. It was truely hell on earth. Other reviewers have addresed the inaccuracies in the planes used - do not get me started on the mechanized land transportation. Tanks were only beginning to be developed and would not have been used as shown - also correct me if I am wrong but the Germans had already crossed the Meuse River much earlier in the War. At this point in time they would have been drive back - probably by Black Jack Pershing. The producers could have spent a bit more money on some historical research and less on their computer graphics. They did not get their money's worth there either. As it was, I could never tell who was who during the arial combat sequences. I would have sworn one fellow was dead only to have him reappear later in the movie. I did enjoy the camaraderie and would have like to see more of the unit as a whole.

4 out of 5 stars pretty good wwi movie.......2007-06-14

they don't bother to make many wwi movies anymore, so i was excited to see this one. the script is admittedly not very good, and the performances were kind of lame but they did not have good dialogue to work with. despite this i still enjoyed watching the movie as the combat sequences were very very realistic and had wonderful sound. it is great to finally see combat the way it probably really happened and feel adrenalin pumping. i thought that one scene in the howard hughes movie with decaprio got this across, and this movie continues what that scene suggested. too bad whoever wrote the script was not very smart or this could have been a classic.
Flyboys [Blu-Ray]
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Perfect Movie! Perfect High Definition Quality on Blu-ray!
  • Well Worth Watching
  • Flyboys [ Blu-Ray ]
  • Quite an expierence
  • Outstanding in every way.
 Flyboys [Blu-Ray]
Starring: Christien Anholt , Jean Reno , Martin Henderson , Tyler Labine , and Alain Boublil
Director: Tony Bill
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Action & AdventureAction & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
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  1. Casino Royale [Blu-ray]
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  5. Pearl Harbor [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000KX0HIC
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Amazon.com

World War I aviation action gets an impressive digital upgrade in Flyboys, a welcome addition to the "dogfight" sub-genre that includes such previous war-in-the-air films like Hell's Angels, Wings, and The Blue Max. While those earlier films had the advantage of real and genuinely dangerous flight scenes (resulting, in some cases, in fatal accidents during production), Flyboys takes full (and safe) advantage of the digital revolution, with intensely photo-realistic recreations of WWI aircraft, authentic period structures, and CGI environments requiring a total of 850 digital effects shots, resulting in an abundance of amazing images, many of them virtually indistinguishable from reality. Unfortunately, the film's technical achievement is more impressive than its screenplay, which conventionally and predictably tells the fact-based story, set in France in 1916, of the daring young pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille, a pioneering French air-combat unit that welcomed American enlistees prior to the United States' entry into the war.

There's a familiar cliché to match every thrilling scene of aerial combat, but director Tony Bill manages to keep it all interesting, from the romance between a young American maverick (James Franco) and a pretty French girl (newcomer Jennifer Decker) to the exciting action in the air, which includes a stock variety of heroes (many of them composites of real-life WWI pilots) and an intimidating villain known only as "The Black Falcon," whose Fokker Dr-1 triplane (one of many in the film) recalls the exploits of German "ace of aces" Manfred von Richtofen, the dreaded "Red Baron" of legend. With impeccable production values that will impress even the most nit-picking aviation buffs, Flyboys (like Superman Returns and Apocalypto, also released in 2006) was also one of the first feature films to be shot with Panavision's state-of-the-art Genesis digital cameras, resulting in beautiful images that meet or exceed the visual nuance of film. Flyboys also benefits from painstaking attention to physical detail, making it easier to forgive its shortcomings as a generic and formulaic slice of romanticized history. So while some viewers may have wished for a more realistic and grown-up depiction of the Lafayette Escadrille, it's safe to say that Flyboys will be thrilling its target audience for many years to come. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Inspired by the true story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille, this action-packed epic tells the tale of America's first fighter pilots. These courageous young men distinguish themselves in a manner that none before them had dared, becoming true heroes who experience triumph, tragedy, love, and loss amid the chaos of World War I. Hang on for the ride of your life!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Perfect Movie! Perfect High Definition Quality on Blu-ray!.......2007-06-08

Unlike the 20 some movie that I watched on Blu-ray with either mediocre picture quality or picture freezing problem or grainy picture or too dark transfer--This one sets a new higher standard for Blu-ray!

Movie: Great story, beautiful colors, incredible cinematography!

Video: Just perfect (film like quality is finally achieved!)

Audio: Excellent.

I have no complaints-great movie for the whole family! Must own!

5 out of 5 stars Well Worth Watching.......2007-04-23

Like the movies "Titanic" and "The Great Escape", This is a story taking place during a historic event with characters that are a composit of some of the real people involved.

It's WWI and the US has not yet entered the war. American volunteers are trained in France to fly and fight the war. They become the "Lafayette Escadrille". This movie covers their training, flying/fighting, squadron bonding and off duty time.

This is no documentary. It is a gripping story of the Americans who flew for the French combined with excellent air combat sequences. Better in the Blu-Ray Disc version. It will leave you wanting to run it again and again. Good photography, good story, good sound/special effects, good characters, . . . can you tell I thoroughly enjoyed it? Be sure to watch the special features, see how the combat footage was filmed.

Those who have seen "The DaVinci Code" will recognize Jean Reno as the squadron commander.

5 out of 5 stars Flyboys [ Blu-Ray ].......2007-03-13

The disc was send in fast time,and made it in perfect shape.Info was great between Amazon and me,Thanks for a great job well done.

4 out of 5 stars Quite an expierence.......2007-03-12

This really is a must see blue ray disc. I read a lot of reviews before getting and must say I see what all the excitement was about. Watching this movie on blue ray is a treat in itself. The movie was okay but the specail effects and photography really made it an exciting expierence.

5 out of 5 stars Outstanding in every way........2007-02-09

I bought this one looking for a good historical action drama with good effects. Flyboys far exceeded my expectations. I am familiar with the Lafayette Esquadrille from history class and old movies. The movie stayed pretty close to the truth.

The characters were solid, well developed and believable. The sets and settings were on the money. Unique historical details (like use of landing gear in combat) were accurate (with two big intentional exceptations). The arial dog fights were fantastic.

Special effects were on par if not better than those in 'Pearl Harbor'. Motion Capture of actual arial stunts made a huge difference.

Extra features were some of the best I've seen.

The Tuskegee Airmen
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Military film
  • Well worth it
  • black saviors
  • WONDERFUL!
  • Truly one of the best WWII films out there!
 The Tuskegee Airmen
Starring: Laurence Fishburne , Allen Payne , Malcolm-Jamal Warner , Courtney B. Vance , and Andre Braugher
Director: Robert Markowitz
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000053V7E
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Amazon.com

This true story of the black flyers who broke the color barrier in the U.S. Air Force during World War II is a well-intentioned film highlighted by an excellent cast. Proud, solemn, Iowa-born Laurence Fishburne and city-kid hipster Cuba Gooding Jr. are among the hopefuls who meet en route to Tuskegee Air Force Base, where they are among the recruits for an "experimental" program to "prove" the abilities of the black man in the U.S. armed services. Fighting prejudice from racist officers and government officials and held to a consistently higher level of performance than their white counterparts, these men prove themselves in training and in combat, many of them dying for their country in the process. Andre Braugher costars as a West Point graduate who takes charge of the unit in Africa and in Italy (where it's christened the 332nd). The film is rousing, if slow starting and episodic, but it's periodically grounded by a host of war movie clichés, notably the calculated demise of practically every trainee introduced in the opening scenes (ironic given the 332nd's real-life combat record--high casualties for the enemy, low casualties among themselves, and no losses among the bombers they escorted). Ultimately the Emmy-nominated performances by moral backbone Fishburne and the dedicated Braugher and the energy and cocky confidence of Gooding give their battles both on and off the battlefield the sweet taste of victory. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Featuring an all-star cast headed by Laurence Fishburne, fireballs of high speed air action explode off the screen in this exciting story of the "Fighting 99th," the first squadron of black American pilots to be allowed to fight for their country. Based on the true story.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Military film.......2007-05-14

Great flic. Some liberties taken with regard to the Tuskeegee situation, but overall gives a fair representation of the attitudes of the time. Good action scenes,with a very good performance by Fishburne. Highly recommend the film.

5 out of 5 stars Well worth it.......2007-05-07

My father was one of the men who were depicted in this movie. I thought it was well worth watching, it will be a legacy to pass on to my children, thanks to the well acted script.

5 out of 5 stars black saviors.......2007-05-07

this is one of those movies everyone should own. this movie depicts how the african american group of soldiers played a major role in winning parts of a war when african americans were not even considered to be real soldiers in the american armed forces.

5 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL!.......2007-04-18

I'm a huge mark for History movies, so it was quite a shock that I'd never heard of this movie before seeing it on cable TV for the first time. Now I'm bordering on obsessed. It's a good thing I can watch it anytime I want.

The real story of colored men and their contributions to World War 2. Their triumphs, tragedies and all the obstacles they overcame to contribute to America's victory in the Great War. It's clear to anyone who studies history that the valiant contribution of these brave men could have literally spelled the difference between victory and defeat. Their bravery in the face of adversity ON THEIR OWN HOME SOIL hardened them... battle-readied them... in a way that no white flyer could say he was hardened.

Men boarded those planes to fly off to battle... heroes landed the planes, returning from the mission.

5 out of 5 stars Truly one of the best WWII films out there!.......2007-04-16

One of the most underated, action filled, educational and entertaining films from World War II out there!
Fighter Pilot - Operation Red Flag (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Imax DVD
  • Goosebumps all over
  • ok, but not great
  • Very weak narrative, but some nice takes
  • Hollywood Gimmickry
Fighter Pilot - Operation Red Flag (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)
Starring: John Stratton (III) , Robert Novotny (II) , Sam Morgan (II) , Michel Perron , and Randy Cason
Director: Stephen Low
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A2XB9K
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

A state-of-the-art, edge of your seat experience! Get in the cockpit with the world's best pilots to witness the most challenging flying of their careers... Follow a young American pilot as he makes his way through Red Flag - the world's most intense, simulated air war, training event - where U.S. and international pilots, ground crews, mechanics and rescue personnel are taken to the limits of their endurance. Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag delivers speeds of up to 800 miles per hour with thundering, roaring, screaming sound and stunning aerobatics that will blow you away! Filmed over the Nevada desert with unprecedented access to military procedures, the film features an enormous armada of aircraft including four American squadrons of F-15C Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16 Aggressors, Stealth F-117s, B-1B Lancers, B-2 Stealth bomber, C-17 Globemaster III, a U-2R and more... This DVD version of the film has been specially mixed and mastered to produce an outstanding DTS Digital Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 home theatre experience.

Disc 2 offers the complete feature in Microsoft Windows Media Video High Definition, playable on your PC widescreen version only). WMV HD delivers up to 1080p resolution(6 times the resolution of standard definition DVD video) and 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great Imax DVD.......2007-07-04

purchased for our 6 yr old grandson who watches the military channel religiously. He know all the names of the fighter planes that are retired & in service. We watched this DVD twice while we were visiting. The filming is fantastic.

5 out of 5 stars Goosebumps all over.......2007-05-08

On the topic of the NTSC disc possibly not playing in "multizone" players outside of zone 1, I am happy to say that my JVC home theatre system (in Zone 2, PAL television country South Africa) had no problem in playing it in it's full glory. Despite it being obvious that quite a bit of the move was "staged", it doesn't detract enough from sheer moments of power, where surround sound comes to its right like never before, to warrant it not being given 5 out of 5. The Windows High Definition product also creates visuals on my computer monitor that has not been matched closely by anything else ever.
Despite the high cost of having it sent all the way to South Africa, it has already a "money well spent" item to me. No regrets (on the contrary, constant pats on the back!) on having taken the chance to purchase this product!
Hanno Liebenberg
Cape Town, South Africa

3 out of 5 stars ok, but not great.......2007-03-27

The movie follows a fighter pilot sent to a elite training mission, however does not go into the more educational role as most IMAX movies do. It mainly tells a short story with no real details or plot line.

2 out of 5 stars Very weak narrative, but some nice takes.......2007-03-17

The narrative is very weak up to the point of being embarrassed for those who wrote it.. But--the takes are nice and it gives a pretty comprehensive overview of what the exercise is all about.

3 out of 5 stars Hollywood Gimmickry .......2007-03-12

I saw Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag on the USS Lexington museum in Corpus Christi, TX. At first I thought it was one on the most beautiful films ever made. But, I noticed some Hollywood gimmickry was afoot. In the dogfight scene, the pursuing F-16 didn't look right. Real dogfights are probably not that interesting in that computer guided missiles are fired many miles away so the aircraft never get that close. Also, in the live fire sequences, the bombs could not be seen and the explosions were too fiery. Wouldn't the target tank (as well as the camera) be destroyed?

Still, Fighter Pilot is an interesting film best seen at an IMAX theater with loud sound.

[DW]
Zero Hour!
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Would you like fish or meat?
  • If you liked "Airplane!" you must own this film!
 Zero Hour!
Starring: Dana Andrews , Linda Darnell , Sterling Hayden , Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch , and Geoffrey Toone
Director: Hall Bartlett
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OHZJOQ
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Would you like fish or meat?.......2007-05-29

Zero Hour! was the basis for the comedy favorite Airplane!, which is the reason why it is considered a cult classic. In fact, many of the lines and scenerios from Airplane! are lifted straight from this movie. Zero Hour! is the story of an ex-fighter pilot Ted Stryker (Dana Andrews) who finds himself chasing his discontented wife (Linda Darnell) and child Joey (Raymond Ferrell) onto a commercial airplane. Once on the plane, he discovers that there are worse problems than just his failing marriage. There is a problem with the fish (thankfully, he chose meat) and the passengers are falling ill rather rapidly. It soon becomes a matter of seriousness when both pilots take ill and Ted is the only one with any flying experience.

The problem with this movie is the fact that it is supposed to be serious. There are so many ludicrous things in it that it is impossible to take seriously, but since it was not supposed to be funny, there are many long stretches where an audience can find itself bored. One of the best examples of this is the long "suspenseful" ending. Still, it is worth watching at least once for fans of Airplane!, just don't expect it to become your favorite.

5 out of 5 stars If you liked "Airplane!" you must own this film!.......2007-05-19

I caught some of this movie on Turner Classic Movies one evening, during a day of tributes to movies and their remakes. This film was the inspiration (and the source for many lines) for the 1980 comedy spoof "Airplane!". Just like "Airplane!" "Zero Hour" is about a former war pilot who is forced to take over an airliner when half the passengers get sick from eating bad fish! (Yes, the choice for dinner was 'chicken or fish' just like "Airplane!"). My wife and I were practically in tears, because so many classic lines from "Airplane!" were lifted directly from this film, only the punchlines never came, which somehow made it funnier.

I'll be pre-ordering this one for purchase when it comes out!
Flyboys (Full Screen Edition)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A truly bad movie
  • James Franco Becomes the next Ace Movie Pilot
  • Painfully fake
  • Not bad if you ignore the facts.
  • pretty good wwi movie
 Flyboys (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: James Franco , Scott Hazell , Mac McDonald , Philip Winchester , and Todd Boyce
Director: Tony Bill
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Tony ScottTony Scott | Action Directors | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Action & CombatAction & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
DramaDrama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
World War IWorld War I | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
World War IIWorld War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
War in the SkyWar in the Sky | By Theme | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
Heroic MissionsHeroic Missions | By Theme | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
Military LifeMilitary Life | By Theme | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
McDonald, MacMcDonald, Mac | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Reno, JeanReno, Jean | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Smith, Tim PigottSmith, Tim Pigott | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Bill, TonyBill, Tony | ( B ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
All MGM TitlesAll MGM Titles | MGM Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( F )( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)
  2. The Guardian
  3. The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
  4. Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
  5. The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000LAZE82
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Amazon.com

World War I aviation action gets an impressive digital upgrade in Flyboys, a welcome addition to the "dogfight" sub-genre that includes such previous war-in-the-air films like Hell's Angels, Wings, and The Blue Max. While those earlier films had the advantage of real and genuinely dangerous flight scenes (resulting, in some cases, in fatal accidents during production), Flyboys takes full (and safe) advantage of the digital revolution, with intensely photo-realistic recreations of WWI aircraft, authentic period structures, and CGI environments requiring a total of 850 digital effects shots, resulting in an abundance of amazing images, many of them virtually indistinguishable from reality. Unfortunately, the film's technical achievement is more impressive than its screenplay, which conventionally and predictably tells the fact-based story, set in France in 1916, of the daring young pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille, a pioneering French air-combat unit that welcomed American enlistees prior to the United States' entry into the war.

There's a familiar cliché to match every thrilling scene of aerial combat, but director Tony Bill manages to keep it all interesting, from the romance between a young American maverick (James Franco) and a pretty French girl (newcomer Jennifer Decker) to the exciting action in the air, which includes a stock variety of heroes (many of them composites of real-life WWI pilots) and an intimidating villain known only as "The Black Falcon," whose Fokker Dr-1 triplane (one of many in the film) recalls the exploits of German "ace of aces" Manfred von Richtofen, the dreaded "Red Baron" of legend. With impeccable production values that will impress even the most nit-picking aviation buffs, Flyboys (like Superman Returns and Apocalypto, also released in 2006) was also one of the first feature films to be shot with Panavision's state-of-the-art Genesis digital cameras, resulting in beautiful images that meet or exceed the visual nuance of film. Flyboys also benefits from painstaking attention to physical detail, making it easier to forgive its shortcomings as a generic and formulaic slice of romanticized history. So while some viewers may have wished for a more realistic and grown-up depiction of the Lafayette Escadrille, it's safe to say that Flyboys will be thrilling its target audience for many years to come. --Jeff Shannon

Extras from Flyboys

Director Tony Bill on Filming Dogfight Sequences
...On throwing away the script for pilot training
...On the real-life stunt pilot who stars in the film

Beyond Flyboys

More "War in the Sky" Films
SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War 1


More "Military and War" Films

Stills from Flyboys




Description

Inspired by the true story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille, this action-packed epic tells the tale of America's first fighter pilots. These courageous young men distinguish themselves in a manner that none before them had dared, becoming true heroes who experience triumph, tragedy, love, and loss amid the chaos of World War I. Hang on for the ride of your life!

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars A truly bad movie.......2007-07-03

Considering the richness of the subject matter and the real life stories of those who lived it this was a truly bad movie. The makers tried to tell everything and as a result told nothing. The characters were unbelieveably superficial and too many of the flying scenes were historically inaccurate and unreal. If a few special effects are good too many are not necessarly better. The Blue Max and Battle of Britain are far far superior. For those who are willing to put up with a mess just to look at recreations of old airplanes its probably worth buying but be prepared for alot of dissapointment if you are looking for a good movie.

5 out of 5 stars James Franco Becomes the next Ace Movie Pilot.......2007-07-03

He kills in this one. Okay, okay...so you saw him in Spiderman 1, 2, and 3. He was ___. But now, this is the real deal: STARRING! When he stars, he kills. Now he is sure to get several new roles as well...you'll see.

So, the movie...and spoiling it. WW1 was before me, but the Flyboys movie wasn't. I loved the scene where someone lost a hand but not their life. The star is amazing at fighting in the air, leading in the air, leading on the ground, and just being centered. He falls in love in France where they are stationed (he is enlisted as a U.S. help towards France before U.S. enters the war). He saves her and her dead brother's 3 children at the last moment.

The end: The movie ends with a "National Lampoon's Animal House" written ending, one where each character has their life play out. Our hero, played by James Franco, never finds 1 of: his love, or his farm, or his mind, or his gun, or his plane, or his partner, or his pants...find out in THE MOVIE!

1 out of 5 stars Painfully fake.......2007-06-25

For a fan of the old wood and fabric fighters of WWI, this film causes nothing but heartburn. The CGI effects are painfully bad, so obviously fake that it hurts to watch. And the scenes where they use actual airplanes, or recreations, are just as bad. What really bugged me was the fighters with fixed radial engines, rather than the rotaries they should have had. Forget about this film, and just read "Winged Victory" for the story by somebody who lived it. If you want to see the real airplanes fly, go to Rhinebeck, NY.

2 out of 5 stars Not bad if you ignore the facts........2007-06-18

I confess I was entertained by the movie -in those moments when I wasn't screaming at the TV. Some of the historical inaccuracies were so glaring that even for a work of fiction it was hard to swallow. At the beginning the movie states that 9 million would eventually die in WWI - soliders perhaps. That total is nowhere complete if you add in the civillian dead. A good number of which would have come from the area in which the characters were fighting. The Verdun front was a wasteland for miles - towns were obliterated from the shelling - the area around the fronts were ruined for not years but decades. No cheery farmhouse with well-fed children, no trees or plowed fields visible from the air, nothing but death and destruction for miles and miles. Trench warfare was not confined to a thin sliver. Though the front itself moved only yards the shelling and death reigned over an extended area. There are villages in the area that never returned and if you drive over the battlefield even now 90 years later as I did, you can still see the craters and hills caused by the shelling. The aviators were above the day to day merciless killing field but they were not untouched by it. My biggest problem with the film was the complete santization of WWI. The northern part of France and southern Belgium were devasted far more thoroughly than even Germany in WWII. It was truely hell on earth. Other reviewers have addresed the inaccuracies in the planes used - do not get me started on the mechanized land transportation. Tanks were only beginning to be developed and would not have been used as shown - also correct me if I am wrong but the Germans had already crossed the Meuse River much earlier in the War. At this point in time they would have been drive back - probably by Black Jack Pershing. The producers could have spent a bit more money on some historical research and less on their computer graphics. They did not get their money's worth there either. As it was, I could never tell who was who during the arial combat sequences. I would have sworn one fellow was dead only to have him reappear later in the movie. I did enjoy the camaraderie and would have like to see more of the unit as a whole.

4 out of 5 stars pretty good wwi movie.......2007-06-14

they don't bother to make many wwi movies anymore, so i was excited to see this one. the script is admittedly not very good, and the performances were kind of lame but they did not have good dialogue to work with. despite this i still enjoyed watching the movie as the combat sequences were very very realistic and had wonderful sound. it is great to finally see combat the way it probably really happened and feel adrenalin pumping. i thought that one scene in the howard hughes movie with decaprio got this across, and this movie continues what that scene suggested. too bad whoever wrote the script was not very smart or this could have been a classic.
1941 (Collector's Edition)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Boring, Tedious and Unfunny
  • second time around
  • Slapstick and Destruction! Wow!!
  • Don't judge a movie by the names on the box...
  • 1941-Review
 1941 (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Dan Aykroyd , Ned Beatty , John Belushi , Lorraine Gary , and Bobby Di Cicco
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Dan AykroydDan Aykroyd | Comedy Stars | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
John BelushiJohn Belushi | Comedy Stars | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Comic ActionComic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
Spielberg, StevenSpielberg, Steven | ( S ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
Allen, NancyAllen, Nancy | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Aykroyd, DanAykroyd, Dan | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Beatty, NedBeatty, Ned | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Belushi, JohnBelushi, John | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Benson, LucilleBenson, Lucille | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Candy, JohnCandy, John | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Cicco, Bobby DiCicco, Bobby Di | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Deezen, EddieDeezen, Eddie | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Gary, LorraineGary, Lorraine | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Hamilton, MurrayHamilton, Murray | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Kay, DianneKay, Dianne | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lang, PerryLang, Perry | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lee, ChristopherLee, Christopher | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Matheson, TimMatheson, Tim | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Oates, WarrenOates, Warren | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Stack, RobertStack, Robert | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Williams, TreatWilliams, Treat | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
All Universal Studios TitlesAll Universal Studios Titles | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
Action & AdventureAction & Adventure | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $10DVDs Under $10 | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Continental Divide
  2. Duel (Collector's Edition)
  3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
  4. The Sugarland Express
  5. Empire of the Sun

ASIN: 0783231032
Release Date: 1999-03-23

Amazon.com

Watching this director's cut, it's finally possible to see why the studio made Spielberg mercilessly hack up this comedy: it's a screaming movie (everyone screams a lot), and screaming movies do not need character development. So all those character-development scenes hit the cutting-room floor and, surprise, they were all critical to Spielberg's pace for the humor in this film. The screaming wasn't that funny then--and it still isn't--but what is funny are the reinserted development scenes, showcasing the now-evident sense of hysteria in the Los Angeles community, post-Pearl Harbor. A bunch of certified nitwits, and a few certified lunatics, act as if Tojo Hideki's entire Imperial force is just off the mainland. Actually, one Japanese submarine is, and it helps fuel the frenzy. John Belushi is Wild Bill Kelso, an insane fighter pilot, and Dan Aykroyd plays a conciliatory tank commander. Robert Stack's performance as General Stilwell, one of the best of the film, finally makes sense. Also fun for the numerous cameos, Spielberg's inside jokes, and John Williams's great score. --Keith Simanton

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Boring, Tedious and Unfunny.......2007-06-20

As with another user who wrote in a review, I found this in a discount bin at Wal-Mart. I'd always been aware of the movie, at least from a musical point of view, because John Williams recorded the march and "Swing! Swing! Swing!," his Benny Goodman pastiche, when he was with the Boston Pops Orchestra. (Both are wonderful pieces of music.) But I'd never seen the film. Now I wish I hadn't.

I'm sorry, but this thing misfires in almost every gag. There are some wonderful concepts here, and some hysterical situations (in both senses of the word). And some fine slapstick visuals. But the whole thing is so incredidbly heavy-handed and forced that whatever humor should have been there is crushed to death. In his comments in the bonus material for this DVD (taken quite obviously from a laser-disc version released many years ago), even Spielberg admits that the film should have been funnier. I'll see his bet and raise it: It should have been funny.

Laurel & Hardy could have done the destruction bit in far less time and on a shoestring budget and it would have been funny. The same thing happened a few years ago with a film called MOUSE HUNT, in which an entire mansion is destroyed. Again, L&H did it better in less time. Woody Allen, I believe, once said that any comedy over 90 minutes is doomed to failure. A "comedy" like this, running two hours and 20-some minutes, is sheer torture.

5 out of 5 stars second time around.......2007-06-13

First dvd we got was flawed, replacement is perfect. thanks for quick turnaround!

5 out of 5 stars Slapstick and Destruction! Wow!!.......2007-06-07

I "discovered" this funny movie on theatrical cut VHS many years ago and laffed alot. The directors cut does not diminish the pace. The DVD re-issue of the old Laser Disc in widescreen is OK but Universal gave the public a non-anamorphic version for 16x9 televisions (BOO on Universal!!). This is a collectors version???? Phooey! The zoom setting on projection TVs mess with the period style photography so I watch it on the 4x3 and the picture is sharper despite the purposeful soft, foggy 60 years ago "look". Everyone in this production does a fine job, it's too bad the more positive reviews in Europe were not included.

1 out of 5 stars Don't judge a movie by the names on the box..........2007-05-23

This was in the cheap bin at Wal-Mart, so I thought I'd give it a chance, seeing as how it 'featured' Dan Akroyd and John Belushi directed by Steven Spielberg. Towards the end of the movie, I found myself crying out for the pain to end. Most of the humor lies in the ridiculous slapstick category, which would make it a great children's movie if not for the constant sexual references (honestly, the funniest joke was the innuendo about the B-17). My only hope is that you see this review while trying to decide if you should purchase the DVD, and it makes you decide not to buy it. Epic Failure in the truest sense of the term.

5 out of 5 stars 1941-Review.......2007-05-13

Very pleased with the condition of the dvd and the timeframe that the dvd was received.
Thanks
Flyboys (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A truly bad movie
  • James Franco Becomes the next Ace Movie Pilot
  • Painfully fake
  • Not bad if you ignore the facts.
  • pretty good wwi movie
 Flyboys (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: James Franco , Scott Hazell , Mac McDonald , Philip Winchester , and Todd Boyce
Director: Tony Bill
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Tony ScottTony Scott | Action Directors | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Action & CombatAction & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
DramaDrama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
World War IWorld War I | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
World War IIWorld War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
War in the SkyWar in the Sky | By Theme | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
Heroic MissionsHeroic Missions | By Theme | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
Military LifeMilitary Life | By Theme | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
McDonald, MacMcDonald, Mac | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Reno, JeanReno, Jean | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Smith, Tim PigottSmith, Tim Pigott | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Bill, TonyBill, Tony | ( B ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
All MGM TitlesAll MGM Titles | MGM Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
( F )( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Two-Disc Special EditionsTwo-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)
  2. The Guardian
  3. The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
  4. Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
  5. The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000LAZE8W
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Amazon.com

World War I aviation action gets an impressive digital upgrade in Flyboys, a welcome addition to the "dogfight" sub-genre that includes such previous war-in-the-air films like Hell's Angels, Wings, and The Blue Max. While those earlier films had the advantage of real and genuinely dangerous flight scenes (resulting, in some cases, in fatal accidents during production), Flyboys takes full (and safe) advantage of the digital revolution, with intensely photo-realistic recreations of WWI aircraft, authentic period structures, and CGI environments requiring a total of 850 digital effects shots, resulting in an abundance of amazing images, many of them virtually indistinguishable from reality. Unfortunately, the film's technical achievement is more impressive than its screenplay, which conventionally and predictably tells the fact-based story, set in France in 1916, of the daring young pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille, a pioneering French air-combat unit that welcomed American enlistees prior to the United States' entry into the war.

There's a familiar cliché to match every thrilling scene of aerial combat, but director Tony Bill manages to keep it all interesting, from the romance between a young American maverick (James Franco) and a pretty French girl (newcomer Jennifer Decker) to the exciting action in the air, which includes a stock variety of heroes (many of them composites of real-life WWI pilots) and an intimidating villain known only as "The Black Falcon," whose Fokker Dr-1 triplane (one of many in the film) recalls the exploits of German "ace of aces" Manfred von Richtofen, the dreaded "Red Baron" of legend. With impeccable production values that will impress even the most nit-picking aviation buffs, Flyboys (like Superman Returns and Apocalypto, also released in 2006) was also one of the first feature films to be shot with Panavision's state-of-the-art Genesis digital cameras, resulting in beautiful images that meet or exceed the visual nuance of film. Flyboys also benefits from painstaking attention to physical detail, making it easier to forgive its shortcomings as a generic and formulaic slice of romanticized history. So while some viewers may have wished for a more realistic and grown-up depiction of the Lafayette Escadrille, it's safe to say that Flyboys will be thrilling its target audience for many years to come. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
If you're an aviation buff, the two-disc collectors edition of Flyboys is a must-have DVD. Disc 1 includes a full-length audio commentary by Tony Bill (whose directorial career began with the 1980 sleeper hit My Bodyguard) and producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day), who spend most of the film singing the praises of all things digital, from the use of Panavision's all-digital Genesis cameras to the film's impressive tally of 850 digital effects shots. They also discuss many of the technical challenges of making such an ambitious (and independently financed) film on a relatively modest budget of $65 million, and reveal many of the secrets behind some of the film's most impressive special effects. Disc 2 is where things get really interesting, beginning with the featurette "The Real Heroes of the Lafayette Escadrille," a profile of the pioneering French aerial combat unit depicted in Flyboys, with details about Henry Bullard, the first African American fighter pilot in history (the inspiration for "Eugene Skinner," the Flyboys character played by Abdul Salis) and the factual pilots who were made into composite characters for the film. "Diary of a Miniature Stunt Pilot" is a humorous, home-movie tour of Flyboys special-effects techniques; "Whiskey & Soda" is a profile of the lions who became the beloved mascots of the Lafayette Escadrille; and "Taking Flight" details the combinations of digital airplanes, models, and CGI environments that were used in the making of aerial battle sequences. "The Real Planes of Flyboys" is a treat for aviation buffs, since it shows many of the full-scale and 7/8th-scale vintage airplanes (some of them one-of-a-kind) that were either used in the film or completely digitized to safeguard their priceless historical value. The deleted scenes are above average (i.e. they're not just throwaways, but good scenes that were reluctantly cut for time), and another brief featurette shows cast members James Franco and David Ellison (respectively) enjoying promotional flights with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Disc 2 also includes a Flyboys Squadron DVD-ROM game for those equipped with compatible computers. --Jeff Shannon


Extras from Flyboys

Director Tony Bill on Filming Dogfight Sequences
...On throwing away the script for pilot training
...On the real-life stunt pilot who stars in the film

Beyond Flyboys

More "War in the Sky" Films
SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War 1


More "Military and War" Films

Stills from Flyboys




Description

Inspired by the true story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille, this action-packed epic tells the tale of America's first fighter pilots. These courageous young men distinguish themselves in a manner that none before them had dared, becoming true heroes who experience triumph, tragedy, love, and loss amid the chaos of World War I. Hang on for the ride of your life!

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars A truly bad movie.......2007-07-03

Considering the richness of the subject matter and the real life stories of those who lived it this was a truly bad movie. The makers tried to tell everything and as a result told nothing. The characters were unbelieveably superficial and too many of the flying scenes were historically inaccurate and unreal. If a few special effects are good too many are not necessarly better. The Blue Max and Battle of Britain are far far superior. For those who are willing to put up with a mess just to look at recreations of old airplanes its probably worth buying but be prepared for alot of dissapointment if you are looking for a good movie.

5 out of 5 stars James Franco Becomes the next Ace Movie Pilot.......2007-07-03

He kills in this one. Okay, okay...so you saw him in Spiderman 1, 2, and 3. He was ___. But now, this is the real deal: STARRING! When he stars, he kills. Now he is sure to get several new roles as well...you'll see.

So, the movie...and spoiling it. WW1 was before me, but the Flyboys movie wasn't. I loved the scene where someone lost a hand but not their life. The star is amazing at fighting in the air, leading in the air, leading on the ground, and just being centered. He falls in love in France where they are stationed (he is enlisted as a U.S. help towards France before U.S. enters the war). He saves her and her dead brother's 3 children at the last moment.

The end: The movie ends with a "National Lampoon's Animal House" written ending, one where each character has their life play out. Our hero, played by James Franco, never finds 1 of: his love, or his farm, or his mind, or his gun, or his plane, or his partner, or his pants...find out in THE MOVIE!

1 out of 5 stars Painfully fake.......2007-06-25

For a fan of the old wood and fabric fighters of WWI, this film causes nothing but heartburn. The CGI effects are painfully bad, so obviously fake that it hurts to watch. And the scenes where they use actual airplanes, or recreations, are just as bad. What really bugged me was the fighters with fixed radial engines, rather than the rotaries they should have had. Forget about this film, and just read "Winged Victory" for the story by somebody who lived it. If you want to see the real airplanes fly, go to Rhinebeck, NY.

2 out of 5 stars Not bad if you ignore the facts........2007-06-18

I confess I was entertained by the movie -in those moments when I wasn't screaming at the TV. Some of the historical inaccuracies were so glaring that even for a work of fiction it was hard to swallow. At the beginning the movie states that 9 million would eventually die in WWI - soliders perhaps. That total is nowhere complete if you add in the civillian dead. A good number of which would have come from the area in which the characters were fighting. The Verdun front was a wasteland for miles - towns were obliterated from the shelling - the area around the fronts were ruined for not years but decades. No cheery farmhouse with well-fed children, no trees or plowed fields visible from the air, nothing but death and destruction for miles and miles. Trench warfare was not confined to a thin sliver. Though the front itself moved only yards the shelling and death reigned over an extended area. There are villages in the area that never returned and if you drive over the battlefield even now 90 years later as I did, you can still see the craters and hills caused by the shelling. The aviators were above the day to day merciless killing field but they were not untouched by it. My biggest problem with the film was the complete santization of WWI. The northern part of France and southern Belgium were devasted far more thoroughly than even Germany in WWII. It was truely hell on earth. Other reviewers have addresed the inaccuracies in the planes used - do not get me started on the mechanized land transportation. Tanks were only beginning to be developed and would not have been used as shown - also correct me if I am wrong but the Germans had already crossed the Meuse River much earlier in the War. At this point in time they would have been drive back - probably by Black Jack Pershing. The producers could have spent a bit more money on some historical research and less on their computer graphics. They did not get their money's worth there either. As it was, I could never tell who was who during the arial combat sequences. I would have sworn one fellow was dead only to have him reappear later in the movie. I did enjoy the camaraderie and would have like to see more of the unit as a whole.

4 out of 5 stars pretty good wwi movie.......2007-06-14

they don't bother to make many wwi movies anymore, so i was excited to see this one. the script is admittedly not very good, and the performances were kind of lame but they did not have good dialogue to work with. despite this i still enjoyed watching the movie as the combat sequences were very very realistic and had wonderful sound. it is great to finally see combat the way it probably really happened and feel adrenalin pumping. i thought that one scene in the howard hughes movie with decaprio got this across, and this movie continues what that scene suggested. too bad whoever wrote the script was not very smart or this could have been a classic.
The Great Santini
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • BEWARE! THIS DVD ISN'T WIDESCREEN!
  • Great Movie!!!
  • As Good as an Oscar Nominee Gets
  • Falls short
  • Excellent and powerful film
 The Great Santini
Starring: Robert Duvall , Blythe Danner , Michael O'Keefe , Lisa Jane Persky , and Julie Anne Haddock
Director: Lewis John Carlino
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Family Life | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
Fathers & DaughtersFathers & Daughters | Family Life | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
Fathers & SonsFathers & Sons | Family Life | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
DramaDrama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
Danner, BlytheDanner, Blythe | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
David, KeithDavid, Keith | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Duvall, RobertDuvall, Robert | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Frankham, DavidFrankham, David | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 0790742799
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com

Robert Duvall gives one of his most memorable performances in the title role of this 1979 drama about a hardcore Marine lieutenant named Bull Meechum (Duvall), a fighter ace who calls himself "The Great Santini" and compensates for peacetime inactivity by waging war on his intimidated children. His wife (Blythe Danner) lovingly tolerates his behavior, but his 18-year-old son (Michael O'Keefe) is working up the courage to defy the domineering patriarch, whose need for competition borders on maniacal. When push comes to shove (and shove they certainly do), the son earns his father's begrudging respect, and as it turns out, just in time. Military brats may recognize their own experience in this comedic drama, but anyone can relate to the Meechum family's patriarchal dysfunction. Writer-director Lewis John Carlino (adapting the novel by Pat Conroy) does a fine job of balancing humor with the kind of stressful anxiety that can either strengthen a family or tear it apart. Both Duvall and O'Keefe were deservedly nominated for Academy Awards. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A mighty actor-Robert Duvall-gets a role to match as a "top gun" Marine fighter pilot at odds with his family and peacetime America. Blythe Danner and Michael O'Keefe co-star. Year: 1979 Director: Lewis John Carlino Starring: Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, Michael O'Keefe

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars BEWARE! THIS DVD ISN'T WIDESCREEN!.......2007-04-10

Dear Film Company Jackasses,

Surely you know we already hate you for your greed - Why do you add insult to injury by taking fine films like "The Great Santini" and cutting them to Full Screen?

Yet another fine film marred, no doubt, by some big company's desire to cut corners. Burn, Hollywood, burn!

5 out of 5 stars Great Movie!!!.......2006-12-01

I hadnt seen this movie in years but watched it again last night and remembered just what a great movie it is. Its some of Robert Duvalls best work and thats saying a lot as Im a big Duvall fan. Glad to have this movie in my collection! A+++

5 out of 5 stars As Good as an Oscar Nominee Gets.......2006-10-23

All right, this is five stars by the special standards of Hollywood. One could project other expectations. However, I was both shaken and entertained when I saw the film first run, and I remembered it well enough to buy it to show my teenage son a couple decades later. Is that recommendation enough?

3 out of 5 stars Falls short .......2006-08-03

Robert Duvall is great. There is no questioning his supremacy among all actors. One of his greatest roles was that of a looney marine in Apocalypse Now. I don't know if Apocalyse precedes or follows the great Santini. However, if it precedes, then Santini is a poor exploitation of a great character for Duvall.
This movie portrays an extremely demanding and unforgiving father of four kids. It shows Duvall's character's strengths of leadership and drive are his greatest weaknesses when transferred to his private family life.
The movie is very sentimental and has moments of trajedy and requisite humor. However, it fails to really push Duvall's character to the greatness he deserves. In the end, it is just a bland sort of family movie.

4 out of 5 stars Excellent and powerful film.......2006-05-10

This is a powerful film which features Robert Duvall as a classic tough-guy insensitive, non-PC career marine officer and jet-fighter pilot. The plot turns on the relationship between this incredibly gung-ho marine and his family, which has not completely bought in to the protagonist's 100% dedication to his marine identity. His teen-age son, in particular, is not cut from the same cloth as his father, and has no wish to follow in Dad's footsteps. This results in a conflict that this film handles excellently, and this film is a fine character study.

Duvall is simply brilliant, and the rest of the cast turn in fine performances. The viewer learns much about the Old South in this film also, with all its grace, culture, manners, and sadly, its bigotry.

This film manages to both inspire and depress the viewer, but it is a powerful viewing experience that is well worth watching and owning.
Stealth [Blu-ray]
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Blu-Ray version
  • spotty video
  • This movie is terrible and blu-ray doesn't make it any better
  • Stealth never looked this good!
  • Poor Quality for a HD disc
 Stealth [Blu-ray]
Starring: Josh Lucas , and Jessica Biel
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000F9RB9O
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Blu-Ray version.......2007-05-12

Okay I am not going to bother reviewing the content as such, suffice to say that it is a futuristic idea of what the armed forces may look like.
The Blu-Ray version of this movie is definitely one to showcase this format the colour renditioning is superb and PQ is second to none. I would have given this 5 stars but I felt the audio, as is often the case with BD titles, let the production down. Not to say that it was bad but more that it could have been better.

3 out of 5 stars spotty video.......2007-05-12

a fun popcorn movie with some memorable scenes,the blue-ray version offers some fine detail in many scenes but bad color in some.black levels are lacking though.a good movie for your ps3 if it's on sale.

1 out of 5 stars This movie is terrible and blu-ray doesn't make it any better.......2007-02-02

I'm a huge fan of military aircraft, which is really the only reason I went to see it and, I'll admit, the airplanes were cool and they really stand out on an HD TV, (not to mention that Jessica Biel is really hot in a flight suit) but the story and acting is so bad, and much of it utterly pointless, that I was almost sick to my stomach after watching it. I just don't understand how these writers get a job in the first place. The only conclusion I've been able to come to is that their names are drawn from hats, but I just don't know. Like I said, the planes are really cool, but PLEASE spare yourself two hours and find some clips/pics of the planes online and be happy with that. Avoid this movie at all costs!

4 out of 5 stars Stealth never looked this good!.......2007-01-12

Let me just put this simply: 3D!

I tested this BD on my PS3 via component cables to my 29" CRT TV, back to back with the DVD version. The result was very obvious. Although I didn't really see anything incredible when I played the BD, I was thoroughly suprised when I switched back to the DVD. I was asking where did all the colours go. I was asking why everything were so flat. I was asking if this is the power to BD. The contrast gave you a sense of depth to the picture, making everything 'pop-out' from the screen. The clarity were awesome and there were no artifacts anywere. The weakness? It looked so good that it looks fake. Welcome to the digital edge where everything is super-enhanced and nothing is organic anymore.

On the sound front, the Dolby Digital track was exactly the same as the one on the DVD. The PS3 doesn't support PCM 5.1 via optical, so I couldn't test the Uncompressed PCM track.

Other than that, there's nothing much to the BD. I only bought it because I wanted a title to compliment my X-Men III, which is good on sound, but bad on picture. Stealth is the title to test out BD picture quality if you ever needed one.

1 out of 5 stars Poor Quality for a HD disc.......2006-11-26

I own this movie both in Blu-ray and in non-HD DVD format. On a Samsung Blu-ray player the quality is about the same between these two formats. Save yourself some money and go with the regular format.

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