The Lost Empire

Starring:Thomas Gibson, Ling Bai, Russell Wong, Ric Young, Kabir Bedi, Eddie Marsan, Randall Duk Kim, Henry O, Pik Sen Lim, Burt Kwouk, Chia Suan, Hon Ping Tang, Teo Wa, Annette Badland, Stiven Liang, Cecil Cheng, Richard Ng, Anthony Chinn, Ozzie Yue, Gregory Teo
Director: Peter MacDonald
Studio: Hallmark
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Roundly dismissed as one of Steven Spielberg's least successful efforts, this very underrated film poignantly follows the World War II adventures of young Jim (a brilliant Christian Bale), caught in the throes of the fall of China. What if you once had everything and lost it all in an afternoon? What if you were only 12? Bale's transformation, from pampered British ruling-class child to an imprisoned, desperate, nearly feral boy, is nothing short of stunning. Also stunning are exceptional sets, cinematography, and music (the last courtesy of John Williams) that enhance author J.G. Ballard's and screenwriter Tom Stoppard's depiction of another, less familiar casualty of war.

In a time when competitors were releasing "comedic," derivative coming-of-age films, Empire of the Sun stands out as an epic in the classic David Lean sense--despite confusion or perceived competition with the equally excellent The Last Emperor (also released in 1987, and also a coming-of-age in a similar setting). It is also a remarkable testament to, yes, the human spirit. And despite its disappointing box-office returns, Empire of the Sun helped to further establish Spielberg as more than a commercial director and set the standard, tone, and look for future efforts Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. --N.F. Mendoza

Description

Steven Spielberg's epic about a youngster's harrowing and remarkable experiences in World War II-era China after the Japanese invasion. Best Picture,Director/ National Board of Review.

Customer Reviews:

Visually arresting from start to finish...great performances..........2007-06-08

EMPIRE OF THE SUN is a gem of movie-making. Visually arresting from start to finish, given a sumptuous musical score by John Williams and some of the finest cinematography ever seen, it is hard to understand why the film is not as highly acclaimed as it ought to be...nor is it fitting that it was nominated for six Academy Awards but received none.

It's a sweeping epic but depends on capturing your interest by giving the main burden to the young Christian Bale who certainly has one of the great child roles of a lifetime as Jim--and becomes the character so completely that his final reunion with his parents brings tears to the eyes. By that time, the viewer has been through so much with him, watching as he grows from spoiled rich kid to a wily boy who must fend for himself among the wolf-pack of prisoners interred by the Japanese.

Basically, it's the real life story of one boy's survival during the outbreak of World War II when he is separated from his British parents during the evacuation of Shanghai. It is a spectacularly staged evacuation scene that is topped throughout by other scenes of visual splendor and poignant moments that stay in the memory long after the film is over. The boy's fascination with the beauty of planes and the horrors of war are well documented--as is his strange fascination with the Japanese and his doomed friendship with a Japanese boy.

The film falls squarely on the shoulders of Christian Bale, so much so that the supporting players are never fully fleshed characters. However, all of them within a limited range--including John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson and Nigel Havers--do magnificent jobs. Steven Spielberg's direction cannot be faulted. He has given us a closeup glimpse of war and its effect on people that can only be rivaled by his later masterwork, SCHINDLER'S LIST.

Technically, the film is a brilliant achievement in all of its World War II details. And Christian Bale certainly deserved an Oscar for what has to be one of the strongest performances ever given by a child actor, with never a false step, every nuance just perfect.

Touching and sad movie.......2007-05-24

This movie reflects on war and its effects on a little boy. It is very entertaining yet very sad. I definitely recommend this movie to everyone who would like to know some of war's ugly sides. A great buy!

Love it!!.......2007-05-14

I have been looking for this film all over, and when I found out that Amazon had it I was really excited. I love this classic film and now I have the chance to watch it when ever I want. Thank you sooooo much.

Very good film........2007-05-13

People of all ages can enjoy this film about coming of age in a time of war. It has beautiful imagery and uses its soundtrack very effectively. Beautiful work from a younger Spielberg.

I've watched it three times now........2007-05-13

The acting and the directing transform this story into an unforgetable movie. Stephan Spielberg's scenes are great!

Average customer rating:

Excellent take on Atlantis
Very authentic source for Atlantean language (Dig Adlantisag)
Does just as much things right as it does wrong
Grand, song-free adventure
Holes in the Plot but Nice to Watch

Atlantis - The Lost Empire
Starring: Michael J. Fox , Corey Burton , Claudia Christian , James Garner , and John Mahoney
Director: Kirk Wise , and Gary Trousdale
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Treasure Planet
Atlantis - Milo's Return
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Tarzan (Special Edition)
Hercules (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

ASIN: B00005RDSQ
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Amazon.com

The Disney Studio was built on innovation in animation, so it seems ironic that Atlantis is both a bold departure and highly derivative, borrowing heavily from anime, video games, and graphic novels. Instead of songs and fuzzy little animals, the artists offer an action-adventure set in 1914: nerdy linguist Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox) believes he's found the location of the legendary Lost Continent. An eccentric zillionaire sends Milo out to test his hypothesis with an anachronistic crew that includes tough Puerto Rican mechanic Audrey (Jacqueline Obradors), demolition expert Vinnie (Don Novello), and butt-kicking blond adventurer Helga (Claudia Christian). When they find Atlantis, its culture is dying because the people can no longer read the runes that explain their mysterious power source--but Milo can. Nasty Commander Rourke (James Garner) attempts to steal that power source, leading to the requisite all-out battle.

Atlantis offers some nifty battle scenes, including an attack on a Jules Verne-esque submarine by a giant robotic trilobite and fishlike flying cars. But the film suffers from major story problems. If Princess Kida (Cree Summer) remembers her civilization at its height, why can't she read the runes? Why doesn't Milo's crew notice that the Atlanteans live for centuries? The angular designs are based on the work of comic book artist Mike Mignola (Hellboy), and the artists struggle with the characters' stubby hands, skinny limbs, and pointed jaws. The result is a film that will appeal more to 10-year-old boys than to family audiences.

Suitable for ages 8 and up: violence, scary imagery, tobacco use, and a difficult-to-follow story. --Charles Solomon

Description

From the creative team who brought you THE LION KING and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST comes an exciting quest of adventure and discovery. Join the expedition and search below the sea for one of the greatest mysteries of all time ... ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE. The world's most highly qualified crew of archaeologists and explorers are led by historian Milo Thatch as they board the incredible 1,000-foot submarine Ulysses and head deep into the mysteries of the sea. The underwater expedition takes an unexpected turn when the team's mission must switch from exploring Atlantis to protecting it. Filled with stunning visual effects, this captivating story is loaded with laughs and messages of friendship and teamwork. Dive into ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE -- it's an adventure your family will enjoy taking over and over again.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent take on Atlantis.......2007-06-30

I really liked this story from start to finish. I thought it did give a different take on the lost city and how it was lost and possibly forgotten by most. I also did like the part of the story about the "use of crystals" and what message that did send. Don't abuse power, respect and honor it. See this movie for yourself and make your own opinions of it. I liked it very much and will be watching it over and over again!!!

Very authentic source for Atlantean language (Dig Adlantisag).......2007-06-16

The added features have great appeal to those interested the on-going work toward the discipherment and codification of Atlantean, the language made up for the movie.

The journal pages on disk 2 are very legible (compared to the movie) and contain actual Atlantean - just as Don Hahn said in an interview with ReelFilms.Com. And according to Okrand, the written Atlantean that appears in the film is the largest portion of the language exihibited anywhere (as opposed to speaking parts). Other interesting linguist features are "How to Speak Atlantean", the transcription of which can be found online at LangMaker.Com and in the book "Subterranean Tours" on page 61.

The "hub" and archives of most discipherment efforts is the Yahoo Tech Group The Atlantean Language Group. There's also a messy Wikipedia article and many low-profile online webpages. It's a historic conlang with a vocabulary that's primarily Proto-Indo-European and a grammar that's mostly Latin, only with post-positions and no variety in grammatical case endings: there's one declension and no grammatical gender.

Just make sure the DVD you order has no viruses before you send feedback. Mine has a virus that shuts down my computer for long periods of time.

The language is awesome. That's the only reason I'd buy a movie like this. The movie is highly Wiccan in influence and, as such, completely spiritually corrupt and lamentably geared toward children. Buyer, beware!

Does just as much things right as it does wrong.......2007-03-13

When one looks at the studio's Walt Disney-approved output to the recent input, there's almost a kind of "yeah they're good but they're not as good as ". It's quite unfair to continually compare everything they do to their best but when they've done as much popular movies as they have, it's hard not to. We have Atlantis, the first movie Disney has done in recent years that breaks the mold of the so-called "Disney formula": wisecracking comic reliefs, lovable non-talkative pets, songs fit for Broadway and a bit more toned-down as far as violence and scariness are concerned. Maybe that's the reason the film didn't make as big a profit? Or is just simply audiences knew when an okay film was in theatres.

Milo Thatch, a historian/adventure seeker has been searching for the lost continent of Atlantis for years. Being aided financially and a crew, Milo searches for the continent, braving obstacles set in place to dissuade travellers. Eventually the crew reach the lost city and meet Kida, the King's daughter who along with Milo, tries to solve a mystery involving the city and rescue it for those who want to exploit the city itself.

It's always strange but Disney is underrated when it deals with heavy scenes. From Bambi's mother to Maleficent the dragon to Chernabog from Fantasia to my favorite, the Headless Horseman in Legend of Sleepy Hollow, there have been moments of a more darker quality. Yet some of them seemed toned down in fear that kids wouldn't like it. So it's nice to see Atlantis break that tradition a bit. The opening sequence of Atlantis (including a fantastic opening shot, sound and animation-wise), the encounter with a mechanical Atlantis guardian and the ending are just as thrilling for adults but maybe a bit too intense for little kids. Speaking of animation, it's also some of their animators' best from the backgrounds to the art direction and character designs and thanks to a stellar transfer, it allows you to be see their efforts in the best way.

However, the problems come from 2 key areas: the story and characters. I've watched plenty of animes so I'm a bit more receptive to strange plots but this is one of those where at times it's like "uh...I don't get that part." And the film just kind of chugs along, there's no real emotional connection so we go from scene to scene and feeling a bit disconnected. And it's strange that the old Disney films had one-dimensional characters but we still loved them anyway. There's even the Seven Dwarfs that were pretty one-note but each one became a favorite regardless. Aside from a weird dirt-obsessed character named Moliere and the occasional funny line from the bomb-obsessed Vinny, we never really care for anyone.

Finally no songs or cutesyness yet the story itself just doesn't feel right. But at least they had the balls to at least try something new for a change. I love the animation and its tone but the main areas that should've got more attention got shortchanged. Not really a throwaway film, just an interesting flawed one.

Grand, song-free adventure.......2007-03-09

This is one of the few "dark" Disney animated films that have achieved the PG rating (*shudder*). Thus, there are lots of explosions, strange happenings, guns, and other stuff like that. Not your typical song-and-dance-with-animal fare.

The story is about this linguist nerd who wants to find Atlantis, and does. The sidekicks (esp. Vinnie) have some great quips.

If you like steampunk, good film to watch once in a while.

Holes in the Plot but Nice to Watch.......2007-01-09

Throw away those fuzzy slippers and be prepared for an adventure in the tradition of "Swiss Family Robinson" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." A crew of adventurers and a nerdy librarian head deep under the ocean to seek the lost city of Atlantis.

Milo Thatch (nicely voiced by Michael J. Fox) lives in the shadow of his adventurous grandfather. Michael is a sheltered librarian, but he has twinges of adventure. Milo accepts the opportunity to accompany an expedition in search of Atlantis, though Milo requires a little persuasion.

The expedition seems well equipped. The leader of the expedition, Commander Rourke (voiced by James Garner) also seems quite competent, if a bit too enthusiastic. Unfortunately, the expedition failed to prepare for the obstacles they would soon face, beginning with a giant creature (the kraken) guarding the entrance to an undersea cave.

After the encounter with the creature the expedition is several reduced. Fortunately Milo is quite knowledgeable and leads the remnants of the expedition to a great city. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the city was once great, because the people in the city seem relatively simple. There is little technology evident and the people seem like simple farmers and fishermen. Yet, Milo's books tell him that the city possesses great treasures and a great secret.

Soon Milo finds himself at odds with Commander Rourke and other members of the crew as they reveal the real purpose they came to Atlantis. Will Milo and the Atlanteans survive the catastrophe that is about to occur? What happened to the technology that Atlantis supposedly has? Will Milo and beautiful Atlantean Kida fall in love? A viewer has many things to discover in this film!

I like this movie though it has a number of issues. The list of problems in the movie is lengthy and has been well covered in other places, so I will not repeat the list here. Some of the problems are very evident; others require repeated watching to spot (unless you have reviewed the list of problems before watching). I still like the movie in spite of the problems.

I have always enjoyed Disney's adventure films (the Davy Crockett movies, "Island at the Top of the World," etc.), but Disney has focused on fuzzy critters and movies aimed at pre-teen girls in recent years. It is nice to see Disney return to its roots with a rousing adventure film. Have fun with the mistakes in the movie and enjoy a bowl of popcorn while spotting them. Fans of Disney's adventure films will like this one!

Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

DO NOT waste your time...
awsome!!!!!
The Lost Kingdom
Entertainment vs Accuracy
chill ppl, the movie is interesting. why can't you just enjoy it dhuh??

The Lost Empire
Starring: Thomas Gibson , Ling Bai , Russell Wong , Ric Young , and Kabir Bedi
Director: Peter MacDonald
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Arabian Nights
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ASIN: B00005COWD
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Amazon.com

This three-hour made-for-television epic based on the classic Chinese story Journey to the West is an engaging mix of fantasy and martial-arts adventure, and it features a veritable tsunami of special effects. The plot involves an American China scholar (played by Thomas Gibson) whose knowledge of Asian mythology becomes astoundingly useful when he is magically transported into other dimensions by terra cotta warriors who come to life. The American scholar soon finds himself face to face with a wisecracking Monkey King (Russell Wong), a mystical warrior whose martial-arts skills are matched only by his sarcastic one-liners. The mismatched heroes have only three days to find an ancient manuscript and thereby save the world from destruction, and they're assisted by the timely interventions of the Goddess of Mercy (played by Bai Ling). The rambling plot puts the characters into confrontations with tigers, dragons, and evil giants, and at times they're joined by such unorthodox allies as a human with the head of a pig. As his quest progresses, the scholar has to learn to think like a warrior, and there are innumerable obstacles put in his path. Even if the plot doesn't always seem terribly coherent, the computer-generated special effects are entertaining, and the film has no shortage of bizarre villains, flashy martial-arts scenes, and sardonic quips from the Monkey King. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews:

DO NOT waste your time..........2007-06-25

This movie was so bad and yet I watched it all just to see if possibly it would get better. It didn't. The only one that can act is the damn monkey and even then the character development is slim. I always buy Halmark movies, they've been great (10th Kingdom etc) but this one is the worst movie they've ever endorsed. I read all the reviews and decided to give it a chance-save yourself the dissapointment. The movie could have been so good. The plot is quite good but the screenplay, acting, effects, are not. A goddess having a drink at the bar...come on, even I won't watch something that lame. Mythology is something I love but the way these people portray it becomes laughable, and disrespects the story it's trying to tell. Most of all you can't even like the hero because he is so annoying! Buy the Snow Queen, Jack and the Beanstalk, DEFINETLY 10th Kingdom, but don't buy this movie!
(no, don't even think about giving it a chance because it has a cool cover)

awsome!!!!!.......2007-05-31

i liked this movie so much i don't know what to say about it other than it's friggin awsome!!!!! it has a great story line, i liked it so much i bought it. i originally saw it on the scifi channel but didn't get to see the whole thing. if you want something to make you laugh then you ought to get this movie.

The Lost Kingdom.......2007-05-27

Well done modern telling of a classic Chinese tale. Some special effects were not up to todays standards but that did not get in the way of a well done story.

Entertainment vs Accuracy.......2006-12-06

I picked 3 stars as a medium for this movie.

For those of you who enjoy mythical worlds for entertainment purposes, then you might rank this as high as 4 stars. Though the acting by Thomas Gibson (playing journalist Nick Orton, the Scholar) falls a bit flat, Russell Wong makes for an enthusiastic and entertaining Monkey King. The costumes are nicely done, particularly that of Pigsy, and the martial arts scenes are well choregraphed though a little cheesy sometimes. The special effects, while not perfect quality, give the movie character and a touch of humor.

For those of you who favor accuracy, this probably falls as low as two stars. (1 if you are an extremist, but then why did you even bother watching this?) The movie was created with little regard of the historical/modern origins of Buddhist religion. Issues of particular note are:
1. the Goddess Kwan Ying's deception/drunkenness at the begining of the movie and the romantic feelings throughout the film conflicting with the modern view of the holy figure Guan Yin (whom Kwan Ying is based on)**
2. the portrayal of Confucious as greedy and selfish instead of wise
3. (though not a religious issue) there seems to be a little bit of a dig at Chinese communism in the movie's second half which may be too much for the politically sensitive. There is some obvious emphasis on Western values such as individualism vs the collectivism of the Chinese.

** For those of you crying bloody murder over the portrayal of Guan Yin and looking for a warped version of a Christian holy figure, see the movie series 'Prophecy' by Gregory Widen. (Interestingly, Russell Wong is also a lead in Prophecy II as Danyael.) The archangel Gabriel has turned against the Christian God and the humans of God's creation. The warping of holy figures doesn't just happen to those of Chinese origin - it happens everywhere.

Note: THIS IS ***NOT*** A RECREATION OF 'JOURNEY TO THE WEST'!!!

Too many people seem to be expecting this. If you are looking for a retelling of 'Journey to the West', keep going as this is not for you. This is a Westernized story that pulls elements from the story "Journey to the West". You will not find a cast of all Asian characters. You will not find Buddhism or Confucionism presented here accurately. This is an entertainment piece and not a historical one. This was made for a the general American (and European?) audience and not an Asian one.

chill ppl, the movie is interesting. why can't you just enjoy it dhuh?? .......2006-08-16

it's funny reading some of you ppl ...
making such a big deal over religion, confucius, kuan yin, and all that.
you're so self-righteous that you missed the point of this movie.
kuan yin falls in love with the teacher. she knew she was risking the loss of her godliness ... but being the goddess of mercy,
she was willing to do what she needed to do ...
in order to save the world.
that is what compassion is all about.
confucians being insulted that their master is portray as a snivelling self-centred so and so?
well, maybe he was as self-righteous as those who put down this movie.
step back and stop looking at it from the perspective of the true message; not from what the pig, monkey, kuan yin, white man, yellow man, whatever.
the story and message is good over evil.
and that even gods can fall in love.
some , like monkey , finds love as rather unnecessary.
but, is it not due to their own self-centeredness?
like monkey, who is portrayed as rather arrogant and too concerned with himself. is it no surprise that he finds loving another person unnecessary? he's too much engrossed in himself.

i don't think it was the intention to insult anybody's beliefs or what not. what's the point?
the story is interesting, and the fights are kept to a minimum...
not like the jackie chan and jet li, or kill bill
overkill.

it's meant to send a message , as kuan yin tells the scholar:
you cannot do wrong if you listen to your heart.
remember your past, you were hurt by love,
but you can do great things if you only continue to listen to your heart.

that's all there is ...
no great insults, no subversive insinuations,
... just a simple message.

why make mountains out of molehills???

in closing,
every one has their own perspective of what is and what is not.
we're all unique, and sometimes we need to see it from the other person point of view.
you are not wrong, neither am i. we're just different...
and why don't you just enjoy the movie, huh?

it's an enjoyable movie.
at the end, with monkey , pig and the other walking away...
it reminds me of tin man, lion,...
of wizard of oz.

that was a fun movie, and an unforgettable one,
and so is this one.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Excellent take on Atlantis
Very authentic source for Atlantean language (Dig Adlantisag)
Does just as much things right as it does wrong
Grand, song-free adventure
Holes in the Plot but Nice to Watch

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Michael J. Fox , Corey Burton , Claudia Christian , James Garner , and John Mahoney
Director: Kirk Wise , and Gary Trousdale
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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Atlantis - Milo's Return
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ASIN: B00005RDSN
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Amazon.com

Suitable for ages 8 and up: violence, scary imagery, tobacco use, and a difficult-to-follow story. --Charles Solomon

Description

Set your course for the ultimate undersea adventure of discovery and amazement in this state-of-the-art 2-Disc DVD Collector's Edition. Begin your journey by exploring the action-and-effects packed 2D/3D animated feature and awe-inspiring extras on Disc One. Navigate through stunning, never-before-seen bonus features on Disc Two using one of three exclusive viewing modes, a historic first from Disney! Loaded to capacity with technical wizardry, this special Collector's Edition of ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE sets a course as one of Disney's most exciting DVD creations ever. The journey awaits!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent take on Atlantis.......2007-06-30

Very authentic source for Atlantean language (Dig Adlantisag).......2007-06-16

Does just as much things right as it does wrong.......2007-03-13

Grand, song-free adventure.......2007-03-09

Holes in the Plot but Nice to Watch.......2007-01-09

Average customer rating:

The Ingenuity of the Inca

NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires - Inca
Director: Michael Barnes
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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In Search of History - Lost City of the Incas (History Channel)
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The Incas Remembered
NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires - Pyramid/Obelisk
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ASIN: B000C8STPS
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Product Description

Nova's team of scientists look at how the Inca tribe survived in the Peruvian Andes 500 years ago.

System Requirements:

Running Time 60 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

The Ingenuity of the Inca.......2007-06-20

If the Incas didn't have wheels, then how did they erect huge walls? If they didn't have writing, how did they keep tabs on things? This documentary tries to answer that. Basically, those filmed try to set stones in a similar fashion and build an Incan bridge. The first project is speculative but the second project is actually done by the Incas' descendants.

Personally, I prefer documentaries about ancient peoples more than about their structures. Whereas ancient Egyptian paintings really grab my attention, I can look at Maccu Pichu (sp?) and be bored visually. This work shows a bit of modern, indigenous Peruvians. In fact, they seemed to be proud to try to discover the ways of the ancients. They showed women carrying babies trying to pull stones with the menfolk; you'd never see a woman with a non-weaned child in a Western construction site. I think the presence of the white academics and the indigenous Peruvians is meant to show something multiracial and coalitional. They show both groups eating cooked guinea pig and I'm almost sure it's shown just to amuse and possibly gross out viewers in industrialized countries.

The work isn't sappy, but it will impress the viewer about how amazing human ingenuity is. People of the past had high infant mortality and low life expectancies, but that didn't stop them from erecting things that can last for centuries.

If your children like the film and Saturday cartoon "Emperor's New Groove," then you may want to let them view this documentary.

Average customer rating:

Byzantium: Lost Empire (2pc) (Dol)
Starring: Byzantium-the Lost Empire
Manufacturer: Koch Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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A Man for All Seasons (Special Edition)

ASIN: B000QGE86A
Release Date: 2007-08-14

Description

For more than 1,000 years, the Byzantine Empire was the eye of the entire world - the origin of great literature, fine art and modern government. Heir to Greece and Rome, the Byzantine Empire was also the first Christian empire. Now, after a year of filming on three continents, TLC unlocks this ancient civilization, spanning 11 centuries and three continents. Pass through the gates of Constantinople, explore the magnificent mosque of Hagia Sophia and see the looted treasures of the empire now located in St. Marks, Venice.

Byzantium: The Lost Empire documentary 2-disc DVD set from TLC

Average customer rating:

Byzantium: The Lost Empire documentary 2-disc DVD set from TLC

Manufacturer: Discovery Channel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

The History of Orthodox Christianity
Testament: The Bible and History
Lost Worlds (History Channel)
Byzantium: The Decline and Fall
Decisive Battles of the Ancient World (History Channel)

Product Features:

3 hours 29 minutes on 2 DVDs
1997 documentary.

ASIN: B000MU2LY6

Product Description

This is a fabulous two-disc set, "Building The Dream & Heaven on Earth" and Envy of the World & For Ever and Ever." For more than 1,000 years, the Byzantine Empire was the eye of the entire world the origin of great literature, fine art and modern government. Heir to Greece and Rome, it was the first Christian empire, spanning 11 centuries and three continents. In the end, plundered and sacked by invaders, Byzantium nearly became extinct. Now, after a year of filming on three continents, TLC unlocks this ancient region to uncover the great cultures that helped shape the Western world. Pass through the gates of Constantinople, the eye of the world, where East still meets West. Explore the magnificent mosque of Hagia Sophia. Visit the treasury of St. Mark's in Venice and see antiquities never before filmed for television. You'll be transported to a world that history has nearly forgotten. It's a journey you won't forget. Hosted by noted historian John Romer.

Average customer rating:

Anything With Ross Hagen And Robbie The Robot Will Be Excellent, I'm Sure...
What more could you want?

Phantom Empire
Starring: Ross Hagen , Jeffrey Combs , Dawn Wildsmith , Robert Quarry , and Susan Stokey
Director: Fred Olen Ray
Manufacturer: Retromedia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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Gwendoline - Unrated Director's Cut (aka - The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak)
War Gods of Babylon & War Goddess
Slaves of the Realm
Galaxy Hunter
Women in Fury

ASIN: B000AYYVCE
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Description

A group of scientists searching for the lost city of R'lyla face terror when they become unwilling dinner guests at a cannibal feast. But bad turns to worse when they face Zal, the amazon ruler, in her bedroom. Director Fred Olen Ray assembles a seasoned troupe of genre film veterans for this bizarre cinematic coctail.

Customer Reviews:

Anything With Ross Hagen And Robbie The Robot Will Be Excellent, I'm Sure..........2006-12-22

This is a cheapie starring legendary B-movie icon Ross Hagen as a master spelunker, scream queen Michelle Bauer as a "cave bunny," and Sybil Danning as an alien queen. The plot is almost unbearably silly: some explorers and scientists go on a trek to the center of the Earth, where they discover a land of luscious prehistoric cave bunnies who can't speak a word, but who have crafted rather nice bikinis for themselves. The cave bunnies are entangled with a group of underground mutant cannibals (I never knew that when you roasted a live human female on a spit that you left her swimsuit on, removing only the jeans...) and the three parties spend the first half of the film chasing each other around the caves until a laser-wielding Robbie the Robot turns up to try to stop the fight, though he is defeated by the makeup mirror in a woman's compact. (Really. Don't ask.)

Eventually the explorers plus cave bunny Bauer emerge from the cave in (of course) a land that time forgot featuring an evil, but busty alien queen, Sybil Danning, in the most ludicrous vehicle I have seen in a long time. From then on there is a three way struggle featuring the explorers, the Queen and her minions, and stop motion dinosaurs clearly lifted from another movie (I believe they are from the same source as was seen in the altogether more entertaining "Galaxy of the Dinosaurs.") They chase each other around the desert, wrestle, and encounter a volcano (more stock footage) before ultimately carjacking the Queen's vehicle, blowing it up in a cave, and finding themselves free on the other side of the cave with millions worth of diamonds they discovered in the desert. Confused? You will be.

This is essentially low-budget monster movie mayhem, and as such is camp of the highest order. It is stupid, but cheesily fun. I recommend it only to people who like campy, trashy mindlessly silly pictures starring yesterday's favorites from the B-movie circuit. The DVD has several extras including a commentary, and a sometimes (though mostly not) amusing introduction from Director Fred Olen Ray; this is part of his "Nite Owl Theater" series, which I hope he continues in the same spirit of Joe Bob Briggs. The drive in will live forever!

What more could you want?.......2006-07-16

This movie has everything: lost underground "civilisations", cave mutants, bikini clad cave bunnies, Barbeque Girl, Robbie the Robot (back after all these years with a new head and available for rent, cheap), dinosaurs, a spaceship, topless catfighting, swordplay, laserbolts, stock footage of a volcano and Sybil Danning bounding about in, and almost out of, very tight leather. It just keeps rollicking along.

Who cares if it doesn't have a believable plot, a good script or decent acting? If you want a decent laugh listen to the director's commentary and the interviews. Shot in about six days on virturally no budget, nobody took this seriously, and neither should you.

The eye-candy keeps improving as the movie progresses, too. Somebody in Hollywood must have made a fortune making bikinis for movies like this. And Sybil Danning, almost busting out, bounds gleefully around the set, swinging a sword, glowering imperiously down her nose and trying not to laugh as she delivers her lines. Sybil, the Mistress of the Master Race (she is Austrian) plays the Alien Queen. (In this one they didn't let her carry a whip, but at the bequest of the other women on the set she punched out the leading actor.) She is tall, athletic, gorgeous and sexy, which makes her one of my favourite actresses. Who cares if she didn't have to act? I've seen her act in other movies, but in this one, she just doesn't have to.

If you want a movie with reasonable T&A, a fast pace, a bit of a laugh and which requires no use of the grey matter at all, I recommend this. If you want a good movie, forget it.

Hallmark TV Classics Collection II (Arabian Nights/Jason and the Argonauts/The Lost Empire/Moby Dick/The Odyssey)

Average customer rating:

Hallmark TV Classics Collection II (Arabian Nights/Jason and the Argonauts/The Lost Empire/Moby Dick/The Odyssey)
Starring: Armand Assante , Greta Scacchi , Isabella Rossellini , Bernadette Peters , and Eric Roberts
Director: Andrei Konchalovsky , Steve Barron , and Nick Willing
Manufacturer: Hallmark
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The 10th Kingdom
The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
Merlin (Special Edition)
The Mists of Avalon
Cleopatra

ASIN: B00005U12D
Release Date: 2002-01-15

Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Ancient Rome the Glorious Empire

Average customer rating:

Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Ancient Rome the Glorious Empire
Starring: Ancient Rome
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

5000 Years of Magnificent Wonders: Ancient Rome
Ancient Mysteries - Ancient Rome and Its Mysterious Cities
The History Channel Presents Julius Caesar's Rome
Ancient Mysteries: Incredible Monuments of Rome
Ancient Greece - Traditions of Greek Culture

ASIN: B000FC2HKY
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Description

The Roman Empire gave history one of its most eventful and colorful periods: its legacy remains for all to see in the incredible civic buildings, temples and the ancient city. Places such as the Forum, the Coliseum and the Pantheon hang heavy with the atmosphere of distant glories, providing fascinating echoes of a truly remarkable people. This program contains superb graphics and computer animation, detailed reconstructions of Roman life, paintings and images, location footage, and Insightful interpretation and analysis.

DVD:

DVD List

DVD

DVD

The Flintstones - The Complete First Season

Ghosts of England : DVD

Miss All-American Beauty (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: JFK: Reckless Youth (True Stories Collection)

A Tour Of The Universe