Power & Lovers

Starring:Vincent Riotta, Stephen Dillane, Julian Glover, Jemma Redgrave, Franco Citti, Daisy White, Renato Mori, Antonio Cantafora, Angela Luce, George Castiglia, Manuel Colao, Tony Lo Bianco, Fabio Calvari, Ian Falconer, Sandro Ghiani, Evelina Gori, Donald Hodson, Togo Igawa, Paolo Lorimer, Timothy Martin
Director: Aldo Lado
Studio: Madacy Records
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

The Best of The Best
excellent workout
Another A++++
Awesome DVD, great challenges
Intense!

Power Yoga - Total Body Workout
Starring: Rodney Yee
Director: Ted Landon
Manufacturer: Living Arts
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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A.M. and P.M. Yoga for Beginners
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ASIN: B0000A2ZQE
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com

Power yoga "demands your attention," says instructor Rodney Yee. He leads a challenging, constantly progressing series of poses, one flowing into the next, integrating breath, movement, tension, and relaxation. The poses include Sun Salutation, standing poses, forward bends, back bends, twists, and arm balances. The first poses are fairly easy, and with each repetition of the series, Yee adds on more difficult movements, extending the series without pausing. You're encouraged to do as much of the series that fits your level, up to the entire 65-minute workout if you're an experienced yoga practitioner. Although you can begin at any level, some familiarity with yoga is recommended. The Hawaiian setting is gorgeous and inspiring. This is an excellent yoga workout that you can grow with, adding on more as you get stronger. --Joan Price

Customer Reviews:

The Best of The Best.......2007-06-20

I purchased this DVD three years ago and, although I own many yoga DVDs, "Power Yoga: Total Body Workout" and "Total Energy Yoga," another Yee DVD, are the ones to which I keep returning. "Power Yoga" is, as advertised, an excellent, total body workout -- albeit not one for beginners -- with just the right amount of instruction and no irritating "pep talks" or celebrity prattling: in other words, real yoga.

Most positions are held for 30 seconds, although a few are held for shorter periods of time and one --upward bow -- is repeated three times in a row. Sufficient time is permitted for transfer from one position to the next, even if, in the beginning, a practitioner cannot maintain the "flow" and needs to walk from one position to another. In my view, Yee is, along with Shiva Rea, the best yoga instructor making DVDs, and "Power Yoga" is his best DVD, overall.

One additional note: Recently, I have been employing this yoga practice and Yee's "Total Energy Yoga" along with physical therapy to treat a "frozen shoulder". My physical therapist is impressed by the progress that I have made using these yoga DVDs. While I would never suggest that anyone -- especially someone with an injury -- try an exercise DVD without first consulting his or her doctor, I have to say that yoga and, specifically, Rodney Yee, has worked for me.

excellent workout.......2007-06-13

This is a great yoga workout. It's quite strenuous, and I'd recommend it for advanced beginners or intermediate yoga practitioners. The set is beautiful and the cues are perfect. If you just started yoga, I wouldn't recommend starting with this dvd, but if you are already fairly fit and familiar with yoga, this is a great choice.

Another A++++.......2007-06-11

Easy to follow, wonderful techniques, and spectular aiding in body tension. I also enjoy the muscle building the video provides. I has been only a few weeks and I already see and feel the differance. Thank You Rodney!! ;)

Awesome DVD, great challenges.......2007-06-07

This DVD is great. It pushes you and yet allows you to make modifications were necessary. It is an hour long and really makes you sweat if you push yourself deep into the poses. Clear visuals and great instruction. I love this DVD and if I end up skipping my gym workout this is the first DVD I grab at home. WONDERFUL!
~andrea

Intense!.......2007-06-05

This is an intense, long workout that is "do-able", but be prepared! I am a beginner but practice everyday with Rodney Yee's AM/PM Yoga for Beginners (love that DVD!) and other DVDs and am working my way up to intermediate level. I try to do the more intense and time consuming Yoga a few times a week, when I can fit it into my schedule. Because this one is the longest of my videos, I don't get to do it too much since there never seems to be enough time in the day. I also like to hold the stretches a little more than is allowed in this video. I affectionately refer to this DVD as the "boot camp/drill sergeant" workout because its a constant stream of instructions and movement. This is a good video for someone who is looking for more of an actual workout and not so much of the relaxation and long hold periods of stretches. Is one of the only workouts that makes me sweat!

The Incredibles (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Pixar Makes Another Hit!
Among my favorites, animated OR live-action.
Jack Jack Attack
Great Movie
Damaged

The Incredibles (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Maeve Andrews , Michael Bird (IV) , Wayne Canney , Kimberly Adair Clark , and Spencer Fox (II)
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JN4W
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Amazon.com essential video

After creating the last great traditionally animated film of the 20th century, The Iron Giant, filmmaker Brad Bird joined top-drawer studio Pixar to create this exciting, completely entertaining computer-animated film. Bird gives us a family of "supers," a brood of five with special powers desperately trying to fit in with the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle. Of course, in a more innocent world, Bob and Helen Parr were superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. But blasted lawsuits and public disapproval forced them and other supers to go incognito, making it even tougher for their school-age kids, the shy Violet and the aptly named Dash. When a stranger named Mirage (voiced by Elizabeth Pena) secretly recruits Bob for a potential mission, the old glory days spin in his head, even if his body is a bit too plump for his old super suit.

Bird has his cake and eats it, too. He and the Pixar wizards send up superhero and James Bond movies while delivering a thrilling, supercool action movie that rivals Spider-Man 2 for 2004's best onscreen thrills. While it's just as funny as the previous Pixar films, The Incredibles has a far wider-ranging emotional palette (it's Pixar's first PG film). Bird takes several jabs, including some juicy commentary on domestic life ("It's not graduation, he's moving from the fourth to fifth grade!").

The animated Parrs look and act a bit like the actors portraying them, Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee also have a grand old time as, respectively, superhero Frozone and bad guy Syndrome. Nearly stealing the show is Bird himself, voicing the eccentric designer of superhero outfits ("No capes!"), Edna Mode.

Nominated for four Oscars, The Incredibles won for Best Animated Film and, in an unprecedented win for non-live-action films, Sound Editing.

The Presentation
This two-disc set is (shall we say it?), incredible. The digital-to-digital transfer pops off the screen and the 5.1 Dolby sound will knock the socks off most systems. But like any superhero, it has an Achilles heel. This marks the first Pixar release that doesn't include both the widescreen and full-screen versions in the same DVD set, which was a great bargaining chip for those cinephiles who still want a full-frame presentation for other family members. With a 2.39:1 widescreen ratio (that's big black bars, folks, à la Dr. Zhivago), a few more viewers may decide to go with the full-frame presentation. Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.

The Extras
The most-repeated segments will be the two animated shorts. Newly created for this DVD is the hilarious "Jack-Jack Attack," filling the gap in the film during which the Parr baby is left with the talkative babysitter, Kari. "Boundin'," which played in front of the film theatrically, was created by Pixar character designer Bud Luckey. This easygoing take on a dancing sheep gets better with multiple viewings (be sure to watch the featurette on the short).

Brad Bird still sounds like a bit of an outsider in his commentary track, recorded before the movie opened. Pixar captain John Lasseter brought him in to shake things up, to make sure the wildly successful studio would not get complacent. And while Bird is certainly likable, he does not exude Lasseter's teddy-bear persona. As one animator states, "He's like strong coffee; I happen to like strong coffee." Besides a resilient stance to be the best, Bird threw in an amazing number of challenges, most of which go unnoticed unless you delve into the 70 minutes of making-of features plus two commentary tracks (Bird with producer John Walker, the other from a dozen animators). We hear about the numerous sets, why you go to "the Spaniards" if you're dealing with animation physics, costume problems (there's a reason why previous Pixar films dealt with single- or uncostumed characters), and horror stories about all that animated hair. Bird's commentary throws out too many names of the animators even after he warns himself not to do so, but it's a lively enough time. The animator commentary is of greatest interest to those interested in the occupation.

There is a 30-minute segment on deleted scenes with temporary vocals and crude drawings, including a new opening (thankfully dropped). The "secret files" contain a "lost" animated short from the superheroes' glory days. This fake cartoon (Frozone and Mr. Incredible are teamed with a pink bunny) wears thin, but play it with the commentary track by the two superheroes and it's another sharp comedy sketch. There are also NSA "files" on the other superheroes alluded to in the film with dossiers and curiously fun sound bits. "Vowellet" is the only footage about the well-known cast (there aren't even any obligatory shots of the cast recording their lines). Author/cast member Sarah Vowell (NPR's This American Life) talks about her first foray into movie voice-overs--daughter Violet--and the unlikelihood of her being a superhero. The feature is unlike anything we've seen on a Disney or Pixar DVD extra, but who else would consider Abe Lincoln an action figure? --Doug Thomas

More Incredibles at Amazon.com

The Incredibles Toy Store
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The Art of The Incredibles Book

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The Pixar Feature Films

Toy Story, 1995
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Description

From the Academy Award(R) winning creators of FINDING NEMO (2003 Best Animated Feature Film) comes the action-packed animated adventure about the mundane and incredible lives of a house full of superheroes. Bob Parr and his wife Helen used to be among the world's greatest crime fighters, saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis. Fifteen years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they live "normal" lives with their three kids, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction. Exploding with fun and featuring an all-new animated short film, this spectacular 2-disc collector's edition DVD is high-flying entertainment for everyone.

Customer Reviews:

Pixar Makes Another Hit!.......2007-06-14

The Incredibles is a fun story about a family of super heroes and how they try to integrate back into society once super heroes are outlawed due to lawsuits. (Some people just don't want to be saved!) A funny concept! Great characters, a great villian, a great family movie!

Among my favorites, animated OR live-action........2007-05-22

This is, hands down, my favorite animated film. But more than that, it's one of my favorite movies of all time. Not only is the look gorgeous (at once modern and retro), but it has one of the most emotionally complex storylines of any "kids" movie I've seen - dealing with mortality, family dynamics, and more. The filmmakers get a lot of mileage out of an extraordinary family having to deal with ordinary situations, and some of the dialogue to that effect is truly thought-provoking. In addition, for comic book geeks, there are some great bits poking fun at the habits of superheroes and supervillians. All in all, a brilliant, touching, and hilarious movie that most everyone can enjoy on many different levels, though it's not a film I'd recommend for very young kids.

Jack Jack Attack.......2007-04-27

i think the incredibles is a great film, my baby girl has seen it like a hundred times, and i'm still not as sick of it as blues clues.
though the main character, mr incredible, in the beginning of the film, is pompous and perfect, it then reflects the problems with our society as a whole, how we mistreat those who sacrifice themselves for us, how good, honest people, even perfect people, can get screwed and spend 15 years of misery, struggling to survive...subjecting themselves to complete diminishment by other evil and vindictive people, reducing their lives to near nothing...but good people will only let ya push 'em so far...
try to harm their families... and they will fight back, and win.
and i love the adult humor within, like when middle-aged mom sees the reflection of her bottom and then desperately sighs. too funny. :-)

i especially like the short film on the second disc called "jack-jack-attack"....it shows what the babysitter kara had to go through while everyone was away...incredibly funny.
wake.

Great Movie.......2007-04-25

Another great movie that we have watched with our 3 yr old over and over.

Damaged.......2007-04-22

When I played it there were skips and and freezes and read all kinds of errors, pixeles. I am requesting a replacement.

Average customer rating:

rather slick
review from Argentina
Compelling introduction to some of the greats in Art

Simon Schama's Power of Art
Starring: Simon Schama
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Power of Art
How Art Made the World
Civilisation: The Complete Series
Becket
Henrik Ibsen Collection (Hedda Gabbler / Ghosts / Little Eyolf / The Wild Duck / The Master Builder)

ASIN: B000NTPG84
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Description

Beautiful. Fascinating. Emotional. Art is all of the above. But only a few are powerful. These are the works that not only lift you off your feet in their sheer artistry, they forever alter the human psyche. Focusing on eight iconic works of art, Power of Art reveals the history of visual imagination through the ages, from the murderous world of baroque Rome to paranoid, revolutionary Paris; from the carnage of civil-war Spain to the paradox of 1950s New York, caught between Cold War jitters and Manhattan glitter. A combination of dramatic reconstruction, spectacular photography and Simon Schama's unique, personal style of storytelling transport the viewer back to the intense moments that great works were conceived and born. The eight works of art profiled in this series are: Caravaggio's David and Goliath; Bernini's The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, Rembrandt's The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis; David's Death of Marat; Turner's The Slave Ship; Van Gogh's Self-Portrait; Picasso's Guernica and Rothko's Seagram Building Murals.

Customer Reviews:

rather slick.......2007-06-26

Schama does a wonderful job in bringing new light (and in some cases new controversy with his idiosyncratic readings) to eight artists and their work. One does wonder about how the selection of the artists was made: all are white and male, seven of the eight are painters. He opens each episode with a bit of a 'tease'--calling attention to one more or less 'culminating' work of art for the artist, and then uses the episode itself to backtrace all of the threads that came together to create a rather compelling suspense.

They are, perhaps, a bit overproduced. Lots of film-school style quick intercutting of random scenes (if you see one more sunny field in Van Gogh or sweaty actor with rapier in Caravaggio, you're liable to scream) that are repeated and repeated and repeated and repeated--beyond the point of leitmotif and into the point of 'couldn't you have cut the episode down a bit?' There's also some grotesquerie in just about every one and no warning at all. I think it's funny that an episode of _Family Guy_ has a 'viewer discretion is advised;' while a graphic bullfight (not a recreation, not an artistic re-enactment) is not even warned of, but is so graphic it nearly eclipses the point it's trying to make. Something to think about if you are planning on buying this to educate the kiddies.

Others have commented on Schama's occasionally execrable puns--some think he's trying to pander to his audience. I think he just thinks he's being clever. If you like him, they come off as 'groaning at your uncle's horrible jokes' if you don't like him, they probably strike you as noxious. That's personal taste, so it's for you to decide your threshold of urbane wittiness.

All in all worth a look. He manages to bring art and artists to life in a way that many art history textbooks fail to do. It's more than a matter of his approach of personal biography for each artist: it's the way he pieces the story together around and through the artist's production so that it makes a coherent narrative that is captivating. And he addresses at several points a question perhaps not lost in the modern audience: is art relevant? By seeing the artists as humans, we see new levels of their humanity, and new ways that their works can make meaning for us.

review from Argentina.......2007-05-13

a masterpiece!!! facinated episodes on arts presented by an master of arts with an Academic English Lenguage

Compelling introduction to some of the greats in Art .......2007-03-04

I was fortunate to be able to see the BBC (Region 2) version of this series and I found it very compelling and interesting. Simon does a very persuasive job of explaining how and why (he feels) these greats (Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso) standout in the annuals of art. A very easily accessible series for even the most uninitiated in the subject; highly recommended by this art novice. I only wish there were more episodes in the series!

Fantastic Four - Extended Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Not Bad But Hardly A Replacement For The Original Release
one of the 4 greatest super hero movies
Some good scenes but I can't recommend it
Almost Better Than Breathing!
Fantastic Movie

Fantastic Four - Extended Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd , Jessica Alba , Chris Evans , Michael Chiklis , and Julian McMahon
Director: Tim Story
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000O77SPE
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com

Marvel Comics' first family of superherodom, the Fantastic Four, hits the big screen in a light-hearted and funny adventure. It begins when down-on-his-luck genius Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd, Horatio Hornblower) has to enlist the financial and intellectual help from former schoolmate and rival Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon, Nip/Tuck) in order to pursue outer-space research into human DNA. Also on the trip are Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis, The Shield); his former lover, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba, Dark Angel, Sin City), who's now Doom's employee and love interest; and her hotshot-pilot brother, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans, Cellular). Things don't go as planned, of course, and the quartet becomes blessed--or is it cursed?--with superhuman powers: flexibility, brute strength, invisibility and projecting force fields, and bursting into flame. Meanwhile, Doom himself is undergoing a transformation.

Among the many entries in the comic-book-movie frenzy, Fantastic Four is refreshing because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Characterization isn't too deep, and the action is a bit sparse until the final reel (like most "first" superhero movies, it has to go through the "how did we get these powers and what we will do with them" churn). But it's a good-looking cast, and original comic-book cocreator Stan Lee makes his most significant Marvel-movie cameo yet, in a speaking role as the FF's steadfast postal carrier, Willie Lumpkin. Newcomers to superhero movies might find the idea of a family with flexibility, strength, invisibility, and force fields a retread of The Incredibles, but Pixar's animated film was very much a tribute to the FF and other heroes of the last 40 years. The irony is that while Fantastic Four is an enjoyable B-grade movie, it's the tribute, The Incredibles, that turned out to be a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi

The Fantastic Four at Amazon.com

Comics and Graphic Novels
Disney animated series
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Movie tie-in graphic novel
The Xbox game
Fantastic Four Soundtrack

The Fantastic Cast

Jessica Alba as Sue Storm
Michael Chiklis as The Thing

Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards
Chris Evans as Johnny Storm

Stills from Fantastic Four (click for larger images)

Description

Prepare for the all-new, action-packed Fantastic Four 2-Disc Extended Edition. Bursting with hours and hours of bonus material including an exclusive 100 minute "Making of" featurette and an Inside Look at Fantastic Four 2, this Extended Edition also features 20 minutes of footage added back into the film.

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad But Hardly A Replacement For The Original Release.......2007-06-28

Although this new editiion of the Fantastic Four movie may seem like nothing but a ploy for ripping off some of your hard-earned money, I have to admit that the producers have inserted alot of important key scenes back into a movie that it has successfully elevated the movie above it's original popcorn-movie status.

However, I was generally quite dissatisfied with this DVD release because, it seems as if the editors were rushed to put this edition out into the market in time for the release of the 2nd Fantastic 4 movie.

For one thing, the video quality of the extended cut is actually somewhat inferior to the original, in general, if you're using a 40" and above HD (or full HD) screen, you will notice that the overal picture seem a little duller and blurrer than the original release. There is also a brief scene of Reed and Sue in the Baxter Building where the film appears to be extremely noisy; I suspect the editors just didn't have the time to complete that scene to meet the dvd release deadline.

Also, the soundtrack for some of the reinserted scenes were almost non-existent, and a few of the original sound effects and certain original scores written specifically for a few of the key scenes have been replaced.

I would recommend anyone who is a hard-core fan of this movie or those who doesn't own a copy of the original release to go ahead and grab this edition of the movie, but if you already own a copy of the original release(standard or deluxe two-disc release) of this movie, you might want to consider renting it first before considering purchasing.

one of the 4 greatest super hero movies.......2007-06-26

having seen the original theatrical release and found it fantastic i must say this about the extended dvd version. this ranks in my opinion along with SUPERMAN THE MOVIE ( 1978),SPIDERMAN 3 and SUPERMAN RETURNS as the greatest superhero movie's . in this day of utter crap out there in the movie world what these movie's contain is a lot of heart and are really well made. so absolute cheers to these fine movies they all have something special in them. nuff'said

Some good scenes but I can't recommend it.......2007-06-22

Long story short, I liked Fantastic Four. It had it's faults, mainly it's portrayal of Dr. Doom, but it was fun. I was disappointed in the extended cut though. Most of the added scenes were OK. More character development, more story, a reference to the Puppet Master and that Herbie robot, but in the end, it felt as though they just Frankensteined this thing together from leftover parts. The scenes with Reed and Sue in the planetarium then again on the bridge being the exact same scene was the worst offender. And the part where Alicia gives Thing a spongebath just felt wrong on so many levels. There were a couple of interesting documentaries and the original version is thoughtfully included on this disc so for those who haven't bought it yet. All in all, worth watching just to see what could've been but it's no improvement over the original.

Almost Better Than Breathing!.......2007-06-21

This movie is like a rocketship that you get on, and then you ride into space and the turbulence doesn't even effect you at all, and it's a very smooth landing either on whatever planet the rocketship lands or on its eventual re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Fantastic Four rules the school!

If you've ever seen other comic book movies like Batman or Spiderman or Darkman or Superman or X-Man, you know that they are usually not very good. But the Fantastic Four are absolutely excellent and every superhero movie should take notes on how great this movie really is.

Fantastic Four is about four friends who have wonderful magical powers. One guy is super-limber, and another guy can turn into fire, and another guy is really really strong, and there is a girl who can become invisible if she wants to. Never before and never again have so many different and exciting superpowers been on display, and you will jump out of your chair cheering every time they get to defeat bad guys (which is often). You may not even want to sit down because you'll be out of your chair that much. However, if you want to get good exercise, then you will sit down from time to time, because then it will be very good for your quads.

The special effects are thrilling, the actors are dynamic, and the story is just like a rocketship.

I hope you stop reading this review right now and go rent this movie immediately. And if you are still reading this sentence, why don't you go re-read the last sentence and ask yourself why you're so disobedient?

Be careful: the stretchy man and the fire man may come and get you!!! Just kidding.

Do yourself and your community a favor and buy many copies of this movie.

Fantastic Movie.......2007-06-20

My Opinion: The Fantastic Four is an awesome movie. One of the best superhero groups/Family ever created. Stan Lee out did himself on this group of famous superheroes. The Fantastic Four Rocks.

About The Film: When a group of scentist go up in space to do research on plantary life that could help the human race they get hit by a cosmic storm that changes thier lives forever and turns them into the most famous group of superheroes known to man and they are the Fantastic four, singlely known as Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Thing & The Human Torch.. director Tim Story brings these fabulous begins to life in this awesome movie and the most evil of all villians Dr.Doom. and the Fantastic four are out to stop Dr. dooms most evil plan, Destroying Them.

If you liked this movie then check out, Fantastic Four The Soumdtrack, Fantastic Four The Soundtrack score, Fantastic Four Novel, Fantatsic Four Video game and Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the silver surfer now in theaters. and all other Fantastic Four stuff.

Average customer rating:

Had my sons' interest for 2 minutes
we have potty power!
Entertaining and helpful
Worked right away!
Awesome, it was like magical....... Totally worth it....!!!!!

Potty Power - For Boys & Girls
Starring: Potty Power
Manufacturer: Consumervision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002B55DO
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Customer Reviews:

Had my sons' interest for 2 minutes.......2007-06-30

If I did not sit there with him for the whole 2 minutes he would have left the room. Really really cheesy, not entertaining, annoying to the parent, and well my son would have rather played in dirt.

we have potty power!.......2007-06-29

My 2 1/2 yr old loved this video. It helped us in potty training. She would go to the potty to have potty power! The songs also stick w/the child(& mom too). We would sing "no more diapers for me".Even now after months of being fully trained she still asks to watch this video.
(Worked better than Elmo's potty also). Good luck!
Christy W~

Entertaining and helpful.......2007-06-27

This video is very helpful for potty training an older child. My daughter is 3 and would only occaisonally sit on the potty. And although we are still in the works of potty traing her, this movie has truly motivated her to be a "big kid"!

Worked right away!.......2007-06-18

The very first night my son saw the video, he said " NO MORE DIAPERS". IT has been that way since. He is in the potty and said that he has Potty power. I love the video. Thanks!

Awesome, it was like magical....... Totally worth it....!!!!!.......2007-06-01

It was absolutely awesome, it was like magical...
all I know is it worked for my 2.5 year old daughter
when nothing else did. I am proud to tell EVERYONE about
this. Why struggle. Just plan on watching it alot the first
few weeks. Totally worth it !!!!!

Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

like a tour guide
Beautiful
How many people know Dalton Trumbo actually wrote the screenplay?
The classics keep getting better.
Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Gregory Peck , Audrey Hepburn , Eddie Albert , Hartley Power , and Harcourt Williams
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CXCD
Release Date: 2002-11-26

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Maybe it doesn't quite live up to its sterling reputation, and maybe the leading man and director were slightly miscast. But who cares? Roman Holiday is the film that brought Audrey Hepburn to prominence, and the world movie audience went weak at the knees. The endlessly charming Hepburn had her first starring role in this sweet romance, playing a European princess on an official tour through Rome. Frustrated by her lack of connection to the real world, she slips away from her protective handlers and goes on a spree, aided by a tough-guy news reporter (Gregory Peck). Director William Wyler, more at home with such heavy-going, Oscar-winning classics as The Best Years of Our Lives and Ben- Hur, doesn't always keep the champagne bubbles afloat, and the Peck role would have fit Cary Grant like a silk glove. But the film is great fun, the location shooting is irresistible, and Hepburn embodies an image of chic style that would rule for the rest of the fifties. No coincidence: she won an Oscar, and so did veteran costume designer Edith Head. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

like a tour guide.......2007-05-30

This is a classic film anD while watching it is like having a tour of Rome, all the sights and famous monuments . If you have ever been to Rome it brings back all the memories of your own Roman Holiday.

Beautiful.......2007-05-25

This film is the sweetest, most lovable romantic film ever. This film encouraged my uncle to become a reporter!

How many people know Dalton Trumbo actually wrote the screenplay? .......2007-04-17

I remember the first time I saw this movie, as a child, with the absolutely radiant Audrey Hepburn in her first major role as the naive, protected Princess determined to have her day of freedom and to escape from her overscheduled, dreary routine.
How lucky Hepburn was to have Gregory Peck as a costar, a man who was gallant (and wise) enough to insist she be listed as a costar, right up there alongside him in the credits. The studio wanted to use the words "and introducing Audrey Hepburn" in the credits but Peck believed -and turned out to be right- that she would win the Academy Award for her excellent portrayal, which may seem a bit over the top to today's audiences but absolutely charmed viewers at the time (I still love the movie).
The story behind this movie is nearly as fascinating as the movie itself and it is worth buying this Collector's Edition to get some of that behind the scenes info in the special sections. Frank Capra was set to direct the movie but when he found out that the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo was the scriptwriter, he bailed. That's when Wyler stepped in, letting Trumbo do the writing but having another writer "front" for him. It took years for Trumbo to be duly recognized.
I do believe this film is best seen in black and white, as it was intentionally filmed this way. Why? Because it was shot on location, in Rome, at a time when movies were often filmed in Hollywood, with backdrops to give the illusion of another country. But not THIS time. However, Wyler feared that if the movie was shot in color, Rome might overshadow the story itself. As it is, some have called Rome the third "character" in this film and it benefits greatly by being shot on location.

The classics keep getting better........2007-04-04

What more can be said about this film? Filmed on location in Rome, Italy in the fifties. Greg Peck and Audrey Hep. Nuff said!

Roman Holiday.......2007-03-19

One of the greatest movies of all time. Audrey Hepburn is breathtakingly flawless.

Average customer rating:

The Film Makers Forgot Something
proof of dumbing down of American film audience
Gorgeous George
Tries to do too much in too little space.
Ambitious But Disjointed

Syriana (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Kayvan Novak , George Clooney , Amr Waked , Christopher Plummer , and Jeffrey Wright
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000F7CMRM
Release Date: 2006-06-20

Product Description

Big oil means big money. Very big money. And that fact unleashes corruption that stretches from Houston to Washington to the Mideast ? and ensnares industrialists, princes, spies, politicos, oilfield laborers and terrorists in a deadly, deceptive web of move and
countermove. This lightning-paced, whip-smart action thriller grips your mind and nerves with an intensity that doesn't let go for an instant.
Running Time: 128 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Syriana is an oil-based soap opera set against the world of global oil cartels. It is to the oil industry as Traffic was to the drug trade (no surprise, since writer/director Stephen Gaghan wrote the screenplay to Traffic): a sprawling attempt to portray the vast political, business, social, and personal implications of a societal addiction, in this case, oil. A major merger between two of the world's largest oil companies reveals ethical dilemmas for the lawyer charged with making the deal (Jeffrey Wright), and major global implications beyond the obvious; a CIA operative (George Clooney) discovers the truth about his work, and the people he works for; a young oil broker (Matt Damon) encounters personal tragedy, then partners with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig) attempting to build a new economy for his people, only to find he's opposed by powers far beyond his control. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Pakistani youths are lured into terrorism by a radical Islamic cleric. And that's just the start. As in Traffic, in one way or another all of the characters' fates are tied to each other, whether they realize it or not, though the connections are sometimes tenuous. While Syriana is basically a good film with timely resonance, it can't quite seem to measure up to Gaghan's ambitious vision and it very nearly collapses under the weight of its many storylines. Fortunately they are resolved skillfully enough to keep the film from going under in the end. To some viewers, Syriana will seem like an unfocused and over-loaded film that goes, all at once, everywhere and nowhere. Others will find it to be an important work earnestly exploring major issues. In either case, it's a film that deserves to be taken seriously, and it's likely to be one that will be talked about for a long time to come. --Dan Vancini

Beyond Syriana

The soundtrack
More from Participant Productions
Why We Love Jeffrey Wright

Starring George Clooney
Oscar Central
See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism

Stills from Syriana (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

The Film Makers Forgot Something .......2007-06-07

Way don't these film makers simply admit this is their way to speak out against the oil? If they want the corruption stopped due to dealing with the middle east, why don't they support drilling in America.

I realize those of us who watched this are suppose to support anti-oil groups due to the corruption. Not every person dealing with oil is corrupt. Those who made this movie are the corrupt ones. They are the ones who traveled in planes. They are the ones who traveled in limos. They are the ones who used jeeps and automobiles to make the movie. Oil was required to make this movie. You in hollywood need to shut up! Why don't you in hollywood develop a business to build automobiles that do not require oil/gas? Oh yeah, you just want others to do that. I WISH SOMEONE WOULD MAKE A MOVIE ON HOW CORRUPT HOLLYWOOD IS!

proof of dumbing down of American film audience.......2007-05-31

The number of negative reviews here, esp. of the "I didn't get, it left me baffled" type, even after 5 years of blood-for-oil war on 2 fronts, is a directly proportional gauge of the self indulgent ignorance of Americans at large regarding their own oil addiction and its genocidal consequences.

A possible cure is for these willfully cretinous simpletons to buy the DVD and watch the 2nd "special feature" , "Participate & make a difference/change".

This film is the best you can hope for from Hollywood regarding geopolitical analysis, and readily stands up to multiple viewing, but, without more than two brain cells to rub together, or the lack of self discipline to think any harder than necessary to watch Wizard of Oz, even Tinseltown's best efforts are wasted as pearl before swine, a Biblical reference for Jack Abramoff's captive gospel thumping flag wrapped "patriots" in hope it might be their access to enlightment as to, and thereby salvation from, their sins perpetrated in the name of the marketed greed branded as civic duty to consume like locusts.

If you still don't get it but want to, READ THE BOOK by Robt Baer.

Gorgeous George.......2007-05-29

I hate to give this movie any rating because I just couldn't get through it. The film was visually dark, the actors mumbled, and the scenes were disjointed. Sorry George, you're gorgeous but this movie wasn't for me.

Tries to do too much in too little space........2007-05-27

Syriana (Stephen Gaghan, 2005)

I wondered, after seeing Syriana, if I was the only person on the planet who just didn't get it. Then I checked IMDB, and found that Gaghan (Abandon) was the guy who wrote the screenplay for Steven Soderbergh's loathsome adaptation of the much better TV miniseries Traffik. Yeah, I didn't get that, either. I readily admit that I liked Syriana a whole lot better, but it does follow the same pattern-- there are a whole lot of people doing a whole lot of stuff in a relatively short timeframe, with the unavoidable side-effect that you don't spend anywhere near enough time with the various characters to develop any sort of empathy for them (or, for what it's worth, apathy). Some of the performances are good, some are excellent, but each of those-- especially George Clooney's much-lauded performance-- just left me wondering how good the movie could have been had it found a focus at any point during its two hours. I know I'm very much in the minority on this, but I didn't like it. **

Ambitious But Disjointed.......2007-05-21

Syrian tells the story of a high-level, U.S. conspiracy to install an easily manipulated, half-wit playboy as the ruler of an oil-rich fictitious nation, Syriana, rather than his brother, a PhD economist with independent-minded aspirations to actually help his country.

I found the plot disjointed at times - particularly in certain subplots. For instance, it wasn't clear to me why the oil analyst had reason to blame the Syriana royal for the drowning of the analyst's son at the royal's party. The political alignment and motivations of the terrorists who torture the movie's main character were just as murky.

Part of the problem was the script, which went overboard in trying to show rather than tell what was going on. A little explanation at times is appropriate and necessary if you don't want the story to lose the audience's understanding and attention.

For a compelling, geopolitical thriller set entirely in a real oil-rich state, check out SAUDI MATCH POINT. It tells the story of U.S. and Chinese competition for Saudi oil and influence while weaving in a local drama set in one of the world's most repressive and bizarre societies. The novel is available online from the publisher, Blacksmith Books.

Average customer rating:

Bold Film Noir for the 21st Century
More an homage than a movie
A director's indulgences turn a fine novel into an auteur's dream gone bad
Worth Seeing.
Was there another book of the same title....

The Good German
Starring: Jack Thompson , John Roeder , George Clooney , Tobey Maguire , and Cate Blanchett
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000OY8NBK
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Despite its flaws, The Good German is a welcome gift for every film lover who laments that "they don't make 'em like they used to." Steven Soderbergh's affectionate, knowing tribute to the black-and-white melodramas of Hollywood's golden age may lack the emotional depth and romantic passion of Michael Curtiz's Casablanca--the 1946 classic it intentionally emulates--but as Soderbergh approximates Curtiz's studio style, he delivers a shimmering, shadowy reminder that movies can be enjoyed for the sheer pleasure of their craftsmanship. Once again serving as his own cinematographer (credited as "Peter Andrews"), Soderbergh went to great lengths to technically and aesthetically re-create the look and feel of a Curtiz production, and Joseph Kanon's source novel (adapted by Quiz Show screenwriter Paul Attanasio) provides a twisting plot set around the historical Potsdam conference in post-World War II Germany. An American military journalist, Capt. Jake Geismer (George Clooney) is in rubble-strewn Berlin to cover the event, and is quickly drawn into a murder plot involving his appointed driver (Tobey Maguire), an old flame-turned-wartime prostitute (Cate Blanchett) and her missing husband, a scientist who possesses pivotal secrets coveted by Americans and Russians in a pre-Cold War bid for power.

Violence, sexual content, and salty dialogue make it clear that this R-rated drama is a brashly contemporary homage to films of a bygone era, and not a slavish attempt to copy the past. This yields mixed results in terms of the film's overall appeal; it's gorgeous to look at, but the plot and performances exist in a vacuum, and the entire film feels oddly disengaged from any sense of genuine human emotion. It's probably fair to say that Soderbergh had more fun making the film than most people will have watching it. And yet, as Clooney's character is repeatedly beaten and deceived on his path to cynical enlightenment, The Good German has many qualities that make it recommendable, not the least being the pleasure of following a talented director as he indulges his penchant for bold experimentation. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Who knows what American journalist Jake Geismer (George Clooney) expected to find in postwar Berlin? Peace, maybe. Or at least a story. But certainly not Lena (Cate Blanchett), his beautiful, embittered one-time love. And not the trail of secrecy and deception that leads from Lena to the scheming young corporal (Tobey Maguire) who's her new lover...and to a murder no one seems interested in solving. Except Jake. Steven Soderbergh directs three of today's top talents in this zigzag thriller that's both an atmospheric homage to 1940s filmmaking and a deft modern film noir. The Good German is "haunting and hypnotic, it's pure moviegoing bliss" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone).

Customer Reviews:

Bold Film Noir for the 21st Century.......2007-07-03

In my view, this was one of the better DVD's of 2006...both in plot and
photography. The black and white visuals are stunning and compare well to
to many film noir films of the 40's. True, the characters are not as bold and dramatic as THE THIRD MAN...and perhaps that is the point...there are no gigantic Wellesian figures in this movie. Everybody is tainted and everyone has an agenda and everyone exists in a shade of grey. Therefore, the film is quite realistic and Cate Blanchett could not be better.

More an homage than a movie.......2007-07-01

There's times where I don't really care for Steven Soderbergh movies. Traffic I felt was a compelling if overlong drama that had an aura of self-importance, like it was intentionally made to be one of those "important" films. The Good German sometimes feels like the same way: like it wants to be a classic noir film although the intent of course was for it to feel like a film that would've been made at RKO in the old days. While there's some things that feel out of place and just a genuine feeling of sluggishness, it's still a good homage to a classic time period.

Jake Geismser (George Clooney) is in Berlin covering the Potsdam Conference with Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and President Roosevelt. He meets driver Tully (Tobey Maguire) who's a nice guy until he's left alone in where he becomes a scheming, violent firebrand. His girlfriend is prostitute Lena (Cate Blanchett) who of course has to be Geismer's ex. But the name "Emil Brandt" pops up which gets everyone riled up and a murder happens which gets Jake investigating on who the culprit is and what's so important about Emil Brandt.

I will say this: this film has the perfect 1940's feel, from the shadows to the staging, the overdramatic music and it's even presented in full-frame. Even if you don't like the movie, you got to admit they nailed the feel. As far as acting, we do have Clooney and Blanchett who almost were born to be in black and white with Blanchett looking the best. Only misstep was Maguire since he's not really menacing so much as he goes into temper tantrums. If he did this performance in Spider-Man 3, that movie would've benefited. He even rabbit punches a girl in this just so the filmmakers can let you know this guy's tough. Classically trained actors just needed to look at you to know he's not one to cross; Maguire has to actually be given something violent to do.

The problem with the movie as a whole is that it's just...kind of boring. It's as if more attention was paid to the look than the script. Casablanca was talky sure but at least it kept your interest. This feels like you're just checking the time code a lot wondering how long the movie's been on. But if you're one that prefers the old movies, you'll probably like this although a sex scene that would've got cut feels odd while there's tons of language to get thrown around. But, as far as a great B&W movie is concerned, Good Night and Good Luck is definately a better pick.

Either it's to preserve the "magic" of making the movie or just simply make special features unavailable until a bigger Special Edition is announced, it's really bare-bones. Unless you're a die-hard fan and have to own it, go ahead and buy it but for others, either rent it and test the waters or just wait.

A director's indulgences turn a fine novel into an auteur's dream gone bad.......2007-07-01

The Good German, the novel by Joseph Kanon, is a first-class thriller that makes some serious points. The Good German, the movie by Steven Soderbergh, isn't and doesn't.

Books and movies are different animals, and a fan is naive to think that the strengths of one can always be translated into the other. Director Soderbergh, in my view, in order to achieve two objectives doesn't even try. The first, notable only if the viewer hasn't read the book, is to change substantial elements of the plot and the characters for what seems no greater purpose than to create star roles for George Clooney and Tobey Maguire and "acting moments" for the two of them and Cate Blanchett. He also seems, as so many Hollywood factory philosophers seem compelled to do, to want to make obvious points about how awful some government actions can be, how hideous "end-justifies-the-means" activities are and how noble is the average guy, played by a Hollywood star lead, of course, in resisting all this. But much, much worse, Soderbergh has used The Good German as a toy. He has said he wanted to make the movie in the style of the old Forties movies. For the most part he shot everything on stage sets, used the old camera lenses, insisted on boom mikes for sound recording and played with the harsh light contrasts familiar from movies like The Third Man and the B-level noirs photographed by John Alton. He even was his own cinematographer and editor (under pseudonyms). What he came up with is a stilted drama so harshly lit that the movie is unpleasant to watch. The movie is a collection of deep, deep contrasts that give washed-out brightness, dead white faces and shadows so black anything might be happening. This must have been great fun for Soderbergh to create but it's hell for the movie viewer to sit through for nearly two hours.

The story, set in Berlin in 1945 when the Potsdam Conference is just starting, is hugely visual. There are desperate civilians everywhere, GIs living high, bombed-out ruins, war criminals being hunted by both the Soviets and the Americans, not to punish but, if they were rocket scientists, to bring back home. Intrigue and corruption bubble just below the rotten surface of the city. And Jake Geisner, played by George Clooney, finds himself up to his neck in intrigue when he spots a former mistress, Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett) and is assigned a GI driver, Patrick Tully (Tobey Maguire). Then a GI is murdered, which leads Geisner into some dangerous situations and some moral conflicts. Unfortunately, among all the specious changes Soderbergh makes in the story-line, the worst is the conclusion. Instead of a satisfying bit of justice served up with irony, as in the book, we have an irrelevant bit of knowledge tossed at us that serves no purpose but to create another acting moment for Clooney and Blanchett.

For me, even if I hadn't read the book this movie would have been a disappointment. It's an auteur's dream of a director's Hollywood clout, but gone bad. If Soderbergh doesn't get his act together soon, he'll wind up as a cautionary tale of talent being indulged, corrupted and wasted. I can't think of a movie of his I've seen since Out of Sight and The Limey that did much for me. Amid the Berlin debris, however, is the performance of Cate Blanchett. She looks awful in Soderbergh's unforgiving lighting and it's obvious at times that she's trying to channel Marlene Dietrich. Still, when she finally settles down into the part Blanchett gives a fine performance.

The DVD is bare-bones. Make sure you wear sunglasses if you watch it. For those who like to read thrillers and are intrigued with Germany right after the end of WWII, you won't do better than Ross Thomas' The Eighth Dwarf. And for those who want to see how dramatic lighting can really be used, try The Third Man or some of Alton's noirs.
Eighth Dwarf
The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition)
He Walked By Night
The Big Combo

Worth Seeing. .......2007-06-24

I really think that Cate Blanchett's performance here is as good as anything I've seen lately. She is incredibly impressive as Lena and her passion for the role has a powerful effect on our enjoyment of The Good German. As for Clooney, he is believable as Jake Geismer and makes a solid contribution. The only important actor here I cannot be as positive about; although, perhaps I'm the only person who remains completely unimpressed by Tobey Maguire. I was surprised by how discordant his efforts were. He reminded me of that phrase that acting is not "acting" as he was "acting" or seemed to be intentionally playing a character. I felt that his Tully was contrived and quite bizarre. He stood out like spoiled sauerkraut among this ensemble, and detracted from the movie's worth. The plot itself was riveting and it kept you focused in every scene as if it were a classic piece of 40s noir, but, at its root, the storyline was rather fantastic. The US occupation government in Germany was a little too clueless to be as sinister as they are depicted here. My willingness to suspend belief was strained, but I still found The Good German to be entertaining.

Was there another book of the same title...........2007-06-18

...or was this badly re-invented tripe the best that Soderbergh could do with Kanon's novel? Lena, the female lead of book/film - rape victim and NOT a prostitute - is converted from a war weary, emotionally vulnerable yet stable and admirable lead into a vague, emotionally dull, unstable Gestapo informant by way of Marlene Dietrich impersonator. Tully, the character about whom little is known yet all action centers around, is turned into a noir caricature, who is entirely unsympathetic and loathsome. Jake, the central character and lead, is (in the novel) always a step and thought ahead of the other characters and of the action; in the novel, he seems to be the last person in the know.

Noir as a genre can and should be explored in modern cinema, but all this film seems to show is how bad parody and caricature can make even the most incidental wartime story appear. Cinematography aside (which was the only thing commented on favorably by the majority of critics), this was the second worst Soderbergh film I've sat through. It may be time for SS to temporarily, or perhaps permanently, disassociate himself from Clooney.

Average customer rating:

The Godfather
One Of The Best!
IMHO, closer to the reality
The movie that started the modern American mafia genera
The King Kong of Gangster Movies

The Godfather (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Marlon Brando , Al Pacino , James Caan , Richard S. Castellano , and Robert Duvall
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Paramount
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Citizen Kane

ASIN: B0001NBNB6
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com essential video

Generally acknowledged as a bona fide classic, this Francis Ford Coppola film is one of those rare experiences that feels perfectly right from beginning to end--almost as if everyone involved had been born to participate in it. Based on Mario Puzo's bestselling novel about a Mafia dynasty, Coppola's Godfather extracted and enhanced the most universal themes of immigrant experience in America: the plotting-out of hopes and dreams for one's successors, the raising of children to carry on the good work, etc. In the midst of generational strife during the Vietnam years, the film somehow struck a chord with a nation fascinated by the metamorphosis of a rebellious son (Al Pacino) into the keeper of his father's dream. Marlon Brando played against Puzo's own conception of patriarch Vito Corleone, and time has certainly proven the actor correct. The rest of the cast, particularly James Caan, John Cazale, and Robert Duvall as the rest of Vito's male brood--all coping with how to take the mantle of responsibility from their father--is seamless and wonderful. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Godfather.......2007-06-21

The greatest movie ever. It can teach you all you need to know about life in 180 minutes. There you go, life in 3 hours

One Of The Best!.......2007-05-15

What can I say, this is a fantastic epic! In my opinion, it is one of the best movies of all time. A+++

IMHO, closer to the reality.......2007-04-15

It's sad to see the mafia or cosa nostra portrayed as a couple hundred thugs in New York hustling up money. The mafia is a worldwide organization and in the overall evaluation performs many good deeds and must benefit others more than it harms (Aquinas - "The greatest good for the greatest number"). The governmental systems in all countries always leave people behind and there must be some underground that picks up these people and helps them survive. Also, it seems to prove useful to have an underground which is at least somewhat prepared to fuel revolutions. Frequently, the mafia within a given country can prove a great asset to its government since they are usually privy to intelligence that escapes the ears of the government's agencies.

Everyone knows this movie, I would point out that I really liked the development of the expansion of the Cosa Nostra and in the sequels the international expansion.

The movie that started the modern American mafia genera.......2007-04-14

The Godfather set the American Mafia movie genera. A good plot line with a tight scrip, superb direction and well acted. There are many murders, after all this is about gangsters but why it's rated "R" is beyond me. It's way less gruesome with less disturbing violence than Casino and many modern MA films are much more violent.

The power plays, honour and business scheming between the Mafia families give the framework of the film with personal trial and tribulations providing more depth for the character development that echo throughout the genera ever since and make The Godfather repeatedly watchable.

I wanted a copy for a present and after spending months looking for a copy in the retail shops without success, I found this widescreen version at a great price on Amazon within seconds and, I ended up keeping it.

The King Kong of Gangster Movies.......2007-04-01

If I could rate this movie with ten stars, I wouldn't. it deserves 100 stars! This is one movie that should forever be rated as one of the top ten movies of all time!

It is about loyalty. it is about power. it is about honor. It is about how power is aquired in the dark world of the Underworld and how that power is transferred to the next generation, and how the next generation must secure and keep that power.

Santino Corleone is the obvious choice for the Don to give that power to. But he is a hot tempered loose cannon, and his temper is the thing that his enemies prey on to eliminate him. Fredo Corleone has no spine for that world, although he covets the power. Constanza Corleone is brought up in that world and obeys it's eddict to be the obediant wife, even to her creepy violent husband. but Michael... he is the idealist who wants nothing to do with that world.

Yet when the Don is shot, Michael accepts the mortal threat to his beloved family. He chooses to enter their world to protect them all. We see him "make his bones" to protect his father. We see his first wife take the bomb intended for him in Sicily. We see him transformed by these incidents to a creature barely recognizable to the happy idealist he once was.

Mike is groomed by his father to take over the Family "Business." When the Don dies, Michael is prepared and he orders a bloodbath to eliminate all enemies and consolidate his power. His ultimate betrayal is when he lies to his wife in the end.

[...]

Average customer rating:

More than expected
Downfall
absolutely mesmerizing potrayal by Bruno Gantz
For History Buffs and Cinephiles
good history, good movie

Downfall
Starring: Bruno Ganz , Alexandra Maria Lara , Corinna Harfouch , Ulrich Matthes , and Juliane Köhler
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0009RCPUC
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Amazon.com

The riveting subject of Downfall is nothing less than the disintegration of Adolf Hitler in mind, body, and soul. A 2005 Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film, this German historical drama stars Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire) as Hitler, whose psychic meltdown is depicted in sobering detail, suggesting a fallen, pathetic dictator on the verge on insanity, resorting to suicide (along with Eva Braun and Joseph and Magda Goebbels) as his Nazi empire burns amidst chaos in mid-1945. While staging most of the film in the claustrophobic bunker where Hitler spent his final days, director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Das Experiment) dares to show the gentler human side of der Fuehrer, as opposed to the pure embodiment of evil so familiar from many other Nazi-era dramas. This balanced portrayal does not inspire sympathy, however: We simply see the complexity of Hitler's character in the greater context of his inevitable downfall, and a more realistic (and therefore more horrifying) biographical portrait of madness on both epic and intimate scales. By ending with a chilling clip from the 2002 documentary Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, this unforgettable film gains another dimension of sobering authenticity. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

More than expected.......2007-06-16

Some good history for those who haven't heard it before. Some great acting for everyone. Well worth your time. Some echoes for our time. "They gave us a mandate... "

Downfall.......2007-05-30

a poor actor showing the world how anybody, driven by hate, will go down in history in the worst way.

absolutely mesmerizing potrayal by Bruno Gantz.......2007-05-28

I had no idea Ganz had it in him to be this great until I saw him here as Hitler. Alexandra Maria Lara as his young and naive secretary is also very good. Cast is excellent. Director Oliver Hirschbieger deftly pulls it all together and will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through--even though we all know how the tale ended.

The film gets under your skin and gnaws at your psyche long after you have seen it--and that is some trick. How were the makers of this motion picture able to accomplish this? By avoiding the usual approach of making Hitler and his murderous SS thugs as two-dimensional cartoon characters, instead they show the lot of them to be what they were: human. Mixed-up, misguided, fanatical, barberic, coldblooded mass-murderers--and all in the quest for power (that they never attained), but human none-the-less.

What is sad here, as far as I am concerned, instead of encouraging his nation to focus all that energy on making the world a better place, because Germans, the German people, have given us so much more than fine cars and excellent beer and camera lenses...Hitler and his thugs had their people squandering all that potential on causing destruction and mayhem, misery and pain...for nothing.

I realize quite a few Germans didn't care for Hitler and his loony notions...only there wasn't much they could do about it (once he came into power and they saw where he was actually taking them...straight to Hell). Any German who opposed the dreaded SS and the Gestapo ended up dead or in some camp somewhere to suffer the consequences.

I always wondered what it must have been like for Hitler and his people down in that bunker during the final months/weeks/days... This powerful motion picture shows you what went on--and then some.

For History Buffs and Cinephiles.......2007-05-15

Incredible cinematography. Bruno Ganz is exceptional as the lead character. Very intricate portrayal of the last days of the Third Reich. Enables the viewer to see an interesting side of [...] that hasn't been explored very often.

good history, good movie.......2007-05-12

I am a college history professor. One of my students had this movie and asked me if I would view it and let him know how accurate it was etc. I viewed it and was very impressed. So impressed I bought one for myself. This is very accurate history as well as well done movie making. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the last days of WWII in Europe.

DVD:

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