The Children of Heaven

Starring:Mohammad Amir Naji, Amir Farrokh Hashemian, Bahare Seddiqi, Nafise Jafar-Mohammadi, Fereshte Sarabandi, Kamal Mirkarimi, Behzad Rafi, Dariush Mokhtari, Mohammad-Hasan Hosseinian, Masume Dair, Kambiz Peykarnegar, Hasan Roohparvari, Abbas-Ali Roomandi, Jafar Seyfollahi, Qolamreza Maleki, Zahra Mirzai, Sara Zamani, Mohammad Haj-Hosseini, Kazem Asqarpoor, Mohammad-Hossein Shahidi
Director: Majid Majidi
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra star in this visually stunning metaphysical tale of life after death. Neurologist Chris and artist Annie had the perfect life until they lost their children in an auto accident; they're just starting to recover when Chris meets an untimely death himself. He's met by a messenger named Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and taken to his own personal afterlife--a freshly drawn world reminiscent of Annie's own artwork, still dripping and wet with paint. Meanwhile a depressed Annie takes her own life, compelling Chris to traverse heaven and hell to save Annie from an eternity of despair.

The multitextured visuals seem to have been created from a lost fairy tale. Heaven recalls the landscape paintings of Thomas Cole and Renaissance architecture complete with floating cherubs, while hell is a massive shipwreck, an upside-down cathedral overgrown with thorns and a sea of groaning faces popping out of the ground (one of those faces is German director Werner Herzog). Williams is the perfect actor to play against the imaginative computer-generated imagery--he himself is a human special effect. But the lack of chemistry between Williams and Sciorra is painfully apparent, and the flashback plot structure flattens the story's impact despite its deeply felt examinations of the heart and the spirit. Still, there's no denying Eugenio Zanetti's triumphant production design and the Oscar-winning special effects, which create a fully formed universe that is at once beautiful, eerie, and a unique example of movie magic. --Shannon Gee

Customer Reviews:

me please.......2007-06-27

Found the item to be in condition that was said Thank you for your prompt delivery.

flat, unoriginal, and over-done.......2007-06-13

This is pretty bad: a guy dies and lives on in some bizarre afterworld, where he rights certain wrongs and gets an idiotically sentimental philosophical perspective on his life and love. Then, of course, he takes a dare and changes the destiny of his great love, etc.

The film totally failed to sweep me into some believable fastasy, but just came off as pretentious and emotionally flaccid. It is a total bore and there is nothing new whatsoever.

It seems that this is not a general opinion, given the other reviews, but this is how I saw iy and I cannot change that if I want to be honest. Not recommended.

One of the Films ever made!.......2007-06-04

This film opens the mind and heart to explore life after death and the very meaning of love. It is totally out of the box and is like nothing else that has been done about life after death. The messages are there and so is the love. This is a film that should be seen at least once - perhaps, several times. It has some worthy issues to think about and may be an enlightening resource to some people.

Robin Williams is at his best with a great script and wonderful and inspiring filming!

Great way.......2007-05-19

This movie is a great way to explain heaven and hell and what could be

faith trumps hell.......2007-05-17

if you liked "Somewhere in Time" you'll like this. Surreal, imaginative, and all over the yard. It will leave you
smiling both inside and out.

Average customer rating:

Reminiscense
Fantastic score... wish they left the oldies stuff off
Always
Always
Always

Always
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss , Holly Hunter , Brad Johnson (II) , John Goodman , and Audrey Hepburn
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Forever Young
Somewhere in Time (Collector's Edition)
Ghost (Special Collector's Edition)
The Goodbye Girl
Heart and Souls

ASIN: B00000IQW5
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Amazon.com

Considered by many to represent a low point in Steven Spielberg's career, 1990's Always did suggest something of a temporary drift in the director's sensibility. A remake of the classic Spencer Tracy film A Guy Named Joe, Always stars Richard Dreyfuss as a Forest Service pilot who takes great risks with his own life to douse wildfires from a plane. After promising his frightened fiancée (Holly Hunter) to keep his feet on the ground and go into teaching, Dreyfuss's character is killed during one last flight. But his spirit wanders restlessly, hopelessly attached to and possessive of Hunter, who can't see or hear him. Then the real conflict begins: a trainee pilot (Brad Johnson), a likable doofus, begins wooing a not-unappreciative Hunter--and it becomes Dreyfuss's heavenly mandate to accept, and even assist in, their budding romance. The trouble with the film is a certain airlessness, a hyper-inventiveness in every scene and sequence that screams of Spielberg's self-education in Hollywood classicism. Unlike the masters he is constantly quoting and emulating in Always, he forgets to back off and let the movie breathe on its own sometimes, which would better serve his clockwork orchestration of suspense and comedy elsewhere. Still, there are lovely passages in this film, such as the unforgettable look on Dreyfuss's face a half-second before fate claims him. John Goodman contributes good supporting work, and Audrey Hepburn makes her final screen appearance as an angel. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Reminiscense.......2007-04-11

I leanded how to pilot a plane at Hemet Ryan Field in Hemet, CA and I know that the PBY in this film belonged to Venable Flying Serive and that MAKES this film more special to me than anything........

Fantastic score... wish they left the oldies stuff off.......2007-03-20

I would have preferred more of the etherial Williams music and less of the oldies and country stuff. It's a very good score... very sedate stuff for the most part (and hushed, too... you have to crank the music to hear some of Williams' music)

Always.......2007-03-11

Wonderful movie. Great flying scenes and a love story the ladies will love!

Always.......2007-03-11

This movie is a great story of love and loss. If you liked Ghost, then you'll love this flim its the aviator version of that story. This film has an alstar cast Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman,Audrey Hepburn. Always is about daredevil firefighter pilots that fly planes to help put out forest fires.

Always.......2007-01-22

I haven't gotten to watch this movie yet but it is movie my husband and I have always enjoyed. I am so glad just to have it.

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

Great way to waste your money !!!
Kingdom of Deeez
Outstanding!!!
And then some
Well worth it.

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Orlando Bloom , and Liam Neeson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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King Kong - Extended Cut (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B000ICLRIE
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of the Crusades for years to come. Kingdom of Heaven is greater than the sum of its parts, delivering a vital, mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom), a lonely French blacksmith who discovers he's a noble heir and takes his father's (Liam Neeson) place in the center of the universe circa 1184: Jerusalem. Here, grand battles and backdoor politics are key as Scott and first-time screenwriter William Monahan fashion an excellent storyline to tackle the centuries-long conflict. Two forward-thinking kings, Baldwin (Edward Norton in an uncredited yet substantial role) and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), hold an uneasy truce between Christians (who hold the city) and Muslims while factions champ at the bit for blood. There are good and evildoers on both sides, with the Knights Templar taking the brunt of the blame; Balian plans to find his soul while protecting Baldwin and the people. The look of the film, as nearly everything is from Scott, is impressive: his CGI-infused battle scenes rival the LOTR series and, with cinematographer John Mathieson, create postcard beauty with snowy French forests and the vast desert (filmed in Morocco and Spain). An excellent supporting cast, including Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and David Thewlis, also help make the head and heart of the film work. Many critics pointed out that Bloom doesn't have the gravitas of Russell Crowe in the lead (then again, who does?), but it's the underdeveloped character and not the actor that hurts the film and impacts its power. Balian isn't given much more to do than be sullen and give an occasional big speech, alongside his perplexing abilities for warfare tactics and his wandering moral compass (whose sole purpose seems to be to put a love scene in the movie). Note: all the major characters except Neeson's are based on fact, but many are heavily fictionalized. --Doug Thomas

Description

Among the best directors of our time, Ridley Scott (Gladiator), contributes generously to this extraordinary Collector's Edition of Kingdom of Heaven. Featuring his Director's Cut of the film and hours of fascinating extras ? including a six-part tour from conception to completion of filmmaking ? this definitive set makes what Variety called a "genuinely spectacular" film even more so!

An epic marvel that's as beautifully acted as it is visually awesome, Kingdom of Heaven stars Orlando Bloom as Balian, a Jerusalem blacksmith who has lost his family ? and his faith. But when his father (Liam Neeson) shows him his destiny, Balian vows to defend his country, and in the process, falls in love, becomes a formidable leader, and steps forever into history

Customer Reviews:

Great way to waste your money !!!.......2007-06-28

This is one of the worst films ever made, maybe even worse than "Waterworld," if that's possible. The scenery is excellent, the costumes are great; but it all goes downhill from there. The story is this convoluted ridiculous farce about a blacksmith who suddenly becomes a knight and then falls in love with the Queen of Jerusalem...um...I think. Actually the story is so poorly told it's not clear who is who...but more importantly, I don't care because the story and the acting is so superficial I ended up hoping everybody would end up dying in a mass apocalyptic attack on the walls of Jerusalem. The script read as if it was written by a 7th grader who read a couple Skakespeare plays, looked at a couple "Medieval History" websites one night, and wrote a script, full of the most predicable trite cliche's ever written. The director has NO understanding of the crusades, and what they were about. He has the main character saying some trendy politcally correct jargon like "Jerusalem does not belong to one religion, but to all." There is not a single crusader who would have said that! And then at the end he vows not to surrender to the invading army, and then goes out and surrenders, and then everyone hails him as a hero because he surrenders. This movie is indicative of the whole mindset of the country where giving up fighting for something noble is better than fighting for what you believe in. Total trendy liberal ideology disguised as a historical epic. Don't waste your time or money on this silly over rated farce.

Kingdom of Deeez.......2007-06-27

The amount of development that went into this movie was amazing. I thought this movie was good in theaters...until I saw the directors cut which should have been in theaters...As a whole the movie made more sense in the directors cut...it made a good movie even better...longer but better... If you are into these types of films this is a must have...
Check it Fooo!

Outstanding!!!.......2007-06-27

Absolutely amazing! The Director's cut is like an entirely new movie!! It doesn't matter what faith you claim, this movie does not choose sides. Truly one for the shelves.

And then some.......2007-06-27

When I saw this movie for the first time un cut it was fantastic. The HD version is far more than I had anticipated. The story is much more complex and makes much more sense. It seems the original release was a dumb-down version of the real story. Picture quality is amazingly clear with lush colors. Even if you have this movie on DVD it is worth getting for Blu ray. You dont know what you are missing

Well worth it........2007-06-27

The addional footage makes this a whole new movie. It explains the ties to Balian and the village better. The queen and her son. Much, much better!

Average customer rating:

DEFENDING ALBERT BROOKS
A Pleasant Comedy
Heavenly
Thought provoking afterlife
got it from Netflik and then bought it here before it was even over!

Defending Your Life
Starring: Wil Albert , Sage Allen , Gary Beach , Roger Behr , and Beth Black
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Mother
Death Becomes Her
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Real Life
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (WS)

ASIN: B000056WRG
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Amazon.com

Albert Brooks proves there's laughs after death with this almost heavenly comedy--almost heaven as in Judgment City, where recently perished Daniel Miller (Brooks) learns whether he is worthy of advancing to a higher plane of existence or will be sent back to earth for another incarnation.

His fate will be determined in a very special trial, during which scenes from his life are replayed on a giant screen. "Isn't it realistic?" a judge asks. "It makes some people nauseous." While the steely prosecutor (Lee Grant) will try to prove that Daniel failed in life to face his fears and insecurities, his glad-handing, reassuring defender (Rip Torn) will argue on behalf of this hapless "little brain" (a Judgment City term for residents of earth).

As Woody Allen did for the future in Sleeper, so does Brooks create an original vision of the afterlife. In Judgment City, white-robed residents can eat as much as they want without guilt or fear of gaining weight. They can also visit the Past Lives Pavilion, where they are greeted by a hologram of--who else--Shirley MacLaine.

Daniel finds himself touched by an angel. Meryl Streep gives an enchanting performance as Julia, whose exemplary life is in stark contrast to his. During her trial, the court watches in rapture as she saves not only children, but a cat from a burning building.

Daniel and Julia are a match made in Judgment City, but first Daniel must summon up the courage to express his true feelings for her, or she will surely advance without him.

Defending Your Life is Brooks's most ambitious film and, with Mother, his most accessible. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Immediately following his death by bus, Daniel finds himself in the afterlife facing his past. If you can't make a case for having lived a full and fearles

superb music score won an Academy Award.s life, you must go back to Earth and try again. But Daniel doesn't want to go back after he meets Julia in this heavenly fable written and directed by Albert Brooks.

Customer Reviews:

DEFENDING ALBERT BROOKS.......2007-07-01

This is Mr. Brooks at his side-splittingest and most sardonic as he prepares to enter the afterlife and must defend the decisions he made in life. This film is clever on all levels. Casting Meryl Streep as someone who has nothing to defend was a stroke of genius. Watch for Shirley MacLaine in a howlingly funny cameo. I have watched this again and again to make up for all the people who didn't see it in the theaters. I have given it as a gift many, many times to people who have never heard of it. I hate to use the term "feel-good" as it is overworked with regard to film, but when this one ends, I'm happy that I watched it.

A Pleasant Comedy.......2007-06-27

I agree with most of what good things everyone says about this movie - I saw it in the theatre when it came out and bought it on DVD, although I'm a tad disappointed there aren't any extras on the DVD. Albert Brooks has always made me laugh but it's nice to see Meryl Streep possibly enjoying a film role for once - it seems like a good pairing of two cerebral actors - you may laff when you hear Brooks' name and the word cerebral in the same sentence but his movies have always made me think he has a good insight into the human psyche. The middle of the film where Lee Grant shows his various mistakes is hilarious and make you think that Brooks' character is just outside of being passed on to Heaven, until the last part of the movie - Rip Torn is his usual funny self, and his ambiguity and vagueness comes off as funny.

Heavenly.......2007-06-10

A good look at The Other Side a.k.a. Heaven. Eating whatever you want, past life regression, moving on. A movie I believe gives people some real good insight into the afterlife. A positive outlook for paradise.

Thought provoking afterlife .......2007-05-12

Family friendly (no bad words), thought provoking movie about the afterlife and what might happen to get all the way into the pearly gates....reviewing your life....not just the bad and good you did, but how you handled yourself (self doubt, self confidence, etc.). I enjoyed it and have watched it at least 3 times.

got it from Netflik and then bought it here before it was even over!.......2007-05-04

Awesome for helping you see that fear can hold us back in our lives! and funny

Average customer rating:

Heart and Soul has heart.
Heart and Souls
A chic flick my husband watched and enjoyed
Heart and Souls DVD
Favorite Movie

Heart and Souls
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. , Charles Grodin , Alfre Woodard , Kyra Sedgwick , and Tom Sizemore
Director: Ron Underwood
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0783230079
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Amazon.com

Robert Downey Jr. has never been more charming than in this comedy about a yuppie who is revisited in adulthood by the spirits of four people who had been his friends as a child. The ghosts (Kyra Sedgwick, Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Tom Sizemore) all have unfinished business in this world before they can move on to the next, and Downey's character agrees to let them inhabit his body while they sort it all out. The appealing cast alone strongly recommends this movie, but Downey's remarkable facility for physical comedy--manifesting the personalities of his supernatural pals as they possess him--is a riot. Elisabeth Shue makes the best of her part as the hero's girlfriend; Leaving Las Vegas was still ahead of her, but one can see her talent straining to get out here. The DVD release has a widescreen presentation, production notes, theatrical trailer, biographies of the cast, closed captioning, an optional French soundtrack and Spanish subtitles, and Dolby sound. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Heart and Soul has heart........2007-05-09

This movie is a must for any Downey fan. It has a little of everything comedy, drama, and romance. The story is basically about 4 individuals all killed while on the same bus. Their souls are connected to the nearest baby being born(downey's character). The little boy grows up having "imaginary friends". Of course, once he's in school this poses a problem for him. He's seen talking to himself, etc. His school begins to think he's in need of therapy. The souls do the selfless thing and disappear(though they are still with him). The man he becomes is a bit of a jerk. Eventually the souls reveal themselves when they find out that he is their corporeal being to be used to tie up their loose ends here on earth. Along the way Downey's character learns a few lessons and becomes a better person for it.

Heart and Souls.......2007-02-21

One of my wife's favorite movies and now on DVD! Puts a smile on her face and lifts her spirit every time she watches it. It's the first DVD she lends out when someone needs a care package.

A chic flick my husband watched and enjoyed.......2007-01-13

This is an oldie but goodie. Robert Downey Jr is great! He plays a man who assist 4 dead people to find peace and move on. I was surprised when my husband sat down and watched it with me. I even caught him laughing more than once. (It was odd because he NEVER watches chic flicks!) I would recommend this movie to anyone.

Heart and Souls DVD.......2007-01-10

I purchased the DVD "Heart and Souls" from Amazon.Com. I looked for this movie everywhere and could not find it. Sure enough Amazon had it !!!! Ordering was easy and delivery was fast.
Thank you Amazon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Favorite Movie.......2007-01-04

A must have for Robert Downey Jr fans! Funny, clever, original story! Tear jerker too! Good for the entire family.

Average customer rating:

Historical Gem
Old Time Religion
classic musical
Cabin in the Sky
Cabin in the sky

Cabin in the Sky
Starring: Ethel Waters , Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson , Lena Horne , Louis Armstrong , and Rex Ingram
Director: Vincente Minnelli , and Busby Berkeley
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Stormy Weather
The Green Pastures
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Carmen Jones

ASIN: B000BNTMAA
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Amazon.com

The first film directed by Vincente Minnelli (who directed the original Broadway version), this musical offers its pleasures, but also may make you squirm at the racial stereotypes that were considered both acceptable and entertaining in 1943. A story of the struggle between good and evil for the soul of a man named Little Joe (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), the film plays with the same kind of racial notions that made Stepin Fetchit a star. Still, there's much to recommend it, particularly performances by some of the greatest musical stars of the day: Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington, among others. The film also includes a terrific score, a combination effort by Ellington, Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, and E.Y. Harburg that includes the song "Taking a Chance on Love." --Marshall Fine

Description

Hollywood's first all-black film since The Green Pastures tells the vibrant fable of rascally Little Joe, torn between the love of his good wife Petunia and the wiles of good-time bad girl Georgia Brown...and caught in a tug-of-war between emissaries from the Lord and Satan. How can virtue triumph over evil? Well, as Petunia says, "Sometimes when you fight the devil, you gotta jab him with his own pitchfork." Debuting movie director Vincente Minnelli (An American in Paris, Gigi) and stars Ethel Waters, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington are more than a match for the devil in this musical treasure. With a soundtrack of dazzling standards including Taking a Chance on Love and Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe, Cabin in the Sky is a joyous classic.

Customer Reviews:

Historical Gem.......2007-05-07

Thank God this film has been saved as a historical reference for African-Americans in film. It is a treasure, a gem and a legacy.

Old Time Religion.......2007-04-09

This is a sweet and funny tale about the dangers of sin and the way of redemption.

classic musical.......2007-03-30

overall an excellent film, despite the racial overtones. But that is understandable when you consider the era in which this film was made. The story is timeless and the performances by the cast are wonderful. I highly recommend this underrated film to anyone, especially if you are a movie history buff like me.

Cabin in the Sky.......2007-01-10

Cabin in the Sky is an amusing adventure of good vs evil. Just be cautioned to always do the right thing!

Cabin in the sky.......2007-01-09

I loved the movie. It was well done even though it was made years ago. I really enjoyed it and has loaned the movie to friends who equally enjoyed it as well. This movie should be added to your library.

Average customer rating:

Low Expectations, Great Impressions
Funny, Suspenseful, and Soooo Romantic
Living with a lost loved one!
The 3 Stars Is Because I Am Extremely Skeptical About This Disc
One of the Best Movies of All Time

Ghost (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Patrick Swayze , Demi Moore , Tony Goldwyn , Stanley Lawrence , and Christopher J. Keene
Director: Jerry Zucker
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000LE16VW
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Amazon.com essential video

Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze are the passionate lovers whose romance is undone when the latter is murdered during a bungled hit arranged by a rival. The clever concept by screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin (director of My Life) extends outward into comedy (Swayze's character communicates through a sassy medium played by Whoopi Goldberg, who won an Oscar for this role), horror (the afterlife is populated by hell-bound demons and the like), and romantic complications (a handsome suitor, played by Tony Goldwyn, comes on to Moore while Swayze's spirit is still hanging around). Directed by Jerry Zucker, previously best known for codirecting Airplane! and similar broad comedies, Ghost is a careful balancing act of strong commercial elements, but at heart it is a timeless Hollywood tearjerker that easily gets under one's skin. --Tom Keogh

Description

Patrick Swayze plays a ghost who teams with a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to uncover the truth behind his murder - and to rescue his sweetheart (Demi Moore) from a similar fate. "The word of mouth is that Ghost is a must-see romance," says Entertainment Weekly. Ditto to that!

Customer Reviews:

Low Expectations, Great Impressions.......2007-02-21

I'm not sure why I never watched "Ghost" before until last night. For some reason, I didn't pay much heed to it when it was first released and never thought it was worth watching on TV. I'm glad I gave it a chance because this is a GOOD movie. What makes it good is its' skillful mixture of suspense, romance, comedy, and the supernatural. That would seem to be too much to tackle for one movie but we get it all in the right balance. I was drawn rather quickly into the movie and got to where I couldn't wait to see what was coming next. There were a few "convenient" capabilities that these ghosts had that were necessary for the story to work. I'm a rather pragmatic person but, by the time these things came up, I was so caught up in the story that I WANTED these things to be possible.

Obviously, the writer and director deserve accolades for their work and the actors do as well. I wanted to make note of the quality of acting because it was probably the cast that left me uninterested in watching "Ghost". I was prepared to be unimpressed in particular with Whoopie Goldberg so I want to confess that I thought her Best Supporting Actress Oscar was well-deserved. I figure that I was one of the last persons in America to see "Ghost" but if there are others of you out there who still haven't seen it, give it a look; it's well worth it.

Funny, Suspenseful, and Soooo Romantic.......2007-02-19

This definitely goes on my list of all-time-favorites. Demi Moore is beautiful as the grieving girlfriend, while Patrick Swayze projects the appropriate anger, sex appeal, and bafflement as the dead boyfriend, now a ghost. He badgers Whoopi Goldberg into helping him communicate with Demi.
Whoopi is funny! The scenes between the two lovers (before and after death) are quite touching and romantic. The action is dramatic and suspenseful as Swayze realizes who had him killed and that Moore is now in danger.
Great Movie!

Living with a lost loved one!.......2007-01-31

I thought this was a great love story, that I would love to have happen to me if I lost a love the way she did, don't get me wrong I would be so afraid a first,but I would adjust and be glad to have him back in any way that I can.

The 3 Stars Is Because I Am Extremely Skeptical About This Disc.......2006-12-26

I know it's a few months away (till this disc is released), but I have a lot of questions and skeptical thoughts surrounding this release. Didn't they already release this DVD a few years ago? What more could they add that the previous release didn't already have? Do they really think people are going to repurchase this film on DVD just for a couple of featurettes? For me, there better be a commentary by the actors (not the director & screenwriter...they already had their commentary). I'd like to hear Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, & Whoopi Goldberg sitting down watching this film and talking about the experience. I'd also like to see some deleted scenes and outtakes. I can't imagine the film was made without a couple of scenes excised (for pacing or otherwise). I'd also like to see some archival footage of awards shows (Golden Globes & Oscars...particularly Whoopi's acceptance speech and Bruce Joel Rubin's speech for Best Original Screenplay). Last but not least I'd also like to see every bad review written (and spoken) about this film compared with every good review (written & spoken) and see who was totally right and totally wrong (Eh hem...Siskel & Ebert...well, Ebert... Siskel's dead...can't fault him much...not posthumously anyway). Those would be reason to buy this film again on DVD. Not a couple of retrospective featurettes (most likely carried over from the previous release) and a commentary track from the director & screenwriter (also carried over from the previous release). That is not worth anyone's money or time. Paramount...are you listening? If you're not doing something along the lines of what I just described then scrap this project! It's the right thing to do!

One of the Best Movies of All Time.......2006-12-03

This movie has a little everything that will appeal to just about everyone. There's plenty of comedy, lots of romance, a bit of action and suspense and a more or less happy, tear-jerker ending. Not to mention the beauty of a young Demi Moore. And as a plus, the paranormal aspect gets plausible treatment. If you haven't seen this, I say you 'must'. Go out and buy it to watch over and over.

Average customer rating:

Low Expectations, Great Impressions
Funny, Suspenseful, and Soooo Romantic
Living with a lost loved one!
The 3 Stars Is Because I Am Extremely Skeptical About This Disc
One of the Best Movies of All Time

Ghost
Starring: Patrick Swayze , Demi Moore , Tony Goldwyn , Stanley Lawrence , and Christopher J. Keene
Director: Jerry Zucker
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Big (Extended Edition)

ASIN: B000059TEP
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Low Expectations, Great Impressions.......2007-02-21

Funny, Suspenseful, and Soooo Romantic.......2007-02-19

Living with a lost loved one!.......2007-01-31

The 3 Stars Is Because I Am Extremely Skeptical About This Disc.......2006-12-26

One of the Best Movies of All Time.......2006-12-03

Average customer rating:

Carousel
Sinatra made a good call.
Carousel gives you a catharis
Life is like a "carousel"
Carousel great, DVD skips

Carousel (50th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Gordon MacRae , Shirley Jones , Cameron Mitchell , Barbara Ruick , and Claramae Turner
Director: Henry King
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

South Pacific (Collector's Edition)
Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary Edition)
The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)
Show Boat
State Fair (60th Anniversary Edition)

ASIN: B000HT3PFG
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Amazon.com

Like its immediate predecessor, Oklahoma!, this 1956 screen musical boasted then state-of-the-art widescreen cinematography, stereophonic sound, a starring romantic duo with onscreen chemistry, and the Rodgers & Hammerstein imprimatur. Adding to its promise was a source (the venerable Ferenc Molnar play Liliom) that had already been filmed three times. Yet unlike the original Broadway production, and despite evident craft, Carousel proved a box-office disappointment. Why? Hindsight argues that '50s moviegoers may have been unprepared for its tragic narrative, the sometimes unsympathetic protagonist, and a spiritual subtext addressing life after death.

Whatever the obstacle, Carousel may well be a revelation to first-time viewers. The score is among the composers' most affecting, from the glorious instrumental "Carousel Waltz" to a succession of exquisite love songs ("If I Loved You"), a heart-rending secular hymn ("You'll Never Walk Alone"), and the expectant father's poignant reverie, "Soliloquy." Top-lined stars Shirley Jones (as factory worker Julie Jordan) and Gordon MacRae (as Billy Bigelow, the carnival barker who woos and weds her) achieve greater dramatic urgency here than in the more successful Oklahoma!, with MacRae in particular attaining a personal best as the conflicted Billy, whose anxiety and wounded pride after losing his job are crucial to the plot. It's Billy's impatience to support his new family that drives him to an ill-fated decision that transforms the fable into a ghost story. Adding to the luster are the coastal Maine locations where 20th Century Fox filmed principal photography. --Sam Sutherland

Description

Gordon MacRae is Billy Bigelow, a smooth-talking carny barker who falls in love with a millworker (Shirley Jones) on the colorful coast of Maine. Filmed on location, with a beautiful seaside setting as a backdrop and a thrilling score for accompaniment, their romance unfolds. But right before the birth of his daughter, Billy is killed while committing a robbery. Now in heaven, years later, he returns to earth for one day to attend his daughter's high school graduation and teach her one very important lesson.

Customer Reviews:

Carousel.......2007-06-25

The score's the thing in the bittersweet musical "Carousel," based on yet another Rodgers and Hammerstein play. Though on release the film's darker themes played less well with audiences than jauntier predecessor "Oklahoma," time has been kind to this picture. Once again MacRae and Jones make a winning, handsome couple, and their mellifluous voices do full justice to timeless classics like "If I Loved You" and "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Sinatra made a good call........2007-06-04

"Carousel" is a worthy musical among the great tetralogy by Rodgers and Hammerstein, representing American musical theater at its zenith. (I have little to no patience with the self-congratulatory "ultra sophisticates" who for some reason can't praise the undeniable song-writing brilliance of Rodgers and Hart unless it's at the expense of Hammerstein, who gets hammered for serving up only "schmaltz.") No one has come close to the Rodgers and Hammerstein team (except Hammerstein himself, in the case of his collaboration with Jerome Kern for "Showboat") at creating American melodrama (a fusion of music and drama) that is at once profound, socially-conscious, and archetypal in its representations of a nation's "unwritten" history. So to the extent that the film makes a larger public aware of an original, indigenous lyric theater, not to mention deeply moving songs, it deserves some credit.

The musical, however, deserves more credit, because it's primarily on the strengths of the original that this flat, artificial, leaden movie, the weakest of any Hollywood adaptation of a major R&H musical, has held up. (Ironically, the fifth and weakest of the major musicals, "The Sound of Music," is probably the best movie of the bunch.) Everybody by now knows the story of Sinatra accepting the role of Billy Bigelow, then welching on the agreement once he learned he would be required to shoot two final takes of each scene--a separate one just for the new, wider anamorphic ratio, for which a minority of theaters were equipped. In retrospect, he made the right call. This is filmmaking at its worst--a belief that the novelty of technology--lots of color and a really big screen--will satisfy cinema's and the public's requirements for "realism."

It's instructive to compare the story (and film) of "Carousel" with Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." Almost contemporaneously, both films addressed deep-seated insecurities and fears felt by viewers after the war years, "Carousel" most directly with "You'll Never Walk Alone," a consolation if not uplifting message for those who had been left behind. In "Carousel" Billy Bigelow, the no-good, "earns his wings" by doing well by his daughter after a botched stick-up results in his death. In Capra's darker, more profound yet more life-affirming film, George Bailey has earned all kinds of wings, practically becoming a savior-saint to his community. But that righteous pride proves his undoing: he can't handle the thought that he's let down all of Bedford Falls by losing what they had invested in him--one thousand dollars. And for that single "grave" mistake he commits suicide (Billy Bigelow in the movie falls on his knife by accident). George can't redeem himself or earn any more wings--he's performed too many good deeds already. So it's poor wingless Clarence who is sent on a mission to Bedford Falls to restore to George his flawed, imperfect humanity. In the process, George and we discover that civilization is not overrun by Mr. Potters: people actually can be unselfish and forgiving.

The pity is that "Carousel" wasn't filmed in the 1940s, and by a creative and inspired filmmaking giant like Frank Capra. At least there's the consolation of the unequaled interpretation of these songs by the Sinatra-Nelson Riddle team ("The Concert Sinatra," Reprise, 1963). Any expectant father who hasn't heard Sinatra's dramatic, poignant, and timeless reading of the "Soliloquy" has missed out on one of the true joys of being a father.

Carousel gives you a catharis.......2007-05-13

This movie is full of joy and love and pain. It is the story of the life of a man who is a Carousel barker - a good one, too, but who doesn't know who to earn money any other way. He meets a sweet and independent, beautiful young woman, who works at a mill. They soon find themselves out of work, married and with a baby coming.

And it's about second chances. The Carousel barker gets a second chance to set things right after he dies trying to find a way to get money to support his family.

The movie is the origin of one of my favorite songs of all times - You'll Never Walk alone. "When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark...."

Life is like a "carousel".......2007-04-19

Ok, so some of the songs didn't hit the top 40, but the ballads don't belong there. . .they belong in your heart. Soft ballads sung by some of the most talented voices to hit the screen none other than Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, together again in "Oklahoma." The story is simple: local girl falls for good for nothing carousel barker bum and sees only the good in him, whereas most folks just see the bad. Fine songs include, "You'll never walk alone", "If I loved you", "June is busting out all over", and the tremendous "Carousel anthem." The best thing about this musical are the scenic Maine lakes and coastal areas, plus the final musical splash number with excellent choreography. Soundtrack with deleted songs is additional plus!

Carousel great, DVD skips.......2007-04-05

Of course Carousel is a classic, and the music endures, however, I was excited to view this DVD of Carousel with my daughter so she could audition for an upcoming summer stock production. I was disappointed that the DVD stalls and gets hung up regularly. It was so frustrating to watch that we gave up. This is the second time since Christmas that this has happened when purchasing a DVD thru Amazon.... After ordering the Star Wars 6-pack, Star Wars II was not watchable. Does Amazon have any quality control behind the scenes???? Repackaging and returning it doesn't seem worth the expense....

Average customer rating:

a few unanswered questions
Great Iranian film
Shoes for a Brother and Sister
Amazing movie
Something out of of the ordinary for American viewers, a welcome change

The Children of Heaven
Starring: Mohammad Amir Naji , Amir Farrokh Hashemian , Bahare Seddiqi , Nafise Jafar-Mohammadi , and Fereshte Sarabandi
Director: Majid Majidi
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000065V3Z
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Amazon.com

Majid Majidi celebrates the immediacy and essence of childhood in this delightful tale of a brother and sister who share a pair of shoes when the boy (though no fault of his own) loses his sister's only pair. Since their parents are too poor to afford a new pair, they keep it a secret, trading them off every day in a mad rush, jumping gutters and navigating the twisting lanes to their schools and back. Then the boy hatches a plan: the third-place prize in a student footrace is a new pair of shoes, and he's determined to take it. The plot may smack of a Disney film, but the direction couldn't be more different. The family scenes are delicately observed, and Majidi captures the spirit of the children perfectly: proud, emotional, petulant, sweet, and disarmingly sincere. The film has a Western-friendly framework without losing the naturalistic eye and lolling rhythm that gives the best Iranian films their richness. Even as he builds to the climactic footrace (quite unexpectedly turned into a nail-biting contest) the film continues to reveal a wealth of discreet surprises, culminating in a conclusion all the more resonant for its sublime delicacy. His efforts earned the film the honor of becoming the first Iranian feature to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Triumphant prizewinner at many prestigious film festivals, this uplifting, crowd-pleasing story of family and love was also nominated for an Academy Award(R) as Best Foreign Language Film. When Ali loses his sister Zahra's school shoes, this young pair dream up a plan to stay out of trouble: they'll share his shoes and keep it a secret from their parents! But if they're going to sucessfully cover their tracks, Ali and Zahra must carefully watch their step on what rapidly turns into a funny and heartwarming adventure! A magical motion picture acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, CHILDREN OF HEAVEN is a charming treat you'll love too.

Customer Reviews:

a few unanswered questions.......2007-06-20

Overall, I liked this movie, but there are a few answered questions for me:

Unlike other reviewers, I don't have a hard time believing that the parents wouldn't immediately notice Zahara's missing shoes. The children don't wear the shoes inside the house, and between the mother's health problems, the new baby, and the father's job situation, they have other things on their minds. But sooner or later, there should have been some questioning.

What I did question was:

1. Why wouldn't Ali wear his sandals to school? Zahra refused to wear hers out of pride, as she wasn't the one who lost the shoes. Are sandals not allowed in his school?
2. Why didn't Ali come closer to Zahara's school to exchange shoes at midday?
3. Why didn't Ali explain the situation to his teacher, who seemed an understanding, decent sort?
4. How did Ali's parents not know that their son was in the big race?
5. Why couldn't Ali sell the first place prize and use the money to buy sneakers?

All of these questions could have been answered pretty easily and would have helped create more depth to the characters and tension to the story. Also, I wouldn't have had him win (or even place) in the race. The physical ending would have been the same, but with far more emotional impact.

The cinematography was gorgeous.

Great Iranian film.......2007-06-17

One of the new Iranian cinema's most accessible films, this is actually a very worthy movie, if a bit on the sentimental side (while Iranian movies have a strongly humanistic bent, they usually reject maudlin sentimentalism). Directed by Kiarostami's disciple Majidi, this story tells the tale of a brother and a sister from a poor neighborhood in Tehran. Problem comes when the boy, through no fault of his own, loses her sister's shoes. Since their family is too poor to buy a new pair of shoes, they have to share their shoes in secret, trading them off in a rush every day. The boy eventually comes up with a plan to solve this problem: entering into a race that gives a pair of shoes as a prize to the third-placed runner. The climactic race is a bit on the sentimental side, but the movie is very much worthwhile watching. And it has some nice side plots, as when the brother goes with his father to a rich Tehran neighborhood to find work as gardeners.

Shoes for a Brother and Sister.......2007-06-15

Great entertainment for the entire family. The interaction between the young brother and sister is well worth watching this movie. The pair make adjustments in their daily routines (due to the loss of a tiny pair of pink shoes). The acting abilities of the young stars (especially the little girl) are amazing. The movie will have you following along (and occasionally smiling and laughing along the way) while the pair work hard at keeping the loss of the shoes from their parents.

Amazing movie.......2007-06-12

One of the best films I have ever seen- even if you are not familiar with the Farsi language or the Iranian culture, it is such a beautiful film it will make a place in your heart. A great movie to watch with your children- shows a totally different world. Enjoy!

Something out of of the ordinary for American viewers, a welcome change.......2007-06-11

If there's something to be said about foreign films, it is that they convey a different viewing experience. The actors, directors, writers, and producers have different value systems, a different sense of humor, and thematic material that we rarely get in American movies.

Don't get me wrong, I love American cinema, but it doesn't hurt to see something a little different from time to time. That's where Children of Heaven comes in.

Zohre is a young Iranian school girl who has a pair of old, pink shoes. Her brother Ali picks them up from a shoe repairman. But due to an unfortunate turn of events, the shoes are lost. Now Zohre has no shoes to wear when she goes to school and the childrens' father does not have enough money to buy her a new pair. The children do not want to worry and embarrass him by asking him to buy a new pair, and they do not want to be punished, so they use the same pair of shoes.

Getting to school becomes a dramatic ordeal, as the two children start class at different times and have to race back and forth so that both of them may arrive at school with shoes on their feet.

There are interesting events that take place in school, there are well done interactions between the two children and their parents, and the movie remains interesting throughout.

Some people might be a little impatient with what is commonly referred to as "chick flicks." And these same people might enjoy action a lot more than conversation and find overly emotional, melodramatic romance intolerable.

Still, I think even these people will really enjoy this movie. There's no violence, but the movie develops in such an artful manner, that the viewer becomes genuinely concerned with the plight of the brother and the sister who share a single pair of shoes.

Some reviewers have disparaged the movie as being about boring subject matter. However, sometimes the kind of struggle that regular people have to go through can be more meaningful than the monstrous battles and other epic events we see in most movies.

As an American that has no first hand experience with the middle east or middle eastern culture, I enjoyed seeing the humanity of Iranian children and the interactions between husband and wife that are too often portrayed in a stereotypical, and probably somewhat unrealistic light, by the American media.

I recommend this movie as a welcome change (even if the change is only temporary) from what we usually see with American cinema. Check it out, it's fun.

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