The Castle

Starring:Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Anthony Simcoe, Sophie Lee, Wayne Hope, Tiriel Mora, Eric Bana, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Robyn Nevin, Costas Kilias, Bryan Dawe, Monty Maizels, Lynda Gibson, John Benton, Laurie Dobson, John Lee, Stephanie Daniel, John Flaus, Les Toth
Director: Rob Sitch
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

The Star Wars saga is now complete on DVD with Episode III REVENGE OF THE SITH. Torn between loyalty to his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the seductive powers of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker ultimately turns his back on the Jedi, thus completing his journey to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader. Experience the breathtaking scope of the final chapter in spectacular clarity and relive all the epic battles including the final climactic lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

System Requirements:
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee
Directed By: George Lucas
Running Time: 140 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Ending the most popular film epic in history, Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith is an exciting, uneven, but ultimately satisfying journey. Picking up the action from Episode II, Attack of the Clones as well as the animated Clone Wars series, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), pursue General Grievous into space after the droid kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

The Star Wars Family Tree (click for larger image)

It's just the latest maneuver in the ongoing Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatist forces led by former Jedi turned Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). On another front, Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) leads the Republic's clone troops against a droid attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. All this is in the first half of Episode III, which feels a lot like Episodes I and II. That means spectacular scenery, dazzling dogfights in space, a new fearsome villain (the CGI-created Grievous can't match up to either Darth Maul or the original Darth Vader, though), lightsaber duels, groan-worthy romantic dialogue, goofy humor (but at least it's left to the droids instead of Jar-Jar Binks), and hordes of faceless clone troopers fighting hordes of faceless battle droids.

But then it all changes.

Star Wars Time Line (click for larger image)

After setting up characters and situations for the first two and a half movies, Episode III finally comes to life. The Sith Lord in hiding unleashes his long-simmering plot to take over the Republic, and an integral part of that plan is to turn Anakin away from the Jedi and toward the Dark Side of the Force. Unless you've been living under a rock the last 10 years, you know that Anakin will transform into the dreaded Darth Vader and face an ultimate showdown with his mentor, but that doesn't matter. In fact, a great part of the fun is knowing where things will wind up but finding out how they'll get there. The end of this prequel trilogy also should inspire fans to want to see the original movies again, but this time not out of frustration at the new ones. Rather, because Episode III is a beginning as well as an end, it will trigger fond memories as it ties up threads to the originals in tidy little ways. But best of all, it seems like for the first time we actually care about what happens and who it happens to.

Episode III is easily the best of the new trilogy--OK, so that's not saying much, but it might even jockey for third place among the six Star Wars films. It's also the first one to be rated PG-13 for the intense battles and darker plot. It was probably impossible to live up to the decades' worth of pent-up hype George Lucas faced for the Star Wars prequel trilogy (and he tried to lower it with the first two movies), but Episode III makes us once again glad to be "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." --David Horiuchi

DVD features
Say what you will about the new Star Wars films--and plenty has been said already--but the DVDs continue to set the standard for technical excellence. From the opening of the first scene, the Dolby 5.1 EX sound is thrilling, and the picture, transferred directly from the digital source, is fantastic. A commentary track is again provided by a combination of people, including George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett. Lucas admits that the film is political and that he was influenced by Vietnam, but makes no mention of the Bush administration, as is widely speculated.

The main documentary on the second disc is probably the most granular DVD feature ever. "Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III" takes 67 minutes to deconstruct one minute of the film, an excerpt of the duel on Mustafar. The idea is to cover all the aspects that go into creating that minute, from writing to set construction to accounting. Fortunately, many of the concepts such as costumes apply to the movie as a whole, but having producer Rick McCallum tell us the importance of food seems a bit overkill. Two other featurettes are "It's All for Real: The Stunts of Episode III," an 11-minute discussion focusing mainly on the lightsaber duels, and "The Chosen One," a 14-minute examination of Darth Vader's evolution over the six films.

The six deleted scenes were no great loss from the film but are all worth watching. Natalie Portman in particular gets some much-needed screen time as one of the co-plotters of an anti-Palpatine movement, and an early action scene ties in to the Clone Wars animated series. There's also a 15-part series of 5 to 7 minute Web documentaries on topics such as the creation of General Grievous and Ewan McGregor, and an Xbox sampler of Battlefront II (if you're lucky, you can play as Obi-Wan Kenobi cutting through an army of droids) among other supplements. --David Horiuchi

The Complete Star Wars Saga

Episodes 4-6 Trilogy (widescreen)
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episde II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 1
Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2
The Star Wars Store

Stills from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (click for larger images)

Anakin turning to the dark side
When Wookiees attack

Yoda, Jedi master
Mr. and Mrs. Vader

Saber training with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen
The cast

Customer Reviews:

An EPIC end to the Star Wars EPIC.......2007-06-29

I did have a bit of a problem believing Anakin's change to the darkside. I realize that the Emperor was supposed to be very charismatic, but it seems Anakin's own lack of intelligence is what allowed him to turn as much as anything.

That having been said, I felt like the turn was still believable. Just not one I enjoyed.

Other aspects of this movie were simply incredible! The special effects were off the chart. The plot at its base was enjoyable and the characters were just wonderful.

Though it was a satisfying "conclusion" to the epic, this movie left me wanting more Star Wars!

Star wars Fanatic.......2007-06-26

I have the entire collection. Saw the first movie in 1977 in Toronto at the largest theatre on the first day. In the early nineties my friends and I used to have star wars marathon movie days where we would watch episodes 4,5 &6 back to back for 10 hours plus of Star Wars. A Genre that defined an entire generation of movie goers. Long live the empire. Long live Lucasfilm

what a load of garbage.......2007-05-30

Old George must have been high on cleaning fluid when he made this mess, how this is supposed to tie into the original 3 movies begs belief.
For a start the prequel technology is far more sophisticated than the sequels, the look of the films makes it look as though they should actually have been the other way around.
When you look at the lightsabre dules in the prequels, you have all the these guys flying around, yet in the sequels its more like sword fights from El Cid.
Whats with all the sytuff flying around in the background, its distracting from the movie and makes you dizzy as hell, total over-use of
special effects, and as for the acting of Hayden and Natalie Portman, amateurish would be an understatement.
The same can be said for the other 2 prequels, this just goes to show Star War fans like Trekkies will buy into anything.

George Lucas's "Hail Mary Pass" Redeems The Prequels.......2007-05-30

[NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN MY REVIEW....If you don't want to know some key plot points, well, skip to another review.]

Like many people here, I grew up on Star Wars back "in the day", when it was just a trilogy. Fast-forward to 1999, and the hype-filled release of Lucas' first prequel installment, Episode I: The Phantom Menace. To be blunt, it was a disappointment which was only saved from being a total loss by the distinctive presence of the Star Wars aesthetic, and by the ambition of its storyline. Another sci-fi movie launched that summer, called "The Matrix", and its legions of hipster fanboys laughed and pointed at The Phantom Menace's wooden acting, poor dialogue, off-kilter pacing, and....Jar Jar Binks. Of course, it was the release of 2001's Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring which resulted in a more relevant movie for comparison, as (like Star Wars) the Lord of the Rings movies were made to be timeless, and not to cash in on trendy Hot Topic fashions and hastily assimilated Hong Kong cinema gunplay. 2002 saw the release of Episode II: Attack of the Clones, which was one step forward and one-half step back. While Hayden Christiansen's acting was less painful to watch than that of Jake Lloyd (who, to be fair, was a child actor, and didn't have the chops that only time can bring), it was still pretty wooden, and Natalie Portman's acting wasn't exactly lighting up the screen either. In fact, the dialogue was just as wooden, with a few exceptions. However, the settings were better, the action was more over the top, and the last 40 minutes saw the reappearance of some of that old-school Star Wars spirit.

With Episode 2 ending with the Jedi leading the proto-Stormtrooper clone army into the Clone Wars, yet still failing to ascertain the true plot unfolding around them, expectations were high for Episode III. Lucas obscured things even further by dropping hints that the epic action of the movie would be limited to the very beginning. By the beard of Zeus, could it be true? Would he let us down with his last chance to send off the saga on a high note? Thankfully, the trailers finally began to emerge, and it was clear that there was more to Episode 3 than Lucas let on.

First, I do have to point out "the bad". There is still too much wooden acting, although performances have improved greatly. Sadly, some of the worst acting occurs during the critical juncture immediately prior to the Anakin/Obi-Wan lightsaber duel. Nonetheless, the timing and general feel are less stilted in this movie. Additionally, Lucas also sometimes overindulges his need to show off ILM's abilities, most notably by having Count Dooku perform a ridiculous and unnecessary flip maneuver simply to bypass walking calmly down some stairs. Finally, there are still some loose ends and plot holes left in the prequels, including Jedi Master Syfo-Dias' true role, and how the Jedi could be so incredibly blind to the presence of Order 66 in the military training programs that they would have been in some capacity overseeing.

The good news is that somehow, this movie makes up for it with a more real and engaging presentation than the other prequel movies. In fact, in this case, more IS more, and it's obvious that George Lucas studied the Lord of the Rings movies, which, of course, owe their own debt in turn to Star Wars, which of course owes its own debt to Tolkien's source material. But, I digress. The movie starts off with a bang, to say the least, as Anakin and Obi-Wan race their starfighters over the surface of a proto-Star Destroyer to the sound of pounding war drums, and dive headfirst into what is revealed to be a titanic space battle over Coruscant. The movie continues full-throttle through an extended opening action sequence reminiscent of both the James Bond and Indiana Jones movies. After this sequence, which includes vertiginous elevator sequences, a lightsaber duel, a close quarters brawl in the enemy command ship's bridge, and a tense, out-of-control landing, it seems as if the movie will settle back into the familiar, boring pace of its prequel predecessors.

Not quite, this time. As our heroes return to Coruscant, and the business of assessing the ongoing Clone Wars, the tension begins to build, and is artfully reflected in the visuals and the lighting. With the outward focus shifting to the cyborg General Grevious, and an ongoing Separatist assault on the Wookie homeworld, there are still some obvious action-driven plot threads which serve to break up the Byzantine and internal intrigues which rear their heads up during the first half of the movie. With Anakin beginning to have disturbing dreams about the fate of the now-pregnant Padme (his secret wife), he is put in the unenviable position of being asked to spy on one of his surrogate father figures, the dubious Chancellor Palpatine, by his OTHER father figure, Obi-Wan Kenobi. In turn, Palpatine sows the seeds of doubt in Anakin's mind about the morality and wisdom of the Jedi, by preying on Anakin's secret fears about Padme's life. Throughout the first half, the tension is constantly being built, and is only matched by the viewer's curiosity as to how the bottom will drop out for the Republic and the Jedi.

Finally, things take a turn for the worse when the mastermind Darth Sidious reveals himself, and Anakin is forced into making the ultimate wrong choice, in part due to the Jedi Order's own emotionally stunted state and questionable decision-making. After that point, things free fall, and the majority of the Jedi Order is wiped out during a planet-hopping, wartime montage that is part "Godfather" and part "Saving Private Ryan". Through carefully laid, long-term plans coming to fruition, the Jedi are disgraced, and the Republic's politicians gladly sacrifice Lady Liberty on the altar of "security", as the Republic is folded into a Galactic Empire. All that remains are the inevitable confrontations between Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Yoda and the Emperor, while the fate of Padme and her children hang in the balance. The twin lightsaber duels are pretty impressive, and the protracted ending chapters set up the second half of the Star Wars saga fairly well, if not without a few bumps. It's too bad the other two prequels were not as well executed, as the story arc setup from them did deserve better treatment.

The visuals and audio were top-notch in the theaters, and translate pretty well to the DVD format. Obviously, the scale will not be on par with what you get at the cinema, but the transfer is clean and intact, displaying how vivid digitally recorded movies can be if properly done. Compared to Episodes I and II, Episode III feels much less flat, perhaps because real life sets were used more extensively this time around, and also perhaps due to the inevitable technology improvements. As a result, while the CGI is still obviously "not real", it is used more artfully, and conveys an incredibly surreal feeling, akin to work done in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The lighting is more varied, more subtle, and more "solid", for lack of a better word. The colors are vivid, and leap off the screen, while the audio bombards the listener with John Williams' score, combined with Ben Burtt's trademark sound effects (including buzzing lightsabers, elastic laser blasts, and the infamous "Wilhelm scream").

The extras include the usual deleted scenes, mostly relating to the political aspect of the storyline. Why George Lucas couldn't find a way to insert some of that material into the actual movie is beyond me, although it would admittedly slow the pace a bit too much. The commentary is, for me, a disappointment. More time is spent discussing effects than addressing some of the story points not explicitly seen in the movies. With Lucas's commentary, some definitive answers could have been provided, but weren't. Instead, we get some vague generalizations from George, some goofy behind-the-scenes stories, and the like. Some of the other extras are more substantial, such as a series of mini-documentaries, and the gamut of trailers and TV ads, which were some of the most effective Star Wars promos to date. It's too bad there aren't any comments from the actors, as with the right combinations, you can get entertaining results in a commentary (e.g. Dina Meyer/Neil Patrick Harris/Casper Van Dien in "Starship Troopers", Arnold Schwartzenegger/John Milius in "Conan the Barbarian", and anytime you combine John Carpenter and Kurt Russell).

Revenge of the Sith has been the subject of a fair amount of controversy among both reviewers and its movie fanatic fanbase. Websites like CHUD were abuzz with revisionists claiming that the much reviled Episode I was better than Episode III, while on Usenet, apologists for the prequels claimed that "Star Wars always had poor dialogue" (despite the fact that the original trilogy's fairly simple syntax flowed pretty well, especially compared to the "thee and thou" style weighing down the prequels). Some professional reviewers, such as Rolling Stone's Peter "Hey, Monster In Law is a great movie!" Travers viewed Episode III as the last chance to trash a Star Wars movie, while others lauded Episode III's epic scope, and relevance to modern politics. Fanboy wars, of course, were stoked, with Star Wars and Lord of the Rings zealots viewing moviegoing as a "zero sum game"; there can be only one, right? In the end, though, Episode III has to succeed as a cinematic experience, irrespective of one's emotional attachment. Thankfully, for all its flaws, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ends up being more than the sum of its parts. Recommended!

Great movie!.......2007-05-14

I liked this the best of Star Wars episodes I-III. I was, honestly, disappiointed in Episode I, but they got better, and I believe this Episode is consistent with IV-VI.

Celtic Woman - A New Journey: Live at Slane Castle, Ireland

Average customer rating:

Just marvelous
I'm sorry but.....
Celtic Woman - A New Journey: Live at Slane Castle, Ireland
Enjoyment that lasts
Celtic Women-A new Journey:Live at Slane Castle, Ireland

Celtic Woman - A New Journey: Live at Slane Castle, Ireland
Starring: Chloe Agnew , Lisa Kelly , Mairead Nesbitt , Orla Fallon , and Meav Ni Mhaolchatha
Manufacturer: Manhattan Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | International | Styles | Music

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A New Journey
Celtic Woman
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Celtic Woman

ASIN: B000LC4CVA
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Amazon.com

Celtic Woman, the PBS sensation, returns for 2007 in A New Journey: Live at Slane Castle, Ireland. Most of the elements return as well: vocalists Chloe, Meav, Lisa, and Orla; fiery fiddler Mairead; music director David Downes; chorus and orchestra; and the New Age-y Celtic and traditional music. New for this show is New Zealand vocalist Hayley Westenra, a picturesque outdoor location, and an almost entirely new song list. Chloe sings "The Prayer" (made famous by Josh Groban) and "Panis Angelicus"; Lisa covers "Caledonia," "The Blessing," and "The Voice"; Orla sings "Newgrange" and accompanies herself on harp for "Carrickfergus"; Meav sings "Dulaman"; Mairead plays "Granuaile's Dance" and "Shenandoah: The Pacific Slope"; and Hayley sings "Scarborough Fair" by herself and duets with Mairead (Handel's "Lascia Ch'io Pianga") and Meav ("The Last Rose of Summer"). Then of course the group performs together ("The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun," "Over the Rainbow," "Beyond the Sea," "At the Ceili," "Sing Out!", "Spanish Lady," "Mo Ghile Mear"). Encore performances from the original show are Enya's "Orinoco Flow," "Danny Boy," "Somewhere," and "You Raise Me Up." Hayley proves to be an excellent fit among the beautiful voices, and Lisa seems to emerge as the talent most deserving of attention, but overall the show lacks some of the fresh sparkle of the original. The song list isn't quite as strong, and some of the "primp and pose" choreography is just silly. But Celtic Woman is never less than charming, and at its best can be quite stirring. --David Horiuchi

Description

DVD TRACKLIST:
1. The Sky & the Dawn & the Sun
2. The Prayer
3. Calendonia
4. Newgrange
5. Orinoco Flow
6. Dulaman
7. The Blessing (not in TV broadcast)
8. Scarborough Fair
9. Granuaile's Dance
10. Over the Rainbow
11. Beyond the Sea
12. At the Ceili
13. Laschia Ch'io Pianga
14. Carrickfergus
15. Sing Out
16. The Last Rose of Summer
17. Spanish Lady
18. Panis Angelicus (not in TV broadcast)
19. Shenandoah-Reels
20. The Voice
21. Danny Boy
22. Somewhere
23. Mo Ghile Mear
24. You Raise Me Up (not in TV broadcast)
25. Ceili Playout (not in TV broadcast)

Running Time: 1 hour 20 minutes live show + additional 20 minutes "Making of" bonus feature

Customer Reviews:

Just marvelous.......2007-06-27

I did not know anything about Celtic Woman before I bought this product. I have a lot of concert DVD's, but this turned out to become one of my top favorites. I don't know how many times I have watced it, it is just marvelous. I have showed it to many of my friends, who also has been taken away by the beautiful music, fantastic setting and outstanding performers!!

Tron Syversen, Norway

I'm sorry but............2007-06-13

This DVD (not so much the CD) really is a bit over the edge....The Stepford Wives Do Celtic Music???...the guy pounding away wildly on the drums...the 3,000 extra singers...the constant awkward fashion show runway walk down the stage....the costume changes..the castle....waaaaaaaaaay over the top for my tastes...and the inappropriate CONSTANT switches to the audience reaction...this entire production was monsterous....I know that I will be the ONLY person who makes any of these points and that PBS stations from L.A. to the Suez Canal will broadacast this thing forever in membership drives... but this DVD is just not crafted to these wonderful singers....I just couldn't believe it.

I have every CD any of these women have done individually and I would highly recommend those CD's along with the original DVD and all the Celtic Woman CD's....but this DVD is so bad.

This is CELTIC music which relies more on simplicity and beauty...it was like sitting in a dentist chair WATCHING the tremendously talented Haley Westenra suddenly be thrown into this group as if she needed to do this to advance her own career....it was shocking if you have followed Haley's career over the last few years to see her as part of this overblown mess..I think this was a step backwards for her. She seemed out of place.

The gal jumping around with the fiddle like some sort of adult elf was just about the "my god, what next?" limit for me...until they focused on the wild bore Caliban guy trying to break his drums...banging away like he was smashing huge boulders.....

Looks like a bunch of Wall Street people got a hold of good thing (as they did with the Olympics and soon with NASCAR) and then said if a little is good..than an avalanche of it is better...no matter if it descends into bad taste...

The "good thing" here are gorgeous women who can sing very well.....that should have been enough on its own merits but instead what we get here on this DVD is every cliche known to man.

Cringe...and then cringe some more...

Sure it will sell but I hope the next time around all those handlers understand the words subtle and nuance. This DVD is like watching a war documentary. Again..the music on the CD is OK..but this DVD uber production is just so overblown that it leaves you dazed and beaten up...how they could have managed to do that with Celtic music is nearly criminal.

Celtic Woman - A New Journey: Live at Slane Castle, Ireland.......2007-06-09

I see this every time it comes on PBS. It's so excellent I bought it as a gift to share with family members out of state. It is exquisite !!!

Enjoyment that lasts.......2007-06-08

Saw the show on PBS and was enthralled. Actually got to see the ladies in concert, positively fantastic! Prabably will have to order new CD's and DVD as will most likely wear them out. Even my 8 year old enjoys them.

Celtic Women-A new Journey:Live at Slane Castle, Ireland.......2007-06-01

I bought it for my mother and she really likes it. She enjoys listening to the relaxing music

The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made
Couldn't be happier
Disturbing for a G rated Movie
There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz...........

The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Judy Garland , Frank Morgan , Ray Bolger , Bert Lahr , and Jack Haley
Director: Victor Fleming , Mervyn LeRoy , and King Vidor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000ADS63K
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com essential video

When it was released during Hollywood's golden year of 1939, The Wizard of Oz didn't start out as the perennial classic it has since become. The film did respectable business, but it wasn't until its debut on television that this family favorite saw its popularity soar. And while Oz's TV broadcasts are now controlled by media mogul Ted Turner (who owns the rights), the advent of home video has made this lively musical a mainstay in the staple diet of great American films. Young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and her three companions on the yellow brick road to Oz--the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger)--have become pop-culture icons and central figures in the legacy of fantasy for children. As the Wicked Witch who covets Dorothy's enchanted ruby slippers, Margaret Hamilton has had the singular honor of scaring the wits out of children for more than six decades. The film's still as fresh, frightening, and funny as it was when first released. It may take some liberal detours from the original story by L. Frank Baum, but it's loyal to the Baum legacy while charting its own course as a spectacular film. Shot in glorious Technicolor, befitting its dynamic production design (Munchkinland alone is a psychedelic explosion of color and decor), The Wizard of Oz may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it's required viewing for kids of all ages. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
The Wizard of Oz DVD released in 1999 was loaded with extra features, but it's now safe to throw away that version in all its cardboard-package glory in favor of this new two-disc edition. First things first: All the bonus material from the earlier disc is there (with one small exception). That includes the Angela Lansbury-hosted documentary The Making of a Movie Classic; the outtakes and deleted scenes, including Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" reprise and the home-movie recording of "The Jitterbug"; the sketches and stills and composer Harold Arlen's home movies; the audio underscores and radio programs; the 1979 interviews with Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, and Jack Haley; and other items too numerous to mention. (Some text introductions to the features have been replaced by narration by Lansbury, for whatever reason.) Brand-new to the 2005 edition is a sharp restoration using Warner's Ultra Resolution process and an accompanying featurette on how it's done. The technicians also discuss how the sound was remixed, though that would have been more effective had it included surround-sound demonstrations (the featurette is in 2.0). Other features on the new set include a commentary track by critic John Fricke supplemented by vintage cast interviews (he offers a lot of trivia, and debunks the myth that Shirley Temple was ever close to getting the Dorothy role); profiles of nine cast members and clips of other movies they appeared in (including Toto); a lightly animated 10-minute storybook again narrated by Lansbury; 2001 and 2005 behind-the-scenes featurettes; and a 1950 Lux Radio Theater broadcast. Oh, and if you were still wondering about the missing material mentioned above--the 1999 disc included one-minute excerpts of three early treatments of The Wizard of Oz. Those excerpts are not included in the two-disc special edition, but the third disc of the three-disc collector's edition includes the complete versions of those treatments and more. --David Horiuchi

Description

An All-New Wizard of Oz With State of The Art Ultra-Resolution Picture Quality and Over 10 Hours of Bonus Extras.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by John Fricke and multiple cast and crew members.
Biographies:We Haven't Really Met Properly - includes 9 orginal cast biographies
Deleted Scenes:If I Only Had a Brain; If I Only Had a Heart; Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Over the Rainbow; The Jitterbug
Documentary:Memories of Oz -2001 TCM documentary
Featurette:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook; Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz; The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz; Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz
Music Clips:Audio Vault Includes: Over the Rainbow; Munchkinland Medley Rehearsal Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Sequence Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Voice Tests; If I Only Had a Brain; We're Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Heart; If I Only Had the Nerve/We?re Off to See the Wizard; Emerald City/The Merry Old Land of Oz; If I Were King of the Forest; The Jitterbug; Over the Rainbow/Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Kansas Underscoring; Munchkinland Underscoring; and more
Music Only Track
Newsreel:Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Excerpt - 1939 newsreel
Other:Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power - 1938 MGM short; Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo; Good News of 1939 Radio Show; 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
Photo gallery:Oz on Broadway; Pre-MGM; Sketches and Storyboards; Costume and Make-up Tests; Richard Thorpe's Oz; Buddy Ebsen; Oz Comes to Life; Behind the Scenes; Portraits; Special Effects; Post Production; Deleted Scenes; Original Publicity
TV Special:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic - 1990 TV special
Theatrical Trailer:1939 What is Oz? Teaser; 1940 Loews Cairo Theater Trailer; 1949 Re-issue Trailer; 1949 Grownup Re-issue Trailer; 1970 Children's Matinee Re-issue Trailer; 1998 Warner Bros. Re-issue Trailer; Texas Contest Winners [1939 trailer]

Customer Reviews:

Wizard of Oz.......2007-06-21

What makes this quintessential fantasy musical the immortal spectacle it is has as much to do with the spirited songs (Garland's signature "Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut!) and heel-clicking dance numbers as it does the phenomenal storyline, lavish Technicolor sets, and punchy performances by the entire cast. For sheer entertainment, you can't beat Ray Bolger's rubbery legs, Bert Lahr's boastful bluster, and Margaret Hamilton's frightening green face, not to mention warbling Munchkins, flying monkeys, an Emerald City, and one highly coveted pair of ruby slippers. King Vidor directed the black-and-white Kansas sequences that bookend the film, but Fleming helmed the rest and took sole credit. Amazingly, the film flopped at the box office, but has since become the most beloved children's classic of all time. If ever a wiz there was, The Wizard of Oz is definitely it.

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made.......2007-06-18

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made, staring the world's best performer; Judy Garland!

Couldn't be happier.......2007-06-18

My DVD arrived on-time, and it is in perfect condition.

Disturbing for a G rated Movie.......2007-06-14

This G rated classic is also pretty disturbing because it's too scary a movie for little kids. It scared the crap out of my mom. I wasn't scared but it disturbed me the racist anti-pilgrim content in it as well as it's loaded with subliminal messages. It's sequel Return to Oz is even more disturbing containing even more subliminal messages. They should've made this animated because the wicked witch scenes are very unholy and not kosher, not quite on a level with The Exorcist but like The Holwing II. Too campy for me to be genuinely disturbing not it's just unholy and too morbind for it's intended younger audiences. It's still a 5 star classic.

There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz..................2007-06-11

Growing up in the 60's and early 70's my small town had access to three television channels - and two of them carried shows from the same network! The annual showing of THE WIZARD OF OZ in those pre video days was an eagerly anticipated event for kids that was discussed for days before and after even by jaded fifth and sixth graders. I recently watched the film again with my own child and was amazed by how well the story and the whole production holds up. The film has much to offer still in terms of memorable songs and characters and it is so fun to find the humdrum citizens of Dust Bowl Kansas having fantasy counterparts in surreal OZ. No wonder this movie is and will remain a film legend.

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Prepare thyself
One of the best presentation of a Shakespeare play
The Full-length Hamlet...
Where Are The Grace Notes?
Excellent

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Richard Attenborough , David Blair , Brian Blessed , Kenneth Branagh , and Richard Briers
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Hamlet
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ASIN: B00005JLCI
Release Date: 2007-08-14

Amazon.com

Kenneth Branagh's four-hour production of Shakespeare's full text for Hamlet is visually lush (shot in 70mm, which is rarely done) and full of fascinating story moments that normally get cut from shorter stage versions. (Your idea of what kind of fellow Polonius is may change quite a bit.) The unexpurgated approach is truly enlightening, and Branagh intermittently succeeds at giving familiar moments in the drama an original cinematic spin, including Hamlet's spooky confrontation with his father's ghost (Brian Blessed). (Branagh also imposes some Hollywood glitter on the proceedings by casting the likes of Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Charlton Heston, and Jack Lemmon in the smaller parts.) The pre-Titanic Kate Winslet is very good as the doomed Ophelia, and Derek Jacobi delivers a wonderfully nuanced performance as Claudius, whose character is definitely filled out by the restored material. Branagh's own performance is a little revisionist--some viewers have quibbled with it while others seem fine with it. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Prepare thyself.......2007-06-25

OK...let me get my complaints outta the way, the things that make this film loose a star, first and foremost. After all, it's only my opinion.

I hate the way the Ghost is handled. Too literal...too much is shown. I prefer Zeff's take on the ghost to anyone's. Now that was creepy. This isn't. Also, Branagh has the WORST taste in music in all of Europe. It's embarrassing.

But this is a Hamlet to be seen. It's like no other. Yes, yes...the actors are fantastic, and it is beautiful to behold, like other Hamlets. Branagh's special device... and self challenge for which I applaud him, is to do the entire play. Every word. The whole shebang. In a world where even ABT is editing down their great works of 19th century entertainment, so it won't last longer than your average film I guess, this film is refreshing.

One must prepare for it. It's like going to see Wagner's "Ring" or a Eugene O'Neill play.... you know it's going to be long and intricate. You may become bored at times, but you must know you won't be for long before things pick up again, and paying attention has great rewards. Resolve yourself to meet it halfway. Also, like a Wagner opera, you must accept it for what it is, warts and all. Like a Bach Passion, or a Beethoven string quartet, it is a universe of its own. It is full of nooks and crannies. It is a complete world.

This is the great thing about this version of Hamlet. It's not tidied up for modern sensibilities of theatre. It's sprawling and expansive. The threat from Fortinbras and the entire "players" scene and the scenes on the ship to England....these tentacles from the main plot only add to the complete world of "Hamlet". It's wonderful! It puts it on par with "Lear" [which I've always though better]. It is epic. Art! With a capital "A".

One of the best presentation of a Shakespeare play.......2007-06-22

I had the opportunity to see this film during limited premiere back in December 25, 1996. I still have the program from that time. The 3 theatres to have the honors were The Paris Theatre in New York, The Royal Theatre in Los Angeles and The York Theatre in Toronto. These theatre showed the film in its entirety with one intermission of about 10 minutes. When it went nationwide the following January 24, 1997, it was edited and shorten by about 1 hour.

I must say, watching it for the first time was exciting. The film was amazing and I was intrigue throughout. Keep in mind I was still a young high school student when I first saw this. I enjoyed every aspect of it and did not want to see it end. When the film was first released on DVD or LD, I rented it and it was still good but there is nothing like experiencing it at the theatre and presented the way it was meant to be seen.

The Full-length Hamlet..........2007-06-10

1997's "William Shakespeare's Hamlet" is a full-length production of the original play, running to a daunting but entirely worthwhile four hours.

Kenneth Branagh, veteran of earlier screen productions of "Henry V" and "Much Ado About Nothing", is entirely credible as the melancholy Prince of Denmark, suspecting subterfuge in his father's murder and his mother's rapid remarriage. His delivery of Hamlet's signature sililoquy in a hall of mirrors is his own but excellent. The length of the production allows for a full exploration of Hamlet's behavior and of his plan for revenge; Branagh deserves credit for sustaining the ambiguity of his character throughout. His energy drives what might otherwise have become an exhausting movie, which even includes the timely arrival of the Norwegian Army at the end of the climactic sword fight between Hamlet and Ophelia's brother.

Branagh is supported by an absolutely stellar cast of "name" actors and actresses, including Kate Winslet as the unfortunate Ophelia. Noticing actors like Robin Williams and Jack Lemon in their minor roles becomes almost a little distracting as the movie progresses.

The length of the movie allows for the close exploration of the lavish sets; Blenheim Palace in England stands in for the Elsinore of the play. Period costumes and furnishings are detailed and everywhere in evidence.

This movie is most highly recommended to fans of Shakespeare and of Hamlet, who will be rewarded with an entertaining and quality effort for the investment of time.

Where Are The Grace Notes?.......2007-05-24

I know I'm going to catch hell for this review, but I've tried to watch Branagh's Hamlet twice and quit half way through both times. This is not meant pejoratively, but Branagh's Hamlet is an assault on the senses. He brays and he mews and he mugs for the camera. Where are the grace notes? How can the Dane be such an unsympathetic character? Winslet's Ophelia is a raving hysteric, Polonius a caricature of a hypocrite, Lemmon woefully miscast, his line readings leaden. The soundtrack, always intrusive, at time overwhelms the dialogue. Bigger is not necessarily better. Give me Olivier, even Gibson, any day.

Excellent.......2007-05-21

Though quite lengthy, this version of Hamlet is amazing. Kenneth Branah does a wonderful job acting as Hamlet and Kate Winslet's performance of Olivia is equally appealing. This age old story of trechery, pride, and revenge comes to life in this movie and I would reccomend it to anyone.

The Shawshank Redemption (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Shawshank brilliance
The Shawshank Redemption
Great Movie
Hope
Great move

The Shawshank Redemption (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Tim Robbins , Morgan Freeman , Bob Gunton , William Sadler , and Clancy Brown
Director: Frank Darabont , and Andrew Abbott
Manufacturer: Castle Rock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002J4ZWS
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Amazon.com essential video

When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, some critics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we realize there's reason to believe the banker's crime was justifiable. We also realize that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Shawshank brilliance.......2007-07-04

If you've not seen this movie, you're long overdue. It's a wonderful movie with moving performances by terrific actors. There are lots of good extras on this Special Edition.

The Shawshank Redemption.......2007-06-08

Order was received sooner than expected ... in excellent condition. Was very pleased.

Great Movie.......2007-05-28

I bought this movie because I read the book Differnt Seasons (by Stephen King) that has this story in it. The book was great and so was the movie. The plot is the same but the story is a little differnt in the movie. This is one of the few movies as good as the book. My only complaint is that the movie would mot play on Windows Media Player on my computer, instead I had to install InterActual Player. I personaly did not see the point of that.

Hope.......2007-05-23

As Tim Robbins' character writes in this movie "Hope is a good thing...", and this movie gives us hope that intelligent movies might still be made in Hollywood.

Great move.......2007-05-16

Hd to get it in DVD I had vcr put there out dated. This is one move we can watch over and over thank you

Average customer rating:

dear 20th century fox.......
One of the best movies of ALL TIME
Either you like it or you don't
What the Heck !?!?!?!?!?!?
you can laugh too much

Young Frankenstein
Starring: Gene Wilder , Peter Boyle , Marty Feldman , Madeline Kahn , and Cloris Leachman
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000G6BLWE
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com essential video

If you were to argue that Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein ranks among the top-ten funniest movies of all time, nobody could reasonably dispute the claim. Spoofing classic horror in the way that Brooks's previous film Blazing Saddles sent up classic Westerns, the movie is both a loving tribute and a raucous, irreverent parody of Universal's classic horror films Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Filming in glorious black and white, Brooks re-created the Frankenstein laboratory using the same equipment from the original Frankenstein (courtesy of designer Kenneth Strickfaden), and this loving attention to physical and stylistic detail creates a solid foundation for nonstop comedy. The story, of course, involves Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his effort to resume experiments in re-animation pioneered by his late father. (He's got some help, since dad left behind a book titled How I Did It.) Assisting him is the hapless hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the buxom but none-too-bright maiden Inga (Teri Garr), and when Frankenstein succeeds in creating his monster (Peter Boyle), the stage is set for an outrageous revision of the Frankenstein legend. With comedy highlights too numerous to mention, Brooks guides his brilliant cast (also including Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo role) through scene after scene of inspired hilarity. Indeed, Young Frankenstein is a charmed film, nothing less than a comedy classic, representing the finest work from everyone involved. Not one joke has lost its payoff, and none of the countless gags have lost their zany appeal. From a career that includes some of the best comedies ever made, this is the film for which Mel Brooks will be most fondly remembered. Befitting a classic, the Special Edition DVD includes audio commentary by Mel Brooks, a "making of" documentary, interviews with the cast, hilarious bloopers and outtakes, and the original theatrical trailers. No video library should be without a copy of Young Frankenstein. And just remember--that's Fronkensteen. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Mel Brooks' monstrously crazy tribute to Mary Shelley's classic pokes hilarious fun at just about every Frankenstein movie ever made. Summoned by a will to his late grandfather's castle in Transylvania, young Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) soon discovers the scientist's step-by-step manual explaining how to bring a corpse to life. Assisted by the hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the curvaceous Ings (Teri Garr), he creates a monster (Peter Boyle) who only wants to be loved.

Customer Reviews:

dear 20th century fox..............2007-07-03

To the marketing idiots at 20th Century Fox: don't worry, I'll wait till you maroons give us an anamorphic transfer. What year is this???, oh, yeah, 2007!

One of the best movies of ALL TIME.......2007-07-03

If you don't like "Young Frankenstein," you need therapy. And this special edition is a wonderful way to celebrate an all-time classic that has endured, despite its lack of car chases, shootouts, and helicopters.

Either you like it or you don't.......2007-07-03

I like it and watch it a few times a year so I guess I'm getting my monies worth...

What the Heck !?!?!?!?!?!?.......2007-06-28

I usually love Mel Brooks movies and I'm a huge fan of Get Smart from TV - I even have the box set :) But this movie sucked! I wasn't even born when it was made and it felt like all the jokes were so cliched when I watched it. Now there could be 2 reasons for that - Number 1 is that this film was so influential that every other movie copied it so I had already heard the jokes a million times before or Number 2 - The jokes actually were cliched. Either way I didn't really enjoy this like I wanted to. I'm still keeping it though - although if I run out of room in my new DVD holder this is going in the trash first thing.

you can laugh too much.......2007-06-11

Is this movie the product of a genius I don't know I'm not a genius but I did find it the funniest movie I ever saw.
Is this movie well made I don't know I don't make comedies but it is the funniest comedy I've seen in the last fifty years.
Does the story stick to the book yes. The book is rather simple in principle and without a lot of pedantry describes the power of a dream that comes true. Young Frankenstein takes not only the book Frankenstein and gives it some room to grow it gives vent to all those silly horror movies of the same names. Don't get me wrong please Young Frankenstein is silly but not stupid it comes from a lot of hard work I'm sure and the acting is the best I've ever seen like I say but the script they use does roll into the weeds from time to time.

The first time you see this one your sides hurt from all the timeless jokes scattered all the way through in what I'm sure the business calls perfect timing. I still don't know how they got the cast of stars to all fit on the same set to make this very funny movie but to this day after just seeing it again on TV I'm glad we have it around none the less as it is a classic even in it's own write and it's in black and white so you have to have been around long enough to have seen at least one of the early Horror movies we used to have to watch back in the good ol' days when every thing was in black and white and usually a horror on it's own don't you know.

The second time around you'll probably just laugh because it's a funny movie just that a very funny movie. Just the thing if you've seen everything before and perhaps need the last place you look for it to get you into the air.

This is a scary movie for kids though least I think so because the places the movie takes you can be a little foreign unless you've been to Transylvania and that's hardly likely for this audience but if you did come from there you never saw the places Young Frankenstein takes you I hope.

Frankenstein is a little over the top in this movie mostly from other old black and whites but almost believable in his complexity as a character I'm sure you'll admit.

His girlfriend has always been near the top of my most attractive women list and her acting is something you have to see for yourself to criticize .

There's a love interest in this one for Frankenstein and after a twist of fate more a thrust he gets the girl and the castle and the whole bowl of rice but with a lot of class that's rare and only found in this spoof of the Baron Von Frankenstein of many an imagination gone wild. She's played by Terry Garr the girl from Star Trek that ends up marrying the secret-agent from another planet with the cat that talked and the typewriter that doubled as secretary and the ... wasn't funny.

Egor the faithful servant of every Frankenstein we see on TV is played by Marty Feldman. A funny guy even in his own write Marty makes you laugh even when you're not looking and keeps the whole movie in the air all the time.

There's some cameos by most of the other funny men of the day and a whole lot of story for a comedy especially about such a difficult subject like Frankenstein so if you've got a book report to do you can always budget it as research because this movie made an awful lot of bigbucks and still does so there.

Average customer rating:

What a wicked movie! (kids review)
Pretty good movie, unless you expect it to be like the original book
Not one of his best movies!
Classic!
Beautiful

Howl's Moving Castle
Starring: Chieko Baisho , Takuya Kimura , Akihiro Miwa , Tatsuya Gashuin , and Ryunosuke Kamiki
Director: Pete Docter , Rick Dempsey , and Hayao Miyazaki
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CDGVOE
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Amazon.com

Like a dream, Howl's Moving Castle carries audiences to vistas beyond their imaginations where they experience excitement, adventure, terror, humor, and romance. With domestic box office receipts of over $210 million, Howl passed Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke to become the #3 film in Japanese history, behind his Spirited Away and James Cameron's Titanic. Based on a juvenile novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle marks the first time Miyazaki has adapted another writer's work since Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Sophie, a 19-year-old girl who believes she is plain, has resigned herself to a drab life in her family's hat shop--until the Witch of the Waste transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. In her aged guise, Sophie searches for a way to break the Witch's spell and finds unexpected adventures. Like Chihiro, the heroine of Spirited Away, Sophie discovers her hidden potential in a magical environment--the castle of the title. Using CG, Miyazaki creates a ramshackle structure that looks like it might disintegrate at any moment. Sophie's honesty and determination win her some valuable new friends: Markl, Howl's young apprentice; a jaunty scarecrow; Calcifer, a temperamental fire demon; and Heen, a hilarious, wheezing dog. She wins the heart of the dashing, irresponsible wizard Howl, and brings an end an unnecessary and destructive war. The film overflows with eclipsing visuals that range from frightening aerial battles to serene landscapes, and few recent features--animated or live action--offer as much magic as Howl's Moving Castle. --Charles Solomon

The Many Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki

The works of Miyazaki
The Book
The Art of Howls' Moving Castle (book)

Stills from Howl's Moving Castle (click for larger image)

Description

In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation. (c) 2004 Nibariki • GNDDDT

Customer Reviews:

What a wicked movie! (kids review).......2007-06-20

i thought this movie was an awesome movie! It was one of my favorites out of all the myuzaki movies. Well almost. And what a spectacular ending. Usually the characters wouldn't kiss at the end but in this one it shocked me. I'm fourteen and do not think kissing was disgusting.

Pretty good movie, unless you expect it to be like the original book.......2007-06-18

First of all, I need to mention that the three-star rating has more to do with my frustration with the extra features and interviews on this disc, than with the movie itself.

The movie itself is visually great, as are all of Miyazaki's movies. I was a bit taken aback since I'd read the book the movie was based on (more on this later) about 2 months before seeing the movie. It was as if Miyazaki just read the first third of the book, then put the book down and wrote his own story. The second two thirds of the movie bear no resemblance to the book whatsoever, either in plot or characterization. In some ways, I think this is a good thing - some aspects of the book's plot wouldn't translate too well to movie format. I did like the book's plot better, although it was enjoyable watching Howl the bird. :)

Then I started watching the interviews, and sat through a half an hour of Miyazaki getting praised for coming up with such ORIGINAL ideas (like a girl who comes into her own after being cursed with age, or a moving castle, or a door which opens to different cities depending on the way the doorknob is turned). While Miyazaki did take a LOT of creative license, and the movie is definitely a Miyazaki work... all of the specific ideas that I just listed SHOULD have been credited to Diana Wynne Jones, who published the book in 1986. I sat through interview after interview, waiting for SOME mention of the fact that these creative ideas had come from a children's book by the same name, but it never happened. It's as if the movie makers are completely unaware that there had been a book before the movie. And I just don't like it when credit is not given where credit is due.

If it weren't for my frustration with the interviews, I probably would be giving this DVD four stars instead of three... I did enjoy the movie, and once I accepted the fact that Miyazaki had taken the basic story elements from the book and then written his OWN plot, I thought that there were many good things about the movie. It wasn't my favorite Miyazaki movie, but it was still pretty good.

Not one of his best movies!.......2007-06-12

I have mixed feelings about this film. I'm not a big fan of Howl! The film had plenty of action and drama but I couldn't swallow some aspects of this film. It strives to be real concerning the but ends up naseauting toward the end!

I think when anime tries to make it's characters more real it seems more surreal! I love the visuals I just couldn't stomache the characterization. Definitely not his best film!

Classic!.......2007-06-03

We went to the movie theater to see this premier, and it was even more mind blowing then. This is not a simple story, like Disney. The story gets very complicated, but in the end it's all worth it. Billy Cristal as a fire was genius! We fell in love with this movie.

Beautiful .......2007-06-01

Howl's Moving Castle was the third movie that I watched of Miyazaki's movies I believe. Every one of his movies has touched me in some way and I love them all. This one in particular is very beautiful. I guess being of his newer ones, it's visuals and stunning art is astounding. It took me a couple of times of watching to actually grasp the whole plot of the story and to understand what was going on. This movie is surely a Miyazaki classic and will catch the hearts of children and adults. If you love Miyazaki films you won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

DVD The Nativity Story
It's Like a Documentary
Blessed... to have seen this movie:)
the Nativity Story
The Nativity

The Nativity Story
Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes , Oscar Isaac , Hiam Abbass , Shaun Toub , and Ciarán Hinds
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MGBM1I
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

The Nativity Story is a remarkable, if frustratingly restrained, act of imagining the tale of Christ's birth as a flesh-and-blood drama actually set in Israel two millenia ago. Written by Mike Rich (Finding Forrester) and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), the film makes very strong impressions in a scene-by-scene way. Beginning with the slaughter (bloodlessly portrayed; this is a PG movie) of Bethlehem's innocents under orders from a paranoid King Herod (a dark and knowing Ciarán Hinds), the film then jumps back a year to the prophecy that informs Zechariah (Stanley Townsend) that his wife, Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), will bear a child. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's cousin, the adolescent Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), struggles with her family to make ends meet and is promised to the carpenter Joseph (Oscar Isaac). Soon comes word to Mary, via an angel, that she will carry, while still a virgin, the long-awaited Messiah who will liberate the Jews from Herod and his Roman benefactors. Thus begins a detailed account of Joseph and Mary's hard travel to Bethlehem, while three Magi spend months crossing the desert trying to rendezvous with some point below the convergence of three heavenly bodies in the night sky. Hardwicke and Rich anchor all this in period detail, though what proves most moving are relationship nuances, especially the friendship and trust that emerge between Mary and Joseph after he is told in a dream that she speaks truthfully about her miraculous pregnancy. While The Nativity Story should appeal to almost anyone as a straightforward narrative, it is far from a secular version of the familiar Biblical tale, and thus feels a bit stifled. It might have been nice if the film could have breathed a little more with imagination, but The Nativity Story makes up for it by ingeniously weaving hints of things to come, later in Christ's life, into the action. --Tom Keogh

Description

It was the cruelest of times. Under Herod's torturous reign, families struggled to survive and yet, in the midst of utter turmoil, a young woman's faith is put to the test. Join Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and Joseph (Oscar Isaac) on an incredible journey of hope and discovery. Epic in its scope, yet intimate in it's portrayal of this historical family, this "wonderful film" (Bill Zwecker, Chicago Sun Times) is "a family feature that will be cherished for years to come!" (Greg Russell, WMYD-TV, Detroit).

Customer Reviews:

DVD The Nativity Story.......2007-07-03

Saw this movie in the theatre, and it is the best rendition of the story of Jesus parents, and the events surrounding his birth---that I've ever seen. I bought a copy and had it sent to my God son---it is so good.

It's Like a Documentary.......2007-06-19

I know it's entertainment but it plays like a documentary, in a good way. This movie really takes you there; about the most authentic I've seen. I even loaned it to some folks who lived in Israel and they thought the same thing. If you've never been to the Holy Land but want to experience Christ's birth first hand, watch this movie. Very well done and good acting. Done with respect to the subject and the audience.

Blessed... to have seen this movie:).......2007-06-13

This movie is wonderful. From the very beginning you are captivated. The scenery, the struggles, the hardships and the characters touch us profoundly. Seeing Christ as a tiny baby, awes us. Goosebumps and tears overwhelmed me throughout this movie. A bit of humour, surprisingly enough, has also been incorporated. For example, when the Three Wise Men meet in the desert and one makes a comical remark. Their companionship is very believable. Hope and faith combine, to guide the characters , through their nearly impossible journey.

the Nativity Story.......2007-06-08

A wonderfully made film showing the birth of Christ so realistic! the scenes are beautiful and so authentic! Thanks for this great Christian film.

The Nativity.......2007-06-02

Very good movie. Gives and insight as to what biblical times were like. Although the story has been enhanced for the purpose of the movie it does not ofend any christian principles and does not take away from the real story wich is the birth of Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour. It is wonderful to see all these movies with a Christian base theme hit the movies. Something to watch as a family. Wonderful!

Average customer rating:

Oldie But Goodie
You CAN Become Important Playing Video Games
Great nostalgia from my 80s childhood
A Good Movie Back Then, Today, Alittle Rusty In Intertainment...
Blast from the past which still entertains even now

The Last Starfighter
Starring: Kay E. Kuter , Dan Mason (III) , Lance Guest , Dan O'Herlihy , and Catherine Mary Stewart
Director: Nick Castle
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000IQW3
Release Date: 1999-06-08

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At the time of its original release in 1984, this modestly budgeted sci-fi excursion had the distinction of offering some of the first examples of purely computer-generated animation, an apt (and frugal) special-effects solution for a movie with a plot line rooted in computer games. Both the computer-generated visuals and the arcade game now look quaint, but writer-director Nick Castle's affable, good- hearted adventure holds up nicely, thanks to a clever premise--the title game is actually a test for prospective starship pilots, planted by embattled aliens under siege from an evil invader. When a restless teenager (Lance Guest) racks up an impressive score, he finds himself spirited away to the besieged planet and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war. Apart from Castle's skill at contrasting his extraterrestrial settings with the mundane details of his hero's earthbound life, the movie gets lift-off from two thorough pros, Robert Preston, who makes the alien recruiter, Centauri, a planet-hopping cousin to The Music Man's Harold Hill, and Dan O'Herlihy, the alien copilot, who suggests a scaly Walter Brennan. Older fans will snicker, but kids and young teens will find this rite of passage absorbing, while their folks will savor Preston's brash charm. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Oldie But Goodie.......2007-07-02

Really gets the imigination going. Like Star Wars in away, but more on a kid level. Good movie.

You CAN Become Important Playing Video Games.......2007-06-24

Alex Rogan (Lance Guest, "Halloween II" and "Jaws: The Revenge") seems to have a dead-end life. He lives in a trailer park and helps keep things in the trailer park running. His life is not his own. The only fun he has is playing a video game, which he is very good playing. One day Alex achieves the high score on the video game and life changes.

A bizarre individual by the name of Centauri (played by the late, great Robert Preston) appears, looking for Alex. Centauri is an agent for the Star League, recruiting potential Starfighters. Centauri's tool for discovering the potential to be a Starfighter is the video game.

Though Alex has longed to escape the trailer park, he struggles with the opportunity to be a Starfighter. Alex thinks of his girlfriend Maggie (lovely Catherine Mary Stewart), his mother and the people he has helped in the trailer park. Eventually Alex realizes that his life has already changed and that sometimes a little risk can yield great gains. Alex heads back to Rylos and the Star League with Centauri, only to discover that he is the last Starfighter. The end of this movie is all fun and excitement.

This movie was released the year after "Return of the Jedi." The Star Wars movies were very serious and contained a lot of depth. This movie avoided the angst of Star Wars and focused on the fun of shooting evil aliens. This movie is a video game with a plot surrounding it. This movie contained significant computer generated affects that helped the movie a lot, and those special effects increased the video game feeling of this movie.

Though this movie relies a lot on special effects, the acting is generally quite good. Robert Preston is awesome as Centauri, and I recommend this movie highly to Robert Preston fans. Lance Guest, Catherine Mary Stewart and the late Dan O'Herlihy as the lizard-like alien Grig are also fun to watch.

There are many kinds of science fiction movies. This movie is fun in the tradition of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. There are spies and evil aliens. There are spaceships that twist and turn and it is clear to the audience that Rylos is worth fighting for. Lance Guest makes a lovable protagonist. In addition to fans of the actors I listed above, I highly recommend this movie to science fiction movie fans.

Enjoy!

Great nostalgia from my 80s childhood.......2007-04-19

I have a soft spot for this movie, and when it came out on DVD I immediately bought it. I must have watched it dozens of times when it was on HBO in the 80s. Watching it again so many years later, it still retains its heart and charm. Sure, the effects may seem very dated but the film stands out as as one of the first to use CG-created ships and environments. Everyone in the film does a great job as well. Robert Preston is excellent as the smooth-talking alien, Centauri. Dan O'Herlihy has a great time playing navigator Grig, and star Lance Guest has two roles, one of disenchated teen Alex Rogan and the other an android double that takes his place while Alex is taken into space to train as a Starfighter. Guest seems to have a lot more fun with Beta, the android role, but makes Alex believable as someone trying to break free of the trailer park where he grew up. (Don't forget Catherine Mary Stuart as the love interest).

The specials features are a welcome addition for fans. I watched every special feature on this DVD the day I got it, and enjoyed learning about the making of the film from the documentary.

This movie is a great bit of nostalgia with a lot of heart.

A Good Movie Back Then, Today, Alittle Rusty In Intertainment..........2007-04-16

Some 80's movies I can watch over and over and still want to watch it again, like The Terminator, but this movie is ok, but I doubt I will want to watch it over and over like some of my other movies. I remember seeing it in the 80's when I was around 15 years old. Today at age 32, it not really that shiny anymore. But its still a good movie. The CG graphics are pretty impressing for the early 80's. Its worth watching once, if you've never seen it at all.

Blast from the past which still entertains even now.......2007-03-26

The Last Starfighter was a nice little sci-fi action movie which was revolutionary when it was released due to it's use of an early version of CGI-effects. For 1984 the special-effects was quite new and showed just what was possible in the years to come.

The movie itself was a fun and simple sci-fi actioner which owes alot to the arcade shooters which were popular during the 80's. Even the main plotline of the film is pretty much about a video game sent by a benevolent space-faring Star League looking to find a few good Starfighters to save their federation from the danger that is Zur and the Kodan Armada. Lance Guest plays Alex Rogan whose only past-time at the trailer-park where he lives with his mother and younger brother is his girlfriend Maggie Gordon (played by 80's genre favorite Catherine Mary Stewart) and constantly playing a video game called The Last Starfighter. Alex's expert skills in beating the game brings about a new wrinkle in his hum-drum life which seems to be going nowhere. A seeming con-man of a salesman by the name of Centauri (played with gusto and energy by Robert Preston) comes out of nowhere and gives him an offer and opportunity that is out of this world.

The rest of the film brings about Alex's reluctance to join the Star League as a Starfighter and pilot of the Gunstar fighter. He thinks its all a mistake and that he wasn't signing up for some sort of intergalactic war that may just kill him. Like most action movies Alex will have an epiphany of what his role and destiny must be and, with some reluctance, finally takes the challenge by the controls and goes off to fight Zur and the Kodan Armada with his lone Gunstar and his trusty navigator and all-around lizardman mentor, Grigg (played with equal parts seriousness and fun by Dan O'Herlihy).

For those like me who grew up during the 80's and enjoyed watching these simple but fun sci-fi movies The Last Starfighter is quite the blast from the past which still delights and entertains despite the corny dialogue and cheesy effects. The CGI-effects of the Gunstar and the Kodan Armada looks dated but I still can't take my eyes off the screen whenever these early looking CG effects come on. The acting is pretty standard B-movie quality with everyone seeming to have fun with the premise and giving it their all. There's nothing to write the Academy about but in the end the performances do just enough to make the audience like the characters.

The Last Starfighter is quite the underrated scifi action movie which should've done better than it did when it first came out. It's since gained a cult following on video and always a welcome sigh

Episodes 4-6 Trilogy (widescreen)	Episode I: The Phantom Menace	Episde II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 1	Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2	The Star Wars Store

Anakin turning to the dark side	When Wookiees attack
Yoda, Jedi master	Mr. and Mrs. Vader
Saber training with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen	The cast