...And Justice For All

Starring:Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe, Lee Strasberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Lahti, Sam Levene, Robert Christian, Thomas G. Waites, Larry Bryggman, Craig T. Nelson, Dominic Chianese, Victor Arnold (II), Vincent Beck, Michael Gorrin, Baxter Harris, J.G. Hertzler, Joe Morton, Alan North, Tom Quinn (II)
Director: Norman Jewison
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

In this action thriller based on an early story by Stephen King, Los Angeles in the year 2017 has become a police state in the wake of the global economy's total collapse. All forms of entertainment are government controlled, and the most popular show on television is an elaborate game show in which convicted criminals are given a chance to escape by running through a gauntlet of brutal killers known as "Stalkers." Anyone who survives is given their freedom and a condominium in Hawaii, so when a wrongly accused citizen (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is chosen as a contestant, all hell breaks loose. Cheesy sets and a slimy role for game-show host Richard Dawson make this violent mess of mayhem a candidate for guilty pleasure; it is the kind of movie that truly devoted Arnold fans will want to watch more than once. And check those credits--choreography by Paula Abdul! --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Such a Hot Head.......2007-05-21

Excellent film & 6.1 ex surround sound, but passable picture quality. yeah I know it's an old film & very dated, but to state "remastered in HD" and have black spots all over the film is a let down, the soundtrack kicks and the packaging is nice plus all the classic Arnie 1 liners are here and worth the purchse price alone...
Fingers crossed if it's released on Blu-ray it will be remastered correctly...

Classic Crapola.......2007-02-21

If you like the taste of cartoons and superheros with a hint of Family Feud, then this dish is for you, otherwise, avoid this rotten pototo!

O for 6? Well, how about this one then?

The Running Man is to film making what dumpster diving is to fine dining!

Been there, done that............2007-02-05

I would have to agree with the person below. I've just finished wathing the movie "The Game" with Michael Douglas & Sean Penn, and it reminds me very much of this movie which I saw back when it first came out.

Let me state that I love Stephen King and this book when I first read it, then I heard of the movie and had to see it for myself. Like "the Game" and most movies these days it was too needlessly graphic and also like "the Game" it had a person trying to run literally for his life in what was basically a reality game show, some sort of twisted "Survivor".

It left me with an empty feeling in the end and all I could think about was the waste of $15.00 to buy the ticket. But most of all it wasn't even a plausable ending, I never did like any of the Arnie movies, perhaps with the only exception being "true lies" with Jamie Lee-Curtis. Though that said truth can be stranger than fiction. Especially in a place where a ex-actor can became both the President of America and the Governor of California.

They couldn't have known how funny this was. . ........2006-11-18

I just read an advance copy of a very funny,
comically gory novel called THE GAME. It's
about a game show that ends up being about
murder. Almost twenty years ago, in this movie,
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the guest of honor
on a game show where the contestants are hunted
down by celebrity killers and dispatched
before your very eyes. This provides the
setting for the stuff that packs 'em in to
Schwarzenegger movies: high-tech special
effects, killing and general mayhem.

It also provides director Paul Michael Glaser
with the chance for a wicked sendup of
television and its place in the moral universe.
He and screenwriter Steven de Souza have
created a burlesque of telehype that is
both marvelously comic and uncomfortably
apt. The movie is a little too long and it's
a pity that the restored version wasn't
trimmed a bit. Some of the dialog is wooden
and predictable, but the calculated excesses
of the game show host (Richard Dawson
who emceed Family Feud) are the perfect
frame for the physical excesses of Arnold
the Giant.

That the same target should be available
after twenty years is a tribute to the
persistence of televised cheap thrills.
I guess we should all be grateful.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE
and the forthcoming novel bang-BANG from Kunati Books.

A true classic!.......2006-07-25

I used to love this movie. This movie is such a great mixture of enormous plot holes, ultraviolence and phenomenally bad Schwarzenegggerjokes, that it is just pure fun to see all actors take things so serious! In the future criminals are being punished live on television during the Running Man game show by sadistic scum (one of Schwarzenegger's quotes during the movie) Of course the big former Austrian is also put on the show as a criminal contester and guess what happens? This truly is a classic! (SARR)

Average customer rating:

A Long Time Favorite
A classic war movie!
A Thrilling yet Fictional Commando Raid
Excellent Classic Movie
The Legend of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone (Special Edition)
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , and Alexander Mackendrick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0767821785
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Amazon.com

This rousing, explosive 1961 WWII adventure, based on Alistair MacLean's thrilling novel, turns the war thriller into a deadly caper film. Gregory Peck heads a star-studded cast charged with a near impossible mission: destroy a pair of German guns nestled in a protective cave on the strategic Mediterranean island of Navarone, from where they can control a vital sea passage. As world famous mountain climber turned British army Captain Mallory, Peck leads a guerrilla force composed of the humanistic explosives expert, Miller (David Niven), the ruthless Greek patriot with a grudge, Stavros (Anthony Quinn), veteran special forces soldier Brown (Stanley Baker), and the cool, quiet young marksman Pappadimos (James Darren). This disparate collection of classic types must overcome internal conflicts, enemy attacks, betrayal, and capture to complete their mission. Director J. Lee Thompson sets a driving pace for this exciting (if familiar) military operation, a succession of close calls, pitched battles, and last-minute escapes as our heroes infiltrate the garrisoned town with the help of resistance leader Maria (Irene Papas) and plot their entry into the heavily guarded mountain fort. Carl Foreman's screenplay embraces MacLean's role call of clichés and delivers them with style, creating one of the liveliest mixes of espionage, combat, and good old-fashioned military derring-do put on film. In 1978, the sequel Force 10 from Navarone was released, but MacLean fans will prefer to check out the action-packed thriller Where Eagles Dare. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

A Long Time Favorite.......2007-04-02

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE has been a long time favorite around my house. We saw it years ago and have never forgotten it. I think the performances and the strong characterizations are indelible. We watch it whenever it is on TV even though my son has it on tape, laserdisc and DVD. There is just something reassuring about that film, something of value you take away each time you watch it. There are a lot of heroics yet there is dignity and honor demonstrated throughout the tale. I suppose it has now become a legend for all time.

A classic war movie!.......2007-03-08

I first saw this film at a British army outdoor cinema in Cyprus in 1962 when I was 11 years old. I have lost count of how many times I have seen it since. It still rates for me as one of the greatest war films ever. Great performances by all the cast: one of David Niven's best roles but all of them seemed to be at the top of their game. I own an earlier DVD than the Special Edition, so cannot speak to the special features.

A Thrilling yet Fictional Commando Raid.......2007-03-07

Oh, to destroy the heavy ship-killing artillery housed on an enemy-held island! Bombing cannot take out the site, and it would take a suicide plane loaded with explosives to destroy it. How about a commando raid? Intelligence indicates that the island of Navarone has a cliff so tall and steep that the Germans don't bother to guard it.

A group of commandos leaves in a fishing boat, and the miracles begin to happen. The fishing boat is stopped at sea by a German naval vessel, and the commandos manage to shoot and fight off all the Germans. And, to top it all off, the Germans situated at Navarone are not warned of the commandos.

After that, everything goes wrong that possibly can. The wooden fishing boat in which they are traveling gets battered to pieces by the storm against the cliff. During the arduous climb, one of the climbers breaks both legs, thereby becoming a liability to the rest of the commando outfit for the remainder of the mission. The climb is successful, but the commandos discover that they have lost their food. They manage to kill a German guard at the top of the cliff, only to fail to convince a German, calling the field phone used by that guard, that they are Germans. The search is on. The commandos belatedly link up with some Greek partisans, and make is just in time into a cave, from which they hide from German bombing.

Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, they end up in German hands. The German commander reminds them that they, not wearing uniforms, are not entitled to rights as POWs, and will be shot (as spies or saboteurs). He calls in the SS to torture them into divulging the location of the explosives, beginning with the man with broken legs, whose splints are to be rearranged. To make things worse, it turns out that one of the Greek partisans is a German agent, and that she has rendered the explosives useless.

Will the commandos escape death? If so, will the miracles continue and will they destroy the artillery at Navarone? I will not spoil the ending by revealing it.

Navarone does not appear in any atlas, and it takes a while for the viewer to realize that this account is fictional. It would be helpful if there was a disclaimer in the beginning of this flick indicating that it is fiction.

Excellent Classic Movie.......2007-01-11

Great classic WWII flick. Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Nivven.
Good acting - nominated / won like 8 acadamy awards...

The Legend of Navarone.......2007-01-08

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE have long been silent but the legend of this extraordinary and endearing film lingers on in our memory. They just don't make them like this any more. The script, the score, the cinematography, the actors and the characters they played are indelibly etched into the psyche. I often have fleeting thoughts of this film, happy ones, of the images, the words and the music from this WWII legend. The examination of camaraderie, the morality of killing and not killing, bravery, survival, betrayal, forgiveness and getting the job done are all integrated into a logical and emotional cohesive film that is both entertaining yet important in its representation of the extraordinary human qualities that can only be realized during war.This is one of my favorite films and the less said the better. I just savor my memories of it and get a little warmth in my heart.

Average customer rating:

it, al !!!
ranting raving shouting but sensitive al
... "I'm a loyal Colts fan"
Putrid
...And Justice For All (1979)

...And Justice For All
Starring: Al Pacino , Jack Warden , John Forsythe , Lee Strasberg , and Jeffrey Tambor
Director: Norman Jewison
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000053UIE
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Amazon.com essential video

Al Pacino plays a Maryland lawyer who takes on a judicial system rife with dealmaking in this awkward blend of satire and sentimentality. Topical director Norman Jewison can't seem to help Pacino get comfortable with the mismatched material, which pushes the film into outrageousness at some turns and mawkishness at others. The script by Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin is more an accumulation of random ideas and moments than a congruent story. However, it's interesting to see the large cast of good actors, most of whom hadn't become well known yet. (Christine Lahti made her film debut here.) Pacino gets to work for a second time (following The Godfather II) with acting mentor Lee Strasberg. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

it, al !!!.......2007-04-12

this film is one of al pacino,s best work.up to tis film i never thought al pacino can be so funny!! this film prove i was wrong!!!

ranting raving shouting but sensitive al.......2006-12-05

has any actor besides al pacino made such a fine career for himself by screaming? the logical absurdities of the movie weaken it as the film tries to tread the line twixt sidney lumet and robert altman, but hey, pacino IS fun, and the movie introduced jeffrey tambor and christine lahti and craig t nelson to mass audiences. fun, but nothing great.

... "I'm a loyal Colts fan" .......2006-10-20

Attorney Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino) is sent to jail for contempt of court by Judge Fleming (played to perfection by John Forsythe, who was also brilliant in 1967's "In Cold Blood" and perhaps best remembered as the voice of Charlie in "Charlie's Angels" television series). In a bizarre twist of fate Judge Fleming (for obvious political reasons) has hired Kirkland to represent him in court on a rape charge. In the opening statement to the jury Kirkland does an about face in one of Pacino's most explosive scenes of his film career.

Written for the screen by Barry Levinson (who would later go on to direct Rain Man), 1979's "...And Justice For All" (although a bit dated by todays standards) boasts an all-star cast with Jack Wardon (The White Buffalo), Lee Strasberg (The Godfather II), Jeffery Tambor, Craig T. Nelson & Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos & Dog Day Afternoon) and still holds up well considering the cut and run plots and the horrible film (a generic disco era) score. This still remains one of Al Pacino's better films in spite of all its tragic flaws.

olofpalme63

Putrid.......2006-07-04

The plot is so contrived and the acting is just SO BAD. My copy is in a landfill somewhere, right on top of Al Pacino's career.

...And Justice For All (1979).......2006-07-03

Director: Norman Jewison
Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe, Lee Strasberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Lahti, Sam Levene, Robert Christian, Craig T. Nelson, Terri Wooten.
Running Time: 119 minutes
Rated R for language and some violence.

There were quite a few of these types of films in the seventies, not really comedies or dramas per se, but a clever mixture of both, and part of the reason that the '70s are regarded by many as the richest era for films & film-making. Another sample which comes to mind is "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" - not as good, but comparable. These films point to a darkly humorous take on our existence, usually taking place in modern, contemporary times, and in an urban setting. In this one, the legal - justice system is targeted; it's the system we supposedly depend on and which elevates our nation (the U.S.) above the rabble of the world. But the way it's examined here, the system doesn't really work. It's geared towards those with the power (read: money) and most of those incarcerated, it seems to say, are there by an awful whim of fate. Most lawyers (Pacino plays a particularly compassionate one) function merely to make the suffering of these innocents a bit less grueling, through kissing the butts of hard-line judges (Forsythe is a particularly mean one).

The film opens with Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino) spending the night in "the can" for contempt of court for taking a swing at Judge Flemings (John Forsythe) who was presiding on a case that Arthur had before his bench. Having to face a review board to see if he's fit to be a lawyer and facing possible disbarment, Arthur starts to wonder if all the work that he put into going through law school and in passing the Maryland State Bar to become a member of the law profession was really worth it. With his career on the line Arthur is suddenly given the job to defend the very Judge who would want nothing better then to have him disbarred Judge Henry T. Fleming. Accused of assault battery and rape of a local call girl Leah Shepard (Terri Wooten), it turns out that Arthur is the best person to defend the judge since it would prove that even he, who hates Flaming with a vengeance, has to defend his client to the best of his ability.

It's a one-sided view, to be sure, that we have here: those who are truly guilty, such as child-killers, get released on technicalities and proceed to murder the next day, causing at least for one lawyer (Tambor) a spin down to a nervous breakdown. Do such things really happen in real life? Surely. But, here it's de rigueur, as if looking at the world through a funhouse mirror, a sly distortion. It's amusing to view this satire on our society's ills and we can laugh, with a bit of discomfort, at a picture of what passes for rule of law or justice. But it's probably more gratifying to see Pacino, Warden and the rest acting their best, mostly 'New York-style' (though this takes place in Baltimore). Pacino's character really shouldn't be a lawyer; he feels too much and is a genuine human being, where as everyone else is caught up in the abstracts of winning in the system. Even Pacino's new girlfriend (Lahti in her first movie role), though appearing sympathetic to his dilemmas, is just another cog in the system. When he explains his biggest problem to her in the last act, instead of heartfelt advice, she gives him a list of options, as if she was his, well, lawyer. Pacino's all alone in this picture. All his peers have enclosed themselves in callous shells. His only outlet, a grandpa (acting teacher Strasberg) is moving steadily into senility. His stand-in father-judge (Warden) is literally giving in to the craziness. It all points to the thrilling finale of Pacino's opening statement during the climactic trial. Where in action pictures it usually points to a thrilling final battle, in this type of picture it's a thrilling monologue by the main actor. Pacino's all alone up there and his rendition is worth the price of admission by itself. Oftentimes hilarious and full of sadness the next, a superb satire with mesmerizing performances and a smart script.

The Guns of Navarone (Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Guns of Naverone
I have both the special edition and this edition
Columbia outdoes itself with new release of classic
Five Stars For Movie (Hoping SE DVD gives movie it's due)
The Legend of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , and Alexander Mackendrick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MGTQ7U
Release Date: 2007-05-08

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Stills from The Guns of Navarone(click for larger image)

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Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn and David Niven are Allied saboteurs assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers. Blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman (High Noon,The Bridge on the River Kwai) was determined to re-establish both his name and credibility after spending most of the 50's working in anonymity. To accomplish this, he decided to bring Alistair MacLean's best-selling novel, The Guns of Navarone, to the screen. Supported by an all-star cast and produced on a grand scale, the film was an enormous success, receiving seven 1961 Academy AwardÂ® nominations (including Best Picture) and winning for Best Special Effects. Although Foreman achieved his goal, it was MacLean who would wind up the true beneficiary; his novels became the source for many high adventure screen epics, including Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare. However, it is The Guns of Navarone that remains not only the best of the MacLean adaptations, but one of the greatest action/adventure spectacles ever produced.

Customer Reviews:

The Guns of Naverone.......2007-06-28

Epic-scale adventure based on Alistair MacLean's book. The movie boasts terrific action sequences, but is also an engrossing ensemble drama thanks to a sterling screenplay from producer Carl Foreman and terrific turns from a top international cast, including Niven, Quinn, and Quayle.

I have both the special edition and this edition.......2007-05-13

I bought the 2000 video last year. When I heard about this I decided to get it anyway hoping there was additional information. There is. I could have down without the previews of the three new movies, but I suppose the studio does need to advertise them. In addition to the new information, interviews with Irene Pappas (who wasn't available for the first edition) and James Darren, since he's about the only one of the major male cast members still alive, would have been good.

The movie is very good. It makes me miss movies when the heros for the most part kept their language clean. It does seem strange to see them smoking.

In the complaint department I thought that Stanley Baker's and James Darren's characters should have been more developed. Especially James Darren's (OK, I admit it - James Darren (when he was on Time Tunnel) is the first actor I ever had a crush on.

Columbia outdoes itself with new release of classic.......2007-05-09

The second movie in Columbia's newest wave of World War II movies (along with "The Caine Mutiny") is the 1961 Academy Award-winning film for Best Special Effects, "The Guns of Navarone," which stars Gregory Peck as Keith Mallory, the leader of a group of British commandos tasked with destroying two gigantic German anti-ship guns.
The British are desperate to evacuate 2,000 soldiers from the Aegean island of Kiros, with the only sea route through a stretch of water commanded by the guns that are encased inside a massive cliffside bunker that is immune to air attack.
Based on the best selling novel by Alistair (Where Eagles Dare) MacLean, Mallory has been working on occupied Crete for two years and as an expert mountaineer is the perfect choice to ferry the team to the only part of Navarone not monitored by the Germans - a 400-foot cliff.
Joining Peck is David Niven as explosives expert John Anthony Miller and Anthony Quinn as a Greek resistance fighter.
MacLean is known for being able to weave together a great story and this movie is consistently entertaining. In fact the film was already afforded a respectable special release on DVD in 2000. Columbia though have outdone themselves with this 2-disc set by adding a second audio commentary and four new documentaries.
The original release included a rather dry, faltering, but informative commentary by director J. Lee Thompson, a smattering of archival featurettes of varying quality and an anecdotal documentary on the making of the picture featuring on-camera interviews with Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, James Darren and J. Lee Thompson named "Memories of Navarone" and running at 29:34. It's a nice, breezy documentary and entertaining - detailing some of the experiences the cast had working on the picture.
However this new release includes a lively commentary with historian Stephen J. Rubin who mentions that this film started the trend of Hollywood going outdoors. Up until this time most movies were filmed on the studios backlot, whereas this movie was filmed on the island of Rhodes. He also discusses the cast (including a very young Richard Harris). Rubin also discusses some of the differences between the MacLean novel and the movie - which appear to be a number of changes to characterization and details some of the criticisms of the movie when it was released - including the fact that the actors were too old to play commando's, many being as they were in their 40s and 50s. Though Rubin quickly adds that he feels it was cast perfectly.
Also included are two new documentaries, the first of these "Forging the Guns of Navarone" runs at 13:58 and includes on camera interviews with Eve Williams-Jones (the former wife of producer Carl Foreman) and Assistant Director Peter Yates (who himself went on to become a very successful director in his own right). Apparently Thompson was not the original director for the project and Yates credits Thompson for his ability to jump straight into a film that had already shot much of its second unit work as well as his ability to manage so many big name actors. Yates also reveals that despite their on-screen animosity towards each other, both Niven and Peck got along well together determined to have as much fun as possible on the picture. Yates also recounts how the crew would refer to it as "The biggest B-feature ever made."
The second new documentary "The Ironic Epic of Heroism" runs longer at 23:38 and is essentially an on-camera analysis of the movie by noted Film Historian Sir Christopher Frayling (who was mistakenly credited with providing an audio commentary in the press release for this DVD release). Frayling is quite engaging as he recounts such facts as Foreman's initial reluctance to handle the project. Foreman once said that he was incapable of making a movie that did not make statements and he initially saw the MacLean book as a simple action adventure. It was not until he re-read the novel that he realized it could serve to make statements about the futility of war and the ability of war to bring out the best in people.
Frayling also reflects on the fact that the movie was the first global production caper-style World War II movie to be played as an action adventure in a style he describes as "incredibly innovative."
Also included on this new release is the restored intermission with score that was seen in some European cities (it is listed as an extra since it is not part of the official cut of the movie) and featurettes on the Dimitri Tiomkin score which details the subtle differences throughout the movie and a fascinating look at the UCLA restoration.
The restoration featurette details the tortured path towards restoring a film that was in such terrible shape that they needed several sources of original negative, both from Columbia and a private collector. In an example of the work the UCLA team had to do, the print they were provided by Columbia had the plane crash at the beginning of the movie happen in broad daylight. This apparently is how most people have seen the scene in recent years. That was until one of the eagle-eyed team at UCLA noticed that one of the trucks had it's headlights on and wondered why. Sure enough they were able to track down a copy of the print from a private collector that showed that the crash happened at night with the screen various shades of blue - and that is how it was restored.
In another instance the print UCLA had also had the infamous dubbing of Richard Harris where the censor had the word "bloody" replaced with "ruddy" for some of the screenings in the UK (the word "bloody" is considered a swear word in the UK). The UCLA team prevailed again and were able to locate a copy of the correct audio still intact).
On a sidenote the DVD also affords fans of Tiomkin the opportinity to hear the opening sequence sans the narrative as a special feature on the second disc. This apparently is a special feature that had been requested for years.

Five Stars For Movie (Hoping SE DVD gives movie it's due).......2007-03-09

This is a fantastic movie! I've given 5 stars in hopes that this Special Edition will significantly improve upon both the original DVD and the Superbit editions...which quite frankly are disappointing visually. I know this film is old, but this is a cinematic treasure and if possible needs to be given the once over. Many of the more darker settings are really bad and lots of color splotchiness elsewhere. I'm not a DVD technical expert, but I think other non experts could easily sit down with this film and compare to say something like the job Paramount did on Sergio Leone's 'Once Upon a Time in the West'...and you'd obviously see the issues with the earlier editions of 'Guns'. Let's just hope that Special Edition means 'special' and that when we break that seal, pop it in to the player and see those first scenes of the Acropolis and then Gregory Peck arriving to discover he's not going home, but on another seemingly impossible mission, we see a more clean, crisp and brighter representation of 'Guns' as it should be...a piece of movie history! Keep your fingers crossed!

The Legend of Navarone.......2007-02-28

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE have long been silent but the legend of this extraordinary and endearing film lingers on in our memory. They just don't make them like this any more. The script, the score, the cinematography, the actors and the characters they played are indelibly etched into the psyche. I often have fleeting thoughts of this film, happy ones, of the images, the words and the music from this WWII legend. The examination of camaraderie, the morality of killing and not killing, bravery, survival, betrayal, forgiveness and getting the job done are all integrated into a logical and emotional cohesive film that is both entertaining yet important in its representation of the extraordinary human qualities that can only be realized during war. This is one of my favorite films and the less said the better. I just savor my memories of it and get a little warmth in my heart.

Average customer rating:

Great movie
They Drew First Blood , Not Me!!!
First Blood (Blu-ray)
First Blood is Back
Looks and sounds great!

First Blood [Blu-ray]
Starring: Bruce Barbour , David Caruso , Brian Dennehy , Stephen Dimopoulos , and Bruce Greenwood
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000H5TVKI
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Description

Academy Award-nominee Sylvester Stallone stars as war hero, ex-Green Beret John Rambo in the one that started it all! FIRST BLOOD is an explosive action-thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, powerful frame.

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2007-05-15

Great movie, Stallone's best movie next to Rocky. The only thing that was kinda disapointing is the video quality of this Blu-ray version.

First Blood looks only slightly beter on Blu-ray than DVD. So close that I even Beleive most average joes and not enthusiasts like me would not be able to tell the diffrence.

There are not many extras either. However this is the trend for up and comming media formats. However if you were to watch new release movies on Blu-ray instead of a re-release. The HD quality will blow your mind.

Unfortunately First Blood is a Re-Release.

They Drew First Blood , Not Me!!!.......2007-05-07

With the amount of different versions of the Rambo movies on DVD, you really get the best of both worlds with this one. For years, the very good David Morrel commentary was the highlight until a Sly Stallone version came out... both commentaries are excellent. The transfer is good for a movie that was shot back in 1982, the sound is pretty good. With the amount of "bubble gum' movies out there, this one is reasonibly priced, great replay value and one of the best Sly movies to boot!!!!

First Blood (Blu-ray).......2007-03-29

Fantastic remastering, superb picture, unbelievable sound, probably about as good as it gets, and for such an old title to have been reproduced with clarity that almost defies belief, I can strongly recommend this title to anyone who has doubts about the reproduction. Just make sure that you have a high definition panel and only the very best in HDMI gold plated leads to get the best out of any Blu-ray title.

First Blood is Back.......2007-02-15

I was very impressed with this Blu Ray Transfer, for a 25year old film Lionsgate have actually done a pretty good job, this is miles better then what they did with Total Recall! The Picture and Sound are a marked improvement over the DVD, there are only a few frames that I could see where it isnt prisitine but dont let this deter you, buy this if you love Rambo he's never looked better!

Looks and sounds great!.......2007-02-07

The Blu-ray version of this looks amazing. I bought the "ultimate edition of the standard DVD a few years ago and this looks notably better - even compared to the former's image being upscaled. This is is the type of picture I expect out of Blu-ray. Not being a Hi-def rocket scientist, I can't speak too much for the sound quality other than it sounds great. I don't have the euipment to process DTS-HD, so I can only assume that it sounds better than what normal DTS provides. The extras on the disc are the same as on the ultimate edition DVD, so you're not losing out on anything like in some of the other Blu-ray ports. My only complaint is this: Lionsgate has got this thing for having the pop-up menu take up most of the screen. Given that the other studios have gone with a nice, low-profile menu that only appears at the bottom, I hope that Lionsgate will adopt this practice sometime in the near future. Other than that, if you're a fan of 'First Blood' I can easily reccomend this disc.

Average customer rating:

Out for Justice [Blu-ray]
Starring: Steven Seagal
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Action & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000RL6GBO
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Description

A Brooklyn police officer tracks down a boyhood adversary turned druglord who's responsible for the death of the cop's friend and fellow officer.

Average customer rating:

Out for Justice [HD DVD]
Starring: Steven Seagal
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000RL6GBY
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Description

A Brooklyn police officer tracks down a boyhood adversary turned druglord who's responsible for the death of the cop's friend and fellow officer.

The Lower Depths (Kurosawa 1957) / The Lower Depths (Renoir 1936) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

"Money buys your fate in hell"
Too wonderful
The Human Heart in the Depths
an excellent double feature.
Social Study

The Lower Depths (Kurosawa 1957) / The Lower Depths (Renoir 1936) - Criterion Collection
Starring: Toshirô Mifune , Isuzu Yamada , Kyôko Kagawa , Ganjiro Nakamura , and Minoru Chiaki
Director: Akira Kurosawa , and Jean Renoir
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000A02TW
Release Date: 2004-06-22

Amazon.com essential video

Criterion's two-disc double bill of The Lower Depths provides a scintillating lesson in comparative cinema. When Jean Renoir adapted Maxim Gorky's acclaimed 1902 play in 1936, he changed the setting from Czarist Russia to an unspecified French slum, casting the great Jean Gabin as a thief struggling to rise from his misery, and Louis Jouvet as the benevolent Baron, a flat-broke gambler on a downward social spiral. Renoir altered the play considerably, retaining its serious tone while infusing it with his trademark warmth and humanity. Two decades later, Kurosawa remained faithful to Gorky while daring to craft The Lower Depths as a comedy, in which Edo-period peasants (including Toshiro Mifune, in Gabin's role) concoct lavish illusions to ease the burden of their impoverished reality. While both films remained relatively overlooked during the careers of their creators, Criterion's DVD restores them to the prominence they deserve.

Both films have been meticulously restored and remastered to Criterion's high standards; Renoir's film still shows its age, but it will never look or sound better than it does here, and Renoir provides an informative introduction culled from the same archival materials featured on Criterion's The Rules of the Game DVD. Better yet, Kurosawa's film is accompanied by a superb commentary by peerless Japanese film scholar Donald Richie, who provides a feature-length treasury of anecdotes (he had actually visited Kurosawa's set in 1957), thematic analysis, production history, and scholarly insight. A 33-minute excerpt from the Japanese TV series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create offers rare interview clips with Kurosawa and surviving members of his cast, along with script, art design, and storyboard details to illustrate Kurosawa's creative process. Kurosawa expert Stephen Prince profiles the esteemed cast of the 1957 film, and exclusive essays about both films are included in the accompanying booklet. As a kind of Rorschach test for each director's approach to style and theme, The Lower Depths offers a back-to-back master class in the art of adaptation. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Akira Kurosawa's The Lower Depths, an adaptation of Maxim Gorky's classic proletarian play. Instead of his usual broad canvas, Kurosawa instead explores the possibilites of the stage in this film, finding intimacy in his examination of a group of destitutes, set during one of Japan's most prosperous ages. Starring an ensemble cast led by frequent collaborator Toshiro Mifune, the film is a Buddhist meditation on the human condition, yet also a poignant and comic investigation of the conflict between illusion and reality.

Customer Reviews:

"Money buys your fate in hell".......2006-02-19

Criterion has done something different here. They have released two adaptations on Gorky's play "The Lower Depths" from two famous film makers: Akira Kurosawa and Jean Renoir. It is interesting to watch both to see two interpretations of a play, one which works marvelously and one which could have been better, had the story been better delivered.

I agree with Donald Richie in his commentary that this film is perhaps one of Akira Kurosawa's most underappreciated films. Fairly faithful to Gorky's play, Kurosawa presents a movie with impressive sets, fine acting, and as always great filmmaking. Kurosawa moves the location to 19th century Japan. The run-down inn that the characters stay in is a crammed, dying entity made up of fierce diagonals, decaying wood, and working shadows. Kurosawa continues his practice of directing his actors to enhance the mood of a scene, and the use of camerawork as well as lighting works well throughout. The script, like the play, has something of a plot with a game of control over the landlady's little sister and the thief, but really it is all about these people and the way they deal with their own position. Everyone seems to have dreams, or some kind of beautiful past they used to know. Is it really true? In the case of Osen the prostitute it seems not to be, but then with cases like the ex-samurai you really never know. Like Kurosawa explored in "Rashomon," the boundary between realities and personal fantasies, but it is this wish for a better life and the starch defense of all characters against the laughter of their peers that makes one feel for these characters. Like Gorky's play, Kurosawa presents us with seventeen characters (!) but you get to know and feel for every one. They all have their own unique personality, their own unique problems, and they never once break out of character.

The acting for this film simply could not have been better. If you've watched Kurosawa films before (or you watch a lot of old Japanese films) then you'll recognize a lot of faces here. Minoru Chiaki ("Hidden Fortress," "Ikiru," "Throne of Blood," "Seven Samurai") is an ex-samurai, Kamatari Fujiwara ("Ikiru," "Seven Samurai," "High and Low") is great as the drunken actor, Toshiro Mifune (who needs no film reference) is even present as the thief, but Bokuzen Hidari (Yohei in "Seven Samurai") tops everyone with the most memorable performance as the Buddhist priest who arrives and tries to mediate the conflict and anguish present in the slums. He perfectly sums up the feeling of the movie when asked if Buddha exists and he replies, "I'm sure he does to those who wish him to."

With reviewing Jean Renoir's adaptation, I feel somewhat guilty...because all in all, I was not very impressed. Other reviewers called it a "forgettable version" and I wanted to go into it with a neutral mind and not as some bitter Kurosawa fan stuck with an extra movie. (let's not forget Kurosawa himself was a fan of Renoir) Yet as I watched, I couldn't help but feel that something was terribly lacking - things had gone wrong. For example, Gorky's play never seems to be center stage. The first forty minutes are almost entirely dedicated to an added sequence where we see the background of the Baron character. Admittingly I enjoyed it at first (Louis Jouvet did a fine job as the Baron) but when you hit forty minutes and it actually goes into Gorky's play I realized how ridiculous it was to have that plot. Once the Baron joins the slums he just becomes a member of the ensemble cast, and (except for that overrated moment with the snail) never stands out again. Why was it necessary to know about the Baron? Why was it necessary to hear about his problems with the ministry? I've heard that people enjoy it because it shows how one falls to the lower depths, but it hurts Gorky's original concept by detracting from the rest of cast and eating up film time on information we really have no reason to know. What hurts it even more is after the forty minute mark the story forgets about the relationship between the Baron and thief Papel and focuses on the romance between Papel and Natasha.

What I am getting at here is this: you aren't in the lower depths, and therefore lose all empathy with the cast. Gorky's play and Kurosawa's adaptation existed solely in the slums, so you are constantly in the lower depths, so that the more you stay there the deeper you get into it's world. Renoir has it fly around the place, from the high class neighborhoods to the open fields and even a fancy restaurant. I laughed during the introduction with Jean Renoir because he claimed he wanted to take Gorky's play and bring it to the shores of the Marne, yet the Marne River must be in here for about five minutes. Likewise, he claims the actor character is there to offer sense and poetic language, but that's all the actor does - offer poetic language and kill himself. Characters such as the old man Luka and the cobbler are totally wasted, and are only there to simply exist around the main actors. When the old woman dies I didn't feel sad, and so little time is spent on it's effect that you doubt the writers cared either. This is precisely what is so dangerous about Gorky's play and why several stage adaptations have failed: Gorky's play showed to the high class that the lower class were individuals with their own problems - if done wrong, all it will be is a bunch of poor people. Renoir has done that: all I know about these people is they're poor and they think it's bad. Otherwise, I could care less.

Ultimately, I wish Renoir's adaptation had been left out so that the DVD box could have been thinner. (and therefore could have fit in my DVD tower) I had read reviews by Renoir fans who admit it is not his best, and even Renoir himself admitted after seeing Kurosawa's version that it was far more important than his. If you are a Kurosawa fan then I would highly suggest this, or if you are a Renoir fan and you need to finish your collection than buy it as well.

Too wonderful.......2005-08-24

I watched the Renoir version and the Kurosawa version back-to-back one night and TRULY enjoyed both. Renoir mentions in the booklet that was wasn't too pleased with the performances of some of the actors, but I enjoyed their portrayal of the characters. Even though both movies draw from the same play - they are different - I am biased towards the Kurosawa version as being superior. However, I wouldn't be alone as Renoir even remarked after watching Kurosawa's film, "that is a much more important film than mine."

The commentary for the Kurosawa film is exceptional (as with all Criterion versions of films) and the extras for both films are not a bunch of filler. I look forward to Criterion's versions of Ran and other Kurosawa films in the future!

The Human Heart in the Depths.......2005-04-29

Kurosawa's most neglected masterpiece, "The Lower Depths" takes us into a ravine tenement, run by greedy, brutal landlords, and inhabited by the lowest of society's strata. All action takes place in two locations: the interior of the tenement, or the tenement grounds.

How amazing, then, is the fascination this film exerts on us, with its very modest settings. I am astonished at the creativity of the film shooting, the beauty of the ensemble acting, and the profound expression of truth that the film achieves.

We find ourselves engaged in the lives of these people, and puzzled over the character of Bokuzen Hidari as the pilgrim. Is he good? If he is good, and pacifies the dispossessed by acknowledging their illusions, does it mean that self-deception is good?

What wonderful ensemble acting! The director put them through long, tough rehearsals, and the result is a seamless film. No wrong notes, no overacting, just a beautiful and strange film that haunts us after we've experienced it. Such invisible, great acting, and humor and pathos.

The character of the actor is the finest piece of work by the Kurosawa veteran Kamatari Fujiwara. It is amazing that this actor appears in such diverse roles as Matahichi in "The Hidden Fortress" and as a corrupt executive in "The Bad Sleep Well". What astonishing range and depth! How brilliantly Kurosawa uses the actor's range!

And, of course, we have our beloved Toshiro Mifune, laughing, kicking up his heels in devilish delight, trying to impress the girl, pouting with the landlady, listening with suspicion, then respect to the pilgrim...doing so many things so well, we are bereft when he is absent for the film's conclusion.

And what a conclusion! The harsh clappers that end the movie, the frontal shot of the gambler as he addresses us (for the only time in the film) directly, and the sudden end!

Gorky...Kurosawa, Bokuzen Hidari, Toshiro Mifune, Kamatari Fujiwara and the rest....they live on in this masterpiece, for which I am very grateful.

an excellent double feature........2005-02-15

This double feature by the Criterion Collection contains two versions of the film "The Lower Depths" based on the play by the Russian playwright, Maxim Gorky.

The set includes the 1936 French version "Les Bas-fonds" directed by Jean Renoir, and the 1957 Japanese version, Donzoko, directed by Akira Kurosawa.

The story is about a group of poor people living in a slum.The Japanese version is well adapted to portray the events during the Edo period in Japan. Both films are quite good and have fine scenes and some great photography. They are both critically acclaimed and are quite impressive.

The special features are quite good also but the lack of extras on the French film is disappointing.

Disc 1 contains the French version of the film with an introduction by director Jean Renoir.

Disc 2 contains the Japanese version of the film with optional audio comentary by Donald Richie, a set of Biographies of the main cast and, a chapter of the TV serial, "Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create" which gives further information on the film including interviews.

This one is one that you should not miss.

Social Study.......2004-11-25

Kurosawa is way ahead of his time with this one (just as he was in another film depicting the paparatcy in 1950, "Scandal"). The scenes in the movie are amazingly similar to today's scenes of the street rappers in US cities. They resemble not only the street rhythm of the rap songs, but also the movements, dress, and attitude. He got street life right in the EDO period and in the 21st century as well. You don't want to miss this piece of work by the genius.

Average customer rating:

Such a Hot Head
Classic Crapola
Been there, done that.....
They couldn't have known how funny this was. . .
A true classic!

The Running Man
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Maria Conchita Alonso , Yaphet Kotto , Jim Brown , and Jesse Ventura
Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000JMOJ
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Such a Hot Head.......2007-05-21

Classic Crapola.......2007-02-21

Been there, done that............2007-02-05

They couldn't have known how funny this was. . ........2006-11-18

A true classic!.......2006-07-25

The Guns of Navarone (Superbit Collection)

Average customer rating:

The Legend of Navarone
Movie is not complete
"You've got me in the mood to use this thing..."

The Guns of Navarone (Superbit Collection)
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , and Alexander Mackendrick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002VYOX6
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Customer Reviews:

The Legend of Navarone.......2007-02-02

Movie is not complete.......2006-09-03

Movie which i bought is not complete movie, few seens was removed from the pictures, i have original VHS Tape,

"You've got me in the mood to use this thing...".......2005-01-19

The Guns of Navarone is a wonderful film that touches upon the issue of how difficult it can be to make moral choices during the course of a war. The screenplay is fascinating in the sense that every major character in the film has their own notions of just how far they should go in applying the necessary force "to get the job done" in a war.

The mov