Kenny & Co.

Starring:Dan Mccann, Don Cosciarelli
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breather Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.

Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.

Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson

Description

Feature-Length Audio Commentary
The creators of Episode I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.

"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary Film
Culled from over 600 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including: pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews, visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access to before.

Exclusive Deleted Scenes and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final cut. View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version of the film.

Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from storyboards to animatics to final composites.

Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes, Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and filmmakers.

Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making of the film as it was happening.

Exclusive Production Photo Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.

"Duel of the Fates" Music Video
One of the most popular music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in Episode I.

Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used to support the release of Episode I around the world.

Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again").

"Star Wars: Starfighter-The Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special DVD-ROM website.

Customer Reviews:

"I'm a person. And my name is Anakin.".......2007-06-22

STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE would have had to have been beyond perfect to survive the almost twenty years of fan anticipation and the avalanche of hype it was met with. When released in 1999, reactions to THE PHANTOM MENACE were very mixed. Disappointed (even embittered) fans claimed that George Lucas had created THE PHANTOM MENACE merely to cash in on the STAR WARS franchise---as if he needed to "cash in" on what had already become a multibillion dollar enterprise. As a result, the whole "prequel" trilogy got a bad reputation, none worse than this film.

Revisiting it years later, after all the shouting has died down, THE PHANTOM MENACE seems far better than it did upon its release. It doesn't measure up to any of the films of the original trilogy. It may in fact be the weakest film of the sextet. THE PHANTOM MENACE suffers from the same mistaken approach that George Lucas has adopted toward his "improved" versions of the original films. THE PHANTOM MENACE has most of the same shortcomings, particularly the (very common) sci-fi bugaboo of using a film to showcase special effects. Lucas gave us a truly Shakespearean tale in the first trilogy, and incidentally set it "a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." The spaceships, the ray guns, and the alien life forms propelled the story, but they were NOT the story.

Lucas wants to show us all kinds of new, colorful, and beautiful visions in THE PHANTOM MENACE, and he does, but at great expense to the storyline, which meanders all the way from Point A to Point A Prime in this installment.

There's even greater expense to the characterizations. We could relate to Luke, Leia, Han, See Threepio and Artoo Detoo in the first trilogy because they were like us in so many ways. Han Solo especially served to ground the STAR WARS universe in familiarity. Han's "scoundrel" energy was very central to the success of the original movies.

There isn't a lovable scoundrel in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Lucas does give us some truly interesting new characters, but they're alien (both literally and figuratively) and we hardly get to know them.

The young Queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala (played by Natalie Portman, one of the beautiful new visions in this film) is oft-times regally remote, and somewhat mysterious. Her lookalike decoy is played by Keira Knightley (another beautiful new vision), and it is truly difficult to tell them apart at times.

Although Portman's Amidala shows herself to be clearly a warm, open, and sympathetic character, by the end of THE PHANTOM MENACE we know much less about her than we do about her cinematic daughter, Princess Leia, in A NEW HOPE.

Young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) is a slave-child on Tatooine. An inventor and a gifted pilot even at the age of eight, he is so bright-eyed and kindhearted ("Someday, I'll come back here and free all the slaves") that it is difficult to reconcile this gentle little boy who cries for his mother with the horrific Darth Vader he eventually becomes.

The Jedi Council initially refuses to allow Anakin to be trained as a Jedi ("There is much fear in you, young one," says Yoda). We never really see his fear or feel it. Nor do we get much more than a glimmer of the rage and anger he must feel as a slave. Watto, his owner, is a straw boater wearing, comical-looking flying bumblebee/vulture who speaks with a vaudeville Italian accent. Simon Legree should not be doing stand-up. By making Watto a figure of fun, Lucas fails to either underscore the weaknesses of the Galactic Republic, or presage its descent into darkness.

Essentially, we have only the criticisms of the Jedi Masters to go on in consigning young Anakin to the Minus Column. It just isn't enough, especially when he wins the high stakes podrace that is the main act of the story (the stakes being his own freedom), and is eventually responsible for firing the well-placed shot that defeats the enemy in battle (like his cinematic son, Luke).

The oddly mismatched love between the prepubescent Anakin and the much older teenaged Padme comes out of nowhere, with hardly a forethought (Anakin's shy question to the girl at their first meeting---"Are you an angel?"---is the only indicator of what later blossoms).

Likewise, Lucas utterly wastes two of his most intriguing characters, the iconoclastic Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and the truly satanic Darth Maul. Qui-Gon is wise. Qui-Gon is skilled. Qui-Gon should have been Obi-Wan's Obi-Wan and Anakin's ally. But although Qui-Gon is instrumental in freeing Anakin from bondage, he never develops a truly affectionate (Obi-Wan and Luke-type) relationship with the boy, seeming more interested in him as raw material for Jedi training.

The silent Darth Maul, (the evil lord of shopping centers) with his horned black-and-red face, twin-ended lightsaber, glowing sulfur-yellow eyes, kendo-style fighting technique, and flowing black robes is potentially a figure as memorable and frightening as Darth Vader, but both he and Qui-Gon die in battling one another; and so a fascinating second trilogy dynamic between good and evil dies with them.

Added to these missed opportunities are odd inconsistencies between THE PHANTOM MENACE and the original trilogy. See Threepio turns out to have been built by Anakin on Tatooine, but then why didn't the droid recognize Tatooine or the name "Skywalker" in A NEW HOPE? Although Ben Kenobi claims to have been trained by Yoda in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, he is clearly Qui-Gon's student in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Tatooine is ruled by the Hutts in this film, but not in the original trilogy. Although Anakin's mother references Tatooine's twin suns, they're never seen together in the sky.

Clearly, Lucas couldn't have reworked the original films after 20 years to fit all these elements in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Their inclusion here is a sign of his hubris. Why not just be true to the original? Clearly, his desire to make these changes overrode any considerations of film continuity and audience expectations. George Lucas isn't really trying to give us a better cinematic experience here, he's just totally into playing with his favorite toys. It's a form of selfishness.

Possibly the worst of Lucas's new ideas is the Social Darwinist/Nazi race theory concept of a high "midichlorian" count giving rise to greater Force sensitivity. Anakin has a mythic virgin birth due to the midichlorians, a bad twist to the tale when one considers that Lucas could have underscored the horrors of slavery by having Anakin fathered by a freeborn man who exploited Shmi Skywalker's position as a slave. Here, once again, the film fails to foreshadow the lawlessness and unethical evils of the rising Galactic Empire.

STAR WARS isn't sociology, but it's insistence on touching universal themes is what made it so wildly successful. The first trilogy was constructed entirely upon the foundation of our shared collective subconscious. Lucas loses that thread in this film.

The inclusion of the midichlorian factor means that the Jedi are no longer a highly-trained spiritual fraternity. They've become racially superior to the rest of us. If ever he re-edits THE PHANTOM MENACE, the midichlorians must end up on the cutting room floor. Sorry, but as ideas go, this one just stinks.

And speaking of stinks, Lucas also brought us the ridiculous Jar-Jar Binks and his race of Rastafari amphibians, the Gungans (Ganja, anyone?). Jar-Jar Binks is a technically interesting additional character, being primarily a CGI character; but he adds nothing (and detracts much) from the film with his distracting brainless chatter, clumsiness, and utter stupidity. If Lucas thought that this duckbilled dunce would provide comic relief, he was wrong. See Threepio and Artoo Detoo serve that purpose in the first trilogy and should have continued to do so in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Jar-Jar merely irritates the viewer, particularly given that he appears throughout the film, not just in a few scenes. He's merely filler. As filler, he's a sign that Lucas wasn't imaginative enough to use THE PHANTOM MENACE's screen time to its best advantage by progressing the storyline.

Binks may be the only character ever that inspired a website advocating his destruction, the aptly-named www.Jarjarbinksmustdie.com. What was George Lucas thinking when he gave us the jarring Jar-Jar?

THE PHANTOM MENANCE is uneven and inconsistent and suffers from some poor scriptwriting and too many missed opportunities. These reduce the film, but do not ruin it. Despite its weaknesses and flaws, THE PHANTOM MENACE is a solid THREE STAR effort. It is essential to the telling of the tale, and leaves us considering what's next?

In that regard, THE PHANTOM MENACE is as successful as any film can be. It finally gives us the entertaining and engaging introduction to that long time ago and far away galaxy we've come to know and love.

hmmm...give my baby nephew this i will (smiles).......2007-06-21

yeah its was ok but definetly for the younger kids. i guess it goes along with the theme of Aniken Skywalker is also a kid. the next 2 are much better. there's just too much comic relief in this one for an adult.

I've discovered something revolutionary!.......2007-06-13

Hey, folks! I don't know about you, but I've realized something extraordinary! Yoda is a HERETIC! How is this possible, you may ask? Well, here's how. You see, in this highly-anticipated prequel, Quack-Gonn Jinn explains the force to Anakin Snobbwalker. He explains how the force is really just a bunch of microorganisms (similar to sweat) that live in your cells and boss you around. However, in Episode V, Yoda (who in Episode I looks like a monkey) claims that the force is something that surrounds every living thing (something like that). If Yoda is a heretic, that means he's bad. If he's bad, then why do you see him with the good jedi at the end of Episode VI? Meeesa have bad feelzing about this. Can you guess who meeesa is? Youssa right! Issa meeesa, I'mgonnahityouovertheheadwithajellyjar-jar-Bonks.

I am Qui-Gonn Jinn. I am a stone-faced, mature Jedi Master, yet I enjoy the presence of my friend Jar-Jar-Binks more than my audience.

Jar-Jar - Exqueese me! You saved my life! Meeesa your servant for life!

Qui-Gonn - Yes, Jar-Jar. If I were in my right mind, I would slash you with my lightsaber until I could see the individual atoms that you're made of. However, I'm never in my right mind, so I will bear with your company. What's more, I'll even take you with me, so that everyone aboard my ship will lose their minds when you crack fart jokes every five seconds.

Obi-Wan finally meets Jar-Jar. He would also slash him to pieces; however, that would mean he'd lose Jedi points, because destroying an unarmed creature is against the jedi rule. It's bad enough that Padme likes snobby, most-horrible-actor-in-the-world Anakin, but she likes Bonks. How is that possible? I think Jar-Jar is a Sith! How else could anyone like him, than by using Jedi mind tricks? How else could he not die, when thousands of battle droids are around him and none hear his ridiculous screams?

Finally, we see the villain of the movie! Darth Maul, who is not in it at all! What does he do in the movie? Except for some incredibly awesome lightsaber moves, he rolls his eyes! Probably an addiction he developed when going through the movie's storyline with Lucas.

Who is the hero of the movie?

JOHN WILLIAMS!!!!!!!

Star Wars I.......2007-06-12

I think George Lucas has a wonderful imagination and not afraid to apply that imagination on screen. However, I find it hard to believe a boy that young (Anakin) could manuver a craft like that or for that matter, build one. None the less, I loved it and will watch it over again.

Rita

The best of the new.......2007-06-11

Of the 3 new episodes, this is by far the best one. It has a captivating storyline and never ceases to amaze with the fantastic CGI special effects at every angle. Many die-hard SW fans do not approve of all the CGI, but I believe that feeling goes hand in hand with the fact that they were around when the first SW came out, and that film was "theirs" so to speak and can never be duplicated. Something so magnificent as SW in 1977 must've captivated the mind and created such a frenzy that many opinions will be biased some 30 years later. I was not born yet when the first ones came out, but I'm a fan of all 6 and didn't really understand the SW buzz until I was able to watch the first 3 (newer ones) in succession followed by Episodes IV, V, and VI. Many fans have seen it the other way around, but I find the SW saga to still be enjoyable if you watch them in numerical order.

Of course, as a young buck myself, I will gladly say that Episodes I-III are great. A true treat to eye and a gem in fantasy/sci-fi land if you're in to that type of genre. Lucas could've not created anything better in my eyes. As I stated earlier, many old-school fans don't appreciate the new ones and that's completely understandable. For me and my generation, my Star Wars films were The Lord of the Rings trilogies. For me, I will go to my grave saying that LOTR was and is the best film of the genre. Hopefully they will make more as Tolkien wrote a lot, but I will not appreciate them as much as LOTR. That's just the way it is I guess.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful movie!
Great back at High School
Troy and Gabriella are so cute!
Grease for the 21st Century!
I let the kids rate this one, since they are the target audience, I think

High School Musical (Encore Edition)
Starring: Zac Efron , Vanessa Anne Hudgens , Ashley Tisdale , Lucas Grabeel , and Monique Coleman
Director: Kenny Ortega
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
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Accessories:

Disney Channel's High School Musical DVD Board Game

ASIN: B000F2BNW2
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Amazon.com

The Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical is a combination of backstage action and Grease without the unwholesome habits. Scoring record ratings at the time of its January 2006 broadcast, it's a smash hit with tween audiences (ages 6 to 10), but appealing for all ages. At a New Year's Eve party, Troy (Zac Efron of the WB's Summerland) has a chance meeting with Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) when they share a karaoke song. Lo and behold, when school resumes, they discover that Gabriella has just transferred to Troy's East High School, a campus divided into tight cliques of jocks, cheerleaders, brainiacs, and skater dudes. Eager to recapture the magic they'd discovered during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella consider auditioning for the school's upcoming musical, much to the dismay of the school's frost queen/theater goddess, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody). Problem is, Troy is also the star of the basketball team and Gabrielle is being recruited to compete in the Scholastic Decathlon. Will they give up their cliques to start something new, or will they do as the show's first big anthem urges and "Stick to the Status Quo"? Well, this is a Disney movie, so maybe the sacrifices won't be that hard, and even the hints of romance are mild.

The bestselling soundtrack is catchy in that Disney-pop kind of way, mixing in a dash of hip-hop ("Getcha Head in the Game," punctuated by squeaky basketball shoes and other sound effects), salsa ("Bop to the Top"), and the endearingly hammy ("What I've Been Looking For" performed by Sharpay and her brother, Ryan, played by Lucas Gabreel). It's not hard to imagine High School Musical becoming a semi-staple for high school groups to perform themselves. DVD bonus features include sing-along subtitles; a 9-minute featurette discussing casting, recording sessions, and rehearsals; a multi-angle look at a rehearsal of "Bop to the Top"; and music videos for "We're All in This Together" and a song that didn't make it into the final film, "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," performed by Efron, Hudgens, Tisdale, and Gabreel. --David Horiuchi

Description

The all-new, smash hit Disney Channel Original Movie everyone is talking about is now available for the first time ever on DVD -- with never-before-seen bonus features that will rock your house! Troy (Zac Efron), the popular captain of the basketball team, and Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), the brainy and beautiful member of the academic club, break all the rules of East High society when they secretly audition for the leads in the school's musical. As they reach for the stars and follow their dreams, everyone learns about acceptance, teamwork, and being yourself. And it's all set to fun tunes and very cool dance moves! Featuring the hottest talent, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL celebrates the power of music in this hip, entertaining, gotta-get-up-and-dance movie. Own all the excitement and the exclusive extras available only on this Encore Edition DVD.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful movie!.......2007-07-02

I love this movie! I'm ten, i love musicals (and I have seen many) and i Have to say this was a wonderful movie but if you love like you want to watch it 10 times in a row it's MINDWASHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The plot is almost the same as Grease.

Great back at High School.......2007-07-02

We watched the original dvd version after my children had friends who left it with us. It took six months for us to give their dvd back! So in the end I "had" to purchase the dvd for ourselves. I saw the "remix" version and thought why not!

It was worth it. My kids dance and sing every song with more passion than the actors. There is an option on this special edition of a sing along version of the movie, but we have never used it. The second disc has numerous features. Although more would have been good. Some came over from the original dvd like the behind the scenes interviews. But there were more, such as the premiere red carpet clip for the dvd release. Learning dance moves to Getta ya head in the game and the main theme "Wild Cats". There were also clips of the actors going on trips around the world, promoting the movie.

Although when I first watched it I was thinking (oh great an hour and a half wasted). But it is a great movie which inspires everyone to be happy and it be happy with who you are. The support characters make it for me.

Great "SQUEAKY CLEAN" fun for the whole family and a film you are happy to leave your kids in front of.

Troy and Gabriella are so cute!.......2007-06-26

My teenage daughter got this for her birthday and watched it 4 times the first two days. My five year old daugther also loves it and thinks Gabriella is so cute.
It's a musical and they sing a lot. The story line is basically that none of the groups associate with each other. (sports jocks and cheerleaders, science geeks, skaters, no body's, and the drama club. This is afterall a Disney movie and you can guess what is gonna happen and basically does but gives you some surprises along the way. By the end it is a happy after all movie and the groups get along and date etc.
To top that there is apparently a high school musical 2 coming out and they have to deal with the drama duo all over again.

Grease for the 21st Century!.......2007-06-26

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has ever said this, but this movie is basically Grease set in the modern era. Troy, the big sports star, loves singing musicals with Gabriella, but his friends and father think that this is taking his head out of the game. They want him to stop singing and to stop being with the girl.

But Troy is a good guy and thinks he can do both! The movie is all about encouraging the people in your life to follow their dreams. Be a blessing, not a burden!

Also, the movie music is BETTER than Grease! Great stuff!

I let the kids rate this one, since they are the target audience, I think.......2007-06-23

My personal opinion is that this reminded me of Grease but many parents might not consider that movie appropriate for a young audience. This is an excellent alternative and the consensus of the kids who saw it was that it was wonderful. They watched it again and again and....well, you get the idea.
I'm a fan of musicals. If you aren't, then you will not find this to your liking. I have a feeling this one will stand the test of time and become a cult favorite as time passes, much the way Grease became iconic for a certain time and year.

Average customer rating:

Way Over-Rated, and Often VERY Unpleasant!
Is the Creator Responsible for His Creation?
My Fair Lady
Does not work!
Rating of My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Rex Harrison , Stanley Holloway , Wilfrid Hyde-White , and Gladys Cooper
Director: George Cukor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 630522577X
Release Date: 1998-12-08

Amazon.com essential video

Hollywood's legendary "woman's director," George Cukor (The Women, The Philadelphia Story), transformed Audrey Hepburn into street-urchin-turned-proper-lady Eliza Doolittle in this film version of the Lerner and Loewe musical. Based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady stars Rex Harrison as linguist Henry Higgins (Harrison also played the role, opposite Julie Andrews, on stage), who draws Eliza into a social experiment that works almost too well. The letterbox edition of this film on video certainly pays tribute to the pageantry of Cukor's set, but it also underscores a certain visual stiffness that can slow viewer enthusiasm just a tad. But it's really star wattage that keeps this film exciting, that and such great songs as "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Could Have Danced All Night." Actor Jeremy Brett, who gained a huge following later in life portraying Sherlock Holmes, is quite electric as Eliza's determined suitor. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Way Over-Rated, and Often VERY Unpleasant!.......2007-06-29

Yes, it is a nice Cinderella story, and Audrey plays a fine role.There is an excellent message about the ingrained Brit Class System circa 1910..And there are some nice costumes, mainly women's hats, at the Horse race..Add to this a few memorable songs..So what is the problem with this ? Mainly, the near- nauseating character of Higgins, an old fashioned snob and misogynist of the ugliest type, who we have to watch sneer and scold for the better part of two hours! Not pretty! True, Pickering is a nice counterpoint, and really a decent old chap, but Higgins is the main character, and to watch and listen to this old goat goes well beyond a pleasant way to spend time! The song and dance numbers are hardly even third rate. Any comparison with a 1940's-50's MGM musical puts this one to shame! No dancing to speak of, and very low production quality..Then again, this was Warner, not known for musicals!..And there is a claustrophic sense here that says , "How can I get away from this miserable phonetics teacher?" It's near impossible..I can think of at least 30 musicals far and away above this, not just MGM, but Fred and Ginger, and so forth..In fact, 3-stars may be too kind for this one, since it is way below the hype!..Also, check out the 1930's PYGMALION with Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard, and you can easily see how almost the entire movie (MY FAIR LADY) was completely taken from PYGMALION, including the sets and dialogue..About the only thing new is the songs, which are fun and amusing, but not really in the top tier of great musical tunes.

Is the Creator Responsible for His Creation?.......2007-06-12

I had not watched this marvelous movie for many years when I took the opportunity to watch it again. The movie is a little stiff in places, but that stiffness seemed, to me, to enhance the formality of English high society. Audrey Hepburn belies that stiffness with her free-spirited characterization of Eliza Doolittle. Eliza contrasts nicely with Henry Higgin's mother, played by veteran actor Gladys Cooper ("The Happiest Millionaire," "The Song of Bernadette," and "The List of Adrian Messenger"). Mrs. Higgins is quite proper and perfect in every situation. Henry, played by the incomparable Sir Rex Harrison, is disdainful and aloof. Henry believes he is the remote scientific observer who can categorize and stereotype everyone, and is not affected by his surroundings.

A problem arises when Henry Higgins bets Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White, "Ten Little Indians" (1965) and "In Search of the Castaways") that he could take anyone, such as Eliza Doolittle, and turn them into something like a lady's maid or a shop girl. Colonel Pickering takes Henry up on his bet, volunteering to finance the experiment.

Looking at the next part of this movie with five decades of life, I quickly saw the problem that Henry was getting into. Henry was taking a human life adjusted to a certain set of surroundings, modifying that life so that it no longer fit in, and was then prepared to cast that life adrift once he proved his point. Henry failed to see that he did anything wrong, and therein lies the irony and pathos of this movie. The question a first-time watcher asks is whether Henry will be able to grow up at last and realize that people require compassion and empathy and are more than science experiments.

In addition to a marvelous story, this movie boasts wonderful music and excellent sets. Though some of Audrey Hepburn's singing survived, Marni Nixon sang most of the music attributed to Hepburn. Nixon's singing was phenomenal and her singing voice is close enough to Hepburn's that it sounds as though Hepburn could be singing.

Other singing numbers contained extensive choreography on expansive sets. Two complexly choreographed songs that come to mind are "Get Me to the Church on Time" and the "Ascot Gavotte."

This movie featured an array of sets depicting street scenes and interior scenes. Though the street scenes were excellent, my favorite set in the movie has always been Henry Higgin's incredible library. I would love to have his library in my house, though duplicating that library would be incredibly expensive.

This movie won 20 awards, which includes eight Oscars. Rex Harrison won the Best Actor Oscar and the movie won the Best Picture Oscar, both highly coveted awards. Harrison won many other awards for this film, and "My Fair Lady" became the most awarded movie of 1965.

Of course, awards do not necessarily mean a film is either good or great. However, Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn and Wilfrid Hyde-White have such incredible acting skills and such screen presence that they make this film a joy to watch. I was spell-bound as I watched Audrey Hepburn become Eliza Doolittle and capture the hearts of everyone in the movie. Rex Harrison was incredible as Henry Higgins. This movie was either Harrison's best, or one of his best.

The story is also captivating. Henry Higgins experiments with the life of a human being. What Henry Higgins failed to realize is that once he became involved with his subject, he lost his objectivity and learned compassion. Love can come from compassion. The only thing that surprised me in this viewing of the movie is that I previously had not realized how early in the movie that Eliza Doolittle had come to love Henry Higgins.

"My Fair Lady" is one of the best musicals of all time. The combination of story, acting, singing and sets is amazing. Fans of musicals and love stories will enjoy this movie, even on multiple viewings.

Enjoy!

My Fair Lady.......2007-05-12

I personally like classic movies compared to some of the movies out there now.

Does not work!.......2007-04-11

The DVD does not work in Ireland so it is absolutely useless!! I should have been made aware of this when I was purchasing the product. I would like to be refunded in full for the three DVDs I have purchased: My Fair Lady, Paris when it Sizzles and Breakfast at Tiffanys (purchased at the same time)
Also the packaging costs were not displayed until i had entered my credit card number and were much too expensive.
Overall i am extremely disappointed with my experience and I expect to be compensated for this.

Rating of My Fair Lady.......2007-04-10

This is one of the best musicals ever done. The DVD was excellent quality.

Harry and the Hendersons (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Great Family Fun
Harry and the Hendersons
Don't Miss This Movie
Once upon a time with Harry
Bigfoot, Bigheart....and a BiggerMind than you might think

Harry and the Hendersons (Special Edition)
Starring: Don Ameche , Orene Anderson , Richard Arnold , Melinda Dillon , and Nick Flynn
Director: William Dear
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
Ghost Rider (Two-Disc Extended Cut)
*Batteries Not Included
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Deja Vu

ASIN: B000MRNWKG
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

This cute movie by William Dear stars John Lithgow as a family man who befriends a Sasquatch (a.k.a. Bigfoot) and brings the friendly monster's oversized, hairy self into his Seattle home. Mayhem and comedy ensue, but things take a heavier turn when a hunter (David Suchet) gets on the creature's trail. Everything hinges on the relationship between Lithgow's character and Harry (the Sasquatch), and that relationship is really quite effective and touching. Don Ameche is a hoot as an old guy who has dreamed of meeting Bigfoot all his life and finally gets the glorious chance. --Tom Keogh

Description

John Lithgow takes adventure to new heights in this big-laughs, big-hearted, big-footed comedy for the whole family! A chance car accident introduces the Hendersons to the real-life Bigfoot, who is anything but a ferocious monster and quickly becomes a true friend to the family. They're soon in a race against the clock to return "Harry" to his natural environment before the authorities capture him. The fur will fly in this feel-good romp - an Oscar winner for Best Makeup - the whole family will enjoy again and again!

Customer Reviews:

Great Family Fun.......2007-06-27

I had seen this movie many times when I was a kid and always loved it. "Harry" is great family movie full of Hilarious scenes that will make you laugh out loud! It asks the question "What is Bigfoot really existed?". Would he be able to be seen as a gentle beast? Great for children as it shows that all "animals" aren't mean and nasty and don't deserve to be killed just because we can. If you are looking for a movie with great laughs for kids and adults alike then see "Harry and the Hendersons" I believe it is a movie everyone can enjoy!

Harry and the Hendersons .......2007-06-02

Nice liitle movie about a 'fictional' character set in the Seattle area .
Great fun for the whole family .... and you get to see John Lithgow with more hair (funny how we lose our cranial covering and then it migrates to other parts of the body ) and Melinda Dillon fresh from closeEncounters of the 3rd kind .
Don Ameche is wonderful.

Something to let all kids watch ...reminds me of the best 'Disney' stuff when I was a kid .

Don't Miss This Movie.......2007-05-31

It was great to revisit a movie I have always loved. Many people have been searching for a release of this movie and now it has finally come to DVD. The "extras" are mostly promotional material that supported the movies original release so don't expect much there, but the movie itself is awesome!

Once upon a time with Harry .......2007-05-30

Great for children and adults, this movie can be watched over and over again. Enjoy the comedy and the imaginative creation of Harry.

Bigfoot, Bigheart....and a BiggerMind than you might think.......2007-05-26

This is one of the best family movies ever made!! I don't know why it wasn't a big hit??!?!! If you haven't seen this movie yet, especially if you're into bigfoot but, even if your not....you must see it. I believe that having an open mind and an open heart is important and this movie helps people see how, why and what the results might be. Give yourself over to the big guy.....heck, I'd let him stay with me....well for a little while. Great family fun and adventure can't be found like this in modern movies; Harry and the Hendersons has real heart and one of my favorite performances by John Lithgow. The cast is a great combination of very gifted actors who gave great performances that should have been recognized as such and really haven't been. Buy it! Buy it! Buy it!

Average customer rating:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Pretty good, awesome acting, but things kind of fell apart towards the end
i read the book first
It's a Mad, Mad World...
Insane in the Membrane

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Louise Fletcher , William Redfield , Michael Berryman , and Peter Brocco
Director: Milos Forman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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Chinatown
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ASIN: 0790732181
Release Date: 1997-12-17

Amazon.com

One of the key movies of the 1970s, when exciting, groundbreaking, personal films were still being made in Hollywood, Milos Forman's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest emphasized the humanistic story at the heart of Ken Kesey's more hallucinogenic novel. Jack Nicholson was born to play the part of Randle Patrick McMurphy, the rebellious inmate of a psychiatric hospital who fights back against the authorities' cold attitudes of institutional superiority, as personified by Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). It's the classic antiestablishment tale of one man asserting his individuality in the face of a repressive, conformist system--and it works on every level. Forman populates his film with memorably eccentric faces, and gets such freshly detailed and spontaneous work from his ensemble that the picture sometimes feels like a documentary. Unlike a lot of films pitched at the "youth culture" of the 1970s, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest really hasn't dated a bit, because the qualities of human nature that Forman captures--playfulness, courage, inspiration, pride, stubbornness--are universal and timeless. The film swept the Academy Awards for 1976, winning in all the major categories (picture, director, actor, actress, screenplay) for the first time since Frank Capra's It Happened One Night in 1931. --Jim Emerson

Description

A nice rest in a state mental hospital beats a stretch in the pen, right? Randle P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a free-spirited con with lightning in his veins and glib on his tongue, fakes insanity and moves in with what he calls the "nuts." Immediately, his contagious sense of disorder runs up against numbing routine. No way should guys pickled on sedatives shuffle around in bathrobes when the World Series is on. This means war! On one side is McMurphy. On the other is soft-spoken Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), among the most coldly monstrous villains in film history. At stake is the fate of every patient on the ward. Based on Ken Kesey's acclaimed bestseller, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest swept all five major 1975 Academy Awards: Best Picture (produced by Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas), Actor (Nicholson), Actress (Fletcher), Director (Milos Forman) and Adapted Screenplay (Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman). Raucous, searing and with a superb cast that includes Brad Dourif, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd in his film debut, this one soars.

DVD Features:
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.......2007-07-04

A landmark film of the '70s, Forman's "Nest" is the anti-establishment film par excellence--and perhaps the finest showcase ever for the blazing talent and wild-man antics of a certain Jack Nicholson. Organizing illegal card games, playing hoops with the nutters, sneaking whores into the lockdown ward, McMurphy represents the zeal and passion of a truly free spirit. His interactions with Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif, and a young Danny DeVito are both hilarious and tragic, but it's his conflict with fellow Oscar winner Fletcher, as the hateful, repressed, order-obsessed Nurse Ratched, that ultimately seals his fate. Based on Ken Kesey's mordant novel, "Nest" is a grimly funny movie about madness and our irrepressible need to challenge authority.

Pretty good, awesome acting, but things kind of fell apart towards the end.......2007-06-24

Some aspects of the movie were excellent. Nicholson did a hell of a job, like always. He is just as believable as he wants to be. He is just crazy enough for the viewer to wonder if he belongs in the mental facility or if he is just faking to stay out of a labor-yard or the state penitentary. Some of his interactions with the head nurse and the other patients are unforgettable, like when he pretends he is watching baseball and starts the play by play announcing when the head nurse refuses to let the patients watch the world series.

I liked most of the movie and the plot development seemed to be right on cue. But once the movie started winding down, things stopped being believable. McMurphy seems to leave and enter the facility whenever he wants, cleverly eluding security, he bribes the guard with a box of liquor, and convinces his girlfriend to sleep with one of the patients. After the entire routine of trashing the mental facility at the cover of night, he decided to STAY instead of escape, when he could have easily escaped. This was just absurd and the movie lost its purpose at that point.

In typical, depressing fashion, everything falls apart, when the innocent young man commits suicide, McMurphy forsakes another attempt to escape. I won't give away the ending, but its not satisfying and not what I was hoping for, it made me feel that I wasted 2 1/2 hours of watching the film.

There were few enduring lessons; other than the motif of individuals who are on power trips, personified by the head nurse. The book is a classic and is known for developing this relationship masterfully. But in a 2 1/2 hour movie, it is hard to accomplish this dense character development. It just didn't work in my eyes.

This film usually gets great ratings, but it just didn't fly for me. I like classics, like Cool Hand Luke and the Godfather. But I don't like depressing, meaningless endings. Death, depression and failure don't necessarily make a "good" movie in my eyes. There needs to be more purpose behind it. The conversations and acting were great, but the last half hour of the movie was disappointing.

It seems as the writer of the script, and the author for that matter, had excellent material but really didn't know how to wrap it up for a memorable ending.

i read the book first.......2007-06-16

the book was much better, so it was hard to watch it. other than that it is an awesome movie.

It's a Mad, Mad World..........2007-05-29

Throughout my lifetime, I don't think I have ever met a red-blooded human being who did not appreciate the tragic charm of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
The amazing thing about this movie is that one does not need to be institutionalized to see that life itself is filled with "slightly off" people. No matter who or where you're from, we are all aware of how the term "crazy" has officially ingrained itself as a "normal" term in our daily vocabulary.

Frankly, I don't believe any of these characters were clinically insane.
I am confident quite a few people would agree with me in that statement.

What I found the most heartbreaking was the fact that the craziest of them all was the control-freak Ratched nurse who was supposedly there to help these people. It truly sickens me when such villains feed off of the fragility of the vulnerable. Talk about snatching a candy away from a poor, helpless baby...

To be honest, I've only seen this movie about three or four times.
But it has been one of those movies that really left an imprint in my mind by inspiring me to accept the fact that nobody is perfect -
and that sometimes, striving for perfection can indeed drive the most normal person insane.

I do believe - that when a single movie can possess such power,
it deserves nothing less than 5 complete stars.

Insane in the Membrane.......2007-05-15

This is the worst of the Danny DeVito comedies released in the mid-80s, and is far, far inferior to funnier flicks like "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Ruthless People," and "Other People's Money." Compared to them, this one is a comic stinker.

The premise is a good one-- a couple of wackos played by Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson, Christopher Lloyd, and an Indian perform hijinks in an asylum and they plot to break out. The laughs, however, are few and far between and at times the only things that are funny are Jack Nicholson's hat and the fact that Michael Douglas directed this.

My biggest problem is that Jack Nicholson, who is great as The Joker (Batman), the Devil (The Witches of Eastwick) and a Wolf (Wolf) isn't very gifted at comedy. Imagine how much crazier it would have been if the crazy people were led by somebody like Tim Allen or Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan!

There is some funny business with a water fountain and a pillow at the end of the movie, but too little too late, if you ask me. Only rent this movie if you hate laughter.

Average customer rating:

I love this show!
BJ and Reba
One of Funniest Sitcom's ever- Reba
Undemanding Lovers of Family Sitcoms Such As "Full House", "Step-By-Step", "Family Matters" Etc. Are Likely To Enjoy!
Hillarious Cast

Reba - Season 1
Starring: Daniele O'Loughlin
Director: Katy Garretson , Moosie Drier , Leslie Kolins Small , James Widdoes , and Jack Kenny
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Reba - Season 2
Reba - Season 3
Reba - Season 4
Reba #1's
The Golden Girls - The Complete Seventh and Final Season

ASIN: B000640WGM
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Amazon.com

Reba: The Complete First Season gathers all 22 episodes of the popular WB sitcom's 2001 debut, an unusual and likable comedy about a family meltdown that results, over time, in stronger ties between principal characters. The pilot episode's opening scene puts it all on the table: A court-mandated, family therapy session in which one learns that Reba Hart (Reba McEntire) and estranged husband Brock (Christopher Hart) have broken up after 20 years of marriage, Brock's mistress Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman) is pregnant, and the Harts' 17-year-old daughter, Cheyenne (Joanna Garcia), and her high school football hero boyfriend, Van (Steve Howey), are also expecting. From these overlapping disaster come many fireworks, but Reba is really about the gradual reinvention of the Harts and the qualities of mercy, understanding, and rebuilt faith.

At the center of everything is Reba, who put Brock through dental school, had a trio of kids with him, then loses him, inexplicably, to sweet but simple-minded Barbra Jean, a hygienist. Yet he isn't really gone: Brock's emotional ties to Reba remain powerful, and he is often full of regret over whatever is driving him away. More challenging is Barbra Jean's needful attachment to Reba, which gets particularly difficult when the former keeps turning up at sensitive times, such as a visit from Reba's parents (Barry Corbin, Dorothy Lyman) and during Cheyenne's Lamaze classes. While coping with her own divorce, Reba keeps busy helping Cheyenne and Van set up their lives as newlyweds, a tricky business since both are still in high school and so many people--the principal, Van's parents, Reba's neighbors--disapprove and assume the worst about the Harts' morals. Still, every episode ends with the feeling that everything is going to be okay in Reba's world, even if she has no idea where so much change is taking her. Country superstar McEntire proves a very capable and attractive comic lead, and the rest of the cast, including Mitch Holleman and Scarlett Pomers as Reba's youngest kids, are caught up in Reba's appealing chaos. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

I love this show!.......2007-06-26

Reba is so funny. We don't have cable and since all these great shows are coming out on DVD I took the opportunity to purchase Season 1 & 2 with the free shipping. I need Season 3 & 4 now. I am sad to hear her show was cancelled and just hope they give it an ending instead of just having no closure. If there was 20 Seasons I would buy them all, if you love Reba or comedy shows this one would be right up your alley!
I highly approve of this series!

BJ and Reba.......2007-06-10

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! This show may be titled 'Reba' but Barbara Jean also makes this show a hit! Good cast of characters too.

One of Funniest Sitcom's ever- Reba.......2007-06-07

I love Reba it's the funniest sitcom ever, with a great actress like Reba McEntire, Joanna Garcia, Great Actors like Christopher rich, I have never got bored of show, I have got Season 1,2,3 and 4 and I can't wait for Seasons 5 and 6, can anyone tell when they come out.

Description:

When your husband of twenty years divorces you for a woman half his age, it's time to move on to Plan B. For Reba Hart (Reba McEntire), that means not only accepting that her marriage is over, but also accepting that her ex's new wife is pregnant. If that isn't disruptive enough, Reba learns that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant too. So it's out with the old and in with the new as hubby leaves and son-in-law arrives. With al the outrageous domestic obstacles thrown in her path, Reba realizes one thing for sure: life will never be the same in this dysfunctional household!

Undemanding Lovers of Family Sitcoms Such As "Full House", "Step-By-Step", "Family Matters" Etc. Are Likely To Enjoy!.......2007-05-31

It seem like most of us can agree that Reba McEntire (those who were at all familiar with the name before this show rolled around) is a far, far, better singer than she ever will be an actress. However, with that said I still feel that she does a pretty fair job playing the role of Reba Hart in this show (a feisty, hard-working, hard-loving, fiercely proud and even more fiercely opinionated, divorced and now single Texan mother of three) especially when you take into consideration that McEntire had had little to no acting experience before this show. If you can manage to overlook such things as it's oft hokey writing, goofy and seriously stereotyped supporting characters, super-cheesy one-liners that seems to annoy so many, and in particular the occasional over-acting by virtually all of it's actors (Reba included), you'll more than likely find a very warm and obviously well-meaning (despite what some hatefull reveiwers before me think) little family sitcom that has a tendency to grow on you after a while, or at least it did me! Of course it's not too likely to ever go down in history as the most groundbreaking of all sitcoms considering it openly borrows from so many other highly respected and more popular shows. Although, it is one that I imagine undemanding lovers of family sitcoms such as "Full House", "Step-By-Step", "Family Matters" and the like will no doubt enjoy.

Hillarious Cast.......2007-04-12

I never watched the show when it was on but I now catchg reruns on lifetime. Its a truly laugh out loud feelgood show. I reccomend to anyone.

Average customer rating:

A very good show
Reba ROCKS!
A Complete Change for Season 2- "Better than season 1"
good, clean, hilarious show
Very awesome, very funny sitcom

Reba - Season 2
Starring: Daniele O'Loughlin
Director: Katy Garretson , Moosie Drier , Leslie Kolins Small , James Widdoes , and Jack Kenny
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Reba - Season 1
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Video Gold, Vol. I
Reba #1's

ASIN: B000B8384G
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Amazon.com

Reba: Season 2 stays the course set in the first season, with sitcom star (and country music legend) Reba McEntire playing a divorced mom (named Reba Hart) trying to get her bearings after her dentist husband, Brock (Christopher Hart), leaves her to take up with his simple but sweet-natured hygenist, Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman). That's still only part of the heroine's troubles. Her 17-year-old daughter, Cheyenne (Joanna Garcia), and the latter's teenage husband, Van (Steve Howey), are living in Reba's house with their infant, while Reba's younger daughter Kyra (Scarlett Pomers) is maturing at an unnerving clip and son Jake (Mitch Holleman) frequently loses out when it comes to mom's attention. None of that is as crazy-making, however, as Barbra Jean's naive overtures to Reba for sisterly friendship--when the new Mrs. Hart and Brock move into a house near Reba's, Barbra Jean can't wait to visit Brock's ex-wife often. Very often.

With these new and reconfigured relationships fixed in place, the dust is settling in season 2. Now comes the really hard part: pinching pennies while trying to teach the profligate, clueless Cheyenne and Van that they don't have the scratch to get an apartment or spend money on non-essentials. Or interviewing for jobs for which Reba clearly has no experience. Or trying to hold onto Kyra's loyalty when what the girl wants is more of dad. The seriousness of these running issues speaks for itself, forming a strong foundation for a show whose humor is understandably biting without being off-putting. McEntire and the rest of the cast are consistently strong and funny, while Peterman continues to stand out in her somewhat broader performance. (Peterman's comic assuredness sometimes reminds one of Lucille Ball.) Lots of life lessons in this show, but a lot of disciplined if gentle comedy as well. --Tom Keogh

Description

Country legend and recent Broadway sensation Reba McEntire stars in Reba, a hilarious and spirited look at the "perfect" American family gone awry. The perfect holiday gift for every Reba fan.

Customer Reviews:

A very good show.......2007-07-03

I enjoy the television show Reba. If you like a good family comedy, I would suggest the Reba series.

Reba ROCKS!.......2007-07-01

Just as FUNNY as Season 1. "Barbara Jean..... and REBA!" Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

A Complete Change for Season 2- "Better than season 1".......2007-06-07

Reba Season 2 gets a complete change, much different than season 1, much funnier.

Description:

Reba Hart (Reba McEntire) knew divorce wasn't going to be easy - she just hadn't anticipated how much her ex-husband's new wife would want to be part of "the family." On top of that, Reba learns that her married daughter isn't going to be moving out of the house with her new husband and baby daughter as planned. Now, with no breadwinner in the house, Reba realizes she'd rather accept a job working for her ex-husband than apply for food stamps. But no mater how hard she tries to make family life run smoothly, Reba soon realizes there's just no darn way to please everyone!

good, clean, hilarious show.......2007-05-13

reba is an addictive little show. you start watching just because it's on tv when nothing else is on, and before long, you look forward to watching it all of the time. it is a good, clean, hilarious show. it makes you laugh out loud. reba does an excellent job, as well as the other characters.

Very awesome, very funny sitcom .......2007-04-06

I bought all 4 seasons of Reba and I couldn't be happier. What a great show. Reba is not only a talented singer but she is so funny in this show. The cast is so great together. I laugh so much watching this show I can't say enough good things about it.

Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

george come on!
Original version is important.
Thanks for nothing, George.
A Long, Long time ago . . . The World was soon to be completely amazed and I just turned 13 in May 1977
George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated: *(****)

Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Peter Cushing , and Alec Guinness
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Sci-Fi Action | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000FQJAIW
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of George Lucas's epic space fantasy Star Wars is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Star Wars as it originally played in theaters in 1977. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, the initial title crawl proclaims that this is just Star Wars, not Episode IV, A New Hope. Second, the film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more critters and droids scurrying around the port of Mos Eisley when Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi first arrive, no meetings between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut and between Luke and Biggs (extraneous scenes that were cut in 1977), no enhanced explosions during the final reel, and--most importantly to some fans--no more of Greedo shooting first in the bar. Instead Han is free to be the scoundrel and not even let Greedo squeeze off a shot.

What do you lose by watching the 1977 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here). Digital cleanup for another--Tatooine looks like it's been coated with an additional layer of sand cloud. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Star Wars, however, is not anamorphically enhanced (sometimes referred to as "4:3 letterbox"), so on a widescreen TV it will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, and the 1977 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Customer Reviews:

george come on!.......2007-06-25

com on George why don't you stop giving everybody this cheesy stuff? If you are going to remaster them, make everything better! picture sound, lightsaber and blast improvmets. and if u r going to sell the unre,astered then sell it Untouched! the only button u should press is the ''copy button''

Original version is important........2007-06-19

Personaly, I just wish to have both versions in good remastering in Anamorphic and DTS sound. Special verion is important but the Original is more important beause it has all the footages from 1977 release.

Special edition is important because it has Mr. Lucas real vision, which is being unabled to creat at that time. It is understandable but i was hoping to see the original in good picture and sound because i do agree with all reviewers that it was good enough and no needing for improvment. Changing the original for better might fix some part while destort another. The 1977 opening title was very simple and wonderul which was truly unforgttable watching it at theater as it apeared very new look, by adding new titles like IV New hope it felt destort that simplicity and add complexity, sometimes it felt like watching a TV series rather than a motion picture.

About new added footages of Jabba, the more i realized that im watching an animated picture the more i loose apatites to watch it more. Same thing to spaceships in last battle scene, i dont know if they are worthy and not staying with old ones. The more reshaping picture for better the more it become unrealistic and loose its powerfull effect.

But perhapse adding new footages without deleting old ones in order to expand the scene in general, it would be a good idea and interesting, especially in the last battle scene in my opinion.

Finaly, about the information displayed in beginning when louding DVD discs. Please can anyone inform the manufactures to disable these and just let the movie begain like old VHS and Laser Discs? Theses menues add more headache and complexity. A desire to watch one small part in the movie and leave, will require long time just pressing bottums and skipping.

Thanks for nothing, George........2007-06-14

I am just guessing here, but I think I know what's going to happen. In about 12-24 months we're going to get word that the Star Wars movies are scheduled to be released in High Definition. But they will only be available in a gorgeously-designed glossy 9-DVD Box Set, with all of the films (special editions), extras. Maybe it will have the original Star Wars illustration of Darth Vader across the box -- and it will be something around $200 list, $140 on Amazon.

Then once again people will voice their fury at Lucasfilm's arrogance. We will be stuck with Hayden Christansen digitally inserted into the finale of Return of the Jedi, a ridiculous CGI Jabba, the slobbering Max Reebo band, and everything else we detest.

Then in about 2010 an ageing Lucas will relent, say he has listened to all the hearfelt pleas, and to much ballyhoo announce that yes he will indeed be releasing the original versions, and yes, because he cares so much, he will even clean them up and release them properly. He will be a compassionate hero while at the same time make umpteen millions more.

Don't give this guy any more money. What he has done here is shameless and rude to the original fanbase. Non-anamorphic tranfers in this day and age is ridiculous.

A Long, Long time ago . . . The World was soon to be completely amazed and I just turned 13 in May 1977.......2007-06-11

The magical accending words that opened this phenomenon back on May 25th, 1977 @ SpringField Mall (VA) theatres; sent this 13 yr old 70's child into an endless STAR WARS fandom. I became instantly obsessed with bubble gum trading cards, comic books, action firgures, Jedi Knights and Light Sabers.

Originally, my family and I viewed our 1st screening of STAR WARS IV @ the 1 & 2 cinemas that use to reside in Bailey's Crossroads - Falls Church, VA (sad to say the theatre is no longer there). Massive long, long lines as all can remember, but much fun and laughter . . . all worth the wait. Not long after the 1st viewing, my mum would drop me off @ Springfield Mall w/my pals and we would make a day of seeing STAR WARS a few times; and then off to the arcade playing STAR WARS pinball, space invaders and air hockey. As the saying goes . . . those were the days.

Here we are at the 30th Anniversary of EPISODE IV and my where the time has gone. Sometimes it seems just yesterday, when I was basking in the bright sun standing within a long line at the neigborhood ice cream truck, looking at what STAR WARS trading cards I had in my hand and what I was going to soon own. And the glorious feeling I had once I purchased a few pacs of those magical fantastic cards. Thou sometimes it seems (as the opening words go) - A long time ago in a galaxy far far away . . .

After I received a stero system from my dad on that B-Day, I purchased an 8 track tape of IV and would listen to it every night faithfully. As I would drift off to sleep, the STAR WARS world came alive in my mind and a smile always laid upon my face. The tape was a condensed version of the movie and it too was extraordinary.
I can remember fading to black with the sounds of RD-D2, C-3PO, Chewie, Han, Luke, Ben, Leia, Tie-Fighters & X-Wings, the infamous M-Falcon, Sand People, Gran Moff Tarkin, the Death Star and the wonderful music. The best for last was the sounds of Vader's breathing and James Earl Jone's voice commanding the Dark Sith Lord.

The daily hustle & bustle of the modern world as a child seems incoherent. For a childs mind is always filled with play and or mischief and adventure. As an adult I am reminded of those times and long hours of role playing games. So, when I put EPISODE IV in the vcr, instantly I venture back to those days and of my wonderful memories that Mr. Lucas so kindly injested immortal memroies into my creative vortex.

Still after all these years and with the enhancement of special effects, I have and will evermore enjoy STAR WARS- A NEW HOPE. Always will I remember the monumental movie making experience it gave leading us into the 21st century.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" - Princess Leia
"Into the garbage chute, flyboy." - Leia

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid" - Han Solo
"Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee.' - Han Solo

"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire." - Obi-Wan
"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father." - Obi-Wan
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine." - Obi-wan
"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." - Obi-Wan

"Don't call me a mindless philosopher, you overweight glob of grease." - C-3PO

"The Force is strong with this one" - Darth Vader
"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed; the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force." - Vader

"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than two meters." - Luke
"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!" - Luke

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that is to be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan." - Moff Tarkin

I still posses a few original trading cards from IV, mostly thou from V & VI. I have the original wrappers the cards came in. My SW collection consists of: Action figures, VHS, DVD, CD, old fan club newsletters, stickers, light sabers and books.

Hats off and an endearing bow to you Mr. Lucas! How could you have ever known that you had created a phenomenon. The writing deserved the Pulitzer in my opinion. And as a writer, I know it can be most difficult to lay the whole story out on parchment when it roams in your mind for what seems an eternity. . . but when it is finally adapted to parchment, a masterpiece is thus born. The added element of glory, as I can only imagine, is to finally see the tale adapted to film and to live thru it's grand success.

STAR WARS - A NEW HOPE . . . escape to another time & place, explore worlds both small & grand, experience FORCES of good & evil, ancient religions, sci-fi & fantasy, jedi, farmboys, wookies & wizards, droids, saber duals, blasters, tie fighters & the Falcon, A Dark Lord who made the top of villian lists everywhere and so much more you simply must see.

The power of the FORCE will lure you in, enticing you to follow the chap