Diamonds

Starring:Kirk Douglas, Dan Aykroyd, Corbin Allred, Lauren Bacall, Kurt Fuller, Jenny McCarthy, Mariah O'Brien, June Chadwick, Lee Tergesen, Val Bisoglio, Allan Aaron Katz, Roy Conrad, John Landis, Joyce Bulifant, Liz Gandara, Rebecca Thorpe, Pamela Coleman, Kamla Greer, Jacqueline Collen, Karen Mal
Director: John Mallory Asher
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

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The Man with the Golden Gun: The British superspy with a license to kill takes on his dark underworld double, a classy assassin who kills with golden bullets at $1 million a hit. Roger Moore, in his second outing as James Bond, meets Christopher Lee's Scaramanga, one of the most magnetic villains in the entire series, in this entertaining but rather wan entry in the 007 sweepstakes. Moore balances the overplayed humor of the film with a steely performance and Lee's charm and enthusiasm makes Scaramanga a cool, deadly, and thoroughly enchanting adversary. --Sean Axmaker

Goldfinger: To own Goldfinger (1964) on DVD is to have at your fingertips the proof that Sean Connery is the definitive James Bond. No one but Connery can believably seduce women so effortlessly, kill with almost as much ease, and then pull another bottle of Dom Perignon '53 out of the fridge. Goldfinger contains many of the most memorable scenes in the Bond series: gorgeous Shirley Eaton (as Jill Masterson) coated in gold paint by evil Auric Goldfinger and deposited in Bond's bed; silent Oddjob, flipping a razor-sharp derby like a Frisbee to sever heads; our hero spread-eagle on a table while a laser beam moves threateningly toward his crotch. Goldfinger's two climaxes, inside Fort Knox and aboard a private plane, have to be seen to be believed. --Raphael Shargel

The World Is Not Enough:Bond 5.0, Pierce Brosnan, undercuts his usually suave persona with a darker, more brutal edge largely absent since Sean Connery departed. Equally tantalizing are our initial glimpses of Bond's nemesis du jour, Renard (Robert Carlyle), and imminent love interest, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), both atypically complex characters cast with seemingly shrewd choices, and directed by the capable Michael Apted. The story's focus on post-Soviet geopolitics likewise starts off on a savvy note, before being overtaken by increasingly Byzantine plot twists, hidden motives, and reversals of loyalty superheated by relentless (if intermittently perfunctory) action sequences.--Sam Sutherland

Diamonds Are Forever: Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a battle with a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game with a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Connery retired again after this one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 years later. --Sean Axmaker

The Living Daylights: Timothy Dalton made his 007 debut in the lean, mean mode of Sean Connery, doing away with the pun-filled camp of Roger Moore's final outings. This James Bond is ruthless, tough, and romantic. The Living Daylights, set during the thaw of the cold war, begins with the defection of Russian KGB General Koskov (Jeroen Krabb) and his revelation of a Soviet plot to eliminate Britain's secret agent force. Assigned to eliminate Koskov's Soviet boss (John Rhys-Davies), Bond uncovers a conspiracy involving Koskov and an American arms dealer (Joe Don Baker). Veteran series director John Glen's action scenes have never been better--especially the show-stopping mid-air battle on the net of a speeding cargo plane--and he returns the series to the smart, rough, high-energy adventures that made the Bond reputation. --Sean Axmaker

A View to a Kill: Roger Moore's last outing as James Bond is evidence enough that it was time to pass the torch to another actor. Beset by crummy action (an out-of-control fire engine?) and featuring a fading Moore still trying to prop up his mannered idea of style, the film is largely interesting for Christopher Walken's quirky performance as a sort-of supervillain who wants to take out California's Silicon Valley. Grace Jones has a spookily interesting presence as a lethal associate of Walken's (and who, in the best Bond tradition, has sex with 007 before trying to kill him later), and Patrick Macnee (Steed!) has a warm if brief bit. Even directed by John Glen, who brought some crackle to the Moore years in the Bond franchise, this is a very slight effort. -- Tom Keogh

Thunderball: James Bond's fourth adventure takes him to the Bahamas, where a NATO warplane with a nuclear payload has disappeared into the sea. Bond (Sean Connery) travels from a tiny health spa (where he tangles with a mechanized masseuse run amuck) to the casinos of Nassau and soon picks up the trail of SPECTRE's number-two man, Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), and his beautiful mistress, Domino (Claudine Auger), whom Bond soon seduces to his side. Equipped with more gadgets than ever, 007 escapes an ambush with a personal-size jet pack and takes to the water as he searches for the undersea plane, battles Largo's pet sharks, and finally leads the battle against Largo's scuba-equipped henchmen in a spectacular underwater climax. This thrilling Bond entry became Connery's most successful outing in the series and was remade in 1983 as Never Say Never Again, with Connery returning to the role after a 12-year hiatus. --Sean Axmaker

Die Another Day: The 20th James Bond adventure, Die Another Day succeeds on three important fronts: it avoids comparison to Austin Powers by keeping its cheesy humor in check, allows Halle Berry to be sexy and worthy of a spinoff franchise, and keeps pace with the technical wizardry that modern action films demand. Pierce Brosnan is paired with American agent Jinx (Berry) in chasing a genetically altered North Korean villain (Rick Yune) armed with a satellite capable of destroying just about anything. John Cleese and Judi Dench reprise their recurring roles (as "Q" and "M," respectively); they're accompanied by weapons-laden sports cars, a hokey cameo by Madonna (who sings the techno-pulsed theme song), and enough double-entendres to keep Bond-philes adequately shaken and stirred. Die Another Day makes you welcome the familiar end-credits promise: James Bond will return. --Jeff Shannon

The Spy Who Loved Me: The best of the James Bond adventures starring Roger Moore as tuxedoed Agent 007, this globe-trotting thriller introduced the steel-toothed Jaws (played by seven-foot-two-inch-tall actor Richard Kiel) as one of the most memorable and indestructible Bond villains. Jaws is so tenacious, in fact, that Moore looks genuinely frightened, and that adds to the abundant fun. This time Bond teams up with yet another lovely Russian agent (Barbara Bach) to track a pair of nuclear submarines that the nefarious Stromberg (Curt Jürgens) plans to use in his plot to start World War III. The Spy Who Loved Me is a galaxy away from the suave Sean Connery exploits of the 1960s, but the film works perfectly as grandiose entertainment. From cavernous undersea lairs to the vast horizons of Egypt, this Bond thriller keeps its tongue firmly in cheek with a plot tailor-made for daredevil escapism. --Jeff Shannon

License to Kill: Timothy Dalton's second and last shot at playing James Bond isn't nearly as much fun as his debut, two years earlier, in the 1987 The Living Daylights. This time Bond gets mad after a close friend (David Hedison) from the intelligence sector is assassinated on his wedding day, and 007 goes undercover to link the murder to an international drug cartel. Robert Davi makes an interesting adversary, but as with most of the Bond films in the '70s, '80s, and '90s--and especially since the end of the cold war--one has to wonder why we should still care about these lesser villains and their unimaginative crimes. Still, Dalton did manage in his short time with the character to make 007 his own, which neither Roger Moore did nor Pierce Brosnan did. --Tom Keogh

Goldeneye: The 18th James Bond adventure was a runaway box-office success when released in 1995, thanks to the arrival of Pierce Brosnan as the fifth actor (following the departure of Timothy Dalton) to play the suave, danger-loving Agent 007. This James Bond is a bit more vulnerable and psychologically complex--and just a shade more politically correct--but he's still a formally attired playboy at heart, with a lovely Russian beauty (Izabella Scorupco) as his sexy ally against a cadre of renegade Russians bent on--what else?--global domination. All in all, this action-packed Bond adventure provided a much-needed boost the long-running movie series, revitalizing the 007 franchise for the turn of the millennium. -- Jeff Shannon

Live and Let Die: Roger Moore was introduced as James Bond in this 1973 action movie featuring secret agent 007. This film marks a deviation from the more character-driven stories of the Connery years, a deliberate shift to plastic action (multiple chases, bravura stunts) that made the franchise more of a comic book or machine. If that's not depressing enough, there's even a good British director on board, Guy Hamilton (Force 10 from Navarone). The story finds Bond taking on an international drug dealer (Yaphet Kotto), and while that may be superficially relevant, it isn't exactly the same as fighting supervillains on the order of Goldfinger. --Tom Keogh

For Your Eyes Only: After a ship sunk off the coast of Albania, the world's superpowers begin a feverish search for its valuable lost cargo: the powerful ATAC system, which will give its bearer unlimited control over Polaris nuclear submarines. As Bond joins the search, he suspects the suave Kristatos (Julian Glover) of seizing the device. The competition between nations grows more deadly by the moment, but Bond finds an ally in the beautiful Melina Havelock (Caroline Bouquet), who blames Kristatos for the death of her parents. The non-stop action includes automobile chases, thrilling underwater battles, and even a breathtaking tour over razor-sharp coral reefs. But all of this is merely a prelude to 007's cliffhanging assault of a magnificent mountaintop fortress. -- Robert Lynch

From Russia with Love: Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, the second James Bond spy thriller is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose latest mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by a lovely assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. From Russia with Love is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics, and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. --Jeff Shannon

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Australian model George Lazenby took up the mantle of the world's most suave secret agent when Sean Connery retired as James Bond (although Connery returned in Diamonds Are Forever before leaving the role to Roger Moore). In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 007 leaves the Service to privately pursue his SPECTRE nemesis Blofeld (played this time by Telly Savalas), whose latest master plan involves a threat to the world's crops by agricultural sterilization. Lazenby hasn't the intensity of Connery but he has fun with his quips and even lampoons the Bond image in a playful pre-credits sequence. Former editor Peter Hunt makes a strong directorial debut, deftly handling the elaborate action sequences with a kinetic finesse. --Sean Axmaker

Dr. No: Released in 1962, this first James Bond movie remains one of the best, and serves as an entertaining reminder that the Bond series began (in keeping with Ian Fleming's novels) with a surprising lack of gadgetry and big-budget fireworks. In his first adventure James Bond is called to Jamaica where a colleague and secretary have been mysteriously killed. With an American CIA agent (Jack Lord, pre-Hawaii Five-O), they discover that the nefarious Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) is scheming to blackmail the U.S. government with a device capable of deflecting and destroying U.S. rockets launched from Cape Canaveral. Of course, Bond takes time off from his exploits to enjoy the company of a few gorgeous women, including the bikini-clad Ursula Andress. This is Bond at his purest, kicking off a series of movies that shows no sign of slowing down. --Jeff Shannon

You Only Live Twice: The film boasts the best of the Bond title songs (this one sung on a dreamy track by Nancy Sinatra), but the movie itself is one of the weaker ones of the Sean Connery phase of the 007 franchise. The story concerns an effort by the evil organization SPECTRE to start a world war, but the not-so-super villain behind the plot is the awfully civilized Donald Pleasence. The thin script is by Roald Dahl (shouldn't we have expected a better Bond nemesis from the creator of mad genius Willy Wonka?), and direction is by British veteran Lewis Gilbert (Alfie). But the movie can't hold a candle to Dr. No, From Russia with Love, or Goldfinger. --Tom Keogh

Octopussy: Roger Moore was nearing the end of his reign as James Bond when he made Octopussy, and he looks a little worn out. But the movie itself infuses some new blood into the old franchise, with a frisky pace and a pair of sturdy villains. Maud Adams--who'd also been in the Bond outing The Man with the Golden Gun--plays the improbably named Octopussy, while old smoothie Louis Jourdan is her crafty partner in crime. Two Bond films were actually released in 1983 within a few months of each other, as Octopussy was followed by Sean Connery's comeback in Never Say Never Again. The success of both pictures proved that there was still plenty of mileage left in the old license to kill, though Moore had one more workout--A View to a Kill--before hanging it up. And that title? The franchise had already used up the titles to Ian Fleming's novels, so Octopussy was taken from a lesser-known Fleming short story. -- Robert Horton

Tomorrow Never Dies: Pierce Brosnan returns for his second stint as James Bond (after GoldenEye), and he's doing it in high style with an invigorating cast of costars. It's only appropriate that a Bond film from 1997 would find Agent 007 pitted against a media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) who's going to start a global war (beginning with stolen nuclear missiles aimed at China) to create attention-grabbing headlines for his latest multimedia news channel. It's the information age run amok, and Bond must team up with a lovely and lethal agent from the Chinese External Security Force (played by Honk Kong action star Michelle Yeoh) to foil the madman's plot of global domination. Luckily for Bond, the villain's wife (Teri Hatcher) is one of his former lovers and 007 finds ample opportunity to exploit the connection. Armed with the usual array of gadgets (including a remote-controlled BMW), Brosnan settles into his role with acceptable flair, and the dynamic Yeoh provides a perfect balance to the sexism that once threatened to turn Bond into a politically incorrect anachronism. He's still Bond, to be sure, but he's saving the world with a bit more sophisticated finesse. --Jeff Shannon

Moonraker: This was the first James Bond adventure produced after the success of Star Wars, so it jumped on the sci-fi bandwagon by combining the suave appeal of Agent 007 (once again played by Roger Moore) with enough high-tech hardware and special effects to make Luke Skywalker want to join Her Majesty's Secret Service. This time Bond is up against a criminal industrialist named Drax (Michel Lonsdale) who wants to control the world from his orbiting space station. Bond thwarts this maniacal Neo-Hitler's scheme with the help of a beautiful, sleek-figured scientist (played by Lois Chiles with all the vitality of a department-store mannequin). Despite Moore's passive performance (which Pauline Kael described as "like an office manager who is turning into dead wood but hanging on to collect his pension"), Moonraker had no problem attracting an appreciative audience, and there are even a few renegade Bond-philes who consider it one of their favorites. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

The Ultimate Bond is the Ultimate.......2007-06-27

If you love James Bond movies, wait, even if you just plain like Bond movies, get this collection. The movies look great and it is fabulous to watch how the character of Bond and the movies themselves evolve. Great for a film class or just someone who wants a lot of fun action adventure movies around. Plus at Amazon prices, you can't go wrong.

wonderfully restored movies!.......2007-06-27

We bought this set after reading a lot of reviews that said how nice the movies looked (restored). We were pleasantly surprised that the restored movies exceeded our expectation. The movies are very clean and there are absolutely tons of extras on each DVD.

There are only 2 annoying things. 1) they don't come in chronological order. We just rearranged them, but then you can't quite see the entire title from inside the box. 2) the slim cases were cheaply made. For the price it seems like they should be a little more sturdy.

Because of the slim cases, they don't take up very much room (for 20 DVD's plus extras). We are very happy with the set.

007- Bond, James.......2007-06-26

Simply..........Amazing! I am glad I waited to collect the series...They are Bigger & Better than the original in all facets.....My only complaint if I were to have one, is that they are not in order. Besides that one flaw I am Super Happy with this Awesome James Bond Collection.......

Michael from Minneapolis

Picked up whole collection in one pack - great deal.......2007-06-14

Really good deal for the big time Bond fan.

The Ultimate For The 007 Fan.......2007-06-09

Anyone who grew up with or loves James Bond Movies will enjoy this fine collection of films. If you are a fan and you don't have all the movies but want them, this is the collection to purchase. The Box Set and Art Work on the case's is quality along with every single disk.

James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 1 (The Man with the Golden Gun / Goldfinger / The World Is Not Enough / Diamonds Are Forever / The Living Daylights)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous Restoration Makes Bond Collection a Must!
James Bond Vol. 1
Thank goodness for these sets
Finally, sets that do the Bond legacy justice
I Was VERY Skeptical Of This Collection But...

James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 1 (The Man with the Golden Gun / Goldfinger / The World Is Not Enough / Diamonds Are Forever / The Living Daylights)
Starring: Roger Moore , Christopher Lee , Britt Ekland , Maud Adams , and Hervé Villechaize
Director: Guy Hamilton , and Michael Apted
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ultimate Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / Licence to Kill)
James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 4 (Dr. No / You Only Live Twice / Octopussy / Tomorrow Never Dies / Moonraker)
James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 3 (GoldenEye / Live and Let Die / For Your Eyes Only / From Russia With Love / On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Never Say Never Again

ASIN: B00000BLFI
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

Disc 1: *Goldfinger (1964) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Guy Hamilton Audio Commentary Featuring Cast and Crew

Disc 2: **Goldfinger Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Sean Connery From the Set of Goldfinger Screen Tests On Tour With the Aston Martin DB-5 Honor Blackman Open-Ended Interview 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Goldfinger The Making of Goldfinger The Goldfinger Phenomenon Original Publicity Featurette MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 3: *The World Is Not Enough (1999) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Michael Apted Audio Commentary Featuring Peter Lamont, David Arnold and Vic Armstrong

Disc 4: **The World Is Not Enough Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes and Alternate Angles With Introductions by Director Michael Apted Alternate Angle, Expanded Angle Scene: The Thames Boat Chase James Bond Down River - Original 1999 Featurette Creating an Icon: Making the Teaser Trailer Hong Kong Press Conference 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The World Is Not Enough The Making of The World Is Not Enough Bond Cocktail Tribute to Desmond Llewelyn Garbage 'The World Is Not Enough' Music Video The Secrets of 007 MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailer & Photo Gallery

Disc 5: *Diamonds Are Forever (1971) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Guy Hamilton and Members of the Cast and Crew

Disc 6: **Diamonds Are Forever Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes Sean Connery 1971: The BBC Interview Lesson # 007: Close Quarter Combat Deleted Footage - Oil Rig Attack Satellite & Explosions Test Reel Alternate & Expanded Angles 007 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Diamonds Are Forever Inside Diamonds Are Forever Cubby Broccoli - The Man Behind Bond MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 7: *The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) **The Man With The Golden Gun Bonus Disc Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Guy Hamilton and Members of the Cast and Crew

Disc 8: DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Roger Moore and HervÃ(c) Villechaize - The Russell Harty Show On Location With The Man With the Golden Gun Guy Hamilton: The Director Speaks Girls Fighting American Thrill Show Stunt Film The Road to Bond: Stunt Coordinator W.J. Millian Jr. 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The Man With the Golden Gun Inside The Man With the Golden Gun An Original Documentary Double-O Stuntmen: A Look at the Greatest Stunts and Stunt Performers in the Bond Films MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 9: *The Living Daylights (1987) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen and Members of the Cast and Crew

Disc 10: **The Living Daylights Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes With Introduction by John Glen Happy Anniversary, 007 Silver Anniversary Featurettes Timothy Dalton: The New James Bond/Vienna Press Conference Timothy Dalton: On Acting Dalton and d'Abo Interviews The Ice Chase Outtakes - Deleted Footage With Director John Glen Narration 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The Living Daylights Inside The Living Daylights Ian Fleming: 007's Creator a-ha 'The Living Daylights' Music Video The Making of 'The Living Daylights' Music Video MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Restoration Makes Bond Collection a Must!.......2007-06-09

Although 'Deluxe' Bond editions have appeared, in recent years, the new 'frame-by-frame' restorations make "James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 1" ESSENTIAL, if you are a fan of the 007 films!

The title selections may be head scratchers, but the pristine quality of each film offers a look and sound that is breathtaking!

"The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974), Roger Moore's second outing as 007, suffers from the decline into campiness that would plague many of his films; targeted by hit man Christopher Lee, Bond journeys to Asia to track him down, aided by annoying Britt Ekland and ridiculous redneck sheriff Clifton James. While Maud Adams is lovely, and Thailand, breathtaking, Hervé Villechaize is silly, and the attempt to incorporate the kung fu craze, while amusing, turns 007 into a joke. Add an awful theme song, and you have a major disappointment! (2 stars out of 5)

"Goldfinger" (1964), for many fans, the 'perfect' Bond film, kicked off the 60's worldwide 007 craze; piggy meglamaniac Gert Frobe plans to nuke Fort Knox, and it's up to 007 Sean Connery, at his sexiest, to stop him. Fabulous women (Honor Blackman and Shirley Eaton), a superhuman henchman (Harold Sakata), an unforgettable theme song (sung by Shirley Bassey), and spectacular action makes this one solid gold. (5 stars out of 5).

"The World Is Not Enough" (1999), Pierce Brosnan's third 007 outing, is, arguably, his best; assigned to protecting sexy oil heiress Sophie Marceau from terrorist Robert Carlyle, Bond discovers nothing is as it seems! Offering Judi Dench's finest performance as M, and more plot twists than usual, one can almost forgive buxom Denise Richards' one-note portrayal, and the series' decline into derivativeness. (4 stars out of 5).

"Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), best-known as Sean Connery's 'comeback' as 007 after a one-film hiatus (and his final Eon Bond film), the film marks the beginning of the 'comic' Bond films of the '70s. Villain Charles Gray, as a sly, droll Blofeld, launches a diamond-powered laser satellite to blackmail the world. Shot largely in Las Vegas, Connery is graying and paunchy, Jill St. John, sexy, but ditzy, and one-liners and brainless action dominates the plot. Funny, but quite a letdown from "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". (3 1/2 stars out of 5)

"The Living Daylights" (1987), Timothy Dalton's debut as 007, is best remembered, today, as the film Pierce Brosnan would have starred in, had NBC not renewed "Remington Steele". The silliness of Moore's Bond is gone, as a more serious Dalton falls for cellist/would-be assassin (Maryam d'Abo), and uncovers an arms plot involving three villains (Jeroen Krabbé, Joe Don Baker, and Andreas Wisniewski). An Afghan/Soviet war subplot 'dates' the story, and the film, released in the same year as "Lethal Weapon" and "Batman", would not be a hit, but time has proven it to be a superior 007 outing. (4 stars out of 5).

Even if you've seen these films, I recommend this new collection; Bond films have never 'looked' better!

James Bond Vol. 1.......2007-05-19

The first James Bond movie that I saw was "Goldfinger". It was great. I wanted to see them all. Now I can with these great box sets. A lot of people don't like them because they're not in order. I like them that way. It gives you a good mixture. Let's get on to the reviews for all the movies in Vol. 1.

Goldfinger- This is the first James Bond movie that I saw. It is great. Sean Connery IS James Bond. If you've never seen a James Bond movie, watch this one first. 5 stars

Diamonds Are Forever- This one is great. It returns Sean Connery as James Bond. 5 stars

The Man with the Golden Gun- This one is pretty good. It stars Roger Moore as James Bond. I've always wanted to see this one. Now that I have, I am very happy. 5 stars

The Living Daylights- This has a weird title, but it is still good. It is the first James Bond movie with Timothy Dalton playing Bond. He is pretty good. 5 stars.

The World is Not Enough- This one is really good. I always like Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. He is excellent in his second to last movie as James Bond. 5 stars.

Overall, this recieves 5 stars.

Thank goodness for these sets.......2007-05-15

These four JB sets are the perfect way to get your Bond fix in enormous doses. The special features are great and the quality of the picture is unbeatable. My only small quibble is that the setup of the DVD menus is sort of obnoxious, but that seems to be the way of DVDs these days. If you are a Bond fan, or if you have a Bond fan in your home and want to give him an amazing gift (I did), these aren't to be missed.

Finally, sets that do the Bond legacy justice.......2007-03-31

James Bond Ultimate Collection.

INTRODUCTION:
When it comes to film franchises, very few measure up to Ian Fleming's legendary secret agent, James Bond. For decades this series has never failed to entertain. With girls, guns, gadgets, and everything in between, the series rarely fails to please. The franchise has been through many highs and lows in its several-decade history, and numerous collections of the films have been released over the years. In 2006, MGM released four Ultimate Collections.

OVERVIEW:
The James Bond Ultimate Collection consists of four box sets, each including ten discs - five films and a bonus disc for each. The boxes' content are as follows:
-Volume One (Gold): Goldfinger (1963), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), The World Is Not Enough (1999)
-Volume Two (Blue): Thunderball (1965), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), A View To A Kill (1985), Licence To Kill (1989), Die Another Day (2002)
-Volume Three (Red): From Russia With Love (1963), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Live and Let Die (1973), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Goldeneye (1995)
-Volume Four (Silver): Dr. No (1962), You Only Live Twice (1967), Moonraker (1979), Octopussy (1983), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Note that these are sets of the official EON productions films. As such, non-EON productions such as the David Niven/Peter Sellers version of Casino Royale and Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again are not included.

REVIEW:
I'm not going to go through and review each individual film (that's what the movies' individual Amazon pages are for), I'm just gonna focus on the box sets and their execution here. Here is a list of the pros and cons for every set.

-THE GOOD-
-ALL TWENTY FILMS READILY AVAILABLE ON DVD AGAIN. It's been a long time since we've been able to get the movies on DVD, and it's about time they got reissued. Finally, this shortage has reached its end.
-A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO COMPLETE YOUR BOND COLLECTION. You could hunt down each individual film, and spend a lot more money and do a lot more searching. Or you could just get these four sets. Much quicker and easier.
-A BONUS DISC OF MATERIAL FOR EVERY MOVIE! If you're a Bond fanatic, you're going to get a kick out of all the extra material MGM gives you in these sets. Deleted scenes, trailers, interviews with cast and crew, these bonus discs are pure gold for you if you're a Bond die hard like me.
-REMASTERED. VERY WELL. Normally I don't mention remastering of movies in my reviews, as it's usually a rather shoddy job that does little to improve the picture quality. NOT THIS TIME. MGM has given us the films with FRAME BY FRAME RESTORATION. If you thought earlier issues of Bond films on DVD had crappy picture quality, MGM redeems themselves here. This is, hands down, THE GREATEST FILM REMASTERING JOB I HAVE EVER SEEN. Even Dr. No, the first Bond film, has stunningly beautiful picture quality! My hat goes off to MGM here. This is reason alone to buy the sets, even if you own the older boxes.
-SUPERIOR TO THE OLD DVD BOXES OF THE SERIES. Everything they did, these sets do better. Picture, extras, you name it, this set does it better.

-THE BAD-
-STILL NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. This has been under hot debate from Bond fans as long as boxes of the films have been on the market. MGM clearly wants to make a few bucks. Let's face it, if all of the Connery films were in one set, everyone would buy that set and no others. Rather than getting the films in chronological order, we get uneven and scattershot mixes. For instance, the fourth box set features Dr. No and You Only Live Twice, two of the masterpieces of the series. But the set is dragged down by two of the major stinkers in the series, Moonraker and Octopussy. With every set it's this same "balancing act" phenomenon, with great films and weak ones alike. I must admit, a rather ingenious marketing strategy on MGM's part, but not what fans want (of course, you can do like I did and buy all the sets and make your own box and put them in order.) Fortunately, this is the ONLY major flaw of these sets.

OVERALL:
When it comes to the Bond films on DVD, "Nobody Does It Better" than MGM with these box sets. Beautiful picture and sound, extras galore, and all twenty films readily available again, there's no reason not to own these if you're a Bond fan. Even if you already have a few films on DVD or some of the older sets, these are still worth getting for the picture quality and bonus features alone.

EDITION NOTES:
These sets are all readily available. Any major DVD retailer should have them available.

I Was VERY Skeptical Of This Collection But..........2007-03-15

Before buying this collection, I was very skeptical. Being a long time James Bond fan, I invested plenty of money in the best VHS version of all these films. When DVD came out, I re-bought about half of the collection again. I must admit that the DVD releases of these films are some of the most disappointing DVDs in my collection.

My major complaints about the ORIGINAL DVD RELEASES were:
1.) Audio Mix -- The first release of the Bond DVDs featured only the original 2 channel audio mixes. The result was a disaster. The spoken dialog was BURIED under the soundtrack... resulting in me having to dive for the remote every five minutes. On top of the poor dialog / score mixing, the audio lacked definition and served as a constant distraction from watching the movie. There were no distinct lows, or distinct highs, just a lot of bland sounding audio.

2.) Picture Quality -- I suppose I couldn't complain too too much about this one. Given the age of many of these movies, I accepted the washed-out, often grainy image as nothing more than a symptom of the era the movie was made.

All in all, poor audio and poor picture makes for a pretty crappy experience. After having been disappointed by the first couple Bond DVDs I bought, I gave up on the collection. It was with this in mind that the announcement of the newly remastered series left me very skeptical.

The major criticism of this DVD set is that it is another ploy by MGM/UA to drain more money from every Bond fan's wallet. In the past, I had avoided these pathetic attempts at getting me to constantly upgrade versions of things I already owned.

However, let me tell you, this collection DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. The talk about the upgraded audio and video is NOT hype. Painstaking efforts were taken to re-scan the original prints of each film frame-by-frame. Once scanned, the image was digitally enhanced from the original prints. I was amazed at the richness and depth of color this process produced. During most parts, these movies look like they could have been filmed last year. Different color pigments are more noticeable, skin color and tone looks more lifelike, and the special effects look sharper. All in all, one couldn't ask for anything more from the picture quality of these versions. I have yet to a scene where I felt it could have been retouched better.

If the image quality isn't enough to make this collection worth buying, the new 5.1 DTS mixes seal the deal. Gone are the days of me fidgeting with volume during every other scene! The balance between dialog, ambient sounds, and score is perfect. I never would have imagined that movies made in the 60's and 70's could sound so good. Unlike the previous DVDs, these Ultimate Edition DVDs utilize my home theater to its maximum potential. Explosions rumble through my sub and the dialog comes clearly through my center channel; every word is audible. I own other DVDs from films made over the last couple of years that wish they could sound this good! Utilizing the DTS is a MUST!

Finally, while I consider myself fairly discriminating when it comes to audio and video clarity, I am by no means an audio or videophile. So, I don't think you need a $25,000 home theater setup to enjoy the enhancements these DVDs offer. I wrote this review based off of the following hardware:
32" Winbook 720p LCD HDTV
Up-converting Samsung DVD Player (connected via DVI)
Sony 7.1 (7x100w) Surround Receiver
Matching 5.1 MTX Surround Sound Speaker System

Hopefully, this will help clear up some confusion or doubt as to the value this collection offers.

Average customer rating:

Wild Things 3
Pornography
not sure
No more please
Bad Movie, Good Softcore Porn

Wild Things 3 - Diamonds in the Rough
Starring: Sarah Laine , Sandra McCoy , Linden Ashby , Ron Melendez , and Claire Coffee
Director: Jay Lowi
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Wild Things 2
Wild Things (Unrated Edition)
Cruel Intentions 3
Cruel Intentions 2
Havoc (Unrated Version)

ASIN: B0007SMGSO
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Description

The sexy new sequel to the hit erotic-thriller WILD THINGS. Things get steamy in Blue Bay, Florida, when Marie, a 17-year-old beauty, gets caught in a tangle of deceit and double-crossing after meeting the promiscuous Elena, the new girl at school. Will they get away with the perfect crime or is someone else behind this scheme?

Customer Reviews:

Wild Things 3.......2007-03-23

Good movie...If you liked Wild Things 2 then you will surely like this one as well

Pornography.......2006-08-09

This is a pretty bad movie. The acting is mediocre, the plot is recycled from Wild Things 1 and 2 (as previous reviewers mentioned). The only thing this movie is good for is a lonely night when your only companion is a tube of KY Jelly. After the initial threesome, the only thing the two starlets seem to do is make out, including an additional topless make-out scene after during the end credits.

Also, the way the doctor talks about himself in the third person is hilarious. Seriously. If you don't have a case of serious blue-balls, but want a good laugh, rent this movie.

not sure.......2006-03-20

I'm not really sure what to say about this movie except I don't know about waisting time? I don't even know if it is possible to waist time. Do you need a belt for that waist? I'm pretty sure waist can not be a verb in any way except I think I just wasted my time writing this whole thing.

No more please.......2006-02-22

I thought they were going to just call it quits on Wild Things 2, but they really had to make a thrid one!!! I was just curious so I rented it one night and I thought the acting was just bad enough. I fell asleep though this one just like wild things 2. Don't waist your time!

Bad Movie, Good Softcore Porn.......2006-01-19

The first Wild Things had pretty good actors and an original story line. The second one was tolerable and still had hot chicks in it with a tich of an original storyline. Though it was far to close to the original storyline. Quite honestly the third one follows the exact same plot as the second one and I mean scene by scene close. Rich girl, step father, school auditorium scene, courtrooms, threesome. The only thing that made this movie worth anytime was the threesome. Perfect bodies on the girls that star in this film. Quite honestly I have no idea how they got anyone to agree to this project. It was horrible, It's amazing how many good shows get canceled but movies like this get made.

Average customer rating:

Average Bond
Connery's Last Hurrah to the Eon Bond Series.
Bond's Second Fall: Dull, Cheesy, and One of the Worst in the Series
Good morning! I was out walking my rat and I seem to have lost my way.
Dull. Boring. Bad. Stupid.

Diamonds are Forever
Starring: Sean Connery , Jill St. John , Charles Gray , Lana Wood , and Jimmy Dean
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

You Only Live Twice
From Russia With Love
Thunderball
Dr. No (Special Edition)
Goldfinger

ASIN: B00004W9C9
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Amazon.com

Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice (replaced by George Lazenby in the underrated and underperforming On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He's in fine form--cool but ruthless--in a sharp precredits sequence hunting the unkillable Blofeld (a suavely menacing Charles Gray in this incarnation), but the MacGuffin of a story (involving diamond smuggling, a superlaser on a satellite, and Blofeld's latest plot to rule the world ) is full of the groaning tongue-in-cheek gags that Roger Moore would make his signature. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a battle with a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game with a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Jill St. John is the brassy but not too bright American smuggler Tiffany Case, and country singer and pork sausage king Jimmy Dean costars as a reclusive billionaire with not-so-subtle parallels to Howard Hughes. Shirley Bassey belts out the memorable theme song, one of the series' best. Connery retired again after this one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 years later for a rival production company. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Average Bond.......2007-06-15

The last official Bond movie with Sean Connery in the leading role is a strange mixture of the best of Bond and some of the worst. For me it has very happy memories as it was the first James Bond film I saw at the cinema. The opening scenes in particular are very impressive on the big screen, and on rewatching again recently I could see why as a teenager I was so impressed by the film.

On the plus side it has Connery of course, who remains the best Bond. At the time of this film he was 41 and its still amazing to think he was replaced by Roger Moore who was 3 years older. Connery is fine in Diamonds are for ever, displaying the usual Bond dry sense of humour and playing the role with typical panache. Charles Gray as Blofeld also deserves a mention for his role.

However watching the film now its seems a little shallow, not very believeable (what Bond film is though?) and perhaps because we've seen so many Bond films over the years any sense of originality has been lost. Also after the terrific opening scenes the film gradually loses momentum with the escape in the moon buggy perhaps being the low point.

Seeing it in widescreen again is certainly good, and if you just let it wash over you its an OK way pass a couple of hours, but their are better Connery Bonds films than this to be bought first.

Connery's Last Hurrah to the Eon Bond Series........2007-04-01

After a one film hiatus, Sean Connery returned one last time to play super agent James Bond in the Eon Bond Series. Connery is back and in fine form as he tracks down some ruthless diamond smugglers out to hold the free world at ransom with a strange new secret weapon. Here is where the Bond series started it's campy 70's silliness, which mars this Bond effort down a notch. Even some of the action sequences fall flat in this one (especially the moon buggy bit). Only the Vegas car chase and the elevator fight stand out. Still "Plenty" to enjoy in this one. Jill St. John makes for a sardonic and sensuous love interest as Tiffany Case. One could have wished Natalie's kid sister Lana Wood had a bigger role as Plenty O'Toole, though. You Only Live Twice returnee Charles Gray is the least effective Blofeld in the series, but he has fun with it. Bruce Glover and Putter Smith are hilarious as the two gay assasins, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kid.

***1/2 out of *****

Bond's Second Fall: Dull, Cheesy, and One of the Worst in the Series.......2007-03-24

For better or worse, after the relative box-office slump of ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, producers Brocolli and Saltzman decided to woo Sean Connery back to do one more film for an amazing sum. Connery, who had said he would never do another Bond film, donated all of his money to his own foundation. While his performance is competent and smooth as ever, he seems all business. No longer in love with the character and having realized long before that the character was stagnant, Connery mechanically works his way through DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, an outright bore of the Bond series and, in my opinion, one of the worst (certainly Connery's worst). While some have tried to save the film by arguing that it is a parody of the Bond genre, it plainly isn't. It was an attempt to return Bond to his former glory days and generate profit for the producers. Far from trying to lampoon the Bond formula, the producers were trying to resuscitate it. And they failed.

After the opening "gun barrel" sequence, we quickly find Bond on a personal mission to kill Blofeld once and for all after the death of Bond's only true wife (discounting the false marriage in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. (At least, this is what we must assume, since no mention of the marriage is made in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER). Bond catches Blofeld in the process of producing clones for himself in an underground laboratory and, after a couple of struggles with both Blofeld and a duplicate, Bond drowns Blofeld in a vat of mud. It is a very short and quick opening teaser and immediately runs into the titles sequence. The titles involves various diamonds, slowly revealed to be various pieces jewelry worn by beautiful women, all set to the title song sung by Shirley Bassey (who also sang the GOLDFINGER title).

The plot of DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER is quite strange. In an opening similar to GOLDFINGER, we learn that large quantities of South African diamonds have been smuggled recently and yet, surprisingly, have not made their way to the market. Worried that the diamonds will be released in order to inflate the diamond market, Bond is sent in to infiltrate the smuggling operation, disguised as Peter Franks. Bond quickly succeeds, meeting up with Tiffany Case (Jill St. John), an attractive diamond smuggler who is suspicious of Bond's identity. Bond's mission is almost compromised from the start when the real Peter Franks makes an entrance, forcing Bond to fight him in a terrific elevator sequence that is reminiscent of the train fight in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. After a smuggling attempt goes awry (thanks to Bond), Bond is discovered and learns of the real purpose of the operation he is infiltrating. It turns out that Blofeld is behind it all (Bond killed only two duplicates in the opening teaser)! Blofeld has been smuggling diamonds to create a laser satellite that is capable of destroying anything on Earth. Blofeld has been hiding his operation by posing as recluse Willard Whyte (Jimmy Dean), whom he has secretly kidnapped unbeknownst to the world, and using Whyte's resources and industrial facilities to manufacture his powerful laser. Blofeld plans to destroy various nuclear installations in America, Russia, and China. The purpose? Blofeld is organizing an international auction, offering nuclear supremacy to the highest bidder! Will Bond be able to stop him in time?

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER feels like a film that was stitched together, rather poorly, from a myriad of interesting elements. One feels that the producers had a bunch of ideas on the cutting floor and attempted to piece them together into a logical story order. The infiltration of a smuggling ring, the wonderful fight sequence in the elevator, the quirky and gay hitmen Mr. Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith), a not-so-subtle rendition of the famous Las Vegas recluse Howard Hughes, a fight on an oil rig, et cetera. All of these elements are fairly interesting in their own right, but the combination doesn't yield what the producers were hoping for. What is it about this film that feels so ridiculous? One of the major problems, in my opinion, is situating Bond in Las Vegas. Bond in America is dull. His class, wit, and sophistication are only cheapened when placed in the cheesy context of Las Vegas in the 1970s. Bond is supposed to take us to exotic locations--not to a strip club. Furthermore, the action is not quite on par with the rest of the series. I think everyone will agree that the chase scene in which Bond escapes through the desert on a moon buggy is absurd. The chase is boring, the buggy looks ridiculous and prop-esque, and there is no suspense. The climactic fight on the oil rig is equally boring. Sure, we have a big set and big explosions. But there is no cutting edge stuff here.

Connery, as mentioned, looks very tired here. Tiffany Case is a bit refreshing, but quickly becomes dim-witted and dull. And the Bond girl with the clever name, Plenty O'Toole (Lana Wood) is only in the film for all of five minutes. Blofeld is now played by Charles Gray, who first made his appearance as Bond's Japan contact in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Gray's performance takes Blofeld back to the ridiculousness of YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, even appearing in drag at one point. There isn't much more to say. The acting is dead in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

Now, some have tried to defend DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER by claiming that the film is an outright attempt to make a parody of the Bond genre. After producing six Bond films, the producers were ready to lampoon their own creation and move Bond into the Roger Moore pun-fest the series would eventually become. While this certainly seems to create an outlet for the film, it seems plainly false. If you watch the "Making of" documentary on the Ultimate Edition, it is clear that everyone thought they were making a real Bond flick and not a parody. The producers were trying to bring the series back to its former glory days and to produce big box-office success. They were not trying to create a subtle piece that exposed the hilarious features of the Bond formula. Anyone claiming otherwise is just engaging in wishful thinking and rationalization. This film stinks. Let's get over it.

Ultimately, I think you should skip DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. The only reason to see it is if you are a completist about the series and desire to watch them in order. It is an awkward insert into the series during the transition between Sean Connery and Roger Moore. The Ultimate Edition does have crisp picture and sound. If you must struggle through the film, make sure to get this edition because it is at least watchable. But if you only desire to watch the better Bond films, skip it. Diamonds may be forever, but this film died a long time ago.

Good morning! I was out walking my rat and I seem to have lost my way........2007-02-01

Diamonds Are Forever could have been a great Bond, instead of merely an entertaining one. If Lazenby returned to face-off against Television Savalas as Blofeld once more then it would make a great double-bill with the surprisingly strong OHMSS. But instead we're stuck with Connery returning for one last film in his final appearance as 007 and Charles Gray (!!!) as Blofeld. A bit of a weird casting choice since Gray already played a completely different character in You Only Live Twice. He even has hair!

The story has Bond attempt to foil Blofeld's latest evil schemes by tracking bunch of conflict diamonds from Africa to Las Vegas. It turns out that Blofeld needs them to power an orbiting death-ray or whatever and obviously Bond can't allow that.

Despite this far-fetched plot, it does play down the usual eccentricities of the Bond franchise. There are no silly gadgets and no fancy cars. But their IS a very cool, red 1971 Ford Mustang. I always thought that a muscle car in a Bond movie would be an interesting edge and here Bond uses one to out-run the cops in Vegas' Fremont Street. A pretty cool scene. Another cool scene would be Bond's 'elevator trip' to Blofeld's penthouse office. A true moment of dangerous espionage indeed.

I don't like a couple of elements in DAF however. The two furiously gay hit men out to whack everyone who come into contact with the diamonds really got on my nerves and I found them a bit disturbing. I believe they were intended as un-PC comic-relief, but that's not how I took it. The character of Plenty O'Toole (a stupid, stupid name unless she's a pornstar) is totally pointless and scenes cut from the film make her final fate utterly senseless. The chopper attack on the oil rig is kind of lame too and Blofeld's fate isn't disclosed.

Never mind though, there's still Plenty O'Humor (sorry, I couldn't resist) and some good action to balance out its shortcomings. Trouble is, it only ends up being an above-average entry in the series. Keep a lookout for Captain Spaulding as one of the funeral home thugs.

The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound.

Dull. Boring. Bad. Stupid. .......2006-12-24

Wowwee! This is a real stinker of a Bond film. Everyone, and I mean everyone is phoning it in. From a bemused Sean Connery, who walks through each scene as if he were a robot to lame characters and flaccid floozies like Plenty O'Toole and the hair-change artist Tiffany Case, there is little to like in this film except for the campy humor.

Even the scenery is cheap. No great special tricks from Q, and dull shots of Las Vegas desert make you want to die of boredom. They even made Amsterdam look boring.

By the time Bond is whacked on the squash by a funeral urn, you wish someone would leap out of the screen and do you a similar favor. A long sleep is recommended before, during and after this film.

Yawn!!!!!!

National Geographic - Diamonds of War: Africa's Blood Diamonds

Average customer rating:

National Geographic - Diamonds of War: Africa's Blood Diamonds
Starring: National Geographic , and Blood Diamond
Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid
ProductGroup: DVD
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Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
National Geographic - Inside North Korea
The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
National Geographic: World's Most Dangerous Drug
China From the Inside

ASIN: B000MTEFXC
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Description

Long a symbol of love, affection and faithfulness, the diamond is now increasingly linked with war, blood and brutality. In the diamond-rich West African nation of Sierra Leone, rebels used the precious gems to bankroll a violent ten-year insurrection, leaving a terrorized population and a ravaged landscape in its wake. National Geographic correspondents follow the trail of illicit diamonds from their origin in the muddy pits of impoverished Sierra Leone, to the pristine cobblestone streets of Antwerp, Belgium, to their final stop in the glittering display cases of New York's finest jewelry stores.

Jungle Girls Pack (Golden Temple Amazons / Amazonia / Diamonds of Kilimandjaro)

Average customer rating:

Jiggle Girls, really, but the price is finally right for this junk...

Jungle Girls Pack (Golden Temple Amazons / Amazonia / Diamonds of Kilimandjaro)
Starring: Jungle Girls Pack
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
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Jungle Horrors Triple Feature
Hundra
Women in Fury
Gwendoline - Unrated Director's Cut (aka - The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak)
War Gods of Babylon & War Goddess

ASIN: B000HC2LP8
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

Diamonds Of Kilimandjaro An expedition consisting of members of a British family and an expert hunter penetrate deep into the jungles of darkest Africa. The team searches for treasure, and for Diana, an English girl who was lost in the jungles as a child. Diana is now a beautiful young woman who lives with a tribe of savage headhunters, the Mabutos. Sexy Katja Bienert stars as the naked goddess worshipped by the savage cannibals. Director Jess Franco takes the Tarzan concept and twists it into an amazing world of sex and cannibals. Golden Temple Amazons A tribe of Amazons is zealously guarding a mysterious fortress built on top of a gold mine. Uruck and his cruel, sadistic mistress Rena rule the tribe. Some 15 years ago an explorer discovered their golden temple, and the Amazons who were intent on protecting their secret slaughtered both him and his wife. However, their daughter, Liana, was spared and grew up in the jungle, raised by tribesmen. Now a beautiful girl, Liana (roaming the jungle half-naked) finds out the fate of her parents and sets out to avenge them. An entertaining film containing large amounts of nudity and sadism. Directed by Jess Franco. Amazonia Ten years after her ordeal in the jungles of the Amazon, Catherine narrates her grueling experience to a news reporter: At age 18, Catherine leaves her London prep school to be with her parents at their factory stationed in the Amazon Jungle. As the family enjoys a boat trip into the jungle, a tribe of headhunters ambushes them and her parents are killed. Catherine is then taken hostage by the tribe. Over the next few years, Catherine is forced to live by the tribe's barbaric rituals and savagery while always remembering who she is, where she comes from, and remaining "civilized". Until, that is, she finds out the truth concerning the murder of her parents.

Customer Reviews:

Jiggle Girls, really, but the price is finally right for this junk..........2007-03-02

With Shriek Show, connoisoeurs of eurotrash know its best to wait, because quite frankly, few of the titles in their catalogue are worth the single-disc asking price! BUT, as with their Post Apocalyptic Action Triple Feature Pack, their Psycho Killers Triple Feature Pack, their Jungle Horror Triple Feature Pack, their Martial Arts Triple Feature Pack and their Evil Animals Triple Feature Pack, their Zombie Triple Feature Pack, their Wicked Women Triple Feature Pack, and their Demons Triple Feature Pack, this newest edition, the JUNGLE GIRLS TRIPLE FEATURE PACK provides a cheap fix for those who absolutely must see some of the worst euro-junk from the 80's. And at about $6 a disc, these pieces of crap are finally WORTH the money, though you'll pay far less in certain retail chain stores. I found it for $12.99, which further justified a peek.

Up first is GOLDEN TEMPLE AMAZONS, a deathly dull Jess Franco piece filled to the brim with topless women who remain topless throughout to distract you from the utter bankruptcy of ingenuity and awfulness of the story, about a young topless jungle girl, raised by a black tribe, who grows up to take revenge on the nearby tribe of topless evil amazons who killed her parents when she was young. Coming as is did at a time when Franco movies had long since stopped being even remotely interesting (and trust me, most of this man's work isn't even remotely interesting, save for perhaps WANDA THE WICKED WARDEN), the whole thing feels like one lazy grab for what few dollars remained in the exploitation market at the time before being dumped internationally on video under any number of the usual retitlings. In fact, much of the film was directed by a Eurocine journeyman and it was largely edited by company men as well. Eva Leon proves she's still got it, at least from the neck down, as the leader of the Golden Temple Amazons, her wardobe consisting of an eyepatch, a vest and a teensy tiny g-string as she whips her minions and our heroine with gusto. The golden temple "set," such as it is (and probably the centrepiece of most of the scenes actually shot by Franco), is really just a cave with foreground miniatures of "golden" pillars and friggin' BIRDCAGE bars feebly tyring to telegraph some kind of scale. Oh, screw it, let's move on to...

AMAZONIA: THE CATHERINE MILLS STORY (aka Schiave Bianche: Violenza in Amazzonia). Probably the best of the bad bunch in this set, if only for the participation of famed mondo pioneer Franco Prosperi (Mondo Cane, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Africa Addios) who seems to have had an influence on director Mario Garrizzo, who directs this largely in the pseudo-documentary style of Prosperi and Jacopetti's earlier works. Hell, most of the cutaways in this (the shots of beautiful scenery and animals killing each other) look suspiciously like they were shot by the Mondo giants, for they frequently don't match the footage of the main story, . The rather haunting score feels familiar, too. That story, such as it is, is told in flashback by virginal schoolgirl Catherine Miles (Elvire Audray), on trial for the murder of two people. Turns out her parents were killed by a ruthless tribe (she says) during a picnic boat trip down the Amazon. Rescued by the benevolent lead hunter of the tribe, which is the typically nonsensical mix of Spaniards and Asians that seems to crop up in all of these damned things, she gradually learns their ways, and watches their graphic rituals, and spends virtually the entire film topless, and falls in love with her new guardian, all the while nurturing her plan for revenge against him and his people. The revelation of the killers' identities would have been a surprise had they not diappeared from the narrative DURING the crucial murder sequence because the filmmakers couldn't figure out a smart way to temporarily divert the audience's attention away from them, so they just vanish until the end of the film. Dialogue in this is minimal, and comes largely from the courtroom framing sequence, while the presence of a Mondo-style narrator at the beginning and end of the film (where we're supposedly shown footage of the "actual" Catherine Miles in jail, is another nod to Prosperi's roots.

Finally, we have DIAMONDS OF KILIMANDJARO, another slog through the jungle from Jess Franco starring Katia Bienert (EUGENIE) as the white jungle goddess sought out by a crew of hunters and relatives working for her mother, Franco regular Lina Romay, who doesn't just PLAY a bloated bedridden mess in this, but was actually starting to LOOK like one in real life, and she was only 29! But even in her brief scenes, she fares better than Bienert, who looks positively STONED--or stupid--throughout, swinging topless from vines she barely has the strength to hold on to. One would never believe that this stick of wood had been "acting" for three or four years by the time this came out! Her enemy in this is topless Black Jungle Goddess Aline Mess, a feral stunner who has planted Katia's WHITE, SCOTTISH uncle (complete with tam o'shanter hat and bagpipe theme music) on the tribal throne as part of her cunning plan to take revenge on the evil white men who have threatened her people. Relatively bloodless, but generous in the boobies department, but since it's a mid-80's Franco, everything is shot so matter-of-factly, and without one hint of sensuality, that you just stop carring after the second pair are paraded across the screen.

Extras on these discs are the photo galleries (on all three discs), original trailers for each film, plus several others (again, all three discs) and interviews with Eurocine honcho Daniel Lasouer (on GOLDEN TEMPLE and DIAMONDS, each about 12 minutes), both of which prove to be more enlightening--and more interesting--than either of the films they accompany.

Average customer rating:

Diamonds Are Forever
Starring: John Abineri , Ray Baker , Leonard Barr , David Bauer , and Ed Bishop
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Dr. No
You Only Live Twice
From Russia With Love
Live and Let Die
A View to a Kill

ASIN: B000RPCK0Q
Release Date: 2007-09-04

Andrzej Wajda - Three War Films (A Generation, Kanal, and Ashes & Diamonds) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

One Great movie-two very good movies
A nice box set by Criterion.
As bleak as the history they inhabit.
Brilliant War Trilogy - A Fight For Freedom!
Polish saying: "Sto Lat!" - "May you live a hundred years!"

Andrzej Wajda - Three War Films (A Generation, Kanal, and Ashes & Diamonds) - Criterion Collection
Starring: Teresa Izewska , Tadeusz Janczar , Wienczyslaw Glinski , Tadeusz Gwiazdowski , and Stanislaw Mikulski
Director: Andrzej Wajda
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007989ZW
Release Date: 2005-04-26

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Andrzej Wajda's first three features form a landmark in Polish cinema, and a monument of that great decade of European movies, the 1950s. Working mostly during a thaw in Soviet control over his homeland, Wajda and his collaborators created three films that looked back at the Second World War from the perspective of a new generation whose youth was defined by the catastrophe of Nazi occupation and Soviet control. The first film is titled A Generation (1955), as though to sum up the collective feeling. It's set in Warsaw in 1943, as young workers join the anti-Nazi resistance movement (including an attempt to help Jews escape from the ghetto). Shot in real locations, but with an expressionistic eye, A Generation is especially drawn to the ambiguous supporting character played by Tadeusz Janczar, a much more conflicted and modern character than the nominal hero. (Roman Polanski plays one of the fighters.)

Kanal (1957) tracks the final hours of the Warsaw Uprising, a rebellion by the Poles and their Home Army against the Germans. (The Russian army, parked on the other side of the Vistula River, allowed the Poles to be wiped out without interference.) First we meet the characters in a last stand at a bombed-out field of urban rubble, then follow them in a miserable escape through the dank, gas-filled sewers beneath the city. The desperation of final heroic acts, and Wajda's ingenuity in finding new ways to shoot in the sewer sets, keeps the film balanced in nerve-wracking suspense.

Set on the final day of World War II, Ashes and Diamonds explodes with mixed-up passion and anger, and with the deliberately James Dean-like performance of Polish icon Zbigniew Cybulski. Wadja expands his range here with a visual dynamism that includes a heady use of symbols and striking borrowings from Citizen Kane and film noir. The nervy, dark-spectacled Cybulski plays a Home Army member out to assassinate a Communist official, an assignment bungled in the opening sequence. So the job still needs completing, but the would-be assassin is diverted by a melancholy barmaid and the possibility of turning away from violence... but this is Poland, and wry fatalism prevails. The doomed national feeling is maintained in powerful fashion in these three movies--which are not, technically speaking, a trilogy, though they have always spiritually been of-a-piece.

Criterion assembled this DVD set with Wajda's approval, and he appears in illuminating half-hour interview segments on each disc (along with filmmaker Janusz Morgenstern and critic Jerzy Plazewski). Valuable production stills and posters, Wajda's film-school short "Ceramics from Ilza," and essays are included. Most importantly, the digital transfers themselves are perfectly stunning. --Robert Horton

Description

In 1999, Polish director Andrzej Wajda received an Honorary Academy Award(r) for his body of work-more than thirty-five feature films, beginning with A Generation in 1955. Wajda's second film, Kanal, the first ever made about the Warsaw uprising, secured him the Special Jury Prize at Cannes and started him on the path to international acclaim, secured with the releases of his masterpiece, Ashes and Diamonds in 1958. These three groundbreaking films ushered in the "Polish School" movement and later became known as the "War Trilogy." But each boldly stands on its own-a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the struggle for personal and national freedom, and Wajda's unique contribution to homeland and world cinema. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this director-approved edition, with new transfer of all three films and extensive interviews with the director and his colleagues.

Customer Reviews:

One Great movie-two very good movies.......2005-09-09

This set contains three of Wajda's movies in glorious black and white! Of the three, "Kanal" is probably one of the best movies ever made.
"A Generation"-a little heavy with communist propaganda--but no worse than many American movies with capitalist propaganda! A young man in occupied Poland finds himself drawn to the resistance. A kindly co-worker introduces him to Marxism and he is further drawn in by a pretty communist recruiter. Roman Polanski appears briefly as one of his fellow resistance members.
Not a great movie--but a very good one.
"Kanal"-a classic! The Warsaw uprising is being crushed--to survive-resistance fighters take to the sewers of Warsaw. From the introduction--which seems to have been heavily borrowed upon by Rod Serling for the Twilight Zone intros--to the end--where one man who has survived the ordeal returns to the sewers to look for his men--this movie is outstanding. The feeling of claustrophobia and the stench and grime of the "Kanal"--coupled with the "horror" of Nazi troops and their bullets, gas and grenades are all portrayed masterfully. For anyone who has no intere