Sylvia

Starring:Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Jared Harris, Blythe Danner, Michael Gambon, Amira Casar, Andrew Havill, Lucy Davenport, Liddy Holloway, David Birkin, Alison Bruce, Julian Firth, Jeremy Fowlds, Michael Mears, Anthony Strachan, Katherine Tozer, Sam Troughton, Hannah Watkins, Siobhan Page, Sarah Guyler
Director: Christine Jeffs
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Helen Mirren reigns supreme in The Queen, a witty and ingenious look at a moment that rocked the house of Windsor: the week that followed the sudden death of Princess Diana in 1997. Diana's death came at just the same time that Prime Minister Tony Blair (played by the bright Michael Sheen) was settling into his new government--and trying to figure out the delicate relationship between 10 Downing Street and Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren). A large portion of the British population was trying to figure out the Windsors that week, as Elizabeth remained stiff-upper-lip and largely mum about the death of the beloved princess. In Peter Morgan's skillful script, we watch as Blair grows increasingly impatient with the Royals, who are sequestered in their Scottish estate while the public demands some show of grief. Prince Philip (James Cromwell, in good form) clumsily decides to take Diana's sons hunting, while a sympathetically-treated Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) displays some frustration with his mother's eerie calm.

None of this conveys how funny the film is, or how deftly it flows from one scene to the next. Director Stephen Frears (Dirty Pretty Things) deserves great credit for that, and for the performances, and for the movie's marvelous sense of well-roundedness; you could see this movie and groan at the cluelessness of the Royals and their outmoded existence, or you might just sympathize with showing reserve in a world that values gross public displays of emotion. But either way, you'll marvel at Mirren, who makes the Queen far more alert and human than one might ever have imagined. --Robert Horton

Beyond The Queen

The British are Coming! Kings & Queens on DVD
Helen Mirren Essential DVDs
The Queen: Music From the Motion Picture by Alexandre Desplat

Stills from The Queen (click for larger image)

Description

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Actress, Dame Helen Mirren gives a spellbinding performance in THE QUEEN, the provocative story behind one of the most public tragedies of our time — the sudden death of Princess Diana. In the wake of Diana's death, the very private and tradition-bound Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren) finds herself in conflict with the new Prime Minister, the slickly modern and image-conscious Tony Blair. THE QUEEN, also starring Academy Award® Nominee James Cromwell (Best Supporting Actor, BABE, 1995), takes you inside the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government for a captivating look at a vulnerable human being in her darkest hour, as a nation grieving for its People's Princess waits to see what its leaders will do. Suspenseful, heartfelt and riveting, it's a fascinating story you won't soon forget.

Customer Reviews:

An Excellent Movie.......2007-07-05

For the performance she presented in The Queen, Helen Mirren absolutely deserved to win the Oscar for Best Actress as she did. She was convincing in one of the most difficult roles any British actress could be called upon to play, and it was also courageous of this former Bond girl, often noted in American memories for being cast as great beauties and occasional seductresses, to lose herself as completely as she did in the Queen's stately contained matronly presence. Also deserving of note is Michael Sheen's chameleon-like transformation into Tony Blair. Sheen should have gotten more acclaim than he received for the skill with which he brought a still-relevant political figure so deftly to the screen. James Cromwell was great as always as the cantankerous old tyrant Prince Phillip, and only the casting of Alex Jennings as the Prince of Wales puzzled me, as Jennings, though a sound actor, did not seem to fit the part as well as many others could have. The Queen was, I thought, a riveting take on events that remain fresh in the collective minds of people around the world, and it managed to disarm cynicism and capture a convincing account of what would ordinarily be the private moments of highly public figures. In my opinion The Queen was so much better than anything nominated against it as Best Picture at last year's Academy Awards that it represented in its loss in that category the greatest mistake in Academy voting since Shakespeare In Love displaced Saving Private Ryan to take home top honors. See this film. It's a work of cinematic art.

Must See.......2007-07-04

What can I say that hasn't been said about this wonderful film? I was surprised at how narrow it was in it's scope; no Fergie or Andrew, not much else but the immediate royal family and the Blairs. That's what makes it great--it's a glimpse into the tiny world that they live in every day. Even the princes were more "background" than characters. Loved the whole "hunting" metaphor and the emotional reaction of the Queen to the stag. Ironic. All performances are spectacular; I personally thought Blair's wife was hysterical. The real footage that was interdispersed throughout the film was wonderful and brought back so many memories. Sniff. You'll love this film.

Boring - not what I expected.......2007-07-03

Everyone seems to truly love this movie - I was bored to tears. Although it gave a nice overview of the events of the week of Diana's death and was very informative, I found the acting to be dreadfully boring and the direction was lacking. James Cromwell is one of my favorite actors and even his performance was abrupt and overall did not flow well. This movie could have been a million times better if it had a better director.

The Royals Side of the Death of Diana Saga.......2007-07-03

I think the movie is fair and reasonably balanced. with the exception of Helen Mirren and James Cromwell the rest of the film is horribly mi-cast. I remember in 1997 during " that week " wondering how the British people could turn on the Queen given Diana's antics from 1993-1997. My heart really went out for her when she had to come back to Buckingham Palace and read the silly notes left on flowers by people. After all her years of service from the age of 15 fixing British army trucks during the blitz during WWII to the hard resconstruction years after the war, devoting herself 24 hrs a day to the British people , what was going through her mind as she faced those crowds that day and had to hear their applause for making her come down from Balmoral I can only guess. I think what Tony Blair says about Diana & the Queen in this film was awesome, How could The Queen lead the world in mourning of a woman who threw everything she offered to her back in her face and in recent years has spent 24/7 trying to destroy all those things she holds dear ?. I think Christopher Hitchens documentary "Princess Diana: The Mourning After", hit the nail on the head. One thing I did not like about this movie was the way the Queen Mother was portrayed. Every Royal book written about her portrays her as 100% opposite the way this movie showed her. The producers of The Queen need to read some WWII history.

Great film, good performances, but not fully true to history.......2007-06-29

Love Helen Mirren, (and loved her as a younger Elizabeth I in the HBO 2-part series as well, look for it!)and all the cast is excellent as well. But after reading Tina Brown's Chronicles of Diana and YES I know its' a rehash of what we all "know" of those years and that particular soap opera, but the last chapters of the book after Diana's death, are fascinating in that they are the same time period shown in "the Queen". According to people who were there, servants, officials and the like, the emotional sense of how the family reacted toward the young princes, William and Harry, has none of the coldness and emotional "lets just get on with life" attitude implied in the film and in the review, top, which says "Prince Phillip clumsily tried to help by taking the boys hunting." (paraphrased). Well, these boys had spent their summer vacations riding and hunting at Balmoral all their lives, and this is what they thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn't something their stuffy old grandfather forced them to do. The book describes the entire Royal family rallying around the boys---Princess Anne, Charles' sister, brought her 20 yr old son and 16 yr old daughter, to help entertain their cousins, and she herself made a project of taking the very emotionally fragile Harry under her wing, and taking him riding and hiking out in the Balmoral hills alone. Charles pulled out family albums and spent time going over the past good times the family had had. Prince Phillip their grandfather, in particular, was very protective, showed "gruff tenderness" and did make sure they hunted,rode and kept active, as opposed to brooding and staying glued to the maudlin TV coverage. Actually, for the benefit of the boys, the Queen ordered all TVs and radios removed in the castle. The outdoors life is one the family is used to and enjoys. Those who criticised the Royals for having the boys there in Balmoral instead of exposing them to the hysterical crowds in London...well, I don't know which would give them more nightmares in years to come but I can guess. Also, other little tidbits in the book of that week were once when Prince Phillip came on the intercom when the decisions about the State funeral were being made and broke in, shouting, "those boys have just lost their mother...they are not a commodity..." Brown, the author quotes her source as saying "you could hear the voice of a real grandfather." Later, it was Prince Phillip, not Charles who talked the princes into walking in the moving spectacle of the royal men behind the cortege. He told the sobbing William, "If I walk, will you walk with me?" And during the long walk to the Cathedral, spoke quietly to the two boys of the famous sights they were passing, speaking softly the whole way there. All these vignettes, which would have made all the Royal more human, were left out of the film, good as it was, there was an agenda, that doesn't have to be spelled out. The Queen could admire a royal appearing stag, later shown beheaded...but her love and her husband's love for the grandsons was never shown, nor was the love of the whole family for the boys or for each other, despite all Diana had done to blacken the reputation of that family in the press. Not that they're perfect, just human.

Average customer rating:

Shirley Valentine
reality
So good to see again
Shirley Valentine
Great chick flick

Shirley Valentine
Starring: Pauline Collins , Tom Conti , Julia McKenzie , Alison Steadman , and Joanna Lumley
Director: Lewis Gilbert (II)
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Notes on a Scandal
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Music and Lyrics (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000MGBSIU
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.com

British actress Pauline Collins repeats her stage success as the character Shirley Valentine, a married woman who decides in her middle years that she wants more out of life. Leaving her spouse behind, she heads to Greece, where she grows close to a low-key, local bloke (Tom Conti). Collins and director Lewis Gilbert (Educating Rita) choose to let the character, as she did in the play, speak directly to the audience at times, and the gamble works in terms of creating a gentle, intimate atmosphere. Conti is a bonus, a warm presence and funny to boot. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Shirley Valentine (click for larger image)

Product Description

In the role that won her Broadway's acclaimed Tony Award, Pauline Collins is the hilariously endearing Shirley Valentine, a wisecracking, completely unpredictable English housewife who proves it's never too late to recapture your dreams. Bored with her suburban life, Shirley takes a chance on adventure when a friend invites her on a vacation to Greece. Within no time she's back to her rebellious teenage roots, saying yes to a wild fling with a handsome rogue (Tom Conti) and the life she's always wanted.

Customer Reviews:

Shirley Valentine.......2007-07-05

I forgot how good this movie is and the meaning of keeping your identity throughout your life. Even though you are married and have a family.

reality.......2007-07-01

I first saw this movie in 1989 - there is something for most women who have become less than themselves by taking care of everyone except themself. You can identify with the husband/wife , girlfriends and mother/child relationships. So if you need to get away - even though it is through Shirley - do it. This is a wonderful story of a 40'ish English woman who finds herself again - and has a good time on the way. I am so glad it is finally out in DVD - I have been looking for it for years.
I have to honestly say that this is my favorite movie!

So good to see again.......2007-07-01

Watch this movie any time you feel sad for a real pick me up--I laughed till I cried!!!!

Shirley Valentine.......2007-06-27

This movie is a wonderful suprise. It's about women who have lost their identity. We are someone's mother and someone's wife, but what happened to us, our hopes, our dreams. Shirley Valentine is about a woman who takes a chance by traveling to another country and discovering herself along the way.
The movie is funny with lots of British humor, the characters are people you know and it shows the Shirley she was, the Shirley she is and the Shirley she wants to be. It's a must have for any woman over 35 who feels old, dreams of running away from everyday life, work, children and what to fix for dinner again. I've bought multi copies for women in my family and friends.

Great chick flick.......2007-06-27

This great old movie is one that all women past the age of 40 can relate to and share together. I watched it with my 87 year old mother and she liked it as much as I did. My good friends recommended it to me and I plan to pass it on to others.

Average customer rating:

Stone Cold
Stone Cold w/ Tom Selleck
Great little made for TV thriller starring Tom Selleck and Mimi Rogers!!!
Very Pleased, Except
TOM SELLECK - EXCELLENT FILM

Stone Cold
Starring: Tom Selleck , Mimi Rogers , Jane Adams (II) , Reg Rogers , and Viola Davis
Director: Robert Harmon
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Jesse Stone - Night Passage
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ASIN: B0009FU0ZQ
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Description

Tom Selleck is Jesse Stone, a former L.A. homicide detective who left behind the big city and an ex-wife to become the police chief of the quiet New England fishing town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Stone's old habits die hard as he continues to indulge in his two favorite things - scotch and women. When a series of murders take place, and a high school girl is raped, he's forced to face his own demons in order to solve the crimes.

Customer Reviews:

Stone Cold.......2007-06-27

My wife really loves Tom Selleck, so we really liked the movie. We ordered the other two in the series and are waiting for the forth one to come out on DVD. When it does, you can be sure that we will order it.

Stone Cold w/ Tom Selleck.......2007-06-27

This movie is well done and has a good story. IF you like the Spenser series and others by this author, you will enjoy the mystery plot. Tom Selleck has enhanced a good story, and plays the part of Sheriff Stone as one would imagine in reading the story.

Great little made for TV thriller starring Tom Selleck and Mimi Rogers!!!.......2007-05-24

This is a great little made for TV thriller starring Tom Selleck(Magnum P.I.)and Mimi Rogers(Austin Powers)!!! A modern day film noir thriller!!! Even though this is a made for TV movie,it has solid production values!!! A great little gem from beginning to end!!! Recommended for fans of thriilers and Tom Selleck!!! Five stars!!! A+

Very Pleased, Except.......2007-05-17

This is avery good and typical job of all Tom Selick's movies. He is one of the best. Could have done without the sex scenes. Would have made it an even better movie.

TOM SELLECK - EXCELLENT FILM.......2007-02-09

I agree whole heartedly with all the favourable comments. I really do hope they make more of these books and from viewing the special features on this dvd Mr. Selleck says that they have the go ahead to do more. Very good story - excellent acting throughout so please don't make us wait too long before film 2.

WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete First Season

Average customer rating:

Still very good
In the words of Dr. Johnny Fever.....
WKRP - good even without the right music
DO NOT BUY IT!!! WASTE OF MONEY. DISGUSTING.
HOW???

WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete First Season
Starring: Sylvia Sidney
Director: Dolores Ferraro , Nicholas Stamos , Gordon Jump , Hugh Wilson , and George Gaynes
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Wild Wild West - The Complete Second Season
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ASIN: B000MXPE6U
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

One of DVD's most requested titles, WKRP in Cincinnati is a blast from the past and an absolutely golden oldie. But this first-season set is bound to cause static with fans who have eagerly anticipated its release. Because of pesky music rights, the songs don't remain the same. "Hot Blooded" is not playing when mild-mannered newsman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) puts on a toupee in anticipation of an awards-dinner date with bombshell station receptionist Jennifer (Loni Anderson). It's "Beautiful Dreamer" and not "Fly Me to the Moon" that chimes when Jennifer's doorbell is sounded. Any number of generic songs have replaced the contemporary and classic rock so vital to WKRP, which is, after all, set at a radio station, albeit one that is best known for its farm reports. Enter Andy Travis (Gary Sandy), the new program director charged with turning the station around, beginning with changing the format to rock & roll. Andy, the series anchor, is something of the head guard at a nut farm. In seasons to come, he will wonder if he is one of the nuts, which include: "Big Man," Mr. Carlson (Gordon Jump), who is easily flustered, especially by his formidable mother, the station owner; polyester-clad sales director, Herb Tarleck (Frank Bonner), hopelessly old school and on the make for "Jenni-poo"; and morning DJ, Johnny Caravella (Howard Hesseman), a former "boss jock" now reduced to playing "You're Having My Baby" by the Hallelujah Tabernacle Choir. Also on staff is Bailey (Jan Smithers), Mary-Ann to Jennifer's Ginger, and who lacks the confidence to assert herself at the station; and Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid), whom Andy hires to be the nighttime DJ. It's a seamless ensemble of likable characters on par with The Mary Tyler Moore Show's WJM news team. WKRP is one of those rare series that hit its irresistible groove from the get-go. Hesseman sounds all the right notes as Johnny, reborn as Dr. Johnny Fever (ranked no. 73 on the Bravo "100 Greatest TV Characters" chart).

As the season unfolds, the hits just keep on comin', including the classic "Turkeys Away," about a Thanksgiving stunt that goes hilariously awry ("As God is my witness," Mr. Carlson insists, "I thought turkeys could fly"), the "Goodbye Johnny" two-parter in which the (briefly) departed Johnny's replacement is involved in payola (resulting in Mr. Carlson mistaking cocaine for foot powder), and "Never Leave Me, Lucille," in which Jennifer desperately tries to reunite Herb with his wife. Purists may balk at the replaced songs, but the sharp writing and performances provide WKRP's real music. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Still very good.......2007-07-05

Okay, it doesn't have the original music but it is still funny and the best sitcom ever. Seinfeld was great but this is just funny stuff. Buy and I can't wait until the other seasons are available

In the words of Dr. Johnny Fever............2007-07-03

"Booger"!! I guess I'll write this DVD off. It doesn't sound worth while at all. What a shame.

WKRP - good even without the right music.......2007-07-03

This is still a great collection, even though the greedy record companies missed a chance for free advertising by asking exorbitant prices to use the original music. It's a shame, because the music of the era is a part of the show. However, the comic timing and great acting still make it a worthwhile purchase. If it had the original music, it would be 5 stars!

DO NOT BUY IT!!! WASTE OF MONEY. DISGUSTING........2007-07-03

I Love WKRP, but this is a waste of money. So many scenes are edited, you miss punchlines, you miss parts of storylines. Music is thrown right out the window, with elevator rock. You miss intro's to songs because they had to replace music. Listen, I love WKRP, but this was such a HUGE WASTE OF MONEY. They really screwed up with this one. I hope they realize this and fix it and get it out the right way. I hope that the sales sucked so bad that they either have no choice to do it right or they won't bother to release the other seasons. Why bother? If you are not going to do it right, don't do it at all. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. It is a joke how bad this is.

HOW???.......2007-06-28

HOW CAN YOU CALL THIS THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON WHEN SCENES ARE CUT AND MUSIC IS CHANGED?!?!? IT IS NOT THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Version
Just Great!!!
A good Emma adaptation
j. austen lover
Keeps getting better with each viewing!

Emma (A&E, 1997)
Starring: Kate Beckinsale , Bernard Hepton , Mark Strong (II) , Samantha Bond , and James Hazeldine
Director: Diarmuid Lawrence
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Persuasion (1995)
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Mansfield Park (1999)
Emma (1996)

ASIN: 0767020308
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Product Description

From the greatest romantic novelist of all time comes a delightfully wicked comedy of love and matchmaking. Jane Austen's sly and vivacious heroines have enchanted readers for more than 200 years. Now, for the first time on DVD, this acclaimed production from the creators of A&E s bestselling PRIDE AND PREJUDICE brings to life one of the most fascinating Austen characters of all -- the charming and mischievous Emma Woodhouse.Starring Kate Beckinsale (The Last Days Of Disco), EMMA is the story of a rich, clever and beautiful young woman who can't resist orchestrating other people's love lives. As her romantic plans go ridiculously wrong, however, it's Emma herself who risks missing out on her perfect match! Join A&E for a wry visit to the drawing rooms and country manors of 19th century England -- a visit to the enchanting world of Jane Austen's EMMA now in the crystal clear digital clarity of DVD.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Similar to the equally excellent Valmont, this version of Jane Austen's classic novel had the misfortune of following a sumptuous big-star version with Gwyneth Paltrow, which was released the summer before. And, just as 1989's Valmont suffered comparisons with Dangerous Liaisons, inevitably these Emmas were held up next to one another.

This delicious Emma concerns a young woman of financial substance (Kate Beckinsale), who fancies herself a matchmaker, especially with shy Miss Harriet Smith (Samantha Morton, who also appears in A&E's Jane Eyre). In Emma's swirling world of social activity and social consciousness, one's position and stature is a constant preoccupation. But to her credit, Emma, albeit a busybody, has compassion for all classes, and for her kindly but hypochondriacal father (Bernard Hepton).

This miniseries is more subtle than the grand theatrical release, is truer to the novel, and gives a richer explanation of the relationship between Emma associates Jane Fairfax (beautiful Olivia Williams of Rushmore) and the duplicitous Frank Churchill (Raymond Coulthard). Of course, at the center, as in all Austen stories, is the romance between the unsuspecting leading lady and an unlikely, but wholly suitable gentleman. In this case, it's Emma and her brother-in-law, the righteous (as played here) Mr. Knightley (Mark Strong). Strong's Mr. Knightley is more reserved, less coy than Jeremy Northam's; he plays Knightley more like Mr. Darcy (the leading man in Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which A&E also offers in a wonderful miniseries). Beckinsale proves to be utterly delightful and in no way should this excellent adaptation be ignored. --N.F. Mendoza

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Version.......2007-06-19

This is my favorite of the Emma movies. Emma, though meddlesome, is so endearing and forgiveable in this version. I think A&E in general does a great job of adapting beloved novels to the small screen. They have also done well with the Hercule Poirot mysteries. In the same way they treated Agatha Christie's words with care, they have done the same for Jane Austen. The supporting characters are all well-done in this movie too. The scenery and costuming is colorful and superb. I am pleased I purchased this, and I am not at all disappointed in the way this story has been presented. This is a terrific version of a great novel.

Just Great!!!.......2007-06-08

This was a watch over and over friendly adaptation of Emma and captured the book very, very well!! In fact, my whole family found it witty, sweet, well adapted. It is colorful and fulfilling. I will be sure to put it next to my favorite Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and watch it again often.

A good Emma adaptation.......2007-05-24

This is relatively true to the book, much moreso than the Paltrow version. However, like the book, it may be a bit heavy for some viewers. They won't, for example, see Mr. Knightley as a romantic hero. The acting is good, and the story is great. It's a wonderful way to introduce someone to this work, by Ms. Austen, and would be wonderfully paired with something like Clueless, so that one can see how the story transcends time.

(*)>

j. austen lover.......2007-05-18

I was very impressed with this BBC version of the Jane Austen classic. The movie arrived in excellent condition and I was very happy with the price as well. I intend on ordering more movies from Amazon in the future.

Keeps getting better with each viewing!.......2007-04-05

I have watched three adaptations of Emma: the 1972 BBC adaptation, the 1996 Hollywood version, and the 1997 A&E production. Of the three, the 1997 adaptation starring Kate Beckinsale in the title role is my favorite of all time. Kate Beckinsale's Emma is vivacious, witty, and charmingly infuriating all at the same time. As the main character she breathes life into Jane Austen's most lovable heroine. The 1972 BBC version had Goran Godwin play Emma Woodhouse, and though it was the most faithful adaptation of Ms Austen's work, the title character appeared too old to play Emma, lacked the vibrancy that was Emma Woodhouse, and appeared cold at times. The 1996 version with Gwyneth Paltrow, although not fully faithful to the novel [due to time constraints] had a fairly lovable Emma [though Gwyneth's attempts at an English accent left much to be desired]...the Hollywood version was entertaining though as it had a stellar cast in Jeremy Northam as the dashing Mr Knightley, Alan Cumming as the loathsome vicar, and even Ewan McGregor...BUT, my favorite version is still this 1997 A&E adaptation as Kate Beckinsale[a true English rose] truly plays Emma Woodhouse to perfection!

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Film
Freeman and Tandy are just dandy!!
Two of the best stars in Hollywood!!
One of my faves
Get your kleenex!

Driving Miss Daisy (Special Edition)
Starring: Morgan Freeman , Jessica Tandy , Dan Aykroyd , Patti LuPone , and Esther Rolle
Director: Bruce Beresford
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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ASIN: B000087F7D
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com essential video

Winner of the Academy Award for best picture of 1989, this gracefully moving drama, adapted from the hit play by Alfred Uhry, chronicles the 25-year friendship between a stubborn, aging Southern widow (Jessica Tandy) and her loyal chauffeur (Morgan Freeman). At first, the self-sufficient Miss Daisy is reluctant to accept the services of a chauffeur, but Hoke is quiet, wise, and tolerant, and as the years pass the unlikely friends develop a deep mutual respect and admiration. Tandy deservedly won the Oscar for her sassy and sensitive performance, and Freeman earned an Oscar nomination for bringing quiet depth and integrity to his memorable role. Ironically, director Bruce Beresford (Tender Mercies) was not nominated, but the film won Oscars for makeup and for Uhry's screenplay, in addition to a supporting actor nomination for Dan Aykroyd as Daisy's supportive son. Delicate, funny, and bittersweet, Driving Miss Daisy was a surprise hit when released, and marked the crowning achievement of Tandy's great career. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Four Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture! The funny, tender story of a feisty Southern lady and her chauffeur, fueled by the starpower of Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman and Dan Aykroyd.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Film.......2007-05-04

Despite winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and holding a spot in the hearts of many moviegoers, "Driving Miss Daisy" is rarely considered a masterpiece by the average film critic.
Maybe it's because, since the films release, we've seen too many of these heartwarming films or that the film has been parodied endlessly. Whatever the case is, "Driving Miss Daisy" is a masterpiece and a very uplifting film. Jessica Tandy (who won an Oscar for the role) plays Miss Daisy, a stubborn old woman that is no longer allowed to drive after forgetting to push down on the brake. Her son, Boolie (Dan Aykroyd) hires a chauffeur for his resistant mother but she claims she doesn't need one, saying it's the cars fault for her accident. Problem is, her chauffeur is Hoke (Morgan Freeman, in one of his most beloved roles) who refuses to give in. From the beginning of the film, we love Hoke and despise Miss Daisy for being so rude to him. By the end of the film, we still love Hoke and have found ourselves falling in love with Miss Daisy. The final scene(s) of the film are the most touching and brilliantly written. It's one of the final scenes ("You're my best friend, Hoke") that is one of the most endlessly parodied. What I don't get it is that one of the most parodied films of all time ("The Godfather") still is considered a masterpiece. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting this film in the same league with "The Godfather" but I think this film does deserve more recognition. Tandy and Freeman are just wonderful, as is Aykroyd in one of his most memorable roles (keep in mind, this is a man whose recent acting roles include a role in the Britney Spears-vehicle "Crossroads"). As I said, this film receives little to no critical accolades but I think that more people will remember this film over a period of time than say "Yankee Doodle Dandy." If you miss "Driving Miss Daisy" you'll miss a film that was, at one point, justifiably, called "an American masterpiece." And you wouldn't want to miss that kind of movie, would you?

GRADE: A-

Freeman and Tandy are just dandy!!.......2007-04-23

Driving Miss Daisy is a film that works thanks in part to the two stars, Morgan Freeman and Jessican Tandy. Their chemistry is superb in this story about an African American chauffeur and a Jewish woman from the south. Their relationship grows in this classic movie. Dan Aykroyd also is first rate in this film and a far cry from his humorous movies in the past. All in all I was satisfied with the performances in this movie!!

Two of the best stars in Hollywood!!.......2007-04-11

A classic to treasure forever. Outstanding performances by M. Freeman, and J. Tandy and of course D. Akroyd!!
Loved how it was brought thru the years, and addressing issues of the times so well. A heartfelt story!!

One of my faves.......2007-03-25

This is just a gem of a movie. Great Saturday afternoon film.

Get your kleenex!.......2007-03-15

I have seen this movie more than 10 times... I got tired of renting it! Now I can watch it any time... as long as I have a box of kleenex... Great movie! Best performance for the main actors! Just have to have it home!

Average customer rating:

Wave That Flag
Would be worth the price of admission only for Joplin's performing of Tell Your Mama...
I wish I was there.
Festival Express is a rocking good time
Festival Express

Festival Express
Starring: Janis Joplin , The Grateful Dead , Janis Joplin & The Full Tilt Boogie Band , The Band , and Buddy Guy
Director: Bob Smeaton
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B000305ZDO
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Amazon.com

The vintage concert footage alone makes Festival Express a memorable and worthwhile endeavor, offering scintillating performances by Janis Joplin, the Band (their rollicking version of "Slippin' and Slidin'" is particularly mind-blowing), the Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, and others (remember Mashmakhan?). In 1970, during the heyday of the rock festival, promoter Ken Walker decided to organize a traveling musical revue, bringing the mountain to Mohammed, as it were. In five days' time, the festival played in three Canadian cities with the entire conglomeration traveling, playing, and getting smashed together the whole way. Nearly as rewarding as the live performances are the candid scenes of the train ride itself, an endless jam session and party during which musicians of all shapes and sizes let their hair down--musically and otherwise. The contemporary interviews with Walker and some of the surviving musicians aren't particularly noteworthy, except as a way to prove that it all actually happened. Walker comes off as a hero in the film: he treated the musicians like royalty and insisted that the train roll on even though he was losing his shirt. (His financial failure is a large reason why this material stayed in the vaults for so long.) Perhaps the most remarkable scene is an off-the-cuff, LSD-fueled train jam featuring Joplin, the Band's Rick Danko, and the Dead's Jerry Garcia playing the old chestnut "Ain't No More Cane." Danko is so obliterated that even Janis has to ask him if he's OK--when Janis is worried about your state of mind, you must be pretty messed up. --Marc Greilsamer

Description

Festival Express is a rousing record of a little-known, but monumental, moment in rock n' roll history, starring such music legends as Janis Joplin, The Band, and the Grateful Dead. Set in 1970, Festival Express was a multi-band, multi-day extravaganza that captured the spirit and imagination of a generation and a nation. What made it unique was that it was portable; for five days, the bands and performers lived, slept, rehearsed and did countless unmentionable things aboard a customized train that traveled from Toronto, to Calgary, to Winnipeg, with each stop culminating in a mega-concert. The entire experience, both off-stage and on, was filmed but the extensive footage remained locked away -- until now. A momentous achievement in rock film archeology, Festival Express combines this long-lost material with contemporary interviews nearly 35 years after it was first filmed.

DVD Features:
DVD ROM Features
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Wave That Flag.......2007-07-03

The Fourth of July always puts me in the mood for a little Grateful Dead. To me they are the quintessential American band. It certainly fits musically, with their music drawing from the blues, country, bluegrass, and gospel, in addition to other streams of Americana. But, even more so, their collective personality was classic American, in lots of positive ways and plenty of negative ones too. They were fun, energetic, creative, exploratory, and generous, yet hypocritical, arrogant, fat, lazy, and ultimately self-indulgent to the point of self-destruction. They were dreamy idealists while at the same time the most crass of capitalists. And just in case the connection was too subtle for the heads, the Avuncular Jerry Garcia would croon it out on "U.S. Blues:" "I'm Uncle Sam,/ That's who I am/ Been hidin' out/ In a rock n' roll band."

You aren't going to catch a Dead show anymore, at least not the real deal, but Festival Express is a nice little treat to catch a little bit of contact vibe. I hadn't heard about this until recently, but apparently there was a traveling festival in 1970 including the Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, Janis Joplin, and the Band. The concert footage is worth watching but even more amazing are the scenes from the train, traveling from town to town, with musicians completely inebriated and jamming non-stop in various combinations. It's worth it just to see a relatively young Jerry Garcia and a relatively old Janis Joplin sitting intimately and just making music. The movie also comes with a villain- though he is packaged as the hero- rock promoter Ken Walker. Hunched over, wringing his hands like Mike Myers playing Dr. Evil, and even with an old-fashioned handlebar mustache just to complete the malevolent ambience. He tells us over and over again how he saved the day in various venues. Threatening anyone in his path, punching out some Canadian mayor in the face, brandishing a gun to make his point, that kind of thing. He takes great pride in what we come to learn was a gigantic failure, but the movie would be less entertaining without this character.

Anyway, it is fun ride, you'll wish you could have been there. I recommend it as part of your Fourth of July festivities. Never mind that the entire film takes place in Canada. Some of the best of America is actually Canadian. This is nothing new, don't over-think it. It's just a good time.

Would be worth the price of admission only for Joplin's performing of Tell Your Mama..........2007-06-15

...which blows everything else out of the water (probably even including most of the numbers from the Woodstock film!): breathtaking, galloping, electrifying, moving, tight... words that barely convey the musical experience! ...And I was not even a fan before watching and hearing this number!!

I cannot really add anything much to the other positive reviews, which are more knowledgegable than mine in film making and rock music history, but to join in in the praise of this experience, one of the very best rock documentaries I ever saw... Beautifully shot... Beautifully mixed (Eddie Kramer!)... Edits of interviews NOT intruding with the stage performances... If you enjoy early 70s country- and blues-rock and also documentaries on important pieces of history in the making, just ignore the idiotic, irrelevant box front graphics (well, save maybe that this IS a double DVD set...), and hurry up to catch the "Festival Express"!

I wish I was there........2007-05-13

This is one of the most intertaining music DVDs I've got. If you like any of the artist appearing on the DVD buy it.

Festival Express is a rocking good time.......2007-04-26

I, for one, am very glad that some documentarians decided to take this decades-old footage off the shelves and cut it together. Festival Express takes the viewer on the train ride of a lifetime with Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Band, Buddy Guy, and many other musical acts that I am not as familiar with because I was born in 1983...

Anyway, the behind the scenes footage of these great musicians partying and making music together for a week as they ride across Canada and stop in various places to put on concerts is amazing, as is the concert footage itself.

The real story on display here is the difference between what the public saw as a catastrophic monetary failure, and what the artists saw as one of the greatest tours of their lives. Protesters in each city the tour stopped at were demanding to be let in for free, which slowed ticket sales and made the tour a huge money loss for the producers. But instead of throwing in the towell, they decided to keep the train going and see the thing through. Almost 40 years later, I'm glad they did.

The extensive extras include live coverage of many more performances not included in the actual film. This DVD is gold if you like any of these performances, and really even if you've never heard of them.

Festival Express.......2007-04-11

I haven't played both DVD's. I thought I was ordering a CD of the music only. It wasn't what I wanted.

Average customer rating:

Brings back memories!
Typical Eighties teen comedy
THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE!!!
Teen madness
If you love Phoebe Cates...

Private School
Starring: Phoebe Cates , Betsy Russell , Matthew Modine , Michael Zorek , and Fran Ryan
Director: Noel Black
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00049QJBG
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Amazon.com

Take Animal House, throw in a dose of television's Bosom Buddies and you get the Phoebe Cates/Matthew Modine sex farce Private School. The 1983 film was shot one year after Cates won fame in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (thanks primarily to her little red bikini), and two years before Modine won rave reviews for his work in Vision Quest. While neither star gives a stellar performance in Private School, both are appealing and likeable, even with the ridiculous premise. Chris (Cates) attends an all-girls private school, while horndog Jim (Modine) matriculates at the nearby all-boys school. In order to get close to her, Jim and his friend dress up like girls and befriend Chris and her hot posse. When Chris' sexy rival Jordan (Betsy Russell) tries to woo Jim away by riding a horse, Lady Godiva style, the stage is set for a catfight. Throw in a guest appearance by Sylvia Kristel of Emmanuelle fame and double entendres abound. The soundtrack is full of songs by '80s staples such as Rick Springfield, Vanity Six, and Bow Wow Wow, whose "I Want Candy" is played throughout a peeping shower scene. Though cheesy and intended for teenage boys, the film has an almost innocent charm compared to some of the current fare in theaters. --Jae-Ha Kim

Description

Private School is where kids leave parents behind, and learn what growing up is really about. It's a romantic comedy from the same people who brought you the hilarious Private Lessons. Starring Phoebe Cates, with a special appearance by sensuous Sylvia Kristel as the sex education teacher whose classes are the best attended on campus. Chris Ramsay (Cates) and Jim Green (Matthew Modine) are experiencing the joys and pains of first love. She goes to the Cherryvale Academy-he attends nearby Freemount. When Chris gets a rival for Jim's affections, it sparks off a battle royale of zany pranks that turn both schools upside down with laughter. Private School features a soundtrack of hits from artists like the Stray Cats, Vanity Six, Bow-Wow-Wow and Rick Springfield.

Customer Reviews:

Brings back memories!.......2007-05-30

I received this DVD last night and ordered it because of Phoebe Cates, who I am still in love with! She is such a beautiful woman!

This movie is typical 80's fare, guys chasing women and trying to get some any way they can! That pretty much was a reflection of my own thinking at that time and loved these movies when they came out. Of course, throw in Phoebe Cates and potential skin shots, and I am there!

Realistically, its not that great of a movie, unless you love Phoebe! That's pretty much the only reason I bought this movie!

PS the sound is in MONO! I forgot that few movies were in stereo at that time!

Typical Eighties teen comedy.......2007-05-21

I gave this three stars because it is a typical eighties teen comedy whose most redeeming features are its female cast. The scene with Betsy Russell riding a horse though, is a scene not to be missed.

THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE!!!.......2007-05-07

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER. IT'S ALL ABOUT COLLEGE SEX! GUYS WILL BE GUYS WHEN IT COMES TO SEX! SOME WILL LIE ABOUT WHO THEY HAVE DONE IT WITH JUST TO MAKE THEMSELVES LOOK LIKE STUDS AND OTHERS JUST DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT! A BIG BUSTED GIRL TRIES TO BREAK A COUPLE WHO ARE REALLY IN LOVE UP AND MORE HILARIOUS SCENES THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF! I LOVE IT!

Teen madness.......2007-04-11

I found this an amusing movie starring Phoebe Cates. If you like the antics of teenage girls and boys and a weird parent, you might enjoy this movie.

If you love Phoebe Cates..........2007-04-06

...then you will love this movie. I saw this movie when I was a young boy of like 12 or 13 and I've loved it ever sine. I fell in love with Phoebe Cates from this movie and have followed her career from this to Fast Times to the TV Movie, Baby Sister, to Gremlins and to Lace I and Lace II. It's a shame she retired from the business. Thoug she did act in The Anniversary Party with her best friend, Jennifer Jason Leigh and her husband, Kevin Kline and her 2 children Owen and Greta.
So, Private School wasn't a great movie, but it was fun and funny and will always hold a special place in my heart. This along with Zapped and Screwballs (a bad Porky's rip-off) will always hold dear and true to my heart.
Plus, Phoebe Cates sings 2 songs in this movie that are on the Soundtrack, which is hard to find.
All in all, this is a fun movie with lots of gratuitous nudity of young women and Betsy Russell as Jordan almost steals the show, with her bare backing horse scene. Also, for a young Matthew Modine, looking really fine.

Average customer rating:

Midnight Cowboy
Oddly touching
Texas meets New York on a crash collision course!!!
My favorite movie
Dustin collection

Midnight Cowboy
Starring: Dustin Hoffman , Jon Voight , Sylvia Miles , John McGiver , and Brenda Vaccaro
Director: John Schlesinger
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0792833287
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Amazon.com

The first, and only, X-rated film to win a best picture Academy Award, John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy seems a lot less daring today (and has been reclassified as an R), but remains a fascinating time capsule of late-1960s sexual decadence in mainstream American cinema. In a career-making performance, Jon Voight plays Joe Buck, a naive Texas dishwasher who goes to the big city (New York) to make his fortune as a sexual hustler. Although enthusiastic about selling himself to rich ladies for stud services, he quickly finds it hard to make a living and eventually crashes in a seedy dump with a crippled petty thief named Ratzo Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman, doing one of his more effective "stupid acting tricks," with a limp and a high-pitch rasp of a voice). Schlesinger's quick-cut, semi-psychedelic style has dated severely, as has his ruthlessly cynical approach to almost everybody but the lead characters. But at its heart the movie is a sad tale of friendship between a couple of losers lost in the big city, and with an ending no studio would approve today. It's a bit like an urban Of Mice and Men, but where both guys are Lenny. --Jim Emerson

Description

Daring. Provocative. Shocking. Compelling. Nearly thirty years after its original release, "Midnight Cowboy is still heartbreakingand timeless" (The New York Observer). This Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay also boasts OscarÂ(r)-nominated** performances by Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, neither of whom have "ever been better on screen than they are here" (Chicago Tribune)! When Joe Buck (Voight), a good-looking,naively charming Texas "cowboy" makes his way to the Big Apple to seek his fortune, the only wealthhe finds is in the friendship of Ratso Rizzo (Hoffman), a scrounging, sleazy, small-time con man with big dreams. Living on the tattered fringe of society, these two outcasts develop an unlikely bond one that transcends their broken dreams and get-rich-quick schemes and makes Midnight Cowboy "that rarest of things: [a film] every bit as moving now as it was when it was [first] released" (Premiere). *1969 **1969: Actor

Customer Reviews:

Midnight Cowboy.......2007-06-28

Two years after "The Graduate," Hoffmann transformed himself into an ailing derelict in director Schlesinger's dark, intense "Midnight Cowboy." A story of friendship born of desperation in Manhattan's grimy underbelly, "Cowboy" was at the vanguard of a new kind of Hollywood movie in the late '60s--gritty, complex, and unidealized. Despite an initial "X" rating, the film won Oscars for best picture, director, and screenplay, and both Hoffman and newcomer Voight were nominated for their gutsy, raw performances. Hoffman's Rizzo is particularly astounding.

Oddly touching.......2007-06-12

This movie brings the viewer to the places that people like to ignore. What it ultimately shows is that there is humanity and empathy to be found in even the most jaded of individuals.

Texas meets New York on a crash collision course!!!.......2007-05-28

Even though this movie is old, it's still could have been relevent today. A young John Voigt plays a Hustler from Texas who's just too nice. Dustin Hoffman plays Ricco, a petty thief from the streets of New York. Both from many miles apart, but with the same disease, lonelyness. With many classic 60's scenes, and plenty of character development, this film has it all. Rent it, buy it, but make sure you have seen it. A classic.

My favorite movie.......2007-04-25

I saw Midnight Cowboy, in 1969, and was greatly moved. It's a sad but very worthy film, which left me feeling somewhat wiser. I would particularly recommend it to those who came of age in the late sixties. The party scene might look like farce to someone who didn't experience that period. One of my favorite things about this movie is the Toots Thielmans harmonica in the Midnight Cowboy instrumental theme. It's beautiful. I also like "Old Man Willow" by Elephant's Memory.

Dustin collection.......2007-04-11

What a classic!! Good sound and picture, and if you want to see Jon and Dustin starting out, get this dvd!!!

Average customer rating:

Love it!
Movie Review
This Ain't No Game!
"Super Mario Brothers"--okay film, disappointing DVD
Hardly like the games but still good

Super Mario Bros.
Starring: Bob Hoskins , John Leguizamo , Dennis Hopper , Samantha Mathis , and Fisher Stevens
Director: Roland Joffé , Annabel Jankel , and Rocky Morton
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Legend of Zelda: Complete Animated Series

ASIN: B00008979N
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Description

Buckle up and hang on tight -- the discovery of a parallel universe launches you into the adventure of a lifetime! Mario and Luigi, two wacky plumbers, undertake a daring quest to save a princess in "Dinohattan" -- a hidden world where the inhabitants evolved from dinosaurs! Mario (Bob Hoskins -- WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT) and Luigi (John Leguizamo -- REGARDING HENRY) face deadly challenges from a diaboloical lizard king (Dennis Hopper -- HOOSIERS) and must battle giant reptilian goombas, outwit misfit thugs, and undermine a sinister scheme to take over the world! Blast off for nonstop excitement with SUPER MARIO BROS., the live-action thrill ride that dazzled moviegoers everywhere!

Customer Reviews:

Love it!.......2007-05-10

This is an AWESOME movie! I've looked for it everywhere and yes, I may be silly for saying this was an awesome movie, but I was a kid when it came out so, blame that! Quick shipping, perfect quality! Will definitely buy from these guys again!

Movie Review.......2007-05-09

If you love Super Mario, then this is the movie for you. It's a live action movie staring the Mario Brothers!

This Ain't No Game!.......2007-04-27

Let's face facts, the 90s had its weird moments and continual adaptations of games and tv shows was a common trend as much as it is now then. The exception is the adaptations were a lot looser.

In this case, SUPER MARIO BROS. makes a unique adjustment in that it stretches the game series into a different world and tone. Given it's been a while since I've seen it after watching it again for the first time in a while, I find that the movie has some fairly decent character moments, but at the same time. I find myself wondering how it is that they mixed all the concepts of the game together and came out with this.

It's not the best movie in the world, but it's fun for what it is.

"Super Mario Brothers"--okay film, disappointing DVD.......2007-04-07

I don't really know what to think about this movie. I admit, it was very entertaining and wacky and sometimes even witty, but I'm scratching my head in wondering why the filmmakers didn't make this film a tiny bit closer to the videogame.
The actors who portrayed Mario and Luigi (whose mustache is absent from this film) were, for the most part, good. The special effects were convincing, and the cheesy humor worked actually very well.
But I'm confused. King Koopa is a human (!). This is probably an excuse to include Dennis Hopper, who appeared in almost one hundred movies in the 1990s (and I'm not kidding). The minions had weird shrunken lizard heads. Princess Peach, the classic damsel-in-distress, is replaced with Daisy. Almost everything in the film is the opposite of the videogame. The only real thing that actually resembles a character from the original game was the Bomb-Omb (or whatever it was called--I'm blanking out on the name...).
Anyhoo, "Super Mario Brothers" was just okay. It was entertaining and fun, but too much that we know and love from the video-game is missing, and that kind of distracts you from the experience. Hopefully, in years to come, a REAL "Super Mario Brothers" movie will be released--one that captures the spirit and the imagination of the videogame that inspires it.
I'm also wondering why there were absolutely no bonus features on this DVD. Maybe some behind-the-scenes footage or deleted scenes, but no. Perhaps a future two-disc anniversary edition will remedy this (though it's doubtful).

Hardly like the games but still good.......2007-04-05

I thought this was a great film. I admit it's different from the games. I wasn't born when the movie came out but I rented it. The film is a little weird at times. Like that evolution thing. The special effects are convincing enough. There's something I don't get. The film was relaesed in 1993. That's the same year jurassic park was released and it used cgi. So was this film made before CGI or what? If it did use cgi that would have been great! The idea of changing Bowser from a fire breathing monster into a human is silly. The film would have looked better if it was animated like the tv series so the can animate the enimies which would be easier. Too bad there isn't a sequel. It would have been nice.

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