Scarlett

Starring:Joanne Whalley, Timothy Dalton, Barbara Barrie, Stephen Collins, Annabeth Gish, George Grizzard, Julie Harris, Melissa Leo, Esther Rolle, Jean Smart, Elizabeth Wilson, Paul Winfield, Sara Crowe, Rakie Ayola, Ray McKinnon, Pippa Guard, Ann-Margret, Bruce Boa, Helen Burns, Margaret Courtenay
Director: John Erman
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The Prestige attempts a hat trick by combining a ridiculously good-looking cast, a highly regarded new director, and more than one sleight of hand. Does it pull it off? Sort of. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival magicians who were once friends before an on-stage tragedy drove a wedge between them. While Bale's Alfred Borden is a more skilled illusionist, Jackman's Rufus Angier is the better showman; much of the film's interesting first half is their attempts to sabotage--and simultaneously, top--each other's tricks. Even with the help of a prop inventor (Michael Caine) and a comely assistant (Scarlett Johansson), Angier can't match Borden's ultimate illusion: The Transporting Man. Angier's obsession with learning Borden's trick leads him to an encounter with an eccentric inventor (David Bowie) in a second half that gets bogged down in plot loops and theatrics. Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with his Batman Begins star Bale, demonstrates the same dark touch that hued that film, but some plot elements--without giving anything away--seem out of place with the rest of the movie. It's better to sit back and let the sometimes-clunky turns steer themselves than try to draw back the black curtain. That said, The Prestige still manages to entertain long after the magician has left the stage--a feat in itself. --Ellen A. Kim

Description

Award-winning actors Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson star in THE PRESTIGE, the twisting, turning story that, like all great magic tricks, stays with you. Two young, passionate magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman), a charismatic showman, and Alfred Borden (Bale), a gifted illusionist, are friends and partners until one fateful night when their biggest trick goes terribly wrong. Now the bitterest of enemies, they will stop at nothing to learn each other's secrets. As their rivalry escalates into a total obsession full of deceit and sabotage, they risk everything to become the greatest magician of all time. But nothing is as it seems, so watch closely. And be prepared to watch it again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Movie.......2007-07-03

I thoroughly love watching The Prestige. Once in a while a great movie will come along that I can watch over and over and be entertained continuously. This is one of those films. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are great as the main characters and the plot is just wonderful. I imagine the book is just as great and I think that the film makers did a really nice job with the material. It's innovative, deceiving, thought provoking and overall excellently put together. Enjoy.

Too much "Gotcha".......2007-06-30

This is a movie about revenge. Robert Angier and Alfred Borden are two magicians who work together. When one of them loses a loved one during a performance, the other pursues a lifetime of vengeance. Back and forth it goes, with the only suspense being who is going to get the last word (or revenge) and destroy the other. This unrelenting process takes up most of the movie and is really overdone in my estimation. The movie is dark, (both the theme and the cinematography) and is pretty despresssing. My husband and I both enjoyed "The Illusionsist" much more that this movie.

Are You Watching Closely?.......2007-06-29

Wow! A review of this movie! That's not an easy thing. And the confused beginning and drawn out silences make it difficult to separate past from present from future and determine where you are in the story. But, after Christian Bale is responsible for the death of Hugh Jackman's wife, Piper Perado, the hatred between Jackman and Bale ratchets upward to obsession, with each magician exposing the tricks of the other. Both have found the ultimate trick, the transported man, involving exact doubles. It isn't clear how Bale found his duplicate, nor is it obvious until afterwards that his own personal tragedy, the suicide of his wife, Rebecca Hall, is the result of his double. But the extent of Jackman's obsession is shown by his rejection of his beautiful assistant, Scarlett Johansson, and his funding the research of Nicoli Tesla, a very real and very eccentric scientist of the period played by a stoic David Bowie. And when Jackman uses a duplicate to lure Bale into being accused of murder, and obtains custody of Bale's daughter...well, I've already said too much and the final plot twist should be left as a surprise.

My favorite Magic-themed movie.......2007-06-27

I saw this in the theatre, and found myself discussing it with my fellow movie goers all the way home (30 minutes). The next day I still was figuring out, in my own head, how the pieces all fit together in this movie. Christopher Nolan has directed my two favorite movies, Memento and The Prestige.

Sadly, when I received this on DVD, I was eager to watch it again. But this time through, I found myself asking why I didn't catch all the clues pointing to the end when I watched it the first time. The reason? Mr. Nolan knows how to give you all of the info without giving you the key to figuring it out.

If you like magic, "thinking movies", movies with a twist, and paradoxes, you will love this movie.

Even David Bowie was great as the part of Nicole Tesla.

Double Trouble.......2007-06-26

I don't know why my expectations for The Prestige were set for an average movie. Must've been something that I read. In contradiction to whatever it was that set my expectations low, I will set yours relatively high.

Oh...wait....That's exactly how I started my review for The Illusionist The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition) earlier this year. But the intro does indeed work with The Prestige too.

My low expectations were because The Prestige and The Illusionist were released right around the same time, and I therefore at the time had a case of Magician-Movie-Overload. Regardless, I'm glad I opted to spend the time with both, because both were thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

A lot of the tricks in The Illusionist are movie magic...in fact most are movie magic and could only be done as so. But the tricks in The Prestige are much more feasibly tricks that could actually be pulled of by a turn of the century magician (with the exception of the machine that was being built by The Prestige's mad scientist David Bowie).

Don't expect to go into The Prestige and be truly amazed by wizardry. The Prestige is more the story of rival magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale), and which one can deliver the ultimate trick before the rival interferes. But--make no mistake--the tricks are a very fun part of the movie, as are the diabolical ways in which each rival gets in the way of the other.

Christopher Nolan directs. The Prestige is not quite the action-packed, super-hero adventure that Nolan's last outing was ( Batman Begins (Two-Disc Special Edition) ), but The Prestige delivers its monies worth.

My recommendation is to see for yourself.

Average customer rating:

scarlett
scarlett
Excellent Movie Adaptation of the Book
Interesting
Scarlett (you can't find this in movie rentals)Gone with the Wind Sequel.

Scarlett
Starring: Joanne Whalley , Timothy Dalton , Barbara Barrie , Stephen Collins , and Annabeth Gish
Director: John Erman
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind"
North and South - The Complete Collection
Jane Eyre (BBC, 1983)
The Inheritance

ASIN: B00005N912
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

This soapy but highly watchable television "sequel" to Gone with the Wind, the most popular Hollywood movie ever made, has nothing to do with memories of a vanished antebellum South. But it does end up in Ireland, where the determined Scarlett O'Hara Butler (played with frosty passion by Joanne Whalley-Kilmer) turns hard times into an opportunity by buying the ancestral home of her family. Before that happens, however, Scarlett fights to win back the estranged Rhett Butler (manfully portrayed by Timothy Dalton), often seen in the company of other women, struggles for control over the homestead Tara, and gets caught in yet another compromising position with poor Ashley Wilkes (Stephen Collins). The troubles never stop (Scarlett's Ireland adventures land her in a heap of trouble from which only Rhett can save her), but this TV miniseries wisely keeps the focus on these captivating characters, their entangled histories, and the collective destiny that refuses to part them. The show also looks good: the location scenes in Ireland are particularly handsome, and there is something unaccountably satisfying about seeing Scarlett and Rhett walking through peaceful green hills. Enjoy. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

scarlett.......2007-06-13

I owned this movie twice before,I loaned it out and never got it back its a must have the original gone with the wind has nothing on scarlett

scarlett.......2007-05-31

I have this movie already, but wanted it in DVD. I received the DVD quicky and it ran well.

Excellent Movie Adaptation of the Book.......2007-05-31

This TV mini-series does justice to Alexandra Ripley's book, which is the continuation of the Rhett Butler and Scarlett love story.

Interesting.......2007-05-17

Don't watch this in the hope of seeing Gone with the Wind again because you aren't. It deviates from the book at the end but wraps the show up much more nicely than the book. I enjoyed the movie and seeing what finally happened to Scarlett and the way she moves from place to place trying to get Rhett back is very typical of her. If you watch this show, make sure you watch the filming of it as you'll understand more of what it's about. I liked it as it completed a bit of a mystery.

Scarlett (you can't find this in movie rentals)Gone with the Wind Sequel........2007-05-14

I love having this sequel to the Gone With the Wind Movie. I wish they would come out with a continuing sequel. Great fun to watch these movies back to back on a long wintery weekend.

Average customer rating:

beautiful, laconic western...
The Western is not Dead
Another Western Outsourced
Awe Inspiring Scenery, an unusal story, truly GREAT western
Worth seeing time and again!

Broken Trail
Starring: Robert Duvall , Thomas Haden Church , Greta Scacchi , Gwendoline Yeo , and Chris Mulkey
Director: Walter Hill
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Open Range
Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts
Convicts
Lonesome Dove
Rough Riders

ASIN: B000GFRI4K
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com

The lives of two stoic cowboys and five abused Chinese women become intertwined in Walter Hill's sprawling miniseries Broken Trail. Print Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women--most of them still just girls--who're being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off. When the madam sees she is about to lose the girls, she screams at Tom, "What about my property?" He shouts back, "That's the price of being a capitalist, lady." Unable to overcome the language barrier, Print assigns numbers to the girls. Number 3, Sun Foy (Gwendoline Yeo, Desperate Housewives) is the most fearless and perceptive of them. Though the others don't want to be called Number 4--an unlucky numeral in their homeland--Ye Fung (Olivia Cheng), the most tragic of the group, doesn't care. Targeted for her beauty, she finds herself unable to overcome the trauma. The number suits her, in her mind. Along the way, Print and Tom rescue Nola Johns (Greta Scacchi), the proverbial hooker with the heat of gold, who was forced into prostitution after her husband died.

The cinematography is gorgeous as the camera sweeps over the lush landscape (the Canadian Rockies subbing in for wild West of the late 1800s) and Hill does a formidable job of pacing this 3-hour drama with just the right balance of dialogue and action. For Duvall, Broken Trail is the last piece to his Western trilogy, which started with the miniseries Lonesome Dove followed by the feature film Open Range. He is instantly likeable as a father figure and the viewer never doubts that his intention for the girls is honorable. As for Haden Church, he has never been as appealing as he is in this role. Gruff and flawed, he softens when he exchanges shy glances with Sun Foy. The trek is long and hard and the unlikely band of travelers will face much hardship. If not as satisfying as the rich, detailed Lonesome Dove, Broken Trail makes up for it with a wonderful storyline and some fine acting by all involved. As for the conclusion, it may surprise some viewers who are expecting a more traditional version of the happy ending. --Jae-Ha Kim

Customer Reviews:

beautiful, laconic western..........2007-06-27

It is always a pleasure to see a well-done western. Broken Trail adds to that genre with a tale about two cowboys delivering horses from Oregon to Wyoming and the troubles start when they rescue 5 Chinese girls that are destined to be sold as sex slaves. Robert Duvall is one of America's most memorable cowboys and he adds to his legend here, Thomas Haden Church is terrific as the laconic, no nonsense cowboy. The beautiful part about this original AMC is that though we've seen everything a Western could possibly offer, Broken Trail keeps surprising you and getting away from the expected formula. It has a rich storyline that keeps building and a nice balance between action, humor and on the edge of your seat expectations. But you don't need to be on the edge of your seat, sit back, kick your shoes off, pour yourself a cup of coffee and revel in a well told story.

The Western is not Dead.......2007-06-27

This was a spendidly made movie. It was like "watching" a beautiful poem or a "moving" oil landscape. I was mesmerised.

As always, Robert Duvall gave a wonderful performance. He is such a multi talented actor, but the western is his forte. From Lonesome Dove, Tender Mercies, Open Range and now Broken Trail. It is his show!

It was my first time to see Thomas Haden Church, and he was equally as wonderful. His understated performance had me from the time he came onto the screen. Never trying to compete with or out do Mr Duvall, he held his own . . .

I understand their maybe a sequel with Mr Church. I am anxiously anticipating another beautiful movie, only missing Mr Duvall. . .maybe he is just making another great western somewhere. . .One can only hope!

Another Western Outsourced.......2007-06-07

First, let me say the actors and production crew on BROKEN TRAIL do an admirable job on this film. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE does an outstanding job in bringing this film to the screen. But Canada, was chosen, rather than the USA, for actors, production crew and location. These production companies generate alot of money to the local economy. But the locales of the story are supposed to be Oregon and Wyoming. Why was a foreign country chosen instead? Is this because locations and talent were not available or suitable in Oregon or Wyoming? No. Were it that simple. It's because of greed. Because of taxes and other incentives, many American directors and producers work in Canada because it's cheaper. Duvall, who is "Executive Producer" and director Walter Hill, felt they could do it cheaper and better outside the USA to make more profits and work with the people they've done so on so many other films shot in Canada. How much money do these guys need!!!!? I'm surprised at Duvall as he is so pro-american being a staunch Republican. Wake up everybody. We are losing so much of America including even the western through more "outsourcing" and what Duvall proudly calls " our greatest American heritage".

Awe Inspiring Scenery, an unusal story, truly GREAT western.......2007-05-31

This is a really moving and marvelous western. Robert Duval (also Exec. Producer) said he considers this the third part of his personal western trilogy (Lonesome Dove 1 & 2 being the first parts)... but the story here, and his character is different. (I didn't care for Lonesome Dove, BTW, it was too hard-hearted for me.)

Like most great westerns the real battle here is between corruption and ethics, even if they are wild west ethics. Duval and Church give 100% perfect performances, but Gwendolyn Yeo as the sweet strong mother figure for the Chinese girls is the heart of this piece, and she gives us brilliant moments of heart wrenching confusion, relief and joy. It is her smile which brightens this dark tale, this, and the Director's vision that true goodness does actually exist, and has strength and power. That mindset is what makes any western great.

In the traditional trail drive, non verbal male atmosphere, we have 5 kidnapped Chinese women ( rightfully not dubbed, so seemingly non-verbal as well) and this mix lifts the story far above the ordinary.

Greta Scacchi - looking beautifully her age - later comes in as a woman whose life has let her slip far downhill, and we have a truly great, restrained, mature, romantic scene between Duvall and Scacchi.

Through all of this is really beautiful and majestic cinematography, used to to it's best to highlight and magnify the whole story. Even in a genre known for landscape, this one is near the top for scenes of raw, expansive, natural beauty. We see why Duvall's character feels most alive on the trail.

This is a smart western for men and women, a western that is also a date movie... one of the greats of the genre.

Worth seeing time and again!.......2007-05-14

The scenery in this movie would make it worth seeing time after time, even if the story were not so good. I was completely unaware of this title and ordered it for my Dad (Lonesome Dove - the movies only - huge fan) and we watched this several times when I was at home last. The story has a lot of twists and turns, not everyone is okay, not everyone survives. True to life out in the back country and wonderful acting. I don't know if I missed this if it was in theaters or on t.v., but am so glad to know about it now. My college-age son & his g.f. watched it with us one night and were truly fascinated. They thought the story was very well told and acted and the scenery was gorgeous. SO.....in short, it works for anyone who likes this genre & is between the ages of 22 & 81 -- or at least that is my personal experience!

Average customer rating:

Definate keeper
Amazing movie, incredible disc.
3 acts: HD picture, HD audio, HD quatlity!
Do NOT BY THE BLU-RAY version of this film
A good magic title movie for BluRay - BUY IT.

The Prestige [Blu-ray]
Starring: Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Russ Fega , Ricky Jay , and James Lancaster
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Babel
Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000L212HC
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

Description

Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson are pure magic in THE PRESTIGE on Blu-ray Disc®. Dubbed "wildly entertaining" by Rolling Stone, this riveting tale is more astounding than ever in this dazzling new format. Two young, passionate magicians are friends and partners until one fateful night when their biggest trick goes terribly wrong. Now the bitterest of enemies, they will stop at nothing - including deceit and sabotage - to learn each other's secrets. Experience their obsessive rivalry in eye-popping 1080p and resounding 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio. But remember, nothing is what it seems, so be prepared to watch over and over again as Blu-ray™ High Definition teases and tantalizes your senses!

Customer Reviews:

Definate keeper.......2007-06-27

As others have said if you like Christopher Nolan's other films you should enjoy this one. I really liked David Bowie's potrayal of Nikolai Tesla.
Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Caine are all great in this story of passion,jealousy and deception. Christopher Nolan is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors.

As far as the "forced ads" goes you can't jump to the menu but you can track forward through everything but the FBI warning, its annoying but not as unbearable as the other reveiwer made it out to be. I too wish they would stop this nonsense. I'm all for the previews on the disc just give me the choice of watching them.

Amazing movie, incredible disc........2007-06-19

Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan proves his skill as a director yet again in this thriller full of grudges, backstabbing, and magic. I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll just say this: this is a movie where about half-way through, you realize the story might go anywhere! It's got an amazingly twisty plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the actors all deliver amazing performances. With magicians like David Blane and Criss Angel making waves on television, I think now was as good a time as ever to release this kind of movie. This is such a good thriller, it almost makes up for how disappointing M. Night Shymilan's "Lady in the Water" was, because it more than fills the gap.

The Blu-Ray itself is a true visual feast as well. It's got amazing black levels and color contrast that images seemed to pop off the screen, even on my crappy old 1080i-only set through component cables. This is definitely a great movie to play when you want to show off your Blu-Ray player or new TV!

3 acts: HD picture, HD audio, HD quatlity! .......2007-06-17

Great film, you will not be upset with this purchase. Oh did I mention that the picture is top notch, not to mention the audio and bonus material, don't wait order it!

Do NOT BY THE BLU-RAY version of this film.......2007-05-17

The movie itself is great and you should definately watch it.

What you should NOT do is buy this Blu-Ray disc which has approximate 10 minutes of UNSKIPPABLE trailers and then to add injury to insult, after you, a paying customer has bought the disc and shown you are one of the good guys they make you watch a UNSKIPPABLE "don't pirate movies" propaganda piece effectively calling you a criminal!!!

Pop the disc in and you will not be able to watch the movie for at least 10 minutes. Everyone who bought this disc should return it until the studios get the message.

A good magic title movie for BluRay - BUY IT........2007-05-07

A good movie for bluray, you have to see it, BUY IT NOW HURRY UP.

Average customer rating:

Twists and turns, and it's a tennis movie
Interesting, but too much time wasted
Slow and Tedious
Wooden, actually
An Amoral Remake of Dreiser's "American Tragedy"

Match Point
Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Alexander Armstrong , Paul Kaye (IV) , Matthew Goode , and Brian Cox
Director: Woody Allen
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Munich (Widescreen Edition)
Capote
Syriana (Widescreen Edition)
Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)
The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000EQHXNW
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Amazon.com

The passion of mad love and the cold calculations of social climbing collide in Woody Allen's Match Point. Former tennis pro Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Velvet Goldmine) stumbles into good fortune when Chloe Hewett (Emily Mortimer, Lovely & Amazing), the daughter of a wealthy businessman, falls in love with him. But when Chris meets Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation), a much deeper passion is stirred--and his desire isn't deterred when he discovers that Nola is already dating Chloe's brother. But when their affair threatens Chris's increasingly cozy lifestyle, Chris begins to consider a drastic solution. Match Point starts deftly and ends with cunning; though the middle bogs down in banal plot mechanics, Woody Allen fans have justly hailed it as a comeback after Allen's last few cinematic stumbles. Despite weaknesses (Allen still seems to have lost touch with the mundane realities of life; his characters operate in a strange, weightless world of wealth and privilege), the strong performances and clean direction carry the movie through. Also featuring Brian Cox (X-Men 2, Adaptation). --Bret Fetzer

Description

Match Point is "a winning combination of sex, mystery, brilliant writing and first-rate acting that all adds up to one of the most erotic and exhilarating movies in years." (Maxim). Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is being torn apart by his desire for two very different women. Marrying Chloe (Emily Mortimer) will bring him a life of wealth and success, but his true passion lies with his brother-in-law's fiancee, the stunningly sensuous but unpredictable Nola (Scarlett Johansson). Pulsing with tension, Match Point rides the dangerous line between ambition and obsession to an ending as surprising as it is chilling.

Customer Reviews:

Twists and turns, and it's a tennis movie.......2007-07-04

This was a very un-Woody Allen movie, many people said. I would have to agree, as it takes place in London rather than his native New York. Yet, it had some very valid points that I didn't consider until the plot got rolling.

Johnathan Rhys-Meyers plays Chris, a tennis pro who is looking to establish himself. After landing a job as a tennis pro at an English country club, he meets Tom, a member, and the two become friends despite their social standig. Eventually his sister, Chloe, falls for him and the two begin seeing each other. Chris, however, developes an infatuation with Nola (Scarlette Johansen), Tom's girlfriend. The two of them are outsiders to Tom and Chloe's family (a borish American actress and a tennis pro), but Chris is accepted as they see him as having potential while Nola is looking to hitch her wagon to wealth and privilage. Chris would prove himself to be such a man as well, but it will reveil itself as the movie progresses. Nola and Chris will have one encounter, but she disappears once Tom and her split. Months later, she reappears after Chris and Chloe are married, and they take up with the affair once again.

Chris changes during this time. While he is first seen as an all around "nice guy" who made a mistake with Nola, he shows another side of himself. He is concerned with social climbing, wanting the wealth and privilage of the Hewitt family. He is bored being married to Chloe, but realizes she is part of his all too important image. He's married to the boss's daughter, he's being groomed to fill the old man's place someday, and he needs a wife and family to add to his all too important image. He tries to juggle both women at the same time, but finds Nola is demanding more and more of his time. Eventually, he devises a plot to eliminate Nola all together once she gives him an ultimatum - run off with me or I'll tell everyone you got me pregnant. He murderes Nola, makes it look like a burglary, and, strangely enough, gets away with it even though he's questioned by the police with a telltale diary.

What does this say about human nature? Funny how our needs and wants change with circumstance. Chris wants the beautiful bombshell, then once he gets her he doesn't want what he's got. Nola resists her urges for Chris when she is with Tom, but once she gives in she seems to have no qualms about their affair and wants more from him. Tom wants a gorgeous, exciting woman like Nola, but disposes of her to marry a more respectable woman in the end. And look at all the people who fell in line with the plot who suffered (the neighbor lady in Nola's apartment building).

A new twist for a Woody Allen movie. Makes you think.

Interesting, but too much time wasted.......2007-07-03

Takes too long to get going, and can be frustrating in the process. However, once it does get going, it pulls you in and you cannot stop watching. A very strange movie about a man who cheats on his wife, but then realises what he has is much better than an affair. His lover becomes a problem and she must be dealt with. Woody Allen attempts a Hitchcock style and it almost works. What I didnt like was the fact that Jonathan Reese Myers is supposed to be a hearthrob, but he is too skinny and weedy in real life.

Slow and Tedious.......2007-06-27

This is the type of movie that gives heterosexuals a bad name. Rhys-Myers, I have decided is only capable of simluating sex. Whether here or in the Tudors it's pretty much the same. And Miss Scarlet (and of course the terminally neurotic Allen) seem to think that whenever in the throes of an orgasm it is always better to have a cigarette in your face and be madly blowing smoke at your partner. No single character deserves empathy. they are all scumbags in every sense of the word and as soon as the movie is over (If we can call it an ending) we don't really care what happens to any of them. Pick somethin' wlse.

Wooden, actually.......2007-06-22

How, as a Londoner, to handle the extreme cognitive challenge that is "Match Point"? Let's try....

A favourite TV ad airing in the UK features a young swain bringing his girl home after a date and kissing her lips, only to retch on the taste of the Marmite she has secretly been eating. The very-postmodern makers of Marmite cleverly play on the average Brit consumer's knowledge that "you either love it or hate it" and are grown-up-enough to positively delight in confronting rejection.

And so with Woody Allen. Much has been written about him as an "acquired taste" and, certainly after 20 years of wrestling with acquiring it, one can see that the self-styled-tortured-yet-somehow-loveable-New-York-intellectual persona has its attractions when presented in a home milieu (e.g. Annie Hall, Manhattan) or as a comic abstraction (e.g. Everything You Always... , Bananas).

However, "Match Point" forces us to remember the reviewer who once said "If ever the proverbial barrel were found to have a false bottom, this would be discovered lurking thereunder".

Where to begin? As a Brit, but lover of all things New Yorker, I really wanted this to be a clever take on English manners; perhaps a postmodern riff on the old Ealing comedies staple about getting away with murder over a nice cup ot tea, or a homage to early (Gainsborough) Hitchcock. Unfortunately what Woody delivers is a - well - wooden assemblage of faux-Brit leads supported by some surprisingly distinguished Brit actors who should have had the professional maturity to recognise a tin-eared script when they first read it, and refuse a part in this nonsense. The only (though considerable) redeeming feature is Scarlet Johanssen, whose performance uniquely rises above the confines of a headachingly-dreadful script, to deliver something approaching a compelling account of character.

One feels short-changed: Years of critical acclaim lead one to expect "Woody Allen as sharp social observer". What he delivers is neither sharp, nor dramatically credible, nor even, come to think of it, particularly observant of any species of real people interacting, whether English, American or any other.

The reviewer who talked up the "exciting twist" is probably thinking of the one shot, heavily trailed and bloated with self-satisfied symbolism, when a piece of evidence of a murder hangs, literally, in a balance between discovery and oblivion. This could only be found "suspenseful" if one had slept through the first three reels (a distinct possibility, of course).

This is one of only a handful of films which has ever forced me to consider walking out of the theatre. We watched it to the end, through gritted teeth, in the expectation - ultimately disappointed - that the plot might deliver some justification for having appropriated our eyeballs for two hours.

I am, of course, prey to prejudice here simply by being a Londoner, reviewing a film made by a New Yorker, but the London of "Match Point" is about as credible as the New York of "GhostBusters". Save your money and treat your eyeballs to a decent piece of entertainment - like, perhaps, "Howl's Moving Castle", which is altogether more satisfying and (alarmingly enough) more credible.

Ms Johanssen's presence is the only reason to buy this film at all: A heroic and quite watchable attempt to give life to a character built entirely of recycled cardboard but whose "back story" circumstances at least offer an intelligent actor some basis for between-the-lines character development. For the sake of her career I hope she is not misled by any further specious offers of big-name collaboration - she is capable of so much better than this and in any case already has triple-A arthouse credentials after "Lost in Translation" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring". And Mr Allen - as a professional introspect, surely you should be more aware of playing to your strengths and knowing your natural limits? - pleeeease stick to what you do best and give us more footnotes on New York life. (There was a rumour that "Match Point" was originally going to be made in the USA; if so this may be a plausible excuse for the movie's complete lack of any local idiom. It doesn't excuse its other failings.)

Oh, and Marmite is (allegedly) made by scraping the dregs of brewer's yeast out of the bottom of fermenting vats. So maybe it's a fair analogy.

An Amoral Remake of Dreiser's "American Tragedy".......2007-06-12

The story has been remade by Hollywood probably a half-dozen times: Ambitious and poor young man torn between the girl who is his ticket to wealth and privilege, and the girl he loves but whom he comes to see as standing between him and material success. Well made but utterly hollow, the characters are wooden cartoons of social types. There are the children of privilege and their parents, all blissfully unaware of any suffering in the world, whose lives revolve around lunch, shooting, the theatre and Greek island-hopping. And there are the outsiders, beautiful but penniless, equally self-centered. But the third act still had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how the protagonist will act and what will become of him.

Average customer rating:

Sick Horse
2/3 of a great movie
he Horse Whisperer
Another Robert Redford cinematic wonder!
A captivating film full of tears, and compassion...

The Horse Whisperer
Starring: Kathy Baldwin Keenan , Kate Bosworth , William 'Buddy' Byrd , C.J. Byrnes , and Chris Cooper
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Electric Horseman
The Bridges of Madison County
A River Runs Through It
Out of Africa
Message in a Bottle

ASIN: 6305128952
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Amazon.com

Although it's best viewed on a big theatrical screen to take full advantage of Robert Richardson's breathtaking widescreen cinematography, it seems likely that most people will see this classy romance in the comfort of their own homes. Adapted from the bestseller by Nicholas Evans and directed by Robert Redford, the film did respectable business at the box-office, but it was too sprawling and too soapy to be a bona fide hit. Redford stars as the title character, a Montana rancher named Tom Booker, who possesses the specialized talent of healing traumatized horses through careful and affectionate rehabilitation. He gets his most challenging case when he's sought out by a fast-lane New York magazine editor (Kristin Scott Thomas, in a role modeled after former New Yorker editor Tina Brown) whose daughter (Scarlett Johansson) was injured and traumatized by an accident that nearly killed her favorite horse. When mother, daughter, and horse arrive at Booker's ranch, the big-city editor falls in love with the serene rancher and faces the painful decision of whether to stay in Montana or return to her husband (Sam Neill) in New York. Some may find this to be much ado about nothing, and comparisons to The Bridges of Madison County are inevitable, but Redford's directorial approach offers the kind of graceful stature, tenderness, and intelligence required to elevate the simple story. The film takes all the time it needs to let its characters heal and make their important decisions, and that alone makes it a refreshing alternative to the frantic pace of most big-studio productions. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Academy Award(R)-winner Robert Redford (Best Director, 1980, ORDINARY PEOPLE) stars with Adademy Award(R)-nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (Best Actress, 1996, THE ENGLISH PATIENT) in this landmark epic adapated from one of the most acclaimed novels of our time! After a devastating riding accident, a young girl and her beloved horse are both left with serious physical and emotional scars. Determined to help, the girl's desperate mother (Thomas) puts her busy, big-city life on hold and travels west to seek out the "Horse Whisperer." When she meets this rugged, down-to-earth rancher (Redford), she discovers his extraordinary gift with animals also touches the lives of the people around him! Featuring Hollywood favorites Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK) and Oscar(R)-winner Dianne Wiest (Best Supporting Actress, 1994, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY) in a superb cast -- critics and moviegoers alike were captivated by this powerful motion picture event!

Customer Reviews:

Sick Horse.......2007-06-27

The photography is excellent and opens one's eyes to a little known part of horse industry. Acting by all is excellent

2/3 of a great movie.......2007-06-22

2/3 of this movie is great -- the plot with the girl and the horse is paced beautifully and the scenes are true and full of seriousness. The romance plot with Kristen Scott-thomas is just embarrassing -- the worst moment (in a film directed by Robert Redford) is Robert Redford backlit on his porch like Lana Turner -- but there are other excruciating details (a cat's cradle symbolizing, let's see, the entangled complexity of their relationship perhaps?), Kristen with the wind blowing through her hair on her horse, the totally understanding husband, the Dvorak records of the lost love -- one could go on and on.

he Horse Whisperer.......2007-01-20

Robert Redford's performance made this an exceptional movie.

Communication at another level - beautiful!

Another Robert Redford cinematic wonder!.......2006-10-16

A beautifully done movie and if you love horses, even more so!

A captivating film full of tears, and compassion..........2006-07-19

When you first see this movie it already leaves you feeling emotionally connected. But when you see it the second time and know for sure how the events pull out it leaves you in tears. This movie is so emotional in how they played out Pilgrim, and Grace's fall. Then the trama that followed. This is not a soap opera but it teaches you something. It teaches you the value of love, and life.

I don't see why so many people are rating this so badly. Trust me if you haven't seen it yet and you love horses. You'll love this movie. But if you don't that is true too. You know I've seen this movie many times and it always has some emotional parts left. I have tears when seeing it. But this movie teaches so much and was so beautifully done it's a must see for anyone.

The story was awesome and there was never a dull moment. Sure it's not an action or an adventure. But it's not a soap opera either as some people might believe.

All and all this is a must see for anyone.

Average customer rating:

Closer to reality than you might think
An unoriginal adaptation of "Logan's Run" meets "The Fast & the Furious Furious".
Nice Effects and Music
So so
Could have been a great movie

The Island
Starring: Ewan McGregor , Scarlett Johansson , Djimon Hounsou , Sean Bean , and Steve Buscemi
Director: Michael Bay
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Futuristic | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

War of the Worlds (Widescreen Edition)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Unrated (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Fantastic Four (Widescreen Edition)
Serenity (Widescreen Edition)
The Brothers Grimm

ASIN: B000BO0LH2
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Amazon.com

When you add up all the best things about The Island, you might just conclude that there's hope yet for Hollywood's most critically reviled hit-maker, Michael Bay. Recruited by Steven Spielberg to direct this lavish and often breathtaking sci-fi action thriller, Bay rises to the occasion with an ambitious production that is, by his standards (and compared to Bay's earlier hits like The Rock and Armageddon), surprisingly intelligent as it explores the repercussions of cloning in a sealed-off society where humans are cultivated for spare parts, surrogate parenthood, and full-body replacements for wealthy clientele. But when two of the clones (Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johanssen) begin to question their fate and the motives of their keepers, they escape into the real world and The Island becomes just another Michael Bay action extravaganza, albeit an impressively exciting one. With elaborate chase scenes and a high-tech feast of CGI to dazzle the eye, The Island recycles much of the plot from 1979's Clonus while borrowing elements from Logan's Run, Gattaca and Minority Report, and while it's not as smartly conceived as those earlier films, there's no denying that, in many ways, it's Bay's best film to date. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Closer to reality than you might think.......2007-06-30

One of the great untold tragedies of the 20th century was the prevalence of medical testing on unwitting subjects. Some Americans have probably heard of the Tuskegee airmen, black American servicemen who became unwitting test subjects for medical experiments. But how many people are aware of the medical testing performed on ignorant prisoners, on poor people on various Caribbean islands, or the large-scale testing of vaccines on African villagers throughout the latter half of the 20th century. The latter tragedy was the background for the movie "The Constant Gardener" but it was kept in the background. This movie takes medical experimentation and puts it front and center in the middle of America.

The plot is simple; two clones discover that they were created to have their organs harvested. They then fight to escape, and then to help others like them escape. The story takes on the issues of cloning, genetic engineering, mind control, and even the power of corporations operating in the medical sphere. Yes the story has the requisite action scenes and love scene needed for any Hollywood flick, but it also has enough scenes to explore the medical and moral issues involved. We have Lincoln's real counterpart, a rich, spoiled yuppie who needs replacement organs because his are suffering from STD's he has picked up from various women. Then there is the scene when Scarlett Johansson's character sees the son of her real counterpart. And then there is the scene where Djimon Hounsou's character parallels the medical cloning with the atrocities he witnessed in his homeland in Africa. All in all, this was a great action movie with heart and a meaning. A great watch.

An unoriginal adaptation of "Logan's Run" meets "The Fast & the Furious Furious"........2007-06-23

How disappointing & predictable. The entire premise is a poor "clone", pun intended, from a story about clones. "Logan's Run" is one of my ATF's. Michael York played Logan 5. In "The Island" Ewan McGregor character's name is Lincoln 6 Echo. In "Logan's Run", Jenny Agutter played Jessica 6. Scarlett Johannson's character is Jordan 2 Delta. Oh yeah, Richard "Jordan" was the antagonist in Logan's Run. Coincidence?

The premise of both stories is that an past cataclysmic atomic event requires everyone to live underground. Logan & Jessica are destined for "renewal". After "decontamination", Lincoln 6 Echo & Jordan 2 Delta were promised life on "The Island". In the finale, the destruction of the underground complex & subsequent exodus scenes are almost identical to "Logan's Run". Frankly, I do not recall so many car crashes in a Sci-fi thriller. They were obviously miniaturized. "The Island" is an embarrassing blotch on McGregor's & Johansson's otherwise stellar careers.

Nice Effects and Music.......2007-06-14

I don't think there was anything really innovative about this movie. It has the same feel as Minority Report as far as the special effects and mixing technology into our modern urban landscape. Ewan and Scarlett give believable performances as naive individuals with the minds of 15 year olds. They movie is overall enjoyable and I think the score is beautiful.

So so.......2007-06-08

Good special effects and interesting storyline. Unfortunately nothing that I'd recommend for anyone that is not a sci-fi aficionado.

Could have been a great movie.......2007-05-25

This movie has a really interesting concept of human clones being made so people can extent their life by replacing their aging body parts with cloned ones. The clones have memory imprinted in them so they are pretty stupid and just believe what they are told. But some of the clones got smart and began to question everything about their existence. Ultimately, two escaped from the facility that housed the clones. The company that makes the clones must stop them at all cost. This is where the movie falls apart with one car chase after another. At this point the whole movie turns from an intellectual and intriguing one to the a mindless action junk filled explosions and car chases. Unless you are a testosterone-filled teenager, there is not much to see in here.

Katharine Hepburn Collection (Morning Glory / Undercurrent / Sylvia Scarlett / Without Love / Dragon Seed / The Corn Is Green [1979])

Average customer rating:

What a Pleasure!
An odd mix of films, with some great moments
KATHERINE HEPBURN 100TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
FINALLY
Finally Katie gets one of her own!

Katharine Hepburn Collection (Morning Glory / Undercurrent / Sylvia Scarlett / Without Love / Dragon Seed / The Corn Is Green [1979])
Starring: Katharine Hepburn , Cary Grant , Douglas Fairbanks Jr. , Adolphe Menjou , and Walter Huston
Director: George Cukor , and Vincente Minnelli
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)
James Cagney - The Signature Collection (The Bride Came C.O.D. / Captains of the Clouds / The Fighting 69th / Torrid Zone / The West Point Story)
Lucille Ball Film Collection (Dance Girl Dance / The Big Street / Du Barry Was a Lady / Critic's Choice / Mame)
Ball of Fire
Jane Eyre

ASIN: B000NJXG68
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Amazon.com

Katharine Hepburn fans--and let's face it, who isn't one?--will be delighted by The Katharine Hepburn 100th Anniversary Collection. It showcases juicy, sometimes overlooked roles played by the winsome Hepburn both early and later in her career. The set includes 1933's Morning Glory, for which Hepburn won her first Best Actress Oscar, playing a determined young actress who just knows she's going to make a splash on the stage, and not fade like, well, a morning glory. The early screwball-era tempo is infectious, and young Kate, though insecure and--Lord help us all--skinny, beats the odds as she forges ahead in her career. Her rapid-fire delivery rivals that in another underrated Hepburn classic, Desk Set. Up next is Undercurrent, a gripping film noir that's slow in starting, but gets under the viewer's skin. Hepburn plays against type as an Ashley Judd-style gal-in-peril (or is she?), with a menacing husband (Robert Taylor) and a brother-in-law (Robert Mitchum) whom she may not be able to trust.

Sylvia Scarlett is a George Cukor-directed gem costarring Cary Grant, though Hepburn and Grant are most decidedly not in wacky Bringing Up Baby mode. The film wasn't well received when it was released in 1935, but it's a revelation now, for its daring homosexual subtexts--quite apparent to the modern viewer--and for Grant's against-type dark persona. Without Love, from 1945, is one of the first films to team Hepburn with Spencer Tracy, and yes, their onscreen chemistry is palpable. The conceit is one they would go on to use successfully time and again--plucky single woman resigned to living solo; rumpled, affable, slightly clueless bachelor who only needs to be shown just how much in love with our heroine he is. The supporting cast includes a terrifically cast Lucille Ball and Gloria Grahame.

Dragon Seed (1944) is an honorable misfire, an earnest period drama about the Japanese invasion of China. Through 21st-century eyes, Hepburn's impersonation of an Asian woman isn't great casting, and yet, Hepburn's honest, clear-eyed portrayal saves it from caricature. The Corn Is Green, a TV film from 1979, is an excellent counterbalance to all the brash, dewy-eyed roles in the rest of the set. Hepburn reteams with director Cukor for what is both a showcase for the diva's mighty talent, and yet also a completely even-handed ensemble piece, about a teacher's dedication in a small Welsh village.

Extras are plentiful on this already-packed disc, and include public-service and other shorts compiled by Warner Bros. that provide a window into mid-20th-century life. The short "Traffic with the Devil" (from the MGM Theatre of Life series) showcases the musings of a traffic cop, the real life Sgt. Chuck Reineke, who helps clueless, hapless drivers over what appear to be the wide-open spaces of L.A. highways. As a window to the truly more innocent times in Hollywood, the shorts are priceless. --A.T. Hurley

Studio description

Includes: Morning Glory (1933), Undercurrent (1946), Sylvia Scarlett (1935), Without Love (1945), Dragon Seed (1944), The Corn Is Green (1979).

Customer Reviews:

What a Pleasure!.......2007-07-03

What a pleasure to watch Kate! After buying this collection, I recently spent a day off from work with Katherine Hepburn (one from the 30's- "Slyvia Scarlett," one from the 40's- "Undercurrent" and one from the 50's- "The Rainmaker,"--not in this set.) She was fascinating in each of those decades.

Something must be said about "Dragonseed." I loved this film when I saw it as a teenager on TV years ago and have been waiting for it to come available on DVD. Much will be said about non-Chinese actors playing Chinese with the funny-looking make-up, etc. Points well made. But also points to be forgiven. If the viewer can get over these things (with this one and with "The Good Earth") and get into the characters and stories, this is wonderful story-telling and these are worthwhile stories to be told, both as the Pear S. Buck novels and as the MGM films, Caucasian actors notwithstanding.

I would collect "The Good Earth," "Dragonseed," and "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness," to get a sense of pre-WW2 China and the Japanese invasion.

An odd mix of films, with some great moments.......2007-06-18

2007 is the centenary of quite a few who touched the movies one way or another:
the poet W.H. Auden, novelists Robert A. Heinlein and Daphne Du Maurier, singers Gene Autry, Kate Smith, and Connee Boswell, bandleader Cab Calloway, film score composer Miklós Rózsa, director Fred Zinnemann, and the actors Dan Duryea, Cesar Romero, Buster Crabbe, Laurence Olivier, John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck, Fay Wray, Burgess Meredith - and one Katharine Houghton Hepburn of Connecticut.

We have already seen tributes to Wayne, and no doubt Olivier and Stanwyck will also be acknowledged. In honor of Miss Hepburn, Warner has issued a rather odd and quite endearing six-disc boxed set of films not previously available on DVD. They range widely in both chronology and quality, and few would put these particular films at the very top of the Hepburn canon, even the one that won her her first Oscar. But as I watched this motley group of films - two from RKO in the 1930s, three from MGM in the 1940s, and one TV film from the late 1970s, I was reminded what a treasure she was and is. Even in the midst of misguided melodramas and not-quite-good-enough romantic comedies, she gives unique, memorable performances. In two cases, her acting may in fact be memorably off-key rather than memorably wonderful, but she makes all these worth seeing.

Morning Glory (1933) won Hepburn an Academy Award. She's excellent as a stage-struck young woman who is trying to make it as a Broadway actress. Her eccentric, fascinating performance can even be seen as a stylized self-portrait. The film itself, directed by Lowell Sherman, is dated in fascinating ways: the stilted storytelling, the 1920s/1930s view of Broadway as the ultimate place to become a dramatic star, the sexual mores. Although it's presented rather obliquely, the parts of the plot involving Hepburn ending up in bed with big producer Adolphe Menjou, falling instantly in love with him and being just as summarily dumped, may leave your jaw dropping both at the "adult" subject matter and the attitudes of another era. Of course, Hepburn eventually understudies for a star-making part, and gets her chance to shine. The bittersweet last scene is both wonderful and a bit ridiculous; this isn't just from an earlier time - it seems to be from another planet.

Without Love (1945) is often described as the worst of the pictures Hepburn made with Spencer Tracy. It's no classic, but if you set your expectations accordingly, it's very entertaining. Defense industry scientist Tracy and well-to-do young widow Hepburn decide to enter into a marriage "without love," based on mutual respect rather than, well, sex. This being Hollywood, you can guess how long that lasts (about ten minutes less than the running time). Lucille Ball and Keenan Wynn have amusing supporting roles - it's fun to see Ball playing a sexy sophisticate, leagues away from Lucy Ricardo. The competent but uninspired direction is by Harold S. Bucquet. His name was up until now unknown to me, but he co-directed another film in this very DVD set (see below), after doing mostly Dr. Kildare series movies before that. And although this is based on a play by Philip Barry, in which Hepburn starred on Broadway in 1942, it is a much less satisfying piece than Holiday or The Philadelphia Story, two earlier Barry-Hepburn collaborations. But she's very charming and perfectly cast.

Dragon Seed (1944) is the oddest of these six movies. It features a largely Caucasian cast playing poor Chinese farmers during the Japanese invasion of the 1930s. It's just about impossible for a 21st-century audience not to respond with appalled laughter at what seems now like a stunt. But the script, based on a Pearl S. Buck novel, is nothing if not sincere, and it has its effective moments. Still, seeing the inconsistent and almost entirely unconvincing ways the Hollywood makeup artists try to make Hepburn, Walter Huston, Agnes Moorehead and others look like Asians - well, this is entertainment in itself, after a fashion. But only for half an hour or so, and the film runs a stultifying 148 minutes. It was lavishly produced by MGM. The co-directors were Bucquet (of Without Love) and Jack Conway. Hepburn manages to project some real feeling through the silly makeup and the platitudinous dialogue.

Hepburn gives the nearest thing to a poor performance (in this set, I mean) in Vincente Minnelli's noirish melodrama Undercurrent (1946). Married to yet another war-era defense scientist (Robert Taylor), this one with a mysterious past, she's supposed to be meek and scared, and as we all know, that just ain't Hepburn. But the glossy production, along with Minnelli's gift for décor and movement, keep this one interesting, even, or especially, when it's ridiculous. Robert Mitchum plays a supporting role that many have called inappropriate for him, but I think he's just fine, as is Edmund Gwenn as Hepburn's father (he turns up again in this set, too).

Although it's flawed, George Cukor's Sylvia Scarlett (1936) is probably the best movie in the set. It features a fierce, sexy, and delightful performance by Cary Grant as a Cockney con man - a role quite different from most of his starring parts. Hepburn is on the run from the French police with her gambler father (Gwenn again), and to put them off the trail she cuts her hair and dresses as a boy - Sylvia becomes Sylvester. This leads to some startling and very entertaining scenes with a bit of bisexual innuendo: a woman kisses and tries to seduce "Sylvester," and both Grant and Brian Aherne find themselves strangely attracted to this young man. At one point, Grant and Sylvester are set to bunk together in close quarters. "It's a nippy night out," says Grant, "and you'll make a nice little hot water bottle." Sylvester flees in fright, even though Sylvia of course has a crush on Grant. The Grant and Aherne characters are both visibly relieved when Sylvester transforms back into Sylvia, but the audience may feel a letdown: Sylvester is a captivating, unusual presence, while Sylvia tends to mewl and whine too much. The later twists and turns in the comic-melodramatic plot are far from convincing, but it's all stylish and fun nonetheless.

I considered cheating a bit on this review and skipping the 1979 The Corn Is Green, also directed by Cukor. But although it is formulaic, it hooked me right away and I enjoyed it right through to the happy-teary climax. The story is a familiar one, a la Pygmalion and To Sir With Love, an 1890s period piece about a teacher, done up in the Hallmark Hall of Fame manner, and Hepburn is probably 25 years older than the part as written. (Bette Davis, born a year later than Hepburn, played this same role in a 1945 film when she was about 36; Hepburn was about 71! Still, Ethel Barrymore was over 60 when she played the part on Broadway in 1940.) There is beautiful Welsh scenery and a fine cast, and Cukor guides it home like the old pro he was by 1979.

Produced under the auspices of Turner Classic Movies, the discs all offer splendid picture and sound quality, and all include short subjects from their era, such as a Tex Avery "Wolf" cartoon and a fabulous Technicolor travelogue of Los Angeles in the forties. Maybe you only want to see the pedigreed Katharine Hepburn classics like Little Women and Adam's Rib and Summertime; if so, only Morning Glory and Sylvia Scarlett come close to that grade here. But the other, less familiar movies offer aspects of Hepburn you may not see elsewhere, and their Hollywood craftsmanship, as wrapped by Warner and Turner Classics in nice shiny packages, provides several hours of great entertainment.

KATHERINE HEPBURN 100TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION.......2007-06-02

For once, WB have chosen not to detail the extra features on this set....and it's probably because they're underwhelming. Here's the lowdown:

MORNING GLORY(RKO, 1933)
-Menu(1933 MGM short), Pete Smith, 2 strip Technicolor
-Bosko's Mechanical Man(1933 WB cartoon)

WITHOUT LOVE(MGM, 1945)
-Purity Squad(1945 Crime Does Not Pay short)
-Swing Shift Cinderella(1945 MGM Tex Avery cartoon)
-Trailer

SYLVIA SCARLET(RKO, 1935)
-Los Angeles: Wonder City Of The West(1935 Traveltalk short)
-Alias St. Nick(1935 Happy Harmonies cartoon)

UNDERCURRENT(MGM, 1946)
-Traffic With The Devil(1946 MGM Theatre Of Life short)
-Lonesome Lenny(1945 MGM Tex Avery cartoon)
-Trailer

DRAGON SEED(MGM, 1944)
-20 Years After(1944 MGM Romance Of Celluloid short)
-Happy Go Nutty(1945 MGM Screwy The Squirrel cartoon)
-Trailer

THE CORN IS GREEN(1978, TV movie, matted 1.85:1)
-No Extras

As with other recent WB sets, the selection of films here does not represent the "best of" Katherine Hepburn. Since many of her better films have already seen DVD release, the WB classics folks had to choose from "the best of what's left!" Like any backseat driver, I would have made other selections than they did.

What we get is a lesser known Tracy/Hepburn vehicle(WITHOUT LOVE), a landmark early Hepburn performance(MORNING GLORY), a clever comedy(SYLVIA SCARLET), a horribly miscast and botched epic(DRAGON SEED), a lukewarm suspenser(UNDERCURRENT), and one of her last great roles(CORN IS GREEN).

The sources look pretty good overall. As usual, the MGM transfers are the best, with the RKO transfers from existing materials of varying quality. SCARLET looks pretty good, MORNING GLORY has white botches all over the picture and a soft, dupey quality.

I have to pick another bone with WB over the packaging. I've gotten used to the keepcases or slimcases featuring original poster art. In a departure from the normal, this thing is presented in a digipack(discs stacked 2x2 on three panels) with a clear plastic cover (like that seen on the WB/BBC new DR. WHO series). The individual discs also do not feature poster art...mostly black with pink lettering! Pink!?! I doubt Kate would have approved! Hopefully, this is a one-off and WB will return to original poster art covers for subsequent classics releases.

Anyway, given any negative statements, it's a pretty good set overall.

FINALLY.......2007-03-09

Thank God Warner Bros is on the ball with Katharine Hepburn!

She deserves this and so do her fans.

"Sylvia Scarlett"- panned in 1936 when RKO released it, this gem directed by George Cuckor with Hepburn and Cary Grant about con artists and sexual ambiguity was scandalous at its time, and although the plot is thin in certain parts, as a whole today it's a great movie. Hepburn looks great dressed as "Sylvestor."

"Without Love" - one of the lesser known pairings of Hepburn and Tracy, but still a gem about a loveless marriage of convienance. Lucille Ball plays Hepburn's best friend/realtor.

"Undercurrent" - beautiful cinematography, yet Hepburn never struck me as the "victim." Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum costar with her in a story about a newly married couple, and Hepburn's worries over her husband's mysterious past and mysterious brother.

"Morning Glory" - "My name is Eva Lovelace, my stage name, you've probably never heard of me because I'm just starting." - Hepburn won her first Oscar for Best Actress as a stagestruck girl destined to get into the theatre. There's supposedly a cut scene between her and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. where they perform the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, and I wish they would include it on the extra features, but I don't think they will for some reason. Adolphe Menjou co-stars as well.

"Dragon Seed" - this is probably the only one of the bunch that I wish they'd left out. At the time it was critically acclaimed (it was 1944), yet by today's standards having American actors portraying Chinese peasants is ludicrous. The movie isn't horrible; however, I don't see why they couldn't have actually used Chinese actors, but blame the Studio System of the 1940's and racial intolerance for that. Hepburn however does portray and independent, freedom fighter peasant woman, and that is the only admirable thing I can think about this movie based on Pearl Buck's novel.

Finally Katie gets one of her own!.......2007-02-27

Not a moment too soon, the Katharine Hepburn Signature Collection finally arrives on DVD. A brief description of the titles:

Morning Glory (1933)
Eva Lovelace, would-be actress trying to crash the New York stage, is a wildly optimistic chatterbox full of theatrical mannerisms. Her looks, more than her talent, attract the interest of a paternal actor, a philandering producer, and an earnest playwright. Is she destined for stardom or the "casting couch"? Will she fade after the brief blooming of a "morning glory"?

Undercurrent (1946)
Young bride Ann Hamilton soon begins to suspect that her charming husband is really a psychotic who plans to murder her.

Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
Escaping to England from a French embezzlement charge, widower Henry Scarlett is accompanied by daughter Sylvia who, to avoid detection, "disguises" herself as a boy, "Sylvester." They are joined by amiable con man Jimmy Monkley, then, after a brief career in crime, meet Maudie Tilt, a giddy, sexy Cockney housemaid who joins them in the new venture of entertaining at resort towns from a caravan. Through all this, amazingly no one recognizes that Sylvia is not a boy...until she meets handsome artist Michael Fane, and drama intrudes on the comedy.

Without Love (1945)
In World War II Washington DC, scientist Pat Jamieson's assistant, Jamie Rowan, enters a loveless marriage with him. Struggles bring them closer together. Written by Ed Stephan {stephan@cc.wwu.edu}

In WWII Pat Jamieson is a scientist working, without backing, on a high-altitude oxygen mask for fighter pilots. But he has nowhere to conduct his research until he meets Jamie Rowan, a woman with a large empty country house. She has no hopes of marrying for love (and neither does Pat) but Jamie wants to help the war effort and she likes this quirky scientist and his dog, so to satisfy the proprieties they agree on a business arrangement: a marriage of convenience and partnership. They happily work on oxygen mixes instead of honeymooning. But as the footing of their relationship begins warm up, Jamie is courted by another man and the old flame that broke Pat's heart is back in his life. It will take a sleepwalking ruse, dodging in and out of doors, and a working oxygen mask to get them together again.

Dragon Seed (1944)
The lives of a small Chinese village are turned Upside down when the Japanese invade it. And heroic young Chinese woman leads her fellow villagers in an uprising against Japanese Invaders.

The Corn is Green (1979 TV version)
A strong-willed teacher, determined to educate the poor and illiterate youth of an impoverished Welsh village, discovers one student whom she believes to have the seeds of genius in him.

Let's hope they do a 'Warner Night at the Movies' section for this release :o)

Average customer rating:

How Red it is!
Very Enjoyable and Entertaining!
Thoroughly Entertaining and utterly funny
Could have been better....
Fame Drain

Scoop
Starring: Charles Dance , Julian Glover , Ian McShane , Woody Allen , and Scarlett Johansson
Director: Woody Allen
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Devil Wears Prada (Widescreen Edition)
The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)
The Prestige
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000IU37SO
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Amazon.com

Light and charming, Scoop blends murder, ghosts, and falling in love. While inside of a magician's magic cabinet, aspiring journalist Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation) is visiting by the ghost of a dead reporter (Ian McShane, Deadwood) who has gotten a hot tip in the afterlife: A rising young politician named Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman, X-Men) may be the notorious serial killer who leaves tarot cards by his victims. With the magician (writer-director Woody Allen) in tow, Sondra sneaks her way into Lyman's life--and, despite increasing evidence that the tip is true, finds herself falling in love with him. Scoop is stronger than Allen's last film, the overrated Match Point; moment to moment, scene to scene, it's his most zippy and entertaining movie in years. It still suffers from laziness--Allen seems unwilling to look at the plot's holes and find a way to sew them up--and Allen's own persona, with his now-rote comic stutterings and hesitations, drags on the film's momentum. Despite this, Scoop has flashes of suspense and wit that, in an unknown filmmaker, would be cause for celebration. Also featuring Charles Dance (White Mischief) and Romola Garai (I Capture the Castle), one of the few actresses who can compete with Johansson in lusciousness. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman star in this hilariously twisted tale of murder and mystery. When an inquisitive college journalist (Johansson) stumbles upon new clues to a string of murders, her investigation leads directly to a handsome businessman (Jackman), who draws her in with his mysterious charm. Could a whirlwind romance with the subject of her search also become the most dangerous scoop of a lifetime? Experience the laughs in this witty new comedy that will have you guessing until the very end.

Customer Reviews:

How Red it is!.......2007-07-03

This movie was well worth buying. I just have to say that the color Red is so nice. The plot will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Very Enjoyable and Entertaining!.......2007-06-21

This is a real fun movie that seems to capture the feel of some of Allen's "middle" work like Live and Death. A boatload of people are being carried by Mr. Death on a boat to their final destination in the afterlife. Two of the people start up a conversation. One was a newspaper journalist and the other a woman. The woman tells him that she was murdered by a high society gentleman. The reporter decides that this is the scoop of the century and must escape from Mr. Death so he can give the "scoop" to another reporter.

He materializes in the middle of a magic trick where Scarlett Johannsen is being made to disappear in a box. He tells her what he knows before he disappears. Johannsen enlists the aid of the magician (Woody Allen) to prove the allegations of the "ghost" and nail the "scoop" in the newspaper. Allen relucantly agrees to help only because he sees the ghost too.

The two pose as father and daughter and get in the good graces of the society man (Hugh Jackman). The rest of the movie unfolds as Johannsen and Allen try not to blow their cover and get enough evidence to implacate Jackman. In the meantime it gets more and more difficult as Johannsen has fallen in love with Jackman.

Johannsen is very likable with a personality similar to "Ugly Betty" and Allen still has good comedy skills and is sometimes hilarious as he does card tricks in front of very aristocratic people who are guests at several of Jackman's parties.

Thoroughly Entertaining and utterly funny .......2007-05-23

Woody Allen signature comedy is back in full throttle! The script is hilarious and the magician character played by the writer-director, what's his name... the "Woody Allen" himself is so cutely funny!
I can't resist one quote: Aging Woody Allen to Scarlett Johansson: "My wife dumped me, if you can believe that......". And then Scarlett Johansson looks at him and says ".......", you will just have to see it, it's so laugh-out funny!
Another one- "I was born in Hebrewcist but converted into Narcissist"..

Could have been better...........2007-04-17

but at least it couldn't figure out if he was guilty or not. The acting is n