
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Sir Richard Attenborough's biographical film of the life and times of Charles Chaplin is a little thin as a narrative, but it is so charmingly creative and ultimately moving, it's hard to care about any deficits. Robert Downey Jr. does an excellent job re-creating Chaplin's graceful slapstick and getting inside the silent-film superstar's head over many years of triumph, defeat, scandal, official persecution, exile, and inner peace. A huge cast portray the allies, friends, lovers, and enemies in Chaplin's life, including Moira Kelly as his final, longtime wife, Oona, Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks, Geraldine Chaplin as Charlie's mother, and James Woods as a prosecutor working hard to nail Chaplin for anti-American sentiments. Attenborough declines to tell the story in a flat, linear way, employing such clever techniques as detailing one chapter in Chaplin's life as a silent comedy. The climactic scene set at an Oscar tribute for Chaplin will get the tears flowing. --Tom Keogh
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Land of the Pharaohs
Starring: Jack Hawkins , Joan Collins , Dewey Martin , Alex Minotis , and James Robertson Justice Director: Howard Hawks Manufacturer: Warner Home Video ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OHZJIW Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Description
The Great Pharaoh orders architech Vashtar to build him the highest pyramid in the world as his tomb. After fifteen years, the work slows as the treasury diminishes. The Pharaoh tries to exact tribute from Cypress, which is ruled by the beautiful and ruthless Princess Nellifer. Impressed with her abilities to charm, the Pharaoh marries her. But Mellifer plots to kill the ruling family - so she can rule Egypt.Customer Reviews:
At Last!.......2007-04-23
"LAND OF THE PHARAOHS A LONG OVERDUE CLASSIC FOR WIDESCREEN RESTORATION".......2007-04-14
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Doctor Zhivago (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Jose Maria Caffarel , Geraldine Chaplin , Erik Chitty , Julie Christie , and Adrienne Corri Director: David Lean Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00003CX9M Release Date: 2001-11-06 |
Amazon.com essential video
David Lean focused all his talent as an epic-maker on Boris Pasternak's sweeping novel about a doctor-poet in revolutionary Russia. The results may sometimes veer toward soap opera, especially with the screen frequently filled with adoring close-ups of Omar Sharif and Julie Christie, but Lean's gift for cramming the screen with spectacle is not to be denied. The streets of Moscow, the snowy steppes of Russia, the house in the country taken over by ice; these are re-created with Lean's unerring sense of grandness. The movie is so lush and so long that it becomes an irresistible wallow, even when logic suffers--like Gone with the Wind before it and Titanic after. Sharif, who achieved stardom in Lean's previous film, Lawrence of Arabia, mostly looks noble, but the supporting cast is spiky: Rod Steiger as a fat-cat monster, Tom Courtenay as a self-righteous revolutionary, and Klaus Kinski and Alec Guinness in smaller roles. Geraldine Chaplin, in her adult debut, plays the doctor's compliant wife. Robert Bolt's screenplay won one of the film's five Oscars, with another going to perhaps the most immediately recognizable element of the movie: Maurice Jarre's romantic music, with its hugely popular "Lara's Theme" weaving in and out of a swooning score. --Robert HortonDescription
Lara inspires lechery in Komarovsky (her mother's lover who is a master at surviving whoever runs Russia) and can't compete with passion for the revolution of the man she marries, Pasha. Her true love is Zhivago who also loves his wife. Lara is the one who inspires poetry. The story is narrated by Zhivago's half brother Yevgraf, who has made his career in the Soviet Army. At the beginning of the film he is about to meet a young woman he believes may be the long lost daughter of Lara and Zhivago.Customer Reviews:
Doctor Zhivago.......2007-06-27
Got exactly what I asked for when I asked for it.......2007-06-08
Brilliant? Hardly!.......2007-05-21
Do Not Purchase This DVD!.......2007-04-22
A Great Update.......2007-04-04
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Nashville
Starring: David Arkin , Barbara Baxley , Ned Beatty , Karen Black , and Ronee Blakley Director: Robert Altman Manufacturer: Paramount ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: 6305918880 Release Date: 2000-08-15 |
Amazon.com essential video
This 1975 film sits near the top of any list of the best films of the 1970s, perhaps in the top five and, in some people's minds, at the pinnacle itself. Robert Altman, at his most Altmanesque, spins together plot strands involving two dozen people over the course of one particularly busy weekend in Music City, USA. Though several of the story lines deal with country-western stars--played by Henry Gibson, Ronee Blakley and Karen Black--the plot also deals with the country scene's wannabes, the business people who pull the strings and the operative for a mysterious presidential candidate who is trying to get the de facto endorsement of some of the country stars by having them appear at a rally for him. (The unknown but rocketing presidential aspirant was eerily echoed the next year, when Jimmy Carter came out of nowhere to win the presidency.) Blakley is heartbreakingly fragile as a Loretta Lynn-like singer on the verge of total mental meltdown, while Lily Tomlin is outstanding as a housewife-gospel singer who has a dalliance with a randy folk-rock cad, perfectly played by Keith Carradine (who won an Oscar for his song "I'm Easy"). The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum, Scott Glenn, Keenan Wynn, Shelley Duvall, Geraldine Chaplin (hilarious as a fatuous British TV journalist), Barbara Harris, Michael Murphy, and Ned Beatty, with cameos by Elliott Gould and Julie Christie as themselves. Next to Mean Streets, perhaps the most influential film of the decade. --Marshall FineCustomer Reviews:
Nashville.......2007-07-04
NASHVILLE.......2007-05-12
The Emperor's New Clothes..........2007-05-02
GOING TO THE COUNTRY-MUSIC THAT IS.......2007-04-18
haunting and brilliant.............2007-04-10
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The Odyssey
Starring: Armand Assante , Greta Scacchi , Isabella Rossellini , Bernadette Peters , and Eric Roberts Director: Andrei Konchalovsky Manufacturer: Lions Gate ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005N913 Release Date: 2001-09-18 |
Amazon.com
Andrei Konchalovsky's expansive television mini-series production of Homer's epic poem gets off to clumsy start as he tries to squeeze the Trojan War into a mere half hour, but once the arrogant but honorable Odysseus (strikingly played by Armand Assante) and his loyal crew begin their doomed voyage home, this film turns into a fantastical adventure. Integrating often-stunning special effects with inventive art design, Konchalovsky achieves a beautiful look on a limited budget as he follows the 10-year ordeal of Odysseus from his battles with the Cyclops and the magical Circe (Bernadette Peters) to his secret homecoming and his confrontation with the treacherous Eurymachus (Eric Roberts). Isabella Rossellini appears as his spiritual guide, the goddess Athena, with Greta Scacchi as Odysseus's faithful wife and Vanessa Williams as the seductive Calypso. The rest of the cast includes Geraldine Chaplin, Jeroen Krabbé, Christopher Lee, and Irene Papas. The production was shot on location in and around the Mediterranean, making for a lush, lovely visual experience. --Sean AxmakerCustomer Reviews:
More like a NEGATIVE 3.......2007-06-13
Mythological Fiction.......2007-05-26
Medicore Playback Abliltiy.......2007-05-14
A good tool but not a replacement for the real thing..........2007-05-13
Armande Asante, need I say more?.......2007-05-12
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The Importance of Being Earnest
Starring: Rupert Everett , Colin Firth , Frances O'Connor (II) , Reese Witherspoon , and Judi Dench Director: Oliver Parker Manufacturer: Miramax ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006JDVX Release Date: 2002-11-12 |
Amazon.com
Splendidly adapted from the wittiest play in the English language, The Importance of Being Earnest stars Colin Firth as an English gentleman who pretends to be his own brother, named Ernest, so he can enjoy himself in the city without besmirching his reputation at his country estate. Unfortunately, he's just fallen in love with a young woman (Frances O'Connor) who insists that she can only marry a man named Ernest--and when Firth's best friend (Rupert Everett) goes to Firth's country estate pretending to be this same brother Ernest, he falls in love with Firth's ward (Reese Witherspoon), who similarly feels that Ernest is the perfect name for a husband... The absurdity of the plot is matched by the exquisite cleverness of the dialogue, and the performances--particularly Dame Judi Dench as Everett's fearsome aunt--are excellent. --Bret FetzerDescription
Starring Reese Witherspoon (LEGALLY BLONDE), Colin Firth (BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY), and Rupert Everett (MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING), here is the hilarious adventure of two dashing young bachelors and the outrageous deceptions they find themselves in over love! Whenever Worthing (Firth) wants to leave his dull country life behind, he makes visits to the city posing as his fictitious "brother" Ernest. There, he becomes smitten with the ravishing Gwendolen (Frances O'Connor, A.I.). But when Worthing is in town, his playboy pal Algy (Everett) is in the country and falling for Worthing's young and beautiful ward, Cecily (Witherspoon) -- while also impersonating Ernest! Pandemonium ensues when these two would-be Ernests find themselves face-to-face and in the predicament of explaining who they really are!Customer Reviews:
Great Movie.......2007-06-28
love this movie!.......2007-06-18
Great Modern Adaptation, But Check out the 1952 Production as Well.......2007-05-13
Maybe I'm biased but..........2007-02-28
an earnest review .......2007-02-13
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The New World
Starring: Colin Farrell , Q'Orianka Kilcher , Christopher Plummer , Christian Bale , and August Schellenberg Director: Terrence Malick Manufacturer: New Line Home Video ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000ESSUL4 Release Date: 2006-05-09 |
Amazon.com
The legend of Pocahontas and John Smith receives a luminous and essential retelling by maverick filmmaker Terrence Malick. The facts of Virginia's first white settlers, circa 1607, have been told for eons and fortified by Disney's animated films: explorer Smith (Colin Farrell) and the Native American princess (newcomer Q'orianka Kilcher) bond when the two cultures meet, a flashpoint of curiosity and war lapping interchangeably at the shores of the new continent. Malick, who took a twenty year break between his second and third films (Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line), is a master of film poetry; the film washes over you, with minimal dialogue (you see characters speak on camera for less than a quarter of the film). The rest of the words are a stream-of-consciousness narration--a technique Malick has used before but never to such degree, creating a movie you feel more than watch. The film's beauty (shot in Virginia by Emmanuel Lubezki) and production design (by Jack Fisk) seems very organic, and in fact, organic is a great label for the movie as a whole, from the dreadful conditions of early Jamestown (it makes you wonder why Englishman would want to live there) to the luminescent love story. Malick is blessed with a cast that includes Wes Studi, August Schellenberg, Christopher Plummer, and Christian Bale (who, curiously, was also in the Disney production). Fourteen-year-old Kilcher, the soul of the film, is an amazing find, and Farrell, so often tagged as the next big thing, delivers his first exceptional performance since his stunning debut in Tigerland. James Horner provides a fine score, but is overshadowed by a Mozart concerto and a recurring prelude from Wagner's Das Rheingold, a scrumptious weaving of horns fit to fuel the gentle intoxication of this film. Note: the film was initially 150 minutes, and then trimmed to 135 by Malick before the regular theatrical run. It was also the first film shot in 65mm since Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet. --Doug ThomasDescription
In this romantic epic starring Colin Farrell, Christian Bale and beautiful newcomer Q'orianka Kilcher, acclaimed filmmaker Terrence Malick brings to life the classic true tale of Pocahontas and her relationship with adventurer John Smith set during the turbulent beginnings of America.Customer Reviews:
Great film making.......2007-06-29
It's a graceful but not engaging world........2007-06-23
Not a New World.......2007-06-21
A story told different.......2007-06-19
The New World Film Review.......2007-06-14
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The Complete Musketeers (The Three Musketeers / The Four Musketeers)
Starring: Oliver Reed , Raquel Welch , Richard Chamberlain , Michael York , and Frank Finlay Director: Richard Lester Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006LPC5 Release Date: 2003-02-04 |
Description
Join the Musketeers D'Artagnan (Michael York), Athos (Oliver Reed), Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), Porthos (Frank Finlay) and the stunning yet clumsy maiden Constance (Raquel Welch) as they battle for fortune, glory and vengeance against the devious Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston), Milady de Winter (Faye Dunaway) and Count de Rochefort (Christopher Lee). These are the two hit movies that redefined the rousing action and riotous comedy of the swashbuckler genre for a whole new generation. This is THE COMPLETE MUSKETEERS! Director Richard Lester (A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, HELP!) and producers Ilya & Alexandre Salkind (SUPERMAN) created an international sensation with these all-star adaptations of Alexandre Dumas' timeless tale. Both THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS have now been completely restored from original vault elements and loaded with exclusive extras for the ultimate two-disc Musketeer collection!Customer Reviews:
Took me back in time.......2007-07-03
Best of the best.......2007-06-13
Excellent!.......2007-05-14
Slapstick comedy.......2007-04-26
Beautifuful customs and ambience.......2007-03-19
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The Age of Innocence
Starring: Domenica Cameron-Scorsese , Geraldine Chaplin , Daniel Day-Lewis , Tracey Ellis , and Carolyn Farina Manufacturer: Sony Pictures ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00003CX8S Release Date: 2001-11-06 |
Amazon.com essential video
Martin Scorsese does not sound like the logical choice to direct an adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel about manners and morals in New York society in the 1870s. But these are mean streets, too, and the psychological violence inflicted between characters is at least as damaging as the physical violence perpetrated by Scorsese's usual gangsters. At the center of the tale is Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis), a somewhat diffident young man engaged to marry the very respectable May Welland (Winona Ryder). But Archer is distracted by May's cousin, the Countess Olenska (a radiant Michelle Pfeiffer), recently returned from Europe. As a married woman seeking a divorce, the countess is an embarrassment to all of New York society. But Archer is fascinated by her quick intelligence and worldly ways. Scorsese closely observes the tiny details of this world and this impossible situation; this is a movie in which the shift of someone's eyes can be as significant as the firing of a gun. The director's sense of color has never been keener, and his work with the actors is subtle. That's Joanne Woodward narrating, telling us only as much as we need to know--which is one reason why the climax comes as such a surprise.--Robert HortonCustomer Reviews:
A Flim That Will Touch Your Heart.......2007-07-02
There aren't enough stars for the most powerful film I've ever seen.......2007-05-15
Gorgeous flawed film.......2007-05-13
nicely history teller.......2007-05-08
Potentially interesting story...but why can't anyone act??.......2007-04-06
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The Rolling Stones - Bridges to Babylon
Starring: Mick Jagger , Keith Richards (II) , Charlie Watts , Ron Wood , and Bobby Keys Director: Bruce Gowers Manufacturer: Warner Home Video ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: 6305161925 Release Date: 1998-11-17 |
Amazon.com
Like any good brand, the Rolling Stones know to preserve the formula even when updating the package, and this long-form concert video underscores that market strategy. As with each of their tours since the early '80s, the quartet, augmented by a discreet auxiliary of backup musicians, gives the fans new eye candy while dishing up a familiar set list spiked with Mick Jagger's lip-smacking vocals and Keith Richards's signature guitar riffs. The visual twists are at once spectacular and conservative: a cyclopean main stage design with massive pillars (presumably the Babylonian connection), a vast oval video screen (shades of Big Brother), and a hydraulic bridge enabling a midconcert sortie into the audience, with the Stones playing a more stripped-down, intimate set on a small satellite stage.That huge physical setting doubtless made the live shows eye-filling rock spectacles, but the video crew necessarily accepts the limitations of the small screen, focusing more on close-ups of the band, rapid cuts, and racing, hand-held tracking shots to convey excitement while keeping the viewer close to the action. The evening's repertoire sticks to the band's most familiar hits, and if the Glimmer Twins occasionally slip their masks to let the routine show, the real wonder is how effectively they keep the playing focused. During the first half of the program, the band's newest songs (especially "Saint of Me" and "Out of Control") elicit conspicuously higher energy from the band, if not the audience. But just as the show seems doomed to a certain anomie, the escape onto the smaller, no-frills stage pumps up players and crowd alike, particularly when they launch into "Like a Rolling Stone," a cover that winds up sounding like a great idea too long deferred. --Sam Sutherland
Customer Reviews:
Superior Concert Video.......2006-10-31
Just hits and good performance.......2006-04-06
Loved It!.......2006-02-25
ok but not the best.......2006-02-24
Captures high energy and party atmosphere........2006-01-01
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Jane Eyre (1996)
Starring: Anna Paquin , Nic Knight , Nicola Howard , Sasha Graff , and Fiona Shaw Director: Franco Zeffirelli Manufacturer: Miramax ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD |