Vision Quest

Starring:Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling, Ronny Cox, Daphne Zuniga, Harold Sylvester, Charles Hallahan, J.C. Quinn, R.H. Thomson, Gary Kasper, Raphael Sbarge, Forest Whitaker, Frank Jasper, Roberts Blossom, James Gammon, Judith Hansen, Fred Miles, Sean Morgan, Cash Stone, Ken Pelo
Director: Harold Becker
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This film wraps up the big wrestling match that Terry Davis's novel left unresolved. It also makes Carla (Linda Fiorentino, in her screen debut) less of a bad girl. What it does capture is the book's flowing feeling of power and the possibility of youth. Probably best known for presenting a just-emerging Madonna singing "Crazy for You," Vision Quest also uses Matthew Modine nicely. He doesn't typify the usual coming-of-age youth, but his character, Louden Swain, isn't the typical youth, period. Swain needs to win the Washington State wrestling championship, and he's up against a guy who carries logs up stadium steps. He's also involved with an older woman, Carla, and learning that love and all that stuff is much harder than pinning an opponent. Ah, youth. --Keith Simanton

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Sports Movie.......2007-03-18

Just an excellent sports movie. Shows wrestling reasonable realistic, but does show the dedication the sport requires.

Hard to Pigeon Hole.......2007-02-17

This is one of those rare films that doesn't fall into any given category. I've NEVER seen this on anybody's "Best Sports Movie" list, but it should certainly qualify. It's also a Chick Flick. It's a Coming Of Age story. You won't be disappointed.

Linda's excellent but no special additions!.......2006-12-18

It's hard to believe that since 1985, I have never seen this film. I have heard the music but never saw it. I became a fan of Linda Fiorentino who made her film debut as Carla, the artist from Trenton, New Jersey (Linda was actually raised in nearby Sewell), who is on her way to San Francisco to study and be artist. Along the way, her car breaks down in Spokane and she ends up staying with single father played by Ronnie Cox and his son who is an aspiring wrestler played by young Matthew Modine. The music is purely eighties but I always enjoy listening to it anyway even on cassette. While the predictable happens, Carla and Modine's character get together and he wrestles an undefeated wrestler in a big match but he must lose weight to do it. Anyway, Vision Quest is an odd title for this film but the price was worth it. I wish Linda would make a comeback. She hasn't done a film in 4 years. Oh Madonna is singing in this film. The guy who played shoe salesman Griff from Married with CHildren plays the English teacher. FOrest Whitaker has a tiny part as one of the other wrestlers.

Review of Vision Quest.......2006-08-15

Enjoyed he movie the first time when it played. Still enjoy it.

MATTHEW AND LINDA SHINE IN THIS TOUCHING DRAMA!!!!!!!!!.......2006-02-16

Vision Quest is a great romantic drama with the talented Matthew Modine and the beautiful Linda Fiorentino in her first screen role..... When a huge wrestling match is up against another school its up to the team leader to get their school the championshi,but he also falls in love with a older woman and soon learns that love is not just a match for wrestling.... This great drama is wonderful to watch over and over again and not only that but it also bought us Madonna's best song ever " Crazy for You"..... So if you are like me and love those romantic dramas then do check this one out!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Bloodier than a butcher's bathroom.
Fresh Samurai Action, Powerful Story, Great Characters
Azumi
So many great ideas, such bland application.
The director's magic comes through scene after scene!

Azumi
Starring: Aya Ueto , Shun Oguri , Hiroki Narimiya , Kenji Kohashi , and Takatoshi Kaneko
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Manufacturer: Urban Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Shinobi - Heart Under Blade
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Ultimate Versus

ASIN: B000IMUYM4
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Customer Reviews:

Bloodier than a butcher's bathroom........2007-06-22

I pretty much enjoyed everything there was to Azumi. For a 2-hour plus film, I never once really felt the running time. It just seemed to pass in a breeze. The only films that feel this way for me are films that have one great scene after another and Azumi delivers exactly that.

Character development, while not slight, takes a backseat to the action and atmosphere. Azumi is an orphan raised by a Samurai master to be an assassin of evildoers. Set in feudal Japan, there are many warlords for Azumi and her fellow assassins to eliminate so they can bring peace to the land. You might think that you've seen enough Sword-fighting movies in the past few years but Azumi really does out-do Kill Bill, House of Flying Daggers and The Last Samurai. Those movies lacked the atmosphere.

Despite a few moments of overblown sound-effects, Azumi is filled with mainly silent sound design with no more than quietly blowing trees or howling wind in the background. The remote wilderness settings and wonderfully balanced photography certainly go well with this irregular sound design. So many movies are all about noise and chaos, it's refreshing to come across one that goes against the grain.

I totally recommend Azumi and I am looking forward to seeing the sequel. I do wish I saw the 143-minute Director's cut however. Don't let subtitles put you off, you're ignoring a whole other world of good movies if you do.

The DVD is in fine-looking 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and a decent amount of extras.

Fresh Samurai Action, Powerful Story, Great Characters.......2007-05-13

I first saw this film at the Sundance Film Festival, where it instantly became one of my favorites that year. I've eagerly awaited its dvd release since. It's a shame it didn't get a theatrical release in the US, because the only true way to see this movie is on the big screen. And because the two big Asian releases (in the US) in recent years, HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, were just big, lush pieces of crap compared to it. AZUMI is up there with OLDBOY and ONG-BAK in terms of originality and fresh action. This is definitely one of those lesser-known movie treasures true fans of the genre like to have in their dvd collection.

AZUMI has stunning fight sequences (and there are enough of them to impress even the most descensitized action fan) backed up by a powerfully emotional story and colorful characters (it has one of the most memorable villians in screen history). And to top it off, the fact that this movie's hero is a cute, young girl, and that she kicks such A**, will cause even the toughest dude in the audience to stand up and cheer for the other side. Highly recommended.

Happy purchasing.

Azumi.......2007-02-09

A great movie and the english track is a plus. Can't wait for part 2 to be made into english.

So many great ideas, such bland application........2007-01-24

Throughout watching this movie there were so many things I found myself saying were really great ideas. First there's the tragic ending to the initial sequence where the young ninja students "graduate" from their childhood training as assassins. The idea here is great, but I just personally think it would have been better used in a movie that took itself more seriously.

Don't get me wrong I love campy movies but here I just found that I would enjoy many parts of this film if it were done with a more serious tone. It'd be like if you took the opening scene from Suicide Circle and put it in a slapstick comedy. The impact that made that scene great would be lost.

There are more scenes like this but that one stuck out the most for me as a wasted opportunity for really great story telling.

Visually this movie looks like a fan film made by/for a bunch of teenage Otaku Renaissance Festival attendants. Again, I don't have a problem with Otaku, Ren. Fests, or fan films but I didn't buy this movie for that. I expected different, and perhaps that's why I didn't enjoy it.

The director's magic comes through scene after scene!.......2006-12-17

WOW! I bought "Azumi" on a lark not knowing anything about it. I was so impressed I am now writing a review! This review is based on the November 2006 release of the "Two Disc Collector's Edition" of "Azumi".

First, I have to admit I have always been a fan of the Japanese hack-and-slash movies. There is a magic in them that I can't explain. When the hero throws a dart over his shoulder, without even looking at the villain, and hits him dead center in the forehead, it sounds cheesy. In "Azumi", the way the director pulls off this kind of stunt, it is pure magic. "Azumi" is full of magic moments.

This is not a film for everyone. Do not show this flick to your under 16 year old kids. Even though it is not rated, it is for a mature audience. Almost every scene has some gore (arms flying off, heads rolling, and blood squirting). On the surface, that sounds awful and will turn lots people off instantly. In this film, the director has inserted his magic and you look past that and buy into the scene.

The conversion from Japanese to English was superb. Five minutes into the movie, you forget they are not speaking English. You watch Aya Ueto's (Azumi's) lips, and you think she is speaking English. I can't speak for the earlier US releases, but the November 2006 release is excellent.

The magic of the director comes through scene after scene. Ryuhei Kitamura (the director) is a genius. The camera angles and the speed up/stop action effects are outstanding. Stop action and live action are melted into one wild ride. The scene where the villain and the hero are fighting on a plank blows your mind. You have to see it to experience it.

"Azumi" is pure non-stop entertainment in magnificent Japanese hack-and-slash magic.

Average customer rating:

Yoga: General Health

Manufacturer: Vision Quest
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul, create the symphony of life. They work wonders in keeping the body healthy and the mind peaceful and the postures are the most comprehensive method of self care. This program teaches: Om Chanting, Tadasana, Aardhakati Chakrasana, Trikonasana, Vajrasana, Badha Konasana, Sarpasana, Ekapada Salabhasana, Matsyasana, Savasana and more.

Average customer rating:

Bushido Blade

The Bushido Blade
Starring: Richard Boone , Sonny Chiba , Frank Converse , Laura Gemser , and James Earl Jones
Director: Tom Kotani
Manufacturer: KOCH VISION
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Samurai Banners
Red Lion
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The Shogun's Shadow

ASIN: B0009H97IK
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry anchored his fleet in the shadow of Mount Fuji in Yokohama Bay. His arrival awoke Japan from a sleep of centuries.

In a feudal society torn between those who wish to move into the modern world and the rebel clans sworn to the "old ways," Perry pushes for a treaty to open the country, which the Shogun agrees to sign. But before the signing can take place, a fanatical group of samurai abducts a gift from the Shogun intended for the U.S. President. It is a national treasure of sacred significance to the Japanese - the great sword known as the Bushido Blade. The treaty cannot be signed until the Blade is recovered. It is an urgent and dangerous quest.

Customer Reviews:

Bushido Blade.......2005-12-12

This is the single most entertaining and moving film I can recall seeing in recent years. This film was unbelievably pathetic on so many levels, ie: historical accuracy, writing, acting, plot, theme,etc., I can't begin to comment. It was entertaining in the sense we were throwing things at OUR screen while correcting all the inaccuracies, poor writing and just plain bad acting. I was moved through a variety of emotions while watching this film, including, anger, disgust, nausea, and shock. No mortal is perfect and we all have to eat but how they EVER got the great Toshiro Mifune involved in this film (and role) has to be the ultimate cinematic mystery of our time. My words may sound "..spiteful.." but they are as true and accurate as I can make them about this embarrassment of an American film.

Exploring Horizons DVD - Vision Quest - Southern Alberta Canada

Average customer rating:

Exploring Horizons DVD - Vision Quest - Southern Alberta Canada

Manufacturer: TravelVideoStore.com
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

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Product Description

From the aerial view to the human perspective, Exploring Horizons travels off the beaten path to the remote corners of the world and finds those places where civilization moved in without taking over. Three stunning seasons cover a cross section of culture, adventure and amazing places that make up our global village. Shot in North America, Central America, South America, Europe & North Africa. Dig deep in the heart of rattlesnake country Buckle into the E-Z Flyer for a hoodoo slalom course Meet the cattle ranchers of the Wild West Explore Devil's Coulee and its incredible dinosaur nesting site...and meet the young paleontologist who discovered it all Bring the tales of long dead civilizations to life Southern Alberta is cattle country, with golden wheat fields and prairie flatlands that rustle up images of the Wild West. It's also a region steeped in ancient history, where voices of the past are as strong as those of the present. Combined, they tell the story of this isolated region throughout time. This show begins in nearby Writing On Stone Provincial Park, exploring by earth and sky: hiking to petroglyphs and pictographs etched on canyon walls, and soaring through the red rock valley of this prehistoric inland sea. Life has prevailed here for millennium, from the days of dinosaurs to the most recent guardians of this ancient land - the cattle ranchers.

Average customer rating:

A CLASSIC TREAT!

The Little Drummer Boy
Starring: Little Drummer Boy
Manufacturer: KOCH VISION
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006G8HF
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Customer Reviews:

A CLASSIC TREAT!.......2004-02-09

Another holiday classic to enjoy that will bring back fond memories of the sixties and or will cause new moments to remember. A treat for all young and old. The aire dates for the sixties are as follows.
NBC 7:30 - 8 Thursday 12/19/68
NBC 7:30 - 8 Thursday 12/18/69
Enjoy this DVD. A collectors must.

Journey: A Personal Exploration with Peter France

Average customer rating:

Journey: A Personal Exploration with Peter France

Manufacturer: Vision Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

amazon.com

It's a journey I never thought I'd make, through experiences I never dreamed I'd have, to a place I still can't quite believe I have reached . . .'

Former BBC Everyman presenter Peter France used to scrutinize religion from the outside. Now the searcher has come inside. Here in seven 15-minute episodes he reveals his own remarkable journey to Christian faith. He takes us from his childhood in a Yorkshire mining village to a time of questioning, skeptism, desperation and planned suicide, from his search for and discover of the truth to his eventual baptism at age 57 on a Greek island.

France's warm, incisive and witty presentation combines with locations around the world to make this a compelling series. His quest gives us an opportunity to look once again at our own experience or search.

amazon.com

Quest for the True Cross is based on the book of the same name by Carsten Peter Thiede and Matthew D'Ancona. In a church in Rome is a piece of wood believed to have been brought back by Helena, mother of the first Christian Emperor, Constantine, in the 4th Century. It is clearly inscribed with the remains of the line, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. When Thiede examined this piece of wood, described as the titulus cruces, or headboard, of Christ's cross, he came to believe that, far from being a medieval fake, it was the real thing. The writing on the board, in three languages, bore all the marks of having been done in the 1st Century. Now, for only the fourth time in six hundred years, the titulus cruces has been removed from its protective covering. It has been examined and filmed in close up. So the film has become a detective story, following all the clues leading to Thiede's and D'Ancona's belief in the authenticity of this relic, and also an account of how the cross came, through Constantine's conversion and his political acuity, the symbol and icon it is today. It is a fascinating and timely story, about a small walnut headboard, which it seems may well have been attached to the true cross immediately before the Crucifixion.

Customer Reviews:

"The Quest . . ." pulls a reasonable case out of abysmal noise........2007-01-08

"The Quest for the True Cross" is an amalgamation and scholarly distillation of the data surrounding the search for and purported finding of the True Cross; that is, the cross upon which Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Although I was predisposed to dismiss this book as make believe, I was ever so incrementally persuaded by the reasonable and remarkable structure given to what I had regularly dismissed as an unfathomable legend. This treatise is a perfect example of the capacity of reason to deduce important meaning even amidst abysmal cultural, historical, and religious noise regarding this subject. The necessarily complex analysis of the long-ignored fragment of the Titulus Crucis, the inscribed headboard of Christ's cross, is compelling. "The Quest" is nothing less than awesome in its methodology and conclusions. A chip off "The Jesus Papyrus."

DVD:

DVD

Martha Argerich and Friends (REGION 1) (NTSC)

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Todd Rundgren - The Desktop Collection and 2nd Wind