The Bank

Starring:David Wenham, Anthony LaPaglia, Sibylla Budd, Steve Rodgers, Mitchell Butel, Mandy McElhinney, Greg Stone, Kazuhiro Muroyama, Andrew Bayly, Thomas Blackburne, Sharon Oppy, Robert van Mackelenberg, Jeff Keogh, Matt Norman, Joshua Jay, Ian Bliss, Holly Myers, Peter Barron, Tanja Bulatovic, Peta Doodson
Director: Robert Connolly
Studio: New Yorker Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

There is only one word that comes close to accurately describing the enchanting Mary Poppins, and that term was coined by the movie itself: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even at 2 hours and 20 minutes, Disney's pioneering mixture of live action and animation (based on the books by P.L. Travers) still holds kids spellbound. Julie Andrews won an Oscar as the world's most magically idealized nanny ("practically perfect in every way," and complete with lighter-than-air umbrella), and Dick Van Dyke is her clownishly charming beau, Bert the chimney sweep. The songs are also terrific, ranging from bright and cheery ("A Spoonful of Sugar") to dark and cheery (the Oscar-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee") to touchingly melancholy ("Feed the Birds"). Many consider Mary Poppins to be the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career--and it was the only one of his features to be nominated for a best picture Academy Award until Beauty and the Beast in 1991. --Jim Emerson

Description

Experience the extraordinary animation, dazzling special effects, and award-winning music of Walt Disney's MARY POPPINS in this fully restored and remastered 2-Disc 40th Anniversary Edition! Join the "practically perfect" Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) for a "Jolly Holiday" as she magically turns every chore into a game and every day into a whimsical adventure. Along the way you'll be enchanted by unforgettable characters such as the multitalented chimney sweep Bert (Dick Van Dyke). Unpack Mary's magical carpetbag full of bonus features, including an all-new animated short, games, and a never-before-heard deleted song. You won't need "A Spoonful Of Sugar" to love every moment of this timeless Disney classic!

Customer Reviews:

Mary Poppins.......2007-06-28

Disney's triumph expertly blends live-action and animation, and boasts a delightful score by the Sherman Brothers, including "A Spoonful Of Sugar", "Chim-Chim-Cher-ee", and "Feed The Birds". Veteran troupers Ed Wynn, Reginald Owen and Arthur Treacher lend colorful support, and Van Dyke is an appealing song and dance man, though his Cockney accent fails him. The real draw of course is the irresistible Andrews, who won the Oscar in her first starring role. Best for younger children, and young-at-heart parents.

Wonderful!.......2007-05-11

We had a flawless transaction on this one. Plus, what a great classic. My wife loves Disney movies and this is one of her all time favorites, so it made a great gift.

SUPER..califragilisticexpialidocious :).......2007-05-10

Absolutely delightful for my just-turned 3 year old daughter. She knows all of the songs and we sometimes just watch the feature which allows you to just play the songs...
I loved this movie as a child and I now really enjoy the movie on a different level as an adult. A classic and must-have in a child's dvd library!

Mary Poppins.......2007-05-09

Wonderful movie, even better on DVD. Just a little bit of sugar helps the medicine go down.

Practically Perfect in Every Way. Until the Last Hour........2007-05-03

There's a stretch of Mary Poppins, from around "The Perfect Nanny" until "I Love to Laugh," that really is perfect. Pure magic. But then that ending just drags and drags. The beauty of the movie, during that enchanting middle section, is that it is spirited and breathtaking, and delivers a message without being preachy. But then, shortly after the gang find themselves laughing to the point that they float to the ceiling, the energy starts to leak out of the movie. I appreciate that attention spans were longer a generation ago. But, two hours and twenty minutes for a children's musical? Could anyone- even back then- have really wanted to watch more of the Banks father being emasculated? There is "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and "Step in Time" to break up the heavy handed morality, and then Mr. Banks' rebirth as a `quality-time' father is demonstrated briefly by his interest in kites. Don't get me wrong. I'm down with the messages: The pursuit of money and status doesn't guarantee happiness. Don't forget to appreciate and nurture your kids. You don't have to sacrifice limit-setting to be playful, and so on. But there's something annoying about having that message remastered, repackaged, and forcefully delivered by the encroaching, ubiquitous Disney colossus.

Mary Poppins does a tremendous piece of family therapy with the Banks. While one can find elements of structural family therapy in her work, she mainly uses a strategic approach, focusing less on insight and understanding and instead adopting a directive and authoritative stance to manipulate the elements of symptoms, metaphors, hierarchy, and power that form the secret language of the Banks family. In fact, there is no better illustration of a paradoxical intervention than when she sings the lullaby "Stay Awake." The late Jay Haley himself must have marveled at her technique. And it is a wonderful talent that allows Mary Poppins the character, as well as Julie Andrews the actress, to act in an authoritarian manner while projecting enough playfulness and charm to secure the alliance with not just the kids but the parents. Magic doesn't hurt the transference either.

Anyway, the stuff that's great is really priceless and well worth it. You should probably slog through the movie all the way at least once, perhaps in a few sittings, but then after that you can select to view just the musical numbers with the kids. Some of the behind-the-scenes bonuses are worth watching. It's always interesting to see how the creative process works, the little serendipitous moments that add up to brilliance.

I think I'm done. I managed to get through this review without saying "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." By the way, "dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupus" is not strictly speaking the same word backwards. They throw in that "rupus" at the end to throw us off, but the rest of it is made up of roots, some of them multisyllabic, intact but in reverse order. Just wanted to mention that.

Average customer rating:

The Greatest
Best Zombie Gift Ever
George A. Romero's original Dawn of the Dead
The best, deepest, richest horror movie ever
AWSOME!!

Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Ted Bank , Tony Buba , Sharon Ceccatti , Pan Chatfield , and Jim Christopher
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Night of the Living Dead

ASIN: B0002IQNAG
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

George Romero's 1978 follow-up to his classic Night of the Living Dead is quite terrifying and gory (those zombies do like the taste of living flesh). But in its own way, it is just as comically satiric as the first film in its take on contemporary values. This time, we follow the fortunes of four people who lock themselves inside a shopping mall to get away from the marauding dead and who then immerse themselves in unabashed consumerism, taking what they want from an array of clothing and jewelry shops, making gourmet meals, etc. It is Romero's take on Louis XVI in the modern world: keep the starving masses at bay and crank up the insulated indulgence. Still, this is a horror film when all is said and done, and even some of Romero's best visual jokes (a Hare Krishna turned blue-skinned zombie) can make you sweat. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest .......2007-07-04

A must have DVD'S
the best George Romero movie...
Ultimate edition is great !!!

Best Zombie Gift Ever.......2007-07-04

I purchased this collection for my husband and he loves it! The packaging is stunning as well.

George A. Romero's original Dawn of the Dead.......2007-07-03

Romero's ghastly sequel to his legendary "Night of the Living Dead" is equally brilliant and perhaps even more unsettling than the first installment. It is also spine-chillingly funny, making blunt comparisons between the dead-eyed, gore-loving zombies and vapid American consumers. (Next time you're at a mall, the impression will be hard to shake.) But for all its satirical wit, "Dead" also features riveting action sequences, culminating in the final showdown involving soldiers, bikers, and endless waves of the undead. Tom Savani's ghoulish effects are not for the faint of heart, so be sure you're in the mood for explicit slaughter.

The best, deepest, richest horror movie ever.......2007-06-23

I wasn't going to write about this movie, because I'm not sure that I really have anything to say about it that hasn't been said by 40 million other people. But as I was creating this site I noticed that nearly every horror review I wrote mentioned it in some way, and I thought I should make some comment on it. I also realized that I would then have to update the links on all those horror reviews. Drat!

The movie opens with chaos at a television station. A talk show is being interrupted as the cameramen and studio people shout at the man being interviewed. This scene, while cleverly delivering crucial exposition, also effectively conveys the panic and disorder overtaking society. There is just something that says "society is falling apart" about a television show, normally so scripted and controlled, devolving into chaos, and behind-the-camera people, whose entire profession depends on being quiet and staying off camera, shouting and disrupting a broadcast.

Even this scene abounds in small details that seem disturbingly true-to-life and while also helping to fill in the backdrop of the world this film is positing. The station manager is broadcasting the locations of rescue stations that he knows have closed, likely sending people to their deaths, because he wants to be seen as purveying hope. One of the cameramen says to Francine [Gaylen Ross] that she should go ahead and leave. He just stands there calmly, and one wonders: why has he given up on himself so easily?

The movie then switches to a housing project overrun with zombies. It begins to focus on a prejudiced cop who is beginning to lose his grip in the face of the rising zombie threat. This sequence is poignant in showing a man who is trying use his own prejudices about another racial group as a way of holding on to reality! Strange, unsettling, but also uncomfortably true-to-life.

You'll just have to get used to the fact that this is all happening accompanied by significant gore.

The four main characters soon assemble in their helicopter and take off. Their aerial perspective allows the film to serve up a lot of exposition about the general state of the country as the zombies take over. In this case we have a bunch of rural folk who seem to be treating the entire thing as some sort of hunting party, having a picnic, kids running around, passing around drinks, and occasionally stopping to shoot a zombie. They are soon joined by a bunch of jovial National Guard folks who essentially do the same. These scenes, including the ones in the television station and housing project, go very far to establish the different ways that the country is responding to the crisis. Compare this to Zack Snyder's 2004 remake, which stayed in the perspective of the main characters from the start and never wavered, thus losing the wider context of the world the main characters are struggling to survive in.

After a brief interlude at a fueling station, our quartet arrive at the shopping mall. Quickly realizing that they could hole up here for a nearly indefinite amount of time in relative safety, they decide to stay. There are a number of survival tableaus and schemes in which the characters essentially "shop," but what interests me most here is the character development.

As they fight zombies to furnish their home in the upper floors of the mall, certain tensions between the characters develop. Stephen [David Enmgee], the helicopter pilot, seems to be jealous that he isn't as cool as the other two guys, and wants to be able to use guns and be cool like them. Scotty [Scott Reiniger] eventually becomes a bit of a daredevil, wanting to show off his skills, which leads him to make some rash decisions that put himself and others in danger. Near the end he becomes more and more mentally unstable and unable to recognize how hyped-up and volatile he is. Meanwhile, Peter [Ken Foree] stays collected, while Francine [Gaylen Ross] slowly becomes more focused and able to handle and protect herself. Romero's zombie movies have always had the distinction of really taking the situation seriously, and providing a lot of attention to the psychological effects the zombie takeover would have on his characters, which make his films richer in both depth and emotional heft, as these characters all have flaws and weaknesses. Some of them overcome them, while some do not. To me, these characters and the way they develop are what set this film apart, and make it truly fascinating. Compare this with the characters in the 2004 remake and how it is shown that they deal with the reality of the collapse of society; they make a game of shooting the zombies that look like celebrities. Whereas the characters in Romero's original bring their neuroses with them into the mall, and he gets a lot of tension and resonance out of how these petty tendencies endure even in the face of the end of the world. The characters in the remake simply get used to their situation and try to pass time. The remake is a great thriller, but just doesn't have the resonance of the original.

A lot of people hate what they consider to be the slapstick comedy that occurs when the bikers invade the mall at the end-particularly the pie-in-the-face scene. It doesn't bother me. In fact, I thought it was a successful continuation of the theme, as it follows the line of degrees of obliviousness to the real threat. We, the audience, by that time, have learned not to underestimate the zombies, and I found it affecting to watch the foolish bikers do silly things like the pie in the face and the blood pressure machine, as it shows the downside to their casual and mocking attitude toward life, and how people with that attitude can really screw things up for others. It also provides a good contrast with the main characters, who may engage in small and petty interests, but in general work together and for a longer-term goal, as opposed to the bikers, who seem to unknowingly risk everything just for an immediate thrill. I find this moving and vital to the film, but I guess to many people a pie in the face can never be anything but slapstick.

The movie ends without much of a resolution-only that the characters must keep moving, trying to survive-but what has come before is so involving, moving, and true-to-life that what sticks in the mind afterward are the characters, their struggles, and the hopelessness that they have fought against, rather than the gore or exploding heads, and that goes a long way toward explaining why this movie is as enduring and resonant as it is.

AWSOME!!.......2007-06-18

This movie is sweet. Tons of Action, terror, gore,humor and a good political message. Gorge A remaro is a genius and you are not a true horror fan if this ones not in your colletion.

Duck, You Sucker (aka A Fistful of Dynamite) (2-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Leone's Meditation on Violence
A Masterpiece Few have seen
What a ride!
My Favorite Leone Film.
Just some additional words....

Duck, You Sucker (aka A Fistful of Dynamite) (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: James Coburn , Rod Steiger , Maria Monti , Rik Battaglia , and Franco Graziosi
Director: Sergio Leone
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

For a Few Dollars More (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
A Fistful of Dollars (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Prince of the City (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Straight Time
If... (Criterion Collection)

ASIN: B000OPOANO
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com

A different sort of Sergio Leone Western, this one takes place during the Mexican Revolution, with more politics than usual. But there's still plenty of action, with Rod Steiger as a cigar-chomping peasant who robs banks to liberate political prisoners, and James Coburn as an Irish terrorist trying to flee from his bitter past. They team up to thwart a sadistic officer and help the cause; redemption for the more subdued Coburn provides added depth. This contains the longer uncut version (released in Italy) known as Duck, You Sucker, featuring more flashbacks, more politics, and a more unsavory Steiger. But it's terrific fun, with Ennio Morricone's moody score and Coburn's most underrated performance. --Bill Desowitz

Customer Reviews:

Leone's Meditation on Violence.......2007-07-04

Those thinking that "Duck, You Sucker" is in the mold of the "Dollars" trilogy and "Once Upon A Time in the West" are in for a rude awakening. The film's setting is not what you would call the traditional West rather revolutionary Mexico in the early part of the 20th century. Like other Leone epics it is deliberately paced but no less effective. Leone isn't so much concerned with taking sides rather the toll revolution takes on a man's soul. The violence and the betrayals of war are an inherent byproduct and they wear on a man's visage. Leone offers two characters as our guides through the chaos: Juan(Rod Steiger), a peasant revolutionary so disgusted by war that his motives now are mostly mercenary and Sean(James Coburn), an escaped IRA munitions expert who hires out his services to the insurgents. Steiger is certainly fine but it's Coburn who steals the show as a man debating within himself why he does what he does. For sure Leone stages alot of thrilling action sequences but it's in the film's quieter moments that offer food for thought. I've seen this film in truncated TV version's under the title of "A Fistful of Dynamite". These versions are generally incoherent and are mainly concerned with the film's pyrotechnics. Avoid these versions if at all possible.

A Masterpiece Few have seen.......2007-06-23

This film disappointed many Leone fans when it came out, because it is not a shoot 'em up like his earlier films. It has plenty of action but is much more cerebral and a character study of two men who are changed by their association with the other. Both try to use the other for their own gain, but in the end, become much wiser and better friends, despite the fact that they start off as enemies.

It has some very valid things to say about leftism and revolutionaries that are as timely today as in 1972.

Yes, Steiger's accent is horrible. He sounds like he is trying to imitate Pacino in Scarface, which came out 10 years later. Coburn's accent is laid on pretty thick. But, once you get past that, and you can, it really is an astounding piece of film making. Something you don't see anymore. While big budget films of today are long on spectacle, they have very little to say that isn't obvious or lame. This film is both intelligent and awe inspiring in some of its sequences.

Further, it's full of subtly and nuance. Something you'd never see in an American film of this scale. Highly recommended. I can watch this film every year without bordom.

What a ride!.......2007-06-22

Finally out on DVD! And with a few new twists from the VHS version, especially the ending -- the final flashback sequence. Of course I got its meaning. Much later after the screening, that is. Will you? A no brainer film like this making me work the final flashback sequence out into the whole of James Coburn's character so that he made some kind of sense in the story. My compliments to Mr. Leone! Incredible acting from James Coburn and Rod Stieger. Yes, Stierger's accent is bad but who cares! The feeling he gives to his character is incredible! Great cinema, many memorable lines, and an enduring film score; one of Morricone's finest. Don't expect anything from this film. It is better that way. Give it room to breath and allow it to take you where it wants to go, and soon you will experience a feeling that you are definately on a ride. And at the film's conclusion you'll have felt as if you had actually been somewhere. If you are a Leone fan this film is not to be missed.
--I can imagine father...
--The people who read the books go to the people who don't read the books and say we want a revolution...
--He acts like a tourist only he's staying...
--I don't want to be a hero of the revolution...
--What about me...

My Favorite Leone Film........2007-06-19

I am a big fan of Sergio Leone. There are no other movies quite like his. His use of wide vistas and extreme close-ups is well known along with a penchant for large scale action set pieces and sudden bursts of violence. As a silent film fan though I admire his lack of dialogue, deliberate pace, and use of music/sound effects to underscore the action and propel the story along. Nowhere is that more in evidence than in GIU LA TESTA (lower your head or keep your head down) known as DUCK, YOU SUCKER which is the middle film in his final trilogy of ONCE UPON A TIME cinematic fairy tales (Leone originally wanted to call this film ONCE UPON A TIME...THE REVOLUTION).
Released in 1972 in a variety of running times and under various titles (A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE in the U.K. and the U.S.), it disappeared quickly and has been unseen in it's original form until the release of this DVD. At 157 minutes it's 37 minutes longer than previous prints and the footage that was cut is of great significance as it provides the heart and soul of the picture and deepens the relationship between the Rod Steiger and James Coburn characters. It also restores the overtly political message of the film about war in general and revolution in particular.
The accents employed by Steiger and Coburn are frequently criticised but that misses the point as they're not meant to be realistic. Everything in Leone is exaggerated deliberately to create the effect he wants. The long pauses, the flashbacks, the larger than life performances are all there to magnify the intensity of the character's emotions and to inspire their reactions to what goes on around them. When Leone's films are cut or rearranged (as his last four films were) it actually makes them seem longer because the grand design has been tampered with and it throws them out-of-sync. While Leone loved the look of American movies he hated their pacing which is the opposite of a storyteller's and that's what he was. His three last films were the prime examples of his skills in that department.
The new widescreen print of DUCK, YOU SUCKER is gorgeous and the sound has been remixed but it's the missing footage that really turns this film from just a spectacular action picture into something far more substantial that will stay with you long after it's over as all of Leone's best movies tend to do. Repeated viewings will only deepen the experience as you just can't get it all in one sitting. For it's offbeat sense of humor, Ennio Morricone's surreal score, the most spectacular train wreck ever filmed, and the surprising depth of Steiger's and Coburn's performances, DUCK, YOU SUCKER, while not his best (that's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST), remains my favorite Sergio Leone film

Just some additional words...........2007-06-18

As finally this grande filme from mestre Serginho has finally arrived to USA in DVD format, most has been said from the various Amazon reviews, and the intrevistas within the DVD itself!
Just to add my own "dos centavos" , two items I note that I feel of additional interest to add

1) Rod Steiger, not the 1st choice for the character , the bandito Juan, and his acting really adds to the film. His "spanish accent" the absolute WORSE, only Al Pacino as Scarface inlater years was as much a "supremo absurdo"! haha! This "accent" adds flavour and more humor to "Juan", and I think a "lucky accident" Eli Wallach (Tuco , from the "good, bad, an ugly") did not get the role. (even as Eli is one of my favourite USA actors, and his portrayal of Tuco "legend" in film histories..)

2) the soundtrack of "Giú la Testa" (the original title I know this film by..),one of the greatest soundtracks of mestre Morricone, and for soundtracks in general. I higly recommend to find and purchase, a wonderful companion to the film.

1000000000 stars for signore Leone, as always, his epic films perfect, "warts and all", as they say...

Field of Dreams (Widescreen Two-Disc Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

Following a Dream
Ray Liotta gives the standout performance in this gem.
It's OK to have Hollywood inspired dreams, but you have to find a way to feed yourself and your family.
A magical journey about making your dreams come true!!!
If you watch it, you will be moved.

Field of Dreams (Widescreen Two-Disc Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Kevin Costner , Amy Madigan , Gaby Hoffmann , Ray Liotta , and Timothy Busfield
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 078322611X
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Amazon.com essential video

A phenomenal hit when it was released in 1989, Field of Dreams has become a modern classic and a uniquely American slice of cinema. It functions effectively as a moving drama about the power of dreams, a fantasy ode to our national pastime, and a brilliant adaptation of W.P. Kinsella's exquisite baseball novel Shoeless Joe. Kinsella himself found the film a delightful surprise, differing greatly from his novel but benefiting from its own creative variations. It is the film that cemented Kevin Costner's status as an all-American screen star, but the story resonates far beyond Costner's handsome appeal. As just about everyone knows by now, Costner stars as Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, who hears the mysterious words "If you build it, he will come," and is compelled to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield. His wife (Amy Madigan) supports the wild idea, but a reclusive novelist (modeled after J.D. Salinger and played by James Earl Jones) is not so easily persuaded. The idealistic farmer is either a visionary or a deluded fool, but his persistence is rewarded when spirits from baseball's past begin appearing on the ball field. Past and present intermingle in the person of "Moonlight Graham" (superbly played by Burt Lancaster), an unknown player who sacrificed his dreams of baseball glory for a dignified life as a small-town physician ... but what all of this means is unclear until the film's memorably heartfelt conclusion. A meditation on family, memory, and faith, the film balances humor and magic to strike just the right chord of thoughtful emotion, affecting audiences so deeply that the baseball field created for the production has now become a mecca of sorts for dreamers around the world. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Following a Dream.......2007-06-23

Field of Dreams, is more than a great Baseball movie, its about following a calling or dream despite what others think. This is a bright movie with great cinamatography. When Joe Jackson appears for the first time is magic. At first i didnt understand why the Black Sox, but soon realized why. You really need to see this and Eight men out to understand. Field of Dreams is a joy for Baseball fans or movie buffs.

Ray Liotta gives the standout performance in this gem........2007-05-26

In my opinion Ray Liotta gave the best performance in this wonderful ensemble of talent. His natural delivery and boyish earnestness gave Field of Dreams a quality rarely seen in cinema today. His performance harked back to Cary Cooper or Jimmy Stewart of the 1930's.

In a magnificently well-written role, Academy Award winner Burt Lancaster, in the twilight of his career, shows why he became a film legend and remained one for almost six decades.

It's OK to have Hollywood inspired dreams, but you have to find a way to feed yourself and your family........2007-02-06

Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) hears voices in his cornfield, "Build it, and they will come". Are there voices in his head, or voices in his field?

Much like, 'Roy', a family man who 'sees' UFOs in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (which to his relief, turn out to be real UFOs) the voices farmer Ray hears turn out to be real too -er voices of ghosts. At least other people begin hearing them too.

"Build it, and they will come"

"Build it" apparently being a baseball field on his farm in Iowa. Now: Ray is having problems paying the mortgage on his farm and apparently he needs all the farmland he can get. Straight out of the story 'Jack and the Beanstalk' Ray builds a magic ballpark on his farm instead of growing corn. This decision ends up causing him to lose the farm later in the movie (tho the magic ballpark looks only big enough to displace, what? a couple hundred dollars worth of corn?).

One could choose to be cynical - in another direction, perhaps, and evaluate this movie by it's effect on baseball ticket prices... Field of Dreams didn't work for me, because the memories I have of baseball are memories of playing little league as a kid, and not watching pro players.

Ray, his family, and the summer-farm do look wonderful. Costner looks at ease in his role. There's no violence or sex in the movie (unless you count Rays' marriage to mean Ray has every guys' dream of sex whenever). Come to think of it, his marriage pretty much explains why there's no violence, either. The problem is, what's fun about watching baseball? That's what we are asked to do in Field of Dreams. Watching ghosts play baseball doesn't seem very meaningful, or believable, or fun. Playing baseball is fun. When you're 12 years old and pile into a wagon for a trip to dairy queen after a win, that's fun. It's something, just belonging to a team, and, sheer joy running the bases. I don't remember losing being that bad either. Perhaps it is dangerous. It hurts if the ball hits you, even if the pitcher's 12 years old. And a bit dangerous too, when you put that mitt over your face to make the catch on a long fly ball. And your feelings could get hurt if you don't perform. Actually, would we even play baseball if there were no audience?

At Rays' farm, ghosts of great baseball players of the past do appear, playing in the magic ballpark before sundown each night.

On the magic field Ray actually meets his dad, a player who died when Ray was very young. Ray is older than his dad. Ray, has become the dad, in a sense, watching the game.

Baseball writer Terry Mann is summoned to the farm by the ghosts and is amazed to watch the old players. Is this baseball heaven? The players don't say much and don't seem to know themselves is this is baseball heaven. They do seem content.

Writer Terry Mann is actually quite old, and the ghosts encourage him to walk across the magic park into the cornfield, to: cross over to the other side. This is the most touching moment in the story. Mann walks happily with the old players into the cornfield and his body slowly fades into mist. This is a touching moment, and, I was trying to believe he was going to baseball heaven, but, just a tiny part of my mind, just a tiny part, was waiting for aliens to come out, or demons to reach up and grab him or something. It's a cornfield in twilight. And to tell the truth, we don't get to see where they are taking Mann, and the ghosts never really do truly explain what they are.

This isn't the climax of the movie tho. Rays' friend: who's been begging Ray to come to his senses and sell the farm, has a change of heart when he sees the ghosts too. He says, "whatever you do Ray, don't sell this farm." Even this isn't the climax of the movie. The climax, is when they see the headlights of distant cars driving toward the farm. Cars filled with people willing apparently to pay money to watch baseball. Money enough to save Rays' family and his farm.

We've come to the movies message: It's OK to have Hollywood inspired dreams, but you have to find a way to feed yourself and your family. So get up and get to work. Or get busy with your hustle, whatever it is you do.

I don't need Hollywood to tell me to get up and get to work. I've already got a boss who does that.

A magical journey about making your dreams come true!!!.......2007-01-23

I saw Field of Dreams in 1989 at the theater with my wife and cried my eyes out at the end of it. She thought I was totally crazy and freaked out over the tears that I was shedding over a movie about baseball. When she asked me what was wrong, I didn't know what to say because I had no control over the tears that were flowing. It surprised me as much as it did her. I've since seen Field of Dreams about twenty-five times, and it's now an American classic. I no longer break out in tears when viewing the film, but my eyes still get kind of watery for the magic of the movie hasn't diminished with time. It's just as powerful now as it was eighteen years ago.

As all of you probably know by now, Field of Dreams deals with an Iowa farmer named Ray Kinsella (played wonderfully by Kevin Costner), who hears a mysterious voice in his cornfield one day, saying the famous words, "If you build it, he will come." Since Ray's the only person who can hear the voice, he has to wonder if maybe he's going just a little bit crazy. As the movie progresses, Ray decides to do what the "voice" wants and plows under a third of his major crop so that he can build a baseball diamond for no apparent reason. Now, everybody in town thinks he's absolutely nuts. His wife, Annie (played by Amy Madigan), sticks by him through thick and thin, but she does worry about how all the mounting bills are going to get paid. In time, however, the ghosts of baseball players from the past appear from out of the cornfield to play on this rather unique ball diamond, including the legendary "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (played by Ray Liotta in one of his first acting roles). The catch here is that only Ray and his family can see the ghosts. With the bank threatening to foreclose on the farm, the "voice" tells Ray to go on a long journey to get a reclusive novelist, Terence Mann (played by James Earl Jones), who lives in Boston and an elderly doctor, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham (played by the late Burt Lancaster), who lives in Minnesota, and to bring them both back to the ball field. What happens after that is for the viewer to find out as the film delves into the emotional need for a special "reunion" and the sheer magic of making your dreams come true.

Let me just say that at the end of the film, the camera rises up to show hundreds of cars approaching the Kinsella farm at night, which is poetic in that it eventually happened in real life. Since 1989, over a million people from all over the world have visited the real Field of Dreams, which is located on the eastern side of Iowa about seven miles outside of Dyersville. This movie not only touched my heart, but evidently the hearts of millions of others. It was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture of 1989. I consider this film to be # 1 on my personal top-10 list because it not only deals with the reunion of father and son, but the possibility that you can actually make your dreams come true if you believe in yourself. This special two-disc anniversary edition is definitely worth the upgrade. I spent the money without a second thought. The first disc contains the complete theatrical release, plus a full-length commentary by its director, Phil Alden Robinson, and the director of photography, John Lindley. The second disc contains a number of featurettes. The first is a thirty-minute get together between Kevin Costner and three baseball stars, Bret Saberhagen, Johnny Bench, and George Brett. They watch the movie at Kevin's house and then discuss their careers in baseball, their sons, and how the movie has affected their lives. The second feature is a look at Galena, Illinois, which was used in the movie to represent the small city where "Moonlight" Graham lived--Chisholm, Minnesota. The third feature is a look at the real Field of Dreams outside of Dyersville, Iowa, and how it's grown since its construction in 1988. This is a great little documentary that discusses how this magical field has affected the hundreds of thousands of people who have visited it over the last fifteen years. The fourth feature is the Bravo show: From Page to Script, which deals with the novel, Field of Dreams, and how it was turned into an Academy Award nominated movie. If you love the film, you're going to enjoy this fifty-minute documentary. You finally get to meet the author of the book, William Kinsella, and to hear how the director, Phil Alden Robinson, began to doubt himself during the making of the film. All in all, this is a very special movie with wonderful behind-the-scenes stuff that certainly adds to the enjoyment of the movie. As Phil Robinson says, though the film didn't win Best Picture of 1989, it turned out to be a movie that literally changes people's lives for the better. That's the big reward for him. Highly recommended.

If you watch it, you will be moved........2007-01-14

I remember first watching this movie with my parents shortly after it came out on video. I was not a fan of baseball and basically thought I'd hate it. Wow was I ever wrong. I absolutely loved the movie. And the music is beautiful. James Horner outdid himself in this movie.

Well when I saw that the two disc anniversary edition was coming out I ordered it right away. The bonus features are great. There's a story on how the movie came to be, a biography on W.P. Kinsella (the author of the book), commentary, and much more.

But those features on the DVD are not why I bought it; I bought it because this movie is just incredible. It makes you believe that the impossible really can happen. The messages that Ray (Kevin Costner) gets give me the chills...the way in which they are delivered is great. 'If you build it, he will come,' 'Ease his pain,' and 'Go the distance.' Well this movie certainly went the distance.

The music is what really makes the movie great. The music we hear towards the end of the movie give me the chills and it just makes me cry...in a good way.

You don't have to like baseball to like this movie. This is a movie with a very special message. I highly recommend it to anyone. You will love it.

Average customer rating:

I really liked it, even more so in HD
Swordfish
Swordfish
Miss Direction Stan
Not worth the price of the breasts

Swordfish
Starring: Carmen Argenziano , Halle Berry , Scott Burkholder , Don Cheadle , and Dean Duval
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CY0V
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Swordfish is a superficial movie, so let's address the superficial facts: Halle Berry was well paid to bare her breasts in this gratuitous cyber-action thriller, and while Berry's many fans will enjoy a cheap drool at the actress's expense, her brief topless scene doesn't justify this insipid parade of glossy violence from the director of 2000's Gone in 60 Seconds. Add yet another notch in John Travolta's bad-movie belt, and you've got Hollywood bankruptcy in full blossom. Go ahead, marvel at director Dominic Sena's biggest money shot--a 360-degree pan as a robbery hostage is blown to bits by a bomb that pelts a surrounding SWAT squad with deadly ball bearings.

The plot, as if it matters: Travolta's a slick, self-appointed antiterrorist who recruits a top-flight computer hacker (Hugh Jackman) to transfer a $9.5 billion government slush fund into a cluster of secret accounts. Berry's the curvaceous bait who lures Jackman into the scheme; Don Cheadle's an FBI agent hot on their tails; and an obligatory subplot turns Jackman's daughter (Camryn Grimes) into an innocent bargaining chip. By the time a hostage transport bus is airlifted in the film's not-so-thrilling climax, Swordfish will hold your passive attention or put you to sleep--it all depends on your tolerance for Sena's brand of derivative bloodlust. It's pornography of a sort, and efficiently mechanical, but you can bet good money that Berry and her costars didn't cash their paychecks proudly. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

I really liked it, even more so in HD.......2007-06-14

I thought this was a great movie anyway, in HD it's even better.

Swordfish.......2007-06-08

Another great job by John Travolta and Hugh Jackman, both are great in this movie... John play such a bad boy so good...

Swordfish.......2007-06-02

Travolta is absolutely insane in this movie. He acts like a psychopath. He is crazy. The other actors aren't fit enough to hold Mr. Travolta's coat. He outperforms them all!! Pure evil genius!!

Miss Direction Stan.......2007-03-29

This movie is great. For one, there is no clear cut good or bad guy. To be honest I believe the reason I like this movie is because I identify with some of the thoughts portrayed by John Travolta's character. With terrorism on everyones mind, Swordfish gives an aggressive response to would be terrorists and those who wish to do harm to America and our interests. To often we trade security for sheer diplomacy, this film shows another way. The acting is great, and panning special effects are stunning. Computers, Robbery, Corrupt Politicians, Fast Cars, Explosives, Big Guns, and ... Halle Berry

Not worth the price of the breasts.......2007-03-09

Well given performances by Don Cheadle, John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, and Halle Berry, breasts notwithstanding (the woman does have undeniable sex appeal, and it's in full swing in this flick). The story does have a flaw when Travolta's character interacts with a certain governmental agent - it just doesn't work for me as a motive. Travolta's greed would have been a much better plot line. Jackman gives a fun performance as a dancing (!) hacker who wants to get his daughter back from, for all you Soprano fans, a very drunken and drugged out Drea. I love the music - Paul Oakenfold, who perfectly catches the action and the drama as it unfolds into the magic of misdirection.

Average customer rating:

intense, fast paced, a mind flip
How did this poorly acted and directed movie get 4.5 stars?
6 Stars Out of 5! The Most Creative and Brilliant Movie Since Godard's Breathless in 1960
Lola's Running
Lola runs well

Run Lola Run
Starring: Franka Potente , Moritz Bleibtreu , Herbert Knaup , Nina Petri , and Armin Rohde
Director: Tom Tykwer
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000021Y77
Release Date: 1999-12-21

Amazon.com essential video

It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting, and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. Run Lola Run, directed and written by Tom Tykwer, is an enchanting balance of pace and narrative, creating a universal parable that leaps over cultural barriers. This is the story of young Lola (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). In the space of 20 minutes, they must come up with 100,000 deutsche marks to pay back a seedy gangster, who will be less than forgiving when he finds out that Manni incompetently lost his cash to an opportunistic vagrant. Lola, confronted with one obstacle after another, rides an emotional roller coaster in her high-speed efforts to help the hapless Manni--attempting to extract the cash first from her double-dealing father (appropriately a bank manager), and then by any means necessary. From this point nothing goes right for either protagonist, but just when you think you've figured out the movie, the director introduces a series of brilliant existential twists that boggle the mind. Tykwer uses rapid camera movements and innovative pauses to explore the theme of cause and effect. Accompanied by a pulse-pounding soundtrack, we follow Lola through every turn and every heartbreak as she and Manni rush forward on a collision course with fate. There were a variety of original and intelligent films released in 1999, but perhaps none were as witty and clever as this little gem--one of the best foreign films of the year. --Jeremy Storey

Customer Reviews:

intense, fast paced, a mind flip .......2007-07-02

What a great movie? I've loved it since the first time I saw it... eight years ago or so. The sound track gets repepetitive at times .. but it's still a wonderful film.

How did this poorly acted and directed movie get 4.5 stars?.......2007-03-23

Since I'm not a customer here I'm using this kid's forum. I'm not a kid by the way.

Anyways, I don't get why this movie is so highly regarded. It was just the most annoying movie I've ever seen. Basically it's the same story about retrieving a lost bag of money repeated three times. It's not like we needed to see shots of Lola running all the time. There are too many crazy cuts between events that don't seem to make much sense. Also, what's with all those cuts when Lola runs past or bumps into any bystander on the streets? How can she have any insight into the pasts of these people and seriously why do we need to know about them? They're not essential to the story. One more thing is why does Lola scream like such a maniac and why does it shatter glass? These are all just failed attempts to make a good arthouse film. It's a poorly acted and directed film unworthy of the praise it gets.

6 Stars Out of 5! The Most Creative and Brilliant Movie Since Godard's Breathless in 1960.......2007-03-23

There are very few films that become instant cult classics such as Godard's 1960 Breathless and the less-than-brilliant Pulp Fiction by Tarantino. Run Lola Run in many aspects tops both these movies in its ability to take an incredibly simple plot and turn it into an exgtravaganza of motion, sound and film-making showmanship that redefines filmography and becomes a genre of its own.

Run Lola Run is a brilliant combination of a very talented cast, extremely creative writing and masterful video and sound editing, which results in one of the greatest masterpieces in modern moviemaking history. I am not getting carried away!

Although the movie is sparse with words, it does an incredible job at providing a unique perspective into the characters lives, sometimes with a single sentence or even just a sequence of camera snapshots:
Lola's mother's only sentence in the movie while holding a glass of wine at home: "clearly, I knew your ascendant was Sagittarius.... But you are married too".

Lola's relationship with her father:
Lola: "if I can't get the money, Manni will die".
Father: "Who is Manni?"
Lola: "My boyfriend for a year now".

We also get a glimpse into random characters' lives through a sequence of camera snapshots, sometimes in a humorous way, all interweaving into the main theme which is the stage and play that we're all part of and how sequences of events change the outcome of the end of the play.

Along the plot line there are several humorous winks and tributes to other movies and books which arguably provided some inspiration to parts of the movie. For instance, Lola's ability to shatter glass with her voice is a direct tribute to German author Gunter Grass's The Tin Drum. A silent scene at the casino provides a tribute to Apocalypse Now. The 3 tries plot may have been inspired by Fritz Lang's 1922 Der Mude Tod, etc.

Regardless if you recognize these tributes, Run Lola Run is a captivating movie where every frame and every note of sound seem to be perfectly orchestrated by a maestro who is conducting this fast paced, brilliant symphony.

Film making at its best! Savor it!

Lola's Running .......2007-03-09

I thought this product was awsome, a classic, cheaply priced, and I recieved item way before the delivery date. Recommend buying movies from this seller. This movie was creative (although it was in subtitles), and equally unique from any of the other movies I found over the internet.

Lola runs well.......2007-03-09

Most of the movies I buy from Amazon are sale priced gems I've seen already. They're additions to a burgeoning home library. As I add additions I screen them to make sure the DVD plays properly. In this instance I screened the movie for co-workers during lunch and dinner breaks. "Lola" was well received by those who had not seen it before. I think it's a terrific example of an alternative (foreign or otherwise) to mega budget (or even mid to low budget fodder) movies especially those with huge stars, and an over abundance of special effects, which play as if they were written for and by marketing robots.

If you can get "Lola" on sale do check it out

From Dusk Till Dawn (Dimension Collector's Series)

Average customer rating:

tarantino lover
Psychos don't explode when sunlight hits them, I don't care how crazy they are!
~I can't get enough of Seth Gecko!~
Possibly the BEST MOVIE EVER!
Vampires and Skin

From Dusk Till Dawn (Dimension Collector's Series)
Starring: Harvey Keitel , George Clooney , Quentin Tarantino , Juliette Lewis , and Ernest Liu
Director: Robert Rodriguez , and Sarah Kelly
Manufacturer: Dimension
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ASIN: B00004RJ74
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Amazon.com

From a match made in heaven comes a movie spawned in hell! Young hotshot director Robert Rodriquez (El Mariachi, Desperado) teamed up with Pulp Fiction auteur Quentin Tarantino (offering his services as writer and co-star) to make this outrageous, no-holds-barred hybrid of high-octane crime and gruesome horror. QT plays Richard Gecko, a borderline psychopath who breaks his career-criminal brother, Seth (George Clooney), out of prison, after which they rob a bank and leave a trail of dead and wounded in their bloody wake. Then they hijack a mobile home driven by a former Baptist minister (Harvey Keitel) who quit the church after his wife's death and hit the road with his two children (played by Juliette Lewis and Ernest Liu). Heading to Mexico with their hostages, the infamous Gecko brothers arrive at the Titty Twister bar to rendezvous for a money drop, but they don't realize that they've just entered the nocturnal lair of a bloodthirsty gang of vampires! With not-so-subtle aplomb, Rodriguez and Tarantino shift into high gear with a nonstop parade of gore, gunfire, and pointy-fanged mayhem featuring Salma Hayek as a snake-charming dancer whose bite is much worse than her bark. If you're a fan of Tarantino's lyrical dialogue and pop-cultural wit, you'll have fun with the road-movie half of this supernatural horror-comedy, but if your taste runs more to exploding heads and eyeballs, sloppy entrails and morphing monsters, the second half provides a connoisseur's feast of gross-out excess. Bon appétit! --Jeff Shannon

Description

It's nonstop thrills when George Clooney (THE PERFECT STORM, THREE KINGS) and Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION) star as the Gecko brothers -- two dangerous outlaws on a wild crime spree! After kidnapping a father (Harvey Keitel -- U-571) and his two kids (including Juliette Lewis -- NATURAL BORN KILLERS), the Geckos head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety. But when they face the bar's truly notorious clientele, they're forced to team up with their hostages in order to make it out alive!

Customer Reviews:

tarantino lover.......2007-05-28

The movie itself is five stars. I love it. The one star is for the lousy non-anamorphic transfer. All other Tarantino movies have been transfered in anamorphic except this one. WHY??

Psychos don't explode when sunlight hits them, I don't care how crazy they are!.......2007-05-27

I was lucky enough to see this masterpiece in the theaters without any prior knowledge of the madness to come. Flying blind into this movie is the best way to go if you can, it blew me away!
Before the opening credits roll, the movie starts in crazy fashion. Just a lazy afternoon at a country liquor store, where the locals are swapping tales. This quickly turns into a bloodbath with microwave popcorn popping from the flames of the scorched store clerk.
Quentin's signature is all over the first half of this film. Good action, witty dialogue, awesome character development. Clooney is perfect as the tough, cocky bank robber. Tarrantino plays his sex offender brother a little too well for comfort. As they're being hunted by the cops, the two kidnap a family and head for Mexico.
Once they're south of the border, Rodriguez takes the story's reins and turns everything upside down with a gruesome battle against zombie-vampires. It's just outrageous crazy fun! At the theater, I was so completely shocked by this drastic turn of events, I had trouble breathing. But my girlfriend at the time was plain irritated, she needed more normalcy to enjoy it, I guess.
The only movie I can remember having such a different second half would be Million Dollar Baby. From Dusk til Dawn didn't get the Oscar recognition like that movie, but it's a lot more fun! A must own for the fellas.

~I can't get enough of Seth Gecko!~.......2007-05-10

This is my all time favorite George Clooney movie. The action never seems to die in this movie. I loved George Clooney as Seth Gecko. You've gotta buy this movie if your a fan of George Clooney.

Possibly the BEST MOVIE EVER!.......2007-04-24

BEST MOVIE EVER????? How can I make such an outrageous claim? Simple.

1. Solid action tale of criminals and abductions...with the Quentin Tarnetino flavor.

2. Boobs. I'm talking to you guys...that's right! They end up at a strip clubs and you get to see all kinds of boobs! Just when this movie gets good...it gets better...everyone loves boobs!

3. VAMPIRES! Can this movie be any cooler????? First action, then boobs, now we get vampires and the biggest, baddest vampire fight you ever saw. The freakin strippers turn into freaking VAMPIRES! This great movie just keeps getting better! What more could you ask for!

As you can see from these three points...this quite possibly the greatest movie ever made. Thank you.

Vampires and Skin.......2007-03-08

If you like blood and vampires and of course nked woman this is a must see. Very good detail and awesome scenes.

It's a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

It certainly is a Wonderful Life!
It's a Wonderful Life
Quintessential christmas movie
It Was Indeed a Wonderful Life!
A Timeless Classic

It's a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: James Stewart , Donna Reed , Lionel Barrymore , Thomas Mitchell , and Henry Travers
Director: Frank Capra
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B000HEWEJO
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Amazon.com essential video

Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton

Description

George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all - and it's Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn't been for all of his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget suicide?

Customer Reviews:

It certainly is a Wonderful Life!.......2007-06-27

Not only do I own this movie, I have the board game as well. No Christmas season is complete without at least one viewing of this classic movie. It stresses the idea of being grateful for what you have and seeing the silver lining in any given situation. Children of all ages should watch this one every year.

It's a Wonderful Life.......2007-06-25

The quintessential Frank Capra film and a heartwarming holiday treat year in and year out, "Life" is the ultimate optimistic statement on the value of love, life, and community. Capra's masterful handling of the bittersweet storyline--in which Bailey sacrifices his own dreams to run the family savings-and-loan business and keep his hometown of Bedford Falls out of Potter's greedy paws--is pure Hollywood magic. Reed and Barrymore give exceptional performances, but Stewart, in one of his all-time great roles (a personal favorite), is the dynamic, all-too-human force holding it all together. Revived in the '70s after languishing in copyright limbo, "Life" is nostalgic and achingly sentimental, but doesn't shrink from portraying the dark side of American life. If "Zuzu's petals" don't put a lump in your throat, wait till a revivified George finds a special