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Starring:Sarah Lancashire, Stephanie Cole, Jessica Fox, Kate David, Skye King, Kaye Wragg, Jack Pierce, Martin Ball, Rosemary Leach, Jenny Higham, Joan Blackham, Adrian Lukis, Danny Worters, Jeremy Peters, David Kincaid, Jasper Holmes, Joe Johnson
Director: Simon Massey (II)
Studio: Bfs Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

A delightful undersea world unfolds in Pixar's animated adventure Finding Nemo. When his son Nemo is captured by a scuba-diver, a nervous-nellie clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) sets off into the vast--and astonishingly detailed--ocean to find him. Along the way he hooks up with a scatterbrained blue tang fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who's both helpful and a hindrance, sometimes at the same time. Faced with sharks, deep-sea anglers, fields of poisonous jellyfish, sea turtles, pelicans, and much more, Marlin rises above his neuroses in this wonderfully funny and nonstop thrill ride--rarely does more than 10 minutes pass without a sequence destined to become a theme park attraction. Pixar continues its run of impeccable artistic and economic success (their movies include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc). Also featuring the voices of Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, and Allison Janney. --Bret Fetzer

Description

From the Academy Award(R)-winning creators of TOY STORY and MONSTERS, INC. (2001, Best Animated Short Film, FOR THE BIRDS), it's FINDING NEMO, a hilarious adventure where you'll meet colorful characters that take you into the breathtaking underwater world of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to Marlin (Albert Brooks), his worrisome father, and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang fish, to make the epic journey to bring Nemo home. Their adventure brings them face-to-face with vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more. Marlin discovers a bravery he never knew, but will he be able to find his son? FINDING NEMO's breakthrough computer animation takes you into a whole new world with this undersea adventure about family, courage, and challenges. Take the plunge into FINDING NEMO, a "spectacularly beautiful animated adventure for everyone" -- David Sheehan, CBS-TV

Customer Reviews:

DO NOT BE CORRUPTED BY THIS MOVIE!!!.......2007-06-05

The movie was a little boring and looked really fake. You could tell it wasn't real and was just a bunch of silly puppets. I hope the kids that watch it don't really think fish can talk. Most of the movie is scientifically inaccurate. At one point there are a lot of "baby" fish. These fish appear, no, not as fry or something else that makes sense, but as slightly smaller versions of the adult. After this, these "baby" fish climb onto the back of a stingray (a predatory animal that should be eating them" who is their "teacher" he swims around and sings songs while the "baby" fish ride on his back. Other associations appear in this movie that I doubt have ever been observed in the wild. At one point, a clown fish is talking to a seahorse and an octopus, two of which only associate with their own kind, and one of which will kill anything to get within several feet of it! Does this happen in the movie? NO!

However, what I find most disturbing is not the numerous scientific inaccuracies, but the fact that most people that view this movie regard it as a documentary on ocean life. I have seen kids at the aquarium pointing at fish and referring to them as a "Nemo" or a "Dori".

Anyway, the stingray teacher manages to lose the baby clown fish (big surprise, what do you expect with a stingray for a teacher, you're lucky he didn't eat the kid!). And the clown fish gets captured and put into an aquarium in a dentists office with, yes more talking fish, but just wait! In this tank, there are also talking shrimp, and even a talking Starfish.

OK, now talking fish is one thing. They may not have lungs or vocal chords to produce speech, and not even close to sufficient cognitive function, but at least they're vertebrates! But having an animal without even a brain talking!? That's just ridiculous! And speaking the same language as the fish!

Now, yes, there have been strange things in Disney movies before. In Alice in wonderland there are talking flowers, and even a talking slug that smokes opium. However, Alice in Wonderland is the delusion of a madman, and does not take place in the natural world. Hence the name "Wonderland". However, does Finding Nemo take place in "Wonderland"? NO! It takes place in the Great Barrier reed, just outside Australia! Did the maker think "Well, nobody that watches this movie has been to Australia, so they won't know that the fish don't talk there"? I don't know what he was thinking, but I wasn't fooled! I personally have been to Australia, and the fish do NOT talk there! this movie makes no sense and is in no way entertaining.

After that, the fish attempt to make their tank dirty by clogging the filter, in which they succeed. However, the maker of this film has obviously never kept saltwater fish before. If he had, he would realise that after living without a filter for more than an hour, every fish in the tank would be dead. Does this happen? NO! The tank just gets really dirty and the fish remain just as alive as ever! I couldn't take it any more. I walked out of the theater after that.

Do not regard this movie as factual! Do not take your children to see this movie! This is one of the WORST places to get information about fish. Do not be fooled by this movie or the numerous other positive reviews!

For the kids, mainly.......2007-06-05

Adults usually write the reviews here so from an adult perspective, this film is not as rich as Monsters nor the Toy Story films. Those had many in jokes and adult themed gags. I would say that Nemo is entertaining enough to see once, maybe twice, but adults will tire of it soon.
Kids are another matter. It is cute, colorful, and entertaining. My only caution is that my son didn't like the lost mom and separation from dad plots. Most of us grew up on Disney films which always had lost parents though. I don't expect it to cause any major trauma, but more sensitive kids will be sad during those parts. The humor is gentle and okay for tots.

Lighten Up!.......2007-06-04

As far as this sounds, I read the bad reviews. "Finding Nemo" IS NOT as bad as the others who watched it say it is. Let me show some advice. So, Dory has "short-termed-memory-loss," so, Nemo has the "lucky fin," so, Marlin is an over-protective, cowardly clownfish, SO, WHAT?! Everybody likes this movie just the way it is. Try to find this movie in a good way. I did.

Nemo's good, Monsters is better.......2007-06-01

Finding Nemo is a cute movie for sure. Ellen Degeneress lends her voice and makes is a funny movie. Nemo is vivid with beautiful colors, and again, is cute, but lacks some of the creativity of Toy Story, and Monsters, Inc. The story does have an underlying deep meaning which I can totally appreciate.

Nemo.......2007-05-29

This movie will work well with my Spanish students. It is a story they may know and one they will enjoy. It provides a good listening to the target language experience for them. Product was in great shape.

The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made
Couldn't be happier
Disturbing for a G rated Movie
There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz...........

The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Judy Garland , Frank Morgan , Ray Bolger , Bert Lahr , and Jack Haley
Director: Victor Fleming , Mervyn LeRoy , and King Vidor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)
Cinderella (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Platinum Edition)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Special Edition)
Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)
Lady and the Tramp (50th Anniversary Edition) (Platinum Edition)

ASIN: B000ADS63K
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com essential video

When it was released during Hollywood's golden year of 1939, The Wizard of Oz didn't start out as the perennial classic it has since become. The film did respectable business, but it wasn't until its debut on television that this family favorite saw its popularity soar. And while Oz's TV broadcasts are now controlled by media mogul Ted Turner (who owns the rights), the advent of home video has made this lively musical a mainstay in the staple diet of great American films. Young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and her three companions on the yellow brick road to Oz--the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger)--have become pop-culture icons and central figures in the legacy of fantasy for children. As the Wicked Witch who covets Dorothy's enchanted ruby slippers, Margaret Hamilton has had the singular honor of scaring the wits out of children for more than six decades. The film's still as fresh, frightening, and funny as it was when first released. It may take some liberal detours from the original story by L. Frank Baum, but it's loyal to the Baum legacy while charting its own course as a spectacular film. Shot in glorious Technicolor, befitting its dynamic production design (Munchkinland alone is a psychedelic explosion of color and decor), The Wizard of Oz may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it's required viewing for kids of all ages. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
The Wizard of Oz DVD released in 1999 was loaded with extra features, but it's now safe to throw away that version in all its cardboard-package glory in favor of this new two-disc edition. First things first: All the bonus material from the earlier disc is there (with one small exception). That includes the Angela Lansbury-hosted documentary The Making of a Movie Classic; the outtakes and deleted scenes, including Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" reprise and the home-movie recording of "The Jitterbug"; the sketches and stills and composer Harold Arlen's home movies; the audio underscores and radio programs; the 1979 interviews with Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, and Jack Haley; and other items too numerous to mention. (Some text introductions to the features have been replaced by narration by Lansbury, for whatever reason.) Brand-new to the 2005 edition is a sharp restoration using Warner's Ultra Resolution process and an accompanying featurette on how it's done. The technicians also discuss how the sound was remixed, though that would have been more effective had it included surround-sound demonstrations (the featurette is in 2.0). Other features on the new set include a commentary track by critic John Fricke supplemented by vintage cast interviews (he offers a lot of trivia, and debunks the myth that Shirley Temple was ever close to getting the Dorothy role); profiles of nine cast members and clips of other movies they appeared in (including Toto); a lightly animated 10-minute storybook again narrated by Lansbury; 2001 and 2005 behind-the-scenes featurettes; and a 1950 Lux Radio Theater broadcast. Oh, and if you were still wondering about the missing material mentioned above--the 1999 disc included one-minute excerpts of three early treatments of The Wizard of Oz. Those excerpts are not included in the two-disc special edition, but the third disc of the three-disc collector's edition includes the complete versions of those treatments and more. --David Horiuchi

Description

An All-New Wizard of Oz With State of The Art Ultra-Resolution Picture Quality and Over 10 Hours of Bonus Extras.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by John Fricke and multiple cast and crew members.
Biographies:We Haven't Really Met Properly - includes 9 orginal cast biographies
Deleted Scenes:If I Only Had a Brain; If I Only Had a Heart; Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Over the Rainbow; The Jitterbug
Documentary:Memories of Oz -2001 TCM documentary
Featurette:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook; Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz; The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz; Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz
Music Clips:Audio Vault Includes: Over the Rainbow; Munchkinland Medley Rehearsal Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Sequence Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Voice Tests; If I Only Had a Brain; We're Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Heart; If I Only Had the Nerve/We?re Off to See the Wizard; Emerald City/The Merry Old Land of Oz; If I Were King of the Forest; The Jitterbug; Over the Rainbow/Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Kansas Underscoring; Munchkinland Underscoring; and more
Music Only Track
Newsreel:Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Excerpt - 1939 newsreel
Other:Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power - 1938 MGM short; Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo; Good News of 1939 Radio Show; 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
Photo gallery:Oz on Broadway; Pre-MGM; Sketches and Storyboards; Costume and Make-up Tests; Richard Thorpe's Oz; Buddy Ebsen; Oz Comes to Life; Behind the Scenes; Portraits; Special Effects; Post Production; Deleted Scenes; Original Publicity
TV Special:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic - 1990 TV special
Theatrical Trailer:1939 What is Oz? Teaser; 1940 Loews Cairo Theater Trailer; 1949 Re-issue Trailer; 1949 Grownup Re-issue Trailer; 1970 Children's Matinee Re-issue Trailer; 1998 Warner Bros. Re-issue Trailer; Texas Contest Winners [1939 trailer]

Customer Reviews:

Wizard of Oz.......2007-06-21

What makes this quintessential fantasy musical the immortal spectacle it is has as much to do with the spirited songs (Garland's signature "Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut!) and heel-clicking dance numbers as it does the phenomenal storyline, lavish Technicolor sets, and punchy performances by the entire cast. For sheer entertainment, you can't beat Ray Bolger's rubbery legs, Bert Lahr's boastful bluster, and Margaret Hamilton's frightening green face, not to mention warbling Munchkins, flying monkeys, an Emerald City, and one highly coveted pair of ruby slippers. King Vidor directed the black-and-white Kansas sequences that bookend the film, but Fleming helmed the rest and took sole credit. Amazingly, the film flopped at the box office, but has since become the most beloved children's classic of all time. If ever a wiz there was, The Wizard of Oz is definitely it.

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made.......2007-06-18

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made, staring the world's best performer; Judy Garland!

Couldn't be happier.......2007-06-18

My DVD arrived on-time, and it is in perfect condition.

Disturbing for a G rated Movie.......2007-06-14

This G rated classic is also pretty disturbing because it's too scary a movie for little kids. It scared the crap out of my mom. I wasn't scared but it disturbed me the racist anti-pilgrim content in it as well as it's loaded with subliminal messages. It's sequel Return to Oz is even more disturbing containing even more subliminal messages. They should've made this animated because the wicked witch scenes are very unholy and not kosher, not quite on a level with The Exorcist but like The Holwing II. Too campy for me to be genuinely disturbing not it's just unholy and too morbind for it's intended younger audiences. It's still a 5 star classic.

There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz..................2007-06-11

Growing up in the 60's and early 70's my small town had access to three television channels - and two of them carried shows from the same network! The annual showing of THE WIZARD OF OZ in those pre video days was an eagerly anticipated event for kids that was discussed for days before and after even by jaded fifth and sixth graders. I recently watched the film again with my own child and was amazed by how well the story and the whole production holds up. The film has much to offer still in terms of memorable songs and characters and it is so fun to find the humdrum citizens of Dust Bowl Kansas having fantasy counterparts in surreal OZ. No wonder this movie is and will remain a film legend.

Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete First Season

Average customer rating:

Stands the test of time...
John Travolta's journey to superstardom!
Excellent 70's show
UP your Nose with laughter
Welcome back to a revolutionary show

Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete First Season
Starring: Gabe Kaplan , John Travolta , Ron Palillo , Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs , and Robert Hegyes
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

One Day at a Time - The Complete First Season
Happy Days - The Complete Second Season
WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete First Season
CHiPs - The Complete First Season
The Odd Couple - The First Season

ASIN: B000NJMJHA
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

Travel back to a time when sitcoms were recorded live on tape before a studio audience and dialogue was dominated by nonsensical catch phrases, like "Up your nose with a rubber hose!" and "Off my case, potato face!" The year was 1975. Saturday Night Fever had yet to make John Travolta a star, and stand-up comedian-turned-creator Gabe Kaplan had yet to become a late-night poker mainstay. Welcome to four years at Brooklyn's Buchanan High School.

Along with What's Happening, Welcome Back, Kotter was what the cool kids were watching--just as their kids would turn to Freaks and Geeks in the years to come. Unlike the teens of Happy Days, Buchanan's remedial students aren't polite preppies, but slang-slinging hooligans. Gabe Kotter (Kaplan) serves as home-room teacher to a "pack of howling baboons" led by Vinnie Barbarino (Travolta), Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo), Freddie "Boom-Boom" Washington (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), and self-described Puerto Rican Jew Juan Epstein (Robert Hegyes) Their adversary: Vice Principal Woodman (John Sylvester White), who lives to put a kibosh on their high jinks--just as he did when Kotter was a Sweathog in the 1960s.

Other regulars include Kotter's wife, Julie (Marcia Strassman, who hosts the featurette "Only a Few Degrees from a Sweathog"), and Rosalie "Hotzy" Totzy (Mary Hartman's Debra Lee Scott). At the time, Welcome Back, Kotter was more than just a show. It was a cultural phenomenon, spawning lunch boxes, schoolyard taunts, and the like. In retrospect, the jokes are cornier than ever, but the anything-goes spirit--crazy costumes and musical numbers--is hard to resist. At least that's true of the first three seasons. By the fourth, Travolta and Kaplan became scarce, and Kotter ran out of steam. Rest assured, though, that John Sebastian's clap-happy, chart-topping theme remains as catchy as ever. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Mr. Kotter, meet the Sweathogs, the goofiest group of remedial students who ever set off the fire alarm two minutes before a test or spent algebra class constructing spit wads. Sweathogs, meet Mr. Kotter, a former Sweathog who's returned to his old high school as your new teacher. Gabriel Kaplan stars as Kotter and John Travolta, in his breakthrough role, plays Sweathog leader Vinnie Barbarino in this multicultural, multicomical 1970s smash hit set at Brooklyn's James Buchanan High School. Join them plus jivin', high-fivin' Freddie Washington, tough-guy Juan Epstein and peppy pipsqueak Arnold Horshack for all the Season One fun - or it's up your nose with a rubber hose!

DVD Features:
Featurette:The shows cast and creators reflect on the influence of the show, their personal experiences and memorable moments
Other:Actors' Original Screen Tests

Customer Reviews:

Stands the test of time..........2007-06-28

Ah, simpler times. Watching the first season of Welcome Back, Kotter and hearing the strains of John Sebastian's theme music after all these years, takes one back to a time when John Travolta was just starting out (before Grease and Saturday Night Fever made him a superstar). The success of the show made him a star and you can see it in his performance - he steals practically every scene he's in. However, the show was co-created by Gabriel Kaplan and based largely on real people he knew growing up in Brooklyn and would riff on in his stand-up routines before being discovered.

Mr. Kotter and his wife, Julie (Strassman) live modestly (he's a struggling new teacher after all) in a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with a sofa bed which gives this sitcom a touch of realism that was popular in the 1970s (see All in the Family). Each episode is bookended by Gabe telling Julie a funny story about a member of his family that feels like a stand-up bit complete with a cheesy punch-line that takes us to the opening or closing credits. The attention to realism continues in the classroom with grimy walls adorned with graffiti - exactly as you would expect a tough, Brooklyn high school classroom would be. It is a sharp contrast to the silliness of the storylines and escapades of the Sweathogs.

The show has one of the catchiest theme songs in the history of T.V. It was composed and performed by John B. Sebastian (formerly of The Lovin' Spoonful). It is simple yet effective with riffs and lyrics that stick in your head in such a way that it is impossible not to find yourself humming it hours afterwards.

Welcome Back, Kotter would go on to influence future sitcoms like Head of the Class that ended up replacing the Sweathogs with brainiac kids and softened any edges to reflect the conservative 1980s. More recently, one only has to look at Ashton Kutcher's Kelso in That `70s Show to see him basically playing a Vinnie Barbarino for the New Millennium.

The first disc includes a retrospective featurette entitled, "Only a Few Degrees from a Sweathog" hosted by Marcia Strassman. There are new interviews with all of the Sweathogs minus Travolta (big surprise, there), Strassman and Kaplan (time has not been kind to him...ouch!). The Sweathogs actors talk about the quick success of the show, how they were cast and some of their experiences on it. However, this featurette lacks the depth and the dirt dished on the two-hour E! True Hollywood Story that aired several years ago. Hopefully, this will be included on a future release.

The third disc includes the original screen tests for all the Sweathogs and Strassman. It's pretty obvious why these actors were cast as they all nail their respective characters by inhabiting them so well. Interestingly, Robert Hegyes tried out for Barbarino but he just doesn't do it the kind of justice that Travolta did.

John Travolta's journey to superstardom!.......2007-06-26

This four-season ABC sitcom marks John Travolta's journey to superstardom. Although he was not first-billed like Gabriel Kaplan,Travolta was indeed the star. Travolta's exposure from this series made him a teen idol and landed him a film career which continues today. The theme,simply entitled WELCOME BACK,was written and performed by John B. Sebastian,who also wrote many songs recorded by his 60's pop band Lovin' Spoonful. This series was based on Kaplan's real-life experiences at Brooklyn,New York's James H. Buchanan High School. Kaplan even co-created the series with Alan Sacks. Kaplan is Gabe Kotter,a special education instructor with four students:Vinnie Barbarino(Travolta),Arnold Horshack(Ron Palillo),Juan Epstein(Robert Hegyes) and Washington(Lawrence Hilton Jacobs). Gabe labeled his students as "sweathogs". Vinnie was tough,verbally and physically. Marcia Strassman is Julie Kotter,Gabe's wife. Before the opening montage played,there would be Gabe and Julie at their home in private conversation. Interestingly,Hegyes was born in Perth Amboy,New Jersey,like I was and Travolta is a NJ native himself,hailing from Engelwood. Kaplan is a stand-up comedian as well and occasionally still performs today. Strassman later co-starred opposite Rick Moranis in the Disney films HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS and its sequel HONEY I BLEW UP THE KID. During the 1975-79 run of WBK,Travolta did his first three starring films SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER,GREASE and MOMENT TO MOMENT,the latter with Lily Tomlin. He bowed out after the third season to concentrate on his film career. Travolta's other hit films include URBAN COWBOY,STAYING ALIVE(sequel to SNF),LOOK WHO'S TALKING,the Oscar-winning PULP FICTION,GET SHORTY and PRIMARY COLORS. During Travolta's teen idol era,he became a recording artist also,having a Philly-soul hit in 1976,LET HER IN. Travolta's other hit recordings are GREASED LIGHTNIN',YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT and SUMMER NIGHTS,all from GREASE and the latter two are duets with his co-star Olivia Newton-John. Gabe garnered other sweathogs after Vinnie's departure,some of them female. This was an unforgettable sitcom,despite its not-too-lengthy tenure on the air.

Excellent 70's show.......2007-06-22

I was raised on this show. Perfect TV, the first season is probably the best, but lets hope the others are as well.

UP your Nose with laughter.......2007-06-18

If you want to laugh and keep laughing, this is the DVD box set for you

Welcome Back Kotter was a cross between the Blackboard Jungle mixed with the Marx Brothers and Burns & Allen. The jokes were recycled Marx Brother msterial, but Gabe Kaplan (who created this show with Alan Sacks, based this on his stand up act) and crew made this stuff work.

And by crew, I mean actors John Travolta (pre Saturday Night Fever/Grease), Robert Hegyes, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and Ron Palillo (as his students-the Sweathogs), Marcia Strassman (as Julie Kotter) and John Slyvester White (as Mr. Woodman). These actors keep this pace fun and well timed

A friend remarked I have not laughed that hard in years..and so will you. This perfect Family fare for all ages. It may be from 1975, but you could run it today and everyone would still enjoy it, GREAT STUFF

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Welcome back to a revolutionary show.......2007-06-16

So many sitcoms produced in the 1970's attempted to address `real life' issues and emergent social trends, and did an overall good job with that heady charge. You watch the shows and instantly know they were produced in the 1970's--there is no second guessing their era of production. Yet, because the `current issues' and/or terms of debate have largely since changed, those same shows now appear dated when trying to be viewed today

However. our nation's current emphasis on standardized testing and high scores as a measure of all achievement ironically ensures that Mr. Kotter and the antics of his sweathogs are readily welcomed back onto your TV screen today! Nothing has changed.

Having been in special education myself and now seeing my friends return as special education teachers, I know that this series still speaks to our own experiences--even though we graduated high school in the 1990's and they are now teaching in the 21st century. When this show originally ran, special education had just been authorized in the United States and the idea that students with disabilities were entitled to a free public education honestly was far more `radical' than it is today.

He's not wearing an armband or button, but Mr. Kotter is every bit the `countercultural hero' just for wanting to give his students the very same quality of education which his teachers and the school principal (ironically now his employer) had once denied to him--and for still being `outside the system' he gets picked on by the establishment' in a couple of episodes.( "Mr. Kotter. Teacher", "Mr. Kotter Makes Good"). Recognizing he is their advocate, the sweathogs stick up for Mr. Kotter.

22 episodes make up this 1975-1976 season. "Father Vinnie" is a good episode because Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta) attempts to honor the dying request of his grandmother and become the quintessential Italian priest. However, our teenage ladies man discovers that being true to himself means that he will not then be able to successfully fulfill this obligation. It's still funny seeing John Travolta looking so young in this show! Travolta was then being marketed as a `teen heartthrob' but he's had the last laugh on everybody with a very long and successful acting career, replete with substantial acting roles.

I also like "The Telethon" because it raises the specter (especially in those early years) of how special education classes recieved their funding (if at all). Requiring a school to have remedial classes is nice, but then how will the eligible students receive the education to which they are entitled to let alone what quality of education can those students recieve without an appropriate amount of money being allocated to run the programs? A program without sufficient money essentially does not exist.

Like "Dr. Epstein, I Presume" a misguided high school guidance counselor had only seen my own future in terms of my disability rather than my specific capabilities and career interests. "Arrividerci, Arnold" echoed the sense of loss everybody sincerely felt upon somebody's promotion out of the remedial program because being an `outcast' inadvertently had forced us to become a very close-knit family! Watching both episodes honestly was like revisiting my own high school experiences during the 1990's.

Obviously this show remains good entertainment. I'm seriously convinced that it also should be an essential component of current teacher education curriculums across the country, particularly for those who are considering entering the field of special education.

Yes, there obviously were some changes, but so many issues discussed in this series continue to cross-over. Watching a couple of episodes could provide today's teacher education students with an opportunity to launch into a discussion about how society's definitions of `smart' and `success' consequently impact the classroom environment and student capabilities.

Average customer rating:

wonderfully clean laughter
Critics should be flushed away
Excellent for the whole family!!
Great Characters
Flushed Away

Flushed Away (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Hugh Jackman , Kate Winslet , Ian McKellen , Bill Nighy , and Jean Reno
Director: Henry Anderson , David Bowers , and Sam Fell
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Animated
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Open Season (Widescreen Special Edition)
Happy Feet (Full Screen Edition)
Charlotte's Web (Widescreen Edition)
Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
Over the Hedge (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000M343BC
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

Flushed Away is a rip-roaring nautical adventure with a twist: The heroes are a pair of rodents braving the sewers underneath London. Roddy (voiced by Hugh Jackman) is an upper-crust house-mouse who finds himself flushed into the subterranean sewers. Eager to return to his posh home, he enlists the help of a boat-captain rat named Rita (Kate Winslet), who has troubles of her own; namely the kingpin of the underworld, the Toad (Ian McKellen), and his henchmen including the French mercenary Le Frog (Jean Reno).

While technically Flushed Away could be considered part of the wave of celebrity-voiced, anthropomorphic-animal movies that hit in 2005-2006 (Madagascar, Over the Hedge, The Wild, etc.), it doesn't inspire the same sense of déjà vu. For one thing, its voice actors are less recognizable than the likes of Bruce Willis and Chris Rock. For another, its look is very distinctive. Like Nick Park's Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, it's a joint production of DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features, and although Park isn't involved, it retains his trademark blocky look of clay animation. But animating the movie by computer rather than by hand allows for some eye-popping tableaux, such as floodwaters rushing through the sewers and an entire town of little animated characters. It's a crazy thrill ride loaded with inside jokes and enough crude humor to earn a PG rating, and the band of singing slugs is also a hoot. --David Horiuchi

On the DVD
It's no surprise that the singing slugs are the stars of the DVD's bonus features. They're featured in two music videos (less than a minute total), and in a 13-minute segment an Aardman animator builds a slug out of plasticine. (In contrast, the lesson on drawing Roddy is a mere two minutes.) A song jukebox jumps to 10 musical points in the film, though the non-slug background music isn't really worth the jump. On the human side, there are eight-minute featurettes on the music and the voices, a set-top game that is easier to control than most such featurettes (and easier to beat too), and a commentary track by directors David Bowers and Sam Fell in which they have a grand old time remembering their inside jokes and showering love on the Spike and Whitey characters. The DVD-ROM has access to 21 more online games. --David Horiuchi

Fun Facts from Flushed Away

In Tabitha's room, there are a variety of dolls from previous DreamWorks Animation films, including a Gromit and several bunnies from Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, an Alex the Lion from Madagascar, and a Dragon from Shrek.
Many characters from past films make cameos in Flushed Away. For example, a Chicken Run chicken is on the second page of the Toad's scrapbook, Gromit's head is a pencil top in the Jammy Dodger, the penguin from Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers is on a stamp on the Jammy Dodger, and a poster of Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is on the side of a bus in Kensington.
There are officially 60 million rats in the UK. That's one rat for every person.
The various boats in the film are made up of flotsam and jetsam that rats could conceivably find in the sewer. For the double decker bus: Ice chest, retro flipping numbers alarm clock, bike lamp, buckle, oil drum, soup can, license plate, rope, plastic suitcase, jerry can. For the mini cooper: Soda can, battery, sardine can, butter knife, old lights.
Simulating the toilet water and making it look realistic proved to be a challenge. After much consideration, it was finally discovered that what was missing was caustics, or the use of light reflection off the bottom of the bowl. This was added and everyone was happy because they could finally get their mind out of the toilet.

Stills from Flushed Away (click for larger image)

Product Description

Set on and beneath the streets of London, Flushed Away is the story of Roddy, an upper-crust "society mouse," who is rather rudely evicted from his Kensington flat when he is flushed down into Ratropolis, the bustling sewer world found under London's streets. There, he meets Rita, an enterprising scavenger who works the sewers in her faithful boat, the Jammy Dodger. Together they must navigate their way through a busy city filled with dangers for any mouse, including terrifying rapids, treacherous whirlpools and, most of all, the villainous Toad and his hench-rats Spike and Whitey. Though completely out of his element at first, the privileged Roddy finds himself an unlikely hero when he learns that Ratropolis is in danger from the world above.

Customer Reviews:

wonderfully clean laughter.......2007-07-04

Bought this DVD from Amazondotcom b/c the price was below any other offering; the grandchildren and I watch this at least once a month. Thank you for carrying good, clean, children-friendly movies...

Critics should be flushed away.......2007-07-02

This was the last combined effort between Dreamworks and Aardman animation studio. Ths film fared poorly in the the box office and only just made back it's $100 odd million budget, mainly because of the amount of other films and people seemingly getting sick of "another CGI film". Those of you who have not seen this gem, you are missing out. The humour is pure british and some will miss the cultural jokes. Scots and Welsh viewers don't have a heartattack when you see the unionjack representing England. It was the best way to get the message across in the movie regarding the World Cup final plot device involving england and Germany.

The characters are well conceived and animated. My favourite is "Le Frog" and his evil henchmen including a frog version of Marcel Marceaux or should that be "MyCell" you'll get the picture.

Alot of Aardman "traits" can be seen in the computer animated characters. The reason for going to CGI was because trying to emulate water in traditional stop motion animation, would have been too complicated, since the story is based in the London sewers, it made sense to go with computer power.

The voices of all the characters are exceptionally cast, including Hugh Jackman as Roddy the upper crust pet rat from "up top". Kate Winslett as Rita a sewerwise scavenger rat with Jean Reno as "Le Frog" and Sir Ian Mckellen as the evil "Toad". There are some slight ineuendos (sorry if I got the spelling wrong) to justify the PG rating. But otherall a brilliant cartoon, which deserves its following. I enjoyed it more than Chicken Run and dare I say it Wallace and Gromit.

My wife loved it at the movies...and for the first 3 weeks watched the DVD virtually everynight.

Excellent for the whole family!!.......2007-07-01

We have watched it many times. It is just hilarious and the voices fit the characters. Tomb Raider meets 007 in claymation with lots of laughs!

Great Characters.......2007-06-20

While I have never enjoyed the Aardman style of animation (I find the claymation sort of "disturbing"), I really liked this movie. The story is original and the characters are engaging. My kids won't sit through a Wallace & Gromit movie, but they love Flushed Away.

Flushed Away .......2007-06-11

Very cute movie that the entire family will enjoy. The little worm things are cute with the noises they make. Had a lot of laughs throughout the entire movie. I would highly recommend.

Average customer rating:

Massively overrated
Why would they do somethig like this?
Why!?
The Magic of Family
Very good kid's movie

My Neighbor Totoro
Starring: Noriko Hidaka , Chika Sakamoto , Shigesato Itoi , Sumi Shimamoto , and Tanie Kitabayashi
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
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Howl's Moving Castle
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Spirited Away

ASIN: B0001XAQ0A
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Amazon.com essential video

My Neighbor Totoro is that rare delight, a family film that appeals to children and adults alike. While their mother is in the hospital, 10-year-old Satsuki and 4-year-old Mei move into an old-fashioned house in the country with their professor father. At the foot of an enormous camphor tree, Mei discovers the nest of King Totoro, a giant forest spirit who resembles an enormous bunny rabbit. Mei and Satsuki learn that Totoro makes the trees grow, and when he flies over the countryside or roars in his thunderous voice, the winds blow. Totoro becomes the protector of the two sisters, watching over them when they wait for their father, and carrying them over the forests on an enchanted journey. When the children worry about their mother, Totoro sends them to visit her via a Catbus, a magical, multilegged creature with a grin the Cheshire Cat might envy.

Unlike many cartoon children, Satsuki and Mei are neither smart-alecky nor cloyingly saccharine. They are credible kids: bright, energetic, silly, helpful, and occasionally impatient. Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki makes the viewer believe the two sisters love each other in a way no American feature has ever achieved. My Neighbor Totoro is enormously popular in Japan, and some of the character merchandise has begun to appear in America. The film has also inspired a Japanese environmental group to buy a Totoro Forest preserve in the Saitama Prefecture, where Miyazaki's film is set. --Charles Solomon

Description

Critically acclaimed as one of the most delightful and charming family films ever, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a stunning animated treat full of magical adventure from Hayao Miyazaki. Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei when they move into a new home in the countryside. To their delight, they discover that their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit called Totoro, who can be seen only through the eyes of a child. Totoro introduces them to extraordinary characters -- including a cat that doubles as a bus! -- and takes them on an incredible journey. Full of wonder and heart, this spectacular 2-disc set features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a magical experience for the whole family! © 1988 Nibariki • G

Customer Reviews:

Massively overrated.......2007-07-05

I heard such glowing things about this but when I finally rented and watched it, I was bored out of my mind. Perhaps it means something in the context of Japanese folklore that I missed, but for its own sake it's not particularly clever (reminds me of _Through the Looking Glass_ only far less complex). I don't care about the dubbing; it could be silent and the story would still be uninteresting.

I'm not a dedicated anime fan--I don't care who does the animation or in what style as long as the story is there--but I agree that the animation is really lovely.

Why would they do somethig like this?.......2007-07-02

A long time ago me and my family sat down and watched the original dub of My Neighbor Totoro. We were completly blown away. It became one of our all time favorite movies. It was so amazing, so different from anything we had ever seen. My little sister fell completely in love with it, and watched it whenever she had a chance.
When we saw this new special two-disk, digitally remastered set was relesed we didn't wait for a second to buy it. We popped it into the DVD player completely enthralled. We got about ten minutes into the movie before turning it off in complete disbelief and anger.
I can't understand why they would do something like this. Why would they take an amazing, wonderful piece of art and smash it into pieces? I have nothing against Dakota Fanning or her little sister, but their voice performances were NOTHING compared to the original. You get a COMPLETLY different experience watching this new version. I just couldn't understand why they would do something like this. The least they could have done was include the original dubbing, instead of leaving you to choose between a complete insult to Miyazaki or the japanese voices.

Why!?.......2007-06-28

Back last year (2006) I found the "Fox" release of this AMAZING movie in the $7.99 bin at a walmart. I grew up watching Totoro with my grandma and watching it in all its original glory was really touching. Then I loaned it to a friend who won't give it back. Needless to say, I bought the Disney "remastered" version 2 disc thing for a whopping $25 and I have to say... IM SO DISSAPOINTED! Why oh WHY did they think re-dubbing the voices was needed? I dispise the new dub. Its an abomination and insults the original. If you've seen the original, DO NOT BUY THIS. You will be devistated w/ Dakota & Elle Fannings voice acting. At times I even muted it because it was just so far from the original. If you can get your hands on the "Fox" release of the movie... DO. However, if you have never seen this movie or have young kids who havn't, I would say get it because even tho I know it super sucks, you won't cause you don't have anything to judge it against. As for me... Disney, you have truly left me heartbroken.

The Magic of Family.......2007-06-27

This heart warming Anime is full of the love of family and how understanding adults can bring out the best in their children. While magic and fantasy fill this movie, there is also a great role model for how a family should be.

Very good kid's movie.......2007-06-27

The movie captured kids behaviour very well. The characters are adorable. All our family loves it.

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated ***(**)
Good Movie
Wonderful!!!!!!!
I have a good feeling about this...
BEST MOVIE EVER

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , and Anthony Daniels
Director: Irvin Kershner
Manufacturer: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
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Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000FQJAJG
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of The Empire Strikes Back is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Empire as it originally played in theaters in 1980. What does that mean exactly? The film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements George Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more of Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replacing Clive Revill with slightly revised lines, or Temuera Morrison rerecording of Boba Fett's minimal dialogue.

What do you lose by watching the 1980 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here), and digital cleanup. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Empire, however, on a widescreen TV will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of The Empire Strikes Back, and the 1980 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Customer Reviews:

George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated ***(**).......2007-06-08

I agree with any of a number of previous reviewers: Would somebody PLEASE take STAR WARS away from George Lucas before he ruins it completely?

Like Francis Ford Coppola, who messed with THE GODFATHER trilogy over and over again trying to "perfect" it, Lucas keeps coming back to the original STAR WARS trilogy and adding enhanced effects and formerly deleted scenes.

In what is now known as STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, (let me catch my breath a minute, please), Lucas decided to "enhance" the film by inserting extra dialogue in several scenes, apparently in order to strengthen the film's connection to the prequels. He should have done it the other way around when Episodes I, II, and III were first released. This attempt at backward compatibility just proves that time travelers should never try to change the past. Fortunately, the changes aren't jarring.

Lucas also decided to expand the scenes with the Wampa Ice Creature on Hoth. These changes ARE jarring. The updated Ice Creature doesn't look anything like the original, and the quick intercuts don't hide the disparity. The fact that Lucas chose to "improve" the creature despite having to retain the original footage doesn't demonstrate his creativity, it demonstrates his hubris. Why not just replicate the original? Clearly, his desire to make the change overrode any considerations of film continuity and audience expectations.

This is the kind of thinking that brought us the ridiculous Jar-Jar Binks and his race of Rastafari amphibians in THE PHANTOM MENACE. George Lucas isn't really trying to give us a better cinematic experience, he's just totally into playing with his favorite toys. It's a form of selfishness.

The same goes for the rest of his changes. Lucas decided to make the battle scene explosions more "dramatic," do a score of other little tweaks, and clean up the print. Lucas has done this so many times over the past three decades that it's now impossible to figure out which film is the "real" THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Of all the questionable "improvements" he's made, cleaning up the print is the only worthwhile effort. Most of the added scenes add nothing to the film, the "extra" dialogue is interesting but unnecessary, and some of the changes (like the Wampa Ice Creature) actually degrade the movie.

Fortunately, this two-disc set contains the original theatrical release with all the nicks and imperfections it was born with. The print's a bit dim, and the special effects are showing their limitations after twenty-seven years, but this is THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK that will remain THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. It is what it is, and it never needed changes. Given the immense amount of material that has grown up around STAR WARS since it was first released, Lucas would have been smarter to release one or the other or both versions as he did, but added an Extras disc with all kinds of "The Making Of.." and "The Legacy Of..." goodies. I was disappointed that this isn't that set.

I was twenty when THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK debuted in 1980. At age 20, this now-classic movie became and remains a favorite of mine. It is arguably the best of the six STAR WARS films, because it takes the STAR WARS universe completely out of the realm of pulp science fiction. The appearance of Yoda and his Zen-like philosophy of The Force changes the entire tenor of the sextology. The Force ceases to be a kind of parlor magic useful for tricking Imperial Stormtroopers and becomes a form of bushido. The Jedi become Samurai, imbued with all of that caste's Warrior Ethos.

I never became a "Jedihead" (the original tag for the STAR WARS version of a Trekkie), but I did become a student of Zen and the martial arts. My personal decision was not at all made because of STAR WARS, but the films certainly brought such concepts into the mainstream consciousness.

The STAR WARS films are not CITIZEN KANE IN OUTER SPACE. Overall, they are not "great" films, but they are true "classics." THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK in particular engages the viewer. Entertaining, exciting, and yet contemplative, the film makes you want to keep coming back for more, the true basis of success and the core of meaningfulness for any story.

The STAR WARS universe is clearly derivative. THE LORD OF THE RINGS has a "Dark Lord." STAR WARS has a "Dark Lord of the Sith." Lightsabers are yet another nod to the film's Sword & Sorcery roots. Yoda is a short green Sensei, straight out of the 1970s TV show KUNG FU. STAR WARS' "Corellians" appear in Isaac Asimov's FOUNDATION as "Korellians", and "Han Solo" is also there as "Hari Seldon." The space war elements are a mishmash of STAR TREK, FORBIDDEN PLANET, AMAZING STORIES, pulp fiction, and a hundred other sources. George Lucas was able to take these well-used pieces and combine them into something that is both very original and yet archetypal.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK carries the sci-fi retelling of the Mythos of the young Hero a step farther. Having been initiated into the Mysteries by Obi-Wan, Luke is now called upon to take up the discipline his craft requires. Immature and impatient, he ignores his Master Yoda's advice, and makes his own determination that his training is complete. However, he is unready, unready to face his external enemy (Darth Vader), and unready to face his even more potent internal enemy (his own impulses toward the Dark Side).

Classic mythic elements abound: Luke has a mysterious birth, a hidden twin, and a direct blood link to the Evil he is trying to overcome (as the son of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader). He suffers a horrific wound (the loss of his hand), is forced to face the Darkness within himself, and must decide how to confront his Enemy who is also his Dark Father.

A far more sophisticated story than the straight-ahead STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is so mythic and archetypal that it suffers none of the "beginner's jitters" of A NEW HOPE. Although the first film had some really bad acting by the background characters and a few missed beats here and there, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK brings forth the best from all the cast (including even Yoda who, despite his very real humanity, is, after all, a puppet). The story sustains itself through it all.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK even survives Lucas's post-theatrical obsessive-compulsive changes to remain a modern classic.

FIVE STARS FOR "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK", THREE STARS FOR LUCAS' "IMPROVED" VERSION.

Good Movie.......2007-05-12

I have the whole series of the Star Wars movies and I enjoy them very much.

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

This is an master piece and one should watch it. The star war series is a must have. Love the story and the way the film draws your attention...Love the cast.

I have a good feeling about this..........2007-04-13

This is easily the best of all the Star Wars movies. For once we have the right balance of action, mystery, humor, romance and swash-bucklingness, if that's a word. The dialogue is crisp and smart (Han steers the ship into an asteroid field. Leia: You don't have to do this to impress me!) The acting this time is actually quite good, particularly between Ford and Fisher. The special effects are incredible, but they serve, rather than overwhelm, the story. (Oddly, there are a few moments that look fake, such as the bits with the taun-tauns, but George chose not to redo them.) This one is closest in style and content to the old-fashioned movie and radio serials, which is what the whole thing was supposed to be based on. The first ten minutes are a little wobbly, as it seems to be trying to find its tone, but things soon pick up, and the evacuation from Hoth has to be one of the best moments in the whole series, climaxing in a Millennium Falcon that won't start. ("Would it help if I got out and pushed!?") I know in the past I've said it might have been better if George had just given us one movie and been done with it, and artistically for his career it would have been, but at least, before the franchise got stale, we got this wonderful, smartly-done fairy tale directed by the very underrated Irvin Kershner.

Here, as in the other DVDs featuring before and after versions of the original trilogy, George chose to give us terrific-looking enhanced-for-widescreen-TVs redos (among the best-looking DVDs I own, if not THE best) and unenhanced original versions. Fortunately for me I have an upscaling DVD player and television, so it doesn't look *as* bad for me as it does for a lot of other people here, but still, this is just George being spiteful--there was no reason for this. The commentary track is terrific, and justifies this purchase alone if you're a big fan. We hear from most of the major creative forces, including director Kirshner, the only Star Wars director who really "got it" as far as I'm concerned. (And the one Lucas was most upset with initially, thinking he was taking too long and doing too many takes. But the quality shows. Could you imagine the love scenes between Han and Leia directed by Lucas? Actually you don't have to; just watch Attack of the Clones.)

It's hard to "recommend" or "not recommend" something like this. It has its built-in audience--it's doubtful anyone buying this has never seen the film before. It is nice to have the two versions side by side to compare what's new, however, which is why I chose to go this route.

(P.S.: George, who the heck is "Lando Clarissian"? Also, Venus isn't a gaseous giant; it's a rocky planet just like earth. You folks will have to listen to the commentary track to understand what I'm talking about.)

BEST MOVIE EVER.......2007-03-28

Best Star Wars movie! No wait, best movie EVER!!!!! Ironically GL didn't even direct it.

Average customer rating:

Enter the stargate
One of my favorites!
Great story line but only good execution
Kurt Russell Fan -- and fan of SG-1
Hard To Explain

Stargate (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Kurt Russell , James Spader , Viveca Lindfors , Alexis Cruz , and Mili Avital
Director: Roland Emmerich
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Stargate SG-1 Season 2 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 7 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 3 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 4 (Thinpak)
Stargate SG-1 Season 5 (Thinpak)

ASIN: B0000844I8
Release Date: 2003-02-17

Amazon.com

Before they unleashed the idiotic mayhem of Independence Day and Godzilla, the idea-stealing team of director Roland Emmerich and producer-screenwriter Dean Devlin concocted this hokey hit about the discovery of an ancient portal capable of zipping travelers to "the other side of the known universe." James Spader plays the Egyptologist who successfully translates the Stargate's hieroglyphic code, and then joins a hawkish military unit (led by Kurt Russell) on a reconnaissance mission to see what's on the other side. They arrive on a desert world with cultural (and apparently supernatural) ties to Earth's ancient Egypt, where the sun god Ra (played by Jaye Davidson from The Crying Game) rules a population of slaves with armored minions and startlingly advanced technology. After being warmly welcomed into the slave camp, the earthlings encourage and support a rebellion, and while Russell threatens to blow up the Stargate to prevent its use by enemy forces, the movie collapses into a senseless series of action scenes and grandiose explosions. It's all pretty ridiculous, but Stargate found a large and appreciative audience, spawned a cable-TV series, and continues to attract science fiction fans who are more than willing to forgive its considerable faults. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Enter the stargate.......2007-07-05

"Stargate" is, obviously, the movie that later spawned the hit "Stargate SG-1" TV series, and its spinoffs.

But taken on its own merits, "Stargate" is a pretty entertaining blockbuster with some big flaws. It uncomfortably straddles the fence between "shoot-em-up bombs'n'action" and "mythology sci-fi," but provides a solid villain, some sketchy writing, and the foundation for a hit TV show. Well, it's definitely far better than your average sci-fi blockbuster.

Egyptologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader) has just lost his job, when a mysterious old lady invites him to become involved in a secret military project. Soon he finds out why -- a massive stone ring found in Giza decades ago, with strange symbols on a central ring. When they use his calculations, the Air Force is able to open a wormhole to a distant galaxy.

Obviously a recon team is sent through, led by the grieving Colonel O'Neil (Kurt Russell). This new world is a desert planet, inhabited by a race of primitive human slaves who practically worship the strangers. But things turn deadly when a pyramid ship descends on the desert, and a malevolent "god" decides to obliterate Earth -- using a nuclear bomb O'Neil brought along.

It's a pretty straightforward action plot -- scientist opens gateway to new planet, bad guy shows up and makes trouble, good guys attack bad guy with the help of plucky natives. "Stargate" doesn't add much to the typical formula, but it does dress it up with gilded robes, giant stone statues, glittering starships and sandswept deserts.

In fact, spectacle is what "Stargate" excels at -- it has big armies of invading, big ships, big pyramids, and big battles with Ra's warriors. When it comes to gun battles and explosions, Roland Emmerich does a pretty decent job. However, he gets mesmerized by the gilded interior of Ra's starship and the prettyboy alien slinking around -- the middle part of the movie is very slow-moving.

It's more clumsy at the intimate stuff of character development, such as Daniel's serious romance with a chief's daughter, or O'Neil's depression over his son. It just never feels natural or deep. The accompanying dialogue is usually pretty solid, but sometimes gets downright clumsy ("I don't want to die. Your men don't want to die. These people don't want to die. It's a shame you're in such a hurry to").

Spade pretty much steals the show as a lovable geek who sticks to his guns, even if it makes him a laughingstock. And the geek gets the girl, not the military grunts -- a nice change. Russell is stuck with a rather stiff, humourless military man, although he loosens up in the last lap. And Alexis Cruz, Mili Avital and Erick Avari all get kudos for making the lovable, deep characters come alive without a word of English.

"Stargate" is a fun movie for the spectacle and slam-bang action scenes, so long as the weak scripting doesn't hold you up. And it served as a good foundation for one of the best "exploration" sci-fi series in ages.

One of my favorites!.......2007-06-05

I love this movie and the hit series that developed from it. If you haven't seen it then you must buy it. This edition is better than the first as there are scenes that explain so much more!!

Great story line but only good execution.......2007-05-27

The 1990s saw four big science fiction movies. The two biggest came near the end; Matrix and Phantom Menace. But the two best came out in the mid 90's; Contact and Stargate. And of all four, only Stargate spawned its own popular TV show. The storyline is very innovative; the US military obtains an object that can be used to travel across the universe, a Stargate. They hire a scientist, Daniel Jackson, to make it work. Daniel succeeds, and is transported to a desert world (Arizona actually) along with a band of soldiers led by Kurt Russel's character, to search for extraterrestrial life. They find life, in the form of enslaved humans serving a powerful alien who travels through space in the form of a gigantic pyramid. Being good Americans, Daniel and the soldiers lead the humans in a rebellion, and the alien is killed by an atomic bomb.

This DVD features a slightly longer version of the movie than the original theatrical release. The extra scenes come mainly in the beginning, as we see how the alien first came to Earth. The entire plot is very good and original, with almost nothing copied from any other sci-fi movie. The link between the pyramids, ancient Egypt, and an alien race made in the movie was quite believable and original. The casting itself was great as all the characters fit their roles perfectly.

The only drawbacks to the movie was some of the scenes were executed poorly. The first of these occurs early in the movie when we see Professor Daniel Jackson giving a presentation and everyone walking out on him. I have been to many scientific conferences and scientists never walk out en masse from a peer's presentation if they disagree with the presentation. Instead, they embarass him in public with pointed questions. The second really dumb scene occurs right after Daniel figures out the last symbol needed to operate the Stargate. Immediately, the military sends in a probe, and the next day they send in a team of soldiers with Daniel as their guide. Astronauts go through years of training before even having a chance to sit in the space shuttle, yet this guy gets to go to another planet after one night! This was really fake and hokey. Third, the soldiers sent on this mission are wholly umprepared. They enter the stargate wearing fatigues and carrying AK-47's! You would think they would be better prepared for traveling to another world. How about some survival gear such as bulletproof vests, helmets equipped with oxygen masks, climbing gear, swimming gear, etc... A fourth hokey scene comes when the soldiers encounter the enslaved humans on the other planet. One soldier puts a handheld device by some minerals, and states that this mineral is of the same composition as the Stargate, quartz! This is interesting considering earlier in the movie one character states that the Stargate is made of some unknown mineral. Big contradiction! The list goes on and on.

Overall, a good movie, very entertaining with a great storyline. The only drawback is the numerous editing miscues and flaws.

Kurt Russell Fan -- and fan of SG-1.......2007-05-07

This movie is wonderful. The intrigue, the mystery, the wonder of traveling through the gate, discovering a ancient civilization, finding the way back home (in more ways than one) - all are covered in this movie. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go until the end. I love Kurt Russell and he is great in this movie, even though he's not the only main character. And to see that such a movie brought to TV, has lasted 10+ years is amazing!

It's such a great adventure - a must see for those who have not seen it and for those who have - they'll see it over and over again!!!!

Hard To Explain.......2007-05-06

I like this movie. I've liked it ever since I first saw it in theatrical release and I liked it enough to buy this DVD "Ultimate Edition" a few years ago. Despite this, however, I'm finding it hard to explain exactly why.

There's nothing profound or particularly clever in STARGATE. It's not outstanding in any way. In fact, as the professional reviews above point out, it's pretty hokey. But, if you like this type of hokey scifi adventure, you'll probably like STARGATE, too. As with INDEPENDENCE DAY, the Indiana Jones movies, or the STAR WARS movies, it's just fun to sit back and watch (not to compare it to those flicks, but it's in the same genre). The good guys win and the bad guys get what they deserve when the dust clears. The plot's pretty predictable, but there's lots of action and a few tense moments. Going through the star gate for the first time, not knowing what's on the other side, gives you a little tingle if you haven't seen the movie before.

STARGATE is another fun ride for fans of the scifi/adventure movie genre. If you like this kind of movie, don't miss this one.

Average customer rating:

Homeward Bound -The Incredible Journey
Homeward Bound - The Incredible Journey
Homeward Bound - The Incredible Journey
A Classic!
Timeless family film

Homeward Bound - The Incredible Journey
Starring: Michael J. Fox , Sally Field , Don Ameche , Don Alder , and Ed Bernard
Director: Duwayne Dunham
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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