Dirty Harry)

Starring:Best Action 4pak
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Culled from 30 years of material, this collection of moments from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson contains some of most inspired bits of lunacy ever recorded. Whether cajoling with Hollywood's biggest stars or normal folk with special talents, Carson was a master of finding the right joke, with timing second to none. Along with bits of his opening monologues, skits, and early standup appearances from the likes of David Letterman and Eddie Murphy, there are many highlights with perhaps the perfect Carson guest--exotic animals that stole the show. This collection was released shortly after Carson's reign ended in 1992. Although most of the tapes from his first decade are lost, there are plenty of highlights from the '70s through the '90s. Also included is Carson's touching and historic "Final Show," which finds the host simply talking to his audience and showing highlights--or just the faces--from his years on the set. Although many followed--and a few have even succeeded--Carson's Midwest charm made him the king of TV in a period when America was defined by television.

The DVD edition adds some superlative extras, including "Danger Johnny" segments from his first decade, short bits on the history of the show and the host, and more behind-the-scenes glances, including an intriguing way to watch the final show via unedited feeds from isolated studio cameras. Also included is the 1982 NBC special "Johnny Goes Home," which follows Carson on a tour of his rural Nebraska homeland, and a slightly edited version of the penultimate show, in which his last two guests, Robin Williams and Bette Midler, are on fire. These extras make the DVD, produced a decade after Carson left, a must-have piece of entertainment and pop history. --Doug Thomas

Description

On his final Tonight Show telecast, Johnny Carson summed up the feelings of a nation of late night viewers. Host of the most highly-acclaimed late night show in television history, for seven presidential administrations, Johnny's monologue was a nightly barometer of the times. While his wide range of characters, comic impersonations and merry band of Tonight Show regulars became fixtures of pop culture, his guest list was a virtual Who's Who of show business legends, sports heroes, authors, heads of state, amazing animals and average citizens with above average talents. For fans of Johnny, The Tonight Show and 30 wonderful years of laughter, this is the definitive retrospective chronicling television's late night legend and legacy. Enjoy.
Volume 1 - The Best of the 60s & 70s; The Best of the 70s & 80s
Volume 2 - The Best of the 80s & 90s; Johnny Goes Home
Volume 3 - 5.21.92 Episode (never before available); The Final Show

Customer Reviews:

YOU MUST SEE 'THE GREAT FLYDINI"...THE BEST OF CARSON!.......2007-06-10

WE BOUGHT THIS SET AS A GIFT WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON FINDING THE SEGMENT OF STEVE MARTIN'S "GREAT FLYDINI" ROUTINE. THE RECIPIENT WATCHED IT OVER AND OVER AND WE MUTUALLY DECIDED MARTIN IS A COMIC GENIUS...AND THAT CARSON KNEW AND APPRECIATED THE BEST TALENT ON EARTH. MAKES A GREAT GIFT OF LAUGHTER.

A More Definitive and Comprehensive Release Needed In Honor of Johnny.......2007-05-18

A lot has changed with " Johnny's Favorite Moments" since their original early 90's release on VHS. I picked up this set and noticed some skits were left off. The late Sam Kinison is a good example, and his Elvis lullaby ode to women who have torn his heart out.

Where is it? Another volume? I have noticed other volumes, but these are unavailable. I just remember there being so much more than what is on this DVD set.

Anyway, a more comprehensive/definitive release should be produced. The red carpet needs to be rolled out in honor of a comic genius and his wide-spread influence on an American mainstream audience that couldn't get enough of him. Wouldn't you agree?

The Ultimate Johnny Carson Collection - His Favorite Moments from The Tonight Show (Vols. 1-3) (1962-1992).......2007-05-10

great dvd esp if you like johnny carson...it was great

Disappointing.......2007-04-11

The great comics that appeared for years on the Tonight Show, such as Don Rickles and Rodney Dangerfield, are largely ignored. All the great band music isn't here. Only one singer is featured, Bette Midler, crooning to Johnny on the final show. Only traces of the opening monologues appear. The best feature is a Steve Martin bit on the second disc: The Great Flydini. Now that's funny! But on the whole, this is a great disappointment, and certainly not worth the money.

Here-e-e-e-r's Johnny! .......2007-03-26

It is a refreshing privilege having just viewed this 3-DVD video anthology of Johnny Carson's very successful TV career without have to be leary whether or not those shows were suitable for all-family-viewing or needed to be screened for children like many of the contemporary TV shows requiring parental lock-out! The video clips extracted from his entire 30+ year TV career are a breath of freshness compared to so much of the tripe that is present-day, à la mode humor! NO ONE ever will or EVER could be capable of replacing Mr. Carson's genre of humor, facial expressions, gestures, and the myriad of interesting guests he chose for his TV presentations. We will always miss you Johnny but thank goodness for this SUPER career presentation!! You will always be remembered as a truely philanthropic, generous patron of the TV arts forever! His original die was cast when he was born, had a fairytale career and can no longer be replicated. His legacy is of special interest to me because he hailed from my hometown area close to his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska; he was a popular figure while he attended OUR University of Nebraska, and later on so generously contributed some of his good fortune back into so many living tributes for the State of Nebraska to show his appreciation. Thank you Mr. Johnny 'Legendary' Carson!!

Average customer rating:

Awesome picture and sound quality!
Disappointing - The Matrix is out of sync
STUNNING!
The Disc that will Undo HD DVD
The Matrix in HD

The Ultimate Matrix Collection [HD DVD]
Starring: Keanu Reeves , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , and Laurence Fishburn
Director: Andy Wachowski , and Larry Wachowski
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
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Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000OONTFU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

The definitive ten-disc DVD set, The Ultimate Matrix Collection features all three films in the trilogy together for the first time ever with a newly remastered picture and sound for The Matrix. Also included is the companion piece The Matrix Revisited and the best-selling The Animatrix, plus five entirely new DVDs packed solid with brand-new supplemental materials that encompass every aspect of the Matrix universe, including two new audio commentaries on each film, Enter the Matrix video game footage, 106 deep-delving featurettes/ documentaries and much more!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome picture and sound quality!.......2007-06-27

This movie on HD-DVD is outstanding. It's really like seeing it for the first time all over again compared to standard definition. But not just for the incredible picture detail, but equally important is the major improvement in the sound.

I would highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for the current standard in HD-DVD PQ, SQ and it is a good movie also.

Disappointing - The Matrix is out of sync.......2007-06-27

I was very disappointed with The Matrix. While the quality of the video transfer is excellent, the audio is slightly out-of-sync, which makes it difficult to watch at times. This is not an issue with either Reloaded or Revolutions.

I don't understand how something like this could have happened. The flagship movie of the three has got serious audio problems. Very disappointing.

I give the whole set a 3, but for The Matrix it deserves much lower than that. It's too bad too, because if The Matrix were in sync, then I'd give the whole set a much better grade.

STUNNING!.......2007-06-26

All I can say is ... it was as good as watching it in the theatre for the first time. Amazing HD conversion ... superior audio quality ... Absolutely stunning!

I should add that I watched all three of these in my xbox 360 HD-DVD (fully patched) and I had ZERO problems with any of these discs. I don't know why these others are having issues.

Mike

The Disc that will Undo HD DVD.......2007-06-26

I am SO ANGRY with this release. Not ONE of the HD sides of these movies play in my 360 Add On - all the SD sides play fine ....great. I have both Blu Ray and HD DVD , and from now on I am abandoning HD DVD as a format - Blu Ray deserves to win the war, and I am so sorry to say that as I am NOT a Sony fan boy. SHAME on every company associated with this buggy, defective rubbish release of what should have been HD DVD's finest moment so far. Consider the HD war over - mark my words, in 2 years no one will remember the "HD DVD" format.

The Matrix in HD.......2007-06-15

The pros and cons of the Matrix trilogy have been argued ad nauseum, so I will limit myself to the HD-DVD version.

The transfer to HD of these movies is astounding. The sound is crystal clear and the picture is stunning (in 1080). The reflections caught in Morpheus' sunglasses and the individual clarity of water drops brings these already visually stunning movies to another level.

My nitpick is with certain special effects, notably the bullet-time effect. When transferred to HD the bullet-time effect looks slightly grainy and pixelated compared to the rest of the film.

Nitpicks aside, this is still a very entertaining movie trilogy and the HD experience makes it exponentially better.

The Ultimate Matrix Collection (The Matrix/ The Matrix Reloaded/ The Matrix Revolutions/ The Animatrix)

Average customer rating:

The ultimate sc-fi adventure for adults in one box set!
QUE PASA CON LA GENTE LATINA????
Great collection for what you are paying for.
The Matrix Trilogy and Bonus DVDs
Great

The Ultimate Matrix Collection (The Matrix/ The Matrix Reloaded/ The Matrix Revolutions/ The Animatrix)
Starring: Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , and Gloria Foster
Director: Larry Wachowski , and Andy Wachowski
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Futuristic | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)

ASIN: B0002Y69NG
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Description

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:Filmed for Enter the Matrix video game
Audio Commentary:The Philosophers: Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber; The Critics: Todd McCarthy, John Powers and David Thomson
DVD ROM Features
Documentary
Easter Eggs
Featurette
Introduction:by the Wachowski Brothers
Music Video
Photo gallery
Storyboards
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

The ultimate sc-fi adventure for adults in one box set!.......2007-07-04

I'm like the 187th person to review this, but all that can be said incase your completely oblivious to classic movies....THIS IS THE BEST BOX SET THERE IS!!!

QUE PASA CON LA GENTE LATINA????.......2007-06-27

ESTE DVD CONTIENE TODO EL MATERIAL ADICIONAL QUE UNO DESEA PERO LAMENTABLEMENTE LAS PRODUCTORAS SE OLVIDAN O A MI PARECER SIMPLEMENTE NO LES INTERESA EL PUBLICO LATINO Y POR LO TANTO NO HAY SUBTITULOS EN CASTELLANO MAS QUE SIMPLEMENTE EN LAS PELICULAS Y ASI NO ES, NO ME PARECE JUSTO YA QUE NOSOTROS TAMBIEN SOMOS UN GRAN PUBLICO QUE CONSUME ESTOS PRODUCTOS Y POR CONSIGUIENTE NO APOYAMOS A LA PIRATERIA.

Great collection for what you are paying for. .......2007-06-21

All aesthetics aside with the nice hologram box and interesting boxing it all comes in, this series of movies (or trilogy... *awaiting the e-bashing from star wars fans* )is a great collection to own.

Apart from the movies themselves, they all come with revisited discs which go into the background of each movie as well as a seperate box for documentaries on the background of character development, social/philosophical references, set design and visual technology make this a gem of a collection to own.

Top that off with the official animatrix all included in this boxset, you are left with the entire story and background from the movies seires.

To be honest with you, I dont feel the need to watch an entire movie over with commentary from the directors. I feel its a waste of time and if i do look for a particular scene's meaning I would just go to the scene instead of watching the whole thing. Each to their own though.

As are most of my reviews, a lot rides on the price of the boxset. I payed $37 dollars for it and i feel it was worth every penny. Definatly a set I will be holding onto for a while to watch with friends for a few years to come.

If you are looking to get the movies ONLY (which I'm sure a lot of the extras will come with on their extra's disc's) then maybe buying the movies seperatly is for you. However, the slight price difference gives you hours more of entertainment and a broader understanding of the saga.

The Matrix Trilogy and Bonus DVDs.......2007-05-25

The trilogy is very good and Keanu Reeves is a good action actor in the trilogy.

Great.......2007-05-16

Very good. Obviously, towards the end they got worse and actually a little boring, but otherwise matrix and matrix reloaded were very good, and the first part of matrix revolutions was good. animatrix is very entertaining(some of them), but some are a bit strange for me.

Average customer rating:

Finally all three Porky's films on dvd!
Without Porky's, American Pie wouldn't exist.
Fox video at last has done it again!!!

Porky's the Ultimate Collection
Starring: Dan Monahan , Wyatt Knight , Mark Herrier , Roger Wilson , and Cyril O'Reilly
Director: Bob Clark (III) , and James Komack
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000O76ZNU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Porky's
Reviled by critics and embraced by the public during its initial run (1981), Porky's is interesting to watch after all these years. What holds up about this horny coming-of-age tale is remarkable. Writer/director Bob Clark has little more than sex and practical joking on his mind, and his high school seniors from Angel Beach, Florida, rapidly move from one to the other. Clark displays a sense of timing and, perhaps rarer still, a sense of male friendship--its brutalities and its bonds--that feels right, not artificial. Surprisingly, the showcase practical jokes are still funny: the Everglades encounter with Cherry Forever, the hole in the girls' shower, and Beulah Balbricker, the humongous gym teacher. The comedic set-ups and payoffs surprisingly still work. Clark's insistence on a subplot about anti-Semitism, however, still sticks out as A MESSAGE. Kim Cattrall really got her start here (although almost no one else did) as Ms. Honeywell, a.k.a. "Lassie." Clark later distanced himself from the irritating Porky's sequels and went on to make the wonderful Christmas Story, the tale of a little boy who wants a BB gun for Christmas. --Keith Simanton

Porky's II: The Next Day
The inevitable sequel to the surprise hit movie marks a noticeable change in tone, as the horny kids from the first film fight religious fanatics in order to put on a stage show. Though the gang is still as mischievous as they were the night before, most of the raunchy humor from the first film has been dropped. In its place are some surprisingly effective passages dealing bluntly with sex, love, anti-Semitism, and religious tolerance in the repressed South of the 1950s. It's this turn that makes the sequel a surprise and something distinctive from its predecessor. --Robert Lane

Porky's Revenge
Bare breasts, practical jokes, greaser hairdos, and cars with big fins--it must be another Porky's movie! Porky's Revenge continues to fuse sexploitation and 1950s nostalgia, though by this point the adolescent hijinks feel a bit rote. On the verge of graduation, Pee Wee, Meat, and the other three interchangeable guys (winnowed down from the larger gang of the first two movies) try to help their basketball coach out of a jam by revealing to the authorities that fat, foul-tempered Porky has rebuilt his illegal casino/whorehouse--but when they get caught, they promise Porky they'll throw the state championship to save their lives. This flimsy plot is intertwined with other disconnected bits about Pee Wee having the hots for a foreign exchange student (Playboy Playmate Kim Evenson), Meat being forced to marry Porky's daughter, a contraband stag film, a biology teacher with a sideline as a dominatrix, and of course the eternal presence of women's coach Beulah Balbricker (Nancy Parsons), that towering mixture of prudery and repressed lust. Writer/director Bob Clark had nothing to do with this sequel, so it's unsurprising that the genuine fondness he brought to the characters is long gone; now they're just generic horndog teenagers. Still, most fans of the series rate this one higher than Porky's II: The Next Day. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Finally all three Porky's films on dvd!.......2007-06-02

Porky's the Ultimate Collection contains all three Porky's films. It's about time fox released a Porky's collection. I think the original Porky's has been through what about three or four dvd editions already? With Porky's II only on dvd as a two for one with the original, and that's been out of print for a few years. So, finally with the Porky's the Ultimate Collection, Porky's Revenge makes its dvd debut. It's about time all three Porky's films were made available on dvd, and you can own them for a good price. Heck, even if you just enjoy the original Porky's you might as well pay a few more dollars to get all three of them.

Without Porky's, American Pie wouldn't exist........2007-06-01

I was always hoping that 20th Century Fox would release the entire Porky's Trilogy on DVD some day. Well after re-release after re-release of the first film on DVD and the second film only available in a 2-pack with the first film, FOX finally did it. However I was disappointed with the special features. I am glad that a commentary by director (the late) Bob Clark was included, but I was also hoping that we would hear from some of the boys from Angel Beach. Getting their thoughts on being involved in one of the funniest film franchises in history would have been very exciting and funny at the same time. I also had hoped for a documentary with the actors, it would have been nice to see what they do and look like now while they talk about the films. But unfortunately all we got was a 15 minute mini-documentary from Bob Clark on his thoughts (and those were only on the first film in the trilogy). A second small documentary was included with the first disc with a couple of comedians giving their thoughts on the first movie (why we hear from them and not the actors beats the hell out of me).

Still for anyone who has ever grown up with these films or is just getting into them, coming across the entire trilogy on DVD for a good price is a great opportunity. If you are in your local Wal-Mart and you find it for $[...] I wouldn't pass it up (that is if you haven't bought it used on Amazon.com).

Fox video at last has done it again!!!.......2007-05-30

Well as I said with the Revenge Of The Nerds Collection, so do I say with Porky's. I am glad that Fox Home Video FINALLY got ALL three Porky's movies out on DVD. I loved watching all three and think that all of them are classics! The first one is without a shadow of a doubt funny. The second one was somewhat cool....but the third one was a little bit different than the other two. But, it was the only one that didn't get DVD recognition which to me is why it needed it and I am glad FOX did that. Enjoy!!!

Dora the Explorer - Dora's Ultimate Adventure Collection

Average customer rating:

Good for Dora fans
some repeat episodes in packet
Awesome collection for the value!
Dora is a crabby child saver!
It's Dora.. Come On!

Dora the Explorer - Dora's Ultimate Adventure Collection
Starring: Kathleen Herles , Harrison Chad , Marc Weiner , Sasha Toro , and Muhammed Cunningham
Director: Sherie Pollack , George S. Chialtas , Arnie Wong , and Gary Conrad
Manufacturer: Nickelodeon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

3-6 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Kids & Family | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Dora the Explorer - Pirate Adventure
Dora the Explorer - Dora's Fairytale Adventure
Dora's Christmas (Dora the Explorer)
Dora the Explorer - Big Sister Dora
Dora the Explorer - It's a Party

ASIN: B0002V7OHO
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Customer Reviews:

Good for Dora fans.......2007-05-21

A very good dvd set for the Dora fan. It saves money buying these together rather than seperately.

some repeat episodes in packet.......2007-04-07

Only one of the DVD's is really entertaining, some repeated episodes included in bonus episodes. Only plays main episode once, then you have to click through the menu to find bonus tracks.

Awesome collection for the value!.......2007-03-26

This is a great collection! All of the faves.... in one box, for a great price!!

Dora is a crabby child saver!.......2007-03-15

My daughter loves Dora the Explorer, so this dvd set saves many a crabby day. The only reason I didn't rate it a five is because on each dvd if you want to watch the "bonus episodes" you have to go through the menu extensively to get to them. It is kind of a hassle. It is worth the wait though!

It's Dora.. Come On!.......2007-02-17

My daughter loves Dora, therefore I do too! Package arrived quickly, just in time for my baby to wake up and watch it!

John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection (The Searchers Ultimate Edition / Stagecoach Two-Disc Special Edition / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / The Long Voyage Home / They Were Expendable / 3 Godfathers / The Wings of Eagles)

Average customer rating:

What a Deal.
Superb John Wayne
8 Films By Two Screen Legends
SPANISH SUBTITLES MISSING - IT'S A PITY!!!!
Duke classic collection

John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection (The Searchers Ultimate Edition / Stagecoach Two-Disc Special Edition / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / The Long Voyage Home / They Were Expendable / 3 Godfathers / The Wings of Eagles)
Starring: John Wayne
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000F0UUI2
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Amazon.com

There may be no better representation of America's love of the old West than the 10-disc John Ford-John Wayne Collection. The iconic star and iconic director collaborated on 14 films, eight of which appear here. Four--Fort Apache (1948), The Long Voyage Home (1940), The Wings of Eagles (1957), and 3 Godfathers (1948)--are appearing for the first time on DVD, and the two most famous, Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956), are represented in brand-new two-disc editions that add new and old featurettes as well as the outstanding American Masters documentary John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend. (This Ultimate Edition of The Searchers adds a variety of printed materials as well, such as reproductions of press materials and a 1956 comic book.) Two other landmark films previously available on DVD, They Were Expendable (1945) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), round out the set. The three non-Westerns in the set have military settings, with They Were Expendable arguably the greatest World War II picture ever.

The Movies:
A favorite film of some of the world's greatest filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, John Ford's The Searchers has earned its place in the legacy of great American films for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most notably, it's the definitive role for John Wayne as an icon of the classic Western--the hero (or antihero) who must stand alone according to the unwritten code of the West. The story takes place in Texas in 1868; Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Confederate veteran who visits his brother and sister-in-law at their ranch and is horrified when they are killed by marauding Comanches. Ethan's search for a surviving niece (played by young Natalie Wood) becomes an all-consuming obsession. With the help of a family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is himself part Cherokee, Ethan hits the trail on a five-year quest for revenge. At the peak of his masterful talent, director Ford crafts this classic tale as an embittered examination of racism and blind hatred, provoking Wayne to give one of the best performances of his career. As with many of Ford's classic Westerns, The Searchers must contend with revisionism in its stereotypical treatment of "savage" Native Americans, and the film's visual beauty (the final shot is one of the great images in all of Western culture) is compromised by some uneven performances and stilted dialogue. Still, this is undeniably one of the greatest Westerns ever made.

The landmark Western Stagecoach began the legendary relationship between Ford and Wayne, and became the standard for all subsequent Westerns. It solidified Ford as a major director and established Wayne as a charismatic screen presence. Seen today, Stagecoach still impresses as the first mature instance of a Western that is both mythic and poetic. The story about a cross-section of troubled passengers unraveling under the strain of Indian attack contains all of Ford's incomparable storytelling trademarks--particularly swift action and social introspection--underscored by the painterly landscape of Monument Valley. And what an ensemble of actors: Thomas Mitchell (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as the drunken doctor), Claire Trevor, Donald Meek, Andy Devine, and the magical John Carradine.

Fort Apache stars Wayne as a Cavalry officer used to doing things a certain way out West at Fort Apache. Along comes a rigid, new commanding officer (Henry Fonda) who insists that everything on his watch be done by the book, including dealings with local Indians. The results are mixed: greater discipline at the fort, but increased hostilities with the natives. Ford deliberately leaves judgments about the wisdom of these changes ambiguous, but he also allows plenty of room for the fullness of life among the soldiers and their families to blossom. Fonda, in an unusual role for him, is stern and formal as the new man in charge; Wayne is heroic as the rebellious second; Victor McLaglen provides comic relief; and Ward Bond is a paragon of sturdy and sentimental masculinity. All of this is set against the magnificent, poetic topography of Monument Valley. This is easily one of the greatest of American films.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, the second installment of Ford's famous cavalry trilogy (which also includes Fort Apache and Rio Grande), continues the director's fascination with history's obliteration of the past. It features one of John Wayne's more sensitive performances as Capt. Nathan Brittles, a stern yet sentimental war horse who has difficulty preparing for his impending military retirement. It's a film about honor and duty as well as loneliness and mortality. And Oscar-winner Winton C. Hoch beautifully photographs it in Remington-like Technicolor tones. The combination of melancholy and farce (Victor McLaglen makes a perfect court jester) evokes comparisons to Shakespeare. Best of all, the scene in which Wayne fights back tears when receiving a gold watch from his troops is unforgettably bittersweet. If you view the whole trilogy, it actually makes sense to save this for last.

It's hardly shameful that Three Godfathers ranks as the slightest John Ford Western in a five-year arc that includes My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Wagon Master, and Rio Grande. The story had already been filmed at least five times--once by Ford himself. Just before Christmas, three workaday outlaws (John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Carey Jr.) rob a bank and flee into the desert. The canny town marshal (Ward Bond) moves swiftly to cut them off from the wells along their escape route, so they make for another, deep in the wasteland. There's no water waiting for them, but there is a woman (Mildred Natwick) on the verge of death--and also of giving birth. The three badmen accept her dying commission as godfathers to the newborn. Motley variants of the Three Wise Men, they strike out for the town of New Jerusalem with her Bible as roadmap. Ford's is the softest retelling of the tale, but it's all played with great gusto and tenderness--especially by Wayne, who's rarely been more appealing. Visually the film is one knockout shot after another. This was Ford's first Western in Technicolor, as well as his first collaboration with cinematographer Winton Hoch. What they do with sand ripples and shadows and long plumes of train smoke is rapturously beautiful. It's also often too arty by half, but who can blame them?

Eugene O'Neill loved The Long Voyage Home, the feature-length adaptation of his one-act sea plays, with intelligent bridging material written by Dudley Nichols and a final movement, both hellish and elegiac, appropriate to the onset of World War II. John Ford directed, in his more self-consciously arty vein but with no loss of power or passion. The focus is on the working seamen aboard a merchant ship making its way from the Caribbean to New York harbor and then England, with dangerous cargo on the transatlantic leg. Thomas Mitchell (who had won a 1939 Oscar in Ford's Stagecoach) gives a career-best performance as Driscoll; Ian Hunter plays the enigmatic shipmate known only as "Smitty"; Ford regulars Barry Fitzgerald, John Qualen, Ward Bond, Arthur Shields, and Joseph Sawyer fill key roles; and the top-billed John Wayne contributes a surprisingly effective supporting performance as Ole, a gentle Swedish giant who really belongs on a farm somewhere. Although neglected in recent years, this movie has a permanent place of honor in one of the most amazing three-year creative streaks any director ever had.

John Ford had a big emotional investment in The Wings of Eagles, and his favorite star John Wayne rewarded the director with one of his strongest performances. The subject is Frank "Spig" Wead, Naval aviation legend turned Hollywood screenwriter, who had written Ford's very good 1932 movie Air Mail and his magnificent WWII elegy They Were Expendable (1945). Ford was fond of exploring the theme of "victory in defeat." Wead's life was made to order for that. The hell-raising flyboy shenanigans, and his flailing marriage to a scrappy Irish redhead (The Quiet Man's Maureen O'Hara reporting for duty), were abruptly curtailed by a fall that left him with severe spinal damage. He should never have been able to walk again, but he fought his way back to limited mobility and built a new career as a writer. And when WWII broke out, Wead made a key contribution to the Pacific air war. It would be satisfying to report that The Wings of Eagles is a triumph--that the broad comedy of the early reels cuts brilliantly against the raw pain of the Weads' marriage, the grief of a family broken and mended and broken again, the film's specters of death and deep frustration. There are powerful moments, but the low comedy is very low, the visual style sometimes stark but more often just drab, and the screenplay is very choppy about the passage of time.

They Were Expendable is the greatest American film of the Second World War, made by America's greatest director, John Ford, who himself saw action from the Battle of Midway through D-day. Yet it's been oddly neglected. Or perhaps not so oddly: for as the matter-of-fact title implies, the film commemorates a period, from the eve of Pearl Harbor up to the impending fall of Bataan, when the Japanese conquest of the Pacific was in full cry and U.S. forces were fighting a desperate holding action. Although stirring movies had been made about these early days, they were gung ho in their resolve to see the tables turned. They Were Expendable, however, which was made when Allied victory was all but assured, is profoundly elegiac, with the patient grandeur of a tragic poem. "They" are the officers and men of the Navy's PT boat service, an experimental motor-torpedo force relegated to courier duty on Manila Bay but eventually proven effective in combat. Their commander is played by Robert Montgomery, who actually served on a PT and later commanded a destroyer at Normandy (he also codirected the breathtaking second-unit action sequences). John Wayne's costarring role as Montgomery's volatile second-in-command initially looks stereotypically blustery, but as the drama unfolds, Wayne sounds notes of tenderness and vulnerability that will take Duke-bashers by surprise. They Were Expendable is a heartbreakingly beautiful film, full of astonishing images of warfare, grief, courage, and dignity. This is a masterpiece.

Description

John Ford was easily one of the greatest, most prolific and versatile directors Hollywood ever produced. Combined with a star of the caliber and magnetism of John Wayne, what emerges is pure cinematic magic. WHV now introduces a ten-disc set featuring eight of the team's finest collaborations: The Searchers: Ultimate Collector's Edition (1956) Stagecoach: Special Edition (1939) Fort Apache (1948) The Long Voyage Home (1940) Wings of Eagles (1957) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1948) They Were Expendable (1945) 3 Godfathers (1948)

Customer Reviews:

What a Deal........2007-04-28

A lot has been said about this collection. I would just like to point out that the price can't be beat either. The Searchers disk alone would set you back 35 dollars. The Stagecoach another 20. The other six DVD's are free. About 60 to 70 dollars worth. Man you can't do any better. I already had The Wings of Eagles and The Long Voyage Home. The set DVD's are identical to the DVD's I already had, so this isn't a stripped down set at all.

Superb John Wayne.......2007-03-22

An excellent selection of John Wayne movies. The Searchers has been rated one of his best with She Wore a Yellow Ribbon my all time favorite. Fort Apache is excellent also. The Long Voyage and They were Expendable were minor roles for him but all in all a great collection of films. The man became the all american hero even before his passing.

8 Films By Two Screen Legends.......2007-03-19

This is one of the larger collections that came out last year and whatever else you may think about John Wayne, he was the most prolific star of his (perhaps of all) time, twice the output of Humphrey Bogart, for example.

John Ford was also quite prolific but many of his early ones are lost. Still, his place and time as one of the great auteurs intrigues many of cinephile.

Some favorites are missing but are available, such as "Rio Grande", "The Quiet Man" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". The extras for this set are in some cases, non existant, while some are repeats, but the main reason to own this set is for the films themselves.

"Stagecoach" - This 1939 Western stands as the turning point for both Ford's and especially Wayne's careers. This is also quite an ensemble piece for which Donald Meek, Thomas Mitchell (was Oscar for this), John Caradine, Andy Devine, George Bancroft, Louise Pratt and Berton Churchill spend much screen time as the occupants of the stagecoach along with JW and Clair Trevor. Wayne and Trevor provide the love story, she as the whore being run out of town, he the vengeful outlaw who Bancroft wants to lock up for Wayne's own good. But all are misfits in this journey and even though quite laughable today, a fun movie to watch. Alas, the native Americans are basically just ducks in a shooting gallery.

"The Long Voyage Home" is another ensemble piece and does have the odd casting of Wayne as the big Swede who doesn't hit back. Mitchell returns and is actually the main character in this movie, which does have the great bittersweet language of Eugene O'Neil. This offers what a good actor Ward Bond was when called to be when he has his death scene.

"They Were Expendable" Ford won two Oscars for documentaries shot in World War Two. Wayne made many war pictures but this is my favorite one. The dialogue and settings are quite believable for the most part and Robert Montgomery displays dignity as the one in charge. A nice haunting scene is when Wayne gets caught off talking to Donna Reed with the realization he might never see her again. This also has none of the crazy heroics that many films had (Wayne guilty in many of those) and a good humor with the supporting characters.

"3 Godfathers" is truly an offbeat film. Wayne, Pedro Amadariz and Harry Carey, Jr., are actually bank robbers, quite likable though, who save a woman's baby while running away from sheriff Ward Bond. It is through this baby that the three find redemption though it's only Wayne who has the happy ending. In its way, this is a very spiritual film.

"Fort Apache" is actually my favorite film here. Fords prints the facts and shows them distorted by Wayne for his benefit who he can effectively lead the troop. Henry Fonda plays quite the unsympathic custer character who tricks Cochise to come back. The scene that Fonda has with Cochise, who laments in Spanish the deplorable conditions but chills the white man's chilling response, is brilliant. The adult Shirley Temple provides support here with the bland John Agar. Also very good, Ward Bond, Victor McLagden and Pedro Armandariz.

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is quite a melodramtic film with Wayne talking to tombstones and weeping half the time. Still, great comedic support from Victor McLagden. "Don't apolagize, it's a sign of weakness" Wayne repeats over and over. However, both Agar and Carey, Jr., aren't given much to do. Ben Johnson does what he does best. It's interesting that George O'Brien was Ford's big star in the silent era and here and Fort Apache just strictly a sad character actor. Still, John Wayne makes this watchable and the gold watch scene quite effective.

"The Searchers" which along with "Stagecoach" gets a second disk of extras. This is the definitive Wayne-Ford movie, as good as any film noir as the antihero makes good. Wayne plays the racist Ethan Edwards and Jeff Hunter co stars as the other searcher who must accompany Wayne before Wayne finds and murders his niece, played by the beautiful Natalie Wood. The firing into the dead Indian's eyes, the shooting of buffalo, the shooting of Indians in the back, the digust of looking at white women are among the most powerful scenes Wayne or Ford have ever done. It would have been interesting if Wayne actually killed Wood because that's the actual story, but thank God he didn't. This film is not a comfortable film to watch and it's not intended to be. The race issues it addresses still hold true today.

"The Wings of Eagles" is in my opinion, the weakest Wayne-Ford movie. There's no sense of period. The slapstick doesn't work for me and Maureen O'Hara's character's alcoholism is never addressed. However, Wayne's determination to move that toe, strongly assisted by Dan Dailey, makes up for a lot. Also, way too briefly, Ward Bond as John Ford. Also fun is hearing Wayne's comment of bringing in the seventh calvary when viewing an early Clark Gable movie.

SPANISH SUBTITLES MISSING - IT'S A PITY!!!!.......2007-03-11

Despite the DVD label states subtitles available in English, French and Spanish, NO SPANISH SUBTITLES ARE AVAILABLE IN THIS FILM. Unbelievable such a top level collection with this mismatch!

I would have enjoyed a complete understanding of the film, given I am an enthusiastic cinematography student, and even worse: I am a Spanish speaker!!! My sister is now writing for me!!

Thanks to Amazon for its fine service in Argentina.

PABLO GALARZA

Duke classic collection.......2007-03-09

From his first efforts in "The Long Voyage Home" to the classic "The Searchers"-this set is a must have for those who are truly John Wayne fans. Watch them in chronological order to get a real feel for these movies and how John Wayne grew into the star he was. Again, John Ford utilizes supporting players who are great actors in their own rights. If you love the Duke-you'll want this collection.

Ultimate Flint Collection (Our Man Flint / In Like Flint)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Service
Meet the ancestor of Austin Powers
Ultimate Flint Collection
I love Flint
Flint is the Man

Ultimate Flint Collection (Our Man Flint / In Like Flint)
Starring: James Coburn , Lee J. Cobb , Jean Hale , Andrew Duggan , and Anna Lee
Director: Gordon Douglas , and Daniel Mann
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000HT3PF6
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

Disc 1: **Our Man Flint- Widescreen Feature

*Commentary by Film Historians Eddie Friedfeld & Lee Pfeiffer *Theatrical Trailer *Fox Flix: In Like Flint Fathom Modesty Blaise

Disc 2: **In Like Flint-Widescreen Feature

*Commentary by Eddie Friedfeld & Lee Pfeiffer *Theatrical Trailer *Fox Flix: In Like Flint Fathom Modesty Blaise

Disc 3: **Special Features Disc includes: *Dead On Target-TV Movie *The Musician's Magician *Future Perfect *Spy School *Spy Vogue *Feminine Wiles *In Like Flint - Puerto Rico Premiere *Spy-er-rama *A Gentleman's Game *Spy Style (6:46) *The Making of Bouillabaisse

*Screen Tests: Gila Golan for Our Man Flint James Coburn & Gila Golan for Our Man Flint Deanna Lund for In Like Flint

*Trailers: The Chairman The Quiller Memorandum Deadfall Peeper The Magus Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Service.......2007-05-12

Item was perfect, exactly as described and it shipped immediately! Great seller!

Meet the ancestor of Austin Powers.......2007-05-11

Super secret agent Derek Flint, in a deluxe package with his two movies, a momorable performance by the late actor James Coburn, and a TV-Movie extra.
Bullabaise Soup Recipe included.

Ultimate Flint Collection.......2007-03-08

Excellent dvd collection to get both movies in one. Service was fast and received dvd early and in good condition!

I love Flint.......2007-03-08

America's answer to 007...James Coburn makes a great secret agent. I grew up with these movies. I am glad they are on DVD

Flint is the Man.......2007-01-29

James Coburn as Derek Flint is as cool as the other side of the pillow. In any situation Flint will prevail with his all encompassing knowledge of seemingly any subject. "The Catalog of Cool" rated these as the coolest movies ever made!
I am extremely happy to have them both in a set on DVD. You will not be dissapointed.

Weird Al Yankovic - The Ultimate Video Collection

Average customer rating:

great collection
"Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699."
REAGAN BASHING, unfortunately
Fabulously Funny!
It's Weird 'Al'.......nuff said

Weird Al Yankovic - The Ultimate Video Collection
Starring: Weird Al Yankovic
Manufacturer: Volcano
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Straight Outta Lynwood
UHF
The Weird Al Show - The Complete Series
Weird Al Yankovic - Live
Weird Al Yankovic - Greatest Hits, Volume 1

ASIN: B0000DC13R
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Customer Reviews:

great collection.......2007-07-02

this is a great collection of weird al 's hilrious videos! it icludes some of his greats including: " Amish Paradise", "eat it" , and "smells like nirvana"

i only wish that "White and Nerdy" could have been included. but i still like it!! :)

"Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699.".......2007-06-27

This precious DVD is a collection of Weird Al's awesome music videos that were made over the years. Some are better than others, and they are all pretty darn strange in different ways. Inside of the case gives you a list of them and tells you when they were made, trivia, etc. I now only wish there were more of these with some of his catchy polka songs on them, which are quite catchy as any Weird Al fan would know! This DVD is perfect as it is and doesn't really need anything better than what's on it. I personally think that some of his albums need DVDs with music videos {with the exception of Al's latest: Straight Outta Lynwood on the dualdisc}....but this is almost cooler because this would then be several of them put together as one that you can watch AND listen to, rather than watch some, listen to others and only imagine what they may be like if you could watch them. I would still prefer if there were more of his music videos on DVDs like this. Oh well. Anyway, I highly recommend this to anyone who greatly enjoys Weird Al's stuff.

REAGAN BASHING, unfortunately.......2007-05-28

The RIDICULOUS REAGAN BASHING in the x-mas video SOURS the whole experience. Partly because one doesn't expect something that IGNORANT from an otherwise APPARENTLY bright person like Yankovic. As anyone who's the LEAST BIT interested in truth knows, Reagan passionately LOATHED nukes!--read the diaries, EVERY [even LEFTIST] biography, ET AL! Even if Yankovic was truly stupid enough to believe that in the 80's-as an artist, if I had published anything 'slanderous' [!you don't get more SERIOUSLY slanderous than imputing LOVE of war/nukes, much less to a person who passionately LOATHES them!] and it ''turned out'' to be EMPIRICALLY, BLATANTLY OFF-BASE I would re-edit/cut entirely! We must demand the same HONORABLE BEHAVIOUR from Yankovic. To not so do, BESMIRCHES THE ENTIRITY OF YANKOVIC'S CREATIONS! Inl'g this dvd.

Fabulously Funny!.......2007-03-17

If you are a Wierd Al fan you will love this DVD! Spanning from his first tv appearance to his most recent videos it is truly the ultimate colletion....worth every penny.

It's Weird 'Al'.......nuff said.......2007-02-27

It's a ultimate collection of Weird 'Al' music videos that I was lucky enough to find at Wal-Mart for like $13....unfortunately, it includes none of his newer material, but it has all of his videos up to when this was released. a must have for fans of Bob Rivers, Weird 'Al", or Dr. Demento.

Ultimate Vacation Collection (Vacation / European Vacation / Christmas Vacation / Vegas Vacation)

Average customer rating:

Awesome Vacation
classic collection
Great Collection!
Ultimate Vacation Collection
DVD Review

Ultimate Vacation Collection (Vacation / European Vacation / Christmas Vacation / Vegas Vacation)
Starring: Ultimate Vacation Collection
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Funny Farm
Spies Like Us
The Great Outdoors
Summer Rental
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

ASIN: B0000AVH9P
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Description

11 million VACATION franchise videos and DVDs sold to date! "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is the #3 holiday movie of all time by E!Online!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Vacation.......2007-05-22

A great series it makes taking vacations memorable. Chevy Chase at his best!

classic collection.......2007-03-08

As with most movies, the first was the best (although xmas vacation is darn close). European wasn't too great but Vegas was mildly funny. Chevy, you rock.

Great Collection!.......2007-01-10

Bought it for my boyfriend for Xmas and he is a big fan of the NAtional Lampoon vacations and I was jsut going to buy the one but when I saw the collection I could not pass it up. It was a hit with him and he loved it!

Ultimate Vacation Collection.......2007-01-10

They are always fun to watch. The Christmas Vacation is a tradition at our house every year for Christmas, since our family resembles the Griswolds some what.

DVD Review.......2007-01-09

I received the DVD set on time as it was a Christmas present for someone. Everything was intact, box wasn't destroyed. I was very please

The Rambo Trilogy - The Ultimate Collection

Average customer rating:

Rambo is a classic!
RAMBO IS HOT!!!!!
Stallone's Action Trilogy Entertains, But The Lack of Extras Annoys
Awful DVD's!!!
Rambo Kicks A#@

The Rambo Trilogy - The Ultimate Collection
Starring: Sylvester Stallone , Richard Crenna , Brian Dennehy , Bill McKinney , and Jack Starrett
Director: Ted Kotcheff , George P. Cosmatos , and Peter MacDonald
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0004Z33G4
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Product Description

First Blood
He never fought a battle he couldn t win. Academy Award© nominee Sylvester Stallone stars as war hero, ex-Green Beret John Rambo in the one that started it all! FIRST BLOOD is an explosive action-thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final powerful frame

Rambo: First Blood Part II
Sylvester Stallone in this explosive Oscar©-nominated sequel to FIRST BLOOD is back as John Rambo, the perfect fighting machine. Rambo s survival skills are tested with a vengeance on a top-secret mission that takes him back to the jungles of Vietnam in search of American POWs.

Rambo - III
When Col. Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) is captured during a top-secret mission in Afghanistan , Rambo erupts into a one-man firestorm to rescue his former commanding officer and decimate the enemy. This intense, heart-pounding adventure boasts unrelenting action and suspense from start to finish.

Special Features

MetaVision: Survival Mode

MetaPlot: Military Training Featurettes

MetaVision Equipment Upgrades

MetaPoint

MetaMap

First Blood includes a never-before-seen suicide ending

The first ever Rambo commentary by Sylvester Stallone

Rambo III contains deleted scenes

5.1 Dolby Digital Audio

16:9 Widescreen

System Requirements:
Running Time: 293 Min., Color.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Rambo is a classic!.......2007-06-14

The Rambo movies are still a classic! A must own for any action collection! The first one is definetly the best! But the second one is still great! And the third one has its moments. Some of Sylvester Stallone's most well know work! Classics! Great action movies!

RAMBO IS HOT!!!!!.......2007-06-08

REALLY, I ORDERED IT FOR MY NEPHEW FOR HIS B-DAY. BUT I OWN IT ALSO.
SYLVESTER STALLONE IS INCREDIBLY HOT!!!!!
GREAT ACTION.

Stallone's Action Trilogy Entertains, But The Lack of Extras Annoys.......2007-06-04

The Rambo trilogy was, for many, a symbol of the 1980s. Following the story of former Green Beret and Vietnam vet John Rambo, each of the 3 Rambo movies was a bit different in flavor than the others. For whatever reasons, the Rambo movies were co-opted by politics. Reagan infamously declared "Rambo is a Republican", much the same way he tried to glom on to "Star Wars" and Springsteen's "Born In The USA" as symbols to boost his own popularity. For others, the name "Rambo" became the symbol of what was seen as American ignorance and a "shoot first" attitude. These attitudes do seem to indicate some misunderstanding of the Rambo character, and even the movies. In any case, as the 1980s faded (and people began to react negatively to the Reagan era's now obvious facade of machismo), this association ended up hurting Sly Stallone's career, despite his ample abilities. It was unfortunate really, as Stallone has generally proven to be dependable in most of his work, such as his portrayal of the likeable loser Freddy in "Copland". It was Stallone's ability to infuse the Rambo character with a sense of humanity that was indicative of his work as an action star; this ability would prove useful in providing "Daylight" and "Cliffhanger" with somewhat believable action hero protagonists (but was sadly MIA in the turkey "Judge Dredd".

The Rambo Trilogy was originally released on DVD, with a bonus disc chronicling the Rambo legacy. Unfortunately, this "Ultimate Collection" fails to include that bonus material, instead giving us a "Metavision" gimmick, which ultimately proves a poor substitute. The lack of extras is the biggest mark against this release. Thankfully, Sylvester Stallone's commentary on First Blood remains intact, and provides a remarkable amount of insight into the movie's creation and backstory. The commentary tracks on the other two movies, however, are not up to the same standards, in part due to the lack of any actor commentary.

"First Blood" is probably the most different in tone of the trilogy, and focuses on Rambo's loss of identity after leaving the military. Drifting from town to town, Rambo finds himself alone and unable to fit into peacetime society. When small town sheriff Teagle (himself a veteran of the Korean War), played with consummate professionalism by Brian Dennehy, decides to throw Rambo in jail for vagrancy, Rambo's survival instincts are triggered by a flashback to his days in a Vietnamese POW camp. As a result, Rambo escapes to the mountains in dramatic fashion, and is pursued by Teagle and his posse. Naturally, the situation escalates as Rambo reverts to his commando training, and the well armed, but poorly trained locals end up over their heads. Rambo's old commander, Trautman, shows up to try to bring Rambo in quietly and without bloodshed. In the end, however, Rambo returns to town in explosive fashion, with the intent of making Teagle pay. Trautman finally intervenes before Rambo can kill Teagle, and Rambo, in an emotional climax, breaks down in tears, and allows himself to be taken into custody. "First Blood" is certainly more realistic and restrained than the later Rambo movies, and has an undercurrent of quiet tragedy in seeing a proud soldier being rejected not by "the commie left wing", but by Main Street America itself.

While "First Blood" was more nuanced, "Rambo: First Blood Part 2" was was an attempt to create a sort of over-the-top, military piece writ mythic. This time around, George Cosmatos took the director's chair, with the script being written by James Cameron (yes, THAT James Cameron)and Sylvester Stallone, based on a story by Kevin Jarre. At the time, the Cold War had risen to a fever pitch. The movie involves Rambo being sprung from military prison by the government and his old commander Trautman, in exchange for participation in a recon mission in Vietnam to look for POWs. In Thailand, Rambo meets the shady bureaucrat Murdock, who is in charge of the mission. Once back in the jungle (after a disastrous air drop), Rambo meets up with Vietnamese rebel Co Bao, played by the beautiful Julia Nickson. Apparently, Ms. Nickson received a Razzie for worst debut performance in this movie; however, given the bad, stereotypical pidgeon English she was forced to recite, I doubt that Judi Dench could have done much better with the source material. When Rambo actually finds and rescues a POW, and brings him back to the rendezvous point, Murdock pulls the plug and strands Rambo in the jungle, where he is captured, and is subsequently tortured by Padovsky, a Russian commander who is in Vietnam for some reason. It's up to Co Bao to help Rambo escape, and before it's over, Rambo adds a few hundred notches to his kill count, and even blows up a Russian helicopter gunship.

While the movie is pure Hollywood hyperbole, it is executed in a surprisingly epic fashion. This was before action movies had required clever catch phrases, multiple slow-motion shots of the same milk truck exploding, and other overtly self-conscious cliches. There is even a tidbit of criticism of the politics which led to the Vietnam War in the form of a veiled reference to the military-industrial complex, as well as some surprisingly artistic cinematography (such as the requisite tragic death scene). But let's not fool ourselves: this was not meant to be high art, but rather a high action movie, and it succeeds. Stallone's ability to effectively emote stands in bizarre contrast to Rambo's overly-muscled figure, and provides just the right amount of surreal affability to make the wholesale destruction watchable. Of particular note is Jerry Goldsmith's outstanding musical score, which is probably one of the most epic soundtracks I've yet to see in a military action movie.

"Rambo 3", the illogically titled third entry, was released at a time when big budget Hollywood movies were becoming more formulaic and predictable, and it does show in the final product. The conceit this time is that Rambo is reluctantly brought out of early retirement at a monastery (of all places), to rescue Colonel Trautman, who was captured by the Russians in Afghanistan. This time, Rambo hooks up with Afghan freedom fighters to stop a ruthless Russian territorial commander. This movie simultaneously tries to be more tongue-in-cheek, and yet also more serious, with its sermonizing about the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. The movie works, but not as well as its predecessors. What's even more bizarre, of course, is watching it in the context of post-9-11 geopolitics, as some of Rambo's allies may have well gone on to join the Taliban, and help Bin Laden's terrorist activities. Fortunately, the action is still explosive, although by this point, it was starting to become a little too predictable.

For the last few years, there have been rumors about a possible "Rambo 4", and it appears that a fourth installment, simply named "John Rambo", is finally officially on its way. It's unclear whether it will be able to make an impact in this day and age, or whether it will have the same "sheen of consummate professionalism" as the first 3. In any case, the movies are what they are: well-executed action entertainment. While the DVD extras are sparse (you know we all would love Stallone and Julia Nickson to be on the Rambo commentary track), the movies themselves work well.

Awful DVD's!!!.......2007-05-22

First of all this review is not for the movies (which by the way totally rock!), but rather the horrendous DVD treatment that they receive here. I was shocked to find that there is not even a theatrical trailer, or anything that would give you insight about the making of the movies. Instead we are treated to "special ops features" which basicaly consists of clicking on a title such as "rambo's knife" and being taken to the scene in the movie where rambo gets his knife, which is often accompanied be useless info on the screen about the knife that can easily be obtained by watching the movie!!! It is a shame because I have so much love for these movies, and yet I feel like I got screwed with the DVD's. If I were you I would spend a little more money to get the older OOP DVD's. Anything has to be better than this.

Rambo Kicks A#@.......2007-04-11

Even if you haven't watched rambo in a few years or this is your first time watching it the trilogy is one of the most action packed collections you will find around. First blood is probably the best of all but the other two are very good. I highly recommend giving these a look.

DVD:

DVD

Bowfinger [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: 39 Steps (1935)/Lady Vanishes

The Avengers - Celebrity Guest Collection - Vol. 2