Blood & Honor/Crazy Horse & Custer

Starring:Blood & Honor, Crazy Horse & Cu
Studio: Brentwood Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Who is the REAL Illunonist?
Calling All Duchesses
Superb and SMARTLY written!!!
Excellent mix of old and new
Love it

The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Edward Norton , Paul Giamatti , Jessica Biel , Rufus Sewell , and Eddie Marsan
Director: Neil Burger
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

The Prestige
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Casino Royale (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Babel
Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000K7VHQ4
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Amazon.com

First screened in Europe and scheduled for limited release in the U.S., The Illusionist offers welcome proof that "arthouse" quality needn't be limited to the arthouses. Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, this stately, elegant period film benefited from a crossover release in mainstream cinemas, and showed considerable box-office staying power--granted, teenage mallrats and lusty males may have been drawn to the allure of Seventh Heaven alumna Jessica Biel, who rises to the occasion with a fine performance. But there's equal appeal in the casting of Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, who bring their formidable talents to bear on the intriguing tale of a celebrated magician named Eisenheim (Norton) whose stage performance offends the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), a vindictive lout who aims to marry Duchess Sophie (Biel), Eisenheim's childhood friend and now, 15 years later, his would-be lover. This romantic rivalry and Eisenheim's increasingly enigmatic craft of illusion are investigated by Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti), who's under Leopold's command and is therefore not to be trusted as Eisenheim and Sophie draw closer to their inevitable reunion. Cleverly adapted by director Neil Burger from Steven Millhauser's short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist," and boasting exquisite production values and a fine score by Philip Glass, The Illusionist is the kind of class act that fully deserved its unusually wide and appreciative audience. -- Jeff Shannon

Beyond The Illusionist

"Eisenheim the Illusionist" and Other Stories

Paul Giamatti in a More Loveable Role
Magic Kits & Accessories

Stills from The Illusionist

Description

Unlock the mysteries of the year's most spellbinding film from the producers of Crash and Sideways! Oscar(r) nominees Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton lead an all-star cast in this "stunning" film (USA Today) that conjures an exhilarating blend of suspense, romance and mind-bending twists. The acclaimed illusionist Eisenheim (Norton) has not only captured the imaginations of all of Vienna, but also the interest of the ambitious Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). But when Leopold's new fiancée (Jessica Biel) rekindles a childhood fascination with Eisenheim, the Prince's interest evolves into obsession...and suddenly the city's Chief Inspector (Giamatti) finds himself investigating a shocking crime. But even as the Inspector engages him in a dramatic challenge of wills, Eisenheim prepares for his most impressive illusion yet in this "mesmerizing" (Entertainment Weekly) and "beautifully acted" (Good Morning America) film that "teases you until the very end!" (The New York Times).

Customer Reviews:

Who is the REAL Illunonist?.......2007-07-05

Loved this movie. The ending was really messed up, but was good. These two old friends go to great lengths to better their magic shows, while at the same time trying to trick the other into different circumstances. I was expecting real Magic to be involved, but Science is the key factor here, as is most Magic Shows. The love story and how they intertwine with each others lives was complicated and takes a few minutes for you to get a good grasp on at the end. You finish the movie, thinking "Did he really do that?", "How was that possible?", "Which one is he?"...You'll understand at the end of the movie.

Calling All Duchesses.......2007-07-05

Film gets better and better as it goes along, after a bitter beginning in which the scratches and breaks of primitive cinema are aped to give that old time patina, or lustre, to persuade you that you are watching a documentary from that era. (When is the era, anyhow? Though Eisenheim uses actual firepots to illuminate his act, it must be set somewhat after the age of electricity, for Paul Giamatti's police constables produce from nowhere a fully operative movie projector and switch it on!) (And on an adjoining screen we see a sophisticated, and Technicolor moving image years before Technicolor was actually invented!) Like Coppola's DRACULA, or like the recent musical MOULIN ROUGE, director Neil Burger brings in the flaws and cracks of silent era film, and instantly takes us back to the day, though it's not 100 per cent convincing. Nor is his use of Prague for Vienna of all places, when the two cities are so radically different, but Prague must be fantastically cheaper to film in. But that's standard movie practice today, the way that, if one's only exposure to New York City was through the cinema, you would be forgiven for thinking it looks exactly like Toronto.

Anyhow I soon found myself caught up in the story, and to my surprise, Paul Giamatti was much better than he's been in years, and as for Jessica Biel, well, she has a new spring in her step, and she repays the confidence Burger placed in her, for her part couldn't have been an easy one and yet she's truthful and honest in nearly every scene. Does Ed Norton ever hold a ball of light as he does on the DVD cover and poster? I don't think so, but the one pose Eisenheim falls into, arm extended, fingers charging the air around his hand with electricity, is a commanding, Universal horror one. It might also have been invented by Karloff or Lugosi, and yet Norton carries it off.

Who was that actress from Canada who used to be in every other spooky sort of art movie, like Cronenberg's CRASH or Fincher's THE GAME--and she looked like a prototype for Jessica Biel, with the same unseeing eyes and fat, bruised lips? I know, I know, Deborah Kara Unger. She wouldn't have been bad either. She's so great and I haven't seen her since WHITE NOISE.

In THE ILLUSIONIST, is it just me, or how bad is Burger's dialogue whenever Jessica Biel is addressed? She's playing Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen. Does this mean that fellow noblewomen will be saying, "Your dress is so pretty, Duchess von Teschen!" The best is when she goes missing and the Vienna Woods swarm with volunteers all calling out, "Duchess von Teschen! Duchess von Teschen!" No wonder she's not responding, boys.

Superb and SMARTLY written!!!.......2007-07-05

Whoever wrote this movie was definitely in a zone to which every writer should aspire but few truly reach. I was admittedly bored with the pace of this story from time to time, but the brilliant acting of Edward Norton and Jessica Biel (to say nothing of Paul Giamatti and others) was positively enrapturing! I couldn't have turned this movie off if I had tried. I kept wanting to know what would happen next.

I'm usually very good about seeing an ending coming. I can honestly say I did NOT see this ending coming. Anyone that did is a much better movie watcher than I! Or maybe you're just psychic. Either way, my enjoyment of this movie reached its peak when I was slapped in the face by this wonderfully surprising ending.

I do think they could have developed some characters a bit more, but perhaps the mystery was part of the point. MAYBE that's what allows the viewer to become such a prisoner to this movie. So I'm torn. But I was also completely entertained! I knew NOTHING of this movie before viewing it but wow! I'm glad I did!

Excellent mix of old and new.......2007-07-04

Old time drama comes alive with this exceptional performance of magic and love. The actors are exceptional and make you believe you are really back in the day of magicians and when people truly believed witchcraft may be at hand.

I will not spoil the ending, because it is a good one. The progression of the movie included a demonstration from Ed Norton to Paul Giamatti on how a simple magic trick is really done. This sets you up to wonder about the rest of the magic. Is it so simple or is Norton MORE than an illusionist?

The romantic side of the story has been done so many times; childhood boys loves girl, meets her later in life, still loves her. However, it is integrated in this movie so well that it makes the movie into a romance you really buy into.

This movie is worth beyond a rental, because I am making a bet, you'll lend it to someone else raving over how good it is!

Love it.......2007-07-03

This is a great film! Edward Norton is incredible as usual. A lot of people have been comparing this to The Prestige since both were released around the same time and are about illusionists, but that's about it. I think both movies are excellent but each has a life of its own. The Illusionist is a modest yet extraordinary love story that happens to be centered around true magic. Definitely worth a look. Enjoy.

Average customer rating:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features
good movie
Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss
Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins
Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better

Blood Diamond [Blu-ray]
Starring: Leonard DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Action & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto [Blu-ray]
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray]
Letters from Iwo Jima [Blu-ray]
Casino Royale [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000N0WCLC
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

Customer Reviews:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features.......2007-07-03

Again HD DVD has all the extra features that BD does not have...Why would anyone support BD for less features is beyond me. Sad!

good movie .......2007-06-27

besides the superb quality of Blu Ray the film itself is worth the buy alone.

good actors, beatiful pictures and of course a meaningful story about the conflicts
that sorounding Diamonds and other resources that cost human lifes, sad thing.

as for the extras Nas Musicvideo included but not 1080p
and actor and director sugesstions mostly in 1080p

TIA :)

Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss.......2007-06-21

The Movie Itself received 5 Academy Award nominations, including best actor and best supporting actor. "Blood Diamond" was directed by Edward Zwick. The film itself is set in Sierra Leone Africa in 1999 during a civil war over "blood diamonds." These diamonds in the mines are found by the kidnapped boys that are forced to be made part of the rebel forces. Once found the diamonds then are smuggled out of the country and used basically to buy more weapons and just make the war even worse.

The film primarily stars Leonardo DiCaprio as "Danny Archer" (an ex-mercenary turned smuggler), Dijimon Honsou as "Solomon Vandy" (an African fisherman who's struggling against rebel forces to reunite with his family) and Jennifer Connelly as "Maddy Bowen" (an American journalist trying to expose the "Blood Diamond" ordeal going on in Africa).

The basic plot here to the film is that "Solomon Vandy" has been kidnapped by rebels who took his family and put his son "Dia Vandy" in the rebel army. "Soloman" is forced to work in the diamond mines and finds a huge pink diamond. After seeing that others who try to hide diamonds they find get executed by the commander of the rebel forces, "Soloman" still tries to hide this one in between his toes. He tells the foreman he needs to use the bathroom to try to make a smooth get away and hide the diamond but things don't go as planned. Long story short "Soloman" ends up in jail with "Danny Archer" who knows that he has hid the diamond. So "Archer" arranges for him to be released after he gets out himself and offers to help him get back his family in exchange for the diamond. Sounds simple enough, right?

I can now see why this film got the Academy Award nominations it that it did for best actor and best supporting actor. This is honestly a really good film.

Video Quality on this release is in VC-1 on a 50 gigabyte Dual-Layer Blu-ray Disc. The real problem here is consistency in the video quality. A majority of the time (especially the outdoors scenes) the picture is great but there are some rare occasions that (even other reviewers have noted) have some artifacts and pixilation problems. The real thing that tends to make this show is smoke in dark scenes. The black level is overall solid. Chances are by the time this film makes it's way to HD DVD I would say Warner Brothers will redo the video transfer. Considering like I said, this problem has been stated by others than just myself.

Overall though the video quality is good on this release and the rare problems in the consistency should not discourage the Blu-ray consumer from purchasing this release. If it does discourage you from purchasing this Blu-ray and you don't own a HD DVD player, you're totally going to be missing out on a really good film. If you do own a HD DVD player and are still a bit skeptic, my best advice for you is to wait until July when the film will be released on HD DVD.

Audio Quality on this release is in Uncompressed Linear PCM 5.1 @4.6Mbps as well as standard Dolby Digital 5.1. Like "The Departed" on Blu-ray Disc Warner Brothers decided to give this release a PCM 5.1 track. This is one of the few Warner releases on Blu-ray Disc to feature this and it's a shame because this really pays off to make for an amazing sound experience. The sounds of everything from crickets to gunfire to explosions to even the score sound absolutely awesome.

Bonus Materials on this release are in 16:9 (Widescreen) standard definition. First off is obviously an audio commentary by Director Edward Zwick. All of the bonus materials have subtitles to them here and pretty much describe what they are so I won't be going into a lot of detail unless it's noteworthy. There's "Focus Points: Featurettes and Production Diaries (46 minutes) which is pretty much the "making of" to this film. "Blood on the Stone: Follow a Diamond's Path from the Ground to the Store" (50 minutes) is a really in-depth look at the real "Blood Diamonds" out there. "Becoming Archer: Profiling Leonardo DiCaprio" (8 minutes) is just as it says, just a profile on Leo in this film. "Journalism on the Front Line: Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at War" (5 minutes) on the other hand is less about her and more about the actual women journalists that do cover these type of events. "Inside the Siege of Freetown: Edward Zwick on One of the Movie's Pivotal Sequences" (10 minutes) is really interesting and worth watching. Lastly there is the music video for "Shine on Em" by Nas. Overall this release has some pretty decent bonus materials but I have a feeling that an "In-Movie Experience" on HD DVD will be a tad better.

-- Review written by Justin Sluss of HighDefDiscNews.com

Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins.......2007-06-18

The movie was good. Buy it, rent it, rip it, whatever you want to do - just watch the movie.

From what I understand, ALL the Warner Bros high def transfers are mastered for HD-DVD first and then ported to Blu-Ray, making the technology argument completely moot. It's mastered in HD-DVD format first because it's easier and more economical for the studio to do so. What have we learned today? To date (as far as I know), all WB high def titles are mastered for HD-DVD, even if it's on Blu-Ray.

I still think Leo DiCaprio should have been Oscar nominated and won for his role in The Departed. But he did well in Blood Diamond, too. If you are fortunate enough to have both HD-DVD and BR, spread the love and pick up The Departed in HD-DVD, since it'll look identical to the BR version ;-O

It really is a shame that one has to go to the standard def DVD page to find out if people liked the movie, rather than have a typing war on why one format is superior than the other. If the studios really were as smart as they think they are, they'd release the same titles on both formats, allowing the people to decide who wins. Plus, they'd make potloads of money by having their cake and eating it, too.

Just my two cents.

Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better.......2007-06-08

Great moivie and love it, thought it was Dicapro's best performance. I enjoyed this movie at the theatre and thought the Blu-ray made this movie more enjoyable. It is not the best transfer not it is any reference material but the movie is great. I don't understand why those HD-DVD fanboi making comment on a Blu-ray disc, I will not buy a HD-DVD disk or player ever, that format is dying and thanks to my intelligent I pick the right format. All I can say is enjoy this great movie.

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie

Blood Diamond [HD DVD]
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000MZHW1S
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Amazon.com

Leonardo DiCaprio puts a handsome face on an ugly industry: In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. DiCaprio (The Departed) plays Danny Archer, a white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by Solomon Vandy, a native fisherman (Djimon Hounsou, In America) recently escaped from enslavement by a brutal rebel leader. Archer offers a deal: He'll help Vandy find his war-scattered family if Vandy will share the diamond with him. Drawn into this web of exploitation is journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly, Little Children), who agrees to help if Archer will tell her the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world. DiCaprio is compelling because he never flinches from Archer's utter ruthlessness; Archer ends up doing the morally justifiable thing, but only because his desperate greed has led him to it. Hounsou and Connelly, though saddled with all the moral and political speeches, rise above the cant and keep the movie's treacherously formulaic plot rooted in human characters. But in the end, the story won't stick with you as much as the dead stillness in the child soldiers' eyes; the horror of African civil strife refuses to be contained by Blood Diamond's uplifting message--and the movie is all the more potent as a result. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

This movie truly is an eye opener. Even though it is very hard to watch because of all of the killing, it is still a must see movie. Well written and well acted. I'm not a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but this movie made me think twice. Djimon Hansu is phenomenal. This movie shows the brutality of greed and power. Highly recommended.

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Greed is the dark heart of "Blood Diamond," director Edward Zwick's ("Traffic," "The Last Samurai") uncompromising look into the underground trafficking of illegally-traded gems in sub-Saharan Africa. Greed of corrupt men for power, greed of an amoral mercenary willing to sacrifice anything for a chance to escape Africa, greed of Western businessmen who seek to artificially control the diamond market, and the greed of a simple man for his family's return. This movie powerfully demonstrates the valuelessness of a human life to those persons obsessed with blood diamond collection in war-ravaged Sierra Leone.

Djimon Hounsou plays Solomon Vandy, a simple fisherman and father of two who witnesses his idyllic existence crumble before his eyes. Rebels seeking new recruits, slaves, and random carnage swarm into his village. They select his adolescent son and other young men as future cadets in their guerilla army--following suitable brainwashing and manipulation techniques--before then getting down to the real business of slave collection. Seemingly devoid of any mental workings besides casual sadism, these bandits top-off their kidnapping and slave-taking exercise with the mutilation and execution of men deemed too troublesome for them to bother with. Vandy is rescued from dismemberment at the last minute when the rebels recognize his strength, seeing it as an asset they can utilize in their constant search for capital: the blood diamond pits. Condemned to toiling underneath the blazing sun with nary a chance of reaping any benefit (besides possible continued survival) for his efforts, Vandy happens to discover an egg-sized blood diamond hidden in the streambed. Hiding it underneath his foot, he buries it when the rebel encampment is attacked by government troops. The only witness to his "theft" is the wounded slave captain--now captured, along with Vandy, by government forces--who swears that the former fisherman will soon be begging to reveal the diamond's whereabouts.

Parallel to Djimon's character's storyline is the tale of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an opportunistic solider of fortune caught within a dichotomy of conflicting motivation. He desires escape from Africa at any cost, yet secretly knows that his blood will someday mix with the earth of his homeland. Perhaps it is this realization that he is doomed which propels Archer forward: in every action and every word, he seems to be daring destiny to obliterate him. Taken in and trained from a young age by Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo), Archer is easily the most dangerous entity alive on the continent: ruthless, misanthropic, callous, manipulative, and incredibly lethal with bullet and blade. After a close-call haggling with rebel leaders over fair prices for blood diamonds, Archer is arrested for smuggling while crossing the Sierra Leone border. It is here that he intercepts the distraught Vandy and begins weaving a plan to save himself from the war-torn country: by dangling the freedom of the fisherman's family as bait to cajole Vandy into revealing the gigantic diamond's location. Solomon, though a simple man, is not so easily fooled. He eventually agrees to help Archer--but only if the mercenary agrees to help locate his family and also permit Solomon to be his travel companion.

There is barely time for indrawn breath during the watching of this movie. Action sequences are furious, brutal, and frequent. The pace of the movie is frenetic. The score is perfect throughout. The "education" of Vandy's son by the rebels is heart-wrenching. Solomon's overarching belief that fatherhood trumps all initially feels naïve, but is eventually revealed to be the singularly most powerful force in the entire movie. Danny's character--the realist mercenary who seems most capable of surviving, when compared to Vandy--shows the most evolution, shedding layers of the personality onion until an actual human appears. He is moved to reveal an element of his past to the beautiful American reporter (Jennifer Connelly), whose persistence and mutual survivorship cements a bond they both were too proud to admit from their first meeting. Archer and Vandy relationship morphs into something beautiful when a sacrifice is needed, prompting Solomon to reverse that remarkably chauvinistic statement made by Rudyard Kipling over one hundred years ago: the "white man's burden."

This is hands-down Djimon's most impressive performance: I have never seen him better represent a character. In fact, he blurs the line between character and actor, totally suspending my disbelief to the point where I "knew" him only as Vandy. I have been told by an acquaintance--currently living in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)--that DiCaprio's accent is spot-on. In addition, he was utterly believable as heartless mercenary, and his later transformation was also quite convincing. The action sequences were, as mentioned, jaw-dropping in their intensity, but never felt gratuitous or over-the-top.

Easily one of my five favorite movies of 2006--miss it, and you risk missing some of the finest cinematographic wizardry and directorial finesse of cinema from the last year, period.

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

The Blood Diamond has double meaning. An extremely bloody war is being funded by diamonds, and the stars of the movie are after a huge stone that has a red tint to it. Leonardo Dicaprio is after the diamond and Djimon Hounsou (named Solomon in the movie) agrees to show him where it is, but only goes along with Dicaprio so that he can find his son. Solomon's son has been been taken and made into a 10 year old rebel soldier. Jennifer Connelly plays a journalist and does a great job of using her charm to help forget about the war that is going on, even if it is just for a moment. The best parts are the action scenes. Solomon will do whatever he has to to get his son back, and likewise for Dicaprio with the diamond. It all leads to a very exciting ending.

There is great drama, a great story, and marvelous acting from everybody, but the action sequences stood out the most to me. The rebels seem to enjoy killing everyone and anyone. When they show up, expect to see some intense shoutouts. The 2 fight scenes are also good, mainly because Djimon Hounsou is such a superb actor. I wouldn't have minded seeing more of his rage. Dicaprio also gives an extraordinary performance. He may be better in this than he was in 'The Aviator'.

This is the best movie I have seen in at least a couple months, and I am a hardcore movie junkie. I don't like giving away too much in my reviews, in fact I always try to give away as little as possible. My rating sums up how I feel the best. This movie gets a perfect 5/5 from me. It is relentless, and I couldn't look away for a second. I can't believe I waited so long to finally watch this.

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Two-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005JPGO
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonard DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director, Edward Zwick (A revealing look at a filmmaker?s personal journey.)
Documentary:Blood on the Stone (RT: 50:00) Follow the path of a diamond from the ground to the store.
Featurette:1) Becoming Archer (RT: 8:29) - A profile of Leonardo DiCaprio and how he trained for the war; 2) Journalism on the Front Line (RT: approx 6:07) - Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at war; 3) Inside the Siege of Freetown (RT: 10:28) - See how Ed Zwick tackled the pivotal scene.
Music Video:"Shine On Em" by rap artist Nas

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

Average customer rating:

A new look on werwolf movies
Bucharest and Special Effects Soften this Werewolf Film
Excellent Film. Better Than Chocolate.
Blood and Chocolate
Book and Movie Don't Mesh

Blood & Chocolate
Starring: Agnes Bruckner , Hugh Dancy , Olivier Martinez , Katja Riemann , and Bryan Dick
Director: Katja von Garnier
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Ghost Rider (Two-Disc Extended Cut)
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ASIN: B000OCY7TY
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

When graphic novelist Aiden (Hugh Dancy) travels to Bucharest to research the loup garou legend, he nearly gets devoured in the latest female werewolf film, Blood and Chocolate. In the tradition of Werewolf Woman and Ginger Snaps, Blood and Chocolate stars Vivian Gandillon (Agnes Bruckner), a girl who's forced to face her lupine tendencies in order to discover how capable of loving Aiden she really is. Based on a book by Annette Curtis Clause, the film chronicles the lives of the remaining loup garou who are an extended Romanian family waiting for their pack leader, Gabriel, to select his new mate. His desire for Vivian means trouble when her wish to be with Aiden results in her revealing too much about the clan's secretive lifestyle. In this film, werewolves look fully human until their eyes glow with colored contact lenses while they fly through the air to then land as full-fledged wolves. Gone are the days, apparently, of films showing the transformation in all its hairy, explosive detail. A lack of scenes describing the werewolf metamorphosis make this film more a love story than a monster tale, though two forest gatherings in which the loup garou hunt human sacrifices offer some grizzly satisfaction. Unlike the aforementioned femme werewolf films, Blood and Chocolate features a girl fighting her urge to kill in a bid to unite humans with her brethren, making this movie the most peaceful in its genre. With a tame wolf as protagonist, the potential nightmare is really just a pleasant dream to unite the two disparate worlds. The question is: Do we want that to happen? --Trinie Dalton

Product Description

As a young girl living in the remote mountains of Colorado, Vivian (Bruckner) watched helplessly as her family was murdered by a pack of angry men for the secret they carried in their blood. Vivian survived the attack by running into the woods and changing into a wolf. Ten years later, Vivian is living a relatively safe and normal life in Bucharest, Romania. Vivian spends her days working in a chocolate shop and nights trawling the city's underground clubs, fending off the reckless antics of her cousin Rafe, and his gang of delinquents he refers to as "The Five."

Vivian's life begins to unravel when she has a chance encounter with Aiden (Dancy), an artist researching Bucharest' ancient art and relics for his next graphic novel. Aiden pursues Vivian until she relents and begins to see him, but she can't bring herself to tell him the truth - and lives in fear of showing him who she really is. Even though Vivian has sworn never to kill, she is as much an animal as she is human, and her love for Aiden threatens to cast him to the very wolves who saved her life and who are waiting for their chance to hunt him as prey.

Stills from Blood & Chocolate (click for larger image)

Beyond Blood & Chocolate at Amazon.com

Gothic Horror on DVDs
More from Olivier Martinez
DVDs of "Things That Go Bump"

Customer Reviews:

A new look on werwolf movies.......2007-07-03

Blood & Chocolate is a very good movie it takes a new look on werewolf movies and this movie is awesome.

Bucharest and Special Effects Soften this Werewolf Film.......2007-07-01

BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE (a misnomer at best!) is another in the seemingly endless appetite-for-horror-flicks appeasers. Freely adapted from the Annette Curtis Klause's novel by screenwriters Ehren Kruger and Christopher Landon and directed by Katja von Garnier, this version of the loup-garou legend takes place in Bucharest, Romania and while the corps group of 'night creatures' carrying the mantle of the clan appears small, the group seems more updated in its views of survival in the world of 'normal man' than most: the werewolves are a normal appearing bunch who change into rather elegant wolves through computer generated magic in a manner that removes much of the gruesome element form the film. It helps.

Loup-garou child Vivian (Agnes Bruckner) witnessed the death of her parents at the hands of men in Colorado and escaped to Bucharest where 10 years later she is the next in line to be the 'bride' of pack leader Gabriel (a gaunt appearing Olivier Martinez). Her aunt Astrid (Katja Riemann) with whom she lives had been the first love of Gabriel and a tension is set early in the film about the plight of the pack versus the desire to be a normal human, a tension that will help the resolution of the film's love story. The mysterious, questioning Vivian meets young artist Aiden (Hugh Dancy) who himself has escaped America and his own demons. An obvious infatuation cum attraction occurs and though Vivian admits to warm feelings for Aiden, she knows her affair is doomed: her cousin Rafe (Bryan Dick) and his pack of five discover her tragic near crossover the line of human desire, and the crisis of the story proceeds along the lines of victim and pursuer.

The unfortunate title for the film is clumsily drawn from the negligently important job Vivian has working in a chocolate factory, hardly a comparison for the importance blood plays in the hunt and kill formula that the title supposedly represents. But then it does set up the dichotomy of choice Vivian must make, whether to obey her loup-garou destiny or enter the realm of normal human motivations and desires. Yes, it all gets pretty corny, but in many ways this 'netherworld of monster types' film rises above others in its management of the transformation scenes (actually quite beautiful) and in the acting of Hugh Dancy. In the end it is the chance to see how truly Bucharest as a city really is that makes the movie worth watching. The cast does the best it can with the weak material. Grady Harp, July 07

Excellent Film. Better Than Chocolate........2007-06-28

I watched this film with a modicum of hesitation because it is not really my genre. I was more than pleasantly surprised to enjoy what I consider the best cinematic offering for the year to date. It is a beautiful combination of a "Werewolf in London", the "Bourne Identity" and "Before Sunrise", with Romania providing an exquisite location for what essentially is a very poignant love story, and very tastefully executed, with finesse and class and Romance. The soundtrack is simply first rate, the acting is very capable, with the two very memorable and commanding leads, and the violence is the antithesis to gratuitous. An Avid and very astute reader stated that the film followed the book very well. However, you need not have read the book in order to find this film a truly well done film, with virtually nothing lacking, with the exception of more special features. As of late June, this is the best film of the year, in any genre. After seeing this film, Lace, Chocolate, Romania, the Colorado Rockies, not so much blood, will be all that more appreciated.

Blood and Chocolate.......2007-06-24

Blood & Chocolate [Region 99]

This movie sucked. If you read the book, please save yourself the trauma of watching this!!! The only thing that it did have from the book was the title and the names of characters. It truly traumatized me. My friend said that I sat for 2 1/2 hours saying "what the hell happened? They had the book...what the hell happened?" Needless to say I liked the book and wish I had saved the $9 it cost to watch it in theatre. I should have asked for my money back, but I was too traumatized to think straight.

Book and Movie Don't Mesh.......2007-06-23

Have you ever read a book that you LOVE and then they turn it into a movie that just doesn't seem to match? That's what they did with Blood and Chocolate.
The movie ruined the book, and that's all there is to it.
I LOVED the book, and I had read it more than one time before I had heard that it was being turned into a movie. I was really excited, but then tonight I actually saw the movie.
At the end, for the last 5 minutes, my eyes were open REALLY wide and my mouth was wide open because I couldn't believe what was happening. The ending was almost the complete opposite of the ending in the book...which I happened to like.
If you like the book, don't see the movie.
If you've seen the movie, read the book and then yell at the movie for being so different.

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie

Blood Diamond (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000MZHW40
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

Average customer rating:

The Special Edition IS Anamorphic!!
Terrific reissue from Fox of sci-fi Cold War gem
Another Gem Of Sci-Fi - And Mature To Boot!
This film is... well...Fantastic!
I need to ask-here we are...

Fantastic Voyage (Special Edition)
Starring: Stephen Boyd , Raquel Welch , Edmond O'Brien , Donald Pleasence , and Arthur O'Connell
Director: Richard Fleischer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O78KWE
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com

2001: A Space Odyssey took the world on a mind-bending trip to outer space, but Fantastic Voyage is the original psychedelic inner-space adventure. When a brilliant scientist falls into a coma with an inoperable blood clot in the brain, a surgical team embarks on a top-secret journey to the center of the mind in a high-tech military submarine shrunk to microbial dimensions. Stephen Boyd stars as a colorless commander sent to keep an eye on things (though his eyes stay mostly on shapely medical assistant Raquel Welch), while Donald Pleasance is suitably twitchy as the claustrophobic medical consultant. The science is shaky at best, but the imaginative spectacle is marvelous: scuba-diving surgeons battle white blood cells, tap the lungs to replenish the oxygen supply, and shoot the aorta like daredevil surfers. The film took home a well-deserved Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Director Richard Fleischer, who turned Disney's 1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea into one of the most riveting submarine adventures of all time, creates a picture so taut with cold-war tensions and cloak-and-dagger secrecy that niggling scientific contradictions (such as, how do miniaturized humans breathe full-sized air molecules?) seem moot. --Sean Axmaker

Description

The adventure of a lifetime occurs not in the outer reaches of space, but inside the human body. An elite team of medical and scientific specialists race to save a top government scientist who is suffering from a blood clot on the brain. Their mission: be reduced along with their submarine-like craft to microscopic size, enter the bloodstream of the ailing scientist, and journey to the brain to perform an emergency procedure. With only sixty minutes to complete their mission, the scientist find themselves fighting off an attack by white corpuscles, caught in a tornado-like storm in the lungs, and struggling to survive sabotage from one of their own.

Customer Reviews:

The Special Edition IS Anamorphic!!.......2007-06-12

There was question about whether the updated Special Edition release of "Fantastic Voyage" would be remastered in anamorphic widescreen, since it wasn't stated anywhere in the release information, or, actually, on the DVD itself. On the grid on the back of the DVD case (which lists different soundtracks, subtitles, etc.), it only states "Widescreen 2.35:1"...which, as any owner of a widescreen television knows, is deceiving, since that doesn't necessarily mean it will automatically adjust to your television.

No worries with "Fantastic Voyage"! The print looks fabulous, and it brings back all those inner-space sci-fi memories! If you're a fan, you'll undoubtedly pick this up. If you've never seen it...man, what a ride. I wish I could go back and experience it for the first time again!

Terrific reissue from Fox of sci-fi Cold War gem.......2007-06-12

Fans of 60's science fiction will appreciation the deluxe terrific reissue of "Fantastic Voyage" put out by Fox. While very much a product of the mid-60's, "Fantastic Voyage" holds up surprisingly well in just about every area. I doubt that fans need a recap of the plot but I have one at the end of this review if you're interested.

First up we get a brand new marvelous looking transfer for the film. It isn't perfect but it couldn't be because of the source material. Some shots appear soft and a bit blurry due to the process photography/visual effects added to shots but that's unavoidable and fairly typical of films from this time before digital video. Colors are bold and as bright as I remember them.

Unlike the previous release we get some really good extras as well. The featurette on visual effects has Richard Edlund ("Close Encounters", "Blade Runner") discussing the difficulty of shooting a visual effects film like "Fantastic Voyage" in 1965 (it was releasedin 1966). Like "Forbidden Planet", "Fantastic Voyage" pushed the barrier of visual effects for its times something NOT appreciated by a lot of viewers. Edlund points out that building the Proetus both in full size and miniature allowed director Richard Flesicher opportunities that most directors wouldn't have in being flexible in his shooting. Also, the Proetus full scale exterior had an interior set mimicing the set for the inside of the ship which allowed them to shoot through the windows and not worry about having to do mattes as often creating a convincing environment.

We also get an isolated music score with a commentary track as well featuring Nick Redman, Jon Burlingame and Jeff Bond discussing Leonard Rosenman's marvelous music score. They are quiet about 40 minutes in when Rosenman's score kicks in but the first 40 minutes these music/film historians focus on everything from the casting, to bits of trivia about the shooting of the film. We also get storyboard to film comparison of the whirlpool scene as well as a deleted scene from the script with storyboard illustrations. The electronic press booklet includes the original press booklet. My only complaint is its a bit too small to read at times even on a big screen TV but otherwise looks quite good. We also get some of the movie-tie-in's including a mention of Isaac Asimov's novel adapted from the script (where he fixed some of the holes in the script and science gaffs). We get lobby cards, posters, radio and TV ads as well as the original theatrical trailer. The interactive portion of the gallery also allows us a 360 view of the 5 foot model of the Proetus as well as its smaller (just a couple of inches)version used for long shots and designed for visual effects mattes.

Fox has done a very nice job on this 40th Anniversary Edition (even if it is a year late)of this classic Science Fiction film. Sure, the dialogue is occasionally awkward but it's a film very much of its time and holds up remarkably well with strong performances by Stephen Boyd, Donald Pleasance (in one of his first roles as a villain), Arthur Kennedy, Raquel Welch and others.

***
Plot: Set during the Cold War, Grant (Stephen Boyd) is called in to escort Jan Benes (Jean Del Val) a man with information vital to the safety and security of the United States. When their motorcade is attacked, Benes is injured and goes into a coma. Grant is again recruited this time to accompany a team of a surgeon (Arthur Kennedy), government doctor (Donald Pleasance), nurse (Raquel Welch) and Navy pilot (William Redfield) on a journey of tiny proportions. They are going to be miniaturized be injected into Benes and travel in a state-of-the-art sub called the Proteus to destroy the blood clot threatening Benes life. Complications arise, however, when it appears they may have a saboteur in their midst.

Another Gem Of Sci-Fi - And Mature To Boot!.......2007-06-08

Rare was the occasion that science fiction was treated like anything more than a "kids movie" in days of yore. Sure, there were all-age features of the golden age of Hollywood, like say "Forbidden Planet" and "War Of The Worlds," but even the best of these had a whiff of...unseriousness. This film, "Fantastic Voyage" was the first "old" sci-fi film I saw that actually made no bones about the subject matter being mature - even though the premise was a tad beyond credibility.

The special effects were truly special, for starters. The team who wordked on it spent a lot of time and money to make the interior of the body look realistic. This added to the whole feeling of alienation while our heroes - including a very sexy Raquel Welch - were swinging about in the body of our tragic victim. And the wirework that went into giving the viewer a feel of "swimming" were fantastic (sorry), an early example of the miracle of wirework in the U.S.

The actors as well give a feeling of believability by the way they never give a wink-and-a-nod performance. They handled it much like any other acting job despite being told (you're really tiny and you're stuck inside someone's body." Kinda hard to keep a straight face with that, to be sure, but they do so, and that adds mileage to what could've been a silly premise.

I enjoy what's being done now special-effect wise, but there's something to be said for watching a great example of how it USED to be done. The hard way. Making reality conform to what you want it instead of whipping it up on a computer. Younger people (whose ideas of special effects start with, oh, say, "The Matrix") should take note of this, and other, older examples of Hollywood wizardry. It may be cool to be a sci-fi film fan now, but even back in the day, properly done sci-fi rocked!

This film is... well...Fantastic!.......2007-06-06

Please, please, please never remake this film. I love it just the way it is. It is stylish, well directed, beautifully photographed, and the special effects are great within the context of the film itself. I wish I could have seen this in the theater. This film has a distinct style all it's own. It's obvious watching it now how much has been directly or indirectly influenced by the look and feel of the film. Even Alien, with it's limited crew working on a ship with one lone double agent owes something to Fantastic Voyage.

This film is required viewing for any sci-fi fan.

I need to ask-here we are..........2007-06-03

2 days from street date, with no information on any extras or whether FV and VTTBOTS have been remastered, or just the same transfers from 5 years ago...

It is listed as a 'Specail Edition'

Average customer rating:

Old Enemies Menace Hellboy's Surrogate Father
An even better follow-up
Smashing
'Hellboy': A Force to Be Reckoned With
not to bad...

Hellboy - Blood and Iron (Animated)
Starring: Ron Perlman , Selma Blair , Doug Jones , John Hurt , and Peri Gilpin
Director: Tad Stones , and Victor Cook
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
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ASIN: B000NY0YJK
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

In some ways, Blood and Iron captures more of graphic novelist Mike Mignola's original vision than Guillermo del Toro's lackluster feature did in 2004. Hellboy, the demon brought into this world by the Nazis, but raised by "Professor Broom" to fight for good, was conceived as a drawing, not an actor buried under make-up and latex. The story, which incorporates elements from Mignola's "Wake the Devil" collection, sends Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Prof. Broom to the haunted mansion of a vulgar millionaire. Hoping to cash in on the supernatural angle, he's filled the house with relics of "Blood Countess" Erzsebet Ondrusko (based on the 16th century Hungarian noblewoman Elizebeth Bathory), whom Prof. Broom defeated in 1939. It's really haunted, and the gang tackles harpies, ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires, and the goddess Hecate. The key actors from the live action film repeat their roles as voices: Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Selma Blair (Liz), Doug Jones (Abe), and John Hurt (Broom). Perlman makes a suitably underplayed Hellboy, growling his annoyance at everything from a bad donut to a vicious blow from the iron-clad goddess. The limits of the animation would be less problematic if the direction were more dynamic. Tad Stones and Victor Cook don't get the needed power out of the action sequences, especially the prolonged battle between Hellboy and Hecate. It would be interesting to see what a talented director like Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Ruruoni Kenshin) or Hiroyuki Okiura (Jin-Roh) would do with this material. Blood and Iron will appeal to some "Hellboy" fans, but it lacks the dark panache of the original books. (Unrated, suitable for ages 14 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, potentially offensive religious imagery) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

Old Enemies Menace Hellboy's Surrogate Father.......2007-07-01

HELLBOY: BLOOD AND IRON is the second Hellboy animated movie released direct-to-DVD. The first was HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS. As in the first feature, Ron Perlman provides the voice for Hellboy. Other stars from the feature film lend their voices as well, including Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Peri Gilpin, and John Hurt. The story is taken from the second story arc of the Hellboy comics. It was originally called, "Wake the Devil".

This movie shows more of Hellboy's upbringing than the feature movie starring Ron Perlman. It also reveals a lot more of Professor (Bruttenholm) Broom's background before he found Hellboy back in the 1940s after the Nazi Germans brought him into this world. As it turns out, Professor Broom was quite the paranormal investigator long before Hellboy arrived.

During those days, the professor's arch-nemesis was Erzsebet Ondrusko, a vampire and worshiper of Hecate, the queen of witches. The opening sequence showing Broom's encounter with the villainess is appropriately chilling and a visual treat. In fact, the whole movie owes more to creator Mike Mignola's artwork than the feature-length movie. The scenes in the animated movie could have been ripped directly from Mignola's comics pages.

Hellboy is introduced while lurking through a sewer system and looking for a monster. He, admittedly, is up to his neck in crap. The humor mixes very well with the action and emotion in the film. This isn't Leo Tolstoy, but it's nice to have characters you feel like you know and can care about. Especially when they're dealing with old business that carries a lot of emotional baggage for them.

Hellboy puts down the creature with help from Abe Sapien and they quickly return to the hidden headquarters of the BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense). They sit around talking and the viewer gets to know more about the characters. One of the things I enjoy about the movies is that you don't have to know much to understand who the characters are. You're given what you need to know as you go along, and it's never dull even for the true fans that already know everything.

When assignments are given out, Professor Broom usurps control of the meeting and assigns Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Liz Sherman to investigate sightings of ghosts in a mansion that's been remodeled into a top-of-the-line museum/lodge. The job was initially a low-priority for them. The professor offers no explanation and the rest of the team is left wondering what's going on. More than that, the professor is going along and that hasn't happened in years. All of them are concerned for his health.

Of course, when they arrive at the mansion, things are decidedly much worse than they were led to believe. There's not just one ghost; there appear to be dozens. And even more evil is afoot.

Interspersed for the current ongoing story line, there are flashbacks to Professor Broom's earlier encounters with Erzsebet Ondrusko. The story concerning Hellboy and the others definitely takes second-place to the overall storytelling until the very last of the movie. It's all the clues and backstory of what has gone on before that really captures the interest.

The fight scene at the end of the movie is multi-layered as Hellboy and the others are divided. It's all interesting to watch, but it tends to drag on the little, especially when you realize that time after time it is not over.

Due to the violence and the scary appearances of many of the monsters, this animated feature is and recommended for young kids. However, if you like cartoons and your kids do too, this is definitely one you can sit down and enjoy together. There's enough story and enough action to keep everyone happy. At 75 minutes, you can easily fit the movie into an evening.

An even better follow-up.......2007-06-16

Hellboy: Blood and Iron is the second animated release in the Hellboy series. This time, Hellboy and co. are asked to investigate a haunted mansion that a rich billionaire plans to turn into a tourist attraction. The case also has a mysterious connection to a Hungarian Blood Countess that Professor Bruttenholm fought in the 1930s.

I liked the first release, Sword of Storms, but Blood and Iron is an even stronger effort. The gothic trappings feel more familar to the style that made Mignola's original comic so acclaimed, and whereas the first film split up the main cast, Blood and Iron keeps them together with focus on the family dynamic. The script is tighter, and at points really pushes the 'older audience' rating; it's a vampire story with lots of blood. Perlman and crew again bring the characters to life with believability and charm.

There aren't quite as many extras this time, but it's still a solid release. The most fun is the "Iron Shoes" short, which adapts Mignola's comic of the same name to hilarious effect. All dvds come packed with a 32-page comic book called "The Yearning." Some exclusives also pack in an extra comic digest called "The Judgement Bell" or a Hellboy figurine.

A great recommendation. Hopefully Hellboy Animated spawns more films or a tv series soon.

Smashing.......2007-06-15

Chances are that if you enjoyed Sword of Storms, the first animated Hellboy straight to DVD movie, you are going to dig Blood and Iron just as much, if not more. Once again, the actors from Guillermo Del Toro's 2004 big screen adaptation return to voice their counterparts: Ron Perlman is Hellboy, Selma Blair is Liz, Doug Jones is fishboy Abe Sapien, and even John Hurt is on board this time around as Professor Broom. The story finds the B.P.R.D. assigned to a ghost crammed mansion, which turns out to be inhabited by a vampiric Blood Countess that Professor Broom took on years before. Featuring dynamic animation, superb voice work, and knowing nods to Mike Mignola's original comics; Hellboy: Blood and Iron is an animated treat. The only downsides to Blood and Iron are what plagued Sword of Storms: the animation may not be everyone's cup of tea, and the film as a whole may be a bit too slow moving for some. All that aside, Blood and Iron is still an enjoyable Hellboy yarn, and the wonderful set of DVD extras included on the disc round out an already sweet package.

'Hellboy': A Force to Be Reckoned With.......2007-06-15

'Hellboy' is an anime' comic book jumping to life. Sparring between good and evil, the titled hero (Ron Perlman) is a demon fighting against the agents of hell on earth. He joins forces with what could be called the comic strip version of 'Ghostbusters' or 'Scooby Doo'. The anime' venue, which sometimes lacks the flow of most animated adventures, looks entirely appropriate with it's Gothic look and feel. Images of wolves with glowing eyes, lady vampires, snakes, and ghosts jump out to challenge our heros after an associate professor "Broom" has let a vampire lady come to life. Complete with a score that rises and falls with the action, 'Hellboy--Blood and Iron' takes all the old horror stories and recreates it with a frightening splendor. While it won't make most teenagers lose any sleep, it does an effective job of telling its story while generating a morbid, creepy interest.

Overall, 'Hellboy-Blood and Iron' does much to impress without an overkill. With a good story and dialogue, Victor Cook and Tad Stones do effective things with Mike Mignola's comic-novel series. (The extras have interesting explanations about how they assembled this movie.)

not to bad..........2007-06-13

I liked Sword of Storms because it seemed more like the comic and less like the movie (even though they had the movie actors do the voices). I liked how Hellboy seemed less of a "big child" and more of a aged sort of "got it together" type of hero.
The little things like Abe not wearing a breathing apparatus and Kate Corrigan made me really happy.
The new movie Blood and Iron only ventures futher into the comic world, even using some of the direct dialogue from the comic. The animation is really well done as well as the voice acting. The movie even seemed like a Mike Mignola Hellboy issue, which I liked a lot.

The DVD extras are pretty cool as well. Behind the scenes features and it even has a Hellboy E-comic. It also includes the short IRON SHOES which is frame for frame of the comic story of the same title. It was really cool to see that animated.

As I was watching this movie I realized it was definitely NOT for kids. Some of the images in the movie would probably scar little kids for life.

Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary 2-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Clever carnage.
Reservoir Dogs DVD 15th anniversary edition
EXCELLENT DVD!
Reservoir dogs
An intro to Pulp Fiction

Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary 2-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Kirk Baltz , Randy Brooks , Edward Bunker , Steve Buscemi , and Suzanne Celeste
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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