Jerome

Starring:Wendy Malick
Studio: Vanguard Cinema
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

The Fountainhead
Starring: Gary Cooper , Patricia Neal , Raymond Massey , Kent Smith , and Robert Douglas
Director: King Vidor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Ayn Rand - A Sense of Life (Director's Vision Edition)
The Passion of Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead
The Heiress (Universal Cinema Classics)
The Conformist (Extended Edition)

ASIN: B000HWZ4A2
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Amazon.com

Exhibiting a darker edge to his hero persona, the strapping Gary Cooper has the (Frank Lloyd) Wright stuff as architect Harold Roark, a "fool visionary" who refuses to conform his artistic ideas to popular taste. His inflexibility makes enemies out of a tabloid architecture critic and a tycoon (Raymond Massey), who proclaims, "All men can be bought... there are no men of integrity." Keating (Kent Smith), a former classmate, urges Roark to take "the middle of the road so it's sure to please everybody." But Roark will not compromise, and when one of his building designs is radically altered without his consent, he resorts to drastic measures. Adapted for the screen by Ayn Rand from her towering and controversial bestseller, The Fountainhead is about as subtle as that phallic drill Roark wields so impressively, which catches the frenzied eye of the formidable Dominique Francon (Patricia Neal in her film debut). She recognizes Roark's nobility, but fears he has no chance "in a world where beauty, genius and greatness have no chance." Rand did little to dilute her polemics for the screen, resulting in melodramatic scenes that border on high camp, such as Roark and Francon's rather sexually charged discussion about limestone. Rand practiced what she preached. According to a bonus featurette about the making of the film, she refused to trim Roark's then-unprecedented six-minute courtroom speech in which he defends his actions. Even for those who don't adhere to her philosophy, The Fountainhead does offer something rarely seen on screens these days, a man of unshakable principles. And Hollywood could sure note Rand's object lesson about the perils of mediocrity and catering to "the mob." For Cooper fans, The Fountainhead is an essential addition to your DVD library. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Based on the novel by philosopher Ayn Rand, this is the story of architect Howard Roark. An idealist, Roark believes he can balance his values with the needs of society. His mentor disagrees - encouraging him to compromise his integrity rather than suffer for his artistic goals.

Average customer rating:

West Side Story (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Natalie Wood , Richard Beymer , Russ Tamblyn , Rita Moreno , and George Chakiris
Director: Jerome Robbins , and Robert Wise
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Musicals & Performing Arts | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

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

My Fair Lady
Fiddler on the Roof (Special Edition)
Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary Edition)
The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)
Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0000AM6IY
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Amazon.com essential video

The winner of 10 Academy Awards, this 1961 musical by choreographer Jerome Robbins and director Robert Wise (The Sound of Music) remains irresistible. Based on a smash Broadway play updating Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the 1950s era of juvenile delinquency, the film stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer as the star-crossed lovers from different neighborhoods--and ethnicities. The film's real selling points, however, are the highly charged and inventive song-and-dance numbers, the passionate ballads, the moody sets, colorful support from Rita Moreno, and the sheer accomplishment of Hollywood talent and technology producing a film so stirring. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim wrote the score. --Tom Keogh

Description

This brilliant (The New Republic) film sets the ageless story of Romeo and Juliet against a backdrop of gang warfare in 1950s New York. Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins and scripted by Ernest Lehman, the film combines Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's unforgettable score ( Maria, America, 'somewhere, 'tonight ) with Robbins own exuberant choreography to achieve an exhilarating work of art (Saturday Review). A love affair is fated for tragedy amidst the vicious rivalry of two street gangsthe Jets and the Sharks. When Jets member Tony (RichardBeymer) falls for Maria (Natalie Wood), the sister of the Sharks leader, it's more than these two warring gangs can handle. And as mounting tensions rise, a battle to the death ensues, and innocent blood is shed in a heartbreaking finale.

Average customer rating:

Quigley Down Under
Starring: Tom Selleck , Laura San Giacomo , Alan Rickman , Chris Haywood , and Ron Haddrick
Director: Simon Wincer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Westerns | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

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

Crossfire Trail
Monte Walsh
Last Stand at Saber River
Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts
Conagher

ASIN: B00005LOL0
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Amazon.com

Tom Selleck plays Matthew Quigley, the cowboy hero in this traditional Western, set very untraditionally in Australia. After some macho silliness in the opening minutes, the story settles into a surprisingly evocative tale of Quigley, a sharpshooter who had come to the country to work for a land baron (Alan Rickman) and who is on the mend after a brutal attack. In the company of a woman (Laura San Giacomo) abused by that same baron, Quigley gets his strength and his shooting skills back while healing in the midst of aboriginal people as well as some stunning Australian settings. Director Simon Wincer (Phar Lap) brings a lot of integrity to this rare horse opera from contemporary Hollywood. --Tom Keogh

Lucky Number Slevin (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

I Can't Think Of A Reason To Rate It Under 5 Stars
Willis at his badest
Overdone revenge
UNUSUAL SUSPECT
awful, starts "funny" turns ugly.

Lucky Number Slevin (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Josh Hartnett , Bruce Willis , Lucy Liu , Morgan Freeman , and Ben Kingsley
Director: Paul McGuigan
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Neo-Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

The Sentinel (Widescreen Edition)
Inside Man (Widescreen Edition)
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)
V for Vendetta (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000FKO5QK
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

How boring it is to label a movie Tarantino-esque anymore. The thing is, when it comes to an offering like Lucky Number Slevin, the shoe fits, and the result is anything but boring. Gruesome killings, arid wit, self-reflexive pop culture references, an A-list cast, and style-heavy production values abound, which gives the proceedings an epoxy bond that seals the Q.T. homage factor. Josh Hartnett--who spends a lot of buffed-up time with his shirt off--is Slevin Kelevra, a hapless fellow visiting his New York friend Nick. But Nick has disappeared, which sets off a mistaken-identity thrill ride when two goons grab Slevin (he's in Nick's apartment so he must be Nick) and take him to their crime lord boss, the Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss doesn't care about Slevin's wrong-man protests; he just wants the $96,000 Nick owes him. In one of many offers he can't refuse, Slevin has to agree to murder the son of the Boss's felonious arch rival, the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) or take the bullet himself. But Slevin turns out to be no ordinary patsy. Thrown into the ingeniously designed production, clever plot twists, and academic nods to Bond, Hitchcock, and obscure old cartoons are Lucy Liu as a sexy coroner, Stanley Tucci as an obsessed cop, and Bruce Willis as a wily hit man with his finger in many pots. With so much visual and narrative trickery, there's almost too much to absorb in one viewing of this convoluted jigsaw puzzle of revenge and entertaining mayhem. Lucky Number Slevin isn't quite up to par with similarly brainy thrillers like Memento and The Usual Suspects, but the prospect of seeing it again in order to get your bearings is just as appealing.--Ted Fry

Description

Down-on-his-luck Slevin stumbles into a running feud between two New York gangsters, The Boss and The Rabbi. Tracked by the mysterious assassin Goodkat and distracted by his flirtatious neighbor, Slevin must use his wits to cheat death.

Customer Reviews:

I Can't Think Of A Reason To Rate It Under 5 Stars.......2007-06-15

You know I gave no attention to the previews for this movie at all. I'm pretty sure that I just didn't take it seriously. The preview portrays it too much in a comedic genre. What it really is a smooth assassin film with some comedy. The film starts out in a terminal with a man just sitting and waiting until an old man in a wheelchair (Bruce Willis) appears out of nowhere. The old man looks harmless of course and starts telling the guy about the story of a Kansas City Shuffle.

The story is based in 1979 and is about a fixed horse race and how everything goes wrong and people end up getting hurt. The purpose of the shuffle is actually to make someone look in another direction. What Willis does after he tells this Kansas City Shuffle tale well you'll have to watch and see. After this a man in present day named Sleven (Josh Hartnett) is introduced. He came to town to meet his friend but before he gets there some bad things happen to him. First he gets kicked out of his apartment, he catches his girlfriend cheating on him, and then he gets mugged.

He didn't have a rough week he had a rough day and so much more is coming for him. After he arrives a cute but annoying neighbor (Lucy Liu) greets him. She just won't leave him alone or stop asking him questions. While sitting in his friend's apartment in a towel someone knocks on the door. It's two guys coming to get him and take him to The Boss (Morgan Freeman) who is well the boss of a mob. The Boss informs him that he can't find his friend and because of this he owes him money. After Slevin is dropped off not too much later two men knock to take him to The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). The Rabbi is well a Rabbi who also happens to be a boss of a mob.

What may be one of the longest synopsis ever or a least that I've ever had to write this film is definitely worth it. All that and that's only half of the movies story. So many things happen in this film that make it a bit predictable but exciting. The story was done nicely from the pace to the order of the events. It starts out sort of cool with Bruce Willis in the opening scene but then it goes into a bit of comedy. So already you don't really know what to expect from it. Then Lucy Liu is thrown into it and I'm thinking it might go more towards a comedy cause her character was wacky.

I was surprised because the twists were woven in perfectly. Lucy didn't mess with it at all and Hartnett did a nice job. Bruce Willis made the film, well him, Morgan, and Ben. I love the back-story, which was very original. The action or gunplay was just enough to give the movie a bit of a grimy feeling to it. Though this movie is predictable or at least some people will get it quickly I like how it was done. It makes you believe one thing never totally letting go of its seriousness and then they go a little deeper. This had a great cast, it was well written, and I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to see a good film.

Willis at his badest.......2007-05-13

This is what Willis does best, play cool, and as the character that sets the stage for everything that unfurls, he is at his peak. The movie reads like its another professional hit man flick but it goes way beyond that with some nice twists and refreshing plot threads. If Sean Connery's Bond set the mark for suave then Willis sets the bar for cool with this film.

Overdone revenge.......2007-05-05

I liked the acting was good; no wonder as they are talented actors. I did particularly like Lucy Liu effort that I thought was a nice touch in the story. The characters well several are overdone but it made for interesting stories. I was wondering how they all were to come together but when they did the stories with there twists were good. It was over the top but then that is Hollywood.

UNUSUAL SUSPECT.......2007-05-04

I enjoyed very much Scottish director Paul McGuigan's LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN, a movie that works a little like an Agatha Christie novel. From the beginning of the film on, we have to confront facts that could or couldn't be true. For instance, Mr. Goodkat's frightening story about the slaughter of an entire family told to Nick Fisher seems very much real to us but, as soon as the hitman kills Nick Fisher, we have doubts about the story's reality. Secondly, the rest of the film is told according to Slevin's subjective point of view so that we are led to believe that what Slevin sees or tells is necessarily true. Like in an Agatha Christie book, we have to wait for the last 10 minutes of the film to discover who was lying and what really happened during the former 90 minutes. It's the essence of Cinema : to manage to convince the audience that what is shown on the screen is true.

Now, I didn't feel any peculiar Tarantino influence in LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN, the movie lives by itself and frankly, it deserves to be seen if you like a smart story with good actors such as Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, Stanley Tucci, Lucy Liu, Bruce Willis and Josh Hartnett. Highly recommended.

A DVD zone Bruce's new haircut.

awful, starts "funny" turns ugly........2007-04-25

i hated this movie. it's totaly artificial. from start to finish. i know, they all are but this one's worse than most. and it's offensive, with the rabbi and the boss charactors. i can't figure out what they were going for here. an edgy "whole nine yards"? who knows. but whatever it was they failed. this is an ugly, offensive mess. avoid it like the plague.

The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

The third time's the charm
Crime and punishment
A Fast-Paced Detective Story
THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
Warner Bros. does it yet again.

The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Humphrey Bogart , Mary Astor , Gladys George , Peter Lorre , and Barton MacLane
Director: John Huston , William Dieterle , and Jean Negulesco
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

Casablanca
The Big Sleep
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Sunset Boulevard (Special Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B000GIXLW0
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Amazon.com essential video

Still the tightest, sharpest, and most cynical of Hollywood's official deathless classics, bracingly tough even by post-Tarantino standards. Humphrey Bogart is Dashiell Hammett's definitive private eye, Sam Spade, struggling to keep his hard-boiled cool as the double-crosses pile up around his ankles. The plot, which dances all around the stolen Middle Eastern statuette of the title, is too baroque to try to follow, and it doesn't make a bit of difference. The dialogue, much of it lifted straight from Hammett, is delivered with whip-crack speed and sneering ferocity, as Bogie faces off against Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, fends off the duplicitous advances of Mary Astor, and roughs up a cringing "gunsel" played by Elisha Cook Jr. It's an action movie of sorts, at least by implication: the characters always seem keyed up, right on the verge of erupting into violence. This is a turning-point picture in several respects: John Huston (The African Queen) made his directorial debut here in 1941, and Bogart, who had mostly played bad guys, was a last-minute substitution for George Raft, who must have been kicking himself for years afterward. This is the role that made Bogart a star and established his trend-setting (and still influential) antihero persona. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

The third time's the charm.......2007-06-10

The Maltese Falcon has earned a reputation of being one of the all-time great movies. Does it deserve this title? As shown in the three-disc special edition of the movie, yes.

Before I picked up this edition, I was familiar enough with the movie, having seen it a couple of times as well as reading the book. Before re-watching it, however, I skipped to Disc 2 and watched the two older versions. The original version of The Maltese Falcon came out in 1931. This movie is reasonably faithful to the book, but has the stiff acting of many early talkies which used a lot of silent movie stars (such as Bebe Daniels). It does, however, have the entertaining Dwight Frye (an early screen villain most well known as Renfield in Dracula), though he doesn't do that much here. The 1936 remake was Satan Met a Lady which added a comic twist to the story. Unfortunately, star Warren William plays his role more like Nick Charles (a rather tipsy gentleman) than Sam Spade. The story changes the Falcon to a Ram's Horn, but not even Bette Davis (who considered this one of her worst films) can save it. With two mediocre efforts, it was amazing that Warner Brothers would try it again just five years later.

They did, however, and the third time was the charm. Despite having just seen the same story twice within a couple of weeks and being familiar with the classic version, it remained immensely entertaining, not just a cut above the first two versions, but several cuts. What makes this version so good? Basically, everything came together almost perfectly.

One key thing was rookie director John Huston whose direction is so good that it helped create an entire style of movie-making, film noir. Whether The Maltese Falcon is truly noir itself (the standard definition usually begins the era with post-WWII films), it is at least proto-noir. Then there is the cast, notably Peter Lorre as the oily Joel Cairo is a scene stealer as is Sydney Greenstreet as The Fat Man. Mary Astor makes her character, Brigid O'Shaughnessy, one of filmdom's great femme fatales, a woman who is able to manipulate almost any man (and her one failing will be costly).

In the center of it all, however, is Humphrey Bogart in one of his first heroic roles as Sam Spade. Bogie is in almost every scene of the movie (the only exception is an early murder), so he is critical to the movie's success. Actually, Spade is more of an anti-hero than a hero: a man who is willing to use other people to achieve his own ends. If you are unfamiliar with the plot, I'll sum it up quickly (and it's pretty much the same in all movies): After Spade's partner is killed, Spade is drawn into a tangled web of murder and intrigue all centering on the Maltese Falcon, a valuable statue that everyone wants and no one has. Of course, there's more to it than that, but why spoil the fun?

The first disc in this set has the Bogart version along with a commentary track. There is also a "Warner Night at the Movies" feature that provides cartoons, a newsreel, movie trailers and a short subject (a rather interminable ballet that will mostly appeal to fans of dance). The third disc provides other bonus features, most notably a documentary about the movie. The Disc One material is enough to give the set five stars (the movie itself is actually enough); the rest is just gravy. If you want to see one of the true classics, this is a must-get.

Crime and punishment.......2007-05-12

The dialog is fast and the plot is thick. Yes this the screen play was lifted directly from the book. The only thing I have trouble with is that I don't see Humphry Bogart as tough as he sounds. He is the classic tough guy though and does his detective best to figure out the plot. Worth owning because it takes several viewings to get all the details of the plot down. I didn't notice the sound mis-synch but then maybe its the machine.

Of the best of Bogart, it's not my favorite (which is Casablanca and African Queen) but it's in my collection.

A Fast-Paced Detective Story.......2007-05-05

This film was my initial introduction to Humphry Bogart. In this film he plays the cool and calculating Sam Spade. Spade gets involved in a complicated twisted plot so full of double-crosses that the viewer has to pay attention to every single word and scene, or get hopelessly lost in the amazingly complex yet fascinating story.

The film is extremely fast-paced and there is so much that is unknown about the characters and their shady relationships to each other, that I must admit to confusion as to what was unfolding. Each scene is packed with bits of information, like individual puzzle pieces, which one must mentally assemble to keep up with the unfolding plot. For me, the film gave too little time to sort out the puzzle pieces, and even at the end of the film, I confess to not being able to tie up all the loose ends or fully comprehend the film's plot. Despite the somewhat confusing and confounding plot twists, the film held my interest as I just had to find out what was the secret of the mysterious Maltese Falcon, the intense focus of all the character's attention.

I found it helpful to read Wikapedia's summary of the story after viewing the film, as this explained all the details I missed. I will certainly watch the film again to pick up on the plot twists I missed the first time.

Bogart is magnificent as the unshakable Sam Spade. Mary Astor is fascinating as the woman who will use any means possible to get her hands on the falcon. Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre fill out the fine cast as the eccentric duo who are desperate to capture the priceless falcon.

This is not a film that the kids will enjoy watching. Shot in black and white, and with a pace as fast as a roller-coaster, kids will quickly loose interest. I recommend you watch the film with no interuptions, and listen carefully to every word, as the diaglogue is as fast-paced as the plot. Certaining an intriging movie, it is sparce in character developement, and has little to "say" in terms of a lesson for the viewer. It is purely a detective who-done-it filmed for entertainment value alone.

I've certainly seen better films, but this one is worth a watch, if only to see some of the best film actors of the black and white era.

JIm 'Koendog" Koenig

THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF.......2007-04-19

In literature and film there have been no lack of private detective-types depicted from the urbane Nick Charles (also a Hammett creation) to Mickey Spillane's rough and tumble Mike Hammer but the classic model for all modern ones is Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade (the Humphrey Bogart role in the film) in Maltese Falcon. Some may argue Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe and may have a point but as for film adaptation Spade wins hands down. Compare, if you will, Bogart's performance in Maltese Falcon with the Big Sleep. Get my point. But enough of that. What make's Spade the classic is his intrepidness, his orneriness, his dauntless dedication to the task at hand, his sense of irony, his incorruptibility, his willingness to take an inordinate amount of bumps and bruises for paltry fees and his off-hand manner with the ladies and a gun. And in Maltese Falcon he needs all of these qualities and then some.

And for what? It is the bird, stupid. You know, the stuff that dreams are made of. This modern tale of greed and desire gets nicely worked with a cast of adventurers, including Sam's love interest, who are serious, inept, and ultimately dangerous. There is a certain amount of off-handed humor as is warranted by some of the situations thrown in to boot. Sam is well up to handling everything thrown at him by is male adversaries. But, the dame (played by Mary Astor in the film), that is a different question. She is as greedy (if not more so) than the rest but she is ready to use her feminine wiles on even the incorruptible Spade in order to get that damn bird. That, dear friends, puts her beyond the pale and she will have many a lonely night in prison to think that through. In the end Sam's honor and the honor of his profession is intact, and that's what counts in his world.

Warner Bros. does it yet again........2007-03-24

Again, Warner Bros. continues to rival other studios with their DVD releases of their classic movies. This time, they've pulled out all the stops for the 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon, the film that practically invented the film noir genre. Although not as packed with bonus materials like some of their other previous Special Edition, they've still put enough material on here to use THREE discs. The set contains a cardboard slipcase packaging two slim DVD cases. Disc 1 is contained in the first case, and the second case contains discs 2 and 3. I won't go into detail on the movie, because I'm here to review the product itself, not the movie.

The first disc contains the 1941 film noir classic, with a newly restored digital transfer. Digital artifacting is minimal if existent. Some film artifacting, such as occasional slight shakiness is present, but for the most part, the transfer is clean and free from flaws. The audio is presented in its glorious original mono mix, which has been cleaned up for this new transfer. An audio commentary is included, but I have yet to listen to it. Also included is a bonus called Warner Night At The Movies, which allows you to view a gallery of short subjects before The Maltese Falcon - the way you would have in 1941. The short subjects included are informative and/or entertaining and even include a couple of short cartoons. But the restored movie is, of course, the main attraction - and what an attraction!

Disc 2 contains a nice surprise - the first two film versions of The Maltese Falcon! The first one is the pre-code 1931 version starring Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade and Bebe Daniels as Ruth Wonderly. Although this first version is very similar to the 1941 version, it contains a bit more sexual innuendo and suggestive scenes. For many years after its initial release, the film was not allowed to be shown until the late 60's, when it turned up on TV under the title Dangerous Female. The second film is a thinly veiled screwball comedy take on the story titled Satan Met A Lady, starring Warren William as Ted Shane (Sam Spade) and Bette Davis as Valerie Purvis (Ruth Wonderly/Brigid O'Shaughnessy). Despite having all of the characters' names changed and the object of desire changed to a ram's horn filled with jewels, it's obvious what the source material is. Satan Met A Lady's theatrical trailer is included, but not the trailer for the 1931 film, despite the packaging's claim that both versions' trailers are included. Having all three films on this set is a good idea, in my opinion, because it allows the viewer to decide for themself what their favorite version is. Although in my opinion, the 1941 tops both of them, I highly enjoyed the other two films too. Unlike the 1941 version, these versions have not been restored and definitely show their age, with plenty of dirts, spots, and scratches. They're unlikely to be revisited on DVD anytime soon, so this is about as good as they're going to get treated on DVD.

Disc 3 contains all of the 1941 version's bonus materials. Not as packed as most supplemental material discs in Warner's Special Editions, (In fact, a single-layer disc was used for disc 3, and holds approx. 3.5 GB of data.) the bonuses included are quite excellent and informative. Included is a new documentary on the making and impact of the movie, called One Magnificent Bird. Next is the TCM documentary Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart, which includes theatrical trailers for many of Bogey's classics, such as High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Petrified Forest, and Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. The idea is to show Bogart's progression from B-list bad guy to A-list movie star. Another great bonus is the Breakdowns of 1941 blooper reel, which contains some of the greatest old school actors and actresses, such as Bogart, Bette Davis, and James Cagney, blowing their lines - and often using some pretty salty language that couldn't be shown in theaters at the time. Also included are some Mary Astor makeup tests, although I personally don't see the significance. Finally, rounding out this set are three radio broadcast performances - the Lux Radio Theater performance with Edward G. Robinson, and two featuring Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet, with Peter Lorre also starring in one of the broadcasts. Approx. two hours of great old time radio to listen to.

This set may disappoint the consumer that has been spoiled by 4-Disc sets of Ben-Hur and Gone With The Wind and the 3-Disc set of The Wizard of Oz. Although I'm one of the consumers that has been spoiled with those releases, in my opinion, The Maltese Falcon's 3-Disc Special Edition stands up alongside these releases beautifully. With THREE movies and around four hours of additional bonus materials, this set truly delivers. If you love old movies, Bogey, or film noir, this is a MUST-have for your collection.

West Side Story (Special Edition DVD Collector's Set)

Average customer rating:

Gonna Rock It Tonight!
The Movie's OK...
West Side Story...the Great American Movie Musical!!
My favorite musical
What A Score

West Side Story (Special Edition DVD Collector's Set)
Starring: Natalie Wood , Richard Beymer , Russ Tamblyn , Rita Moreno , and George Chakiris
Director: Jerome Robbins , and Robert Wise
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Musicals & Performing Arts | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

My Fair Lady
Fiddler on the Roof (Special Edition)
Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary Edition)
The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)
Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00008972S
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Customer Reviews:

Gonna Rock It Tonight!.......2007-05-30

My goodness, after wearing out my old VHS copy, it was amazing to see this in such clarity. The one-hour documentary and production home movies and stills were fascinating!!!

The Movie's OK..........2007-05-11

"West Side Story" is an interesting film to analyze. It won Best Picture in 1961; it's #41 on The American Film Institute's Top 100; But look at the top 250 films according to the Internet Movie Database. It's nowhere to be found..."West Side Story" is not, in my opinion, a masterpiece. It's a good film, but it's overly long and none of the singers are particularly good (except Marni Nixon, who dubbed Natalie Wood's vocals), and it's also very cheesy. A modern update of Romeo & Juliet, a movie about rival gangs that sing and dance. It's almost campy.

The movie takes place in New York, where the rival gangs The Jets (whites) and The Sharks (Puerto Ricans) frequently fight for the right to certain turf. After a school dance, a Jet named Tony (Richard Beymer) falls for Maria (Wood), the Puerto Rican sister of Bernardo (George Chakiris) the leader of The Sharks. The film features such memorable tunes as "I Feel Pretty" and "Gee, Officer Krupke."

It's definitely well made, as the acting is fine, and the choreography is superb...But at 2 hours and 30 minutes, I was thinking (once it hit the 90-minute mark) "END ALREADY!" I guess I should clarify however that I'm not a very big fan of musicals and I guess if you are, you'll probably like "West Side Story" a lot more than I did. But I think this is one of the 10 or so films that appear on the A.F.I. list that I can honestly say don't deserve to be there.
GRADE: B-

West Side Story...the Great American Movie Musical!!.......2007-05-06

This year marks 50 years since this Broadway classic opened to enthusiastic reviews. In 1961..the movie version did the same magical thing. What a great cast, a great story and to sum up this is the musical that gets better every time you see it. It is a movie that has stood the test of time. I am a big fan of Rita Moreno not only for her role in West Side Story but for her role in The Electric Company! If you want a movie that dances, that sings, that has its dramatic and fun moments,WEST SIDE STORY is for you!

My favorite musical.......2007-04-11

I was present at the cast and crew reunion around 2002. I believe it was just about Robert Wise's last appearance. Rita Moreno was just as vibrant as she was forty years ago and it was found seeing surviving cast members tell their stories.
But I digress from the actual product itself. Great transfer, I loved this movie as a boy and worshiped Natalie Wood as Maria. I loved hearing her actual voice trying to sing those songs, with a Puerto Rican accent, no less, which the dubbed voice did not have.
But this never was a realistic protrayal of street gangs either. Real life is so much more unfair, violent and downright nasty. It was brave enough to have the race card played, three deaths, the last a cold blooded murder and an attempted rape of an Hispanic.
Bernstein and Sondheim made a great team and Jerold Robbins and Wise made a masterpiece. One of those rare moments when everything came together just right. The "America" is one of my favorite sequences but it all works for me.
Just one more brief musing. I saw "The Searchers" after I saw "West Side Story". I do remember as a boy seeing Wayne about to shoot Natalie Wood and I yelled at the screen "Oh my God, don't shoot Maria".

"I just kissed a girl named Maria...."

What A Score.......2007-03-30

I gave my daughter this 2 disc edition for Christmas and now have gotten to see the extras that are included on the second disc. The movie itself looks great with what I think are improvements to the stage production (switching Cool and Gee Officer Krupke; Swapping America & Tonight; Adding the boys to America) but I wish they had not omitted the ballet sequence. Get the cast recording with Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert to hear how great the ballet sequence sounds.

This is a musical that deserves to be seen on a big screen (or at least a big screen tv with a killer sound system) to be appreciated for the wonderful score. Everything that could be said about the songs Bernstein and Sondheim wrote has been said so I can't add anything there. Forget the idea of Natalie Wood playing a Puerto Rican and enjoy a great movie. And see the stage production if it ever comes to your town.

Average customer rating:

bee gees
Rating of zero is generous
Hidden classic
Bad and Good
Fluff, but a lot of fun

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Starring: Peter Frampton , Barry Gibb , Robin Gibb , Maurice Gibb , and Frankie Howerd
Director: Michael Schultz
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Music Video & Concerts | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978 Film)
Xanadu
Tommy
The Pirate Movie
Xanadu

ASIN: B00009APB6
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Amazon.com

If it weren't for a couple of inspired performances, as well as the time-capsule weirdness of it all, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band would be definitively unwatchable. This misguided effort to dramatize the classic Beatles album (the Fab Four had nothing to do with it, thank goodness) also includes tunes from other Beatles LPs, strung together in lumbering '70s rock-opera style. Peter Frampton, then at the crest of his brief run at the top, stars as Billy Shears, with the Bee Gees wearing the glossy day-glo band jackets from the Pepper album cover. Earth, Wind & Fire turn in a spirited revamp of "Got to Get You into My Life," and Aerosmith thrash their way through "Come Together"; but most of the performances are pretty awful. Out-and-out novelties include Steve Martin doing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and George Burns (but of course) warbling "Fixing a Hole." This high-profile 1978 flop helped kill the hot streak (Saturday Night Fever, Grease) of record and movie producer Robert Stigwood and sink his RSO movie-music empire. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

bee gees.......2007-06-08

great to have - the boys are at their best and it is a good rememberance piece

Rating of zero is generous.......2007-05-24

I'll challenge anyone who may think they are a bigger fan of the Beatles than myself, however, this is the absolute WORST movie I had ever had the displeasure of viewing in my life. I simply cannot understand how the Beatles could have given the rights to their music to an outfit who could make such a disaster. This is actually painful to watch; you'd get more enjoyment out of watching paint dry. Don't waste your money.

Hidden classic.......2007-05-14

I had known that The Beatles made movies to go a long with some of their albums, like Help! and Yellow Submarine, but I had never heard of this one. My husband had seen it as a child and recently made me rent it and boy am I glad! This movie is amazing! We ended up purchasing it shortly after. It stars the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton with tons of special guest stars. This may sound strange, but their performances are amazing and they add a whole new dimension to the album. The whole movie seems to parallel The Beatles rise to fame and the sex, money and corruption that goes along with it. I think this movie is a classic and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Bad and Good.......2007-05-11

This is a bad movie but I still love it. I remember seeing this in the theatre when it first came out. Okay, it's cheesy and kind of stupid but sometimes you just gotta take what you like and forget about the rest. I love the Bee Gees and I love these songs. I especially love Robin singing "Oh Darlin," and Aerosmith (as the FVB- Future Villian Band)singing a really cool version of "Come Together." Awesome.

Fluff, but a lot of fun.......2007-05-10

When I first saw this movie in 1978, I wasn't expecting a movie on the level of, say, "Gone With The Wind" (which is another of my favorite movies). I knew it would be silly but that was ok. I was a fan of Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees and the chance to see them on the big screen was simply too good to pass up.

I have just seen the movie on television a couple of days ago. I have to say after almost 30 years I still enjoy it as much as I did then. I recall a review stating it was "Not bad on a hot summer day. . ." (KC paper 1978) and I still agree. It's just a fun way to spend a couple of hours. All of the music is quite good but there are a few standout performances -- Dianne Steinberg/Stargard "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", Peter Frampton "The Long And Winding Road", Barry Gibb/Bee Gees "A Day In The Life", George Burns "Fixing A Hole", Robin Gibb/Bee Gees "Oh Darling", Aerosmith "Come Together" and Earth Wind And Fire "Got To Get You Into My Life". Of course all the stars in the finale, and just the fun of seeing how young everyone looked then.

This movie is good clean family fun and I'd recommend it. Especially to someone who still loves the seventies.

Average customer rating:

Review on DVD Song of Bernadette
THE SONG OF BERNADETTE
About as good as could be expected
The Song of Bernadette
Need I say more.....

The Song of Bernadette
Starring: William Eythe , Charles Bickford , Vincent Price , Lee J. Cobb , and Gladys Cooper
Director: Henry King
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Religion | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima
Francis of Assisi
Films of Faith Collection (The Nun's Story / The Shoes of the Fisherman / The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima)
Therese
Miracle of Marcelino

ASIN: B00008LDO7
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Amazon.com

Jennifer Jones plays the legendary French peasant who claimed to have dialogues with the Virgin Mary at a Lourdes grotto in 1858. The script handles the visitations as an article of truth (Linda Darnell plays the Virgin), which helps move the drama forward, though much of the story concerns the conflicts that arise in the community after Jones is told the grotto contains healing waters. Made by Henry King (The Snows of Kilimanjaro), the film is gorgeous to look at and sensitively directed; and Jones (who won an Oscar for Best Actress) is radiant in the lead. Whatever one's religious persuasion, this is a strikingly handsome Hollywood production to be enjoyed. The film also earned Academy Awards for cinematography and score. --Tom Keogh

Description

The story of a peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous, a poverty-stricken, pure hearted adolescent, who saw a vision, of a "Beautiful Lady" near her home town of Lourdes in 1858. The wondrous news spreads rapidly throughout France, leaving in its wake a variety of consequences: adoration, suspicion and greed among the people of Lourdes skepticism from the town doctor (Lee J. Cobb) charges of insanity from the town prosecutor (Vincent Price) threats of physical punishment, then support and guidance from the Dean of Lourdes (Charles Bickford), who finally becomes convinced that the miracle has, indeed, taken place. Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Actress and Best Score, this true story is both first-rate filmmaking and an inspiring tribute to faith, courage and the human spirit.

Customer Reviews:

Review on DVD Song of Bernadette.......2007-06-01

Package was fine, I was happy to receive the movie because it's one my husband wanted.

THE SONG OF BERNADETTE.......2007-05-15

IT IS A GRAT MOVIE BECOUSE YOU CAN UNDESTAND A LOT OF THE FAITH

About as good as could be expected.......2007-05-12

As a movie, The Song of Bernadette, is certainly a classic. As a story, it will appeal to some and not to others, but the film seems to be a faithful (I use the word advisedly) telling of the story. As an attempt to capture the film and make it accessible, the DVD is very good. Some reviewers have complained about the aspect ratio and the mono sound - well in 1943 that's what we had. My one quibble, hence only 4 stars, is that approximately a minute or less of the original film seems to be missing. In the DVD version, the Dean of Lourdes (played by Charles Bickford) demands that the lady of the vision produce a rose out of season, but no rose is produced (I looked for it several times over), but in the TCM version the rose does appear.

The Song of Bernadette.......2007-04-10

I have enjoyed this film many times since my purchase. As an old movie and always a favorite I wanted to have such a good film to watch whenever I feel like a movie due to the lack of quality programs and movies on television. Thank you for your service and promptness in getting films so quickly to me.

Need I say more............2007-04-02

I first saw this movie as a young child and it was on TV many times. My Confirmation name is Bernadette. Need I say more about how profound an influence this movie had on my life?

Average customer rating:

Gigi
Starring: Leslie Caron , Maurice Chevalier , Louis Jourdan , Hermione Gingold , and Eva Gabor
Director: Charles Walters , and Vincente Minnelli
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

An American in Paris
My Fair Lady
Brigadoon
The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)
Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00004RF9C
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Amazon.com essential video

Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's 1958 direct-to-screen follow-up to their My Fair Lady was--miraculously--every bit as memorable as that stage smash. Set in fin-de-siècle Paris and based on a Colette story, Gigi also is about a girl (Leslie Caron) on a lower rung of society who blossoms into Cinderellahood before our eyes and ears. Thank heaven for Hermione Gingold and Maurice Chevalier as her mentors, and Louis Jourdan as her prince. The screenplay writer and lyricist Lerner always said that Gigi's title song was his favorite of all he'd written, and it's easy to see why--"Gigi" is a transcendent anthem to being transformed by love from an unexpected source. The entire score, including "Say a Prayer" (which had been cut from My Fair Lady), "I Remember It Well," "The Night They Invented Champagne," and "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," comprise a sparkling, rare soundtrack recording that stands alone and can be enjoyed and understood by those who have not yet seen the movie, deprived souls that they are. The winner of nine Academy Awards (plus a special Oscar for Chevalier), including Best Picture, Gigi was the last great MGM movie musical and one of the best. --Robert Windeler

Gary Cooper - The Signature Collection (Sergeant York / The Fountainhead / Dallas / Springfield Rifle / The Wreck of the Mary Deare)

Average customer rating:

Gary Cooper - The Signature Collection (Sergeant York / The Fountainhead / Dallas / Springfield Rifle / The Wreck of the Mary Deare)
Starring: Gary Cooper , Ruth Roman , Steve Cochran , Raymond Massey , and Barbara Payton
Director: Stuart Heisler , King Vidor , and Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Signature Collections | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

The Paul Newman Collection (Harper / The Drowning Pool / The Left-Handed Gun / The Mackintosh Man / Pocket Money / Somebody Up There Likes Me / The Young Philadelphians)
The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Charge of the Light Brigade / Gentleman Jim / The Adventures of Don Juan / The Dawn Patrol / Dive Bomber)
The Marlon Brando Collection (Julius Caesar / Mutiny on the Bounty 1962 / Reflections in a Golden Eye / The Teahouse of the August Moon / The Formula )
James Stewart - The Signature Collection (The Cheyenne Social Club / Firecreek / The FBI Story / The Naked Spur / The Spirit of St. Louis / The Stratton Story)
Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Maltese Falcon Three-Disc Special Edition / Across the Pacific / Action in the North Atlantic / All Through the Night / Passage to Marseille)

ASIN: B000HWZ4EI
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Amazon.com

Springfield Rifle, one of five films included in this set, may miss the bullseye as a true Gary Cooper classic, but there's a line that speaks to his enduring status as a screen icon and "American Legend." In this 1952 Western, his follow-up film to High Noon, Cooper's character has been drummed out of the army and branded a coward. Suffice to say that all is not what it seems, and an observer is asked how Coop will handle the pressure. The response: "He'll stand up." That is quintessential Cooper. He's a stand-up guy, and the "dang swangest hero," as he is hailed in Sergeant York, this collection's calling card. Directed by Howard Hawks and co-written by John Huston, Sergeant York earned Cooper an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Alvin York, a Tennessee mountain hellraiser who finds religion after surviving a lightning strike. His newfound pacifist beliefs are put to the supreme test when he is forced to enlist in WWI. Cooper also displays the (Frank Lloyd) Wright stuff as architect Harold Roark in The Fountainhead (1949), adapted for the screen by Ayn Rand from her towering and controversial bestselling novel about a "fool visionary" who refuses to compromise his principles or conform his work to popular taste. The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959), his penultimate film, finds Cooper desperately trying to clear his name before an inquiry determines what really happened aboard the mysteriously abandoned eponymous ship. Costar Charlton Heston gives him a run for Most Piercing Blue Eyes honors. Last, and least, but still entertaining, is Dallas (1950), in which Cooper stars as a Confederate outlaw who impersonates a sheriff to settle an old score. Cooper is not the most chameleon-esque of actors, but in these representative films, he displays intriguing shadings to his heroic persona. Roark in The Fountainhead has a definite dark side, while his "Reb" Hollister in Dallas is something of a rascal.

Of the DVD presentations, Sergeant York gets the two-disc "Special Edition" treatment, with dry, but informative commentary by film historian Jeanne Basinger, a made-for-cable TV special about Cooper hosted by Clint Eastwood, and a welcome Warner Bros. cartoon, Tex Avery's "Porky's Preview" and short subject, "Lions for Sale," that replicate an old fashioned night out at the movies. The Fountainhead DVD includes a featurette about the making of the film. Cooper stands alone among Hollywood's leading men, but beyond his formidable presence, classic film buffs will bask in the nostalgic pleasures of Max Steiner's music in four of the five films, and appearances by great character actors (Walter Brennan and George Tobias in Sergeant York, a young Richard Harris in Mary Deare). --Donald Liebenson

Product description

Includes: Sergeant York (1941) (Two-Disc Special Edition), The Fountainhead (1949), Dallas (1950), Springfield Rifle (1952), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959).

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Vengeance Valley

Initiation/Mountaintop Motel Massacre

Murder Between Friends [1993]

DVD: Seed Of Chucky (Full Frame Edition)

Rage - From the Cradle to the Stage ..