The Code

Starring:Samuel Le Bihan, Samy Naceri, Clotilde Courau, Marie Guillard, Michel Duchaussoy, Philippe Nahon, Francis Renaud, Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Bibi Naceri, David Saracino, Adrien Saint-JorÃ©, FrÃ©dÃ©ric Pellegeay, Jean-Pierre Lazzerini, StÃ©phane Ferrara, Thierry Perkins-Lyautey, Edith Scob, Elisabeth Macocco, Mohamed Ahaouari, Elisabeth Margoni, Mohamed Damraoui
Director: Manuel Boursinhac
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

So disappointed
A good short summary of the book
A good film and book.
The biggest secret of all: a cure for insomnia.
Cast Away this one

The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Tom Hanks , Audrey Tautou , Ian McKellen , Jean Reno , and Paul Bettany
Director: Ron Howard
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JOC9
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

Critics and controversy aside, The Da Vinci Code is a verifiable blockbuster. Combine the film's huge worldwide box-office take with over 100 million copies of Dan Brown's book sold, and The Da Vinci Code has clearly made the leap from pop-culture hit to a certifiable franchise. The leap for any story making the move from book to big screen, however, is always more perilous. In the case of The Da Vinci Code, the plot is concocted of such a preposterous formula of elements that you wouldn't envy screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, the man tasked with making this story filmable. The script follows Dan Brown's book as closely as possible while incorporating a few needed changes, including a better ending. And if you're like most of the world, by now you've read the book and know how it goes: while lecturing in Paris, noted Harvard Professor of Symbology Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is summoned to the Louvre by French police to help decipher a bizarre series of clues left at the scene of the murder of the chief curator. Enter Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), gifted cryptologist. Neveu and Langdon team up to solve the mystery, and from there the story is propelled across Europe, ballooning into a modern-day mini-quest for the Holy Grail, where secret societies are discovered, codes are broken, and murderous albino monks are thwarted… oh, and alternative theories about the life of Christ and the beginnings of Christianity are presented too, of course. It's not the typical formula for a stock Hollywood thriller. In fact, taken solely as a mystery, the movie almost works--despite some gaping holes--mostly just because it keeps moving. Brown's greatest trick was to have the entire story take place in one day, so the action is forced to keep moving, despite some necessary pauses for exposition. As a screen couple, Hanks and Tautou are just fine together but not exactly memorable; meanwhile Sir Ian McKellen's scenery-chewing as pivotal character Sir Leigh Teabing is just what the film needed to keep it from taking itself too seriously. The whole thing is like a good roller-coaster ride: try not to think too much about it--just sit back and enjoy the trip. --Daniel Vancini

Visit The Da Vinci Code Store

On The DVD
The DVD extras on a film as popular as The Da Vinci Code should be plentiful, and this version doesn't skimp. With over 90 minutes of special features, including ten behind-the-scenes featurettes, there's a lot here to explore beyond the film itself. The question is, is there anything new here that we haven't heard before, in all the hype, pseudo-documentaries, and controversy surrounding the movie, to make it worthwhile? For most viewers, the answer will be "yes." Essentially, if you like the movie, if you enjoyed the book, you will get a lot out of them.

Just as the movie is intended to make the book come to life, the DVD extras should make the film come to life by pointing the audience into the world of the filmmakers, connecting the dots between print and film, and for the most part they do just that. The extras here range from the typical look behind-the-scenes to more in-depth features on the supporting characters, the locations, and the Mona Lisa herself. "First Day on the Set with Ron Howard" features the director gushing about the opportunity to film in the Louvre and work with Tom Hanks again (the two worked together before on Splash and Apollo 13). It's a short piece that doesn't reveal much beyond making an attempt to share Howard's excitement (with the "Gee, I really loved working with him/her on this project" that you hear in every such featurette), but viewers might enjoy seeing how the stage was set up in the famous museum, down to the spike tape on the floor showing actors where to hit their marks. The Filmmaking Experience, Parts 1 and 2 further explores the creative and technical aspects of the filmmaking process. A Conversation with Dan Brown starts out feeling like a puff-piece (the man who wrote this book got started at age 5 with a story called The Giraffe, The Pig, and the Pants on Fire. "It was a thriller," he says.) and unfortunately it doesn't go very deep into much of anything of interest. But on the other hand, this isn't 60 Minutes here; it's intended to give viewers a better sense of the man behind the franchise, which it does. Much of the footage from this interview is sprinkled throughout some of the other featurettes. Meanwhile, the character behind the franchise, Robert Langdon, is examined in his own featurette, as is Sophie Neveu. The cool thing here is getting under the skin of the actors to see how they approached the characters, knowing that most of the movie-going public already has formed their own ideas about the characters from the book.

The most interesting extras are the featurettes that focus on the history behind the mystery. Or is it the mystery behind the history? Either way, the first one on the Mona Lisa, and the second featurette on the many codes and symbols that are hidden throughout the movie balance out the remainder of the extras nicely by demonstrating the sense of intrigue, mystery, and game-playing adventure that made The Da Vinci Code so popular in the first place. --Daniel Vancini

Beyond The Da Vinci Code

The Films of Tom Hanks
The Films of Ron Howard

The Da Vinci DVDs: Decoding "The Da Vinci Code"
More About The Artist

Stills from The Da Vinci Code (click for larger image)

Description

Dan Brown's international bestseller comes alive in the film The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Academy Award® Winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor, Philadelphia, and 1994 Best Actor, Forrest Gump) and cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that will take them from France to England - and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno, critics are calling The Da Vinci Code "involving" and "intriguing," "a first rate thriller."

Customer Reviews:

So disappointed.......2007-07-01

I loved the book. And a book obviously is allowed to be wordy. But not a film. The film was literally like the actors sitting with a copy of the book saying lines. It was all words with bits of good scenery. Ian Mckellen once again saved the film and Audrey Tatou wasn't too bad. Left out some parts and I was not happy with the outcome

A good short summary of the book.......2007-06-27

a good summary of the book, wish it had been longer, key aspects were left out.

A good film and book........2007-06-12

I read the book on which this film is based before viewing the film. I was surprised that the film did, in fact, replicate the book.

There is some great acting in this film, & it does make the viewer think. Do I actually agree with the premise of the book and film? No.

This is not Tom Hanks' best film, but he did a good job of portraying the film's main character. I liked him better in films like "Forrest Gump" because these films truly show his versatility as an actor.

Even if you don't agree with its premise, I recommend that you read the book and then see this film.

The Da Vinci Code

The biggest secret of all: a cure for insomnia........2007-06-07

Tom Hanks is Robert Langdon, the walking bibliophile of ancient codes and symbols, who is implicated in the murder of one of the Louvre's curators, a man who himself is something of a mystery. Brought to the scene of the crime without being told that he's a suspect, Langdon is shocked to find the body positioned according to Da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man", and more shocked to learn that the victim assumed this position himself before dying - a sort of final coded message between two men with a love for codes. Warned of the suspicions surrounding him by Sophie Neveau (Audrey Tatou), the dead man's granddaughter, Langdon escapes and leads the police in a chase across France in a desperate gamble to learn the victim's last, greatest secret. Soon, Langdon's pursuers come to include a homicidal monk dispatched by a Bishop of the reactionary order of Opus Dei, and all events are shown to have been manipulated by a mysterious character known as "Teacher". As Langdon picks up clues, he begins to realize that the mystery may involve the legend of the "Holy Grail", and heads for the home of an old friend, Sir Lee Teabing, the foremost proponent of a particularly unique theory of Grail legend.

Even giving the movie the same allowances as the book, DVC is a horrible movie, slow, pedantic and full of red herrings that no sane moviegoer will fall for. The religious controversy surrounding DVC thinly masks the movie's two cardinal flaws - 1) that it takes itself way more seriously than it deserves (the world is full of distinct religions espousing wholly incompatible beliefs - are we to believe that an admittedly dramatic discovery on one of them will really change the rest of the world? Also, assuming the secret was uncovered, DVC never clears up how it would be proven); 2) it's boring! At over two hours (and boy, will you feel it!) the only secret uncovered is that it's possible to have both Ian McKellan and Tom Hanks in a movie lacking almost any energy. Hanks is serviceable as Langdon, Dan Brown's factotum of symbols nobody really cares about. KcKellen chews up the scenery as Teabing, but ultimately the pointlessness of his character overwhelms McKellen's presence - whether you buy into his theories or not depends largely on the same degree of faith as the religion that Teabing assails. The flick telegraphs its thrills - my wife and I were able to guess what would happen next, who would say what, etc... The novel excelled because skillful pacing kept the action from being overwhelmed by the hot air of its long theories.

The film plays down the novel's attacks on the Church for a more sustained atmosphere of religious antipathy (from disfavored apostles to Isaac Newton, if you've got a mind of your own, the Church hates and fears you, a bit of low-grade demagoguery that the script takes for granted). To add insult to injury, DVC treats the Church as irrelevant (despite their wealth and power, the clergy in DVC are relegated to being unwitting pawns of a higher, if more temporal power). But as I said, the story's attack on religion is itself a smokescreen hiding the fact that DVC is simply inert.

Cast Away this one.......2007-06-04

After hearing and reading all the fuss about this movie, I finally got to see it. Seems the fuss was about the subject matter and not the movie. Tom Hanks gave a mediocre performance at best, taking a back seat to the story I guess. The dots were connected too quickly and easily.

The movie was entertaining, but that was mostly because of the strong performances of Ian McKellen and Jean Reno.

I'm not much for conspiracy theories,so I'm sure I'll get blasted for my review but I have seen better told stories (regardless of the subject).

For some of Tom Hanks best see Cast Away. For some outstanding story telling see Strangers on a Train.

This movie makes for good Cable Fodder, but isn't one that will stand the test of time.

Average customer rating:

An unnostalgic, modern noir spectacle
dvd purchase
Brilliantly Casted Film
A thriller for people who normally don't like thrillers
Unhistorical Murder Mystery

L.A. Confidential
Starring: Kevin Spacey , Russell Crowe , Guy Pearce , James Cromwell , and David Strathairn
Director: Curtis Hanson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0790734850
Release Date: 1998-04-21

Amazon.com

In a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, L.A. Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhere, and White Jazz)--a compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown. Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy voters: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical, and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

An unnostalgic, modern noir spectacle.......2007-05-27

Curtis Hanson's "L.A. Confidential," based on the third book in a series by James Ellroy, works so well because, unlike most neo-noir films, it's not a homage to the noir films of old. In fact, it was probably the first true film noir to forget about its predecessors since the 1950s, the time period around which the film is set. And it was just what a film noir should be: gritty, tough, unflinching, intricrate, and confounding. Each of the film's leading actors, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, and Kevin Spacey, as well as its lead actress, Kim Basinger, felt like they could've appeared in a film noir straight out of the 1940s. It's this unnostalgic, straightforward approach that made "L.A. Confidential" so great.

The storyline had a classic vibe to it: in 1950s L.A., three cops ferret out the corruption beginning to eat away at the police force. How each of them does this differs. You've got your good cop, played by Guy Pearce, a strictly by-the-book wannabe detective and the son of a legendary officer who died in the line of duty. You got your bad cop, Russell Crowe, a violent star on the force, always on the edge and with a particularly nasty dislike for women abusers. Then you have a cop who doesn't quite know where he stands, played by Kevin Spacey, except on the set of TV's number-one hit police drama "Badge of Honor," which he supervises. One of the film's best scenes is when Pearce's character tells Spacey why he became a cop in an effort to convince Spacey to work with him. Afterwards he asks, "Why did you become a cop?" Spacey smiles sadly and sighs, "I don't remember." Picking a favorite of this police trio is hard, because each is perfectly cast: Pearce as an inherently contemptable and ultimately honorable goody-goody, Crowe as an apparent maniac who is smarter than he looks and just trying to do what's right, and Spacey as the pitiful once-cop who's lost his way.

But it seems like when most people remember "L.A. Confidential," they remember Kim Basinger, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She deserved it. Basinger played a prostitute in high demand because she bears a strong resemblance to Veronica Lake (so does Basinger) - but there's much more to her than just a divine appearance. Similarly, there's more to Basinger than just a fine body, and she proved it here with a surprisingly deep performance, particularly for a supporting role.

With all that said, it's apparent that the film garnered much of its power from its sharp-cut characters. There's no one who is clearly "good" the whole way through, but never once is a character in the grey: they're either good, or they're bad. They are also some of the most realistic and human people ever to appear in a film noir. The movie's script, by director Hanson and Brian Helgeland, finds a seamless balance between its characters and its story, and surprisingly holds very little of the snap, crackle n' pop dialog one expects in a film noir.
Jerry Goldsmith's score was the one homage the film allowed, with the same sort of morose brass you might expect in an old Bogey pic (and which distinctly recalls the same woeful trumpeting of Goldsmith's theme from Roman Polanski's own neo-noir, "Chinatown"). It was one of those elusive scores that adds life to each scene but also expands the film as a whole.

There's something about the look of the film that hangs in my mind. It may be the color scheme, which consists mostly of black but with the occasional surprise vibrance thrown in through a red or yellow. Or perhaps it's the lighting, a bright light that makes what's in front of us perfectly clear and a surrounding black mist that begs the question: what does it hide within its shadows? There is a scene in which Pearce's character pulls up in front of the Nite Owl bar. That scene brings to mind the painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper (which inspired the look of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner"). Hanson took a very stylistic approach in his directing of the film, and much of that showed through its dark visuals.

It wasn't all darkness, though. One of the film's most memorable scenes involved an attempted interrogation by Pearce and Spacey at a popular club late at night. They corner a mobster dating a girl they believe is a prostitute belonging to a popular company which advertises prostitutes who resemble celebrities, in this case Lana Turner. As Pearce begins throwing out insults at the mobster and especially at his date, we notice Kevin Spacey holding back laughter in the background. "A w---e who looks like Lana Turner is still a w---e," Pearce says. The "prostitute" tosses her drink in his face and he stands there, soaked and incredulous, as Spacey says, "That IS Lana Turner."

It came as little surprise that "L.A. Confidential" wasn't awarded the Oscar for Best Picture, but fortunately critics recognized it as one of the best films of 1997 and, more importantly, of the decade. It wasn't only one of the best films of the decade, but one of the best films ever made, a stylish, gritty, cynical yet realistic noir drama that didn't look back at the classics which inspired it. It didn't need to, because ten years later, we're still looking back at it.

dvd purchase.......2007-03-22

the dvd came in a timely manner, packaged well and I have had no problems with the item. It seems to be in great condition.

Brilliantly Casted Film.......2007-03-09

Kevin Spacey proves that he is a great actor in this one, and he's not even the main character. Guy Pearce's come-out movie showed that he could stand up at the top with the best. Russell Crowe's part is great for him. Really the first movie I say him in, and you can see why he eventually one best actor in Gladiator. James Cromwell and Danny DeVito are perfectly cast in this film. If you like movies set in the 40s, 50s but with an edge with real life drama this is a great movie for you! Jerry Goldsmith's score is breathtakingly brilliant - he should have one the Oscar!

A thriller for people who normally don't like thrillers.......2007-03-09

Devotees of noir & period pieces probably will not be as pleased with this as will the rest of this, but Curtis Hanson apparently decided that putting together a coherent & well-crafted film was more important than remaining faithful to one particular genre or another. Aside from specific historical references (Bloody Christmas, for example), it is quite easy to forget that this is set in 1950's Los Angeles. One could regard this as a shortcoming (it is, nominally at least, supposed to be a period thriller) or as an asset (a really well-told story will trump all other details), depending on one's perspective.

In any case, Hanson and a top-notch cast works with a pretty complex plot and manages to keep all of the balls in the air. I always enjoy a movie where the audience figures out most of the twists before the characters do, because then we get to enjoy watching the unfolding of consequences of decisions made or avoided. Spacey, Crowe & Pearce manage to give us wonderfully ambivalent & complex characters, all of whom are far from being beyond reproach and continue to have some dubious motives right up to the film's conclusion. Personally, I always like a film that deliberately avoids a tidy ending and leaves the viewer knowing that, after the credits finish rolling, the other shoe will eventually have to drop.

I agree with others that Kim Basinger's breathy whispery performances is simply annoying & that she is woefully miscast in this role. Why she got an Oscar for this is almost as big a mystery as any portayed in this film. However, it is not a glaring flaw and is obscured by the stellar performances of the rest of the cast. Top notch from start to finish!

Unhistorical Murder Mystery.......2007-02-21

The film opens in 1950s Los Angeles and introduces the people in this story. There is a pot bust of two minor movie stars, well planned to provide headlines. Some men are arrested for assaulting two policemen, and many officers beat them as summary punishment. Photographs of this create a scandal. The meeting tells how the deal is done: some win, some lose, and justice is done. Standards will be upheld for the future. There are two gunmen who are bumping off Mickey Cohen's gang members. Then there is a slaughter of people at a late-night restaurant. A senseless killing or a planned rub-out?

The police investigate those connected to the people killed at the restaurant. Suspects are arrested, they have to get them to talk about what they did. Various methods are used. They get a lead and find another suspect. Detective White stops another criminal. Then the three suspects escape somehow. They are tracked down and a shoot-out finishes them off. "Shotgun Ed" wins an award for heroism. We see how a reformer politician can change his mind about a highway project. There is a plot to embarrass the D.A. by getting a young actor to meet him. When Detective Vincennes shows up he finds the young actor dead! Detective White follows up on Susan Lefferts and finds something in her Mom's basement. Exley and Vincennes investigate another case. Exley visits White's girlfriend and learns more about her. Vincennes makes an error in judgment, his last. Then pictures are given to White to enrage him. Exley does research on the murdered former cop Meeks who was found in the basement. Exley and White talk to the D.A. and get him to cooperate. Dudley Smith and Patchett may be in cahoots.

Someone calls Exley and White to arrange them to meet at a motel; this is a trap. [All those shots and no one to hear them?] The two detectives hold off their attackers. There is a final resolution to the conflicts at the ending. Exley tells the facts about the crimes, there will be another cover-up, and another award for Lt. Exley. A happy ending? Sensational action masks a weak story.

Scenes take place at night since outdoor scenes would show present-day LA. The film did not create the LA of 50 years earlier. It is loosely based on some real events from that era. One book about the "Black Dahlia Avenger" said newspapers and reporters cooperated in the 1940s, there would be no embarrassing pictures then. The ruling powers wanted new highways, no blackmail was needed. One anachronism was the powered garage door of Patchett. A real history book will give the facts about LA in that time, it would be better than fiction. Is the film better than the novel?

Average customer rating:

One of the best 007 movies!
From Russia With Love
The Bond movie that started a craze
An excellent addition to the Bond franchise.
One of the best of the entire series

From Russia With Love
Starring: Sean Connery , Daniela Bianchi , Pedro Armendáriz , Lotte Lenya , and Robert Shaw
Director: Terence Young
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B000NDEXPC
Release Date: 2007-05-22

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Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, the second James Bond spy thriller is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose latest mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by a lovely assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. From Russia with Love is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics, and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

One of the best 007 movies!.......2007-06-28

Along with Goldfinger, this is probably the best of the early James Bond films. Sean Connery was excellent in it. The story and the cast is great. The fight scene on the train between Connery and Shaw is worth the price alone! A face paced, well thought out and entertaining film.

From Russia With Love.......2007-06-27

This stylish second entry in the Bond franchise features a less cold-blooded, more dashing 007, played to the hilt with campy savoir faire by the ever-classy Connery. Young streamlines the action, too, and in the absence of fancy gadgets (those came later), gave audiences thrilling, well-orchestrated chases and clashes, culminating in a heart-racing death match between Connery and deadly, dyed-blond assassin Shaw aboard the Orient Express. The kittenishly seductive Romanova is fetching as Bond's dicey love interest, but German chanteuse Lenya has the most fun springing poisonous blades from her shoes. Racy, exhilarating, and loads of fun, "Love" breathes flashy new life into Ian Fleming's classic novel.

The Bond movie that started a craze.......2007-06-27

From Russia With Love set the stage for all the James Bond movies that followed. With an excellent startup from Dr. No, James Bond gets into full swing battling SPECTRE up and down Europe, and has one of the best Bond fights on the Orient Express. Beautiful women, tough bad guys and just the right amount of Bond toys make it one of the best James Bond movies of them all!

An excellent addition to the Bond franchise........2007-06-16

Brimming with tension, suspense, and understated cool, From Russia with Love is one of the very best movies in the entire James Bond series. The plot, which revolves around the criminal organization SPECTRE and its attempt to steal a Soviet codemaking machine by manipulating and ultimatley murdering a certain British secret agent (guess which one), is clever and engrossing. Part of the movie's charm comes from simply watching SPECTRE's plan unfold. The film is also incredibly atmospheric: Bond travels to a lush, decedant Istanbul before heading back west on a train trip that hangs heavy with mystery and paranoia.

Sean Connery is, of course, incredible. To put it plainly, the guy simply IS James Bond. He's in complete command of the character, playing his role with absolute confidence, brimming with wit, charm, and ruthless intelligence. Connery's Bond is mesmerizing, his performance a masterpiece. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well: Lotte Lenya is unforgettable as the brutal Colonel Rosa Kleb, playing her part with relentless authority and barely subdued insanity. Ditto for Robert Shaw, whose portrayal of ruthless assassain Donald "Red" Grant is fiery and intense. Shaw turns his charater into an omen, a source of constantly escalating tension and nervous energy. Pedro Armendariz is superb as the exuberant, friendly, and loveable Kerim Bey, who befriends and assists Bond in Istanbul. The film also contains the first appearance of Desmond Llewelyn as Q, one of the series' most beloved characters (he'd appear in every subsequent Bond film until 1999's The World is Not Enough).

Throw in John Berry's tension-filled soundtrack and some of the sharpest one-liners ever found in a Bond film and you've got an absolute classic, and one of the finest entries in an excellent series.

One of the best of the entire series.......2007-04-08

A favorite of many Bond fans and filmmakers alike is this second entry into the EON Bond film canon (a separate production company had produced Fleming's CASINO ROYALE for American television CBS in the 1950s). Alongside 1969s ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE as one of the more faithful movie adaptations of the Fleming book this movie is disliked by some for its slower pace and less fantastical plot and adored by others for precisely the same reasons.
I suppose it all depends on what you are looking for in a Bond movie. For it was not until the next entry in the series in 1964s GOLDFINGER that the movies budgets ballooned and took on the more recognizable Bond-movie shape of fantastic world domination plots, cartoonish action and over-the-top villains. Here, we have a more quiet down-to-earth plot involving extortion and revenge, but its carefully woven plot makes the movie just as thrilling and the action just as compelling.
There are some deviations from the plot of the Fleming novel, but nothing that detracts too seriously from what is the most important element here - the story and characterization. For example in the book Flemings villains was the real-life Soviet agency SMERSH, which is changed to the fictional private organization SPECTRE (which Fleming created along with Kevin McClory for a failed movie script after he had written the novel on which this movie is based.) No doubt the filmmakers decided to change the villain for political reasons as well as to develop the recurring villain mentioned in passing in the first of the EON movies (1962s DR. NO).
The plot concerns SPECTRE's attempts to use British intelligence to steal a valuable Soviet decoder, blackmail British intelligence and murder British agent James Bond in revenge for the loss of their agent Dr. No.
In order to pull off this audacious scheme, SPECTRE's Col. Rosa Klebb (brilliantly played by Lotte Lenya) enlists the aid of Russian clerk Tatiana Romanova who believes that she is working for the KGB. Romanova is chosen for her beauty as a lure for James Bond and the Lektor decoder as a lure for 007 and British intelligence. Indeed the ploy works to perfection as we witness later the disinterest of 007 change to amiable interest after being shown a picture of Romanova.
Following the traditional gunbarrel sequence we are given our first true precredits sequence. In the first movie the gunbarrel went straight into the credits sequence, but here we are treated to a mini-adventure in what would become a standard trademark for the series. James Bond is on the hunt, or is he the hunted? Stalking around a garden in the middle of the night when all of a sudden Bond is set upon by a giant man (played to perfection by the always excellent Robert Shaw.) Who then pulls a wire from his watch and garrotes the British agent. The sequence serves as a foreshadowing of a scene towards the end of the movie and is also the first instance in which the audience is tricked into believing that 007 has been killed. In the future 007 movies 1967s YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and the rogue movie 1983s NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN this ploy would also be used. Sure enough following the death of "James Bond" the lights go up revealing a big estate house (actually a house on the backlot of Pinewood Studios) and it is revealed as a SPECTRE training session with a man posing as 007.
Shaw is excellent as Red Grant. Even today over 40 years later he regularly tops the list among Bond fans as a favorite villain. He plays the role with understated deliberate menace and the fight scene on the orient express (which is usually cut down for television) is brutal and frenetic. Similar scenes of fighting on a train have been repeated in later Bond movies but none have quite matched this one.
Other elements that would become a series trademark also make their first appearances in this picture. We have the introduction of a real bona fide gadget and the first screen appearance of the actor who would become famous for introducing James Bond to all manner of incredible gizmos while in real-life being the most un-mechanically minded of people - the late Desmond Llewelyn.
Here Bond is equipped with a briefcase with such hidden qualities as a knife that protrudes out of the side, coinage for bribing enemy agents and a innocent looking bottle of talc that is actually tear gas for disabling prying eyes who open the case the wrong way. Of course all of these help save 007 later on in the movie (strange how he always seems to have just what he needs for any eventuality).
Overall then we have a taut, well-crafted James Bond movie with standout performances from all the principal actors. Of particular note is the Mexican actor Pedro Armendáriz who plays the Turkish British agent Kerim Bey. There seems to be a genuine friendship between Bond and this amiable rogue, a chemistry similar to that between Bond and Columbo in the 1981 movie FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.
With a travelogue feel that was a feature of the early movies, this was after all before the holiday shows and Discovery Channel documentaries on different areas of the world. And some compelling action (though on a smaller scale than later scenes the fight between Bond and Klebb with the latter wielding a poisoned tipped shoe is white knuckle stuff). This is a movie that should be on everyone's must-see list.

Leap Frog - Talking Words Factory 2 - Code Word Caper

Average customer rating:

GREAT!
Not as impressive at the Letters Video but still worth it!
Great for speech!!!
Wonderful!
Leap Frog is awesom

Leap Frog - Talking Words Factory 2 - Code Word Caper
Starring: Leapfrog
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Leap Frog - Talking Words Factory
Leap Frog - Learn to Read at the Storybook Factory
Leap Frog - Math Circus
Leap Frog - Letter Factory
LeapFrog Word Whammer™ Fridge Phonics® Set

ASIN: B0002V7U0U
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Description

When Mr. Websley is accidentally silenced by the Silent E Machine, Leap, Lily, and Tad must journey through the Complex Word Complex to build the code words needed to return his voice. Guided only by the "Absent Professor Device," the kids learn how to build the complex words needed to solve the code and save the day. Humorous songs add to the fun and help teach the rules for advanced word building.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT!.......2007-06-13

This is a wonderful way to teach your child the silent E and to teach them how to read a word with two vowels together. I actually learned a few tricks in this video. I love this!!!

Not as impressive at the Letters Video but still worth it!.......2007-06-02

I love Leap Frog but I made the mistake of getting this video before the other words video and it is just too advanced for my 2 - 2 1/2 year old. This is my fault, I know, but I had hoped that it would still have enough entertainment value to get him hooked until he could understand it. It really is for the older group ..

Still, I can't wait until my child gets into this video.

Great for speech!!!.......2007-04-01

My kids are 2 and a half and 15 months, and I have all the leap frog videos. My kids are constantly making the letter sounds with the videos and saying the words. My oldest son has delayed speech. I was told by a speech therapist to use these videos, and it has really improved my sons vocabulary.

Wonderful!.......2007-03-29

My daughter absolutely loves this latest installment of the Leap Frog videos! With a child that has some learning difficulties, like mine, putting spelling and reading into a medium that she can excell in is the best gift a parent could ask for.

Leap Frog is awesom.......2007-03-09

My daughter loves all the Leap Frog DVD's

It is a fun and easy way to learn

A Beautiful Mind (Widescreen Awards Edition)

Average customer rating:

A beautiful way to tell a tragically uplifting story...
Wonderful Products at Amazon.Com
CROWE is beautiful in this quadruple Academy Award winner! Hats off to Director Ron Howard too!
Lovely
A terrible example of 'excellence' in film.

A Beautiful Mind (Widescreen Awards Edition)
Starring: Paul Bettany , Patrick Blindauer , Vivien Cardone , Kent Cassella , and Tanya Clarke
Manufacturer: Universal Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Good Will Hunting (Miramax Collector's Series)
Rain Man (Special Edition)
American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)
Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)
Million Dollar Baby (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00005JKQZ

Amazon.com essential video

A Beautiful Mind manages to twist enough pathos out of John Nash's incredible life story to redeem an at-times goofy portrayal of schizophrenia. Russell Crowe tackles the role with characteristic fervor, playing the Nobel prize-winning mathematician from his days at Princeton, where he developed a groundbreaking economic theory, to his meteoric rise to the cover of Forbes magazine and an MIT professorship, and on through to his eventual dismissal due to schizophrenic delusions. Of course, it is the delusions that fascinate director Ron Howard and, predictably, go astray. Nash's other world, populated as it is by a maniacal Department of Defense agent (Ed Harris), an imagined college roommate who seems straight out of Dead Poets Society, and an orphaned girl, is so fluid and scriptlike as to make the viewer wonder if schizophrenia is really as slick as depicted. Crowe's physical intensity drags us along as he works admirably to carry the film on his considerable shoulders. No doubt the story of Nash's amazing will to recover his life without the aid of medication is a worthy one, his eventual triumph heartening. Unfortunately, Howard's flashy style is unable to convey much of it. --Fionn Meade

Customer Reviews:

A beautiful way to tell a tragically uplifting story..........2007-06-20

The real life story of John Nash plays out as engaging and interesting as some of our more well thought out fiction. Now, as some have already noted whether here or in media scrutiny, not all of this film follows Nash's life accurately. Some of this film is fictionalized, but isn't that for the most part what always happens. Just because it's a true story doesn't mean Hollywood doesn't feel the need to tamper. At least here the tampering does not by any means take away from the power within the film and the performances that dominate. Nash's life story is still portrayed effortlessly and beautifully, compelling and entertaining and full of just about every aspect of a priceless and award worthy film. `A Beautiful Mind' truly has it all.

Russell Crowe here delivers a breathtaking performance as John Nash, a brilliant math student who gets to the top only to tumble back down to the bottom at breakneck speed. Living a life that in the end appears mostly a lie, Nash eventually is diagnosed with schizophrenia. At this point in his life, married with a child and working a steady job, Nash and those around him are finding it difficult to differentiate reality from the creations of his mind. The movie then turns its focus on Nash's recovery and the effect his sickness has on those closest to him.

Crowe is truly the star here, swallowing whole this character driven study on the human spirit and determination to survive. He engulfs the screen and makes this mans plight come alive for the audience. What's commendable here is that Howard's directing and of course the script, adapted from Sylvia Nasar's biography, allow for the viewer to really connect with the entire cast, most importantly Nash himself. This proves effective because once Nash's life is shattered before our very eyes and he begins to crumble we are brought to a place deep within our emotions that would have been impossible to touch had we not come to know Nash before his world came tumbling down. We fall in love with this man and so we feel his pain, his wife's pain and are emotionally distressed alongside them both.

Alongside Crowe both Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany deliver astounding performances as Nash's longsuffering wife and imaginary best friend. Jennifer's Oscar winning performance is full of so much life, so much pain and emotional attachment that we can relate to and understand her feelings every step of the way. We watch her transform from this woman who knew how to control the things around her, including Nash, to a woman scared of what was going to happen next, a woman who felt detached from all she thought was real. Bettany's portrayal of Nash's college roommate is high spirited and refreshing. He serves as our brightest comic relief but also our biggest heartbreak as we watch Nash realize he never truly had his friendship at all.

Crowe, one of our finest actors, is a true chameleon and he engages himself so far into this role that he becomes John Nash, and watching that transformation is utterly rewarding. His determination and fervor are so invested in this performance from the moment he appears on screen that one is automatically drawn to him and connected to him entirely. From start to finish `A Beautiful Mind' proves itself worthy of our attention and consideration and is sure to astonish and amaze you. From its heartbreaking story to its brilliantly crafted direction to its powerhouse performances, `A Beautiful Mind' is a winner from the top of its head to the tip of its toes. The well rounded supporting cast including the likes of Ed Harris and Josh Lucas continue to astonish in their respective roles and aid in delivering one of the warmest and beautifully articulated Hollywood experiences. This, my friends, is what going to the movies is all about.

Wonderful Products at Amazon.Com.......2007-05-24

I am compel to say that Amazon.com provides a wonderful shopping experience for their on-line customers. Why I'm force to say this? Well, it is because they stand by there word and give the customer what they need when they need it. Thank you Amazon.com for helping me to make the grade in my Psychology class when I needed you the most.

CROWE is beautiful in this quadruple Academy Award winner! Hats off to Director Ron Howard too!.......2007-03-27

Russell Crowe did an incredible job of portraying the real-life story of Princeton Professor John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who won the 1994 Nobel Prize, despite his dysfunction due to schizophrenia. My heart went out to this amazing man for all he suffered; his perseverance tugged at my heart strings; and I was heartened by his wife standing beside him through thick and thin. I'm highly encouraged that Professor Nash managed to kick his dependence on the schizophrenia medicine and go on to reach some of his major goals in life.

Thanks to the brilliant directing of Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind is one of those bittersweet movies with a satisfying ending that left me feeling good about life and the human conditiion ... a lasting impression of "hope."

Russell Crowe and the entire cast are to be commended for their sensitive, caring performances in this fine drama.

SIDENOTE: You may have noticed that Amazon has made some changes to its website. If it looks the same to you right now, look out for a new format that will be rolling out gradually in the weeks to come. If you can see the changes, especially the review format, I'd like to know what you think. Please leave me a comment with your opinion.

"Love the new look" or "Hate the new look" comments are perfectly acceptable.

My e-mail address is at top of this review. Thank you for your time."

Lovely.......2007-03-23

I got it as a gift for someone's birthday. They loved it. Fabulous!

A terrible example of 'excellence' in film........2007-02-09

The best part of the film were when the leading character was delusional. That's not a good basis for a film to grow off of, especially when sanity brings the viewer a happy boring ending. There was no real romance to speak of, instead the idea of exchanging bodily fluids and skipping any small talk prevailed. The director Ron Howard reaffirms that he does not know how to craft love stories.

I did not find the characters to be believable as portrayed. The acting by Russell Crowe was horrific. The phoniness of his stammering accent reminds me of having sticky fingers. You can't get rid of it and the longer it goes on the more annonying it gets. His wife lacked any character development. She is similar to an immovable pillar which remains in the same spot and the same shape less some aging. I can hear Crowe's character saying, "that's a good wife, now stand over there and cry when I get all the accolade."

The makeup showing the aging of characters appeared planned and formulated. It was great the first dozen movies we saw it but now it doesn't work. I found myself successfully guessing where the plastic pieces were applied to the faces. There wasn't much else to do as I was completely bored waiting for the credits to roll finally releasing me from this yawner.

I will give the movie 3 stars. It was average at best. The editing, soundtrack and portrayal by some supporing actors were the only things saving it from a lower score. Wait for it to appear on TV. This movie won 4 academy awards. It is a terrible example of 'excellence' in film.

Average customer rating:

Very quirky - great fun
Parker Rocks!!!
a sequel even better than the first
Fay Grim and others
Poorly Thought-Out Sequel That Damages Henry Fool

Fay Grim
Starring: Jeff Goldblum , Elina Löwensohn , Parker Posey , Chuck Montgomery , and Leo Fitzpatrick
Director: Hal Hartley
Manufacturer: Magnolia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Henry Fool
The Fountain (Widescreen Edition)
The Painted Veil
The Good German
Little Children

ASIN: B000NY0YKO
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Fay Grim is Hal Hartley's version of the espionage thriller. Consequently, it's more peculiar than pulse-pounding, but that's what makes his films appealing--to those who appreciate their off-kilter rhythms, that is. In Hartley's world, dialogue is often delivered with a straight face, no matter how funny the line or farcical the situation. In Fay Grim, he picks up seven years after Henry Fool left off, but this time the writer/director shifts focus from novelist Henry (Thomas Jay Ryan) to his seemingly scattered wife, Fay (Parker Posey). Their son, Ned (Liam Aiken), is now in his teens, but Henry remains at large, and Fay's "garbage man poet" brother, Simon (James Urbaniak), remains in prison for aiding in his escape. Then two CIA operatives, Fulbright (Jeff Goldblum) and Fogg (Leo Fitzpatrick), inform her that Henry is dead, so Fay agrees to track down his complete set of diaries in exchange for Simon's freedom. Apparently, Henry's incoherent ramblings contain state secrets. Joining forces with stewardess Bebe (Elina Löwensohn), Fay travels from Queens to Paris to Istanbul to fulfill her mission. In the end, Fay Grim resembles Hartley's noir parody Amateur, which featured Löwensohn, more than Henry Fool. It has less to say about talent and celebrity and more about mystery and intrigue. For the filmmaker, it also represents an opportunity to reunite a strong ensemble and to recover, at least for the time being, from a string of disappointments, like No Such Thing and The Girl From Monday. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Very quirky - great fun.......2007-07-01

I loved this movie. I can still not claim to have fully understood the conspiracies and counter-conspiracies, smokescreens etc, but I think that is the whole point.
I recommend this very much!

Parker Rocks!!!.......2007-06-28

Everyone in this film did an awesome job acting the silly yet saavy roles. Great film and had a wild pace and lots of action and Hilarious facial expressions by Posey. Loved it:)

a sequel even better than the first.......2007-06-27

a gorgeous sequel to "henry fool", twists upon twists to the point of non-sense, and yet fully believable (in a "suspension of disbelief" kind of way :), another masterpiece by hal hartley. note: the most important actor in this film is parker posey, not jeff goldblum

Fay Grim and others.......2007-06-27

I ordered this in a batch of 9 items through Amazon. Amazon used and gave out the wrong shipping address for all of the items, although I gave my correct address when I placed the order. I have received nothing that I ordered. A couple of people have issued refunds, but most of them are just arguing with me. I have basically signed up for arguments with 9 separate vendors, all of whom blame me for this incident. I will never place an order through this site again.

Poorly Thought-Out Sequel That Damages Henry Fool.......2007-06-13

I absolutely loved HENRY FOOL, but I wish this film had never been made.

HENRY FOOL, taken on its own, tells the story of a lying, unscrupulous, but literate vagabond (Henry) who challenges the boundaries of friendship, loyalty, love, and redemption.

In its final scene, we see Henry desperately running toward the camera, but we are left not knowing whether he is fleeing responsibility or running back to his family to face his uncertain fate. A beautiful story, amazingly told.

However, FAY GRIM turns that story on its head.

We learn that Henry was not just a lying vagabond, but some kind of secret agent involved in countless international intrigues. Having fled to Europe, he is being sought by the CIA, the French secret service, and God knows who else because his collection of "Confessions" contains a secret code that reveals American military secrets or something.

The problem with this plot is that it does not align with HENRY FOOL.

Here's why: In HENRY FOOL, Henry is profoundly confident in his work of "Confessions" as profound literature.

He asks Simon to judge the work as literature, and is completely crushed when Simon deems the work unworthy of publication.

So instead of being a self-proclaimed genius who is actually a failure, FAY GRIM asks us to believe that Henry is an ACTUAL genius who consistently out-smarts the CIA a la James Bond or something.

But in HENRY FOOL, Henry breaks down and reveals that he wrote his "Confessions" while serving time for statutory rape. (Not exactly a James Bond-style adventure.)

So which Henry Fool is real? The charming, salacious liar or the devious secret agent from FAY GRIM?

What a mess.

Average customer rating:

Great show! Well worth five stars!
Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker
Breathtakingly Poignant and Spiritually Enlightening
Become one with your inner self
Big yawn!

Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai
Starring: Forest Whitaker , John Tormey , Cliff Gorman , Dennis Liu , and Frank Minucci
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Dead Man
Hagakure: The Book of the Samauri
Paris, Texas
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ASIN: B00005QCVX
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Amazon.com

Forest Whitaker makes an unlikely modern samurai with his laser-sighted pistols, shabby street clothes, and oddly graceful gait--but then Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is an unusual film. Quirky, contemplative, and at times absurd, it's just the kind offbeat vision we've come to expect from the fiercely independent Jim Jarmusch (Stranger than Paradise, Dead Man). Whitaker is Ghost Dog, a mysterious New York hit man who lives simply on a tenement rooftop and follows a code of behavior outlined in Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai (passages of this book are interspersed throughout the film). When the local mob marks him for death in a complicated code of Mafiosi-style honor, Ghost Dog sends a cryptic message to his foes. "That's poetry. The poetry of war," remarks mobster Henry Silva, with sudden respect upon reading the verse. He could be describing the ethereal beauty of Jarmusch's vision, full of wonderful imagery (a night drive across town seems to float in time) and off-center humor. Though it briefly stalls in a series of assassinations (Jarmusch is no action director), it settles back into character-driven drama in a quietly epic showdown, equal parts samurai adventure, spaghetti western, and existential crime movie. The film is likely too unconventional and offbeat for general audiences, but cult-movie buffs and Jarmusch fans will appreciate his idiosyncratic vision. He finds a strange sense of honor in the clash of Old World traditions, and salutes his heroes with a skewed but sincere respect. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Great show! Well worth five stars!.......2007-06-18

There isn't anything I didn't like about this film. Good old Forrest comes through with another superb performance and makes his character very believable. He portrays Ghost Dog - a very intelligent and thoughtful fellow - in such a way that this individual could be a very likely manifestation within the environment the story takes place in.
Equally, there is no wild and absurd special effects to mar the flow or the potential realism; no fancy super-duper martial arts moves to turn what you're watching into a farce. Ghost Dog is careful. He's deliberate. He consciously regulates his behavior and tries to adhere to the code of the Samurai. He comes across as being quite human - a person who has developed a psychological mechanism to allow him to cope and survive within a depressing and dangerous environment.
There's some humor in this movie too, as well as some telling symbolism. The scenes generating the "feel" of the show are quiet, seedy, gritty, and earthy, and when all these elements are combined with the performance of the cast it makes for a very well-done production.
Too bad there isn't more of this type of show and less of the mindless, ultra-violent, formula-type [....] that is spewed out by the cocain-sniffing hacks in Hollywood year after year.

Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker.......2007-05-22

This is a very good film. The uniqueness of Whitaker's real-life persona enhances the unique character he brings to the screen. Ghost Dog displays all the discipline of a martial arts master but with a gun in hand. From this perspective he is far removed from the on-screen likes of Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and Jet Li but equally as deadly. The film does not hide the fact the methods of destruction used by Ghost Dog are not only outlandish but straight out of a cartoon fantasy. This adds to its entertainment value: we know we're being taken for a ride. It's a fun trip. Whitaker's supporting cast round out this excellent ensemble work.

Breathtakingly Poignant and Spiritually Enlightening.......2007-05-05

Yesterday I tried in vain to encourage some of my friends, who had never even heard of Ghost Dog, to plan on watching it someday, and I obviously failed to give them even a mere glimpse of the magnitude of the story and its central character, Ghost Dog!

One friend said, "I can't believe you would enjoy a movie about an assassin! It seems so unlike you."

Yes, this is a movie about an impoverished, urban Black man, who survives by doing hits for his local Mob, but it is so much more, that it ranks right up there at the top of my favorite movie list.

Raised by a movie loving father who early on introduced me to independent American films and international films, such as Rashomon, with Tashiro Mifune and the French film, The Red Balloon, the sweetness of this very spiritual movie lives on and is one I know I will never forget.

I was already a Forest Whitaker fan, when I saw Ghost Dog for the first time, but since then, he has been firmly established, in my opinion, as one of the most poetic actors of our age. In this movie, he communicates at the highest levels of consciousness...sometimes by staying silent.

Ghost Dog is a masterpiece. Don't deprive yourself...rent it. Or better yet, buy it!

Become one with your inner self.......2007-03-12

This movie is better than expected. Forrest Whittaker seems miscast for this role, but he really is tremendous as Ghost Dog. And don't worry, there's no scenes of him slicing down evil hordes with his blade. That might be silly.
The story fuses elements of the mafia, gangster, and the way of the samurai. Ghost Dog is a hired mercenary that studies the great ancient culture of the samurai. He's definitely more dangerous with a gun than with his sword, and his dedication to his craft is amazing.
The mafia clan in this movie are intentionally laughable, a far cry from the Sopranos.
Ghost Dog also features a superb soundtrack of classic hip-hop. The rhythm and the beats coincide perfectly with the flow of the plot.
This is a different type of movie, better than you might expect.

Big yawn!.......2007-03-12

I fell asleep during this movie and didn't bother to try to finish it. The story was incredibly slow and boring. Forest Whitaker's performance as a samurai is laughable. He just looks rediculous through the entire film. The mobsters in the movie are just corny Italian stereotypes. This movie was a waste of space on my Netflix queue. But on the bright side, RZA did the soundtrack and that may be worth checking that out.

The Da Vinci Code (Full Screen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

So disappointed
A good short summary of the book
A good film and book.
The biggest secret of all: a cure for insomnia.
Cast Away this one

The Da Vinci Code (Full Screen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Tom Hanks , Audrey Tautou , Ian McKellen , Jean Reno , and Paul Bettany
Director: Ron Howard
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
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X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000I2J2WC
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

Beyond The Da Vinci Code

The Films of Tom Hanks
The Films of Ron Howard

The Da Vinci DVDs: Decoding "The Da Vinci Code"
More About The Artist

Stills from The Da Vinci Code (click for larger image)

Description

Customer Reviews:

So disappointed.......2007-07-01

A good short summary of the book.......2007-06-27

a good summary of the book, wish it had been longer, key aspects were left out.

A good film and book........2007-06-12

The biggest secret of all: a cure for insomnia........2007-06-07

Cast Away this one.......2007-06-04

Steve Harvey - Don't Trip... He Ain't Through With Me Yet!

Average customer rating:

Three-headed horse!
Side-splittingly funny!
Harvey comedy for a Christian crowd
I Love Steve Harvey
You have GOT to be kidding me!

Steve Harvey - Don't Trip... He Ain't Through With Me Yet!
Starring: Steve Harvey , and Rickey Smiley
Director: Leslie Small
Manufacturer: Code Black
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Madea Goes to Jail (The Tyler Perry Collection)
Preaching to the Choir
Why Did I Get Married? (The Tyler Perry Collection)
Madea's Family Reunion (Full Screen Edition)
Love on Layaway

ASIN: B000EQ5V8Q
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Description

With a clever range of side-splitting new material, Harvey performs one of his funniest and most memorable performances in front of church folks. That's right; Mr. Harvey keeps it clean and family friendly! No easy feat for one of the Original Kings of Comedy, but then Harvey's versatility is precisely why he's in a class by himself. Tackling topics such as faith, family, preachers, and relationships with his trademark candor and sardonic wit, Harvey will have you laughing out loud along with the audience in this rousing stand-up special! This DVD is sure to become an instant classic.

Customer Reviews:

Three-headed horse!.......2007-05-10

Lawdamercy, I cried! The best scene, in my opinion, is when Steve is describing the woman asking her son "Billy" to "Come here a minute please?" I laughed so hard, I cried! It rang SO TRUE! And for the poster "T Dub" or whatever he called himself, you can't relate. You admitted you were not of the ethnic group that would find this funny, and that it why! You didn't grown up with a black mother or grandmother! Check out the man in the audience sitting in an aisle seat. He's about to fall out of his chair!

I first saw this on TV. I even Tivo'ed it, but I want a copy without the commercials...just for the "Three-headed horse!"

Side-splittingly funny!.......2007-04-08

It has been a long time since I've laughed so hard I cried, but watching Steve Harvey in front of the huge MegaFest crowd, I had many belly laughs. He really does have a "third" eye, and his memories and insights ring so true. Surprising to me, the finale "What if..." introduction took my breath away!

Harvey comedy for a Christian crowd.......2007-03-21

This video is extremely funny! Steve Harvey makes the kinds of observations about people that he is known for, and it's cleaned up for a Gospel convention crowd. He knows what a risk he took - since his best known comedy is R-rated. He is every bit as funny in this setting as he points out some of the hilarious flaws that we (or someone in our family or church) all should recognize. I have a lot more respect for Steve Harvey now that I have heard him speak boldly about his faith and show respect for a crowd that probably wondered what he was doing there in the first place!

I Love Steve Harvey.......2007-03-16

I have always been a big fan of Steve Harvey. To see him doing comedy at a Christian Conference and not cuss and still be funny shows he's a true professional. This is not a waste of your money.

You have GOT to be kidding me!.......2007-03-14

This is anything but funny. I obviously am not of the same ethnic group that might find this funny. It's just plain dumb. Even some of the audience in the video looks bored and offended. How Steve Harvey EVER got in to a major Christian event like MegaFest, I'll never know. He takes advantage of it however, and slams Christians, Catholics, church, and is just in his own world out there and even makes the remark that he doesn't care if he's offensive, he's got your money now. Save your money, buy something funnier than this, like Gone With The Wind.

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