Detention

Starring:Justin Black, Charisse Brown, Bertram Dailey, Regi Davis, John Hall, Keisha Harvin, Kiatenai
Studio: Mti Home Video
Product Type: DVD

The Breakfast Club (High School Reunion Collection)

Average customer rating:

The John Hughes universe
Intense.
How come every teen movie not made in the 80s stinks
Were you ever in detention?
Awesome Movie

The Breakfast Club (High School Reunion Collection)
Starring: Mary Christian , Perry Crawford , Ron Dean , Emilio Estevez , and Tim Gamble
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000A98ZP
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com essential video

John Hughes's popular 1985 teen drama finds a diverse group of high school students--a jock (Emilio Estevez), a metalhead (Judd Nelson), a weirdo (Ally Sheedy), a princess (Molly Ringwald), and a nerd (Anthony Michael Hall)--sharing a Saturday in detention at their high school for one minor infraction or another. Over the course of a day, they talk through the social barriers that ordinarily keep them apart, and new alliances are born, though not without a lot of pain first. Hughes (Sixteen Candles), who wrote and directed, is heavy on dialogue but he also thoughtfully refreshes the look of the film every few minutes with different settings and original viewpoints on action. The movie deals with such fundamentals as the human tendency toward bias and hurting the weak, and because the characters are caught somewhere between childhood and adulthood, it's easy to get emotionally involved in hope for their redemption. Preteen and teenage kids love this film, incidentally. The DVD release includes production notes, cast and crew bios, widescreen presentation, Dolby sound, closed captioning, optional French and Spanish soundtracks, and optional Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The John Hughes universe.......2007-06-13

Many who were teenagers in the 80s see Breakfast Club the way some saw Rebel Without A Cause in the 50s. Both movies are about teenage angst. Most of my "grasshopper" (Kung Fu) moments in my life came from the 80s. That said, this film has it's merits but also it's flaws. One actor makes this movie great. Judd Nelson. He steals the show in every scene. Even when he isn't talking, you are watching his reactions. His performance is perfect. I believe him as a troubled teen even though he's 24(!) at the time of the filming. Another great performance, often overlooked, is Paul Gleason as Vernon. He's dislikeable and believable. Makes you wonder if Vernon was like Brian and who grew up to be authority to get 'even' with guys like Bender and Andy. Just an idea. Gleason's performance is a solid one.
The flaws include the slang (no one then or now calls rich kids "richies". They are either preppies or yuppies.), the inane stories (Andy's locker room story and Brian's flare gun story fail to hold my attention), the fake performances (Brain's forced tears when he says to Clare "&*%$ you") and the continuity shots (Clare and Allison's many hair days during 8 hour detention). The script could've used some fine tuning. Had it been written better, the five students would know each other more even if they aren't friends. The character stereotypes (brain, princess, criminal, jock, and basket case) would mesh with each other. In order words, the five would have more in common with each other instead of coming from five different cliques. Lastly, the term "Breakfast Club" never appeared anywhere until John Hughes coined the phrase. He uses the phrase as if everyone who is in detention is a Breakfast Club member. I would title it something else. A good script doctor would be helpful.
In my opinion, the movie doesn't hold up well today, but it is still entertaining, given it's context. This is the John Hughes universe we are talking about, not the real world.

Intense........2007-04-15

This is an aboslutely amazing movie. Being a teenager, you can really relate to this movie. But adults no doubt can too from their highschool days. You will laugh and maybe cry. The story behind it is truly beautiful. 5 stereotype highschool students end up in detention together and discover after pouring their hearts our to each other, that they have much more in common then they thought. "They only met once, but it changed their lives forever."

How come every teen movie not made in the 80s stinks.......2007-03-26

When I first heard of bfc I don't think I even wanted to see it. Then I saw Ferris Bueller's Day Off and one thing led to another. Anyways the point is, this movie is actually fun to watch. All five of these characters are surprisingly believable and not to mention funny. Though this movie is usually considered a "chick flick" I have no problem watching it. Otherwise, besides certian immoral content in the film, that i try to skip anyways, this movie is great! I'm amused by the scenario the characters are put in. I can actually relate to Brian(the nerd). Its kind of scary though, cause he shares my name. As for the rest characters, they just made me laugh to no end. The basket case I found particularly cool. I won't comment on the emotional aspect of the film, but I will say I felt it and just leave it at that. Oh and as a 17 year old, trust me, its great to see teens actually act like teens!!!!! Now a days it seems most teen flicks are bassically movies about sex crazed monsters(no ones REALLY like that). AND IT'S NOT FUNNY, its just kind of grose. So in conclusion, this movie was actually to my surprise good.The BEST PART is when there all dancing to We Are Not Alone by Karla Devito. I never thought in a million years I would like a movie where some jock started crying about how he tapped some kid's bun cheeks together.

P.S. No seriously though, what was up with that bun cheek thing?

Were you ever in detention? .......2007-03-14

I was a good little girl at school; I was never in detention. So I can't identify with this movie at all. Especially an American detention. They were there the whole of Saturday! And the antics they get up to!

I got recommended this by someone I work with, who was playing the Simple Minds on her mp3 player, and I confessed I had no idea who they were. She said they did a song on the soundtrack to this, I said I'd never seen it, and she told me to get it. So I did.

None of the actors have really done much since this film, apart from Emilio Estevez, who is still floating around out there. There's been lots of fuss about a sequel, but I doubt that will ever happen. It doesn't really warrant a sequel. Which means they will make a sequel or a remake. And that will ruin it.

Basically you have five teenage stereotypes - the rebel (Bender), the princess (Claire), the jock (Andy), the brain (Brian), and the outcast (Allison) - who would never normally associate with each other, but they get stuck together in detention. It can be a bit overacted, and a bit melodramatic at times, but yes, it works. My favourite character was the outcast, Allison, played by Ally Sheedy. She actually reminded me quite a lot of myself during high school (and at the beginning of college), hiding behind her fringe, coat, whatever comes to hand, and not speaking to anyone. Her haircut was practically the same as mine too! And the dandruff/snow on the drawing scene was absolutely classic! The reasons they all get into detention are a bit strange as well: Bender: pulls a false fire alarm; Brian: flare gun goes off in his locker; Andy: tapes a guy's butt cheeks together in the locker room; Claire: ditches class to go shopping; and Allison: didn't do anything, she didn't have anything better to do on a Saturday. (That last bit made the character for me.)

The rest of the movie is pretty much forgettable, apart from the dancing sequence, which is so funny.

If you recognise yourself in these characters, or know someone else who was that particular stereotype, then I would recommend getting it. It's easy enough to while away an hour or so watching. It will also show what you're really like depending which character is your favourite. What does your favourite reveal about you? It's a shame I'm not old enough to remember the 80s (ha!) I was born halfway through, and wasn't old enough to know about the whole Rat Pack phenomenon. But if you can pick this up for cheap, I certainly would recommend it.

Awesome Movie.......2007-03-01

I'm 36 and this is STILL one of my favorite movies of all times. I cannot wait to share it with my children.

Average customer rating:

Disturbia [Blu-ray]
Starring: David Morse , Carrie-Anne Moss , Viola Davis , Shia LaBeouf , and Jose Pablo Cantillo
Director: D.J. Caruso
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000RO6K80
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Amazon.com

Alfred Hitchcock fans may experience déjà vu upon exposure to this voyeuristic thriller. That's because director DJ Caruso (The Salton Sea) and co-writer Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye) use Rear Window as a jumping-off point before cherry-picking from more recent scare fare, like The Blair Witch Project. In the prologue, 17-year-old Kale (Shia LaBeouf, Holes) loses his beloved father to a car crash. A year passes, and he's still on edge. When a teacher makes a careless remark about his dad, Kale punches him out, and is sentenced to house arrest. After his mom (Carrie-Anne Moss, Memento) takes away his Xbox and iTunes privileges, the suburban slacker spies on his neighbors to pass the time. In the process, he develops a crush on Ashley (Sarah Roemer, The Grudge 2), the hot girl next door, and becomes convinced that another, the soft-spoken Mr. Turner (David Morse, The Green Mile), is a serial killer. With the help of the flirtatious Ashley, practical joke-playing pal Ronnie (Aaron Yoo), and an array of high-tech gadgets, like cell-phone cameras and digital camcorders, Kale sets out to solve a major case without leaving his yard (a feat that would prove more challenging for a less affluent sleuth). In the end, it's pretty familiar stuff, but there are plenty of scares once Turner realizes he's being watched, and rising star LaBeouf, who next appears in Michael Bay's Transformers, makes for an engaging leading man--despite his character's propensity for slugging Spanish instructors. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Beyond Disturbia

Why We Love Shia LaBeouf
The Soundtrack
Rear Window

Stills from Disturbia (click for larger image)

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Disturbia [HD DVD]
Starring: David Morse , Carrie-Anne Moss , Viola Davis , Shia LaBeouf , and Jose Pablo Cantillo
Director: D.J. Caruso
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000RO6K9O
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Amazon.com

Beyond Disturbia

Why We Love Shia LaBeouf
The Soundtrack
Rear Window

Stills from Disturbia (click for larger image)

Average customer rating:

A Holocaust movie with a difference
Love and Honour
Wonderfully structured movie
rosenstrasse
A MAGNIFICENT FILM...

Rosenstrasse
Starring: Katja Riemann , Maria Schrader , Martin Feifel , Jürgen Vogel , and Jutta Lampe
Director: Margarethe von Trotta
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006IIKRQ
Release Date: 2005-01-18

Customer Reviews:

A Holocaust movie with a difference.......2007-03-17

For me, this movie is very different than other Holocaust movies, in that it explores the issue of what happened to Jewish spouses of Aryan women...the story itself is based on a true occurrence, and the movie begins with a wake...the widow is tormented by visions of her past in wartime Berlin & shows disapproval at her daughter's choice of a non-Jewish fiance...the daughter then discovers there is more to her mother's past than she was ever told, and travels to Germany to discover her mother's past...the story is told in flashbacks through reminiscences, and basically focusses on the plight of Aryan women in Berlin whose Jewish husbands have been confined in a place called Rosenstrasse...I won't give too much away, but I must say that for a slow-paced movie, it is quite gripping as we are kept guessing as to the final fate of the Jewish spouses...as for the acting, the characters from the past did an excellent job, their performances were very realistic, and heart-wrenching, especially the actress who plays the main role of Mrs Fabian Fischer, the Aryan wife. In the present day, the actress who plays the daughter who seeks to unearth her mother's past wasn't very convincing, but all in all the story itself makes up for other lacks in the movie, and it is definitely watchable for the unique plot.

Love and Honour.......2006-05-03

Having read about the Rosenstrasse miracle in various books I rejoiced when somebody chose to make a movie about it. I eventually managed to get a copy.

It is an incident unique in the story of the Holocaust. Fanatical nazis in Berlin of all places were forced to return Jews they wished to deport to the Death Camps. It happened when they seized mixed marriage Jews as part of the Berlin Round up. And much to their astonishment, their German spouses showed up outside the place they were kept demanding their release.

Much to everybody's astonishment, they got it shortly aferwards.

This is their story.

I must confess I thought the New York scenes where the main character starts by meeting a relative her mother doesn't tell her about were rather flat and two dimensional. The modern German scenes weren't that bad but the scenes set during WWII Berlin were superb. Great costuming. Great scene organization and set design. Nice drama. Good character portrayal. A happy ending, something unique for Holocost films.

Overall, this is a great film.

Wonderfully structured movie.......2005-10-07

The structure of the movie reminded me of "Eleni", a weaving of the past and present as a child goes back to investigate the horrors that were the parent's past. Starts slowly but settles into a pace that can be truly savored. This is a movie that I will find myself revisiting again and again.

rosenstrasse.......2005-09-25

i am being a bit naughty here. the review is not about the film. the review is about amazing amazon. every time i buy something - maybe for about 10 years now, my order is perfectly tracked, timeously delivered and i am one happy customer, every time.

the one and only time i complained about non-delivery, amazon offered an apology and replaced all the goods.

one week later, i found the original package in my home - my son had received it and had forgotten to tell me. i contacted amazon who merely suggested i keep the original delivery - and when i offered that they debit my card a second time, amazon graciously declined.

what a company!!!
michael cohn
sydney
australia

A MAGNIFICENT FILM..........2005-09-07

This film is based upon the true story of the German women who, during Word War II, protested the internment of their Jewish husbands in a building located on Rosenstrasse, a street in Berlin. These were women who defied the Nazi status quo by remaining married to the husbands whom they loved so dearly, although it came with a price.

The film tells the story through the juxtaposition of the present and the past. The story is told in flashback. In the present, the viewer is introduced to Ruth Weinstein (Jutta Lampe), a secular Jewish woman, living in present day New York, She has just lost her husband, and appears to have lost her senses, as well. She insists that her family sit Shiva, speaking only German while observing Orthodox traditions. She refuses to acknowledge her first cousin, who has come to pay her respects. Ruth also refuses to acknowledge Luis Marquez (Fedja van Huet), her only daughter's Nicaraguan, non-Jewish fiance. Luis had been a protoge of the deceased, who had had no issue with the idea of Luis marrying his daughter. Ruth now forbids her daughter to marry Luis or she will disown her. Hannah (Maria Schrader), the daughter, is at a loss to account for her mother's seemingly irrational behavior and is totally appalled by it.

When Hannah speaks to her mother's first cousin, whom she had never before met, she discovers that her mother had lived with her first cousin and her family when she first came to the United States from Germany. Hannah comes away thinking that the answer to her mother's apparent derangement lies in Berlin, with an Aryan woman Hannah does not even know is still alive. This woman had, apparently, saved Ruth's life during the Nazi's reign of terror. This was news to Hannah, as she knew virtually nothing of her mother's past, as Ruth had never spoken to her about it. When her mother insists on remaining uncommunicative on the issue, Hannah decides that for all their sakes, she needs to get some answers. So, she goes off to Germany to seek in the past the answers that she cannot get in the present.

Fortunately for her, she discovers that the woman for which she is looking is, indeed, alive, although quite elderly. She contacts the woman, ninety year old Lena Fischer (Doris Schade), telling her that she is doing research on the issue of Aryans and their Jewish spouses during World War II. Ms. Fischer agrees to see her, and during their session the story of her mother unfolds in flashback, In Berlin of 1943, many Jews married to Aryans were swept up by the Nazis and taken to a building on Rosenstrasse to await a determination of their fate. Virtual prisoners, their spouses and children were unable to communicate with them. Ruth's mother, Miriam Sussman (Lena Stolze), was one of these Jews. Her daughter, eight year old Ruth Sussman (Svea Lohde), had escaped her mother's fate, as she had obeyed her mother's instructions when the Nazis paid the Sussman home a visit. Unfortunately for Ruth's mother, the Nazis discovered that her Aryan husband had divorced her two years prior, thereby sealing her fate, and she, unknown to Ruth, is transported East. One can well imagine what happened to her.

At the same time, Fabian Israel Fischer (Martin Feifel) is also swept up from the factory where he works and taken to the building on Rosenstrasse. Fortunately for him, his wife, thirty-three year old Lena Fischer (Katja Riemann), is an Aryan devoted to her husband. Both are musicians. She is a concert pianist, and he is a violinist. They met before the war, bonding through their music. Although he is Jewish, and she is a member of a noble Aryan family, the von Eschenbachs, they married. Her father, however, disowned her for marrying Fischer. Her mother was sympathetic but under her father's thumb. Her brother, Arthur (Jurgen Vogel), however, remained loyal to his sister and friendly with his brother-in-law. With the rise of the Nazis, life for the Fischers changed. They were forced to live in reduced circumstances, giving up the music that they loved. Instead, Fabian was made to work in a factory from which he was taken peremptorily to the building on Rosenstrasse.

Lena sought the help of her brother, Arthur, now a soldier in the German army. He is sympathetic and tries to get Fabian released to no avail. Lena herself tried, but was looked down upon as little more than a whore for having married a Jew whom she now refuses to divorce. Instead, she stood vigil for her husband, Fabian, with the other Aryan women on Rosenstrasse, and it was there that she met Ruth Sussman. Ruth attached herself to Lena, and Lena assumed responsibility for the child. Without Lena, Ruth would never have survived. Lena takes care of Ruth for three years, forming a mother-daughter bond. After the war, Ruth's aunt, her mother's sister, claimed Ruth, and Lena was forced to send Ruth to join her aunt in America. Ruth never knew what happened to her mother, Miriam, and never understood why Lena, her surrogate mother, gave her up to go and live with total strangers. It is Ruth's ignorance of the situation that lies at the heart of her dysfunction.

What happens to them all during the war and the impact that the Nazis were to have on all their lives makes for a well told tale. The film offers a very balanced view of ordinary Germans in war time, telling a story not generally known. Under the deft direction of Margarethe von Trotta, the performances in this film are phenomenal, and the film has won many awards. Katja Riemann won the Best Actress Award at the 2003 Venice Film Festival. It won the David Di Donatello Award in 2004 for Best European Film. At the Bavarian Film Awards in 2004, it won for Best Cinematography. This is a powerful and compelling film that is totally riveting. Bravo!

Average customer rating:

David Duchovny is wonderful!
I LOVE IT!
Magnificant Movie David D.
wonderful film of a boy's coming of age
Bonheur!

House of D
Starring: Magali Amadei , Erykah Badu , Harold Cartier , Alice Drummond , and Gideon Jacobs
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000ARFPNK
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Amazon.com

House of D is a bittersweet, moving story of an American expatriate's painful decision to come to terms with the childhood he fled in early 1970s New York City. David Duchovny wrote and directed this comedy-drama; he also stars as the adult version of the film's hero, Tom Warshaw, an illustrator who has spent most of his life in Paris and decides—on the occasion of his son's birthday—to finally reveal long-withheld facts about his past.

The bulk of the story, told in flashback, portrays 13-year-old Tom (Anton Yelchin) as a quick-witted prince of his neighborhood, a delivery boy who knows every eccentric on his bicycle route and a Catholic school kid fond of playing pranks on his clueless French teacher and soulful principal (Frank Langella). His best friend is the school's mildly retarded, 41-year-old janitor, Pappas (Robin Williams), and his advisor on matters of the heart is Lady (Erykah Badu), a prison inmate whom the fatherless Tom (or Tommy, as he's called in 1973) can neither see nor touch. Tommy's vivacity is an asset at home, where his mother (Tea Leoni), a grieving widow with a mounting addiction to pills, is slipping away from her son's ability to help. Duchovny's screenplay sometimes borders on the precious: A number of scenes are enamored with their own boldness and originality, as if Duchovny has been squirreling away lots of colorfully expressive storytelling details for years, and unloaded them here. But that flaw all but disappears in the glow of House of D's emotional resonance and honesty, not to mention several exceptional performances. Among these is Zelda Williams's work as Tommy's sage-beyond-her-years girlfriend, Melissa, whose name offers a suitable excuse to work a rather lovely Allman Brothers song into the soundtrack. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

David Duchovny is wonderful!.......2007-05-23

This is David Duchovny's first movie that he wrote and directed, and I really hope that he writes more! He has done some directing on a few later season episodes of X-files, but in this movie, you can really see his talent extends far beyond acting.
This is a touching story of a boy growing up in New York, and how his friends are a janitor (Robin Williams) and Lady (Erykah Badu), an inmate in the women's house of detention (hence the name house of D). I won't spoil the story for anyone who has not seen the movie. I thought this movie really portrayed what it is like for a 13 year old boy.
David Duchovny puts in some very witty lines, that really make the film. You can see how intelligent he is, much more so than most actors (he's got a Masters in Literature, and was working on his PhD, when he got into acting).
Everyone should buy this film, especially at such a great price from Amazon.

I LOVE IT!.......2007-05-14

I picked it up on a shopping spree through the used movies at Blockbuster, and purchased it based on actors and plot synopsis. I suspect I find it especially heartwarming because like the main character (and Duchovney) I was 13 in 1973. Everyone I've shared with with has loved it and I'm here today buying a copy for my sister. And since none of the other reviewers mention it, let me give a nod to Frank Langela as The Reverend Duncan. I thought the film was beautifully done.

Magnificant Movie David D........2007-05-14

I was not sure what to expect from someone like David Duchovny as the director and writer. I was pleasantly surprised by the story and the characters in this movie. Scenes of New York are great and love that the character Tommy has so much "life" to him. Many of us growing up have experienced life as a child and as a young person growing up-the experiences Tommy goes through with his delivery job, friends like Pappas (played by Robin Williams), first love and kiss, becoming responsible to a parent that cannot care for themselves emotionally, and over all experiencing "life". Erika Badu also playes an important role of a female that was at "The house of D" D-stands for dentention center. Young Tommy would visit this woman for advice and guidance. I loved this movie and would love to see David Duchovny write and direct more movies like this. It helped me to remember being a 13 year old and all the fun I had even if I was a girl living in the 1970's California. Great work to all, and for the person who only gave you one star for this movie. Get a life.

wonderful film of a boy's coming of age.......2007-02-20

I got *House of D* thinking that I just might not like it. However, I was actually surprised how much I loved it, along with a few tears.

The movie is a flashback of Tom Warshaw (David Duchovny) , an American artist living in Paris. As Tom's son is soon turning 13, Tom goes back to a time when he was nearing 13.

Tommy takes care of his chain-smoking mother (Tea Leoni), who has a difficult time coping with the recent death of her husband. Although she is suppose to console Tommy, it is Tommy who actually has to look after his mother. Tommy also takes care or rather, defends his best friend. His best friend is a 41-year-old slightly retarded janitor and deliveryman, Pappass (Robin Williams). Meanwhile, Tommy is getting advice from female inmate, Lady (Erykah Badu) at the local women's house of detention about intimate issues (dancing, girls, etc.). Tommy cannot see her except her hands. They carry a conversation by shouting across as Lady is jailed on the second (or third?) floor.

With the exception of his clingy mother and his father's death, life seems to be good for Tommy. However, things take a turn for the worse when the mother overdoses on pills and becomes brain-dead and Pappass steals a bike. Ultimately, Tommy blames Lady for everything. Lady, realizing the severity of situations, riles him into further anger to make him run. Although Tommy didn't see her point, Lady was actually setting him free...to be a man.

The whole point was about a boy's journey/transition becoming a man. Despite the death of Tommy's father, Tommy had it pretty good as a boy. But, there came a point where Tommy had to lose a few things or rather, people before he could became a man. He loses his mother as well as the girl he likes. He loses trust of a "friend" whose advice he once sought. The hardest of all, he deserts his best friend. The irony here was that while Pappass was an older man, he would never actually be (or was) a man. However, in this moment, Pappass realizes that Tommny needed to go and find himself and gives his blessing.

Overall, *House of D* was a wonderful movie. David Duchovny did a superb job as a director. I'd definitely check out future movies directed by him. Go check it out, along with a few laughs and tears.

Bonheur!.......2006-12-15

I enjoyed this film, though it came together very awkwardly. Téa Leoni and Anton Yelchin gave great performances, but David Duchovny and Robin Williams were mediocre at best. Not their shining moments in front of the camera. Erykah Badu was great in her role of Lady. I do admire Duchovny's vision behind the camera, though. The film was a bit more art house than I care for, but it worked. In an existential sort of way, the mechanics of the film were really secondary to the boy's story, which managed to be intense and not sentimental. I can cite all the things about the film that weren't there, but because it still came together so well, clearly its strength lay on other levels. That indicates to me that Duchovny is a bright writer and director.

Average customer rating:

Great Raid, Great Movie!!!
Very good but read Ghost Soldiers
Movie Review
Thought provoking movie with a great history lesson
Awe-Inspiring. Patriotic. Historical. Powerful.

The Great Raid
Starring: Benjamin Bratt , James Franco , Robert Mammone , Max Martini , and James Carpinello
Director: John Dahl
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ETR9W4
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Amazon.com

Nearly three years after it was filmed, The Great Raid finally appeared as a welcome reminder that good old-fashioned World War II movies never go out of style. While lacking the scale, prestige, and pulse-pounding momentum of Saving Private Ryan, this fact-based war drama benefits from a back-to-basics approach to realism and a rousing rescue climax that more than compensates for the slower passages that precede it. Adapted from the books The Great Raid on Cabanatuan and Ghost Soldiers, it chronicles the five-day mission (in late January 1945) to rescue 511 American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. Under the direction of neo-noir specialist John Dahl (The Last Seduction), the film's three-part structure follows the raid mission led by Lt. Col. Mucci (Benjamin Bratt); the plight of the POWs at Cabanatuan, including malaria-stricken Maj. Gibson (Joseph Fiennes); and civilian resistance in Manila as carried out by real-life hero and Gibson's (fictional) would-be lover Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), whose effort to aid the POWs is vigilantly monitored by the enemy Japanese. In keeping with war-movie traditions, Dahl handles character and action with no-nonsense intelligence, favoring a slow build over pumped-up adrenalin. By the time the miraculous rescue is executed with critical assistance by Filpino guerillas, The Great Raid has earned its stripes, honoring the brave men who carried out the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In the epic tradition of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE GREAT RAID is an inspirational true story of the most triumphant rescue mission in U.S. military history! As World War II rages, the elite 6th Ranger Battalion is given a mission of heroic proportions: push 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate over 500 American prisoners of war. Under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt -- TRAFFIC), the men of the 6th will face the unthinkable by attempting the impossible! Also featuring James Franco (SPIDER-MAN 1 & 2), Connie Nielsen (GLADIATOR), and Joseph Fiennes (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE), this gripping big-screen hit captures a moment in time when men of honor became soldiers of destiny!

Customer Reviews:

Great Raid, Great Movie!!!.......2007-06-12

This is definitely one of the best war movies I have ever seen!!! Like Grave of The Fireflies, it shows how cruel war itself can be...Yes, there are times when the movie sounds off like a History Channel program, but it's still a great war movie!!! Being that I'm Filipino, this movie also gave me a glimpse of what it must have been like during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines...it also made me realize how my grandparents truly felt during that time...Long story short; great raid, great movie!!!

Very good but read Ghost Soldiers.......2007-05-02

Very good movie but defintely read the book Ghost Soldiers also. Well worth watching especially due to the fact of how remarkable the story is.
Movie strengths:
1)Very well cast
2)Sticks pretty well to the story line
3)Very well acted
4)Great filming - especially of the country side and the actual raid.

Weaknesses:
1)A little jumbled as to when the events actually took place per the books.
2) The best subplot of the Real story involved the movie heroine which in reality disguised herself, opened a bar that catered to Japanese soldiers and stole secrets from them for the underground. In the movie Dahl made her a nurse and dumbed her story down. TOTALLY incorrect and BORING. And then of course introduced a fake love story.
3) The last scene is a travesty - instead of showing what really happened they Hollywoodized it and made it revolve around the phony love affair. What makes it worse is that they ACTUALLY filmed the correct ending and deleted it - see deleted scenes where Dahl claims that this version was not correct - hey buddy - read the books and get your facts straight - This is history that you are supposed to PORTRAY not betray. Wimp.

Overall a very good movie - too bad they couldn't have stuck completely with the truth as it made a better story. Fact was much better than fiction in this story but unfortunately Hollywood got to it in their usual way.

Movie Review.......2007-04-03

Loved this movie so much I had to purchase it. Great shipping, perfect condition.

Thought provoking movie with a great history lesson.......2007-03-25

The first thing I want to say is that this movie does not glorfy war. I was also glad that this movie was not a 'Saving Private Ryan/Thin Red Line' type of production. It was a drama, a movie in the 1960s or 70s type or style. It had more of a look and feel of a 'Patton,' "Tora, Tora, Tora" or "Longest Day" to it, not like the 'Battle of the Buldge' though.

The story itself was gripping enough, only five days to extract over 500 prisoners who were destined to die at the hands of their captors who wished to kill them because they viewed them as animals.

I think the movie also gave a lot of lessons around one of the most ignored areas of World War II. The Phillipines has mostly been ignored in movies about that epic in history. This movie covers that part of the war in an overview fashion, even with a bit of a documentary at the beginning.

The DVD has some great historical extras like the interactive timeline of the whole war and interviews of some of those who were involved in the great raid. The Captain Dale Dye piece was also informative on how the movie was made and the training that the actors had to go through in a bootcamp setting for over two weeks.

I really liked the story of sacrifice for men who were left to basically rot for a myriad of reasons by the US. Really, there was no Navy to save them or to get to them since the first attacks of the Phillipines were just days after Pearl Harbor. The fact that there were so many fighting men that languished in Corregador and main island of the Phillipines was almost appalling. Most of the men died on the way to the prison camps in what is known as the Bataan Death March. This alone, the history, is worth the whole time watching the movie. Since there is no gore, kids could watch it without too much difficulty.

I think the thing that got to me the most was seeing the footage of the real heroes and survivors of the raid and of the captives. It was very touching to see video of what happened to them after they were freed. To say the least, this was a very well done movie and since it was done in more of an old fashion way, the lessons learned and the desire and drive of all of the men and women involved makes for a huge lesson in sacrifice for your fellow man.

The movie has three main locations it focuses on: The capital of Manila, where the underground was fighting its fight, the prison camp where the prisoners were trying to stay alive fighting disease and deprivation, and with the soldiers who were their saviors from the beach head to the eventual attack and extraction at the camp.

There is a lot of history covered in this great film. Worth it for the whole family to watch since there are heroes and heroines.

This definately rates among the top of the movies in my collection.

Joe Slevin

Awe-Inspiring. Patriotic. Historical. Powerful........2007-03-12

In a world that is jaded, cynical and satirical, we need a dose of goodness, of courage, of honor. There is no greater sacrifice than that a man lay down his life for his friends. And no greater sacrifice than a man give his life for his country.

In that context, this is a love story - par excellence. This movie is a reminder of the role of heroism. The price of freedom, the love of our countrymen.

The greatest raid took place near the end of WWII against the methodically-cruel Japanese. They deprived POWS of food and medicine and killed and tortured them without mercy. The untried and untested US Rangers were given an assignment to rescue 511 American soldiers held prisoner-of-war.

Very few films make me weep - this is one. Powerful without measure.
God Bless the US Rangers!

Average customer rating:

What?
Awww. Come on!
The Best teen movie of the 80s.
Great Picture & Sound
Great Picture, Horrible Sound

The Breakfast Club [HD DVD]
Starring: Mary Christian , Perry Crawford , Ron Dean , Tim Gamble , and Fran Gargano
Director: John Hughes
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000K7VHUU
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Description

They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by 4 p.m. they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. John Hughes, creator of the critically acclaimed Sixteen Candles, wrote, directed and produced this hilarious and often touching comedy starring Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. To the outside world they were simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess and the Kook, but to each other, they would always be The Breakfast Club.

Customer Reviews:

What? .......2007-06-18

Under product reviews not one of the actor's listed have I ever heard of, but those listed "ARE THE STARS" of this movie--WHAT?, how funny!. other that I love this movie.

Awww. Come on!.......2007-06-01

I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Breakfast Club.... and i was super pleased to see it released on HD DVD.. but wtf, where's the deleted scenes and extras???? I read the original was over 2 hours long before the studio told John Hughes to cut it down... and i KNOW i've seen additional scenes on TNT... why wasnt it put on the dvd extras????
I dont need to tell a Breakfast Club fan what a great buy this is... but i am a little disappointed that it lacked extras.

The Best teen movie of the 80s........2007-02-12

If you have seen this you know. It is a very good story on how every class and background of child in high school has there own "what they believe" hell that there life is. A great story for your teen.

Great Picture & Sound.......2007-01-06

I watched this on my Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, and the picture, sound is incredible. I heard items out of the left and right speakers that I had never heard before, and I've seen this picture at least 100 times on regular DVD. As far as the sound track - it has never sounded better. If you enjoy the regular DVD - this one will blow you away.

Great Picture, Horrible Sound.......2007-01-05

Unfortunately for Universal, they chose the wrong people to transfer this title. The sudio has had absolutely no remixing, and even though there is a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, all of the audio is mixed onto the center channel. There isn't even Stereo, the audio is all center channel mono! On top of that, the audio is muffled, the music sounds like it's being sent through a circa 1965 radio.

That having been said, the picture quality is fairly good. I would classify it as somewhere between DVD upconversion, and a true HD film transfer.

Overall, this may be the first HD DVD that I have seen that should not actually be classified as HD. With such a poor mono audio track, I would suggest skipping this HD DVD.

Average customer rating:

Eastenders- Slaters in Detention
When are we going to get more Easties on DVD?
Those 'Saucy' Slater Girls...
Starting To Make Up For BBC America Slagging
Classy British Soap finally gets some DVD exposure in US

Eastenders - Slaters in Detention
Starring: Jessie Wallace , Kacey Ainsworth , Elaine Lordan , Michelle Ryan (II) , and Laila Morse
Director: Richard Platt
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006J28M8
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Amazon.com

Leave it to the Brits to make even a "clip show" classy, and, in this case, brassy and sassy. The Slater women--formidable Mo and her granddaughters, Kat, Little Mo, Lynn, Zoe, and Moe--are among the most colorful characters on Eastenders, the long-running soap opera that rivals the venerable Coronation Street for England's hearts, minds, and obsession. In this produced for video special ("Never," the DVD box claims, "to-be-seen on TV,") the Slaters, in provocative schoolgirl garb, are incarcerated after a post-disco altercation with a bloodied policeman ("We bumped heads," insists Kat). While waiting for release, they reminisce about past travails, triumphs and tragedies. The most compelling clips concern Little Mo's abuse at the hands of her husband, Trevor, aptly described as "a nasty bit of goods"; a story arc so compelling it rates its own bonus segment on this DVD. Eastenders fans will enjoy watching the Slater women (especially the slatternly Kat) bond while tormenting the constabulary. Other behind-the-scenes goodies include a happier alternative ending to Little Mo's trial for attempted murder, and a documentary, "The Slaters Revealed," a good starting point for the uninitiated. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Eastenders- Slaters in Detention.......2007-01-12

I would move back to England to watch EASTENDERS!!!
This film is a good snapshot of the range of characters and story lines.
Only complaint.... I WANT MORE!!!!

When are we going to get more Easties on DVD?.......2005-05-28

This was really cute! Recommended viewing for all eastenders fans. Only criticism--it left us craving more! If the BBC issued more DVDs like this, I'd definitely fork over the American greenbacks for them!

Those 'Saucy' Slater Girls..........2005-05-04

I'll make this quick. Awesome DVD. It has a bunch of bonus features that make up for the short (58 minutes) time we get to spend with the slaters in the cells.
This DVD went over Mo's ordeal with Trevor. The family moving to the square, and the overall 4-5 years. I'm sure you have all seen it, but it was really funny to see it again.
I highly encourage you to get this DVD as a gift to others or yourself; anyone will enjoy it.

Starting To Make Up For BBC America Slagging.......2005-04-01

Ever since BBC America took EastEnders off the schedule here in The States we've been in a drought. No more. "Slaters In Detention" is brilliant! The first DVD release of the long running Brit soap opera, hopefully it won't be the last! Nice to catch up with all the characters from Albert Square & the extras are very good as well. Buy this DVD & support the efforts to get the show returned to BBC America for all the ex-pats & American fans!

Classy British Soap finally gets some DVD exposure in US .......2005-03-29

It is my hope that this sampler gives viewers who've never been fortunate enough to catch this series here in the States a glimpse of this show & it's fine quality of drama.

EastEnders is a drama centering on the daily lives of working class Londoners along London's East Side. The core families are The Mitchells, The Fowlers & The Slaters. I find this a highly-addictive show.

Some true fans of British television would find this entertaining & engrossing. It was previously shown on BBC America i've heard, but as it was put on at a 1pm time slot, it never stood a fair chance to gain a larger audience here in the US. A shame really, because it deserves to be shown in all of it's splendor. It gained a cult following during it's screenings here. So much so that true, loyal fans who had followed it from BBCA had even boycotted the channel in protest of it's decision to cancel EastEnders from it's line-up.

I will buy whatever EastEnders that comes out. I hope the DVD release in the USA generates a renewed interest & that the series is picked up again in this country.

I believe the DVDs would sell fairly well & rake in great DVD sales. Decide for yourself!

Luckily I can follow the series with continuity as a friend in the UK tapes the show for me.

I would absolutely recommend this DVD! Buy it & enjoy it!!

The Great Raid (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

Missing scenes from the Blu-Ray edition
Good movie, excellent picture and sound.
Great Video / Story Drags in spots

The Great Raid (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Benjamin Bratt , Robert Mammone , Connie Nielsen , Marton Csokas , and Joseph Fiennes
Director: John Dahl
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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

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ASIN: B000H7J9P8
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Customer Reviews:

Missing scenes from the Blu-Ray edition.......2007-05-20

This is a fantastic movie - however, the Blu-Ray edition is missing at least two scenes that are included as part of the movie in the widescreen DVD release. The first scene that is missing is where Connie Nielsen is making a deal for medicine in a warehouse. The deal goes bad, and a gun battle ensues. The second is when Connie Nielsen is attemping to pay money to get Fillipino refugees transported out of a soon-to-be-warzone. Why these scenes are not included in the Blu-Ray release of TGR is unexplained. They were good scenes and helped to move the story and develop Nielsen's character. Otherwise, a top-notch Blu-Ray release.

Good movie, excellent picture and sound........2007-02-17

This is a very good movie, and a true story. The Blu Ray disc is the best format for this movie, and provides top quality sound and picture.

Great Video / Story Drags in spots.......2007-01-04

The Great Raid has some awesome video shots in 1080p. The audio is excellent and clear.

The movie is generally enjoyable but the plot drags in a few places.

I have 3 Sony Blu-ray units displaying on a Sony 1080p LCD, a Pioneer 1080p Plasma & a Sony 1080p projection unit. The video is awesome on all three.

Average customer rating:

Great potrayal of Japanese Americans during/ after WW2

Unfinished Business
Starring: Amy Hill , Min Yasui , Fred Korematsu , and Gordon Hirabayashi
Director: Steven Okazaki
Manufacturer: New Video Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Days of Waiting
Beyond Barbed Wire/Go For Broke
Time of Fear
A Time for Burning
Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience

ASIN: B000BB154S
Release Date: 2005-12-26

Amazon.com

Steven Okazaki's Oscar-nominated 1984 film Unfinished Business was one of the first documentaries to confront the relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II. As such it has an emotional immediacy that still rings clear today. Okazaki traces the story of Executive Order 9066, which decreed in the wake of Pearl Harbor that Japanese-American citizens living on the U.S. west coast should be uprooted and placed in relocation camps. In particular, we hear the histories of three men who separately defied the order and were arrested and jailed, each with his own particular story: Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui, and Fred Korematsu. All three calmly describe their experiences, and Okazaki covers Korematsu's suit to have his conviction overturned. Newsreel footage, including footage from the camps, gives proof of the bleak relocation centers, and excerpts from government public-interest films (on relocation and the celebrated Japanese-American units of the U.S. military) give you-are-there looks at the era. These, and the forceful first-person testimonies of people involved, give weight to Korematsu's assertion that "it should never happen again to any American citizen just because he looks a little different from others." --Robert Horton

Description

In the spring of 1942, more than 110,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry were uprooted from their homes and businesses and incarcerated in desolate relocation camps. Without hearings or trials, men, women and children were evacuated under Executive Order 9066--the Wartime Relocation Act. UNFINISHED BUSINESS is the story of three Japanese-American resistors--Gorden Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui--who courageously defied the government order and refused to go, resulting in their conviction and imprisonment. The film interweaves their personal stories with moving archival footage of wartime anti-Japanese hysteria, the evacuation and incarceration, and life at the camps. It captures the men 40 years later, fighting to overturn their original convictions in the final round of the battle against the act which shattered the lives of two generations of Japanese-Americans. Produced and directed by Academy Award-winner Steven Okazaki (Days of Waiting), UNFINISHED BUSINESS is a gripping study of one of the most tragic--and significant--periods in American history. DVD Features: Bonus Archival Film: Japanese Relocation; Filmmaker Biography; Resources; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Customer Reviews:

Great potrayal of Japanese Americans during/ after WW2.......2007-05-24

One of the very few documentaries on this subject of the condition of Japanese-Americans who had been living in America for generations furing WW2. Before I saw this, I was totally unaware of the existence of concentration camps (which were called "relocation camps") with poor living conditions, into which thousands of Japanese Americans were herded. The trauma of war on a country's psyche is quite well documented here and is no different from similar emotions faced by other countries during times of conflict.
Also interesting was the hope and faith of some Japanese Americans in the American justice system to seek redressal of their humiliation - and also, how the justice system, though slow, didn't fail them.

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