Junior

Starring:Cecilia Bergqvist, Bob Dougherty, Marcel Romeijn, Marlene Simons, Christa De Vries, Corine Boon, Arlette Adriani, Ron Smoorenburg, Karin Van Duuren, Sharon Gosler
Director: Marc Ickx
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The director/producer team that created Trainspotting turn their dynamic cinematic imaginations to the classic science fiction scenario of the last people on Earth. Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma to find London deserted--until he runs into a mob of crazed plague victims. He gradually finds other still-human survivors (including Naomie Harris), with whom he heads off across the abandoned countryside to find the source of a radio broadcast that promises salvation. 28 Days Later is basically an updated version of The Omega Man and other post-apocalyptic visions; but while the movie may lack originality, it makes up for it in vivid details and creepy paranoid atmosphere. 28 Days Later's portrait of how people behave in extreme circumstances--written by novelist Alex Garland (The Beach)--will haunt you afterward. Also featuring Brendan Gleeson (The General, Gangs of New York) and Christopher Eccleston (Shallow Grave, The Others). --Bret Fetzer

Description

Hailed as the most frightening film since The Exorcist, acclaimed Director Danny Boyle's visionary take on zombie horror "isn't just scary…it's absolutely terrifying" (Access Hollywood).

An infirmary patient awakens from a coma to an empty room…in a vacant hospital…in a deserted city. A powerful virus, which locks victims into a permanent state of murderous rage, has transformed the world around him into a seemingly desolate wasteland. Now a handful of survivors must fight to stay alive, unaware that the worst is yet to come…

Customer Reviews:

Hey it Could Happen...........2007-07-05

I thought this movie was great. It's one of those what if movies that was done really well. Not corny like some where it isn't believable.

Wow!!!.......2007-07-05

This is one great movie. I lived in London for several months and watching this great European city devastated in a so visually convincing manner was a unique experience to me.

The acting is superb, particularly that of Cillian Murphy who portraits Jim, a humble delivery man who had had a traffic accident, who is the film's main character. (On a personal note, I think Murphy is soon to be recognized as the first-caliber actor he is.)

In several days, 28 Days Later is also a breakthrough movie. Unlike past zombie movies who heavily relied on actors moving awkward and slowly, this movie makes them FAST and all of preternatural stamina. They "infected ones" also cough large amounts of blood, which can infect other people's membranes. By adding this new, well-thought, the film makes the zombies waaaaay scarier. Also, while the latter can barely think, they capable of enduring virtually any kind of pain --- including running with their bodies on blames. Also the reason they became zombies (or, more appropriately, "infected") is because their bodies has a rare, experimental virus called the Rage Virus. This man-made microorganism is transmitted in a matter of seconds by bites or by contact with membranes --eyes, mouth, and so forth.

All characters are deep, contrasting, and utterly convincing. Jim is an idealist, ready to die for his love ones; Selena begins a pessimist who thinks humankind doomed, someone who would kill her own father, mother, or best friend to remain "in the blink of an eye" to remain alive for just one more day. As time pass by, Selena is transformed by Jim's upbeat demeanor. They meet a caring, generous man called Frankie and his obedient, timid daughter Hannah, who had survived against all odds because they have one another. The four then decided to go near Manchester, where a cure has apparently been found . . .

I agree with many of the reviewers: this is not really a horror film. It's a tragic, deeply moving film with great innovations for the zombie genre. Highly recommended.

28 Days Later.......2007-07-04

This is a great movie. But you can't take it as how they advertise it, as a horror film. It isn't scary, although there are a few scary scenes. 28 Days Later isn't just another zombie movie in many ways. For one thing, there aren't zombies. Zombies are the living dead, the monsters in 28 Days are living humans, infected with a virus. This means they can die any way a human would, making a more believable story. On a whole, the movie is more of a mystery than a horror film. Throughout the story your trying to find out more about the virus. In the beginning you see how it is released but you don't know that much about it or how it spread. And besides the question of what the virus is there's how far it has spread. The film takes place in England, and is thus isolated from the rest of the world leaving the question of whether or not the rest of the world has been ravaged. The acting is great as well, while the story revolves around the main characters fight for survival their emotions and relationships are clear. This movie is much more believable than movies like Day of the Dead or Resident Evil, and in my opinion much better as well.

28 days later is a great movie.......2007-06-27

I like horror movies a lot. That's why I bought 28 days later. It's a great great zombie movie.

AMAZING!!.......2007-06-15

This movie is so creepy, so fantastic, so brilliant, so phenomenal! And the sequel is JUST as good, which is an azaming feat in and of itself! A must see for everyone who loves crazy action movies and getting scared out of their wits!!

Average customer rating:

Dark and ominous, interesting and informative, just the way The Dark Knight should be seen...
one of the best Superhero movies ever.
Batman, as it should be
The Best "Batman" Movie
The mask of Zero

Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Liam Neeson , Katie Holmes , and Gary Oldman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JNJV
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Amazon.com

Batman Begins discards the previous four films in the series and recasts the Caped Crusader as a fearsome avenging angel. That's good news, because the series, which had gotten off to a rousing start under Tim Burton, had gradually dissolved into self-parody by 1997's Batman & Robin. As the title implies, Batman Begins tells the story anew, when Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) flees Western civilization following the murder of his parents. He is taken in by a mysterious instructor named Ducard (Liam Neeson in another mentor role) and urged to become a ninja in the League of Shadows, but he instead returns to his native Gotham City resolved to end the mob rule that is strangling it. But are there forces even more sinister at hand?

Cowritten by the team of David S. Goyer (a veteran comic book writer) and director Christopher Nolan (Memento), Batman Begins is a welcome return to the grim and gritty version of the Dark Knight, owing a great debt to the graphic novels that preceded it. It doesn't have the razzle dazzle, or the mass appeal, of Spider-Man 2 (though the Batmobile is cool), and retelling the origin means it starts slowly, like most "first" superhero movies. But it's certainly the best Bat-film since Burton's original, and one of the best superhero movies of its time. Bale cuts a good figure as Batman, intense and dangerous but with some of the lightheartedness Michael Keaton brought to the character. Michael Caine provides much of the film's humor as the family butler, Alfred, and as the love interest, Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek) is surprisingly believable in her first adult role. Also featuring Gary Oldman as the young police officer Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman as a Q-like gadgets expert, and Cillian Murphy as the vile Jonathan Crane. --David Horiuchi

Batman at Amazon.com

All Batman DVDs
Batman Begins 101: A Comic Book Primer
Where Have I Seen Christian Bale?

All Batman Comics and Graphic Novels
Batman Toys
Batman Begins Soundtrack

Stills from Batman Begins (click for larger images)

Product Description

Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

System Requirements:

Running Time 140 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Dark and ominous, interesting and informative, just the way The Dark Knight should be seen..........2007-07-05

One of the biggest surprises in cinema that said year, `Batman Begins' proves to be everything one could ask for in a superhero movie. It's got some breathtaking action scenes, some great fight scenes and some amazing special effects. What takes this film over the edge though, making it far removed from the previous efforts is that the script is tight, the acting is superb and the characters are so well fleshed out that they become three dimensional. We, the audience, feel like we know Bruce Wayne inside and out and we understand where he's coming from. We don't get that feeling from the previous films. Christian Bale does such a brilliant job with his character that I'm tempted to say he was snubbed come awards season. He truly did deserve some recognition for his work here. He took a character that has been played before with no real depth and transformed him into someone we could relate to and cheer for. He did for Batman what Daniel Craig did for James Bond.

The film may start on the slow side of things as has been commented on before. It's a general retelling of The Dark Knights origin so it's bound to be a lot of story telling versus an over abundance of action. The action does come, just not right away. I actually enjoyed watching Wayne's story slowly unfold. It's very interesting to see where he got his start since the concept has not been pursued in any of the Batman films before this one. The film explores the training Wayne undergoes after his parents are murdered and he flees the country. Upon returning some years later to a city overrun by criminals Wayne makes it his personal agenda to rid Gotham City of the waste and filth that permeates the streets. After returning though, and donning the cape, Bruce finds that struggling to keep a firm grasp on his two personas may be his biggest challenge.

Like I mentioned, Bale does a fantastic job with tackling both Bruce Wayne and Batman, two separate characters who both need delicate attention. He's cocky and self-sure, doubtful and reserved, distant and egotistical, responsible and afraid, all of these things and sometimes all at once, and he handles his emotions so effortlessly he completely sinks into his character and becomes the Bat. Another standout performance comes from rising star Cillian Murphy who devours his role as Jonathan Crane or better known as `The Scarecrow'. He's splendidly evil, the type of character that gets right under your skin and festers. He's perfectly cast. Michael Caine is perfectly cast (and I was skeptical) as Alfred, the family butler and Liam Neeson is always good, and as Wayne's mentor Henri Ducard he's especially effective. Katie Holmes is decent, but her role is somewhat thankless, as is Morgan Freeman's but he still delivers. And let's just say that while Ken Wantanabe kicks butt as Ra's Al Ghul he's no where near as awesome as Neeson as the film comes to a close.

So, with all this talk of actors pulling out the stops I need to mention the brilliance that was and is Christopher Nolan who was, I'm sure, very close to Oscar consideration for his direction here. He effortlessly staged this entire film and delivers wonderfully, from his script to his finished product. The set pieces are fantastic, the action scenes are well choreographed and the pace of the film, the editing is all fantastic and close to perfect. The props, everything from gadgets to the new and totally improved Batmobile, are brilliantly modernized and dare I say "oh so cool". The film deserves our attention and will garner repeat viewings. I'm tempted to say it's better than Sam Raimi's `Spider Man' Blockbusters, but that's open to speculation. With a cast this huge, and equally impressive, and a director this in tune with his subject, `Batman Begins' never falters and remains one of the best films of 2005.

one of the best Superhero movies ever........2007-07-05

Batman Begins is one of the best super-hero movies of all time. I'm a fan of superhero movies and I've seen all the Superman, Spiderman, and Batman films. But I'm not a fanatic. I don't read the comics or know about the "true" stories of these characters. I don't care about that. I just want to see a good movie. Batman Begins was a summer blockbuster in 2005 and it actually tried to do something none of the other summer blockbusters ever do. It tried to tell a story.

From the title, you learn this is a story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman. Probably the first hour of the movie is spent developing the character of Bruce Wayne, showing how he suffered after his parents were murdered, how he abandoned the privelege of his birth for a live of crime and self-inflicted punishment. The first part of the movie works in part because of the great cast. Christian Bale as Wayne is incredible. Other greats such as Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and a menacing Cilian Murphy make every moment on screen enthralling.

Equally enjoying is the transformation of Wayne into Batman. It is portrayed as realistic as it can considering it is a superhero movie. Wayne uses the recources of Lucious Fox at a secret R&D section of Wayne Enterprises. There, he finds all the tools he'll need as Batman, including an incredible Bat-Mobile.

If you are like me, the George Clooney batman movie kind of soured you on the story of Batman. If so, you must watch this movie. The acting is great, the story is crisp, the action and characters are gritty and real. I can't wait for the upcoming sequel in 2008.

Batman, as it should be.......2007-07-04

This movie did a great job at illustrating the origin of Batman, and portraying him as the Dark Knight.

The movie did a great job of overcoming the campiness of some of the earlier Batman movies.

I hope they produce more Batman movies like this one.

The Best "Batman" Movie.......2007-07-02

Excellent movie depicting how batman became batman. Excellent storyline, you're always thinking what's going to happen next. Great acting. This movie should definitely accelerate Christain Bales career. Good action sequences!

The mask of Zero.......2007-06-28

Apparently, the only path to wisdom and a life packed with acts of kindness is arse freezing and sword and/or kickboxing tricks.
Ridiculous movie designed for brainless pimpled teenagers.
Nauseating philosophy wrapping grandiloquent dialogues.

At least the Rambo suite was honest entertainment.

Memento (Widescreen Two-Disc Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

You may want to watch it twice
Meeker Review
I never thought this could be done
Intriguing
Memento: The Freshmaker!

Memento (Widescreen Two-Disc Limited Edition)
Starring: Guy Pearce , Carrie-Anne Moss , Joe Pantoliano , Mark Boone Junior , and Russ Fega
Director: Christopher Nolan
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000640SA
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Amazon.com essential video

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.

Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.

Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

You may want to watch it twice.......2007-05-23

Every so often, there's a movie where the hero has amnesia. Even with amnesia, a person can establish an identity in a few weeks, judge new people and surroundings, and function. In addition, such movie heroes are easy to identify with, because the audience seems to know as much as the hero.

Well, in this movie, our hero has the opposite problem, an inability to make new memories. And that kind of problem is indeed rare, and it merits some discussion.

What would you do if you couldn't form new memories? Well, you would probably be institutionalized, or cared for by family or friends. Without that, it would be important to be in familiar surroundings as much as possible, ones you would remember. You would remember your old house, your old car, and, of course, your old acquaintances. But you would not remember new possessions or friends. And you would be totally lost in a new town, while in your old one, you would know where your friends' houses were, where your bank was, where the restaurants were, and so on.

You would need to avoid strangers. And you would need a way to take notes, read and understand those notes, and keep a rough diary. Probably you would need to trust a few friends to keep a few key documents and help you update them occasionally. And you would also need a safety deposit box for notes, diary entries, money (even with a bank account, a safety deposit box would be very useful), and so forth.

The key problems would be taking notes, figuring out how to make sure you could and would read and understand those notes, going on "missions" (even a short errand would be a major event), and keeping your privacy.

For any important task, you would almost surely need to be backed up by a trusted friend, known by you from back when you were able to make memories. That friend would need to be with you at such occasions or as a minimum constantly available by phone.

You could write cryptic notes that only you could decipher, using your earlier memories. But it would be hard to be sure just what secrets you had divulged. Basically, you could keep your ideas private only by making sure nobody else saw them. And that would be tricky. That's one more place where a safety deposit box could help somewhat.

I'm writing all this in order to explain just how weird the situation is for our hero in this movie, who is basically, um, "open loop," and cut off from almost everything that is familiar. It's a fascinating and suspenseful movie, but one can see that the hero is at a tremendous disadvantage.

On the other hand, there are some things the hero knows quite well, and that makes the movie work. Rather than offer a spoiler, let me just say that I highly recommend it.

Meeker Review.......2007-05-12

This movie was great! Absolutely crazy but awesome at the same time. You have to pay attention to what happens because the plot goes from past to present alot but its a great movie. You'll enjoy.

I never thought this could be done.......2007-05-08

Time goes backwards but the plot goes forwards.
I think that only because of its unique structure, this movie would deserve 5 stars.
Appart from that, the production, acting, scripting, filming, etc. are very good.

Intriguing.......2007-04-27

Memento is a remarkable, one of a kind film that bears (and probably requires) multiple viewing. This film is utterly fascinating for its ability to put the viewer into someone else's head.

The DVD packaging is a bit too clever for those who just want the movie and supporting features, but it is well worth having.

Memento: The Freshmaker!.......2007-04-14

Having recently seen and enjoyed "The Lookout", another film which features a character trying to piece together his life after a traumatic head injury leaves him memory-challenged, I was inspired to go back and see its cinematic sire of sorts - the now-classic mindwarp that is Memento. And though I bought this DVD when it was released and had watched it twice (which is the minimum number of recommended viewings for this film), it's just collected dust for five years and I hadn't returned to it since.

Aptly enough, I had forgotten much of it, making much of Memento seem newly fresh yet oddly familiar, much like most of its main character Leonard's daily doings. Leonard, as we pretty much all know by now, is trying to get revenge for the killing of his wife, which is made somewhat more challenging (to say the least) by the fact that he suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and can't remember any more than ten minutes at a time. As Leonard himself will tell almost anyone he meets: "I can't make new memories - everything fades."

All of which would in itself make for an interesting movie. But what makes this film truly ingenious is the way it is constructed and edited. You know, one of my dearly-departed favorite author Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules for Writing Fiction is: "start as close to the end as possible." Well, Memento takes this rule - written by one of the ultimate storytellers - and pushes it to its extreme, actually starting AT the end and then working backwards - which makes for one of the all-time greatest stories.

Now, a lot of movies that are assembled in this kind of non-linear time-jumpy kind of way are gimmicky to a fault, and confusing for no good reason. But in Memento, this style of editing actually serves the story and makes it better, because - by showing us Leonard's perpetually-perplexing world out of sequence - it forces us to experience the movie in the same disoriented way that Leonard experiences the world. So as Leonard puzzles his way through his life, so do we. This makes us empathize and connect with the film's central character in a way few other movies have ever been able to achieve before or since (whichever way you happen to travel through time in your search). Of course, the fact the Guy Pearce's performance is so riveting helps us enormously with our empathy as well.

Anyway, there are about a thousand (or so) other reviews here that will tell you more about what happens in the movie, but I think that this story - more than most - relies on the surprise that each new/past detail reveals, so I don't want to ruin any of this film's revelations if you are lucky enough to be contemplating seeing this movie for the first time.

And if you are considering watching this picture for the first time (or even if you've already seen it), I would definitely encourage you to buy this DVD. Because the great thing about owning a movie like Memento, as my experience will attest, is that it rewards multiple viewings. And the depth and the detail (in addition to the design) of the film ensure that each viewing is made fresh with new insight and understanding.

In the end, Memento is so much more than just a non-linear, well-crafted crime thriller. It's also an exploration of what makes up a person's identity, and an examination of the malleability of experience. Ultimately, Memento shows us how all our memories are fallible, and - to some degree - we all have to use devices like Leonard uses to remember things: whether it's jotting down phone numbers, taking pictures on our vacations, or (in my case just now) watching a DVD to remind you of all the things you loved about a movie in the first place.

Average customer rating:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!
a good movie. fun to watch
You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!
The gunfights are the highlight
"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!"

The Quick and the Dead
Starring: Sharon Stone , Gene Hackman , Russell Crowe , Leonardo DiCaprio , and Tobin Bell
Director: Sam Raimi
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0767817710
Release Date: 1998-09-29

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Director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) tries gamely to recapture the exotic mysteries of spaghetti Westerns in this stylish but empty film, which stars Sharon Stone as a stranger who comes to the town of Redemption in time for an annual shooting contest. Her real motivations for being there are the stuff that might have found their way into a film by Sergio Leone--in fact, much of this film is a pastiche of Leone's greatest hits, including A Fistful of Dollars and Once upon a Time in America--but one can't quite believe Stone in the role. Gene Hackman gives a predictably solid performance as the town tyrant, and Leonardo DiCaprio is good as a lucky young gunslinger who gets to kiss the heroine. But not even the cast can help this failed project. Raimi brings a lot of razzle-dazzle to his camera work, but it doesn't make the film any more substantial. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!.......2007-06-30

Take one of the many martial arts contests to the death movies, transplant it to the Wild West, and you have the general idea what The Quick and the Dead is about. The head bad guy, Herod (played by Gene Hackman) sponsors a gunfight. First prize is enough money to choke a herd of horses. From all corners of the country they come, some nasty and some nice. There is Russell Crowe's character, a former outlaw who has renounced violence. There is Leonardo DiCaprio's character, only know as "the kid", who's fate is irrevocably intertwined with Herod's. Finally, there is the mysterious gun woman, played by Sharon Stone, who has her own agenda.

In theory, this movie should be a disaster. Not that many critics liked it, in some circles the nicest thing said about it was "ridiculous". This is regretful, because it is an excellent, exciting movie with precise, supercrisp camera work. The duels, while bloodless enough to avoid an "R" rating, nevertheless come across as rough, tough and nasty.

This is a must-see movie.

a good movie. fun to watch.......2007-06-05

not accurate, but it is fun. It is very easy to get into the story. Gene Hackman is awesome.

You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!.......2007-05-17

In THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995), Sharon Stone plays a cheroot-smoking, Clint Eastwood-mimicking 1800s gunslinger, and Gene Hackman plays Gene Hackman - think of a wood plank; you know, something just a little less rigid and a little more emotional than Clint Eastwood. For the intelligent reader, this is all the review that should be necessary. Sure, I could proceed point-by-point in illustrating what makes this movie such a putrid corpse (a real "Boot Hill" special), but frankly, it is not even worthy of a serious critique. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - along with Jack Nicholson's THE SHOOTING (1967) and Jane Russell's THE OUTLAW (1943) - represents "The Dreck Of The West" on celluloid, and it is a good example of why I completely stopped going to the movies two decades ago. I was tired of paying money to have my intelligence insulted (as well as having Hollywood's immorality paraded before my eyes).

Although this movie is an empty-headed, overly-produced, ultra-dippy "cartoon" (the Biblical allusion was especially stupid and any Yosemite Sam cartoon would be funnier and equally believable), it did amply show me what I borrowed it from the library to see - namely, MESCAL.

MESCAL is a frontier town movie set where numerous Westerns have been filmed. It is located near Benson, Arizona, just three miles North of Interstate 10 (exit #297) and on "the other side of the tracks." (I've always wanted to say that!) My brother, Napoleon, my friend, Pooh, and I sneaked into MESCAL a number of years back (a REAL Outlaw Trio), but I have since longed to take the "official" $8.00, 45-minute guided tour, and on May 3rd that dream was finally realized. The tour begins in the large saloon built specifically for THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, and there are no phones, johns, or refreshments available. (No saltwater taffy here folks! This is the REAL West . . . uhm, built for moviemaking.) Some other FAR BETTER Westerns that have largely or partially utilized the MESCAL set include:

The great Monte Walsh (1970) featuring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance (will this film EVER be released on DVD?!) MESCAL represented both Harmony and Charleyville. It was Roy Bean's Langtry, Texas, in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), and Paul Newman's courthouse/saloon is still standing! It stood in for (if memory serves me) Hays, Kansas in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), where that old cigar-store Indian of an actor, Clint Eastwood, asked the Confederate soldiers, "Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?" And it played the part of Tombstone, Arizona in Val Kilmer's Tombstone (1993). On the MESCAL tour, you will walk into The Oriental saloon (now an empty shell of its former self) where Kurt Russell slapped around Billy Bob Thornton and where later, Ol' Doc Holliday matched Ol' Johnny Ringo's gun tricks with a fancy exhibition of silver cup-handling. (The MESCAL tour operates on a very limited schedule, so call ahead -- (520) 883-0100; press menu option #7.)

I watched THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - filmed entirely at MESCAL - solely to see the movie set. And if you haven't got any gardening to do; a house to clean; children to watch; a good book to read; quality music to hear; a dinner to cook; letters to write; bills to pay; windows to wash; a dentist to see; a room to paint; a leaky faucet to fix; a friend to visit; a car to repair; a play to attend; a wife (or husband) to love; a drawing to sketch; a good movie to view; an enemy to fight; a dog to walk; a cat to kick; a geriatric to help; a mouse to catch; a fly to swat; a walk to take; dishes to scrub; laundry to fold; prayers to pray; shopping to do; a bank to rob; a supermodel to stalk; a nap to sleep; a game of solitaire to play, or a Louisville Slugger-wielding friend to batter you into unconsciousness, then by all means, I recommend that you borrow THE QUICK AND THE DEAD from your local library.

But be forewarned, if you do borrow it and your trigger finger doesn't hit that "eject" button QUICK enough when the movie turns stupid (which it does very QUICKLY), then this movie might render you brain-DEAD. Of course, if you actually PURCHASE this movie, then you probably already are!

The gunfights are the highlight.......2007-04-22

'The Quick and The Dead' is a good example of an anti-western. Released in 1995 and directed by Sam Raimi, the film features a female gunfighter played by Sharon Stone and some campy, over-the-top gunfights. Critics and western purists haven't been kind to this movie over the past several years. For that reason, it is better remembered by most as an early film vehicle for Russell Crowe than for being a "classic" western. Crowe's career benefitted more from this movie than that of other stars who appeared in the film such as Stone, Gene Hackman or Leonardo DiCaprio. The plot is as simple as a plot can get. Hackman plays John Herod, a grizzled outlaw who "runs" the town of Redemption which is a generic western town with a bar, a gun shop and a haven for prostitutes. Herod hosts regular quickdraw competitions in Redemption as part of a plan to goad other gunfighters, men who might challenge his rule, into coming onto his turf and, more often than not, eating lead. It is a simple and effective strategy that has allowed him to stay in power for many years. Instead of having these men sneak into town or gang up on him, Herod is able to get these men face to face in a one-on-one setting and either blow them away himself or sit back and watch while other gunmen do his dirty work for him in the contest.

The thin plot that exists in 'The Quick and the Dead' is centered around a few major and minor characters, each of whom have their own reasons for wanting to eliminate Herod (Hackman). The dialogue here is adequate and some characters (or actors) have better material to work with than others. Predictably, the worst dialogue comes from Stone herself and her character (Ellen) resorts to a large number of one liners. Such is the norm in a Sam Raimi movie. More often than not, though, Stone's performance is convincing and she does a much better job with the script than many leading ladies (circa 1995) might have done. Would Demi Moore or Julia Roberts have been better? Hardly. Before he was a household name, Russell Crowe contributed a convincing performance here playing the role of a preacher named Cort, who was once a riding partner of Herod's. Gene Hackman's performance is up to par and then some, even though 'The Quick and the Dead' is usually overlooked when one brings up his long catalog of films. Admittedly, there is nothing new here that a Hackman fan hasn't seen before but that doesn't mean his performance isn't good. It is. Leonardo DiCaprio uses his considerable talents to bring the character Fee to life. Known throughout the town of Redemption as "The Kid", Fee is purported to be John Herod's son and that eventually becomes more important as the competition moves on.

The actual plot does very little to drive 'The Quick and the Dead.' The most enjoyable moments take place during the actual gunfights and the challenges (banter), among the contestants, leading up to them. While the results of most bouts are predictable, the way things play out will both amuse and shock people who are new to the movie. One freshly dead gunfighter gets stripped to his skivvies by bandits who loot his corpse in the middle of the street, while the entire town is looking on. Another gunfighter, believed to be dead by no less than the town doctor, rises up and continues to fight. Meanwhile, the townspeople do show emotion when a gunfighter or two they are sympathetic with, or rooting for, is gunned down.

The plotholes here are forgivable, due to the excitement that takes place leading up to and during the gunfights. What is missing from the movie would be some character development or background on a few of the supporting cast members. Some of the supporting characters, particularly Ace Hanlon (played by Lance Henriksen) and Sgt. Clay Cantrell (Keith David), are great. Hanlon plays a card shark who goes from town to town doing "impossible" trick shots to entertain locals, before stopping in Redemption for the quick draw contest. During one early conversation Ace brags about how many men he has killed and in another scene, he talks about being as fast of a draw with his left hand as he is with his right. Nobody believes a word of it. Played to perfection by Henriksen, Hanlon's screen presence and dialogue is one of the best things about 'The Quick and the Dead.' It is just too bad his screen time is fairly limited and you get very little background on the character, other than one or two key scenes.

Sgt. Cantrell is a gruff, no-nonsense hitman who is hired by a group of townspeople to enter the contest and kill Herod (Hackman) by any means necessary. Somehow Herod finds out about this plan and confronts Cantrell before the two of them engage in a gunfight later that day. In a touch of irony, Herod admits he thought Ace Hanlon was the hitman hired by the town which led him to confront Hanlon first. Like Ace Hanlon, the character of Clay Cantrell gets very little screen time and it is too bad since he proves to be an entertaining character when he is on screen. Furthermore, Cantrell's last scene in this film is the most controversial one in the movie for people who are writing a review. Most Raimi fans love it but some western purists loathe the camera shot. Once again, Keith David's character is another minor character that the viewer would love to know a little bit more about. You'll notice that a lot of the minor gunfighters are just there and you never learn anything about their past and very little about their motives. Another minor character who provides a little entertainment is Jonathon Gill, who plays Spotted Horse and leads everyone into believing that he is impervious to bullets. One of the more talked about appearances is that of Gary Sinise, who makes it into the movie via a flashback. He plays the father of Ellen (Stone), who had his life interrupted by Herod when Ellen was just a child.

Sam Raimi's directing work here is very underrated and some of the best stuff is hidden beneath the surface. Watching the movie several times, a viewer can still notice new stuff each time out. Looking in the background of the bar while contestants are signing up for the contest, you will find a wanted poster for Virgil Sparks (wanted for murder and rape) who is one of the first round contestants. A moment or two after you see the poster, Sparks appears on the screen to enter the competition. Deep in the background of most shots, you don't just see extras but you can also see main (and minor) characters interacting with each other. Such a practice isn't common since the background of many major movies are regularly filled with extras and not the stars. This subtle camera work may have been entirely unintentional but I don't think it was. There are a lot of neat "props" and some character shots that you'll notice in the background when watching the movie in slow motion, rewinding over key scenes or stopping to press pause every so often.

The ending of 'The Quick and the Dead' is hardly a surprise and this movie finishes just the way you would expect it to. No twists, no "surprise" ending and thankfully, no legitimate opening for a sequel. What happens with John Herod is another point of contention for reviewers who have a grudge with this movie and it is something Sam Raimi gleefully included. What you will realize from watching the movie, or even reading most of these reviews, is that this is not a "traditional" or "pure" western. Not even close. Campy dialogue and fight scenes abound. The hero/heroine is a female gunfighter, which polarizes the audience right from the start. Some label this as a comic book style western. A recurring theme that 'The Quick and the Dead' shares with other westerns is its dark humor, most of which is provided by Hackman's character Herod. Some of the contestants in the quickdraw, including Eugene and Scars, are stereotypical outlaws. Those type of characters meet the norm for nearly any western.

What you get with 'The Quick and the Dead' is a movie that won't finish high on the list of most seasoned western fans or a list from a mainstream movie critic. It is a movie that is imperfect and could have been touched up in a number of places. Regardless, 'The Quick and the Dead' is a good introduction to Russell Crowe, a good catalog movie for Gene Hackman, a good cameo for Lance Henriksen (or Gary Sinise and Keith David, etc.) and a good stepping stone to help Leonardo DiCaprio cement his star status. This is one of the most commonly shown (and watched) movies on "regular" cable tv. It is regularly shown on AMC, TBS and TNT when they need to fill a late night or weekend time slot and there is a reason for it. 'The Quick and the Dead' is an easily accessible movie with just enough star power and just enough action to keep someone watching until the finish. When it is all said and done, the good things in 'The Quick and the Dead' outweight the bad and you are left with an above average movie and a three-and-a-half to a four star film.

"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!".......2007-02-19

I think that line (spoken by a crowd of evil children before they beat up an unarmed, chained Russell Crowe) sums up the movie well. This movie does an excellent job of communicating the sheer GLEE of sadism. Everyone in this movie (with the partial exceptions of Stone and Crowe) don't just like to inflict pain on others - they ENJOY it. They cackle and quip and snicker and guffaw as they blast enormous, ragged, bleeding holes into people. This is an excellent (if somewhat garish and comic-bookish) look at an evil that has infected a whole town. Imagine Eastwood's more sinister and sometimes turgid attempts (High Plains Drifter and Unforgiven come to mind), but with a wink and a sense of humor. More slow-mo than the Olympics. Pioneered the bullet cam that has since been done to death. Ms Stone shows a lot of leg. So, it's got a lot going for it is what I'm saying.

Felicity - Junior Year Collection (The Complete Third Season)

Average customer rating:

Felicity is the greatest!
Felicity Junior Year
Junior year...
brilliant--dramatic tension galore!
Felicity Fan

Felicity - Junior Year Collection (The Complete Third Season)
Director: Ken Olin , Danny Leiner , Michael Schultz , Elodie Keene , and Joan Tewkesbury
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Felicity - Senior Year Collection (The Complete Fourth Season)
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Felicity: Senior Year

ASIN: B0001I55RY
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Amazon.com

Felicity: Junior Year Collection is an improvement over year 2--perhaps inevitably, as the characters are lurching toward adulthood more rapidly and definitively. For the most part, Felicity (Keri Russell) and the gang still face the same challenges--commitment, academic momentum, conflicts over values, pressure from parents--but the stakes are higher because everyone has outgrown adolescent defenses and revealed more of themselves to lovers and friends. The third season begins with lots of smiles and hopes as Felicity, boyfriend Ben (Scott Speedman), would-be filmmaker Sean (Greg Grunberg), kinky Wiccan Meghan (Amanda Foreman), and the rest return from a summer break to get reacquainted. Felicity, expected to move in with pals Julie (Amy Jo Johnson) and Elena (Tangi Miller), impulsively decides to move into an apartment with Ben instead--without telling Ben. The funky hovel becomes a source of conflict (even more after Ben lets a beautiful neighbor take a bath in his and Felicity's living-room tub) that exacerbates the couple's ambivalence about one another.

But a lot of things do that, including a visit from Felicity's mom (Eve Gordon) that finds the latter lobbying against Ben (who hasn't chosen a career and gets into a couple of fights this season) and for Noel (Scott Foley, whose character seems destined for success and who remains, secretly, in love with Felicity). Meanwhile, Sean and Meghan deal with the former's possible testicular cancer, Elena grapples with her virgin boyfriend's insistence on no pre-marital sex, Julie disappears while depressed over her relationship with her father, and newcomer Molly (Sarah-Jane Potts) tries to break off a relationship with a gun-toting drug addict (Robert Patrick Benedict). Typically, season 3 has frequent, jaw-dropping dramatic highlights, including a shooting that results in a profound experience for nearly everyone, an episode in which Felicity wakes up naked in a fraternity house, and another in which she is the recipient of an awkward pass by Ben's alcoholic father (John Ritter). Life is never dull in this series executive-produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and the subject of growing up, when treated with as much insight as Felicity offers, is always interesting. Among the special features is a great parody of the series from Mad TV. --Tom Keogh

Description

The education continues during Felicity's junior year. Felicity, played by Golden Globe winner* Keri Russell, returns to the University of New York for a new course in self-discovery. Her big decision to move in with Ben shapes the direction of the school year, but it's just one of the many exhilarating challenges in a spectacular season of passion, heartache and excitement in the city.

Customer Reviews:

Felicity is the greatest!.......2007-03-08

I have already seen this whole season 3, after the first and second season. All I can say is - BUY IT! I can't wait to buy the last season of Felicity. Nothing can compare with it. :)

Felicity Junior Year.......2005-08-03

After a perceived sophomore slump by the critics (I still think it is good especially towards the end of the season), Season 3 reinvigorated the show by raves from the critics and improved ratings. Season 3 is probably the most ensemble based seasons of the show as more of the supporting characters (Megan, Javier, Sean) become more part of the gang.

Some of the best episodes of the season are:

-The Christening (a great season opener, it was funny and cute and just a nice way to start the season)
-Hello, I must be Going (Julie's goodbye via videotape to the gang was beautiful, a nice farewell episode for Amy Jo Johnson)
-Greeks and Geeks (so many wonderful things, Megan's phone sex job, the ping pong match, the laptop fiasco, just a great episode)
-Surprise
-One Ball Two Strikes (Ben and Felicity reunited after the pingpong-Randy fiasco)
-And to all a Good Night (great Felicity-Ben episode especially ben's speech to her mother about how important Felicity is to him)
-Blackout
-The Breakup kit
-The Last Summer Ever

Season 3 is a strong season, with some very funny, romantic, dramatic, moving and at one point even suspenseful episodes.

Grade: A

Junior year..........2005-07-19

Nominated for 2 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes, including Best TV Series - Drama, Felicity gathered a large cult following in its short four season stint. Premiering on the WB network in September 1998, the show (along with Dawson's Creek) helped ignite a firestorm of highly successful original series on behalf of the upstart network, with such hit shows as Angel (1999), Gilmore Girls (2000), and Smallville (2001). The brainchild of writer J.J. Abrams (creator of the two hit series Alias and Lost), Felicity follows the life of a recent high school graduate, not through seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4, but through Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. Similar in genre to its contemporary, Dawson's Creek, Felicity's cast is of approximately the same age, but the setting is college instead of high school...

Felicity begins when the star of the series, Felicity Porter (Keri Russell), graduates from high school. Having harbored a four-year crush on classmate Ben Covington (Scott Speedman), despite the fact they've never talked, Felicity musters the courage in the aftermath of their commencement ceremony to ask him to sign her yearbook. When Ben writes some surprising comments, Felicity decides to follow him to fictional University of New York (UNY) instead of pursuing her goal of pre-med at Stanford. Against her parent's wishes, she enrolls in the school and moves cross country where she becomes roommates with Meghan Rotundi (Amanda Foreman), a girl whose lifestyle clashes with her own, and where she meets resident advisor Noel Crane (Scott Foley) who immediately develops a crush on her. When Ben learns of the true reason for Felicity's enrollment, he's both flattered and a little uncertain about Felicity's mental stability. In the ensuing four years, Felicity goes through the basic trials and travails of a maturing college student, experiencing the ups and downs of life, love, and adulthood...

The Felicity (Season 3) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere "The Christening" in which Felicity learns from Javier that a man is giving away his furniture before moving to another state. When she visits his apartment, she falls in love with the place and agrees to rent it so that she and Ben can live there together. Ben, however, is out of town at the time and must live with Felicity's decision despite his belief that the place is a dump. Meanwhile, Noel has dropped out of school, eloped, and decided to become a full-time party animal... Other notable episodes from Season 3 include "Kissing Mr. Covington" in which Felicity's attempts to console Ben's estranged father result in him kissing her, much to her and Ben's dismay, and "Blackout" in which everyone gathers together to watch Sean's "Docuventary," only to have a storm knock out the power, prompting a series of interpersonal conflicts...

Below is a list of episodes included on the Felicity (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 46 (The Christening)
Episode 47 (The Anti-Natalie Intervention)
Episode 48 (Hello, I Must Be Going)
Episode 49 (Greeks and Geeks)
Episode 50 (Surprise)
Episode 51 (One Ball, Two Strikes)
Episode 52 (Kissing Mr. Covington)
Episode 53 (A Good Egg)
Episode 54 (James and the Giant Piece)
Episode 55 (Final Touches)
Episode 56 (And to All a Good Night)
Episode 57 (Girlfight)
Episode 58 (Blackout)
Episode 59 (The Break-Up Kit)
Episode 60 (Senioritis)
Episode 61 (It's Raining Men)
Episode 62 (The Last Summer Ever)

The DVD Report

brilliant--dramatic tension galore!.......2005-05-28

With the 5 disc "Junior Year Collection" of "Felicity", one of the bonus features is the extremely insightful and entertaining "'Docuventary': A Look Back At Season 3" where director Lawrence Trilling says the third season added a lot more humor into the show. That's pretty ironic because the thing that's really striking about this 3rd season really isn't the humor as much as it is the incredible dramatic tension in episode after episode with the terrific writing that's often surprisingly imaginative, for instance the somewhat over-the-top 'revival' of the Avery character played by Kristin Lehman. No matter how over-the-top it gets, the show remains winningly human and realistic at its core, and as with the first two seasons, you get convincing, believable performances all around. The late John Ritter was nicely incorporated into the show during this season as Ben's extremely troubled alcoholic father, and Scott Speedman (Ben) and Scott Foley (Noel) are outstanding just like they were in the previous 2 seasons. Of course, the unlikely pairing of Sean (Greg Grunberg) and Meghan (Amanda Foreman) offer a lot of entertainment value, as do the pair of almost-impossible-to-take-seriously characters: Javier (Ian Gomez) and Richard Coad (Robert Patrick Benedict). Through it all, the show manages to stay remarkably down-to-earth, avoiding pomposity, and to call it addictive would be putting it lightly--this third season of "Felicity" is simply brilliant, and the enlightening bonus features take it that extra mile.

Felicity Fan .......2005-03-08

I love the Felicity series. Well worth the money for Felicity fans. Gotta have it!

Average customer rating:

Brilliant adaptation of a classic story
Cursing!!
Finest treatment yet of Steinbeck's classic novel
Excellent Touching Rendition of the Novel
A Great Film...

Of Mice & Men (1992)
Starring: Alexis Arquette , Mark Boone Junior , Joe D'Angerio , Sherilyn Fenn , and Moira Harris
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Crucible
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ASIN: B00007KQA4
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Amazon.com

A strong argument favors Gary Sinise's 1992 Of Mice and Men over the classic 1939 version that critics have historically preferred. As adapted by the great playwright-screenwriter Horton Foote, John Steinbeck's Depression-era masterpiece comes alive with timeless simplicity, more candid in language and behavior, and therefore more honest in its embrace of Steinbeck's beloved pair of lowly dreamers George (Sinise) and his retarded cousin Lennie (John Malkovich). On the lam, they find work as farmhands, joining a close-knit crew and trying to avoid trouble stirred by the dangerously seductive wife (Sherilyn Fenn) of the boss's sadistic son (Casey Siemaszko). There's not a false note or bad performance in the entire film; as veterans of Chicago's acclaimed Steppenwolf Theater, Malkovich and Sinise possess the compassionate chemistry that makes George and Lennie inseparable until the tragic, inevitable final scene. As director, Sinise serves the material with no-frills fidelity; it's easy to believe that Steinbeck would have approved. --Jeff Shannon

Description

John Steinbeck's classic comes magnificently to life in this beautiful and stirring film starring Oscar® nominees* John Malkovich and Gary Sinise. Directed by Sinise from an adaptation by Oscar® winner** Horton Foote, this "flawless miracle of movie-making" (Susan Granger, "American Movie Classics") is a must-see for all audiences. Best friends Lennie (Malkovich) and George (Sinise) find themselves unemployed in Depression-era California, unable to keep jobs because of Lennie's childlike mentality. But once they get hired at the Tyler Ranch, they enjoy a brief period of stability - until their supervisor's wife (Sherilyn Fenn) becomes the victim of Lennie's compassion, forcing George to make a compassionate decision of his own.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant adaptation of a classic story.......2007-05-12

It's risky business whenever a classic piece of American literature is adapted to film (especially when it already was years before to boot), but somehow everyone involved here managed to pull it off. John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is brilliantly adapted here and directed by Gary Sinise. Sinise also stars as George, and John Malkovich is sublimely cast as George's retarded, hulkish cousin Lennie. The two drifters appear to finally find a home to call their own, and a dreamish future that is closer to ever than happening, only to have everything tragically fall apart. What makes this 1992 adaptation of Steinbeck's classic so great is Sinise's sensitive direction as well as his strong and understated performance, but it's John Malkovich who steals the show in one of his career best performances as the sympathetic Lennie who is trying to survive in a world he was never meant for. The DVD itself has some nice extras as well, including an insightful commentary from Sinise and screen tests for some of the actors. All in all, films adapted from classic literature rarely get better than this.

Cursing!!.......2007-03-25

I gave this DVD one star for the cursing! I was shocked to see that the book has a good amount of cursing which explained the cursing in the movie! The ONLY reason that I purchased this movie so my teen could understand the book better and I did not have to read the entire book. The acting was good! At the end of the movie, what happened to Lenny made me sick!

Finest treatment yet of Steinbeck's classic novel.......2007-01-29

John Steinbeck's classic novel, "Of Mice and Men," is given its finest treatment yet in this version starring Gary Sinise as George and John Malkovich as his mentally retarded pal, Lennie.

First filmed by Lewis Milestone in a 1939 version produced by Hal Roach with Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney, Jr. in the leads, this depression era saga of two migrant workers who dream of owning a piece of land on which the feeble-minded Lennie will "tend the rabbits," continues to endure, having been remade earlier in TV versions with George Segal and Nicol Williamson in the late `60s, then again with Robert Blake and Randy Quaid in 1981.

The tragic tale is well-told in this rendition scripted by Horton Foote and directed by star Sinise. The performances are exceptional, although Malkovich does, at times, appear to be "acting." Perhaps he's too bright to be completely convincing as an imbecile. Regardless, if he isn't quite perfect, he's still very good. Ditto Sinise, Ray Walston, and the rest of the cast.

Brian W. Fairbanks

Excellent Touching Rendition of the Novel.......2007-01-10

This is an excellent movie to show to students who have read the novel. Gary Sinise was simply amazing as George.

A Great Film..........2006-11-25

I've been reading "Of Mice and Men" for a class I'm in and even though I've liked what I've read of the book (I haven't even reached Chapter 3), I didn't have an overwhelming desire to see the movie. That was until I found out one of my favorite actors John Malkovich is in it. I went out and got it the day I heard that information. As I said, I've only read 1 1/2 chapters; So I don't know how faithful it is to the book, but the first few minutes were pretty faithful. Having said that, this review is for the movie and is based on the movie and nothing more. The movie is directed by Gary Sinise, with a script by two-time Oscar winning screenwriter Horton Foote; A screenwriter who had already penned a screenplay based on a great American novel "To Kill a Mockingbird." Since "Of Mice and Men" is considered one of the great American novels and it's author (John Steinbeck) one of the great American novelists, it's no doubt a daunting task to write the script. The film, however, is a complete cinematic triumph. The casting here is absolutely perfect. Sinise (an actor I pictured while reading the book) plays George and Malkovich plays Lennie. One of the things I love about Malkovich is his voice and I tend to hate it when he changes it to fit a character or an accent (i.e., Shadow of the Vampire). Here, I didn't mind it. In fact, I think it's one of Malkovich's best performances. George is a short, rough-around-the-edges kind of guy that is smart and hardworking, while Lennie is a hulking giant of a man with a good heart and the personality and wit of a baby. Both men are Depression-era workers, who are unable to hold a job because of Lennie's misgivings. They had a job in Weed, but were forced to flee when Lennie scared a woman by grabbing a hold of her dress (he liked the color). They arrive at the Tyler Ranch, with dreams of one day buying a house with a couple of acres and room for animals. Lennie will be able to tend to rabbits. Whenever George tells this story to Lennie, we see him happy. In fact, the only time George seems happy is when he's telling this story. At the farm, things go both ways for the fellas. They make some friends, like Candy (Ray Walston, in a great performance far away from Mr. Hand) and Slim (John Terry); But they also have to put up with the sadistic son-of-the-boss Curley (Casey Siemaszko). Worse yet, they have to put up with his unhappy and lonely wife (Sherilyn Fenn, 'Boxing Helena') who longs to talk to someone, but doesn't realize that by talking to the men she starts problems with Curley. A lot of people can put characters on paper that the audience really cares for, but it takes a really good actor to make you care for them onscreen. Malkovich and Sinise do just that. You like these characters. You get happy when something good happens to them and instantly depressed when it doesn't. Both give Oscar worthy work here and it amazes me that neither one scored an Oscar nomination (I'm not even sure if this film got nominated for ANY Oscar). Sinise is a great actor, with fantastic range...He captures the character of George so clearly and vividly, there's times where you forget he's acting at all. Malkovich is an absolute wonder to watch. What a complete actor this man is. He immerses himself into the role of Lennie; He has the voice and the movement and everything else down. This performance is just as good as Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump and Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. The ending of the film is incredibly well written. I think the ending of the movie works better than the ending of the book (I skipped ahead a little bit). The last words are more poignant in the movie than in the book. Being as how I hadn't read that far when I saw the movie, the ending hit me even harder since I didn't know what was coming. It seems that people on Amazon like this film, which I'm quite happy to see. Because this is a great film on any level. Even if it bared no similarity to the book at all, this is a true masterpiece. If you have any appreciation for cinema, vivid characters, a great story, and amazing acting. See this movie. It's not necessarily a joyful, happy journey...But it's definitely one you want to take.

GRADE: A+

Batman Begins (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Not Reinventing the Wheel, But Improving It
Sets a new benchmark for the genre
A great Reboot
The Batman Movie we all wanted to see in the first place!
Does the Special Edition have an Audio Commentary?

Batman Begins (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Christian Bale , Mark Boone Junior , Richard Brake , Michael Caine , and Morgan Freeman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BUYP4Q
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Amazon.com

Batman at Amazon.com

All Batman DVDs
Batman Begins 101: A Comic Book Primer
Where Have I Seen Christian Bale?

All Batman Comics and Graphic Novels
Batman Toys
Batman Begins Soundtrack

Stills from Batman Begins (click for larger images)

DVD Features

The first disc is filled out by the theatrical trailer and a Jimmy Fallon-starring Batman Begins spoof from the MTV Movie Awards. The second disc consists of eight featurettes (about 105 minutes total) on a variety of topics. "The Journey Begins" covers the early stages of the movie, including the casting and how director/co-writer Christopher Nolan brought in co-writer David S. Goyer for his comic-book expertise. "Shaping Mind and Body" covers Christian Bale's fight training, and other featurettes discuss the sets (the Batcave is shown being constructed out of wood and sheets), the Batman costume, the Batmobile, the monorail sequence, and the hazards of filming in Iceland. All the behind-the-scenes featurettes are solid but somewhat routine, and while "The Journey Begins" is the widest overview, there's not really any centerpiece documentary (all are 8 to 15 minutes, and there's no Play All option). Interviewees tend to be the same throughout: Nolan, Goyer, Bale (the only cast member to get much face time), and other crew members (it's nice to hear from the stunt people).

Potentially more interesting to fans is "Genesis of the Bat," which covers the comic books that influenced the film, including The Long Halloween, Neal Adams's Ra's Al Ghul from the '70s, Dennis O'Neill and Dick Giordano's The Man Who Falls, and Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. Interviewees include DC Comics editor Paul Levitz and artist Jim Lee, but the latter's involvement eventually degrades the featurette into a pitch for DC's All-Star Batman line. Filling out the disc are overviews of four gadgets and eight characters, DVD-ROM features, and a variety of poster-art concepts. To get to the features menu, you have to scroll through a multipage Goyer-scribed comic book, which is a good read, but you can't skip it the next time you want to watch the second disc. Note that the second disc offers a French menu and French (but not English) subtitles for the featurettes. --David Horiuchi

Description

Customer Reviews:

Not Reinventing the Wheel, But Improving It.......2007-04-30

Definitely spend the extra bucks for the 2 disc set This set comes with a really cool bonus disc and a great digest sized comic compiled with some of the great comic book stories that inspired the writers on the film. The bonus features are great, but I'd have liked some of them to be a bit longer--such as the history of Batman featurette. Great documentary on the pre-production and stunts as well as the fight choreography. Unfortunately the only cast member they interview in any depth is Christian Bale (such a shame considering the enormously talented cast this film has) and NO director's commentary or any commentary for that matter. Personally I'd have loved a commentary with the cast and writers.

As for the film: this is most certainly a film about Batman. Who he is, how he came to be, and why he believes what he believes. Basically this film is blissfully nothing like the last two Batman films starring Val Kilmer & George Clooney in the title roles. I loved how the relationship between Gordon & Batman grows over the course of the film and the explanation given for their friendship/partnership is pitch perfect. A very important character to the comic book universe is introduced (Lucius Fox) and Alfred is given new life and a more sardonic sense of humor by actor Michael Caine. I'm not sure why every single Batman flick has him revealing his secret identity to at least one person (a sad tradition started in the first Burton film), but at least here it's much more plausible. The only disappointing aspect of the film is that Batman's detective skills aren't really shown to exist let alone given a chance to shine. Hopefully that's something they'll rectify in the sequel. And hopefully that sequel will be made with the same talented cast and crew. I'd love to see a true Batman onscreen trilogy. It would be wonderful to see Batman start out at one place and have him end in another over the course of 3 films with the same actors in key roles. It seems to be what Raimi is doing with Spider-Man and what Singer almost did with The X-Men. I think the Batman character deserves to be handled with respect and a truly definitive cinematic saga shouldn't be too much for fanboys to hope for. If such a saga is to come, then this film is the perfect place for it to begin.

Sets a new benchmark for the genre.......2007-04-14

Aside from setting a benchmark for other franchises (perhaps most notably 007) to follow, Batman Begins is a remarkably ambitious and mostly successful attempt to bring some real substance to the comic book genre beyond mere mood. It has a sense of the epic to it, as well as an awareness of the escalation of moral quandaries that come with taking the law into your own hands that haven't been seen in a big-budget summer picture since Clear and Present Danger. It's not just a case of a superhero fighting a supervillain either: the various mobsters, evil geniuses and crooked businessmen are all part of a much larger corruption that ensures that even a semblance of moral balance cannot be restored by the end credits as per other superhero flicks. Christopher Nolan even manages to get strong performances from actors who had long ago drifted into ham and volume like Gary Oldman and Rutger Hauer. It also has a few problems, not least the lack of depth in the photography or Nolan's deficiencies as an action director (not Michael Bay bad, but not particularly good either), but they're outweighed by the pluses.

The 2-disc set boasts an impressive array of extras (including numerous Easter Eggs), although the lovingly crafted comicbook art menu pages can get a little annoying to work your way through at times and it's a shame that only the brief teaser trailer has been included.

A great Reboot.......2007-04-12

I'm going to start off with this... as much as a LOVE comic books movies I originally didn't want to see this movie becasue of Katie Holmes, i'm not the biggest fan of her acting, and when i did see this movie she didn't impress me then either, but the rest of the cast is great!.

Batman Begins s a movie made for a home theater system, it has great visuals and an even better plot. Don't worry if you've never read any of the Batman comics, or if god forbid your only experience is with the previous Batman movies, since this is a reboot there is no previous history.

But why should you buy this edition instead of the one disk edition... two words, bonus features! I adore bonus features. The set includes mini documentaries galore, the trailer that helped get us pumped up months before the movie came out, and a mini comic book ( mini in size not length). However this movie is missing one of my favorite DVD features, the commentary, be it from the actors or the director i love watching movies with commentaries.

All that being said, its a good buy, and i don't think you will be dissapointed.

The Batman Movie we all wanted to see in the first place!.......2007-01-25

There were and are a few grumblings from critics here and there but ultimately this film garnered near unanimous applause and a huge sigh of relief. Batman Begins is not perfect by any measure but is easily the best Batman movie ever, not that it had serious competition from it's predecessors. The first thing director Christopher Nolan does is say the hell with the neon colors, the over the top comic book sensibility, the freakshow circuses, let's take Batman back to his roots. Strip him of all the tarnish and the villians and the crazy gadgets. Let's go to the core of who he is. Who is Batman? Who is Bruce Wayne? How did Bruce Wayne become Batman? Everyone knows the answers to these questions but we never saw these questions answered vividly before our very eyes on the cinematic screen before Batman Begins. One of the genius strokes of this movie is the fact that Batman is not even shown onscreen for the first hour of the film! Unbelievable! That had to have Warner Brothers executives biting their fingernails incessantly. Will those pesky teenagers in the audience sit still as the story of Batman is allowed to unfold at an unhurried pace? Apparently those pesky teenagers weren't so dumb after all since the film was quite a hit. Hey, even adults liked this movie, two birds with one stone.

Christian Bale is the best actor to inhabit this character, ever. Some may have their nostalgia for Michael Keaton but Keaton was very low-key and let the freakshow villians dominate his movies with their antics. Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman is a marked difference from previous actors, he is involving and fascinating as a character. From the tragedy of his past to the glory of his future, the whole path of this character makes perfect dramatic sense. Michael Caine does his job as Alfred, Liam Neeson is an intelligent villian, Cillian Murphy gets a bit on my nerves, but anyhow, the only person who lets the cast down is Katie Holmes. She's just there to be a pretty face and she's not that pretty! Gary Oldman as Gordan is right on the money. Morgan Freeman, Tom Wilkinson and even Rutger Hauer are terrific supporting characters. Ken Watanabe's short appearance is significant too. That's a lot of name actors!

The script and pacing are terrific, however Batman Begins does have it's faults. Let me list them. There seems to be too many characters and plot points as if Nolan wants to ram a far more epic story into the running time. Then there is the question of the action scenes, Nolan's directing of action is still in it's infancy and there is no action set-piece to take your breath away and go, "Wow, that's amazing!". So the action scenes leave something to be desired and the Batmobile looks like [...] to be honest, but it's design makes sense in light of Nolan's more realistic take on the whole Batman mythology. ( The Batmobile still looks very derivative, admit it! ).

Overall, this film was a joy to watch. I saw it on the huge IMAX screen and was very happy to finally be witness to the Batman film we all rightfully deserved. In light of the box-office victory and the critical triumph, this film should not have been called Batman Begins, but instead Batman Redeemed!

Does the Special Edition have an Audio Commentary?.......2007-01-12

Does anyone know if there is an Audio Commentary? (Usually done by the director, writers, actors, etc). I'm looking for the running commentary where the filmmakers talk over the film about the making of it and so on. Post a response if you know. Thanks!

Average customer rating:

Big Fan
No Sophomore Slump Here!
Detective Series, Quality of a well made movie
Prime Suspect 2
Prime Suspect 2

Prime Suspect 2
Starring: Helen Mirren , Colin Salmon , John Benfield , Jack Ellis (III) , and Craig Fairbrass
Director: John Strickland
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000X2ET2
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Amazon.com

In the first Prime Suspect, Helen Mirren's ballsy woman Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennyson battled the boys club and their sexist barbs to prove herself in a chauvinist department. In Prime Suspect 2, she's assigned to head a racially charged murder investigation in a largely African/Caribbean neighborhood. It's politics as usual in the image-conscious organization, so the superintendent adds to the team black Detective Robert Oswalde (Colin Salma), a sharp but hot-headed investigator who has just broken off an affair with Tennyson. Now Tennyson grapples with her own conflicted feelings while fighting political and public-relations battles both in the media and within the police system itself in the midst of investigating the labyrinthine case. Between the scant clues left to sift, a prime suspect on the verge of death himself, and div

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