Carrie

Starring:Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, John Travolta, P.J. Soles, Priscilla Pointer, Sydney Lassick, Stefan Gierasch, Michael Talbott, Doug Cox, Harry Gold, Noelle North, Cindy Daly, Deirdre Berthrong, Anson Downes, Rory Stevens, Edie McClurg
Director: Brian De Palma
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Episode IV A New Hope Eighteen years later, Luke Skywalker, a young farm boy on Tatooine, is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet. Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of the evil Empire. Although Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a lightsabre duel with Darth Vader, his former apprentice, Luke proves that the Force is with him by destroying the Empire's dreaded Death Star. Episode V The Empire Strikes Back Three years later Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion's defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. In the midst of a fierce lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord, Luke faces the startling revelation that the evil Vader is in fact his father, Anakin Skywalker. Episode VI Return of the Jedi In the epic conclusion of the saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star while the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts his father Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor. In the last second, Vader makes a momentous choice: he destroys the Emperor and saves his son. The Empire is finally defeated, the Sith are destroyed, and Anakin Skywalker is thus redeemed. At long last, freedom is restored to the galaxy.

System Requirements:

Running Time 387 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Was George Lucas's Star Wars Trilogy, the most anticipated DVD release ever, worth the wait? You bet. It's a must-have for any home theater, looking great, sounding great, and supplemented by generous bonus features.

The Movies

The Star Wars Trilogy had the rare distinction of becoming a cultural phenomenon, a defining event for its generation. On its surface, George Lucas's story is a rollicking and humorous space fantasy that owes debts to more influences than one can count on two hands, but filmgoers became entranced by its basic struggle of good vs. evil "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," its dazzling special effects, and a mythology of Jedi knights, the Force, and droids. Over the course of three films--A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983)--Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and the roguish Han Solo (Harrison Ford) join the Rebel alliance in a galactic war against the Empire, the menacing Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), and eventually the all-powerful Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). Empire is generally considered the best of the films and Jedi the most uneven, but all three are vastly superior to the more technologically impressive prequels that followed, Episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999) and Episode II, Attack of the Clones (2002).

How Are the Picture and Sound?

Thanks to a new digital transfer, you've never seen C-3PO glow so golden, and Darth Vader's helmet is as black as the Dark Side.

In a word, spectacular. Thanks to a new digital transfer, you've never seen C-3PO glow so golden, and Darth Vader's helmet is as black as the Dark Side. And at the climactic scene of A New Hope, see if the Dolby 5.1 EX sound doesn't knock you back in your chair. Other audio options are Dolby 2.0 Surround in English, Spanish, and French. (Sorry, DTS fans, but previous Star Wars DVDs didn't have DTS either.) There have been a few quibbles with the audio on A New Hope, however. A few seconds of Peter Cushing's dialogue ("Then name the system!") are distorted, and the music (but not the sound effects) is reversed in the rear channels. For example, in the final scene, the brass is in the front right channel but the back left channel (from the viewer's perspective), and the strings are in the left front and back right. The result feels like the instruments are crossing through the viewer.

What's Been Changed?
The rumors are true: Lucas made more changes to the films for their DVD debut. Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) has been added to a scene in Jedi, Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replaces Clive Revill with slightly revised lines in Empire, Temuera Morrison has rerecorded Boba Fett's minimal dialogue, and some other small details have been altered. Yes, these changes mean that the Star Wars films are no longer the ones you saw 20 years ago, but these brief changes hardly affect the films, and they do make sense in the overall continuity of the two trilogies. It's not like a digitized Ewan McGregor has replaced Alec Guiness's scenes, and the infamous changes made for the 1997 special-edition versions were much more intrusive (of course, those are in the DVD versions as well).

How Are the Bonus Features?

Toplining is Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, a 150-minute documentary incorporating not only the usual making-of nuts and bolts but also the political workings of the movie studios and the difficulties Lucas had getting his vision to the screen (for example, after resigning from the Directors' Guild, he lost his first choice for director of Jedi: Steven Spielberg). It's a little adulatory, but it has plenty to interest any fan. The three substantial featurettes are "The Characters of Star Wars" (19 min.), which discusses the development of the characters we all know and love, "The Birth of the Lightsaber" (15 min.), about the creation and evolution of a Jedi's ultimate weapon, and "The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of Star Wars" (15 min.), in which filmmakers such as Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and James Cameron talk about how they and the industry were affected by the films and Lucas's technological developments in visual effects, sound, and computer animation.

The bonus features are excellent and along the same lines as those created for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Each film has a commentary track, recorded by Lucas, Ben Burtt (sound design), Dennis Muren (visual effects), and Carrie Fisher, with Irvin Kershner joining in on the film he directed, The Empire Strikes Back. Recorded separately and skillfully edited together (with supertitles to identify who is speaking), the tracks lack the energy of group commentaries, but they're enjoyable and informative, with a nice mix of overall vision (Lucas), technical details (Burtt, Muren, Kershner), and actor's perspective (Fisher). Interestingly, they discuss some of the 1997 changes (Mos Eisley creatures, the new Jabba the Hutt scene) but not those made for the DVDs.

There's also a sampler of the Xbox game Star Wars: Battlefront, which lets the player reenact classic film scenarios (blast Ewoks in the battle of Endor!); trailers and TV spots from the films' many releases; and a nine-minute preview of the last film in the series, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (here identified by an earlier working title, The Return of Darth Vader). Small extra touches include anamorphic widescreen motion menus with dialogue, original poster artwork on the discs, and a whopping 50 chapter stops for each film.

"The Force Is Strong with This One"
The Star Wars Trilogy is an outstanding DVD set that lives up to the anticipation. There will always be resentment that the original versions of the films are not available as well, but George Lucas maintains that these are the versions he always wanted to make. If fans are able to put this debate aside, they can enjoy the adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han for years to come. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

awesome.......2007-07-05

star wars is super duper. i love the surround sound and new visual enhancements. can't wait til george lucas comes out with 7,8, and 9!

"BOOM!".......2007-07-02

While I Love the remakes as much as the originals, I think my favorite part of this collection is the bonus disk. There are interviews and lots of "making of..." footage where we get to really see them putting together the original "low budget" films. My favorite part was when they were filming the ultimate destruction of the death star and you hear some guy in the background go "boom!"

The "secrets" behind the making serve only to add to my enjoyment, no matter which version I am watching....

No need for introductions.......2007-06-28

Born in 1970
Saw the Originals
Saw the Remakes in Theaters in 1997
Didn't like the prequels for the scene of Darth Vader hearing from the emperor that Amidala is Dead, really bad scene in the Myth of Darth Vader, but the gradually transformation and the motives I'll have to said that there where OK.

For starters I have all the version of Stars Wars and the DVDs what's up with the Jabba the Hutt in the hangar with Han Solo in A New Hope, it look like he was really young and in the Return he was and old guy I don't buy it.

Also the Mr. Jar Jar I just don't like these character, the light sabers effect they didn't do anything to put them better and last but not least the ending of the Return they change Sebastian Shaw for Hayden Christensen this was a cheap shot from the Lucas Camp, but after all is said and done this is a must have collection for two things:

The most important first - the bonus disk (excellent)
The second most important thing is the package - the best in history.

Long live Peter Mayhew.......

Its Star Wars : Of Course it gets 5 stars!.......2007-06-17

Star Wars : DVD's : Boxed Set : 5 stars

If you need an explanation, you shouldn't purchase this item.

Okay...You've seen what they all wrote..........2007-06-12

Just a very quick background on me...
Born in 1990
Saw the the movies in their original form first
Saw the 1997 remakes in the theaters
Love all of the rrequels but have a few issues with them...*cough*jar jar

I don't understand why all of you hate these movies now. I will admit, some of the changes are unnessassary, but the audio, picture, and continuity is flawless now. Before there was an orange glow underneath the landspeeders and there were English letters on the power control in the Death Star. These films needed to be brought into the 21st Century. The only scene I have a problem with is the music number in Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi...But it makes up for the idiotic Ewok song that used to be at the end. The movies have NOT CHANGED! They did not change actors, lines, and the Greedo/Han cantina scene was put back to the way it was. The only MAJOR change was the adding of deleted scenes(particularly the interesting scene between Luke and Biggs before the Battle of Yavin) and the adding of Hayden in at the end of Jedi (for those who don't get it: this is what he looked like the last time he was human, before he "died" and became Darth Vader...Sebastian Shaw therefore did not exist as a human, but as a cyborg.) In my opinion, these are bettered versions of the originals. So stop saying that it's not the same thing.

Average customer rating:

Incredible.
Awesome picture and sound quality!
Disappointing - The Matrix is out of sync
STUNNING!
The Disc that will Undo HD DVD

The Ultimate Matrix Collection [HD DVD]
Starring: Keanu Reeves , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , and Laurence Fishburn
Director: Andy Wachowski , and Larry Wachowski
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
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Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000OONTFU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

The definitive ten-disc DVD set, The Ultimate Matrix Collection features all three films in the trilogy together for the first time ever with a newly remastered picture and sound for The Matrix. Also included is the companion piece The Matrix Revisited and the best-selling The Animatrix, plus five entirely new DVDs packed solid with brand-new supplemental materials that encompass every aspect of the Matrix universe, including two new audio commentaries on each film, Enter the Matrix video game footage, 106 deep-delving featurettes/ documentaries and much more!

Customer Reviews:

Incredible........2007-07-05

These are some of the best HiDef discs yet released. The TrueHD audio is fantastic, and the clartity of the 1080p/24 video transfer is simply amazing.

Frankly, with this set I have come to the conclusion that a good home theater with HD DVD is capable of better reproduction than you can get in any but the best commercial theaters.

Awesome picture and sound quality!.......2007-06-27

This movie on HD-DVD is outstanding. It's really like seeing it for the first time all over again compared to standard definition. But not just for the incredible picture detail, but equally important is the major improvement in the sound.

I would highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for the current standard in HD-DVD PQ, SQ and it is a good movie also.

Disappointing - The Matrix is out of sync.......2007-06-27

I was very disappointed with The Matrix. While the quality of the video transfer is excellent, the audio is slightly out-of-sync, which makes it difficult to watch at times. This is not an issue with either Reloaded or Revolutions.

I don't understand how something like this could have happened. The flagship movie of the three has got serious audio problems. Very disappointing.

I give the whole set a 3, but for The Matrix it deserves much lower than that. It's too bad too, because if The Matrix were in sync, then I'd give the whole set a much better grade.

STUNNING!.......2007-06-26

All I can say is ... it was as good as watching it in the theatre for the first time. Amazing HD conversion ... superior audio quality ... Absolutely stunning!

I should add that I watched all three of these in my xbox 360 HD-DVD (fully patched) and I had ZERO problems with any of these discs. I don't know why these others are having issues.

Mike

The Disc that will Undo HD DVD.......2007-06-26

I am SO ANGRY with this release. Not ONE of the HD sides of these movies play in my 360 Add On - all the SD sides play fine ....great. I have both Blu Ray and HD DVD , and from now on I am abandoning HD DVD as a format - Blu Ray deserves to win the war, and I am so sorry to say that as I am NOT a Sony fan boy. SHAME on every company associated with this buggy, defective rubbish release of what should have been HD DVD's finest moment so far. Consider the HD war over - mark my words, in 2 years no one will remember the "HD DVD" format.

Average customer rating:

If only they'd release more cool movies like this on HD DVD
Fantastic
matrix on hd dvd
THE MATRIX AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE SEEN
Matrix in HD. Nuff said.

The Complete Matrix Trilogy [HD DVD]
Starring: Keanu Reeves , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , and Laurence Fishburne
Director: Andy Wachowski , and Larry Wachowski
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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

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Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000E1MTZE
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

The #1 requested film on HD is now here! The Complete Matrix Trilogy presents the complete adventures of machine battling truth-seekers Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Cary-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Lurence Fishburne) in all three of the Wachowski's ground-breaking monumental sci-fi feature films. This collection features all three films in Hi-def and includes exclusive In Movie Experience (IME). These are the ultimate films for the ultimate hi-def format!

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Featurette
Music Only Track
Music Video
TV Spot
Additional Scenes
Audio Commentary
Featurette
Music Only Track
Music Video
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer
Featurette
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

If only they'd release more cool movies like this on HD DVD .......2007-07-04

If you loved the original trilogy get ready to fall in love all over again with the HD trilogy! Wicked picture and awesome sound! What more can I say besides "BUY IT!" You wont be dissapointed. ps. I bought mine off of e-bay for for $52(brand new)thats including shipping, so you might wanna check there first.

Fantastic.......2007-06-28

Excellent - works on UK Xbox 360 - picture quality is amazing , commentary is good and it make 2 and 3 actually worth watching again!

matrix on hd dvd.......2007-06-28

when comparing the standard dvd to the hd dvds of these movies,this is as close to film you will get,the picture is eye popping to say the least.the audio is dolby digital true hd,the other wow factor with hd dvd.reliving the matrix movies again is like seeing them for the first time again.as we know thers a format war going on with hd dvd vs blu-ray dvd.many blu-ray supporters will tell you there camp is winning because blu-ray has more studio support.fret not that can change in a ny min.amazon offers some of the best prices on the net for hd dvd.the toshbia hd-a2 below 299.00,which is far better then blu-ray starting at 499.00.theres no need to wait to see whos gonna win this format war,the risk is small,hd dvd is the way to go. plus other great titles.the matrix trilogy being one of them.if you have a hdtv,dont wait pick a format and see what you have been missing.the matrix trilogy...5 stars

THE MATRIX AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE SEEN.......2007-06-27

First let me say I know there are alot of people out there who think only the first movie in this trilogy is any good. I somewhat agree with that statement. True the sequels were not as good as whole movies as the first. But they are full of scenes that rule,and with the power of a DVD remote I become the ultimate film editor. Ill skip boring sequences and just get right to good stuff. Sometimes in reloaded I forget Zion even exists cause I skip right thru it. The picture quality is amazing on all 3 movies and I use it for demo material to show off my system all the time. I highly recommend this purchase.

Matrix in HD. Nuff said........2007-06-26

There really isn't much to say about this box set. You get all three Matrix movies in full high-definition, as well as three separate In-Movie Experience tracks along with all the same great supplements that came with the DVD version. At $65 it's a little pricey, but this is as cheap as it gets and fans of the Matrix won't be disappointed.

Video quality: 4.5
Audio quality: 5.0
Special features: 4.5 (get the Ultimate collection for the most content)
Overall value: 4.5

Average customer rating:

I Love Chocolat!!
Tempted by the Bittersweet Treat
Chocolat...DVD
bittersweet 'Chocolat' for me.....
Chocolat

Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series)
Starring: Juliette Binoche , Alfred Molina , Carrie-Anne Moss , Judi Dench , and Antonio Gil-Martinez
Director: Lasse Hallström
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005K3OT
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Amazon.com

With movies like Chocolat, it's always best to relax your intellectual faculties and absorb the abundant sensual pleasures, be it the heart-stopping smile of chocolatier Juliette Binoche as she greets a new customer, an intoxicating cup of spiced hot cocoa, or the soothing guitar of an Irish gypsy played by Johnny Depp. Adapted by Robert Nelson Jacobs from Joanne Harris's popular novel and lovingly directed by Lasse Hallström, the film covers familiar territory and deals in broad metaphors that even a child could comprehend, so it's no surprise that some critics panned it with killjoy fervor. Their objections miss the point. Familiarity can be comforting and so can easy metaphors when placed in a fable that's as warmly inviting as this one.

Driven by fate, Vianne (Binoche) drifts into a tranquil French village with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol, from Ponette) in the winter of 1959. Her newly opened chocolatier is a source of attraction and fear, since Vianne's ability to revive the villagers' passions threatens to disrupt their repressive traditions. The pious mayor (Alfred Molina) sees Vianne as the enemy, and his war against her peaks with the arrival of "river rats" led by Roux (Depp), whose attraction to Vianne is immediate and reciprocal. Splendid subplots involve a battered wife (Lena Olin), a village elder (Judi Dench), and her estranged daughter (Carrie-Anne Moss), and while the film's broader strokes may be regrettable (if not for Molina's rich performance, the mayor would be a caricature), its subtleties are often sublime. Chocolat reminds you of life's simple pleasures and invites you to enjoy them. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture, Best Actress (Juliette Binoche -- THE ENGLISH PATIENT), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench -- SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE), CHOCOLAT is the beautiful and captivating comedy from the acclaimed director of THE CIDER HOUSE RULES! Nobody could have imagined the impact that the striking Vianne (Binoche) would make when she arrived in a tranquil, old-fashioned French town. In her very unusual chocolate shop, Vianne begins to create mouth-watering confections that almost magically inspire the straitlaced villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness! But it is not until another stranger, the handsome Roux (Johnny Depp -- SLEEPY HOLLOW), arrives in town that Vianne is finally able to recognize her own desires!

Customer Reviews:

I Love Chocolat!!.......2007-06-28

This movie is visually and mentally appealing I could almost taste the chocolate.

The message is as good as chocolate!

Tempted by the Bittersweet Treat.......2007-06-27

About a year ago my very Italian husband came home and announced that we were going to "as a family" now make chocolates in the shape of icosahedrons, tetrahedrons, dodecahedrons and octahedrons and MORE. This to be a part of his largely then mentally imagined company, Math Through the Ages. (Now it is very real and I will be launching many projects around it...and he has shown me I need to shut up sometimes.)
And what this candy would be, was a tasty treat aspect to the wares for families and kids. They would play and eat to better know and work with Math conceptually. In ways designed to develop math proofs with actual doing, something that is always actually our orientation in teaching in schools. " The platonic solids, Sarah", he said, "Are our answer."

(I might add this was somewhat better received on my part than when after my second baby he announced I should in my maternity leave run a 12 baby daycare because he "always wanted this".)

But I looked at him dumbfounded because he followed this with, "What do you know of chocolates and candy making". Well I knew this movie. And I can make something called a "Buckeye" which is peanut butter, powdered sugar and dipped in chocolate.

So it would seem that we had some point of connection as he was hoping for Juliette Binoche to step forward and begin a rich Latin chocolate cooking experience. I would say for a fantasy that's a fair one. Or for a kind of sensual pleasure this movie would awaken most men and women to the luxury of food, the pleasure of watching her on-screen and relating to Depp is lovely. But dressed in an old t shirt, too chubby, covered with Elmer's glue, glitter and ambivalent about how many minutes it would be before we argued over any process we started together I made the mistake of a guffaw. Men generally presenting their fantasy dreams do not appreciate this response. It's a cooling kind of thing. I have learned this. But...perhaps I could start by explaining my life might more closely resemble Green Acres.

I was very ill when I first watched this with peritonitis, again, and about a week from a month in the hospital some three or four years ago, actually doubled over the next day and in some rigid pain this day and I still found it a wonderful escape. Which is why Jack went out and got it. I'd just finished an angiogram in Anaheim(no it wasn't the heart, it was cancer) and right after that everything really went to hell. The storyline of the movie, I'll leave for others having recently been told about my spoiler nature. (Yes secrets are difficult for me sometimes) But I will say this story was beautifully filmed, set into a kind of place not unlike the Secrets of Roan Innish, a mystical realism.

I like magical tales and the weaving of this suited me when a magical escape was something I needed. If you are a woman or man that likes love stories I think you'll like this movie a great deal. If you have been on another planet you'll hear it here first. Shortly afterwards it was Dilaudid for me and then that might have heightened my recall of it as so very magical (or whatever they called the tripping pain med.)

So to be a bit more self-referential my husband would like, I think, to have our home be like this kitchen, filled with these wonderful treats that bring alive libido and sensual passions created by this magical maker. Me too.

I fumble around with cobblers and country fried steaks and the occasional pound cake. It is also true I am too plump for the fantasy. But I could play the diabetic sweet treat loving older lady, a sage dying so meaningfully especially in the party scene. One of the things that is so nice about this movie is Judy Dench and how her character serves to speak of a very powerful older woman, her complexities of feeling and her decisions regarding her health and her being in the living world, and her death, and how she choses to go. In a way this serves to ground you in living your life on your own terms and realizing you probably will in many ways mess up most of it. I would interject the movie suggests to live for love. The way her story is woven into the tapestry of the lives of the characters, the magic of these (filmed) days when life went upside over as a part of the construct of a home the candy maker builds in her wind blown life is fascinating. I'll spoil it to tell it and sound ridiculous not telling it.But Binoche serves as someone who forces other to deal with their heart. And is finally served the same by way of the vehicle of the chocolates and what they evoke from the characters.
The ins and outs of everyone's revelations spring out,their deeply held secrets revealed, their facing truths and it would seem their coming out of cowardice into the power of love, into a wind which blows it all upside down and right again. Too good. Oh, I wish it were so. I can think of this in relationship to several stories I do love. Their connection through the chocolates/shop/this powerful woman shaman is so cool. Facing their foolishly going wrong lives amazes me. The construct of her blowing into communities, making connections moving on, needing to find the home, to finally stay somewhere and the tension between moving on and admitting the need to have a place for love to matter hits you. Yes I'll stay in that village. Sure. I really like the plot line, can you tell?

It is a kind of story line that would appeal to my husband. And I'm almost afraid to think about that anymore right now.

No I am not wrapped up in the creation of chocolates yet though he has a mold maker and has brought in many chocolate molds.Really. I'm not capable of really playing this part, as said, and I can foresee how crazy an idea this is for us. Turning 48 Sunday and needing to just learn to make a good pie crust is enough. I don't think I could run a geodesic candy company. But I could taste a few of the treats. He came in with bulk chocolate recently from Trader Joe's and I made a note to myself to get him this on DVD for his "office" on his day. Or just hope for a sequel.

It is a lovely piece of art. Widely seen and enjoyed. Beautiful fantasy and insight into the mind's eye of my husband and insightful for me as I contemplate the realities of bittersweet chocolates.

Chocolat...DVD.......2007-06-27

Watched this years ago, after Juliet Binoche lost the Emmy to Julia Roberts . i had not heard of the movie til then. Now it had my curiosity.
The story line is so different, it is a combination of a little intrigue, a little eccentric town and a twist that will surprise you.
Johnny Depp appears in a small role, but is charming.Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series)

bittersweet 'Chocolat' for me............2007-06-12

First, let me start this review by saying how much I adore chocolate (the food). I mean, there is a reason that women love this stuff. Personally, I would even be so bold as to say I prefer my chocolate dark and bittersweet (I can get more antioxidents from this, too--another incentive). Now, moving on to the movie. How would I describe CHOCOLAT if I were to compare it to a bar of the dark stuff? Well, I can't say it tastes authentic. My favorite type of chocolate isn't even European, or French, for that matter. It's Ecuadorian, with a cocoa count of [at least] 75%. CHOCOLAT wants to be this kind of chocolate. Instead, it ends being more of a blend of Hershey's milk chocolate (to please the American consumers) with the sensibility of a dash of French dark. In other words, not really smooth or memorable, but it wants to be!

I'll add in just a dash of synopsis, here, to get a sense of the recipe. For starters, director Lasse Hallstrom (or should I say "sous chef") paints the picture of a conservative little French town that Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) swoops into, with her daughter, Anouk (Victoire Thivisol). This ultimately poses a great challenge to the Comte (Alfred Molina) and most everyone else. Why? Because Vianne has set up a Chocolaterie (chocolate shop) during Lent--an observance that the devoutly Catholic villagers strongly uphold. This is a time when they abstain from indulgences (especially foods like chocolate!). This also co-stars Johnny Depp.

Though, CHOCOLAT delivers in terms of visual beauty and spectacle, and the chocolates look divine, the storyline and most of the rest of this film leave a lot to be desired. Yes, a lot of you will think I am being harsh. Yet, while I sat there, watching this film (I won't even lie to you--I saw it twice), I couldn't help but feel that CHOCOLAT stole gimmicks from virtually every film genre focusing on mysticism, magical realism or food and claimed them as their own. The filmmakers desperately wanted to make the story something for everyone. We have a swashbuckling pirate (Johnny Depp), who is Irish, nonetheless. We have the mysterious stranger who sails into a town with her daughter, and no one knows her background. Is she a heretic? A witch with a cauldron of chocolatey sacreligious goodness--made to saturate and corrupt the palates of the unsuspecting villagers? We even have a subplot alluding to a battered wife (Lena Olin). Good lord! The gimmicks boggle the mind. Okay, dear readers. Thank you for sticking with me on this review. Those of you who were diligent enough to read it, I have a verdict for you. Skip this film and watch.....I am thinking LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE. Hey, it even has chocolate in the title, and you'll never look at wedding cake quite the same way again.

Chocolat.......2007-05-12

I saw Chocolat at the theater when it was new, now I've bought it for my collection. I love Chocolat every time I watch it!!

The Parent Trap (1961) and The Parent Trap II (1986): 2-Movie Collection (2-Disc Set)

Average customer rating:

the parent trap
Thisney movies which I watched in childhood
Very good Movies
The Parent Trap 1 and 2
I Like the Original

The Parent Trap (1961) and The Parent Trap II (1986): 2-Movie Collection (2-Disc Set)
Starring: Hayley Mills , Maureen O'Hara , Brian Keith , Cathleen Nesbitt , and Charles Ruggles
Director: David Swift (II) , and Ronald F. Maxwell
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009X75QU
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

Hayley Mills, Special Academy Award(R) winner for 1960's POLLLYANNA, lights up the screen in Disney's fondly remembered release of THE PARENT TRAP. Mills stars as Susan and Sharon, identical twins separated at birth. Neither twin knows the other exists until a simple twist of fate finds them at the same summer camp. Then, realizing who they are, they plan a little twist of their own. They switch places with high hopes of getting their parents back together. This delightful and heartwarming comedy will have your whole family doubling up with laughter. First time on DVD! In the full-length sequel THE PARENT TRAP II, Hayley Mills returns to reprise her roles as identical twins Sharon and Susan. Now all grown up, Sharon is a single mom whose 11-year-old daughter Nikki is just as mischievous as she was! During summer school Nikki and her new friend Mary turn into scheming matchmakers when they try to get Sharon and Mary's widowed father together. Not quite able to make it happen, they turn to the one person who can really help -- Sharon's twin Susan!

Customer Reviews:

the parent trap .......2007-05-19

we love the movie and it is brand new
We received it on time!!!
thanks

Thisney movies which I watched in childhood .......2007-05-12

I was impressed to be able to watch the movie which I watched again in old days. I was sorry that there were not Japanese subtitles.If there are some@Thisney movies which I watched in childhood else and finds them, I want to try to buy it again.

Very good Movies.......2007-04-19

I Love the Parent Trap movies. For people who have never seen these movies, you have know idea what you have been missing. The Parent Trap movies start with Hayley Mills who I Love. Hayley plays twin sisters who are seprated at a very young age because their parents get a divorce only to meet for the first time when they are both sent to the same camp for the summer. There, after they discover that they are twins, they come up with the plain to get their parents back together by switching places so the parents after meet face to face to switch them back.
Partent trap II is about Sharon and Susan again played by Hayley Mills, are now grown up with families of their own. you will have to see it to find out what happens. i love this movie the best.

The Parent Trap 1 and 2.......2007-04-13

Excellent family entertainment. Of course I have watched them both already but had to have them for my collection. I have seen the newer Parent Trap 1 with Dennis Quiad, it's good but doesn't compare to the original with Hayley Mills. Simply wonderful for the entire family.

I Like the Original.......2007-03-30

Still one of my favorite movies. This movie is in my collection of 'what to watch when at home sick.' Great quality.

Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

george come on!
Original version is important.
Thanks for nothing, George.
A Long, Long time ago . . . The World was soon to be completely amazed and I just turned 13 in May 1977
George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated: *(****)

Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Peter Cushing , and Alec Guinness
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FQJAIW
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of George Lucas's epic space fantasy Star Wars is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Star Wars as it originally played in theaters in 1977. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, the initial title crawl proclaims that this is just Star Wars, not Episode IV, A New Hope. Second, the film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more critters and droids scurrying around the port of Mos Eisley when Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi first arrive, no meetings between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut and between Luke and Biggs (extraneous scenes that were cut in 1977), no enhanced explosions during the final reel, and--most importantly to some fans--no more of Greedo shooting first in the bar. Instead Han is free to be the scoundrel and not even let Greedo squeeze off a shot.

What do you lose by watching the 1977 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here). Digital cleanup for another--Tatooine looks like it's been coated with an additional layer of sand cloud. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Star Wars, however, is not anamorphically enhanced (sometimes referred to as "4:3 letterbox"), so on a widescreen TV it will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, and the 1977 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Customer Reviews:

george come on!.......2007-06-25

com on George why don't you stop giving everybody this cheesy stuff? If you are going to remaster them, make everything better! picture sound, lightsaber and blast improvmets. and if u r going to sell the unre,astered then sell it Untouched! the only button u should press is the ''copy button''

Original version is important........2007-06-19

Personaly, I just wish to have both versions in good remastering in Anamorphic and DTS sound. Special verion is important but the Original is more important beause it has all the footages from 1977 release.

Special edition is important because it has Mr. Lucas real vision, which is being unabled to creat at that time. It is understandable but i was hoping to see the original in good picture and sound because i do agree with all reviewers that it was good enough and no needing for improvment. Changing the original for better might fix some part while destort another. The 1977 opening title was very simple and wonderul which was truly unforgttable watching it at theater as it apeared very new look, by adding new titles like IV New hope it felt destort that simplicity and add complexity, sometimes it felt like watching a TV series rather than a motion picture.

About new added footages of Jabba, the more i realized that im watching an animated picture the more i loose apatites to watch it more. Same thing to spaceships in last battle scene, i dont know if they are worthy and not staying with old ones. The more reshaping picture for better the more it become unrealistic and loose its powerfull effect.

But perhapse adding new footages without deleting old ones in order to expand the scene in general, it would be a good idea and interesting, especially in the last battle scene in my opinion.

Finaly, about the information displayed in beginning when louding DVD discs. Please can anyone inform the manufactures to disable these and just let the movie begain like old VHS and Laser Discs? Theses menues add more headache and complexity. A desire to watch one small part in the movie and leave, will require long time just pressing bottums and skipping.

Thanks for nothing, George........2007-06-14

I am just guessing here, but I think I know what's going to happen. In about 12-24 months we're going to get word that the Star Wars movies are scheduled to be released in High Definition. But they will only be available in a gorgeously-designed glossy 9-DVD Box Set, with all of the films (special editions), extras. Maybe it will have the original Star Wars illustration of Darth Vader across the box -- and it will be something around $200 list, $140 on Amazon.

Then once again people will voice their fury at Lucasfilm's arrogance. We will be stuck with Hayden Christansen digitally inserted into the finale of Return of the Jedi, a ridiculous CGI Jabba, the slobbering Max Reebo band, and everything else we detest.

Then in about 2010 an ageing Lucas will relent, say he has listened to all the hearfelt pleas, and to much ballyhoo announce that yes he will indeed be releasing the original versions, and yes, because he cares so much, he will even clean them up and release them properly. He will be a compassionate hero while at the same time make umpteen millions more.

Don't give this guy any more money. What he has done here is shameless and rude to the original fanbase. Non-anamorphic tranfers in this day and age is ridiculous.

A Long, Long time ago . . . The World was soon to be completely amazed and I just turned 13 in May 1977.......2007-06-11

The magical accending words that opened this phenomenon back on May 25th, 1977 @ SpringField Mall (VA) theatres; sent this 13 yr old 70's child into an endless STAR WARS fandom. I became instantly obsessed with bubble gum trading cards, comic books, action firgures, Jedi Knights and Light Sabers.

Originally, my family and I viewed our 1st screening of STAR WARS IV @ the 1 & 2 cinemas that use to reside in Bailey's Crossroads - Falls Church, VA (sad to say the theatre is no longer there). Massive long, long lines as all can remember, but much fun and laughter . . . all worth the wait. Not long after the 1st viewing, my mum would drop me off @ Springfield Mall w/my pals and we would make a day of seeing STAR WARS a few times; and then off to the arcade playing STAR WARS pinball, space invaders and air hockey. As the saying goes . . . those were the days.

Here we are at the 30th Anniversary of EPISODE IV and my where the time has gone. Sometimes it seems just yesterday, when I was basking in the bright sun standing within a long line at the neigborhood ice cream truck, looking at what STAR WARS trading cards I had in my hand and what I was going to soon own. And the glorious feeling I had once I purchased a few pacs of those magical fantastic cards. Thou sometimes it seems (as the opening words go) - A long time ago in a galaxy far far away . . .

After I received a stero system from my dad on that B-Day, I purchased an 8 track tape of IV and would listen to it every night faithfully. As I would drift off to sleep, the STAR WARS world came alive in my mind and a smile always laid upon my face. The tape was a condensed version of the movie and it too was extraordinary.
I can remember fading to black with the sounds of RD-D2, C-3PO, Chewie, Han, Luke, Ben, Leia, Tie-Fighters & X-Wings, the infamous M-Falcon, Sand People, Gran Moff Tarkin, the Death Star and the wonderful music. The best for last was the sounds of Vader's breathing and James Earl Jone's voice commanding the Dark Sith Lord.

The daily hustle & bustle of the modern world as a child seems incoherent. For a childs mind is always filled with play and or mischief and adventure. As an adult I am reminded of those times and long hours of role playing games. So, when I put EPISODE IV in the vcr, instantly I venture back to those days and of my wonderful memories that Mr. Lucas so kindly injested immortal memroies into my creative vortex.

Still after all these years and with the enhancement of special effects, I have and will evermore enjoy STAR WARS- A NEW HOPE. Always will I remember the monumental movie making experience it gave leading us into the 21st century.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" - Princess Leia
"Into the garbage chute, flyboy." - Leia

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid" - Han Solo
"Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee.' - Han Solo

"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire." - Obi-Wan
"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father." - Obi-Wan
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine." - Obi-wan
"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." - Obi-Wan

"Don't call me a mindless philosopher, you overweight glob of grease." - C-3PO

"The Force is strong with this one" - Darth Vader
"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed; the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force." - Vader

"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than two meters." - Luke
"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!" - Luke

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that is to be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan." - Moff Tarkin

I still posses a few original trading cards from IV, mostly thou from V & VI. I have the original wrappers the cards came in. My SW collection consists of: Action figures, VHS, DVD, CD, old fan club newsletters, stickers, light sabers and books.

Hats off and an endearing bow to you Mr. Lucas! How could you have ever known that you had created a phenomenon. The writing deserved the Pulitzer in my opinion. And as a writer, I know it can be most difficult to lay the whole story out on parchment when it roams in your mind for what seems an eternity. . . but when it is finally adapted to parchment, a masterpiece is thus born. The added element of glory, as I can only imagine, is to finally see the tale adapted to film and to live thru it's grand success.

STAR WARS - A NEW HOPE . . . escape to another time & place, explore worlds both small & grand, experience FORCES of good & evil, ancient religions, sci-fi & fantasy, jedi, farmboys, wookies & wizards, droids, saber duals, blasters, tie fighters & the Falcon, A Dark Lord who made the top of villian lists everywhere and so much more you simply must see.

The power of the FORCE will lure you in, enticing you to follow the chapters here after (and the prequels) in to this extrordinary Lucas realm.
Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

May The FORCE be with you . . . as it has been with me for 30 years.

LadyGray
Author of the Yuletide Tale - White Holly

George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated: *(****).......2007-06-07

I agree with any of a number of previous reviewers: Would somebody PLEASE take STAR WARS away from George Lucas before he ruins it completely?

Like Francis Ford Coppola, who messed with THE GODFATHER trilogy over and over again trying to "perfect" it, Lucas keeps coming back to the original STAR WARS trilogy and adding enhanced effects and formerly deleted scenes.

In what is now known as STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE, (let me catch my breath a minute, please), Lucas decided to add creatures to the Mos Eiseley spaceport scene, alter the classic cantina scene, throw in a scene between Jabba the Hutt and Han Solo in the hangar of the "Millennium Falcon," add a sappy reunion scene between Biggs and Luke just before the Battle of Yavin, make the battle scene explosions more "dramatic," do a score of other little tweaks, and clean up the print.

Lucas has done this so many times over the past three decades that it's now impossible to figure out which film is the "real" STAR WARS. Of all the questionable "improvements" he's made, cleaning up the print is the only worthwhile effort. Most of the added scenes add nothing to the film, the "extra" creatures are interesting but unnecessary, and some of the changes actually degrade the movie, because the dialogue is repetitious. For example:

IN THE CANTINA:

Greedo---Jabba has no use for smugglers who dump their cargoes at the first sign of an Imperial ship.

Han---Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?

and

IN THE HANGAR:

Jabba--- I have no use for smugglers who dump their cargoes at the first sign of an Imperial ship.

Han---Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?

Not only was it repetitious, but the hangar scene immediately followed the cantina scene, making the repetition even more obvious. DEAR LORD, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, MR. LUCAS??????

Fortunately, this two-disc set contains the original theatrical release with all the nicks and imperfections it was born with. The print's a bit dim, and the special effects are showing their limitations after thirty years, but this is the STAR WARS that will remain STAR WARS. It is what it is, and it never needed changes. Given the immense amount of material that has grown up around STAR WARS since it was first released, Lucas would have been smarter to release one or the other or both versions as he did, but added an Extras disc with all kinds of "The Making Of.." and "The Legacy Of..." goodies. I was disappointed that this isn't that set.

I was one of the first people to see STAR WARS when it debuted in the summer of 1977. At age 17, this now-classic movie became and remains a benchmark of an era in my life. While I never became a "Jedihead" (the original tag for the STAR WARS version of a Trekkie), I liked the film a great deal.