Revolution

Starring:Jonathan Adams, Steven Berkoff, Jesse Birdsall, Theresa Boden, Paul Brooke, Robbie Coltrane, Felicity Dean, Dexter Fletcher, Joseph Running Fox, Stefan Gryff, Kate Hardie, Tristram Jellinek, Cameron Johann, Nastassja Kinski, Denis Lacroix
Studio: C Logic
Product Type: DVD

Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)

Average customer rating:

really an amazing film
I'll never forget this movie.
Man's Labyrinth
Refreshing, Imaginative, Different
Hated it

Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)
Starring: Ariadna Gil , Ivana Baquero , Sergi López , Maribel Verdú , and Doug Jones
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Fountain (Widescreen Edition)
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)
The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00005JPA6
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com

Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, Jorge Luis Borges, and Guillermo del Toro's own unlimited imagination, Pan's Labyrinth is a fairytale for adults. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) may only be 12, but the worlds she inhabits, both above and below ground, are dark as anything del Toro has conjured. Set in rural Spain, circa 1944, Ofelia and her widowed mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil, Belle Epoque), have just moved into an abandoned mill with Carmen's new husband, Captain Vidal (Sergi López, With a Friend like Harry). Carmen is pregnant with his son. Other than her sickly mother and kindly housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú, Y Tu Mamá También), the dreamy Ofelia is on her own. Vidal, an exceedingly cruel man, couldn't be bothered. He has informers to torture. Ofelia soon finds that an entire universe exists below the mill. Her guide is the persuasive Faun (Doug Jones, Mimic). As her mother grows weaker, Ofelia spends more and more time in the satyr's labyrinth. He offers to help her out of her predicament if she'll complete three treacherous tasks. Ofelia is willing to try, but does this alternate reality really exist or is it all in her head? Del Toro leaves that up to the viewer to decide in a beautiful, yet brutal twin to The Devil's Backbone, which was also haunted by the ghost of Franco. Though it lacks the humor of Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth represents Guillermo Del Toro at the top of his considerable game. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Following a bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother. But soon, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn back, she finds herself at the center of a ferocious battle between good and evil.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Video Prologue by Guillermo Del Toro Audio Commentary by Director Guillermo Del Toro
Featurette:The Power of Myth Featurette The Faun and the Fairies Featurette The Color and The Shape Featurette The Charlie Rose Show featuring Director Guillermo Del Toro The Director's Notebook
Production Sketches
Storyboards:Storyboard Video Prologue by Guillermo del Toro. Storyboard/Thumbnail compares
Theatrical Trailer:Theatrical teaser, Theatrical trailer, TV spots

Customer Reviews:

really an amazing film.......2007-07-05

Wow, this was an amazing movie, beautiful cinematography and compassionate, wonderful acting, testifying to the power of art and imagination -- and ultimately, however, its limits. The world is what it is -- there may be one where kindness, decency, and sacrifice are rewarded, but it's not the one we inhabit; but for the sake of Ofelia it's almost too painful to believe it doesn't exist, somewhere.

I'll never forget this movie........2007-07-05

This movie scarred me silly! I knew it had subtittles, but I just figured it was a cute fantasy film like Harry Potter. No, no, no! This movies is not in the least bit cute, rather it is extremely violent and ultra surreal, and it leaves great big holes in your stomach. Despite all of these horrid emotions I felt while watching this movie, I must admit, It's the most artistic film I've ever seen. The actors are all verry good, and the story is oscar worthy. This movie is special, and it's something I am happy to recommend, but I insist that if your a parent, keep this far away from your children. This is a verry scarry as well as a verry heart breaking fatansy film for adults only.

Man's Labyrinth.......2007-07-04

This is neither about Pan, nor his labyrinth. Beautifully done, brilliantly acted and scripted, this is a dark drama of two tales.

An evil Captain wants to wipe out the commie partisans in his sector, but obstacles are placed before him by the altruistic housekeeper and physician of his compound, sited somewhere in a wooded area of Spain, in 1944. He also wants his male child to be born there with him, at all costs, including that of the mother's life, if necessary, he tells the doctor.

A little girl, his stepdaughter, wants to see her mother's pregnancy-gone-bad come to a happy end, as well as find her own bliss, but crosses an exceedingly thin line between fantasy and reality, or psychosis and the brutality of living.

The Captain ruthlessly murders any partisans--or even suspects whom he finds, and mistreats virtually everyone else not wearing the same uniform he does. He makes ordinary "evil" look like a Girl Scout cookie sale.

The little girl becomes involved with a Faun, of dubious character--bad--good--what is it--who lives in a subterranean labyrinth, which we don't see much of, faeries, a magic book, a very scary monstrosity who forever dines at an untouchable banquet, and a horrible enchanted toad who deadens the roots of a great and mystic tree.

So, we have two story lines, several Heroines/Heroes, and one very bad Nemesis, all working toward a final and central denouement which is handled with a startling lack of sentimentality, and a twist that left me wondering.

The two plots merge for the denouement, via the newborn baby, whom everyone wants for their own end: the little girl, the evil Captain, the housekeeper, and even the Faun.

The director never shows us for certain whether the little girl imagines everything that is magical, or it is all somehow real. I would like to think that by leaving out the True of it, as such an obviously open question, it was all real.

However, in the same manner, the question's white-hot and glaring lack of resolution seems a cop-out. I think the ending needed a tad more development to make the central question more tastily nebulous.

This movie is a dark, brilliant, and stunning little success. It is NOT for children at all.

Refreshing, Imaginative, Different.......2007-07-04

If you seek refreshment and innovative storytelling this is it.

A Spanish language film, Labyrinth is the darker more sinister sister of The Chronicles of Narnia. It is a haunting allegory set in an unlikely place - if you pay attention you can see the Biblical references and follow the line all the way to the end, where it becomes less subtle.

If you're not into that 'stuff', it's okay - it's still a magical ride that is also a bit of a mystery. The visual effects are understated and lack the 'look at me' Hollywood glamour, makes them all the more attractive.

The backdrop of the story adds historical realism and another layer to follow but complements the underlying meaning of this paradoxical tale of light and darkness.

If you don't mind watching and reading you'll like this little bit of escape.

Hated it.......2007-07-04

FIRST - there should be warnings to folks that it's subtitled and I don't see that anywhere - Pretty much everything on the DVD and descriptions are in English except the movie itself. It might be a good movie for stylist, process enthusiasts, or people who enjoy tragic tales, but for some one who is an escapist, or just like to actually enjoy a movie, this is not the one.
I'd call it a perverse exploitation of darkness and depression - choices only of one evil or another - reminds me of that disburbing feeling I got when I read le malentendu in high school. From reading the other reviews, I guess I'd have to say this movie was just too far above me.

Average customer rating:

really an amazing film
I'll never forget this movie.
Man's Labyrinth
Refreshing, Imaginative, Different
Hated it

Pan's Labyrinth
Starring: Ariadna Gil , Ivana Baquero , Sergi López , Maribel Verdú , and Doug Jones
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Fountain (Widescreen Edition)
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)
The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000O76ZQC
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com

Description

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Feature Audio Commentary by Director Guillermo del Toro
Theatrical Trailer:Theatrical teaser, Theatrical trailer

Customer Reviews:

really an amazing film.......2007-07-05

I'll never forget this movie........2007-07-05

Man's Labyrinth.......2007-07-04

Refreshing, Imaginative, Different.......2007-07-04

Hated it.......2007-07-04

Average customer rating:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features
good movie
Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss
Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins
Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better

Blood Diamond [Blu-ray]
Starring: Leonard DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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

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Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
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Mel Gibson's Apocalypto [Blu-ray]
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray]
Letters from Iwo Jima [Blu-ray]
Casino Royale [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000N0WCLC
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

Customer Reviews:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features.......2007-07-03

Again HD DVD has all the extra features that BD does not have...Why would anyone support BD for less features is beyond me. Sad!

good movie .......2007-06-27

besides the superb quality of Blu Ray the film itself is worth the buy alone.

good actors, beatiful pictures and of course a meaningful story about the conflicts
that sorounding Diamonds and other resources that cost human lifes, sad thing.

as for the extras Nas Musicvideo included but not 1080p
and actor and director sugesstions mostly in 1080p

TIA :)

Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss.......2007-06-21

The Movie Itself received 5 Academy Award nominations, including best actor and best supporting actor. "Blood Diamond" was directed by Edward Zwick. The film itself is set in Sierra Leone Africa in 1999 during a civil war over "blood diamonds." These diamonds in the mines are found by the kidnapped boys that are forced to be made part of the rebel forces. Once found the diamonds then are smuggled out of the country and used basically to buy more weapons and just make the war even worse.

The film primarily stars Leonardo DiCaprio as "Danny Archer" (an ex-mercenary turned smuggler), Dijimon Honsou as "Solomon Vandy" (an African fisherman who's struggling against rebel forces to reunite with his family) and Jennifer Connelly as "Maddy Bowen" (an American journalist trying to expose the "Blood Diamond" ordeal going on in Africa).

The basic plot here to the film is that "Solomon Vandy" has been kidnapped by rebels who took his family and put his son "Dia Vandy" in the rebel army. "Soloman" is forced to work in the diamond mines and finds a huge pink diamond. After seeing that others who try to hide diamonds they find get executed by the commander of the rebel forces, "Soloman" still tries to hide this one in between his toes. He tells the foreman he needs to use the bathroom to try to make a smooth get away and hide the diamond but things don't go as planned. Long story short "Soloman" ends up in jail with "Danny Archer" who knows that he has hid the diamond. So "Archer" arranges for him to be released after he gets out himself and offers to help him get back his family in exchange for the diamond. Sounds simple enough, right?

I can now see why this film got the Academy Award nominations it that it did for best actor and best supporting actor. This is honestly a really good film.

Video Quality on this release is in VC-1 on a 50 gigabyte Dual-Layer Blu-ray Disc. The real problem here is consistency in the video quality. A majority of the time (especially the outdoors scenes) the picture is great but there are some rare occasions that (even other reviewers have noted) have some artifacts and pixilation problems. The real thing that tends to make this show is smoke in dark scenes. The black level is overall solid. Chances are by the time this film makes it's way to HD DVD I would say Warner Brothers will redo the video transfer. Considering like I said, this problem has been stated by others than just myself.

Overall though the video quality is good on this release and the rare problems in the consistency should not discourage the Blu-ray consumer from purchasing this release. If it does discourage you from purchasing this Blu-ray and you don't own a HD DVD player, you're totally going to be missing out on a really good film. If you do own a HD DVD player and are still a bit skeptic, my best advice for you is to wait until July when the film will be released on HD DVD.

Audio Quality on this release is in Uncompressed Linear PCM 5.1 @4.6Mbps as well as standard Dolby Digital 5.1. Like "The Departed" on Blu-ray Disc Warner Brothers decided to give this release a PCM 5.1 track. This is one of the few Warner releases on Blu-ray Disc to feature this and it's a shame because this really pays off to make for an amazing sound experience. The sounds of everything from crickets to gunfire to explosions to even the score sound absolutely awesome.

Bonus Materials on this release are in 16:9 (Widescreen) standard definition. First off is obviously an audio commentary by Director Edward Zwick. All of the bonus materials have subtitles to them here and pretty much describe what they are so I won't be going into a lot of detail unless it's noteworthy. There's "Focus Points: Featurettes and Production Diaries (46 minutes) which is pretty much the "making of" to this film. "Blood on the Stone: Follow a Diamond's Path from the Ground to the Store" (50 minutes) is a really in-depth look at the real "Blood Diamonds" out there. "Becoming Archer: Profiling Leonardo DiCaprio" (8 minutes) is just as it says, just a profile on Leo in this film. "Journalism on the Front Line: Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at War" (5 minutes) on the other hand is less about her and more about the actual women journalists that do cover these type of events. "Inside the Siege of Freetown: Edward Zwick on One of the Movie's Pivotal Sequences" (10 minutes) is really interesting and worth watching. Lastly there is the music video for "Shine on Em" by Nas. Overall this release has some pretty decent bonus materials but I have a feeling that an "In-Movie Experience" on HD DVD will be a tad better.

-- Review written by Justin Sluss of HighDefDiscNews.com

Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins.......2007-06-18

The movie was good. Buy it, rent it, rip it, whatever you want to do - just watch the movie.

From what I understand, ALL the Warner Bros high def transfers are mastered for HD-DVD first and then ported to Blu-Ray, making the technology argument completely moot. It's mastered in HD-DVD format first because it's easier and more economical for the studio to do so. What have we learned today? To date (as far as I know), all WB high def titles are mastered for HD-DVD, even if it's on Blu-Ray.

I still think Leo DiCaprio should have been Oscar nominated and won for his role in The Departed. But he did well in Blood Diamond, too. If you are fortunate enough to have both HD-DVD and BR, spread the love and pick up The Departed in HD-DVD, since it'll look identical to the BR version ;-O

It really is a shame that one has to go to the standard def DVD page to find out if people liked the movie, rather than have a typing war on why one format is superior than the other. If the studios really were as smart as they think they are, they'd release the same titles on both formats, allowing the people to decide who wins. Plus, they'd make potloads of money by having their cake and eating it, too.

Just my two cents.

Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better.......2007-06-08

Great moivie and love it, thought it was Dicapro's best performance. I enjoyed this movie at the theatre and thought the Blu-ray made this movie more enjoyable. It is not the best transfer not it is any reference material but the movie is great. I don't understand why those HD-DVD fanboi making comment on a Blu-ray disc, I will not buy a HD-DVD disk or player ever, that format is dying and thanks to my intelligent I pick the right format. All I can say is enjoy this great movie.

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie

Blood Diamond [HD DVD]
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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

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ASIN: B000MZHW1S
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Amazon.com

Leonardo DiCaprio puts a handsome face on an ugly industry: In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. DiCaprio (The Departed) plays Danny Archer, a white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by Solomon Vandy, a native fisherman (Djimon Hounsou, In America) recently escaped from enslavement by a brutal rebel leader. Archer offers a deal: He'll help Vandy find his war-scattered family if Vandy will share the diamond with him. Drawn into this web of exploitation is journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly, Little Children), who agrees to help if Archer will tell her the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world. DiCaprio is compelling because he never flinches from Archer's utter ruthlessness; Archer ends up doing the morally justifiable thing, but only because his desperate greed has led him to it. Hounsou and Connelly, though saddled with all the moral and political speeches, rise above the cant and keep the movie's treacherously formulaic plot rooted in human characters. But in the end, the story won't stick with you as much as the dead stillness in the child soldiers' eyes; the horror of African civil strife refuses to be contained by Blood Diamond's uplifting message--and the movie is all the more potent as a result. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

This movie truly is an eye opener. Even though it is very hard to watch because of all of the killing, it is still a must see movie. Well written and well acted. I'm not a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but this movie made me think twice. Djimon Hansu is phenomenal. This movie shows the brutality of greed and power. Highly recommended.

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Greed is the dark heart of "Blood Diamond," director Edward Zwick's ("Traffic," "The Last Samurai") uncompromising look into the underground trafficking of illegally-traded gems in sub-Saharan Africa. Greed of corrupt men for power, greed of an amoral mercenary willing to sacrifice anything for a chance to escape Africa, greed of Western businessmen who seek to artificially control the diamond market, and the greed of a simple man for his family's return. This movie powerfully demonstrates the valuelessness of a human life to those persons obsessed with blood diamond collection in war-ravaged Sierra Leone.

Djimon Hounsou plays Solomon Vandy, a simple fisherman and father of two who witnesses his idyllic existence crumble before his eyes. Rebels seeking new recruits, slaves, and random carnage swarm into his village. They select his adolescent son and other young men as future cadets in their guerilla army--following suitable brainwashing and manipulation techniques--before then getting down to the real business of slave collection. Seemingly devoid of any mental workings besides casual sadism, these bandits top-off their kidnapping and slave-taking exercise with the mutilation and execution of men deemed too troublesome for them to bother with. Vandy is rescued from dismemberment at the last minute when the rebels recognize his strength, seeing it as an asset they can utilize in their constant search for capital: the blood diamond pits. Condemned to toiling underneath the blazing sun with nary a chance of reaping any benefit (besides possible continued survival) for his efforts, Vandy happens to discover an egg-sized blood diamond hidden in the streambed. Hiding it underneath his foot, he buries it when the rebel encampment is attacked by government troops. The only witness to his "theft" is the wounded slave captain--now captured, along with Vandy, by government forces--who swears that the former fisherman will soon be begging to reveal the diamond's whereabouts.

Parallel to Djimon's character's storyline is the tale of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an opportunistic solider of fortune caught within a dichotomy of conflicting motivation. He desires escape from Africa at any cost, yet secretly knows that his blood will someday mix with the earth of his homeland. Perhaps it is this realization that he is doomed which propels Archer forward: in every action and every word, he seems to be daring destiny to obliterate him. Taken in and trained from a young age by Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo), Archer is easily the most dangerous entity alive on the continent: ruthless, misanthropic, callous, manipulative, and incredibly lethal with bullet and blade. After a close-call haggling with rebel leaders over fair prices for blood diamonds, Archer is arrested for smuggling while crossing the Sierra Leone border. It is here that he intercepts the distraught Vandy and begins weaving a plan to save himself from the war-torn country: by dangling the freedom of the fisherman's family as bait to cajole Vandy into revealing the gigantic diamond's location. Solomon, though a simple man, is not so easily fooled. He eventually agrees to help Archer--but only if the mercenary agrees to help locate his family and also permit Solomon to be his travel companion.

There is barely time for indrawn breath during the watching of this movie. Action sequences are furious, brutal, and frequent. The pace of the movie is frenetic. The score is perfect throughout. The "education" of Vandy's son by the rebels is heart-wrenching. Solomon's overarching belief that fatherhood trumps all initially feels naïve, but is eventually revealed to be the singularly most powerful force in the entire movie. Danny's character--the realist mercenary who seems most capable of surviving, when compared to Vandy--shows the most evolution, shedding layers of the personality onion until an actual human appears. He is moved to reveal an element of his past to the beautiful American reporter (Jennifer Connelly), whose persistence and mutual survivorship cements a bond they both were too proud to admit from their first meeting. Archer and Vandy relationship morphs into something beautiful when a sacrifice is needed, prompting Solomon to reverse that remarkably chauvinistic statement made by Rudyard Kipling over one hundred years ago: the "white man's burden."

This is hands-down Djimon's most impressive performance: I have never seen him better represent a character. In fact, he blurs the line between character and actor, totally suspending my disbelief to the point where I "knew" him only as Vandy. I have been told by an acquaintance--currently living in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)--that DiCaprio's accent is spot-on. In addition, he was utterly believable as heartless mercenary, and his later transformation was also quite convincing. The action sequences were, as mentioned, jaw-dropping in their intensity, but never felt gratuitous or over-the-top.

Easily one of my five favorite movies of 2006--miss it, and you risk missing some of the finest cinematographic wizardry and directorial finesse of cinema from the last year, period.

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

The Blood Diamond has double meaning. An extremely bloody war is being funded by diamonds, and the stars of the movie are after a huge stone that has a red tint to it. Leonardo Dicaprio is after the diamond and Djimon Hounsou (named Solomon in the movie) agrees to show him where it is, but only goes along with Dicaprio so that he can find his son. Solomon's son has been been taken and made into a 10 year old rebel soldier. Jennifer Connelly plays a journalist and does a great job of using her charm to help forget about the war that is going on, even if it is just for a moment. The best parts are the action scenes. Solomon will do whatever he has to to get his son back, and likewise for Dicaprio with the diamond. It all leads to a very exciting ending.

There is great drama, a great story, and marvelous acting from everybody, but the action sequences stood out the most to me. The rebels seem to enjoy killing everyone and anyone. When they show up, expect to see some intense shoutouts. The 2 fight scenes are also good, mainly because Djimon Hounsou is such a superb actor. I wouldn't have minded seeing more of his rage. Dicaprio also gives an extraordinary performance. He may be better in this than he was in 'The Aviator'.

This is the best movie I have seen in at least a couple months, and I am a hardcore movie junkie. I don't like giving away too much in my reviews, in fact I always try to give away as little as possible. My rating sums up how I feel the best. This movie gets a perfect 5/5 from me. It is relentless, and I couldn't look away for a second. I can't believe I waited so long to finally watch this.

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Two-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005JPGO
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonard DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director, Edward Zwick (A revealing look at a filmmaker?s personal journey.)
Documentary:Blood on the Stone (RT: 50:00) Follow the path of a diamond from the ground to the store.
Featurette:1) Becoming Archer (RT: 8:29) - A profile of Leonardo DiCaprio and how he trained for the war; 2) Journalism on the Front Line (RT: approx 6:07) - Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at war; 3) Inside the Siege of Freetown (RT: 10:28) - See how Ed Zwick tackled the pivotal scene.
Music Video:"Shine On Em" by rap artist Nas

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

The Dreamers (Original Uncut NC-17 Version)

Average customer rating:

THE DREAMERS
perfect quality and cheap, too
Adequate productions, etc.
Great Movie!
House of 'Yes' in the War Zone or The First Tango in Paris

The Dreamers (Original Uncut NC-17 Version)
Starring: Michael Pitt (II) , Eva Green , Louis Garrel , Anna Chancellor , and Robin Renucci
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Release Date: 2004-07-13

Amazon.com

A love letter to movies (and the French new wave of the 1960s in particular), Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers starts with a 1968 riot outside of a Parisian movie palace then burrows into an insular love triangle. Matthew (Michael Pitt, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), an expatriate American student, bonds with a twin brother and sister, Isabelle (Eva Green) and Theo (Louis Garrel), over their mutual love of film--they not only quote lines of dialogue, they act out small bits and challenge each other to name the cinematic source. Matthew suspects the twins of incest, but that doesn't stop him from falling into his own intimacies with Isabelle. As the threesome becomes threatened, Paris succumbs to student riots. The Dreamers aspires to be kinky, but the results are more decorative than decadent; nonetheless, the movie's lively energy recalls the careless and vital exuberance of Godard and Truffaut. --Bret Fetzer

Description

From Academy Award®-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor, 1987), comes an erotic tale of three young film lovers brought together by their passion for movies -- and each other. When Isabelle and Theo (Eva Green, Louis Garrel) invite Matthew (Michael Pitt) to stay with them, what begins as a casual friendship ripens into a sensual voyage of discovery and desire in which nothing is off limits and anything is possible. Featuring an engaging, seductive cast, The Dreamers is a ?spellbinding, provocative feast!" (Ebert & Roeper)

Customer Reviews:

THE DREAMERS.......2007-07-01

Its tempting to try selling this film as the debut performance by the newest Bond girl Eva Green.

As an alternate, see my review, as well as this Amazon review by Bret Fetzer below mine.

Many would attempt judging this film as kinky with a sprinkling of frontal nudity and a menage a' trois scene thrown in (the NC-17) version. However, this Bernardo Bertolucci film would rather like to remembered as a love letter to the movies and to the average Parisian's intense love for good films. Using a backdrop of the 1968 student riots brought about by the firing of the director at the Cinematheque Francais - a temple for students and afficionados of art films, the story weaves into it the coming-of-age story of a bother-sister par and a young exchange student from America living together duing the heady days, and their evolving relationship.
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"A love letter to movies (and the French new wave of the 1960s in particular), Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers starts with a 1968 riot outside of a Parisian movie palace then burrows into an insular love triangle. Matthew (Michael Pitt, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), an expatriate American student, bonds with a twin brother and sister, Isabelle (Eva Green) and Theo (Louis Garrel), over their mutual love of film--they not only quote lines of dialogue, they act out small bits and challenge each other to name the cinematic source. Matthew suspects the twins of incest, but that doesn't stop him from falling into his own intimacies with Isabelle. As the threesome becomes threatened, Paris succumbs to student riots. The Dreamers aspires to be kinky, but the results are more decorative than decadent; nonetheless, the movie's lively energy recalls the careless and vital exuberance of Godard and Truffaut". --Bret Fetzer
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perfect quality and cheap, too.......2007-05-13

For $5, a great film at an even better price...

Adequate productions, etc........2007-05-07

This was an ok flick...........always good to see up and coming artists and these were fine......Eva Green should definitely do more of these types........very sexy.....sequel might do better.........

Great Movie!.......2007-05-07

If you haven't seen it you should, if you have then you're already here to buy it.

Some of the finest modern film making, subtle, sensual, insightful.

Not a fan of the last 4 minutes though.. other than that better than great till that point.

House of 'Yes' in the War Zone or The First Tango in Paris.......2007-04-26

When Bernardo Bertolucci makes a new film, I want to see it. I know it will be visually beautiful, deep and meaningful. Even when he is not completely successful - his films are difficult to forget. It applies to "The Dreamers" (2003)

In this film, Bertolucci returns to Paris of 1968. His First Tango is as shocking as Last one - it received NC-17 rating for very open scenes of nudity, masturbation, sex, and the hints to incest. But it is not just about sex - it is about film itself. It was the time when Pauline Kael said, "Bertolucci and Brando have altered the face of an art form". It was the time when a crowd in Chicago would line up under umbrellas on the sidewalk, waiting in the rain to get into the next screening of Godard's "Weekend." It was the time when movie makers became the Artists. It was the time when closing down of the famous Cinematheque Francais in Paris by the government started the student culture riots which became the part of youthful rebellion all over the Western World.

Young American, Mathew, a devoted movie buff (Michael Pitt who by the opinion of several reviewers looks like cross between Leo DiCaprio and Macaulay Culkin. I found him looking more like young Roger Ebert would've. ) becomes friends with two French students and fellow movie lovers, twins Isabella (Eva Green, in a star making debut) and Theo (Louis Garrel) and accepts their invitation to stay with them at their apartment while their intellectual parents are away for vacation.

All three are big fans of movies - they not only talk about movies, they live their favorite scenes. "The Dreamers" is Bertolucci's love letter to cinema, and his irony toward people taking it so seriously that the real world is ignored.

When Matthew moves in with the twins, the result closely resembles "Last Tango in Paris". Much of the film's second half occurs in that apartment, as insular as Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider's more than thirty years ago. Flirting becomes passion becomes dark and dangerous games to see how far someone will go. The difference is that the kids of "The Dreamers" are not as complicated and interesting as Paul or Jeanne (especially Paul, one of the greatest performances by genius Brando).

With this wistful ode to sex, cinema, and the heated atmosphere of the '60s, Bertolucci has proved that he is still on the top of his game. I will be happily waiting for his next film.

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie

Blood Diamond (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000MZHW40
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

Duck, You Sucker (aka A Fistful of Dynamite) (2-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Leone's Meditation on Violence
A Masterpiece Few have seen
What a ride!
My Favorite Leone Film.
Just some additional words....

Duck, You Sucker (aka A Fistful of Dynamite) (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: James Coburn , Rod Steiger , Maria Monti , Rik Battaglia , and Franco Graziosi
Director: Sergio Leone
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

For a Few Dollars More (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
A Fistful of Dollars (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Prince of the City (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Straight Time
If... (Criterion Collection)

ASIN: B000OPOANO
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com

A different sort of Sergio Leone Western, this one takes place during the Mexican Revolution, with more politics than usual. But there's still plenty of action, with Rod Steiger as a cigar-chomping peasant who robs banks to liberate political prisoners, and James Coburn as an Irish terrorist trying to flee from his bitter past. They team up to thwart a sadistic officer and help the cause; redemption for the more subdued Coburn provides added depth. This contains the longer uncut version (released in Italy) known as Duck, You Sucker, featuring more flashbacks, more politics, and a more unsavory Steiger. But it's terrific fun, with Ennio Morricone's moody score and Coburn's most underrated performance. --Bill Desowitz

Customer Reviews:

Leone's Meditation on Violence.......2007-07-04

Those thinking that "Duck, You Sucker" is in the mold of the "Dollars" trilogy and "Once Upon A Time in the West" are in for a rude awakening. The film's setting is not what you would call the traditional West rather revolutionary Mexico in the early part of the 20th century. Like other Leone epics it is deliberately paced but no less effective. Leone isn't so much concerned with taking sides rather the toll revolution takes on a man's soul. The violence and the betrayals of war are an inherent byproduct and they wear on a man's visage. Leone offers two characters as our guides through the chaos: Juan(Rod Steiger), a peasant revolutionary so disgusted by war that his motives now are mostly mercenary and Sean(James Coburn), an escaped IRA munitions expert who hires out his services to the insurgents. Steiger is certainly fine but it's Coburn who steals the show as a man debating within himself why he does what he does. For sure Leone stages alot of thrilling action sequences but it's in the film's quieter moments that offer food for thought. I've seen this film in truncated TV version's under the title of "A Fistful of Dynamite". These versions are generally incoherent and are mainly concerned with the film's pyrotechnics. Avoid these versions if at all possible.

A Masterpiece Few have seen.......2007-06-23

This film disappointed many Leone fans when it came out, because it is not a shoot 'em up like his earlier films. It has plenty of action but is much more cerebral and a character study of two men who are changed by their association with the other. Both try to use the other for their own gain, but in the end, become much wiser and better friends, despite the fact that they start off as enemies.

It has some very valid things to say about leftism and revolutionaries that are as timely today as in 1972.

Yes, Steiger's accent is horrible. He sounds like he is trying to imitate Pacino in Scarface, which came out 10 years later. Coburn's accent is laid on pretty thick. But, once you get past that, and you can, it really is an astounding piece of film making. Something you don't see anymore. While big budget films of today are long on spectacle, they have very little to say that isn't obvious or lame. This film is both intelligent and awe inspiring in some of its sequences.

Further, it's full of subtly and nuance. Something you'd never see in an American film of this scale. Highly recommended. I can watch this film every year without bordom.

What a ride!.......2007-06-22

Finally out on DVD! And with a few new twists from the VHS version, especially the ending -- the final flashback sequence. Of course I got its meaning. Much later after the screening, that is. Will you? A no brainer film like this making me work the final flashback sequence out into the whole of James Coburn's character so that he made some kind of sense in the story. My compliments to Mr. Leone! Incredible acting from James Coburn and Rod Stieger. Yes, Stierger's accent is bad but who cares! The feeling he gives to his character is incredible! Great cinema, many memorable lines, and an enduring film score; one of Morricone's finest. Don't expect anything from this film. It is better that way. Give it room to breath and allow it to take you where it wants to go, and soon you will experience a feeling that you are definately on a ride. And at the film's conclusion you'll have felt as if you had actually been somewhere. If you are a Leone fan this film is not to be missed.
--I can imagine father...
--The people who read the books go to the people who don't read the books and say we want a revolution...
--He acts like a tourist only he's staying...
--I don't want to be a hero of the revolution...
--What about me...

My Favorite Leone Film........2007-06-19

I am a big fan of Sergio Leone. There are no other movies quite like his. His use of wide vistas and extreme close-ups is well known along with a penchant for large scale action set pieces and sudden bursts of violence. As a silent film fan though I admire his lack of dialogue, deliberate pace, and use of music/sound effects to underscore the action and propel the story along. Nowhere is that more in evidence than in GIU LA TESTA (lower your head or keep your head down) known as DUCK, YOU SUCKER which is the middle film in his final trilogy of ONCE UPON A TIME cinematic fairy tales (Leone originally wanted to call this film ONCE UPON A TIME...THE REVOLUTION).
Released in 1972 in a variety of running times and under various titles (A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE in the U.K. and the U.S.), it disappeared quickly and has been unseen in it's original form until the release of this DVD. At 157 minutes it's 37 minutes longer than previous prints and the footage that was cut is of great significance as it provides the heart and soul of the picture and deepens the relationship between the Rod Steiger and James Coburn characters. It also restores the overtly political message of the film about war in general and revolution in particular.
The accents employed by Steiger and Coburn are frequently criticised but that misses the point as they're not meant to be realistic. Everything in Leone is exaggerated deliberately to create the effect he wants. The long pauses, the flashbacks, the larger than life performances are all there to magnify the intensity of the character's emotions and to inspire their reactions to what goes on around them. When Leone's films are cut or rearranged (as his last four films were) it actually makes them seem longer because the grand design has been tampered with and it throws them out-of-sync. While Leone loved the look of American movies he hated their pacing which is the opposite of a storyteller's and that's what he was. His three last films were the prime examples of his skills in that department.
The new widescreen print of DUCK, YOU SUCKER is gorgeous and the sound has been remixed but it's the missing footage that really turns this film from just a spectacular action picture into something far more substantial that will stay with you long after it's over as all of Leone's best movies tend to do. Repeated viewings will only deepen the experience as you just can't get it all in one sitting. For it's offbeat sense of humor, Ennio Morricone's surreal score, the most spectacular train wreck ever filmed, and the surprising depth of Steiger's and Coburn's performances, DUCK, YOU SUCKER, while not his best (that's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST), remains my favorite Sergio Leone film

Just some additional words...........2007-06-18

As finally this grande filme from mestre Serginho has finally arrived to USA in DVD format, most has been said from the various Amazon reviews, and the intrevistas within the DVD itself!
Just to add my own "dos centavos" , two items I note that I feel of additional interest to add

1) Rod Steiger, not the 1st choice for the character , the bandito Juan, and his acting really adds to the film. His "spanish accent" the absolute WORSE, only Al Pacino as Scarface inlater years was as much a "supremo absurdo"! haha! This "accent" adds flavour and more humor to "Juan", and I think a "lucky accident" Eli Wallach (Tuco , from the "good, bad, an ugly") did not get the role. (even as Eli is one of my favourite USA actors, and his portrayal of Tuco "legend" in film histories..)

2) the soundtrack of "Giú la Testa" (the original title I know this film by..),one of the greatest soundtracks of mestre Morricone, and for soundtracks in general. I higly recommend to find and purchase, a wonderful companion to the film.

1000000000 stars for signore Leone, as always, his epic films perfect, "warts and all", as they say...

The History Channel Presents The Revolution

Average customer rating:

Informative and Entertaining
Multi-dimensional examination of the war
Great Idea, Great Production....Awful DVD Quality
Wonderful Collection

The History Channel Presents The Revolution
Starring: American Revolution , Revolutionary War , War of Independence , and George Washington
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

The Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower
The History Channel Presents The War of 1812
Decisive Battles of the Ancient World (History Channel)
The War That Made America - The Story of the French and Indian War
The American Revolution (History Channel)

ASIN: B000IB0DD0
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Description

They came of age in a new world amid intoxicating and innovative ideas about human and civil rights, diverse economic systems, and self-government. In a few short years these men and women would transform themselves into architects of the future through the building of a new nation unlike any that had ever come before. From the roots of the rebellion and the signing of the Declaration of Independence to victory on the battlefield at Yorktown and the adoption of The United States Constitution, THE REVOLUTION tells the remarkable story of this pivotal era in history. Venturing beyond the conventional list of generals and politicians, THE HISTORY CHANNEL® introduces the full range of individuals who helped shape this great conflict, including some of the war's most influential unsung heroes. Through sweeping cinematic recreations, intimate biographical investigations, and provocative political, military, and economic analysis, the historic ideas and themes that transformed treasonous acts against the British into noble acts of courage both on and off the battlefield come to life in this dramatic and captivating program. DVD Features: Behind the Scenes; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection 6/4/2006 Episode 1: Boston, Bloody Boston 6/11/2006 Episode 2: Rebellion to Revolution 6/18/2006 Episode 3: Declaring Independence 6/25/2006 Episode 4: American Crisis 7/2/2006 Episode 5: Path to World War 7/9/2006 Episode 6: Forging an Army 7/16/2006 Episode 7: Treason and Betrayal 7/23/2006 Episode 8: The War Heads South 7/30/2006 Episode 9: A Hornet's Nest 8/6/2006 Episode 10: The End Game 8/13/2006 Episode 11: Becoming a Nation 8/20/2006 Episode 12: Road to the Presidency (fka Legacy) 8/27/2006 Episode 13: A President and His Revolution

Customer Reviews:

Informative and Entertaining.......2007-07-05

I particularly liked the emphasis on the political aspects of the Revolution, in addition to the military. And the series focused on events often left out or shortened in documentaries, such as the southern battles. I would encourage history teachers to use this series in their classrooms.

The last two segments might have been skipped, since they didn't offer any new information. But they provided a recap of the series.

Multi-dimensional examination of the war.......2007-02-04

A great examination of the American Revolutionary War by the History Channel. Includes interviews with historians, battlefield maps and examinations of troop movements, letters from the battlefields, and actor portrayals of battles and historical figures.

The Revolution starts out with the examinations of the cause of the revolution, such as colonial resentment of taxes levied after the Seven Years' War without any representation. It follows this through the forging of the Declaration of Independence and the battles of the Revolutionary War. It finishes up with the problems facing the nation after the war.

I don't think I had a good enough realization in school with how hard times were for these soldiers as they waged war. This video goes into detail with the troubled supply lines that plagued Washington's army, the heavy desertion and mutiny (which Washington clamped down on with some extraordinary tactics), and the many failed battles that occured in the first few years of the Revolutionary War. It covers internal conflicts between such characters as Horatio Gates and George Washington.

Also discussed are Benjamin Franklin's efforts in France to recruit the French navy and John Paul Jone's foray into Britain and Ireland.

The first half of the series covers the battles in the north and the remaining few episodes discuss how the battles move south into Savannah, the back woods of the Carolinas, and finally Yorktown.

One problem with the series is that they tend to recycle the interviews and footage throughout.

US history books tend to lionize the founding fathers, but this series (and books such as the Founding Brothers) show how none of these people was perfect, and shows their faults as well as their strengths. I came away with this series (which I downloaded from iTunes, BTW) with a much better understanding of the Revolutionary War.

Great Idea, Great Production....Awful DVD Quality.......2007-01-03

I was excited to order this 13 part series after catching part of it on the History Channel. Upon receiving it however and watching the 1st installment, my personal opinion is that the video quality and DVD production is very poor. I don't understand why they would shoot this is widescreen but show it in a funky letterbox type aspect. There are white dotted lines across the top of the screen that are very distracting. For those of you who understand video, I would rate this about the quality of a VCD. The sound is okay. While I would have given this series 5 stars, the poor quality of the DVD brings the purchase down to a 3 for me. Note to History Channel: Upgrade your technology.

Wonderful Collection.......2006-10-31

I will be purchasing this collection soon after it is released. A great, definitive series. beautifully shot. Up to the usual high standards of the History Channel. The guy who played Ben Franklin was a dead ringer for him!

Average customer rating:

Good movie.
MASTERS OF PROPAGANDA...
if you can muscle your way through the historical blunders you got a good movie
Braveheart Redone
seen it many times

The Patriot (Special Edition)
Starring: Mel Gibson , Heath Ledger , Joely Richardson , Jason Isaacs , and Chris Cooper
Director: Roland Emmerich
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

War Epics | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video