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Studio: Madacy Records
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:

Exciting and entertaining
Intelligent Dialog
Very Well Made
I appreacited the way the movie doesn't provide a pat answer about Hanssen's motivations
To Catch a Spy

Breach (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Chris Cooper , Ryan Phillippe , Laura Linney , Dennis Haysbert , and Gary Cole
Director: Billy Ray
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OYAT3U
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Exciting and entertaining.......2007-07-04

We rented this movie just to have something to watch over the weekend. It was fantastic. We loved it so much that we watched it again the next day and then went out and bought a copy. Chris Cooper is phenomenal. I highly recommend it.

Intelligent Dialog.......2007-07-03

This movie is an excellent charecter study of two men: the spy and the clerk who help bring him down. The dialogs are intelligent. The whole sting operation to catch Hanssen is good. All the performances are top notch. Cooper potrayed Hanssen very well. Not much real action happens during the movie. The suspense is whether spy Hanssen will figure out the sting before they can catch him in the act.

The movie does not give easy answers to the motivation of Hanssen, which is very good. The man has complexes on top of his complexes. O'Neill's motivations are complex as well. He wants to protect his wife, serve his country, but he has some respect for Hanssen as well. Hanssen has many dark sides, but his wife and his grand kids love him. Hanssen is honestly concerned about O'Neill career and marriage.

I have one small problem. They keep talking about all the technology they are using to catch Hanssen and really, they did not use it to catch him. However, they don't show any whiz bang stuff in the movie. I mean one episode of CSI has more technology exhibited. This is a very small point. Somebody mentions Hanssen mumbles a lot, which thwarts their use of all their monitoring equipment set up in the office.

The movie is thoughtful look into the world of spies. It is very reminscent of the "The Falcon and the Snowman." and is on that level.

Very Well Made.......2007-07-03

While this may not have the glamour of a Bond-esque spy adventure, this will certainly be regarded as an important and possibly classic spy movie. While I wont go into detail about the story line, which is easily found on the back of the cover, I will say it was paced perfectly and didnt drag on with filler and useless B.S. It is true that you kind of know what happens even before you put in the DVD, however the fun with this movie is watching to see how we get there. I gave this only 4 stars simply because I dont regard it as a "perfect" movie, and for the $20 price tag. I rented this for a buck at redbox and although I liked it, it wasnt enough to compell me to "have" to own it.

I appreacited the way the movie doesn't provide a pat answer about Hanssen's motivations.......2007-07-02

While all movies based on historical subjects must fictionalize events and compress timelines, it is how they do so that matters. Do they still tell the underlying truth of the story? Do they distort the substance of the story? Do they dumb it down so much that it transforms the story into something else? If it does any of these things, I tend to dislike it to the extent it does so. While this movie does make up scenes that never happened and puts actions into the hands of people that didn't do them, it still tells the truth of the story quite well for a Hollywood movie. You can read about the reality and the movie at chasingthefrog under their reelfaces link for this movie. It is quite interesting.

The movie is told through the eyes of the FBI operative who was put close to Hanssen and who was very important during the last two months of the investigation that finally caught him. This person is quite real and his name is Eric O'Neill and is played very well by Ryan Phillippe. The focus of the movie is the spy and traitor Robert Hanssen. The performance given here by Chris Cooper is superb and I hope it is recognized when awards are handed out. Chris Cooper is a fantastic actor whose range of characterizations in his many performances is breathtaking. Not only in the type of character, but their ages, in how they look, their intelligence, their moral make-up. He has it all and I enjoy everything I have seen him do.

Hannsen's wife, Bonnie is played very well by Kathleen Quinlan, and it is her devout faith that adds such a contradiction to Hannsen's character and motivation. It would be easy to paint Hannsen as using his religion cynically. However, while he certainly violated the tenets of his faith, it is clear that he holds his faith close, even while engaging in many seriously bad and compromised behaviors (beyond the spying). O'Neill's immediate superior and FBI handler Kate Burroughs and played very well by Laura Linney. She is tough enough to use O'Neill unsympathetically and yet has enough sense to know when she is pushing too hard and when to take a different tact with her inside guy.

I enjoyed this movie very much. It is smart and doesn't cheat by giving us a simple answer to the puzzle. Just as in real life, we do not know Hanssen's true motivations. Even Hanssen may not understand them. We do know he cost real people their lives and compromised the United States in profound ways. He is justly spending 23 hours per day in solitary confinement.

To Catch a Spy.......2007-07-01

Powerful performances by Cooper and Phillippe bring this rather intense film to life. Based on a true story, it offers a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes operation to catch one of the most dangerous spies in recent history.

When Eric O'Neill (Phillippe) is assigned the job of spying on his new boss Robert Hanssen (Cooper), he at first believes that he is digging up the dirt on the man's deviant tendencies, but eventually learns that Hanssen is in fact a spy for the Soviet Union, and later Russia for the last fifteen years.

Cooper is extremely believable as the devout Catholic FBI double agent who is transferred to headquarters on the pretext that he is heading a department to ensure the confidentiality of classified information. O'Neill and Hanssen eventually develop a mutual respect, but when the latter gets up close and personal with O'Neill's personal life, O'Neill finds himself taking the heat both at home and at the office.

Recommended for fans of espionage movies and thrillers, but may be a little slow for action/adventure buffs.

Here's a summary to the tune of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Beatles

Picture O'Neill as a mole on a mission
With off the rack suits and nondescript ties
FBI calls him, he answers quite slowly
His role's to go ferret out spies

Surveillance cameras always on the scene
Panning right over his head
Look to the boss for the secrets he hides
But there's none

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Follow him down to a church with a steeple
Where Hanssen communes with deities high
Everyone smiles as he meets with the family
There's no way this guy is a spy

Agent Kate Burroughs appears at the door
Takes him and shows him the way
Goes in the room with his head full of clouds
Now they're gone

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Picture O'Neill with his role in the mission
With downloaded folders from palm pilot files
Suddenly Hanssen suspects that it's over
Gets ready to say his goodbyes

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Amanda Richards, July 1, 2007

Average customer rating:

A Clever and Unusual Whodunit
I don't know what these guys are talking about...
An Excellent, Highly Intelligent, Detail-Laden Marathon
a good film
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Spoilers)

Zodiac (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal , Robert Downey Jr. , Mark Ruffalo , Brian Cox , and Chloe Sevigny
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QUCNP4
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Amazon.com

Closer in spirit to a police procedural than a gory serial-killer flick, David Fincher's Zodiac provides a sleek, armrest-gripping re-invention of the crime film. It surveys the investigation of the Zodiac killings that terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late -60-early -70s; Zodiac not only killed people, but cultivated a Jack the Ripper aura by sending icky letters to the newspapers and daring readers to solve coded messages. But the film's focus isn't on the killer. We follow the reporters and detectives whose lives are taken over by the case, notably an addictive crime writer (a sartorially splendid Robert Downey Jr.), an awkward editorial cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal), and a hard-working cop (Mark Ruffalo). Fincher and his brilliant cinematographer Harris Savides are deft at capturing the period feel of the city, without laying on the seventies kitsch, and James Vanderbilt's script doles out its big moments to major and minor characters alike. Fincher's confidence is infectious; the movie glides through its myriad details with such dexterity that even the blind alleys and red herrings seem essential. The well-chosen cast includes unexpected people popping up all over: Anthony Edwards as a lunch-bucket homicide cop; Charles Fleischer as a mysterious suspect; Elias Koteas and Donal Logue as small-town policemen whose districts are hit by Zodiac; Chloe Sevigny as Gyllenhaal's sweet-natured wife; Brian Cox as the media-friendly lawyer Melvin Belli, so famous he once appeared on Star Trek; and the mighty John Carroll Lynch, as a supremely creepy suspect. The film is based on non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith (he's portrayed by Gyllenhaal), although Fincher and co. did extensive research on their own. The result is a propulsive whodunit without (thus far) an ending, but the uncertainty makes the film even more intriguing. --Robert Horton

Beyond Zodiac

The Zodiac (2005)
Curse of the Zodiac (2007)
The Novel

Stills from Zodiac (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

A Clever and Unusual Whodunit.......2007-07-06

"Zodiac" is a wonderful whodunit genre film set in San Francisco and its environs in the 1970s and 1980s. It is based on the true story of a presumed serial killer who identified himself as "Zodiac". He was successful in terrorising the broader community.

Unlike most Hollywood crime films, "Zodiac" has no crisp ending where the bad guy is killed or captured and all the loose ends are tidied up. Rather, the film concludes with the killer still at large notwithstanding many suspicions. Of course, many murder investigations end this way but rarely so in Hollywood.

The film is well scripted with many outstanding performances. Robert Downey Junior as the drunken newspaper crime writer, Brian Cox as the media savvy lawyer Melvin Belli, Jake Gyllenhaal as the awkward cartoonist turned crime writer and Mark Ruffalo as the hardened cop immediately come to mind. It's a great ensemble cast.

If I was to have any criticism of the film, it is that it's a bit too long. Sure, the plot is complex and details need to be explained but a film in excess of 2 ½ hours is testing an audience's patience. However, this criticism is not substantive in the greater scheme of things. Do not let this comment distract the viewer. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and can recommend it to all. Its languid yet enthralling pace, its clever recreation of the time, its ambiguous conclusions and its very competent cast ensure that this is a film well worth seeing.

I don't know what these guys are talking about..........2007-07-03

I personally thought this movie was three hours of my life that I will never get back. It drug on and on- with no real conclusion. I understand that it is based on a true story- but I just feel there is so much more they could have done with it, and soooo much they could have cut out. I actually fell asleep for about 20 minutes in the middle of it- in the theater. I'm not sure how these other reviewers could ramble on and on about how "brilliant" and "brave" this movie is,etc. It must be a case of the emperor has no clothes...

An Excellent, Highly Intelligent, Detail-Laden Marathon.......2007-07-02

In a dumbed-down film market where facts, context, background, details, personnel and personalities, and tedious albeit crucial connections and indicators are to be avoided at all costs as box office poison, I was very pleasantly surprised by this film's depth, in all of these aspects. If you're a stickler for details, and if you ask questions, this film will work for you, as it did for me. That being said, by the time the end titles rolled at two hours, 37 minutes, I was numb from the incessant cascade of leads and evidence and trails and personalities, and the genuinely palpable tension created by the characters and story, relieved it was done.

"Cast" is a wide-ranging concept here. Gyllenhall and the top-billed are ever-present, as are many others, but the ensemble cast continues to grow, with important characters fading out as the story rolls on and others introduced as close as ten minutes from the end of the film. This depth of cast is required to tell this story right, and I actually felt complimented as a viewer that they've made the decision to do this, confident in my ability to sort them, remember them, and see their place in the narrative. As noted by others, it was great to see Anthony Edwards (Goose!) in a role he filled outstandingly. I also loved Brian Cox's Melvin Belli portrayal, which for some reason just continued to remind me of Brando.

The period attention to detail was absolutely superb, right down to the IBM Selectrics on the desks, and an airline flight announcement that smoking was only allowed in the last six rows. I really loved the time-lapse sequence of the building of the Trans-America pyramid, and all of the mid-70s memories that this evoked. The vehicles were spot-on, as was the costuming (Chloe Sevigny in her first appearance with that straight blond hair and glasses looking just like Marsha Brady), expertly complementing the obviously meticulous work that went into creating the different periods of time in which this story takes place.

Overall, the story is about the trail of the killer, and how such a complex case with a huge depth of evidence ultimately has produced no true suspect, no arrest, and no conviction. It's about competing jurisdictions, bureaucratic obstacles, lack of communication, personalities in conflict, the relationship between law enforcement, the press, and the judicial, and it's about how small things can be extremely meaningful . . . or maddeningly irrelevant. In the end, a serial murderer remains at large.

I particularly enjoyed the direct connection made to the 1971 classic, "Dirty Harry," it's "Scorpio" bad guy openly based on the Zodiac killer. But, as noted so well in the film, although a few suspects--and very, very suspicious guys they are--are identified, real life is not nearly as simple and straightforward as a .44 Magnum execution.

The film gets its "R" rating for language and violence. The foul language is not over the top (not "Goodfellas"), and is directly relevant to the film. The violence is rather scant, but it is very, very intense. I say this as a longtime filmgoer who considers himself jaded in terms of cinematic portrayal of violence. The opening scene recreates one of the early murders, and it is stark, graphic and highly unpleasant. The lakeside murder scene is more so, extremely intense, and made me physically uncomfortable. There are a couple of other "killer" scenes, but they are not nearly as difficult to watch as these first two. I found myself wondering about the inclusion and meaning of this level of directly personal and highly emotional violence: I believe it is the content and conduct of these murders, the premeditation and brutality that after all drive the main characters. This is the very reason for the story, and the viewer needs to remember these scenes as the motivators for the characters as the film moves on.

To conclude, I thank the production team who did this film for providing me with the depth of cast, narrative, and story to let me participate in the hunt for the killer as well. In this film I've been invited to an intellectual endeavor, and I found I enjoyed it. I got (most of) the facts, and I can come to my own conclusions, and for that and the other reasons I list above, I heartily recommend this film.

a good film.......2007-06-11

Zodiac is Fincher's most mature work to date. Whilst I enjoyed Se7en and Fight Club, they were a little showy--daring, but striving to be different. Zodiac is a more classical type of work; it's simply told, and Fincher let's the case draw the reader in rather than relying on effects. He draws two excellent performances from Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal. I can see why some critics think Downey is the best actor of his generation; his performance here is so real it's unnerving. Presumably drawing on his own addictions, Downey makes his character raw, and watching the performance is a moving experience. Gyllenhaal takes on the kind of role that Michael J. Fox did in Casualties of War--a kind of observer role (at least for a lot of the film). It's easy to overlook this kind of performance--it's super subtle and finely tuned. Fincher has never made a film this good, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Spoilers).......2007-06-10

Most unsuspecting movie-goers would have been falsely led into believing that this would be a slash-fest. Even more so, coming from the director of "Se7en". What most of them probably forgot that he was also responsible for 1999's most cerebral film: Fight Club.

As the tagline goes: There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer. It perhaps sums up the whole thesis or gist of the film. Even though this film is about the elusive Zodiac killings that plagued San Fransisco in the late 60s, well into the 70s; it is actually a by-the-book standard procedural investigative drama. It is not so much of a murder mystery that every Agatha Christie's fans will be anticipating. Even though the real identity of Zodiac remains the "Macguffin" of the whole movie.

This film is broken down into 3 main acts. The first act consist of flamboyant journalist, Paul Avery, played with equal flamboyance by ex-alcoholic Robert Downey Jr., whose initial disinterest and outward passiveness hides a dark and unhealthy obsession over the killings and the killer himself. Interestingly, the film managed to hide his obsession, well into the third act.

The second act plays out like a fly-on-the-wall docudrama CSI-style drama series. The focus here is on Mark Ruffalo's homicide detective whose persistence and perseverance is well commended but again, leads to a cul-de-sac.

The final act unravels itself with an understated role played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays the author of the book of which of the film was based on. Gyllenhaal imbues a subdued performance in the first act, only to shine out with an equal, if not surpassing Paul Avery's obsession, morbid obsession over the killer's identity. Even though not explicitly shown, his whole social and family life falls apart as his obsession deepens.

Throughout all these acts, the catalyst that glues all three characters is the Zodiac killer or suspect himself. The killings portrayed which are punctuated throughout all three acts, were no doubt stylish and even shocking. But the real deal comes from John Carroll Lynch, who plays the only prime suspect in the whole affair. Quite a remarkable intense, albeit brief performance.

David Fincher weaves a fine tale of obsession that probably put Brian DePalma's "Black Dahlia" in disgrace. All three protagonists' lives are intertwined with each other, all hurtling towards disappointment, delusions and ultimately, in Graysmith's case, a catharsis that is so anti-climatic that will leave the audience questioning themselves, whether all that effort was really worth it.

Average customer rating:

Tony Scott back on point
Talk about Deja Vu
I Need Her To Matter To You" ~ We Can't Change The Past, Or Can We?
A movie worth watching!
Captivating Movie From Star To Finish!

Deja Vu
Starring: Denzel Washington , Paula Patton , Val Kilmer , James Caviezel , and Adam Goldberg
Director: Tony Scott
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JPD0
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

In his most effective thriller since Enemy of the State, Tony Scott makes time travel seem plausible. It helps that his New Orleans hero, ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington in his third go-round with the director), spends more time in the present than the past. In order to catch a terrorist, FBI Agent Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) invites Carlin to join forces. They have the technology to see the past. He has the expertise to interpret the data. Unfortunately, the bomb has already gone off and hundreds of ferry passengers have died. Then there's the body of a beautiful woman, Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton, Idlewild), that turns up in the vicinity of the blast. Evidence indicates she was killed beforehand. Since the FBI enables him to observe Claire prior to her murder, Carlin gets to know what she was like and finds himself falling in love. He becomes convinced that the only way to solve the case--and prove her innocence--is to travel to the past. But as Pryzwarra's colleague, Denny (Adam Goldberg), argues, "You cannot go back in time. It's physically impossible." Or so he says. Déjà Vu is constructed around a clever script and executed by a top-notch cast, notably Washington, Patton, and an eerie Jim Caviezel (miles away from Passion of the Christ). In shedding the excesses of recent years--the sadism of Man on Fire and weirdness of Tarantino favorite Domino--Scott re-affirms his rep as one of the action movie's finest practitioners. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Academy Award(R) winner Denzel Washington (Best Actor, TRAINING DAY, 2001) joins forces with blockbuster producer Jerry Bruckheimer and mega-hit director Tony Scott for DÉJÀ VU — the powerful, fast-paced action-thriller with a spectacular mind-bending twist. Called in to recover evidence in the aftermath of a horrific explosion on a New Orleans ferry, Federal agent Doug Carlin (Washington) gets pulled away from the scene and taken to a top-secret government lab that uses a time-shifting surveillance device to help prevent crime. But can it help Carlin change the past? Hold on to your seat for an explosive and intriguing thrill ride you'll want to experience again and again.'

Customer Reviews:

Tony Scott back on point.......2007-07-06

After Domino, I may have never watched another Tony Scott movie, but since he had Denzel Washington with him again, I gave it a shot, because I for one had really liked Man on Fire.

Deja Vu, is a pretty good, but not quite great film dealing with quauntum mechanics, terrorism and paradox.

This is one of the better films around dealing with such topics, it worked hard to keep the details making sense, but did not really grab me the way Man on Fire did. Well worth a watch, not for younger kids, but a pretty good movie.

Talk about Deja Vu.......2007-07-06

I feel like this movie has been made before, hence the name. Can you say unoriginal??
It's stuff like this that makes me not want to take the wife and rugrats to the cinema anymore?

I Need Her To Matter To You" ~ We Can't Change The Past, Or Can We?.......2007-07-05

`Déjà vu' released in '05 stars some of my favorite male stars active today; Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer and James Caviezel. Add to the roster the talented Adam Goldberg and the devastatingly attractive Paula Patton and you've got all the ingredients necessary to provide a truly great viewing experience. Unfortunately even with a cast of this caliber the film doesn't quite deliver all the potential it could have.

Time travel movies are always popular but could be a little tricky at times. I think the script handles the scientific explanation of time travel and warping space surprising well but some sequences are a little to unrealistic and you can ask an audience to suspend reality for only so long. I also found the ending to make no sense whatsoever so that definitely is a minus. On the positive side, the romantic angle works wonderfully and Denzel Washington's love interest Paula Patton is drop dead gorgeous. `Déjà vu' combines the futuristic vision of `Minority Report' (`02) with the romantic longing of the '44 classic `Laura'. Not too bad a combination don't you think?

Repeatability Factor: Well worth at least one viewing but that's about it unless you're watching just to see Paula again.

A movie worth watching!.......2007-06-29

Deja Vu brings to the screen the story of an ATF agent as he tries to find those responsible for detonating a bomb aboard a riverboat in New Orleans killing hundreds of people. The investigation will lead to some unexpected discoveries including one that would blow most peoples' minds in a heartbeat...
There are slight hints of the X-Files, and strong elements of Timecop (Jean Claude Van Damme), Frequency (Dennis Quaid, James Caviezel), and The Lake House (Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock).
Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few thrills, not to mention a few tears.
The setting, the plot, the dialogues, and the music are all wonderful!
In conclusion, Deja Vu is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection as it is one of those films that gets you and keeps you thinking long after it's over. 4.5 Stars

Captivating Movie From Star To Finish!.......2007-06-29

Wasn't quite sure what to expect when I rented this movie.... It was a lot better than I anticipated as I thought it would be some cheesy suspense movie, but it wasn't.

It was a combination action/suspense, science-fiction, time travel, and a bit of romance thrown in at the end kind of movie. The acting was superb as well as the storyline.... With the created/fabricated technology and time travel used in movie, I wasn't sure how it all was going to fit together! But everything worked itself into a neat tightly fit package by the end of the movie.

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)
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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

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection Vol. 11

Average customer rating:

The best TV comedy of the 90s
Too much Joel.
if you are smart you will preorder this
Best to Pre-Order while you can...
Another great set..

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection Vol. 11
Director: Vince Rodriguez
Manufacturer: Rhino Theatrical
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

The Film Crew: Hollywood After Dark
The Film Crew: Killers From Space
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Vol. 10
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 9
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 8

ASIN: B000PC1PBG
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

Book your return flight to the Satellite of Love and join Joel, Mike and the 'bots for another fearful foursome of flops in this collection of episodes from the Peabody Award-winning series Mystery Science Theater 3000. First up on Volume 11's menu of muck is Season Two's Ring of Terror, with Joel, Crow and Tom Servo riffing furiously on a half-baked story of fraternity pranks gone wrong; it's partnered with another interminable episode of the Bela Lugosi serial The Phantom Creeps. Next is Season Four's The Indestructible Man, in which Joel performs a frightening imitation of the movie's star, Lon Chaney Jr.; an episode of The Undersea Kingdom is also celebrated with a parade that goes predictably awry. Season Four's Tormented features headless ghosts, a guilt-ridden Richard Carlson, and Joel stuck in a ventilation shaft, plus a day-rescuing round of happy thoughts. And last but not least is Season Ten's Horrors of Spider Island, a German-made monster movie about dancers on a deserted island and a giant spider than transforms their manager into a hideous creature; Mike also undergoes a man-to-spider switcheroo after getting trapped in the 'bots' homemade spider web. For veteran MiSTies and pop culture fanatics, it doesn't get funnier than this.

Extras include theatrical trailers for all of the films save Ring of Terror; a brief interview with Tormented director Bert I. Gordon, his daughter Susan, and star Joseph Turkel, and wrap-arounds from the syndicated Mystery Science Hour, with Mike Nelson as an obsequious Jack Perkins, are also included. However, the best supplement is the second MST3K Jukebox, which compiles some of the show's funniest and most memorable musical numbers, including "Sidehackin',"Joel and the 'bots' garage-rock tribute to The Sidehackers and the incredible "Patrick Swayze Christmas" from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

The best TV comedy of the 90s.......2007-07-03

Yes, Seinfeld is the best sitcom of the 90s. But the funniest thing on TV during that decade was Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The jokes come fast and you better pay attention. Or just watch it again, you'll catch more one-liners the next time around from Joel (or Mike), Tom Servo, and Crow as they comment on really bad movies.

I've only seen the first episode on this volume, but it's a hoot. The running gag about middle-age actors playing college students never gets old.

Too much Joel........2007-06-30

Too much Joel... Not enough Mike. The show is just better with Mike at the helm. Although, TV's Frank kind of makes up for it.

But, what choice do you have? Buy it!

if you are smart you will preorder this.......2007-05-16

I can truly say that I own every set that rhino has ever put out. I never held off on buying them and to me that is a good choice. I have recently seen how high vol. 10 is going for online and I find that amazing considering the fact that I had preorder mine and paid half the price. Vol. 9 is also going for a hefty price as well. I feel that if you are a true MSTie, you will get this set in your hands as soon as possible, if for anything do it for the Mr. BIG movie. If you remember they had to pull one of his MSTied VHS movies off the shelf. With all of the being said I also have to say that there are some prime choice of episodes available on this set. Some of them have not seen the light of day in many years. I highly recommend this set to those who had only seen the show in it's SCIFI channel era and those whom have not seen very many of the Joel episodes. I myself is very interested in this st due to the fact that I have not seen them since their original runs.

Best to Pre-Order while you can..........2007-05-09

If history has taught us anything it is this, you can't depend on the new MST3K sets to be available for long, so if you're interested it's best to get them while you can. Case in point, Mystery Science Theater 3000 volume 10... available for purchase for about three months and then it was suddenly pulled from the shelves in a quiet recall with no replacements ever sent out. I myself had to get Volume 10 off of eBay (at a hefty premium at that) because I waited too long thinking it was a buy I could put off for a little bit. How wrong I was. The moral of the story is, when Volume 11 comes out, (as well as volumes 12, 13, 14 and so on), it's better to hedge your bets and get it as fast as possible before they vanish all too soon.

Oh, and my reason for giving Volume 11 here a 5-Star rating sight unseen... that's just me being the loyal Mistie fan-boy that I am. =^)

Another great set.........2007-05-03

If you're a fan of MST3K,then you'll want to get this right away,in case they lose the rights to some of the movies and of course,some of their funniest episodes are right here.If you love bad movies and have never seen MST3K,then what are you waiting for?? Do some movies that are really bad give you nightmares or shake your head as to what you've just seen??Then,let MST3K take that away from you and let them make fun,so you won't have to.Their pain is your enjoyment..I must admit that watching RING OF TERROR wasn't easy,but at least MST3K was there to make it more enjoyable.Thanks guys!! This is a great collection from a show that was nothing short of pure genius..Funny stuff indeed.Looking forward to each volume.Not only for classic episodes from MST3K,but the extras Rhino will include as well..Keep up the great work!!!

Average customer rating:

lost
Interesting trivia for die-hard fans
Will make you sweat nitroglycerin
you want drama, action, and suspense
Best Show on T.V

Lost - The Complete Second Season
Starring: Matthew Fox , and Evangeline Lilly
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Lost - The Complete First Season
24 - Season Five
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Second Season
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000FIMG68
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Product Description

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Push the button and prepare to be blown away by the groundbreaking television event USA Today calls "TV's best series." The multiple Emmy(R) Award-winning drama reaches new heights in its spectacular second season as the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 discover they are not alone in their battle against "The Others," and a contested decision to open the hatch reveals a new realm of mystery and intrigue. Prepare yourself for the DVD experience of Season Two, complete with over 8 hours of original bonus material you can't see anywhere else -- including unaired original flashbacks -- and you'll discover for yourself why "everything happens for a reason."

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

What was in the Hatch? The cliffhanger from season one of Lost was answered in its opening sequences, only to launch into more questions as the season progressed. That's right: Just when you say "Ohhhhh," there comes another "What?" Thankfully, the show's producers sprinkle answers like tasty morsels throughout the season, ending with a whopper: What caused Oceanic Air Flight 815 to crash in the first place? As the show digs into more revelations about its inhabitant's pasts, it also devotes a good chunk to new characters (Hey, it's an island; you never know who you're going to run into.) First, there are the "Tailies," passengers from the back end of the plane who crashed on the other side of the island. Among them are the wise, God-fearing ex-drug lord Mr. Eko (standout Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje); devoted husband Bernard (Sam Anderson); psychiatrist Libby (Cynthia Watros, whose character has more than one hidden link to the other islanders); and ex-cop Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), by far the most infuriating character on the show, despite how much the writers tried to incur sympathy with her flashback. Then there are the Others, first introduced when they kidnapped Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) at the end of season one. Brutal and calculating, their agenda only became more complex when one of them (played creepily by Michael Emerson) was held hostage in the hatch and, quite handily, plays mind games on everyone's already frayed nerves. The original cast continues to battle their own skeletons, most notably Locke (Terry O'Quinn), Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Michael (Harold Perrineau), whose obsession with finding Walt takes a dangerous turn. The love triangle between Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), which had stalled with Sawyer's departure, heats up again in the second half. Despite the bloating cast size (knocked down by a few by season's end) Lost still does what it does best: explores the psyche of people, about whom "my life is an open book" never applies, and cracks into the social dynamics of strangers thrust into Lord of the Flies-esque situations. Is it all a science experiment? A dream? A supernatural pocket in the universe? Likely, any theory will wind up on shaky ground by the season's conclusion. But hey, that's the fun of it. This show was made for DVD, and you can pause and slow-frame to your heart's content. Just try and keep that head-spinning to a minimum.

On the DVD

Commentaries by various cast members and producers reveal little other than the occasional easter egg (the Dharma logo on the shark fin, Walt's mumbling translating to "Don't push the button; the button is bad" backwards). But disc seven opens with an eerie Hanso Foundation instructional video, leading you to eight hours of bonus features, including cast members' own theories, deleted scenes, and featurettes on specific episodes. It's all well and good for Lost fanatics, but if you want the cream of the crop, check out: "Lost Connections," an interactive feature that reveals how all the islanders are actually linked (for instance, one of the officers who captured Sayid during the Gulf War is Kate's father); a Channel UK promo for the show directed by David LaChappelle in which cast members suck in their cheeks and, dressed in evening wear, tango in slow motion as if in a Calvin Klein ad (it has to be a joke, right?); and "The World According to Sawyer," which strings together each of the un-PC nicknames and pop culture references spewed by Holloway's character. Favorites include "Chewie" for Jin and "Ponce de Leon" for Ana Lucia. It's by far the cherry on top of a sweet dessert. --Ellen A. Kim

Customer Reviews:

lost.......2007-07-06

great shows, I never get enough of it. you will watch this season more then once and see something new each time.

Interesting trivia for die-hard fans.......2007-06-30

There are plenty of reviews here that describe the show, so I'll avoid needless repetition and try to offer something new. Obviously I love the show, so I won't go on about that either. Like many I am greatly anticipating the conclusion. Many lost fans do not seem to be aware that Lost is (and J.J. Abrams has stated this as well) actually mostly based on The Prisoner, the cult classic TV show from the 1960s starring Patrick McGoohan. Instead of being stranded on a mysterious island, in The Prisoner, the protagonist was trapped in a mysterious prison disguised as a luxury resort called "The Village." As The Prisoner approached its final episode people were eagerly anticipating the "explanation" of everything, just as is now happening with Lost. The interesting thing is, when the final episode of The Prisoner aired in England, it proved SO controversial that the show's star, Patrick McGoohan, took his family and fled the country as he was sick and tired of people confronting him in the streets! I wonder if Lost will follow suit and have an equally metaphorical, non-literal, and philosophical ending. This certainly does seem to be the direction the show is heading. Frankly fans have already thought of every possible explanation to the mysteries on the island. Perhaps we shouldn't expect one at all, but another "statement" or "message." Any thoughts?

Will make you sweat nitroglycerin.......2007-06-21

If you loved Season One, and even if not, Season Two will keep you hooked.

PREVIOUSLY ON LOST - by the end of last season, the survivors of Ft. 815 reached a crisis. Locke blew off the top of the mysterious hatch using barely stable dynamite (as it ages, TNT "sweats" nitroglycerin, and the stuff that Jack and Locke find looks like it spent a few years on a treadmill), but finds more mystery within. Michael, Walt, Jin and Sawyer, having escaped on Michael's raft, encounter another boat. Elation quickly turns to terror - Walt is taken and the others are cast adrift. We knew that the survivors were not alone, but we learn how "The Others" are powerful, determined and unfriendly.

In Season 2, we meet more survivors. We also learn more about the mysterious and hostile "Others" - but are we really learning the truth? (After a season, we already know not to believe everything we see.) If you loved Hurley's spotlight story last season, there's a great sequel. And of course we finally go down into the mysterious hatch, where some questions are answered, but many more raised. "Lost" is a lot like The Hatch, keeping us going by showing us just enough - no captain's log, no tell-all tricorders, no voice-overs. Comfy closure is for "Grey's Anatomy". This is a show for viewers who like a challenge. The season ends almost perfectly - without giving away too much, there's a perfectly paced climax that weaves themes and backstories of several characters, and sets the stage for Season Three.

ARE YOU LOST?
"Lost follows the unfortunate survivors of Oceanic 815. Stranded on a mysterious island, they soon realize that quick rescue isn't likely as their flight had gone off-course for some distance prior to the crash. Apart from the dangers of being on an unpopulated island, "Lost" added some new wrinkles - a crazy French woman named Danielle (whose voice plays on the recorded message picked up early last season), an invisible monster, a weird hatch barely buried underground and (above all dangers) the terrifying clues that our survivors are under attack. "Lost" excels for the very reason usually used to explain why other shows fail - because it shifts gears quickly, from funny to sad, sentimental to ominous. The show doesn't overload you with surprises, but has no shortage of them.

But "Lost" is also great character drama - weaving the challenges of the island with the complex back-stories of individual characters, each of whome challenged our shallow perceptions them - Sawyer, the schemer; Jack, the doctor who fix anybody; Sayyid, the soldier; Charlie, the has-been rocker turned junky; Kate, the murderess; Locke, the visionary who seems oddly at home on the island; and Hurley, who gamely resists being the comic-relief of the show. Each episode continued picking away at the past-lives of our characters, sometimes revisiting previously seen moments of their lives - making us wonder if they're better off being Lost for good.

you want drama, action, and suspense.......2007-06-04

Here you go, another great season from Lost... Good for collection..

Best Show on T.V.......2007-06-02

I watch a lot of T.V and there are a lot of great shows but this is by far the very best. No sitcom will ever match up to this

Average customer rating:

Dark Dark dark and depressing
Overrated
I hated this movie
A Classic
Self-important

Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi , Michelle Hussain , Rob Curling , Jon Chevalier , and Rita Davies
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000N6TX1I
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Amazon.com

Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical 1993 novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility. As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humor to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Dark Dark dark and depressing.......2007-07-06

This was a waste of money. I don't discount the fine acting talents of the stars, but it was a depressing story, no matter who was starring in it. I thought there would be some hope, but the ending was too ambiguous and the whole movie was dark and depressing.

Overrated .......2007-07-03

Interesting film but wildly overrated by the critics. Confusing and ambiguous story line trips up a pretty good cast and produces a mediocre science fiction film. I am afraid that all this film really foreshadows is more bad movies to come. This film does not, by any stretch of the imagination, compare to Sci-Fi classics like Blade Runner. Save your money and watch it on cable.

I hated this movie.......2007-07-03

Bleak, weak story line..everyone is always running. very confusing and depressing and I thought it made NO sense even though I understood what was trying to be said. The ending was a joke. Don't waste your money or time! I didn't even want to give it one star! One of the worse movies I ever saw!

A Classic.......2007-07-03

I really enjoyed this movie and the sci fi element was great.
A defintie keeper to the collection.

Self-important.......2007-07-02

It's a political thriller filled with horrifying implications about our future, implications we'd really rather not face. It's timely, it's hard-hitting, and all that. So naturally I was curious and wanted to see this film that wise critics told me was foretelling our possible fate. And so I rented Black Sunday recently.

And 30 years later, the film doesn't show its age very well. It's very rooted in the 70s. It is filled with more "movie moments" than genuine truths, though those moments are well-disguised.

And that about sums up Children of Men, too. It's trying so hard to be Important. It's obviously a protest against the current war on terror and all the infighting it has generated. But it's based on a red herring--or a gimmick, to put it less charitably--and it's about as subtle as a boulder falling off a thousand foot cliff.

Folks, the issue we'll be facing in the near future won't be wars stemming from underpopulation (why terrorists are at war on this is never really explained), it will be on *over*population. More specifically, overpopulation with dwindling natural resources, and electorates everywhere who have done nothing past lip service because they're busy stuffing their pockets with donations from those who control the existing natural resources. *That's* a topic I'd like to see a grim movie like this tackle. But it just might make theater-goers a little uncomfortable as they climb into their Hemi pickups and SUVs afterwards.

So instead we get this self-important movie that either the NY or LA Times (I forget which) says frightens us because we know, deep down, this could be our future. I'd say it's watchable and enjoyable because deep down we know this isn't our future. Is there really an infertility epidemic going on that I'm unaware of? There are grave problems threatening us today, and not one of them is in this film. There's not much in this film, really. It's a cleverly-disguised action thriller, Mad Max meets Brazil (both better movies, btw).

In addition to the red herring of infertility (which is never explained, by the way...Nor do we have any reason to believe the child at the end will survive any better than anyone else, especially since she's a preemie, so the whole ending felt pointless to me), there's the infighting. Here the message is obvious, driven home by power tools, and in case you're out getting popcorn during this bit the director constantly has huge overbearing signs in all the locations with messages like "Report Suspicious Activity." Yes, I know there are really such signs nowadays. Yes, I get the indictment of what's going with British and American governments currently. Anyone who hasn't been lobotomized gets it. But after beating us up with it, the filmmakers don't develop it, doesn't make a point past the obvious one. By contrast, look at the odyssey the central character in Brazil undergoes, and how it affects both him and the people he loves and looks out for.

What stymied me after watching Children of Men was that such a one-dimensional movie impressed all the high-brow critics. Then I went back and reread the 1970s reviews for Black Sunday and understood.